Sample records for surf sci nanotech

  1. The GMO-Nanotech (Dis)Analogy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandler, Ronald; Kay, W. D.

    2006-01-01

    The genetically-modified-organism (GMO) experience has been prominent in motivating science, industry, and regulatory communities to address the social and ethical dimensions of nanotechnology. However, there are some significant problems with the GMO-nanotech analogy. First, it overstates the likelihood of a GMO-like backlash against…

  2. Minister unveils new nanotech centres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dumé, Belle

    2009-06-01

    Three new nanotechnology research centres are to be set up in France as part of a €70m government plan to help French companies in the sector. Researchers at the new centres, which will be located in Grenoble, Saclay (near Paris) and Toulouse, will be encouraged to collaborate with industry to develop new nanotech-based products. Dubbed NANO-INNOV, the new plan includes €46m for two new buildings at Saclay, with the rest being used to buy new equipment at the three centres and to fund grant proposals from staff to the French National Research Agency (ANR).

  3. Surfing wave climate variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Espejo, Antonio; Losada, Iñigo J.; Méndez, Fernando J.

    2014-10-01

    International surfing destinations are highly dependent on specific combinations of wind-wave formation, thermal conditions and local bathymetry. Surf quality depends on a vast number of geophysical variables, and analyses of surf quality require the consideration of the seasonal, interannual and long-term variability of surf conditions on a global scale. A multivariable standardized index based on expert judgment is proposed for this purpose. This index makes it possible to analyze surf conditions objectively over a global domain. A summary of global surf resources based on a new index integrating existing wave, wind, tides and sea surface temperature databases is presented. According to general atmospheric circulation and swell propagation patterns, results show that west-facing low to middle-latitude coasts are more suitable for surfing, especially those in the Southern Hemisphere. Month-to-month analysis reveals strong seasonal variations in the occurrence of surfable events, enhancing the frequency of such events in the North Atlantic and the North Pacific. Interannual variability was investigated by comparing occurrence values with global and regional modes of low-frequency climate variability such as El Niño and the North Atlantic Oscillation, revealing their strong influence at both the global and the regional scale. Results of the long-term trends demonstrate an increase in the probability of surfable events on west-facing coasts around the world in recent years. The resulting maps provide useful information for surfers, the surf tourism industry and surf-related coastal planners and stakeholders.

  4. Neurological injuries from car surfing.

    PubMed

    Wang, Arthur; Cohen, Alan R; Robinson, Shenandoah

    2009-11-01

    Trauma secondary to car surfing is a unique mechanism of head and spinal injury in children and adolescents. In this study, the authors present their experience with neurological injuries resulting from car surfing and describe the growing national trend of car-surfing injuries and the increasing portrayal of this activity in the media. A retrospective study of the Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital trauma database was conducted to identify all cases of neurological injuries secondary to car surfing. Between January 1995 and December 2008, 7 patients surfing fatalities over the same time period in children and adolescents 10-20 years of age were obtained from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and these data were analyzed for national trends in car-surfing fatalities. All 7 children with injuries due to car surfing suffered traumatic head injuries. Three patients fell from the back of the moving vehicle, 2 fell from the hood, 1 fell from the side of the vehicle, and 1 patient sustained head injuries after intentionally jumping off the moving vehicle. All 7 children suffered intracranial bleeding, and 4 had associated skull fractures. One patient underwent craniotomy to evacuate an acute subdural hematoma. The other 6 patients required nonoperative treatment. Four patients had permanent neurological problems. National statistics have shown a steady rise in car-surfing fatality rates since 2000, especially in California, Florida, and Texas. Car surfing is an unusual but serious mechanism of neurological injury in children and adolescents. Despite its dangers, car surfing is becoming a more common pastime in the pediatric population. National statistics have shown a steady rise in car-surfing fatalities since 2000. This national rise in fatalities chronologically overlaps with the introduction of media depictions of

  5. Medical surfing.

    PubMed

    Khan, L A; Khan, S A

    2001-11-01

    The Internet has revolutionized information technology. Vast amounts of latest information are available on the Internet to medical professionals. Medical surfing is fast becoming part of a doctor's profession. But the way to approach the Internet and retrieve useful information from myriads of medical websites seems a daunting task to many. This review aims to help the newcomer, the medical students and doctors in obtaining fruitful medical information while surfing. It will prevent them from the feeling of getting drowned in the ocean of medical information. As medical information is not restricted to books and journals, providing Internet addresses of different medical bodies with few salient features, will go a long way in helping attain the required information without wasting time. The Internet will soon become a universal library. Medical surfing should be included in the curriculum of all medical schools and universities.

  6. Performance Analysis of Surfing: A Review.

    PubMed

    Farley, Oliver R L; Abbiss, Chris R; Sheppard, Jeremy M

    2017-01-01

    Farley, ORL, Abbiss, CR, and Sheppard, JM. Performance Analysis of Surfing: A Review. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 260-271, 2017-Despite the increased professionalism and substantial growth of surfing worldwide, there is limited information available to practitioners and coaches in terms of key performance analytics that are common in other field-based sports. Indeed, research analyzing surfing performance is limited to a few studies examining male surfers' heart rates, surfing activities through time-motion analysis (TMA) using video recordings and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) data during competition and recreational surfing. These studies have indicated that specific activities undertaken during surfing are unique with a variety of activities (i.e., paddling, resting, wave riding, breath holding, and recovery of surfboard in the surf). Furthermore, environmental and wave conditions also seem to influence the physical demands of competition surfing. It is due to these demands that surfers are required to have a high cardiorespiratory fitness, high muscular endurance, and considerable strength and anaerobic power, particular within the upper torso. By exploring various methods of performance analysis used within other sports, it is possible to improve our understanding of surfing demands. In so doing this will assist in the development of protocols and strategies to assess physiological characteristics of surfers, monitor athlete performance, improve training prescription, and identify talent. Therefore, this review explores the current literature to provide insights into methodological protocols, delimitations of research into athlete analysis and an overview of surfing dynamics. Specifically, this review will describe and review the use of TMA, GPS, and other technologies (i.e., HR) that are used in external and internal load monitoring as they pertain to surfing.

  7. Planktonic Subsidies to Surf-Zone and Intertidal Communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morgan, Steven G.; Shanks, Alan L.; MacMahan, Jamie H.; Reniers, Ad J. H. M.; Feddersen, Falk

    2018-01-01

    Plankton are transported onshore, providing subsidies of food and new recruits to surf-zone and intertidal communities. The transport of plankton to the surf zone is influenced by wind, wave, and tidal forcing, and whether they enter the surf zone depends on alongshore variation in surf-zone hydrodynamics caused by the interaction of breaking waves with coastal morphology. Areas with gently sloping shores and wide surf zones typically have orders-of-magnitude-higher concentrations of plankton in the surf zone and dense larval settlement in intertidal communities because of the presence of bathymetric rip currents, which are absent in areas with steep shores and narrow surf zones. These striking differences in subsidies have profound consequences; areas with greater subsidies support more productive surf-zone communities and possibly more productive rocky intertidal communities. Recognition of the importance of spatial subsidies for rocky community dynamics has recently advanced ecological theory, and incorporating surf-zone hydrodynamics would be an especially fruitful line of investigation.

  8. Medical Aspects of Surfing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Renneker, Mark

    1987-01-01

    The medical aspects of surfing include ear and eye injuries and sprains and strains of the lower back and neck, as well as skin cancer from exposure to the sun. Treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of these problems are discussed. Surfing is recommended as part of an exercise program for reasonably healthy people. (Author/MT)

  9. Delineation of surf scoter habitat in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland: macrobenthic and sediment composition of surf scoter feeding sites

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kidwell, D.M.; Perry, M.C.

    2005-01-01

    Surveys of surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) along the Atlantic coast of the United States have shown population declines in recent decades. The Chesapeake Bay has traditionally been a key wintering area for surf scoters. Past and present research has shown that bivalves constitute a major food item for seaducks in the Chesapeake Bay, with surf scoters feeding primarily on hooked mussel (Ischadium recurvum) and dwarf surf clam (Mulinia lateralis). Degraded water quality conditions in the Chesapeake Bay have been well documented and have been shown to greatly influence the composition of benthic communities. Large concentrations of feeding surf scoters (>500 individuals) in the Bay were determined through monthly boat surveys. Locations consistently lacking surf scoters were also determined. Macrobenthos were seasonally sampled at 3 locations containing scoters and 3 locations without scoters. A 1 kilometer square grid was superimposed over each location using GIS and sampling sites within the square were randomly chosen. Benthos were sampled at each site using SCUBA and a meter square quadrat. Biomass and size class estimates were determined for all bivalves within each kilometer square. Results indicated that scoter feeding sites contained significantly greater biomass of M. lateralis, I. recurvum, and Gemma gemma than locations where no scoters were present. Substrate differences were also detected, with scoter feeding sites being composed of a sand/shell mix while non-scoter sites consisted primarily of mud. This data indicates that surf scoters in the Chesapeake Bay are selecting areas with high densities of preferred food items, potentially maximizing there foraging energetics. In addition, two scoter feeding sites also contained a patchwork of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and oyster shell, on which much of the I. recurvum was attached. This suggests the possibility that surf scoters utilize eastern oyster habitat and the dramatic depletion of

  10. Surfing on the Spectrum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Apel, Laura

    2007-01-01

    Israel Paskowitz loves surfing. As a former competitive surfer, he has spent much of his life in the ocean and absorbed in a community of athletes that share a special connection with the water. Surfing is often thought of as a spiritual hobby that brings peace and relaxation to those who experience it. However, it was not until Israel's son,…

  11. 50 CFR 648.72 - Minimum surf clam size.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries § 648.72 Minimum surf clam size. (a) Minimum length. The minimum length for surf clams is 4.75 inches (12.065 cm). (b) Determination of compliance. No more than 50... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Minimum surf clam size. 648.72 Section 648...

  12. Surf Reports reported to the Hawaiian Forecast Office

    Science.gov Websites

    CONTROLLED. Surf Reports from Kauai RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR PER REMARKS Kee Haena 130 PM 2-4 RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR PER WIND REMARKS Diamond Head Waikiki 315 PM 2-3 NE 10-15 from Maui RSS Feed LOCATION TIME SURF HEIGHT DIR WIND REMARKS Kanaha Baldwin Shor 1035 AM 2-3 NE 10-15

  13. Surfing-related ocular injuries.

    PubMed

    Kim, J W; McDonald, H R; Rubsamen, P E; Luttrull, J K; Drouilhet, J H; Frambach, D A; Boyer, D S; Lambrou, F H; Hendrick, A; Weiss, J N; Engstrom, R E; Ing, M

    1998-01-01

    This report evaluates the clinical characteristics of surfing-related ocular trauma to learn the nature of such injuries and propose possible preventive measures. The authors reviewed 11 cases of surfing-related eye injuries caused by direct trauma from the surfboard, studying their mechanism of injury, the associated ocular complications, and the anatomic and visual outcomes of surgical repair. Surfing-related ocular injuries occurred exclusively in young males (mean age, 24.8 years; range, 14-37 years). The mechanism of injury most frequently responsible was impact with the sharp nose of the surfboard following a fall. Serious posterior segment complications were observed in all 11 patients, with nine patients suffering ruptured globes. Despite immediate medical attention, five patients did not recover ambulatory levels of visual acuity (>5/200). Surfing-related ocular trauma presenting to the retinal specialist typically leaves the patient with a permanent visual disability. Important factors contributing to these high-velocity injuries include the sharply pointed nose of the surfboard and the leash keeping the surfer in close proximity to the board following a fall. A simple modification in surfboard design such as blunting the sharp nose of the surfboard, or appropriate protective guards fitted over the surfboard nose, should lessen the severity of such injuries.

  14. Goofy vs. Regular: Laterality effects in surfing.

    PubMed

    Furley, Philip; Dörr, Jannik; Loffing, Florian

    2018-02-01

    The aim of the present study was to test if lateral preferences of surfers are associated with behaviour and performance depending on the direction of a breaking wave. We hypothesized that wave direction and surf stance interact in creating favourable or debilitative performance demands as surfers are either facing the wave (frontside) or the wave is breaking in the back of the surfers (backside). Study 1 was an online survey collecting self-report data of recreational surfers (n = 394). In Study 2, we analysed all wave scores (n = 2,552) and laterality of professional surfers during the season of 2014. Study 1 demonstrated that recreational surfers preferred surfing frontside and described themselves as more skilful when surfing frontside as this is facilitative for picking up visual information. Study 2 did not provide clear evidence that professional surfers on average scored higher during contests when surfing frontside, but when professional surfers had a choice of surfing frontside vs. backside, they were more likely to surf frontside. We discuss the diverging findings between Study 1 and Study 2 from the "circumvention-of-limits" argumentation within the expertise literature as professional surfers most likely have acquired skills allowing them to compensate for debilitative individual and environmental circumstances.

  15. The Effect of a Single Bout of Surfing on Exercise-Induced Affect.

    PubMed

    Pittsinger, Ryan; Kress, Jeff; Crussemeyer, Jill

    2017-01-01

    Exercise-induced affect (EIA) has been well documented and is often composed of positive affect, negative affect, tranquility, and fatigue. Research on EIA has focused on mainstream sports such as running, walking, or cycling; however, no research has evaluated the influence of action sports participation in activities such surfing on EIA. The current study examined the effect of a single 30-min surfing bout on EIA in 107 adult volunteers. An additional purpose was if change in affect was similar based on surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level. To assess EIA, each participant completed the Physical Activity Affect Scale (PAAS) prior to and immediately following the 30-min surf session. Dependent t -tests were used to examine differences between pre- and post-test EIA. For the secondary purpose, a change score (PAAS posttest-PAAS pretest) was computed for each subscale. One-way ANOVAs were performed to determine differences among comparisons of surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level, and the change score for each of the 4 subscales. EIA was significantly altered by surfing, with significant improvements in positive affect and tranquility, and significant reductions in negative affect and fatigue. There were no significant differences among surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level, and positive affect, negative affect or tranquility. However, there were significant differences between fatigue and surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level. The results indicate that a single 30-min surfing bout may provide positive benefits for the participant. Implications for future surfing research and EIA are discussed.

  16. The Effect of a Single Bout of Surfing on Exercise-Induced Affect

    PubMed Central

    PITTSINGER, RYAN; KRESS, JEFF; CRUSSEMEYER, JILL

    2017-01-01

    Exercise-induced affect (EIA) has been well documented and is often composed of positive affect, negative affect, tranquility, and fatigue. Research on EIA has focused on mainstream sports such as running, walking, or cycling; however, no research has evaluated the influence of action sports participation in activities such surfing on EIA. The current study examined the effect of a single 30-min surfing bout on EIA in 107 adult volunteers. An additional purpose was if change in affect was similar based on surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level. To assess EIA, each participant completed the Physical Activity Affect Scale (PAAS) prior to and immediately following the 30-min surf session. Dependent t-tests were used to examine differences between pre- and post-test EIA. For the secondary purpose, a change score (PAAS posttest-PAAS pretest) was computed for each subscale. One-way ANOVAs were performed to determine differences among comparisons of surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level, and the change score for each of the 4 subscales. EIA was significantly altered by surfing, with significant improvements in positive affect and tranquility, and significant reductions in negative affect and fatigue. There were no significant differences among surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level, and positive affect, negative affect or tranquility. However, there were significant differences between fatigue and surfing history, surfing frequency, and surfing skill level. The results indicate that a single 30-min surfing bout may provide positive benefits for the participant. Implications for future surfing research and EIA are discussed. PMID:29170700

  17. Chest injuries related to surfing.

    PubMed

    Sano, Atsushi; Yotsumoto, Takuma

    2015-09-01

    Surfing is a popular sport in coastal areas, which can be associated with chest injuries. Between 2008 and 2013, 6 patients were referred to our hospital with chest injuries sustained during surfing. Clinical data were collected from their medical records and analyzed retrospectively. Patient age ranged from 35 to 52 years. Five of the 6 patients were male. Four patients were injured in August, and the other two were injured in September and October. Rib fractures were observed in 3 of the 6 patients. The other 3 patients were diagnosed with chest contusions only. Hemothorax occurred in one patient. No lacerations were observed in any of the 6 patients. Chest injuries associated with surfing are usually blunt chest injuries; however, they may occasionally be life-threatening. © The Author(s) 2015.

  18. User's Manual for Space Debris Surfaces (SD_SURF)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elfer, N. C.

    1996-01-01

    A unique collection of computer codes, Space Debris Surfaces (SD_SURF), have been developed to assist in the design and analysis of space debris protection systems. SD_SURF calculates and summarizes a vehicle's vulnerability to space debris as a function of impact velocity and obliquity. An SD_SURF analysis will show which velocities and obliquities are the most probable to cause a penetration. This determination can help the analyst select a shield design which is best suited to the predominant penetration mechanism. The analysis also indicates the most suitable parameters for development or verification testing. The SD_SURF programs offer the option of either FORTRAN programs and Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheets and macros. The FORTRAN programs work with BUMPERII version 1.2a or 1.3 (Cosmic released). The EXCEL spreadsheets and macros can be used independently or with selected output from the SD_SURF FORTRAN programs.

  19. Getting started with package sampSurf

    Treesearch

    Jeffrey H. Gove

    2014-01-01

    The sampSurf package is designed to facilitate the comparison of new and existing areal sampling methods through simulation. The package is thoroughly documented in several vignettes as mentioned below. This document is meant to point you in the right direction in finding the needed information to get started using sampSurf.

  20. Allele Surfing Promotes Microbial Adaptation from Standing Variation

    PubMed Central

    Gralka, Matti; Stiewe, Fabian; Farrell, Fred; Möbius, Wolfram; Waclaw, Bartek; Hallatschek, Oskar

    2016-01-01

    The coupling of ecology and evolution during range expansions enables mutations to establish at expanding range margins and reach high frequencies. This phenomenon, called allele surfing, is thought to have caused revolutions in the gene pool of many species, most evidently in microbial communities. It has remained unclear, however, under which conditions allele surfing promotes or hinders adaptation. Here, using microbial experiments and simulations, we show that, starting with standing adaptive variation, range expansions generate a larger increase in mean fitness than spatially uniform population expansions. The adaptation gain results from ‘soft’ selective sweeps emerging from surfing beneficial mutations. The rate of these surfing events is shown to sensitively depend on the strength of genetic drift, which varies among strains and environmental conditions. More generally, allele surfing promotes the rate of adaptation per biomass produced, which could help developing biofilms and other resource-limited populations to cope with environmental challenges. PMID:27307400

  1. Injuries resulting from car surfing--United States, 1990-2008.

    PubMed

    2008-10-17

    "Car surfing" is a term introduced in the mid-1980s to describe a thrill-seeking activity that involves riding on the exterior of a moving motor vehicle while it is being driven by another person. Although reports of car-surfing injuries have been published in the United States, no study to date has analyzed these events from a national perspective. Because traditional public health datasets do not collect morbidity or mortality data on this practice, CDC searched U.S. newspaper reports to provide an initial characterization of car-surfing injuries on a national scale. That analysis identified 58 reports of car-surfing deaths and 41 reports of nonfatal injury from 1990 through August 2008. Most reports of car-surfing injuries came from newspapers in the Midwest and South (75%), and most of the injuries were among males (70%) and persons aged 15-19 years (69%). The first identified newspaper reports about car-surfing injuries were published in the early 1990s, and new reports have been published every year since then. Parents and teens should be aware of the potentially lethal consequences of car surfing, which can occur even at low vehicle speeds, sometimes resulting from unanticipated movements of the vehicle, such as swerving or braking.

  2. Modeling and Simulation for a Surf Zone Robot

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-14

    of-freedom surf zone robot is developed and tested with a physical test platform and with a simulated robot in Robot Operating System . Derived from...terrain. The application of the model to future platforms is analyzed and a broad examination of the current state of surf zone robotic systems is...public release; distribution is unlimited MODELING AND SIMULATION FOR A SURF ZONE ROBOT Eric Shuey Lieutenant, United States Navy B.S., Systems

  3. Youth Homelessness and Vulnerability: How Does Couch Surfing Fit?

    PubMed

    Curry, Susanna R; Morton, Matthew; Matjasko, Jennifer L; Dworsky, Amy; Samuels, Gina M; Schlueter, David

    2017-09-01

    Youth homelessness is a problem characterized by high levels of vulnerability. The extent to which couch surfing - moving from one temporary housing arrangement to another - is part of youth homelessness is not well understood. Chapin Hall's Voices of Youth Count, a national research initiative, involves a multicomponent approach to studying youth homelessness. This study reports emerging findings regarding couch surfing and homelessness primarily from a national survey of 13,113 adults with youth ages 13-25 in their households or who are themselves ages 18-25. Findings suggest that couch surfing is relatively common, particularly among the older age group. Among households with 13- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 25-year-olds, 4.0% and 20.5%, respectively, reported that any of them had couch surfed in the last 12 months. There are notable social, economic, and educational differences, on average, between youth reporting homelessness and those reporting only couch surfing. However, most youth who report experiencing homelessness also report couch surfing, and these youth who experience both circumstances present high levels of socioeconomic vulnerability. Couch surfing encompasses a range of experiences, some of which likely include need for services. Interviews currently in the field, and expanded analysis of data, will contribute more nuanced policy insights. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

  4. Surfing into spirituality and a new, aquatic nature religion.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Bron

    2007-01-01

    "Soul surfers" consider surfing to be a profoundly meaningful practice that brings physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. They generally agree on where surfing initially developed, that it assumed a religious character, was suppressed for religious reasons, has been undergoing a revival, and enjoins reverence for and protection of nature. This subset of the global surfing community should be understood as a new religious movement-a globalizing, hybridized, and increasingly influential example of what I call aquatic nature religion. For these individuals, surfing is a religious form in which a specific sensual practice constitutes its sacred center, and the corresponding experiences are constructed in a way that leads to a belief in nature as powerful, transformative, healing, and sacred. I advance this argument by analyzing these experiences, as well as the myths, rites, symbols, terminology, technology, material culture, and ethical mores that are found within surfing subcultures.

  5. Strong regularities in world wide web surfing

    PubMed

    Huberman; Pirolli; Pitkow; Lukose

    1998-04-03

    One of the most common modes of accessing information in the World Wide Web is surfing from one document to another along hyperlinks. Several large empirical studies have revealed common patterns of surfing behavior. A model that assumes that users make a sequence of decisions to proceed to another page, continuing as long as the value of the current page exceeds some threshold, yields the probability distribution for the number of pages that a user visits within a given Web site. This model was verified by comparing its predictions with detailed measurements of surfing patterns. The model also explains the observed Zipf-like distributions in page hits observed at Web sites.

  6. Genome Surfing As Driver of Microbial Genomic Diversity.

    PubMed

    Choudoir, Mallory J; Panke-Buisse, Kevin; Andam, Cheryl P; Buckley, Daniel H

    2017-08-01

    Historical changes in population size, such as those caused by demographic range expansions, can produce nonadaptive changes in genomic diversity through mechanisms such as gene surfing. We propose that demographic range expansion of a microbial population capable of horizontal gene exchange can result in genome surfing, a mechanism that can cause widespread increase in the pan-genome frequency of genes acquired by horizontal gene exchange. We explain that patterns of genetic diversity within Streptomyces are consistent with genome surfing, and we describe several predictions for testing this hypothesis both in Streptomyces and in other microorganisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A role for Heparan Sulfate in Viral Surfing

    PubMed Central

    Oh, Myung-Jin; Akhtar, Jihan; Desai, Prashant; Shukla, Deepak

    2009-01-01

    Heparan sulfate (HS) moieties on cell surfaces are known to provide attachment sites for many viruses including herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1). Here we demonstrate that cells respond to HSV-1 infection by promoting filopodia formation. Filopodia express HS and are subsequently utilized for the transport of HSV-1 virions to cell bodies in a surfing-like phenomenon, which is facilitated by the underlying actin cytoskeleton and is regulated by transient activation of a small Rho GTPase, Cdc42. We also demonstrate that interaction between a highly conserved herpesvirus envelope glycoprotein B (gB) and HS is required for surfing. A HSV-1 mutant that lacks gB fails to surf and quantum-dots conjugated with gB demonstrate surfing-like movements. Our data demonstrates a novel use of a common receptor, HS, which could also be exploited by multiple viruses and quite possibly, many additional ligands for transport along the plasma membrane. PMID:19909728

  8. A role for heparan sulfate in viral surfing

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

    Oh, Myung-Jin; Akhtar, Jihan; Desai, Prashant

    2010-01-01

    Heparan sulfate (HS) moieties on cell surfaces are known to provide attachment sites for many viruses including herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1). Here, we demonstrate that cells respond to HSV-1 infection by enhancing filopodia formation. Filopodia express HS and are subsequently utilized for the transport of HSV-1 virions to cell bodies in a surfing-like phenomenon, which is facilitated by the underlying actin cytoskeleton and is regulated by transient activation of a small Rho GTPase, Cdc42. We also demonstrate that interaction between a highly conserved herpesvirus envelope glycoprotein B (gB) and HS is required for surfing. A HSV-1 mutant that lacksmore » gB fails to surf and quantum dots conjugated with gB demonstrate surfing-like movements. Our data demonstrates a novel use of a common receptor, HS, which could also be exploited by multiple viruses and quite possibly, many additional ligands for transport along the plasma membrane.« less

  9. 50 CFR 648.72 - Minimum surf clam size.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries § 648.72 Minimum surf clam size. Link to an amendment... quahog specifications. (a) Establishing catch quotas. The amount of surfclams or ocean quahogs that may... paragraph (b) of this section. The amount of surfclams available for harvest annually must be specified...

  10. SciLinks

    Science.gov Websites

    SciLinks Forgot your login? Sign up for FREE access Log In I'm a ... Teacher Student User Name questions and satisfy their curiosity Learn More Sign up for Free Access Sites in the SciLinks program . SciLinks-Targeted, Grade-Specific Web Content for your Books Free web content to extend and expand student

  11. SURF Model Calibration Strategy

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

    Menikoff, Ralph

    2017-03-10

    SURF and SURFplus are high explosive reactive burn models for shock initiation and propagation of detonation waves. They are engineering models motivated by the ignition & growth concept of high spots and for SURFplus a second slow reaction for the energy release from carbon clustering. A key feature of the SURF model is that there is a partial decoupling between model parameters and detonation properties. This enables reduced sets of independent parameters to be calibrated sequentially for the initiation and propagation regimes. Here we focus on a methodology for tting the initiation parameters to Pop plot data based on 1-Dmore » simulations to compute a numerical Pop plot. In addition, the strategy for tting the remaining parameters for the propagation regime and failure diameter is discussed.« less

  12. Estuary-dependence of larval fishes in a non-estuary associated South African surf zone: evidence for continuity of surf assemblages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strydom, Nadine A.; d'Hotman, Bruce D.

    2005-04-01

    Larval fishes were collected in the Cape Padrone surf zone on the southeast coast of South Africa, using a modified small-mesh seine net. The aim of the study was to assess the composition of fish larvae, with respect to their association with estuaries, in a surf zone that was not in close proximity to an estuary (>5 km). Sampling took place bimonthly during diurnal spring low tides between March and July 2003. In total, 544 fish were caught in the surf zone, comprising 14 families represented by 19 positively identified species, as well as an additional two species that were differentiated but remain unidentified. The families Mugilidae (65%) and Sparidae (26%) dominated the larval catch. The majority of larval fishes caught were in the postflexion stage of development, although some early juveniles were also caught. Body lengths of fish larvae ranged between 2 and 28 mm, with the majority of larvae at the recruitment size for the species. A high proportion of the fish species caught were estuary-dependent. Estuary-dependent marine fish larvae (categories I, II and IV) comprised 68% of total catch by species and 98% by number of individuals. Exclusively marine species (category III) were encountered in low numbers in the surf. The present study provides evidence for continuity in temperate South African surf zones in terms of domination by estuary-dependent larvae and reasons for this pattern are discussed.

  13. Women in wetsuits: revolting bodies in lesbian surf culture.

    PubMed

    Roy, Georgina

    2013-01-01

    The article unpicks the notion of lesbian bodies as revolting through an analysis of how "women in wetsuits" are experienced as both disgusting and desirable by lesbian surfers. Based on ethnographic research carried out within British surf culture, I consider how lesbian surfing bodies come to be experienced and embodied as disgusting, desirable, and revolting. Informed by interview data and personal reflections I suggest that the affective power of lesbian desire might offer ways in which to disrupt the cultural processes that shame bodies and in doing so enable surfing bodies to revolt.

  14. Australian surf life-saving and the "forgotten members".

    PubMed

    Jaggard, E

    1999-01-01

    The history and mythology of Australia's surf life-saving movement portray the surf life-saver as an inter and postwar national symbol, an image of manhood often regarded as the successor to that of the bushman and the digger. According to this viewpoint, women had no place on the beaches, being supportive fundraisers and social organisers. In fact, almost from surf life-saving's commencement in 1906, many women refused to be confined to these roles; they participated in their own competitions, were proficient in rescue techniques and were proud to belong to the movement, thus contradicting the widely shared belief that their active involvement began only in 1980 when they were granted full membership.

  15. Habitat use by larval fishes in a temperate South African surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watt-Pringle, Peter; Strydom, Nadine A.

    2003-12-01

    Larval fishes were sampled in the Kwaaihoek surf zone on the south east coast of South Africa. On six occasions between February and May 2002, larval fishes were collected in two habitat types identified in the inner surf zone using a modified beach-seine net. The surf zone habitats were classified as either sheltered trough areas or adjacent exposed surf areas. Temperature, depth and current measurements were taken at all sites. Trough habitats consisted of a depression in surf topography characterised by reduced current velocities and greater average depth than adjacent surf areas. In total, 325 larval fishes were collected. Of these, 229 were collected in trough and 96 in surf habitats. At least 22 families and 37 species were represented in the catch. Dominant families were the Mugilidae, Sparidae, Atherinidae, and Engraulidae. Dominant species included Liza tricuspidens and Liza richardsonii (Mugilidae), Rhabdosargus holubi and Sarpa salpa (Sparidae), Atherina breviceps (Atherinidae) and Engraulis japonicus (Engraulide). Mean CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent species was significantly greater in trough areas. The proportion of postflexion larval fishes in trough habitat was significantly greater than that of preflexion stages, a result that was not apparent in surf habitat sampled. CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent fishes was negatively correlated with current magnitude and positively correlated with habitat depth. Mean body length of larval fishes was significantly greater in trough than in surf habitats. These results provide evidence that the CPUE of postflexion larvae of estuary-dependent fishes is higher in trough habitat in the surf zone and this may be indicative of active habitat selection for areas of reduced current velocity/wave action. The implications of this behaviour for estuarine recruitment processes are discussed.

  16. The greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore.

    PubMed

    Aikens, Ellen O; Kauffman, Matthew J; Merkle, Jerod A; Dwinnell, Samantha P H; Fralick, Gary L; Monteith, Kevin L

    2017-06-01

    The Green Wave Hypothesis posits that herbivore migration manifests in response to waves of spring green-up (i.e. green-wave surfing). Nonetheless, empirical support for the Green Wave Hypothesis is mixed, and a framework for understanding variation in surfing is lacking. In a population of migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), 31% surfed plant phenology in spring as well as a theoretically perfect surfer, and 98% surfed better than random. Green-wave surfing varied among individuals and was unrelated to age or energetic state. Instead, the greenscape, which we define as the order, rate and duration of green-up along migratory routes, was the primary factor influencing surfing. Our results indicate that migratory routes are more than a link between seasonal ranges, and they provide an important, but often overlooked, foraging habitat. In addition, the spatiotemporal configuration of forage resources that propagate along migratory routes shape animal movement and presumably, energy gains during migration. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

  17. The greenscape shapes surfing of resource waves in a large migratory herbivore

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Aikens, Ellen O.; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Merkle, Jerod A.; Dwinnell, Samantha P.H.; Fralick, Gary L.; Monteith, Kevin L.

    2017-01-01

    The Green Wave Hypothesis posits that herbivore migration manifests in response to waves of spring green-up (i.e. green-wave surfing). Nonetheless, empirical support for the Green Wave Hypothesis is mixed, and a framework for understanding variation in surfing is lacking. In a population of migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), 31% surfed plant phenology in spring as well as a theoretically perfect surfer, and 98% surfed better than random. Green-wave surfing varied among individuals and was unrelated to age or energetic state. Instead, the greenscape, which we define as the order, rate and duration of green-up along migratory routes, was the primary factor influencing surfing. Our results indicate that migratory routes are more than a link between seasonal ranges, and they provide an important, but often overlooked, foraging habitat. In addition, the spatiotemporal configuration of forage resources that propagate along migratory routes shape animal movement and presumably, energy gains during migration.

  18. Prevalence of Pterygia in Hawaii: Examining Cumulative Surfing Hours as a Risk Factor.

    PubMed

    Lin, Alexander D; Miles, Ku'ulei; Brinks, Mitchel V

    2016-08-01

    To examine the association between surfing and pterygium prevalence in Hawaii. A convenience sampling was performed at four beaches on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. A total of 169 individuals were interviewed and underwent penlight examination to assess grade and extent of pterygium. Of 169 participants aged 18-80 years, 88 non-surfers, 41 occasional surfers, 15 recreational surfers and 25 surfing enthusiasts were identified based on their lifetime surfing hours. Overall, 19 participants were found to have pterygia (28 pterygia total) including two non-surfers (2.3%), five occasional surfers (12.2%), three recreational surfers (20.0%), and nine enthusiast surfers (36.0%). Variables associated with pterygium prevalence were lifetime surfing hours (p < 0.0001), outdoor occupation (p = 0.04), Hawaiian residence (p = 0.009), and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander ethnicity (p = 0.002). Multiple logistic regression with the outcome of pterygium was performed, along with multiple linear regression for the continuous outcomes of corneal extent, chord length, and apex-visual axis gap, with lifetime surfing hours as the primary explanatory variable. After adjustment for confounders, a significant linear relationship was observed between chord length and lifetime surfing hours (p = 0.01). Surfing was associated with an increased pterygium prevalence and trend towards an association with increased pterygium severity. Increased risk of exposure to wind, particle irritation, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation while surfing may contribute to pterygium development. Implications for public health include promoting UV protective eyewear during surfing, in addition to raising awareness about the association of pterygia and the sport of surfing.

  19. Pathogenicity of missense mutations in SURF1 deficiency inducing the Leigh syndrome. Importance in diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Dubot, A; Hervouet, E; Mandon, G; Zabot, M T; Godinot, C

    2004-06-01

    Leigh syndrome with cytochrome oxidase (COX) deficiency has been associated with SURF1 mutations. For patient diagnosis, distinction between neutral polymorphisms and pathogenic missense SURF1 mutations in Leigh syndrome is essential. We show that several missense SURF1 mutations did not allow a stable protein to be expressed. Absence of immunologically reactive SURF1 is, therefore, helpful to demonstrate their pathogenicity. In addition, we show that out of two previously described missense mutations housed by the same allele, only one, the T737 C was pathogenic. Indeed, transfection of T737 C mutated SURF1 in SURF1-deficient cells did not restore normal SURF1 stability and COX activity. On the contrary, the G604 C-mutated SURF1 did it and, hence, is a neutral variant.

  20. Global assessment of surfing conditions: seasonal, interannual and long-term variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Espejo, A.; Losada, I.; Mendez, F.

    2012-12-01

    International surfing destinations owe a great debt to specific combinations of wind-wave, thermal conditions and local bathymetry. As surf quality depends on a vast number of geophysical variables, a multivariable standardized index on the basis of expert judgment is proposed to analyze surf resource in a worldwide domain. Data needed is obtained by combining several datasets (reanalyses): 60-year satellite-calibrated spectral wave hindcast (GOW, WaveWatchIII), wind fields from NCEP/NCAR, global sea surface temperature from ERSST.v3b, and global tides from TPXO7.1. A summary of the global surf resource is presented, which highlights the high degree of variability in surfable events. According to general atmospheric circulation, results show that west facing low to middle latitude coasts are more suitable for surfing, especially those in Southern Hemisphere. Month to month analysis reveals strong seasonal changes in the occurrence of surfable events, enhancing those in North Atlantic or North Pacific. Interannual variability is investigated by comparing occurrence values with global and regional climate patterns showing a great influence at both, global and regional scales. Analysis of long term trends shows an increase in the probability of surfable events over the west facing coasts on the planet (i.e. + 30 hours/year in California). The resulting maps provide useful information for surfers and surf related stakeholders, coastal planning, education, and basic research.; Figure 1. Global distribution of medium quality (a) and high quality surf conditions probability (b).

  1. Green‐wave surfing increases fat gain in a migratory ungulate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Middleton, Arthur D.; Merkle, Jerod A.; McWhirter, Douglas E.; Cook, John G.; Cook, Rachel C.; White, P.J.; Kauffman, Matthew J.

    2018-01-01

    Each spring, migratory herbivores around the world track or ‘surf’ green waves of newly emergent vegetation to distant summer or wet‐season ranges. This foraging tactic may help explain the great abundance of migratory herbivores on many seasonal landscapes. However, the underlying fitness benefits of this life‐history strategy remain poorly understood. A fundamental prediction of the green‐wave hypothesis is that migratory herbivores obtain fitness benefits from surfing waves of newly emergent vegetation more closely than their resident counterparts. Here we evaluate whether this behavior increases body‐fat levels – a critically important correlate of reproduction and survival for most ungulates – in elk Cervus elaphus of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Using satellite imagery and GPS tracking data, we found evidence that migrants (n = 23) indeed surfed the green wave, occupying sites 12.7 days closer to peak green‐up than residents (n = 16). Importantly, individual variation in surfing may help account for up to 6 kg of variation in autumn body‐fat levels. Our findings point to a pathway for anthropogenic changes to the green wave (e.g. climate change) or migrants’ ability to surf it (e.g. development) to impact migratory populations. To explore this possibility, we evaluated potential population‐level consequences of constrained surfing with a heuristic model. If green‐wave surfing deteriorates by 5–15 days from observed, our model predicts up to a 20% decrease in pregnancy rates, a 2.5% decrease in population growth, and a 30% decrease in abundance over 50 years. By linking green‐wave surfing to fitness and illustrating potential effects on population growth, our study provides new insights into the evolution of migratory behavior and the prospects for the persistence of migratory ungulate populations in a changing world.

  2. A Structured and Unstructured grid Relocatable ocean platform for Forecasting (SURF)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trotta, Francesco; Fenu, Elisa; Pinardi, Nadia; Bruciaferri, Diego; Giacomelli, Luca; Federico, Ivan; Coppini, Giovanni

    2016-11-01

    We present a numerical platform named Structured and Unstructured grid Relocatable ocean platform for Forecasting (SURF). The platform is developed for short-time forecasts and is designed to be embedded in any region of the large-scale Mediterranean Forecasting System (MFS) via downscaling. We employ CTD data collected during a campaign around the Elba island to calibrate and validate SURF. The model requires an initial spin up period of a few days in order to adapt the initial interpolated fields and the subsequent solutions to the higher-resolution nested grids adopted by SURF. Through a comparison with the CTD data, we quantify the improvement obtained by SURF model compared to the coarse-resolution MFS model.

  3. Factors affecting surf zone phytoplankton production in Southeastern North Carolina, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cahoon, Lawrence B.; Bugica, Kalman; Wooster, Michael K.; Dickens, Amanda Kahn

    2017-09-01

    The biomass and productivity of primary producers in the surf zone of the ocean beach at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, USA, were measured during all seasons, along with environmental parameters and nutrient levels. Variation in biomass (chlorophyll a) was associated with temperature. Primary production (PP), measured by in situ 14-C incubations, was a function of chlorophyll a, tide height at the start of incubations, and rainfall in the preceding 24-hr period. Biomass-normalized production (PB) was also a function of tide height and rainfall in the preceding 24-hr period. We interpreted these results as evidence of surf production 1) as combined contributions of phytoplankton and suspended benthic microalgae, which may confound application of simple P-E models to surf zone production, and 2) being regulated by nutrient source/supply fluctuations independently from other factors. Surf zone biomass and production levels are intermediate between relatively high estuarine values and much lower coastal ocean values. Surf zone production may represent an important trophic connection between these two important ecosystems.

  4. 76 FR 8651 - Special Local Regulation; Mavericks Surf Competition, Half Moon Bay, CA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-15

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Mavericks Surf Competition, Half Moon Bay, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... regulation on certain navigable waters of Half Moon Bay in support of the Mavericks Surf Competition. This...,000 yard radius of Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay. The Mavericks Surf Competition will occur in the...

  5. An analytical model for non-conservative pollutants mixing in the surf zone.

    PubMed

    Ki, Seo Jin; Hwang, Jin Hwan; Kang, Joo-Hyon; Kim, Joon Ha

    2009-01-01

    Accurate simulation of the surf zone is a prerequisite to improve beach management as well as to understand the fundamentals of fate and transport of contaminants. In the present study, a diagnostic model modified from a classic solute model is provided to illuminate non-conservative pollutants behavior in the surf zone. To readily understand controlling processes in the surf zone, a new dimensionless quantity is employed with index of kappa number (K, a ratio of inactivation rate to transport rate of microbial pollutant in the surf zone), which was then evaluated under different environmental frames during a week simulation period. The sensitivity analysis showed that hydrodynamics and concentration gradients in the surf zone mostly depend on n (number of rip currents), indicating that n should be carefully adjusted in the model. The simulation results reveal, furthermore, that large deviation typically occurs in the daytime, signifying inactivation of fecal indicator bacteria is the main process to control surf zone water quality during the day. Overall, the analytical model shows a good agreement between predicted and synthetic data (R(2) = 0.51 and 0.67 for FC and ENT, respectively) for the simulated period, amplifying its potential use in the surf zone modelling. It is recommended that when the dimensionless index is much larger than 0.5, the present modified model can predict better than the conventional model, but if index is smaller than 0.5, the conventional model is more efficient with respect to time and cost.

  6. The nucleolar protein SURF-6 is essential for viability in mouse NIH/3T3 cells.

    PubMed

    Polzikov, Mikhail; Magoulas, Charalambos; Zatsepina, Olga

    2007-09-01

    SURF-6 is a bona fide nucleolar protein comprising an evolutionary conserved family that extends from human to yeast. The expression of the mammalian SURF-6 has been recently found to be regulated during the cell cycle. In order to determine the importance of SURF-6 in mammalian cells, we applied the Tet-On system to regulate conditionally, in response to tetracycline, the expression of an antisense RNA (asRNA) that targets Surf-6 mRNA in mouse NIH/3T3 cells. Induced Surf-6 asRNA caused an effective depletion of SURF-6 protein resulted in cell death and in an apparent arrest in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. These results provide for the first time evidence that expression of SURF-6 is essential for mammalian cell viability, and suggest that SURF-6 might participate in the progression of cell cycle.

  7. Parents' Perspectives on Surf Therapy for Children with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Adam M.; Clapham, Emily D.; Deeney, Theresa A.

    2018-01-01

    This qualitative study was designed to understand parents' perceptions of their children's participation in an inclusive surf therapy programme in the United States. Ten parents and one caregiver were interviewed about theirs and their children's experience in the surf programme. Parent discussions centred on the child, parent/caregiver,…

  8. Qualitative task analysis to enhance sports characterization: a surfing case study.

    PubMed

    Moreira, Miguel; Peixoto, César

    2014-09-29

    The aim of this study was to develop a Matrix of Analysis for Sports Tasks (MAST), regardless of the sports activity, based on practice classification and task analysis. Being this a qualitative research our main question was: in assessing sports' structure is it possible to make the characterization of any discipline through context and individuals' behaviours? The sample was within a surf discipline in a competition flowing having 5 of the top 16 Portuguese surfers training together. Based on a qualitative method, studying the surf as the main activity was an interpretative study case. The MAST was applied in four phases: taxonomy; tasks and context description; task analysis; teaching and performance strategies. Its application allowed the activities' characterization through the observation, surfer's opinions and bibliographical support. The triangulation of the data was used as an information data treatment. The elements were classified by the challenges proposed to the practitioners and the taxonomy was constituted by the sport activities, group, modality and discipline. Surf is a discipline of surfing which is a sliding sport modality, therefore, a nature sport. In the context description, we had the wave's components and constraints and the surfboards' qualities. Through task analysis we obtained a taxonomy of surf manoeuvres. The structural and functional analysis allowed finding solutions for learning of surf techniques with trampoline and skateboards because these fit in sliding sports. MAST makes possible the development of strategies that benefit teaching and performance intervention.

  9. Qualitative Task Analysis to Enhance Sports Characterization: A Surfing Case Study

    PubMed Central

    Moreira, Miguel; Peixoto, César

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a Matrix of Analysis for Sports Tasks (MAST), regardless of the sports activity, based on practice classification and task analysis. Being this a qualitative research our main question was: in assessing sports’ structure is it possible to make the characterization of any discipline through context and individuals’ behaviours? The sample was within a surf discipline in a competition flowing having 5 of the top 16 Portuguese surfers training together. Based on a qualitative method, studying the surf as the main activity was an interpretative study case. The MAST was applied in four phases: taxonomy; tasks and context description; task analysis; teaching and performance strategies. Its application allowed the activities’ characterization through the observation, surfer’s opinions and bibliographical support. The triangulation of the data was used as an information data treatment. The elements were classified by the challenges proposed to the practitioners and the taxonomy was constituted by the sport activities, group, modality and discipline. Surf is a discipline of surfing which is a sliding sport modality, therefore, a nature sport. In the context description, we had the wave’s components and constraints and the surfboards’ qualities. Through task analysis we obtained a taxonomy of surf manoeuvres. The structural and functional analysis allowed finding solutions for learning of surf techniques with trampoline and skateboards because these fit in sliding sports. MAST makes possible the development of strategies that benefit teaching and performance intervention. PMID:25414757

  10. Nanostructures: Physics and Technology International Symposium (8th) Held in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 19-23, 2000 Proceedings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-06-23

    Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 37, P2, N11B, 1354 (1998). [5] T. Ito, T. Yasumatsu and A. Hiraki , Appl. Surf. Sci. 44, 97 (1990). [6] Y. Yasumatsu, T. Ito, H...Nishizawa and A. Hiraki , Appl. Surf. Sci. 48/49, 414 (1991). [7] A. V. Zverev, I. G. Neizvestny, N. L. Shwartz and Z. Sh. Yanovitskaya, Izv. RAS

  11. Reductions in Sprint Paddling Ability and Countermovement Jump Performance After Surfing Training.

    PubMed

    Secomb, Josh L; Sheppard, Jeremy M; Dascombe, Ben J

    2015-07-01

    The present study aimed to determine whether any meaningful change in a surfer's sprint paddling ability and countermovement jump (CMJ) performance developed after a 2-hour surfing training session and also whether any physical demands of the surfing session were related to the resultant changes in the capacities. Fifteen competitive male surfing athletes (age, 22.1 ± 3.9 years; height, 175.4 ± 6.4 cm; body mass, 72.5 ± 7.7 kg) performed a 2-hour surfing training session, with 15-m sprint paddle and CMJ trials performed both before and after the surfing session. Pre- to posttesting measures were analyzed using magnitude-based inferences. Likely declines were observed in the velocity achieved at the 5-, 10-, and 15-m splits of the 15-m sprint paddle, as well as peak velocity. Similarly, likely declines were calculated for CMJ peak force, relative peak force, and jump height. Furthermore, large correlations were calculated between presurfing session peak velocity and the change in 5, 10, 15 m, and peak velocity of the 15-m sprint paddle and total distance covered, wave riding bouts, and success rate. Surfing athletes and coaches may need to consider implementing shorter duration training sessions to reduce the decline in sprint paddling ability and CMJ performance. Furthermore, surfing athletes should possess highly developed sprint paddling ability because this may allow them to undertake a greater workload and catch more waves, which will increase the opportunity for technical refinement of maneuvers and skill acquisition.

  12. The Sanford Underground Research Facility at Homestake (SURF)

    DOE PAGES

    Lesko, K. T.

    2015-03-24

    The former Homestake gold mine in Lead, South Dakota is being transformed into a dedicated laboratory to pursue underground research in rare-process physics, as well as offering research opportunities in other disciplines. A key component of the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) is the Davis Campus, which is in operation at the 4850-foot level (4300 m.w.e) and currently hosts three projects: the LUX dark matter experiment, the Majorana Demonstrator neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment and the Berkeley and CUBED low-background counters. Plans for possible future experiments at SURF are well underway and include long baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, future dark mattermore » experiments as well as nuclear astrophysics accelerators. Facility upgrades to accommodate some of these future projects have already started. SURF is a dedicated facility with significant expansion capability. These plans include a Generation-2 Dark Matter experiment and the US flagship neutrino experiment, LBNE.« less

  13. [Athletic injuries in wind surfing].

    PubMed

    Mettler, R; Biener, K

    1991-12-01

    We made an anamnesis of sports related injuries for 189 members of the Swiss Wind Surfing Federation. This data enabled us to calculate an yearly incidence of 0.02 injuries per athlete. By comparison, this frequency amounts to 0.03 for tennis players, to 0.24 in football and 2.30 for competitive cyclists. Feet injuries made up for 36.5% of all cases, whereas legs were affected for 23.5%. The athlete had to stop his training for 25.2 days on average. His work had to be interrupted for 10.2 days and his mean hospital stay was of 2.0 days. One third of all injuries were due to board contact events, 20% happened on the shore and 19% were ascribed to falls on/of the mast. Bruises and other wounds were mainly due to the lack of surf-shoes and/or other protective clothing items.

  14. SURF: Taking Sustainable Remediation from Concept to Standard Operating Procedure (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, L. M.; Wice, R. B.; Torrens, J.

    2013-12-01

    Over the last decade, many sectors of industrialized society have been rethinking behavior and re-engineering practices to reduce consumption of energy and natural resources. During this time, green and sustainable remediation (GSR) has evolved from conceptual discussions to standard operating procedure for many environmental remediation practitioners. Government agencies and private sector entities have incorporated GSR metrics into their performance criteria and contracting documents. One of the early think tanks for the development of GSR was the Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF). SURF brings together representatives of government, industry, consultancy, and academia to parse the means and ends of incorporating societal and economic considerations into environmental cleanup projects. Faced with decades-old treatment programs with high energy outputs and no endpoints in sight, a small group of individuals published the institutional knowledge gathered in two years of ad hoc meetings into a 2009 White Paper on sustainable remediation drivers, practices, objectives, and case studies. Since then, SURF has expanded on those introductory topics, publishing its Framework for Integrating Sustainability into Remediation Projects, Guidance for Performing Footprint Analyses and Life-Cycle Assessments for the Remediation Industry, a compendium of metrics, and a call to improve the integration of land remediation and reuse. SURF's research and members have also been instrumental in the development of additional guidance through ASTM International and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. SURF's current efforts focus on water reuse, the international perspective on GSR (continuing the conversations that were the basis of SURF's December 2012 meeting at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC), and ways to capture and evaluate the societal benefits of site remediation. SURF also promotes and supports student chapters at universities across the US

  15. Car surfing: an uncommon cause of traumatic injury.

    PubMed

    Peterson, T; Timberlake, G; Yeager, A; Jadali, M; Royer, K

    1999-02-01

    Car surfing is an infrequent cause of traumatic injuries treated by emergency physicians. This very dangerous activity can result in serious injury or death. We report 5 cases of injuries caused by car surfing seen at our hospital during 1996 and 1997. All involved head injuries after a fall from a moving motor vehicle. There were 3 male and 2 female patients, and 3 cases were fatal. Health care providers should be aware of this type of injury and support efforts to prevent it.

  16. Gene surfing in expanding populations.

    PubMed

    Hallatschek, Oskar; Nelson, David R

    2008-02-01

    Large scale genomic surveys are partly motivated by the idea that the neutral genetic variation of a population may be used to reconstruct its migration history. However, our ability to trace back the colonization pathways of a species from their genetic footprints is limited by our understanding of the genetic consequences of a range expansion. Here, we study, by means of simulations and analytical methods, the neutral dynamics of gene frequencies in an asexual population undergoing a continual range expansion in one dimension. During such a colonization period, lineages can fix at the wave front by means of a "surfing" mechanism [Edmonds, C.A., Lillie, A.S., Cavalli-Sforza, L.L., 2004. Mutations arising in the wave front of an expanding population. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 101, 975-979]. We quantify this phenomenon in terms of (i) the spatial distribution of lineages that reach fixation and, closely related, (ii) the continual loss of genetic diversity (heterozygosity) at the wave front, characterizing the approach to fixation. Our stochastic simulations show that an effective population size can be assigned to the wave that controls the (observable) gradient in heterozygosity left behind the colonization process. This effective population size is markedly higher in the presence of cooperation between individuals ("pushed waves") than when individuals proliferate independently ("pulled waves"), and increases only sub-linearly with deme size. To explain these and other findings, we develop a versatile analytical approach, based on the physics of reaction-diffusion systems, that yields simple predictions for any deterministic population dynamics. Our analytical theory compares well with the simulation results for pushed waves, but is less accurate in the case of pulled waves when stochastic fluctuations in the tip of the wave are important.

  17. WATERSHED INFORMATION - SURF YOUR WATERSHED

    EPA Science Inventory

    Surf Your Watershed is both a database of urls to world wide web pages associated with the watershed approach of environmental management and also data sets of relevant environmental information that can be queried. It is designed for citizens and decision makers across the count...

  18. Surfing depth on a behaviour change website: predictors and effects on behaviour.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, Nele; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Claes, Neree

    2010-03-01

    The primary objectives of the present study were to gain insight into website use and to predict the surfing depth on a behaviour change website and its effect on behaviour. Two hundred eight highly educated adults from the intervention condition of a randomised trial received access to a medical intervention, individual coaching (by e-mail, post, telephone or face-to-face) and a behaviour change website. Website use (e.g. surfing depth, page view duration) was registered. Online questionnaires for physical activity and fat intake were filled out at baseline and after 6 months. Hierarchical linear regression was used to predict surfing depth and its effect on behaviour. Seventy-five per cent of the participants visited the website. Fifty-one and fifty-six per cent consulted the physical activity and fat intake feedback, respectively. The median surfing depth was 2. The total duration of interventions by e-mail predicted deeper surfing (beta=0.36; p<0.001). Surfing depth did not predict changes in fat intake (beta=-0.07; p=0.45) or physical activity (beta=-0.03; p=0.72). Consulting the physical activity feedback led to more physical activity (beta=0.23; p=0.01). The findings from the present study can be used to guide future website development and improve the information architecture of behaviour change websites.

  19. Car surfing: case studies of a growing dangerous phenomenon.

    PubMed

    Clark, Steven; Mangram, Alicia; Dunn, Ernest

    2008-03-01

    Car surfing is a dangerous new pastime for American youth. Car surfing is an activity that is defined as standing (or lying) on a vehicle while it is being driven. This activity frequently results in severe injuries that often require significant surgical intervention. Despite its destructive nature, however, there are many Internet sites that encourage this behavior and view it as amusing. As a result, car surfing is becoming increasingly popular. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients injured as a result of car surfing over the last 4 years at our Urban Level II trauma center. Data collected included Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS), age, gender, injury pattern, surgical intervention, and length of stay. Eight car surfers were identified. The average age was 17. The average Revised Trauma Score was 6.8 with an average Injury Severity Score of 16.9. Five patients were admitted to the intensive care unit. Four of these five patients needed to be intubated for ventilatory support. Five of the eight patients had significant intracranial injuries. Two patients had epidural hematomas that required evacuation. Two other patients had subdural hematomas that were treated nonoperatively, and one patient had a subarachnoid hemorrhage that was also treated nonoperatively. Four of the eight patients required surgical intervention. There were no deaths in this study. Car surfing leads to severe injuries that can result in significant morbidity. American youth have access to Internet sites that project this activity as an acceptable behavior. Five of our eight patients had a significant intracranial injury. Trauma surgeons need to be more aware of this injury phenomenon.

  20. Stopover habitats of spring migrating surf scoters in southeast Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lok, E.K.; Esler, Daniel N.; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, S.W.; Sean, Boyd W.; Nysewander, D.R.; Evenson, J.R.; Ward, D.H.

    2011-01-01

    Habitat conditions and nutrient reserve levels during spring migration have been suggested as important factors affecting population declines in waterfowl, emphasizing the need to identify key sites used during spring and understand habitat features and resource availability at stopover sites. We used satellite telemetry to identify stopover sites used by surf scoters migrating through southeast Alaska during spring. We then contrasted habitat features of these sites to those of random sites to determine habitat attributes corresponding to use by migrating scoters. We identified 14 stopover sites based on use by satellite tagged surf scoters from several wintering sites. We identified Lynn Canal as a particularly important stopover site for surf scoters originating throughout the Pacific winter range; approximately half of tagged coastally migrating surf scoters used this site, many for extended periods. Stopover sites were farther from the mainland coast and closer to herring spawn sites than random sites, whereas physical shoreline habitat attributes were generally poor predictors of site use. The geography and resource availability within southeast Alaska provides unique and potentially critical stopover habitat for spring migrating surf scoters. Our work identifies specific sites and habitat resources that deserve conservation and management consideration. Aggregations of birds are vulnerable to human activity impacts such as contaminant spills and resource management decisions. This information is of value to agencies and organizations responsible for emergency response planning, herring fisheries management, and bird and ecosystem conservation.

  1. The Rate of Beneficial Mutations Surfing on the Wave of a Range Expansion

    PubMed Central

    Lehe, Rémi; Hallatschek, Oskar; Peliti, Luca

    2012-01-01

    Many theoretical and experimental studies suggest that range expansions can have severe consequences for the gene pool of the expanding population. Due to strongly enhanced genetic drift at the advancing frontier, neutral and weakly deleterious mutations can reach large frequencies in the newly colonized regions, as if they were surfing the front of the range expansion. These findings raise the question of how frequently beneficial mutations successfully surf at shifting range margins, thereby promoting adaptation towards a range-expansion phenotype. Here, we use individual-based simulations to study the surfing statistics of recurrent beneficial mutations on wave-like range expansions in linear habitats. We show that the rate of surfing depends on two strongly antagonistic factors, the probability of surfing given the spatial location of a novel mutation and the rate of occurrence of mutations at that location. The surfing probability strongly increases towards the tip of the wave. Novel mutations are unlikely to surf unless they enjoy a spatial head start compared to the bulk of the population. The needed head start is shown to be proportional to the inverse fitness of the mutant type, and only weakly dependent on the carrying capacity. The precise location dependence of surfing probabilities is derived from the non-extinction probability of a branching process within a moving field of growth rates. The second factor is the mutation occurrence which strongly decreases towards the tip of the wave. Thus, most successful mutations arise at an intermediate position in the front of the wave. We present an analytic theory for the tradeoff between these factors that allows to predict how frequently substitutions by beneficial mutations occur at invasion fronts. We find that small amounts of genetic drift increase the fixation rate of beneficial mutations at the advancing front, and thus could be important for adaptation during species invasions. PMID:22479175

  2. Nontraumatic Myelopathy Associated With Surfing

    PubMed Central

    Avilés-Hernández, Israel; García-Zozaya, Inigo; DeVillasante, Jorge M

    2007-01-01

    Background/Objective: Ischemic nontraumatic spinal cord injury associated with surfing is a novel diagnosis believed to be related to prolonged spine hyperextension while lying prone on the surfboard. Only 9 cases have been documented. This report features possible risk factors, etiology, diagnostic imaging, and outcomes of surfer's myelopathy. Design: Case report. Results: A 37-year-old man developed T11 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) A paraplegia shortly after surfing. The clinical history and magnetic resonance imaging findings were compatible with an ischemic insult to the distal thoracic spinal cord. Our patient did not have any of the proposed risk factors associated with this condition, and, contrary to most reports, he sustained a complete spinal cord lesion without neurological recovery by 8 weeks post injury. Conclusions: Surfer's myelopathy, because of its proposed mechanism of injury, is amenable to medical intervention. Increased awareness of this condition may lead to early recognition and treatment, which should contribute to improved neurological outcomes. PMID:17684897

  3. Adaptive Highlighting of Links to Assist Surfing on the Internet

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-01-01

    search engines do not offer a satisfactory solution, their indexing cycle is long and creates a time lag of about one month. Moreover, sometimes search engines offer a huge amount of documents, which is hard to constrain and to increase the ratio of relevant information. A novel AI-assisted surfing method, which highlights links during surfing is studied here. The method makes use

  4. New splicing-site mutations in the SURF1 gene in Leigh syndrome patients.

    PubMed

    Pequignot, M O; Desguerre, I; Dey, R; Tartari, M; Zeviani, M; Agostino, A; Benelli, C; Fouque, F; Prip-Buus, C; Marchant, D; Abitbol, M; Marsac, C

    2001-05-04

    The gene SURF1 encodes a factor involved in the biogenesis of cytochrome c oxidase, the last complex in the respiratory chain. Mutations of the SURF1 gene result in Leigh syndrome and severe cytochrome c oxidase deficiency. Analysis of seven unrelated patients with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency and typical Leigh syndrome revealed different SURF1 mutations in four of them. Only these four cases had associated demyelinating neuropathy. Three mutations were novel splicing-site mutations that lead to the excision of exon 6. Two different novel heterozygous mutations were found at the same guanine residue at the donor splice site of intron 6; one was a deletion, whereas the other was a transition [588+1G>A]. The third novel splicing-site mutation was a homozygous [516-2_516-1delAG] in intron 5. One patient only had a homozygous polymorphism in the middle of the intron 8 [835+25C>T]. Western blot analysis showed that Surf1 protein was absent in all four patients harboring mutations. Our studies confirm that the SURF1 gene is an important nuclear gene involved in the cytochrome c oxidase deficiency. We also show that Surf1 protein is not implicated in the assembly of other respiratory chain complexes or the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

  5. Complex IV Deficient Surf1−/− Mice Initiate Mitochondrial Stress Responses

    PubMed Central

    Pulliam, Daniel A.; Deepa, Sathyaseelan S.; Liu, Yuhong; Hill, Shauna; Lin, Ai-Ling; Bhattacharya, Arunabh; Shi, Yun; Sloane, Lauren; Viscomi, Carlo; Zeviani, Massimo; Van Remmen, Holly

    2014-01-01

    Summary Mutations in SURF1 cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assembly protein are associated with Leigh’s syndrome, a human mitochondrial disorder that manifests as severe mitochondrial phenotypes and early lethality. In contrast, mice lacking the Surf1 protein (Surf1−/−) are viable and were previously shown to have enhanced longevity and a greater than 50% reduction in COX activity. We measured mitochondrial function in heart and skeletal muscle, and despite the significant reduction in COX activity, we found little or no difference in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, membrane potential, ATP production or respiration in isolated mitochondria from Surf1−/− mice compared to wild-type. However, blood lactate levels are elevated and Surf1−/− mice have reduced running endurance, suggesting compromised mitochondrial energy metabolism in vivo. Decreased COX activity in Surf1−/− mice is associated with increased markers of mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC-1α and VDAC) in both heart and skeletal muscle. While mitochondrial biogenesis is a common response in the two tissues, skeletal muscle have an up-regulation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRMT) and heart exhibits induction of the Nrf2 antioxidant response pathway. These data are the first to report induction of the UPRMT in a mammalian model of diminished COX activity. In addition our results suggest that impaired mitochondrial function can lead to induction of mitochondrial stress pathways to confer protective effects on cellular homeostasis. Loss of complex IV assembly factor Surf1 in mice results in compensatory responses including mitochondrial biogenesis, the nrf2 pathway and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response. This compensatory response may contribute to the lack of deleterious phenotypes under basal conditions. PMID:24911525

  6. Simulation of Pores Sealing During Homoepitaxy on Si(111) Surface

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-06-23

    Yonehara, Jpn. J. Appi. Phys. 37, P2, N11B, 1354 (1998). [5] T. Ito, T. Yasumatsu and A. Hiraki , Appi. Surf Sci. 44, 97 (1990). [6] Y Yasumatsu, T. Ito...H. Nishizawa and A. Hiraki , Appl. Surf Sci. 48/49, 414 (199 1). [7] A. V. Zverev, 1. G. Neizvestny, N. L. Shwartz and Z. Sh. Yanovitskaya, Izv. RAS (Russian) 63, 356 (2000).

  7. Remote sensing of the correlation between breakpoint oscillations and infragravity waves in the surf and swash zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moura, T.; Baldock, T. E.

    2017-04-01

    A novel remote sensing methodology to determine the dominant infragravity mechanism in the inner surf and swash zone in the field is presented. Video observations of the breakpoint motion are correlated with the shoreline motion and inner surf zone water levels to determine the relationship between the time-varying breakpoint oscillations and the shoreline motion. The results of 13 field data sets collected from three different beaches indicate that, inside the surf zone, the dominance of bound wave or breakpoint forcing is strongly dependent on the surf zone width and the type of short wave breaking. Infragravity generation by bound wave release was stronger for conditions with relatively narrow surf zones and plunging waves; breakpoint forcing was dominant for wider surf zones and spilling breaker conditions.

  8. Influence of the Surf Zone on the Marine Aerosol Concentration in a Coastal Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tedeschi, Gilles; van Eijk, Alexander M. J.; Piazzola, Jacques; Kusmierczyk-Michulec, Jolanta T.

    2017-01-01

    Sea-salt aerosol concentrations in the coastal zone are assessed with the numerical aerosol-transport model MACMod that applies separate aerosol source functions for open ocean and the surf zone near the sea-land transition. Numerical simulations of the aerosol concentration as a function of offshore distance from the surf zone compare favourably with experimental data obtained during a surf-zone aerosol experiment in Duck, North Carolina in autumn 2007. Based on numerical simulations, the effect of variations in aerosol production (source strength) and transport conditions (wind speed, air-sea temperature difference), we show that the surf-zone aerosols are replaced by aerosols generated over the open ocean as the airmass advects out to sea. The contribution from the surf-generated aerosol is significant during high wind speeds and high wave events, and is significant up to 30 km away from the production zone. At low wind speeds, the oceanic component dominates, except within 1-5 km of the surf zone. Similar results are obtained for onshore flow, where no further sea-salt aerosol production occurs as the airmass advects out over land. The oceanic aerosols that are well-mixed throughout the boundary layer are then more efficiently transported inland than are the surf-generated aerosols, which are confined to the first few tens of metres above the surface, and are therefore also more susceptible to the type of surface (trees or grass) that determines the deposition velocity.

  9. Clinical methods to quantify trunk mobility in an elite male surfing population.

    PubMed

    Furness, James; Climstein, Mike; Sheppard, Jeremy M; Abbott, Allan; Hing, Wayne

    2016-05-01

    Thoracic mobility in the sagittal and horizontal planes are key requirements in the sport of surfing; however to date the normal values of these movements have not yet been quantified in a surfing population. To develop a reliable method to quantify thoracic mobility in the sagittal plane; to assess the reliability of an existing thoracic rotation method, and quantify thoracic mobility in an elite male surfing population. Clinical Measurement, reliability and comparative study. A total of 30 subjects were used to determine the reliability component. 15 elite surfers were used as part of a comparative analysis with age and gender matched controls. Intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged between 0.95-0.99 (95% CI; 0.89-0.99) for both thoracic methods. The elite surfing group had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater rotation than the comparative group (mean rotation 63.57° versus 40.80°, respectively). This study has illustrated reliable methods to assess the thoracic spine in the sagittal plane and thoracic rotation. It has also quantified ROM in a surfing cohort; identifying thoracic rotation as a key movement. This information may provide clinicians, coaches and athletic trainers with imperative information regarding the importance of maintaining adequate thoracic rotation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. SURF IA Conflict Detection and Resolution Algorithm Evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jones, Denise R.; Chartrand, Ryan C.; Wilson, Sara R.; Commo, Sean A.; Barker, Glover D.

