77 FR 38823 - Notice of Availability of the Alta East Wind Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

..., LVRWB11B4520] Notice of Availability of the Alta East Wind Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement... California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment (PA) for the Alta East Wind Project (AEWP), and by.../en/fo/ridgecrest/alta_east_wind_project.html . Email: [email protected] . Fax: 951 697-5299. Mail...

75 FR 55323 - Alta Wind Holdings, LLC; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL10-85-000] Alta Wind Holdings, LLC; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order September 2, 2010. Take notice that on August 31, 2010, Alta Wind Holdings, LLC filed a Petition for Declaratory Order requesting that the Federal Energy...

75 FR 76455 - Alta Wind I, LLC; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL11-6-000] Alta Wind I, LLC; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order December 1, 2010. Take notice that on November 19, 2010, Alta Wind I, LLC filed a Petition for Declaratory Order requesting that the Federal Energy Regulatory...

Distal Hemorrhoidectomy With ALTA Injection: A New Method for Hemorrhoid Surgery

PubMed Central

Abe, Tatsuya; Hachiro, Yoshikazu; Ebisawa, Yoshiaki; Hishiyama, Houhei; Kunimoto, Masao

2014-01-01

Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid injection (ALTA) is a useful and less-invasive treatment for internal hemorrhoids. However, it is not a treatment option for external hemorrhoidal diseases, including mixed hemorrhoids. Distal hemorrhoidectomy with ALTA injection involves surgical resection of external piles, followed by injection therapy on internal piles. We report technical details and the short-term results of this procedure in patients with mixed hemorrhoids. Seventy-two patients with mixed hemorrhoids treated between 2010 and 2011 were included. The main outcome measures were the short-term response and complication rates. At 28 days after surgery, the disappearance rate of prolapse was 100%. Three patients (4%) had postoperative complications, all minor in nature. No prolapse recurrence was observed within a median follow-up period of 6 months. Distal hemorrhoidectomy with ALTA injection appears to be a promising treatment option for patients with mixed hemorrhoids. PMID:24833156

Intraoperative near-infrared fluorescent imaging during robotic operations.

PubMed

Macedo, Antonio Luiz de Vasconcellos; Schraibman, Vladimir

2016-01-01

a utilidade da tecnologia em diferentes procedimentos. Dose ideal, local e tempo da injeção do corante ainda não estão bem estabelecidos. Estudos comparativos de alta qualidade epidemiológica baseados em evidência ainda não estão disponíveis. No entanto, os resultados iniciais são bons e seguros.

Biomechanical Assessment of Patellar Advancement Procedures for Patella Alta.

PubMed

Seidl, Adam; Baldini, Todd; Krughoff, Kevin; Shapiro, Joshua A; Lindeque, Bennie; Rhodes, Jason; Carollo, James

2016-05-01

Crouch gait deformity is common in children with cerebral palsy and often is associated with patella alta. Patellar tendon advancement typically is used to correct patella alta and restore normal knee mechanics. The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanical strength of surgical constructs used for fixation during patellar advancement procedures. This study used a cadaveric model to determine which of 3 surgical techniques is biomechanically optimal for patellar tendon advancement in treating patella alta. Twenty-four human cadaveric knees (8 per group) were prepared using 1 of 3 different common surgical techniques: tibial tubercle osteotomy, patellar tendon partial resection and repair at the distal patella, and patellar tendon imbrication. The patella was loaded from 25 to 250 N at 1 Hz for 1000 cycles. A significant difference in patella displacement under cyclical loading was found between surgical techniques. Tibial tubercle osteotomy exhibited significantly less displacement under cyclical loading than distal patella excision and repair (P<.0001) or imbrication (P=.0088). Imbrication exhibited significantly less displacement than distal patella excision and repair (P=.0006). Tibial tubercle osteotomy survived longest. Based on failure criteria of 5 mm of displacement, tibial tubercle osteotomy lasted between 250 and 500 cycles. The other 2 techniques failed by 25 cycles. This study offers quantitative evidence regarding the relative mechanical strength of each construct and may influence choice of surgical technique. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(3):e492-e497.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Determination of reference values and frequency of occurrence of patella alta in German shepherd dogs: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Łojszczyk-Szczepaniak, Anna; Silmanowicz, Piotr; Komsta, Renata; Osiński, Zbigniew

2017-05-31

Patella alta and patella baja are important conditions underlying a predisposition to many joint diseases, including patellar luxation and patellar chondromalacia of the articular cartilage. The frequencies of patella alta and patella baja have not yet been determined. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of patella alta and to determine reference values to the position of the vertical patella according to two modified techniques of the Insall-Salvati method in a group of 65 German shepherd dogs (115 stifle joints). The upper limits of reference values for the normal vertical position of the patella were 1.79 and 2.13, depending on the method of measurement. A high prevalence of patella alta was observed in the group of German shepherd dogs. A correlation was demonstrated between the classification of dogs' joints in the patella alta group and the multiplied risk of canine hip dysplasia (CHD) through the estimation of odds ratios. Dogs with patella alta were healthy dogs that did not exhibit orthopaedic problems in the stifle joints. The results revealed that the risk of CHD is twice as high in dogs with higher patellar ligament length to patella length ratio.

Quadriceps Weakness, Patella Alta and Structural Features of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study

PubMed Central

Stefanik, Joshua J.; Guermazi, Ali; Zhu, Yanyan; Zumwalt, Ann C.; Gross, K. Douglas; Clancy, Margaret; Lynch, John A.; Segal, Neil A.; Lewis, Cora E.; Roemer, Frank W.; Powers, Christopher M.; Felson, David T.

2011-01-01

Objective To determine the relationship between quadriceps weakness and cartilage damage and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ), and if this relationship is modified by patella alta. Methods The Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study is a cohort study of persons aged 50–79 years with or at risk for knee OA. Concentric knee extensor strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Patella alta was measured using the Insall-Salvati ratio (ISR) on the lateral radiograph, and cartilage damage and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) were graded on MRI in the PFJ. We determined the association between quadriceps weakness with cartilage damage and BMLs in the PFJ among those knees with (ISR≥1.2) and without patella alta (ISR<1.2) using multiple binomial regression. Results 807 knees were studied (mean age 62 years, BMI 30, ISR 1.10), 64% from female subjects. Compared with knees in the highest strength tertile, those in the lowest had 10.2% {95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3–18}, 9.1% (95% CI 2–16), and 7.1% (95% CI 1–13) higher prevalence of lateral PFJ cartilage damage, medial PFJ cartilage damage, and lateral PFJ BMLs, respectively. The association between quadriceps weakness with cartilage damage and BMLs was not different between knees with and with out patella alta in the lateral PFJ. Conclusion Quadriceps weakness was associated with PFJ cartilage damage and BMLs. While both patella alta and quadriceps weakness are associated with PFJ damage, the combination of the two was not associated with more damage than either of these factors alone. PMID:21702087

77 FR 35669 - AltaGas Renewable Energy Colorado LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER12-1875-000] AltaGas Renewable Energy Colorado LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request... of AltaGas Renewable Energy Colorado LLC application for market-based rate authority, with an...

Patellar maltracking is prevalent among patellofemoral pain subjects with patella alta: an upright, weightbearing MRI study

PubMed Central

Pal, Saikat; Besier, Thor F.; Beaupre, Gary S.; Fredericson, Michael; Delp, Scott L.; Gold, Garry E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine if patellar maltracking is more prevalent among patellofemoral (PF) pain subjects with patella alta compared to subjects with normal patella height. We imaged 37 PF pain and 15 pain free subjects in an open-configuration magnetic resonance imaging scanner while they stood in a weightbearing posture. We measured patella height using the Caton-Deschamps, Blackburne-Peel, Insall-Salvati, Modified Insall-Salvati, and Patellotrochlear indices, and classified the subjects into patella alta and normal patella height groups. We measured patella tilt and bisect offset from oblique-axial plane images, and classified the subjects into maltracking and normal tracking groups. Patellar maltracking was more prevalent among PF pain subjects with patella alta compared to PF pain subjects with normal patella height (two-tailed Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.050). Using the Caton-Deschamps index, 67% (8/12) of PF pain subjects with patella alta were maltrackers, whereas only 16% (4/25) of PF pain subjects with normal patella height were maltrackers. Patellofemoral pain subjects classified as maltrackers displayed a greater patella height compared to the pain free and PF pain subjects classified as normal trackers (two-tailed unpaired t-tests with Bonferroni correction, p < 0.017). This study adds to our understanding of PF pain in two ways - 1) we demonstrate that patellar maltracking is more prevalent in PF pain subjects with patella alta compared to subjects with normal patella height; and 2) we show greater patella height in PF pain subjects compared to pain free subjects using four indices commonly used in clinics. PMID:23165335

78 FR 18972 - Alta Wind X, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-1150-000] Alta Wind X, LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket Section 204 Authorization This is a supplemental notice in the above-referenced proceeding, of Alta Wind X...

Abundâncias de oxigênio e enxofre nas estrelas de tipo solar da vizinhança solar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Requeijo, F.; Porto de Mello, G. F.

2003-08-01

Alguns resultados sugerem que o Sol seja 58% mais abundante em oxigênio que o meio interestelar local. Esta anomalia parece estender-se para o carbono e o criptônio. Entre as possíveis explicações deste fenômeno estão: uma supernova de tipo II que tenha enriquecido a nebulosa protosolar, tornando-a superabundante em oxigênio; um episódio de infall de material pobre em metais sobre o disco Galático, diluindo o meio interestelar local ou uma migração dinâmica do Sol de uma órbita mais interna da Galáxia para sua posição atual. A escolha entre estes cenários exige o conhecimento preciso da abundância solar em relação às anãs G da vizinhança. Neste contexto, o oxigênio e enxofre, são elementos-chave por serem ambos produzidos pelas supernovas de tipo II, devendo portanto possuir o mesmo padrão de abundância. Este projeto visa esclarecer qual a posição do Sol na distribuição local de abundâncias de enxofre e oxigênio para uma amostra de estrelas de tipo solar com idades e metalicidades bem conhecidas. Para tal, analisamos espectros de alta resolução e alta relação sinal-ruído nas regiões espectrais de ll 6300, 7774 (O) e l8695 (S). Para o enxofre encontramos que o Sol parece ser uma estrela típica dentre as da vizinhança, e que este elemento não mostra a sobreabundância para baixas metalicidades, já bem estabelecida para o oxigênio. Discutimos as abundâncias do enxofre no contexto da Evolução Química da Galáxia. Apresentamos resultados preliminares muito precisos para a linha proibida do oxigênio l6300 e comparamos estes com os obtidos para o tripleto em l7774. Quantificamos os efeitos não-ETL presentes no tripleto em função dos parâmetros atmosféricos estelares.

Densidad de desarrollo alta y baja en Puerto Rico

Treesearch

William A. Gould; Sebastian Martinuzzi; Olga M. Ramos Gonzalez

2008-01-01

Este mapa demuestra la distribución de terrenos de alta y baja densidad de desarrollo urbano en Puerto Rico (Martinuzzi et al. 2007). El mapa fue creado mediante el analisis de un mosaico de imagenes de satelite Landsat ETM+ de los años 2000 – 2003. La clasificacion no supervisada ISODATA (“Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique”) (ERDAS 2003) fue utilizada...

Evaluation of the educational technology "Caring for dependent people" by family caregivers in changes and transfers of patients and tube feeding.

PubMed

Landeiro, Maria José Lumini; Peres, Heloísa Helena Ciqueto; Martins, Teresa Vieira

2016-08-18

no domicílio. Os dados foram colhidos por questionário sociodemográfico de satisfação e avaliação de conhecimentos sobre como alimentar por sonda nasogástrica, posicionar e transferir a pessoa dependente. A avaliação nos dois grupos teve dois momentos: inicial, no internamento e um mês após alta hospitalar. registou-se no grupo experimental um ganho maior de conhecimentos relacionado com a utilização da tecnologia educacional. No grupo controle os conhecimentos não variaram nos dois momentos de avaliação. esses resultados corroboraram na melhoria das tecnologias educacionais interativas e na capacitação dos familiares cuidadores para cuidar de pessoas dependentes. Essa tecnologia atendeu satisfatoriamente as necessidades de qualidade técnica e de aprendizagem dos cuidadores, sendo considerada fácil e estimulante. evaluar las contribuciones de la tecnología educativa interactiva "Cuidar de personas dependientes" en el desarrollo de conocimiento de los familiares cuidadores de personas dependientes en el contexto domiciliario y la satisfacción en su uso. estudio cuasi-experimental, no aleatorizado, de tipo antes-después, con una muestra de 65 familiares cuidadores, de dos servicios de Medicina de un hospital en Oporto, Portugal. El grupo control consistió en 33 familiares cuidadores y el grupo experimental en 32, identificados por muestreo consecutivo. El grupo experimental tuvo acceso a la tecnología de la educación en el hogar. Los datos fueron recolectados por cuestionario sociodemográfico de satisfacción y evaluación de los conocimientos sobre cómo alimentar por sonda nasogástrica, posicionar y transferir a la persona dependiente. La evaluación en ambos grupos tuvo dos etapas: inicial, durante la hospitalización y un mes después del alta. se registraron en el grupo experimental aumentos del conocimiento relacionado con el uso de la tecnología educativa. En el grupo control el conocimiento no difirió en los dos puntos en el

Implementação de um algoritmo para a limpeza de mapas da RCFM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souza, C. L.; Wuensche, C. A.

2003-08-01

A Radiação Cósmica de Fundo em Microondas (RCFM), descoberta por Penzias e Wilson em 1965, é uma das ferramentas mais poderosas para o estudo da cosmologia. Com a descoberta de flutuações de temperatura na RCFM, da ordem de uma parte em 105, pelo COBE (1992), uma nova era teve início. Nos últimos onze anos, diversos instrumentos fizeram novas medidas de alta precisão, refinando os resultados apresentados pelo COBE, culminando com os resultados recentes do satélite WMAP. A análise de dados da RCFM, especialmente no caso de experimentos com pequena cobertura do céu, apresenta uma série de dificuldades devido a emissões de contaminantes externos, tais como a emissão da Galáxia e de fontes pontuais, e de ruídos intrínsecos tanto ao sistema de detecção quanto à estratégia de observação do céu. Uma das soluções típicas para a filtragem de dados brutos de um experimento para medir flutuações de temperatura é aplicar um gabarito (template) e um filtro passa alta ao produzir mapas simplificados (sem considerar matrizes de correlação ou covariância). No caso de experimentos que utilizam detectores HEMT, essa combinação de filtros remove, satisfatoriamente, ruídos do tipo 1/f gerados pela instabilidade no ganho do detector acoplado ao movimento do instrumento, definido pela estratégia de observação. Entretanto, o sinal resultante medido, tanto em simulações quanto em séries temporais reais, sugere que parte do sinal cosmológico pode estar sendo removido junto com o ruído dos detectores. Este trabalho descreve as etapas para a produção de um mapa típico (simulado) e os testes preliminares de um algoritmo para remover ruídos do tipo 1/f introduzidos pela estratégia de observação sem prejudicar a qualidade do sinal cosmológico presente no mapa.

A single-step simultaneous protein staining procedure for polyacrylamide gels and nitrocellulose membranes by Alta during western blot analysis.

PubMed

Pal, Jayanta K; Berwal, Sunil K; Soni, Rupali N

2012-01-01

A simple method for staining of proteins simultaneously on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gels and nitrocellulose membranes by Alta during western blot analysis is described. A 5% solution of Alta, a commercially available cosmetic preparation, is added in the upper tank buffer during electrophoresis. On completion of electrophoresis, the gel is washed in distilled water and viewed on a white light plate and a transilluminator to photograph the protein profiles. The gel is processed for western blot transfer of proteins onto a nitrocellulose membrane, and upon completion, the protein profiles on the membrane are viewed and photographed as stated above. The membrane can then be processed for immunostaining as per the standard procedure. Thus, the staining procedure using Alta is simple, rapid (without any need of destaining), and cost-effective.

The Wall-Rock Record of Incremental Emplacement in the Little Cottonwood-Alta Magmatic and Hydrothermal System, Wasatch Mountains, Utah, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, M.; Callis, S.; Beno, C.; Bowman, J. R.; Bartley, J. M.

2017-12-01

Contact aureoles record the cumulative effects on wall rocks of magma emplacement. Like the plutons they surround, contact aureoles have long been regarded to form geologically instantaneously. Protracted incremental emplacement of plutons must be reconciled with the wall-rock record of heat and mass transfer. Fundamental questions include how heat and material move from intrusions into their aureoles and how long that process takes. The Little Cottonwood stock is surrounded by a 2 km-wide contact aureole that contains prograde AFM mineral assemblages in the pelitic layers of the Proterozoic Big Cottonwood Formation. The Alta stock is surrounded by a well characterized 1 km-wide contact aureole containing both prograde AFM and CMS mineral assemblages in Ophir Shale and Mississippian dolostones, respectively. Understanding the petrogenesis of these aureoles requires the timing of magmatism and wall-rock metamorphism to be independently determined. Preliminary petrochronology (U/Th-Pb dates and trace element concentrations collected by LASS-ICP-MS) from the inner aureoles of both intrusions establishes a protracted history of monazite (re)crystallization from 35-25 Ma in the Little Cottonwood aureole and 35 Ma in the Alta aureole. Little Cottonwood aureole monazites are characterized by a positive age correlation with heavy rare earth elements (HREE) and a negative correlation with Eu/Eu*. Alta aureole monazites have a similar range of the HREE concentrations and Eu/Eu* variation. Zircon growth interpreted to record emplacement-level magmatic crystallization of the western Little Cottonwood stock ranges from 33-28 Ma near the contact. Multi-grain U-Pb zircon TIMS dates from the Alta stock range from 35-33 Ma and are interpreted to suggest the full range of emplacement-level magmatism in the Alta stock. Additionally, in situ U-Pb titanite dates from the Alta stock record intermittent high temperature hydrothermal activity in the stock margin from 35-24 Ma. These new

First record of Hesperolabops nigriceps Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Opuntia ficus-indica in Milpa Alta, Mexico City.

PubMed

Palomares-Pérez, Martín; Rodríguez-Leyva, Esteban; Brailovsky, Harry; Ramírez-Alarcón, Samuel

2010-01-01

In recent years a species of Hesperolabops has become a problem as a pest of nopalitos, Opuntia ficus-indica, in Milpa Alta, in the south of Mexico City, which is the most important production region of this vegetable in the country. A survey of Hesperolabops in Milpa Alta has resulted in the first report of Hesperolabops nigriceps Reuter. This occurrence should be monitored and considered in future studies in order to avoid misidentification of Hesperolabops spp. Kirkaldy native populations there, and to avoid the confusion of the damage that may be caused on O. ficus-indica.

Applications for a hybrid operating room in thoracic surgery: from multidisciplinary procedures to --image-guided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Terra, Ricardo Mingarini; Andrade, Juliano Ribeiro; Mariani, Alessandro Wasum; Garcia, Rodrigo Gobbo; Succi, Jose Ernesto; Soares, Andrey; Zimmer, Paulo Marcelo

2016-01-01

The concept of a hybrid operating room represents the union of a high-complexity surgical apparatus with state-of-the-art radiological tools (ultrasound, CT, fluoroscopy, or magnetic resonance imaging), in order to perform highly effective, minimally invasive procedures. Although the use of a hybrid operating room is well established in specialties such as neurosurgery and cardiovascular surgery, it has rarely been explored in thoracic surgery. Our objective was to discuss the possible applications of this technology in thoracic surgery, through the reporting of three cases. RESUMO O conceito de sala híbrida traduz a união de um aparato cirúrgico de alta complexidade com recursos radiológicos de última geração (ultrassom, TC, radioscopia e/ou ressonância magnética), visando a realização de procedimentos minimamente invasivos e altamente eficazes. Apesar de bem estabelecido em outras especialidades, como neurocirurgia e cirurgia cardiovascular, o uso da sala hibrida ainda é pouco explorado na cirurgia torácica. Nosso objetivo foi discutir as aplicações e as possibilidades abertas por essa tecnologia na cirurgia torácica através do relato de três casos.

[A case of laparoscopic surgery for a rectal carcinoid after ALTA therapy for an internal hemorrhoid].

PubMed

Aomatsu, Naoki; Nakamura, Masanori; Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi; Nakao, Shigetomi; Uchima, Yasutake; Aomatsu, Keiho

2014-11-01

We report a case of laparoscopic surgery for a rectal carcinoid after aluminum potassium and tannic acid (ALTA) therapy for an internal hemorrhoid. A 66-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of bleeding during defecation. He was diagnosed via anoscopy with Goligher grade II internal hemorrhoids. Examination via colonoscopy revealed 2 yellowish submucosal tumors in the lower rectum that were 5mm and 10mm in diameter. A rectal carcinoid tumor was diagnosed based on histopathology. Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated no metastases to the liver or lymph nodes. First, we performed ALTA therapy for the internal hemorrhoids. Two weeks later, we performed laparoscopic-assisted low anterior resection (D2) for the rectal carcinoid. The patient was discharged without complications and has not experienced recurrence during the 2 years of follow-up care.

76 FR 3881 - Application To Export Electric Energy; TransAlta Energy Marketing (U.S.) Inc.

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-21

... Energy Marketing (U.S.) Inc. AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE. ACTION: Notice of application. SUMMARY: TransAlta Energy Marketing (U.S.) Inc. (TEMUS) has applied to renew its..., Federal power marketing agencies, and other entities within the United States. The existing international...

TransAlta's Sundance plant pioneers the company's plunge into automation

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

Wicker, K.

2005-09-01

By delaying a plantwide wireless network and sensors, plus a condition-based monitoring system, and extending the reach of its work management system, the huge but aging coal-fired Sundance power plant in Alberta has already saved more than $10 million. The facelift has lowered the cost and raised the productivity of operations, maintenance, and even warehouse inventory control. For having the vision and endurance to plan and execute a project that involved risking a bundle on emerging technologies, TransAlta's Sundance power plant is the well-deserved winner of Power magazine's 2005 Marmaduke Award for excellence in O & M. 5 photos., 2more » tabs.« less

Integrated satellite InSAR and slope stability modeling to support hazard assessment at the Safuna Alta glacial lake, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cochachin, Alejo; Frey, Holger; Huggel, Christian; Strozzi, Tazio; Büechi, Emanuel; Cui, Fanpeng; Flores, Andrés; Saito, Carlos

2017-04-01

The Safuna glacial lakes (77˚ 37' W, 08˚ 50' S) are located in the headwater of the Tayapampa catchment, in the northernmost part of the Cordillera Blanca, Peru. The upper lake, Laguna Safuna Alta at 4354 m asl has formed in the 1960s behind a terminal moraine of the retreating Pucajirca Glacier, named after the peak south of the lakes. Safuna Alta currently has a volume of 15 x 106 m3. In 2002 a rock fall of several million m3 from the proximal left lateral moraine hit the Safuna Alta lake and triggered an impact wave which overtopped the moraine dam and passed into the lower lake, Laguna Safuna Baja, which absorbed most of the outburst flood from the upper lake, but nevertheless causing loss in cattle, degradation of agricultural land downstream and damages to a hydroelectric power station in Quitaracsa gorge. Event reconstructions showed that the impact wave in the Safuna Alta lake had a runup height of 100 m or more, and weakened the moraine dam of Safuna Alta. This fact, in combination with the large lake volumes and the continued possibility for landslides from the left proximal moraine pose a considerable risk for the downstream settlements as well as the recently completed Quitaracsa hydroelectric power plant. In the framework of a project funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), the hazard situation at the Safuna Alta lake is assessed by a combination of satellite radar data analysis, field investigations, and slope stability modeling. Interferometric analyses of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) of ALOS-1 Palsar-1, ALOS-2 Palsar-2 and Sentinel-1 data from 2016 reveal terrain displacements of 2 cm y-1 in the detachment zone of the 2002 rock avalanche. More detailed insights into the characteristics of these terrain deformations are gained by repeat surveys with differential GPS (DGPS) and tachymetric measurements. A drone flight provides the information for the generation of a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), which is used for the

Um estudo espectrofotométrico da variável cataclísmica V3885 Sgr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, F. M. A.; Diaz, M. P.

2003-08-01

Variáveis Cataclísmicas são sistemas binários cerrados compostos de uma anã vermelha que transfere matéria para uma anã branca, em sistemas não magnéticos ocorre a formação de um disco de acresção em torno da anã branca. V3885 Sgr é uma variável cataclísmica classificada como sendo do tipo nova-like. É apresentado um estudo espectrofotométrico de V3885 Sgr de alta resolução temporal feito na região do visível. A região observada é centrada em Ha e abrange também a linha de HeI 6678. O primeiro resultado obtido neste estudo é a determinação do período orbital a partir de medidas da velocidade radial da linha de Ha como sendo 0,20716071(22) dias, resolvendo inconsistências quanto a esse valor na literatura e definindo uma efeméride a longo prazo para o sistema. Com este período e as medidas de velocidade radial do perfil de linha de Ha foi construído um diagrama de massas, através do qual restringimos as massas das componentes estelares do sistema e limitamos a inclinação orbital do sistema. Foram construídos diagramas de Greenstein para as linhas de Ha e HeI, onde os espectros médios em cada intervalo de fase são representados lado a lado em escala de cinza, indicando a existência de uma emissão intensa proveniente da parte posterior do disco. A partir da tomografia Doppler obtivemos perfis de emissividade radial para o disco tanto para a linha de Ha como para HeI. Os resultados obtidos são comparados com os de outros sistemas estudados com a mesma técnica. Serão apresentados também resultados da tomografia de flickering para o sistema.

An aldonolactonase AltA from Penicillium oxalicum mitigates the inhibition of β-glucosidase during lignocellulose biodegradation.

PubMed

Peng, Shengjuan; Cao, Qing; Qin, Yuqi; Li, Xuezhi; Liu, Guodong; Qu, Yinbo

2017-05-01

Efficient deconstruction of lignocellulose is achieved by the synergistic action of various hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes. However, the aldonolactones generated by oxidative enzymes have inhibitory effects on some cellulolytic enzymes. In this work, D-glucono-1,5-lactone was shown to have a much stronger inhibitory effect than D-glucose and D-gluconate on β-glucosidase, a vital enzyme during cellulose degradation. AltA, a secreted enzyme from Penicillium oxalicum, was identified as an aldonolactonase which can catalyze the hydrolysis of D-glucono-1,5-lactone to D-gluconic acid. In the course of lignocellulose saccharification conducted by cellulases from P. oxalicum or Trichoderma reesei, supplementation of AltA was able to relieve the decrease of β-glucosidase activity obviously with a stimulation of glucose yield. This boosting effect disappeared when sodium azide and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were added to the saccharification system to inhibit the activities of oxidative enzymes. In summary, we describe the first heterologous expression of a fungal secreted aldonolactonase and its application as an efficient supplement of cellulolytic enzyme system for lignocellulose biodegradation.

Descripción de la zona de alta difusión en un modelo bidimensional para hojas de corriente

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montero, M. F.; Paola, C. A.; Platzeck, A. M.

Los modelos bidimensionales para describir hojas de corriente de alta simetría no suministran una descripción detallada de las regiones donde la difusión es considerablemente importante. Tal es el caso de los modelos desarrollados en la década del '60 por Sweet, Parker, Petschek y Sonnerup. En esta comunicación presentamos una solución de las ecuaciones MHD en el entorno del origen, construyendo series bidimensionales para todas las magnitudes físicas involucradas. Valiéndonos de la alta simetría y de las características del problema, logramos reducir el número de coeficientes a calcular. Utilizamos un programa autoconsistente para extender el cálculo a regiones vecinas con difusión moderada o despreciable.

Relational technologies as instruments of care in the Family Health Strategy.

PubMed

Abreu, Tatiana Fernandes Kerches de; Amendola, Fernanda; Trovo, Monica Martins

2017-01-01

This article aims to identify the relational technologies used by Family Health Strategy nurses in their daily work when treating patients. Descriptive and cross-sectional study with qualitative approach; conducted between May and July 2015, in three Basic Health Units of the Southern Region of the Municipality of São Paulo, with 19 nurses of the Family Health Strategy. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview, and the speeches were fully transcribed and analyzed according to the technique of content analysis. From the speeches of the participants, three categories emerged, showing the unawareness of the concept, but the valorization of its use; which are the relational technologies used by the participating nurses (communication, listening, empathy and welcoming reception), as well as the report of barriers to the use of relational technologies. Although the nurses value the use of relational technologies, the participants denoted unawareness of the nomenclature and its associated concepts, suggesting superficiality in the understanding and use of these instruments in the context of care in the Family Health Strategy. Identificar as tecnologias relacionais utilizadas por enfermeiros de Estratégia Saúde da Família em seu cotidiano de trabalho no atendimento aos usuários. Estudo descritivo, transversal, com abordagem qualitativa; desenvolvido entre maio e julho de 2015, em três Unidades Básicas de Saúde da Região Sul do Município de São Paulo, com 19 enfermeiros da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, e os discursos foram transcritos na íntegra, analisados segundo a técnica de análise de conteúdo. Das falas dos participantes, surgiram três categorias, que evidenciam o desconhecimento do conceito, mas valorização do uso; quais são as tecnologias relacionais utilizadas pelos enfermeiros participantes (comunicação, escuta, empatia e acolhimento), além do relato de barreiras

A distância e o conteúdo estelar da região HII gigante G333.1-0.4 - vínculos para a taxa de formação estelar da galáxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figuerêdo, E.; Damineli, A.; Blum, R.; Conti, P.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho apresentamos imagens de alta resolução angular da região HII gigante G333.1-0.4 obtidas através dos filtros J, H e K no telescópio de 4-m do CTIO. Este trabalho faz parte de um estudo de regiões HII gigantes no infravermelho próximo que tem por objetivo estudar a natureza da formação de estrelas massivas e traçar a estrutura espiral de nossa galáxia. Nossa determinação da distância é baseada no método da paralaxe espectroscópica de estrelas OB localizadas na seqüência principal de idade zero (ZAMS) do Diagrama HR. No caso de G333.1-0.4, a magnitude aparente das estrelas localizadas na ZAMS indica que a distância não pode ser maior do que o limite inferior determinado por técnica rádio (2,8 kpc). Resultados semelhantes foram encontrados para regiões estudadas anteriormente, reforçando a idéia de que a taxa de formação estelar na Via Láctea é menor do que o determinado a partir de dados rádio. Nossos resultados mais recentes sobre o conteúdo estelar de G333.1-0.4 revelaram vários objetos que possuem cores bastante avermelhadas (H-K > 2,0). Nós identificamos estes objetos usando os diagramas cor-cor e cor-magnitude dos aglomerados. Estes objetos apresentam um forte excesso em emissão na banda K e possivelmente se tratam de estrelas do tipo OB envolvidas por um disco/envelope circumestelar espesso. O estudo da função de massa inical desta região, em conjunto com resultados de nossos trabalhos anteriores, aponta para uma IMF independente da posição galática. A contagem de estrelas nos fornece um valor para o número de fótons no contínuo de Lyman que corrobora com a afirmação de que G333.1-0.4 se encontra mais próxima da menor distância determinada por rádio.

Semitendinosus Tendon Transfer Associated With Distal Alignment for Patella Alta in a Patient With Recurrent Dislocations.

PubMed

Calderazzi, Filippo; Pellegrini, Andrea; Coviello, Gianluca; Groppi, Giulia; Ceccarelli, Francesco

2015-10-01

Patellofemoral instability is characterized by pain during normal daily activities and frequent dislocation events. In the reported case, an adolescent girl, aged 15 years, affected by left patellofemoral instability, underwent surgery with a double technique comprising tibial tubercle distalization and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. In case of patella alta associated with patellofemoral instability, surgical treatment should focus on medial patellofemoral ligament repair and on recurrent instability prevention.

The effects of land use change on mercury distribution in soils of Alta Floresta, Southern Amazon.

PubMed

Lacerda, Luiz D; de Souza, Margareth; Ribeiro, Mario G

2004-05-01

This study presents the spatial distribution, degree of contamination and storage capacity of Hg in surface forest and pasture soils from Alta Floresta, Southern Amazon, a significant gold mining site from 1980 to 1996. During that period, average annual gold production was about 6.5 tons, with an estimated Hg annual emission to the environment of about 8.8 tons, 60-80% of it being emitted to the atmosphere. Mercury sources to the region are mining sites and gold-dealer shops at the city of Alta Floresta, where gold is smelted and commercialized. Mercury concentrations in forest soils (15-248 ng g(-1), average=61.9 ng g(-1)) were 1.5-3.0 times higher than in pasture soils (10-74 ng g(-1), average=33.8 ng g(-1)), suggesting strong re-mobilization after deforestation. Highest Hg concentrations were found within a distance of 20-30 km from mining sites in both soil types. The influence of the refining operations within the city of Alta Floresta, however, was less clear. Somewhat higher concentrations were observed only within a 5 km radius from the city center where gold-dealer shops are located. Wind direction controls the spatial distribution of Hg. Background concentrations (15-50 ng g(-1)) were generally found at the outer perimeter of the sampling grid, about 40 km from sources. This suggests that Hg released from mining and refining activities undergoes rapid deposition. Estimated cumulative Hg burdens for the first 10 cm of soil averaged 8.3 mg m(-2) and 4.9 mg m(-2), for forest and pasture soils respectively and compare well with ultisols and hydromorphic oxisols, but were lower than those found in yellow-red and yellow latosols and podsols from other Amazonian areas. Our results show that changing land use in the Amazon is a strong re-mobilizing agent of Hg deposited on soils from the atmosphere.

Genetic diversity in cassava landraces grown on farms in Alta Floresta-MT, Brazil.

PubMed

Tiago, A V; Rossi, A A B; Tiago, P V; Carpejani, A A; Silva, B M; Hoogerheide, E S S; Yamashita, O M

2016-09-02

Brazil is considered one of the domestication centers of cassava (Manihot esculenta), containing a large part of the biological diversity and traditional knowledge of the species. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of cassava landraces grown by farmers in the north of Mato Grosso State, Brazil, using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) molecular markers. The study was carried out in the municipality of Alta Floresta, MT, on farms located in two rural areas. Seventeen cassava landraces were selected. The DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction amplifications were performed using 15 ISSR primers. Genetic similarity estimates were calculated using Jaccard's index and the generated matrix was used for clustering the genotypes by using UPGMA and Tocher's methods. The 15 ISSR primers amplified 120 fragments, revealing 61.67% polymorphism. The polymorphism information content ranged from 0.04 to 0.61, averaging 0.39. The most similar genotypes were AF5 and AF8, whereas the least similar were AF1 and AF16. The UPGMA clustering method formed five groups. Group I included twelve landraces, Group II contained two, and the other groups contained one landrace each. Tocher's method resulted in six groups: 12 landraces clustered in one group, and the other groups each contained one landrace. The ISSR markers proved efficient in revealing genetic diversity among the cassava landraces. The landraces grown by farmers in the two rural areas of Alta Floresta have a great variability and, thus, can be exploited in programs for breeding and preservation of the species.

Detecção da fase impulsiva de uma explosão solar gigante até 405 GHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raulin, J.-P.; Makhmutov, V.; Kaufmann, P.; Pacini, A. A.; Luethi, T.; Hudson, H. S.; Gary, D. E.; Yoshimori, M.

2003-08-01

A explosão ocorrida no dia 25/08/2001 foi uma das mais intensas do presente ciclo solar em ondas de rádio de altas frequências. Foram medidas em ondas milimétricas e submilimétricas, aproximadamente, 105 e vários milhares de unidades de fluxo solar, respectivamente. Apresentamos um estudo deste evento em múltiplas frequências, desde microondas (1GHz), até ondas submilimétricas (405 GHz) detectadas pelo Telescópio Solar para ondas Submilimétricas (SST). Esta base de dados foi complementada utilizando-se o experimento Yohkoh, incluindo a emissão em raios-X duros e raios-g (até 100 MeV), e imagens em raios-X moles da região ativa envolvida. Enfocamos e discutimos principalmente os seguintes aspectos da fase impulsiva do evento: (i) as implicações deduzidas do espectro eletromagnético, obtido pela primeira vez até 405 GHz; (ii) a dinâmica da região ativa. Os resultados mostram que para explicar o espectro rádio observado, são necessários entre 3.5×1037 e 1.5×1039 elétrons acelerados acima de 20 keV em uma região de campo magnético entre 300 e 800 Gauss. A estimativa do fluxo de fótons que seria produzido por estes elétrons, mostra que grande parte deles não precipitou na baixa atmosfera. A evolução temporal da emissão em raios-X moles revela que a configuração magnética da região ativa foi muito dinâmica durante a fase impulsiva da explosão. Em particular, mostramos que a produção dos elétrons altamente energéticos foi iniciada junto com a aparição, na baixa coroa solar, de um novo sistema compacto de estruturas magnéticas. Este fato sugere que os locais de aceleração estão localizados na baixa atmosfera do Sol, como resultado da interação entre o novo sistema compacto e o campo magnético ambiente da região ativa.

Pollination biology of Eulophia alta (Orchidaceae) in Amazonia: effects of pollinator composition on reproductive success in different populations

PubMed Central

Jürgens, Andreas; Bosch, Simone R.; Webber, Antonio C.; Witt, Taina; Frame, Dawn; Gottsberger, Gerhard

2009-01-01

Background and Aims Spatial variation in pollinator composition and abundance is a well-recognized phenomenon. However, a weakness of many studies claiming specificity of plant–pollinator interactions is that they are often restricted to a single locality. The aim of the present study was to investigate pollinator effectiveness of the different flower visitors to the terrestrial orchid Eulophia alta at three different localities and to analyse whether differences in pollinator abundance and composition effect this plant's reproductive success. Methods Natural pollination was observed in vivo, and manipulative experiments were used to study the pollination biology and breeding system of E. alta at three sites near Manaus, Brazil. To gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pollinator attraction, nectar composition and secretion patterns were also studied, floral scent composition was analysed and a bioassay was conducted. Key Results Flower visitors, pollinator composition, pollinia transfer efficiency of particular pollinator species and natural fruit set differed among the investigated populations of E. alta. Flowers were self-compatible, partially autogamous and effectively pollinated by five bee species (four Centris species and Xylocopa muscaria). Visiting insects appeared to imbibe small amounts of hexose-rich nectar. Nectar sugar content was highest on the third day after flower opening. Floral fragrance analyses revealed 42 compounds, of which monoterpenes and benzenoids predominated. A bioassay using floral parts revealed that only floral tissue from the labellum chamber and labellum tip was attractive to flower visitors. Conclusions The data suggest that observed differences in reproductive success in the three populations cannot be explained by absolute abundance of pollinators alone. Due to behavioural patterns such as disturbance of effective pollinators on flowers by male Centris varia bees defending territory, pollinia transfer

78 FR 33101 - Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Alta East Wind Project, Kern County...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

... turbines, access roads, collector substation, operation and maintenance facility, temporary portable... wind turbines capable of generating up to 153 megawatts. The project site is within the planning....LVRWB11B4520.FX0000] Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Alta East Wind Project, Kern...

Evaluation of thermochemical biomass conversion in fluidized bed =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neves, Daniel dos Santos Felix das

Dado o aumento acelerado dos precos dos combustiveis fosseis e as incertezas quanto a sua disponibilidade futura, tem surgido um novo interesse nas tecnologias da biomassa aplicadas a producao de calor, eletricidade ou combustiveis sinteticos. Nao obstante, para a conversao termoquimica de uma particula de biomassa solida concorrem fenomenos bastante complexos que levam, em primeiro lugar, a secagem do combustivel, depois a pirolise e finalmente a combustao ou gasificacao propriamente ditas. Uma descricao relativamente incompleta de alguns desses estagios de conversao constitui ainda um obstaculo ao desenvolvimento das tecnologias que importa ultrapassar. Em particular, a presenca de elevados conteudos de materia volatil na biomassa poe em evidencia o interesse pratico do estudo da pirolise. A importância da pirolise durante a combustao de biomassa foi evidenciada neste trabalho atraves de ensaios realizados num reator piloto de leito fluidizado borbulhante. Verificou-se que o processo ocorre em grande parte a superficie do leito com chamas de difusao devido a libertacao de volateis, o que dificulta o controlo da temperatura do reator acima do leito. No caso da gasificacao de biomassa a pirolise pode inclusivamente determinar a eficiencia quimica do processo. Isso foi mostrado neste trabalho durante ensaios de gasificacao num reator de leito fluidizado de 2MWth, onde um novo metodo de medicao permitiu fechar o balanco de massa ao gasificador e monitorizar o grau de conversao da biomassa. A partir destes resultados tornou-se clara a necessidade de descrever adequadamente a pirolise de biomassa com vista ao projeto e controlo dos processos. Em aplicacoes de engenharia ha particular interesse na estequiometria e propriedades dos principais produtos piroliticos. Neste trabalho procurou-se responder a esta necessidade, inicialmente atraves da estruturacao de dados bibliograficos sobre rendimentos de carbonizado, liquidos piroliticos e gases, assim como composicoes

Notes about Alta Vista in Chalchihuites, Zacatecas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montero García, Ismael Arturo

2016-11-01

The Tropic of Cancer is a parallel located at the latitude of 23°26'16''. This imaginary line extends across northern Mexico from the southernmost point of the Baja California Peninsula, to the Gulf of Mexico, passing through the states of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. The Tropic of Cancer marks the northernmost position of the sun at its midday zenith, which takes place in the Summer solstice. On this day, the sun's rays hit the earth's surface vertically along the entire length of this latitude, which was supposed to be significant for the priest/astronomers of ancient times, who dedicated themselves to observing the apparent movements of the sun. It so happens that Alta Vista in Zacatecas, corresponds to the westernmost peak where this phenomenon can occur, although the date of the zenith's course differs depending on the latitude of each position and so various archaeoastronomical specialists stress how the ancient indigenous cultures, at least those dating from Mexico's Classical period, valued this finding in developing their calendars. On the other hand, the research contributes new elements for discussion because it presents a calendar of the horizon, based on of the highest peaks of the Sierra Prieta mountain range ranging from the archaeological sites of El Chapín, Cerro Pedregoso, to the excavations at El Picacho Pelón (peak El Pelón).

Oxygen Isotope and Microtextural Evidence for Fluctuations in Fluid Pressure During Contact Metamorphism, Alta Aureole, Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, J. R.; Valley, J. W.; Kita, N.

2006-12-01

Thin section-scale textures record a detailed history of prograde and retrograde reactions in the periclase (Per) zone of the Alta Stock aureole. New ion microprobe (SIMS) measurements (10 micron spot, ±0.2 permil, 1sd) of the oxygen isotope compositions of the carbonates preserving these textures provide evidence for at least two cycles of oscillation of fluid pressure (Pfl) between lithostatic (PL) and hydrostatic (Phyd) conditions during evolution of the inner aureole. Infiltration of water-rich fluids during prograde metamorphism converted dolomite (Dol) to Per + calcite (Cal) marble and caused significant 18O/16O depletion in the Dol protolith (Initial δ18O (Cal) > +25 permil), producing Cal with δ18O values of +11 permil. The SIMS values approximate oxygen isotope exchange equilibrium with the Alta stock, indicating that infiltrating fluids were likely magmatic. Exsolution of fluid from the crystallizing magma, coupled with geothermometry from the periclase zone marbles, requires Pfl> PL. Horizontally-oriented expansion cracks filled with brucite (Br) extend from Br pseudomorphs after periclase, and cut retrograde Dol that partially to completely rims the Br pseudomorphs. This earlier retrograde Dol is significantly depleted in 18O/16O relative to matrix Cal, with δ18O of +5 to +7.1 permil. These lower δ18O values indicate that meteoric water infiltrated into the Per marbles during cooling and resulting partial back reaction of Per + Cal to Dol, prior to the hydration of the remaining Per to Br. Influx of meteoric water requires sufficient increase in permeability to permit surface- derived meteoric water to penetrate to the estimated 4.5 km depth of this structural level of the Alta aureole, and suggests a resulting decrease in Pfl to hydrostatic pressure conditions. The horizontally-oriented expansion cracks associated with the Br pseudomorphs indicate that sub-vertical expansion accompanied hydration of Per to Br, requiring that Pfl increase again to

Resultados del relevamiento de HI en el Cielo Austral: 3. Relevamiento de Nubes de Alta Velocidad

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morras, R.; Bajaja, E.; Arnal, E. M.; Pöppel, W. G. L.

Los resultados del relevamiento de HI del Hemisferio Austral fueron reprocesados con el fin de incrementar su sensibilidad. Así, se utilizó esta nueva base de datos con el fin de obtener un nuevo relevamiento de Nubes de Alta Velocidad en el cielo austral. El ruido r.m.s. alcanzado es de 0.015-0.020 K, con una resolución espectral de 8 km/seg. El cubrimiento espacial del relevamiento mejora en un factor 16 al realizado por Bajaja et al (1985).

Alta Scuola Politecnica: An Ongoing Experiment in the Multidisciplinary Education of Top Students towards Innovation in Engineering, Architecture and Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedetto, S.; Bernelli Zazzera, F.; Bertola, P.; Cantamessa, M.; Ceri, S.; Ranci, C.; Spaziante, A.; Zanino, R.

2010-01-01

Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, the top technical universities in Italy, united their efforts in 2004 by launching a unique excellence programme called Alta Scuola Politecnica (ASP). The ASP programme is devoted to 150 students, selected each year from among the top 5-10% of those enrolled in the Engineering, Architecture and…

The association between patella alta and the prevalence and worsening of structural features of patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study

PubMed Central

Stefanik, J.J.; Zhu, Y.; Zumwalt, A.C.; Gross, K.D.; Clancy, M.; Lynch, J. A.; Frey Law, L.A.; Lewis, C.E.; Roemer, F.W.; Powers, C.M.; Guermazi, A.; Felson, D.T.

2010-01-01

Objective To examine the relationship between patella alta and the prevalence and worsening at follow-up of structural features of patellofemoral joint (PFJ) osteoarthritis (OA) on MRI. Methods The Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) Study is a cohort study of persons aged 50-79 years with or at risk for knee OA. Patella alta was measured using the Insall-Salvati ratio (ISR) on the baseline lateral radiograph and cartilage damage, bone marrow lesions (BMLs), and subchondral bone attrition (SBA) were graded on MRI at baseline and at 30 months follow-up in the PFJ. We examined the association of the ISR with the prevalence and worsening of cartilage damage, BMLs, and SBA in the PFJ using logistic regression. Results 907 knees were studied (mean age 62, BMI 30, ISR 1.10), 63% from female subjects. Compared with knees in the lowest ISR quartile at baseline, those in the highest had 2.4 (95% CI 1.7, 3.3), 2.9 (2.0, 4.3), and 3.5 (2.3, 5.5) times the odds of having lateral PFJ cartilage damage, BMLs, and SBA respectively, and 1.5 (95% CI 1.1, 2.0), 1.3 (0.9, 1.8), and 2.2 (1.4, 3.4) times the odds of having medial PFJ cartilage damage, BMLs, and SBA respectively. Similarly, those with high ISRs were also at risk for worsening of cartilage damage and BMLs over time than those with low ISRs. Conclusion A high ISR, indicative of patella alta, is associated with structural features of OA in the PFJ. Additionally, the same knees have increased risk of worsening of these same features over time. PMID:20506169

Distal tibial tuberosity translation using TTA implants for the treatment of patella alta in large breed dogs. Surgical technique and clinical outcome.

PubMed

Pugliese, L C; Pike, F S; Aiken, S W

2015-01-01

Medial patellar luxation frequently occurs in dogs resulting in lameness with increasing incidence in large breed dogs. Patella alta has been defined as a patellar ligament length to patellar length ratio that is greater than two and may predispose to patellar luxation. To describe the surgical technique for stabilization of the distal translation of the tibial tuberosity using tibial tuberosity advancement plates and the clinical outcomes with follow-up for clinical cases of dogs. Dogs that were presented with the complaint of patellar luxation and that were concurrently diagnosed with patella alta and were greater than 20 kg in body weight underwent surgery using a tibial tuberosity advancement plate to stabilize the osteotomy. Radiographic assessment of A:PL distance (the ratio of the proximal aspect of the patella to the femoral condyle [A] to the patellar length [PL]), L:P ratio (ratio of the length of the patellar ligament to the diagonal length of the patella), and owner assessment were obtained. Eleven stifles in nine dogs underwent surgical correction with a mean preoperative L:P ratio of 2.47. There were no complications and the lameness resolved clinically. The mean A:PL ratios preoperatively (2.6 ± 0.22) and postoperatively (2.1 ± 0.25) were significantly different (p = 0.0003). All owners were satisfied with the outcome and all dogs had a resolution of lameness with no recurrence of patellar luxation. Stabilization of distal translation of the tibial tuberosity using tibial tuberosity advancement implants to correct patella alta in large breed dogs was feasible and resulted in good clinical outcome.

Ensino de astronomia e óptica: é possível fazê-lo de forma contextualizada no nível médio?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobrinho, A. A.; Jafelice, L. C.

2003-08-01

Discutimos nossa participação em um curso de treinamento para professores de diversas disciplinas do ensino médio. Nossa preocupação básica foi desenvolver instrumentos educacionais adequados para levar à sala de aula, nesse nível de ensino, de forma contextualizada, questionamentos freqüentes dos alunos sobre astronomia e sua relação com tecnologia e sociedade. Encaminhamos questões como: a evolução da astronomia, suas relações com outros ramos do conhecimento humano e conseqüentes aplicações; avanços na tecnologia dos instrumentos ópticos versus a importância da observação do céu a olho nu; a relação entre olho humano, luneta e telescópio; e desenvolvimento da tecnologia espacial e sua influência em nosso cotidiano. Objetivamos com isto fazer um resgate histórico e pedagógico das aplicações e observações do céu no cenário escolar, destacando a relação entre eventos astronômicos, olho humano, instrumentos mediadores e suas contextualizações históricas e sociais. Produtos desta abordagem foram o desenvolvimento e a adaptação de práticas e materiais instrucionais diversos (e.g., "espelhos" de isopor e "raios luminosos" de bolinhas de gude; montagens envolvendo velas, lasers, lentes e espelhos; desmonte e análise de peças de um telescópio; etc.). Além disto, como outro resultado deste trabalho, elaboramos textos sobre história da astronomia e da óptica para atividades em classe. Com estas ações visamos facilitar a concretização de conceitos físicos envolvidos, exemplificar um ensino contextualizado e interdisciplinar motivado por temas astronômicos e favorecer que práticas e discussões feitas com os treinandos possam ser transpostas para a sala de aula. A reação dos professores às práticas propostas foi bastante positiva. Todos esses aspectos são discutidos em detalhe neste trabalho. (PPGECNM/UFRN; PRONEX/FINEP; NUPA/USP; Temáticos/FAPESP)

Late Quaternary Paleohydrology of Arroyo Cycles in the Mixteca Alta, Mexico: Insights from Past and Present Alluvial Stratigraphy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holdridge, Geneviève; Leigh, David S.

2017-04-01

Arroyos are incised, ephemeral dryland streams that aggrade and incise on a cyclical timescale. Arroyo studies are integral to understanding landscape evolution in drylands, but the drivers and dynamics of arroyo cycles are not fully understood. This paper presents a study of arroyo stratigraphy in the semi-arid environment of the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico. Examination of the late Quaternary environment and geomorphology of the incised, ephemeral tributaries forming the Río Culebra watershed offered insight about the hydrological variability of the region. The characteristics and chronology of alluvium-paleosol sequences from three watersheds in the Mixteca Alta were examined along their upper, middle and downstream sections. In addition, the channel bedforms and stratigraphy of several watersheds were surveyed to evaluate the processes and morphology characterizing the present dryland stream system. Alluvium-paleosol sequences offered valuable information into the paleohydrology and dynamics of the arroyo cycles of the Mixteca Alta. Unweathered alluvium and paleosol formation in alluvium are two end members of alluvial stratigraphy. Cumulic A horizons form on floodplains when aggradation is slow enough to allow for pedogenesis. Cumulic A horizons were observed in both the Culebra and Verde watersheds from the late Pleistocene to the late Holocene, but not in the present-day arroyos, suggesting the prehistoric cumulic A horizons form in less flashy conditions than modern conditions. The geomorphic survey of present-day processes and forms included observing the bed stratigraphy associated with scouring-chains after flash floods. This examination offered insight to understanding and interpreting the alluvium-paleosol stratigraphy. For example, the present channel bed stratigraphy associated with scour-and-fill consists of poorly sorted, massive, sandy gravel deposits. Finer bedded sediments are observed in the present patchy floodplain deposits, but are

Percepção Astronômica de Alunos do Ensino Médio da Rede Estadual de São Paulo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Oliveira, E. F.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2005-08-01

Embora a astronomia seja uma das ciências mais antigas da humanidade e muitos dos conceitos astronômicos serem populares, principalmente nesta época de alta globalização do conhecimento por intermédio de eficientes meios de comunicação e de obtenção da informação, notadamente através da internet, observa-se que uma parcela significativa dos estudantes encontra-se à margem dessas informações. O presente trabalho visa analisar o nível de conhecimento básico dos alunos de Ensino Médio da rede estadual da cidade de Suzano quanto aos fenômenos astronômicos que os rodeiam, tais como a sucessão dos dias e das estações do ano, além de questioná-los sobre fatos genéricos tais como: quais são os astros que se encontram mais próximos do planeta Terra, o que vem a ser o Sol, o Big Bang, um ano-luz, uma estrela cadente, a estrela de Bélem e o que ocasionou a extinção dos dinossauros. Para tanto foi elaborado um formulário constando de questões de múltipla escolha, o qual foi aplicado no primeiro colegial noturno da Escola Estadual Batista Renzi. Num espaço amostral de 34 alunos constatou-se que apenas 29,4% compreendiam a sucessão dos dias da semana, que apenas 20,6% explicaram corretamente as estações do ano, que apenas 20,6% tinham idéia de quais são os objetos celestes mais próximos da Terra, em contraposição 67,6% sabiam classificar corretamente o Sol como estrela, 55,9% relacionavam o Big Bang à origem do universo, apenas 20,6% identificavam um ano-luz como unidade de distância, 32,4% reconheciam uma estrela cadente como meteoro, 41,2% consideravam a estrela de Belém como um cometa e 50,0% explicaram corretamente a extinção dos dinossauros. A presente análise será expandida para as demais classes de primeiro colegial, não somente do período noturno, mas também do diurno da Escola Estadual Batista Renzi, bem como o formulário será devidamente ampliado. Já nesta primeira fase nota-se claramente o pequeno discernimento

Prevalence of asthma in schoolchildren in Alta Floresta- a municipality in the southeast of the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

de Farias, Márcia Regina de Col; Rosa, Antonia Maria; Hacon, Sandra de Souza; de Castro, Hermano Albuquerque; Ignotti, Eliane

2010-03-01

To analyze the prevalence and symptoms of asthma in students of the Brazilian Amazon municipality of Alta Floresta-MT. Cross-sectional study on the prevalence of asthma in 6 and 7 year-old children and 13 to 14 year-old adolescents, using the Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood - ISAAC method, phase I in 2007. Students who answered affirmatively question 2 - "presence of wheezing in the past 12 months" were considered asthmatic. Of the total 2,071 students, 1,072 (51.7%) were children and 999 (48.3%) were teenagers. The prevalence of asthma was 21.4% among schoolchildren, and 12.4% among adolescents (chi2 = 29.29; rho = 0.00). Children presented a higher prevalence than adolescents of the following asthma symptoms: wheezing sometime in life (49.9%), wheezing in the past 12 months (21.4%), 1 to 3 wheezing attacks in the past 12 months (16.4%), and dry cough at night (38.2%). Regarding physician-diagnosed asthma, no difference was observed between the two age groups, with a prevalence of around 6.0%. Male schoolchildren presented a higher prevalence of asthma, physician-diagnosed asthma and four or more wheezing episodes in the past 12 months (rho < 0.05). Male adolescents presented the highest prevalence of strong wheezing affecting speech (rho < 0.05). Alta Floresta presents one of the highest prevalences of asthma in Latin America among schoolchildren in the 6 and 7 year-old age group.

76 FR 12627 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Models DA 42, DA 42 NG, and DA 42 M-NG...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

... Industries GmbH Models DA 42, DA 42 NG, and DA 42 M-NG Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA... on Diamond aeroplanes, the majority of which were DA 40. In additional, at least 18 doors have been... conditions) while the aeroplane was parked. All DA 40 and DA 42 aeroplanes have a system installed that...

Autocorrelation descriptor improvements for QSAR: 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliwoski, Gregory; Mendenhall, Jeffrey; Meiler, Jens

2016-03-01

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) is a branch of computer aided drug discovery that relates chemical structures to biological activity. Two well established and related QSAR descriptors are two- and three-dimensional autocorrelation (2DA and 3DA). These descriptors encode the relative position of atoms or atom properties by calculating the separation between atom pairs in terms of number of bonds (2DA) or Euclidean distance (3DA). The sums of all values computed for a given small molecule are collected in a histogram. Atom properties can be added with a coefficient that is the product of atom properties for each pair. This procedure can lead to information loss when signed atom properties are considered such as partial charge. For example, the product of two positive charges is indistinguishable from the product of two equivalent negative charges. In this paper, we present variations of 2DA and 3DA called 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign that avoid information loss by splitting unique sign pairs into individual histograms. We evaluate these variations with models trained on nine datasets spanning a range of drug target classes. Both 2DA_Sign and 3DA_Sign significantly increase model performance across all datasets when compared with traditional 2DA and 3DA. Lastly, we find that limiting 3DA_Sign to maximum atom pair distances of 6 Å instead of 12 Å further increases model performance, suggesting that conformational flexibility may hinder performance with longer 3DA descriptors. Consistent with this finding, limiting the number of bonds in 2DA_Sign from 11 to 5 fails to improve performance.

Evolução temporal da explosão solar de 06 de junho de 2000 apresentando estruturas finas em rádio freqüências

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, F. C. R.; Sawant, H. S.; Cecatto, J. R.; Caracini, A. G.; Vats, H. O.; Karlický, M.; Meszarosova, H.

2003-08-01

Em 06 de junho de 2000 (~15: 00-17: 00 UT), o Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (BSS) registrou uma explosão solar intensa no intervalo de freqüência de (1000-2000) MHz, com alta resolução temporal (100 ms) e espectral (5 MHz). A atividade solar relacionada a esta explosão associada à região ativa (AR) 9026 e classificada como X2.3 foi grande. O Ondrejov Observatory registrou rádio emissões até 4,5 GHz. O satélite SOHO registrou uma série de erupções solares, incluindo uma Ejeção de Massa Coronal (CME) tipo "full-halo" (~15: 54 UT). Explosões tipo II/IV também foram registradas. Na faixa de ondas decimétricas, este evento apresentou dois picos distintos (~15: 21 UT e ~16: 42 UT). O primeiro pico coincide com a explosão registrada em raios-X moles (GOES) e em raios-X duros (Yohkoh). Os espectros dinâmicos com alta resolução do BSS revelaram várias estruturas finas, principalmente emissões tipo "zebra" e "fibra", rádio pulsações, emissões tipo III e do único caso de emissões "zebra" harmônicas observado na faixa decimétrica. Neste trabalho, analisamos a evolução temporal e o comportamento global do evento de 06 de junho de 2000, com ênfase na identificação e associação da ocorrência de cada tipo de estrutura fina registrada em rádio com cada etapa da explosão. Resultados preliminares mostraram que, na fase pré-flare, as estruturas finas apresentaram taxa de deriva negativa (~ 70-190 MHz/s). As emissões tipo "zebra" concentram-se na fase de descida do primeiro pico impulsivo e na de subida do segundo pico. Enquanto que as emissões tipo "fibra" ocorrem em ambas fases, mas preferivelmente durante a fase de descida. Os resultados serão apresentados e discutidos.

Petrogenesis of Alta'ameem meteorite (Iraq) inferred from major, trace, REE and PGE+Au content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettanah, Yawooz A.; Ismail, Sabah A.

2018-03-01

Alta'ameem Meteorite (AM) is an unaltered ordinary LL chondrite that hit an area near Kirkuk City in northern Iraq on 1977. It has an ash-gray colour with a thin black fusion crust, and consists of spheroidal chondrules and variously shaped clasts aggregated together by a fine grained matrix. The chondrules of Alta'ameem Meteorite include all known types in similar meteorites elsewhere. Mineralogically, the AM consists of silicates (olivine - Fa27.7; pyroxene - Fs23.2 (Opx) and 20.5 (Cpx); plagioclase - Ab73.5An22.1Or4.7), alloys and metals (taenite, tetrataenite, kamacite, and native copper), oxides (ilmenite and chromite), sulfides (troilite), and phosphates (apatite) as well as few unidentified minerals including a Fe-Ti-Cr oxide and Fe-Ni sulfide. The chemistry of AM is dominated by SiO2, MgO, and FeOt accounting for >91 wt% of the bulk composition with minor amounts of Al2O3, CaO, Na2O, S, Ni and Cr. It contains 3675 ppb REE which is within the range of most chondrites, with a negative (-0.8) Sm- and positive (+1.2) Tb-anomalies and a near flat normalized trend (LaN/YbN = 1.16). The concentration of PGEs and Au, Ni, Co, and Cr is low in comparison to most chondrites. The K/La, Ru/Rh vs. Pt/Pd, and Pd/Ir ratio (1.85), and low PGE indicates that the AM is somewhat distinct from other meteorites. The AM has W0 weathering grade and very weak (S2) shock metamorphism. Although the AM has some petrographical and geochemical differences with other chondrites, it still can be considered as LL5 chondrite.

Sviluppi di Ricevitori E di Componentistica Per Banda 3 mm Ad INAF-OA Cagliari

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarrini, Alessandro

2017-11-01

L'INAF-OA Cagliari (OACa) sta sviluppando un ricevitore criogenico a basso rumore basato su un mixer SSB (Single Side Band) a superconduttore SIS (Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor) per la banda 3 mm. Il ricevitore, acquistato da IRAM, è stato fortemente modificato per essere adattato al fuoco Gregoriano di SRT (Sardinia Radio Telescope). Lo strumento è caratterizzato da una nuova criogenia a ciclo chiuso 4 K (per evitare l'uso di elio liquido in antenna), da un nuovo oscillatore locale (di tipo ALMA Banda 3) e da un nuovo sistema di controllo e di monitoraggio basato su schede Raspberry ed Arduino sviluppato ad OACa. Verranno presentati i recenti sviluppi sul ricevitore, inclusi i risultati preliminari della misura della temperatura di rumore, che raggiunge un valore pari a Trec=66 K alla frequenza di 86 GHz, nonostante la criogenia non sia ancora ottimizzata. L'INAF-OACa è coinvolto nel progetto AETHRA (Advanced European Technologies for Heterodyne Receivers for Astronomy) nel quadro del programma Radionet/Horizon2020 per il quale sta contribuendo al WP1 (Work Package 1). Lo scopo del WP1 è di sviluppare e costruire un dimostratore di un array di ricevitori a doppia polarizzazione per la banda 3 mm basato su amplificatori criogenici a basso rumore (LNA) in tecnologia a semiconduttore MMIC. Nell'ambito del WP1 l'OACa ha in carico il progetto di un OrthomodeTransducer (OMT) in guida d'onda o in tecnologia planare per la banda 72-116 GHz che sia integrabile con amplificatori MMICs ed adatto all'integrazione in un array da installare nel piano focale di un radiotelescopio. Verranno presentati i design preliminari degli OMT per AETHRA, che sono basati su prototipi sviluppati in passato da OACa.

A pictorial presentation of 3.0 Chicago Classification for esophageal motility disorders.

PubMed

Herbella, Fernando Augusto; Armijo, Priscila Rodrigues; Patti, Marco Giuseppe

2016-01-01

High resolution manometry changed several esophageal motility paradigms. The 3.0 Chicago Classification defined manometric criteria for named esophageal motility disorders. We present a pictorial atlas of motility disorders. Achalasia types, esophagogastric junction obstruction, absent contractility, distal esophageal spasm, hypercontractile esophagus (jackhammer), ineffective esophageal motility, and fragmented peristalsis are depicted with high-resolution manometry plots. RESUMO A manometria de alta resolução mudou vários paradigmas da motilidade digestiva. A Classificação de Chicago, na versão 3.0, definiu critérios manométricos para as doenças da motilidade esofagiana. O presente artigo é um atlas das dismotilidades descritas. Tipos de acalásia, obstrução ao nível da junção esofagogástrica, contrações ausentes, espasmo esofagiano distal, esôfago hipercontrátil, motilidade esofagiana ineficaz e peristalse fragmentada são mostradas em traçados de manometria de alta resolução.

A importância da poeira e ondas de Alfvén na estabilidade de nuvens moleculares anãs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falceta-Gonçalves, D.; de Juli, M. C.; Jatenco-Pereira, V.

2003-08-01

Nuvens moleculares anãs se apresentam dinamicamente estáveis, embora possuam massas muito maiores que a massa de Jeans. Por este motivo, a estabilidade destes objetos não pode ser explicada considerando-se apenas a pressão térmica. Campos magnéticos, aproximadamente uniformes e de ~mG, exercem um termo extra de pressão que sustenta a nuvem, mas somente na direção perpendicular às linhas de campo. Para a direção paralela, ondas de Alfvén geradas por turbulências no meio, por exemplo, têm sido utilizadas. Estas, sendo supostamente fracamente amortecidas, poderiam sustentar a nuvem nesta direção. Entretanto, estes meios contêm grandes quantidades de poeira carregada eletricamente. Estes grãos de poeira possuem frequências cíclotron, que podem entrar em ressonância com as ondas. Neste trabalho calculamos os efeitos que o amortecimento cíclotron da poeira teriam na propagação da onda, e consequentemente na estabilidade da nuvem. Considerando um fluxo de ondas, com um dado espectro de frequências, e uma população de grãos de poeira, com distribuição de tamanho observada, foi possível mostrar que o amortecimento é eficiente em uma larga banda de frequências. Neste caso as ondas seriam rapidamente amortecidas gerando pequenas condensações de alta densidade, e não poderiam ser utilizadas para explicar a estabilidade de uma nuvem inteira. Desta forma, rotação e turbulência seriam candidatos alternativos para garantir a estabilidade destes objetos.

Origin of the DA and non-DA white dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shipman, Harry L.

1989-01-01

Various proposals for the bifurcation of the white dwarf cooling sequence are reviewed. 'Primordial' theories, in which the basic bifurcation of the white dwarf sequence is rooted in events predating the white dwarf stage of stellar evolution, are discussed, along with the competing 'mixing' theories in which processes occurring during the white dwarf stage are responsible for the existence of DA or non-DA stars. A new proposal is suggested, representing a two-channel scenario. In the DA channel, some process reduces the hydrogen layer mass to the value of less than 10 to the -7th. The non-DA channel is similar to that in the primordial scenario. These considerations suggest that some mechanism operates in both channels to reduce the thickness of the outermost layer of the white dwarf. It is also noted that accretion from the interstellar medium has little to do with whether a particular white dwarf becomes a DA or a non-DA star.

