Sample records for infauna monitoring horns

  1. Size Matters: The Contribution of Mega-Infauna to the Food ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Large-bodied, invertebrates are common to infaunal communities of NE Pacific estuaries (e.g., bivalves, polychaetes, burrowing shrimps), but their contribution to the ecological structure, function and ecosystem services of most estuaries has been poorly characterized because they are difficult to sample and quantify. In a study of Yaquina estuary (Oregon) food webs, particular effort was made to quantify intertidal and subtidal mega-infauna using suction-excavated 40-cm diameter corers in addition to conventional sampling of macro-infauna. Additionally, the abundance and biomass of all floral and other faunal guilds (except microbial and mammalian guilds) were directly quantified or estimated from published studies, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were measured for abundant species, and inverse analysis was used to generate models of carbon flow within food webs of the lower and upper reaches of Yaquina estuary. Benthic invertebrates dominated the biomass and respiration among faunal guilds in both estuarine reaches, whereas biomass and respiration of birds and fish were two orders-of-magnitude smaller. Mega-infauna, particularly intertidal burrowing shrimps and bivalves, constituted most of the benthic invertebrate biomass, respiration and secondary production in both reaches, although only a small fraction of the total infaunal abundance. Mega-infauna were dominant consumers of phytoplankton, major contributors of carbon to sediment organic matter, a

  2. Twenty two years of sewage sludge marine disposal monitoring in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea: Impact on sediment quality and infauna and the response to load reduction.

    PubMed

    Kress, N; Shoham-Frider, E; Galil, B S

    2016-09-15

    Effects of sewage sludge disposal on sediments and infauna are presented in a unique long-term (22years) data set from the Eastern Mediterranean. While organic carbon (Corg) and metals affected sediment quality in an area which size varied seasonally, the infauna exhibited seasonal "boom and bust" cycle. Metal concentrations declined following load reduction. However, Corg did not decrease and infaunal abundance, closely related to Corg, varied with changes in environmental forcing. Mild winters affected the infaunal populations at the heavily impacted stations, due to anoxic conditions. Planned cessation of disposal is estimated to reduce Corg and metal concentrations to pre-discharge levels. Yet the resettling biota is expected to differ significantly from the pre-discharge one and consist in large part of Erythraean non indigenous species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The infauna of three widely distributed sponge species (Hexactinellida and Demospongiae) from the deep Ekström Shelf in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kersken, Daniel; Göcke, Christian; Brandt, Angelika; Lejzerowicz, Franck; Schwabe, Enrico; Anna Seefeldt, Meike; Veit-Köhler, Gritta; Janussen, Dorte

    2014-10-01

    Due to their high abundance and large body size sponges have a central position in Antarctic zoobenthos, where they form the most extensive sponge grounds of the world. Though research on Antarctic benthos communities is quite established, research on sponge-associated infauna communities is scarce. We analyzed associated infauna of fifteen individuals of the sponge species Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata Kirkpatrick, 1907 (Demospongiae: Mycalina), Rossella antarctica Carter, 1872 and R. racovitzae Topsent, 1901 (both Hexactinellida: Lyssacinosida). Samples were collected from the deep Ekström Shelf at 602 m in the South-Eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, during the ANT XXIV-2 (SYSTCO I) expedition of RV Polarstern. The number of species, α- and β-diversity and the significantly different species composition of infauna communities related to sponge species were calculated, the latter via cluster analysis. The sponge-associated infauna consisted of five phyla: Foraminifera, Nematoda, Polychaeta, Mollusca and Arthropoda. In total 11,463 infaunal specimens were extracted and we found at least 76 associated species. Highest values of α-diversity were calculated for a sample of R. antarctica with a Shannon-Index of 1.84 and Simpson-Index of 0.72 respectively. Our results of the cluster-analysis show significant differences between infauna communities and a unique species composition for single sponge species. Polychaetes of the genus Syllis Lamarck, 1818 were numerous in M. acerata and genera like Pionosyllis Malmgren, 1867 and Cirratulus Lamarck, 1801 were numerous in R. antarctica. Individuals of the amphipod species Seba cf. dubia Schellenberg, 1926 were often found in R. antarctica and R. racovitzae while Colomastix fissilingua Schellenberg, 1926 was frequent in samples of M. acerata. Molluscs were present in M. acerata and R. antarctica but absent in R. racovitzae.

  4. SEDIMENT DATA - ST. PAUL WATERWAY - TACOMA, WA - 1996 MONITORING DATA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Benthic Infauna Monitoring Data Files are Excel-format spreadsheet files which contain data presented in the St. Paul Waterway Area Remedial Action and Habitat Restoration Project, 1996 Monitoring Report. The files can be viewed directly or readily downlo aded and read into most ...

  5. Modeling the temporal dynamics of intertidal benthic infauna biomass with environmental factors: Impact assessment of land reclamation.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ye; Chui, Ting Fong May; Shen, Ping Ping; Yang, Yang; Gu, Ji Dong

    2018-03-15

    Anthropogenic activities such as land reclamation are threatening tidal marshes worldwide. This study's hypothesis is that land reclamation in a semi-enclosed bay alters the seasonal dynamics of intertidal benthic infauna, which is a key component in the tidal marsh ecosystem. Mai Po Tidal Marsh, Deep Bay, Pearl River Estuary, China was used as a case study to evaluate the hypothesis. Ecological models that simulate benthic biomass dynamics with governing environmental factors were developed, and various scenario experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of reclamations. Environmental variables, selected from the areas of hydrodynamics, meteorology, and water quality based on correlation analysis, were used to generate Bayesian regression models for biomass prediction. The best-performing model, which considered average water age (i.e., a hydrodynamic indicator of estuarine circulation) in the previous month, salinity variation (i.e., standard deviation of salinity), and the total sunny period in the current month, captured well both seasonal and yearly trends in the benthic infauna observations from 2002 to 2008. This model was then used to simulate biomass dynamics with varying inputs of water age and salinity variation from coastal numerical models of different reclamation scenarios. The simulation results suggest that the reclamation in 2007 decreased the spatial and annual average benthic infauna biomass in the tidal marsh by 20%, which agreed with the 28% biomass decrease recorded by field survey. The range of biomass seasonal variation also decreased significantly from 2.1 to 230.5g/m 2 (without any reclamation) to 1.2 to 131.1g/m 2 (after the 2007 reclamation), which further demonstrates the substantial ecological impact of reclamation. The ecological model developed in this study could simulate seasonal biomass dynamics and evaluate the ecological impact of reclamation projects. It can therefore be applied to evaluate the ecological impact of

  6. Novel Horn Designs for Power Ultrasonics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, M.; Bao, X.; Bar-Cohen, Y.; Chang, Z.

    2004-01-01

    Ultrasonic horns are used in a variety of industrial and medical applications. At JPL a rock-sampling tool based on an ultrasonic horn was developed to drill, abrade and core rock samples including hard basalts. This device is an impact device, which uses ultrasonic vibratlons that occur at the horn tip to produce a sonic resonance with the aid of a loosely connected mass. Although standard horns are found in many current industrial designs they suffer from a few key limitations when used for USDC applications. Manufacturing a horn requires turning down stock material (e.g. Titanium) from the larger outer diameter to the horn tip diameter, and this process is both time consuming and wasteful. In this paper, we present novel horn designs that are specifically designed for impact applications as the USDC. One such design addressed the excasive length that is involved with the use of the horn limiting its applications when system dimensions are constrained. For this purpose, a folded horn design was conceived that reduces the overall length of the resonator (physical length) but maintains or increases the acoustic length. Initial experiments with horns having such P design indicate that the tip displacement can be further adjusted by phasing the bending displacements and the extensional displacements. Another conceived horn design is the 'dog bone' horn that uses an end mass on the horn tip io increase the impact efficiency of the horn. In this paper, the experimental results for these novel born designs are presented and compared to the results predicted by theory.

  7. The SeaHorn Verification Framework

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gurfinkel, Arie; Kahsai, Temesghen; Komuravelli, Anvesh; Navas, Jorge A.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, we present SeaHorn, a software verification framework. The key distinguishing feature of SeaHorn is its modular design that separates the concerns of the syntax of the programming language, its operational semantics, and the verification semantics. SeaHorn encompasses several novelties: it (a) encodes verification conditions using an efficient yet precise inter-procedural technique, (b) provides flexibility in the verification semantics to allow different levels of precision, (c) leverages the state-of-the-art in software model checking and abstract interpretation for verification, and (d) uses Horn-clauses as an intermediate language to represent verification conditions which simplifies interfacing with multiple verification tools based on Horn-clauses. SeaHorn provides users with a powerful verification tool and researchers with an extensible and customizable framework for experimenting with new software verification techniques. The effectiveness and scalability of SeaHorn are demonstrated by an extensive experimental evaluation using benchmarks from SV-COMP 2015 and real avionics code.

  8. Multi-mode horn antenna simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dod, L. R.; Wolf, J. D.

    1980-01-01

    Radiation patterns were computed for a circular multimode horn antenna using waveguide electric field radiation expressions. The circular multimode horn was considered as a possible reflector feed antenna for the Large Antenna Multifrequency Microwave Radiometer (LAMMR). This horn antenna uses a summation of the TE sub 11 deg and TM sub 11 deg modes to generate far field primary radiation patterns with equal E and H plane beamwidths and low sidelobes. A computer program for the radiation field expressions using the summation of waveguide radiation modes is described. The sensitivity of the multimode horn antenna radiation patterns to phase variations between the two modes is given. Sample radiation pattern calculations for a reflector feed horn for LAMMR are shown. The multimode horn antenna provides a low noise feed suitable for radiometric applications.

  9. High-Aperture-Efficiency Horn Antenna

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pickens, Wesley; Hoppe, Daniel; Epp, Larry; Kahn, Abdur

    2005-01-01

    A horn antenna (see Figure 1) has been developed to satisfy requirements specific to its use as an essential component of a high-efficiency Ka-band amplifier: The combination of the horn antenna and an associated microstrip-patch antenna array is required to function as a spatial power divider that feeds 25 monolithic microwave integrated-circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers. The foregoing requirement translates to, among other things, a further requirement that the horn produce a uniform, vertically polarized electromagnetic field in its patches identically so that the MMICs can operate at maximum efficiency. The horn is fed from a square waveguide of 5.9436-mm-square cross section via a transition piece. The horn features cosine-tapered, dielectric-filled longitudinal corrugations in its vertical walls to create a hard boundary condition: This aspect of the horn design causes the field in the horn aperture to be substantially vertically polarized and to be nearly uniform in amplitude and phase. As used here, cosine-tapered signifies that the depth of the corrugations is a cosine function of distance along the horn. Preliminary results of finite-element simulations of performance have shown that by virtue of the cosine taper the impedance response of this horn can be expected to be better than has been achieved previously in a similar horn having linearly tapered dielectric- filled longitudinal corrugations. It is possible to create a hard boundary condition by use of a single dielectric-filled corrugation in each affected wall, but better results can be obtained with more corrugations. Simulations were performed for a one- and a three-corrugation cosine-taper design. For comparison, a simulation was also performed for a linear- taper design (see Figure 2). The three-corrugation design was chosen to minimize the cost of fabrication while still affording acceptably high performance. Future designs using more corrugations per wavelength are expected to provide better

  10. A Director's Guide to High School Horns.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conway, Collen

    1998-01-01

    Conveys that the horn (French horn) is the most difficult instrument for band and orchestra directors to teach because playing the horn requires students to have very strong aural skills. Identifies the horn specific techniques students should know, such as hand positions, alternate fingerings, and transposition. Provides different methods for…

  11. Folded Resonant Horns for Power Ultrasonic Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Askins, Stephen; Gradziel, Michael; Bao, Xiaoqi; Chang, Zensheu; Dolgin, Benjamin; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Peterson, Tom

    2003-01-01

    Folded horns have been conceived as alternatives to straight horns used as resonators and strain amplifiers in power ultrasonic systems. Such systems are used for cleaning, welding, soldering, cutting, and drilling in a variety of industries. In addition, several previous NASA Tech Briefs articles have described instrumented drilling, coring, and burrowing machines that utilize combinations of sonic and ultrasonic vibrational actuation. The main advantage of a folded horn, relative to a straight horn of the same resonance frequency, is that the folded horn can be made shorter (that is, its greatest linear dimension measured from the outside can be made smaller). Alternatively, for a given length, the resonance frequency can be reduced. Hence, the folded-horn concept affords an additional degree of design freedom for reducing the length of an ultrasonic power system that includes a horn.

  12. The audiological health of horn players.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Wayne J; O'Brien, Ian; Bradley, Andrew P

    2013-01-01

    Among orchestral musicians, horn players are one of the most at-risk groups for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). To investigate this group further, pure tone audiometry and a 14-item questionnaire were used to assess the hearing health, as well as attitudes and practices regarding hearing conservation, among 142 French horn players attending an international horn conference in Brisbane, Australia. Of this study's French horn players, 11.1% to 22.2%, and 17.7% to 32.9% of those aged ≤40 years, showed some form of hearing loss (corrected for age and gender) typical of NIHL, using conservative versus lenient criteria, respectively. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed no obvious predictor of hearing loss in this study's participants. Of the 18% of participants who reported using hearing protection, 81% used this protection "sometimes" and 50% used generic, foam, or other inferior forms of protection. Continued efforts to better manage the hearing health of horn players is warranted particularly as any hearing loss will affect a horn player's ability to perform and therefore his or her livelihood. Managing the hearing health of horn players will be challenging, however, with no simple predictor of NIHL loss being identified in this study's sample.

  13. Drought monitoring over the Horn of Africa using remotely sensed evapotranspiration, soil moisture and vegetation parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timmermans, J.; Gokmen, M.; Eden, U.; Abou Ali, M.; Vekerdy, Z.; Su, Z.

    2012-04-01

    The need to good drought monitoring and management for the Horn of Africa has never been greater. This ongoing drought is the largest in the past sixty years and is effecting the life of around 10 million people, according to the United Nations. The impact of drought is most apparent in food security and health. In addition secondary problems arise related to the drought such as large migration; more than 15000 Somalia have fled to neighboring countries to escape the problems caused by the drought. These problems will only grow in the future to larger areas due to increase in extreme weather patterns due to global climate change. Monitoring drought impact and managing the drought effects are therefore of critical importance. The impact of a drought is hard to characterize as drought depends on several parameters, like precipitation, land use, irrigation. Consequently the effects of the drought vary spatially and range from short-term to long-term. For this reason a drought event can be characterized into four categories: meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socio-economical. In terms of food production the agricultural drought, or short term dryness near the surface layer, is most important. This drought is usually characterized by low soil moisture content in the root zone, decreased evapotranspiration, and changes in vegetation vigor. All of these parameters can be detected with good accuracy from space. The advantage of remote sensing in Drought monitoring is evident. Drought monitoring is usually performed using drought indices, like the Palmer Index (PDSI), Crop Moisture Index (CMI), Standard Precipitation Index (SPI). With the introduction of remote sensing several indices of these have shown great potential for large scale application. These indices however all incorporate precipitation as the main surface parameter neglecting the response of the surface to the dryness. More recently two agricultural drought indices, the EvapoTranspiration Deficit

  14. Microstructure and mechanical properties of sheep horn.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Bing; Zhang, Ming; Zhao, Jian

    2016-07-01

    The sheep horn presents outstanding mechanical properties of impact resistance and energy absorption, which suits the need of the vehicle bumper design, but the mechanism behind this phenomenon is less investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the sheep horn of Small Tailed Han Sheep (Ovis aries) living in northeast China were investigated in this article. The effect of sampling position and orientation of the sheep horn sheath on mechanical properties were researched by tensile and compression tests. Meanwhile, the surface morphology and microstructure of the sheep horn were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation mechanism of the mechanical properties of the sheep horn was investigated by biological coupling analysis. The analytical results indicated that the outstanding mechanical properties of the sheep horn are determined by configuration, structure, surface morphology and material coupling elements. These biological coupling elements make the sheep horn possess super characteristics of crashworthiness and energy absorption through the internal coupling mechanism. We suppose that these findings would make a difference in vehicle bumper design. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:664-674, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Activity patterns and monitoring numbers of Horned Puffins and Parakeet Auklets

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hatch, Shyla A.

    2002-01-01

    Nearshore counts of birds on the water and time-lapse photography were used to monitor seasonal activity patterns and interannual variation in numbers of Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) and Parakeet Auklets (Aethia psittacula) at the Semidi Islands, Alaska. The best period for over-water counts was mid egg-laying through hatching in auklets and late prelaying through early hatching in puffins. Daily counts (07.00 h-09.30 h) varied widely, with peak numbers and days with few or no birds present occurring throughout the census period. Variation among annual means in four years amounted to 26% and 72% of total count variation in puffins and auklets, respectively. Time-lapse photography of nesting habitat in early incubation revealed a morning (08.00 h-12.00 h) peak in the number of puffins loitering on study plots. Birds recorded in time-lapse images never comprised more than a third of the estimated breeding population on a plot. Components of variance in the time-lapse study were 29% within hours, 9% among hours (08.00 h-12.00 h), and 62% among days (8-29 June). Variability of overwater and land-based counts is reduced by standardizing the time of day when counts are made, but weather conditions had little influence on either type of count. High international variation of population indices implies low power to detect numerical trends in crevice-nesting auklets and puffins.

  16. Actively adjustable step-type ultrasonic horns in longitudinal vibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Shuyu; Guo, Hao; Xu, Jie

    2018-04-01

    Actively adjustable longitudinal step-type ultrasonic horns are proposed and studied. The horn is composed of a traditional ultrasonic horn and piezoelectric material. In practical applications, this kind of step-type ultrasonic horn is mechanically excited by an ultrasonic transducer and the piezoelectric material is connected to an adjustable electric impedance. In this research, the effects of the electric impedance and of the location of the piezoelectric material on the performance of the horn are studied. It is shown that when the electric resistance is increased, the resonance frequency of the horn is increased; the displacement magnification is increased when the piezoelectric material is located in the large end and decreased when the piezoelectric material is located in the small end of the horn. The displacement magnification for the piezoelectric material in the large end is larger than that for the piezoelectric material in the small end of the horn. Some step-type ultrasonic horns are designed and manufactured; the resonance frequency and the displacement magnification are measured by means of POLYTEC Laser Scanning vibrometer. It is shown that the theoretical resonance frequency and the displacement magnification are in good agreement with the measured results. It is concluded that by means of the insertion of the piezoelectric material in the longitudinal horn, the horn performance can be adjusted by changing the electric impedance and the location of the piezoelectric material in the horn. It is expected that this kind of adjustable ultrasonic horns can be used in traditional and potential ultrasonic technologies where the vibrational performance adjustment is needed.

  17. Computer analysis speeds corrugated horn design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loefer, G. R.; Newton, J. M.; Schuchardt, J. M.; Dees, J. W.

    1976-01-01

    A computer analysis program is developed for selecting the optimum flare angle and horn length of a corrugated horn design, the horn diameter, and the radiation pattern, before resorting to machining operations. The calculated antenna pattern is best suited to narrowband designs, and averaging of the E and H planes is recommended for wideband work. The program language used is BASIC. Some design examples are provided with representative data, printouts, and a rundown of the equations programmed.

  18. The Fat-Dachsous signaling pathway regulates growth of horns in Trypoxylus dichotomus, but does not affect horn allometry.

    PubMed

    Hust, James; Lavine, Mark D; Worthington, Amy M; Zinna, Robert; Gotoh, Hiroki; Niimi, T; Lavine, Laura

    Males of the Asian rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, possess exaggerated head and thoracic horns that scale dramatically out of proportion to body size. While studies of insulin signaling suggest that this pathway regulates nutrition-dependent growth including exaggerated horns, what regulates disproportionate growth has yet to be identified. The Fat signaling pathway is a potential candidate for regulating disproportionate growth of sexually-selected traits, a hypothesis we advanced in a previous paper (Gotoh et al., 2015). To investigate the role of Fat signaling in the growth and scaling of the sexually dimorphic, condition-dependent traits of the in the Asian rhinoceros beetle T. dichotomus, we used RNA interference to knock down expression of fat and its co-receptor dachsous. Knockdown of fat, and to a lesser degree dachsous, caused shortening and widening of appendages, including the head and thoracic horns. However, scaling of horns to body size was not affected. Our results show that Fat signaling regulates horn growth in T. dichotomus as it does in appendage growth in other insects. However, we provide evidence that Fat signaling does not mediate the disproportionate, positive allometric growth of horns in T. dichotomus. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Emerging landscape degradation trends in the East African Horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pricope, N. G.; Michaelsen, J.; Husak, G. J.; Funk, C. C.; Lopez-Carr, D.

    2012-12-01

    Increasing climate variability along with declining trends in rainfall represent major risk factors affecting food security in many regions of the world. We identify Africa-wide regions where significant rainfall decreases from 1979-2011 are coupled with significant human population density increases. The rangelands of the East African Horn remain one of the world's most food insecure regions with significantly increasing human populations predominantly dependent on pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods. Widespread vegetation degradation is occurring, adversely impacting fragile ecosystems and human livelihoods. Using MODIS land cover and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data collected since 2000, we observe significant changes in vegetation patterns and productivity over the last decade across the East African Horn and demonstrate that these two products can be used concurrently at large spatial scales to monitor vegetation dynamics at decadal time scales. Results demonstrate that a near doubling of the population in pastoral regions is linked with hotspots of degradation in vegetation condition. The most significant land cover change and browning trends are observed in areas experiencing drying precipitation trends in addition to increasing population pressures. These findings have serious implications for current and future regional food security monitoring and forecasting and for mitigation and adaptation strategies in a region where population is expected to continue increasing against a backdrop of drying climate trends.Fig.1(a)Change in standardized precipitation index in Africa between 1979-2010 (b)Change in population density at continental scale using the GRUMPv1 1990 and 2000 and AfriPop 2010 population density datasets Fig.2 Land cover change trajectories based on 2001-2009 MOD12Q1 Land Cover product for the East African Horn overlaid over aggregated FEWS Net Livelihoods Zones.

  20. On the origin and evolutionary diversification of beetle horns

    PubMed Central

    Emlen, Douglas J.; Corley Lavine, Laura; Ewen-Campen, Ben

    2007-01-01

    Many scarab beetles produce rigid projections from the body called horns. The exaggerated sizes of these structures and the staggering diversity of their forms have impressed biologists for centuries. Recent comparative studies using DNA sequence-based phylogenies have begun to reconstruct the historical patterns of beetle horn evolution. At the same time, developmental genetic experiments have begun to elucidate how beetle horns grow and how horn growth is modulated in response to environmental variables, such as nutrition. We bring together these two perspectives to show that they converge on very similar conclusions regarding beetle evolution. Horns do not appear to be difficult structures to gain or lose, and they can diverge both dramatically and rapidly in form. Although much of this work is still preliminary, we use available information to propose a conceptual developmental model for the major trajectories of beetle horn evolution. We illustrate putative mechanisms underlying the evolutionary origin of horns and the evolution of horn location, shape, allometry, and dimorphism. PMID:17494751

  1. The rams horn in western history

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubman, David

    2003-10-01

    The shofar or rams horn-one of the most ancient of surviving aerophones-may have originated with early Neolithic herders. The shofar is mentioned frequently and importantly in the Hebrew bible and in later biblical and post-biblical literature. Despite its long history, contemporary ritual uses, and profound symbolic significance to western religion, no documentation of shofar acoustical properties was found. Since ancient times, shepherds of many cultures have fashioned sound instruments from the horns of herd animals for practical and musical uses. Shepherd horns of other cultures exhibit an evolution of form and technology (e.g., the inclusion of finger holes). The shofar is unique in having retained its primitive form. It is suggested that after centuries of practical use, the shofar became emblematic of the shepherd culture. Ritual use then developed, which froze its form. A modern ritual rams horn played by an experienced blower was examined. This rather short horn was determined to have a source strength of 92 dB (A) at 1 m, a fundamental frequency near 420 Hz, and maximum power output between 1.2 and 1.8 kHz. Sample sounds and detection range estimates are provided.

  2. Planar Rotary Piezoelectric Motor Using Ultrasonic Horns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Geiyer, Daniel; Ostlund, Patrick N.; Allen, Phillip

    2011-01-01

    A motor involves a simple design that can be embedded into a plate structure by incorporating ultrasonic horn actuators into the plate. The piezoelectric material that is integrated into the horns is pre-stressed with flexures. Piezoelectric actuators are attractive for their ability to generate precision high strokes, torques, and forces while operating under relatively harsh conditions (temperatures at single-digit K to as high as 1,273 K). Electromagnetic motors (EM) typically have high rotational speed and low torque. In order to produce a useful torque, these motors are geared down to reduce the speed and increase the torque. This gearing adds mass and reduces the efficiency of the EM. Piezoelectric motors can be designed with high torques and lower speeds directly without the need for gears. Designs were developed for producing rotary motion based on the Barth concept of an ultrasonic horn driving a rotor. This idea was extended to a linear motor design by having the horns drive a slider. The unique feature of these motors is that they can be designed in a monolithic planar structure. The design is a unidirectional motor, which is driven by eight horn actuators, that rotates in the clockwise direction. There are two sets of flexures. The flexures around the piezoelectric material are pre-stress flexures and they pre-load the piezoelectric disks to maintain their being operated under compression when electric field is applied. The other set of flexures is a mounting flexure that attaches to the horn at the nodal point and can be designed to generate a normal force between the horn tip and the rotor so that to first order it operates independently and compensates for the wear between the horn and the rotor.

  3. Railroad crossing wayside horn evaluation : final report, May 11, 2007.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2007-05-11

    One potential solution for reducing horn noise from a locomotive is a stationary horn mounted at the crossing. This wayside horn is sounded in place of the locomotive horn when a train approaches and is positioned to direct the sound precisely ...

  4. Amplitude, frequency, and timbre with the French horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konz, Nicholas; Ruiz, Michael J.

    2018-07-01

    The French horn is used to introduce the three basic properties of periodic waves: amplitude, frequency, and waveform. These features relate to the perceptual characteristics of loudness, pitch, and timbre encountered in everyday language. Visualizations are provided in the form of oscilloscope screenshots, spectrograms, and Fourier spectra to illustrate the physics. Introductory students will find the musical relevance interesting as they experience a real-world application of physics. Demonstrations playing the French horn are provided in an accompanying video (Ruiz 2018 Video: Amplitude, frequency, and timbre with the French horn http://mjtruiz.com/ped/horn/).

  5. 802GHz integrated horn antennas imaging array

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ali-Ahmad, Walid Y.; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.; Dave, Hemant; Chin, Gordon

    1991-01-01

    Pattern measurements at 802GHz of a single element in 256-element integrated horn imaging array are presented. The integrated-horn antenna consists of a dipole-antenna suspended on a 1-micron dielectric membrane inside a pyramidal cavity etched in silicon. The theoretical far-field patterns, calculated using reciprocity and Floquet-modes representation of the free-space field, agree well with the measured far-field patterns at 802GHz. The associated directivity for a 1.40 lambda horn aperture, calculated from the measured E and H-plane patterns is 12.3dB + or - 0.2dB. This work demonstrates that high-efficiency integrated-horn antennas are easily scalable to terahertz frequencies and could be used for radio-astronomical and plasma-diagnostic applications.

  6. Microstructure and mechanical properties of horns derived from three domestic bovines.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Quan-bin; Li, Chun; Pan, Yan-ting; Shan, Guang-hua; Cao, Ping; He, Jia; Lin, Zhong-shi; Ao, Ning-jian; Huang, Yao-xiong

    2013-12-01

    The microstructure and mechanical properties of horns derived from three domestic bovines (buffalo, cattle and sheep) were examined. The effects of water content, sampling position and orientation of three bovid horns on mechanical properties were systematically investigated by uniaxial tension and micron indentation tests. Meanwhile, the material composition and metal element contents were determined by Raman spectroscopy and elemental analysis respectively, and the microstructures of the horns were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results show that the mechanical properties of horns have negative correlation with water contents and depend on sampling position and orientation. The spatial variations of the mechanical properties in horns are attributed to the different keratinization degrees in the proximal, middle and distal parts. And the mechanical properties of horns in the longitudinal direction are better than those in transverse. Among the three kinds of horns, the mechanical properties of buffalo horn are the best, followed by cattle horn, and those in sheep horn are the worst. This is due to the differences in material composition, metal element, and the microstructures of the horns. But the mechanical properties of buffalo horns are not dependent on the source of the buffalo. Therefore, regular engineered buffalo keratinous materials with standard mechanical properties can be obtained from different buffalo horns by using proper preparation methods. © 2013.

  7. Monolithic Flexure Pre-Stressed Ultrasonic Horns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Allen, Phillip Grant

    2011-01-01

    High-power ultrasonic actuators are generally assembled with a horn, backing, stress bolt, piezoelectric rings, and electrodes. The manufacturing process is complex, expensive, difficult, and time-consuming. The internal stress bolt needs to be insulated and presents a potential internal discharge point, which can decrease actuator life. Also, the introduction of a center hole for the bolt causes many failures, reducing the throughput of the manufactured actuators. A new design has been developed for producing ultrasonic horn actuators. This design consists of using flexures rather than stress bolts, allowing one to apply pre-load to the piezoelectric material. It also allows one to manufacture them from a single material/plate, rapid prototype them, or make an array in a plate or 3D structure. The actuator is easily assembled, and application of pre-stress greater than 25 MPa was demonstrated. The horn consists of external flexures that eliminate the need for the conventional stress bolt internal to the piezoelectric, and reduces the related complexity. The stress bolts are required in existing horns to provide prestress on piezoelectric stacks when driven at high power levels. In addition, the manufacturing process benefits from the amenability to produce horn structures with internal cavities. The removal of the pre-stress bolt removes a potential internal electric discharge point in the actuator. In addition, it significantly reduces the chances of mechanical failure in the piezoelectric stacks that result from the hole surface in conventional piezoelectric actuators. The novel features of this disclosure are: 1. A design that can be manufactured from a single piece of metal using EDM, precision machining, or rapid prototyping. 2. Increased electromechanical coupling of the horn actuator. 3. Higher energy density. 4. A monolithic structure of a horn that consists of an external flexure or flexures that can be used to pre-stress a solid piezoelectric structure

  8. Variability in colony attendance of crevice-nesting horned puffins: Implications for population monitoring

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harding, A.M.A.; Piatt, John F.; Byrd, G.V.; Hatch, Shyla A.; Konyukhov, N.B.; Golubova, E.U.; Williams, J.C.

    2005-01-01

    It is difficult to survey crevice-nesting seabirds because nest-sites are hard to identify and count, and the number of adult birds attending a colony can be extremely variable within and between days. There is no standardized method for surveying crevice-nesting horned puffins (Fratercula corniculata), and consequently little is known about abundance or changes in their numbers. We examined the variability in colony attendance of horned puffins at 5 breeding colonies in the North Pacific to assess whether variation in count data can be reduced to a level that would allow us to detect changes in the number of birds attending a colony. We used within-year measures of variation in attendance to examine the power to detect a change in numbers between 2 years, and we used measures of among-year variation to examine the power to detect trends over multiple years. Diurnal patterns of attendance differed among colonies, and among-day variation in attendance was generally lowest from mid- to late-incubation to early chick rearing. Within-year variation in water counts was lower than in land counts, and variation was lower using a daily index based on 5 counts per day than it was using 1 count per day. Measures of among-year variation in attendance also were higher for land-based than water-based counts, and they were higher when we used a 10-day survey period than when we used a 30-day period. The use of either 1 or 5 counts a day during the colony-specific diurnal peak of attendance had little influence on levels of among-year variation. Overall, our study suggests that variation in count data may be reduced to a level that allows detection of trends in numbers. However, more studies of interannual variability in horned puffin attendance are needed. Further, the relationship between count data and breeding population size needs more study before the number of birds present at the colony can be used with confidence as an index of population trend.

  9. Aperture efficiency of integrated-circuit horn antennas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Guo, Yong; Lee, Karen; Stimson, Philip; Potter, Kent; Rutledge, David

    1991-01-01

    The aperture efficiency of silicon integrated-circuit horn antennas has been improved by optimizing the length of the dipole probes and by coating the entire horn walls with gold. To make these measurements, a new thin-film power-density meter was developed for measuring power density with accuracies better than 5 percent. The measured aperture efficiency improved from 44 percent to 72 percent at 93 GHz. This is sufficient for use in many applications which now use machined waveguide horns.

  10. 77 FR 49779 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-17

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee... Big Horn County Weed and Pest Building, 4782 Highway 310, Greybull, Wyoming. Written comments about...

  11. 75 FR 71069 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-22

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee... held at the Big Horn County Weed and Pest Building, 4782 Highway 310, Greybull, Wyoming. Written...

  12. Millimeter-wave integrated-horn antennas. I - Theory. II - Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eleftheriades, George V.; Ali-Ahmad, Walid Y.; Katehi, Linda P. B.; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.

    1991-01-01

    Full-wave analysis is employed to determine the far-field pattern and input impedance of a dipole-fed horn antenna in a ground plane, and the theoretical results are compared with mm-wave and microwave data. The theoretical work exploits the Green's function corresponding to the horn structure and the method of moments. It is determined that the horn should have 70 sections/wavelength and 50 secondary modes for optimized accuracy, and certain dipole positions can reduce the resonance to zero. The experimentally derived impedance and radiation patterns agree with the constraints developed theoretically. The 70-degree flare-angle horn with selected dipole positions and horn apertures yields good radiation patterns, cross-polarization levels, and resonant dipole impedances. The conclusions are of interest to the development of the horn antennas etched in Si/GaAs for applications to zero-visibility tracking, radio astronomy, plasma diagnostics, and remote sensing.

  13. 76 FR 26240 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-06

    ... words Big Horn County RAC in the subject line. Facsimilies may be sent to 307-674-2668. All comments... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee...

  14. Ultra-wideband horn antenna with abrupt radiator

    DOEpatents

    McEwan, Thomas E.

    1998-01-01

    An ultra-wideband horn antenna transmits and receives impulse waveforms for short-range radars and impulse time-of flight systems. The antenna reduces or eliminates various sources of close-in radar clutter, including pulse dispersion and ringing, sidelobe clutter, and feedline coupling into the antenna. Dispersion is minimized with an abrupt launch point radiator element; sidelobe and feedline coupling are minimized by recessing the radiator into a metallic horn. Low frequency cut-off associated with a horn is extended by configuring the radiator drive impedance to approach a short circuit at low frequencies. A tapered feed plate connects at one end to a feedline, and at the other end to a launcher plate which is mounted to an inside wall of the horn. The launcher plate and feed plate join at an abrupt edge which forms the single launch point of the antenna.

  15. 78 FR 33326 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee... will be held July 15, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at Big Horn County Weed and...

  16. Ultra-wideband horn antenna with abrupt radiator

    DOEpatents

    McEwan, T.E.

    1998-05-19

    An ultra-wideband horn antenna transmits and receives impulse waveforms for short-range radars and impulse time-of flight systems. The antenna reduces or eliminates various sources of close-in radar clutter, including pulse dispersion and ringing, sidelobe clutter, and feedline coupling into the antenna. Dispersion is minimized with an abrupt launch point radiator element; sidelobe and feedline coupling are minimized by recessing the radiator into a metallic horn. Low frequency cut-off associated with a horn is extended by configuring the radiator drive impedance to approach a short circuit at low frequencies. A tapered feed plate connects at one end to a feedline, and at the other end to a launcher plate which is mounted to an inside wall of the horn. The launcher plate and feed plate join at an abrupt edge which forms the single launch point of the antenna. 8 figs.

  17. Reduction of Off-Boresight Fields for a TEM Horn Antenna

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-12-01

    model predicts the tapers will reduce the diffraction. Experimental results verify the TPS’s ability to reduce the peak off-hureslht ld& for a. TElL horn...diffractin. Experimental results verify the PS’s ability to reduce the fields foi a T14 horn anitnna xi Reduction of Off-Boresight Fields for a TEM Horn...geometry, has a constant amplitude response. Two simple models repiesent a TEM horn - a high frequency model and a low frequency model [5). At high

  18. [Twin pregnancy in a unicornuate uterus with a rudimentary horn].

    PubMed

    Ejnès, L; Desprez, B; Bongain, A; Gillet, J Y

    2003-01-01

    We describe the case of a rudimentary horn pregnancy coexistent with an intrauterine pregnancy. This situation is usually associated with rupture of the rudimentary horn and death of the correspondent twin. This is the first report on a multiple gestation with the two siblings successfully delivered by caesarean section in the two horns of a unicornuate uterus with rudimentary horn before any complication. Since the maternal mortality is higher in this situation, early ultrasound diagnosis is important to make the right decisions.

  19. [Pregnancy in rudimentary uterine horn: diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties].

    PubMed

    Sefrioui, O; Azyez, M; Babahabib, A; Kaanane, F; Matar, N

    2004-04-01

    Ectopic pregnancy in a rudimentary uterine horn is extremely uncommon. Implantation of one embryo in the uterine cavity and of another in a rudimentary uterine horn is an extremely uncommon form of twin pregnancy. The authors report three cases of pregnancies in a rudimentary uterine horn. One was associated to a heterotopic pregnancy in the other eutrophic horn. Through these three cases, they report the risks incurred and the difficulties of the assumption of responsibility of this type of pathology, on the diagnostic as well as therapeutic level. But generally underline the interest of echography especially endovaginale and the coelioscopy in the early diagnosis of this type of uterine malformation.

  20. Monolithic Flexure Pre-Stressed Ultrasonic Horns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Allen, Phillip Grant (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    A monolithic ultrasonic horn where the horn, backing, and pre-stress structures are combined in a single monolithic piece is disclosed. Pre-stress is applied by external flexure structures. The provision of the external flexures has numerous advantages including the elimination of the need for a pre-stress bolt. The removal of the pre-stress bolt eliminates potential internal electric discharge points in the actuator. In addition, it reduces the chances of mechanical failure in the actuator stacks that result from the free surface in the hole of conventional ring stacks. In addition, the removal of the stress bolt and the corresponding reduction in the overall number of parts reduces the overall complexity of the resulting ultrasonic horn actuator and simplifies the ease of the design, fabrication and integration of the actuator of the present invention into other structures.

  1. Monolithic Flexure Pre-Stressed Ultrasonic Horns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Allen, Phillip Grant (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A monolithic ultrasonic horn where the horn, backing, and pre-stress structures are combined in a single monolithic piece is disclosed. Pre-stress is applied by external flexure structures. The provision of the external flexures has numerous advantages including the elimination of the need for a pre-stress bolt. The removal of the pre-stress bolt eliminates potential internal electric discharge points in the actuator. In addition, it reduces the chances of mechanical failure in the actuator stacks that result from the free surface in the hole of conventional ring stacks. In addition, the removal of the stress bolt and the corresponding reduction in the overall number of parts reduces the overall complexity of the resulting ultrasonic horn actuator and simplifies the ease of the design, fabrication and integration of the actuator of the present invention into other structures.

  2. Breeding ecology of Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) in Alaska: annual variation and effects of El Niño

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harding, A.M.A.; Piatt, John F.; Hamer, K.C.

    2003-01-01

    Both within and among seabird species, different aspects of breeding biology may respond to changes in prey availability in distinct ways, and the identification of species-specific breeding parameters that are sensitive to food availability is useful for monitoring purposes. We present data from a 5-year study (1995–1999) of the breeding ecology of Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) in Alaska. The El Niño – Southern Oscillation event of 1997–1998 provided an opportunity to examine the sensitivity of various breeding parameters to a reduction in prey availability caused by the anomalous oceanographic conditions of 1998. Horned Puffins were able to maintain high fledging success (83–97%) over the 5 years of the study, despite the poor local feeding conditions in 1998. The rate of increase in chick mass was lowest in 1998, and evidence suggests that chicks also fledged at the youngest ages in that year. The impacts of reduced food availability on growth varied among body structures, suggesting differential allocation of energy and nutrients. There was no variation among years in either chick diet or the mass of food loads delivered by adults. We suggest that rates of chick growth, specifically mass increase, may be a good parameter to measure for use in monitoring Horned Puffins.

  3. Dog-Bone Horns for Piezoelectric Ultrasonic/Sonic Actuators

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chang, Zensheu; Bao, Xiaoqi

    2007-01-01

    A shape reminiscent of a dog bone has been found to be superior to other shapes for mechanical-amplification horns that are components of piezoelectrically driven actuators used in a series of related devices denoted generally as ultrasonic/sonic drill/corers (USDCs). The first of these devices was reported in Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corers With Integrated Sensors (NPO-20856), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2001), page 38. The dog-bone shape was conceived especially for use in a more recent device in the series, denoted an ultrasonic/ sonic gopher, that was described in Ultrasonic/Sonic Mechanisms for Drilling and Coring (NPO-30291), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 9 (September 2003), page 65. The figure shows an example of a dog-bone-shaped horn and other components of an ultrasonic gopher. Prerequisite to a meaningful description of this development is an unavoidably lengthy recapitulation of the principle of operation of a USDC and, more specifically, of the ultrasonic/sonic gopher as described previously in NASA Tech Briefs. The ultrasonic actuator includes a stack of piezoelectric rings, the horn, a metal backing, and a bolt that connects the aforementioned parts and provides compressive pre-strain to the piezoelectric stack to prevent breakage of the rings during extension. The stack of piezoelectric rings is excited at the resonance frequency of the overall ultrasonic actuator. Through mechanical amplification by the horn, the displacement in the ultrasonic vibration reaches tens of microns at the tip of the horn. The horn hammers an object that is denoted the free mass because it is free to move longitudinally over a limited distance between hard stops: The free mass bounces back and forth between the ultrasonic horn and a tool bit (a drill bit or a corer). Because the longitudinal speed of the free mass is smaller than the longitudinal speed of vibration of the tip of the horn, contact between the free mass and the horn tip usually occurs at a

  4. Special-purpose computer for holography HORN-4 with recurrence algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shimobaba, Tomoyoshi; Hishinuma, Sinsuke; Ito, Tomoyoshi

    2002-10-01

    We designed and built a special-purpose computer for holography, HORN-4 (HOlographic ReconstructioN) using PLD (Programmable Logic Device) technology. HORN computers have a pipeline architecture. We use HORN-4 as an attached processor to enhance the performance of a general-purpose computer when it is used to generate holograms using a "recurrence formulas" algorithm developed by our previous paper. In the HORN-4 system, we designed the pipeline by adopting our "recurrence formulas" algorithm which can calculate the phase on a hologram. As the result, we could integrate the pipeline composed of 21 units into one PLD chip. The units in the pipeline consists of one BPU (Basic Phase Unit) unit and twenty CU (Cascade Unit) units. These CU units can compute twenty light intensities on a hologram plane at one time. By mounting two of the PLD chips on a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) universal board, HORN-4 can calculate holograms at high speed of about 42 Gflops equivalent. The cost of HORN-4 board is about 1700 US dollar. We could obtain 800×600 grids hologram from a 3D-image composed of 415 points in about 0.45 sec with the HORN-4 system.

  5. The Ram's Horn.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rassias, John A., Ed.; And Others

    1983-01-01

    The summer-fall and winter-spring numbers of the journal, "The Ram's Horn," contain these articles: "The Text as Dramatic Departure"; "The Dartmouth Language Outreach Approach to Spanish for Police Action"; "The Dartmouth Intensive Language Model (DILM) in Florida: John Rassias with High School Teachers";…

  6. Special-purpose computer for holography HORN-2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Tomoyoshi; Eldeib, Hesham; Yoshida, Kenji; Takahashi, Shinya; Yabe, Takashi; Kunugi, Tomoaki

    1996-01-01

    We designed and built a special-purpose computer for holography, HORN-2 (HOlographic ReconstructioN). HORN-2 calculates light intensity at high speed of 0.3 Gflops per one board with single (32-bit floating point) precision. The cost of the board is 500 000 Japanese yen (5000 US dollar). We made three boards. Operating them in parallel, we get about 1 Gflops.

  7. A rat uterine horn model of genital tract wound healing.

    PubMed

    Schlaff, W D; Cooley, B C; Shen, W; Gittlesohn, A M; Rock, J A

    1987-11-01

    A rat uterine horn model of genital tract wound healing is described. Healing was reflected by acquisition of strength and elasticity, measured by burst strength (BS) and extensibility (EX), respectively. A tensiometer (Instron Corp., Canton, MA) was used to assess these characteristics in castrated and estrogen-supplemented or nonsupplemented animals. While the horn weights (HW), BS, and EX of contralateral horns were not significantly different, the intra-animal variation of HW was 7.2%, BS was 17.7% and EX was 38.2%. In a second experiment, one uterine horn was divided and anastomosed, and the animal given estrogen supplementation or a placebo pellet. Estrogen administration was found to increase BS and EX of anastomosed horns prior to 14 days, but had no beneficial effect at 21 or 42 days. The data suggest that estrogen may be required for optimal early healing of genital tract wounds.

  8. Studies on thermo-elastic heating of horns used in ultrasonic plastic welding.

    PubMed

    Roopa Rani, M; Prakasan, K; Rudramoorthy, R

    2015-01-01

    Ultrasonic welding horn is half wavelength section or tool used to focus the ultrasonic vibrations to the components being welded. The horn is designed in such a way that it maximizes the amplitude of the sound wave passing through it. The ends of the horn represent the displacement anti-nodes and the center the 'node' of the wave. As the horns perform 20,000 cycles of expansion and contraction per second, they are highly stressed at the nodes and are heated owing to thermo-elastic effects. Considerable temperature rise may be observed in the horn, at the nodal region when working at high amplitudes indicating high stress levels leading to failure of horns due to cyclic loading. The limits for amplitude must therefore be evaluated for the safe working of the horn. Horns made of different materials have different thermo-elastic behaviors and hence different temperatures at the nodes and antinodes. This temperature field can be used as a control mechanism for setting the amplitude/weld parameters. Safe stress levels can be predicted using modal and harmonic analyses followed by a stress analysis to study the effect of cyclic loads. These are achieved using 'Ansys'. The maximum amplitude level obtained from the stress analysis is used as input for 'Comsol' to predict the temperature field. The actual temperature developed in the horn during operation is measured using infrared camera and compared with the simulated temperature. From experiments, it is observed that horn made of titanium had the lowest temperature rise at the critical region and can be expected to operate at amplitudes up to 77 μm without suffering failure due to cyclic loading. The method of predicting thermo-elastic stresses and temperature may be adopted by the industry for operating the horn within the safe stress limits thereby extending the life of the horn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. 76 FR 47141 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-04

    ....us , with the words Big Horn County RAC in the subject line. Facsimilies may be sent to 307-674-2668... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. [[Page 47142

  10. Horned lizards (Phrynosoma) incapacitate dangerous ant prey with mucus.

    PubMed

    Sherbrooke, Wade C; Schwenk, Kurt

    2008-10-01

    Horned lizards (Iguanidae, Phrynosomatinae, Phrynosoma) are morphologically specialized reptiles characterized by squat, tank-like bodies, short limbs, blunt snouts, spines and cranial horns, among other traits. They are unusual among lizards in the degree to which they specialize on a diet of ants, but exceptional in the number of pugnacious, highly venomous, stinging ants they consume, especially harvester ants (genus Pogonomyrmex). Like other iguanian lizards, they capture insect prey on the tongue, but unlike other lizards, they neither bite nor chew dangerous prey before swallowing. Instead, they employ a unique kinematic pattern in which prey capture, transport and swallowing are combined. Nevertheless, horned lizards consume dozens of harvester ants without harm. We show that their derived feeding kinematics are associated with unique, mucus-secreting pharyngeal papillae that apparently serve to immobilize and incapacitate dangerous ants as they are swallowed by compacting them and binding them in mucus strands. Radially branched esophageal folds provide additional mucus-secreting surfaces the ants pass through as they are swallowed. Ants extracted from fresh-killed horned lizard stomachs are curled ventrally into balls and bound in mucus. We conclude that the pharyngeal papillae, in association with a unique form of hyolingual prey transport and swallowing, are horned lizard adaptations related to a diet of dangerous prey. Harvester ant defensive weapons, along with horned lizard adaptations against such weapons, suggest a long-term, predator-prey, co-evolutionary arms race between Phrynosoma and Pogonomyrmex. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. HORN-6 special-purpose clustered computing system for electroholography.

    PubMed

    Ichihashi, Yasuyuki; Nakayama, Hirotaka; Ito, Tomoyoshi; Masuda, Nobuyuki; Shimobaba, Tomoyoshi; Shiraki, Atsushi; Sugie, Takashige

    2009-08-03

    We developed the HORN-6 special-purpose computer for holography. We designed and constructed the HORN-6 board to handle an object image composed of one million points and constructed a cluster system composed of 16 HORN-6 boards. Using this HORN-6 cluster system, we succeeded in creating a computer-generated hologram of a three-dimensional image composed of 1,000,000 points at a rate of 1 frame per second, and a computer-generated hologram of an image composed of 100,000 points at a rate of 10 frames per second, which is near video rate, when the size of a computer-generated hologram is 1,920 x 1,080. The calculation speed is approximately 4,600 times faster than that of a personal computer with an Intel 3.4-GHz Pentium 4 CPU.

  12. Elaborate horns in a giant rhinoceros beetle incur negligible aerodynamic costs.

    PubMed

    McCullough, Erin L; Tobalske, Bret W

    2013-05-07

    Sexually selected ornaments and weapons are among nature's most extravagant morphologies. Both ornaments and weapons improve a male's reproductive success; yet, unlike ornaments that need only attract females, weapons must be robust and functional structures because they are frequently tested during male-male combat. Consequently, weapons are expected to be particularly costly to bear. Here, we tested the aerodynamic costs of horns in the giant rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus. We predicted that the long, forked head horn would have three main effects on flight performance: increased body mass, an anterior shift in the centre of mass and increased body drag. We found that the horns were surprisingly lightweight, and therefore had a trivial effect on the male beetles' total mass and mass distribution. Furthermore, because beetles typically fly at slow speeds and high body angles, horns had little effect on total body drag. Together, the weight and the drag of horns increased the overall force required to fly by less than 3 per cent, even in the largest males. Because low-cost structures are expected to be highly evolutionarily labile, the fact that horns incur very minor flight costs may have permitted both the elaboration and diversification of rhinoceros beetle horns.

  13. Elaborate horns in a giant rhinoceros beetle incur negligible aerodynamic costs

    PubMed Central

    McCullough, Erin L.; Tobalske, Bret W.

    2013-01-01

    Sexually selected ornaments and weapons are among nature's most extravagant morphologies. Both ornaments and weapons improve a male's reproductive success; yet, unlike ornaments that need only attract females, weapons must be robust and functional structures because they are frequently tested during male–male combat. Consequently, weapons are expected to be particularly costly to bear. Here, we tested the aerodynamic costs of horns in the giant rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus. We predicted that the long, forked head horn would have three main effects on flight performance: increased body mass, an anterior shift in the centre of mass and increased body drag. We found that the horns were surprisingly lightweight, and therefore had a trivial effect on the male beetles' total mass and mass distribution. Furthermore, because beetles typically fly at slow speeds and high body angles, horns had little effect on total body drag. Together, the weight and the drag of horns increased the overall force required to fly by less than 3 per cent, even in the largest males. Because low-cost structures are expected to be highly evolutionarily labile, the fact that horns incur very minor flight costs may have permitted both the elaboration and diversification of rhinoceros beetle horns. PMID:23486444

  14. 49 CFR Appendix E to Part 222 - Requirements for Wayside Horns

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., indicates that the system is not operating as intended; 4. Horn system must provide a minimum sound level of... locomotive engineer to sound the locomotive horn for at least 15 seconds prior to arrival at the crossing in...; 5. Horn system must sound at a minimum of 15 seconds prior to the train's arrival at the crossing...

  15. 49 CFR Appendix E to Part 222 - Requirements for Wayside Horns

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., indicates that the system is not operating as intended; 4. Horn system must provide a minimum sound level of... locomotive engineer to sound the locomotive horn for at least 15 seconds prior to arrival at the crossing in...; 5. Horn system must sound at a minimum of 15 seconds prior to the train's arrival at the crossing...

  16. Automatic monitoring of vibration welding equipment

    DOEpatents

    Spicer, John Patrick; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Wincek, Michael Anthony; Wang, Hui; Abell, Jeffrey A; Bracey, Jennifer; Cai, Wayne W

    2014-10-14

    A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host device, a check station, and a robot. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station. Sensors, e.g., temperature sensors, are positioned with respect to the welding equipment. Additional sensors are positioned with respect to the check station, including a pressure-sensitive array. The host device, which monitors a condition of the welding equipment, measures signals via the sensors positioned with respect to the welding equipment when the horn is actively forming a weld. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the check station sensors at the check station, and determines a condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. Acoustic, force, temperature, displacement, amplitude, and/or attitude/gyroscopic sensors may be used.

  17. Frontal horn thin walled cysts in preterm neonates are benign

    PubMed Central

    Pal, B; Preston, P; Morgan, M; Rushton, D; Durbin, G

    2001-01-01

    BACKGROUND—Screening cranial ultrasound led to the discovery of isolated frontal horn cysts quite distinct from periventricular leucomalacia cysts.
AIM—To clarify their significance, incidence, characteristics, causal factors or aetiology, and effect on long term outcome.
DESIGN—A retrospective observational study of all first cranial ultrasound scans (total of 2914) performed during the period 1984-1994 inclusive found 21 neonates with smooth thin walled frontal horn cysts: 18 of 2629 scanned were of birth weight < 1500 g or gestation < 33 weeks, and three of 285 were > 33 weeks gestation. Sequential ultrasound, maternal records, and neonatal events were retrospectively assessed. In survivors, routine neurodevelopmental evaluations were obtained. Postmortem studies of one cyst were performed to determine the nature and origin of these lesions.
RESULTS—Of the 21 subjects, 15 had isolated frontal horn cysts and six had additional ultrasound scan abnormalities, including four with subependymal haemorrhage. The sonographic features of frontal horn cysts were of distinctive morphology (elliptical, smooth, thin walled, ranging in size from 3 to 20 mm) and position (adjacent to the tip of the anterior horns). The cysts enlarged and then regressed by a median corrected age of 2 months. Subjects of < 33 weeks gestation (n = 18) had a median birth weight of 1465g (range 720-1990) and median gestation of 30 weeks (range 24-32). There was no consistent perinatal course. The neurodevelopmental outcome in 10 of the 11 survivors with isolated frontal horn cysts was normal. Five subjects died from causes unrelated to brain pathology in the neonatal period, and one subject died after infancy. Histological examination of a cyst at autopsy in one additional subject subsequent to the period of study confirmed the cyst to be lined by neuroblasts and ependymal cells.
CONCLUSIONS—The incidence of frontal horn cysts in this low birthweight population was 7 per 1000 (0

  18. A Novel Type of Nutritional Ant–Plant Interaction: Ant Partners of Carnivorous Pitcher Plants Prevent Nutrient Export by Dipteran Pitcher Infauna

    PubMed Central

    Scharmann, Mathias; Thornham, Daniel G.; Grafe, T. Ulmar; Federle, Walter

    2013-01-01

    Many plants combat herbivore and pathogen attack indirectly by attracting predators of their herbivores. Here we describe a novel type of insect–plant interaction where a carnivorous plant uses such an indirect defence to prevent nutrient loss to kleptoparasites. The ant Camponotus schmitzi is an obligate inhabitant of the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata in Borneo. It has recently been suggested that this ant–plant interaction is a nutritional mutualism, but the detailed mechanisms and the origin of the ant-derived nutrient supply have remained unexplained. We confirm that N. bicalcarata host plant leaves naturally have an elevated 15N/14N stable isotope abundance ratio (δ15N) when colonised by C. schmitzi. This indicates that a higher proportion of the plants’ nitrogen is insect-derived when C. schmitzi ants are present (ca. 100%, vs. 77% in uncolonised plants) and that more nitrogen is available to them. We demonstrated direct flux of nutrients from the ants to the host plant in a 15N pulse-chase experiment. As C. schmitzi ants only feed on nectar and pitcher contents of their host, the elevated foliar δ15N cannot be explained by classic ant-feeding (myrmecotrophy) but must originate from a higher efficiency of the pitcher traps. We discovered that C. schmitzi ants not only increase the pitchers' capture efficiency by keeping the pitchers’ trapping surfaces clean, but they also reduce nutrient loss from the pitchers by predating dipteran pitcher inhabitants (infauna). Consequently, nutrients the pitchers would have otherwise lost via emerging flies become available as ant colony waste. The plants’ prey is therefore conserved by the ants. The interaction between C. schmitzi, N. bicalcarata and dipteran pitcher infauna represents a new type of mutualism where animals mitigate the damage by nutrient thieves to a plant. PMID:23717446

  19. A novel type of nutritional ant-plant interaction: ant partners of carnivorous pitcher plants prevent nutrient export by dipteran pitcher infauna.

    PubMed

    Scharmann, Mathias; Thornham, Daniel G; Grafe, T Ulmar; Federle, Walter

    2013-01-01

    Many plants combat herbivore and pathogen attack indirectly by attracting predators of their herbivores. Here we describe a novel type of insect-plant interaction where a carnivorous plant uses such an indirect defence to prevent nutrient loss to kleptoparasites. The ant Camponotus schmitzi is an obligate inhabitant of the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata in Borneo. It has recently been suggested that this ant-plant interaction is a nutritional mutualism, but the detailed mechanisms and the origin of the ant-derived nutrient supply have remained unexplained. We confirm that N. bicalcarata host plant leaves naturally have an elevated (15)N/(14)N stable isotope abundance ratio (δ(15)N) when colonised by C. schmitzi. This indicates that a higher proportion of the plants' nitrogen is insect-derived when C. schmitzi ants are present (ca. 100%, vs. 77% in uncolonised plants) and that more nitrogen is available to them. We demonstrated direct flux of nutrients from the ants to the host plant in a (15)N pulse-chase experiment. As C. schmitzi ants only feed on nectar and pitcher contents of their host, the elevated foliar δ(15)N cannot be explained by classic ant-feeding (myrmecotrophy) but must originate from a higher efficiency of the pitcher traps. We discovered that C. schmitzi ants not only increase the pitchers' capture efficiency by keeping the pitchers' trapping surfaces clean, but they also reduce nutrient loss from the pitchers by predating dipteran pitcher inhabitants (infauna). Consequently, nutrients the pitchers would have otherwise lost via emerging flies become available as ant colony waste. The plants' prey is therefore conserved by the ants. The interaction between C. schmitzi, N. bicalcarata and dipteran pitcher infauna represents a new type of mutualism where animals mitigate the damage by nutrient thieves to a plant.

  20. Design of highly uniform spool and bar horns for ultrasonic bonding.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sun-Rak; Lee, Jae Hak; Yoo, Choong D; Song, Jun-Yeob; Lee, Seung S

    2011-10-01

    Although the groove and slot have been widely utilized for horn design to achieve high uniformity, their effects on uniformity have not been analyzed thoroughly. In this work, spool and bar horns for ultrasonic bonding are designed in a systematic way using the design of experiments (DOE) to achieve high amplitude uniformity of the horn. Three-dimensional modal analysis is conducted to predict the natural frequency, amplitude, and stress of the horns, and the DOE is employed to analyze the effects of the groove and slot on the amplitude uniformity. The design equations are formulated to determine the optimum dimensions of the groove and slot, and the uniformity is found to be influenced most significantly by the groove depth and slot width. Displacements of the spool and bar horns were measured using a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV), and the predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

  1. [Rudimentary horn pregnancy diagnostic: difficulties and therapeutic management].

    PubMed

    Mamouni, Nisrine; Ghazal, Nabil; Erraghay, Sanaa; Bouchikhi, Chahrazed; Banani, Abdelaziz

    2016-01-01

    The occurrence of rudimentary horn pregnancy is an extremely rare and potentially serious obstetric entity, threatening maternal and fetal outcome. The authors report five cases of rudimentary horn pregnancy, the difficulties in making a proper diagnosis and the therapeutic management of this pathological entity, stressing the importance of transvaginal ultrasound, of pelvic MRI and laparoscopy in the early diagnosis of this type of uterine malformation.

  2. Understanding recent eastern Horn of Africa rainfall variability and change

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Liebmann, Brant; Hoerling, Martin P.; Funk, Christopher C.; Blade, Ileana; Dole, Randall M.; Allured, Dave; Quan, Xiaowei; Eischeid, Jon K.

    2014-01-01

    The recent upward trend in the October–December wet season is rather weak, however, and its statistical significance is compromised by strong year-to-year fluctuations. October–December eastern Horn rain variability is strongly associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean dipole phenomena on interannual scales, in both model and observations. The interannual October–December correlation between the ensemble-average and observed Horn rainfall 0.87. By comparison, interannual March–May Horn precipitation is only weakly constrained by SST anomalies.

  3. 76 FR 7810 - Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Big Horn County Resource Advisory Committee... will be held on March 3, 2011, and will begin at 10 a.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Big...

  4. Preference of redear sunfish on zebra mussels and rams-horn snails

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    French, John R. P.; Morgan, Michael N.

    1995-01-01

    We tested prey preferences of adult (200- to 222-mm long) redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) on two size classes of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and two-ridge rams-horns (Helisoma anceps) in experimental aquaria. We also tested physical limitations on consuming these mollusks and determined prey bioenergetic profitability. Redear sunfish strongly preferred rams-horns over zebra mussels, but they displayed no size preference for either prey. Ingestion was not physically limited since both prey species up to 15-mm long fit within the pharyngeal gapes of redear sunfish. Rams-horns were more bioenergetically profitable than zebra mussels and ingestion of rams-horn shell fragments was about three times less than zebra mussels. Rams-horns were somewhat more resistant to shell-crushing, but all size ranges of both prey species tested were crushable by redear sunfish. These studies suggested that the redear sunfish should not be considered a panacea for biological control of zebra mussels.