    2012-01-01

    The Enhanced Traffic Situational Awareness on the Airport Surface with Indications and Alerts (SURF IA) algorithm was evaluated in a fast-time batch simulation study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. SURF IA is designed to increase flight crew situation awareness of the runway environment and facilitate an appropriate and timely response to potential conflict situations. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the performance of the SURF IA algorithm under various runway scenarios, multiple levels of conflict detection and resolution (CD&R) system equipage, and various levels of horizontal position accuracy. This paper gives an overview of the SURF IA concept, simulation study, and results. Runway incursions are a serious aviation safety hazard. As such, the FAA is committed to reducing the severity, number, and rate of runway incursions by implementing a combination of guidance, education, outreach, training, technology, infrastructure, and risk identification and mitigation initiatives [1]. Progress has been made in reducing the number of serious incursions - from a high of 67 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 to 6 in FY2010. However, the rate of all incursions has risen steadily over recent years - from a rate of 12.3 incursions per million operations in FY2005 to a rate of 18.9 incursions per million operations in FY2010 [1, 2]. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) also considers runway incursions to be a serious aviation safety hazard, listing runway incursion prevention as one of their most wanted transportation safety improvements [3]. The NTSB recommends that immediate warning of probable collisions/incursions be given directly to flight crews in the cockpit [4].

  11. Leigh syndrome in Drosophila melanogaster: morphological and biochemical characterization of Surf1 post-transcriptional silencing.

    PubMed

    Da-Rè, Caterina; von Stockum, Sophia; Biscontin, Alberto; Millino, Caterina; Cisotto, Paola; Zordan, Mauro A; Zeviani, Massimo; Bernardi, Paolo; De Pittà, Cristiano; Costa, Rodolfo

    2014-10-17

    Leigh Syndrome (LS) is the most common early-onset, progressive mitochondrial encephalopathy usually leading to early death. The single most prevalent cause of LS is occurrence of mutations in the SURF1 gene, and LS(Surf1) patients show a ubiquitous and specific decrease in the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase, COX). SURF1 encodes an inner membrane mitochondrial protein involved in COX assembly. We established a Drosophila melanogaster model of LS based on the post-transcriptional silencing of CG9943, the Drosophila homolog of SURF1. Knockdown of Surf1 was induced ubiquitously in larvae and adults, which led to lethality; in the mesodermal derivatives, which led to pupal lethality; or in the central nervous system, which allowed survival. A biochemical characterization was carried out in knockdown individuals, which revealed that larvae unexpectedly displayed defects in all complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and in the F-ATP synthase, while adults had a COX-selective impairment. Silencing of Surf1 expression in Drosophila S2R(+) cells led to selective loss of COX activity associated with decreased oxygen consumption and respiratory reserve. We conclude that Surf1 is essential for COX activity and mitochondrial function in D. melanogaster, thus providing a new tool that may help clarify the pathogenic mechanisms of LS. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. SurF: an innovative framework in biosecurity and animal health surveillance evaluation.

    PubMed

    Muellner, Petra; Watts, Jonathan; Bingham, Paul; Bullians, Mark; Gould, Brendan; Pande, Anjali; Riding, Tim; Stevens, Paul; Vink, Daan; Stärk, Katharina Dc

    2018-05-16

    Surveillance for biosecurity hazards is being conducted by the New Zealand Competent Authority, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to support New Zealand's biosecurity system. Surveillance evaluation should be an integral part of the surveillance life cycle, as it provides a means to identify and correct problems and to sustain and enhance the existing strengths of a surveillance system. The surveillance evaluation Framework (SurF) presented here was developed to provide a generic framework within which the MPI biosecurity surveillance portfolio, and all of its components, can be consistently assessed. SurF is an innovative, cross-sectoral effort that aims to provide a common umbrella for surveillance evaluation in the animal, plant, environment and aquatic sectors. It supports the conduct of the following four distinct components of an evaluation project: (i) motivation for the evaluation, (ii) scope of the evaluation, (iii) evaluation design and implementation and (iv) reporting and communication of evaluation outputs. Case studies, prepared by MPI subject matter experts, are included in the framework to guide users in their assessment. Three case studies were used in the development of SurF in order to assure practical utility and to confirm usability of SurF across all included sectors. It is anticipated that the structured approach and information provided by SurF will not only be of benefit to MPI but also to other New Zealand stakeholders. Although SurF was developed for internal use by MPI, it could be applied to any surveillance system in New Zealand or elsewhere. © 2018 2018 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  13. Short-crested waves in the surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Zhangping; Dalrymple, Robert A.; Xu, Munan; Garnier, Roland; Derakhti, Morteza

    2017-05-01

    This study investigates short-crested waves in the surf zone by using the mesh-free Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics model, GPUSPH. The short-crested waves are created by generating intersecting wave trains in a numerical wave basin with a beach. We first validate the numerical model for short-crested waves by comparison with large-scale laboratory measurements. Then short-crested wave breaking over a planar beach is studied comprehensively. We observe rip currents as discussed in Dalrymple (1975) and undertow created by synchronous intersecting waves. The wave breaking of the short-crested wavefield created by the nonlinear superposition of intersecting waves and wave-current interaction result in the formation of isolated breakers at the ends of breaking wave crests. Wave amplitude diffraction at these isolated breakers gives rise to an increase in the alongshore wave number in the inner surf zone. Moreover, 3-D vortices and multiple circulation cells with a rotation frequency much lower than the incident wave frequency are observed across the outer surf zone to the beach. Finally, we investigate vertical vorticity generation under short-crested wave breaking and find that breaking of short-crested waves generates vorticity as pointed out by Peregrine (1998). Vorticity generation is not only observed under short-crested waves with a limited number of wave components but also under directional wave spectra.

  14. Women's Recreational Surfing: A Patronising Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olive, Rebecca; McCuaig, Louise; Phillips, Murray G.

    2015-01-01

    Research analysing the operation of power within sport and physical activity has exposed the marginalisation and exclusion of women's sport in explicit and institutionalised ways. However, for women in recreational and alternative physical activities like surfing, sporting experiences lie outside institutionalised structures, thus requiring…

  15. The incidence of inflatable rescue boat injuries in Queensland surf lifesavers.

    PubMed

    Bigby, K J; McClure, R J; Green, A C

    2000-05-15

    To estimate the current incidence of serious injuries in Queensland surf lifesavers related to inflatable rescue boat (IRB) use, and to describe the nature of the injuries. Descriptive study. The 3050 members of Queensland's 57 surf life saving clubs who drove or crewed an IRB in Queensland between July 1997 and June 1998. Incidence of serious IRB-related injuries that resulted in claims for workers compensation in 1997-1998, and type and anatomical location of injury. Thirty-six IRB-related injuries were lodged with WorkCover Queensland by surf lifesavers during 1997-1998, giving an estimated crude incidence of 1.2%. Sixty-one per cent of injuries affected the right side of the body; two-thirds of these involved the knee, leg and ankle. IRB injuries occurred most often during patrol duty (39% of cases) and it was usually the crewperson (86% of cases) who was injured. Fracture and fracture-dislocations constituted a third of the injuries, with 75% occurring in the right leg and ankle. Despite the known incomplete reporting of these injuries, our findings suggest that IRB-related injury caused substantial morbidity among volunteer surf lifesavers. The pattern of injuries suggests biomechanically preventable causes.

  16. Simple estimate of entrainment rate of pollutants from a coastal discharge into the surf zone.

    PubMed

    Wong, Simon H C; Monismith, Stephen G; Boehm, Alexandria B

    2013-10-15

    Microbial pollutants from coastal discharges can increase illness risks for swimmers and cause beach advisories. There is presently no predictive model for estimating the entrainment of pollution from coastal discharges into the surf zone. We present a novel, quantitative framework for estimating surf zone entrainment of pollution at a wave-dominant open beach. Using physical arguments, we identify a dimensionless parameter equal to the quotient of the surf zone width l(sz) and the cross-flow length scale of the discharge la = M(j) (1/2)/U(sz), where M(j) is the discharge's momentum flux and U(sz) is a representative alongshore velocity in the surf zone. We conducted numerical modeling of a nonbuoyant discharge at an alongshore uniform beach with constant slope using a wave-resolving hydrodynamic model. Using results from 144 numerical experiments we develop an empirical relationship between the surf zone entrainment rate α and l(sz)/(la). The empirical relationship can reasonably explain seven measurements of surf zone entrainment at three diverse coastal discharges. This predictive relationship can be a useful tool in coastal water quality management and can be used to develop predictive beach water quality models.

  17. Heart Rate Responses of High School Students Participating in Surfing Physical Education.

    PubMed

    Bravo, Michelle M; Cummins, Kevin M; Nessler, Jeff A; Newcomer, Sean C

    2016-06-01

    Despite the nation's rising epidemic of childhood obesity and diabetes, schools struggle to promote physical activities that help reduce risks for cardiovascular disease. Emerging data suggest that adopting novel activities into physical education (PE) curriculum may serve as an effective strategy for increasing physical activity in children. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize activity in the water and heart rates (HRs) of high school students participating in surf PE courses. Twenty-four male (n = 20) and female (n = 4) high school students (mean age = 16.7 ± 1.0 years) who were enrolled in surf PE courses at 2 high schools participated in this investigation. Daily measurements of surfing durations, average HR, and maximum HR were made on the students with HR monitors (PolarFT1) over an 8-week period. In addition, HR and activity in the water was evaluated during a single session in a subset of students (n = 11) using a HR monitor (PolarRCX5) and a video camera (Canon HD). Activity and HR were synchronized and evaluated in 5-second intervals during data analyses. The average duration that PE students participated in surfing during class was 61.7 ± 1.0 minutes. Stationary, paddling, wave riding, and miscellaneous activities comprised 42.7 ± 9.5, 36.7 ± 7.9, 2.9 ± 1.4, and 17.8 ± 11.4 percent of the surf session, respectively. The average and maximum HRs during these activities were 131.1 ± 0.9 and 177.2 ± 1.0 b·min, respectively. These data suggest that high school students participating in surf PE attained HRs and durations that are consistent with recommendations with cardiovascular fitness and health. In the future, PE programs should consider incorporating other action sports into their curriculum to enhance cardiovascular health.

  18. Preface: SciDAC 2009

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simon, Horst

    2009-07-01

    By almost any measure, the SciDAC community has come a long way since DOE launched the SciDAC program back in 2001. At the time, we were grappling with how to efficiently run applications on terascale systems (the November 2001 TOP500 list was led by DOE's ASCI White IBM system at Lawrence Livermore achieving 7.2 teraflop/s). And the results stemming from the first round of SciDAC projects were summed up in two-page reports. The scientific results were presented at annual meetings, which were by invitation only and typically were attended by about 75 researchers. Fast forward to 2009 and we now have SciDAC Review, a quarterly magazine showcasing the scientific computing contributions of SciDAC projects and related programs, all focused on presenting a comprehensive look at Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing. That is also the motivation behind the annual SciDAC conference that in 2009 was held from June 14-18 in San Diego. The annual conference, which can also be described as a celebration of all things SciDAC, grew out those meetings organized in the early days of the program. In 2005, the meeting was held in San Francisco and attendance was opened up to all members of the SciDAC community. The schedule was also expanded to include a keynote address, plenary speakers and other features found in a conference format. This year marks the fifth such SciDAC conference, which now comprises four days of computational science presentations, multiple poster sessions and, since last year, an evening event showcasing simulations and modeling runs resulting from SciDAC projects. The fifth annual SciDAC conference was remarkable on several levels. The primary purpose, of course, is to showcase the research accomplishments resulting from SciDAC programs in particular and computational science in general. It is these accomplishments, represented in 38 papers and 52 posters, that comprise this set of conference proceedings. These proceedings can stand alone as

  19. Surfing Global Change: Negotiating Sustainable Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahamer, Gilbert

    2006-01-01

    SURFING GLOBAL CHANGE (SGC) serves as a procedural shell for attaining sustainable solutions for any interdisciplinary issue and is intended for use in advanced university courses. The participants' activities evolve through five levels from individual argumentation to molding one's own views for the "common good." The paradigm of…

  20. Characterization of Activity and Cardiovascular Responses During Surfing in Recreational Male Surfers Between the Ages of 18 and 75 Years Old.

    PubMed

    LaLanne, Christine L; Cannady, Michael S; Moon, Joseph F; Taylor, Danica L; Nessler, Jeff A; Crocker, George H; Newcomer, Sean C

    2017-04-01

    Participation in surfing has evolved to include all age groups. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether activity levels and cardiovascular responses to surfing change with age. Surfing time and heart rate (HR) were measured for the total surfing session and within each activity of surfing (paddling, sitting, wave riding, and miscellaneous). Peak oxygen consumption (VO 2peak ) was also measured during laboratory-based simulated surfboard paddling on a modified swim bench ergometer. VO 2peak decreased with age during simulated paddling (r = -.455, p < .001, n = 68). Total time surfing (p = .837) and time spent within each activity of surfing did not differ with age (n = 160). Mean HR during surfing significantly decreased with age (r = -.231, p = .004). However, surfing HR expressed as a percent of age-predicted maximum increased significantly with age. Therefore, recreational surfers across the age spectrum are achieving intensities and durations that are consistent with guidelines for cardiovascular health.

  1. Surf zone entrainment, along-shore transport, and human health implications of pollution from tidal outlets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grant, S. B.; Kim, J. H.; Jones, B. H.; Jenkins, S. A.; Wasyl, J.; Cudaback, C.

    2005-10-01

    Field experiments and modeling studies were carried out to characterize the surf zone entrainment and along-shore transport of pollution from two tidal outlets that drain into Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, popular public beaches in southern California. The surf zone entrainment and near-shore transport of pollutants from these tidal outlets appears to be controlled by prevailing wave conditions and coastal currents, and fine-scale features of the flow field around the outlets. An analysis of data from dye experiments and fecal indicator bacteria monitoring studies reveals that the along-shore flux of surf zone water is at least 50 to 300 times larger than the cross-shore flux of surf zone water. As a result, pollutants entrained in the surf zone hug the shore, where they travel significant distances parallel to the beach before diluting to extinction. Under the assumption that all surf zone pollution at Huntington Beach originates from two tidal outlets, the Santa Ana River and Talbert Marsh outlets, models of mass and momentum transport in the surf zone approximately capture the observed tidal phasing and magnitude of certain fecal indicator bacteria groups (total coliform) but not others (Escherichia coli and enterococci), implying the existence of multiple sources of, and/or multiple transport pathways for, fecal pollution at this site. The intersection of human recreation and near-shore pollution pathways implies that, from a human health perspective, special care should be taken to reduce the discharge of harmful pollutants from land-side sources of surface water runoff, such as tidal outlets and storm drains.

  2. Car surfing: an underreported mechanism of serious injury in children and adolescents.

    PubMed

    Geiger, J D; Newsted, J; Drongowski, R A; Lelli, J L

    2001-01-01

    Car surfing, in which participants stand on top of a moving vehicle as though it were a surfboard, has been reported as a cause of traumatic injury in only 5 cases in the literature. Over the last 8 years, however, the authors have treated 26 children, primarily adolescents, for injuries resulting from car surfing. This report describes the injuries and outcomes of this potentially underreported mechanism of injury. Medical records of 26 patients treated for car surfing injuries between 1991 and 1999 were reviewed. Demographics, hospital course, and type and severity of injuries were analyzed. Eighteen boys (69%) and 8 girls (31%) with an average age of 15.7+/-3.4 years (range, 6 to 22) have presented with injuries related to car surfing. All patients had fallen from the hood, roof, or trunk of a moving motor vehicle, the majority falling from the hood (n = 13; 50%). Injury severity was evaluated using the Injury Severity Scores (ISS; 12.4+/-6.5), Revised Trauma Score (RTS; 7.5+/- 1.1) and Glasgow Coma Score (GCS; 13.5+/-3.2). Injury severity was equivalent between boys and girls (P>.05). Central nervous system injuries predominated, with closed head injuries occurring in 22 (85%) and loss of consciousness in 10 (39%). Skull fractures occurred in 11 (42%) and intracranial bleeding in 9 (35%). Long-term cognitive rehabilitation was necessary in 22 (85%) patients. Three patients (12%) had spinal column fractures, with 2 (8%) suffering permanent paralysis. Two extremity (8%) and 3 (11.7%) pelvic fractures occurred. Most patients (73%) suffered significant skin and soft tissue injuries. Two patients (8%) presented with solid visceral injuries, and 1 child died. Car surfing is an extremely high-risk behavior in children and adolescents that leads to significant morbidity, long-term disability, and is potentially fatal. The incidence of car surfing may be greater than has been reported previously; therefore, prevention programs aimed at discouraging this high

  3. Study on Low Illumination Simultaneous Polarization Image Registration Based on Improved SURF Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Wanjun; Yang, Xu

    2017-12-01

    Registration of simultaneous polarization images is the premise of subsequent image fusion operations. However, in the process of shooting all-weather, the polarized camera exposure time need to be kept unchanged, sometimes polarization images under low illumination conditions due to too dark result in SURF algorithm can not extract feature points, thus unable to complete the registration, therefore this paper proposes an improved SURF algorithm. Firstly, the luminance operator is used to improve overall brightness of low illumination image, and then create integral image, using Hession matrix to extract the points of interest to get the main direction of characteristic points, calculate Haar wavelet response in X and Y directions to get the SURF descriptor information, then use the RANSAC function to make precise matching, the function can eliminate wrong matching points and improve accuracy rate. And finally resume the brightness of the polarized image after registration, the effect of the polarized image is not affected. Results show that the improved SURF algorithm can be applied well under low illumination conditions.

  4. Fatal accidents due to train surfing in Berlin.

    PubMed

    Strauch, H; Wirth, I; Geserick, G

    1998-06-08

    This study was undertaken for the purpose of analysing under the aspect of legal medicine, fatal accidents due to train surfing in the local transport system of Berlin (S-Bahn and underground). The period of investigation was from 1989 through 1995, with 41 train surfing accidents, among them 18 with fatal outcome. Evaluation included those 14 deaths which were forensically autopsied. It was based on autopsy records of Berlin-based university institutes (Humboldt University and Free University) as well as the Brandenburg State Institute of Legal Medicine. Also used were data obtained from the Berlin Transport Police Record. The casualties were aged between 13 and 25 years, most of them between 16 and 20. The male-female gender ratio was 13:1. Accidents occurred above all in the warmer season of the year, most of them between 20:00 h and midnight. More than 50% of all cases were affected by alcohol, but centrally acting medicaments or other addictive drugs were not noticed at all. Most of the fatal accidents occurred to users of the Berlin S-Bahn network. Older train models were the preferred surfing objects due to their structural peculiarities. Collision with close-to-track obstacles and slipping from the train proved to be the major sources of danger. An analysis of injuries revealed polytraumatisation but for one exception, with craniocerebral injuries being the most common and severest events. The longest survival time amounted to 24 h. As the psychosocial causes of high-risk behaviour of adolescents will hardly be controllable, withdrawal of technical, that is structural design possibilities appears to be the most important approach to prevention of accidents in the future. This demand is met by the new series of the Berlin S-Bahn. The model of the old series, suitable for surfing, still accounts for about 10% of the rolling stock and is to be decommissioned in 1998.

  5. 75 FR 24747 - SCI, LLC/Zener-Rectifier Operations Division A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of SCI, LLC/ON...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-70,235] SCI, LLC/Zener-Rectifier... Adjustment Assistance on October 19, 2009, applicable to workers of SCI LLC/Zener-Rectifier, Operations... Technical Resources were employed on-site at the Phoenix Arizona location of SCI LLC/Zener-Rectifier...

  6. Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with Leigh syndrome and SURF1 mutations.

    PubMed

    Sonam, Kothari; Khan, Nahid Akthar; Bindu, Parayil Sankaran; Taly, Arun B; Gayathri, N; Bharath, M M Srinivas; Govindaraju, C; Arvinda, H R; Nagappa, Madhu; Sinha, Sanjib; Thangaraj, K

    2014-10-01

    Mutation in the SURF1 is one of the most common nuclear mutations associated with Leigh syndrome and cytochrome c oxidase deficiency. This study aims to describe the phenotypic and imaging features in four patients with Leigh syndrome and novel SURF1 mutation. The study included four patients with Leigh syndrome and SURF1 mutations identified from a cohort of 25 children with Leigh syndrome seen over a period of six years (2006-2012). All the patients underwent a detailed neurological assessment, muscle biopsy, and sequencing of the complete mitochondrial genome and SURF1. Three patients had classical presentation of Leigh syndrome. The fourth patient had a later age of onset with ataxia as the presenting manifestation and a stable course. Hypertrichosis, facial dysmorphism and hypopigmentation were the additional phenotypic features noted. On magnetic resonance imaging all patients had brainstem and cerebellar involvement and two had basal ganglia involvement in addition. The bilateral symmetrical hypertrophic olivary degeneration in these patients was striking. The SURF1 analysis identified previously unreported mutations in all the patients. On follow-up three patients expired and one had a stable course. Patients with Leigh syndrome and SURF1 mutation often have skin and hair abnormalities. Bilateral symmetrical hypertrophic olivary degeneration was a consistent finding on magnetic resonance imaging in these patients. Copyright © 2013 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Issues and concerns in nanotech product development and its commercialization.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Indu Pal; Kakkar, Vandita; Deol, Parneet Kaur; Yadav, Monika; Singh, Mandeep; Sharma, Ikksheta

    2014-11-10

    The revolutionary and ubiquitous nature of nanotechnology has fetched it a considerable attention in the past few decades. Even though its enablement and application to various sectors including pharmaceutical drug development is increasing with the enormous government aided funding for nanotechnology-based products, however the parallel commercialization of these systems has not picked up a similar impetus. The technology however does address the unmet needs of pharmaceutical industry, including the reformulation of drugs to improve their solubility, bioavailability or toxicity profiles as observed from the wide array of high-quality research publications appearing in various scientific journals and magazines. Based on our decade-long experience in the field of nanotech-based drug delivery systems and extensive literature survey, we perceive that the major hiccups to the marketing of these nanotechnology products can be categorized as 1) inadequate regulatory framework; 2) lack of support and acceptance by the public, practicing physician, and industry; 3) developmental considerations like scalability, reproducibility, characterization, quality control, and suitable translation; 4) toxicological issues and safety profiles; 5) lack of available multidisciplinary platforms; and, 6) poor intellectual property protection. The present review dwells on these issues elaborating the trends followed by the industry, regulatory role of the USFDA and their implication, and the challenges set forth for a successful translation of these products from the lab and different clinical phases to the market. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Mutations in SURF1 are important genetic causes of Leigh syndrome in Slovak patients.

    PubMed

    Danis, Daniel; Brennerova, Katarina; Skopkova, Martina; Kurdiova, Timea; Ukropec, Jozef; Stanik, Juraj; Kolnikova, Miriam; Gasperikova, Daniela

    2018-04-01

    Leigh syndrome is a progressive early onset neurodegenerative disease typically presenting with psychomotor regression, signs of brainstem and/or basal ganglia disease, lactic acidosis, and characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings. At molecular level, deficiency of respiratory complexes and/or pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is usually observed. Nuclear gene SURF1 encodes an assembly factor for cytochrome c-oxidase complex of the respiratory chain and autosomal recessive mutations in SURF1 are one of the most frequent causes of cytochrome c-oxidase-related Leigh syndrome cases. Here, we aimed to elucidate the genetic basis of Leigh syndrome in three Slovak families. Three probands presenting with Leigh syndrome were selected for DNA analysis. The first proband, presenting with atypical LS onset without abnormal basal ganglia magnetic resonance imaging findings, was analyzed with whole exome sequencing. In the two remaining probands, SURF1 was screened by Sanger sequencing. Four different heterozygous mutations were identified in SURF1: c.312_321delinsAT:p.(Pro104Profs*1), c.588+1G>A, c.823_833+7del:p. (?) and c.845_846del:p.(Ser282Cysfs*9). All the mutations are predicted to have a loss-of-function effect. We identified disease-causing mutations in all three probands, which points to the important role of SURF1 gene in etiology of Leigh syndrome in Slovakia. Our data showed that patients with atypical Leigh syndrome phenotype without lesions in basal ganglia may benefit from the whole exome sequencing method. In the case of probands presenting the typical phenotype, Sanger sequencing of the SURF1 gene seems to be an effective method of DNA analysis.

  9. Evaluation and Management of SCI-Associated Pain.

    PubMed

    Saulino, Michael; Averna, Justin F

    2016-09-01

    Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological condition. Treatment of SCI-related pain is challenging for the treating physician, as normal neural pathways are disrupted. Patients with SCI consistently rate pain as one of the most difficult problems associated with their injury. SCI-related pain can be refractory and complete relief is often not possible. The multidimensional nature of SCI-related pain affects the neural system including autonomic nervous system deregulation and can alter metabolic and biochemical processes throughout the body. Co-morbid psychological illnesses such as depression and adjustment disorder are seen in a significant percentage of patients. Despite a better understanding of the underlying pain mechanisms and advances in procedural, pharmacologic, and non-pharmacologic therapies, treatment of pain after SCI remains elusive. This manuscript reviews the current evidence-based evaluation and management of the SCI patient with the overarching goal of providing appropriate and effective management of their pain. In particular, additional well-designed studies are needed to help elucidate effective treatments for SCI-related neuropathic pain in an effort to help provide these patients with better management of their pain and improve their quality of life.

  10. SCI Hazard Report Methodology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mitchell, Michael S.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the methodology in creating a Source Control Item (SCI) Hazard Report (HR). The SCI HR provides a system safety risk assessment for the following Ares I Upper Stage Production Contract (USPC) components (1) Pyro Separation Systems (2) Main Propulsion System (3) Reaction and Roll Control Systems (4) Thrust Vector Control System and (5) Ullage Settling Motor System components.

  11. Sequence conservation from human to prokaryotes of Surf1, a protein involved in cytochrome c oxidase assembly, deficient in Leigh syndrome.

    PubMed

    Poyau, A; Buchet, K; Godinot, C

    1999-12-03

    The human SURF1 gene encoding a protein involved in cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assembly, is mutated in most patients presenting Leigh syndrome associated with COX deficiency. Proteins homologous to the human Surf1 have been identified in nine eukaryotes and six prokaryotes using database alignment tools, structure prediction and/or cDNA sequencing. Their sequence comparison revealed a remarkable Surf1 conservation during evolution and put forward at least four highly conserved domains that should be essential for Surf1 function. In Paracoccus denitrificans, the Surf1 homologue is found in the quinol oxidase operon, suggesting that Surf1 is associated with a primitive quinol oxidase which belongs to the same superfamily as cytochrome oxidase.

  12. Preface: SciDAC 2007

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keyes, David E.

    2007-09-01

    It takes a village to perform a petascale computation—domain scientists, applied mathematicians, computer scientists, computer system vendors, program managers, and support staff—and the village was assembled during 24-28 June 2007 in Boston's Westin Copley Place for the third annual Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) 2007 Conference. Over 300 registered participants networked around 76 posters, focused on achievements and challenges in 36 plenary talks, and brainstormed in two panels. In addition, with an eye to spreading the vision for simulation at the petascale and to growing the workforce, 115 participants—mostly doctoral students and post-docs complementary to the conferees—were gathered on 29 June 2007 in classrooms of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a full day of tutorials on the use of SciDAC software. Eleven SciDAC-sponsored research groups presented their software at an introductory level, in both lecture and hands-on formats that included live runs on a local BlueGene/L. Computation has always been about garnering insight into the behavior of systems too complex to explore satisfactorily by theoretical means alone. Today, however, computation is about much more: scientists and decision makers expect quantitatively reliable predictions from simulations ranging in scale from that of the Earth's climate, down to quarks, and out to colliding black holes. Predictive simulation lies at the heart of policy choices in energy and environment affecting billions of lives and expenditures of trillions of dollars. It is also at the heart of scientific debates on the nature of matter and the origin of the universe. The petascale is barely adequate for such demands and we are barely established at the levels of resolution and throughput that this new scale of computation affords. However, no scientific agenda worldwide is pushing the petascale frontier on all its fronts as vigorously as SciDAC. The breadth of this conference

  13. Preface: SciDAC 2006

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, William M., Dr.

    2006-01-01

    The second annual Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) Conference was held from June 25-29, 2006 at the new Hyatt Regency Hotel in Denver, Colorado. This conference showcased outstanding SciDAC-sponsored computational science results achieved during the past year across many scientific domains, with an emphasis on science at scale. Exciting computational science that has been accomplished outside of the SciDAC program both nationally and internationally was also featured to help foster communication between SciDAC computational scientists and those funded by other agencies. This was illustrated by many compelling examples of how domain scientists collaborated productively with applied mathematicians and computer scientists to effectively take advantage of terascale computers (capable of performing trillions of calculations per second) not only to accelerate progress in scientific discovery in a variety of fields but also to show great promise for being able to utilize the exciting petascale capabilities in the near future. The SciDAC program was originally conceived as an interdisciplinary computational science program based on the guiding principle that strong collaborative alliances between domain scientists, applied mathematicians, and computer scientists are vital to accelerated progress and associated discovery on the world's most challenging scientific problems. Associated verification and validation are essential in this successful program, which was funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE OS) five years ago. As is made clear in many of the papers in these proceedings, SciDAC has fundamentally changed the way that computational science is now carried out in response to the exciting challenge of making the best use of the rapid progress in the emergence of more and more powerful computational platforms. In this regard, Dr. Raymond Orbach, Energy Undersecretary for Science at the DOE and Director of the OS has stated

  14. Combined SCI and TBI: Recovery of forelimb function after unilateral cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is retarded by contralateral traumatic brain injury (TBI), and ipsilateral TBI balances the effects of SCI on paw placement

    PubMed Central

    Inoue, Tomoo; Lin, Amity; Ma, Xiaokui; McKenna, Stephen L.; Creasey, Graham H.; Manley, Geoffrey T.; Ferguson, Adam R.; Bresnahan, Jacqueline C.; Beattie, Michael S.

    2015-01-01

    A significant proportion (estimates range from 16–74%) of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the combination often produces difficulties in planning and implementing rehabilitation strategies and drug therapies. For example, many of the drugs used to treat SCI may interfere with cognitive rehabilitation, and conversely drugs that are used to control seizures in TBI patients may undermine locomotor recovery after SCI. The current paper presents an experimental animal model for combined SCI and TBI to help drive mechanistic studies of dual diagnosis. Rats received a unilateral SCI (75 kdyn) at C5 vertebral level, a unilateral TBI (2.0 mm depth, 4.0 m/s velocity impact on the forelimb sensori-motor cortex), or both SCI + TBI. TBI was placed either contralateral or ipsilateral to the SCI. Behavioral recovery was examined using paw placement in a cylinder, grooming, open field locomotion, and the IBB cereal eating test. Over 6 weeks, in the paw placement test, SCI + contralateral TBI produced a profound deficit that failed to recover, but SCI + ipsilateral TBI increased the relative use of the paw on the SCI side. In the grooming test, SCI + contralateral TBI produced worse recovery than either lesion alone even though contralateral TBI alone produced no observable deficit. In the IBB forelimb test, SCI + contralateral TBI revealed a severe deficit that recovered in 3 weeks. For open field locomotion, SCI alone or in combination with TBI resulted in an initial deficit that recovered in 2 weeks. Thus, TBI and SCI affected forelimb function differently depending upon the test, reflecting different neural substrates underlying, for example, exploratory paw placement and stereotyped grooming. Concurrent SCI and TBI had significantly different effects on outcomes and recovery, depending upon laterality of the two lesions. Recovery of function after cervical SCI was retarded by the addition of a moderate TBI in the

  15. Combined SCI and TBI: recovery of forelimb function after unilateral cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is retarded by contralateral traumatic brain injury (TBI), and ipsilateral TBI balances the effects of SCI on paw placement.

    PubMed

    Inoue, Tomoo; Lin, Amity; Ma, Xiaokui; McKenna, Stephen L; Creasey, Graham H; Manley, Geoffrey T; Ferguson, Adam R; Bresnahan, Jacqueline C; Beattie, Michael S

    2013-10-01

    A significant proportion (estimates range from 16 to 74%) of patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI), and the combination often produces difficulties in planning and implementing rehabilitation strategies and drug therapies. For example, many of the drugs used to treat SCI may interfere with cognitive rehabilitation, and conversely drugs that are used to control seizures in TBI patients may undermine locomotor recovery after SCI. The current paper presents an experimental animal model for combined SCI and TBI to help drive mechanistic studies of dual diagnosis. Rats received a unilateral SCI (75 kdyn) at C5 vertebral level, a unilateral TBI (2.0 mm depth, 4.0 m/s velocity impact on the forelimb sensori-motor cortex), or both SCI+TBI. TBI was placed either contralateral or ipsilateral to the SCI. Behavioral recovery was examined using paw placement in a cylinder, grooming, open field locomotion, and the IBB cereal eating test. Over 6weeks, in the paw placement test, SCI+contralateral TBI produced a profound deficit that failed to recover, but SCI+ipsilateral TBI increased the relative use of the paw on the SCI side. In the grooming test, SCI+contralateral TBI produced worse recovery than either lesion alone even though contralateral TBI alone produced no observable deficit. In the IBB forelimb test, SCI+contralateral TBI revealed a severe deficit that recovered in 3 weeks. For open field locomotion, SCI alone or in combination with TBI resulted in an initial deficit that recovered in 2 weeks. Thus, TBI and SCI affected forelimb function differently depending upon the test, reflecting different neural substrates underlying, for example, exploratory paw placement and stereotyped grooming. Concurrent SCI and TBI had significantly different effects on outcomes and recovery, depending upon laterality of the two lesions. Recovery of function after cervical SCI was retarded by the addition of a moderate TBI in the contralateral

  16. Collective bubble oscillations as a component of surf infrasound.

    PubMed

    Park, Joseph; Garcés, Milton; Fee, David; Pawlak, Geno

    2008-05-01

    Plunging surf is a known generator of infrasound, though the mechanisms have not been clearly identified. A model based on collective bubble oscillations created by demise of the initially entrained air pocket is examined. Computed spectra are compared to infrasound data from the island of Kauai during periods of medium, large, and extreme surf. Model results suggest that bubble oscillations generated by plunging waves are plausible generators of infrasound, and that dynamic bubble plume evolution on a temporal scale comparable to the breaking wave period may contribute to the broad spectral lobe of dominant infrasonic energy observed in measured data. Application of an inverse model has potential to characterize breaking wave size distributions, energy, and temporal changes in seafloor morphology based on remotely sensed infrasound.

  17. Surf zone fauna of Ecuadorian sandy beaches: Spatial and temporal patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marin Jarrin, J. R.; Vanaverbeke, J.; Fockedey, N.; de Grunauer, M. del P. Cornejo R.; Dominguez-Granda, L.

    2017-02-01

    Sandy beaches and their surf zones are the most common open shoreline habitat; however, surf zone fauna in the tropics is one of the least studied communities in the world. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that Ecuadorian surf zone hyperbenthos (invertebrates and vertebrates 1-5 mm in length) and epibenthos (fish and macrocrustaceans > 5 mm in length) vary among beaches and seasons. Therefore, the fauna was described and related to environmental variables. In addition, indicator taxa were identified. The hyperbenthos was divided into holo- and mero-hyperbenthos depending on whether taxa were present during their entire life or only early life stages, respectively. Samples were collected at eight different beaches during the wet, dry and intermediate or transitional season during the low spring tide, from 1999 to 2000, using a hyperbenthic sledge and epibenthic trawl. A total of 447 hyperbenthic and 30 epibenthic taxa were collected, most of which were crustaceans and fish, respectively (52 and 60% of taxa). The mysid, Metamysidopsis sp., was the most abundant member of the hyperbenthos (average ± SD: 14,425 ± 40,039 ind. 100 m- 2, present in 92% of samples collected), and the swimming blue crab, Areneus mexicanus, was the most encountered species among the epibenthos (1 ± 1 ind. 100 m- 2, 97% of samples collected). All faunal groups varied among beaches, while the holo-hyperbenthos and less strongly the epibenthos varied among seasons. Variability in the three faunas among beaches, distance from the continental slope and the Guayas estuarine system, and beach water physical characteristics were all strongly correlated suggesting adjacent habitats can influence surf zone biological communities and water physical characteristics. Seasonal effects were related to changes in water physical characteristics among seasons potentially reflecting changes in oceanic currents. These results suggest that, similarly to other beaches around the world, Ecuadorian

  18. Social Networking Sites' Influence on Travelers' Authentic Experience a Case Study of Couch Surfing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Xiao

    2013-01-01

    This study explored travelers' experiences in the era of network hospitality 2.0 using CouchSurfing.org as a case study. The following research questions guided this study: 1) what experience does CouchSurfing create for travelers before, during and after their travel? 2) how does couch surfers' experience relate to authenticity in context of…

  19. Surfing surface gravity waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pizzo, Nick

    2017-11-01

    A simple criterion for water particles to surf an underlying surface gravity wave is presented. It is found that particles travelling near the phase speed of the wave, in a geometrically confined region on the forward face of the crest, increase in speed. The criterion is derived using the equation of John (Commun. Pure Appl. Maths, vol. 6, 1953, pp. 497-503) for the motion of a zero-stress free surface under the action of gravity. As an example, a breaking water wave is theoretically and numerically examined. Implications for upper-ocean processes, for both shallow- and deep-water waves, are discussed.

  20. Surf zone fish diet as an indicator of environmental and anthropogenic influences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Costa, Leonardo Lopes; Zalmon, Ilana Rosental

    2017-10-01

    Changes in species' abundance have been used as indicators of environmental and anthropogenic disturbances. However, sublethal, e.g., diet, changes should be detected before some alterations in the composition and structure of fish assemblages occur as a result of ecological negative impacts. The objective of the present study was to assess possible changes in surf zone fish diet in response to environmental and anthropogenic disturbances. Surf zone fish were sampled and their stomach contents were analyzed on two sandy beaches under different levels of human pressure in Southeastern Brazil. Habitat variables related to seasonality, food availability, anthropogenic disturbance, upwelling and river influence were measured as follows: (1) wave height; (2) water temperature; (3) intertidal macroinvertebrates abundance; (4) solid waste amount; (5) salinity; (6) particulate organic carbon (POC) and (7) chlorophyll a (Chl a). Our results showed the influence of seasonality, prey abundance and hydrodynamics in prey selection, and diet overlap between typical surf zone residents. A literature search was also performed and it shows that insects and Emerita brasiliensis eggs, which were the main food item consumed by some surf zone fish at urbanized Brazilian beaches, are unusual worldwide. Furthermore, solid waste was related to high consumption of insects by pompanos fish in urbanized areas, suggesting that this fish diet could be a sublethal indicator of human impact on sandy beaches.

  1. The effects of surfing and the natural environment on the well-being of combat veterans.

    PubMed

    Caddick, Nick; Smith, Brett; Phoenix, Cassandra

    2015-01-01

    Although researchers have identified the benefits of physical activity on well-being, there is little evidence concerning the effects of nature-based physical activity. We investigated the effect of one nature-based activity-surfing-on the well-being of combat veterans experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted interviews and participant observations with a group of combat veterans belonging to a United Kingdom-based veterans' surfing charity. Our primary analytical approach was dialogical narrative analysis. Based on our rigorous analysis and findings, we suggest that surfing facilitated a sense of respite from PTSD. Respite was a fully embodied feeling of release from suffering that was cultivated through surfing and shaped by the stories veterans told of their experiences. We significantly extend previous knowledge on physical activity, combat veterans, and PTSD by highlighting how nature-based physical activity, encapsulated in the conceptual notion of the "blue gym," can promote well-being among combat veterans. © The Author(s) 2014.

  2. Genome surfing as driver of microbial genomic diversity

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Historical changes in population size, such as those caused by demographic range expansions, can produce nonadaptive changes in genomic diversity through mechanisms such as gene surfing. We propose that demographic range expansion of a microbial population capable of horizontal gene exchange can res...

  3. Surf zone Exchange on a Rip Channeled Beach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reniers, A.; Macmahan, J.

    2008-12-01

    The dispersion and surf zone exchange of GPS-equipped surface drifters observed during the Rip Current EXperiment (RCEX) is examined with help of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs). LCSs allow for the detection of transport barriers in unsteady flows and are typically applied to shelf-scale circulation systems. Here LCSs are specifically computed to detect the effects of surfzone-originated Very Low Frequency motions (VLFs) with O(10) minute time scale on the cross-shore exchange of floating material using numerical model calculations of the Lagrangian surface velocity at the wave group timescale. After verification with RCEX field observations, the model is run for a range of environmental conditions experienced during the field experiment to assess the effects of VLFs on the cross-shore surf zone exchange. Results are relevant for (but not restricted to) sediment and nutrient exchange, human health, water clarity, and swimmer safety.

  4. Distinguishing high surf from volcanic long-period earthquakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lyons, John; Haney, Matt; Fee, David; Paskievitch, John F.

    2014-01-01

    Repeating long-period (LP) earthquakes are observed at active volcanoes worldwide and are typically attributed to unsteady pressure fluctuations associated with fluid migration through the volcanic plumbing system. Nonvolcanic sources of LP signals include ice movement and glacial outburst floods, and the waveform characteristics and frequency content of these events often make them difficult to distinguish from volcanic LP events. We analyze seismic and infrasound data from an LP swarm recorded at Pagan volcano on 12–14 October 2013 and compare the results to ocean wave data from a nearby buoy. We demonstrate that although the events show strong similarity to volcanic LP signals, the events are not volcanic but due to intense surf generated by a passing typhoon. Seismo-acoustic methods allow for rapid distinction of volcanic LP signals from those generated by large surf and other sources, a critical task for volcano monitoring.

  5. The ConSurf-DB: pre-calculated evolutionary conservation profiles of protein structures.

    PubMed

    Goldenberg, Ofir; Erez, Elana; Nimrod, Guy; Ben-Tal, Nir

    2009-01-01

    ConSurf-DB is a repository for evolutionary conservation analysis of the proteins of known structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Sequence homologues of each of the PDB entries were collected and aligned using standard methods. The evolutionary conservation of each amino acid position in the alignment was calculated using the Rate4Site algorithm, implemented in the ConSurf web server. The algorithm takes into account the phylogenetic relations between the aligned proteins and the stochastic nature of the evolutionary process explicitly. Rate4Site assigns a conservation level for each position in the multiple sequence alignment using an empirical Bayesian inference. Visual inspection of the conservation patterns on the 3D structure often enables the identification of key residues that comprise the functionally important regions of the protein. The repository is updated with the latest PDB entries on a monthly basis and will be rebuilt annually. ConSurf-DB is available online at http://consurfdb.tau.ac.il/

  6. The ConSurf-DB: pre-calculated evolutionary conservation profiles of protein structures

    PubMed Central

    Goldenberg, Ofir; Erez, Elana; Nimrod, Guy; Ben-Tal, Nir

    2009-01-01

    ConSurf-DB is a repository for evolutionary conservation analysis of the proteins of known structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Sequence homologues of each of the PDB entries were collected and aligned using standard methods. The evolutionary conservation of each amino acid position in the alignment was calculated using the Rate4Site algorithm, implemented in the ConSurf web server. The algorithm takes into account the phylogenetic relations between the aligned proteins and the stochastic nature of the evolutionary process explicitly. Rate4Site assigns a conservation level for each position in the multiple sequence alignment using an empirical Bayesian inference. Visual inspection of the conservation patterns on the 3D structure often enables the identification of key residues that comprise the functionally important regions of the protein. The repository is updated with the latest PDB entries on a monthly basis and will be rebuilt annually. ConSurf-DB is available online at http://consurfdb.tau.ac.il/ PMID:18971256

  7. Self-organisation of adsorbed nitrogen on (100) and (410) copper faces: a SPA-LEED study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sotto, M.; Croset, B.

    2000-08-01

    The self-organisation of nitrogen nanostructures at different coverages on a (100) copper surface is studied by spot profile analysing low energy electron diffraction (SPA-LEED). The existence of two surface states with a domain of coverage leading to coexistence of the two states as already observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) [Leibsle and Robinson, Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) 15 865; Leibsle et al., Surf. Sci. 317 (1994) 309; Leibsle, Surf. Sci. 440 (1999) L835] and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) [Sotto et al., Surf. Sci. 371 (1997) 36] is confirmed. In the first state, the surface is organised in square shape islands separated by bare copper <100> rows. This work shows that the surface periodicity depends on the preparation of the nitrogen overlayer. When nitrogen coverage is obtained by adsorption with a sample temperature near 320°C, the periodicity does not vary with coverage and is found to be equal to 55±2 Å. At coverages below 0.75±0.05 and if the nitrogen is deposited at room temperature followed by an anneal at 320°C, during long periods of time, the periodicity evolves to large values (˜97±3 Å). During thermal desorption, the long range order with decreasing coverage is maintained but the surface periodicity also evolves continuously to large values (˜100 Å). However, a surface periodicity of 55±2 Å seems to be a characteristic length of this system. The second surface state corresponds to large c(2×2)N domains separated by <110> trenches [Leibsle and Robinson, Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) 15 865; Leibsle et al., Surf. Sci. 317 (1994) 309; Leibsle, Surf. Sci. 440 (1999) L835]. Nitrogen adsorption on a (410) stepped face induces a reconstruction into a (810) face with double step height. The complex behaviour of this film growth is discussed in the light of existing theories about the driving force leading to nanostructuration.

  8. A pilot study of cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder augmented by panic surfing.

    PubMed

    Lamplugh, Claire; Berle, David; Milicevic, Denise; Starcevic, Vladan

    2008-01-01

    This pilot study reports the outcome of cognitive behaviour therapy for panic disorder augmented by panic surfing. This treatment approach encourages acceptance of feelings rather than control of symptoms and anxiety, at the same time also targeting catastrophic misinterpretations, bodily vigilance and safety-seeking behaviours. Eighteen participants completed a brief group treatment for panic disorder incorporating psychoeducation, panic surfing, interoceptive exposure, graded exposure and cognitive restructuring. Significant improvements occurred over the course of this treatment and were maintained at a 1-month follow-up. Results suggest that cognitive behaviour therapy augmented by panic surfing may be effective in the treatment of panic disorder, but there is a need for controlled studies and investigation of the relative contribution of its various components. 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Habitats used by black and surf scoters in eastern North America as determined by satellite radio telemetry

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, M.C.; Kidwell, D.M.; Wells-Berlin, A. M.; Lohnes, E.J.R.; Olsen, Glenn H.; Osenton, P.C.

    2005-01-01

    Satellite radio telemetry was used to determine the movements and habitats of black scoters (Melanitta nigra) and surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) in eastern North America. A total of 21 surf scoters were instrumented during five years (2001-05) and 32 black scoters were instrumented during three years (2002-04) with implanted PTT 100 satellite transmitters (39 g) with external antenna. Nesting habitat of black scoters was more open than surf scoters (44% vs. 11%), whereas nesting habitat for surf scoters was located in more forested areas (66% vs. 20%). Locations of black scoters in breeding areas on average were at significantly higher latitude and lower elevations than sites used by surf scoters. Satellite telemetry determined that James Bay was the major molting area for male black and surf scoters, although some males molted along the coast of Labrador-Newfoundland. Black scoters instrumented on the Restigouche River, which is a major staging area, were widely distributed along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod to Georgia during winter. Major wintering areas for black scoters were Cape Cod (Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island), Long Island, and New Jersey. In these northern marine wintering areas, black scoters were located farther from shore (4.2 km) and in deeper water (8.3 m) than black scoters in more southern estuarine areas, where distance from shore was 3.1 km and water depth was 5.2 m. Surf scoters instrumented in Chesapeake Bay in late winter showed a strong tendency to return to the Bay the following winter after they had migrated to and from breeding areas. In Chesapeake Bay, black scoters and surf scoters were located mostly in mesohaline areas that had similar water depths (5.1 m vs. 7.5 m) and distances from shore (3.0 km vs. 2.9 km). Distance from shore and depth of water increased over time during the winter for both species. Updated information from the ARGOS Systems aboard the NOAA satellites on scoter movements was made accessible on

  10. Surfing the Internet.

    PubMed

    Clay, A T

    1995-08-01

    More physicians are surfing the Internet than ever before, thanks to the recent launch of MSMSNET, the Michigan State Medical Society's new online service for physician members. If words like World Wide Web, E-mail, and Hypertext links send you into a state of confusion, then read on. This month's cover story discusses MSMS's launch into the information superhighway and training programs MSMS has in store for physician members. Also included is an examination of the Internet--past, present and future--by the president of Voyager Information Networks, Inc., a Michigan corporation specializing in Internet services for Michigan trade groups and other organizations, including MSMS. This cover story marks the beginning of a series of articles on the Internet which will appear in future issues of Michigan Medicine. Hop on board and enjoy the ride!

  11. Drones at the Beach - Surf Zone Monitoring Using Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rynne, P.; Brouwer, R.; de Schipper, M. A.; Graham, F.; Reniers, A.; MacMahan, J. H.

    2014-12-01

    We investigate the potential of rotary wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to monitor the surf zone. In recent years, the arrival of lightweight, high-capacity batteries, low-power electronics and compact high-definition cameras has driven the development of commercially available UAVs for hobbyists. Moreover, the low operation costs have increased their potential for scientific research as these UAVs are extremely flexible surveying platforms. The UAVs can fly for ~12 min with a mean loiter radius of 1 - 3.5 m and a mean loiter error of 0.75 - 4.5 m, depending on the environmental conditions, flying style, battery type and vehicle type. Our experiments using multiple, alternating UAVs show that it is possible to have near continuous imagery data with similar Fields Of View. The images obtained from the UAVs (Fig. 1a), and in combination with surveyed Ground Control Points (GCPs) (Fig. 1b, red squares and white circles), can be geo-rectified (Fig. 1c) to pixel resolution between 0.01 - 1 m and a reprojection error, i.e. the difference between the surveyed GPS location of a GCP and the location of the GCP obtained from the geo-rectified image, of O(1 m). These geo-rectified images provide data on a variety of coastal aspects, such as beach width (Wb(x,t)), surf zone width (Wsf(x,t)), wave breaking location (rectangle B), beach usage (circle C) and location of dune vegegation (rectangle D), amongst others. Additionally, the possibility to have consecutive, high frequency (up to 2 Hz) rectified images makes the UAVs a great data instrument for spatially and temporally variable systems, such as the surf zone. Our first observations with the UAVs reveal the potential to quickly obtain surf zone and beach characteristics in response to storms or for day to day beach information, as well as the scientific pursuits of surf zone kinematics on different spatial and temporal scales, and dispersion and advection estimates of pollutants/dye. A selection of findings from

  12. High resolution satellite image indexing and retrieval using SURF features and bag of visual words

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouteldja, Samia; Kourgli, Assia

    2017-03-01

    In this paper, we evaluate the performance of SURF descriptor for high resolution satellite imagery (HRSI) retrieval through a BoVW model on a land-use/land-cover (LULC) dataset. Local feature approaches such as SIFT and SURF descriptors can deal with a large variation of scale, rotation and illumination of the images, providing, therefore, a better discriminative power and retrieval efficiency than global features, especially for HRSI which contain a great range of objects and spatial patterns. Moreover, we combine SURF and color features to improve the retrieval accuracy, and we propose to learn a category-specific dictionary for each image category which results in a more discriminative image representation and boosts the image retrieval performance.

  13. Shock Detector for SURF model

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

    Menikoff, Ralph

    2016-01-11

    SURF and its extension SURFplus are reactive burn models aimed at shock initiation and propagation of detonation waves in high explosives. A distinctive feature of these models is that the burn rate depends on the lead shock pressure. A key part of the models is an algorithm to detect the lead shock. Typically, shock capturing hydro algorithms have small oscillations behind a shock. Here we investigate how well the shock detection algorithm works for a nearly steady propagating detonation wave in one-dimension using the Eulerian xRage code.

  14. Movements of wintering surf scoters: Predator responses to different prey landscapes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kirk, M.; Esler, Daniel N.; Iverson, S.A.; Boyd, W.S.

    2008-01-01

    The distribution of predators is widely recognized to be intimately linked to the distribution of their prey. Foraging theory suggests that predators will modify their behaviors, including movements, to optimize net energy intake when faced with variation in prey attributes or abundance. While many studies have documented changes in movement patterns of animals in response to temporal changes in food, very few have contrasted movements of a single predator species naturally occurring in dramatically different prey landscapes. We documented variation in the winter movements, foraging range size, site fidelity, and distribution patterns of a molluscivorous sea duck, the surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), in two areas of coastal British Columbia with very different shellfish prey features. Baynes Sound has extensive tidal flats with abundant clams, which are high-quality and temporally stable prey for scoters. Malaspina Inlet is a rocky fjord-like inlet where scoters consume mussels that are superabundant and easily accessible in some patches but are heavily depleted over the course of winter. We used radio telemetry to track surf scoter movements in both areas and found that in the clam habitats of Baynes Sound, surf scoters exhibited limited movement, small winter ranges, strong foraging site fidelity, and very consistent distribution patterns. By contrast, in mussel habitats in the Malaspina Inlet, surf scoters displayed more movement, larger ranges, little fidelity to specific foraging sites, and more variable distribution patterns. We conclude that features associated with the different prey types, particularly the higher depletion rates of mussels, strongly influenced seasonal space use patterns. These findings are consistent with foraging theory and confirm that predator behavior, specifically movements, is environmentally mediated. ?? 2008 Springer-Verlag.

  15. Composition, shell strength, and metabolizable energy of Mulinia lateralis and Ischadium recurvum as food for wintering surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berlin, Alicia; Perry, Matthew C.; Kohn, R.A.; Paynter, K.T.; Ottinger, Mary Ann

    2015-01-01

    Decline in surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) waterfowl populations wintering in the Chesapeake Bay has been associated with changes in the availability of benthic bivalves. The Bay has become more eutrophic, causing changes in the benthos available to surf scoters. The subsequent decline in oyster beds (Crassostrea virginica) has reduced the hard substrate needed by the hooked mussel (Ischadium recurvum), one of the primary prey items for surf scoters, causing the surf scoter to switch to a more opportune species, the dwarf surfclam (Mulinia lateralis). The composition (macronutrients, minerals, and amino acids), shell strength (N), and metabolizable energy (kJ) of these prey items were quantified to determine the relative foraging values for wintering scoters. Pooled samples of each prey item were analyzed to determine composition. Shell strength (N) was measured using a shell crack compression test. Total collection digestibility trials were conducted on eight captive surf scoters. For the prey size range commonly consumed by surf scoters (6-12 mm for M. lateralis and 18-24 mm for I. recurvum), I. recurvum contained higher ash, protein, lipid, and energy per individual organism than M. lateralis. I. recurvum required significantly greater force to crack the shell relative to M. lateralis. No difference in metabolized energy was observed for these prey items in wintering surf scoters, despite I. recurvum's higher ash content and harder shell than M. lateralis. Therefore, wintering surf scoters were able to obtain the same amount of energy from each prey item, implying that they can sustain themselves if forced to switch prey.

  16. Composition, Shell Strength, and Metabolizable Energy of Mulinia lateralis and Ischadium recurvum as Food for Wintering Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata)

    PubMed Central

    Wells-Berlin, Alicia M.; Perry, Matthew C.; Kohn, Richard A.; Paynter, Kennedy T.; Ottinger, Mary Ann

    2015-01-01

    Decline in surf scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) waterfowl populations wintering in the Chesapeake Bay has been associated with changes in the availability of benthic bivalves. The Bay has become more eutrophic, causing changes in the benthos available to surf scoters. The subsequent decline in oyster beds (Crassostrea virginica) has reduced the hard substrate needed by the hooked mussel (Ischadium recurvum), one of the primary prey items for surf scoters, causing the surf scoter to switch to a more opportune species, the dwarf surfclam (Mulinia lateralis). The composition (macronutrients, minerals, and amino acids), shell strength (N), and metabolizable energy (kJ) of these prey items were quantified to determine the relative foraging values for wintering scoters. Pooled samples of each prey item were analyzed to determine composition. Shell strength (N) was measured using a shell crack compression test. Total collection digestibility trials were conducted on eight captive surf scoters. For the prey size range commonly consumed by surf scoters (6–12 mm for M. lateralis and 18–24 mm for I. recurvum), I. recurvum contained higher ash, protein, lipid, and energy per individual organism than M. lateralis. I. recurvum required significantly greater force to crack the shell relative to M. lateralis. No difference in metabolized energy was observed for these prey items in wintering surf scoters, despite I. recurvum’s higher ash content and harder shell than M. lateralis. Therefore, wintering surf scoters were able to obtain the same amount of energy from each prey item, implying that they can sustain themselves if forced to switch prey. PMID:25978636

  17. Room temperature deposition of gold onto the diffuse and sharp diffraction spot Si(111)-( 3 × 3) R30° Au surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plass, Richard; Marks, Laurence D.

    1996-06-01

    Room temperature gold depositions onto Si(111)-( 3 × 3) R30° Au surfaces with diffuse and sharp diffraction spots [Surf. Sci. 242 (1991) 73] (diffuse and sharp 3 × 3 Au hereafter) under UHV conditions has been monitored using transmission electron diffraction (TED). Both systems display an increase in surface structure diffraction spot intensities up to the completion of 1.0 monolayer (ML) after which the surface beams display an exponential decrease in intensity with coverage. The exponential decay rate decreases after roughly 1.33 ML. These results can be attributed to gold initially diffusing to and filling 3 × 3 Au gold trimer sites in vacancy type surface domain walls [Surf. Sci. 342 (1995) 233], then filling one of three possible sites on the 3 × 3 Au structure with essentially no surface diffusion, disrupting nearby gold trimers. Gold deposition onto the diffuse type structure caused the formation and expansion of satellite arcs around the strongest 3 × 3 beams similar to those seen by others [Surf. Sci. 242 (1991) 73; Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 16 (1977) 891; J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 10 (1992) 3486] at elevated temperatures while the sharp structure displayed only a modest shoulder formation near the strongest 3 × 3 beams.

  18. Safety Strategies While Surfing Online in the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demirbilek, Muhammet; Cilesiz, Sebnem; Tozoglu, Dogan

    The Internet has become an indispensable medium of the 21st century. Millions of people are using the Internet for exchanging information, surfing for information on virtually any topic, communicating all over the world, participating in discussion groups, shopping, traveling, and many other online activities. The World Wide Web is constantly…

  19. Two Japanese patients with Leigh syndrome caused by novel SURF1 mutations.

    PubMed

    Tanigawa, Junpei; Kaneko, Kaori; Honda, Masakazu; Harashima, Hiroko; Murayama, Kei; Wada, Takahito; Takano, Kyoko; Iai, Mizue; Yamashita, Sumimasa; Shimbo, Hiroko; Aida, Noriko; Ohtake, Akira; Osaka, Hitoshi

    2012-11-01

    We report two patients with Leigh syndrome that showed a combination of facial dysmorphism and MRI imaging indicating an SURF1 deficiency, which was confirmed by sequence analysis. Case 1 is a 3-year-old girl with failure to thrive and developmental delay. She presented with tachypnea at rest and displayed facial dysmorphism including frontal bossing, lateral displacement of inner canthi, esotropia, maxillary hypoplasia, slightly upturned nostril, and hypertrichosis dominant on the forehead and extremities. Case 2 is an 8-year-old boy with respiratory failure. He had been diagnosed as selective complex IV deficiency. Case 2 displayed facial dysmorphism and hypertrichosis. Since both patients displayed characteristic facial dysmorphism and MRI findings, we sequenced the SURF1 gene and identified two heterozygous mutations; c.49+1 G>T and c.752_753del in Case 1, and homozygous c.743 C>A in Case 2. For patients with Leigh syndrome showing these facial dysmorphism and hypertrichosis, sequence analysis of the SURF1 gene may be useful. Copyright © 2012 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Small-Scale Surf Zone Geometric Roughness

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-12-01

    and an image of the tie points can be seen (Figure 6). 23 Figure 6. Screen Shot of Alignment Process On the left side is the workspace which...rest of the points, producing the 3D surface. 24 Figure 7. Screen Shot of Dense Cloud Process On the left side is the workspace which...maximum 200 words) Measurements of small-scale (O(mm)) geometric roughness (kf) associated with breaking wave foam were obtained within the surf zone on

  1. Characterization of breeding habitats for black and surf scoters in the eastern boreal forest and subarctic regions of Canada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Perry, M.C.; Kidwell, D.M.; Wells, A.M.; Lohnes, E.J.R.; Osenton, P.C.; Altmann, S.H.; Hanson, Alan; Kerekes, Joseph; Paquet, Julie

    2006-01-01

    We analyzed characteristics of wetland habitats used by breeding black scoters (Melanitta nigra) and surf scoters (M. perspicillata) in the eastern boreal forest and subarctic regions of Canada based on satellite telemetry data collected in the spring and summer. During 2002 and 2004, nine black scoters (four males, five females) were tracked to breeding areas in Quebec, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories. In addition, in 2001?04, seven surf scoters (three males, four females) were tracked to breeding areas in Labrador, Quebec, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Based on satellite telemetry data, locations of black and surf scoters in breeding areas were not significantly different in regard to latitude and longitude. Presumed breeding areas were manually plotted on topographic maps and percent cover type and water were estimated. Breeding habitat of black scoters was significantly different than that for surf scoters, with black scoters mainly using open (tundra) areas (44%) and surf scoters using mainly forest areas (66%). Surf scoters presumed breeding areas were at significantly higher elevations than areas used by black scoters. Some breeding areas were associated with islands, but the role of islands for breeding areas is equivocal. These results aid in the identification of potentially critical breeding areas and provide a baseline classification of breeding habitats used by these two species.

  2. A Novel Image Retrieval Based on Visual Words Integration of SIFT and SURF

    PubMed Central

    Ali, Nouman; Bajwa, Khalid Bashir; Sablatnig, Robert; Chatzichristofis, Savvas A.; Iqbal, Zeshan; Rashid, Muhammad; Habib, Hafiz Adnan

    2016-01-01

    With the recent evolution of technology, the number of image archives has increased exponentially. In Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR), high-level visual information is represented in the form of low-level features. The semantic gap between the low-level features and the high-level image concepts is an open research problem. In this paper, we present a novel visual words integration of Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF). The two local features representations are selected for image retrieval because SIFT is more robust to the change in scale and rotation, while SURF is robust to changes in illumination. The visual words integration of SIFT and SURF adds the robustness of both features to image retrieval. The qualitative and quantitative comparisons conducted on Corel-1000, Corel-1500, Corel-2000, Oliva and Torralba and Ground Truth image benchmarks demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed visual words integration. PMID:27315101

  3. Learning by Creating and Exchanging Objects: The SCY Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Jong, Ton; Van Joolingen, Wouter R.; Giemza, Adam; Girault, Isabelle; Hoppe, Ulrich; Kindermann, Jorg; Kluge, Anders; Lazonder, Ard W.; Vold, Vibeke; Weinberger, Armin; Weinbrenner, Stefan; Wichmann, Astrid; Anjewierden, Anjo; Bodin, Marjolaine; Bollen, Lars; D'Ham, Cedric; Dolonen, Jan; Engler, Jan; Geraedts, Caspar; Grosskreutz, Henrik; Hovardas, Tasos; Julien, Rachel; Lechner, Judith; Ludvigsen, Sten; Matteman, Yuri; Meistadt, Oyvind; Naess, Bjorge; Ney, Muriel; Pedaste, Margus; Perritano, Anthony; Rinket, Marieke; Von Schlanbusch, Henrik; Sarapuu, Tago; Schulz, Florian; Sikken, Jakob; Slotta, Jim; Toussaint, Jeremy; Verkade, Alex; Wajeman, Claire; Wasson, Barbara; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; Van Der Zanden, Martine

    2010-01-01

    Science Created by You (SCY) is a project on learning in science and technology domains. SCY uses a pedagogical approach that centres around products, called "emerging learning objects" (ELOs) that are created by students. Students work individually and collaboratively in SCY-Lab (the general SCY learning environment) on "missions" that are guided…

  4. Deleterious mutations can surf to high densities on the wave front of an expanding population.

    PubMed

    Travis, Justin M J; Münkemüller, Tamara; Burton, Olivia J; Best, Alex; Dytham, Calvin; Johst, Karin

    2007-10-01

    There is an increasing recognition that evolutionary processes play a key role in determining the dynamics of range expansion. Recent work demonstrates that neutral mutations arising near the edge of a range expansion sometimes surf on the expanding front leading them rather than that leads to reach much greater spatial distribution and frequency than expected in stationary populations. Here, we extend this work and examine the surfing behavior of nonneutral mutations. Using an individual-based coupled-map lattice model, we confirm that, regardless of its fitness effects, the probability of survival of a new mutation depends strongly upon where it arises in relation to the expanding wave front. We demonstrate that the surfing effect can lead to deleterious mutations reaching high densities at an expanding front, even when they have substantial negative effects on fitness. Additionally, we highlight that this surfing phenomenon can occur for mutations that impact reproductive rate (i.e., number of offspring produced) as well as mutations that modify juvenile competitive ability. We suggest that these effects are likely to have important consequences for rates of spread and the evolution of spatially expanding populations.

  5. Composition and Dynamics of the Nucleolinus, a Link between the Nucleolus and Cell Division Apparatus in Surf Clam (Spisula) Oocytes*

    PubMed Central

    Alliegro, Mark C.; Hartson, Steven; Alliegro, Mary Anne

    2012-01-01

    The nucleolinus is a little-known cellular structure, discovered over 150 years ago (Agassiz, L. (1857) Contributions to the Natural History of the United States of America, First Monograph, Part IIL, Little, Brown and Co., Boston) and thought by some investigators in the late 19th to mid-20th century to function in the formation of the centrosomes or spindle. A role for the nucleolinus in formation of the cell division apparatus has recently been confirmed in oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima (Alliegro, M. A., Henry, J. J., and Alliegro, M. C. (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 13718–13723). However, we know so little about the composition and dynamics of this compartment, it is difficult to construct mechanistic hypotheses or even to be sure that prior reports were describing analogous structures in the cells of mammals, amphibians, plants, and other organisms where it was observed. Surf clam oocytes are an attractive model to approach this problem because the nucleolinus is easily visible by light microscopy, making it accessible by laser microsurgery as well as isolation by common cell fractionation techniques. In this report, we analyze the macromolecular composition of isolated Spisula nucleolini and examine the relationship of this structure to the nucleolus and cell division apparatus. Analysis of nucleolinar RNA and protein revealed a set of molecules that overlaps with but is nevertheless distinct from the nucleolus. The proteins identified were primarily ones involved in nucleic acid metabolism and cell cycle regulation. Monoclonal antibodies generated against isolated nucleolini revealed centrosomal forerunners in the oocyte cytoplasm. Finally, induction of damage to the nucleolinus by laser microsurgery altered the trafficking of α- and γ-tubulin after fertilization. These observations strongly support a role for the nucleolinus in cell division and represent our first clues regarding mechanism. PMID:22219192

  6. Composition and dynamics of the nucleolinus, a link between the nucleolus and cell division apparatus in surf clam (Spisula) oocytes.