An observatory system for physical and biogeochemical parameters in the northern Adriatic Sea: the "Acqua Alta" oceanographic platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benetazzo, Alvise; Barbariol, Francesco; Bastianini, Mauro; Bergamasco, Andrea; Bergamasco, Filippo; Bernardi Aubry, Fabrizio; Bertotti, Luciana; Bonaldo, Davide; Cavaleri, Luigi; Carniel, Sandro; Falcieri, Francesco M.; Finotto, Stefania; Lester, Graham; Licer, Matjaz; Malacic, Vlado; Minuzzo, Tiziano; Sclavo, Mauro

2015-04-01

The history of the "Acqua Alta" oceanographic platform (http://www.ismar.cnr.it/infrastructures/piattaforma-acqua-alta) started more than forty years ago, shortly after the dramatic surge that affected the city of Venice in late 1966. Since then, benefiting also from recent funding acquired within the National Flagship Project RITMARE, great efforts have been devoted to monitor the oceanographic and atmospheric conditions in the Northern Adriatic Sea (NA), in the proximity of the Venice lagoon. Nowadays the "Acqua Alta", located on a 16 m depth area, represents a success story of the Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), that manages the structure and used collected data to improve the knowledge of the fragile sea environment that surrounds the Venetian littoral. The directional wave observations started in 1979, representing one of the world longest continuous series. On the sea surface, waves are now routinely observed by means of a submerged acoustic-Doppler system that provides burst of directional wave data, including significant wave height, mean wave period and direction of propagation. Currently these wave parameters are integrated with the data collected by a stereo-video system (namely Wave Acquisition Stereo System, WASS) that provides the 3-D profile of the wavy sea surface. WASS data are unleashing a "new view" for ocean waves providing the complete space-time dynamics of wave groups. Moreover, a series of multiparameters probes permits to measure the vertical distribution of sea temperature (at nine depths from the surface to the bottom), salinity (three positions), dissolved oxygen (two positions), and turbidity close to the sea bottom. The collected data are continuously used to track the water masses that enter, leave, and are produced within the NA. A striking example is provided by the temperature and salinity data used to follow the exceptional dense water formation that occurred in this basin

Life-cycle optimization model for distributed generation in buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaei, Amir

O setor da construcao e responsavel por uma grande parte do consumo de energia e emissoes na Uniao Europeia. A Geracao Distribuida (GD) de energia, nomeadamente atraves de sistemas de cogeracao e tecnologias solares, representa um papel importante no futuro energetico deste setor. A otimizacao do funcionamento dos sistemas de cogeracao e uma tarefa complexa, devido as diversas variaveis em jogo, designadamente: os diferentes tipos de necessidades energeticas (eletricidade, aquecimento e arrefecimento), os precos dinamicos dos combustiveis (gas natural) e da eletricidade, e os custos fixos e variaveis dos diferentes sistemas de GD. Tal torna-se mais complexo considerando a natureza flutuante das tecnologias solares termicas e fotovoltaicas. Ao mesmo tempo, a liberalizacao do mercado da eletricidade permite exportar para a rede, a electricidade gerada localmente. Adicionalmente, a operacao estrategica de um sistema de GD deve atender aos quadros politicos nacionais, se tiver como objetivo beneficiar de tais regimes. Alem disso, considerando os elevados impactes ambientais do setor da construcao, qualquer avaliacao energetica de edificios rigorosa deve tambem integrar aspetos ambientais, utilizando uma abordagem de Ciclo de Vida (CV). Uma avaliacao de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) completa de um sistema de GD deve incluir as fases relativas a operacao e construcao do sistema, bem como os impactes associados a producao dos combustiveis. Foram analisadas as emissoes da producao de GN, as quais variam de acordo com a origem, tipo (convencional ou nao-convencional), e estado (na forma de GN Liquefeito (GNL) ou gas). Do mesmo modo, o impacte dos sistemas solares e afetado pela meteorologia e radiacao solar, de acordo com a sua localizacao geografica. Sendo assim, uma avaliacao adequada dos sistemas de GD exige um modelo de ACV adequado a localizacao geografica (Portugal), integrando tambem a producao de combustivel (GN), tendo em conta as suas diferentes fontes de abastecimento. O

Small mammals from the Chelemhá Cloud Forest Reserve, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matson, Jason O.; Ordóñez-Garza, Nicté; Woodman, Neal; Bulmer, Walter; Eckerlin, Ralph P.; Hanson, J. Delton

2014-01-01

We surveyed the small mammals of remnant mixed hardwood-coniferous cloud forest at elevations ranging from 2,100–2,300 m in the Chelemhá Cloud Forest Reserve, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Removal-trapping using a combination of live traps, snap traps, and pitfall traps for 6 days in January 2007 resulted in 175 captures of 15 species of marsupials, shrews, and rodents. This diversity of small mammals is the highest that we have recorded from a single locality of the 10 visited during eight field seasons in the highlands of Guatemala. Based on captures, the most abundant species in the community of small mammals is Peromyscus grandis (n = 50), followed by Handleyomys rhabdops (n = 27), Heteromys desmarestianus(n = 18), Reithrodontomys mexicanus (n = 17), Handleyomys saturatior (n = 16), Sorex veraepacis (n = 15), and Scotinomys teguina (n = 13). The remaining eight species were represented by one to five individuals.

Giant-geode endowment of tumuli in the Veia Alta flow, Ametista do Sul

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, L. A.; Pertille, J.; Duarte, L. C.

2017-08-01

Tumuli are a common feature of pahoehoe basaltic flows, interspersed with pits, and furnished the necessary volume of rock in the Paraná volcanic province for hydrothermal alteration and ballooning to form large cavities (1-2 m common). Filling by amethyst and other minerals resulted in the largest world deposit of geodes, Ametista do Sul. The flat-lying fracture positioned 1 m below the 2-3 m thick geodic level crosses the plateau and is a major guide for exploration and gallery opening. The geodes are limited on the top by the platy joint layer, which is covered by an auto-breccia with undulating lower limit. This wave mimicks and is internal to the structure of tumuli and pits at the surface. This field-oriented survey of galleries selected out of 300 active mines resulted in the description of the internal structure of the remarkable Veia Alta pahoehoe flow, in addition to observations in Uruguay.

Natural and induced endoreic hydrological conditions in the Alta Murgia karstic region (Apulia, Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canora, F.; Fidelibus, M. D.; Spilotro, G.

2009-04-01

A study aimed at understanding the hydrological processes in karst areas related to the presence of natural and artificial endoreic basins and their modification due to land use change, as well as the influence of above factors on the infiltration rate has been carried out in the Alta Murgia region (Apulia, Southern Italy). The region is a Cretaceous limestone plateau of the Apulian platform, characterized by a mature karstic landscape: due to its elevation, climatic conditions and lithology, the plateau constitutes the main recharge area of the Murgia aquifer. The typical karst topography is essentially related to the subterranean drainage (sinkholes, caves, conduit): surface and subsurface karst geomorphology is strictly interrelated with hydrology. The morphological features of the karstic plateau are defined by the high density of surface karstic forms (mainly dolines), the presence of exposed karst and karren fields, as well as by the extensive outcrop of fractured rocks. Karst surface shows, on the bottom of the morpho-structural depressions called "lame", natural distribution of modest deposits of "terra rossa" and regolith. The "lame" work as streams during and after intense rainfall events, often outlining a primordial ephemeral hydrographical network, frequently convergent towards dolines, poljes or endoreic basins. Alta Murgia shows many natural endoreic basin conditions in a quite flat morphology. In this environment, when intense rainfall events cover large areas and rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity of soils and/or sinkholes, significant runoff amounts are produced and stored in the basins causing floods. Most of the natural endoreic basins are small and independent: while the majority of them continue functioning as endoreic even in presence of extreme events of high return time, others (quasi-endoreic), under the same circumstances can start contributing to other basins, due to exceeding their water storage capability. This way

The coupled effects of crouch gait and patella alta on tibiofemoral and patellofemoral cartilage loading in children.

PubMed

Brandon, Scott C E; Thelen, Darryl G; Smith, Colin R; Novacheck, Tom F; Schwartz, Michael H; Lenhart, Rachel L

2018-02-01

Elevated tibiofemoral and patellofemoral loading in children who exhibit crouch gait may contribute to skeletal deformities, pain, and cessation of walking ability. Surgical procedures used to treat crouch frequently correct knee extensor insufficiency by advancing the patella. However, there is little quantitative understanding of how the magnitudes of crouch and patellofemoral correction affect cartilage loading in gait. We used a computational musculoskeletal model to simulate the gait of twenty typically developing children and fifteen cerebral palsy patients who exhibited mild, moderate, and severe crouch. For each walking posture, we assessed the influence of patella alta and baja on tibiofemoral and patellofemoral cartilage contact. Tibiofemoral and patellofemoral contact pressures during the stance phase of normal gait averaged 2.2 and 1.0 MPa. Crouch gait increased pressure in both the tibofemoral (2.6-4.3 MPa) and patellofemoral (1.8-3.3 MPa) joints, while also shifting tibiofemoral contact to the posterior tibial plateau. For extended-knee postures, normal patellar positions (Insall-Salvatti ratio 0.8-1.2) concentrated contact on the middle third of the patellar cartilage. However, in flexed knee postures, both normal and baja patellar positions shifted pressure toward the superior edge of the patella. Moving the patella into alta restored pressure to the middle region of the patellar cartilage as crouch increased. This work illustrates the potential to dramatically reduce tibiofemoral and patellofemoral cartilage loading by surgically correcting crouch gait, and highlights the interaction between patella position and knee posture in modulating the location of patellar contact during functional activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The major histocompatibility complex genes impact pain response in DA and DA.1U rats.

PubMed

Guo, Yuan; Yao, Fan-Rong; Cao, Dong-Yuan; Li, Li; Wang, Hui-Sheng; Xie, Wen; Zhao, Yan

2015-08-01

Our recent studies have shown that the difference in basal pain sensitivity to mechanical and thermal stimulation between Dark-Agouti (DA) rats and a novel congenic DA.1U rats is major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes dependent. In the present study, we further used DA and DA.1U rats to investigate the role of MHC genes in formalin-induced pain model by behavioral, electrophysiological and immunohistochemical methods. Behavioral results showed biphasic nociceptive behaviors increased significantly following the intraplantar injection of formalin in the hindpaw of DA and DA.1U rats. The main nociceptive behaviors were lifting and licking, especially in DA rats (P<0.001 and P<0.01). The composite pain scores (CPS) in DA rats were significantly higher than those in DA.1U rats in both phases of the formalin test (P<0.01). Electrophysiological results also showed the biphasic increase in discharge rates of C and Aδ fibers of L5 dorsal root in the two strains, and the net change of the discharge rate of DA rats was significantly higher than that of DA.1U rats (P<0.05). The mechanical thresholds decreased after formalin injection in both strains (P<0.01), and the net change in the mechanical threshold in DA was greater than that in DA.1U rats (P<0.05). The expression of RT1-B, representation of MHC class II molecule, in laminae I-II of L4/5 spinal cord in DA rats was significantly higher than that in DA.1U rats in the respective experimental group (P<0.05). These results suggested that both DA and DA.1U rats exhibited nociceptive responses in formalin-induced pain model and DA rats were more sensitive to noxious chemical stimulus than DA.1U rats, indicating that MHC genes might contribute to the difference in pain sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A estabilidade dos PAHS em função da energia da radiação interestelar nas faixas UV e raios-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, R.; Costa, R. K.; Boechat-Roberty, H. M.; Lago, A.; Souza, G. B.

2003-08-01

A nebulosa CRL 618, uma proto-nebulosa planetária cuja nuvem molecular espessa envolve uma estrela B0, contém uma grande quantidade de C2H2 e CH4. Estas moléculas são consideradas os tijolos da criação de grandes moléculas carbonadas como os Hidrocarbonetos Policíclicos Aromáticos (PAHs). Esta nebulosa, por estar exposta a intensos campos de UV e Raios-X, é uma região de fotodissociação molecular que propicia a formação de novas moléculas, confirmada pela presença de C4H2 e C6H6 (Benzeno), que é a unidade básica dos PAHs. Atribui-se a esta família de moléculas orgânicas duas propriedades fundamentais, a resistência para sobreviver ao campo de radiação UV interestelar e a geração das bandas de emissão não identificadas (UIR) observadas no infravermelho. No entanto, alguns autores questionam a resistência dos PAHs ao campo de radiação UV interestelar. Empregando a técnica de Espectrometria de Massas por Tempo de Vôo, no modo de coincidência fotoelétron-fotoíon, estudamos a ionização e fragmentação das seguintes moléculas: Benzeno, Benzeno deuterado, Naftaleno, Antraceno e Fenantreno. Utilizamos uma fonte de Hélio monocromática em 21,21 eV (584,5 Å) e a radiação Síncroton do Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncroton (LNLS) em diferentes energias nas proximidades da borda do C 1s ( 290 eV). Comprovamos a estabilidade dos PAHs sob ação de UV (21,21 eV), onde eles apresentam um baixo nível de fotodissociação, produzindo fragmentos ionizados com rendimento total na ordem de 5 por cento em relação ao íon molecular pai. Entretanto, em altas energias, na faixa de Raios-X, a quebra destas moléculas torna-se mais intensa, com a produção de muitos fragmentos. Como uma das rotas de fragmentação do Naftaleno é [(C10H8) = > (C6H6+) + (C4H2) + (e-)], e como temos as evidências observacionais da existência do C4H2 e C6H6 na nebulosa CRL 618, sugerimos que este ambiente também possui o Naftaleno.

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, 16th International Congress of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing -- Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-27

Rego Barbosa, Osvaldo Caldas; MCT - MINISTERIO DA CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA , INPE - INSTITUTO DE PESQUISAS ESPACIAIS, Rod. Presidente Dutra, km 40 12630...economic crisis tne country J.- xa^+ y recoanition from the governmental planners of the priorities ana importance of INPE’s role...87 8, 216 430 8, 646 The situation changed and in the last three years a clear -cove^is being observed. Not only Jh«* •=>«* fche u-er tenden y

75 FR 52292 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Models DA 40 and DA 40F Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-25

... Industries GmbH Models DA 40 and DA 40F Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department... new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Models DA 40 and DA 40F... received information from Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH that the Models DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes have...

Birds of a high-altitude cloud forest in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.

PubMed

Eisermann, Knut; Schulz, Ulrich

2005-01-01

The Northern Central American Highlands have been recognized as endemic bird area, but little is known about bird communities in Guatemalan cloud forests. From 1997 to 2001 a total of 142 bird species were recorded between 2000 and 2400 masl in cloud forest and agricultural clearings on Montaña Caquipec (Alta Verapaz, Guatemala). The bird community is described based on line transect counts within the forest. Pooling census data from undisturbed and disturbed forest, the Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys) was found to be the most abundant species, followed in descending order by the Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus), the Paltry Tyrannulet (Zimmerius vilissimus), the Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens), the Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus frantzi), and the Amethyst-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis amethystinus). Bird communities in undisturbed and disturbed forest were found to be similar (Serensen similarity index 0.85), indicating low human impact. Of all recorded species, approximately 27% were Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds. The most abundant one was the Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla). The Montaña Caquipec is an important area for bird conservation, which is indicated by the presence of four species listed in the IUCN Red List (Highland Guan Penelopina nigra, Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, Pink-headed Warbler Ergaticus versicolor, Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia), and 42 Mesoamerican endemics, of which 14 species are endemic to the Central American Highlands. The results presented here will be useful as baseline data for a long-term monitoring.

Health, development and innovation: a contribution of the critical theory of technology to the discussion.

PubMed

Souza, Luis Eugenio Portela Fernandes de

2016-11-03

The relationships between health and socioeconomic development are diverse. These relationships find in the health economic complex a privileged ground for expression. The importance of health technologies increased exponentially since the middle of the 20th century, affecting health systems in terms of both, quality of care and economic aspects. In fact, the predominant model of care is based on fragmented, symptomatic therapy practices that encourages the use of products and services and promotes a passive participation of users rather than humanization of care. Overcoming this model requires changes in the health technology standards which, in turn, require changes in the technology standard of society. The critical theory of technology helps to understand the evolution of the industrial civilization. It enriches the discussion by suggesting the health economic complex be more sensibly adjusted to the requirements of comprehensive health care, and to inclusive and sustainable development. Resumo: As relações entre a saúde e o desenvolvimento socioeconômico são múltiplas. Essas relações têm o complexo econômico da saúde como o espaço privilegiado de sua expressão. A importância das tecnologias de saúde aumentou exponencialmente desde meados do século XX, com efeitos sobre os sistemas de saúde, tanto em qualidade da atenção, quanto em aspectos econômicos. Na realidade, predomina um modelo de atenção caracterizado por práticas fragmentadas, que enfatizam tratamentos sintomáticos, estimulam o consumismo de produtos e serviços e promovem, ao invés da humanização, uma participação passiva dos usuários. A superação desse modelo passa pela mudança do padrão tecnológico da saúde, que, por sua vez, exige a transformação do padrão tecnológico da sociedade. A teoria crítica da tecnologia ajuda a compreender a evolução da civilização industrial. Enriquece o debate, sugerindo uma conformação do complexo econômico da saúde mais

Electrodeposition of Al-Ta alloys in NaCl-KCl-AlCl3 molten salt containing TaCl5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Kazuki; Matsushima, Hisayoshi; Ueda, Mikito

2016-12-01

To form Al-Ta alloys for high temperature oxidation resistance components, molten salt electrolysis was carried out in an AlCl3-NaCl-KCl melt containing TaCl5 at 423 K. The voltammogram showed two cathodic waves at 0.45 V and 0.7 V vs. Al/Al(III), which may correspond to reduction from Ta(V) to Ta(III) and from Ta(III) to tantalum metal, respectively. Electrodeposits of Al and Ta were obtained in the range from -0.05 to 0.3 V and the highest concentration of Ta in the electrodeposit was 72 at% at 0.3 V. With increasing Ta content in the alloy, the morphology of the electrodeposits became powdery and the particle size smaller.

Da Vinci-assisted abdominal cerclage.

PubMed

Barmat, Larry; Glaser, Gretchen; Davis, George; Craparo, Frank

2007-11-01

To report the first placement of an abdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage using the da Vinci robot. Case report. Tertiary-care hospital. A 39-year-old female with a history of cervical insufficiency who required a cerclage and was not a candidate for transvaginal cerclage placement. Abdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage placement using the da Vinci robot. Ability to safely and successfully place an abdominal cerclage using the da Vinci robot. Abdominal cerclage was successfully placed using the da Vinci robot. The patient had minimal blood loss and was discharged to home on the same day as surgery. Da Vinci robot-assisted abdominal cerclage placement is an innovative application of robotic surgery and may alter the standard of care for women who require this surgery.

The local effect of octreotide on mechanical pain sensitivity is more sensitive in DA rats than DA.1U rats.

PubMed

Yao, Fan-Rong; Wang, Hui-Sheng; Guo, Yuan; Zhao, Yan

2016-02-01

A recent study by the authors indicated that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes are associated with the differences in basal pain sensitivity and in formalin model between Dark-Agouti (DA) and novel congenic DA.1U rats, which have the same genetic background as DA rats except for the u alleles of MHC. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether there is a difference in the pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) model and local analgesic effect of octreotide (OCT) between DA and DA.1U rats. The hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and heat withdrawal latency (HWL) were observed. The C unit firings of the tibial nerve evoked by non-noxious and noxious toe movements were recorded by electrophysiological methods in normal and PIA models in DA and DA.1U rats before and after local OCT administration. The expression of somatostatin receptor 2A (SSTR2A) was observed by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrate that DA rats have a higher mechanical sensitivity than DA.1U rats after PIA. Local OCT administration significantly elevated MWT in DA rats under normal and PIA sate, but not in DA.1U rats. The electrophysiological experiments showed OCT significantly attenuated the firings of C units evoked by non-noxious and noxious stimulation in DA rats more than those in DA.1U rats both in normal and PIA states. In addition, the expression of SSTR2A in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord was significantly higher in DA than in DA.1U rats. All of the findings suggest a higher local analgesic effect of OCT in DA rats than DA.1U rats, which might be associated with the MHC genes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Realization of Vilnius UPXYZVS photometric system for AltaU42 CCD camera at the MAO NAS of Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vid'Machenko, A. P.; Andruk, V. M.; Samoylov, V. S.; Delets, O. S.; Nevodovsky, P. V.; Ivashchenko, Yu. M.; Kovalchuk, G. U.

2005-06-01

The description of two-inch glass filters of the Vilnius UPXYZVS photometric system, which are made at the Main Astronomical Observatory of NAS of Ukraine for AltaU42 CCD camera with format of 2048×2048 pixels, is presented in the paper. Reaction curves of instrumental system are shown. Estimations of minimal star's magnitudes for each filter's band in comparison with the visual V one are obtained. New software for automation of CCD frames processing is developed in program shell of LINUX/MIDAS/ROMAFOT. It is planned to carry out observations with the purpose to create the catalogue of primary UPXYZVS CCD standards in selected field of the sky for some radio-sources, globular and open clusters, etc. Numerical estimations of astrometric and photometric accuracy are obtained.

A Generalized Approach to Equational Unification.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

Interpreter Working with Infinite Terms," Technical Report FCT/UNL - 20/82, Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia , November 1982. Quinta da Torre, 2825...x. y , z. For readability, we will use the symbols, + *, and * as binary infix operators. Examples of terms are f(x, a), / (x - 0), and y + 1. Given a...z 2. x . y = y ex. The integer operations of plus and times are only two of the many examples of associative and commutative functions about which we

Fluxgate Magnetometry on the Experimental Albertan Satellite #1 (Ex-Alta-1) CubeSat Mission: Steps Toward a Magnetospheric Constellation Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, I. R.; Miles, D.; Nokes, C.; Cupido, C.; Elliott, D.; Ciurzynski, M.; Barona, D.; Narod, B. B.; Bennest, J.; Pakhotin, I.; Kale, A.; Bruner, B.; Haluza-DeLay, T.; Forsyth, C.; Rae, J.; Lange, C.; Sameoto, D.; Milling, D. K.

2017-12-01

Making low noise magnetic measurements is a significant challenge to the use of cube-satellite (CubeSat) platforms for scientific constellation class missions for studies of geospace. We describe the design, validation, and test, and initial on-orbit results from a miniature, low-mass, low-power, and low-magnetic noise boom-mounted fluxgate magnetometer flown on the University of Alberta Experimental Albertan Satellite #1 (Ex-Alta-1) Cube Satellite, launched in 2017 from the International Space Station as part of the QB50 constellation mission. The miniature instrument achieves a magnetic noise floor of 150-200 pT/√Hz at 1 Hz, consumes 400 mW of power, has a mass of 121 g (sensor and boom), stows on the hull, and deploys on a 60 cm boom from a three-unit CubeSat reducing the noise from the onboard reaction wheel to less than 1.5 nT at the sensor. The instrument's capabilities are being demonstrated and validated in space with flight on Ex-Alta-1. We present on-orbit data from the boom-deployment and initial operations of the fluxgate sensor and illustrate the potential scientific returns and utility of using CubeSats carrying such fluxgate magnetometers to constitute a magnetospheric constellation mission. We further illustrate the value of scientific constellations using example data from the low-Earth orbit European Space Agency Swarm mission. Swarm data reveal significant changes in the spatiotemporal characteristics of the magnetic fields in the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system, even when the spacecraft are separated by only approximately 10 s along track and approximately 1.4° in longitude. This indicates the likely energetic significance of Alfven wave dynamics, and we use Swarm measurements to illustrate the value of satellite constellations for diagnosing magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling even in low-Earth orbit.

75 FR 75868 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Models DA 40 and DA 40F Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Models DA 40 and DA 40F Airplanes AGENCY: Federal... of the Thielert Engine Owners Group commented that the Model DA 42 has the same door design and the same unsafe condition. He recommended that the AD also apply to the Model DA 42. The FAA has discussed...

Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

PubMed

Egea, Teresa; Signorini, Maria Adele; Ongaro, Luca; Rivera, Diego; Obón de Castro, Concepción; Bruschi, Piero

2016-06-22

Traditional alcoholic beverages (TABs) have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists so far, especially in Italy. This work is focused on plant-based TABs in the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions. The aims of our study were to document local knowledge about TABs and to analyze and discuss the distribution of related knowledge within the investigated communities. Field data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The relative importance of each plant species used to prepare TABs was assessed by calculating a general Use Value Index (UV general), a current UV (UV current) and a past UV (UV past). We also assessed personal experience of use by calculating effective and potential UV (UV effective, UV potential). A multivariate analysis was performed to compare ingredients in recipes recorded in the Alta Valle del Reno with those reported for neighboring areas. Forty-six plant species, belonging to 20 families, were recorded. Rosaceae was the most significant family (98 citations, 19 species), followed by Rutaceae (15, 3) and Lamiaceae (12, 4). The most important species was Prunus cerasus L. (UV general = 0.44), followed by Juglans regia L. (0.38), Rubus idaeus L. (0.27) and Prunus spinosa L. (0.22). Species with the highest UV current were Juglans regia (0.254), Prunus cerasus (0.238) and Citrus limon L. (0.159). The highest UV effective values were obtained by Prunus cerasus (0.413), Juglans regia (0.254), Rubus idaeus (0.222) and Citrus limon (0.206). We also discuss the results of the multivariate analysis. TABs proved to occupy an important place in the traditional culture and social life of the studied communities. Moreover, data highlight the local specificity and richness of this kind of tradition in the Alta Valle del Reno, compared to other Italian areas. Some plant ingredients used for TABs have potential nutraceutical and even therapeutic properties

Is the algorithm used to process heart rate variability data clinically relevant? Analysis in male adolescents.

PubMed

Soares, Antonio Henrique Germano; Farah, Breno Quintella; Cucato, Gabriel Grizzo; Bastos-Filho, Carmelo José Albanez; Christofaro, Diego Giulliano Destro; Vanderlei, Luiz Carlos Marques; Lima, Aluísio Henrique Rodrigues de Andrade; Ritti-Dias, Raphael Mendes

2016-01-01

cardiovascular adolescentes do gênero masculino. Estudo transversal, que incluiu 1.152 adolescentes do gênero masculino (14 a 19 anos). Componentes de baixa e alta frequência (absolutos e unidades normalizadas), razão componente de baixa frequência/componente de alta frequência e poder total da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca foram obtidos em repouso, na posição supina, usando os métodos transformada rápida de Fourier e autorregressivo. Todos os parâmetros da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca para ambos os métodos foram diferentes (p<0,05). Entretanto, um pequeno tamanho do efeito (<0,1) foi observado para todos os parâmetros. Os coeficientes de correlação intraclasse entre os métodos variaram de 0,96 a 0,99, enquanto os coeficientes de variação foram de 7,4 a 14,8%. A circunferência abdominal foi negativamente associada com o componente de alta frequência, e positivamente associada com o componente de baixa frequência e o balanço simpatovagal (p<0,001 para a transformada rápida de Fourier e o autorregressivo em todas as associações). A pressão arterial sistólica foi negativamente associada com o poder total e o componente de alta frequência, enquanto foi positivamente associada com o componente de baixa frequência e o balanço simpatovagal (p<0,001 para a transformada rápida de Fourier e o autorregressivo em todas as associações). O índice de massa corporal foi negativamente associado com o componente de alta frequência, enquanto foi positivamente associado com o componente de baixa frequência e o balanço simpatovagal (valores de p variando de <0,001 a 0,007). Houve diferenças significantes nos parâmetros da variabilidade da frequência cardíaca obtidos com os métodos transformada rápida de Fourier e autorregressivo em adolescentes masculinos, mas essas diferenças não foram clinicamente significativas.

da Vinci decoded: does da Vinci stereopsis rely on disparity?

PubMed

Tsirlin, Inna; Wilcox, Laurie M; Allison, Robert S

2012-11-01

In conventional stereopsis, the depth between two objects is computed based on the retinal disparity in the position of matching points in the two eyes. When an object is occluded by another object in the scene, so that it is visible only in one eye, its retinal disparity cannot be computed. Nakayama and Shimojo (1990) found that a precept of quantitative depth between the two objects could still be established for such stimuli and proposed that this precept is based on the constraints imposed by occlusion geometry. They named this and other occlusion-based depth phenomena "da Vinci stereopsis." Subsequent research found quantitative depth based on occlusion geometry in several other classes of stimuli grouped under the term da Vinci stereopsis. However, Nakayama and Shimojo's findings were later brought into question by Gillam, Cook, and Blackburn (2003), who suggested that quantitative depth in their stimuli was perceived based on conventional disparity. In order to understand whether da Vinci stereopsis relies on one type of mechanism or whether its function is stimulus dependent we examine the nature and source of depth in the class of stimuli used by Nakayama and Shimojo (1990). We use three different psychophysical and computational methods to show that the most likely source for depth in these stimuli is occlusion geometry. Based on these experiments and previous data we discuss the potential mechanisms responsible for processing depth from monocular features in da Vinci stereopsis.

Effect of 14-kDa and 47-kDa protein molecules of age garlic extract on peritoneal macrophages.

PubMed

Daneshmandi, Saeed; Hajimoradi, Monire; Ahmadabad, Hasan Namdar; Hassan, Zuhair Mohammad; Roudbary, Maryam; Ghazanfari, Tooba

2011-03-01

Garlic (Allium sativum), traditionally being used as a spice worldwide, has different applications and is claimed to possess beneficial effects in several health ailments such as tumor and atherosclerosis. Garlic is also an immunomodulator and its different components are responsible for different properties. The present work aimed to assess the effect of protein fractions of garlic on peritoneal macrophages. 14-kDa and 47-kDa protein fractions of garlic were purified. Mice peritoneal macrophages were lavaged and cultured in a microtiter plate and exposed to different concentrations of garlic proteins. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the viability of macrophage. The amount of nitric oxide (NO) was detected in culture supernatants of macrophages by Griess reagent and furthermore, the cytotoxicity study of culture supernatants was carried out on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cell line as tumor necrosis factor-α bioassay. MTT assay results for both 14-kDa and 47-kDa protein fractions of stimulated macrophages were not significant (P > 0.05). Both 14-kDa and 47-kDa fractions significantly suppressed production of NO from macrophages (P = 0.007 and P = 0.003, respectively). Cytotoxicity of macrophages' supernatant on WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells was not affected by garlic protein fractions (P = 0.066 for 14-kDa and P = 0.085 for 47-kDa fractions). according to our finding, 14-kDa and 47-kDa fractions of aged garlic extract are able to suppress NO production from macrophages, which can be used as a biological advantage. These molecules had no cytotoxic effect on macrophages and do not increase tumoricidal property of macrophages.

PNAUM: integrated approach to Pharmaceutical Services, Science, Technology and Innovation.

PubMed

Gadelha, Carlos Augusto Grabois; Costa, Karen Sarmento; Nascimento, José Miguel do; Soeiro, Orlando Mário; Mengue, Sotero Serrate; Motta, Márcia Luz da; Carvalho, Antônio Carlos Campos de

2016-12-01

This paper describes the development process of the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines) based on an integrated approach to pharmaceutical services, science, technology and innovation. It starts by contextualizing health and development in Brazil and features elements of the National Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation in Health in Brazil and the National Policy for Pharmaceutical Services. On presenting pharmaceutical policy guidelines, it stresses the lack of nationwide data. This survey, commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, has two components: household survey and evaluation of pharmaceutical services in primary care. The findings point to perspectives that represent, besides the enhancement of public policy for pharmaceutical services and public health, results of government action aimed at developing the economic and industrial health care complex to improve the health conditions of the Brazilian population. RESUMO O artigo apresenta o processo de construção da Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamento a partir de uma concepção integradora da Assistência Farmacêutica, Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação. Inicia-se contextualizando a saúde e o desenvolvimento no País e apresenta elementos da Política Nacional de Ciência Tecnologia e Inovação em Saúde no Brasil e da Política Nacional de Assistência Farmacêutica. Ao apresentar as diretrizes das Políticas Farmacêuticas, destaca-se a carência de dados de abrangência nacional. A presente pesquisa, encomendada pelo Ministério da Saúde, foi estruturada em dois componentes: inquérito domiciliar e avaliação dos serviços de assistência farmacêutica na atenção básica. As perspectivas dos resultados representam, além do incremento das políticas públicas farmacêuticas e de saúde p

Use of technologies in intravenous therapy: contributions to a safer practice.

PubMed

Moreira, Ana Paula Amorim; Escudeiro, Cristina Lavoyer; Christovam, Bárbara Pompeu; Silvino, Zenith Rosa; Carvalho, Márglory Fraga de; Silva, Roberto Carlos Lyra da

2017-01-01

To identify what are the difficulties of the nursing staff in the management of technologies during intravenous therapy (IVT) and discuss the difficulties identified under the perspective of patient's safety. Descriptive study of qualitative approach with data collected by semi-structured interview and analyzed by the Alceste software. The greatest difficulty of cognitive and technical emphasis was the lack of training; and regarding administrative emphasis, the greatest difficulty was the lack of material and human resources. Infusion pumps and their proper use were highlighted as the technological resource that most contributed to patient safety. The lack of training is presented as the greatest difficulty of nursing professionals and permeates safety issues of both patient and professional when using the hard technologies in IVT. Training is essential to the development of techniques, considered nursing tools. Identificar quais são as dificuldades da equipe de Enfermagem no manejo das tecnologias durante a terapia intravenosa (TIV) e discutir as dificuldades identificadas sob a perspectiva da segurança do paciente. abordagem qualitativa, do tipo descritivo com dados coletados por entrevista semiestruturada e analisados pelo programa Alceste. A maior dificuldade de ênfase cognitiva e técnica foi a falta de treinamento; e de ênfase administrativa, foi a falta de recursos materiais e humanos. As bombas de infusão e sua utilização adequada foram destacadas como o recurso tecnológico que mais contribuiu para a segurança do paciente. A falta de treinamento é apresentada como a maior dificuldade dos profissionais de Enfermagem e permeia as questões de segurança do paciente e do profissional ao utilizar as tecnologias duras na TIV. O treinamento é imprescindível para o desenvolvimento das técnicas, consideradas como ferramentas do fazer da Enfermagem.

Influence of age on clinical outcomes of three-dimensional transfer of the tibial tuberosity for patellar instability with patella alta.

PubMed

Otsuki, Shuhei; Nakajima, Mikio; Fujiwara, Kenta; Okamoto, Yoshinori; Iida, Go; Murakami, Tomohiko; Neo, Masashi

2017-08-01

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of three-dimensional (3D) transfer of the tibial tuberosity for patellar instability with patella alta, with a focus on the influence of age at initial surgery. Three-dimensional surgery was performed on 28 knees with a mean follow-up of 46 months. Patients were separated into three groups based on the age at initial surgery: group A, 10 knees and an average age of 16.3 ± 1.8 (14-19) years; group B, 10 knees and an average age of 22.1 ± 2.5 (20-28) years; and group C, eight knees and an average age of 44.0 ± 2.2 (40-46) years. Patellofemoral geometry improvement focused on patella alta by determining the Insall-Salvati ratio and Caton-Deschamps index, rotational malalignment by measuring the tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance, and lateral patellar subluxation by measuring the patellar tilt. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Lysholm and Kujala scores, which were compared before and after surgery. Cartilage degeneration was evaluated by the International Cartilage Repair Society grading system at initial arthroscopy. The patellar height, TT-TG, and patellar tilt significantly improved in all groups postoperatively (p < 0.05). The Lysholm and Kujala scores also significantly improved postoperatively; however, both scores were lower in group C than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Particularly, pain scores were more severe in group C than in the other groups, and the severity of cartilage degeneration correlated with the pain scores (p < 0.05). Cartilage damage differed significantly between the groups at initial arthroscopy; particularly, group C included grades III and IV cartilage degeneration (p < 0.05). Age at initial surgery may be the predicting factor for poor clinical outcomes of 3D transfer surgery. The clinical outcome may depend on the age at surgery, which correlated with cartilage damage; thus, surgeons should be given this information when patients are considered undergoing patella

The da Vinci robot.

PubMed

Moran, Michael E

2006-12-01

One might assume from the title of this paper that the nuances of a complex mechanical robot will be discussed, and this would be correct. On the other hand, the date of the design and possible construction of this robot was 1495, a little more than five centuries ago. The key point in the title is the lack of a trademarked name, as Leonardo was the designer of this sophisticated system. His notes from the Codex Altanticus represent the foundation of this report. English translations of da Vinci's notebooks are currently available. Beginning in the 1950s, investigators at the University of California began to ponder the significance of some of da Vinci's markings on what appeared to be technical drawings. Such markings also occur in his Codex Atlanticus (the largest single collection of da Vinci's sheets, consisting of 1119 separate pages and 481 folios) along with a large number of other mechanical devices. Continuing research at the Instituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence has yielded a great deal of information about Leonardo's intentions with regard to his mechanical knight. It is now known that da Vinci's robot would have had the outer appearance of a Germanic knight. It had a complex core of mechanical devices that probably was human powered. The robot had two independent operating systems. The first had three degree-of-freedom legs, ankles, knees, and hips. The second had four degrees of freedom in the arms with articulated shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. A mechanical analog-programmable controller within the chest provided the power and control for the arms. The legs were powered by an external crank arrangement driving the cable, which connected to key locations near each lower extremity's joints. Da Vinci also is known to have devised a programmable front-wheel-drive automobile with rack-and-pinion suspension mechanisms at age 26. He would recall this device again, when, at age 40, he is thought to have built a programmable automated

PKC phosphorylates residues in the N-terminal of the DA transporter to regulate amphetamine-induced DA efflux.

PubMed

Wang, Qiang; Bubula, Nancy; Brown, Jason; Wang, Yunliang; Kondev, Veronika; Vezina, Paul

2016-05-27

The DA transporter (DAT), a phosphoprotein, controls extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the central nervous system through transport or reverse transport (efflux). Multiple lines of evidence support the claim that PKC significantly contributes to amphetamine-induced DA efflux. Other signaling pathways, involving CaMKII and ERK, have also been shown to regulate DAT mediated efflux. Here we assessed the contribution of putative PKC residues (S4, S7, S13) in the N-terminal of the DAT to amphetamine-induced DA efflux by transfecting DATs containing different serine to alanine (S-A) point mutations into DA pre-loaded HEK-293 cells and incubating these cells in amphetamine (2μM). The effects of a S-A mutation at the non-PKC residue S12 and a threonine to alanine (T-A) mutation at the ERK T53 residue were also assessed for comparison. WT-DATs were used as controls. In an initial experiment, we confirmed that inhibiting PKC with Go6976 (130nM) significantly reduced amphetamine-induced DA efflux. In subsequent experiments, cells transfected with the S4A, S12A, S13A, T53A and S4,7,13A mutants showed a reduction in amphetamine-induced DA efflux similar to that observed with Go6976. Interestingly, cells transfected with the S7A mutant, identified by some as a PKC-PKA residue, showed unperturbed WT-DAT levels of amphetamine-induced DA efflux. These results indicate that phosphorylation by PKC of select residues in the DAT N-terminal can regulate amphetamine-induced efflux. PKC can act either independently or in concert with other kinases such as ERK to produce this effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

32 CFR 516.25 - DA Form 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true DA Form 4. 516.25 Section 516.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Reporting Legal Proceedings to HQDA § 516.25 DA Form 4. (a) General. The DA Form 4 (See figure C-2...

Beyond Donor-Acceptor (D-A) Approach: Structure-Optoelectronic Properties-Organic Photovoltaic Performance Correlation in New D-A1 -D-A2 Low-Bandgap Conjugated Polymers.

PubMed

Chochos, Christos L; Drakopoulou, Sofia; Katsouras, Athanasios; Squeo, Benedetta M; Sprau, Christian; Colsmann, Alexander; Gregoriou, Vasilis G; Cando, Alex-Palma; Allard, Sybille; Scherf, Ullrich; Gasparini, Nicola; Kazerouni, Negar; Ameri, Tayebeh; Brabec, Christoph J; Avgeropoulos, Apostolos

2017-04-01

Low-bandgap near-infrared polymers are usually synthesized using the common donor-acceptor (D-A) approach. However, recently polymer chemists are introducing more complex chemical concepts for better fine tuning of their optoelectronic properties. Usually these studies are limited to one or two polymer examples in each case study so far, though. In this study, the dependence of optoelectronic and macroscopic (device performance) properties in a series of six new D-A 1 -D-A 2 low bandgap semiconducting polymers is reported for the first time. Correlation between the chemical structure of single-component polymer films and their optoelectronic properties has been achieved in terms of absorption maxima, optical bandgap, ionization potential, and electron affinity. Preliminary organic photovoltaic results based on blends of the D-A 1 -D-A 2 polymers as the electron donor mixed with the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C 71 -butyric acid methyl ester demonstrate power conversion efficiencies close to 4% with short-circuit current densities (J sc ) of around 11 mA cm -2 , high fill factors up to 0.70, and high open-circuit voltages (V oc s) of 0.70 V. All the devices are fabricated in an inverted architecture with the photoactive layer processed in air with doctor blade technique, showing the compatibility with roll-to-roll large-scale manufacturing processes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Ubiquitin Receptor DA1 Interacts with the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase DA2 to Regulate Seed and Organ Size in Arabidopsis[C][W

PubMed Central

Xia, Tian; Li, Na; Dumenil, Jack; Li, Jie; Kamenski, Andrei; Bevan, Michael W.; Gao, Fan; Li, Yunhai

2013-01-01

Seed size in higher plants is determined by the coordinated growth of the embryo, endosperm, and maternal tissue. Several factors that act maternally to regulate seed size have been identified, such as AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR2, APETALA2, KLUH, and DA1, but the genetic and molecular mechanisms of these factors in seed size control are almost totally unknown. We previously demonstrated that the ubiquitin receptor DA1 acts synergistically with the E3 ubiquitin ligase ENHANCER1 OF DA1 (EOD1)/BIG BROTHER to regulate the final size of seeds in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe another RING-type protein with E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, encoded by DA2, which regulates seed size by restricting cell proliferation in the maternal integuments of developing seeds. The da2-1 mutant forms large seeds, while overexpression of DA2 decreases seed size of wild-type plants. Overexpression of rice (Oryza sativa) GRAIN WIDTH AND WEIGHT2, a homolog of DA2, restricts seed growth in Arabidopsis. Genetic analyses show that DA2 functions synergistically with DA1 to regulate seed size, but does so independently of EOD1. Further results reveal that DA2 interacts physically with DA1 in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, our findings define the genetic and molecular mechanisms of three ubiquitin-related proteins DA1, DA2, and EOD1 in seed size control and indicate that they are promising targets for crop improvement. PMID:24045020

Evolução temporal de discos circunstelares em estrelas Be

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, M. V. M.; Leister, N. V.; Levenhagen, R. S.

2003-08-01

A pesquisa do mecanismo que leva uma estrela do tipo Be a perder massa e formar um envelope circunstelar, nomeado como fenômeno Be, é uma questão em aberto, intrigante, e que adquire contornos interessantes em face às informações espectroscópicas de alta resolução. Nesta última década, consolida-se a idéia de que a forma destes envelopes é de tipo discóide, obedecendo a uma lei Kepleriana de velocidades, e mais ainda, recentemente há evidências de que a distribuição de matéria nestes discos pode assumir um caráter de anel. Medidas de algumas dimensões de discos circunstelares puderam ser obtidas pela análise de espectros de alta resolução e alta relação sinal-ruído para as estrelas Be: alpha Eri (HD 10144, B3Vpe), omicron And (HD 217675, B6IIIpe), e eta Cen (HD el972, B1.5Vne), no período dos anos de 1991 a 2001. Alguns modelos clássicos de envelope predizem uma distribuição de massa que decresce suavemente a partir da superfície estelar. Entretanto, considerando que a separação de picos de emissão em perfis de linhas do HeI e H-alpha, alargados por efeitos cinemáticos, é função do raio estelar e da velocidade rotacional projetada (vsini); nossos resultados sugerem a presença de um anel de matéria circunstelar, que aparece logo após a ejeção do material fotosférico, imediatamente acima da superfície estelar, e que se expande para raios maiores ao longo do tempo, eventualmente desconectando-se da superfície por uma região de densidade de matéria mínima. Tais interpretações revivem a idéia de que anéis de matéria circunstelar podem ser os responsáveis por algumas variabilidades em perfis de linhas de emissão, como as variações V/R.

Teaching astronomy mediated by information and communication technologies: a preliminary approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosa, R. H. L.; Voelzke, M. R.

2014-08-01

O presente trabalho é parte preliminar de um estudo mais amplo em nível de doutorado sobre o ensino de astronomia mediado pelas tecnologias da informação e comunicação, utilizando dispositivos compactos, móveis e pessoais. Este estudo também faz parte do projeto institucional do CEFETMG sobre ambientes diversificados de aprendizagem sob fomento da agência estadual FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais). Esta apresentação aborda o resultado das concepções prévias de estudantes em relação a conhecimentos básicos de astronomia, ligados à percepção e observação direta do céu. Três turmas de estudantes de 1ª série e uma turma de 3ª série do ensino integrado médio técnico da Educação Básica, Técnica e Tecnológica (EBTT) do CEFETMG Campus II - Belo Horizonte/MG foram submetidas a uma avaliação prévia através de questionário estruturado. Este questionário foi elaborado de forma a abordar a percepção dos estudantes em relação aos recursos gráficos (figuras e desenhos) representativos de conhecimentos básicos de astronomia, comuns em livros didáticos. Após a análise dos resultados desta avaliação, organizou-se uma estratégia de intervenção didática em sala de aula sobre o conteúdo de astronomia, utilizando-se de recursos de mediação baseados nas tecnologias da informação e comunicação. Os temas selecionados para esta estratégia didática foram relacionados aos assuntos básicos de astronomia em que ocorreu maior nível de desconhecimento dos estudantes. Os estudantes foram submetidos a avaliação posterior elaborada com os mesmos pressupostos da avaliação prévia. A análise dos resultados foi realizada a partir dos pressupostos da aprendizagem significativa (Ausubel; Novak e Hanesian, 1983). O ensino de astronomia por mediação das tecnologias da informação e comunicação indica uma alternativa preliminar aos trabalhos de campo usuais orientados na prática escolar, tais

Leonardo da Vinci and the Downburst.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gedzelman, Stanley David

1990-05-01

Evidence from the drawings, experiments, and writings of Leonardo da Vinci are presented to demonstrate that da Vinci recognized and, possibly, discovered the downburst and understood its associated airflow. Other early references to vortex flows resembling downbursts are mentioned.

The environmental balance of the Alta Val d'Agri: a contribution to the evaluation of the industrial risk and strategic sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loperte, S.; Cosmi, C.

2015-09-01

This study presents the preliminary environmental balance of the Alta Val d'Agri (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy), an area of great naturalistic interest characterized by the presence of huge oil and gas fields. The Driving Forces-Pressure-State-Impact-Responses (DPSIR) methodology was used to outline the background in terms of environmental impacts mainly caused by oil extraction activities, as well as potential existing responses. The study aims at providing stakeholders with an exhaustive framework to identify the existing data, the main sources of pollution, their potential impacts, the associated industrial risks and the existing policy strategies. Moreover, the DPSIR approach allows the identification of the vulnerable areas and the definition of targeted actions for a sustainable development of the area.

Test Review: TestDaF

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, John; Drackert, Anastasia

2018-01-01

The Test of German as a Foreign Language (TestDaF) plays a critical role as a standardized test of German language proficiency. Developed and administered by the Society for Academic Study Preparation and Test Development (g.a.s.t.), TestDaF was launched in 2001 and has experienced persistent annual growth, with more than 44,000 test takers in…

Overview of ATLAS PanDA Workload Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeno, T.; De, K.; Wenaus, T.; Nilsson, P.; Stewart, G. A.; Walker, R.; Stradling, A.; Caballero, J.; Potekhin, M.; Smith, D.; ATLAS Collaboration

2011-12-01

The Production and Distributed Analysis System (PanDA) plays a key role in the ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure. All ATLAS Monte-Carlo simulation and data reprocessing jobs pass through the PanDA system. We will describe how PanDA manages job execution on the grid using dynamic resource estimation and data replication together with intelligent brokerage in order to meet the scaling and automation requirements of ATLAS distributed computing. PanDA is also the primary ATLAS system for processing user and group analysis jobs, bringing further requirements for quick, flexible adaptation to the rapidly evolving analysis use cases of the early datataking phase, in addition to the high reliability, robustness and usability needed to provide efficient and transparent utilization of the grid for analysis users. We will describe how PanDA meets ATLAS requirements, the evolution of the system in light of operational experience, how the system has performed during the first LHC data-taking phase and plans for the future.

Overview of ATLAS PanDA Workload Management

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

Maeno T.; De K.; Wenaus T.

2011-01-01

The Production and Distributed Analysis System (PanDA) plays a key role in the ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure. All ATLAS Monte-Carlo simulation and data reprocessing jobs pass through the PanDA system. We will describe how PanDA manages job execution on the grid using dynamic resource estimation and data replication together with intelligent brokerage in order to meet the scaling and automation requirements of ATLAS distributed computing. PanDA is also the primary ATLAS system for processing user and group analysis jobs, bringing further requirements for quick, flexible adaptation to the rapidly evolving analysis use cases of the early datataking phase, in additionmore » to the high reliability, robustness and usability needed to provide efficient and transparent utilization of the grid for analysis users. We will describe how PanDA meets ATLAS requirements, the evolution of the system in light of operational experience, how the system has performed during the first LHC data-taking phase and plans for the future.« less

Vi-da: vitiligo diagnostic assistance mobile application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraha, G. A.; Nurhudatiana, A.; Bahana, R.

2018-03-01

Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which white patches of depigmentation appear on different parts of the body. Usually, patients come to hospitals or clinics to have their vitiligo conditions assessed. This can be very tiring to the patients, as vitiligo treatments usually take a relatively long period of time, which can range from months to years. To address this challenge, we present in this paper a prototype of an Android-based mobile application called Vi-DA, which stands for Vitiligo Diagnostic Assistance. Vi-DA consists of three subsystems, which are user sign-up subsystem, camera and image analysis subsystem, and progress report subsystem. The mobile application was developed in Java programming language and uses MySQL as the database system. Vi-DA adopts a vitiligo segmentation algorithm to segment input image into normal skin area, vitiligo skin area, and non-skin area. Results showed that Vi-DA gave comparable results to the previous system implemented in Matlab. User acceptance testing results also showed that all respondents agreed on the usefulness of the system and agreed to use Vi-DA again in the future. Vi-DA benefits both dermatologists and patients as not only a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) tool but also as a smart application that can be used for self-assessment at home.

Metaproteomics of Microbiota in Naturally Fermented Soybean Paste, Da-jiang.

PubMed

Zhang, Ping; Zhang, Pengfei; Xie, Mengxi; An, Feiyu; Qiu, Boshu; Wu, Rina

2018-05-01

Da-jiang is a typical traditional fermented soybean product in China. At present, the proteins in da-jiang are needed to be explored. The composition and species of microbial proteins in traditional fermented da-jiang were analyzed by metaproteomics based on sodium dodecyl sulfonate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that the number and variety of microbial proteins in the traditional fermented da-jiang from different regions were different. The production site influences the fermentation in da-jiang. Then we analyzed the functions of the microbial proteins identified in da-jiang, and found that they were mainly involved in the process of protein synthesis, glycometabolism and nucleic acid synthesis. In addtion, we compared the proteins composition in different da-jiang. There are 51 common proteins of naturally fermented da-jiang, and 25 common microbial sources. The main commonly microbial sources of fungal proteins are Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces; the main commonly microbial sources of bacterial proteins are Enterococcus faecalis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Bacillus subtilis. These common microbes play the predominant role in da-jiang fermentation. The present results help us to understand the fermentation of da-jiang and improve the quality and safety of final products in the future. The study illustrated metaproteome of microbiota in traditional fermented soybean paste, da-jiang, by sodium dodecyl sulfonate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A method of extracting metaproteome from microbiota in da-jiang was attempted. The findings help to understand the fermentation of da-jiang and improve the quality and safety of da-jiang in fermented industry. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Health technology assessment (HTA) organizations: dimensions of the institutional and political framework.

PubMed

Novaes, Hillegonda Maria Dutilh; Soárez, Patrícia Coelho de

2016-11-03

Health technology assessment (HTA) is consolidated as a scientific and technological practice. The aim of this study is to identify HTA organizations from different settings and analyze their relevant dimensions in terms of effectiveness/impact, in order to address the challenges they face in Brazil. Narrative literature review based on data and websites of HTA organizations. There are well-established activity development processes in all organizations. These activities have specific features in their profile, in the process of technology assessment, decision and implementation of technologies that influence their potential impact on health systems. Agencies share in common the challenges of ranking the technologies to be assessed, and the implementation of their recommendations. Technical and political strengthening of the institutionalization of HTA in Brazil may foster scientific, technological and innovation policies, effectively impacting health policies. Resumo: A avaliação de tecnologias em saúde (ATS) está consolidada enquanto prática científica e tecnológica. O objetivo do estudo é identificar organizações de ATS de diferentes contextos e analisá-las de acordo com dimensões relevantes na avaliação de sua efetividade/impacto, buscando contribuir com os desafios enfrentados no contexto nacional. Revisão narrativa da literatura, realizada em bases de dados e web sites de organizações de ATS. Existem processos de desenvolvimento das atividades bem estabelecidos em todas as organizações. Elas apresentam particularidades no seu perfil, nos processos de avaliação, decisão e implementação das tecnologias que influenciam o seu impacto potencial sobre os sistemas de saúde. As agências compartilham os desafios de priorização das tecnologias a serem avaliadas e implementação das suas recomendações. O fortalecimento técnico e político do processo de institucionalização da ATS no contexto nacional poderá contribuir com as pol

Estudio fotométrico de estrellas tardías de alta luminosidad en 23 cúmulos abiertos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clariá, J. J.; Piatti, A. E.; Osborn, W.

Se presentan resultados obtenidos en los Observatorios de Cerro Tololo, Kitt Peak, Lowell y Las Campanas, a partir de fotometría UBV y DDO de 54 estrellas tardías de alta luminosidad en 23 cúmulos abiertos. La aplicación de dos criterios fotométricos independientes permite asignar a cada estrella probabilidades de pertenencia a cada agregado. Se encuentra que 32 estrellas son muy probablemente miembros de los cúmulos, mientras que las restantes son objetos del campo. En todos los casos se determinan excesos de color E(B-V) a través de procedimientos fotométricos y espectroscópicos tradicionales. Recientes calibraciones del sistema DDO permiten, además, derivar tipos espectrales MK, temperaturas efectivas, y abundancias superficiales de la muestra examinada. Las metalicidades DDO derivadas se distribuyen entre valores típicos de cúmulos moderadamente pobres en metales ([Fe/H]~=-0.3) y moderadamente ricos ([Fe/H]~=0.2), en tanto que las masas calculadas para las gigantes rojas oscilan entre 1 y 4 masas solares, con una dispersión dentro de cada cúmulo menor que 1 Msolar.

Análise cinemática bi-dimensional dos núcleos de NGC 4051 e NGC 4941

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa, F. K. B.; Storchi-Bermagnn, T.; Schmitt, H. R.; Cid Fernandes, R.; Winge, C.

2003-08-01

Estudos recentes da cinemática da região dentro de 1 kpc do núcleo de galaxias Seyfert próximas usando espectroscopia de fenda longa com alta resolução espacial (~ 100 pc ou melhores) encontraram uma queda na dispersão de velocidades nas regiões centrais dentro de um raio de ~ 300 pc do núcleo. Essa queda vem sendo tentativamente explicada por um cenário evolutivo em que um evento de formação estelar recente cria as estrelas da região central em um disco de dimensões 300 pc. Desde sua criação, tais estrelas não tiveram tempo de "virializar", ou seja, seguir a distribuição radial de dispersões de velocidades determinada pelo campo gavitacional da galáxia e, portanto, a dispersão de velocidades medida nessa região do bojo acaba sendo menor do que a dispersão medida nas vizinhanças. No presente trabalho investigamos a cinemática estelar no núcleo das galáxias Seyfert NGC 4051 e NGC 4941 usando o tripleto do Ca ii (8500 Å) em absorção. Os dados foram obtidos com o IFU GMOS no telescópio Gemini. O elemento de resolução espacial nas galáxias é da ordem de 30 pc. No intervalo espectral coberto pelo espectrografo a linha [S iii] (9068 Å) também é visível, o que permite estudar a cinemática do gás na mesma região. Serão apresentados mapas bi-dimensionais da velocidade e dispersão de velocidades das estrelas e do gás, além de imagens na linha [S iii] que mapeia o gás de alta excitação.

[Trattamento del disturbo da uso di alcol da un punto di vista psicologico].

PubMed

Coriale, Giovanna; Fiorentino, Daniela; De Rosa, Francesca; Solombrino, Simona; Scalese, Bruna; Ciccarelli, Rosaria; Attilia, Fabio; Vitali, Mario; Musetti, Alessia; Fiore, Marco; Ceccanti, Mauro

2018-01-01

RIASSUNTO. L'elaborazione del piano di trattamento rappresenta un momento molto delicato e complesso del processo terapeutico del disturbo da abuso di alcol (DUA). È la fase in cui le informazioni raccolte da un'équipe di professionisti (medici, psicologi e assistenti sociali) (modello bio-psico-sociale del DUA) vengono messe insieme per decidere il percorso terapeutico più adatto. Per quanto riguarda la parte psicologica, è di notevole importanza scegliere un trattamento clinico in grado di ridurre al minimo la mancata adesione al trattamento e, per i soggetti che rimangono in trattamento, di garantirne l'efficacia. Se da una parte, le tecniche psicoanalitiche e comportamentali hanno fornito le basi della terapia psicologica dell'alcolismo, dall'altra, gli approcci basati sull'evidenza scientifica sono stati elaborati a partire dai principi del colloquio motivazionale e della terapia cognitivo-comportamentale. In questo articolo viene fornita una panoramica dei trattamenti che sono risultati più efficaci nel trattare il DUA e delle modalità temporali più adeguate per monitorare l'efficacia del trattamento.

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of DA-9601 versus Its New Formulation, DA-5204, in Patients with Gastritis: Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Study.

PubMed

Choi, Yoon Jin; Lee, Dong Ho; Choi, Myung Gyu; Lee, Sung Joon; Kim, Sung Kook; Song, Geun Am; Rhee, Poong Lyul; Jung, Hwoon Yong; Kang, Dae Hwan; Lee, Yong Chan; Lee, Si Hyung; Choi, Suck Chei; Shim, Ki Nam; Seol, Sang Yong; Moon, Jeong Seop; Shin, Yong Woon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Lee, Soo Teik; Cho, Jin Woong; Choi, Eun Kwang; Lee, Oh Young; Jang, Jin Seok

2017-11-01

This study compared the efficacy of DA-9601 (Dong-A ST Co., Seoul, Korea) and its new formulation, DA-5204 (Dong-A ST Co.), for treating erosive gastritis. This phase III, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, non-inferiority trial randomly assigned 434 patients with endoscopically proven gastric mucosal erosions into two groups: DA-9601 3 times daily or DA-5,204 twice daily for 2 weeks. The final analysis included 421 patients (DA-5204, 209; DA-9601, 212). The primary endpoint (rate of effective gastric erosion healing) and secondary endpoints (cure rate of endoscopic erosion and gastrointestinal [GI] symptom relief) were assessed using endoscopy after the treatment. Drug-related adverse events (AEs), including GI symptoms, were also compared. At week 2, gastric healing rates with DA-5204 and DA-9601 were 42.1% (88/209) and 42.5% (90/212), respectively. The difference between the groups was -0.4% (95% confidence interval, -9.8% to 9.1%), which was above the non-inferiority margin of -14%. The cure rate of gastric erosion in both groups was 37.3%. The improvement rates of GI symptoms with DA-5204 and DA-9601 were 40.4% and 40.8%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in both secondary endpoints. AEs were reported in 18 (8.4%) patients in the DA-5204 group and 19 (8.8%) in the DA-9601 group. Rates of AE were not different between the two groups. No serious AE or adverse drug reaction (ADR) occurred. These results demonstrate the non-inferiority of DA-5204 compared to DA-9601. DA-5204 is as effective as DA-9601 in the treatment of erosive gastritis. Registered randomized clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02282670). © 2017 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

VerSeDa: vertebrate secretome database

PubMed Central

Cortazar, Ana R.; Oguiza, José A.

2017-01-01

Based on the current tools, de novo secretome (full set of proteins secreted by an organism) prediction is a time consuming bioinformatic task that requires a multifactorial analysis in order to obtain reliable in silico predictions. Hence, to accelerate this process and offer researchers a reliable repository where secretome information can be obtained for vertebrates and model organisms, we have developed VerSeDa (Vertebrate Secretome Database). This freely available database stores information about proteins that are predicted to be secreted through the classical and non-classical mechanisms, for the wide range of vertebrate species deposited at the NCBI, UCSC and ENSEMBL sites. To our knowledge, VerSeDa is the only state-of-the-art database designed to store secretome data from multiple vertebrate genomes, thus, saving an important amount of time spent in the prediction of protein features that can be retrieved from this repository directly. Database URL: VerSeDa is freely available at http://genomics.cicbiogune.es/VerSeDa/index.php PMID:28365718

VerSeDa: vertebrate secretome database.

PubMed

Cortazar, Ana R; Oguiza, José A; Aransay, Ana M; Lavín, José L

2017-01-01

Based on the current tools, de novo secretome (full set of proteins secreted by an organism) prediction is a time consuming bioinformatic task that requires a multifactorial analysis in order to obtain reliable in silico predictions. Hence, to accelerate this process and offer researchers a reliable repository where secretome information can be obtained for vertebrates and model organisms, we have developed VerSeDa (Vertebrate Secretome Database). This freely available database stores information about proteins that are predicted to be secreted through the classical and non-classical mechanisms, for the wide range of vertebrate species deposited at the NCBI, UCSC and ENSEMBL sites. To our knowledge, VerSeDa is the only state-of-the-art database designed to store secretome data from multiple vertebrate genomes, thus, saving an important amount of time spent in the prediction of protein features that can be retrieved from this repository directly. VerSeDa is freely available at http://genomics.cicbiogune.es/VerSeDa/index.php. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Raven surgical robot training in preparation for da vinci.

PubMed

Glassman, Deanna; White, Lee; Lewis, Andrew; King, Hawkeye; Clarke, Alicia; Glassman, Thomas; Comstock, Bryan; Hannaford, Blake; Lendvay, Thomas S

2014-01-01

The rapid adoption of robotic assisted surgery challenges the pace at which adequate robotic training can occur due to access limitations to the da Vinci robot. Thirty medical students completed a randomized controlled trial evaluating whether the Raven robot could be used as an alternative training tool for the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) block transfer task on the da Vinci robot. Two groups, one trained on the da Vinci and one trained on the Raven, were tested on a criterion FLS block transfer task on the da Vinci. After robotic FLS block transfer proficiency training there was no statistically significant difference between path length (p=0.39) and economy of motion scores (p=0.06) between the two groups, but those trained on the da Vinci did have faster task times (p=0.01). These results provide evidence for the value of using the Raven robot for training prior to using the da Vinci surgical system for similar tasks.

Construção de um catálogo de aglomerados abertos para estudo da dinâmica da estrutura espiral da Galáxia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlos, I. M.; Lépine, J. R. D.

2003-08-01

Os aglomerados abertos são objetos de grande valor para o estudo da dinâmica da Galáxia devido esses objetos terem uma faixa de idade relativamente ampla. O trabalho visa estudar a dinâmica da estrutura espiral da Galáxia principalmente através do uso desses aglomerados, uma vez que o estudo da cinemática desses objetos é fundamental para esse objetivo. Nosso grupo trabalha no sentido de construir uma base de dados de aglomerados abertos contendo coordenadas, distância, idade, movimentos próprios e velocidades radiais e já disponibiliza uma nova versão do catálogo de aglomerados abertos o qual é uma compilação de edições anteriores, principalmente Lynga (1987), Mermilliod (1995) e ESO-B (Lauberts 1982). Nossa amostra possui cerca de 1630 aglomerados, mas nem todos os parâmetros acima citados foram determinados em sua totalidade. Para determinarmos esses parâmetros, derivamos as cores intrínsecas das estrelas membro de cada aglomerado a partir de seus tipos espectrais (busca feita no SIMBAD) obtendo assim o excesso de cor individual. A distribuição dos excessos de cor foi então utilizada para derivarmos o avermelhamento médio para cada aglomerado. De maneira similar, os tipos espectrais foram usados para estimar as magnitudes absolutas, e com as magnitudes absolutas e aparentes determinamos a respectiva distribuição do módulo de distância e finalmente a distância. Para determinar as idades foram confeccionados os diagramas cor-magnitude das estrelas de cada aglomerado onde foram superpostas a Seqüência Principal de Idade Zero (ZAMS). Superpomos a ZAMS de Schmidt-Kaler e isócronas de composição solar. Essas isócronas foram usadas para determinação das idades dos aglomerados. Uma vez que não temos ainda resultados finais, apresentamos então alguns diagramas cor-magnitude os quais foram usados para determinação, principalmente, da distância e idade dos aglomerados.

Tristan da Cunha Island

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-25

Tristan da Cunha is both a remote group of volcanic islands in the south Atlantic, and the main island. It is the most remote inhabited island group in the world, 2400 km from the nearest inhabited land. Tristan has a population of about 250 inhabitants, and is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. In 1961 the eruption of Queen Mary's Peak forced the evacuation of the entire population for two years. The image was acquired October 7, 2017, and is located at 37.1 degrees south, 12.3 degrees west. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22506

[Nursing contributions to the development of the Brazilian Telehealth Lactation Support Program].

PubMed

Prado, Cláudia; Silva, Isília Aparecida; Soares, Alda Valéria Neves; Aragaki, Ilva Marico Mizumoto; Shimoda, Gilcéria Tochika; Zaniboni, Vanessa Forte; Padula, Camila Brolezzi; Muller, Fabiana Swain; Salve, Jeanine Maria; Daré, Sergio Junior; Wen, Chao Lung; Peres, Heloísa Helena Ciqueto; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

2013-08-01

The National Telehealth Program was founded by the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Education (Ministério da Educação - MEC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia - MCT), to support the development of family healthcare teams throughout the country. The São Paulo Telehealth Center has developed the Telehealth Lactation Support program, which provides primary healthcare professionals with information on diverse aspects of breastfeeding. This paper reports the development of the Lactation Support program and the nursing contributions. Project methodology included the formation of a multidisciplinary group of pediatricians, nurses, speech and language therapists, nutritionists, and dentists. Multimedia teaching resources were prepared for inclusion in the Cybertutor platform. Telehealth Lactation Support is an innovative and promising addition to continuing education for healthcare professionals and provides a framework for the development of other programs.

WRS2 UPA DA Removal

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-23

ISS021-E-032275 (23 Nov. 2009) --- NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, STS-129 mission specialist, holds the failed Urine Processor Assembly / Distillation Assembly (UPA DA) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis remains docked with the station. Melvin and European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne (out of frame), Expedition 21 commander, removed and packed the UPA DA, then transferred it from the Water Recovery System 2 (WRS-2) rack to Atlantis for stowage on the middeck.

Interaction between demand-control and social support in the occurrence of common mental disorders.

PubMed

Mattos, Amália Ivine Santana; Araújo, Tânia Maria de; Almeida, Maura Maria Guimarães de

2017-05-15

To analyze the interaction between the psychosocial aspects of work and the occurrence of common mental disorders among health workers. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with a representative sample of workers of the primary health care of five municipalities of the State of Bahia, Brazil, in 2012. The variable of outcome were the common mental disorders evaluated by the SRQ-20, and the variables of exposure were high demand (high psychological demand and low control over the work) and low social support in the workplace. Interaction was checked by the deviation of the additivity of the effects for the factors studied from the calculation of excess risk from interaction, proportion of cases attributed to interaction, and the synergy index. The global prevalence of common mental disorders was 21%. The group of combined exposure has shown higher magnitude (high demand and low social support), reaching 28% when compared to the 17% in the situation of no exposure (low demand and high social support). The results strengthen the hypothesis of interaction between the factors investigated, directing to the synergy of the effects. Analisar a interação entre aspectos psicossociais do trabalho e a ocorrência de transtornos mentais comuns entre trabalhadores da saúde. Estudo transversal conduzido em amostra representativa de trabalhadores da atenção básica de cinco municípios da Bahia em 2012. As variáveis desfecho foram os transtornos mentais comuns avaliados pelo SRQ-20, as de exposição foram a alta exigência (alta demanda psicológica e baixo controle sobre o próprio trabalho) e o baixo apoio social no trabalho. A interação foi verificada pelo afastamento da aditividade dos efeitos para fatores estudados a partir do cálculo do excesso de risco devido à interação, proporção de casos atribuída à interação e índice de sinergia. A prevalência global de transtornos mentais comuns foi de 21%. Apresentou maior magnitude no grupo de exposi

Possibility of the transformation of eEF-2 (100 kDa) to eEF-2 (65 kDa) in the peptide elongation process in vitro.