  5. Divergent oral cavity motor strategies between healthy elite and dystonic horn players.

    PubMed

    Iltis, Peter W; Frahm, Jens; Voit, Dirk; Joseph, Arun; Schoonderwaldt, Erwin; Altenmüller, Eckart

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the use of real-time magnetic resonance imaging in visualizing and quantifying oral cavity motor strategies employed by 6 healthy, elite horn players and 5 horn players with embouchure dystonia. Serial images with an acquisition time of 33.3 ms were obtained from each performer during execution of an 11-note harmonic series encompassing 2.5 octaves on a magnetic resonance imaging-compatible horn. A customized MATLAB toolkit was employed for the extraction of line profiles from magnetic resonance imaging films allowing comparative analyses between elite and dystonic horn players. The data demonstrate differing motor strategies, particularly in moving from the 6th through 9th harmonics. The elite horn player strategy features elevation and anterior displacement of the tongue during ascending sequences, whereas dystonic players showed significantly less movement. The elite horn players thus narrowed the air channel on higher notes, presumably affording faster airflow for vibration of the lips at higher frequencies. We postulate that failure to employ this strategy by dystonic horn players may require greater tension in the embouchure muscles to compensate for slower air speed. Though this may simply be an expression of or adaptation for dystonia, the possibility that it may be a contributing factor in the development of embouchure dystonia is suggested.

  6. An Engaged Pragmatist: Uncovering and Assessing Ernest Horn's View of Moral Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schul, James E.; Hamot, Gregory E.

    2011-01-01

    Ernest Horn was a curriculum professor at The University of Iowa in the early to mid-twentieth century. Predominantly known at the time for his spelling research, Horn also made important contributions to the field of social studies education. This historical inquiry illuminates one of Horn's contributions to social studies education by examining…

  7. Combating Rhino Horn Trafficking: The Need to Disrupt Criminal Networks.

    PubMed

    Haas, Timothy C; Ferreira, Sam M

    2016-01-01

    The onslaught on the World's wildlife continues despite numerous initiatives aimed at curbing it. We build a model that integrates rhino horn trade with rhino population dynamics in order to evaluate the impact of various management policies on rhino sustainability. In our model, an agent-based sub-model of horn trade from the poaching event up through a purchase of rhino horn in Asia impacts rhino abundance. A data-validated, individual-based sub-model of the rhino population of South Africa provides these abundance values. We evaluate policies that consist of different combinations of legal trade initiatives, demand reduction marketing campaigns, increased anti-poaching measures within protected areas, and transnational policing initiatives aimed at disrupting those criminal syndicates engaged in horn trafficking. Simulation runs of our model over the next 35 years produces a sustainable rhino population under only one management policy. This policy includes both a transnational policing effort aimed at dismantling those criminal networks engaged in rhino horn trafficking-coupled with increases in legal economic opportunities for people living next to protected areas where rhinos live. This multi-faceted approach should be the focus of the international debate on strategies to combat the current slaughter of rhino rather than the binary debate about whether rhino horn trade should be legalized. This approach to the evaluation of wildlife management policies may be useful to apply to other species threatened by wildlife trafficking.

  8. Combating Rhino Horn Trafficking: The Need to Disrupt Criminal Networks

    PubMed Central

    Haas, Timothy C.; Ferreira, Sam M.

    2016-01-01

    The onslaught on the World’s wildlife continues despite numerous initiatives aimed at curbing it. We build a model that integrates rhino horn trade with rhino population dynamics in order to evaluate the impact of various management policies on rhino sustainability. In our model, an agent-based sub-model of horn trade from the poaching event up through a purchase of rhino horn in Asia impacts rhino abundance. A data-validated, individual-based sub-model of the rhino population of South Africa provides these abundance values. We evaluate policies that consist of different combinations of legal trade initiatives, demand reduction marketing campaigns, increased anti-poaching measures within protected areas, and transnational policing initiatives aimed at disrupting those criminal syndicates engaged in horn trafficking. Simulation runs of our model over the next 35 years produces a sustainable rhino population under only one management policy. This policy includes both a transnational policing effort aimed at dismantling those criminal networks engaged in rhino horn trafficking—coupled with increases in legal economic opportunities for people living next to protected areas where rhinos live. This multi-faceted approach should be the focus of the international debate on strategies to combat the current slaughter of rhino rather than the binary debate about whether rhino horn trade should be legalized. This approach to the evaluation of wildlife management policies may be useful to apply to other species threatened by wildlife trafficking. PMID:27870917

  9. Determination of a sound level for railroad horn regulatory compliance.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-10-31

    The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has undertaken a rulemaking process to address the use of locomotive horns at public highway-railroad grade crossings. This rule includes a provision to regulate the sound level output of railroad horns. This...

  10. Improving road safety and residential quality of life : evaluating the automated wayside horn system.

    PubMed

    Lucke, Roy E; Raub, Richard A; Thunder, Thomas E

    2004-01-01

    The automated wayside horn system is designed to replace the train horn as a means of alerting motorists to danger and thus enhancing safety at highway-rail grade crossings. Furthermore, the wayside horn directionality is such that the warning sound is broadcast over a smaller sector than the train horn, thereby reducing residential noise. This article examines the results of an evaluation comparing train horns with wayside horns in the village of Mundelein, Illinois, USA. The study derived from previous work in Gering, Nebraska, and Ames, Iowa.During the 3 months covering the 'before' (train horn) period and through to 'after' (wayside horn), more than 19 500 crossing gate closures were recorded on videotape at three crossings. Analysis showed motorist violation of level-crossing laws decreased 68%, from an average rate of 3.53 per 100 gate closings when train horns were in use to 1.12 per 100 with the wayside horn. The decrease was statistically significant. Of equal importance was the decrease in residential noise. Sound measurements taken in a sample of residential yards showed a decrease in sound levels by more than 10 decibels (dB) at most locations. When plotted as sound contours, decreases in the area of coverage ranged from 85% at the 90dB level to 65% at the 70dB level.However, there are two issues with the use of wayside horns that need to be resolved. First, and most important, is that the wayside horn starts sounding when the warning lights begin to flash. This startles motorists, and some stop on the rail tracks. A second issue is the frequent unwarranted activation of the system, which encourages people to ignore the gate.

  11. Medial meniscus posterior horn avulsion.

    PubMed

    Marzo, John M

    2009-05-01

    Avulsion of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus can occur from acute trauma or chronic degeneration, leading to meniscus extrusion, articular cartilage loss, osteophyte formation, and medial joint space narrowing. With meniscus extrusion, the meniscus is unable to resist hoop stresses and cannot shield the adjacent articular cartilage from excessive axial load. Over time, this can lead to symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Patients typically report pain, swelling, mechanical symptoms, and general functional loss. Although nonsurgical care may relieve symptoms, it is unlikely to alter either the natural history of meniscal loss or the fate of the medial compartment. Surgical repair of posterior horn meniscal avulsion is done in an attempt to restore the anatomy and biomechanical function of the meniscus, and to slow or prevent degenerative joint disease. Meniscal transplantation is reserved for salvage situations.

  12. Detection of Gelatin Adulteration in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Analysis of Deer-Horn Glue by Rapid-Resolution Liquid Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Jia; Cheng, Xian-Long; Wei, Feng; Zhang, Qian-Qian; Li, Ming-Hua; Ma, Shuang-Cheng

    2015-01-01

    Simultaneous identification of donkey-hide gelatin and bovine-hide gelatin in deer-horn glue was established by rapid-resolution liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Water containing 1% NH4HCO3 was used for sample dissolution and trypsin was used for hydrolysis of the gelatins. After separation by a SB-C18 reversed-phase analytical column, collagen marker peptides were detected by mass spectrometry in positive electrospray ionization mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The method was specific, precise and reliable, and suitable for detection of adulterants derived from donkey-hide gelatin and bovine-hide gelatin in deer-horn glue. PMID:26504613

  13. Transverse electromagnetic horn antenna with resistively-loaded exterior surfaces

    DOEpatents

    Aurand, John F.

    1999-01-01

    An improved transverse electromagnetic (TEM) horn antenna comprises a resistive loading material on the exterior surfaces of the antenna plates. The resistive loading material attenuates or inhibits currents on the exterior surfaces of the TEM horn antenna. The exterior electromagnetic fields are of opposite polarity in comparison to the primary and desired interior electromagnetic field, thus inherently cause partial cancellation of the interior wave upon radiation or upon reception. Reducing the exterior fields increases the radiation efficiency of the antenna by reducing the cancellation of the primary interior field (supported by the interior surface currents). This increases the transmit gain and receive sensitivity of the TEM horn antenna, as well as improving the transient (time-domain) response.

  14. Nonmarine facies in the Late Triassic(?) to Early Jurassic Horn Mountain Tuff member of the Talkeetna Formation, Horn Mountain, lower Cook Inlet basin, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    LePain, D.L.; Stanley, Richard G.; Helmold, K.P.

    2016-01-01

    The Talkeetna Formation is a prominent lithostratigraphic unit in south-central Alaska. In the Iniskin–Tuxedni area, Detterman and Hartsock (1966) divided the formation into three mappable units including, from oldest to youngest, the Marsh Creek Breccia, the Portage Creek Agglomerate, and the Horn Mountain Tuff Members. The Horn Mountain Tuff Member was thought to include rocks deposited in a nonmarine setting based on the presence of “tree stumps in an upright position” (Detterman and Hartsock, 1966, p. 19) near the top of the type section at Horn Mountain. Bull (2015) recognized possible nonmarine volcaniclastic rocks in the member during the 2014 field season in a saddle on the north side of Horn Mountain (figs. 2-1 and 2-2). The authors visited this location in 2015 and measured a short stratigraphic section to document facies, interpret depositional setting, and constrain age. This report summarizes our field observations and presents preliminary interpretations.

  15. A Micro Ultrasonic Scalpel with Modified Stepped Horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurosawa, Minoru; Umehara, Yuji

    A transducer for a micro ultrasonic scalpel has been fabricated. The micro ultrasonic scalpel can be used with an endoscope for a non-abdominal operation or micro surgery, for example, through a microscope. The ultrasonic transducer was 9.8 mm long and 2.7 mm wide and has stepped horn to amplify vibration velocity; tip of the horn is 0.6 mm wide. The scalpel operated at the resonance frequency in longitudinal mode of 278 kHz. The piezoelectric material was lead zirconate titanate (PZT) that was deposited by the hydrothermal method. The vibration velocity at the tip of the horn in longitudinal direction was 4.0 m/s with 40Vp-p driving voltage in both side electrodes. To demonstrate a beneficial effect of the scalpel, a cutting test that the transducer was stuck into pork fat was carried out.

  16. Novel Insights into the Bovine Polled Phenotype and Horn Ontogenesis in Bovidae

    PubMed Central

    Allais-Bonnet, Aurélie; Grohs, Cécile; Medugorac, Ivica; Krebs, Stefan; Djari, Anis; Graf, Alexander; Fritz, Sébastien; Seichter, Doris; Baur, Aurélia; Russ, Ingolf; Bouet, Stéphan; Rothammer, Sophie; Wahlberg, Per; Esquerré, Diane; Hoze, Chris; Boussaha, Mekki; Weiss, Bernard; Thépot, Dominique; Fouilloux, Marie-Noëlle; Rossignol, Marie-Noëlle; van Marle-Köster, Este; Hreiðarsdóttir, Gunnfríður Elín; Barbey, Sarah; Dozias, Dominique; Cobo, Emilie; Reversé, Patrick; Catros, Olivier; Marchand, Jean-Luc; Soulas, Pascal; Roy, Pierre; Marquant-Leguienne, Brigitte; Le Bourhis, Daniel; Clément, Laetitia; Salas-Cortes, Laura; Venot, Eric; Pannetier, Maëlle; Phocas, Florence; Klopp, Christophe; Rocha, Dominique; Fouchet, Michel; Journaux, Laurent; Bernard-Capel, Carine; Ponsart, Claire; Eggen, André; Blum, Helmut; Gallard, Yves; Boichard, Didier; Pailhoux, Eric; Capitan, Aurélien

    2013-01-01

    Despite massive research efforts, the molecular etiology of bovine polledness and the developmental pathways involved in horn ontogenesis are still poorly understood. In a recent article, we provided evidence for the existence of at least two different alleles at the Polled locus and identified candidate mutations for each of them. None of these mutations was located in known coding or regulatory regions, thus adding to the complexity of understanding the molecular basis of polledness. We confirm previous results here and exhaustively identify the causative mutation for the Celtic allele (PC) and four candidate mutations for the Friesian allele (PF). We describe a previously unreported eyelash-and-eyelid phenotype associated with regular polledness, and present unique histological and gene expression data on bovine horn bud differentiation in fetuses affected by three different horn defect syndromes, as well as in wild-type controls. We propose the ectopic expression of a lincRNA in PC/p horn buds as a probable cause of horn bud agenesis. In addition, we provide evidence for an involvement of OLIG2, FOXL2 and RXFP2 in horn bud differentiation, and draw a first link between bovine, ovine and caprine Polled loci. Our results represent a first and important step in understanding the genetic pathways and key process involved in horn bud differentiation in Bovidae. PMID:23717440

  17. Mapping the four-horned locus and testing the polled locus in three Chinese sheep breeds.

    PubMed

    He, Xiaohong; Zhou, Zhengkui; Pu, Yabin; Chen, Xiaofei; Ma, Yuehui; Jiang, Lin

    2016-10-01

    Four-horned sheep are an ideal animal model for illuminating the genetic basis of horn development. The objective of this study was to locate the genetic region responsible for the four-horned phenotype and to verify a previously reported polled locus in three Chinese breeds. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using 34 two-horned and 32 four-horned sheep from three Chinese indigenous breeds: Altay, Mongolian and Sishui Fur sheep. The top two significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the four-horned phenotype were both located in a region spanning positions 132.6 to 132.7 Mb on sheep chromosome 2. Similar locations for the four-horned trait were previously identified in Jacob, Navajo-Churro, Damara and Sishui Fur sheep, suggesting a common genetic component underlying the four-horned phenotype. The two identified SNPs were both downstream of the metaxin 2 (MTX2) gene and the HOXD gene cluster. For the top SNP-OAR2:g.132619300G>A-the strong associations of the AA and AG genotypes with the four-horned phenotype and the GG genotype with the two-horned phenotype indicated the dominant inheritance of the four-horned trait. No significant SNPs for the polled phenotype were identified in the GWAS analysis, and a PCR analysis for the detection of the 1.8-kb insertion associated with polled sheep in other breeds failed to verify the association with polledness in the three Chinese breeds. This study supports the hypothesis that two different loci are responsible for horn existence and number. This study contributes to the understanding of the molecular regulation of horn development and enriches the knowledge of qualitative traits in domestic animals. © 2016 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

  18. Reducing physical size limits for low-frequency horn loudspeaker systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Honeycutt, Richard Allison

    From 1881 until the present day, many excellent scholars have studied acoustic horns. This dissertation begins by discussing over eighty results of such study. Next, the methods of modeling horn behavior are examined with an emphasis on the prediction of throat impedance. Because of the time constraints in a product-design environment, in which the results of this study may be used, boundary-element and cascaded-section types of analysis were not considered due to their time intensiveness. Of the methods studied, an analytical process based upon Olson's adaptation of Webster's analysis is selected as the most accurate of the rapid methods, although other good methods exist. Reasons and extent of inaccuracy are discussed. The concept of interleaved horn loading is introduced: it involves using two horns of different parameters, fed by a single driver, with a view toward interleaving and thus smoothing the impedance peaks of the separate horns to produce a smoother response. The validity of the technique is demonstrated both theoretically and practically. Then the reactance annulling technique is explained and tested experimentally. It is found to work well, but the exact parameter values involved are not found to be critical. Finally, the considerations involved in building a practical working system are discussed, and a preliminary working model reviewed. Future work could be directed toward finding the optimum parameter values for the two "parallel horns" whose impedances are to be interleaved, as well as the system parameters that determine these optimum values. Also, further experimental investigation or ported loading of the back air chamber would be useful.

  19. Intersexuality associated with XX/XY mosaicism in a horned goat.

    PubMed

    Bongso, T A; Thavalingam, M; Mukherjee, T K

    1982-01-01

    Anatomical, histological, and cytogenetic studies were undertaken on a horned intersex goat kid and three of its normal litter mates. The intersex had male type horns, male beard, vestigial mammary glands, female external genitalia, and an enlarged peniform clitoris, exuded a pungent male odor, had a male bleat, and came into estrus every 20 days. At laparotomy and subsequent slaughter, an ovotestes was observed on the right side and a testis and epididymal remnants on the left side. Uterine horn segments, cervix, vagina, and enlarged clitoris (2 cm) were also present. Histologically, spermatogenesis was not observed in either testis, but active Leydig cells were present. The ovary contained mature follicles. Chromosome analysis revealed 60XX/60XY cell populations in blood, bone marrow, and skin. Lymphocytic metaphases from the male and female cosibs showed single populations of 60XY and 60XX, respectively. Mosaicism associated with the horned condition in the intersex goat was established.

  20. Stacked Corrugated Horn Rings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sosnowski, John B.

    2010-01-01

    This Brief describes a method of machining and assembly when the depth of corrugations far exceeds the width and conventional machining is not practical. The horn is divided into easily machined, individual rings with shoulders to control the depth. In this specific instance, each of the corrugations is identical in profile, and only differs in diameter and outer profile. The horn is segmented into rings that are cut with an interference fit (zero clearance with all machining errors biased toward contact). The interference faces can be cut with a reverse taper to increase the holding strength of the joint. The taper is a compromise between the interference fit and the clearance of the two faces during assembly. Each internal ring is dipped in liquid nitrogen, then nested in the previous, larger ring. The ring is rotated in the nest until the temperature of the two parts equalizes and the pieces lock together. The resulting assay is stable, strong, and has an internal finish that cannot be achieved through other methods.

  1. Actions of (-)-baclofen on rat dorsal horn neurons.

    PubMed

    Kangrga, I; Jiang, M C; Randić, M

    1991-10-25

    The actions of a gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABAB) agonist, (-)-baclofen, on the electrophysiological properties of neurons and synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn (laminae I-IV) were examined by using intracellular recordings in spinal cord slice from young rats. In addition, the effects of baclofen on the dorsal root stimulation-evoked outflow of glutamate and aspartate from the spinal dorsal horn were examined by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with flourimetric detection. Superfusion of baclofen (5 nM to 10 microM) hyperpolarized, in a stereoselective and bicuculline-insensitive manner, the majority (86%) of tested neurons. The hyperpolarization was associated with a decrease in membrane resistance and persisted in a nominally zero-Ca2+, 10 mM Mg(2+)- or a TTX-containing solution. Our findings indicate that the hyperpolarizing effect of baclofen is probably due to an increase in conductance to potassium ions. Baclofen decreased the direct excitability of dorsal horn neurons, enhanced accommodation of spike discharge, and reduced the duration of Ca(2+)-dependent action potentials. Baclofen depressed, or blocked, excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked by electrical stimulation of the dorsal roots. Spontaneously occurring synaptic potentials were also reversibly depressed by baclofen. Whereas baclofen did not produce any consistent change in the rate of the basal outflow of glutamate and aspartate, the stimulation-evoked release of the amino acids was blocked. The present results suggest that baclofen, by activating GABAB receptors, may modulate spinal afferent processing in the superficial dorsal horn by at least two mechanisms: (1) baclofen depresses excitatory synaptic transmission primarily by a presynaptic mechanism involving a decrease in the release of excitatory amino acids, and (2) at higher concentrations, the hyperpolarization and increased membrane conductance may contribute to the depressant effect of baclofen on

  2. 9 CFR 95.12 - Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations... ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.12 Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions. Bones, horns, and hoofs offered for importation which do not meet the conditions or requirements...

  3. 9 CFR 95.12 - Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations... ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.12 Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions. Bones, horns, and hoofs offered for importation which do not meet the conditions or requirements...

  4. 9 CFR 95.12 - Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations... ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.12 Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions. Bones, horns, and hoofs offered for importation which do not meet the conditions or requirements...

  5. 9 CFR 95.12 - Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations... ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.12 Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions. Bones, horns, and hoofs offered for importation which do not meet the conditions or requirements...

  6. 9 CFR 95.12 - Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations... ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.12 Bones, horns, and hoofs; importations permitted subject to restrictions. Bones, horns, and hoofs offered for importation which do not meet the conditions or requirements...

  7. An Interpretive History of the "Horn Book Magazine," 1924-1973.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Joan Blodgett Peterson

    This study deals with the policies and practices of "The Horn Book Magazine" and explores the attitudes and convictions of editors and writers who determine the magazine's content. Moreover, it attempts to assess "The Horn Book" interpretation of the function of literature, in terms of its aesthetic, cultural, educational, and…

  8. 49 CFR 229.129 - Locomotive horn.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ..., such as barriers, hills, billboards, tractor trailers or other large vehicles, locomotives or rail cars.... The observer shall not stand between the microphone and the horn. (8) Background noise shall be...

  9. Reproductive success of Horned Lark and McCown's Longspur in relation to wind energy infrastructure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mahoney, Anika; Chalfoun, Anna D.

    2016-01-01

    Wind energy is a rapidly expanding industry with potential indirect effects to wildlife populations that are largely unexplored. In 2011 and 2012, we monitored 211 nests of 2 grassland songbirds, Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) and McCown's Longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii), at 3 wind farms and 2 undeveloped reference sites in Wyoming, USA. We evaluated several indices of reproductive investment and success: clutch size, size-adjusted nestling mass, daily nest survival rate, and number of fledglings. We compared reproductive success between wind farms and undeveloped sites and modeled reproductive success within wind farms as a function of wind energy infrastructure and habitat. Size-adjusted nestling mass of Horned Lark was weakly negatively related to turbine density. In 2011, nest survival of Horned Lark decreased 55% as turbine density increased from 10 to 39 within 2 km of the nest. In 2012, however, nest survival of Horned Lark was best predicted by the combination of vegetation height, distance to shrub edge, and turbine density, with survival increasing weakly with increasing vegetation height. McCown's Longspur nest survival was weakly positively related to vegetation density at the nest site when considered with the amount of grassland habitat in the neighborhood and turbine density within 1 km of the nest. Habitat and distance to infrastructure did not explain clutch size or number of fledglings for either species, or size-adjusted nestling mass for McCown's Longspur. Our results suggest that the influence of wind energy infrastructure varies temporally and by species, even among species using similar habitats. Turbine density was repeatedly the most informative measure of wind energy development. Turbine density could influence wildlife responses to wind energy production and may become increasingly important to consider as development continues in areas with high-quality wind resources.

  10. Managing the horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae) using an electric walk-through fly trap.

    PubMed

    Watson, D W; Stringham, S M; Denning, S S; Washburn, S P; Poore, M H; Meier, A

    2002-10-01

    An electric walk-through fly trap was evaluated for the management of the horn fly, Hematobia irritans (L.), on dairy cattle in North Carolina over 2 yr. The trap relies on black lights and electrocution grids to attract and kill flies that are brushed from the cattle passing through. During the first season, horn fly densities were reduced from >1,400 to <200 flies per animal. Horn fly density averaged 269.2 +/- 25.8 on cattle using the walk-through fly trap twice daily, and 400.2 +/- 43.5 on the control group during the first year. The second year, seasonal mean horn fly density was 177.3 +/- 10.8 on cattle using the walk-through fly trap compared with 321.1 +/- 15.8 on the control group. No insecticides were used to control horn flies during this 2-yr study.

  11. Design of Planar Leaky Wave Antenna Fed by Substrate Integrated Waveguide Horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Yang; Zhang, Yingsong; Qian, Zuping

    2017-12-01

    A metal strip grating leaky wave antenna (MSG-LWA) fed by substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) horn is proposed. The planar horn shares the same substrate with the MSG-LWA, which leads to a compact structure of the proposed antenna. Furthermore, through introducing phase-corrected structure by embedding metallized vias into the SIW horn, a nearly uniform phase distribution at the horn aperture is obtained, which effectively enhances the radiating performance of the MSG-LWA. Results indicate that the proposed antenna scans from -50° to -25° in the frequency band ranging from 15.3 GHz to 17.3 GHz. Besides, effectiveness of the proposed design is validated by comparing with a same MSG-LWA fed by an ideal rectangular waveguide.

  12. Computational modeling and experimental studies of the dynamic performance of ultrasonic horn profiles used in plastic welding.

    PubMed

    Roopa Rani, M; Rudramoorthy, R

    2013-03-01

    Ultrasonic horns are tuned components designed to vibrate in a longitudinal mode at ultrasonic frequencies. Reliable performance of such horns is normally decided by the uniformity of vibration amplitude at the working surface and the stress developed during loading condition. The horn design engineer must pay particular attention to designing a tool that will produce the desired amplitude without fracturing. The present work discusses horn configurations which satisfy these criteria and investigates the design requirements of horns in ultrasonic system. Different horn profiles for ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics have been characterized in terms of displacement amplitude and von-Mises stresses using modal and harmonic analysis. To validate the simulated results, five different horns are fabricated from Aluminum, tested and tuned to the operating frequency. Standard ABS plastic parts are welded using these horns. Temperature developed during the welding of ABS test parts using different horns is recorded using sensors and National Instruments (NIs) data acquisition system. The recorded values are compared with the predicted values. Experimental results show that welding using a Bezier horn has a high interface temperature and the welded joints had higher strength as compared to the other horn profiles. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. The role of doublesex in the evolution of exaggerated horns in the Japanese rhinoceros beetle.

    PubMed

    Ito, Yuta; Harigai, Ayane; Nakata, Moe; Hosoya, Tadatsugu; Araya, Kunio; Oba, Yuichi; Ito, Akinori; Ohde, Takahiro; Yaginuma, Toshinobu; Niimi, Teruyuki

    2013-06-01

    Male-specific exaggerated horns are an evolutionary novelty and have diverged rapidly via intrasexual selection. Here, we investigated the function of the conserved sex-determination gene doublesex (dsx) in the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) using RNA interference (RNAi). Our results show that the sex-specific T. dichotomus dsx isoforms have an antagonistic function for head horn formation and only the male isoform has a role for thoracic horn formation. These results indicate that the novel sex-specific regulation of dsx during horn morphogenesis might have been the key evolutionary developmental event at the transition from sexually monomorphic to sexually dimorphic horns.

  14. FT-Raman spectroscopic study of keratotic materials: horn, hoof and tortoiseshell.

    PubMed

    Edwards, H G; Hunt, D E; Sibley, M G

    1998-05-01

    The Fourier-Transform Raman spectra of some mammalian and reptilian keratins, horn, hoof and tortoiseshell, have been analysed and used for the construction of a database for the identification of highly keratotic samples. The samples investigated were; bovine keratin and hoof, Texas Longhorn cattle horn, kudu horn, tortoiseshell and human finger nail. Significant spectral differences were observed in the 1000-400 cm-1 wavenumber range, which included the conformationally important v(SS) and v(CS) features around 500 and 640 cm-1, respectively. The amide I (1650 cm-1) and amide III (1260 cm-1) bands confirmed that the reptilian keratin studied exists in the beta-sheet conformation, whilst mammalian keratins are predominantly laid down in an alpha-helical conformation. The FT-Raman spectral differences particularly between the horn and hoof specimens are very useful for the non-destructive characterisation of artefacts and provides a novel application of the technique.

  15. FT-Raman spectroscopic study of keratotic materials: horn, hoof and tortoiseshell

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edwards, H. G. M.; Hunt, D. E.; Sibley, M. G.

    1998-05-01

    The Fourier-Transform Raman spectra of some mammalian and reptilian keratins, horn, hoof and tortoiseshell, have been analysed and used for the construction of a database for the identification of highly keratotic samples. The samples investigated were; bovine keratin and hoof, Texas Longhorn cattle horn, kudu horn, tortoiseshell and human finger nail. Significant spectral differences were observed in the 1000-400 cm -1 wavenumber range, which included the conformationally important ν(SS) and ν(CS) features around 500 and 640 cm -1, respectively. The amide I (1650 cm -1) and amide III (1260 cm -1) bands confirmed that the reptilian keratin studied exists in the β-sheet conformation, whilst mammalian keratins are predominantly laid down in an α-helical conformation. The FT-Raman spectral differences particularly between the horn and hoof specimens are very useful for the non-destructive characterisation of artefacts and provides a novel application of the technique.

  16. [Uterine horn rupture at 23 weeks gestation: a case report].

    PubMed

    Giraudet, G; Mubiayi, N; Nayama, M; Le Goueff, F; Therby, D

    2006-12-01

    Bicornuate uterus with rudimentary horn is a rare disability. Pregnancy can accidentally settle inside the rudimentary horn; in this case, it becomes apparent by uterine rupture generally in the second trimester. Bicornuate uterus should be diagnosed early, before pregnancy if possible. Abdominal pain of unknown origin occurring during the second trimester of pregnancy is the most frequent sign.

  17. Selective ablation of dorsal horn NK1 expressing cells reveals a modulation of spinal alpha2-adrenergic inhibition of dorsal horn neurones.

    PubMed

    Rahman, Wahida; Suzuki, Rie; Hunt, Stephen P; Dickenson, Anthony H

    2008-06-01

    Activity in descending systems from the brainstem modulates nociceptive transmission through the dorsal horn. Intrathecal injection of the neurotoxin saporin conjugated to SP (SP-SAP) into the lumbar spinal cord results in the selective ablation of NK(1) receptor expressing (NK(1)+ve) neurones in the superficial dorsal horn (lamina I/III). Loss of these NK(1)+ve neurones attenuates excitability of deep dorsal horn neurones due to a disruption of both intrinsic spinal circuits and a spino-bulbo-spinal loop, which activates a descending excitatory drive, mediated through spinal 5HT(3) receptors. Descending inhibitory pathways also modulate spinal activity and hence control the level of nociceptive transmission relayed to higher centres. To ascertain the spinal origins of the major descending noradrenergic inhibitory pathway we studied the effects of a selective alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist, atipamezole, on neuronal activity in animals pre-treated with SP-SAP. Intrathecal application of atipamezole dose dependently facilitated the mechanically evoked neuronal responses of deep dorsal horn neurones to low intensity von Frey hairs (5-15 g) and noxious thermal (45-50 degrees C) evoked responses in SAP control animals indicating a physiological alpha2-adrenoceptor control. This facilitatory effect of atipamezole was lost in the SP-SAP treated group. These data suggest that activity within noradrenergic pathways have a dependence on dorsal horn NK(1)+ve cells. Further, noradrenergic descending inhibition may in part be driven by lamina I/III (NK(1)+ve) cells, and mediated via spinal alpha2-adrenoceptor activation. Since the same neuronal population drives descending facilitation and inhibition, the reduced excitability of lamina V/VI WDR neurones seen after loss of these NK(1)+ve neurones indicates a dominant role of descending facilitation.

  18. 30 CFR 57.14132 - Horns and backup alarms for surface equipment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 57.14132 Horns and backup alarms for surface equipment. (a) Manually-operated horns or other audible warning devices provided on self-propelled mobile equipment as a safety device shall be maintained in a functional...

  19. [Recurrence of a rudimentary uterine horn rupture at 25 weeks of gestation: a case report].

    PubMed

    Schmied, R; Sentilhes, L; Baron, M; Grzegorczyk, V; Resch, B; Marpeau, L

    2008-03-01

    Pregnancy in a rudimentary uterine horn is a rare event which can be revealed by uterine rupture. Following the fetal extraction, some authors recommend the ablation of the rudimentary horn, in order to limit the risk of uterine rupture in case of subsequent pregnancy in the same horn. We report the obstetrical outcome of a patient with a history of rudimentary uterine horn rupture the treatment of which was conservative.

  20. Inclusion body disease in a great horned owl.

    PubMed

    Sileo, L; Carlson, H C; Crumley, S C

    1975-01-01

    The carcass of a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), which had been found moribund in southern Ontario, was presented for necropsy. Throughout the liver and spleen were numerous white foci 1-2 mm in diameter; also noted were white plaques in the mucosae of the pharyngeal papillae and intestine. Results of light and electron microscopic studies and experimental transmission to two captive great horned owls suggested that this was a herpvirus disease similar and possibly indentical to the owl disease reported by other workers in Wiconsin and Australia.

  1. Simulations of High Current NuMI Magnetic Horn Striplines at FNAL

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

    Sipahi, Taylan; Biedron, Sandra; Hylen, James

    2016-06-01

    Both the NuMI (Neutrinos and the Main Injector) beam line, that has been providing intense neutrino beams for several Fermilab experiments (MINOS, MINERVA, NOVA), and the newly proposed LBNF (Long Baseline Neutrino Facility) beam line which plans to produce the highest power neutrino beam in the world for DUNE (the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) need pulsed magnetic horns to focus the mesons which decay to produce the neutrinos. The high-current horn and stripline design has been evolving as NuMI reconfigures for higher beam power and to meet the needs of the LBNF design. The CSU particle accelerator group has aidedmore » the neutrino physics experiments at Fermilab by producing EM simulations of magnetic horns and the required high-current striplines. In this paper, we present calculations, using the Poisson and ANSYS Maxwell 3D codes, of the EM interaction of the stripline plates of the NuMI horns at critical stress points. In addition, we give the electrical simulation results using the ANSYS Electric code. These results are being used to support the development of evolving horn stripline designs to handle increased electrical current and higher beam power for NuMI upgrades and for LBNF« less

  2. Transcription profiling provides insights into gene pathways involved in horn and scurs development in cattle

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Two types of horns are evident in cattle - fixed horns attached to the skull and a variation called scurs, which refers to small loosely attached horns. Cattle lacking horns are referred to as polled. Although both the Poll and Scurs loci have been mapped to BTA1 and 19 respectively, the underlying genetic basis of these phenotypes is unknown, and so far, no candidate genes regulating these developmental processes have been described. This study is the first reported attempt at transcript profiling to identify genes and pathways contributing to horn and scurs development in Brahman cattle, relative to polled counterparts. Results Expression patterns in polled, horned and scurs tissues were obtained using the Agilent 44 k bovine array. The most notable feature when comparing transcriptional profiles of developing horn tissues against polled was the down regulation of genes coding for elements of the cadherin junction as well as those involved in epidermal development. We hypothesize this as a key event involved in keratinocyte migration and subsequent horn development. In the polled-scurs comparison, the most prevalent differentially expressed transcripts code for genes involved in extracellular matrix remodelling, which were up regulated in scurs tissues relative to polled. Conclusion For this first time we describe networks of genes involved in horn and scurs development. Interestingly, we did not observe differential expression in any of the genes present on the fine mapped region of BTA1 known to contain the Poll locus. PMID:20537189

  3. Miniaturization of Planar Horn Motors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, Stewart; Ostlund, Patrick N.; Chang, Zensheu; Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Widholm, Scott E.; Badescu, Mircea

    2012-01-01

    There is a great need for compact, efficient motors for driving various mechanisms including robots or mobility platforms. A study is currently underway to develop a new type of piezoelectric actuators with significantly more strength, low mass, small footprint, and efficiency. The actuators/motors utilize piezoelectric actuated horns which have a very high power density and high electromechanical conversion efficiency. The horns are fabricated using our recently developed novel pre-stress flexures that make them thermally stable and increases their coupling efficiency. The monolithic design and integrated flexures that pre-stresses the piezoelectric stack eliminates the use of stress bolt. This design allows embedding solid-state motors and actuators in any structure so that the only macroscopically moving parts are the rotor or the linear translator. The developed actuator uses a stack/horn actuation and has a Barth motor configuration, which potentially generates very large torque and speeds that do not require gearing. Finite element modeling and design tools were investigated to determine the requirements and operation parameters and the results were used to design and fabricate a motor. This new design offers a highly promising actuation mechanism that can potentially be miniaturized and integrated into systems and structures. It can be configured in many shapes to operate as multi-degrees of freedom and multi-dimensional motors/actuators including unidirectional, bidirectional, 2D and 3D. In this manuscript, we are reporting the experimental measurements from a bench top design and the results from the efforts to miniaturize the design using 2x2x2 mm piezoelectric stacks integrated into thin plates that are of the order of3 x 3x 0.2 cm.

  4. The role of doublesex in the evolution of exaggerated horns in the Japanese rhinoceros beetle

    PubMed Central

    Ito, Yuta; Harigai, Ayane; Nakata, Moe; Hosoya, Tadatsugu; Araya, Kunio; Oba, Yuichi; Ito, Akinori; Ohde, Takahiro; Yaginuma, Toshinobu; Niimi, Teruyuki

    2013-01-01

    Male-specific exaggerated horns are an evolutionary novelty and have diverged rapidly via intrasexual selection. Here, we investigated the function of the conserved sex-determination gene doublesex (dsx) in the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) using RNA interference (RNAi). Our results show that the sex-specific T. dichotomus dsx isoforms have an antagonistic function for head horn formation and only the male isoform has a role for thoracic horn formation. These results indicate that the novel sex-specific regulation of dsx during horn morphogenesis might have been the key evolutionary developmental event at the transition from sexually monomorphic to sexually dimorphic horns. PMID:23609854

  5. Attached cavitation at a small diameter ultrasonic horn tip

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Žnidarčič, Anton; Mettin, Robert; Cairós, Carlos; Dular, Matevž

    2014-02-01

    Ultrasonic horn transducers are frequently used in applications of acoustic cavitation in liquids, for instance, for cell disruption or sonochemical reactions. They are operated typically in the frequency range up to about 50 kHz and have tip diameters from some mm to several cm. It has been observed that if the horn tip is sufficiently small and driven at high amplitude, cavitation is very strong, and the tip can be covered entirely by the gas/vapor phase for longer time intervals. A peculiar dynamics of the attached cavity can emerge with expansion and collapse at a self-generated frequency in the subharmonic range, i.e., below the acoustic driving frequency. Here, we present a systematic study of the cavitation dynamics in water at a 20 kHz horn tip of 3 mm diameter. The system was investigated by high-speed imaging with simultaneous recording of the acoustic emissions. Measurements were performed under variation of acoustic power, air saturation, viscosity, surface tension, and temperature of the liquid. Our findings show that the liquid properties play no significant role in the dynamics of the attached cavitation at the small ultrasonic horn. Also the variation of the experimental geometry, within a certain range, did not change the dynamics. We believe that the main two reasons for the peculiar dynamics of cavitation on a small ultrasonic horn are the higher energy density on a small tip and the inability of the big tip to "wash" away the gaseous bubbles. Calculation of the somewhat adapted Strouhal number revealed that, similar to the hydrodynamic cavitation, values which are relatively low characterize slow cavitation structure dynamics. In cases where the cavitation follows the driving frequency this value lies much higher - probably at Str > 20. In the spirit to distinguish the observed phenomenon with other cavitation dynamics at ultrasonic transducer surfaces, we suggest to term the observed phenomenon of attached cavities partly covering the full horn

  6. [Cutaneous horn of the pinna].

    PubMed

    Kharoubi, S

    2011-01-01

    The cutaneous horns are uncommun lesion, asymptomatic affecting the face and extremities with a large variability in their shapes and dimensions. They can be isolated or associated with malignant skin while forming a revealing fashion. The wide excision carrying the base of implantation with anatomopathological verification is the usual treatment.

  7. 9 CFR 95.11 - Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies..., OFFERED FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.11 Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs. (a) Clean, dry bones, horns, and hoofs, that are free from undried pieces of hide, flesh...

  8. 9 CFR 95.11 - Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies..., OFFERED FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.11 Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs. (a) Clean, dry bones, horns, and hoofs, that are free from undried pieces of hide, flesh...

  9. 9 CFR 95.11 - Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies..., OFFERED FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.11 Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs. (a) Clean, dry bones, horns, and hoofs, that are free from undried pieces of hide, flesh...

  10. 9 CFR 95.11 - Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies..., OFFERED FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.11 Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs. (a) Clean, dry bones, horns, and hoofs, that are free from undried pieces of hide, flesh...

  11. 9 CFR 95.11 - Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies..., OFFERED FOR ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES § 95.11 Bones, horns, and hoofs for trophies or museums; disinfected hoofs. (a) Clean, dry bones, horns, and hoofs, that are free from undried pieces of hide, flesh...

  12. Field evaluation of a wayside horn at a highway-railroad grade crossing

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-06-01

    The current study represents one of several efforts by the Federal Railroad Administration to evaluate the effectiveness of auditory warnings designed to promote awareness of approaching trains. A stationary horn (or wayside horn) located at the grad...

  13. Genomic prediction of the polled and horned phenotypes in Merino sheep.

    PubMed

    Duijvesteijn, Naomi; Bolormaa, Sunduimijid; Daetwyler, Hans D; van der Werf, Julius H J

    2018-05-22

    In horned sheep breeds, breeding for polledness has been of interest for decades. The objective of this study was to improve prediction of the horned and polled phenotypes using horn scores classified as polled, scurs, knobs or horns. Derived phenotypes polled/non-polled (P/NP) and horned/non-horned (H/NH) were used to test four different strategies for prediction in 4001 purebred Merino sheep. These strategies include the use of single 'single nucleotide polymorphism' (SNP) genotypes, multiple-SNP haplotypes, genome-wide and chromosome-wide genomic best linear unbiased prediction and information from imputed sequence variants from the region including the RXFP2 gene. Low-density genotypes of these animals were imputed to the Illumina Ovine high-density (600k) chip and the 1.78-kb insertion polymorphism in RXFP2 was included in the imputation process to whole-genome sequence. We evaluated the mode of inheritance and validated models by a fivefold cross-validation and across- and between-family prediction. The most significant SNPs for prediction of P/NP and H/NH were OAR10_29546872.1 and OAR10_29458450, respectively, located on chromosome 10 close to the 1.78-kb insertion at 29.5 Mb. The mode of inheritance included an additive effect and a sex-dependent effect for dominance for P/NP and a sex-dependent additive and dominance effect for H/NH. Models with the highest prediction accuracies for H/NH used either single SNPs or 3-SNP haplotypes and included a polygenic effect estimated based on traditional pedigree relationships. Prediction accuracies for H/NH were 0.323 for females and 0.725 for males. For predicting P/NP, the best models were the same as for H/NH but included a genomic relationship matrix with accuracies of 0.713 for females and 0.620 for males. Our results show that prediction accuracy is high using a single SNP, but does not reach 1 since the causative mutation is not genotyped. Incomplete penetrance or allelic heterogeneity, which can influence

  14. Optical modelling of far-infrared astronomical instrumentation exploiting multimode horn antennas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Sullivan, Créidhe; Murphy, J. Anthony; Mc Auley, Ian; Wilson, Daniel; Gradziel, Marcin L.; Trappe, Neil; Cahill, Fiachra; Peacocke, T.; Savini, G.; Ganga, K.

    2014-07-01

    In this paper we describe the optical modelling of astronomical telescopes that exploit bolometric detectors fed by multimoded horn antennas. In cases where the horn shape is profiled rather than being a simple cone, we determine the beam at the horn aperture using an electromagnetic mode-matching technique. Bolometers, usually placed in an integrating cavity, can excite many hybrid modes in a corrugated horn; we usually assume they excite all modes equally. If the waveguide section feeding the horn is oversized these modes can propagate independently, thereby increasing the throughput of the system. We use an SVD analysis on the matrix that describes the scattering between waveguide (TE/TM) modes to recover the independent orthogonal fields (hybrid modes) and then propagate these to the sky independently where they are added in quadrature. Beam patterns at many frequencies across the band are then added with a weighting appropriate to the source spectrum. Here we describe simulations carried out on the highest-frequency (857-GHz) channel of the Planck HFI instrument. We concentrate in particular on the use of multimode feedhorns and consider the effects of possible manufacturing tolerances on the beam on the sky. We also investigate the feasibility of modelling far-out sidelobes across a wide band for electrically large structures and bolometers fed by multi-mode feedhorns. Our optical simulations are carried out using the industry-standard GRASP software package.

  15. Endometrial carcinoma in a single horn of a bicornuate uterus: A case report.

    PubMed

    Gaballa, Khaled; Cicero, Carla; Gallotta, Valerio; Zannoni, Gianfranco; Scambia, Giovanni

    2018-06-01

    We discuss the diagnosis and the management of endometrial carcinoma in a single horn of bicornuate uterus in a 64-year-old woman as a case report. The case underwent laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and bilateral iliac lymphadenectomy. The gross examination of the uterus revealed a bicornuate uterus with a greater horn of 12 × 9 × 8 cm and a smaller horn of 10 × 3 cm. The cavity of the greater horn showed a neoplastic growth of 10 cm with infiltration of about 1,8 cm of the myometrium from whole thickness of 1.9 cm. while the other horn was free of tumor tissue. The microscopic examination of the uterus revealed G2 endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium of the greater horn with infiltration of more than 50% of the myometrium. In the presence of bicornuate uterus, a bilateral endometrial biopsy should be performed in order to reduce the risk of delayed or missed diagnosis. The management of a case of bicornuate unicollis uterus with endometrial carcinoma in only one horn is the same as patients with endometrial cancer in single uterus and depends mainly on stage and histological grade of the tumor. The possibility of existence of a separate uterine cavity should always be considered when endometrial cancer is clinically suspected but pathology fails to confirm the diagnosis. This points out the importance of a careful physical examination and radiographic evaluation in such cases. Copyright © 2018. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Holocene Evolution and Sediment Provenance of Horn Island, Mississippi, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schulze, N.; Wallace, D. J.; Miner, M. D.

    2017-12-01

    As one of the most stable islands in the Mississippi-Alabama barrier island chain, Horn Island provides critical habitat, plays an important role in regulating estuarine conditions in the Mississippi Sound, and helps to attenuate wave energy and storm surge for the mainland. The provenance of sediments comprising Horn Island is largely unknown and has implications for mode of island genesis and evolution. The existing literature proposes that island chain formation was initiated by bar emergence from a subaqueous spit that grew laterally westward from Dauphin Island in the east. Decelerating sea level rise 4,000 to 5,000 years ago facilitated island formation. This proposed mode of formation is supported by a lone radiocarbon date from lagoonal sediments below Horn Island, suggesting the system formed after 4,615 ± 215 years BP. Rivers supplying suspended sediment include the Mississippi, Pascagoula, Mobile and Apalachicola, but the variable nature of their paths and sediment supply means that Horn Island has received differing amounts of sediment from these proximal rivers throughout the Holocene. To analyze the stratigraphy and sediment characteristics of Horn Island, we will utilize 24 vibracores (up to 6 meters in length) from offshore Horn Island that were obtained by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and 9 onshore drill cores (up to 28 meters in length) from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. High-resolution LiDAR data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2010 will be used to describe modern geomorphic barrier environments. We will employ down-core x-ray diffraction and x-ray fluorescence analyses to identify mineralogical and chemical signatures that potentially correspond to unique signatures of the fluvial sources of proximal rivers. New radiocarbon ages will be used to constrain the timing of island formation and alterations in sediment supply. High-resolution shallow geophysical data will provide

  17. An Interview with Michael Horn: Blending Education for High-Octane Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patterson, Gregory A.

    2012-01-01

    Blended learning holds the potential of improving the way we educate students and of making them more motivated. Blended education--the melding of information technology based distance learning with school attendance--is perhaps the best way to educate students for 21st century skills, says Michael Horn in a "Kappan" interview. Horn points out…

  18. [Trapped temporal horn, an unusual form of obstructive hydrocephalus: 5 case-reports].

    PubMed

    Abderrahmen, K; Gdoura, Y; Kallel, J; Jemel, H

    2016-04-01

    "Entrapped temporal horn" is an unusual form of obstructive hydrocephalus which is due to an obstacle at the trigone of the lateral ventricle that seals off the temporal horn that may act as a space occupying process. In this study, our aim was to assess the clinical presentation, imaging, pathophysiology and the management of this entity. The medical records of patients with entrapped temporal horn diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Five patients were identified. In four cases, the condition developed after cranial surgery; an infant having two revisions of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt; an adult operated for a glioblastoma, an infant operated on for cerebral hydatidosis and an infant operated for an occipital encephalocele. In the last patient, the entrapped temporal horn revealed sarcoidosis. Trapped temporal horn syndrome can act as a space occupying process and requires surgical management. Internal shunting provides good results. However, the long term outcome depends on the etiology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Fault-tolerant Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox based on non-Abelian anyons.

    PubMed

    Deng, Dong-Ling; Wu, Chunfeng; Chen, Jing-Ling; Oh, C H

    2010-08-06

    We propose a scheme to test the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox based on braidings of non-Abelian anyons, which are exotic quasiparticle excitations of topological states of matter. Because topological ordered states are robust against local perturbations, this scheme is in some sense "fault-tolerant" and might close the detection inefficiency loophole problem in previous experimental tests of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox. In turn, the construction of the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox reveals the nonlocal property of non-Abelian anyons. Our results indicate that the non-Abelian fractional statistics is a pure quantum effect and cannot be described by local realistic theories. Finally, we present a possible experimental implementation of the scheme based on the anyonic interferometry technologies.

  20. Broad-band flared horn with low sidelobes. [applicable to cosmic background radiation measurement

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mather, J. C.

    1981-01-01

    A circular horn antenna flared like a trumpet is analyzed with the geometrical theory of diffraction and then tested experimentally. Sidelobes are found to be extremely low (-75 dB), in agreement with theory. Low sidelobe performance is predicted to be broad-band and to improve at higher frequencies. The full aperture of the tested horn is approximately 50 wavelengths. Suggestions for even better low sidelobe antennas are made. The applicability of this horn to the measurement of cosmic background radiation is noted.

  1. Pullout failure strength of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with root ligament tear.

    PubMed

    Kim, Young-Mo; Joo, Yong-Bum

    2013-07-01

    To evaluate the reparability of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with root ligament tear by measuring the actual pullout failure strength of a simple vertical suture of an arthroscopic subtotal meniscectomized posterior horn of the medial meniscus. From November 2009 to May 2010, nine posterior horns of the medial meniscus specimens were collected from arthroscopic subtotal meniscectomy performed as a treatment for root ligament rupture of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. Simple vertical sutures were performed on the specimens, and pullout failure load was tested with a biaxial servohydraulic testing machine (Model 8874; Instron Corp., Norwood, MA, USA). The degree of degeneration, extrusion, and medial displacement of the medial meniscus were evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The Kellgren-Lawrence classification was used in standing plain radiography, and mechanical alignment was measured using orthoroentgenography. Tear morphology was classified into ligament proper type or meniscoligamentous junctional type according to the site of the torn root ligament of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus during arthroscopy. The mean pullout failure strength of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus was 71.6 ± 23.2 N (range, 41.4-107.7 N). The degree of degeneration of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus on MRI showed statistically significant correlation with pullout failure strength and Kellgren-Lawrence classification. Pullout failure strength showed correlation with mechanical alignment and Kellgren-Lawrence classification (P < 0.05). The measurement of pullout failure strength of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with root ligament tear showed a degree of repairability. The degree of degeneration of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus on MRI showed a significant correlation with the pullout failure strength. The pullout failure strength was also not only correlated with the degree of degeneration of the

  2. Three-dimensional morphology of the Sinocyclocheilus hyalinus (Cypriniformes : Cyprinidae) horn based on synchrotron X-ray microtomography.

    PubMed

    He, You; Chen, Xiao-Yong; Xiao, Ti-Qao; Yang, Jun-Xing

    2013-10-01

    Sinocyclocheilus is a cave-dwelling cyprinid genus endemic to southwest China. Several species possess a conspicuous horn on their head, which has been suggested as a constructive troglomorphic trait but lacks substantial evidence. We used non-invasive, high spatial resolution synchrotron X-ray microtomography to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the horn of Sinocyclocheilus hyalinus, one of eight such troglobiotic species. 3D renderings demonstrated the osteological components, which were comprised of a rear wall comprised of the supraoccipital bone, a remaining frontal wall with numerous fenestrae, and the bottom continuous with the parietal and epiotic. A horn cavity occurred within the horn. The fenestrae in the frontal wall were continuous in the horn cavity and showed elaborate channeling, and were, connected to the cranial cavity by soft tissue. We tentatively called this configuration the "otocornual connection" due to its anatomic and putative functional similarity to the otolateralic connection in clupeids and loricariids, which provide an indirect pathway to enhance perception of underwater sound signals. This study provides a functional morphology context for further histological and physiological investigations of such horn structures in Sinocyclocheilus cavefish, and we suggest that the horn might enhance acoustic perception to compensate for visual loss in subterranean life, which warrants future physiological examination as lab-reared S. hyalinus become available. Sinocyclocheilus is a cave-dwelling cyprinid genus endemic to southwest China. Several species possess a conspicuous horn on their head, which has been suggested as a constructive troglomorphic trait but lacks substantial evidence. We used non-invasive, high spatial resolution synchrotron X-ray microtomography to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) morphology of the horn of Sinocyclocheilus hyalinus , one of eight such troglobiotic species. 3D renderings demonstrated

  3. Anterior horn syndrome: A rare manifestation of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

    PubMed

    Zahlane, Safaa; Louhab, Nissrine; El Mellakh, Meriem; Kissani, Najib

    2016-07-01

    The authors report an exceptional case of an anterior horn syndrome associated with Sjögren's syndrome in a 58-year-old patient with a flaccid tetraparesis revealed by asymmetric atrophy and diffuse fasciculations associated with xerostomia and xerophthalmia. The electroneuromyography objectified a diffuse anterior horn syndrome. The brain MRI and spinal cord were normal. Laboratory tests revealed positive anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibody. The salivary glands biopsy objectified lymphocytic sialadenitis grade 3 of Chisholm. The Schirmer's test was abnormally low. Diagnosis of anterior horn syndrome as part of Sjögren's syndrome was retained. The methylprednisolone bolus allowed partial clinical improvement after 12 months of evolution. Therefore, in patients with isolated anterior horn involvement, a correct diagnosis of the underlying SS is often delayed or overlooked entirely; in these instances, standard clinicoserological assessment is recommendable. Copyright © 2016 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. [Rupture of rudimentary horn pregnancy at the 18th week of gestation: a case report].

    PubMed

    Jerbi, M; Trimech, A; Choukou, A; Hidar, S; Bibi, M; Chaieb, A; Khairi, H

    2005-01-01

    We report a case of pregnancy in a rudimentary horn that ruptured at 18 weeks. An emergency laparotomy was taken for acute abdomen and ruptured right rudimentary horn pregnancy was diagnosed. Excision of the rudimentary horn and ipsilateral salpingectomy were carried out. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and she left the hospital 6 days later.

  5. Knemidokoptes mutans (Acari: Knemidocoptidae) in a great-horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Schulz, T A; Stewart, J S; Fowler, M E

    1989-07-01

    A routine examination of a captive juvenile great-horned owl (Bubo virginianus) revealed bilateral proliferative papillary hyperkeratosis on the feet. Microscopic examination of skin scrapings produced numerous mites identified as Knemidokoptes mutans. This is the first record of this parasite in a great-horned owl. A single dose of ivermectin (200 micrograms/kg) was effective in treatment of this infection.

  6. Sonographic findings of early pregnancy in the rudimentary horn of a unicornuate uterus: A two case report.

    PubMed

    Dove, Christine K; Harvey, Sara M; Spalluto, Lucy B

    Congenital uterine anomalies have a profound impact on reproductive outcomes. The unicornuate uterus accounts for approximately 20% of all congenital uterine anomalies. Unicornuate uterine anomalies with non-communicating rudimentary horns are at risk of developing ectopic pregnancy in the rudimentary horn. Given increased risked of uterine rupture, rudimentary horn pregnancies pose significant maternal health risks. Understanding the sonographic appearance of early pregnancy within the rudimentary horn of the unicornuate uterine configuration is imperative for appropriate and timely clinical management. We present two cases of pregnancy in the rudimentary horn of a unicornuate uterus diagnosed sonographically in the first trimester. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. DYNAMICS OF A PROMINENCE-HORN STRUCTURE DURING ITS EVAPORATION IN THE SOLAR CORONA

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

    Wang, Bing; Chen, Yao; Fu, Jie

    The physical connections among and formation mechanisms of various components of the prominence-horn cavity system remain elusive. Here we present observations of such a system, focusing on a section of the prominence that rises and separates gradually from the main body. This forms a configuration sufficiently simple to yield clues regarding the above issues. It is characterized by embedding horns, oscillations, and a gradual disappearance of the separated material. The prominence-horn structure exhibits a large-amplitude longitudinal oscillation with a period of ∼150 minutes and an amplitude of ∼30 Mm along the trajectory defined by the concave horn structure. The hornsmore » also experience a simultaneous transverse oscillation with a much smaller amplitude (∼3 Mm) and a shorter period (∼10–15 minutes), likely representative of a global mode of the large-scale magnetic structure. The gradual disappearance of the structure indicates that the horn, an observational manifestation of the field-aligned transition region separating the cool and dense prominence from the hot and tenuous corona, is formed due to the heating and diluting process of the central prominence mass; most previous studies suggested that it is the opposite process, i.e., the cooling and condensation of coronal plasmas, that formed the horn. This study also demonstrates how the prominence transports magnetic flux to the upper corona, a process essential for the gradual build-up of pre-eruption magnetic energy.« less

  8. Biology and control of tabanids, stable flies and horn flies.

    PubMed

    Foil, L D; Hogsette, J A

    1994-12-01

    Tabanids are among the most free-living adult flies which play a role as livestock pests. A single blood meal is used as a source of energy for egg production (100-1,000 eggs per meal), and females of certain species can oviposit before a blood meal is obtained (autogeny). Therefore, the maintenance of annual populations requires successful oviposition by only 2% of females. Wild animal blood sources are usually available to maintain annual tabanid populations. Larval habitats are also independent of domestic livestock. Thus, the use of repellents or partial repellents is the only effective chemical strategy to reduce the incidence of tabanids on livestock. Permanent traps (and possibly treated silhouette traps) can be employed to intercept flies. Selective grazing or confinement can also reduce the impact of tabanids. Stable fly adults are dependent on vertebrate blood for survival and reproduction, but the amount of time spent in contact with the host is relatively small. Stable fly larvae develop in manure, spilled feed and decaying vegetation. Management of larval habitats by sanitation is the key to stable fly control. Treatment of animals with residual insecticides can aid in control; thorough application to the lower body parts of livestock is important. Proper use of modified traps, using either treated targets or solar-powered electrocution grids, can be effective in reducing stable fly populations. Adult horn flies spend the major part of their time on the host, and the larvae are confined to bovid manure. Therefore, almost any form of topical insecticide application for livestock is effective against horn flies, in the absence of insecticide resistance. Treatments should be applied when economic benefit is possible; economic gains are associated with increased weaning weights and weight gains of yearling and growing cattle. Oral chemical treatments (insect growth regulators or insecticides) administered at appropriate rates via bolus, water, food or

  9. Responses of spinal dorsal horn neurons to foot movements in rats with a sprained ankle

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jae Hyo; Kim, Hee Young; Chung, Kyungsoon

    2011-01-01

    Acute ankle injuries are common problems and often lead to persistent pain. To investigate the underlying mechanism of ankle sprain pain, the response properties of spinal dorsal horn neurons were examined after ankle sprain. Acute ankle sprain was induced manually by overextending the ankle of a rat hindlimb in a direction of plantarflexion and inversion. The weight-bearing ratio (WBR) of the affected foot was used as an indicator of pain. Single unit activities of dorsal horn neurons in response to plantarflexion and inversion of the foot or ankle compression were recorded from the medial part of the deep dorsal horn, laminae IV-VI, in normal and ankle-sprained rats. One day after ankle sprain, rats showed significantly reduced WBRs on the affected foot, and this reduction was partially restored by systemic morphine. The majority of deep dorsal horn neurons responded to a single ankle stimulus modality. After ankle sprain, the mean evoked response rates were significantly increased, and afterdischarges were developed in recorded dorsal horn neurons. The ankle sprain-induced enhanced evoked responses were significantly reduced by morphine, which was reversed by naltrexone. The data indicate that movement-specific dorsal horn neuron responses were enhanced after ankle sprain in a morphine-dependent manner, thus suggesting that hyperactivity of dorsal horn neurons is an underlying mechanism of pain after ankle sprain. PMID:21389306

  10. Design and Simulation of Horn Antenna Using CST Software for GPR System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joret, Ariffuddin; Sulong, M. S.; Abdullah, M. F. L.; Madun, Aziman; Haimi Dahlan, Samsul

    2018-04-01

    Detection of underground object can be made using a GPR system. This system is classified as a non-destructive technique (NDT) where the ground areas need not to be excavated. The technique used by the GPR system is by measuring the reflection of electromagnetic wave signal produced and detected by antenna which is known as the transmitter and the receiver antenna. In this study, a GPR system was studied by means of simulation using a Horn antenna as a transceiver antenna. The electromagnetic wave signal in this simulation is produced by current signal of an antenna which having a shape of modulation of Gaussian pulse which is having spectrum from 8 GHz until 12 GHz. CST and MATLAB Software are used in this GPR system simulation. A model of a Horn antenna has been designed using the CST software before the GPR’s system simulation modeled by adding a model of background in front of the Horn antenna. The simulation results show that the output signal of the Horn antenna can be used in detecting embedded object which are made from material of wood and iron. In addition, the simulation result has successfully developed a 3D model image of the GPR system using output signal of the Horn antenna. The embedded iron object in the GPR system simulation can be seen clearly by using this 3D image.

  11. [Uterine rupture plugged by omentum in a rudimentary horn pregnancy: About a rare case].

    PubMed

    Le Mitouard, M; Huissoud, C; Fichez, A; Roumieu, F; Allias, F; Rudigoz, R C; Caloone, J

    2016-05-01

    Pregnancy in a rudimentary horn of a pseudo-horned uterus is a rare obstetrical situation, for which, maternal-fetal prognosis is altered by the risk of uterine rupture. We report a rare case of pregnancy in a rudimentary horn with birth of a living child at 28 weeks of amenorrhea. During caesarean, uterine rupture plugged by the omentum was observed. We discuss from this case obstetric management of this pathology. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  12. 454 pyrosequencing project identifying expressed genes from the horn fly, Haematobia irritans

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We used an EST approach to initiate a study of the genome of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans and have used 454 pyrosequencing techniques to sequence 73,512, 100,603, 71,550, and 85,769 expressed genes from the egg, first instar larvae, adult male, and adult female lifestages of the horn fly. cD...

