Sample records for alexander fleming discovered

  1. What if Fleming had not discovered penicillin?

    PubMed

    Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Wainwright, Milton; Alahmadi, Tahani Awad; Salleeh, Hashim Bin; Faden, Asmaa A; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam

    2014-09-01

    What would have happened had Alexander Fleming not discovered penicillin in 1928? Perhaps the obvious answer is that, someone else would have discovered penicillin during 1930s and the Oxford group, would still have purified it sometime in the early 1940s. Here, however, in this counterfactual account of the penicillin story, it is argued that without Fleming, penicillin might still be undiscovered and the antibiotic age would never have dawned. As a result, many of the recent developments in medicine, such as organ transplantation, might have been delayed or, at best, made more hazardous. Penicillin might have come onto the scene a few years later but, had Fleming overlooked the discovery, it seems certain that penicillin would not have saved countless Allied lives, during and after D-Day. Instead of having enjoyed fifty and more years of the antibiotic age, it is argued here, that we would have had to rely upon highly developed sulphonamides, so-called "supasulfas", and other chemically-derived antibacterial drugs. Indeed, it might be the case that, even well into this new millennium, the antibiotic age has yet to dawn, and medicine is still waiting for someone to chance upon penicillin. Here we discuss what might have happened had Fleming not discovered penicillin and come to the conclusion that the medical armoury available today would have been far different and might have relied solely upon highly developed varieties of sulphonamides or similar, synthetic, non-antibiotic antibacterial agents.

  2. What if Fleming had not discovered penicillin?

    PubMed Central

    Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali; Wainwright, Milton; Alahmadi, Tahani Awad; Salleeh, Hashim Bin; Faden, Asmaa A.; Chinnathambi, Arunachalam

    2014-01-01

    What would have happened had Alexander Fleming not discovered penicillin in 1928? Perhaps the obvious answer is that, someone else would have discovered penicillin during 1930s and the Oxford group, would still have purified it sometime in the early 1940s. Here, however, in this counterfactual account of the penicillin story, it is argued that without Fleming, penicillin might still be undiscovered and the antibiotic age would never have dawned. As a result, many of the recent developments in medicine, such as organ transplantation, might have been delayed or, at best, made more hazardous. Penicillin might have come onto the scene a few years later but, had Fleming overlooked the discovery, it seems certain that penicillin would not have saved countless Allied lives, during and after D-Day. Instead of having enjoyed fifty and more years of the antibiotic age, it is argued here, that we would have had to rely upon highly developed sulphonamides, so-called “supasulfas”, and other chemically-derived antibacterial drugs. Indeed, it might be the case that, even well into this new millennium, the antibiotic age has yet to dawn, and medicine is still waiting for someone to chance upon penicillin. Here we discuss what might have happened had Fleming not discovered penicillin and come to the conclusion that the medical armoury available today would have been far different and might have relied solely upon highly developed varieties of sulphonamides or similar, synthetic, non-antibiotic antibacterial agents. PMID:25183937

  3. Paul Fleming | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Paul Fleming Photo of Paul Fleming Paul Fleming Researcher IV-Control Engineering Paul.Fleming analysis of control systems for wind energy. Paul co-designed the control system used for field testing of advanced control systems on the CARTs, located at the NWTC. Since joining NREL, he has researched topics

  4. Katherine Fleming | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Fleming Photo of Katherine Fleming Katherine Fleming Database and Web Applications Engineer and web application development in the Commercial Buildings Research group. Her projects include the , Katherine was pursuing a Ph.D. with a focus on robotics and working as a Web developer and Web accessibility

  5. Speciation despite globally overlapping distributions in Penicillium chrysogenum: the population genetics of Alexander Fleming’s lucky fungus

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Eighty years ago, Alexander Fleming described the antibiotic effects of a fungus that had contaminated his bacterial culture, kick starting the antimicrobial revolution. The fungus was later ascribed to a globally distributed asexual species, Penicillium chrysogenum. Recently, the species has been...

  6. Development and Characterization of an Unmarked hemO Cluster Knockout in Hypervirulent Acinetobacter Baumannii LAC-4

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    decade since the First World War when Alexander Fleming discovered the inhibitory, antibacterial properties of a substance excreted by the mold...was treated with penicillin, what appeared to be resistance was noted by researchers and later discovered to be penicillinase activity (Abraham et...In particular, innovations in the treatment of Gram-negative species have shown little progress with a near absence of any drug candidate active

  7. Irish contributions to the origins of antibiotics.

    PubMed

    Kingston, W

    2008-06-01

    Pasteur commented that if we could intervene in the antagonism observed between some bacteria, it would offer 'perhaps the greatest hopes for therapeutics.' Some Irish scientists were crucially involved in the eventual realization of these hopes. The earliest of these was John Tyndall, whose 1881 book, 'Floating matter in the air in relation to putrefaction and infection,' brought about general acceptance of Pasteur's germ theory. Sir Almroth Wright, a TCD graduate, who discovered the first vaccine against typhoid fever, recruited Alexander Fleming to the London hospital where he discovered penicillin. This happened when Fleming was replicating an experiment originally carried out by Bigger, Boland and O'Meara in TCD. One of Fleming's cultures was accidentally contaminated by a mould containing penicillin which came from the collection of Charles La Touche, an Irish mycologist who was researching whether cobwebs caused asthma in the same hospital, and who later taught in UCD.

  8. Sir Sandford Fleming College Repositioning Strategies Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sir Sandford Fleming Coll., Peterborough (Ontario).

    This report describes repositioning strategies undertaken by Sir Sandford Fleming College, in Ontario, to respond to changing student demographics, educational demands, and reduced funding. Following opening remarks by the college president providing an overview of the strategies and the use of all-staff meetings to generate responses from the…

  9. Alexander Disease

    MedlinePlus

    ... there are no ethnic, racial, geographic, or cultural/economic differences in its distribution. Alexander disease is a ... there are no ethnic, racial, geographic, or cultural/economic differences in its distribution. Alexander disease is a ...

  10. La Moisissure et la Bactérie: Deconstructing the fable of the discovery of penicillin by Ernest Duchesne.

    PubMed

    Shama, Gilbert

    2016-09-01

    Ernest Duchesne (1874-1912) completed his thesis on microbial antagonism in 1897 in Lyon. His work lay unknown for fifty years, but on being brought to light led to his being credited with having discovered penicillin prior to Alexander Fleming. The claims surrounding Duchesne are examined here both from the strictly microbiological perspective, and also for what they reveal about how the process of discovery is frequently misconstrued. The combined weight of evidence presented here militates strongly against the possibility that the species of Penicillium that Duchesne worked with produced penicillin. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Long-term monitoring of glacier dynamics of Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friedl, Peter; Seehaus, Thorsten; Wendt, Anja; Braun, Matthias

    2017-04-01

    The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the world`s most affected regions by Climate Change. Dense and long time series of remote sensing data enable detailed studies of the rapid glaciological changes in this area. We present results of a study on Fleming Glacier, which was the major tributary glacier of former Wordie Ice Shelf, located at the south-western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Since the ice shelf disintegrated in a series of events starting in the 1970s, only disconnected tidewater glaciers have remained today. As a reaction to the loss of the buttressing force of the ice shelf, Fleming Glacier accelerated and dynamically thinned. However, all previous studies conducted at Wordie Bay covered only relatively short investigation periods and ended in 2008 the latest. Hence it was not well known how long the process of adaption to the changing boundary conditions exactly lasts and how it is characterized in detail. We provide long time series (1994 - 2016) of glaciological parameters (i.e. ice extent, velocity, grounding line position, ice elevation) for Fleming Glacier obtained from multi-mission remote sensing data. For this purpose large datasets of previously active (e.g. ERS, Envisat, ALOS PALSAR, Radarsat-1) as well as currently recording SAR sensors (e.g. Sentinel-1, TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X) were processed and combined with data from other sources (e.g. optical images, laser altimeter and ice thickness data). The high temporal resolution of our dataset enables us to present a detailed history of 22 years of glacial dynamics at Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf. We found strong evidence for a rapid grounding line retreat of up to 13 km between 2008 and 2011, which led to a further amplification of dynamic ice thinning. Today Fleming Glacier seems to be far away from approaching a new equilibrium. Our data show that the current glacier dynamics of Fleming Glacier are not primarily controlled by the loss of the ice shelf anymore, but

  12. Kivelson Receives 2005 John Adam Fleming Medal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singer, Howard J.; Kivelson, Margaret G.

    2006-01-01

    Margaret G. Kivelson was awarded the Fleming Medal at the AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, which was held on 7 December 2005, in San Francisco, Calif. The medal recognizes original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences. After a Ph.D. in theoretical physics (with Nobel Prize winner Julian Schwinger) and part-time work at the RAND Corporation during her children's early childhood, Margaret Kivelson entered geophysics in the 1960s. Since then, Margaret has led a remarkable career in the fields of solar-terrestrial physics, heliospheric and planetary science, and, in particular, planetary magnetism. Her achievementsinclude the following.

  13. Alexander the Great's relationship with alcohol.

    PubMed

    Liappas, J A; Lascaratos, J; Fafouti, S; Christodoulou, G N

    2003-05-01

    This study sought to clarify if Alexander the Great indulged pathologically in alcohol and whether it contributed to his death. The texts of the historians Diodorus of Sicily, Plutarch, Arrian, Curtius Rufus, Athenaeus, Aelian and Justin were studied, with their information concerning wine consumption by Macedonians, and especially Alexander, and were evaluated. The surviving historical texts, all later than Alexander's epoch, are based on a series of contemporary histories and especially on the 'Royal Journals', an official diary written in the imperial court. Alexander consumed large quantities of undiluted wine periodically, reaching pathological intoxication. However, the existing data do not provide convincing evidence that Alexander the Great manifested abuse of or dependence on alcohol according to DSM-IV or ICD-10 criteria and it seems unlikely that alcohol was involved in his untimely death.

  14. Genetics Home Reference: Alexander disease

    MedlinePlus

    ... the prognosis of a genetic condition? Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center Frequency The prevalence of Alexander disease ... Degenerative Nerve Diseases Health Topic: Leukodystrophies Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (1 link) Alexander disease Additional NIH ...

  15. Learning Resource Centres at Sir Sandford Fleming College. LRC Project Team Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markanen, Susan; And Others

    Developed by the Learning Resource Centres (LRC) Project Team at Sir Sanford Fleming College, in Ontario, Canada, this report presents a model for establishing LRCs at the college. The first section reviews the need for LRCs, including the provision of lifelong learning and expected funding decreases for traditional operations. The next sections…

  16. Recent dynamic changes on Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Friedl, Peter; Seehaus, Thorsten C.; Wendt, Anja; Braun, Matthias H.; Höppner, Kathrin

    2018-04-01

    The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the world's regions most affected by climate change. Several ice shelves have retreated, thinned or completely disintegrated during recent decades, leading to acceleration and increased calving of their tributary glaciers. Wordie Ice Shelf, located in Marguerite Bay at the south-western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, completely disintegrated in a series of events between the 1960s and the late 1990s. We investigate the long-term dynamics (1994-2016) of Fleming Glacier after the disintegration of Wordie Ice Shelf by analysing various multi-sensor remote sensing data sets. We present a dense time series of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) surface velocities that reveals a rapid acceleration of Fleming Glacier in 2008 and a phase of further gradual acceleration and upstream propagation of high velocities in 2010-2011.The timing in acceleration correlates with strong upwelling events of warm circumpolar deep water (CDW) into Wordie Bay, most likely leading to increased submarine melt. This, together with continuous dynamic thinning and a deep subglacial trough with a retrograde bed slope close to the terminus probably, has induced unpinning of the glacier tongue in 2008 and gradual grounding line retreat between 2010 and 2011. Our data suggest that the glacier's grounding line had retreated by ˜ 6-9 km between 1996 and 2011, which caused ˜ 56 km2 of the glacier tongue to go afloat. The resulting reduction in buttressing explains a median speedup of ˜ 1.3 m d-1 ( ˜ 27 %) between 2008 and 2011, which we observed along a centre line extending between the grounding line in 1996 and ˜ 16 km upstream. Current median ice thinning rates (2011-2014) along profiles in areas below 1000 m altitude range between ˜ 2.6 to 3.2 m a-1 and are ˜ 70 % higher than between 2004 and 2008. Our study shows that Fleming Glacier is far away from approaching a new equilibrium and that the glacier dynamics are not primarily controlled by the loss of the

  17. A psychoanalytic study of Alexander the Great.

    PubMed

    Thomas, K R

    1995-12-01

    The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate how Freudian concepts such as the Oedipus complex, castration anxiety, fear of loss of love, the psychosexual stages of development, and the tripartite structure of personality can be used to understand the life and achievements of Alexander the Great. To accomplish this purpose, specific incidents, myths, and relationships in Alexander's life were analyzed from a Freudian psychoanalytic perspective. Green (1991), in his recent biography of Alexander, has questioned the merit of using Freudian concepts to understand Alexander's character. In fact, he stated specifically: If he (Alexander) had any kind of Oedipus complex it came in a poor second to the burning dynastic ambition which Olympias so sedulously fostered in him; those who insist on his psychological motivation would do better to take Adler as their mentor than Freud (p.56). Later, in the concluding section of his book, Green (1991, pp. 486-487) discounted Freudian interpretations of Alexander's distaste for sex, the rumors of his homosexual liaisons, his partiality for middle-aged or elderly ladies, and the systematic domination of his early years by Olympias as little more than the projected fears and desires of the interpreters. And again, an Adlerian power-complex paradigm was suggested as the preferable theoretical framework to use. Green's argument was based primarily on an exchange, reported originally by Plutarch, which took place between Alexander and Philip prior to Alexander's tutorship with Aristotle. Purportedly, Philip enjoined his son to study hard and pay close attention to all Aristotle said "so that you may not do a great many things of the sort that I am sorry I have done." At this point, Alexander "somewhat pertly" took Philip to task "because he was having children by other women besides his wife." Philip's reply was: "Well then, if you have many competitors for the kingdom, prove yourself honorable and good, so that you may obtain the

  18. 27 CFR 9.53 - Alexander Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Alexander Valley. 9.53 Section 9.53 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.53 Alexander Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  19. 27 CFR 9.53 - Alexander Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Alexander Valley. 9.53 Section 9.53 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.53 Alexander Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  20. 27 CFR 9.53 - Alexander Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Alexander Valley. 9.53 Section 9.53 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.53 Alexander Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  1. 27 CFR 9.53 - Alexander Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Alexander Valley. 9.53 Section 9.53 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY LIQUORS AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.53 Alexander Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  2. 27 CFR 9.53 - Alexander Valley.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Alexander Valley. 9.53 Section 9.53 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY ALCOHOL AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREAS Approved American Viticultural Areas § 9.53 Alexander Valley. (a) Name. The name of the...

  3. Maniac Talk - Alexander Kashlinsky

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-09-30

    Alexander Kashlinsky Maniac Lecture, September 30, 2016 Dr. Alexander "Sasha" Kashlinsky, an astronomer/cosmologist working at NASA Goddard presented a Maniac lecture entitled, "HOW I PLANNED TO TRAVEL TO SPACE AND GOT TO STUDY IT INSTEAD: a personal journey through 6 different countries in a changing world." Sasha was born in the former Soviet Union, just as the space era got underway with the Sputnick launch. He traced his journey back to those days of Sputnick, and walked the audience through different stages of his life and career, including his interactions with Lord Martin Rees, one of the world's most eminent astronomer and John Mather, a Nobel Prize in Physics winner.

  4. [Antimicrobial resistance forever? Judicious and appropriate use of antibiotics].

    PubMed

    Cagliano, Stefano

    2015-06-01

    This article takes its cue from the original work of sir Alexander Fleming on penicillin, published in the first issue of Recenti Progressi in Medicina in 1946 and reproduced here on the occasion of the approaching 70-year anniversary of the journal. In 1928, at the time when penicillin was discovered, it could not be imagined that bacterial resistance to antibiotics would develop so rapidly: the introduction of every new class of antibiotics has been shortly followed by the emergence of new strains of bacteria resistant to that class. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic treatment is a huge concern. In this respect, an action plan against antimicrobial resistance has been devised in the United States that is targeted for a 50% reduction over the next five years.

  5. "Most brilliant in judgment": Alexander the Great and Aristotle.

    PubMed

    Lainas, Panagiotis; Panutsopulos, Dimitrios; Skandalakis, Panagiotis N; Zoras, Odysseas; Skandalakis, John E

    2005-03-01

    From historical sources, it is evident that Alexander the Great was indebted to one of his teachers, Aristotle of Stagira. It was the teaching of Aristotle that evoked all the nascent talents of young Alexander and turned him into a great man. Alexander was extremely interested in the secrets of medicine and considered it an art. The medical knowledge he acquired from Aristotle may have saved his life and the lives of his troops on many occasions. If Alexander did not possess medical knowledge and if his everyday life had not been so greatly influenced by medicine, he might never have been able to create his empire.

  6. 77 FR 25538 - Quarterly Publication of Individuals, Who Have Chosen To Expatriate

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-30

    ... CHARLES FJELD SONJA NORENE FLEMING JAY LYNNE FLOUTY ANTOINE NICHOLAS FOO ANGELA WEI-QIN FORD GLENORA... KELLER PATRICIA DORIS KELLY ALEXANDER ANTHONY KELLY VIRGINIA RAE KEMPE TOBY NICHOLAS KESSLER CHRISTIAN... CHRISTIAN MARTIN SYZ ISABEL SUSAN TAN CHUAN LIONG TAN WEI-EE BEVERLY [[Page 25544

  7. Alexander the Great and West Nile virus encephalitis.

    PubMed

    Marr, John S; Calisher, Charles H

    2003-12-01

    Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC. His death at age 32 followed a 2-week febrile illness. Speculated causes of death have included poisoning; assassination, and a number of infectious diseases. One incident, mentioned by Plutarch but not considered by previous investigators, may shed light on the cause of Alexander's death. The incident, which occurred as he entered Babylon, involved a flock of ravens exhibiting unusual behavior and subsequently dying at his feet. The inexplicable behavior of ravens is reminiscent of avian illness and death weeks before the first human cases of West Nile virus infection were identified in the United States. We posit that Alexander may have died of West Nile virus encephalitis.

  8. Public Schools and the Fleming Report of 1944: Shunting the First-Class Carriage on to an Immense Siding?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hillman, Nicholas

    2012-01-01

    This paper assesses the origins, conclusions and consequences of the Fleming Committee, which considered the relationship between Britain's leading independent boarding schools and the state. In 1944, the committee recommended one-quarter of the places at these schools should be assigned to a national bursary scheme for children who might benefit…

  9. A complex-network perspective on Alexander's wholeness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Bin

    2016-12-01

    The wholeness, conceived and developed by Christopher Alexander, is what exists to some degree or other in space and matter, and can be described by precise mathematical language. However, it remains somehow mysterious and elusive, and therefore hard to grasp. This paper develops a complex network perspective on the wholeness to better understand the nature of order or beauty for sustainable design. I bring together a set of complexity-science subjects such as complex networks, fractal geometry, and in particular underlying scaling hierarchy derived by head/tail breaks - a classification scheme and a visualization tool for data with a heavy-tailed distribution, in order to make Alexander's profound thoughts more accessible to design practitioners and complexity-science researchers. Through several case studies (some of which Alexander studied), I demonstrate that the complex-network perspective helps reduce the mystery of wholeness and brings new insights to Alexander's thoughts on the concept of wholeness or objective beauty that exists in fine and deep structure. The complex-network perspective enables us to see things in their wholeness, and to better understand how the kind of structural beauty emerges from local actions guided by the 15 fundamental properties, and in particular by differentiation and adaptation processes. The wholeness goes beyond current complex network theory towards design or creation of living structures.

  10. Dr Elizabeth Alexander: First Female Radio Astronomer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orchiston, Wayne

    2005-01-01

    During March-April 1945, solar radio emission was detected at 200 MHz by operators of a Royal New Zealand Air Force radar unit located on Norfolk Island. Initially dubbed the `Norfolk Island Effect', this anomalous radiation was investigated throughout 1945 by British-born Elizabeth Alexander, head of the Operational Research Section of the Radio Development Laboratory in New Zealand. Alexander prepared a number of reports on this work, and in early 1946 she published a short paper in the newly-launched journal, Radio & Electronics. A geologist by training, Elizabeth Alexander happened to be in the right place at the right time, and unwittingly became the first woman in the world to work in the field that would later become known as radio astronomy. Her research also led to further solar radio astronomy projects in New Zealand in the immediate post-war year, and in part was responsible for the launch of the radio astronomy program at the Division of Radiophysics, CSIRO, in Sydney.

  11. Alexander's (356-323 BC) expeditionary Medical Corps 334-323 BC.

    PubMed

    Retsas, Spyros

    2009-08-01

    Alexander had a profound interest in medicine and healing. Original Greek texts survive mainly from the works of Plutarch and Arrian. This paper examines original sources naming the physicians who participated in Alexander's expedition in Asia, the battle injuries he sustained and his final illness in Babylon.

  12. 12. Detail view of southeast side window of AlexanderAlmon House ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    12. Detail view of southeast side window of Alexander-Almon House with rain barrel at lower left and roof rafter tails at top, facing northwest. - Alexander-Almon House, 130 Philip Almon Road, Roopville, Carroll County, GA

  13. 33 CFR 162.250 - Port Alexander, Alaska; speed of vessels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Port Alexander, Alaska; speed of... Alexander, Alaska; speed of vessels. (a) Definition. The term “Port Alexander” includes the entire inlet from its head to its entrance from Chatham Strait. (b) Speed. The speed of all vessels of 5 tons or...

  14. 33 CFR 162.250 - Port Alexander, Alaska; speed of vessels.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Port Alexander, Alaska; speed of... Alexander, Alaska; speed of vessels. (a) Definition. The term “Port Alexander” includes the entire inlet from its head to its entrance from Chatham Strait. (b) Speed. The speed of all vessels of 5 tons or...

  15. The efficacy of medicine during the campaigns of Alexander the Great.

    PubMed

    Ruffin, J R

    1992-09-01

    This paper examines the various factors that may have determined the efficacy of physicians during the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Such general variables as the adequacy of preparation, the nature of the medical profession, and the extent of preventative measures are all discussed at the outset of the paper, followed by a more detailed examination of the specific wounds, illnesses, and treatments of Alexander as described in the accounts of the Alexander historians Plutarch, Curtius, and Arrian. Where no remedy is given by these writers (as is usually the case), this paper speculates on the efficacy of possible treatments as advocated in the contemporary Hippocratic corpus. Casualty statistics of the campaigns are compared to a similar review of Homer's Iliad. From these examinations, this paper concludes that wound treatment efficacy was significantly greater than that of illness treatment, and that Alexander lost many more men to disease than to the wounds of war.

  16. Alexander Falconer Sr Seamen's missionary in New Zealand, son Alexander Falconer medical superintendent for mentally ill, grandson Murray Falconer neurosurgeon.

    PubMed

    Hawgood, Barbara J

    2016-08-01

    Alexander Falconer Sr (1843-1915) came from Scotland to New Zealand. A practical Christian, he set up places of relaxation for miners, sailors and soldiers; he became the Seamen's Missionary. Son, Dr Alexander Falconer (1874-1955) trained at Otago University Medical School. As medical superintendent for the mentally ill, he urged the early introduction of psychotherapy. His son, Murray Falconer (1910-1977) was the first Nuffield Dominions Clinical Fellow, training in neurosurgery in Oxford. He was the first director of the Guy's-Maudsley Neurosurgical Unit in London and was internationally known for the surgical management of temporal lobe epilepsy in adults and children. © The Author(s) 2016.

  17. 78 FR 30791 - Airworthiness Directives; Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Sailplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-23

    ... Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Sailplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department... new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Models AS... proposed AD, contact Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co Segelflugzeugbau, Stra[szlig]e 1 D-- 36163 Poppenhausen...

  18. The Haunting Influence of Alexander Graham Bell

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Sue H.

    1971-01-01

    The article examines the significance that Alexander Graham Bell's attitude and actions had on the social and economic conditions experienced by deaf people during his lifetime and into the present. (CD)

  19. Alexander Disease: A Novel Mutation in GFAP Leading to Epilepsia Partialis Continua.

    PubMed

    Bonthius, Daniel J; Karacay, Bahri

    2016-06-01

    Alexander disease is a genetically induced leukodystrophy, due to dominant mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP ) gene, causing dysfunction of astrocytes. We have identified a novel GFAP mutation, associated with a novel phenotype for Alexander disease. A boy with global developmental delay and hypertonia was found to have a leukodystrophy. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous point mutation in exon 6 of the GFAP gene. The guanine-to-adenine change causes substitution of the normal glutamic acid codon (GAG) with a mutant lysine codon (AAG) at position 312 (E312 K mutation). At the age of 4 years, the child developed epilepsia partialis continua, consisting of unabating motor seizures involving the unilateral perioral muscles. Epilepsia partialis continua has not previously been reported in association with Alexander disease. Whether and how the E312 K mutation produces pathologic changes and clinical signs that are unique from other Alexander disease-inducing mutations in GFAP remain to be determined. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. A Study of Combined Arms Warfare by Alexander the Great.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-06-05

    source of Greek literature written about Alexander is from the famous biographer Plutarch . He wrote the Life of Alexander in the second century C.E...emperor Trajan, was appointed governor of Greece for a short time, and like Arrian, also served as Archon. It was in his later years that Plutarch began...and heavy troops were positioned by their territory behind the main battle line. According to Arrian and Plutarch , 41 Darius’ army at this time

  1. Group sequential monitoring based on the weighted log-rank test statistic with the Fleming-Harrington class of weights in cancer vaccine studies.

    PubMed

    Hasegawa, Takahiro

    2016-09-01

    In recent years, immunological science has evolved, and cancer vaccines are now approved and available for treating existing cancers. Because cancer vaccines require time to elicit an immune response, a delayed treatment effect is expected and is actually observed in drug approval studies. Accordingly, we propose the evaluation of survival endpoints by weighted log-rank tests with the Fleming-Harrington class of weights. We consider group sequential monitoring, which allows early efficacy stopping, and determine a semiparametric information fraction for the Fleming-Harrington family of weights, which is necessary for the error spending function. Moreover, we give a flexible survival model in cancer vaccine studies that considers not only the delayed treatment effect but also the long-term survivors. In a Monte Carlo simulation study, we illustrate that when the primary analysis is a weighted log-rank test emphasizing the late differences, the proposed information fraction can be a useful alternative to the surrogate information fraction, which is proportional to the number of events. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Alexander the Great and West Nile Virus Encephalitis

    PubMed Central

    Marr, John S.

    2003-01-01

    Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC. His death at age 32 followed a 2-week febrile illness. Speculated causes of death have included poisoning, assassination, and a number of infectious diseases. One incident, mentioned by Plutarch but not considered by previous investigators, may shed light on the cause of Alexander’s death. The incident, which occurred as he entered Babylon, involved a flock of ravens exhibiting unusual behavior and subsequently dying at his feet. The inexplicable behavior of ravens is reminiscent of avian illness and death weeks before the first human cases of West Nile virus infection were identified in the United States. We posit that Alexander may have died of West Nile encephalitis. PMID:14725285

  3. Alexander Archipelago, Southeastern Alaska

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    West of British Columbia, Canada, and south of the Yukon Territory, the southeastern coastline of Alaska trails off into the islands of the Alexander Archipelago. The area is rugged and contains many long, U-shaped, glaciated valleys, many of which terminate at tidewater. The Alexander Archipelago is home to Glacier Bay National Park. The large bay that has two forks on its northern end is Glacier Bay itself. The eastern fork is Muir inlet, into which runs the Muir glacier, named for the famous Scottish-born naturalist John Muir. Glacier Bay opens up into the Icy Strait. The large, solid white area to the west is Brady Icefield, which terminates at the southern end in Brady's Glacier. To locate more interesting features from Glacier Bay National Park, take a look at the park service map. As recently as two hundred years ago, a massive ice field extended into Icy Strait and filled the Glacier Bay. Since that time, the area has experienced rapid deglaciation, with many large glaciers retreating 40, 60, even 80 km. While temperatures have increased in the region, it is still unclear whether the rapid recession is part of the natural cycle of tidewater glaciers or is an indicator of longer-term climate change. For more on Glacier Bay and climate change, read an online paper by Dr. Dorothy Hall, a MODIS Associate Science Team Member. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

  4. The Berlin tradition in Chicago: Franz Alexander and the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.

    PubMed

    Schmidt, Erika S

    2010-01-01

    Freud considered Franz Alexander, the first graduate of the Berlin Psychoanalytic Institute and an assistant in the Berlin Polyclinic, to be "one of our strongest hopes for the future." Alexander went on to become the first director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis in 1932 and modeled some of the Chicago Institute's mission on his Berlin experiences. He was also a researcher in psychosomatic medicine, a prolific writer about psychoanalysis and prominent in psychoanalytic organizations. As he proposed modifications in psychoanalytic technique, he became a controversial figure, especially in the elaboration of his ideas about brief therapy and the corrective emotional experience. This paper puts Alexander's achievements in historical context, draws connections between the Berlin and Chicago Institutes and suggests that, despite his quarrels with traditional psychoanalysis, Alexander's legacy may be in his attitude towards psychoanalysis, characterized by a commitment to scientific study, a willingness to experiment, and a conviction about the role of psychoanalysis within the larger culture.

  5. The Remarkable Journey of Lloyd Alexander

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tunnel, Michael O.; Jacobs, James S.

    2007-01-01

    This article features Lloyd Alexander, an author who has produced some of the most elegant and powerful prose in the history of modern children's literature. Lloyd began writing seriously in high school, and though he wrote and submitted many poems and short stories, his only success was being named a finalist in the "Writer's Digest" Short Story…

  6. Tissue and cellular rigidity and mechanosensitive signaling activation in Alexander disease.

    PubMed

    Wang, Liqun; Xia, Jing; Li, Jonathan; Hagemann, Tracy L; Jones, Jeffrey R; Fraenkel, Ernest; Weitz, David A; Zhang, Su-Chun; Messing, Albee; Feany, Mel B

    2018-05-15

    Glial cells have increasingly been implicated as active participants in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, but critical pathways and mechanisms controlling glial function and secondary non-cell autonomous neuronal injury remain incompletely defined. Here we use models of Alexander disease, a severe brain disorder caused by gain-of-function mutations in GFAP, to demonstrate that misregulation of GFAP leads to activation of a mechanosensitive signaling cascade characterized by activation of the Hippo pathway and consequent increased expression of A-type lamin. Importantly, we use genetics to verify a functional role for dysregulated mechanotransduction signaling in promoting behavioral abnormalities and non-cell autonomous neurodegeneration. Further, we take cell biological and biophysical approaches to suggest that brain tissue stiffness is increased in Alexander disease. Our findings implicate altered mechanotransduction signaling as a key pathological cascade driving neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Alexander disease, and possibly also in other brain disorders characterized by gliosis.

  7. The Alexander Archipelago wolf: a conservation assessment.

    Treesearch

    David K. Person; Matthew Kirchhoff; Victor van Ballenberghe; George C. Iverson; Edward Grossman

    1996-01-01

    We summarized the scientific information available for the Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis lupus ligoni) in the Tongass National Forest of southeast Alaska. Information concerning the morphology, distribution, taxonomy, genetics, and ecology of wolves are presented. Three issues for the conservation of wolves in southeast Alaska are discussed:...

  8. Holocene morphogenesis of Alexander the Great's isthmus at Tyre in Lebanon

    PubMed Central

    Marriner, Nick; Morhange, Christophe; Meulé, Samuel

    2007-01-01

    In 332 B.C., Alexander the Great constructed an ≈1,000-m-long causeway to seize the offshore island of Tyre. The logistics behind this engineering feat have long troubled archaeologists. Using the Holocene sedimentary record, we demonstrate that Alexander's engineers cleverly exploited a shallow proto-tombolo, or sublittoral sand spit, to breach the offshore city's defensive impregnability. We elucidate a three-phase geomorphological model for the spit's evolution. Settled since the Bronze Age, the area's geological record manifests a long history of natural and anthropogenic forcings. (i) Leeward of the island breakwater, the maximum flooding surface (e.g., drowning of the subaerial land surfaces by seawater) is dated ≈8000 B.P. Fine-grained sediments and brackish and marine-lagoonal faunas translate shallow, low-energy water bodies at this time. Shelter was afforded by Tyre's elongated sandstone reefs, which acted as a 6-km natural breakwater. (ii) By 6000 B.P., sea-level rise had reduced the dimensions of the island from 6 to 4 km. The leeward wave shadow generated by this island, allied with high sediment supply after 3000 B.P., culminated in a natural wave-dominated proto-tombolo within 1–2 m of mean sea level by the time of Alexander the Great (4th century B.C.). (iii) After 332 B.C., construction of Alexander's causeway entrained a complete anthropogenic metamorphosis of the Tyrian coastal system. PMID:17517668

  9. Holocene morphogenesis of Alexander the Great's isthmus at Tyre in Lebanon.

    PubMed

    Marriner, Nick; Morhange, Christophe; Meulé, Samuel

    2007-05-29

    In 332 B.C., Alexander the Great constructed an approximately 1,000-m-long causeway to seize the offshore island of Tyre. The logistics behind this engineering feat have long troubled archaeologists. Using the Holocene sedimentary record, we demonstrate that Alexander's engineers cleverly exploited a shallow proto-tombolo, or sublittoral sand spit, to breach the offshore city's defensive impregnability. We elucidate a three-phase geomorphological model for the spit's evolution. Settled since the Bronze Age, the area's geological record manifests a long history of natural and anthropogenic forcings. (i) Leeward of the island breakwater, the maximum flooding surface (e.g., drowning of the subaerial land surfaces by seawater) is dated approximately 8000 B.P. Fine-grained sediments and brackish and marine-lagoonal faunas translate shallow, low-energy water bodies at this time. Shelter was afforded by Tyre's elongated sandstone reefs, which acted as a 6-km natural breakwater. (ii) By 6000 B.P., sea-level rise had reduced the dimensions of the island from 6 to 4 km. The leeward wave shadow generated by this island, allied with high sediment supply after 3000 B.P., culminated in a natural wave-dominated proto-tombolo within 1-2 m of mean sea level by the time of Alexander the Great (4th century B.C.). (iii) After 332 B.C., construction of Alexander's causeway entrained a complete anthropogenic metamorphosis of the Tyrian coastal system.

  10. Kinesthetic Ventures Informed by the Work of F. M. Alexander, Stanislavski, Peirce, and Freud.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bouchard, Ed; Wright, Ben; Protzel, Michael, Ed.

    This book is about education harvested from self-observation. F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) studied the experience of self formation, working with motor habits. His method is used in performing arts training to enhance bodily and vocal expression. Like Alexander, Konstantine Stanislavski (1863-1938) and Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) studied human…

  11. Alexander the Great's Tomb at Siwa: The Astronomical Orientation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papathanassiou, M.; Souvaltzis, Em.; Souvaltzi, L.; Moussas, X.

    A preliminary report on the possible astronomical orientation of the Tomb of Alexander the Great, recently found and excavated by the greek archaeologist Liana Souvaltzi. The tomb is a greek building of doric style. Its enormous dimensions make it the largest amongst the found macedonian tombs (much bigger than the tomb of Philip II, Alexander's father). The tomb faces generally south---west and its orientation could be related either to the constellation of Centaurus or to the star Canopus. The walls of the two long sides of the building have strickingly different widhts. Moreover each wall has three doors (opposite in pairs) of slightly different sizes. We examine the possibility the openings of the doors and their assymetries to be designed and constructed according to some astronomical (solar or stellar) orientations.

  12. Alexander George Karczmar (1917-2017).

    PubMed

    Soreq, Hermona; Silman, Israel

    2017-12-01

    The neurochemistry community at large and the Advisory Board of The International Symposia on Cholinergic Mechanisms mourn the loss of Alexander George Karczmar, the elected Honorary President of these international symposia, who passed away peacefully in his Chicago home at the age of 100 on August 17, 2017. For many of us Alex was the essence of cholinergic signaling, and personified its versatile power to send messages between the brain and the peripheral tissues and organs, and to connect between body and soul. © 2017 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  13. 3. Historic American Buildings Survey J. Alexander, Photographer, 1971 DETAIL, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    3. Historic American Buildings Survey J. Alexander, Photographer, 1971 DETAIL, ENTRANCE STOOP (LION FIGURE) - Joseph Beale House, 2301 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

  14. Alexander Graham Bell: Teacher of the Deaf.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruce, Robert V.

    The lecture on Alexander Graham Bell by Dr. Robert V. Bruce, the author of a biography of Bell, focuses on Bell's association with the Clarke School for the Deaf in Massachusetts. Noted are Bell's employment by the school at 25 years of age and the preceding period during which Bell taught elocution at a boys' school in Scotland and used his…

  15. Pellagra Pre-Goldberger: Rupert Blue, Fleming Sandwith, and The “Vitamine Hypothesis”

    PubMed Central

    Bryan, Charles S.; Mull, Shane R.

    2015-01-01

    The conquest of pellagra is commonly associated with one name: Joseph Goldberger of the US Public Health Service, who in 1914 went south, concluded within 4 months that the cause was inadequate diet, spent the rest of his life researching the disease, and—before his death from cancer in 1929—found that brewer's yeast could prevent and treat it at nominal cost. It does Goldberger no discredit to emphasize that between 1907 and 1914 a patchwork coalition of asylum superintendents, practicing physicians, local health officials, and others established for the first time an English-language competence in pellagra, sifted through competing hypotheses, and narrowed the choices down to two: an insect-borne infection hypothesis, championed by the flamboyant European Louis Westerna Sambon, and the new “vitamine hypothesis,” proffered by Casimir Funk in early 1912 and articulated later that year by two members of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, Fleming Mant Sandwith and Rupert Blue. Those who resisted Goldberger's inconvenient truth that the root cause was southern poverty drew their arguments largely from the Thompson-McFadden Pellagra Commission, which traces back to Sambon's unfortunate influence on American researchers. Thousands died as a result. PMID:26330657

  16. Recent Ice Loss from the Fleming and Other Glaciers, Wordie Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rignot, E.; Casassa, G.; Gogineni, S.; Kanagaratnam, P.; Krabill, W.; Pritchard, H.; Rivera, A.; Thomas, R.; Turner, J.; Vaughan, D.

    2005-01-01

    Satellite radar interferometry data from 1995 to 2004, and airborne ice thickness data from 2002, reveal that the glaciers flowing into former Wordie Ice Shelf, West Antarctic Peninsula, discharge 6.8 +/- 0.3 km(exp 3)/yr of ice, which is 84 +/- 30 percent larger than a snow accumulation of 3.7 +/- 0.8 km(exp 3)/yr over a 6,300 km(exp 2) drainage basin. Airborne and ICESat laser altimetry elevation data reveal glacier thinning at rates up to 2 m/yr. Fifty km from its ice front, Fleming Glacier flows 50 percent faster than it did in 1974 prior to the main collapse of Wordie Ice Shelf. We conclude that the glaciers accelerated following ice shelf removal, and have been thinning and losing mass to the ocean over the last decade. This and other observations suggest that the mass loss from the northern part of the Peninsula is not negligible at present.

  17. Alexander Meiklejohn in Search of Freedom and Dignity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Tony W.

    1982-01-01

    Assesses the contributions of the philosopher/educator Alexander Meiklejohn. Discusses the influences of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, and the U.S. Constitution on Meiklejohn's educational theories, which stressed that human freedom and dignity can be enhanced by rigorous examination of U.S. Supreme Court decisions and the meaning of…

  18. Alexander von Humboldt and the Origins of Landscape Archaeology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mathewson, Kent

    1986-01-01

    Reviews the life, theories, and influence of Alexander von Humboldt, the early nineteenth century founder of modern geography. Maintains that Humboldt's novel approaches to the study of landscape antiquities have value for contemporary students in cultural and historical geography. (JDH)

  19. The Century-Old Wisdom of Alexander Graham Bell.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornett, Orin

    1990-01-01

    This article reflects on Alexander Graham Bell's 1888 testimony before the Royal Commission of the United Kingdom on the Condition of the Deaf and Dumb, Etc. Excerpts are grouped by reference to (1) language education for the hearing impaired; (2) speechreading; (3) methods of teaching; (4) speech; and (5) sign language. (Author/PB)

  20. Journalism and the Educational Views of Alexander Meiklejohn.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmer, Mack R.

    Alexander Meiklejohn, who died in 1964 at the age of 92, was a constitutional scholar whose major interest was education. Among Meiklejohn's beliefs were the following: the social good should take precedence over individual achievement; the liberal arts college is the institution best suited to carry out an affirmative reading of the First…

  1. 1. Historic American Buildings Survey J. Alexander, Photographer April 1969 ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. Historic American Buildings Survey J. Alexander, Photographer April 1969 3034 P STREET (right) AND ADJOINING ROWHOUSES, LOOKING EAST - Smith-Morton Row House, 3034 P Street Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

  2. Q & A: Alexander Varshavsky.

    PubMed

    Varshavsky, Alexander

    2003-07-01

    Alexander Varshavsky is Smits Professor of Cell Biology at the California Institute of Technology. He moved to Caltech in 1992, after 15 years at the MIT's Department of Biology. He was born and educated in Russia, and was 30 at the time of his emigration to the U.S. in 1977. In Russia, and for a while at MIT, he studied the structure and replication of chromosomes. Over the last 24 years, the work of his laboratory focused on the ubiquitin system and closely related fields. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and has received the Gairdner Award, the Lasker Award, the General Motors Sloan Prize, the Wolf Prize, the Horwitz Prize, and the Wilson Medal.

  3. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain: economic evaluation.

    PubMed

    Hollinghurst, Sandra; Sharp, Debbie; Ballard, Kathleen; Barnett, Jane; Beattie, Angela; Evans, Maggie; Lewith, George; Middleton, Karen; Oxford, Frances; Webley, Fran; Little, Paul

    2008-12-11

    An economic evaluation of therapeutic massage, exercise, and lessons in the Alexander technique for treating persistent back pain. Cost consequences study and cost effectiveness analysis at 12 month follow-up of a factorial randomised controlled trial. 579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain recruited from primary care. Normal care (control), massage, and six or 24 lessons in the Alexander technique. Half of each group were randomised to a prescription for exercise from a doctor plus behavioural counselling from a nurse. Costs to the NHS and to participants. Comparison of costs with Roland-Morris disability score (number of activities impaired by pain), days in pain, and quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Comparison of NHS costs with QALY gain, using incremental cost effectiveness ratios and cost effectiveness acceptability curves. Intervention costs ranged from pound30 for exercise prescription to pound596 for 24 lessons in Alexander technique plus exercise. Cost of health services ranged from pound50 for 24 lessons in Alexander technique to pound124 for exercise. Incremental cost effectiveness analysis of single therapies showed that exercise offered best value ( pound61 per point on disability score, pound9 per additional pain-free day, pound2847 per QALY gain). For two-stage therapy, six lessons in Alexander technique combined with exercise was the best value (additional pound64 per point on disability score, pound43 per additional pain-free day, pound5332 per QALY gain). An exercise prescription and six lessons in Alexander technique alone were both more than 85% likely to be cost effective at values above pound20 000 per QALY, but the Alexander technique performed better than exercise on the full range of outcomes. A combination of six lessons in Alexander technique lessons followed by exercise was the most effective and cost effective option.

  4. What is the perceived impact of Alexander technique lessons on health status, costs and pain management in the real life setting of an English hospital? The results of a mixed methods evaluation of an Alexander technique service for those with chronic back pain.

    PubMed

    McClean, Stuart; Brilleman, Sam; Wye, Lesley

    2015-07-28

    Randomised controlled trial evidence indicates that Alexander Technique is clinically and cost effective for chronic back pain. The aim of this mixed methods evaluation was to explore the role and perceived impact of Alexander Technique lessons in the naturalistic setting of an acute hospital Pain Management Clinic in England. To capture changes in health status and resource use amongst service users, 43 service users were administered three widely used questionnaires (Brief Pain Inventory, MYMOP and Client Service Resource Inventory) at three time points: baseline, six weeks and three months after baseline. We also carried out 27 telephone interviews with service users and seven face-to-face interviews with pain clinic staff and Alexander Technique teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Those taking Alexander Technique lessons reported small improvements in health outcomes, and condition-related costs fell. However, due to the non-randomised, uncontrolled nature of the study design, changes cannot be attributed to the Alexander Technique lessons. Service users stated that their relationship to pain and pain management had changed, especially those who were more committed to practising the techniques regularly. These changes may explain the reported reduction in pain-related service use and the corresponding lower associated costs. Alexander Technique lessons may be used as another approach to pain management. The findings suggests that Alexander Technique lessons can help improve self-efficacy for those who are sufficiently motivated, which in turn may have an impact on service utilisation levels.

  5. The Scientific Work of John A. McClelland: A Recently Discovered Manuscript

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Connor, Thomas

    2010-09-01

    John Alexander McClelland (1870-1920) was educated at Queen’s College Galway and the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. He was Professor of Experimental Physics at University College Dublin from 1900 to 1920. He was best known for his pioneering work on the scattering of β rays and on the conductivity of gases and the mobility of ions. He established a research school on atmospheric aerosols that was continued by his successor, John James Nolan (1887-1952), which strongly influenced physics research in Ireland up to the present. A recently discovered manuscript of a commemorative address by Nolan in 1920, which is reproduced in Appendix I, is a unique contemporary summary of McClelland’s research and character, and is an important contribution to the history of experimental physics in Ireland.

  6. Infantile Alexander Disease: Spectrum of GFAP Mutations and Genotype-Phenotype Correlation

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez, Diana; Gauthier, Fernande; Bertini, Enrico; Bugiani, Marianna; Brenner, Michael; N'guyen, Sylvie; Goizet, Cyril; Gelot, Antoinette; Surtees, Robert; Pedespan, Jean-Michel; Hernandorena, Xavier; Troncoso, Monica; Uziel, Graziela; Messing, Albee; Ponsot, Gérard; Pham-Dinh, Danielle; Dautigny, André; Boespflug-Tanguy, Odile

    2001-01-01

    Heterozygous, de novo mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene have recently been reported in 12 patients affected by neuropathologically proved Alexander disease. We searched for GFAP mutations in a series of patients who had heterogeneous clinical symptoms but were candidates for Alexander disease on the basis of suggestive neuroimaging abnormalities. Missense, heterozygous, de novo GFAP mutations were found in exons 1 or 4 for 14 of the 15 patients analyzed, including patients without macrocephaly. Nine patients carried arginine mutations (four had R79H; four had R239C; and one had R239H) that have been described elsewhere, whereas the other five had one of four novel mutations, of which two affect arginine (2R88C and 1R88S) and two affect nonarginine residues (1L76F and 1N77Y). All mutations were located in the rod domain of GFAP, and there is a correlation between clinical severity and the affected amino acid. These results confirm that GFAP mutations are a reliable molecular marker for the diagnosis of infantile Alexander disease, and they also form a basis for the recommendation of GFAP analysis for prenatal diagnosis to detect potential cases of germinal mosaicism. PMID:11567214

  7. Alexander A Friedmann

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tropp, Eduard A.; Frenkel, Viktor Ya.; Chernin, Artur D.

    1993-06-01

    Our universe can be described mathematically by a simple model developed in 1922 at Petrograd (St. Petersburg) by Alexander Friedmann (1888-1925). Without the benefit of observational evidence, Friedmann predicted that the whole universe would expand and evolve with time. This astonishing prediction was confirmed seven years later by Edwin Hubble. Its originator, unfortunately didn't live to savor this triumph. This vivid biography of an outstanding scientist sets his life and work against a wide backdrop of the history of cosmological studies and its major players, such as Einstein and others. The book is a window on Friedmann's school and university years, military service, and teaching and research during a seminal period of Soviet history. The authors include unique archival material, such as Friedmann's letters from the Russian Front, as well as contemporary records and reminiscences of colleagues. There is a detailed treatment of his work in theoretical cosmology (1922-1924), set in the context of the organization of Soviet science at the time.

  8. The deglacial history of NW Alexander Island, Antarctica, from surface exposure dating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Joanne S.; Everest, Jeremy D.; Leat, Philip T.; Golledge, Nicholas R.; Rood, Dylan H.; Stuart, Finlay M.

    2012-03-01

    Recent changes along the margins of the Antarctic Peninsula, such as the collapse of the Wilkins Ice Shelf, have highlighted the effects of climatic warming on the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS). However, such changes must be viewed in a long-term (millennial-scale) context if we are to understand their significance for future stability of the Antarctic ice sheets. To address this, we present nine new cosmogenic 10Be exposure ages from sites on NW Alexander Island and Rothschild Island (adjacent to the Wilkins Ice Shelf) that provide constraints on the timing of thinning of the Alexander Island ice cap since the last glacial maximum. All but one of the 10Be ages are in the range 10.2-21.7 ka, showing a general trend of progressive ice-sheet thinning since at least 22 ka until 10 ka. The data also provide a minimum estimate (490 m) for ice-cap thickness on NW Alexander Island at the last glacial maximum. Cosmogenic 3He ages from a rare occurrence of mantle xenoliths on Rothschild Island yield variable ages up to 46 ka, probably reflecting exhumation by periglacial processes.

  9. The impact of the alexander technique on improving posture and surgical ergonomics during minimally invasive surgery: pilot study.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Pramod P; Reddy, Trisha P; Roig-Francoli, Jennifer; Cone, Lois; Sivan, Bezalel; DeFoor, W Robert; Gaitonde, Krishnanath; Noh, Paul H

    2011-10-01

    One of the main ergonomic challenges during surgical procedures is surgeon posture. There have been reports of a high number of work related injuries in laparoscopic surgeons. The Alexander technique is a process of psychophysical reeducation of the body to improve postural balance and coordination, permitting movement with minimal strain and maximum ease. We evaluated the efficacy of the Alexander technique in improving posture and surgical ergonomics during minimally invasive surgery. We performed a prospective cohort study in which subjects served as their own controls. Informed consent was obtained. Before Alexander technique instruction/intervention subjects underwent assessment of postural coordination and basic laparoscopic skills. All subjects were educated about the Alexander technique and underwent post-instruction/intervention assessment of posture and laparoscopic skills. Subjective and objective data obtained before and after instruction/intervention were tabulated and analyzed for statistical significance. All 7 subjects completed the study. Subjects showed improved ergonomics and improved ability to complete FLS™ as well as subjective improvement in overall posture. The Alexander technique training program resulted in a significant improvement in posture. Improved surgical ergonomics, endurance and posture decrease surgical fatigue and the incidence of repetitive stress injuries to laparoscopic surgeons. Further studies of the influence of the Alexander technique on surgical posture, minimally invasive surgery ergonomics and open surgical techniques are warranted to explore and validate the benefits for surgeons. Copyright © 2011 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Spiro K. Antiochos Receives 2013 John Adam Fleming Medal: Citation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klimchuk, James A.

    2014-01-01

    The John Adam Fleming Medal is awarded for "original research and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences." Originality and technical leadership are exactly the characteristics that distinguish the research of Spiro K. Antiochos. Spiro possesses a truly unique combination of physical insight, creativity, and mastery of the concepts and mathematical and numerical tools of space physics. These talents have allowed him to develop completely original theories for major observational problems and to test and refine those theories using sophisticated numerical simulation codes that he himself helped to develop. Spiro's physical insight is especially impressive. He has an uncanny ability to identify the fundamental aspects of complex problems and to see physical connections where others do not. This can sometimes involve ideas that may initially seem counterintuitive to those with less creativity. Many of Spiro's revolutionary advances have opened up whole new areas of study and shaped the course of space physics. Examples include the breakout model for coronal mass ejections (CMEs), the S-web model for the slow solar wind, and the thermal nonequilibrium model for solar prominences. The breakout model is of special significance to AGU as it strives to promote science for the betterment of humanity. CMEs are enormous explosions on the Sun that can have major "space weather" impacts here on Earth. They affect technologies ranging from communication and navigation systems to electrical power grids. Breakout is the leading theory for why CMEs occur and may one day be the foundation for more accurate space weather forecasting.

  11. How Alexander von Humboldt's life story can inspire innovative soil research in developing countries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouma, Johan

    2017-09-01

    The pioneering vision of Alexander von Humboldt of science and society of the early 1800s is still highly relevant today. His open mind and urge to make many measurements characterizing the interconnected web of life are crucial ingredients as we now face the worldwide challenge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Case studies in the Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, Niger, and Costa Rica demonstrate, in Alexander's spirit, interaction with stakeholders and attention to unique local conditions, applying modern measurement and modeling methods and allowing inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches. But relations between science and society are increasingly problematic, partly as a result of the information revolution and post-truth, fact-free thinking. Overly regulated and financially restricted scientific communities in so-called developed countries may stifle intellectual creativity. Researchers in developing countries are urged to leapfrog these problems in the spirit of Alexander von Humboldt as they further develop their scientific communities. Six suggestions to the science community are made with particular attention to soil science. (The Humboldt lecture, presented by the 2017 recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt lecture, Johan Bouma, can be accessed at http://client.cntv.at/egu2017/ml1.)

  12. Patients' views of receiving lessons in the Alexander technique and an exercise prescription for managing back pain in the ATEAM trial.

    PubMed

    Yardley, Lucy; Dennison, Laura; Coker, Rebecca; Webley, Frances; Middleton, Karen; Barnett, Jane; Beattie, Angela; Evans, Maggie; Smith, Peter; Little, Paul

    2010-04-01

    Lessons in the Alexander Technique and exercise prescription proved effective for managing low back pain in primary care in a clinical trial. To understand trial participants' expectations and experiences of the Alexander Technique and exercise prescription. A questionnaire assessing attitudes to the intervention, based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, was completed at baseline and 3-month follow-up by 183 people assigned to lessons in the Alexander Technique and 176 people assigned to exercise prescription. Semi-structured interviews to assess the beliefs contributing to attitudes to the intervention were carried out at baseline with14 people assigned to the lessons in the Alexander Technique and 16 to exercise prescription, and at follow-up with 15 members of the baseline sample. Questionnaire responses indicated that attitudes to both interventions were positive at baseline but became more positive at follow-up only in those assigned to lessons in the Alexander Technique. Thematic analysis of the interviews suggested that at follow-up many patients who had learned the Alexander Technique felt they could manage back pain better. Whereas many obstacles to exercising were reported, few barriers to learning the Alexander Technique were described, since it 'made sense', could be practiced while carrying out everyday activities or relaxing, and the teachers provided personal advice and support. Using the Alexander Technique was viewed as effective by most patients. Acceptability may have been superior to exercise because of a convincing rationale and social support and a better perceived fit with the patient's particular symptoms and lifestyle.

  13. A re-appraisal of the conventional history of antibiosis and Penicillin.

    PubMed

    Arseculeratne, S N; Arseculeratne, G

    2017-05-01

    The popular perception of the history of antibiosis and penicillin is that Alexander Fleming was the sole researcher on penicillin. The literature, however, has documentation of preceding persons who reported definitively on these topics, from the late 19 th century. Divergent reports on "firsts" in the discovery of antimicrobial activity of Penicillium and on the use of penicillin as a therapeutic agent, are present. This review adds knowledge from diverse sources, and restores historical priorities to the conventional story of Penicillin. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  14. Dr Alexander Graham Bell--audiologist and speech therapist.

    PubMed

    Chakravorty, R C

    1976-09-01

    Alexander Graham Bell is best known for his role in the invention of the telephone. However, he had a lifelong involvement in speech therapy and audiology besides many other medical investigations. He was also awarded an honorary MD degree from Heidelberg University. In this, the 100th anniversary of his invention of the telephone, his life and some of his medical interests are briefly reviewed.