PubMed

Gajko, A; Sredzińska, K; Galasiński, W; Gindzieński, A

1999-02-16

Two active eEF-2 polypeptides of approximately 100 and 65 kDa were copurified from rat liver cells and separated. The fate of eEF-2 (100 kDa) during its binding to ribosomes and in the translocation step of the peptide elongation process was investigated. It was shown that eEF-2 (100 kDa) did not change its form during the process of binding to the ribosomes. In the postribosomal supernatant, obtained from the postincubation mixture of the elongation process, only eEF-2 (65 kDa) was found. These results suggest that the form of eEF-2 (100 kDa), when bound to the ribosome during the elongation process, is transformed to eEF-2 (65 kDa). Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

[Clinical application of Da Vinci surgical system in China].

PubMed

Jin, Zhenyu

2014-01-01

Da Vinci robotic surgical system leads the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques. By using Da Vinci surgical robot for minimally invasive surgery, it brings a lot of advantages to the surgeons. Since 2008, Da Vinci surgeries have been performed in 14 hospitals in domestic cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Until the end of 2012, 3 551 cases of Da Vinci robotic surgery have been performed, covering various procedures of various surgical departments including the department of general surgery, urology, cardiovascular surgery, thoracic surgery, gynecology, and etc. Robotic surgical technique has made remarkable achievements.

"banca del Fare" Summer School in Alta Langa: «THE Ruins to BE Rebuilt Will BE Our CLASSROOMS». Knowledge from Artisans to New Generations, from Ancient Skills to New Building Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villata, M.

2017-05-01

"Banca del fare" is an ambitious project proposed by "Cultural Park Alta Langa". It is born to hand ancient knowledges down to young people, as meeting place useful to exchange the development of new construction techniques and at the same time the traditional ones. A program of educational workshops, which constitute the summer school, was organized for increasing communication among different generations. Indeed, the last local craftsmen or artisans are coming out from their employment and there is no training process to ensure the migration of knowledge to young architects. The activities of the school took place for the first time during summer of 2016 in Alta Langa, the southern part of Langhe in Piedmont. The landscape of this area is marked by small rural architectures called "ciabòts" shed all over the countryside. Artisans and students work together to recover these buildings every year. The aim of this landscape heritage's valorization is to relate the restored ciabòt into a network, in order to create a widespread hotels system. Therefore, the essay wants to present the results of "Banca del fare" and to suggest a GIS project that can gather information about numerous "ciabòt" widespread in this territory. The interaction between land development and networking process can ensure the optimal reuse of these rural architectures.

WRS2 UPA DA Removal

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-23

ISS021-E-032273 (23 Nov. 2009) --- European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, Expedition 21 commander, holds the failed Urine Processor Assembly / Distillation Assembly (UPA DA) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis remains docked with the station. De Winne and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin (out of frame), STS-129 mission specialist, removed and packed the UPA DA, then transferred it from the Water Recovery System 2 (WRS-2) rack to Atlantis for stowage on the middeck.

Association of subclinical inflammation, glycated hemoglobin and risk for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

D'Aurea, Carolina Vicaria Rodrigues; Cerazi, Bruno Gion de Andrade; Laurinavicius, Antonio Gabriele; Janovsky, Carolina Castro Porto Silva; Conceição, Raquel Dilguerian de Oliveira; Santos, Raul D; Bittencourt, Márcio Sommer

2017-01-01

,1%). A alteração do questionário de Berlin associou-se positivamente aos resultados da proteína C-reativa de alta sensibilidade e da hemoglobina glicada (p<0,001). No entanto, apenas a associação entre o resultado do questionário de Berlin e a hemoglobina glicada permaneceu significativa na análise multivariada ajustada tanto para fatores de risco tradicionais quanto para um modelo adicional, que incluiu também lipoproteína de alta densidade-colesterol (HDL-c) e triglicérides. A hemoglobina glicada, mesmo em valores abaixo do critério diagnóstico para diabetes mellitus, está associada de forma independente ao risco para síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono, mesmo após ajuste para obesidade e proteína C-reativa. Estes achados sugerem possível ligação fisiopatológica entre alterações na resistência insulínica e a síndrome da apneia obstrutiva do sono, que independe da obesidade ou inflamação de baixo grau.

Transmission Line Ampacity Improvements of AltaLink Wind Plant Overhead Tie-Lines Using Weather-Based Dynamic Line Rating

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

Bhattarai, Bishnu P.; Gentle, Jake P.; Hill, Porter

Abstract—Overhead transmission lines (TLs) are conventionally given seasonal ratings based on conservative environmental assumptions. Such an approach often results in underutilization of the line ampacity as the worst conditions prevail only for a short period over a year/season. We presents dynamic line rating (DLR) as an enabling smart grid technology that adaptively computes ratings of TLs based on local weather conditions to utilize additional headroom of existing lines. In particular, general line ampacity state solver utilizes measured weather data for computing the real-time thermal rating of the TLs. The performance of the presented method is demonstrated from a field studymore » of DLR technology implementation on four TL segments at AltaLink, Canada. The performance is evaluated and quantified by comparing the existing static and proposed dynamic line ratings, and the potential benefits of DLR for enhanced transmission assets utilization. For the given line segments, the proposed DLR results in real-time ratings above the seasonal static ratings for most of the time; up to 95.1% of the time, with a mean increase of 72% over static rating.« less

[da Vinci surgical system].

PubMed

Watanabe, Gou; Ishikawa, Norihiro

2014-07-01

The da Vinci surgical system was developed by Intuitive Surgical Inc. in the United States as an endoscopic surgical device to assist remote control surgeries. In 1998, the Da Vinci system was first used for cardiothoracic procedures. Currently a combination of robot-assisted internal thoracic artery harvest together with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) through a mini-incision (ThoraCAB) or totally endoscopic procedures including anastomoses under robotic assistance (TECAB) are being conducted for the treatment of coronary artery diseases. With the recent advances in catheter interventions, hybrid procedures combining catheter intervention with ThoraCAB or TECAB are anticipated in the future.On the other hand, with the decrease in number of coronary artery bypass surgeries, the share of valvular surgeries is expected to increase in the future. Among them, mitral valvuloplasty for mitral regurgitation is anticipated to be conducted mainly by low-invasive procedures, represented by minimally invasive cardiac surgery( MICS) and robot-assisted surgery. Apart from the intrinsic good surgical view, robotic-assisted systems offer additional advantages of the availability of an amplified view and the easy to observe the mitral valve in the physiological position. Thus, robotic surgical surgeries that make complicated procedures easier are expected to accomplish further developments in the future. Furthermore, while the number of surgeries for atrial septal defects has decreased dramatically following the widespread use of Amplatzer septal occluder, robotic surgery may become a good indication for cases in which the Amplatzer device is not indicated. In Japan, clinical trial of the da Vinci robotic system for heart surgeries has been completed. Statutory approval of the da Vinci system for mitral regurgitation and atrial septal defects is anticipated in the next few years.

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase from bovine heart mitochondria. cDNA sequences of the import precursors of the nuclear-encoded 39 kDa and 42 kDa subunits.

PubMed Central

Fearnley, I M; Finel, M; Skehel, J M; Walker, J E

1991-01-01

The 39 kDa and 42 kDa subunits of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase from bovine heart mitochondria are nuclear-coded components of the hydrophobic protein fraction of the enzyme. Their amino acid sequences have been deduced from the sequences of overlapping cDNA clones. These clones were amplified from total bovine heart cDNA by means of the polymerase chain reaction, with the use of complex mixtures of oligonucleotide primers based upon fragments of protein sequence determined at the N-terminals of the proteins and at internal sites. The protein sequences of the 39 kDa and 42 kDa subunits are 345 and 320 amino acid residues long respectively, and their calculated molecular masses are 39,115 Da and 36,693 Da. Both proteins are predominantly hydrophilic, but each contains one or two hydrophobic segments that could possibly be folded into transmembrane alpha-helices. The bovine 39 kDa protein sequence is related to that of a 40 kDa subunit from complex I from Neurospora crassa mitochondria; otherwise, it is not related significantly to any known sequence, including redox proteins and two polypeptides involved in import of proteins into mitochondria, known as the mitochondrial processing peptidase and the processing-enhancing protein. Therefore the functions of the 39 kDa and 42 kDa subunits of complex I are unknown. The mitochondrial gene product, ND4, a hydrophobic component of complex I with an apparent molecular mass of about 39 kDa, has been identified in preparations of the enzyme. This subunit stains faintly with Coomassie Blue dye, and in many gel systems it is not resolved from the nuclearcoded 36 kDa subunit. Images Fig. 1. PMID:1832859

Fontes binárias supermoles de raios X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pires, A. M.; Janot Pacheco, E.

2003-08-01

Estuda-se as características físicas das fontes supermoles (de raios X (SSS), utilizando dados ópticos e em altas energias, no âmbito de um trabalho de IC. Trata-se de binárias que apresentam espectro X muito mole, baixas temperaturas e altas luminosidades bolométricas. Esse sistemas são compostos por uma anã branca realizando fusão em sua superfície, a partir de matéria perdida pela estrela companheira. Os resíduos de fusão se acumulam na superfície da anã branca, e essa pode ultrapassar o limite de Chadrasekhar, produzir um colapso gravitacional, sendo esse um dos cenários propostos para as explosões de SN Ia. Apresentamos nesta comunicação o estado da arte das características físicas das fontes SSS, situando-as no âmbito das VCs. Procuramos também situar esses objetos em relação às variáveis galácticas V Sge, na medida em que os dois grupos apresentam certas caracerísticas bastante semelhantes.A metodologia adotada é aquela pedagógico-cognitiva clássica de um trabalho de IC na área de ciências exatas.

The 29-kDa proteins phosphorylated ion thrombin-activated human platelets are forms of the estrogen receptor-related 27-kDa heat shock protein

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

Mendelsohn, M.E.; Yan Zhu; O'Neill, S.

Thrombin plays a critical role in platelet activation, hemostasis, and thrombosis. Cellular activation by thrombin leads to the phosphorylation of multiple proteins, most of which are unidentified. The authors have characterized several 29-kDa proteins that are rapidly phosphorylated following exposure of intact human platelets to thrombin. A murine monoclonal antibody raised to an unidentified estrogen receptor-related 29-kDa protein selectively recognized these proteins as well as a more basic, unphosphorylated 27-kDa protein. Cellular activation by thrombin led to a marked shift in the proportion of protein from the 27-kDa unphosphorylated form to the 29-kDa phosphoprotein species. Using this antibody, they isolatedmore » and sequenced a human cDNA clone encoding a protein that was identical to the mammalian 27-kDa heat shock protein (HSP27), a protein of uncertain function that is known to be phosphorylated to several forms and to be transcriptionally induced by estrogen. The 29-kDa proteins were confirmed to be phosphorylated forms of HSP27 by immunoprecipitation studies. Thus, the estrogen receptor-related protein is HSP27, and the three major 20-kDa proteins phosphorylated in thrombin-activated platelets are forms of HSP27. These data suggest a role for HSP27 in the signal transduction events of platelet activation.« less

DaCHS: Data Center Helper Suite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demleitner, Markus

2018-04-01

DaCHS, the Data Center Helper Suite, is an integrated package for publishing astronomical data sets to the Virtual Observatory. Network-facing, it speaks the major VO protocols (SCS, SIAP, SSAP, TAP, Datalink, etc). Operator-facing, many input formats, including FITS/WCS, ASCII files, and VOTable, can be processed to publication-ready data. DaCHS puts particular emphasis on integrated metadata handling, which facilitates a tight integration with the VO's Registry

Respostas religiosas à aids no Brasil: impressões de pesquisa acerca da Pastoral de DST/Aids da Igreja Católica1

PubMed Central

Seffner, Fernando; Silva, Cristiane Gonçalves Meireles da; Maksud, Ívia; Garcia, Jonathan; Rios, Luís Felipe; Natividade, Marcelo; Borges, Priscila Rodrigues; Parker, Richard; Terto, Veriano

2009-01-01

O texto encontra-se estruturado em quatro partes. Na primeira delas, apresentamos um conjunto de considerações e informações acerca da situação da aids no Brasil, das relações entre religião, sexualidade, aids e estado laico, bem como uma descrição mais clara do Projeto Respostas Religiosas ao HIV/Aids no Brasil, do qual este texto apresenta algumas impressões de pesquisa preliminares. A seguir, dedicamos um item a apresentação da Pastoral de DST/Aids, sua história, estrutura e objetivos. No item seguinte problematizamos diversas questões em particular no âmbito das relações Estado e Igreja, relações entre agentes de pastoral e hierarquia da Igreja, e questões ligadas mais diretamente à sexualidade e aids, todas referenciadas ao trabalho da Pastoral de DST/Aids. Ao final, apresentamos a bibliografia e fontes consultadas. PMID:20442806

PCA as a practical indicator of OPLS-DA model reliability.

PubMed

Worley, Bradley; Powers, Robert

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) are powerful statistical modeling tools that provide insights into separations between experimental groups based on high-dimensional spectral measurements from NMR, MS or other analytical instrumentation. However, when used without validation, these tools may lead investigators to statistically unreliable conclusions. This danger is especially real for Partial Least Squares (PLS) and OPLS, which aggressively force separations between experimental groups. As a result, OPLS-DA is often used as an alternative method when PCA fails to expose group separation, but this practice is highly dangerous. Without rigorous validation, OPLS-DA can easily yield statistically unreliable group separation. A Monte Carlo analysis of PCA group separations and OPLS-DA cross-validation metrics was performed on NMR datasets with statistically significant separations in scores-space. A linearly increasing amount of Gaussian noise was added to each data matrix followed by the construction and validation of PCA and OPLS-DA models. With increasing added noise, the PCA scores-space distance between groups rapidly decreased and the OPLS-DA cross-validation statistics simultaneously deteriorated. A decrease in correlation between the estimated loadings (added noise) and the true (original) loadings was also observed. While the validity of the OPLS-DA model diminished with increasing added noise, the group separation in scores-space remained basically unaffected. Supported by the results of Monte Carlo analyses of PCA group separations and OPLS-DA cross-validation metrics, we provide practical guidelines and cross-validatory recommendations for reliable inference from PCA and OPLS-DA models.

DA-6034 Induces [Ca(2+)]i Increase in Epithelial Cells.

PubMed

Yang, Yu-Mi; Park, Soonhong; Ji, Hyewon; Kim, Tae-Im; Kim, Eung Kweon; Kang, Kyung Koo; Shin, Dong Min

2014-04-01

DA-6034, a eupatilin derivative of flavonoid, has shown potent effects on the protection of gastric mucosa and induced the increases in fluid and glycoprotein secretion in human and rat corneal and conjunctival cells, suggesting that it might be considered as a drug for the treatment of dry eye. However, whether DA-6034 induces Ca(2+) signaling and its underlying mechanism in epithelial cells are not known. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism for actions of DA-6034 in Ca(2+) signaling pathways of the epithelial cells (conjunctival and corneal cells) from human donor eyes and mouse salivary gland epithelial cells. DA-6034 activated Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) channels (CaCCs) and increased intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) in primary cultured human conjunctival cells. DA-6034 also increased [Ca(2+)]i in mouse salivary gland cells and human corneal epithelial cells. [Ca(2+)]i increase of DA-6034 was dependent on the Ca(2+) entry from extracellular and Ca(2+) release from internal Ca(2+) stores. Interestingly, these effects of DA-6034 were related to ryanodine receptors (RyRs) but not phospholipase C/inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) pathway and lysosomal Ca(2+) stores. These results suggest that DA-6034 induces Ca(2+) signaling via extracellular Ca(2+) entry and RyRs-sensitive Ca(2+) release from internal Ca(2+) stores in epithelial cells.

A Influência da Escola e da Mídia na Obtenção dos Conhecimentos Astronômicos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Cunha, W. S.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2006-08-01

O universo em que vivemos possui segredos jamais imaginados pelo homem, fruto da pequena proporção que ocupamos diante de um cosmos infinito. A astronomia funciona como um instrumento que sacia a sede humana em desvendar esses segredos, estudando as galáxias, quasares, pulsares além da existência de todos os elementos que preenchem o espaço cósmico, o vácuo, não mais vazio como se pensou em outros tempos. A mídia explora esse campo de forma mística e também científica. A difusão adequada e dentro dos padrões educacionais vigentes, de conceitos astronômicos, se faz necessária, devido sua presença nos conteúdos escolares, centros de ciência e na mídia, de modo geral. A reforma do Currículo Básico da Escola Pública da maioria dos Estados brasileiros introduziu conceitos astronômicos desde a pré-escola até o Ensino Médio. Num estudo realizado com 1.032 alunos do Ensino Médio de seis escolas estaduais, revelou-se através da aplicação de um questionário que abordava conheciment os básicos em astronomia, como estes foram adquiridos e qual era a infra-estrutura oferecida pela escola: para 66,2% dos entrevistados o professor já fez alguma apresentação a respeito de astronomia. O presente estudo revelou também que 44,5% dos alunos entrevistados adquiriram seus conhecimentos astronômicos na escola, 28,1% através da televisão e 27,4% afirmaram que seus conhecimentos foram obtidos através de outros tipos de mídia (internet, filmes e revistas). Embora o estudo revele claramente que há certo equilíbrio na forma em que os alunos obtiveram seus conhecimentos astronômicos, a mídia ainda explora e muitas vezes desperta o interesse pela astronomia com assuntos que não fazem parte de nosso cotidiano como, por exemplo, o homem na Lua, os projetos espaciais e a primeira viagem de um astronauta brasileiro no espaço. Porém, em certos casos, a mídia pode promover conhecimentos incompletos ou mesmo equivocados sobre os conceitos que envolvam

32 CFR 516.25 - DA Form 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false DA Form 4. 516.25 Section 516.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC... attached to a properly prepared and sealed DA Form 4 are self-authenticating. (See Fed. R. Evid. 902). (b...

32 CFR 516.25 - DA Form 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false DA Form 4. 516.25 Section 516.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC... attached to a properly prepared and sealed DA Form 4 are self-authenticating. (See Fed. R. Evid. 902). (b...

32 CFR 516.25 - DA Form 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true DA Form 4. 516.25 Section 516.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS... properly prepared and sealed DA Form 4 are self-authenticating. (See Fed. R. Evid. 902). (b) Preparation at...

32 CFR 516.25 - DA Form 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2012-07-01 2009-07-01 true DA Form 4. 516.25 Section 516.25 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS... properly prepared and sealed DA Form 4 are self-authenticating. (See Fed. R. Evid. 902). (b) Preparation at...

DA1 receptors modulation in rat isolated trachea.

PubMed

Cabezas, Gloria A; Velasco, Manuel

2010-01-01

We have previously demonstrated that low dose of inhaled dopamine (0.5-2 microg kg(-1) min(-1)) induces broncodilatacion in patients with acute asthma attack, suggesting that this dopamine effect is mediated by dopaminergic rather than by adrenergic receptors. To understand better these dopamine effect, rat tracheal smooth muscle was used as a model to evaluate the responses of beta2-, alpha1-, alpha2-adrenergic and DA1 and DA2 dopaminergic antagonists. Tracheal rings from male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 90) were excised and placed in an organ bath containing modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer at 37 degrees C, and gassed with O2 (95%) and CO2 (5%). Contractile responses were recorded with an isometric transducer in a polygraph (Letica, Spain). Contraction was induced by accumulative doses of acetylcholine (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3, 10 mM) or by electric field stimulation (10 Hz at 2 milliseconds), and accumulative doses of dopamine were added to the bath. Low concentration (0.1-0.3 mM) elicited a small initial contraction, followed by a marked relaxation. Cholinergic contraction was completely reversed at 6 mM of dopamine. This biphasic dopaminergic response was not blocked by incubation with beta2-adrenergic antagonist propranolol (0.1 microM), alpha1-antagonist, terazosin (0.1 mM), alpha2-antagonist, yohimbine (0.1 mM), or by DA2 antagonist metoclopramide (1-8 mM); DA1 antagonist SCH23390 (0.1 microM) produced a sustained increase of basal tone but did not block initial dopaminergic contraction and partially inhibited bronchodilator effect of dopamine. Dopaminergic relaxation in rat trachea is mediated by DA1 rather than by DA2 receptors; and adrenergic receptors are not involved in such dopamine-induced response. Finally, DA1 antagonist SCH23390 exerts intrinsic contractile activity on airway smooth muscle that deserves further research.

Tree Branching: Leonardo da Vinci's Rule versus Biomechanical Models

PubMed Central

Minamino, Ryoko; Tateno, Masaki

2014-01-01

This study examined Leonardo da Vinci's rule (i.e., the sum of the cross-sectional area of all tree branches above a branching point at any height is equal to the cross-sectional area of the trunk or the branch immediately below the branching point) using simulations based on two biomechanical models: the uniform stress and elastic similarity models. Model calculations of the daughter/mother ratio (i.e., the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of the daughter branches to the cross-sectional area of the mother branch at the branching point) showed that both biomechanical models agreed with da Vinci's rule when the branching angles of daughter branches and the weights of lateral daughter branches were small; however, the models deviated from da Vinci's rule as the weights and/or the branching angles of lateral daughter branches increased. The calculated values of the two models were largely similar but differed in some ways. Field measurements of Fagus crenata and Abies homolepis also fit this trend, wherein models deviated from da Vinci's rule with increasing relative weights of lateral daughter branches. However, this deviation was small for a branching pattern in nature, where empirical measurements were taken under realistic measurement conditions; thus, da Vinci's rule did not critically contradict the biomechanical models in the case of real branching patterns, though the model calculations described the contradiction between da Vinci's rule and the biomechanical models. The field data for Fagus crenata fit the uniform stress model best, indicating that stress uniformity is the key constraint of branch morphology in Fagus crenata rather than elastic similarity or da Vinci's rule. On the other hand, mechanical constraints are not necessarily significant in the morphology of Abies homolepis branches, depending on the number of daughter branches. Rather, these branches were often in agreement with da Vinci's rule. PMID:24714065

Tree branching: Leonardo da Vinci's rule versus biomechanical models.

PubMed

Minamino, Ryoko; Tateno, Masaki

2014-01-01

This study examined Leonardo da Vinci's rule (i.e., the sum of the cross-sectional area of all tree branches above a branching point at any height is equal to the cross-sectional area of the trunk or the branch immediately below the branching point) using simulations based on two biomechanical models: the uniform stress and elastic similarity models. Model calculations of the daughter/mother ratio (i.e., the ratio of the total cross-sectional area of the daughter branches to the cross-sectional area of the mother branch at the branching point) showed that both biomechanical models agreed with da Vinci's rule when the branching angles of daughter branches and the weights of lateral daughter branches were small; however, the models deviated from da Vinci's rule as the weights and/or the branching angles of lateral daughter branches increased. The calculated values of the two models were largely similar but differed in some ways. Field measurements of Fagus crenata and Abies homolepis also fit this trend, wherein models deviated from da Vinci's rule with increasing relative weights of lateral daughter branches. However, this deviation was small for a branching pattern in nature, where empirical measurements were taken under realistic measurement conditions; thus, da Vinci's rule did not critically contradict the biomechanical models in the case of real branching patterns, though the model calculations described the contradiction between da Vinci's rule and the biomechanical models. The field data for Fagus crenata fit the uniform stress model best, indicating that stress uniformity is the key constraint of branch morphology in Fagus crenata rather than elastic similarity or da Vinci's rule. On the other hand, mechanical constraints are not necessarily significant in the morphology of Abies homolepis branches, depending on the number of daughter branches. Rather, these branches were often in agreement with da Vinci's rule.

Reconstrução tridimensional de arcos magnéticos por tomografia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simões, P. J. A.; Costa, J. E. R.

2003-08-01

Uma explosão solar é uma variação súbita do brilho que ocorre nas regiões ativas da atmosfera solar. Estas regiões são constituídas por um plasma magnetizado com intensa indução magnética e em cenários bem complexos como visto recentemente através de experimentos embarcados em satélites operando instrumentos em raios X moles e ultra-violeta distante. A energia magnética, que pode ser armazenada por um período de horas até dias em configurações magnéticas estressadas, é subitamente lançada na atmosfera solar e transferida para partículas como elétrons, prótons e núcleos pesados, que são acelerados e/ou aquecidos, produzindo radiação eletromagnética. A proposta final deste projeto é determinar as características espaciais de alta resolução da emissão e polarização girossincrotrônica de explosões solares em ambientes complexos de campos magnéticos. Os recentes resultados da emissão difusa em EUV apresentado pelos satélites TRACE e SOHO dos arcos magnéticos conectando as diferentes polaridades magnéticas sobre as regiões ativas possibilitam novas abordagens sobre o papel do campo magnético na emissão em rádio. Nesta etapa apresentamos os resultados da reconstrução da geometria tridimensional das linhas de força destes arcos utilizando técnicas tomográficas, a partir de imagens de alta resolução espacial obtidas pelo instrumento EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope), além da modelagem das induções magnéticas por um campo dipolar e as densidades de partículas aceleradas. Utilizamos para a reconstrução geométrica, imagens tomadas em vários ângulos dos arcos devido à rotacão solar. Com estes resultados, daremos continuidade ao projeto, com os cálculos da transferência radiativa nos modos ordinário e extraordinário de propagação da radiação girossincrotrônica de explosões solares.

40 CFR 60.42Da - Standard for particulate matter (PM).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standard for particulate matter (PM). 60.42Da Section 60.42Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR....42Da Standard for particulate matter (PM). (a) On and after the date on which the initial performance...

40 CFR 60.42Da - Standard for particulate matter (PM).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standard for particulate matter (PM). 60.42Da Section 60.42Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR....42Da Standard for particulate matter (PM). (a) On and after the date on which the initial performance...

The role of transparency in da Vinci stereopsis.

PubMed

Zannoli, Marina; Mamassian, Pascal

2011-10-15

The majority of natural scenes contains zones that are visible to one eye only. Past studies have shown that these monocular regions can be seen at a precise depth even though there are no binocular disparities that uniquely constrain their locations in depth. In the so-called da Vinci stereopsis configuration, the monocular region is a vertical line placed next to a binocular rectangular occluder. The opacity of the occluder has been mentioned to be a necessary condition to obtain da Vinci stereopsis. However, this opacity constraint has never been empirically tested. In the present study, we tested whether da Vinci stereopsis and perceptual transparency can interact using a classical da Vinci configuration in which the opacity of the occluder varied. We used two different monocular objects: a line and a disk. We found no effect of the opacity of the occluder on the perceived depth of the monocular object. A careful analysis of the distribution of perceived depth revealed that the monocular object was perceived at a depth that increased with the distance between the object and the occluder. The analysis of the skewness of the distributions was not consistent with a double fusion explanation, favoring an implication of occlusion geometry in da Vinci stereopsis. A simple model that includes the geometry of the scene could account for the results. In summary, the mechanism responsible to locate monocular regions in depth is not sensitive to the material properties of objects, suggesting that da Vinci stereopsis is solved at relatively early stages of disparity processing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Induced abortion and contraception use: among immigrant and Canadian-born women in Calgary, Alta.

PubMed

Prey, Beatrice du; Talavlikar, Rachel; Mangat, Rupinder; Freiheit, Elizabeth A; Drummond, Neil

2014-09-01

To determine what proportion of women seeking induced abortion in the Calgary census metropolitan area were immigrants. For 2 months, eligible women were asked to complete a questionnaire. Women who refused were asked to provide their country of birth (COB) to assess for selection bias. Two abortion clinics in Calgary, Alta. Women presenting at or less than 15 weeks' gestational age for induced abortion for maternal indications. The primary outcome was the proportion of women seeking induced abortion services who were immigrants. Secondary outcomes compared socioeconomic characteristics and contraception use between immigrant and Canadian-born women. A total of 752 women either completed a questionnaire (78.6%) or provided their COB (21.4%). Overall, 28.9% of women living in the Calgary census metropolitan area who completed the questionnaire were immigrants, less than the 31.2% background proportion of immigrant women of childbearing age. However, 46.0% of women who provided only COB were immigrants. When these data were combined, 34.2% of women presenting for induced abortion identified as immigrant, a proportion not significantly different from the background proportion (P = .127). Immigrant women presenting for induced abortion tended to be older, more educated, married with children, and have increased parity. They were similar to Canadian-born women in number of previous abortions, income status, and employment status. This study suggests that immigrant women in Calgary are not presenting for induced abortion in disproportionately higher numbers, which differs from existing European literature. This is likely owing to differing socioeconomic characteristics among the immigrant women in our study from what have been previously described in the literature (typically lower socioeconomic status). Much still needs to be explored with regard to factors influencing the use of abortion services by immigrant women. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of

Sedimentation survey of Lago La Plata, Toa Alta, Puerto Rico, March–April 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gómez-Fragoso, Julieta

2016-10-31

IntroductionLago La Plata is operated by the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) and is part of the San Juan Metropolitan Water District. The reservoir serves a population of about 425,000 people. During 2013 the reservoir provided 0.307 million cubic meters (Mm3 ) of water per day (about 81 million gallons per day), which is equivalent to 31 percent of the total water demand for the metropolitan area (Wanda L. Molina, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2015). The dam was constructed in 1974 and is located about 5 kilometers (km) south of the town of Toa Alta and 5 km north of the town of Naranjito (fig. 1). The drainage area upstream from the Lago La Plata dam is about 469 square kilometers (km2 ). The storage capacity at construction in 1974 was 26.84 Mm3 with a spillway elevation of 47.12 meters (m) above mean sea level (msl). Storage capacity was increased to 40.21 Mm3 in 1989 after the installation of bascule gates to provide a normal dam pool elevation at 52 m above msl (Puerto Rico Electric and Power Authority, 1979). The maximum height of the dam is about 40 m above the river bottom near the dam, and the intake structure consists of six 1.82-m-diameter ports facing upstream, with 6-m vertical spacing that begins at an elevation of 19 m above msl. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the PRASA, conducted a bathymetric survey of the Lago La Plata reservoir during March and April 2015. The hydrographic survey was designed to provide an update of the reservoir storage capacity and sedimentation rate. Areas with substantial sediment accumulation are also discussed in this report. The results of the survey were used to prepare a bathymetric map showing the reservoir bottom (fig. 2) referenced with respect to the spillway elevation. This report also includes a summary of a previous bathymetric survey conducted in 2006 (Soler-López, 2008).

Effect of shorter dark adaptation on ISCEV standard DA 0.01 and DA 3 skin ERGs in healthy adults.

PubMed

Hamilton, R; Graham, K

2016-08-01

To quantify dark-adapted (DA) skin ERG changes during 20 min of dark adaptation. Sixteen healthy adult subjects were dark-adapted for 20 min during which ISCEV standard dim (0.01 phot cd s m(-2)) white flash ERGs were recorded at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min, and bright (3 phot cd s m(-2)) white ERGs were recorded at 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 min without mydriasis and using skin electrodes. Amplitudes and peak times were normalised to 20 min values. Halving dark adaptation from 20 to 10 min had no measureable effect on the DA 3 ERG and caused a 10 % amplitude loss (range 0-23 %) only for the DA 0.01 ERG b-wave amplitude. No significant peak time changes resulted, nor increased parameter variability. Reducing dark adaptation from 20 to 10 min or even less has an effect on only DA 0.01 ERGs. Shorter dark adaptation than 20 min may not compromise the clinical utility of the ERG providing clinics adhere to the usual standards of adequate reference data.

Development and validation of educational technology for venous ulcer care.

PubMed

Benevides, Jéssica Lima; Coutinho, Janaina Fonseca Victor; Pascoal, Liliane Chagas; Joventino, Emanuella Silva; Martins, Mariana Cavalcante; Gubert, Fabiane do Amaral; Alves, Allana Mirella

2016-04-01

To develop and validate an educational technology venous ulcers care. Methodological study conducted in five steps: Situational diagnosis; literature review; development of texts, illustrations and layout; apparent and content validity by the Content Validity Index, assessment of Flesch Readability Index; and pilot testing. The developed technology was a type of booklet entitled Booklet for Venous Ulcers Care, consisting of seven topics: Diet and food intake, walking and light exercise, resting with elevated leg, bandage care, compression therapy, family support, and keeping healthy habits. The apparent validity revealed minimal agreement of 85.7% in the clarity and comprehensibility. The total content validity index was 0.97, the Flesch Readability Index was 75%, corresponding to the reading "fairly easy". The pilot test showed that 100% of people with venous ulcers evaluated the text and the illustrations as understandable, as appropriate. The educational technology proved to be valid for the appearance and content with potential for use in clinical practice. Construir e validar uma tecnologia educativa para cuidados com úlcera venosa. Estudo metodológico realizado em cinco fases: diagnóstico situacional; revisão da literatura; desenvolvimento de textos, ilustrações e diagramação; validade de aparência e de conteúdo pelo Índice de Validade de Conteúdo, avaliação do Índice de Legibilidade de Flesch; e teste piloto. A tecnologia desenvolvida foi do tipo cartilha intitulada Cartilha para cuidados com úlcera venosa, constituída de sete tópicos: Alimentação, Caminhadas e exercícios leves, Repouso com a perna elevada, Cuidados com o curativo, Terapia compressiva, Apoio familiar, e manter hábitos saudáveis. A validade aparente revelou concordância mínima de 85,7% na clareza e compreensibilidade. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo total foi de 0,97, o Índice de legibilidade de Flesch foi de 75%, o que correspondeu à leitura "razoavelmente f

An improvement of LLNA:DA to assess the skin sensitization potential of chemicals.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongwei; Shi, Ying; Wang, Chao; Zhao, Kangfeng; Zhang, Shaoping; Wei, Lan; Dong, Li; Gu, Wen; Xu, Yongjun; Ruan, Hongjie; Zhi, Hong; Yang, Xiaoyan

2017-01-01

We developed a modified local lymph node assay based on ATP (LLNA:DA), termed the Two-Stage LLNA:DA, to further reduce the animal numbers in the identification of sensitizers. In the Two-Stage LLNA:DA procedure, 13 chemicals ranging from non-sensitizers to extreme sensitizers were selected. The first stage used reduced LLNA:DA (rLLNA:DA) to screen out sensitive chemicals. The second stage used LLNA:DA based on OECD 442 (A) to classify those potential sensitizers screened out in the first stage. In the first stage, the SIs of the methyl methacrylate, salicylic acid, methyl salicylate, ethyl salicylate, isopropanol and propanediol were below 1.8 and need not to be tested in the second step. Others continued to be tested by LLNA:DA. In the second stage, sodium lauryl sulphate and xylene were classified as weak sensitizers. a-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol were moderate sensitizers. Benzalkonium chloride and glyoxal were strong sensitizers, and phthalic anhydride was an extreme sensitizer. The 9/9, 11/12, 10/11, and 8/13 (positive or negative only) categories of the Two-Stage LLNA:DA were consistent with those from the other methods (LLNA, LLNA:DA, GPMT/BT and HMT/HPTA), suggesting that Two-Stage LLNA:DA have a high coincidence rate with reported data. In conclusion, The Two-Stage LLNA:DA is in line with the "3R" rules, and can be a modification of LLNA:DA but needs more study.

Adaptation of rainfed agriculture to climatic variability in the Mixteca Alta Region of Oaxaca, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogé, P.; Friedman, A. R.; Astier, M.; Altieri, M.

2015-12-01

The traditional management systems of the Mixteca Alta Region of Oaxaca, Mexico offer historical lessons about resilience to climatic variability. We interviewed small farmers to inquire about the dynamics of abandonment and persistence of a traditional management systems. We interpret farmers' narratives from a perspective of general agroecological resilience. In addition, we facilitated workshops in small farmers described their adaptation to past climate challenges and identified 14 indicators that they subsequently used to evaluate the condition of their agroecosystems. The most recent years presented increasingly extreme climatic and socioeconomic hardships: increased temperatures, delayed rainy seasons, reduced capacity of soils to retain soil moisture, changing cultural norms, and reduced rural labor. Farmers reported that their cropping systems were changing for multiple reasons: more drought, later rainfall onset, decreased rural labor, and introduced labor-saving technologies. Examination of climate data found that farmers' climate narratives were largely consistent with the observational record. There have been increases in temperature and rainfall intensity, and an increase in rainfall seasonality that may be perceived as later rainfall onset. Farmers ranked landscape-scale indicators as more marginal than farmer management or soil quality indicators. From this analysis, farmers proposed strategies to improve the ability of their agroecosystems to cope with climatic variability. Notably, they recognized that social organizing and education are required for landscape-level indicators to be improved. Transformative change is required to develop novel cropping systems and complementary activities to agriculture that will allow for farming to be sustained in the face of these challenges. Climate change adaptation by small farmers involves much more than just a set of farming practices, but also community action to tackle collective problems.

Myelin management by the 18.5–kDa and 21.5–kDa classic myelin basic protein isoforms

PubMed Central

Harauz, George; Boggs, Joan M.

2013-01-01

The classic myelin basic protein (MBP) splice isoforms range in nominal molecular mass from 14 to 21.5 kDa, and arise from the gene in the oligodendrocyte lineage (Golli) in maturing oligodendrocytes. The 18.5-kDa isoform that predominates in adult myelin adheres the cytosolic surfaces of oligodendrocyte membranes together, and forms a two-dimensional molecular sieve restricting protein diffusion into compact myelin. However, this protein has additional roles including cytoskeletal assembly and membrane extension, binding to SH3-domains, participation in Fyn-mediated signaling pathways, sequestration of phosphoinositides, and maintenance of calcium homeostasis. Of the diverse post-translational modifications of this isoform, phosphorylation is the most dynamic, and modulates 18.5-kDa MBP’s protein-membrane and protein-protein interactions, indicative of a rich repertoire of functions. In developing and mature myelin, phosphorylation can result in microdomain or even nuclear targeting of the protein, supporting the conclusion that 18.5-kDa MBP has significant roles beyond membrane adhesion. The full-length, early-developmental 21.5-kDa splice isoform is predominantly karyophilic due to a non-traditional P-Y nuclear localization signal, with effects such as promotion of oligodendrocyte proliferation. We discuss in vitro and recent in vivo evidence for multifunctionality of these classic basic proteins of myelin, and argue for a systematic evaluation of the temporal and spatial distributions of these protein isoforms, and their modified variants, during oligodendrocyte differentiation. PMID:23398367

Experience with ATLAS MySQL PanDA database service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, Y.; Wlodek, T.; De, K.; Hover, J.; Ozturk, N.; Smith, J.; Wenaus, T.; Yu, D.

2010-04-01

The PanDA distributed production and analysis system has been in production use for ATLAS data processing and analysis since late 2005 in the US, and globally throughout ATLAS since early 2008. Its core architecture is based on a set of stateless web services served by Apache and backed by a suite of MySQL databases that are the repository for all PanDA information: active and archival job queues, dataset and file catalogs, site configuration information, monitoring information, system control parameters, and so on. This database system is one of the most critical components of PanDA, and has successfully delivered the functional and scaling performance required by PanDA, currently operating at a scale of half a million jobs per week, with much growth still to come. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of the PanDA database system, its architecture of MySQL servers deployed at BNL and CERN, backup strategy and monitoring tools. The system has been developed, thoroughly tested, and brought to production to provide highly reliable, scalable, flexible and available database services for ATLAS Monte Carlo production, reconstruction and physics analysis.

Technical review of the da Vinci surgical telemanipulator.

PubMed

Freschi, C; Ferrari, V; Melfi, F; Ferrari, M; Mosca, F; Cuschieri, A

2013-12-01

The da Vinci robotic surgical telemanipulator has been utilized in several surgical specialties for varied procedures, and the users' experiences have been widely published. To date, no detailed system technical analyses have been performed. A detailed review was performed of all publications and patents about the technical aspects of the da Vinci robotic system. Published technical literature on the da Vinci system highlight strengths and weaknesses of the robot design. While the system facilitates complex surgical operations and has a low malfunction rate, the lack of haptic (especially tactile) feedback and collisions between the robotic arms remain the major limitations of the system. Accurate, preplanned positioning of access ports is essential. Knowledge of the technical aspects of the da Vinci robot is important for optimal use. We confirmed the excellent system functionality and ease of use for surgeons without an engineering background. Research and development of the surgical robot has been predominant in the literature. Future trends address robot miniaturization and intelligent control design. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perfil dos Professores de Ciências Naturais do Recôncavo da Bahia - Alunos da Disciplina Terra e Universo no Curso de Ciências Naturais do Parfor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, S. R.; Cerqueira Júnior, W.; Dutra, G.

2011-12-01

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido pelo projeto Astronomia no Recôncavo da Bahia, no Centro de Formação de Professores da Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia. Traçamos o perfil de um grupo de professores que lecionam conteúdos de Ciências Naturais no recôncavo, alunos do curso de Licenciatura em Ciências Naturais, oferecido dentro do Plano Nacional de Formação de Professores da Educação Básica. Nosso objetivo era avaliar se eles estão preparados para trabalhar conteúdos de Astronomia e identificar suas dificuldades. Os resultados serviram para orientar o professor da disciplina “Terra e Universo”, oferecida no segundo semestre de 2010. Durante a primeira aula da disciplina Terra e Universo, os alunos responderam a um questionário contendo questões abertas e fechadas, divididas em duas partes. A primeira procurando caracterizar profissionalmente os alunos enquanto professores da rede pública da região do Recôncavo Sul da Bahia e uma segunda parte procurando identificar conhecimentos básicos em Astronomia. Os resultados indicam uma predominância de professores do sexo feminino, com idade superior aos 40 anos, pardos e sem formação específica para o ensino de ciências. A maioria leciona há mais de 15 anos para turmas do 1º ao 5º ano, alguns lecionam para turmas de 6º ao 9º ano. Quase todos nunca participaram de um curso de formação continuada em Astronomia. Além disso, não estão habituados a ler revistas especializadas e nem livros com esta temática. Os que procuram ensinar temas voltados para a Astronomia têm, no livro didático, a maior fonte de informação sobre o assunto. As respostas também indicam uma deficiência em conteúdos básicos como a compreensão da esfericidade da Terra, noções de verticalidade e gravidade, incapacidade de identificar a Terra como um planeta, no Sistema Solar, em uma galáxia, no Universo. Estes resultados ressaltam a importância de disciplinas de Astronomia básica na formação dos

The Case: Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Partnership Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Nicole; Winters, Lynn; Alkin, Marvin C.

2005-01-01

The Bunche-Da Vinci case described in this article presents a situation at Bunche Elementary School that four theorists were asked to address in their evaluation designs (see EJ791771, EJ719772, EJ791773, and EJ792694). The Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Partnership Academy, an elementary school located between an urban port city and a historically…

The future of PanDA in ATLAS distributed computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De, K.; Klimentov, A.; Maeno, T.; Nilsson, P.; Oleynik, D.; Panitkin, S.; Petrosyan, A.; Schovancova, J.; Vaniachine, A.; Wenaus, T.

2015-12-01

Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) face unprecedented computing challenges. Heterogeneous resources are distributed worldwide at hundreds of sites, thousands of physicists analyse the data remotely, the volume of processed data is beyond the exabyte scale, while data processing requires more than a few billion hours of computing usage per year. The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) system was developed to meet the scale and complexity of LHC distributed computing for the ATLAS experiment. In the process, the old batch job paradigm of locally managed computing in HEP was discarded in favour of a far more automated, flexible and scalable model. The success of PanDA in ATLAS is leading to widespread adoption and testing by other experiments. PanDA is the first exascale workload management system in HEP, already operating at more than a million computing jobs per day, and processing over an exabyte of data in 2013. There are many new challenges that PanDA will face in the near future, in addition to new challenges of scale, heterogeneity and increasing user base. PanDA will need to handle rapidly changing computing infrastructure, will require factorization of code for easier deployment, will need to incorporate additional information sources including network metrics in decision making, be able to control network circuits, handle dynamically sized workload processing, provide improved visualization, and face many other challenges. In this talk we will focus on the new features, planned or recently implemented, that are relevant to the next decade of distributed computing workload management using PanDA.

ECTA/DaSy Framework Self-Assessment Comparison Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy), 2016

2016-01-01

The Self-Assessment Comparison (SAC) Tool is for state Part C and Section 619/Preschool programs to use to assess changes in the implementation of one or more components of the ECTA System Framework and/or subcomponenets of the DaSy Data System Framework. It is a companion to the ECTA/DaSy Framework Self-Assessment. Key features of the SAC are…

The ATLAS PanDA Monitoring System and its Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimentov, A.; Nevski, P.; Potekhin, M.; Wenaus, T.

2011-12-01

The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) Workload Management System is used for ATLAS distributed production and analysis worldwide. The needs of ATLAS global computing imposed challenging requirements on the design of PanDA in areas such as scalability, robustness, automation, diagnostics, and usability for both production shifters and analysis users. Through a system-wide job database, the PanDA monitor provides a comprehensive and coherent view of the system and job execution, from high level summaries to detailed drill-down job diagnostics. It is (like the rest of PanDA) an Apache-based Python application backed by Oracle. The presentation layer is HTML code generated on the fly in the Python application which is also responsible for managing database queries. However, this approach is lacking in user interface flexibility, simplicity of communication with external systems, and ease of maintenance. A decision was therefore made to migrate the PanDA monitor server to Django Web Application Framework and apply JSON/AJAX technology in the browser front end. This allows us to greatly reduce the amount of application code, separate data preparation from presentation, leverage open source for tools such as authentication and authorization mechanisms, and provide a richer and more dynamic user experience. We describe our approach, design and initial experience with the migration process.

Evolution of the ATLAS PanDA workload management system for exascale computational science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeno, T.; De, K.; Klimentov, A.; Nilsson, P.; Oleynik, D.; Panitkin, S.; Petrosyan, A.; Schovancova, J.; Vaniachine, A.; Wenaus, T.; Yu, D.; Atlas Collaboration

2014-06-01

An important foundation underlying the impressive success of data processing and analysis in the ATLAS experiment [1] at the LHC [2] is the Production and Distributed Analysis (PanDA) workload management system [3]. PanDA was designed specifically for ATLAS and proved to be highly successful in meeting all the distributed computing needs of the experiment. However, the core design of PanDA is not experiment specific. The PanDA workload management system is capable of meeting the needs of other data intensive scientific applications. Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer [4], an astro-particle experiment on the International Space Station, and the Compact Muon Solenoid [5], an LHC experiment, have successfully evaluated PanDA and are pursuing its adoption. In this paper, a description of the new program of work to develop a generic version of PanDA will be given, as well as the progress in extending PanDA's capabilities to support supercomputers and clouds and to leverage intelligent networking. PanDA has demonstrated at a very large scale the value of automated dynamic brokering of diverse workloads across distributed computing resources. The next generation of PanDA will allow other data-intensive sciences and a wider exascale community employing a variety of computing platforms to benefit from ATLAS' experience and proven tools.

32 CFR 643.121 - Private organizations on DA installations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Private organizations on DA installations. 643.121 Section 643.121 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY... DA installations. (a) AR 210-1 defines and classifies private organizations, such as thrift shops and...

Use of the new da Vinci Xi® during robotic rectal resection for cancer: a pilot matched-case comparison with the da Vinci Si®.

PubMed

Morelli, Luca; Guadagni, Simone; Di Franco, Gregorio; Palmeri, Matteo; Caprili, Giovanni; D'Isidoro, Cristiano; Cobuccio, Luigi; Marciano, Emanuele; Di Candio, Giulio; Mosca, Franco

2017-03-01

The aim of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of robotic rectal resection with total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer, with the use of the new da Vinci Xi® (Xi-RobTME group) and the da Vinci Si® (Si-RobTME group). Ten patients with histologically confirmed rectal cancer underwent robot-assisted TME with the use of the new da Vinci Xi. The outcomes of Xi-RobTME group were compared with a Si-RobTME group selected using a case-matched methodology. Overall operative times and mean hospital stays were shorter in the Xi-RobTME group. Surgeries were fully robotic with a complete take-down of the splenic flexure in all Xi-RobTME cases, while only four cases of the Si-RobTME group were fully robotic, with two cases of complete take-down of the splenic flexure. The new da Vinci Xi could offer some advantages with respect to the da Vinci Si in rectal resection for cancer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A 32 kDa viral attachment protein of lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) specifically interacts with a 27.8 kDa cellular receptor from flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

PubMed

Zhong, Ying; Fei, Chenjie; Tang, Xiaoqian; Zhan, Wenbin; Sheng, Xiuzhen

2017-06-01

The 27.8 kDa protein in flounder gill (FG) cells was previously proved to be a receptor specific for lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) entry and infection. In this paper, a 32 kDa viral attachment protein (VAP) of LCDV specifically binding to the 27.8 kDa receptor (27.8R) was found by far-Western blotting coupled with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against 27.8R. The 32 kDa protein was confirmed to be encoded by the open reading frame (ORF) 038 gene in LCDV-C, and predicted to contain a putative transmembrane region, multiple N-myristoylation and glycosylation sites and phosphorylation motifs. The expression plasmid of pET-32a-ORF038 was constructed and the recombinant VAP (rVAP) was obtained. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies against the rVAP were prepared and could recognize the rVAP and 32 kDa protein in LCDV. Immunogold electron microscopy showed that the 32 kDa protein was located on the surface of LCDV particles. Immunofluorescence assay demonstrated that the rVAP could bind to the 27.8R on the cell membrane of the FG monolayer and the anti-27.8R MAbs could block the rVAP binding. Pre-incubation of the rVAP with FG cells before LCDV infection, or pre-incubation of LCDV with the antibodies against the rVAP, could significantly decrease the LCDV copy numbers (P<0.05) and delay the emergence of cytopathic effects in FG cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicated for the first time that the 32 kDa protein functioned as an attachment protein for the initial attachment and entry of LCDV, and the interaction of the 32 kDa VAP with the 27.8R-initiated LCDV infection.

Virtual reality training improves da Vinci performance: a prospective trial.

PubMed

Cho, Jae Sung; Hahn, Koo Yong; Kwak, Jung Myun; Kim, Jin; Baek, Se Jin; Shin, Jae Won; Kim, Seon Hahn

2013-12-01

The DV-Trainer™ (a virtual reality [VR] simulator) (Mimic Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA) is one of several different robotic surgical training methods. We designed a prospective study to determine whether VR training could improve da Vinci(®) Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) performance. Surgeons (n=12) were enrolled using a randomized protocol. Groups 1 (VR training) and 2 (control) participated in VR and da Vinci exercises. Participants' time and moving distance were combined to determine a composite score: VR index=1000/(time×moving distance). The da Vinci exercises included needle control and suturing. Procedure time and error were measured. A composite index (DV index) was computed and used to measure da Vinci competency. After the initial trial with both the VR and da Vinci exercises, only Group 1 was trained with the VR simulator following our institutional curriculum for 3 weeks. All members of both groups then participated in the second trial of the VR and da Vinci exercises and were scored in the same way as in the initial trial. In the initial trial, there was no difference in the VR index (Group 1 versus Group 2, 8.9 ± 3.3 versus 9.4 ± 3.7; P=.832) and the DV index (Group 1 versus Group 2, 3.85 ± 0.73 versus 3.66 ± 0.65; P=.584) scores between the two groups. At the second time point, Group 1 showed increased VR index scores in comparison with Group 2 (19.3 ± 4.5 versus 9.7 ± 4.1, respectively; P=.001) and improved da Vinci performance skills as measured by the DV index (5.80 ± 1.13 versus 4.05 ± 1.03, respectively; P=.028) and by suturing time (7.1 ± 1.54 minutes versus 10.55 ± 1.93 minutes, respectively; P=.018). We found that VR simulator training can improve da Vinci performance. VR practice can result in an early plateau in the learning curve for robotic practice under controlled circumstances.

Profilaxia de tromboembolismo venoso na gestação

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, André Luiz Malavasi Longo; Marques, Marcos Arêas

2016-01-01

Resumo O tromboembolismo venoso é importante causa de morbidade e mortalidade obstétrica. Durante a gestação, o risco de sua ocorrência aumenta entre cinco e dez vezes quando comparado ao de mulheres não gestantes de mesma idade. Associado a esse fato, a gestante apresenta algumas limitações para o diagnóstico clínico (alta frequência de dor e edema nos membros inferiores), ecográfico (menor sensibilidade e especificidade no diagnóstico de trombose venosa de ilíaca com a evolução da gestação) e laboratorial (o D-dímero apresenta aumento progressivo no decorrer da gravidez). Uma estratificação criteriosa de risco de tromboembolismo venoso de cada mulher antes da gestação pode diminuir a incidência dessa doença, frequente e de difícil diagnóstico na gravidez, e suas complicações. PMID:29930607

The ATLAS PanDA Pilot in Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nilsson, P.; Caballero, J.; De, K.; Maeno, T.; Stradling, A.; Wenaus, T.; ATLAS Collaboration

2011-12-01

The Production and Distributed Analysis system (PanDA) [1-2] was designed to meet ATLAS [3] requirements for a data-driven workload management system capable of operating at LHC data processing scale. Submitted jobs are executed on worker nodes by pilot jobs sent to the grid sites by pilot factories. This paper provides an overview of the PanDA pilot [4] system and presents major features added in light of recent operational experience, including multi-job processing, advanced job recovery for jobs with output storage failures, gLExec [5-6] based identity switching from the generic pilot to the actual user, and other security measures. The PanDA system serves all ATLAS distributed processing and is the primary system for distributed analysis; it is currently used at over 100 sites worldwide. We analyze the performance of the pilot system in processing real LHC data on the OSG [7], EGI [8] and Nordugrid [9-10] infrastructures used by ATLAS, and describe plans for its evolution.

Yarkovsky-driven Impact Predictions: Apophis and 1950 DA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chesley, Steven R.; Farnocchia, D.; Chodas, P. W.; Milani, A.

2013-10-01

Orbit determination for Near-Earth Asteroids presents unique technical challenges due to the imperative of early detection and careful assessment of the risk posed by specific Earth close approaches. The occurrence of an Earth impact can be decisively driven by the Yarkovsky effect, which is the most important nongravitational perturbation as it causes asteroids to undergo a secular variation in semimajor axis resulting in a quadratic effect in anomaly. We discuss the cases of (99942) Apophis and (29075) 1950 DA. The relevance of the Yarkovsky effect for Apophis is due to a scattering close approach in 2029 with minimum geocentric distance ~38000 km. For 1950 DA the influence of the Yarkovsky effect in 2880 is due to the long time interval preceding the impact. We use the available information from the astrometry and the asteroids' physical models and dynamical evolution as a starting point for a Monte Carlo method that allows us to measure how the Yarkovsky effect affects orbital predictions. We also find that 1950 DA has a 98% likelihood of being a retrograde rotator. For Apophis we map onto the 2029 close approach b-plane and analyze the keyholes corresponding to resonant close approaches. For 1950 DA we use the b-plane corresponding to the possible impact in 2880. We finally compute the impact probability from the mapped probability density function on the considered b-plane. For Apophis we have 4 in a million chances of an impact in 2068, while the probability of Earth impact in 2880 for 1950 DA is 0.04%.

Da Vinci robot-assisted system for thymectomy: experience of 55 patients in China.

PubMed

Jun, Yi; Hao, Li; Demin, Li; Guohua, Dong; Hua, Jing; Yi, Shen

2014-09-01

Da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy has been used in the past several years in China, however, practical experience in performing this approach in China remains limited. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the experience of da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy in China. From June 2010 to December 2012, 55 patients with diseases of the thymus underwent thymectomy using the da Vinci surgical HD robotic system. The clinical data of the da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomies were compared with the data of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomies in the same period. All da Vinci robot operations were successful. This is a retrospective analysis which demonstrated that compared with video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy in the same period, the clinical outcomes of da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy were not significantly different. The da Vinci robot-assisted thymectomy is a safe, minimally invasive, and convenient operation, and shows promise for general thoracic surgery in China. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

JCoDA: a tool for detecting evolutionary selection.

PubMed

Steinway, Steven N; Dannenfelser, Ruth; Laucius, Christopher D; Hayes, James E; Nayak, Sudhir

2010-05-27

The incorporation of annotated sequence information from multiple related species in commonly used databases (Ensembl, Flybase, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Wormbase, etc.) has increased dramatically over the last few years. This influx of information has provided a considerable amount of raw material for evaluation of evolutionary relationships. To aid in the process, we have developed JCoDA (Java Codon Delimited Alignment) as a simple-to-use visualization tool for the detection of site specific and regional positive/negative evolutionary selection amongst homologous coding sequences. JCoDA accepts user-inputted unaligned or pre-aligned coding sequences, performs a codon-delimited alignment using ClustalW, and determines the dN/dS calculations using PAML (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Maximum Likelihood, yn00 and codeml) in order to identify regions and sites under evolutionary selection. The JCoDA package includes a graphical interface for Phylip (Phylogeny Inference Package) to generate phylogenetic trees, manages formatting of all required file types, and streamlines passage of information between underlying programs. The raw data are output to user configurable graphs with sliding window options for straightforward visualization of pairwise or gene family comparisons. Additionally, codon-delimited alignments are output in a variety of common formats and all dN/dS calculations can be output in comma-separated value (CSV) format for downstream analysis. To illustrate the types of analyses that are facilitated by JCoDA, we have taken advantage of the well studied sex determination pathway in nematodes as well as the extensive sequence information available to identify genes under positive selection, examples of regional positive selection, and differences in selection based on the role of genes in the sex determination pathway. JCoDA is a configurable, open source, user-friendly visualization tool for performing evolutionary analysis on homologous coding

JCoDA: a tool for detecting evolutionary selection

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The incorporation of annotated sequence information from multiple related species in commonly used databases (Ensembl, Flybase, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Wormbase, etc.) has increased dramatically over the last few years. This influx of information has provided a considerable amount of raw material for evaluation of evolutionary relationships. To aid in the process, we have developed JCoDA (Java Codon Delimited Alignment) as a simple-to-use visualization tool for the detection of site specific and regional positive/negative evolutionary selection amongst homologous coding sequences. Results JCoDA accepts user-inputted unaligned or pre-aligned coding sequences, performs a codon-delimited alignment using ClustalW, and determines the dN/dS calculations using PAML (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Maximum Likelihood, yn00 and codeml) in order to identify regions and sites under evolutionary selection. The JCoDA package includes a graphical interface for Phylip (Phylogeny Inference Package) to generate phylogenetic trees, manages formatting of all required file types, and streamlines passage of information between underlying programs. The raw data are output to user configurable graphs with sliding window options for straightforward visualization of pairwise or gene family comparisons. Additionally, codon-delimited alignments are output in a variety of common formats and all dN/dS calculations can be output in comma-separated value (CSV) format for downstream analysis. To illustrate the types of analyses that are facilitated by JCoDA, we have taken advantage of the well studied sex determination pathway in nematodes as well as the extensive sequence information available to identify genes under positive selection, examples of regional positive selection, and differences in selection based on the role of genes in the sex determination pathway. Conclusions JCoDA is a configurable, open source, user-friendly visualization tool for performing evolutionary

High resolution structure of cleaved Serpin 42 Da from Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Ellisdon, Andrew M; Zhang, Qingwei; Henstridge, Michelle A; Johnson, Travis K; Warr, Coral G; Law, Ruby Hp; Whisstock, James C

2014-04-24

The Drosophila melanogaster Serpin 42 Da gene (previously Serpin 4) encodes a serine protease inhibitor that is capable of remarkable functional diversity through the alternative splicing of four different reactive centre loop exons. Eight protein isoforms of Serpin 42 Da have been identified to date, targeting the protease inhibitor to both different proteases and cellular locations. Biochemical and genetic studies suggest that Serpin 42 Da inhibits target proteases through the classical serpin 'suicide' inhibition mechanism, however the crystal structure of a representative Serpin 42 Da isoform remains to be determined. We report two high-resolution crystal structures of Serpin 42 Da representing the A/B isoforms in the cleaved conformation, belonging to two different space-groups and diffracting to 1.7 Å and 1.8 Å. Structural analysis reveals the archetypal serpin fold, with the major elements of secondary structure displaying significant homology to the vertebrate serpin, neuroserpin. Key residues known to have central roles in the serpin inhibitory mechanism are conserved in both the hinge and shutter regions of Serpin 42 Da. Furthermore, these structures identify important conserved interactions that appear to be of crucial importance in allowing the Serpin 42 Da fold to act as a versatile template for multiple reactive centre loops that have different sequences and protease specificities. In combination with previous biochemical and genetic studies, these structures confirm for the first time that the Serpin 42 Da isoforms are typical inhibitory serpin family members with the conserved serpin fold and inhibitory mechanism. Additionally, these data reveal the remarkable structural plasticity of serpins, whereby the basic fold is harnessed as a template for inhibition of a large spectrum of proteases by reactive centre loop exon 'switching'. This is the first structure of a Drosophila serpin reported to date, and will provide a platform for future mutational

Development of Ultra-High Mechanical Damping Structures Based on the Nano-Scale Properties of Shape Memory Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-29

Condensada Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologia Aptdo 644 Bilbao, Spain 48080 EOARD Grant 10-3074 Report Date: July 2013 Final Report... Ciencia y Tecnologia Aptdo 644 Bilbao, Spain 48080 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER N/A 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY... Ciencia y Tecnologia, Aptdo 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. E-mail: jose.sanjuan@ehu.es Summary In recent years it was discovered that micro and nano

Qual o Papel da Escola e da Mídia na Obtenção dos Conhecimentos Astronômicos?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Cunha, W. S.; Voelzke, M. R.; Amaral, L. H.

2007-08-01

É amplamente reconhecido que as pessoas em geral têm grande fascínio e interesse pela Astronomia. Por outro lado, o conteúdo dessa área incluído no ensino formal está longe de ser abrangente e suficiente para suprir a demanda. Esse interesse permite aperfeiçoar a divulgação e o ensino não formal de Astronomia através da mídia aliando a adequação do conteúdo à expectativa das pessoas. A reforma do Currículo Básico da Escola Pública da maioria dos Estados brasileiros tem introduzido Astronomia desde a pré-escola até o Ensino Médio. Num estudo realizado com 1180 alunos do Ensino Médio de seis escolas estaduais, revelou-se através da aplicação de um formulário contendo questões que abordavam conhecimentos básicos em Astronomia, como foram adquiridos tais conhecimentos e à infra-estrutura da escola. Para 66,1% dos entrevistados o professor já fez alguma apresentação a respeito de Astronomia. O presente estudo revelou também que 54,4% dos alunos entrevistados adquiriram seus conhecimentos astronômicos na escola, 18,4% através da televisão e 27,1% afirmaram que seus conhecimentos foram obtidos através de outros tipos de mídia (internet, livros didáticos, filmes e revistas). Embora o estudo revele claramente que há certo equilíbrio no meio em que os alunos obtiveram seus conhecimentos astronômicos, a mídia busca não somente sua difusão, mas a disponibilização desse conhecimento de maneira correta, que às vezes, não é atingido, apresentando conceitos sem fundamentação e incorretos. Por outro lado, no dia-a-dia escolar, é comum encontrar professores que vêm para as aulas com concepções prévias, que podem diferir substancialmente das idéias a serem ensinadas, dificultando o aprendizado de futuros conceitos científicos. Uma avaliação criteriosa, avaliando as dificuldades dos professores em determinar o sentido correto dos conceitos e observando a metodologia que utilizam no ensino, poderá proporcionar uma melhor

The Effect of DA-9701 in Opioid-induced Bowel Dysfunction of Guinea Pig.

PubMed

Hussain, Zahid; Rhee, Kwang Won; Lee, Young Ju; Park, Hyojin

2016-07-30

Opioid induced bowel dysfunction (OIBD) is associated with decreased gastrointestinal (GI) propulsive activity due to intake of opioid analgesics. DA-9701, a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis Semen and Corydalis Tuber has promising effects on GI motor function. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the prokinetic effects of DA-9701 in an OIBD model of guinea pig. The ileal and distal colon muscle contraction in presence of different doses of DA-9701, morphine, and combination (morphine + DA-9701) was measured by tissue bath study. The prokinetic effect of DA-9701 was assessed by charcoal transit and fecal pellet output assay in an OIBD model of guinea pig. DA-9701 significantly increased the amplitude and area under the curve of ileal muscle contraction, while there was insignificant effect on the distal colon compared to the control. The maximal amplitude of ileal muscle contraction was acquired at a concentration of 10 μg/mL of DA-9701. In contrast, morphine significantly decreased the amplitude of ileal and distal colon muscle contraction compared to the control. Morphine delayed both upper (P < 0.01) and lower (P < 0.05) GI transit, and delayed GI transit was restored by the administration of DA-9701. Morphine induced reduction of contractility was significantly ameliorated by addition of DA-9701 in both ileal and distal colon muscles. DA-9701 significantly increased the amplitude of contraction of the ileal muscle, however the distal colon muscle contraction was insignificant. Additionally, it restored delayed upper and lower GI transit in an OIBD model of guinea pig, and it might prove to be a useful candidate drug in a clinical trial for OIBD.

Endogenous dopamine (DA) modulates (3H)spiperone binding in vivo in rat brain

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

Bischoff, S.; Krauss, J.; Grunenwald, C.

1991-01-01

(3H)spiperone (SPI) binding in vivo, biochemical parameters and behavior were measured after modulating DA levels by various drug treatments. DA releasers and uptake inhibitors increased SPI binding in rat striatum. In other brain areas, the effects were variable, but only the pituitary remained unaffected. Surprisingly, nomifensine decreased SPI binding in frontal cortex. The effects of these drugs were monitored by measuring DA, serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites in the same rats. The increased SPI binding in striatum was parallel to the locomotor stimulation with the following rank order: amfonelic acid greater than nomifensine greater than D-amphetamine greater than or equalmore » to methylphenidate greater than amineptine greater than bupropion. Decreasing DA levels with reserpine or alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine reduced SPI binding by 45% in striatum only when both drugs were combined. In contrast, reserpine enhanced SPI binding in pituitary. Thus, the amount of releasable DA seems to modulate SPI binding characteristics. It is suggested that in vivo, DA receptors are submitted to dynamic regulation in response to changes in intrasynaptic concentrations of DA.« less

Contribution of DA Signaling to Appetitive Odor Perception in a Drosophila Model.

PubMed

Pu, Yuhan; Palombo, Melissa Megan Masserant; Shen, Ping

2018-04-13

Understanding cognitive processes that translate chemically diverse olfactory stimuli to specific appetitive drives remains challenging. We have shown that food-related odors arouse impulsive-like feeding of food media that are palatable and readily accessible in well-nourished Drosophila larvae. Here we provide evidence that two assemblies of four dopamine (DA) neurons, one per brain hemisphere, contribute to perceptual processing of the qualitative and quantitative attributes of food scents. These DA neurons receive neural representations of chemically diverse food-related odors, and their combined neuronal activities become increasingly important as the chemical complexity of an appetizing odor stimulus increases. Furthermore, in each assembly of DA neurons, integrated odor signals are transformed to one-dimensional DA outputs that have no intrinsic reward values. Finally, a genetic analysis has revealed a D1-type DA receptor (Dop1R1)-gated mechanism in neuropeptide Y-like neurons that assigns appetitive significance to selected DA outputs. Our findings suggest that fly larvae provide a useful platform for elucidation of molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying cognitive processing of olfactory and possibly other sensory cues.

PanDA for COMPASS at JINR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrosyan, A. Sh.

2016-09-01

PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis System) is a workload management system, widely used for data processing at experiments on Large Hadron Collider and others. COMPASS is a high-energy physics experiment at the Super Proton Synchrotron. Data processing for COMPASS runs locally at CERN, on lxbatch, the data itself stored in CASTOR. In 2014 an idea to start running COMPASS production through PanDA arose. Such transformation in experiment's data processing will allow COMPASS community to use not only CERN resources, but also Grid resources worldwide. During the spring and summer of 2015 installation, validation and migration work is being performed at JINR. Details and results of this process are presented in this paper.

DA-9801 promotes neurite outgrowth via ERK1/2-CREB pathway in PC12 cells.