  13. Multi-mode horn

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neilson, Jeffrey M. (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    A horn has an input aperture and an output aperture, and comprises a conductive inner surface formed by rotating a curve about a central axis. The curve comprises a first arc having an input aperture end and a transition end, and a second arc having a transition end and an output aperture end. When rotated about the central axis, the first arc input aperture end forms an input aperture, and the second arc output aperture end forms an output aperture. The curve is then optimized to provide a mode conversion which maximizes the power transfer of input energy to the Gaussian mode at the output aperture.

  14. Analysing the isotopic life history of the alpine ungulates Capra ibex and Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra through their horns.

    PubMed

    Barbosa, Inês C R; Kley, Maximiliane; Schäufele, Rudi; Auerswald, Karl; Schröder, Wolf; Filli, Flurin; Hertwig, Stefan; Schnyder, Hans

    2009-08-01

    The horn of ungulate grazers offers a valuable isotopic record of their diet and environment. However, there have been no reports of the spatio-temporal variation of the isotopic composition of horns. We investigated patterns of carbon (delta(13)C) and nitrogen (delta(15)N) isotopic composition along and perpendicular to the horn axis in Capra ibex and Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra to assess the effects of animal age, within-year (seasonal) and inter-annual variation, natural contamination and sampling position on horn isotope composition. Horns of male C. ibex (n = 23) and R. r. rupicapra (n = 1) were sampled longitudinally on the front (only R. r. rupicapra) and back side and on the surface and sub-surface. The sides of the R. r. rupicapra horn did not differ in delta(13)C. In both species, the horn surface had a 0.15 per thousand lower delta(13)C and a higher carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio than the sub-surface. Washing the horn with water and organic solvents removed material that caused these differences. With age, the delta(15)N of C. ibex horns increased (+0.1 per thousand year(-1)), C/N ratio increased, and (13)C discrimination relative to atmospheric CO(2) ((13)Delta) increased slightly (+0.03 per thousand year(-1)). Geostatistical analysis of one C. ibex horn revealed systematic patterns of inter-annual and seasonal (13)C changes, but (15)N changed only seasonally. The work demonstrates that isotopic signals in horns are influenced by natural contamination (delta(13)C), age effects ((13)Delta and delta(15)N), and seasonal (delta(13)C and delta(15)N) and inter-annual variation (delta(13)C). The methods presented allow us to distinguish between these effects and thus allow the use of horns as isotopic archives of the ecology of these species and their habitat. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Discovery, Development, and Evaluation of a Horn Fly-Isolated (Diptera: Muscidae) Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordyciptaceae) Strain From Florida, USA

    PubMed Central

    Holderman, Christopher J.; Wood, Lois A.; Geden, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.) is an important cattle pest and traditionally has been managed using insecticides; however, many horn fly populations are insecticide-resistant in United States. Use of alternative control techniques has been limited because of the challenges of managing a fly pest on pastured cattle. After the discovery of a wild horn fly infected with Beauveria bassiana in Florida, the fungus was cultured and evaluated for efficacy against laboratory-reared horn flies. This fungal strain was selected for increased virulence by passage through laboratory-reared horn fly hosts to shorten interval from infection to fly death and subsequent conidia formation, properties important to future use of the fungus as a biological control agent against horn flies. After seven passages through horn fly hosts, fly mortality was not significantly accelerated as evaluated through LT50 values, but conidia were readily produced from these killed flies. Although further development is needed to improve fungal efficacy, this fungal strain holds promise as a biological control agent for inclusion in horn fly integrated pest management programs. PMID:28423414

  16. Bilateral spinal anterior horn lesions in acute motor axonal neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Sawada, Daisuke; Fujii, Katsunori; Misawa, Sonoko; Shiohama, Tadashi; Fukuhara, Tomoyuki; Fujita, Mayuko; Kuwabara, Satoshi; Shimojo, Naoki

    2018-05-28

    Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acute immune-mediated peripheral polyneuropathy. Neuroimaging findings from patients with this syndrome have revealed gadolinium enhancement in the cauda equina and in the anterior and posterior nerve roots, but intra-spinal lesions have never been described. Herein, we report, for the first time, bilateral spinal anterior horn lesions in a patient with an acute motor axonal neuropathy form of Guillain-Barré syndrome. The patient was a previously healthy 13-year-old Japanese girl, who exhibited acute-onset flaccid tetraplegia and loss of tendon reflexes. Nerve conduction studies revealed motor axonal damage, leading to the diagnosis of acute motor axonal neuropathy. Notably, spinal magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral anterior horn lesions on T2-weighted imaging at the Th11-12 levels, as well as gadolinium enhancement of the cauda equina and anterior and posterior nerve roots. The anterior horn lesions were most prominent on day 18, and their signal intensity declined thereafter. Although intravenous treatment with immunoglobulins was immediately administered, the motor function was not completely regained. We propose that anterior spinal lesions might be responsible for the prolonged neurological disability of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, possibly produced by retrograde progression from the affected anterior nerve roots to the intramedullary roots, and the anterior horn motor neurons. Copyright © 2018 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River Shale in British Columbia, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Seok-Hoon; Koh, Chang-Seong; Joe, Young-Jin; Woo, Ju-Hwan; Lee, Hyun-Suk

    2017-04-01

    The Horn River Basin in the northeastern British Columbia, Canada, is one of the largest unconventional gas accumulations in North America. It consists mainly of Devonian shales (Horn River Formation) and is stratigraphically divided into three members, the Muskwa, Otterpark and Evie in descending order. This study focuses on sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River shale based on sedimentary facies analysis aided by well-log mineralogy (ECS) and total organic carbon (TOC) data. The shale formation consists dominantly of siliceous minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) and subordinate clay mineral and carbonate materials, and TOC ranging from 1.0 to 7.6%. Based on sedimentary structures and micro texture, three sedimentary facies were classified: homogeneous mudstone (HM), indistinctly laminated mudstone (ILM), and planar laminated mudstone (PLM). Integrated interpretation of the sedimentary facies, lithology and TOC suggests that depositional environment of the Horn River shale was an anoxic quiescent basin plain and base-of-slope off carbonate platform or reef. In this deeper marine setting, organic-rich facies HM and ILM, dominant in the Muskwa (the upper part of the Horn River Formation) and Evie (the lower part of the Horn River Formation) members, may have been emplaced by pelagic to hemipelagic sedimentation on the anoxic sea floor with infrequent effects of low-density gravity flows (turbidity currents or nepheloid flows). In the other hand, facies PLM typifying the Otterpark Member (the middle part of the Horn River Formation) suggests more frequent inflow of bottom-hugging turbidity currents punctuating the hemipelagic settling of the background sedimentation process. The stratigraphic change of sedimentary facies and TOC content in the Horn River Formation is most appropriately interpreted to have been caused by the relative sea-level change, that is, lower TOC and frequent signal of turbidity current during the sea

  18. Ultrasensitive displacement sensor based on tunable horn-shaped resonators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Ying; Wu, Jiong; Yu, Le; Yang, Helin; Huang, Xiaojun

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we proposed a novel double-deck displacement sensor with a high linearity based on tunable horn-shaped resonators. The designed sensor included two substrate layers etched with copper metallization in various shapes. When the upper trip-type resonator layer has a relative displacement to the bottom horn-shaped resonator layer, the resonance frequency of the sensor is redshift. High sensitivity of the sensor is around 207.2 MHz mm-1 with 4 mm linear dynamic range. We fabricate the sample of the proposed displacement sensor, in addition the simulated results are verified by experiment. The proposed displacement sensor is appropriate for using MEMS technology in further miniaturization.

  19. Analysis of a disk-on-rod surface wave element inside a corrugated horn using the mode-matching technique

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, J. C.

    1995-01-01

    A disk-on-rod inside a corrugated horn is one of the horn configurations for dual-frequency or wide-band operation. A mode-matching analysis method is described. A disk-on-rod inside a corrugated horn is represented as a series of coaxial waveguide sections and circular waveguide sections connected to each other. Three kinds of junctions need to be considered: coaxial-to-coaxial, coaxial-to-circular, and circular-to-circular. A computer program was developed to calculate the scattering matrix and the radiation pattern of a disk-on-rod inside a corrugated horn. The software as verified by experiment, and good agreement between calculation and measurement was obtained. The disk-on-rod inside a corrugated horn design gives an option to the Deep Space Network dual-frequency operation system, which currently is a two-horn/one-dichroic plate system.

  20. New methods for isolation of keratolytic bacteria inducing intractable hoof wall cavity (Gidoh) in a horse; double screening procedures of the horn powder agar-translucency test and horn zymography

    PubMed Central

    KUWANO, Atsutoshi; NIWA, Hidekazu; ARAI, Katsuhiko

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT To establish a new system to isolate keratolytic bacteria from the hoof wall cavity (Gidoh) of a racehorse, we invented the horn powder agar-translucency (HoPAT) test and horn zymography (HZ). Using routine bacteriological techniques and these methods, we isolated five strains of keratolytic soil bacteria, which were then identified by means of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing analysis. The findings from the study on the horse suggested that Brevibacterium luteolum played the main role in the local fragility of the hoof, eventually forming a Gidoh in coordination with four other strains of keratolytic bacteria. The double screening procedures of the HoPAT test and HZ were useful and easy techniques for isolating the keratolytic bacteria from the horn lesions. PMID:28400703

  1. Insights into the development and evolution of exaggerated traits using de novo transcriptomes of two species of horned scarab beetles.

    PubMed

    Warren, Ian A; Vera, J Cristobal; Johns, Annika; Zinna, Robert; Marden, James H; Emlen, Douglas J; Dworkin, Ian; Lavine, Laura C

    2014-01-01

    Scarab beetles exhibit an astonishing variety of rigid exo-skeletal outgrowths, known as "horns". These traits are often sexually dimorphic and vary dramatically across species in size, shape, location, and allometry with body size. In many species, the horn exhibits disproportionate growth resulting in an exaggerated allometric relationship with body size, as compared to other traits, such as wings, that grow proportionately with body size. Depending on the species, the smallest males either do not produce a horn at all, or they produce a disproportionately small horn for their body size. While the diversity of horn shapes and their behavioural ecology have been reasonably well studied, we know far less about the proximate mechanisms that regulate horn growth. Thus, using 454 pyrosequencing, we generated transcriptome profiles, during horn growth and development, in two different scarab beetle species: the Asian rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, and the dung beetle, Onthophagus nigriventris. We obtained over half a million reads for each species that were assembled into over 6,000 and 16,000 contigs respectively. We combined these data with previously published studies to look for signatures of molecular evolution. We found a small subset of genes with horn-biased expression showing evidence for recent positive selection, as is expected with sexual selection on horn size. We also found evidence of relaxed selection present in genes that demonstrated biased expression between horned and horn-less morphs, consistent with the theory of developmental decoupling of phenotypically plastic traits.

  2. Apropos of an unusual and menacing presentation of neurosarcoidosis: the space-occupying trapped temporal horn.

    PubMed

    Berhouma, Moncef; Abderrazek, Karim; Krichen, Walid; Jemel, Hafedh

    2009-02-01

    The trapped ventricular horn syndrome is characterized by the exclusion of a compartment of the ventricular tract from the rest of the CSF pathways. This syndrome has been reported in a variety of diseases including meningitis, intraventricular haemorrhages and tumours. Only two previous cases of neurosarcoidosis-related trapped temporal horn syndromes have been reported. The authors add a third case of a trapped temporal horn revealing neurosarcoidosis, presenting as a space-occupying process requiring urgent temporal tip lobectomy.

  3. Investigation the Amplitude Uniformity on the Surface of the Wide-Blade Ultrasonic Plastic Welding Horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hai Nguyen, Thanh; Thanh Quang, Quang; Luat Tran, Cong; Loc Nguyen, Huu

    2017-10-01

    Ultrasonic welding has been applied for joining thermoplastic components due to their advantages such as clean, fast and reliable. The basic principle is to use the mechanical energy of ultrasonic frequency vibration to produce the molten pool at the interface of the joined components under high pressure to create solid-state welding joints. Depending on the specific application, the ultrasonic horn is designed to generate suitable amplitudes on the surface of the welding zone. Uniformity of the amplitudes can be a challenge as the welding area increases. Therefore, design a welding horn in order to obtain the uniform amplitudes at the large area is significant difficult. This work presents a method for obtaining the uniform amplitudes at the working surface of the stepped wide-blade horn. Finite element method is used to analyze the amplitude distribution at the horn surface of 250 × 34 mm2 with working frequency of 15 kHz and aluminum alloy 7075. The uniformity of amplitude is obtained by changing the shape of the horn.

  4. Moisture, anisotropy, stress state, and strain rate effects on bighorn sheep horn keratin mechanical properties

    DOE PAGES

    Johnson, K. L.; Trim, M. W.; Francis, D. K.; ...

    2016-10-01

    Our paper investigates the effects of moisture, anisotropy, stress state, and strain rate on the mechanical properties of the bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) horn keratin. The horns consist of fibrous keratin tubules extending along the length of the horn and are contained within an amorphous keratin matrix. We tested samples in the rehydrated (35 wt.% water) and ambient dry (10 wt.% water) conditions along the longitudinal and radial directions under tension and compression. Increased moisture content was found to increase ductility and decrease strength, as well as alter the stress state dependent nature of the material. Furthermore, the horn keratinmore » demonstrates a significant strain rate dependence in both tension and compression, and also showed increased energy absorption in the hydrated condition at high strain rates when compared to quasi-static data, with increases of 114% in tension and 192% in compression. Compressive failure occurred by lamellar buckling in the longitudinal orientation followed by shear delamination. Tensile failure in the longitudinal orientation occurred by lamellar delamination combined with tubule pullout and fracture. Finally, the structure-property relationships quantified here for bighorn sheep horn keratin can be used to help validate finite element simulations of ram’s impacting each other as well as being useful for other analysis regarding horn keratin on other animals.« less

  5. Moisture, anisotropy, stress state, and strain rate effects on bighorn sheep horn keratin mechanical properties

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

    Johnson, K. L.; Trim, M. W.; Francis, D. K.

    Our paper investigates the effects of moisture, anisotropy, stress state, and strain rate on the mechanical properties of the bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis) horn keratin. The horns consist of fibrous keratin tubules extending along the length of the horn and are contained within an amorphous keratin matrix. We tested samples in the rehydrated (35 wt.% water) and ambient dry (10 wt.% water) conditions along the longitudinal and radial directions under tension and compression. Increased moisture content was found to increase ductility and decrease strength, as well as alter the stress state dependent nature of the material. Furthermore, the horn keratinmore » demonstrates a significant strain rate dependence in both tension and compression, and also showed increased energy absorption in the hydrated condition at high strain rates when compared to quasi-static data, with increases of 114% in tension and 192% in compression. Compressive failure occurred by lamellar buckling in the longitudinal orientation followed by shear delamination. Tensile failure in the longitudinal orientation occurred by lamellar delamination combined with tubule pullout and fracture. Finally, the structure-property relationships quantified here for bighorn sheep horn keratin can be used to help validate finite element simulations of ram’s impacting each other as well as being useful for other analysis regarding horn keratin on other animals.« less

  6. The effect of a nonanatomic repair of the meniscal horn attachment on meniscal tension: a biomechanical study.

    PubMed

    Stärke, Christian; Kopf, Sebastian; Gröbel, Karl-Heinz; Becker, Roland

    2010-03-01

    The purpose of this biomechanical study was to investigate the potential effect of a nonanatomic repair of the meniscal horn attachment on the resultant circumferential tension in a large animal model and to show that the circumferential tension of the meniscus affects the local stress of the cartilage. All investigations were done in the medial compartment of porcine knees. First, the anterior horn attachment of the meniscus was mechanically separated from the surrounding tibial bone and fitted with a force transducer (n = 8). The femorotibial joint was loaded in compression at different flexion angles, and the resultant tension at the horn attachment was recorded. The measurements were done with the horn attachment at its anatomic position and repeated with the horn attachment being displaced medially or laterally by 3 mm. In the second part the local deformation of the cartilage under a femorotibial compressive load was measured at different levels of meniscal hoop tension (n = 5). A nonanatomic position of the horn attachment had a significant effect on the resultant tension (P < .01). Placing the horn attachment 3 mm medially decreased the tension at the horn attachment by 49% to 73%, depending on flexion angle and femorotibial load. The opposite placement resulted in a relative increase in the tension by 28% to 68%. Lower levels of meniscal hoop tension caused increased deformation of the cartilage (P < .05), indicating increased local stress. A nonanatomic position of the horn attachment strongly affects conversion of femorotibial loads into circumferential tension. There is a narrow window for a functionally sufficient repair of meniscal root tears. Although clinical inferences are limited because the specimens used were from a different species, there seems to be only a narrow window for a mechanically sufficient repair of root tears. Copyright 2010 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Effects of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide on physical and biochemical properties of the claw horn of Holstein cows

    PubMed Central

    Higuchi, Hidetoshi; Kurumado, Hisatoshi; Mori, Maya; Degawa, Aiko; Fujisawa, Hideyo; Kuwano, Atsutoshi; Nagahata, Hajime

    2009-01-01

    The effects of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide on the physical and biochemical properties of the claw horn of Holstein cows were evaluated. Significant (P < 0.05, 0.01) decreases in hardness and elasticity were found in claw horns soaked in ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) solutions compared with those that were soaked in water for 12, 24, and 48 h. Water absorption rate, as a indicator of permeability barrier function, increased significantly (P < 0.05) over time during the soaking period and was found to be dependent on the concentrations of NH3 and H2S in the solutions. The contents of ceramide, the main lipid component for the permeability barrier system of the stratum corneum, were significantly decreased in claw horns soaked in NH3 and H2S solutions compared with the values before soaking. Quantities of eluted protein released from claw horns treated with NH3 and H2S solutions were approximately 20 times and 30 to 40 times greater than those released from claw horns treated with water alone. Interestingly, the quantities of cytokeratin 10, the main cytoskeletal protein of the stratum corneum, eluted from claw horns treated with NH3 and H2S solutions were markedly greater than the quantity released from horns soaked in water. Our results suggest that abnormal changes in the physical property of claw horn caused by NH3 and H2S treatment are due to disruption of the biochemical property of the claw horn induced by these chemical agents derived from slurry. PMID:19337390

  8. Development of putative inhibitory neurons in the embryonic and postnatal mouse superficial spinal dorsal horn.

    PubMed

    Balázs, Anita; Mészár, Zoltán; Hegedűs, Krisztina; Kenyeres, Annamária; Hegyi, Zoltán; Dócs, Klaudia; Antal, Miklós

    2017-07-01

    The superficial spinal dorsal horn is the first relay station of pain processing. It is also widely accepted that spinal synaptic processing to control the modality and intensity of pain signals transmitted to higher brain centers is primarily defined by inhibitory neurons in the superficial spinal dorsal horn. Earlier studies suggest that the construction of pain processing spinal neural circuits including the GABAergic components should be completed by birth, although major chemical refinements may occur postnatally. Because of their utmost importance in pain processing, we intended to provide a detailed knowledge concerning the development of GABAergic neurons in the superficial spinal dorsal horn, which is now missing from the literature. Thus, we studied the developmental changes in the distribution of neurons expressing GABAergic markers like Pax2, GAD65 and GAD67 in the superficial spinal dorsal horn of wild type as well as GAD65-GFP and GAD67-GFP transgenic mice from embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5) till postnatal day 14 (P14). We found that GABAergic neurons populate the superficial spinal dorsal horn from the beginning of its delineation at E14.5. We also showed that the numbers of GABAergic neurons in the superficial spinal dorsal horn continuously increase till E17.5, but there is a prominent decline in their numbers during the first two postnatal weeks. Our results indicate that the developmental process leading to the delineation of the inhibitory and excitatory cellular assemblies of pain processing neural circuits in the superficial spinal dorsal horn of mice is not completed by birth, but it continues postnatally.

  9. The role of the Drosophila lateral horn in olfactory information processing and behavioral response.

    PubMed

    Schultzhaus, Janna N; Saleem, Sehresh; Iftikhar, Hina; Carney, Ginger E

    2017-04-01

    Animals must rapidly and accurately process environmental information to produce the correct behavioral responses. Reactions to previously encountered as well as to novel but biologically important stimuli are equally important, and one understudied region in the insect brain plays a role in processing both types of stimuli. The lateral horn is a higher order processing center that mainly processes olfactory information and is linked via olfactory projection neurons to another higher order learning center, the mushroom body. This review focuses on the lateral horn of Drosophila where most functional studies have been performed. We discuss connectivity between the primary olfactory center, the antennal lobe, and the lateral horn and mushroom body. We also present evidence for the lateral horn playing roles in innate behavioral responses by encoding biological valence to novel odor cues and in learned responses to previously encountered odors by modulating neural activity within the mushroom body. We describe how these processes contribute to acceptance or avoidance of appropriate or inappropriate mates and food, as well as the identification of predators. The lateral horn is a sexually dimorphic and plastic region of the brain that modulates other regions of the brain to ensure that insects produce rapid and effective behavioral responses to both novel and learned stimuli, yet multiple gaps exist in our knowledge of this important center. We anticipate that future studies on olfactory processing, learning, and innate behavioral responses will include the lateral horn in their examinations, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of olfactory information relay and resulting behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Spatial patterns in the abundance of the coastal horned lizard

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisher, Robert N.; Suarez, Andrew V.; Case, Ted J.

    2002-01-01

    Coastal horned lizards (   Phrynosoma coronatum) have undergone severe declines in southern California and are a candidate species for state and federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. Quantitative data on their habitat use, abundance, and distribution are lacking, however. We investigated the determinants of abundance for coastal horned lizards at multiple spatial scales throughout southern California. Specifically, we estimated lizard distribution and abundance by establishing 256 pitfall trap arrays clustered within 21 sites across four counties. These arrays were sampled bimonthly for 2–3 years. At each array we measured 26 “local” site descriptors and averaged these values with other “regional” measures to determine site characteristics. Our analyses were successful at identifying factors within and among sites correlated with the presence and abundance of coastal horned lizards. These factors included the absence of the invasive Argentine ant (  Linepithema humile) (and presence of native ant species eaten by the lizards), the presence of chaparral community plants, and the presence of sandy substrates. At a regional scale the relative abundance of Argentine ants was correlated with the relative amount of developed edge around a site. There was no evidence for spatial autocorrelation, even at the scale of the arrays within sites, suggesting that the determinants of the presence or absence and abundance of horned lizard can vary over relatively small spatial scales ( hundreds of meters). Our results suggest that a gap-type approach may miss some of the fine-scale determinants of species abundance in fragmented habitats.

  11. The Many Faces of Compliance: The Supreme Court's Decision in "Horne v. Flores"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thro, William E.

    2009-01-01

    At first blush, the Supreme Court's recent decision in "Horne v. Flores" (2009) appears to be about the proper standard for determining when to modify a previous judgment, a topic that would interest only civil procedure geeks. Yet, on closer examination, "Horne" is about giving local and state officials discretion to solve education problems and,…

  12. A Rare Case of Heterotopic Pregnancy with Ruptured Left Rudimentary Horn Pregnancy

    PubMed Central

    Rathod, Setu

    2015-01-01

    Heterotopic pregnancy(HP) occurs when intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies coexist. We report a case of HP at 14 wk of gestation presenting as ruptured left rudimentary horn ectopic pregnancy with live intrauterine gestation and was managed with emergency laparotomy followed by resection of left rudimentary non communicating horn of uterus. The intrauterine pregnancy continued uneventfully. A female baby was delivered vaginally at 41 wk following induction of labour. PMID:25954670

  13. Outcomes of preterm neonates with frontal horn cysts: a retrospective study.

    PubMed

    Trawber, Rory; Rao, Shripada; Srinivasjois, Ravisha; Thonell, Sven; Nagarajan, Lakshmi; French, Noel; Jacoby, Peter; McMichael, Judy

    2010-11-01

    Isolated paraventricular frontal horn cysts are sometimes encountered on cranial ultrasound examinations of preterm neonates. The etiology and clinical significance of these lesions are unclear. The authors aimed to identify antenatal/intrapartum risk factors associated with the occurrence of these cysts and to assess developmental outcomes of preterm neonates with isolated frontal horn cysts. A retrospective cohort study with matched control design was used. A total of 28 cases were matched for gestation with 56 controls. No antenatal/intrapartum factors were associated with these cysts. At corrected age of 1 year, there was no difference in the mean general quotient between cases and controls (97.75 ± 17.28 vs 94.94 ± 9.86; P = .410). In all, 1 case and no controls had a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and 1 case and 3 controls had general quotients less than 80. The authors conclude that isolated paraventricular frontal horn cysts are benign, with no effect on neurodevelopment.

  14. Insights into the Development and Evolution of Exaggerated Traits Using De Novo Transcriptomes of Two Species of Horned Scarab Beetles

    PubMed Central

    Warren, Ian A.; Vera, J. Cristobal; Johns, Annika; Zinna, Robert; Marden, James H.; Emlen, Douglas J.; Dworkin, Ian; Lavine, Laura C.

    2014-01-01

    Scarab beetles exhibit an astonishing variety of rigid exo-skeletal outgrowths, known as “horns”. These traits are often sexually dimorphic and vary dramatically across species in size, shape, location, and allometry with body size. In many species, the horn exhibits disproportionate growth resulting in an exaggerated allometric relationship with body size, as compared to other traits, such as wings, that grow proportionately with body size. Depending on the species, the smallest males either do not produce a horn at all, or they produce a disproportionately small horn for their body size. While the diversity of horn shapes and their behavioural ecology have been reasonably well studied, we know far less about the proximate mechanisms that regulate horn growth. Thus, using 454 pyrosequencing, we generated transcriptome profiles, during horn growth and development, in two different scarab beetle species: the Asian rhinoceros beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, and the dung beetle, Onthophagus nigriventris. We obtained over half a million reads for each species that were assembled into over 6,000 and 16,000 contigs respectively. We combined these data with previously published studies to look for signatures of molecular evolution. We found a small subset of genes with horn-biased expression showing evidence for recent positive selection, as is expected with sexual selection on horn size. We also found evidence of relaxed selection present in genes that demonstrated biased expression between horned and horn-less morphs, consistent with the theory of developmental decoupling of phenotypically plastic traits. PMID:24586317

  15. Double transosseous pull out suture technique for transection of posterior horn of medial meniscus.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Jin Hwan; Wang, Joon Ho; Lim, Hong Chul; Bae, Ji Hoon; Park, Joon Soo; Yoo, Jae Chul; Shyam, Ashok Kumar

    2009-03-01

    Transection injury (complete radial tear, root tear) in the posterior horn of medial meniscus will lead to loss of hoop strain, extrusion of the meniscus and early degenerative changes. The posterior horn of medial meniscus is amenable to repair due to its good blood supply and repair is the procedure of choice for these injuries. In cases of transection of the medial meniscus posterior horn, the meniscus can be repaired by a pull out suture technique using trans-septal portal. The single transosseous pull out suturing technique is a point fixation technique with limited contact area having low and inhomogeneous contact pressure. This article describes a double transosseous pull out suture technique using trans-septal portal for the repair of transection of posterior horn of medial meniscus. Use of double transosseous technique provides more secure fixation, more homogeneous and wider contact pressure area between meniscus and the bone, improving the healing potential of the repair.

  16. [Dermatophytic disease: exuberant hyperkeratosis with cutaneous horns].

    PubMed

    Boudghène-Stambouli, O; Mérad-Boudia, A

    1998-10-01

    Dermatophytic disease is a chronic dermatophytosis involving the skin and viscera and caused by benign dermatophytes which cross the skin barrier. We present a case presenting previously unreported giant cutaneous horns. A male Algerian patient aged 29 years consulted for chronic skin disease which had progressed for 2 years. Manifestations included warts, papulonodules, eczematiform lesions, lichenifications, alopecia, onyxis, multiple node enlargement and giant cutaneous horns on the plantar aspect of the feet making walking difficult. The patient's kinhood included 10 members and the patient's parents were first cousins; no other family member had a similar disease state. Laboratory findings included eosinophilia (11%, 550 cells/mm3), an inflammatory syndrome, and normal phosphorus and calcium levels despite demineralization of the hands and feet. The tuberculin interdermal reaction was positive but the trichophytine interdermal reaction was negative. Trichophyton violaceum was found in all mycological samples from skin and nails. The histology examination of skin biopsies revealed acanthosis, considerable hyperkeratosis, and myceleal filaments invading the horny layer, the sweat glands and hair follicles. Abscesses and granulomas were also seen in the superficial dermis. Oral griseofulvin 1 g per day and topical applications with ketoconazole gave clear improvement. Dermatophytic disease is a chronic dermatophytosis observed mainly in North Africa. The locally high rate of consanguinous marriages would suggest autosomal recessive inheritance of a genetic anomaly possibly associated with deficient cellular immunity. The lesions are polymorphous and develop progressively, probably due to diminished cellular immunity. This case with giant cutaneous horns would be a new variant. Antifungals can provide definitive cure. The pathogenesis of this severe dermatophytosis remains to be established.

  17. A new horned dinosaur reveals convergent evolution in cranial ornamentation in Ceratopsidae.

    PubMed

    Brown, Caleb M; Henderson, Donald M

    2015-06-15

    Ceratopsid (horned) dinosaurs are an iconic group of large-bodied, quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs that evolved in the Late Cretaceous and were largely restricted to western North America [1-5]. Ceratopsids are easily recognized by their cranial ornamentation in the form of nasal and postorbital horns and frill (capped by epiossifications); these structures show high morphological disparity and also represent the largest cranial display structures known to have evolved [2, 4]. Despite their restricted occurrence in time and space, this group has one of the best fossil records within Dinosauria, showing a rapid diversification in horn and frill morphology [1]. Here a new genus and species of chasmosaurine ceratopsid is described based on a nearly complete and three-dimensionally preserved cranium recovered from the uppermost St. Mary River Formation (Maastrichtian) of southwestern Alberta. Regaliceratops peterhewsi gen. et sp. nov. exhibits many unique characters of the frill and is characterized by a large nasal horncore, small postorbital horncores, and massive parietal epiossifications. Cranial morphology, particularly the epiossifications, suggests close affinity with the late Campanian/early Maastrichian taxon Anchiceratops, as well as with the late Maastrichtian taxon Triceratops. A median epiparietal necessitates a reassessment of epiossification homology and results in a more resolved phylogeny. Most surprisingly, Regaliceratops exhibits a suite of cranial ornamentations that are superficially similar to Campanian centrosaurines, indicating both exploration of novel display morphospace in Chasmosaurinae, especially Maastrichtian forms, and convergent evolution in horn morphology with the recently extinct Centrosaurinae. This marks the first time that evolutionary convergence in horn-like display structures has been demonstrated between dinosaur clades, similar to those seen in fossil and extant mammals [6]. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  18. Predation of intertidal infauna on juveniles of the bivalve Macoma balthica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiddink, J. G.; ter Hofstede, R.; Wolff, W. J.

    2002-03-01

    Juveniles of the bivalve Macoma balthica live on tidal flats in the Wadden Sea. This study examined the interaction of Macoma with the infaunal polychaetes Arenicola marina and Nereis diversicolor and the gastropod Retusa obtusa. The distribution of M. balthica spat on the flats, shortly after settlement in April, showed a positive correlation with the Arenicola distribution and a negative correlation with Nereis distribution. There were no locations where Macoma spat and Retusa occurred together. In August, Macoma spat had grown too large for predation by intertidal infauna. Small individuals of Macoma spat were found in stomachs of Arenicola (0.14 worm -1) and Nereis (0.05 worm -1). Laboratory experiments showed that Nereis and Retusa could reduce Macoma spat abundance, both in the absence and presence of sediment and alternative prey. Arenicola reduced the abundance of small Macoma (<1 mm) in sediment without, but not with, alternative prey. In field experiments, we manipulated the density of Arenicola in 0.25-1 m 2 plots and of Nereis in 0.03 m 2 cages and examined the effect on Macoma density several weeks later. We found a significant negative relation between densities of polychaetes and Macoma spat for both polychaete species in these experimental plots. Peculiarly, we found a significant positive relation between manipulated Nereis density and adult Macoma density in the cages; we cannot explain this. Consumption rates, calculated both from stomach contents and from field experiments, were 45 to 102 Macoma m -2 d -1 for Arenicola and 5 to 116 Macoma m -2 d -1 for Nereis. These values are higher than recorded consumption rates by epibenthic predators in the same area. Nevertheless, between-year differences in year-class strength could not be explained by differential abundance of these polychaetes. In conclusion, Arenicola and Nereis had a negative effect on the abundance of Macoma <1.5 mm, which was at least partly caused by direct consumption. Retusa

  19. The First Morphometric Study of the Horn Morphological Pattern in a Geotrupidae: The Case of the Dor Beetle Ceratophyus rossii Jekel, 1865.

    PubMed

    Pizzo, Astrid; Mazzone, Fabio; Palestrini, Claudia

    2015-01-01

    Among beetles, thousands of species develop horns, the size of which is often extraordinarily disproportionate with respect to body size. The Scarabaeidae is the family in which horned species are most predominant, but other families, such as the Geotrupidae (dor beetles), also show remarkable horns, although in a more limited number of species. Horn expression mechanisms are well documented in Scarabaeidae but, despite the wealth of studies on this family, the horn morphological pattern of the Geotrupidae, to our knowledge, has never been investigated. In this paper, we describe for the first time the horn expression pattern in a dor beetle. As a study species, we chose Ceratophyus rossii, an Italian endemic dor beetle of the protected Mediterranean maquis in Tuscany, which shows remarkable head and pronotal horns in males and a notable cephalic horn in females. We identified and modeled shape and size horn patterns combining traditional and geometric morphometric approaches. We discuss the results in the wider landscape of developmental models described for other, more well-characterized, scarab beetles.

  20. Nonlinear effects contributing to hand-stopping tones in a horn.

    PubMed

    Ebihara, Takayasu; Yoshikawa, Shigeru

    2013-05-01

    Hand stopping is a technique for playing the French horn while closing the bell relatively tightly using the right hand. The resulting timbre is called "penetrating" and "metallic." The effect of hand stopping on the horn input impedance has been studied, but the tone quality has hardly ever been considered. In the present paper, the dominant physical cause of the stopped-tone quality is discussed in detail. Numerical calculations of the transmission function of the stopped-horn model and the measurements of both sound pressure and wall vibration in hand stopping are carried out. They strongly suggest that the metallicness of the stopped tone is characterized by the generation of higher harmonics extending over 10 kHz due to the rapidly corrugating waveform and that the associated wall vibration on the bell may be responsible for this higher harmonic generation. However, excitation experiments and immobilization experiments performed to elucidate the relationship between sound radiation and wall vibration deny their correlation. Instead, the measurement result of the mouthpiece pressure in hand stopping suggests that minute wave corrugations peculiar to the metallic stopped tones are probably formed by nonlinear sound propagation along the bore.

  1. Giant Cutaneous Horn Overlying A Verruca at an Uncommon Site: Medical Marvel vs Superstitious Dilemma.

    PubMed

    Sanjeeva, Karthik Kathladka; Ali, Puttur Sainuddin Mohammed Ameer; Pinto, Malcolm; Rao, Srikar; Rai, Arvind Shivram

    2015-04-01

    Cutaneous horn has been a matter of discussion to mankind since time immemorial and a subject of fascination for the layman. There have been instances where certain groups saw it with angst and disgust, with a person having a large cutaneous horn on an exposed area getting a dismal look. We present a case of a 64-year-old man with a giant cutaneous horn over his left gluteal region. Cutaneous horns more commonly present in the sun-exposed areas. In our case it has presented in an uncommon site. The patient had delayed and denied medical treatment due to his superstitious beliefs, after having sought advice from faith healers leading to progression of the disease. This case has been presented for its giant size (rare variety), its location being over the gluteal region (photo-protected site) and its benign histopathology suggestive of wart in spite of the giant size.

  2. Radiation patterns of multimode feed-horn-coupled bolometers for FAR-IR space applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinauskaite, Eimante; Murphy, J. Anthony; McAuley, Ian; Trappe, Neal A.; McCarthy, Darragh N.; Bracken, Colm P.; Doherty, Stephen; Gradziel, Marcin L.; O'Sullivan, Créidhe; Wilson, Daniel; Peacocke, Tully; Maffei, Bruno; Lamarre, Jean-Michel; Ade, Peter A. R.; Savini, Giorgio

    2017-02-01

    A multimode horn differs from a single mode horn in that it has a larger sized waveguide feeding it. Multimode horns can therefore be utilized as high efficiency feeds for bolometric detectors, providing increased throughput and sensitivity over single mode feeds, while also ensuring good control of the beam pattern characteristics. Although a cavity mounted bolometer can be modelled as a perfect black body radiator (using reciprocity in order to calculate beam patterns), nevertheless, this is an approximation. In this paper we present how this approach can be improved to actually include the cavity coupled bolometer, now modelled as a thin absorbing film. Generally, this is a big challenge for finite element software, in that the structures are typically electrically large. However, the radiation pattern of multimode horns can be more efficiently simulated using mode matching, typically with smooth-walled waveguide modes as the basis and computing an overall scattering matrix for the horn-waveguide-cavity system. Another issue on the optical efficiency of the detectors is the presence of any free space gaps, through which power can escape. This is best dealt with treating the system as an absorber. Appropriate reflection and transmission matrices can be determined for the cavity using the natural eigenfields of the bolometer cavity system. We discuss how the approach can be applied to proposed terahertz systems, and also present results on how the approach was applied to improve beam pattern predictions on the sky for the multi-mode HFI 857GHz channel on Planck.

  3. Effects of biotin supplementation on serum biotin levels and physical properties of samples of solar horn of Holstein cows

    PubMed Central

    2004-01-01

    Abstract Effects of dietary biotin supplementation on serum biotin levels and physical properties of sole horn of 40 Holstein cows were evaluated. The mean serum biotin level in biotin-supplemented cows after 10 mo of biotin supplementation (1163.2 ± 76.2 pg/mL) was significantly higher (P = 0.007) than that in control cows (382.0 ± 76.2 pg/mL). The sole horn of biotin-supplemented cows was significantly harder (P = 0.026) and had a significantly lower moisture content (P = 0.021) than that of control cows. No morphologic differences in horn tubules or intertubular horn were found between the biotin-supplemented and control cows. The total lipid content of sole horn was significantly higher (P = 0.030) in the biotin-supplemented cows than in the control cows. These results suggest that dietary biotin supplementation causes increases in serum biotin levels and changes in physical properties and fat content of sole horn. PMID:15188952

  4. Exploring the Sensitivity of Horn's Parallel Analysis to the Distributional Form of Random Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dinno, Alexis

    2009-01-01

    Horn's parallel analysis (PA) is the method of consensus in the literature on empirical methods for deciding how many components/factors to retain. Different authors have proposed various implementations of PA. Horn's seminal 1965 article, a 1996 article by Thompson and Daniel, and a 2004 article by Hayton, Allen, and Scarpello all make assertions…

  5. 3 CFR - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 3 The President 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2011-12 of August 8, 2011 Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa Memorandum for the Secretary of State By...

  6. Conservation, Innovation, and Bias: Embryonic Segment Boundaries Position Posterior, but Not Anterior, Head Horns in Adult Beetles.

    PubMed

    Busey, Hannah A; Zattara, Eduardo E; Moczek, Armin P

    2016-07-01

    The integration of form and function of novel traits is a fundamental process during the developmental evolution of complex organisms, yet how novel traits and trait functions integrate into preexisting contexts remains poorly understood. Here, we explore the mechanisms by which the adult insect head has been able to integrate novel traits and features during its ontogeny, focusing on the cephalic horns of Onthophagus beetles. Specifically, using a microablation approach we investigate how different regions of the dorsal head of adult horned beetles relate to their larval and embryonic counterparts and test whether deeply conserved regional boundaries that establish the embryonic head might also facilitate or bias the positioning of cephalic horns along the dorsal adult head. We find that paired posterior horns-the most widespread horn type within the genus-are positioned along a border homologous to the embryonic clypeolabral (CL)-ocular boundary, and that this placement constitutes the ancestral form of horn positioning. In contrast, we observed that the phylogenetically much rarer anterior horns are positioned by larval head regions contained firmly within the CL segment and away from any major preexisting larval head landmarks or boundaries. Lastly, we describe the unexpected finding that ablations at medial head regions can result in ectopic outgrowths bearing terminal structures resembling the more anterior clypeal ridge. We discuss our results in the light of the developmental genetic mechanisms of head formation in holometabolous insects and the role of co-option in innovation and bias in developmental evolution. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. 30 CFR 56.14132 - Horns and backup alarms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ....14132 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14132 Horns and backup alarms. (a) Manually...

  8. 30 CFR 56.14132 - Horns and backup alarms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ....14132 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-SURFACE METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Machinery and Equipment Safety Devices and Maintenance Requirements § 56.14132 Horns and backup alarms. (a) Manually...

  9. Phrynosoma hernandesi (Greater Short-Horned Lizard). Commensalism

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yackel, Amy; Adams, Rod D.; Skagen, Susan K.; Martin, Daniel J.

    2016-01-01

    Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms whereby one benefits without negatively affecting the other. Like other horned lizards, Phyrnosoma hernandesi feeds primarily on ants, but will take other insects (Powell and Russell 1983. Can. J. Zool. 62:428–440). Here we describe apparent com-mensalism between P. hernandesi and Lark Buntings (Calamo-spiza melanocorys).

  10. Posterior horn instability of the medial meniscus a sign of posterior meniscotibial ligament insufficiency.

    PubMed

    Mariani, P P

    2011-07-01

    In longstanding chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency, we identified an abnormal movement of the posterior medial meniscal horn, likely due to insufficiency of the posteromedial meniscotibial ligament. Passing from extension to flexion or vice versa, the medial posterior horn slides below the posterior rim of the tibia exposing the tibial plateau. Fixation with suture anchors of the meniscotibial ligament through a posteromedial portal restored normal meniscotibial tension and reduced instability of the meniscal posterior horn. The purpose of the present study was to present the arthroscopic features of posterior medial meniscus instability and to report results following arthroscopic repair. During the two-year study period, from 2007 through 2008, this arthroscopic feature was detected in 12 patients, 5 patients had failure of a previous ACL reconstruction and 7 patients had delay in ligamentous reconstruction for various reasons. All patients were affected by severe anterior-posterior translation with 11.3 ± 4.3 mm of side-to-side difference at KT-2000 and by associated rotatory laxity with grade 3 of pivot shift. At follow-up of 1 year, the combined ACL reconstruction and fixation of the posteromedial horn showed a reduction in the rotatory and anteroposterior laxity. This study suggests the importance of a proper arthroscopic evaluation of the posterior medial capsule in patients with chronic ACL insufficiency and highlights the potential presence of an unstable posterior horn of the medial meniscus as an indirect arthroscopic sign of peripheral laxity.

  11. Resorptive depressions on a horn core of Late Pleistocene (MIS 3) Bison priscus (Bovidae, Mammalia) from northeastern Germany.

    PubMed

    Kierdorf, Uwe; Meng, Stefan; Kahlke, Ralf-Dietrich

    2016-12-01

    This report describes an isolated right horn core of a fossil steppe bison (Bison priscus) recovered from Late Pleistocene deposits near Langsdorf in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany). AMS radiocarbon dating provided an age of 45353±2894cal yr BP for the specimen. The horn core, which by morphological criteria belonged to a female, has two depressions in its basal portion that differ in size, shape, and depth. While depressions are known from horn cores of domestic cattle, sheep, and goats, this is the first case reported from a wild bovid. Formation of the depressions on the steppe bison's horn core likely was caused by localized bone resorption during periods of increased demand for mineral elements that could not be met by dietary uptake. Such situations may have occurred in relation to pregnancy and/or lactation. Pronounced bone resorption as a means to mobilize skeletally stored mineral elements was observed in other mammals, too. Since horn cores are recovered frequently among skeletal remains of fossil bison, a systematic inspection of fossil collections for similar horn core depressions is encouraged. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. An assessment of a conical horn waveguide to represent the human eardrum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fields, Taylor N.; Schnetzer, Lucia; Brister, Eileen; Yates, Charles W.; Withnell, Robert H.

    2018-05-01

    This study examined a model of the acoustic input impedance of the ear that includes a waveguide model of the eardrum. The eardrum was modeled as a lossless conical-horn with rigid walls. The ear canal was modeled as a one-dimensional lossy transmission line. The output impedance of the eardrum, the middle ear, and the cochlea, was modeled as a circuit analog. The model was fit to acoustic input impedance data from human ears using a nonlinear least-squares fit. The impact of a conical-horn shape for the eardrum was quantified by comparison with the eardrum modeled as a near-flat surface. The model provided a good match to the data over the frequency range examined. A conical-horn model of the human eardrum provided gain at high frequencies, most notably above 1–2 kHz, with a broader middle-ear frequency response. This finding may suggest that eardrum shape plays an important role in sound transmission to the cochlea.

  13. Tripartite entanglement versus tripartite nonlocality in three-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-class states.

    PubMed

    Ghose, S; Sinclair, N; Debnath, S; Rungta, P; Stock, R

    2009-06-26

    We analyze the relationship between tripartite entanglement and genuine tripartite nonlocality for three-qubit pure states in the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger class. We consider a family of states known as the generalized Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states and derive an analytical expression relating the three-tangle, which quantifies tripartite entanglement, to the Svetlichny inequality, which is a Bell-type inequality that is violated only when all three qubits are nonlocally correlated. We show that states with three-tangle less than 1/2 do not violate the Svetlichny inequality. On the other hand, a set of states known as the maximal slice states does violate the Svetlichny inequality, and exactly analogous to the two-qubit case, the amount of violation is directly related to the degree of tripartite entanglement. We discuss further interesting properties of the generalized Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger and maximal slice states.

  14. The 24 GHz measurements of 2.2 lambda conical horn antennas illuminating a conducting sheet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cross, A. E.; Marshall, R. E.; Hearn, C. P.; Neece, R. T.

    1993-01-01

    Monostatic reflection-coefficient magnitude, absolute value of Gamma, measurements occurring between a radiating horn and a metal reflecting plate are presented for a family of three 2.2 lambda diameter conical horn antennas. The three horns have different aperture phase deviations: 6 deg, 22.5 deg, and 125 deg. Measurements of the magnitude of absolute value of Gamma as a function of horn-plate separation (d) extend from an effective antenna aperture short (d = O) to beyond the far-field boundary (d = 2D(sup 2)/lambda, where D is the antenna diameter). Measurement data are presented with various physical environments for each of the horns. Measured scalar data are compared with theoretical data from two models, a numerical model for a circular waveguide aperture in a ground plane and a scalar diffraction theory model. This work was conducted in support of the development effort for a spaceborne multifrequency microwave reflectometer designed to accurately determine the distance from a space vehicle's surface to a reflecting plasma boundary. The metal reflecting plate was used to simulate the RF reflectivity of a critically dense plasma. The resulting configuration, a ground plane mounted aperture facing a reflecting plane in close proximity, produces a strong interaction between the ground plane and the reflecting plate, especially at integral half-wavelength separations. The transition coefficient is characterized by large amplitude variations.

  15. Preliminary hydrologic evaluation of the North Horn Mountain coal-resource area, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Graham, M.J.; Tooley, John E.; Price, Don

    1981-01-01

    North Horn Mountain is part of a deeply dissected plateau in central Utah which is characterized by deep, narrow, steep-walled canyons with local relief of more than 1,000 feet. Geologic units exposed in the North Horn Mountain area range in age from Late Cretaceous to Holocene and contain two mineable seams of Cretaceous coal. The area is in the drainage basin of the San Rafael River, in the Colorado River Basin. Runoff from the mountain is ephemeral. This runoff to the San Rafael River is by way of Cottonwood and Perron Creeks and represents less than 10 percent of their average annual runoff. Probable peak discharges (100-year flood) for the ephemeral streams draining North Horn Mountain are estimated to range from 200 to 380 cubic feet per second.The chemical quality of surface water in the area is good. The water is generally of a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type with average dissolved solids less than 500 milligrams per liter. Annual sediment yield in most of the area ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 acre-foot per square mile but locally is as high as 1.0 acre-foot per square mile. Most of the sediment is eroded during cloudbursts.Most of the ground water above the coal on North Horn Mountain probably is in perched aquifers. These aquifers support the flow of small seeps and springs. In some areas, the regional water table appears to extend upward into the coal. The principal source of recharge is precipitation that probably moves to aquifers along faults, joints, or fractures. This movement is apparently quite rapid. The dissolved-solids concentrations of ground water in the North Horn Mountain area range from less than 500 to about 1,000 milligrams per liter.Coal mining on North Horn Mountain should have minor "effects on the quantity and quality of surface water. The maximum predicted decrease in the annual flow of Ferron and Cottonwood Creeks is less than U percent. The sediment loads of affected streams could be significantly increased if construction were to

  16. Amplitude, Frequency, and Timbre with the French Horn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Konz, Nicholas; Ruiz, Michael J.

    2018-01-01

    The French horn is used to introduce the three basic properties of periodic waves: amplitude, frequency, and waveform. These features relate to the perceptual characteristics of loudness, pitch, and timbre encountered in everyday language. Visualizations are provided in the form of oscilloscope screenshots, spectrograms, and Fourier spectra to…

  17. Characterisation of rebound depolarisation in mice deep dorsal horn neurons in vitro.

    PubMed

    Rivera-Arconada, Ivan; Lopez-Garcia, Jose A

    2015-09-01

    Spinal dorsal horn neurons constitute the first relay for pain processing and participate in the processing of other sensory, motor and autonomic information. At the cellular level, intrinsic excitability is a factor contributing to network function. In turn, excitability is set by the array of ionic conductance expressed by neurons. Here, we set out to characterise rebound depolarisation following hyperpolarisation, a feature frequently described in dorsal horn neurons but never addressed in depth. To this end, an in vitro preparation of the spinal cord from mice pups was used combined with whole-cell recordings in current and voltage clamp modes. Results show the expression of H- and/or T-type currents in a significant proportion of dorsal horn neurons. The expression of these currents determines the presence of rebound behaviour at the end of hyperpolarising pulses. T-type calcium currents were associated to high-amplitude rebounds usually involving high-frequency action potential firing. H-currents were associated to low-amplitude rebounds less prone to elicit firing or firing at lower frequencies. For a large proportion of neurons expressing both currents, the H-current constitutes a mechanism to ensure a faster response after hyperpolarisations, adjusting the latency of the rebound firing. We conclude that rebound depolarisation and firing are intrinsic factors to many dorsal horn neurons that may constitute a mechanism to integrate somatosensory information in the spinal cord, allowing for a rapid switch from inhibited-to-excited states.

  18. Biochemical and protein profile of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) uterine horn fluid during early pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Argañaraz, M E; Apichela, S A; Zampini, R; Vencato, J; Stelletta, C

    2015-02-01

    South American camelids show high embryo loss rate, during the first 60 days of pregnancy. One of the factors which may be related to this situation is that over 98% of the embryos implant in the left uterine horn (LUH) even though both ovaries contribute similarly to ovulation. There is scarce information about the uterine environment of female camelids at any physiological state that could explain the capability of the LUH to attract the embryo and maintain pregnancy. We describe, for the first time, the biochemical and protein profile of uterine fluid (UF), addressing the right and LUH environment in non-pregnant and pregnant alpacas. Different substrates, electrolytes and metabolites were assayed in both uterine horn fluids. Small changes were observed in glucose and total protein levels, which were more noticeable during pregnancy. In addition, 10 specific proteins were found in the left horn fluid in 5-week-pregnant alpacas, and two protein bands were identified in non-pregnant alpaca right horn fluid. These results would provide basic information for identification of possible markers for pregnancy diagnosis, reproductive diseases and hormone-treated animals evaluation and hence contributing to improve the pregnancy rate. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  19. [Rupture of non-communicating rudimentary pregnant uterine horn in a pseudo-unicornuate uterus at 23 weeks of amenorrhea. Case report].

    PubMed

    Fuchs, F; Guillot, E; Cordier, A-G; Chis, C; Raynal, P; Panel, P

    2008-04-01

    Pregnancy in the rudimentary horn of a unicornuate uterus is an extremely rare form of ectopic gestation associated with a high risk of uterine rupture. We report the case of a pregnancy developed in a non communicating rudimentary horn of a unicornuate uterus complicated by horn rupture at 23 weeks of amenorrhea showing as an acute abdominal pain and massive hemoperitoneum. This patient's uterine abnormality was known before, as this woman has delivered two years before at term a healthy boy by cesarean section. This past pregnancy was located in the normal horn and the non communicating rudimentary horn seemed at this time normal. This uterine malformation is presented with its gynecological and obstetrical entailments as well as methods that could prevent such outcome.

  20. Maximal violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality for two qutrits

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

    Fu, Li-Bin; Zhao, Xian-Geng; Chen, Jing-Ling

    2003-08-01

    The Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (BCHSH) inequality (in terms of correlation functions) of two qutrits is studied in detail by employing tritter measurements. A uniform formula for the maximum value of this inequality for tritter measurements is obtained. Based on this formula, we show that nonmaximally entangled states violate the BCHSH inequality more strongly than the maximally entangled one. This result is consistent with what was obtained by Acin et al. [Phys. Rev. A 65, 052325 (2002)] using the Bell-Clauser-Horne inequality (in terms of probabilities)

  1. Associations among heat shock protein 70 genotype, forage system, and horn fly infestation of beef cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Horn fly infestations on beef cattle results in decreased productivity and challenges enterprise sustainability. Objective of this experiment was to determine the relationships among, cattle breed, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) genotype, and horn fly density. Angus (n = 20), Brahman (n = 17), and ...

  2. Milk production traits of beef cows as affected by horn fly count and sire breed type

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Horn fly infestations on beef cattle results in decreased productivity and challenges enterprise sustainability. Objective of this experiment was to determine the relationships among, cattle breed, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) genotype, and horn fly density. Angus (n = 20), Brahman (n = 17), and ...

  3. 76 FR 53295 - Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-25

    ...-12 of August 8, 2011--Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa... Migration Needs Related to the Horn of Africa Memorandum for the Secretary of State By the authority vested...) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the ``Act''), as amended, (22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1...

  4. Diagnostic findings in 132 great horned owls

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Franson, J.C.; Little, S.E.

    1996-01-01

    We reviewed diagnostic findings for 132 great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) carcasses that were submitted to the National Wildlife Health Center from 1975-93. The carcasses were collected in 24 states but most came from Colorado (N = 21), Missouri (N = 12), Oregon (N = 12), Wyoming (N = 11), Illinois (N = 10), and Wisconsin (N = 9). Forty-two birds were emaciated but presumptive causes of emaciation, including old injuries, chronic lesions in various organs, and exposure to dieldrin, were found in only 16. A greater proportion of juveniles (56%) than adults (29%) were emaciated. Twelve owls were shot and 35 died from other traumatic injuries. Poisonings were diagnosed in 11 birds, including five associated with hydrogen sulfide exposure in oil fields and six cases of agricultural pesticide poisonings. Electrocution killed nine birds and infectious diseases were found in six. Miscellaneous conditions, including egg impaction, drowning, and visceral gout were diagnosed in three of the birds and the cause of death was undetermined in 14 owls. While this review identifies major diagnostic findings in great horned owls, sample bias prevents definitive conclusions regarding actual proportional causes of mortality.

  5. Effect of installation location on railroad horn sound levels.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-06-17

    (FRA) issuance of a Proposed Rule for the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail : Grade Crossings1. This rule contains numerous provisions, two of which are addressed : in this study. The first provision addressed in this study states that th...

  6. A comparative study of corrugated horn design by evolutionary techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoorfar, A.

    2003-01-01

    Here an evolutionary programming algorithm is used to optimize the pattern of a corrugated circular horn subject to various constraints on return loss, antenna beamwidth, pattern circularity, and low cross polarization.

  7. Minoan "Horns Of Concecration" Revisited: A Symbol Of Sun Worship In Palatial And Post-Palatial Crete?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Banou, Emilia

    In this article a previously proposed interpretation of Minoan 'horns of consecration' as a symbol of sun is reexamined. A clay model of 'horns of consecration' from the peak sanctuary of Petsophas, the results of astronomical research on Minoan peak sanctuaries, the idols of the so-called 'Goddess with Upraised Arms" and a clay model of 'horns of consecration' from the Mycenaean cemetery of Tanagra are put forward as evidence for a possible adoption - or a parallel development under the influence of adjacent cultures - by the Minoans (and by the Mycenaeans, at least after 1400 B.C.) of religious notions related to the Egyptian symbols of the 'mountain' and the 'horizon', both connected with the Sun in Egyptian cosmology and religion. It is concluded that the 'horns of consecration' may represent a practical device as well as an abstract symbol of the Sun, a symbol of catholic importance, which embraced many aspects of Minoan religious activities as represented on Minoan iconography.

  8. Effects of deep-horn AI on fertilization and embryo production in superovulated cows and heifers

    PubMed Central

    Carvalho, P.D.; Souza, A.H.; Sartori, R.; Hackbart, K.S.; Dresch, A.R.; Vieira, L.M.; Baruselli, P.S.; Guenther, J.N.; Fricke, P.M.; Shaver, R.D.; Wiltbank, M.C.

    2018-01-01

    The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of site of semen deposition on fertilization rate and embryo quality in superovulated cows. The hypothesis was that deposition of semen into the uterine horns would increase the fertilization rate compared with deposition of semen into the uterine body. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effect of uterine environment on fertilization rate and embryo quality. It was hypothesized that subclinical endometritis at the onset of superstimulation would decrease the fertilization rates and embryo quality. In experiment 1, 17 superovulated heifers were randomly assigned to receive artificial insemination (AI) into the uterine body or uterine horns. The total number of fertilized structures and fertilization rate from superovulated heifers was increased (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively) when semen was deposited into the uterine horns compared with the uterine body. Other embryo characteristics did not differ based on the site of semen deposition. In experiment 2, 14 lactating dairy cows were superovulated twice and were randomly assigned to receive AI into the uterine body or deep into the uterine horns using a crossover design. Neither fertilization rate nor any other embryo characteristics were improved when semen was placed deep into the uterine horns compared with the uterine body. In experiment 3, 72 superovulated lactating dairy cows were randomly assigned to receive AI into the uterine body or uterine horns. Before initiation of superstimulatory treatments, an endometrial cytology sample was collected from each cow. Ova/embryos were collected by a nonsurgical technique at 70 ± 3 days in milk. Similar to experiment 2, neither fertilization rate nor any other embryo characteristics differed based on the site of semen deposition in experiment 3. The percentage of cows with subclinical endometritis did not differ between treatments. Interestingly, there was a tendency (P = 0.09) for a reduction

  9. Optimization of the magnetic horn for the nuSTORM non-conventional neutrino beam using the genetic algorithm

    DOE PAGES

    Liu, A.; Bross, A.; Neuffer, D.

    2015-05-28

    This paper describes the strategy for optimizing the magnetic horn for the neutrinos from STORed Muons (nuSTORM) facility. The nuSTORM magnetic horn is the primary collection device for the secondary particles generated by bombarding a solid target with 120 GeV protons. As a consequence of the non-conventional beamline designed for nuSTORM, the requirements on the horn are different from those for a conventional neutrino beamline. At nuSTORM, muons decay while circulating in the storage ring, and the detectors are placed downstream of the production straight so as to be exposed to the neutrinos from muon decay. nuSTORM aims at preciselymore » measuring the neutrino cross sections, and providing a definitive statement about the existence of sterile neutrinos. The nuSTORM horn aims at focusing the pions into a certain phase space so that more muons from pion decay can be accepted by the decay ring. The paper demonstrates a numerical method that was developed to optimize the horn design to gain higher neutrino flux from the circulating muons. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) was applied to the simultaneous optimization of the two objectives in this study. In conclusion, the application of the technique discussed in this paper is not limited to either the nuSTORM facility or muon based facilities, but can be used for other neutrino facilities that use magnetic horns as collection devices.« less

  10. Great horned owls are released at CCAFS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    A great horned owl flies to freedom after its release at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Complex 25/29. The owl is one of two found in June on the floor of CCAFS Hangar G, where their nest was located. They were treated at a local veterinary hospital and then taken to the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Melbourne for care and rehabilitation before release.

  11. Crowding, sex ratio and horn evolution in a South African beetle community.

    PubMed

    Pomfret, Joanne C; Knell, Robert J

    2008-02-07

    Sexually selected ornaments and weapons are exceptionally variable, even between closely related species. It has long been recognized that some of this diversity can be explained by differences in mating systems between species, but there remains substantial variation between species with similar mating systems. We investigated the roles of sex ratio (measured as operational sex ratio, OSR) and population density (measured as mean male crowding, a measure indicating the average number of conspecific males that an individual male animal will encounter) in determining horn presence in a community of South African dung beetles. Analysis of data from 14 species using a generalized least-squares model incorporating phylogenetic influences found that both OSR and mean crowding were significant predictors of horn presence, with hornless species tending to show female-biased sex ratios and high levels of crowding. The influence of mean crowding on horn diversity between species probably reflects the difficulty of guarding and monopolizing females when many competitors are present, meaning that males who adopt 'scramble' tactics tend to be favoured.

  12. Anticoagulant rodenticides in red-tailed hawks, Buteo jamaicensis, and great horned owls, Bubo virginianus, from New Jersey, USA, 2008-2010.