    PubMed

    Alliegro, Mark C; Hartson, Steven; Alliegro, Mary Anne

    2012-02-24

    The nucleolinus is a little-known cellular structure, discovered over 150 years ago (Agassiz, L. (1857) Contributions to the Natural History of the United States of America, First Monograph, Part IIL, Little, Brown and Co., Boston) and thought by some investigators in the late 19th to mid-20th century to function in the formation of the centrosomes or spindle. A role for the nucleolinus in formation of the cell division apparatus has recently been confirmed in oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima (Alliegro, M. A., Henry, J. J., and Alliegro, M. C. (2010) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 13718-13723). However, we know so little about the composition and dynamics of this compartment, it is difficult to construct mechanistic hypotheses or even to be sure that prior reports were describing analogous structures in the cells of mammals, amphibians, plants, and other organisms where it was observed. Surf clam oocytes are an attractive model to approach this problem because the nucleolinus is easily visible by light microscopy, making it accessible by laser microsurgery as well as isolation by common cell fractionation techniques. In this report, we analyze the macromolecular composition of isolated Spisula nucleolini and examine the relationship of this structure to the nucleolus and cell division apparatus. Analysis of nucleolinar RNA and protein revealed a set of molecules that overlaps with but is nevertheless distinct from the nucleolus. The proteins identified were primarily ones involved in nucleic acid metabolism and cell cycle regulation. Monoclonal antibodies generated against isolated nucleolini revealed centrosomal forerunners in the oocyte cytoplasm. Finally, induction of damage to the nucleolinus by laser microsurgery altered the trafficking of α- and γ-tubulin after fertilization. These observations strongly support a role for the nucleolinus in cell division and represent our first clues regarding mechanism.

  7. Internet Surfing for Kindergarten Children: A Feasibility Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loo, Alfred

    2012-01-01

    The Internet is an effective learning tool for gifted children because it allows them to independently select the areas in which they have talent. The Internet also enables children to discover and maximize their potential. However, younger children might not have a large enough vocabulary to surf the Internet, even if they are gifted. For…

  8. Psychometric evaluation of the Spanish version of the MPI-SCI.

    PubMed

    Soler, M D; Cruz-Almeida, Y; Saurí, J; Widerström-Noga, E G

    2013-07-01

    Postal surveys. To confirm the factor structure of the Spanish version of the MPI-SCI (MPI-SCI-S, Multidimensional Pain Inventory in the SCI population) and to test its internal consistency and construct validity in a Spanish population. Guttmann Institute, Barcelona, Spain. The MPI-SCI-S along with Spanish measures of pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale), pain interference (Brief Pain Inventory), functional independence (Functional Independence Measure), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), locus of control (Multidimensional health Locus of Control), support (Functional Social Support Questionnaire (Duke-UNC)), psychological well-being (Psychological Global Well-Being Index) and demographic/injury characteristics were assessed in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) and chronic pain (n=126). Confirmatory factor analysis suggested an adequate factor structure for the MPI-SCI-S. The internal consistency of the MPI-SCI-S subscales ranged from acceptable (r=0.66, Life Control) to excellent (r=0.94, Life Interference). All MPI-SCI-S subscales showed adequate construct validity, with the exception of the Negative and Solicitous Responses subscales. The Spanish version of the MPI-SCI is adequate for evaluating chronic pain impact following SCI in a Spanish-speaking population. Future studies should include additional measures of pain-related support in the Spanish-speaking SCI population.

  9. [SciELO: method for electronic publishing].

    PubMed

    Laerte Packer, A; Rocha Biojone, M; Antonio, I; Mayumi Takemaka, R; Pedroso García, A; Costa da Silva, A; Toshiyuki Murasaki, R; Mylek, C; Carvalho Reisl, O; Rocha F Delbucio, H C

    2001-01-01

    It describes the SciELO Methodology Scientific Electronic Library Online for electronic publishing of scientific periodicals, examining issues such as the transition from traditional printed publication to electronic publishing, the scientific communication process, the principles which founded the methodology development, its application in the building of the SciELO site, its modules and components, the tools use for its construction etc. The article also discusses the potentialities and trends for the area in Brazil and Latin America, pointing out questions and proposals which should be investigated and solved by the methodology. It concludes that the SciELO Methodology is an efficient, flexible and wide solution for the scientific electronic publishing.

  10. Ichthyoplankton in a southern african surf zone: Nursery area for the postlarvae of estuarine associated fish species?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitfield, A. K.

    1989-12-01

    The surf zone ichthyoplankton of Swartvlei Bay was studied between February 1986 and June 1987, with particular emphasis on its potential role as a nursery area for estuarine associated marine fish species. Larvae and/or postlarvae of 16 families were identified from the surf zone, with the Gobiidae, Soleidae, Sparidae and Mugilidae comprising 85·7% of all teleosts sampled. The postlarvae of several taxa (including the six most common species), which utilize the Swartvlei estuary as a juvenile nursery area, were abundant in the surf zone. Conversely, species which are common in nearshore marine waters as juveniles and adults, but seldom enter estuaries, totalled less than 8% of the surf zone ichthyoplankton assemblage. Larval and postlarval densities peaked during summer when water temperatures exceeded 19°C and the estuary mouth was open. Concentrations of ichthyoplankton were highest at those sampling stations closest to the estuary mouth during the summer period. Diel changes in total catches revealed no significant difference between day and night densities; but of the four major taxa, the Mugilidae and Sparidae tended to be more abundant during the day, the Gobiidae at night and the Soleidae showed no distinct pattern. Results from a 24 h sampling session indicated that tidal phase may also be important in governing ichthyoplankton abundance in the surf zone.

  11. MadSciNet: The 24-hour exploding laboratory.

    Science.gov Websites

    Page New! Help Improve The Madsci Network Help Support MadSci MAD Head MAD egg Welcome to the laboratory that never sleeps! MadSci Network represents a collective cranium of scientists providing answers Sunday May 27, 2018. Lynn MadSci Network is a non-profit organization operating in partnership with Third

  12. Identification of a novel deletion in SURF1 gene: Heterogeneity in Leigh syndrome with COX deficiency.

    PubMed

    Ribeiro, Carolina; do Carmo Macário, Maria; Viegas, Ana Teresa; Pratas, João; Santos, Maria João; Simões, Marta; Mendes, Cândida; Bacalhau, Mafalda; Garcia, Paula; Diogo, Luísa; Grazina, Manuela

    2016-11-01

    Leigh syndrome (LS) is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative mitochondrial disorder of infancy. It is a genetically heterogeneous disease. The mutations in SURF1 gene are the most frequently known cause. Here two cases of LS likely caused by SURF1 gene variants are reported: a 39-year-old male patient with a novel homozygous deletion (c.-11_13del), and a case of a 6-year-old boy with the same deletion and a nonsense mutation (c.868dupT), both in heterozygosity. Blue native PAGE showed absence of assembled complex IV. This is the first report of a variant that may abolish the SURF1 gene initiation codon in two LS patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and Mitochondria Research Society. All rights reserved.

  13. Performance of the SciBar cosmic ray telescope (SciCRT) toward the detection of high-energy solar neutrons in solar cycle 24

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasai, Yoshinori; Nagai, Yuya; Itow, Yoshitaka; Matsubara, Yutaka; Sako, Takashi; Lopez, Diego; Itow, Tsukasa; Munakata, Kazuoki; Kato, Chihiro; Kozai, Masayoshi; Miyazaki, Takahiro; Shibata, Shoichi; Oshima, Akitoshi; Kojima, Hiroshi; Tsuchiya, Harufumi; Watanabe, Kyoko; Koi, Tatsumi; Valdés-Galicia, Jose Francisco; González, Luis Xavier; Ortiz, Ernesto; Musalem, Octavio; Hurtado, Alejandro; Garcia, Rocio; Anzorena, Marcos

    2014-12-01

    We plan to observe solar neutrons at Mt. Sierra Negra (4,600 m above sea level) in Mexico using the SciBar detector. This project is named the SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT). The main aims of the SciCRT project are to observe solar neutrons to study the mechanism of ion acceleration on the surface of the sun and to monitor the anisotropy of galactic cosmic-ray muons. The SciBar detector, a fully active tracker, is composed of 14,848 scintillator bars, whose dimension is 300 cm × 2.5 cm × 1.3 cm. The structure of the detector enables us to obtain the particle trajectory and its total deposited energy. This information is useful for the energy reconstruction of primary neutrons and particle identification. The total volume of the detector is 3.0 m × 3.0 m × 1.7 m. Since this volume is much larger than the solar neutron telescope (SNT) in Mexico, the detection efficiency of the SciCRT for neutrons is highly enhanced. We performed the calibration of the SciCRT at Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica (INAOE) located at 2,150 m above sea level in Mexico in 2012. We installed the SciCRT at Mt. Sierra Negra in April 2013 and calibrated this detector in May and August 2013. We started continuous observation in March 2014. In this paper, we report the detector performance as a solar neutron telescope and the current status of the SciCRT.

  14. The State of stress in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead South Dakota

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

    Lee, Moo Y.

    2016-10-01

    As a part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) SubTER (Subsurface Technology and Engineering Research, Development and Demonstration) initiative, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Sandia National Laboratories, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted the Permeability (k) and Induced Seismicity Management for Energy Technologies (kISMET) project. The objectives of the project are to define the in situ status of stress in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota and to establish the relations between in situ stress and induced fracture through hydraulically stimulating the fracture. (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota. In situ tests are conducted in a 7.6more » cm diameter and 100 long vertical borehole located in the 4850 Level West Access Drift near Davies Campus of SURF (Figure 1). The borehole is located in the zone of Precambrian Metamorphic Schist.« less

  15. Development and initial evaluation of the SCI-FI/AT.

    PubMed

    Jette, Alan M; Slavin, Mary D; Ni, Pengsheng; Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S; Heinemann, Allen W; Charlifue, Susie; Tate, Denise G; Fyffe, Denise; Morse, Leslie; Marino, Ralph; Smith, Ian; Williams, Steve

    2015-05-01

    To describe the domain structure and calibration of the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index for samples using Assistive Technology (SCI-FI/AT) and report the initial psychometric properties of each domain. Cross sectional survey followed by computerized adaptive test (CAT) simulations. Inpatient and community settings. A sample of 460 adults with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) stratified by level of injury, completeness of injury, and time since injury. None SCI-FI/AT RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Item response theory (IRT) analyses identified 4 unidimensional SCI-FI/AT domains: Basic Mobility (41 items) Self-care (71 items), Fine Motor Function (35 items), and Ambulation (29 items). High correlations of full item banks with 10-item simulated CATs indicated high accuracy of each CAT in estimating a person's function, and there was high measurement reliability for the simulated CAT scales compared with the full item bank. SCI-FI/AT item difficulties in the domains of Self-care, Fine Motor Function, and Ambulation were less difficult than the same items in the original SCI-FI item banks. With the development of the SCI-FI/AT, clinicians and investigators have available multidimensional assessment scales that evaluate function for users of AT to complement the scales available in the original SCI-FI.

  16. Seabed Gradient Controlling Onshore Transport Rates of Surf Sand during Beach Retreat by Sea Level Rise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hee Jun; Yi, Hi-Il

    2018-03-01

    A simple relationship is proposed for the onshore transport rates of surf-zone sand to evaluate the beach retreat caused by sea level rise. It suggests that the preservation potential of surf sand is proportional inversely to the seabed gradient during beach retreat. According to this relationship, the erosional remnants of surf sand would be more readily developed on a gentler shelf collectively as transgressive sand sheets. This finding may explain the previous studies regarding the Korean shelves that proposed that the Holocene transgressive sand sheets (HTSS) occur not in the steep eastern shelf but in the gentle western shelf. In line with such presence/absence of the HTSS are the results from some coastal seismic profiles obtained in the present study. The profiles indicate that sand deposits are restricted within the nearshore in the eastern coast, whereas they are persistently traceable to the offshore HTSS in the western coast. Tide is proven to have a negligible influence on the total duration of surf-zone processes. This study may be useful in predicting the consequences of the beach retreat that takes place worldwide as sea levels rise as a result of global warming.

  17. Opening Comments: SciDAC 2008

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strayer, Michael

    2008-07-01

    Welcome to Seattle and the 2008 SciDAC Conference. This conference, the fourth in the series, is a continuation of the PI meetings we first began under SciDAC-1. I would like to start by thanking the organizing committee, and Rick Stevens in particular, for organizing this year's meeting. This morning I would like to look briefly at SciDAC, to give you a brief history of SciDAC and also look ahead to see where we plan to go over the next few years. I think the best description of SciDAC, at least the simulation part, comes from a quote from Dr Ray Orbach, DOE's Under Secretary for Science and Director of the Office of Science. In an interview that appeared in the SciDAC Review magazine, Dr Orbach said, `SciDAC is unique in the world. There isn't any other program like it anywhere else, and it has the remarkable ability to do science by bringing together physical scientists, mathematicians, applied mathematicians, and computer scientists who recognize that computation is not something you do at the end, but rather it needs to be built into the solution of the very problem that one is addressing'. Of course, that is extended not just to physical scientists, but also to biological scientists. This is a theme of computational science, this partnership among disciplines, which goes all the way back to the early 1980s and Ken Wilson. It's a unique thread within the Department of Energy. SciDAC-1, launched around the turn of the millennium, created a new generation of scientific simulation codes. It advocated building out mathematical and computing system software in support of science and a new collaboratory software environment for data. The original concept for SciDAC-1 had topical centers for the execution of the various science codes, but several corrections and adjustments were needed. The ASCR scientific computing infrastructure was also upgraded, providing the hardware facilities for the program. The computing facility that we had at that time was the big 3

  18. The Implementation Challenge and the Learning Health System for SCI Initiative.

    PubMed

    Stucki, Gerold; Bickenbach, Jerome

    2017-02-01

    The paper introduces the special issue by linking the International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) Community Survey study to the Learning Health System for SCI Initiative (LHS-SCI). The LHS-SCI was designed to respond to the implementation challenge of bringing about policy reform in light of the targeted policy recommendations of World Health Organization's International Perspectives on SCI report as well as the call for action of WHO's Global Disability Action Plan. The paper reviews the components of LHS-SCI relevant to internationally comparable information, a theory of change to guide for action, and the tools for evidence-informed policy. The interplay between persons, their health needs, and the societal response to those needs provides the foundation for the organization of the LHS-SCI Initiative. Moreover, as the other articles in this special issue describe in detail, the rationale, conceptualization, and study design of the InSCI study are also informed by the rationale, and mission, of the LHS for SCI Initiative. The LHS-SCI, and the implementation challenge that motivates it, is responsible for the design of the InSCI study and the overall mission of LHS-SCI to continuously improve the lived experience of people living with SCI around the world through an international evidence- and rights-informed research and policy reform effort.

  19. Cytochrome C oxydase deficiency: SURF1 gene investigation in patients with Leigh syndrome.

    PubMed

    Maalej, Marwa; Kammoun, Thouraya; Alila-Fersi, Olfa; Kharrat, Marwa; Ammar, Marwa; Felhi, Rahma; Mkaouar-Rebai, Emna; Keskes, Leila; Hachicha, Mongia; Fakhfakh, Faiza

    2018-03-18

    Leigh syndrome (LS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder occurring in infancy. The most common clinical signs reported in LS are growth retardation, optic atrophy, ataxia, psychomotor retardation, dystonia, hypotonia, seizures and respiratory disorders. The paper reported a manifestation of 3 Tunisian patients presented with LS syndrome. The aim of this study is the MT[HYPHEN]ATP6 and SURF1 gene screening in Tunisian patients affected with classical Leigh syndrome and the computational investigation of the effect of detected mutations on its structure and functions by clinical and bioinformatics analyses. After clinical investigations, three Tunisian patients were tested for mutations in both MT-ATP6 and SURF1 genes by direct sequencing followed by in silico analyses to predict the effects of sequence variation. The result of mutational analysis revealed the absence of mitochondrial mutations in MT-ATP6 gene and the presence of a known homozygous splice site mutation c.516-517delAG in sibling patients added to the presence of a novel double het mutations in LS patient (c.752-18 A > C/c. c.751 + 16G > A). In silico analyses of theses intronic variations showed that it could alters splicing processes as well as SURF1 protein translation. Leigh syndrome (LS) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder occurring in infancy. The most common clinical signs reported in LS are growth retardation, optic atrophy, ataxia, psychomotor retardation, dystonia, hypotonia, seizures and respiratory disorders. The paper reported a manifestation of 3 Tunisian patients presented with LS syndrome. The aim of this study is MT-ATP6 and SURF1 genes screening in Tunisian patients affected with classical Leigh syndrome and the computational investigation of the effect of detected mutations on its structure and functions. After clinical investigations, three Tunisian patients were tested for mutations in both MT-ATP6 and SURF1 genes by direct sequencing followed by in

  20. Remote Sensing Characterization of Two-dimensional Wave Forcing in the Surf Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carini, R. J.; Chickadel, C. C.; Jessup, A. T.

    2016-02-01

    In the surf zone, breaking waves drive longshore currents, transport sediment, shape bathymetry, and enhance air-sea gas and particle exchange. Furthermore, wave group forcing influences the generation and duration of rip currents. Wave breaking exhibits large gradients in space and time, making it challenging to measure in situ. Remote sensing technologies, specifically thermal infrared (IR) imagery, can provide detailed spatial and temporal measurements of wave breaking at the water surface. We construct two-dimensional maps of active wave breaking from IR imagery collected during the Surf Zone Optics Experiment in September 2010 at the US Army Corps of Engineers' Field Research Facility in Duck, NC. For each breaker identified in the camera's field of view, the crest-perpendicular length of the aerated breaking region (roller length) and wave direction are estimated and used to compute the wave energy dissipation rate. The resultant dissipation rate maps are analyzed over different time scales: peak wave period, infragravity wave period, and tidal wave period. For each time scale, spatial maps of wave breaking are used to characterize wave forcing in the surf zone for a variety of wave conditions. The following phenomena are examined: (1) wave dissipation rates over the bar (location of most intense breaking) have increased variance in infragravity wave frequencies, which are different from the peak frequency of the incoming wave field and different from the wave forcing variability at the shoreline, and (2) wave forcing has a wider spatial distribution during low tide than during high tide due to depth-limited breaking over the barred bathymetry. Future work will investigate the response of the variability in wave setup, longshore currents and rip currents, to the variability in wave forcing in the surf zone.

  1. Information surfing with the JHU/APL coherent imager

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ratto, Christopher R.; Shipley, Kara R.; Beagley, Nathaniel; Wolfe, Kevin C.

    2015-05-01

    The ability to perform remote forensics in situ is an important application of autonomous undersea vehicles (AUVs). Forensics objectives may include remediation of mines and/or unexploded ordnance, as well as monitoring of seafloor infrastructure. At JHU/APL, digital holography is being explored for the potential application to underwater imaging and integration with an AUV. In previous work, a feature-based approach was developed for processing the holographic imagery and performing object recognition. In this work, the results of the image processing method were incorporated into a Bayesian framework for autonomous path planning referred to as information surfing. The framework was derived assuming that the location of the object of interest is known a priori, but the type of object and its pose are unknown. The path-planning algorithm adaptively modifies the trajectory of the sensing platform based on historical performance of object and pose classification. The algorithm is called information surfing because the direction of motion is governed by the local information gradient. Simulation experiments were carried out using holographic imagery collected from submerged objects. The autonomous sensing algorithm was compared to a deterministic sensing CONOPS, and demonstrated improved accuracy and faster convergence in several cases.

  2. Model comparisons of the reactive burn model SURF in three ASC codes

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

    Whitley, Von Howard; Stalsberg, Krista Lynn; Reichelt, Benjamin Lee

    A study of the SURF reactive burn model was performed in FLAG, PAGOSA and XRAGE. In this study, three different shock-to-detonation transition experiments were modeled in each code. All three codes produced similar model results for all the experiments modeled and at all resolutions. Buildup-to-detonation time, particle velocities and resolution dependence of the models was notably similar between the codes. Given the current PBX 9502 equations of state and SURF calibrations, each code is equally capable of predicting the correct detonation time and distance when impacted by a 1D impactor at pressures ranging from 10-16 GPa, as long as themore » resolution of the mesh is not too coarse.« less

  3. A Preliminary Assessment of the SURF Reactive Burn Model Implementation in FLAG

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

    Johnson, Carl Edward; McCombe, Ryan Patrick; Carver, Kyle

    Properly validated and calibrated reactive burn models (RBM) can be useful engineering tools for assessing high explosive performance and safety. Experiments with high explosives are expensive. Inexpensive RBM calculations are increasingly relied on for predictive analysis for performance and safety. This report discusses the validation of Menikoff and Shaw’s SURF reactive burn model, which has recently been implemented in the FLAG code. The LANL Gapstick experiment is discussed as is its’ utility in reactive burn model validation. Data obtained from pRad for the LT-63 series is also presented along with FLAG simulations using SURF for both PBX 9501 and PBXmore » 9502. Calibration parameters for both explosives are presented.« less

  4. Development and initial evaluation of the SCI-FI/AT

    PubMed Central

    Jette, Alan M.; Slavin, Mary D.; Ni, Pengsheng; Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Charlifue, Susie; Tate, Denise G.; Fyffe, Denise; Morse, Leslie; Marino, Ralph; Smith, Ian; Williams, Steve

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To describe the domain structure and calibration of the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index for samples using Assistive Technology (SCI-FI/AT) and report the initial psychometric properties of each domain. Design Cross sectional survey followed by computerized adaptive test (CAT) simulations. Setting Inpatient and community settings. Participants A sample of 460 adults with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) stratified by level of injury, completeness of injury, and time since injury. Interventions None Main outcome measure SCI-FI/AT Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Item response theory (IRT) analyses identified 4 unidimensional SCI-FI/AT domains: Basic Mobility (41 items) Self-care (71 items), Fine Motor Function (35 items), and Ambulation (29 items). High correlations of full item banks with 10-item simulated CATs indicated high accuracy of each CAT in estimating a person's function, and there was high measurement reliability for the simulated CAT scales compared with the full item bank. SCI-FI/AT item difficulties in the domains of Self-care, Fine Motor Function, and Ambulation were less difficult than the same items in the original SCI-FI item banks. Conclusion With the development of the SCI-FI/AT, clinicians and investigators have available multidimensional assessment scales that evaluate function for users of AT to complement the scales available in the original SCI-FI. PMID:26010975

  5. Mechanical interactions in bacterial colonies and the surfing probability of beneficial mutations.

    PubMed

    Farrell, Fred D; Gralka, Matti; Hallatschek, Oskar; Waclaw, Bartlomiej

    2017-06-01

    Bacterial conglomerates such as biofilms and microcolonies are ubiquitous in nature and play an important role in industry and medicine. In contrast to well-mixed cultures routinely used in microbial research, bacteria in a microcolony interact mechanically with one another and with the substrate to which they are attached. Here, we use a computer model of a microbial colony of rod-shaped cells to investigate how physical interactions between cells determine their motion in the colony and how this affects biological evolution. We show that the probability that a faster-growing mutant 'surfs' at the colony's frontier and creates a macroscopic sector depends on physical properties of cells (shape, elasticity and friction). Although all these factors contribute to the surfing probability in seemingly different ways, their effects can be summarized by two summary statistics that characterize the front roughness and cell alignment. Our predictions are confirmed by experiments in which we measure the surfing probability for colonies of different front roughness. Our results show that physical interactions between bacterial cells play an important role in biological evolution of new traits, and suggest that these interactions may be relevant to processes such as de novo evolution of antibiotic resistance. © 2017 The Author(s).

  6. Vertical structure of mean cross-shore currents across a barred surf zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haines, John W.; Sallenger, Asbury H.

    1994-01-01

    Mean cross-shore currents observed across a barred surf zone are compared to model predictions. The model is based on a simplified momentum balance with a turbulent boundary layer at the bed. Turbulent exchange is parameterized by an eddy viscosity formulation, with the eddy viscosity Aυ independent of time and the vertical coordinate. Mean currents result from gradients due to wave breaking and shoaling, and the presence of a mean setup of the free surface. Descriptions of the wave field are provided by the wave transformation model of Thornton and Guza [1983]. The wave transformation model adequately reproduces the observed wave heights across the surf zone. The mean current model successfully reproduces the observed cross-shore flows. Both observations and predictions show predominantly offshore flow with onshore flow restricted to a relatively thin surface layer. Successful application of the mean flow model requires an eddy viscosity which varies horizontally across the surf zone. Attempts are made to parameterize this variation with some success. The data does not discriminate between alternative parameterizations proposed. The overall variability in eddy viscosity suggested by the model fitting should be resolvable by field measurements of the turbulent stresses. Consistent shortcomings of the parameterizations, and the overall modeling effort, suggest avenues for further development and data collection.

  7. An Improved Image Matching Method Based on Surf Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, S. J.; Zheng, S. Z.; Xu, Z. G.; Guo, C. C.; Ma, X. L.

    2018-04-01

    Many state-of-the-art image matching methods, based on the feature matching, have been widely studied in the remote sensing field. These methods of feature matching which get highly operating efficiency, have a disadvantage of low accuracy and robustness. This paper proposes an improved image matching method which based on the SURF algorithm. The proposed method introduces color invariant transformation, information entropy theory and a series of constraint conditions to increase feature points detection and matching accuracy. First, the model of color invariant transformation is introduced for two matching images aiming at obtaining more color information during the matching process and information entropy theory is used to obtain the most information of two matching images. Then SURF algorithm is applied to detect and describe points from the images. Finally, constraint conditions which including Delaunay triangulation construction, similarity function and projective invariant are employed to eliminate the mismatches so as to improve matching precision. The proposed method has been validated on the remote sensing images and the result benefits from its high precision and robustness.

  8. Littoral transport in the surf zone elucidated by an Eulerian sediment tracer.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Duane, D.B.; James, W.R.

    1980-01-01

    An Eulerian, or time integration, sand tracer experiment was designed and carried out in the surf zone near Pt. Mugu, California on April 19, 1972. Data indicate that conditions of stationarity and finite boundaries required for proper application of Eulerian tracer theory exist for short time periods in the surf zone. Grain counts suggest time required for tracer sand to attain equilibrium concentration is on the order of 30-60 minutes. Grain counts also indicate transport (discharge) was strongly dependent upon grain size, with the maximum rate occurring in the size 2.5-2.75 phi, decreasing to both finer and coarser sizes. The measured instantaneous transport was at the annual rate of 2.4 x 106 m3/yr.- Authors

  9. SurfKin: an ab initio kinetic code for modeling surface reactions.

    PubMed

    Le, Thong Nguyen-Minh; Liu, Bin; Huynh, Lam K

    2014-10-05

    In this article, we describe a C/C++ program called SurfKin (Surface Kinetics) to construct microkinetic mechanisms for modeling gas-surface reactions. Thermodynamic properties of reaction species are estimated based on density functional theory calculations and statistical mechanics. Rate constants for elementary steps (including adsorption, desorption, and chemical reactions on surfaces) are calculated using the classical collision theory and transition state theory. Methane decomposition and water-gas shift reaction on Ni(111) surface were chosen as test cases to validate the code implementations. The good agreement with literature data suggests this is a powerful tool to facilitate the analysis of complex reactions on surfaces, and thus it helps to effectively construct detailed microkinetic mechanisms for such surface reactions. SurfKin also opens a possibility for designing nanoscale model catalysts. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Orgasm and SCI: what do we know?

    PubMed

    Alexander, Marcalee; Marson, Lesley

    2018-06-01

    narrative review OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of persons with SCI able to achieve orgasm and ejaculation, the associations between ejaculation and orgasm and the subjective and autonomic findings during these events, and the potential benefits with regards to spasticity. Two American medical centers METHODS: Data bases were searched for the terms orgasm and SCI and ejaculation and SCI. Search criteria were human studies published in English from 1990 to 12/2/2016. Approximately 50% of sexually active men and women report orgasmic ability after SCI. There is a relative inability of persons with complete lower motor neuron injuries affecting the sacral segments to achieve orgasm. Time to orgasm is longer in persons with SCIs than able-bodied (AB) persons. With orgasm, elevated blood pressure (BP) occurs after SCI in a similar fashion to AB persons. With penile vibratory stimulation and electroejaculation, BP elevation is common and prophylaxis is recommended in persons with injuries at T6 and above. Dry orgasm occurs approximately 13% of times in males. Midodrine, vibratory stimulation, clitoral vacuum suction, and 4-aminopyridine may improve orgasmic potential. Depending on level and severity of injury, persons with SCIs can achieve orgasm. Sympathetically mediated changes occur during sexual response with culmination at orgasm. Future research should address benefits of orgasm. Additionally, inherent biases associated with studying orgasm must be considered.

  11. Respiratory Problems Associated with Surfing in Coastal Waters.

    PubMed

    O'Halloran, Chris; Silver, Mary W; Lahiff, Maureen; Colford, John

    2017-03-01

    A pilot project was conducted to examine the health status and possible adverse health effects associated with seawater exposure (microbial water-quality indicators and phytoplankton abundance and their toxins) of surfers in Monterey Bay, Central California coastal waters. Forty-eight surfers enrolled in the study and completed an initial health background survey and weekly health surveys online using Survey Monkey. Descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equation, a regression technique, were used to identify longitudinal and correlated results. The surfers were predominately Caucasian, male, and physically active. They surfed approximately 4 h a week. Their average age was 34 years. The data indicated that the surfers were generally "healthy," with a low prevalence of diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. Their most common health problems were allergies and asthma. During the study, 10% of the surfers reported gastrointestinal symptoms and 29% reported upper respiratory symptoms. This study suggests surfers were significantly more likely to report upper respiratory symptoms when they had a history of allergies, housemates with upper respiratory symptoms, and/or a history of previous adverse health symptoms while surfing during a "red tide" (an event often associated with the presence of phytoplankton toxins). Additionally, female surfers reported upper respiratory symptoms more than males.

  12. Facial dysmorphism in Leigh syndrome with SURF-1 mutation and COX deficiency.

    PubMed

    Yüksel, Adnan; Seven, Mehmet; Cetincelik, Umran; Yeşil, Gözde; Köksal, Vedat

    2006-06-01

    Leigh syndrome is an inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disorder of infancy and childhood. Mutations in the nuclear SURF-1 gene are specifically associated with cytochrome C oxidase-deficient Leigh syndrome. This report describes two patients with similar facial features. One of them was a 2(1/2)-year-old male, and the other was a 3-year-old male with a mutation in SURF-1 gene and facial dysmorphism including frontal bossing, brachycephaly, hypertrichosis, lateral displacement of inner canthi, esotropia, maxillary hypoplasia, hypertrophic gums, irregularly placed teeth, upturned nostril, low-set big ears, and retrognathi. The first patient's magnetic resonance imaging at 15 months of age indicated mild symmetric T2 prolongation involving the subthalamic nuclei. His second magnetic resonance imaging at 2 years old revealed a symmetric T2 prolongation involving the subthalamic nuclei, substantia nigra, and medulla lesions. In the second child, at the age of 2 the first magnetic resonance imaging documented heavy brainstem and subthalamic nuclei involvement. A second magnetic resonance imaging, performed when he was 3 years old, revealed diffuse involvement of the substantia nigra and hyperintense lesions of the central tegmental tract in addition to previous lesions. Facial dysmorphism and magnetic resonance imaging findings, observed in these cases, can be specific findings in Leigh syndrome patients with cytochrome C oxidase deficiency. SURF-1 gene mutations must be particularly reviewed in such patients.

  13. Preface: SciDAC 2005

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mezzacappa, Anthony

    2005-01-01

    On 26-30 June 2005 at the Grand Hyatt on Union Square in San Francisco several hundred computational scientists from around the world came together for what can certainly be described as a celebration of computational science. Scientists from the SciDAC Program and scientists from other agencies and nations were joined by applied mathematicians and computer scientists to highlight the many successes in the past year where computation has led to scientific discovery in a variety of fields: lattice quantum chromodynamics, accelerator modeling, chemistry, biology, materials science, Earth and climate science, astrophysics, and combustion and fusion energy science. Also highlighted were the advances in numerical methods and computer science, and the multidisciplinary collaboration cutting across science, mathematics, and computer science that enabled these discoveries. The SciDAC Program was conceived and funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Science. It is the Office of Science's premier computational science program founded on what is arguably the perfect formula: the priority and focus is science and scientific discovery, with the understanding that the full arsenal of `enabling technologies' in applied mathematics and computer science must be brought to bear if we are to have any hope of attacking and ultimately solving today's computational Grand Challenge problems. The SciDAC Program has been in existence for four years, and many of the computational scientists funded by this program will tell you that the program has given them the hope of addressing their scientific problems in full realism for the very first time. Many of these scientists will also tell you that SciDAC has also fundamentally changed the way they do computational science. We begin this volume with one of DOE's great traditions, and core missions: energy research. As we will see, computation has been seminal to the critical advances that have been made in this arena. Of course, to

  14. 76 FR 55566 - Safety Zones; Fireworks Displays and Surfing Events in Captain of the Port Long Island Sound Zone

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-08

    ...-AA00 Safety Zones; Fireworks Displays and Surfing Events in Captain of the Port Long Island Sound Zone... zones for marine events within the Captain of the Port (COTP) Long Island Sound Zone for a surfing event... unless authorized by the COTP Sector Long Island Sound. DATES: This rule is effective in the CFR on...

  15. Does human pressure affect the community structure of surf zone fish in sandy beaches?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Costa, Leonardo Lopes; Landmann, Júlia G.; Gaelzer, Luiz R.; Zalmon, Ilana R.

    2017-01-01

    Intense tourism and human activities have resulted in habitat destruction in sandy beach ecosystems with negative impacts on the associated communities. To investigate whether urbanized beaches affect surf zone fish communities, fish and their benthic macrofaunal prey were collected during periods of low and high human pressure at two beaches on the Southeastern Brazilian coast. A BACI experimental design (Before-After-Control-Impact) was adapted for comparisons of tourism impact on fish community composition and structure in urbanized, intermediate and non-urbanized sectors of each beach. At the end of the summer season, we observed a significant reduction in fish richness, abundance, and diversity in the high tourist pressure areas. The negative association between visitors' abundance and the macrofaunal density suggests that urbanized beaches are avoided by surf zone fish due to higher human pressure and the reduction of food availability. Our results indicate that surf zone fish should be included in environmental impact studies in sandy beaches, including commercial species, e.g., the bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix. The comparative results from the less urbanized areas suggest that environmental zoning and visitation limits should be used as effective management and preservation strategies on beaches with high conservation potential.

  16. Mutations in the SURF1 gene associated with Leigh syndrome and cytochrome C oxidase deficiency.

    PubMed

    Péquignot, M O; Dey, R; Zeviani, M; Tiranti, V; Godinot, C; Poyau, A; Sue, C; Di Mauro, S; Abitbol, M; Marsac, C

    2001-05-01

    Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency is one of the major causes of Leigh Syndrome (LS), a fatal encephalopathy of infancy or childhood, characterized by symmetrical lesions in the basal ganglia and brainstem. Mutations in the nuclear genes encoding COX subunits have not been found in patients with LS and COX deficiency, but mutations have been identified in SURF1. SURF1 encodes a factor involved in COX biogenesis. To date, 30 different mutations have been reported in 40 unrelated patients. We aim to provide an overview of all known mutations in SURF1, and to propose a common nomenclature. Twelve of the mutations were insertion/deletion mutations in exons 1, 4, 6, 8, and 9; 10 were missense/nonsense mutations in exons 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8; and eight were detected at splicing sites in introns 3 to 7. The most frequent mutation was 312_321del 311_312insAT which was found in 12 patients out of 40. Twenty mutations have been described only once. We also list all polymorphisms discovered to date. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  17. The Evolution of Technology: A Decade of Surfing the Net

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Sandra

    2005-01-01

    The world was a different place when "Understanding Our Gifted" introduced "Surfing the Net" in 1994 as a regular feature. Since then, technology and the Internet have become part of people's culture, permeating almost every aspect of their lives. The Internet has greatly changed the way they conduct business and communicate with friends, it helps…

  18. Length of stay and medical stability for spinal cord-injured patients on admission to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital: a comparison between a model SCI trauma center and non-SCI trauma center.

    PubMed

    Ploumis, A; Kolli, S; Patrick, M; Owens, M; Beris, A; Marino, R J

    2011-03-01

    Retrospective database review. To compare lengths of stay (LOS), pressure ulcers and readmissions to the acute care hospital of patients admitted to the inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) from a model spinal cord injury (SCI) trauma center or from a non-SCI acute hospital. Only sparse data exist comparing the status of patients admitted to IRF from a model SCI trauma center or from a non-SCI acute hospital. Acute care, IRF and total LOS were compared between patients transferred to IRF from the SCI center (n=78) and from non-SCI centers (n=131). The percentages of pressure ulcers on admission to IRF and transfer back to acute care were also compared. Patients admitted to IRF from the SCI trauma center (SCI TC) had significantly shorter (P=0.01) acute care LOS and total LOS compared with patients admitted from non-SCI TCs. By neurological category, acute-care LOS was less for all groups admitted from the SCI center, but statistically significant only for tetraplegia. There was no significant difference in the incidence of readmissions to acute care from IRF. More patients from non-SCI centers (34%) than SCI centers (12%) had pressure ulcers (P<0.001). Acute care in organized SCI TCs before transfer to IRF can significantly lower acute-care LOS or total LOS and incidence of pressure ulcers compared with non-SCI TCs. Patients admitted to IRF from SCI TCs are no more likely to be sent back to an acute hospital than those from non-SCI TCs.

  19. Turbulent stresses in the surf-zone: Which way is up?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haines, John W.; Gelfenbaum, Guy; Edge, B.L

    1997-01-01

    Velocity observations from a vertical stack of three-component Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADVs) within the energetic surf-zone are presented. Rapid temporal sampling and small sampling volume provide observations suitable for investigation of the role of turbulent fluctuations in surf-zone dynamics. While sensor performance was good, failure to recover reliable measures of tilt from the vertical compromise the data value. We will present some cursory observations supporting the ADV performance, and examine the sensitivity of stress estimates to uncertainty in the sensor orientation. It is well known that turbulent stress estimates are highly sensitive to orientation relative to vertical when wave motions are dominant. Analyses presented examine the potential to use observed flow-field characteristics to constrain sensor orientation. Results show that such an approach may provide a consistent orientation to a fraction of a degree, but the inherent sensitivity of stress estimates requires a still more restrictive constraint. Regardless, the observations indicate the degree to which stress estimates are dependent on orientation, and provide some indication of the temporal variability in time-averaged stress estimates.

  20. A model for the generation of two-dimensional surf beat

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    List, Jeffrey H.

    1992-01-01

    A finite difference model predicting group-forced long waves in the nearshore is constructed with two interacting parts: an incident wave model providing time-varying radiation stress gradients across the nearshore, and a long-wave model which solves the equations of motion for the forcing imposed by the incident waves. Both shallow water group-bound long waves and long waves generated by a time-varying breakpoint are simulated. Model-generated time series are used to calculate the cross correlation between wave groups and long waves through the surf zone. The cross-correlation signal first observed by Tucker (1950) is well predicted. For the first time, this signal is decomposed into the contributions from the two mechanisms of leaky mode forcing. Results show that the cross-correlation signal can be explained by bound long waves which are amplified, though strongly modified, through the surf zone before reflection from the shoreline. The breakpoint-forced long waves are added to the bound long waves at a phase of pi/2 and are a secondary contribution owing to their relatively small size.

  1. InterProSurf: a web server for predicting interacting sites on protein surfaces

    PubMed Central

    Negi, Surendra S.; Schein, Catherine H.; Oezguen, Numan; Power, Trevor D.; Braun, Werner

    2009-01-01

    Summary A new web server, InterProSurf, predicts interacting amino acid residues in proteins that are most likely to interact with other proteins, given the 3D structures of subunits of a protein complex. The prediction method is based on solvent accessible surface area of residues in the isolated subunits, a propensity scale for interface residues and a clustering algorithm to identify surface regions with residues of high interface propensities. Here we illustrate the application of InterProSurf to determine which areas of Bacillus anthracis toxins and measles virus hemagglutinin protein interact with their respective cell surface receptors. The computationally predicted regions overlap with those regions previously identified as interface regions by sequence analysis and mutagenesis experiments. PMID:17933856

  2. The effects of exposure in sandy beach surf zones on larval fishes.

    PubMed

    Pattrick, P; Strydom, N A

    2014-05-01

    The influence of wind and wave exposure on larval fish assemblages within a large bay system was investigated. Larval fishes were sampled from two areas with vastly different exposure to waves and wind, namely the windward and leeward sectors of Algoa Bay. In total, 5702 larval fishes were collected using a modified larval seine. Of these, 4391 were collected in the leeward and 1311 in the windward sector of the bay, representing a total of 23 families and 57 species. Dominant fish families included Clinidae, Engraulidae, Kyphosidae, Mugilidae, Soleidae and Sparidae, similar to the situation elsewhere, highlighting continuity in the composition of larval fish assemblages and the utilization of surf zones by a specific group of larval fishes. Nineteen estuary-associated marine species occurred within the surf zones of Algoa Bay and dominated catches (86·7%) in terms of abundance. Postflexion larvae comprised > 80% of the catch, indicating the importance of the seemingly inhospitable surf zone environment for the early life stages of many fish species. The greatest species diversity was observed within the windward sector of the bay. Distance-based linear modelling identified wave period as the environmental variable explaining the largest proportion of the significant variation in the larval fish assemblage. The physical disturbance generated by breaking waves could create a suitable environment for fish larvae, sheltered from predators and with an abundance of food resources. © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  3. Factors influencing fish and macrocrustacean communities in the surf zone of sandy beaches in Belgium: temporal variation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beyst, Bregje; Hostens, Kris; Mees, Jan

    2001-12-01

    Monthly samples were taken in the surf zone of sandy beaches along the Belgian coast from May 1996 until July 1997 at four selected stations. Temporal patterns of the macrocrustacean and fish species residing the surf zone were investigated, as well as the abiotic variables structuring the community. In total 34 species were recorded belonging to caridean shrimps (3), anomuran and brachyuran crabs (5), cephalopods (2) and fish (24). The brown shrimp Crangon crangon dominated almost all samples (>80%). Total densities often exceeded 400 ind per 100 m2, and if C. crangon was excluded 10 ind per 100 m2. Notwithstanding the harsh hydrodynamic conditions, the surf zone of Belgian sandy beaches is used intensively by a number of epibenthic macro-crustaceans and demersal fish species. Seven resident and ten migrant species were identified. As mainly juvenile fishes were present, the surf zone of the Belgian sandy beaches may act as a nursery for longer (e.g. plaice Pleuronectes platessa) or shorter (e.g. brill Scophthalmus rhombus) periods. However, its nursery function should be studied in more detail, since the highly dynamic circumstances and more specifically wave height and wind speed may be important structuring factors for the epibenthic communities. The surf zone of Belgian sandy beaches also seems to function as a transient area to other nurseries (e.g. bass Dicentrarchus labrax) or between a nursery and the true marine environment (e.g. dab Limanda limanda). Temporal variation in community structure was greatly masked by spatial differences between sites. Although variables such as salinity and hydrodynamic factors may have influenced the data, clear temperature-related, seasonal patterns occur. Most likely, extreme winter conditions and subsequent migration of organisms to deeper waters caused a decline in winter in both density and diversity.

  4. Opening Remarks: SciDAC 2007

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strayer, Michael

    2007-09-01

    Good morning. Welcome to Boston, the home of the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins, baked beans, tea parties, Robert Parker, and SciDAC 2007. A year ago I stood before you to share the legacy of the first SciDAC program and identify the challenges that we must address on the road to petascale computing—a road E E Cummins described as `. . . never traveled, gladly beyond any experience.' Today, I want to explore the preparations for the rapidly approaching extreme scale (X-scale) generation. These preparations are the first step propelling us along the road of burgeoning scientific discovery enabled by the application of X- scale computing. We look to petascale computing and beyond to open up a world of discovery that cuts across scientific fields and leads us to a greater understanding of not only our world, but our universe. As part of the President's America Competitiveness Initiative, the ASCR Office has been preparing a ten year vision for computing. As part of this planning the LBNL together with ORNL and ANL hosted three town hall meetings on Simulation and Modeling at the Exascale for Energy, Ecological Sustainability and Global Security (E3). The proposed E3 initiative is organized around four programmatic themes: Engaging our top scientists, engineers, computer scientists and applied mathematicians; investing in pioneering large-scale science; developing scalable analysis algorithms, and storage architectures to accelerate discovery; and accelerating the build-out and future development of the DOE open computing facilities. It is clear that we have only just started down the path to extreme scale computing. Plan to attend Thursday's session on the out-briefing and discussion of these meetings. The road to the petascale has been at best rocky. In FY07, the continuing resolution provided 12% less money for Advanced Scientific Computing than either the President, the Senate, or the House. As a consequence, many of you had to absorb a no cost extension for your

  5. The Ocean as a Unique Therapeutic Environment: Developing a Surfing Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clapham, Emily D.; Armitano, Cortney N.; Lamont, Linda S.; Audette, Jennifer G.

    2014-01-01

    Educational aquatic programming offers necessary physical activity opportunities to children with disabilities and the benefits of aquatic activities are more pronounced for children with disabilities than for their able-bodied peers. Similar benefits could potentially be derived from surfing in the ocean. This article describes an adapted surfing…

  6. Rip currents and alongshore flows in single channels dredged in the surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moulton, Melissa; Elgar, Steve; Raubenheimer, Britt; Warner, John C.; Kumar, Nirnimesh

    2017-05-01

    To investigate the dynamics of flows near nonuniform bathymetry, single channels (on average 30 m wide and 1.5 m deep) were dredged across the surf zone at five different times, and the subsequent evolution of currents and morphology was observed for a range of wave and tidal conditions. In addition, circulation was simulated with the numerical modeling system COAWST, initialized with the observed incident waves and channel bathymetry, and with an extended set of wave conditions and channel geometries. The simulated flows are consistent with alongshore flows and rip-current circulation patterns observed in the surf zone. Near the offshore-directed flows that develop in the channel, the dominant terms in modeled momentum balances are wave-breaking accelerations, pressure gradients, advection, and the vortex force. The balances vary spatially, and are sensitive to wave conditions and the channel geometry. The observed and modeled maximum offshore-directed flow speeds are correlated with a parameter based on the alongshore gradient in breaking-wave-driven-setup across the nonuniform bathymetry (a function of wave height and angle, water depths in the channel and on the sandbar, and a breaking threshold) and the breaking-wave-driven alongshore flow speed. The offshore-directed flow speed increases with dissipation on the bar and reaches a maximum (when the surf zone is saturated) set by the vertical scale of the bathymetric variability.

  7. Rip currents and alongshore flows in single channels dredged in the surf zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moulton, Melissa; Elgar, Steve; Raubenheimer, Britt; Warner, John C.; Kumar, Nirnimesh

    2017-01-01

    To investigate the dynamics of flows near nonuniform bathymetry, single channels (on average 30 m wide and 1.5 m deep) were dredged across the surf zone at five different times, and the subsequent evolution of currents and morphology was observed for a range of wave and tidal conditions. In addition, circulation was simulated with the numerical modeling system COAWST, initialized with the observed incident waves and channel bathymetry, and with an extended set of wave conditions and channel geometries. The simulated flows are consistent with alongshore flows and rip-current circulation patterns observed in the surf zone. Near the offshore-directed flows that develop in the channel, the dominant terms in modeled momentum balances are wave-breaking accelerations, pressure gradients, advection, and the vortex force. The balances vary spatially, and are sensitive to wave conditions and the channel geometry. The observed and modeled maximum offshore-directed flow speeds are correlated with a parameter based on the alongshore gradient in breaking-wave-driven-setup across the nonuniform bathymetry (a function of wave height and angle, water depths in the channel and on the sandbar, and a breaking threshold) and the breaking-wave-driven alongshore flow speed. The offshore-directed flow speed increases with dissipation on the bar and reaches a maximum (when the surf zone is saturated) set by the vertical scale of the bathymetric variability.

  8. The Cross-Cultural Societal Response to SCI: Health and Related Systems.

    PubMed

    Pacheco, Diana; Gross-Hemmi, Mirja H

    2017-02-01

    The Learning Health System for Spinal Cord Injury (LHS-SCI) is an initiative aligned with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Disability Action Plan. Based on the outcomes of this initiative, countries will be able to shape their health systems to better respond to the needs of persons with SCI. This paper describes and compares the macroeconomic situation and societal response to SCI across 27 countries from all 6 WHO regions that will participate in the LHS-SCI initiative. A concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted to identify key indicators that describe the situation of persons with SCI, the general societal response, the health and rehabilitation system, and the experience for a SCI person after discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. A strong correlation was found between the efficiency of a healthcare system and the amount a country invests in health. Higher availability of resources does not necessarily imply that unrestricted access to the healthcare system is warranted. Variations in the health systems were found for various domains of the health and rehabilitation systems. The evaluation and comparative analysis of the societal response to SCI raise the awareness of the need of more standardized data to identify current needs and gaps in the quality and access to SCI-specific health system.

  9. The imbalanced surfing-life of humanity to survival in the global changes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kontar, V. A.

    2013-12-01

    We have written many times about the imbalance of Nature as the cause of the global change. Here, we offer some method for the humanity survival in the face of global change of the imbalanced anisotropic real Nature. There are two logics of understanding the real Nature: the traditional balanced, and the new imbalanced. The balanced logic presupposes that Nature is balanced, isotropic, etc. The imbalanced logic presupposes opposite that Nature is imbalanced, anisotropic, etc. Respectively can be two styles of the people life: balanced and imbalanced. The image of the flat earth corresponds well with the balanced lifestyle of people. On the balanced life people spend activities to achieve the balance by reducing the change, stabilization, leveling any level changes, etc. If there is a mountain on the road, it must be align the track or make the tunnel. If there is a ravine on the road, then it need backfilled or to build a bridge. If someone is in restless, it must be calm, etc. As example of the happiness in the balanced life is the stability, balance, and therefore the global changes of Nature are perceived as a catastrophe. In the balanced lifestyle people can easily decide to use force, especially if there is not enough knowledge. But Nature has power which in billions times greater than the forces of humanity. Therefore, humanity will beaten in struggle with Nature and disappear. The imbalanced lifestyle is the fundamentally different. The imbalanced lifestyle complies with the surface of the ocean, which always changes, but sometimes can be and flat. But the flat calm ocean surface is inconvenient for the imbalanced life. You need to pull boat yourself because is no wind in the sails. The anisotropic imbalanced Nature has gradients in all parameters. At a certain level of knowledge and experience, people can use this multi-dimensional gradient essence of the real Nature for human's discretion. The imbalanced life is like a surfing. If properly understood

  10. GeoSciML and EarthResourceML Update, 2012

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richard, S. M.; Commissionthe Management; Application Inte, I.

    2012-12-01

    CGI Interoperability Working Group activities during 2012 include deployment of services using the GeoSciML-Portrayal schema, addition of new vocabularies to support properties added in version 3.0, improvements to server software for deploying services, introduction of EarthResourceML v.2 for mineral resources, and collaboration with the IUSS on a markup language for soils information. GeoSciML and EarthResourceML have been used as the basis for the INSPIRE Geology and Mineral Resources specifications respectively. GeoSciML-Portrayal is an OGC GML simple-feature application schema for presentation of geologic map unit, contact, and shear displacement structure (fault and ductile shear zone) descriptions in web map services. Use of standard vocabularies for geologic age and lithology enables map services using shared legends to achieve visual harmonization of maps provided by different services. New vocabularies have been added to the collection of CGI vocabularies provided to support interoperable GeoSciML services, and can be accessed through http://resource.geosciml.org. Concept URIs can be dereferenced to obtain SKOS rdf or html representations using the SISSVoc vocabulary service. New releases of the FOSS GeoServer application greatly improve support for complex XML feature schemas like GeoSciML, and the ArcGIS for INSPIRE extension implements similar complex feature support for ArcGIS Server. These improved server implementations greatly facilitate deploying GeoSciML services. EarthResourceML v2 adds features for information related to mining activities. SoilML provides an interchange format for soil material, soil profile, and terrain information. Work is underway to add GeoSciML to the portfolio of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specifications.

  11. ComSciCon: The Communicating Science Workshop for Graduate Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanders, Nathan; Drout, Maria; Kohler, Susanna; Cook, Ben; ComSciCon Leadership Team

    2018-01-01

    ComSciCon (comscicon.com) is a national workshop series organized by graduate students, for graduate students, focused on leadership and training in science communication. Our goal is to empower young scientists to become leaders in their field, propagating appreciation and understanding of research results to broad and diverse audiences. ComSciCon attendees meet and interact with professional communicators, build lasting networks with graduate students in all fields of science and engineering from around the country, and write and publish original works. ComSciCon consists of both a flagship national conference series run annually for future leaders in science communication, and a series of regional and specialized workshops organized by ComSciCon alumni nationwide. We routinely receive over 1000 applications for 50 spots in our national workshop. Since its founding in 2012, over 300 STEM graduate students have participated in the national workshop, and 23 local spin-off workshops have been organized in 10 different locations throughout the country. This year, ComSciCon is working to grow as a self-sustaining organization by launching as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit. In this poster we will discuss the ComSciCon program and methods, our results to date, potential future collaborations between ComSciCon and AAS, and how you can become involved.

  12. ConSurf 2016: an improved methodology to estimate and visualize evolutionary conservation in macromolecules

    PubMed Central

    Ashkenazy, Haim; Abadi, Shiran; Martz, Eric; Chay, Ofer; Mayrose, Itay; Pupko, Tal; Ben-Tal, Nir

    2016-01-01

    The degree of evolutionary conservation of an amino acid in a protein or a nucleic acid in DNA/RNA reflects a balance between its natural tendency to mutate and the overall need to retain the structural integrity and function of the macromolecule. The ConSurf web server (http://consurf.tau.ac.il), established over 15 years ago, analyses the evolutionary pattern of the amino/nucleic acids of the macromolecule to reveal regions that are important for structure and/or function. Starting from a query sequence or structure, the server automatically collects homologues, infers their multiple sequence alignment and reconstructs a phylogenetic tree that reflects their evolutionary relations. These data are then used, within a probabilistic framework, to estimate the evolutionary rates of each sequence position. Here we introduce several new features into ConSurf, including automatic selection of the best evolutionary model used to infer the rates, the ability to homology-model query proteins, prediction of the secondary structure of query RNA molecules from sequence, the ability to view the biological assembly of a query (in addition to the single chain), mapping of the conservation grades onto 2D RNA models and an advanced view of the phylogenetic tree that enables interactively rerunning ConSurf with the taxa of a sub-tree. PMID:27166375

  13. Clinical interpretation of the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index (SCI-FI).

    PubMed

    Fyffe, Denise; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Slavin, Mary; Kisala, Pamela; Ni, Pengsheng; Kirshblum, Steven C; Tulsky, David S; Jette, Alan M

    2016-09-01

    To provide validation of functional ability levels for the Spinal Cord Injury - Functional Index (SCI-FI). Cross-sectional. Inpatient rehabilitation hospital and community settings. A sample of 855 individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury enrolled in 6 rehabilitation centers participating in the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Network. Not Applicable. Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index (SCI-FI). Cluster analyses identified three distinct groups that represent low, mid-range and high SCI-FI functional ability levels. Comparison of clusters on personal and other injury characteristics suggested some significant differences between groups. These results strongly support the use of SCI-FI functional ability levels to document the perceived functional abilities of persons with SCI. Results of the cluster analysis suggest that the SCI-FI functional ability levels capture function by injury characteristics. Clinical implications regarding tracking functional activity trajectories during follow-up visits are discussed.

  14. Overview of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system.

    PubMed

    Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Victorson, David; Tate, Denise G; Heinemann, Allen W; Charlifue, Susan; Kirshblum, Steve C; Fyffe, Denise; Gershon, Richard; Spungen, Ann M; Bombardier, Charles H; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A; Amtmann, Dagmar; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Choi, Seung W; Jette, Alan M; Forchheimer, Martin; Cella, David

    2015-05-01

    The Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system was developed to address the shortage of relevant and psychometrically sound patient reported outcome (PRO) measures available for clinical care and research in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Using a computer adaptive testing (CAT) approach, the SCI-QOL builds on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) initiative. This initial manuscript introduces the background and development of the SCI-QOL measurement system. Greater detail is presented in the additional manuscripts of this special issue. Classical and contemporary test development methodologies were employed. Qualitative input was obtained from individuals with SCI and clinicians through interviews, focus groups, and cognitive debriefing. Item pools were field tested in a multi-site sample (n=877) and calibrated using item response theory methods. Initial reliability and validity testing was performed in a new sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n=245). Five Model SCI System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center across the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. n/a n/a The SCI-QOL consists of 19 item banks, including the SCI-Functional Index banks, and 3 fixed-length scales measuring physical, emotional, and social aspects of health-related QOL (HRQOL). The SCI-QOL measurement system consists of psychometrically sound measures for individuals with SCI. The manuscripts in this special issue provide evidence of the reliability and initial validity of this measurement system. The SCI-QOL also links to other measures designed for a general medical population.

  15. Sci-Hub provides access to nearly all scholarly literature

    PubMed Central

    Romero, Ariel Rodriguez; Levernier, Jacob G; Munro, Thomas Anthony; McLaughlin, Stephen Reid; Greshake Tzovaras, Bastian

    2018-01-01

    The website Sci-Hub enables users to download PDF versions of scholarly articles, including many articles that are paywalled at their journal’s site. Sci-Hub has grown rapidly since its creation in 2011, but the extent of its coverage has been unclear. Here we report that, as of March 2017, Sci-Hub’s database contains 68.9% of the 81.6 million scholarly articles registered with Crossref and 85.1% of articles published in toll access journals. We find that coverage varies by discipline and publisher, and that Sci-Hub preferentially covers popular, paywalled content. For toll access articles, we find that Sci-Hub provides greater coverage than the University of Pennsylvania, a major research university in the United States. Green open access to toll access articles via licit services, on the other hand, remains quite limited. Our interactive browser at https://greenelab.github.io/scihub allows users to explore these findings in more detail. For the first time, nearly all scholarly literature is available gratis to anyone with an Internet connection, suggesting the toll access business model may become unsustainable. PMID:29424689

  16. Missense mutations in SURF1 associated with deficient cytochrome c oxidase assembly in Leigh syndrome patients.

    PubMed

    Poyau, A; Buchet, K; Bouzidi, M F; Zabot, M T; Echenne, B; Yao, J; Shoubridge, E A; Godinot, C

    2000-02-01

    We have studied the fibroblasts of three patients suffering from Leigh syndrome associated with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency (LS-COX-). Their mitochondrial DNA was functional and all nuclear COX subunits had a normal sequence. The expression of transcripts encoding mitochondrial and nuclear COX subunits was normal or slightly increased. Similarly, the OXA1 transcript coding for a protein involved in COX assembly was increased. However, several COX-protein subunits were severely depressed, indicating deficient COX assembly. Surf1, a factor involved in COX biogenesis, was recently reported as mutated in LS-COX- patients, all mutations predicting a truncated protein. Sequence analysis of SURF1 gene in our three patients revealed seven heterozygous mutations, six of which were new : an insertion, a nonsense mutation, a splicing mutation of intron 7 in addition to three missense mutations. The mutation G385 A (Gly124-->Glu) changes a Gly that is strictly conserved in Surfl homologs of 12 species. The substitution G618 C (Asp202-->His), changing an Asp that is conserved only in mammals, appears to be a polymorphism. The mutation T751 C changes Ile246 to Thr, a position at which a hydrophobic amino acid is conserved in all eukaryotic and some bacterial species. Replacing Ile246 by Thr disrupts a predicted beta sheet structure present in all higher eukaryotes. COX activity could be restored in fibroblasts of the three patients by complementation with a retroviral vector containing normal SURF1 cDNA. These mutations identify domains essential to Surf1 protein structure and/or function.

  17. Sensitivity of the SCI-FI/AT in Individuals With Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

    PubMed

    Keeney, Tamra; Slavin, Mary; Kisala, Pamela; Ni, Pengsheng; Heinemann, Allen W; Charlifue, Susan; Fyffe, Denise C; Marino, Ralph J; Morse, Leslie R; Worobey, Lynn A; Tate, Denise; Rosenblum, David; Zafonte, Ross; Tulsky, David; Jette, Alan M

    2018-03-31

    To examine the ability of the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index/Assistive Technology (SCI-FI/AT) measure to detect change in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Multisite longitudinal (12-mo follow-up) study. Nine SCI Model Systems programs. Adults (N=165) with SCI enrolled in the SCI Model Systems database. Not applicable. SCI-FI/AT computerized adaptive test (CAT) (Basic Mobility, Self-Care, Fine Motor Function, Wheelchair Mobility, and/or Ambulation domains) completed at discharge from rehabilitation and 12 months after SCI. For each domain, effect size estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for subgroups with paraplegia and tetraplegia. The demographic characteristics of the sample were as follows: 46% (n=76) individuals with paraplegia, 76% (n=125) male participants, 57% (n=94) used a manual wheelchair, 38% (n=63) used a power wheelchair, 30% (n=50) were ambulatory. For individuals with paraplegia, the Basic Mobility, Self-Care, and Ambulation domains of the SCI-FI/AT detected a significantly large amount of change; in contrast, the Fine Motor Function and Wheelchair Mobility domains detected only a small amount of change. For those with tetraplegia, the Basic Mobility, Fine Motor Function, and Self-Care domains detected a small amount of change whereas the Ambulation item domain detected a medium amount of change. The Wheelchair Mobility domain for people with tetraplegia was the only SCI-FI/AT domain that did not detect significant change. SCI-FI/AT CAT item banks detected an increase in function from discharge to 12 months after SCI. The effect size estimates for the SCI-FI/AT CAT vary by domain and level of lesion. Findings support the use of the SCI-FI/AT CAT in the population with SCI and highlight the importance of multidimensional functional measures. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Methodology for the development and calibration of the SCI-QOL item banks.

    PubMed

    Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W; Gershon, Richard; Heinemann, Allen W; Cella, David

    2015-05-01

    To develop a comprehensive, psychometrically sound, and conceptually grounded patient reported outcomes (PRO) measurement system for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Individual interviews (n=44) and focus groups (n=65 individuals with SCI and n=42 SCI clinicians) were used to select key domains for inclusion and to develop PRO items. Verbatim items from other cutting-edge measurement systems (i.e. PROMIS, Neuro-QOL) were included to facilitate linkage and cross-population comparison. Items were field tested in a large sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n=877). Dimensionality was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Local item dependence and differential item functioning were assessed, and items were calibrated using the item response theory (IRT) graded response model. Finally, computer adaptive tests (CATs) and short forms were administered in a new sample (n=245) to assess test-retest reliability and stability. A calibration sample of 877 individuals with traumatic SCI across five SCI Model Systems sites and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center completed SCI-QOL items in interview format. We developed 14 unidimensional calibrated item banks and 3 calibrated scales across physical, emotional, and social health domains. When combined with the five Spinal Cord Injury--Functional Index physical function banks, the final SCI-QOL system consists of 22 IRT-calibrated item banks/scales. Item banks may be administered as CATs or short forms. Scales may be administered in a fixed-length format only. The SCI-QOL measurement system provides SCI researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive, relevant and psychometrically robust system for measurement of physical-medical, physical-functional, emotional, and social outcomes. All SCI-QOL instruments are freely available on Assessment CenterSM.

  19. Clinical interpretation of the Spinal Cord Injury Functional Index (SCI-FI)

    PubMed Central

    Fyffe, Denise; Kalpakjian, Claire Z.; Slavin, Mary; Kisala, Pamela; Ni, Pengsheng; Kirshblum, Steven C.; Tulsky, David S.; Jette, Alan M.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To provide validation of functional ability levels for the Spinal Cord Injury – Functional Index (SCI-FI). Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital and community settings. Participants: A sample of 855 individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury enrolled in 6 rehabilitation centers participating in the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Network. Interventions: Not Applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index (SCI-FI). Results: Cluster analyses identified three distinct groups that represent low, mid-range and high SCI-FI functional ability levels. Comparison of clusters on personal and other injury characteristics suggested some significant differences between groups. Conclusions: These results strongly support the use of SCI-FI functional ability levels to document the perceived functional abilities of persons with SCI. Results of the cluster analysis suggest that the SCI-FI functional ability levels capture function by injury characteristics. Clinical implications regarding tracking functional activity trajectories during follow-up visits are discussed. PMID:26781769

  20. SCI Longitudinal Aging Study: 40 Years of Research.

    PubMed

    Krause, James S; Clark, Jillian M R; Saunders, Lee L

    2015-01-01

    The Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Longitudinal Aging Study was initiated in 1973 and has conducted 8 assessments over the past 40 years. It was designed to help rehabilitation professionals understand the life situation of people with SCI, but it has developed into the most long-standing study of aging and SCI and has resulted in over 50 publications. Our purpose was to provide a detailed history of the study, response patterns, utilization of measures, and a summary of key findings reported in the literature. Five participant samples have been incorporated over the 40 years, with enrollment in 1973, 1984, 1993 (2 samples), and 2003. A total of 2,208 participants have completed 6,001 assessments, with a particularly large number of assessments among those who are more than 40 years post injury (n = 349). The overall results have indicated changing patterns of outcomes over time as persons with SCI age, with some notable declines in participation and health. There has been a survivor effect whereby persons who are more active, well-adjusted, and healthier live longer. This study has several important features that are required for longitudinal research including (a) consistency of follow-up, (b) consistency of measures over time, (c) addition of new participant samples to counteract attrition, and (d) inclusion of a large number of individuals who have reached aging milestones unparalleled in the literature. Data from this study can inform the literature on the natural course of aging with SCI.