PubMed

Won, Jong Hoon; Ahn, Kyong Hoon; Back, Moon Jung; Ha, Hae Chan; Jang, Ji Min; Kim, Ha Hyung; Choi, Sang-Zin; Son, Miwon; Kim, Dae Kyong

2015-01-01

In the present study, we examined the mechanisms underlying the effect of DA-9801 on neurite outgrowth. We found that DA-9801 elicits its effects via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2-cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway. DA-9801, an extract from a mixture of Dioscorea japonica and Dioscorea nipponica, was reported to promote neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. The effects of DA-9801 on cell viability and expression of neuronal markers were evaluated in PC12 cells. To investigate DA-9801 action, specific inhibitors targeting the ERK signaling cascade were used. No cytotoxicity was observed in PC12 cells at DA-9801 concentrations of less than 30 µg/mL. In the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF, 2 ng/mL), DA-9801 promoted neurite outgrowth and increased the relative mRNA levels of neurofilament-L (NF-L), a marker of neuronal differentiation. The Raf-1 inhibitor GW5074 and MEK inhibitor PD98059 significantly attenuated DA-9801-induced neurite outgrowth. Additionally, the MEK1 and MEK2 inhibitor SL327 significantly attenuated the increase in the percentage of neurite-bearing PC12 cells induced by DA-9801 treatment. Conversely, the selective p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB203580 did not attenuate the DA-9801 treatment-induced increase in the percentage of neurite-bearing PC12 cells. DA-9801 enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and CREB in PC12 cells incubated with and without NGF. Pretreatment with PD98059 blocked the DA-9801-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and CREB. In conclusion, DA-9801 induces neurite outgrowth by affecting the ERK1/2-CREB signaling pathway. Insights into the mechanism underlying this effect of DA-9801 may suggest novel potential strategies for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy.

Multiquadrant robotic colorectal surgery: the da Vinci Xi vs Si comparison.

PubMed

Protyniak, Bogdan; Jorden, Jeffrey; Farmer, Russell

2018-03-01

The newly introduced da Vinci Xi Surgical System hopes to address the shortcomings of its predecessor, specifically robotic arm restrictions and difficulty working in multiple quadrants. We compare the two robot platforms in multiquadrant surgery at a major colorectal referral center. Forty-four patients in the da Vinci Si group and 26 patients in the Xi group underwent sigmoidectomy or low anterior resection between 2014 and 2016. Patient demographics, operative variables, and postoperative outcomes were compared using descriptive statistics. Both groups were similar in age, sex, BMI, pelvic surgeries, and ASA class. Splenic flexure was mobilized in more (p = 0.045) da Vinci Xi cases compared to da Vinci Si both for sigmoidectomy (50 vs 15.4%) and low anterior resection (60 vs 29%). There was no significant difference in operative time (219.9 vs 224.7 min; p = 0.640), blood loss (170.0 vs 188.1 mL; p = 0.289), length of stay (5.7 vs 6 days; p = 0.851), or overall complications (26.9 vs 22.7%; p = 0.692) between the da Vinci Xi and Si groups, respectively. Single-dock multiquadrant robotic surgery, measured by splenic flexure mobilization with concomitant pelvic dissection, was more frequently performed using the da Vinci Xi platform with no increase in operative time, bleeding, or postoperative complications. The new platform provides surgeons an easier alternative to the da Vinci Si dual docking or combined robotic/laparoscopic multiquadrant surgery.

U.S. Leading from Behind in Libya? Thoughts for NATO before the Chicago Summit

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-25

degli anni 1990, la linea di base della tecnologia e business divenne inglese. Paesi come la Francia abbandonarono la loro resistenza e ha ceduto...bene." 20 I social media su internet e il progresso della tecnologia smart phone ha dato vita a un linguaggio comune delle informazioni 24/7. Un...appello rivolto su NATO Review del Vice Segretario generale aggiunto per gli armamenti, e coordinatore della tecnologia per l‘antiterrorismo

Output control of da Vinci surgical system's surgical graspers.

PubMed

Johnson, Paul J; Schmidt, David E; Duvvuri, Umamaheswar

2014-01-01

The number of robot-assisted surgeries performed with the da Vinci surgical system has increased significantly over the past decade. The articulating movements of the robotic surgical grasper are controlled by grip controls at the master console. The user interface has been implicated as one contributing factor in surgical grasping errors. The goal of our study was to characterize and evaluate the user interface of the da Vinci surgical system in controlling surgical graspers. An angular manipulator with force sensors was used to increment the grip control angle as grasper output angles were measured. Input force at the grip control was simultaneously measured throughout the range of motion. Pressure film was used to assess the maximum grasping force achievable with the endoscopic grasping tool. The da Vinci robot's grip control angular input has a nonproportional relationship with the grasper instrument output. The grip control mechanism presents an intrinsic resistant force to the surgeon's fingertips and provides no haptic feedback. The da Vinci Maryland graspers are capable of applying up to 5.1 MPa of local pressure. The angular and force input at the grip control of the da Vinci robot's surgical graspers is nonproportional to the grasper instrument's output. Understanding the true relationship of the grip control input to grasper instrument output may help surgeons understand how to better control the surgical graspers and promote fewer grasping errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mevalocidin: a novel, phloem mobile phytotoxin from Fusarium DA056446 and Rosellinia DA092917.

PubMed

Gerwick, B Clifford; Brewster, William K; Deboer, Gerrit J; Fields, Steve C; Graupner, Paul R; Hahn, Donald R; Pearce, Cedric J; Schmitzer, Paul R; Webster, Jeffery D

2013-02-01

A multiyear effort to identify new natural products was built on a hypothesis that both phytotoxins from plant pathogens and antimicrobial compounds might demonstrate herbicidal activity. The discovery of one such compound, mevalocidin, is described in the current report. Mevalocidin was discovered from static cultures of two unrelated fungal isolates designated Rosellinia DA092917 and Fusarium DA056446. The chemical structure was confirmed by independent synthesis. Mevalocidin demonstrated broad spectrum post-emergence activity on grasses and broadleaves and produced a unique set of visual symptoms on treated plants suggesting a novel mode of action. Mevalocidin was rapidly absorbed in a representative grass and broadleaf plant. Translocation occurred from the treated leaf to other plant parts including roots confirming phloem as well as xylem mobility. By 24 hr after application, over 20 % had been redistributed through-out the plant. Mevalocidin is a unique phytotoxin based on its chemistry, with the uncommon attribute of demonstrating both xylem and phloem mobility in grass and broadleaf plants.

Da Vinci Xi Robot–Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty

PubMed Central

Chammas, Jimmy; Sauer, Arnaud; Pizzuto, Joëlle; Pouthier, Fabienne; Gaucher, David; Marescaux, Jacques; Mutter, Didier; Bourcier, Tristan

2017-01-01

Purpose This study aims (1) to investigate the feasibility of robot-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the new Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and (2) to report what we believe to be the first use of this system in experimental eye surgery. Methods Robot-assisted PK procedures were performed on human corneal transplants using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. After an 8-mm corneal trephination, four interrupted sutures and one 10.0 monofilament running suture were made. For each procedure, duration and successful completion of the surgery as well as any unexpected events were assessed. The depth of the corneal sutures was checked postoperatively using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Results Robot-assisted PK was successfully performed on 12 corneas. The Da Vinci Xi Surgical System provided the necessary dexterity to perform the different steps of surgery. The mean duration of the procedures was 43.4 ± 8.9 minutes (range: 28.5–61.1 minutes). There were no unexpected intraoperative events. SD-OCT confirmed that the sutures were placed at the appropriate depth. Conclusions We confirm the feasibility of robot-assisted PK with the new Da Vinci Surgical System and report the first use of the Xi model in experimental eye surgery. Operative time of robot-assisted PK surgery is now close to that of conventional manual surgery due to both improvement of the optical system and the presence of microsurgical instruments. Translational Relevance Experimentations will allow the advantages of robot-assisted microsurgery to be identified while underlining the improvements and innovations necessary for clinical use. PMID:28660096

Da Vinci Xi Robot-Assisted Penetrating Keratoplasty.

PubMed

Chammas, Jimmy; Sauer, Arnaud; Pizzuto, Joëlle; Pouthier, Fabienne; Gaucher, David; Marescaux, Jacques; Mutter, Didier; Bourcier, Tristan

2017-06-01

This study aims (1) to investigate the feasibility of robot-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (PK) using the new Da Vinci Xi Surgical System and (2) to report what we believe to be the first use of this system in experimental eye surgery. Robot-assisted PK procedures were performed on human corneal transplants using the Da Vinci Xi Surgical System. After an 8-mm corneal trephination, four interrupted sutures and one 10.0 monofilament running suture were made. For each procedure, duration and successful completion of the surgery as well as any unexpected events were assessed. The depth of the corneal sutures was checked postoperatively using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Robot-assisted PK was successfully performed on 12 corneas. The Da Vinci Xi Surgical System provided the necessary dexterity to perform the different steps of surgery. The mean duration of the procedures was 43.4 ± 8.9 minutes (range: 28.5-61.1 minutes). There were no unexpected intraoperative events. SD-OCT confirmed that the sutures were placed at the appropriate depth. We confirm the feasibility of robot-assisted PK with the new Da Vinci Surgical System and report the first use of the Xi model in experimental eye surgery. Operative time of robot-assisted PK surgery is now close to that of conventional manual surgery due to both improvement of the optical system and the presence of microsurgical instruments. Experimentations will allow the advantages of robot-assisted microsurgery to be identified while underlining the improvements and innovations necessary for clinical use.

Novel botanical drug DA-9803 prevents deficits in Alzheimer's mouse models.

PubMed

Pagnier, Guillaume J; Kastanenka, Ksenia V; Sohn, Miwon; Choi, Sangzin; Choi, Song-Hyen; Soh, HyeYeon; Bacskai, Brian J

2018-01-29

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deposition of amyloid plaques and disruption of neural circuitry, leading to cognitive decline. Animal models of AD deposit senile plaques and exhibit structural and functional deficits in neurons and neural networks. An effective treatment would prevent or restore these deficits, including calcium dyshomeostasis observed with in-vivo imaging. We examined the effects of DA-9803, a multimodal botanical drug, in 5XFAD and APP/PS1 transgenic mice which underwent daily oral treatment with 30 or 100 mg/kg DA-9803 or vehicle alone. Behavioral testing and longitudinal imaging of amyloid deposits and intracellular calcium in neurons with multiphoton microscopy was performed. Chronic administration of DA-9803 restored behavioral deficits in 5XFAD mice and reduced amyloid-β levels. DA-9803 also prevented progressive amyloid plaque deposition in APP/PS1 mice. Elevated calcium, detected in a subset of neurons before the treatment, was restored and served as a functional indicator of treatment efficacy in addition to the behavioral readout. In contrast, mice treated with vehicle alone continued to progressively accumulate amyloid plaques and calcium overload. In summary, treatment with DA-9803 prevented structural and functional outcome measures in mouse models of AD. Thus, DA-9803 shows promise as a novel therapeutic approach for Alzheimer's disease.

Load evaluation of the da Vinci surgical system for transoral robotic surgery.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Kazunori; Fukuhara, Takahiro; Niimi, Koji; Sato, Takahiro; Kitano, Hiroya

2015-12-01

Transoral robotic surgery, performed with the da Vinci surgical system (da Vinci), is a surgical approach for benign and malignant lesions of the oral cavity and laryngopharynx. It provides several unique advantages, which include a 3-dimensional magnified view and ability to see and work around curves or angles. However, the current da Vinci surgical system does not provide haptic feedback. This is problematic because the potential risks specific to the transoral use of the da Vinci include tooth injury, mucosal laceration, ocular injury and mandibular fracture. To assess the potential for intraoperative injuries, we measured the load of the endoscope and the instrument of the da Vinci Si surgical system. We pressed the endoscope and instrument of the da Vinci Si against Load cell six times each and measured the dynamic load and the time-to-maximum load. We also struck the da Vinci Si endoscope and instrument against the Load cell six times each and measured the impact load. The maximum dynamic load was 7.27 ± 1.31 kg for the endoscope and 1.90 ± 0.72 for the instrument. The corresponding time-to-maximum loads were 1.72 ± 0.22 and 1.29 ± 0.34 s, but the impact loads were significantly lower than the dynamic load. It remains possible that a major load is exerted on adjacent structures by continuous contact with the endoscope and instrument of da Vinci Si. However, there is a minor delay in reaching the maximum load. Careful monitoring by an on-site assistant may, therefore, help prevent contiguous injury.

Effects of DA-Phen, a dopamine-aminoacidic conjugate, on alcohol intake and forced abstinence.

PubMed

Sutera, Flavia Maria; De Caro, Viviana; Cannizzaro, Carla; Giannola, Libero Italo; Lavanco, Gianluca; Plescia, Fulvio

2016-09-01

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system plays a key role in drug reinforcement and is involved in the development of alcohol addiction. Manipulation of the DAergic system represents a promising strategy to control drug-seeking behavior. Previous studies on 2-amino-N-[2-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-ethyl]-3-phenyl-propionamide (DA-Phen) showed in vivo effects as a DA-ergic modulator. This study was aimed at investigate DA-Phen effects on operant behavior for alcohol seeking behavior, during reinstatement following subsequent periods of alcohol deprivation. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were tested in an operant paradigm of self-administration; behavioral reactivity and anxiety like-behavior during acute abstinence were evaluated. A characterization of DA-Phen CNS targeting by its quantification in the brain was also carried out. Our findings showed that DA-Phen administration was able to reduce relapse in alcohol drinking by 50% and reversed the alterations in behavioral reactivity and emotionality observed during acute abstinence. In conclusion, DA-Phen can reduce reinstatement of alcohol drinking in an operant-drinking paradigm following deprivation periods and reverse abstinence-induced behavioral phenotype. DA-Phen activity seems to be mediated by the modulation of the DAergic transmission. However further studies are needed to characterize DA-Phen pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties, and its potential therapeutic profile in alcohol addiction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological action of DA-9701 on the motility of feline stomach circular smooth muscle.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thanh Thao; Song, Hyun Ju; Ko, Sung Kwon; Sohn, Uy Dong

2015-03-01

DA-9701, a new prokinetic agent for the treatment of functional dyspepsia, is formulated with Pharbitis semen and Corydalis tuber. This study wasconducted to determine the pharmacological action of DA-9701 and to identify the receptors involved in DA-9701 -induced contractile responsesin the feline gastric corporal, fundic and antral circular smooth muscle. Concentration-response curve to DA-9701 was established. The tissue trips were exposed to methylsergide, ketanserin, ondansetron, GR 113808, atropine and dopamine before administration of DA-9701. The contractile force was determined before and after administration of drugs by a polygraph.DA-9701 enhanced the spontaneous contractile amplitude of antrum, corpus and fundus. However, it did not change the spontaneous contractile frequency of antrum and corpus, but concentration-dependently reduced that of fundus. In the fundus, DA-9701 -induced tonic contractions were inhibited by dopamine, methylsergide, ketanserine, ondansetron or GR 113808 respectively, but not by atropine, indicating that the contractile responses are mediated by multiple receptors: 5-HT2, 5-HT3, 5-HT4, and dopamine receptors. In the corpus, DA-9701-induced contractions were blocked by atropine, dopamine or GR 113808, but not by methysergide, ketanserin or ondansetron, indicating that they are involved in receptors on both, smooth muscles and neurons: 5-HT4 and dopamine receptors. However, contractile responses to DA-9701 are mainly mediated by dopamine receptors in the antrum. These results suggest that DA-9701 has important roles in gastric accommodation by enhancing tonic activity of fundus, and in gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit by phasic contractions of corpus and antrum mediated by multiple receptors.

Sobre a largura da última superfície de espalhamento

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobre, M. A. S.; Pires, N.; Lima, J. A. S.

2003-08-01

De acordo com o modelo do "Big-Bang", no universo primordial a matéria estava em equilíbrio térmico com a radiação. Com a expansão a temperatura da radiação cai. Quando a temperatura chega em torno dos 4.000K, os espalhamentos diminuem, começando a recombinação dos prótons e elétrons em Hidrogênio neutro (era conhecida como da recombinação). Ao final da recombinação, os fótons se propagam livremente sofrendo, em princípio, somente os efeitos do "redshift" cosmológico. Esses fótons nos alcançam hoje como a radiação cósmica de fundo (RCF), e parecem vir de uma superfície esférica ao nosso redor, tal que o raio dela é a distância que ele viajou desde seu último espalhamento na época da recombinação. Naturalmente, esse processo não ocorreu abruptamente, implicando na existência de uma largura no espaço dos "redshifts" que deve depender do modelo cosmológico específico e dos processos físicos considerados. Neste trabalho analisamos os efeitos de diferentes modelos - a saber, aqueles com decaimento do vácuo L(t), criação de matéria, quintessência e gás de Chaplygin - sobre a última superfície de espalhamento da RCF, em particular sua largura e a função visibilidade, que determina a probabilidade de um fóton ter tido seu último espalhamento num "redshift" z. No caso particular dos modelos com decaimento do vácuo, existe uma forte dependência da função visibilidade com L(t). Tais efeitos poderão ser testados através da análise dos resultados de experimentos mais precisos que estão atualmente em andamento, como por exemplo, o WMAP.

Fístula arteriovenosa após termoablação com laser endovenoso 1470 nm: relato de caso

PubMed Central

de Araujo, Walter Junior Boim; Guimarães, Adriano Carvalho; Moreira, Ricardo Herkenhoff

2016-01-01

Resumo O tratamento tradicional da insuficiência da veia safena magna (VSM) inclui a ligadura alta na junção safeno-femoral combinada com a fleboextração. No entanto, a morbidade associada à insatisfação do paciente com esse tratamento tem conduzido ao desenvolvimento de técnicas alternativas, e a termoablação com laser endovenoso (EVLT) tornou-se uma alternativa minimamente invasiva à cirurgia. A formação de fístula arteriovenosa (FAV) durante o EVLT é extremamente rara. Neste estudo, relatamos um caso de identificação ecográfica de FAV entre um segmento da veia safena acessória lateral e a artéria femoral superficial. Optou-se inicialmente pela realização de duas tentativas de compressão com transdutor linear, sem sucesso, e alternativamente o procedimento cirúrgico foi realizado sem intercorrência e com resolução da FAV. Esse relato de caso evidencia a importância do seguimento de vigilância ecográfica após o EVLT tanto para o controle da efetividade do método como para o diagnóstico e tratamento precoce de suas complicações. PMID:29930599

D-amphetamine (A)-induced dopamine (DA) release is not strictly dependent on newly-synthesized transmitter

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

Parker, E.; Cubeddu, L.

1986-03-05

A is thought to exert its stimulant effects by releasing DA from a newly synthesized transmitter pool. This hypothesis was evaluated directly by measuring the basal efflux and electrically-evoked release of endogenous DA and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). In striatal slices from reserpine-treated rabbits A increased DA efflux, reduced DOPAC efflux, and inhibited electrically-evoked /sup 3/H-ACh release in a concentration-dependent manner. These effects could not be mimicked by inhibition of neuronal uptake or MAO, but were blocked by inhibition of DA synthesis or neuronal uptake, and were potentiated by inhibition of MAO. In slices with intact vesicular transmitter stores A inducedmore » DA efflux was 2-fold greater than that seen in slices having no vesicular stores. Inhibition of DA synthesis reduced A-induced DA efflux by 60%, but had little effect on the ability of A to inhibit /sup 3/H-ACh release. A also increased the electrical stimulation-evoked overflow of DA (an effect which was attenuated slightly by synthesis inhibition), and potently inhibited DOPAC overflow. These results suggest that: 1) A facilitates efflux of axoplasmic DA by an accelerated exchange diffusion mechanism. The releasable axoplasmic pool is derived from newly synthesized and vesicular transmitter pools; 2) postsynaptic indices of transmitter release may be misleading; and 3) A increases electrically-evoked DA release possibly by inhibiting neuronal uptake.« less

PD2P: PanDA Dynamic Data Placement for ATLAS

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

Maeno, T.; De, K.; Panitkin, S.

2012-12-13

The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) system plays a key role in the ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure. PanDA is the ATLAS workload management system for processing all Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation and data reprocessing jobs in addition to user and group analysis jobs. The PanDA Dynamic Data Placement (PD2P) system has been developed to cope with difficulties of data placement for ATLAS. We will describe the design of the new system, its performance during the past year of data taking, dramatic improvements it has brought about in the efficient use of storage and processing resources, and plans for the future.

The Da Vinci European BioBank: A Metabolomics-Driven Infrastructure

PubMed Central

Carotenuto, Dario; Luchinat, Claudio; Marcon, Giordana; Rosato, Antonio; Turano, Paola

2015-01-01

We present here the organization of the recently-constituted da Vinci European BioBank (daVEB, https://www.davincieuropeanbiobank.org/it). The biobank was created as an infrastructure to support the activities of the Fiorgen Foundation (http://www.fiorgen.net/), a nonprofit organization that promotes research in the field of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine. The way operating procedures concerning samples and data have been developed at daVEB largely stems from the strong metabolomics connotation of Fiorgen and from the involvement of the scientific collaborators of the foundation in international/European projects aimed to tackle the standardization of pre-analytical procedures and the promotion of data standards in metabolomics. PMID:25913579

Performances on simulator and da Vinci robot on subjects with and without surgical background.

PubMed

Moglia, Andrea; Ferrari, Vincenzo; Melfi, Franca; Ferrari, Mauro; Mosca, Franco; Cuschieri, Alfred; Morelli, Luca

2017-08-17

To assess whether previous training in surgery influences performance on da Vinci Skills Simulator and da Vinci robot. In this prospective study, thirty-seven participants (11 medical students, 17 residents, and 9 attending surgeons) without previous experience in laparoscopy and robotic surgery performed 26 exercises at da Vinci Skills Simulator. Thirty-five then executed a suture using a da Vinci robot. The overall scores on the exercises at the da Vinci Skills Simulator show a similar performance among the groups with no statistically significant pair-wise differences (p < .05). The quality of the suturing based on the unedited videos of the test run was similar for the intermediate (7 (4, 10)) and expert group (6.5 (4.5, 10)), and poor for the untrained groups (5 (3.5, 9)), without statistically significant difference (p < .05). This study showed, for subjects new to laparoscopy and robotic surgery, insignificant differences in the scores at the da Vinci Skills Simulator and at the da Vinci robot on inanimate models.

Ecological Carrying Capacity of Land Use Changes in Da'an City

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Zhang, J.; Li, B.

2018-04-01

Based on GIS and RS technology, this paper analyzed the land use change in Da'an city from 1995 to 2010. land-use ecological evaluation index was constructed to evaluate the land-use ecological risk of Da 'an city dynamically, and the land-use ecological risk level map was made, and then the distribution and change of the land-use ecological carrying capacity pattern of Da'an city were analyzed qualitatively. According to the evaluation results of ecological carrying capacity, the ecological environment of Da'an city has deteriorated in fifteen years. in 1995, the poor ecological environment area is mainly distributed in the northeast area of Da'an city, and the area is small, while the area of the central and southern areas is large; In 2010, the western region also appeared environmental degradation, the northeast environment deterioration is serious, the dominant area is reduced, and a small amount of deterioration in the central and southern regions. According to the study of this paper, in the future, we should strengthen the comprehensive management of this part of the area, strengthen vegetation coverage, reduce soil erosion, ensure the effective improvement of ecological environment.

The real code of leonardo da vinci.

PubMed

Ose, Leiv

2008-02-01

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Italy. Among the researchers and scientists, he is favourably known for his remarkable efforts in scientific work. His investigations of atherosclerosis judiciously combine three separate fields of research. In 1506, he finished his masterpiece, painting of Mona Lisa. A careful clinical examination of the famous painting reveals a yellow irregular leather-like spot at the inner end of the left upper eyelid and a soft bumpy well-defined swelling of the dorsum of the right hand beneath the index finger about 3 cm long. This is probably the first case of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The FH code of Leonardo da Vinci was given immense consideration by scientists like Carl Muller, who described the xanthomas tuberosum and angina pectoris. On the contrary, Akira Endo searched for microbial metabolites that would inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol and finally, Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein published a remarkable series of elegant and insightful papers in the 70s and 80s. They established that the cellular uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) essentially requires the LDL receptor. this was the real Code of Leonardo da Vinci.

Leonardo da Vinci's studies of the heart.

PubMed

Shoja, Mohammadali M; Agutter, Paul S; Loukas, Marios; Benninger, Brion; Shokouhi, Ghaffar; Namdar, Husain; Ghabili, Kamyar; Khalili, Majid; Tubbs, R Shane

2013-08-20

Leonardo da Vinci's detailed drawings are justly celebrated; however, less well known are his accounts of the structures and functions of the organs. In this paper, we focus on his illustrations of the heart, his conjectures about heart and blood vessel function, his experiments on model systems to test those conjectures, and his unprecedented conclusions about the way in which the cardiovascular system operates. In particular, da Vinci seems to have been the first to recognize that the heart is a muscle and that systole is the active phase of the pump. He also seems to have understood the functions of the auricles and pulmonary veins, identified the relationship between the cardiac cycle and the pulse, and explained the hemodynamic mechanism of valve opening and closure. He also described anatomical variations and changes in structure and function that occurred with age. We outline da Vinci's varied career and suggest ways in which his personality, experience, skills and intellectual heritage contributed to these advances in understanding. We also consider his influence on later studies in anatomy and physiology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[RESEARCH PROGRESS OF PERIPHERAL NERVE SURGERY ASSISTED BY Da Vinci ROBOTIC SYSTEM].

PubMed

Shen, Jie; Song, Diyu; Wang, Xiaoyu; Wang, Changjiang; Zhang, Shuming

2016-02-01

To summarize the research progress of peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system. The recent domestic and international articles about peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system were reviewed and summarized. Compared with conventional microsurgery, peripheral nerve surgery assisted by Da Vinci robotic system has distinctive advantages, such as elimination of physiological tremors and three-dimensional high-resolution vision. It is possible to perform robot assisted limb nerve surgery using either the traditional brachial plexus approach or the mini-invasive approach. The development of Da Vinci robotic system has revealed new perspectives in peripheral nerve surgery. But it has still been at the initial stage, more basic and clinical researches are still needed.

Is da Vinci Xi Better than da Vinci Si in Robotic Rectal Cancer Surgery? Comparison of the 2 Generations of da Vinci Systems.

PubMed

Ozben, Volkan; Cengiz, Turgut B; Atasoy, Deniz; Bayraktar, Onur; Aghayeva, Afag; Erguner, Ilknur; Baca, Bilgi; Hamzaoglu, Ismail; Karahasanoglu, Tayfun

2016-10-01

We aimed to compare perioperative outcomes for procedures using the latest generation of da Vinci robot versus its previous version in rectal cancer surgery. Fifty-three patients undergoing robotic rectal cancer surgery between January 2010 and March 2015 were included. Patients were classified into 2 groups (Xi, n=28 vs. Si, n=25) and perioperative outcomes were analyzed. The groups had significant differences including operative procedure, hybrid technique and redocking (P>0.05). In univariate analysis, the Xi group had shorter console times (265.7 vs. 317.1 min, P=0.006) and total operative times (321.6 vs. 360.4 min, P=0.04) and higher number of lymph nodes harvested (27.5 vs. 17.0, P=0.008). In multivariate analysis, Xi robot was associated with a shorter console time (odds ratio: 0.09, P=0.004) with no significant differences regarding other outcomes. Both generations of da Vinci robot led to similar short-term outcomes in rectal cancer surgery, but the Xi robot allowed shorter console times.

OpenDA-WFLOW framework for improving hydrologic predictions using distributed hydrologic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weerts, Albrecht; Schellekens, Jaap; Kockx, Arno; Hummel, Stef

2017-04-01

Data assimilation (DA) holds considerable potential for improving hydrologic predictions (Liu et al., 2012) and increase the potential for early warning and/or smart water management. However, advances in hydrologic DA research have not yet been adequately or timely implemented in operational forecast systems to improve the skill of forecasts for better informed real-world decision making. The objective of this work is to highlight the development of a generic linkage of the open source OpenDA package and the open source community hydrologic modeling framework Openstreams/WFLOW and its application in operational hydrological forecasting on various spatial scales. The coupling between OpenDA and Openstreams/wflow framework is based on the emerging standard Basic Model Interface (BMI) as advocated by CSDMS using cross-platform webservices (i.e. Apache Thrift) developed by Hut et al. (2016). The potential application of the OpenDA-WFLOW for operational hydrologic forecasting including its integration with Delft-FEWS (used by more than 40 operational forecast centers around the world (Werner et al., 2013)) is demonstrated by the presented case studies. We will also highlight the possibility to give real-time insight into the working of the DA methods applied for supporting the forecaster as mentioned as one of the burning issues by Liu et al., (2012).

Functional Genomics of a Non-Toxic Alexandrium Lusitanicum Culture

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

OCE-0402707. This work was also supported by a graduate fellowship from the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia , Portugal. Reproduction in whole or...that lead to this point. This work was supported by a graduate fellowship from the Fundaqa-o para a Ciencia e Tecnologia , Portugal. 3 4 TABLE OF...from the Fundaqo para a Ci~ncia e cultures (data not shown). It is therefore possible that the Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. Funding provided in part

Analisis experimental de la propagacion en redes de area corporal para la banda de ultra wideband. experimental characterization of the propagation in ultra wideband body area networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia Serna, Ruben Gregorio

Diferentes dispositivos capaces de obtener informacion sobre parametros fisiologicos, cinematicos o contextuales del cuerpo pueden interconectarse de manera inalambrica dando lugar a las denominadas Redes de Area Corporal Inalambricas (WBAN, Wireless Body Area Networks). De entre las posibles tecnologias para establecer los enlaces, Ultra Wideband (UWB) esta captando cada vez un mayor interes debido a caracteristicas tales como el bajo nivel de potencia de transmision requerido (bajo nivel de exposicion a campos electromagneticos), el alto ancho de banda disponible y la alta resolucion temporal/espacial. El diseno de sistemas centrados en el cuerpo requiere de modelos de canal que describan de manera precisa la propagacion de senales en este tipo de entornos. Esta tesis se plantea con el objetivo de contribuir al estudio experimental de la propagacion en sistemas centrados en el cuerpo operando en la banda UWB. En primer lugar, se presenta un marco introductorio a las redes WBAN, sus elementos constitutivos, bandas de frecuencia, estandarizacion y modelos de canal. Ademas, se introducen los fundamentos de la tecnologia UWB y sus aplicaciones en este area. Seguidamente, se analiza en terminos de las perdidas de propagacion y la dispersion de retardo la propagacion en el canal off-body entre un transmisor fijo y un dispositivo receptor colocado sobre la superficie del cuerpo de un sujeto. Se considera la influencia de diferentes aspectos, tales como el entorno de medidas, la posicion de colocacion de una antena sobre el cuerpo y la postura adoptada por un sujeto. Finalmente, se analiza el canal de propagacion in-body considerando el movimiento relativo entre dos dispositivos causado por efecto de la respiracion. Las condiciones de propagacion en el interior del cuerpo se emulan por medio de un phantom liquido para UWB y la caracterizacion se plantea tanto en frecuencia, en terminos del modelado de la forma y el ensanchamiento del espectro Doppler, como en tiempo, por

32 CFR 644.512 - DA-SBA joint set-aside determination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true DA-SBA joint set-aside determination. 644.512 Section 644.512 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY (CONTINUED) REAL... Stone § 644.512 DA-SBA joint set-aside determination. Section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C...

Leonardo da Vinci's foot: historical evidence of concept.

PubMed

Jastifer, James R; Toledo-Pereyra, Luis H

2012-10-01

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), world-renowned Italian renaissance master, is known for his contributions to, and broad interests in science and art. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the extent of his science by applying the use of his concepts to current models of foot and ankle mechanics. The art and science of Leonardo Da Vinci were extensively analyzed by reviewing his original drawings and hand written notebooks as well as their English translation. Current medical journals including the topics of foot, ankle, and biomechanics were reviewed for modern evidence and application of his concepts. The library of Michigan State University and the electronic library of the Royal Library at Windsor Castle were extensively utilized. From the depths of Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Florence and Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome, through his commentary and anatomical drawings of around 30 cadaver dissections he performed, Leonardo da Vinci expressed his concept of foot and ankle anatomy and mechanics. He laid forth concepts, which vary little from current theories including those of proportion, statics and joint stability, sesamoid biomechanics, and structural support of the foot. Leonardo da Vinci, by combining an interest in anatomy and a gift of genius and artistic ability laid a foundation of foot and ankle anatomy and mechanics that have been applied in modern clinical sciences. Leonardo in this way made important contributions to the practice of foot and ankle orthopedics.

Beyond the Classic VTA: Extended Amygdala Projections to DA-Striatal Paths in the Primate

PubMed Central

Fudge, Julie L; Kelly, Emily A; Pal, Ria; Bedont, Joseph L; Park, Lydia; Ho, Brian

2017-01-01

The central extended amygdala (CEA) has been conceptualized as a ‘macrosystem’ that regulates various stress-induced behaviors. Consistent with this, the CEA highly expresses corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), an important modulator of stress responses. Stress alters goal-directed responses associated with striatal paths, including maladaptive responses such as drug seeking, social withdrawal, and compulsive behavior. CEA inputs to the midbrain dopamine (DA) system are positioned to influence striatal functions through mesolimbic DA-striatal pathways. However, the structure of this amygdala-CEA-DA neuron path to the striatum has been poorly characterized in primates. In primates, we combined neuronal tracer injections into various arms of the circuit through specific DA subpopulations to assess: (1) whether the circuit connecting amygdala, CEA, and DA cells follows CEA intrinsic organization, or a more direct topography involving bed nucleus vs central nucleus divisions; (2) CRF content of the CEA-DA path; and (3) striatal subregions specifically involved in CEA-DA-striatal loops. We found that the amygdala-CEA-DA path follows macrostructural subdivisions, with the majority of input/outputs converging in the medial central nucleus, the sublenticular extended amygdala, and the posterior lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The proportion of CRF+ outputs is >50%, and mainly targets the A10 parabrachial pigmented nucleus (PBP) and A8 (retrorubal field, RRF) neuronal subpopulations, with additional inputs to the dorsal A9 neurons. CRF-enriched CEA-DA projections are positioned to influence outputs to the ‘limbic-associative’ striatum, which is distinct from striatal regions targeted by DA cells lacking CEA input. We conclude that the concept of the CEA is supported on connectional grounds, and that CEA termination over the PBP and RRF neuronal populations can influence striatal circuits involved in associative learning. PMID:28220796

Beyond the Classic VTA: Extended Amygdala Projections to DA-Striatal Paths in the Primate.

PubMed

Fudge, Julie L; Kelly, Emily A; Pal, Ria; Bedont, Joseph L; Park, Lydia; Ho, Brian

2017-07-01

The central extended amygdala (CEA) has been conceptualized as a 'macrosystem' that regulates various stress-induced behaviors. Consistent with this, the CEA highly expresses corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), an important modulator of stress responses. Stress alters goal-directed responses associated with striatal paths, including maladaptive responses such as drug seeking, social withdrawal, and compulsive behavior. CEA inputs to the midbrain dopamine (DA) system are positioned to influence striatal functions through mesolimbic DA-striatal pathways. However, the structure of this amygdala-CEA-DA neuron path to the striatum has been poorly characterized in primates. In primates, we combined neuronal tracer injections into various arms of the circuit through specific DA subpopulations to assess: (1) whether the circuit connecting amygdala, CEA, and DA cells follows CEA intrinsic organization, or a more direct topography involving bed nucleus vs central nucleus divisions; (2) CRF content of the CEA-DA path; and (3) striatal subregions specifically involved in CEA-DA-striatal loops. We found that the amygdala-CEA-DA path follows macrostructural subdivisions, with the majority of input/outputs converging in the medial central nucleus, the sublenticular extended amygdala, and the posterior lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The proportion of CRF+ outputs is >50%, and mainly targets the A10 parabrachial pigmented nucleus (PBP) and A8 (retrorubal field, RRF) neuronal subpopulations, with additional inputs to the dorsal A9 neurons. CRF-enriched CEA-DA projections are positioned to influence outputs to the 'limbic-associative' striatum, which is distinct from striatal regions targeted by DA cells lacking CEA input. We conclude that the concept of the CEA is supported on connectional grounds, and that CEA termination over the PBP and RRF neuronal populations can influence striatal circuits involved in associative learning.

Effect of DA-9701 on Colorectal Distension-Induced Visceral Hypersensitivity in a Rat Model

PubMed Central

Kim, Eun Ran; Min, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Tae Ho; Son, Miwon; Rhee, Poong-Lyul

2014-01-01

Background/Aims DA-9701 is a newly developed drug made from the vegetal extracts of Pharbitidis semen and Co-rydalis tuber. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DA-9701 on colorectal distension (CRD)-induced visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neonatal colon irritation (CI) using CRD at 1 week after birth (CI group). At 6 weeks after birth, CRD was applied to these rats with a pressure of 20 to 90 mm Hg, and changes in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at baseline (i.e., without any drug administration) and after the administration of different doses of DA-9701. Results In the absence of DA-9701, the MAP changes after CRD were significantly higher in the CI group than in the control group at all applied pressures. In the control group, MAP changes after CRD were not significantly affected by the administration of DA-9701. In the CI group, however, the administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant decrease in MAP changes after CRD. The administration of DA-9701 at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg produced a more significant decrease in MAP changes than the 0.3 mg/kg dose. Conclusions The administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant increase in pain threshold in rats with CRD-induced visceral hypersensitivity. PMID:25071903

Effect of DA-9701 on colorectal distension-induced visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Ran; Min, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Tae Ho; Son, Miwon; Rhee, Poong-Lyul

2014-07-01

DA-9701 is a newly developed drug made from the vegetal extracts of Pharbitidis semen and Co-rydalis tuber. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of DA-9701 on colorectal distension (CRD)-induced visceral hypersensitivity in a rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to neonatal colon irritation (CI) using CRD at 1 week after birth (CI group). At 6 weeks after birth, CRD was applied to these rats with a pressure of 20 to 90 mm Hg, and changes in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at baseline (i.e., without any drug administration) and after the administration of different doses of DA-9701. In the absence of DA-9701, the MAP changes after CRD were significantly higher in the CI group than in the control group at all applied pressures. In the control group, MAP changes after CRD were not significantly affected by the administration of DA-9701. In the CI group, however, the administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant decrease in MAP changes after CRD. The administration of DA-9701 at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg produced a more significant decrease in MAP changes than the 0.3 mg/kg dose. The administration of DA-9701 resulted in a significant increase in pain threshold in rats with CRD-induced visceral hypersensitivity.

Fluorescence growth of self-polymerized fluorescence polydopamine for ratiometric visual detection of DA.

PubMed

Yu, Miao; Lu, Yang; Tan, Zhenjiang

2017-06-01

In this work, a novel and facile ratiometric fluorescence probe was prepared for the visual detection of dopamine (DA). In this detection system, red-emission CdTe@SiO 2 (r-QDs@SiO 2 ) was used as steady core of the probe and inverse microemulsion method was applied to synthesize uniform r-QDs@SiO 2 , this step could protect CdTe from contacting with human skin directly. Polydopamine (PDA) acted as response signal to detect DA, a very handy method which just combined polyethyleneimine (PEI) with DA together to synthesize PDA, this way for synthesis of PDA was much time-saving and non-toxic than any other methods. Differently from traditional analysis processes, the products of this experiment were also the analysis substances in final. Under optimum measurement conditions, the dual-emission ratiometric fluorescence probe was used for detections of DA in a concentration ranged from 10μM to 80μM with a detection limit of 0.12μM, with addition of DA the color of the probe changed from red to green watched by naked eyes. In addition, the developed probe was also used for detections of DA in human serum samples successfully. This study provides a simple, time-saving and non-toxic approach for detections of DA without the requirement of complex equipment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thinking like Leonardo da Vinci and its implications for the modern doctor.

PubMed

Baum, Neil

2013-01-01

Most people when asked to name the most creative, innovative, and multidimensional people in history would agree that Leonardo da Vinci is either at the top or very close to the number one position on that list. Wouldn't it be nice to think like da Vinci? This article shares the seven unique principles of thinking that da Vinci used that enabled him to be the greatest painter, sculptor, architect, musician, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer of his (if not of all) time. This article will take you deep into the notebooks and codices of da Vinci, and suggest ways his ideas can be used by anyone in the healthcare profession to make them a better healthcare provider.

76 FR 31457 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-01

... Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation... reportedly found on DA 42 Main Landing Gear (MLG) Damper-to-Trailing Arm joints during standard maintenance... DA 42 Main Landing Gear (MLG) Damper-to-Trailing Arm joints during standard maintenance. Depending on...

Leonardo Da Vinci and stroke - vegetarian diet as a possible cause.

PubMed

Oztürk, Serefnur; Altieri, Marta; Troisi, Pina

2010-01-01

Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 to May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. It has been gleaned from the many available historical documents that da Vinci was a vegetarian who respected and loved animals, and that he suffered from right hemiparesis in the last 5 years of his life. A vegetarian diet has both positive and negative influences on the cerebrovascular system. In this report, a possible relation between a vegetarian diet and stroke is discussed from various perspectives as related to Leonardo da Vinci's stroke. Copyright (c) 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Understanding the Two-Photon Absorption Spectrum of PE2 Platinum Acetylide Complex

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-09

Materials Division Marcelo G. Vivas - Instituto de Ciência de Tecnologia , Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Cidade Universitári, BR Leonardo De Boni...Instituto de Ciência de Tecnologia , Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Cidade Universitári, BR 267 Km 533, 37715- 400 Poços de Caldas, MG Brazil...Saõ Paulo, CP 369, 13560-970, Saõ Carlos, SP Brazil ‡Instituto de Cien̂cia de Tecnologia , Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Cidade UniversitaŕiaBR

The Threat of Latin America Populism

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-07

Minister), August 14,2008, httpJ/www.cavallo.corn.ar/?p=173 , (accessed December 29, 2009). 38 1NV AP, " Tecnologia de Avanzada a Medida, Argentina.ar...December 5, 2008, http ://www.argentina.ar/ es/ciencia-y-educacion/C343 -invap- tecnologia -de-avanzada -a- medida.php (accessed December 15, 2009...ch_vez_obliga_a_)a_tv_por_cable_a_sumarse_a_)a_cade na nacion/ INV AP, " Tecnologia de Avanzada a Medida, Argentina.ar, December 5, 2008, http

Early clinical experience with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System in general surgery.

PubMed

Hagen, Monika E; Jung, Minoa K; Ris, Frederic; Fakhro, Jassim; Buchs, Nicolas C; Buehler, Leo; Morel, Philippe

2017-09-01

The da Vinci Xi Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) has been released in 2014 to facilitate minimally invasive surgery. Novel features are targeted towards facilitating complex multi-quadrant procedures, but data is scarce so far. Perioperative data of patients who underwent robotic general surgery with the da Vinci Xi system within the first 6 month after installation were collected and analyzed. The gastric bypass procedures performed with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System were compared to an equal amount of the last procedures with the da Vinci Si Surgical System. Thirty-one foregut (28 Roux-en-Y gastric bypasses), 6 colorectal procedures and 1 revisional biliary procedure were performed. The mean operating room (OR) time was 221.8 (±69.0) minutes for gastric bypasses and 306.5 (±48.8) for colorectal procedures with mean docking time of 9.4 (±3.8) minutes. The gastric bypass procedure was transitioned from a hybrid to a fully robotic approach. In comparison to the last 28 gastric bypass procedures performed with the da Vinci Si Surgical System, the OR time was comparable (226.9 versus 230.6 min, p = 0.8094), but the docking time significantly longer with the da Vinci Xi Surgical System (8.5 versus 6.1 min, p = 0.0415). All colorectal procedures were performed with a single robotic docking. No intraoperative and two postoperative complications occurred. The da Vinci Xi might facilitate single-setups of totally robotic gastric bypass and colorectal surgeries. However, further comparable research is needed to clearly determine the significance of this latest version of the da Vinci Surgical System.

76 FR 14346 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-16

... Industries GmbH Model DA 42 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of... been reportedly found on DA 42 Main Landing Gear (MLG) Damper-to-Trailing Arm joints during standard... condition for the specified products. The MCAI states: Cracks have been reportedly found on DA 42 Main...

[Diagnostic Accuracy of the LiSe-DaZ for Children with Specific Language Impairment].

PubMed

Stephan, T; Keilmann, A

2015-12-01

Currently, only few tests for the development of speech and language exist for bi- or multilingual children in Germany. One of those, the LiSe-DaZ (Linguistic performance measurement - German as a second language), was examined in a prospective study regarding its practicability and the sensitivity to detect children with specific language impairment in a group of children aged 5 to 7 who suffered from a severe language impairment according to clinical tests. 74 children (mean age: 60 months; 46% monolingual German-speaking; 54% bi- or multilingual) with severe specific language impairment were examined with the LiSe-DaZ in addition to the clinical established diagnostic during their in-patient stay in the hospital. The children, on average, showed in the receptive language abilities (LiSe-DaZ vs. TROG-D), the expressive vocabulary (LiSe-DaZ vs. AWST-R or WWT) and in the use of prepositions (LiSe-DaZ vs. Ravensburger Dysgrammatical clinical trial) significantly (p<0,0005) better results in the LiSe-DaZ. Thus, the majority of children were diagnosed as language impaired by clinically established tests whereas the LiSe-DaZ considered the children's language development to be normal. This difference was consistently more prominent for children with German as a second language. Compared with the clinically established tests, the informative value of the LiSe-DaZ turned out to be insufficient. The LiSe-DaZ does not detect children with the need of language therapy. Nevertheless, a norming of the established speech tests for bi- or multilingual children would be desirable to avoid unfounded judgements. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and his depictions of the human spine.

PubMed

Bowen, Garvin; Gonzales, Jocelyn; Iwanaga, Joe; Fisahn, Christian; Loukas, Marios; Oskouian, Rod J; Tubbs, R Shane

2017-12-01

Few individuals in history have exerted so great an influence and made such extensive contributions to so many disciplines as Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci's inquisitive, experimental mentality led him to many discoveries, such as spinal cord function and the proper anatomy of several organ systems. Respected not only as an artist but also as an anatomist, he made many significant contributions to the field. This article explores da Vinci's drawings, in relation to the anatomy of the human spine.

The Real Code of Leonardo da Vinci

PubMed Central

Ose, Leiv

2008-01-01

Leonardo da Vinci was born in Italy. Among the researchers and scientists, he is favourably known for his remarkable efforts in scientific work. His investigations of atherosclerosis judiciously combine three separate fields of research. In 1506, he finished his masterpiece, painting of Mona Lisa. A careful clinical examination of the famous painting reveals a yellow irregular leather-like spot at the inner end of the left upper eyelid and a soft bumpy well-defined swelling of the dorsum of the right hand beneath the index finger about 3 cm long. This is probably the first case of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The FH code of Leonardo da Vinci was given immense consideration by scientists like Carl Muller, who described the xanthomas tuberosum and angina pectoris. On the contrary, Akira Endo searched for microbial metabolites that would inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol and finally, Michael Brown and Joseph Goldstein published a remarkable series of elegant and insightful papers in the 70s and 80s. They established that the cellular uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) essentially requires the LDL receptor. In conclusion: this was the real Code of Leonardo da Vinci. PMID:19924278

[The rational application of Da Vinci surgical system in thyroidectomy].

PubMed

He, Q Q

2017-08-01

Da Vinci surgical system is the most advanced minimally invasive surgical platform in the world, and this system has been widely used in cardiac surgery, urology surgery, gynecologic surgery and general surgery. Although the application of this system was relatively late in thyroid surgery, the number of thyroidectomy with Da Vinci surgical system is increasing quickly. Having reviewed recent studies and summarized clinical experience, compared with traditional open operation, the robotic thyroidectomy has the same surgical safety and effectiveness in selective patients with thyroid cancer. In this paper, several aspects on this novel operation were demonstrated, including surgical indications and contraindications, the approaches, surgical procedures and postoperative complications, in order to promote the rational application of Da Vinci surgical system in thyroidectomy.

32 CFR 635.23 - DA Form 4833 (Commander's Report of Disciplinary or Administrative Action).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the PMO. The Battalion Commander or the first Lieutenant Colonel in the chain of command is... DA Form 4833 within 45 days of receipt. (1) Appropriate blocks will be checked and blanks annotated... the disposition on DA Form 4833 as appropriate. That portion of the signature block of DA Form 4833...

32 CFR 635.23 - DA Form 4833 (Commander's Report of Disciplinary or Administrative Action).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the PMO. The Battalion Commander or the first Lieutenant Colonel in the chain of command is... DA Form 4833 within 45 days of receipt. (1) Appropriate blocks will be checked and blanks annotated... the disposition on DA Form 4833 as appropriate. That portion of the signature block of DA Form 4833...

32 CFR 635.23 - DA Form 4833 (Commander's Report of Disciplinary or Administrative Action).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the PMO. The Battalion Commander or the first Lieutenant Colonel in the chain of command is... DA Form 4833 within 45 days of receipt. (1) Appropriate blocks will be checked and blanks annotated... the disposition on DA Form 4833 as appropriate. That portion of the signature block of DA Form 4833...

32 CFR 635.23 - DA Form 4833 (Commander's Report of Disciplinary or Administrative Action).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the PMO. The Battalion Commander or the first Lieutenant Colonel in the chain of command is... DA Form 4833 within 45 days of receipt. (1) Appropriate blocks will be checked and blanks annotated... the disposition on DA Form 4833 as appropriate. That portion of the signature block of DA Form 4833...

32 CFR 635.23 - DA Form 4833 (Commander's Report of Disciplinary or Administrative Action).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the PMO. The Battalion Commander or the first Lieutenant Colonel in the chain of command is... DA Form 4833 within 45 days of receipt. (1) Appropriate blocks will be checked and blanks annotated... the disposition on DA Form 4833 as appropriate. That portion of the signature block of DA Form 4833...

Desenvolvimento de modelo clínico para predição da possibilidade de identificação da artéria de Adamkiewicz por angiotomografia

PubMed Central

Amato, Alexandre Campos Moraes; Parga, José Rodrigues; Stolf, Noedir Antônio Groppo

2018-01-01

Resumo Contexto Diferenças morfológicas da artéria de Adamkiewicz (AKA) entre a população portadora e não portadora de doença aórtica têm importância clínica, influenciando as complicações neuroisquêmicas da medula espinhal em procedimentos operatórios. Ainda não é conhecida a correlação entre parâmetros clínicos e a previsibilidade da identificação dessa artéria pela angiotomografia. Objetivo Desenvolver um modelo matemático que, através de parâmetros clínicos correlacionados com aterosclerose, possa prever a probabilidade de identificação da AKA em pacientes submetidos a angiotomografias. Método Estudo observacional transversal utilizando banco de imagens e dados de pacientes. Foi feita análise estatística multivariada e criado modelo matemático logit de predição para identificação da AKA. Variáveis significativas foram utilizadas na montagem da fórmula para cálculo da probabilidade de identificação. O modelo foi calibrado, e a discriminação foi avaliada pela curva receiver operating characteristic (ROC). A seleção das variáveis explanatórias foi guiada pela maior área na curva ROC (p = 0,041) e pela significância combinada das variáveis. Resultados Foram avaliados 110 casos (54,5% do sexo masculino, com idade média de 60,97 anos e etnia com coeficiente B -2,471, M -1,297, N -0,971), com AKA identificada em 60,9%. Índice de massa corporal: 27,06 ± 0,98 (coef. -0,101); fumantes: 55,5% (coef. -1,614/-1,439); diabéticos: 13,6%; hipertensos: 65,5% (coef. -1,469); dislipidêmicos: 58,2%; aneurisma aórtico: 38,2%; dissecção aórtica: 12,7%; e trombo mural: 24,5%. Constante de 6,262. Fórmula para cálculo da probabilidade de detecção: (e−(Coef. Etnia+(Coef. IMC×IMC)+Coef.fumante+Coef.HAS+Coef.dislip+Constante)+1)−1 . O modelo de predição foi criado e disponibilizado no link https://vascular.pro/aka-model . Conclusão Com as covariáveis etnia, índice de massa corporal, tabagismo, hipertens

Identification of Rice Genes Associated With Enhanced Cold Tolerance by Comparative Transcriptome Analysis With Two Transgenic Rice Plants Overexpressing DaCBF4 or DaCBF7, Isolated From Antarctic Flowering Plant Deschampsia antarctica

PubMed Central

Byun, Mi Young; Cui, Li Hua; Lee, Jungeun; Park, Hyun; Lee, Andosung; Kim, Woo Taek; Lee, Hyoungseok

2018-01-01

Few plant species can survive in Antarctica, the harshest environment for living organisms. Deschampsia antarctica is the only natural grass species to have adapted to and colonized the maritime Antarctic. To investigate the molecular mechanism of the Antarctic adaptation of this plant, we identified and characterized D. antarctica C-repeat binding factor 4 (DaCBF4), which belongs to monocot CBF group IV. The transcript level of DaCBF4 in D. antarctica was markedly increased by cold and dehydration stress. To assess the roles of DaCBF4 in plants, we generated a DaCBF4-overexpressing transgenic rice plant (Ubi:DaCBF4) and analyzed its abiotic stress response phenotype. Ubi:DaCBF4 displayed enhanced tolerance to cold stress without growth retardation under any condition compared to wild-type plants. Because the cold-specific phenotype of Ubi:DaCBF4 was similar to that of Ubi:DaCBF7 (Byun et al., 2015), we screened for the genes responsible for the improved cold tolerance in rice by selecting differentially regulated genes in both transgenic rice lines. By comparative transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq, we identified 9 and 15 genes under normal and cold-stress conditions, respectively, as putative downstream targets of the two D. antarctica CBFs. Overall, our results suggest that Antarctic hairgrass DaCBF4 mediates the cold-stress response of transgenic rice plants by adjusting the expression levels of a set of stress-responsive genes in transgenic rice plants. Moreover, selected downstream target genes will be useful for genetic engineering to enhance the cold tolerance of cereal plants, including rice. PMID:29774046

Identification of Rice Genes Associated With Enhanced Cold Tolerance by Comparative Transcriptome Analysis With Two Transgenic Rice Plants Overexpressing DaCBF4 or DaCBF7, Isolated From Antarctic Flowering Plant Deschampsia antarctica.

PubMed

Byun, Mi Young; Cui, Li Hua; Lee, Jungeun; Park, Hyun; Lee, Andosung; Kim, Woo Taek; Lee, Hyoungseok

2018-01-01

Few plant species can survive in Antarctica, the harshest environment for living organisms. Deschampsia antarctica is the only natural grass species to have adapted to and colonized the maritime Antarctic. To investigate the molecular mechanism of the Antarctic adaptation of this plant, we identified and characterized D. antarctica C-repeat binding factor 4 ( DaCBF4 ), which belongs to monocot CBF group IV. The transcript level of DaCBF4 in D. antarctica was markedly increased by cold and dehydration stress. To assess the roles of DaCBF4 in plants, we generated a DaCBF4 -overexpressing transgenic rice plant ( Ubi:DaCBF4 ) and analyzed its abiotic stress response phenotype. Ubi:DaCBF4 displayed enhanced tolerance to cold stress without growth retardation under any condition compared to wild-type plants. Because the cold-specific phenotype of Ubi:DaCBF4 was similar to that of Ubi:DaCBF7 (Byun et al., 2015), we screened for the genes responsible for the improved cold tolerance in rice by selecting differentially regulated genes in both transgenic rice lines. By comparative transcriptome analysis using RNA-seq, we identified 9 and 15 genes under normal and cold-stress conditions, respectively, as putative downstream targets of the two D. antarctica CBFs. Overall, our results suggest that Antarctic hairgrass DaCBF4 mediates the cold-stress response of transgenic rice plants by adjusting the expression levels of a set of stress-responsive genes in transgenic rice plants. Moreover, selected downstream target genes will be useful for genetic engineering to enhance the cold tolerance of cereal plants, including rice.

Biofortification of soybean meal: immunological properties of the 27 kDa γ-zein.

PubMed

Krishnan, Hari B; Jang, Sungchan; Kim, Won-Seok; Kerley, Monty S; Oliver, Melvin J; Trick, Harold N

2011-02-23

Legumes, including soybeans ( Glycine max ), are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids, which are required for the optimal growth of monogastric animals. This deficiency can be overcome by expressing heterologous proteins rich in sulfur-containing amino acids in soybean seeds. A maize 27 kDa γ-zein, a cysteine-rich protein, has been successfully expressed in several crops including soybean, barley, and alfalfa with the intent to biofortify these crops for animal feed. Previous work has shown that the maize 27 kDa zein can withstand digestion by pepsin and elicit an immunogenic response in young pigs. By use of sera from patients who tested positive by ImmunoCAP assay for elevated IgE to maize proteins, specific IgE binding to the 27 kDa γ-zein is demonstrated. Bioinformatic analysis using the full-length and 80 amino acid sliding window FASTA searches identified significant sequence homology of the 27 kDa γ-zein with several known allergens. Immunoblot analysis using human serum that cross-reacts with maize seed proteins also revealed specific IgE-binding to the 27 kDa γ-zein in soybean seed protein extracts containing the 27 kDa zein. This study demonstrates for the first time the allergenicity potential of the 27 kDa γ-zein and the potential that this protein has to limit livestock performance when used in soybeans that serve as a biofortified feed supplement.

Early experience using the da Vinci Surgical System for the treatment of mediastinal tumors.

PubMed

Kajiwara, Naohiro; Taira, Masahiro; Yoshida, Koichi; Hagiwara, Masaru; Kakihana, Masatoshi; Usuda, Jitsuo; Uchida, Osamu; Ohira, Tatsuo; Kawate, Norihiko; Ikeda, Norihiko

2011-10-01

The da Vinci Surgical System has been used in only a few cases for treating mediastinal tumors in Japan. Recently, we used the da Vinci Surgical System for various types of anterior and middle mediastinal tumors in clinical practice. We report our early experience using the da Vinci Surgical System. Seven patients gave written informed consent to undergo robotic surgery for mediastinal tumor dissection using the da Vinci Surgical System. We evaluated the safety and feasibility of this system for the surgical treatment of mediastinal tumors. Two specialists in thoracic surgery who are certified to use the da Vinci S Surgical System and another specialist acted as an assistant performed the tumor dissection. We were able to access difficult-to-reach areas, such as the mediastinum, safely. All the resected tumors were classified as benign tumors histologically. The average da Vinci setting time was 14.0 min, the average working time was 55.7 min, and the average overall operating time was 125.9 min. The learning curve for the da Vinci setup and manipulation time was short. Robotic surgery enables mediastinal tumor dissection in certain cases more safely and easily than conventional video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and less invasively than open thoracotomy.

Nursing care by telehealth: what is the influence of distance on communication?

PubMed

Barbosa, Ingrid de Almeida; Silva, Maria Júlia Paes da

2017-01-01

Evaluate the perception of nurses regarding interpersonal communication while providing care via telehealth. Qualitative research realized with seven nurses working in telehealth in Brazil, the sample was determined by data saturation. A questionnaire with open questions was applied and then content analysis of the dialogues was conducted, focusing on thematic analysis. Four categories emerged from the dialogues: Understanding the importance of communication; the interpersonal relationship interfering with communication; Communicating via technology; and Learning the communication process. The perception of nurses working in telehealth in Brazil is that technology has facilitated their professional practice; however, in relation to the communication process, they believe it is harder to communicate by telehealth, mainly due to difficulty in perceiving nonverbal signals. To overcome these difficulties, they agreed that interpersonal communication is a skill that must be acquired during their professional training. Avaliar a percepção do enfermeiro referente à Comunicação interpessoal no cuidado por telessaúde. Pesquisa qualitativa, realizada com sete enfermeiros que atuam em telessaúde no Brasil, com amostra determinada pela saturação de dados. Aplicou-se um questionário com perguntas abertas e foi realizada análise de conteúdo dos discursos, com enfoque na análise temática. Dos discursos emergiram quatro categorias: Entendendo a importância da comunicação; O relacionamento interpessoal interferindo na comunicação; Comunicando-se por meio da tecnologia; e Aprendendo o processo de comunicação. A percepção dos enfermeiros que atuam em telessaúde no Brasil é de que a tecnologia tem facilitado sua prática profissional; porém, em relação ao processo de comunicação, creem que seja mais difícil se comunicar pela telessaúde, principalmente devido à dificuldade de percepção de sinais não verbais. Para superar essas dificuldades, concordam

Ultrasonic location system =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albuquerque, Daniel Filipe

Esta tese apresenta um sistema de localizacao baseado exclusivamente em ultrassons, nao necessitando de recorrer a qualquer outra tecnologia. Este sistema de localizacao foi concebido para poder operar em ambientes onde qualquer outra tecnologia nao pode ser utilizada ou o seu uso esta condicionado, como sao exemplo aplicacoes subaquaticas ou ambientes hospitalares. O sistema de localizacao proposto faz uso de uma rede de farois fixos permitindo que estacoes moveis se localizem. Devido a necessidade de transmissao de dados e medicao de distancias foi desenvolvido um pulso de ultrassons robusto a ecos que permite realizar ambas as tarefas com sucesso. O sistema de localizacao permite que as estacoes moveis se localizem escutando apenas a informacao em pulsos de ultrassons enviados pelos farois usando para tal um algoritmo baseado em diferencas de tempo de chegada. Desta forma a privacidade dos utilizadores e garantida e o sistema torna-se completamente independente do numero de utilizadores. Por forma a facilitar a implementacao da rede de farois apenas sera necessario determinar manualmente a posicao de alguns dos farois, designados por farois ancora. Estes irao permitir que os restantes farois, completamente autonomos, se possam localizar atraves de um algoritmo iterativo de localizacao baseado na minimizacao de uma funcao de custo. Para que este sistema possa funcionar como previsto sera necessario que os farois possam sincronizar os seus relogios e medir a distancia entre eles. Para tal, esta tese propoe um protocolo de sincronizacao de relogio que permite tambem obter as medidas de distancia entre os farois trocando somente tres mensagens de ultrassons. Adicionalmente, o sistema de localizacao permite que farois danificados possam ser substituidos sem comprometer a operabilidade da rede reduzindo a complexidade na manutencao. Para alem do mencionado, foi igualmente implementado um simulador de ultrassons para ambientes fechados, o qual provou ser bastante

Cloning and functional characterization of the DA2 receptor gene in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

PubMed Central

Xu, Min-jie; Zhang, Cong; Yang, Zhigang

2018-01-01

Dopamine (DA) plays a modulatory role in numerous physiological processes such as light adaptation and food intake, and exerts these functions through DA receptors (DARs). This study presents, for the first time, isolation and characterization of the dopamine receptor 2(DA2 receptor) cDNA from the intestinal tissue of Eriocheir sinensis, an economically important freshwater aquaculture species in China. The DA2 receptor cDNA sequence, which was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, is 2369bp long, encode peptide of 589 amino acid, and is highly homologous to related sequences in crustaceans. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence and the structure of the DA2 indicated that this receptor is a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), as it contains seven transmembrane domains and other common signatures of GPCRs. RT-PCR showed that the expression of the DA2 receptor gene was distributed in various tissues, and high expression levels were observed in the cranial ganglia and the thoracic ganglia. Further study of the effect of photoperiod on DA2 expression showed that constant darkness induced a significant increase in DA2 expression in the cranial ganglia. Finally, analysis of DA2 receptor expression under different feeding statuses showed that there was significantly greater expression in the hepatopancreas and intestines after feeding than before feeding, but there were no differences in expression between the before feeding and during feeding periods in either tissue. Our results indicate that the DA2 receptor structurally belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptors, and that the cranial ganglia are the main tissues in which the DA2 receptor participates in light adaptation during dark hours. In addition, the DA2 receptor in E. sinensis may be involved in the physiological regulation of the hepatopancreas and digestive tract after the ingestion of food. This study provides a foundation for further exploration of the light

DaMab-2: Anti-Human DGKα Monoclonal Antibody for Immunocytochemistry.

PubMed

Nakano, Tomoyuki; Ogasawara, Satoshi; Tanaka, Toshiaki; Hozumi, Yasukazu; Mizuno, Satoru; Satoh, Eri; Sakane, Fumio; Okada, Naoki; Taketomi, Akinobu; Honma, Ryusuke; Nakamura, Takuro; Saidoh, Noriko; Yanaka, Miyuki; Itai, Shunsuke; Handa, Saori; Chang, Yao-Wen; Yamada, Shinji; Kaneko, Mika K; Kato, Yukinari; Goto, Kaoru

2017-08-01

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) is responsible for the enzymatic conversion of diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid. Since both diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid serve as signaling molecules, DGK is regarded as a hub between diacylglycerol-mediated and phosphatidic acid-mediated signaling. One of the 10 DGK isozymes, DGKα, is shown to be involved in T cell function. Transfection studies using tagged expression vectors revealed that DGKα localizes to the cytoplasm and nucleus and translocates to the plasma membrane in response to T cell receptor stimulation. However, a limited number of studies reported the localization of native protein of DGKα in tissues and cells. In this study, we immunized mice with recombinant DGKα and developed several anti-DGKα monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of the established anti-DGKα mAbs is a clone DaMab-2 (mouse IgG 1 , kappa). In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DaMab-2 recognized only DGKα, and did not react with the other isozymes, such as DGKγ, DGKζ, DGKη, and DGKδ. Importantly, DaMab-2 is very useful in immunocytochemical analysis of human cultured cells, indicating that DaMab-2 is advantageous to analyze the localization and function of DGKα.

DA-9701: A New Multi-Acting Drug for the Treatment of Functional Dyspepsia

PubMed Central

Kwon, Yong Sam; Son, Miwon

2013-01-01

Motilitone® (DA-9701) is a new herbal drug that was launched for the treatment of functional dyspepsia in December 2011 in Korea. The heterogeneous symptom pattern and multiple causes of functional dyspepsia have resulted in multiple drug target strategies for its treatment. DA-9701, a compound consisting of a combination of Corydalis Tuber and Pharbitidis Semen, has being developed for treatment of functional dyspepsia. It has multiple mechanisms of action such as fundus relaxation, visceral analgesia, and prokinetic effects. Furthermore, it was found to significantly enhance meal-induced gastric accommodation and increase gastric compliance in dogs. DA-9701 also showed an analgesic effect in rats with colorectal distension induced visceral hypersensitivity and an antinociceptive effect in beagle dogs with gastric distension-induced nociception. The pharmacological effects of DA-9701 also include conventional effects, such as enhanced gastric emptying and gastrointestinal transit. The safety profi le of DA-9701 is also preferable to that of other treatments. PMID:24265862

DA-9701 on gastric motility in patients with Parkinson's disease: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Shin, Cheol Min; Lee, Yoon Jin; Kim, Jong-Min; Lee, Jee Young; Kim, Kyung-Joon; Choi, Yoon Jin; Kim, Nayoung; Lee, Dong Ho

2018-04-21

To evaluate the effect of DA-9701, a novel prokinetic drug, on gastric motility evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Forty PD patients were randomly allocated to receive either domperidone or DA-9701. Their gastric functions were evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging before and after 4-week treatment period. Information on levodopa daily dose, disease duration, and Unified PD Rating Scale scores was collected. In 18 patients (domperidone: 9, DA-9701: 9), plasma levodopa concentrations were determined. Primary outcome was assessed by a one-sided 95% confidence interval to show non-inferiority of DA-9701 vs. domperidone with a pre-determined non-inferiority margin of -10%. Thirty-eight participants (19 men and 19 women; mean age, 67.1 years) completed the study protocol (domperidone: DA-9701 = 19:19). Gastric emptying rate at 120 min (2-hr GER) was comparable between the 2 groups; it was not correlated with levodopa daily dose or disease duration or Unified PD Rating Scale scores (all p > 0.05). DA-9701 was not inferior to domperidone in changes of 2-hr GERs before and after the treatment (absolute difference, 4.0 %; one-sided 95% confidence interval, - 3.7 to infinity). However, a significant increase in 2-hr GER was observed only in DA-9701 group (54.5% and 61.8%, before and after treatment, respectively, p < 0.05). Plasma levodopa concentration showed an insignificant but increasing trend in DA-9701 group. There were neither adverse reactions nor deteriorations of parkinsonian symptoms observed in the study participants. DA-9701 can be used for the patients with PD to enhance gastric motility without aggravating PD symptoms (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03022201). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PanDA Pilot Submission using Condor-G: Experience and Improvements

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

Zhao X.; Hover John; Wlodek Tomasz

2011-01-01

PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) is the workload management system of the ATLAS experiment, used to run managed production and user analysis jobs on the grid. As a late-binding, pilot-based system, the maintenance of a smooth and steady stream of pilot jobs to all grid sites is critical for PanDA operation. The ATLAS Computing Facility (ACF) at BNL, as the ATLAS Tier1 center in the US, operates the pilot submission systems for the US. This is done using the PanDA 'AutoPilot' scheduler component which submits pilot jobs via Condor-G, a grid job scheduling system developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.more » In this paper, we discuss the operation and performance of the Condor-G pilot submission at BNL, with emphasis on the challenges and issues encountered in the real grid production environment. With the close collaboration of Condor and PanDA teams, the scalability and stability of the overall system has been greatly improved over the last year. We review improvements made to Condor-G resulting from this collaboration, including isolation of site-based issues by running a separate Gridmanager for each remote site, introduction of the 'Nonessential' job attribute to allow Condor to optimize its behavior for the specific character of pilot jobs, better understanding and handling of the Gridmonitor process, as well as better scheduling in the PanDA pilot scheduler component. We will also cover the monitoring of the health of the system.« less

Effect of DA-8031, a novel oral compound for premature ejaculation, on male rat sexual behavior.