  15. Evidence for the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons in medical and health-related conditions: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Woodman, J P; Moore, N R

    2012-01-01

    Complementary medicine and alternative approaches to chronic and intractable health conditions are increasingly being used, and require critical evaluation. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate available evidence for the effectiveness and safety of instruction in the Alexander Technique in health-related conditions. PUBMED, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, ISI Web-of-Knowledge, AMED, CINHAL-plus, Cochrane library and Evidence-based Medicine Reviews were searched to July 2011. Inclusion criteria were prospective studies evaluating Alexander Technique instruction (individual lessons or group delivery) as an intervention for any medical indication/health-related condition. Studies were categorised and data extracted on study population, randomisation method, nature of intervention and control, practitioner characteristics, validity and reliability of outcome measures, completeness of follow-up and statistical analyses.   Of 271 publications identified, 18 were selected: three randomised, controlled trials (RCTs), two controlled non-randomised studies, eight non-controlled studies, four qualitative analyses and one health economic analysis. One well-designed, well-conducted RCT demonstrated that, compared with usual GP care, Alexander Technique lessons led to significant long-term reductions in back pain and incapacity caused by chronic back pain. The results were broadly supported by a smaller, earlier RCT in chronic back pain. The third RCT, a small, well-designed, well-conducted study in individuals with Parkinson's disease, showed a sustained increased ability to carry out everyday activities following Alexander lessons, compared with usual care. The 15 non-RCT studies are also reviewed. Strong evidence exists for the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons for chronic back pain and moderate evidence in Parkinson's-associated disability. Preliminary evidence suggests that Alexander Technique lessons may lead to improvements in balance skills in the

  16. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain.

    PubMed

    Little, Paul; Lewith, George; Webley, Fran; Evans, Maggie; Beattie, Angela; Middleton, Karen; Barnett, Jane; Ballard, Kathleen; Oxford, Frances; Smith, Peter; Yardley, Lucy; Hollinghurst, Sandra; Sharp, Debbie

    2008-08-19

    To determine the effectiveness of lessons in the Alexander technique, massage therapy, and advice from a doctor to take exercise (exercise prescription) along with nurse delivered behavioural counselling for patients with chronic or recurrent back pain. Factorial randomised trial. 64 general practices in England. 579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain; 144 were randomised to normal care, 147 to massage, 144 to six Alexander technique lessons, and 144 to 24 Alexander technique lessons; half of each of these groups were randomised to exercise prescription. Normal care (control), six sessions of massage, six or 24 lessons on the Alexander technique, and prescription for exercise from a doctor with nurse delivered behavioural counselling. Roland Morris disability score (number of activities impaired by pain) and number of days in pain. Exercise and lessons in the Alexander technique, but not massage, remained effective at one year (compared with control Roland disability score 8.1: massage -0.58, 95% confidence interval -1.94 to 0.77, six lessons -1.40, -2.77 to -0.03, 24 lessons -3.4, -4.76 to -2.03, and exercise -1.29, -2.25 to -0.34). Exercise after six lessons achieved 72% of the effect of 24 lessons alone (Roland disability score -2.98 and -4.14, respectively). Number of days with back pain in the past four weeks was lower after lessons (compared with control median 21 days: 24 lessons -18, six lessons -10, massage -7) and quality of life improved significantly. No significant harms were reported. One to one lessons in the Alexander technique from registered teachers have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain. Six lessons followed by exercise prescription were nearly as effective as 24 lessons. National Research Register N0028108728.

  17. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain.

    PubMed

    Little, Paul; Lewith, George; Webley, Fran; Evans, Maggie; Beattie, Angela; Middleton, Karen; Barnett, Jane; Ballard, Kathleen; Oxford, Frances; Smith, Peter; Yardley, Lucy; Hollinghurst, Sandra; Sharp, Debbie

    2008-12-01

    To determine the effectiveness of lessons in the Alexander technique, massage therapy, and advice from a doctor to take exercise (exercise prescription) along with nurse delivered behavioural counselling for patients with chronic or recurrent back pain. Factorial randomised trial. Setting 64 general practices in England. 579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain; 144 were randomised to normal care, 147 to massage, 144 to six Alexander technique lessons, and 144 to 24 Alexander technique lessons; half of each of these groups were randomised to exercise prescription. Normal care (control), six sessions of massage, six or 24 lessons on the Alexander technique, and prescription for exercise from a doctor with nurse delivered behavioural counselling. Roland Morris disability score (number of activities impaired by pain) and number of days in pain. Exercise and lessons in the Alexander technique, but not massage, remained effective at one year (compared with control Roland disability score 8.1: massage -0.58, 95% confidence interval -1.94 to 0.77, six lessons -1.40, -2.77 to -0.03, 24 lessons -3.4, -4.76 to -2.03, and exercise -1.29, -2.25 to -0.34). Exercise after six lessons achieved 72% of the effect of 24 lessons alone (Roland disability score -2.98 and -4.14, respectively). Number of days with back pain in the past four weeks were lower after lessons (compared with control median 21 days: 24 lessons -18, six lessons -10, massage -7) and quality of life improved significantly. No significant harms were reported. One to one lessons in the Alexander technique from registered teachers have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain. Six lessons followed by exercise prescription were nearly as effective as 24 lessons.

  18. Teaching Nuclear Radiation and the Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    David R. Lapp

    2008-01-01

    The recent international story about the death of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has more than just a few wondering about radiation poisoning and the sinister sounding polonium-210. I was preparing to begin a nuclear radiation unit the Monday after Thanksgiving 2006. As it turned out, Litvinenko died Thanksgiving Day after a short and…

  19. Alexander Samokutyaev conducts BTKh-14/Bioemulsiya (Bioemulsion) Experiment

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-05-05

    ISS027-E-022454 (5 May 2011) --- Russian cosmonaut Alexander Samokutyaev, Expedition 27 flight engineer, uses a glovebox to service the Russian Bioemulsion science payload in the Poisk Mini-Research Module 2 (MRM2) of the International Space Station. The Bioemulsion experiment is attempting to develop faster technologies for obtaining microorganism biomass and biologically active substance biomass for creating highly efficient environmentally pure bacteria, enzymes, and medicinal/pharmaceutical preparations.

  20. Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gargus, Gerald Vincent

    This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support

  1. New Models at Lasell: Q&A with President Michael Alexander

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harney, John O.

    2018-01-01

    The "New England Journal of Higher Education" ("NEJHE") Executive Editor John O. Harney had the chance to catch up with Lasell College President Michael Alexander about the small Newton, Massachusetts, college's plans to challenge the higher education business model. The interview is presented in this article.

  2. Scientific myth-conceptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allchin, Douglas

    2003-05-01

    Using several familiar examples - Gregor Mendel, H. B. D. Kettlewell, Alexander Fleming, Ignaz Semmelweis, and William Harvey - I analyze how educators currently frame historical stories to portray the process of science. They share a rhetorical architecture of myth, which misleads students about how science derives its authority. Narratives of error and recovery from error, alternatively, may importantly illustrate the nature of science, especially its limits. Contrary to recent claims for reform, we do not need more history in science education. Rather, we need different types of history that convey the nature of science more effectively.

  3. Alexander Bain's CUE in the Post-Modern World: Unity Revisited.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dryden, Phyllis

    In 1866, Alexander Bain proposed that by evaluating unity, coherence, and emphasis (which he brought together under the acronym "CUE"), students could judge the effectiveness of their written paragraphs. One hundred twenty-five years later, the proposition is still central to composition instruction. A review of modern writing textbooks…

  4. The sixteenth presentation of the John Adam Fleming medal to Thomas M. Donahue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagy, Andrew F.; Donahue, Thomas M.

    Citations are supposed to begin with a statement of the sort ‘It is an honor and a pleasure for me to introduce…’ however, in the case of Tom Donahue I do not think that I have to introduce him, since most everyone here this evening already knows him. His 30-plus-year career spans a very broad field of scientific endeavors as well as numerous institutions. We at Michigan are lucky to have had him with us since 1974. He has made his lasting mark in the field of aeronomy through his publications, which number over 140, his many graduate students, postdocs, and colleagues who have had the good fortune to have worked with him. Sydney Chapman must have been thinking of someone like Tom Donahue when he coined the word aeronomy. Tom was born in Oklahoma, receive his B.A. from Rockhurst College in Kansas City and his Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University in 1947. Perhaps it is appropriate that he is now receiving the Fleming Award here in Baltimore, where his professional career began. His deep lifelong involvement in solar system studies really began when he moved to The University of Pittsburgh in 1951, and he has been going full steam ever since.

  5. Alexander Kapp--The First Known User of the Andragogy Concept

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loeng, Svein

    2017-01-01

    The German gymnasium teacher Alexander Kapp (1800-1869) was to all appearances the first one to use the "andragogy concept" as a term for "adult learning." In 1833 he published the book "Platon's Erziehungslehre, als Pädagogik für die Einzelnen und als Staatspädagogik. Oder dessen praktische Philosophie." This book…

  6. Origin of Silurian reefs in the Alexander Terrane of southeastern Alaska

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

    Soja, C.M.

    1991-04-01

    Lower to Upper Silurian (upper Llandovery-Ludlow) limestones belonging to the Heceta Formation record several episodes of reef growth in the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska. As the oldest carbonates of wide-spread distribution in the region, the Heceta limestones represent the earliest development of a shallow-marine platform within the Alexander arc and the oldest foundation for reef evolution. These deposits provide important insights into the dynamic processes, styles, and bathymetry associated with reef growth in tectonically active oceanic islands. Massive stromatoporoids, corals, and red algae are preserved in fragmental rudstones and represent a fringing reef that formed at the seaward edgemore » of the incipient marine shelf. Accessory constituents in this reef include crinoids and the cyanobacterium Girvanella. Small biostromes were constructed by ramose corals and stromatoporoids on oncolitic substrates in backreef or lagoonal environments. These buildups were associated with low-diversity assemblages of brachiopods and with gastropods, amphiporids, calcareous algae and cyanobacteria. Microbial boundstones reflect the widespread encrustation of cyanobacteria and calcified microproblematica on shelly debris as stromatolitic mats that resulted in the development of a stromatactoid-bearing mud mound and a barrier reef complex. Epiphytaceans, other microbes, and aphrosalpingid sponges were the primary frame-builders of the barrier reefs. These buildups attained significant relief at the shelf margin and shed detritus as slumped blocks and debris flows into deep-water sites along the slope. The similarity of these stromatolitic-aphrosalpingid reefs to those from Siluro-Devonian strata of autochthonous southwestern Alaska suggests paleobiogeographic ties of the Alexander terrane to cratonal North America during the Silurian.« less

  7. Teachers of the Alexander Technique in the UK and the people who take their lessons: A national cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Eldred, J; Hopton, A; Donnison, E; Woodman, J; MacPherson, H

    2015-06-01

    Given the rising profile of the Alexander Technique in the UK, there is a need for a comprehensive description of its teachers and of those who currently take lessons. In a national survey of Alexander teachers, we set out to address this information gap. A cross-sectional survey of 871 UK members of three main Alexander Technique teachers' professional associations was conducted. A questionnaire requested information about their professional background, teaching practice and methods, and about the people who attend lessons and their reasons for seeking help. With an overall response rate of 61%, 534 teachers responded; 74% were female with median age of 58 years, 60% had a higher education qualification, and 95% were self-employed, many with additional non-Alexander paid employment. The majority (87%) offered lessons on their own premises or in a privately rented room, and 19% provided home visits; both individual and group lessons were provided. People who took lessons were predominantly female (66%) with a median age of 48 years, and 91% paid for their lessons privately. Nearly two-thirds (62%) began lessons for reasons related to musculoskeletal conditions, including back symptoms, posture, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Other reasons were general (18%, including well-being), performance-related (10%, including voice-, music-, and sport-related), psychological (5%) and neurological (3%). We estimate that Alexander teachers in the UK provide approximately 400,000 lessons per year. This study provides an overview of Alexander Technique teaching in the UK today and data that may be useful when planning future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Participating in and delivering the ATEAM trial (Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage) interventions for chronic back pain: A qualitative study of professional perspectives.

    PubMed

    Beattie, Angela; Shaw, Alison; Yardley, Lucy; Little, Paul; Sharp, Debbie

    2010-01-01

    To outline professionals' experiences of participation, perceived benefits and acceptability of the interventions delivered in the ATEAM trial (Alexander technique lessons, exercise, and massage), for patients with chronic or recurrent back pain. Qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted with a purposeful sample of twenty professionals (general practitioners (GPs), nurses, Alexander technique teachers, and massage therapists). Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically using the constant comparison method. Evidence of effectiveness GPs wanted an evidence base for the interventions, whilst nurses, Alexander technique teachers and massage therapists perceived patient reports of benefit as evidence. Professionals' perception of the acceptability of the intervention: professional perspectives differed, with GPs and nurses viewing the structured nature of exercise prescription and Alexander technique lessons as more beneficial and acceptable than massage in alleviating patients' back pain. Economic cost: the cost to patients pursuing Alexander technique lessons and massage was perceived to be a barrier outside the trial. Inter-professional communication: there was little communication between the professionals groups within the trial. Valuable insights have been gained into the perceived benefits and acceptability of exercise, Alexander technique lessons and massage as interventions for chronic back pain. Lessons in the Alexander technique with or without exercise, was perceived as more beneficial and acceptable than massage by professionals who participated and delivered the ATEAM trial interventions. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. View west of the James and Lucy Alexander gravestone and ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    View west of the James and Lucy Alexander gravestone and family plot among other demarcated family plots in the Female Union Band Cemetery. - Mount Zion Cemetery/ Female Union Band Cemetery, Bounded by 27th Street right-of-way N.W. (formerly Lyons Mill Road), Q Street N.W., & Mill Road N.W., Washington, District of Columbia, DC

  10. Alexander Williamson and the modernisation of Japan.

    PubMed

    Davies, Alwyn G

    2015-01-01

    One hundred and fifty years ago, five students were smuggled out of feudal Japan and came to London to learn Western technology, governance, and economics. They were put into the care of Alexander Williamson, who was Professor of Chemistry at University College London, and when they went back they, and the students who followed them, became the founders of the modern Japanese state. This is the British side of that remarkable story. Williamson's career and chemistry are briefly reviewed, followed by an account of the students' presence in Britain, and then the commemoration of the sesquicentenary of these events.

  11. "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" PBS Series. Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Washington, DC.

    This teacher's guide correlates with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television series "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" hosted by historian Michael Wood. The four episodes of the series are entitled: "Son of God"; "Lord of Asia"; "Across the Hindu Kush"; and "To the Ends of the…

  12. Science, Education, and Antebellum Reform: The Case of Alexander Dallas Bache.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slotten, Hugh R.

    1991-01-01

    Suggest that science and formal education became the primary civilizing forces in the decades preceding the Civil War. Focuses on the work of scientist and educational reformer Alexander Dallas Bache. Concludes that Bache's efforts to promote unified public schools, scientific and technical education, and moral training inspired later Progressive…

  13. An economic evaluation of Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture sessions for patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized trial (ATLAS).

    PubMed

    Essex, Holly; Parrott, Steve; Atkin, Karl; Ballard, Kathleen; Bland, Martin; Eldred, Janet; Hewitt, Catherine; Hopton, Ann; Keding, Ada; Lansdown, Harriet; Richmond, Stewart; Tilbrook, Helen; Torgerson, David; Watt, Ian; Wenham, Aniela; Woodman, Julia; MacPherson, Hugh

    2017-01-01

    To assess the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture and usual care, and Alexander Technique lessons and usual care, compared with usual GP care alone for chronic neck pain patients. An economic evaluation was undertaken alongside the ATLAS trial, taking both NHS and wider societal viewpoints. Participants were offered up to twelve acupuncture sessions or twenty Alexander lessons (equivalent overall contact time). Costs were in pounds sterling. Effectiveness was measured using the generic EQ-5D to calculate quality adjusted life years (QALYs), as well as using a specific neck pain measure-the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). In the base case analysis, incremental QALY gains were 0.032 and 0.025 in the acupuncture and Alexander groups, respectively, in comparison to usual GP care, indicating moderate health benefits for both interventions. Incremental costs were £451 for acupuncture and £667 for Alexander, mainly driven by intervention costs. Acupuncture was likely to be cost-effective (ICER = £18,767/QALY bootstrapped 95% CI £4,426 to £74,562) and was robust to most sensitivity analyses. Alexander lessons were not cost-effective at the lower NICE threshold of £20,000/QALY (£25,101/QALY bootstrapped 95% CI -£150,208 to £248,697) but may be at £30,000/QALY, however, there was considerable statistical uncertainty in all tested scenarios. In comparison with usual care, acupuncture is likely to be cost-effective for chronic neck pain, whereas, largely due to higher intervention costs, Alexander lessons are unlikely to be cost-effective. However, there were high levels of missing data and further research is needed to assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

  14. Identification of metapopulation dynamics among Northern Goshawks of the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, and Coastal British Columbia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; McClaren, Erica L.; Doyle, Frank I.; Titus, K.; Sage, George K.; Wilson, Robert E.; Gust, Judy R.; Talbot, Sandra L.

    2012-01-01

    Northern Goshawks occupying the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska, and coastal British Columbia nest primarily in old-growth and mature forest, which results in spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of individuals across the landscape. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial data to infer genetic structure, gene flow, and fluctuations in population demography through evolutionary time. Patterns in the genetic signatures were used to assess predictions associated with the three population models: panmixia, metapopulation, and isolated populations. Population genetic structure was observed along with asymmetry in gene flow estimates that changed directionality at different temporal scales, consistent with metapopulation model predictions. Therefore, Northern Goshawk assemblages located in the Alexander Archipelago and coastal British Columbia interact through a metapopulation framework, though they may not fit the classic model of a metapopulation. Long-term population sources (coastal mainland British Columbia) and sinks (Revillagigedo and Vancouver islands) were identified. However, there was no trend through evolutionary time in the directionality of dispersal among the remaining assemblages, suggestive of a rescue-effect dynamic. Admiralty, Douglas, and Chichagof island complex appears to be an evolutionarily recent source population in the Alexander Archipelago. In addition, Kupreanof island complex and Kispiox Forest District populations have high dispersal rates to populations in close geographic proximity and potentially serve as local source populations. Metapopulation dynamics occurring in the Alexander Archipelago and coastal British Columbia by Northern Goshawks highlight the importance of both occupied and unoccupied habitats to long-term population persistence of goshawks in this region.

  15. 46. Photocopy of photograph (Pentran file), (from Alexander Brown's Peninsula's ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    46. Photocopy of photograph (Pentran file), (from Alexander Brown's Peninsula's Last Street Cars, Daily Press, January 15, 1956) photographer unknown. The first streetcar (with dignitaries) to make the run from Newport News to a new housing development named Hilton Village in September 1918. - Newport News & Old Point Railway & Electric Company, Trolley Barn & Administration Building, 3400 Victoria Boulevard, Hampton, Hampton, VA

  16. Interview with Alexander Cohen.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Alexander Ander

    2017-05-01

    Ander Cohen speaks to Adam Price-Evans, Commissioning Editor of Future Cardiology: Alexander (Ander) Cohen MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD, FRACP is a vascular physician and epidemiologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, King's College (London, UK). He graduated with honors in medicine and honors in surgery from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1990. He was awarded an MSc in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London in 1991 with a thesis on the metabolic syndrome in South-Asian populations. In 1998, he was awarded an MD with a thesis on the epidemiology of venous thromboembolism and thromboprophylaxis. In addition to his clinical work, he is involved in designing, managing and analyzing clinical trials from Phase I to IV. He is the Chairman and a member of many international steering committees for multicenter trials, epidemiological and pharmacoeconomic studies, and was previously the Director of Clinical Research and an Epidemiologist in Thrombosis Research at King's College Hospital.

  17. Clinical Experience in Late Antiquity: Alexander of Tralles and the Therapy of Epilepsy

    PubMed Central

    Bouras-vallianatos, Petros

    2014-01-01

    Alexander of Tralles, writing in the late sixth century, combined his wide-ranging practical knowledge with earlier medical theories. This article shows how clinical experience is used in Alexander’s works by concentrating on his therapeutic advice on epilepsy and, in particular, on pharmacology and the group of so-called natural remedies. I argue that clinical testing is used not only for the introduction of new medicines but also as an instrument for checking the therapeutic effect of popular healing practices. On another level, this article discusses Alexander’s role as the author of a medical compendium; it suggests that by marking the cases of clinical testing with a set of recurrent expressions, Alexander leads his audience to reflect on his medical authority and personal contribution. PMID:25045178

  18. [Urology and National Socialism: the fate of Alexander von Lichtenberg 1880-1949].

    PubMed

    Moll, F H; Krischel, M; Rathert, P; Fangerau, H

    2010-09-01

    Alexander von Lichtenberg (1880-1949) was one of the famous members of the German Urological Society (DGU) in pre-war Germany. He introduced excretion urography and a special TURP Instrument. In 1928 he was president of the 8th meeting held in the German capital Berlin. His Handbook of Urology, released by Ferdinand Springer publishing house, was a trendsetter in establishing urology as a specialty in Germany and bringing together the whole wisdom of all aspects of urology. He was the founder of the famous Maximilian Nitze Award of the DGU. As a Jew he-like many others-was forced to leave Nazi Germany after 1933. Even in Hungary, his native country, he again had to resist anti-Semitic hostility. Later on he lived in Mexico. Alexander von Lichtenberg has to be remembered with special focus on the exodus of German Jewish scientists during the Nazi time.

  19. An economic evaluation of Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture sessions for patients with chronic neck pain: A randomized trial (ATLAS)

    PubMed Central

    Essex, Holly; Parrott, Steve; Atkin, Karl; Ballard, Kathleen; Bland, Martin; Eldred, Janet; Hewitt, Catherine; Hopton, Ann; Keding, Ada; Lansdown, Harriet; Richmond, Stewart; Tilbrook, Helen; Torgerson, David; Watt, Ian; Wenham, Aniela; Woodman, Julia; MacPherson, Hugh

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To assess the cost-effectiveness of acupuncture and usual care, and Alexander Technique lessons and usual care, compared with usual GP care alone for chronic neck pain patients. Methods An economic evaluation was undertaken alongside the ATLAS trial, taking both NHS and wider societal viewpoints. Participants were offered up to twelve acupuncture sessions or twenty Alexander lessons (equivalent overall contact time). Costs were in pounds sterling. Effectiveness was measured using the generic EQ-5D to calculate quality adjusted life years (QALYs), as well as using a specific neck pain measure–the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). Results In the base case analysis, incremental QALY gains were 0.032 and 0.025 in the acupuncture and Alexander groups, respectively, in comparison to usual GP care, indicating moderate health benefits for both interventions. Incremental costs were £451 for acupuncture and £667 for Alexander, mainly driven by intervention costs. Acupuncture was likely to be cost-effective (ICER = £18,767/QALY bootstrapped 95% CI £4,426 to £74,562) and was robust to most sensitivity analyses. Alexander lessons were not cost-effective at the lower NICE threshold of £20,000/QALY (£25,101/QALY bootstrapped 95% CI -£150,208 to £248,697) but may be at £30,000/QALY, however, there was considerable statistical uncertainty in all tested scenarios. Conclusions In comparison with usual care, acupuncture is likely to be cost-effective for chronic neck pain, whereas, largely due to higher intervention costs, Alexander lessons are unlikely to be cost-effective. However, there were high levels of missing data and further research is needed to assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of these interventions. PMID:29211741

  20. DISCOVER-AQ

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2017-01-31

    ... Relevant Documents:  DISCOVER-AQ - Airborne Science Data for Atmospheric Composition DISCOVER-AQ - NASA Earth ... DISCOVER-AQ - Mission Highlight Featured Articles : Articles featuring DISCOVER-AQ data products SCAR-B ...

  1. Lithium Decreases Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein in a Mouse Model of Alexander Disease

    PubMed Central

    LaPash Daniels, Christine M.; Paffenroth, Elizabeth; Austin, Elizabeth V.; Glebov, Konstantin; Lewis, Diana; Walter, Jochen; Messing, Albee

    2015-01-01

    Alexander disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the astrocyte intermediate filament glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The disease is characterized by elevated levels of GFAP and the formation of protein aggregates, known as Rosenthal fibers, within astrocytes. Lithium has previously been shown to decrease protein aggregates by increasing the autophagy pathway for protein degradation. In addition, lithium has also been reported to decrease activation of the transcription factor STAT3, which is a regulator of GFAP transcription and astrogliogenesis. Here we tested whether lithium treatment would decrease levels of GFAP in a mouse model of Alexander disease. Mice with the Gfap-R236H point mutation were fed lithium food pellets for 4 to 8 weeks. Four weeks of treatment with LiCl at 0.5% in food pellets decreased GFAP protein and transcripts in several brain regions, although with mild side effects and some mortality. Extending the duration of treatment to 8 weeks resulted in higher mortality, and again with a decrease in GFAP in the surviving animals. Indicators of autophagy, such as LC3, were not increased, suggesting that lithium may decrease levels of GFAP through other pathways. Lithium reduced the levels of phosphorylated STAT3, suggesting this as one pathway mediating the effects on GFAP. In conclusion, lithium has the potential to decrease GFAP levels in Alexander disease, but with a narrow therapeutic window separating efficacy and toxicity. PMID:26378915

  2. Connect the Book. Always Inventing: A Photobiography of Alexander Graham Bell

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brodie, Carolyn S.

    2004-01-01

    Cell phones, video phones, voice messaging?one wonders what Alexander Graham Bell would have thought about the many venues today for electronic communication with one another. Bell's March 10, 1876 invention is now 128 years old, but there is no doubt that Bell's "talking machine" changed the world. This article presents a brief review of the…

  3. 78 FR 53630 - Airworthiness Directives; Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co. Segelflugzeugbau Sailplanes

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-30

    ... rod for conformity following Alexander Schleicher Automatischer H[ouml]henruderanschlu[beta] (English... Manual (CAM) 18, Maintenance, Repair, And Alteration, Of Airframes, Powerplants, Propellers, And...--and-- Guidance--Library/rgccab.nsf/0/41df1277f2dc7e0e86257bcf005112bf/ $FILE/CAM--18--1959.pdf...

  4. Alexander von Humboldt and the concept of animal electricity.

    PubMed

    Kettenmann, H

    1997-06-01

    More than two hundred years ago, Alexander von Humboldt helped to establish Galvani's view that muscle and nerve tissue are electrically excitable. His 1797 publication was a landmark for establishing the concept of animal electricity. Almost half a century later, von Humboldt became the mentor of the young du Bois-Reymond. With the help of von Humboldt's promotion, du Bois-Reymond demonstrated convincingly that animal tissue has the intrinsic capacity to generate electrical activity, and thus laid the ground for modern electrophysiology.

  5. A Disciplinary Immigrant. Alexander Smith at the University of Chicago, 1894-1911

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cotter, Donald

    2008-01-01

    The publication in 1906 of Alexander Smith's "Introduction to general inorganic chemistry" inaugurated a decisive change in chemical pedagogy in the US, the effects of which are still evident. The nature and extent of Smith's innovations are described through a comparison of his text to its source material and contemporaries. His…

  6. Geohydrology and water-chemistry of the Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Metzger, Loren F.; Farrar, Christopher D.; Koczot, Kathryn M.; Reichard, Eric G.

    2006-01-01

    This study of the geohydrology and water chemistry of the Alexander Valley, California, was done to provide an improved scientific basis for addressing emerging water-management issues, including potential increases in water demand and changes in flows in the Russian River. The study tasks included (1) evaluation of existing geohydrological, geophysical, and geochemical data; (2) collection and analysis of new geohydrologic data, including subsurface lithologic data, ground-water levels, and streamflow records; and (3) collection and analysis of new water-chemistry data. The estimated total water use for the Alexander Valley for 1999 was approximately 15,800 acre-feet. About 13,500 acre-feet of this amount was for agricultural use, primarily vineyards, and about 2,300 acre-feet was for municipal/industrial use. Ground water is the main source of water supply for this area. The main sources of ground water in the Alexander Valley are the Quaternary alluvial deposits, the Glen Ellen Formation, and the Sonoma Volcanics. The alluvial units, where sufficiently thick and saturated, comprise the best aquifer in the study area. Average recharge to the Alexander Valley is estimated from a simple, basinwide water budget. On the basis of an estimated annual average of 298,000 acre-feet of precipitation, 160,000 acre-feet of runoff, and 113,000 to 133,000 acre-feet of evapotranspiration, about 5,000 to 25,000 acre-feet per year is available for ground-water recharge. Because this estimate is based on differences between large numbers, there is significant uncertainty in this recharge estimate. Long-term changes in ground-water levels are evident in parts of the study area, but because of the sparse network and lack of data on well construction and lithology, it is uncertain if any significant changes have occurred in the northern part of the study area since 1980. In the southern half of the study area, ground-water levels generally were lower at the end of the 2002 irrigation

  7. Alexander Hamilton: Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution. A Bicentennial Series No. 16.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Army Center of Military History, Washington, DC.

    Alexander Hamilton was among the most intellectually gifted of the Founding Fathers and a brilliant political theorist, but he lacked practical political experience, and his major political contributions occurred only when his specific policies were adopted and carried forward by others with broader vision. This booklet on Hamilton is one in a…

  8. Friendly Letters on the Correspondence of Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and Alexander Graham Bell.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blatt, Burton

    1985-01-01

    Excerpts from the letters between Alexander Graham Bell and Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller are given to illustrate the educational and personal growth of Helen Keller as well as the educational philosophy of Bell regarding the education of the deaf blind. (DB)

  9. Alexander von Humboldt's perceptions of colonial Spanish America.

    PubMed

    Rebok, Sandra

    2009-01-01

    This study presents an in-depth analysis of Alexander von Humboldt's descriptions and critical comments on the colonial society of the different regions he visited during his well-known expedition through the Americas (1799-1804). The criticisms of colonialism that he expressed, reflecting his personal convictions, have already been the focal point of many studies, but Humboldt also was able to offer a more differentiated assessment through comparisons of regional and local traditions and developments. This essay focuses on his personal diaries, which offer many interesting comments on colonial societies. These considerations and impressions made during the expedition are of particular scholarly value since they were not subject to censorship of any kind.

  10. The Election of 1800: Alexander Hamilton and the Death of the Federalist Party.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holbrook-DeFeo, Gary

    1993-01-01

    Describes the significance of the election of 1800 in the development of political parties in the United States. Contends that Alexander Hamilton's view of the United States Constitution was dangerous for the new nation and led to a permanent split in the Federalist Party. Includes a resource bibliography for teachers wishing to incorporate this…

  11. Alexander of Macedon, the greatest warrior of all times: did he have seizures?

    PubMed

    Hughes, John R

    2004-10-01

    Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was likely "the most incomparable general the world has ever seen." His name is often listed among the famous individuals in history who have had seizures. Examination of his illnesses reveals that in 333 BC he entered Tarsus, hot and exhausted, and plunged himself into the River Cydnus, ice-cold from melting mountain snows. His cramps were so severe that he was rescued half-conscious and ashen white, and quickly developed acute pneumonia. Only one doctor dared give him a medication, known for producing powerful and immediate effects. Immediately after drinking this medicine "he lost his speech and falling into a swoon, he had scarcely any sense or pulse left" (Plutarch, ad 75). His reactions were the direct effect of the medication, and this and only this phrase represents the "evidence" for epilepsy. None of his other illnesses involved seizures. Clearly, Alexander the Great did not have epilepsy and his name should be removed from the list of famous individuals who have had seizures.

  12. Myelin changes in Alexander disease.

    PubMed

    Gómez-Pinedo, U; Duran-Moreno, M; Sirerol-Piquer, S; Matias-Guiu, J

    2017-03-22

    Alexander disease (AxD) is a type of leukodystrophy. Its pathological basis, along with myelin loss, is the appearance of Rosenthal bodies, which are cytoplasmic inclusions in astrocytes. Mutations in the gene coding for GFAP have been identified as a genetic basis for AxD. However, the mechanism by which these variants produce the disease is not understood. The most widespread hypothesis is that AxD develops when a gain of function mutation causes an increase in GFAP. However, this mechanism does not explain myelin loss, given that experimental models in which GFAP expression is normal or mutated do not exhibit myelin disorders. This review analyses other possibilities that may explain this alteration, such as epigenetic or inflammatory alterations, presence of NG2 (+) - GFAP (+) cells, or post-translational modifications in GFAP that are unrelated to increased expression. The different hypotheses analysed here may explain the myelin alteration affecting these patients, and multiple mechanisms may coexist. These theories raise the possibility of designing therapies based on these mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Alexander Thomas Augusta--physician, teacher and human rights activist.

    PubMed

    Butts, Heather M

    2005-01-01

    Commissioned surgeon of colored volunteers, April 4, 1863, with the rank of Major. Commissioned regimental surgeon on the 7th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops, October 2, 1863. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers, March 13, 1865, for faithful and meritorious services--mustered out October 13, 1866. So reads the tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery of Alexander Thomas Augusta, the first black surgeon commissioned in the Union Army during the Civil War and the first black officer-rank soldier to be buried at Arlington Cemetery. He was also instrumental in founding the institutions that later became the hospital and medical college of Howard University and the National Medical Association.

  14. Synthetic biology of antimicrobial discovery.

    PubMed

    Zakeri, Bijan; Lu, Timothy K

    2013-07-19

    Antibiotic discovery has a storied history. From the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming to the relentless quest for antibiotics by Selman Waksman, the stories have become like folklore used to inspire future generations of scientists. However, recent discovery pipelines have run dry at a time when multidrug-resistant pathogens are on the rise. Nature has proven to be a valuable reservoir of antimicrobial agents, which are primarily produced by modularized biochemical pathways. Such modularization is well suited to remodeling by an interdisciplinary approach that spans science and engineering. Herein, we discuss the biological engineering of small molecules, peptides, and non-traditional antimicrobials and provide an overview of the growing applicability of synthetic biology to antimicrobials discovery.

  15. The clinical spectrum of late-onset Alexander disease: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Balbi, Pietro; Salvini, Silvana; Fundarò, Cira; Frazzitta, Giuseppe; Maestri, Roberto; Mosah, Dibo; Uggetti, Carla; Sechi, GianPietro

    2010-12-01

    Following the discovery of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mutations as the causative factor of Alexander disease (AxD), new case reports have recently increased, prompting a more detailed comprehension of the clinical features of the three disease subtypes (infantile, juvenile and adult). While the clinical pattern of the infantile form has been substantially confirmed, the late-onset subtypes (i.e., juvenile and adult), once considered rare manifestations of AxD, have displayed a wider clinical spectrum. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical phenotype of the adult and juvenile forms by reviewing the previously reported cases. Data were collected from previously published reports on 112 subjects affected by neuropathologically or genetically proven adult and juvenile Alexander disease. Although the late-onset forms of AxD show a wide clinical variability, a common pattern emerges from comparing previously reported cases, characterized by pseudo-bulbar signs, ataxia, and spasticity, associated with atrophy of the medulla and upper cervical cord on neuroimaging. Late-onset AxD cases can no longer be considered as rare manifestations of the disease. The clinical pattern usually reflects the topographic localization of the lesions, with adult cases displaying a predominant infratentorial localization of the lesions. Juvenile cases show clinical and radiological features which are intermediate between adult and infantile forms.

  16. Discover Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steele, Colleen

    1998-01-01

    Discover Earth is a NASA-sponsored project for teachers of grades 5-12, designed to: (1) enhance understanding of the Earth as an integrated system; (2) enhance the interdisciplinary approach to science instruction; and (3) provide classroom materials that focus on those goals. Discover Earth is conducted by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in collaboration with Dr. Eric Barron, Director, Earth System Science Center, The Pennsylvania State University; and Dr. Robert Hudson, Chair, the Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland at College Park. The enclosed materials: (1) represent only part of the Discover Earth materials; (2) were developed by classroom teachers who are participating in the Discover Earth project; (3) utilize an investigative approach and on-line data; and (4) can be effectively adjusted to classrooms with greater/without technology access. The Discover Earth classroom materials focus on the Earth system and key issues of global climate change including topics such as the greenhouse effect, clouds and Earth's radiation balance, surface hydrology and land cover, and volcanoes and climate change. All the materials developed to date are available on line at (http://www.strategies.org) You are encouraged to submit comments and recommendations about these materials to the Discover Earth project manager, contact information is listed below. You are welcome to duplicate all these materials.

  17. From chemotherapy to signal therapy (1909-2009): A century pioneered by Paul Ehrlich.

    PubMed

    Maruta, H

    2009-04-01

    Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915), a German microbiologist who was awarded a 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for his pioneer work on the antibody production, pioneered the modern chemotherapy by discovering his magic bullet for syphilis, called "606" or "Salvarsan" in 1909 with a Japanese young scientist, Sahachiro Hata (1873-1938) from "Denken" (Institute for Infectious Diseases, now called IMS for Institute for Medical Sciences) in Tokyo. His magic bullet was used to eradicate syphilis for more than a half century until a more safe and effective antibiotic called "Penicillin" was introduced to this world towards the end of WWII by Howard Florey (1898-1968). Celebrating this year the 100th anniversary of his discovery, this brief review will discuss how Ehrlich, now known as the Father of Chemotherapy, managed to design the first effective therapeutic for this then formidable sexually transmitted disease, which is equivalent to AIDS, HIV-infection, in the present century, and how so many new chemotherapeutics have been successfully developed during the past 100 years for other formidable diseases such as cancers and AIDS by his followers (microbe hunters and oncogene hunters) such as Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), Hamao Umezawa (1914-1986) and Brian Druker, culminating in the first signal therapeutics of cancers such as "Gleevec" that block the oncogenic signaling, around the turn of this century.

  18. Alexander William Bickerton: New Zealand’s First Astrophysicist?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilmore, Gerard F.

    Alexander Bickerton (1842-1929) is of interest to the student of New Zealand astronomical history in several ways. He was the first Professor at Canterbury University College, and had a significant effect on the early development of the University; he was a prominent and successful teacher, Ernest Rutherford being his most famous student; he was a social activist in Victorian Christchurch, eventually establishing a small commune; and he was the originator of the stellar collision theory of novae and other astronomical phenomena. This chapter, which is a slightly revised version of Gilmore (Southern Stars, 29, 87-108, 1982), provides a summary of Bickerton's life and theories, and a bibliography for further reading.

  19. The Doors to Home and History: Post-Colonial Identities in Meena Alexander and Bharati Mukherjee.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dave, Shilpa

    1993-01-01

    Examines postcolonial inquiry and studies of identity in Asians of Indian descent, focusing on the works of Meena Alexander and Bharati Mukherjee. Their commentaries on India and immigrant cultures are constantly influenced by a history dependent on Western tradition, although both authors resist the stereotypical definitions imposed by the West.…

  20. Recognizing the Presidents: Was Alexander Hamilton President?

    PubMed

    Roediger, Henry L; DeSoto, K Andrew

    2016-05-01

    Studies over the past 40 years have shown that Americans can recall about half the U.S. presidents. Do people know the presidents even though they are unable to access them for recall? We investigated this question using the powerful cues of a recognition test. Specifically, we tested the ability of 326 online subjects to recognize U.S. presidents when presented with their full names among various types of lures. The hit rate for presidential recognition was .88, well above the proportion produced in free recall but far from perfect. Presidents Franklin Pierce and Chester Arthur were recognized less than 60% of the time. Interestingly, four nonpresidents were falsely recognized at relatively high rates, and Alexander Hamilton was more frequently identified as president than were several actual presidents. Even on a recognition test, knowledge of American presidents is imperfect and prone to error. The false alarm data support the theory that false fame can arise from contextual familiarity. © The Author(s) 2016.

  1. The Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults at Syracuse University Library.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keenan, Terrance

    This document describes the contents of the Alexander N. Charters Library of Resources for Educators of Adults at Syracuse University Library. The document begins with a brief history of the development of the library's collections, which occupy 900 feet of shelf space and contain more than 50 groups of personal papers and records of organizations…

  2. Preliminary hydrogeologic investigation of the Maxey Flats radioactive waste burial site, Fleming County, Kentucky

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zehner, Harold H.

    1979-01-01

    Burial trenches at the Maxey Flats radioactive waste burial site , Fleming County, Ky., cover an area of about 0.03 square mile, and are located on a plateau, about 300 to 400 feet above surrounding valleys. Although surface-water characteristics are known, little information is available regarding the ground-water hydrology of the Maxey Flats area. If transport of radionuclides from the burial site were to occur, water would probably be the principal mechanism of transport by natural means. Most base flow in streams around the burial site is from valley alluvium, and from the mantle of regolith, colluvium, and soil partially covering adjacent hills. Very little base flow is due to ground-water flow from bedrock. Most water in springs is from the mantle, rather than from bedrock. Rock units underlying the Maxey Flats area are, in descending order, the Nancy and Farmers Members of the Borden Formation, Sunbury, Bedford, and Ohio Shales, and upper part of the Crab Orchard Formation. These units are mostly shales, except for the Farmers Member, which is mostly sandstone. Total thickness of the rocks is about 320 feet. All radioactive wastes are buried in the Nancy Member. Most ground-water movement in bedrock probably occurs in fractures. The ground-water system at Maxey Flats is probably unconfined, and recharge occurs by (a) infiltration of rainfall into the mantle, and (b) vertical, unsaturated flow from the saturated regolith on hilltops to saturated zones in the Farmers Member and Ohio Shale. Data are insufficient to determine if saturated zones exist in other rock units. The upper part of the Crab Orchard Formation is probably a hydrologic boundary, with little ground-water flow through the formation. (USGS)

  3. Palaeoglaciology of the Alexander Island ice cap, western Antarctic Peninsula, reconstructed from marine geophysical and core data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graham, Alastair G. C.; Smith, James A.

    2012-03-01

    The glacial history of the continental shelf northwest of Alexander Island is not well known, due mainly to a lack of targeted marine data on Antarctica's palaeo-ice sheets in their inter-ice-stream areas. Recently it has been argued that the region was ice-free at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and thus a potential site for glacial refugia. In this paper, multibeam swath bathymetry, sub-bottom profiles and sediment cores are used to map the Alexander Island sector of the Antarctic Peninsula margin, in order to reconstruct the shelf's palaeoglaciology. Sea-floor bedforms provide evidence that an independent ice cap persisted on Alexander Island through the LGM and deglaciation. We show that this ice cap drained via two major, previously-undescribed tidewater outlets (Rothschild and Charcot Glaciers) sourced from an ice dome centred over the west of the island and near-shore areas. The glaciers grounded along deep, fjord-like cross-shelf troughs to within at least ˜10-20 km of the shelf edge, and probably reached the shelf break. Only one small outer-shelf zone appears to have remained free of ice throughout an otherwise extensive LGM. During retreat, grounding-line geomorphology indicates periodic stabilisation of Charcot Glacier on the mid-shelf after 13,500 cal yrs BP, while Rothschild Glacier retreated across its mid-shelf by 14,450 cal yrs BP. The timing of these events is in phase with retreat in nearby Marguerite Trough, and we take this as evidence of a common history and forcing with the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet. The fine details of ice flow documented by our new reconstruction highlight the importance of capturing complex ice flow patterns in models (e.g. in inter-stream areas), for understanding how region-specific parts of Antarctica may change in the future. Moreover, the reconstruction shows that glacial refugia, if present, cannot have been extensive on the Alexander Island shelf at the LGM as indicated by previous biological studies; instead

  4. Synthetic biology of antimicrobial discovery

    PubMed Central

    Zakeri, Bijan; Lu, Timothy K.

    2012-01-01

    Antibiotic discovery has a storied history. From the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming to the relentless quest for antibiotics by Selman Waksman, the stories have become like folklore, used to inspire future generations of scientists. However, recent discovery pipelines have run dry at a time when multidrug resistant pathogens are on the rise. Nature has proven to be a valuable reservoir of antimicrobial agents, which are primarily produced by modularized biochemical pathways. Such modularization is well suited to remodeling by an interdisciplinary approach that spans science and engineering. Herein, we discuss the biological engineering of small molecules, peptides, and non-traditional antimicrobials and provide an overview of the growing applicability of synthetic biology to antimicrobials discovery. PMID:23654251

  5. Obituary: Alexander (Andy) Franz Lubenow, 1956-2005

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buie, Marc William

    2006-12-01

    challenge upon which Andy thrived. After he had mastered sailing, he embarked on a new hobby: flying. He studied for and quickly earned a private pilot's license, purchasing his own Piper Cherokee in the process. One goal —a cross-country trip— was accomplished in June 2003, when he flew solo from Baltimore to Los Angeles and back. "You ought to try it," he told me. "As Lindbergh put it, flying is the perfect mix of science, engineering, and art. Only the pilots know why the birds sing....although I'm sure the geese I heard flying over[head] in formation the other night were swearing, and given the weather, I didn't blame them a bit!" When discussing his illness just days before his death, Andy was very calm about the whole thing and joked that "none of us is getting out of this life alive." It was during this conversation that he first heard the news that an asteroid was to be named in his honor. I read him the citation and asked for his comments: Lubenow 65885 Alexander Franz Lubenow Discovered 1997 Dec. 27 by M. W. Buie at the Anderson Mesa Station of the Lowell Observatory. Alexander (Andy) F. Lubenow (1956-), Program Coordinator at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Andy has provided exceptional support to the Hubble Space Telescope as an innovator and expert observation planner, especially for solar system targets, over the lifetime of HST. He had nothing to add. He responded that the citation pretty much said it all, and to say more would be to say less. Andy was a pleasure to know and work with. He was a friend, confidant, and sometimes even a guiding inspiration. When our paths diverged, I took some consolation in knowing that I would see him each year at the DPS meeting showing off the latest that the HST had done for solar system research. His visits have now come to an end but his legacy will live on. And somewhere, out in the dark of space, is a chunk of rock bearing his name.

  6. Alexander F. Chamberlain: a life's work.

    PubMed

    Berkman, Julia M

    2005-01-01

    This article examines the life and work of Alexander Francis Chamberlain. Though he has received little attention since the early 1900s, the importance of this scholar should not be underestimated. Chamberlain made notable contributions to the body of knowledge in anthropology-a discipline that, at the time, was a combination of anthropological and psychological inquiry. His early work began with investigations into the cultures and languages of two Indian tribes indigenous to Canada and the northern United States and, within a few decades, positioned Chamberlain as the leading scholar in this domain. Beyond his ethnographic insights, Chamberlain queried the development of the child and wrote on the subject of childhood in world folklore. He concerned himself with a scope of worthwhile subjects ranging from linguistics to women's suffrage. No topic was out of range as all forms of human study addressed the need for seeing each group as a contributing force to humanity at large. Chamberlain emphasized that no single racial, ethnic, or religious group should be singled out as inherently superior to another, a belief far ahead of his time. This article is an attempt at drawing a picture of a man whose scholarly achievements and strength of character are captured in the depth and breadth of his writing.

  7. Silurian Gastropoda from the Alexander terrane, southeast Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rohr, D.M.; Blodgett, R.B.

    2008-01-01

    Gastropods are described from Ludlow-age strata of the Heceta Limestone on Prince of Wales Island, southeast Alaska. They are part of a diverse megabenthic fauna of the Alexander terrane, an accreted terrane of Siberian or Uralian affinities. Heceta Limestone gastropods with Uralian affinities include Kirkospira glacialis, which closely resembles "Pleurotomaria" lindstromi Oehlert of Chernyshev, 1893, Retispira cf. R. volgulica (Chernyshev, 1893), and Medfracaulus turriformis (Chernyshev, 1893). Medfracaulus and similar morphotypes such as Coelocaulus karlae are unknown from rocks that are unquestionably part of the North American continent (Laurentia) during Late Silurian time. Beraunia is previously known only from the Silurian of Bohemia. Pachystrophia has previously been reported only from western North American terranes (Eastern Klamath, York, and Farewell terranes) and Europe. Bathmopterus Kirk, 1928, is resurrected and is only known from the Silurian of southeast Alaska. Newly described taxa include Hecetastoma gehrelsi n. gen. and n. sp. and Baichtalia tongassensis n. gen. and n. sp. ??2008 The Geological Society of America.

  8. Expedition 8 Crew Interviews: Alexander Y. Kaleri - FE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    Russian cosmonaut Alexander Y. Kaleri, Flight Engineer on Expedition 8 to the International Space Station (ISS), answers interview questions on this video, either himself or with the help of an interpreter. The questions cover: 1) The goal of the expedition; 2) The place in history of Mir; 3) The reaction to the loss of Columbia in Houston; 4) Why the rewards of spaceflight are worth the risks; 5) Why he decided to become a cosmonaut; 6) His memory of Yuri Gagarin's first flight; 7) What happens on a Soyuz capsule during launch and flight; 8) Are Soyuz maneuvers automatic or manual; 8) How the ISS science mission will be advanced during his stay; 9) The responsibilities of a Flight Engineer onboard the ISS; 10) Extravehicular activity (EVA) plans at that time; 11) The Shuttle Return to Flight and his preference for a Shuttle or Soyuz landing; 12) Why the last Soyuz landing was too rough; 13) The most valueable contribution of the ISS program.

  9. Genome sequence of the Fleming strain of Micrococcus luteus, a simple free- living actinobacterium

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

    Young, Michael; Artsatbanov, Vladislav; Beller, Harry R.

    Micrococcus luteus (NCTC2665, Fleming strain) has one of the smallest genomes of free living actinobacteria sequenced to date, comprising a single circular chromosome of 2,501,097 bp (G+C content 73%) predicted to encode 2403 proteins. The genome shows extensive synteny with that of the closely related organism, Kocuria rhizophila, from which it was taxonomically separated relatively recently. Despite its small size, the genome harbors 73 IS elements, almost all of which are closely related to elements found in other actinobacteria. An IS element is inserted into the rrs gene of one of only two rrn operons found in M. luteus. Themore » genome encodes only four sigma factors and fourteen response regulators, indicative of adaptation to a rather strict ecological niche (mammalian skin). The high sensitivity of M. luteus to {Beta}-lactam antibiotics may result from the presence of a reduced set of penicillin binding proteins and the absence of a wblC gene, which plays an important role in antibiotic resistance in other actinobacteria. Consistent with the restricted range of compounds it can use as a sole source of carbon for energy and growth, M. luteus has a minimal complement of genes concerned with carbohydrate transport and metabolism and its inability to utilize glucose as a sole carbon source may be due to the apparent absence of a gene encoding glucokinase. Uniquely among characterized bacteria, M. luteus appears to be able to metabolize glycogen only via trehalose, and to make trehalose only via glycogen. It has very few genes associated with secondary metabolism. In contrast to other actinobacteria, M. luteus encodes only one resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) required for emergence from dormancy and its complement of other dormancy-related proteins is also much reduced. M. luteus is capable of long-chain alkene biosynthesis, which is of interest for advanced biofuel production; a three gene cluster essential for this metabolism has been identified in the

  10. The Alexander Technique and musicians: a systematic review of controlled trials.

    PubMed

    Klein, Sabine D; Bayard, Claudine; Wolf, Ursula

    2014-10-24

    Musculoskeletal disorders, stress and performance anxiety are common in musicians. Therefore, some use the Alexander Technique (AT), a psycho-physical method that helps to release unnecessary muscle tension and re-educates non-beneficial movement patterns through intentional inhibition of unwanted habitual behaviours. According to a recent review AT sessions may be effective for chronic back pain. This review aimed to evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of AT sessions on musicians' performance, anxiety, respiratory function and posture. The following electronic databases were searched up to February 2014 for relevant publications: PUBMED, Google Scholar, CINAHL, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO and RILM. The search criteria were "Alexander Technique" AND "music*". References were searched, and experts and societies of AT or musicians' medicine contacted for further publications. 237 citations were assessed. 12 studies were included for further analysis, 5 of which were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 5 controlled but not randomised (CTs), and 2 mixed methods studies. Main outcome measures in RCTs and CTs were music performance, respiratory function, performance anxiety, body use and posture. Music performance was judged by external experts and found to be improved by AT in 1 of 3 RCTs; in 1 RCT comparing neurofeedback (NF) to AT, only NF caused improvements. Respiratory function was investigated in 2 RCTs, but not improved by AT training. Performance anxiety was mostly assessed by questionnaires and decreased by AT in 2 of 2 RCTs and in 2 of 2 CTs. A variety of outcome measures has been used to investigate the effectiveness of AT sessions in musicians. Evidence from RCTs and CTs suggests that AT sessions may improve performance anxiety in musicians. Effects on music performance, respiratory function and posture yet remain inconclusive. Future trials with well-established study designs are warranted to further and more reliably explore the potential of AT in the

  11. Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and potential synthetic treatments.

    PubMed

    Ali, Junaid; Rafiq, Qasim A; Ratcliffe, Elizabeth

    2018-04-01

    Since the discovery of antibiotics by Sir Alexander Fleming they have been used throughout medicine and play a vital role in combating microorganisms. However, with their vast use, development of resistance has become more prevalent and their use is currently under threat. Antibiotic resistance poses a global threat to human and animal health, with many bacterial species having developed some form of resistance and in some cases within a year of first exposure to antimicrobial agents. This review aims to examine some of the mechanisms behind resistance. Additionally, re-engineering organisms, re-sensitizing bacteria to antibiotics and gene-editing techniques such as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas9 system are providing novel approaches to combat bacterial resistance. To that extent, we have reviewed some of these novel and innovative technologies.

  12. Riding on the Back of a Giant: Adding Malta to the "5 Cultures" Study by Robin Alexander

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peresso, Randolph

    2017-01-01

    This paper focuses on the methodology adopted for Malta+5, which builds on Robin Alexander's work by comparing the five pedagogical cultures he studied to the one in Malta. It reflects critically on the research process adopted in this study, and shows how, despite the very limited experience and resources, applying the methodology, frameworks and…

  13. Obituary: Walter Alexander Feibelman, 1930-2004

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oergerle, William

    2005-12-01

    Walter Alexander Feibelman, 79, an astronomer who discovered the E-ring of Saturn, died of a heart attack 19 November 2004 at his home at Riderwood Village in Silver Spring, Maryland. Walter was born 30 October 1925 in Berlin, Germany to Bernard and Dora Feibelman. He came to the United States with his parents in 1941. They were some of the last German Jews to flee Nazi Germany. Years later, he reported his experiences in an account contributed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. As a youth, he worked at a cleaning shop and as a soda jerk before taking a course in tool and die making. He worked at the Abbey Photo Corp. in New York and in a model-making firm, where he constructed models of aircraft for use in identification courses by the Army Air Forces. After high school, he attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology and received his BS degree in 1956. Until 1969, he was a research scientist at the University of Pittsburgh. While working as an assistant research professor in physics and astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh in 1967, he examined a photo of Saturn taken a year earlier at the university's Allegheny Observatory. The E-ring -- unlike the bright main rings, A, B, C, D and F -- is faint and not easily spotted. He paired his observation with calculations and announced his discovery, which remained unconfirmed until the Pioneer 11 flyby in 1979. Walter joined the Optical Astronomy Division of Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt in 1969, and worked there until 2002, when he became an emeritus astronomer at NASA. He became associated with the International Ultraviolet Explorer project, and worked on developing detectors for the orbiting observatory's spectrograph. The project turned out to be one of NASA's most successful observatories, operating from 1978 to 1996. In his scientific career, he published more than 200 refereed articles, mainly on hot stars and planetary nebulae. He also wrote papers in the fields of photography, spectroscopy

  14. Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman, Sioux Physician-Author, 1858-1939. With Teacher's Guide. Native Americans of the Twentieth Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minneapolis Public Schools, MN.

    A biography for elementary school students of a 19th century American Indian physician and author, Charles Alexander Eastman (Sioux), includes photographs of Dr. Eastman and his wife. A teacher's guide following the bibliography contains information on the Sioux Uprising of 1862 and the Wounded Knee Massacre, learning objectives and directions for…

  15. What is the alternative to the Alexander-Orbach relation?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, Igor M.

    2016-03-01

    The Alexander-Orbach (AO) relation d w = 2d f /d s connecting the fractal dimension of a random walk’s (RW) trajectory d w or the exponent of anomalous diffusion α = 2/d w on a fractal structure with the fractal and spectral dimension of the structure itself plays a key role in discussion of dynamical properties of complex systems including living cells and single biomolecules. This relation however does not hold universally and breaks down for some structures like diffusion limited aggregates and Eden trees. We show that the alternative to the AO relation is the explicit dependence of the coefficient of the anomalous diffusion on the system’s size, i.e. the absence of its thermodynamical limit. The prerequisite for its breakdown is the dependence of the local structure of possible steps of the RW on the system’s size. The discussion is illustrated by the examples of diffusion on a Koch curve (AO-conform) and on a Cantor dust (violating AO relation).