  1. Pedestrian Detection in Far-Infrared Daytime Images Using a Hierarchical Codebook of SURF

    PubMed Central

    Besbes, Bassem; Rogozan, Alexandrina; Rus, Adela-Maria; Bensrhair, Abdelaziz; Broggi, Alberto

    2015-01-01

    One of the main challenges in intelligent vehicles concerns pedestrian detection for driving assistance. Recent experiments have showed that state-of-the-art descriptors provide better performances on the far-infrared (FIR) spectrum than on the visible one, even in daytime conditions, for pedestrian classification. In this paper, we propose a pedestrian detector with on-board FIR camera. Our main contribution is the exploitation of the specific characteristics of FIR images to design a fast, scale-invariant and robust pedestrian detector. Our system consists of three modules, each based on speeded-up robust feature (SURF) matching. The first module allows generating regions-of-interest (ROI), since in FIR images of the pedestrian shapes may vary in large scales, but heads appear usually as light regions. ROI are detected with a high recall rate with the hierarchical codebook of SURF features located in head regions. The second module consists of pedestrian full-body classification by using SVM. This module allows one to enhance the precision with low computational cost. In the third module, we combine the mean shift algorithm with inter-frame scale-invariant SURF feature tracking to enhance the robustness of our system. The experimental evaluation shows that our system outperforms, in the FIR domain, the state-of-the-art Haar-like Adaboost-cascade, histogram of oriented gradients (HOG)/linear SVM (linSVM) and MultiFtrpedestrian detectors, trained on the FIR images. PMID:25871724

  2. SciServer Compute brings Analysis to Big Data in the Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raddick, Jordan; Medvedev, Dmitry; Lemson, Gerard; Souter, Barbara

    2016-06-01

    SciServer Compute uses Jupyter Notebooks running within server-side Docker containers attached to big data collections to bring advanced analysis to big data "in the cloud." SciServer Compute is a component in the SciServer Big-Data ecosystem under development at JHU, which will provide a stable, reproducible, sharable virtual research environment.SciServer builds on the popular CasJobs and SkyServer systems that made the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) archive one of the most-used astronomical instruments. SciServer extends those systems with server-side computational capabilities and very large scratch storage space, and further extends their functions to a range of other scientific disciplines.Although big datasets like SDSS have revolutionized astronomy research, for further analysis, users are still restricted to downloading the selected data sets locally - but increasing data sizes make this local approach impractical. Instead, researchers need online tools that are co-located with data in a virtual research environment, enabling them to bring their analysis to the data.SciServer supports this using the popular Jupyter notebooks, which allow users to write their own Python and R scripts and execute them on the server with the data (extensions to Matlab and other languages are planned). We have written special-purpose libraries that enable querying the databases and other persistent datasets. Intermediate results can be stored in large scratch space (hundreds of TBs) and analyzed directly from within Python or R with state-of-the-art visualization and machine learning libraries. Users can store science-ready results in their permanent allocation on SciDrive, a Dropbox-like system for sharing and publishing files. Communication between the various components of the SciServer system is managed through SciServer‘s new Single Sign-on Portal.We have created a number of demos to illustrate the capabilities of SciServer Compute, including Python and R scripts

  3. Methodology for the development and calibration of the SCI-QOL item banks

    PubMed Central

    Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W.; Gershon, Richard; Heinemann, Allen W.; Cella, David

    2015-01-01

    Objective To develop a comprehensive, psychometrically sound, and conceptually grounded patient reported outcomes (PRO) measurement system for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods Individual interviews (n = 44) and focus groups (n = 65 individuals with SCI and n = 42 SCI clinicians) were used to select key domains for inclusion and to develop PRO items. Verbatim items from other cutting-edge measurement systems (i.e. PROMIS, Neuro-QOL) were included to facilitate linkage and cross-population comparison. Items were field tested in a large sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n = 877). Dimensionality was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Local item dependence and differential item functioning were assessed, and items were calibrated using the item response theory (IRT) graded response model. Finally, computer adaptive tests (CATs) and short forms were administered in a new sample (n = 245) to assess test-retest reliability and stability. Participants and Procedures A calibration sample of 877 individuals with traumatic SCI across five SCI Model Systems sites and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center completed SCI-QOL items in interview format. Results We developed 14 unidimensional calibrated item banks and 3 calibrated scales across physical, emotional, and social health domains. When combined with the five Spinal Cord Injury – Functional Index physical function banks, the final SCI-QOL system consists of 22 IRT-calibrated item banks/scales. Item banks may be administered as CATs or short forms. Scales may be administered in a fixed-length format only. Conclusions The SCI-QOL measurement system provides SCI researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive, relevant and psychometrically robust system for measurement of physical-medical, physical-functional, emotional, and social outcomes. All SCI-QOL instruments are freely available on Assessment CenterSM. PMID:26010963

  4. 77 FR 43236 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; SURF Program Student Applicant Information

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-24

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; SURF Program Student Applicant Information AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of...

  5. Treatment of Nueropathic Pain after SCI with a Catalytic Oxidoreductant

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    reducing inflammation and ROS activation acutely post-SCI in rats and mice. On-going experiments will evaluate additional outcome measures and...NF-kB signaling, and inflammation in the spinal cord acutely post-SCI We have completed approximately 100% of the animal experiments in support of this...in the spinal cord acutely post-SCI. These data are in the final analysis stages. Please see the data to date as described in the task section

  6. Invited Article: Refined analysis of synchrotron radiation for NIST's SURF III facility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shirley, Eric L.; Furst, Mitchell; Arp, Uwe

    2018-04-01

    We have developed a new method for the exact calculation of synchrotron radiation for the National Institute of Standards and Technology Synchrotron Ultraviolet Radiation Facility, SURF III. Instead of using the Schwinger formula, which is only an approximation, we develop formulae based on Graf's addition theorem for Bessel functions and accurate asymptotic expansions for Hankel functions and Bessel functions. By measuring the radiation intensity profile at two distances from the storage ring, we also confirm an apparent vertical emittance that is consistent with the vertical betatron oscillations that are intentionally introduced to extend beam lifetime by spreading the electron beam spatially. Finally, we determine how much diffraction by beamline apertures enhances the spectral irradiance at an integrating sphere entrance port at the end station. This should eliminate small but treatable components of the uncertainty budget that one should consider when using SURF III or similar synchrotrons as standard, calculable sources of ultraviolet and other radiation.

  7. Circulating sclerostin is elevated in short-term and reduced in long-term SCI

    PubMed Central

    Battaglino, Ricardo A.; Sudhakar, Supreetha; Lazzari, Antonio; Garshick, Eric; Zafonte, Ross; Morse, Leslie R.

    2012-01-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes profound bone loss due to muscle paralysis resulting in the inability to walk. Sclerostin, a Wnt signaling pathway antagonist produced by osteocytes, is a potent inhibitor of bone formation. Short-term studies in rodent models have demonstrated increased sclerostin in response to mechanical unloading that is reversed with reloading. Although sclerostin inhibition has been proposed as a potential therapy for bone loss, it is not known if sclerostin levels vary with duration of SCI in humans. We analyzed circulating sclerostin in 155 men with varying degrees of SCI who were 1 year or more post-injury. We report that sclerostin levels are greatest in subjects with short-term SCI (≤ 5 years post-injury) and decrease significantly over the first 5 years post-injury. There was no association between sclerostin and injury duration in subjects with long-term SCI (> 5 years post-injury). In subjects with long-term SCI, sclerostin levels were positively associated with lower extremity bone density and bone mineral content. These data suggest that sclerostin levels in SCI are initially increased after SCI in response to mechanical unloading. This response is time-limited and as bone loss progresses, circulating sclerostin is lowest in subjects with severe osteoporosis. These findings support a dual role for sclerostin after SCI: a therapeutic target in acute SCI, and a biomarker of osteoporosis severity in chronic SCI. PMID:22575440

  8. Astronomy Popularization via Sci-fi Movies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Qingkang

    2015-08-01

    It is astronomers’ duty to let more and more young people know a bit astronomy and be interested in astronomy and appreciate the beauty and great achievements in astronomy. One of the most effective methods to popularize astronomy to young people nowadays might be via enjoying some brilliant sci-fi movies related to astronomy with some guidance from astronomers. Firstly, we will introduce the basic information of our selective course “Appreciation of Sci-fi Movies in Astronomy” for the non-major astronomy students in our University, which is surely unique in China, then we will show its effect on astronomy popularization based on several rounds of teaching.

  9. Sci-Hub provides access to nearly all scholarly literature.

    PubMed

    Himmelstein, Daniel S; Romero, Ariel Rodriguez; Levernier, Jacob G; Munro, Thomas Anthony; McLaughlin, Stephen Reid; Greshake Tzovaras, Bastian; Greene, Casey S

    2018-03-01

    The website Sci-Hub enables users to download PDF versions of scholarly articles, including many articles that are paywalled at their journal's site. Sci-Hub has grown rapidly since its creation in 2011, but the extent of its coverage has been unclear. Here we report that, as of March 2017, Sci-Hub's database contains 68.9% of the 81.6 million scholarly articles registered with Crossref and 85.1% of articles published in toll access journals. We find that coverage varies by discipline and publisher, and that Sci-Hub preferentially covers popular, paywalled content. For toll access articles, we find that Sci-Hub provides greater coverage than the University of Pennsylvania, a major research university in the United States. Green open access to toll access articles via licit services, on the other hand, remains quite limited. Our interactive browser at https://greenelab.github.io/scihub allows users to explore these findings in more detail. For the first time, nearly all scholarly literature is available gratis to anyone with an Internet connection, suggesting the toll access business model may become unsustainable. © 2018, Himmelstein et al.

  10. Evaluation of a 3% surf solution (surf field mastitis test) for the diagnosis of subclinical bovine and bubaline mastitis.

    PubMed

    Muhammad, Ghulam; Naureen, Abeera; Asi, Muhammad Nadeem; Saqib, Muhammad; Fazal-ur-Rehman

    2010-03-01

    To evaluate a 3% solution of household detergent viz., Surf Excel (Surf field mastitis test, SFMT) vis-à-vis California mastitis test (CMT), Whiteside test (WST), somatic cell counts (SCC; cut off limit = 5 x 10(5) cells per millilitre) and bacteriological cultures for the detection of subclinical mastitis in quarter foremilk samples (n=800) of dairy cows and buffaloes. Culture and SCC were used as gold standards. All tests were evaluated parallel and serial patterns. The sensitivities of SFMT, SCC, culture, CMT and WST in parallel testing were 72.82, 81.55, 87.38, 75.73 and 54.37%, respectively in cows, while 66.22, 79.73, 82.43, 70.27 and 50.00, respectively in buffaloes. SFMT was significantly (p<0.05) more sensitive than WST and comparable to CMT in both species. In serial testing, percent specificity of SFMT (87.12 in cow; 85.16 in buffaloes) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of CMT (83.33 in cow; 80.64 in buffaloes). The negative predictive values of SFMT (93.50 in cow; 96.35 in buffaloes) differed non-significantly from that of CMT (94.02 in cow; 96.15 in buffaloes). The kappa index between the tests was moderate to perfect both in parallel (0.54 to >0.80) and serial (0.58 to >0.8) testing. On the basis of closely similar diagnostic efficiency of SFMT to CMT in terms of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and kappa index together with inexpensive and ready availability of SFMT reagent, it tempting to suggest that SFMT can be use as a cheaper, user-friendly alternative animal-side subclinical mastitis diagnostic test in poor countries.

  11. Women's Sexual Health and Reproductive Function After SCI.

    PubMed

    Courtois, Frédérique; Alexander, Marcalee; McLain, Amie B Jackson

    2017-01-01

    Sexual function and to a lesser extent reproduction are often disrupted in women with spinal cord injuries (SCI), who must be educated to better understand their sexual and reproductive health. Women with SCI are sexually active; they can use psychogenic or reflexogenic stimulation to obtain sexual pleasure and orgasm. Treatment should consider a holistic approach using autonomic standards to describe remaining sexual function and to assess both genital function and psychosocial factors. Assessment of genital function should include thoracolumbar dermatomes, vulvar sensitivity (touch, pressure, vibration), and sacral reflexes. Self-exploration should include not only clitoral stimulation, but also stimulation of the vagina (G spot), cervix, and nipples conveyed by different innervation sources. Treatments may consider PDE5 inhibitors and flibanserin on an individual basis, and secondary consequences of SCI should address concerns with spasticity, pain, incontinence, and side effects of medications. Psychosocial issues must be addressed as possible contributors to sexual dysfunctions (eg, lower self-esteem, past sexual history, depression, dating habits). Pregnancy is possible for women with SCI; younger age at the time of injury and at the time of pregnancy being significant predictors of successful pregnancy, along with marital status, motor score, mobility, and occupational scores. Pregnancy may decrease the level of functioning (eg, self-care, ambulation, upper-extremity tasks), may involve complications (eg, decubitus ulcers, weight gain, urological complications), and must be monitored for postural hypotension and autonomic dysreflexia. Taking into consideration the physical and psychosocial determinants of sexuality and childbearing allows women with SCI to achieve positive sexual and reproductive health.

  12. Women's Sexual Health and Reproductive Function After SCI

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Marcalee; McLain, Amie B. (Jackson)

    2017-01-01

    Sexual function and to a lesser extent reproduction are often disrupted in women with spinal cord injuries (SCI), who must be educated to better understand their sexual and reproductive health. Women with SCI are sexually active; they can use psychogenic or reflexogenic stimulation to obtain sexual pleasure and orgasm. Treatment should consider a holistic approach using autonomic standards to describe remaining sexual function and to assess both genital function and psychosocial factors. Assessment of genital function should include thoracolumbar dermatomes, vulvar sensitivity (touch, pressure, vibration), and sacral reflexes. Self-exploration should include not only clitoral stimulation, but also stimulation of the vagina (G spot), cervix, and nipples conveyed by different innervation sources. Treatments may consider PDE5 inhibitors and flibanserin on an individual basis, and secondary consequences of SCI should address concerns with spasticity, pain, incontinence, and side effects of medications. Psychosocial issues must be addressed as possible contributors to sexual dysfunctions (eg, lower self-esteem, past sexual history, depression, dating habits). Pregnancy is possible for women with SCI; younger age at the time of injury and at the time of pregnancy being significant predictors of successful pregnancy, along with marital status, motor score, mobility, and occupational scores. Pregnancy may decrease the level of functioning (eg, self-care, ambulation, upper-extremity tasks), may involve complications (eg, decubitus ulcers, weight gain, urological complications), and must be monitored for postural hypotension and autonomic dysreflexia. Taking into consideration the physical and psychosocial determinants of sexuality and childbearing allows women with SCI to achieve positive sexual and reproductive health. PMID:29339874

  13. ScienceDirect through SciVerse: a new way to approach Elsevier.

    PubMed

    Bengtson, Jason

    2011-01-01

    SciVerse is the new combined portal from Elsevier that services their ScienceDirect collection, SciTopics, and their Scopus database. Using SciVerse to access ScienceDirect is the specific focus of this review. Along with advanced keyword searching and citation searching options, SciVerse also incorporates a very useful image search feature. The aim seems to be not only to create an interface that provides broad functionality on par with other database search tools that many searchers use regularly but also to create an open platform that could be changed to respond effectively to the needs of customers.

  14. A change detection method for remote sensing image based on LBP and SURF feature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Lei; Yang, Hao; Li, Jin; Zhang, Yun

    2018-04-01

    Finding the change in multi-temporal remote sensing image is important in many the image application. Because of the infection of climate and illumination, the texture of the ground object is more stable relative to the gray in high-resolution remote sensing image. And the texture features of Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) are outstanding in extracting speed and illumination invariance. A method of change detection for matched remote sensing image pair is present, which compares the similarity by LBP and SURF to detect the change and unchanged of the block after blocking the image. And region growing is adopted to process the block edge zone. The experiment results show that the method can endure some illumination change and slight texture change of the ground object.

  15. Preface: SciDAC 2008

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stevens, Rick

    2008-07-01

    The fourth annual Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) Conference was held June 13-18, 2008, in Seattle, Washington. The SciDAC conference series is the premier communitywide venue for presentation of results from the DOE Office of Science's interdisciplinary computational science program. Started in 2001 and renewed in 2006, the DOE SciDAC program is the country's - and arguably the world's - most significant interdisciplinary research program supporting the development of advanced scientific computing methods and their application to fundamental and applied areas of science. SciDAC supports computational science across many disciplines, including astrophysics, biology, chemistry, fusion sciences, and nuclear physics. Moreover, the program actively encourages the creation of long-term partnerships among scientists focused on challenging problems and computer scientists and applied mathematicians developing the technology and tools needed to address those problems. The SciDAC program has played an increasingly important role in scientific research by allowing scientists to create more accurate models of complex processes, simulate problems once thought to be impossible, and analyze the growing amount of data generated by experiments. To help further the research community's ability to tap into the capabilities of current and future supercomputers, Under Secretary for Science, Raymond Orbach, launched the Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) program in 2003. The INCITE program was conceived specifically to seek out computationally intensive, large-scale research projects with the potential to significantly advance key areas in science and engineering. The program encourages proposals from universities, other research institutions, and industry. During the first two years of the INCITE program, 10 percent of the resources at NERSC were allocated to INCITE awardees. However, demand for supercomputing resources

  16. Measurement of Bone: Diagnosis of SCI-Induced Osteoporosis and Fracture Risk Prediction.

    PubMed

    Troy, Karen L; Morse, Leslie R

    2015-01-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with a rapid loss of bone mass, resulting in severe osteoporosis and a 5- to 23-fold increase in fracture risk. Despite the seriousness of fractures in SCI, there are multiple barriers to osteoporosis diagnosis and wide variations in treatment practices for SCI-induced osteoporosis. We review the biological and structural changes that are known to occur in bone after SCI in the context of promoting future research to prevent or reduce risk of fracture in this population. We also review the most commonly used methods for assessing bone after SCI and discuss the strengths, limitations, and clinical applications of each method. Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry assessments of bone mineral density may be used clinically to detect changes in bone after SCI, 3-dimensional methods such as quantitative CT analysis are recommended for research applications and are explained in detail.

  17. Circulating sclerostin is elevated in short-term and reduced in long-term SCI.

    PubMed

    Battaglino, Ricardo A; Sudhakar, Supreetha; Lazzari, Antonio A; Garshick, Eric; Zafonte, Ross; Morse, Leslie R

    2012-09-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes profound bone loss due to muscle paralysis resulting in the inability to walk. Sclerostin, a Wnt signaling pathway antagonist produced by osteocytes, is a potent inhibitor of bone formation. Short-term studies in rodent models have demonstrated increased sclerostin in response to mechanical unloading that is reversed with reloading. Although sclerostin inhibition has been proposed as a potential therapy for bone loss, it is not known if sclerostin levels vary with duration of SCI in humans. We analyzed circulating sclerostin in 155 men with varying degrees of SCI who were 1 year or more post-injury. We report that sclerostin levels are greatest in subjects with short-term SCI (≤5 years post-injury) and decrease significantly over the first 5 years post-injury. There was no association between sclerostin and injury duration in subjects with long-term SCI (>5 years post-injury). In subjects with long-term SCI, sclerostin levels were positively associated with lower extremity bone density and bone mineral content. These data suggest that sclerostin levels are initially increased after SCI in response to mechanical unloading. This response is time-limited and as bone loss progresses, circulating sclerostin is lowest in subjects with severe osteoporosis. These findings support a dual role for sclerostin after SCI: a therapeutic target in acute SCI, and a biomarker of osteoporosis severity in chronic SCI. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Mexican Space Weather Service (SCiESMEX)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gonzalez-Esparza, J. A.; De la Luz, V.; Corona-Romero, P.; Mejia-Ambriz, J. C.; Gonzalez, L. X.; Sergeeva, M. A.; Romero-Hernandez, E.; Aguilar-Rodriguez, E.

    2017-01-01

    Legislative modifications of the General Civil Protection Law in Mexico in 2014 included specific references to space hazards and space weather phenomena. The legislation is consistent with United Nations promotion of international engagement and cooperation on space weather awareness, studies, and monitoring. These internal and external conditions motivated the creation of a space weather service in Mexico. The Mexican Space Weather Service (SCiESMEX in Spanish) (www.sciesmex.unam.mx) was initiated in October 2014 and is operated by the Institute of Geophysics at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). SCiESMEX became a Regional Warning Center of the International Space Environment Services (ISES) in June 2015. We present the characteristics of the service, some products, and the initial actions for developing a space weather strategy in Mexico. The service operates a computing infrastructure including a web application, data repository, and a high-performance computing server to run numerical models. SCiESMEX uses data of the ground-based instrumental network of the National Space Weather Laboratory (LANCE), covering solar radio burst emissions, solar wind and interplanetary disturbances (by interplanetary scintillation observations), geomagnetic measurements, and analysis of the total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere (by employing data from local networks of GPS receiver stations).

  19. Overview of the Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system

    PubMed Central

    Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Victorson, David; Tate, Denise G.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Charlifue, Susan; Kirshblum, Steve C.; Fyffe, Denise; Gershon, Richard; Spungen, Ann M.; Bombardier, Charles H.; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A.; Amtmann, Dagmar; Z. Kalpakjian, Claire; W. Choi, Seung; Jette, Alan M.; Forchheimer, Martin; Cella, David

    2015-01-01

    Context/Objective The Spinal Cord Injury – Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) measurement system was developed to address the shortage of relevant and psychometrically sound patient reported outcome (PRO) measures available for clinical care and research in spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation. Using a computer adaptive testing (CAT) approach, the SCI-QOL builds on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) initiative. This initial manuscript introduces the background and development of the SCI-QOL measurement system. Greater detail is presented in the additional manuscripts of this special issue. Design Classical and contemporary test development methodologies were employed. Qualitative input was obtained from individuals with SCI and clinicians through interviews, focus groups, and cognitive debriefing. Item pools were field tested in a multi-site sample (n = 877) and calibrated using item response theory methods. Initial reliability and validity testing was performed in a new sample of individuals with traumatic SCI (n = 245). Setting Five Model SCI System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center across the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Interventions n/a Outcome Measures n/a Results The SCI-QOL consists of 19 item banks, including the SCI-Functional Index banks, and 3 fixed-length scales measuring physical, emotional, and social aspects of health-related QOL (HRQOL). Conclusion The SCI-QOL measurement system consists of psychometrically sound measures for individuals with SCI. The manuscripts in this special issue provide evidence of the reliability and initial validity of this measurement system. The SCI-QOL also links to other measures designed for a general medical population. PMID:26010962

  20. Measurement of Bone: Diagnosis of SCI-Induced Osteoporosis and Fracture Risk Prediction

    PubMed Central

    Morse, Leslie R.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with a rapid loss of bone mass, resulting in severe osteoporosis and a 5- to 23-fold increase in fracture risk. Despite the seriousness of fractures in SCI, there are multiple barriers to osteoporosis diagnosis and wide variations in treatment practices for SCI-induced osteoporosis. Methods: We review the biological and structural changes that are known to occur in bone after SCI in the context of promoting future research to prevent or reduce risk of fracture in this population. We also review the most commonly used methods for assessing bone after SCI and discuss the strengths, limitations, and clinical applications of each method. Conclusions: Although dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry assessments of bone mineral density may be used clinically to detect changes in bone after SCI, 3-dimensional methods such as quantitative CT analysis are recommended for research applications and are explained in detail. PMID:26689691

  1. Discontinuous ventilator weaning of patients with acute SCI.

    PubMed

    Füssenich, Wout; Hirschfeld Araujo, Sven; Kowald, Birgitt; Hosman, Allard; Auerswald, Marc; Thietje, Roland

    2018-05-01

    Retrospective, single centre cohort study. To determine factors associated with ventilator weaning success and failure in patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI); determine length of time and attempts required to wean from the ventilator successfully and determine the incidence of pneumonia. BG Klinikum Hamburg, Level 1 trauma centre, SCI Department, Germany. From 2010 until 2017, 165 consecutive patients with cervical SCI, initially dependent on a ventilator, were included and weaned discontinuously via tracheal cannula. Data related to anthropometric details, neurological injury, respiratory outcomes, and weaning parameters were prospectively recorded in a database and retrospectively analysed. Seventy-nine percent of all patients were successfully weaned from ventilation. Average duration of the complete weaning process was 37 days. Ninety-one percent of the successfully weaned patients completed this on first attempt. Age (>56 years), level of injury (C4 and/or above), vital capacity (<1500 ml), obesity (>25 kg/m 2 ), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly decreased the chance of successful weaning. These factors also correlated with a higher number of weaning attempts. High level of injury, older age, and reduced vital capacity also increased the duration of the weaning process. Patients with low vital capacity and concurrent therapy with Baclofen and Dantrolene showed higher rates of pneumonia. We conclude that mentioned factors are associated with weaning outcome and useful for clinical recommendations and patient counselling. These data further support the complexity of ventilator weaning in the SCI population due to associated complications, therefore we recommend conducting weaning of patients with SCI on intensive or intermediate care units (ICU/IMCU) in specialised centres.

  2. SciTech Clubs for Girls. [Annual] technical report

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

    Nogal, A.M.

    1993-02-01

    Since January 1992, 9 exhibits have been constructed by the SciTech Clubs for Girls, which involved 63 girls, ages 10 to 14. These exhibits are: Bubble Shapes by the St. Charles Cadette Girl Scout Troop No. 109. Density Games by the South Elgin Cadette Girl Scout Troop No. 132. Electric Fleas by the Warrenville Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 305. Energy vs. Power by the Aurora Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 242. The Organ Pipe by the Bartlett Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 107. Ohm`s Law by the Geneva Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 401. What is Gravity by themore » Pilsen YMCA girls. Insulation at Work by the Algonquin Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 303. Series vs. Parallel by the Leland Junior Girl Scout Troop No. 50. The report is a description of each exhibit and the group that built the exhibit. Each group had a minimum of 10 hours of contact time at SciTech with the SciTech Clubs for Girls Program Coordinator. All mentors are female. Each exhibit building experience includes a trip to the hardware store to purchase supplies. After the exhibit is complete, the girls receive certificates of achievement and a SciTech Club Patch.« less

  3. surf3d: A 3-D finite-element program for the analysis of surface and corner cracks in solids subjected to mode-1 loadings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Raju, I. S.; Newman, J. C., Jr.

    1993-01-01

    A computer program, surf3d, that uses the 3D finite-element method to calculate the stress-intensity factors for surface, corner, and embedded cracks in finite-thickness plates with and without circular holes, was developed. The cracks are assumed to be either elliptic or part eliptic in shape. The computer program uses eight-noded hexahedral elements to model the solid. The program uses a skyline storage and solver. The stress-intensity factors are evaluated using the force method, the crack-opening displacement method, and the 3-D virtual crack closure methods. In the manual the input to and the output of the surf3d program are described. This manual also demonstrates the use of the program and describes the calculation of the stress-intensity factors. Several examples with sample data files are included with the manual. To facilitate modeling of the user's crack configuration and loading, a companion program (a preprocessor program) that generates the data for the surf3d called gensurf was also developed. The gensurf program is a three dimensional mesh generator program that requires minimal input and that builds a complete data file for surf3d. The program surf3d is operational on Unix machines such as CRAY Y-MP, CRAY-2, and Convex C-220.

  4. The Web Surfer: What (Literacy) Skills Does It Take to Surf Anyway?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackburn, Jessie

    2010-01-01

    This article looks closely at some of the lingering stereotypes that Composition Studies holds toward Web surfing and queries the resulting literacy hierarchy against our students' reading and writing practices that take place online. This article claims that while good progress has been made in the way of revising twenty-first century definitions…

  5. SciReader enables reading of medical content with instantaneous definitions.

    PubMed

    Gradie, Patrick R; Litster, Megan; Thomas, Rinu; Vyas, Jay; Schiller, Martin R

    2011-01-25

    A major problem patients encounter when reading about health related issues is document interpretation, which limits reading comprehension and therefore negatively impacts health care. Currently, searching for medical definitions from an external source is time consuming, distracting, and negatively impacts reading comprehension and memory of the material. SciReader was built as a Java application with a Flex-based front-end client. The dictionary used by SciReader was built by consolidating data from several sources and generating new definitions with a standardized syntax. The application was evaluated by measuring the percentage of words defined in different documents. A survey was used to test the perceived effect of SciReader on reading time and comprehension. We present SciReader, a web-application that simplifies document interpretation by allowing users to instantaneously view medical, English, and scientific definitions as they read any document. This tool reveals the definitions of any selected word in a small frame at the top of the application. SciReader relies on a dictionary of ~750,000 unique Biomedical and English word definitions. Evaluation of the application shows that it maps ~98% of words in several different types of documents and that most users tested in a survey indicate that the application decreases reading time and increases comprehension. SciReader is a web application useful for reading medical and scientific documents. The program makes jargon-laden content more accessible to patients, educators, health care professionals, and the general public.

  6. Can FES-rowing mediate bone mineral density in SCI: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Gibbons, R S; McCarthy, I D; Gall, A; Stock, C G; Shippen, J; Andrews, B J

    2014-11-01

    A single case study. To compare proximal tibia trabecular bone mineral density (BMD) of a participant with complete spinal cord injury (SCI), long-termed functional electrical stimulation-rowing (FES-R) trained, with previously reported SCI and non-SCI group norms. To estimate lower limb joint contact forces (JCFs) in the FES-R trained participant. UK University and orthopaedic hospital research centre. Bilateral proximal tibial trabecular BMD of the FES-R trained participant was measured using peripheral quantitative computerised tomography, and the data were compared with SCI and non-SCI groups. An instrumented four-channel FES-R system was used to measure the lower limb JCFs in the FES-R trained participant. Structurally, proximal tibial trabecular BMD was higher in the FES-R trained participant compared with the SCI group, but was less than the non-SCI group. Furthermore, left (184.7 mg cm(-3)) and right (160.7 mg cm(-3)) BMD were well above the threshold associated with non-traumatic fracture. The knee JCFs were above the threshold known to mediate BMD in SCI, but below threshold at the hip and ankle. As pathological fractures predominate in the distal femur and proximal tibia in chronic SCI patients, the fact that the FES-R trained participant's knee JCFs were above those known to partially prevent bone loss, suggests that FES-R training may provide therapeutic benefit. Although the elevated bilateral proximal tibial BMD of the FES-R participant provides circumstantial evidence of osteogenesis, this single case precludes any statement on the clinical significance. Further investigations are required involving larger numbers and additional channels of FES to increase loading at the hip and ankle.

  7. Palmprint Based Verification System Using SURF Features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srinivas, Badrinath G.; Gupta, Phalguni

    This paper describes the design and development of a prototype of robust biometric system for verification. The system uses features extracted using Speeded Up Robust Features (SURF) operator of human hand. The hand image for features is acquired using a low cost scanner. The palmprint region extracted is robust to hand translation and rotation on the scanner. The system is tested on IITK database of 200 images and PolyU database of 7751 images. The system is found to be robust with respect to translation and rotation. It has FAR 0.02%, FRR 0.01% and accuracy of 99.98% and can be a suitable system for civilian applications and high-security environments.

  8. Discovery of 5R-lipoxygenase activity in oocytes of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima.

    PubMed

    Hada, T; Swift, L L; Brash, A R

    1997-06-02

    Arachidonic acid and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) are reported to induce reinitiation of meiosis in oocytes of the surf clam Spisula sachalinensis from the Sea of Japan (Varaksin et al., Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 101C, 627-630 (1992). As the Atlantic surf clam Spisula solidissima is a commonly used model for the study of meiosis reinitiation, we examined these cells for the possible occurrence of lipoxygenases and for the bioactivity of the products. Incubation of [14C]arachidonic acid with homogenates of S. solidissima oocytes led to the formation of two major metabolites: 5R-HETE, a novel lipoxygenase product, and 8R-HETE. The products were identified by HPLC, uv spectroscopy, and GC-MS. The corresponding hydroperoxy fatty acids, the primary lipoxygenase products, were isolated from incubations of ammonium sulfate fractionated oocyte cytosol. Arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids were identified as constituents of S. solidissima oocyte lipids and the free acids were equally good lipoxygenase substrates. We examined the activity of C18 and C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenase products on meiosis reinitiation in Spisula solidissima oocytes, using serotonin and ionophore A23187 as positive controls. The fatty acids and their derivatives were inactive. We conclude that in the surf clam, (as in starfish), there are responding and non-responding species in regard to the maturation-inducing activity of the oocyte lipoxygenase products, and that the lipoxygenase has another, as yet uncharacterized, function in oocyte physiology.

  9. Discriminative region extraction and feature selection based on the combination of SURF and saliency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Li; Wang, Chunhong; Rao, Changhui

    2011-08-01

    The objective of this paper is to provide a possible optimization on salient region algorithm, which is extensively used in recognizing and learning object categories. Salient region algorithm owns the superiority of intra-class tolerance, global score of features and automatically prominent scale selection under certain range. However, the major limitation behaves on performance, and that is what we attempt to improve. By reducing the number of pixels involved in saliency calculation, it can be accelerated. We use interest points detected by fast-Hessian, the detector of SURF, as the candidate feature for saliency operation, rather than the whole set in image. This implementation is thereby called Saliency based Optimization over SURF (SOSU for short). Experiment shows that bringing in of such a fast detector significantly speeds up the algorithm. Meanwhile, Robustness of intra-class diversity ensures object recognition accuracy.

  10. Simultaneous Observations of Beach and Surf-Zone Topography from a sUAS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slocum, R. K.; Brodie, K. L.; Spore, N.

    2016-02-01

    Beaches and surf-zones can vary rapidly in time and space, necessitating frequent, spatially extensive observations for up-to-date knowledge on their current condition. Traditional surveying methods are expensive, can be dangerous in large wave conditions, and can lack sufficient spatial density. Existing remote sensing technologies have focused on both active sensing (airborne lidar, X-band radar) or passive sensing (electro-optical or infrared imagery) to either directly measure elevations of the beach and seafloor or exploit the optical signal of refracting and breaking waves in the surf-zone. These methods, however, can be prohibitively expensive for widespread, high temporal frequency use, or lack the spatial coverage required to quantify a large stretch of beach. UAS offer an affordable and accessible alternative, but existing COTS UAS sensor suites are not optimized for generation of bathymetry and topography at the same time. Here, we present a new approach using an inexpensive, custom multi-camera sensor designed with a wide field of view for integration on either a fixed wing of multirotor UAS platform. We introduce a processing methodology and workflow to generate a topographic pointcloud and rectified imagery of the water surface using structure from motion algorithms. The topographic pointcloud data is processed to generate a DSM of the beach and extract morphologic parameters (beach slope, dune toe, etc). Rectified imagery of the water surface is used to quantify sandbar location as well as perform a celerity based bathymetric inversion. Accuracy of this methodology is calculated by comparing processed data to lidar pointclouds, as well as photo identifiable targets on the beach and jetted into the surf zone. Funded by the USACE Military Engineering POD:A&U Program and Coastal Field Data Collection Program.

  11. Access Without Authentication: How and Why We Let Anyone Surf Our Wireless

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watkins, Donna

    2006-01-01

    Wireless hotspots are popping up in local coffee shops everywhere. Anyone with a wireless-ready laptop or PDA can surf the Internet at one of these hotspots. The same is now true for all 32 branches of the Orange County Public Library (OCPL) in California. Though many public library systems are moving toward wireless access, most require patrons…

  12. Fitness and Independence after SCI: Defining Meaningful Change and Thresholds

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    a sporting activity Yes (professional, recreational, or leisure) when you No were injured? (For example, swimming, diving, horseback riding, biking...etc.) Please select the sporting activity Diving (into pool, ocean, lake, etc) Swimming Surfing Motocross/dirt bike riding Cycling Gymnastics...Equestrian sports (riding or racing) Other Other __________________________________ Did your injury occur as the result of an assault, Yes attack, or act of

  13. Modification of the Undertow and Turbulence by Submerged Vegetation in a Laboratory Surf Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mandel, T.; Suckale, J.; Marras, S.; Maldonado, S.; Koseff, J. R.

    2016-12-01

    Breaking waves in the surf zone are a dominant factor shaping the evolution of our coastlines. The turbulence generated by wave breaking causes sediment resuspension, while wave runup, rundown, and the undertow transport this sediment along and across the shore (Longo et al., 2002). Coastal hazard models must now address the added complications of climate change, including sea level rise, stronger storm events, and ecosystem degradation (Arkema et al., 2013). A robust theoretical understanding of surf zone dynamics is therefore imperative to considering the magnitude and implications of these potential changes. However, little work has been done to extend our current theoretical understanding to realistic beach faces, with aquatic vegetation, reefs, and other roughness elements that might mitigate scour and sedimentation. Clarifying these relationships will help scientists and policy-makers decide where to focus ecosystem restoration and preservation efforts, in order to maximize their protective benefits to infrastructure and economic activity on the coast. In order to evaluate the role of vegetation in coastal protection, we conducted a series of experiments in an idealized laboratory surf zone. We examine the impact of submerged model vegetation on the undertow profile, wave orbital velocities, turbulent kinetic energy, and wave-induced stresses, and compare these results to theoretical formulations that model these quantities. We find that vegetation reduces the wave energy available to be converted to turbulent kinetic energy during breaking, indicating a mechanism to mitigate suspension of sediment. Vegetation also reduces the magnitude of the undertow, likely reducing transport of sediment offshore. These results suggest that vegetation provides significant protective benefits for coastal communities at risk from erosion beyond its well-characterized ability to attenuate wave height, and motivate further work to incorporate these effects into models of near

  14. Electron Surfing Acceleration in High Mach Number Shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoshino, M.; Amano, T.; Matsumoto, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Many energetic events associated with shock waves have been argued in this context of the diffusive shock acceleration (DSA), and the origin of high-energy particles observed in astrophysical shocks are believed to be attributed to DSA. However, electron nonthermal acceleration still remains an unresolved issue of considerable interest. While cosmic rays of supernova remnant shocks with power-law spectra are believed to be produced by DSA, energetic electrons with a power-law energy spectrum are rarely ever observed at interplanetary shocks and at planetary bow shocks (e.g., Lario et al. 2003), and the diffusive-type acceleration seems to be necessarily malfunctioning in the heliosphere. The malfunctioning reason is thought to be a lack of pre-acceleration mechanism of supra-thermal electrons.In this presentation, we propose that the supra-thermal electrons can be generated by the mechanism of shock surfing acceleration (SSA) in a high Mach number magnetosonic shock. In the surfing mechanism, a series of large-amplitude electrostatic waves are excited by Buneman instability in the foot region under the interaction between the reflected ions and the incoming electrons, and it is argued that the electrons trapped in the electrostatic waves can be accelerated up to a relativistic energy (Hoshino and Shimada, 2002). Since the electron SSA has been studied based on one- or two-dimensional PIC simulations so far, SSA in three-dimensional system is questionable and remains an open question. We discuss based on our theoretical model and three-dimensional PIC simulation with a high-performance computing that the efficiency of SSA in three-dimensional system remains amazingly strong and plays an important role on the electron pre-acceleration/injection problem.

  15. Detection of abnormal muscle activations during walking following spinal cord injury (SCI).

    PubMed

    Wang, Ping; Low, K H; McGregor, Alison H; Tow, Adela

    2013-04-01

    In order to identify optimal rehabilitation strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) participants, assessment of impaired walking is required to detect, monitor and quantify movement disorders. In the proposed assessment, ten healthy and seven SCI participants were recruited to perform an over-ground walking test at slow walking speeds. SCI participants were given assistance from physiotherapists, if required, while they were walking. In agreement with other research, larger cadence and smaller step length and swing phase of SCI gait were observed as a result of muscle weakness and resultant gait instability. Muscle activation patterns of seven major leg muscles were collected. The EMG signal was processed by the RMS in frequency domain to represent the muscle activation power, and the distribution of muscle activation was compared between healthy and SCI participants. The alternations of muscle activation within the phases of the gait cycle are highlighted to facilitate our understanding of the underlying muscular activation following SCI. Key differences were observed (p-value=0.0006) in the reduced activation of tibialis anterior (TA) in single stance phase and rectus femoris (RF) in swing phase (p-value=0.0011). We can then conclude that the proposed assessment approach of gait provides valuable information that can be used to target and define therapeutic interventions and their evaluation; hence impacting the functional outcome of SCI individuals. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale and short form.

    PubMed

    Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S; Choi, Seung W; Kirshblum, Steven C

    2015-05-01

    To develop a self-reported measure of the subjective impact of pressure ulcers on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) as part of the SCI quality of life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration testing, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory-based psychometric analysis. Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale. 189 individuals with traumatic SCI who experienced a pressure ulcer within the past 7 days completed 30 items related to pressure ulcers. CFA confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. IRT analyses were conducted. A constrained Graded Response Model with a constant slope parameter was used to estimate item thresholds for the 12 retained items. The 12-item SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale is unique in that it is specifically targeted to individuals with spinal cord injury and at every stage of development has included input from individuals with SCI. Furthermore, use of CFA and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The scale may be administered in its entirety or as a 7-item "short form" and is available for both research and clinical practice.

  17. Sci-Hub: What Librarians Should Know and Do about Article Piracy.

    PubMed

    Hoy, Matthew B

    2017-01-01

    The high cost of journal articles has driven many researchers to turn to a new way of getting access: "pirate" article sites. Sci-Hub, the largest and best known of these sites, currently offers instant access to more than 58 million journal articles. Users attracted by the ease of use and breadth of the collection may not realize that these articles are often obtained using stolen credentials and downloading them may be illegal. This article will briefly describe Sci-Hub and how it works, the legal and ethical issues it raises, and the problems it may cause for librarians. Librarians should be aware of Sci-Hub and the ways it may change their patrons' expectations. They should also understand the risks Sci-Hub can pose to their patrons and their institutions.

  18. SciFlo: Semantically-Enabled Grid Workflow for Collaborative Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yunck, T.; Wilson, B. D.; Raskin, R.; Manipon, G.

    2005-12-01

    SciFlo is a system for Scientific Knowledge Creation on the Grid using a Semantically-Enabled Dataflow Execution Environment. SciFlo leverages Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Web Services and the Grid Computing standards (WS-* standards and the Globus Alliance toolkits), and enables scientists to do multi-instrument Earth Science by assembling reusable SOAP Services, native executables, local command-line scripts, and python codes into a distributed computing flow (a graph of operators). SciFlo's XML dataflow documents can be a mixture of concrete operators (fully bound operations) and abstract template operators (late binding via semantic lookup). All data objects and operators can be both simply typed (simple and complex types in XML schema) and semantically typed using controlled vocabularies (linked to OWL ontologies such as SWEET). By exploiting ontology-enhanced search and inference, one can discover (and automatically invoke) Web Services and operators that have been semantically labeled as performing the desired transformation, and adapt a particular invocation to the proper interface (number, types, and meaning of inputs and outputs). The SciFlo client & server engines optimize the execution of such distributed data flows and allow the user to transparently find and use datasets and operators without worrying about the actual location of the Grid resources. The scientist injects a distributed computation into the Grid by simply filling out an HTML form or directly authoring the underlying XML dataflow document, and results are returned directly to the scientist's desktop. A Visual Programming tool is also being developed, but it is not required. Once an analysis has been specified for a granule or day of data, it can be easily repeated with different control parameters and over months or years of data. SciFlo uses and preserves semantics, and also generates and infers new semantic annotations. Specifically, the SciFlo engine uses semantic metadata to

  19. Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale and short form

    PubMed Central

    Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.; Choi, Seung W.; Kirshblum, Steven C.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To develop a self-reported measure of the subjective impact of pressure ulcers on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) as part of the SCI quality of life (SCI-QOL) measurement system. Design Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration testing, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and item response theory-based psychometric analysis. Setting Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Main Outcome Measures SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale. Results 189 individuals with traumatic SCI who experienced a pressure ulcer within the past 7 days completed 30 items related to pressure ulcers. CFA confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. IRT analyses were conducted. A constrained Graded Response Model with a constant slope parameter was used to estimate item thresholds for the 12 retained items. Conclusions The 12-item SCI-QOL Pressure Ulcers scale is unique in that it is specifically targeted to individuals with spinal cord injury and at every stage of development has included input from individuals with SCI. Furthermore, use of CFA and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The scale may be administered in its entirety or as a 7-item “short form” and is available for both research and clinical practice. PMID:26010965

  20. The calibration of photographic and spectroscopic films. The utilization of the digital image processor in the determination of aging of the surf clam (Spisula solidissima)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, Kevin A.; Hammond, Ernest C., Jr.

    1987-01-01

    The age of the surf clam (Spisula solidissima) can be determined with the use of the Digital Image Processor. This technique is used in conjunction with a modified method for aging, refined by John Ropes of the Woods Hole Laboratory, Massachusetts. This method utilizes a thinned sectioned chondrophore of the surf clam which contains annual rings. The rings of the chondrophore are then counted to determine age. By digitizing the chondrophore, the Digital Image Processor is clearly able to separate these annual rings more accurately. This technique produces an easier and more efficient way to count annual rings to determine the age of the surf clam.

  1. www.elearnSCI.org: a global educational initiative of ISCoS.

    PubMed

    Chhabra, H S; Harvey, L A; Muldoon, S; Chaudhary, S; Arora, M; Brown, D J; Biering-Sorensen, F; Wyndaele, J J; Charlifue, S; Horsewell, J; Ducharme, S; Green, D; Simpson, D; Glinsky, J; Weerts, E; Upadhyay, N; Aito, S; Wing, P; Katoh, S; Kovindha, A; Krassioukov, A; Weeks, C; Srikumar, V; Reeves, R; Siriwardane, C; Hasnan, N; Kalke, Y B; Lanig, I

    2013-03-01

    To develop a web-based educational resource for health professionals responsible for the management of spinal cord injury (SCI). The resource:www.elearnSCI.org is comprised of seven learning modules, each subdivided into various submodules. Six of the seven modules address the educational needs of all disciplines involved in comprehensive SCI management. The seventh module addresses prevention of SCI. Each submodule includes an overview, activities, self-assessment questions and references. Three hundred and thirty-two experts from The International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS) and various affiliated societies from 36 countries were involved in developing the resource through 28 subcommittees. The content of each submodule was reviewed and approved by the Education and Scientific Committees of ISCoS and finally by an Editorial Committee of 23 experts. The content of the learning modules is relevant to students and to new as well as experienced SCI healthcare professionals. The content is applicable globally, has received consumer input and is available at no cost. The material is presented on a website underpinned by a sophisticated content-management system, which allows easy maintenance and ready update of all the content. The resource conforms to key principles of e-learning, including appropriateness of curriculum, engagement of learners, innovative approaches, effective learning, ease of use, inclusion, assessment, coherence, consistency, transparency, cost effectiveness and feedback. www.elearnSCI.org provides a cost effective way of training healthcare professionals that goes beyond the textbook and traditional face-to-face teaching.

  2. The positive impact of structured surfing courses on the wellbeing of vulnerable young people.

    PubMed

    Godfrey, Cath; Devine-Wright, Hannah; Taylor, Joe

    2015-01-01

    Involvement in positive leisure activities is a key way for young people to develop resilience and social and emotional skills. This paper outlines the evaluation of a six-week surfing intervention, the Wave Project, which aimed to boost wellbeing and confidence among 84 young people aged eight to 18, all of whom faced mental health issues or social exclusion. The intervention resulted in a significant and sustained increase in wellbeing. One year later, 70% of clients regularly attend a surf club and many have become trained as session volunteers. Parents and referrers noticed an increase in positive attitude and better communication, as well as improved self-management and behaviour at both home and school It is concluded that the Wave Project provides a demonstrable and cost-effective way to deliver mental health care, mentoring and social integration of young people. Further service evaluation of accessibility and long-term outcomes is also recommended.

  3. Verification Test of the SURF and SURFplus Models in xRage: Part II

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

    Menikoff, Ralph

    2016-06-20

    The previous study used an underdriven detonation wave (steady ZND reaction zone profile followed by a scale invariant rarefaction wave) for PBX 9502 as a validation test of the implementation of the SURF and SURFplus models in the xRage code. Even with a fairly fine uniform mesh (12,800 cells for 100mm) the detonation wave profile had limited resolution due to the thin reaction zone width (0.18mm) for the fast SURF burn rate. Here we study the effect of finer resolution by comparing results of simulations with cell sizes of 8, 2 and 1 μm, which corresponds to 25, 100 andmore » 200 points within the reaction zone. With finer resolution the lead shock pressure is closer to the von Neumann spike pressure, and there is less noise in the rarefaction wave due to fluctuations within the reaction zone. As a result the average error decreases. The pointwise error is still dominated by the smearing the pressure kink in the vicinity of the sonic point which occurs at the end of the reaction zone.« less

  4. Close Encounters of the Best Kind: The Latest Sci-Fi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kunzel, Bonnie

    2008-01-01

    Not only is science fiction alive and well--it's flourishing. From the big screen (howdy, Wall-E) to the big books (like Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, which has attracted loads of prepublication praise), 2008 has been a great year for sci-fi. Publishers have released truckloads of new sci-fi titles this year, but what's particularly…

  5. 76 FR 10395 - BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions, Now Known as Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Division...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-24

    ... Solutions, Now Known as Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Division Optoelectronic and Microelectronic Design and Manufacturing, a Subsidiary of Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Including On- Site Leased Workers From Kelly Services... Manufacturing Solutions, now known as Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Division Optoelectronic and Microelectronic...

  6. SCI peer health coach influence on self-management with peers: a qualitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Skeels, S E; Pernigotti, D; Houlihan, B V; Belliveau, T; Brody, M; Zazula, J; Hasiotis, S; Seetharama, S; Rosenblum, D; Jette, A

    2017-11-01

    A process evaluation of a clinical trial. To describe the roles fulfilled by peer health coaches (PHCs) with spinal cord injury (SCI) during a randomized controlled trial research study called 'My Care My Call', a novel telephone-based, peer-led self-management intervention for adults with chronic SCI 1+ years after injury. Connecticut and Greater Boston Area, MA, USA. Directed content analysis was used to qualitatively examine information from 504 tele-coaching calls, conducted with 42 participants with SCI, by two trained SCI PHCs. Self-management was the focus of each 6-month PHC-peer relationship. PHCs documented how and when they used the communication tools (CTs) and information delivery strategies (IDSs) they developed for the intervention. Interaction data were coded and analyzed to determine PHC roles in relation to CT and IDS utilization and application. PHCs performed three principal roles: Role Model, Supporter, and Advisor. Role Model interactions included CTs and IDSs that allowed PHCs to share personal experiences of managing and living with an SCI, including sharing their opinions and advice when appropriate. As Supporters, PHCs used CTs and IDSs to build credible relationships based on dependability and reassuring encouragement. PHCs fulfilled the unique role of Advisor using CTs and IDSs to teach and strategize with peers about SCI self-management. The SCI PHC performs a powerful, flexible role in promoting SCI self-management among peers. Analysis of PHC roles can inform the design of peer-led interventions and highlights the importance for the provision of peer mentor training.

  7. Opening Comments: SciDAC 2009

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strayer, Michael

    2009-07-01

    Welcome to San Diego and the 2009 SciDAC conference. Over the next four days, I would like to present an assessment of the SciDAC program. We will look at where we've been, how we got to where we are and where we are going in the future. Our vision is to be first in computational science, to be best in class in modeling and simulation. When Ray Orbach asked me what I would do, in my job interview for the SciDAC Director position, I said we would achieve that vision. And with our collective dedicated efforts, we have managed to achieve this vision. In the last year, we have now the most powerful supercomputer for open science, Jaguar, the Cray XT system at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). We also have NERSC, probably the best-in-the-world program for productivity in science that the Office of Science so depends on. And the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility offers architectural diversity with its IBM Blue Gene/P system as a counterbalance to Oak Ridge. There is also ESnet, which is often understated—the 40 gigabit per second dual backbone ring that connects all the labs and many DOE sites. In the President's Recovery Act funding, there is exciting news that ESnet is going to build out to a 100 gigabit per second network using new optical technologies. This is very exciting news for simulations and large-scale scientific facilities. But as one noted SciDAC luminary said, it's not all about the computers—it's also about the science—and we are also achieving our vision in this area. Together with having the fastest supercomputer for science, at the SC08 conference, SciDAC researchers won two ACM Gordon Bell Prizes for the outstanding performance of their applications. The DCA++ code, which solves some very interesting problems in materials, achieved a sustained performance of 1.3 petaflops, an astounding result and a mark I suspect will last for some time. The LS3DF application for studying nanomaterials also required the development of a

  8. Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks and short forms and the SCI-QOL Bladder Complications scale.

    PubMed

    Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Tate, Denise G; Spungen, Ann M; Kirshblum, Steven C

    2015-05-01

    To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks and Bladder Complications scale. Using a mixed-methods design, a pool of items assessing bladder and bowel-related concerns were developed using focus groups with individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and SCI clinicians, cognitive interviews, and item response theory (IRT) analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning. Thirty-eight bladder items and 52 bowel items were tested at the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation Research Center, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY. Seven hundred fifty-seven adults with traumatic SCI. The final item banks demonstrated unidimensionality (Bladder Management Difficulties CFI=0.965; RMSEA=0.093; Bowel Management Difficulties CFI=0.955; RMSEA=0.078) and acceptable fit to a graded response IRT model. The final calibrated Bladder Management Difficulties bank includes 15 items, and the final Bowel Management Difficulties item bank consists of 26 items. Additionally, 5 items related to urinary tract infections (UTI) did not fit with the larger Bladder Management Difficulties item bank but performed relatively well independently (CFI=0.992, RMSEA=0.050) and were thus retained as a separate scale. The SCI-QOL Bladder Management Difficulties and Bowel Management Difficulties item banks are psychometrically robust and are available as computer adaptive tests or short forms. The SCI-QOL Bladder Complications scale is a brief, fixed-length outcomes instrument for individuals with a UTI.

  9. Prediction and assimilation of surf-zone processes using a Bayesian network: Part I: Forward models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Plant, Nathaniel G.; Holland, K. Todd

    2011-01-01

    Prediction of coastal processes, including waves, currents, and sediment transport, can be obtained from a variety of detailed geophysical-process models with many simulations showing significant skill. This capability supports a wide range of research and applied efforts that can benefit from accurate numerical predictions. However, the predictions are only as accurate as the data used to drive the models and, given the large temporal and spatial variability of the surf zone, inaccuracies in data are unavoidable such that useful predictions require corresponding estimates of uncertainty. We demonstrate how a Bayesian-network model can be used to provide accurate predictions of wave-height evolution in the surf zone given very sparse and/or inaccurate boundary-condition data. The approach is based on a formal treatment of a data-assimilation problem that takes advantage of significant reduction of the dimensionality of the model system. We demonstrate that predictions of a detailed geophysical model of the wave evolution are reproduced accurately using a Bayesian approach. In this surf-zone application, forward prediction skill was 83%, and uncertainties in the model inputs were accurately transferred to uncertainty in output variables. We also demonstrate that if modeling uncertainties were not conveyed to the Bayesian network (i.e., perfect data or model were assumed), then overly optimistic prediction uncertainties were computed. More consistent predictions and uncertainties were obtained by including model-parameter errors as a source of input uncertainty. Improved predictions (skill of 90%) were achieved because the Bayesian network simultaneously estimated optimal parameters while predicting wave heights.

  10. Comparison of recreational health risks associated with surfing and swimming in dry weather and post-storm conditions at Southern California beaches using quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA).

    PubMed

    Tseng, Linda Y; Jiang, Sunny C

    2012-05-01

    Southern California is an increasingly urbanized hotspot for surfing, thus it is of great interest to assess the human illness risks associated with this popular ocean recreational water sport from exposure to fecal bacteria contaminated coastal waters. Quantitative microbial risk assessments were applied to eight popular Southern California beaches using readily available enterococcus and fecal coliform data and dose-response models to compare health risks associated with surfing during dry weather and storm conditions. The results showed that the level of gastrointestinal illness risks from surfing post-storm events was elevated, with the probability of exceeding the US EPA health risk guideline up to 28% of the time. The surfing risk was also elevated in comparison with swimming at the same beach due to ingestion of greater volume of water. The study suggests that refinement of dose-response model, improving monitoring practice and better surfer behavior surveillance will improve the risk estimation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. SciSpark's SRDD : A Scientific Resilient Distributed Dataset for Multidimensional Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palamuttam, R. S.; Wilson, B. D.; Mogrovejo, R. M.; Whitehall, K. D.; Mattmann, C. A.; McGibbney, L. J.; Ramirez, P.

    2015-12-01

    Remote sensing data and climate model output are multi-dimensional arrays of massive sizes locked away in heterogeneous file formats (HDF5/4, NetCDF 3/4) and metadata models (HDF-EOS, CF) making it difficult to perform multi-stage, iterative science processing since each stage requires writing and reading data to and from disk. We have developed SciSpark, a robust Big Data framework, that extends ApacheTM Spark for scaling scientific computations. Apache Spark improves the map-reduce implementation in ApacheTM Hadoop for parallel computing on a cluster, by emphasizing in-memory computation, "spilling" to disk only as needed, and relying on lazy evaluation. Central to Spark is the Resilient Distributed Dataset (RDD), an in-memory distributed data structure that extends the functional paradigm provided by the Scala programming language. However, RDDs are ideal for tabular or unstructured data, and not for highly dimensional data. The SciSpark project introduces the Scientific Resilient Distributed Dataset (sRDD), a distributed-computing array structure which supports iterative scientific algorithms for multidimensional data. SciSpark processes data stored in NetCDF and HDF files by partitioning them across time or space and distributing the partitions among a cluster of compute nodes. We show usability and extensibility of SciSpark by implementing distributed algorithms for geospatial operations on large collections of multi-dimensional grids. In particular we address the problem of scaling an automated method for finding Mesoscale Convective Complexes. SciSpark provides a tensor interface to support the pluggability of different matrix libraries. We evaluate performance of the various matrix libraries in distributed pipelines, such as Nd4jTM and BreezeTM. We detail the architecture and design of SciSpark, our efforts to integrate climate science algorithms, parallel ingest and partitioning (sharding) of A-Train satellite observations from model grids. These

  12. Implication of altered autonomic control for orthostatic tolerance in SCI.

    PubMed

    Wecht, Jill Maria; Bauman, William A

    2018-01-01

    Neural output from the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are integrated to appropriately control cardiovascular responses during routine activities of daily living including orthostatic positioning. Sympathetic control of the upper extremity vasculature and the heart arises from the thoracic cord between T1 and T5, whereas splanchnic bed and lower extremity vasculature receive sympathetic neural input from the lower cord between segments T5 and L2. Although the vasculature is not directly innervated by the parasympathetic nervous system, the SA node is innervated by post-ganglionic vagal nerve fibers via cranial nerve X. Segmental differences in sympathetic cardiovascular innervation highlight the effect of lesion level on orthostatic cardiovascular control following spinal cord injury (SCI). Due to impaired sympathetic cardiovascular control, many individuals with SCI, particularly those with lesions above T6, are prone to orthostatic hypotension (OH) and orthostatic intolerance (OI). Symptomatic OH, which may result in OI, is a consequence of episodic reductions in cerebral perfusion pressure and the symptoms may include: dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, headache and syncope. However, many, if not most, individuals with SCI who experience persistent and episodic hypotension and OH do not report symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion and therefore do not raise clinical concern. This review will discuss the mechanism underlying OH and OI following SCI, and will review our knowledge to date regarding the prevalence, consequences and possible treatment options for these conditions in the SCI population. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Verification test of the SURF and SURFplus models in xRage

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

    Menikoff, Ralph

    2016-05-18

    As a verification test of the SURF and SURFplus models in the xRage code we use a propagating underdriven detonation wave in 1-D. This is about the only test cases for which an accurate solution can be determined based on the theoretical structure of the solution. The solution consists of a steady ZND reaction zone profile joined with a scale invariant rarefaction or Taylor wave and followed by a constant state. The end of the reaction profile and the head of the rarefaction coincide with the sonic CJ state of the detonation wave. The constant state is required to matchmore » a rigid wall boundary condition. For a test case, we use PBX 9502 with the same EOS and burn rate as previously used to test the shock detector algorithm utilized by the SURF model. The detonation wave is propagated for 10 μs (slightly under 80mm). As expected, the pointwise errors are largest in the neighborhood of discontinuities; pressure discontinuity at the lead shock front and pressure derivative discontinuities at the head and tail of the rarefaction. As a quantitative measure of the overall accuracy, the L2 norm of the difference of the numerical pressure and the exact solution is used. Results are presented for simulations using both a uniform grid and an adaptive grid that refines the reaction zone.« less

  14. "Sub-Surf Rocks"! An A-Level Resource Developed through an Industry-Education Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mather, Hazel

    2012-01-01

    A free internet resource called "Sub-Surf Rocks"! was launched in 2010. Its aim is to use seismic data obtained by the oil industry for enhancing the teaching of structural and economic geology at A-level (ages 16-18) in the UK. Seismic data gives a unique insight into the sub-surface and the many high-quality images coupled with…

  15. Inner Surf/Swash Zone Morphodynamic Numerical Model Simulation of an Accreting Ridge during Low-Energy Wave Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Youn Kyung; Figlus, Jens; Chardón-Maldonado, Patricia; Puleo, Jack A.

    2017-04-01

    The inner surf/swash zone of a coastal beach is characterized as an intermittently wet and dry zone in the nearshore that often develops a variety of morphological features including intertidal bars and ridge-runnel (RR) systems. The cross-shore morphodynamic numerical model CSHORE is used to simulate the beach recovery observed during a field experiment carried out at South Bethany Beach, Delaware, a nourished, high-gradient meso-tidal sandy beach along the U. S. Coast. The field campaign was conducted from February 12 to February 25, 2014 to measure bed profile morphology change and sediment characteristics along with detailed hydrodynamic forcing parameters at six cross-shore stations, closely spaced over approximately 50 m in the inner surf and swash zone. On February 13, 2014 a Nor'easter eroded significant portions of the beach leading to formation of a pronounced RR system on the beach face that subsequently accreted in the recovery process after the storm. Bed profile changes, surf and swash velocity profiles, water free surface elevation and suspended sediment concentrations recorded during the recovery at the cross-shore measuring locations on the seaward face of the accreting ridge are compared with CSHORE simulation results. During post-storm recovery, CSHORE demonstrates shoreward migration of the ridge and slight accretion on the beach face by the end of the simulation period on February 25, 2014. This trend was also observed in the field, where accretion at the ridge crest was up to 1.0 m with respect to the post-storm profile. The CSHORE parameters critical to improving model performance in reproducing measured morphodynamics and hydrodynamics during the ridge accretion process are examined and calibrated. Initial results show promise in using this type of efficient, process-based model to reproduce morphological evolution and depth-averaged hydrodynamics as a result of the complex surf and swash zone dynamics associated with beach accretion and RR

  16. Mechanical interactions in bacterial colonies and the surfing probability of beneficial mutations

    PubMed Central

    Farrell, Fred D.

    2017-01-01

    Bacterial conglomerates such as biofilms and microcolonies are ubiquitous in nature and play an important role in industry and medicine. In contrast to well-mixed cultures routinely used in microbial research, bacteria in a microcolony interact mechanically with one another and with the substrate to which they are attached. Here, we use a computer model of a microbial colony of rod-shaped cells to investigate how physical interactions between cells determine their motion in the colony and how this affects biological evolution. We show that the probability that a faster-growing mutant ‘surfs’ at the colony's frontier and creates a macroscopic sector depends on physical properties of cells (shape, elasticity and friction). Although all these factors contribute to the surfing probability in seemingly different ways, their effects can be summarized by two summary statistics that characterize the front roughness and cell alignment. Our predictions are confirmed by experiments in which we measure the surfing probability for colonies of different front roughness. Our results show that physical interactions between bacterial cells play an important role in biological evolution of new traits, and suggest that these interactions may be relevant to processes such as de novo evolution of antibiotic resistance. PMID:28592660

  17. OPENING REMARKS: SciDAC: Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strayer, Michael

    2005-01-01

    Good morning. Welcome to SciDAC 2005 and San Francisco. SciDAC is all about computational science and scientific discovery. In a large sense, computational science characterizes SciDAC and its intent is change. It transforms both our approach and our understanding of science. It opens new doors and crosses traditional boundaries while seeking discovery. In terms of twentieth century methodologies, computational science may be said to be transformational. There are a number of examples to this point. First are the sciences that encompass climate modeling. The application of computational science has in essence created the field of climate modeling. This community is now international in scope and has provided precision results that are challenging our understanding of our environment. A second example is that of lattice quantum chromodynamics. Lattice QCD, while adding precision and insight to our fundamental understanding of strong interaction dynamics, has transformed our approach to particle and nuclear science. The individual investigator approach has evolved to teams of scientists from different disciplines working side-by-side towards a common goal. SciDAC is also undergoing a transformation. This meeting is a prime example. Last year it was a small programmatic meeting tracking progress in SciDAC. This year, we have a major computational science meeting with a variety of disciplines and enabling technologies represented. SciDAC 2005 should position itself as a new corner stone for Computational Science and its impact on science. As we look to the immediate future, FY2006 will bring a new cycle to SciDAC. Most of the program elements of SciDAC will be re-competed in FY2006. The re-competition will involve new instruments for computational science, new approaches for collaboration, as well as new disciplines. There will be new opportunities for virtual experiments in carbon sequestration, fusion, and nuclear power and nuclear waste, as well as collaborations

  18. Neuropathic pain and SCI: Identification and treatment strategies in the 21st century.

    PubMed

    Hatch, Maya N; Cushing, Timothy R; Carlson, Gregory D; Chang, Eric Y

    2018-01-15

    Pain is a common complication in patients following spinal cord injury (SCI), with studies citing up to 80% of patients reporting some form of pain. Neuropathic pain (NP) makes up a substantial percentage of all pain symptoms in patients with SCI and is often complex. Given the high prevalence of NP in patients with SCI, proper identification and treatment is imperative. Indeed, identification of pain subtypes is a vital step toward determining appropriate treatment. A variety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments can be undertaken including antiepileptics, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, transcranial direct current stimulation, and invasive surgical procedures. Despite all the available treatment options and advances in the field of SCI medicine, providing adequate treatment of NP after SCI continues to be challenging. It is therefore extremely important for clinicians to have a strong foundation in the identification of SCI NP, as well as an understanding of appropriate treatment options. Here, we highlight the definitions and classification tools available for NP identification, and discuss current treatment options. We hope that this will not only provide a better understanding of NP for physicians in various subspecialties, but that it will also help guide future research on this subject. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Institutional profile: the national Swedish academic drug discovery & development platform at SciLifeLab

    PubMed Central

    Arvidsson, Per I; Sandberg, Kristian; Sakariassen, Kjell S

    2017-01-01

    The Science for Life Laboratory Drug Discovery and Development Platform (SciLifeLab DDD) was established in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, in 2014. It is one of ten platforms of the Swedish national SciLifeLab which support projects run by Swedish academic researchers with large-scale technologies for molecular biosciences with a focus on health and environment. SciLifeLab was created by the coordinated effort of four universities in Stockholm and Uppsala: Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University, and has recently expanded to other Swedish university locations. The primary goal of the SciLifeLab DDD is to support selected academic discovery and development research projects with tools and resources to discover novel lead therapeutics, either molecules or human antibodies. Intellectual property developed with the help of SciLifeLab DDD is wholly owned by the academic research group. The bulk of SciLifeLab DDD's research and service activities are funded from the Swedish state, with only consumables paid by the academic research group through individual grants. PMID:28670468

  20. Institutional profile: the national Swedish academic drug discovery & development platform at SciLifeLab.

    PubMed

    Arvidsson, Per I; Sandberg, Kristian; Sakariassen, Kjell S

    2017-06-01

    The Science for Life Laboratory Drug Discovery and Development Platform (SciLifeLab DDD) was established in Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, in 2014. It is one of ten platforms of the Swedish national SciLifeLab which support projects run by Swedish academic researchers with large-scale technologies for molecular biosciences with a focus on health and environment. SciLifeLab was created by the coordinated effort of four universities in Stockholm and Uppsala: Stockholm University, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Uppsala University, and has recently expanded to other Swedish university locations. The primary goal of the SciLifeLab DDD is to support selected academic discovery and development research projects with tools and resources to discover novel lead therapeutics, either molecules or human antibodies. Intellectual property developed with the help of SciLifeLab DDD is wholly owned by the academic research group. The bulk of SciLifeLab DDD's research and service activities are funded from the Swedish state, with only consumables paid by the academic research group through individual grants.

  1. Surfing through Hyperspace - Understanding Higher Universes in Six Easy Lessons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pickover, Clifford A.