PubMed

Kang, Kyung Koo; Sung, Ji Hyun; Kim, Soon Hoe; Lee, Sukhyang

2014-03-01

DA-8031 is a potent and selective serotonin transporter inhibitor developed for the treatment of premature ejaculation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of DA-8031 on male sexual behavior in a rat model. Sexual behavior was examined after an acute oral administration of 10, 30 or 100 mg/kg of DA-8031 in copulation studies with female rats. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated after oral administration of DA-8031 at a dose level of 30 mg/kg. DA-8031 treatment produced a dose-dependent increase in ejaculation latency time and showed statistical significance at 30 and 100 mg/kg dosage levels compared with the vehicle (P < 0.05). In addition, DA-8031 treatment reduced the mean number of ejaculations in a dose-dependent manner. No changes in post-ejaculatory interval, numbers of mounts, intromissions or ejaculations were observed at any dose. In pharmacokinetic study, the blood concentration of DA-8031 peaked at 0.38 ± 0.14 h after oral administration, and then rapidly declined with a half-life of 1.79 ± 0.32 h. Treatment with DA-8031 delays the ejaculation latency time without affecting the initiation of mounting behavior or post-ejaculatory interval in rats. Furthermore, DA-8031 is rapidly absorbed and eliminated after oral administration in rats. These preclinical findings provide a clue for the clinical testing of DA-8031 as an "on-demand" agent for premature ejaculation. © 2013 The Japanese Urological Association.

Cloning, expression and activation of a truncated 92-kDa gelatinase minienzyme.

PubMed

Kröger, M; Tschesche, H

1997-09-01

The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of highly homologous zinc-endopeptidases that degrade extracellular matrix components. Human 92-kDa gelatinase (MMP-9) represents one of the MMPs that cleaves native collagen type IV. As a basis for structural investigations, the short form (catalytic domain, amino acid residues 113-450) of the 92-kDa gelatinase cDNA was cloned and expressed in E. coli as a minienzyme. By combination of reverse transcription (RT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the truncated 92-kDa gelatinase-cDNA was amplified from the corresponding mRNA derived from ovarian carcinoma cells. The cDNA fragment obtained was cloned in E. coli and sequenced. With the exception of one nucleotide inversion at position 745 (gt-->tg) the cDNA sequence was identical to the nucleotide sequence of the 92-kDa gelatinase as has been previously reported. The protein was expressed in E. coli using the vector pET-12b. The recombinant protein was stored in inclusion bodies and extracted as a 38 kDa species from the inclusion bodies by solubilization in 8 M urea. The product was purified by affinity chromatography and gel filtration. Amino-terminal sequence analysis confirmed the identity with the catalytic domain of 92-kDa gelatinase. The recombinant protein was refolded in the presence of Ca2+ and Zn2+ and yielded an active minienzyme with gelatinolytic activity. It degrades the native substrate collagen type IV and the synthetic substrate Mca-Pro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Dpa-Ala-Arg-NH2 x AcOH like the full-length 92-kDa gelatinase. The catalytic activity could be inhibited by the specific MMP inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2.

Morphogenetic Studies of the Drosophila DA1 Ventral Olfactory Projection Neuron

PubMed Central

Yu, Hung-Hsiang

2016-01-01

In the Drosophila olfactory system, odorant information is sensed by olfactory sensory neurons and relayed from the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe (AL), to higher olfactory centers via olfactory projection neurons (PNs). A major portion of the AL is constituted with dendrites of four groups of PNs, anterodorsal PNs (adPNs), lateral PNs (lPNs), lateroventral PNs (lvPNs) and ventral PNs (vPNs). Previous studies have been focused on the development and function of adPNs and lPNs, while the investigation on those of lvPNs and vPNs received less attention. Here, we study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the morphogenesis of a putative male-pheromone responding vPN, the DA1 vPN. Using an intersection strategy to remove background neurons labeled within a DA1 vPN-containing GAL4 line, we depicted morphological changes of the DA1 vPN that occurs at the pupal stage. We then conducted a pilot screen using RNA interference knock-down approach to identify cell surface molecules, including Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 and Semaphorin-1a, that might play essential roles for the DA1 vPN morphogenesis. Taken together, by revealing molecular and cellular basis of the DA1 vPN morphogenesis, we should provide insights into future comprehension of how vPNs are assembled into the olfactory neural circuitry. PMID:27163287

Morphogenetic Studies of the Drosophila DA1 Ventral Olfactory Projection Neuron.

PubMed

Shen, Hung-Chang; Wei, Jia-Yi; Chu, Sao-Yu; Chung, Pei-Chi; Hsu, Tsai-Chi; Yu, Hung-Hsiang

2016-01-01

In the Drosophila olfactory system, odorant information is sensed by olfactory sensory neurons and relayed from the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe (AL), to higher olfactory centers via olfactory projection neurons (PNs). A major portion of the AL is constituted with dendrites of four groups of PNs, anterodorsal PNs (adPNs), lateral PNs (lPNs), lateroventral PNs (lvPNs) and ventral PNs (vPNs). Previous studies have been focused on the development and function of adPNs and lPNs, while the investigation on those of lvPNs and vPNs received less attention. Here, we study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the morphogenesis of a putative male-pheromone responding vPN, the DA1 vPN. Using an intersection strategy to remove background neurons labeled within a DA1 vPN-containing GAL4 line, we depicted morphological changes of the DA1 vPN that occurs at the pupal stage. We then conducted a pilot screen using RNA interference knock-down approach to identify cell surface molecules, including Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule 1 and Semaphorin-1a, that might play essential roles for the DA1 vPN morphogenesis. Taken together, by revealing molecular and cellular basis of the DA1 vPN morphogenesis, we should provide insights into future comprehension of how vPNs are assembled into the olfactory neural circuitry.

Revisiting shape selectivity in liquid chromatography for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - six-ring and seven-ring Cata-condensed PAH isomers of molecular mass 328 Da and 378 Da.

PubMed

Oña-Ruales, Jorge O; Sander, Lane C; Wilson, Walter B; Wise, Stephen A

2018-01-01

The relationship of reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) retention on a polymeric C 18 stationary phase and the shape of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated for three-ring to seven-ring cata-condensed isomers. We report the first RPLC separation for six-ring and seven-ring cata-condensed PAH isomers. Correlations of LC retention and shape parameters (length-to-breath ratio, L/B and thickness, T) were investigated for 2 three-ring isomers (molecular mass 178 Da), 5 four-ring isomers (molecular mass 228 Da), 11 five-ring isomers (molecular mass 278 Da), 17 six-ring isomers (molecular mass 328 Da), and 20 seven-ring isomers (molecular mass 378 Da). Significant linear correlations were found for all isomer groups (r = 0.71 to 0.94). Nonplanarity of the PAH isomers was found to influence retention (i.e., nonplanar isomers eluting earlier than expected based on L/B) and linear correlations of retention vs. T for isomer groups containing nonplanar isomers were significant (r = 0.71 to 0.86). Graphical abstract.

Reduced striatal dopamine DA D2 receptor function in dominant-negative GSK-3 transgenic mice.

PubMed

Gomez-Sintes, Raquel; Bortolozzi, Analia; Artigas, Francesc; Lucas, José J

2014-09-01

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase with constitutive activity involved in cellular architecture, gene expression, cell proliferation, fate decision and apoptosis, among others. GSK-3 expression is particularly high in brain where it may be involved in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer׳s disease, bipolar disorder and major depression. A link with schizophrenia is suggested by the antipsychotic drug-induced GSK-3 regulation and by the involvement of the Akt/GSK-3 pathway in dopaminergic neurotransmission. Taking advantage of the previous development of dominant negative GSK-3 transgenic mice (Tg) showing a selective reduction of GSK-3 activity in forebrain neurons but not in dopaminergic neurons, we explored the relationship between GSK-3 and dopaminergic neurotransmission in vivo. In microdialysis experiments, local quinpirole (DA D2-R agonist) in dorsal striatum reduced dopamine (DA) release significantly less in Tg mice than in wild-type (WT) mice. However, local SKF-81297 (selective DA D1-R agonist) in dorsal striatum reduced DA release equally in both control and Tg mice indicating a comparable function of DA D1-R in the direct striato-nigral pathway. Likewise, systemic quinpirole administration - acting preferentially on presynaptic DA D2- autoreceptors to modulate DA release-reduced striatal DA release similarly in both control and Tg mice. Quinpirole reduced locomotor activity and induced c-fos expression in globus pallidus (both striatal DA D2-R-mediated effects) significantly more in WT than in Tg mice. Taking together, the present results show that dominant negative GSK-3 transgenic mice show reduced DA D2-R-mediated function in striatum and further support a link between dopaminergic neurotransmission and GSK-3 activity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

A relevant IgE-reactive 28kDa protein identified from Salsola kali pollen extract by proteomics is a natural degradation product of an integral 47kDa polygalaturonase.

PubMed

Mas, Salvador; Oeo-Santos, Carmen; Cuesta-Herranz, Javier; Díaz-Perales, Araceli; Colás, Carlos; Fernández, Javier; Barber, Domingo; Rodríguez, Rosalía; de Los Ríos, Vivian; Barderas, Rodrigo; Villalba, Mayte

2017-08-01

A highly prevalent IgE-binding protein band of 28kDa is observed when Salsola kali pollen extract is incubated with individual sera from Amaranthaceae pollen sensitized patients. By an immunoproteomic analysis of S. kali pollen extract, we identified this protein band as an allergenic polygalacturonase enzyme. The allergen, named Sal k 6, exhibits a pI of 7.14 and a molecular mass of 39,554.2Da. It presents similarities to Platanaceae, Poaceae, and Cupressaceae allergenic polygalacturonases. cDNA-encoding sequence was subcloned into the pET41b vector and produced in bacteria as a His-tag fusion recombinant protein. The far-UV CD spectrum determined that rSal k 6 was folded. Immunostaining of the S. kali pollen protein extract with a rSal k 6-specific pAb and LC-MS/MS proteomic analyses confirmed the co-existence of the 28kDa band together with an allergenic band of about 47kDa in the pollen extract. Therefore, the 28kDa was assigned as a natural degradation product of the 47kDa integral polygalacturonase. The IgE-binding inhibition to S. kali pollen extract using rSal k 6 as inhibitor showed that signals directed to both protein bands of 28 and 47kDa were completely abrogated. The average prevalence of rSal k 6 among the three populations analyzed was 30%, with values correlating well with the levels of grains/m 3 of Amaranthaceae pollen. Sal k 6 shares IgE epitopes with Oleaceae members (Fraxinus excelsior, Olea europaea and Syringa vulgaris), with IgE-inhibition values ranging from 20% to 60%, respectively. No IgE-inhibition was observed with plant-derived food extracts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geomagnetic observations on tristan da cunha, south atlantic ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matzka, J.; Olsen, N.; Maule, C.F.; Pedersen, L.W.; Berarducci, A.M.; Macmillan, S.

2009-01-01

Few geomagnetic ground observations exist of the Earth's strongest core field anomaly, the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). The geomagnetic repeat station on the island Tristan da Cunha, located half-way between South Africa and South America at 37?? 05' S, 12?? 18' W, is therefore of crucial importance. We have conducted several sets of repeat station measurements during magnetically quiet conditions (Kp 2o or less) in 2004. The procedures are described and the results are compared to those from earlier campaigns and to the predictions of various global field models. Features of the local crustal bias field and the solar quiet daily variation are discussed. We also evaluate the benefit of continuous magnetic field recordings from Tristan da Cunha, and argue that such a data set is a very valuable addition to geomagnetic satellite data. Recently, funds were set up to establish and operate a magnetometer station on Tristan da Cunha during the Swarm magnetic satellite mission (2011-2014).

Effects of omeprazole or cola beverage on the pharmacokinetics of oral DA-8159, a new erectogenic, in rats.

PubMed

Lee, Joo H; Bae, Soo K; Kwon, Jong W; Kim, Won B; Lee, Myung G

2005-12-01

The changes in pharmacokinetics of DA-8159 by omeprazole with respect to inhibition of CYP3A1/2 in rats were evaluated. After oral administration of DA-8159 at dose of 30 mg/kg to rats pretreated with oral omeprazole at 30 mg/kg for 1 week, the total area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to time infinity (AUC) of DA-8159 was significantly greater (37.5% increase) than that in control rats. This could be due to inhibition of metabolism of DA-8159 by inhibition of CYP3A1/2 by omeprazole. The AUC(DA-8164 (a metabolite of DA-8159))/AUC(DA-8159) ratio was also smaller (32.4% decrease) with omeprazole. After oral administration of DA-8159 at a dose of 30 mg/kg to rats without or with cola beverage, the pharmacokinetic parameters of DA-8159 and DA-8164 were not significantly different between two groups of rats. This suggested that cola beverage did not have any considerable effects on CYP3A1/2 in rats.

Windows of opportunities and technological innovation in the Brazilian pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Tigre, Paulo Bastos; Nascimento, Caio Victor Machado França do; Costa, Laís Silveira

2016-11-03

The Brazilian pharmaceutical industry is heavily dependent on external sources of inputs, capital, and technology. However, the emergence of technological opportunities and the development of biotechnology and the decline of the patent boom and resulting advances by generic drugs have opened windows of opportunities for the local industry. The article examines the Brazilian industry's innovative behavior vis-à-vis these opportunities, showing that although the industry as a whole invests little in innovation, a few large Brazilian companies have expanded their market share and stepped up their investments in research and development, supported by public policies for innovation. Resumo: A indústria farmacêutica brasileira caracteriza-se pela grande dependência de fontes externas de insumos, capital e tecnologia. O surgimento de oportunidades tecnológicas, associadas ao desenvolvimento da biotecnologia e ao fim do boom das patentes com o consequente avanço dos medicamentos genéricos, entretanto, vem abrindo janelas de oportunidades para a indústria local. Este artigo examina o comportamento inovador da indústria brasileira à luz dessas oportunidades, revelando que, embora o conjunto da indústria mantenha baixos níveis de investimentos em inovação, um pequeno grupo de grandes empresas nacionais vem ampliando sua participação no mercado e intensificando seus investimentos em pesquisa e desenvolvimento, apoiados por políticas públicas de inovação.

Using iPSC-derived human DA neurons from opioid-dependent subjects to study dopamine dynamics.

PubMed

Sheng, Yang; Filichia, Emily; Shick, Elizabeth; Preston, Kenzie L; Phillips, Karran A; Cooperman, Leslie; Lin, Zhicheng; Tesar, Paul; Hoffer, Barry; Luo, Yu

2016-08-01

The dopaminergic (DA) system plays important roles in addiction. However, human DA neurons from drug-dependent subjects were not available for study until recent development in inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology. In this study, we produced DA neurons differentiated using iPSCs derived from opioid-dependent and control subjects carrying different 3' VNTR (variable number tandem repeat) polymorphism in the human dopamine transporter (DAT or SLC6A3). In addition, the effects of valproic acid (VPA) exposures on iPSC-derived human DA neurons are also examined. We present the first evidence suggesting that the 3' VNTR polymorphism in the hDAT gene affects DAT expression level in iPSC-derived human DA neurons. In human DA neurons, which provide an appropriate cellular milieu, VPA treatment alters the expression of several genes important for dopaminergic neuron function including DAT, Nurr1, and TH; this might partly explain its action in regulating addictive behaviors. VPA treatment also significantly increased DA D2 receptor (Drd2) expression, especially in the opioid-dependent iPSC cell lines. Our data suggest that human iPSC-derived DA neurons may be useful in in vitro experimental model to examine the effects of genetic variation in gene regulation, to examine the underlying mechanisms in neurological disorders including drug addiction, and to serve as a platform for therapeutic development.

Construction and validation of a tool to Assess the Use of Light Technologies at Intensive Care Units.

PubMed

Marinho, Pabliane Matias Lordelo; Campos, Maria Pontes de Aguiar; Rodrigues, Eliana Ofélia Llapa; Gois, Cristiane Franca Lisboa; Barreto, Ikaro Daniel de Carvalho

2016-12-19

to construct and validate a tool to assess the use of light technologies by the nursing team at Intensive Care Units. methodological study in which the tool was elaborated by means of the psychometric method for construction based on the categorization of health technologies by Merhy and Franco, from the National Humanization Policy, using the Nursing Intervention Classification taxonomy to categorize the domains of the tool. Agreement Percentages and Content Validity Indices were used for the purpose of validation. The result of the application of the Interrater Agreement Percentage exceeded the recommended level of 80%, highlighting the relevance for the proposed theme in the assessment, with an agreement rate of 99%. the tool was validated with four domains (Bond, Autonomy, Welcoming and Management) and nineteen items that assess the use of light technologies at Intensive Care Units. construir e validar um instrumento para avaliação do uso de tecnologias leves, pela equipe de enfermagem, em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva. estudo metodológico no qual o instrumento foi elaborado utilizando o método psicométrico para construção com base na categorização das tecnologias em saúde de Merhy e Franco, da Política Nacional de Humanização, utilizando-se a taxonomia Nursing Intervention Classification para categorizar os domínios do instrumento. Utilizou-se o Percentual de Concordância e o Índice de Validade de Conteúdo (IVC) para validação. o resultado da aplicação do Percentual de Concordância entre os juízes foi superior ao recomendado de 80%, havendo destaque na avaliação da pertinência ao tema proposto, apresentando um percentual de concordância de 99%. o instrumento foi validado com quatro domínios (Vínculo, Autonomia, Acolhimento e Gestão) e dezenove itens que avaliam o uso das tecnologias leves em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. construir y validar un instrumento para evaluación del uso de tecnologías leves, por el equipo de enfermer

Seeking 'energy' vs. pain relief in spas in Brazil (Caldas da Imperatriz) and Portugal (Termas da Sulfurea).

PubMed

Quintela, Maria Manuel

2011-04-01

This paper is a comparative ethnography of the therapeutic practices at two different spa locations: Caldas da Imperatriz, SC, Brazil, and Termas da Sulfurea in Cabeco de Vide, Portugal. The comparison reveals the existence of contrasting 'explanatory models' held by the spa-goers as well as by the official medical systems. In the Portuguese context this model is highly medicalized; in the Brazilian case, spa treatments are viewed as 'alternative' or 'complementary' therapy and are also related to religious philosophies. Each model corresponds to a different idiom expressing certain experiences and world views, one focusing on 'pains' (dores) and the other on 'energy' (energia), the former leading to the rationale of 'curing', the latter to the notion of 'energizing'. In this paper the author intends to analyze and contrast the categories found in these models, which originate from different conceptions of health, illness and healing for Brazilian and Portuguese spa-goers.

DA-6034-induced mucin secretion via Ca2+-dependent pathways through P2Y receptor stimulation.

PubMed

Lee, Hun; Kim, Eung Kweon; Kim, Ji Yeon; Yang, Yu-Mi; Shin, Dong Min; Kang, Kyung Koo; Kim, Tae-im

2014-09-11

We evaluated whether DA-6034 is involved in mucin secretion via P2Y receptor activation and/or intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) change. Also, we investigated the effect of P2Y receptor inhibitors or Ca2+ chelators on the DA-6034-induced mucin secretion and [Ca2+]i increases. Effects of DA-6034 on mucin expression in primary, cultured, conjunctival epithelial cells was studied using RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining. To evaluate thin film layer thickness generated by mucin and fluid secretion, cells were incubated in DA-6034 with/without P2Y antagonists or extracellular/intracellular Ca2+ chelators, and were imaged with confocal microscope using Texas Red-dextran dye. In addition, DA-6034-induced Ca2+-dependent Cl- channels opening was evaluated using perforated patch clamp. Fluo-4/AM was used to measure changes in [Ca2+]i induced by DA-6034 in Ca2+-free or Ca2+-containing buffered condition, as well as P2Y antagonists. DA-6034 induced the expression of mucin genes, production of mucin protein, and increase of number of mucin-secreting cells. P2Y antagonists inhibited DA-6034-induced mucin and fluid secretion, which was also affected by extracellular/intracellular Ca2+ chelators. DA-6034 stimulated Cl- channel opening and [Ca2+]i elevation. Further, [Ca2+]i increases induced by DA-6034 were lacking in either P2Y antagonists or Ca2+-free buffered condition, and diminished when endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ was depleted by cyclopiazonic acid in Ca2+-free buffered condition. This study demonstrated that DA-6034 has a potential to induce mucin secretion via Ca2+-dependent pathways through P2Y receptors in multilayer, cultured, human conjunctival epithelial cells. Copyright 2014 The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Influence of 120 kDa Pyruvate:Ferredoxin Oxidoreductase on Pathogenicity of Trichomonas vaginalis.

PubMed

Song, Hyun-Ouk

2016-02-01

Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellate protozoan parasite and commonly infected the lower genital tract in women and men. Iron is a known nutrient for growth of various pathogens, and also reported to be involved in establishment of trichomoniasis. However, the exact mechanism was not clarified. In this study, the author investigated whether the 120 kDa protein of T. vaginalis may be involved in pathogenicity of trichomonads. Antibodies against 120 kDa protein of T. vaginalis, which was identified as pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) by peptide analysis of MALDI-TOF-MS, were prepared in rabbits. Pretreatment of T. vaginalis with anti-120 kDa Ab decreased the proliferation and adherence to vaginal epithelial cells (MS74) of T. vaginalis. Subcutaneous tissue abscess in anti-120 kDa Ab-treated T. vaginalis-injected mice was smaller in size than that of untreated T. vaginalis-infected mice. Collectively, the 120 kDa protein expressed by iron may be involved in proliferation, adhesion to host cells, and abscess formation, thereby may influence on the pathogenicity of T. vaginalis.

Identification of an abundant 56 kDa protein implicated in food allergy as granule-bound starch synthase

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rice, the staple food of South and East Asian counties, is considered to be hypoallergenic. However, several clinical studies have documented rice-induced allergy in sensitive patients. Rice proteins with molecular weights of 14-16 kDa, 26 kDa, 33 kDa and 56 kDa have been identified as allergens. Re...

DaRT: A CALL System to Help Students Practice and Develop Reasoning Skills in Choosing English Articles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshii, Rika; Milne, Alastair

1998-01-01

Describes DaRT, a computer assisted language-learning system for helping English-as-a-Second-Language students master English articles. DaRT uses a diagrammatic reasoning tool to present communicative contexts for exercises in choosing appropriate articles. This paper describes the development of DaRT and DaRT's system components and concludes…

DA 5505: a novel topical formulation of terbinafine that enhances skin penetration and retention.

PubMed

Thapa, Raj Kumar; Han, Sang-Duk; Park, Hyoung Geun; Son, Miwon; Jun, Joon Ho; Kim, Jong Oh

2015-01-01

Topical fungal infections can become severe if left untreated. Efficient treatment modalities for topical fungal infections aid the penetration of antifungal agents deep into viable skin layers. Terbinafine is a fungicidal agent that inhibits ergosterol, an essential fungal component. The main objective of this study was to evaluate skin permeation and retention of a terbinafine-loaded solution containing chitosan as a film former. Comparative assessment of skin permeation and retention was performed using a prepared formulation (DA 5505) and marketed formulations of terbinafine in murine and porcine skin. To mimic fungal infection of skin, keratinized skin was induced in NC/Nga mice. In comparison with the marketed formulations, DA 5505 exhibited significantly better skin permeation. The flux, permeation coefficient, and enhancement ratio of terbinafine were remarkably increased by DA 5505 in comparison with the marketed formulations, and lag time was dramatically reduced. DA 5505 significantly increased cumulative terbinafine retention in viable skin layers in comparison with the marketed solution, suggesting enhanced efficacy. Furthermore, DA 5505 exhibited superior skin permeation in normal skin and keratinized skin. Thus, the DA 5505 formulation has the potential to effectively deliver terbinafine to superficial and deep cutaneous fungal infections.

Development of Ultra-high Mechanical Damping Structures Based on Nano-scale Properties of Shape Memory Alloys

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-27

Alloys Jose San Juan Universidad del Pais Vasco Department of Physics of Condensed Matter Facultd de Ciencia y Tecnologia Bilbao...Facultd de Ciencia y Tecnologia Bilbao, Spain 48080 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER N/A 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S

77 FR 23807 - Additional Designations, Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-20

.... DE C.V.; c/o TECNOLOGIA OPTIMA CORPORATIVA S. DE R.L. DE C.V.; Paseo de los Heroes 108-104, Tijuana...; Folio Mercantil No. 13537 (Mexico); R.F.C. SFO011205UJ8 (Mexico) [SDNTK] TECNOLOGIA OPTIMA CORPORATIVA S...

Fabrication of Nanolaminates with Ultrathin Nanolayers Using Atomic Layer Deposition: Nucleation & Growth Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

Tecnologia de Superficies y Materiales (SMCTSM), XXVII Congreso Nacional, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, September 26, 2007. 26. "Atomic Layer Deposition of...Nanolaminates: Fabrication and Properties" (Plenary Lecture), Sociedad Mexicana de Ciencia y Tecnologia de Superficies y Materiales (SMCTSM), XXVII

Implantable microencapsulated dopamine (DA): prolonged functional release of DA in denervated striatal tissue.

PubMed

McRae, A; Hjorth, S; Mason, D; Dillon, L; Tice, T

1990-01-01

Biodegradable controlled-release microcapsule systems made with the biocompatible biodegradable polyester excipient poly [DL-lactide-co-gly-colide] constitute an exciting new technology for drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). The present study describes functional observations indicating that implantation of dopamine (DA) microcapsules encapsulated within two different polymer excipients into denervated striatal tissue assures a prolonged release of the transmitter in vivo. This technology has a considerable potential for basic and possibly clinical research.

Color constrains depth in da Vinci stereopsis for camouflage but not occlusion.

PubMed

Wardle, Susan G; Gillam, Barbara J

2013-12-01

Monocular regions that occur with binocular viewing of natural scenes can produce a strong perception of depth--"da Vinci stereopsis." They occur either when part of the background is occluded in one eye, or when a nearer object is camouflaged against a background surface in one eye's view. There has been some controversy over whether da Vinci depth is constrained by geometric or ecological factors. Here we show that the color of the monocular region constrains the depth perceived from camouflage, but not occlusion, as predicted by ecological considerations. Quantitative depth was found in both cases, but for camouflage only when the color of the monocular region matched the binocular background. Unlike previous reports, depth failed even when nonmatching colors satisfied conditions for perceptual transparency. We show that placing a colored line at the boundary between the binocular and monocular regions is sufficient to eliminate depth from camouflage. When both the background and the monocular region contained vertical contours that could be fused, some observers appeared to use fusion, and others da Vinci constraints, supporting the existence of a separate da Vinci mechanism. The results show that da Vinci stereopsis incorporates color constraints and is more complex than previously assumed.

Ultrasonic irradiation enhanced the ability of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) on sonodynamic and sonocatalytic damages of DNA molecules.

PubMed

Wu, Qiong; Chen, Xia; Jia, Lizhen; Wang, Yi; Sun, Ying; Huang, Xingjun; Shen, Yuxiang; Wang, Jun

2017-11-01

The interaction of DNA with Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein-Ferrous(III) (Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III)) with dual functional (sonodynamic and sonocatalytic) activity was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. And then, the damage of DNA caused by Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) under ultrasonic irradiation (US) was researched by agarose gel electrophoresis and cytotoxicity assay. Meanwhile, some influenced factors such as ultrasonic irradiation time and Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) concentration on the damage degree of DNA molecules were also examined. As a control, for Bis [N,N-bis (carboxymethyl) aminomethyl] fluorescein (Fluorescein-DA), the same experiments were carried out. The results showed that both Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and Fluorescein-DA can interact with DNA molecules. Under ultrasonic irradiation, Fluorescein-DA shows sonodynamic activity, which can damage DNA molecules. While, in the presence of Fe(III) ion, the Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) displays not only sonodynamic activity but also sonocatalytic activity under ultrasonic irradiation, which injures DNA more serious than Fluorescein-DA. The researches confirmed the dual function (sonodynamic activity and sonocatalytic activity) of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) and expanded the usage of Fluorescein-DA-Fe(III) as a sonosensitizer in sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Indicative and Subjunctive "da"-complements in Serbian A Syntactic-Semantic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todorovic, Natasa

2012-01-01

A syntactic-semantic investigation of subjunctive and indicative "da"-complements in Serbian is conducted in this project. After a careful comparison of Serbian sentence constructions with "da"-complements to the equivalent sentence structures in languages of the Balkans as well as other Slavic languages, it is clearly…

The coolest DA white dwarfs detected at soft X-ray wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kidder, K. M.; Holberg, J. B.; Barstow, M. A.; Tweedy, R. W.; Wesemael, F.

1992-01-01

New soft X-ray/EUV photometric observations of the DA white dwarfs KPD 0631 + 1043 = WD 0631 + 107 and PG 1113 + 413 = WD 1113 + 413 are analyzed. Previously reported soft X-ray detections of three other DAs and the failure to detect a fourth DA in deep Exosat observations are investigated. New ground-based spectra are presented for all of the objects, with IUE Ly-alpha spectra for some. These data are used to constrain the effective temperatures and surface gravities. The improved estimates of these parameters are employed to refer a photospheric He abundance for the hotter objects and to elucidate an effective observational low-temperature threshold for the detection of pure hydrogen DA white dwarfs at soft X-ray wavelengths.

Complete daVinci versus laparoscopic pyeloplasty: cost analysis.

PubMed

Bhayani, Sam B; Link, Richard E; Varkarakis, John M; Kavoussi, Louis R

2005-04-01

Computer-assisted pyeloplasty with the daVinci system is an emerging technique to treat ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction. A relative cost analysis was performed assessing this technology in comparison with purely laparoscopic pyeloplasty. Eight patients underwent computer-assisted (daVinci) dismembered pyeloplasty (CP) via a transperitoneal four-port approach. They were compared with 13 patients who underwent purely laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP). All patients had a primary UPJ obstruction and were matched for age, sex, and body mass index. The cost of equipment and capital depreciation for both procedures, as well as assessment of room set-up time, takedown time, and personnel were analyzed. Surgeons and nursing staff for both groups were experienced in both laparoscopy and daVinci procedures. One- and two-way financial analysis was performed to assess relative costs. The mean set-up and takedown time was 71 minutes for CP and 49 minutes for LP. The mean length of stay was 2.3 days for CP and 2.5 days for LP. The mean operating room (OR) times for CP and LP were 176 and 210 minutes, respectively. There were no complications in either group. One-way cost analysis with an economic model showed that LP is more cost effective than CP at our hospital if LP OR time is <338 minutes. With adjustment to a volume of 500 daVinci cases/year, CP is still not as cost effective as LP. Two-way sensitivity analysis shows that in-room time must still be <130 minutes and yearly cases must be >500 to obtain cost equivalence for CP. Perioperative parameters for CP are encouraging. However, the costs are a clear disadvantage. In our hospital, it is more cost effective to teach and perform LP than to perform CP.

dK/da effects on the SCC growth rates of nickel base alloys in high-temperature water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kai; Wang, Jiamei; Du, Donghai; Andresen, Peter L.; Zhang, Lefu

2018-05-01

The effect of dK/da on crack growth behavior of nickel base alloys has been studied by conducting stress corrosion cracking tests under positive and negative dK/da loading conditions on Alloys 690, 600 and X-750 in high temperature water. Results indicate that positive dK/da accelerates the SCC growth rates, and the accelerating effect increases with dK/da and the initial CGR. The FRI model was found to underestimate the dK/da effect by ∼100X, especially for strain hardening materials, and this underscores the need for improved insight and models for crack tip strain rate. The effect of crack tip strain rate and dK/dt in particular can explain the dK/da accelerating effect.

[Trattamento farmacologico del disturbo da uso di alcol. Evidenze scientifiche].

PubMed

Attilia, Fabio; Perciballi, Roberta; Rotondo, Claudia; Capriglione, Ida; Iannuzzi, Silvia; Attilia, Maria Luisa; Vitali, Mario; Alessandrini, Giovanni; Scamporrino, Maria Concetta Marcella; Fiore, Marco; Ceccanti, Mauro

2018-01-01

RIASSUNTO. La terapia farmacologica nei pazienti con disturbo da uso di alcol riveste un ruolo centrale nel progetto terapeutico, altamente contestualizzato in un approccio multidisciplinare. Sebbene i trattamenti non farmacologici per la dipendenza da alcol risultino ben strutturati e in continua evoluzione, dal punto di vista medico le possibilità di intervento sono realmente ristrette, con poche molecole a disposizione approvate per il disturbo da uso di alcol: nello specifico, l'acamprostato, il naltrexone e, più recentemente, il nalmefene tra gli anticraving; il disulfiram tra gli avversivanti. Nuovi approcci sperimentali stanno cercando di ampliare tale gamma attraverso l'utilizzo di farmaci off-label. Evidenze scientifiche devono supportare l'indicazione terapeutica, quest'ultima deve dimostrarsi "cucita" sulle esigenze del paziente e sulle comorbilità presenti tenendo conto del profilo bio-psico-sociale individuale. Fondamentale risulta il follow-up per valutare la ritenzione in trattamento e il monitoraggio degli outcome alcologici.

[First experience in the thyroid and parathyroid surgery using the da Vinci® system].

PubMed

Al Kadah, B; Siemer, S; Schick, B

2014-01-01

Endoscopic surgery for the treatment of thyroid and parathyroid pathologies is gaining increasing attention. The da Vinci® system has been already widely used in different fields of medicine including recently thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Herein we report our first experiences in endoscopic surgery of thyroid and parathyroid pathologies using the da Vinci® system. 8 patients presenting with struma nodosa in 6 cases and parathyroid adenomas in 2 cases have been treated using the da Vinci® system at the ENT department of Homburg/Saar University. The skin incision to introduce the instruments with the da Vinci® system were axilar or at the lateral segment of the clavicle. The neurovascular structures like inferior laryngeal nerve as well as the pathologies were clearly 3-dimensional visualized in all 8 cases. No paralysis of the vocal cord was observed. All patients had in histological examination a benign pathology. The endoscopic surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid gland can be performed using the da Vinci® system and offers an excellent, intraoperative, 3-dimensional visualization of the neurovascular structures. Additionally the da Vinci® system enables skin incisions within considerable distance from the thyroid and parathyroid gland. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

DA-Raf, a dominant-negative antagonist of the Ras-ERK pathway, is a putative tumor suppressor.

PubMed

Kanno, Emiri; Kawasaki, Osamu; Takahashi, Kazuya; Takano, Kazunori; Endo, Takeshi

2018-01-01

Activating mutations of RAS genes, particularly KRAS, are detected with high frequency in human tumors. Mutated Ras proteins constitutively activate the ERK pathway (Raf-MEK-ERK phosphorylation cascade), leading to cellular transformation and tumorigenesis. DA-Raf1 (DA-Raf) is a splicing variant of A-Raf and contains the Ras-binding domain (RBD) but lacks the kinase domain. Accordingly, DA-Raf antagonizes the Ras-ERK pathway in a dominant-negative fashion and suppresses constitutively activated K-Ras-induced cellular transformation. Thus, we have addressed whether DA-Raf serves as a tumor suppressor of Ras-induced tumorigenesis. DA-Raf(R52Q), which is generated from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the RBD, and DA-Raf(R52W), a mutant detected in a lung cancer, neither bound to active K-Ras nor interfered with the activation of the ERK pathway. They were incapable of suppressing activated K-Ras-induced cellular transformation and tumorigenesis in mice, in which K-Ras-transformed cells were transplanted. Furthermore, although DA-Raf was highly expressed in lung alveolar epithelial type 2 (AE2) cells, its expression was silenced in AE2-derived lung adenocarcinoma cell lines with oncogenic KRAS mutations. These results suggest that DA-Raf represents a tumor suppressor protein against Ras-induced tumorigenesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ATLAS WORLD-cloud and networking in PanDA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiro Megino, F.; De, K.; Di Girolamo, A.; Maeno, T.; Walker, R.; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The ATLAS computing model was originally designed as static clouds (usually national or geographical groupings of sites) around the Tier 1 centres, which confined tasks and most of the data traffic. Since those early days, the sites’ network bandwidth has increased at 0(1000) and the difference in functionalities between Tier 1s and Tier 2s has reduced. After years of manual, intermediate solutions, we have now ramped up to full usage of World-cloud, the latest step in the PanDA Workload Management System to increase resource utilization on the ATLAS Grid, for all workflows (MC production, data (re)processing, etc.). We have based the development on two new site concepts. Nuclei sites are the Tier 1s and large Tier 2s, where tasks will be assigned and the output aggregated, and satellites are the sites that will execute the jobs and send the output to their nucleus. PanDA dynamically pairs nuclei and satellite sites for each task based on the input data availability, capability matching, site load and network connectivity. This contribution will introduce the conceptual changes for World-cloud, the development necessary in PanDA, an insight into the network model and the first half-year of operational experience.

Yarkovsky-driven Impact Predictions: Apophis and 1950 DA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farnocchia, Davide; Chesley, S. R.; Chodas, P.; Milani, A.

2013-05-01

Abstract (2,250 Maximum Characters): Orbit determination for Near-Earth Asteroids presents unique technical challenges due to the imperative of early detection and careful assessment of the risk posed by specific Earth close approaches. The occurrence of an Earth impact can be decisively driven by the Yarkovsky effect, which is the most important nongravitational perturbation as it causes asteroids to undergo a secular variation in semimajor axis resulting in a quadratic effect in anomaly. We discuss the cases of (99942) Apophis and (29075) 1950 DA. The relevance of the Yarkovsky effect for Apophis is due to a scattering close approach in 2029 with minimum geocentric distance ~38000 km. For 1950 DA the influence of the Yarkovsky effect in 2880 is due to the long time interval preceding the impact. We use the available information on the asteroids' physical models as a starting point for a Monte Carlo method that allow us to measure how the Yarkovsky effect affects orbital predictions. For Apophis we map onto the 2029 close approach b-plane and analyze the keyholes corresponding to resonant close approaches. For 1950 DA we use the b-plane corresponding to the possible impact in 2880. We finally compute the impact probability from the mapped probability density function on the considered b-plane.

[Anesthesia experiences on laparoscopic nephrectomy with da Vinci S robotics].

PubMed

Mou, Ling; Lan, Zhixun

2015-09-01

To summarize the clinical anesthesia experiences in 20 patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy with da Vinci S robotics.
 Anesthesia data of 20 patients from Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy with da Vinci S robotics from August 2014 to November 2014, were analyzed and summarized. The anesthesia time, operation time, CO(2) pneumoperitoneum time, PaCO(2) and PETCO(2) were recorded.
 All patients were anesthetized and underwent surgery with da Vinci S robotics. The anesthesia time was (220±14) min, the operation time was (187±11) min, and the CO(2) pneumoperitoneum time was (180±13) min. The PaCO(2) and PETCO(2) were significantly elevated at 1.5 h after operation compared with those at the baseline (before pneumoperitoneum) (P<0.05). The pH value was significantly decreased at 2.5 h after operation compared to that at the baseline (P<0.05). The peak airway pressure of inspiration was significantly elevated at 0.5 h after the beginning of pneumoperitoneum compared to that at the baseline (P<0.05).
 The hemodynamics is stable during the laparoscopic nephrectomy with da vinci S robotics. However, the duration of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum is significantly increased compared to that of other surgical procedures, resulting in high airway resistance and acid-base disturbance.

Dioscorea Extract (DA-9801) Modulates Markers of Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetic db/db Mice.

PubMed

Moon, Eunjung; Lee, Sung Ok; Kang, Tong Ho; Kim, Hye Ju; Choi, Sang Zin; Son, Mi-Won; Kim, Sun Yeou

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of DA-9801, an optimized extract of Dioscorea species, on diabetic peripheral neuropathy in a type 2 diabetic animal model. In this study, db/db mice were treated with DA-9801 (30 and 100 mg/kg, daily, p.o.) for 12 weeks. DA-9801 reduced the blood glucose levels and increased the withdrawal latencies in hot plate tests. Moreover, it prevented nerve damage based on increased nerve conduction velocity and ultrastructural changes. Decrease of nerve growth factor (NGF) may have a detrimental effect on diabetic neuropathy. We previously reported NGF regulatory properties of the Dioscorea genus. In this study, DA-9801 induced NGF production in rat primary astrocytes. In addition, it increased NGF levels in the sciatic nerve and the plasma of type 2 diabetic animals. DA-9801 also increased neurite outgrowth and mRNA expression of Tieg1/Klf10, an NGF target gene, in PC12 cells. These results demonstrated the attenuation of diabetic peripheral neuropathy by oral treatment with DA-9801 via NGF regulation. DA-9801 is currently being evaluated in a phase II clinical study.

Vectra DA for the objective measurement of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Segurado, O G; Sasso, E H

2014-01-01

Quantitative and regular assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is required to achieve treatment targets such as remission and to optimize clinical outcomes. To assess inflammation accurately, predict joint damage and monitor treatment response, a measure of disease activity in RA should reflect the pathological processes resulting in irreversible joint damage and functional disability. The Vectra DA blood test is an objective measure of disease activity for patients with RA. Vectra DA provides an accurate, reproducible score on a scale of 1 to 100 based on the concentrations of 12 biomarkers that reflect the pathophysiologic diversity of RA. The analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility of Vectra DA have been evaluated for patients with RA in registries and prospective and retrospective clinical studies. As a biomarker-based instrument for assessing disease activity in RA, the Vectra DA test can help monitor therapeutic response to methotrexate and biologic agents and assess clinically challenging situations, such as when clinical measures are confounded by non-inflammatory pain from fibromyalgia. Vectra DA scores correlate with imaging of joint inflammation and are predictive for radiographic progression, with high Vectra DA scores being associated with more frequent and severe progression and low scores being predictive for non-progression. In summary, the Vectra DA score is an objective measure of RA disease activity that quantifies inflammatory status. By predicting risk for joint damage more effectively than conventional clinical and laboratory measures, it has the potential to complement these measures and optimise clinical decision making.

Maize 27 kDa gamma-zein is a potential allergen for early weaned pigs.

PubMed

Krishnan, Hari B; Kerley, Monty S; Allee, Gary L; Jang, Sungchan; Kim, Won-Seok; Fu, Chunjiang J

2010-06-23

Soybean and maize are extensively used in animal feed, primarily in poultry, swine, and cattle diets. Soybean meal can affect pig performance in the first few weeks following weaning and elicit specific antibodies in weaned piglets. Though maize is a major component of pig feed, it is not known if any of the maize proteins can elicit immunological response in young pigs. In this study, we have identified a prominent 27 kDa protein from maize as an immunodominant protein in young pigs. This protein, like some known allergens, exhibited resistance to pepsin digestion in vitro. Several lines of evidence identify the immunodominant 27 kDa protein as a gamma-zein, a maize seed storage protein. First, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of different solubility classes of maize seed proteins revealed the presence of an abundant 27 kDa protein in the prolamin (zein) fraction. Antibodies raised against the purified maize 27 kDa gamma-zein also reacted against the same protein recognized by the young pig serum. Additionally, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of the peptides generated by trypsin digestion of the immunodominant 27 kDa protein showed significant homology to the maize 27 kDa gamma-zein. Since eliminating the allergenic protein will have a great impact on the nutritive value of the maize meal and expand its use in the livestock industry, it will be highly desirable to develop maize cultivars completely lacking the 27 kDa allergenic protein.

Composing Interfering Abstract Protocols

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

Tecnologia , Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal. This document is a companion technical report of the paper, “Composing Interfering Abstract...a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program under grant SFRH / BD / 33765

The da Vinci robotic surgical assisted anterior lumbar interbody fusion: technical development and case report.

PubMed

Beutler, William J; Peppelman, Walter C; DiMarco, Luciano A

2013-02-15

Technique development to use the da Vince Robotic Surgical System for anterior lumbar interbody fusion at L5-S1 is detailed. A case report is also presented. To evaluate and develop the da Vinci robotic assisted laparoscopic anterior lumbar stand-alone interbody fusion procedure. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion is a common procedure associated with potential morbidity related to the surgical approach. The da Vinci robot provides intra-abdominal dissection and visualization advantages compared with the traditional open and laparoscopic approach. The surgical techniques for approach to the anterior lumbar spine using the da Vinci robot were developed and modified progressively beginning with operative models followed by placement of an interbody fusion cage in the living porcine model. Development continued to progress with placement of fusion cage in a human cadaver, completed first in the laboratory setting and then in the operating room. Finally, the first patient with fusion completed using the da Vinci robot-assisted approach is presented. The anterior transperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine is accomplished with enhanced visualization and dissection capability, with maintenance of pneumoperitoneum using the da Vinci robot. Blood loss is minimal. The visualization inside the disc space and surrounding structures was considered better than current open and laparoscopic techniques. The da Vinci robot Surgical System technique continues to develop and is now described for the transperitoneal approach to the anterior lumbar spine. 4.

Massive unseen companions to hot faint underluminous stars from SDSS (MUCHFUSS). Analysis of seven close subdwarf B binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geier, S.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Napiwotzki, R.; Østensen, R. H.; Heber, U.; Hirsch, H.; Kupfer, T.; Müller, S.; Tillich, A.; Barlow, B. N.; Oreiro, R.; Ottosen, T. A.; Copperwheat, C.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Marsh, T. R.

2011-02-01

Tecnologia of the Federal Republic of Brazil (MCT), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU). Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministerio da Ciłncia e Tecnologia (Brazil) and Ministerio de Ciłncia, Tecnologia e Innovacin Productiva (Argentina). This paper uses observations made at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO).Appendices are only available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Specific cytoarchitectureal changes in hippocampal subareas in daDREAM mice.

PubMed

Mellström, Britt; Kastanauskaite, Asta; Knafo, Shira; Gonzalez, Paz; Dopazo, Xose M; Ruiz-Nuño, Ana; Jefferys, John G R; Zhuo, Min; Bliss, Tim V P; Naranjo, Jose R; DeFelipe, Javier

2016-02-29

Transcriptional repressor DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator) is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that regulates Ca(2+) homeostasis through gene regulation and protein-protein interactions. It has been shown that a dominant active form (daDREAM) is implicated in learning-related synaptic plasticity such as LTP and LTD in the hippocampus. Neuronal spines are reported to play important roles in plasticity and memory. However, the possible role of DREAM in spine plasticity has not been reported. Here we show that potentiating DREAM activity, by overexpressing daDREAM, reduced dendritic basal arborization and spine density in CA1 pyramidal neurons and increased spine density in dendrites in dentate gyrus granule cells. These microanatomical changes are accompanied by significant modifications in the expression of specific genes encoding the cytoskeletal proteins Arc, Formin 1 and Gelsolin in daDREAM hippocampus. Our results strongly suggest that DREAM plays an important role in structural plasticity in the hippocampus.

Estudo de não gaussianidade nas anisotropias da RCF medidas Wmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrade, A. P. A.; Wuensche, C. A.; Ribeiro, A. L. B.

2003-08-01

A investigação do campo de flutuações da Radiação Cósmica de Fundo (RCF) pode oferecer um importante teste para os modelos cosmológicos que descrevem a origem e a evolução das flutuações primordiais. De um lado, apresenta-se o modelo inflacionário que prevê um espectro de flutuações adiabáticas distribuídas segundo uma gaussiana e, de outro, os modelos de defeitos topológicos (dentre outros) que descrevem um mecanismo para a geração de flutuações de isocurvatura que obedecem a uma distribuição não gaussiana. Este trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar traços do modelo não gaussiano de campo misto (entre flutuações adiabáticas e de isocurvatura) nos mapas do Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). Simulações das anisotropias da RCF no contexto de mistura indicam traços marcantes na distribuição das flutuações de temperatura, mesmo quando consideradas pequenas contribuições do campo de isocurvatura (da ordem de 0.001). O efeito da mistura entre os campos resulta na transferência de potência de flutuações em escalas angulares intermediárias para flutuações em pequenas escalas angulares. Este efeito pode ser caracterizado pela relação entre as amplitudes dos primeiros picos acústicos no espectro de potência da RCF. Neste trabalho, investigamos a contribuição do campo de isocurvatura, no contexto de mistura, sobre as observações recentes da RCF realizadas pelo WMAP. As previsões do modelo de campo misto, uma vez confrontadas com as observações em pequenas escalas angulares, podem ajudar a revelar a natureza das flutuações primordiais.

Integration of PanDA workload management system with Titan supercomputer at OLCF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De, K.; Klimentov, A.; Oleynik, D.; Panitkin, S.; Petrosyan, A.; Schovancova, J.; Vaniachine, A.; Wenaus, T.

2015-12-01

The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) workload management system (WMS) was developed to meet the scale and complexity of LHC distributed computing for the ATLAS experiment. While PanDA currently distributes jobs to more than 100,000 cores at well over 100 Grid sites, the future LHC data taking runs will require more resources than Grid computing can possibly provide. To alleviate these challenges, ATLAS is engaged in an ambitious program to expand the current computing model to include additional resources such as the opportunistic use of supercomputers. We will describe a project aimed at integration of PanDA WMS with Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). The current approach utilizes a modified PanDA pilot framework for job submission to Titan's batch queues and local data management, with light-weight MPI wrappers to run single threaded workloads in parallel on Titan's multicore worker nodes. It also gives PanDA new capability to collect, in real time, information about unused worker nodes on Titan, which allows precise definition of the size and duration of jobs submitted to Titan according to available free resources. This capability significantly reduces PanDA job wait time while improving Titan's utilization efficiency. This implementation was tested with a variety of Monte-Carlo workloads on Titan and is being tested on several other supercomputing platforms. Notice: This manuscript has been authored, by employees of Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The publisher by accepting the manuscript for publication acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards: The Da Vinci Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaucer, Harry

2012-01-01

"A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards: The Da Vinci Curriculum" challenges educators to design programs that boldly embrace the Common Core State Standards by imaginatively drawing from the genius of great men and women such as Leonardo da Vinci. A central figure in the High Renaissance, Leonardo made extraordinary contributions as a…

Low strain, long life creep fatigue of AF2-1DA and INCO 718

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakker, A. B.; Cowles, B. A.

1983-01-01

Two aircraft turbine disk alloys, GATORIZED AF2-DA and INCO 718 were evaluated for their low strain long life creep-fatigue behavior. Static (tensile and creep rupture) and cyclic properties of both alloys were characterized. The cntrolled strain LCF tests were conducted at 760 C (1400 F) and 649 C (1200 F) for AF2-1DA and INCO 718, respectively. Hold times were varied for tensile, compressive and tensile/compressive strain dwell (relaxation) tests. Stress (creep) hold behavior of AF2-1DA was also evaluated. Generally, INCO 718 exhibited more pronounced reduction in cyclic life due to hold than AF2-1DA. The percent reduction in life for both alloys for strain dwell tests was greater at low strain ranges (longer life regime). Changing hold time from 0 to 0.5, 2.0 and 15.0 min. resulted in corresponding reductions in life. The continuous cycle and cyclic/dwell initiation failure mechanism was predominantly transgranular for AF2-1DA and intergranular for INCO 718.

Phosphorylation of Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa by protein kinase C epsilon is important for its subcellular localisation.

PubMed

Sapountzi, Vasileia; Logan, Ian R; Nelson, Glyn; Cook, Susan; Robson, Craig N

2008-01-01

Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa is a nuclear acetyltransferase that both coactivates and corepresses transcription factors and has a definitive function in the DNA damage response. Here, we provide evidence that Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa is phosphorylated by protein kinase C epsilon. In vitro, protein kinase C epsilon phosphorylates Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa on at least two sites within the acetyltransferase domain. In whole cells, activation of protein kinase C increases the levels of phosphorylated Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa and the interaction of Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa with protein kinase C epsilon. A phosphomimetic mutant Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa has distinct subcellular localisation compared to the wild-type protein in whole cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that the protein kinase C epsilon phosphorylation sites on Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa are important for its subcellular localisation. Regulation of the subcellular localisation of Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa via phosphorylation provides a novel means of controlling Tat-interactive protein 60 kDa function.

AGARD Bulletin: Meetings - Publications - Membership.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

GREECE *Prof.-Ins. P.SANTINI Captain E.FENEKOS Direttore, Istituto di Tecnologia Aerospaziale Hellenic Air Force Universiti degli Studi di Roma...Chief Dynamics Engineer British Aerospace PLC, Aircraft GroupLaborat6rio Nacional de Engenharia e Warton Aerodrome Tecnologia Industrial Prton acR 4 l AX

Research and Development Activities in Italy in the Field of Aerospace Structures and Materials,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-03-01

jointly by the Istituto di Tecnologia Aerospaziale of the University of Roma and Selenia, under the sponsorship of the CNR—SAS, is now under way to...satellites bearing antennas requiring very high directivity . The Istituto di Tecnologia Aeroapaziale of the University of Rome was responsable for

[The Arabic influence in the "Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India" of Garcia da Orta].

PubMed

Ricordel, Joëlle

2015-09-01

The "Colóquios dos simples e drogas he cousas medicinais de Índia" (Conversations on the simples, drugs and medicinal substances of India) (1563) of Garcia da Orta is a botanical and pharmacognosy book. The author is a Portuguese physician who studied in the Spanish universities and practiced medicine mainly in India. He studies in short chapters presented in the form of dialogues about sixty simples. Sources to which he refers are indicative of a "classical" training, but also the mark of a curious and open mind to different cultures. The Arabic sources are numerous and mainly concern the identification of substances by abundant synonyms of their names in foreign languages and different medicinal uses that may have been done by the ancient physicians. However, Da Orta is critical with respect to these sources, seeking contradictions and differences of opinion among authors. He confronts them with the oral information collected thanks to a wide network of contacts.

A Value-Engaged Approach for Evaluating the Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Jennifer C.

2005-01-01

In 2001, the Bunche Academy was chosen by its district to join in partnership with the Da Vinci Learning Corporation to embark on an ambitious whole-school reform initiative, especially designed by the corporation for low-performing schools. In this chapter, the author describes how, as illustrated in the Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Academy context,…

Comparison of Abbott and Da-an real-time PCR for quantitating serum HBV DNA.

PubMed

Qiu, Ning; Li, Rui; Yu, Jian-Guo; Yang, Wen; Zhang, Wei; An, Yong; Li, Tong; Liu, Xue-En; Zhuang, Hui

2014-09-07

To compare the performance of the Da-an real-time hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA assay and Abbott RealTime HBV assay. HBV DNA standards as well as a total of 180 clinical serum samples from patients with chronic hepatitis B were measured using the Abbott and Da-an real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Correlation and Bland-Altman plot analysis was used to compare the performance of the Abbott and Da-an assays. The HBV DNA levels were logarithmically transformed for analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows version 18.0. The correlation between the two assays was analyzed by Pearson's correlation and linear regression. The Bland-Altman plots were used for the analysis of agreement between the two assays. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The HBV DNA values measured by the Abbott or Da-an assay were significantly correlated with the expected values of HBV DNA standards (r = 0.999, for Abbott; r = 0.987, for Da-an, P < 0.001). A Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between these two assays in detecting HBV DNA standards. Among the 180 clinical serum samples, 126 were quantifiable by both assays. Fifty-two samples were detectable by the Abbott assay but below the detection limit of the Da-an assay. Moreover, HBV DNA levels measured by the Abbott assay were significantly higher than those of the Da-an assay (6.23 ± 1.76 log IU/mL vs 5.46 ± 1.55 log IU/mL, P < 0.001). A positive correlation was observed between HBV DNA concentrations determined by the two assays in 126 paired samples (r = 0.648, P < 0.001). One hundred and fifteen of 126 (91.3%) specimens tested with both assays were within mean difference ± 1.96 SD of HBV DNA levels. The Da-an assay presented lower sensitivity and a narrower linear range as compared to the Abbott assay, suggesting the need to be improved.

Lessons learned - MO&DA at JPL. [Mission Operations and Data Analysis cost reduction of planetary exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handley, Thomas H., Jr.

1993-01-01

The issues of how to avoid future surprise growth in Mission Operations and Data Analysis (MO&DA) costs and how to minimize total MO&DA costs for planetary missions are discussed within the context of JPL mission operations support. It is argued that there is no simple, single solution: the entire Project life-cycle must be addressed. It is concluded that cost models that can predict both MO&DA cost as well as Ground System development costs are needed. The first year MO&DA budget plotted against the total of ground and flight systems developments is shown. In order to better recognize changes and control costs in general, a modified funding line item breakdown is recommended to distinguish between development costs (prelaunch and postlaunch) and MO&DA costs.

Trichinella spiralis: strong antibody response to a 49 kDa newborn larva antigen in infected rats.

PubMed

Salinas-Tobon, Maria Del Rosario; Navarrete-Leon, Anaid; Mendez-Loredo, Blanca Esther; Esquivel-Aguirre, Dalia; Martínez-Abrajan, Dulce Maria; Hernandez-Sanchez, Javier

2007-02-01

In this work, we analyzed the kinetics of anti-Trichinella spiralis newborn larva (NBL) antibodies (Ab) and the antigenic recognition pattern of NBL proteins and its dose effects. Wistar rats were infected with 0, 700, 2000, 4000 and 8000 muscle larvae (ML) and bled at different time intervals up to day 31 post infection (p.i.). Ab production was higher with 2000 ML dose and decreased with 8000, 4000 and 700 ML. Abs were not detected until day 10, peaked on day 14 for the 2000 ML dose and on day 19 for the other doses and thereafter declined slowly from 19 to 31 days p.i. In contrast, Abs to ML increased from day 10, peaked on day 19 and remained high until the end of the study. Abs bound strongly at least to three NBL components of 188, 205 and 49 kDa. NBL antigen of 188 and 205 kDa were recognized 10-26 days p.i. and that of 49 kDa from day 10 to day 31 p.i. A weak recognition towards antigens of 52, 54, 62 and 83 kDa was also observed during the infection. An early recognition of 31, 43, 45, 55, 68 and 85 kDa ML antigens was observed whereas the response to those of 43, 45, 48, 60, 64 and 97 kDa (described previously as TSL-1 antigens) occurred late in the infection. A follow-up of antigen recognition up to day 61 with the optimal immunization dose (2000 ML) evidenced a decline of Ab production to the 49 kDa NBL antigen 42 days p.i., which suggested antigenic differences with the previously reported 43 kDa ML antigen strongly recognized late in the infection. To analyze the stage-specificity of the 49 kDa NBL antigen, polyclonal antibodies (PoAb) were obtained in rats immunized with 49 kDa NBL antigen. PoAb reacted strongly with the 49 kDa NBL component in NBL total soluble extract but no reactivity was observed with soluble antigen of the other T. spiralis stages. Albeit with less intensity, the 49 kDa component was also recognized by PoAb together with other antigens of 53, 97 and 107 kDa, in NBL excretory-secretory products (NBL-ESP). Thus, our results reveal

2015 Liquid Crystals Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-20

Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia , Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal) "Joule-Heating Effect: A New Route to PDLCs Memory Removal" 9:55 am - 10...Madison Poster Presenter Registered Carvalho, Sara F UNINOVA, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia , Universidade Nova de Lisboa Speaker Registered Cha

Isoform composition and stoichiometry of the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein associated with glucocorticoid receptors

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

Mendel, D.B.; Orti, E.

1988-05-15

The authors observed that the approx. 90-kDa non-steroid-binding component of nonactivated glucocorticoid receptors purified from WEHI-7 mouse thymoma cells (which has been identified as the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein) consistently migrates as a doublet during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing and reducing conditions. It has recently been reported that murine Meth A cells contain a tumor-specific transplantation antigen (TSTA) which is related or identical to the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein. The observation that TSTA and the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein isolated from these cells exists as two isoforms of similar molecular mass and charge has suggested thatmore » the doublet observed is also due to the existence of two isoforms. They have therefore conducted this study to determine whether TSTA and the approx. 90-kDa component of glucocorticoid receptors are indeed related, to establish whether the receptor preferentially binds one isoform of the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein, and to investigate the stoichiometry of the nonactivated receptor complex. They used the BuGr1 and AC88 monoclonal antibodies to purify, respectively, receptor-associated and free approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein from WEHI-7 cells grown for 48 h with (/sup 35/S)methionine to metabolically label proteins to steady state. The long-term metabolic labeling approach has also enabled them to directly determine that the purified non-activated glucocorticoid receptor contains a single steroid-binding protein and two approx. 90-kDa non-steroid-binding subunits. The consistency with which a approx. 1:2 stoichiometric ratio of steroid binding to approx. 90-kDa protein is observed supports the view that the approx. 90-kDa heat shock protein is a true component of nonactivated glucocorticoid-receptor complexes.« less

40 CFR 60.48Da - Compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 60.48Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED... extensions shall be granted by the relevant air division or office director of the appropriate Regional... Protection Agency (U.S. EPA); Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards; Sector Policies and Programs...

40 CFR 60.48Da - Compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 60.48Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED... extensions shall be granted by the relevant air division or office director of the appropriate Regional... Protection Agency (U.S. EPA); Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards; Sector Policies and Programs...

Meanings and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among long-distance truck drivers in Brazil.

PubMed

Magno, Laio; Castellanos, Marcelo Eduardo Pfeiffer

2016-12-22

ano ou mais de experiência de trabalho em rotas de longa distância. Realizou-se análise temática das entrevistas, orientada para identificação de diferentes contextos de vulnerabilidade. Os resultados mostraram que a inserção dos caminhoneiros em contextos de alta vulnerabilidade social (más condições de trabalho, violência nas estradas e uso de álcool e outras drogas) e os avanços no acesso e efetividade do tratamento para aids favorecem a minimização da percepção de risco e gravidade dessa doença. Além disso, a noção de "grupo de risco" e a divisão simbólica entre "espaço da casa" (protegido) e "espaço da rua" (desprotegido) intensificaram um uso restrito e específico do preservativo, orientado pela oposição entre "mulher do mundo" (desconhecidas, prostitutas, entre outros) e "mulher de casa" (esposas, namoradas). Os significados atribuídos pelos caminhoneiros à aids incorporaram elementos de transformações recentes do contexto social ampliado, como o desenvolvimento de tecnologias em saúde (com destaque para os antirretrovirais) e a garantia de acesso gratuito ao tratamento no sistema público de saúde no Brasil; mas também incorporaram antigos elementos do contexto de vulnerabilidade social - a exemplo das más condições de trabalho nas estradas brasileiras.

Da-KGM based GO-reinforced FMBO-loaded aerogels for efficient arsenic removal in aqueous solution.

PubMed

Ye, Shuxin; Jin, Weiping; Huang, Qing; Hu, Ying; Li, Yan; Li, Jing; Li, Bin

2017-01-01

Composites based on deacetylated konjac glucomannan (Da-KGM) and graphene oxide (GO) aerogels with iron and manganese oxides (FMBO) for effective removal of arsenic from contaminated water. Da-KGM, which was used as supporting composite matrix here, were firstly treated with GO and loaded FMBO. The obtained Da-KGM/GO/FMBO composite aerogels were characterized by compression test, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The characteristic results showed that addition of GO exhibited enhanced mechanical properties towards Da-KGM aerogels. What's more, results of FTIR indicated the strong intermolecular hydrogen bond interaction between KGM and GO. Batch adsorption tests were used to evaluate arsenic removal capacity. Da-KGM/GO loaded FMBO composite aerogels exhibited high adsorption ability for arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)]. The adsorption results showed that the arsenic for both arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] removal process followed a pseudo-second-order rate equation and Langmuir monolayer adsorption. The maximum As(III) and As(V) uptake capacity of Da-KGM/GO(10%)/FMBO composite aerogels reached 30.21mgg -1 and 12.08mgg -1 respectively according to Langmuir isotherm at pH 7 and 323K. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

76 FR 13613 - Supplemental Notice of Technical Conference

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

... Officer, Tonbridge Power, Inc. [rtarr8] Tyson Utt, Project Manager, Horizon Wind Energy LLC [rtarr8... Conference Docket No. Priority Rights to New Participant- AD11-11-000 Funded Transmission. Alta Wind I, LLC EL10-62-000 Alta Wind II, LLC Alta Wind III, LLC Alta Wind IV, LLC Alta Wind V, LLC Alta Wind VI, LLC...

Synergistic effects of melatonin and deprenyl against MPTP-induced mitochondrial damage and DA depletion.

PubMed

Khaldy, Hoda; Escames, Germaine; León, Josefa; Bikjdaouene, Leila; Acuña-Castroviejo, Darío

2003-01-01

Previous studies showed a synergistic effect of melatonin and deprenyl against dopamine (DA) autoxidation in vitro. Since oxidative stress is implicated in Parkinson's disease (PD), we explored the effects of melatonin plus deprenyl administration in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD in C57/Bl6 mice. Melatonin, but not deprenyl prevents the inhibition of mitochondrial complex I and the oxidative damage in nigrostriatal neurons induced by MPTP. With the dose used deprenyl recovers 50% DA levels and tyrosine hydroxylase activity depressed by the neurotoxin, normalizing locomotor activity of mice. Melatonin, which was unable to counteract MPTP-induced DA depletion and inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase activity, potentiates the effect of deprenyl on catecholamine turnover and mice ambulatory activity. These results suggest a dissociation of complex I inhibition from DA depletion in this model of Parkinson's disease. The data also support that a combination of melatonin, which improves mitochondrial electron transport chain and reduces oxidative damage, and deprenyl, which promotes the specific function of the rescued neurons, i.e. DA turnover, may be a promising strategy for the treatment of PD.

The Effect of DA-6034 on Intestinal Permeability in an Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Injury Model.

PubMed

Kwak, Dong Shin; Lee, Oh Young; Lee, Kang Nyeong; Jun, Dae Won; Lee, Hang Lak; Yoon, Byung Chul; Choi, Ho Soon

2016-05-23

DA-6034 has anti-inflammatory activities and exhibits cytoprotective effects in acute gastric injury models. However, explanations for the protective effects of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability are limited. This study sought to investigate the effect of DA-6034 on intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury model and its protective effect against small intestinal injury. Rats in the treatment group received DA-6034 from days 0 to 2 and indomethacin from days 1 to 2. Rats in the control group received indomethacin from days 1 to 2. On the fourth day, the small intestines were examined to compare the severity of inflammation. Intestinal permeability was evaluated by using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran. Western blotting was performed to confirm the association between DA-6034 and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. The inflammation scores in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Hemorrhagic lesions in the treatment group were broader than those in the control group, but the difference was statistically insignificant. Intestinal permeability was lower in the treatment group than in the control group. DA-6034 enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase expression, and intestinal permeability was negatively correlated with ERK expression. DA-6034 may decrease intestinal permeability in an indomethacin-induced intestinal injury model via the ERK pathway.