  16. Teaching Nuclear Radiation and the Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lapp, David R.

    2008-03-01

    The recent international story about the death of the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko has more than just a few wondering about radiation poisoning and the sinister sounding polonium-210. I was preparing to begin a nuclear radiation unit the Monday after Thanksgiving 2006. As it turned out, Litvinenko died Thanksgiving Day after a short and terrible three-week illness. Having the story continue to unfold throughout the next two weeks of the new unit provided a daily opportunity for students to see the relevance of what we were doing in class. My students were able to have meaningful and informed conversations with their peers and parents over an important international event. They even began to feel a bit like authorities themselves when listening to experts respond to media questions about polonium-210 and nuclear radiation in general. This paper discusses some of the ways that the story of Litvinenko was used while presenting the topic of nuclear radiation.

  17. Alexander fractional differential window filter for ECG denoising.

    PubMed

    Verma, Atul Kumar; Saini, Indu; Saini, Barjinder Singh

    2018-06-01

    The electrocardiogram (ECG) non-invasively monitors the electrical activities of the heart. During the process of recording and transmission, ECG signals are often corrupted by various types of noises. Minimizations of these noises facilitate accurate detection of various anomalies. In the present paper, Alexander fractional differential window (AFDW) filter is proposed for ECG signal denoising. The designed filter is based on the concept of generalized Alexander polynomial and the R-L differential equation of fractional calculus. This concept is utilized to formulate a window that acts as a forward filter. Thereafter, the backward filter is constructed by reversing the coefficients of the forward filter. The proposed AFDW filter is then obtained by averaging of the forward and backward filter coefficients. The performance of the designed AFDW filter is validated by adding the various type of noise to the original ECG signal obtained from MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The two non-diagnostic measure, i.e., SNR, MSE, and one diagnostic measure, i.e., wavelet energy based diagnostic distortion (WEDD) have been employed for the quantitative evaluation of the designed filter. Extensive experimentations on all the 48-records of MIT-BIH arrhythmia database resulted in average SNR of 22.014 ± 3.806365, 14.703 ± 3.790275, 13.3183 ± 3.748230; average MSE of 0.001458 ± 0.00028, 0.0078 ± 0.000319, 0.01061 ± 0.000472; and average WEDD value of 0.020169 ± 0.01306, 0.1207 ± 0.061272, 0.1432 ± 0.073588, for ECG signal contaminated by the power line, random, and the white Gaussian noise respectively. A new metric named as morphological power preservation measure (MPPM) is also proposed that account for the power preservance (as indicated by PSD plots) and the QRS morphology. The proposed AFDW filter retained much of the original (clean) signal power without any significant morphological distortion as validated by MPPM measure that were 0

  18. Mythorealistic Concept of "Beautiful Lady" in the Structure of the Author's Identity (Based on the Diaries of Alexander Blok)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minets, Diana

    2016-01-01

    The present paper deals with the diaries of Alexander Blok dated 1901-1921 reflecting the process of the writer's self-identification. During 20 years under the influence of various social and cultural situations Blok's "Self-Conception" is undergoing significant changes. The vector of these changes shows the complicated evolution of the…

  19. On the Social Psychology of Higher Education: A Bibliography of Alexander W. Astin. Public Administration Series Bibliography, P-688.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quay, Richard H.

    A bibliography of articles by Alexander W. Astin on the social psychology of higher education is presented. Entries are presented by year, starting with 1980 and dating back to 1956. Topics that are covered include: equal access to higher education, student persistence and attrition, higher education policy, selective admissions and open…

  20. Korotkoff Sounds - The Improbable also Occurs

    PubMed Central

    Estañol, Bruno; Delgado, Guillermo; Borgstein, Johannes

    2013-01-01

    Very few discoveries have had such a large impact on and relevance to clinical medicine as the noninvasive measurement of the diastolic blood pressure. A number of gifted physiologists and clinicians were ineffectively in search of a noninvasive method to determine the diastolic pressure. Nonetheless, the quantification of the diastolic BP was not achieved by any of these clinical or physiological researchers, but by an unlikely and unexpected figure: Nikolai Sergeevich Korotkoff (1874-1920), a young Russian army surgeon, working under precarious conditions in the hardship of diverse wars. It is easy to dismiss the achievement of Korotkoff as a serendipitous discovery, similar to that of Alexander Fleming in the discovery of penicillin. However, Nassim N. Taleb's recent black swan theory may serve to illustrate his discovery in a new and, perhaps, surprising way. PMID:24343557

  1. Serendipity and its Role in Dermatology

    PubMed Central

    Coondoo, Arijit; Sengupta, Sujata

    2015-01-01

    Serendipity is a pleasant surprise of finding a particularly useful information while not looking for it. Significant historic events occurring as a result of serendipity include the discovery of the law of buoyancy (Archimedes principle) by the Greek mathematician Archimedes, of the Americas by Christopher Columbus and of gravity by Sir Isaac Newton. The role of serendipity in science has been immensely beneficial to mankind. A host of important discoveries in medical science owe their origin to serendipity of which perhaps the most famous is the story of Sir Alexander Fleming and his discovery of Penicillin. In the field of dermatology, serendipity has been responsible for major developments in the therapy of psoriasis, hair disorders, aesthetic dermatology and dermatosurgery. Besides these many other therapeutic modalities in dermatology were born as a result of such happy accidents. PMID:25814699

  2. Serendipity and its role in dermatology.

    PubMed

    Coondoo, Arijit; Sengupta, Sujata

    2015-01-01

    Serendipity is a pleasant surprise of finding a particularly useful information while not looking for it. Significant historic events occurring as a result of serendipity include the discovery of the law of buoyancy (Archimedes principle) by the Greek mathematician Archimedes, of the Americas by Christopher Columbus and of gravity by Sir Isaac Newton. The role of serendipity in science has been immensely beneficial to mankind. A host of important discoveries in medical science owe their origin to serendipity of which perhaps the most famous is the story of Sir Alexander Fleming and his discovery of Penicillin. In the field of dermatology, serendipity has been responsible for major developments in the therapy of psoriasis, hair disorders, aesthetic dermatology and dermatosurgery. Besides these many other therapeutic modalities in dermatology were born as a result of such happy accidents.

  3. Digimarc Discover on Google Glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogers, Eliot; Rodriguez, Tony; Lord, John; Alattar, Adnan

    2015-03-01

    This paper reports on the implementation of the Digimarc® Discover platform on Google Glass, enabling the reading of a watermark embedded in a printed material or audio. The embedded watermark typically contains a unique code that identifies the containing media or object and a synchronization signal that allows the watermark to be read robustly. The Digimarc Discover smartphone application can read the watermark from a small portion of printed image presented at any orientation or reasonable distance. Likewise, Discover can read the recently introduced Digimarc Barcode to identify and manage consumer packaged goods in the retail channel. The Digimarc Barcode has several advantages over the traditional barcode and is expected to save the retail industry millions of dollars when deployed at scale. Discover can also read an audio watermark from ambient audio captured using a microphone. The Digimarc Discover platform has been widely deployed on the iPad, iPhone and many Android-based devices, but it has not yet been implemented on a head-worn wearable device, such as Google Glass. Implementing Discover on Google Glass is a challenging task due to the current hardware and software limitations of the device. This paper identifies the challenges encountered in porting Discover to the Google Glass and reports on the solutions created to deliver a prototype implementation.

  4. Silurian trace fossils in carbonate turbidites from the Alexander Arc of southeastern Alaska

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

    Soja, C.M.

    Early to Late Silurian (Wenlock-Ludlow) body and trace fossils from the Heceta Formation are preserved in the oldest widespread carbonates in the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska. They represent the earliest shelly benthos to inhabit a diversity of marine environments and are important indicators of the early stages in benthic community development within this ancient island arc. The trace fossils are significant because they add to a small but growing body of knowledge about ichnofaunas in deep-water Paleozoic carbonates. Proximal to medial carbonate turbidites yield a low-diversity suite of trace fossils that comprises five distinct types of biogenic structures. Beddingmore » planes reveal simple epichnial burrows (Planolites), cross-cutting burrows (Fucusopsis), and tiny cylindrical burrows. These and other casts, including chondrites( )-like burrow clusters, represent the feeding activities (fodinichnia) of preturbidite animals. Hypichnial burrows and rare endichnial traces reflect the activities of postturbidite animals. Broken and offset traces indicate that infaunal biota commenced burrowing before slumping and subsequent soft-sediment deformation. The abundance and density of trace fossils increases offshore in the medial turbidites associated with a decrease in the size and amount of coarse particles and with an increase in mud and preserved organic material. Although diversity levels are similar in the proximal and medial turbidite facies, they are much lower than in Paleozoic siliciclastic turbidites. This may reflect unfavorable environmental conditions for infaunal biota or paleobiogeographic isolation of the Alexander terrane during the Silurian. A greater use of trace fossils in terrane analysis will help to resolve this issue and should provide new data for reconstructing the paleogeography of circum-Pacific terranes.« less

  5. Bokan Mountain peralkaline granitic complex, Alexander terrane (southeastern Alaska): evidence for Early Jurassic rifting prior to accretion with North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dostal, Jaroslav; Karl, Susan M.; Keppie, J. Duncan; Kontak, Daniel J.; Shellnutt, J. Gregory

    2013-01-01

    The circular Bokan Mountain complex (BMC) on southern Prince of Wales Island, southernmost Alaska, is a Jurassic peralkaline granitic intrusion about 3 km in diameter that crosscuts igneous and metasedimentary rocks of the Alexander terrane. The BMC hosts significant rare metal (rare earth elements, Y, U, Th, Zr, and Nb) mineralization related to the last stage of BMC emplacement. U–Pb (zircon) and 40Ar/39Ar (amphibole and whole-rock) geochronology indicates the following sequence of intrusive activity: (i) a Paleozoic basement composed mainly of 469 ± 4 Ma granitic rocks; (ii) intrusion of the BMC at 177 ± 1 Ma followed by rapid cooling through ca. 550 °C at 176 ± 1 Ma that was synchronous with mineralization associated with vertical, WNW-trending pegmatites, felsic dikes, and aegirine–fluorite veins and late-stage, sinistral shear deformation; and (iii) intrusion of crosscutting lamprophyre dikes at >150 Ma and again at ca. 105 Ma. The peralkaline nature of the BMC and the WNW trend of associated dikes suggest intrusion during NE–SW rifting that was followed by NE–SW shortening during the waning stages of BMC emplacement. The 177 Ma BMC was synchronous with other magmatic centres in the Alexander terrane, such as (1) the Dora Bay peralkaline stock and (2) the bimodal Moffatt volcanic suite located ∼30 km north and ∼100 km SE of the BMC, respectively. This regional magmatism is interpreted to represent a regional extensional event that precedes deposition of the Late Jurassic – Cretaceous Gravina sequence that oversteps the Wrangellia and Alexander exotic accreted terranes and the Taku and Yukon–Tanana pericratonic terranes of the Canadian–Alaskan Cordillera.

  6. Bokan Mountain peralkaline granitic complex, Alexander terrane (southeastern Alaska): evidence for Early Jurassic rifting prior to accretion with North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dostal, Jaroslav; Karl, Susan M.; Keppie, J. Duncan; Kontak, Daniel J.; Shellnutt, J. Gregory

    2013-01-01

    The circular Bokan Mountain complex (BMC) on southern Prince of Wales Island, southernmost Alaska, is a Jurassic peralkaline granitic intrusion about 3 km in diameter that crosscuts igneous and metasedimentary rocks of the Alexander terrane. The BMC hosts significant rare metal (rare earth elements, Y, U, Th, Zr, and Nb) mineralization related to the last stage of BMC emplacement. U–Pb (zircon) and 40Ar/39Ar (amphibole and whole-rock) geochronology indicates the following sequence of intrusive activity: (i) a Paleozoic basement composed mainly of 469 ± 4 Ma granitic rocks; (ii) intrusion of the BMC at 177 ± 1 Ma followed by rapid cooling through ca. 550 °C at 176 ± 1 Ma that was synchronous with mineralization associated with vertical, WNW-trending pegmatites, felsic dikes, and aegirine–fluorite veins and late-stage, sinistral shear deformation; and (iii) intrusion of crosscutting lamprophyre dikes at >150 Ma and again at ca. 105 Ma. The peralkaline nature of the BMC and the WNW trend of associated dikes suggest intrusion during NE–SW rifting that was followed by NE–SW shortening during the waning stages of BMC emplacement. The 177 Ma BMC was synchronous with other magmatic centres in the Alexander terrane, such as (1) the Dora Bay peralkaline stock and (2) the bimodal Moffatt volcanic suite located ~30 km north and ~100 km SE of the BMC, respectively. This regional magmatism is interpreted to represent a regional extensional event that precedes deposition of the Late Jurassic – Cretaceous Gravina sequence that oversteps the Wrangellia and Alexander exotic accreted terranes and the Taku and Yukon–Tanana pericratonic terranes of the Canadian–Alaskan Cordillera.

  7. Possible refugia in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska during the late Wisconsin glaciation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carrara, P.E.; Ager, T.A.; Baichtal, J.F.

    2007-01-01

    The interpretation of the extent of late Wisconsin glaciation in southeastern Alaska has varied between geologists and biologists. Maps and reports of the region prepared by geologists commonly indicated that late Wisconsin ice extended as a large uniform front west to the edge of the continental shelf. However, the distribution of plants and animals in the region has led many biologists to suggest that there may have been ice-free areas that served as refugia during the late Wisconsin. Based on analyses of aerial photographs, topographic maps, and bathymetric charts, in conjunction with a review of previous literature and reconnaissance fieldwork throughout the region, this study presents data supporting a limited ice extent in the Alexander Archipelago during the late Wisconsin and identifies possible ice-free areas that may have served as refugia. These areas include (1) the Fairweather Ground, (2) the Herbert Graves Island area, (3) the western coast of southern Baranof Island and adjacent continental shelf, (4) Coronation Island and the adjacent continental shelf, (5) the Warren Island area, (6) the continental shelf from west of Heceta Island to Forrester Island in the south, (7) parts of the west coast of southern Dall Island, and (8) lowland areas in southern Prince of Wales Island. The identification of these possible refugia has bearing on the recolonization of the Alexander Archipelago, as they could have served as centers of biotic dispersal upon regional deglaciation and as stepping stones for early humans with a maritime tradition entering the western hemisphere from Asia. ?? 2007 NRC Canada.

  8. Growing Community: The Impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the Social and Learning Environment in Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Block, Karen; Gibbs, Lisa; Staiger, Petra K.; Gold, Lisa; Johnson, Britt; Macfarlane, Susie; Long, Caroline; Townsend, Mardie

    2012-01-01

    This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has…

  9. Alexander Hegedus Lightning Talk: Integrating Measurements to Optimize Space Weather Strategies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hegedus, A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Alexander Hegedus is a PhD Candidate at the University of Michigan, and won an Outstanding Student Paper Award at the AGU 2016 Fall Meeting for his poster "Simulating 3D Spacecraft Constellations for Low Frequency Radio Imaging." In this short talk, Alex outlines his current research of analyzing data from both real and simulated instruments to answer Heliophysical questions. He then sketches out future plans to simulate science pipelines in a real-time data assimilation model that uses a Bayesian framework to integrate information from different instruments to determine the efficacy of future Space Weather Alert systems. MHD simulations made with Michigan's own Space Weather Model Framework will provide input to simulated instruments, acting as an Observing System Simulation Experiment to verify that a certain set of measurements can accurately predict different classes of Space Weather events.

  10. The metallogeny of Late Triassic rifting of the Alexander terrane in southeastern Alaska and northwestern British Columbia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Taylor, C.D.; Premo, W.R.; Meier, A.L.; Taggart, J.E.

    2008-01-01

    A belt of unusual volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) occurrences is located along the eastern margin of the Alexander terrane throughout southeastern Alaska and northwestern British Columbia and exhibits a range of characteristics consistent with a variety of syngenetic to epigenetic deposit types. Deposits within this belt include Greens Creek and Windy Craggy, the economically most significant VMS deposit in Alaska and the largest in North America, respectively. The occurrences are hosted by a discontinuously exposed, 800-km-long belt of rocks that consist of a 200- to 800-m-thick sequence of conglomerate, limestone, marine elastic sedimentary rocks, and tuff intercalated with and overlain by a distinctive unit of mafic pyroclastic rocks and pillowed flows. Faunal data bracket the age of the host rocks between Anisian (Middle Triassic) and late Norian (late Late Triassic). This metallogenic belt is herein referred to as the Alexander Triassic metallogenic belt. The VMS occurrences show systematic differences in degree of structural control, chemistry, and stratigraphic setting along the Alexander Triassic metallogenic belt that suggest important spatial or temporal changes in the tectonic environment of formation. At the southern end of the belt, felsic volcanic rocks overlain by shallow-water limestones characterize the lower part of the sequence. In the southern and middle portion of the belt, a distinctive pebble conglomerate marks the base of the section and is indicative of high-energy deposition in a near slope or basin margin setting. At the northern end of the belt the conglomerates, limestones, and felsic volcanic rocks are absent and the belt is composed of deep-water sedimentary and mafic volcanic rocks. This northward change in depositional environment and lithofacies is accompanied by a northward transition from epithermal-like structurally controlled, discontinuous, vein- and pod-shaped, Pb-Zn-Ag-Ba-(Cu) occurrences with relatively simple mineralogy

  11. Genome Sequence of the Fleming Strain of Micrococcus luteus, a Simple Free-Living Actinobacterium▿ †‡

    PubMed Central

    Young, Michael; Artsatbanov, Vladislav; Beller, Harry R.; Chandra, Govind; Chater, Keith F.; Dover, Lynn G.; Goh, Ee-Been; Kahan, Tamar; Kaprelyants, Arseny S.; Kyrpides, Nikos; Lapidus, Alla; Lowry, Stephen R.; Lykidis, Athanasios; Mahillon, Jacques; Markowitz, Victor; Mavromatis, Konstantinos; Mukamolova, Galina V.; Oren, Aharon; Rokem, J. Stefan; Smith, Margaret C. M.; Young, Danielle I.; Greenblatt, Charles L.

    2010-01-01

    Micrococcus luteus (NCTC2665, “Fleming strain”) has one of the smallest genomes of free-living actinobacteria sequenced to date, comprising a single circular chromosome of 2,501,097 bp (G+C content, 73%) predicted to encode 2,403 proteins. The genome shows extensive synteny with that of the closely related organism, Kocuria rhizophila, from which it was taxonomically separated relatively recently. Despite its small size, the genome harbors 73 insertion sequence (IS) elements, almost all of which are closely related to elements found in other actinobacteria. An IS element is inserted into the rrs gene of one of only two rrn operons found in M. luteus. The genome encodes only four sigma factors and 14 response regulators, a finding indicative of adaptation to a rather strict ecological niche (mammalian skin). The high sensitivity of M. luteus to β-lactam antibiotics may result from the presence of a reduced set of penicillin-binding proteins and the absence of a wblC gene, which plays an important role in the antibiotic resistance in other actinobacteria. Consistent with the restricted range of compounds it can use as a sole source of carbon for energy and growth, M. luteus has a minimal complement of genes concerned with carbohydrate transport and metabolism and its inability to utilize glucose as a sole carbon source may be due to the apparent absence of a gene encoding glucokinase. Uniquely among characterized bacteria, M. luteus appears to be able to metabolize glycogen only via trehalose and to make trehalose only via glycogen. It has very few genes associated with secondary metabolism. In contrast to most other actinobacteria, M. luteus encodes only one resuscitation-promoting factor (Rpf) required for emergence from dormancy, and its complement of other dormancy-related proteins is also much reduced. M. luteus is capable of long-chain alkene biosynthesis, which is of interest for advanced biofuel production; a three-gene cluster essential for this

  12. Discover Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    Discover Earth is a NASA-funded project for teachers of grades 5-12 who want to expand their knowledge of the Earth system, and prepare to become master teachers who promote Earth system science in their own schools, counties, and throughout their state. Participants from the following states are invited to apply: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, DC. Teachers selected for the project participate in a two-week summer workshop conducted at the University of Maryland, College Park; develop classroom-ready materials during the workshop for broad dissemination; conduct a minimum of two peer training activities during the coming school year; and participate in other enrichment/education opportunities as available and desired. Discover Earth is a team effort that utilizes expertise from a range of contributors, and balances science content with hands-on classroom applications.

  13. Bryan Coast, English Coast, Alexander Island, Fallieres Coast, and Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    This image of Antarctica shows the Bryan Coast (lower left), the English Coast (lower central), Alexander Island (middle right), the Fallieres Coast (top right), and the Bellingshausen Sea. The entire continent has been dedicated to peaceful scientific investigation since 1961, with the signing of the Antarctic Treaty.The waters surrounding Antarctica are intensely cold. Salt water freezes at -2C, allowing sea ice to form. The middle left portion of the image shows quite a lot of sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea. During the Antarctic winter, when data for this image was acquired, Antarctica doubles in size to about 28.5 million square km (or about 11 million square miles), and temperatures in the -60C range are common.This true-color image was compiled from MODIS data gathered March 29, 2002. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

  14. The chemical work of Alexander and Jane Marcet.

    PubMed

    Rosenfeld, L

    2001-04-01

    Alexander Marcet was an authority on urinary calculi and their analysis when few medical practitioners appreciated the usefulness of chemistry in the explanation and treatment of disease. In An Essay on The Chemical History and Medical Treatment of Calculous Disorders, he described the discovery of an xanthine stone. He drew line illustrations of simple chemical apparatus useful for bedside analysis. His microtechnique used drops of solution and pinhead pieces of calculi; reagents were acids and alkalies and the blowpipe in conjunction with a small alcohol lamp. He reported the earliest description of a disorder later named "alcaptonuria". Marcet's work and that of a few others, on the chemical composition of urine and calculi, laid the foundations of our present knowledge. Between 1807 and 1820, his lectures to the medical students at Guy's Hospital were illustrated by experiments. Jane Haldimand Marcet wrote the very popular CONVERSATIONS: on Chemistry (16 editions in Great Britain). Her book dominated elementary chemical instruction during the first half of the 19th century. She followed Lavoisier's scheme of classification and explained chemical reactions in terms of affinity, aggregation, gravitation, and repulsion. Her advocacy that experimentation accompany lecture was new. The availability of serious scientific education in the new women's academies set the stage for increasing women's involvement in science. She also published a series of CONVERSATIONS: The topics were Political Economy, Natural Philosophy, and Vegetable Physiology.

  15. Impact of the Alexander technique on well-being: a randomised controlled trial involving older adults with visual impairment.

    PubMed

    Gleeson, Michael; Sherrington, Catherine; Lo, Serigne; Auld, Robin; Keay, Lisa

    2017-11-01

    Older adults with visual loss have high rates of depression, restricted participation and reduced quality of life. We sought to measure the impact of lessons in the Alexander technique on vision-related emotional and social well-being, as secondary outcomes to a study on improving physical functioning in this population. This is a single-blind randomised controlled trial. One hundred and twenty community-dwelling adults aged 50 to 90 years with visual impairments were randomised to either 12 Alexander lessons over 12 weeks and usual care or usual care. The Perceived Visual Ability Scale, the Keele Assessment of Participation, the emotional subscale of the Impact of Vision Impairment Profile, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale and the five-item Geriatric Depression Scale were administered at baseline and three and 12 months. Participants were receiving services from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. None of the validated questionnaires found statistically significant improvements after adjustment for baseline at three or 12 months, although the emotional subscale of the Impact of Vision Impairment approached significance in favour of the intervention group (4.54 points, 95 per cent CI: -0.14 to 9.21, p = 0.06). Depressive symptoms were prevalent and associated with greater impact of visual impairment on emotional well-being (odds ratio: 1.12, 95 per cent CI: 1.07 to 1.17, p < 0.0001). Faster gait, an indicator of general mobility, was associated with less depressive symptoms (odds ratio: 1.27, 95 per cent CI: 1.06 to 1.54, p = 0.01). On average, there was no significant impact of weekly lessons in the Alexander technique on social and emotional well-being, although the emotional impact of visual impairment showed a trend toward less distress in the intervention group. Our data found that emotional distress associated with visual impairment influences depressive symptoms but contrary to expectations, the level of social support received was not significant

  16. Improving Learning Outcomes, Persistence, and Graduation Rates of Academically Underprepared Students: a Case Study of Alexander Community College and Its Developmental Education Effort

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marchione, Susan M.

    2012-01-01

    This case study describes how Alexander Community College (ACC), a two-year State University of New York (SUNY) institution is addressing challenges associated with its developmental education effort--primarily high costs for repeated developmental (assumed by the institution and students) and low persistence and graduation rates for developmental…

  17. Exploring the psychological processes underlying touch: lessons from the Alexander Technique.

    PubMed

    Jones, T; Glover, L

    2014-01-01

    The experience of touch is significant; both in its positive implications and in how it attracts caution and controversy. Accordingly, physical contact within psychological therapy has been shown to improve well-being and the therapeutic relationship, yet the majority of therapists never or rarely use touch. This research aimed to explore psychological processes underlying touch through the Alexander Technique, a psycho-physical technique taught one to one using touch. Six individuals who had received the Alexander Technique were interviewed, and 111 completed surveys. Interview data suggested an incompatibility between touch and the spoken word, which was understood through the way touch lacks verbal discourses in our society. The largely simplistic and dichotomous verbal understanding we have (either only very positive or very negative) could help understand some of the societal-level caution surrounding touch. Touch was seen also as a nurturing experience by interviewees, which influenced inter-personal and intra-personal relational processes. Developmental models were used to frame the way touch strengthened the pupil-teacher relationship and the way pupils' intra-personal psychological change seemed linked to this relational experience. The surveys largely supported these findings, and discussion is made around the notable way pupils negatively interpreted the intention of the survey. Implications for the use of touch in psychological therapies are discussed, as are limitations and ideas for future research. Touch is a powerful experience, and physical contact within psychological therapy has been shown to improve well-being and the therapeutic relationship, yet the majority of therapists never or rarely use touch. The AT is an alternative therapeutic approach to psycho-physical well-being that offers an interesting model to study the impact of touch. Findings from those that have used the technique reaffirmed that touch can improve well-being and can be a

  18. Nine new species of Uramya Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica, with a key to their identification

    PubMed Central

    Wood, D. Monty; Smith, M. Alex; Hallwachs, Winnie; Janzen, Daniel; Dapkey, Tanya

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background We describe nine new species in the genus Uramya Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. All species were reared from an ongoing inventory of wild-caught caterpillars spanning a variety of families (Lepidoptera: Erebidae; Limacodidae; Megalopygidae; Lasiocampidae and Dalceridae). Our study provides a concise description of each new species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. In addition to the new species the authors provide a redescription the previously described Uramya sibinivora Guimarães, which was also collected within ACG during this study. We also provide a redescription of the genus, and a revised key to species of Uramya occurring in Central and South America. New information The following nine new species of Uramya, all authored by Fleming & Wood, are described: Uramya albosetulosa Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya constricta Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya contraria Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya infracta Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya lativittata Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya lunula Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya nitida Fleming & Wood sp. nov., Uramya pannosa Fleming & Wood sp. nov., and Uramya penicillata Fleming & Wood sp. nov. The following are proposed by Wood as new synonyms of Uramya: Olinda Townsend, syn. nov. and Procleonice Townsend, syn. nov. The following new combination is proposed as a result of the new synonymies: Uramya brasiliensis Macquart, comb. nov. Procleonice prolixa Townsend is synonymized under Uramya brevicauda Curran, syn. nov. PMID:28325972

  19. The coming of age of antibiotics: discovery and therapeutic value.

    PubMed

    Bush, Karen

    2010-12-01

    Origins of antibiotic drug discovery are frequently traced to 1929 when Alexander Fleming recognized the antibacterial activity of a substance secreted by Penicillium notatum on a contaminated culture plate. However, the subsequent development of penicillin as a therapeutic agent was not realized until the early 1940s, after a consortium of academic and pharmaceutical scientists from England and the United States developed sufficiently advanced fermentation technology to produce high-purity penicillin in large enough quantities for medical supplies. It was at this time that the antibiotic era was truly successfully launched. During the following decade, unprecedented antibiotic research and development emerged in academic laboratories and the pharmaceutical industry, resulting in identification of most of the antibiotic classes currently used therapeutically. This short historical commentary describes some of these early events, beginning with a conference held at the New York Academy of Sciences in 1946, the first conference to focus entirely on the latest science related to the identification and characterization of antibacterial substances produced by microorganisms.

  20. DISCOVER-AQ Aircraft insitu TraceGas Data (ICT)

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2018-03-28

    DISCOVER-AQ Aircraft insitu TraceGas Data (ICT) Project Title:  N/A Platform:  NASA ... Relevant Documents:  DISCOVER-AQ - Airborne Science Data for Atmospheric Composition DISCOVER-AQ - NASA Earth ...

  1. Prevention and Early Intervention: Individual Differences as Risk Factors for the Mental Health of Children. A Festschrift for Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carey, William B., Ed.; McDevitt, Sean C., Ed.

    This collection of essays, in honor of child psychiatry pioneers Stella Chess and Alexander Thomas, focuses on their idea that important life outcomes are the product of ongoing interactions between a child's behavioral style and the complimentarity or lack of fit of the parenting environment. Following an introduction, the remaining chapters are:…

  2. Finding revelation in anthropology: Alexander Winchell, William Robertson Smith and the heretical imperative.

    PubMed

    Livingstone, David N

    2015-09-01

    Anthropological inquiry has often been considered an agent of intellectual secularization. Not least is this so in the sphere of religion, where anthropological accounts have often been taken to represent the triumph of naturalism. This metanarrative, however, fails to recognize that naturalistic explanations could sometimes be espoused for religious purposes and in defence of confessional creeds. This essay examines two late nineteenth-century figures--Alexander Winchell in the United States and William Robertson Smith in Britain--who found in anthropological analysis resources to bolster rather than undermine faith. In both cases these individuals found themselves on the receiving end of ecclesiastical censure and were dismissed from their positions at church-governed institutions. But their motivation was to vindicate divine revelation, in Winchell's case from the physical anthropology of human origins and in Smith's from the cultural anthropology of Semitic ritual.

  3. Non-Euclidean Space, Movement and Astronomy in Modern Art: Alexander Calder's Mobiles and Ben Nicholson's Reliefs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malloy, Vanja

    2013-09-01

    John Keats once wrote that `there is no such thing as time and space' rather, believing that time and space are mental constructs that are subject to a variety of forms and as diverse as the human mind. In the 1920s through the 1930s, modern physics in many ways supported this idea through the various philosophical writings on the Theory of General Relativity to the masses by scientists such as Arthur Eddington and Albert Einstein. These new concepts of modern physics fundamentally changed our understanding of time and space and had substantial philosophical implications, which were absorbed by modern artists resulting in the 1936 Dimensionist Manifesto. Seeking to internalize the developments of modern science within modern art, this manifesto was widely endorsed by the most prominent figures of the avant-garde such as Marcel Duchamp, Jean Arp, Naum Gabo, Joan Miró, László Moholy-Nagy, Wassily Kandinsky and Alexander Calder. Of particular interest to this manifesto was the new concept of the fourth-dimension, which in many ways revolutionized the arts. Importantly, its interpretation varied widely in the artistic community, ranging from a purely physical four-dimensional space, to a kinetic concept of space in which space and time are linked, to a metaphysical interest in a space that exists beyond the material realm. The impact of modern science and astronomy on avant-garde art is currently a bourgeoning area of research with considerable implications to our rethinking of substantial artistic figures of this era. Through a case study of Alexander Calder's Mobiles and Ben Nicholson's Reliefs, this paper explores how these artworks were informed by an interest in modern science.

  4. Did the ancient egyptians discover Algol?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jetsu, L.; Porceddu, S.; Porceddu, S.; Lyytinen, J.; Kajatkari, P.; Markkanen, T.; Toivari-Viitala, J.

    2013-02-01

    Fabritius discovered the first variable star, Mira, in 1596. Holwarda determined the 11 months period of Mira in 1638. Montanari discovered the next variable star, Algol, in 1669. Its period, 2.867 days, was determined by Goodricke (178). Algol was associated with demon-like creatures, "Gorgon" in ancient Greek and "ghoul" in ancient Arab mythology. This indicates that its variability was discovered much before 1669 (Wilk 1996), but this mythological evidence is ambiguous (Davis 1975). For thousands of years, the Ancient Egyptian Scribes (AES) observed stars for timekeeping in a region, where there are nearly 300 clear nights a year. We discovered a significant periodicity of 2.850 days in their calendar for lucky and unlucky days dated to 1224 BC, "the Cairo Calendar". Several astrophysical and astronomical tests supported our conclusion that this was the period of Algol three millennia ago. The "ghoulish habits" of Algol could explain this 0.017 days period increase (Battersby 2012).

  5. Zanvil Alexander Cohn 1926-1993

    PubMed Central

    1994-01-01

    Zanvil Alexander Cohn, an editor of this Journal since 1973, died suddenly on June 28, 1993. Cohn is best known as the father of the current era of macrophage biology. Many of his scientific accomplishments are recounted here, beginning with seminal studies on the granules of phagocytes that were performed with his close colleague and former editor of this Journal, James Hirsch. Cohn and Hirsch identified the granules as lysosomes that discharged their contents of digestive enzymes into vacuoles containing phagocytosed microbes. These findings were part of the formative era of cell biology and initiated the modern study of endocytosis and cell-mediated resistance to infection. Cohn further explored the endocytic apparatus in pioneering studies of the mouse peritoneal macrophage in culture. He described vesicular inputs from the cell surface and Golgi apparatus and documented the thoroughness of substrate digestion within lysosomal vacuoles that would only permit the egress of monosaccharides and amino acids. These discoveries created a vigorous environment for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior and visiting faculty. Some of the major findings that emerged from Cohn's collaborations included the radioiodination of the plasma membrane for studies of composition and turnover; membrane recycling during endocytosis; the origin of the mononuclear phagocyte system in situ; the discovery of the dendritic cell system of antigen-presenting cells; the macrophage as a secretory cell, including the release of proteases and large amounts of prostaglandins and leukotrienes; several defined parameters of macrophage activation, especially the ability of T cell-derived lymphokines to enhance killing of tumor cells and intracellular protozoa; the granule discharge mechanism whereby cytotoxic lymphocytes release the pore-forming protein perforin; the signaling of macrophages via myristoylated substrates of protein kinase C; and a tissue culture model in which

  6. Discovering the Solar System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Barrie W.

    1999-04-01

    Discovering the Solar System Barrie W. Jones The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK Discovering the Solar System is a comprehensive, up-to-date account of the Solar System and of the ways in which the various bodies have been investigated and modelled. The approach is thematic, with sequences of chapters on the interiors of planetary bodies, on their surfaces, and on their atmospheres. Within each sequence there is a chapter on general principles and processes followed by one or two chapters on specific bodies. There is also an introductory chapter, a chapter on the origin of the Solar System, and a chapter on asteroids, comets and meteorites. Liberally illustrated with diagrams, black and white photographs and colour plates, Discovering the Solar System also features: * tables of essential data * question and answers within the text * end of section review questions with answers and comments Discovering the Solar System is essential reading for all undergraduate students for whom astronomy or planetary science are components of their degrees, and for those at a more advanced level approaching the subject for the first time. It will also be of great interest to non-specialists with a keen interest in astronomy. A small amount of scientific knowledge is assumed plus familiarity with basic algebra and graphs. There is no calculus. Praise for this book includes: ".certainly qualifies as an authoritative text. The author clearly has an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject." Meteorics and Planetary Science ".liberally doused with relevant graphs, tables, and black and white figures of good quality." EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union ".one of the best books on the Solar System I have seen. The general accuracy and quality of the content is excellent." Journal of the British Astronomical Association

  7. Ice-dammed lateral lake and epishelf lake insights into Holocene dynamics of Marguerite Trough Ice Stream and George VI Ice Shelf, Alexander Island, Antarctic Peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, Bethan J.; Hambrey, Michael J.; Glasser, Neil F.; Holt, Tom; Rodés, Angél; Smellie, John L.; Carrivick, Jonathan L.; Blockley, Simon P. E.

    2017-12-01

    We present new data regarding the past dynamics of Marguerite Trough Ice Stream, George VI Ice Shelf and valley glaciers from Ablation Point Massif on Alexander Island, Antarctic Peninsula. This ice-free oasis preserves a geological record of ice stream lateral moraines, ice-dammed lakes, ice-shelf moraines and valley glacier moraines, which we dated using cosmogenic nuclide ages. We provide one of the first detailed sediment-landform assemblage descriptions of epishelf lake shorelines. Marguerite Trough Ice Stream imprinted lateral moraines against eastern Alexander Island at 120 m at Ablation Point Massif. During deglaciation, lateral lakes formed in the Ablation and Moutonnée valleys, dammed against the ice stream in George VI Sound. Exposure ages from boulders on these shorelines yielded ages of 13.9 to 9.7 ka. Following recession of the ice stream, George VI Ice Shelf formed in George VI Sound. An epishelf lake formed at 15-20 m asl in Ablation and Moutonnée valleys, dated from 9.4 to 4.6 ka, suggesting that the lake was stable and persistent for some 5000 years. Lake-level lowering occurred after this, with the lake level at 12 m at 3.1 ± 0.4 ka and at 5 m asl today. A readvance of the valley glaciers on Alexander Island at 4.4 ± 0.7 ka is recorded by valley glacier moraines overlying epishelf lake sediments. We speculate that the glacier readvance, which occurred during a period of warmth, may have been caused by a dynamic response of the glaciers to a lowering in surface elevation of George VI Ice Shelf.

  8. Discovering Mendeleev's Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sterling, Donna

    1996-01-01

    Presents an activity that introduces the historical developments in science that led to the discovery of the periodic table and lets students experience scientific discovery firsthand. Enables students to learn about patterns among the elements and experience how scientists analyze data to discover patterns and build models. (JRH)

  9. The Question of Sign-Language and the Utility of Signs in the Instruction of the Deaf: Two Papers by Alexander Graham Bell (1898)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marschark, M.

    2005-01-01

    Alexander Graham Bell is often portrayed as either hero or villain of deaf individuals and the Deaf community. His writings, however, indicate that he was neither, and was not as clearly definite in his beliefs about language as is often supposed. The following two articles, reprinted from The Educator (1898), Vol. V, pp. 3?4 and pp. 38?44,…

  10. Neuromusicology or Musiconeurology? “Omni-art” in Alexander Scriabin as a Fount of Ideas

    PubMed Central

    Triarhou, Lazaros C.

    2016-01-01

    Science can uncover neural mechanisms by looking at the work of artists. The ingenuity of a titan of classical music, the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin (1872–1915), in combining all the sensory modalities into a polyphony of aesthetical experience, and his creation of a chord based on fourths rather than the conventional thirds are proposed as putative points of departure for insight, in future studies, into the neural processes that underlie the perception of beauty, individually or universally. Scriabin’s “Omni-art” was a new synthesis of music, philosophy and religion, and a new aesthetic language, a unification of music, vision, olfaction, drama, poetry, dance, image, and conceptualization, all governed by logic, in the quest for the integrative action of the human mind toward a “higher reality” of which music is only a component. PMID:27014167

  11. Discuss: If Essays Are Dead, Then Where Does That Leave Everything Else? A Response to: Shirley Alexander's "Buying Essays: How to Make Sure Assessment Is Authentic"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McQueen, Kelvin

    2015-01-01

    Professor Shirley Alexander is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Teaching, Learning & Equity) at the University of Technology, Sydney. On 12 November 2014, an article of hers appeared in "The Conversation": "Buying essays: how to make sure assessment is authentic." That article traverses, in an abbreviated way,…

  12. 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit Keynote Presentation (Frederick W. Smith, FedEx Corporation), with Introduction by Senator Lamar Alexander (TN)

    ScienceCinema

    Smith, Frederick W.

    2018-02-01

    The third annual ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit was held in Washington D.C. in February, 2012. The event brought together key players from across the energy ecosystem - researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, corporate executives, and government officials - to share ideas for developing and deploying the next generation of energy technologies. Following introduction by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, gave the third keynote presentation of the day.

  13. Dive and discover: Expeditions to the seafloor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawrence, Lisa Ayers

    The Dive and Discover Web site is a virtual treasure chest of deep sea science and classroom resources. The goals of Dive and Discover are to engage students, teachers, and the general public in the excitement of ocean disco very through an interactive educational Web site. You can follow scientists on oceanographic research cruises by reading their daily cruise logs, viewing photos and video clips of the discoveries, and even e-mailing questions to the scientists and crew. WHOI has also included an “Educator's Companion” section with teaching strategies, activities, and assessments, making Dive and Discover an excellent resource for the classroom.

  14. Dive and discover: Expeditions to the seafloor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayers Lawrence, Lisa

    The Dive and Discover Web site is a virtual treasure chest of deep sea science and classroom resources. The goals of Dive and Discover are to engage students, teachers, and the general public in the excitement of ocean disco very through an interactive educational Web site. You can follow scientists on oceanographic research cruises by reading their daily cruise logs, viewing photos and video clips of the discoveries, and even e-mailing questions to the scientists and crew. WHOI has also included an "Educator's Companion" section with teaching strategies, activities, and assessments, making Dive and Discover an excellent resource for the classroom.

  15. Discovering Diabetes Complications: an Ontology Based Model.

    PubMed

    Daghistani, Tahani; Shammari, Riyad Al; Razzak, Muhammad Imran

    2015-12-01

    Diabetes is a serious disease that spread in the world dramatically. The diabetes patient has an average of risk to experience complications. Take advantage of recorded information to build ontology as information technology solution will help to predict patients who have average of risk level with certain complication. It is helpful to search and present patient's history regarding different risk factors. Discovering diabetes complications could be useful to prevent or delay the complications. We designed ontology based model, using adult diabetes patients' data, to discover the rules of diabetes with its complications in disease to disease relationship. Various rules between different risk factors of diabetes Patients and certain complications generated. Furthermore, new complications (diseases) might be discovered as new finding of this study, discovering diabetes complications could be useful to prevent or delay the complications. The system can identify the patients who are suffering from certain risk factors such as high body mass index (obesity) and starting controlling and maintaining plan.

  16. Annotated translation of "Die Wasserversorgung einiger Nordseebäder [The water supply of some North Sea spas]" by Alexander Herzberg (1901)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Houben, Georg

    2018-05-01

    The publication "The water supply of some North Sea spas" by Alexander Herzberg in 1901 is a cornerstone of coastal groundwater research. It was fundamental to the development of the Ghijben-Herzberg principle, which describes the hydrostatic equilibrium between fresh and saline groundwater. Due to its age and the language barrier, the paper is often cited but probably rarely read. Therefore, the original paper has been translated from German into English, accompanied by an introduction and notes explaining the historical context.

  17. IN MEMORIAM: In Memoriam: Alexander A Golovin and Alexei M Oparin In Memoriam: Alexander A Golovin and Alexei M Oparin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2008-10-01

    In Memoriam of Alexander A Golovin (1962-2008) Alexander (Sasha) Golovin passed away on 10 September 2008. Sasha's scientific heritage includes seminal works in different fields of physics, from Marangoni convection to self-assembly of quantum dots, and from combustion fronts to anomalous diffusion in flows and on a crystal surface. A graduate of the Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology, he had very broad scientific interests and a unique ability to identify and solve new, intellectually challenging and technologically important problems. One of the basic fields of Sasha's research was the fluid dynamics in systems with interfaces. His favorite subject was the motion of droplets, bubbles and particles in the presence of heat and mass transfer. Sasha's early works contained the discovery of the spontaneous motion of droplets due to the Marangoni effect and the investigation of the interaction between solid particles, bubbles and droplets caused by the Marangoni effect, which is a crucial factor that determines the effect of heat/mass transfer on the rate of coalescence. In both cases, Sasha's work was the first in a long sequence of papers written by different authors. Later, Sasha returned to that field when studying such fascinating subjects as levitation of droplets above the surface of an evaporating liquid and encapsulation of particles and bubbles by an advancing solidification front. The subject of interfacial hydrodynamics overlaps with another basic field of Sasha's research, the theory of pattern formation. The contribution of Sasha's work to the modern understanding of the variety of pattern formation phenomena is significant. It includes the analysis of the interaction between long-wave and short-wave instability modes in Marangoni convection, investigation of the large-scale Marangoni convection that led to the prediction of different patterns including quasipatterns, and the description of various non-potential effects in Marangoni convection

  18. [The life history of Alexander Numan (1780-1852) during his time in Groningen].

    PubMed

    Mathijsen, A H

    2001-01-01

    Until the time Numan took on his professorship at the newly established Veterinary School in Utrecht in 1822, he had lived in the Province of Groningen. In order to understand why the minister of Public Education appointed a village doctor from the north of the country as professor for the practice of veteriary medicine, and after some years as director of the school, it was felt essential to investigate his earlier life period. The main sources used are two obituaries, resp. written by his son who was a professor of Law at Groningen University, and by his friend prof. Willem Vrolik who was the secretary of the Academy of Science, supplemented by family histories and some archival research. After a short description of his descent, youth adn education follows the main part devoted to his writings, his medical practice and membership of the Provincial Medical Commission and the Commission for Agriculture. In an appendix some genealogical data are presented on the family of his wife and their children. Alexander lost his father, who was a minister of the Reformed Church, when he was ten years old. He received his education in the circle of family members. A brother of his father, also a minister, teached him Greek and Latin. After this uncle had left the province, he lived in the home of another minister who teached him the modern languages. As this man was involved in politics of the Baravian Republic, young Alexander was exposed to many discussions on the polity of the State. After his mother had remarried with a medical doctor, this man, and also his brother who had a medical practice in another part of the province, complemented the education with an introduction in the sciences. Experiences in their dispensaries, where some knowledge of botany and chemistry could be obtained, and discussions when accompanying them on their visits to patients, were decisive in the choice of his profession. Only at the age of twenty he entered the Medical Faculty of Groningen

  19. DISCOVER-AQ Featured Articles

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2017-01-31

    ...     Not Your Average Video Traffic Report : Earth Matters Blogs  - DISCOVER-AQ planes have been flying over roadways, ... of air quality during “rush hour” and throughout the day. News Roundup: Arctic Ice, Spacesuit Satellites and More : Earth ...

  20. Cyclicity in Silurian island-arc carbonates, Alexander terrane, Alaska

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

    Kittredge, L.E.; Soja, C.M.

    1993-03-01

    Silurian carbonates from Alaska (Alexander terrane) record the evolution of a submarine platform during waning volcanism in an island arc. A detailed stratigraphic analysis of a 47 meter-thick sequence revealed the existence of cyclically repeated limestones: coral-stromatoporoid wackestones alternate with oncoid packstones and bioturbated, silty lime mudstones. The coral-stromatoporoid deposits are characterized by a low-diversity assemblage of dendroid corals, massive stromatoporoids, Atrypoidea brachiopods, and rare occurrences of biostromes associated with Solenopora, high-spired gastropods, and crinoids. Oncoids typically are 2-6 mm in diameter and form massive, meter-thick units. Coated grains are symmetrically developed, have a shell or algal nucleus, and aremore » also a minor component of coral-stromatoporoid beds. These lithologic units form seven, shallowing-upwards cycles (parasequences) that range in thickness from 3-9 meters. Coral-stomatoporoid wackestones form the base of each cycle and grade upwards into oncoid packstones with silty, lime mudstones at the top. This succession of lithofacies within each cycle reflects an increase in energy levels from relatively deeper water environments to relatively shallower ones. The lack of abrasion in the corals and stromatoporoids suggests predominantly quiet-water conditions in shallow subtidal areas affected by periodic turbulence. Comparison with correlative sections in Alaska and lack of correspondence with global sea level curves suggest that the primary cause of cyclicity was tectonic perturbations with secondary eustatic effects. Cyclic deposition in peri/subtidal sites was terminated by rapid drowning of the carbonate platform during late Silurian orogenesis.« less

  1. Discovering Diabetes Complications: an Ontology Based Model

    PubMed Central

    Daghistani, Tahani; Shammari, Riyad Al; Razzak, Muhammad Imran

    2015-01-01

    Background: Diabetes is a serious disease that spread in the world dramatically. The diabetes patient has an average of risk to experience complications. Take advantage of recorded information to build ontology as information technology solution will help to predict patients who have average of risk level with certain complication. It is helpful to search and present patient’s history regarding different risk factors. Discovering diabetes complications could be useful to prevent or delay the complications. Method: We designed ontology based model, using adult diabetes patients’ data, to discover the rules of diabetes with its complications in disease to disease relationship. Result: Various rules between different risk factors of diabetes Patients and certain complications generated. Furthermore, new complications (diseases) might be discovered as new finding of this study, discovering diabetes complications could be useful to prevent or delay the complications. Conclusion: The system can identify the patients who are suffering from certain risk factors such as high body mass index (obesity) and starting controlling and maintaining plan. PMID:26862251

  2. Alexander Graham Bell's Patent for the Telephone and Thomas Edison's Patent for the Electric Lamp. The Constitution Community: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schur, Joan Brodsky

    In 1876 Americans held a Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) to celebrate the nation's birth 100 years earlier. Machinery Hall drew the most admiration and wonder. Alexander Graham Bell exhibited the first telephone, and Thomas Alva Edison presented the automatic telegraph, one of more than 1,000 inventions he would patent in his…

  3. DISCOVER AQ Research Plane Arrives

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-28

    James Crawford, principal investigator and scientist based at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., talks about the DISCOVER-AQ project on board the P-3B NASA research aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

  4. The wounding of Alexander the Great in Cyropolis (329 BC): the first reported case of the syndrome of transient cortical blindness?

    PubMed

    Lascaratos, J

    1997-01-01

    I believe that the transient blindness which presented Alexander the Great after his being wounded on his head and/or his neck by a stone from a catapult during the siege of Cyropolis (329 BC) was in all probability a case of transient cortical blindness that was recognized as a special entity in the 1960s. I reached this conclusion after the comparative study of the Emperor's clinical picture provided by ancient texts, especially those of Plutarch and Quintus Curtius Rufus, with that of a modern medical bibliography.

  5. Helping Your Children Discover.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schroepfer, Dorothy; Yeaton, Charles

    Children discover many things about themselves, about the world around them, and about words and language, before they go to school. This booklet was prepared to guide parents in helping their children make such discoveries in preparation for the demands of learning in school. Activities are suggested for developing children's self-confidence,…

  6. Discovering interesting molecular substructures for molecular classification.

    PubMed

    Lam, Winnie W M; Chan, Keith C C

    2010-06-01

    Given a set of molecular structure data preclassified into a number of classes, the molecular classification problem is concerned with the discovering of interesting structural patterns in the data so that "unseen" molecules not originally in the dataset can be accurately classified. To tackle the problem, interesting molecular substructures have to be discovered and this is done typically by first representing molecular structures in molecular graphs, and then, using graph-mining algorithms to discover frequently occurring subgraphs in them. These subgraphs are then used to characterize different classes for molecular classification. While such an approach can be very effective, it should be noted that a substructure that occurs frequently in one class may also does occur in another. The discovering of frequent subgraphs for molecular classification may, therefore, not always be the most effective. In this paper, we propose a novel technique called mining interesting substructures in molecular data for classification (MISMOC) that can discover interesting frequent subgraphs not just for the characterization of a molecular class but also for the distinguishing of it from the others. Using a test statistic, MISMOC screens each frequent subgraph to determine if they are interesting. For those that are interesting, their degrees of interestingness are determined using an information-theoretic measure. When classifying an unseen molecule, its structure is then matched against the interesting subgraphs in each class and a total interestingness measure for the unseen molecule to be classified into a particular class is determined, which is based on the interestingness of each matched subgraphs. The performance of MISMOC is evaluated using both artificial and real datasets, and the results show that it can be an effective approach for molecular classification.

  7. DISCOVER in Middle School: Identifying Gifted Minority Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarouphim, Ketty M.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the grades 6-8 version of DISCOVER, a performance-based assessment, and investigate its effectiveness in identifying gifted minority students. Questions examined the alignment between DISCOVER and Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences (MI) and assessed gender and ethnic…

  8. Discover: What Is Public Health?

    MedlinePlus

    ... Resources Contact About Membership Contact Discover What is Public Health? Public health protects and improves the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations, locally and globally. Public health is personal. Public health professionals focus on preventing ...

  9. The Cannery Formation--Devonian to Early Permian arc-marginal deposits within the Alexander Terrane, Southeastern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Karl, Susan M.; Layer, Paul W.; Harris, Anita G.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Murchey, Benita L.

    2011-01-01

    cherts on both Admiralty and Kupreanof Islands contain radiolarians as young as Permian, the age of the Cannery Formation is herein extended to Late Devonian through early Permian, to include the early Permian rocks exposed in its type locality. The Cannery Formation is folded and faulted, and its stratigraphic thickness is unknown but inferred to be several hundred meters. The Cannery Formation represents an extended period of marine deposition in moderately deep water, with slow rates of deposition and limited clastic input during Devonian through Pennsylvanian time and increasing argillaceous, volcaniclastic, and bioclastic input during the Permian. The Cannery Formation comprises upper Paleozoic rocks in the Alexander terrane of southeastern Alaska. In the pre-Permian upper Paleozoic, the tectonic setting of the Alexander terrane consisted of two or more evolved oceanic arcs. The lower Permian section is represented by a distinctive suite of rocks in the Alexander terrane, which includes sedimentary and volcanic rocks containing early Permian fossils, metamorphosed rocks with early Permian cooling ages, and intrusive rocks with early Permian cooling ages, that form discrete northwest-trending belts. After restoration of 180 km of dextral displacement of the Chilkat-Chichagof block on the Chatham Strait Fault, these belts consist, from northeast to southwest, of (1) bedded chert, siliceous argillite, volcaniclastic turbidites, pillow basalt, and limestone of the Cannery Formation and the Porcupine Slate of Gilbert and others (1987); (2) greenschist-facies Paleozoic metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks that have Permian cooling ages; (3) silty limestone and calcareous argillite interbedded with pillow basalt and volcaniclastic rocks of the Halleck Formation and the William Henry Bay area; and (4) intermediate-composition and syenitic plutons. These belts correspond to components of an accretionary complex, contemporary metamorphic rocks, forearc-basin deposits,

  10. Quantification of dynamic posterior translation in modified bilateral Alexander views and correlation with clinical and radiological parameters in patients with acute acromioclavicular joint instability.

    PubMed

    Minkus, Marvin; Hann, Carmen; Scheibel, Markus; Kraus, Natascha

    2017-06-01

    Classification of AC-joint instability is based on radiologic evaluation of anteroposterior (a.p.) stress views of both shoulders, neglecting the horizontal component of instability. Recent studies have proposed an association of dynamic posterior translation (DPT) and inferior clinical results. The purpose of this study was to quantify DPT in modified Alexander views and correlate it with other radiological and clinical data. Thirty-two patients (4 f, 28 m, mean age 34.1) with acute AC-joint dislocation (16 = RW III, 16 = RW V) underwent radiological examination including bilateral a.p. stress views with measurement of the coracoclavicular distance (CCD) and bilateral modified Alexander views with different approaches to quantify DPT (overlapping area OA AC , overlapping length OL AC ). In addition, the Constant Score, Subjective Shoulder Value, Taft Score (TF), and the Acromioclavicular Joint Instability Score (ACJI) were obtained. In Rockwood (RW) type III injuries, a mean CCD of 15.8 (9.8-22.8) mm, OA AC of 50.9 (0-216.6) mm 2 , and OL AC of 6.5 (-4.7-17.9) mm were found. RW V patients showed a CCD of 23.1 (13.7-32.0) mm; OA AC 7.0 (0-92.3) mm 2 ; and OL AC -4.8 (-19.6-9.8) mm. Particularly in RW III the CCD, OA AC and OL AC revealed significant correlation with the ACJI (r = -0.64/r = 0.72/r = 0.68, p < 0.05) and TF (r = -0.56/r = 0.68/r = 0.51, p < 0.05). The proposed quantification tools for DPT were found to have a moderate-to-strong correlation with the score results, especially with AC-joint specific scores. RW type V injuries had a moderate correlation with clinical parameters (OA AC with ACJI: r = 0.44, p > 0.05 and OL AC with TF: r = -0.45, p > 0.05). Measuring the OL AC is a convenient way for quantifying DPT in modified Alexander views. It showed significant correlation with clinical scores, indicating the relevance of DPT in patients with AC-joint injury.