    1999-09-01

    Do a little armchair time-travel, rub elbows with a four-dimensional intelligent life form, or stretch your mind to the furthest corner of an uncharted universe. With this astonishing guidebook, Surfing Through Hyperspace , you need not be a mathematician or an astrophysicist to explore the all-but-unfathomable concepts of hyperspace and higher-dimensional geometry.No subject in mathematics has intrigued both children and adults as much as the idea of a fourth dimension. Philosophers and parapsychologists have meditated on this mysterious space that no one can point to but may be all around us. Yet this extra dimension has a very real, practical value to mathematicians and physicists who use it every day in their calculations. In the tradtion of Flatland , and with an infectious enthusiasm, Clifford Pickover tackles the problems inherent in our 3-D brains trying to visualize a 4-D world, muses on the religious implications of the existence of higher-dimensional consciousness, and urges all curious readers to venture into "the unexplored territory lying beyond the prison of the obvious." Pickover alternates sections that explain the science of hyperspace with sections that dramatize mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialogue between two futuristic FBI agents who dabble in the fourth dimension as a matter of national security. This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers.Surfing Through Hyperspace concludes with a number of puzzles, computer experiments and formulas for further exploration, inviting readers to extend their minds across this inexhaustibly intriguing scientific terrain.

  2. Surfing through Hyperspace - Understanding Higher Universes in Six Easy Lessons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pickover, Clifford A.

    2001-05-01

    Do a little armchair time-travel, rub elbows with a four-dimensional intelligent life form, or stretch your mind to the furthest corner of an uncharted universe. With this astonishing guidebook, Surfing Through Hyperspace , you need not be a mathematician or an astrophysicist to explore the all-but-unfathomable concepts of hyperspace and higher-dimensional geometry.No subject in mathematics has intrigued both children and adults as much as the idea of a fourth dimension. Philosophers and parapsychologists have meditated on this mysterious space that no one can point to but may be all around us. Yet this extra dimension has a very real, practical value to mathematicians and physicists who use it every day in their calculations. In the tradition of Flatland , and with an infectious enthusiasm, Clifford Pickover tackles the problems inherent in our 3-D brains trying to visualize a 4-D world, muses on the religious implications of the existence of higher-dimensional consciousness, and urges all curious readers to venture into "the unexplored territory lying beyond the prison of the obvious." Pickover alternates sections that explain the science of hyperspace with sections that dramatize mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialogue between two futuristic FBI agents who dabble in the fourth dimension as a matter of national security. This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers.Surfing Through Hyperspace concludes with a number of puzzles, computer experiments and formulas for further exploration, inviting readers to extend their minds across this inexhaustibly intriguing scientific terrain.

  3. Assessment of surf zone environmental variables in a southwestern Atlantic sandy beach (Monte Hermoso, Argentina).

    PubMed

    Menéndez, M Clara; Fernández Severini, Melisa D; Buzzi, Natalia S; Piccolo, M Cintia; Perillo, Gerardo M E

    2016-08-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal dynamics (monthly/tidal) of water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a (chlo-a), suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic carbon (POC), and dissolved nutrients in the surf zone of Monte Hermoso sandy beach, Argentina. We also aimed to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed variability. Sampling was carried out approximately monthly (September 2009-November 2010), and all samples were collected in a fixed station during high and low tide. Water temperature showed a clear seasonal variability (July: 9 °C-December: 26.5 °C) and a thermal amplitude of 17.5 °C. Salinity ranged from 33 to 37, without a pronounced seasonality. SPM (10-223 mg L(-1)) and POC concentrations (399-6445 mg C m(-3)) were high in surf zone waters. Chlo-a (0.05-9.16 μg L(-1)) was low and did not evidence the occurrence of surf diatom accumulations. Dissolved nutrient concentration was quite fluctuating. None of the variables seemed to be affected by tidal stage. The results showed how fluctuating the physico-chemical and biological variables can be in this particular system. The observed variability can be related with local beach conditions but also with regional processes. The study area is highly influenced by a neighbor estuary and as a consequence, could be vulnerable to their seasonal and inter-annual dynamics. All of these characteristics must be considered for further studies and planning of the uses of natural resources and should be taken into account in any environmental monitoring program conducted in a similar beach system.

  4. [Cytochrome c oxydase-deficient Leigh syndrome with homozygous mutation in SURF1 gene].

    PubMed

    Monnot, S; Chabrol, B; Cano, A; Pellissier, J F; Collignon, P; Montfort, M F; Paquis-Flucklinger, V

    2005-05-01

    Leigh syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder, usually due to a defect in oxidative metabolism. Mutations in SURF1 gene have been identified in patients with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency. We report a homozygous splice site deletion [516-2_516-1delAG] in a young girl presenting with cytochrome c oxidase-deficient Leigh syndrome. Identification of molecular defect is indispensable for genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis.

  5. GeoSciML v3.0 - a significant upgrade of the CGI-IUGS geoscience data model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raymond, O.; Duclaux, G.; Boisvert, E.; Cipolloni, C.; Cox, S.; Laxton, J.; Letourneau, F.; Richard, S.; Ritchie, A.; Sen, M.; Serrano, J.-J.; Simons, B.; Vuollo, J.

    2012-04-01

    GeoSciML version 3.0 (http://www.geosciml.org), released in late 2011, is the latest version of the CGI-IUGS* Interoperability Working Group geoscience data interchange standard. The new version is a significant upgrade and refactoring of GeoSciML v2 which was released in 2008. GeoSciML v3 has already been adopted by several major international interoperability initiatives, including OneGeology, the EU INSPIRE program, and the US Geoscience Information Network, as their standard data exchange format for geoscience data. GeoSciML v3 makes use of recently upgraded versions of several Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and ISO data transfer standards, including GML v3.2, SWE Common v2.0, and Observations and Measurements v2 (ISO 19156). The GeoSciML v3 data model has been refactored from a single large application schema with many packages, into a number of smaller, but related, application schema modules with individual namespaces. This refactoring allows the use and future development of modules of GeoSciML (eg; GeologicUnit, GeologicStructure, GeologicAge, Borehole) in smaller, more manageable units. As a result of this refactoring and the integration with new OGC and ISO standards, GeoSciML v3 is not backwardly compatible with previous GeoSciML versions. The scope of GeoSciML has been extended in version 3.0 to include new models for geomorphological data (a Geomorphology application schema), and for geological specimens, geochronological interpretations, and metadata for geochemical and geochronological analyses (a LaboratoryAnalysis-Specimen application schema). In addition, there is better support for borehole data, and the PhysicalProperties model now supports a wider range of petrophysical measurements. The previously used CGI_Value data type has been superseded in favour of externally governed data types provided by OGC's SWE Common v2 and GML v3.2 data standards. The GeoSciML v3 release includes worked examples of best practice in delivering geochemical

  6. NetSciEd: Network Science and Education for the Interconnected World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sayama, Hiroki; Cramer, Catherine; Sheetz, Lori; Uzzo, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    This short article presents a summary of the NetSciEd (Network Science and Education) initiative that aims to address the need for curricula, resources, accessible materials, and tools for introducing K-12 students and the general public to the concept of networks, a crucial framework in understanding complexity. NetSciEd activities include (1)…

  7. HamSCI: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frissell, N. A.; Moses, M. L.; Earle, G. D.; McGwier, R. W.; Miller, E. S.; Kaeppler, S. R.; Silver, H. W.; Ceglia, F.; Pascoe, D.; Sinanis, N.; Smith, P.; Williams, R.; Shovkoplyas, A.; Gerrard, A. J.

    2016-12-01

    Amateur (or "ham") radio operators are individuals with a non-pecuniary interest in radio technology, engineering, communications, science, and public service. They are licensed by their national governments to transmit on amateur radio frequencies. In many jurisdictions, there is no age requirement for a ham radio license, and operators from diverse backgrounds participate. There are more than 740,000 hams in the US, and over 3 million (estimated) worldwide. Many amateur communications are conducted using transionospheric links and thus affected by space weather and ionospheric processes. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of automated ham radio observation networks (e.g. the Reverse Beacon Network, www.reversebeacon.net) and specialized operating modes for the study of weak-signal propagation. The data from these networks have been shown to be useful for the study of ionospheric processes. In order to connect professional researchers with the volunteer-based ham radio community, HamSCI (Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation, www.hamsci.org) has been established. HamSCI is a platform for publicizing and promoting projects that are consistent with the following objectives: (1) Advance scientific research and understanding through amateur radio activities. (2) Encourage the development of new technologies to support this research. (3) Provide educational opportunities for the amateur community and the general public. HamSCI researchers are working with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL, www.arrl.org) to publicize these objectives and recruit interested hams. The ARRL is the US national organization for amateur radio with a membership of over 170,000 and a monthly magazine, QST. HamSCI is currently preparing to support ionospheric research connected to the 21 Aug 2017 Total Solar Eclipse by expanding coverage of the Reverse Beacon Network and organizing a large-scale ham radio operating event ("QSO Party") to generate data during the

  8. Spinal Cord Injury Community Survey: Understanding the Needs of Canadians with SCI.

    PubMed

    Noreau, Luc; Noonan, Vanessa K; Cobb, John; Leblond, Jean; Dumont, Frédéric S

    2014-01-01

    There is a lack of literature regarding service needs of people with SCI living in the community. Better assessment of expressed and met and unmet needs would help in the development of effective service delivery. From a national SCI Community Survey in Canada, the aim was to identify the most critical service needs of people living in the community at least 1 year post discharge from rehabilitation and the support they received to meet their needs. Data were collected mainly through a secure Web site and encompassed demographics, personal and household income, an SCI severity measure, and an SCI community needs measure containing information on 13 SCI-related needs. A total of 1,549 persons with SCI (traumatic lesion, n = 1,137; nontraumatic lesion, n = 412) across Canada completed the survey. Most critical needs for community integration were expressed by a substantial proportion of survey participants, but significantly more expressed and met needs were reported by persons with a traumatic than a nontraumatic lesion. Personal and environmental characteristics influenced the probability of expressing and meeting needs (eg, severity of injury and household income). Help and support to meet expressed needs were received from government agencies, community organizations, and friends or family. Better assessment of expressed and met or unmet needs for services remains a challenge but will serve as a tool to optimize service delivery in the community. Environmental barriers to services, particularly the process of getting needs met and associated costs, remain an issue that requires a reconsideration of some aspects of access to services.

  9. Cultural boundary surfing in mental health nursing: a creative narration.

    PubMed

    Kidd, Jacquie

    2010-01-01

    In the mental health context, nurses navigate multifaceted boundaries every day in an effort to develop and maintain the therapeutic relationship; an endeavour that is breathtaking in its complexity. In this paper, I adopt an unconventional form of writing to explore the individual nature of cultural boundaries, and uncover hidden messages that impact on our efforts to build connections across cultures and ethnicities in mental health settings. Presented as a play, the conversation between protagonists explores cultural competence alongside the notion of 'discovery', and the potential of the Tidal Model to provide a vehicle for successful cultural boundary surfing.

  10. GeoSciML version 3: A GML application for geologic information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    International Union of Geological Sciences., I. C.; Richard, S. M.

    2011-12-01

    After 2 years of testing and development, XML schema for GeoSciML version 3 are now ready for application deployment. GeoSciML draws from many geoscience data modelling efforts to establish a common suite of feature types to represent information associated with geologic maps (materials, structures, and geologic units) and observations including structure data, samples, and chemical analyses. After extensive testing and use case analysis, in December 2008 the CGI Interoperability Working Group (IWG) released GeoSciML 2.0 as an application schema for basic geological information. GeoSciML 2.0 is in use to deliver geologic data by the OneGeology Europe portal, the Geological Survey of Canada Groundwater Information Network (wet GIN), and the Auscope Mineral Resources portal. GeoSciML to version 3.0 is updated to OGC Geography Markup Language v3.2, re-engineered patterns for association of element values with controlled vocabulary concepts, incorporation of ISO19156 Observation and Measurement constructs for representing numeric and categorical values and for representing analytical data, incorporation of EarthResourceML to represent mineral occurrences and mines, incorporation of the GeoTime model to represent GSSP and stratigraphic time scale, and refactoring of the GeoSciML namespace to follow emerging ISO practices for decoupling of dependencies between standardized namespaces. These changes will make it easier for data providers to link to standard vocabulary and registry services. The depth and breadth of GeoSciML remains largely unchanged, covering the representation of geologic units, earth materials and geologic structures. ISO19156 elements and patterns are used to represent sampling features such as boreholes and rock samples, as well as geochemical and geochronologic measurements. Geologic structures include shear displacement structures (brittle faults and ductile shears), contacts, folds, foliations, lineations and structures with no preferred

  11. Targeting Translational Successes through CANSORT-SCI: Using Pet Dogs To Identify Effective Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury.

    PubMed

    Moore, Sarah A; Granger, Nicolas; Olby, Natasha J; Spitzbarth, Ingo; Jeffery, Nick D; Tipold, Andrea; Nout-Lomas, Yvette S; da Costa, Ronaldo C; Stein, Veronika M; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J; Blight, Andrew R; Grossman, Robert G; Basso, D Michele; Levine, Jonathan M

    2017-06-15

    Translation of therapeutic interventions for spinal cord injury (SCI) from laboratory to clinic has been historically challenging, highlighting the need for robust models of injury that more closely mirror the human condition. The high prevalence of acute, naturally occurring SCI in pet dogs provides a unique opportunity to evaluate expeditiously promising interventions in a population of animals that receive diagnoses and treatment clinically in a manner similar to persons with SCI, while adhering to National Institutes of Health guidelines for scientific rigor and transparent reporting. In addition, pet dogs with chronic paralysis are often maintained long-term by their owners, offering a similarly unique population for study of chronic SCI. Despite this, only a small number of studies have used the clinical dog model of SCI. The Canine Spinal Cord Injury Consortium (CANSORT-SCI) was recently established by a group of veterinarians and basic science researchers to promote the value of the canine clinical model of SCI. The CANSORT-SCI group held an inaugural meeting November 20 and 21, 2015 to evaluate opportunities and challenges to the use of pet dogs in SCI research. Key challenges identified included lack of familiarity with the model among nonveterinary scientists and questions about how and where in the translational process the canine clinical model would be most valuable. In light of these, we review the natural history, outcome, and available assessment tools associated with canine clinical SCI with emphasis on their relevance to human SCI and the translational process.

  12. Tilt Current Meter Field Validation in the Surf Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anarde, K.; Myres, H.; Figlus, J.

    2016-12-01

    Tilt current meters (TCMs) are a low-cost way of measuring current velocities in coastal waters. They consist of a slightly buoyant floater, tilt sensor assembly, and internal logger tethered to a fixed base. TCMs measure the tilt of the sensor induced by the forces of the flowing water to infer local current velocity. They have been successfully deployed to measure unidirectional flows in rivers and slowly oscillating flows in tidally influenced bodies of water where the inertia of the instrument does not create a problem. Here we attempt to validate an array of TCMs for use in the surf zone where waves, wave bores, and alongshore currents dominate the hydrodynamics in relatively shallow water (0.3 - 2.0 m) with relatively high oscillatory frequencies. A series of test deployments using seven measuring pods outfitted with TCMs and pressure transducers were conducted in the surf zone off Galveston Island, Texas. Field experiments were supported by laboratory tests of the instrument assemblies in a moveable-bed wave flume. Instrument pod design was optimized over the series of tests to minimize issues caused by scouring, sedimentation, and overturning. The end design consists of a low-profile concrete base plate secured to the bed by sand stakes. Field measurements of tilt and bearing were calibrated against co-located acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) and wave-current profiler (ADCP) measurements as well as laboratory-supplied calibration curves. While optimization of the setup is ongoing, the initial field studies show good correlation between instrument pairs. If successfully validated, the TCMs will be used as part of an instrument array designed to measure overland flow dynamics during extreme storms. Other potential uses include detailed analysis of spatial and temporal gradients in nearshore hydrodynamics such as the complex flow scenarios through tidal inlets and around barrier islands.

  13. SciSpark: In-Memory Map-Reduce for Earth Science Algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, P.; Wilson, B. D.; Whitehall, K. D.; Palamuttam, R. S.; Mattmann, C. A.; Shah, S.; Goodman, A.; Burke, W.

    2016-12-01

    We are developing a lightning fast Big Data technology called SciSpark based on ApacheTM Spark under a NASA AIST grant (PI Mattmann). Spark implements the map-reduce paradigm for parallel computing on a cluster, but emphasizes in-memory computation, "spilling" to disk only as needed, and so outperforms the disk-based Apache Hadoop by 100x in memory and by 10x on disk. SciSpark extends Spark to support Earth Science use in three ways: Efficient ingest of N-dimensional geo-located arrays (physical variables) from netCDF3/4, HDF4/5, and/or OPeNDAP URLS; Array operations for dense arrays in scala and Java using the ND4S/ND4J or Breeze libraries; Operations to "split" datasets across a Spark cluster by time or space or both. For example, a decade-long time-series of geo-variables can be split across time to enable parallel "speedups" of analysis by day, month, or season. Similarly, very high-resolution climate grids can be partitioned into spatial tiles for parallel operations across rows, columns, or blocks. In addition, using Spark's gateway into python, PySpark, one can utilize the entire ecosystem of numpy, scipy, etc. Finally, SciSpark Notebooks provide a modern eNotebook technology in which scala, python, or spark-sql codes are entered into cells in the Notebook and executed on the cluster, with results, plots, or graph visualizations displayed in "live widgets". We have exercised SciSpark by implementing three complex Use Cases: discovery and evolution of Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) in storms, yielding a graph of connected components; PDF Clustering of atmospheric state using parallel K-Means; and statistical "rollups" of geo-variables or model-to-obs. differences (i.e. mean, stddev, skewness, & kurtosis) by day, month, season, year, and multi-year. Geo-variables are ingested and split across the cluster using methods on the sciSparkContext object including netCDFVariables() for spatial decomposition and wholeNetCDFVariables() for time-series. The

  14. SciServer: An Online Collaborative Environment for Big Data in Research and Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raddick, Jordan; Souter, Barbara; Lemson, Gerard; Taghizadeh-Popp, Manuchehr

    2017-01-01

    For the past year, SciServer Compute (http://compute.sciserver.org) has offered access to big data resources running within server-side Docker containers. Compute has allowed thousands of researchers to bring advanced analysis to big datasets like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and others, while keeping the analysis close to the data for better performance and easier read/write access. SciServer Compute is just one part of the SciServer system being developed at Johns Hopkins University, which provides an easy-to-use collaborative research environment for astronomy and many other sciences.SciServer enables these collaborative research strategies using Jupyter notebooks, in which users can write their own Python and R scripts and execute them on the same server as the data. We have written special-purpose libraries for querying, reading, and writing data. Intermediate results can be stored in large scratch space (hundreds of TBs) and analyzed directly from within Python or R with state-of-the-art visualization and machine learning libraries. Users can store science-ready results in their permanent allocation on SciDrive, a Dropbox-like system for sharing and publishing files.SciServer Compute’s virtual research environment has grown with the addition of task management and access control functions, allowing collaborators to share both data and analysis scripts securely across the world. These features also open up new possibilities for education, allowing instructors to share datasets with students and students to write analysis scripts to share with their instructors. We are leveraging these features into a new system called “SciServer Courseware,” which will allow instructors to share assignments with their students, allowing students to engage with big data in new ways.SciServer has also expanded to include more datasets beyond the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. A part of that growth has been the addition of the SkyQuery component, which allows for simple, fast

  15. Not just quantity: gluteus maximus muscle characteristics in able-bodied and SCI individuals--implications for tissue viability.

    PubMed

    Wu, Gary A; Bogie, Kath M

    2013-08-01

    Some individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) remain pressure ulcer (PU) free whilst others experience a recurring cycle of tissue breakdown. Detailed analysis of gluteal muscle characteristics may provide insights to local tissue viability variability. The study hypothesis was that SCI individuals have altered muscle composition compared to able-bodied (AB). Ten AB and ten SCI received a supine pelvic CT scan, with contrast. Cross-sectional area (CSA) and overall muscle volume were derived using image analysis. Gluteal muscle tissue type was classified at the S2/S3 sacral vertebrae midpoint, the superior greater trochanters margin (GT) and the inferior ischial tuberosities margin (IT) using the linear transformation Hounsfield Unit scale. SCI gluteal CSA was less than for AB throughout the muscle, with the greatest relative atrophy at the IT (48%). Average AB gluteal volume was nearly double SCI. Eight SCI had over 20% infiltrative adipose tissue, three with over 50%. SCI gluteal CSA and intramuscular fat infiltration were significantly negatively correlated (p < 0.05). SCI IT axial slices showed less lean muscle and higher intramuscular fat infiltration than more proximally (p < 0.05). SCI gluteal muscle characteristics were indicative of impaired tissue viability. SCI disuse muscle atrophy was anticipated; the analytic approach further indicated that intramuscular atrophy was not uniform. SCI muscle composition showed increased proportions of both low density muscle and adipose tissue. CT scan with contrast is effective for gluteal muscle characterization. This assessment technique may contribute to determination of personalized risk for PU development and other secondary complications. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Targeting Translational Successes through CANSORT-SCI: Using Pet Dogs To Identify Effective Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury

    PubMed Central

    Granger, Nicolas; Olby, Natasha J.; Spitzbarth, Ingo; Jeffery, Nick D.; Tipold, Andrea; Nout-Lomas, Yvette S.; da Costa, Ronaldo C.; Stein, Veronika M.; Noble-Haeusslein, Linda J.; Blight, Andrew R.; Grossman, Robert G.; Basso, D. Michele; Levine, Jonathan M.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Translation of therapeutic interventions for spinal cord injury (SCI) from laboratory to clinic has been historically challenging, highlighting the need for robust models of injury that more closely mirror the human condition. The high prevalence of acute, naturally occurring SCI in pet dogs provides a unique opportunity to evaluate expeditiously promising interventions in a population of animals that receive diagnoses and treatment clinically in a manner similar to persons with SCI, while adhering to National Institutes of Health guidelines for scientific rigor and transparent reporting. In addition, pet dogs with chronic paralysis are often maintained long-term by their owners, offering a similarly unique population for study of chronic SCI. Despite this, only a small number of studies have used the clinical dog model of SCI. The Canine Spinal Cord Injury Consortium (CANSORT-SCI) was recently established by a group of veterinarians and basic science researchers to promote the value of the canine clinical model of SCI. The CANSORT-SCI group held an inaugural meeting November 20 and 21, 2015 to evaluate opportunities and challenges to the use of pet dogs in SCI research. Key challenges identified included lack of familiarity with the model among nonveterinary scientists and questions about how and where in the translational process the canine clinical model would be most valuable. In light of these, we review the natural history, outcome, and available assessment tools associated with canine clinical SCI with emphasis on their relevance to human SCI and the translational process. PMID:28230415

  17. RealSurf - A Tool for the Interactive Visualization of Mathematical Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stussak, Christian; Schenzel, Peter

    For applications in fine art, architecture and engineering it is often important to visualize and to explore complex mathematical models. In former times there were static models of them collected in museums respectively in mathematical institutes. In order to check their properties for esthetical reasons it could be helpful to explore them interactively in 3D in real time. For the class of implicitly given algebraic surfaces we developed the tool RealSurf. Here we give an introduction to the program and some hints for the design of interesting surfaces.

  18. Whole body vibration (WBV) following spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats: Timing of intervention.

    PubMed

    Manthou, Marilena; Abdulla, Diana Saad Yousif; Pavlov, Stoyan Pavlov; Jansen, Ramona; Bendella, Habib; Nohroudi, Klaus; Stein, Gregor; Meyer, Carolin; Ozsoy, Ozlem; Ozsoy, Umut; Behram Kandemir, Yasemin; Sarikcioglu, Levent; Semler, Oliver; Schoenau, Eckhard; Dunlop, Sarah; Angelov, Doychin Nikolov

    2017-01-01

    Following spinal cord injury (SCI), exercise training provides a wide range of benefits and promotes activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Whole body vibration (WBV) in SCI patients improves walking and spasticity as well as bone and muscle mass. However, little is known about the effects of timing or frequency of intervention. To determine which WBV-onset improves locomotor and bladder functions and influences synaptic plasticity beneficially. SCI was followed by WBV starting 1, 7, 14, 28 days after injury (WBV1, WBV7, etc.) and continued for 12 weeks. Intact animals and those receiving SCI but no WBV (No WBV), SCI plus WBV twice daily (2×WBV) and SCI followed by passive hindlimb flexion-extension (PFE) served as controls. Locomotor [BBB rating, foot stepping angle (FSA) and rump-height index (RHI)] as well as bladder function were determined at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. Following perfusion fixation at 12 weeks, lesion volume and immunofluorescence for astrogliosis (GFAP), microglia (IBA1) and synaptic vesicles (synaptophysin, SYN) were determined. Compared to the No WBV group, the WB7 and WBV14 groups showed significantly faster speeds of BBB score recovery though this effect was temporary. Considering RHI we detected a sustained improvement in the WBV14 and PFE groups. Bladder function was better in the WBV14, WBV28, 2×WBV and PFE groups. Synaptophysin levels improved in response to WBV7 and WBV14, but worsened after WBV28 in parallel to an increased IBA1 expression. Correlation- and principal components analysis revealed complex relationships between behavioural (BBB, FSA, RHI) and morphological (GFAP, IBA1, SYN) measurements. WBV started 14 days after SCI provides the most benefit (RHI, bladder); starting at 1day after SCI provides no benefit and starting at 28 days may be detrimental. Increasing the intensity of WBV to twice daily did not provide additional benefit.

  19. Understanding successful and unsuccessful landings of aerial maneuver variations in professional surfing.

    PubMed

    Forsyth, J R; Riddiford-Harland, D L; Whitting, J W; Sheppard, J M; Steele, J R

    2018-05-01

    Although performing aerial maneuvers can increase wave score and winning potential in competitive surfing, the critical features underlying successful aerial performance have not been systematically investigated. This study aimed to analyze highly skilled aerial maneuver performance and to identify the critical features associated with successful or unsuccessful landing. Using video recordings of the World Surf League's Championship Tour, every aerial performed during the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final heats from the 11 events in the 2015 season was viewed. From this, 121 aerials were identified with the Frontside Air (n = 15) and Frontside Air Reverse (n = 67) being selected to be qualitatively assessed. Using chi-squared analyses, a series of key critical features, including landing over the center of the surfboard (FS Air χ 2  = 14.00, FS Air Reverse χ 2  = 26.61; P < .001) and landing with the lead ankle in dorsiflexion (FS Air χ 2  = 3.90, FS Air Reverse χ 2  = 13.64; P < .05), were found to be associated with successful landings. These critical features help surfers land in a stable position, while maintaining contact with the surfboard. The results of this study provide coaches with evidence to adjust the technique of their athletes to improve their winning potential. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Detection of Abnormal Muscle Activations during Walking Following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Ping; Low, K. H.; McGregor, Alison H.; Tow, Adela

    2013-01-01

    In order to identify optimal rehabilitation strategies for spinal cord injury (SCI) participants, assessment of impaired walking is required to detect, monitor and quantify movement disorders. In the proposed assessment, ten healthy and seven SCI participants were recruited to perform an over-ground walking test at slow walking speeds. SCI…

  1. GeoSciGraph: An Ontological Framework for EarthCube Semantic Infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, A.; Schachne, A.; Condit, C.; Valentine, D.; Richard, S.; Zaslavsky, I.

    2015-12-01

    The CINERGI (Community Inventory of EarthCube Resources for Geosciences Interoperability) project compiles an inventory of a wide variety of earth science resources including documents, catalogs, vocabularies, data models, data services, process models, information repositories, domain-specific ontologies etc. developed by research groups and data practitioners. We have developed a multidisciplinary semantic framework called GeoSciGraph semantic ingration of earth science resources. An integrated ontology is constructed with Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) as its upper ontology and currently ingests multiple component ontologies including the SWEET ontology, GeoSciML's lithology ontology, Tematres controlled vocabulary server, GeoNames, GCMD vocabularies on equipment, platforms and institutions, software ontology, CUAHSI hydrology vocabulary, the environmental ontology (ENVO) and several more. These ontologies are connected through bridging axioms; GeoSciGraph identifies lexically close terms and creates equivalence class or subclass relationships between them after human verification. GeoSciGraph allows a community to create community-specific customizations of the integrated ontology. GeoSciGraph uses the Neo4J,a graph database that can hold several billion concepts and relationships. GeoSciGraph provides a number of REST services that can be called by other software modules like the CINERGI information augmentation pipeline. 1) Vocabulary services are used to find exact and approximate terms, term categories (community-provided clusters of terms e.g., measurement-related terms or environmental material related terms), synonyms, term definitions and annotations. 2) Lexical services are used for text parsing to find entities, which can then be included into the ontology by a domain expert. 3) Graph services provide the ability to perform traversal centric operations e.g., finding paths and neighborhoods which can be used to perform ontological operations like

  2. The Internet as a source of health information among Singaporeans: prevalence, patterns of health surfing and impact on health behaviour.

    PubMed

    Siow, T R; Soh, I P; Sreedharan, S; Das De, S; Tan, P P; Seow, A; Lun, K C

    2003-11-01

    The Internet is an increasingly popular source of healthcare information. This study describes the prevalence of health surfers in Singapore and their health-surfing patterns. It also assesses their confidence in online health information and the impact the Internet has on health-seeking behaviour. A cross-sectional survey using a standardised questionnaire was carried out among residents aged 13 to 55 years in 1852 units in Bishan North. These units were selected by single-stage simple random cluster sampling method. The household response rate was 51% (n = 950) and the individual response rate was 69% (n = 1646). Responding and non-responding households were similar in terms of ethnicity and housing type. Of the responders, 62.9% surfed the Internet and 37.7% have surfed for health information. Health surfers tended to be younger (20 to 39 years) and have higher education status. Indians were also more likely than other ethnic groups to surf for health. Professional health-related sites comprised the majority (68%) of sites visited, and the most common search keywords concern chronic degenerative diseases, e.g. hypertension. The top preferred sources of health information were doctors (25.9%), the Internet (25.3%) and the traditional mass media (20.5%). Almost half (45.1%) considered online health information trustworthy if it was from a professional source or if the website displayed the source, while 10.6% trusted the information if it concurred with the doctors' advice. The vast majority (91.7%) had taken some action in response to the information. The Internet is being used as an accessible source of health information by a substantial proportion of the lay public. While this can facilitate greater partnership in healthcare, it underlines the need for doctors to be pro-active in the practice of evidence-based medicine, and for guidelines to enable patients to use this tool in a discerning manner.

  3. Temporal and spatial patterns for surf zone bacteria before and after disinfection of the orange county sanitation district effluent

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, G.L.; Noble, M.A.; Xu, J. P.; Rosenfeld, L.K.; McGee, C.D.

    2005-01-01

    Data from pre- and post-disinfection fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) samples from final effluent, an offshore ocean outfall, and surf zone stations off Huntington Beach, CA were compared. Analysis of the results from these data sets confirmed that the ocean outfall was not the FIB source responsible for the postings and closures of local beaches that have occurred each summer since 1999. While FIB counts in the final effluent and offshore showed several order of magnitude reductions after disinfection, there were no significant reductions at the nearby surf zone stations. Additionally, the FIB spectral patterns suggest different sources. The dominant fortnightly cycle suggested that the source was related to the wetting and draining of the land from large spring tide tidal excursions.

  4. Military personnel recognition system using texture, colour, and SURF features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irhebhude, Martins E.; Edirisinghe, Eran A.

    2014-06-01

    This paper presents an automatic, machine vision based, military personnel identification and classification system. Classification is done using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) on sets of Army, Air Force and Navy camouflage uniform personnel datasets. In the proposed system, the arm of service of personnel is recognised by the camouflage of a persons uniform, type of cap and the type of badge/logo. The detailed analysis done include; camouflage cap and plain cap differentiation using gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) texture feature; classification on Army, Air Force and Navy camouflaged uniforms using GLCM texture and colour histogram bin features; plain cap badge classification into Army, Air Force and Navy using Speed Up Robust Feature (SURF). The proposed method recognised camouflage personnel arm of service on sets of data retrieved from google images and selected military websites. Correlation-based Feature Selection (CFS) was used to improve recognition and reduce dimensionality, thereby speeding the classification process. With this method success rates recorded during the analysis include 93.8% for camouflage appearance category, 100%, 90% and 100% rates of plain cap and camouflage cap categories for Army, Air Force and Navy categories, respectively. Accurate recognition was recorded using SURF for the plain cap badge category. Substantial analysis has been carried out and results prove that the proposed method can correctly classify military personnel into various arms of service. We show that the proposed method can be integrated into a face recognition system, which will recognise personnel in addition to determining the arm of service which the personnel belong. Such a system can be used to enhance the security of a military base or facility.

  5. Preventing Shoulder-Surfing Attack with the Concept of Concealing the Password Objects' Information

    PubMed Central

    Ho, Peng Foong; Kam, Yvonne Hwei-Syn; Wee, Mee Chin

    2014-01-01

    Traditionally, picture-based password systems employ password objects (pictures/icons/symbols) as input during an authentication session, thus making them vulnerable to “shoulder-surfing” attack because the visual interface by function is easily observed by others. Recent software-based approaches attempt to minimize this threat by requiring users to enter their passwords indirectly by performing certain mental tasks to derive the indirect password, thus concealing the user's actual password. However, weaknesses in the positioning of distracter and password objects introduce usability and security issues. In this paper, a new method, which conceals information about the password objects as much as possible, is proposed. Besides concealing the password objects and the number of password objects, the proposed method allows both password and distracter objects to be used as the challenge set's input. The correctly entered password appears to be random and can only be derived with the knowledge of the full set of password objects. Therefore, it would be difficult for a shoulder-surfing adversary to identify the user's actual password. Simulation results indicate that the correct input object and its location are random for each challenge set, thus preventing frequency of occurrence analysis attack. User study results show that the proposed method is able to prevent shoulder-surfing attack. PMID:24991649

  6. Importance of Antecedent Beach and Surf-Zone Morphology to Wave Runup Predictions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    position on the dune, the laser reflects well off of the water surface when foam is present (blue dots, Figure 1B). Maximum range of measurement...depends upon the amount of breaking and foam present in the surf-zone at any given time, but rarely exceeds 150 m for this laser scanner. Drawbacks to...determined by reverse-shoaling data from the FRF’s 11 m Acoustic Wave and Current (AWAC) profiler to deep water values. Local water levels (tide and surge

  7. Understanding Quality of Life in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury Via SCI-Related Needs and Secondary Complications.

    PubMed

    Sweet, Shane N; Noreau, Luc; Leblond, Jean; Dumont, Frédéric S

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the factors that can predict greater quality of life (QoL) is important for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI), given that they report lower levels of QoL than the general population. To build a conceptual model linking SCI-related needs, secondary complications, and QoL in adults with SCI. Prior to testing the conceptual model, we aimed to develop and evaluate the factor structure for both SCI-related needs and secondary complications. Individuals with a traumatic SCI (N = 1,137) responded to an online survey measuring 13 SCI-related needs, 13 secondary complications, and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire to assess QoL. The SCI-related needs and secondary complications were conceptualized into factors, tested with a confirmatory factor analysis, and subsequently evaluated in a structural equation model to predict QoL. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a 2-factor model for SCI related needs, χ(2)(61, N = 1,137) = 250.40, P <.001, comparative fit index (CFI) = .93, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .05, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = .04, and for 11 of the 13 secondary complications, χ(2)(44, N = 1,137) = 305.67, P < .001, CFI = .91, RMSEA = .060, SRMR = .033. The final 2 secondary complications were kept as observed constructs. In the structural model, both vital and personal development unmet SCI-related needs (β = -.22 and -.20, P < .05, respectively) and the neuro-physiological systems factor (β = -.45, P < .05) were negatively related with QoL. Identifying unmet SCI-related needs of individuals with SCI and preventing or managing secondary complications are essential to their QoL.

  8. Emotional Intelligence in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI).

    PubMed

    Saberi, Hooshang; Ghajarzadeh, Mahsa

    2017-05-01

    Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a devastating situation. Spinal Cord Injury affects functional, psychological and socioeconomic aspects of patients' lives. The ability to accomplish and explicate the one's own and other's feelings and emotions to spread over appropriate information for confirming thoughts and actions is defined as emotional intelligence (EI). The goal of this study was to evaluate depression and EI in SCI patients in comparison with healthy subjects. One-hundred-ten patients with SCI and 80 healthy subjects between Aug 2014 and Aug 2015 were enrolled. The study was conducted in Imam Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All participants were asked to fill valid and reliable Persian version Emotional Quotient inventory (EQ-i) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All data were analyzed using SPSS. Data were presented as Mean±SD for continuous or frequencies for categorical variables. Continuous variables compared by means of independent sample t -test. P -values less than 0.05 were considered as significant. Mean age of patients was 28.7 and mean age of controls was 30.2 yr. Spinal cord injury in 20 (18.3%) were at cervical level, in 83 (75.4%) were thoracic and in 7 (6.3%) were lumbar. Mean values of independence, stress tolerance, self-actualization, emotional Self-Awareness, reality testing, Impulse Control, flexibility, responsibility, and assertiveness were significantly different between cases and controls. Mean values of stress tolerance, optimism, self-regard, and responsibility were significantly different between three groups with different injury level. Most scales were not significantly different between male and female cases. Emotional intelligence should be considered in SCI cases as their physical and psychological health is affected by their illness.

  9. Spatiotemporal associations between Pacific herring spawn and surf scoter spring migration: evaluating a "silver wave" hypothesis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lok, E.K.; Esler, Daniel N.; Takekawa, John Y.; De La Cruz, S.W.; Boyd, W.S.; Nysewander, D.R.; Evenson, J.R.; Ward, D.H.

    2012-01-01

    Surf scoters Melanitta perspicillata are sea ducks that aggregate at spawning events of Pacific herring Clupea pallasi and forage on the eggs, which are deposited in abundance during spring at discrete sites. We evaluated whether migrating scoters followed a ‘silver wave’ of resource availability, analogous to the ‘green wave’ of high-quality foraging conditions that herbivorous waterfowl follow during spring migration. We confirmed that herring spawning activity began later in the year at higher latitudes, creating a northward-progressing wave of short-term localized food availability. Using satellite telemetry and aerial surveys, we documented the chronology of scoter spring migration and the use of stopover locations in relation to herring spawn timing and locations. We found that the migration chronology paralleled the northward progression of herring spawning events. Although there was considerable variability in the timing of both scoter migration and the initiation of herring spawning, the processes were related beyond a coincidental northward progression. During migration, 60% of the tracked scoters visited at least 1 spawn site, and those that used spawn sites were located on spawn sites for approximately one-third of their migration locations. Surf scoters showed close spatiotemporal associations with herring spawning events, confirming that the presence of herring spawn was a factor determining habitat use for many individuals. Surf scoters showed close spatiotemporal associations with herring spawning events, confirming that the presence of herring spawn was a factor determining habitat use for many individuals, a conclusion that is consistent with previous studies which used physiologically based metrics to evaluate the importance of herring spawn.

  10. Spatial and temporal variability in surf zone fish assemblages on the coast of northern New Jersey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilber, D. H.; Clarke, D. G.; Burlas, M. H.; Ruben, H.; Will, R. J.

    2003-02-01

    The surf zone fish community along 15 km of northern New Jersey shoreline was sampled every 2 weeks by beach seine in the late summers and early falls of 1995-1999 in conjunction with monitoring of a beach nourishment project. Fifty-seven species representing 30 families were collected during the course of the study. Over 90% of each sampling period's catch was composed of five taxa or less. These taxa included Atlantic and rough silversides, Menidia menidia and Membras martinica, bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, and bay and striped anchovies, Anchoa mitchilli and Anchoa hepsetus, with the relative contributions of these taxa varying among years. Both bluefish and anchovy abundances varied by an order of magnitude among years. Size-frequency distributions indicate summer-spawned bluefish recruit to the surf zone habitat as two cohorts in August and October, respectively. Fish abundance and richness were greater at substations closest to rock groins. Taxonomic richness declined along with decreasing water temperature in the fall, but was not correlated with turbidity or tide stage (measured as minutes before or after low tide). The extensive sampling effort undertaken in this study, 2190 seine hauls that captured 295 868 fish, was examined in relation to the number and relative proportions of taxa collected. Species accumulation curves and percent similarity calculations were used to investigate the adequacy of a reduced sampling protocol in characterizing the taxonomic composition of the surf zone fish community. Calculations from eight complete sampling periods (84 seine hauls each) indicate that a reduction in sampling effort by one-half would have yielded on average 75% of the total number of species captured with approximately 85% similarity in relative species composition.

  11. Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Registries: Improving Care across the SCI Care Continuum by Identifying Knowledge Gaps.

    PubMed

    Dvorak, Marcel F; Cheng, Christiana L; Fallah, Nader; Santos, Argelio; Atkins, Derek; Humphreys, Suzanne; Rivers, Carly S; White, Barry A B; Ho, Chester; Ahn, Henry; Kwon, Brian K; Christie, Sean; Noonan, Vanessa K

    2017-10-15

    Timely access and ongoing delivery of care and therapeutic interventions is needed to maximize recovery and function after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). To ensure these decisions are evidence-based, access to consistent, reliable, and valid sources of clinical data is required. The Access to Care and Timing Model used data from the Rick Hansen SCI Registry (RHSCIR) to generate a simulation of healthcare delivery for persons after tSCI and to test scenarios aimed at improving outcomes and reducing the economic burden of SCI. Through model development, we identified knowledge gaps and challenges in the literature and current health outcomes data collection throughout the continuum of SCI care. The objectives of this article were to describe these gaps and to provide recommendations for bridging them. Accurate information on injury severity after tSCI was hindered by difficulties in conducting neurological assessments and classifications of SCI (e.g., timing), variations in reporting, and the lack of a validated SCI-specific measure of associated injuries. There was also limited availability of reliable data on patient factors such as multi-morbidity and patient-reported measures. Knowledge gaps related to structures (e.g., protocols) and processes (e.g., costs) at each phase of care have prevented comprehensive evaluation of system performance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will enhance comparative and cost-effectiveness evaluations to inform decision-making and standards of care. Recommendations to do so were: standardize data element collection and facilitate database linkages, validate and adopt more outcome measures for SCI, and increase opportunities for collaborations with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.

  12. Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Registries: Improving Care across the SCI Care Continuum by Identifying Knowledge Gaps

    PubMed Central

    Cheng, Christiana L.; Fallah, Nader; Santos, Argelio; Atkins, Derek; Humphreys, Suzanne; Rivers, Carly S.; White, Barry A.B.; Ho, Chester; Ahn, Henry; Kwon, Brian K.; Christie, Sean; Noonan, Vanessa K.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Timely access and ongoing delivery of care and therapeutic interventions is needed to maximize recovery and function after traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI). To ensure these decisions are evidence-based, access to consistent, reliable, and valid sources of clinical data is required. The Access to Care and Timing Model used data from the Rick Hansen SCI Registry (RHSCIR) to generate a simulation of healthcare delivery for persons after tSCI and to test scenarios aimed at improving outcomes and reducing the economic burden of SCI. Through model development, we identified knowledge gaps and challenges in the literature and current health outcomes data collection throughout the continuum of SCI care. The objectives of this article were to describe these gaps and to provide recommendations for bridging them. Accurate information on injury severity after tSCI was hindered by difficulties in conducting neurological assessments and classifications of SCI (e.g., timing), variations in reporting, and the lack of a validated SCI-specific measure of associated injuries. There was also limited availability of reliable data on patient factors such as multi-morbidity and patient-reported measures. Knowledge gaps related to structures (e.g., protocols) and processes (e.g., costs) at each phase of care have prevented comprehensive evaluation of system performance. Addressing these knowledge gaps will enhance comparative and cost-effectiveness evaluations to inform decision-making and standards of care. Recommendations to do so were: standardize data element collection and facilitate database linkages, validate and adopt more outcome measures for SCI, and increase opportunities for collaborations with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. PMID:28745934

  13. FES-Rowing versus Zoledronic Acid to Improve BoneHealth in SCI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT There is no established treatment to prevent bone loss or to induce new bone formation following SCI, although the... no established treatment to prevent bone loss or to induce new bone formation following SCI. The goal of this clinical trial -- FES-Rowing versus...Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No . 0704-0188 Public

  14. Implementing Connected Component Labeling as a User Defined Operator for SciDB

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Oloso, Amidu; Kuo, Kwo-Sen; Clune, Thomas; Brown, Paul; Poliakov, Alex; Yu, Hongfeng

    2016-01-01

    We have implemented a flexible User Defined Operator (UDO) for labeling connected components of a binary mask expressed as an array in SciDB, a parallel distributed database management system based on the array data model. This UDO is able to process very large multidimensional arrays by exploiting SciDB's memory management mechanism that efficiently manipulates arrays whose memory requirements far exceed available physical memory. The UDO takes as primary inputs a binary mask array and a binary stencil array that specifies the connectivity of a given cell to its neighbors. The UDO returns an array of the same shape as the input mask array with each foreground cell containing the label of the component it belongs to. By default, dimensions are treated as non-periodic, but the UDO also accepts optional input parameters to specify periodicity in any of the array dimensions. The UDO requires four stages to completely label connected components. In the first stage, labels are computed for each subarray or chunk of the mask array in parallel across SciDB instances using the weighted quick union (WQU) with half-path compression algorithm. In the second stage, labels around chunk boundaries from the first stage are stored in a temporary SciDB array that is then replicated across all SciDB instances. Equivalences are resolved by again applying the WQU algorithm to these boundary labels. In the third stage, relabeling is done for each chunk using the resolved equivalences. In the fourth stage, the resolved labels, which so far are "flattened" coordinates of the original binary mask array, are renamed with sequential integers for legibility. The UDO is demonstrated on a 3-D mask of O(1011) elements, with O(108) foreground cells and O(106) connected components. The operator completes in 19 minutes using 84 SciDB instances.

  15. Bacterial susceptibility patterns in patients with spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D): an opportunity for customized stewardship tools.

    PubMed

    Suda, K J; Patel, U C; Sabzwari, R; Cao, L; Ramanathan, S; Hill, J N; Evans, C T

    2016-11-01

    Retrospective observational study of bacterial susceptibilities in Veterans with SCI/D as compared to a general patient population. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the prevalence and susceptibility of bacteria isolated from spinal cord injury and disorder (SCI/D) patients as compared with a general patient population and determine whether a SCI/D-specific antibiogram, a report of bacterial susceptibilities used to guide empiric antibiotic selection, would be a useful stewardship tool. Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in Cook county, IL, USA. Microbiology reports from 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2013 were compiled into a SCI/D-specific antibiogram and compared to a non-SCI/D antibiogram. Persons with positive cultures and SCI/D were younger and had a higher Charlson Index as compared to non-SCI/D patients (P<0.0001 for both). Five thousand one hundred and thirty-one unique isolate cultures were evaluated (SCI/D=23.0%). Frequencies of pathogens isolated in SCI/D and non-SCI/D differed. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus occurred more frequently in SCI/D (27.8% vs 55.4%; P<0.0001). Gram-negatives had generally lower susceptibilities in SCI/D and a higher frequency of organisms producing extended-spectrum Beta-lactamases (17.6% vs 5.0%; P<0.0001), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (2.4% vs 0.5%; P<0.0001), carbapenem resistance (7.6% vs 2.4%; P<0.0001) and isolates resistant to ⩾3 antibiotic classes (60.7% vs 28.0%; P=0.0001). Different pathogens with poorer susceptibilities are isolated in SCI/D. Thus an SCI/D-specific antibiogram reflective of resistance patterns in these patients may increase the appropriateness of empiric antibiotic selection. The frequency of multi-drug resistant organisms in cultures obtained from patients with SCI/D is worrisome.

  16. ON PREDICTING INFRAGRAVITY ENERGY IN THE SURF ZONE.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sallenger,, Asbury H.; Holman, Robert A.; Edge, Billy L.

    1985-01-01

    Flow data were obtained in the surf zone across a barred profile during a storm. RMS cross-shore velocities due to waves in the intragravity band (wave periods greater than 20 s) had maxima in excess of 0. 5 m/s over the bar crest. For comparison to measured spectra, synthetic spectra of cross-shore flow were computed using measured nearshore profiles. The structure, in the infragravity band, of these synthetic spectra corresponded reasonably well with the structure of the measured spectra. Total variances of measured cross-shore flow within the infragravity band were nondimensionalized by dividing by total infragravity variances of synthetic spectra. These nondimensional variances were independent of distance offshore and increased with the square of the breaker height. Thus, cross-shore flow due to infragravity waves can be estimated with knowledge of the nearshore profile and incident wave conditions. Refs.

  17. People Interview: Using sci-fi to promote physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2009-07-01

    INTERVIEW Using sci-fi to promote physics Robert Flack, a research fellow at University College London, talks to David Smith about science writing and the consequences for physicists of books like Angels and Demons.

  18. Scalable Earth-observation Analytics for Geoscientists: Spacetime Extensions to the Array Database SciDB

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Appel, Marius; Lahn, Florian; Pebesma, Edzer; Buytaert, Wouter; Moulds, Simon

    2016-04-01

    Today's amount of freely available data requires scientists to spend large parts of their work on data management. This is especially true in environmental sciences when working with large remote sensing datasets, such as obtained from earth-observation satellites like the Sentinel fleet. Many frameworks like SpatialHadoop or Apache Spark address the scalability but target programmers rather than data analysts, and are not dedicated to imagery or array data. In this work, we use the open-source data management and analytics system SciDB to bring large earth-observation datasets closer to analysts. Its underlying data representation as multidimensional arrays fits naturally to earth-observation datasets, distributes storage and computational load over multiple instances by multidimensional chunking, and also enables efficient time-series based analyses, which is usually difficult using file- or tile-based approaches. Existing interfaces to R and Python furthermore allow for scalable analytics with relatively little learning effort. However, interfacing SciDB and file-based earth-observation datasets that come as tiled temporal snapshots requires a lot of manual bookkeeping during ingestion, and SciDB natively only supports loading data from CSV-like and custom binary formatted files, which currently limits its practical use in earth-observation analytics. To make it easier to work with large multi-temporal datasets in SciDB, we developed software tools that enrich SciDB with earth observation metadata and allow working with commonly used file formats: (i) the SciDB extension library scidb4geo simplifies working with spatiotemporal arrays by adding relevant metadata to the database and (ii) the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL) driver implementation scidb4gdal allows to ingest and export remote sensing imagery from and to a large number of file formats. Using added metadata on temporal resolution and coverage, the GDAL driver supports time-based ingestion of

  19. Survival of surf scoters and white-winged scoters during remigial molt

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Esler, Daniel N.; Dickson, Rian D.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Evenson, Joseph R.; Anderson, Eric M.; Barrett, Jennifer; Schmutz, Joel A.

    2014-01-01

    Quantifying sources and timing of variation in demographic rates is necessary to determine where and when constraints may exist within the annual cycle of organisms. Surf scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and white-winged scoters (M. fusca) undergo simultaneous remigial molt during which they are flightless for >1 month. Molt could result in reduced survival due to increased predation risk or increased energetic demands associated with regrowing flight feathers. Waterfowl survival during remigial molt varies across species, and has rarely been assessed for sea ducks. To quantify survival during remigial molt, we deployed very high frequency (VHF) transmitters on surf scoters (n = 108) and white-winged scoters (n = 57) in southeast Alaska and the Salish Sea (British Columbia and Washington) in 2008 and 2009. After censoring mortalities potentially related to capture and handling effects, we detected no mortalities during remigial molt; thus, estimates of daily and period survival for both scoter species during molt were 1.00. We performed sensitivity analyses in which mortalities were added to the dataset to simulate potential mortality rates for the population and then estimated the probability of obtaining a dataset with 0 mortalities. We found that only at high survival rates was there a high probability of observing 0 mortalities. We conclude that remigial molt is normally a period of low mortality in the annual cycle of scoters. The molt period does not appear to be a constraint on scoter populations; therefore, other annual cycle stages should be targeted by research and management efforts to change population trajectories.

  20. Differential Impact and Use of a Telehealth Intervention by Persons with MS or SCI.

    PubMed

    Mercier, Hannah W; Ni, Pensheng; Houlihan, Bethlyn V; Jette, Alan M

    2015-11-01

    The objective of this study was to compare outcomes and patterns of engaging with a telehealth intervention (CareCall) by adult wheelchair users with severe mobility limitations with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injury (SCI). The design of this study is a secondary analysis from a pilot randomized controlled trial with 106 participants with SCI and 36 participants with MS. General linear model results showed that an interaction between baseline depression score and study group significantly predicted reduced depression at 6 mos for subjects with both diagnoses (P = 0.01). For those with MS, CareCall increased participants' physical independence (P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in skin integrity were found between study groups for subjects with either diagnosis. All participants were similarly satisfied with CareCall, although those with MS engaged in almost double the amount of calls per person than those with SCI (P = 0.005). Those with SCI missed more calls (P < 0.001) and required more extensive support from a nurse (P = 0.006) than those with MS. An interactive telephone intervention was effective in reducing depression in adult wheelchair users with either MS or SCI, and in increasing health care access and physical independence for those with a diagnosis of MS. Future research should aim to enhance the efficacy of such an intervention for participants with SCI.

  1. Heteroepitaxial Diamond Growth

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-02-01

    by the Hiraki , Appl. Surf. Sci., 56-58 (1992) 89. HREELS measurement. Recent quantum 6. S.-T. Lee. and G. Apai., Phys. Rev. B 48 chemical calculations...1989) 171. carbon atoms undergoing dimerization and the [6] H. Kawarada, J.S. Ma, T. Yonehara and A. Hiraki , remainder of the lattice. The dimerization

  2. Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight-Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Stephen Sprigle, PhD CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Georgia Tech Research...Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0387 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Pressure ulcers (PU) are the most costly secondary complication following an SCI. In addition to the medical costs

  3. Novel Target for Ameliorating Pain and Other Problems after SCI: Spontaneous Activity in Nociceptors

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    pretest , post -SCI, and post -TRPV1 intervention). Mechanical hypersensitivity was tested with a single series of cal- ibrated von Frey filaments (Stoelting... test sequence ( pretest , post -SCI, postinjection) [F(2,17) = 11.37; P = 0.007] and drug treat- ment [F(1,11) = 10.70; P = 0.008], with latencies for...revealed a significant effect of the test sequence ( pretest , post -SCI, post -ODN) [F(2,18) = 22.78; P < 0.0001] and ODN treatment [F(1,9) = 11.03; P

  4. Quantifying Wave Breaking Shape and Type in the Surf-Zone Using LiDAR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albright, A.; Brodie, K. L.; Hartzell, P. J.; Glennie, C. L.

    2017-12-01

    Waves change shape as they shoal and break across the surf-zone, ultimately dissipating and transferring their energy into turbulence by either spilling or plunging. This injection of turbulence and changes in wave shape can affect the direction of sediment transport at the seafloor, and ultimately lead to morphological evolution. Typical methods for collecting wave data in the surf-zone include in-situ pressure gauges, velocimeters, ultrasonic sensors, and video imagery. Drawbacks to these data collection methods are low spatial resolution of point measurements, reliance on linear theory to calculate sea-surface elevations, and intensive computations required to extract wave properties from stereo 2D imagery. As a result, few field measurements of the shapes of plunging and/or spilling breakers exist, and existing knowledge is confined to results of laboratory studies. We therefore examine the use of a multi-beam scanning Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing instrument with the goal of classifying the breaking type of propagating waves in the surf-zone and quantitatively determining wave morphometric properties. Data were collected with a Velodyne HDL-32E LiDAR scanner (360° vertical field of view) mounted on an arm of the Coastal Research Amphibious Buggy (CRAB) at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility in Duck, North Carolina. Processed laser scan data are used to visualize the lifecycle of a wave (shoaling, breaking, broken) and identify wave types (spilling, plunging, non-breaking) as they pass beneath the scanner. For each rotation of the LiDAR scanner, the point cloud data are filtered, smoothed, and detrended in order to identify individual waves and measure their properties, such as speed, height, period, upward/downward slope, asymmetry, and skewness. The 3D nature of point cloud data is advantageous for research, because it enables viewing from any angle. In our analysis, plan views are used to separate individual waves

  5. Natural Killer (NK) Cell Functionality after human Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): protocol of a prospective, longitudinal study.

    PubMed

    Laginha, Inês; Kopp, Marcel A; Druschel, Claudia; Schaser, Klaus-Dieter; Brommer, Benedikt; Hellmann, Rick C; Watzlawick, Ralf; Ossami-Saidi, Ramin-Raul; Prüss, Harald; Failli, Vieri; Meisel, Christian; Liebscher, Thomas; Prilipp, Erik; Niedeggen, Andreas; Ekkernkamp, Axel; Grittner, Ulrike; Piper, Sophie K; Dirnagl, Ulrich; Killig, Monica; Romagnani, Chiara; Schwab, Jan M

    2016-09-13

    Natural killer (NK) cells comprise the main components of lymphocyte-mediated nonspecific immunity. Through their effector function they play a crucial role combating bacterial and viral challenges. They are also thought to be key contributors to the systemic spinal cord injury-induced immune-deficiency syndrome (SCI-IDS). SCI-IDS increases susceptibility to infection and extends to the post-acute and chronic phases after SCI. The prospective study of NK cell function after traumatic SCI was carried out in two centers in Berlin, Germany. SCI patients and control patients with neurologically silent vertebral fracture also undergoing surgical stabilization were enrolled. Furthermore healthy controls were included to provide reference data. The NK cell function was assessed at 7 (5-9) days, 14 days (11-28) days, and 10 (8-12) weeks post-trauma. Clinical documentation included the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS), neurological level of injury, infection status, concomitant injury, and medications. The primary endpoint of the study is CD107a expression by NK cells (cytotoxicity marker) 8-12 weeks following SCI. Secondary endpoints are the NK cell's TNF-α and IFN-γ production by the NK cells 8-12 weeks following SCI. The protocol of this study was developed to investigate the hypotheses whether i) SCI impairs NK cell function throughout the post-acute and sub-acute phases after SCI and ii) the degree of impairment relates to lesion height and severity. A deeper understanding of the SCI-IDS is crucial to enable strategies for prevention of infections, which are associated with poor neurological outcome and elevated mortality. DRKS00009855 .

  6. Emotional Intelligence in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

    PubMed Central

    SABERI, Hooshang; GHAJARZADEH, Mahsa

    2017-01-01

    Background: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a devastating situation. Spinal Cord Injury affects functional, psychological and socioeconomic aspects of patients’ lives. The ability to accomplish and explicate the one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions to spread over appropriate information for confirming thoughts and actions is defined as emotional intelligence (EI). The goal of this study was to evaluate depression and EI in SCI patients in comparison with healthy subjects. Methods: One-hundred-ten patients with SCI and 80 healthy subjects between Aug 2014 and Aug 2015 were enrolled. The study was conducted in Imam Hospital, Tehran, Iran. All participants were asked to fill valid and reliable Persian version Emotional Quotient inventory (EQ-i) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All data were analyzed using SPSS. Data were presented as Mean±SD for continuous or frequencies for categorical variables. Continuous variables compared by means of independent sample t-test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as significant. Results: Mean age of patients was 28.7 and mean age of controls was 30.2 yr. Spinal cord injury in 20 (18.3%) were at cervical level, in 83 (75.4%) were thoracic and in 7 (6.3%) were lumbar. Mean values of independence, stress tolerance, self-actualization, emotional Self-Awareness, reality testing, Impulse Control, flexibility, responsibility, and assertiveness were significantly different between cases and controls. Mean values of stress tolerance, optimism, self-regard, and responsibility were significantly different between three groups with different injury level. Most scales were not significantly different between male and female cases. Conclusion: Emotional intelligence should be considered in SCI cases as their physical and psychological health is affected by their illness. PMID:28560199

  7. Boron nitride nanotube-functionalised myoblast/microfibre constructs: a nanotech-assisted tissue-engineered platform for muscle stimulation.

    PubMed

    Danti, Serena; Ciofani, Gianni; Pertici, Gianni; Moscato, Stefania; D'Alessandro, Delfo; Ciabatti, Elena; Chiellini, Federica; D'Acunto, Mario; Mattoli, Virgilio; Berrettini, Stefano

    2015-07-01

    In this communication, we introduce boron nitride nanotube (BNNT)-functionalised muscle cell/microfibre mesh constructs, obtained via tissue engineering, as a three-dimensional (3D) platform to study a wireless stimulation system for electrically responsive cells and tissues. Our stimulation strategy exploits the piezoelectric behaviour of some classes of ceramic nanoparticles, such as BNNTs, able to polarize under mechanical stress, e.g. using low-frequency ultrasound (US). In the microfibre scaffolds, C2C12 myoblasts were able to differentiate into viable myotubes and to internalize BNNTs, also upon US irradiation, so as to obtain a nanotech-assisted 3D in vitro model. We then tested our stimulatory system on 2D and 3D cellular models by investigating the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43), as a molecule involved in cell crosstalk and mechanotransduction, and myosin, as a myogenic differentiation marker. Cx43 gene expression revealed a marked model dependency. In control samples (without US and/or BNNTs), Cx43 was upregulated under 2D culture conditions (10.78 ± 1.05-fold difference). Interactions with BNNTs increased Cx43 expression in 3D samples. Cx43 mRNA dropped in 2D under the 'BNNTs + US' regimen, while it was best enhanced in 3D samples (3.58 ± 1.05 vs 13.74 ± 1.42-fold difference, p = 0.0001). At the protein level, the maximal expressions of Cx43 and myosin were detected in the 3D model. In contrast with the 3D model, in 2D cultures, BNNTs and US exerted a synergistic depletive effect upon myosin synthesis. These findings indicate that model dimensionality and stimulatory regimens can strongly affect the responses of signalling and differentiation molecules, proving the importance of developing proper in vitro platforms for biological modelling. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Maternal segmental disomy in Leigh syndrome with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency caused by homozygous SURF1 mutation.

    PubMed

    van Riesen, A K J; Antonicka, H; Ohlenbusch, A; Shoubridge, E A; Wilichowski, E K G

    2006-04-01

    Cytochrome c oxidase deficiency (COX) is the most frequent cause of Leigh syndrome (LS), a mitochondrial subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy. Most of these LS (COX-) patients show mutations in SURF1 on chromosome 9 (9q34), which encodes a protein essential for the assembly of the COX complex. We describe a family whose first-born boy developed characteristic features of LS. Severe COX deficiency in muscle was caused by a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in SURF1. Segregation analysis of this mutation in the family was incompatible with autosomal recessive inheritance but consistent with a maternal disomy. Haplotype analysis of microsatellite markers confirmed isodisomy involving nearly the complete long arm of chromosome 9 (9q21-9tel). No additional physical abnormalities were present in the boy, suggesting that there are no imprinted genes on the long arm of chromosome 9 which are crucial for developmental processes. This case of segmental isodisomy illustrates that genotyping of parents is crucial for correct genetic counseling.

  9. Verification Test of the SURF and SURFplus Models in xRage: Part III Affect of Mesh Alignment

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

    Menikoff, Ralph

    The previous studies used an underdriven detonation wave in 1-dimension (steady ZND reaction zone profile followed by a scale-invariant rarefaction wave) for PBX 9502 as a verification test of the implementation of the SURF and SURFplus models in the xRage code. Since the SURF rate is a function of the lead shock pressure, the question arises as to the effect on accuracy of variations in the detected shock pressure due to the alignment of the shock front with the mesh. To study the effect of mesh alignment we simulate a cylindrically diverging detonation wave using a planar 2-D mesh. Themore » leading issue is the magnitude of azimuthal asymmetries in the numerical solution. The 2-D test case does not have an exact analytic solution. To quantify the accuracy, the 2-D solution along rays through the origin are compared to a highly resolved 1-D simulation in cylindrical geometry.« less

  10. Increasing specialty care access through use of an innovative home telehealth-based spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP)

    PubMed Central

    Seton, Jacinta M.; Washington, Monique; Tomlinson, Suk C.; Phrasavath, Douangmala; Farrell, Karen R.; Goldstein, Barry

    2016-01-01

    Background A spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP) was developed to address the unique medical, physical, functional, and psychosocial needs of those living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). The SCI DMP was piloted to evaluate DMP clinical content and to identify issues for broader implementation across the Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI System of Care. Methods Thirty-three patients with SCI/D from four VA SCI centers participated in a 6-month pilot. Patients received customized SCI DMP questions through a data messaging device (DMD). Nurse home telehealth care coordinators (HTCC) monitored responses and addressed clinical alerts daily. One site administered the Duke Severity of Illness (DUSOI) Checklist and Short Form-8 (SF-8™) to evaluate the changes in comorbidity severity and health-related quality of life while on the SCI DMP. Results Patients remained enrolled an average of 116 days, with a mean response rate of 56%. The average distance between patient's home and their VA SCI center was 59 miles. Feedback on SCI DMP content and the DMD included requests for additional clinical topics, changes in administration frequency, and adapting the DMD for functional impairments. Improvement in clinical outcomes was seen in a subset of patients enrolled on the SCI DMP. Conclusion SCI HTCCs and patients reported that the program was most beneficial for newly injured patients recently discharged from acute rehabilitation that live far from specialty SCI care facilities. SCI DMP content changes and broader implementation strategies are currently being evaluated based on lessons learned from the pilot. PMID:24617497

  11. Increasing specialty care access through use of an innovative home telehealth-based spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP).

    PubMed

    Woo, Christine; Seton, Jacinta M; Washington, Monique; Tomlinson, Suk C; Phrasavath, Douangmala; Farrell, Karen R; Goldstein, Barry

    2016-01-01

    A spinal cord injury disease management protocol (SCI DMP) was developed to address the unique medical, physical, functional, and psychosocial needs of those living with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). The SCI DMP was piloted to evaluate DMP clinical content and to identify issues for broader implementation across the Veterans Affairs (VA) SCI System of Care. Thirty-three patients with SCI/D from four VA SCI centers participated in a 6-month pilot. Patients received customized SCI DMP questions through a data messaging device (DMD). Nurse home telehealth care coordinators (HTCC) monitored responses and addressed clinical alerts daily. One site administered the Duke Severity of Illness (DUSOI) Checklist and Short Form-8 (SF-8™) to evaluate the changes in comorbidity severity and health-related quality of life while on the SCI DMP. Patients remained enrolled an average of 116 days, with a mean response rate of 56%. The average distance between patient's home and their VA SCI center was 59 miles. Feedback on SCI DMP content and the DMD included requests for additional clinical topics, changes in administration frequency, and adapting the DMD for functional impairments. Improvement in clinical outcomes was seen in a subset of patients enrolled on the SCI DMP. SCI HTCCs and patients reported that the program was most beneficial for newly injured patients recently discharged from acute rehabilitation that live far from specialty SCI care facilities. SCI DMP content changes and broader implementation strategies are currently being evaluated based on lessons learned from the pilot.