Usefulness of 8 kDa protein of Fasciola hepatica in diagnosis of fascioliasis

PubMed Central

Kim, Kwangsig; Yang, Hyun Jong

2003-01-01

This study was designed to detect and evaluate an antigenicity of low molecular weight proteins of Fasciola hepatica in fascioliasis. Low molecular weight protein of F. hepatica was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephacryl S-100 HR gel filtration. The protein obtained was estimated to be 8 kDa on 7.5-15% gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Immunoblotting studies showed that the 8 kDa protein reacted with human fascioliasis sera, but not other trematodiasis sera. This result suggests that the 8 kDa protein of F. hepatica is one of diagnostic antigens in human fascioliasis without cross-reaction with other human trematodiasis. PMID:12815325

Fast Uncooled Low Density FPA of VPD PbSe for Applications in Hyperspectral Imagery

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

Marañosa (ITM-CIDA). Area de Optronica y Acustica Unidad de Sensores y Micro-Nano Tecnologia Arturo Soria, 289 E-28033 Madrid, Spain ABSTRACT...ADDRESS(ES) Instituto Tecnologico de la Marañosa (ITM-CIDA). Area de Optronica y Acustica Unidad de Sensores y Micro-Nano Tecnologia Arturo Soria, 289

Effect of DA-9701 on the Normal Motility and Clonidine-induced Hypomotility of the Gastric Antrum in Rats.

PubMed

Kang, Je Wook; Han, Dae Kyeong; Kim, Ock Nyun; Lee, Kwang Jae

2016-04-30

DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent. In the present study, we investigated the effect of DA-9701 on the motility of the gastric antrum in the normal and clonidine-induced hypomotility in an in vivo animal model. A strain gauge force transducer was sutured on the gastric antrum to measure the contractile activity in rats. A total of 28 rats were subclassified into the 4 groups: (1) the placebo group, (2) the DA-9701 group, (3) the placebo group in the clonidine-pretreated rats, and (4) the DA-9701 group in the clonidine-pretreated rats. After the basal recording, either placebo (3% [w/v] hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose) or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. In the clonidinepretreated rats, either placebo or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. Oral administration of DA-9701 did not significantly alter the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the placebo group. The administration of clonidine decreased the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the administration of placebo. This reduction of the antral motility by the administration of clonidine was not observed in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group. The percentage of the motility index in the postprandial period was significantly greater in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group, compared with the clonidine-pretreated placebo group. DA-9701 improves the hypomotility of the gastric antrum induced by clonidine, suggesting its gastroprokinetic effect in the pathologic condition.

Effect of DA-9701 on the Normal Motility and Clonidine-induced Hypomotility of the Gastric Antrum in Rats

PubMed Central

Kang, Je Wook; Han, Dae Kyeong; Kim, Ock Nyun; Lee, Kwang Jae

2016-01-01

Background/Aims DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent. In the present study, we investigated the effect of DA-9701 on the motility of the gastric antrum in the normal and clonidine-induced hypomotility in an in vivo animal model. Methods A strain gauge force transducer was sutured on the gastric antrum to measure the contractile activity in rats. A total of 28 rats were subclassified into the 4 groups: (1) the placebo group, (2) the DA-9701 group, (3) the placebo group in the clonidine-pretreated rats, and (4) the DA-9701 group in the clonidine-pretreated rats. After the basal recording, either placebo (3% [w/v] hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose) or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. In the clonidine-pretreated rats, either placebo or DA-9701 was administered. Contractile signals were measured after the administration and after a meal. Results Oral administration of DA-9701 did not significantly alter the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the placebo group. The administration of clonidine decreased the motility index of the gastric antrum in the preprandial and postprandial periods, compared with the administration of placebo. This reduction of the antral motility by the administration of clonidine was not observed in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group. The percentage of the motility index in the postprandial period was significantly greater in the clonidine-pretreated DA-9701 group, compared with the clonidine-pretreated placebo group. Conclusions DA-9701 improves the hypomotility of the gastric antrum induced by clonidine, suggesting its gastroprokinetic effect in the pathologic condition. PMID:26755679

Solving da Vinci stereopsis with depth-edge-selective V2 cells

PubMed Central

Assee, Andrew; Qian, Ning

2007-01-01

We propose a new model for da Vinci stereopsis based on a coarse-to-fine disparity-energy computation in V1 and disparity-boundary-selective units in V2. Unlike previous work, our model contains only binocular cells, relies on distributed representations of disparity, and has a simple V1-to-V2 feedforward structure. We demonstrate with random dot stereograms that the V2 stage of our model is able to determine the location and the eye-of-origin of monocularly occluded regions and improve disparity map computation. We also examine a few related issues. First, we argue that since monocular regions are binocularly defined, they cannot generally be detected by monocular cells. Second, we show that our coarse-to-fine V1 model for conventional stereopsis explains double matching in Panum’s limiting case. This provides computational support to the notion that the perceived depth of a monocular bar next to a binocular rectangle may not be da Vinci stereopsis per se (Gillam et al., 2003). Third, we demonstrate that some stimuli previously deemed invalid have simple, valid geometric interpretations. Our work suggests that studies of da Vinci stereopsis should focus on stimuli more general than the bar-and-rectangle type and that disparity-boundary-selective V2 cells may provide a simple physiological mechanism for da Vinci stereopsis. PMID:17698163

Rely-Guarantee Protocols

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-01

University Pittsburgh, PA 15213 1School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. 2Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia ...additional examples that are not in the ECOOP paper. This work was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation

Direct voltammetric specific recognition of dopamine using AlIII-DA complexes at the hanging mercury drop electrode.

PubMed

Zhang, Fuping; Zhang, Min; Cheng, Jiongjia; Yang, Li; Ji, Ming; Bi, Shuping

2007-11-01

In this paper, we firstly report the direct voltammetric recognition and determination of dopamine (DA) by using Al(III)-DA complexes at the hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE). A new sensitive cathodic peak of Al(III)-DA can be detected at -900 mV (vs. SCE) in 0.1 M NH(4)Cl-NH(3).H(2)O-0.1 M KCl buffer solution at pH 8.5. This unique -900 mV cathodic peak arises from the specific interaction between Al(III) and DA on the HMDE, whereas other substances with similar structures, such as L-dopa, epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), catechols, caffeic acid (CA), trihydric phenols and tiron, do not yield any new peak on the voltammograms in the potential range from -100 to -1200 mV when Al(III) is added. The distinct voltammetric characteristic of the recognition of DA can effectively inhibit the interferences of both ascorbic acid and uric acid in the DA determination by the direct electrochemistry, which is a major difficulty when a solid electrode is used. The proposed method can be anticipated as an effective means for the recognition of DA in the elucidation of the mechanisms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the presence of Al(III).

SAGES TAVAC safety and effectiveness analysis: da Vinci ® Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA).

PubMed

Tsuda, Shawn; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Gould, Jon; Azagury, Dan; Sandler, Bryan; Hutter, Matthew; Ross, Sharona; Haas, Eric; Brody, Fred; Satava, Richard

2015-10-01

The da Vinci(®) Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is a computer-assisted (robotic) surgical system designed to enable and enhance minimally invasive surgery. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared computer-assisted surgical systems for use by trained physicians in an operating room environment for laparoscopic surgical procedures in general, cardiac, colorectal, gynecologic, head and neck, thoracic and urologic surgical procedures. There are substantial numbers of peer-reviewed papers regarding the da Vinci(®) Surgical System, and a thoughtful assessment of evidence framed by clinical opinion is warranted. The SAGES da Vinci(®) TAVAC sub-committee performed a literature review of the da Vinci(®) Surgical System regarding gastrointestinal surgery. Conclusions by the sub-committee were vetted by the SAGES TAVAC Committee and SAGES Executive Board. Following revisions, the document was evaluated by the TAVAC Committee and Executive Board again for final approval. Several conclusions were drawn based on expert opinion organized by safety, efficacy, and cost for robotic foregut, bariatric, hepatobiliary/pancreatic, colorectal surgery, and single-incision cholecystectomy. Gastrointestinal surgery with the da Vinci(®) Surgical System is safe and comparable, but not superior to standard laparoscopic approaches. Although clinically acceptable, its use may be costly for select gastrointestinal procedures. Current data are limited to the da Vinci(®) Surgical System; further analyses are needed.

32 CFR 516.14 - Service of process on DA or Secretary of Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Service of process on DA or Secretary of Army. 516.14 Section 516.14 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Service of Process § 516.14 Service of process on DA...

The analysis Arabidopsis thaliana overexpressing a 14kDa self-folding protein [abstract

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A recent study in banana identified a 14kDa protein that has been hypothesized to function in regulating the nucleation and growth of the needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate that accumulate within the tissues of this plant. To gain further insight in to the functional role of this 14 kDa prote...

32 CFR 516.14 - Service of process on DA or Secretary of Army.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Service of process on DA or Secretary of Army. 516.14 Section 516.14 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY AID OF CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Service of Process § 516.14 Service of process on DA...

[La diagnosi del disturbo da uso di alcol dal punto di vista psicologico].

PubMed

Coriale, Giovanna; Fiorentino, Daniela; Porrari, Raffaella; Battagliese, Gemma; Capriglione, Ida; Cereatti, Federica; Iannuzzi, Silvia; Mauri, Benilde; Galli, Domenica; Fiore, Marco; Attilia, Maria Luisa; Ceccanti, Mauro

2018-01-01

RIASSUNTO. Il disturbo da uso di alcol (DUA) è uno dei disturbi psichiatrici più comuni nella popolazione generale. Il DUA è caratterizzato da un pattern di bere eccessivo, che si mantiene nonostante gli effetti negativi che l'alcol ha sul funzionamento lavorativo, sulla salute, sulle problematiche legali, sull'educazione e sulla vita sociale. Attualmente, il modello bio-psico-sociale è quello che spiega meglio il DUA. Infatti, molte ricerche hanno fornito evidenze su come il DUA sia una patologia multidimensionale. Variabili biologiche, psicologiche e socio-culturali entrano in gioco nell'eziologia, nella natura, nel mantenimento e nel cambiamento nel tempo del disturbo. La fase diagnostica è un momento importante del processo di cura, perché il successo del trattamento dipende in larga misura dall'esattezza e dall'adeguatezza della diagnosi. La diagnosi clinica si basa su una valutazione globale del funzionamento del paziente e utilizza il colloquio e gli strumenti psicometrici come mezzo di raccolta di informazioni. Questo articolo fornirà una panoramica delle dimensioni psicologiche più importanti da valutare e sui migliori strumenti psicometrici da usare per una diagnosi adeguata.

Hidden sketches by Leonardo da Vinci revealed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumé, Belle

2009-02-01

Three drawings on the back of Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin and Child with St Anne (circa 1508) have been discovered by researchers led by Michel Menu from the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) and the Louvre Museum in Paris.

[Leonardo da Vinci--a dyslectic genius?].

PubMed

Røsstad, Anna

2002-12-10

Leonardo da Vinci's texts consist almost exclusively of scientific notes. Working on a book on Leonardo's art, I studied all Leonardo's published texts carefully for any new information. In some prefaces I came to suspect that Leonardo might have suffered from dyslexia. This article considers the question of whether it is possible to find indications of dyslexia in Leonardo's texts and in the accounts of his life.

PREVALENCE OF HELICOBACTER PYLORI TEN YEARS AGO COMPARED TO THE CURRENT PREVALENCE IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING UPPER ENDOSCOPY.

PubMed

Frugis, Sandra; Czeczko, Nicolau Gregori; Malafaia, Osvaldo; Parada, Artur Adolfo; Poletti, Paula Bechara; Secchi, Thiago Festa; Degiovani, Matheus; Rampanazzo-Neto, Alécio; D Agostino, Mariza D

2016-01-01

Helicobacter pylori has been extensively studied since 1982 it is estimated that 50% of the world population is affected. The literature lacks studies that show the change of its prevalence in the same population over time. To compare the prevalence of H. pylori in 10 years interval in a population that was submitted to upper endoscopy in the same endoscopy service. Observational, retrospective and cross-sectional study comparing the prevalence of H. pylori in two samples with 10 years apart (2004 and 2014) who underwent endoscopy with biopsy and urease. Patients were studied in three consecutive months of 2004, compared to three consecutive months of 2014. The total number of patients was 2536, and 1406 in 2004 and 1130 in 2014. There were positive for H. pylori in 17 % of the sample as a whole. There was a significant decrease in the prevalence from 19.3% in 2004 to 14.1% in 2014 (p<0.005). There was a 5.2% reduction in the prevalence of H. pylori comparing two periods of three consecutive months with 10 years apart in two equivalent population samples. Helicobacter pylori vem sendo amplamente estudado desde 1982 estimando-se que 50% da população mundial esteja afetada. A literatura carece de estudos que mostrem a mudança de sua prevalência em uma mesma população ao longo do tempo. Comparar a prevalência do H.pylori no intervalo de 10 anos em população que realizou endoscopia digestiva alta no mesmo serviço de endoscopia. Estudo observacional, retrospectivo e transversal, comparando a prevalência de H. pylori em duas amostras com intervalo de 10 anos (2004 e 2014) que realizaram endoscopia digestiva alta com biópsias e teste da urease para a pesquisa de H. pylori. Foram estudados pacientes em três meses consecutivos de 2004, comparados aos de três meses consecutivos de 2014. O número total de pacientes avaliados foi 2536, sendo 1406 em 2004 e 1130 em 2014. Constatou-se resultado positivo para H.pylori em 17% da amostra como um todo. Houve queda

Formation of the 67-kDa laminin receptor by acylation of the precursor.

PubMed

Butò, S; Tagliabue, E; Ardini, E; Magnifico, A; Ghirelli, C; van den Brûle, F; Castronovo, V; Colnaghi, M I; Sobel, M E; Ménard, S

1998-06-01

Even though the involvement of the 67-kDa laminin receptor (67LR) in tumor invasiveness has been clearly demonstrated, its molecular structure remains an open problem, since only a full-length gene encoding a 37-kDa precursor protein (37LRP) has been isolated so far. A pool of recently obtained monoclonal antibodies directed against the recombinant 37LRP molecule was used to investigate the processing that leads to the formation of the 67-kDa molecule. In soluble extracts of A431 human carcinoma cells, these reagents recognize the precursor molecule as well as the mature 67LR and a 120-kDa molecule. The recovery of these proteins was found to be strikingly dependent upon the cell solubilization conditions: the 67LR is soluble in NP-40-lysis buffer whereas the 37LRP is NP-40-insoluble. Inhibition of 67LR formation by cerulenin indicates that acylation is involved in the processing of the receptor. It is likely a palmitoylation process, as indicated by sensitivity of NP-40-soluble extracts to hydroxylamine treatment. Immunoblotting assays performed with a polyclonal serum directed against galectin3 showed that both the 67- and the 120-kDa proteins carry galectin3 epitopes whereas the 37LRP does not. These data suggest that the 67LR is a heterodimer stabilized by strong intramolecular hydrophobic interactions, carried by fatty acids bound to the 37LRP and to a galectin3 cross-reacting molecule.

PanDA: Exascale Federation of Resources for the ATLAS Experiment at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiro Megino, Fernando; Caballero Bejar, Jose; De, Kaushik; Hover, John; Klimentov, Alexei; Maeno, Tadashi; Nilsson, Paul; Oleynik, Danila; Padolski, Siarhei; Panitkin, Sergey; Petrosyan, Artem; Wenaus, Torre

2016-02-01

After a scheduled maintenance and upgrade period, the world's largest and most powerful machine - the Large Hadron Collider(LHC) - is about to enter its second run at unprecedented energies. In order to exploit the scientific potential of the machine, the experiments at the LHC face computational challenges with enormous data volumes that need to be analysed by thousand of physics users and compared to simulated data. Given diverse funding constraints, the computational resources for the LHC have been deployed in a worldwide mesh of data centres, connected to each other through Grid technologies. The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) system was developed in 2005 for the ATLAS experiment on top of this heterogeneous infrastructure to seamlessly integrate the computational resources and give the users the feeling of a unique system. Since its origins, PanDA has evolved together with upcoming computing paradigms in and outside HEP, such as changes in the networking model, Cloud Computing and HPC. It is currently running steadily up to 200 thousand simultaneous cores (limited by the available resources for ATLAS), up to two million aggregated jobs per day and processes over an exabyte of data per year. The success of PanDA in ATLAS is triggering the widespread adoption and testing by other experiments. In this contribution we will give an overview of the PanDA components and focus on the new features and upcoming challenges that are relevant to the next decade of distributed computing workload management using PanDA.

Local classification: Locally weighted-partial least squares-discriminant analysis (LW-PLS-DA).

PubMed

Bevilacqua, Marta; Marini, Federico

2014-08-01

The possibility of devising a simple, flexible and accurate non-linear classification method, by extending the locally weighted partial least squares (LW-PLS) approach to the cases where the algorithm is used in a discriminant way (partial least squares discriminant analysis, PLS-DA), is presented. In particular, to assess which category an unknown sample belongs to, the proposed algorithm operates by identifying which training objects are most similar to the one to be predicted and building a PLS-DA model using these calibration samples only. Moreover, the influence of the selected training samples on the local model can be further modulated by adopting a not uniform distance-based weighting scheme which allows the farthest calibration objects to have less impact than the closest ones. The performances of the proposed locally weighted-partial least squares-discriminant analysis (LW-PLS-DA) algorithm have been tested on three simulated data sets characterized by a varying degree of non-linearity: in all cases, a classification accuracy higher than 99% on external validation samples was achieved. Moreover, when also applied to a real data set (classification of rice varieties), characterized by a high extent of non-linearity, the proposed method provided an average correct classification rate of about 93% on the test set. By the preliminary results, showed in this paper, the performances of the proposed LW-PLS-DA approach have proved to be comparable and in some cases better than those obtained by other non-linear methods (k nearest neighbors, kernel-PLS-DA and, in the case of rice, counterpropagation neural networks). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of porcine 25 kDa amelogenin and its proteolytic derivatives on bone sialoprotein expression.

PubMed

Nakayama, Y; Yang, L; Mezawa, M; Araki, S; Li, Z; Wang, Z; Sasaki, Y; Takai, H; Nakao, S; Fukae, M; Ogata, Y

2010-10-01

Amelogenins are hydrophobic proteins that are the major component of developing enamel. Enamel matrix derivative has been used for periodontal regeneration. Bone sialoprotein is an early phenotypic marker of osteoblast differentiation. In this study, we examined the ability of porcine amelogenins to regulate bone sialoprotein transcription. To determine the molecular basis of the transcriptional regulation of the bone sialoprotein gene by amelogenins, we conducted northern hybridization, transient transfection analyses and gel mobility shift assays using the osteoblast-like ROS 17/2.8 cells. Amelogenins (100 ng/mL) up-regulated bone sialoprotein mRNA at 3 h, with maximal mRNA expression occurring at 12 h (25 and 20 kDa) and 6 h (13 and 6 kDa). Amelogenins (100 ng/mL, 12 h) increased luciferase activities in pLUC3 (nucleotides -116 to +60), and 6 kDa amelogenin up-regulated pLUC4 (nucleotides -425 to +60) activity. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor inhibited amelogenin-induced luciferase activities, whereas the protein kinase A inhibitor abolished 25 kDa amelogenin-induced bone sialoprotein transcription. The effects of amelogenins were abrogated by 2-bp mutations in the fibroblast growth factor 2 response element (FRE). Gel-shift assays with radiolabeled FRE, homeodomain-protein binding site (HOX) and transforming growth factor-beta1 activation element (TAE) double-strand oligonucleotides revealed increased binding of nuclear proteins from amelogenin-stimulated ROS 17/2.8 cells at 3 h (25 and 13 kDa) and 6 h (20 and 6 kDa). These results demonstrate that porcine 25 kDa amelogenin and its proteolytic derivatives stimulate bone sialoprotein transcription by targeting FRE, HOX and TAE in the bone sialoprotein gene promoter, and that full-length amelogenin and amelogenin cleavage products are able to regulate bone sialoprotein transcription via different signaling pathways. (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Complexity of VTA DA neural activities in response to PFC transection in nicotine treated rats.

PubMed

Chen, Ting Y; Zhang, Die; Dragomir, Andrei; Akay, Yasemin M; Akay, Metin

2011-02-27

The dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are widely implicated in the addiction and natural reward circuitry of the brain. These neurons project to several areas of the brain, including prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accubens (NAc) and amygdala. The functional coupling between PFC and VTA has been demonstrated, but little is known about how PFC mediates nicotinic modulation in VTA DA neurons. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of acute nicotine exposure on the VTA DA neuronal firing and to understand how the disruption of communication from PFC affects the firing patterns of VTA DA neurons. Extracellular single-unit recordings were performed on Sprague-Dawley rats and nicotine was administered after stable recording was established as baseline. In order to test how input from PFC affects the VTA DA neuronal firing, bilateral transections were made immediate caudal to PFC to mechanically delete the interaction between VTA and PFC. The complexity of the recorded neural firing was subsequently assessed using a method based on the Lempel-Ziv estimator. The results were compared with those obtained when computing the entropy of neural firing. Exposure to nicotine triggered a significant increase in VTA DA neurons firing complexity when communication between PFC and VTA was present, while transection obliterated the effect of nicotine. Similar results were obtained when entropy values were estimated. Our findings suggest that PFC plays a vital role in mediating VTA activity. We speculate that increased firing complexity with acute nicotine administration in PFC intact subjects is due to the close functional coupling between PFC and VTA. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that deletion of PFC results in minor alterations of VTA DA neural firing when nicotine is acutely administered.

Preclinical and Clinical Studies Demonstrate That the Proprietary Herbal Extract DA-5512 Effectively Stimulates Hair Growth and Promotes Hair Health.

PubMed

Yu, Jae Young; Gupta, Biki; Park, Hyoung Geun; Son, Miwon; Jun, Joon-Ho; Yong, Chul Soon; Kim, Jeong Ah; Kim, Jong Oh

2017-01-01

The proprietary DA-5512 formulation comprises six herbal extracts from traditional oriental plants historically associated with therapeutic and other applications related to hair. Here, we investigated the effects of DA-5512 on the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) in vitro and on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice and conducted a clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DA-5512. DA-5512 significantly enhanced the viability of hDPCs in a dose-dependent manner ( p < 0.05), and 100 ppm of DA-5512 and 1  μ M minoxidil (MXD) significantly increased the number of Ki-67-positive cells, compared with the control group ( p < 0.05). MXD (3%) and DA-5512 (1%, 5%) significantly stimulated hair growth and increased the number and length of hair follicles (HFs) versus the controls (each p < 0.05). The groups treated with DA-5512 exhibited hair growth comparable to that induced by MXD. In clinical study, we detected a statistically significant increase in the efficacy of DA-5512 after 16 weeks compared with the groups treated with placebo or 3% MXD ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, DA-5512 might promote hair growth and enhance hair health and can therefore be considered an effective option for treating hair loss.

The da Vinci telerobotic surgical system: the virtual operative field and telepresence surgery.

PubMed

Ballantyne, Garth H; Moll, Fred

2003-12-01

The United States Department of Defense developed the telepresence surgery concept to meet battlefield demands. The da Vinci telerobotic surgery system evolved from these efforts. In this article, the authors describe the components of the da Vinci system and explain how the surgeon sits at a computer console, views a three-dimensional virtual operative field, and performs the operation by controlling robotic arms that hold the stereoscopic video telescope and surgical instruments that simulate hand motions with seven degrees of freedom. The three-dimensional imaging and handlike motions of the system facilitate advanced minimally invasive thoracic, cardiac, and abdominal procedures. da Vinci has recently released a second generation of telerobots with four arms and will continue to meet the evolving challenges of surgery.

Biochemical characterization of the 49 kDa penicillin-binding protein of Mycobacterium smegmatis.

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, T; Basu, D; Mahapatra, S; Goffin, C; van Beeumen, J; Basu, J

1996-01-01

The 49 kDa penicillin-binding protein (PBP) of Mycobacterium smegmatis catalyses the hydrolysis of the peptide or S-ester bond of carbonyl donors R1-CONH-CHR2-COX-CHR2-COO- (where X is NH or S). In the presence of a suitable amino acceptor, the reaction partitions between the transpeptidation and hydrolysis pathways, with the amino acceptor, behaving as a simple alternative nucleophile at the level of the acyl-enzyme. By virtue of its N-terminal sequence similarity, the 49 kDa PBP represents one of the class of monofunctional low-molecular-mass PBPs. An immunologically related protein of M(r) 52,000 is present in M. tuberculosis. The 49 kDa PBP is sensitive towards amoxycillin, imipenem, flomoxef and cefoxitin. PMID:8947487

Innovation and communicative action: health management networks and technologies.

PubMed

Rivera, Francisco Javier Uribe; Artmann, Elizabeth

2016-11-03

This article discusses elements of a theory of innovation from the perspective of innovation networks and social construction of technology, based on Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action and authors from the Sociology of Innovation. Based on the theoretical framework of the communicative production of scientific facts, we focus on innovation management as a basic dimension that must meet some organizational and methodological requirements in order to power its results. We present and discuss instruments such as Situational Planning, Prospective Analysis, Strategic Portfolio Management, and Networks Management that can help deal with the challenge of innovation and exploration of the future. We conclude that network organizational formats centered on reflexivity of interdisciplinary groups and planning approaches that encourage innovation criteria in assessing the attractiveness of activities and that help anticipate forms of innovation through systematic prospective analysis can potentiate the process of generating innovation as a product of networks. Resumo: No artigo são discutidos elementos de uma teoria da inovação numa perspectiva de redes de inovação e de construção social da tecnologia, a partir da Teoria do Agir Comunicativo de Habermas e de autores da Sociologia da Inovação. Com base no marco teórico da produção comunicativa de fatos científicos, focamos a gestão da inovação como uma dimensão fundamental que deve contemplar alguns requisitos, tanto de natureza organizacional quanto metodológica, para potencializar seus resultados. Apresentamos e discutimos instrumentos como o Planejamento Situacional, a Análise Prospectiva, a Gestão Estratégica de Portfólios e a Gestão de Redes que podem contribuir para o desafio da inovação e exploração do futuro. Conclui-se que formas organizativas em rede, centradas na reflexividade de grupos interdisciplinares, e enfoques de planejamento que estimulem o uso de critérios de inovação na

Trust, Engagement, and Technology Transfer: Underpinnings for U.S.-Brazil Defense Cooperation (Strategic Forum, no. 279)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

Political Sci- ence Review, no. 30 (2009), 122–124, 130. 7 Mauricio Pazini Brandão, “Ciência, Tecnologia , Inovação e a Defesa Nacional,” 3ª Conferência...Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, October 2005, 798, available at <http://cncti3.cgee.org. br/Documentos/Seminariosartigos/Areasinternacional

Radical Islam in Latin America and the Caribbean: Implications for U.S. National Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

www.Newsmax.com/International/iran-missiles-venezu- ela/2008/12/22/id/327242/#ixzz3MfAmHOjT. 66. “Washington sanciona a Cavim for venta de tecnologia a Irán...El Universal, February 11, 2013, http://www.eluni- versal.com/nacional-y-politica/130211/washington-sanciona-a-cavim-por-venta-de- tecnologia -a-iran

Sequence and expression variations suggest an adaptive role for the DA1-like gene family in the evolution of soybeans.

PubMed

Zhao, Man; Gu, Yongzhe; He, Lingli; Chen, Qingshan; He, Chaoying

2015-05-15

The DA1 gene family is plant-specific and Arabidopsis DA1 regulates seed and organ size, but the functions in soybeans are unknown. The cultivated soybean (Glycine max) is believed to be domesticated from the annual wild soybeans (Glycine soja). To evaluate whether DA1-like genes were involved in the evolution of soybeans, we compared variation at both sequence and expression levels of DA1-like genes from G. max (GmaDA1) and G. soja (GsoDA1). Sequence identities were extremely high between the orthologous pairs between soybeans, while the paralogous copies in a soybean species showed a relatively high divergence. Moreover, the expression variation of DA1-like paralogous genes in soybean was much greater than the orthologous gene pairs between the wild and cultivated soybeans during development and challenging abiotic stresses such as salinity. We further found that overexpressing GsoDA1 genes did not affect seed size. Nevertheless, overexpressing them reduced transgenic Arabidopsis seed germination sensitivity to salt stress. Moreover, most of these genes could improve salt tolerance of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants, corroborated by a detection of expression variation of several key genes in the salt-tolerance pathways. Our work suggested that expression diversification of DA1-like genes is functionally associated with adaptive radiation of soybeans, reinforcing that the plant-specific DA1 gene family might have contributed to the successful adaption to complex environments and radiation of the plants.

Aerodynamic design of the Cal Poly Da Vinci Human-Powered Helicopter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larwood, Scott; Saiki, Neal

1990-01-01

This paper will discuss the methodology used in designing the rotor and drive propellers for the third generation Cal Poly Da Vinci Human-Powered Helicopter. The rotor was designed using a lifting surface, uniform inflow hover analysis code and the propeller was designed using a minimum induced-loss method. Construction, geometry, and operating considerations are discussed as they impact the designs. Optimization of the design performance is also explained. The propellers were tested in a wind tunnel and results are compared with theoretical data. Successful flight tests of the Da Vinci III are discussed.

Left lower lobe sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer using the Da Vinci surgical system.

PubMed

Zhao, Yandong; Jiao, Wenjie; Ren, Xiaoyang; Zhang, Liangdong; Qiu, Tong; Fu, Bo; Wang, Lei

2016-04-12

Despite the robotic surgery is widely applied, sleeve lobectomy for lung cancer using the Da Vinci surgical system is still less performed. We described a sleeve lobectomy for adenocarcinoma located at the left lower lobe using the Da Vinci surgical system. A case of 57-year old female referred to our hospital. Computed tomography scan showed an occupation located at the left lower lobe and adenocarcinoma project from the lobe bronchus was diagnosed by bronchoscope examination. A sleeve lobectomy was performed using the Da Vinci surgical system and the postoperative recovery was uneventful. Robotic thoracic surgery is feasible to perform sleeve lobectomy inspite of inadequate experience.

Nursing team's conceptions about the families of hospitalized children.

PubMed

Macedo, Isabela Fornerolli de; Souza, Tania Vignuda de; Oliveira, Isabel Cristina Dos Santos; Cibreiros, Sylvia Alves; Morais, Rita de Cássia Melão de; Vieira, Rosana Fidelis Coelho

2017-01-01

to describe nursing team care and discuss the nursing team's conception of companion families of hospitalized children. The study was based on the theoretical framework of Collière's theory of nursing care identity. this was a qualitative study with 14 members of a nursing team, conducted through an unstructured group interview. Thematic data analysis was employed. habitual and repair care was delegated to families, regardless of the child's clinical condition. the team's official discourse about the families of hospitalized children, as recommended by the literature, refers to the family's alterity and participation in care provision, with sights on discharge and defending family participation as beneficial to children. In practice, however, the nursing staff makes concessions about the presence of chaperoning families and delegates care. descrever os cuidados da equipe de enfermagem e discutir as concepções da equipe de enfermagem frente à família acompanhante da criança hospitalizada. O referencial teórico está vinculado à identidade do cuidado de enfermagem de Collière. Estudo qualitativo com quatorze membros da equipe de enfermagem, utilizando a técnica de entrevista não diretiva em grupo. Foi realizada análise temática dos dados. os cuidados habituais e de reparação prestados à criança estão sendo delegados à família, independentemente da situação clínica da criança. o discurso oficial da equipe de enfermagem frente à família acompanhante da criança hospitalizada, preconizado pela literatura, refere-se à alteridade e à participação da família nos cuidados à criança, prevendo sua alta e justificando a participação como benéfica para a criança. Em contrapartida, na prática, a enfermagem faz concessões sobre a permanência da família e delega os cuidados.

Speckle Interferometry at SOAR in 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokovinin, Andrei; Mason, Brian D.; Hartkopf, William I.; Mendez, Rene A.; Horch, Elliott P.

2015-08-01

The results of speckle interferometric observations at the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR) telescope in 2014 are given. A total of 1641 observations were taken, yielding 1636 measurements of 1218 resolved binary and multiple stars and 577 non-resolutions of 441 targets. We resolved for the first time 56 pairs, including some nearby astrometric or spectroscopic binaries and ten new subsystems in previously known visual binaries. The calibration of the data is checked by linear fits to the positions of 41 wide binaries observed at SOAR over several seasons. The typical calibration accuracy is 0.°1 in angle and 0.3% in pixel scale, while the measurement errors are on the order of 3 mas. The new data are used here to compute 194 binary star orbits, 148 of which are improvements on previous orbital solutions and 46 are first-time orbits. Based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).

[I direttori delle riviste vanno avanti: attenersi ai principi accademici, adottare trasparenza e rispetto e applicare le regole.

PubMed

Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Dobránszki, Judit

2018-05-01

Nonostante i cambiamenti in corso nell'ambito delle pubblicazioni scientifiche (STEM - scienza, tecnologia, ingegneria e medicina), è indubbio che i direttori delle riviste restano i più importanti custodi del processo editoriale. In questo articolo vengono analizzati i motivi per cui i direttori delle riviste devono continuare ad attenersi ai principi editoriali fondamentali e a utilizzare le nuove tecnologie digitali solo per dare forza al contenuto, ma non per sostituirlo nella sua qualità. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, in un'epoca caratterizzata da controlli ed equilibri, i direttori delle riviste devono essere attentamente sorvegliati e ritenuti responsabili tanto quanto gli autori che essi stessi valutano. Qualunque scorciatoia potrebbe avere conseguenze negative e inaspettate per quella rivista che non si attenesse a tali regole, che vedrebbe intaccata la propria reputazione e che dovrebbe faticare per recuperare la fiducia dei propri lettori. Quindi, a rischio di sembrare scontati, è meglio prevenire il danno alla reputazione piuttosto che curarlo. L'unico modo per evitarlo è che i direttori delle riviste si adattino a un crescente movimento sempre più critico, che richiede maggiore trasparenza e responsabilità da parte di chi contribuisce a costruire la base delle conoscenze scientifiche e dalla società, specialmente laddove la ricerca è finanziata pubblicamente.

Imaging Survey of Subsystems in Secondary Components to Nearby Southern Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tokovinin, Andrei

2014-10-01

To improve the statistics of hierarchical multiplicity, secondary components of wide nearby binaries with solar-type primaries were surveyed at the SOAR telescope for evaluating the frequency of subsystems. Images of 17 faint secondaries were obtained with the SOAR Adaptive Module that improved the seeing; one new 0.''2 binary was detected. For all targets, photometry in the g', i', z' bands is given. Another 46 secondaries were observed by speckle interferometry, resolving 7 close subsystems. Adding literature data, the binarity of 95 secondary components is evaluated. We found that the detection-corrected frequency of secondary subsystems with periods in the well-surveyed range from 103 to 105 days is 0.21 ± 0.06—same as the normal frequency of such binaries among solar-type stars, 0.18. This indicates that wide binaries are unlikely to be produced by dynamical evolution of N-body systems, but are rather formed by fragmentation. Based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação da República Federativa do Brasil, the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Michigan State University.

Translocation of an 89-kDa periplasmic protein is associated with Holospora infection

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

Iwatani, Koichi; Dohra, Hideo; Lang, B. Franz

2005-12-02

The symbiotic bacterium Holospora obtusa infects the macronucleus of the ciliate Paramecium caudatum. After ingestion by its host, an infectious form of Holospora with an electron-translucent tip passes through the host digestive vacuole and penetrates the macronuclear envelope with this tip. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of this process, we raised a monoclonal antibody against the tip-specific 89-kDa protein, sequenced this partially, and identified the corresponding complete gene. The deduced protein sequence carries two actin-binding motifs. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy shows that during escape from the host digestive vacuole, the 89-kDa proteins translocates from the inside to the outside ofmore » the tip. When the bacterium invades the macronucleus, the 89-kDa protein is left behind at the entry point of the nuclear envelope. Transmission electron microscopy shows the formation of fine fibrous structures that co-localize with the antibody-labeled regions of the bacterium. Our findings suggest that the 89-kDa protein plays a role in Holospora's escape from the host digestive vacuole, the migration through the host cytoplasm, and the invasion into the macronucleus.« less

Effects of acute amphetamine (AMPH) treatment on rat striatal dopamine (DA) receptor activity

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

Roseboom, P.H.; Iwaniec, L.M.; Ackerman, J.M.

1986-03-05

Upon administration of AMPH rats display a complex series of dose and time dependent behaviors and changes in dopaminergic activity. They found a decrease in D1 DA receptor-stimulated adenylate cyclase (DA-AC) activity in rat striatal membranes after acute in vivo AMPH at a dose and time of intense stereotyped behavior. The Ka for D1-AC activity increased and the Vmax decreased in striatal membranes from rats given 7.5 mg/kg AMPH i.p. and killed 1 hr later as compared to saline (SAL) controls. They examined whether the decrease of DA-AC was due to a change in receptor number or activation of GTP-bindingmore » protein, Ns. Female Holtzman rats were injected with SAL or 7.5 mg/kg AMPH and killed 1 hr later. A 27,000 x g striatal particulate fraction was prepared for AC assay or (/sup 3/H)DA binding with 10 nM spiroperidol. They found no difference in stimulation of AC by NaF, GTP or GppNHp at any dose tested in membranes from SAL- and AMPH-treated rats. Calmodulin-stimulated AC was also unchanged after AMPH. Specific binding at a saturating concentration of (/sup 3/H)DA was 191 +/- 31 and 117 +/- 14 fmol/mg prot in membranes from SAL- and AMPH-treated rats, respectively. This suggests an alteration is occurring at the level of the D1 receptor rather than at coupling of Ns with the AC catalytic subunit.« less

Pharmacokinetics and tolerability of DA-8031, a novel selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for premature ejaculation in healthy male subjects.

PubMed

Shin, Dongseong; Lee, SeungHwan; Yi, Sojeong; Yoon, Seo Hyun; Cho, Joo-Youn; Bahng, Mi Young; Jang, In-Jin; Yu, Kyung-Sang

2017-01-01

DA-8031 is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor under development for the treatment of premature ejaculation. This is the first-in-human study aimed at evaluating the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of DA-8031 and its metabolites (M1, M2, M4, and M5) in the plasma and urine after administration of a single oral dose in healthy male subjects. A dose block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study was conducted. Subjects received either placebo or a single dose of DA-8031 at 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, or 120 mg. DA-8031 and its four metabolites were analyzed in the plasma and urine for pharmacokinetic evaluation. The effect of genetic polymorphisms of cytochrome-P450 (CYP) enzymes on the pharmacokinetics of DA-8031 was evaluated. After a single dose, plasma DA-8031 reached the maximum concentration at a median of 2-3 h and was eliminated with terminal elimination half-life of 17.9-28.7 h. The mean renal clearance was 3.7-5.6 L/h. Dose-proportional pharmacokinetics was observed over the dose range of 20-80 mg. Among the metabolites, M4 had the greatest plasma concentration, followed by M5 and M1. Subjects with CYP2D6 intermediate metabolizer had significantly greater dose-normalized C max and AUC 0- t of DA-8031 as well as smaller metabolic ratios than those subjects with CYP2D6 extensive metabolizer. The most common adverse events were nausea, dizziness, and headache, and no serious adverse events were reported. In conclusion, the systemic exposure of DA-8031 was increased proportionally to the dose within 20-80 mg. Genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6 had an effect on the systemic exposure of DA-8031. DA-8031 was well tolerated after single doses of 80 mg or less.

The rare DAT coding variant Val559 perturbs DA neuron function, changes behavior, and alters in vivo responses to psychostimulants.

PubMed

Mergy, Marc A; Gowrishankar, Raajaram; Gresch, Paul J; Gantz, Stephanie C; Williams, John; Davis, Gwynne L; Wheeler, C Austin; Stanwood, Gregg D; Hahn, Maureen K; Blakely, Randy D

2014-11-04

Despite the critical role of the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT, SLC6A3) in DA clearance and psychostimulant responses, evidence that DAT dysfunction supports risk for mental illness is indirect. Recently, we identified a rare, nonsynonymous Slc6a3 variant that produces the DAT substitution Ala559Val in two male siblings who share a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with other studies identifying the variant in subjects with bipolar disorder (BPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previously, using transfected cell studies, we observed that although DAT Val559 displays normal total and surface DAT protein levels, and normal DA recognition and uptake, the variant transporter exhibits anomalous DA efflux (ADE) and lacks capacity for amphetamine (AMPH)-stimulated DA release. To pursue the significance of these findings in vivo, we engineered DAT Val559 knock-in mice, and here we demonstrate in this model the presence of elevated extracellular DA levels, altered somatodendritic and presynaptic D2 DA receptor (D2R) function, a blunted ability of DA terminals to support depolarization and AMPH-evoked DA release, and disruptions in basal and psychostimulant-evoked locomotor behavior. Together, our studies demonstrate an in vivo functional impact of the DAT Val559 variant, providing support for the ability of DAT dysfunction to impact risk for mental illness.

The rare DAT coding variant Val559 perturbs DA neuron function, changes behavior, and alters in vivo responses to psychostimulants

PubMed Central

Mergy, Marc A.; Gowrishankar, Raajaram; Gresch, Paul J.; Gantz, Stephanie C.; Williams, John; Davis, Gwynne L.; Wheeler, C. Austin; Stanwood, Gregg D.; Hahn, Maureen K.; Blakely, Randy D.

2014-01-01

Despite the critical role of the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT, SLC6A3) in DA clearance and psychostimulant responses, evidence that DAT dysfunction supports risk for mental illness is indirect. Recently, we identified a rare, nonsynonymous Slc6a3 variant that produces the DAT substitution Ala559Val in two male siblings who share a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with other studies identifying the variant in subjects with bipolar disorder (BPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previously, using transfected cell studies, we observed that although DAT Val559 displays normal total and surface DAT protein levels, and normal DA recognition and uptake, the variant transporter exhibits anomalous DA efflux (ADE) and lacks capacity for amphetamine (AMPH)-stimulated DA release. To pursue the significance of these findings in vivo, we engineered DAT Val559 knock-in mice, and here we demonstrate in this model the presence of elevated extracellular DA levels, altered somatodendritic and presynaptic D2 DA receptor (D2R) function, a blunted ability of DA terminals to support depolarization and AMPH-evoked DA release, and disruptions in basal and psychostimulant-evoked locomotor behavior. Together, our studies demonstrate an in vivo functional impact of the DAT Val559 variant, providing support for the ability of DAT dysfunction to impact risk for mental illness. PMID:25331903

Recombinant expression, isolation, and proteolysis of extracellular matrix-secreted phosphoprotein-24 kDa.

PubMed

Murray, Elsa J Brochmann; Murray, Samuel S; Simon, Robert; Behnam, Keyvan

2007-01-01

Secreted phosphoprotein-24 kDa (spp24) is an extracellular matrix protein first cloned from bone. Bovine spp24 is transcribed as a 203 amino acid residue protein that undergoes cleavage of a secretory peptide to form the mature protein (spp24, residues 24 to 203). While not osteogenic itself, spp24 is degraded to a pro-osteogenic protein, spp18.5, in bone. Both spp18.5 and spp24 contain a cyclic TRH1 (TGF-beta receptor II homology-1) domain similar to that found in the receptor itself and in fetuin. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the TRH1 domain of spp18.5 and spp24 specifically binds BMP-2 and enhances the rate and magnitude of BMP-2-induced ectopic bone formation in vivo. The parental protein, spp24, exhibits a high affinity for bone and mineral complexes, but its abundance there is low, suggesting that it is rapidly degraded. The availability of recombinant spp24 and its degradation products would facilitate the elucidation of their structure:function relationships. We describe here the expression of His(6)-tagged bovine spp24 (residues 24 to 203) in E. coli, its purification by high-resolution IMAC (immobilized metal affinity chromatography), and the characterization of the full-length recombinant 21.5 kDa protein and its two major 16 kDa and 14.5 kDa degradation products (spp24, residues 24 to 157, and spp24, residues 24 to 143) by mass spectroscopy. The recombinant spp24 protein was resistant to proteolysis by MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cell extracts in the absence of calcium; however, in the presence of 4 mM Ca, it can undergo essentially complete proteolysis to small peptides, bypassing the 16 kDa and 14.5 kDa intermediates. This confirms the proteolytic susceptibility of spp24. It also suggests that the levels of spp24 in bone may be regulated, in part, by calcium-dependent proteolysis mediated by osteoblastic cells.

Chronic treatment of DA-8159, a new phosphodiesterase type V inhibitor, attenuates endothelial dysfunction in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat.

PubMed

Choi, Seul Min; Kim, Jee Eun; Kang, Kyung Koo

2006-02-09

This study examined the effects of chronic treatment of a new phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, DA-8159, on endothelial dysfunction in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR-SP). Six-week-old male SHR-SP were divided into 4 groups; vehicle control, DA-8159 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg/day. During a 32-week experimental period, the animals were administered DA-8159 orally and fed a 4% NaCl-loaded diet. The systolic blood pressure was measured every two weeks throughout the experimental period using the tail-cuff method. At the end of experiments, the vascular function (acetylcholine-induced vasodilation) in the endothelium-intact aortic rings was investigated. In addition, the mortality, the left ventricular hypertrophy index, the plasma parameters and the incidence of a cerebral infarction were assessed. In the DA-8159 treated-rats, the vascular reactivity improved significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Although DA-8159 did not alter the elevation of the systolic blood pressure directly, the 3 and 10 mg/kg/day DA-8159 treatment delayed the early death caused by stroke. DA-8159 significantly reduced the left ventricular heart weight/body weight ratio compared with the vehicle control group. Furthermore, the DA-8159 treatment significantly increased the plasma nitric oxide, cGMP, and the total antioxidative status. The DA-8159 treatment also reduced the occurrence of stroke-associated cerebral damage. These results indicate that DA-8159 can ameliorate an endothelial dysfunction-related vascular injury. Therefore, pharmacological intervention aimed at attenuating an endothelial dysfunction is important and might be useful in both preventing and treating endothelial dysfunction-related complications.

Hypothalamic interaction with the mesolimbic DA system in the control of the maternal and sexual behaviors in rats.

PubMed

Stolzenberg, Danielle S; Numan, Michael

2011-01-01

The medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus regulates maternal behavior, male sexual behavior, and female sexual behavior. Functional neuroanatomical evidence indicates that the appetitive aspects of maternal behavior are regulated through MPOA interactions with the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system; a major focus of this review is to explore whether or not the MPOA participates in the appetitive aspects of sexual behavior via its interaction with the mesolimbic DA system. A second focus of this review is to examine the extent to which estradiol interactions with DA within this circuit regulate all three reproductive behaviors. One mechanism through which estradiol activates male sexual behavior is through the potentiation of DA activity in the MPOA. In the hypothalamus, estradiol has also been found to act in concert with DA, through the activation of similar intracellular signaling pathways, in order to stimulate female sexual behavior. Finally, recent evidence suggests that some effects of estradiol are mediated by direct action of estradiol on the mesolimbic DA system. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The neuroanatomic complexity of the CRF and DA systems and their interface: What we still don't know.

PubMed

Kelly, E A; Fudge, J L

2018-07-01

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide that mediates the stress response. Long known to contribute to regulation of the adrenal stress response initiated in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), a complex pattern of extrahypothalamic CRF expression is also described in rodents and primates. Cross-talk between the CRF and midbrain dopamine (DA) systems links the stress response to DA regulation. Classically CRF + cells in the extended amygdala and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) are considered the main source of this input, principally targeting the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, the anatomic complexity of both the DA and CRF system has been increasingly elaborated in the last decade. The DA neurons are now recognized as having diverse molecular, connectional and physiologic properties, predicted by their anatomic location. At the same time, the broad distribution of CRF cells in the brain has been increasingly delineated using different species and techniques. Here, we review updated information on both CRF localization and newer conceptualizations of the DA system to reconsider the CRF-DA interface. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PanDaTox: A tool for accelerated metabolic engineering

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

Amitai, Gil; Sorek, Rotem

2012-07-18

Metabolic engineering is often facilitated by cloning of genes encoding enzymes from various heterologous organisms into E. coli. Such engineering efforts are frequently hampered by foreign genes that are toxic to the E. coli host. We have developed PanDaTox (www.weizmann.ac.il/pandatox), a web-based resource that provides experimental toxicity information for more than 1.5 million genes from hundreds of different microbial genomes. The toxicity predictions, which were extensively experimentally verified, are based on serial cloning of genes into E. coli as part of the Sanger whole genome shotgun sequencing process. PanDaTox can accelerate metabolic engineering projects by allowing researchers to exclude toxicmore » genes from the engineering plan and verify the clonability of selected genes before the actual metabolic engineering experiments are conducted.« less

gLExec and MyProxy integration in the ATLAS/OSG PanDA workload management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caballero, J.; Hover, J.; Litmaath, M.; Maeno, T.; Nilsson, P.; Potekhin, M.; Wenaus, T.; Zhao, X.

2010-04-01

Worker nodes on the grid exhibit great diversity, making it difficult to offer uniform processing resources. A pilot job architecture, which probes the environment on the remote worker node before pulling down a payload job, can help. Pilot jobs become smart wrappers, preparing an appropriate environment for job execution and providing logging and monitoring capabilities. PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis), an ATLAS and OSG workload management system, follows this design. However, in the simplest (and most efficient) pilot submission approach of identical pilots carrying the same identifying grid proxy, end-user accounting by the site can only be done with application-level information (PanDA maintains its own end-user accounting), and end-user jobs run with the identity and privileges of the proxy carried by the pilots, which may be seen as a security risk. To address these issues, we have enabled PanDA to use gLExec, a tool provided by EGEE which runs payload jobs under an end-user's identity. End-user proxies are pre-staged in a credential caching service, MyProxy, and the information needed by the pilots to access them is stored in the PanDA DB. gLExec then extracts from the user's proxy the proper identity under which to run. We describe the deployment, installation, and configuration of gLExec, and how PanDA components have been augmented to use it. We describe how difficulties were overcome, and how security risks have been mitigated. Results are presented from OSG and EGEE Grid environments performing ATLAS analysis using PanDA and gLExec.

Effects of DA-6034 on aqueous tear fluid secretion and conjunctival goblet cell proliferation.

PubMed

Choi, Seul Min; Lee, Yeong Geon; Seo, Mi Jung; Kang, Kyung Koo; Ahn, Byoung Ok; Yoo, Moohi

2009-06-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of DA-6034, a potent secretagogue, on aqueous tear fluid secretion and its quality in normal rabbit. We also evaluated, in animal models of experimentally induced dry eye disease, its effectiveness over time to stimulate aqueous tear production by ocular ferning test and goblet cell proliferation. Aqueous tear production, total protein levels, and glycoprotein levels in normal rabbits were evaluated after topical application of DA-6034 (0.3, 1, and 3%). Moreover, time course aqueous tear volume measurement and ocular ferning test in tear fluid were performed in dry eyes of rabbits that had been given 1% atropine sulfate, topically. Altogether, tear fluid production and conjunctival goblet cell numbers were measured in dry eyes of mice that had been given topical scopolamine. Topical application of DA-6034 (0.3, 1, and 3%) significantly increased (P < 0.05) aqueous tear production in a concentration-dependent manner in normal rabbits. There was no change in total protein levels while glycoprotein levels were significantly increased (P < 0.05) at 3% DA-6034. The increase in aqueous tear fluid was significant (P < 0.05) and lasted for 2 h post-instillation in dry eyes of rabbits that had been given 1% atropine sulfate; 10-day repeated instillation of the drug in this model resulted in large and homogeneous fern-like tear patterns. In a mouse model, DA-6034 given as a 3% eyedrop solution significantly increased (P < 0.05) tear fluid production and conjunctival goblet cell number. These results suggest that DA-6034 accelerates not only tear secretion but also mucin production and may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of dry eye disease.

Epinephrine in cardiac arrest: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Morales-Cané, Ignacio; Valverde-León, María Del Rocío; Rodríguez-Borrego, María Aurora

2016-12-08

evaluate the effectiveness of epinephrine used during cardiac arrest and its effect on the survival rates and neurological condition. systematic review of scientific literature with meta-analysis, using a random effects model. The following databases were used to research clinical trials and observational studies: Medline, Embase and Cochrane, from 2005 to 2015. when the Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) with administration of epinephrine was compared with ROSC without administration, increased rates were found with administration (OR 2.02. 95% CI 1.49 to 2.75; I2 = 95%). Meta-analysis showed an increase in survival to discharge or 30 days after administration of epinephrine (OR 1.23; 95% IC 1.05-1.44; I2=83%). Stratification by shockable and non-shockable rhythms showed an increase in survival for non-shockable rhythm (OR 1.52; 95% IC 1.29-1.78; I2=42%). When compared with delayed administration, the administration of epinephrine within 10 minutes showed an increased survival rate (OR 2.03; 95% IC 1.77-2.32; I2=0%). administration of epinephrine appears to increase the rate of ROSC, but when compared with other therapies, no positive effect was found on survival rates of patients with favorable neurological status. avaliar a efetividade da adrenalina na parada cardíaca e seu efeito na sobrevivência e no estado neurológico. revisão sistemática da literatura científica com meta-análise utilizando um modelo de efeitos aleatórios. Revisão em Medline, Embase e Cochrane, desde 2005 até 2015 de ensaios clínicos e estudos observacionais. observou-se aumento nas taxas de retorno de circulação espontânea com a administração de adrenalina (OR 2,02; 95% IC 1,49-2,75; I2=95%) comparadas com a não administração de adrenalina. A meta-análise mostrou um aumento da sobrevivência na alta ou depois de 30 dias da administração de adrenalina (OR 1,23; 95% IC 1,05-1,44; I2=83%). Quando estratificados por ritmos desfibrilháveis e não desfibrilh

Does transition from the da Vinci Si to Xi robotic platform impact single-docking technique for robot-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy?

PubMed

Patel, Manish N; Aboumohamed, Ahmed; Hemal, Ashok

2015-12-01

To describe our robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RNU) technique for benign indications and RNU with en bloc excision of bladder cuff (BCE) and lymphadenectomy (LND) for malignant indications using the da Vinci Si and da Vinci Xi robotic platform, with its pros and cons. The port placement described for Si can be used for standard and S robotic systems. This is the first report in the literature on the use of the da Vinci Xi robotic platform for RNU. After a substantial experience of RNU using different da Vinci robots from the standard to the Si platform in a single-docking fashion for benign and malignant conditions, we started using the newly released da Vinci Xi robot since 2014. The most important differences are in port placement and effective use of the features of da Vinci Xi robot while performing simultaneous upper and lower tract surgery. Patient positioning, port placement, step-by-step technique of single docking RNU-LND-BCE using the da Vinci Si and da Vinci Xi robot are shown in an accompanying video with the goal that centres using either robotic system benefit from the hints and tips. The first segment of video describes RNU-LND-BCE using the da Vinci Si followed by the da Vinci Xi to highlight differences. There was no need for patient repositioning or robot re-docking with the new da Vinci Xi robotic platform. We have experience of using different robotic systems for single docking RNU in 70 cases for benign (15) and malignant (55) conditions. The da Vinci Xi robotic platform helps operating room personnel in its easy movement, allows easier patient side-docking with the help of its boom feature, in addition to easy and swift movements of the robotic arms. The patient clearance feature can be used to avoid collision with the robotic arms or the patient's body. In patients with challenging body habitus and in situations where bladder cuff management is difficult, modifications can be made through reassigning the camera to a different port with

Anti-inflammatory effect of garlic 14-kDa protein on LPS-stimulated-J774A.1 macrophages.

PubMed

Rabe, Shahrzad Zamani Taghizadeh; Ghazanfari, Tooba; Siadat, Zahra; Rastin, Maryam; Rabe, Shahin Zamani Taghizadeh; Mahmoudi, Mahmoud

2015-04-01

Garlic 14-kDa protein is purified from garlic (Allium sativum L.) which is used in traditional medicine and exerts various immunomodulatory activities. The present study investigated the suppressive effect of garlic 14-kDa protein on LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and underlying mechanism in inflammatory macrophages. J774A.1 macrophages were treated with 14-kDa protein (5-30 μg/ml) with/without LPS (1 μg/ml) and the production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), TNF-α, and IL-1β released were measured using ELISA. Nitric oxide (NO) production was determined using the Griess method. The anti-inflammatory activity of 14-kDa protein was examined by measuring inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins using western blot. The expression of nuclear NF-κB p65 subunit was assessed by western blot. Garlic 14-kDa protein significantly inhibited the excessive production of NO, PGE, TNF-α, and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated J774A.1 macrophages in a concentration-related manner without cytotoxic effect. Western blot analysis demonstrated that garlic 14-kDa protein suppressed corresponding inducible NO synthase expression and activated cyclooxygenase-2 protein expression. The inhibitory effect was mediated partly by a reduction in the activity and expression of transcription factor NF-κB protein. Our results suggested, for the first time, garlic 14-kDa protein exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in macrophages possibly by suppressing the inflammatory mediators via the inhibition of transcription factor NF-κB signaling pathway. The traditional use of garlic as anti-inflammatory remedy could be ascribed partly to 14-kDa protein content. This protein might be a useful candidate for controlling inflammatory diseases and further investigations in vivo.

Selective increase of in vivo firing frequencies in DA SN neurons after proteasome inhibition in the ventral midbrain.

PubMed

Subramaniam, Mahalakshmi; Kern, Beatrice; Vogel, Simone; Klose, Verena; Schneider, Gaby; Roeper, Jochen

2014-09-01

The impairment of protein degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is present in sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD), and might play a key role in selective degeneration of vulnerable dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN). Further evidence for a causal role of dysfunctional UPS in familial PD comes from mutations in parkin, which results in a loss of function of an E3-ubiquitin-ligase. In a mouse model, genetic inactivation of an essential component of the 26S proteasome lead to widespread neuronal degeneration including DA midbrain neurons and the formation of alpha-synuclein-positive inclusion bodies, another hallmark of PD. Studies using pharmacological UPS inhibition in vivo had more mixed results, varying from extensive degeneration to no loss of DA SN neurons. However, it is currently unknown whether UPS impairment will affect the neurophysiological functions of DA midbrain neurons. To answer this question, we infused a selective proteasome inhibitor into the ventral midbrain in vivo and recorded single DA midbrain neurons 2 weeks after the proteasome challenge. We found a selective increase in the mean in vivo firing frequencies of identified DA SN neurons in anesthetized mice, while those in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) were unaffected. Our results demonstrate that a single-hit UPS inhibition is sufficient to induce a stable and selective hyperexcitability phenotype in surviving DA SN neurons in vivo. This might imply that UPS dysfunction sensitizes DA SN neurons by enhancing 'stressful pacemaking'. © 2014 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

DaVinci's Mona Lisa entering the next dimension.

PubMed

Carbon, Claus-Christian; Hesslinger, Vera M

2013-01-01

For several of Leonardo da Vinci's paintings, such as The Virgin and Child with St Anne or the Mona Lisa, there exist copies produced by his own studio. In case of the Mona Lisa, a quite exceptional, rediscovered studio copy was presented to the public in 2012 by the Prado Museum in Madrid. Not only does it mirror its famous counterpart superficially; it also features the very same corrections to the lower layers, which indicates that da Vinci and the 'copyist' must have elaborated their panels simultaneously. On the basis of subjective (thirty-two participants estimated painter-model constellations) as well as objective data (analysis of trajectories between landmarks of both paintings), we revealed that both versions differ slightly in perspective. We reconstructed the original studio setting and found evidence that the disparity between both paintings mimics human binocular disparity. This points to the possibility that the two Giocondas together might represent the first stereoscopic image in world history.

A Proposal to Build Evaluation Capacity at the Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Partnership Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Jean A.

2005-01-01

The author describes potential evaluation capacity-building activities in contrast to the specifics of an evaluation design. Her response to the case of the Bunche-Da Vinci Learning Partnership Academy is developed in three parts: (1) an initial framing of the Bunche-Da Vinci situation; (2) what should be done before signing a contract; and (3)…

32 CFR Appendix E to Part 623 - Surety Bond (DA Form 4881-3-R)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Surety Bond (DA Form 4881-3-R) E Appendix E to Part 623 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT LOAN OF ARMY MATERIEL Pt. 623, App. E Appendix E to Part 623—Surety Bond (DA Form 4881-3-R...

Estimation of Posterior Probabilities Using Multivariate Smoothing Splines and Generalized Cross-Validation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

Ciencia y Tecnologia -Mexico, by ONR under Contract No. N00014-77-C-0675, and by ARO under Contract No. DAAG29-80-K-0042. LUJ THE VIE~W, rTIJ. ’~v ’’~c...Department of Statis- tics. For financial support I thank the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia - Mexico, and the Department of Statistics of the

How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caouette, Ralph

2008-01-01

To be effective and relevant in twenty-first-century learning, art needs to be more inclusive. In this article, the author discusses how teachers can find a good example in Leonardo da Vinci for building an art program. His art, design, and curiosity are the perfect foundation for any art program, at any level. (Contains 3 resources and 3 online…

Robotic resections in hepatobiliary oncology - initial experience with Xi da Vinci system in India.

PubMed

Chandarana, M; Patkar, S; Tamhankar, A; Garg, S; Bhandare, M; Goel, M

2017-01-01

Minimal invasive surgery has proven its advantages over open surgeries in the perioperative period. Food and Drug Administration approved da Vinci robot in 2000. The latest version, da Vinci Xi system has a mobile tower-based robot with several modifications to improve the functionality, versatility, and operative ease. None of the centers have reported exclusively on hepatobiliary oncology using the da Vinci Xi system. We report our initial experience. To study the feasibility, advantages, and discuss the operative technique of da Vinci Xi system in hepatobiliary oncology. Data were analyzed retrospectively from a prospectively maintained database from June 2015 to October 2016. Twenty-five patients with suspected or proven hepatobiliary malignancies were operated. Total robotic technique using da Vinci Xi system was used. Demographic details and perioperative outcomes were noted. Of the 25 surgeries, 14 patients had a suspected gallbladder malignancy, 11 patients had primary or metastatic liver tumor. Median age was 53 years. The average duration of surgery was 225 min with a median blood loss 150 ml. The median postoperative stay was 4 days. The median nodal yield for radical cholecystectomy was seven. Five patients required conversion. Two of these developed postoperative morbidity. Robotic surgery for hepatobiliary oncology is feasible and can be performed safely in experienced hands. Increasing experience in this field may equal or even prove advantageous over conventional or laparoscopic approach in future. A cautious approach with judicious patient selection is the key to establishing robotic surgery as a standard surgical approach.

Efficacy of DA-9701 (Motilitone) in Functional Dyspepsia Compared to Pantoprazole: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Non-inferiority Study.

PubMed

Jung, Hye-Kyung; Lee, Kwang Jae; Choi, Myung-Gyu; Park, Hyojin; Lee, Joon Seong; Rhee, Poong-Lyul; Kim, Nayoung; Park, KyungSik; Choi, Suck Chei; Lee, Oh Young; Huh, Kyu Chan; Song, Geun Am; Hong, Su Jin; Sohn, Chong Il; Jung, Hwoon-Yong; Lee, Yong Chan; Rew, Jong Sun; Jee, Sam Ryong; Kwon, Joong Goo

2016-04-30

The effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in Asian functional dyspepsia (FD) patients has not been well established as in Westerncountries. DA-9701, a novel prokinetic agent, stimulates gastric emptying and modulates visceral hypersensitivity in vivo and in human studies. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of DA-9701 with a conventional PPI in mono or combination therapy in patients with FD. In this double-blind, randomized, non-inferiority trial, 389 patients diagnosed with FD using Rome III criteria were allocated among3 groups: 30-mg DA-9701 t.i.d (means 3 times a day), 40-mg pantoprazole, and 30-mg DA-9701 t.i.d + 40-mg pantoprazole. Theprimary efficacy end-point was a global assessment of the patient binary response or response on a 5-Likert scale after 4 weeks. The global symptomatic improvement was 60.5% in the DA-9701 group, 65.6% in the pantoprazole group, and 63.5% in the DA-9701 + pantoprazole group using a 5-Likert scale at week 4 with no significant difference among 3 groups (P = 0.685). Symptomimprovement measured by binary outcome was significantly achieved in each of the 3 groups, but not different among groups.Patients in all treatment groups reported significant improvement in the response rate and symptoms according to FD subtypes anddyspepsia-related quality of life (P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences among the 3 groups. DA-9701 improves global and individual symptoms and increases dyspepsia-specific quality of life in patients with FD. The efficacyof DA-9701 monotherapy is comparable with pantoprazole and there is no additive effect with combination of DA-9701 andpantoprazole in patients with FD.

Integration Of PanDA Workload Management System With Supercomputers for ATLAS and Data Intensive Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klimentov, A.; De, K.; Jha, S.; Maeno, T.; Nilsson, P.; Oleynik, D.; Panitkin, S.; Wells, J.; Wenaus, T.

2016-10-01

The.LHC, operating at CERN, is leading Big Data driven scientific explorations. Experiments at the LHC explore the fundamental nature of matter and the basic forces that shape our universe. ATLAS, one of the largest collaborations ever assembled in the sciences, is at the forefront of research at the LHC. To address an unprecedented multi-petabyte data processing challenge, the ATLAS experiment is relying on a heterogeneous distributed computational infrastructure. The ATLAS experiment uses PanDA (Production and Data Analysis) Workload Management System for managing the workflow for all data processing on over 150 data centers. Through PanDA, ATLAS physicists see a single computing facility that enables rapid scientific breakthroughs for the experiment, even though the data centers are physically scattered all over the world. While PanDA currently uses more than 250,000 cores with a peak performance of 0.3 petaFLOPS, LHC data taking runs require more resources than grid can possibly provide. To alleviate these challenges, LHC experiments are engaged in an ambitious program to expand the current computing model to include additional resources such as the opportunistic use of supercomputers. We will describe a project aimed at integration of PanDA WMS with supercomputers in United States, in particular with Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. Current approach utilizes modified PanDA pilot framework for job submission to the supercomputers batch queues and local data management, with light-weight MPI wrappers to run single threaded workloads in parallel on LCFs multi-core worker nodes. This implementation was tested with a variety of Monte-Carlo workloads on several supercomputing platforms for ALICE and ATLAS experiments and it is in full pro duction for the ATLAS since September 2015. We will present our current accomplishments with running PanDA at supercomputers and demonstrate our ability to use PanDA as a portal independent of the

Long-term evolution of 1991 DA: A dynamically evolved extinct Halley-type comet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahn, Gerhard; Bailey, M. E.

1992-01-01

The long-term dynamical evolution of 21 variational orbits for the intermediate-period asteroid 1991 DA was followed for up to +/-10(exp 5) years from the present. 1991 DA is close to the 2:7 resonance with Jupiter; it has avoided close encounters, within 1 AU, with this planet for at least the past 30,000 years, even at the node crossing. The future evolution typically shows no close encounters with Jupiter within at least 50,000 years. This corresponds to the mean time between node crossings with either Jupiter or Saturn. Close encounters with Saturn and Jupiter lead to a chaotic evolution for the whole ensemble, while secular perturbations cause large-amplitude swings in eccentricity and inclination (the latter covering the range 15 deg approximately less than i approximately less than 85 deg) which correlate with deep excursions of the perihelion distance to values much less than 1 AU. These variations are similar to those found in P/Machholz and a variety of other high-inclination orbits, e.g., P/Hartley-IRAS. We emphasize the connection between the orbital evolution of 1991 DA and that of Halley-type comets. If 1991 DA was once a comet, it is not surprising that it is now extinct.

Cloning and sequencing of a gene encoding the 69-kDa extracellular chitinase of Janthinobacterium lividum.

PubMed

Gleave, A P; Taylor, R K; Morris, B A; Greenwood, D R

1995-09-15

Janthinobacterium lividum secretes a major 56-kDa chitinase and a minor 69-kDa chitinase. A chitinase gene was defined on a 3-kb fragment of clone pRKT10, by virtue of fluorescent colonies in the presence of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-N,N',N"-chitotrioside. Nucleotide sequencing revealed an 1998-bp open reading frame with the potential to encode a 69,716-Da protein with amino acid sequences similar to those in other chitinases, suggesting it encodes the minor chitinase (Chi69). Chitinase activity of Escherichia coli (pRKT10) lysates was detected mainly in the periplasmic fraction and immunoblotting detected a 70-kDa protein in this fraction. Chi69 has an N-terminal secretory leader peptide preceding two probable chitin-binding domains and a catalytic domain. These functional domains are separated by linker regions of proline-threonine repeats. Amino acid sequencing of cyanogen bromide cleavage-derived peptides from the major 56-kDa chitinase suggested that Chi69 may be a precursor of Chi56. In addition, an N-terminally truncated version of Chi69 retained chitinase activity as expected if in vivo processing of Chi69 generates Chi56.