    PubMed

    Stansley, William; Cummings, Margaret; Vudathala, Daljit; Murphy, Lisa A

    2014-01-01

    Liver samples from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) were analyzed for anticoagulant rodenticides. Residues of one or more second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) were detected in 81 % of red-tailed hawks and 82 % of great horned owls. The most frequently detected SGAR was brodifacoum, which was detected in 76 % of red-tailed hawks and 73 % of great horned owls. Bromadiolone was detected in 20 % of red-tailed hawks and 27 % of great horned owls. Difenacoum was detected in one great horned owl. No other ARs were detected. There were no significant differences between species in the frequency of detection or concentration of brodifacoum or bromadiolone. There was a marginally significant difference (p = 0.0497) between total SGAR residues in red-tailed hawks (0.117 mg/kg) and great horned owls (0.070 mg/kg). There were no seasonal differences in the frequency of detection or concentration of brodifacoum in red-tailed hawks. The data suggest that SGARs pose a significant risk of poisoning to predatory birds in New Jersey.

  13. Electroacupuncture reduces the evoked responses of the spinal dorsal horn neurons in ankle-sprained rats

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jae Hyo; Kim, Hee Young; Chung, Kyungsoon

    2011-01-01

    Acupuncture is shown to be effective in producing analgesia in ankle sprain pain in humans and animals. To examine the underlying mechanisms of the acupuncture-induced analgesia, the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on weight-bearing forces (WBR) of the affected foot and dorsal horn neuron activities were examined in a rat model of ankle sprain. Ankle sprain was induced manually by overextending ligaments of the left ankle in the rat. Dorsal horn neuron responses to ankle movements or compression were recorded from the lumbar spinal cord using an in vivo extracellular single unit recording setup 1 day after ankle sprain. EA was applied to the SI-6 acupoint on the right forelimb (contralateral to the sprained ankle) by trains of electrical pulses (10 Hz, 1-ms pulse width, 2-mA intensity) for 30 min. After EA, WBR of the sprained foot significantly recovered and dorsal horn neuron activities were significantly suppressed in ankle-sprained rats. However, EA produced no effect in normal rats. The inhibitory effect of EA on hyperactivities of dorsal horn neurons of ankle-sprained rats was blocked by the α-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine (5 mg/kg ip) but not by the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (10 mg/kg ip). These data suggest that EA-induced analgesia in ankle sprain pain is mediated mainly by suppressing dorsal horn neuron activities through α-adrenergic descending inhibitory systems at the spinal level. PMID:21389301

  14. Differences on Six Horn Abilities for 14 Age Groups between 15-16 and 75-94 Years.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, Alan S.; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Six abilities derived from the fluid and crystallized intelligence theory of J. L. Horn were studied with 1,193 individuals in age groups between 15 and 94 years. Results supported Horn's classification of crystallized and quantitative as maintained abilities and of fluid and broad visualization as vulnerable abilities. (SLD)

  15. Monitoring the effects of natural and anthropogenic habitat disturbance on the ecology and behavior of the San Diego coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum blainvillei)

    Treesearch

    Tandora D. Grant; Allison C. Alberts

    2005-01-01

    The sage scrub communities in which San Diego coast horned lizards (Phrynosoma coronatum blainvillei) typically occur are now restricted to only 10 to 15 percent of their former range and are currently subject to rapidly accelerating rates of loss. As a result of urban and agricultural development, pesticide use, collecting for the pet trade, off-...

  16. Horn-coupled, commercially-fabricated aluminum lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors for millimeter wavelengths

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

    McCarrick, H., E-mail: hlm2124@columbia.edu; Flanigan, D.; Jones, G.

    We discuss the design, fabrication, and testing of prototype horn-coupled, lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) designed for cosmic microwave background studies. The LEKIDs are made from a thin aluminum film deposited on a silicon wafer and patterned using standard photolithographic techniques at STAR Cryoelectronics, a commercial device foundry. We fabricated 20-element arrays, optimized for a spectral band centered on 150 GHz, to test the sensitivity and yield of the devices as well as the multiplexing scheme. We characterized the detectors in two configurations. First, the detectors were tested in a dark environment with the horn apertures covered, and second, themore » horn apertures were pointed towards a beam-filling cryogenic blackbody load. These tests show that the multiplexing scheme is robust and scalable, the yield across multiple LEKID arrays is 91%, and the measured noise-equivalent temperatures for a 4 K optical load are in the range 26±6 μK√(s)« less

  17. Building a Beetle: How Larval Environment Leads to Adult Performance in a Horned Beetle

    PubMed Central

    Reaney, Leeann T.; Knell, Robert J.

    2015-01-01

    The link between the expression of the signals used by male animals in contests with the traits which determine success in those contests is poorly understood. This is particularly true in holometabolous insects such as horned beetles where signal expression is determined during metamorphosis and is fixed during adulthood, whereas performance is influenced by post-eclosion feeding. We used path analysis to investigate the relationships between larval and adult nutrition, horn and body size and fitness-related traits such as strength and testes mass in the horned beetle Euoniticellus intermedius. In males weight gain post-eclosion had a central role in determining both testes mass and strength. Weight gain was unaffected by adult nutrition but was strongly correlated with by horn length, itself determined by larval resource availability, indicating strong indirect effects of larval nutrition on the adult beetle’s ability to assimilate food and grow tissues. Female strength was predicted by a simple path diagram where strength was determined by eclosion weight, itself determined by larval nutrition: weight gain post-eclosion was not a predictor of strength in this sex. Based on earlier findings we discuss the insulin-like signalling pathway as a possible mechanism by which larval nutrition could affect adult weight gain and thence traits such as strength. PMID:26244874

  18. Entrapment of the Temporal Horn as a Cause of Pure Wernicke Aphasia: Case Report.

    PubMed

    Spallone, Aldo; Belvisi, Daniele; Marsili, Luca

    2015-07-01

    Entrapment of the temporal horn is an extremely rare pathologic condition occurring as a result of surgery for tumors, intraventricular infections, hemorrhage, or traumatic events involving the peritrigonal area. We report a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with pure Wernicke aphasia (never described before in the albeit rare cases of isolated temporal horn dilatation) that regressed completely following successful ventriculoperitoneal shunting. The relevant literature is also briefly reviewed.

  19. Large loudspeaker horns and crated Edison radios from 1929 are ...

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

    Large loudspeaker horns and crated Edison radios from 1929 are stored in a side room on the third floor. - Thomas A. Edison Laboratories, Building No. 5, Main Street & Lakeside Avenue, West Orange, Essex County, NJ

  20. Great horned owls are released at CCAFS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Eileen Olejarski (left), manager of Florida Wildlife Hospital, holds a great horned owl before releasing it at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Complex 25/29. The owl is one of two found in June on the floor of CCAFS Hangar G, where their nest was located. They were treated at a local veterinary hospital and then taken to the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Melbourne for care and rehabilitation before release.

  1. Great horned owls are released at CCAFS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Susan Small, director of the Florida Wildlife Hospital, holds a great horned owl before releasing it at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Complex 25/29. The owl is one of two found in June on the floor of CCAFS Hangar G, where their nest was located. They were treated at a local veterinary hospital and then taken to the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Melbourne for care and rehabilitation before release.

  2. Pbx3 is required for normal locomotion and dorsal horn development.

    PubMed

    Rottkamp, Catherine A; Lobur, Katherine J; Wladyka, Cynthia L; Lucky, Amy K; O'Gorman, Stephen

    2008-02-01

    The transcription cofactor Pbx3 is critical for the function of hindbrain circuits controlling respiration in mammals, but the perinatal lethality caused by constitutively null mutations has hampered investigation of other roles it may play in neural development and function. Here we report that the conditional loss of Pbx3 function in most tissues caudal to the hindbrain resulted in progressive deficits of posture, locomotion, and sensation that became apparent during adolescence. In adult mutants, the size of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and the numbers of calbindin-, PKC-gamma, and calretinin-expressing neurons in laminae I-III were markedly reduced, but the ventral cord and peripheral nervous system appeared normal. In the embryonic dorsal horn, Pbx3 expression was restricted to a subset of glutamatergic neurons, but its absence did not affect the initial balance of excitatory and inhibitory interneuron phenotypes. By embryonic day 15 a subset of Meis(+) glutamatergic neurons assumed abnormally superficial positions and the number of calbindin(+) neurons was increased three-fold in the mutants. Loss of Pbx3 function thus leads to the incorrect specification of some glutamatergic neurons in the dorsal horn and alters the integration of peripheral sensation into the spinal circuitry regulating locomotion.

  3. Characteristics of radial tears in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus compared to horizontal tears.

    PubMed

    Choi, Chul-Jun; Choi, Yun-Jin; Song, In-Bum; Choi, Chong-Hyuk

    2011-06-01

    The clinical and radiologic features of radial tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn were compared with those of horizontal tears. From January 2007 to December 2008, 387 consecutive cases of medial meniscal tears were treated arthroscopically. Among these, 91 were radial tears in the medial meniscus posterior horn, and 95 were horizontal tears in the posterior segment of the medial meniscus. The patients' data (age, gender, duration of symptom, body mass index, and injury history), radiographic findings (Kellgren and Lawrence score, posterior tibial slope, and femorotibial angle), and chondral lesions were recorded. The patient factors of age, gender, and body mass index were related to radial tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn. Radial tears were significantly correlated with Kellgren and Lawrence score, varus alignment, posterior tibial slope, and severity of the chondral lesion. Radial tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn are a unique clinical entity that are associated with older age, females and obesity, and are strongly associated with an increased incidence and severity of cartilage degeneration compared to horizontal tears.

  4. Hierarchical structure and compressive deformation mechanisms of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) horn.

    PubMed

    Huang, Wei; Zaheri, Alireza; Jung, Jae-Young; Espinosa, Horacio D; Mckittrick, Joanna

    2017-12-01

    Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) rams hurl themselves at each other at speeds of ∼9 m/s (20 mph) to fight for dominance and mating rights. This necessitates impact resistance and energy absorption mechanisms, which stem from material-structure components in horns. In this study, the material hierarchical structure as well as correlations between the structure and mechanical properties are investigated. The major microstructural elements of horns are found as tubules and cell lamellae, which are oriented with (∼30⁰) angle with respect to each other. The cell lamellae contain keratin cells, in the shape of pancakes, possessing an average thickness of ∼2 µm and diameter of ∼20-30 µm. The morphology of keratin cells reveals the presence of keratin fibers and intermediate filaments with diameter of ∼200 nm and ∼12 nm, respectively, parallel to the cell surface. Quasi-static and high strain rate impact experiments, in different loading directions and hydration states, revealed a strong strain rate dependency for both dried and hydrated conditions. A strong anisotropy behavior was observed under impact for the dried state. The results show that the radial direction is the most preferable impact orientation because of its superior energy absorption. Detailed failure mechanisms under the aforementioned conditions are examined by bar impact recovery experiments. Shear banding, buckling of cell lamellae, and delamination in longitudinal and transverse direction were identified as the cause for strain softening under high strain rate impact. While collapse of tubules occurs in both quasi-static and impact tests, in radial and transverse directions, the former leads to more energy absorption and impact resistance. Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) horns show remarkable impact resistance and energy absorption when undergoing high speed impact during the intraspecific fights. The present work illustrates the hierarchical structure of bighorn sheep horn at

  5. Great horned owls are released at CCAFS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Eileen Olejarski (left), manager of Florida Wildlife Hospital, and Susan Small, director of the hospital, get ready to release two great horned owls at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Complex 25/29. The owls were found in June on the floor of CCAFS Hangar G, where their nest was located. They were treated at a local veterinary hospital and then taken to the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Melbourne for care and rehabilitation before release.

  6. [The unicorn and the unicorn horn among apothecaries and physicians].

    PubMed

    Fischer, Louis-Paul; Cossu Ferra Fischer, Véronique

    2011-01-01

    In the 4th century A.D. the first unicorn was shown as a little horse with a twisted horn and was completely different from the Oriental one described by Marco Polo. The new unicorn appeared during the 4th century A.D. in Alexandria. This animal enamoured of purity was used as a Christian symbol of purity and sacrifice and adornment of churches like in Lyons in the 13th century. In the 15th & 17th centuries the unicorn was found again in famous tapestries like La Dame B la Licorne as it meant courage, speed and purity. Since the 6th century the powder of unicorn horn was used as a medicine or a drug against poisoning. Depictions of unicorn can be found in chemist's signs, engravings or paintings until the 19th century.

  7. A Transperineal Approach to Hysterectomy of a Retained Didelphic Uterine Horn.

    PubMed

    Mullen, Mary M; Kuroki, Lindsay M; Hunt, Steven R; Ratkowski, Kristy L; Mutch, David G

    2017-09-01

    Gynecologic surgeries are performed through abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic, or robot-assisted laparoscopic routes. However, if the pelvis is not accessible by one of these routes, there are no published reports to guide pelvic surgeons. A 34-year-old conjoined twin status postseparation with uterine didelphys and absence of her left colon and sacrum underwent hemihysterectomy, at which time her müllerian anomaly was unknown. She re-presented with vaginal bleeding and pain eventually attributed to a retained uterine horn. Conservative management failed. Given dense adhesions, traditional approaches to hysterectomy were not successful. She underwent a transperineal hemisupracervical hysterectomy. We propose a novel approach to the pelvis to guide surgeons when traditional approaches are not feasible. We also describe an instance of a retained uterine didelphys horn.

  8. Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt violation and the entropy-concurrence plane

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

    Derkacz, Lukasz; Jakobczyk, Lech

    2005-10-15

    We characterize violation of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) inequalities for mixed two-qubit states by their mixedness and entanglement. The class of states that have maximum degree of CHSH violation for a given linear entropy is also constructed.

  9. The effect of installation location on railroad horn sound levels.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-09-01

    Many comments have been received as a result of the Federal Railroad Administrations : (FRA) issuance of a Proposed Rule for the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail : Grade Crossings1. This proposal contains many provisions, two of which...

  10. Project Echo: Horn-Reflector Antenna for Space Communication

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crawford, A. B.; Hogg, D. C.; Hunt, L. E.

    1961-01-01

    This paper describes the mechanical features of the horn- reflector antenna used for receiving signals reflected from the Project Echo balloon satellite, and presents in some detail the electrical characteristics (radiation patterns and gain) measured at a frequency of 2390 Mc. Theoretically derived characteristics which agree very well with the measurements are also presented; details of the calculations are given in the appendices.

  11. Temporal patterns of Deepwater Horizon impacts on the benthic infauna of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental slope

    PubMed Central

    Baguley, Jeffrey G.; Conrad-Forrest, Nathan; Cooksey, Cynthia; Hyland, Jeffrey L.; Lewis, Christopher; Montagna, Paul A.; Ricker, Robert W.; Rohal, Melissa; Washburn, Travis

    2017-01-01

    The Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in spring and summer 2010 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Research cruises in 2010 (approximately 2–3 months after the well had been capped), 2011, and 2014 were conducted to determine the initial and subsequent effects of the oil spill on deep-sea soft-bottom infauna. A total of 34 stations were sampled from two zones: 20 stations in the “impact” zone versus 14 stations in the “non-impact” zone. Chemical contaminants were significantly different between the two zones. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons averaged 218 ppb in the impact zone compared to 14 ppb in the non-impact zone. Total petroleum hydrocarbons averaged 1166 ppm in the impact zone compared to 102 ppm in the non-impact zone. While there was no difference between zones for meiofauna and macrofauna abundance, community diversity was significantly lower in the impact zone. Meiofauna taxa richness over the three sampling periods averaged 8 taxa/sample in the impact zone, compared to 10 taxa/sample in the non-impact zone; and macrofauna richness averaged 25 taxa/sample in the impact zone compared to 30 taxa/sample in the non-impact zone. Oil originating from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill reached the seafloor and had a persistent negative impact on diversity of soft-bottom, deep-sea benthic communities. While there are signs of recovery for some benthic community variables, full recovery has not yet occurred four years after the spill. PMID:28640913

  12. The effect of installation location on railroad horn sound levels.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-08-20

    Many comments have been received as a result of the Federal Railroad Administrations (FRA) : issuance of a Proposed Rule for the Use of Locomotive Horns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings. : A large group of comments were received on a particular pro...

  13. Non-territorial floaters in Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus)

    Treesearch

    Christoph Rohner

    1997-01-01

    The ecology and behavior of non-territorial owls are basically unknown. I studied the integration of young Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) into the territorial breeding population from 1988-1993 in the southwestern Yukon, Canada, during a peak and decline of the population cycle of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). Fifty-five...

  14. Road traffic noise prediction model for heterogeneous traffic based on ASJ-RTN Model 2008 with consideration of horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hustim, M.; Arifin, Z.; Aly, S. H.; Ramli, M. I.; Zakaria, R.; Liputo, A.

    2018-04-01

    This research aimed to predict the noise produced by the traffic in the road network in Makassar City using ASJ-RTN Model 2008 by calculating the horn sound. Observations were taken at 37 survey points on road side. The observations were conducted at 06.00 - 18.00 and 06.00 - 21.00 which research objects were motorcycle (MC), light vehicle (LV) and heavy vehicle (HV). The observed data were traffic volume, vehicle speed, number of horn and traffic noise using Sound Level Meter Tenmars TM-103. The research result indicates that prediction noise model by calculating the horn sound produces the average noise level value of 78.5 dB having the Pearson’s correlation and RMSE of 0.95 and 0.87. Therefore, ASJ-RTN Model 2008 prediction model by calculating the horn sound is said to be sufficiently good for predicting noise level.

  15. CFD study of the flow pattern in an ultrasonic horn reactor: Introducing a realistic vibrating boundary condition.

    PubMed

    Rahimi, Masoud; Movahedirad, Salman; Shahhosseini, Shahrokh

    2017-03-01

    Recently, great attention has been paid to predict the acoustic streaming field distribution inside the sonoreactors, induced by high-power ultrasonic wave generator. The focus of this paper is to model an ultrasonic vibrating horn and study the induced flow pattern with a newly developed moving boundary condition. The numerical simulation utilizes the modified cavitation model along with the "mixture" model for turbulent flow (RNG, k-ε), and a moving boundary condition with an oscillating parabolic-logarithmic profile, applied to the horn tip. This moving-boundary provides the situation in which the center of the horn tip vibrates stronger than that of the peripheral regions. The velocity field obtained by computational fluid dynamic was in a reasonably good agreement with the PIV results. The moving boundary model is more accurate since it better approximates the movement of the horn tip in the ultrasonic assisted process. From an optimizing point of view, the model with the new moving boundary is more suitable than the conventional models for design purposes because the displacement magnitude of the horn tip is the only fitting parameter. After developing and validating the numerical model, the model was utilized to predict various quantities such as cavitation zone, pressure field and stream function that are not experimentally feasible to measure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Development of 2-D horn-antenna millimeter-wave imaging device (HMID) for the plasma diagnostics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagayama, Y.; Ito, N.; Kuwahara, D.; Tsuchiya, H.; Yamaguchi, S.

    2017-04-01

    The two-dimensional (2-D) Horn-antenna Millimeter-wave Imaging Device (HMID) has been developed for the O-mode Microwave Imaging Reflectometry (O-MIR) in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The detectable frequency range of the HMID is 23-33 GHz, which corresponds to the cutoff electron density of 0.8-1.5 × 1019 m-3 in the O-MIR. The HMID is a 2-D imaging device that improves on the horn-antenna mixer array, which had been developed for the X-mode MIR in the LHD. In the HMID, the signal (RF) wave from the horn antenna is transmitted to the microstrip line by the finline transmitter, and this is mixed by the double-balanced-mixer with the local oscillation wave that is fed by a coaxial cable. By using the HMID, the MIR optical system can be significantly simplified.

  17. Reliability Improvement of Ground Fault Protection System Using an S-Type Horn Attachment Gap in AC Feeding System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajiki, Kohji; Morimoto, Hiroaki; Shimokawa, Fumiyuki; Sakai, Shinya; Sasaki, Kazuomi; Sato, Ryogo

    Contact wires used in feeding system for electric railroad are insulated by insulators. However, insulation of an insulator sometimes breaks down by surface dirt of an insulator and contact with a bird. The insulator breakdown derives a ground fault in feeding system. Ground fault will cause a human electric shock and a destruction of low voltage electric equipment. In order to prevent the damage by ground fault, an S-type horn has been applicable as equipped on insulators of negative feeder and protective wire until present. However, a concrete pole breaks down at the time of the ground fault because a spark-over voltage of the S-type horn is higher than a breakdown voltage of a concrete pole. Farther, the S-type horn installed in the steel tube pole does not discharge a case, because the earth resistance of a steel tube pole is very small. We assumed that we could solve these troubles by changing the power frequency spark-over voltage of the S-type horn from 12kV to 3kV. Accordingly, we developed an attachment gap that should be used to change the power frequency spark-over voltage of the S-type horn from 12kV to 3kV. The attachment gap consists of a gas gap arrester and a zinc oxide element. By the dynamic current test and the artificial ground fault test, we confirmed that the attachment gap in the S-type horn could prevent a trouble at the time of the ground fault.

  18. Intrinsic hybrid modes in a corrugated conical horn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dendane, A.; Arnold, J. M.

    1988-08-01

    Computational requirements for the generation of intrinsic modes in a nonseparable waveguide geometry requiring a full vector field description with anistropic impedance boundaries were derived. Good agreement is shown between computed and measured radiation patterns in copolar and crosspolar configurations. This agreement establishes that the intrinsic mode correctly accounts for the local normal mode conversion which takes place along the horn in a conventional mode coupling scheme, at least for cone semiangles up to 15 deg. The advantage of the intrinsic mode formulation over the conventional mode-coupling theory is that, to construct a single intrinsic mode throughout the horn, only one local normal mode field is required at each cross section, whereas mode conversion from the HE11 mode would require all the HE1n modes to be known at each cross section. The intrinsic mode accounts also for fields which would appear as backward modes in coupled-mode theory. A complete coupled-mode theory solution requires the inversion of a large matrix at each cross section, whereas the intrinsic mode can be constructed explicitly using a simple Fourier-like integral; the perturbation solution of Dragone (1977) is difficult to make rigorous.

  19. Great horned owls are released at CCAFS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Eileen Olejarski (left), manager of Florida Wildlife Hospital, and Susan Small, director of the hospital, remove two great horned owls from the vehicle before releasing them at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Complex 25/29. The owls were found in June on the floor of CCAFS Hangar G, where their nest was located. They were treated at a local veterinary hospital and then taken to the Florida Wildlife Hospital in Melbourne for care and rehabilitation before release..

  20. Radioactivity levels in mussels and sediments of the Golden Horn by the Bosphorus Strait, Marmara Sea.

    PubMed

    Kılıç, Önder; Belivermiş, Murat; Gözel, Furkan; Carvalho, Fernando P

    2014-09-15

    The Golden Horn is an estuary located in the center of İstanbul receiving freshwater discharges from two creeks and connecting to the Bosphorus Strait. Activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides were determined in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and sediments from the Golden Horn sampled in February 2012. Mean activity concentrations of (137)Cs, (40)K, (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (210)Po and (210)Pb in the mussels were determined at 1.03±0.23, 389±41.6, 2.61±1.23, not detected (ND), 91.96±37.88 and 11.48±4.85 Bq kg(-1), respectively. In sediments, it was observed that (137)Cs, (40)K, (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (210)Po and (210)Pb activity concentrations in<63 μm particle fraction of sediment were generally higher than those determined in mussels. Po-210 and (210)Po/(210)Pb ratios in mussels from the Golden Horn were much lower than in mussels from other coastal regions and this was related to low plankton productivity and eutrophication of the Golden Horn. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Segmental aplasia of the uterine horn in a cat.

    PubMed

    Marcella, K L; Ramirez, M; Hammerslag, K L

    1985-01-15

    A 4.5-year-old female domestic longhair cat with a history of intermittent abdominal distention following estrus and infertility was admitted for routine vaccinations. Radiographs revealed 2 large blunt-ended tubular structures overlapping each other in the abdomen. Segmental aplasia of the right uterine horn was diagnosed following exploratory laparotomy and ovariohysterectomy.

  2. The distribution of excitatory amino acid receptors on acutely dissociated dorsal horn neurons from postnatal rats.

    PubMed

    Arancio, O; Yoshimura, M; Murase, K; MacDermott, A B

    1993-01-01

    Excitatory amino acid receptor distribution was mapped on acutely dissociated neurons from postnatal rat spinal cord dorsal horn. N-methyl D-aspartate, quisqualate and kainate were applied to multiple locations along the somal and dendritic surfaces of voltage-clamped neurons by means of a pressure application system. To partially compensate for the decrement of response amplitude due to current loss between the site of activation on the dendrite and the recording electrode at the soma, a solution containing 0.15 M KCl was applied on the cell bodies and dendrites of some cells to estimate an empirical length constant. In the majority of the cells tested, the dendritic membrane had regions of higher sensitivity to excitatory amino acid agonists than the somatic membrane, with dendritic response amplitudes reaching more than seven times those at the cell body. A comparison of the relative changes in sensitivity between each combination of two of the three excitatory amino acid agonists along the same dendrite showed different patterns of agonist sensitivity along the dendrite in the majority of the cells. These data were obtained from dorsal horn neurons that had developed and formed synaptic connections in vivo. They demonstrate that in contrast to observations made on ventral horn neurons, receptor density for all the excitatory amino acid receptors on dorsal horn neurons, including the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, are generally higher on the dendrites than on the soma. Further, these results are similar to those obtained from dorsal horn neurons grown in culture.

  3. Complex furrows in a 2D epithelial sheet code the 3D structure of a beetle horn.

    PubMed

    Matsuda, Keisuke; Gotoh, Hiroki; Tajika, Yuki; Sushida, Takamichi; Aonuma, Hitoshi; Niimi, Teruyuki; Akiyama, Masakazu; Inoue, Yasuhiro; Kondo, Shigeru

    2017-10-24

    The external organs of holometabolous insects are generated through two consecutive processes: the development of imaginal primordia and their subsequent transformation into the adult structures. During the latter process, many different phenomena at the cellular level (e.g. cell shape changes, cell migration, folding and unfolding of epithelial sheets) contribute to the drastic changes observed in size and shape. Because of this complexity, the logic behind the formation of the 3D structure of adult external organs remains largely unknown. In this report, we investigated the metamorphosis of the horn in the Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus. The horn primordia is essentially a 2D epithelial cell sheet with dense furrows. We experimentally unfolded these furrows using three different methods and found that the furrow pattern solely determines the 3D horn structure, indicating that horn formation in beetles occurs by two distinct processes: formation of the furrows and subsequently unfolding them. We postulate that this developmental simplicity offers an inherent advantage to understanding the principles that guide 3D morphogenesis in insects.

  4. Genome-based approach to discover new livestock pest control technologies: The horn fly (Haematobia irritans) genome sequencing project

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Invasion of the Americas by the horn fly, H. irritans, has resulted in control issues throughout the continent. Insecticide resistance is a major complicating factor with efforts to manage this pest. Stakeholder focus groups identified the horn fly as the top priority arthropod pest affecting cattle...

  5. Properties of cutoff corrugated surfaces for corrugated horn design. [corrugation shape and density effects on scattering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mentzer, C. A.; Peters, L., Jr.

    1974-01-01

    Corrugated horns involve a junction between the corrugated surface and a conducting ground plane. Proper horn design requires an understanding of the electromagnetic properties of the corrugated surface and this junction. An integral equation solution has been used to study the influence of corrugation density and tooth thickness on the power loss, surface current, and the scattering from a ground plane/corrugated surface junction.

  6. Attachment area of fibres from the horns of lateral meniscus: anatomic study with special reference to the positional relationship of anterior cruciate ligament.

    PubMed

    Fujishiro, Hitomi; Tsukada, Sachiyuki; Nakamura, Tomomasa; Nimura, Akimoto; Mochizuki, Tomoyuki; Akita, Keiichi

    2017-02-01

    Although studies support the clinical importance of the fibres from the horns of lateral meniscus (LM), few studies have investigated the detailed anatomy. This anatomic study was conducted to analyse the structural details of LM with special reference to (1) the attachment area of the fibres from the anterior and posterior horns and (2) the positional relationship between these fibres and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). A total of 24 cadaveric knees were used in the macroscopic investigation, and six knees were used in the histological investigation. Micro-computed tomography analysis was also performed to assess the anatomy of the posteriormost fibre from the posterior horn of LM. Based on the macroscopic investigations, the outer fibres from the anterior horn of LM extended to ACL and seemed to intermingle with ACL fibres. However, the histological investigations showed a distinct border between the fibres and ACL. The inner fibres from the anterior horn of LM attached to the lateral intercondylar tubercle serving as a lateral margin of ACL attachment. Fibres from the posterior horn of LM were separated into anterolateral and posteromedial crura which attached to the posterior aspect of the lateral and medial intercondylar tubercles, respectively. These two crura formed the posterior margin of the ACL attachment, except for the central part of ACL. The outer fibres from the anterior horn of LM adjoined ACL. The inner fibres from the anterior horn of LM and two crura from the posterior horn of LM formed the border of the attachment area of ACL. The distinctive fibre anatomy from LM could provide a surgical landmark during arthroscopic surgery.

  7. Frequencies of genes for coat colour and horns in Nordic cattle breeds

    PubMed Central

    Kantanen, Juha; Olsaker, Ingrid; Brusgaard, Klaus; Eythorsdottir, Emma; Holm, Lars-Erik; Lien, Sigbjørn; Danell, Birgitta; Adalsteinsson, Stefan

    2000-01-01

    Gene frequencies of coat colour and horn types were assessed in 22 Nordic cattle breeds in a project aimed at establishing genetic profiles of the breeds under study. The coat colour loci yielding information on genetic variation were: extension, agouti, spotting, brindle, dun dilution and colour sided. The polled locus was assessed for two alleles. A profound variation between breeds was observed in the frequencies of both colour and horn alleles, with the older breeds generally showing greater variation in observed colour, horn types and segregating alleles than the modern breeds. The correspondence between the present genetic distance matrix and previous molecular marker distance matrices was low (r = 0.08 – 0.12). The branching pattern of a neighbour-joining tree disagreed to some extent with the molecular data structure. The current data indicates that 70% of the total genetic variation could be explained by differences between the breeds, suggesting a much greater breed differentiation than typically found at protein and microsatellite loci. The marked differentiation of the cattle breeds and observed disagreements with the results from the previous molecular data in the topology of the phylogenetic trees are most likely a result of selection on phenotypic characters analysed in this study. PMID:14736370

  8. Quantifying the nonlocality of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger quantum correlations by a bounded communication simulation protocol.

    PubMed

    Branciard, Cyril; Gisin, Nicolas

    2011-07-08

    The simulation of quantum correlations with finite nonlocal resources, such as classical communication, gives a natural way to quantify their nonlocality. While multipartite nonlocal correlations appear to be useful resources, very little is known on how to simulate multipartite quantum correlations. We present a protocol that reproduces tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger correlations with bounded communication: 3 bits in total turn out to be sufficient to simulate all equatorial Von Neumann measurements on the tripartite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state.

  9. Development of 2-D horn-antenna millimeter-wave imaging device (HMID) for the plasma diagnostics.

    PubMed

    Nagayama, Y; Ito, N; Kuwahara, D; Tsuchiya, H; Yamaguchi, S

    2017-04-01

    The two-dimensional (2-D) Horn-antenna Millimeter-wave Imaging Device (HMID) has been developed for the O-mode Microwave Imaging Reflectometry (O-MIR) in the Large Helical Device (LHD). The detectable frequency range of the HMID is 23-33 GHz, which corresponds to the cutoff electron density of 0.8-1.5 × 10 19 m -3 in the O-MIR. The HMID is a 2-D imaging device that improves on the horn-antenna mixer array, which had been developed for the X-mode MIR in the LHD. In the HMID, the signal (RF) wave from the horn antenna is transmitted to the microstrip line by the finline transmitter, and this is mixed by the double-balanced-mixer with the local oscillation wave that is fed by a coaxial cable. By using the HMID, the MIR optical system can be significantly simplified.

  10. Acute myelopathy selectively involving lumbar anterior horns following intranasal insufflation of ecstasy and heroin

    PubMed Central

    Riva, Nilo; Riva, Nilo; Morana, Paolo; Cerri, Federica; Gerevini, Simonetta; Amadio, Stefano; Formaglio, Fabio; Comi, Giancarlo; Comola, Mauro; Del Carro, Ubaldo

    2009-01-01

    We report a patient who developed acute myelopathy after intranasal insufflation of amphetamines and heroin. The functional prognosis was very poor; after 4 months, she remained paraplegic. MRI imaging showed selective T2 hyperintensity and intense enhancement confined to the spinal anterior horns and lumbar nerve roots and plexus. This unique MRI pattern, together with neurophysiological data, suggests that the pathological process at the first primary affected spinal anterior horns (SAH), conditioning motoneuron cell death, and then nerve roots and lumbar plexus as a consequence of wallerian degeneration PMID:21686691

  11. Neogene and Quaternary geology of a stratigraphic test hole on Horn Island, Mississippi Sound

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gohn, Gregory S.; Brewster-Wingard, G. Lynn; Cronin, Thomas M.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Gibson, Thomas G.; Rubin, Meyer; Willard, Debra A.

    1996-01-01

    During April and May, 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled a 510-ft-deep, continuously cored, stratigraphic test hole on Horn Island, Mississippi Sound, as part of a field study of the Neogene and Quaternary geology of the Mississippi coastal area. The USGS drilled two new holes at the Horn Island site. The first hole was continuously cored to a depth of 510 ft; coring stopped at this depth due to mechanical problems. To facilitate geophysical logging, an unsampled second hole was drilled to a depth of 519 ft at the same location.

  12. A novel multilocus phylogenetic estimation reveals unrecognized diversity in Asian horned toads, genus Megophrys sensu lato (Anura: Megophryidae).

    PubMed

    Chen, Jin-Min; Zhou, Wei-Wei; Poyarkov, Nikolay A; Stuart, Bryan L; Brown, Rafe M; Lathrop, Amy; Wang, Ying-Yong; Yuan, Zhi-Yong; Jiang, Ke; Hou, Mian; Chen, Hong-Man; Suwannapoom, Chatmongkon; Nguyen, Sang Ngoc; Duong, Tang Van; Papenfuss, Theodore J; Murphy, Robert W; Zhang, Ya-Ping; Che, Jing

    2017-01-01

    The horned toad assemblage, genus Megophrys sensu lato, currently includes three groups previously recognized as the genera Atympanophrys, Xenophrys and Megophrys sensu stricto. The taxonomic status and species composition of the three groups remain controversial due to conflicting phenotypic analyses and insufficient phylogenetic reconstruction; likewise, the position of the monotypic Borneophrys remains uncertain with respect to the horned toads. Further, the diversity of the horned toads remains poorly understood, especially for widespread species. Herein, we evaluate species-level diversity based on 45 of the 57 described species from throughout southern China, Southeast Asia and the Himalayas using Bayesian inference trees and the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC) approach. We estimate the phylogeny using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data. Analyses reveal statistically significant mito-nuclear discordance. All analyses resolve paraphyly for horned toads involving multiple strongly supported clades. These clades correspond with geography. We resurrect the genera Atympanophrys and Xenophrys from the synonymy of Megophrys to eliminate paraphyly of Megophrys s.l. and to account for the morphological, molecular and biogeographic differences among these groups, but we also provide an alternative option. Our study suggests that Borneophrys is junior synonym of Megophrys sensu stricto. We provide an estimation of timeframe for the horned toads. The mitochondrial and nuclear trees indicate the presence of many putative undescribed species. Widespread species, such as Xenophrys major and X. minor, likely have dramatically underestimated diversity. The integration of morphological and molecular evidence can validate this discovery. Montane forest dynamics appear to play a significant role in driving diversification of horned toads. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. On the Horn Effect of a Tyre/road Interface, Part i: Experiment and Computation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Graf, R. A. G.; Kuo, C.-Y.; Dowling, A. P.; Graham, W. R.

    2002-09-01

    Near the tyre/road contact area, the road surface and the tyre belt form a horn-like geometry, which provides a significant amplification mechanism for sound sources. Measurements have been carried out on a stationary tyre placed on a plane surface in an otherwise anechoic chamber. Following the reciprocal theorem a microphone was placed in the road surface near the contact patch and a white noise source was used in the far field. The amplification by the horn effect can then be determined as a function of frequency for an array of microphone positions relative to the contact patch and the centre of the tyre. These experimental measurements show that the horn effect is responsible for about 10-20dB increase in noise level. The amplification function shows a distinct interference pattern for higher frequencies and is independent of the longitudinal source position for low frequencies and source positions close to the contact patch. Numerical calculations using the indirect boundary element method have been carried out. These show excellent agreement with the measurements in the frequency regime of the BEM, i.e., up to 2500 Hz. The dependence of the horn effect on primary geometrical parameters such as the effect of the radius of curvature of the shoulders, the load and the width of the tyre has been investigated experimentally and numerically. The broad features of the horn effect are given by the cylindrical geometry of the tyre. The rounded edges of the tyre tend to increase the levels of the minima and shift them to higher frequencies, while slightly decreasing the levels of the maxima. Shape variations due to load can be accounted for by correcting the source distance to the edge of the formed contact patch. The amplification at low frequencies increases with width, the results collapsing onto a single curve as a function of the dimensionless width ω / λ.

  14. [Acute intestinal strangulation after Scarpa's triangle cow horn injury].

    PubMed

    Abita, T; Durand-Fontanier, S; Ternengo, D; Valleix, D; Descottes, B

    2008-01-01

    A 52 year-old man, treated by neuroleptic drugs, presented with a cow horn injury in the right Scarpa's triangle. The surgical management found no injury of femoral vessels. Surgical hemostasis of superficial vessels was performed. An ileal strangulation appeared three days later. At laparotomy, we found an internal parietal wound. Here we explain the mechanism of this strangulation.

  15. Synovial chondromatosis in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Howard, M O; Nieves, M A; Miles, K G

    1996-04-01

    A case of synovial chondromatosis in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was found in June 1993. In radiographs of bilateral swelling of the scapulohumeral joint we observed numerous mineralized foci in the soft tissue. The foci were identified by light microscopy as cartilaginous metaplasia. This is the first report of synovial chondromatosis in an owl.

  16. [Chronic pain and syringomyelic slit of the posterior horns of the spinal cord].

    PubMed

    Rémillard, G M; Robitaille, Y; Bertrand, G

    1985-01-01

    Two male patients 46 and 44 y.o. respectively, were admitted for a syndrome of chronic pain characterized by: sudden onset, spontaneous or following spasmodic coughing, of an anterior hemithoracic pain slowly progressing to involve several unilateral cervicothoracic dermatomes, a continuous burning sensation made worse by light touch, limb movements and cold water, and partially relieved by warm water or deep palpation. On examination, patient 1 revealed no sensorimotor deficit after repeated observations during 8 years. At autopsy, a syrinx localized at the cord segments corresponding to the symptoms was found without documentation of specific causal factors. It involved the posterior horn of the cord selectively. In patient 2, pain was associated with slight hypesthesia to pinprick and heat from C2 to T5 on the left without motor deficit since 18 months. A high resolution C.A.T. scan showed an intramedullary cavity 0.3 cm from the midline in the projection of the posterior horn without anomalies at the cervicomedullary junction. These observations link chronic pain syndromes with predominantly posterior horn lesions, which so far have failed to respond to conventional therapeutic measures.

  17. Evaluation of a wayside horn at two highway-railroad grade crossings

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-10-08

    In an effort to alert motorists and pedestrians to the presence of an approaching train and avoid accidents at highway-railroad grade crossings, locomotive engineers regularly sound a train-mounted horn as they approach the intersection. Locomotive e...

  18. Examination of the Ovarian Reserve after Generation of Unilateral Rudimentary Uterine Horns in Rats

    PubMed Central

    Toyganözü, Hasan; Nazik, Hakan; Narin, Raziye; Satar, Deniz; Narin, Mehmet Ali; Büyüknacar, Sinem; Api, Murat; Aytan, Hakan

    2014-01-01

    Objective. The purpose of this experimental rat model study is to evaluate the changes in the ovarian environment after excision of the rudimentary horn. Methods. Ten female Wistar albino rats were used in this study. One cm of right uterine horn length was excised in the first operation. Two months after the first operation, all animals were sacrificed to obtain ovaries for histological examination. Mann-Whitney U test and Student's t-test were used for statistical analysis purposes. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.005. Results. The number of primordial follicles (P = 0.415), primary follicles (P = 0.959), preantral follicles (P = 0.645), antral follicles (P = 0.328), and Graafian follicles (P = 0.721) was decreased and the number of atretic follicles (P = 0.374) increased in the right ovarian side. Howeve,r this difference was not found to be statistically significant. Conclusion. The results of this experimental rat model study suggest that the excision of rudimentary horn could have negative effects on ipsilateral ovarian functions. PMID:24672393

  19. Mutual mortality of great horned owl and southern black racer: a potential risk of raptors preying on snakes

    Treesearch

    Roger W. Perry; Raymond E. Brown; D. Craig Rudolph

    2001-01-01

    We encountered a dead southern black racer snake (Coluber constrictor priapus) coiled around a dead Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). We suggest the owl was strangled by the snake before the snake did of wounds inflicted by the owl. There are previous reports of intense physical struggle between Great Horned Owls (and...

  20. Cloning and characterization of an MRNA encoding an insulin receptor from the horned scarab beetle Onthophagus nigriventris (Coleoptera: scarabaeidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The insulin signaling pathway has been implicated in the control of insect polyphenisms for some caste-forming insects and potentially has a role in horn dimorphisms in beetles. Males of the sexually dimorphic dung beetle Onthophagus nigriventris develop a magnificent thoracic horn up to twice the l...

  1. Infantile onset progressive cerebellar atrophy and anterior horn cell degeneration--a late onset variant of PCH-1?

    PubMed

    Lev, Dorit; Michelson-Kerman, Marina; Vinkler, Chana; Blumkin, Lubov; Shalev, Stavit A; Lerman-Sagie, Tally

    2008-03-01

    Despite major recent advances in our understanding of developmental cerebellar disorders, classification and delineation of these disorders remains difficult. The term pontocerebellar hypoplasia is used when there is a structural defect, originating in utero of both pons and cerebellar hemispheres. The term olivopontocerebellar atrophy is used when the disorder starts later in life and the process is a primary degeneration of cerebellar neurons. Pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1 is associated with spinal anterior horn cell degeneration, congenital contractures, microcephaly, polyhydramnion and respiratory insufficiency leading to early death. However, anterior horn cell degeneration has also been described in cases with later onset pontocerebellar atrophy and recently the spectrum has even been further extended to include the association of anterior horn cell degeneration and cerebellar atrophy without pontine involvement. We describe two siblings from a consanguineous Moslem Arabic family who presented with progressive degeneration of both the cerebellum and the anterior horn cells. The patients presented after 1 year of age with a slow neurodegenerative course that included both cognitive and motor functions. There is considerable phenotypic variability; the sister shows a much milder course. Both children are still alive at 6 and 9 years. The sister could still crawl and speak two word sentences at the age of 3 years while the brother was bedridden and only uttered guttural sounds at the same age. Our cases further extend the phenotype of the cerebellar syndromes with anterior horn cell involvement to include a childhood onset and protracted course and further prove that this neurodegenerative disorder may start in utero or later in life.

  2. The hydrodynamics of the Big Horn Basin: a study of the role of faults

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bredehoeft, J.D.; Belitz, K.; Sharp-Hansen, S.

    1992-01-01

    A three-dimensional mathematical model simulates groundwater flow in the Big Horn basin, Wyoming. The hydraulic head at depth over much of the Big Horn basin is near the land surface elevation, a condition usually defined as hydrostatic. This condition indicates a high, regional-scale, vertical conductivity for the sediments in the basin. Our hypothesis to explain the high conductivity is that the faults act as vertical conduits for fluid flow. These same faults can act as either horizontal barriers to flow or nonbarriers, depending upon whether the fault zones are more permeable or less permeable than the adjoining aquifers. -from Authors

  3. Progress in integrated-circuit horn antennas for receiver applications. Part 2: A 90 GHz quasi-integrated horn antenna receiver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ali-Ahmad, Walid Y.; Eleftheriades, George V.; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.

    1992-01-01

    A receiver belonging to the family of integrated planar receivers has been developed at 90 GHz. It consists of a planar Schottky-diode placed at the feed of a dipole-probe suspended inside an integrated horn antenna. The measured planar mixer single-sideband conversion loss at 91.2 GHz (LO) with a 200 MHz IF frequency is 8.3dB plus or minus 0.3dB. The low cost of fabrication and simplicity of this design makes it ideal for millimeter and submillimeter-wave receivers.

  4. On the origin of Ammon's horn.

    PubMed

    Iniesta, I

    2014-10-01

    Greek and Roman worship of their gods and myths go back to Ancient Egyptian times. Images engraved in Greco-Roman coinage range from references to the assassination of Caesar and legendary stories like the arrival of a snake shaped demi-god Aesculapius to save the Romans from the plague, to invocations of major deities including Apollo the physician or Ammon the protector. Depicted with the horns of a ram, Ammon was adopted by the Greeks as an epithet of Zeus and later incorporated by the Romans as Jupiter. References to the cult of Ammon appear on tetradrachms minted for Alexander The Great and on provincial Roman coins struck under Claudius. It is thrilling to hold a coin depicting Marcus Aurelius with Salus on the reverse and think that it could have been handed to Galen in payment for his services. However, it is rare to find figures other than rulers on coins and the physician of Pergamum is no exception. Inspired by the Renaissance school of Padua, French anatomists in the Enlightenment (Garengeot in 1742 and Flurant in 1752) continued reviving ancient myths and named the curve-shaped-inner portion of the temporal lobe Ammon's horn. Outstanding scholars who studied this primitive structure of the brain included Lorente de Nó and his mentor Cajal, whose portrait appeared on fifty-pesetas notes issued in 1935. As primary sources of great archaeological and artistic value, Greco-Roman coins provide information about the origins of the myths and gods of classical antiquity and continue to inspire the arts and sciences to this day. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  5. The Cattell-Horn-Carroll Model of Cognition for Clinical Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jewsbury, Paul A.; Bowden, Stephen C.; Duff, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) model is a comprehensive model of the major dimensions of individual differences that underlie performance on cognitive tests. Studies evaluating the generality of the CHC model across test batteries, age, gender, and culture were reviewed and found to be overwhelmingly supportive. However, less research is available…

  6. Importance of prairie wetlands and avian prey to breeding Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in Northwestern North Dakota

    Treesearch

    Richard K. Murphy

    1997-01-01

    Prey use by Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) is documented widely in North America, but not in the vast northern Great Plains. During spring through early summer 1986-1987, I recorded 2,900 prey items at 22 Great Horned Owl nesting areas in the prairie pothole farm- and rangelands of northwestern North Dakota. The owls relied heavily on wetland-...

  7. Modeling multimode feed-horn coupled bolometers for millimeter-wave and terahertz astronomical instrumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalinauskaite, Eimante; Murphy, Anthony; McAuley, Ian; Trappe, Neil A.; Bracken, Colm P.; McCarthy, Darragh N.; Doherty, Stephen; Gradziel, Marcin L.; O'Sullivan, Creidhe; Maffei, Bruno; Lamarre, Jean-Michel A.; Ade, Peter A. R.; Savini, Giorgio

    2016-07-01

    Multimode horn antennas can be utilized as high efficiency feeds for bolometric detectors, providing increased throughput and sensitivity over single mode feeds, while also ensuring good control of beam pattern characteristics. Multimode horns were employed in the highest frequency channels of the European Space Agency Planck Telescope, and have been proposed for future terahertz instrumentation, such as SAFARI for SPICA. The radiation pattern of a multimode horn is affected by the details of the coupling of the higher order waveguide modes to the bolometer making the modeling more complicated than in the case of a single mode system. A typical cavity coupled bolometer system can be most efficiently simulated using mode matching, typically with smooth walled waveguide modes as the basis and computing an overall scattering matrix for the horn-waveguide-cavity system that includes the power absorption by the absorber. In this paper we present how to include a cavity coupled bolometer, modelled as a thin absorbing film with particular interest in investigating the cavity configuration for optimizing power absorption. As an example, the possible improvements from offsetting the axis of a cylindrically symmetric absorbing cavity from that of a circular waveguide feeding it (thus trapping more power in the cavity) are discussed. Another issue is the effect on the optical efficiency of the detectors of the presence of any gaps, through which power can escape. To model these effects required that existing in-house mode matching software, which calculates the scattering matrices for axially symmetric waveguide structures, be extended to be able to handle offset junctions and free space gaps. As part of this process the complete software code 'PySCATTER' was developed in Python. The approach can be applied to proposed terahertz systems, such as SPICASAFARI.

  8. The optimisation, design and verification of feed horn structures for future Cosmic Microwave Background missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCarthy, Darragh; Trappe, Neil; Murphy, J. Anthony; O'Sullivan, Créidhe; Gradziel, Marcin; Doherty, Stephen; Huggard, Peter G.; Polegro, Arturo; van der Vorst, Maarten

    2016-05-01

    In order to investigate the origins of the Universe, it is necessary to carry out full sky surveys of the temperature and polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation, the remnant of the Big Bang. Missions such as COBE and Planck have previously mapped the CMB temperature, however in order to further constrain evolutionary and inflationary models, it is necessary to measure the polarisation of the CMB with greater accuracy and sensitivity than before. Missions undertaking such observations require large arrays of feed horn antennas to feed the detector arrays. Corrugated horns provide the best performance, however owing to the large number required (circa 5000 in the case of the proposed COrE+ mission), such horns are prohibitive in terms of thermal, mechanical and cost limitations. In this paper we consider the optimisation of an alternative smooth-walled piecewise conical profiled horn, using the mode-matching technique alongside a genetic algorithm. The technique is optimised to return a suitable design using efficient modelling software and standard desktop computing power. A design is presented showing a directional beam pattern and low levels of return loss, cross-polar power and sidelobes, as required by future CMB missions. This design is manufactured and the measured results compared with simulation, showing excellent agreement and meeting the required performance criteria. The optimisation process described here is robust and can be applied to many other applications where specific performance characteristics are required, with the user simply defining the beam requirements.

  9. Experimental rabies in a great horned owl.

    PubMed

    Jorgenson, R D; Gough, P M; Graham, D L

    1976-07-01

    A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was fed the carcass of an experimentally infected rabid skunk. The bird developed antibody titer to rabies, detected by passive haemagglutination, 27 days after oral inoculation by ingestion. The owl suppressed the infection until corticosteroid administration, after which a maximum antibody titer was attained. Evidence of active rabies viral infection was seen by fluorescent antibody staining of oral swabs, corneal impression smears and histologic tissue smears, by suckling mouse inoculation of oral swab washings, and by transmission electron microcopy. No clinical signs of rabies virus infection were observed.

  10. Sarcocystis falcatula-associated encephalitis in a free-ranging great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Wünschmann, Arno; Rejmanek, Daniel; Cruz-Martinez, Luis; Barr, Bradd C

    2009-03-01

    A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was admitted to a rehabilitation clinic with severe neurologic signs that were unresponsive to supportive care. The animal was euthanatized because of a poor prognosis. Marked granulomatous encephalitis with focal brainstem malacia was detected microscopically. The brainstem was the most severely affected brain location and the only place in which schizonts and merozoites, morphologically compatible with Sarcocystis spp., were detected. Immunohistochemistry with the use of polyclonal antisera indicated the presence of Sarcocystis falcatula. The species identification of the protozoa as S. falcatula was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous S. falcatula-associated encephalitis in a great horned owl.

  11. 23. H.Q. Morton photograph #47 'South Light, Fog Horn from ...

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

    23. H.Q. Morton photograph #47 'South Light, Fog Horn from Bluff', (view looking NE) ca. 1880. (H. Q. Morton, Photographer, 75 Westminster Street, Providence, RI. - Block Island Southeast Light, Spring Street & Mohegan Trail at Mohegan Bluffs, New Shoreham, Washington County, RI

  12. Characterization of the acoustic field generated by a horn shaped ultrasonic transducer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, B.; Lerch, J. E.; Chavan, A. H.; Weber, J. K. R.; Tamalonis, A.; Suthar, K. J.; DiChiara, A. D.

    2017-09-01

    A horn shaped Langevin ultrasonic transducer used in a single axis levitator was characterized to better understand the role of the acoustic profile in establishing stable traps. The method of characterization included acoustic beam profiling performed by raster scanning an ultrasonic microphone as well as finite element analysis of the horn and its interface with the surrounding air volume. The results of the model are in good agreement with measurements and demonstrate the validity of the approach for both near and far field analyses. Our results show that this style of transducer produces a strong acoustic beam with a total divergence angle of 10°, a near-field point close to the transducer surface and a virtual sound source. These are desirable characteristics for a sound source used for acoustic trapping experiments.

  13. Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States and Few-Body Hamiltonians

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Facchi, Paolo; Florio, Giuseppe; Pascazio, Saverio; Pepe, Francesco V.

    2011-12-01

    The generation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states is a crucial problem in quantum information. We derive general conditions for obtaining GHZ states as eigenstates of a Hamiltonian. We find that a necessary condition for an n-qubit GHZ state to be a nondegenerate eigenstate of a Hamiltonian is the presence of m-qubit couplings with m≥[(n+1)/2]. Moreover, we introduce a Hamiltonian with a GHZ eigenstate and derive sufficient conditions for the removal of the degeneracy.

  14. Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states and few-body Hamiltonians.

    PubMed

    Facchi, Paolo; Florio, Giuseppe; Pascazio, Saverio; Pepe, Francesco V

    2011-12-23

    The generation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states is a crucial problem in quantum information. We derive general conditions for obtaining GHZ states as eigenstates of a Hamiltonian. We find that a necessary condition for an n-qubit GHZ state to be a nondegenerate eigenstate of a Hamiltonian is the presence of m-qubit couplings with m≥[(n+1)/2]. Moreover, we introduce a Hamiltonian with a GHZ eigenstate and derive sufficient conditions for the removal of the degeneracy.

  15. Medial extrusion of the posterior segment of medial meniscus is a sensitive sign for posterior horn tears.

    PubMed

    Ohishi, Tsuyoshi; Suzuki, Daisuke; Yamamoto, Kazufumi; Banno, Tomohiro; Shimizu, Yuta; Matsuyama, Yukihiro

    2014-01-01

    To evaluate medial extrusion of the posterior segment of the medial meniscus in posterior horn tears. This study enrolled 72 patients without medial meniscal tears (group N), 72 patients with medial meniscal tears without posterior horn tears (group PH-), 44 patients with posterior horn tears of the medial meniscus (group PH+). All meniscal tears were confirmed by arthroscopy. Medial extrusion of the middle segment and the posterior segment was measured on coronal MRIs. Extrusions of both middle and posterior segments in groups PH- and PH+ (middle segment; 2.94±1.51 mm for group PH- and 3.75±1.69 mm for group PH+, posterior segment; 1.85±1.82 mm for group PH- and 4.59±2.74 mm for group PH+) were significantly larger than those in group N (middle segment; 2.04±1.20, posterior segment; 1.21±1.86). Both indicators of extrusion in group PH+ were larger than those in group PH-. In the early OA category, neither middle nor posterior segment in group PH- extruded more than in group N. However, only the posterior segment in group PH+ extruded significantly more than in group N. Multiple lineal regression analyses revealed that posterior segment extrusion was strongly correlated with the posterior horn tears (p<0.001) among groups PH- and PH+. The newly presented indicator for extrusion of the posterior segment of the medial meniscus is associated with posterior horn tears in comparison with the extrusion of the middle segment, especially in the early stages of osteoarthritis. Level II--Diagnostic Study. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Update on coal in Big Horn basin, Montana and Wyoming

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

    Jones, R.W.

    1983-08-01

    The Big Horn Coal basin is located within the topographic and structural basin of the same name and is defined by the limits of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Formation in northwestern Wyoming and the Eagle Sandstone in south-central Montana. The coal in this basin ranges in rank from high volatile C bituminous (based primarily on resistance to weathering) to subbituminous B coal. In general, the Mesaverde and Eagle coals are highest in heat content, averaging over 10,500 Btu/lb; the Fort Union coals in the Red Lodge-Bear Creek and Grass Creek fields average about 10,200 Btu/lb and are second highest inmore » heating value. The Meeteetse Formation contains coals that average 9,800 Btu/lb, the lowest heating values in the basin. An average heating value for all coal in the basin is slightly less than 10,000 But/lb. The average sulfur content of all coals in this basin is less than 1%, with a range of 0.4 to 2.2%. Coal mining in the Big Horn Coal basin began in the late 1880s in the Red Lodge field and has continued to the present. Almost 53 million tons of coal have been mined in the basin; nearly 78% of this production (41 million tons) is from bituminous Fort Union coal beds in the Red Lodge-Bear Creek and Bridger coal fields, Montana. Original in-place resources for the Big Horn Coal basin are given by rank of coal: 1,265.12 million tons of bituminous coal resources have been calculated for the Silvertip field, Wyoming, and the Red Lodge-Bear Creek and Bridger fields, Montana; 563.78 million tons of subbituminous resources have been calculated for the remaining Wyoming coal fields.« less

  17. High-frequency, silicon-based ultrasonic nozzles using multiple Fourier horns.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Shirley C; Song, Yu L; Tseng, Terry K; Chou, Yuan F; Chen, Wei J; Tsai, Chen S

    2004-03-01

    This paper presents the design, simulation, and characterization of microfabricated 0.5 MHz, silicon-based, ultrasonic nozzles. Each nozzle is made of a piezoelectric drive section and a silicon resonator consisting of multiple Fourier horns, each with half wavelength design and twice amplitude magnification. Results of finite element three-dimensional (3-D) simulation using a commercial program predicted existence of one resonant frequency of pure longitudinal vibration. Both impedance analysis and measurement of longitudinal vibration confirmed the simulation results with one pure longitudinal vibration mode at the resonant frequency in excellent agreement with the design value. Furthermore, at the resonant frequency, the measured longitudinal vibration amplitude at the nozzle tip increases as the number of Fourier horns (n) increases in good agreement with the theoretical values of 2(n). Using this design, very high vibration amplitude gain at the nozzle tip can be achieved with no reduction in the tip cross-sectional area for contact of liquid to be atomized. Therefore, the required electric drive power should be drastically reduced, decreasing the likelihood of transducer failure in ultrasonic atomization.

  18. Derivatives of Horn hypergeometric functions with respect to their parameters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ancarani, L. U.; Del Punta, J. A.; Gasaneo, G.

    2017-07-01

    The derivatives of eight Horn hypergeometric functions [four Appell F1, F2, F3, and F4, and four (degenerate) confluent Φ1, Φ2, Ψ1, and Ξ1] with respect to their parameters are studied. The first derivatives are expressed, systematically, as triple infinite summations or, alternatively, as single summations of two-variable Kampé de Fériet functions. Taking advantage of previously established expressions for the derivative of the confluent or Gaussian hypergeometric functions, the generalization to the nth derivative of Horn's functions with respect to their parameters is rather straightforward in most cases; the results are expressed in terms of n + 2 infinite summations. Following a similar procedure, mixed derivatives are also treated. An illustration of the usefulness of the derivatives of F1, with respect to the first and third parameters, is given with the study of autoionization of atoms occurring as part of a post-collisional process. Their evaluation setting the Coulomb charge to zero provides the coefficients of a Born-like expansion of the interaction.

  19. Study of Anti-Neutrino Beam with Muon Monitor in the T2K experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hiraki, Takahiro

    The T2K experiment is a long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. In 2013, the T2K collaboration observed electron neutrino appearance in a muon neutrino beam at 7.3 sigma significance. One of the next main goals of the T2K experiment is to measure electron anti-neutrino appearance. In June 2014 we took anti-neutrino beam data for the first time. The anti-neutrino beam was obtained by reversing the polarity of horn focusing magnets. To monitor the direction and intensity of the neutrino beam which is produced from the decay of pions and kaons, the muon beam is continuously measured by Muon Monitor (MUMON). To reconstruct the profile of the muon beam, MUMON is equipped with 49 sensors distributed on a plane behind the beam dump. In this report, we show some results of the anti-neutrino beam data taken by monitors including MUMON. In particular, dependence of the muon beam intensity on electric current of the horns, correlation between the proton beam position and the MUMON profile, and beam stability are presented. Comparison between the data and Monte Carlo simulation is also discussed.

  20. Wave propagation in viscoelastic horns using a fractional calculus rheology model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Margulies, Timothy

    2003-10-01

    The complex mechanical behavior of materials are characterized by fluid and solid models with fractional calculus differentials to relate stress and strain fields. Fractional derivatives have been shown to describe the viscoelastic stress from polymer chain theory for molecular solutions [Rouse and Sittel, J. Appl. Phys. 24, 690 (1953)]. Here the propagation of infinitesimal waves in one dimensional horns with a small cross-sectional area change along the longitudinal axis are examined. In particular, the linear, conical, exponential, and catenoidal shapes are studied. The wave amplitudes versus frequency are solved analytically and predicted with mathematical computation. Fractional rheology data from Bagley [J. Rheol. 27, 201 (1983); Bagley and Torvik, J. Rheol. 30, 133 (1986)] are incorporated in the simulations. Classical elastic and fluid ``Webster equations'' are recovered in the appropriate limits. Horns with real materials that employ fractional calculus representations can be modeled to examine design trade-offs for engineering or for scientific application.

  1. General and Specific Effects on Cattell-Horn-Carroll Broad Ability Composites: Analysis of the Woodcock-Johnson III Normative Update Cattell-Horn-Carroll Factor Clusters across Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floyd, Randy G.; McGrew, Kevin S.; Barry, Amberly; Rafael, Fawziya; Rogers, Joshua

    2009-01-01

    Many school psychologists focus their interpretation on composite scores from intelligence test batteries designed to measure the broad abilities from the Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory. The purpose of this study was to investigate the general factor loadings and specificity of the broad ability composite scores from one such intelligence test…

  2. An internationally standardized species identification test for use on suspected seized rhinoceros horn in the illegal wildlife trade.