  12. Documentation of preventive care for pressure ulcers initiated during annual evaluations in SCI

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Objective Community-acquired pressure ulcers (PrUs) are a frequent cause of hospitalization of Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recommends that SCI annual evaluations include assessment of PrU risk factors, a thorough skin inspection and sharing of recommendations for PrU prevention strategies. We characterized consistency of preventive skin care during annual evaluations for Veterans with SCI as a first step in identifying strategies to more actively promote PrU prevention care in other healthcare encounters. Design/setting/participants Retrospective cross-sectional observational design, including review of electronic medical records for 206 Veterans with SCI admitted to 2 VA SCI centers from January-December, 2011. Outcome measures Proportion of applicable skin health elements documented (number of applicable elements/skin health elements documented). Results Our sample was primarily white (78%) male (96.1%), and mean age = 61 years. 40% of participants’ were hospitalized for PrU treatment, with a mean of 294 days (median = 345 days) from annual evaluation to the index admission. On average, Veterans received an average of 75.5% (IQR 68-86%) of applicable skin health elements. Documentation of applicable skin health elements was significantly higher during inpatient vs. outpatient annual evaluations (mean elements received = 80.3% and 64.3%, respectively, P > 0.001). No significant differences were observed in documentation of skin health elements by Veterans at high vs. low PrU risk. Conclusion Additional PrU preventive care in the VHA outpatient setting may increase identification and detection of PrU risk factors and early PrU damage for Veterans with SCI in the community, allowing for earlier intervention. PMID:26763668

  13. Documentation of preventive care for pressure ulcers initiated during annual evaluations in SCI.

    PubMed

    Guihan, Marylou; Murphy, Deidre; Rogers, Thea J; Parachuri, Ramadevi; Sae Richardson, Michael; Lee, Kenneth K; Bates-Jensen, Barbara M

    2016-05-01

    Community-acquired pressure ulcers (PrUs) are a frequent cause of hospitalization of Veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI). The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recommends that SCI annual evaluations include assessment of PrU risk factors, a thorough skin inspection and sharing of recommendations for PrU prevention strategies. We characterized consistency of preventive skin care during annual evaluations for Veterans with SCI as a first step in identifying strategies to more actively promote PrU prevention care in other healthcare encounters. Retrospective cross-sectional observational design, including review of electronic medical records for 206 Veterans with SCI admitted to 2 VA SCI centers from January-December, 2011. Proportion of applicable skin health elements documented (number of applicable elements/skin health elements documented). Our sample was primarily white (78%) male (96.1%), and mean age = 61 years. 40% of participants' were hospitalized for PrU treatment, with a mean of 294 days (median = 345 days) from annual evaluation to the index admission. On average, Veterans received an average of 75.5% (IQR 68-86%) of applicable skin health elements. Documentation of applicable skin health elements was significantly higher during inpatient vs. outpatient annual evaluations (mean elements received = 80.3% and 64.3%, respectively, P > 0.001). No significant differences were observed in documentation of skin health elements by Veterans at high vs. low PrU risk. Additional PrU preventive care in the VHA outpatient setting may increase identification and detection of PrU risk factors and early PrU damage for Veterans with SCI in the community, allowing for earlier intervention.

  14. Impact of an implanted neuroprosthesis on community ambulation in incomplete SCI.

    PubMed

    Lombardo, Lisa M; Kobetic, Rudolf; Pinault, Gilles; Foglyano, Kevin M; Bailey, Stephanie N; Selkirk, Stephen; Triolo, Ronald J

    2018-03-01

    Test the effect of a multi-joint control with implanted electrical stimulation on walking after spinal cord injury (SCI). Single subject research design with repeated measures. Hospital-based biomechanics laboratory and user assessment of community use. Female with C6 AIS C SCI 30 years post injury. Lower extremity muscle activation with an implanted pulse generator and gait training. Walking speed, maximum distance, oxygen consumption, upper extremity (UE) forces, kinematics and self-assessment of technology. Short distance walking speed at one-year follow up with or without stimulation was not significantly different from baseline. However, average walking speed was significantly faster (0.22 m/s) with stimulation over longer distances than volitional walking (0.12 m/s). In addition, there was a 413% increase in walking distance from 95 m volitionally to 488 m with stimulation while oxygen consumption and maximum upper extremity forces decreased by 22 and 16%, respectively. Stimulation also produced significant (P ≤ 0.001) improvements in peak hip and knee flexion, ankle angle at foot off and at mid-swing. An implanted neuroprosthesis enabled a subject with incomplete SCI to walk longer distances with improved hip and knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion resulting in decreased oxygen consumption and UE support. Further research is required to determine the robustness, generalizability and functional implications of implanted neuroprostheses for community ambulation after incomplete SCI.

  15. Microlithography and resist technology information at your fingertips via SciFinder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konuk, Rengin; Macko, John R.; Staggenborg, Lisa

    1997-07-01

    Finding and retrieving the information you need about microlithography and resist technology in a timely fashion can make or break your competitive edge in today's business environment. Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) provides the most complete and comprehensive database of the chemical literature in the CAplus, REGISTRY, and CASREACT files including 13 million document references, 15 million substance records and over 1.2 million reactions. This includes comprehensive coverage of positive and negative resist formulations and processing, photoacid generation, silylation, single and multilayer resist systems, photomasks, dry and wet etching, photolithography, electron-beam, ion-beam and x-ray lithography technologies and process control, optical tools, exposure systems, radiation sources and steppers. Journal articles, conference proceedings and patents related to microlithography and resist technology are analyzed and indexed by scientific information analysts with strong technical background in these areas. The full CAS database, which is updated weekly with new information, is now available at your desktop, via a convenient, user-friendly tool called 'SciFinder.' Author, subject and chemical substance searching is simplified by SciFinder's smart search features. Chemical substances can be searched by chemical structure, chemical name, CAS registry number or molecular formula. Drawing chemical structures in SciFinder is easy and does not require compliance with CA conventions. Built-in intelligence of SciFinder enables users to retrieve substances with multiple components, tautomeric forms and salts.

  16. Antidepressants Are Effective in Decreasing Neuropathic Pain After SCI: A Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Mehta, Swati; Guy, Stacey; Lam, Tracey; Teasell, Robert; Loh, Eldon

    2015-01-01

    To systematically review and assess the effectiveness and safety of antidepressants for neuropathic pain among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). A systematic search was conducted using multiple databases for relevant articles published from 1980 to April 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving antidepressant treatment of neuropathic pain with ≥ 3 individuals and ≥ 50% of study population with SCI were included. Two independent reviewers selected studies based on inclusion criteria and then extracted data. Pooled analysis using Cohen's d to calculate standardized mean difference, standard error, and 95% confidence interval for primary (pain) and other secondary outcomes was conducted. Four RCTs met inclusion criteria. Of these, 2 studies assessed amitriptyline, 1 trazadone, and 1 duloxetine among individuals with neuropathic SCI pain. A small effect was seen in the effectiveness of antidepressants in decreasing pain among individuals with SCI (standardized mean difference = 0.34 ± 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.62; P = .02). A number needed to treat of 3.4 for 30% or more pain relief was found by pooling 2 studies. Of these, significantly higher risk of experiencing constipation (risk ratio [RR] = 1.74; 95% CI, 1.09-2.78; P = .02) and dry mouth (RR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.04-1.85; P = .02) was found amongst individuals receiving antidepressant treatment compared to those in the control group. The current meta-analysis demonstrates that antidepressants are effective in reducing neuropathic SCI pain. However, this should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of studies. Further evaluation of long-term therapeutic options may be required.

  17. General Multivariate Linear Modeling of Surface Shapes Using SurfStat

    PubMed Central

    Chung, Moo K.; Worsley, Keith J.; Nacewicz, Brendon, M.; Dalton, Kim M.; Davidson, Richard J.

    2010-01-01

    Although there are many imaging studies on traditional ROI-based amygdala volumetry, there are very few studies on modeling amygdala shape variations. This paper present a unified computational and statistical framework for modeling amygdala shape variations in a clinical population. The weighted spherical harmonic representation is used as to parameterize, to smooth out, and to normalize amygdala surfaces. The representation is subsequently used as an input for multivariate linear models accounting for nuisance covariates such as age and brain size difference using SurfStat package that completely avoids the complexity of specifying design matrices. The methodology has been applied for quantifying abnormal local amygdala shape variations in 22 high functioning autistic subjects. PMID:20620211

  18. Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-13-1-0387 TITLE: Pressure Relief Behaviors and Weight-Shifting Activities to Prevent Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI... Pressure Ulcers in Persons with SCI 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-13-1-0387 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Stephen Sprigle, PhD...Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Pressure ulcers (PU) are the most costly secondary complication following an SCI. In addition to the

  19. SURF's Up: An Outline of an Innovative Framework for Teaching Mental Computation to Students in the Early Years of Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russo, James

    2015-01-01

    In this article James Russo presents the Strategies, Understanding, Reading and Fast Facts Framework (SURF) for mental computation. He explains how this framework can be used to deepen mathematical understanding and build mental flexibility.

  20. Improvement in Student Science Proficiency Through InSciEd Out

    PubMed Central

    Sonju, James D.; Leicester, Jean E.; Hoody, Maggie; LaBounty, Thomas J.; Frimannsdottir, Katrin R.; Ekker, Stephen C.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Integrated Science Education Outreach (InSciEd Out) is a collaboration formed between Mayo Clinic, Winona State University, and Rochester Public Schools (MN) with the shared vision of achieving excellence in science education. InSciEd Out employs an equitable partnership model between scientists, teachers, education researchers, and the community. Teams of teachers from all disciplines within a single school experience cutting-edge science using the zebrafish model system, as well as current pedagogical methods, during a summer internship at the Mayo Clinic. Within the internship, the teachers produce new curriculum that directly addresses opportunities for science education improvement at their own school. Zebrafish are introduced within the new curriculum to support a living model of the practice of science. Following partnership with the InSciEd Out program and 2 years of implementation in the classroom, teacher-interns from a K–8 public school reported access to local scientific technology and expertise they had not previously recognized. Teachers also reported improved integration of other disciplines into the scientific curriculum and a flow of concepts vertically from K through 8. Students more than doubled selection of an Honors science track in high school to nearly 90%. 98% of students who took the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in their 5th and 8th grade year (a span that includes 2 years of InSciEd Out) showed medium or high growth in science proficiency. These metrics indicate that cooperation between educators and scientists can result in positive change in student science proficiency and demonstrate that a higher expectation in science education can be achieved in US public schools. PMID:23244687

  1. [SciELO: A cooperative project for the dissemination of science].

    PubMed

    Bojo Canales, C; Fraga Medín, C; Hernández Villegas, S; Primo Peña, E

    2009-10-01

    The article describes the SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) model for the electronic publication and dissemination of scientific journals, its origin and evolution, methodology, components, services and potential, and its implantation in Spain. It consists of thirteen participant countries with eight certified web portals, with another 5 under development and another two thematic ones. In February 2009 Scielo.org had 611 magazines and 195,789 articles of which 46% were about health sciences. Spain became a project member in 1999 and launched the SciELO web portal in 2001, as well as 4 magazines. It currently has 39 titles in the field of Health Sciences; one of which is the Revista Española de Sanidad Penitenciaria, which joined the project in 2007 and which currently has 6 issues from 2007 and 2008 available. This makes it one of the most important open access initiatives existing. The report concludes by stating that the SciELO model contributes to the development of research and science by offering an effective and efficient method of promoting and increasing the dissemination of scientific publications in Latin America.

  2. Science Classroom Inquiry (SCI) Simulations: A Novel Method to Scaffold Science Learning

    PubMed Central

    Peffer, Melanie E.; Beckler, Matthew L.; Schunn, Christian; Renken, Maggie; Revak, Amanda

    2015-01-01

    Science education is progressively more focused on employing inquiry-based learning methods in the classroom and increasing scientific literacy among students. However, due to time and resource constraints, many classroom science activities and laboratory experiments focus on simple inquiry, with a step-by-step approach to reach predetermined outcomes. The science classroom inquiry (SCI) simulations were designed to give students real life, authentic science experiences within the confines of a typical classroom. The SCI simulations allow students to engage with a science problem in a meaningful, inquiry-based manner. Three discrete SCI simulations were created as website applications for use with middle school and high school students. For each simulation, students were tasked with solving a scientific problem through investigation and hypothesis testing. After completion of the simulation, 67% of students reported a change in how they perceived authentic science practices, specifically related to the complex and dynamic nature of scientific research and how scientists approach problems. Moreover, 80% of the students who did not report a change in how they viewed the practice of science indicated that the simulation confirmed or strengthened their prior understanding. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between students’ self-reported changes in understanding of authentic science practices and the degree to which each simulation benefitted learning. Since SCI simulations were effective in promoting both student learning and student understanding of authentic science practices with both middle and high school students, we propose that SCI simulations are a valuable and versatile technology that can be used to educate and inspire a wide range of science students on the real-world complexities inherent in scientific study. PMID:25786245

  3. Science classroom inquiry (SCI) simulations: a novel method to scaffold science learning.

    PubMed

    Peffer, Melanie E; Beckler, Matthew L; Schunn, Christian; Renken, Maggie; Revak, Amanda

    2015-01-01

    Science education is progressively more focused on employing inquiry-based learning methods in the classroom and increasing scientific literacy among students. However, due to time and resource constraints, many classroom science activities and laboratory experiments focus on simple inquiry, with a step-by-step approach to reach predetermined outcomes. The science classroom inquiry (SCI) simulations were designed to give students real life, authentic science experiences within the confines of a typical classroom. The SCI simulations allow students to engage with a science problem in a meaningful, inquiry-based manner. Three discrete SCI simulations were created as website applications for use with middle school and high school students. For each simulation, students were tasked with solving a scientific problem through investigation and hypothesis testing. After completion of the simulation, 67% of students reported a change in how they perceived authentic science practices, specifically related to the complex and dynamic nature of scientific research and how scientists approach problems. Moreover, 80% of the students who did not report a change in how they viewed the practice of science indicated that the simulation confirmed or strengthened their prior understanding. Additionally, we found a statistically significant positive correlation between students' self-reported changes in understanding of authentic science practices and the degree to which each simulation benefitted learning. Since SCI simulations were effective in promoting both student learning and student understanding of authentic science practices with both middle and high school students, we propose that SCI simulations are a valuable and versatile technology that can be used to educate and inspire a wide range of science students on the real-world complexities inherent in scientific study.

  4. Astronomical Data Processing Using SciQL, an SQL Based Query Language for Array Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Y.; Scheers, B.; Kersten, M.; Ivanova, M.; Nes, N.

    2012-09-01

    SciQL (pronounced as ‘cycle’) is a novel SQL-based array query language for scientific applications with both tables and arrays as first class citizens. SciQL lowers the entrance fee of adopting relational DBMS (RDBMS) in scientific domains, because it includes functionality often only found in mathematics software packages. In this paper, we demonstrate the usefulness of SciQL for astronomical data processing using examples from the Transient Key Project of the LOFAR radio telescope. In particular, how the LOFAR light-curve database of all detected sources can be constructed, by correlating sources across the spatial, frequency, time and polarisation domains.

  5. SciJourn is magic: construction of a science journalism community of practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholas, Celeste R.

    2017-06-01

    This article is the first to describe the discoursal construction of an adolescent community of practice (CoP) in a non-school setting. CoPs can provide optimal learning environments. The adolescent community centered around science journalism and positioned itself dichotomously in relationship to school literacy practices. The analysis focuses on recordings from a panel-style research interview from an early implementation of the Science Literacy Through Science Journalism (SciJourn) project. Researchers trained high school students participating in a youth development program to write science news articles. Students engaged in the authentic practices of professional science journalists, received feedback from a professional editor, and submitted articles for publication. I used a fine-grained critical discourse analysis of genre, discourse, and style to analyze student responses about differences between writing in SciJourn and in school. Students described themselves as agentic in SciJourn and passive in school, using an academic writing discourse of deficit to describe schooling experiences. They affiliated with and defined a SciJourn CoP, constructing positive journalistic identities therein. Educators are encouraged to develop similar CoPs. The discursive features presented may be used to monitor the development of communities of practice in a variety of settings.

  6. Performance Engineering Research Institute SciDAC-2 Enabling Technologies Institute Final Report

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

    Lucas, Robert

    2013-04-20

    Enhancing the performance of SciDAC applications on petascale systems had high priority within DOE SC at the start of the second phase of the SciDAC program, SciDAC-2, as it continues to do so today. Achieving expected levels of performance on high-end computing (HEC) systems is growing ever more challenging due to enormous scale, increasing architectural complexity, and increasing application complexity. To address these challenges, the University of Southern California?s Information Sciences Institute organized the Performance Engineering Research Institute (PERI). PERI implemented a unified, tripartite research plan encompassing: (1) performance modeling and prediction; (2) automatic performance tuning; and (3) performance engineeringmore » of high profile applications. Within PERI, USC?s primary research activity was automatic tuning (autotuning) of scientific software. This activity was spurred by the strong user preference for automatic tools and was based on previous successful activities such as ATLAS, which automatically tuned components of the LAPACK linear algebra library, and other recent work on autotuning domain-specific libraries. Our other major component was application engagement, to which we devoted approximately 30% of our effort to work directly with SciDAC-2 applications. This report is a summary of the overall results of the USC PERI effort.« less

  7. Superlow Friction Behavior of Diamond-Like Carbon Coatings: Time and Speed Effects

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-04-23

    Tribol. Lett. 4, 259 ~1998!. 10 A. Erdemir, O. L. Eryilmaz, I. B. Nilufer, and G. R. Fenske , Surf. Coat. Technol. 133–134, 448 ~2000!. 11 A. Erdemir...O. L. Eryilmaz, and G. Fenske , J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 18, 1987 ~2000!. 12 Thermohygrometer readings for all tests were 0.0% RH with an accuracy of 1

  8. Simulation of Gas-Surface Dynamical Interactions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-07-01

    the interacting particle on the surface. Trapping probabilities often scale as Ei cosn θi with n < 2. An exponent of n = 0 corresponds to total energy...1996). [85] A. E. Wiskerke, F. H. Geuzebroek, A. W. Kleyn, and B. E. Hayden, Surf. Sci. 272, 256 (1992). [86] J. E. Hurst , L. Wharton, K. C. Janda

  9. What Are the Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)?

    MedlinePlus

    ... potential risk factors for persons with SCI) Functional electrical stimulation for assistance with restoration of neuromuscular function, ... A-Z Topics Rehabilitation Medicine Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology Pediatric Injury NICHD News and Features Focus on ...

  10. Exploring Student and Supervisor Interaction during the SciPro Thesis Process: Two Use Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Preben; Hansson, Henrik

    2017-01-01

    Common problems identified by students during their interaction with supervisors are too little instructions as well as infrequent and insufficient supervisor feedback. The SciPro system has been developed to tackle these problems. This paper describes, analyzes and discusses the interaction between students and supervisors using the SciPro…

  11. Comparison Between Surf and Multi-Shock Forest Fire High Explosive Burn Models

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

    Greenfield, Nicholas Alexander

    PAGOSA1 has several different burn models used to model high explosive detonation. Two of these, Multi-Shock Forest Fire and Surf, are capable of modeling shock initiation. Accurately calculating shock initiation of a high explosive is important because it is a mechanism for detonation in many accident scenarios (i.e. fragment impact). Comparing the models to pop-plot data give confidence that the models are accurately calculating detonation or lack thereof. To compare the performance of these models, pop-plots2 were created from simulations where one two cm block of PBX 9502 collides with another block of PBX 9502.

  12. Measuring stigma after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Stigma item bank and short form.

    PubMed

    Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S; Pace, Natalie; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W; Heinemann, Allen W

    2015-05-01

    To develop a calibrated item bank and computer adaptive test (CAT) to assess the effects of stigma on health-related quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration field testing, confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory (IRT)-based psychometric analyses. Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. SCI-QOL Stigma Item Bank A sample of 611 individuals with traumatic SCI completed 30 items assessing SCI-related stigma. After 7 items were iteratively removed, factor analyses confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. Graded Response Model IRT analyses were used to estimate slopes and thresholds for the final 23 items. The SCI-QOL Stigma item bank is unique not only in the assessment of SCI-related stigma but also in the inclusion of individuals with SCI in all phases of its development. Use of confirmatory factor analytic and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The item bank may be administered as a CAT or as a 10-item fixed-length short form and can be used for research and clinical applications.

  13. Using the autonomic standards to assess orthostatic hypotension in persons with SCI: a case series.

    PubMed

    Wecht, Jill M; Wilson, James; Previnaire, Jean-Gabriel

    2017-01-01

    Spinal cord injury (SCI) creates a complex and unique syndrome of medical issues related to disruption of somatic and autonomic pathways. Among these impaired control of blood pressure (BP) can significantly impede patients' activities of daily living. The International Standards for the Assessment of Autonomic Function after SCI (ISAFSCI) is used to document the impact of SCI on resting BP (abnormal if below 90 mmHg) and the presence or absence of orthostatic hypotension (OH), defined as a symptomatic or asymptomatic decrease in BP (>/=20/10 mmHg) upon moving to an upright position. Case 1 documents the adverse influence of prescribed medications (antidepressants for neuropathic pain) on OH; case 2 describes the influence of bladder management on cardiovascular instability (autonomic dysreflexia and subsequent OH); case 3 describes the association between spasticity and OH; case 4 describes OH associated with a Valsalva maneuver. Impaired control of BP can stem from a combination of medical issues and autonomic dysfunction in persons with SCI. Management strategies for OH will vary depending on the stage of the SCI, the root cause of the OH and other confounding medical conditions. Non-pharmacological treatment should be considered as a first line of intervention and consideration should be given to cessation of potentially contributory medications prior to implementing pharmaceutical interventions. The systematic use of ISAFSCI by clinicians is recommended to document BP irregularities and to describe the effects of treatment strategies aimed at improving BP control in the SCI population.

  14. A pilot study examining correlates of body image among women living with SCI.

    PubMed

    Bassett, R L; Martin Ginis, K A; Buchholz, A C

    2009-06-01

    Cross-sectional pilot study. To explore correlates of body image among women with spinal cord injury (SCI), within the framework of Cash's cognitive behavioral model of body image. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Women with SCI (N=11, 64% with tetraplegia) reported their functional and appearance body image (Adult Body Satisfaction Questionnaire). A 3-day recall of leisure time physical activity (LTPA), three measures of body composition (that is, weight, waist circumference, body fat) and several demographic variables were assessed as potential correlates. Appearance satisfaction was negatively correlated with all three measures of body composition and positively correlated with years postinjury. Functional satisfaction was positively correlated with years postinjury, and negatively correlated with various LTPA variables. Functional and appearance body image may improve with time following SCI. Body composition may impact satisfaction with physical appearance for some women. The negative relationship between LTPA and functional satisfaction merits further examination, as functional dissatisfaction may motivate individuals to engage in certain types and intensities of LTPA. Correlates of body image differ between appearance and functional satisfaction. Future research should examine appearance and functional satisfaction separately among women with SCI.

  15. A Structured Clinical Interview for Kleptomania (SCI-K): preliminary validity and reliability testing.

    PubMed

    Grant, Jon E; Kim, Suck Won; McCabe, James S

    2006-06-01

    Kleptomania presents difficulties in diagnosis for clinicians. This study aimed to develop and test a DSM-IV-based diagnostic instrument for kleptomania. To assess for current kleptomania the Structured Clinical Interview for Kleptomania (SCI-K) was administered to 112 consecutive subjects requesting psychiatric outpatient treatment for a variety of disorders. Reliability and validity were determined. Classification accuracy was examined using the longitudinal course of illness. The SCI-K demonstrated excellent test-retest (Phi coefficient = 0.956 (95% CI = 0.937, 0.970)) and inter-rater reliability (phi coefficient = 0.718 (95% CI = 0.506, 0.848)) in the diagnosis of kleptomania. Concurrent validity was observed with a self-report measure using DSM-IV kleptomania criteria (phi coefficient = 0.769 (95% CI = 0.653, 0.850)). Discriminant validity was observed with a measure of depression (point biserial coefficient = -0.020 (95% CI = -0.205, 0.166)). The SCI-K demonstrated both high sensitivity and specificity based on longitudinal assessment. The SCI-K demonstrated excellent reliability and validity in diagnosing kleptomania in subjects presenting with various psychiatric problems. These findings require replication in larger groups, including non-psychiatric populations, to examine their generalizability. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Ertapenem-associated neurotoxicity in the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) population: a case series.

    PubMed

    Patel, Ursula C; Fowler, Mallory A

    2017-09-06

    Context Ertapenem, a broad spectrum carbapenem antibiotic, is used often in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients due to increased risk factors for multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections in this population. Neurotoxicity, specifically seizures, due to ertapenem is a known adverse effect and has been described previously. Other manifestations such as delirium and visual hallucinations have rarely been reported, and no literature, to the best of our knowledge, specifically describes these effects solely in the SCI population. Findings Four cases of mental status changes and hallucinations in SCI patients attributed to ertapenem therapy are described. Onset of symptoms began between one and six days following initiation of ertapenem and resolved between two to 42 days following discontinuation. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, a probable relationship exists between the adverse events and ertapenem for three out of the four cases. Possible overestimation of renal function and hypoalbuminemia may be contributing factors to the noted adverse reactions. Conclusion/Clinical Relevance The cases described highlight the importance of recognizing ertapenem-associated hallucinations in SCI patients. The population is particularly vulnerable due to risk factors for MDR infections necessitating ertapenem use, possible overestimation of renal function, and a high prevalence of hypoalbuminemia.

  17. Looking into Pandora's Box: The Content of Sci-Hub and its Usage.

    PubMed

    Greshake, Bastian

    2017-01-01

    Despite the growth of Open Access, potentially illegally circumventing paywalls to access scholarly publications is becoming a more mainstream phenomenon. The web service Sci-Hub is amongst the biggest facilitators of this, offering free access to around 62 million publications. So far it is not well studied how and why its users are accessing publications through Sci-Hub. By utilizing the recently released corpus of Sci-Hub and comparing it to the data of  ~28 million downloads done through the service, this study tries to address some of these questions. The comparative analysis shows that both the usage and complete corpus is largely made up of recently published articles, with users disproportionately favoring newer articles and 35% of downloaded articles being published after 2013. These results hint that embargo periods before publications become Open Access are frequently circumnavigated using Guerilla Open Access approaches like Sci-Hub. On a journal level, the downloads show a bias towards some scholarly disciplines, especially Chemistry, suggesting increased barriers to access for these. Comparing the use and corpus on a publisher level, it becomes clear that only 11% of publishers are highly requested in comparison to the baseline frequency, while 45% of all publishers are significantly less accessed than expected. Despite this, the oligopoly of publishers is even more remarkable on the level of content consumption, with 80% of all downloads being published through only 9 publishers. All of this suggests that Sci-Hub is used by different populations and for a number of different reasons, and that there is still a lack of access to the published scientific record. A further analysis of these openly available data resources will undoubtedly be valuable for the investigation of academic publishing.

  18. The Impact of Health Behaviors and Health Management on Employment After SCI: Physical Health and Functioning.

    PubMed

    Meade, Michelle A; Reed, Karla S; Krause, James S

    2016-01-01

    Background : Research has shown that employment following spinal cord injury (SCI) is related to health and functioning, with physical health and functioning after SCI frequently identified as a primary barrier to employment. Objective: To examine the relationship between employment and behaviors associated with the management of physical health and functioning as described by individuals with SCI who have been employed post injury. Methods: A qualitative approach using 6 focus groups at 2 sites included 44 participants with SCI who had worked at some time post injury. Heterogeneous and homogeneous groups were created based on specific characteristics, such as education, gender, or race. A semi-structured interview format asked questions about personal, environmental, and policy-related factors influencing employment after SCI. Groups were recorded, transcribed, and entered into NVivo before coding by 2 reviewers. Results: Within the area of behaviors and management of physical health and functioning, 4 overlapping themes were identified: (1) relearning your own body and what it can do; (2) general health and wellness behaviors; (3) communication, education, and advocacy; and (4) secondary conditions and aging. Specific themes articulate the many types of behaviors individuals must master and their impact on return to work as well as on finding, maintaining, and deciding to leave employment. Conclusions: Individuals with SCI who are successfully employed after injury must learn how to perform necessary behaviors to manage health and function in a work environment. The decision to leave employment often appears to be associated with secondary complications and other conditions that occur as persons with SCI age.

  19. Publishing datasets with eSciDoc and panMetaDocs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ulbricht, D.; Klump, J.; Bertelmann, R.

    2012-04-01

    Currently serveral research institutions worldwide undertake considerable efforts to have their scientific datasets published and to syndicate them to data portals as extensively described objects identified by a persistent identifier. This is done to foster the reuse of data, to make scientific work more transparent, and to create a citable entity that can be referenced unambigously in written publications. GFZ Potsdam established a publishing workflow for file based research datasets. Key software components are an eSciDoc infrastructure [1] and multiple instances of the data curation tool panMetaDocs [2]. The eSciDoc repository holds data objects and their associated metadata in container objects, called eSciDoc items. A key metadata element in this context is the publication status of the referenced data set. PanMetaDocs, which is based on PanMetaWorks [3], is a PHP based web application that allows to describe data with any XML-based metadata schema. The metadata fields can be filled with static or dynamic content to reduce the number of fields that require manual entries to a minimum and make use of contextual information in a project setting. Access rights can be applied to set visibility of datasets to other project members and allow collaboration on and notifying about datasets (RSS) and interaction with the internal messaging system, that was inherited from panMetaWorks. When a dataset is to be published, panMetaDocs allows to change the publication status of the eSciDoc item from status "private" to "submitted" and prepare the dataset for verification by an external reviewer. After quality checks, the item publication status can be changed to "published". This makes the data and metadata available through the internet worldwide. PanMetaDocs is developed as an eSciDoc application. It is an easy to use graphical user interface to eSciDoc items, their data and metadata. It is also an application supporting a DOI publication agent during the process of

  20. Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) transforms how GABA affects nociceptive sensitization.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yung-Jen; Lee, Kuan H; Murphy, Lauren; Garraway, Sandra M; Grau, James W

    2016-11-01

    Noxious input can sensitize pain (nociceptive) circuits within the spinal cord, inducing a lasting increase in spinal cord neural excitability (central sensitization) that is thought to contribute to chronic pain. The development of spinally-mediated central sensitization is regulated by descending fibers and GABAergic interneurons. The current study provides evidence that spinal cord injury (SCI) transforms how GABA affects nociceptive transmission within the spinal cord, recapitulating an earlier developmental state wherein GABA has an excitatory effect. In spinally transected rats, noxious electrical stimulation and inflammation induce enhanced mechanical reactivity (EMR), a behavioral index of nociceptive sensitization. Pretreatment with the GABA A receptor antagonist bicuculline blocked these effects. Peripheral application of an irritant (capsaicin) also induced EMR. Both the induction and maintenance of this effect were blocked by bicuculline. Cellular indices of central sensitization [c-fos expression and ERK phosphorylation (pERK)] were also attenuated. In intact (sham operated) rats, bicuculline had the opposite effect. Pretreatment with a GABA agonist (muscimol) attenuated nociceptive sensitization in intact, but not spinally injured, rats. The effect of SCI on GABA function was linked to a reduction in the Cl - transporter, KCC2, leading to a reduction in intracellular Cl - that would attenuate GABA-mediated inhibition. Pharmacologically blocking the KCC2 channel (with i.t. DIOA) in intact rats mimicked the effect of SCI. Conversely, a pharmacological treatment (bumetanide) that should increase intracellular Cl - levels blocked the effect of SCI. The results suggest that GABAergic neurons drive, rather than inhibit, the development of nociceptive sensitization after spinal injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Pediatric SCI/D caregiver mental health and family dynamics in Colombia, South America.

    PubMed

    Doyle, Sarah T; Perrin, Paul B; Nicholls, Elizabeth; Olivera, Silvia Leonor; Quintero, Lorena Medina; Otálvaro, Nadezda Yulieth Méndez; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the connections between family dynamics and the mental health of caregivers of youth with spinal cord injuries/disorders (SCI/D) caregivers from Colombia, South America. It was hypothesized that lower family functioning would be associated with poorer caregiver mental health. A cross-sectional study of self-report data collected from caregivers through the Hospital Universatario Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo in Neiva, Colombia. Thirty caregivers of children with SCI/D from Nevia, Colombia who were a primary caregiver for ≥3 months, providing care for an individual who was ≥6 months post-injury/diagnosis, familiar with the patient's history, and without neurological or psychiatric conditions. Caregivers' average age was 41.30 years (SD = 10.98), and 90% were female. Caregivers completed Spanish versions of instruments assessing their own mental health and family dynamics. Family dynamics explained 43.2% of the variance in caregiver burden and 50.1% of the variance in satisfaction with life, although family dynamics were not significantly associated with caregiver depression in the overall analysis. Family satisfaction was the only family dynamics variable to yield a significant unique association with any index of caregiver mental health (satisfaction with life). If similar findings emerge in future intervention research, interventions for pediatric SCI/D caregivers in Colombia and other similar global regions could benefit from including techniques to improve family dynamics, especially family satisfaction, given the strong potentially reciprocal connection between these dynamics and caregiver mental health. The degree of disability resulting from SCI/D can vary greatly depending on the severity and level of the lesion, though permanent impairment is often present that profoundly impacts both physical and psychological functioning. Very little is known about the impact of pediatric SCI/D in developing countries, despite the high rates of

  2. Measuring stigma after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Stigma item bank and short form

    PubMed Central

    Kisala, Pamela A.; Tulsky, David S.; Pace, Natalie; Victorson, David; Choi, Seung W.; Heinemann, Allen W.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To develop a calibrated item bank and computer adaptive test (CAT) to assess the effects of stigma on health-related quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration field testing, confirmatory factor analysis, and item response theory (IRT)-based psychometric analyses. Setting Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Main Outcome Measures SCI-QOL Stigma Item Bank Results A sample of 611 individuals with traumatic SCI completed 30 items assessing SCI-related stigma. After 7 items were iteratively removed, factor analyses confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. Graded Response Model IRT analyses were used to estimate slopes and thresholds for the final 23 items. Conclusions The SCI-QOL Stigma item bank is unique not only in the assessment of SCI-related stigma but also in the inclusion of individuals with SCI in all phases of its development. Use of confirmatory factor analytic and IRT methods provide flexibility and precision of measurement. The item bank may be administered as a CAT or as a 10-item fixed-length short form and can be used for research and clinical applications. PMID:26010973

  3. A Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Wave-Generated Foam Patterns in the Surf Zone

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-01-10

    region, rectange B depicts the gap region, rectangle C is the plunging breaker, circle D represents a foam hole, rectangle E depict a top box...structures: The hidden skeleton of fluid flows . Phys. Today, 66, 41–47. 35 V. CONCLUSION Unique surf zone imagery, acquired from a UAV at Sand City...MacMahan, J. H., E . B . Thornton, T. P. Stanton, and A. J. H. M. Reniers, 2005: RIPEX: Observations of a rip current system. Mar. Geol., 218, 113–134

  4. MicroRNA-146a Contributes to SCI Recovery via Regulating TRAF6 and IRAK1 Expression.

    PubMed

    Wei, Jinsong; Wang, Jiafeng; Zhou, Yulan; Yan, Shouquan; Li, Keshen; Lin, Hongsheng

    2016-01-01

    MicroRNA-146a participates in spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery. Until recently, how miRNA-146a participates in SCI remained unclear. In this study, we tried to explore the roles of miRNA-146a in the recovery of SCI using a rat model. The expression of the probable target genes of miRNA-146a (including IRAK1 and TARF6) as well as proinflammation cytokines were measured until 7 days after surgery in the three groups (sham group, SCI group, and miRNA-146a antagomir injection group). Also, the animals' motivations were estimated using Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) during the whole experiment. A luciferase assay was performed to demonstrate that miRNA-146a could directly target the mRNAs of IRAK1 and TRAF6 . Our experiments indicate that miRNA-146a inhibits proinflammatory cytokine secretion by suppressing IRAK1 and TRAF6 expression in the SCI model. In contrast, miRNA-146a may be upregulated by inflammatory mediators via the IRAK1 / TRAF6 pathway in the spinal cord. As a negative feedback element, miRNA-146a could make sure that the expression of IRAK1 - and TRAF6 -mediated genes was under tight control. Thus, miRNA-146a may serve as a novel therapeutic target for SCI interventions.

  5. Neuroinflammatory contributions to pain after SCI: roles for central glial mechanisms and nociceptor-mediated host defense.

    PubMed

    Walters, Edgar T

    2014-08-01

    Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is common, often intractable, and can be severely debilitating. A number of mechanisms have been proposed for this pain, which are discussed briefly, along with methods for revealing SCI pain in animal models, such as the recently applied conditioned place preference test. During the last decade, studies of animal models have shown that both central neuroinflammation and behavioral hypersensitivity (indirect reflex measures of pain) persist chronically after SCI. Interventions that reduce neuroinflammation have been found to ameliorate pain-related behavior, such as treatment with agents that inhibit the activation states of microglia and/or astroglia (including IL-10, minocycline, etanercept, propentofylline, ibudilast, licofelone, SP600125, carbenoxolone). Reversal of pain-related behavior has also been shown with disruption by an inhibitor (CR8) and/or genetic deletion of cell cycle-related proteins, deletion of a truncated receptor (trkB.T1) for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or reduction by antisense knockdown or an inhibitor (AMG9810) of the activity of channels (TRPV1 or Nav1.8) important for electrical activity in primary nociceptors. Nociceptor activity is known to drive central neuroinflammation in peripheral injury models, and nociceptors appear to be an integral component of host defense. Thus, emerging results suggest that spinal and systemic effects of SCI can activate nociceptor-mediated host defense responses that interact via neuroinflammatory signaling with complex central consequences of SCI to drive chronic pain. This broader view of SCI-induced neuroinflammation suggests new targets, and additional complications, for efforts to develop effective treatments for neuropathic SCI pain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. A Comprehensive Motion Estimation Technique for the Improvement of EIS Methods Based on the SURF Algorithm and Kalman Filter.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Xuemin; Hao, Qun; Xie, Mengdi

    2016-04-07

    Video stabilization is an important technology for removing undesired motion in videos. This paper presents a comprehensive motion estimation method for electronic image stabilization techniques, integrating the speeded up robust features (SURF) algorithm, modified random sample consensus (RANSAC), and the Kalman filter, and also taking camera scaling and conventional camera translation and rotation into full consideration. Using SURF in sub-pixel space, feature points were located and then matched. The false matched points were removed by modified RANSAC. Global motion was estimated by using the feature points and modified cascading parameters, which reduced the accumulated errors in a series of frames and improved the peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) by 8.2 dB. A specific Kalman filter model was established by considering the movement and scaling of scenes. Finally, video stabilization was achieved with filtered motion parameters using the modified adjacent frame compensation. The experimental results proved that the target images were stabilized even when the vibrating amplitudes of the video become increasingly large.

  7. Web life: Planet SciCast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2009-08-01

    So what is the site about? Planet SciCast is an online repository for short films about science - a bit like a science-specific, moderated version of YouTube. As of July 2009, the site hosts over 150 films on topics ranging from CERN's Large Hadron Collider to fun things to do with treacle. New content appears on the site every few weeks, and some films include links to information about related experiments, demos and activities. The site also runs an annual competition aimed at getting more people involved in making science films, with prizes in categories like "best original score" and "best presenter".

  8. Use, knowledge, and perception of the scientific contribution of Sci-Hub in medical students: Study in six countries in Latin America

    PubMed Central

    Mejia, Christian R.; Valladares-Garrido, Mario J.; Miñan-Tapia, Armando; Serrano, Felipe T.; Tobler-Gómez, Liz E.; Pereda-Castro, William; Mendoza-Flores, Cynthia R.; Mundaca-Manay, Maria Y.; Valladares-Garrido, Danai

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Sci-Hub is a useful web portal for people working in science as it provides access to millions of free scientific articles. Satisfaction and usage should be explored in the Latino student population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use, knowledge, and perception of the scientific contribution of Sci-Hub in medical students from Latin America. Methodology A multicenter, observational, analytical study was conducted in 6632 medical students from 6 countries in Latin America. We surveyed from a previously validated instrument, delving into knowledge, monthly average usage, satisfaction level, and perception of the scientific contributions provided by Sci-Hub. Frequencies and percentages are described, and generalized linear models were used to establish statistical associations. Results Only 19.2% of study participants knew of Sci-Hub and its function, while the median use was twice a month. 29.9% of Sci-Hub-aware participants claimed they always find the desired scientific information in their Sci-Hub search; 62.5% of participants affirmed that Sci-Hub contributes to scientific investigation; only 2.2% reported that Sci-Hub does not contribute to science. Conclusion The majority of Latino students are not aware of Sci-Hub. PMID:28982181

  9. Use, knowledge, and perception of the scientific contribution of Sci-Hub in medical students: Study in six countries in Latin America.

    PubMed

    Mejia, Christian R; Valladares-Garrido, Mario J; Miñan-Tapia, Armando; Serrano, Felipe T; Tobler-Gómez, Liz E; Pereda-Castro, William; Mendoza-Flores, Cynthia R; Mundaca-Manay, Maria Y; Valladares-Garrido, Danai

    2017-01-01

    Sci-Hub is a useful web portal for people working in science as it provides access to millions of free scientific articles. Satisfaction and usage should be explored in the Latino student population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use, knowledge, and perception of the scientific contribution of Sci-Hub in medical students from Latin America. A multicenter, observational, analytical study was conducted in 6632 medical students from 6 countries in Latin America. We surveyed from a previously validated instrument, delving into knowledge, monthly average usage, satisfaction level, and perception of the scientific contributions provided by Sci-Hub. Frequencies and percentages are described, and generalized linear models were used to establish statistical associations. Only 19.2% of study participants knew of Sci-Hub and its function, while the median use was twice a month. 29.9% of Sci-Hub-aware participants claimed they always find the desired scientific information in their Sci-Hub search; 62.5% of participants affirmed that Sci-Hub contributes to scientific investigation; only 2.2% reported that Sci-Hub does not contribute to science. The majority of Latino students are not aware of Sci-Hub.

  10. Differences in the use of everyday technology among persons with MCI, SCI and older adults without known cognitive impairment.

    PubMed

    Malinowsky, Camilla; Kottorp, Anders; Wallin, Anders; Nordlund, Arto; Björklund, Eva; Melin, Ilse; Pernevik, Anette; Rosenberg, Lena; Nygård, Louise

    2017-07-01

    To use valid subjective reports sensible to cognitive decline is vital to identify very early signs of dementia development. Use of everyday technology (ET) has been shown to be sensitive to differentiate adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from controls, but the group with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) has not yet been examined. This study aims to investigate and compare self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs reported as actually used in a sample of older adults with SCI, MCI, and older adults with no known cognitive impairment, i.e. Older adults with MCI (n = 29), SCI ( n = 26), and controls (n = 30) were interviewed with the short version of the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (S-ETUQ) to capture self-perceived ability in ET use and number of ETs used. To generate individual measures of ability to use ET, Rasch analysis was used. The measures were then compared group-wise using ANCOVA. The numbers of ETs used were compared group-wise with ANOVA. Controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly regarding ETs reported as used, but not SCI versus MCI. Similarly, in ability to use ET, controls versus SCI and MCI differed significantly but not SCI versus MCI. The significantly lower numbers of ETs reported as actually used and the lower ability in SCI and MCI groups compared to controls suggest that ET use is affected already in very minor cognitive decline. This indicates that self-reported ET use based on the S-ETUQ is sensitive to detect changes already in SCI.

  11. An international age- and gender-controlled model for the Spinal Cord Injury Ability Realization Measurement Index (SCI-ARMI).

    PubMed

    Scivoletto, Giorgio; Glass, Clive; Anderson, Kim D; Galili, Tal; Benjamin, Yoav; Front, Lilach; Aidinoff, Elena; Bluvshtein, Vadim; Itzkovich, Malka; Aito, Sergio; Baroncini, Ilaria; Benito-Penalva, Jesùs; Castellano, Simona; Osman, Aheed; Silva, Pedro; Catz, Amiram

    2015-01-01

    Background. A quadratic formula of the Spinal Cord Injury Ability Realization Measurement Index (SCI-ARMI) has previously been published. This formula was based on a model of Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM95), the 95th percentile of the SCIM III values, which correspond with the American Spinal Injury Association Motor Scores (AMS) of SCI patients. Objective. To further develop the original formula. Setting. Spinal cord injury centers from 6 countries and the Statistical Laboratory, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Methods. SCIM95 of 661 SCI patients was modeled, using a quantile regression with or without adjustment for age and gender, to calculate SCI-ARMI values. SCI-ARMI gain during rehabilitation and its correlations were examined. Results. A new quadratic SCIM95 model was created. This resembled the previously published model, which yielded similar SCIM95 values in all the countries, after adjustment for age and gender. Without this adjustment, however, only 86% of the non-Israeli SCIM III observations were lower than those SCIM95 values (P < .0001). Adding the variables age and gender to the new model affected the SCIM95 value significantly (P < .04). Adding country information did not add a significant effect (P > .1). SCI-ARMI gain was positive (38.8 ± 22 points, P < .0001) and correlated weakly with admission age and AMS. Conclusions. The original quadratic SCI-ARMI formula is valid for an international population after adjustment for age and gender. The new formula considers more factors that affect functional ability following SCI. © The Author(s) 2014.

  12. Physical factors influencing immature-fish communities in the surf zones of sandy beaches in northwestern Kyushu Island, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inui, Ryutei; Nishida, Takashi; Onikura, Norio; Eguchi, Katsuhisa; Kawagishi, Motoyoshi; Nakatani, Masaya; Oikawa, Shin

    2010-02-01

    We aim to understand the relationships between physical conditions and characteristics of the immature-fish community in surf zones of sandy beaches. Therefore, we obtained fish samples between March 2007 and February 2008 and analyzed certain physical conditions in the surf zones of 21 sandy beaches on the coastline of the northwestern Kyushu Island, Japan. We collected a total of 83 species and 6458 immature individuals. In a BIO-ENV analysis, the highest correlation was observed between fish assemblage and S20 (i.e., the slope from the shoreline to the sites where the depth was 20 m) and current velocity (CV) values. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the number of species and individuals decrease with an increase in the S20 and CV values. These results show that species richness and the abundance of immature-fish increase under shelving and calm conditions. Thus, immature-fish assemblages are strongly influenced by the prevailing physical conditions. Moreover, in six of the 10 dominant species, a negative correlation was observed between CV and abundance. On the other hand, S20 was found to be the explanatory variable only in the case of the most dominant species, i.e., Gymnogobius breunigii. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between S1 (i.e., the slope from the shoreline to the sites where the depth was 1.0 m at the mean tidal level) and median particle size (i.e., MPS of the sediments) and the abundances of Sillago japonica and Favonigobius gymnauchen, respectively, and a negative correlation with salinity, in the case of Acanthogobius lactipes. We conclude that the characteristics of the fish community in surf zones on sandy beaches are determined by not only the shelving and calm conditions, which influence fish assemblages and abundances, but also the habitat diversity, which influences the diversity of fish species.

  13. Valproic Acid Arrests Proliferation but Promotes Neuronal Differentiation of Adult Spinal NSPCs from SCI Rats.

    PubMed

    Chu, Weihua; Yuan, Jichao; Huang, Lei; Xiang, Xin; Zhu, Haitao; Chen, Fei; Chen, Yanyan; Lin, Jiangkai; Feng, Hua

    2015-07-01

    Although the adult spinal cord contains a population of multipotent neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs) exhibiting the potential to replace neurons, endogenous neurogenesis is very limited after spinal cord injury (SCI) because the activated NSPCs primarily differentiate into astrocytes rather than neurons. Valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, exerts multiple pharmacological effects including fate regulation of stem cells. In this study, we cultured adult spinal NSPCs from chronic compressive SCI rats and treated with VPA. In spite of inhibiting the proliferation and arresting in the G0/G1 phase of NSPCs, VPA markedly promoted neuronal differentiation (β-tubulin III(+) cells) as well as decreased astrocytic differentiation (GFAP(+) cells). Cell cycle regulator p21(Cip/WAF1) and proneural genes Ngn2 and NeuroD1 were increased in the two processes respectively. In vivo, to minimize the possible inhibitory effects of VPA to the proliferation of NSPCs as well as avoid other neuroprotections of VPA in acute phase of SCI, we carried out a delayed intraperitoneal injection of VPA (150 mg/kg/12 h) to SCI rats from day 15 to day 22 after injury. Both of the newborn neuron marker doublecortin and the mature neuron marker neuron-specific nuclear protein were significantly enhanced after VPA treatment in the epicenter and adjacent segments of the injured spinal cord. Although the impaired corticospinal tracks had not significantly improved, Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores in VPA treatment group were better than control. Our study provide the first evidence that administration of VPA enhances the neurogenic potential of NSPCs after SCI and reveal the therapeutic value of delayed treatment of VPA to SCI.

  14. The 'surf zone' in the stratosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McIntyre, M. E.; Palmer, T. N.

    Synoptic, coarse-grain, isentropic maps of Ertel's potential vorticity Q for the northern middle stratosphere, estimated using a large-Richardson-number approximation, are presented for a number of days in January-February 1979, together with some related isentropic trajectory calculations The effects of substituting FGGE for NMC base data are noted, as well as some slight corrections to maps published earlier. The combined evidence from the observations and from dynamical models strongly indicates the existence of planetary-wave breaking, a process in which material contours are rapidly and irreversibly deformed. In the winter stratosphere this occurs most spectacularly in a gigantic 'nonlinear critical layer', or 'surf zone', which surrounds the main polar vortex, and which tends to erode the vortex when wave amplitudes become large. Some of the FGGE-based Q maps suggest that we may be seeing glimpses of local dynamical instabilities and vortex-rollup phenomena within breaking planetary waves. Related phenomena in the troposphere are discussed. An objective definition of the area A( t) of the main vortex, as it appears on isentropic Q maps, is proposed. A smoothed time series of daily values of A( t) should be a statistically powerful 'circulation index' for the state of the winter-time middle stratosphere, which avoids the loss of information incurred by Eulerian space and time averaging.

  15. 75 FR 19626 - Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Patent License: SciTech Medical Inc.

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-15

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Navy Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Patent License: SciTech Medical Inc. AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of the Navy hereby gives notice of its intent to grant a partially exclusive license to SciTech Medical...

  16. Rapid overt airborne reconnaissance (ROAR) for mines and obstacles in very shallow water, surf zone, and beach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moran, Steven E.; Austin, William L.; Murray, James T.; Roddier, Nicolas A.; Bridges, Robert; Vercillo, Richard; Stettner, Roger; Phillips, Dave; Bisbee, Al; Witherspoon, Ned H.

    2003-09-01

    Under the Office of Naval Research's Organic Mine Countermeasures Future Naval Capabilities (OMCM FNC) program, Lite Cycles, Inc. is developing an innovative and highly compact airborne active sensor system for mine and obstacle detection in very shallow water (VSW), through the surf-zone (SZ) and onto the beach. The system uses an innovative LCI proprietary integrated scanner, detector, and telescope (ISDT) receiver architecture. The ISD tightly couples all receiver components and LIDAR electronics to achieve the system compaction required for tactical UAVintegration while providing a large aperture. It also includes an advanced compact multifunction laser transmitter; an industry-first high-resolution, compact 3-D camera, a scanning function for wide area search, and temporally displaced multiple looks on the fly over the ocean surface for clutter reduction. Additionally, the laser will provide time-multiplexed multi-color output to perform day/night multispectral imaging for beach surveillance. New processing algorithms for mine detection in the very challenging surf-zone clutter environment are under development, which offer the potential for significant processing gains in comparison to the legacy approaches. This paper reviews the legacy system approaches, describes the mission challenges, and provides an overview of the ROAR system architecture.

  17. Phenology and duration of remigial moult in Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) and White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca) on the Pacific coast of North America

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dickson, Rian D.; Esler, Daniel N.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Anderson, E.M.; Evenson, J.R.; Barrett, J.

    2012-01-01

    By quantifying phenology and duration of remigial moult in Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata (L., 1758)) and White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca (L., 1758)), we tested whether timing of moult is dictated by temporal optima or constraints. Scoters (n = 3481) were captured during moult in Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington, and remigial emergence dates were determined. We provide evidence for a pre-emergence interval of 7.3 days that occurs after old primaries are shed and before new ones become visible. All age and sex classes of both scoter species exhibited a wide range of emergence dates (Surf Scoters: 26 June to 22 September; White-winged Scoters: 6 July to 21 September) suggestive of a lack of strong temporal optima for remigial moult. For both species, timing of moult was influenced by site, year, age, and sex. Relative to other waterfowl species, scoters have typical remigial growth rates (Surf Scoters: 3.9 mm·day–1; White-winged Scoters: 4.3 mm·day–1) but a long flightless period (34–49 days), in part because their relatively high wing-loading requires a greater proportion of feather regrowth to regain flight. Our data suggest that moulting scoters are not under strong selective pressure to complete moult quickly.

  18. Research progress from the SCI Model Systems (SCIMS): An interactive discussion on future directions.

    PubMed

    Boninger, Michael L; Field-Fote, Edelle C; Kirshblum, Steven C; Lammertse, Daniel P; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A; Hudson, Lesley; Heinemann, Allen W

    2018-03-01

    To describe current and future directions in spinal cord injury (SCI) research. The SCI Model Systems (SCIMS) programs funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) during the 2011 to 2016 cycle provided abstracts describing findings from current research projects. Discussion among session participants generated ideas for research opportunities. Pre-conference workshop before the 2016 American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) annual meeting. A steering committee selected by the SCIMS directors that included the moderators of the sessions at the ASIA pre-conference workshop, researchers presenting abstracts during the session, and the audience of over 100 attending participants in the pre-conference workshop. Group discussion followed presentations in 5 thematic areas of (1) Demographics and Measurement; (2) Functional Training; (3) Psychosocial Considerations; (4) Assistive Technology; and (5) Secondary Conditions. The steering committee reviewed and summarized discussion points on future directions for research and made recommendations for research based on the discussion in each of the five areas. Significant areas in need of research in SCI remain, the goal of which is continued improvement in the quality of life of individuals with SCI.

  19. SURF - SUrvey of Risk Factor management: first report of an international audit.

    PubMed

    Cooney, Mt; Reiner, Z; Sheu, W; Ryden, L; Sutter, J de; De Bacquer, D; DeBacker, G; Mithal, A; Chung, N; Lim, Yt; Dudina, A; Reynolds, A; Dunney, K; Graham, I

    2014-07-01

    Despite the fact that subjects with established coronary heart disease (CHD) are at high risk of further events and deserve meticulous secondary prevention, current audits such as EUROASPIRE show poor control of major risk factors. Ongoing monitoring is required. We present a new risk factor audit system, SURF (Survey of Risk Factor management), that can be conducted much more quickly and easily than existing audit systems and has the potential to allow hospitals of all sizes to participate in a unified international audit system that will complement EUROASPIRE. Initial experience indicates that SURF is truly simple to undertake in an international setting, and this is illustrated with the results of a substantive pilot project conducted in Europe and Asia. The data collection system was designed to allow rapid and easy data collection as part of routine clinic work. Consecutive patients (aged 18 and over) with established CHD attending outpatient cardiology clinics were included. Information on demographics, previous coronary medical history, smoking history, history of hypertension, dyslipidaemia or diabetes, physical activity, attendance at cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac medications, lipid and glucose levels (and HbA1c in diabetics) if available within the last year, blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, and waist circumference were collected using a one-page data collection sheet. Years spent in full time education was added as an additional question during the pilot phase. Three European countries - Ireland (n = 251), Belgium (n = 122), and Croatia (n = 124) - and four Asian countries - Singapore (n = 142), Taiwan (n = 334), India (n = 97), and Korea (n = 45) - were included in the pilot study. The results of initial field testing were confirmed in that it proved possible to collect data within 60-90 seconds per subject. There was poor control of several risk factors including high levels of physical inactivity (41

  20. The CanPain SCI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation Management of Neuropathic Pain after Spinal Cord: screening and diagnosis recommendations.

    PubMed

    Mehta, S; Guy, S D; Bryce, T N; Craven, B C; Finnerup, N B; Hitzig, S L; Orenczuk, S; Siddall, P J; Widerström-Noga, E; Casalino, A; Côté, I; Harvey, D; Kras-Dupuis, A; Lau, B; Middleton, J W; Moulin, D E; O'Connell, C; Parrent, A G; Potter, P; Short, C; Teasell, R; Townson, A; Truchon, C; Wolfe, D; Bradbury, C L; Loh, E

    2016-08-01

    Clinical practice guidelines. To develop the first Canadian clinical practice guidelines for screening and diagnosis of neuropathic pain in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). The guidelines are relevant for inpatient and outpatient SCI rehabilitation settings in Canada. The CanPainSCI Working Group reviewed evidence to address clinical questions regarding screening and diagnosis of neuropathic pain after SCI. A consensus process was followed to achieve agreement on recommendations and clinical considerations. Twelve recommendations, based on expert consensus, were developed for the screening and diagnosis of neuropathic pain after SCI. The recommendations address methods for assessment, documentation tools, team member accountability, frequency of screening and considerations for diagnostic investigation. Important clinical considerations accompany each recommendation. The expert Working Group developed recommendations for the screening and diagnosis of neuropathic pain after SCI that should be used to inform practice.

  1. Spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation: systematic analysis of communication from the biopsychosocial perspective.

    PubMed

    Hartley, Naomi A

    2015-07-02

    Communication is powerful predictor of health-related quality of life and overall well-being, yet its role in promoting rehabilitation outcomes in spinal cord injury (SCI) is rarely mentioned. This article systematically analyzes and synthesizes literature from multiple disciplines according to a biopsychosocial perspective, providing an evidence base for clinical practice and clear direction for future research. Systematic literature review and analysis, incorporating mapping to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) codes. In total 4338 entries were retrieved from CINAHL, PsychInfo, Medline, PubMed and SpeechBite databases for the period 1990-2014. A total of 115 treatment and observational studies (quantitative and qualitative) detailed aspects of communication according to structure, function, activity, participation and environmental factors; evident of the complex interactions between communicative function with daily living after SCI. Communication is a relative strength in SCI, key to empowerment, independence, social interaction, and well-being, yet its potential to enhance SCI rehabilitation outcomes remains largely underexplored and untapped. Through elucidating interactions between communication and functioning, the adapted ICF framework affords clinicians and researchers insight into areas of intervention most likely to result in widespread gains. Conscious consideration should be given to the role of communication, within an integrative, strengths-based, multidisciplinary approach to clinical practice and future research. Implications for Rehabilitation Communication fosters empowerment, independence and greater participation in life roles; recognized as a powerful predictor of health-related quality of life and overall well-being. The ICF framework elucidates influences to communicative function, and components which are influenced by communication, providing valuable insight for clinicians and researchers

  2. What Makes Things Happen? Study Guide. Unit B. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dube, Peter

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  3. Looking at Life. Study Guide. Unit A2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosking, Bunty

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  4. [Analysis on acupuncture literature in Science Citation Index (SCI) periodicals in 2007].

    PubMed

    Gao, Liang; Tian, Li-xin; Guo, Yi

    2009-06-01

    To grasp the international developing tendency of acupuncture research and provide some references for promoting acupuncture and moxibustion internationalization process, the articles about acupuncture in Science Citation Index (SCI) periodicals in 2007 were retrieved by adopting the retrieval tactics on line in combination with database searching. Results indicate that 257 articles about acupuncture had been retrived from the SCI Web databases. These articles were published in 125 journals respectively, most of which were Euramerican journals. Among these journals, the impact factor of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 25. 547, is the highest one. It is shown that the impact factors of the SCI periodicals, in which acupuncture articles embodied are increased, the quality of these articles are improved obviously and the types of the articles are various in 2007, but there is obvious difference in the results of these studies due to the difference of experimental methods, the subjects of these experiments and acupuncture manipulations. Therefore, standardization of many problems arising from the researches on acupuncture is extremely imminent.

  5. Droplets move over viscoelastic substrates by surfing a ridge

    PubMed Central

    Karpitschka, S.; Das, S.; van Gorcum, M.; Perrin, H.; Andreotti, B.; Snoeijer, J. H.

    2015-01-01

    Liquid drops on soft solids generate strong deformations below the contact line, resulting from a balance of capillary and elastic forces. The movement of these drops may cause strong, potentially singular dissipation in the soft solid. Here we show that a drop on a soft substrate moves by surfing a ridge: the initially flat solid surface is deformed into a sharp ridge whose orientation angle depends on the contact line velocity. We measure this angle for water on a silicone gel and develop a theory based on the substrate rheology. We quantitatively recover the dynamic contact angle and provide a mechanism for stick–slip motion when a drop is forced strongly: the contact line depins and slides down the wetting ridge, forming a new one after a transient. We anticipate that our theory will have implications in problems such as self-organization of cell tissues or the design of capillarity-based microrheometers. PMID:26238436

  6. Measurement properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index (SCI-FI) short forms.

    PubMed

    Heinemann, Allen W; Dijkers, Marcel P; Ni, Pengsheng; Tulsky, David S; Jette, Alan

    2014-07-01

    To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Functional Index (SCI-FI) short forms (basic mobility, self-care, fine motor, ambulation, manual wheelchair, and power wheelchair) based on internal consistency; correlations between short forms banks, full item bank forms, and a 10-item computer adaptive test version; magnitude of ceiling and floor effects; and test information functions. Cross-sectional cohort study. Six rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. Individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury (N=855) recruited from 6 national Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems facilities. Not applicable. SCI-FI full item bank, 10-item computer adaptive test, and parallel short form scores. The SCI-FI short forms (with separate versions for individuals with paraplegia and tetraplegia) demonstrate very good internal consistency, group-level reliability, excellent correlations between short forms and scores based on the total item bank, and minimal ceiling and floor effects (except ceiling effects for persons with paraplegia on self-care, fine motor, and power wheelchair ability and floor effects for persons with tetraplegia on self-care, fine motor, and manual wheelchair ability). The test information functions are acceptable across the range of scores where most persons in the sample performed. Clinicians and researchers should consider the SCI-FI short forms when computer adaptive testing is not feasible. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Does the CDC Definition of Fever Accurately Predict Inflammation and Infection in Persons With SCI?

    PubMed

    Trbovich, Michelle; Li, Carol; Lee, Shuko

    2016-01-01

    Background: Pneumonia and septicemia have the greatest impact on reduced life expectancy in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Fever is often the first presenting symptom of infection or inflammation. Thermoregulatory dysfunction in persons with SCI may preclude a typical febrile response to infection or inflammation and thus delay diagnostic workup. Objective: To determine the core temperature of persons with SCI in the setting of infection or inflammation and the frequency with which it meets criteria for the CDC definition of fever (>100.4°F). Methods: Retrospective review of hospitalized SCI patients over 5 years with a diagnosis of infection or inflammation (DI), defined by serum leukocytosis. In this study, 458 persons with paraplegia (PP) and 483 persons with tetraplegia (TP) had 4,191 DI episodes. Aural temperatures (T au ) on the day of DI, 7 days prior, and 14 days afterwards were abstracted from medical records. Main outcome measures were average T au at DI, frequency of temperatures >100.4°F at DI, and average baseline temperatures before and after DI. Results: Average T au at DI was 98.2°F (±1.5) and 98.2°F (±1.4) in the TP and PP groups, respectively, with only 11.6% to 14% of DI resulting in T au >100.4°F. Baseline temperatures ranged from 97.9°F (±0.7) to 98.0°F (±0.8). Conclusion: SCI persons with leukocytosis infrequently mount a fever as defined by the CDC, and baseline temperatures were subnormal (<98.6°F). Thermoregulatory dysfunction likely accounts for these findings. T au >100.4°F is not a sensitive predictor of infection or inflammation in persons with SCI. Clinicians should be vigilant for alternative symptoms of infection and inflammation in these patients, so diagnostic workup is not delayed.

  8. SCI Hospital in Home Program: Bringing Hospital Care Home for Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury.

    PubMed

    Madaris, Linda L; Onyebueke, Mirian; Liebman, Janet; Martin, Allyson

    2016-01-01

    The complex nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) and the level of care required for health maintenance frequently result in repeated hospital admissions for recurrent medical complications. Prolonged hospitalizations of persons with SCI have been linked to the increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and development or worsening pressure ulcers. An evidence-based alternative for providing hospital-level care to patients with specific diagnoses who are willing to receive that level of care in the comfort of their home is being implemented in a Department of Veterans Affairs SCI Home Care Program. The SCI Hospital in Home (HiH) model is similar to a patient-centered interdisciplinary care model that was first introduced in Europe and later tested as part of a National Demonstration and Evaluation Study through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and School of Public Health. This was funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The objectives of the program are to support veterans' choice and access to patient-centered care, reduce the reliance on inpatient medical care, allow for early discharge, and decrease medical costs. Veterans with SCI who are admitted to the HiH program receive daily oversight by a physician, daily visits by a registered nurse, access to laboratory services, oxygen, intravenous medications, and nursing care in the home setting. In this model, patients may typically access HiH services either as an "early discharge" from the hospital or as a direct admit to the program from the emergency department or SCI clinic. Similar programs providing acute hospital-equivalent care in the home have been previously implemented and are successfully demonstrating decreased length of stay, improved patient access, and increased patient satisfaction.

  9. Does the CDC Definition of Fever Accurately Predict Inflammation and Infection in Persons With SCI?

    PubMed Central

    Li, Carol; Lee, Shuko

    2016-01-01

    Background: Pneumonia and septicemia have the greatest impact on reduced life expectancy in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Fever is often the first presenting symptom of infection or inflammation. Thermoregulatory dysfunction in persons with SCI may preclude a typical febrile response to infection or inflammation and thus delay diagnostic workup. Objective: To determine the core temperature of persons with SCI in the setting of infection or inflammation and the frequency with which it meets criteria for the CDC definition of fever (>100.4°F). Methods: Retrospective review of hospitalized SCI patients over 5 years with a diagnosis of infection or inflammation (DI), defined by serum leukocytosis. In this study, 458 persons with paraplegia (PP) and 483 persons with tetraplegia (TP) had 4,191 DI episodes. Aural temperatures (Tau) on the day of DI, 7 days prior, and 14 days afterwards were abstracted from medical records. Main outcome measures were average Tau at DI, frequency of temperatures >100.4°F at DI, and average baseline temperatures before and after DI. Results: Average Tau at DI was 98.2°F (±1.5) and 98.2°F (±1.4) in the TP and PP groups, respectively, with only 11.6% to 14% of DI resulting in Tau >100.4°F. Baseline temperatures ranged from 97.9°F (±0.7) to 98.0°F (±0.8). Conclusion: SCI persons with leukocytosis infrequently mount a fever as defined by the CDC, and baseline temperatures were subnormal (<98.6°F). Thermoregulatory dysfunction likely accounts for these findings. Tau >100.4°F is not a sensitive predictor of infection or inflammation in persons with SCI. Clinicians should be vigilant for alternative symptoms of infection and inflammation in these patients, so diagnostic workup is not delayed. PMID:29339867

  10. The Small Carry-on Impactor (SCI) and the Hayabusa2 Impact Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saiki, T.; Imamura, H.; Arakawa, M.; Wada, K.; Takagi, Y.; Hayakawa, M.; Shirai, K.; Yano, H.; Okamoto, C.