Battle of the bots: a comparison of the standard da Vinci and the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator in surgical skills acquisition.

PubMed

Brown, Kevin; Mosley, Natalie; Tierney, James

2017-06-01

Virtual reality simulators are increasingly used to gain robotic surgical skills. This study compared use of the da Vinci Surgical Skills Simulator (dVSSS) to the standard da Vinci (SdV) robot for skills acquisition in a prospective randomized study. Residents from urology, gynecology, and general surgery programs performed three virtual reality tasks (thread the ring, ring rail, and tubes) on the dvSSS. Participants were then randomized to one of the two study groups (dVSSS and SdV). Each participant then practiced on either the dVSSS or the SdV (depending on randomization) for 30 min per week over a 4-week time period. The dVSSS arm was not permitted to practice ring rail (due to no similar practice scenario available for the SdV group). Following 4 weeks of practice, participants performed the same three virtual reality tasks and the results were recorded and compared to baseline. Overall and percent improvement were recorded for all participants from pre-test to post-test. Two-way ANOVA analyses were used to compare the dVSSS and SdV groups and three tasks. Initially, 30 participants were identified and enrolled in the study. Randomization resulted in 15 participants in each arm. During the course of the study, four participants were unable to complete all tasks and practice sessions and were, therefore, excluded. This resulted in a total of 26 participants (15 in the dVSSS group and 11 in the SdV group) who completed the study. Overall total improvement score was found to be 23.23 and 23.48 for the SdV and dVSSS groups, respectively (p = 0.9245). The percent improvement was 60 and 47 % for the SdV and dVSSS groups respectively, which was a statistically significant difference between the two groups and three tasks. Practicing on the standard da Vinci is comparable to practicing on the da Vinci simulator for acquiring robotic surgical skills. In spite of several potential advantages, the dVSSS arm performed no better than the SdV arm in the final

A PICTORIAL PRESENTATION OF ESOPHAGEAL HIGH RESOLUTION MANOMETRY CURRENT PARAMETERS.

PubMed

Lafraia, Fernanda M; Herbella, Fernando A M; Kalluf, Julia R; Patti, Marco G

2017-01-01

High resolution manometry is the current technology used to the study of esophageal motility and is replacing conventional manometry in important centers for esophageal motility with parameters used on esophageal motility, following the Chicago Classification. This classification unifies high resolution manometry interpretation and classifies esophageal disorders. This review shows, in a pictorial presentation, the new parameters established by the Chicago Classification, version 3.0, aimed to allow an easy comprehension and interpretation of high resolution manometry. Esophageal manometries performed by the authors were reviewed to select illustrative tracings representing Chicago Classification parameters. The parameters are: Esophagogastric Morphology, that classifies this junction according to its physiology and anatomy; Integrated Relaxation Pressure, that measures the lower esophageal sphincter relaxation; Distal Contractile Integral, that evaluates the contraction vigor of each wave; and, Distal Latency, that measures the peristalsis velocity from the beginning of the swallow to the epiphrenic ampulla. Clinical applications of these new concepts is still under evaluation. Mostrar, de forma pictórica, os novos parâmetros compilados na versão 3.0 da Classificação de Chicago, buscando facilitar a compreensão e interpretação da manometria de alta resolução. Foram revistas as manometrias da casuística dos autores e selecionados os traçados representativos dos parâmetros da Classificação de Chicago. Entre os parâmetros apresentados foram considerados a Morfologia da Transição Gastroesofágica, que classifica o segmento de acordo com sua fisiologia e anatomia; a Integral da Pressão de Relaxamento, que mede o relaxamento do esfíncter esofagiano inferior; a Integral Contrátil Distal, que avalia o vigor contrátil da onda peristáltica; e, a Latência Distal, que mede o tempo da peristalse, desde o início da deglutição até a ampola epifr

Effects of DA-6034, a flavonoid derivative, on mucin-like glycoprotein and ocular surface integrity in a rabbit model.

PubMed

Choi, Seul Min; Seo, Mi Jeong; Lee, Yeong Geon; Lee, Min Jung; Jeon, Hyung Jun; Kang, Kyung Koo; Ahn, Byoung Ok; Yoo, Moohi

2009-01-01

This study was designed to assess whether DA-6034 (7-carboxymethyloxy-3',4',5-trimethoxy flavone monohydrate), a new synthetic derivative of eupatilin, increases secretion of mucin-like glycoprotein and some mucins species in conjunctiva and cornea, and contributes to the preservation of ocular surface integrity. Human conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells were incubated with DA-6034 (1-250 microM). To investigate mucin secreting activity more directly, isolated rat conjunctival goblet cells were also used. Corneal protection was investigated using a desiccation-induced rabbit model of dry eye syndrome. It was found that DA-6034 increased mucin-like glycoprotein levels of both conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells at concentrations above 100 microM. Using human conjunctival epithelial cells, it was demonstrated that treatment with DA-6034 (200 microM) significantly increased production of some mucins species including MUC1, MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC16. DA-6034 also significantly increased MUC5AC production from conjunctival goblet cells isolated from rats. In the rabbit desiccation model, an ophthalmic suspension containing 3% DA-6034 significantly reduced corneal damage induced by desiccation. These results suggest that DA-6034 is a good candidate for treatment of dry eye through maintaining ocular surface integrity, which might be related to mucin secretion.

Vinpocetine and α-tocopherol prevent the increase in DA and oxidative stress induced by 3-NPA in striatum isolated nerve endings.

PubMed

Herrera-Mundo, Nieves; Sitges, María

2013-01-01

Vinpocetine is a neuroprotective drug that exerts beneficial effects on neurological symptoms and cerebrovascular disease. 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) is a toxin that irreversibly inhibits succinate dehydrogenase, the mitochondrial enzyme that acts in the electron transport chain at complex II. In previous studies in striatum-isolated nerve endings (synaptosomes), we found that vinpocetine decreased dopamine (DA) at expense of its main metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and that 3-NPA increased DA, reactive oxygen species (ROS), DA-quinone products formation, and decreased DOPAC. Therefore, in this study, the possible effect of vinpocetine on 3-NPA-induced increase in DA, ROS, lipid peroxidation, and DA-quinone products formation in striatum synaptosomes were investigated, and compared with the effects of the antioxidant α-tocopherol. Results show that the increase in DA induced by 3-NPA was inhibited by both 25 μM vinpocetine and 50 μM α-tocopherol. Vinpocetine, as α-tocopherol, also inhibited 3-NPA-induced increase in ROS (as judged by DCF fluorescence), lipid peroxidation (as judged by TBA-RS formation), and DA-quinone products formation (as judged by the nitroblue tetrazolium reduction method). As in addition to the inhibition of complex II exerted by 3-NPA, 3-NPA increases DA-oxidation products that in turn can inhibit other sites of the respiratory chain, the drop in DA produced by vinpocetine and α-tocopherol may importantly contribute to their protective action from oxidative damage, particularly in DA-rich structures. © 2012 The Authors Journal of Neurochemistry © 2012 International Society for Neurochemistry.

P2X1 Receptor-Mediated Ca2+ Influx Triggered by DA-9801 Potentiates Nerve Growth Factor-Induced Neurite Outgrowth.

PubMed

Back, Moon Jung; Lee, Hae Kyung; Lee, Joo Hyun; Fu, Zhicheng; Son, Mi Won; Choi, Sang Zin; Go, Hyo Sang; Yoo, Sungjae; Hwang, Sun Wook; Kim, Dae Kyong

2016-11-16

Nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced neuronal regeneration has emerged as a strategy to treat neuronal degeneration-associated disorders. However, direct NGF administration is limited by the occurrence of adverse effects at high doses of NGF. Therefore, development of a therapeutic strategy to promote the NGF trophic effect is required. In view of the lack of understanding of the mechanism for potentiating the NGF effect, this study investigated molecular targets of DA-9801, a well-standardized Dioscorea rhizome extract, which has a promoting effect on NGF. An increase in intracellular calcium ion level was induced by DA-9801, and chelation of extracellular calcium ions with ethylene-bis(oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EGTA) suppressed the potentiating effect of DA-9801 on NGF-induced neurite outgrowth. In addition, EGTA treatment reduced the DA-9801-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), the major mediators of neurite outgrowth. To find which calcium ion-permeable channel contributes to the calcium ion influx induced by DA-9801, we treated PC12 cells with various inhibitors of calcium ion-permeable channels. NF449, a P2X1 receptor selective antagonist, significantly abolished the potentiating effect of DA-9801 on NGF-induced neurite outgrowth and abrogated the DA-9801-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. In addition, transfection with siRNA of P2X1 receptor significantly reduced the DA-9801-enhanced neurite outgrowth. In conclusion, calcium ion influx through P2X1 receptor mediated the promoting effect of DA-9801 on NGF-induced neurite outgrowth via ERK1/2 phosphorylation.

Whole-Genome Sequences of DA and F344 Rats with Different Susceptibilities to Arthritis, Autoimmunity, Inflammation and Cancer

PubMed Central

Guo, Xiaosen; Brenner, Max; Zhang, Xuemei; Laragione, Teresina; Tai, Shuaishuai; Li, Yanhong; Bu, Junjie; Yin, Ye; Shah, Anish A.; Kwan, Kevin; Li, Yingrui; Jun, Wang; Gulko, Pércio S.

2013-01-01

DA (D-blood group of Palm and Agouti, also known as Dark Agouti) and F344 (Fischer) are two inbred rat strains with differences in several phenotypes, including susceptibility to autoimmune disease models and inflammatory responses. While these strains have been extensively studied, little information is available about the DA and F344 genomes, as only the Brown Norway (BN) and spontaneously hypertensive rat strains have been sequenced to date. Here we report the sequencing of the DA and F344 genomes using next-generation Illumina paired-end read technology and the first de novo assembly of a rat genome. DA and F344 were sequenced with an average depth of 32-fold, covered 98.9% of the BN reference genome, and included 97.97% of known rat ESTs. New sequences could be assigned to 59 million positions with previously unknown data in the BN reference genome. Differences between DA, F344, and BN included 19 million positions in novel scaffolds, 4.09 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (including 1.37 million new SNPs), 458,224 short insertions and deletions, and 58,174 structural variants. Genetic differences between DA, F344, and BN, including high-impact SNPs and short insertions and deletions affecting >2500 genes, are likely to account for most of the phenotypic variation between these strains. The new DA and F344 genome sequencing data should facilitate gene discovery efforts in rat models of human disease. PMID:23695301

Whole-genome sequences of DA and F344 rats with different susceptibilities to arthritis, autoimmunity, inflammation and cancer.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaosen; Brenner, Max; Zhang, Xuemei; Laragione, Teresina; Tai, Shuaishuai; Li, Yanhong; Bu, Junjie; Yin, Ye; Shah, Anish A; Kwan, Kevin; Li, Yingrui; Jun, Wang; Gulko, Pércio S

2013-08-01

DA (D-blood group of Palm and Agouti, also known as Dark Agouti) and F344 (Fischer) are two inbred rat strains with differences in several phenotypes, including susceptibility to autoimmune disease models and inflammatory responses. While these strains have been extensively studied, little information is available about the DA and F344 genomes, as only the Brown Norway (BN) and spontaneously hypertensive rat strains have been sequenced to date. Here we report the sequencing of the DA and F344 genomes using next-generation Illumina paired-end read technology and the first de novo assembly of a rat genome. DA and F344 were sequenced with an average depth of 32-fold, covered 98.9% of the BN reference genome, and included 97.97% of known rat ESTs. New sequences could be assigned to 59 million positions with previously unknown data in the BN reference genome. Differences between DA, F344, and BN included 19 million positions in novel scaffolds, 4.09 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (including 1.37 million new SNPs), 458,224 short insertions and deletions, and 58,174 structural variants. Genetic differences between DA, F344, and BN, including high-impact SNPs and short insertions and deletions affecting >2500 genes, are likely to account for most of the phenotypic variation between these strains. The new DA and F344 genome sequencing data should facilitate gene discovery efforts in rat models of human disease.

New Members in the Galaxy Group Around Giant Radio Galaxy DA 240

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ru-Rong; Peng, Bo; Strom, Richard

2018-05-01

With new spectroscopic observations of group candidates around the giant radio galaxy DA 240, we have identified five new group members, increasing the number to twenty-five. While all the new members are located some distance from the host galaxy, two of them lie in one of the radio lobes, and the rest are found at a distance from the radio components. The new group members reinforce our earlier conclusion that the distribution of the DA 240 group with respect to the radio lobes is unusual among giant radio galaxy host environments.

Wave Attenuation on Muddy Bottoms - A Multidisciplinary Field Study Offshore Cassino Beach, Southern Brazil

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-30

Rio de Janeiro Ocean Engineering Program / COPPE CP 68508 - Centro de Tecnologia - C203 21945-970 Rio de Janeiro , Brazil Phone/fax...NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Federal University of Rio de Janeiro ,Ocean Engineering Program / COPPE, CP 68508 - Centro de Tecnologia - C203,21945-970 Rio ...activities of the project: From Brazilian Institutions: 1- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) / Laboratory for

Evolution of robots throughout history from Hephaestus to Da Vinci Robot.

PubMed

Iavazzo, Christos; Gkegke, Xanthi-Ekaterini D; Iavazzo, Paraskevi-Evangelia; Gkegkes, Ioannis D

2014-01-01

Da Vinci robot is increasingly used for operations adding the advantages of robots to the favor of medicine. This is a historical article with the aim to present the evolution of robots in the medical area from the time of ancient myths to Renaissance and finally to the current revolutionary applications. We endeavored to collect several elegant narratives on the topic. The use of imagination could help the reader to find similarities. A trip from the Greek myths of Hephaestus through Aristotle and Leonardo Da Vinci to the robots of Karel Capek and Isaac Asimov and finally the invention of the medical robots is presented.

CONFERENCE NOTE: CETO—Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Opticas, Trends in Optical Fibre Metrology and Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-01-01

requirements of the new generation of analogue and digital fibre optical systems, which require sophisticated measurement techniques employing complex instruments unique to optical measurements. The school will foster and enhance the interaction between material, devices, systems, and standards-oriented R&D communities, as well as between engineers concerned with design and manufacturers of systems and instrumentation. Topics Review of optical fibre communication technology and systems Measurement techniques for fibre characterization: Reliability and traceability Reference fibres and calibration artefacts Ribbon fibres Mechanical and environmental testing Fibre reliability Polarimetric measurements Passive components characterization: Splices and connectors Couplers, splitters, taps and WDMs Optical fibres and isolators WDM technologies and applications: WDM technologies Tunable optical filters Fibre amplifiers and sources: Performances and characterization Design and standards Nonlinear effects Subsystem design and standards: Design and fabrication techniques Performance degradation and reliability Evaluation of costs/performance/technology Sensors IR - optical fibres Plastic fibres Instrumentation Registration Participation free of charge for postgraduate students, with some grants available for travel and lodging expenses. All correspondence should be addressed to: Secretariat, Trends in Optical Fibre Metrology and Standards, a/c Prof. Olivério D D Soares, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Opticas, Lab. Fisica - Faculdade de Ciências, Praça Gomes Teixeira, P-4000 Porto, Portugal. Tel: 351-2-310290, 351-2-2001648; Fax: 351-2-319267.

An endogenous 55 kDa TNF receptor mediates cell death in a neural cell line.

PubMed

Sipe, K J; Srisawasdi, D; Dantzer, R; Kelley, K W; Weyhenmeyer, J A

1996-06-01

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is associated with developmental and injury-related events in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we have examined the role of TNF on neurons using the clonal murine neuroblastoma line, N1E-115 (N1E). N1E cells represent a well-defined model for studying neuronal development since they can be maintained as either undifferentiated, mitotically active neuroblasts or as differentiated, mature neurons. Northern and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses revealed that both undifferentiated and differentiated N1Es express transcripts for the 55 kDa TNF receptor (TNFR), but not the 75 kDa TNFR. The biological activity of the expressed TNF receptor was demonstrated by a dose dependent cytotoxicity to either recombinant murine or human TNF when the cells were incubated with the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D. The lack of the 75 kDa receptor mRNA expression and the dose dependent response to rHuTNF, an agonist specific for the murine 55 kDa receptor, suggest that the TNF induced cytotoxicity is mediated through the 55 kDa receptor in both the undifferentiated and differentiated N1Es. Light microscopic observations, flow cytometric analysis of hypodiploid DNA, and electrophoretic analysis of nucleosomal DNA fragmentation of N1Es treated with actinomycin D and TNF revealed features characteristic of both necrotic and apoptotic cell death. These findings demonstrate that blast and mature N1E cells express the 55 kDa TNF receptor which is responsible for inducing both necrotic and apoptotic death in these cells. The observation that actinomycin D renders N1E cells susceptible to the cytotoxic effects of TNF indicates that a sensitization step, such as removal of an endogenous protective factor or viral-mediated inhibition of transcription, may be necessary for TNF cytotoxicity in neurons.

Extraction of Features from High-resolution 3D LiDaR Point-cloud Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keller, P.; Kreylos, O.; Hamann, B.; Kellogg, L. H.; Cowgill, E. S.; Yikilmaz, M. B.; Hering-Bertram, M.; Hagen, H.

2008-12-01

Airborne and tripod-based LiDaR scans are capable of producing new insight into geologic features by providing high-quality 3D measurements of the landscape. High-resolution LiDaR is a promising method for studying slip on faults, erosion, and other landscape-altering processes. LiDaR scans can produce up to several billion individual point returns associated with the reflection of a laser from natural and engineered surfaces; these point clouds are typically used to derive a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM). Currently, there exist only few methods that can support the analysis of the data at full resolution and in the natural 3D perspective in which it was collected by working directly with the points. We are developing new algorithms for extracting features from LiDaR scans, and present method for determining the local curvature of a LiDaR data set, working directly with the individual point returns of a scan. Computing the curvature enables us to rapidly and automatically identify key features such as ridge-lines, stream beds, and edges of terraces. We fit polynomial surface patches via a moving least squares (MLS) approach to local point neighborhoods, determining curvature values for each point. The size of the local point neighborhood is defined by a user. Since both terrestrial and airborne LiDaR scans suffer from high noise, we apply additional pre- and post-processing smoothing steps to eliminate unwanted features. LiDaR data also captures objects like buildings and trees complicating greatly the task of extracting reliable curvature values. Hence, we use a stochastic approach to determine whether a point can be reliably used to estimate curvature or not. Additionally, we have developed a graph-based approach to establish connectivities among points that correspond to regions of high curvature. The result is an explicit description of ridge-lines, for example. We have applied our method to the raw point cloud data collected as part of the Geo

Modifications of transaxillary approach in endoscopic da Vinci-assisted thyroid and parathyroid gland surgery.

PubMed

Al Kadah, Basel; Piccoli, Micaela; Mullineris, Barbara; Colli, Giovanni; Janssen, Martin; Siemer, Stephan; Schick, Bernhard

2015-03-01

Endoscopic surgery for treatment of thyroid and parathyroid pathologies is increasingly gaining attention. The da Vinci system has already been widely used in different fields of medicine and quite recently in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Herein, we report about modifications of the transaxillary approach in endoscopic surgery of thyroid and parathyroid gland pathologies using the da Vinci system. 16 patients suffering from struma nodosa in 14 cases and parathyroid adenomas in two cases were treated using the da Vinci system at the ENT Department of Homburg/Saar University and in cooperation with the Department of General Surgery in New Sant'Agostino Hospital, Modena/Italy. Two different retractors, endoscopic preparation of the access and three different incision modalities were used. The endoscopic preparation of the access allowed us to have a better view during preparation and reduced surgical time compared to the use of a headlamp. To introduce the da Vinci instruments at the end of the access preparation, the skin incisions were over the axilla with one incision in eight patients, two incisions in four patients and three incisions in a further four patients. The two and three skin incisions modality allowed introduction of the da Vinci instruments without arm conflicts. The use of a new retractor (Modena retractor) compared to a self-developed retractor made it easier during the endoscopic preparation of the access and the reposition of the retractor. The scar was hidden in the axilla and independent of the incisions selected, the cosmetic findings were judged by the patients to be excellent. The neurovascular structures such as inferior laryngeal nerve, superior laryngeal nerve and vessels, as well as the different pathologies, were clearly 3D visualized in all 16 cases. No paralysis of the vocal cord was observed. All patients had a benign pathology in their histological examination. The endoscopic surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid gland can be

The DA antagonist tiapride impairs context-related extinction learning in a novel context without affecting renewal

PubMed Central

Lissek, Silke; Glaubitz, Benjamin; Wolf, Oliver T.; Tegenthoff, Martin

2015-01-01

Renewal describes the recovery of an extinguished response if recall is tested in a context different from the extinction context. Behavioral studies demonstrated that attention to relevant context strengthens renewal. Neurotransmitters mediating attention and learning such as the dopaminergic (DA) system presumably modulate extinction learning and renewal. However, the role of DA for non-fear-based extinction learning and renewal in humans has not yet been investigated. This fMRI study investigated effects of DA-antagonism upon context-related extinction in a predictive learning task in which extinction occurred either in a novel (ABA) or an unchanged (AAA) context. The tiapride-treated group (TIA) showed significantly impaired ABA extinction learning and a significant within-group difference between ABA and AAA extinction, compared to placebo (PLAC). Groups did not differ in their level of ABA renewal. In ABA extinction, TIA showed reduced activation in dlPFC and OFC, hippocampus, and temporal regions. Across groups, activation in PFC and hippocampus correlated negatively with ABA extinction errors. Results suggest that in context-related extinction learning DA in PFC and hippocampus is involved in readjusting the cue-outcome relationship in the presence of a novel context. However, relating context to the appropriate association during recall does not appear to rely exclusively on DA signaling. PMID:26388752

DA+ data acquisition and analysis software at the Swiss Light Source macromolecular crystallography beamlines.

PubMed

Wojdyla, Justyna Aleksandra; Kaminski, Jakub W; Panepucci, Ezequiel; Ebner, Simon; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Gabadinho, Jose; Wang, Meitian

2018-01-01

Data acquisition software is an essential component of modern macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines, enabling efficient use of beam time at synchrotron facilities. Developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute, the DA+ data acquisition software is implemented at all three Swiss Light Source (SLS) MX beamlines. DA+ consists of distributed services and components written in Python and Java, which communicate via messaging and streaming technologies. The major components of DA+ are the user interface, acquisition engine, online processing and database. Immediate data quality feedback is achieved with distributed automatic data analysis routines. The software architecture enables exploration of the full potential of the latest instrumentation at the SLS MX beamlines, such as the SmarGon goniometer and the EIGER X 16M detector, and development of new data collection methods.

DA+ data acquisition and analysis software at the Swiss Light Source macromolecular crystallography beamlines

PubMed Central

Wojdyla, Justyna Aleksandra; Kaminski, Jakub W.; Ebner, Simon; Wang, Xiaoqiang; Gabadinho, Jose; Wang, Meitian

2018-01-01

Data acquisition software is an essential component of modern macromolecular crystallography (MX) beamlines, enabling efficient use of beam time at synchrotron facilities. Developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute, the DA+ data acquisition software is implemented at all three Swiss Light Source (SLS) MX beamlines. DA+ consists of distributed services and components written in Python and Java, which communicate via messaging and streaming technologies. The major components of DA+ are the user interface, acquisition engine, online processing and database. Immediate data quality feedback is achieved with distributed automatic data analysis routines. The software architecture enables exploration of the full potential of the latest instrumentation at the SLS MX beamlines, such as the SmarGon goniometer and the EIGER X 16M detector, and development of new data collection methods. PMID:29271779

Thorascopic resection of an apical paraspinal schwannoma using the da Vinci surgical system.

PubMed

Finley, David; Sherman, Jonathan H; Avila, Edward; Bilsky, Mark

2014-01-01

Posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumors have traditionally been resected via an open posterolateral thoracotomy. Video-assisted thorascopic surgery has emerged as an alternative technique allowing for improved morbidity with decreased blood loss, less postoperative pain, and a shorter recovery period, among others. The da Vinci surgical system, as first described for urologic procedures, has recently been reported for lung lobectomy. This technique provides the advantages of instrumentation with 6 degrees of freedom, stable operating arms, and improved visualization with the three-dimensional high-definition camera. We describe the technique for thorascopic resection of an apical paraspinal schwannoma of the T1 nerve root with the da Vinci surgical system. This technique used a specialized intraoperative neuromonitoring probe for free-running electromyography (EMG) and triggered EMG. We demonstrate successful resection of a posterior paraspinal schwannoma with the da Vinci surgical system while preserving neurologic function. The patient displayed stable intraoperative monitoring of the T1 nerve root and full intrinsic hand strength postoperatively. The technique described in this article introduces robotic system accuracy and precludes the need for an open thoracotomy. In addition, this approach demonstrates the ability of the da Vinci surgical system to safely dissect tumors from their neural attachments and is applicable to other such lesions of similar size and location. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Trattamento della dipendenza da alcol. Alcol e giovani: punto di vista sociale].

PubMed

Alessandrini, Giovanni; Ciccarelli, Rosaria; Battagliese, Gemma; Lombardo, Giuseppe; De Rosa, Francesca; Messina, Marisa Patrizia; Vitali, Mario; Pisciotta, Fabiola; Nanut, Miriana; Attilia, Maria Luisa; Ceccanti, Mauro

2018-01-01

RIASSUNTO. Gli adolescenti rappresentano la fascia di età più vulnerabile ai danni causati dall'abuso di alcol, in quanto iniziare a bere in giovane età è associato a un aumento del rischio di dipendenza da alcolici in età adulta. I giovani tendono a bere grandi quantità di alcolici al fine di ricercare forti emozioni e nel tentativo di raggiungere il divertimento a ogni costo, tramite le proprietà psicotrope degli alcolici. Le cause che li inducono ad assumere questi comportamenti sono da ricercare nella non conoscenza degli effetti dannosi dell'alcol, nel rito di convivialità sociale (evenienza per la quale si attribuisce all'alcol la funzione di facilitatore dell'aggregazione tra giovani), nella mancanza di interessi personali, nella scarsità dei controlli e nelle abitudini familiari. Le azioni da intraprendere per limitare o arrestare il consumo nocivo di alcol nei giovani si devono basare su interventi finalizzati a ritardare l'età del primo contatto con le bevande alcoliche, mediante la realizzazione di campagne educazionali rivolte ai giovani stessi, ai loro familiari e alla società intera.

Combined Application of UHPLC-QTOF/MS, HPLC-ELSD and 1 H-NMR Spectroscopy for Quality Assessment of DA-9801, A Standardised Dioscorea Extract.

PubMed

Kang, Kyo Bin; Ryu, Jayoung; Cho, Youngwoong; Choi, Sang-Zin; Son, Miwon; Sung, Sang Hyun

2017-05-01

DA-9801, a standardised 50% aqueous ethanolic extract of a mixture of Dioscorea japonica and D. nipponica, is a botanical drug candidate for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, which finished its US phase II clinical trials recently. An advanced quality control method is needed for further development of DA-9801, considering its high contents of both primary and secondary metabolites. Development of a quality assessment strategy for DA-9801, based on the combination of UHPLC-QTOF/MS, HPLC-ELSD, and 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. The method was developed and tested with 15 batch products of DA-9801. The steroidal saponins of DA-9801 were tentatively identified by UHPLC-QTOF/MS and were quantified with the validated HPLC-ELSD method. Primary metabolites of DA-9801 were identified and profiled using 1 H-NMR spectrometry. The batch-to-batch equivalence of DA-9801 was tested with the 1 H-NMR spectra using spectral binning, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis. Six major saponins of DA-9801 were tentatively identified by UHPLC-QTOF/MS. Among them, protodioscin and dioscin were quantified by the validated HPLC-ELSD method. Twenty-six metabolites were identified in 1 H-NMR spectra. The similarity between DA-9801 batches could be evaluated with the NMR spectra of DA-9801. The 1 H-NMR method also revealed that two Dioscorea species contributed distinct amino acids to the contents of DA-9801. This study validates the effectiveness of UHPLC-QTOF/MS, HPLC-ELSD, and 1 H NMR-combined method for quality control of DA-9801 and its crude materials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nuclear 82-kDa choline acetyltransferase decreases amyloidogenic APP metabolism in neurons from APP/PS1 transgenic mice.

PubMed

Albers, Shawn; Inthathirath, Fatima; Gill, Sandeep K; Winick-Ng, Warren; Jaworski, Ewa; Wong, Daisy Y L; Gros, Robert; Rylett, R Jane

2014-09-01

Alzheimer disease (AD) is associated with increased amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to β-amyloid peptides (Aβ), cholinergic neuron loss with decreased choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, and cognitive dysfunction. Both 69-kDa ChAT and 82-kDa ChAT are expressed in cholinergic neurons in human brain and spinal cord with 82-kDa ChAT localized predominantly to neuronal nuclei, suggesting potential alternative functional roles for the enzyme. By gene microarray analysis, we found that 82-kDa ChAT-expressing IMR32 neural cells have altered expression of genes involved in diverse cellular functions. Importantly, genes for several proteins that regulate APP processing along amyloidogenic and non-amyloidogenic pathways are differentially expressed in 82-kDa ChAT-containing cells. The predicted net effect based on observed changes in expression patterns of these genes would be decreased amyloidogenic APP processing with decreased Aβ production. This functional outcome was verified experimentally as a significant decrease in BACE1 protein levels and activity and a concomitant reduction in the release of endogenous Aβ1-42 from neurons cultured from brains of AD-model APP/PS1 transgenic mice. The expression of 82-kDa ChAT in neurons increased levels of GGA3, which is involved in trafficking BACE1 to lysosomes for degradation. shRNA-induced decreases in GGA3 protein levels attenuated the 82-kDa ChAT-mediated decreases in BACE1 protein and activity and Aβ1-42 release. Evidence that 82-kDa ChAT can enhance GGA3 gene expression is shown by enhanced GGA3 gene promoter activity in SN56 neural cells expressing this ChAT protein. These studies indicate a novel relationship between cholinergic neurons and APP processing, with 82-kDa ChAT acting as a negative regulator of Aβ production. This decreased formation of Aβ could result in protection for cholinergic neurons, as well as protection of other cells in the vicinity that are sensitive to

Analyzing the relation between the microbial diversity of DaQu and the turbidity spoilage of traditional Chinese vinegar.

PubMed

Li, Pan; Li, Sha; Cheng, Lili; Luo, Lixin

2014-07-01

Vinegar is a traditional fermented condiment, and the microbial diversity of DaQu makes the quality of vinegar products. Recently, turbidity spoilage of vinegar sharply tampered with the quality of vinegar. In this study, the relation between the microbial diversity of DaQu and turbidity spoilage of vinegar was analyzed by plating technique, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The 16S rRNA sequencing and DGGE analysis indicated that Bacillus (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus thuringiensis) and Lactobacillus (including Lactobacillus acidipiscis and Lactobacillus pobuzihii) species were the dominant contaminants in vinegar products. Meanwhile, DGGE analysis showed that the dominant bacteria in DaQu belonged to genera Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas, Weissella, Saccharopolyspora, Enterobacter, and Pantoea. However, only two yeast species (Pichia kudriavzevii and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera) and seven mold species including Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus candidus, Rhizopus microspores, Eurotium herbariorum, Absidia corymbifera, and Eupenicillium javanicum were detected in the DaQu. The population level of fungi was below 5 log CFU/g in DaQu. The chemical and physical properties of vinegar and sediments were also determined. On the basis of a combined microbial diversity-chemical analysis, we demonstrated that turbidity spoilage of vinegar was a result of cooperation among the low population level and abundance of fungal species in DaQu, the suitable climate conditions, and the contaminants in vinegar. This is the first report to analyze the relation between the microbial diversity of DaQu and turbidity spoilage of vinegar.

Da Vinci robot-assisted anatomic left hemihepatectomy and biliary reconstruction.

PubMed

Wang, Zhifei; Liu, Quanda; Chen, Junzhou; Duan, Weihong; Zhou, Ningxin

2013-06-01

Since the introduction of Da Vinci robotic surgery, more and more complicated surgeries can now be performed robotically, yet there have been very few on robotic hepatectomy, especially when billiary reconstruction is involved. The video shows our initial experience with an anatomic hepatectomy using Da Vinci surgical robot. In this case, we also conducted billiary reconstruction due to the anatomic abnormality of bile duct, while applying the choledochoscopy. The preoperative diagnosis is primary liver carcinoma, tumor thrombi in bile duct, and hepatitis B. First, the gallbladder was resected, and cystic artery and duct were identified. After opening of the common bile duct above the junction, the choledochoscopy was performed. Tumor thrombi were found in common bile duct and left hepatic duct, and they were all removed. Left branches hepatic artery and portal vein were dissected, ligated, and divided. Thrombi in the left hepatic duct were removed also. After marking the cutting line along the ischemic boarder, liver parenchyma was transected using robotic harmonic scalpel. Branches of ducts were encountered and managed by either direct coagulating or dividing after clipping. The left hepatic vein was visualized, exposed, and divided during hepatectomy. Two T tubes were placed into common hepatic duct and the proximal cutting end of right anterior bile duct which was found to join the left hepatic duct, respectively. The operation went on successfully. The operation time was 410 minutes, the blood loss was 200 mL. The pathologic diagnosis was introductal papillary adenocarcinoma of left hepatic duct. The patient went on well postoperatively and was followed up for 22 months till now. Postoperative computed tomography examination showed no recurrence. Da Vinci-assisted robotic hepatectomy can be performed safely in the hands of experienced hepatobilliary surgeons, and choledochoscopy can be combined for bile duct exploration. With the advantages of Da Vinci robot

PanDA for ATLAS distributed computing in the next decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreiro Megino, F. H.; De, K.; Klimentov, A.; Maeno, T.; Nilsson, P.; Oleynik, D.; Padolski, S.; Panitkin, S.; Wenaus, T.; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The Production and Distributed Analysis (PanDA) system has been developed to meet ATLAS production and analysis requirements for a data-driven workload management system capable of operating at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data processing scale. Heterogeneous resources used by the ATLAS experiment are distributed worldwide at hundreds of sites, thousands of physicists analyse the data remotely, the volume of processed data is beyond the exabyte scale, dozens of scientific applications are supported, while data processing requires more than a few billion hours of computing usage per year. PanDA performed very well over the last decade including the LHC Run 1 data taking period. However, it was decided to upgrade the whole system concurrently with the LHC’s first long shutdown in order to cope with rapidly changing computing infrastructure. After two years of reengineering efforts, PanDA has embedded capabilities for fully dynamic and flexible workload management. The static batch job paradigm was discarded in favor of a more automated and scalable model. Workloads are dynamically tailored for optimal usage of resources, with the brokerage taking network traffic and forecasts into account. Computing resources are partitioned based on dynamic knowledge of their status and characteristics. The pilot has been re-factored around a plugin structure for easier development and deployment. Bookkeeping is handled with both coarse and fine granularities for efficient utilization of pledged or opportunistic resources. An in-house security mechanism authenticates the pilot and data management services in off-grid environments such as volunteer computing and private local clusters. The PanDA monitor has been extensively optimized for performance and extended with analytics to provide aggregated summaries of the system as well as drill-down to operational details. There are as well many other challenges planned or recently implemented, and adoption by non-LHC experiments such

The influence of ancient Greek thought on fifteenth century anatomy: Galenic influence and Leonardo da Vinci.

PubMed

Tubbs, Richard Isaiah; Gonzales, Jocelyn; Iwanaga, Joe; Loukas, Marios; Oskouian, Rod J; Tubbs, R Shane

2018-06-01

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) can be called one of the earliest contributors to the history of anatomy and, by extension, the study of medicine. He may have even overshadowed Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564), the so-called founder of human anatomy, if his works had been published within his lifetime. While some of the best illustrations of their time, with our modern knowledge of anatomy, it is clear that many of da Vinci's depictions of human anatomy are inaccurate. However, he also made significant discoveries in anatomy and remarkable predictions of facts he could not yet discover with the technology available to him. Additionally, da Vinci was largely influenced by Greek anatomists, as indicated from his ideas about anatomical structure. In this historical review, we describe da Vinci's history, influences, and discoveries in anatomical research and his depictions and errors with regards to the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, nervous system, and other organs.

Observações no infravermelho médio de objetos estelares jovens em NGC 3576

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa, C.; Damineli, A.; Blum, R.; Conti, P.

2003-08-01

Apresentamos os resultados de observações no infravermelho médio de candidatos a objetos estelares jovens e massivos em NGC 3576. As imagens de alta resolução foram obtidas no observatório Gemini Sul com o uso dos filtros em 10,8, 7,9, 9,8, 12,5 e 18,2 mm. Nossas imagens mostram a fonte IRS 1 resolvida em 4 objetos pela primeira vez em 10 mm. Para cada objeto obtivemos a distribuição espectral de energia de 1.2 até 18 mm, bem como a temperatura de cor, a distribuição espacial e a profundidade óptica em 9,8 mm da poeira circunstelar. Apresentamos uma estimativa das massas dos objetos estudados, baseados na luminosidade emitida no infravermelho médio, bem como um modelo para explicar as diferentes características observadas de cada objeto. Finalmente discutimos a possível localização da(s) fonte(s) de ionização de NGC 3576.

STRESS AND FAILURE ANALYSIS OF RAPIDLY ROTATING ASTEROID (29075) 1950 DA

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

Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Scheeres, Daniel J., E-mail: masatoshi.hirabayashi@colorado.edu

Rozitis et al. recently reported that near-Earth asteroid (29075) 1950 DA, whose bulk density ranges from 1.0 g cm{sup –3} to 2.4 g cm{sup –3}, is a rubble pile and requires a cohesive strength of at least 44-76 Pa to keep from failing due to its fast spin period. Since their technique for giving failure conditions required the averaged stress over the whole volume, it discarded information about the asteroid's failure mode and internal stress condition. This paper develops a finite element model and revisits the stress and failure analysis of 1950 DA. For the modeling, we do not consider material hardening andmore » softening. Under the assumption of an associated flow rule and uniform material distribution, we identify the deformation process of 1950 DA when its constant cohesion reaches the lowest value that keeps its current shape. The results show that to avoid structural failure the internal core requires a cohesive strength of at least 75-85 Pa. It suggests that for the failure mode of this body, the internal core first fails structurally, followed by the surface region. This implies that if cohesion is constant over the whole volume, the equatorial ridge of 1950 DA results from a material flow going outward along the equatorial plane in the internal core, but not from a landslide as has been hypothesized. This has additional implications for the likely density of the interior of the body.« less

The Potential da Vinci in All of Us

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petto, Sarah; Petto, Andrew

2009-01-01

The study of the human form is fundamental to both science and art curricula. For vertebrates, perhaps no feature is more important than the skeleton to determine observable form and function. As Leonard da Vinci's famous Proportions of the Human Figure (Virtruvian Man) illustrates, the size, shape, and proportions of the human body are defined by…

Astronomia Motivadora no Ensino Fundamental

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, J.; Voelzke, M. R.

2008-09-01

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é procurar desenvolver o interesse dos alunos pelas ciências através da Astronomia. Uma pesquisa com perguntas sobre Astronomia foi realizada junto a 161 alunos do Ensino Fundamental, com o intuito de descobrir conhecimentos prévios dos alunos sobre o assunto. Constatou-se, por exemplo, que 29,3% da 6ª série responderam corretamente o que é eclipse, 30,0% da 8ª série acertaram o que a Astronomia estuda, enquanto 42,3% dos alunos da 5ª série souberam definir o Sol. Pretende-se ampliar as turmas participantes e trabalhar, principalmente de forma prática com: dimensões e escalas no Sistema Solar, construção de luneta, questões como dia e noite, estações do ano e eclipses. Busca-se abordar, também, outros conteúdos de Física tais como a óptica na construção da luneta, e a mecânica no trabalho com escalas e medidas, e ao utilizar uma luminária para representar o Sol na questão do eclipse, e de outras disciplinas como a Matemática na transformação de unidades, regras de três; Artes na modelagem ou desenho dos planetas; a própria História com relação à busca pela origem do universo, e a Informática que possibilita a busca mais rápida por informações, além de permitir simulações e visualizações de imagens importantes. Acredita-se que a Astronomia é importante no processo ensino aprendizagem, pois permite a discussão de temas curiosos como, por exemplo, a origem do universo, viagens espaciais a existência ou não de vida em outros planetas, além de temas atuais como as novas tecnologias.

Pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of tetrahydropalmatine and tetrahydroberberine after oral administration of DA-9701, a new botanical gastroprokinetic agent, in rats.

PubMed

Jung, Ji Won; Kwon, Yong Sam; Jeong, Jin Seok; Son, Miwon; Kang, Hee Eun

2015-01-01

DA-9701, a new botanical gastroprokinetic agent, has potential for the management of delayed gastric emptying in Parkinson's disease if it has no central anti-dopaminergic activity. Therefore, we examined the pharmacokinetics of DA-9701 components having dopamine D2 receptor antagonizing activity, tetrahydropalmatine (THP) and tetrahydroberberine (THB), following various oral doses (80-328 mg/kg) of DA-9701. The distribution of THP and THB to the brain and/or other tissues was also evaluated after single or multiple oral administrations of DA-9701. Oral administration of DA-9701 yielded dose-proportional area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-8 h) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) values for THP and THB, indicating linear pharmacokinetics (except for THB at the lowest dose). THP and THB's large tissue-to-plasma concentration ratios indicated considerable tissue distribution. High concentrations of THP and THB in the stomach and small intestine suggest an explanation for DA-9701's potent gastroprokinetic activity. The maximum concentrations of THP and THB in brain following multiple oral DA-9701 for 7 d (150 mg/kg/d) was observed at 30 min after the last oral DA-9701 treatment: 131±67.7 ng/g for THP and 6.97±4.03 ng/g for THB. Although both THP and THB pass through the blood-brain barrier, as indicated by brain-to-plasma concentration ratios greater than unity (approximately 2-4), oral administration of DA-9701 at the effective dose in humans is not expected to lead to sufficient brain concentrations to exert central dopamine D2 receptor antagonism.

78 FR 24191 - Combined Notice of Filings #1

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-24

.... Applicants: Alta Wind X, LLC, Alta Wind XI, LLC, Alta Windpower Development, LLC. Description: Application... Alta Wind X, LLC, et al. Filed Date: 4/15/13. Accession Number: 20130415-5207. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET.... Applicants: Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc. Description: 04-15-2013 SA 2455 DEGS Wind...

The aqueous phase of Alzheimer's disease brain contains assemblies built from ∼4 and ∼7 kDa Aβ species.

PubMed

Mc Donald, Jessica M; O'Malley, Tiernan T; Liu, Wen; Mably, Alexandra J; Brinkmalm, Gunnar; Portelius, Erik; Wittbold, William M; Frosch, Matthew P; Walsh, Dominic M

2015-11-01

Much knowledge about amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation and toxicity has been acquired using synthetic peptides and mouse models, whereas less is known about soluble Aβ in human brain. We analyzed aqueous extracts from multiple AD brains using an array of techniques. Brains can contain at least four different Aβ assembly forms including: (i) monomers, (ii) a ∼7 kDa Aβ species, and larger species (iii) from ∼30-150 kDa, and (iv) >160 kDa. High molecular weight species are by far the most prevalent and appear to be built from ∼7 kDa Aβ species. The ∼7 kDa Aβ species resist denaturation by chaotropic agents and have a higher Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio than monomers, and are unreactive with antibodies to Asp1 of Ab or APP residues N-terminal of Asp1. Further analysis of brain-derived ∼7 kDa Aβ species, the mechanism by which they assemble and the structures they form should reveal therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities. Copyright © 2015 The Alzheimer's Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Settings, Pros and Cons of the New Surgical Robot da Vinci Xi System for Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS): A Comparison With the Popular da Vinci Si System.

PubMed

Kim, Da Hee; Kim, Hwan; Kwak, Sanghyun; Baek, Kwangha; Na, Gina; Kim, Ji Hoon; Kim, Se Heon

2016-10-01

The da Vinci system (da Vinci Surgical System; Intuitive Surgical Inc.) has rapidly developed in several years from the S system to the Si system and now the Xi System. To investigate the surgical feasibility and to provide workflow guidance for the newly released system, we used the new da Vinci Xi system for transoral robotic surgery (TORS) on a cadaveric specimen. Bilateral supraglottic partial laryngectomy, hypopharyngectomy, lateral oropharyngectomy, and base of the tongue resection were serially performed in search of the optimal procedures with the new system. The new surgical robotic system has been upgraded in all respects. The telescope and camera were incorporated into one system, with a digital end-mounted camera. Overhead boom rotation allows multiquadrant access without axis limitation, the arms are now thinner and longer with grabbing movements for easy adjustments. The patient clearance button dramatically reduces external collisions. The new surgical robotic system has been optimized for improved anatomic access, with better-equipped appurtenances. This cadaveric study of TORS offers guidance on the best protocol for surgical workflow with the new Xi system leading to improvements in the functional results of TORS.

[The virtual environment of a research group: the tutors' perspective].

PubMed

Prado, Cláudia; Casteli, Christiane Pereira Martins; Lopes, Tania Oliveira; Kobayashi, Rika M; Peres, Heloísa Helena Ciqueto; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

2012-02-01

The Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas de Tecnologia da Informação nos Processos de Trabalho em Enfermagem (Study and Research Group for Information Technology in the Nursing Working Processes, GEPETE) has the purpose of producing and socializing knowledge in information technology and health and nursing communication, making associations with research groups in this field and promoting student participation. This study was performed by the group tutors with the objective to report on the development of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and the tutors' experience as mediators of a research group using the Moodle platform. To do this, a VLE was developed and pedagogical mediation was performed following the theme of mentoring. An initial diagnosis was made of the difficulties in using this technology in interaction and communication, which permitted the proposal of continuing to use the platform as a resource to support research activities, offer lead researchers the mechanisms to socialize projects and offer the possibility of giving advice at a distance.

32 CFR Appendix F to Part 623 - Power of Attorney (DA Form 4881-4-R)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Power of Attorney (DA Form 4881-4-R) F Appendix F to Part 623 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT LOAN OF ARMY MATERIEL Pt. 623, App. F Appendix F to Part 623—Power of Attorney (DA Form 4881-4-R...

40 CFR 60.45Da - Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO). 60.45Da Section 60.45Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for...

40 CFR 60.45Da - Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO). 60.45Da Section 60.45Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for...

40 CFR 60.45Da - Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 7 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Alternative standards for combined nitrogen oxides (NOX) and carbon monoxide (CO). 60.45Da Section 60.45Da Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for...

Trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso: relato de dois casos tratados com rivaroxabana e revisão da literatura

PubMed Central

de Araujo, Walter Junior Boim; Timi, Jorge Rufino Ribas; Erzinger, Fabiano Luiz; Caron, Filipe Carlos

2016-01-01

Resumo Define-se trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso como a propagação do trombo a partir de uma veia superficial em direção a uma veia mais profunda. Em geral, é considerada clinicamente insignificante quando não há propagação do trombo para o sistema venoso profundo. Essa condição pode ser tratada com terapia anticoagulante, embora a observação pareça ser suficiente, principalmente para graus menores. Neste estudo, relatamos dois casos de trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso que teriam indicação de heparina de baixo peso molecular até a resolução do quadro. Porém, optou-se pelo uso da rivaroxabana (15 mg de 12 em 12h), com resolução completa do trombo em 4 semanas (caso 1) e em 7 dias (caso 2). A rivaroxabana pode ser uma alternativa promissora no tratamento da trombose induzida pelo calor endovenoso avançada, pela simplicidade da posologia, sem comprometimento da eficácia ou da segurança. São necessários estudos prospectivos, randomizados e controlados que possibilitem melhor entendimento da condição e o desenvolvimento de recomendações mais definitivas sobre opções de prevenção e tratamento.

THERMAL FATIGUE OF INCONEL ALLOY DA718

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-27

this material meets the required improvement and offers a low cost alternative to powder metallurgy Rene’95. However, its thermal fatigue resistance ...remains to be fully clarified. Its nominal chemical composition is shown in Table B-1. In the fully heat treated condition, DA718 consists of a γ...chromel-alumel thermocouple , spot-welded to the mid-length of the specimen. The thermal strain, induced by the expansion and contraction of the

Microstructure design of titanate-based electroceramics =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, Luis Miguel de Almeida

Electrocerâmicos sao uma classe de materiais avancados com propriedades electricas valiosas para aplicacoes. Estas propriedades sao geralmente muito dependentes da microestrutura dos materiais. Portanto, o objectivo geral deste trabalho e investigar o desenho da resposta dielectrica de filmes espessos obtidos por Deposicao Electroforetica (EPD) e cerâmicos monoliticos, atraves do controlo da evolucao da microestrutura durante a sinterizacao de electrocerâmicos a base de titanatos. Aplicacoes sem fios na industria microelectronica e de comunicacoes, em rapido crescimento, tornaram-se um importante mercado para os fabricantes de semicondutores. Devido a constante necessidade de miniaturizacao, reducao de custos e maior funcionalidade e integracao, a tecnologia de filmes espessos esta a tornar-se uma abordagem de processamento de materiais funcionais cada vez mais importante. Uma tecnica adequada neste contexto e EPD. Os filmes espessos resultantes necessitam de um passo subsequente de sinterizacao que e afectada pelo substrato subjacente, tendo este um forte efeito sobre a evolucao da microestrutura. Relacionado com a miniaturizacao e a discriminacao do sinal, materiais dielectricos usados como componentes operando a frequencias das microondas em aplicacoes na industria microelectronica de comunicacoes devem apresentar baixas perdas dielectricas e elevadas permitividade dielectrica e estabilidade com a temperatura. Materiais do sistema BaO-Ln2O3- TiO2 (BLnT: Ln = La ou Nd), como BaLa4Ti4O15 (BLT) e Ba4.5Nd9Ti18O54 (BNT), cumprem esses requisitos e sao interessantes para aplicacoes, por exemplo, em estacoes de base para comunicacoes moveis ou em ressonadores para telefones moveis, onde a miniaturizacao dos dispositivos e muito importante. Por sua vez, o titanato de estroncio (SrTiO3, STO) e um ferroelectrico incipiente com constante dielectrica elevada e baixas perdas, que encontra aplicacao em, por exemplo, condensadores de camada interna, tirando partido de

Nitrergic Pathway Is the Major Mechanism for the Effect of DA-9701 on the Rat Gastric Fundus Relaxation.

PubMed

Min, Yang Won; Ko, Eun-Ju; Lee, Ji Yeon; Min, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Jun Haeng; Kim, Jae J; Rhee, Poong-Lyul

2014-07-31

DA-9701 significantly improved gastric accommodation by increasing the postprandial gastric volume. In this study, we investigated how DA-9701 affects the rat gastric fundus relaxation. Gastric fundus muscle strips (9 longitudinal and 7 circular muscles) were obtained from rats. Electrical field stimulation (EFS) was performed at various frequencies (1, 5, 10 and 20 Hz) and train durations (1, 5, 10 and 20 seconds) to select optimal condition for experiments. Isometric force measurements were performed in response to EFS. Peak and nadir were observed during the first 1 minute after initiation of EFS in control state and after sequential addition of atropine (1 μM), DA-9701 (0.5, 5, 25 and 50 μg), N-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 100 μM), MRS2500 (1 μM) and tetrodotoxin (TTX, 1 μM) to the organ bath. The optimal frequency and duration of EFS to evoke nerve-mediated relaxation was determined as 5 Hz for 10 seconds. Addition of L-NNA in the presence of atropine and DA-9701 (50 μg) decreased nadir by inhibiting relaxation from -0.054 ± 0.021 g to -0.022 ± 0.015 g (P = 0.026) in longitudinal muscles. However, subsequent application of MRS2500 in the presence of atropine, DA-9701 (50 μg) and L-NNA did not affect nadir. In circular muscles, subsequent addition of L-NNA and MRS2500 in the presence of atropine and DA-9701 (50 μg) did not show significant change of nadir. Our data suggest that the effect of DA-9701 on the rat gastric fundus relaxation is mainly mediated by nitrergic rather than purinergic pathway.

Novas determinações dos parâmetros atmosféricos das estrelas anãs brancas DA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovannini, O.; Costa, A. F. M.; Kepler, S. O.

2003-08-01

Nós temos selecionado uma amostra de estrelas anãs brancas DA (atmosfera de hidrogênio) a partir dos índices de Strömgren cujos valores estão próximos a região de instabilidade das estrelas anãs brancas DA variáveis, as chamadas estrelas DAV ou ZZ Ceti. O objetivo é determinar os parâmetros fundamentais (temperatura efetiva, Teff, aceleração da gravidade, log g, e massa) destas estrelas para verificar quais os parâmetros estelares estão envolvidos com o mecanismo de pulsação das estrelas DAV. Nós obtemos, até agora, mais de 120 espectros óticos de estrelas DA. Entre as estrelas selecionadas há 20 estrelas variáveis (DAV). Assim, podemos verificar se existem ou não estrelas não variáveis dentro da faixa de instabilidade das estrelas ZZ Ceti. Neste trabalho nós apresentamos a determinação dos parâmetros atmosféricos (temperatura efetiva, Teff, e aceleração da gravidade, log g) das estrelas anãs brancas DA usando os novos modelos de atmosfera ML2/a = 0.6. Estes modelos têm sido utilizados recentemente por fornecerem uma excelente consistência interna na determinação das temperaturas nas regiões do ultra-violeta e ótico. Os parâmetros atmosféricos são determinados espectroscopicamente através da comparação do fluxo de energia das linhas de Balmer (Hb à H9) entre os espectros observados e sintéticos (gerados pelos modelos de atmosfera). As temperaturas obtidas com os novos modelos são, em geral, menores (~ 1000 K menos) que as temperaturas determinadas anteriormente, com modelos ML1. Os valores de log g não mudaram significativamente (menos de 10%). A faixa de instabilidade das DAVs está entre 11000 e 13000 K, consistente com dados de outros autores.

Training and Health. Leonardo da Vinci Series: Good Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

This document profiles programs in the fields of health and medicine that are offered through the European Commission's Leonardo da Vinci program. The following programs are profiled: (1) CYTOTRAIN (a transnational vocational training program in cervical cancer screening); (2) Apollo (a program of open and distance learning for paramedical…

Common commercial cosmetic products induce arthritis in the DA rat.

PubMed Central

Sverdrup, B; Klareskog, L; Kleinau, S

1998-01-01

Many different agents, including mineral oil and silicone, have the capacity to act as immunological adjuvants, i.e., they can contribute to the activation of the immune system. Some adjuvants, including mineral oil, are known to induce arthritis in certain strains of rats after intradermal injection or percutaneous application. The aim of this study was to determine if common commercial cosmetic products containing mineral oil could induce arthritis in the highly susceptible DA (Dark Agouti) rat. Intradermal injection of five out of eight assayed cosmetic products without further additives resulted in arthritis with synovitis. One of the products induced a very aggressive arthritis, which had declined after 5-9 weeks. When this product was also assayed for arthritogenicity upon percutaneous administration, it induced a mild and transient arthritis in 5 out of 10 DA rats, whereas control animals showed no clinical signs of joint involvement. No arthritic reaction was seen in rats after peroral feeding with the most arthritogenic product or by intravaginal application of Freund's adjuvants. Silicone gel implants in DA rats did not cause arthritis. We conclude that mineral oils included in common commercially available products retain their adjuvant properties and are arthritogenic in the presently investigated arthritis-prone rat strain. There is yet no evidence that mineral oils present in cosmetics may contribute to arthritis in humans, but we suggest that this question should be subject to further investigation. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 PMID:9417771

Expression, purification, and characterization of a bifunctional 99-kDa peptidoglycan hydrolase from Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042.

PubMed

García-Cano, Israel; Campos-Gómez, Manuel; Contreras-Cruz, Mariana; Serrano-Maldonado, Carlos Eduardo; González-Canto, Augusto; Peña-Montes, Carolina; Rodríguez-Sanoja, Romina; Sánchez, Sergio; Farrés, Amelia

2015-10-01

Pediococcus acidilactici ATCC 8042 is a lactic acid bacteria that inhibits pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus through the production of two proteins with lytic activity, one of 110 kDa and the other of 99 kDa. The 99-kDa one has high homology to a putative peptidoglycan hydrolase (PGH) enzyme reported in the genome of P. acidilactici 7_4, where two different lytic domains have been identified but not characterized. The aim of this work was the biochemical characterization of the recombinant enzyme of 99 kDa. The enzyme was cloned and expressed successfully and retains its activity against Micrococcus lysodeikticus. It has a higher N-acetylglucosaminidase activity, but the N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase can also be detected spectrophotometrically. The protein was then purified using gel filtration chromatography. Antibacterial activity showed an optimal pH of 6.0 and was stable between 5.0 and 7.0. The optimal temperature for activity was 60 °C, and all activity was lost after 1 h of incubation at 70 °C. The number of strains susceptible to the recombinant 99-kDa enzyme was lower than that susceptible to the mixture of the 110- and 99-kDa PGHs of P. acidilactici, a result that suggests synergy between these two enzymes. This is the first PGH from LAB that has been shown to possess two lytic sites. The results of this study will aid in the design of new antibacterial agents from natural origin that can combat foodborne disease and improve hygienic practices in the industrial sector.

Operative technique and early experience for robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (RALNU) using da Vinci Xi.

PubMed

Darwiche, Fadi; Swain, Sanjaya; Kallingal, George; Punnen, Sanoj; Manoharan, Murugesan; Parekh, Dipen J; Gonzalgo, Mark L

2015-01-01

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (RALNU) has been previously utilized for management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma. The da Vinci Xi surgical system was released in April of 2014. We describe our operative technique and early experience for RALNU using the da Vinci Xi system highlighting unique features of this surgical platform. A total of 10 patients with a diagnosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma underwent RALNU using the da Vinci Xi system between April and November of 2014. A novel, oblique "in line" robotic trocar configuration was utilized to access the upper abdomen (nephrectomy portion) and pelvis (bladder cuff excision) without undocking. The port hopping feature of da Vinci Xi was utilized to facilitate optimal, multi-quadrant visualization during RALNU. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy was successfully completed without open conversion in all 10 patients. Mean operative time was 184 min (range 140-300 min), mean estimated blood loss was 121 cc (range 60-300 cc), and mean hospital stay was 2.4 days. Final pathology demonstrated high grade urothelial carcinoma in all patients. Surgical margins were negative in all patients. No intra-operative complications were encountered. One patient developed a pulmonary embolus after being discharged. No patients required a blood transfusion. Mean patient follow-up was 130 days (range 15-210 days). The use of da Vinci Xi with a novel, oblique "in line" port configuration and camera port hopping technique allows for an efficient and reproducible method for RALNU without the need for repositioning the patient or the robot during surgery.

Carboxyl methylation of 21-23 kDa membrane proteins in intact neuroblastoma cells is increased with differentiation.

PubMed

Haklai, R; Kloog, Y

1990-01-01

Evidence is presented for specific enzymatic methylation of 21-23 kDa membrane proteins in intact neuroblastoma N1E 115 cells, which is increased in dimethylsulfoxide-induced differentiated cells. Methylation of these proteins has characteristics typical of enzymatic reactions in which base labile volatile methyl groups are incorporated into proteins, consistent with the formation of protein carboxyl methylesters. However, these methylesters of the 21-23 kDa proteins are relatively stable compared to other protein carboxyl methylesters. The 3-fold increase in methylated 21-23 kDa proteins in the differentiated cells suggest biological significance in differentiation of the cell membranes.

Pharmacokinetics of chlorogenic acid and corydaline in DA-9701, a new botanical gastroprokinetic agent, in rats.

PubMed

Jung, Ji Won; Kim, Ju Myung; Jeong, Jin Seok; Son, Miwon; Lee, Hye Suk; Lee, Myung Gull; Kang, Hee Eun

2014-07-01

1.Few studies describing the pharmacokinetic properties of chlorogenic acid (CA) and corydaline (CRD) which are marker compounds of a new prokinetic botanical agent, DA-9701, have been reported. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties CA and CRD following intravenous and oral administration of pure CA (1-8 mg/kg) or CRD (1.1-4.5 mg/kg) and their equivalent dose of DA-9701 to rats. 2.  Dose-proportional AUC and dose-independent clearance (10.3-12.1 ml/min/kg) of CA were observed following its administration. Oral administration of CA as DA-9701 did not influence the oral pharmacokinetic parameters of CA. Incomplete absorption of CA, its decomposition in the gastrointestinal tract, and/or pre-systemic metabolism resulted in extremely low oral bioavailability (F) of CA (0.478-0.899%). 3.  CRD showed greater dose-normalized AUC in the higher dose group than that in lower dose group(s) after its administration due to saturation of its metabolism via decreased non-renal clearance (by 51.3%) and first-pass extraction. As a result, the F of CRD following 4.5 mg/kg oral CRD (21.1%) was considerably greater than those of the lower dose groups (9.10 and 13.8%). However, oral administration of CRD as DA-9701 showed linear pharmacokinetics as a result of increased AUC and F in lower-dose groups (by 182% and 78.5%, respectively) compared to those of pure CRD. The greater oral AUC of CRD for DA-9701 than for pure CRD could be due to decreased hepatic and/or GI first-pass extraction of CRD by other components in DA-9701.

RISING FROM THE ASHES: MID-INFRARED RE-BRIGHTENING OF THE IMPOSTOR SN 2010da IN NGC 300

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

Lau, Ryan M.; Ressler, Michael E.; Kasliwal, Mansi M.

2016-10-20

We present multi-epoch mid-infrared (IR) photometry and the optical discovery observations of the “impostor” supernova (SN) 2010da in NGC 300 using new and archival Spitzer Space Telescope images and ground-based observatories. The mid-infrared counterpart of SN 2010da was detected as Spitzer Infrared Intensive Transient Survey (SPIRITS) 14bme in the SPIRITS, an ongoing systematic search for IR transients. Before erupting on 2010 May 24, the SN 2010da progenitor exhibited a constant mid-IR flux at 3.6 and only a slight ∼10% decrease at 4.5 μ m between 2003 November and 2007 December. A sharp increase in the 3.6 μ m flux followedmore » by a rapid decrease measured ∼150 days before and ∼80 days after the initial outburst, respectively, reveal a mid-IR counterpart to the coincident optical and high luminosity X-ray outbursts. At late times, after the outburst (∼2000 days), the 3.6 and 4.5 μ m emission increased to over a factor of two times the progenitor flux and is currently observed (as of 2016 Feb) to be fading, but still above the progenitor flux. We attribute the re-brightening mid-IR emission to continued dust production and increasing luminosity of the surviving system associated with SN 2010da. We analyze the evolution of the dust temperature ( T {sub d} ∼ 700–1000 K), mass ( M {sub d} ∼ 0.5–3.8 × 10{sup −7} M {sub ⊙}), luminosity ( L {sub IR} ∼ 1.3–3.5 × 10{sup 4} L {sub ⊙}), and the equilibrium temperature radius ( R {sub eq} ∼ 6.4–12.2 au) in order to resolve the nature of SN 2010da. We address the leading interpretation of SN 2010da as an eruption from a luminous blue variable high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) system. We propose that SN 2010da is instead a supergiant (sg)B[e]-HMXB based on similar luminosities and dust masses exhibited by two other known sgB[e]-HMXB systems. Additionally, the SN 2010da progenitor occupies a similar region on a mid-IR color–magnitude diagram (CMD) with known sgB[e] stars in the Large

Automatic localization of the da Vinci surgical instrument tips in 3-D transrectal ultrasound.

PubMed

Mohareri, Omid; Ramezani, Mahdi; Adebar, Troy K; Abolmaesumi, Purang; Salcudean, Septimiu E

2013-09-01

Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALRP) using the da Vinci surgical system is the current state-of-the-art treatment option for clinically confined prostate cancer. Given the limited field of view of the surgical site in RALRP, several groups have proposed the integration of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging in the surgical workflow to assist with accurate resection of the prostate and the sparing of the neurovascular bundles (NVBs). We previously introduced a robotic TRUS manipulator and a method for automatically tracking da Vinci surgical instruments with the TRUS imaging plane, in order to facilitate the integration of intraoperative TRUS in RALRP. Rapid and automatic registration of the kinematic frames of the da Vinci surgical system and the robotic TRUS probe manipulator is a critical component of the instrument tracking system. In this paper, we propose a fully automatic registration technique based on automatic 3-D TRUS localization of robot instrument tips pressed against the air-tissue boundary anterior to the prostate. The detection approach uses a multiscale filtering technique to identify and localize surgical instrument tips in the TRUS volume, and could also be used to detect other surface fiducials in 3-D ultrasound. Experiments have been performed using a tissue phantom and two ex vivo tissue samples to show the feasibility of the proposed methods. Also, an initial in vivo evaluation of the system has been carried out on a live anaesthetized dog with a da Vinci Si surgical system and a target registration error (defined as the root mean square distance of corresponding points after registration) of 2.68 mm has been achieved. Results show this method's accuracy and consistency for automatic registration of TRUS images to the da Vinci surgical system.

Integration Of PanDA Workload Management System With Supercomputers for ATLAS and Data Intensive Science

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

De, K; Jha, S; Klimentov, A

2016-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), operating at the international CERN Laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, is leading Big Data driven scientific explorations. Experiments at the LHC explore the fundamental nature of matter and the basic forces that shape our universe, and were recently credited for the discovery of a Higgs boson. ATLAS, one of the largest collaborations ever assembled in the sciences, is at the forefront of research at the LHC. To address an unprecedented multi-petabyte data processing challenge, the ATLAS experiment is relying on a heterogeneous distributed computational infrastructure. The ATLAS experiment uses PanDA (Production and Data Analysis) Workload Managementmore » System for managing the workflow for all data processing on over 150 data centers. Through PanDA, ATLAS physicists see a single computing facility that enables rapid scientific breakthroughs for the experiment, even though the data centers are physically scattered all over the world. While PanDA currently uses more than 250,000 cores with a peak performance of 0.3 petaFLOPS, LHC data taking runs require more resources than Grid computing can possibly provide. To alleviate these challenges, LHC experiments are engaged in an ambitious program to expand the current computing model to include additional resources such as the opportunistic use of supercomputers. We will describe a project aimed at integration of PanDA WMS with supercomputers in United States, Europe and Russia (in particular with Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), MIRA supercomputer at Argonne Leadership Computing Facilities (ALCF), Supercomputer at the National Research Center Kurchatov Institute , IT4 in Ostrava and others). Current approach utilizes modified PanDA pilot framework for job submission to the supercomputers batch queues and local data management, with light-weight MPI wrappers to run single threaded workloads in parallel on LCFs multi-core worker nodes. This

Cardioprotective effects of 70-kDa heat shock protein in transgenic mice.

PubMed

Radford, N B; Fina, M; Benjamin, I J; Moreadith, R W; Graves, K H; Zhao, P; Gavva, S; Wiethoff, A; Sherry, A D; Malloy, C R; Williams, R S

1996-03-19

Heat shock proteins are proposed to limit injury resulting from diverse environmental stresses, but direct metabolic evidence for such a cytoprotective function in vertebrates has been largely limited to studies of cultured cells. We generated lines of transgenic mice to express human 70-kDa heat shock protein constitutively in the myocardium. Hearts isolated from these animals demonstrated enhanced recovery of high energy phosphate stores and correction of metabolic acidosis following brief periods of global ischemia sufficient to induce sustained abnormalities of these variables in hearts from nontransgenic littermates. These data demonstrate a direct cardioprotective effect of 70-kDa heat shock protein to enhance postischemic recovery of the intact heart.

Informed decision making before prostate-specific antigen screening: Initial results using the American Cancer Society (ACS) Decision Aid (DA) among medically underserved men.