    PubMed

    Ewart, Kyle M; Frankham, Greta J; McEwing, Ross; Webster, Lucy M I; Ciavaglia, Sherryn A; Linacre, Adrian M T; The, Dang Tat; Ovouthan, Kanitia; Johnson, Rebecca N

    2018-01-01

    Rhinoceros (rhino) numbers have dwindled substantially over the past century. As a result, three of the five species are now considered to be critically endangered, one species is vulnerable and one species is near-threatened. Poaching has increased dramatically over the past decade due to a growing demand for rhino horn products, primarily in Asia. Improved wildlife forensic techniques, such as validated tests for species identification of seized horns, are critical to aid current enforcement and prosecution efforts and provide a deterrent to future rhino horn trafficking. Here, we present an internationally standardized species identification test based on a 230 base pair cytochrome-b region. This test improves on previous nested PCR protocols and can be used for the discrimination of samples with <20pg of template DNA, thus suitable for DNA extracted from horn products. The assay was designed to amplify water buffalo samples, a common 'rhino horn' substitute, but to exclude human DNA, a common contaminant. Phylogenetic analyses using this partial cytochrome-b region resolved the five extant rhino species. Testing successfully returned a sequence and correct identification for all of the known rhino horn samples and vouchered rhino samples from museum and zoo collections, and provided species level identification for 47 out of 52 unknown samples from seizures. Validation and standardization was carried out across five different laboratories, in four different countries, demonstrating it to be an effective and reproducible test, robust to inter laboratory variation in equipment and consumables (such as PCR reagents). This is one of the first species identification tests to be internationally standardized to produce data for evidential proceedings and the first published validated test for rhinos, one of the flagship species groups of the illegal wildlife trade and for which forensic tools are urgently required. This study serves as a model for how species

  3. 45-110 GHz Quad-Ridge Horn With Stable Gain and Symmetric Beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manafi, Sara; Al-Tarifi, Muhannad; Filipovic, Dejan S.

    2017-09-01

    A quad-ridge horn antenna with stabilized gain and minimum difference between Eand H-plane half-power beamwidths (HPBWs) is demonstrated for operation over 45-110 GHz bandwidth. Multistep flaring and corrugations on a finite ground plane are applied to obtain stable radiation patterns with 16-dBi minimum gain over the entire range. The computational studies are validated through measurements of a 3-D printed prototype using the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process. Accurate fabrication with achieved surface roughness of < 1.7 μm of the fabricated antenna is verified with digital microscope. The obtained gain variation, VSWR, and HPBW variation with rotation and over 45-110 GHz bandwidth are below 1.7 dB, 1.7:1, and 9°, respectively. This work demonstrates that the DMLS is a viable fabrication process for wideband horn antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies.

  4. Characterization of the acoustic field generated by a horn shaped ultrasonic transducer

    DOE PAGES

    Hu, B.; Lerch, J. E.; Chavan, A. H.; ...

    2017-09-04

    A horn shaped Langevin ultrasonic transducer used in a single axis levitator was characterized to better understand the role of the acoustic profile in establishing stable traps. The method of characterization included acoustic beam profiling performed by raster scanning an ultrasonic microphone as well as finite element analysis of the horn and its interface with the surrounding air volume. The results of the model are in good agreement with measurements and demonstrate the validity of the approach for both near and far field analysis. Our results show that this style of transducer produces a strong acoustic beam with a totalmore » divergence angle of 10 degrees, a nearfield point close to the transducer surface and a virtual sound source. These are desirable characteristics for a sound source used for acoustic trapping experiments.« less

  5. Characterization of the acoustic field generated by a horn shaped ultrasonic transducer

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

    Hu, B.; Lerch, J. E.; Chavan, A. H.

    A horn shaped Langevin ultrasonic transducer used in a single axis levitator was characterized to better understand the role of the acoustic profile in establishing stable traps. The method of characterization included acoustic beam profiling performed by raster scanning an ultrasonic microphone as well as finite element analysis of the horn and its interface with the surrounding air volume. The results of the model are in good agreement with measurements and demonstrate the validity of the approach for both near and far field analyses. Our results show that this style of transducer produces a strong acoustic beam with a totalmore » divergence angle of 10 degree, a near-field point close to the transducer surface and a virtual sound source. These are desirable characteristics for a sound source used for acoustic trapping experiments« less

  6. Characterization of the acoustic field generated by a horn shaped ultrasonic transducer

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

    Hu, B.; Lerch, J. E.; Chavan, A. H.

    A horn shaped Langevin ultrasonic transducer used in a single axis levitator was characterized to better understand the role of the acoustic profile in establishing stable traps. The method of characterization included acoustic beam profiling performed by raster scanning an ultrasonic microphone as well as finite element analysis of the horn and its interface with the surrounding air volume. The results of the model are in good agreement with measurements and demonstrate the validity of the approach for both near and far field analysis. Our results show that this style of transducer produces a strong acoustic beam with a totalmore » divergence angle of 10 degrees, a nearfield point close to the transducer surface and a virtual sound source. These are desirable characteristics for a sound source used for acoustic trapping experiments.« less

  7. Effects of medial meniscus posterior horn avulsion and repair on tibiofemoral contact area and peak contact pressure with clinical implications.

    PubMed

    Marzo, John M; Gurske-DePerio, Jennifer

    2009-01-01

    Avulsion of the posterior horn attachment of the medial meniscus can compromise load-bearing ability, produce meniscus extrusion, and result in tibiofemoral joint-space narrowing, articular cartilage damage, and osteoarthritis. Avulsion of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus will increase peak contact pressure and decrease contact area in the medial compartment of the knee, and posterior horn repair will restore contact area and peak contact pressures to values of the control knee. Controlled laboratory study. Eight fresh-frozen human cadaveric knees had tibiofemoral peak contact pressures and contact area measured in the control state. The posterior horn of the medial meniscus was avulsed from its insertion and knees were retested. The meniscal avulsion was repaired by suture through a transosseous tunnel and the knees were tested a third time. Avulsion of the posterior horn attachment of the medial meniscus resulted in a significant increase in medial joint peak contact pressure (from 3841 kPa to 5084 kPa) and a significant decrease in contact area (from 594 mm(2) to 474 mm(2)). Repair of the avulsion resulted in restoration of the loading profiles to values equal to the control knee, with values of 3551 kPa for peak pressure and 592 mm(2) for contact area. Posterior horn medial meniscal root avulsion leads to deleterious alteration of the loading profiles of the medial joint compartment and results in loss of hoop stress resistance, meniscus extrusion, abnormal loading of the joint, and early knee medial-compartment degenerative changes. The repair technique described restores the ability of the medial meniscus to absorb hoop stress and eliminate joint-space narrowing, possibly decreasing the risk of degenerative disease.

  8. Comparative habitat use of sympatric Mexican spotted and great horned owls

    Treesearch

    Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block; Jeffrey S. Jenness; Randolph A. Wilson

    1997-01-01

    To provide information on comparative habitat use, we studied radiotagged Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida: n = 13) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus: n = 4) in northern Arizona. Home-range size (95% adaptive kernel estimate) did not differ significantly between species during either the breeding or nonbreeding...

  9. Developmental decoupling of alternative phenotypes: insights from the transcriptomes of horn-polyphenic beetles

    PubMed Central

    Snell-Rood, Emilie C.; Cash, Amy; Han, Mira V.; Kijimoto, Teiya; Andrews, Justen; Moczek, Armin P.

    2010-01-01

    Developmental mechanisms play an important role in determining the costs, limits, and evolutionary consequences of phenotypic plasticity. One issue central to these claims is the hypothesis of developmental decoupling, where alternate morphs result from evolutionarily independent developmental pathways. We address this assumption through a microarray study that tests whether differences in gene expression between alternate morphs are as divergent as those between sexes, a classic example of developmental decoupling. We then examine whether genes with morph-biased expression are less conserved than genes with shared expression between morphs, as predicted if developmental decoupling relaxes pleiotropic constraints on divergence. We focus on the developing horns and brains of two species of horned beetles with spectacular sexual- and morph-dimorphism in the expression of horns and fighting behavior. We find that patterns of gene expression were as divergent between morphs as they were between sexes. However, overall patterns of gene expression were also highly correlated across morphs and sexes. Morph-biased genes were more evolutionarily divergent, suggesting a role of relaxed pleiotropic constraints or relaxed selection. Together these results suggest that alternate morphs are to some extent developmentally decoupled, and that this decoupling has significant evolutionary consequences. However, alternative morphs may not be as developmentally decoupled as sometimes assumed and such hypotheses of development should be revisited and refined. PMID:20731717

  10. A rapid multiplex PCR assay for presumptive species identification of rhinoceros horns and its implementation in Vietnam

    PubMed Central

    Frankham, Greta J.; McEwing, Ross; The, Dang Tat; Hogg, Carolyn J.; Lo, Nathan; Johnson, Rebecca N.

    2018-01-01

    Rhinoceros (rhinos) have suffered a dramatic increase in poaching over the past decade due to the growing demand for rhino horn products in Asia. One way to reverse this trend is to enhance enforcement and intelligence gathering tools used for species identification of horns, in particular making them fast, inexpensive and accurate. Traditionally, species identification tests are based on DNA sequence data, which, depending on laboratory resources, can be either time or cost prohibitive. This study presents a rapid rhino species identification test, utilizing species-specific primers within the cytochrome b gene multiplexed in a single reaction, with a presumptive species identification based on the length of the resultant amplicon. This multiplex PCR assay can provide a presumptive species identification result in less than 24 hours. Sequence-based definitive testing can be conducted if/when required (e.g. court purposes). This work also presents an actual casework scenario in which the presumptive test was successfully utlitised, in concert with sequence-based definitive testing. The test was carried out on seized suspected rhino horns tested at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, the CITES mandated laboratory in Vietnam, a country that is known to be a major source of demand for rhino horns. This test represents the basis for which future ‘rapid species identification tests’ can be trialed. PMID:29902212

  11. Overstated Optimism: Arizona's Structured English Immersion Program under "Horne v. Flores"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mora, Jill Kerper

    2010-01-01

    This article is an analysis of the educational implications of the Supreme Court (USSC) decision in "Horne v. Flores" (2009). The USSC remanded the Arizona case to the lower court, requiring a rehearing of petitioners' request for relief from the court's oversight of AZ's "structured English immersion" (SEI) program mandated…

  12. Marine biodiversity at the end of the world: Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez islands.

    PubMed

    Friedlander, Alan M; Ballesteros, Enric; Bell, Tom W; Giddens, Jonatha; Henning, Brad; Hüne, Mathias; Muñoz, Alex; Salinas-de-León, Pelayo; Sala, Enric

    2018-01-01

    The vast and complex coast of the Magellan Region of extreme southern Chile possesses a diversity of habitats including fjords, deep channels, and extensive kelp forests, with a unique mix of temperate and sub-Antarctic species. The Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez archipelagos are the most southerly locations in the Americas, with the southernmost kelp forests, and some of the least explored places on earth. The giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera plays a key role in structuring the ecological communities of the entire region, with the large brown seaweed Lessonia spp. forming dense understories. Kelp densities were highest around Cape Horn, followed by Diego Ramírez, and lowest within the fjord region of Francisco Coloane Marine Park (mean canopy densities of 2.51 kg m-2, 2.29 kg m-2, and 2.14 kg m-2, respectively). There were clear differences in marine communities among these sub-regions, with the lowest diversity in the fjords. We observed 18 species of nearshore fishes, with average species richness nearly 50% higher at Diego Ramírez compared with Cape Horn and Francisco Coloane. The number of individual fishes was nearly 10 times higher at Diego Ramírez and 4 times higher at Cape Horn compared with the fjords. Dropcam surveys of mesophotic depths (53-105 m) identified 30 taxa from 25 families, 15 classes, and 7 phyla. While much of these deeper habitats consisted of soft sediment and cobble, in rocky habitats, echinoderms, mollusks, bryozoans, and sponges were common. The southern hagfish (Myxine australis) was the most frequently encountered of the deep-sea fishes (50% of deployments), and while the Fueguian sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) was the most abundant fish species, its distribution was patchy. The Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez archipelagos represent some of the last intact sub-Antarctic ecosystems remaining and a recently declared large protected area will help ensure the health of this unique region.

  13. Marine biodiversity at the end of the world: Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez islands

    PubMed Central

    Ballesteros, Enric; Bell, Tom W.; Giddens, Jonatha; Henning, Brad; Hüne, Mathias; Muñoz, Alex; Salinas-de-León, Pelayo; Sala, Enric

    2018-01-01

    The vast and complex coast of the Magellan Region of extreme southern Chile possesses a diversity of habitats including fjords, deep channels, and extensive kelp forests, with a unique mix of temperate and sub-Antarctic species. The Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez archipelagos are the most southerly locations in the Americas, with the southernmost kelp forests, and some of the least explored places on earth. The giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera plays a key role in structuring the ecological communities of the entire region, with the large brown seaweed Lessonia spp. forming dense understories. Kelp densities were highest around Cape Horn, followed by Diego Ramírez, and lowest within the fjord region of Francisco Coloane Marine Park (mean canopy densities of 2.51 kg m-2, 2.29 kg m-2, and 2.14 kg m-2, respectively). There were clear differences in marine communities among these sub-regions, with the lowest diversity in the fjords. We observed 18 species of nearshore fishes, with average species richness nearly 50% higher at Diego Ramírez compared with Cape Horn and Francisco Coloane. The number of individual fishes was nearly 10 times higher at Diego Ramírez and 4 times higher at Cape Horn compared with the fjords. Dropcam surveys of mesophotic depths (53–105 m) identified 30 taxa from 25 families, 15 classes, and 7 phyla. While much of these deeper habitats consisted of soft sediment and cobble, in rocky habitats, echinoderms, mollusks, bryozoans, and sponges were common. The southern hagfish (Myxine australis) was the most frequently encountered of the deep-sea fishes (50% of deployments), and while the Fueguian sprat (Sprattus fuegensis) was the most abundant fish species, its distribution was patchy. The Cape Horn and Diego Ramírez archipelagos represent some of the last intact sub-Antarctic ecosystems remaining and a recently declared large protected area will help ensure the health of this unique region. PMID:29364902

  14. Discovery, development, and evaluation of a horn fly-isolated (Diptera: Muscidae) Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordyciptaceae) strain from Florida, U.S.A

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The horn fly is an important cattle pest and traditionally has been managed using insecticides; however, many horn fly populations are insecticide-resistant in the United States. Use of alternative control techniques has been limited because of the challenges of managing a fly pest on pastured cattl...

  15. Modeling cavitation in a rapidly changing pressure field - application to a small ultrasonic horn.

    PubMed

    Žnidarčič, Anton; Mettin, Robert; Dular, Matevž

    2015-01-01

    Ultrasonic horn transducers are frequently used in applications of acoustic cavitation in liquids. It has been observed that if the horn tip is sufficiently small and driven at high amplitude, cavitation is very strong, and the tip can be covered entirely by the gas/vapor phase for longer time intervals. A peculiar dynamics of the attached cavity can emerge with expansion and collapse at a self-generated frequency in the subharmonic range, i.e. below the acoustic driving frequency. The term "acoustic supercavitation" was proposed for this type of cavitation Žnidarčič et al. (2014) [1]. We tested several established hydrodynamic cavitation models on this problem, but none of them was able to correctly predict the flow features. As a specific characteristic of such acoustic cavitation problems lies in the rapidly changing driving pressures, we present an improved approach to cavitation modeling, which does not neglect the second derivatives in the Rayleigh-Plesset equation. Comparison with measurements of acoustic supercavitation at an ultrasonic horn of 20kHz frequency revealed a good agreement in terms of cavity dynamics, cavity volume and emitted pressure pulsations. The newly developed cavitation model is particularly suited for simulation of cavitating flow in highly fluctuating driving pressure fields. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Direct sensorimotor corticospinal modulation of dorsal horn neuronal C-fiber responses in the rat.

    PubMed

    Rojas-Piloni, Gerardo; Martínez-Lorenzana, Guadalupe; Condés-Lara, Miguel; Rodríguez-Jiménez, Javier

    2010-09-10

    Clinically, the stimulation of motor cortical areas has been used to alleviate certain pain conditions. However, the attempts to understand the mechanisms of cortical nociceptive modulation at the spinal cord level have yielded controversial results. The objectives of the present work were to: 1) determine the effects of activating and suppressing the activity of sensorimotor cortical neurons on the nociceptive electrophysiological responses of the segmental C-fibers, and 2) evaluate the contribution of direct and indirect corticospinal projections in segmental nociceptive modulation. By means of a bipolar matrix of stimulation electrodes we mapped the stimulation of cortical areas that modulate C-fiber evoked field potentials in the dorsal horn. In addition, suppressing the cortical activity by means of cortical spreading depression, we observed that the C-fiber evoked field potentials in the dorsal horn are facilitated when cortical activity is suppressed specifically in sensorimotor cortex. Moreover, the C-fiber evoked field potentials were inhibited during spontaneous activation of cortical projecting neurons. Furthermore, after a lesion of the pyramidal tract contralateral to the spinal cord recording sites, the cortical action was suppressed. Our results show that corticospinal tract fibers arising from the sensorimotor cortex modulate directly the nociceptive C-fiber evoked responses of the dorsal horn. 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Bush encroachment dynamics and rangeland management implications in the Horn of Africa

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Rangelands in the Horn of Africa have been undergoing a rapid shift from herbaceous to woody plant dominance in the past decades, threatening subsistence livestock herding and pastoral food security. Despite of significant rangeland management implications, quantification of the spatial extent of en...

  18. Dietary overlap between sympatric Mexican spotted and great horned owls in Arizona

    Treesearch

    Joseph L. Ganey; William M Block

    2005-01-01

    We estimated diet composition of sympatric Mexican spotted (Strix occidentalis lucida, n = 7 pairs of owls) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus, n = 4 pairs) in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) - Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) forest, northern Arizona. Both species preyed on mammals...

  19. Progress in integrated-circuit horn antennas for receiver applications. Part 1: Antenna design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eleftheriades, George V.; Ali-Ahmad, Walid Y.; Rebeiz, Gabriel M.

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to present a systematic method for the design of multimode quasi-integrated horn antennas. The design methodology is based on the Gaussian beam approach and the structures are optimized for achieving maximum fundamental Gaussian coupling efficiency. For this purpose, a hybrid technique is employed in which the integrated part of the antennas is treated using full-wave analysis, whereas the machined part is treated using an approximate method. This results in a simple and efficient design process. The developed design procedure has been applied for the design of a 20, a 23, and a 25 dB quasi-integrated horn antennas, all with a Gaussian coupling efficiency exceeding 97 percent. The designed antennas have been tested and characterized using both full-wave analysis and 90 GHz/370 GHz measurements.

  20. Spatial selectivity and binaural responses in the inferior colliculus of the great horned owl.

    PubMed

    Volman, S F; Konishi, M

    1989-09-01

    In this study we have investigated the processing of auditory cues for sound localization in the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). Previous studies have shown that the barn owl, whose ears are asymmetrically oriented in the vertical plane, has a 2-dimensional, topographic representation of auditory space in the external division of the inferior colliculus (ICx). As in the barn owl, the great horned owl's ICx is anatomically distinct and projects to the optic tectum. Neurons in ICx respond over only a small range of azimuths (mean = 32 degrees), and azimuth is topographically mapped. In contrast to the barn owl, the great horned owl has bilaterally symmetrical ears and its receptive fields are not restricted in elevation. The binaural cues available for sound localization were measured both with cochlear microphonic recordings and with a microphone attached to a probe tube in the auditory canal. Interaural time disparity (ITD) varied monotonically with azimuth. Interaural intensity differences (IID) also changed with azimuth, but the largest IIDs were less than 15 dB, and the variation was not monotonic. Neither ITD nor IID varied systematically with changes in the vertical position of a sound source. We used dichotic stimulation to determine the sensitivity of ICx neurons to these binaural cues. Best ITD of ICx units was topographically mapped and strongly correlated with receptive-field azimuth. The width of ITD tuning curves, measured at 50% of the maximum response, averaged 72 microseconds. All ICx neurons responded only to binaural stimulation and had nonmonotonic IID tuning curves. Best IID was weakly, but significantly, correlated with best ITD (r = 0.39, p less than 0.05). The IID tuning curves, however, were broad (mean 50% width = 24 dB), and 67% of the units had best IIDs within 5 dB of 0 dB IID. ITD tuning was sensitive to variations in IID in the direction opposite to that expected for time-intensity trading, but the magnitude of this effect was only

  1. Culturally Appropriate Mentoring for Horn of African Young People in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffiths, Megan; Sawrikar, Pooja; Muir, Kristy

    2009-01-01

    Little is known about how to appropriately adapt mentoring programs for young people from the Horn of Africa, even though they have been arriving in Australia in significantly increasing numbers. These young people face unique challenges as a result of their age, ethnicity, migration and direct/indirect trauma experiences. The results of this…

  2. Application Research of Horn Array Multi-Beam Antenna in Reference Source System for Satellite Interference Location

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Ping; Lin, Hui; Zhang, Qi

    2018-01-01

    The reference source system is a key factor to ensure the successful location of the satellite interference source. Currently, the traditional system used a mechanical rotating antenna which leaded to the disadvantages of slow rotation and high failure-rate, which seriously restricted the system’s positioning-timeliness and became its obvious weaknesses. In this paper, a multi-beam antenna scheme based on the horn array was proposed as a reference source for the satellite interference location, which was used as an alternative to the traditional reference source antenna. The new scheme has designed a small circularly polarized horn antenna as an element and proposed a multi-beamforming algorithm based on planar array. Moreover, the simulation analysis of horn antenna pattern, multi-beam forming algorithm and simulated satellite link cross-ambiguity calculation have been carried out respectively. Finally, cross-ambiguity calculation of the traditional reference source system has also been tested. The comparison between the results of computer simulation and the actual test results shows that the scheme is scientific and feasible, obviously superior to the traditional reference source system.

  3. Role of insects in the transmission of bovine leukosis virus: potential for transmission by stable flies, horn flies, and tabanids.

    PubMed

    Buxton, B A; Hinkle, N C; Schultz, R D

    1985-01-01

    The ability of stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans), horn flies (Haematobia irritans), and tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) to transmit bovine leukosis virus (BLV) was investigated. Stable flies and horn flies were fed on blood collected from an infected cow, and the flies' mouthparts were immediately removed, placed in RPMI-1640 medium, ground, and inoculated into sheep and calves. Infection of sheep occurred with mouthparts from as few as 25 stable flies or 25 horn flies. However, sheep were not infected when removal of stable fly mouthparts was delayed greater than or equal to 1 hour after blood feeding. Infection of calves occurred after inoculation of mouthparts removed immediately after feeding from as few as 50 stable flies or 100 horn flies. Infected blood, applied by capillary action to the mouthparts (labella) of 15 deer flies (Chrysops sp) and a single horse fly (Tabanus atratus) caused infection in each of 2 sheep. Infection did not occur in 2 calves inoculated daily for 5 days with mouthparts from 50 horn flies collected after feeding on a BLV-infected steer. Four calves receiving bites from 75 stable flies interrupted from feeding on a BLV-positive cow also were not infected. Seronegative cattle held for 1 to 4 months in a screened enclosure with positive cattle in the presence of biting flies were not infected with BLV. The feeding behavior of each insect is discussed to assess their potential as vectors of BLV.

  4. [Effects of creating a tunnel through intercondylar fossa under arthroscopy for the treatment of complex tears at the medial meniscus posterior horn].

    PubMed

    Dong, Ling-Dai; Bing, Chang-Jian; Li, Jian-Lin; Cai, Yue

    2017-04-25

    To discuss the advantages of the arthroscopic treatment for complex tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn by creating a tunnel passageway through the intercondylar fossa. All 127 patients including 24 males and 103 females with complex tears at the medial meniscus posterior horn were reviewed. The age of all patients ranged from 45 to 78 years old, with an average of 67 years old. All 127 patients were treated with partial meniscectomy, in which 112 patients were treated with partial meniscectomy smoothly with three incisions (anterior medial incision, anterior lateral incision, high anterior lateral incision), and 15 patients were treated with four incisions (anterior medial incision, anterior lateral incision, high anterior lateral incision, posterior medial incision). Four aspects were estimated:whether the meniscus posterior horns could be observed totally and conveniently, whether tools could be pushed to target area conveniently, the damage of adjacent cartilages, operation time(the operation time of partial meniscectomy). Posterior horns of all patients were totally and conveniently observed, tools were conveniently pushed to the target area in all cases, and all the cases had no iatrogenic injuries at adjacent cartilages. The operation time of partial meniscectomy at posterior horns with three incisions ranged from 5 to 10 minutes, and it ranged from 10 to 30 minutes with four incisions. It is very convenient and fast of the arthroscopy to treat complex tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn by creating a tunnel through the intercondylor fossa. Iatrogenic injuries of the adjacent cartilages were prevented to the greatest extent.

  5. Entanglement Distillation from Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger Shares

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vrana, Péter; Christandl, Matthias

    2017-06-01

    We study the problem of converting a product of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states shared by subsets of several parties in an arbitrary way into GHZ states shared by every party. Such a state can be described by a hypergraph on the parties as vertices and with each hyperedge corresponding to a GHZ state shared among the parties incident with it. Our result is that if SLOCC transformations are allowed, then the best asymptotic rate is the minimum of bipartite log-ranks of the initial state, which in turn equals the minimum cut of the hypergraph. This generalizes a result by Strassen on the asymptotic subrank of the matrix multiplication tensor.

  6. Multisetting Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradoxes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Weidong; Yu, Sixia; Oh, C. H.

    2017-01-01

    The Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) paradox provides an all-versus-nothing test for the quantum nonlocality. In most of the GHZ paradoxes known so far each observer is allowed to measure only two alternative observables. Here we present a general construction for GHZ paradoxes in which each observer measures more than two observables given that the system is prepared in the n -qudit GHZ state. By doing so we are able to construct a multisetting GHZ paradox for the n -qubit GHZ state, with n being arbitrary, which is genuine n -partite; i.e., no GHZ paradox exists when restricted to a subset of a number of observers for a given set of Mermin observables. Our result fills up the gap of the absence of a genuine GHZ paradox for the GHZ state of an even number of qubits, especially the four-qubit GHZ state as used in GHZ's original proposal.

  7. Rostral horn evolution among agamid lizards of the genus ceratophora endemic to Sri Lanka

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

    Schulte II, James A.; Macey, J. Robert; Pethiyagoda, Rohan

    2001-07-10

    The first phylogenetic hypothesis for the Sri Lankan agamid lizard genus Ceratophora is presented based on 1670 aligned base positions (472 parsimony informative) of mitochondrial DNA sequences, representing coding regions for eight tRNAs, ND2, and portions of ND1 and COI. Phylogenetic analysis reveals multiple origins and possibly losses of rostral horns in the evolutionary history of Ceratophora. Our data suggest a middle Miocene origin of Ceratophora with the most recent branching of recognized species occurring at the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary. Haplotype divergence suggests that an outgroup species, Lyriocephalus scutatus, dates at least to the Pliocene. These phylogenetic results provide a frameworkmore » for comparative studies of the behavioral ecological importance of horn evolution in this group.« less

  8. Metabolic rate and evaporative water loss of Mexican Spotted and Great Horned Owls

    Treesearch

    Joseph L. Ganey; Russell P. Balda; Rudy M. King

    1993-01-01

    We measured rates of oxygen consumption and evaporative water loss (EWL) of Mexican Spotted (Strix occidentalis lucida) and Great Horned (Bubo virginianus) owls in Arizona. Basal metabolic rate averaged 0.84 ccO2. g-1. h-1...

  9. European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps

    PubMed Central

    Büntgen, Ulf; Liebhold, Andrew; Jenny, Hannes; Mysterud, Atle; Egli, Simon; Nievergelt, Daniel; Stenseth, Nils C; Bollmann, Kurt

    2014-01-01

    Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high-resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large-scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high-altitude populations that are also harvested. PMID:24341995

  10. European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps.

    PubMed

    Büntgen, Ulf; Liebhold, Andrew; Jenny, Hannes; Mysterud, Atle; Egli, Simon; Nievergelt, Daniel; Stenseth, Nils C; Bollmann, Kurt

    2014-03-01

    Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high-resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large-scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high-altitude populations that are also harvested. © 2013 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and CNRS.

  11. Reduction of provisioning effort in response to experimental manipulation of chick nutritional status in the Horned Puffin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Harding, A.M.A.; van Pelt, Thomas I.; Piatt, John F.; Kitaysky, A.S.

    2002-01-01

    Using a supplemental feeding experiment, we investigated the ability of adult Horned Puffins to decrease provisioning effort in response to reduced nutritional requirements of chicks. We found no difference between experimental and control groups in parental provisioning before supplementary feeding was initiated. After receiving supplemental food for seven days, experimental chicks grew faster, gained more mass and received 87% less food from their parents than did control chicks. These results demonstrate that Horned Puffin parents can decrease food provisioning in response to a decrease in their chick nutritional requirements. ?? The Cooper Ornithological Society 2002.

  12. Ethiopian-Eritrean Conflict: Security Implications for the Horn of Africa

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-19

    and Eritrea accepted a diplomatic team from the United States and Rwanda to discuss and prevent the war from being pushed to its logical conclusion...2001), p. 6. 16 Medhane Tadesse ,The Djibouti-Eritrea Conflict, ( Inter Africa Group, Center for Dialogue on Humanitarian, Peace and Development...Tonui, Future Stability in the Horn of Africa, Strategy Research Project (U.S. Army War College, 2000), p. 18. 36 Medhane Tadesse ,The Djibouti

  13. It ain't What You Say, but the Way that You Say It: Jazz Articulation for Horns in the Big Band

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gudmundson, Jon

    2006-01-01

    A big-band horn section can play the correct rhythms, pitches, and dynamics with good tone and still be unintelligible. If the horns articulate together, however, the improvement will be dramatic. They will much more successfully convey the meaning of the music, and they will sound like a section rather than four or five individuals. In this…

  14. Bicuculline and strychnine suppress the mesencephalic locomotor region-induced inhibition of group III muscle afferent input to the dorsal horn.

    PubMed

    Degtyarenko, A M; Kaufman, M P

    2003-01-01

    We examined the effect of iontophoretic application of bicuculline methiodide and strychnine hydrochloride on the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR)-induced inhibition of dorsal horn cells in paralyzed cats. The activity of 60 dorsal horn cells was recorded extracellularly in laminae I, II, V-VII of spinal segments L7-S1. Each of the cells was shown to receive group III muscle afferent input as demonstrated by their responses to electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve (mean latency and threshold of activation: 20.1+/-6.4 ms and 15.2+/-1.4 times motor threshold, respectively). Electrical stimulation of the MLR suppressed transmission in group III muscle afferent pathways to dorsal horn cells. Specifically the average number of impulses generated by the dorsal horn neurons in response to a single pulse applied to the tibial nerve was decreased by 78+/-2.8% (n=60) during the MLR stimulation. Iontophoretic application (10-50 nA) of bicuculline and strychnine (5-10 mM) suppressed the MLR-induced inhibition of transmission of group III afferent input to laminae I and II cells by 69+/-5% (n=10) and 29+/-7% (n=7), respectively. Likewise, bicuculline and strychnine suppressed the MLR-induced inhibition of transmission of group III afferent input to lamina V cells by 59+/-13% (n=14) and 39+/-11% (n=10), respectively. Our findings raise the possibility that GABA and glycine release onto dorsal horn neurons in the spinal cord may play an important role in the suppression by central motor command of thin fiber muscle afferent-reflex pathways.

  15. Acetaldehyde Content and Oxidative Stress in the Deleterious Effects of Alcohol Drinking on Rat Uterine Horn

    PubMed Central

    Buthet, Lara Romina; Maciel, María Eugenia; Quintans, Leandro Néstor; Rodríguez de Castro, Carmen; Costantini, Martín Hernán; Castro, José Alberto

    2013-01-01

    After alcohol exposure through a standard Lieber and De Carli diet for 28 days, a severe atrophy in the rat uteirne horn was observed, accompanied by significant alterations in its epithelial cells. Microsomal pathway of acetaldehyde production was slightly increased. Hydroxyl radicals were detected in the cytosolic fraction, and this was attributed to participation of xanthine oxidoreductase. They were also observed in the microsomal fraction in the presence of NADPH generating system. No generation of 1-hydroxyethyl was evidenced. The t-butylhydroperoxide-induced chemiluminescence analysis of uterine horn homogenates revealed a significant increase in the chemiluminiscence emission due to ethanol exposure. In the animals repeatedly exposed to alcohol, sulfhydryl content from uterine horn proteins was decreased, but no significant changes were observed in the protein carbonyl content from the same samples. Minor but significant decreasing changes were observed in the GSH content accompanied by a tendency to decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio. A highly significant finding was the diminished activity content of glutathione peroxidase. Results suggest that acetaldehyde accumulation plus the oxidative stress may play an additional effect to the alcohol-promoted hormonal changes in the uterus reported by others after chronic exposure to alcohol. PMID:24348548

  16. Use of simulated highway underpass crossing structures by flat-tailed horned lizards (Phrynosoma mcallii).

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    The flat-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) occupies a restricted range in the Lower Sonoran Desert of : southwest Arizona, southeast California, and adjacent land in Mexico. Because they exhibit behavior patterns : that include basking and re...

  17. Numerical 3D flow simulation of ultrasonic horns with attached cavitation structures and assessment of flow aggressiveness and cavitation erosion sensitive wall zones.

    PubMed

    Mottyll, Stephan; Skoda, Romuald

    2016-07-01

    As a contribution to a better understanding of cavitation erosion mechanisms, a compressible inviscid finite volume flow solver with barotropic homogeneous liquid-vapor mixture cavitation model is applied to ultrasonic horn set-ups with and without stationary specimen, that exhibit attached cavitation at the horn tip. Void collapses and shock waves, which are closely related to cavitation erosion, are resolved. The computational results are compared to hydrophone, shadowgraphy and erosion test data. At the horn tip, vapor volume and topology, subharmonic oscillation frequency as well as the amplitude of propagating pressure waves are in good agreement with experimental data. For the evaluation of flow aggressiveness and the assessment of erosion sensitive wall zones, statistical analyses of wall loads and of the multiplicity of distinct collapses in wall-adjacent flow regions are applied to the horn tip and the stationary specimen. An a posteriori projection of load collectives, i.e. cumulative collapse rate vs. collapse pressure, onto a reference grid eliminates the grid dependency effectively for attached cavitation at the horn tip, whereas a significant grid dependency remains at the stationary specimen. The load collectives show an exponential decrease towards higher collapse pressures. Erosion sensitive wall zones are well predicted for both, horn tip and stationary specimen, and load profiles are in good qualitative agreement with measured topography profiles of eroded duplex stainless steel samples after long-term runs. For the considered amplitude and gap width according to ASTM G32-10 standard, the analysis of load collectives reveals that the distinctive erosive ring shape at the horn tip can be attributed to frequent breakdown and re-development of a small portion of the tip-attached cavity. This partial breakdown of the attached cavity repeats at each driving cycle and is associated with relatively moderate collapse peak pressures, whereas the

  18. Nearshore coastal bathymetry data collected in 2016 from West Ship Island to Horn Island, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeWitt, Nancy T.; Stalk, Chelsea A.; Fredericks, Jake J.; Flocks, James G.; Kelso, Kyle W.; Farmer, Andrew S.; Tuten, Thomas M.; Buster, Noreen A.

    2018-04-13

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, conducted bathymetric surveys of the nearshore waters surrounding Ship and Horn Islands, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi. The objective of this study was to establish base-level elevation conditions around West Ship, East Ship, and Horn Islands and their associated active littoral system prior to restoration activities. These activities include the closure of Camille Cut and the placement of sediment in the littoral zone of East Ship Island. These surveys can be compared with future surveys to monitor sediment migration patterns post-restoration and can also be measured against historic bathymetric datasets to further our understanding of island evolution.The USGS collected 667 line-kilometers (km) of single-beam bathymetry data and 844 line-km of interferometric swath bathymetry data in July 2016 under Field Activity Number 2016-347-FA. Data are provided in three datums: (1) the International Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2000 (ellipsoid height); (2) the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) CORS96 realization and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 with respect to the GEOID12B model (orthometric height); and (3) NAD83 (CORS96) and Mean Lower Low Water (tidal datum). Data products, including x,y,zpoint datasets, trackline shapefiles, digital and handwritten Field Activity Collection Systems logs, 50-meter digital elevation model, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata, are available for download.

  19. Laboratory trials of fatty acids as repellents or antifeedants against houseflies, horn flies and stable flies (Diptera: Muscidae).

    PubMed

    Mullens, Bradley A; Reifenrath, William G; Butler, Sarah M

    2009-12-01

    Straight-chain, saturated fatty acids (particularly C8, C9 and C10) have some known behavioral effects on insects such as mosquitoes, and were tested in combination for potential repellency/antifeedant activity in bioassays against three significant muscoid flies of medical/veterinary importance: houseflies, horn flies and stable flies. Mixtures of C8, C9 and C10 (1:1:1; 15% total actives in formulation) were highly repellent to houseflies and horn flies at or below 1 mg formulation cm(-2). Repellency time varied from < 1 day for houseflies to usually at least 3 days for horn flies. Individual longer-chain-length fatty acids were tested, and C11 repelled houseflies for up to 5-8 days, while C12 lasted 2 days. Minimum statistically significant repellency levels of the C8, C9 and C10 mixture (3 h after application) against horn flies were 0.06-0.12 mg cm(-2). A liquid formulation of the 15% C8, C9 and C10 mixture in a silicone oil carrier (at 2.8 mg AI cm(-2)) was highly repellent against hungry stable flies in a blood-feeding membrane bioassay for at least 8 h. The low toxicity and reasonable activity and persistence of these carboxylic acids make them good candidates for development as protective materials against pest flies in livestock settings. (c) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Clinical Evaluation of the Root Tear of the Posterior Horn of the Medial Meniscus in Total Knee Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Choi, Eui-Sung; Park, Sang-Jun

    2015-06-01

    To investigate the incidence of root tears of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus in total knee replacement arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis and retrospectively analyze clinical results and factors associated with root tears. There were 197 knees of 140 enrolled patients who had undergone total knee replacement arthroplasty between September 2010 and May 2014. The presence of a root tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus was confirmed in all patients. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between root tears and the possible factors of meniscal tears including gender, age, severity of symptoms (visual analogue scale [VAS] score and medial joint line tenderness), grade of osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale), body mass index (BMI), varus deformity, and mechanical axis deviation. Meniscal tears were observed in 154 knees (78.17%). The root tear had correlation with the severity of osteoarthritis (p<0.05), varus deformity (p<0.05), mechanical axis deviation (p<0.05), and BMI (p<0.05). Factors considered to represent the severity of osteoarthritis were found to be associated with root tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn. Increased BMI seemed to be associated with the increased incidence of root tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn.

  1. Clinical Evaluation of the Root Tear of the Posterior Horn of the Medial Meniscus in Total Knee Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    Park, Sang-Jun

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To investigate the incidence of root tears of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus in total knee replacement arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis and retrospectively analyze clinical results and factors associated with root tears. Materials and Methods There were 197 knees of 140 enrolled patients who had undergone total knee replacement arthroplasty between September 2010 and May 2014. The presence of a root tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus was confirmed in all patients. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between root tears and the possible factors of meniscal tears including gender, age, severity of symptoms (visual analogue scale [VAS] score and medial joint line tenderness), grade of osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale), body mass index (BMI), varus deformity, and mechanical axis deviation. Results Meniscal tears were observed in 154 knees (78.17%). The root tear had correlation with the severity of osteoarthritis (p<0.05), varus deformity (p<0.05), mechanical axis deviation (p<0.05), and BMI (p<0.05). Conclusions Factors considered to represent the severity of osteoarthritis were found to be associated with root tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn. Increased BMI seemed to be associated with the increased incidence of root tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn. PMID:26060607

  2. Xenon inhibits excitatory but not inhibitory transmission in rat spinal cord dorsal horn neurons

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The molecular targets for the promising gaseous anaesthetic xenon are still under investigation. Most studies identify N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors as the primary molecular target for xenon, but the role of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors is less clear. In this study we evaluated the effect of xenon on excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord using in vitro patch-clamp recordings from rat spinal cord slices. We further evaluated the effects of xenon on innocuous and noxious stimuli using in vivo patch-clamp method. Results In vitro, xenon decreased the amplitude and area under the curve of currents induced by exogenous NMDA and AMPA and inhibited dorsal root stimulation-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents. Xenon decreased the amplitude, but not the frequency, of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. There was no discernible effect on miniature or evoked inhibitory postsynaptic currents or on the current induced by inhibitory neurotransmitters. In vivo, xenon inhibited responses to tactile and painful stimuli even in the presence of NMDA receptor antagonist. Conclusions Xenon inhibits glutamatergic excitatory transmission in the superficial dorsal horn via a postsynaptic mechanism. There is no substantial effect on inhibitory synaptic transmission at the concentration we used. The blunting of excitation in the dorsal horn lamina II neurons could underlie the analgesic effect of xenon. PMID:20444263

  3. Unilateral intrauterine horn insemination of frozen semen in cats.

    PubMed

    Tsutsui, T; Tanaka, A; Takagi, Y; Nakagawa, K; Fujimoto, Y; Murai, M; Anzai, M; Hori, T

    2000-12-01

    Frozen feline semen was prepared using two types of extenders, egg yolk Tris-fructose citric acid (EYT-FC) and egg yolk sodium citrate solution (EYC), and the semen qualities after thawing and the conception rates obtained by unilateral intrauterine horn insemination (UIUI) were investigated. Cats used in the experiment were six males and 11 females aged 2-12 years (the number of experimental cases was 17). For preparation of frozen semen, semen collected by the artificial vagina method was adjusted to I x 10(8) sperm/m/ and 7% glycerol, put in 250 microl straws, and then frozen using a cell freezer. The mean sperm motility after thawing was 30.0+/-9.7 (SE) % in the semen prepared with EYT-FC and 30.0+/-3.3% in the semen prepared with EYC. Four of seven animals were fertilized by UIUI using two straws in both extenders, and the conception rate was 57.1%. The mean ratios of number of kits to the number of ovulations in the inseminated side were 61.1+/-24.5% and 30.5+/-3.4% for EYT-FC and EYC, respectively, showing that the ratio tended to be higher in the semen prepared with EYT-FC. The above findings, comparing the two extenders for preparation of frozen feline semen, showed that EYT-FC is slightly superior to EYC. To increase conception and fertility rates, it may be important to increase the sperm count for insemination and to inseminate both uterine horns.

  4. VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray/UV Swift monitoring of NGC 4151 (Edelson+, 2017)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edelson, R.; Gelbord, J.; Cackett, E.; Connolly, S.; Done, C.; Fausnaugh, M.; Gardner, E.; Gehrels, N.; Goad, M.; Horne, K.; McHardy, I.; Peterson, B. M.; Vaughan, S.; Vestergaard, M.; Breeveld, A.; Barth, A. J.; Bentz, M.; Bottorff, M.; Brandt, W. N.; Crawford, S. M.; Bonta, E. D.; Emmanoulopoulos, D.; Evans, P.; Jaimes, R. F.; Filippenko, A. V.; Ferland, G.; Grupe, D.; Joner, M.; Kennea, J.; Korista, K. T.; Krimm, H. A.; Kriss, G.; Leonard, D. C.; Mathur, S.; Netzer, H.; Nousek, J.; Page, K.; Romero-Colmenero, E.; Siegel, M.; Starkey, D. A.; Treu, T.; Vogler, H. A.; Winkler, H.; Zheng, W.

    2017-11-01

    During 2016 February 20 through April 29, Swift executed an intensive monitoring campaign on NGC 4151, consisting of 319 separate visits of at least 120s, an average of nearly five visits per day. These Swift observations were coordinated with intensive monitoring with numerous ground-based telescopes including the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope network and the Liverpool Telescope at La Palma. Those data will be presented in subsequent papers (K. Horne et al. 2017, in preparation; M. Goad et al. 2017, in preparation). (3 data files).

  5. Identification of policies for a sustainable legal trade in rhinoceros horn based on population projection and socioeconomic models.

    PubMed

    Di Minin, Enrico; Laitila, Jussi; Montesino-Pouzols, Federico; Leader-Williams, Nigel; Slotow, Rob; Goodman, Peter S; Conway, Anthony J; Moilanen, Atte

    2015-04-01

    Between 1990 and 2007, 15 southern white (Ceratotherium simum simum) and black (Diceros bicornis) rhinoceroses on average were killed illegally every year in South Africa. Since 2007 illegal killing of southern white rhinoceros for their horn has escalated to >950 individuals/year in 2013. We conducted an ecological-economic analysis to determine whether a legal trade in southern white rhinoceros horn could facilitate rhinoceros protection. Generalized linear models were used to examine the socioeconomic drivers of poaching, based on data collected from 1990 to 2013, and to project the total number of rhinoceroses likely to be illegally killed from 2014 to 2023. Rhinoceros population dynamics were then modeled under 8 different policy scenarios that could be implemented to control poaching. We also estimated the economic costs and benefits of each scenario under enhanced enforcement only and a legal trade in rhinoceros horn and used a decision support framework to rank the scenarios with the objective of maintaining the rhinoceros population above its current size while generating profit for local stakeholders. The southern white rhinoceros population was predicted to go extinct in the wild <20 years under present management. The optimal scenario to maintain the rhinoceros population above its current size was to provide a medium increase in antipoaching effort and to increase the monetary fine on conviction. Without legalizing the trade, implementing such a scenario would require covering costs equal to approximately $147,000,000/year. With a legal trade in rhinoceros horn, the conservation enterprise could potentially make a profit of $717,000,000/year. We believe the 35-year-old ban on rhinoceros horn products should not be lifted unless the money generated from trade is reinvested in improved protection of the rhinoceros population. Because current protection efforts seem to be failing, it is time to evaluate, discuss, and test alternatives to the present

  6. Hidden lesions of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus: a systematic arthroscopic exploration of the concealed portion of the knee.

    PubMed

    Sonnery-Cottet, Bertrand; Conteduca, Jacopo; Thaunat, Mathieu; Gunepin, François Xavier; Seil, Romain

    2014-04-01

    Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are frequently associated with meniscal lesions. Despite improvements in meniscal repair techniques, failure rates remain significant, especially for the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. To determine whether a systematic arthroscopic exploration of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with an additional posteromedial portal is useful to identify otherwise unrecognized lesions. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. In a consecutive series of 302 ACL reconstructions, a systematic arthroscopic exploration of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus was performed. The first stage of the exploration was achieved through anterior visualization via a standard anterolateral portal. In the second stage, the posterior horn of the medial meniscus was visualized posteriorly via the anterolateral portal with the scope positioned deep in the notch. In the third stage, the posterior horn was probed through an additional posteromedial portal. A χ2 test and logistic regression analysis were performed to determine if the time from injury to surgery was associated with the meniscal tear pattern. A medial meniscal tear was diagnosed in 125 of the 302 patients (41.4%). Seventy-five lesions (60%) located in the meniscal body were diagnosed at the first stage of the arthroscopic exploration. Fifty lesions located in the ramp area were diagnosed: 29 (23.2%) at the second stage and 21 lesions (16.8%) at the third stage after minimal debridement of the superficial soft tissue layer. The latter type of lesion is called a "hidden lesion." Altogether, the prevalence of ramp lesions in this population was 40%. Meniscal body lesions (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-5.18; P < .02) were found to be significantly correlated with a longer delay between injury and surgery. Posterior visualization and posteromedial probing of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus can help in discovering a higher rate of lesions that could be easily

  7. Anatomical significance of a posterior horn of medial meniscus: the relationship between its radial tear and cartilage degradation of joint surface.

    PubMed

    Kan, Akinori; Oshida, Midori; Oshida, Shigemi; Imada, Masato; Nakagawa, Takumi; Okinaga, Shuji

    2010-01-12

    Traumatic injury and surgical meniscectomy of a medial meniscus are known to cause subsequent knee osteoarthritis. However, the difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis caused by the individual type of the medial meniscal tear has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate what type of tear is predominantly responsible for the degradation of articular cartilage in the medial compartment of knee joints. Five hundred and forty eight cadaveric knees (290 male and 258 female) were registered in this study. The average age of cadavers at death was 78.8 years old (range: 52-103 years). The knees were macroscopically examined and their medial menisci were classified into four groups according to types of tears: "no tear", "radial tear of posterior horn", "other types of tear" and "worn-out meniscus" groups. The severity of cartilage degradation in their medial compartment of knee joints was evaluated using the international cartilage repair society (ICRS) grading system. We statistically compared the ICRS grades among the groups using Mann-Whitney U test. The knees were assigned into the four groups: 416 "no tear" knees, 51 "radial tear of posterior horn" knees, 71 "other types of tear" knees, and 10 "worn-out meniscus" knees. The knees with substantial meniscal tears showed the severer ICRS grades of cartilage degradation than those without meniscal tears. In addition, the ICRS grades were significantly severer in the "radial tear of posterior horn" group than in the "other types of tear" group, suggesting that the radial tear of posterior horn in the medial meniscus is one of the risk factors for cartilage degradation of joint surface. We have clarified the relationship between the radial tear of posterior horn in the medial meniscus and the severer grade of cartilage degradation. This study indicates that the efforts should be made to restore the anatomical role of the posterior horn in keeping the hoop strain, when patients' physical activity

  8. Spasmolytic effect of Psidium guajava Linn. (Myrtaceae) leaf aqueous extract on rat isolated uterine horns.

    PubMed

    Chiwororo, Witness D H; Ojewole, John A O

    2009-02-01

    Globally, primary dysmenorrhoea is one of the most frequent gynaecological disorders in young women. It is associated with increased uterine tone, and exaggerated contractility of uterine smooth muscles. In many rural African communities, a number of medicinal plants, including Psidium guajava Linn. (family: Myrtaceae), are used traditionally for the management, control and/or treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to examine the spasmolytic effect of Psidium guajava leaf aqueous extract (PGE) on isolated, spontaneously-contracting and oestrogen-dominated, quiescent uterine horns of healthy, young adult, female Wistar rats. Graded, escalated concentrations of PGE (0.5-4.0 mg/ml) produced concentration-dependent and significant inhibitions of the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions of the isolated rat uterine horn preparations. In a concentration-related manner, PGE also significantly inhibited or abolished contractions produced by acetylcholine (ACh, 0.5-8.0 microg/ml), oxytocin (0.5-4.0 microU), bradykinin (2.5-10 ng/ml), carbachol (CCh, 0.5-8.0 microg/ml) or potassium chloride (K+, 10-80 mM) in quiescent uterine horn preparations isolated from the oestrogen-dominated rats. The spasmolytic effect of PGE observed in the present study lends pharmacological support to the traditional use of ;guava' leaves in the management, control and/or treatment of primary dysmenorrhoea in some rural African communities.

  9. Connecting Communities, Schools, and Families: An Interview with Arthur (Andy) Horne, Phd

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ziomek-Daigle, Jolie

    2007-01-01

    Dr. Arthur (Andy) Horne completed his PhD at Southern Illinois University in 1971. He taught at Indiana State University from 1971 until 1989, during which time he served as a member of the faculty and the director of training of the APA-accredited Counseling Psychology Program. He also was a member of the AAMFT-accredited Marriage and Family…

  10. Optimizing the Naval Force for the Horn of Africa Anti-Piracy Mission

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-04

    new trend emerged for an increased number of 1 International Chamber of Commerce International...Countering Piracy Off the Horn of Africa: Partnership & Action Plan. Dec 2008, 3. 3 International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau...Increase off Somali Coast” Release #053- 09. 30 Mar 2009. 26 International Chamber of Commerce Commercial Crime Services. “Live Piracy Report

  11. Ecological and economic analysis of poaching of the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Poudyal, Mahesh; Rothley, Kristina; Knowler, Duncan

    2009-10-01

    Nepal's greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) faces serious threats from poaching. Poaching of these rhinos is a complex problem, influenced by such diverse factors as the price of rhino horn on the international market, local socioeconomic factors, and the population dynamics of the species. Few studies have attempted to address this complexity. In this study, we model the poaching and population dynamics of the one-horned rhinoceros within an integrated framework of ecological, socioeconomic, political, and legal dimensions. The poaching model for rhinos in Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) in Nepal is combined with the population model for the species within a simulation framework and explored under various alternative policy scenarios with differing external socioeconomic and political conditions as well as internal policy response. We predict that, under the current (2003-2005) rhino conservation strategy, poaching would continue to be a major threat to the rhino population in RCNP. Furthermore, the internal policy response must begin to consider external factors such as socioeconomic conditions within the park buffer zone to be more effective in the long run. Finally, we find that, for long-run control, antipoaching policies should be directed at increasing the opportunity costs of poaching by creating better alternative economic opportunities, and at antipoaching enforcement.

  12. Crosstalk between Activated Microglia and Neurons in the Spinal Dorsal Horn Contributes to Stress-induced Hyperalgesia

    PubMed Central

    Qi, Jian; Chen, Chen; Meng, Qing-Xi; Wu, Yan; Wu, Haitao; Zhao, Ting-Bao

    2016-01-01

    Stress has been shown to enhance pain sensitivity resulting in stress-induced hyperalgesia. However, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. Using single-prolonged stress combined with Complete Freund’s Adjuvant injection model, we explored the reciprocal regulatory relationship between neurons and microglia, which is critical for the maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-induced hyperalgesia. In our assay, significant mechanical allodynia was observed. Additionally, activated neurons in spinal dorsal horn were observed by analysis of Fos expression. And, microglia were also significantly activated with the presence of increased Iba-1 expression. Intrathecal administration of c-fos antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASO) or minocycline (a specific microglia inhibitor) attenuated mechanical allodynia. Moreover, intrathecal administration of c-fos ASO significantly suppressed the activation of neurons and microglia. Interestingly, inhibition of microglia activation by minocycline significantly suppressed the activation of both neurons and microglia in spinal dorsal horn. P38 inhibitor SB203580 suppressed IL-6 production, and inhibition of IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) activation by tocilizumab suppressed Fos expression. Together, our data suggest that the presence of a “crosstalk” between activated microglia and neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, which might contribute to the stress-induced hyperactivated state, leading to an increased pain sensitivity. PMID:27995982

  13. Force measurements in the medial meniscus posterior horn attachment: effects of anterior cruciate ligament removal.

    PubMed

    Markolf, Keith L; Jackson, Steven R; McAllister, David R

    2012-02-01

    Tears of the medial meniscus posterior horn attachment (PHA) occur clinically, and an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knee may be more vulnerable to this injury. The PHA forces from applied knee loadings will increase after removal of the ACL. Controlled laboratory study. A cap of bone containing the medial meniscus PHA was attached to a load cell that measured PHA tensile force. Posterior horn attachment forces were recorded before and after ACL removal during anteroposterior (AP) laxity testing at ±200 N and during passive knee extension tests with 5 N·m tibial torque and varus-valgus moment. Selected tests were also performed with 500 N joint load. For AP tests with no joint load, ACL removal increased laxity between 0° and 90° and increased PHA force generated by applied anterior tibial force between 30° and 90°. For AP tests with an intact ACL, application of joint load approximately doubled PHA forces. Anteroposterior testing of ACL-deficient knees was not possible with joint load because of bone cap failures from high PHA forces. Removal of the ACL during knee extension tests under joint load significantly increased PHA forces between 20° and 90° of flexion. For unloaded tests with applied tibial torque and varus-valgus moment, ACL removal had no significant effect on PHA forces. Applied anterior tibial force and external tibial torque were loading modes that produced relatively high PHA forces, presumably by impingement of the medial femoral condyle against the medial meniscus posterior horn rim. Under joint load, an ACL-deficient knee was particularly susceptible to PHA injury from applied anterior tibial force. Because tensile forces developed in the PHA are also borne by meniscus tissue near the attachment site, loading mechanisms that produce high PHA forces could also produce complete or partial radial tears near the posterior horn, a relatively common clinical observation.

  14. Generation of Path-Encoded Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bergamasco, N.; Menotti, M.; Sipe, J. E.; Liscidini, M.

    2017-11-01

    We study the generation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states of three path-encoded photons. Inspired by the seminal work of Bouwmeester et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 1345 (1999), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.82.1345] on polarization-entangled GHZ states, we find a corresponding path representation for the photon states of an optical circuit, identify the elements required for the state generation, and propose a possible implementation of our strategy. Besides the practical advantage of employing an integrated system that can be fabricated with proven lithographic techniques, our example suggests that it is possible to enhance the generation efficiency by using microring resonators.

  15. High chromosomal variation in wild horn fly Haematobia irritans (Linnaeus) (Diptera, Muscidae) populations

    PubMed Central

    Forneris, Natalia S.; Otero, Gabriel; Pereyra, Ana; Repetto, Gustavo; Rabossi, Alejandro; Quesada-Allué, Luis A.; Basso, Alicia L.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract The horn fly, Haematobia irritans is an obligate haematophagous cosmopolitan insect pest. The first reports of attacks on livestock by Haematobia irritans in Argentina and Uruguay occurred in 1991, and since 1993 it is considered an economically important pest. Knowledge on the genetic characteristics of the horn fly increases our understanding of the phenotypes resistant to insecticides that repeatedly develop in these insects. The karyotype of Haematobia irritans, as previously described using flies from an inbred colony, shows a chromosome complement of 2n=10 without heterochromosomes (sex chromosomes). In this study, we analyze for the first time the chromosome structure and variation of four wild populations of Haematobia irritans recently established in the Southern Cone of South America, collected in Argentina and Uruguay. In these wild type populations, we confirmed and characterized the previously published “standard” karyotype of 2n=10 without sex chromosomes; however, surprisingly a supernumerary element, called B-chromosome, was found in about half of mitotic preparations. The existence of statistically significant karyotypic diversity was demonstrated through the application of orcein staining, C-banding and H-banding. This study represents the first discovery and characterization of horn fly karyotypes with 2n=11 (2n=10+B). All spermatocytes analyzed showed 5 chromosome bivalents, and therefore, 2n=10 without an extra chromosome. Study of mitotic divisions showed that some chromosomal rearrangements affecting karyotype structure are maintained as polymorphisms, and multiple correspondence analyses demonstrated that genetic variation was not associated with geographic distribution. Because it was never observed during male meiosis, we hypothesize that B-chromosome is preferentially transmitted by females and that it might be related to sex determination. PMID:25893073

  16. Geology and mammalian paleontology of the Horned Toad Hills, Mojave Desert, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    May, S.R.; Woodburne, M.O.; Lindsay, E.H.; Albright, L.B.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A.; Wan, E.; Wahl, D.B.

    2011-01-01

    The Horned Toad Formation includes five lithostratigraphic members that record alluvial fan, fluvial, lake margin, and lacustrine deposition within a relatively small basin just south of the active Garlock fault during the late Miocene to early Pliocene. These sediments experienced northwest-southeast contractional deformation during the Pliocene-Pleistocene associated with basement-involved reverse faults. Member Two of the Horned Toad Formation has yielded 24 taxa of fossil mammals, referred to as the Warren Local Fauna, including Cryptotis sp., cf. Scapanus, Hypolagus vetus, Hypolagus edensis,? Spermophilus sp., Prothomomys warrenensis n. gen., n. sp., Perognathus sp., Repomys gustelyi, Postcopemys valensis, Peromyscus sp. A, Peromyscus sp. B, Jacobsomys dailyi n. sp., Borophagus cf. B. secundus, cf. Agriotherium, Machairodus sp. cf. M. coloradensis, Rhynchotherium sp. cf. R. edensis, Pliomastodon vexillarius, Dinohippus edensis, Teleoceras sp. cf. T. fossiger, cf. Prosthennops, Megatylopus sp. cf. M. matthewi, Hemiauchenia vera, Camelidae gen. et. sp. indet., and the antilocaprid cf. Sphenophalos. The majority of fossil localities are confined to a 20 m thick stratigraphic interval within a reversed polarity magnetozone. The fauna demonstrates affinity with other late Hemphillian faunas from California, Nevada, Nebraska, Texas, and Mexico. The Lawlor Tuff, dated elsewhere in California at 4.83 ?? 0.04 Ma and geochemically identified in the Horned Toad Formation, overlies most of the fossil mammal localities. Magnetic polarity data are correlated with Chrons 3n.3r, 3n.3n, and 3n.2r, suggesting an age of approximately 5.0 - 4.6 Ma. These constraints indicate an age for the late Hemphillian Warren Local Fauna of 4.85 - 5.0 Ma. ?? Society of Vertebrate Paleontology November 2011.

  17. Intradermal endothelin-1 excites bombesin-responsive superficial dorsal horn neurons in the mouse

    PubMed Central

    Akiyama, T.; Nagamine, M.; Davoodi, A.; Iodi Carstens, M.; Cevikbas, F.; Steinhoff, M.