  11. The life and death of Alexander Bogdanov, physician.

    PubMed

    Huestis, D W

    1996-08-01

    It was early in April in 1928 when the word went out in Moscow that Alexander Bogdanov had died. He was a controversial figure, an old Bolshevik who had left that party long before the 1917 revolution and never returned. All the same, he had had Lenin's respect as a scientist (as long as he stayed out of politics). More recently, he also had the support of the new party strong man, Stalin. Bogdanov opposed the growing despotism of the "dictatorship of the proletariat", under which slogan Communist autocracy was being developed. But he was respected as a tireless propagandist for the socialist cause, an enthusiastic teacher of the proletariat, and a writer of arcane science and philosophy. Bogdanov was held in such respect that Communist bigwigs spoke glowingly at the funeral, praising his intellect, courage, and dedication to science and humanity. They did not fail to point out that he had split with his one-time friend, Lenin, and had succumbed to ideological "errors". Indeed, he had powerful enemies in the early Soviet state. Bogdanov was a physician, economist, philosopher, natural scientist, writer of utopian science fiction, poet, teacher, politician (unsuccesful), lifelong revolutionary, forerunner of what we now call cybernetics and organizational science, and founder of the world's first institution devoted entirely to the field of blood transfusion. You could call him a Renaissance man. Although he clearly fitted the category of the late-nineteenth-century Russian intellectual revolutionary, Bogdanov differed from most of them in being no dilettante. More than just a theorist, he was an active scientist and physician. As a teacher, he firmly believed that education and indoctrination could alter people's ways of thinking and behaving, and that humanity could be perfected under socialism. Like many revolutionaries, Bogdanov tried to keep ahead of the Tsar's police by using a variety of pseudonyms, among them Riadavoy, Werner, Maximov, and Bogdanov. After

  12. Discover: An Educational Opportunity for Women in Transition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willson, Linda M.; And Others

    The Discover program is a program for women who want to become self-sufficient and self-supporting. Clients of the program may be separated or divorced, single mothers, or married to an underemployed spouse. The Discover program involves career exploration in the hope that its graduates will enter an occupational training program. The goals of the…

  13. Beyond Hate: Countering Violent Extremism from the White Power Movement

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    Wilson, J. C. Lester, and Walter Lynwood Fleming, Ku Klux Klan Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment, n.d., Kindle edition, loc 109 of 2871. 40...Chalmers, Hooded Americanism, 16–17. 41 Wilson, Lester, and Fleming, Ku Klux Klan Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment, Kindle edition, loc 153 of 2871...Lester, and Fleming, Ku Klux Klan Its Origin, Growth and Disbandment, loc 152 of 2871; Annie Cooper Burton, The Ku Klux Klan (Los Angeles, California

  14. Discover Supercomputer 5

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Two rows of the “Discover” supercomputer at the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) contain more than 4,000 computer processors. Discover has a total of nearly 15,000 processors. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo To learn more about NCCS go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate-sim-center.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

  15. Discover Supercomputer 3

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    The heart of the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) is the “Discover” supercomputer. In 2009, NCCS added more than 8,000 computer processors to Discover, for a total of nearly 15,000 processors. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo To learn more about NCCS go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate-sim-center.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

  16. Discover Supercomputer 2

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    The heart of the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) is the “Discover” supercomputer. In 2009, NCCS added more than 8,000 computer processors to Discover, for a total of nearly 15,000 processors. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo To learn more about NCCS go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate-sim-center.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

  17. Discover Supercomputer 4

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    This close-up view highlights one row—approximately 2,000 computer processors—of the “Discover” supercomputer at the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS). Discover has a total of nearly 15,000 processors. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo To learn more about NCCS go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate-sim-center.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

  18. Discover Supercomputer 1

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    The heart of the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) is the “Discover” supercomputer. In 2009, NCCS added more than 8,000 computer processors to Discover, for a total of nearly 15,000 processors. Credit: NASA/Pat Izzo To learn more about NCCS go to: www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/climate-sim-center.html NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.

  19. Discovering system requirements

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

    Bahill, A.T.; Bentz, B.; Dean, F.F.

    1996-07-01

    Cost and schedule overruns are often caused by poor requirements that are produced by people who do not understand the requirements process. This report provides a high-level overview of the system requirements process, explaining types, sources, and characteristics of good requirements. System requirements, however, are seldom stated by the customer. Therefore, this report shows ways to help you work with your customer to discover the system requirements. It also explains terminology commonly used in the requirements development field, such as verification, validation, technical performance measures, and the various design reviews.

  20. Biological Activity of Recently Discovered Halogenated Marine Natural Products

    PubMed Central

    Gribble, Gordon W.

    2015-01-01

    This review presents the biological activity—antibacterial, antifungal, anti-parasitic, antiviral, antitumor, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and enzymatic activity—of halogenated marine natural products discovered in the past five years. Newly discovered examples that do not report biological activity are not included. PMID:26133553

  1. James Sowerby: meteorites and his meteoritic sword made for the Emperor of Russia, Alexander I, in 1814

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, Paul

    2013-01-01

    James Sowerby included meteorites in his publications of British and exotic natural history and so raised interest in their nature and origins at a time of much debate and involving the President of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks. The celebrations over the defeat of France in 1814 prompted Sowerby to make a sword from the Cape of Good Hope iron meteorite to present to the Russian Emperor, Alexander I, at the time of his state visit to London in June 1814 and in recognition of his achievements in bringing peace to Europe. The story of its attempted presentation, its final reception and the following response, including publications, all helped to increase interest in meteorites and their properties. The rediscovery of the sword after a lengthy disappearance probably brings an unusual saga to a fitting close.

  2. Increased dynamic regulation of postural tone through Alexander Technique training

    PubMed Central

    Cacciatore, TW; Gurfinkel, VS; Horak, FB; Cordo, PJ; Ames, KE

    2010-01-01

    Gurfinkel and colleagues (2006) recently found that healthy adults dynamically modulate postural muscle tone in the body axis during anti-gravity postural maintenance and that this modulation is inversely correlated with axial stiffness. Our objective in the present study was to investigate whether dynamic modulation of axial postural tone can change through training. We examined whether teachers of the Alexander Technique (AT), who undergo “long-term” (3-year) training, have greater modulation of axial postural tone than matched control subjects. In addition, we performed a longitudinal study on the effect of “short-term” (10-week) AT training on the axial postural tone of individuals with low back pain (LBP), since short term AT training has previously been shown to reduce LBP. Axial postural tone was quantified by measuring the resistance of the neck, trunk and hips to small (±10°), slow (1°/s) torsional rotation during stance. Modulation of tone was determined by the torsional resistance to rotation (peak-to-peak, phase-advance, and variability of torque) and axial muscle activity (EMG). Peak-to-peak torque was lower (~50%), while phase-advance and cycle-to-cycle variability were enhanced for AT teachers compared to matched control subjects at all levels of the axis. In addition, LBP subjects decreased trunk and hip stiffness following short-term AT training compared to a control intervention. While changes in static levels of postural tone may have contributed to the reduced stiffness observed with the AT, our results suggest that dynamic modulation of postural tone can be enhanced through long-term training in the AT, which may constitute an important direction for therapeutic intervention. PMID:21185100

  3. Discover Assessment and Restoration Data | NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration

    Science.gov Websites

    Louisiana Mississippi Texas Region-wide Open Ocean Data Media & News Publications Press Releases Story Archive Home Discover Assessment and Restoration Data Discover Assessment and Restoration Data During the course of the damage assessment, we collected a large amount of data to document the location and extent

  4. The Neotropical tanyderid Araucoderus gloriosus (Alexander) (Diptera, Tanyderidae), with description of the egg, larva and pupa, redescription of adults, and notes on natural history.

    PubMed

    Madriz, R Isaí; Courtney, Gregory W

    2016-08-30

    Larvae, pupae and adults of Araucoderus gloriosus (Alexander) were collected during fieldwork in Chilean Patagonia, December 2013 and January 2014. Eggs were obtained from females that oviposited in captivity. Association of all life stages is based on co-occurrence and rearing of individual larvae to adults. A diagnosis for the genus and species is provided. Descriptions of the egg, larva and pupa and redescriptions of the male and female are completed. Eggs of A. gloriosus are the first described for Tanyderidae. Natural history characteristics for this species, including microhabitat, copulatory behavior and oviposition, are discussed.

  5. Increased dynamic regulation of postural tone through Alexander Technique training.

    PubMed

    Cacciatore, T W; Gurfinkel, V S; Horak, F B; Cordo, P J; Ames, K E

    2011-02-01

    Gurfinkel and colleagues (2006) recently found that healthy adults dynamically modulate postural muscle tone in the body axis during anti-gravity postural maintenance and that this modulation is inversely correlated with axial stiffness. Our objective in the present study was to investigate whether dynamic modulation of axial postural tone can change through training. We examined whether teachers of the Alexander Technique (AT), who undergo "long-term" (3-year) training, have greater modulation of axial postural tone than matched control subjects. In addition, we performed a longitudinal study on the effect of "short-term" (10-week) AT training on the axial postural tone of individuals with low back pain (LBP), since short term AT training has previously been shown to reduce LBP. Axial postural tone was quantified by measuring the resistance of the neck, trunk and hips to small (±10°), slow (1°/s) torsional rotation during stance. Modulation of tone was determined by the torsional resistance to rotation (peak-to-peak, phase-advance, and variability of torque) and axial muscle activity (EMG). Peak-to-peak torque was lower (∼50%), while phase-advance and cycle-to-cycle variability were enhanced for AT teachers compared to matched control subjects at all levels of the axis. In addition, LBP subjects decreased trunk and hip stiffness following short-term AT training compared to a control intervention. While changes in static levels of postural tone may have contributed to the reduced stiffness observed with the AT, our results suggest that dynamic modulation of postural tone can be enhanced through long-term training in the AT, which may constitute an important direction for therapeutic intervention. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Embodiment and Entangled Subjectivity: A Study of Robin Cook's Coma, Priscille Sibley's The Promise of Stardust and Alexander Beliaev's Professor Dowell's Head.

    PubMed

    Karmakar, Manali; Parui, Avishek

    2018-03-22

    The essay examines Robin Cook's (1977) Coma and Priscille Sibley's (2013) The Promise of Stardust that dramatize the reified and disposable status of the brain-dead patients who are classified as nonpersons. The essay argues that the man-machine entanglement as depicted in the novels constructs a deterritorialized and entangled form of subjectivity that intervenes in the dominant biomedical understanding of personhood and agency that we notionally associate with a conscious mind. The essay concludes its arguments by discussing Alexander Beliaev's (1925) Professor Dowell's Head which depicts human subjectivity as an essentially embodied and distributive phenomenon and interrogates the Cartesian mind body dualism embedded in the dominant biomedical narratives.

  7. Discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts.

    PubMed

    Dligach, Dmitriy; Bethard, Steven; Becker, Lee; Miller, Timothy; Savova, Guergana K

    2014-01-01

    To research computational methods for discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts. We cast the task of discovering body site and severity modifiers as a relation extraction problem in the context of a supervised machine learning framework. We utilize rich linguistic features to represent the pairs of relation arguments and delegate the decision about the nature of the relationship between them to a support vector machine model. We evaluate our models using two corpora that annotate body site and severity modifiers. We also compare the model performance to a number of rule-based baselines. We conduct cross-domain portability experiments. In addition, we carry out feature ablation experiments to determine the contribution of various feature groups. Finally, we perform error analysis and report the sources of errors. The performance of our method for discovering body site modifiers achieves F1 of 0.740-0.908 and our method for discovering severity modifiers achieves F1 of 0.905-0.929. Results indicate that both methods perform well on both in-domain and out-domain data, approaching the performance of human annotators. The most salient features are token and named entity features, although syntactic dependency features also contribute to the overall performance. The dominant sources of errors are infrequent patterns in the data and inability of the system to discern deeper semantic structures. We investigated computational methods for discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts. Our best system is released open source as part of the clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES).

  8. Obituary: Alexander Dalgarno (1928 - 2015)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartquist, Tom; Babb, James F. Babb; Loeb, Avi

    most abundant astrophysical molecule and the main constituent of the regions where stars form. Interstellar H2 was first detected directly in the following year, and data for interstellar H2 began to become abundant in 1973. Alex was well prepared and led efforts to interpret these data, from which he was able to infer the physical properties of diffuse interstellar molecular clouds. At nearly the same time he was involved in work on the ionization and energy deposition in H2 by nearly relativistic and relativistic particles called cosmic rays. The work has relevance to emission in the atmospheres of the giant planets, as well as for conditions in interstellar molecular clouds. Cosmic ray induced ionization initiates much of the basic chemistry in star forming regions, and the emissions of the product molecules control the temperatures and allow the diagnosis of the physical conditions and dynamics of the stellar nurseries. For more than four decades Alex elucidated the chemical networks governing the molecular abundances in a wide variety of astrophysical sources including star forming regions, supernova ejecta, the pregalactic universe, and extreme environments like those in the vicinities of X-ray sources powered by accretion onto black holes. The refinement of the models led to calculations predicting the existence of subsequently discovered negative ions in giant molecular clouds. One of his astrophysical interests that intrigued him late in his career was the emission of soft X-rays by comets and in the heliosphere due to charge transfer with solar wind particles, and he also worked on related processes occurring in the atmospheres of the giant planets. Alex remained very active in fundamental atomic and molecular physics, as well as for its applications to astrophysics and to terrestrial and extraterrestrial planetary atmospheres. Ultra-cold collisions and ultra-cold chemistry were major interests for Alex for much of the latest phase of his career, most

  9. Discovering Technicolor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andersen, J. R.; Antipin, O.; Azuelos, G.; Del Debbio, L.; Del Nobile, E.; Di Chiara, S.; Hapola, T.; Järvinen, M.; Lowdon, P. J.; Maravin, Y.; Masina, I.; Nardecchia, M.; Pica, C.; Sannino, F.

    2011-09-01

    We provide a pedagogical introduction to extensions of the Standard Model in which the Higgs is composite. These extensions are known as models of dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking or, in brief, Technicolor. Material covered includes: motivations for Technicolor, the construction of underlying gauge theories leading to minimal models of Technicolor, the comparison with electroweak precision data, the low-energy effective theory, the spectrum of the states common to most of the Technicolor models, the decays of the composite particles and the experimental signals at the Large Hadron Collider. The level of the presentation is aimed at readers familiar with the Standard Model but who have little or no prior exposure to Technicolor. Several extensions of the Standard Model featuring a composite Higgs can be reduced to the effective Lagrangian introduced in the text. We establish the relevant experimental benchmarks for Vanilla, Running, Walking, and Custodial Technicolor, and a natural fourth family of leptons, by laying out the framework to discover these models at the Large Hadron Collider.

  10. Obituary: Donald Alexander Macrae, 1916-2006

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seaquist, E. R.

    2007-12-01

    With the passing of Donald Alexander MacRae on 6 December 2006 at age 90, the astronomy community lost a visionary scientist and a great educator in the field. Don MacRae was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 19 February 1916, to Donald Alexander and Laura Geddes (Barnstead) MacRae. His father was originally a classics scholar and preceptor of Greek and Latin at Princeton, but at the time of Don's birth in 1916 he was Dean of the Dalhousie Law School in Halifax. The family moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1924 when his father joined the faculty of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto as a Professor of Law. After the family moved to Toronto, where he received most of his early education, he obtained his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Physics in 1937 from the University of Toronto (U of T). He obtained the degree of A.M. in 1940 and of Ph.D. in 1943 from Harvard University under the mentorship of Bart Bok in the field of galactic structure. During his early career he worked briefly at the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, and Carbide and Chemical Corporation at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. For Don the latter work was a brief and somewhat uneasy association with the Manhattan Project. In 1946, he obtained a position at Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University), where he worked until 1953. In 1953, he accepted a position at the U of T, replacing Ralph Williamson, who had earlier introduced Don to the emerging field of radio astronomy while they both were at Cornell. Don's primary research field was stellar spectroscopy, but his interests were much broader than this, and he possessed an abiding ability to interest students and faculty in new and emerging ideas. In the early 1960s he developed a strong interest in the nature and origin of the lunar surface, and discussed these extensively with colleagues. Many of his ideas on this subject were later confirmed by the lunar exploration program. Don's continuing interest in radio astronomy

  11. Aberrant astrocyte Ca2+ signals "AxCa signals" exacerbate pathological alterations in an Alexander disease model.

    PubMed

    Saito, Kozo; Shigetomi, Eiji; Yasuda, Rei; Sato, Ryuichi; Nakano, Masakazu; Tashiro, Kei; Tanaka, Kenji F; Ikenaka, Kazuhiro; Mikoshiba, Katsuhiko; Mizuta, Ikuko; Yoshida, Tomokatsu; Nakagawa, Masanori; Mizuno, Toshiki; Koizumi, Schuichi

    2018-05-01

    Alexander disease (AxD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by gain of function mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. Accumulation of GFAP proteins and formation of Rosenthal fibers (RFs) in astrocytes are hallmarks of AxD. However, malfunction of astrocytes in the AxD brain is poorly understood. Here, we show aberrant Ca 2+ responses in astrocytes as playing a causative role in AxD. Transcriptome analysis of astrocytes from a model of AxD showed age-dependent upregulation of GFAP, several markers for neurotoxic reactive astrocytes, and downregulation of Ca 2+ homeostasis molecules. In situ AxD model astrocytes produced aberrant extra-large Ca 2+ signals "AxCa signals", which increased with age, correlated with GFAP upregulation, and were dependent on stored Ca 2+ . Inhibition of AxCa signals by deletion of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate type 2 receptors (IP3R2) ameliorated AxD pathogenesis. Taken together, AxCa signals in the model astrocytes would contribute to AxD pathogenesis. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. The appearance of the artist to the people: the creativity, personality and malady of Alexander Ivanov (1806-58).

    PubMed

    Lerner, Vladimir; Witztum, Eliezer

    2005-02-01

    Alexander Ivanov was an outstanding Russian painter who lived in the middle of the nineteenth century, during the romantic period. He did not accept romanticism but instead tried to create his own original style, an ambitious combination of spiritual profundity and a manner of execution unparalleled in Western European art. Ivanov's intention and style are best reflected in his major work The Appearance of Christ to the People, a picture on which he worked for over 20 years. He painted more than 400 sketches of the picture while attempting to bring his masterpiece to perfection. At the end of his life Ivanov became disillusioned, renounced his strong religious conviction and became suspicious. This study examines the influence of his background, life story and personality on the creative process. From a diagnostic perspective, Ivanov's personality featured obsessive, narcissistic and schizoid traits. In his final years he suffered from a delusional disorder.

  13. Discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts

    PubMed Central

    Dligach, Dmitriy; Bethard, Steven; Becker, Lee; Miller, Timothy; Savova, Guergana K

    2014-01-01

    Objective To research computational methods for discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts. Methods We cast the task of discovering body site and severity modifiers as a relation extraction problem in the context of a supervised machine learning framework. We utilize rich linguistic features to represent the pairs of relation arguments and delegate the decision about the nature of the relationship between them to a support vector machine model. We evaluate our models using two corpora that annotate body site and severity modifiers. We also compare the model performance to a number of rule-based baselines. We conduct cross-domain portability experiments. In addition, we carry out feature ablation experiments to determine the contribution of various feature groups. Finally, we perform error analysis and report the sources of errors. Results The performance of our method for discovering body site modifiers achieves F1 of 0.740–0.908 and our method for discovering severity modifiers achieves F1 of 0.905–0.929. Discussion Results indicate that both methods perform well on both in-domain and out-domain data, approaching the performance of human annotators. The most salient features are token and named entity features, although syntactic dependency features also contribute to the overall performance. The dominant sources of errors are infrequent patterns in the data and inability of the system to discern deeper semantic structures. Conclusions We investigated computational methods for discovering body site and severity modifiers in clinical texts. Our best system is released open source as part of the clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System (cTAKES). PMID:24091648

  14. Did Viking discover life on Mars?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klein, H. P.

    1999-01-01

    A major argument in the claim that life had been discovered during the Viking mission to Mars is that the results obtained in the Labeled Release (LR) experiment are analogous to those observed with terrestrial microorganisms. This assertion is critically examined and found to be implausible.

  15. Did Viking discover life on Mars?

    PubMed

    Klein, H P

    1999-12-01

    A major argument in the claim that life had been discovered during the Viking mission to Mars is that the results obtained in the Labeled Release (LR) experiment are analogous to those observed with terrestrial microorganisms. This assertion is critically examined and found to be implausible.

  16. Alexander Scriabin: his chronic right-hand pain and Its impact on his piano compositions.

    PubMed

    Altenmüller, Eckart

    2015-01-01

    Alexander Scriabin was an outstanding pianist and an avant-garde composer who influenced later generations with his innovative "multimedia" conceptions of aesthetic experience. As an adolescent, he was systematically trained as a concert pianist and received lessons from Vassily Safonoff, one of the founders of the legendary Russian Piano School. At age 20, Scriabin suffered an overuse injury of his right hand when attempting to improve the sound quality of his piano touch. This injury caused a deep crisis and influenced his later composition style in his piano works. From this time on, his works were frequently dominated by unusual virtuosic use and wide spans of his left hand. Rest, restricted repertoire, and an increased focus on composition contributed to recovery; however, he always remained anxious concerning the stamina of his right hand. The case report impressively demonstrates the stressors an aspiring young pianist had to cope with at the end of the nineteenth century. Furthermore, it is a convincing example of how resource-oriented behavior and intuition lead to the improvement of health status. Differential diagnoses and the modern concept of multimodal pain therapy in chronic overuse injury will be discussed from a historical perspective. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Dr. Alexander Garden, a Linnaean in colonial America, and the saga of five "electric eels".

    PubMed

    Finger, Stanley

    2010-01-01

    Alexander Garden (1730-1791) was born in Scotland, where he trained in medicine before settling in South Carolina in 1752. With a passion for collecting and a love of nature, he sent specimens to Linnaeus and his associates in Europe. In 1774, Garden observed and conducted electrical experiments on some "eels" that had survived the trip from Surinam to Charleston. His detailed observations and reasons for believing they emit electricity were read before the Royal Society of London and subsequently published. He also advised the sea captain who owned the eels on how to preserve them and where to deliver their bodies if they died en route to London. Although they did die en route, John Hunter of the Royal Society was able to provide excellent descriptions of their electric organs because they were so well preserved. The sequence of events that followed led to other live eels surviving the voyage to London, where they were observed to spark in darkness in 1776. This was a critical piece of evidence in favor of fish electricity and eventually for the more revolutionary idea that even human nerves and muscles might function electrically.

  18. Discovering novel subsystems using comparative genomics

    PubMed Central

    Ferrer, Luciana; Shearer, Alexander G.; Karp, Peter D.

    2011-01-01

    Motivation: Key problems for computational genomics include discovering novel pathways in genome data, and discovering functional interaction partners for genes to define new members of partially elucidated pathways. Results: We propose a novel method for the discovery of subsystems from annotated genomes. For each gene pair, a score measuring the likelihood that the two genes belong to a same subsystem is computed using genome context methods. Genes are then grouped based on these scores, and the resulting groups are filtered to keep only high-confidence groups. Since the method is based on genome context analysis, it relies solely on structural annotation of the genomes. The method can be used to discover new pathways, find missing genes from a known pathway, find new protein complexes or other kinds of functional groups and assign function to genes. We tested the accuracy of our method in Escherichia coli K-12. In one configuration of the system, we find that 31.6% of the candidate groups generated by our method match a known pathway or protein complex closely, and that we rediscover 31.2% of all known pathways and protein complexes of at least 4 genes. We believe that a significant proportion of the candidates that do not match any known group in E.coli K-12 corresponds to novel subsystems that may represent promising leads for future laboratory research. We discuss in-depth examples of these findings. Availability: Predicted subsystems are available at http://brg.ai.sri.com/pwy-discovery/journal.html. Contact: lferrer@ai.sri.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:21775308

  19. Planet Imager Discovers Young Kuiper Belt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kohler, Susanna

    2015-07-01

    A debris disk just discovered around a nearby star is the closest thing yet seen to a young version of the Kuiper belt. This disk could be a key to better understanding the interactions between debris disks and planets, as well as how our solar system evolved early on in its lifetime. Hunting for an analog The best way to understand how the Kuiper belt — home to Pluto and thousands of other remnants of early icy planet formation in our solar system — developed would be to witness a similar debris disk in an earlier stage of its life. But before now, none of the disks we've discovered have been similar to our own: the rings are typically too large, the central star too massive, or the stars exist in regions very unlike what we think our Sun's birthplace was like. A collaboration led by Thayne Currie (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan) has changed this using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), part of a new generation of extreme adaptive-optics systems. The team discovered a debris disk of roughly the same size as the Kuiper belt orbiting the star HD 115600, located in the nearest OB association. The star is only slightly more massive than our Sun, and it lives in a star-forming region similar to the early Sun's environment. HD 115600 is different in one key way, however: it is only 15 million years old. This means that observing it gives us the perfect opportunity to observe how our solar system might have behaved when it was much younger. A promising future GPI's spatially-resolved spectroscopy, combined with measurements of the reflectivity of the disk, have led the team to suspect that the disk might be composed partly of water ice, just as the Kuiper belt is. The disk also shows evidence of having been sculpted by the motions of giant planets orbiting the central star, in much the same way as the outer planets of our solar system may have shaped the Kuiper belt. The observations of HD 115600 are some of the very first to emerge from GPI and the new

  20. DISCOVER-AQ Acoustics : Measurement and Data Report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-09-01

    The following report documents the acoustic measurements that supplemented the September 2013 NASA DISCOVER-AQ flight tests in Houston, Texas and the corresponding data set developed from those measurements. These data include aircraft performance an...

  1. Formal Critiques and After Action Reports from Conventional Emergencies: Tools for Homeland Security Training and Education

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-01

    andragogy (Kelly, 2006). B.F. Skinner, the behavioral psychologist who discovered operant conditioning and articulated the term “reinforcement” as...Alexander Kapp first introduced the concept of andragogy in his 1833 book Planton’s Erziehungslehre (Plato’s Educational Ideas) (Peterson, 2009... Andragogy is learner focused education that encourages the adult learner to move beyond dependency to self-directed learning. Reg Revans, the pioneer of

  2. Discovering the Sequential Structure of Thought

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, John R.; Fincham, Jon M.

    2014-01-01

    Multi-voxel pattern recognition techniques combined with Hidden Markov models can be used to discover the mental states that people go through in performing a task. The combined method identifies both the mental states and how their durations vary with experimental conditions. We apply this method to a task where participants solve novel…

  3. Discovering English with the Sketch Engine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, James

    2014-01-01

    "Discovering English with the Sketch Engine" is the title of a new book (Thomas, 2014) which introduces the use of corpora in language study, teaching, writing and translating. It focuses on using the Sketch Engine to identify patterns of normal usage in many aspects of English ranging from morphology to discourse and pragmatics. This…

  4. The Universe for all to discover

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz-Gil, A.; Ballesteros, F.; Espinós, H.; Fernández-Soto, A.; Lanzara, M.; Moya, M. J.; Navarro, J.

    2015-05-01

    In the title of this paper, we have changed the slogan of the International Year of Astronomy, ``The Universe yours to discover" to ``The Universe for all to discover" in order to emphasize the need to think about broader audiences when we plan astronomical activities at school or during outreach events. The strategy we propose follows what is known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL allows to reach to the general public as well as to audiences which might be regarded as ``special" because they have some disability. It has been shown that everybody has a preferred style of learning (some remember better what they see, others what they hear or what they touch) and therefore, everybody is more or less able under the different styles of learning. Through this talk I am going to outline some of the principles of the UDL that can be applied in the teaching and communication of Astronomy, along with an example of its implementation in the project ``A Touch of the Universe".

  5. 31 CFR 501.723 - Prehearing disclosures; methods to discover additional matter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... discover additional matter. 501.723 Section 501.723 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to... disclosures; methods to discover additional matter. (a) Initial disclosures. (1) Except to the extent... the respondent); (ii) The legal theories upon which it will rely; (iii) Copies and a list of documents...

  6. 31 CFR 501.723 - Prehearing disclosures; methods to discover additional matter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... discover additional matter. 501.723 Section 501.723 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to... disclosures; methods to discover additional matter. (a) Initial disclosures. (1) Except to the extent... the respondent); (ii) The legal theories upon which it will rely; (iii) Copies and a list of documents...

  7. 31 CFR 501.723 - Prehearing disclosures; methods to discover additional matter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... discover additional matter. 501.723 Section 501.723 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to... disclosures; methods to discover additional matter. (a) Initial disclosures. (1) Except to the extent... the respondent); (ii) The legal theories upon which it will rely; (iii) Copies and a list of documents...

  8. 31 CFR 501.723 - Prehearing disclosures; methods to discover additional matter.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... discover additional matter. 501.723 Section 501.723 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to... disclosures; methods to discover additional matter. (a) Initial disclosures. (1) Except to the extent... the respondent); (ii) The legal theories upon which it will rely; (iii) Copies and a list of documents...

  9. 48 CFR 752.209-71 - Organizational conflicts of interest discovered after award.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Interest Discovered After Award (JUN 1993) (a) The Contractor agrees that, if after award it discovers... make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer which shall include a...

  10. 48 CFR 752.209-71 - Organizational conflicts of interest discovered after award.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Interest Discovered After Award (JUN 1993) (a) The Contractor agrees that, if after award it discovers... make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer which shall include a...

  11. 48 CFR 752.209-71 - Organizational conflicts of interest discovered after award.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Interest Discovered After Award (JUN 1993) (a) The Contractor agrees that, if after award it discovers... make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer which shall include a...

  12. 48 CFR 752.209-71 - Organizational conflicts of interest discovered after award.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Interest Discovered After Award (JUN 1993) (a) The Contractor agrees that, if after award it discovers... make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer which shall include a...

  13. 48 CFR 752.209-71 - Organizational conflicts of interest discovered after award.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Interest Discovered After Award (JUN 1993) (a) The Contractor agrees that, if after award it discovers... make an immediate and full disclosure in writing to the Contracting Officer which shall include a...

  14. Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar.

    PubMed

    Clark, Colin J; Pletsch, Holger J; Wu, Jason; Guillemot, Lucas; Kerr, Matthew; Johnson, Tyrel J; Camilo, Fernando; Salvetti, David; Allen, Bruce; Anderson, David; Aulbert, Carsten; Beer, Christian; Bock, Oliver; Cuéllar, Andres; Eggenstein, Heinz-Bernd; Fehrmann, Henning; Kramer, Michael; Kwang, Shawn A; Machenschalk, Bernd; Nieder, Lars; Ackermann, Markus; Ajello, Marco; Baldini, Luca; Ballet, Jean; Barbiellini, Guido; Bastieri, Denis; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Bissaldi, Elisabetta; Blandford, Roger D; Bloom, Elliott D; Bonino, Raffaella; Bottacini, Eugenio; Brandt, Terri J; Bregeon, Johan; Bruel, Philippe; Buehler, Rolf; Burnett, Toby H; Buson, Sara; Cameron, Rob A; Caputo, Regina; Caraveo, Patrizia A; Cavazzuti, Elisabetta; Cecchi, Claudia; Charles, Eric; Chekhtman, Alexandre; Ciprini, Stefano; Cominsky, Lynn R; Costantin, Denise; Cutini, Sara; D'Ammando, Filippo; De Luca, Andrea; Desiante, Rachele; Di Venere, Leonardo; Di Mauro, Mattia; Di Lalla, Niccolò; Digel, Seth W; Favuzzi, Cecilia; Ferrara, Elizabeth C; Franckowiak, Anna; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Funk, Stefan; Fusco, Piergiorgio; Gargano, Fabio; Gasparrini, Dario; Giglietto, Nico; Giordano, Francesco; Giroletti, Marcello; Gomez-Vargas, Germán A; Green, David; Grenier, Isabelle A; Guiriec, Sylvain; Harding, Alice K; Hewitt, John W; Horan, Deirdre; Jóhannesson, Guðlaugur; Kensei, Shiki; Kuss, Michael; La Mura, Giovanni; Larsson, Stefan; Latronico, Luca; Li, Jian; Longo, Francesco; Loparco, Francesco; Lovellette, Michael N; Lubrano, Pasquale; Magill, Jeffrey D; Maldera, Simone; Manfreda, Alberto; Mazziotta, Mario N; McEnery, Julie E; Michelson, Peter F; Mirabal, Nestor; Mitthumsiri, Warit; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Monzani, Maria Elena; Morselli, Aldo; Moskalenko, Igor V; Nuss, Eric; Ohsugi, Takashi; Omodei, Nicola; Orienti, Monica; Orlando, Elena; Palatiello, Michele; Paliya, Vaidehi S; de Palma, Francesco; Paneque, David; Perkins, Jeremy S; Persic, Massimo; Pesce-Rollins, Melissa; Porter, Troy A; Principe, Giacomo; Rainò, Silvia; Rando, Riccardo; Ray, Paul S; Razzano, Massimiliano; Reimer, Anita; Reimer, Olaf; Romani, Roger W; Saz Parkinson, Pablo M; Sgrò, Carmelo; Siskind, Eric J; Smith, David A; Spada, Francesca; Spandre, Gloria; Spinelli, Paolo; Thayer, Jana B; Thompson, David J; Torres, Diego F; Troja, Eleonora; Vianello, Giacomo; Wood, Kent; Wood, Matthew

    2018-02-01

    Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are old neutron stars that spin hundreds of times per second and appear to pulsate as their emission beams cross our line of sight. To date, radio pulsations have been detected from all rotation-powered MSPs. In an attempt to discover radio-quiet gamma-ray MSPs, we used the aggregated power from the computers of tens of thousands of volunteers participating in the Einstein@Home distributed computing project to search for pulsations from unidentified gamma-ray sources in Fermi Large Area Telescope data. This survey discovered two isolated MSPs, one of which is the only known rotation-powered MSP to remain undetected in radio observations. These gamma-ray MSPs were discovered in completely blind searches without prior constraints from other observations, raising hopes for detecting MSPs from a predicted Galactic bulge population.

  15. Discovering Science through Art-Based Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberts, Rebecca

    2010-01-01

    Art and science are intrinsically linked; the essence of art and science is discovery. Both artists and scientists work in a systematic but creative way--knowledge and understanding are built up through pieces of art or a series of labs. In the classroom, integrating science and visual art can provide students with the latitude to think, discover,…

  16. How cosmic rays were discovered and why they received this misnomer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dorman, I. V.; Dorman, L. I.

    2014-05-01

    As many great discoveries, the phenomenon of cosmic rays was discovered mainly accidentally, during investigations that sought to answer another question: what are sources of air ionization? This problem became interesting for science about 230 years ago in the end of the 18th century, when physics met with a problem of leakage of electrical charge from very good isolated bodies. We describe the history how step by step cosmic rays was discovered and why this phenomenon received misnomer, how in cosmic rays was discovered the first antiparticle - positron. These discoveries were recognized among greatest in the 20th Century and were awarded by Nobel Prize.

  17. Discovering Synergistic Drug Combination from a Computational Perspective.

    PubMed

    Ding, Pingjian; Luo, Jiawei; Liang, Cheng; Xiao, Qiu; Cao, Buwen; Li, Guanghui

    2018-03-30

    Synergistic drug combinations play an important role in the treatment of complex diseases. The identification of effective drug combination is vital to further reduce the side effects and improve therapeutic efficiency. In previous years, in vitro method has been the main route to discover synergistic drug combinations. However, many limitations of time and resource consumption lie within the in vitro method. Therefore, with the rapid development of computational models and the explosive growth of large and phenotypic data, computational methods for discovering synergistic drug combinations are an efficient and promising tool and contribute to precision medicine. It is the key of computational methods how to construct the computational model. Different computational strategies generate different performance. In this review, the recent advancements in computational methods for predicting effective drug combination are concluded from multiple aspects. First, various datasets utilized to discover synergistic drug combinations are summarized. Second, we discussed feature-based approaches and partitioned these methods into two classes including feature-based methods in terms of similarity measure, and feature-based methods in terms of machine learning. Third, we discussed network-based approaches for uncovering synergistic drug combinations. Finally, we analyzed and prospected computational methods for predicting effective drug combinations. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  18. Improvement in automatic postural coordination following alexander technique lessons in a person with low back pain.

    PubMed

    Cacciatore, Timothy W; Horak, Fay B; Henry, Sharon M

    2005-06-01

    The relationship between abnormal postural coordination and back pain is unclear. The Alexander Technique (AT) aims to improve postural coordination by using conscious processes to alter automatic postural coordination and ongoing muscular activity, and it has been reported to reduce low back pain. This case report describes the use of the AT with a client with low back pain and the observed changes in automatic postural responses and back pain. The client was a 49-year-old woman with a 25-year history of left-sided, idiopathic, lumbrosacral back pain. Automatic postural coordination was measured using a force plate during horizontal platform translations and one-legged standing. The client was tested monthly for 4 months before AT lessons and for 3 months after lessons. Before lessons, she consistently had laterally asymmetric automatic postural responses to translations. After AT lessons, the magnitude and asymmetry of her responses and balance improved and her low back pain decreased. Further research is warranted to study whether AT lessons improve low back pain-associated abnormalities in automatic postural coordination and whether improving automatic postural coordination helps to reduce low back pain.

  19. Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar

    DOE PAGES

    Clark, Colin J.; Pletsch, Holger J.; Wu, Jason; ...

    2018-02-28

    Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are old neutron stars that spin hundreds of times per second and appear to pulsate as their emission beams cross our line of sight. To date, radio pulsations have been detected from all rotation-powered MSPs. Here, in an attempt to discover radio-quiet gamma-ray MSPs, we used the aggregated power from the computers of tens of thousands of volunteers participating in the Einstein@Home distributed computing project to search for pulsations from unidentified gamma-ray sources in Fermi Large Area Telescope data. This survey discovered two isolated MSPs, one of which is the only known rotation-powered MSP to remain undetectedmore » in radio observations. These gamma-ray MSPs were discovered in completely blind searches without prior constraints from other observations, raising hopes for detecting MSPs from a predicted Galactic bulge population.« less

  20. Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar

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

    Clark, Colin J.; Pletsch, Holger J.; Wu, Jason

    Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are old neutron stars that spin hundreds of times per second and appear to pulsate as their emission beams cross our line of sight. To date, radio pulsations have been detected from all rotation-powered MSPs. Here, in an attempt to discover radio-quiet gamma-ray MSPs, we used the aggregated power from the computers of tens of thousands of volunteers participating in the Einstein@Home distributed computing project to search for pulsations from unidentified gamma-ray sources in Fermi Large Area Telescope data. This survey discovered two isolated MSPs, one of which is the only known rotation-powered MSP to remain undetectedmore » in radio observations. These gamma-ray MSPs were discovered in completely blind searches without prior constraints from other observations, raising hopes for detecting MSPs from a predicted Galactic bulge population.« less

  1. Einstein@Home discovers a radio-quiet gamma-ray millisecond pulsar

    PubMed Central

    Clark, Colin J.; Pletsch, Holger J.; Wu, Jason; Guillemot, Lucas; Kerr, Matthew; Johnson, Tyrel J.; Camilo, Fernando; Salvetti, David; Allen, Bruce; Anderson, David; Aulbert, Carsten; Beer, Christian; Bock, Oliver; Cuéllar, Andres; Eggenstein, Heinz-Bernd; Fehrmann, Henning; Kramer, Michael; Kwang, Shawn A.; Machenschalk, Bernd; Nieder, Lars; Ackermann, Markus; Ajello, Marco; Baldini, Luca; Ballet, Jean; Barbiellini, Guido; Bastieri, Denis; Bellazzini, Ronaldo; Bissaldi, Elisabetta; Blandford, Roger D.; Bloom, Elliott D.; Bonino, Raffaella; Bottacini, Eugenio; Brandt, Terri J.; Bregeon, Johan; Bruel, Philippe; Buehler, Rolf; Burnett, Toby H.; Buson, Sara; Cameron, Rob A.; Caputo, Regina; Caraveo, Patrizia A.; Cavazzuti, Elisabetta; Cecchi, Claudia; Charles, Eric; Chekhtman, Alexandre; Ciprini, Stefano; Cominsky, Lynn R.; Costantin, Denise; Cutini, Sara; D’Ammando, Filippo; De Luca, Andrea; Desiante, Rachele; Di Venere, Leonardo; Di Mauro, Mattia; Di Lalla, Niccolò; Digel, Seth W.; Favuzzi, Cecilia; Ferrara, Elizabeth C.; Franckowiak, Anna; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Funk, Stefan; Fusco, Piergiorgio; Gargano, Fabio; Gasparrini, Dario; Giglietto, Nico; Giordano, Francesco; Giroletti, Marcello; Gomez-Vargas, Germán A.; Green, David; Grenier, Isabelle A.; Guiriec, Sylvain; Harding, Alice K.; Hewitt, John W.; Horan, Deirdre; Jóhannesson, Guðlaugur; Kensei, Shiki; Kuss, Michael; La Mura, Giovanni; Larsson, Stefan; Latronico, Luca; Li, Jian; Longo, Francesco; Loparco, Francesco; Lovellette, Michael N.; Lubrano, Pasquale; Magill, Jeffrey D.; Maldera, Simone; Manfreda, Alberto; Mazziotta, Mario N.; McEnery, Julie E.; Michelson, Peter F.; Mirabal, Nestor; Mitthumsiri, Warit; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Monzani, Maria Elena; Morselli, Aldo; Moskalenko, Igor V.; Nuss, Eric; Ohsugi, Takashi; Omodei, Nicola; Orienti, Monica; Orlando, Elena; Palatiello, Michele; Paliya, Vaidehi S.; de Palma, Francesco; Paneque, David; Perkins, Jeremy S.; Persic, Massimo; Pesce-Rollins, Melissa; Porter, Troy A.; Principe, Giacomo; Rainò, Silvia; Rando, Riccardo; Ray, Paul S.; Razzano, Massimiliano; Reimer, Anita; Reimer, Olaf; Romani, Roger W.; Saz Parkinson, Pablo M.; Sgrò, Carmelo; Siskind, Eric J.; Smith, David A.; Spada, Francesca; Spandre, Gloria; Spinelli, Paolo; Thayer, Jana B.; Thompson, David J.; Torres, Diego F.; Troja, Eleonora; Vianello, Giacomo; Wood, Kent; Wood, Matthew

    2018-01-01

    Millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are old neutron stars that spin hundreds of times per second and appear to pulsate as their emission beams cross our line of sight. To date, radio pulsations have been detected from all rotation-powered MSPs. In an attempt to discover radio-quiet gamma-ray MSPs, we used the aggregated power from the computers of tens of thousands of volunteers participating in the Einstein@Home distributed computing project to search for pulsations from unidentified gamma-ray sources in Fermi Large Area Telescope data. This survey discovered two isolated MSPs, one of which is the only known rotation-powered MSP to remain undetected in radio observations. These gamma-ray MSPs were discovered in completely blind searches without prior constraints from other observations, raising hopes for detecting MSPs from a predicted Galactic bulge population. PMID:29503868

  2. Pioneers in Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Neha; Rodrigues, Camilla; Soman, Rajeev

    2015-09-01

    "If we are not careful, we soon will be in the post-antibiotic era, and for some patients and some microbes we are already there"- Tom Friedan Antibiotics revolutionized medicine in the 20th century. The era of antibacterial chemotherapy began in 1907 with the discovery of arsphenamine, first synthesized by Alferd Bertheim and Paul Ehrlich in 1907, used to treat syphilis. The first systemically active antibiotic, Prontosil was discovered in 1933 by Gerhard Domagk, for which he was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize. Fleming's accidental discovery and isolation of penicillin in September 1928 marked the start of modern antibiotics. It was a discovery that changed the course of history and saved millions of lives. © Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2011.

  3. Post-traumatic stress reactions before the advent of post-traumatic stress disorder: potential effects on the lives and legacies of Alexander the Great, Captain James Cook, Emily Dickinson, and Florence Nightingale.

    PubMed

    Mackowiak, Philip A; Batten, Sonja V

    2008-12-01

    Evidence is presented that Alexander the Great, Captain James Cook, Emily Dickinson, and Florence Nightingale each developed symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath of repeated potentially traumatizing events of differing character. Their case histories also varied with respect to background, premorbid personality style, risk factors, clinical presentation, and course of the illness, illustrating the pleomorphic character of the disorder, as well as the special problems in diagnosing it in historical figures.

  4. New insight into the thermal-tectonic history of the southern Antarctic Peninsula: (Uranium-Thorium-Samarium)/Helium and fission-track thermochronologic results from northwest Palmer Land and Alexander Island

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savrda, Amanda Marie

    2011-12-01

    This study examines the thermal history of the southern Antarctic Peninsula through the application of thermochronometry, and presents the first high-resolution thermochronologic dataset for arc rocks of northwest Palmer Land. I present 19 new thermochronologic ages obtained via (U-Th-Sm)/He and fission-track analyses of apatite and zircon from arc granitoids of northwest Palmer Land and fore-arc rocks of the LeMay and Fossil Bluff Groups of Alexander Island. These data were modeled via Monte Carlo simulations to generate time-temperature pathways. Thermal models generated for arc granitoids of northwest Palmer Land reveal a Late Cretaceous-Early Cenozoic episode of accelerated cooling from ca. 78--55 Ma not previously recognized in the southern Antarctic Peninsula. Here, faster cooling at an average rate of ˜15°C/Myr is bracketed by slower cooling at rates <3°C/Myr. Modeled thermal histories of metamorphosed fore-arc sedimentary rocks of Alexander Island reveal rapid cooling throughout the Eocene at an average rate of ˜13°C/Myr, preceded and followed by slower rates of cooling on the order of <3°C/Myr. The spatial and temporal distribution of the observed cooling trends may reflect localized variations in the thermal regime due to regional changes in plate kinematics, subduction dynamics, and related magmatism, but the cooling rates are also within range of those typical of exhumational processes such as normal faulting, ductile thinning, and erosion.

  5. Strontium-90 Error Discovered in Subcontract Laboratory Spreadsheet

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

    D. D. Brown A. S. Nagel

    1999-07-31

    West Valley Demonstration Project health physicists and environment scientists discovered a series of errors in a subcontractor's spreadsheet being used to reduce data as part of their strontium-90 analytical process.

  6. Intellectual Development and Interaction Effectiveness with DISCOVER.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roselle, Bruce E.; Hummel, Thomas J.

    1988-01-01

    Used Knefelkamp's and Slepitza's (1976) model of career-related intellectual development to investigate how students at different levels of development think as they interact with a computer-assisted career guidance system, DISCOVER II, which comprises modules on understanding interests, values, and abilities; searching for occupations based on…

  7. Pseudomonas blight discovered on raspberry in Watsonville

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In the winter (February) of 2013, a field of raspberries in Watsonville was discovered to be infected with Pseudomonas syringae, the causal agent of Pseudomonas blight disease. This was the first documentation of this disease on raspberry in our region. The infection of raspberry plants is manifeste...

  8. Discovering Structural Regularity in 3D Geometry

    PubMed Central

    Pauly, Mark; Mitra, Niloy J.; Wallner, Johannes; Pottmann, Helmut; Guibas, Leonidas J.

    2010-01-01

    We introduce a computational framework for discovering regular or repeated geometric structures in 3D shapes. We describe and classify possible regular structures and present an effective algorithm for detecting such repeated geometric patterns in point- or mesh-based models. Our method assumes no prior knowledge of the geometry or spatial location of the individual elements that define the pattern. Structure discovery is made possible by a careful analysis of pairwise similarity transformations that reveals prominent lattice structures in a suitable model of transformation space. We introduce an optimization method for detecting such uniform grids specifically designed to deal with outliers and missing elements. This yields a robust algorithm that successfully discovers complex regular structures amidst clutter, noise, and missing geometry. The accuracy of the extracted generating transformations is further improved using a novel simultaneous registration method in the spatial domain. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm on a variety of examples and show applications to compression, model repair, and geometry synthesis. PMID:21170292

  9. Ivan Djaja (Jean Giaja)1 and the Belgrade School of Physiology

    PubMed Central

    Andjus, Pavle R.; Stojilkovic, Stanko S.; Cvijic, Gordana

    2016-01-01

    Summary The founder of physiology studies in the Balkans and the pioneer of research on hypothermia, Ivan Djaja (Jean Giaja) was born 1884 in L’Havre. Giaja gained his PhD at the Sorbonne in 1909. In 1910 he established the first Chair of Physiology in the Balkans and organized the first Serbian Institute for Physiology at the School of Philosophy of the University of Belgrade. He led this Institute for more than 40 subsequent years. His most notable papers were in the field of thermoregulation and bioenergetics. Djaja became member of the Serbian and Croatian academies of science and doctor honoris causa of Sorbonne. In 1952 for the seminal work on the behaviour of deep cooled warm blooded animals he becane associate member of the National Medical Academy in Paris. In 1955 the French Academy of Sciences elected him as associate member in place of deceased Sir Alexander Fleming. Djaja died in 1957 during a congress held in his honour. He left more than 200 scientific and other papers and the golden DaVincian credo “Nulla dies sine experimento”. His legacy was continued by several generations of researchers, the most prominent among them being Stefan Gelineo, Radoslav Andjus and Vojislav Petrović. PMID:21777022

  10. Discovering Astronomy: An Astro 101 e-book

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shawl, Stephen J.; Byrd, Gene; Deustua, Susana E.; LoPresto, Michael C.

    2016-01-01

    Discovering Astronomy, now available in its 6th edition as an eText, has many advantages and features for your students. We have partnered with etextink.com and WebAssign.net to produce an affordable set of cost-saving options for your students. Also available is the Discovering Astronomy Activity Manual, which provides students with an active-learning experience.Our etext is device independent and thus accessible through any web browser. Americans with Disabilities Act compatibility provides access for all students. Hotlinks to outside sites provide further information for interested students. Lecture demonstration videos of important concepts, made specifically for this new edition, are embedded within the text as appropriate. Students can highlight text, take notes, and bookmark locations within the text. Important terms are linked to the glossary. Search capabilities allow students to easily find what they want.Instructors can interact with their students directly through the etext once the class roster has been provided. For example, instructors can embed assignments into their students' etext and add their own notes and updates, which are immediately visible to their students.Updates can be quickly made by us as new findings become available. For example, updates from New Horizons were added at the time of the closest approach to Pluto, and an update on the recent announcement of current water on Mars was added the day of the announcement.We will present results of our own experience with college and high school students' use of Discovering Astronomy in online courses.Details of the book, a sample chapter, and other information are available at discoveringastronomy.weebly.com.

  11. DISCOVER AQ Research Plane Arrives

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-28

    An unidentified researcher works aboard the P-3B NASA research aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

  12. Cochlear Implants Keep Twin Sisters Learning, Discovering Together

    MedlinePlus

    ... University. Photo: Johns Hopkins University Keep Twin Sisters Learning, Discovering Together Mia and Isabelle Jeppsen, 10, share ... her mother, gratefully, "There's the obvious benefit of learning to read, write and communicate with facility and ...

  13. jsc2017e136942 - In the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Jeanette Epps of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency lay flowers Dec. 6 at the sta

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-06

    jsc2017e136942 - In the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Jeanette Epps of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency lay flowers Dec. 6 at the sta

  14. jsc2017e136944 - In the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Jeanette Epps of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency lay flowers Dec. 6 at the sta

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-06

    jsc2017e136944 - In the town of Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Jeanette Epps of NASA, Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency lay flowers Dec. 6 at the sta

  15. Faculty-led Teams: Key Success Factors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dance-Bennink, Terry; Kincaid, Kate; Groombridge, Tracy

    Sir Sandford Fleming College in Ontario, Canada is in the process of transforming itself from a teaching-based college to a student-centered organization. Faculty-led teams are a critical element in this transformation. With active support from its faculty union, Fleming has reduced its administrative ranks by one-third and created a host of teams…

  16. Discovering amino acid patterns on binding sites in protein complexes

    PubMed Central

    Kuo, Huang-Cheng; Ong, Ping-Lin; Lin, Jung-Chang; Huang, Jen-Peng

    2011-01-01

    Discovering amino acid (AA) patterns on protein binding sites has recently become popular. We propose a method to discover the association relationship among AAs on binding sites. Such knowledge of binding sites is very helpful in predicting protein-protein interactions. In this paper, we focus on protein complexes which have protein-protein recognition. The association rule mining technique is used to discover geographically adjacent amino acids on a binding site of a protein complex. When mining, instead of treating all AAs of binding sites as a transaction, we geographically partition AAs of binding sites in a protein complex. AAs in a partition are treated as a transaction. For the partition process, AAs on a binding site are projected from three-dimensional to two-dimensional. And then, assisted with a circular grid, AAs on the binding site are placed into grid cells. A circular grid has ten rings: a central ring, the second ring with 6 sectors, the third ring with 12 sectors, and later rings are added to four sectors in order. As for the radius of each ring, we examined the complexes and found that 10Å is a suitable range, which can be set by the user. After placing these recognition complexes on the circular grid, we obtain mining records (i.e. transactions) from each sector. A sector is regarded as a record. Finally, we use the association rule to mine these records for frequent AA patterns. If the support of an AA pattern is larger than the predetermined minimum support (i.e. threshold), it is called a frequent pattern. With these discovered patterns, we offer the biologists a novel point of view, which will improve the prediction accuracy of protein-protein recognition. In our experiments, we produced the AA patterns by data mining. As a result, we found that arginine (arg) most frequently appears on the binding sites of two proteins in the recognition protein complexes, while cysteine (cys) appears the fewest. In addition, if we discriminate the shape

  17. Discovering Alaska's Salmon: A Children's Activity Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devaney, Laurel

    This children's activity book helps students discover Alaska's salmon. Information is provided about salmon and where they live. The salmon life cycle and food chains are also discussed. Different kinds of salmon such as Chum Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, and Pink Salmon are introduced, and various activities on salmon are…

  18. Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson. Wilson's disease, Queen Square and neurology.

    PubMed

    Broussolle, E; Trocello, J-M; Woimant, F; Lachaux, A; Quinn, N

    2013-12-01

    This historical article describes the life and work of the British physician Samuel Alexander Kinnier Wilson (1878-1937), who was one of the world's greatest neurologists of the first half of the 20th century. Early in his career, Wilson spent one year in Paris in 1903 where he learned from Pierre-Marie at Bicêtre Hospital. He subsequently retained uninterrupted links with French neurology. He also visited in Leipzig the German anatomist Paul Flechsig. In 1904, Wilson returned to London, where he worked for the rest of his life at the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic (later the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, and today the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery) in Queen Square, and also at Kings' College Hospital. He wrote on 'the old motor system and the new', on disorders of motility and muscle tone, on the epilepsies, on aphasia, apraxia, tics, and pathologic laughing and crying, and most importantly on Wilson's disease. The other objective of our paper is to commemorate the centenary of Wilson's most important work published in 1912 in Brain, and also in Revue Neurologique, on an illness newly recognized and characterized by him entitled "Progressive lenticular degeneration, a familial nervous disease associated with liver cirrhosis". He analyzed 12 clinical cases, four of whom he followed himself, but also four cases previously published by others and a further two that he considered in retrospect had the same disease as he was describing. The pathological profile combined necrotic damage in the lenticular nuclei of the brain and hepatic cirrhosis. This major original work is summarized and discussed in the present paper. Wilson not only delineated what was later called hepato-lenticular degeneration and Wilson's disease, but also introduced for the first time the terms extrapyramidal syndrome and extrapyramidal system, stressing the role of the basal ganglia in motility. The present historical work emphasizes the special

  19. Discovering System Health Anomalies Using Data Mining Techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sriastava, Ashok, N.