PubMed

Gökce, Mehmet I; Wang, Xuemei; Frost, Jacqueline; Roberson, Pamela; Volk, Robert J; Brooks, Durado; Canfield, Steven E; Pettaway, Curtis A

2017-02-15

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends men have the opportunity to make an informed decision about screening for prostate cancer (PCa). The ACS developed a unique decision aid (ACS-DA) for this purpose. However, to date, studies evaluating the efficacy of the ACS-DA are lacking. The authors evaluated the ACS-DA among a cohort of medically underserved men (MUM). A multiethnic cohort of MUM (n = 285) was prospectively included between June 2010 and December 2014. The ACS-DA was presented in a group format. Levels of knowledge on PCa were evaluated before and after the presentation. Participants' decisional conflict and thoughts about the presentation also were evaluated. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with having an adequate level of knowledge. Before receiving the ACS-DA, 33.1% of participants had adequate knowledge on PCa, and this increased to 77% after the DA (P < .0001). On multivariate analysis, higher education level (odds ratio, 11.19; P = .001) and history of another cancer (odds ratio, 7.45; P = .03) were associated with having adequate knowledge after receiving the DA. Levels of decisional conflict were low and were correlated with levels of knowledge after receiving the DA. The majority of men also rated the presentation as favorable and would recommend the ACS-DA to others. Use of the ACS-DA was feasible among MUM and led to increased PCa knowledge. This also correlated with low levels of decisional conflict. The ACS-DA presented to groups of men may serve as a feasible tool for informed decision making in a MUM population. Cancer 2017;123:583-591. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Serum aluminum levels in dialysis patients after sclerotherapy of internal hemorrhoids with aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid.

PubMed

Tsunoda, Akira; Nakagi, Masafumi; Kano, Nobuyasu; Mizutani, Masahiko; Yamaguchi, Kenji

2014-12-01

Aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA) is an effective sclerosing agent for internal hemorrhoids. However, it is contraindicated for patients with chronic renal failure on dialysis, because the aluminum in ALTA can cause aluminum encephalopathy when it is not excreted effectively. We conducted this study to measure the serum aluminum concentrations and observe for symptoms relating to aluminum encephalopathy in dialysis patients after ALTA therapy. Ten dialysis patients underwent ALTA therapy for hemorrhoids. We measured their serum aluminum concentrations and observed them for possible symptoms of aluminum encephalopathy. The total injection volume of ALTA solution was 31 mL (24-37). The median serum aluminum concentration before ALTA therapy was 9 μg/L, which increased to 741, 377, and 103 μg/L, respectively, 1 h, 1 day, and 1 week after ALTA therapy. These levels decreased rapidly, to 33 μg/L by 1 month and 11 μg/L by 3 months after ALTA therapy. No patient suffered symptoms related to aluminum encephalopathy. Although the aluminum concentrations increased temporarily after ALTA therapy, dialysis patients with levels below 150 μg/L by 1 week and thereafter are considered to be at low risk of the development of aluminum encephalopathy.

Concentration change of DA, DOPAC, Glu and GABA in brain tissues in schizophrenia developmental model rats induced by MK-801.

PubMed

Liu, Yong; Tang, Yamei; Pu, Weidan; Zhang, Xianghui; Zhao, Jingping

2011-08-01

To explore the related neurobiochemical mechanism by comparing the concentration change of dopamine (DA), dihydroxy-phenyl acetic acid (DOPAC), glutamate (Glu), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain tissues in schizophrenia (SZ) developmental model rats and chronic medication model rats. A total of 60 neonatal male Spragur-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to 3 groups at the postnatal day 6: an SZ developmental rat model group (subcutaneous injection with MK-801 at the postnatal day 7-10, 0.1 mg/kg, Bid), a chronic medication model group (intraperitoneal injection at the postnatal day 47-60, 0.2 mg/kg,Qd), and a normal control group (injection with 0.9% normal saline during the corresponding periods). DA, DOPAC, Glu, and GABA of the tissue homogenate from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus were examined with Coularray electrochemic detection by high performance liquid chromatogram technique. The utilization rate of DA and Glu was calculated. Compared with the normal control group, the concentration of DA and DOPAC in the mPFC and the hippocampus in the SZ developmental model group significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the GABA concentration and Glu utilization rate in the mPFC also decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the chronic medication model group, the DA concentration of the mPFC in the SZ developmental group decreased (P<0.05), and the DOPAC concentration and the utility rate of DA in the hippocampus also decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05, respectively). The activities of DA, Glu and GABA system decrease in the mPFC and the DA system function reduces in the hippocampus of SZ developmental rats.

Europe/Latin America Report, Science and Technology.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-30

characteristics and requirements of each machine tool. The processor is available in different models--ATP/T, ATP/2D, and ATP/ 3D — which provide solutions for...declared. Compugraf Sistemas e Tecnologia of Sao Paulo (SP) is showing the Euclid CAD/CAM system at EXPOCON. The system was developed by Matra...MXT 1001 programable mincontroller. Jaime Trinidade Nunes Calado, manager of the Proceda Tecnologia S.A. branch in Sao Paulo, pointed out the activity

Automated Support for da Vinci Surgical System

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

MScore, which provides objective assessment measuring robotic surgery skills across all computed metrics (Figure 7). In addition to viewing single ...holding an object. Data Collection & Analysis (Task 5)  Preliminary Experiments  During the first phase of data collection, a single performance of...a single task (anastomosis) trial was recorded from six different users – three each for the da Vinci and the dV-Trainer platforms. On each platform

No Evidence for Multiple Stellar Populations in the Low-mass Galactic Globular Cluster E 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salinas, Ricardo; Strader, Jay

2015-08-01

Multiple stellar populations are a widespread phenomenon among Galactic globular clusters. Even though the origin of the enriched material from which new generations of stars are produced remains unclear, it is likely that self-enrichment will be feasible only in clusters massive enough to retain this enriched material. We searched for multiple populations in the low mass (M˜ 1.4× {10}4 {M}⊙ ) globular cluster E3, analyzing SOAR/Goodman multi-object spectroscopy centered on the blue cyanogen (CN) absorption features of 23 red giant branch stars. We find that the CN abundance does not present the typical bimodal behavior seen in clusters hosting multistellar populations, but rather a unimodal distribution that indicates the presence of a genuine single stellar population, or a level of enrichment much lower than in clusters that show evidence for two populations from high-resolution spectroscopy. E3 would be the first bona fide Galactic old globular cluster where no sign of self-enrichment is found. Based on observations obtained at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) Telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).

Variable Stars in Large Magellanic Cloud Globular Clusters. III. Reticulum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuehn, Charles A.; Dame, Kyra; Smith, Horace A.; Catelan, Márcio; Jeon, Young-Beom; Nemec, James M.; Walker, Alistair R.; Kunder, Andrea; Pritzl, Barton J.; De Lee, Nathan; Borissova, Jura

2013-06-01

This is the third in a series of papers studying the variable stars in old globular clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The primary goal of this series is to look at how the characteristics and behavior of RR Lyrae stars in Oosterhoff-intermediate systems compare to those of their counterparts in Oosterhoff-I/II systems. In this paper we present the results of our new time-series BVI photometric study of the globular cluster Reticulum. We found a total of 32 variables stars (22 RRab, 4 RRc, and 6 RRd stars) in our field of view. We present photometric parameters and light curves for these stars. We also present physical properties, derived from Fourier analysis of light curves, for some of the RR Lyrae stars. We discuss the Oosterhoff classification of Reticulum and use our results to re-derive the distance modulus and age of the cluster. Based on observations taken with the SMARTS 1.3 m telescope operated by the SMARTS Consortium and observations taken at the Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope, which is a joint project of the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, e Inovação (MCTI) da República Federativa do Brasil, the U.S. National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), and Michigan State University (MSU).

DA white dwarfs in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 and a search for infrared excess emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girven, J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Steeghs, D.; Koester, D.

2011-10-01

We present a method which uses colour-colour cuts on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) photometry to select white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich (DA) atmospheres without the recourse to spectroscopy. This method results in a sample of DA white dwarfs that is 95 per cent complete at an efficiency of returning a true DA white dwarf of 62 per cent. The approach was applied to SDSS Data Release 7 for objects with and without SDSS spectroscopy. This led to 4636 spectroscopicially confirmed DA white dwarfs with g≤ 19; a ˜70 per cent increase compared to Eisenstein et al.'s 2006 sample. Including the photometric-only objects, we estimate a factor of 3 increase in DA white dwarfs. We find that the SDSS spectroscopic follow-up is 44 per cent complete for DA white dwarfs with Teff≳ 8000 K. We further cross-correlated the SDSS sample with Data Release 8 of the UKIRT (United Kingdom Infrared Telescope) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey. The spectral energy distributions (SED) of both subsets, with and without SDSS spectroscopy, were fitted with white dwarf models to determine the fraction of DA white dwarfs with low-mass stellar companions or dusty debris discs via the detection of excess near-infrared emission. From the spectroscopic sample we find that 2.0 per cent of white dwarfs have an excess consistent with a brown dwarf type companion, with a firm lower limit of 0.8 per cent. From the white dwarfs with photometry only, we find that 1.8 per cent are candidates for having brown dwarf companions. Similarly, both samples show that ˜1 per cent of white dwarfs are candidates for having a dusty debris disc.

Pharmacological profile of DA-6886, a novel 5-HT4 receptor agonist to accelerate colonic motor activity in mice.

PubMed

Lee, Min Jung; Cho, Kang Hun; Park, Hyun Min; Sung, Hyun Jung; Choi, Sunghak; Im, Weonbin

2014-07-15

DA-6886, the gastrointestinal prokinetic benzamide derivative is a novel 5-HT4 receptor agonist being developed for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). The purpose of this study was to characterize in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profile of DA-6886. We used various receptor binding assay, cAMP accumulation assay, organ bath experiment and colonic transit assay in normal and chemically constipated mice. DA-6886 exhibited high affinity and selectivity to human 5-HT4 receptor splice variants, with mean pKi of 7.1, 7.5, 7.9 for the human 5-HT4a, 5-HT4b and 5-HT4d, respectively. By contrast, DA-6886 did not show significant affinity for several receptors including dopamine D2 receptor, other 5-HT receptors except for 5-HT2B receptor (pKi value of 6.2). The affinity for 5-HT4 receptor was translated into functional agonist activity in Cos-7 cells expressing 5-HT4 receptor splice variants. Furthermore, DA-6886 induced relaxation of the rat oesophagus preparation (pEC50 value of 7.4) in a 5-HT4 receptor antagonist-sensitive manner. The evaluation of DA-6886 in CHO cells expressing hERG channels revealed that it inhibited hERG channel current with an pIC50 value of 4.3, indicating that the compound was 1000-fold more selective for the 5-HT4 receptor over hERG channels. In the normal ICR mice, oral administration of DA-6886 (0.4 and 2mg/kg) resulted in marked stimulation of colonic transit. Furthermore, in the loperamide-induced constipation mouse model, 2mg/kg of DA-6886 significantly improved the delay of colonic transit, similar to 10mg/kg of tegaserod. Taken together, DA-6886 is a highly potent and selective 5-HT4 receptor agonist to accelerate colonic transit in mice, which might be therapeutic agent having a favorable safety profile in the treatment of gastrointestinal motor disorders such as IBS-C and chronic constipation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prevention of Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein-Induced Endothelial Cell Injury by DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD Nanoparticles Combined with Ultrasound

PubMed Central

Li, Zhaojun; Huang, Hui; Huang, Lili; Du, Lianfang; Sun, Ying; Duan, Yourong

2017-01-01

In general, atherosclerosis is considered to be a form of chronic inflammation. Dexamethasone has anti-inflammatory effects in atherosclerosis, but it was not considered for long-term administration on account of a poor pharmacokinetic profile and adverse side effects. Nanoparticles in which drugs can be dissolved, encapsulated, entrapped or chemically attached to the particle surface have abilities to incorporate dexamethasone and to be used as controlled or targeted drug delivery system. Long circulatory polymeric nanoparticles present as an assisting approach for controlled and targeted release of the encapsulated drug at the atherosclerotic site. Polymeric nanoparticles combined with ultrasound (US) are widely applied in cancer treatment due to their time applications, low cost, simplicity, and safety. However, there are few studies on atherosclerosis treatment using polymeric nanoparticles combined with US. In this study, targeted dexamethasone acetate (DA)-loaded poly (lactide-glycolide)-polyethylene glycol-cRGD (PLGA-PEG-cRGD) nanoparticles (DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs) were prepared by the emulsion-evaporation method using cRGD modified PLGA-PEG polymeric materials (PLGA-PEG-cRGD) prepared as the carrier. The average particle size of DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs was 221.6 ± 0.9 nm. Morphology of the nanoparticles was spherical and uniformly dispersed. In addition, the DA released profiles suggested that ultrasound could promote drug release from the nanocarriers and accelerate the rate of release. In vitro, the cellular uptake process of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)@DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US into the damaged human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) indicated that US promoted rapid intracellular uptake of FITC@DA- PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs. The cell viability of DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US reached 91.9% ± 0.2%, which demonstrated that DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US had a positive therapeutic effect on damaged HUVECs. Overall, DA

Prevention of Oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein-Induced Endothelial Cell Injury by DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD Nanoparticles Combined with Ultrasound.

PubMed

Li, Zhaojun; Huang, Hui; Huang, Lili; Du, Lianfang; Sun, Ying; Duan, Yourong

2017-04-13

In general, atherosclerosis is considered to be a form of chronic inflammation. Dexamethasone has anti-inflammatory effects in atherosclerosis, but it was not considered for long-term administration on account of a poor pharmacokinetic profile and adverse side effects. Nanoparticles in which drugs can be dissolved, encapsulated, entrapped or chemically attached to the particle surface have abilities to incorporate dexamethasone and to be used as controlled or targeted drug delivery system. Long circulatory polymeric nanoparticles present as an assisting approach for controlled and targeted release of the encapsulated drug at the atherosclerotic site. Polymeric nanoparticles combined with ultrasound (US) are widely applied in cancer treatment due to their time applications, low cost, simplicity, and safety. However, there are few studies on atherosclerosis treatment using polymeric nanoparticles combined with US. In this study, targeted dexamethasone acetate (DA)-loaded poly (lactide-glycolide)-polyethylene glycol-cRGD (PLGA-PEG-cRGD) nanoparticles (DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs) were prepared by the emulsion-evaporation method using cRGD modified PLGA-PEG polymeric materials (PLGA-PEG-cRGD) prepared as the carrier. The average particle size of DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs was 221.6 ± 0.9 nm. Morphology of the nanoparticles was spherical and uniformly dispersed. In addition, the DA released profiles suggested that ultrasound could promote drug release from the nanocarriers and accelerate the rate of release. In vitro, the cellular uptake process of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)@DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US into the damaged human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) indicated that US promoted rapid intracellular uptake of FITC@DA- PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs. The cell viability of DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US reached 91.9% ± 0.2%, which demonstrated that DA-PLGA-PEG-cRGD NPs combined with US had a positive therapeutic effect on damaged HUVECs. Overall, DA

[History of robotics: from archytas of tarentum until Da Vinci robot. (Part II)].

PubMed

Sánchez-Martín, F M; Jiménez Schlegl, P; Millán Rodríguez, F; Salvador-Bayarri, J; Monllau Font, V; Palou Redorta, J; Villavicencio Mavrich, H

2007-03-01

Robotic surgery is a reality. In order to to understand how new robots work is interesting to know the history of ancient (see part i) and modern robotics. The desire to design automatic machines imitating humans continued for more than 4000 years. Archytas of Tarentum (at around 400 a.C.), Heron of Alexandria, Hsieh-Fec, Al-Jazari, Bacon, Turriano, Leonardo da Vinci, Vaucanson o von Kempelen were robot inventors. At 1942 Asimov published the three robotics laws. Mechanics, electronics and informatics advances at XXth century developed robots to be able to do very complex self governing works. At 1985 the robot PUMA 560 was employed to introduce a needle inside the brain. Later on, they were designed surgical robots like World First, Robodoc, Gaspar o Acrobot, Zeus, AESOP, Probot o PAKI-RCP. At 2000 the FDA approved the da Vinci Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a very sophisticated robot to assist surgeons. Currently urological procedures like prostatectomy, cystectomy and nephrectomy are performed with the da Vinci, so urology has become a very suitable speciality to robotic surgery.

Robotic right colectomy using the Da Vinci Single-Site® platform: case report.

PubMed

Morelli, Luca; Guadagni, Simone; Caprili, Giovanni; Di Candio, Giulio; Boggi, Ugo; Mosca, Franco

2013-09-01

While single-port laparoscopy for abdominal surgery is technically challenging, the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery platform may help to overcome some of the difficulties of this rapidly evolving technique. The authors of this article present a case of single-incision, robotic right colectomy using this device. A 74-year-old female with malignant polyp of caecum was operated on with a single-site approach using the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery device. Resection and anastomosis were performed extra-corporeally after undocking the robot. The procedure was successfully completed in 200 min. No surgical complications occurred during the intervention and the post-operative stay and no conversion to laparotomy or additional trocars were required. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of right colectomy using the Da Vinci Single-Site® robotic surgery platform to be reported. The procedure is feasible and safe and its main advantages are restoration of triangulation and reduced instrument clashes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aluminum Potassium Sulfate and Tannic Acid Injection for Hemorrhoids

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

A quick hemostatic effect, as well as sclerosing and shrinkage of hemorrhoids, can be attained when internal hemorrhoids are treated by using injection therapy with aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid (ALTA), the outcomes of treatment may be similar to those of a hemorrhoidectomy. However, if the type of hemorrhoid or the method of injection is not appropriate for ALTA treatment, complications peculiar to ALTA or recurrence may develop. Accordingly, sufficient understanding of the treatment mechanism of ALTA injection and repeated training for injection are required for effective use of the ALTA treatment. PMID:22606645

The DaVinci Project: Multimedia in Art and Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonson, Michael; Schlosser, Charles

1998-01-01

Provides an overview of the DaVinci Project, a collaboration of students, teachers, and researchers in chemistry and art to develop multimedia materials for grades 3-12 visualizing basic concepts in chemistry and visual art. Topics addressed include standards in art and science; the conceptual framework for the project; and project goals,…

In vivo exposure to ozone produces an increase in a 72-kDa heat shock protein in guinea pigs.

PubMed

Su, W Y; Gordon, T

1997-09-01

Although several lines of evidence have suggested that oxidizing agents can induce heat shock proteins (HSPs) in vitro, little is known about the induction of HSPs during in vivo exposure to oxidants. Guinea pigs were exposed to ozone for 6 h and euthanized up to 72 h later. Proteins from lavage cells and lung tissue were characterized by immunoblotting with 72- and 73/72-kDa HSP monoclonal antibodies. Although 73-kDa HSP was expressed constituitively in lung tissue, it was not affected by ozone. In contrast, 72-kDa HSP was significantly increased in lavage cells and lung tissue of animals exposed to 0.4 and 0.66 parts/million of ozone. Both heat treatment and arsenite induced 72-kDa HSP in cultured alveolar macrophages. The increase in 72-kDa HSP in the lavage cell pellet peaked at 24 h after ozone, whereas the influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes peaked at 4 h. Examination of the induction of HSPs by ozone may provide clues to the development of ozone tolerance in humans and animals.

Evolution of the ATLAS PanDA Production and Distributed Analysis System

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

Maeno, T.; De, K.; Wenaus, T.

2012-12-13

Evolution of the ATLAS PanDA Production and Distributed Analysis System T Maeno1,5, K De2, T Wenaus1, P Nilsson2, R Walker3, A Stradling2, V Fine1, M Potekhin1, S Panitkin1 and G Compostella4 Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 396, Part 3 Article PDF References Citations Metrics 101 Total downloads Cited by 8 articles Turn on MathJax Share this article Article information Abstract The PanDA (Production and Distributed Analysis) system has been developed to meet ATLAS production and analysis requirements for a data-driven workload management system capable of operating at LHC data processing scale. PanDAmore » has performed well with high reliability and robustness during the two years of LHC data-taking, while being actively evolved to meet the rapidly changing requirements for analysis use cases. We will present an overview of system evolution including automatic rebrokerage and reattempt for analysis jobs, adaptation for the CernVM File System, support for the multi-cloud model through which Tier-2 sites act as members of multiple clouds, pledged resource management and preferential brokerage, and monitoring improvements. We will also describe results from the analysis of two years of PanDA usage statistics, current issues, and plans for the future.« less

Randomized, Controlled, Multi-center Trial: Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of DA-9701 and Itopride Hydrochloride in Patients With Functional Dyspepsia.

PubMed

Choi, Myung-Gyu; Rhee, Poong-Lyul; Park, Hyojin; Lee, Oh Young; Lee, Kwang Jae; Choi, Suck Chei; Seol, Sang Young; Chun, Hoon Jai; Rew, Jong-Sun; Lee, Dong Ho; Song, Geun Am; Jung, Hwoon Yong; Jeong, Hyung Yong; Sung, In Kyung; Lee, Joon Seong; Lee, Soo Teik; Kim, Sung Kook; Shin, Yong Woon

2015-07-30

Therapies of functional dyspepsia (FD) are limited. DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis semen and Corydalis Tuber. We aimed to assess the efficacy of DA-9701 compared with itopride in FD patients. Patients with FD randomly received either itopride 50 mg or DA-9701 30 mg t.i.d after a 2-week baseline period. After 4 weeks of treatment, 2 primary efficacy endpoints were analyzed: the change from baseline in composite score of the 8 dyspep-tic symptoms and the overall treatment effect. Impact on patients' quality of life was assessed using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) questionnaire. We randomly assigned 464 patients with 455 having outcome data. The difference of the composite score change of the 8 symptoms between the 2 groups was 0.62, indicating that DA-9701 was not inferior to itopride. The overall treatment effect response rate was not different between the groups. When responder was defined as ≥ 5 of the 7 Likert scale, responder rates were 37% of DA-9701 and 36% of itopride group. Patients receiving DA-9701 experienced similar mean percentage of days with adequate relief during the 4-week treatment period compared with those receiving itopride (56.8% vs 59.1%). Both drugs increased the NDI score of 5 domains without any difference in change of the NDI score between the groups. The safety profile of both drugs was comparable. DA-9701 significantly improves symptoms in patients with FD. DA-9701 showed non-inferior efficacy to itopride with com-parable safety.

Randomized, Controlled, Multi-center Trial: Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of DA-9701 and Itopride Hydrochloride in Patients With Functional Dyspepsia

PubMed Central

Choi, Myung-Gyu; Rhee, Poong-Lyul; Park, Hyojin; Lee, Oh Young; Lee, Kwang Jae; Choi, Suck Chei; Seol, Sang Young; Chun, Hoon Jai; Rew, Jong-Sun; Lee, Dong Ho; Song, Geun Am; Jung, Hwoon Yong; Jeong, Hyung Yong; Sung, In Kyung; Lee, Joon Seong; Lee, Soo Teik; Kim, Sung Kook; Shin, Yong Woon

2015-01-01

Background/Aims Therapies of functional dyspepsia (FD) are limited. DA-9701 is a novel prokinetic agent formulated with Pharbitis semen and Corydalis Tuber. We aimed to assess the efficacy of DA-9701 compared with itopride in FD patients. Methods Patients with FD randomly received either itopride 50 mg or DA-9701 30 mg t.i.d after a 2-week baseline period. After 4 weeks of treatment, 2 primary efficacy endpoints were analyzed: the change from baseline in composite score of the 8 dyspeptic symptoms and the overall treatment effect. Impact on patients’ quality of life was assessed using the Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) questionnaire. Results We randomly assigned 464 patients with 455 having outcome data. The difference of the composite score change of the 8 symptoms between the 2 groups was 0.62, indicating that DA-9701 was not inferior to itopride. The overall treatment effect response rate was not different between the groups. When responder was defined as ≥ 5 of the 7 Likert scale, responder rates were 37% of DA-9701 and 36% of itopride group. Patients receiving DA-9701 experienced similar mean percentage of days with adequate relief during the 4-week treatment period compared with those receiving itopride (56.8% vs 59.1%). Both drugs increased the NDI score of 5 domains without any difference in change of the NDI score between the groups. The safety profile of both drugs was comparable. Conclusions DA-9701 significantly improves symptoms in patients with FD. DA-9701 showed non-inferior efficacy to itopride with comparable safety. PMID:26130637

Asteroid 2012 DA14 as Seen from Siding Spring, Australia

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-15

An animated set of images, from the telescope known as the iTelescope.net Siding Spring Observatory, shows asteroid 2012 DA14 as the streak moving from top to bottom in the field of view. The animation is available in the Planetary Photojournal.

Multiple parton interactions and forward double pion production in pp and dA scattering

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

Strikman, M.; Vogelsang, W.

2011-02-01

We estimate the contributions by double-parton interactions to the cross sections for pp{yields}{pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}X and dA{yields}{pi}{sup 0}{pi}{sup 0}X at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). We find that such contributions become important at large forward rapidities of the produced pions. This is, in particular, the case for dA scattering, where they strongly enhance the azimuthal-angular independent pedestal component of the cross section, providing a natural explanation of this feature of the RHIC dA data. We argue that the discussed processes open a window to studies of double quark distributions in nucleons. We also briefly address the roles of shadowingmore » and energy loss in dA scattering, which we show to affect the double-inclusive pion cross section much more strongly than the single-inclusive one. We discuss the implications of our results for the interpretation of pion azimuthal correlations.« less

Transoral robotic surgery for the base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a preliminary comparison between da Vinci Xi and Si.

PubMed

Alessandrini, Marco; Pavone, Isabella; Micarelli, Alessandro; Caporale, Claudio

2017-09-13

Considering the emerging advantages related to da Vinci Xi robotic platform, the aim of this study is to compare for the first time the operative outcomes of this tool to the previous da Vinci Si during transoral robotic surgery (TORS), both performed for squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the base of tongue (BOT). Intra- and peri-operative outcomes of eight patients with early stage (T1-T2) of the BOT carcinoma and undergoing TORS by means of the da Vinci Xi robotic platform (Xi-TORS) are compared with the da Vinci Si group ones (Si-TORS). With respect to Si-TORS group, Xi-TORS group demonstrated a significantly shorter overall operative time, console time, and intraoperative blood loss, as well as peri-operative pain intensity and length of mean hospital stays and nasogastric tube positioning. Considering recent advantages offered by surgical robotic techniques, the da Vinci Xi Surgical System preliminary outcomes could suggest its possible future routine implementation in BOT squamous cell carcinoma procedures.

Identification of a 27.8 kDa protein from flounder gill cells involved in lymphocystis disease virus binding and infection.

PubMed

Wang, Mu; Sheng, Xiu-Zhen; Xing, Jing; Tang, Xiao-Qian; Zhan, Wen-Bin

2011-03-16

In vitro, lymphocystis disease virus (LCDV) infection of flounder gill (FG) cell cultures causes obvious cytopathic effect (CPE). We describe attempts to isolate and characterize the LCDV-binding molecule(s) on the plasma membrane of FG cells that were responsible for virus entry. The results showed that the co-immunoprecipitation assay detected a 27.8 kDa molecule from FG cells that bound to LCDV. In a blocking ELISA, pre-incubation of FG cell membrane proteins with the specific antiserum developed against the 27.8 kDa protein could block LCDV binding. Similarly, antiserum against 27.8 kDa protein could also inhibit LCDV infection of FG cells in vitro. Mass spectrometric analysis established that the 27.8 kDa protein and beta-actin had a strong association. These results strongly supported the possibility that the 27.8 kDa protein was the putative receptor specific for LCDV infection of FG cells.

[Trattamento della dipendenza da alcol. Alcol e persone senza fissa dimora: punto di vista sociale].

PubMed

Alessandrini, Giovanni; Ciccarelli, Rosaria; Battagliese, Gemma; Cereatti, Federica; Gencarelli, Simona; Messina, Marisa Patrizia; Vitali, Mario; De Rosa, Francesca; Ledda, Roberta; Mancini, Serena; Attilia, Maria Luisa

2018-01-01

RIASSUNTO. Il fenomeno delle persone senza fissa dimora sta assumendo in questi anni una rilevanza sociale devastante, con una prevalenza stimata in USA e in Europa compresa tra il 5,6% e il 13,9%. Queste persone hanno una scarsa qualità di vita, una limitata o assente vita sociale, sono spesso disoccupate o lavorano solo saltuariamente. Sono a rischio di problemi con la legge, sono spesso affette da dipendenza da droghe, da patologie psichiatriche e internistiche. L'alcol spesso non rappresenta la causa della loro condizione sociale, ma solo la conseguenza, contribuendo in questo modo al loro degrado bio-psico-sociale. Nel 2009 lo US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homelessness Assistance Programs e nel 2010 la European Consensus Conference on Homelessness hanno segnato un grande passo avanti nella riabilitazione sociale di queste persone, utilizzando il concetto del "case management". In particolare lo Standard Case Management si è dimostrato in grado di migliorare la stabilità abitativa, di ridurre l'uso di droghe e di rimuovere le barriere lavorative. L'Assertive Community Treatment si è dimostrato, invece, in grado di migliorare la stabilità abitativa e ha un rapporto costo/beneficio migliore per i pazienti affetti da doppia diagnosi.

Oleosins (24 and 18 kDa) are hydrolyzed not only in extracted soybean oil bodies but also in soybean germination.

PubMed

Chen, Yeming; Zhao, Luping; Cao, Yanyun; Kong, Xiangzhen; Hua, Yufei

2014-01-29

After oil bodies (OBs) were extracted from ungerminated soybean by pH 6.8 extraction, it was found that 24 and 18 kDa oleosins were hydrolyzed in the extracted OBs, which contained many OB extrinsic proteins (i.e., lipoxygenase, β-conglycinin, γ-conglycinin, β-amylase, glycinin, Gly m Bd 30K (Bd 30K), and P34 probable thiol protease (P34)) as well as OB intrinsic proteins. In this study, some properties (specificity, optimal pH and temperature) of the proteases of 24 and 18 kDa oleosins and the oleosin hydrolysis in soybean germination were examined, and the high relationship between Bd 30K/P34 and the proteases was also discussed. The results showed (1) the proteases were OB extrinsic proteins, which had high specificity to hydrolyze 24 and 18 kDa oleosins, and cleaved the specific peptide bonds to form limited hydrolyzed products; (2) 24 and 18 kDa oleosins were not hydrolyzed in the absence of Bd 30K and P34 (or some Tricine-SDS-PAGE undetectable proteins); (3) the protease of 24 kDa oleosin had strong resistance to alkaline pH while that of 18 kDa oleosin had weak resistance to alkaline pH, and Bd 30K and P34, resolved into two spots on two-dimensional electrophoresis gel, also showed the same trend; (4) 16 kDa oleosin as well as 24 and 18 kDa oleosins were hydrolyzed in soybean germination, and Bd 30K and P34 were always contained in the extracted OBs from germinated soybean even when all oleosins were hydrolyzed; (5) the optimal temperature and pH of the proteases were respectively determined as in the ranges of 35-50 °C and pH 6.0-6.5, while 60 °C or pH 11.0 could denature them.

Determinação de regiões de órbitas diretas estáveis ao redor da Lua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Melo, C. F.; Winter, O. C.; Vieira Neto, E.

2003-08-01

Neste Trabalho estamos investigando regiões do sistema Terra-Lua que contêm órbitas diretas estáveis ao redor da Lua visando a utilização destas órbitas em futuras missões de veículos espaciais como alternativas de trajetórias com baixo custo de manutenção. Adotando-se o problema restrito de três corpos, Terra-Lua-partícula, a localização e a extensão destas regiões de estabilidade foram investigadas numericamente considerando como estável toda órbita que permanece ao redor a Lua por, no mínimo, 1000 dias com energia de dois corpos da partícula em relação à Lua negativa. A estabilidade de tais regiões está associada a duas famílias de órbitas periódicas simples H1 e H2 e a órbitas quase-periódicas associadas a elas. Uma vez identificadas as regiões de estabilidade passamos a analisá-las introduzindo, paulatinamente, outras interações relevantes ao sistema como as perturbações do Sol (via problema restrito de quatro corpos), das marés, da pressão de radiação e do achatamento terrestre. Os resultados encontrados até o momento mostram que a perturbação do Sol é a única que reduz significativamente o tamanho das regiões de estabilidade. Também estamos investigando o comportamento de tais regiões quando características intrínsecas do sistema como as excentricidades das órbitas da Terra e da Lua e a inclinação da órbita Lua são consideradas. Com este estudo estamos reunindo informações que nos permitirão compreender a evolução das regiões de estabilidade no sistema Terra-Lua, bem como estabelecer parâmetros adequados para a utilização das trajetórias estáveis em futuras missões espaciais. Agradecimentos: Este projeto conta com o apoio do CNPq, da Capes e da Fapesp.

On the Da Vinci size effect in tensile strengths of nanowires: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ziyu; Liu, Jinxing; Soh, Ai Kah

2018-01-01

In recent decades, size effects caused by grain size, strain gradient, typical defects etc., have been widely investigated. Nevertheless, the dependence of tensile strength on the specimen length, addressed by Da Vinci around 500 hundred years ago, has received rather limited attention, even though it is one unavoidable question to answer if people attempt to bring materials' amazing nano-scale strengths up to macro-level. Therefore, we make efforts to study tensile behaviors of copper nanowires with a common cross-section and various lengths by employing the molecular dynamics simulations. Surprisingly, a strong size effect of Da Vinci type indeed arises. We have shown the influences of lattice orientation, temperature and prescribed notch on such a Da Vinci size effect. Two different theoretical explanations are briefly proposed for a qualitative understanding. Finally, a simple scaling rule is summarized to cover the tendencies observed.

Agarose and Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis Methods for Molecular Mass Analysis of 5–500 kDa Hyaluronan

PubMed Central

Bhilocha, Shardul; Amin, Ripal; Pandya, Monika; Yuan, Han; Tank, Mihir; LoBello, Jaclyn; Shytuhina, Anastasia; Wang, Wenlan; Wisniewski, Hans-Georg; de la Motte, Carol; Cowman, Mary K.

2011-01-01

Agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis systems for the molecular mass-dependent separation of hyaluronan (HA) in the size range of approximately 5–500 kDa have been investigated. For agarose-based systems, the suitability of different agarose types, agarose concentrations, and buffers systems were determined. Using chemoenzymatically synthesized HA standards of low polydispersity, the molecular mass range was determined for each gel composition, over which the relationship between HA mobility and logarithm of the molecular mass was linear. Excellent linear calibration was obtained for HA molecular mass as low as approximately 9 kDa in agarose gels. For higher resolution separation, and for extension to molecular masses as low as approximately 5 kDa, gradient polyacrylamide gels were superior. Densitometric scanning of stained gels allowed analysis of the range of molecular masses present in a sample, and calculation of weight-average and number-average values. The methods were validated for polydisperse HA samples with viscosity-average molecular masses of 112, 59, 37, and 22 kDa, at sample loads of 0.5 µg (for polyacrylamide) to 2.5 µg (for agarose). Use of the methods for electrophoretic mobility shift assays was demonstrated for binding of the HA-binding region of aggrecan (recombinant human aggrecan G1-IGD-G2 domains) to a 150 kDa HA standard. PMID:21684248

Tão perto de casa, tão longe de nós: etnografia das novas margens no centro da urbe

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Por Luís

2011-01-01

Philippe Bourgois é, desde 2007, “Richard Perry University professor” no Departamento de Antropologia e de Medicina Familiar e de Práticas Comunitárias na Universidade da Pensilvânia. Esteve durante largos anos ligado ao Departamento de Antropologia, História e Medicina Social da Universidade da Califórnia, São Francisco. A publicação, em 1995, de In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio1 projectaria o seu nome muito para além dos Estados Unidos: uma etnografia no coração porto-riquenho do Harlem, em torno dos actores e dos ambientes da venda de crack. Seguir-se-ia um longo trabalho de terreno em acampamentos de dependentes de heroína em São Francisco, orientando o seu trabalho para as formas mais radicais da pobreza e da marginalidade nos EUA. É deste trabalho de terreno que sai o seu último livro, Righteous Dopefiend2. Em Junho de 2007 esteve em Lisboa para participar na 3.a edição do “Ethnografeast”. Foi então que aproveitámos a oportunidade para ouvir um percurso invulgar contado pelo próprio: uma longa conversa no Hotel Zurique, cujo nome só vem ao caso por evocar o país onde passou uma parte da infância. PMID:22013286

Human influence on late Holocene fluvial landscape and stratigraphy in the Mixteca Alta of Oaxaca, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leigh, D. S.; Holdridge, G. H.; Kowalewski, S. A.

2011-12-01

The Mixteca Alta of south-central Mexico (state of Oaxaca) is a high-elevation plateau where population and agricultural steadily grew over the past 3000 years, but with a few significant episodes of population decline. Currently, the landscape is highly eroded and gullied in response to widespread land abandonment and diminished population attributed to the Spanish conquest during the 1500s and 1600s. Abandonment apparently resulted in neglect of prehistoric cross-drainage retaining walls, known as lama-bordos, which had been constructed throughout agricultural watersheds for millennia to retain runoff and sediment. Our research seeks to establish the earliest ages for construction of lama-bordos, which are buried by more than 10 m of alluvium in some localities; and we hope to determine if the chronology of alluvial sedimentation is related to fluctuations in population density versus climate changes or other drivers. Sampling is focused on relatively small tributary watersheds (<10 km^2) in the valley of Rio Culebra near the town of Coixlahuaca. Our general hypothesis is counter to Malthusian theory in that we posit land degradation and erosion was punctuated by episodes of population decline when there were insufficient people to maintain the lama-bordo infrastructure. Methods involve: (1) detailed stratigraphic and pedogenic description and sampling of several outcrops; (2) radiocarbon and luminescence dating of stratigraphic sections; (3) geochemical and lithological tracing of sedimentary beds to discriminate time periods of gully erosion; (4) relating the alluvial chronology to archaeological surveys that have established the occupation history of the region. Results indicate that upland gully erosion had occurred prior to widespread human occupation of the area, because >4000 cal yr BP cut-and-fill stratigraphic units commonly contain detritus from upland subsoil and underlying bedrock. We provide numerous radiocarbon dates for the oldest lama-bordos, and

Diagnoses behind patients with hard-to-classify tremor and normal DaT-SPECT: a clinical follow up study.

PubMed

Menéndez-González, Manuel; Tavares, Francisco; Zeidan, Nahla; Salas-Pacheco, José M; Arias-Carrión, Oscar

2014-01-01

The [(123)I]ioflupane-a dopamine transporter radioligand-SPECT (DaT-SPECT) has proven to be useful in the differential diagnosis of tremor. Here, we investigate the diagnoses behind patients with hard-to-classify tremor and normal DaT-SPECT. Therefore, 30 patients with tremor and normal DaT-SPECT were followed up for 2 years. In 18 cases we were able to make a diagnosis. The residual 12 patients underwent a second DaT-SPECT, were then followed for additional 12 months and thereafter the diagnosis was reconsidered again. The final diagnoses included cases of essential tremor, dystonic tremor, multisystem atrophy, vascular parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome, psychogenic parkinsonism, iatrogenic parkinsonism and Parkinson's disease. However, for 6 patients the diagnosis remained uncertain. Larger series are needed to better establish the relative frequency of the different conditions behind these cases.

Mapping low- and high-density clouds in astrophysical nebulae by imaging forbidden line emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steiner, J. E.; Menezes, R. B.; Ricci, T. V.; Oliveira, A. S.

2009-06-01

Emission line ratios have been essential for determining physical parameters such as gas temperature and density in astrophysical gaseous nebulae. With the advent of panoramic spectroscopic devices, images of regions with emission lines related to these physical parameters can, in principle, also be produced. We show that, with observations from modern instruments, it is possible to transform images taken from density-sensitive forbidden lines into images of emission from high- and low-density clouds by applying a transformation matrix. In order to achieve this, images of the pairs of density-sensitive lines as well as the adjacent continuum have to be observed and combined. We have computed the critical densities for a series of pairs of lines in the infrared, optical, ultraviolet and X-rays bands, and calculated the pair line intensity ratios in the high- and low-density limit using a four- and five-level atom approximation. In order to illustrate the method, we applied it to Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) Integral Field Unit (GMOS-IFU) data of two galactic nuclei. We conclude that this method provides new information of astrophysical interest, especially for mapping low- and high-density clouds; for this reason, we call it `the ld/hd imaging method'. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States); the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom); the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile); the Australian Research Council (Australia); Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazil) and Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnologia (Argentina). E-mail: steiner@astro.iag.usp.br

Cardioprotective effects of 70-kDa heat shock protein in transgenic mice.

PubMed Central

Radford, N B; Fina, M; Benjamin, I J; Moreadith, R W; Graves, K H; Zhao, P; Gavva, S; Wiethoff, A; Sherry, A D; Malloy, C R; Williams, R S

1996-01-01

Heat shock proteins are proposed to limit injury resulting from diverse environmental stresses, but direct metabolic evidence for such a cytoprotective function in vertebrates has been largely limited to studies of cultured cells. We generated lines of transgenic mice to express human 70-kDa heat shock protein constitutively in the myocardium. Hearts isolated from these animals demonstrated enhanced recovery of high energy phosphate stores and correction of metabolic acidosis following brief periods of global ischemia sufficient to induce sustained abnormalities of these variables in hearts from nontransgenic littermates. These data demonstrate a direct cardioprotective effect of 70-kDa heat shock protein to enhance postischemic recovery of the intact heart. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 3 PMID:8637874

JPRS Report, Science & Technology Europe & Latin America.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-26

Brazil’s Plasma Physics Program Described [Antonio Monies Filho, Ricardo Magnus Osorio Galvao; ESPACIAL , May 87p 7] 33 JPRS-ELS-88-003 ^ D T...these offset by equivalent sales of products or services. An exception was Itau Tecnologia S.A., one of the few, if not the only, firms to show a...a Scopus — In the case of Scopus Tecnologia , the first semester was terrible, with high costs and weak sales. During the second trimester, sales

Constitutive expression of DaCBF7, an Antarctic vascular plant Deschampsia antarctica CBF homolog, resulted in improved cold tolerance in transgenic rice plants.

PubMed

Byun, Mi Young; Lee, Jungeun; Cui, Li Hua; Kang, Yoonjee; Oh, Tae Kyung; Park, Hyun; Lee, Hyoungseok; Kim, Woo Taek

2015-07-01

Deschampsia antarctica is an Antarctic hairgrass that grows on the west coast of the Antarctic peninsula. In this report, we have identified and characterized a transcription factor, D. antarctica C-repeat binding factor 7 (DaCBF7), that is a member of the monocot group V CBF homologs. The protein contains a single AP2 domain, a putative nuclear localization signal, and the typical CBF signature. DaCBF7, like other monocot group V homologs, contains a distinct polypeptide stretch composed of 43 amino acids in front of the AP2 motif. DaCBF7 was predominantly localized to nuclei and interacted with the C-repeat/dehydration responsive element (CRT/DRE) core sequence (ACCGAC) in vitro. DaCBF7 was induced by abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, and salinity. To investigate its possible cellular role in cold tolerance, a transgenic rice system was employed. DaCBF7-overexpressing transgenic rice plants (Ubi:DaCBF7) exhibited markedly increased tolerance to cold stress compared to wild-type plants without growth defects; however, overexpression of DaCBF7 exerted little effect on tolerance to drought or salt stress. Transcriptome analysis of a Ubi:DaCBF7 transgenic line revealed 13 genes that were up-regulated in DaCBF7-overexpressing plants compared to wild-type plants in the absence of cold stress and in short- or long-term cold stress. Five of these genes, dehydrin, remorin, Os03g63870, Os11g34790, and Os10g22630, contained putative CRT/DRE or low-temperature responsive elements in their promoter regions. These results suggest that overexpression of DaCBF7 directly and indirectly induces diverse genes in transgenic rice plants and confers enhanced tolerance to cold stress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 35882 - Paulding Wind Farm II, LLC, et al.;

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-20

... Wind Farm II, LLC, et al.; Notice of Effectiveness of Exempt Wholesale Generator Status Docket Nos. Paulding Wind Farm II LLC EG11-61-000 Macho Springs Power I, LLC EG11-63-000 Alta Wind III Owner Lessor A EG11-64-000 Alta Wind III Owner Lessor B EG11-65-000 Alta Wind III Owner Lessor C EG11-66-000 Alta Wind...

Effect of DA-6 and EDTA alone or in combination on uptake, subcellular distribution and chemical form of Pb in Lolium perenne.

PubMed

He, Shanying; Wu, Qiuling; He, Zhenli

2013-11-01

The effects of growth-promoting hormone diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) and EDTA, either alone or in combination applied to original soil or lead (Pb) spiked soil on Pb phytoextraction, subcellular distribution and chemical forms in Lolium perenne were studied. EDTA addition alone significantly reduced plant biomass though it increased Pb accumulation (P<0.05). Foliar spray of DA-6 alone increased both plant biomass and Pb accumulation (P<0.05), with 10μM DA-6 being the most effective. DA-6 combined with EDTA compensated the adverse effect of the latter on plant growth, and resulted in a synergistic effect on Pb uptake and translocation, with the maximum accumulation occurring in the EDTA+10μM DA-6 treatment. At the subcellular level, about 35-66% of Pb was distributed in cell wall and 21-42% in soluble fraction, with a minority present in cellular organelles fraction. EDTA addition alone increased the proportion of Pb in soluble and cellular organelles fraction, while DA-6 detoxified Pb in plant by storing additional Pb in cell wall, and 10μM DA-6 was the most effective. Of the total Pb in plant shoot, 27-52% was NaCl extractable, 22-47% HAc extractable, followed by other fractions. Contrary to EDTA, DA-6 significantly decreased Pb migration in plant. These results suggest that Pb fixation by pectates and proteins in cell wall and compartmentalization by vacuole might be responsible for Pb detoxification in plant, and the combined use of EDTA and 10μM DA-6 appears to be optimal for improving the remediation efficiency of L. perenne for Pb contaminated soil. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Women and Technical Professions. Leonardo da Vinci Series: Good Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission of the European Communities, Brussels (Belgium). Directorate-General for Education and Culture.

This document profiles programs for women in technical professions that are offered through the European Commission's Leonardo da Vinci program. The following programs are profiled: (1) Artemis and Diana (vocational guidance programs to help direct girls toward technology-related careers); (2) CEEWIT (an Internet-based information and…

Da0324, an inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB activation, demonstrates selective antitumor activity on human gastric cancer cells

PubMed Central

Jin, Rong; Xia, Yiqun; Chen, Qiuxiang; Li, Wulan; Chen, Dahui; Ye, Hui; Zhao, Chengguang; Du, Xiaojing; Shi, Dengjian; Wu, Jianzhang; Liang, Guang

2016-01-01

Background The transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is constitutively activated in a variety of human cancers, including gastric cancer. NF-κB inhibitors that selectively kill cancer cells are urgently needed for cancer treatment. Curcumin is a potent inhibitor of NF-κB activation. Unfortunately, the therapeutic potential of curcumin is limited by its relatively low potency and poor cellular bioavailability. In this study, we presented a novel NF-κB inhibitor named Da0324, a synthetic asymmetric mono-carbonyl analog of curcumin. The purpose of this study is to research the expression of NF-κB in gastric cancer and the antitumor activity and mechanism of Da0324 on human gastric cancer cells. Methods The expressions between gastric cancer tissues/cells and normal gastric tissues/cells of NF-κB were evaluated by Western blot. The inhibition viability of compounds on human gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901, BGC-823, MGC-803, and normal gastric mucosa epithelial cell line GES-1 was assessed with the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Absorption spectrum method and high-performance liquid chromatography method detected the stability of the compound in vitro. The compound-induced changes of inducible NF-κB activation in the SGC-7901 and BGC-823 cells were examined by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence methods. The antitumor activity of compound was performed by clonogenic assay, matrigel invasion assay, flow cytometric analysis, Western blot analysis, and Hoechst 33258 staining assay. Results High levels of p65 were found in gastric cancer tissues and cells. Da0324 displayed higher growth inhibition against several types of gastric cancer cell lines and showed relatively low toxicity to GES-1. Moreover, Da0324 was more stable than curcumin in vitro. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence methods showed that Da0324 blocked NF-κB activation. In addition, Da0324 significantly inhibited tumor proliferation

In vitro activities of DA-7867, a novel oxazolidinone, against recent clinical isolates of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

PubMed

Yong, Dongeun; Yum, Jong Hwa; Lee, Kyungwon; Chong, Yunsop; Choi, Sung Hak; Rhee, Jae Keol

2004-01-01

In vitro activities of DA-7867, a novel oxazolidinone, were compared to those of linezolid and commonly used antimicrobials. DA-7867 had the lowest MIC for 90% of the aerobic gram-positive bacterial strains tested,

Synergetic effects of DA-6/GA₃ with EDTA on plant growth, extraction and detoxification of Cd by Lolium perenne.

PubMed

He, Shanying; Wu, Qiuling; He, Zhenli

2014-12-01

Research is needed to improve efficiency of phytoextraction of heavy metals from contaminated soils. A pot experiment was carried out to study the effects of plant growth regulators (PGRs) (diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (C18H33NO8, DA-6) and gibberellic acid 3 (C19H22O6, GA3)) and/or EDTA on Cd extraction, subcellular distribution and chemical forms in Lolium perenne. The addition of EDTA or PGRs significantly enhanced Cd extraction efficiency (P<0.05), with the decreasing order of: 1 μM DA-6>10 μM DA-6>10 μM GA3>2.5 mmol kg(-1) EDTA>other treatments of PGR alone. PGRs+EDTA resulted in a further increase in Cd extraction efficiency, with EDTA+1 μM DA-6 being the most efficient. At the subcellular level, about 44-57% of Cd was soluble fraction, 18-44% in cell walls, and 12-25% in cellular organelles fraction. Chemical speciation analysis showed that 40-54% of Cd was NaCl extractable, 7-23% HAc extractable, followed by other fractions. EDTA increased the proportions of Cd in soluble and cellular organelles fraction, as well as the metal migration in shoot; therefore, the toxicity to plant increased and plant growth was inhibited. Conversely, PGRs fixed more Cd in cell walls and reduced Cd migration in shoot; thus, metal toxicity was reduced. In addition, PGRs promoted plant biomass growth significantly (P<0.05), with 1 μM DA-6 being the most effective. A combination of DA-6/GA3 with EDTA can alleviate the adverse effect of EDTA on plant growth, and the treatment of EDTA+1 μM DA-6 appears to be optimal for improving the remediation efficiency of L. perenne for Cd contaminated soil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Católicos, fidelidade conjugal e AIDS: entre a cruz da doutrina moral e as espadas do cotidiano sexual dos adeptos1

PubMed Central

Rios, Luis Felipe; de Aquino, Francisca Luciana; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Oliveira, Cinthia; Parker, Richard

2009-01-01

Neste artigo discutimos a visão da Igreja Católica sobre sexualidade na interface com a epidemia do HIV/AIDS. Nossa reflexão está embasada em pesquisa etnográfica que envolveu dois meses de observação participante do cotidiano de católicos de um bairro popular da Região Metropolitana do Recife, além de contar com entrevistas a onze dos leigos engajados nos serviços religiosos da igreja do bairro e a oito sacerdotes que realizam seus trabalhos religiosos em outras localidades. Nelas abordamos diferentes temáticas relacionadas ao enfrentamento da epidemia da AIDS. Nesse contexto, conjugalidade e fidelidade se afiguram como importantes analisadores de como aqueles lidam com a epidemia, em uma variedade de re-descrições práticas e de re-interpretações conceptuais das assertivas do discurso moral religioso – ainda que, muitos impasses permaneçam em aberto em termos das prerrogativas da Igreja e seus possíveis rebatimentos na saúde sexual dos adeptos. PMID:21765650

Evaluation of the immunomodulatory effect of the 14 kDa protein isolated from aged garlic extract on dendritic cells.

PubMed

Ahmadabad, Hasan Namdar; Hassan, Zuhair Mohammad; Safari, Elahe; Bozorgmehr, Mahmood; Ghazanfari, Tooba; Moazzeni, Seyed Mohammad

2011-01-01

Garlic is used all over the world for treatment of different diseases. A wide range of biological activities of garlic has been verified in vitro and in vivo. One of major proteins of garlic which has been isolated and purified is the 14 kDa protein. This protein has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. In this study, the effect of the 14 kDa protein isolated from aged garlic extract (AGE) was investigated on maturation and immunomodulatory activity of dendritic cells (DC). Proteins were purified from AGE by biochemical method; the semi-purified 14 kDa protein was run on gel filtration Sephadex G50 and its purity was checked by SDS-PAGE. DC were isolated from spleen of BALB/c mice by Nycodenz centrifugation and their adhesiveness to plastic dish. 14 kDa protein from AGE was added to overnight culture of DC medium and the expression percentage of CD40, CD86, and MHC-II was evaluated by flowcytometric analysis. Also, proliferation of T-cells was measured by allogenic mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) test. The purified 14 kDa protein isolated from AGE increased the expression of CD40 molecule on DC, but it did not influence CD86 and MHCII molecules. Furthermore, no significant differences were noticed in the pulsed-DC with 14 kDa protein and non-pulsed DC on the MLR. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

UniDA: Uniform Device Access Framework for Human Interaction Environments

PubMed Central

Varela, Gervasio; Paz-Lopez, Alejandro; Becerra, Jose Antonio; Vazquez-Rodriguez, Santiago; Duro, Richard José

2011-01-01

Human interaction environments (HIE) must be understood as any place where people carry out their daily life, including their work, family life, leisure and social life, interacting with technology to enhance or facilitate the experience. The integration of technology in these environments has been achieved in a disorderly and incompatible way, with devices operating in isolated islands with artificial edges delimited by the manufacturers. In this paper we are presenting the UniDA framework, an integral solution for the development of systems that require the integration and interoperation of devices and technologies in HIEs. It provides developers and installers with a uniform conceptual framework capable of modelling an HIE, together with a set of libraries, tools and devices to build distributed instrumentation networks with support for transparent integration of other technologies. A series of use case examples and a comparison to many of the existing technologies in the field has been included in order to show the benefits of using UniDA. PMID:22163700

UniDA: uniform device access framework for human interaction environments.

PubMed

Varela, Gervasio; Paz-Lopez, Alejandro; Becerra, Jose Antonio; Vazquez-Rodriguez, Santiago; Duro, Richard José

2011-01-01

Human interaction environments (HIE) must be understood as any place where people carry out their daily life, including their work, family life, leisure and social life, interacting with technology to enhance or facilitate the experience. The integration of technology in these environments has been achieved in a disorderly and incompatible way, with devices operating in isolated islands with artificial edges delimited by the manufacturers. In this paper we are presenting the UniDA framework, an integral solution for the development of systems that require the integration and interoperation of devices and technologies in HIEs. It provides developers and installers with a uniform conceptual framework capable of modelling an HIE, together with a set of libraries, tools and devices to build distributed instrumentation networks with support for transparent integration of other technologies. A series of use case examples and a comparison to many of the existing technologies in the field has been included in order to show the benefits of using UniDA.

OpenDA Open Source Generic Data Assimilation Environment and its Application in Process Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Serafy, Ghada; Verlaan, Martin; Hummel, Stef; Weerts, Albrecht; Dhondia, Juzer

2010-05-01

Data Assimilation techniques are essential elements in state-of-the-art development of models and their optimization with data in the field of groundwater, surface water and soil systems. They are essential tools in calibration of complex modelling systems and improvement of model forecasts. The OpenDA is a new and generic open source data assimilation environment for application to a choice of physical process models, applied to case dependent domains. OpenDA was introduced recently when the developers of Costa, an open-source TU Delft project [http://www.costapse.org; Van Velzen and Verlaan; 2007] and those of the DATools from the former WL|Delft Hydraulics [El Serafy et al 2007; Weerts et al. 2009] decided to join forces. OpenDA makes use of a set of interfaces that describe the interaction between models, observations and data assimilation algorithms. It focuses on flexible applications in portable systems for modelling geophysical processes. It provides a generic interfacing protocol that allows combination of the implemented data assimilation techniques with, in principle, any time-stepping model duscribing a process(atmospheric processes, 3D circulation, 2D water level, sea surface temperature, soil systems, groundwater etc.). Presently, OpenDA features filtering techniques and calibration techniques. The presentation will give an overview of the OpenDA and the results of some of its practical applications. Application of data assimilation in portable operational forecasting systems—the DATools assimilation environment, El Serafy G.Y., H. Gerritsen, S. Hummel, A. H. Weerts, A.E. Mynett and M. Tanaka (2007), Journal of Ocean Dynamics, DOI 10.1007/s10236-007-0124-3, pp.485-499. COSTA a problem solving environment for data assimilation applied for hydrodynamical modelling, Van Velzen and Verlaan (2007), Meteorologische Zeitschrift, Volume 16, Number 6, December 2007 , pp. 777-793(17). Application of generic data assimilation tools (DATools) for flood

da Vinci robot-assisted keyhole neurosurgery: a cadaver study on feasibility and safety.

PubMed

Marcus, Hani J; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Cundy, Thomas P; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara; Nandi, Dipankar

2015-04-01

The goal of this cadaver study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of da Vinci robot-assisted keyhole neurosurgery. Several keyhole craniotomies were fashioned including supraorbital subfrontal, retrosigmoid and supracerebellar infratentorial. In each case, a simple durotomy was performed, and the flap was retracted. The da Vinci surgical system was then used to perform arachnoid dissection towards the deep-seated intracranial cisterns. It was not possible to simultaneously pass the 12-mm endoscope and instruments through the keyhole craniotomy in any of the approaches performed, limiting visualization. The articulated instruments provided greater dexterity than existing tools, but the instrument arms could not be placed in parallel through the keyhole craniotomy and, therefore, could not be advanced to the deep cisterns without significant clashing. The da Vinci console offered considerable ergonomic advantages over the existing operating room arrangement, allowing the operating surgeon to remain non-sterile and seated comfortably throughout the procedure. However, the lack of haptic feedback was a notable limitation. In conclusion, while robotic platforms have the potential to greatly enhance the performance of transcranial approaches, there is strong justification for research into next-generation robots, better suited to keyhole neurosurgery.

[Short-term efficacy of da Vinci robotic surgical system on rectal cancer in 101 patients].

PubMed

Zeng, Dong-Zhu; Shi, Yan; Lei, Xiao; Tang, Bo; Hao, Ying-Xue; Luo, Hua-Xing; Lan, Yuan-Zhi; Yu, Pei-Wu

2013-05-01

To investigate the feasibility and safety of da Vinci robotic surgical system in rectal cancer radical operation, and to summarize its short-term efficacy and clinical experience. Data of 101 cases undergoing da Vinci robotic surgical system for rectal cancer radical operation from March 2010 to September 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Evaluation was focused on operative procedure, complication, recovery and pathology. All the 101 cases underwent operation successfully and safely without conversion to open procedure. Rectal cancer radical operation with da Vinci robotic surgical system included 73 low anterior resections and 28 abdominoperineal resections. The average operative time was (210.3±47.2) min. The average blood lose was (60.5±28.7) ml without transfusion. Lymphadenectomy harvest was 17.3±5.4. Passage of first flatus was (2.7±0.7) d. Distal margin was (5.3±2.3) cm without residual cancer cells. The complication rate was 6.9%, including anastomotic leakage(n=2), perineum incision infection(n=2), pulmonary infection (n=2), urinary retention (n=1). There was no postoperative death. The mean follow-up time was(12.9±8.0) months. No local recurrence was found except 2 cases with distant metastasis. Application of da Vinci robotic surgical system in rectal cancer radical operation is safe and patients recover quickly The short-term efficacy is satisfactory.

Visual degradation in Leonardo da Vinci's iconic self-portrait: A nanoscale study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conte, A. Mosca; Pulci, O.; Misiti, M. C.; Lojewska, J.; Teodonio, L.; Violante, C.; Missori, M.

2014-06-01

The discoloration of ancient paper, due to the development of oxidized groups acting as chromophores in its chief component, cellulose, is responsible for severe visual degradation in ancient artifacts. By adopting a non-destructive approach based on the combination of optical reflectance measurements and time-dependent density functional theory ab-initio calculations, we describe and quantify the chromophores affecting Leonardo da Vinci's iconic self-portrait. Their relative concentrations are very similar to those measured in modern and ancient samples aged in humid environments. This analysis quantifies the present level of optical degradation of the Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait which, compared with future measurements, will assess its degradation rate. This is a fundamental information in order to plan appropriate conservation strategies.

DA-1229, a dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor, protects against renal injury by preventing podocyte damage in an animal model of progressive renal injury.

PubMed

Eun Lee, Jee; Kim, Jung Eun; Lee, Mi Hwa; Song, Hye Kyoung; Ghee, Jung Yeon; Kang, Young Sun; Min, Hye Sook; Kim, Hyun Wook; Cha, Jin Joo; Han, Jee Young; Han, Sang Youb; Cha, Dae Ryong

2016-05-01

Although dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) inhibitors are known to have renoprotective effects, the mechanism underlying these effects has remained elusive. Here we investigated the effects of DA-1229, a novel DPPIV inhibitor, in two animal models of renal injury including db/db mice and the adriamycin nephropathy rodent model of chronic renal disease characterized by podocyte injury. For both models, DA-1229 was administered at 300 mg/kg/day. DPPIV activity in the kidney was significantly higher in diabetic mice compared with their nondiabetic controls. Although DA-1229 did not affect glycemic control or insulin resistance, DA-1229 did improve lipid profiles, albuminuria and renal fibrosis. Moreover, DA-1229 treatment resulted in decreased urinary excretion of nephrin, decreased circulating and kidney DPPIV activity, and decreased macrophage infiltration in the kidney. In adriamycin-treated mice, DPPIV activity in the kidney and urinary nephrin loss were both increased, whereas glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations were unchanged. Moreover, DA-1229 treatment significantly improved proteinuria, renal fibrosis and inflammation associated with decreased urinary nephrin loss, and kidney DPP4 activity. In cultured podocytes, DA-1229 restored the high glucose/angiotensin II-induced increase of DPPIV activity and preserved the nephrin levels in podocytes. These findings suggest that activation of DPPIV in the kidney has a role in the progression of renal disease, and that DA-1229 may exert its renoprotective effects by preventing podocyte injury.

A 115 kDa calmodulin-binding protein is located in rat liver endosome fractions.

PubMed Central

Enrich, C; Bachs, O; Evans, W H

1988-01-01

The distribution of calmodulin-binding polypeptides in various rat liver subcellular fractions was investigated. Plasma-membrane, endosome, Golgi and lysosome fractions were prepared by established procedures. The calmodulin-binding polypeptides present in the subcellular fractions were identified by using an overlay technique after transfer from gels to nitrocellulose sheets. Distinctive populations of calmodulin-binding polypeptides were present in all the fractions examined except lysosomes. A major 115 kDa calmodulin-binding polypeptide of pI 4.3 was located to the endosome subfractions, and it emerges as a candidate endosome-specific protein. Partitioning of endosome fractions between aqueous and Triton X-114 phases indicated that the calmodulin-binding polypeptide was hydrophobic. Major calmodulin-binding polypeptides of 140 and 240 kDa and minor polypeptides of 40-60 kDa were present in plasma membranes. The distribution of calmodulin in the various endosome and plasma-membrane fractions was also analysed, and the results indicated that the amounts were high compared with those in the cytosol. Images Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Fig. 4. Fig. 5. PMID:3214436

Impact of less invasive treatments including sclerotherapy with a new agent and hemorrhoidopexy for prolapsing internal hemorrhoids.

PubMed

Tokunaga, Yukihiko; Sasaki, Hirokazu

2013-01-01

Conventional hemorrhoidectomy is applied for the treatment of prolapsing internal hemorrhoids. Recently, less-invasive treatments such as sclerotherapy using aluminum potassium sulphate/tannic acid (ALTA) and a procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) have been introduced. We compared the results of sclerotherapy with ALTA and an improved type of PPH03 with those of hemorrhoidectomy. Between January 2006 and March 2009, we performed hemorrhoidectomy in 464 patients, ALTA in 940 patients, and PPH in 148 patients with second- and third-degree internal hemorrhoids according to the Goligher's classification. The volume of ALTA injected into a hemorrhoid was 7.3 ± 2.2 (mean ± SD) mL. The duration of the operation was significantly shorter in ALTA (13 ± 2 minutes) than in hemorrhoidectomy (43 ± 5 minutes) or PPH (32 ± 12 minutes). Postoperative pain, requiring intravenous pain medications, occurred in 65 cases (14%) in hemorrhoidectomy, in 16 cases (1.7%) in ALTA, and in 1 case (0.7%) in PPH. The disappearance rates of prolapse were 100% in hemorrhoidectomy, 96% in ALTA, and 98.6% in PPH. ALTA can be performed on an outpatient basis without any severe pain or complication, and PPH is a useful alternative treatment with less pain. Less-invasive treatments are beneficial when performed with care to avoid complications.

Leonardo da Vinci and Kethem-Kiveris vena.

PubMed

Dolezal, Antonín; Skorepova-Honzlova, Zita; Jelen, Karel

2012-01-01

In the drawing of coitus by Leonardo da Vinci are pictured the contemporary hypotheses regarding this act. The authors analyze the mamillaruteral connection depicted by the artist and grow up to believe that this is a hypothetical kiveris vena, female vein described by Anatomist Master Nicolai Physicus from the Salerno School. The Hebrew roots were found in the name. The connection is described also by Mondino in The Anathomia. The same connection can be found in the picture of the pregnant woman in Fasciculus Medicinæ by Johannes De Ketham.

The genome sequence of Agrotis segetum granulovirus, isolate AgseGV-DA, reveals a new Betabaculovirus species of a slow killing granulovirus.

PubMed

Gueli Alletti, Gianpiero; Eigenbrod, Marina; Carstens, Eric B; Kleespies, Regina G; Jehle, Johannes A

2017-06-01

The European isolate Agrotis segetum granulovirus DA (AgseGV-DA) is a slow killing, type I granulovirus due to low dose-mortality responses within seven days post infection and a tissue tropism of infection restricted solely to the fat body of infected Agrotis segetum host larvae. The genome of AgseGV-DA was completely sequenced and compared to the whole genome sequences of the Chinese isolates AgseGV-XJ and AgseGV-L1. All three isolates share highly conserved genomes. The AgseGV-DA genome is 131,557bp in length and encodes for 149 putative open reading frames, including 37 baculovirus core genes and the per os infectivity factor ac110. Comprehensive investigations of repeat regions identified one putative non-hr like origin of replication in AgseGV-DA. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated amino acid alignments of 37 baculovirus core genes as well as pairwise distances based on the nucleotide alignments of partial granulin, lef-8 and lef-9 sequences with deposited betabaculoviruses confirmed AgseGV-DA, AgseGV-XJ and AgseGV-L1 as representative isolates of the same Betabaculovirus species. AgseGV encodes for a distinct putative enhancin, distantly related to enhancins from other granuloviruses. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Anti-diabetic effects of DA-11004, a synthetic IDPc inhibitor in high fat high sucrose diet-fed C57BL/6J mice.

PubMed

Shin, Chang Yell; Jung, Mi Young; Lee, In Ki; Son, Miwon; Kim, Dong Sung; Lim, Joong In; Kim, Soon Hoe; Yoo, Moohi; Huh, Tae Lin; Sohn, Young Taek; Kim, Won Bae

2004-01-01

DA-11004 is a synthetic, potent NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDPc) inhibitor where IC50 for IDPc is 1.49 microM. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of DA-11004 on the high fat high sucrose (HF)-induced obesity in male C57BL/6J mice. After completing a 8-week period of experimentation, the mice were sacrificed 1 hr after the last DA-11004 treatment and their blood, liver, and adipose tissues (epididymal and retroperitoneal fat) were collected. There was a significant difference in the pattern of increasing body weight between the HF control and the DA-11004 group. In the DA-11004 (100 mg/kg) treated group the increase in body weight significantly declined and a content of epididymal fat and retroperitoneal fat was also significantly decreased as opposed to the HF control. DA-11004 (100 mg/ kg) inhibited the IDPc activity, and thus, NADPH levels in plasma and the levels of free fatty acid (FFA) or glucose in plasma were less than the levels of the HF control group. In conclusion, DA-11004 inhibited the fatty acid synthesis in adipose tissues via IDPc inhibition, and it decreased the plasma glucose levels and FFA in HF diet-induced obesity of C57BL/6J mice.