    2015-01-01

    Endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in nonhistaminergic itch. Here we used electrophysiological methods to investigate whether mouse superficial dorsal horn neurons respond to intradermal (id) injection of ET-1 and whether ET-1-sensitive neurons additionally respond to other pruritic and algesic stimuli or spinal superfusion of bombesin, a homolog of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) that excites spinal itch-signaling neurons. Single-unit recordings were made from lumbar dorsal horn neurons in pentobarbital-anesthetized C57BL/6 mice. We searched for units that exhibited elevated firing after id injection of ET-1 (1 μg/μl). Responsive units were further tested with mechanical stimuli, bombesin (spinal superfusion, 200 μg·ml−1·min−1), heating, cooling, and additional chemicals [histamine, chloroquine, allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), capsaicin]. Of 40 ET-1-responsive units, 48% responded to brush and pinch [wide dynamic range (WDR)] and 52% to pinch only [high threshold (HT)]. Ninety-three percent responded to noxious heat, 50% to cooling, and >70% to histamine, chloroquine, AITC, and capsaicin. Fifty-seven percent responded to bombesin, suggesting that they participate in spinal itch transmission. That most ET-1-sensitive spinal neurons also responded to pruritic and algesic stimuli is consistent with previous studies of pruritogen-responsive dorsal horn neurons. We previously hypothesized that pruritogen-sensitive neurons signal itch. The observation that ET-1 activates nociceptive neurons suggests that both itch and pain signals may be generated by ET-1 to result in simultaneous sensations of itch and pain, consistent with observations that ET-1 elicits both itch- and pain-related behaviors in animals and burning itch sensations in humans. PMID:26311187

  18. Slack KNa Channels Influence Dorsal Horn Synapses and Nociceptive Behavior.

    PubMed

    Evely, Katherine M; Pryce, Kerri D; Bausch, Anne E; Lukowski, Robert; Ruth, Peter; Haj-Dahmane, Samir; Bhattacharjee, Arin

    2017-01-01

    The sodium-activated potassium channel Slack (Kcnt1, Slo2.2) is highly expressed in dorsal root ganglion neurons where it regulates neuronal firing. Several studies have implicated the Slack channel in pain processing, but the precise mechanism or the levels within the sensory pathway where channels are involved remain unclear. Here, we furthered the behavioral characterization of Slack channel knockout mice and for the first time examined the role of Slack channels in the superficial, pain-processing lamina of the dorsal horn. We performed whole-cell recordings from spinal cord slices to examine the intrinsic and synaptic properties of putative inhibitory and excitatory lamina II interneurons. Slack channel deletion altered intrinsic properties and synaptic drive to favor an overall enhanced excitatory tone. We measured the amplitudes and paired pulse ratio of paired excitatory post-synaptic currents at primary afferent synapses evoked by electrical stimulation of the dorsal root entry zone. We found a substantial decrease in the paired pulse ratio at synapses in Slack deleted neurons compared to wildtype, indicating increased presynaptic release from primary afferents. Corroborating these data, plantar test showed Slack knockout mice have an enhanced nociceptive responsiveness to localized thermal stimuli compared to wildtype mice. Our findings suggest that Slack channels regulate synaptic transmission within the spinal cord dorsal horn and by doing so establishes the threshold for thermal nociception.

  19. α5GABAA Receptors Mediate Tonic Inhibition in the Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn and Contribute to the Resolution Of Hyperalgesia.

    PubMed

    Perez-Sanchez, Jimena; Lorenzo, Louis-Etienne; Lecker, Irene; Zurek, Agnieszka A; Labrakakis, Charalampos; Bridgwater, Erica M; Orser, Beverley A; De Koninck, Yves; Bonin, Robert P

    2017-06-01

    Neuronal inhibition mediated by GABA A receptors constrains nociceptive processing in the spinal cord, and loss of GABAergic inhibition can produce allodynia and hyperalgesia. Extrasynaptic α5 subunit-containing GABA A receptors (α5GABA A Rs) generate a tonic conductance that inhibits neuronal activity and constrains learning and memory; however, it is unclear whether α5GABA A Rs similarly generate a tonic conductance in the spinal cord dorsal horn to constrain nociception. We assessed the distribution of α5GABA A Rs in the spinal cord dorsal horn by immunohistochemical analysis, and the activity and function of α5GABA A Rs in neurons of the superficial dorsal horn using electrophysiological and behavioral approaches in male, null-mutant mice lacking the GABA A R α5 subunit (Gabra5-/-) and wild-type mice (WT). The expression of α5GABA A Rs in the superficial dorsal horn followed a laminar pattern of distribution, with a higher expression in lamina II than lamina I. Similarly, the tonic GABA A current in lamina II neurons had a larger contribution from α5GABA A Rs than in lamina I, with no significant contribution of these receptors to synaptic GABA A current. In behavioural tests, WT and Gabra5-/- mice exhibited similar acute thermal and mechanical nociception, and similar mechanical sensitization immediately following intraplantar capsaicin or Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA). However, Gabra5-/- mice showed prolonged recovery from sensitization in these models, and increased responses in the late phase of the formalin test. Overall, our data suggest that tonically-active α5GABA A Rs in the spinal cord dorsal horn accelerate the resolution of hyperalgesia and may therefore serve as a novel therapeutic target to promote recovery from pathological pain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Effect of claw horn lesion type and severity at the time of treatment on outcome of lameness in dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Miguel-Pacheco, Giuliana G; Thomas, Heather J; Huxley, Jonathan N; Newsome, Reuben F; Kaler, Jasmeet

    2017-07-01

    Prompt diagnosis and treatment of claw horn lesions in cattle affects the likelihood of recovery; however, it is unknown if the type of lesion influences the likelihood of recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the type, severity and frequency of claw horn lesions in newly lame cows (lame for no more than 2 weeks) at the time of corrective foot trimming affects the probability of recovery from lameness after treatment. The images of 112 feet (224 claws) from newly lame cows (n=112; lame in only one hind foot), which were treated with a standardised therapeutic hoof trim only, were used to score claw horn lesions (sole ulcer, sole haemorrhage, white line haemorrhage or white line separation). Most cows (n=107/112; 95.5%) were classified as mildly lame at the time of treatment. The proportion of cows that recovered 2 weeks after therapeutic hoof trimming was 88/112 (78.6%). Results of a multilevel logistic regression model indicated that severely lame cows were less likely to recover than those that were mildly lame (odds ratio, OR, 0.16; P=0.04). White line haemorrhage had a significant negative impact on the likelihood of recovery from lameness (OR 0.14; P>0.01); however, recovery of cows with white line haemorrhage was positively associated with the length of the lesion (OR 1.05; P=0.03). This latter finding may be associated with the severity of the lesion, since mild claw horn lesions affected a significantly larger area of the claw than more severe lesions. The length and type of claw horn lesion were associated with recovery from lameness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Glaucoma in a captive-bred great horned owl (Bubo virginianus virginianus).

    PubMed

    Rayment, L J; Williams, D

    1997-05-03

    A captive-bred adult great horned owl (Bubo virginianus virginianus) behaved as though it was bilaterally blind. An ophthalmological examination showed that it had an increased intraocular pressure in both eyes and gonioscopy showed an abnormality of the iridocorneal angles. Retinal changes were also observed. Treatment was not attempted and the owl was euthanased. Histopathology confirmed the abnormal iridocorneal angles, but the exact aetiology of the primary glaucoma was not identified.

  2. An E-plane analysis of aperture-matched horn antennas using the moment method and the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heedy, D. J.; Burnside, W. D.

    1984-01-01

    The moment method and the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction are utilized to obtain two separate solutions for the E-plane field pattern of an aperture-matched horn antenna. This particular horn antenna consists of a standard pyramidal horn with the following modifications: a rolled edge section attached to the aperture edges and a curved throat section. The resulting geometry provides significantly better performance in terms of the pattern, impedance, and frequency characteristics than normally obtainable. The moment method is used to calculate the E-plane pattern and BSWR of the antenna. However, at higher frequencies, large amounts of computation time are required. The uniform geometrical theory of diffraction provides a quick and efficient high frequency solution for the E-plane field pattern. In fact, the uniform geometrical theory of diffraction may be used to initially design the antenna; then, the moment method may be applied to fine tune the design. This procedure has been successfully applied to a compact range feed design.

  3. The effect of single-horn glaze ice on the vortex structures in the wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Zhe-Yan; Dong, Qiao-Tian; Yang, Zhi-Gang

    2015-02-01

    The present study experimentally investigated the effect of a simulated single-horn glaze ice accreted on rotor blades on the vortex structures in the wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine by using the stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (Stereo-PIV) technique. During the experiments, four horizontal axis wind turbine models were tested, and both "free-run" and "phase-locked" Stereo-PIV measurements were carried out. Based on the "free-run" measurements, it was found that because of the simulated single-horn glaze ice, the shape, vorticity, and trajectory of tip vortices were changed significantly, and less kinetic energy of the airflow could be harvested by the wind turbine. In addition, the "phase-locked" results indicated that the presence of simulated single-horn glaze ice resulted in a dramatic reduction of the vorticity peak of the tip vortices. Moreover, as the length of the glaze ice increased, both root and tip vortex gaps were found to increase accordingly.

  4. A strange horn between Paolo Mantegazza and Charles Darwin.

    PubMed

    Garbarino, Carla; Mazzarello, Paolo

    2013-09-01

    During the preparation of an exhibition in Pavia dedicated to the centennial anniversary of the death of the Italian Pathologist Paolo Mantegazza, a strange cheratinic horn was found at the Museum for the History of the University of Pavia labelled as 'spur of a cock transplanted into an ear of a cow.' After some historical investigation, we found this strange object was at the centre of a scientific correspondence between Mantegazza and Charles Darwin, who made reference to it in his book The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. [The changes of monocarboxylate transporter-2 in spinal cord horn in a rat model of chronic inflammatory pain].

    PubMed

    He, Jian-hua; Xu, Li; Shen, Yu; Kong, Ming-jian; Shi, Lin-yu; Ma, Zheng-liang

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the changes in the levels of monocarboxylate transporter-2 in spinal cord horn in a rat model of chronic inflammatory pain. Male SD rats weighting 180 - 220 g were randomly divided into two groups(n = 48): normal saline group (NS group), complete Freund's adjuvant group (CFA group). Rats were given injections of CFA 100 µl in left hind paw in group CFA, and an equal volume of saline was given injection in group NS. Mechanical withdraw threshold(MWT) and thermal withdraw latency(TWL) were measured at before injection(T0 and 3 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, 14 d, and 21 d after injection(T1-7). Four rats were chosen from each group at T0-7 and sacrificed, and L4-5 segments of the spinal cord horn were removed for measurement of the expression of monocarboxylate transporter-2 by Western blot analysis. In CFA group, mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia appeared on the 3 h after CFA injection, then until the day 14. The expression of monocarboxylate transporter-2 in the spinal dorsal horn of rats in CFA group was significantly higher than that in normal control group at T1-6(P <0.05). The protein level of monocarboxylate transporter-2 was apparently correlated with MWT and TWL(P <0.01 and P <0.05) in CFA group. The level of monocarboxylate transporter-2 in spinal dorsal horn is significantly increased in a rat model of chronic inflammatory pain and the change may involve in the formation and maintenance of central sensitization in spinal cord of chronic inflammatory uain.

  6. Whole-genome sequences of 89 Chinese sheep suggest role of RXFP2 in the development of unique horn phenotype as response to semi-feralization

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Zhangyuan; Li, Shengdi; Liu, Qiuyue; Wang, Zhen; Zhou, Zhengkui; Di, Ran; Miao, Benpeng; Hu, Wenping; Wang, Xiangyu; Hu, Xiaoxiang; Xu, Ze; Wei, Dongkai; He, Xiaoyun; Yuan, Liyun; Guo, Xiaofei; Liang, Benmeng; Wang, Ruichao; Li, Xiaoyu; Cao, Xiaohan; Dong, Xinlong; Xia, Qing; Shi, Hongcai; Hao, Geng; Yang, Jean; Luosang, Cuicheng; Zhao, Yiqiang; Jin, Mei; Zhang, Yingjie; Lv, Shenjin; Li, Fukuan; Ding, Guohui; Chu, Mingxing; Li, Yixue

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Animal domestication has been extensively studied, but the process of feralization remains poorly understood. Results Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 99 sheep and identified a primary genetic divergence between 2 heterogeneous populations in the Tibetan Plateau, including 1 semi-feral lineage. Selective sweep and candidate gene analysis revealed local adaptations of these sheep associated with sensory perception, muscle strength, eating habit, mating process, and aggressive behavior. In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed signs of rapid evolution specifically in the semi-feral breeds. A unique haplotype and repressed horn-related tissue expression of RXFP2 were correlated with higher horn length, as well as spiral and horizontally extended horn shape. Conclusions Semi-feralization has an extensive impact on diverse phenotypic traits of sheep. By acquiring features like those of their wild ancestors, semi-feral sheep were able to regain fitness while in frequent contact with wild surroundings and rare human interventions. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of domestic animals when human interventions are no longer dominant. PMID:29668959

  7. Whole-genome sequences of 89 Chinese sheep suggest role of RXFP2 in the development of unique horn phenotype as response to semi-feralization.

    PubMed

    Pan, Zhangyuan; Li, Shengdi; Liu, Qiuyue; Wang, Zhen; Zhou, Zhengkui; Di, Ran; Miao, Benpeng; Hu, Wenping; Wang, Xiangyu; Hu, Xiaoxiang; Xu, Ze; Wei, Dongkai; He, Xiaoyun; Yuan, Liyun; Guo, Xiaofei; Liang, Benmeng; Wang, Ruichao; Li, Xiaoyu; Cao, Xiaohan; Dong, Xinlong; Xia, Qing; Shi, Hongcai; Hao, Geng; Yang, Jean; Luosang, Cuicheng; Zhao, Yiqiang; Jin, Mei; Zhang, Yingjie; Lv, Shenjin; Li, Fukuan; Ding, Guohui; Chu, Mingxing; Li, Yixue

    2018-04-01

    Animal domestication has been extensively studied, but the process of feralization remains poorly understood. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of 99 sheep and identified a primary genetic divergence between 2 heterogeneous populations in the Tibetan Plateau, including 1 semi-feral lineage. Selective sweep and candidate gene analysis revealed local adaptations of these sheep associated with sensory perception, muscle strength, eating habit, mating process, and aggressive behavior. In particular, a horn-related gene, RXFP2, showed signs of rapid evolution specifically in the semi-feral breeds. A unique haplotype and repressed horn-related tissue expression of RXFP2 were correlated with higher horn length, as well as spiral and horizontally extended horn shape. Semi-feralization has an extensive impact on diverse phenotypic traits of sheep. By acquiring features like those of their wild ancestors, semi-feral sheep were able to regain fitness while in frequent contact with wild surroundings and rare human interventions. This study provides a new insight into the evolution of domestic animals when human interventions are no longer dominant.

  8. Nephrectomy for infected stag horn calculus confounded by the presence of squamous cell carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Kondisetty, Sandeep; Borkar, Pallavi Vijay; Thomas, Appu

    2017-09-27

    Squamous cell carcinoma of kidney is a rare tumour of the many tumours seen in the kidney. It is usually associated with chronic irritation by a foreign body, which is mostly a stag horn calculus. Diagnosis of carcinoma in the presence of stag horn calculus is bizarre as it is seen in only <1% of patients. After imaging in this patient, the lymph nodes were enlarged and showed necrosis, which favoured the diagnosis of tuberculosis in a country where it is endemic. The pathological examination after surgery has amazed us by the presence of squamous cell carcinoma with lymph nodes positive with metastasis to vertebrae as the patient has presented to us with all symptoms of infection like pain and fever, which never made us think about malignancy preoperatively. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  9. The Climate-Population Nexus in the East African Horn: Emerging Degradation Trends in Rangeland and Pastoral Livelihood Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pricope, N. G.; Husak, G. J.; Funk, C. C.; Lopez-Carr, D.

    2014-12-01

    Increasing climate variability and extreme weather conditions along with declining trends in both rainfall and temperature represent major risk factors affecting agricultural production and food security in many regions of the world. We identify regions where significant rainfall decrease from 1979-2011 over the entire continent of Africa couples with significant human population density increase. The rangelands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in the East African Horn remain one of the world's most food insecure regions, yet have significantly increasing human populations predominantly dependent on pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods. Vegetation in this region is characterized by a variable mosaic of land covers, generally dominated by grasslands necessary for agro-pastoralism, interspersed by woody vegetation. Recent assessments indicate that widespread degradation is occurring, adversely impacting fragile ecosystems and human livelihoods. Using two underutilized MODIS products, we observe significant changes in vegetation patterns and productivity over the last decade all across the East African Horn. We observe significant vegetation browning trends in areas experiencing drying precipitation trends in addition to increasing population pressures. We also found that the drying precipitation trends only partially statistically explain the vegetation browning trends, further indicating that other factors such as population pressures and land use changes are responsible for the observed declining vegetation health. Furthermore, we show that the general vegetation browning trends persist even during years with normal rainfall conditions such as 2012, indicating potential long-term degradation of rangelands on which approximately 10 million people depend. These findings have serious implications for current and future regional food security monitoring and forecasting as well as for mitigation and adaptation strategies in a region where population is expected

  10. Meniscus delivery: a maneuver for easy arthroscopic access to the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.

    PubMed

    Said, Hatem Galal; Goyal, Saumitra; Fetih, Tarek Nabil

    2016-03-16

    Pathology of posterior horn of medial meniscus is common and often presents a difficult approach during arthroscopy for various reasons. We describe an easy maneuver to facilitate "delivery of the medial meniscus" during arthroscopy.

  11. Thirty Years After Jack Eddy at the Big Horn Medicine Wheel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merriot, Ivy

    2017-01-01

    In the thirty years since John (Jack) Eddy’s work on the Big Horn Medicine Wheel, attention to the astronomy of medicine wheels went from high to low, with the lowest moment occurring during the ”welcome” talk of the Oxford IX International Archaeoastronomy (ISAAC) conference in Lima, Peru in 2011 when the wall-size projected image of the Big Horn Wheel carried a thick black “X” across its face. The alignments proposed by Eddy in 1974 and by Robinson in the 1980s have been reviewed and analyzed at the Wheel on Medicine Mountain in situ under bitter cold, clear dark nights at 10,000 feet altitude. Research was conducted using naked eye skywatching, transit surveying, and a Meade Cassegraine 8” electronic telescope. Along with this “review” of 20th century research, new research was conducted Wheel causing the second decade of the 21st century to bring new physical evidence and historical information for consideration.New research at the Big Horn Medicine Wheel gives evidence that the Wheel “mirrors” the night and daytime sky by creating a sky “grid” by its design made of basement and surface stones. The Wheel’s stone design mirrors the precession of the equinoxes by showing positions of all major pole stars over the full precessional cycle. Its twenty-eight sections are useful in the same way the twenty-eight sectioned Stations of the Moon star charts were useful in ancient and historical times. This manner of dividing the sky for tracking celestial objects holds celestial markers in constant position over millennia. This occurs because the Wheel’s center represents the Sun’ ecliptic north pole. Star charts that use the ecliptic pole do not need constant mathematical computation to keep up with current declinations and right ascensions. The Wheel’s twenty-eight sectioned sky chart keeps the same Dec and RA for celestial positions for thousands of years and will more quickly alert the observer to changes due to proper motion than will

  12. Effects of antidromic stimulation of the ventral root on glucose utilization in the ventral horn of the spinal cord in the rat.

    PubMed Central

    Kadekaro, M; Vance, W H; Terrell, M L; Gary, H; Eisenberg, H M; Sokoloff, L

    1987-01-01

    Electrical stimulation of the proximal stump of the transected sciatic nerve increased glucose utilization in the ventral horn of the spinal cord, with the greater increase in Rexed's lamina IX. Antidromic stimulation of the ventral root, however, did not change glucose utilization in the ventral horn. These results suggest that the axon terminals and not the cell bodies are the sites of enhanced metabolic activity during increased electrical activity in these elements. Images PMID:3474665

  13. Distillation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states by selective information manipulation.

    PubMed

    Cohen, O; Brun, T A

    2000-06-19

    Methods for distilling Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states from arbitrary entangled tripartite pure states are described. These techniques work for virtually any input state. Each technique has two stages which we call primary and secondary distillations. Primary distillation produces a GHZ state with some probability, so that when applied to an ensemble of systems a certain percentage is discarded. Secondary distillation produces further GHZs from the discarded systems. These protocols are developed with the help of an approach to quantum information theory based on absolutely selective information, which has other potential applications.

  14. An indirect dispersal pathway for spotted knapweed seeds via deer mice and great-horned owls

    Treesearch

    Dean E. Pearson; Yvette K. Ortega

    2001-01-01

    Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) seeds were found in the pellets of Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus). That apparently resulted from owls preying upon Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) which had incidentally consumed knapweed seeds while foraging for the larvae of biological control agents within...

  15. Evaluation of the VetCap® treatment method for horn fly control in cattle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A field study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the VetCap® treatment method, (SmartVet Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Australia) to control horn flies infesting cattle. The VetCap® delivery system consists of a pressure (liquid CO2) driven launcher and an encapsulated insecticide (CyLence®) formulation...

  16. Pharmacokinetics and anesthetic and cardiopulmonary effects of propofol in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Hawkins, Michelle G; Wright, Bonnie D; Pascoe, Peter J; Kass, Philip H; Maxwell, Lara K; Tell, Lisa A

    2003-06-01

    To determine induction doses, anesthetic constant rate infusions (CRI), and cardiopulmonary effects of propofol in red-tailed hawks and great horned owls and propofol pharmacokinetics in the owls during CRI. 6 red-tailed hawks and 6 great horned owls. The CRI dose necessary for a loss of withdrawal reflex was determined via specific stimuli. Anesthesia was induced by IV administration of propofol (1 mg/kg/min) and maintained by CRI at the predetermined dose for 30 minutes. Heart and respiratory rates, arterial blood pressures, and blood gas tensions were obtained in awake birds and at various times after induction. End-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) concentration and esophageal temperature were obtained after induction. Propofol plasma concentrations were obtained after induction and after completion of the CRI in the owls. Recovery times were recorded. Mean +/- SD doses for induction and CRI were 4.48 +/- 1.09 mg/kg and 0.48 +/- 0.06 mg/kg/min, respectively, for hawks and 3.36 +/- 0.71 mg/kg and 0.56 +/- 0.15 mg/kg/min, respectively, for owls. Significant increases in PaCO2, HCO3, and ETCO2 in hawks and owls and significant decreases in arterial pH in hawks were detected. A 2-compartment model best described the owl pharmacodynamic data. Recovery times after infusion were prolonged and varied widely. Central nervous system excitatory signs were observed during recovery. Effects on blood pressure were minimal, but effective ventilation was reduced, suggesting the need for careful monitoring during anesthesia. Prolonged recovery periods with moderate-to-severe excitatory CNS signs may occur in these species at these doses.

  17. Preparation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger Entangled States in the Atom-Cavity Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Nan

    2018-02-01

    We present a new simple scheme for the preparation of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger maximally entangled states of two two-level atoms. The distinct feature of the effective Hamiltonian is that there is no energy exchange between the atoms and the cavity.. Thus the scheme is insensitive to the effect of cavity field and the atom radiation.This protocol may be realizable in the realm of current physical experiment.

  18. Three techniques for the fabrication of high precision, mm-sized metal components based on two-photon lithography, applied for manufacturing horn antennas for THz transceivers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Standaert, Alexander; Brancato, Luigi; Lips, Bram; Ceyssens, Frederik; Puers, Robert; Reynaert, Patrick

    2018-03-01

    This paper proposes a novel packaging solution which integrates micro-machined 3D horn antennas with millimeter-wave and THz tranceivers. This packaging solution is shown to be a valid competitor to existing technologies like metallic split-block waveguides and low temperature cofired ceramics. Three different fabrication methods based on two-photon lithography are presented to form the horn antennas. The first uses two-photon lithography to form the bulk of the antenna. This structure is then metalised through physical vapor deposition (PVD) and copper plating. The second fabrication method makes use of a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mold to easily replicate structures and the third method forms the horn antenna through electroforming. A prototype is accurately positioned on top of a 400 GHz 28 nm CMOS transmitter and glued in place with epoxy, thus providing a fully packaged solution. Measurement results show a 12 dB increase in the antenna gain when using the packaged solution. The fabrication processes are not limited to horn antennas alone and can be used to form a wide range of mm-sized metal components.

  19. Experimental Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-Type Six-Photon Quantum Nonlocality.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Chao; Huang, Yun-Feng; Wang, Zhao; Liu, Bi-Heng; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

    2015-12-31

    Quantum nonlocality gives us deeper insight into quantum physics. In addition, quantum nonlocality has been further recognized as an essential resource for device-independent quantum information processing in recent years. Most experiments of nonlocality are performed using a photonic system. However, until now, photonic experiments of nonlocality have involved at most four photons. Here, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate the six-photon quantum nonlocality in an all-versus-nothing manner based on a high-fidelity (88.4%) six-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. Our experiment pushes multiphoton nonlocality studies forward to the six-photon region and might provide a larger photonic system for device-independent quantum information protocols.

  20. A quantitative witness for Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entanglement.

    PubMed

    Eltschka, Christopher; Siewert, Jens

    2012-01-01

    Along with the vast progress in experimental quantum technologies there is an increasing demand for the quantification of entanglement between three or more quantum systems. Theory still does not provide adequate tools for this purpose. The objective is, besides the quest for exact results, to develop operational methods that allow for efficient entanglement quantification. Here we put forward an analytical approach that serves both these goals. We provide a simple procedure to quantify Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-type multipartite entanglement in arbitrary three-qubit states. For two qubits this method is equivalent to Wootters' seminal result for the concurrence. It establishes a close link between entanglement quantification and entanglement detection by witnesses, and can be generalised both to higher dimensions and to more than three parties.

  1. Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradoxes from qudit graph states.

    PubMed

    Tang, Weidong; Yu, Sixia; Oh, C H

    2013-03-08

    One fascinating way of revealing quantum nonlocality is the all-versus-nothing test due to Greenberger, Horne, and Zeilinger (GHZ) known as the GHZ paradox. So far genuine multipartite and multilevel GHZ paradoxes are known to exist only in systems containing an odd number of particles. Here we shall construct GHZ paradoxes for an arbitrary number (greater than 3) of particles with the help of qudit graph states on a special kind of graphs, called GHZ graphs. Furthermore, based on the GHZ paradox arising from a GHZ graph, we derive a Bell inequality with two d-outcome observables for each observer, whose maximal violation attained by the corresponding graph state, and a Kochen-Specker inequality testing the quantum contextuality in a state-independent fashion.

  2. A quantitative witness for Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entanglement

    PubMed Central

    Eltschka, Christopher; Siewert, Jens

    2012-01-01

    Along with the vast progress in experimental quantum technologies there is an increasing demand for the quantification of entanglement between three or more quantum systems. Theory still does not provide adequate tools for this purpose. The objective is, besides the quest for exact results, to develop operational methods that allow for efficient entanglement quantification. Here we put forward an analytical approach that serves both these goals. We provide a simple procedure to quantify Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger–type multipartite entanglement in arbitrary three-qubit states. For two qubits this method is equivalent to Wootters' seminal result for the concurrence. It establishes a close link between entanglement quantification and entanglement detection by witnesses, and can be generalised both to higher dimensions and to more than three parties. PMID:23267431

  3. Field trials of fatty acids and geraniol applied to cattle for suppression of horn flies, Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae), with observations on fly defensive behaviors.

    PubMed

    Mullens, Bradley A; Watson, D Wes; Gerry, Alec C; Sandelin, Broc A; Soto, Diane; Rawls, Diana; Denning, Steve; Guisewite, Lena; Cammack, Jonathan

    2017-10-15

    Adult horn fly populations were tracked on cattle for 2-week periods before, during and after multiple treatments (every 3-4days) with two repellents in a mineral oil carrier. Cattle were sprayed four times in a two-week period either with 2% geraniol (125ml/cow) or a 15% mixture of short chain fatty acids (C8-C9-C10)(250ml/cow), and there were untreated control cattle. Trials were conducted in California and North Carolina for 3 summers. Short-term fly counts (same day) on treated cattle were reduced by 61-99%, depending on material and trial, and the fatty acid mixture provided better control than geraniol. Horn fly counts were suppressed for 1-3 d and rebounded somewhat after both treatments. Consecutive treatments showed evidence of persistent impact in California where herds were more isolated. Rebounds to pre-treatment levels 3-4 d after treatment occurred more often in North Carolina, where other infested cattle were closer to treated herds. By 3-4 d post-treatment, horn flies were reduced by 29-61% in California and 0-83% in North Carolina, relative to pre-treatment. Background behavior frequencies were assessed from hundreds of counts on untreated, infested California cattle, where horn flies were the only abundant biting fly. Behavior averages were 16.5 tail flicks, 7.6 skin twitches, 1.2 head throws, or 0.2 leg stamps per 2min observation period. At horn fly densities from about 200 to more than 1000 flies per animal (moderate to high numbers), fly defensive behaviors on control cattle were poorly related (or unrelated) to fly numbers. Immediately after repellent application, however, flies were almost absent and behavior frequencies dropped distinctly. Cattle fly defensive behaviors therefore seem to be quite sensitive to low (less than 100 flies/animal) horn fly densities, and behaviors would be a poor quantitative tool to track fly stress at moderate densities and above. Both geraniol and the fatty acids show promise for horn fly control, especially

  4. Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) productivity and home range characteristics in a shortgrass prairie

    Treesearch

    Rosemary A. Frank; R. Scott Lutz

    1997-01-01

    We studied movements and breeding success of resident Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge from 1994-1996. We captured adult owls prior to nest initiation and outfitted them with radio transmitters. Twelve, 5, and 11 pairs nested each year, respectively. Eleven nests successfully hatched and...

  5. Noncommuting local common causes for correlations violating the Clauser-Horne inequality

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

    Hofer-Szabo, Gabor; Vecsernyes, Peter

    2012-12-15

    In the paper, the EPR-Bohm scenario will be reproduced in an algebraic quantum field theoretical setting with locally finite degrees of freedom. It will be shown that for a set of spatially separated correlating events (projections) maximally violating the Clauser-Horne inequality there can be given a common causal explanation if commutativity is abandoned between the common cause and the correlating events. Moreover, the noncommuting common cause will be local and supported in the common past of the correlating events.

  6. Long-term ecological changes in the north Adriatic Sea: Epi-to Infauna turnover at the Brijuni islands national park

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pifeas, Iason; Gallmetzer, Ivo; Haselmair, Alexandra; Stachowitsch, Michael; Zuschin, Martin

    2015-04-01

    The northern Adriatic Sea with its densely populated coastline experienced strong anthropogenic impacts during the last centuries. The Brijuni islands at the southern tip of Istria, Croatia, are a national park since 1983 and represent a study area of special interest when comparing impacted marine areas with regions under relatively long-term protection that were able to recover from the pressure of fishing and bottom trawling. The present study is part of a project on the historical ecology of the northern Adriatic sea and focusses on long-term ecological changes and benthic community shifts as a result of anthropogenic impacts since the Holocene transgression. Several cores of 1.5 m length and a diameter of 90 mm were taken close to the main island of Brijuni and sliced into smaller subunits for sediment analyses and the investigation of death assemblages. Hard part remains of molluscs, crustaceans, bryozoans, echinoderms and sedentary polychaetes were analysed for species composition, abundance and indicators for high biomass epifauna. Death assemblages were compared with surface samples of the recent fauna taken at the same area by grab-sampling and by divers using a 100 x 100 cm frame. Data analyses revealed a steep increase of species abundance and diversity in the early stages of the Holocene transgression, at the very bottom of the core, followed by a steady decline, representing a major shift from a previously epibenthic to an infauna dominated community. Towards the top of the core, this trend weakens, and in the uppermost 6 cm it even reverses indicating a possible recovery of the benthic communities since the protection of the area. By correlating down-core changes in benthic community structure with sediment parameters (grain size distribution, TOC, heavy metal content, concentrations of organic pollutants) and data from radiometric sediment dating, we can further improve our understanding of the timing and the magnitude of past ecological changes and

  7. A Low Cross-Polarization Smooth-Walled Horn with Improved Bandwidth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zeng, Lingzhen; Bennette, Charles L.; Chuss, David T.; Wollack, Edward J.

    2009-01-01

    Corrugated feed horns offer excellent beam symmetry, main beam efficiency, and cross-polar response over wide bandwidths, but can be challenging to fabricate. An easier-to-manufacture smooth-walled feed is explored that approximates these properties over a finite bandwidth. The design, optimization and measurement of a monotonically-profiled, smooth-walled scalar feedhorn with a diffraction-limited approx. 14deg FWHM beam is presented. The feed was demonstrated to have low cross polarization (<-30 dB) across the frequency range 33-45 GHz (30% fractional bandwidth). A power reflection below -28 dB was measured across the band.

  8. Surveying woodland hawks with broadcasts of great horned owl vocalization

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mosher, James A.; Fuller, Mark R.

    1996-01-01

    Pre-recorded vocalizations of great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) broadcast into predominantly wooded habitat along roadside survey routes resulted in as many detections of resident red-shouldered hawks (Buteo lineatus) and Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) as broadcasts of each conspecific calls. Survey results for 3 species, expressed as average number of contacts/route, were directly related to the number of resident pairs located during systematic searches conducted on foot across the study area. Regression models based on road-transect counts were significant for predicting abundance of red-shouldered hawks, broad-winged hawks (Buteo platypterus), and Cooper's hawks from our study areas.

  9. Mechanical support and transport system used for the neutrino horn system at Brookhaven National Laboratory

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

    Walker, J.C.; Carroll, A.S.; Leonhardt, W.

    1987-01-01

    The study of neutrinos at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron (AGS), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), requires hardware for their initiation and control. The basics consist of a target, two horns and three collimators. This paper describes the installation, support and positioning of these components within a settling concrete blockhouse.

  10. WAIS-III IQs, Horn's Theory, and Generational Changes from Young Adulthood to Old Age.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, Alan S.

    2001-01-01

    Examined age changes in intellectual ability in the range from 16 to 89 years through 2 studies that involved IQs on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS-III). Results are interpreted in the context of the fluid-crystallized intelligence theory of J. Horn. Studies used WAIS-III standardization data for 2,450 adults and longitudinal data…

  11. SWANEA (Southwest Asia-Northeast Africa): A Climatological Study. Volume 1. The Horn of Africa

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-06-01

    Trough axes (interior Africa and Indian axes. West of the Ethiopian Highlands, the. convergent Ocean) can temporarily link tip along the Horn or Af~rica...FeqecisofVsibties in B pedo M kis, YemndHglns and p~~revailing di rectionfo Yemen u Haig (hlands. n piadwa ylni ufo rmteRba Musai), ana, ndT iz.Eatery ompnetsfor

  12. [Clinical case of the month. Penetrating trauma of the thoracic aorta caused by a deer horn].

    PubMed

    Bayaux, M

    2003-11-01

    We present a 33 year-old patient who sustained a penetrating wound of the thoracic aorta caused by a deer horn, without any other lesions. A brief survey of the literature summarizes the epidemiology, diagnosis, surgical care and prognosis of this lesion.

  13. Ulnar nerve entrapment in a French horn player.

    PubMed

    Hoppmann, R A

    1997-10-01

    Nerve entrapment syndromes are frequent among musicians. Because of the demands on the musculoskeletal system and the great agility needed to per-form, musicians often present with vague complaints early in the course of entrapment, which makes the diagnosis a challenge for the clinician. Presented here is such a case of ulnar nerve entrapment at the left elbow of a French horn player. This case points out some of the difficulties in establishing a diagnosis of nerve entrapment in musicians. It also supports the theory that prolonged elbow flexion and repetitive finger movement contribute to the development of ulnar entrapment at the elbow. Although surgery is not required for most of the musculoskeletal problems of musicians, release of an entrapped nerve refractory to conservative therapy may be career-saving for the musician.

  14. NMDA Receptor Activation Underlies the Loss of Spinal Dorsal Horn Neurons and the Transition to Persistent Pain after Peripheral Nerve Injury.

    PubMed

    Inquimbert, Perrine; Moll, Martin; Latremoliere, Alban; Tong, Chi-Kun; Whang, John; Sheehan, Gregory F; Smith, Brendan M; Korb, Erica; Athié, Maria C P; Babaniyi, Olusegun; Ghasemlou, Nader; Yanagawa, Yuchio; Allis, C David; Hof, Patrick R; Scholz, Joachim

    2018-05-29

    Peripheral nerve lesions provoke apoptosis in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The cause of cell death, the involvement of neurons, and the relevance for the processing of somatosensory information are controversial. Here, we demonstrate in a mouse model of sciatic nerve injury that glutamate-induced neurodegeneration and loss of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons in the superficial dorsal horn promote the transition from acute to chronic neuropathic pain. Conditional deletion of Grin1, the essential subunit of N-methyl-d-aspartate-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs), protects dorsal horn neurons from excitotoxicity and preserves GABAergic inhibition. Mice deficient in functional NMDARs exhibit normal nociceptive responses and acute pain after nerve injury, but this initial increase in pain sensitivity is reversible. Eliminating NMDARs fully prevents persistent pain-like behavior. Reduced pain in mice lacking proapoptotic Bax confirmed the significance of neurodegeneration. We conclude that NMDAR-mediated neuron death contributes to the development of chronic neuropathic pain. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Hypocenter relocation of microseismic events using a 3-D velocity model of the shale-gas production site in the Horn River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woo, J. U.; Kim, J. H.; Rhie, J.; Kang, T. S.

    2016-12-01

    Microseismic monitoring is a crucial process to evaluate the efficiency of hydro-fracking and to understand the development of fracture networks. Consequently, it can provide valuable information for designing the post hydro-fracking stages and estimating the stimulated rock volumes. The fundamental information is a set of source parameters of microseismic events. The most important parameter is the hypocenter of event, and thus the accurate hypocenter determination is a key for the successful microseismic monitoring. The accuracy of hypocenters for a given dataset of seismic phase arrival times is dependent on that of the velocity model used in the seismic analysis. In this study, we evaluated how a 3-D model can affect the accuracy of hypocenters. We used auto-picked P- and S-wave travel-time data of about 8,000 events at the commercial shale gas production site in the Horn River Basin, Canada. The initial hypocenters of the events were determined using a single-difference linear inversion algorithm with a 1-D velocity model obtained from the well-logging data. Then we iteratively inverted travel times of events for the 3-D velocity perturbations and relocated their hypocenters using double-difference algorithm. Significant reduction of the errors in the final hypocenter was obtained. This result indicates that the 3-D model is useful for improving the performance of microseismic monitoring.

  16. Effects of seagrass bed removal for tourism purposes in a Mauritian bay.

    PubMed

    Daby, D

    2003-01-01

    Stresses and shocks are increasing on the main natural assets in Mauritius (Western Indian Ocean) by tourism (marine-based) development activities. Seagrasses are removed by hotels in the belief that they are unsightly or harbour organisms causing injury to bathers. Environmental changes (e.g. sediment characteristics and infauna distribution, water quality, seagrass biomass) resulting from clearing of a seagrass bed to create an aesthetically pleasant swimming zone for clients of a hotel were monitored during June 2000-July 2001, and compared to conditions prevailing in an adjacent undisturbed area. Key observations in the disturbed area were: highly turbid water overlying a destabilized lagoon seabed, complete loss of sediment infauna, and dramatic dry weight biomass declines (e.g. 72 and 65% in S. isoetifolium and H. uninervis, respectively). Such disruptions draw-down resilience rendering the marine habitats less robust and more vulnerable to environmental change and extreme events, with higher risks of chaos and ecological collapse, and constitute a major threat to the industry itself.

  17. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, gene deregulation in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and frontal cortex area 8: implications in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

    PubMed Central

    Andrés-Benito, Pol; Moreno, Jesús; Aso, Ester; Povedano, Mónica; Ferrer, Isidro

    2017-01-01

    Transcriptome arrays identifies 747 genes differentially expressed in the anterior horn of the spinal cord and 2,300 genes differentially expressed in frontal cortex area 8 in a single group of typical sALS cases without frontotemporal dementia compared with age-matched controls. Main up-regulated clusters in the anterior horn are related to inflammation and apoptosis; down-regulated clusters are linked to axoneme structures and protein synthesis. In contrast, up-regulated gene clusters in frontal cortex area 8 involve neurotransmission, synaptic proteins and vesicle trafficking, whereas main down-regulated genes cluster into oligodendrocyte function and myelin-related proteins. RT-qPCR validates the expression of 58 of 66 assessed genes from different clusters. The present results: a. reveal regional differences in de-regulated gene expression between the anterior horn of the spinal cord and frontal cortex area 8 in the same individuals suffering from sALS; b. validate and extend our knowledge about the complexity of the inflammatory response in the anterior horn of the spinal cord; and c. identify for the first time extensive gene up-regulation of neurotransmission and synaptic-related genes, together with significant down-regulation of oligodendrocyte- and myelin-related genes, as important contributors to the pathogenesis of frontal cortex alterations in the sALS/frontotemporal lobar degeneration spectrum complex at stages with no apparent cognitive impairment. PMID:28283675

  18. High levels of insecticide resistance in introduced horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae) populations and implications for management

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) was introduced to Chile early in the 1990s. Since their introduction, farmers have controlled this pest almost exclusively with insecticides. In order to understand the consequences of different control strategies on the development of insec...

  19. Tumor-evoked hyperalgesia and sensitization of nociceptive dorsal horn neurons in a murine model of cancer pain

    PubMed Central

    Khasabov, Sergey G.; Hamamoto, Darryl T.; Harding-Rose, Catherine; Simone, Donald A.

    2009-01-01

    Pain associated with cancer, particularly when tumors metastasize to bone, is often severe and debilitating. Better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cancer pain will likely lead to the development of more effective treatments. The aim of this study was to characterize changes in response properties of nociceptive dorsal horn neurons following implantation of fibrosarcoma cells into and around the calcaneus bone, an established model of cancer pain. Extracellular electrophysiological recordings were made from wide dynamic range (WDR) and high threshold (HT) dorsal horn neurons in mice with tumor-evoked hyperalgesia and control mice. WDR and HT neurons were examined for ongoing activity and responses to mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli applied to the plantar surface of the hind paw. Behavioral experiments showed that mice exhibited hyperalgesia to mechanical and heat stimuli applied to their tumor-bearing hind paw. WDR, but not HT, nociceptive dorsal horn neurons in tumor-bearing mice exhibited sensitization to mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli and may contribute to tumor-evoked hyperalgesia. Specifically, the proportion of WDR neurons that exhibited ongoing activity and their evoked discharge rates were greater in tumor-bearing than in control mice. In addition, WDR neurons exhibited lower response thresholds for mechanical and heat stimuli, and increased responses to suprathreshold mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli. Our findings show that sensitization of WDR neurons contribute to cancer pain and support the notion that the mechanisms underlying cancer pain differ from those that contribute to inflammatory and neuropathic pain. PMID:17935703

  20. The Different Dynamic Changes of Nerve Growth Factor in the Dorsal Horn and Dorsal Root Ganglion Leads to Hyperalgesia and Allodynia in Diabetic Neuropathic Pain.

    PubMed

    Gao, Zhifeng; Feng, Yi; Ju, Hui

    2017-05-01

    Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the most common complication of diabetes and more than half of the patients with DPN have self-reported symptoms referring to painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a key factor for the nervous system, but the role of it in the neuropathic pain of diabetic patients is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the dynamic expression of NGF in dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of diabetic rats and hyperalgesia and allodynia in diabetic neuropathic pain. It also aimed to explore the effects of exogenous mouse NGF (mNGF) on NGF expression in dorsal horn, DRG, and mechanical pain threshold. Animal research study. Experimental research laboratory. The model of diabetes was established by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (STZ 55 mg/kg). Firstly, the rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 10) and diabetes group (n = 40). The diabetes group contained 4 subgroups: diabetes week 1 group (DM1, n = 10), diabetes week 2 group (DM2, n = 10), diabetes week 4 group (DM4, n = 10), and diabetes week 8 group (DM8, n = 10). Then, the other rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 10) and treatment group (n = 30). The treatment group contained 3 subgroups: saline group (n = 10), low dose mNGF group (mNGF1, n = 10), and high dose mNGF group (mNGF2, n = 10). Mechanical pain threshold was assessed using Von Frey hairs, before the establishment of the diabetes model and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the establishment. The NGF expression in dorsal horn and DRG was measured by western blot. The mechanical pain threshold decreased one week after the establishment of the diabetes model, which continued for 8 weeks. The NGF expression in the dorsal horn was reduced 2 weeks after diabetes induction and the decreased NGF expression continued for 4 weeks. However, the NGF expression in DRG was reduced one week after diabetes induction and

  1. A novel approach for assigning levels to monkey and human lumbosacral spinal cord based on ventral horn morphology

    PubMed Central

    Gross, Cassandra; Ellison, Brian; Buchman, Aron S.; Terasawa, Ei

    2017-01-01

    Proper identification of spinal cord levels is crucial for clinical-pathological and imaging studies in humans, but can be a challenge given technical limitations. We have previously demonstrated in non-primate models that the contours of the spinal ventral horn are determined by the position of motoneuron pools. These positions are preserved within and among individuals and can be used to identify lumbosacral spinal levels. Here we tested the hypothesis that this approach can be extended to identify monkey and human spinal levels. In 7 rhesus monkeys, we retrogradely labeled motoneuron pools that represent rostral, middle and caudal landmarks of the lumbosacral enlargement. We then aligned the lumbosacral enlargements among animals using absolute length, segmental level or a relative scale based upon rostral and caudal landmarks. Inter-animal matching of labeled motoneurons across the lumbosacral enlargement was most precise when using internal landmarks. We then reconstructed 3 human lumbosacral spinal cords, and aligned these based upon homologous internal landmarks. Changes in shape of the ventral horn were consistent among human subjects using this relative scale, despite marked differences in absolute length or age. These data suggest that the relative position of spinal motoneuron pools is conserved across species, including primates. Therefore, in clinical-pathological or imaging studies in humans, one can assign spinal cord levels to even single sections by matching ventral horn shape to standardized series. PMID:28542213

  2. A simple circular-polarized antenna: Circular waveguide horn coated with lossy magnetic material

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, C. S.; Lee, S. W.; Justice, D. W.

    1986-01-01

    A circular waveguide horn coated with a lossy material in its interior wall can be used as an alternative to a corrugated waveguide for radiating a circularly polarized (CP) field. To achieve good CP radiation, the diameter of the structure must be larger than the free-space wavelength, and the coating material must be sufficiently lossy and magnetic. This device is cheaper and lighter in weight than the corrugated one.

  3. Fine structural dependence of ultraviolet reflections in the King Penguin beak horn.

    PubMed

    Dresp, Birgitta; Langley, Keith

    2006-03-01

    The visual perception of many birds extends into the near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and ultraviolet is used by some to communicate. The beak horn of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) intensely reflects in the ultraviolet and this appears to be implicated in partner choice. In a preliminary study, we recently demonstrated that this ultraviolet reflectance has a structural basis, resulting from crystal-like photonic structures, capable of reflecting in the near-UV. The present study attempted to define the origin of the photonic elements that produce the UV reflectance and to better understand how the UV signal is optimized by their fine structure. Using light and electron microscopic analysis combined with new spectrophotometric data, we describe here in detail the fine structure of the entire King Penguin beak horn in addition to that of its photonic crystals. The data obtained reveal a one-dimensional structural periodicity within this tissue and demonstrate a direct relationship between its fine structure and its function. In addition, they suggest how the photonic structures are produced and how they are stabilized. The measured lattice dimensions of the photonic crystals, together with morphological data on its composition, permit predictions of the wavelength of reflected light. These correlate well with experimentally observed values. The way the UV signal is optimized by the fine structure of the beak tissue is discussed with regard to its putative biological role.

  4. Maximal violation of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality for four-level systems

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

    Fu Libin; Max-Planck-Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Noethnitzer Strasse 38, 01187 Dresden; Chen Jingling

    2004-03-01

    Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality for bipartite systems of four dimensions is studied in detail by employing the unbiased eight-port beam splitters measurements. The uniform formulas for the maximum and minimum values of this inequality for such measurements are obtained. Based on these formulas, we show that an optimal nonmaximally entangled state is about 6% more resistant to noise than the maximally entangled one. We also give the optimal state and the optimal angles which are important for experimental realization.

  5. Arthroscopic repair of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with opening wedge high tibial osteotomy: surgical technique.

    PubMed

    Jung, Kwang Am; Kim, Sung Jae; Lee, Su Chan; Jeong, Jae Hoon; Song, Moon Bok; Lee, Choon Key

    2009-07-01

    Simultaneous repair of a radial tear at the tibial attachment site of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus under special circumstances requiring tibial valgus osteotomy is technically difficult. First, most patients who need an osteotomy have a narrowed medial tibiofemoral joint space. In such a situation, the pull-out suture technique is more difficult to perform than in a normal joint space. Second, pulling out suture strands that penetrate the posterior horn of the medial meniscus to the anterior tibial cortex increases the risk of transection during osteotomy. We performed a meniscus repair combined with an opening wedge tibial valgus osteotomy without complications and present our technique as a new method for use in selective cases necessitating both meniscus repair of a complete radial tear and opening wedge tibial osteotomy.

  6. Fine structure of the pecten oculi in the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Braekevelt, C R

    1993-01-01

    The pecten oculi of the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) has been examined by light and electron microscopy. The pecten in this species is of the pleated type and is small in comparison to the size of the eyeball. It consists of 7-8 accordion folds which are joined apically by a pigmented bridge of tissue. Within each fold are numerous capillaries, larger supply and drainage vessels and plentiful pleomorphic melanocytes. The capillaries are extremely specialized vessels, most of which display plentiful microfolds on both their luminal and abluminal surfaces although some capillaries show but a few microfolds. The endothelial cell bodies are extremely thin with most organelles located near the nucleus. All capillaries are surrounded by a thick fibrillar basal lamina which is felt to be structurally important. Pericytes are a common feature within these thickened basal laminae. The numerous melanocytes form an incomplete sheath around the capillaries and are also presumed to be fulfilling a structural role. While the morphology of the pecten in the great horned owl is certainly indicative of a heavy involvement in transport, when compared to the pecten in species that are more visually oriented it is smaller, displays fewer folds and a reduced number of microfolds within the capillaries.

  7. Enhanced inhibitory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn mediates antinociceptive effects of TC-2559

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background TC-2559 is a selective α4β2 subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist and α4β2 nAChR activation has been related to antinociception. The aim of this study is to investigate the analgesic effect of TC-2559 and its underlying spinal mechanisms. Results 1) In vivo bioavailability study: TC-2559 (3 mg/kg) had high absorption rate in rats with maximal total brain concentration reached over 4.6 μM within first 15 min after administration and eliminated rapidly with brain half life of about 20 min after injection. 2) In vivo behavioral experiments: TC-2559 exerts dose dependent antinociceptive effects in both formalin test in mice and chronic constriction injury (CCI) model in rats by activation of α4β2 nAChRs; 3) Whole-cell patch-clamp studies in the superficial dorsal horn neurons of the spinal cord slices: perfusion of TC-2559 (2 μM) significantly increased the frequency, but not amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs). The enhancement of sIPSCs was blocked by pre-application of DHβE (2 μM), a selective α4β2 nicotinic receptor antagonist. Neither the frequency nor the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) of spinal dorsal horn neurons were affected by TC-2559. Conclusions Enhancement of inhibitory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn via activation of α4β2 nAChRs may be one of the mechanisms of the antinociceptive effects of TC-2559 on pathological pain models. It provides further evidence to support the notion that selective α4β2 subtype nAChR agonist may be developed as new analgesic drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain. PMID:21816108

  8. A Key to Phoretic Mites Commonly Found on Long-Horned Beetles Emerging from Southern Pines

    Treesearch

    D.N. Kinn; M.J. Linit

    1989-01-01

    Long-horned beetles that attack conifers are usually considered secondary pests because they generally develop in dead and dying trees and are not the cause of tree mortality (Drooz 1985). Recently that status has changed with the realization that a number of species, especially those belonging to the genus Monochamus, are vectors of the pinewood...

  9. Extracellular glucose can fuel metabolism in red blood cells from high glycemic Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) but not low glycemic short-horned sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius).

    PubMed

    Driedzic, William R; Clow, Kathy A; Short, Connie E

    2014-11-01

    Energy metabolism was assessed in red blood cells (RBCs) from Atlantic cod and short-horned sculpin, two species that have markedly different levels of blood glucose. The objective was to determine whether the level of extracellular glucose has an impact on rates of glucose metabolism. The blood glucose level was 2.5 mmol l(-1) in Atlantic cod and 0.2 mmol l(-1) in short-horned sculpin, respectively. Oxygen consumption, lactate production and glucose utilization were measured in whole blood and related to grams of RBCs. Glucose utilization was assessed by measuring both glucose disappearance and the production of (3)H2O from [2-(3)H]-glucose. RBCs from both species have an aerobic-based metabolism. In Atlantic cod, extracellular glucose is sufficient to provide the sum of glucosyl equivalents to support both oxidative metabolism and lactate production. In contrast, extracellular glucose can account for only 10% of the metabolic rate in short-horned sculpin RBCs. In both species, about 70% of glucose enters the RBCs via facilitated transport. The difference in rates of extracellular glucose utilization is related to the extremely low levels of blood glucose in short-horned sculpin. In this species energy metabolism by RBCs must be supported by alternative fuels. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  10. Measuring the Strength of the Horned Passalus Beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus: Revisiting an Old Topic with Modern Technology

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Andrew K.; Attarha, Barrett; Piefke, Taylor J.

    2013-01-01

    Over a century ago, a pioneering researcher cleverly devised a means to measure how much weight the horned passalus beetle, Odontotaenius disjunctus (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Passalidae), could pull using a series of springs, pulleys, and careful observation. The technology available in modern times now allows for more rigorous data collection on this topic, which could have a number of uses in scientific investigations. In this study, an apparatus was constructed using a dynamometer and a data logger in an effort to ascertain the pulling strength of this species. By allowing beetles to pull for 10 min, each beetle's mean and maximum pulling force (in Newtons) were obtained for analyses, and whether these measures are related was determined. Then, whether factors such as body length, thorax size, horn size, or gender affect either measure of strength was investigated. Basic body measurements, including horn size, of males versus females were compared. The measurements of 38 beetles (20 females, 18 males) showed there was no difference in overall body length between sexes, but females had greater girth (thorax width) than males, which could translate into larger muscle mass. A total of 21 beetles (10 females, 11 males) were tested for pulling strength. The grand mean pulling force was 0.14 N, and the grand mean maximum was 0.78 N. Despite the fact that beetles tended to pull at 20% of their maximum capacity most of the time, and that maximum force was over 5 times larger than the mean force, the 2 measures were highly correlated, suggesting they may be interchangeable for research purposes. Females had twice the pulling strength (both maximum and mean force) as males in this species overall, but when the larger thorax size of females was considered, the effect of gender was not significant. Beetle length was not a significant predictor of pulling force, but horn size was associated with maximum force. The best predictor of both measures of strength appeared to be

  11. 50 CFR 21.44 - Depredation order for horned larks, house finches, and white-crowned sparrows in California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... finches, and white-crowned sparrows in California. 21.44 Section 21.44 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED... larks, house finches, and white-crowned sparrows in California. Horned larks (Eremophila alpestris), house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus), and white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) may be taken...

  12. [A cutaneous horn of the free margin of the eyelid: an anatomical and clinical observation].

    PubMed

    D'Hermies, F; Gerolami-Favreul, I; Meyer, A; Morel, X; Halhal, M; Sam, H; Elmaleh, C; Renard, G; Behar-Cohen, F

    2003-05-01

    A cutaneous horn was observed close to the free margin of the inferior right eyelid in a 26-year-old-male patient. A minimal resection was primarily performed. Histopathologic study disclosed a precancerous keratosis. As the tumor had not been entirely excised, a complementary resection was performed secondarily to obtain the entire resection of the tumor.

  13. Activation of superficial dorsal horn neurons in the mouse by a PAR-2 agonist and 5-HT: potential role in itch.

    PubMed

    Akiyama, Tasuku; Merrill, Austin W; Carstens, Mirela Iodi; Carstens, E

    2009-05-20

    Itch, an unpleasant sensation associated with the desire to scratch, is symptomatic of dermatologic and systemic disorders that often resist antihistamine treatment. Histamine-independent itch mediators include serotonin (5-HT) and agonists of the protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2). We used behavior, Fos immunohistochemistry, and electrophysiology to investigate if these mediators activate spinal dorsal horn neurons in a manner consistent with itch. Intradermal (i.d.) injection of the PAR-2 agonist SLIGRL-NH(2) in the rostral back evoked bouts of directed hindlimb scratches over 20-30 min. Hindpaw injection of SLIGRL-NH(2) produced Fos staining in superficial dorsal horn which was then targeted for single-unit recording. Small id microinjections of SLIGRL-NH(2) or 5-HT identified responsive single units in the superficial dorsal horn of mice anesthetized with pentobarbital. Thirty-eight units characterized as wide dynamic range, nociceptive specific, or mechanically insensitive exhibited significantly increased firing after i.d. SLIGRL-NH(2) for 9 min, to partial (25%) tachyphylaxis with repeated injection. A majority additionally responded to 5-HT (70%), mustard oil (79%), and capsaicin (71%). Seven units isolated with the 5-HT search stimulus exhibited significant and prolonged responses to 5-HT with tachyphylaxis to repeated injections. The majority also responded to SLIGRL-NH(2), mustard oil, and capsaicin. The prolonged responses of superficial dorsal horn neurons to SLIGRL-NH(2) and 5-HT suggest a role in signaling itch. However, their responsiveness to algogens is inconsistent with itch specificity. Alternatively, such neurons may signal itch, whereas noxious stimulus levels recruit these and a larger population of pruritogen-insensitive cells to signal pain which masks or occludes the itch signal.

  14. Piracy off the Horn of Africa: What is the Most Effective Method of Repression

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-04

    off the Horn of Africa is growing in frequency, range, aggression, and severity at an alarming rate.” 15 According to the International Chamber of Commerce ‟s...of Africa: Partnership & Action Plan (December 1, 2008), 6. 2 International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau, Piracy and Armed...Robbery Against Ships. (London, United Kingdom: International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau, October 2008), 25. 3 Piracy and

  15. Optical performance of prototype horn-coupled TES bolometer arrays for SAFARI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Audley, Michael D.; de Lange, Gert; Gao, Jian-Rong; Khosropanah, Pourya; Hijmering, Richard; Ridder, Marcel L.

    2016-07-01

    The SAFARI Detector Test Facility is an ultra-low background optical testbed for characterizing ultra-sensitive prototype horn-coupled TES bolmeters for SAFARI, the grating spectrometer on board the proposed SPICA satellite. The testbed contains internal cold and hot black-body illuminators and a light-pipe for illumination with an external source. We have added reimaging optics to facilitate array optical measurements. The system is now being used for optical testing of prototype detector arrays read out with frequency-domain multiplexing. We present our latest optical measurements of prototype arrays and discuss these in terms of the instrument performance.

  16. A Review of Ethiopia’s Security Challenges in The Horn of Africa

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    Dec 14, 2006 ), in Haile Araya , Terrorist Activities Challenging the Horn of Africa, The 2nd Annual Combating and Preventing Terrorism in Africa, Pretoria (South Africa, 2007), 15-17. ...border town of Dollo Ado during the same period. The Somalia-based terrorist threat to Ethiopia reached a peak in 2006 when another group, the...Federal Government (TFG) in 2004. Ethiopia’s military intervention in 2006 also provided the conditions for the TFG to relocate from Nairobi, Kenya to

  17. Columbid herpesvirus-1 mortality in great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) from Calgary, Alberta

    PubMed Central

    Rose, Nicole; Warren, Amy L.; Whiteside, Douglas; Bidulka, Julie; Robinson, John H.; Illanes, Oscar; Brookfield, Caroline

    2012-01-01

    Four cases of Columbid herpesvirus-1 infection in great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) were identified in Calgary, Alberta. Necropsy findings included severe multifocal hepatic and splenic necrosis, pharyngeal ulceration and necrosis, and gastrointestinal necrosis. Occasional eosinophilic intranuclear viral inclusion bodies were associated with the foci of necrosis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing confirmed a diagnosis of herpesvirus-induced disease. The sequence of a PCR amplicon had 99.7% homology to Columbid herpesvirus-1. PMID:22942441

  18. A curious pellet from a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Woodman, N.; Dove, C.J.; Peurach, S.C.

    2005-01-01

    One of the traditional methods of determining the dietary preferences of owls relies upon the identification of bony remains of prey contained in regurgitated pellets. Discovery of a pellet containing a large, complete primary feather from an adult, male Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) prompted us to examine in detail a small sample of pellets from a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). Our analyses of feather and hair remains in these pellets documented the presence of three species of birds and two species of mammals, whereas bones in the pellets represented only mammals. This finding indicates an important bias that challenges the reliability of owl pellet studies making use of only osteological remains.

  19. Fast generating Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state via iterative interaction pictures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Bi-Hua; Chen, Ye-Hong; Wu, Qi-Cheng; Song, Jie; Xia, Yan

    2016-10-01

    We delve a little deeper into the construction of shortcuts to adiabatic passage for three-level systems by iterative interaction picture (multiple Schrödinger dynamics). As an application example, we use the deduced iterative based shortcuts to rapidly generate the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state in a three-atom system with the help of quantum Zeno dynamics. Numerical simulation shows the dynamics designed by the iterative picture method is physically feasible and the shortcut scheme performs much better than that using the conventional adiabatic passage techniques. Also, the influences of various decoherence processes are discussed by numerical simulation and the results prove that the scheme is fast and robust against decoherence and operational imperfection.

  20. Restoration of the Golden Horn Estuary (Halic).

    PubMed

    Coleman, Heather M; Kanat, Gurdal; Aydinol Turkdogan, F Ilter

    2009-12-01

    Restoration of the iconic Golden Horn Estuary in Istanbul, Turkey was a substantial political, logistical, ecological, and social challenge. Forty years of uncontrolled industrial and urban growth resulted in thick layers of anoxic sediment, toxic bacteria, strong hydrogen sulfide odor, and ecologically unlivable conditions. The major components of restoration, spanning two decades, have included (1) demolition and relocation of industries and homes along the shore, (2) creation of wastewater infrastructure, (3) removal of anoxic sludge from the estuary, (4) removal of a floating bridge that impeded circulation, and (5) creation of cultural and social facilities. Although Turkey is not known as an environmental leader in pollution control, the sum of these efforts was largely successful in revitalizing the area through dramatic water quality improvement. Consequently, the estuary is once again inhabitable for aquatic life as well as amenable to local resource users and foreign visitors, and Istanbul has regained a lost sense of cultural identity. This paper focuses on literature review and personal interviews to discuss the causes of degradation, solutions employed to rehabilitate the estuary, and subsequent physicochemical, ecological, and social changes.