    2017-07-01

    Hayabusa2 is a sample return mission of JAXA launched on 3 December 2014. Hayabusa2 is the successor of Hayabusa, which returned samples from the asteroid Itokawa to the Earth. Although the design of Hayabusa2 follows that of Hayabusa, the former is equipped with some new components. The small carry-on impactor (SCI) is one of those components. The SCI is a compact kinetic impactor designed to remove the asteroid surface regolith locally and create an artificial crater. One of the most important scientific objectives of Hayabusa2 is to investigate the chemical and physical properties of the internal materials and structures of the target body, asteroid Ryugu. Hayabusa2 will attempt to observe the resultant crater with some scientific instruments and to get samples from around the crater. High kinetic energy is required to create a meaningful crater, however, the impact system design needs to fit within strict constraints. Complicated functions, such as a guidance and control system, are not permitted. A special type of shaped charge is used for the acceleration of the impactor of the SCI in order to make system simpler. Using this explosion technique makes it possible to accelerate the impactor very quickly and to hit the asteroid without a guidance system. However, the impact operation will be complicated because the explosive is very powerful and it scatters high-speed debris at the detonation. This paper describes an overview of the SCI system, the results of the development testing and an outline of the impact experiment of the Hayabusa2 mission.

  11. Particles in Action. Study Guide. Unit C2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stocklmayer, Sue

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide is a four-part unit…

  12. Valproic acid improves locomotion in vivo after SCI and axonal growth of neurons in vitro.

    PubMed

    Lv, Lei; Han, Xiang; Sun, Yan; Wang, Xin; Dong, Qiang

    2012-02-01

    Previous studies have found that valproic acid (VPA), a histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitor, improves outcomes in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). The study here aimed to further illuminate the neuroprotective effects of VPA against SCI, both in vivo and in vitro. First, spinal cord injury was performed in rats using NYU impactor. Delayed VPA injection (8 h following SCI) significantly accelerated locomotor recovery. VPA therapy also suppressed SCI-induced hypoacetylation of histone and promoted expressions of BDNF and GDNF. Next, the influence of VPA on axonal growth inhibited by a myelin protein was tested. Neurons from embryonic spinal cord or hippocampus were cultured on plates coated with Nogo-A peptide, and escalating concentrations of VPA were added into the cultures. VPA treatment, in a concentration dependent manner, allowed neurons to overcome Nogo-A inhibition of neurite outgrowth. Meanwhile, VPA exposure increased the level of histone acetylation and expression of BDNF in spinal neurons. Cumulatively, these findings indicate that VPA is possibly a promising medication and deserves translational trials for spinal cord injury. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Chemolithotrophy in the continental deep subsurface: Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), USA

    PubMed Central

    Osburn, Magdalena R.; LaRowe, Douglas E.; Momper, Lily M.; Amend, Jan P.

    2014-01-01

    The deep subsurface is an enormous repository of microbial life. However, the metabolic capabilities of these microorganisms and the degree to which they are dependent on surface processes are largely unknown. Due to the logistical difficulty of sampling and inherent heterogeneity, the microbial populations of the terrestrial subsurface are poorly characterized. In an effort to better understand the biogeochemistry of deep terrestrial habitats, we evaluate the energetic yield of chemolithotrophic metabolisms and microbial diversity in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in the former Homestake Gold Mine, SD, USA. Geochemical data, energetic modeling, and DNA sequencing were combined with principle component analysis to describe this deep (down to 8100 ft below surface), terrestrial environment. SURF provides access into an iron-rich Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary deposit that contains deeply circulating groundwater. Geochemical analyses of subsurface fluids reveal enormous geochemical diversity ranging widely in salinity, oxidation state (ORP 330 to −328 mV), and concentrations of redox sensitive species (e.g., Fe2+ from near 0 to 6.2 mg/L and Σ S2- from 7 to 2778μg/L). As a direct result of this compositional buffet, Gibbs energy calculations reveal an abundance of energy for microorganisms from the oxidation of sulfur, iron, nitrogen, methane, and manganese. Pyrotag DNA sequencing reveals diverse communities of chemolithoautotrophs, thermophiles, aerobic and anaerobic heterotrophs, and numerous uncultivated clades. Extrapolated across the mine footprint, these data suggest a complex spatial mosaic of subsurface primary productivity that is in good agreement with predicted energy yields. Notably, we report Gibbs energy normalized both per mole of reaction and per kg fluid (energy density) and find the later to be more consistent with observed physiologies and environmental conditions. Further application of this approach will significantly

  14. Recommendations for the National Institute for Neurologic Disorders and Stroke spinal cord injury common data elements for children and youth with SCI.

    PubMed

    Mulcahey, M J; Vogel, L C; Sheikh, M; Arango-Lasprilla, J C; Augutis, M; Garner, E; Hagen, E M; Jakeman, L B; Kelly, E; Martin, R; Odenkirchen, J; Scheel-Sailer, A; Schottler, J; Taylor, H; Thielen, C C; Zebracki, K

    2017-04-01

    In 2014, the adult spinal cord injury (SCI) common data element (CDE) recommendations were made available. This project was a review of the adult SCI CDE for relevance to children and youth with SCI. The objective of this study was to review the National Institute of Neurologic Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) adult SCI CDEs for relevance to children and youth with SCI. International. The pediatric working group consisted of international members with varied fields of expertise related to pediatric SCI. The group convened biweekly meetings for 6 months in 2015. All of the adult SCI CDEs were reviewed, evaluated and modified/created for four age groups: 0-5 years, 6-12 years, 13-15 years and 16-18 years. Whenever possible, results of published research studies were used to guide recommendations. In the absence of empirical support, grey literature and international content expert consensus were garnered. Existing pediatric NINDS CDEs and new CDEs were developed in areas where adult recommendations were not appropriate. After internal working group review of domain recommendations, these pediatric CDEs were vetted during a public review from November through December 2015. Version 1.0 of the pediatric SCI CDEs was posted in February 2016. The pediatric SCI CDEs are incorporated directly into the NINDS SCI CDE sets and can be found at https://commondataelements.ninds.nih.gov.

  15. Social Competence Intervention for Parents (SCI-P): Comparing Outcomes for a Parent Education Program Targeting Adolescents with ASD

    PubMed Central

    Schultz, Tia R.; Stichter, Janine P.; Herzog, Melissa J.; McGhee, Stephanie D.; Lierheimer, Kristin

    2012-01-01

    Research has shown that parent education programs can address some of the distinct challenges that parents of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encounter. This study examined the effectiveness of the Social Competence Intervention for Parents (SCI-P), a parent education program, administered in conjunction with a social competence intervention that targeted youth with ASD ages 11–14 (SCI-A). Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, parents were assigned to either the SCI-P group (n = 16) or to the waitlist comparison group (n = 10). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) revealed a significant effect for parent education participation such that SCI-P participants experienced significantly greater reductions in levels of stress and a trend for increases in parenting sense of competence from pre- to post-intervention. Moreover, parents in the SCI-P group reported high satisfaction with the program. These findings suggest that parent education can result in positive outcomes for parents' well being. PMID:22934178

  16. Orthostatic Responses to Anticholinesterase Inhibition in Persons with SCI

    PubMed Central

    Wecht, Jill M.; Cirnigliaro, Christopher M.; Azarelo, Frank; Bauman, William A.; Kirshblum, Steven C.

    2015-01-01

    Acetylcholine (Ach) is the pre-synaptic neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system. Increased pre-synaptic Ach may augment post-synaptic release of norepinephrine thereby increasing systemic blood pressure (BP). The primary objective of this investigation was to determine the hemodynamic effect of pyridostigmine bromide (PYRIDO: 60 mg), an Ach inhibitor (AchI), compared to no-drug (NO-D) during head-up tilt (HUT) in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondarily we aimed to determine the effects of PYRIDO compared to NO-D on symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (OI) and adverse event reporting (AE). Ten individuals with SCI (C4–C7) were studied on 2 occasions: visit 1) NO-D and visit 2) PYRIDO. On each visit subjects underwent a progressive HUT maneuver to 15°, 25°, 35° for 5 minutes at each angle and 45 minutes at 45°. Supine and orthostatic heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic BP (SBP & DBP) were monitored and symptoms of OI and AE recorded. Supine hemodynamics did not differ between the trials. The significant fall in SBP during the NO-D trial was diminished with PYRIDO and five subjects had an increased DBP during HUT with PYRIDO compared to the NO-D trial. Individuals that responded to PYRIDO with an increase in orthostatic BP had significantly lower resting HR than non-responders (p<0.01), which suggests increased levels of pre-synaptic Ach. Subjective symptoms of OI and AE reporting did not differ between the two trials. These preliminary data suggest that PYRIDO is safe and may be effective at ameliorating the orthostatic fall in BP in select individuals with SCI. PMID:25916633

  17. Modification of Surf Zone Turbulence and the Undertow by a Submerged Canopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mandel, T.; Koseff, J. R.; Rosenzweig, I.; Suckale, J.; Zarama, F. J.

    2016-02-01

    As sea level rise and stronger storm events threaten our coastlines, coastal vegetation has come under consideration as a potentially resilient, financially viable tool to mitigate flooding and erosion. However, the actual role of this "green infrastructure" in the near-shore region is not fully understood. In order to evaluate the role of vegetation in coastal protection, a series of experiments were conducted in a simulated laboratory surf zone. We examine the impact of canopy location and submergence on the undertow profile, turbulent kinetic energy, and Reynolds stress for varying Reynolds number and Keulegan-Carpenter number, and compare these results to theoretical formulations that utilize a depth-averaged undertow and highly simplified eddy viscosity.

  18. Low-grazing angle laser scans of foreshore topography, swash and inner surf-zone wave heights, and mean water level: validation and storm response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brodie, K. L.; McNinch, J. E.; Forte, M.; Slocum, R.

    2010-12-01

    Accurately predicting beach evolution during storms requires models that correctly parameterize wave runup and inner surf-zone processes, the principle drivers of sediment exchange between the beach and surf-zone. Previous studies that aimed at measuring wave runup and swash zone water levels have been restricted to analyzing water-elevation time series of (1) the shoreward-most swash excursion using video imaging or near-bed resistance wires, or (2) the free water surface at a particular location on the foreshore using pressure sensors. These data are often compared with wave forcing parameters in deeper water as well as with beach topography observed at finite intervals throughout the time series to identify links between foreshore evolution, wave spectra, and water level variations. These approaches have lead to numerous parameterizations and empirical equations for wave runup but have difficulty providing adequate data to quantify and understand short-term spatial and temporal variations in foreshore evolution. As a result, modeling shoreline response and changes in sub-aerial beach volume during storms remains a substantial challenge. Here, we demonstrate a novel technique in which a terrestrial laser scanner is used to continuously measure beach and foreshore topography as well as water elevation (and wave height) in the swash and inner surf-zone during storms. The terrestrial laser scanner is mounted 2-m above the dune crest at the Field Research Facility in Duck, NC in line with cross-shore wave gauges located at 2-m, 3-m, 5-m, 6-m, and 8-m of water depth. The laser is automated to collect hourly, two-dimensional, 20-minute time series of data along a narrow swath in addition to an hourly three-dimensional laser scan of beach and dune topography +/- 250m alongshore from the laser. Low grazing-angle laser scans are found to reflect off of the surface of the water, providing spatially (e.g. dx <= 0.1 m) and temporally (e.g. dt = 3Hz) dense elevation data of

  19. Lower-Body Muscle Structure and Jump Performance of Stronger and Weaker Surfing Athletes.

    PubMed

    Secomb, Josh L; Nimphius, Sophia; Farley, Oliver R; Lundgren, Lina; Tran, Tai T; Sheppard, Jeremy M

    2016-07-01

    To identify whether there are any significant differences in the lower-body muscle structure and countermovement-jump (CMJ) and squat-jump (SJ) performance between stronger and weaker surfing athletes. Twenty elite male surfers had their lower-body muscle structure assessed with ultrasonography and completed a series of lower-body strength and jump tests including isometric midthigh pull (IMTP), CMJ, and SJ. Athletes were separated into stronger (n = 10) and weaker (n = 10) groups based on IMTP performance. Large significant differences were identified between the groups for vastus lateralis (VL) thickness (P = .02, ES = 1.22) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) pennation angle (P = .01, ES = 1.20), and a large nonsignificant difference was identified in LG thickness (P = .08, ES = 0.89). Furthermore, significant differences were present between the groups for peak force, relative peak force, and jump height in the CMJ and SJ (P < .01-.05, ES = 0.90-1.47) and eccentric peak velocity, as well as vertical displacement of the center of mass during the CMJ (P < .01, ES = 1.40-1.41). Stronger surfing athletes in this study had greater VL and LG thickness and LG pennation angle. These muscle structures may explain their better performance in the CMJ and SJ. A unique finding in this study was that the stronger group appeared to better use their strength and muscle structure for braking as they had significantly higher eccentric peak velocity and vertical displacement during the CMJ. This enhanced eccentric phase may have resulted in a greater production and subsequent utilization of stored elastic strain energy that led to the significantly better CMJ performance in the stronger group.

  20. a Study on the Document Information Service of the National Agricultural Library for Agricultural Sci-Tech Innovation in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Qian; Meng, Xianxue

    This paper presents the significant function of the Chinese National Agricultural Library (CNAL) in the agricultural sci-tech innovation system in China, analyses the development of collection and service in the CNAL, explores the challenge towards sustain and develop information services for the agricultural sci-tech research and innovation, at last proposes the strategy for sci-tech document information service development.

  1. Secretory expression and surface display of a new and biologically active single-chain insulin (SCI-59) analog by lactic acid bacteria.

    PubMed

    Mao, Ruifeng; Wu, Dongli; Hu, Shimeng; Zhou, Kangping; Wang, Man; Wang, Yefu

    2017-04-01

    Insulin plays an important role in drug therapies for diabetes mellitus and as the main route of insulin delivery, subcutaneous injection may cause local discomfort, hypoglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and patient non-compliance. Therefore, oral delivery of insulin is more preferred. However, there is a low bioavailability due to insulin degradation by proteolytic enzymes and severe pH conditions along the gastrointestinal tract. In order to use the food-grade bacteria lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as oral delivery vehicles, a new and bioactive single-chain insulin (SCI-59) analog, containing the insulin B- and A-chains connected by an eight-residue linker (RSRGLPFR), was secretory expressed in Lactococcus lactis NZ3900 without using an antibiotic resistance gene and displayed onto the surface of various non-viable bacteria (NVBs) without genetic modification. Both the free SCI-59 and SCI-59 displayed on the surface of NVBs are biologically active as assayed by their ability to stimulate Akt signaling in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Modification of the pH of the medium by NaOH addition at early time during induction can enhance the bioactivity of SCI-59. The C-terminal fused anchoring domain, three LysM repeats, does not affect the formation of disulfide bonds and/or the folding of SCI-59, and SCI-59 could be exposed properly and fully when SCI-59-3LysM bound to the surface of NVBs. Compared to the free form SCI-59, SCI-59 displayed on the surface of NVBs is more stable in simulate gastric juice. It may open new prospects for possible oral treatments of diabetes using live LAB secreting or NVBs carrying bioactive SCI analogs.

  2. The regulatory effect of electro-acupuncture on the expression of NMDA receptors in a SCI rat model.

    PubMed

    Tu, Wen-Zhan; Chen, Wen-Ci; Xia, Wan; He, Rong; Hu, Jie; Jiang, Ming-Chen; Jiang, Song-He

    2017-05-15

    In early spinal cord injury (SCI), glutamate receptors, including N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs), are over-stimulated by excessively released glutamate. The enhanced activity of NMDARs may cause cell death by overloading calcium (Ca 2+ ) into cells based on their high permeability to Ca 2+ . Studies in SCI animals have shown that treatment with electro-acupuncture (EA) is able to reduce cell death and to improve functional recovery. One possible mechanism of this neuroprotective effect is that EA has regulatory effect on NMDARs. To test whether EA could protect the spinal cord after SCI by decreasing the expression levels of NR1 and NR2A. We conducted EA treatment on a rat SCI model produced with a New York University (NYU) Impactor and measured hindlimb locomotor function by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale (BBB Scale). The expression of NR1 and NR2, the subunits of NMDARs, in the injured spinal cord was measured by Immunofluorescence stainings, western blot and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Our results showed that two days after the SCI the expression of NR1 and NR2 were dramatically enhanced at both protein and mNRA levels, which were significantly reduced by EA treatment at two specific acupoints, Dazhui (DU14) and Mingmen (DU4). EA is a potential therapeutic method for treating early SCI in human. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Enhancing health care professionals' and trainees' knowledge of physical activity guidelines for adults with and without SCI.

    PubMed

    Shirazipour, Celina H; Tomasone, Jennifer R; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A

    2018-01-11

    Health care providers (HCPs) are preferred sources of physical activity (PA) information; however, minimal research has explored HCPs' knowledge of spinal cord injury (SCI) PA guidelines, and no research has examined HCP trainees' PA guideline knowledge. The current study explored HCPs' and trainees' initial knowledge of PA guidelines for both adults with SCI and the general population, and the utility of an event-based intervention for improving this knowledge. Participants (HCPs n = 129; trainees n = 573) reported guideline knowledge for both sets of guidelines (SCI and general population) immediately after, one-month, and six-months following the intervention. Frequencies determined guideline knowledge at each timepoint, while chi-squared tests examined differences in knowledge of both guidelines, as well as knowledge differences in the short- and long-term. Results demonstrated that HCPs and trainees lack knowledge of PA guidelines, particularly guidelines for adults with SCI. The results further suggest that a single event-based intervention is not effective for improving long-term guideline knowledge. Suggestions are made for future research with the aim of improving interventions that target HCP and HCP trainees' long-term guideline knowledge for adults with SCI and the general population.

  4. Ranking Business and Economics Journals in South America Using the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Jennifer K.; Pradenas, Lorena; Parada, Victor; Scherer, Robert F.

    2012-01-01

    Access to published research for knowledge creation and education in the administrative science disciplines in South America has been enhanced since the introduction of the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Although SciELO has been available as an online journal indexing and publication service since 1998, there have been no…

  5. [Analysis of the citation of the articles published in National Journal of Andrology by SCI periodicals from 2002 to 2008].

    PubMed

    Huang, Hai

    2009-03-01

    Science Citation Index (SCI) is one of the world's most important and influential information retrieval systems. Today Web of Science covers over 9000 international and regional journals and book series in every field of natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. More and more Chinese periodicals have been cited by SCI. This paper briefly introduces the SCI database and its selection process and analyzes the citation of the articles published in National Journal of Andrology (NJA) by SCI journals from 2002 to 2008, aiming to provide some information for the internationalization of NJA.

  6. A faster and more reliable data acquisition system for the full performance of the SciCRT

    DOE PAGES

    Sasai, Y.; Matsubara, Y.; Itow, Y.; ...

    2017-01-03

    The SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) is a massive scintillator tracker to observe cosmic rays at a very high-altitude environment in Mexico. The fully active tracker is based on the Scintillator Bar (SciBar) detector developed as a near detector for the KEK-to-Kamioka long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment (K2K) in Japan. Since the data acquisition (DAQ) system was developed for the accelerator experiment, we determined to develop a new robust DAQ system to optimize it to our cosmic-ray experiment needs at the top of Mt. Sierra Negra (4600 m). One of our special requirements is to achieve a 10 times faster readoutmore » rate. We started to develop a new fast readout back-end board (BEB) based on 100 Mbps SiTCP, a hardware network processor developed for DAQ systems for high energy physics experiments. Then we developed the new BEB which has a potential of 20 times faster than the current one in the case of observing neutrons. Lastly, we installed the new DAQ system including the new BEBs to a part of the SciCRT in July 2015. The system has been operating since then. In this article, we describe the development, the basic performance of the new BEB, the status after the installation in the SciCRT, and the future performance.« less

  7. Assembling Large, Multi-Sensor Climate Datasets Using the SciFlo Grid Workflow System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B. D.; Manipon, G.; Xing, Z.; Fetzer, E.

    2008-12-01

    NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) is the world's most ambitious facility for studying global climate change. The mandate now is to combine measurements from the instruments on the A-Train platforms (AIRS, AMSR-E, MODIS, MISR, MLS, and CloudSat) and other Earth probes to enable large-scale studies of climate change over periods of years to decades. However, moving from predominantly single-instrument studies to a multi-sensor, measurement-based model for long-duration analysis of important climate variables presents serious challenges for large-scale data mining and data fusion. For example, one might want to compare temperature and water vapor retrievals from one instrument (AIRS) to another instrument (MODIS), and to a model (ECMWF), stratify the comparisons using a classification of the cloud scenes from CloudSat, and repeat the entire analysis over years of AIRS data. To perform such an analysis, one must discover & access multiple datasets from remote sites, find the space/time matchups between instruments swaths and model grids, understand the quality flags and uncertainties for retrieved physical variables, and assemble merged datasets for further scientific and statistical analysis. To meet these large-scale challenges, we are utilizing a Grid computing and dataflow framework, named SciFlo, in which we are deploying a set of versatile and reusable operators for data query, access, subsetting, co-registration, mining, fusion, and advanced statistical analysis. SciFlo is a semantically-enabled ("smart") Grid Workflow system that ties together a peer-to-peer network of computers into an efficient engine for distributed computation. The SciFlo workflow engine enables scientists to do multi-instrument Earth Science by assembling remotely-invokable Web Services (SOAP or http GET URLs), native executables, command-line scripts, and Python codes into a distributed computing flow. A scientist visually authors the graph of operation in the VizFlow GUI, or uses a

  8. Assembling Large, Multi-Sensor Climate Datasets Using the SciFlo Grid Workflow System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B.; Manipon, G.; Xing, Z.; Fetzer, E.

    2009-04-01

    NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) is an ambitious facility for studying global climate change. The mandate now is to combine measurements from the instruments on the "A-Train" platforms (AIRS, AMSR-E, MODIS, MISR, MLS, and CloudSat) and other Earth probes to enable large-scale studies of climate change over periods of years to decades. However, moving from predominantly single-instrument studies to a multi-sensor, measurement-based model for long-duration analysis of important climate variables presents serious challenges for large-scale data mining and data fusion. For example, one might want to compare temperature and water vapor retrievals from one instrument (AIRS) to another instrument (MODIS), and to a model (ECMWF), stratify the comparisons using a classification of the "cloud scenes" from CloudSat, and repeat the entire analysis over years of AIRS data. To perform such an analysis, one must discover & access multiple datasets from remote sites, find the space/time "matchups" between instruments swaths and model grids, understand the quality flags and uncertainties for retrieved physical variables, assemble merged datasets, and compute fused products for further scientific and statistical analysis. To meet these large-scale challenges, we are utilizing a Grid computing and dataflow framework, named SciFlo, in which we are deploying a set of versatile and reusable operators for data query, access, subsetting, co-registration, mining, fusion, and advanced statistical analysis. SciFlo is a semantically-enabled ("smart") Grid Workflow system that ties together a peer-to-peer network of computers into an efficient engine for distributed computation. The SciFlo workflow engine enables scientists to do multi-instrument Earth Science by assembling remotely-invokable Web Services (SOAP or http GET URLs), native executables, command-line scripts, and Python codes into a distributed computing flow. A scientist visually authors the graph of operation in the Viz

  9. Sense from Senses. Study Guide. Unit J. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simango, Sam

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  10. Understanding Electricity. Study Guide. Unit I1. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chidume, Kwashira

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  11. Using Electricity. Study Guide. Unit I2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chidume, Kwashira

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  12. Measuring depression after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Depression item bank and linkage with PHQ-9.

    PubMed

    Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Bombardier, Charles H; Pohlig, Ryan T; Heinemann, Allen W; Carle, Adam; Choi, Seung W

    2015-05-01

    To develop a calibrated spinal cord injury-quality of life (SCI-QOL) item bank, computer adaptive test (CAT), and short form to assess depressive symptoms experienced by individuals with SCI, transform scores to the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) metric, and create a crosswalk to the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. We used grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods, large-scale item calibration field testing, confirmatory factor analysis, item response theory (IRT) analyses, and statistical linking techniques to transform scores to a PROMIS metric and to provide a crosswalk with the PHQ-9. Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Depression Item Bank Individuals with SCI were involved in all phases of SCI-QOL development. A sample of 716 individuals with traumatic SCI completed 35 items assessing depression, 18 of which were PROMIS items. After removing 7 non-PROMIS items, factor analyses confirmed a unidimensional pool of items. We used a graded response IRT model to estimate slopes and thresholds for the 28 retained items. The SCI-QOL Depression measure correlated 0.76 with the PHQ-9. The SCI-QOL Depression item bank provides a reliable and sensitive measure of depressive symptoms with scores reported in terms of general population norms. We provide a crosswalk to the PHQ-9 to facilitate comparisons between measures. The item bank may be administered as a CAT or as a short form and is suitable for research and clinical applications.

  13. Life, Beginning and Growing. Study Guide. Unit E1. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosking, Bunty

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide is a three-part unit…

  14. Atoms and Molecules. Study Guide. Unit 2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mandizha, George

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the third year of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide is a four-part unit…

  15. Forces. 'O' Level Study Guide. Unit 1. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Udwin, Martin

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the third year of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide is a five-part unit…

  16. SciSpark: Highly Interactive and Scalable Model Evaluation and Climate Metrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B. D.; Mattmann, C. A.; Waliser, D. E.; Kim, J.; Loikith, P.; Lee, H.; McGibbney, L. J.; Whitehall, K. D.

    2014-12-01

    Remote sensing data and climate model output are multi-dimensional arrays of massive sizes locked away in heterogeneous file formats (HDF5/4, NetCDF 3/4) and metadata models (HDF-EOS, CF) making it difficult to perform multi-stage, iterative science processing since each stage requires writing and reading data to and from disk. We are developing a lightning fast Big Data technology called SciSpark based on ApacheTM Spark. Spark implements the map-reduce paradigm for parallel computing on a cluster, but emphasizes in-memory computation, "spilling" to disk only as needed, and so outperforms the disk-based ApacheTM Hadoop by 100x in memory and by 10x on disk, and makes iterative algorithms feasible. SciSpark will enable scalable model evaluation by executing large-scale comparisons of A-Train satellite observations to model grids on a cluster of 100 to 1000 compute nodes. This 2nd generation capability for NASA's Regional Climate Model Evaluation System (RCMES) will compute simple climate metrics at interactive speeds, and extend to quite sophisticated iterative algorithms such as machine-learning (ML) based clustering of temperature PDFs, and even graph-based algorithms for searching for Mesocale Convective Complexes. The goals of SciSpark are to: (1) Decrease the time to compute comparison statistics and plots from minutes to seconds; (2) Allow for interactive exploration of time-series properties over seasons and years; (3) Decrease the time for satellite data ingestion into RCMES to hours; (4) Allow for Level-2 comparisons with higher-order statistics or PDF's in minutes to hours; and (5) Move RCMES into a near real time decision-making platform. We will report on: the architecture and design of SciSpark, our efforts to integrate climate science algorithms in Python and Scala, parallel ingest and partitioning (sharding) of A-Train satellite observations from HDF files and model grids from netCDF files, first parallel runs to compute comparison statistics and PDF

  17. SciNews: Incorporating Science Current Events in 21st Century Classrooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiMaggio, E.

    2011-12-01

    Middle school students are instructed with the aid of textbooks, lectures, and activities to teach topics that satisfy state standards. However, teaching materials created to convey standard-aligned science concepts often leave students asking how the content relates to their lives and why they should be learning it. Conveying relevance is important for student learning and retention, especially in science where abstract concepts can often be incorrectly perceived as irrelevant. One way to create an educational link between classroom content and everyday life is through the use of scientific current events. Students read, hear, and watch media coverage of natural events (such as the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan), but do not necessarily relate the scientific information from media sources to classroom studies. Taking advantage of these brief 'teachable moments'--when student interest is high--provides a valuable opportunity to make classroom-to-everyday life associations and to incorporate inquiry based learning. To address this need, I create pre-packaged current event materials for middle to high school teachers that align to state standards, and which are short, effective, and easy to implement in the classroom. Each lesson takes approximately 15-30 minutes to implement, allowing teachers time to facilitate brief but meaningful discussions. I assemble materials within approximately one week of the regional or global science event, consisting of short slide shows, maps, videos, pictures, and real-time data. I use a listserv to send biweekly emails to subscribed instructors containing the current event topic and a link to download the materials. All materials are hosted on the Arizona State University Education Outreach SciNews website (http://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resources) and are archived. Currently, 285 educators subscribe to the SciNews listserv, representing 36 states and 19 countries. In order to assess the effectiveness and usefulness of Sci

  18. Ewald sums for Yukawa potentials in quasi-two-dimensional systems

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

    Mazars, Martial

    2007-02-07

    In this article, the author derive Ewald sums for Yukawa potential for three-dimensional systems with two-dimensional periodicity. This sums are derived from the Ewald sums for Yukawa potentials with three-dimensional periodicity [G. Salin and J.-M. Caillol, J. Chem. Phys.113, 10459 (2000)] by using the method proposed by Parry for the Coulomb interactions [D. E. Parry, Surf. Sci.49, 433 (1975); 54, 195 (1976)].

  19. SciDAC Center for Gyrokinetic Particle Simulation of Turbulent Transport in Burning Plasmas

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

    Lin, Zhihong

    2013-12-18

    During the first year of the SciDAC gyrokinetic particle simulation (GPS) project, the GPS team (Zhihong Lin, Liu Chen, Yasutaro Nishimura, and Igor Holod) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) studied the tokamak electron transport driven by electron temperature gradient (ETG) turbulence, and by trapped electron mode (TEM) turbulence and ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulence with kinetic electron effects, extended our studies of ITG turbulence spreading to core-edge coupling. We have developed and optimized an elliptic solver using finite element method (FEM), which enables the implementation of advanced kinetic electron models (split-weight scheme and hybrid model) in the SciDACmore » GPS production code GTC. The GTC code has been ported and optimized on both scalar and vector parallel computer architectures, and is being transformed into objected-oriented style to facilitate collaborative code development. During this period, the UCI team members presented 11 invited talks at major national and international conferences, published 22 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 10 papers in conference proceedings. The UCI hosted the annual SciDAC Workshop on Plasma Turbulence sponsored by the GPS Center, 2005-2007. The workshop was attended by about fifties US and foreign researchers and financially sponsored several gradual students from MIT, Princeton University, Germany, Switzerland, and Finland. A new SciDAC postdoc, Igor Holod, has arrived at UCI to initiate global particle simulation of magnetohydrodynamics turbulence driven by energetic particle modes. The PI, Z. Lin, has been promoted to the Associate Professor with tenure at UCI.« less

  20. A cable-driven locomotor training system for restoration of gait in human SCI.

    PubMed

    Wu, Ming; Hornby, T George; Landry, Jill M; Roth, Heidi; Schmit, Brian D

    2011-02-01

    A novel cable-driven robotic locomotor training system was developed to provide compliant assistance/resistance forces to the legs during treadmill training in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Eleven subjects with incomplete SCI were recruited to participate in two experiments to test the feasibility of the robotic gait training system. Specifically, 10 subjects participated in one experimental session to test the characteristics of the robotic gait training system and one subject participated in repeated testing sessions over 8 weeks with the robotic device to test improvements in locomotor function. Limb kinematics were recorded in one experiment to evaluate the system characteristics of the cable-driven locomotor trainer and the overground gait speed and 6 min walking distance were evaluated at pre, 4 and 8 weeks post treadmill training of a single subject as well. The results indicated that the cable driven robotic gait training system improved the kinematic performance of the leg during treadmill walking and had no significant impact on the variability of lower leg trajectory, suggesting a high backdrivability of the cable system. In addition, results from a patient with incomplete SCI indicated that prolonged robotic gait training using the cable robot improved overground gait speed. Results from this study suggested that a cable driven robotic gait training system is effective in improving leg kinematic performance, yet allows variability of gait kinematics. Thus, it seems feasible to improve the locomotor function in human SCI using this cable driven robotic system, warranting testing with a larger group of patients. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Measuring anxiety after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Anxiety item bank and linkage with GAD-7.

    PubMed

    Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Heinemann, Allen W; Pohlig, Ryan T; Carle, Adam; Choi, Seung W

    2015-05-01

    To develop a calibrated item bank and computer adaptive test to assess anxiety symptoms in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), transform scores to the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) metric, and create a statistical linkage with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7, a widely used anxiety measure. Grounded-theory based qualitative item development methods; large-scale item calibration field testing; confirmatory factor analysis; graded response model item response theory analyses; statistical linking techniques to transform scores to a PROMIS metric; and linkage with the GAD-7. Setting Five SCI Model System centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Participants Adults with traumatic SCI. Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Anxiety Item Bank Seven hundred sixteen individuals with traumatic SCI completed 38 items assessing anxiety, 17 of which were PROMIS items. After 13 items (including 2 PROMIS items) were removed, factor analyses confirmed unidimensionality. Item response theory analyses were used to estimate slopes and thresholds for the final 25 items (15 from PROMIS). The observed Pearson correlation between the SCI-QOL Anxiety and GAD-7 scores was 0.67. The SCI-QOL Anxiety item bank demonstrates excellent psychometric properties and is available as a computer adaptive test or short form for research and clinical applications. SCI-QOL Anxiety scores have been transformed to the PROMIS metric and we provide a method to link SCI-QOL Anxiety scores with those of the GAD-7.

  2. Does spirituality facilitate adjustment and resilience among individuals and families after SCI?

    PubMed

    Jones, Kate; Simpson, Grahame Kenneth; Briggs, Lynne; Dorsett, Pat

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the role of spirituality in facilitating adjustment and resilience after spinal cord injury (SCI) for the individual with SCI and their family members. METHOD-DATA SOURCES: Peer reviewed journals were identified using PsychInfo, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and Sociological Abstracts search engines. After duplicates were removed, 434 abstracts were screened applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The selected 28 studies were reviewed in detail and grouped according to methodological approach. Of the 28 studies relating to spirituality and related meaning-making constructs, 26 addressed the adjustment of the individual with SCI alone. Only two included family members as participants. Quantitative studies demonstrated that spirituality was positively associated with life satisfaction, quality of life, mental health and resilience. The utilisation of meaning-making and hope as coping strategies in the process of adjustment were highlighted within the qualitative studies. Clinical implications included recommendations that spirituality and meaning-making be incorporated in assessment and interventions during rehabilitation. The use of narratives and peer support was also suggested. Spirituality is an important factor in adjustment after SCI. Further research into the relationship between spirituality, family adjustment and resilience is needed. Higher levels of spirituality were associated with improved quality of life, life satisfaction, mental health, and resilience for individuals affected by spinal cord injury. Health professionals can enhance the role that spirituality plays in spinal rehabilitation by incorporating the spiritual beliefs of individuals and their family members into assessment and intervention. By drawing upon meaning-making tools, such as narrative therapy, incorporating peer support, and assisting clients who report a decline in spirituality, health professionals can provide additional support

  3. SCY-635, a Novel Nonimmunosuppressive Analog of Cyclosporine That Exhibits Potent Inhibition of Hepatitis C Virus RNA Replication In Vitro ▿ †

    PubMed Central

    Hopkins, Sam; Scorneaux, Bernard; Huang, Zhuhui; Murray, Michael G.; Wring, Stephen; Smitley, Craig; Harris, Richard; Erdmann, Frank; Fischer, Gunter; Ribeill, Yves

    2010-01-01

    SCY-635 is a novel nonimmunosuppressive cyclosporine-based analog that exhibits potent suppression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in vitro. SCY-635 inhibited the peptidyl prolyl isomerase activity of cyclophilin A at nanomolar concentrations but showed no detectable inhibition of calcineurin phosphatase activity at concentrations up to 2 μM. Metabolic studies indicated that SCY-635 did not induce the major cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A2, 2B6, and 3A4. SCY-635 was a weak inhibitor and a poor substrate for P-glycoprotein. Functional assays with stimulated Jurkat cells and stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells indicated that SCY-635 is a weaker inhibitor of interleukin-2 secretion than cyclosporine. A series of two-drug combination studies was performed in vitro. SCY-635 exhibited synergistic antiviral activity with alpha interferon 2b and additive antiviral activity with ribavirin. SCY-635 was shown to be orally bioavailable in multiple animal species and produced blood and liver concentrations of parent drug that exceeded the 50% effective dose determined in the bicistronic con1b-derived replicon assay. These results suggest that SCY-635 warrants further investigation as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of individuals who are chronically infected with HCV. PMID:19933795

  4. Vortex-induced suspension of sediment in the surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Otsuka, Junichi; Saruwatari, Ayumi; Watanabe, Yasunori

    2017-12-01

    A major mechanism of sediment suspension by organized vortices produced under violent breaking waves in the surf zone was identified through physical and computational experiments. Counter-rotating flows within obliquely descending eddies produced between adjacent primary roller vortices induce transverse convergent near-bed flows, driving bed load transport to form regular patterns of transverse depositions. The deposited sediment is then rapidly ejected by upward carrier flows induced between the vortices. This mechanism of vortex-induced suspension is supported by experimental evidence that coherent sediment clouds are ejected where the obliquely descending eddies reach the sea bed after the breaking wave front has passed. In addition to the effects of settling and turbulent diffusion caused by breaking waves, the effect of the vortex-induced flows was incorporated into a suspension model on the basis of vorticity dynamics and parametric characteristics of transverse flows in breaking waves. The model proposed here reasonably predicts an exponential attenuation of the measured sediment concentration due to violent plunging waves and significantly improves the underprediction of the concentration produced by previous models.

  5. Local delivery of FTY720 in PCL membrane improves SCI functional recovery by reducing reactive astrogliosis.

    PubMed

    Wang, Junjuan; Wang, Jiaqiu; Lu, Ping; Cai, Youzhi; Wang, Yafei; Hong, Lan; Ren, Hao; Heng, Boon Chin; Liu, Hua; Zhou, Jing; Ouyang, Hongwei

    2015-09-01

    FTY720 has recently been approved as an oral drug for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, and exerts its therapeutic effect by acting as an immunological inhibitor targeting the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor subtype (S1P1) of T cells. Recently studies demonstrated positive efficacy of this drug on spinal cord injury (SCI) in animal models after systemic administration, albeit with significant adverse side effects. We hereby hypothesize that localized delivery of FTY720 can promote SCI recovery by reducing pathological astrogliosis. The mechanistic functions of FTY720 were investigated in vitro and in vivo utilizing immunofluorescence, histology, MRI and behavioral analysis. The in vitro study showed that FTY720 can reduce astrocyte migration and proliferation activated by S1P. FTY720 can prolong internalization of S1P1 and exert antagonistic effects on S1P1. In vivo study of SCI animal models demonstrated that local delivery of FTY720 with polycaprolactone (PCL) membrane significantly decreased S1P1 expression and glial scarring compared with the control group. Furthermore, FTY720-treated groups exhibited less cavitation volume and neuron loss, which significantly improved recovery of motor function. These findings demonstrated that localized delivery of FTY720 can promote SCI recovery by targeting the S1P1 receptor of astrocytes, provide a new therapeutic strategy for SCI treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Impact of Health Behaviors and Health Management on Employment After SCI: Psychological Health and Health Management.

    PubMed

    Reed, Karla S; Meade, Michelle A; Krause, James S

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between employment and psychological health and health management as described by individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who were employed at least once following injury. Methods: A qualitative approach used 6 focus groups at 2 sites with 44 participants who were at least 10 years post SCI. All had been employed at some point since injury. Heterogeneous and homogeneous groups were delineated based on specific characteristics, such as education, gender, or race. Group sessions followed a semi-structured interview format with questions about personal, environmental, and policy related factors influencing employment following SCI. All group sessions were recorded, transcribed, and coded into conceptual categories to identify topics, themes, and patterns. Inferences were drawn about their meaning. NVivo 10 software using the constant comparative method was used for data analysis. Results: Narratives discussed the relationship between employment and psychological and emotional health and health management. Four themes were identified: (1) adjustment and dealing with emotional reactions, (2) gaining self-confidence, (3) preventing burnout, and (4) attitudes and perspectives. Most themes reflected issues that varied based on severity of injury as well as stage of employment. Conclusions: Individuals with SCI who are successful in working following injury must determine how to perform the behaviors necessary to manage their health and prevent emotional or physical complications. The emotional consequences of SCI must be recognized and addressed and specific behaviors enacted in order to optimize employment outcomes.

  7. Probabilistic Modeling and Evaluation of Surf Zone Injury Occurrence along the Delaware Coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doelp, M.; Puleo, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Beebe Healthcare in Lewes, DE collected along the DE coast surf zone injury (SZI) data for seven summer seasons from 2010 through 2016. Data include, but are not limited to, time of injury, gender, age, and activity. Over 2000 injuries were recorded over the seven year period, including 116 spinal injuries and three fatalities. These injuries are predominantly wave related incidents including wading (41%), bodysurfing (26%), and body-boarding (20%). Despite the large number of injuries, beach associated hazards do not receive the same level of awareness that rip currents receive. Injury population statistics revealed those between the ages of 11 and 15 years old suffered the greatest proportion of injuries (18.8%). Male water users were twice as likely to sustain injury as their female counterparts. Also, non-locals were roughly six times more likely to sustain injury than locals. In 2016, five or more injuries occurred for 18.5% of the days sampled, and no injuries occurred for 31.4% of the sample days. The episodic nature of injury occurrence and population statistics indicate the importance of environmental conditions and human behavior on surf zone injuries. Higher order statistics are necessary to effectively assess SZI cause and likelihood of occurrence on a particular day. A Bayesian network using Netica software (Norsys) was constructed to model SZI and predict changes in injury likelihood on an hourly basis. The network incorporates environmental data collected by weather stations, NDBC buoy #44009, USACE buoy at Bethany Beach, and by researcher personnel on the beach. The Bayesian model includes prior (e.g., historic) information to infer relationships between provided parameters. Sensitivity analysis determined the most influential variables to injury likelihood are population, water temperature, nearshore wave height, beach slope, and the day of the week. Forecasting during the 2017 summer season will test model ability to predict injury likelihood.

  8. Physical linkages between an offshore canyon and surf zone morphologic change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, Jeff E.; Raubenheimer, Britt; Elgar, Steve; List, Jeffrey H.; Lippmann, Thomas C.

    2017-04-01

    The causes of surf zone morphologic changes observed along a sandy beach onshore of a submarine canyon were investigated using field observations and a numerical model (Delft3D/SWAN). Numerically simulated morphologic changes using four different sediment transport formulae reproduce the temporal and spatial patterns of net cross-shore integrated (between 0 and 6.5 m water depths) accretion and erosion observed in a ˜300 m alongshore region, a few hundred meters from the canyon head. The observations and simulations indicate that the accretion or erosion results from converging or diverging alongshore currents driven primarily by breaking waves and alongshore pressure gradients. The location of convergence or divergence depends on the direction of the offshore waves that refract over the canyon, suggesting that bathymetric features on the inner shelf can have first-order effects on short-term nearshore morphologic change.

  9. Regulation of nitrite resistance of the cytochrome cbb3 oxidase by cytochrome c ScyA in Shewanella oneidensis

    PubMed Central

    Yin, Jianhua; Jin, Miao; Zhang, Haiyan; Ju, Lili; Zhang, Lili; Gao, Haichun

    2015-01-01

    Cytochrome c proteins, as enzymes to exchange electrons with substrates or as pure electron carriers to shuttle electrons, play vital roles in bacterial respiration and photosynthesis. In Shewanella oneidensis, a research model for the respiratory diversity, at least 42 c-type cytochromes are predicted to be encoded in the genome and are regarded to be the foundation of its highly branched electron transport pathways. However, only a small number of c-type cytochromes have been extensively studied. In this study, we identify soluble cytochrome c ScyA as an important factor influencing the nitrite resistance of a strain devoid of the bd oxidase by utilizing a newly developed transposon mutagenesis vector, which enables overexpression of the gene(s) downstream of the insertion site. We show that when in overabundance ScyA facilitates growth against nitrite inhibition by enhancing nitrite resistance of the cbb3 oxidase. Based on the data presented in this study, we suggest two possible mechanisms underlying the observed effect of ScyA: (1) ScyA increases electron flow to the cbb3 oxidase; (2) ScyA promotes nitrite resistance of the cbb3 oxidase, possibly by direct interaction. PMID:25417822

  10. On analyzing colour constancy approach for improving SURF detector performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zulkiey, Mohd Asyraf; Zaki, Wan Mimi Diyana Wan; Hussain, Aini; Mustafa, Mohd. Marzuki

    2012-04-01

    Robust key point detector plays a crucial role in obtaining a good tracking feature. The main challenge in outdoor tracking is the illumination change due to various reasons such as weather fluctuation and occlusion. This paper approaches the illumination change problem by transforming the input image through colour constancy algorithm before applying the SURF detector. Masked grey world approach is chosen because of its ability to perform well under local as well as global illumination change. Every image is transformed to imitate the canonical illuminant and Gaussian distribution is used to model the global change. The simulation results show that the average number of detected key points have increased by 69.92%. Moreover, the average of improved performance cases far out weight the degradation case where the former is improved by 215.23%. The approach is suitable for tracking implementation where sudden illumination occurs frequently and robust key point detection is needed.

  11. Measuring pain phenomena after spinal cord injury: Development and psychometric properties of the SCI-QOL Pain Interference and Pain Behavior assessment tools.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Matthew L; Kisala, Pamela A; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor A; Tulsky, David S

    2018-05-01

    To develop modern patient-reported outcome measures that assess pain interference and pain behavior after spinal cord injury (SCI). Grounded-theory based qualitative item development; large-scale item calibration field-testing; confirmatory factor analyses; graded response model item response theory analyses; statistical linking techniques to transform scores to the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) metric. Five SCI Model Systems centers and one Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the United States. Adults with traumatic SCI. N/A. Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Pain Interference item bank, SCI-QOL Pain Interference short form, and SCI-QOL Pain Behavior scale. Seven hundred fifty-seven individuals with traumatic SCI completed 58 items addressing various aspects of pain. Items were then separated by whether they assessed pain interference or pain behavior, and poorly functioning items were removed. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed that each set of items was unidimensional, and item response theory analyses were used to estimate slopes and thresholds for the items. Ultimately, 7 items (4 from PROMIS) comprised the Pain Behavior scale and 25 items (18 from PROMIS) comprised the Pain Interference item bank. Ten of these 25 items were selected to form the Pain Interference short form. The SCI-QOL Pain Interference item bank and the SCI-QOL Pain Behavior scale demonstrated robust psychometric properties. The Pain Interference item bank is available as a computer adaptive test or short form for research and clinical applications, and scores are transformed to the PROMIS metric.

  12. Mapping bathymetry in an active surf zone with the WorldView2 multispectral satellite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trimble, S. M.; Houser, C.; Brander, R.; Chirico, P.

    2015-12-01

    Rip currents are strong, narrow seaward flows of water that originate in the surf zones of many global beaches. They are related to hundreds of international drownings each year, but exact numbers are difficult to calculate due to logistical difficulties in obtaining accurate incident reports. Annual average rip current fatalities are estimated to be ~100, 53 and 21 in the United States (US), Costa Rica, and Australia respectively. Current warning systems (e.g. National Weather Service) do not account for fine resolution nearshore bathymetry because it is difficult to capture. The method shown here could provide frequent, high resolution maps of nearshore bathymetry at a scale required for improved rip prediction and warning. This study demonstrates a method for mapping bathymetry in the surf zone (20m deep and less), specifically within rip channels, because rips form at topographically low spots in the bathymetry as a result of feedback amongst waves, substrate, and antecedent bathymetry. The methods employ the Digital Globe WorldView2 (WV2) multispectral satellite and field measurements of depth to generate maps of the changing bathymetry at two embayed, rip-prone beaches: Playa Cocles, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica, and Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia. WV2 has a 1.1 day pass-over rate with 1.84m ground pixel resolution of 8 bands, including 'yellow' (585-625 nm) and 'coastal blue' (400-450 nm). The data is used to classify bottom type and to map depth to the return in multiple bands. The methodology is tested at each site for algorithm consistency between dates, and again for applicability between sites.

  13. Psychological defense mechanisms among individuals with SCI with adjustment disorder.

    PubMed

    Yazdanshenas Ghazwin, Manijeh; Tavakoli, Seyed Amir Hossein; Latifi, Sahar; Saberi, Hooshang; Derakhshanrad, Nazi; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Sadeghi, Majid; Emami Razavi, Seyed-Hassan; Norouzi Javidan, Abbas; Ghodsi, Seyed-Mohammad

    2017-09-01

    The used psychological defense styles among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) with adjustment disorders (AJD) have not yet been described. In the present investigation, the prevalence of AJD among people with SCI has been estimated and the pattern of used defense styles has been identified. Cross-sectional investigation. A tertiary rehabilitation center in Iran. Individuals referred to Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center were invited to participate in a screening interview. AJD was diagnosed based on DSM-V criteria. Those with AJD diagnosis were scheduled for another interview to assess defense mechanisms. Demographic and injury-related variables were recorded. Defense mechanisms were assessed by the 40-item version of the Defense-Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40). Among 114 participants, 32 (28%) were diagnosed with AJD among whom 23 subjects attended the second interview. Mean age and time since injury were 29.57 ± 9.29 years and 11.70 ± 6.34 months, respectively. The majority of patients were using idealization defense mechanism (91.3%). In the second and third place, passive aggression (87.0%) and somatization (82.6%) defense mechanisms were observed, respectively. Neurotic style was dominantly used (11.52 ± 2.26). Sex, marital status, educational level, cause of the injury and injury level were not related to defense style (P: 0.38, 0.69, 0.88, 0.73, and P: 0.32, respectively). Prevalence of AJD is estimated to be 28% among individuals with SCI. The most prevalent defense style was neurotic and the dominant used defense mechanism was "idealization." The role of demographic and injury-related variables in determining the used defense mechanisms was insignificant.

  14. Stepping responses to treadmill perturbations vary with severity of motor deficits in human SCI.

    PubMed

    Chu, Virginia Way Tong; Hornby, T George; Schmit, Brian D

    2018-04-18

    In this study, we investigated the responses to tread perturbations during human stepping on a treadmill. Our approach was to test the effects of perturbations to a single leg using a split-belt treadmill in healthy participants and in participants with varying severity of spinal cord injury (SCI). We recruited 11 people with incomplete SCI and 5 noninjured participants. As participants walked on an instrumented treadmill, the belt on one side was stopped or accelerated briefly during mid to late stance. A majority of participants initiated an unnecessary swing when the treadmill was stopped in mid stance, although the likelihood of initiating a step was decreased in participants with more severe SCI. Accelerating or decelerating one belt of the treadmill during stance altered the characteristics of swing. We observed delayed swing initiation when the belt was decelerated (i.e. the hip was in a more flexed position at time of swing) and advanced swing initiation with acceleration (i.e. hip extended at swing initiation). Further, the timing and leg posture of heel strike appeared to remain constant, reflected by a sagittal plane hip angle at heel strike that remained the same regardless of the perturbation. In summary, our results supported the current understanding of the role of sensory feedback and central drive in the control of stepping in participants with incomplete SCI and noninjured participants. In particular, the observation of unnecessary swing during a stop perturbation highlights the interdependence of central and sensory drive in walking control.

  15. Collaborative Science Using Web Services and the SciFlo Grid Dataflow Engine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B. D.; Manipon, G.; Xing, Z.; Yunck, T.

    2006-12-01

    The General Earth Science Investigation Suite (GENESIS) project is a NASA-sponsored partnership between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, academia, and NASA data centers to develop a new suite of Web Services tools to facilitate multi-sensor investigations in Earth System Science. The goal of GENESIS is to enable large-scale, multi-instrument atmospheric science using combined datasets from the AIRS, MODIS, MISR, and GPS sensors. Investigations include cross-comparison of spaceborne climate sensors, cloud spectral analysis, study of upper troposphere-stratosphere water transport, study of the aerosol indirect cloud effect, and global climate model validation. The challenges are to bring together very large datasets, reformat and understand the individual instrument retrievals, co-register or re-grid the retrieved physical parameters, perform computationally-intensive data fusion and data mining operations, and accumulate complex statistics over months to years of data. To meet these challenges, we have developed a Grid computing and dataflow framework, named SciFlo, in which we are deploying a set of versatile and reusable operators for data access, subsetting, registration, mining, fusion, compression, and advanced statistical analysis. SciFlo leverages remote Web Services, called via Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) or REST (one-line) URLs, and the Grid Computing standards (WS-* &Globus Alliance toolkits), and enables scientists to do multi-instrument Earth Science by assembling reusable Web Services and native executables into a distributed computing flow (tree of operators). The SciFlo client &server engines optimize the execution of such distributed data flows and allow the user to transparently find and use datasets and operators without worrying about the actual location of the Grid resources. In particular, SciFlo exploits the wealth of datasets accessible by OpenGIS Consortium (OGC) Web Mapping Servers & Web Coverage Servers (WMS/WCS), and by Open Data

  16. Challenges of animal models in SCI research: Effects of pre-injury task-specific training in adult rats before lesion.

    PubMed

    May, Zacnicte; Fouad, Karim; Shum-Siu, Alice; Magnuson, David S K

    2015-09-15

    A rarely explored subject in animal research is the effect of pre-injury variables on behavioral outcome post-SCI. Low reporting of such variables may underlie some discrepancies in findings between laboratories. Particularly, intensive task-specific training before a SCI might be important, considering that sports injuries are one of the leading causes of SCI. Thus, individuals with SCI often underwent rigorous training before their injuries. In the present study, we asked whether training before SCI on a grasping task or a swimming task would influence motor recovery in rats. Swim pre-training impaired recovery of swimming 2 and 4 weeks post-injury. This result fits with the idea of motor learning interference, which posits that learning something new may disrupt learning of a new task; in this case, learning strategies to compensate for functional loss after SCI. In contrast to swimming, grasp pre-training did not influence grasping ability after SCI at any time point. However, grasp pre-trained rats attempted to grasp more times than untrained rats in the first 4 weeks post-injury. Also, lesion volume of grasp pre-trained rats was greater than that of untrained rats, a finding which may be related to stress or activity. The increased participation in rehabilitative training of the pre-trained rats in the early weeks post-injury may have potentiated spontaneous plasticity in the spinal cord and counteracted the deleterious effect of interference and bigger lesions. Thus, our findings suggest that pre-training plays a significant role in recovery after CNS damage and needs to be carefully controlled for. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Impacts of wave-induced circulation in the surf zone on wave setup

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guérin, Thomas; Bertin, Xavier; Coulombier, Thibault; de Bakker, Anouk

    2018-03-01

    Wave setup corresponds to the increase in mean water level along the coast associated with the breaking of short-waves and is of key importance for coastal dynamics, as it contributes to storm surges and the generation of undertows. Although overall well explained by the divergence of the momentum flux associated with short waves in the surf zone, several studies reported substantial underestimations along the coastline. This paper investigates the impacts of the wave-induced circulation that takes place in the surf zone on wave setup, based on the analysis of 3D modelling results. A 3D phase-averaged modelling system using a vortex force formalism is applied to hindcast an unpublished field experiment, carried out at a dissipative beach under moderate to very energetic wave conditions (Hm 0 = 6m at breaking and Tp = 22s). When using an adaptive wave breaking parameterisation based on the beach slope, model predictions for water levels, short waves and undertows improved by about 30%, with errors reducing to 0.10 m, 0.10 m and 0.09 m/s, respectively. The analysis of model results suggests a very limited impact of the vertical circulation on wave setup at this dissipative beach. When extending this analysis to idealized simulations for different beach slopes ranging from 0.01 to 0.05, it shows that the contribution of the vertical circulation (horizontal and vertical advection and vertical viscosity terms) becomes more and more relevant as the beach slope increases. In contrast, for a given beach slope, the wave height at the breaking point has a limited impact on the relative contribution of the vertical circulation on the wave setup. For a slope of 0.05, the contribution of the terms associated with the vertical circulation accounts for up to 17% (i.e. a 20% increase) of the total setup at the shoreline, which provides a new explanation for the underestimations reported in previously published studies.

  18. Development of an International Canine Spinal Cord Injury observational registry: a collaborative data-sharing network to optimize translational studies of SCI.

    PubMed

    Moore, Sarah A; Zidan, Natalia; Spitzbarth, Ingo; Nout-Lomas, Yvette S; Granger, Nicolas; da Costa, Ronaldo C; Levine, Jonathan M; Jeffery, Nick D; Stein, Veronika M; Tipold, Andrea; Olby, Natasha J

    2018-05-23

    Prospective cross-sectional cohort study. The canine spontaneous model of spinal cord injury (SCI) is as an important pre-clinical platform as it recapitulates key facets of human injury in a naturally occurring context. The establishment of an observational canine SCI registry constitutes a key step in performing epidemiologic studies and assessing the impact of therapeutic strategies to enhance translational research. Further, accumulating information on dogs with SCI may contribute to current "big data" approaches to enhance understanding of the disease using heterogeneous multi-institutional, multi-species datasets from both pre-clinical and human studies. Multiple veterinary academic institutions across the United States and Europe. Common data elements recommended for experimental and human SCI studies were reviewed and adapted for use in a web-based registry, to which all dogs presenting to member veterinary tertiary care facilities were prospectively entered over ~1 year. Analysis of data accumulated during the first year of the registry suggests that 16% of dogs with SCI present with severe, sensorimotor-complete injury and that 15% of cases are seen by a tertiary care facility within 8 h of injury. Similar to the human SCI population, 34% were either overweight or obese. Severity of injury and timing of presentation suggests that neuroprotective studies using the canine clinical model could be conducted efficiently using a multi-institutional approach. Additionally, pet dogs with SCI experience similar comorbidities to people with SCI, in particular obesity, and could serve as an important model to evaluate the effects of this condition.

  19. Energy for Living. Study Guide. Unit G1. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosking, Bunty

    The Zimbabe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide includes activities and…

  20. Reproducing by Flowers and Seeds. Study Guide. Unit E2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zesaguli, Josie

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and environmental laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide consists of…

  1. Our Planet Earth. Teacher's Guide. Unit F1. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stocklmayer, Sue

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities,…

  2. Differential Activity of the Oral Glucan Synthase Inhibitor SCY-078 against Wild-Type and Echinocandin-Resistant Strains of Candida Species.

    PubMed

    Pfaller, Michael A; Messer, Shawn A; Rhomberg, Paul R; Borroto-Esoda, Katyna; Castanheira, Mariana

    2017-08-01

    SCY-078 (formerly MK-3118) is a novel orally active inhibitor of fungal β-(1,3)-glucan synthase (GS). SCY-078 is a derivative of enfumafungin and is structurally distinct from the echinocandin class of antifungal agents. We evaluated the in vitro activity of this compound against wild-type (WT) and echinocandin-resistant isolates containing mutations in the FKS genes of Candida spp. Against 36 Candida spp. FKS mutants tested, 30 (83.3%) were non-WT to 1 or more echinocandins, and only 9 (25.0%) were non-WT (MIC, >WT-upper limit) to SCY-078. Among C. glabrata isolates carrying FKS alterations, 84.0% were non-WT to the echinocandins versus only 24.0% for SCY-078. In contrast to the echinocandin comparators, the activity of SCY-078 was minimally affected by the presence of FKS mutations, suggesting that this agent is useful in the treatment of Candida infections due to echinocandin-resistant strains. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  3. Final Report for DOE Project: Portal Web Services: Support of DOE SciDAC Collaboratories

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

    Mary Thomas, PI; Geoffrey Fox, Co-PI; Gannon, D

    2007-10-01

    Grid portals provide the scientific community with familiar and simplified interfaces to the Grid and Grid services, and it is important to deploy grid portals onto the SciDAC grids and collaboratories. The goal of this project is the research, development and deployment of interoperable portal and web services that can be used on SciDAC National Collaboratory grids. This project has four primary task areas: development of portal systems; management of data collections; DOE science application integration; and development of web and grid services in support of the above activities.

  4. Influence of socio-economic status on access to different components of SCI management across Indian population.

    PubMed

    Chhabra, H S; Bhalla, A M

    2015-11-01

    To assess the influence of financial constraints on access to different components of spinal cord injury (SCI) management in various socio-economic strata of the Indian population. Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC). One hundred fifty SCI individuals who came for follow-up at ISIC between March 2009 and March 2013 with at least 1 year of community exposure after discharge were included in the study. Socio-economic classification was carried out according to the Kuppuswamy scale, a standard scale for the Indian population. A self-designed questionnaire was administered. No sample was available from the lower group. There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) for the levels of difficulty perceived by different socio-economic groups in accessing different components of SCI management. Aided upper lower group was dependent on welfare schemes for in-hospital treatment but could not access other components of management once discharged. Unaided upper lower group either faced severe difficulty or could not access management. Majority of lower middle group faced severe difficulty. Upper middle group was equally divided into facing severe, moderate or no difficulty. Most patients in the upper group faced no difficulty, whereas some faced moderate and a small number of severe difficulty. Financial constraints affected all components of SCI management in all except the upper group. The results of the survey suggest that a very large percentage of the Indian population would find it difficult to access comprehensive SCI management and advocate extension of essential medical coverage to unaided upper lower, lower middle and upper middle groups.

  5. Transporter Protein-Coupled DPCPX Nanoconjugates Induce Diaphragmatic Recovery after SCI by Blocking Adenosine A1 Receptors.

    PubMed

    Minic, Zeljka; Zhang, Yanhua; Mao, Guangzhao; Goshgarian, Harry G

    2016-03-23

    Respiratory complications in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are common and have a negative impact on the quality of patients' lives. Systemic administration of drugs that improve respiratory function often cause deleterious side effects. The present study examines the applicability of a novel nanotechnology-based drug delivery system, which induces recovery of diaphragm function after SCI in the adult rat model. We developed a protein-coupled nanoconjugate to selectively deliver by transsynaptic transport small therapeutic amounts of an A1 adenosine receptor antagonist to the respiratory centers. A single administration of the nanoconjugate restored 75% of the respiratory drive at 0.1% of the systemic therapeutic drug dose. The reduction of the systemic dose may obviate the side effects. The recovery lasted for 4 weeks (the longest period studied). These findings have translational implications for patients with respiratory dysfunction after SCI. The leading causes of death in humans following SCI are respiratory complications secondary to paralysis of respiratory muscles. Systemic administration of methylxantines improves respiratory function but also leads to the development of deleterious side effects due to actions of the drug on nonrespiratory sites. The importance of the present study lies in the novel drug delivery approach that uses nanotechnology to selectively deliver recovery-inducing drugs to the respiratory centers exclusively. This strategy allows for a reduction in the therapeutic drug dose, which may reduce harmful side effects and markedly improve the quality of life for SCI patients. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/363441-12$15.00/0.

  6. Structurally distinct membrane nanotubes between human macrophages support long-distance vesicular traffic or surfing of bacteria.

    PubMed

    Onfelt, Björn; Nedvetzki, Shlomo; Benninger, Richard K P; Purbhoo, Marco A; Sowinski, Stefanie; Hume, Alistair N; Seabra, Miguel C; Neil, Mark A A; French, Paul M W; Davis, Daniel M

    2006-12-15

    We report that two classes of membrane nanotubes between human monocyte-derived macrophages can be distinguished by their cytoskeletal structure and their functional properties. Thin membrane nanotubes contained only F-actin, whereas thicker nanotubes, i.e., those > approximately 0.7 microm in diameter, contained both F-actin and microtubules. Bacteria could be trapped and surf along thin, but not thick, membrane nanotubes toward connected macrophage cell bodies. Once at the cell body, bacteria could then be phagocytosed. The movement of bacteria is aided by a constitutive flow of the nanotube surface because streptavidin-coated beads were similarly able to traffic along nanotubes between surface-biotinylated macrophages. Mitochondria and intracellular vesicles, including late endosomes and lysosomes, could be detected within thick, but not thin, membrane nanotubes. Analysis from kymographs demonstrated that vesicles moved in a stepwise, bidirectional manner at approximately 1 microm/s, consistent with their traffic being mediated by the microtubules found only in thick nanotubes. Vesicular traffic in thick nanotubes and surfing of beads along thin nanotubes were both stopped upon the addition of azide, demonstrating that both processes require ATP. However, microtubule destabilizing agents colchicine or nocodazole abrogated vesicular transport but not the flow of the nanotube surface, confirming that distinct cytoskeletal structures of nanotubes give rise to different functional properties. Thus, membrane nanotubes between macrophages are more complex than unvarying ubiquitous membrane tethers and facilitate several means for distal interactions between immune cells.

  7. Locomotor activity of rats with SCI is improved by dexmedetomidine by targeting the expression of inflammatory factors.

    PubMed

    Wang, Wei-Guo; Wang, Lin; Jiao, Zhen-Hua; Xue, Bin; Xu, Zhan-Wang

    2018-04-26

    Dexmedetomidine, a well‑known selective α‑2 adrenoceptor agonist, inhibits the apoptosis of neurons and protects other organs from oxidative damage. In the present study, the effect of dexmedetomidine on spinal cord injury (SCI) in a rat model was investigated. The SCI rat model was prepared using the weight‑drop method, and the effect of dexmedetomidine on locomotor activity was analyzed using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) rating scale. Western blot analysis was used to observe changes in the expression of apoptosis‑related proteins, including B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) and Bcl‑2‑associated X protein (Bax). The results revealed that treatment of the SCI rats with dexmedetomidine at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly prevented the formation of edema in the tissues of the spinal cord. Dexmedetomidine also inhibited the SCI‑induced accumulation of neutrophils in the spinal cord. The BBB scores were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the rats with SCI treated with dexmedetomidine after 10 days. The results of grid walking test revealed a marked decrease in the number of missteps following 10 days of dexmedetomidine treatment. The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α and interleukin (IL)‑1β were significantly reduced (P<0.05) in the spinal cord tissues of the dexmedetomidine group, compared with those in the control group of rats. Dexmedetomidine treatment following SCI exerted an inhibitory effect on the SCI‑induced increase in the expression of Bax. The expression of Bcl‑2 was increased in the dexmedetomidine treated rats, compared with that in the control group. Taken together, dexmedetomidine improved the locomotor activity of the rats through the inhibition of edema, reduction in the expression levels of TNF‑α and IL‑1β, and inhibition of the induction of apoptosis. Therefore, dexmedetomidine may be of therapeutic importance for patients with SCI.