    2005-01-01

    We present a data mining framework for the analysis and discovery of anomalies in high-dimensional time series of sensor measurements that would be found in an Integrated System Health Monitoring system. We specifically treat the problem of discovering anomalous features in the time series that may be indicative of a system anomaly, or in the case of a manned system, an anomaly due to the human. Identification of these anomalies is crucial to building stable, reusable, and cost-efficient systems. The framework consists of an analysis platform and new algorithms that can scale to thousands of sensor streams to discovers temporal anomalies. We discuss the mathematical framework that underlies the system and also describe in detail how this framework is general enough to encompass both discrete and continuous sensor measurements. We also describe a new set of data mining algorithms based on kernel methods and hidden Markov models that allow for the rapid assimilation, analysis, and discovery of system anomalies. We then describe the performance of the system on a real-world problem in the aircraft domain where we analyze the cockpit data from aircraft as well as data from the aircraft propulsion, control, and guidance systems. These data are discrete and continuous sensor measurements and are dealt with seamlessly in order to discover anomalous flights. We conclude with recommendations that describe the tradeoffs in building an integrated scalable platform for robust anomaly detection in ISHM applications.

  20. Discovering and visualizing indirect associations between biomedical concepts

    PubMed Central

    Tsuruoka, Yoshimasa; Miwa, Makoto; Hamamoto, Kaisei; Tsujii, Jun'ichi; Ananiadou, Sophia

    2011-01-01

    Motivation: Discovering useful associations between biomedical concepts has been one of the main goals in biomedical text-mining, and understanding their biomedical contexts is crucial in the discovery process. Hence, we need a text-mining system that helps users explore various types of (possibly hidden) associations in an easy and comprehensible manner. Results: This article describes FACTA+, a real-time text-mining system for finding and visualizing indirect associations between biomedical concepts from MEDLINE abstracts. The system can be used as a text search engine like PubMed with additional features to help users discover and visualize indirect associations between important biomedical concepts such as genes, diseases and chemical compounds. FACTA+ inherits all functionality from its predecessor, FACTA, and extends it by incorporating three new features: (i) detecting biomolecular events in text using a machine learning model, (ii) discovering hidden associations using co-occurrence statistics between concepts, and (iii) visualizing associations to improve the interpretability of the output. To the best of our knowledge, FACTA+ is the first real-time web application that offers the functionality of finding concepts involving biomolecular events and visualizing indirect associations of concepts with both their categories and importance. Availability: FACTA+ is available as a web application at http://refine1-nactem.mc.man.ac.uk/facta/, and its visualizer is available at http://refine1-nactem.mc.man.ac.uk/facta-visualizer/. Contact: tsuruoka@jaist.ac.jp PMID:21685059

  1. Proceedings of the US Army Institute of Surgical Research Anniversary Symposium (40th), Held in San Antonio, Texas on October 26-27, 1987

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-10-01

    Alteration of Onsonic Activity after Burn Injury 126 By: J. Wesley Alexander, MD, ScD Inflammatory Mediators 131 By: Roger W. Yurt, MD Burn-Related...extension of its World War II activities , defining the role of the then newly discovered antibiotic, penicillin, in the treatment of war wounds. Driven...of burn injury and resultant improvement in burn care. The following review consists of a decennial update of the Institute’s activities with emphasis

  2. Alexander von Humboldt: galvanism, animal electricity, and self-experimentation part 1: formative years, naturphilosophie, and galvanism.

    PubMed

    Finger, Stanley; Piccolino, Marco; Stahnisch, Frank W

    2013-01-01

    During the 1790s, Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who showed an early interest in many facets of natural philosophy and natural history, delved into the controversial subject of galvanism and animal electricity, hoping to shed light on the basic nature of the nerve force. He was motivated by his broad worldview, the experiments of Luigi Galvani, who favored animal electricity in more than a few specialized fishes, and the thinking of Alessandro Volta, who accepted specialized fish electricity but was not willing to generalize to other animals, thinking Galvani's frog experiments flawed by his use of metals. Differing from many German Naturphilosophen, who shunned "violent" experiments, the newest instruments, and detailed measurement, Humboldt conducted thousands of galvanic experiments on animals and animal parts, as well as many on his own body, some of which caused him great pain. He interpreted his results as supporting some but not all of the claims made by both Galvani and Volta. Notably, because of certain negative findings and phenomenological differences, he remained skeptical about the intrinsic animal force being qualitatively identical to true electricity. Hence, he referred to a "galvanic force," not animal electricity, in his letters and publications, a theoretical position he would abandon with Volta's help early in the new century.

  3. Methodology for the evaluation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.

    PubMed

    Gibbs, L; Staiger, P K; Townsend, M; Macfarlane, S; Gold, L; Block, K; Johnson, B; Kulas, J; Waters, E

    2013-04-01

    Community and school cooking and gardening programs have recently increased internationally. However, despite promising indications, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. This paper presents the evaluation framework and methods negotiated and developed to meet the information needs of all stakeholders for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program, a combined cooking and gardening program implemented in selectively funded primary schools across Australia. The evaluation used multiple aligned theoretical frameworks and models, including a public health ecological approach, principles of effective health promotion and models of experiential learning. The evaluation is a non-randomised comparison of six schools receiving the program (intervention) and six comparison schools (all government-funded primary schools) in urban and rural areas of Victoria, Australia. A mixed-methods approach was used, relying on qualitative measures to understand changes in school cultures and the experiential impacts on children, families, teachers, parents and volunteers, and quantitative measures at baseline and 1 year follow up to provide supporting information regarding patterns of change. The evaluation study design addressed the limitations of many existing evaluation studies of cooking or garden programs. The multistrand approach to the mixed methodology maintained the rigour of the respective methods and provided an opportunity to explore complexity in the findings. Limited sensitivity of some of the quantitative measures was identified, as well as the potential for bias in the coding of the open-ended questions. The SAKG evaluation methodology will address the need for appropriate evaluation approaches for school-based kitchen garden programs. It demonstrates the feasibility of a meaningful, comprehensive evaluation of school-based programs and also demonstrates the central role qualitative methods can have in a mixed-method evaluation. So what? This paper

  4. Who discovered the sylvian fissure?

    PubMed

    Collice, Massimo; Collice, Rosa; Riva, Alessandro

    2008-10-01

    Cerebral convolutions were unknown until the 17th century. A constant sulcus was not recognized until the mid-1600s; it was named "the fissure of Sylvius," after the person who had always been considered as the one who discovered it. It is commonly asserted that the first description of the lateral scissure was made by Caspar Bartholin, who attributed its discovery to Sylvius. However, this was not actually the case, as Caspar Bartholin died in 1629, whereas Sylvius started studying medicine in 1632. The description could have been made either by Caspar Bartholin's son Thomas or by Sylvius himself. Irrespective of the description's author, the key to the history of the lateral fissure is that it was first identified by Fabrici d'Acquapendente in 1600, 40 years before Sylvius' description. In one of the 300 colored plates (Tabulae Pictae) by Fabrici, the lateral fissure is perfectly depicted, as are the temporal convolutions. Therefore, even if it was an accidental discovery, Fabrici should be the one noted as having discovered the fissure. This article ends with a short history of the plates. They were painted in oil on paper and were thought to further a great work, the Theatrum Totius Animalis Fabricae, which was begun in 1591 and never completed or published. Only the colored illustrations of this project remain. These plates were forgotten for more than 200 years, until they were rediscovered by Giuseppe Sterzi in 1909. They are among the best examples of anatomic iconography in terms of innovation, accuracy, and artistic accomplishment.

  5. Updating strategies for isolating and discovering giant viruses.

    PubMed

    Khalil, Jacques Yaacoub Bou; Andreani, Julien; La Scola, Bernard

    2016-06-01

    Almost fifteen years ago, the discovery of Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus, the first giant virus, changed how we define a virus. It was discovered incidentally in a process of isolating Legionella sp. from environmental samples in the context of pneumonia epidemics using a co-culture system with Acanthamoeba. Since then, much effort and improvement has been put into the original technique. In addition to the known families of Mimiviridae and Marseilleviridae, four new proposed families of giant viruses have been isolated: Pandoravirus, Pithovirus, Faustovirus and Mollivirus. Major improvements were based on enrichment systems, targeted use of antibiotics and high-throughput methods. The most recent development, using flow cytometry for isolation and presumptive identification systems, opens a path to large environmental surveys that may discover new giant virus families in new protozoa supports used for culture support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Boron Discovered in Ancient Habitable Mars Groundwater

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

    Gasda, Patrick

    Boron was recently discovered in calcium-sulfate veins on Mars using the ChemCam instrument on NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover. This is the first Mars mission to detect boron on the Red Planet. Los Alamos Post-Doctoral Student Patrick Gasda explains how this discovery helps us better understand the timescale of habitability on Mars.

  7. Discover Presidential Log Cabins. Teacher's Discussion Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Park Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC.

    Discover Presidential Log Cabins is a set of materials designed to help educate 6-8 grade students about the significance of three log cabin sites occupied by George Washington, Ulysses Grant, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. This teacher's discussion guide is intended for use as part of a larger, comprehensive social studies program, and…

  8. DISCOVER AQ Research Plane Arrives

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-28

    A 117-foot P-3B NASA research aircraft is seen on the tarmac at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

  9. DISCOVER AQ Research Plane Arrives

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-28

    Pilots Shane Dover, left, and Mike Singer are seen on the flight deck of the P-3B NASA research aircraft at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

  10. The pearls of using real-world evidence to discover social groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cardillo, Raymond A.; Salerno, John J.

    2005-03-01

    In previous work, we introduced a new paradigm called Uni-Party Data Community Generation (UDCG) and a new methodology to discover social groups (a.k.a., community models) called Link Discovery based on Correlation Analysis (LDCA). We further advanced this work by experimenting with a corpus of evidence obtained from a Ponzi scheme investigation. That work identified several UDCG algorithms, developed what we called "Importance Measures" to compare the accuracy of the algorithms based on ground truth, and presented a Concept of Operations (CONOPS) that criminal investigators could use to discover social groups. However, that work used a rather small random sample of manually edited documents because the evidence contained far too many OCR and other extraction errors. Deferring the evidence extraction errors allowed us to continue experimenting with UDCG algorithms, but only used a small fraction of the available evidence. In attempt to discover techniques that are more practical in the near-term, our most recent work focuses on being able to use an entire corpus of real-world evidence to discover social groups. This paper discusses the complications of extracting evidence, suggests a method of performing name resolution, presents a new UDCG algorithm, and discusses our future direction in this area.

  11. Discovering frequently recurring movement sequences in team-sport athlete spatiotemporal data.

    PubMed

    Sweeting, Alice J; Aughey, Robert J; Cormack, Stuart J; Morgan, Stuart

    2017-12-01

    Athlete external load is typically analysed from predetermined movement thresholds. The combination of movement sequences and differences in these movements between playing positions is also currently unknown. This study developed a method to discover the frequently recurring movement sequences across playing position during matches. The external load of 12 international female netball athletes was collected by a local positioning system during four national-level matches. Velocity, acceleration and angular velocity were calculated from positional (X, Y) data, clustered via one-dimensional k-means and assigned a unique alphabetic label. Combinations of velocity, acceleration and angular velocity movement were compared using the Levenshtein distance and similarities computed by the longest common substring problem. The contribution of each movement sequence, according to playing position and relative to the wider data set, was then calculated via the Minkowski distance. A total of 10 frequently recurring combinations of movement were discovered, regardless of playing position. Only the wing attack, goal attack and goal defence playing positions are closely related. We developed a technique to discover the movement sequences, according to playing position, performed by elite netballers. This methodology can be extended to discover the frequently recurring movements within other team sports and across levels of competition.

  12. A strategy to discover new organizers identifies a putative heart organizer

    PubMed Central

    Anderson, Claire; Khan, Mohsin A. F.; Wong, Frances; Solovieva, Tatiana; Oliveira, Nidia M. M.; Baldock, Richard A.; Tickle, Cheryll; Burt, Dave W.; Stern, Claudio D.

    2016-01-01

    Organizers are regions of the embryo that can both induce new fates and impart pattern on other regions. So far, surprisingly few organizers have been discovered, considering the number of patterned tissue types generated during development. This may be because their discovery has relied on transplantation and ablation experiments. Here we describe a new approach, using chick embryos, to discover organizers based on a common gene expression signature, and use it to uncover the anterior intestinal portal (AIP) endoderm as a putative heart organizer. We show that the AIP can induce cardiac identity from non-cardiac mesoderm and that it can pattern this by specifying ventricular and suppressing atrial regional identity. We also uncover some of the signals responsible. The method holds promise as a tool to discover other novel organizers acting during development. PMID:27557800

  13. Dive and Discover : Expeditions to the Seafloor

    Science.gov Websites

    me a link other What is your highest level of education? -- please select -- K-12 student High School : Are you a teacher? Yes No Email: Your email will not be revealed to any third party, nor be used for Us | Contact © 2005 Dive and Discover is a registered trademark of Woods Hole Oceanographic

  14. DISCOVER AQ Research Plane Arrives

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-06-28

    WFF Pilots Mike Singer, left, and Shane Dover stand in front of the 117-foot P-3B NASA research aircraft on the tarmac at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Tuesday, June 28, 2011, in Baltimore, Md. The aircraft is part of a month-long field campaign designed to improve satellite measurements of air pollution. The name of the experiment -- Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality (DISCOVER -- AQ) -- is a mouthful, but its purpose is simple. Come July, the aircraft will be flying spirals over six ground stations in Maryland. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

  15. Communicating Finnish Quietude: A Pedagogical Process for Discovering Implicit Cultural Meanings in Languages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berry, Michael; Carbaugh, Donal; Nurmikari-Berry, Marjatta

    2004-01-01

    This paper introduces a pedagogical approach to integrating intercultural communication into language learning. The focus is on the development of competence in discovering and interpreting cultural meanings when communicating in English as an international language. The analyses of data which students produced illustrates how discovering implicit…

  16. Discover Earth: Earth's Energy Budget or Can You Spare a Sun?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gates, Tom; Peters, Dale E.; Steeley, Jeanne

    1999-01-01

    Discover Earth is a NASA-sponsored project for teachers of grades 5-12, designed to: enhance understanding of the Earth as an integrated system enhance the interdisciplinary approach to science instruction, and provide classroom materials that focus on those goals. Discover Earth is conducted by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in collaboration with Dr. Eric Barron, Director, Earth System Science Center, The Pennsylvania State University; and Dr. Robert Hudson, Chair, the Department of Meteorology, University of Maryland at College Park.

  17. Discovering loose group movement patterns from animal trajectories

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wang, Yuwei; Luo, Ze; Xiong, Yan; Prosser, Diann J.; Newman, Scott H.; Takekawa, John Y.; Yan, Baoping

    2015-01-01

    The technical advances of positioning technologies enable us to track animal movements at finer spatial and temporal scales, and further help to discover a variety of complex interactive relationships. In this paper, considering the loose gathering characteristics of the real-life groups' members during the movements, we propose two kinds of loose group movement patterns and corresponding discovery algorithms. Firstly, we propose the weakly consistent group movement pattern which allows the gathering of a part of the members and individual temporary leave from the whole during the movements. To tolerate the high dispersion of the group at some moments (i.e. to adapt the discontinuity of the group's gatherings), we further scheme the weakly consistent and continuous group movement pattern. The extensive experimental analysis and comparison with the real and synthetic data shows that the group pattern discovery algorithms proposed in this paper are similar to the the real-life frequent divergences of the members during the movements, can discover more complete memberships, and have considerable performance.

  18. Fast Ss-Ilm a Computationally Efficient Algorithm to Discover Socially Important Locations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dokuz, A. S.; Celik, M.

    2017-11-01

    Socially important locations are places which are frequently visited by social media users in their social media lifetime. Discovering socially important locations provide several valuable information about user behaviours on social media networking sites. However, discovering socially important locations are challenging due to data volume and dimensions, spatial and temporal calculations, location sparseness in social media datasets, and inefficiency of current algorithms. In the literature, several studies are conducted to discover important locations, however, the proposed approaches do not work in computationally efficient manner. In this study, we propose Fast SS-ILM algorithm by modifying the algorithm of SS-ILM to mine socially important locations efficiently. Experimental results show that proposed Fast SS-ILM algorithm decreases execution time of socially important locations discovery process up to 20 %.

  19. Quantitative Evaluation of Brain Stem Atrophy Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Adult Patients with Alexander Disease.

    PubMed

    Yoshida, Tomokatsu; Yasuda, Rei; Mizuta, Ikuko; Nakagawa, Masanori; Mizuno, Toshiki

    2017-01-01

    Brain MRI in adult patients with Alexander disease (AxD) mainly shows atrophy in the medulla oblongata. However, currently there is no quantitative standard for assessing this atrophy. In this study, we quantitatively evaluated the brain stem of AxD patients with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mutation using conventional MRI to evaluate its usefulness as an aid to diagnosing AxD in daily clinical practice. Nineteen AxD patients with GFAP mutation were compared with 14 patients negative for GFAP mutation in whom AxD was suspected due to "atrophy of the medulla oblongata." In the GFAP mutation-positive group, the sagittal diameter of the medulla oblongata, the ratio of the diameter of the medulla oblongata to that of the midbrain (MO/MB), and the ratio of the sagittal diameter of the medulla oblongata to that of the pons (MO/Po) were significantly smaller compared to those of the GFAP mutation-negative group (p < 0.01). The sensitivity and specificity of each parameter were 87.5 and 92.3%, 91.7 and 81.3%, and 88.2 and 100% with a sagittal diameter of the medulla oblongata <9.0 mm, MO/MB <0.60, and sagittal MO/Po <0.46, respectively. These parameters can provide very useful information to differentially diagnose AxD from other disorders associated with brain stem atrophy in adult patients. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  20. Discovering Hidden Analogies in an Online Humanities Database.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cory, Kenneth A.

    1999-01-01

    Drawing upon an efficacious method for discovering previously unknown causes of medical syndromes and searching in the Humanities Index, an illuminating new humanities analogy between the epistemological ideas of Robert Frost and the ancient Greek philosopher Carneades was found by constructing a search statement in which proper names were coupled…

  1. Dermal Coverage of Traumatic War Wounds

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-11-01

    Meeting in Washington, DC in December 2014 and at the ASRM (American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery ) Annual Meeting in the Bahamas in January...Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery ) Annual Meeting in the Bahamas in January 2015.  The first compassionate care case was presented by Dr. Fleming...for Reconstructive Microsurgery ) Annual Meeting in the Bahamas in January 2015. Moreover, the first compassionate care case was presented by Dr. Fleming

  2. Two new species of Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

    PubMed Central

    Wood, D. Monty; Smith, M. Alex; Hallwachs, Winnie; Janzen, Daniel; Dapkey, Tanya

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background We describe two new species in the genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. Both species were reared from wild-caughtcaterpillars of Eois spp. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). We provide a concise description of each species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. New information Erythromelana jimmychevezi Fleming & Wood sp. nov. Erythromelana glenriverai Fleming & Wood sp. nov. PMID:27226745

  3. Plant Biofilm Inhibitors to Discover Biofilm Genes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-08

    REPORT Final Report for Plant Biofilm Inhibitors to Discover Biofilm Genes 14. ABSTRACT 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: To control biofilms , we have...synthesized the natural biofilm inhibitor (5Z)-4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene) -3-butyl-2(5H)-furanone from the red alga Delisea pulchra and determined that...Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS biofilms , biofilm inhibitors Thomas K. Wood Texas Engineering

  4. Discovering graphical Granger causality using the truncating lasso penalty

    PubMed Central

    Shojaie, Ali; Michailidis, George

    2010-01-01

    Motivation: Components of biological systems interact with each other in order to carry out vital cell functions. Such information can be used to improve estimation and inference, and to obtain better insights into the underlying cellular mechanisms. Discovering regulatory interactions among genes is therefore an important problem in systems biology. Whole-genome expression data over time provides an opportunity to determine how the expression levels of genes are affected by changes in transcription levels of other genes, and can therefore be used to discover regulatory interactions among genes. Results: In this article, we propose a novel penalization method, called truncating lasso, for estimation of causal relationships from time-course gene expression data. The proposed penalty can correctly determine the order of the underlying time series, and improves the performance of the lasso-type estimators. Moreover, the resulting estimate provides information on the time lag between activation of transcription factors and their effects on regulated genes. We provide an efficient algorithm for estimation of model parameters, and show that the proposed method can consistently discover causal relationships in the large p, small n setting. The performance of the proposed model is evaluated favorably in simulated, as well as real, data examples. Availability: The proposed truncating lasso method is implemented in the R-package ‘grangerTlasso’ and is freely available at http://www.stat.lsa.umich.edu/∼shojaie/ Contact: shojaie@umich.edu PMID:20823316

  5. Discovering disease-associated genes in weighted protein-protein interaction networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Ying; Cai, Meng; Stanley, H. Eugene

    2018-04-01

    Although there have been many network-based attempts to discover disease-associated genes, most of them have not taken edge weight - which quantifies their relative strength - into consideration. We use connection weights in a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to locate disease-related genes. We analyze the topological properties of both weighted and unweighted PPI networks and design an improved random forest classifier to distinguish disease genes from non-disease genes. We use a cross-validation test to confirm that weighted networks are better able to discover disease-associated genes than unweighted networks, which indicates that including link weight in the analysis of network properties provides a better model of complex genotype-phenotype associations.

  6. Symmetry compression method for discovering network motifs.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jianxin; Huang, Yuannan; Wu, Fang-Xiang; Pan, Yi

    2012-01-01

    Discovering network motifs could provide a significant insight into systems biology. Interestingly, many biological networks have been found to have a high degree of symmetry (automorphism), which is inherent in biological network topologies. The symmetry due to the large number of basic symmetric subgraphs (BSSs) causes a certain redundant calculation in discovering network motifs. Therefore, we compress all basic symmetric subgraphs before extracting compressed subgraphs and propose an efficient decompression algorithm to decompress all compressed subgraphs without loss of any information. In contrast to previous approaches, the novel Symmetry Compression method for Motif Detection, named as SCMD, eliminates most redundant calculations caused by widespread symmetry of biological networks. We use SCMD to improve three notable exact algorithms and two efficient sampling algorithms. Results of all exact algorithms with SCMD are the same as those of the original algorithms, since SCMD is a lossless method. The sampling results show that the use of SCMD almost does not affect the quality of sampling results. For highly symmetric networks, we find that SCMD used in both exact and sampling algorithms can help get a remarkable speedup. Furthermore, SCMD enables us to find larger motifs in biological networks with notable symmetry than previously possible.

  7. Discovering Sequence Motifs with Arbitrary Insertions and Deletions

    PubMed Central

    Frith, Martin C.; Saunders, Neil F. W.; Kobe, Bostjan; Bailey, Timothy L.

    2008-01-01

    Biology is encoded in molecular sequences: deciphering this encoding remains a grand scientific challenge. Functional regions of DNA, RNA, and protein sequences often exhibit characteristic but subtle motifs; thus, computational discovery of motifs in sequences is a fundamental and much-studied problem. However, most current algorithms do not allow for insertions or deletions (indels) within motifs, and the few that do have other limitations. We present a method, GLAM2 (Gapped Local Alignment of Motifs), for discovering motifs allowing indels in a fully general manner, and a companion method GLAM2SCAN for searching sequence databases using such motifs. glam2 is a generalization of the gapless Gibbs sampling algorithm. It re-discovers variable-width protein motifs from the PROSITE database significantly more accurately than the alternative methods PRATT and SAM-T2K. Furthermore, it usefully refines protein motifs from the ELM database: in some cases, the refined motifs make orders of magnitude fewer overpredictions than the original ELM regular expressions. GLAM2 performs respectably on the BAliBASE multiple alignment benchmark, and may be superior to leading multiple alignment methods for “motif-like” alignments with N- and C-terminal extensions. Finally, we demonstrate the use of GLAM2 to discover protein kinase substrate motifs and a gapped DNA motif for the LIM-only transcriptional regulatory complex: using GLAM2SCAN, we identify promising targets for the latter. GLAM2 is especially promising for short protein motifs, and it should improve our ability to identify the protein cleavage sites, interaction sites, post-translational modification attachment sites, etc., that underlie much of biology. It may be equally useful for arbitrarily gapped motifs in DNA and RNA, although fewer examples of such motifs are known at present. GLAM2 is public domain software, available for download at http://bioinformatics.org.au/glam2. PMID:18437229

  8. Discover Primary Science: Developing Primary Science in Ireland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horner, Margaret; Palmer, Marion

    2007-01-01

    "Discover Primary Science" is a major project in primary science education in Ireland. In 2006-2007 it involves 2400 primary schools, 45 host centres, and two government departments. However, it started out as a local initiative taken by one state agency in 2002 involving four Institutes of Technology and 40 primary schools. The aim of…

  9. [Breast tumor revealed by a gastric metastasis discovered incidentally].

    PubMed

    Moussaoui, Aziz El; Assi, Fadi; Bental, Abdeslam

    2016-01-01

    The gastric metastasis of breast cancer are rare, and their discovery is difficult, because the symptoms is often unspecific or even absent. We report an original case of ductal carcinoma of the breast revealed by a gastric metastasis discovered incidentally.

  10. [Researchers training in the context of the collaborative projects: experiences of Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humbolt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia].

    PubMed

    Gotuzzo, Eduardo; González, Elsa; Verdonck, Kristien

    2010-09-01

    Research is a main element for human and social development. Under this point of view, it involves particular challenges and opportunities for the so-called "developing countries". An approach for those challenges and opportunities comes from the analysis of two interrelated activities; the training of new researchers and the research development with institutions or researchers which are external to the institution ("collaborative research"). Both activities are essential for the consolidation, widening and updating of the institutional capabilities for scientific production. We present here the experiences of the Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt" of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, in relation to the training of new researchers, we discuss the four elements we consider key for this process; the promotion of stimulating environments for research, the proactive identification of fellows, the complementary advice and networks consolidation; and we analyze three successful models of international collaboration for the training of new researchers under different institutional approaches.

  11. 32 CFR 644.533 - Contamination discovered after return of land to owner, or sale.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Contamination discovered after return of land to owner, or sale. 644.533 Section 644.533 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF... Other Contamination from Proposed Excess Land and Improvements § 644.533 Contamination discovered after...

  12. Project Alexander the Great: a study on the world proliferation of bioengineering/biomedical engineering education.

    PubMed

    Abu-Faraj, Ziad O

    2008-01-01

    Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering is considered amongst the most reputable fields within the global arena, and will likely be the primer for any future breakthroughs in Medicine and Biology. Bioengineering/biomedical engineering education has evolved since late 1950s and is undergoing advancement in leading academic institutions worldwide. This paper delineates an original study on the world proliferation of bioengineering/biomedical engineering education and bears the name 'Project Alexander the Great'. The initial step of the project was to survey all 10448 universities, recognized by the International Association of Universities, spread among the 193 member states of the United Nations within the six continents. The project aims at identifying, disseminating, and networking, through the world-wide-web, those institutions of higher learning that provide bioengineering/biomedical engineering education. The significance of this project is multifold: i) the inception of a web-based 'world-map' in bioengineering/biomedical engineering education for the potential international student desiring to pursue a career in this field; ii) the global networking of bioengineering/biomedical engineering academic/research programs; iii) the promotion of first-class bioengineering/biomedical engineering education and the catalysis of global proliferation of this field; iv) the erection of bridges among educational institutions, industry, and professional societies or organizations involved in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering; and v) the catalysis in the establishment of framework agreements for cooperation among the identified institutions offering curricula in this field. This paper presents the results obtained from Africa and North America. The whole project is due to be completed by 2009.

  13. Discovering drugs for the treatment of Ebola virus

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-08-04

    Discovering drugs for the treatment of Ebola virus Sandra L. Bixler, Allen J. Duplantier and Sina Bavari Address United States Army Medical...with the recent West African outbreak resulting in over 11,000 deaths. This review provides a summary of the status of drug discovery and development...disease, including small molecules, immunotherapeutics, host factors, and clinical disease management options. Introduction Drug development for

  14. Discover Summer School: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torgerson, David; Torgerson, Carole; Jefferson, Laura; Buckley, Hannah; Ainsworth, Hannah; Heaps, Clare; Mitchell, Natasha

    2014-01-01

    The Discover Summer School was a four-week programme which aimed to improve the reading and writing skills of children during the summer between Year 6 and Year 7. The programme was targeted at pupils who had been predicted to achieve below Level 4b in English by the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils meeting the eligibility criteria for the study, and…

  15. Re-discovering ancient wheat varieties as functional foods.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Raymond

    2015-07-01

    With the gluten-free food market worth almost $1.6 bn in 2011, there is every reason for renewed interest in ancient grains. This resurgent interest is expressed in re-discovering ancient varieties as functional foods. In particular, people affected by celiac disease have to avoid all gluten in their diet and several ancient grains may offer an important alternative.

  16. Re-Discovering Mendel: The Case of Carl Correns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rheinberger, Hans-Jörg

    2015-01-01

    Carl Erich Correns (1864-1933) is remembered in the annals of science as one of the three botanists who re-discovered Mendel's laws. He can also, however, be regarded as one of the founding figures of classical genetics in Germany. Between 1894 and 1899 he carried out the crossing experiments with corn and peas that led to the re-statement of…

  17. Alexander Technique Training Coupled With an Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction in Teachers With Low Back Pain.

    PubMed

    Kamalikhah, Tahereh; Morowatisharifabad, Mohammad Ali; Rezaei-Moghaddam, Farid; Ghasemi, Mohammad; Gholami-Fesharaki, Mohammad; Goklani, Salma

    2016-09-01

    Individuals suffering from chronic low back pain (CLBP) experience major physical, social, and occupational disruptions. Strong evidence confirms the effectiveness of Alexander technique (AT) training for CLBP. The present study applied an integrative model (IM) of behavioral prediction for improvement of AT training. This was a quasi-experimental study of female teachers with nonspecific LBP in southern Tehran in 2014. Group A contained 42 subjects and group B had 35 subjects. In group A, AT lessons were designed based on IM constructs, while in group B, AT lessons only were taught. The validity and reliability of the AT questionnaire were confirmed using content validity (CVR 0.91, CVI 0.96) and Cronbach's α (0.80). The IM constructs of both groups were measured after the completion of training. Statistical analysis used independent and paired samples t-tests and the univariate generalized linear model (GLM). Significant differences were recorded before and after intervention (P < 0.001) for the model constructs of intention, perceived risk, direct attitude, behavioral beliefs, and knowledge in both groups. Direct attitude and behavioral beliefs in group A were higher than in group B after the intervention (P < 0.03). The educational framework provided by IM for AT training improved attitude and behavioral beliefs that can facilitate the adoption of AT behavior and decreased CLBP.

  18. Dynamics of mutated GFAP aggregates revealed by real-time imaging of an astrocyte model of Alexander disease.

    PubMed

    Mignot, Cyril; Delarasse, Cécile; Escaich, Séverine; Della Gaspera, Bruno; Noé, Eric; Colucci-Guyon, Emma; Babinet, Charles; Pekny, Milos; Vicart, Patrick; Boespflug-Tanguy, Odile; Dautigny, André; Rodriguez, Diana; Pham-Dinh, Danielle

    2007-08-01

    Alexander disease (AxD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by large cytoplasmic aggregates in astrocytes and myelin abnormalities and caused by dominant mutations in the gene encoding glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the main intermediate filament protein in astrocytes. We tested the effects of three mutations (R236H, R76H and L232P) associated with AxD in cells transiently expressing mutated GFAP fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP). Mutated GFAP-GFP expressed in astrocytes formed networks or aggregates similar to those found in the brains of patients with the disease. Time-lapse recordings of living astrocytes showed that aggregates of mutated GFAP-GFP may either disappear, associated with cell survival, or coalesce in a huge juxtanuclear structure associated with cell death. Immunolabeling of fixed cells suggested that this gathering of aggregates forms an aggresome-like structure. Proteasome inhibition and immunoprecipitation assays revealed mutated GFAP-GFP ubiquitination, suggesting a role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system in the disaggregation process. In astrocytes from wild-type-, GFAP-, and vimentin-deficient mice, mutated GFAP-GFP aggregated or formed a network, depending on qualitative and quantitative interactions with normal intermediate filament partners. Particularly, vimentin displayed an anti-aggregation effect on mutated GFAP. Our data indicate a dynamic and reversible aggregation of mutated GFAP, suggesting that therapeutic approaches may be possible.

  19. The Use of a Performance Assessment for Identifying Gifted Lebanese Students: Is DISCOVER Effective?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarouphim, Ketty M.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of DISCOVER, a performance- based assessment in identifying gifted Lebanese students. The sample consisted of 248 students (121 boys, 127 girls) from Grades 3-5 at two private schools in Beirut, Lebanon. Students were administered DISCOVER and the Raven Standard Progressive Matrices…

  20. Screening individual hybridomas by microengraving to discover monoclonal antibodies

    PubMed Central

    Ogunniyi, Adebola O; Story, Craig M; Papa, Eliseo; Guillen, Eduardo; Love, J Christopher

    2014-01-01

    The demand for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in biomedical research is significant, but the current methodologies used to discover them are both lengthy and costly. Consequently, the diversity of antibodies available for any particular antigen remains limited. Microengraving is a soft lithographic technique that provides a rapid and efficient alternative for discovering new mAbs. This protocol describes how to use microengraving to screen mouse hybridomas to establish new cell lines producing unique mAbs. Single cells from a polyclonal population are isolated into an array of microscale wells (~105 cells per screen). The array is then used to print a protein microarray, where each element contains the antibodies captured from individual wells. The antibodies on the microarray are screened with antigens of interest, and mapped to the corresponding cells, which are then recovered from their microwells by micromanipulation. Screening and retrieval require approximately 1–3 d (9–12 d including the steps for preparing arrays of microwells). PMID:19528952

  1. [Fahr syndrome discovered following a bacterial meningitis].

    PubMed

    Sbai, H; Smail, L; Hamdani, S; Essatara, Y; Harrandou, M; Khatouf, M; Kanjaa, N

    2008-05-01

    Fahr's disease refers to a rare syndrome characterized by symmetrical and bilateral intracranial calcifications. The basal ganglia and dentate nucleus are the most common site of involvement and most cases present extrapyramidal symptoms. This disease is mostly associated with a phosphocalcic metabolism disorder, especially to hypoparathyroidism. The authors report a case of Fahr syndrome (FS) discovered when a young patient with hypocalcemia and bacterial meningitis had a cerebral CT scan disclosing intracerebral calcifications. She fully recovered after both meningitis and hypocalcemia were treated.

  2. Photographs and Committees: Activities That Help Students Discover Permutations and Combinations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szydlik, Jennifer Earles

    2000-01-01

    Presents problem situations that support students when discovering the multiplication principle, permutations, combinations, Pascal's triangle, and relationships among those objects in a concrete context. (ASK)

  3. Yes, Aboriginal Australians can and did discover the variability of Betelgeuse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaefer, Bradley E.

    2018-04-01

    Recently, a widely publicized claim has been made that the Aboriginal Australians discovered the variability of the red star Betelgeuse in the modern Orion, plus the variability of two other prominent red stars: Aldebaran and Antares. This result has excited the usual healthy skepticism, with questions about whether any untrained peoples can discover the variability and whether such a discovery is likely to be placed into lore and transmitted for long periods of time. Here, I am offering an independent evaluation, based on broad experience with naked-eye sky viewing and astro-history. I find that it is easy for inexperienced observers to detect the variability of Betelgeuse over its range in brightness from V = 0.0 to V = 1.3, for example in noticing from season-to-season that the star varies from significantly brighter than Procyon to being greatly fainter than Procyon. Further, indigenous peoples in the Southern Hemisphere inevitably kept watch on the prominent red star, so it is inevitable that the variability of Betelgeuse was discovered many times over during the last 65 millennia. The processes of placing this discovery into a cultural context (in this case, put into morality stories) and the faithful transmission for many millennia is confidently known for the Aboriginal Australians in particular. So this shows that the whole claim for a changing Betelgeuse in the Aboriginal Australian lore is both plausible and likely. Given that the discovery and transmission is easily possible, the real proof is that the Aboriginal lore gives an unambiguous statement that these stars do indeed vary in brightness, as collected by many ethnographers over a century ago from many Aboriginal groups. So I strongly conclude that the Aboriginal Australians could and did discover the variability of Betelgeuse, Aldebaran, and Antares.

  4. ToO observations of a newly discovered interstellar ('Oumuamua-like) object

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trilling, David; Hora, Joseph; Mommert, Michael; Farnocchia, Davide; Chesley, Steve; Emery, Joshua; Fazio, Giovanni; Harris, Alan; Mueller, Migo; Smith, Howard

    2018-05-01

    We propose a Target of Opportunity (ToO) program to observe a newly discovered interstellar asteroid. This program is modeled on our DDT observations of 'Oumuamua. We will only trigger this ToO observation if an object is discovered with sufficient lead time to be scheduled for Spitzer observations; if the object will be within the Spitzer observability cone; and if the object is likely to be bright enough to be detected. From the proposed observations we will measure the diameter and albedo of the object - likely the only way that either of those properties will be determined. The result will provide a critical second data point for studies of planetary system formation as traced by these interstellar interlopers.

  5. Spectroscopic Classifications with Magellan of 7 Supernovae Discovered by DES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blanchard, P. K.; Challis, P.; Drout, M.; Kirshner, R.; Brown, P. J.; Krisciunas, K.; Suntzeff, N.; D'Andrea, C.; Nichol, R.; Papadopoulos, A.; Smith, M.; Sullivan, M.; Maartens, R.; Gupta, R.; Kovacs, E.; Kuhlmann, S.; Spinka, H.; Ahn, E.; Finley, D. A.; Frieman, J.; Marriner, J.; Wester, W.; Aldering, G.; Kim, A. G.; Thomas, R. C.; Barbary, K.; Bloom, J. S.; Goldstein, D.; Nugent, P.; Perlmutter, S.; Foley, R. J.; Castander, F. J.; Desai, S.; Paech, K.; Smith, R. C.; Schubnell, M.; Kessler, R.; Scolnic, D.; Covarrubias, R. A.; Brout, D. J.; Fischer, J. A.; Gladney, L.; March, M.; Sako, M.; Wolf, R. C.

    2015-01-01

    We report optical spectroscopy of supernova candidates discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. The spectra (425-945 nm) were obtained using IMACS on the 6.5m Baade telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory on Dec 19, 2014.

  6. Growing community: the impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program on the social and learning environment in primary schools.

    PubMed

    Block, Karen; Gibbs, Lisa; Staiger, Petra K; Gold, Lisa; Johnson, Britt; Macfarlane, Susie; Long, Caroline; Townsend, Mardie

    2012-08-01

    This article presents results from a mixed-method evaluation of a structured cooking and gardening program in Australian primary schools, focusing on program impacts on the social and learning environment of the school. In particular, we address the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program objective of providing a pleasurable experience that has a positive impact on student engagement, social connections, and confidence within and beyond the school gates. Primary evidence for the research question came from qualitative data collected from students, parents, teachers, volunteers, school principals, and specialist staff through interviews, focus groups, and participant observations. This was supported by analyses of quantitative data on child quality of life, cooperative behaviors, teacher perceptions of the school environment, and school-level educational outcome and absenteeism data. Results showed that some of the program attributes valued most highly by study participants included increased student engagement and confidence, opportunities for experiential and integrated learning, teamwork, building social skills, and connections and links between schools and their communities. In this analysis, quantitative findings failed to support findings from the primary analysis. Limitations as well as benefits of a mixed-methods approach to evaluation of complex community interventions are discussed.

  7. New hot spot on Io discovered by NIMS during orbit C9

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    The Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on Galileo observes Io on nearly every orbit as part of a program monitoring the level of volcanic activity on this moon. Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System and NIMS has discovered many new volcanoes. The latest addition to the inventory was discovered during orbit C9, at Shamash Patera, located on the side of Io facing away from Jupiter. The image above shows, on the left, the portion of Io imaged during this observation as seen by Voyager. The image on the right shows Io at 4.99 microns (in the infrared). Some of the disk is in darkness, making the identification of these hot spots easier. New names have been given to some of the newly discovered features. The hot spots Isum, Mulungu and Tupan have been active since their discovery during the G1 orbit. Zamama, an active region between Prometheus and Isum, was discovered during G1. It was active through orbit E4 but has since faded considerably.

    This image was taken on June 28, 1997, at a resolution of 302 km/pixel.

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

    The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

    This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov.

  8. Death by polonium-210: lessons learned from the murder of former Soviet spy Alexander Litvinenko.

    PubMed

    McFee, Robin B; Leikin, Jerrold B

    2009-02-01

    The medical response to radiation--whether the result of radiological warfare, terrorist deployment of improvised radiation dispersal weapons, political assassination, occupational or industrial accidents or the medically radiated patient remains one of the least taught among all disciplines within medical education. In the aftermath of 9/11 among medical vulnerabilities to toxicant threats, of all the categories of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)--whether using the CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosive) or NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) acronym--radiation is the least taught in professional schools, responder cultures or civil preparedness organizations. To date, few health care professionals (HCP) possess the fundamental knowledge or skills to identify and diagnose, let alone treat a radiation victim; this vulnerability made even more obvious in the aftermath of the high profile assassination of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko. He was poisoned with Polonium210. Radioactive substances are ubiquitous with radiation sources being in or transported through virtually every region nationwide. It is essential to increase preparedness among community and rural health care facilities as well as urban and university hospitals. Managing radiation injuries effectively requires access to specialized equipment and expertise. Radiation sickness is progressive and may require acute, critical and long-term care throughout the course of illness. Regardless of the source, preparedness rests upon acknowledging a threat exists and dedicating the resources to address the risks including the enhancement of training and equipment. Mass or individual exposures to radiation present unique challenges to the entire response continuum from law enforcement, first responders and emergency medical care. Increased education about and practice in responding to radiological threats is essential to enhance preparedness.

  9. Discovering Communicable Models from Earth Science Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwabacher, Mark; Langley, Pat; Potter, Christopher; Klooster, Steven; Torregrosa, Alicia

    2002-01-01

    This chapter describes how we used regression rules to improve upon results previously published in the Earth science literature. In such a scientific application of machine learning, it is crucially important for the learned models to be understandable and communicable. We recount how we selected a learning algorithm to maximize communicability, and then describe two visualization techniques that we developed to aid in understanding the model by exploiting the spatial nature of the data. We also report how evaluating the learned models across time let us discover an error in the data.

  10. (4015) 1979 VA: 'Missing Link' Discovered

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Helin, Eleanor F.

    1993-01-01

    Apollo Asteroid (4015) 1979 VA was discovered in November of 1979 by Helin at Palomar with the 0.46m Schmidt Telescope. It's orbital elements immediately indicated a possible cometary origin. With an extremely eccentric orbit, it approaches the orbit of Jupiter (at the time, the largest 'Q', aphelion, of any known near-Earth asteroid). Physical observations acquired during the discovery apparition suggested that it was carbonaceous in nature. Research into prediscovery observations of Near-Earth Asteroids (Bowell et. al., 1992) has located Palomar Sky Survey photographic plates taken in 1949 observations of (4015) 1979 VA, not as an asteroid, but rather a small cometary image (IAU Circular Nos. 5585 and 5586, August 13, 1992)...

  11. Discovering network behind infectious disease outbreak

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maeno, Yoshiharu

    2010-11-01

    Stochasticity and spatial heterogeneity are of great interest recently in studying the spread of an infectious disease. The presented method solves an inverse problem to discover the effectively decisive topology of a heterogeneous network and reveal the transmission parameters which govern the stochastic spreads over the network from a dataset on an infectious disease outbreak in the early growth phase. Populations in a combination of epidemiological compartment models and a meta-population network model are described by stochastic differential equations. Probability density functions are derived from the equations and used for the maximal likelihood estimation of the topology and parameters. The method is tested with computationally synthesized datasets and the WHO dataset on the SARS outbreak.

  12. Discovering objects in a blood recipient information system.

    PubMed

    Qiu, D; Junghans, G; Marquardt, K; Kroll, H; Mueller-Eckhardt, C; Dudeck, J

    1995-01-01

    Application of object-oriented (OO) methodologies has been generally considered as a solution to the problem of improving the software development process and managing the so-called software crisis. Among them, object-oriented analysis (OOA) is the most essential and is a vital prerequisite for the successful use of other OO methodologies. Though there are already a good deal of OOA methods published, the most important aspect common to all these methods: discovering objects classes truly relevant to the given problem domain, has remained a subject to be intensively researched. In this paper, using the successful development of a blood recipient information system as an example, we present our approach which is based on the conceptual framework of responsibility-driven OOA. In the discussion, we also suggest that it may be inadequate to simply attribute the software crisis to the waterfall model of the software development life-cycle. We are convinced that the real causes for the failure of some software and information systems should be sought in the methodologies used in some crucial phases of the software development process. Furthermore, a software system can also fail if object classes essential to the problem domain are not discovered, implemented and visualized, so that the real-world situation cannot be faithfully traced by it.

  13. Discovering Your Radiant Self: A Transpersonal Approach to Expressing Your Potential.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klimek, Paula; Canfield, Jack

    1979-01-01

    Presents a process combining a drawing experience with exercises learned in psychosynthesis training to help people discover what transpersonal qualities are attempting to manifest themselves through their personalities. (Author/BEF)

  14. NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers First Earth-size Planet in Habitable Zone of Another Star (Reporter Package)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-04-17

    NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first Earth-size planet orbiting in the habitable zone of a star outside our solar system. The newly discovered planet is called Kepler-186f and is about 10 percent larger than Earth.

  15. NI-DiscoverHistory: Meta-narrative for Explanation Bounding

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    this research during the summer of 2014. 4 References [1] D. Herman, Storytelling and the Sciences of Mind. MIT Press, 2013. [2] M. Mateas and P...ASM Project NI-DiscoverHistory: Meta-narrative for Explanation Bounding Tory S. Anderson1, Swaroop Vattam2, and David Aha3 1Grad Student Researcher ...Georgia Institute of Technology; torys.anderson@gatech.edu 2NRC postdoctoral Researcher ; Navy Center for Applied Research in AI; Naval Research

  16. Discovering Theorems in Abstract Algebra Using the Software "GAP"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blyth, Russell D.; Rainbolt, Julianne G.

    2010-01-01

    A traditional abstract algebra course typically consists of the professor stating and then proving a sequence of theorems. As an alternative to this classical structure, the students could be expected to discover some of the theorems even before they are motivated by classroom examples. This can be done by using a software system to explore a…

  17. Discovering Network Structure Beyond Communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishikawa, Takashi; Motter, Adilson E.

    2011-11-01

    To understand the formation, evolution, and function of complex systems, it is crucial to understand the internal organization of their interaction networks. Partly due to the impossibility of visualizing large complex networks, resolving network structure remains a challenging problem. Here we overcome this difficulty by combining the visual pattern recognition ability of humans with the high processing speed of computers to develop an exploratory method for discovering groups of nodes characterized by common network properties, including but not limited to communities of densely connected nodes. Without any prior information about the nature of the groups, the method simultaneously identifies the number of groups, the group assignment, and the properties that define these groups. The results of applying our method to real networks suggest the possibility that most group structures lurk undiscovered in the fast-growing inventory of social, biological, and technological networks of scientific interest.

  18. OT discovered by MASTER during Fermi Trigger Num 430645968 follow up observations follow up observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiurina, N.; Balanutsa, P.; Denisenko, D.; Lipunov, V.; Gorbovskoy, E.; Kornilov, V.; Chazov, V.; Kuznetsov, A.; Vladimirov, V.; Yecheistov, V.; Shumkov, V.; Ivanov, K.; Yazev, S.; Budnev, N.; Konstantinov, E.; Chuvalaev, O.; Poleshchuk, V.; Gress, O.; Parkhomenko, A.; Tlatov, A.; Dormidontov, D.; Senik, V.; Yurkov, V.; Sergienko, Y.; Varda, D.; Sinyakov, E.; Gabovich, A.; Krushinsky, V.; Zalozhnih, I.; Popov, A.; Bourdanov, A.; Podvorotny, P.; Shurpakov, S.; Levato, H.; Saffe, C.; Mallamaci, C.; Lopez, C.; Podest, F.

    2014-08-01

    MASTER-Tunka auto-detection system during follow-up Fermi Trigger 430645968 observations (GCN 16745) discovered OT source at: MASTER-Tunka auto-detection system discovered MASTER OT J230448.20+324534.1 at (RA, Dec) = 23h 04m 48.20s +32d 45m 34.1s on 2014-08-25.62245 UT.

  19. Beyond the Standard Model: Will it be the Theory of Everything?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ne'eman, Yuval

    What is the lesson? I have pointed out elsewhere [2]-[4] to the role of research in providing for the introduction of a random element in the evolution of human societies. Any evolutionary process involves: (1) a mechanism producing random `mutations' and (2) a process of selection by positive innovation, preserved through some stability criteria. A truly `important' discovery is one which could not be predicted by extrapolation from the previous stage. Moreover, the evolution of science itself similarly benefits from serendipity[5, 6], namely unexpected results popping up in a research program, e.g. Fleming's discovery of antibiotics, after finding the bacteria dead in a Petrie dish whose cover was not well closed. When deciding on a research proposal, it is not sufficient to judge its merits by the expected results as described by the investigator. Other important criteria should include the extent to which the project might explore virgin sectors of phenomena - and the researcher's previous performance, especially in noticing new openings (had he or she been faced with Fleming's dead bacteria, would the only conclusion have consisted in a decision to tighten the lid next time?) A further illustration of the role of the unexpected is that the route to India via the Pacific is indeed utilized nowadays because it is the shortest - for travellers from California, for instance. Thus, Columbus's trip and serendipitous discovery has served - after a few hundred years, to create a market for the product he was advertising in his proposal - trips to India. In any case, although the Salamanca referees were correct, Columbus's connection at the court did manage to ensure that his project be funded - and America discovered.

  20. Let Students Discover an Important Physical Property of a Slinky

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gash, Philip

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes a simple experiment that lets first-year physics and engineering students discover an important physical property of a Slinky. The restoring force for the fundamental oscillation frequency is provided only by those coils between the support and the Slinky center of mass.

  1. Line drawing of anomaly discovered in redesigned shuttle motor nozzle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1987-01-01

    Line drawing titled 'DM-9 Case-to-Nozzle Joint' shows anomaly discovered in redesigned shuttle motor nozzle. The second full-duration test firing of NASA's redesigned Space Shuttle solid rocket motor (SRM), designated DM-9, was conducted 12-23-87 at Morton Thiokol's Wasatch facility in Utah. A post-test examination of the motor has revealed an anomaly in one nozzle component. Material was discovered missing from the nozzle outer boot ring, a large carbon phenolic composite ring used to anchor one end of the flexible boot that allows the nozzle to move and 'steer' the vehicle. About one-third of the missing 160 degrees of missing ring material was found adjacent to the forward nozzle section inside the motor. This diagram shows the location of the nozzle joint on an assembled SRM, and points out the shaded location of the outer boot ring that circles the motor within the nozzle joint.

  2. Thymolipoma combined with hyperthyroidism discovered by neurological symptoms.

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Hidenobu; Harada, Masahiko; Kimura, Masakazu; Kato, Harubumi

    2007-04-01

    Thymolipomas are rare slow-growing mediastinal thymic neoplasms. Most cases are asymptomatic and are sometimes discovered as a huge mass on chest x-ray films. A few cases have been discovered during examinations for other diseases. We report the second case of thymolipoma combined with hyperthyroidism in the English language literature. Neurological symptoms suddenly appeared in a 45-year-old woman. Central nervous system disorder was suggested but no significant abnormalities were found on brain MR nor were there any neurological signs. Several months later, neurological and systemic examinations on admission revealed hyperthyroidism and an anterior mediastinal tumor, 9.0x5.0x3.0 cm in size on chest CT films. Despite treatment of hyperthyroidism by medication, her neurological symptoms remained. Neurologists recommended resection of the mediastinal tumor. Malignancy could not be ruled out because of the irregularity of the tumor appearance on contrast-enhanced chest CT. Furthermore, the tumor appeared to be attached to the ascending aorta, so cytological and/or pathological diagnosis by CT-guided needle biopsy before operation were contraindicated. Extended thymectomy was performed in May 2005. The pathological diagnosis was benign thymolipoma consisting of mature fatty tissue and thymic tissue structures with Hassall's corpuscles. Her neurological symptoms seemed slightly but not markedly improved. The relationship between thymolipoma and hyperthyroidism is still unknown.

  3. Pesticide load dynamics during stormwater flow events in Mediterranean coastal streams: Alexander stream case study.

    PubMed

    Topaz, Tom; Egozi, Roey; Eshel, Gil; Chefetz, Benny

    2018-06-01

    Cultivated land is a major source of pesticides, which are transported with the runoff water and eroded soil during rainfall events and pollute riverine and estuarine environments. Common ecotoxicological assessments of riverine systems are mainly based on water sampling and analysis of only the dissolved phase, and address a single pesticide's toxicological impact under laboratory conditions. A clear overview of mixtures of pesticides in the adsorbed and dissolved phases is missing, and therefore the full ecotoxicological impact is not fully addressed. The aim of this study was to characterize and quantify pesticide concentrations in both suspended sediment and dissolved phases, to provide a better understanding of pesticide-load dynamics during storm events in coastal streams in a Mediterranean climate. High-resolution sampling campaigns of seven flood events were conducted during two rainy seasons in Alexander stream, Israel. Samples of suspended sediments were separated from the solution and both media were analyzed separately for 250 pesticides. A total of 63 pesticides were detected; 18 and 16 pesticides were found solely in the suspended sediments and solution, respectively. Significant differences were observed among the pesticide groups: only 7% of herbicide, 20% of fungicide and 42% of insecticide load was transported with the suspended sediments. However, in both dissolved and adsorbed phases, a mix of pesticides was found which were graded from "mobile" to "non-mobile" with varied distribution coefficients. Diuron, and tebuconazole were frequently found in large quantities in both phases. Whereas insecticide and fungicide transport is likely governed by application time and method, the governing factor for herbicide load was the magnitude of the stream discharge. The results show a complex dynamic of pesticide load affected by excessive use of pesticides, which should be taken into consideration when designing projects to monitor riverine and estuarine

  4. La mujer en la astronomía: pasado y presente

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubner, G.