  1. [Effect of electroacupuncture on phosphorylation of NR2B at Tyr 1742 site in the spinal dorsal horn of CFA rats].

    PubMed

    Liang, Yi; Fang, Jian-Qiao; Fang, Jun-Fan; Du, Jun-Ying; Qiu, Yu-Jie; Liu, Jin

    2013-10-01

    To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on phosphorylation of spinal NR2B at Tyr 1742 site in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced inflammatory pain rats. METHods Forty male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group (N group, n = 10), the model group (CFA group, n = 15), and the EA group (n = 15). The inflammatory pain model was established by subcutaneous injecting CFA (0.1 mL per rat) into the right hind paw. Paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were measured before CFA injection (as the base), as well as at 24 h, 25 h, 3rd day, and 7th day after CFA injection. Phosphorylation of NR2B at Tyr 1742 site in the ispilateral spinal dorsal horn at the 3rd day post-injection were detected using immunohistochemical assay. PWTs in the CFA group were significantly lower than those of the N group at every detective time point post-injection (P < 0.01). PWTs were obviously lower in the EA group than in the N group at 24 h post-injection (P < 0.01). It showed increasing tendency, markedly higher than those of the CFA group at 25 h and 3rd day post-injection (P < 0.01). Compared with the N group, the ratio of p-NR2B positive cells in the ispilateral spinal dorsal horn of rats in the CFA group was up-regulated. Compared with the CFA group, the ratio of p-NR2B positive cells in the ispilateral spinal dorsal horn of rats showed a decreasing tendency in the EA group. EA might effectively inhibit CFA-induced inflammatory pain possibly associated with down-regulating phosphorylation of NR2B at Tyr 1742 site in the ispilateral spinal dorsal horn.

  2. The Court versus Consent Decrees? Schools, "Horne v. Flores" and Judicial Strategies of Institutional Reform Litigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chilton, Bradley; Chwialkowski, Paul

    2014-01-01

    Is the U.S. Supreme Court inviting litigants to take aim at unraveling injunctions in institutional reform litigation--especially consent decrees in the schools? In "Horne v. Flores" (2009), the court remanded a 17-year-old school reform case to a federal judge with orders to look beyond consent decrees on financing, reducing class…

  3. Design and Measurements of Dual-Polarized Wideband Constant-Beamwidth Quadruple-Ridged Flared Horn

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Akgiray, Ahmed; Weinreb, Sander; Imbriale, William

    2011-01-01

    A quad-ridged, flared horn achieving nearly constant beamwidth and excellent return loss over a 6:1 frequency bandwidth is presented. Radiation pattern measurements show excellent beamwidth stability from 2 to 12 GHz. Measured return loss is > 10 dB over the entire band and > 15 dB from 2.5 to 11 GHz. Using a custom physical optics code, system performance of a radio telescope is computed and predicted performance is average 70% aperture efficiency and 10 Kelvin of antenna noise temperature.

  4. Acetaminophen Metabolite N-Acylphenolamine Induces Analgesia via Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Receptors Expressed on the Primary Afferent Terminals of C-fibers in the Spinal Dorsal Horn.

    PubMed

    Ohashi, Nobuko; Uta, Daisuke; Sasaki, Mika; Ohashi, Masayuki; Kamiya, Yoshinori; Kohno, Tatsuro

    2017-08-01

    The widely used analgesic acetaminophen is metabolized to N-acylphenolamine, which induces analgesia by acting directly on transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 or cannabinoid 1 receptors in the brain. Although these receptors are also abundant in the spinal cord, no previous studies have reported analgesic effects of acetaminophen or N-acylphenolamine mediated by the spinal cord dorsal horn. We hypothesized that clinical doses of acetaminophen induce analgesia via these spinal mechanisms. We assessed our hypothesis in a rat model using behavioral measures. We also used in vivo and in vitro whole cell patch-clamp recordings of dorsal horn neurons to assess excitatory synaptic transmission. Intravenous acetaminophen decreased peripheral pinch-induced excitatory responses in the dorsal horn (53.1 ± 20.7% of control; n = 10; P < 0.01), while direct application of acetaminophen to the dorsal horn did not reduce these responses. Direct application of N-acylphenolamine decreased the amplitudes of monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents evoked by C-fiber stimulation (control, 462.5 ± 197.5 pA; N-acylphenolamine, 272.5 ± 134.5 pA; n = 10; P = 0.022) but not those evoked by stimulation of Aδ-fibers. These phenomena were mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptors, but not cannabinoid 1 receptors. The analgesic effects of acetaminophen and N-acylphenolamine were stronger in rats experiencing an inflammatory pain model compared to naïve rats. Our results suggest that the acetaminophen metabolite N-acylphenolamine induces analgesia directly via transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptors expressed on central terminals of C-fibers in the spinal dorsal horn and leads to conduction block, shunt currents, and desensitization of these fibers.

  5. [Rupture during pregnancy of the rudimentary horn of a pseudo-unicorn uterus. Apropos of a case].

    PubMed

    Aubard, Y; Moinet, A; Eyraud, J P; Amat, P; Renaudie, J; Baudet, J H

    1986-09-20

    The rupture of the rudimentary horn of a pseudo-unicorn uterus is a rare accident. The case reported here is very similar to most of those published. It is usually during the fifth month of a pregnancy, normal until then, that a state of shock appear suddenly, requiring a surgical procedure and disclosing this exceptional diagnosis.

  6. Full characterization of a three-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state using quantum state tomography.

    PubMed

    Resch, K J; Walther, P; Zeilinger, A

    2005-02-25

    We have performed the first experimental tomographic reconstruction of a three-photon polarization state. Quantum state tomography is a powerful tool for fully describing the density matrix of a quantum system. We measured 64 three-photon polarization correlations and used a "maximum-likelihood" reconstruction method to reconstruct the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state. The entanglement class has been characterized using an entanglement witness operator and the maximum predicted values for the Mermin inequality were extracted.

  7. Excitation of mouse superficial dorsal horn neurons by histamine and/or PAR-2 agonist: potential role in itch.

    PubMed

    Akiyama, Tasuku; Carstens, Mirela Iodi; Carstens, E

    2009-10-01

    Recent studies have suggested the existence of separate transduction mechanisms and sensory pathways for histamine and nonhistaminergic types of itch. We studied whether histamine and an agonist of the protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2, associated with nonhistaminergic itch, excite murine dorsal horn neurons. Single units were recorded in superficial lumbar dorsal horn of adult ICR mice anesthetized with pentobarbital. Unit activity was searched using a small intradermal hindpaw injection of histamine or the PAR-2 agonist SLIGRL-NH2. Isolated units were subsequently challenged with intradermal histamine followed by SLIGRL-NH2 (each 50 microg/1 microl) or reverse order, followed by mechanical, thermal, and algogenic stimuli. Forty-three units were classified as wide dynamic range (62%), nociceptive specific (22%), or mechano insensitive (16%). Twenty units gave prolonged (mean, 10 min) discharges to intradermal injection of histamine; 76% responded to subsequent SLIGRL-NH2, often more briefly. Units additionally responded to noxious heat (63%), cooling (43%), topical mustard oil (53%), and intradermal capsaicin (67%). Twenty-two other units gave prolonged (mean, 5 min) responses to initial intradermal injection of SLIGRL-NH2; 85% responded to subsequent intradermal histamine. They also responded to noxious heat (75%), mustard oil (93%), capsaicin (63%), and one to cooling. Most superficial dorsal horn neurons were excited by both histamine and the PAR-2 agonist, suggesting overlapping pathways for histamine- and non-histamine-mediated itch. Because the large majority of pruritogen-responsive neurons also responded to noxious stimuli, itch may be signaled at least partly by a population code.

  8. Generation and control of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger entanglement in superconducting circuits.

    PubMed

    Wei, L F; Liu, Yu-xi; Nori, Franco

    2006-06-23

    Going beyond the entanglement of microscopic objects (such as photons, spins, and ions), here we propose an efficient approach to produce and control the quantum entanglement of three macroscopic coupled superconducting qubits. By conditionally rotating, one by one, selected Josephson-charge qubits, we show that their Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled states can be deterministically generated. The existence of GHZ correlations between these qubits could be experimentally demonstrated by effective single-qubit operations followed by high-fidelity single-shot readouts. The possibility of using the prepared GHZ correlations to test the macroscopic conflict between the noncommutativity of quantum mechanics and the commutativity of classical physics is also discussed.

  9. Cattell-Horn-Carroll Cognitive-Achievement Relations: What We Have Learned from the Past 20 Years of Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGrew, Kevin S.; Wendling, Barbara J.

    2010-01-01

    Contemporary Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities has evolved over the past 20 years and serves as the theoretical foundation for a number of current cognitive ability assessments. CHC theory provides a means by which we can better understand the relationships between cognitive abilities and academic achievement, an important…

  10. Western energy related overhead monitoring project. Phase 2: Summary. [Campbell County, Wyoming and coal strip mines in Montana and New Mexico

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, J. E. (Principal Investigator)

    1979-01-01

    Assistance by NASA to EPA in the establishment and maintenance of a fully operational energy-related monitoring system included: (1) regional analysis applications based on LANDSAT and auxiliary data; (2) development of techniques for using aircraft MSS data to rapidly monitor site specific surface coal mine activities; and (3) registration of aircraft MSS data to a map base. The coal strip mines used in the site specific task were in Campbell County, Wyoming; Big Horn County, Montana; and the Navajo mine in San Juan County, New Mexico. The procedures and software used to accomplish these tasks are described.

  11. An Anonymous Surveying Protocol via Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naseri, Mosayeb; Gong, Li-Hua; Houshmand, Monireh; Matin, Laleh Farhang

    2016-10-01

    A new experimentally feasible anonymous survey protocol with authentication using Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) entangled states is proposed. In this protocol, a chief executive officer (CEO) of a firm or company is trying to find out the effect of a possible action. In order to prepare a fair voting, the CEO would like to make an anonymous survey and is also interested in the total action for the whole company and he doesn't want to have a partial estimate for each department. In our proposal, there are two voters, Alice and Bob, voting on a question with a response of either "yes" or "no" and a tallyman, whose responsibility is to determine whether they have cast the same vote or not. In the proposed protocol the total response of the voters is calculated without revealing the actual votes of the voters.

  12. Entanglement of three-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-symmetric states.

    PubMed

    Eltschka, Christopher; Siewert, Jens

    2012-01-13

    The first characterization of mixed-state entanglement was achieved for two-qubit states in Werner's seminal work [Phys. Rev. A 40, 4277 (1989)]. A physically important extension concerns mixtures of a pure entangled state [such as the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state] and the unpolarized state. These mixed states serve as benchmark for the robustness of multipartite entanglement. They share the symmetries of the GHZ state. We call such states GHZ symmetric. Here we give a complete description of the entanglement in the family of three-qubit GHZ-symmetric states and, in particular, of the three-qubit generalized Werner states. Our method relies on the appropriate parametrization of the states and on the invariance of entanglement properties under general local operations. An application is the definition of a symmetrization witness for the entanglement class of arbitrary three-qubit states.

  13. The Relationships between Internet Usage and Acculturation of the Horn of Africa Immigrants in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woldeab, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate Internet usage and its relationship with the acculturation of the Horn of Africa immigrants residing in urban Minnesota. Technology has and continues to be a cultural amplifier; in just two decades from its initial availability to the general public, the Internet has made geographical differences…

  14. Ground-based atmospheric water vapor monitoring system with spectroscopy of radiation in 20-30 GHz and 50-60 GHz bands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nagasaki, Takeo; Tajima, Osamu; Araki, Kentaro; Ishimoto, Hiroshi

    2016-07-01

    We propose a novel ground-based meteorological monitoring system. In the 20{30 GHz band, our system simultaneously measures a broad absorption peak of water vapor and cloud liquid water. Additional observation in the 50{60 GHz band obtains the radiation of oxygen. Spectral results contain vertical profiles of the physical temperature of atmospheric molecules. We designed a simple method for placing the system atop high buildings and mountains and on decks of ships. There is a simple optical system in front of horn antennas for each frequency band. A focused signal from a reflector is separated into two polarized optical paths by a wire grid. Each signal received by the horn antenna is amplified by low-noise amplifiers. Spectra of each signal are measured as a function of frequency using two analyzers. A blackbody calibration source is maintained at 50 K in a cryostat. The calibration signal is led to each receiver via the wire grid. The input path of the signal is selected by rotation of the wire grid by 90°, because the polarization axis of the reflected path and axis of the transparent path are orthogonal. We developed a prototype receiver and demonstrated its performance using monitoring at the zenith.

  15. Black-flies and Leucocytozoon spp. as causes of mortality in juvenile Great Horned Owls in the Yukon, Canada

    Treesearch

    D. Bruce Hunter; Christoph Rohner; Doug C. Currie

    1997-01-01

    Black fly feeding and infection with the blood parasite Leucocytozoon spp. caused mortality in juvenile Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in the Yukon, Canada during 1989-1990. The mortality occurred during a year of food shortage corresponding with the crash in snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) populations. We...

  16. Quantum Fisher information of the Greenberg-Horne-Zeilinger state in decoherence channels

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

    Ma Jian; Huang Yixiao; Wang Xiaoguang

    2011-08-15

    Quantum Fisher information of a parameter characterizes the sensitivity of the state with respect to changes of the parameter. In this article, we study the quantum Fisher information of a state with respect to SU(2) rotations under three decoherence channels: the amplitude-damping, phase-damping, and depolarizing channels. The initial state is chosen to be a Greenberg-Horne-Zeilinger state of which the phase sensitivity can achieve the Heisenberg limit. By using the Kraus operator representation, the quantum Fisher information is obtained analytically. We observe the decay and sudden change of the quantum Fisher information in all three channels.

  17. Avulsion of the brachial plexus in a great horned owl (Bubo virginaus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moore, M.P.; Stauber, E.; Thomas, N.J.

    1989-01-01

    Avulsion of the brachial plexus was documented in a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus). A fractured scapula was also present. Cause of these injuries was not known but was thought to be due to trauma. Differentiation of musculoskeletal injury from peripheral nerve damage can be difficult in raptors. Use of electromyography and motor nerve conduction velocity was helpful in demonstrating peripheral nerve involvement. A brachial plexus avulsion was suspected on the basis of clinical signs, presence of electromyographic abnormalities in all muscles supplied by the nerves of the brachial plexus and absence of median-ulnar motor nerve conduction velocities.

  18. The first case of Horn Kolb Syndrome in Turkey, diagnosed prenatally at the 23(rd) week of a pregnancy: A very rare and unusual case far from the original geography.

    PubMed

    Temur, Ismail; Ulker, Kahraman; Volkan, Islim; Karaca, Mehmet; Ersoz, Mustafa; Gul, Abdulaziz; Adiguzel, Esat

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this report was to evaluate and announce the first documented appearance of Horn Kolb syndrome in Turkey. Acheiropodia (Horn Kolb Syndrome) is the bilateral congenital amputation of the distal parts of the 4 extremities. It is an autosomal recessive developmental disorder. The characteristic features are amputation of the upper and lower extremities with aplasia of the hands and feet. The disorder affects only the extremities without other systemic manifestations. In this report, we present the first known case of Horn Kolb syndrome in Turkey, along with the diagnostic features. Severe dysmorphic skeletal anomalies should be excluded as soon as the earlier gestational weeks in every pregnancy by visualizing all 4 limbs of the fetus in routine prenatal ultrasound screening.

  19. Effects of general anesthetics on substance P release and c-Fos expression in the spinal dorsal horn

    PubMed Central

    Takasusuki, Toshifumi; Yamaguchi, Shigeki; Hamaguchi, Shinsuke; Yaksh, Tony L.

    2013-01-01

    Background We examined in vivo the effects of general anesthetics on evoked substance P release (primary afferent excitability) and c-Fos expression (neuronal activation) in superficial dorsal horn. Methods Rats received saline, propofol (100mg/kg), pentobarbital (50mg/kg), isoflurane (2 minimum alveolar concentration), nitrous oxide (66%) or fentanyl (30μg/kg). During anesthesia, rats received intraplantar 5% formalin (50μl) to left hindpaw. Ten min later, rats underwent transcardial perfusion with 4% paraformaldehyde. Substance P release from small primary afferents was assessed by incidence of Neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1r) internalization in the superficial dorsal horn. In separate studies, rats were sacrificed after 2 hrs and c-Fos expression measured. Results Intraplantar formalin induced robust NK1r internalization in ipsilateral dorsal horn (ipsilateral: 54±6% [mean±SEM], contralateral: 12±2%, P<0.05, n=4). Fentanyl, but not propofol, pentobarbital, isoflurane nor nitrous oxide alone inhibited NK1r internalization. However, 2 minimum alveolar concentration isoflurane + nitrous oxide reduced NK1r internalization (27±3%, P<0.05, n=5). All agents reduced c-Fos expression (control: 34±4, fentanyl: 8±2, isoflurane: 12±3, nitrous oxide: 11±2, isoflurane + nitrous oxide: 12±1, pentobarbital: 11±2, propofol: 13±3, P<0.05, n=3). Conclusion General anesthetics at anesthetic concentrations block spinal neuron activation through a mechanism which is independent of an effect upon small primary afferent peptide release. The effect of fentanyl alone and the synergistic effect of isoflurane and nitrous oxide on substance P release suggests a correlative rationale for the therapeutic use of these anesthetic protocol by blocking nociceptive afferent transmitter release and preventing the initiation of cascade which are immediately postsynaptic to the primary afferent. PMID:23708866

  20. Cortical presynaptic control of dorsal horn C-afferents in the rat.

    PubMed

    Moreno-López, Yunuen; Pérez-Sánchez, Jimena; Martínez-Lorenzana, Guadalupe; Condés-Lara, Miguel; Rojas-Piloni, Gerardo

    2013-01-01

    Lamina 5 sensorimotor cortex pyramidal neurons project to the spinal cord, participating in the modulation of several modalities of information transmission. A well-studied mechanism by which the corticospinal projection modulates sensory information is primary afferent depolarization, which has been characterized in fast muscular and cutaneous, but not in slow-conducting nociceptive skin afferents. Here we investigated whether the inhibition of nociceptive sensory information, produced by activation of the sensorimotor cortex, involves a direct presynaptic modulation of C primary afferents. In anaesthetized male Wistar rats, we analyzed the effects of sensorimotor cortex activation on post tetanic potentiation (PTP) and the paired pulse ratio (PPR) of dorsal horn field potentials evoked by C-fiber stimulation in the sural (SU) and sciatic (SC) nerves. We also explored the time course of the excitability changes in nociceptive afferents produced by cortical stimulation. We observed that the development of PTP was completely blocked when C-fiber tetanic stimulation was paired with cortex stimulation. In addition, sensorimotor cortex activation by topical administration of bicuculline (BIC) produced a reduction in the amplitude of C-fiber responses, as well as an increase in the PPR. Furthermore, increases in the intraspinal excitability of slow-conducting fiber terminals, produced by sensorimotor cortex stimulation, were indicative of primary afferent depolarization. Topical administration of BIC in the spinal cord blocked the inhibition of C-fiber neuronal responses produced by cortical stimulation. Dorsal horn neurons responding to sensorimotor cortex stimulation also exhibited a peripheral receptive field and responded to stimulation of fast cutaneous myelinated fibers. Our results suggest that corticospinal inhibition of nociceptive responses is due in part to a modulation of the excitability of primary C-fibers by means of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons.

  1. Cortical Presynaptic Control of Dorsal Horn C–Afferents in the Rat

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-Lorenzana, Guadalupe; Condés-Lara, Miguel; Rojas-Piloni, Gerardo

    2013-01-01

    Lamina 5 sensorimotor cortex pyramidal neurons project to the spinal cord, participating in the modulation of several modalities of information transmission. A well-studied mechanism by which the corticospinal projection modulates sensory information is primary afferent depolarization, which has been characterized in fast muscular and cutaneous, but not in slow-conducting nociceptive skin afferents. Here we investigated whether the inhibition of nociceptive sensory information, produced by activation of the sensorimotor cortex, involves a direct presynaptic modulation of C primary afferents. In anaesthetized male Wistar rats, we analyzed the effects of sensorimotor cortex activation on post tetanic potentiation (PTP) and the paired pulse ratio (PPR) of dorsal horn field potentials evoked by C–fiber stimulation in the sural (SU) and sciatic (SC) nerves. We also explored the time course of the excitability changes in nociceptive afferents produced by cortical stimulation. We observed that the development of PTP was completely blocked when C-fiber tetanic stimulation was paired with cortex stimulation. In addition, sensorimotor cortex activation by topical administration of bicuculline (BIC) produced a reduction in the amplitude of C–fiber responses, as well as an increase in the PPR. Furthermore, increases in the intraspinal excitability of slow-conducting fiber terminals, produced by sensorimotor cortex stimulation, were indicative of primary afferent depolarization. Topical administration of BIC in the spinal cord blocked the inhibition of C–fiber neuronal responses produced by cortical stimulation. Dorsal horn neurons responding to sensorimotor cortex stimulation also exhibited a peripheral receptive field and responded to stimulation of fast cutaneous myelinated fibers. Our results suggest that corticospinal inhibition of nociceptive responses is due in part to a modulation of the excitability of primary C–fibers by means of GABAergic inhibitory

  2. Relations between Measures of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities and Mathematics Achievement across the School-Age Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floyd, Randy G.; Evans, Jeffrey J.; McGrew, Kevin S.

    2003-01-01

    Cognitive clusters from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Cognitive Abilities that measure select Cattell-Horn-Carroll broad and narrow cognitive abilities were shown to be significantly related to mathematics achievement in a large, nationally representative sample of children and adolescents. Multiple regression analyses were used to…

  3. Thirty years of collaboration with Gabriel Horn.

    PubMed

    Bateson, Patrick

    2015-03-01

    All the collaborative work described in this review was on the process of behavioural imprinting occurring early in the life of domestic chicks. Finding a link between learning and a change in the brain was only a first step in establishing a representation of the imprinting object. A series of overlapping experiments were necessary to eliminate alternative explanations. Once completed, a structure, the intermediate and medial mesopallium (IMM), was found to be strongly linked to the formation of a neural representation of the object used for imprinting the birds. With the site identified, lesion experiments showed that it was necessary for imprinting but not associative learning. Also the two sides of the brain responded differently with the left IMM acting as a permanent store and the right side acting as a way station to other parts of the brain. The collaborative work led to many studies by Gabriel Horn with others on the molecular and cellular bases of imprinting, and also to neural net modelling and behavioural studies with me on the nature of category formation in intact animals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Male ruff colour as a rank signal in a monomorphic-horned mammal: behavioural correlates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lovari, S.; Fattorini, N.; Boesi, R.; Bocci, A.

    2015-08-01

    Coexistence of individuals within a social group is possible through the establishment of a hierarchy. Social dominance is achieved through aggressive interactions, and, in wild sheep and goats, it is related mainly to age, body size and weapon size as rank signals. Adult male Himalayan tahr are much larger than females and subadult males. They have a prominent neck ruff, ranging in colour from yellow (5.5-9.5 years old, i.e. young adults, golden males) to brown (7.5-14.5 years old, i.e. older individuals, pale and dark brown males), with golden males being the most dominant. We investigated the social behaviour of male tahr and analysed the relationships between ruff colour, courtship and agonistic behaviour patterns during the rut. Colour classes varied in their use of several behaviour patterns (male dominance: approach, stare, horning vegetation; courtship: low stretch, naso- genital contact, rush). Golden-ruffed males used more threats than darker ones. Pale brown and dark brown males addressed threats significantly more often to males of lower or their own colour classes, respectively, whereas golden ones addressed threats to all colour classes, including their own. The courtship of dominant males was characterised by the assertive rush, whereas that of subordinates did not. Ruff colour of male Himalayan tahr may have evolved as a rank signal, homologous to horn size in wild sheep and goats.

  5. Home range and habitat use by Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in Southern California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bennett, J.R.; Bloom, P.H.

    2005-01-01

    Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) are a common, widespread species that can be found in a variety of habitats across most of North America, but little is known about their space and habitat requirements. Using radiotelemetry, location data were collected on nine male and five female Great Horned Owls to determine home range and habitat use in southern California. Owls were tracked between January 1997 and September 1998 for periods ranging from 5-17 mo. Seven owls were also followed during 13 all-night observation periods. The mean 95% adaptive kernel home-range size for females was 180 ha (range = 88-282, SE = 36) and that for males was 425 ha (range = 147-1115 ha, SE = 105). Core areas estimated by the 50% adaptive kernel averaged 27 ha (range = 7-44, SE = 7) for females and 61 ha (range = 15-187, SE = 18) for males. Owls were located in areas with varying degrees of human disturbance ranging from almost entirely urban to native oak (Quercus agrifolia) woodland. Oak/sycamore (Quercus agrifolia/Platanus racemosa) woodland and ruderal grassland (Bromus spp., Avena spp., and various other non-native invasives), were used more often than expected based on availability, but we found no correlation between home-range size and any single habitat type or habitat groups. ?? 2005 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

  6. Experimental test of the irreducible four-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Zu-En; Tang, Wei-Dong; Wu, Dian; Cai, Xin-Dong; Yang, Tao; Li, Li; Liu, Nai-Le; Lu, Chao-Yang; Żukowski, Marek; Pan, Jian-Wei

    2017-03-01

    The paradox of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) disproves directly the concept of EPR elements of reality, based on the EPR correlations, in an all-versus-nothing way. A three-qubit experimental demonstration of the GHZ paradox was achieved nearly 20 years ago, followed by demonstrations for more qubits. Still, the GHZ contradictions underlying the tests can be reduced to a three-qubit one. We show an irreducible four-qubit GHZ paradox, and report its experimental demonstration. The bound of a three-setting-per-party Bell-GHZ inequality is violated by 7 σ . The fidelity of the GHZ state was around 81 % , and an entanglement witness reveals a violation of the separability threshold by 19 σ .

  7. Horn fly larval survival in cattle dung is reduced by endophyte infection of tall fescue pasture.

    PubMed

    Parra, Leonardo; Mutis, Ana; Chacón, Manuel; Lizama, Marcelo; Rojas, Claudio; Catrileo, Adrián; Rubilar, Olga; Tortella, Gonzalo; Birkett, Michael A; Quiroz, Andrés

    2016-07-01

    The potential for using endophytic microorganisms in pest control has increased during the last 40 years. In this study, we investigated the impact of endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) infection of cattle pasture upon the survival of the horn fly, Haematobia irritans, a major agricultural pest affecting livestock in many parts of the world. In laboratory assays, where cattle dung collected from endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue cultivar K-31 was used as the oviposition substrate, larval development was significantly reduced compared with development on cattle dung from steers that grazed uninfected (E-) tall fescue. Furthermore, studies with cattle dung supplemented with the alkaloid fraction extracted from the endophytic fungi revealed significant larval mortality, and HPLC analysis identified two alkaloids, peramine and lolitrem B. The development of larvae was shown to be significantly reduced in field-collected cattle dung. These results suggest that part of the toxicity of alkaloids contained in endophytes is transferred to faecal matter, causing an increase in mortality of H. irritans. These data suggest that endophyte infection of cattle pasture, i.e. modified pasture management, can significantly affect horn fly development. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. PHARMACOKINETIC PROPERTIES OF A SINGLE ADMINISTRATION OF ORAL GABAPENTIN IN THE GREAT HORNED OWL (BUBO VIRGINIANUS).

    PubMed

    Yaw, Taylor J; Zaffarano, Bianca A; Gall, Andrew; Olds, June E; Wulf, Larry; Papastavros, Efthimia; Coetzee, Johann F

    2015-09-01

    Gabapentin (1-[aminomethyl] cyclohexane acetic acid) is a γ-aminobutyric acid analogue that has been shown to be efficacious for neuropathic pain control in humans. Plasma gabapentin concentrations >2 μg/ml are considered effective in treating epilepsy in humans and are suggested to provide analgesia for neuropathic pain. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of a single oral dose of gabapentin suspension (11 mg/kg) in great horned owls ( Bubo virginianus ). Plasma gabapentin concentrations were determined in six healthy birds for 48 hr using high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Plasma gabapentin concentrations were estimated by noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. The harmonic mean (±SD) maximum concentration (Cmax), time to maximum concentration (Tmax), and elimination half-life (tv2λZ) for gabapentin (11 mg/kg) were 6.17±0.83 μg/ml, 51.43±5.66 min, and 264.60±69.35 min, respectively. In this study, plasma gabapentin concentrations were maintained above 2 μg/ml for 528 min (8.8 hr), suggesting that gabapentin administered orally every 8 hr may be appropriate in great horned owls.

  9. Elemental Analysis of Bone, Teeth, Horn and Antler in Different Animal Species Using Non-Invasive Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence.

    PubMed

    Buddhachat, Kittisak; Klinhom, Sarisa; Siengdee, Puntita; Brown, Janine L; Nomsiri, Raksiri; Kaewmong, Patcharaporn; Thitaram, Chatchote; Mahakkanukrauh, Pasuk; Nganvongpanit, Korakot

    2016-01-01

    Mineralized tissues accumulate elements that play crucial roles in animal health. Although elemental content of bone, blood and teeth of human and some animal species have been characterized, data for many others are lacking, as well as species comparisons. Here we describe the distribution of elements in horn (Bovidae), antler (Cervidae), teeth and bone (humerus) across a number of species determined by handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to better understand differences and potential biological relevance. A difference in elemental profiles between horns and antlers was observed, possibly due to the outer layer of horns being comprised of keratin, whereas antlers are true bone. Species differences in tissue elemental content may be intrinsic, but also related to feeding habits that contribute to mineral accumulation, particularly for toxic heavy metals. One significant finding was a higher level of iron (Fe) in the humerus bone of elephants compared to other species. This may be an adaptation of the hematopoietic system by distributing Fe throughout the bone rather than the marrow, as elephant humerus lacks a marrow cavity. We also conducted discriminant analysis and found XRF was capable of distinguishing samples from different species, with humerus bone being the best source for species discrimination. For example, we found a 79.2% correct prediction and success rate of 80% for classification between human and non-human humerus bone. These findings show that handheld XRF can serve as an effective tool for the biological study of elemental composition in mineralized tissue samples and may have a forensic application.

  10. Elemental Analysis of Bone, Teeth, Horn and Antler in Different Animal Species Using Non-Invasive Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence

    PubMed Central

    Buddhachat, Kittisak; Klinhom, Sarisa; Siengdee, Puntita; Brown, Janine L.; Nomsiri, Raksiri; Kaewmong, Patcharaporn; Thitaram, Chatchote; Mahakkanukrauh, Pasuk; Nganvongpanit, Korakot

    2016-01-01

    Mineralized tissues accumulate elements that play crucial roles in animal health. Although elemental content of bone, blood and teeth of human and some animal species have been characterized, data for many others are lacking, as well as species comparisons. Here we describe the distribution of elements in horn (Bovidae), antler (Cervidae), teeth and bone (humerus) across a number of species determined by handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to better understand differences and potential biological relevance. A difference in elemental profiles between horns and antlers was observed, possibly due to the outer layer of horns being comprised of keratin, whereas antlers are true bone. Species differences in tissue elemental content may be intrinsic, but also related to feeding habits that contribute to mineral accumulation, particularly for toxic heavy metals. One significant finding was a higher level of iron (Fe) in the humerus bone of elephants compared to other species. This may be an adaptation of the hematopoietic system by distributing Fe throughout the bone rather than the marrow, as elephant humerus lacks a marrow cavity. We also conducted discriminant analysis and found XRF was capable of distinguishing samples from different species, with humerus bone being the best source for species discrimination. For example, we found a 79.2% correct prediction and success rate of 80% for classification between human and non-human humerus bone. These findings show that handheld XRF can serve as an effective tool for the biological study of elemental composition in mineralized tissue samples and may have a forensic application. PMID:27196603

  11. Intraguild predation by shore crabs affects mortality, behavior, growth, and densities of California horn snails

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lorda, J.; Hechinger, R.F.; Cooper, S. D.; Kuris, A. M.; Lafferty, Kevin D.

    2016-01-01

    The California horn snail, Cerithideopsis californica, and the shore crabs, Pachygrapsus crassipesand Hemigrapsus oregonensis, compete for epibenthic microalgae, but the crabs also eat snails. Such intraguild predation is common in nature, despite models predicting instability. Using a series of manipulations and field surveys, we examined intraguild predation from several angles, including the effects of stage-dependent predation along with direct consumptive and nonconsumptive predator effects on intraguild prey. In the laboratory, we found that crabs fed on macroalgae, snail eggs, and snails, and the size of consumed snails increased with predator crab size. In field experiments, snails grew less in the presence of crabs partially because snails behaved differently and were buried in the sediment (nonconsumptive effects). Consistent with these results, crab and snail abundances were negatively correlated in three field surveys conducted at three different spatial scales in estuaries of California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur: (1) among 61 sites spanning multiple habitat types in three estuaries, (2) among the habitats of 13 estuaries, and (3) among 34 tidal creek sites in one estuary. These results indicate that shore crabs are intraguild predators on California horn snails that affect snail populations via predation and by influencing snail behavior and performance.

  12. 9 CFR 310.9 - Anthrax; carcasses not to be eviscerated; disposition of affected carcasses; hides, hoofs, horns...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Anthrax; carcasses not to be eviscerated; disposition of affected carcasses; hides, hoofs, horns, hair, viscera and contents, and fat; handling of blood and scalding vat water; general cleanup and disinfection. 310.9 Section 310.9 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION...

  13. Pulmonary carcinoma in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Rettenmund, Christy; Sladky, Kurt K; Rodriguez, Daniel; Petersen, Michael; Pinkerton, Marie E; Rao, Deepa

    2010-03-01

    Pulmonary carcinoma was diagnosed in an 18+-year-old captive female great horned owl (Bubo virginianus). The owl presented with a history of progressive weakness and sudden onset of frank blood in the droppings. On physical examination, the owl had multiple white to yellow plaques in the oral cavity, decreased air sac sounds on the right side, dyspnea (during manual restraint), and reduced pectoral musculature. Whole-body radiographs revealed obliteration of the right-sided air sacs, a soft tissue plaque/density in the left caudal thoracic air sac, soft tissue opacity over the coelomic organs, and increased medullary opacity in the distal right humerus. The owl died during anesthetic recovery, and the body was submitted for necropsy. Although the clinical signs, physical examination results, radiographic signs, and gross pathology supported a diagnosis of mycotic infection, such as aspergillosis, histopathology confirmed pulmonary carcinoma with metastases to the air sacs and humerus.

  14. Clinical, radiological, and morphological evaluations of posterior horn tears of the lateral meniscus left in situ during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Lee, Dhong Won; Jang, Hyoung Won; Lee, Sung Rak; Park, Jung Ho; Ha, Jeong Ku; Kim, Jin Goo

    2014-02-01

    Recent studies have shown that lateral menisci have a higher healing potential and that they can be treated successfully without symptoms by being left in situ during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, few studies have reported morphological results. Stable posterior horn tears of the lateral meniscus left in situ during ACL reconstruction could be healed spontaneously and would result in not only successful clinical outcomes but also morphological restoration. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Among 367 patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction between 2008 and 2010, 53 patients who had lateral meniscus tears that were left in situ were analyzed. These patients were evaluated subjectively and radiologically and compared with a matched control group that underwent ACL reconstruction without any other structural disorders. Of the 53 patients with stable posterior horn tears of the lateral meniscus left in situ, 28 patients were assessed by second-look arthroscopic surgery and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The mean follow-up of the study group and the control group was 36.47 and 37.26 months, respectively. There were no statistical differences in postoperative clinical outcomes between the 2 groups. Clinical results of both groups including the Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score significantly improved. In the subgroup composed of 28 patients, follow-up MRI showed 25 (89%) and 24 (86%) healed menisci in sagittal and coronal views, respectively. Twenty-one (75%) were considered to be completely healed, and 5 (18%) were incompletely healed on second-look arthroscopic surgery. Stable posterior horn tears of the lateral meniscus left in situ at the time of ACL reconstruction revealed successful clinical outcomes compared with isolated ACL injuries and showed considerable healing and functional restoration of tears with repeat MRI and second-look arthroscopic surgery

  15. Generation of concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger-type entangled coherent state based on linear optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Rui; Zhou, Lan; Gu, Shi-Pu; Wang, Xing-Fu; Sheng, Yu-Bo

    2017-03-01

    The concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (C-GHZ) state is a new type of multipartite entangled state, which has potential application in future quantum information. In this paper, we propose a protocol of constructing arbitrary C-GHZ entangled state approximatively. Different from previous protocols, each logic qubit is encoded in the coherent state. This protocol is based on the linear optics, which is feasible in experimental technology. This protocol may be useful in quantum information based on the C-GHZ state.

  16. Electronic Entanglement Concentration for the Concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger State

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Shang-Ping; Zhou, Lan; Gu, Shi-Pu; Wang, Xing-Fu; Sheng, Yu-Bo

    2017-06-01

    Concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (C-GHZ) state, which encodes many physical qubits in a logic qubit will have important applications in both quantum communication and computation. In this paper, we will describe an entanglement concentration protocol (ECP) for electronic C-GHZ state, by exploiting the electronic polarization beam splitters (PBSs) and charge detection. This protocol has several advantages. First, the parties do not need to know the exact coefficients of the initial less-entangled C-GHZ state, which makes this protocol feasible. Second, with the help of charge detection, the distilled maximally entangled C-GHZ state can be remained for future application. Third, this protocol can be repeated to obtain a higher success probability. We hope that this protocol can be useful in future quantum computation based on electrons.

  17. Presumptive electric cataracts in a Great Horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Dees, D Dustin; MacLaren, Nicole E

    2013-01-01

    This case report describes suspected electrocution in a juvenile female Great Horned owl (Bubo virginianus) with subsequent bilateral cataract formation. The bird flew into a high-voltage power line and was immediately rescued. Burn wounds of the head and ataxia with apparent blindness were noted. Initial ophthalmic examination 5 days after the incident revealed bilaterally symmetrical anterior subcapsular vacuolar cataracts with absence of intraocular inflammation and a predominantly clear view to the normal appearing fundus. The bird appeared to be nonvisual. No ophthalmic medications were prescribed at initial examination. Subsequent recheck examination at 8 weeks revealed moderate resolution of the cataracts and improved vision. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first published report of suspected electric cataracts in an avian species. © 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

  18. Redefining ecological ethics: science, policy, and philosophy at Cape Horn.

    PubMed

    Frodeman, Robert

    2008-12-01

    In the twentieth century, philosophy (especially within the United States) embraced the notion of disciplinary expertise: philosophical research consists of working with and writing for other philosophers. Projects that involve non-philosophers earn the deprecating title of "applied" philosophy. The University of North Texas (UNT) doctoral program in philosophy exemplifies the possibility of a new model for philosophy, where graduate students are trained in academic philosophy and in how to work with scientists, engineers, and policy makers. This "field" (rather than "applied") approach emphasizes the inter- and transdisciplinary nature of the philosophical enterprise where theory and practice dialectically inform one another. UNT's field station in philosophy at Cape Horn, Patagonia, Chile is one site for developing this ongoing experiment in the theory and practice of interdisciplinary philosophic research and education.

  19. The Role of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities in Predicting Writing Achievement during the School-Age Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cormier, Damien C.; Bulut, Okan; McGrew, Kevin S.; Frison, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    Writing is a complex academic task--it involves numerous mental processes. Given the necessity for developing writing skills from elementary to secondary school, this study aimed to investigate the role of broad cognitive abilities derived from the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence in predicting skills associated with writing…

  20. Fisheries Resource Utilization of an Estuarine Borrow Pit in Mobile Bay, Alabama

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    sampling indicated that both holes supported impoverished benthic assemblages comprised largely of opportunistic, disturbance- adapted infauna. Species...impoverished benthic assemblages comprised largely of opportunistic, disturbance- adapted infauna. The structure of the benthic communities differed...Total % AN Total % BN Gastropod - - - - - - 1 0.3 1 0.07 Total Animals 600 - 20 - 467 - 380 - 1467 - Average. # Animals 120 - 4 - 156 - 126

  1. Focal Dystonia in Hemiplegic Upper Limb: Favorable Effect of Cervical Microsurgical DREZotomy Involving the Ventral Horn - A Report of 3 Patients.

    PubMed

    Sindou, Marc; Georgoulis, George

    2016-01-01

    Focal dystonia in hemiplegic upper limbs is poorly responsive to medications or classical neurosurgical treatments. Only repeated botulinum toxin injections show efficacy, but in most severe cases effects are transient. Cervical DREZ lesioning, which has proven efficacious in hyperspasticity when done deeply (3-5 mm) in the dorsal horn, may have favorable effects on the dystonic component when performed down to, and including, the base of the ventral horn (5-6 mm in depth). Three patients underwent deep cervical microsurgical DREZotomy (MDT) for focal dystonia in the upper limb. Hypertonia was reduced, and sustained dystonic postures were suppressed. Residual motor function (hidden behind hypertonia) came to the surface. Cervical MDT may be a useful armamentarium for treating refractory focal dystonia in the upper limb. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Site-specific characterization of beetle horn shell with micromechanical bending test in focused ion beam system.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyun-Taek; Kim, Ho-Jin; Kim, Chung-Soo; Gomi, Kenji; Taya, Minoru; Nomura, Shûhei; Ahn, Sung-Hoon

    2017-07-15

    Biological materials are the result of years of evolution and possess a number of efficient features and structures. Researchers have investigated the possibility of designing biomedical structures that take advantage of these structural features. Insect shells, such as beetle shells, are among the most promising types of biological material for biomimetic development. However, due to their intricate geometries and small sizes, it is challenging to measure the mechanical properties of these microscale structures. In this study, we developed an in-situ testing platform for site-specific experiments in a focused ion beam (FIB) system. Multi-axis nano-manipulators and a micro-force sensor were utilized in the testing platform to allow better results in the sample preparation and data acquisition. The entire test protocol, consisting of locating sample, ion beam milling and micro-mechanical bending tests, can be carried out without sample transfer or reattachment. We used our newly devised test platform to evaluate the micromechanical properties and structural features of each separated layer of the beetle horn shell. The Young's modulus of both the exocuticle and endocuticle layers was measured. We carried out a bending test to characterize the layers mechanically. The exocuticle layer bent in a brick-like manner, while the endocuticle layer exhibited a crack blunting effect. This paper proposed an in-situ manipulation/test method in focused ion beam for characterizing micromechanical properties of beetle horn shell. The challenge in precise and accurate fabrication for the samples with complex geometry was overcome by using nano-manipulators having multi-degree of freedom and a micro-gripper. With the aid of this specially designed test platform, bending tests were carried out on cantilever-shaped samples prepared by focused ion beam milling. Structural differences between exocuticle and endocuticle layers of beetle horn shell were explored and the results provided

  3. Shading decreases the abundance of the herbivorous California horn snail, Cerithidea californica

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lorda, Julio; Lafferty, Kevin D.

    2012-01-01

    Most of the intertidal zone in estuaries of California, USA and Baja California, Mexico is covered with vascular vegetation. Shading by these vascular plants influences abiotic and biotic processes that shape benthic community assemblages. We present data on the effects of shading on the California horn snail, Cerithidea californica. This species is important because it is the most common benthic macrofaunal species in these systems and acts as an obligate intermediate host of several species of rematode parasites that infect several other species. Using observational and experimental studies, we found a negative effect of shade on the distribution and abundance of the California horn snail. We hypothesized that shading reduces the abundance of the epipelic diatoms that the snails feeds on, causing snails to leave haded areas. We observed a negative relationship between vascular plant cover, sub-canopy light levels, and snail density in Mugu Lagoon. Then we experimentally manipulated light regimes, by clipping vegetation and adding shade structures, and found higher snail densities at higher light levels. In Goleta Slough, we isolated the effect of shade from vegetation by documenting a negative relationship between the shade created by two bridges and diatom and snail densities. We also found that snails moved the greatest distances over shaded channel banks compared to unshaded channel banks. Further, we documented the effect of water depth and channel bank orientation on shading in this system. An additional effect of shading is the reduction of temperature, providing an alternative explanation for some of our results. These results broaden our knowledge of how variation in the light environment influences the ecology of estuarine ecosystems.

  4. Microstructure and Cross-Sectional Shape of Limb Bones in Great Horned Owls and Red-Tailed Hawks: How Do These Features Relate to Differences in Flight and Hunting Behavior?

    PubMed Central

    Marelli, Crystal A.; Simons, Erin L. R.

    2014-01-01

    The Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl are two species of raptor that are similar in body size, diet, and habitat. Both species use their hindlimbs during hunting, but differ in foot morphology, how they approach and immobilize prey, and the average size of prey captured. They also differ in primary flight style: the Red-tailed Hawk uses static soaring and the Great Horned Owl uses flap-gliding. The objectives of this study were to characterize the microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones of these species and examine the relationship with flight and hunting behaviors. The mid-shaft of six limb bones from six individuals of each species was sampled. The degree of bone laminarity (proportion of circular primary vascular canals) and cross-sectional geometric parameters were calculated. In both species, the humerus and femur exhibited features that suggest high resistance to torsional loading, whereas the tibiotarsus and phalanges had a shape more likely to resist compression and bending in a specific plane. The femur of the Red-tailed Hawk exhibited higher laminarity and larger polar moment of area than that of the Great Horned Owl. The tibiotarsus was more elliptical than that of the Great Horned Owl. The hawk approaches prey from a more horizontal axis, takes prey of greater mass, and is more likely to pursue prey on the ground, which could potentially be causing more torsional loads on the femur and bending loads on the tibiotarsus. In addition, differences in polar moment of area of the phalanges between the species could relate to differences in foot morphology or digit length. The humerus and ulna of the flap-gliding Great Horned Owl are more elliptical than the static soaring Red-tailed Hawk, a shape that may better resist the bending loads associated with a larger amount of flapping. PMID:25162595

  5. Microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones in Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks: how do these features relate to differences in flight and hunting behavior?

    PubMed

    Marelli, Crystal A; Simons, Erin L R

    2014-01-01

    The Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl are two species of raptor that are similar in body size, diet, and habitat. Both species use their hindlimbs during hunting, but differ in foot morphology, how they approach and immobilize prey, and the average size of prey captured. They also differ in primary flight style: the Red-tailed Hawk uses static soaring and the Great Horned Owl uses flap-gliding. The objectives of this study were to characterize the microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones of these species and examine the relationship with flight and hunting behaviors. The mid-shaft of six limb bones from six individuals of each species was sampled. The degree of bone laminarity (proportion of circular primary vascular canals) and cross-sectional geometric parameters were calculated. In both species, the humerus and femur exhibited features that suggest high resistance to torsional loading, whereas the tibiotarsus and phalanges had a shape more likely to resist compression and bending in a specific plane. The femur of the Red-tailed Hawk exhibited higher laminarity and larger polar moment of area than that of the Great Horned Owl. The tibiotarsus was more elliptical than that of the Great Horned Owl. The hawk approaches prey from a more horizontal axis, takes prey of greater mass, and is more likely to pursue prey on the ground, which could potentially be causing more torsional loads on the femur and bending loads on the tibiotarsus. In addition, differences in polar moment of area of the phalanges between the species could relate to differences in foot morphology or digit length. The humerus and ulna of the flap-gliding Great Horned Owl are more elliptical than the static soaring Red-tailed Hawk, a shape that may better resist the bending loads associated with a larger amount of flapping.

  6. Effects of the botanical compound p-anisaldehyde on horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae) repellency, mortality, and reproduction

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), is an economically important obligate blood-feeding ectoparasite that mainly attacks cattle worldwide. As resistance to conventional insecticides increases, alternative control tactics are being investigated. p-Anisaldehyde occurs in many plants and i...

  7. Monitoring Idaho fescue grasslands in the Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming, with a modified robel pole

    Treesearch

    Daniel W. Uresk; Thomas M. Juntti

    2008-01-01

    The reliability of monitoring visual obstruction and estimating standing herbage with a modified Robel pole was examined for high-elevation meadows in sedimentary soils on the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming. Our objectives were to (1) test a modified pole graduated with 1.27-cm (0.5-inch) bands for estimating standing herbage based on linear regression of visual...

  8. Field Application of the Micro Biological Survey Method for the Assessment of the Microbiological Safety of Different Water Sources in Horn of Africa and the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Moringa Oleifera in Drinking Water Purification

    PubMed Central

    Losito, Francesca; Arienzo, Alyexandra; Somma, Daniela; Murgia, Lorenza; Stalio, Ottavia; Zuppi, Paolo; Rossi, Elisabetta; Antonini, Giovanni

    2017-01-01

    Water monitoring requires expensive instrumentations and skilled technicians. In developing Countries as Africa, the severe economic restrictions and lack of technology make water safety monitoring approaches applied in developed Countries, still not sustainable. The need to develop new methods that are suitable, affordable, and sustainable in the African context is urgent. The simple, economic and rapid Micro Biological Survey (MBS) method does not require an equipped laboratory nor special instruments and skilled technicians, but it can be very useful for routine water analysis. The aim of this work was the application of the MBS method to evaluate the microbiological safety of different water sources and the effectiveness of different drinking water treatments in the Horn of Africa. The obtained results have proved that this method could be very helpful to monitor water safety before and after various purification treatments, with the aim to control waterborne diseases especially in developing Countries, whose population is the most exposed to these diseases. In addition, it has been proved that Moringa oleifera water treatment is ineffective in decreasing bacterial load of Eritrea water samples. PMID:28748063

  9. Field Application of the Micro Biological Survey Method for the Assessment of the Microbiological Safety of Different Water Sources in Horn of Africa and the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Moringa Oleifera in Drinking Water Purification.

    PubMed

    Losito, Francesca; Arienzo, Alyexandra; Somma, Daniela; Murgia, Lorenza; Stalio, Ottavia; Zuppi, Paolo; Rossi, Elisabetta; Antonini, Giovanni

    2017-06-23

    Water monitoring requires expensive instrumentations and skilled technicians. In developing Countries as Africa, the severe economic restrictions and lack of technology make water safety monitoring approaches applied in developed Countries, still not sustainable. The need to develop new methods that are suitable, affordable, and sustainable in the African context is urgent. The simple, economic and rapid Micro Biological Survey (MBS) method does not require an equipped laboratory nor special instruments and skilled technicians, but it can be very useful for routine water analysis. The aim of this work was the application of the MBS method to evaluate the microbiological safety of different water sources and the effectiveness of different drinking water treatments in the Horn of Africa. The obtained results have proved that this method could be very helpful to monitor water safety before and after various purification treatments, with the aim to control waterborne diseases especially in developing Countries, whose population is the most exposed to these diseases. In addition, it has been proved that Moringa oleifera water treatment is ineffective in decreasing bacterial load of Eritrea water samples.

  10. The Relative Contributions of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll Cognitive Abilities in Explaining Writing Achievement during Childhood and Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floyd, Randy G.; McGrew, Kevin S.; Evans, Jeffrey J.

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the relative contributions of measures of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities in explaining writing achievement. Drawing from samples that covered the age range of 7 to 18 years, simultaneous multiple regression was used to regress scores from the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) that…

  11. Development of SCAR Markers for the DNA-Based Detection of the Asian Long-Horned Beetle; Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky)

    Treesearch

    Damodar R. Kethidi; David B. Roden; Tim R. Ladd; Peter J. Krell; Arthur Ratnakaran; Qili Feng

    2003-01-01

    DNA markers were identified for the molecular detection of the Asian long-horned beetle (ALB), Anoplophora glabripennis (Mot.), based on sequence charaterized amplified regions (SCARS) derived from random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fragments. A 2,740-bp DNA fragment that was present only in ALB and not in other Cerambycids was identified after...

  12. [Multiple bladder diverticula caused by occipital horn syndrome].

    PubMed

    Legros, L; Revencu, N; Nassogne, M-C; Wese, F-X; Feyaerts, A

    2015-11-01

    We report on the case of a child who presented with recurrent, multiple, and voluminous bladder diverticula. Bladder diverticula are defined as a herniation of the mucosa through the bladder muscle or the detrusor. Causes are numerous and diverticula can be classified into primary congenital diverticula (para-ureteral - or Hutch diverticula - and posterolateral diverticula); secondary diverticula (resulting from chronic mechanical obstruction or from neurological disease; and diverticula secondary to connective tissue or muscle fragility. The latter is seen in disease entities such as prune belly syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, cutis laxa syndrome, OHS (occipital horn syndrome), Menkes disease, and Williams-Beuren syndrome. In this patient, the cause of these diverticula was OHS, a genetic, recessive X-chromosome-linked syndrome, responsible for abnormal tissue caused by a disorder in copper metabolism. This case reminds us of the importance of pushing the diagnostic workup when presented with multiple and/or large bladder diverticula, and in particular to search for rare malformation syndromes after exclusion of an obstacle. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  13. Solid Micro Horn Array (SMIHA) for Acoustic Matching

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sherrit, S.; Bao, X.; Bar-Cohen, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Transduction of electrical signals to mechanical signals and vice-versa in piezoelectric materials is controlled by the material coupling coefficient. In general in a loss-less material the ratio of energy conversion per cycle is proportional to the square of the coupling coefficient. In practical transduction however the impedance mismatch between the piezoelectric material and the electrical drive circuitry or the mechanical structure can have a significant impact on the power transfer. This paper looks at novel methods of matching the acoustic impedance of structures to the piezoelectric material in an effort to increase power transmission and efficiency. In typical methods the density and acoustic velocity of the matching layer is adjusted to give good matching between the transducer and the load. The approach discussed in this paper utilizes solid micro horn arrays in the matching layer which channel the stress and increase the strain in the layer. This approach is found to have potential applications in energy harvesting, medical ultrasound and in liquid and gas coupled transducers.

  14. Bicornuate uterine horns with complete cervical-vaginal agenesis and congenital vesicouterine fistula.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Santosh; Singh, S K; Mavuduru, Ravi; Naveen, A; Agarwal, M M; Vanita, Jain; Mandal, A K

    2008-05-01

    We present a case of bicornuate uterine horns with complete cervico-vaginal agenesis and associated congenital uterovaginal fistula. The patient presented with cyclical hematuria, amenorrhea, and abdominal lump. The vagina was blind-ending. The cystoscopic examination during cyclical hematuria revealed bloody efflux through a small fistula on the posterior wall of the urinary bladder. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bicornuate uterus and cervical agenesis. Hysterectomy and repair of the uterovesical fistula was done. The vagina was reconstructed using an amniotic mould. The report underlies the importance of MRI in diagnosing complexity of such rare anomalies. It also stresses for the need of hysterectomy if cervicovaginal agenesis is present.

  15. Transcriptome Analysis of Yellow Horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge): A Potential Oil-Rich Seed Tree for Biodiesel in China

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Yulin; Huang, Zhedong; Ao, Yan; Li, Wei; Zhang, Zhixiang

    2013-01-01

    Background Yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge) is an oil-rich seed shrub that grows well in cold, barren environments and has great potential for biodiesel production in China. However, the limited genetic data means that little information about the key genes involved in oil biosynthesis is available, which limits further improvement of this species. In this study, we describe sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly to produce the first comprehensive and integrated genomic resource for yellow horn and identify the pathways and key genes related to oil accumulation. In addition, potential molecular markers were identified and compiled. Methodology/Principal Findings Total RNA was isolated from 30 plants from two regions, including buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. Equal quantities of RNA from these tissues were pooled to construct a cDNA library for 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 1,147,624 high-quality reads with total and average lengths of 530.6 Mb and 462 bp, respectively, were generated. These reads were assembled into 51,867 unigenes, corresponding to a total of 36.1 Mb with a mean length, N50 and median of 696, 928 and 570 bp, respectively. Of the unigenes, 17,541 (33.82%) were unmatched in any public protein databases. We identified 281 unigenes that may be involved in de novo fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis and metabolism. Furthermore, 6,707 SSRs, 16,925 SNPs and 6,201 InDels with high-confidence were also identified in this study. Conclusions This transcriptome represents a new functional genomics resource and a foundation for further studies on the metabolic engineering of yellow horn to increase oil content and modify oil composition. The potential molecular markers identified in this study provide a basis for polymorphism analysis of Xanthoceras, and even Sapindaceae; they will also accelerate the process of breeding new varieties with better agronomic characteristics. PMID:24040247

  16. Helminths of the horned leaf frog, Proceratophrys appendiculata, from southeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Boquimpani-Freitas, L; Vrcibradic, D; Vicente, J J; Bursey, C R; Rocha, C F; Van Sluys, M

    2001-09-01

    The helminth fauna of the horned leaf frog, Proceratophrys appendiculata (Anura: Leptodactylidae), was studied from 17 adult individuals from an island in Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil. A total of five nematode species (Aplectana delirae, Cosmocerca brasiliense, Schulzia travassosi, Rhabdias androgyna and Physaloptera sp.) and an unidentified cestode were recovered from the digestive tract, lungs and gall bladder of P. appendiculata and all the nematode species are new host records. Aplectana delirae had the highest values for the prevalence and intensity of infection and can thus be considered a core species in the helminth community of P. appendiculata. Aplectana crossodactyli Baker, 1980 is synonymized with Aplectana delirae (Fabio, 1971). The helminth fauna of P. appendiculata presents characteristics typical of those in amphibians.

  17. The musculature and pupillary response of the great horned owl iris.

    PubMed

    Oliphant, L W; Johnson, M R; Murphy, C; Howland, H

    1983-12-01

    There is considerable confusion in the literature regarding the nature of the musculature of the avian iris. The most commonly held view is that both the sphincter and dilator are striated. The iris of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) has a complex iridial musculature consisting of three circumferential components (a myoepithelium, smooth muscle and striated muscle) and two radial components (a well-developed myoepithelium and a few striated fibers). On the basis of the anatomy and relative development of these components, and a quantitative analysis of the pupillary reflex, it is proposed that the circumferential striated muscle is the primary pupillary constrictor and radial myoepithelium is the primary dilator. The annular band of smooth muscle may play an important role in maintaining pupillary size.

  18. Medial meniscal posterior root/horn radial tears correlate with cartilage degeneration detected by T1ρ relaxation mapping.

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Kenji; Hashimoto, Sanshiro; Nakamura, Hiroshi; Mori, Atsushi; Sato, Akiko; Majima, Tokifumi; Takai, Shinro

    2015-06-01

    This study aimed to identify factors on routine pulse sequence MRI associated with cartilage degeneration observed on T1ρ relaxation mapping. This study included 137 subjects with knee pain. T1ρ values were measured in the regions of interest on the surface layer of the cartilage on mid-coronal images of the femorotibial joint. Assessment of cartilage, subchondral bone, meniscus and ligaments was performed using routine pulse sequence MRI. Radiographic evaluation for osteoarthritis was also performed. Multiple regression analysis revealed posterior root/horn tears to be independent factors increasing the T1ρ values of the cartilage in the medial compartment of the femorotibial joint. Even when adjusted for radiographically defined early-stage osteoarthritis, medial posterior meniscal radial tears significantly increased the T1ρ values. This study showed that posterior root/horn radial tears in the medial meniscus are particularly important MRI findings associated with cartilage degeneration observed on T1ρ relaxation mapping. Morphological factors of the medial meniscus on MRI provide findings useful for screening early-stage osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. c-Maf is required for the development of dorsal horn laminae III/IV neurons and mechanoreceptive DRG axon projections.

    PubMed

    Hu, Jia; Huang, Tianwen; Li, Tingting; Guo, Zhen; Cheng, Leping

    2012-04-18

    Establishment of proper connectivity between peripheral sensory neurons and their central targets is required for an animal to sense and respond to various external stimuli. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons convey sensory signals of different modalities via their axon projections to distinct laminae in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. In this study, we found that c-Maf was expressed predominantly in the interneurons of laminae III/IV, which primarily receive inputs from mechanoreceptive DRG neurons. In the DRG, c-Maf⁺ neurons also coexpressed neurofilament-200, a marker for the medium- and large-diameter myelinated afferents that transmit non-noxious information. Furthermore, mouse embryos deficient in c-Maf displayed abnormal development of dorsal horn laminae III/IV neurons, as revealed by the marked reduction in the expression of several marker genes for these neurons, including those for transcription factors MafA and Rora, GABA(A) receptor subunit α5, and neuropeptide cholecystokinin. In addition, among the four major subpopulations of DRG neurons marked by expression of TrkA, TrkB, TrkC, and MafA/GFRα2/Ret, c-Maf was required selectively for the proper differentiation of MafA⁺/Ret⁺/GFRα2⁺ low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMs). Last, we found that the central and peripheral projections of mechanoreceptive DRG neurons were compromised in c-Maf deletion mice. Together, our results indicate that c-Maf is required for the proper development of MafA⁺/Ret⁺/GFRα2⁺ LTMs in the DRG, their afferent projections in the dorsal horn and Pacinian corpuscles, as well as neurons in laminae III/IV of the spinal cord.

  20. Miniaturized multiple Fourier-horn ultrasonic droplet generators for biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Chen S; Mao, Rong W; Lin, Shih K; Wang, Ning; Tsai, Shirley C

    2010-10-21

    Here we report micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS)-based miniaturized silicon ultrasonic droplet generators of a new and simple nozzle architecture with multiple Fourier horns in resonance but without a central channel. The centimetre-sized nozzles operate at one to two MHz and a single vibration mode which readily facilitates temporal instability of Faraday waves to produce monodisperse droplets. Droplets with diameter range 2.2-4.6 μm are produced at high throughput of 420 μl min(-1) and very low electrical drive power of 80 mW. We also report the first theoretical prediction of the droplet diameter. The resulting MHz ultrasonic devices possess important advantages and demonstrate superior performance over earlier devices with a central channel and thus have high potential for biomedical applications such as efficient and effective delivery of inhaled medications and encapsulated therapy to the lung.

  1. Micromachined ultrasonic droplet generator based on a liquid horn structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meacham, J. M.; Ejimofor, C.; Kumar, S.; Degertekin, F. L.; Fedorov, A. G.

    2004-05-01

    A micromachined ultrasonic droplet generator is developed and demonstrated for drop-on-demand fluid atomization. The droplet generator comprises a bulk ceramic piezoelectric transducer for ultrasound generation, a reservoir for the ejection fluid, and a silicon micromachined liquid horn structure as the nozzle. The nozzles are formed using a simple batch microfabrication process that involves wet etching of (100) silicon in potassium hydroxide solution. Device operation is demonstrated by droplet ejection of water through 30 μm orifices at 1.49 and 2.30 MHz. The finite-element simulations of the acoustic fields in the cavity and electrical impedance of the device are in agreement with the measurements and indicate that the device utilizes cavity resonances in the 1-5 MHz range in conjunction with acoustic wave focusing by the pyramidally shaped nozzles to achieve low power operation.

  2. Monitoring Environmental Recovery at Terminated Produced Water Discharge Sites in Coastal Louisiana Waters

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

    Continental Shelf Associates, Inc.

    1999-08-16

    This report presents the results of a study of terminated produced water discharge sites in the coastal waters of Louisiana. Environmental recovery at the sites is documented by comparing pre-termination and post-termination (six months and one year) data. Produced water, sediments, and sediment interstitial water samples were analyzed for radionuclides, metals, and hydrocarbons. Benthic infauna were identified from samples collected in the vicinity of the discharge and reference sites. Radium isotope activities were determined in fish and crustacean samples. In addition, an environmental risk assessment is made on the basis of the concentrations of metals and hydrocarbons determined in themore » samples.« less

  3. [The unicorn and the pharmacists. Early modern views on the presumed anti-toxic effects of unicorn horn].

    PubMed

    Gerritsen, W P

    2007-01-01

    Around 1600, the age-old belief in the anti-toxic effect of unicorn horn began to be called into question. This is evidenced by the views of two well-known French pharmaceutic authorities whose publications are discussed in this paper: the surgeon Ambroise Paré (1510-1590), court physician to four French kings, and the Montpellier pharmacist Laurent Catelan (1568-1647), who owned a famous cabinet de curiosités. Although Paré had to accept, however reluctantly, the existence of the unicorn (since it is mentioned in the Bible), he vehemently denied the supposed medicinal effect of unicorn products. He defended his position by an appeal to ancient and contemporary authorities, by rational argumentation, and by experiment. Paré's arguments failed to convince Catelan, who adhered to an alternative, so-called spagyric, medical theory of neoplatonic inspiration, as propagated by Paracelsus and Ficino. Catelan remained convinced of the efficacity of unicorn horn, which in his view could drain the human body from any poisonous substance. The medical establishment being reluctant to give up a rewarding source of income,'unicorn' remained much in demand as a prescription.

  4. Glycinergic dysfunction in a subpopulation of dorsal horn interneurons in a rat model of neuropathic pain

    PubMed Central

    Imlach, Wendy L.; Bhola, Rebecca F.; Mohammadi, Sarasa A.; Christie, Macdonald J.

    2016-01-01

    The development of neuropathic pain involves persistent changes in signalling within pain pathways. Reduced inhibitory signalling in the spinal cord following nerve-injury has been used to explain sensory signs of neuropathic pain but specific circuits that lose inhibitory input have not been identified. This study shows a specific population of spinal cord interneurons, radial neurons, lose glycinergic inhibitory input in a rat partial sciatic nerve ligation (PNL) model of neuropathic pain. Radial neurons are excitatory neurons located in lamina II of the dorsal horn, and are readily identified by their morphology. The amplitude of electrically-evoked glycinergic inhibitory post-synaptic currents (eIPSCs) was greatly reduced in radial neurons following nerve-injury associated with increased paired-pulse ratio. There was also a reduction in frequency of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) and miniature IPSCs (mIPSC) in radial neurons without significantly affecting mIPSC amplitude. A subtype selective receptor antagonist and western blots established reversion to expression of the immature glycine receptor subunit GlyRα2 in radial neurons after PNL, consistent with slowed decay times of IPSCs. This study has important implications as it identifies a glycinergic synaptic connection in a specific population of dorsal horn neurons where loss of inhibitory signalling may contribute to signs of neuropathic pain. PMID:27841371

  5. Disseminated lymphoma of presumptive T-cell origin in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Malka, Shachar; Crabbs, Torrie; Mitchell, Elizabeth B; Zehnder, Ashley; Kent, Michael S; Lowenstine, Linda J; Hawkins, Michelle G

    2008-09-01

    A geriatric male great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) that was a resident at a raptor center was presented for examination because of stridor and weight loss. Results of physical examination, diagnostic imaging, and biopsy were consistent with disseminated lymphoma involving the oropharynx, neck region (including thyroid and parathyroid glands), keel, spleen, and liver. Attempts to treat the owl with chlorambucil failed, and the owl was euthanatized 5 months later. Neoplastic cells from this owl were immunoreactive to CD-3 antibody, suggesting the lymphoma was of T-cell origin.

  6. [Rudimentary horn pregnancy: an unusual cause of spontaneous hemoperitoneum during the second-trimester of pregnancy].

    PubMed

    Allouche, M; Tanguy le Gac, Y; Parant, O

    2011-02-01

    Spontaneous hemoperitoneum during pregnancy is an unusual but serious event. We report a case of profuse spontaneous hemoperitoneum resulting from the rupture of a non-communicating rudimentary uterine horn at 26 weeks of gestation. An emergency laparotomy was performed and a 900 g birth weight safe infant was delivered. We performed a hemi-hysterectomy in the same time. Fetal and maternal outcomes resulted without complication. Causes of spontaneous hemoperitoneum are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  7. Resection of Grade III cranial horn tears of the equine medial meniscus alter the contact forces on medial tibial condyle at full extension: an in-vitro cadaveric study.

    PubMed

    Fowlie, Jennifer; Arnoczky, Steven; Lavagnino, Michael; Maerz, Tristan; Stick, John

    2011-12-01

    To evaluate the magnitude and distribution of joint contact pressure on the medial tibial condyle after grade III cranial horn tears of the medial meniscus. Experimental study. Cadaveric equine stifles (n = 6). Cadaveric stifles were mounted in a materials testing system and electronic pressure sensors were placed between the medial tibial condyle and medial meniscus. Specimens were loaded parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tibia to 1800 N at 130°, 140°, 150°, and 160° stifle angle. Peak pressure and contact area were recorded from the contact maps. Testing was repeated after surgical creation of a grade III cranial horn tear of the medial meniscus, and after resection of the simulated tear. In the intact specimens, a significantly smaller contact area was observed at 160° compared with the other angles (P < .05). Creation of a grade III cranial horn tear in the medial meniscus did not significantly alter the pressure or contact area measurements at any stifle angle compared with intact specimens (P > .05). Resection of the tear resulted in significantly higher peak pressures in the central region of the medial tibial condyle at a stifle angle of 160° relative to the intact (P = .026) and torn (P = .012) specimens. Resection of grade III cranial horn tears in the medial meniscus resulted in a central focal region of increased pressure on the medial tibial condyle at 160° stifle angle. © Copyright 2011 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

  8. Projected climate over the Greater Horn of Africa under 1.5 °C and 2 °C global warming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osima, Sarah; Indasi, Victor S.; Zaroug, Modathir; Seid Endris, Hussen; Gudoshava, Masilin; Misiani, Herbert O.; Nimusiima, Alex; Anyah, Richard O.; Otieno, George; Ogwang, Bob A.; Jain, Suman; Kondowe, Alfred L.; Mwangi, Emmah; Lennard, Chris; Nikulin, Grigory; Dosio, Alessandro

    2018-06-01

    We analyze the potential effect of global warming levels (GWLs) of 1.5 °C and 2 °C above pre-industrial levels (1861‑1890) on mean temperature and precipitation as well as intra-seasonal precipitation extremes over the Greater Horn of Africa. We used a large, 25-member regional climate model ensemble from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment and show that, compared to the control period of 1971‑2000, annual mean near-surface temperature is projected to increase by more than 1 °C and 1.5 °C over most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa, under GWLs of 1.5 °C and 2 °C respectively. The highest temperature increases are projected in the northern region, covering most parts of Sudan and northern parts of Ethiopia, and the lowest temperature increases are projected over the coastal belt of Tanzania. However, the projected mean surface temperature difference between 2 °C and 1. 5 °C GWLs is higher than 0.5 °C over nearly all land points, reaching 0.8 °C over Sudan and northern Ethiopia. This implies that the Greater Horn of Africa will warm faster than the global mean. While projected changes in precipitation are mostly uncertain across the Greater Horn of Africa, there is a substantial decrease over the central and northern parts of Ethiopia. Additionally, the length of dry and wet spells is projected to increase and decrease respectively. The combined effect of a reduction in rainfall and the changes in the wet and dry spells will likely impact negatively on the livelihoods of people within the coastal cities, lake regions, highlands as well as arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia and Sudan. The probable impacts of these changes on key sectors such as agriculture, water, energy and health sectors, will likely call for formulation of actionable policies geared towards adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of 1.5 °C and 2 °C warming.

  9. Case of pregnancy in two cows with unicorn horn of the uterus either by artificial insemination at ipsilateral or embryo transfer at contralateral corpus luteum in the ovary.

    PubMed

    Moriyama, C; Kobayashi, I; Tani, M; Oishi, T; Kajisa, M; Horii, Y; Kamimura, S

    2008-06-01

    Two Holstein heifers and a cow were diagnosed with White Heifer Disease by ultrasonography. Case 1 was a 14 month-old heifer with aplasia of both sides of the uterine horn. In case 2, a primiparous cow and case 3, an 18 month-old heifer, both showed aplasia of the right uterine horn. Case 2 became pregnant by artificial insemination at ipsilateral ovulatory follicle and corpus luteum in the left ovary, while case 3 became pregnant by embryo transfer at 7 days after oestrus with contralateral corpus luteum in the right ovary.

  10. Botanically-based repellent and insecticidal effects against horn flies, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Dipera: Muscidae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Horn flies, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.) and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), are economically important blood-feeding ectoparasites of cattle, Bos taurus L., and other domesticated and wild animals. Conventional insecticides are used for control of biting flies on ca...

  11. Evaluation of six satellite rainfall products over the Great Horn of Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cattani, Elsa; Merino Suances, Andrés; Levizzani, Vincenzo

    2014-05-01

    Satellite precipitation products are used in various application fields, as extreme event monitoring (flood and drought), generation of time series for regional or global climatological studies, and assimilation in hydro-meteorological models. They are particularly necessary in regions with very sparse rain-gauge networks to augment the observational capabilities, such as in the Great Horn of Africa (GHA). GHA is characterized by a complex topography and highly varying climatic conditions ranging from the wetter mountainous and coastal regions to the arid lowlands, which can greatly affect the quality of satellite rainfall estimations. Moreover GHA is characterized by very frequent drought events, whose monitoring and forecast can benefit from satellite rainfall estimations. All that justifies the importance of satellite product validation and inter-comparisons in order to assess their reliability and application domain. The monthly accumulated precipitation from six satellite products, TAMSAT, GSMaP, CMORPH, PERSIANN, RFE, and TRMM-3B42, are analysed for the time period 2003 - 2009, by dividing the studied region (5°S - 20°N, 28°E - 52°E) in six sub-areas (clusters) characterized by a different annual cycle. The measurement uncertainties in satellite products are evaluated by computing the variance from the ensemble of the six satellite products at the resolution of 0.25°. The annual cycle characteristics of each cluster are correctly identified by each satellite product, whereas marked differences can be seen in the precipitations amount. GSMaP, PERSIANN and CMORPH provide larger amount of precipitation on South Sudan and West Ethiopia and North Uganda and the coastal region of North Somalia with respect to the other products. The regions with higher variability among satellite products are mountainous West Ethiopia, during summer (wet season) and for heavy precipitation (> 200 mm), South Sudan during summer and fall, and the Lake Victoria region

  12. [Curcumin down-regulates CX3CR1 expression in spinal cord dorsal horn and DRG in neuropathic pain rats].

    PubMed

    Zheng, Jinwei; Zheng, Changjian; Cao, Hong; Li, Jun; Lian, Qingquan

    2011-09-01

    To investigate the effects of curcumin on the behavior of chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rats and the CX3CR1 expression in spinal cord dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) Sham operation group (Sham); 2) Chronic constrictive injury group (CCI); 3) Curcumin treated group (Cur), administrated with curcumin 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ip for 14 days after CCI; 4) Solvent contrast group (SC), administrated with an equal volume of solvent for 14 days after CCI. Paw thermal withdrawal (PTWL) and paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT) were measured on 2 pre-operative and 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 post-operative days respectively. The lumbar segments L4-5 of the spinal cord and the L4, L5 DRG were removed at 3, 7, 14 days after surgery. The expression of CX3CR1 was determined by immunohistochemical staining. Compared with Sham group, PTWL and PMWT in CCI group were significantly lower on each post-operative day (P<0.01), which reached a nadir on the 3rd day after CCI (PTWL was 6.5 +/- 1.1, PMWT was 22.6 +/- 5.1), and the expression of CX3CR1 were markedly increased in spinal cord dorsal horn and DRG. In Cur group, PTWL were higher than in CCI group on 7, 10, 14 post-operative day (P<0.05), and PMWT were higher than those in CCI group on 10 and 14 post-operative day (P<0.05). The administration of curcumin could significantly attenuate the activation of CX3CR1 induced by CCI. The study suggests that curcumin ameliorates the CCI-induced neuropathic pain, probably by attenuating the expression of CX3CR1 in spinal cord dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglia.

  13. Intergenerational differences in acculturation experiences, food beliefs and perceived health risks among refugees from the Horn of Africa in Melbourne, Australia.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Alyce; Renzaho, Andre

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the differences in acculturation experiences between parent and adolescent refugees from the Horn of Africa in Melbourne, Australia and to explore food beliefs and perceived health risks from an intergenerational perspective. Qualitative cross-sectional study involving a combination of semi-structured one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions. North-West suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Eritrean, Ethiopian, Somali and Sudanese refugees. Using a purposeful sampling technique, twelve semi-structured face-to-face interviews (nine adults and three adolescents) and four in-depth focus groups (two with adolescents each containing six participants and two with adults one containing six participants and the other ten participants) were carried out. Thus overall data were obtained on fifteen adolescents and twenty-five parents. Qualitative analysis identified differences between parents and adolescents in relation to lifestyle, diet and physical activity. Views regarding health consequences of their changed diets also differed. Parental feeding practices encompassed a variety of methods and were enforced in an attempt by parents to control their children's dietary behaviours and prevent their drift away from traditional eating habits. These findings call for more research to contextualise dietary acculturation among refugee youth and the impact of migration on parenting styles and feeding practices in communities from the Horn of Africa. Preventive health programmes with Horn of Africa refugees need to acknowledge the effect of acculturation on diet and physical activity levels and a socio-cultural framework needs to be developed with respect to the importance and influence of the family environment.

  14. Neonatal Colonic Inflammation Increases Spinal Transmission and Cystathionine β-Synthetase Expression in Spinal Dorsal Horn of Rats with Visceral Hypersensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Liting; Xiao, Ying; Weng, Rui-Xia; Liu, Xuelian; Zhang, Ping-An; Hu, Chuang-Ying; Yu, Shan P.; Xu, Guang-Yin

    2017-01-01

    Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain and alteration of bowel movements. The pathogenesis of visceral hypersensitivity in IBS patients remains largely unknown. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is reported to play an important role in development of visceral hyperalgesia. However, the role of H2S at spinal dorsal horn level remains elusive in visceral hypersensitivity. The aim of this study is designed to investigate how H2S takes part in visceral hypersensitivity of adult rats with neonatal colonic inflammation (NCI). Visceral hypersensitivity was induced by neonatal colonic injection of diluted acetic acid. Expression of an endogenous H2S synthesizing enzyme cystathionine β-synthetase (CBS) was determined by Western blot. Excitability and synaptic transmission of neurons in the substantia gelatinosa (SG) of spinal cord was recorded by patch clamping. Here, we showed that expression of CBS in the spinal dorsal horn was significantly upregulated in NCI rats. The frequency of glutamatergic synaptic activities in SG was markedly enhanced in NCI rats when compared with control rats. Application of NaHS increased the frequency of both spontaneous and miniature excitatory post-synaptic currents of SG neurons in control rats through a presynaptic mechanism. In contrast, application of AOAA, an inhibitor of CBS, dramatically suppressed the frequency of glutamatergic synaptic activities of SG neurons of NCI rats. Importantly, intrathecal injection of AOAA remarkably attenuated visceral hypersensitivity of NCI rats. These results suggest that H2S modulates pain signaling likely through a presynaptic mechanism in SG of spinal dorsal horn, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy for treatment for chronic visceral pain in patients with IBS. PMID:29046639

  15. Family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Groves, Colin P.; Leslie, David M.; Huffman, Brent A.; Valdez, Raul; Habibi, Khushal; Weinberg, Paul; Burton, James; Jarman, Peter; Robichaud, William

    2015-01-01

    Probably the single most eye-catching aspect of the current volume is the explosion of species recognized in the family Bovidae (Hollow-horned Ruminants). In 2005, the third edition of Mammal Species of the World listed 143 species in 50 genera of Bovidae. That list, prepared by the late Peter Grubb, was somewhat traditional and provisional, as he was engaged with his long-time colleague, Colin Groves, in a substantial revision of ungulate taxonomy. Their work, which will be published later this year, is the culmination of years of study of this important and wide-ranging family by these two venerable authorities. Colin Groves is the lead author for Bovidae in this volume of HMW, and in it we recognize all 279 species in 54 genera that are documented in his and Peter Grubb’s ground-breaking work.At the root of this expanded number of recognized species is our changing view of the modern species concept. Like a growing number of taxonomists, Groves favors a phylogenetic species concept, which he defines as the smallest population or aggregation of populations that has fixed heritable differences from other such populations or aggregations. This is in contrast to the traditional biological species concept, which requires reproductive isolation between such populations. The difficulty in determining that reproductive isolation led to an underrepresentation of the number of species in many groups. Clearly there remain problems in determining which differences between populations are heritable, and the system used here undoubtedly will continue to be tweaked as our understanding grows. For now, this greatly expanded version of Bovidae species limits seems the best answer. One of the goals of HMW is to provide an up-to-date summary of the conservation status for every species of mammal, and this expanded species concept better enables us to explore the true conservation situation of each.

  16. Relationships between Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Cognitive Abilities and Math Achievement within a Sample of College Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Proctor, Briley

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between cognitive abilities and math achievement within a sample of college students with learning disabilities (LD). The cognitive abilities were seven areas identified by Stratum II of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities, in addition to the eighth area of Working Memory. Math…

  17. Polarization entanglement purification for concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Lan; Sheng, Yu-Bo

    2017-10-01

    Entanglement purification plays a fundamental role in long-distance quantum communication. In the paper, we put forward the first polarization entanglement purification protocol (EPP) for one type of nonlocal logic-qubit entanglement, i.e., concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (C-GHZ) state, resorting to the photon-atom interaction in low-quality (Q) cavity. In contrast to existing EPPs, this protocol can purify the bit-flip error and phase-flip error in both physic and logic level. Instead of measuring the photons directly, this protocol only requires to measure the atom states to judge whether the protocol is successful. In this way, the purified logic entangled states can be preserved for further application. Moreover, it makes this EPP repeatable so as to obtain a higher fidelity of logic entangled states. As the logic-qubit entanglement utilizes the quantum error correction (QEC) codes, which has an inherent stability against noise and decoherence, this EPP combined with the QEC codes may provide a double protection for the entanglement from the channel noise and may have potential applications in long-distance quantum communication.

  18. Presumptive keratoglobus in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Lau, Rachael K; Moresco, Anneke; Woods, Sarah J; Reilly, Christopher M; Hawkins, Michelle G; Murphy, Christopher J; Hollingsworth, Steven R; Hacker, Dennis; Freeman, Kate S

    2017-11-01

    A juvenile to young adult, male, great horned owl (Bubo virginianus,GHOW) was presented to the wildlife rehabilitation hospital at Lindsay Wildlife Museum (WRHLWM) due to trauma to the right patagium from barbed wire entanglement. On presentation, both corneas were irregular, dry, and no movement of the third eyelid was noted. A severe corneal enlargement/globoid appearance was the predominant ophthalmic feature. The fundus was normal in both eyes (OU). Over the course of several days, both corneas developed edema combined with further dessication at the ocular surface associated with diffuse dorsal fluorescein stain uptake. Repeated ophthalmic examinations found normal intraocular pressures and an inability to move the third eyelid over the enlarged corneas. The bird was deemed nonreleasable due to severe wing damage and poor prognosis associated with eye abnormalities and was humanely euthanized. Postmortem CT, enucleation, and histopathology were performed to evaluate the ocular anatomical abnormality and confirm the suspected diagnosis of keratoglobus. This GHOW represents the first reported case of presumptive keratoglobus in a raptor. © 2016 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

  19. Humanitarian information systems and emergencies in the Greater Horn of Africa: logical components and logical linkages.

    PubMed

    Maxwell, Daniel; Watkins, Ben

    2003-03-01

    Natural and man-made emergencies are regular occurrences in the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underlying impoverishment of whole populations is increasing, making it more difficult to distinguish between humanitarian crises triggered by shocks and those resulting from chronic poverty. Shocks and hazards can no longer be seen as one-off events that trigger a one-time response. In countries that are both poor and exposed to frequent episodes of debilitating drought or chronic conflict, information needs tend to be different from the straightforward early warning/commodity accounting models of information systems that have proven reliable in past emergencies. This paper describes the interdependent components of a humanitarian information system appropriate for this kind of complex environment, noting the analytical links between the components and operational links to programme and policy. By examining a series of case studies from the Greater Horn region, the paper demonstrates that systems lacking one or more of these components will fail to provide adequate information--and thus incur humanitarian costs. While information always comes with a cost, the price of poor information--or none--is higher. And in situations of chronic vulnerability, in which development interventions are likely to be interspersed with both safety nets and emergency interventions on a recurrent basis, investment in improved information is a good investment from both a humanitarian and a financial viewpoint.

  20. Generation of an arbitrary concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state with single photons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Shan-Shan; Zhou, Lan; Sheng, Yu-Bo

    2017-02-01

    The concatenated Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (C-GHZ) state is a new kind of logic-qubit entangled state, which may have extensive applications in future quantum communication. In this letter, we propose a protocol for constructing an arbitrary C-GHZ state with single photons. We exploit the cross-Kerr nonlinearity for this purpose. This protocol has some advantages over previous protocols. First, it only requires two kinds of cross-Kerr nonlinearities to generate single phase shifts  ±θ. Second, it is not necessary to use sophisticated m-photon Toffoli gates. Third, this protocol is deterministic and can be used to generate an arbitrary C-GHZ state. This protocol may be useful in future quantum information processing based on the C-GHZ state.

  1. Parallel distribution of sexes within left and right uterine horns in Holstein dairy cows: evidence that the effect of side of pregnancy on sex ratio could be breed-specific in cattle.

    PubMed

    Gharagozlou, F; Vojgani, M; Akbarinejad, V; Niasari-Naslaji, A; Hemmati, M; Youssefi, R

    2013-11-30

    Dissimilar distribution of male and female calves within left and right uterine horns has been observed in beef cows. A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the effect of side of pregnancy on secondary sex ratio in Holstein dairy cows. Data associated with sex of calves, side of pregnancy, sire, dam, parity number of dam, AI technician, season and year were retrieved from the database of a Holstein dairy farm. In total, data consisted of 6515 birth records from 3155 dams and 244 sires across years 2001-2010. Data were analyzed using logistic regression. There was no difference in proportion of male and female calves between left (52.9% and 47.1%, respectively) and right (53.2% and 46.8%, respectively) uterine horns (P>0.05). AI technician, year, season and parity of dam did not affect secondary sex ratio (P>0.05). Secondary sex ratio of left and right uterine horns, and consequently, overall secondary sex ratio (53.1%) were skewed toward males as compared with hypothetical secondary sex ratio of 50% (P<0.05). Incidence of right pregnancy (60.5%) was higher than hypothetical 50% incidence of right pregnancy. In conclusion, the present study revealed similar secondary sex ratio of calves between left and right uterine horns in Holstein dairy cows. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Ground Truth, Magnitude Calibration and Regional Phase Propagation and Detection in the Middle East and Horn of Africa

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-01

    consists of late Proterozoic crystalline basement overlain by Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks in some places. The breakup of the Arabian Plate from...with structure directly below the crust. To investigate upper mantle structure under the Arabian Shield, measured and inverted relative travel times...Plateau, Zagros Mountains, Arabian Peninsula, Turkish Plateau, Gulf of Aqaba, Dead Sea Rift) and the Horn of Africa (including the northern part of

  3. A 2.5-Mb contig constructed from Angus, Longhorn and horned Hereford DNA spanning the polled interval on bovine chromosome 1.

    PubMed

    Wunderlich, K R; Abbey, C A; Clayton, D R; Song, Y; Schein, J E; Georges, M; Coppieters, W; Adelson, D L; Taylor, J F; Davis, S L; Gill, C A

    2006-12-01

    The polled locus has been mapped by genetic linkage analysis to the proximal region of bovine chromosome 1. As an intermediate step in our efforts to identify the polled locus and the underlying causative mutation for the polled phenotype, we have constructed a BAC-based physical map of the interval containing the polled locus. Clones containing genes and markers in the critical interval were isolated from the TAMBT (constructed from Angus and Longhorn genomic DNA) and CHORI-240 (constructed from horned Hereford genomic DNA) BAC libraries and ordered based on fingerprinting and the presence or absence of 80 STS markers. A single contig spanning 2.5 Mb was assembled. Comparison of the physical order of STSs to the corresponding region of human chromosome 21 revealed the same order of genes within the polled critical interval. This contig of overlapping BAC clones from horned and polled breeds is a useful resource for SNP discovery and characterization of positional candidate genes.

  4. 49 CFR 222.33 - Can locomotive horns be silenced at an individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? 222.33 Section 222.33 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION USE OF LOCOMOTIVE HORNS AT PUBLIC HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS Exceptions to the Use of the... individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? (a) A railroad operating over...

  5. 49 CFR 222.33 - Can locomotive horns be silenced at an individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? 222.33 Section 222.33 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION USE OF LOCOMOTIVE HORNS AT PUBLIC HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS Exceptions to the Use of the... individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? (a) A railroad operating over...

  6. 49 CFR 222.33 - Can locomotive horns be silenced at an individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? 222.33 Section 222.33 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION USE OF LOCOMOTIVE HORNS AT PUBLIC HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS Exceptions to the Use of the... individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? (a) A railroad operating over...

  7. 49 CFR 222.33 - Can locomotive horns be silenced at an individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? 222.33 Section 222.33 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION USE OF LOCOMOTIVE HORNS AT PUBLIC HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS Exceptions to the Use of the... individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? (a) A railroad operating over...

  8. 49 CFR 222.33 - Can locomotive horns be silenced at an individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? 222.33 Section 222.33 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION USE OF LOCOMOTIVE HORNS AT PUBLIC HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSINGS Exceptions to the Use of the... individual public highway-rail grade crossing which is not within a quiet zone? (a) A railroad operating over...

  9. A Dual-Polarized, Dual-Frequency, Corrugated Feed Horn for SMAP

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Focardi, Paolo; Brown, Paula R.

    2012-01-01

    SMAP will be the first Earth science mission to use a deployable 6m mesh reflector for both radar and radiometric measurements from low Earth orbit. The instrument antenna will spin at about 14 rpm, making the design of both reflector and feed more challenging. While the performance requirements imposed by the radar instrument are relatively benign, those pertinent to the radiometer are more difficult to meet. Extreme care was necessary in designing the feed, especially from a performance stability perspective. Thermal variations due to the spacecraft going in and out of eclipse during orbit and direct solar radiation into the horn are just two of the challenges faced during the design phase. In this paper, the basic concepts behind the design of SMAP's feed will be discussed. Each component of the feed will be analyzed in detail with particular emphasis on its impact on major RF requirements. Overall performance of the feed will also be discussed.

  10. Mortality in captive wild-caught horned puffin chicks (Fratercula corniculata).

    PubMed

    Tocidlowski, M E; Cornish, T E; Loomis, M R; Stoskopf, M K

    1997-09-01

    Sixteen horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) and six parakeet auklet (Cyclorrhynchus psittacula) chicks of various prefledging ages were caught in Alaska and transported to the North Carolina Zoological Park (USA) in August 1995. Six of the 16 puffin chicks died within a 5-day period beginning 2 days after their arrival into quarantine at the zoo. The birds that died were collected at a young age, weighed 45.4-65.7 g, and had been fed a diet of thawed frozen ocean silversides (Atherinidae) that was not supplemented with vitamins. Clinical signs were nonspecific, and gross necropsies, insecticide toxicology screens, and bacterial cultures were unremarkable. Microscopic examination of tissues from five of the six birds showed myocardial necrosis and degeneration suggestive of vitamin E deficiency and intestinal protozoa resembling Microsporidia. The mortality pattern and histopathologic lesions observed in this case support the use of selective age capture and vitamin supplementation for wild alcid chick collection.

  11. Experimental generation of an eight-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yun-Feng; Liu, Bi-Heng; Peng, Liang; Li, Yu-Hu; Li, Li; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

    2011-11-22

    Multi-partite entangled states are important for developing studies of quantum networking and quantum computation. To date, the largest number of particles that have been successfully manipulated is 14 trapped ions. Yet in quantum information science, photons have particular advantages over other systems. In particular, they are more easily transportable qubits and are more robust against decoherence. Thus far, the largest number of photons to have been successfully manipulated in an experiment is six. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, an eight-photon Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state with a measured fidelity of 0.59±0.02, which proved the presence of genuine eight-partite entanglement. This is achieved by improving the photon detection efficiency to 25% with a 300-mW pump laser. With this state, we also demonstrate an eight-party quantum communication complexity scenario. This eight-photon entangled-state source may be useful in one-way quantum computation, quantum networks and other quantum information processing tasks.

  12. Substance P analogues potentiate the pressor response to microinjection of L-glutamate into laminas I and II of the cat dorsal horn.

    PubMed

    Beyaert, C A; Hill, J M; Kaufman, M P

    1997-06-06

    Microinjection of a substance P analogue (1 mM; 7 or 10 nl) into laminae I and II of the L7 dorsal horn of decerebrate cats significantly potentiated (P < 0.05) the increase in arterial pressure evoked by microinjection of L-glutamate (109 mM; 7 or 10 nl) into these spinal sites. Microinjection of the substance P analogues (i.e., GR73638 and [Sar9,Met(O2)11]-substance P) which were selective NK-1 receptor agonists, had no impact on the cardioacceleration evoked by microinjection of L-glutamate (P > 0.05). In addition, microinjection of these analogues had no effect on the modest and non-significant increase in phrenic nerve discharge evoked by L-glutamate. We conclude that stimulation of NK-1 receptors in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn potentiates the pressor responses to microinjection of L-glutamate.

  13. Experiment to Evaluate the Feasibility of Utilizing Skylab-EREP Remote Sensing Data for Tectonic Analysis Through a Study of the Big Horn Mountain Region, Wyoming, South Dakota and Wyoming

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoppin, R. A. (Principal Investigator); Caldwell, J.; Lehman, D.; Palmer, S.; Pan, K. L.; Swenson, A.

    1976-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. S190B imagery was the best single product from which fairly detailed structural and some lithologic mapping could be accomplished in the Big Horn basin, the Owl Creek Mountains, and the northern Big Horn Mountains. The Nye-Bowler lineament could not be extended east of its presently mapped location although a linear (fault or monocline) was noted that may be part of the lineament, but north of postulated extensions. Much more structure was discernible in the Big Horn basin than could be seen on LANDSAT-1 imagery; RB-57 color IR photography, in turn, revealed additional folds and faults. A number of linears, several of which could be identified as faults and one a monocline, cut obliquely the east-west trending Owl Creek uplift. The heavy forest cover of the Black Hills makes direct lithologic delineation impossible. However, drainage and linear overlays revealed differences in pattern between the areas of exposed Precambrian crystalline core and the flanking Paleozoic rocks. S192 data, even precision corrected segments, were not of much use.

  14. Pharmacokinetics of a single dose of intravenous and oral meloxicam in red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Lacasse, Claude; Gamble, Kathryn C; Boothe, Dawn M

    2013-09-01

    Pharmacokinetic data were determined after a single dose of meloxicam in red-tailed hawks (RTH; Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (GHO; Bubo virginianus). In a nonrandomized crossover design, individual birds of each species received 1 dose of intravenous meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg i.v.; n = 7 for each species) followed by a 2-week washout period, and then each received 1 dose of oral meloxicam (0.5 mg/kg PO; n = 5 for each species). Blood samples were collected intermittently after administration, and meloxicam was detected in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography. Time versus plasma concentration data were subjected to noncompartmental analysis. Red-tailed hawks were determined to have the shortest elimination half-life for meloxicam (0.49 +/- 0.5 hours) of any species documented. Great horned owls also eliminated meloxicam very rapidly (0.78 +/- 0.52 hours). Great horned owls achieved higher plasma concentrations (368 +/- 87 ng/mL) of meloxicam than RTH (182 +/- 167 ng/mL) after oral administration, although RTH had a markedly higher volume of distribution (832 +/- 711 mL/kg) than GHO (137.6 +/- 62.7 mL/kg). The differences in meloxicam pharmacokinetics between these 2 raptor species supports the need for species-dependent studies and underlines the challenges of extrapolating drug dosages between species. Results of this study suggest that the current recommended once-daily dosing interval of oral meloxicam is unlikely to maintain plasma concentrations anticipated to be therapeutic in either RTH or GHO, and practical dosing options are questionable for this nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drug in these raptor species.

  15. Effect of biotin supplementation on claw horn growth in young, clinically healthy cattle

    PubMed Central

    da Silva, Luiz Antônio Franco; Franco, Leandro Guimarães; Atayde, Ingrid Bueno; da Cunha, Paulo Henrique Jorge; de Moura, Maria Ivete; Goulart, Daniel Silva

    2010-01-01

    The effects of orally administered biotin supplementation on the growth of claw horn in young, clinically healthy cattle were analyzed. Twelve, 1-year-old Girolando cattle were randomly assigned to receive either 12.5 mg of diluted powdered biotin (GI) or a control treatment (GII) for 40 consecutive days. Cattle in the GI group showed an average hoof growth of 11.3 ± 0.72 mm, while those in GII had an average hoof growth of 7.2 ± 0.78 mm. The results confirmed the positive effect of biotin supplementation on the growth of angle and length of the dorsal hoof wall, hoof sole length, and on resistance to wearing, in young cattle extensively managed. PMID:20808571

  16. Phenotypic disparity in Iberian short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae): the role of ecology and phylogeny.

    PubMed

    García-Navas, Vicente; Noguerales, Víctor; Cordero, Pedro J; Ortego, Joaquín

    2017-05-04

    The combination of model-based comparative techniques, disparity analyses and ecomorphological correlations constitutes a powerful method to gain insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that shape morphological variation and speciation processes. In this study, we used a time-calibrated phylogeny of 70 Iberian species of short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae) to test for patterns of morphological disparity in relation to their ecology and phylogenetic history. Specifically, we examined the role of substrate type and level of ecological specialization in driving different aspects of morphological evolution (locomotory traits, chemosensitive organs and cranial morphology) in this recent radiation. We found a bimodal distribution of locomotory attributes corresponding to the two main substrate type guilds (plant vs. ground); plant-perching species tend to exhibit larger wings and thicker femora than those that remain on the ground. This suggests that life form (i.e., substrate type) is an important driving force in the evolution of morphological traits in short-horned grasshoppers, irrespective of ancestry. Substrate type and ecological specialization had no significant influence on head shape, a trait that showed a strong phylogenetic conservatism. Finally, we also found a marginal significant association between the length of antennae and the level of ecological specialization, suggesting that the development of sensory organs may be favored in specialist species. Our results provide evidence that even in taxonomic groups showing limited morphological and ecological disparity, natural selection seems to play a more important role than genetic drift in driving the speciation process. Overall, this study suggests that morphostatic radiations should not necessarily be considered as "non-adaptive" and that the speciation process can bind both adaptive divergence mechanisms and neutral speciation processes related with allopatric and/or reproductive isolation.

  17. Khat in the Horn of Africa: historical perspectives and current trends.

    PubMed

    Gebissa, Ezekiel

    2010-12-01

    This article looks at the history of the expansion of khat consumption from the traditional chew regions to Western countries and assesses the implication of possible international control for its use and trade in the Horn of Africa. Ten months of initial field work in Ethiopia, three follow up field work, archival work in Ethiopia and Europe, as well as study of available relevant literature. The debut of khat in the West in the 1980s was initially greeted with disdain and indifference. Authorities dismissed it on grounds that the mode of consumption, chewing the leaves for an extended period of time to extract a miniscule amount of the active ingredient, would not be appealing to Western users. Following the Mogadishu debacle of 1993, as depicted in the movie Black Hawk Down, authorities in the West began to express concern that khat was a new drug of abuse. Its trade was increasingly linked with terrorism because of its association with immigrants from the traditional khat use countries in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Amid hysteria and moral panic, many Western countries classified khat as a highly potent controlled substance, rendering its possession, cultivation, and trade illegal. This article argues that more and more Western governments, out of panic rather than definitive evidence of harm, will be instituting national laws banning the leaves, but khat will not be placed under international control because the scientific evidence of harm is unlikely to rise to a critical mass that would justify its illegalization. States in the source countries would continue to tolerate khat because banning it would be disastrous from an economic and social welfare standpoint. Because of its ambiguous legal position and the unstable nature of its active ingredient, cathinone, khat would not be successfully commoditized as a global commodity or transformed into a highly concentrated illicit drug. In this situation, khat would continue to be chewed in the

  18. Systematics and Taxonomy of the Long-horned Caddisfly Genus Tagalopsyche (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andersen, T.; Holzenthal, R. W.

    2005-05-01

    The long-horned caddisfly genus Tagalopsyche Banks 1913 contains 4 described species from the Oriental and Afrotropical regions: T. aethiopica Kimmins (Ethiopia), T. brunnea (Ulmer) (Indonesia), T. fletcheri Kimmins (India), and T. sisyroides Banks (Philippines), the type species. In addition, at least 6 new species are known from Ghana, India, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, more than doubling the known species diversity. Diagnoses, descriptions, and illustrations of males and known females are provided for all species as well as a re-diagnosis of generic characters and a key to species. The genus is most closely related to Mystacides, with 19 species in the Nearctic, Palearctic and Oriental regions, with which is shares the synapomorpy: abdominal sternum IX of the male genitalia produced posteriorly. Little is known of the biology or ecology of the species.

  19. Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states-based blind quantum computation with entanglement concentration.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaoqian; Weng, Jian; Lu, Wei; Li, Xiaochun; Luo, Weiqi; Tan, Xiaoqing

    2017-09-11

    In blind quantum computation (BQC) protocol, the quantum computability of servers are complicated and powerful, while the clients are not. It is still a challenge for clients to delegate quantum computation to servers and keep the clients' inputs, outputs and algorithms private. Unfortunately, quantum channel noise is unavoidable in the practical transmission. In this paper, a novel BQC protocol based on maximally entangled Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states is proposed which doesn't need a trusted center. The protocol includes a client and two servers, where the client only needs to own quantum channels with two servers who have full-advantage quantum computers. Two servers perform entanglement concentration used to remove the noise, where the success probability can almost reach 100% in theory. But they learn nothing in the process of concentration because of the no-signaling principle, so this BQC protocol is secure and feasible.

  20. Development of horn antenna mixer array with internal local oscillator module for microwave imaging diagnostics

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

    Kuwahara, D., E-mail: dkuwahar@cc.tuat.ac.jp; Ito, N.; Nagayama, Y.

    A new antenna array is proposed in order to improve the sensitivity and complexity of microwave imaging diagnostics systems such as a microwave imaging reflectometry, a microwave imaging interferometer, and an electron cyclotron emission imaging. The antenna array consists of five elements: a horn antenna, a waveguide-to-microstrip line transition, a mixer, a local oscillation (LO) module, and an intermediate frequency amplifier. By using an LO module, the LO optics can be removed, and the supplied LO power to each element can be equalized. We report details of the antenna array and characteristics of a prototype antenna array.

  1. Development of horn antenna mixer array with internal local oscillator module for microwave imaging diagnostics.

    PubMed

    Kuwahara, D; Ito, N; Nagayama, Y; Yoshinaga, T; Yamaguchi, S; Yoshikawa, M; Kohagura, J; Sugito, S; Kogi, Y; Mase, A

    2014-11-01

    A new antenna array is proposed in order to improve the sensitivity and complexity of microwave imaging diagnostics systems such as a microwave imaging reflectometry, a microwave imaging interferometer, and an electron cyclotron emission imaging. The antenna array consists of five elements: a horn antenna, a waveguide-to-microstrip line transition, a mixer, a local oscillation (LO) module, and an intermediate frequency amplifier. By using an LO module, the LO optics can be removed, and the supplied LO power to each element can be equalized. We report details of the antenna array and characteristics of a prototype antenna array.

  2. The effects of burning and grazing on survival, home range, and prey dynamics of the Texas horned lizard in a thornscrub ecosystem

    Treesearch

    Anna L. Burrow; Richard T. Kazmaier; Eric C. Hellgren; Donald C. Ruthven, III

    2002-01-01

    We examined the effects of rotational livestock grazing and prescribed winter burning on the state threatened Texas horned lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum, by comparing home range sizes, survival estimates and prey abundance across burning and grazing treatments in southern Texas. Adult lizards were fitted with backpacks carrying radio transmitters and...

  3. Tsirelson bounds for generalized Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequalities

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

    Wehner, Stephanie

    2006-02-15

    Quantum theory imposes a strict limit on the strength of nonlocal correlations. It only allows for a violation of the Clauser, Horne, Shimony, and Holt (CHSH) inequality up to the value 2{radical}(2), known as Tsirelson's bound. In this paper, we consider generalized CHSH inequalities based on many measurement settings with two possible measurement outcomes each. We demonstrate how to prove Tsirelson bounds for any such generalized CHSH inequality using semidefinite programming. As an example, we show that for any shared entangled state and observables X{sub 1},...,X{sub n} and Y{sub 1},...,Y{sub n} with eigenvalues {+-}1 we have |++++{center_dot}{center_dot}{center_dot}+-|{<=}2n cos[{pi}/(2n)]. It is well known that there exist observables such that equality can be achieved. However, we show that these are indeed optimal. Our approach can easily be generalized to other inequalities for such observables.« less

  4. The potential use of ultrasound to control the trematode bolbophorus confusus by eliminating the ram's horn snail planorbella trivolvis in commercial aquaculture settings

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    One method in the investigation of acoustics to improve aquaculture production is the use of ultrasound to control the trematode, Bolbophorus confuses, in commercial catfish ponds. The trematode population can be controlled by eliminating the host ram’s horn snail, Planorbella trivolvis, which is ty...

  5. Automatic monitoring of the alignment and wear of vibration welding equipment

    DOEpatents

    Spicer, John Patrick; Cai, Wayne W.; Chakraborty, Debejyo; Mink, Keith

    2017-05-23

    A vibration welding system includes vibration welding equipment having a welding horn and anvil, a host machine, a check station, and a welding robot. At least one displacement sensor is positioned with respect to one of the welding equipment and the check station. The robot moves the horn and anvil via an arm to the check station, when a threshold condition is met, i.e., a predetermined amount of time has elapsed or a predetermined number of welds have been completed. The robot moves the horn and anvil to the check station, activates the at least one displacement sensor, at the check station, and determines a status condition of the welding equipment by processing the received signals. The status condition may be one of the alignment of the vibration welding equipment and the wear or degradation of the vibration welding equipment.

  6. COORDINATING ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE WITH EPIDEMIOLOGY AND LABORATORY ANALYSIS: A WATERBORNE OUTBREAK OF SNOW MOUNTAIN VIRUS IN THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS OF WYOMING

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background: In February 2001, the Wyoming Department of Health received reports of acute gastroenteritis among persons who had recently been on a snowmobiling vacation in the Big Horn Mountains. Initial interviews and laboratory testing suggested that exposure to a calicivirus ...

  7. FECAL CORTISOL LEVELS IN SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX, ORYX DAMMAH, REVEALS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTS.

    PubMed

    Pauling, Cassandra D; Lankford, Scott E; Jackson, Victoria L

    2017-12-01

    Due to the intensive management of the scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah, involving both captivity and reintroductions, understanding the stress associated with environmental situations this endangered species might experience would be particularly helpful. Fecal cortisol levels were measured across seasons, between captive management programs, and among varying reproductive states in animals held at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (FRWC) and Kansas City Zoo (KCZ). A total of 72 samples were collected from FRWC and 69 samples were collected from KCZ. The herd size and sex ratio changed for both locations in the middle of sampling due to translocations and birth. The herd sizes ranged from 25 to 28 individuals at FRWC and 22 to 24 individuals at KCZ. An ELISA was optimized and utilized to investigate fecal cortisol variances across seasons, captive management programs, and among varying reproductive states. Fecal cortisol levels ranged from 68.9 to 668.7 pg/g throughout this study, but key differences were found in response to reproductive status, environmental conditions, and social status. The highest level of fecal cortisol measured (668.7 pg/g) was in a pregnant female 9 days prior to parturition. During winter months, an increase in fecal cortisol levels occurred in both herds (FRWC 160.3 pg/g to 335.1 pg/g and KCZ 118.8 pg/g to 505.0 pg/g). In addition, when intact males were held together in an enclosure, the dominant males had lower fecal cortisol levels compared with submissive males during three of the four sampling periods. Understanding how these data relate to the physiologic stress response will require further study, but these results can be utilized to help establish expected fecal cortisol ranges in multiple environments and can aid current captive scimitar-horned oryx management programs, as well as future reintroduction efforts.

  8. Expression of gastrin-releasing peptide by excitatory interneurons in the mouse superficial dorsal horn.

    PubMed

    Gutierrez-Mecinas, Maria; Watanabe, Masahiko; Todd, Andrew J

    2014-12-11

    Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and its receptor have been shown to play an important role in the sensation of itch. However, although GRP immunoreactivity has been detected in the spinal dorsal horn, there is debate about whether this originates from primary afferents or local excitatory interneurons. We therefore examined the relation of GRP immunoreactivity to that seen with antibodies that label primary afferent or excitatory interneuron terminals. We tested the specificity of the GRP antibody by preincubating with peptides with which it could potentially cross-react. We also examined tissue from a mouse line in which enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) is expressed under control of the GRP promoter. GRP immunoreactivity was seen in both primary afferent and non-primary glutamatergic axon terminals in the superficial dorsal horn. However, immunostaining was blocked by pre-incubation of the antibody with substance P, which is present at high levels in many nociceptive primary afferents. EGFP+ cells in the GRP-EGFP mouse did not express Pax2, and their axons contained the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2), indicating that they are excitatory interneurons. In most cases, their axons were also GRP-immunoreactive. Multiple-labelling immunocytochemical studies indicated that these cells did not express either of the preprotachykinin peptides, and that they generally lacked protein kinase Cγ, which is expressed by a subset of the excitatory interneurons in this region. These results show that GRP is expressed by a distinct population of excitatory interneurons in laminae I-II that are likely to be involved in the itch pathway. They also suggest that the GRP immunoreactivity seen in primary afferents in previous studies may have resulted from cross-reaction of the GRP antibody with substance P or the closely related peptide neurokinin A.

  9. The Levant versus the Horn of Africa: Evidence for Bidirectional Corridors of Human Migrations

    PubMed Central

    Luis, J. R.; Rowold, D. J.; Regueiro, M.; Caeiro, B.; Cinnioğlu, C.; Roseman, C.; Underhill, P. A.; Cavalli-Sforza, L. L.; Herrera, R. J.

    2004-01-01

    Paleoanthropological evidence indicates that both the Levantine corridor and the Horn of Africa served, repeatedly, as migratory corridors between Africa and Eurasia. We have begun investigating the roles of these passageways in bidirectional migrations of anatomically modern humans, by analyzing 45 informative biallelic markers as well as 10 microsatellite loci on the nonrecombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) in 121 and 147 extant males from Oman and northern Egypt, respectively. The present study uncovers three important points concerning these demic movements: (1) The E3b1-M78 and E3b3-M123 lineages, as well as the R1*-M173 lineages, mark gene flow between Egypt and the Levant during the Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic. (2) In contrast, the Horn of Africa appears to be of minor importance in the human migratory movements between Africa and Eurasia represented by these chromosomes, an observation based on the frequency distributions of E3b*-M35 (no known downstream mutations) and M173. (3) The areal diffusion patterns of G-M201, J-12f2, the derivative M173 haplogroups, and M2 suggest more recent genetic associations between the Middle East and Africa, involving the Levantine corridor and/or Arab slave routes. Affinities to African groups were also evaluated by determining the NRY haplogroup composition in 434 samples from seven sub-Saharan African populations. Oman and Egypt’s NRY frequency distributions appear to be much more similar to those of the Middle East than to any sub-Saharan African population, suggesting a much larger Eurasian genetic component. Finally, the overall phylogeographic profile reveals several clinal patterns and genetic partitions that may indicate source, direction, and relative timing of different waves of dispersals and expansions involving these nine populations. PMID:14973781

  10. Chronic myelogenous leukemia in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Wiley, Jennifer L; Whittington, Julia K; Wilmes, Christine M; Messick, Joanne B

    2009-03-01

    A free-ranging adult female great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was presented to the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois after being observed with anorexia and decreased activity. A severe leukocytosis (212 400 cells/microl), primarily comprised of mature heterophils, was found at presentation. Results of various diagnostic tests including radiographs, Chlamydophila serologic testing, measurement of Aspergillus antibody and antigen titers, plasma protein electrophoresis, fecal culture and acid-fast staining, coelioscopy, endoscopy, tracheoscopy, exploratory coelomotomy, nuclear scintigraphy, tissue cultures, bone marrow biopsy, and histopathology revealed no underlying cause for the persistent leukocytosis. No response to treatment with antibiotics or antifungal agents was observed, although a transient, significant decrease in the leukocyte count (6200 cells/microl) was observed after treatment with fenbendazole. A presumptive diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia was made based on 3 factors: disease duration of greater than 3 months, a lack of identifiable foci of inflammation, and a lack of response to conventional therapy. The diagnosis was confirmed based on postmortem examination and testing 177 days after initial presentation.

  11. Tachykinin actions on deep dorsal horn neurons in vitro: an electrophysiological and morphological study in the immature rat.

    PubMed

    King, A E; Slack, J R; Lopez-Garcia, J A; Ackley, M A

    1997-05-01

    To assess whether functional neurokinin receptors exist in the deep dorsal horn of the rat, the actions of the selective neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) agonist [Sar9,Met(O2)11]substance P ([Sar9,Met(O2)11]SP), the neurokinin-2 receptor (NK2R) agonists [beta-Ala8]NKA(4-10) and GR64349 and the neurokinin-3 receptor (NK3R) agonist senktide were examined intracellularly in vitro. [Sar9,Met(O2)11]SP (1-4 microM) and senktide (1-2 microM) elicited slow depolarizations (<10 mV) associated with increased synaptic activity and cell firing. [beta-Ala8]NKA(4-10) (10-20 microM) and GR64349 (0.25-10 microM) caused small depolarizations (<2.0 mV) and no firing. Neurons were categorized as either 'tonic' or 'phasic' depending on their firing response to direct current step depolarizations. Tonic neurons, which, unlike phasic neurons, display no spike firing accommodation, generated a significantly larger depolarization to the NK1R and NK3R agonists. The putative contribution of these receptors to primary afferent-mediated synaptic transmission was assessed by testing the NK1R antagonist GR82334 (1 microM), the NK2R antagonist MEN10,376 (1 microM) and the NK3R antagonist [Trp7,beta-Ala8]NKA(4-10) (1 microM) against the dorsal root-evoked excitatory postsynaptic potential (DR-EPSP). GR82334 and [Trp7,beta-Ala8]NKA(4-10) significantly reduced (P < or = 0.05) the duration but not the amplitude of the DR-EPSP. MEN10,376 (1 microM) had no effect on DR-EPSP amplitude or duration. Morphological detail was obtained for seven biocytin-filled deep dorsal horn neurons tested with [Sar9,Met(O2)11]SP. Five neurons responded to the NK1R agonist, and two of these had dorsally directed dendrites into the substantia gelatinosa. The other three [Sar9,Met(O2)11]SP-sensitive neurons had dendrites within deeper laminae. These data support the existence of functional NK1Rs and NK3Rs in the deep dorsal horn which may be involved in mediating sensory afferent inputs from nociceptors.

  12. [Unicornuate uterus with cavitary non-communicating rudimentary horn: magnetic resonance characterization].

    PubMed

    Chamorro-Oscullo, Jenny Del Rocío; Sánchez-Cortázar, Julián Antonio; Gómez-Pérez, María de Guadalupe

    2018-01-01

    Mullerian duct or paramesonephric anomalies are a group of congenital malformations of the female genital tract that result from the alteration in one or more stages of embryonic development. The prevalence has increased, probably due to the progress of diagnostic imaging methods and the relevance that it has acquired in young women with infertility problems. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is currently the method of choice for characterizing the different types of Mullerian anomalies, its complications and associated pathology. Unicornuate uterus correspond to class II of classification of Mullerian duct anomalies developed by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. According to this, four subtypes have been identified, each with different clinical implications. A cavitated, non-communicating rudimentary horn in a unicornuate uterus is associated with an increased incidence of gynecological problems and obstetric complications that sometimes threaten the lives of patients, reason why its suspicion, diagnosis and treatment is necessary. We report the case of a patient with infertility in which this subtype of congenital malformation was discovered.

  13. Penetrating keratoplasty for treatment of corneal protrusion in a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus).

    PubMed

    Andrew, Stacy E; Clippinger, Tracy L; Brooks, Dennis E; Helmick, Kelly E

    2002-09-01

    A young adult great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) was examined following presumed trauma. The owl had soft tissue injury to its left wing as well as corneal protrusion, lens subluxation, and iridodialysis of the right eye. The bird's eye was treated surgically with a large, rectangular penetrating keratoplasty. Following escape from housing, the bird was found with partial wound dehiscence and iris prolapse 12 days post operation. Surgical repair was performed and healing progressed for 14 days, at which time the transplant dehisced and the globe was exenterated. The patient rehabilitated well until escaping from its cage again 4 weeks later, at which time it sustained an open comminuted humeral fracture and was euthanized.

  14. Outcome of ACL Reconstruction for Chronic ACL Injury in Knees without the Posterior Horn of the Medial Meniscus: Comparison with ACL Reconstructed Knees with An Intact Medial Meniscus.

    PubMed

    Syam, Kevin; Chouhan, Devendra K; Dhillon, Mandeep Singh

    2017-03-01

    Cadaveric studies have shown that deficiency of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PHMM) increases strain on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft. However, its influence on the clinical and radiological outcome after ACL reconstruction is less discussed and hence evaluated in this study. This study included 77 cases of ACL reconstruction with a minimum 18-month follow-up. Of the 77 cases, 41 patients with intact menisci were compared clinically and radiologically with 36 patients with an injury to the PHMM that required various grades of meniscectomy. The knees were evaluated using subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and Orthopadische Arbeitsgruppe Knie (OAK) score. Cases with intact menisci showed better stability (p=0.004) at an average of 44.51 months after surgery. No significant differences were noted in the overall OAK score, subjective IKDC score, and functional OAK score (p=0.082, p=0.526, and p=0.363, respectively). The incidence of radiological osteoarthrosis was significantly higher in the posterior horn deficient knees (p=0.022). The tendency toward relatively higher objective instability and increased incidence of osteoarthrosis in the group with absent posterior horn reinforces its importance as a secondary stabiliser of the knee.

  15. Cattell-Horn-Carroll Cognitive Abilities and Their Effects on Reading Decoding Skills: g Has Indirect Effects, More Specific Abilities Have Direct Effects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floyd, Randy G.; Keith, Timothy Z.; Taub, Gordon E.; McGrew, Kevin S.

    2007-01-01

    This study employed structural equation modeling to examine the effects of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) abilities on reading decoding skills using five age-differentiated subsamples from the standardization sample of the Woodcock-Johnson III (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001). Using the Spearman Model including only g, strong direct effects of g on…

  16. Histomorphometry and Protein Expression From the Ovary and Uterine Horns of Wistar Strain Albino Rats Treated with Methanol Leave Extract of Parquetina Nigrescens.

    PubMed

    Akinjiola, Akinwale Modupe; Ajala, Oluwatoyin Oluwasola; Aina, Oluwasanmi Olayinka; Oyebanji, Victor Olawale; Olukunle, Johnny Olufemi

    2018-06-26

    The effects of methanol extract of Parquetina nigrescens were studied on histomorphometry and protein expression (SDS-PAGE) from the ovaries and uteri of wistar rats. 30 sexually matured rats were used for the study with 10 each in the control and treatment 100 mgkg -1 and 400 mgkg -1 groups. The extract was orally administered for 14 days. Histological sections of tissues collected presented no abnormalities. An increase in the number of developing and matured follicles were observed during the study in the treated groups compared to the control in the follicular and the luteal phases. The corpora lutea in the treated groups were fewer in number to that of the control in the follicular phase and in the luteal phase. Sections of the uterine horns showed significant narrowing in the lumen diameter and increases in epithelial height with increased laydown of the lamina propria in the treated groups. The expression of protein bands fractionated during the study, confirm the presence of proteins expressed repeatedly from the ovary and uterine horns in the follicular and luteal phases at the 70 kDa and 63 kDa regions. The study concluded that the methanol extract of the plant increased folliculogenesis on the ovary, secretory activity in the nuclei of the epithelium and the fibroplasia of the lamina propria while narrowing the lumen of the uterine horns which are similar to the effects of oestrogen or oestrogen-like substances on these reproductive organs and may have an effect on the abundance of protein expressed in the follicular phase. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  17. Characterization of maximally entangled two-qubit states via the Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality

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

    Chen Zeqian

    2004-08-01

    Maximally entangled states should maximally violate the Bell inequality. It is proved that all two-qubit states that maximally violate the Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt inequality are exactly Bell states and the states obtained from them by local transformations. The proof is obtained by using the certain algebraic properties that Pauli's matrices satisfy. The argument is extended to the three-qubit system. Since all states obtained by local transformations of a maximally entangled state are equally valid entangled states, we thus give the characterizations of maximally entangled states in both the two-qubit and three-qubit systems in terms of the Bell inequality.

  18. Quantifying ecological, morphological, and genetic variation to delimit species in the coast horned lizard species complex (Phrynosoma)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leache, A.D.; Koo, M.S.; Spencer, C.L.; Papenfuss, T.J.; Fisher, R.N.; McGuire, J.A.

    2009-01-01

    Lineage separation and divergence form a temporally extended process whereby populations may diverge genetically, morphologically, or ecologically, and these contingent properties of species provide the operational criteria necessary for species delimitation.We inferred the historical process of lineage formation in the coast horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum) species complex by evaluating a diversity of operational species criteria, including divergence in mtDNA (98 specimens; 2,781 bp) and nuclear loci (RAG-1, 1,054 bp; BDNF 529 bp), ecological niches (11 bioclimatic variables; 285 unique localities), and cranial horn shapes (493 specimens; 16 landmarks). A phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA recovers 5 phylogeographic groups arranged latitudinally along the Baja California Peninsula and in California. The 2 southern phylogeographic groups exhibit concordance between genetic, morphological, and ecological divergence; however, differentiation is weak or absent at more recent levels defined by phylogeographic breaks in California. Interpreting these operational species criteria together suggests that there are 3 ecologically divergent and morphologically diagnosable species within the P. coronatum complex. Our 3-species taxonomic hypothesis invokes a deep coalescence event when fitting the mtDNA genealogy into the species tree, which is not unexpected for populations that have diverged recently. Although the hypothesis that the 3 phylogeographic groups distributed across California each represent distinctive species is not supported by all of the operational species criteria evaluated in this study, the conservation status of the imperiled populations represented by these genealogical units remains critical.

  19. Cross-species amplification of microsatellite markers in the Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus, Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus and Snowy Owl B. scandiacus for use in population genetics, individual identification and parentage studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dial, Cody R.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Sage, George K.; Seidensticker, M.T.; Holt, D.W.

    2012-01-01

    Using DNA from blood and feathers, we screened twenty-four microsatellite primer pairs initially developed for six strigid owls, and four primer pairs shown to be polymorphic across avian taxa, for their utility in Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus), and Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). Eight of these primers reliably amplified polymorphic fragments in Great Horned Owl, eleven in Short-eared owl, and ten in Snowy Owl. Analyses of results from presumably unrelated owls demonstrate the utility of these loci for individual identification, parentage assignment, and population genetics studies.

  20. Classification of Horn of Africa School Children: Is It Appropriate for the Educational Authorities in England to Refer to Them as Refugees?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuyok, Kuyok Abol

    2010-01-01

    Drawing on evidence from a PhD study, this paper raises questions about the appropriateness of English educational authorities to continue to refer to the Horn of Africa children, most of them born in the UK, as refugees. The word refugee, in its broad definition, seemingly masks fundamental differences and may reinforce stereotypical perceptions…