    There exists a long and honorable tradition of participation of women in astronomy, affording many significant contributions to the field. Historically, however, many of these contributions have remained ignored, or recorded under the names of husbands, brothers or bosses. The present report includes an historical perspective, summarizing some of the most signicant contributions done along the last three centuries by female astronomers. Briefly: Catherina Hevelius (1646-1693), author of the largest and last stars catalog made without the aid of a telescope; Nicole-Reine Lepaute (1723-1788) extraordinary mathematician who predicted the path of Halley's Comet in 1757; Caroline Herschel (1750-1848) assistant of her brother William, discovered 8 comets, reduced the positions to a common epoch and published the catalog of 2500 nebulae observed by her brother, was elected honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS); Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), professor of astronomy and director of the Vassar College Observatory, dedicated her life to women's education; Williamina Fleming (1857-1911)discovered 94 of the 107 Wolf-Rayet stars known at her time, the bulk of the first HD catalog was based on her spectral types classification; Annie Cannon (1863-1941) examined and classified nearly 500.000 stars, rearranged Fleming's spectral system, defining the OBAFGKM series; Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921) worked cataloging variable stars, discovered the period-luminosity relations in Cepheids; Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin combined observations with theory to obtain a temperature scale for Cannon's spectral types; Ruby Payne-Scott (1912-1981), the first female radioastronomer in the world, developed the theory of aperture synthesis, in which most of the larger radio interferometers are based. The present trends are analized based on statistics of the International Astronomical Union (IAU): women represent 11.8% of the total of IAU members; in Argentina the percentage is 33

  5. Discover 4-H Clubs: The Essential Resource for 4-H

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacArthur, Stacey; Nelson, Cindy; Brower, Naomi; Memmott, Margie; Peterson, Gaelynn

    2016-01-01

    Obstacles facing new 4-H volunteers include time constraints and difficulty finding project-specific information, resources, and opportunities available for club members. As a solution to these obstacles and an aid for assisting volunteers in becoming confident in delivering information to youth, content experts produced Discover 4-H Clubs, a…

  6. Simultaneously Discovering and Localizing Common Objects in Wild Images.

    PubMed

    Wang, Zhenzhen; Yuan, Junsong

    2018-09-01

    Motivated by the recent success of supervised and weakly supervised common object discovery, in this paper, we move forward one step further to tackle common object discovery in a fully unsupervised way. Generally, object co-localization aims at simultaneously localizing objects of the same class across a group of images. Traditional object localization/detection usually trains specific object detectors which require bounding box annotations of object instances, or at least image-level labels to indicate the presence/absence of objects in an image. Given a collection of images without any annotations, our proposed fully unsupervised method is to simultaneously discover images that contain common objects and also localize common objects in corresponding images. Without requiring to know the total number of common objects, we formulate this unsupervised object discovery as a sub-graph mining problem from a weighted graph of object proposals, where nodes correspond to object proposals, and edges represent the similarities between neighbouring proposals. The positive images and common objects are jointly discovered by finding sub-graphs of strongly connected nodes, with each sub-graph capturing one object pattern. The optimization problem can be efficiently solved by our proposed maximal-flow-based algorithm. Instead of assuming that each image contains only one common object, our proposed solution can better address wild images where each image may contain multiple common objects or even no common object. Moreover, our proposed method can be easily tailored to the task of image retrieval in which the nodes correspond to the similarity between query and reference images. Extensive experiments on PASCAL VOC 2007 and Object Discovery data sets demonstrate that even without any supervision, our approach can discover/localize common objects of various classes in the presence of scale, view point, appearance variation, and partial occlusions. We also conduct broad

  7. Pancreatic sarcoidosis discovered during Whipple procedure.

    PubMed

    Cook, Jonathan; Spees, Tanner; Telefus, Phillip; Ranaudo, Jeffrey M; Carryl, Stephen; Xiao, Philip

    2013-04-04

    Pancreatic sarcoidosis is a rare variant of systemic sarcoidosis, with cases described in literature as recently as January 2010. We present here a case of pancreatic involvement with non-caseating granulomas discovered on laparotomy in a patient with a preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma. Computer tomography scan without contrast revealed a well-marginated smooth-shaped tumor in the head of the pancreas morphologically consistent with malignancy. During Whipple procedure, the mass was found to be a large lymph node that contained numerous non-caseating granulomas. Radiologically and clinically, non-caseating granulomas of the pancreas are often misdiagnosed as malignant tumor. Special attention given to this differential diagnosis by surgeons, pathologists and clinicians can avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. © The Author 2013.

  8. Fortuitously discovered liver lesions.

    PubMed

    Dietrich, Christoph F; Sharma, Malay; Gibson, Robert N; Schreiber-Dietrich, Dagmar; Jenssen, Christian

    2013-06-07

    The fortuitously discovered liver lesion is a common problem. Consensus might be expected in terms of its work-up, and yet there is none. This stems in part from the fact that there is no preventive campaign involving the early detection of liver tumors other than for patients with known liver cirrhosis and oncological patients. The work-up (detection and differential diagnosis) of liver tumors comprises theoretical considerations, history, physical examination, laboratory tests, standard ultrasound, Doppler ultrasound techniques, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, as well as image-guided biopsy. CEUS techniques have proved to be the most pertinent method; these techniques became part of the clinical routine about 10 years ago in Europe and Asia and are used for a variety of indications in daily clinical practice. CEUS is in many cases the first and also decisive technical intervention for detecting and characterizing liver tumors. This development is reflected in many CEUS guidelines, e.g., in the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) guidelines 2004, 2008 and 2012 as well as the recently published World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology-EFSUMB guidelines 2012. This article sets out considerations for making a structured work-up of incidental liver tumors feasible.

  9. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, Carlo; Cifelli, Francesca

    2015-04-01

    The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. These GIFT workshops represented the first workshops specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  10. NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Multiple Planets Orbiting Twin Suns (Reporter Pkg)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-08-28

    NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first transiting circumbinary system -- multiple planets orbiting two suns -- 4,900 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Cygnus, proving that more than one planets can form and survive in orbit around a binary star.

  11. Chandra Discovers Cosmic Cannonball

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2007-11-01

    One of the fastest moving stars ever seen has been discovered with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This cosmic cannonball is challenging theories to explain its blistering speed. Astronomers used Chandra to observe a neutron star, known as RX J0822-4300, over a period of about five years. During that span, three Chandra observations clearly show the neutron star moving away from the center of the Puppis A supernova remnant. This remnant is the stellar debris field created during the same explosion in which the neutron star was created about 3700 years ago. Chandra X-ray Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A Chandra X-ray Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A By combining how far it has moved across the sky with its distance from Earth, astronomers determined the neutron star is moving at over 3 million miles per hour. At this rate, RX J0822-4300 is destined to escape from the Milky Way after millions of years, even though it has only traveled about 20 light years so far. "This star is moving at 3 million miles an hour, but it's so far away that the apparent motion we see in five years is less than the height of the numerals in the date on a penny, seen from the length of a football field," said Frank Winkler of Middlebury College in Vermont. "It's remarkable, and a real testament to the power of Chandra, that such a tiny motion can be measured." Labeled Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A Labeled Image of RX J0822-4300 in Puppis A "Just after it was born, this neutron star got a one-way ticket out of the Galaxy," said co-author Robert Petre of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Astronomers have seen other stars being flung out of the Milky Way, but few as fast as this." So-called hypervelocity stars have been previously discovered shooting out of the Milky Way with speeds around one million miles per hour. One key difference between RX J0822-4300 and these other reported galactic escapees is the source of their speed. The hypervelocity stars are

  12. A Bayesian Method for Evaluating and Discovering Disease Loci Associations

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Xia; Barmada, M. Michael; Cooper, Gregory F.; Becich, Michael J.

    2011-01-01

    Background A genome-wide association study (GWAS) typically involves examining representative SNPs in individuals from some population. A GWAS data set can concern a million SNPs and may soon concern billions. Researchers investigate the association of each SNP individually with a disease, and it is becoming increasingly commonplace to also analyze multi-SNP associations. Techniques for handling so many hypotheses include the Bonferroni correction and recently developed Bayesian methods. These methods can encounter problems. Most importantly, they are not applicable to a complex multi-locus hypothesis which has several competing hypotheses rather than only a null hypothesis. A method that computes the posterior probability of complex hypotheses is a pressing need. Methodology/Findings We introduce the Bayesian network posterior probability (BNPP) method which addresses the difficulties. The method represents the relationship between a disease and SNPs using a directed acyclic graph (DAG) model, and computes the likelihood of such models using a Bayesian network scoring criterion. The posterior probability of a hypothesis is computed based on the likelihoods of all competing hypotheses. The BNPP can not only be used to evaluate a hypothesis that has previously been discovered or suspected, but also to discover new disease loci associations. The results of experiments using simulated and real data sets are presented. Our results concerning simulated data sets indicate that the BNPP exhibits both better evaluation and discovery performance than does a p-value based method. For the real data sets, previous findings in the literature are confirmed and additional findings are found. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that the BNPP resolves a pressing problem by providing a way to compute the posterior probability of complex multi-locus hypotheses. A researcher can use the BNPP to determine the expected utility of investigating a hypothesis further. Furthermore, we

  13. What Is Going on Inside the Arrows? Discovering the Hidden Springs in Causal Models

    PubMed Central

    Murray-Watters, Alexander; Glymour, Clark

    2016-01-01

    Using Gebharter's (2014) representation, we consider aspects of the problem of discovering the structure of unmeasured sub-mechanisms when the variables in those sub-mechanisms have not been measured. Exploiting an early insight of Sober's (1998), we provide a correct algorithm for identifying latent, endogenous structure—sub-mechanisms—for a restricted class of structures. The algorithm can be merged with other methods for discovering causal relations among unmeasured variables, and feedback relations between measured variables and unobserved causes can sometimes be learned. PMID:27313331

  14. Discovering Communicable Scientific Knowledge from Spatio-Temporal Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwabacher, Mark; Langley, Pat; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes how we used regression rules to improve upon a result previously published in the Earth science literature. In such a scientific application of machine learning, it is crucially important for the learned models to be understandable and communicable. We recount how we selected a learning algorithm to maximize communicability, and then describe two visualization techniques that we developed to aid in understanding the model by exploiting the spatial nature of the data. We also report how evaluating the learned models across time let us discover an error in the data.

  15. Discovering herbal functional groups of traditional Chinese medicine.

    PubMed

    He, Ping; Deng, Ke; Liu, Zhihai; Liu, Delin; Liu, Jun S; Geng, Zhi

    2012-03-30

    For the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a prescription for a patient often contains several herbs. Some herbs are often used together in prescriptions, and these herbs can be considered as a functional group. In this paper, we propose an approach for discovering herbal functional groups from a large set of prescriptions recorded in TCM books. These functional groups are allowed to overlap with each other. Our approach is validated with a simulation study and applied to a data set containing thousands of TCM prescriptions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Interactive Gaussian Graphical Models for Discovering Depth Trends in ChemCam Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oyen, D. A.; Komurlu, C.; Lanza, N. L.

    2018-04-01

    Interactive Gaussian graphical models discover surface compositional features on rocks in ChemCam targets. Our approach visualizes shot-to-shot relationships among LIBS observations, and identifies the wavelengths involved in the trend.

  17. Discovering weighted patterns in intron sequences using self-adaptive harmony search and back-propagation algorithms.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yin-Fu; Wang, Chia-Ming; Liou, Sing-Wu

    2013-01-01

    A hybrid self-adaptive harmony search and back-propagation mining system was proposed to discover weighted patterns in human intron sequences. By testing the weights under a lazy nearest neighbor classifier, the numerical results revealed the significance of these weighted patterns. Comparing these weighted patterns with the popular intron consensus model, it is clear that the discovered weighted patterns make originally the ambiguous 5SS and 3SS header patterns more specific and concrete.

  18. Discovering Sentinel Rules for Business Intelligence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Middelfart, Morten; Pedersen, Torben Bach

    This paper proposes the concept of sentinel rules for multi-dimensional data that warns users when measure data concerning the external environment changes. For instance, a surge in negative blogging about a company could trigger a sentinel rule warning that revenue will decrease within two months, so a new course of action can be taken. Hereby, we expand the window of opportunity for organizations and facilitate successful navigation even though the world behaves chaotically. Since sentinel rules are at the schema level as opposed to the data level, and operate on data changes as opposed to absolute data values, we are able to discover strong and useful sentinel rules that would otherwise be hidden when using sequential pattern mining or correlation techniques. We present a method for sentinel rule discovery and an implementation of this method that scales linearly on large data volumes.

  19. Collaborating with Alexander Scriabine and the Miles Institute for Preclinical Pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Janis, Ronald A

    2015-11-15

    This article represents a timely opportunity to express my affection, admiration and gratitude to Professor David Triggle. David was my Ph.D. advisor as well as a key consultant in the 1980s and early 1990s for research programs at Miles Institute for Preclinical Pharmacology in West Haven, CT, the U.S. research operation of Bayer AG, in the areas of Ca(2+) and K(+) channel ligands. The binding methodology developed in his laboratory was used to search for an endogenous ligand for L-type Ca(2+) channels. We did not find the substance that we were searching for, a genetically-determined, competitive inhibitor for the 1,4-dihydropyridine binding site, but instead isolated the endogenous ligand for the brain's own marijuana, anandamide. Devane, Mechoulam and coworkers first discovered that this compound was the endogenous ligand for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active substance in cannabis. The endogenous endocannabinoid system is now the target of many exciting new approaches to drug discovery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Transit Photometry of Recently Discovered Hot Jupiters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCloat, Sean Peter

    The University of North Dakota Space Studies Internet Observatory was used to observe the transits of hot Jupiter exoplanets. Targets for this research were selected from the list of currently confirmed exoplanets using the following criteria: radius > 0.5 Rjup, discovered since 2011, orbiting stars with apparent magnitude > 13. Eleven transits were observed distributed across nine targets with the goal of performing differential photometry for parameter refinement and transit timing variation analysis if data quality allowed. Data quality was ultimately insufficient for robust parameter refinement, but tentative calculations of mid-transit times were made of three of the observed transits. Mid-transit times for WASP-103b and WASP-48b were consistent with predictions and the existing database.

  1. An early sophisticated East Polynesian voyaging canoe discovered on New Zealand's coast

    PubMed Central

    Johns, Dilys A.; Irwin, Geoffrey J.; Sung, Yun K.

    2014-01-01

    The colonization of the islands of East Polynesia was a remarkable episode in the history of human migration and seafaring. We report on an ocean-sailing canoe dating from close to that time. A large section of a complex composite canoe was discovered recently at Anaweka on the New Zealand coast. The canoe dates to approximately A.D. 1400 and was contemporary with continuing interisland voyaging. It was built in New Zealand as an early adaptation to a new environment, and a sea turtle carved on its hull makes symbolic connections with wider Polynesian culture and art. We describe the find and identify and radiocarbon date the construction materials. We present a reconstruction of the whole canoe and compare it to another early canoe previously discovered in the Society Islands. PMID:25267657

  2. Discovering Weighted Patterns in Intron Sequences Using Self-Adaptive Harmony Search and Back-Propagation Algorithms

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chia-Ming; Liou, Sing-Wu

    2013-01-01

    A hybrid self-adaptive harmony search and back-propagation mining system was proposed to discover weighted patterns in human intron sequences. By testing the weights under a lazy nearest neighbor classifier, the numerical results revealed the significance of these weighted patterns. Comparing these weighted patterns with the popular intron consensus model, it is clear that the discovered weighted patterns make originally the ambiguous 5SS and 3SS header patterns more specific and concrete. PMID:23737711

  3. [Science and nation: romanticism and natural history in the works of E. J. da Silva Maia].

    PubMed

    Kury, L

    1998-01-01

    The works of physician and naturalist Emílio Joaquim da Silva Maia (1808-59) can be viewed as a scientific project that discovers Brazil and its inhabitants. Maia's nationalism and his romantic view of nature formed the underpinnings of his scientific theories, especially his studies on zoological geography. He subordinated the issue of the biological specificity of different regions of the world to his era's debates on the construction of Brazil as an independent nation. In his interpretations of European natural history, Maia endeavored to understand Brazilian nature as a specific achievement of the Cosmos, in keeping with Alexander von Humboldt's approach.

  4. Discovering Self: Childbearing Adolescents' Maternal Identity.

    PubMed

    Macintosh, Janelle; Callister, Lynn Clark

    2015-01-01

    Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have long been a topic of interest for many healthcare professionals. However, there are limited data on how childbearing adolescents incorporate motherhood identity into their sense of self. The purpose of this study was to explore how childbearing adolescents perceive motherhood as becoming part of their personal identity. This qualitative study using ethnographic data collection involved 7 months of observation, interaction, and interviews. Data were collected from nine expectant adolescents during in-depth interviews. All participants were patients at a teen mother and child clinic staffed by certified nurse midwives and a pediatrician. Narrative content analysis revealed the overall theme of discovering self, with three major themes: confirming the pregnancy, the loss of my body, and imagining my child in my arms. Adolescent mothers may need assistance to construct their maternal identity in order to strengthen self-perceptions and improve maternal/child outcomes.

  5. Discovering Multimodal Behavior in Ms. Pac-Man through Evolution of Modular Neural Networks.

    PubMed

    Schrum, Jacob; Miikkulainen, Risto

    2016-03-12

    Ms. Pac-Man is a challenging video game in which multiple modes of behavior are required: Ms. Pac-Man must escape ghosts when they are threats and catch them when they are edible, in addition to eating all pills in each level. Past approaches to learning behavior in Ms. Pac-Man have treated the game as a single task to be learned using monolithic policy representations. In contrast, this paper uses a framework called Modular Multi-objective NEAT (MM-NEAT) to evolve modular neural networks. Each module defines a separate behavior. The modules are used at different times according to a policy that can be human-designed (i.e. Multitask) or discovered automatically by evolution. The appropriate number of modules can be fixed or discovered using a genetic operator called Module Mutation. Several versions of Module Mutation are evaluated in this paper. Both fixed modular networks and Module Mutation networks outperform monolithic networks and Multitask networks. Interestingly, the best networks dedicate modules to critical behaviors (such as escaping when surrounded after luring ghosts near a power pill) that do not follow the customary division of the game into chasing edible and escaping threat ghosts. The results demonstrate that MM-NEAT can discover interesting and effective behavior for agents in challenging games.

  6. Discovering Multimodal Behavior in Ms. Pac-Man through Evolution of Modular Neural Networks

    PubMed Central

    Schrum, Jacob; Miikkulainen, Risto

    2015-01-01

    Ms. Pac-Man is a challenging video game in which multiple modes of behavior are required: Ms. Pac-Man must escape ghosts when they are threats and catch them when they are edible, in addition to eating all pills in each level. Past approaches to learning behavior in Ms. Pac-Man have treated the game as a single task to be learned using monolithic policy representations. In contrast, this paper uses a framework called Modular Multi-objective NEAT (MM-NEAT) to evolve modular neural networks. Each module defines a separate behavior. The modules are used at different times according to a policy that can be human-designed (i.e. Multitask) or discovered automatically by evolution. The appropriate number of modules can be fixed or discovered using a genetic operator called Module Mutation. Several versions of Module Mutation are evaluated in this paper. Both fixed modular networks and Module Mutation networks outperform monolithic networks and Multitask networks. Interestingly, the best networks dedicate modules to critical behaviors (such as escaping when surrounded after luring ghosts near a power pill) that do not follow the customary division of the game into chasing edible and escaping threat ghosts. The results demonstrate that MM-NEAT can discover interesting and effective behavior for agents in challenging games. PMID:27030803

  7. PubMed on Tap: discovering design principles for online information delivery to handheld computers.

    PubMed

    Hauser, Susan E; Demner-Fushman, Dina; Ford, Glenn; Thoma, George R

    2004-01-01

    Online access to biomedical information from handheld computers will be a valuable adjunct to other popular medical applications if information delivery systems are designed with handheld computers in mind. The goal of this project is to discover design principles to facilitate practitioners' access to online medical information at the point-of-care. A prototype system was developed to serve as a testbed for this research. Using the testbed, an initial evaluation has yielded several user interface design principles. Continued research is expected to discover additional user interface design principles as well as guidelines for results organization and system performance

  8. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, C. E.; Cifelli, F.

    2014-12-01

    Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. In 3 cases of the 4 cases, these GIFT workshops represented the first workshop specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  9. Using RSAT oligo-analysis and dyad-analysis tools to discover regulatory signals in nucleic sequences.

    PubMed

    Defrance, Matthieu; Janky, Rekin's; Sand, Olivier; van Helden, Jacques

    2008-01-01

    This protocol explains how to discover functional signals in genomic sequences by detecting over- or under-represented oligonucleotides (words) or spaced pairs thereof (dyads) with the Regulatory Sequence Analysis Tools (http://rsat.ulb.ac.be/rsat/). Two typical applications are presented: (i) predicting transcription factor-binding motifs in promoters of coregulated genes and (ii) discovering phylogenetic footprints in promoters of orthologous genes. The steps of this protocol include purging genomic sequences to discard redundant fragments, discovering over-represented patterns and assembling them to obtain degenerate motifs, scanning sequences and drawing feature maps. The main strength of the method is its statistical ground: the binomial significance provides an efficient control on the rate of false positives. In contrast with optimization-based pattern discovery algorithms, the method supports the detection of under- as well as over-represented motifs. Computation times vary from seconds (gene clusters) to minutes (whole genomes). The execution of the whole protocol should take approximately 1 h.

  10. "Discovering the Cell": An Educational Game about Cell and Molecular Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spiegel, Carolina N.; Alves, Gutemberg G.; Cardona, Tania da S.; Melim, Leandra M. C.; Luz, Mauricio R. M. P.; Araujo-Jorge, Tania C.; Henriques-Pons, Andrea

    2008-01-01

    The role of games within education becomes clearer as students become more active and are able to take decisions, solve problems and react to the results of those decisions. The educational board game "Discovering the Cell" ("Celula Adentro"), is based on problem-solving learning. This investigative game attempts to stimulate…

  11. The question of sign-language and the utility of signs in the instruction of the deaf: two papers by Alexander Graham Bell (1898).

    PubMed

    Bell, Alexander Graham

    2005-01-01

    Alexander Graham Bell is often portrayed as either hero or villain of deaf individuals and the Deaf community. His writings, however, indicate that he was neither, and was not as clearly definite in his beliefs about language as is often supposed. The following two articles, reprinted from The Educator (1898), Vol. V, pp. 3-4 and pp. 38-44, capture Bell's thinking about sign language and its use in the classroom. Contrary to frequent claims, Bell does not demand "oral" training for all deaf children--even if he thinks it is the superior alternative--but does advocate for it for "the semi-deaf" and "the semi-mute." "In regard to the others," he writes, "I am not so sure." Although he clearly voices his support for oral methods and fingerspelling (the Rochester method) over sign language, Bell acknowledges the use and utility of signing in a carefully-crafted discussion that includes both linguistics and educational philosophy. In separating the language used at home from that in school and on the playground, Bell reveals a far more complex view of language learning by deaf children than he is often granted. (M. Marschark).

  12. DISCOVER-AQ SJV Surface Measurements and Initial Comparisons with Photochemical Model Simulations

    EPA Science Inventory

    NASA’s DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) campaign studied the air quality throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) during January and February of 2013. The SJV is a...

  13. Astronomers Discover Fastest-Spinning Pulsar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2006-01-01

    Astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope have discovered the fastest-spinning neutron star ever found, a 20-mile-diameter superdense pulsar whirling faster than the blades of a kitchen blender. Their work yields important new information about the nature of one of the most exotic forms of matter known in the Universe. Pulsar Graphic Pulsars Are Spinning Neutron Stars CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for larger version) "We believe that the matter in neutron stars is denser than an atomic nucleus, but it is unclear by how much. Our observations of such a rapidly rotating star set a hard upper limit on its size, and hence on how dense the star can be.," said Jason Hessels, a graduate student at McGill University in Montreal. Hessels and his colleagues presented their findings to the American Astronomical Society's meeting in Washington, DC. Pulsars are spinning neutron stars that sling "lighthouse beams" of radio waves or light around as they spin. A neutron star is what is left after a massive star explodes at the end of its "normal" life. With no nuclear fuel left to produce energy to offset the stellar remnant's weight, its material is compressed to extreme densities. The pressure squeezes together most of its protons and electrons to form neutrons; hence, the name "neutron star." "Neutron stars are incredible laboratories for learning about the physics of the fundamental particles of nature, and this pulsar has given us an important new limit," explained Scott Ransom, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and one of Hessels' collaborators on this work. The scientists discovered the pulsar, named PSR J1748-2446ad, in a globular cluster of stars called Terzan 5, located some 28,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The newly-discovered pulsar is spinning 716 times per second, or at 716 Hertz (Hz), readily beating the previous record of 642 Hz from a pulsar

  14. Discovering Pediatric Asthma Phenotypes on the Basis of Response to Controller Medication Using Machine Learning.

    PubMed

    Ross, Mindy K; Yoon, Jinsung; van der Schaar, Auke; van der Schaar, Mihaela

    2018-01-01

    Pediatric asthma has variable underlying inflammation and symptom control. Approaches to addressing this heterogeneity, such as clustering methods to find phenotypes and predict outcomes, have been investigated. However, clustering based on the relationship between treatment and clinical outcome has not been performed, and machine learning approaches for long-term outcome prediction in pediatric asthma have not been studied in depth. Our objectives were to use our novel machine learning algorithm, predictor pursuit (PP), to discover pediatric asthma phenotypes on the basis of asthma control in response to controller medications, to predict longitudinal asthma control among children with asthma, and to identify features associated with asthma control within each discovered pediatric phenotype. We applied PP to the Childhood Asthma Management Program study data (n = 1,019) to discover phenotypes on the basis of asthma control between assigned controller therapy groups (budesonide vs. nedocromil). We confirmed PP's ability to discover phenotypes using the Asthma Clinical Research Network/Childhood Asthma Research and Education network data. We next predicted children's asthma control over time and compared PP's performance with that of traditional prediction methods. Last, we identified clinical features most correlated with asthma control in the discovered phenotypes. Four phenotypes were discovered in both datasets: allergic not obese (A + /O - ), obese not allergic (A - /O + ), allergic and obese (A + /O + ), and not allergic not obese (A - /O - ). Of the children with well-controlled asthma in the Childhood Asthma Management Program dataset, we found more nonobese children treated with budesonide than with nedocromil (P = 0.015) and more obese children treated with nedocromil than with budesonide (P = 0.008). Within the obese group, more A + /O + children's asthma was well controlled with nedocromil than with budesonide (P = 0.022) or with placebo

  15. Discovering, Indexing and Interlinking Information Resources

    PubMed Central

    Celli, Fabrizio; Keizer, Johannes; Jaques, Yves; Konstantopoulos, Stasinos; Vudragović, Dušan

    2015-01-01

    The social media revolution is having a dramatic effect on the world of scientific publication. Scientists now publish their research interests, theories and outcomes across numerous channels, including personal blogs and other thematic web spaces where ideas, activities and partial results are discussed. Accordingly, information systems that facilitate access to scientific literature must learn to cope with this valuable and varied data, evolving to make this research easily discoverable and available to end users. In this paper we describe the incremental process of discovering web resources in the domain of agricultural science and technology. Making use of Linked Open Data methodologies, we interlink a wide array of custom-crawled resources with the AGRIS bibliographic database in order to enrich the user experience of the AGRIS website. We also discuss the SemaGrow Stack, a query federation and data integration infrastructure used to estimate the semantic distance between crawled web resources and AGRIS. PMID:26834982

  16. Michael Maier--nine newly discovered letters.

    PubMed

    Lenke, Nils; Roudet, Nicolas; Tilton, Hereward

    2014-02-01

    The authors provide a transcription, translation, and evaluation of nine newly discovered letters from the alchemist Michael Maier (1568-1622) to Gebhardt Johann von Alvensleben (1576-1631), a noble landholder in the vicinity of Magdeburg. Stemming from the final year of his life, this correspondence casts new light on Maier's biography, detailing his efforts to secure patronage amid the financial crisis of the early Thirty Years' War. While his ill-fated quest to perfect potable gold continued to form the central focus of his patronage suits, Maier also offered his services in several arts that he had condemned in his printed works, namely astrology and "supernatural" magic. Remarks concerning his previously unknown acquaintance with Heinrich Khunrath call for a re-evaluation of Maier's negotiation of the discursive boundaries between Lutheran orthodoxy and Paracelsianism. The letters also reveal Maier's substantial contribution to a work previously ascribed solely to the English alchemist Francis Anthony.

  17. Improving the Interpretability of Classification Rules Discovered by an Ant Colony Algorithm: Extended Results.

    PubMed

    Otero, Fernando E B; Freitas, Alex A

    2016-01-01

    Most ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithms for inducing classification rules use a ACO-based procedure to create a rule in a one-at-a-time fashion. An improved search strategy has been proposed in the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] algorithm, where an ACO-based procedure is used to create a complete list of rules (ordered rules), i.e., the ACO search is guided by the quality of a list of rules instead of an individual rule. In this paper we propose an extension of the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] algorithm to discover a set of rules (unordered rules). The main motivations for this work are to improve the interpretation of individual rules by discovering a set of rules and to evaluate the impact on the predictive accuracy of the algorithm. We also propose a new measure to evaluate the interpretability of the discovered rules to mitigate the fact that the commonly used model size measure ignores how the rules are used to make a class prediction. Comparisons with state-of-the-art rule induction algorithms, support vector machines, and the cAnt-Miner[Formula: see text] producing ordered rules are also presented.

  18. Combined mining: discovering informative knowledge in complex data.

    PubMed

    Cao, Longbing; Zhang, Huaifeng; Zhao, Yanchang; Luo, Dan; Zhang, Chengqi

    2011-06-01

    Enterprise data mining applications often involve complex data such as multiple large heterogeneous data sources, user preferences, and business impact. In such situations, a single method or one-step mining is often limited in discovering informative knowledge. It would also be very time and space consuming, if not impossible, to join relevant large data sources for mining patterns consisting of multiple aspects of information. It is crucial to develop effective approaches for mining patterns combining necessary information from multiple relevant business lines, catering for real business settings and decision-making actions rather than just providing a single line of patterns. The recent years have seen increasing efforts on mining more informative patterns, e.g., integrating frequent pattern mining with classifications to generate frequent pattern-based classifiers. Rather than presenting a specific algorithm, this paper builds on our existing works and proposes combined mining as a general approach to mining for informative patterns combining components from either multiple data sets or multiple features or by multiple methods on demand. We summarize general frameworks, paradigms, and basic processes for multifeature combined mining, multisource combined mining, and multimethod combined mining. Novel types of combined patterns, such as incremental cluster patterns, can result from such frameworks, which cannot be directly produced by the existing methods. A set of real-world case studies has been conducted to test the frameworks, with some of them briefed in this paper. They identify combined patterns for informing government debt prevention and improving government service objectives, which show the flexibility and instantiation capability of combined mining in discovering informative knowledge in complex data.

  19. Discovering the plates boundaries in the Mediterranean sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marinelli, Maurizio

    2017-04-01

    During the 8th class the students learn geology. We analyze the earth's layers, the earthquakes, the volcanoes and other natural phenomena like subduction and orogeny. We start with a global study but our goal is to focus on the crust to discover the plates boundaries, particularly the boundary between Eurasian and African Plate in the Mediterranean sea. It's very simple for the students to discover all the information using the Internet or the science book, but I want to make with them an exploration of earth science with the help of the natural phenomena we studied during the year. We connect with Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia ( http://www.ingv.it/en/ ) where we can find a map with the earthquakes happened in the last years in Italy and in the Mediterranean sea and the list of the main volcanoes. In this way we can draw a map of the mediterranean plates and we can talk about the past and the future of the Mediterranean sea, Europe and Africa based on our maps and on the Alps orogeny. Using youtube we can have a confirm of our hypothesis about the future of the Mediterranean sea (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGcDed4xVD4 ). A good observation for the students is given by the fact that we live in Europe but actually we stay on the African plate. The boundary is 5 km north of our school and we can go and visit the place where it is possible to see the different height of the two plates.

  20. Discovering functional modules by topic modeling RNA-Seq based toxicogenomic data.

    PubMed

    Yu, Ke; Gong, Binsheng; Lee, Mikyung; Liu, Zhichao; Xu, Joshua; Perkins, Roger; Tong, Weida

    2014-09-15

    Toxicogenomics (TGx) endeavors to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms through exploring gene expression profiles in response to toxic substances. Recently, RNA-Seq is increasingly regarded as a more powerful alternative to microarrays in TGx studies. However, realizing RNA-Seq's full potential requires novel approaches to extracting information from the complex TGx data. Considering read counts as the number of times a word occurs in a document, gene expression profiles from RNA-Seq are analogous to a word by document matrix used in text mining. Topic modeling aiming at to discover the latent structures in text corpora would be helpful to explore RNA-Seq based TGx data. In this study, topic modeling was applied on a typical RNA-Seq based TGx data set to discover hidden functional modules. The RNA-Seq based gene expression profiles were transformed into "documents", on which latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) was used to build a topic model. We found samples treated by the compounds with the same modes of actions (MoAs) could be clustered based on topic similarities. The topic most relevant to each cluster was identified as a "marker" topic, which was interpreted by gene enrichment analysis with MoAs then confirmed by compound and pathways associations mined from literature. To further validate the "marker" topics, we tested topic transferability from RNA-Seq to microarrays. The RNA-Seq based gene expression profile of a topic specifically associated with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathway was used to query samples with similar expression profiles in two different microarray data sets, yielding accuracy of about 85%. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the applicability of topic modeling to discover functional modules in RNA-Seq data and suggests a valuable computational tool for leveraging information within TGx data in RNA-Seq era.

  1. Medicinal benefits of marine invertebrates: sources for discovering natural drug candidates.

    PubMed

    De Zoysa, Mahanama

    2012-01-01

    Marine invertebrates are one of the major groups of organisms, which could be diversified under the major taxonomic groups of Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and many other minor phyla. To date, range of medicinal benefits and a significant number of marine natural products (MNPs) have been discovered from marine invertebrates. Seafood diet from edible marine invertebrates such as mollusks and crustaceans has been linked with various medicinal benefits to improve human health. Among marine invertebrates, spongers from phylum Porifera is the most dominant group responsible for discovering large number of MNPs, which have been used as template to develop therapeutic drugs. MNPs isolated from invertebrates have shown wide range of therapeutic properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, anticoagulant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and immune modulator, and other medicinal effects. Therefore, marine invertebrates are rich sources of chemical diversity and health benefits for developing drug candidates, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and molecular probes that can be supported to increase the healthy life span of human. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Mutations, associated with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, discovered in Asian countries

    PubMed Central

    Bagyinszky, Eva; Youn, Young Chul; An, Seong Soo A; Kim, SangYun

    2016-01-01

    Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of senile dementia, is a genetically complex disorder. In most Asian countries, the population and the number of AD patients are growing rapidly, and the genetics of AD has been extensively studied, except in Japan. However, recent studies have been started to investigate the genes and mutations associated with AD in Korea, the People’s Republic of China, and Malaysia. This review describes all of the known mutations in three early-onset AD (EOAD) causative genes (APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2) that were discovered in Asian countries. Most of the EOAD-associated mutations have been detected in PSEN1, and several novel PSEN1 mutations were recently identified in patients from various parts of the world, including Asia. Until 2014, no PSEN2 mutations were found in Asian patients; however, emerging studies from Korea and the People’s Republic of China discovered probably pathogenic PSEN2 mutations. Since several novel mutations were discovered in these three genes, we also discuss the predictions on their pathogenic nature. This review briefly summarizes genome-wide association studies of late-onset AD and the genes that might be associated with AD in Asian countries. Standard sequencing is a widely used method, but it has limitations in terms of time, cost, and efficacy. Next-generation sequencing strategies could facilitate genetic analysis and association studies. Genetic testing is important for the accurate diagnosis and for understanding disease-associated pathways and might also improve disease therapy and prevention. PMID:27799753

  3. How to See a Recently Discovered Supernova

    ScienceCinema

    Nugent, Peter

    2017-12-12

    Berkeley Lab scientist Peter Nugent discusses a recently discovered supernova that is closer to Earth — approximately 21 million light-years away — than any other of its kind in a generation. Astronomers believe they caught the supernova within hours of its explosion, a rare feat made possible with a specialized survey telescope and state-of-the-art computational tools. The finding of such a supernova so early and so close has energized the astronomical community as they are scrambling to observe it with as many telescopes as possible, including the Hubble Space Telescope. More info on how to see it: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2011/08/31/glimpse-cosmic-explosion/ News release: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2011/08/25/supernova/

  4. How to See a Recently Discovered Supernova

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

    Nugent, Peter

    2011-08-31

    Berkeley Lab scientist Peter Nugent discusses a recently discovered supernova that is closer to Earth — approximately 21 million light-years away — than any other of its kind in a generation. Astronomers believe they caught the supernova within hours of its explosion, a rare feat made possible with a specialized survey telescope and state-of-the-art computational tools. The finding of such a supernova so early and so close has energized the astronomical community as they are scrambling to observe it with as many telescopes as possible, including the Hubble Space Telescope. More info on how to see it: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2011/08/31/glimpse-cosmic-explosion/ News release:more » http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2011/08/25/supernova/« less

  5. A comparison of the IGBP DISCover and University of Maryland 1 km global land cover products

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hansen, M.C.; Reed, B.

    2000-01-01

    Two global 1 km land cover data sets derived from 1992-1993 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data are currently available, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme Data and Information System (IGBP-DIS) DISCover and the University of Maryland (UMd) 1 km land cover maps. This paper makes a preliminary comparison of the methodologies and results of the two products. The DISCover methodology employed an unsupervised clustering classification scheme on a per-continent basis using 12 monthly maximum NDVI composites as inputs. The UMd approach employed a supervised classification tree method in which temporal metrics derived from all AVHRR bands and the NDVI were used to predict class membership across the entire globe. The DISCover map uses the IGBP classification scheme, while the UMd map employs a modified IGBP scheme minus the classes of permanent wetlands, cropland/natural vegetation mosaic and ice and snow. Global area totals of aggregated vegetation types are very similar and have a per-pixel agreement of 74%. For tall versus short/no vegetation, the per-pixel agreement is 84%. For broad vegetation types, core areas map similarly, while transition zones around core areas differ significantly. This results in high regional variability between the maps. Individual class agreement between the two 1 km maps is 49%. Comparison of the maps at a nominal 0.5 resolution with two global ground-based maps shows an improvement of thematic concurrency of 46% when viewing average class agreement. The absence of the cropland mosaic class creates a difficulty in comparing the maps, due to its significant extent in the DISCover map. The DISCover map, in general, has more forest, while the UMd map has considerably more area in the intermediate tree cover classes of woody savanna/ woodland and savanna/wooded grassland.

  6. Discovering the Art of Mathematics: Using String Art to Investigate Calculus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Renesse, Christine; Ecke, Volker

    2016-01-01

    One goal of our Discovering the Art of Mathematics project is to empower students in the liberal arts to become confident creators of art and imaginative creators of mathematics. In this paper, we describe our experience with using string art to guide liberal arts students in exploring ideas of calculus. We provide excerpts from our inquiry-based…

  7. Evaluation of the Discover Drug Education Curriculum for Grades K-4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Ronald D.; Butler, Joan M.

    A major purpose of this study was to establish and test a procedure for evaluating drug education curricula that allows for a more objective view of the effectiveness of drug education materials and the instructional delivery system. A major focus of the study was to determine the extent to which the Discover Curriculum affected student outcomes.…

  8. Era of Galaxy and Black Hole Growth Spurt Discovered

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-04-01

    Distant galaxies undergoing intense bursts of star formation have been shown by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to be fertile growing grounds for the largest black holes in the Universe. Collisions between galaxies in the early Universe may be the ultimate cause for both the accelerated star formation and black hole growth. By combining the deepest X-ray image ever obtained with submillimeter and optical observations, an international team of scientists has found evidence that some extremely luminous adolescent galaxies and their central black holes underwent a phenomenal spurt of growth more than 10 billion years ago. This concurrent black hole and galaxy growth spurt is only seen in these galaxies and may have set the stage for the birth of quasars - distant galaxies that contain the largest and most active black holes in the Universe. Simulation of a Galaxy Collision Simulation of a Galaxy Collision "The extreme distances of these galaxies allow us to look back in time, and take a snapshot of how today's largest galaxies looked when they were producing most of their stars and growing black holes," said David Alexander of the University of Cambridge, UK, and lead author of a paper in the April 7, 2005 issue of Nature that describes this work. The galaxies studied by Alexander and his colleagues are known as submillimeter galaxies, so-called because they were originally identified by the James Clerk Maxwell submillimeter telescope (JCMT) on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The submillimeter observations along with optical data from Keck indicate these galaxies had an unusually large amount of gas. The gas in each galaxy was forming into stars at a rate of about one per day, or 100 times the present rate in the Milky Way galaxy. The Chandra X-ray data show that the supermassive black holes in the galaxies were also growing at the same time. Chandra X-ray Image of CDFN Chandra X-ray Image of CDFN These galaxies are very faint and it is only with the deepest observations of the

  9. Artificial Intelligence and NASA Data Used to Discover Eighth Planet Circling Distant Star

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-12

    Our solar system now is tied for most number of planets around a single star, with the recent discovery of an eighth planet circling Kepler-90, a Sun-like star 2,545 light years from Earth. The planet was discovered in data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope. The newly-discovered Kepler-90i -- a sizzling hot, rocky planet that orbits its star once every 14.4 days -- was found by researchers from Google and The University of Texas at Austin using machine learning. Machine learning is an approach to artificial intelligence in which computers “learn.” In this case, computers learned to identify planets by finding in Kepler data instances where the telescope recorded signals from planets beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets. Video Credit: NASA Ames Research Center / Google

  10. Using in Vitro Evolution and Whole Genome Analysis To Discover Next Generation Targets for Antimalarial Drug Discovery

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Although many new anti-infectives have been discovered and developed solely using phenotypic cellular screening and assay optimization, most researchers recognize that structure-guided drug design is more practical and less costly. In addition, a greater chemical space can be interrogated with structure-guided drug design. The practicality of structure-guided drug design has launched a search for the targets of compounds discovered in phenotypic screens. One method that has been used extensively in malaria parasites for target discovery and chemical validation is in vitro evolution and whole genome analysis (IVIEWGA). Here, small molecules from phenotypic screens with demonstrated antiparasitic activity are used in genome-based target discovery methods. In this Review, we discuss the newest, most promising druggable targets discovered or further validated by evolution-based methods, as well as some exceptions. PMID:29451780

  11. GraphTeams: a method for discovering spatial gene clusters in Hi-C sequencing data.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Tizian; Stoye, Jens; Doerr, Daniel

    2018-05-08

    Hi-C sequencing offers novel, cost-effective means to study the spatial conformation of chromosomes. We use data obtained from Hi-C experiments to provide new evidence for the existence of spatial gene clusters. These are sets of genes with associated functionality that exhibit close proximity to each other in the spatial conformation of chromosomes across several related species. We present the first gene cluster model capable of handling spatial data. Our model generalizes a popular computational model for gene cluster prediction, called δ-teams, from sequences to graphs. Following previous lines of research, we subsequently extend our model to allow for several vertices being associated with the same label. The model, called δ-teams with families, is particular suitable for our application as it enables handling of gene duplicates. We develop algorithmic solutions for both models. We implemented the algorithm for discovering δ-teams with families and integrated it into a fully automated workflow for discovering gene clusters in Hi-C data, called GraphTeams. We applied it to human and mouse data to find intra- and interchromosomal gene cluster candidates. The results include intrachromosomal clusters that seem to exhibit a closer proximity in space than on their chromosomal DNA sequence. We further discovered interchromosomal gene clusters that contain genes from different chromosomes within the human genome, but are located on a single chromosome in mouse. By identifying δ-teams with families, we provide a flexible model to discover gene cluster candidates in Hi-C data. Our analysis of Hi-C data from human and mouse reveals several known gene clusters (thus validating our approach), but also few sparsely studied or possibly unknown gene cluster candidates that could be the source of further experimental investigations.

  12. Readers of Largest U.S. History Textbooks Discover a Storehouse of Misinformation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Putka, Gary

    1992-01-01

    Reports that a Texas advocacy group discovered thousands of errors in U.S. history textbooks. Notes that the books underwent the review after drawing favorable reactions from Texas education officials. Identifies possible explanations for the errors and steps being taken to reduce errors in the future. (SG)

  13. Using Appreciative Inquiry to Discover and Deliver Change for Surgical Technology Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cabai, Katherine A.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine efficacious teaching-learning strategies that community college stakeholders employ that enhance surgical technology student outcomes. Knowles's adult learning theory, constructivist theory, and appreciative inquiry served as the theoretical foundation for this study. Discovering effective aspects and…

  14. Prospects for Ground-Based Detection and Follow-up of TESS-Discovered Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varakian, Matthew; Deming, Drake

    2018-01-01

    The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will monitor over 200,000 main sequence dwarf stars for exoplanetary transits, with the goal of discovering small planets orbiting stars that are bright enough for follow-up observations. We here evaluate the prospects for ground-based transit detection and follow-up of the TESS-discovered planets. We focus particularly on the TESS planets that only transit once during each 27.4 day TESS observing window per region, and we calculate to what extent ground-based recovery of additional transits will be possible. Using simulated exoplanet systems from Sullivan et al. and assuming the use of a 60-cm telescope at a high quality observing site, we project the S/N ratios for transits of such planets. We use Phoenix stellar models for stars with surface temperatures from 2500K to 12000K, and we account for limb darkening, red atmospheric noise, and missed transits due to the day-night cycle and poor weather.

  15. Protocols for Teaching Students How to Search for, Discover, and Evaluate Innovations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norton, William I., Jr.; Hale, Dena H.

    2011-01-01

    The authors introduce and develop protocols to guide aspiring entrepreneurs' behaviors in searching for and discovering innovative ideas that may have commercial potential. Systematic search has emerged as a theory-based, prescriptive framework to guide innovative behavior. Grounded in Fiet's theory of search and discovery, this article provides…

  16. Preliminary study of microtektites first discovered in the central Pacific by China

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hanchang, P.; Shong, Y.; Xi, M.; Shijie, S.

    1984-01-01

    Electron probe analysis was used to determine the chemical composition of microtektites discovered in the Central Pacific. An X-ray energy spectrum analysis was made, and the surface microstructure was investigated. The found microtektites appear to be younger than the microtektites reported in the Asia Australia Strewn Field.

  17. Re-discovering Mendel: The Case of Carl Correns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rheinberger, Hans-Jörg

    2015-01-01

    Carl Erich Correns (1864-1933) is remembered in the annals of science as one of the three botanists who re-discovered Mendel's laws. He can also, however, be regarded as one of the founding figures of classical genetics in Germany. Between 1894 and 1899 he carried out the crossing experiments with corn and peas that led to the re-statement of Gregor Mendel's (1822-1884) results. Between 1900 and 1910, he explored the complications of these laws, including the coupling of factors due to their chromosomal location and the inheritance of sex, in a great number of plant species. In later years Correns became interested in and experimented on phenomena of extra-nuclear inheritance.

  18. Archaeological Investigations in the Upper Tombigbee Valley, Mississippi: Phase I. Volume 1.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-01-01

    6.10 Site 221T563: Selected c,ramics; Alexander Incised .............................. 6.90 6.91 6.11 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander... Incised .............................. 6.92 6.93 6.12 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised .............................. 6.94 6.95 6.13 Site...221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised .............................. 6.96 6.9i 6.14 Site 221T563: Selected ceramics: Alexander Incised

  19. Discover Earth: An earth system science program for libraries and their communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Curtis, L.; Dusenbery, P.

    2010-12-01

    The view from space has deepened our understanding of Earth as a global, dynamic system. Instruments on satellites and spacecraft, coupled with advances in ground-based research, have provided us with astonishing new perspectives of our planet. Now more than ever, enhancing the public’s understanding of Earth’s physical and biological systems is vital to helping citizens make informed policy decisions especially when they are faced with the consequences of global climate change. In spite of this relevance, there are many obstacles to achieving broad public understanding of key earth system science (ESS) concepts. Strategies for addressing climate change can only succeed with the full engagement of the general public. As reported by U.S. News and World Report in 2010, small towns in rural America are emerging as the front line in the climate change debate in the country. The Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL) in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), and the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) have received funding from NSF to develop a national project called the STAR Library Education Network: a hands-on learning program for libraries and their communities (or STAR-Net for short). STAR stands for Science-Technology, Activities and Resources. There are two distinct components of STAR-Net: Discover Earth and Discover Tech. While the focus for education reform is on school improvement, there is considerable research that supports the role that out-of-school experiences can play in student achievement. Libraries provide an untapped resource for engaging underserved youth and their families in fostering an appreciation and deeper understanding of science and technology topics. The overarching goal of the project is to reach underserved youth and their families with informal STEM learning experiences. The Discover Earth part of STAR_Net will produce ESS

  20. NEWLY DISCOVERED PLANETS ORBITING HD 5319, HD 11506, HD 75784 AND HD 10442 FROM THE N2K CONSORTIUM

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

    Giguere, Matthew J.; Fischer, Debra A.; Brewer, John M.

    2015-01-20

    Initially designed to discover short-period planets, the N2K campaign has since evolved to discover new worlds at large separations from their host stars. Detecting such worlds will help determine the giant planet occurrence at semi-major axes beyond the ice line, where gas giants are thought to mostly form. Here we report four newly discovered gas giant planets (with minimum masses ranging from 0.4 to 2.1 M {sub Jup}) orbiting stars monitored as part of the Next 2000 target stars (N2K) Doppler Survey program. Two of these planets orbit stars already known to host planets: HD 5319 and HD 11506. Themore » remaining discoveries reside in previously unknown planetary systems: HD 10442 and HD 75784. The refined orbital period of the inner planet orbiting HD 5319 is 641 days. The newly discovered outer planet orbits in 886 days. The large masses combined with the proximity to a 4:3 mean motion resonance make this system a challenge to explain with current formation and migration theories. HD 11506 has one confirmed planet, and here we confirm a second. The outer planet has an orbital period of 1627.5 days, and the newly discovered inner planet orbits in 223.6 days. A planet has also been discovered orbiting HD 75784 with an orbital period of 341.7 days. There is evidence for a longer period signal; however, several more years of observations are needed to put tight constraints on the Keplerian parameters for the outer planet. Lastly, an additional planet has been detected orbiting HD 10442 with a period of 1043 days.« less

  1. Host specificity and the probability of discovering species of helminth parasites.

    PubMed

    Poulin, R; Mouillot, D

    2005-06-01

    Different animal species have different probabilities of being discovered and described by scientists, and these probabilities are determined to a large extent by the biological characteristics of these species. For instance, species with broader geographical ranges are more likely to be encountered by collectors than species with restricted distributions; indeed, the size of the geographical range is often the best predictor of a species' date of description. For parasitic organisms, host specificity may be similarly linked to the probability of a species being found. Here, using data on 170 helminth species parasitic in freshwater fishes, we show that host specificity is associated with the year in which the helminths were described. Helminths that exploit more host species, and to a lesser degree those that exploit a broader taxonomic range of host species, tend to be discovered earlier than the more host-specific helminths. This pattern was observed across all helminth species, as well as within the different helminth taxa (trematodes, cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephalans). Our results demonstrate that the parasite species known at any given point in time are not a random subset of existing species, but rather a biased subset with respect to the parasites' biological properties.

  2. Readership Assessment of Missouri's "Discover&Enlighten": Implications for Publications and Teaching Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood-Turley, Sharon; Tucker, Mark

    2003-01-01

    Results of study to measure the effectiveness of Discover&Enlighten, a newsletter of the University of Missouri's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, indicate that respondents (n=150) desire a mix of stories, have a positive perception of the newsletter, and consider it to be truthful. (Contains 17 references.) (JOW)

  3. Discovering, Supporting, and Promoting Young Children's Passions and Interests: One Teacher's Reflections.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, Christine

    2001-01-01

    Describes the journey of one kindergarten teacher as she discovered, supported, and promoted the passions and interests of an at-risk kindergarten student, and shared in his joys of learning. Details an inquiry project about snakes, initiated by the student's knowledge about snakes, involving field trips, class discussion, learning centers, and…

  4. Separation Anxiety: An in-Class Game Designed to Help Students Discover Chromatography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samide, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    An in-class activity has been developed to assist students in discovering chromatographic separations. Designed on the basis of plate theory, the game has students use instructor-provided partition coefficients to establish equilibrium for two different items between a stationary and mobile phase. As students work through equilibration and mobile…

  5. The whole is more than the sum of its parts: Aristotle, metaphysical.

    PubMed

    Upton, Joseph; Janeka, Ivo; Ferraro, Nalton

    2014-01-01

    This phrase, a favorite of Dr. Joseph E. Murray, can be interpreted in many ways. Mathematically, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, neither more nor less. Psychological Gestalt theory would maintain that the whole is something else or something different than the sum of its parts. Merely adding up the component parts is meaningless compared with the "part-whole" relationship (SYNERGETICS: Explorations of Thinking. MacMillan Publishing Co, Inc; 1975). Organizational pundits maintain that this principle describes the synergy, which exists between individuals working together in a cooperative effort. Collectively, they are able to achieve an outcome superior to that of 1 or 2 people working alone. This concept is vintage Joseph E. Murray. He was an integral part of the Peter Bent Brigham team, which transformed the dream of organ transplantation into clinical reality over 50 years ago. Although many advances in medicine are made by the serendipity of a prepared mind making a critical observation (Alexander Fleming and penicillin), individual brilliance (Judah Folkman and angiogenesis), or by technology (magnetic resonance imaging), most are achieved by groups of physicians and scientists working together. All have prepared minds. When the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital physicians and researchers at the Harvard Medical School dedicated all of their energy on solving the problems of end-stage renal disease, their effort was concentrated and primarily regional. Today, this cooperation is global, as communication has been facilitated by the Internet, iPhone, iPad, video conferencing, electronic libraries, and the like.

  6. Chemical Abundance Measurements of Ultra-Faint Dwarf Galaxies Discovered by the Dark Energy Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagasawa, Daniel; Marshall, Jennifer L.; Simon, Joshua D.; Hansen, Terese; Li, Ting; Bernstein, Rebecca; Balbinot, Eduardo; Drlica-Wagner, Alex; Pace, Andrew; Strigari, Louis; Pellegrino, Craig; DePoy, Darren L.; Suntzeff, Nicholas; Bechtol, Keith; Dark Energy Suvey

    2018-01-01

    We present chemical abundance analysis results derived from high-resolution spectroscopy of ultra-faint dwarfs discovered by the Dark Energy Survey. Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies preserve a fossil record of the chemical abundance patterns imprinted by the first stars in the Universe. High-resolution spectroscopic observations of member stars in several recently discovered Milky Way satellites reveal a range of abundance patterns among ultra-faint dwarfs suggesting that star formation processes in the early Universe were quite diverse. The chemical content provides a glimpse not only of the varied nucleosynthetic processes and chemical history of the dwarfs themselves, but also the environment in which they were formed. We present the chemical abundance analysis of these objects and discuss possible explanations for the observed abundance patterns.

  7. Webinar Presentation: Using Metabolomics with Neonatal Blood Spots to Discover Causes of Childhood Leukemia

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This presentation, Using Metabolomics with Neonatal Blood Spots to Discover Causes of Childhood Leukemia, was given at the NIEHS/EPA Children's Centers 2016 Webinar Series: Exposome held on May 11, 2016.

  8. Development of Creativity: The Influence of Varying Levels of Implementation of the DISCOVER Curriculum Model, a Non-Traditional Pedagogical Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maker, C. June; Jo, Sonmi; Muammar, Omar M.

    2008-01-01

    Development of creativity is influenced by multiple factors, including the environment, developmental changes, and measurement tools. In this study, we investigated the relationship between creativity development and implementation of the Discovering Intellectual Strengths and Capabilities while Observing Varied Ethnic Responses (DISCOVER)…

  9. Use of the Culture Care Theory and ethnonursing method to discover how nursing faculty teach culture care.

    PubMed

    Mixer, Sandra J

    2008-04-01

    As the world becomes increasingly multicultural, transcultural nursing education is critical to ensuring a culturally competent workforce. This paper presents a comprehensive review of literature and results of an ethnonursing pilot study using the Culture Care Theory (CCT) to discover how nursing faculty teach culture care. The literature revealed that despite 50 years of transcultural nursing knowledge development through theory, research and practice, there remains a lack of formal, integrated culture education in nursing. The importance of faculty providing generic and professional care to nursing students and using an organising framework to teach culture care was discovered. Additionally, care was essential for faculty health and well-being to enable faculty to teach culture care. This unique use of the theory and method demonstrates its usefulness in discovering and describing the complex nature of teaching culture care. Larger scale studies are predicted to further substantiate the CCT, building the discipline of nursing.

  10. Discovering chemistry with an ab initio nanoreactor

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Lee-Ping; Titov, Alexey; McGibbon, Robert; ...

    2014-11-02

    Chemical understanding is driven by the experimental discovery of new compounds and reactivity, and is supported by theory and computation that provides detailed physical insight. While theoretical and computational studies have generally focused on specific processes or mechanistic hypotheses, recent methodological and computational advances harken the advent of their principal role in discovery. Here we report the development and application of the ab initio nanoreactor – a highly accelerated, first-principles molecular dynamics simulation of chemical reactions that discovers new molecules and mechanisms without preordained reaction coordinates or elementary steps. Using the nanoreactor we show new pathways for glycine synthesis frommore » primitive compounds proposed to exist on the early Earth, providing new insight into the classic Urey-Miller experiment. Ultimately, these results highlight the emergence of theoretical and computational chemistry as a tool for discovery in addition to its traditional role of interpreting experimental findings.« less

  11. Discovering chemistry with an ab initio nanoreactor

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

    Wang, Lee-Ping; Titov, Alexey; McGibbon, Robert

    Chemical understanding is driven by the experimental discovery of new compounds and reactivity, and is supported by theory and computation that provides detailed physical insight. While theoretical and computational studies have generally focused on specific processes or mechanistic hypotheses, recent methodological and computational advances harken the advent of their principal role in discovery. Here we report the development and application of the ab initio nanoreactor – a highly accelerated, first-principles molecular dynamics simulation of chemical reactions that discovers new molecules and mechanisms without preordained reaction coordinates or elementary steps. Using the nanoreactor we show new pathways for glycine synthesis frommore » primitive compounds proposed to exist on the early Earth, providing new insight into the classic Urey-Miller experiment. Ultimately, these results highlight the emergence of theoretical and computational chemistry as a tool for discovery in addition to its traditional role of interpreting experimental findings.« less

  12. Alexander Ya. Orolv - Well-Known Scientist and Recognized Organizer of Astronmoical Research. Little Known Facts of His Life

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yatskiv, Ya. S.; Vavilova, I. B.; Korsun', A. A.

    Alexander Ya. Orlov is a well-known astronomer and geophysicist as well as a worldrecognized organizer of scientific research in Russia, the USSR, and Ukraine. Orlov has formulated his main scientific ideas during the Odesa's period of life. He studied a tidal deformation of the Earth and its polar motion using the gravity and latitude observations. He has proposed new defenitions of a mean pole and a mean latitude, as wel as a new method for determing the Earth pole coordinates. To the end of 1940-ties, the Orlov's scientific ideas were implemented and stimulated a development of a research field, which is now called as Astrogeodynamics or Space Geodynamics. Among the representatives of the Orlov's scientific school are about 20 Doctors of Sciences and more than 40 Candidates of Sciences, including the members of Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other countries. Among them are N.Stoyko-Radilenko (France), J.Witkowski (Poland), V.Zhardetsky (Yugoslavia-Austria-USA), D.Pyaskovsky, Z.Aksent'eva, E.Lavrentieva, N.Popov, E.Fedorov and A.Korol in Ukraine. The deserved followers of the Orlov's scientific ideas were also I.Androsov, I.Dyukov, K.Mansurova, B.Novopashennyj, N.V.Zimmerman in Russia and M.Bursa (Chesh Republic), who worked with him, as well as his sons, A.A.Orlov and B.A. Orlov. The Orlov's life and scientific activity were fully described in many articles. For that reason in this paper we will focus on the little-known facts of the Orlov's scientific-organizational activity, for example, the Orlov's appointments as a director of observatories in Odesa, Poltava, m.Pip-Ivan, Pulkovo, and Kyiv; interesesting facts related to his membership in the Academies of Sciences of the USSR and Ukrainian SSR; organization of a large-scale program on the latitude observations and gravimetric survey. We describe briefly his life and his astrogeodynamic scientific school.

  13. Marquette Island: A Distinct Mafic Lithology Discovered by Opportunity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mittlefehldt, David W.; Gellert, R.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Clark, B. C.; Cohen, B. A.; Fleischer, I.; Jolliff, B. L.; Klingelhoefer, G.; Ming, D. W.; Yingst, R. A.

    2010-01-01

    While rolling over the Meridiani Planum sedimentary terrane, the rover Opportunity has occasionally discovered large, > 10 cm erratics. Most of these have proven to be meteorites [1], but one - Bounce Rock - is a martian basaltic rock similar in composition to the meteorite EETA79001 lithology B [2]. Presently, Opportunity is intensively investigating an --30 cm tall rock named Marquette Island that may be a distinct type of martian mafic lithology. We report the results of its continuing investigation using the Microscopic Imager (MI); Mossbauer Spectrometer (MB) and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). A companion abstract discusses the results of Panoramic Camera (Pancam) imaging of the rock [3].

  14. Alexander von Humboldt: galvanism, animal electricity, and self-experimentation part 2: the electric eel, animal electricity, and later years.

    PubMed

    Finger, Stanley; Piccolino, Marco; Stahnisch, Frank W

    2013-01-01

    After extensive experimentation during the 1790s, Alexander von Humboldt remained skeptical about "animal electricity" (and metallic electricity), writing instead about an ill-defined galvanic force. With his worldview and wishing to learn more, he studied electric eels in South America just as the new century began, again using his body as a scientific instrument in many of his experiments. As had been the case in the past and for many of the same reasons, some of his findings with the electric eel (and soon after, Italian torpedoes) seemed to argue against biological electricity. But he no longer used galvanic terminology when describing his electric fish experiments. The fact that he now wrote about animal electricity rather than a different "galvanic" force owed much to Alessandro Volta, who had come forth with his "pile" (battery) for multipling the physical and perceptable effects of otherwise weak electricity in 1800, while Humboldt was deep in South America. Humboldt probably read about and saw voltaic batteries in the United States in 1804, but the time he spent with Volta in 1805 was probably more significant in his conversion from a galvanic to an electrical framework for understanding nerve and muscle physiology. Although he did not continue his animal electricity research program after this time, Humboldt retained his worldview of a unified nature and continued to believe in intrinsic animal electricity. He also served as a patron to some of the most important figures in the new field of electrophysiology (e.g., Hermann Helmholtz and Emil du Bois-Reymond), helping to take the research that he had participated in to the next level.

  15. Discovering New Light States at Neutrino Experiments

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

    Essig, Rouven; /SLAC; Harnik, Roni

    2011-08-11

    Experiments designed to measure neutrino oscillations also provide major opportunities for discovering very weakly coupled states. In order to produce neutrinos, experiments such as LSND collide thousands of Coulombs of protons into fixed targets, while MINOS and MiniBooNE also focus and then dump beams of muons. The neutrino detectors beyond these beam dumps are therefore an excellent arena in which to look for long-lived pseudoscalars or for vector bosons that kinetically mix with the photon. We show that these experiments have significant sensitivity beyond previous beam dumps, and are able to partially close the gap between laboratory experiments and supernovaemore » constraints on pseudoscalars. Future upgrades to the NuMI beamline and Project X will lead to even greater opportunities for discovery. We also discuss thin target experiments with muon beams, such as those available in COMPASS, and show that they constitute a powerful probe for leptophilic PNGBs.« less

  16. Discovering New Drugs on the Cellular Level

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    With the Vision for Space Exploration calling for a sustained human presence in space, astronauts will need to grow plants, while in orbit, for nourishment that they will not receive from only consuming dehydrated foods. As a potential source of food for long-duration missions, space-grown plants could also give astronauts an important psychological boost, as fresh vegetables could serve as a welcomed change from monotonous meals consisting of reconstituted foods in plastic bags. Even more, these plants could likely aid in the recycling of air and wastewater on spacecraft. With a helping hand from a company by the name of Biolog, Inc., NASA is studying the impacts of decreased gravity and spaceborne bacteria on the plants being grown for food in space. With a helping hand from NASA, this very same company is creating powerful new cell- and bacteria-analysis tools for use in discovering and developing new drugs on Earth.

  17. Letting students discover the power, and the limits, of simple models: Coulomb's law

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohacek, Peter; Vonk, Matthew; Dill, Joseph; Boehm, Emma

    2017-09-01

    The inverse-square law pops up all over. It's a simplified model of reality that describes light, sound, gravity, and static electricity. But when it's brought up in class, students are often just handed the equations. They rarely have an opportunity to discover Coulomb's law or Newton's law of gravitation for themselves. It's not hard to understand why. A quantitative demonstration of Coulomb's law can be difficult. The forces are smaller than many force sensors can measure and static electricity tends to be finicky. In addition, off-the-shelf units are expensive or difficult to use. As a result, many instructors skip this lab in favor of qualitative demonstrations or simulations. Adolf Cortel sought to remedy this by designing a straightforward experiment for measuring Coulomb's law using charged metalized-glass spheres (Christmas ornaments) and an electronic balance. Building on Cortel's design, we've made a series of video-based experiments that students can use to discover the relationships that underlie electric force.

  18. Discovering Inexpensive, Effective Catalysts for Solar Energy Conversion: An Authentic Research Laboratory Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaner, Sarah E.; Hooker, Paul D.; Nickel, Anne-Marie; Leichtfuss, Amanda R.; Adams, Carissa S.; de la Cerda, Dionisia; She, Yuqi; Gerken, James B.; Pokhrel, Ravi; Ambrose, Nicholas J.; Khaliqi, David; Stahl, Shannon S.; Schuttlefield Christus, Jennifer D.

    2016-01-01

    Electrochemical water oxidation is a major focus of solar energy conversion efforts. A new laboratory experiment has been developed that utilizes real-time, hands-on research to discover catalysts for solar energy conversion. The HARPOON, or Heterogeneous Anodes Rapidly Perused for Oxygen Overpotential Neutralization, experiment allows an array of…

  19. Adult-onset Alexander disease, associated with a mutation in an alternative GFAP transcript, may be phenotypically modulated by a non-neutral HDAC6 variant.

    PubMed

    Melchionda, Laura; Fang, Mingyan; Wang, Hairong; Fugnanesi, Valeria; Morbin, Michela; Liu, Xuanzhu; Li, Wenyan; Ceccherini, Isabella; Farina, Laura; Savoiardo, Mario; D'Adamo, Pio; Zhang, Jianguo; Costa, Alfredo; Ravaglia, Sabrina; Ghezzi, Daniele; Zeviani, Massimo

    2013-05-01

    We studied a family including two half-siblings, sharing the same mother, affected by slowly progressive, adult-onset neurological syndromes. In spite of the diversity of the clinical features, characterized by a mild movement disorder with cognitive impairment in the elder patient, and severe motor-neuron disease (MND) in her half-brother, the brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) features were compatible with adult-onset Alexander's disease (AOAD), suggesting different expression of the same, genetically determined, condition. Since mutations in the alpha isoform of glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP-α, the only cause so far known of AOAD, were excluded, we applied exome Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to identify gene variants, which were then functionally validated by molecular characterization of recombinant and patient-derived cells. Exome-NGS revealed a mutation in a previously neglected GFAP isoform, GFAP-ϵ, which disrupts the GFAP-associated filamentous cytoskeletal meshwork of astrocytoma cells. To shed light on the different clinical features in the two patients, we sought for variants in other genes. The male patient had a mutation, absent in his half-sister, in X-linked histone deacetylase 6, a candidate MND susceptibility gene. Exome-NGS is an unbiased approach that not only helps identify new disease genes, but may also contribute to elucidate phenotypic expression.

  20. A Virtual Screen Discovers Novel, Fragment-Sized Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis InhA

    PubMed Central

    Perryman, Alexander L.; Yu, Weixuan; Wang, Xin; Ekins, Sean; Forli, Stefano; Li, Shao-Gang; Freundlich, Joel S.; Tonge, Peter J.; Olson, Arthur J.

    2015-01-01

    Isoniazid (INH) is usually administered to treat latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infections, and is used in combination therapy to treat active tuberculosis disease (TB). Unfortunately, resistance to this drug is hampering its clinical effectiveness. INH is a prodrug that must be activated by Mtb catalase peroxidase (KatG) before it can inhibit InhA (Mtb enoyl-acyl-carrier-protein reductase). Isoniazid-resistant cases of TB found in clinical settings usually involve mutations in or deletion of katG, which abrogate INH activation. Compounds that inhibit InhA without requiring prior activation by KatG would not be affected by this resistance mechanism and hence would display continued potency against these drug-resistant isolates of Mtb. Virtual screening experiments versus InhA in the GO Fight Against Malaria project (GO FAM) were designed to discover new scaffolds that display base stacking interactions with the NAD cofactor. GO FAM experiments included targets from other pathogens, including Mtb, when they had structural similarity to a malaria target. Eight of the sixteen soluble compounds identified by docking against InhA plus visual inspection were modest inhibitors and did not require prior activation by KatG. The best two inhibitors discovered are both fragment-sized compounds and displayed Ki values of 54 and 59 μM, respectively. Importantly, the novel inhibitors discovered have low structural similarity to known InhA inhibitors and, thus, help expand the number of chemotypes on which future medicinal chemistry efforts can be focused. These new fragment hits could eventually help advance the fight against INH-resistant Mtb strains, which pose a significant global health threat. PMID:25636146

  1. Long Noncoding RNAs AC009014.3 and Newly Discovered XPLAID Differentiate Aggressive and Indolent Prostate Cancers.

    PubMed

    Cesnik, Anthony J; Yang, Bing; Truong, Andrew; Etheridge, Tyler; Spiniello, Michele; Steinbrink, Maisie I; Shortreed, Michael R; Frey, Brian L; Jarrard, David F; Smith, Lloyd M

    2018-06-01

    The molecular mechanisms underlying aggressive versus indolent disease are not fully understood. Recent research has implicated a class of molecules known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis and progression of cancer. Our objective was to discover lncRNAs that differentiate aggressive and indolent prostate cancers. We analyzed paired tumor and normal tissues from six aggressive Gleason score (GS) 8-10 and six indolent GS 6 prostate cancers. Extracted RNA was split for poly(A)+ and ribosomal RNA depletion library preparations, followed byRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) using an Illumina HiSeq 2000. We developed an RNA-Seq data analysis pipeline to discover and quantify these molecules. Candidate lncRNAs were validated using RT-qPCR on 87 tumor tissue samples: 28 (GS 6), 28 (GS 3+4), 6 (GS 4+3), and 25 (GS 8-10). Statistical correlations between lncRNAs and clinicopathologic variables were tested using ANOVA. The 43 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs between aggressive and indolent prostate cancers included 12 annotated and 31 novel lncRNAs. The top six DE lncRNAs were selected based on large, consistent fold-changes in the RNA-Seq results. Three of these candidates passed RT-qPCR validation, including AC009014.3 (P < .001 in tumor tissue) and a newly discovered X-linked lncRNA named XPLAID (P = .049 in tumor tissue and P = .048 in normal tissue). XPLAID and AC009014.3 show promise as prognostic biomarkers. We discovered several dozen lncRNAs that distinguish aggressive and indolent prostate cancers, of which four were validated using RT-qPCR. The investigation into their biology is ongoing. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Incorporating Topic Assignment Constraint and Topic Correlation Limitation into Clinical Goal Discovering for Clinical Pathway Mining.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xiao; Jin, Tao; Wei, Zhijie; Wang, Jianmin

    2017-01-01

    Clinical pathways are widely used around the world for providing quality medical treatment and controlling healthcare cost. However, the expert-designed clinical pathways can hardly deal with the variances among hospitals and patients. It calls for more dynamic and adaptive process, which is derived from various clinical data. Topic-based clinical pathway mining is an effective approach to discover a concise process model. Through this approach, the latent topics found by latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) represent the clinical goals. And process mining methods are used to extract the temporal relations between these topics. However, the topic quality is usually not desirable due to the low performance of the LDA in clinical data. In this paper, we incorporate topic assignment constraint and topic correlation limitation into the LDA to enhance the ability of discovering high-quality topics. Two real-world datasets are used to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the topics discovered by our method are with higher coherence, informativeness, and coverage than the original LDA. These quality topics are suitable to represent the clinical goals. Also, we illustrate that our method is effective in generating a comprehensive topic-based clinical pathway model.

  3. Incorporating Topic Assignment Constraint and Topic Correlation Limitation into Clinical Goal Discovering for Clinical Pathway Mining

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Xiao; Wei, Zhijie

    2017-01-01

    Clinical pathways are widely used around the world for providing quality medical treatment and controlling healthcare cost. However, the expert-designed clinical pathways can hardly deal with the variances among hospitals and patients. It calls for more dynamic and adaptive process, which is derived from various clinical data. Topic-based clinical pathway mining is an effective approach to discover a concise process model. Through this approach, the latent topics found by latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) represent the clinical goals. And process mining methods are used to extract the temporal relations between these topics. However, the topic quality is usually not desirable due to the low performance of the LDA in clinical data. In this paper, we incorporate topic assignment constraint and topic correlation limitation into the LDA to enhance the ability of discovering high-quality topics. Two real-world datasets are used to evaluate the proposed method. The results show that the topics discovered by our method are with higher coherence, informativeness, and coverage than the original LDA. These quality topics are suitable to represent the clinical goals. Also, we illustrate that our method is effective in generating a comprehensive topic-based clinical pathway model. PMID:29065617

  4. Distribution and clinical impact of functional variants in 50,726 whole-exome sequences from the DiscovEHR study.

    PubMed

    Dewey, Frederick E; Murray, Michael F; Overton, John D; Habegger, Lukas; Leader, Joseph B; Fetterolf, Samantha N; O'Dushlaine, Colm; Van Hout, Cristopher V; Staples, Jeffrey; Gonzaga-Jauregui, Claudia; Metpally, Raghu; Pendergrass, Sarah A; Giovanni, Monica A; Kirchner, H Lester; Balasubramanian, Suganthi; Abul-Husn, Noura S; Hartzel, Dustin N; Lavage, Daniel R; Kost, Korey A; Packer, Jonathan S; Lopez, Alexander E; Penn, John; Mukherjee, Semanti; Gosalia, Nehal; Kanagaraj, Manoj; Li, Alexander H; Mitnaul, Lyndon J; Adams, Lance J; Person, Thomas N; Praveen, Kavita; Marcketta, Anthony; Lebo, Matthew S; Austin-Tse, Christina A; Mason-Suares, Heather M; Bruse, Shannon; Mellis, Scott; Phillips, Robert; Stahl, Neil; Murphy, Andrew; Economides, Aris; Skelding, Kimberly A; Still, Christopher D; Elmore, James R; Borecki, Ingrid B; Yancopoulos, George D; Davis, F Daniel; Faucett, William A; Gottesman, Omri; Ritchie, Marylyn D; Shuldiner, Alan R; Reid, Jeffrey G; Ledbetter, David H; Baras, Aris; Carey, David J

    2016-12-23

    The DiscovEHR collaboration between the Regeneron Genetics Center and Geisinger Health System couples high-throughput sequencing to an integrated health care system using longitudinal electronic health records (EHRs). We sequenced the exomes of 50,726 adult participants in the DiscovEHR study to identify ~4.2 million rare single-nucleotide variants and insertion/deletion events, of which ~176,000 are predicted to result in a loss of gene function. Linking these data to EHR-derived clinical phenotypes, we find clinical associations supporting therapeutic targets, including genes encoding drug targets for lipid lowering, and identify previously unidentified rare alleles associated with lipid levels and other blood level traits. About 3.5% of individuals harbor deleterious variants in 76 clinically actionable genes. The DiscovEHR data set provides a blueprint for large-scale precision medicine initiatives and genomics-guided therapeutic discovery. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  5. Alexander Dalgarno

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fox, Jane L.

    Alex Dalgarno saved my career. I entered the Graduate School at Harvard in the Chemistry Department in September of 1973 from the University of Michigan, where I had (unfortunately) majored in Chemistry. Chemistry is considered a "laboratory science" but I had no talent in the laboratory. I had merely fallen in love with the ideal gas law in high school, and I had stubbornly allowed this to determine my course of studies, most of which had nothing to do with the ideal gas law, and much of which was focused on laboratory studies...

  6. ASASSN1: Bright Comet Discovered by the All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prieto, JJ. L.; Shappee, B. J.; Brimacombe, J.; Stanek, K. Z.; Chen, Ping; Dong, Subo; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Kochanek, C. S.; Brown, J. S.; Shields, J. V.; Thompson, T. A.

    2017-07-01

    During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014), using data from the quadruple 14-cm "Cassius" telescope on Cerro Tololo, Chile, we discovered a new moving transient source, now confirmed as a comet.

  7. An ensemble heterogeneous classification methodology for discovering health-related knowledge in social media messages.

    PubMed

    Tuarob, Suppawong; Tucker, Conrad S; Salathe, Marcel; Ram, Nilam

    2014-06-01

    The role of social media as a source of timely and massive information has become more apparent since the era of Web 2.0.Multiple studies illustrated the use of information in social media to discover biomedical and health-related knowledge.Most methods proposed in the literature employ traditional document classification techniques that represent a document as a bag of words.These techniques work well when documents are rich in text and conform to standard English; however, they are not optimal for social media data where sparsity and noise are norms.This paper aims to address the limitations posed by the traditional bag-of-word based methods and propose to use heterogeneous features in combination with ensemble machine learning techniques to discover health-related information, which could prove to be useful to multiple biomedical applications, especially those needing to discover health-related knowledge in large scale social media data.Furthermore, the proposed methodology could be generalized to discover different types of information in various kinds of textual data. Social media data is characterized by an abundance of short social-oriented messages that do not conform to standard languages, both grammatically and syntactically.The problem of discovering health-related knowledge in social media data streams is then transformed into a text classification problem, where a text is identified as positive if it is health-related and negative otherwise.We first identify the limitations of the traditional methods which train machines with N-gram word features, then propose to overcome such limitations by utilizing the collaboration of machine learning based classifiers, each of which is trained to learn a semantically different aspect of the data.The parameter analysis for tuning each classifier is also reported. Three data sets are used in this research.The first data set comprises of approximately 5000 hand-labeled tweets, and is used for cross validation of the

  8. Discovering Tradeoffs, Vulnerabilities, and Dependencies within Water Resources Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reed, P. M.

    2015-12-01

    There is a growing recognition and interest in using emerging computational tools for discovering the tradeoffs that emerge across complex combinations infrastructure options, adaptive operations, and sign posts. As a field concerned with "deep uncertainties", it is logically consistent to include a more direct acknowledgement that our choices for dealing with computationally demanding simulations, advanced search algorithms, and sensitivity analysis tools are themselves subject to failures that could adversely bias our understanding of how systems' vulnerabilities change with proposed actions. Balancing simplicity versus complexity in our computational frameworks is nontrivial given that we are often exploring high impact irreversible decisions. It is not always clear that accepted models even encompass important failure modes. Moreover as they become more complex and computationally demanding the benefits and consequences of simplifications are often untested. This presentation discusses our efforts to address these challenges through our "many-objective robust decision making" (MORDM) framework for the design and management water resources systems. The MORDM framework has four core components: (1) elicited problem conception and formulation, (2) parallel many-objective search, (3) interactive visual analytics, and (4) negotiated selection of robust alternatives. Problem conception and formulation is the process of abstracting a practical design problem into a mathematical representation. We build on the emerging work in visual analytics to exploit interactive visualization of both the design space and the objective space in multiple heterogeneous linked views that permit exploration and discovery. Many-objective search produces tradeoff solutions from potentially competing problem formulations that can each consider up to ten conflicting objectives based on current computational search capabilities. Negotiated design selection uses interactive visualization

  9. Risk of appendicitis in patients with incidentally discovered appendicoliths.

    PubMed

    Khan, Muhammad Sohaib; Chaudhry, Mustafa Belal Hafeez; Shahzad, Noman; Tariq, Marvi; Memon, Wasim Ahmed; Alvi, Abdul Rehman

    2018-01-01

    An appendicolith-related appendiceal obstruction leading to appendicitis is a commonly encountered surgical emergency that has clear evidence-based management plans. However, there is no consensus on management of asymptomatic patients when appendicoliths are found incidentally. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of appendicitis in patients with an incidental finding of the appendicolith. A retrospective matched cohort study of patients with appendicolith discovered incidentally on computed tomographic scan from January 2008 to December 2014 at our institution was completed. The size and position of the appendicolith were ascertained. The study group was matched by age and gender to a control group. Both groups were contacted and interviewed regarding development of appendicitis. In total, 111 patients with appendicolith were successfully contacted and included in the study. Mean age was found to be 38 ± 15 y with 36 (32%) of the study population being females. Mean length of appendix was 66 ± 16 mm, and mean width was 5.8 ± 0.9 mm. Mean size of the appendicolith was 3.6 ± 1.1 mm (1.4-7.8 mm). Fifty-eight percent of appendicoliths was located at the proximal end or whole of appendix, 31% at mid area, and 11% at the distal end of appendix. All patients of the study and control groups were contacted, and at a mean follow-up of 4.0 ± 1.7 y, there was no occurrence of acute appendicitis in either group. Patients with incidentally discovered appendicolith on radiological imaging did not develop appendicitis. Hence, the risk of developing acute appendicitis for these patients does not seem higher than the general population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Discovering shared segments on the migration route of the bar-headed goose by time-based plane-sweeping trajectory clustering

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Luo, Ze; Baoping, Yan; Takekawa, John Y.; Prosser, Diann J.

    2012-01-01

    We propose a new method to help ornithologists and ecologists discover shared segments on the migratory pathway of the bar-headed geese by time-based plane-sweeping trajectory clustering. We present a density-based time parameterized line segment clustering algorithm, which extends traditional comparable clustering algorithms from temporal and spatial dimensions. We present a time-based plane-sweeping trajectory clustering algorithm to reveal the dynamic evolution of spatial-temporal object clusters and discover common motion patterns of bar-headed geese in the process of migration. Experiments are performed on GPS-based satellite telemetry data from bar-headed geese and results demonstrate our algorithms can correctly discover shared segments of the bar-headed geese migratory pathway. We also present findings on the migratory behavior of bar-headed geese determined from this new analytical approach.

  11. The eminent anatomists who discovered the upper oesophageal sphincter.

    PubMed

    Marchese-Ragona, R; Ottaviano, G; Masiero, S; Staffieri, C; Martini, A; Staffieri, A; Mion, M; Zaninotto, G; Restivo, D A

    2014-10-01

    To discover the anatomist who first identified the upper oesophageal sphincter. The authors searched dozens of antique anatomy textbooks kept in the old section of the 'Vincenzo Pinali' Medical Library of Padua University, looking for descriptions of the upper oesophageal sphincter. The oesophageal sphincter was drawn correctly only in 1601, by Julius Casserius, in the book De vocis auditusque organis historia anatomica… (which translates as 'An Anatomical History on the Organs of Voice and Hearing …'), and was properly described by Antonio Maria Valsalva in 1704 in the book De aure humana tractatus… ('Treatise on the Human Ear …'). Anatomists Casserius and Valsalva can be considered the discoverers of the 'oesophageal sphincter'.

  12. Discovering the Thermodynamics of Simultaneous Equilibria: An Entropy Analysis Activity Involving Consecutive Equilibria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bindel, Thomas H.

    2007-01-01

    An activity is presented in which the thermodynamics of simultaneous, consecutive equilibria are explored. The activity is appropriate for second-year high school or AP chemistry. Students discover that a reactant-favored (entropy-diminishing or endergonic) reaction can be caused to happen if it is coupled with a product-favored reaction of…

  13. Examining Pre-K Professional Development Programs: Discovering the Road to Exceptional Instructional Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Sheila D.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative research study was to discover and interpret the experiences of pre-k teachers in an urban school district located in a Northeastern region of the United States. Using a basic qualitative research design, fifteen participants were recruited by a purposeful sampling method to be interviewed after the implementation…

  14. New open cluster candidates discovered in the XSTPS-GAC survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Jin-Cheng; Zhang, Hua-Wei; Zhang, Hui-Hua; Liu, Xiao-Wei; Yuan, Hai-Bo; Huang, Yang; Wang, Song; Chen, Li; Zhao, Hai-Bin; Liu, Ji-Feng; Chen, Bing-Qiu; Xiang, Mao-Sheng; Tian, Zhi-Jia; Huo, Zhi-Ying; Wang, Chun

    2018-03-01

    The Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anti-center (XSTPS-GAC) is a photometric sky survey that covers nearly 6000 deg2 towards the Galactic Anti-center (GAC) in the g, r, i bands. Half of its survey field is located on the Galactic Anti-center disk, which makes XSTPS-GAC highly suitable to search for new open clusters in the GAC region. In this paper, we report new open cluster candidates discovered in this survey, as well as properties of these open cluster candidates, such as age, distance and reddening, derived by isochrone fitting in the color-magnitude diagram (CMD). These open cluster candidates are stellar density peaks detected in the star density maps by applying the method from Koposov et al. Each candidate is inspected in terms of its true color image composed from three XSTPS-GAC band images. Then its CMD is checked, in order to identify whether the central region stars have a clear isochrone-like trend differing from background stars. The parameters derived from isochrone fitting for these candidates are mainly based on three band photometry of XSTPS-GAC. Moreover, when these new candidates are able to be seen clearly in 2MASS data, their parameters are also derived based on the 2MASS (J – H, J) CMD. There are a total of 320 known open clusters rediscovered and 24 new open cluster candidates discovered in this work. Furthermore, the parameters of these new candidates, as well as another 11 previously known open clusters, are properly determined for the first time.

  15. Retinal Oximetry Discovers Novel Biomarkers in Retinal and Brain Diseases.

    PubMed

    Stefánsson, Einar; Olafsdottir, Olof Birna; Einarsdottir, Anna Bryndis; Eliasdottir, Thorunn Scheving; Eysteinsson, Thor; Vehmeijer, Wouter; Vandewalle, Evelien; Bek, Toke; Hardarson, Sveinn Hakon

    2017-05-01

    Biomarkers for several eye and brain diseases are reviewed, where retinal oximetry may help confirm diagnosis or measure severity of disease. These include diabetic retinopathy, central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's disease. Retinal oximetry is based on spectrophotometric fundus imaging and measures oxygen saturation in retinal arterioles and venules in a noninvasive, quick, safe manner. Retinal oximetry detects changes in oxygen metabolism, including those that result from ischemia or atrophy. In diabetic retinopathy, venous oxygen saturation increases and arteriovenous difference decreases. Both correlate with diabetic retinopathy severity as conventionally classified on fundus photographs. In CRVO, vein occlusion causes hypoxia, which is measured directly by retinal oximetry to confirm the diagnosis and measure severity. In both diseases, the change in oxygen levels is a consequence of disturbed blood flow with resulting tissue hypoxia and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. In atrophic diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma, retinal oxygen consumption is reduced and this is detected by retinal oximetry. Retinal oximetry correlates with visual field damage and retinal atrophy. It is an objective metabolic measure of the degree of retinal atrophy. Finally, the retina is part of the central nervous system tissue and reflects central nervous system diseases. In Alzheimer's disease, a change in retinal oxygen metabolism has been discovered. Retinal oximetry is a novel, noninvasive technology that opens the field of metabolic imaging of the retina. Biomarkers in metabolic, ischemic, and atrophic diseases of the retina and central nervous system have been discovered.

  16. A Scalable Approach for Discovering Conserved Active Subnetworks across Species

    PubMed Central

    Verfaillie, Catherine M.; Hu, Wei-Shou; Myers, Chad L.

    2010-01-01

    Overlaying differential changes in gene expression on protein interaction networks has proven to be a useful approach to interpreting the cell's dynamic response to a changing environment. Despite successes in finding active subnetworks in the context of a single species, the idea of overlaying lists of differentially expressed genes on networks has not yet been extended to support the analysis of multiple species' interaction networks. To address this problem, we designed a scalable, cross-species network search algorithm, neXus (Network - cross(X)-species - Search), that discovers conserved, active subnetworks based on parallel differential expression studies in multiple species. Our approach leverages functional linkage networks, which provide more comprehensive coverage of functional relationships than physical interaction networks by combining heterogeneous types of genomic data. We applied our cross-species approach to identify conserved modules that are differentially active in stem cells relative to differentiated cells based on parallel gene expression studies and functional linkage networks from mouse and human. We find hundreds of conserved active subnetworks enriched for stem cell-associated functions such as cell cycle, DNA repair, and chromatin modification processes. Using a variation of this approach, we also find a number of species-specific networks, which likely reflect mechanisms of stem cell function that have diverged between mouse and human. We assess the statistical significance of the subnetworks by comparing them with subnetworks discovered on random permutations of the differential expression data. We also describe several case examples that illustrate the utility of comparative analysis of active subnetworks. PMID:21170309

  17. Discovering Free Energy Basins for Macromolecular Systems via Guided Multiscale Simulation

    PubMed Central

    Sereda, Yuriy V.; Singharoy, Abhishek B.; Jarrold, Martin F.; Ortoleva, Peter J.

    2012-01-01

    An approach for the automated discovery of low free energy states of macromolecular systems is presented. The method does not involve delineating the entire free energy landscape but proceeds in a sequential free energy minimizing state discovery, i.e., it first discovers one low free energy state and then automatically seeks a distinct neighboring one. These states and the associated ensembles of atomistic configurations are characterized by coarse-grained variables capturing the large-scale structure of the system. A key facet of our approach is the identification of such coarse-grained variables. Evolution of these variables is governed by Langevin dynamics driven by thermal-average forces and mediated by diffusivities, both of which are constructed by an ensemble of short molecular dynamics runs. In the present approach, the thermal-average forces are modified to account for the entropy changes following from our knowledge of the free energy basins already discovered. Such forces guide the system away from the known free energy minima, over free energy barriers, and to a new one. The theory is demonstrated for lactoferrin, known to have multiple energy-minimizing structures. The approach is validated using experimental structures and traditional molecular dynamics. The method can be generalized to enable the interpretation of nanocharacterization data (e.g., ion mobility – mass spectrometry, atomic force microscopy, chemical labeling, and nanopore measurements). PMID:22423635

  18. Macrofaunal communites at newly discovered hydrothermal fields in Central Indian Ridge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyazaki, J.; Takai, K.; Nakamura, K.; Watanabe, H.; Noguchi, T.; Matsuzaki, T.; Watsuji, T.; Nemoto, S.; Kawagucci, S.; Shibuya, T.; Okamura, K.; Mochizuki, M.; Orihashi, Y.; Marie, D.; Koonjul, M.; Singh, M.; Beedessee, G.; Bhikajee, M.; Tamaki, K.

    2010-12-01

    In YK09-13 Leg1 cruise targeted on the segment 15 and 16 in Central Indian Ridge (CIR), we have successfully discovered two hydrothermal fields, DODO field and Solitaire field. We expected that there were unique macrofaunal communities in these hydrothermal fields, because there was in Kairei field on the segment 1 in CIR. Particularly, a gastropod, “scaly-foot”, which has sclerites covered with iron-sulfide has only discovered in Kairei field. Therefore, it was interesting whether this unique scaly-foot only exists in Kairei fields or widely expands in CIR. In DODO fields, there were 10 to 15 active chimneys. However, very few hydrothermal vent-endemic faunas were observed. We observed only crabs and shrimps but we did not found shells. As opposed to in the Dodo field, biomass and composition of macrofaunal communities were highly prosperous in the Solitaire field, being equal to Kairei field. Although we have an only one dive to explore the Solitaire field, many predominant taxa were sampled and observed, for example, Alviniconcha, mussels, vanacles and so on. However, the most outstanding feature was the presence of a new morphotype of ‘scaly-foot’ gastropod. Discovery of this new-morphytpe ‘scary-foot” disproved our knowledge. In this conference, I will present these observations. Especially characterization of two types of scaly-foot (Kairei-type and Solitaire-type) will be focused.

  19. On how Watson and Crick discovered what Watson and Crick had suggested: the "folk" concept of discovery rediscovered.

    PubMed

    Charpa, Ulrich

    2008-01-01

    This article opens with general and historical remarks on philosophy of science's problems with the concept of discovery. Then, drawing upon simple examples of Watson's and Crick's non-philosophical usage, I characterize phrases of the type "x discovers y" semantically. It will subsequently be shown how widespread philosophical discussion on discovery violates the semantic constraints of phrases of the type "x discovers y." Then I provide a philosophical reconstruction of "x discovers y" that is in keeping with the "folk" notion of discovery. The philosophical ingredients of this approach are taken from a certain aspect of action theory and from epistemological reliabilism. The approach draws upon the concept of superior action and connects this concept to progressive research. In contrast to normal actions, superior actions are primarily explained by competencies. This perspective includes reminders of what some nineteenth-century philosopher-scientists had advocated as a competence-oriented view on scientific research. Finally, this approach is applied to the case of Watson's and Crick's discovery.

  20. Screening Libraries of Semifluorinated Arylene Bisimides to Discover and Predict Thermodynamically Controlled Helical Crystallization.

    PubMed

    Ho, Ming-Shou; Partridge, Benjamin E; Sun, Hao-Jan; Sahoo, Dipankar; Leowanawat, Pawaret; Peterca, Mihai; Graf, Robert; Spiess, Hans W; Zeng, Xiangbing; Ungar, Goran; Heiney, Paul A; Hsu, Chain-Shu; Percec, Virgil

    2016-12-12

    Synthesis, structural, and retrostructural analysis of a library containing 16 self-assembling perylene (PBI), 1,6,7,12-tetrachloroperylene (Cl 4 PBI), naphthalene (NBI), and pyromellitic (PMBI) bisimides functionalized with environmentally friendly AB 3 chiral racemic semifluorinated minidendrons at their imide groups via m = 0, 1, 2, and 3 methylene units is reported. These semifluorinated compounds melt at lower temperatures than homologous hydrogenated compounds, permitting screening of all their thermotropic phases via structural analysis to discover thermodynamically controlled helical crystallization from propeller-like, cogwheel, and tilted molecules as well as lamellar-like structures. Thermodynamically controlled helical crystallization was discovered for propeller-like PBI, Cl 4 PBI and NBI with m = 0. Unexpectedly, assemblies of twisted Cl 4 PBIs exhibit higher order than those of planar PBIs. PBI with m = 1, 2, and 3 form a thermodynamically controlled columnar hexagonal 2D lattice of tilted helical columns with intracolumnar order. PBI and Cl 4 PBI with m = 1 crystallize via a recently discovered helical cogwheel mechanism, while NBI and PMBI with m = 1 form tilted helical columns. PBI, NBI and PMBI with m = 2 generate lamellar-like structures. 3D and 2D assemblies of PBI with m = 1, 2, and 3, NBI with m = 1 and PMBI with m = 2 exhibit 3.4 Å π-π stacking. The library approach applied here and in previous work enabled the discovery of six assemblies which self-organize via thermodynamic control into 3D and 2D periodic arrays, and provides molecular principles to predict the supramolecular structure of electronically active components.

  1. Development of a global land cover characteristics database and IGBP DISCover from 1 km AVHRR data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Loveland, Thomas R.; Reed, B.C.; Brown, Jesslyn F.; Ohlen, D.O.; Zhu, Z.; Yang, L.; Merchant, J.W.

    2000-01-01

    Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy produced a 1 km resolution global land cover characteristics database for use in a wide range of continental-to global-scale environmental studies. This database provides a unique view of the broad patterns of the biogeographical and ecoclimatic diversity of the global land surface, and presents a detailed interpretation of the extent of human development. The project was carried out as an International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, Data and Information Systems (IGBP-DIS) initiative. The IGBP DISCover global land cover product is an integral component of the global land cover database. DISCover includes 17 general land cover classes defined to meet the needs of IGBP core science projects. A formal accuracy assessment of the DISCover data layer will be completed in 1998. The 1 km global land cover database was developed through a continent-by-continent unsupervised classification of 1 km monthly Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composites covering 1992-1993. Extensive post-classification stratification was necessary to resolve spectral/temporal confusion between disparate land cover types. The complete global database consists of 961 seasonal land cover regions that capture patterns of land cover, seasonality and relative primary productivity. The seasonal land cover regions were aggregated to produce seven separate land cover data sets used for global environmental modelling and assessment. The data sets include IGBP DISCover, U.S. Geological Survey Anderson System, Simple Biosphere Model, Simple Biosphere Model 2, Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme, Olson Ecosystems and Running Global Remote Sensing Land Cover. The database also includes all digital sources that were used in the classification. The complete database can be sourced from the website: http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/landdaac/glcc/glcc.html.

  2. Exposed water ice discovered near the south pole of Mars

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Titus, T.N.; Kieffer, H.H.; Christensen, P.R.

    2003-01-01

    The Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) has discovered water ice exposed near the edge of Mars' southern perennial polar cap. The surface H2O ice was first observed by THEMIS as a region that was cooler than expected for dry soil at that latitude during the summer season. Diurnal and seasonal temperature trends derived from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer observations indicate that there is H2O ice at the surface. Viking observations, and the few other relevant THEMIS observations, indicate that surface H2O ice may be widespread around and under the perennial CO2 cap.

  3. Utilizing NASA DISCOVER-AQ Data to Examine Spatial Gradients in Complex Emission Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buzanowicz, M. E.; Moore, W.; Crawford, J. H.; Schroeder, J.

    2017-12-01

    Although many regulations have been enacted with the goal of improving air quality, many parts of the US are still classified as `non-attainment areas' because they frequently violate federal air quality standards. Adequately monitoring the spatial distribution of pollutants both within and outside of non-attainment areas has been an ongoing challenge for regulators. Observations of near-surface pollution from space-based platforms would provide an unprecedented view of the spatial distribution of pollution, but this goal has not yet been realized due to fundamental limitations of satellites, specifically because the footprint size of satellite measurements may not be sufficiently small enough to capture true gradients in pollution, and rather represents an average over a large area. NASA's DISCOVER-AQ was a multi-year field campaign aimed at improving our understanding of the role that remote sensing, including satellite-based remote sensing, could play in air quality monitoring systems. DISCOVER-AQ data will be utilized to create a metric to examine spatial gradients and how satellites can capture those gradients in areas with complex emission environments. Examining horizontal variability within a vertical column is critical to understanding mixing within the atmosphere. Aircraft spirals conducted during DISCOVER-AQ were divided into octants, and averages of a given a species were calculated, with certain points receiving a flag. These flags were determined by calculating gradients between subsequent octants. Initial calculations have shown that over areas with large point source emissions, such as Platteville and Denver-La Casa in Colorado, and Essex, Maryland, satellite retrievals may not adequately capture spatial variability in the atmosphere, thus complicating satellite inversion techniques and limiting our ability to understand human exposure on sub-grid scales. Further calculations at other locations and for other trace gases are necessary to determine

  4. Exploring National Parks & Monuments: Students Can Discover National Monuments, National Parks & Natural Wonders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2009

    2009-01-01

    This article presents an interview with Cynthia Light Brown, author of "Discover National Monuments, National Parks: Natural Wonders," a book that introduces readers ages 8-12 to the history and science behind some of the amazing natural sites in the United States. In this interview, Cynthia Light Brown describes how she became interested in…

  5. NASA's Kepler Mission Discovers Its Smallest Habitable Zone Planets (Reporter Pkg)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-04-18

    NASA's Kepler mission has discovered two new planetary systems that include three super-Earth-size planets in the 'habitable zone,' the range of distance from a star where the surface temperature of an orbiting planet might be suitable for liquid water. Scientists do not know whether life could exist on the newfound planets, but their discovery signals we are another step closer to finding a world similar to Earth around a star like our sun. Kepler-62 and -69 systems

  6. Discovering Coherent Structures Using Local Causal States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rupe, Adam; Crutchfield, James P.; Kashinath, Karthik; Prabhat, Mr.

    2017-11-01

    Coherent structures were introduced in the study of fluid dynamics and were initially defined as regions characterized by high levels of coherent vorticity, i.e. regions where instantaneously space and phase correlated vorticity are high. In a more general spatiotemporal setting, coherent structures can be seen as localized broken symmetries which persist in time. Building off the computational mechanics framework, which integrates tools from computation and information theory to capture pattern and structure in nonlinear dynamical systems, we introduce a theory of coherent structures, in the more general sense. Central to computational mechanics is the causal equivalence relation, and a local spatiotemporal generalization of it is used to construct the local causal states, which are utilized to uncover a system's spatiotemporal symmetries. Coherent structures are then identified as persistent, localized deviations from these symmetries. We illustrate how novel patterns and structures can be discovered in cellular automata and outline the path from them to laminar, transitional and turbulent flows. Funded by Intel through the Big Data Center at LBNL and the IPCC at UC Davis.

  7. Public information needs after the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210 in London: cross sectional telephone survey and qualitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Rubin, G James; Page, Lisa; Morgan, Oliver; Pinder, Richard J; Riley, Paul; Hatch, Stephani; Maguire, Helen; Catchpole, Mike; Simpson, John; Wessely, Simon

    2007-12-01

    To identify public perceptions of the risk to health after the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210 (210Po) in London and to assess the impact of public health communications. Cross sectional telephone survey and qualitative interviews. London, United Kingdom. 1000 people completed the cross sectional survey and 86 potentially exposed people completed the qualitative interviews. Perception of risk to personal health after the 210Po incident. Qualitative interviews were analysed with an emphasis on information needs. 11.7% of the survey sample (n=117) perceived their health to be at risk. Aside from personal variables the main predictors of perceived risk to health were believing that the incident was related to terrorism (odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 4.6) rather than to espionage, that it was targeted at the wider public rather than one person (5.9, 3.2 to 10.9), and that it could affect people who had not been in the contaminated area (3.2, 2.1 to 5.1). Participants in the qualitative interviews were generally satisfied with the information they had received, although they would have preferred more information about their individual risk of exposure, the results of their urine tests, and the health implications of the incident. Perceptions of the public that the 210Po incident in London in 2006 was related to espionage helped to reassure them that the risks to personal health were low. In the event of future incidents it is important to ensure that detailed, comprehensible information about the risks of any exposure is available.

  8. MASTER: bright OT discovered during Fermi trigger 512353690/GRB170328A inspection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gorbovskoy, E.; Lipunov, V.; Buckley, D.; Rebolo, R.; Serra-Ricart, M.; Gress, O.; Tiurina, N.; Balanutsa, P.; Kornilov, V.; Vladimirov, V.

    2017-03-01

    MASTER-SAAO auto-detection system ( Lipunov et al., "MASTER Global Robotic Net", Advances in Astronomy, 2010, 30L ) discovered OT source at (RA, Dec) = 18h 45m 46.55s -35d 28m 47.6s on 2017-03-28.06645 UT during Fermi trigger 512353690(GRB170328A) inspection https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/other/512353690.fermi (trigger time is 17/03/28 00:28:05.53UT).

  9. Neutron Star Discovered Where a Black Hole Was Expected

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2005-11-01

    stars and black holes are the end stages in the evolution of a star, so their progenitors must have been among the most massive stars in the cluster. Muno and colleagues discovered a pulsing neutron star in a cluster of stars known as Westerlund 1. This cluster contains a hundred thousand or more stars in a region only 30 light years across, which suggests that all the stars were born in a single episode of star formation. Based on optical properties such as brightness and color some of the normal stars in the cluster are known to have masses of about 40 suns. Since the progenitor of the neutron star has already exploded as a supernova, its mass must have been more than 40 solar masses. 2MASS Infrared Image of Westerlund 1 2MASS Infrared Image of Westerlund 1 Introductory astronomy courses sometimes teach that stars with more than 25 solar masses become black holes -- a concept that until recently had no observational evidence to test it. However, some theories allow such massive stars to avoid becoming black holes. For example, theoretical calculations by Alexander Heger of the University of Chicago and colleagues indicate that extremely massive stars blow off mass so effectively during their lives that they leave neutron stars when they go supernovae. Assuming that the neutron star in Westerlund 1 is one of these, it raises the question of where the black holes observed in the Milky Way and other galaxies come from. Other factors, such as the chemical composition of the star, how rapidly it is rotating, or the strength of its magnetic field might dictate whether a massive star leaves behind a neutron star or a black hole. The theory for stars of normal chemical composition leaves a small window of initial masses - between about 25 and somewhat less than 40 solar masses - for the formation of black holes from the evolution of single massive stars. The identification of additional neutron stars or the discovery of black holes in young star clusters should further

  10. A Novel Method for Discovering Fuzzy Sequential Patterns Using the Simple Fuzzy Partition Method.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Ruey-Shun; Hu, Yi-Chung

    2003-01-01

    Discusses sequential patterns, data mining, knowledge acquisition, and fuzzy sequential patterns described by natural language. Proposes a fuzzy data mining technique to discover fuzzy sequential patterns by using the simple partition method which allows the linguistic interpretation of each fuzzy set to be easily obtained. (Author/LRW)

  11. A Phenomenological Study to Discover Low-Income Adults' Perceptions and Expectations Regarding Financial Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaffer, Brigid Ann

    2013-01-01

    This phenomenological study explored the perceptions and expectations of low income adults regarding financial literacy to discover ways to increase attendance in financial literacy programs designs for this cohort. The study utilized interviews with closed-ended questions to establish the participants' backgrounds, then opened-ended questions to…

  12. Newly Discovered Ring-Moat Dome Structures in the Lunar Maria: Possible Origins and Implications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Feng; Head, James W.; Basilevsky, Alexander T.; Bugiolacchi, Roberto; Komatsu, Goro; Wilson, Lionel; Fa, Wenzhe; Zhu, Meng-Hua

    2017-09-01

    We report on a newly discovered morphological feature on the lunar surface, here named Ring-Moat Dome Structure (RMDS). These low domes (a few meters to 20 m height with slopes <5°) are typically surrounded by narrow annular depressions or moats. We mapped about 2,600 RMDSs in the lunar maria with diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of meters. Four candidate hypotheses for their origin involving volcanism are considered. We currently favor a mechanism for the formation of the RMDS related to modification of the initial lava flows through inflated flow squeeze-ups and/or extrusion of magmatic foams below a cooling lava flow surface. These newly discovered features provide new insights into the nature of emplacement of lunar lava flows, suggesting that in the waning stages of a dike emplacement event, magmatic foams can be produced, extrude to the surface as the dike closes, and break through the upper lava flow thermal boundary layer (crust) to form foam mounds and surrounding moats.

  13. Approaches for assessing and discovering protein interactions in cancer

    PubMed Central

    Mohammed, Hisham; Carroll, Jason S.

    2013-01-01

    Significant insight into the function of proteins, can be delineated by discovering and characterising interacting proteins. There are numerous methods for the discovery of unknown associated protein networks, with purification of the bait (the protein of interest) followed by Mass Spectrometry (MS) as a common theme. In recent years, advances have permitted the purification of endogenous proteins and methods for scaling down starting material. As such, approaches for rapid, unbiased identification of protein interactomes are becoming a standard tool in the researchers toolbox, rather than a technique that is only available to specialists. This review will highlight some of the recent technical advances in proteomic based discovery approaches, the pros and cons of various methods and some of the key findings in cancer related systems. PMID:24072816

  14. Los Alamos Discovers Super Efficient Solar Using Perovskite Crystals

    ScienceCinema

    Mohite, Aditya; Nie, Wanyi

    2018-05-11

    State-of-the-art photovoltaics using high-purity, large-area, wafer-scale single-crystalline semiconductors grown by sophisticated, high temperature crystal-growth processes offer promising routes for developing low-cost, solar-based clean global energy solutions for the future. Solar cells composed of the recently discovered material organic-inorganic perovskites offer the efficiency of silicon, yet suffer from a variety of deficiencies limiting the commercial viability of perovskite photovoltaic technology. In research to appear in Science, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers reveal a new solution-based hot-casting technique that eliminates these limitations, one that allows for the growth of high-quality, large-area, millimeter-scale perovskite crystals and demonstrates that highly efficient and reproducible solar cells with reduced trap assisted recombination can be realized.

  15. Sunlight at Southall Green. Dr. Ingen Housz discovers photosynthesis.

    PubMed

    Norman; Beale, E

    2001-01-01

    In the following fictitious conversation, Dr. Jan Ingen Housz (1730-1799), the Dutch physician and natural philosopher, describes to William Temple Franklin (1760-1823), the grandson of Benjamin Franklin, how in 1779 he discovered the paramount role of sunlight in what we now call photosynthesis (Wiesner 1905; Van der Pas 1981; Reed 1949; Beale and Beale 1999). The two men, together with the English law reformer Samuel Romilly, were dinner guests of the First Marquis of Lansdowne at Lansdowne House on Wednesday 2 February 1791 (Bowood House Archives 1791). As far as possible we use their own recorded words and phrases, employing surviving manuscripts as a lexicon. Additional biographical and geographical details are provided in an Appendix, and all sources are listed in the References.

  16. Discovering causal signaling pathways through gene-expression patterns

    PubMed Central

    Parikh, Jignesh R.; Klinger, Bertram; Xia, Yu; Marto, Jarrod A.; Blüthgen, Nils

    2010-01-01

    High-throughput gene-expression studies result in lists of differentially expressed genes. Most current meta-analyses of these gene lists include searching for significant membership of the translated proteins in various signaling pathways. However, such membership enrichment algorithms do not provide insight into which pathways caused the genes to be differentially expressed in the first place. Here, we present an intuitive approach for discovering upstream signaling pathways responsible for regulating these differentially expressed genes. We identify consistently regulated signature genes specific for signal transduction pathways from a panel of single-pathway perturbation experiments. An algorithm that detects overrepresentation of these signature genes in a gene group of interest is used to infer the signaling pathway responsible for regulation. We expose our novel resource and algorithm through a web server called SPEED: Signaling Pathway Enrichment using Experimental Data sets. SPEED can be freely accessed at http://speed.sys-bio.net/. PMID:20494976

  17. David Levy's Guide to Observing and Discovering Comets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levy, David H.

    2003-05-01

    Preface; Part I. Why Observe Comets?: 1. Of history, superstition, magic, and science; 2. Comet science progresses; Part II. Discovering Comets: 3. Comet searching begins; 4. Tails and trails; 5. Comet searching in the twentieth century; 6. How I search for comets; 7. Searching for comets photographically; 8. Searching for comets with CCDs; 9. Comet hunting by reading; 10. Hunting for sungrazers over the Internet; 11. What to do when you think you've found a comet; Part III. A New Way of Looking at Comets: 12. When comets hit planets; 13. The future of visual comet hunting; Part IV. How to Observe Comets: 14. An introduction to comet hunting; 15. Visual observing of comets; 16. Estimating the magnitude of a comet; 17. Taking a picture of a comet; 18. Measuring where a comet is in the sky; Part V. Closing Notes: 19. My passion for comets.

  18. Quantify spatial relations to discover handwritten graphical symbols

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jinpeng; Mouchère, Harold; Viard-Gaudin, Christian

    2012-01-01

    To model a handwritten graphical language, spatial relations describe how the strokes are positioned in the 2-dimensional space. Most of existing handwriting recognition systems make use of some predefined spatial relations. However, considering a complex graphical language, it is hard to express manually all the spatial relations. Another possibility would be to use a clustering technique to discover the spatial relations. In this paper, we discuss how to create a relational graph between strokes (nodes) labeled with graphemes in a graphical language. Then we vectorize spatial relations (edges) for clustering and quantization. As the targeted application, we extract the repetitive sub-graphs (graphical symbols) composed of graphemes and learned spatial relations. On two handwriting databases, a simple mathematical expression database and a complex flowchart database, the unsupervised spatial relations outperform the predefined spatial relations. In addition, we visualize the frequent patterns on two text-lines containing Chinese characters.

  19. Illustrated and online catalog of type specimens of freshwater fishes in the Colección de Peces Dulceacuícolas of Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH-P), Colombia.

    PubMed

    Donascimiento, Carlos; Cárdenas-Bautista, Johann-Stephens; Acosta, Kevin Giancarlo Borja; González-Alvarado, Arturo; Medina, Claudia A

    2016-09-29

    The catalog of type specimens of freshwater fishes deposited in the Colección de Peces Dulceacuícolas del Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH-P) is presented. This list includes 483 specimens in 65 lots representing 11 holotypes and 472 paratypes of 48 nominal species. Corrections, additions, and updating of information in the original descriptions are included in individual remarks for each catalog number entry and a gallery of pictures of holotypes or paratypes of each nominal species is also presented, which supplements some original descriptions lacking figures of their respective types. An online version of the catalog is available at http://humboldt.org.co/en/servicios/colecciones-biologicas/catalogo-de-tipos.

  20. Discovering governing equations from data by sparse identification of nonlinear dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brunton, Steven

    The ability to discover physical laws and governing equations from data is one of humankind's greatest intellectual achievements. A quantitative understanding of dynamic constraints and balances in nature has facilitated rapid development of knowledge and enabled advanced technology, including aircraft, combustion engines, satellites, and electrical power. There are many more critical data-driven problems, such as understanding cognition from neural recordings, inferring patterns in climate, determining stability of financial markets, predicting and suppressing the spread of disease, and controlling turbulence for greener transportation and energy. With abundant data and elusive laws, data-driven discovery of dynamics will continue to play an increasingly important role in these efforts. This work develops a general framework to discover the governing equations underlying a dynamical system simply from data measurements, leveraging advances in sparsity-promoting techniques and machine learning. The resulting models are parsimonious, balancing model complexity with descriptive ability while avoiding overfitting. The only assumption about the structure of the model is that there are only a few important terms that govern the dynamics, so that the equations are sparse in the space of possible functions. This perspective, combining dynamical systems with machine learning and sparse sensing, is explored with the overarching goal of real-time closed-loop feedback control of complex systems. This is joint work with Joshua L. Proctor and J. Nathan Kutz. Video Abstract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSCa78TIldg

  1. KEGS Transients Discovered by a Pan-STARRS1 Search of the Kepler Campaign 16 Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, K. W.; Rest, A.; Tucker, B. E.; Garnavich, P. M.; Margheim, S.; Kasen, D.; Olling, R.; Shaya, E.; Narayan, G.; Villar, A.; Forster, F.; Mushotzky, R.; Zenteno, A.; James, D.; Smith, R. Chris; Dotson, J. L.; Barentsen, G.; Gully-Santiago, M.; Smartt, S. J.; Wright, D. E.; Huber, M.; Chambers, K. C.; Flewelling, H.; Willman, M.; Schultz, A.; Magnier, E.; Waters, C.; Bulger, J.; Wainscoat, R. J.

    2018-01-01

    We report the following transients discovered by Pan-STARRS1 during a targeted search of the Kepler Campaign 16 field as part of the K2 Extragalactic Survey (KEGS) for Transients (see http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/kegs/).

  2. A novel approach for discovering condition-specific correlations of gene expressions within biological pathways by using cloud computing technology.

    PubMed

    Chang, Tzu-Hao; Wu, Shih-Lin; Wang, Wei-Jen; Horng, Jorng-Tzong; Chang, Cheng-Wei

    2014-01-01

    Microarrays are widely used to assess gene expressions. Most microarray studies focus primarily on identifying differential gene expressions between conditions (e.g., cancer versus normal cells), for discovering the major factors that cause diseases. Because previous studies have not identified the correlations of differential gene expression between conditions, crucial but abnormal regulations that cause diseases might have been disregarded. This paper proposes an approach for discovering the condition-specific correlations of gene expressions within biological pathways. Because analyzing gene expression correlations is time consuming, an Apache Hadoop cloud computing platform was implemented. Three microarray data sets of breast cancer were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and pathway information from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes was applied for discovering meaningful biological correlations. The results showed that adopting the Hadoop platform considerably decreased the computation time. Several correlations of differential gene expressions were discovered between the relapse and nonrelapse breast cancer samples, and most of them were involved in cancer regulation and cancer-related pathways. The results showed that breast cancer recurrence might be highly associated with the abnormal regulations of these gene pairs, rather than with their individual expression levels. The proposed method was computationally efficient and reliable, and stable results were obtained when different data sets were used. The proposed method is effective in identifying meaningful biological regulation patterns between conditions.

  3. Newly Discovered Clouds Found Floating High Above Milky Way

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2002-10-01

    GREEN BANK, WV -- New studies with the National Science Foundation's Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT) have revealed a previously unknown population of discrete hydrogen clouds in the gaseous halo that surrounds the Milky Way Galaxy. These clouds were discovered in the transition zone between the Milky Way and intergalactic space, and provide tantalizing evidence that supernova-powered "galactic fountains" continually blast superheated hydrogen gas into our Galactic suburbs. Hydrogen Clouds Graphic Artist's Rendering of the Milky Way (background) with insert showing GBT image of newly-discovered clouds of Hydrogen gas above the plane of the Galaxy. Credit: Kirk Woellert/National Science Foundation. Extending far above the star-filled disk of the Milky Way is an atmosphere, or halo, of hydrogen gas. "By studying this halo, we can learn a great deal about the processes that are going on inside our Galaxy as well as beyond its borders," said Jay Lockman, an astronomer with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, West Virginia. "It has remained a mystery, however, how this halo formed and what has prevented gravitational forces from collapsing the gas into a thin layer long ago." Some astronomers have speculated that this gas is distributed as a diffuse mist held up by either magnetic fields or cosmic rays streaming out of the plane of the Milky Way. Others believed that it is made of innumerable long-lived hydrogen clouds bobbing up and down like balls tossed by a juggler. Early observations with other telescopes discovered that there was some neutral hydrogen gas floating far above the Galaxy's plane, but these instruments were not sensitive enough to reveal any structure or resolve questions about its origin. Lockman's studies for the first time show a clear picture of the structure of the gas. Rather than a mist, the halo is in fact full of discrete clouds, each containing 50-to-100 solar masses of hydrogen and averaging about 100

  4. Stem-Like Memory T Cells Are Discovered | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    T cells are the white blood cells that are the body’s first line of attack against foreign invaders.  When designing immunotherapies to treat cancer the goal is to prolong the immune response of T cells a bit beyond what the body normally does when a bacterium or a virus is encountered.   Nicholas P. Restifo, M.D., working with Luca Gattinoni, M.D., and other colleagues in CCR’s Surgery Branch recently discovered a subset within the human T cell population that may help clinicians to do just  this.

  5. Teach-Discover-Treat (TDT): Collaborative Computational Drug Discovery for Neglected Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Jansen, Johanna M.; Cornell, Wendy; Tseng, Y. Jane; Amaro, Rommie E.

    2012-01-01

    Teach – Discover – Treat (TDT) is an initiative to promote the development and sharing of computational tools solicited through a competition with the aim to impact education and collaborative drug discovery for neglected diseases. Collaboration, multidisciplinary integration, and innovation are essential for successful drug discovery. This requires a workforce that is trained in state-of-the-art workflows and equipped with the ability to collaborate on platforms that are accessible and free. The TDT competition solicits high quality computational workflows for neglected disease targets, using freely available, open access tools. PMID:23085175

  6. Who Can Be a Hero?: Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan, and Discovering Strength of Character

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morin, Kathleen Dunlevy; Bernheim, Rachel Oestreicher

    2005-01-01

    "A Study of Heroes: Making a Difference Using Your Heart, Intellect, and Talents" is a program originally developed in diverse school communities. Students learn to distinguish between the concepts of hero and celebrity and to discover the real heroes in their own families, schools, communities, and most importantly--within themselves. This…

  7. Antibiotic prescribing and resistance: knowledge level of medical students of clinical years of University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Malaysia

    PubMed Central

    Haque, Mainul; Rahman, Nor Iza A; Zulkifli, Zainal; Ismail, Salwani

    2016-01-01

    The innovation of penicillin by Dr Alexander Fleming in 1928 and its use in clinical practice saved many lives, especially during the Second World War. Tuberculosis still carries a significant public health threat and has re-emerged over the past two decades, even in modern countries where tuberculosis was thought to be eliminated. The World Health Organization defines antimicrobial resistance as the resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was initially effective for treatment of infections caused by the microbe. Therefore, the findings of the current study will provide data to enable the design of a new educational program to better equip our students in confronting antimicrobial resistance. This study was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey, which was undertaken in the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. The study participants were students of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program (MBBS) of Year III, IV, and V. A total of 142 out of 164 (86%) medical students returned the questionnaire. Specifically, the year-wise breakdown of responses was 29% (41), 39% (55), and 32% (45) for Year III, IV, and V, respectively. Among the study respondents, 28% (40) were male, and the remaining 72% (102) were female. In all, 67% of the participants felt more confident in “making an accurate diagnosis of infection/sepsis.” The majority (88%) of the study participants stated that they would like more training on antibiotic selection. This research has found that there is a gap between theoretical input and clinical practice; the students are demanding more educational intervention to face the threat of antimicrobial resistance. PMID:27042083

  8. How our changing research arena can inspire innovative environmental research in developing countries (Alexander von Humboldt Medal Lecture)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouma, Johan

    2017-04-01

    Alexander von Humboldt was a true pioneer by engagingly articulating an ecosystem-wide vision on environmental issues and research, connecting and moving beyond disciplinary boundaries. Focusing here on soil science as an important discipline within the geosciences, the work of our group has acted in the spirit of this approach by focusing on interdisciplinary systems research in different developing countries in close interaction with stakeholders, based on soil processes in a dynamic landscape context. But recent developments of internet and social media are drastically changing relations between science and society all over the world. Scientists have to continuously struggle to keep their "societal license to research". Researchers in so-called developed countries would be well advised to communicate lessons learned to scientists in developing countries allowing them to leapfrog and avoid making time- consuming mistakes adhering to yesterday's practices. Specifically, attention should be paid to: (i) more continuing interaction with stakeholders when planning and executing research. This takes time that should be allocated in research projects. ; (ii) the quality of a limited number of key papers rather than on the total number of published and cited scientific papers, when judging researchers; (iii) defining new research on the basis of proven inadequacy of existing techniques and methods, realizing that "new" is not necessarily "better" and that available research methods and procedures can solve many current environmental problems; (iv) showing the value of the scientific approach that does not articulate: "yet another opinion" but is essential to face the major environmental challenges of the 21th century. (v) demonstrate the crucial importance of interdisciplinary ecosystem research and innovation when addressing the seventeen UN Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG's) that are attractive now as a focus for the scientific effort in land-related research. (vi

  9. 29 CFR 784.108 - Operations not included in named operations on forms of aquatic “life.”

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... into lime and cement are not exempt operations because the shells are not living things (Fleming v...). Similarly, the production of such items as crushed shell and grit, shell lime, pearl buttons, knife handles...

  10. Preparing for TESS: Precision Ground-based Light-curves of Newly Discovered Transiting Exoplanets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yiting; Stefansson, Gudmundur; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Monson, Andy; Hebb, Leslie; Wisniewski, John; Huehnerhoff, Joseph

    2018-01-01

    NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), to be launched in early 2018, is expected to catalog a myriad of transiting exoplanet candidates ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, orbiting a diverse range of stellar types in the solar neighborhood. In particular, TESS will find small planets orbiting the closest and brightest stars, and will enable detailed atmospheric characterizations of planets with current and future telescopes. In the TESS era, ground-based follow-up resources will play a critical role in validating and confirming the planetary nature of the candidates TESS will discover. Along with confirming the planetary nature of exoplanet transits, high precision ground-based transit observations allow us to put further constraints on exoplanet orbital parameters and transit timing variations. In this talk, we present new observations of transiting exoplanets recently discovered by the K2 mission, using the optical diffuser on the 3.5m ARC Telescope at Apache Point Observatory. These include observations of the mini-Neptunes K2-28b and K2-104b orbiting early-to-mid M-dwarfs. In addition, other recent transit observations performed using the robotic 30cm telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile will be presented.

  11. Discovering Mira Ceti: Celestial Change and Cosmic Continuity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatch, Robert Alan

    In the short narrative that follows I introduce two new heroes. Although we begin with Fabricius's first sighting in 1596, the new pivot point in the drama is the collaboration between Hevelius and Boulliau that began around 1660. As it happens, Learned Europe paid little attention to Mira in the generation after the first scattered sightings of 1596, indeed, nearly 70 years passed before the New Star was given a working identity. Like Columbus discovering America, Fabricius and Holwarda saw different things - for convenience, I call them Fabricius's Star and Holwarda's Star. Hevelius's Historiola (Danzig, 1662) and Boulliau's Ad astronomos (Paris, 1667) presented a different vision. It made Mira famous. As I shall argue, if Hevelius gave Mira a history, Boulliau gave Mira a future.5 In the end, the New Star not only challenged the ancient cosmos, it became an enduring icon for the New Science, a returning reminder of celestial continuity and cosmic order.

  12. NASA's Van Allen Probes Discover a Surprise Circling Earth

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Two giant swaths of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, surrounding Earth were discovered in 1958. In 2012, observations from the Van Allen Probes showed that a third belt can sometimes appear. The radiation is shown here in yellow, with green representing the spaces between the belts. Credit: NASA/Van Allen Probes/Goddard Space Flight Center To read more go to: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/rbsp/news/third-belt.html NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  13. Discovering Targets of Non-enzymatic Acylation by Thioester Reactivity Profiling | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The cover image illuminates the non-enzymatic “ghost writers” of lysine acylation. Meier et al. detail the development of a chemoproteomic strategy that harnesses thioester reactivity to discover candidate cellular targets of non-enzymatic acylation. Application of this approach reveals that glycolytic enzymes can be strongly inhibited by reactive thioesters, including the

  14. The journey of discovering skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt and the special influence of Alexandria.

    PubMed

    Elhadi, Ali M; Kalb, Samuel; Perez-Orribo, Luis; Little, Andrew S; Spetzler, Robert F; Preul, Mark C

    2012-08-01

    The field of anatomy, one of the most ancient sciences, first evolved in Egypt. From the Early Dynastic Period (3100 BC) until the time of Galen at the end of the 2nd century ad, Egypt was the center of anatomical knowledge, including neuroanatomy. Knowledge of neuroanatomy first became important so that sacred rituals could be performed by ancient Egyptian embalmers during mummification procedures. Later, neuroanatomy became a science to be studied by wise men at the ancient temple of Memphis. As religious conflicts developed, the study of the human body became restricted. Myths started to replace scientific research, squelching further exploration of the human body until Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria. This period witnessed a revolution in the study of anatomy and functional anatomy. Herophilus of Chalcedon, Erasistratus of Chios, Rufus of Ephesus, and Galen of Pergamon were prominent physicians who studied at the medical school of Alexandria and contributed greatly to knowledge about the anatomy of the skull base. After the Royal Library of Alexandria was burned and laws were passed prohibiting human dissections based on religious and cultural factors, knowledge of human skull base anatomy plateaued for almost 1500 years. In this article the authors consider the beginning of this journey, from the earliest descriptions of skull base anatomy to the establishment of basic skull base anatomy in ancient Egypt.

  15. Timing of Five PALFA-discovered Millisecond Pulsars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stovall, K.; Allen, B.; Bogdanov, S.; Brazier, A.; Camilo, F.; Cardoso, F.; Chatterjee, S.; Cordes, J. M.; Crawford, F.; Deneva, J. S.; Ferdman, R.; Freire, P. C. C.; Hessels, J. W. T.; Jenet, F.; Kaplan, D. L.; Karako-Argaman, C.; Kaspi, V. M.; Knispel, B.; Kotulla, R.; Lazarus, P.; Lee, K. J.; van Leeuwen, J.; Lynch, R.; Lyne, A. G.; Madsen, E.; McLaughlin, M. A.; Patel, C.; Ransom, S. M.; Scholz, P.; Siemens, X.; Stairs, I. H.; Stappers, B. W.; Swiggum, J.; Zhu, W. W.; Venkataraman, A.

    2016-12-01

    We report the discovery and timing results for five millisecond pulsars (MSPs) from the Arecibo PALFA survey: PSRs J1906+0055, J1914+0659, J1933+1726, J1938+2516, and J1957+2516. Timing observations of the five pulsars were conducted with the Arecibo and Lovell telescopes for time spans ranging from 1.5 to 3.3 years. All of the MSPs except one (PSR J1914+0659) are in binary systems with low eccentricities. PSR J1957+2516 is likely a redback pulsar, with a ˜ 0.1 {M}⊙ companion and possible eclipses that last ˜10% of the orbit. The position of PSR J1957+2516 is also coincident with a near-infrared source. All five MSPs are distant (\\gt 3.1 kpc) as determined from their dispersion measures, and none of them show evidence of γ-ray pulsations in a fold of Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope data. These five MSPs bring the total number of MSPs discovered by the PALFA survey to 26 and further demonstrate the power of this survey in finding distant, highly dispersed MSPs deep in the Galactic plane.

  16. A Systematic Mid-Infrared Survey of A Sample of Tidal Disruption Events Discovered by ZTF

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Lin; Van, Sjoert; Kulkarni, Shri; Kasliwal, Mansi; Gezari, Suvi; Cenko, Brad; Blagorodnova, Nadia; Hung, Tiara

    2017-12-01

    Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) saw its first light (press release on Nov 14, 2017) and is currently in the commissioning phase. The science operation is scheduled to start on Feb 1, 2018. Based on the data from Palomar Transient Factory (PTF), ZTF is expected to discover 30 new tidal disruption events (TDE) in the centers of galaxies containing supermassive blackholes. TDEs are rare transient events, and have only been discovered in recent years by large area transient surveys. Observations of optically discovered TDEs appear to show common characteristics, including blackbody temperatures of a few 10,000K, derived bolometric peak luminosities of several 10^43 - 10^44 erg/s, and photospheric radius of 10^15 - 10^16 cm. These properties are in conflict with the classic TDE model predictions, which suggest an order of magnitude higher temperature and peak luminosity. One proposed explanation is the possible existence of a reprocessing gas layer which absorbs X-ray, UV/optical photons and produces a cooler spectral energy distribution (SED). So far, there are only two published mid-IR light curves of TDEs, each with two epochal data. To solve this mystery, we require higher cadence Spitzer observations of a sample of uniformly selected TDEs. Next year is the only opportunity to obtain the critical observations because Spitzer is expected to operate only to March 2019. We request 24.1 hours of Spitzer time to observe 7 ZTF TDEs. This will produce a unique legacy dataset for many future studies of physics of TDEs.

  17. 75 FR 3474 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-21

    ...: Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander..., Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Closed: February 19, 2010... Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle...

  18. 78 FR 48695 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-09

    ... Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC.... of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive..., Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Contact Person: Gwen W...

  19. 76 FR 6146 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-03

    ...: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T.W. Alexander... 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Open: February 17... Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive...

  20. Public information needs after the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210 in London: cross sectional telephone survey and qualitative analysis

    PubMed Central

    Page, Lisa; Morgan, Oliver; Pinder, Richard J; Riley, Paul; Hatch, Stephani; Maguire, Helen; Catchpole, Mike; Simpson, John; Wessely, Simon

    2007-01-01

    Objectives To identify public perceptions of the risk to health after the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko with polonium-210 (210Po) in London and to assess the impact of public health communications. Design Cross sectional telephone survey and qualitative interviews. Setting London, United Kingdom. Participants 1000 people completed the cross sectional survey and 86 potentially exposed people completed the qualitative interviews. Main outcome measures Perception of risk to personal health after the 210Po incident. Qualitative interviews were analysed with an emphasis on information needs. Results 11.7% of the survey sample (n=117) perceived their health to be at risk. Aside from personal variables the main predictors of perceived risk to health were believing that the incident was related to terrorism (odds ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 4.6) rather than to espionage, that it was targeted at the wider public rather than one person (5.9, 3.2 to 10.9), and that it could affect people who had not been in the contaminated area (3.2, 2.1 to 5.1). Participants in the qualitative interviews were generally satisfied with the information they had received, although they would have preferred more information about their individual risk of exposure, the results of their urine tests, and the health implications of the incident. Conclusions Perceptions of the public that the 210Po incident in London in 2006 was related to espionage helped to reassure them that the risks to personal health were low. In the event of future incidents it is important to ensure that detailed, comprehensible information about the risks of any exposure is available. PMID:17975252

  1. "Discover Diversities": A Trans-Inter-Disciplinary (SEMEP) Project for Different School Levels and Teachers' Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pilo, Miranda; Gavio, Brigitte; Scaldarella, Elda; Di Carlo, Caterina; Martorano, Daniela

    2011-01-01

    "Discover Diversities" is a wide thematic developed within the SEMEP (South-Eastern Mediterranean Environmental Project) project, supported by UNESCO (United Nation Education, Science and Culture Organization). SEMEP is essentially a project for science education, focusing on Mediterranean environment. As the Mediterranean has been the…

  2. The navel orangeworm, Amyelois transtilla (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) discovered in northeastern Mexico feeding on Sapindaceae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Amyelois transitella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the navel orangeworm, is an important pest of a wide variety fruits and their seeds. We discovered and report for the first time A. transitella feeding on Sapindaceae in wild populations of U. speciosa (Endl.) in northeastern Mexico. We provid...

  3. Discovering governing equations from data by sparse identification of nonlinear dynamical systems

    PubMed Central

    Brunton, Steven L.; Proctor, Joshua L.; Kutz, J. Nathan

    2016-01-01

    Extracting governing equations from data is a central challenge in many diverse areas of science and engineering. Data are abundant whereas models often remain elusive, as in climate science, neuroscience, ecology, finance, and epidemiology, to name only a few examples. In this work, we combine sparsity-promoting techniques and machine learning with nonlinear dynamical systems to discover governing equations from noisy measurement data. The only assumption about the structure of the model is that there are only a few important terms that govern the dynamics, so that the equations are sparse in the space of possible functions; this assumption holds for many physical systems in an appropriate basis. In particular, we use sparse regression to determine the fewest terms in the dynamic governing equations required to accurately represent the data. This results in parsimonious models that balance accuracy with model complexity to avoid overfitting. We demonstrate the algorithm on a wide range of problems, from simple canonical systems, including linear and nonlinear oscillators and the chaotic Lorenz system, to the fluid vortex shedding behind an obstacle. The fluid example illustrates the ability of this method to discover the underlying dynamics of a system that took experts in the community nearly 30 years to resolve. We also show that this method generalizes to parameterized systems and systems that are time-varying or have external forcing. PMID:27035946

  4. Discovering governing equations from data by sparse identification of nonlinear dynamical systems.

    PubMed

    Brunton, Steven L; Proctor, Joshua L; Kutz, J Nathan

    2016-04-12

    Extracting governing equations from data is a central challenge in many diverse areas of science and engineering. Data are abundant whereas models often remain elusive, as in climate science, neuroscience, ecology, finance, and epidemiology, to name only a few examples. In this work, we combine sparsity-promoting techniques and machine learning with nonlinear dynamical systems to discover governing equations from noisy measurement data. The only assumption about the structure of the model is that there are only a few important terms that govern the dynamics, so that the equations are sparse in the space of possible functions; this assumption holds for many physical systems in an appropriate basis. In particular, we use sparse regression to determine the fewest terms in the dynamic governing equations required to accurately represent the data. This results in parsimonious models that balance accuracy with model complexity to avoid overfitting. We demonstrate the algorithm on a wide range of problems, from simple canonical systems, including linear and nonlinear oscillators and the chaotic Lorenz system, to the fluid vortex shedding behind an obstacle. The fluid example illustrates the ability of this method to discover the underlying dynamics of a system that took experts in the community nearly 30 years to resolve. We also show that this method generalizes to parameterized systems and systems that are time-varying or have external forcing.

  5. bioGUID: resolving, discovering, and minting identifiers for biodiversity informatics

    PubMed Central

    Page, Roderic DM

    2009-01-01

    Background Linking together the data of interest to biodiversity researchers (including specimen records, images, taxonomic names, and DNA sequences) requires services that can mint, resolve, and discover globally unique identifiers (including, but not limited to, DOIs, HTTP URIs, and LSIDs). Results bioGUID implements a range of services, the core ones being an OpenURL resolver for bibliographic resources, and a LSID resolver. The LSID resolver supports Linked Data-friendly resolution using HTTP 303 redirects and content negotiation. Additional services include journal ISSN look-up, author name matching, and a tool to monitor the status of biodiversity data providers. Conclusion bioGUID is available at . Source code is available from . PMID:19900301

  6. PTF discovers and follows-up nearby, young, Type II supernova

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kasliwal, M. M.; Quimby, R. M.; Ofek, E. O.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Gal-Yam, A.; Arcavi, I.; Green, Y.; Walker, E.; Mazzali, P.; Nugent, P. E.; Poznanski, D.; Howell, D. A.; Dilday, B.; Fox, D. B.

    2010-09-01

    On UT 2010 Sep 15.243, the Palomar Transient Factory discovered an optical transient, PTF10vdl at RA(J2000) = 23:05:49.001 and DEC(J2000)=03:31:20.50 near NGC 7483. We obtained Target Of Opportunity spectra with Gemini-S/GMOS (PI Kasliwal) on Sep 16.29. The spectrum was extremely blue (f_nu proportional to nu^4.5) and nearly featureless. We further obtained a spectrum with the TNG/DOLORES (PI Walker) on Sep 17.40 and P-Cygni profiles of four Balmer lines were clearly visible, consistent with the redshift of NGC 7483, suggesting this is a Type II supernova.

  7. Temperate Lakes Discovered on Titan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vixie, Graham; Barnes, Jason W.; Jackson, Brian; Wilson, Paul

    2012-04-01

    We have discovered two temperate lakes on Titan using Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). Three key features help to identify these surface features as lakes: morphology, albedo, and specular reflection. The presence of lakes at the mid-latitudes mean liquid can accumulate and remain stable outside of the poles. We first identify a lake surface by looking for possible shorelines with a lacustrine morphology. Then, we apply a simple atmospheric correction that produces an approximate surface albedo. Next, we prepare cylindrical projection maps of the brightness of the sky as seen from any points on the surface to identify specular reflections. Our techniques can then be applied to other areas, such as Arrakis Planitia, to test for liquid. Currently, all the known lakes on Titan are concentrated at the poles. Lakes have been suggested in the tropic zone by Griffith et al. Our discovery of non-transient, temperate lakes has important implications for Titan's hydrologic cycle. Clouds have been recorded accumulating in the mid-latitudes and areas have been darkened by rainfall but later brightened after evaporation (Turtle et al. 2011). Stable temperate lakes would affect total rainfall, liquid accumulation, evaporation rates, and infiltration. Polaznik Macula (Figure 1) is a great candidate for lake filling, evaporation rates, and stability. References: Griffith, C., et al.: "Evidence for Lakes on Titan's Tropical Surface". AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #42, Vol. 42, pp. 1077, 2010. Turtle, E. P., et al.: "Rapid and Extensive Surface Changes Near Titan's Equator: Evidence of April Showers". Science, Vol. 331, pp. 1414-, 2011. Figure 1: Polaznik Macula is the large, dark area central to the figure. The encircled dark blue areas represent positively identified lake regions in the T66 flyby. The light blue areas represent lake candidates still under analysis. The green circle marks a non-lake surface feature enclosed by a

  8. 77 FR 60448 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-03

    ... Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC..., Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Closed: November 5, 2012... Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709...

  9. 78 FR 59042 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-25

    ...: Nat. Inst. of Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander... Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Closed: October 21, 2013, 11:15 a.m... Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle...

  10. jsc2017e136057 - On a snowy night at Red Square Moscow, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, left), Jeanette Epps of NASA (center) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) pay

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-11-30

    jsc2017e136057 - On a snowy night at Red Square Moscow, Expedition 54-55 backup crewmembers Sergey Prokopyev of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos, left), Jeanette Epps of NASA (center) and Alexander Gerst of the European Space Agency (right) pay homage at the Kremlin Wall where Russian space icons are interred in traditional pre-launch ceremonies Nov. 30. They are backups to Anton Shkaplerov of Roscosmos, Scott Tingle of NASA and Norishige Kanai of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), who will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft Dec. 17 for a five-month mission on the International Space Station...Andrey Shelepin/Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

  11. Discovering Trigonometric Relationships Implied by the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skurnick, Ronald; Javadi, Mohammad

    2006-01-01

    The Law of Sines and The Law of Cosines are of paramount importance in the field of trigonometry because these two theorems establish relationships satisfied by the three sides and the three angles of any triangle. In this article, the authors use these two laws to discover a host of other trigonometric relationships that exist within any…

  12. Discovering Socialization Priorities in Turkish Society Based on What the Value of Success Means

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aypay, Ayse

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to discover socialization priorities based on what the value of success means in Turkish society. For this purpose, two related scales have been developed to identify the beliefs of adults in Turkish society towards defining the value of success and the areas in which adults perceive themselves as successful based on…

  13. 76 FR 46823 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-03

    ..., Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Closed: September 1, 2011... Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle... Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Contact Person: Gwen W Collman, PhD...

  14. The road weather bulletin #2 : road weather management publications and training materials.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-03-01

    In March of 2001, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) engaged Gannett Fleming, Inc., to develop the first ever Tunnel Management System to benefit both highway and rail transit tunnel owners througho...

  15. Integrated corridor management initiative : demonstration phase evaluation, San Diego institutional and organizational analysis test plan.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2003-03-01

    In March of 2001, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in conjunction with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), engaged Gannett Fleming, Inc., to develop the first ever Tunnel Management System to benefit both highway and rail transit tunn...

  16. INTERSPECIES DOSIMETRY MODELS FOR PULMONARY PHARMACOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory

    Interspecies Dosimetry Models for Pulmonary Pharmacology

    Ted B. Martonen, Jeffry D. Schroeter, and John S. Fleming

    Experimental Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangl...

  17. Genome-wide scan of healthy human connectome discovers SPON1 gene variant influencing dementia severity

    PubMed Central

    Jahanshad, Neda; Rajagopalan, Priya; Hua, Xue; Hibar, Derrek P.; Nir, Talia M.; Toga, Arthur W.; Jack, Clifford R.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Green, Robert C.; Weiner, Michael W.; Medland, Sarah E.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Hansell, Narelle K.; McMahon, Katie L.; de Zubicaray, Greig I.; Martin, Nicholas G.; Wright, Margaret J.; Thompson, Paul M.; Weiner, Michael; Aisen, Paul; Weiner, Michael; Aisen, Paul; Petersen, Ronald; Jack, Clifford R.; Jagust, William; Trojanowski, John Q.; Toga, Arthur W.; Beckett, Laurel; Green, Robert C.; Saykin, Andrew J.; Morris, John; Liu, Enchi; Green, Robert C.; Montine, Tom; Petersen, Ronald; Aisen, Paul; Gamst, Anthony; Thomas, Ronald G.; Donohue, Michael; Walter, Sarah; Gessert, Devon; Sather, Tamie; Beckett, Laurel; Harvey, Danielle; Gamst, Anthony; Donohue, Michael; Kornak, John; Jack, Clifford R.; Dale, Anders; Bernstein, Matthew; Felmlee, Joel; Fox, Nick; Thompson, Paul; Schuff, Norbert; Alexander, Gene; DeCarli, Charles; Jagust, William; Bandy, Dan; Koeppe, Robert A.; Foster, Norm; Reiman, Eric M.; Chen, Kewei; Mathis, Chet; Morris, John; Cairns, Nigel J.; Taylor-Reinwald, Lisa; Trojanowki, J.Q.; Shaw, Les; Lee, Virginia M.Y.; Korecka, Magdalena; Toga, Arthur W.; Crawford, Karen; Neu, Scott; Saykin, Andrew J.; Foroud, Tatiana M.; Potkin, Steven; Shen, Li; Khachaturian, Zaven; Frank, Richard; Snyder, Peter J.; Molchan, Susan; Kaye, Jeffrey; Quinn, Joseph; Lind, Betty; Dolen, Sara; Schneider, Lon S.; Pawluczyk, Sonia; Spann, Bryan M.; Brewer, James; Vanderswag, Helen; Heidebrink, Judith L.; Lord, Joanne L.; Petersen, Ronald; Johnson, Kris; Doody, Rachelle S.; Villanueva-Meyer, Javier; Chowdhury, Munir; Stern, Yaakov; Honig, Lawrence S.; Bell, Karen L.; Morris, John C.; Ances, Beau; Carroll, Maria; Leon, Sue; Mintun, Mark A.; Schneider, Stacy; Marson, Daniel; Griffith, Randall; Clark, David; Grossman, Hillel; Mitsis, Effie; Romirowsky, Aliza; deToledo-Morrell, Leyla; Shah, Raj C.; Duara, Ranjan; Varon, Daniel; Roberts, Peggy; Albert, Marilyn; Onyike, Chiadi; Kielb, Stephanie; Rusinek, Henry; de Leon, Mony J.; Glodzik, Lidia; De Santi, Susan; Doraiswamy, P. Murali; Petrella, Jeffrey R.; Coleman, R. Edward; Arnold, Steven E.; Karlawish, Jason H.; Wolk, David; Smith, Charles D.; Jicha, Greg; Hardy, Peter; Lopez, Oscar L.; Oakley, MaryAnn; Simpson, Donna M.; Porsteinsson, Anton P.; Goldstein, Bonnie S.; Martin, Kim; Makino, Kelly M.; Ismail, M. Saleem; Brand, Connie; Mulnard, Ruth A.; Thai, Gaby; Mc-Adams-Ortiz, Catherine; Womack, Kyle; Mathews, Dana; Quiceno, Mary; Diaz-Arrastia, Ramon; King, Richard; Weiner, Myron; Martin-Cook, Kristen; DeVous, Michael; Levey, Allan I.; Lah, James J.; Cellar, Janet S.; Burns, Jeffrey M.; Anderson, Heather S.; Swerdlow, Russell H.; Apostolova, Liana; Lu, Po H.; Bartzokis, George; Silverman, Daniel H.S.; Graff-Radford, Neill R.; Parfitt, Francine; Johnson, Heather; Farlow, Martin R.; Hake, Ann Marie; Matthews, Brandy R.; Herring, Scott; van Dyck, Christopher H.; Carson, Richard E.; MacAvoy, Martha G.; Chertkow, Howard; Bergman, Howard; Hosein, Chris; Black, Sandra; Stefanovic, Bojana; Caldwell, Curtis; Hsiung, Ging-Yuek Robin; Feldman, Howard; Mudge, Benita; Assaly, Michele; Kertesz, Andrew; Rogers, John; Trost, Dick; Bernick, Charles; Munic, Donna; Kerwin, Diana; Mesulam, Marek-Marsel; Lipowski, Kristina; Wu, Chuang-Kuo; Johnson, Nancy; Sadowsky, Carl; Martinez, Walter; Villena, Teresa; Turner, Raymond Scott; Johnson, Kathleen; Reynolds, Brigid; Sperling, Reisa A.; Johnson, Keith A.; Marshall, Gad; Frey, Meghan; Yesavage, Jerome; Taylor, Joy L.; Lane, Barton; Rosen, Allyson; Tinklenberg, Jared; Sabbagh, Marwan; Belden, Christine; Jacobson, Sandra; Kowall, Neil; Killiany, Ronald; Budson, Andrew E.; Norbash, Alexander; Johnson, Patricia Lynn; Obisesan, Thomas O.; Wolday, Saba; Bwayo, Salome K.; Lerner, Alan; Hudson, Leon; Ogrocki, Paula; Fletcher, Evan; Carmichael, Owen; Olichney, John; DeCarli, Charles; Kittur, Smita; Borrie, Michael; Lee, T.-Y.; Bartha, Rob; Johnson, Sterling; Asthana, Sanjay; Carlsson, Cynthia M.; Potkin, Steven G.; Preda, Adrian; Nguyen, Dana; Tariot, Pierre; Fleisher, Adam; Reeder, Stephanie; Bates, Vernice; Capote, Horacio; Rainka, Michelle; Scharre, Douglas W.; Kataki, Maria; Zimmerman, Earl A.; Celmins, Dzintra; Brown, Alice D.; Pearlson, Godfrey D.; Blank, Karen; Anderson, Karen; Saykin, Andrew J.; Santulli, Robert B.; Schwartz, Eben S.; Sink, Kaycee M.; Williamson, Jeff D.; Garg, Pradeep; Watkins, Franklin; Ott, Brian R.; Querfurth, Henry; Tremont, Geoffrey; Salloway, Stephen; Malloy, Paul; Correia, Stephen; Rosen, Howard J.; Miller, Bruce L.; Mintzer, Jacobo; Longmire, Crystal Flynn; Spicer, Kenneth; Finger, Elizabeth; Rachinsky, Irina; Rogers, John; Kertesz, Andrew; Drost, Dick

    2013-01-01

    Aberrant connectivity is implicated in many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. However, other than a few disease-associated candidate genes, we know little about the degree to which genetics play a role in the brain networks; we know even less about specific genes that influence brain connections. Twin and family-based studies can generate estimates of overall genetic influences on a trait, but genome-wide association scans (GWASs) can screen the genome for specific variants influencing the brain or risk for disease. To identify the heritability of various brain connections, we scanned healthy young adult twins with high-field, high-angular resolution diffusion MRI. We adapted GWASs to screen the brain’s connectivity pattern, allowing us to discover genetic variants that affect the human brain’s wiring. The association of connectivity with the SPON1 variant at rs2618516 on chromosome 11 (11p15.2) reached connectome-wide, genome-wide significance after stringent statistical corrections were enforced, and it was replicated in an independent subsample. rs2618516 was shown to affect brain structure in an elderly population with varying degrees of dementia. Older people who carried the connectivity variant had significantly milder clinical dementia scores and lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. As a posthoc analysis, we conducted GWASs on several organizational and topological network measures derived from the matrices to discover variants in and around genes associated with autism (MACROD2), development (NEDD4), and mental retardation (UBE2A) significantly associated with connectivity. Connectome-wide, genome-wide screening offers substantial promise to discover genes affecting brain connectivity and risk for brain diseases. PMID:23471985

  18. Genome-wide scan of healthy human connectome discovers SPON1 gene variant influencing dementia severity.

    PubMed

    Jahanshad, Neda; Rajagopalan, Priya; Hua, Xue; Hibar, Derrek P; Nir, Talia M; Toga, Arthur W; Jack, Clifford R; Saykin, Andrew J; Green, Robert C; Weiner, Michael W; Medland, Sarah E; Montgomery, Grant W; Hansell, Narelle K; McMahon, Katie L; de Zubicaray, Greig I; Martin, Nicholas G; Wright, Margaret J; Thompson, Paul M

    2013-03-19

    Aberrant connectivity is implicated in many neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. However, other than a few disease-associated candidate genes, we know little about the degree to which genetics play a role in the brain networks; we know even less about specific genes that influence brain connections. Twin and family-based studies can generate estimates of overall genetic influences on a trait, but genome-wide association scans (GWASs) can screen the genome for specific variants influencing the brain or risk for disease. To identify the heritability of various brain connections, we scanned healthy young adult twins with high-field, high-angular resolution diffusion MRI. We adapted GWASs to screen the brain's connectivity pattern, allowing us to discover genetic variants that affect the human brain's wiring. The association of connectivity with the SPON1 variant at rs2618516 on chromosome 11 (11p15.2) reached connectome-wide, genome-wide significance after stringent statistical corrections were enforced, and it was replicated in an independent subsample. rs2618516 was shown to affect brain structure in an elderly population with varying degrees of dementia. Older people who carried the connectivity variant had significantly milder clinical dementia scores and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. As a posthoc analysis, we conducted GWASs on several organizational and topological network measures derived from the matrices to discover variants in and around genes associated with autism (MACROD2), development (NEDD4), and mental retardation (UBE2A) significantly associated with connectivity. Connectome-wide, genome-wide screening offers substantial promise to discover genes affecting brain connectivity and risk for brain diseases.

  19. Arsenic-Containing Phosphatidylcholines: A New Group of Arsenolipids Discovered in Herring Caviar.

    PubMed

    Viczek, Sandra A; Jensen, Kenneth B; Francesconi, Kevin A

    2016-04-18

    A new group of arsenolipids based on cell-membrane phosphatidylcholines has been discovered in herring caviar (fish roe). A combination of HPLC with elemental and molecular mass spectrometry was used to identify five arsenic-containing phosphatidylcholines; the same technique applied to salmon caviar identified an arsenic-containing phosphatidylethanolamine. The arsenic group in these membrane lipids might impart particular properties to the molecules not displayed by their non-arsenic analogues. Additionally, the new compounds have human health implications according to recent results showing high cytotoxicity for some arsenolipids.

  20. 75 FR 57280 - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Notice of Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-20

    ..., Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Conference Rooms 101 A, B, and C, Research Triangle Park... Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Conference Rooms 101 A, B, and C, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709... Environmental Health Sciences, Building 101, Rodbell Auditorium, 111 T. W. Alexander Drive, Conference Rooms 101...

  1. Systematic Serendipity: A Method to Discover the Anomalous

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giles, Daniel; Walkowicz, Lucianne

    2018-01-01

    One of the challenges in the era of big data astronomical surveys is identifying anomalous data, data that exhibits as-of-yet unobserved behavior. These data may result from systematic errors, extreme (or rare) forms of known phenomena, or, most interestingly, truly novel phenomena that has historically required a trained eye and often fortuitous circumstance to identify. We describe a method that uses machine clustering techniques to discover anomalous data in Kepler lightcurves, as a step towards systematizing the detection of novel phenomena in the era of LSST. As a proof of concept, we apply our anomaly detection method to Kepler data including Boyajian's Star (KIC 8462852). We examine quarters 4, 8, 11, and 16 of the Kepler data which contain Boyajian’s Star acting normally (quarters 4 and 11) and anomalously (quarters 8 and 16). We demonstrate that our method is capable of identifying Boyajian’s Star’s anomalous behavior in quarters of interest, and we further identify other anomalous light curves that exhibit a range of interesting variability.

  2. Chandra Observations of Three Newly Discovered Quadruply Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pooley, David

    2017-09-01

    Our previous work has shown the unique power of Chandra observations of quadruply gravitationally lensed quasars to address several fundamental astrophysical issues. We have used these observations to (1) determine the cause of flux ratio anomalies, (2) measure the sizes of quasar accretion disks, (3) determine the dark matter content of the lensing galaxies, and (4) measure the stellar mass-to-light ratio (in fact, this is the only way to measure the stellar mass-to-light ratio beyond the solar neighborhood). In all cases, the main source of uncertainty in our results is the small size of the sample of known quads; only 15 systems are available for study with Chandra. We propose Chandra observations of three newly discovered quads, increasing the sample size by 20%

  3. Educational Psychology's Past and Future Contributions to the Science of Learning, Science of Instruction, and Science of Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayer, Richard E.

    2018-01-01

    Patricia Alexander (2018) provides a thought-provoking analysis of the past and future of educational psychology. Based on the themes in Alexander's paper, the present paper explores the past and future of educational psychology's contributions to: (a) the science of learning, corresponding to Alexander's theme of "a focus on learning as a…

  4. “Fine-Scale Application of the coupled WRF-CMAQ System to the 2011 DISCOVER-AQ Campaign”

    EPA Science Inventory

    The DISCOVER-AQ project (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality), is a joint collaboration between NASA, U.S. EPA and a number of other local organizations with the goal of characterizing air quality in ...

  5. Internal contamination of an irradiator discovered during security enhancement.

    PubMed

    Harvey, R P

    2014-08-01

    High-risk radioactive sources regulated under Increased Controls Regulations have been protected by licensed facilities, but the federal government has placed significant emphasis on these sources and has developed initiatives to assist radioactive material licensees. The Department of Energy's Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Domestic Threat Reduction Program is a voluntary federally funded program for security enhancements of high-risk radiological material. During the hardening or security enhancement process by the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) contractors, a small amount of radioactive contamination was discovered in a Cesium irradiator. Ultimately, it was decided to pursue disposal with U.S. DOE's Off-Site Recovery Program (OSRP). Radiological devices may have a leaking source or known internal contamination that may cause difficulty during security enhancement. If the licensee understands this, it may provide facilities the opportunity to plan and prepare for unusual circumstances.

  6. Arsenic‐Containing Phosphatidylcholines: A New Group of Arsenolipids Discovered in Herring Caviar

    PubMed Central

    Viczek, Sandra A.; Francesconi, Kevin A.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract A new group of arsenolipids based on cell‐membrane phosphatidylcholines has been discovered in herring caviar (fish roe). A combination of HPLC with elemental and molecular mass spectrometry was used to identify five arsenic‐containing phosphatidylcholines; the same technique applied to salmon caviar identified an arsenic‐containing phosphatidylethanolamine. The arsenic group in these membrane lipids might impart particular properties to the molecules not displayed by their non‐arsenic analogues. Additionally, the new compounds have human health implications according to recent results showing high cytotoxicity for some arsenolipids. PMID:26996517

  7. Arsenic‐Containing Phosphatidylcholines: A New Group of Arsenolipids Discovered in Herring Caviar

    PubMed Central

    Viczek, Sandra A.; Francesconi, Kevin A.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract A new group of arsenolipids based on cell‐membrane phosphatidylcholines has been discovered in herring caviar (fish roe). A combination of HPLC with elemental and molecular mass spectrometry was used to identify five arsenic‐containing phosphatidylcholines; the same technique applied to salmon caviar identified an arsenic‐containing phosphatidylethanolamine. The arsenic group in these membrane lipids might impart particular properties to the molecules not displayed by their non‐arsenic analogues. Additionally, the new compounds have human health implications according to recent results showing high cytotoxicity for some arsenolipids. PMID:27478276

  8. Thalassosamide, a Siderophore Discovered from the Marine-Derived Bacterium Thalassospira profundimaris.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Fan; Barns, Kenneth; Hoffmann, F Michael; Braun, Doug R; Andes, David R; Bugni, Tim S

    2017-09-22

    Here we describe the rapid identification and prioritization of novel active marine natural products using an improved dereplication strategy. During the course of our screening of marine natural product libraries, a new cyclic trihydroxamate compound, thalassosamide, was discovered from the α-proteobacterium Thalassospira profundimaris. Its structure was determined by 2D NMR and MS/MS experiments, and the absolute configuration of the lysine-derived units was established by Marfey's analysis, whereas that of C-9, 9', and 9″ was determined via the circular dichroism data of the [Rh 2 (OCOCF 3 ) 4 ] complex and DFT NMR calculations. Thalassosamide showed moderate in vivo efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

  9. A New Species of Frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) Discovered from the Mega City of Dhaka.

    PubMed

    Howlader, Mohammad Sajid Ali; Nair, Abhilash; Merilä, Juha

    2016-01-01

    We describe a new species of frog of the genus Zakerana discovered from the urban core of Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Although the new species is morphologically similar to the geographically proximate congeners in the Bangladeshi cricket frog group, we show that it can be distinguished from all congeners on the basis of morphological characters, advertisement calls and variation in two mitochondrial DNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). Apart from several diagnostic differences in body proportions, the new species differs from other Zakerana species in having a flattened snout (from ventral view) projecting over the lower jaw, and diagnostic trapezoid-shaped red markings on the vocal sac in males. Molecular genetic analyses show that the new species is highly divergent (3.1-20.1% sequence divergence) from all congeneric species, and forms a well-supported clade with its sister species, Zakerana asmati. The discovery of a new amphibian species from the urban core of Dhaka together with several recent descriptions of new amphibian species from Bangladesh may indicate that more amphibian species remain to be discovered from this country.

  10. A New Species of Frog (Anura: Dicroglossidae) Discovered from the Mega City of Dhaka

    PubMed Central

    Howlader, Mohammad Sajid Ali; Nair, Abhilash; Merilä, Juha

    2016-01-01

    We describe a new species of frog of the genus Zakerana discovered from the urban core of Dhaka, Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Although the new species is morphologically similar to the geographically proximate congeners in the Bangladeshi cricket frog group, we show that it can be distinguished from all congeners on the basis of morphological characters, advertisement calls and variation in two mitochondrial DNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA). Apart from several diagnostic differences in body proportions, the new species differs from other Zakerana species in having a flattened snout (from ventral view) projecting over the lower jaw, and diagnostic trapezoid-shaped red markings on the vocal sac in males. Molecular genetic analyses show that the new species is highly divergent (3.1–20.1% sequence divergence) from all congeneric species, and forms a well-supported clade with its sister species, Zakerana asmati. The discovery of a new amphibian species from the urban core of Dhaka together with several recent descriptions of new amphibian species from Bangladesh may indicate that more amphibian species remain to be discovered from this country. PMID:26934699

  11. Discovering the Ancient Maya from Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sever, T. L.

    2008-01-01

    The Pet6n region of northern Guatemala contains some of the most significant Mayan archeological sites in Latin America. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper, IKONOS, and QuickBird satellite, and airborne STAR-3i and AIRSAR radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as sites, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the bajos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. Through the use of various airborne and satellite sensor systems we have been able to detect and map ancient causeways, temples, reservoirs, and land forms, and locate these features on the ground through GPS technology. Recently, we have discovered that there is a strong relationship between a tropical forest vegetation signature in satellite imagery and the location of archeological sites. We believe that the use of limestone and lime plasters in ancient Maya construction affects the moisture, nutrition, and plant species of the surface vegetation. We have mapped these vegetation signatures in the imagery and verified through field survey that they are indicative of archeological sites. Through the use of remote sensing and GIS technology it is possible to identify unrecorded archeological features in a dense tropical forest environment and monitor these cultural features for their protection.

  12. Discovering the Ancient Maya From Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sever, T. L.

    2007-01-01

    The Peten region of northern Guatemala contains some of the most significant Mayan archeological sites in Latin America. It was in this region that the Maya civilization began, flourished, and abruptly disappeared. Remote sensing technology is helping to locate and map ancient Maya sites that are threatened today by accelerating deforestation and looting. Thematic Mapper, IKONOS, and QuickBird satellite, and airborne STAR-3i and AIRSAR radar data, combined with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, are successfully detecting ancient Maya features such as sites, roadways, canals, and water reservoirs. Satellite imagery is also being used to map the bajos, which are seasonally flooded swamps that cover over 40% of the land surface. Through the use of various airborne and satellite sensor systems we have been able to detect and map ancient causeways, temples, reservoirs, and land forms, and locate these features on the ground through GPS technology. Recently, we have discovered that there is a strong relationship between a tropical forest vegetation signature in satellite imagery and the location of archeological sites. We believe that the use o f limestone and lime plasters in ancient Maya construction affects the moisture, nutrition, and plant species of the surface vegetation. We have mapped these vegetation signatures in the imagery and verified through field survey that they are indicative of archeological sites. Through the use of remote sensing and GIS technology it is possible to identify unrecorded archeological features in a dense tropical forest environment and monitor these cultural features for their protection.

  13. Self-efficacy and embodiment associated with Alexander Technique lessons or with acupuncture sessions: A longitudinal qualitative sub-study within the ATLAS trial.

    PubMed

    Wenham, Aniela; Atkin, Karl; Woodman, Julia; Ballard, Kathleen; MacPherson, Hugh

    2018-05-01

    A large randomised controlled trial found that the provision of either Alexander Technique lessons or acupuncture, for those with chronic neck pain, resulted in significantly increased self-efficacy when compared with usual care alone. In turn, enhanced self-efficacy was associated with significant reductions in neck pain at 6 and 12 months. In this analysis we explore the perspectives of participants within the trial, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of how these interventions had an impact. We used a longitudinal qualitative approach; in-depth interviews, informed by a topic guide, were conducted with a sample of the trial population. Participants were interviewed twice: at around six months (n = 30) and twelve months (n = 26) after trial entry. Analysis was guided by the principles of grounded theory, and key themes were developed. Five key themes emerged: pre-trial experiences of biomedical treatment against which subsequent interventions were compared; emergence of tangible benefits from the interventions; factors that contributed to the observed benefits, notably growing self-care and self-efficacy; a developing sense of embodiment as an integral part of the transformative process; and contribution of these factors to sustaining benefits over the longer term. In-depth interviews revealed a rich array of experiences. They gave insight into the positive impact of the interventions on development of self-care, self-efficacy and embodiment. These findings complement the quantitative trial data, providing a more nuanced understanding of the factors that underpin the previously quantified improvement in self-efficacy and its association with longer-term reductions in pain. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. New variable stars discovered in the fields of three Galactic open clusters using the VVV survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palma, T.; Minniti, D.; Dékány, I.; Clariá, J. J.; Alonso-García, J.; Gramajo, L. V.; Ramírez Alegría, S.; Bonatto, C.

    2016-11-01

    This project is a massive near-infrared (NIR) search for variable stars in highly reddened and obscured open cluster (OC) fields projected on regions of the Galactic bulge and disk. The search is performed using photometric NIR data in the J-, H- and Ks- bands obtained from the Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) Survey. We performed in each cluster field a variability search using Stetson's variability statistics to select the variable candidates. Later, those candidates were subjected to a frequency analysis using the Generalized Lomb-Scargle and the Phase Dispersion Minimization algorithms. The number of independent observations range between 63 and 73. The newly discovered variables in this study, 157 in total in three different known OCs, are classified based on their light curve shapes, periods, amplitudes and their location in the corresponding color-magnitude (J -Ks ,Ks) and color-color (H -Ks , J - H) diagrams. We found 5 possible Cepheid stars which, based on the period-luminosity relation, are very likely type II Cepheids located behind the bulge. Among the newly discovered variables, there are eclipsing binaries, δ Scuti, as well as background RR Lyrae stars. Using the new version of the Wilson & Devinney code as well as the "Physics Of Eclipsing Binaries" (PHOEBE) code, we analyzed some of the best eclipsing binaries we discovered. Our results show that these studied systems turn out to be ranging from detached to double-contact binaries, with low eccentricities and high inclinations of approximately 80°. Their surface temperatures range between 3500 K and 8000 K.

  15. 76 FR 54196 - Membership of the Departmental Performance Review Board

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-31

    .... Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Secretary for Administration, William J. Fleming, Director for... Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs, Sandra Walters, Chief Financial Officer and Director of..., Robert J. Byrd, Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer, NWS, Joseph, F. Klimavicz, Chief...

  16. 78 FR 42108 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested: National...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-15

    ... information, please contact Clark R. Fleming, Field Division Counsel, El Paso Intelligence Center, 11339 SSG... of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; [[Page 42109... 143. Component: El Paso Intelligence Center, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of...

  17. 76 FR 32985 - Kentucky; Major Disaster and Related Determinations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-07

    ... provide Public Assistance in the designated areas, emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to..., Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Fleming, Gallatin, Kenton, Lawrence, Morgan, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen and..., Livingston, McCracken, and Union Counties for emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct...

  18. Rejoinder to Craig A. Cunningham, David Granger, Jane Fowler Morse, Barbara Stengel, and Terri Wilson, "Dewey, Women, and Weirdoes"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzgerald, Terry

    2010-01-01

    It is good to see Cunningham et al. including F. Matthias Alexander in their list of positive influences in John Dewey's life. However, I believe Cunningham's essay, "Shared explorations of body-mind: the reciprocal influences of Dewey and F.M. Alexander", falls short in its acknowledgement of Alexander and in one important aspect is incorrect. In…

  19. A fluorescence anisotropy assay to discover and characterize ligands targeting the maytansine site of tubulin.

    PubMed

    Menchon, Grégory; Prota, Andrea E; Lucena-Agell, Daniel; Bucher, Pascal; Jansen, Rolf; Irschik, Herbert; Müller, Rolf; Paterson, Ian; Díaz, J Fernando; Altmann, Karl-Heinz; Steinmetz, Michel O

    2018-05-29

    Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) like taxol and vinblastine are among the most successful chemotherapeutic drugs against cancer. Here, we describe a fluorescence anisotropy-based assay that specifically probes for ligands targeting the recently discovered maytansine site of tubulin. Using this assay, we have determined the dissociation constants of known maytansine site ligands, including the pharmacologically active degradation product of the clinical antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab emtansine. In addition, we discovered that the two natural products spongistatin-1 and disorazole Z with established cellular potency bind to the maytansine site on β-tubulin. The high-resolution crystal structures of spongistatin-1 and disorazole Z in complex with tubulin allowed the definition of an additional sub-site adjacent to the pocket shared by all maytansine-site ligands, which could be exploitable as a distinct, separate target site for small molecules. Our study provides a basis for the discovery and development of next-generation MTAs for the treatment of cancer.

  20. The Blood Exposome and Its Role in Discovering Causes of Disease

    PubMed Central

    Barupal, Dinesh K.; Wishart, David; Vineis, Paolo; Scalbert, Augustin

    2014-01-01

    Background: Since 2001, researchers have examined the human genome (G) mainly to discover causes of disease, despite evidence that G explains relatively little risk. We posit that unexplained disease risks are caused by the exposome (E; representing all exposures) and G × E interactions. Thus, etiologic research has been hampered by scientists’ continuing reliance on low-tech methods to characterize E compared with high-tech omics for characterizing G. Objectives: Because exposures are inherently chemical in nature and arise from both endogenous and exogenous sources, blood specimens can be used to characterize exposomes. To explore the “blood exposome” and its connection to disease, we sought human blood concentrations of many chemicals, along with their sources, evidence of chronic-disease risks, and numbers of metabolic pathways. Methods: From the literature we obtained human blood concentrations of 1,561 small molecules and metals derived from foods, drugs, pollutants, and endogenous processes. We mapped chemical similarities after weighting by blood concentrations, disease-risk citations, and numbers of human metabolic pathways. Results: Blood concentrations spanned 11 orders of magnitude and were indistinguishable for endogenous and food chemicals and drugs, whereas those of pollutants were 1,000 times lower. Chemical similarities mapped by disease risks were equally distributed by source categories, but those mapped by metabolic pathways were dominated by endogenous molecules and essential nutrients. Conclusions: For studies of disease etiology, the complexity of human exposures motivates characterization of the blood exposome, which includes all biologically active chemicals. Because most small molecules in blood are not human metabolites, investigations of causal pathways should expand beyond the endogenous metabolome. Citation: Rappaport SM, Barupal DK, Wishart D, Vineis P, Scalbert A. 2014. The blood exposome and its role in discovering causes of