  8. Measurement of the absolute v μ-CCQE cross section at the SciBooNE experiment

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

    Aunion, Jose Luis Alcaraz

    2010-07-01

    This thesis presents the measurement of the charged current quasi-elastic (CCQE) neutrino-nucleon cross section at neutrino energies around 1 GeV. This measurement has two main physical motivations. On one hand, the neutrino-nucleon interactions at few GeV is a region where existing old data are sparse and with low statistics. The current measurement populates low energy regions with higher statistics and precision than previous experiments. On the other hand, the CCQE interaction is the most useful interaction in neutrino oscillation experiments. The CCQE channel is used to measure the initial and final neutrino fluxes in order to determine the neutrino fractionmore » that disappeared. The neutrino oscillation experiments work at low neutrino energies, so precise measurement of CCQE interactions are essential for flux measurements. The main goal of this thesis is to measure the CCQE absolute neutrino cross section from the SciBooNE data. The SciBar Booster Neutrino Experiment (SciBooNE) is a neutrino and anti-neutrino scattering off experiment. The neutrino energy spectrum works at energies around 1 GeV. SciBooNE was running from June 8th 2007 to August 18th 2008. In that period, the experiment collected a total of 2.65 x 10 20 protons on target (POT). This thesis has used full data collection in neutrino mode 0.99 x 10 20 POT. A CCQE selection cut has been performed, achieving around 70% pure CCQE sample. A fit method has been exclusively developed to determine the absolute CCQE cross section, presenting results in a neutrino energy range from 0.2 to 2 GeV. The results are compatible with the NEUT predictions. The SciBooNE measurement has been compared with both Carbon (MiniBoonE) and deuterium (ANL and BNL) target experiments, showing a good agreement in both cases.« less

  9. Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Chronic SCI: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Treatment Impact on Cognition, Quality of Life, and Cardiovascular Disease

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    SCI. In this prospective randomized controlled trial, we will objectively measure sleep disordered breathing ( SDB ) in chronic SCI patients using...portable sleep studies, and systematically evaluate the association between SDB , cognitive performance, mood, pain, and CV measures. We will randomize...randomized shortly. 15. SUBJECT TERMS SDB , SCI, PAP, CV 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a

  10. A Low Temperature, Ultrahigh Vacuum, Microwave-Frequency-Compatible Scanning Tunneling Microscope

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-05-01

    vibrationally decoupled from the chamber using a Subadmed oo -3.- 21 April 1994 Reviw of Sdent* k Immownu Low Topasom UHV ACS7M Stranick et al...molecules, two isolated clusters of benzene molecules on the upper terrace, and several vacancy defects in the Cu(111) surface on the lower terrace...fine and is easily removed and replaced. 11. National Electrostatics Corporation, Middleton, WI. 12. K . Besocke, Surf. Sci. 181, 145 (1987); J. Frohn, J

  11. Efficacy of Intravenous Cobinamide Versus Hydroxocobalamin or Control for Treatment of Severe Hydrogen Sulfide Toxicity in a Swine

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-05-18

    Hydroxocobalamin or Control for Treatment of Severe Hydrogen Sulfide Toxicity In A Swine presented at/published to SURF Conference, San Antonio, TX 20 May 2016...approval.) Intravenous versus intramuscular cobinamide compared to intravenous sal ine (control) in the treatment of acute, survivable, hydrogen ...severe hydrogen sulfide toxici ty in a swine (Sus Sci 7. FUNDING RECEIVED FOR THIS STUDY? IZJ YES 0 NO FUNDING SOURCE:59th CRD O&M Funds 8. DO YOU NEED

  12. SciBox, an end-to-end automated science planning and commanding system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choo, Teck H.; Murchie, Scott L.; Bedini, Peter D.; Steele, R. Josh; Skura, Joseph P.; Nguyen, Lillian; Nair, Hari; Lucks, Michael; Berman, Alice F.; McGovern, James A.; Turner, F. Scott

    2014-01-01

    SciBox is a new technology for planning and commanding science operations for Earth-orbital and planetary space missions. It has been incrementally developed since 2001 and demonstrated on several spaceflight projects. The technology has matured to the point that it is now being used to plan and command all orbital science operations for the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury. SciBox encompasses the derivation of observing sequences from science objectives, the scheduling of those sequences, the generation of spacecraft and instrument commands, and the validation of those commands prior to uploading to the spacecraft. Although the process is automated, science and observing requirements are incorporated at each step by a series of rules and parameters to optimize observing opportunities, which are tested and validated through simulation and review. Except for limited special operations and tests, there is no manual scheduling of observations or construction of command sequences. SciBox reduces the lead time for operations planning by shortening the time-consuming coordination process, reduces cost by automating the labor-intensive processes of human-in-the-loop adjudication of observing priorities, reduces operations risk by systematically checking constraints, and maximizes science return by fully evaluating the trade space of observing opportunities to meet MESSENGER science priorities within spacecraft recorder, downlink, scheduling, and orbital-geometry constraints.

  13. CitSci.org: A New Model for Managing, Documenting, and Sharing Citizen Science Data

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yiwei; Kaplan, Nicole; Newman, Greg; Scarpino, Russell

    2015-01-01

    Citizen science projects have the potential to advance science by increasing the volume and variety of data, as well as innovation. Yet this potential has not been fully realized, in part because citizen science data are typically not widely shared and reused. To address this and related challenges, we built CitSci.org (see www.citsci.org), a customizable platform that allows users to collect and generate diverse datasets. We hope that CitSci.org will ultimately increase discoverability and confidence in citizen science observations, encouraging scientists to use such data in their own scientific research. PMID:26492521

  14. CitSci.org: A New Model for Managing, Documenting, and Sharing Citizen Science Data.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yiwei; Kaplan, Nicole; Newman, Greg; Scarpino, Russell

    2015-10-01

    Citizen science projects have the potential to advance science by increasing the volume and variety of data, as well as innovation. Yet this potential has not been fully realized, in part because citizen science data are typically not widely shared and reused. To address this and related challenges, we built CitSci.org (see www.citsci.org), a customizable platform that allows users to collect and generate diverse datasets. We hope that CitSci.org will ultimately increase discoverability and confidence in citizen science observations, encouraging scientists to use such data in their own scientific research.

  15. A pilot study to evaluate the role of the Spinal Cord Impairment Pressure Ulcer Monitoring Tool (SCI-PUMT) in clinical decisions for pressure ulcer treatment.

    PubMed

    Thomason, Susan S; Graves, Barbara Ann; Madaris, Linda

    2014-12-01

    The Spinal Cord Impairment Pressure Ulcer Monitoring Tool (SCI-PUMT) was designed to assess pressure ulcer (PrU) healing in the spinal cord impaired (SCI) population. The tool contains 7 variables: wound surface area, depth, edges, tunneling, undermining, exudate type, and necrotic tissue amount. A 2-phased, quantitative pilot study based on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior was conducted at a large SCI/Disorders Center in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In the first phase of the study, a convenience sample of 5 physicians, 3 advanced practice registered nurses, and 3 certified wound care nurses (CWCN) was surveyed using a 2-part questionnaire to assess use of the SCI-PUMT instrument, its anticipated improvement in PrU assessment, and intent to use the SCI-PUMT in clinical practice. Attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and barriers related to the intent to use the SCI-PUMT were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale (range: 1= extremely likely, 5 = extremely unlikely). In the second phase of the study, the electronic health records (EHR) of 24 veterans (with 30 PrUs) who had at least 2 completed SCI-PUMT scores during a 4-week period were used to evaluate whether an association existed between magnitudes of change of total SCI-PUMT scores and ordered changes in PrU treatment. The overall mean score for intent to use SCI-PUMT was 1.80 (SD 0.75). The least favorable scores were for convenience and motivation to use the SCI-PUMT. Analysis of EHR data showed no significant difference in magnitudes of change in the SCI-PUMT score and changes in PrU treatment recommendations made by the CWCNs. The significance was not affected regardless of an increase or no change in the score (χ2 with 1 degree of freedom = 1.158, P = 0.282) or for a decrease in the score (χ2 with 1 degree of freedom = 0.5, P = 0.478). In this pilot study, the expressed intent to use the SCI-PUMT in making clinical decisions was generally

  16. Spinal cord injury with central cord syndrome from surfing.

    PubMed

    Steinfeld, Yaniv; Keren, Yaniv; Haddad, Elias

    2018-01-01

    Central cord syndrome (CCS) is an injury to the center of the spinal cord. It is well known as a hyperextension injury, but it has never been described as a surfing injury. Our report describes this injury in detail. A 35-year-old male novice surfer presented to the emergency department with acute tetraplegia following falling off his surfboard and hitting sea floor at a shallow beach break. He was rescued by a fellow surfer while floating in the sea and unable to raise his head above sea level. Upon arrival at the hospital, tetraplegia and sensory deficits were noted. Radiological investigations showed advanced spinal stenosis at C4-6 levels. T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated myelopathy at C5-C6 level. He was diagnosed as having central cord syndrome, treated conservatively, and regained near full neurologic recovery after a month of rehabilitation. Unique sport activities lead to unique injuries. It is important to accurately describe these injuries in order to create protective measures against them. Neurologic injuries in surfers are uncommon. With low-energy trauma, surfer's myelopathy is still the most common diagnosis, but central cord syndrome should be in the differential diagnosis.

  17. Online Registries for Researchers: Using ORCID and SciENcv.

    PubMed

    Vrabel, Mark

    2016-12-01

    The Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) registry helps resolve name ambiguity by assigning persistent unique identifiers that automatically link to a researcher's publications, grants, and other activities. This article provides an overview of ORCID and its benefits, citing several examples of its use in cancer and nursing journals. The article also briefly describes My NCBI and the Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae (SciENcv) and its connection to ORCID.

  18. Surf Zone Sediment Size Variation, Morphodynamics, and Hydrodynamics During Sea/Land Breeze and El-Norte Storm in Sisal, Yucatan, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alrushaid, T.; Figlus, J.; Torres-Freyermuth, A.; Puleo, J. A.; Dellapenna, T. M.

    2016-02-01

    Coastlines around the world are under ever-increasing pressure due to population trends, commerce, and geophysical processes like tropical storms and erosion. This multi-institutional field campaign was conducted to improve our understanding of complex nearshore processes under varying forcing conditions on a microtidal, sandy beach located in Sisal, Yucatan from 3/27 to 4/12/2014. Hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability were investigated during: (1) a cold front event (referred to as El-Norte); (2) land breeze (LB); and (3) sea breeze (SB). The instrumentation layout included three surf/swash zone cross-shore transects where water elevation, suspended sediment concentration, bed load, and current velocities were measured, as well as several offshore ADCP for hydrodynamic measurements. TKE, τb, ɛ and were estimated using the data obtained from surf zone ADV. In addition, Hs and Tsin the surf zone were computed using measurements from ADV pressure sensors, while a separate pressure transducer was used to obtain water free-surface elevation within the swash zone. During SB cycles the study area experienced wind velocities reaching up to 12ms-1, and 15ms-1 during El-Norte. Elevated wind stress during El-Norte resulted in Hs of 1.5m and 0.6m in water depths of 10m and 0.4m, respectively. Surface sediment grab samples during SB/LB cycles showed that the swash zone had a moderately well sorted distribution with a mean grain size of 0.5mm, while poor sorting and a mean grain size of 0.7mm were found during El-Norte. Additionally, measured bathymetry data showed evidence for offshore sandbar migration during strong offshore currents (0.4ms-1) during El-Norte, while onshore sandbar migration was evident during SB/LB periods (0.3ms-1 and 0.1ms-1, respectively). This study highlights how different weather forcing conditions affect hydrodynamics, morphodynamics, and textural variability on a sandy beach. Aside from furthering our knowledge on these complex

  19. Forces in Living Things. Study Guide. Unit H2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosking, Bunty; Zesaguli, Josie

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  20. On the influence of reflection over a rhythmic swash zone on surf zone dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Almar, Rafael; Nicolae Lerma, Alexandre; Castelle, Bruno; Scott, Timothy

    2018-05-01

    The reflection of incident gravity waves over an irregular swash zone morphology and the resulting influence on surf zone dynamics remains mostly unexplored. The wave-phase resolving SWASH model is applied to investigate this feedback using realistic low-tide terraced beach morphology with well-developed beach cusps. The rhythmic reflection generates a standing wave that mimics a subharmonic edge wave, from the superimposition of incident and two-dimensional reflected waves. This mechanism is enhanced by shore-normal, narrow-banded waves in both direction and frequency. Our study suggests that wave reflection over steep beaches could be a mechanism for the development of rhythmic morphological features such as beach cusps and rip currents.

  1. Evaluation of a Surfing Programme Designed to Increase Personal Well-Being and Connectedness to the Natural Environment among "At Risk" Young People

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hignett, Amanda; White, Mathew P.; Pahl, Sabine; Jenkin, Rebecca; Froy, Mod Le

    2018-01-01

    Outdoor activities can be an important complement to classroom learning, especially for children/young people excluded, or at risk of exclusion, from mainstream schooling. The current research explored the impact of a 12-week surfing programme among such a group in the UK. Pre-post data on physiological health (heart rate (HR)/blood pressure),…

  2. Development of an evidence-informed leisure time physical activity resource for adults with spinal cord injury: the SCI Get Fit Toolkit.

    PubMed

    Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K P; Martin Ginis, K A; Latimer-Cheung, A E; Bourne, C; Campbell, D; Cappe, S; Ginis, S; Hicks, A L; Pomerleau, P; Smith, K

    2013-06-01

    To systematically develop an evidence-informed leisure time physical activity (LTPA) resource for adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Canada. The Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II protocol was used to develop a toolkit to teach and encourage adults with SCI how to make smart and informed choices about being physically active. A multidisciplinary expert panel appraised the evidence and generated specific recommendations for the content of the toolkit. Pilot testing was conducted to refine the toolkit's presentation. Recommendations emanating from the consultation process were that the toolkit be a brief, evidence-based resource that contains images of adults with tetraplegia and paraplegia, and links to more detailed online information. The content of the toolkit should include the physical activity guidelines (PAGs) for adults with SCI, activities tailored to manual and power chair users, the benefits of LTPA, and strategies to overcome common LTPA barriers for adults with SCI. The inclusion of action plans and safety tips was also recommended. These recommendations have resulted in the development of an evidence-informed LTPA resource to assist adults with SCI in meeting the PAGs. This toolkit will have important implications for consumers, health care professionals and policy makers for encouraging LTPA in the SCI community.

  3. Bibliometric analysis of the Korean Journal of Parasitology: measured from SCI, PubMed, Scopus, and Synapse databases.

    PubMed

    Lee, Choon Shil

    2009-10-01

    The Korean Journal of Parasitology (KJP) is the official journal of the Korean Society for Parasitology which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009. To assess the contributions and achievements of the KJP, bibliometric analysis was conducted based on the citation data retrieved from 4 major databases; SCI, PubMed, Synapse, and Scopus. It was found that the KJP articles were constantly cited by the articles published in major international journals represented in these databases. More than 60% of 1,370 articles published in the KJP from 1963 to June 2009 were cited at least once by SCI articles. The overall average times cited by SCI articles are 2.6. The rate is almost 3 times higher for the articles published in the last 10 years compared to 1.0 for the articles of the 1960s. The SCI journal impact factor for 2008 is calculated as 0.871. It is increasing and it is expected to increase further with the introduction of the KJP in the database in 2008. The more realistic h-indices were measured from the study data set covering all the citations to the KJP; 17 for SCI, 6 for PubMed, 19 for Synapse, and 17 for Scopus. Synapse extensively picked up the citations to the earlier papers not retrievable from the other 3 databases. It identified many papers published in the 1960s and in the 1980s which have been cited heavily, proving the central role of the KJP in the dissemination of the important research findings over the last 5 decades.

  4. With a little help from my friends: social support and mental health in SCI caregivers from Neiva, Colombia.

    PubMed

    Morlett-Paredes, Alejandra; Perrin, Paul B; Olivera, Silvia Leonor; Rogers, Heather L; Perdomo, Jose Libardo; Arango, Jose Anselmo; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of appraisal, belonging, and tangible social support on the mental health (depression, satisfaction with life, anxiety, and burden) of Colombian spinal cord injury (SCI) caregivers. Forty SCI caregivers from Neiva, Colombia completed questionnaires assessing their perceived social support and mental health. Four multiple regressions found that the three social support variables explained 42.8% of the variance in caregiver depression, 22.3% of the variance in satisfaction with life, 24.1% of the variance in anxiety, and 16.5% of the variance in burden, although the effect on burden was marginally significant. Within these regressions, higher belonging social support was uniquely associated with lower depression, and higher tangible social support was uniquely associated with higher caregiver satisfaction with life. Social support may have a particularly important influence on SCI caregiver mental health in Colombia, due in part to the high levels of collectivism and strong family values shown to exist in Latin America, and may therefore be an important target for SCI caregiver interventions in this region.

  5. Comparing NetCDF and SciDB on managing and querying 5D hydrologic dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Haicheng; Xiao, Xiao

    2016-11-01

    Efficiently extracting information from high dimensional hydro-meteorological modelling datasets requires smart solutions. Traditional methods are mostly based on files, which can be edited and accessed handily. But they have problems of efficiency due to contiguous storage structure. Others propose databases as an alternative for advantages such as native functionalities for manipulating multidimensional (MD) arrays, smart caching strategy and scalability. In this research, NetCDF file based solutions and the multidimensional array database management system (DBMS) SciDB applying chunked storage structure are benchmarked to determine the best solution for storing and querying 5D large hydrologic modelling dataset. The effect of data storage configurations including chunk size, dimension order and compression on query performance is explored. Results indicate that dimension order to organize storage of 5D data has significant influence on query performance if chunk size is very large. But the effect becomes insignificant when chunk size is properly set. Compression of SciDB mostly has negative influence on query performance. Caching is an advantage but may be influenced by execution of different query processes. On the whole, NetCDF solution without compression is in general more efficient than the SciDB DBMS.

  6. [Summarization and analysis on the acupuncture-related articles published in science citation index (SCI) periodicals in 2005].

    PubMed

    Yang, Jia-Yue; Wu, Li-Ping; Guo, Yi

    2007-04-01

    To retrieve, summarize and analyze journals and articles related to acupuncture published in SCI periodicals in 2005, so as to understand the international dynamics about acupuncture researches. The articles about treatment and mechanisms of acupuncture published in SCI periodicals in 2005 were found out and searched for by acupuncture information retrieval online and databank. Most of the 72 SCI periodicals retrieved are from the west, with 147 articles of acupuncture published, and Lancet has the highest impact factors of 23. 407. The kinds of the journals and articles publishing acupuncture researches are increasing, with varied types, rich and varied contents, and increasing the design level. However, the results of the studies are vastly different due to differences of experimental methods, objects and acupuncture manipulations. Therefore, standardization of acupuncture studies is extremely urgent.

  7. "Sci-Tech - Couldn't be without it !"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2002-03-01

    Launch of a Major European Outreach Programme Seven of Europe's leading Research Organizations [1] launch joint outreach programme for the European Science and Technology Week at the Technopolis Museum in Brussels on 22 March. Their aim is to show Europeans how today's society couldn't be without fundamental research . Could you imagine life without mobile phones, cars, CD players, TV, refrigerators, computers, the internet and the World Wide Web, antibiotics, vitamins, anaesthetics, vaccination, heating, pampers, nylon stockings, glue, bar codes, metal detectors, contact lenses, modems, laser printers, digital cameras, gameboys, play stations...? Technology is everywhere and used by everyone in today's society, but how many Europeans suspect that without studies on the structure of the atom, lasers would not exist, and neither would CD players? Most do not realise that most things they couldn't be without have required years of fundamental research . To fill this knowledge gap, the leading Research Organizations in Europe [1], with the support of the research directorate of the European Commission, have joined forces to inform Europeans how technology couldn't be without science, and how science can no longer progress without technology. The project is called...... Sci-Tech - Couldn't be without it! Sci-Tech - Couldn't be without it! invites Europeans to vote online in a survey to identify the top ten technologies they can't live without. It will show them through a dynamic and entertaining Web space where these top technologies really come from, and it will reveal their intimate links with research. Teaching kits will be developed to explain to students how their favourite gadgets actually work, and how a career in science can contribute to inventions that future generations couldn't be without. The results of the survey will be presented as a series of quiz shows live on the Internet during the Science Week, from 4 to 10 November. Sci-tech - Couldn't be without

  8. Health related quality of life and mental health in children with SCI/D from Neiva, Colombia.

    PubMed

    Leibach, Gillian G; Perrin, Paul B; Nicholls, Elizabeth; Leonor Olivera, Silvia; Medina Quintero, Lorena; Mauricio Velasco Trujillo, Diego; Carlos Arango-Lasprilla, Juan

    2015-01-01

    To date, no research has been published on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) and mental health of children with spinal cord injury and disorders (SCI/D) in Latin America, although limited previous research in Western countries has demonstrated the debilitating and chronic nature of these conditions in children. The aim was to examine the connections between HRQOL and mental health in children with SCI/D from Neiva, Colombia. Thirty children (8- 17 years) were recruited from the Hospital Universatario Hernando Mocaleano Perdomo in Neiva, Colombia. Participants completed self-report measures administered verbally by trained research staff. A correlation matrix generally suggested that higher HRQOL was robustly associated with better mental health. A series of multiple regressions found that HRQOL explained 50.5% of the variance in children's depression, 31.5% of the variance in worry, and 41.9% of the variance in social anxiety. Within these regressions, emotional and social functioning were uniquely associated with depression, and emotional functioning was uniquely associated with social anxiety. This is the first published study to examine psychosocial outcomes in children with SCI/D in Latin America, and its findings suggest that future research and interventions for children with SCI/D in Colombia - and possibly in other regions of Latin America - would benefit from emphasizing emotional and social functioning.

  9. Rapid Repairs: Surface Preparation of Ti-3 Al-2.5V Alloy Tubes by Fiber Laser and Welding

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-11-01

    processing of titanium 6Al - 4V alloy for potential aerospace component cleaning application, Appl Surf Sci 2005;247:623-630. [11] Turner MW, Crouse...Debroy T, Heat transfer and fluid flow during keyhole mode laser welding of tantalum, Ti- 6Al - 4V , 304 Stainless Steel and Vanadium, J Phy D : Appl Phy...14Titanium alloys are used extensively in aerospace applications mainly due to their superior strength to weight ratio. Different grades of titanium

  10. In-Situ Patterning: Selective Area Deposition and Etching. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. Volume 158

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-11-21

    Canterford, Halides of the First RgWL rpsition Metals (Wiley-Interscience, London, 1969). 4. G. Koren and J. E. Hurst Jr., AppI, Phys. A 45, 301 (1988). 5. T...Nakayama, Surf. Sci. 12., 101 (1983). 6. J. J. Ritsko, F. Ho, and J. Hurst , Appl., Phys. Lett., 3, 78, (1988...Ho, and - - Hurst , Appl. Phys. Lett. 53,78 (1988), andJ. Hurst , private communication. [2] W. Sesselmann,-E.-E. Marinero, and T. J. Chuang, Appl

  11. The novel oral glucan synthase inhibitor SCY-078 shows in vitro activity against sessile and planktonic Candida spp.

    PubMed

    Marcos-Zambrano, Laura Judith; Gómez-Perosanz, Marta; Escribano, Pilar; Bouza, Emilio; Guinea, Jesús

    2017-07-01

    We studied the antifungal activity of SCY-078 (an orally bioavailable 1,3-β -d- glucan synthesis inhibitor), micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic and sessile forms of 178 Candida and non- Candida isolates causing fungaemia in patients recently admitted to a large European hospital. The in vitro activity of SCY-078, micafungin and fluconazole against the planktonic form of the isolates was assessed using EUCAST EDef 7.3 and CLSI M27-A3. Antibiofilm activity was assessed using the XTT reduction assay. SCY-078 and micafungin showed potent in vitro activity against Candida and non- Candida isolates. The in vitro activity of both drugs was similar, but SYC-078 displayed significantly lower MIC values than micafungin against Candida parapsilosis and non- Candida isolates, whereas micafungin displayed significantly lower MIC values for the remaining species ( P  <0.001). In contrast, SCY-078 and micafungin showed essentially the same activity against the biofilms with the exception of Candida glabrata , in which the micafungin sessile MIC values were significantly lower ( P  <0.001). These observations were confirmed by assessing biofilm structure by scanning electron microscopy after antifungal treatment. Our study showed that the high in vitro activity of SCY-078 against invasive Candida isolates in both sessile and planktonic forms is comparable to that of micafungin. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. SciSpark: Highly Interactive and Scalable Model Evaluation and Climate Metrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, B. D.; Palamuttam, R. S.; Mogrovejo, R. M.; Whitehall, K. D.; Mattmann, C. A.; Verma, R.; Waliser, D. E.; Lee, H.

    2015-12-01

    Remote sensing data and climate model output are multi-dimensional arrays of massive sizes locked away in heterogeneous file formats (HDF5/4, NetCDF 3/4) and metadata models (HDF-EOS, CF) making it difficult to perform multi-stage, iterative science processing since each stage requires writing and reading data to and from disk. We are developing a lightning fast Big Data technology called SciSpark based on ApacheTM Spark under a NASA AIST grant (PI Mattmann). Spark implements the map-reduce paradigm for parallel computing on a cluster, but emphasizes in-memory computation, "spilling" to disk only as needed, and so outperforms the disk-based ApacheTM Hadoop by 100x in memory and by 10x on disk. SciSpark will enable scalable model evaluation by executing large-scale comparisons of A-Train satellite observations to model grids on a cluster of 10 to 1000 compute nodes. This 2nd generation capability for NASA's Regional Climate Model Evaluation System (RCMES) will compute simple climate metrics at interactive speeds, and extend to quite sophisticated iterative algorithms such as machine-learning based clustering of temperature PDFs, and even graph-based algorithms for searching for Mesocale Convective Complexes. We have implemented a parallel data ingest capability in which the user specifies desired variables (arrays) as several time-sorted lists of URL's (i.e. using OPeNDAP model.nc?varname, or local files). The specified variables are partitioned by time/space and then each Spark node pulls its bundle of arrays into memory to begin a computation pipeline. We also investigated the performance of several N-dim. array libraries (scala breeze, java jblas & netlib-java, and ND4J). We are currently developing science codes using ND4J and studying memory behavior on the JVM. On the pyspark side, many of our science codes already use the numpy and SciPy ecosystems. The talk will cover: the architecture of SciSpark, the design of the scientific RDD (sRDD) data structure, our

  13. A Program Design To Motivate Individuals with SCI for Self-Care.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scotzin, Martha

    The report compares a skin care education program with a standard rehabilitation program to determine whether the program improved the self care motivations of spinal cord injury (SCI) paraplegic and quadriplegic inpatients (N=42). Study findings suggest that the skin care educational program was successful in changing patients' thinking about…

  14. SciEthics Interactive: Science and Ethics Learning in a Virtual Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nadolny, Larysa; Woolfrey, Joan; Pierlott, Matthew; Kahn, Seth

    2013-01-01

    Learning in immersive 3D environments allows students to collaborate, build, and interact with difficult course concepts. This case study examines the design and development of the TransGen Island within the SciEthics Interactive project, a National Science Foundation-funded, 3D virtual world emphasizing learning science content in the context of…

  15. The SciELO Open Access: A Gold Way from the South

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Packer, Abel L.

    2009-01-01

    Open access has long emphasized access to scholarly materials. However, open access can also mean access to the means of producing visible and recognized journals. This issue is particularly important in developing and emergent countries. The SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library On-line) project, first started in Brazil and, shortly afterward, in…

  16. CSF Aβ1-42, but not p-Tau181, differentiates aMCI from SCI.

    PubMed

    Rizzi, Liara; Maria Portal, Marcelle; Batista, Carlos Eduardo Alves; Missiaggia, Luciane; Roriz-Cruz, Matheus

    2018-01-01

    Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are at a high risk to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared CSF levels of biomarkers of amyloidosis (Aβ 1-42 ) and neurodegeneration (p-Tau 181 ) in individuals with aMCI and with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in order to ascertain diagnostic accuracy and predict the odds ratio associated with aMCI. We collected CSF of individuals clinically diagnosed with aMCI (33) and SCI (12) of a memory clinic of Southern Brazil. Levels of Aβ 1-42 and p-Tau 181 were measured by immunoenzymatic assay. Participants also underwent neuropsychological testing including the verbal memory test subscore of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (VM-CERAD). CSF concentration of Aβ 1-42 was significantly lower (p: .007) and p-Tau 181 /Aβ 1-42 ratio higher (p: .014) in aMCI individuals than in SCI. However, isolate p-Tau 181 levels were not associated with aMCI (p: .166). There was a statistically significant association between Aβ 1-42 and p-Tau 181 (R 2 : 0.177; β: -4.43; p: .017). ROC AUC of CSF Aβ 1-42 was 0.768 and of the p-Tau 181 /Aβ 1-42 ratio equals 0.742. Individuals with Aβ 1-42  < 823 pg/mL levels were 6.0 times more likely to be diagnosed with aMCI (p: .019), with a 68.9% accuracy. Those with p-Tau 181 /Aβ 1-42 ratio > 0.071 were at 4.6 increased odds to have aMCI (p: .043), with a 64.5% accuracy. VM-CERAD was significantly lower in aMCI than among SCI (p: .041). CSF Aβ 1-42 , but not p-Tau 181, level was significantly associated with aMCI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. SciDB versus Spark: A Preliminary Comparison Based on an Earth Science Use Case

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clune, T.; Kuo, K. S.; Doan, K.; Oloso, A.

    2015-12-01

    We compare two Big Data technologies, SciDB and Spark, for performance, usability, and extensibility, when applied to a representative Earth science use case. SciDB is a new-generation parallel distributed database management system (DBMS) based on the array data model that is capable of handling multidimensional arrays efficiently but requires lengthy data ingest prior to analysis, whereas Spark is a fast and general engine for large scale data processing that can immediately process raw data files and thereby avoid the ingest process. Once data have been ingested, SciDB is very efficient in database operations such as subsetting. Spark, on the other hand, provides greater flexibility by supporting a wide variety of high-level tools including DBMS's. For the performance aspect of this preliminary comparison, we configure Spark to operate directly on text or binary data files and thereby limit the need for additional tools. Arguably, a more appropriate comparison would involve exploring other configurations of Spark which exploit supported high-level tools, but that is beyond our current resources. To make the comparison as "fair" as possible, we export the arrays produced by SciDB into text files (or converting them to binary files) for the intake by Spark and thereby avoid any additional file processing penalties. The Earth science use case selected for this comparison is the identification and tracking of snowstorms in the NASA Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis data. The identification portion of the use case is to flag all grid cells of the MERRA high-resolution hourly data that satisfies our criteria for snowstorm, whereas the tracking portion connects flagged cells adjacent in time and space to form a snowstorm episode. We will report the results of our comparisons at this presentation.

  18. Development of a Small Molecule P2X7R Antagonist as a Treatment for Acute SCI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    in isolated spinal astrocytes and microglia, concentrating on P2X7R activity -dependent transcription. In year 1, we established the injury...astroglia and microglia in response to SCI. Besides defining the effects of P2X7R activation and its blockade on phenotype-specific gene expression...injury (SCI) in isolated spinal astrocytes and microglia, concentrating on P2X7R activity - dependent transcription. In year 1, we established the injury

  19. Fitness and Independence after SCI: Defining Meaningful Change and Thresholds

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    STATEMENT Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Quality of life after SCI/D is depends more on...determine if low fitness is limiting transfer ability. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Spinal Cord Injury, Fitness, Independence, Quality of Life 16. SECURITY... quality of life . Examples include: • data or databases; • physical collections; • audio or video products; • software; • models; • educational aids

  20. Observation of cosmic ray hadrons at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico with the SciCRT prototype

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

    Ortiz, E.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Matsubara, Y.

    In this work we report the flux of protons and neutral emission measured at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano at 4600 m.a.s.l. (575 g/cm2), in Eastern Mexico. As an example of the capability of the mini-SciCR as a cosmic ray detector we present the Forbush decrease recorded on March 7, 2012. These data were obtained with a cosmic ray detector prototype called mini-SciCR that was operating from October 2010 to July 2012. Our main aims were to measure the hadronic component flux of the secondary cosmic ray and to show the appropriate performance of all system of themore » detector. To separate the signals of protons from other charged particles we obtained the energy deposition pattern when they cross the detector using a Monte Carlo simulation, and to separate the signals of neutral emission we used an anticoincidence system between the edge bars and the internal bars of the detector. The mini-SciCR is a prototype of a new cosmic ray detector called SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) installed in the same place, which is in the process of calibration. The SciCRT will work mainly as a Solar Neutron and Muon Telescope, it is designed to achieve: (1) larger effective area than the current Solar Neutron Telescope, (2) higher energy resolution to determine the energy spectrum of solar neutrons, (3) lower energy threshold, and (4) higher particle identification ability.« less

  1. Observation of cosmic ray hadrons at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico with the SciCRT prototype

    DOE PAGES

    Ortiz, E.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Matsubara, Y.; ...

    2016-02-16

    In this study we report the flux of protons and neutral emission measured at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano at 4600 m.a.s.l. (575 g/cm 2), in Eastern Mexico. As an example of the capability of the mini-SciCR as a cosmic ray detector we present the Forbush decrease recorded on March 7, 2012. These data were obtained with a cosmic ray detector prototype called mini-SciCR that was operating from October 2010 to July 2012. Our main aims were to measure the hadronic component flux of the secondary cosmic ray and to show the appropriate performance of all system ofmore » the detector. To separate the signals of protons from other charged particles we obtained the energy deposition pattern when they cross the detector using a Monte Carlo simulation, and to separate the signals of neutral emission we used an anticoincidence system between the edge bars and the internal bars of the detector. The mini-SciCR is a prototype of a new cosmic ray detector called SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) installed in the same place, which is in the process of calibration. The SciCRT will work mainly as a Solar Neutron and Muon Telescope, it is designed to achieve: (1) larger effective area than the current Solar Neutron Telescope, (2) higher energy resolution to determine the energy spectrum of solar neutrons, (3) lower energy threshold, and (4) higher particle identification ability.« less

  2. Observation of cosmic ray hadrons at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico with the SciCRT prototype

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

    Ortiz, E.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Matsubara, Y.

    In this study we report the flux of protons and neutral emission measured at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano at 4600 m.a.s.l. (575 g/cm 2), in Eastern Mexico. As an example of the capability of the mini-SciCR as a cosmic ray detector we present the Forbush decrease recorded on March 7, 2012. These data were obtained with a cosmic ray detector prototype called mini-SciCR that was operating from October 2010 to July 2012. Our main aims were to measure the hadronic component flux of the secondary cosmic ray and to show the appropriate performance of all system ofmore » the detector. To separate the signals of protons from other charged particles we obtained the energy deposition pattern when they cross the detector using a Monte Carlo simulation, and to separate the signals of neutral emission we used an anticoincidence system between the edge bars and the internal bars of the detector. The mini-SciCR is a prototype of a new cosmic ray detector called SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope (SciCRT) installed in the same place, which is in the process of calibration. The SciCRT will work mainly as a Solar Neutron and Muon Telescope, it is designed to achieve: (1) larger effective area than the current Solar Neutron Telescope, (2) higher energy resolution to determine the energy spectrum of solar neutrons, (3) lower energy threshold, and (4) higher particle identification ability.« less

  3. The Chemicals of the Earth. Study Guide. Unit F2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stocklmayer, Sue

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  4. Living Things and Their Food. Study Guide. Unit G2. ZIM-SCI, Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project. Year 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosking, Bunty

    The Zimbabwe Secondary School Science Project (ZIM-SCI) developed student study guides, corresponding teaching guides, and science kits for a low-cost science course which could be taught during the first 2 years of secondary school without the aid of qualified teachers and conventional laboratories. This ZIM-SCI study guide presents activities…

  5. Large herbivores surf waves of green-up during spring.

    PubMed

    Merkle, Jerod A; Monteith, Kevin L; Aikens, Ellen O; Hayes, Matthew M; Hersey, Kent R; Middleton, Arthur D; Oates, Brendan A; Sawyer, Hall; Scurlock, Brandon M; Kauffman, Matthew J

    2016-06-29

    The green wave hypothesis (GWH) states that migrating animals should track or 'surf' high-quality forage at the leading edge of spring green-up. To index such high-quality forage, recent work proposed the instantaneous rate of green-up (IRG), i.e. rate of change in the normalized difference vegetation index over time. Despite this important advancement, no study has tested the assumption that herbivores select habitat patches at peak IRG. We evaluated this assumption using step selection functions parametrized with movement data during the green-up period from two populations each of bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk, moose and bison, totalling 463 individuals monitored 1-3 years from 2004 to 2014. Accounting for variables that typically influence habitat selection for each species, we found seven of 10 populations selected patches exhibiting high IRG-supporting the GWH. Nonetheless, large herbivores selected for the leading edge, trailing edge and crest of the IRG wave, indicating that other mechanisms (e.g. ruminant physiology) or measurement error inherent with satellite data affect selection for IRG. Our evaluation indicates that IRG is a useful tool for linking herbivore movement with plant phenology, paving the way for significant advancements in understanding how animals track resource quality that varies both spatially and temporally. © 2016 The Author(s).

  6. Forcing a three-dimensional, hydrostatic, primitive-equation model for application in the surf zone: 2. Application to DUCK94

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newberger, P. A.; Allen, J. S.

    2007-08-01

    A three-dimensional primitive-equation model for application to the nearshore surf zone has been developed. This model, an extension of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), predicts the wave-averaged circulation forced by breaking waves. All of the features of the original POM are retained in the extended model so that applications can be made to regions where breaking waves, stratification, rotation, and wind stress make significant contributions to the flow behavior. In this study we examine the effects of breaking waves and wind stress. The nearshore POM circulation model is embedded within the NearCom community model and is coupled with a wave model. This combined modeling system is applied to the nearshore surf zone off Duck, North Carolina, during the DUCK94 field experiment of October 1994. Model results are compared to observations from this experiment, and the effects of parameter choices are examined. A process study examining the effects of tidal depth variation on depth-dependent wave-averaged currents is carried out. With identical offshore wave conditions and model parameters, the strength and spatial structure of the undertow and of the alongshore current vary systematically with water depth. Some three-dimensional solutions show the development of shear instabilities of the alongshore current. Inclusion of wave-current interactions makes an appreciable difference in the characteristics of the instability.

  7. Theory of H bonding and vibration on close-packed metal surfaces

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

    Feibelman, P.J.; Hamann, D.R.

    1987-07-01

    Self-consistent linearized augmented plane-wave calculations for H monolayers adsorbed on Pt(111), Ru(0001), Cu(111), and Cu(1 x 1)/Ru(0001) thin slabs predict the following: the H-atom equilibrium position on these substrates is generally in the face-centered cubic threefold hollow at a height above the surface where the clean-metal electron density is about 0.015 a.u. The symmetric stretch (SS) frequency lies in the range 130--165 meV, and is about 30% greater than the asymmetric stretch (AS) frequency on the same substrate. These results contradict the mode assignments of Baro et al. (A. M. Baro, H. Ibach, and H. D. Bruchman, Surf. Sci. 88,more » 384 (1979)) for H/Pt(111) which were based on the observation of weak dipole scattering by the low-lying mode, and of Barteau et al. (M. A. Barteau, J. Q. Broughton, and D. Menzel, Surf. Sci. 133, 443 (1983)) for H/Ru(0001). The pairwise spring model of H--metal vibration invoked by these groups in support of their mode assignments neglects a major component of the H--metal interaction, that between the adsorbed H and the delocalized electrons of a metal surface. It is this interaction which is responsible for the fact that the frequency of the SS vibration is greater than that of the AS.« less

  8. Clinical Trial of AC105 (Mg/PEG) for Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Phase 2

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    glycol with a molecular weight of 3350 Daltons ( PEG 3350 ), is manufactured by Dow Chemical Company and complies with NF, FCC and EurPh requirements...Mg/ PEG ) for Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Andrew Blight, PhD RECIPIENT: Acorda Therapeutics...of AC105 (Mg/ PEG ) for Treatment of Acute Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-12-2 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d

  9. The role of suspension events in cross-shore and longshore suspended sediment transport in the surf zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jaffe, Bruce E.

    2015-01-01

    Suspension of sand in the surf zone is intermittent. Especially striking in a time series of concentration are periods of intense suspension, suspension events, when the water column suspended sediment concentration is an order of magnitude greater than the mean concentration. The prevalence, timing, and contribution of suspension events to cross-shore and longshore suspended sediment transport are explored using field data collected in the inner half of the surf zone during a large storm at Duck, NC. Suspension events are defined as periods when the concentration is above a threshold. Events tended to occur during onshore flow under the wave crest, resulting in an onshore contribution to the suspended sediment transport. Even though large events occurred less than 10 percent of the total time, at some locations onshore transport associated with suspension events was greater than mean-current driven offshore-directed transport during non-event periods, causing the net suspended sediment transport to be onshore. Events and fluctuations in longshore velocity were not correlated. However, events did increase the longshore suspended sediment transport by approximately the amount they increase the mean concentration, which can be up to 35%. Because of the lack of correlation, the longshore suspended sediment transport can be modeled without considering the details of the intensity and time of events as the vertical integration of the product of the time-averaged longshore velocity and an event-augmented time-averaged concentration. However, to accurately model cross-shore suspended sediment transport, the timing and intensity of suspension events must be reproduced.

  10. MiR-103 alleviates autophagy and apoptosis by regulating SOX2 in LPS-injured PC12 cells and SCI rats.

    PubMed

    Li, Guowei; Chen, Tao; Zhu, Yingxian; Xiao, Xiaoyu; Bu, Juyuan; Huang, Zongwen

    2018-03-01

    Recent studies revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) may play crucial roles in the responses and pathologic processes of spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aimed to investigate the effect and the molecular basis of miR-103 on LPS-induced injuries in PC12 cells in vitro and SCI rats in vivo . PC12 cells were exposed to LPS to induce cell injuries to mimic the in vitro model of SCI. The expression of miR-103 and SOX2 in PC12 cells were altered by transient transfections. Cell viability and apoptotic cell rate were measured by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis- and autophagy- related proteins, MAPK/ERK pathway- and JAK/STAT pathway-related proteins. In addition, we also assessed the effect of miR-103 agomir on SCI rats. LPS exposure induced cell injuries in PC12 cells. miR-103 overexpression significantly increased cell viability, reduced cell apoptosis and autophagy, and opposite results were observed in miR-103 inhibition. miR-103 attenuated LPS-induced injuries by indirect upregulation of SOX2. SOX2 overexpression protected PC12 cells against LPS-induced injuries, while SOX2 inhibition expedited LPS-induced cell injuries. Furthermore, miR-103 overexpression inhibited MAPK/ERK pathway and JAK/STAT pathway through upregulation of SOX2. We also found that miR-103 agomir inhibited cell apoptosis and autophagy in SCI rats. This study demonstrates that miR-103 may represent a protective effect against cell apoptosis and autophagy in LPS-injured PC12 cells and SCI rats by upregulation of SOX2 expression.

  11. Synchrotron radiation calibration of the EUVE variable line-spaced diffraction gratings at the NBS SURF II facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jelinsky, P.; Jelinsky, S. R.; Miller, A.; Vallerga, J.; Malina, R. F.

    1988-01-01

    The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) has a spectrometer which utilizes variable line-spaced, plane diffraction gratings in the converging beam of a Wolter-Schwarzschild type II mirror. The gratings, microchannel plate detector, and thin film filters have been calibrated with continuum radiation provided by the NBS SURF II facility. These were calibrated in a continuum beam to find edges or other sharp spectral features in the transmission of the filters, quantum efficiency of the microchannel plate detector, and efficiency of the gratings. The details of the calibration procedure and the results of the calibration are presented.

  12. SciDB and Geoinformatics Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Paul

    2015-04-01

    The SciDB project took as its design goals a list of features identified as being critical to scientific data management in a survey of working scientists (Stonebraker et al 2009). Earth scientists working with remote sensing data were well represented among those polled so it should come as no surprise that the platform has been embraced by that community. In this talk we focus on work done by researchers at NASA and INPE, and on applications created by commercial data providers in Korea and the United States. For each use-case, we will review the project team's objectives, the nature and quantity of the data involved, the their workload queries. As we discuss each use-case we will describe what is emerging as "best practice" for data management and analysis in this space. M. Stonebraker, J. Becla, D. J. DeWitt, K. T. Lim, D. Maier, O. Ratzesberger, and S. B. Zdonik. Requirements for science data bases and scidb. In CIDR 2009, Fourth Biennial Conference on Innovative Data Systems Research, Asilomar, CA, USA, January 4-7, 2009, Online Proceedings, 2009.

  13. Developing a spinal cord injury research strategy using a structured process of evidence review and stakeholder dialogue. Part I: rapid review of SCI prioritisation literature.

    PubMed

    Bragge, P; Piccenna, L; Middleton, J W; Williams, S; Creasey, G; Dunlop, S; Brown, D; Gruen, R L

    2015-10-01

    This is a rapid evidence review. The objective of this study was to gain an overview of the volume, nature and findings of studies regarding priorities for spinal cord injury (SCI) research. A worldwide literature search was conducted. Six medical literature databases and Google Scholar were searched for reviews in which the primary aim was to identify SCI research priorities. Two systematic reviews were identified-one of quantitative and one of qualitative studies. The quality of the reviews was variable. Collectively, the reviews identified 31 primary studies; 24 quantitative studies totalling 5262 participants and 7 qualitative studies totalling 120 participants. Despite the difference in research paradigms, there was convergence in review findings in the areas of body impairments and relationships. The vast majority of literature within the reviews focused on the SCI patient perspective. The reviews inform specific research topics and highlight other important research considerations, most notably those pertaining to SCI patients' perspectives on quality of life, which may be of use in determining meaningful research outcome measures. The views of other SCI research stakeholders such as researchers, clinicians, policymakers, funders and carers would help shape a bigger picture of SCI research priorities, ultimately optimising research outputs and translation into clinical practice and health policy change. Review findings informed subsequent activities in developing a regional SCI research strategy, as described in two companion papers. This project was funded by the Victorian Transport Accident Commission and the Australian and New Zealand SCI Network.

  14. Numerical modelling of wind effects on breaking waves in the surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Zhihua

    2017-10-01

    Wind effects on periodic breaking waves in the surf zone have been investigated in this study using a two-phase flow model. The model solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the k - 𝜖 turbulence model simultaneously for the flows both in the air and water. Both spilling and plunging breakers over a 1:35 sloping beach have been studied under the influence of wind, with a focus during wave breaking. Detailed information of the distribution of wave amplitudes and mean water level, wave-height-to-water-depth ratio, the water surface profiles, velocity, vorticity, and turbulence fields have been presented and discussed. The inclusion of wind alters the air flow structure above water waves, increases the generation of vorticity, and affects the wave shoaling, breaking, overturning, and splash-up processes. Wind increases the water particle velocities and causes water waves to break earlier and seaward, which agrees with the previous experiment.

  15. Scoring analysis of the men's 2014, 2015 and 2016 world championship tour of surfing: the importance of aerial manoeuvres in competitive surfing.

    PubMed

    Ferrier, Brendon; Sheppard, Jeremy; Farley, Oliver R L; Secomb, Josh L; Parsonage, Joanna; Newton, Robert U; Nimphius, Sophia

    2018-02-22

    The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of aerial manoeuvres on scoring in professional surfing. 23,631 waves were analysed for the number and types of aerial manoeuvres performed from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Men's World Championship Tour. Additionally, the awarded score, timing and order of the aerial was also analysed. Descriptive statistics and Two Way ANOVA's were performed with Sidak Multiple Comparisons Post Hoc analysis. Results were a significantly higher score being awarded (P ≤ 0.0001) when including an aerial in competition across all three seasons. In 2015 surfers were awarded a significantly larger score when performing an air reverse, compared to 2014 (P = 0.0002) and 2016 (P = 0.0057). Surfers were also awarded a higher score for the full rotation aerial in 2015 compared to 2014 (P = 0.0177). In 2015 surfers performing forehand aerials were awarded a greater score than in 2016 (P = 0.0113). The timing of the aerial and score awarded was significantly greater in 2015 as opposed to 2014 when the aerial was their final manoeuvre (P < 0.0001) and when surfers timed the aerial performance early within the heat (P = 0.0027). If a surfer incorporates an aerial manoeuvre during competition, generally speaking, they will be awarded a significantly higher score.

  16. Reactions of the rat musculoskeletal system to compressive spinal cord injury (SCI) and whole body vibration (WBV) therapy

    PubMed Central

    Schwarz, A.; Pick, C.; Harrach, R.; Stein, G.; Bendella, H.; Ozsoy, O.; Ozsoy, U.; Schoenau, E.; Jaminet, P.; Sarikcioglu, L.; Dunlop, S.; Angelov, D.N.

    2015-01-01

    Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a loss of locomotor function with associated compromise of the musculo-skeletal system. Whole body vibration (WBV) is a potential therapy following SCI, but little is known about its effects on the musculo-skeletal system. Here, we examined locomotor recovery and the musculo-skeletal system after thoracic (T7-9) compression SCI in adult rats. Daily WBV was started at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after injury (WBV1-WBV28 respectively) and continued over a 12-week post-injury period. Intact rats, rats with SCI but no WBV (sham-treated) and a group that received passive flexion and extension (PFE) of their hind limbs served as controls. Compared to sham-treated rats, neither WBV nor PFE improved motor function. Only WBV14 and PFE improved body support. In line with earlier studies we failed to detect signs of soleus muscle atrophy (weight, cross sectional diameter, total amount of fibers, mean fiber diameter) or bone loss in the femur (length, weight, bone mineral density). One possible explanation is that, despite of injury extent, the preservation of some axons in the white matter, in combination with quadripedal locomotion, may provide sufficient trophic and neuronal support for the musculoskeletal system. PMID:26032204

  17. Reactions of the rat musculoskeletal system to compressive spinal cord injury (SCI) and whole body vibration (WBV) therapy.

    PubMed

    Schwarz, A; Pick, C; Harrach, R; Stein, G; Bendella, H; Ozsoy, O; Ozsoy, U; Schoenau, E; Jaminet, P; Sarikcioglu, L; Dunlop, S; Angelov, D N

    2015-06-01

    Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a loss of locomotor function with associated compromise of the musculo-skeletal system. Whole body vibration (WBV) is a potential therapy following SCI, but little is known about its effects on the musculo-skeletal system. Here, we examined locomotor recovery and the musculo-skeletal system after thoracic (T7-9) compression SCI in adult rats. Daily WBV was started at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after injury (WBV1-WBV28 respectively) and continued over a 12-week post-injury period. Intact rats, rats with SCI but no WBV (sham-treated) and a group that received passive flexion and extension (PFE) of their hind limbs served as controls. Compared to sham-treated rats, neither WBV nor PFE improved motor function. Only WBV14 and PFE improved body support. In line with earlier studies we failed to detect signs of soleus muscle atrophy (weight, cross sectional diameter, total amount of fibers, mean fiber diameter) or bone loss in the femur (length, weight, bone mineral density). One possible explanation is that, despite of injury extent, the preservation of some axons in the white matter, in combination with quadripedal locomotion, may provide sufficient trophic and neuronal support for the musculoskeletal system.

  18. Treatment of Neuropathic Pain after SCI with a Catalytic Oxidoreductant

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-01

    Ashcraft,1 Ping Fan,4 Dewhirst, M. W.,1 David S. Warner,2 Zeljko Vujaskovic,4 Ines Batinic-Haberle1 and Ivan Spasojevic,6* Departments of Radiation...Subcontract project management and oversee the mouse SCI induction OTHER FUNDING SUPPORT DUKE NAME IVAN SPASOJEVICK, PH.D. PROJECT ROLE CO-I...Fan,4 Dewhirst, M. W.,1 David S. Warner,2 Zeljko Vujaskovic,4 Ines Batinic-Haberle1 and Ivan Spasojevic,6* Departments of Radiation Oncology,1

  19. FES-Rowing versus Zoledronic Acid to Improve Bone Health in SCI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    although the risk is high in this population of osteoporosis -related bone fracture. This study aims to learn if the severe osteoporosis in lower... Osteoporosis , FES-rowing, zoledronic acid, exercise, bone health 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a...9 Introduction Serious spinal cord injury (SCI) causes osteoporosis in the lower extremities, significantly increasing

  20. Measuring resilience after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank and short form.

    PubMed

    Victorson, David; Tulsky, David S; Kisala, Pamela A; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Weiland, Brian; Choi, Seung W

    2015-05-01

    To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury--Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank and short form. Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a resilience item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning (DIF). We tested a 32-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the Resilience items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.968; RMSEA=0.074) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -3.1 and 0.9). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes we found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 21 retained items. This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

  1. Family dynamics and psychosocial functioning in children with SCI/D from Colombia, South America

    PubMed Central

    Nicolais, Christina J.; Perrin, Paul B.; Panyavin, Ivan; Nicholls, Elizabeth G.; Olivera Plaza, Silvia Leonor; Quintero, Lorena Medina; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

    2016-01-01

    Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the connections between family dynamics and the psychosocial functioning of children with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). Design Cross-sectional. Setting Participants were recruited from communities in Neiva, Colombia. Participants Thirty children with SCI/D and their primary caregiver participated. Children were between 8 and 17 years of age, and had sustained their injury at least six months prior to data collection. Interventions NA. Outcome measures Participating children completed measures assessing their own psychosocial functioning (Children's Depression Inventory, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale-2, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), and their primary caregiver completed measures of family dynamics (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale- Fourth Edition, Family Communication Scale, Family Assessment Device- General Functioning, Family Satisfaction Scale, Relationship-Focused Coping Scale). Results A correlation matrix showed a number of significant bivariate correlations between child and family variables, and three multiple regressions showed that family satisfaction, empathy, and flexibility significantly explained 27% of the variance in child worry; family satisfaction and communication explained 18% of the variance in child social anxiety; and family cohesion and communication explained 23% of the variance in child emotional functioning. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of rehabilitation professionals considering the association between family dynamics and the psychosocial functioning of children with SCI/D when working with this population. PMID:25582185

  2. Interacting effects of latitude, mass, age, and sex on winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata): Implications for differential migration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Esler, Daniel N.; Iverson, Samuel A.; Ward, David; Boyd, Sean; Kirk, Molly; Lewis, Tyler L.; VanStratt, Corey S.; Brodhead, Katherine M.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Schmutz, Joel A.

    2016-01-01

    We quantified variation in winter survival of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata (L., 1758)) across nearly 30° of latitude on the Pacific coast of North America to evaluate potential effects on winter distributions, including observed differential distributions of age and sex classes. We monitored fates of 297 radio-marked Surf Scoters at three study sites: (1) near the northern periphery of their wintering range in southeast Alaska, USA, (2) the range core in British Columbia, Canada, and (3) the southern periphery in Baja California, Mexico. We detected 34 mortalities and determined that survival averaged lower at the range peripheries than in the range core, was lower during mid-winter than during late winter at all sites, and was positively correlated with body mass within locations. Although neither age nor sex class had direct effects, mass effects led to differential survival patterns among classes. When simultaneously incorporating these interacting influences, adult males of mean mass for their location had highest survival at the northern range periphery in Alaska, whereas adult females and juveniles had higher survival at the range core and the southern periphery. Our observations help to explain patterns of differential migration and distribution reported for this species and highlight seasonal periods (mid-winter) and locations (range peripheries) of elevated levels of mortality for demographically important age–sex classes (adult females).

  3. Immunogenicity of Sci-B-Vac (a Third-Generation Hepatitis B Vaccine) in HIV-Positive Adults.

    PubMed

    Alon, Danny; Stein, Gideon Y; Hadas-Golan, Vered; Tau, Luba; Brosh, Tal; Turner, Dan

    2017-03-01

    Guidelines recommend hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination of all adults positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Immune responses to single-antigen HBV vaccine among HIV-positive patients are low when compared with HIV-negative adults. Sci-B-Vac™ is a recombinant third-generation HBV that may be advantageous in this population. To examine the immune responses to Sci-B-Vac among HIV-positive adults. We conducted a prospective cohort study involving HIV-positive adults who had negative HBV serology (HBSAg, HBSAb, HBcoreAb). Sci-B-Vac at 10 µg/dose was administered intramuscularly upon recruitment and after 1 and 6 months. HBSAb levels were checked 1 month after each dose; a level > 10 mlU/ml was considered protective. Data regarding age, gender, CD4 level, and viral load were collected. The study group comprised 31 patients. Average CD4 count was 503 ± 281 cells/ml, and average viral load was 44 copies/ml. Median interquartile range (IQR) HBVAb titers after the first, second and third immunizations were 0 (0, 3.5), 30 (6, 126) and 253 (81, 408) mlU/ml. Significant titer elevations were found between the second and third immunizations (P = 0.0003). The rate of patients considered protected was 16% after the first, 65% after the second (P < 0.0001), and 84% after the third dose (P = 0.045). No adverse events were reported. More patients under the age of 40 years responded to the first immunization (28% vs. 0%, P = 0.038). CD4 level had no influence on immunization rates. Sci-B-Vac might achieve better immunization rates among HIV-positive adults compared to the single-antigen vaccine and thus deserves further evaluation in a randomized, double-blind study in this population.

  4. Complete spinal cord injury (SCI) transforms how brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) affects nociceptive sensitization.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yung-Jen; Lee, Kuan H; Grau, James W

    2017-02-01

    Noxious stimulation can induce a lasting increase in neural excitability within the spinal cord (central sensitization) that can promote pain and disrupt adaptive function (maladaptive plasticity). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to regulate the development of plasticity and has been shown to impact the development of spinally-mediated central sensitization. The latter effect has been linked to an alteration in GABA-dependent inhibition. Prior studies have shown that, in spinally transected rats, exposure to regular (fixed spaced) stimulation can counter the development of maladaptive plasticity and have linked this effect to an up-regulation of BDNF. Here it is shown that application of the irritant capsaicin to one hind paw induces enhanced mechanical reactivity (EMR) after spinal cord injury (SCI) and that the induction of this effect is blocked by pretreatment with fixed spaced shock. This protective effect was eliminated if rats were pretreated with the BDNF sequestering antibody TrkB-IgG. Intrathecal (i.t.) application of BDNF prevented, but did not reverse, capsaicin-induced EMR. BDNF also attenuated cellular indices (ERK and pERK expression) of central sensitization after SCI. In uninjured rats, i.t. BDNF enhanced, rather than attenuated, capsaicin-induced EMR and ERK/pERK expression. These opposing effects were related to a transformation in GABA function. In uninjured rats, BDNF reduced membrane-bound KCC2 and the inhibitory effect of the GABA A agonist muscimol. After SCI, BDNF increased KCC2 expression, which would help restore GABAergic inhibition. The results suggest that SCI transforms how BDNF affects GABA function and imply that the clinical usefulness of BDNF will depend upon the extent of fiber sparing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Observational Data Analysis and Numerical Model Assessment of the Seafloor Interaction and Mobility of Sand and Weathered Oil Agglomerates (Surface Residual Balls) in the Surf Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dalyander, S.; Long, J.; Plant, N. G.; Penko, A.; Calantoni, J.; Thompson, D.; Mclaughlin, M. K.

    2014-12-01

    When weathered oil is transported ashore, such as during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, it can mix with suspended sediment in the surf zone to create heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates in the form of mats several centimeters thick and tens of meters long. Broken off pieces of these mats and smaller agglomerates formed in situ (called Surface Residual Balls, SRBs) can cause beach re-oiling months to years after the initial spill. The physical dynamics of these SRBs in the nearshore, where they are larger (cm-scale) and less dense than natural sediment, are poorly understood. In the current study, SRB mobility and seafloor interaction is investigated through a combination of laboratory and field experiments with pseudo-SRBs developed to be physically stable proxies for genuine agglomerates. Formulations for mobility prediction based on comparing estimated shear stress to the critical Shields and modified Shields parameters developed for mixed sediment beds are assessed against observations. Processes such as burial, exhumation, and interaction with bedforms (e.g., migrating ripples) are also explored. The observations suggest that incipient motion estimates based on a modified Shields parameter have some skill in predicting SRB movement, but that other forcing mechanisms such as pressure gradients may be important under some conditions. Additionally, burial and exhumation due to the relatively high mobility of sand grains are confirmed as key processes controlling SRB dynamics in the surf zone. This work has broad implications for understanding surf zone sediment transport at the short timescale associated with mobilizing sand grains and SRBs as well as at the longer timescales associated with net transport patterns, sediment budgets, and bed elevation changes.

  6. Multiple mediation path model of pain's cascading influence on physical disability in individuals with SCI from Colombia, South America.

    PubMed

    Perrin, Paul B; Paredes, Alejandra Morlett; Olivera, Silvia Leonor; Lozano, Juan Esteban; Leal, Wendy Tatiana; Ahmad, Usman F; Arango-Lasprilla, Juan Carlos

    2017-01-01

    Research has begun to document the bivariate connections between pain in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and various aspects of health related quality of life (HRQOL), such as fatigue, social functioning, mental health, and physical functioning. The purpose of this study was to construct and test a theoretical path model illuminating the stage-wise and sequential (cascading) HRQOL pathways through which pain increases physical disability in individuals with SCI in a sample from Colombia, South America. It was hypothesized that increased pain would lead to decreased energy, which would lead to decreased mental health and social functioning, which both would lead to emotional role limitations, which finally would lead to physical role limitations. A cross-sectional study assessed individuals with SCI (n = 40) in Neiva, Colombia. Participants completed a measure indexing various aspects of HRQOL. The path model overall showed excellent fit indices, and each individual path within the model was statistically significant. Pain exerted significant indirect effects through all possible mediators in the model, ultimately suggesting that energy, mental health, social functioning, and role limitations-emotional were likely pathways through which pain exerted its effects on physical disability in individuals with SCI. These findings uncover several potential nodes for clinical intervention which if targeted in the context of rehabilitation or outpatient services, could result in salubrious direct and indirect effects reverberating down the theoretical causal chain and ultimately reducing physical disability in individuals with SCI.

  7. SciDAC-Data, A Project to Enabling Data Driven Modeling of Exascale Computing

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

    Mubarak, M.; Ding, P.; Aliaga, L.

    The SciDAC-Data project is a DOE funded initiative to analyze and exploit two decades of information and analytics that have been collected by the Fermilab Data Center on the organization, movement, and consumption of High Energy Physics data. The project will analyze the analysis patterns and data organization that have been used by the NOvA, MicroBooNE, MINERvA and other experiments, to develop realistic models of HEP analysis workflows and data processing. The SciDAC-Data project aims to provide both realistic input vectors and corresponding output data that can be used to optimize and validate simulations of HEP analysis. These simulations aremore » designed to address questions of data handling, cache optimization and workflow structures that are the prerequisites for modern HEP analysis chains to be mapped and optimized to run on the next generation of leadership class exascale computing facilities. We will address the use of the SciDAC-Data distributions acquired from Fermilab Data Center’s analysis workflows and corresponding to around 71,000 HEP jobs, as the input to detailed queuing simulations that model the expected data consumption and caching behaviors of the work running in HPC environments. In particular we describe in detail how the Sequential Access via Metadata (SAM) data handling system in combination with the dCache/Enstore based data archive facilities have been analyzed to develop the radically different models of the analysis of HEP data. We present how the simulation may be used to analyze the impact of design choices in archive facilities.« less

  8. Impact of SciELO and MEDLINE indexing on submissions to Jornal de Pediatria.

    PubMed

    Blank, Danilo; Buchweitz, Claudia; Procianoy, Renato S

    2005-01-01

    To evaluate the impact of SciELO and MEDLINE indexing on the number of articles submitted to Jornal de Pediatria. Analysis of total article submission, submission of articles from foreign countries and acceptance figures in the following periods: stage I - pre-website (Jan 2000-Mar 2001); stage II - website (Apr 2001-Jul 2002); stage III - SciELO (Aug 2002-Aug 2003); stage IV - MEDLINE (Sep 2003-Dec 2004). There was a significant trend toward linear increase in the number of submissions along the study period (p = 0.009). The number of manuscripts submitted in stages I through IV was 184, 240, 297, and 482, respectively. The number of submissions was similar in stages I and II (p = 0.148), but statistically higher in Stage III (p < 0.001 vs. Stage I and p = 0.006 vs. Stage II) and Stage IV (p < 0.001 vs. stages I and II, and p < 0.05 vs. stage III). The rate of article acceptance decreased during the study period. The number of original articles published has been stable since the 2001 March/April issue (n = 10), when the journal reached a printed page limit, leading to stricter judgment criteria and a relative decrease in acceptance rate. The number of foreign submissions in stages I through IV was 1, 2, zero and 17, respectively, with p < 0.001 for the comparison of stage IV with previous stages. SciELO indexing was associated with an increase in Brazilian manuscript submissions to Jornal de Pediatria, whereas MEDLINE indexing led to an increase in both Brazilian and foreign submissions.

  9. The Fulldome Curriculum for the Spitz SciDome Digital Planetarium: Volume 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bradstreet, David H.; Sanders, S. J.; Huggins, S.

    2014-01-01

    The Spitz Fulldome Curriculum (FDC) for the SciDome digital planetarium ushered in a new and innovative way to present astronomical pedagogy via its use of the unique teaching attributes of the digital planetarium. In the case of the FDC, which uses the ubiquitous Starry Night planetarium software as its driving engine, these engaging and novel teaching techniques have also been made usable to desktop computers and flat-screen video projectors for classroom use. Volume 2 of the FDC introduces exciting new classes and mini-lessons to further enlighten and invigorate students as they struggle with often difficult three dimensional astronomical concepts. Additionally, other topics with related astronomical ties have been created to integrate history into planetarium presentations. One of the strongest advantages of the SciDome is its use of Starry Night as its astronomical engine. With it students can create their own astronomical configurations in the computer lab or at home, using the PC or Mac version. They can then simply load their creations onto the SciDome planetarium system and display them for their classmates on the dome. This poster will discuss and illustrate some of the new content that has been developed for Volume 2. Topics covered in Volume 2 include eclipses, plotting planet locations on a curtate orbit chart by observing their positions in the sky, time and timekeeping (including sidereal day, hour angles, sidereal time, LAST, LMST, time zones and the International Date Line), teaching to the Boy Scout Merit Badge requirements, plotting scale analemmas on the surface of planets and interpreting them, precession, astronomical events in revolutionary Boston, the Lincoln Almanac Trial, eclipsing binaries, lunar librations, a trip through the universe, watching the speed of light move in real time, stellar sizes and the Milky Way.

  10. Measuring resilience after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank and short form

    PubMed Central

    Victorson, David; Tulsky, David S.; Kisala, Pamela A.; Kalpakjian, Claire Z.; Weiland, Brian; Choi, Seung W.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury - Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Resilience item bank and short form. Design Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a resilience item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit and differential item functioning (DIF). Setting We tested a 32-item pool at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. Participants A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the Resilience items. Results A unidimensional model was observed (CFI = 0.968; RMSEA = 0.074) and measurement precision was good (theta range between −3.1 and 0.9). Ten items were flagged for DIF, however, after examination of effect sizes we found this to be negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 21 retained items. Conclusion This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Resilience item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available. PMID:26010971

  11. Scientific support of SciTech museum exhibits and outreach programs

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

    Peshkin, M.

    SciTech (Science and Technology Interactive Center) is a small hands-on science museum located in Aurora, Illinois, not far from Argonne National Laboratory. Its constituency includes prosperous suburbs and economically disadvantaged minority communities in Aurora and Chicago. Its mission is to contribute to the country`s scientific literacy initiative by offering hands-on experiences on the museum floor and through outreach programs extended to school children, their teachers, and other groups. Argonne`s participation is focused mainly on the development of exhibits to carry the ideas of modern science and technology to the public. This is an area in which traditional museums are weak,more » but in which SciTech has become a nationally recognized leader with the assistance of Argonne, Fermilab, nearby technological companies, and many volunteer scientists and engineers. We also participate in development and improvement of the museum`s general exhibits and outreach programs. Argonne`s Director, Alan Schriesheim, serves as a member of the museum`s Board of Directors. Murray Peshkin serves part-time as the museum`s Senior Scientist. Dale Henderson serves part-time as an exhibit developer. That work is supported by the Laboratory Director`s discretionary funds. In addition, several members of the Physics Division voluntarily assist with exhibit development and the Division makes facilities available for that effort.« less

  12. Further Progress Applying the Generalized Wigner Distribution to Analysis of Vicinal Surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Einstein, T. L.; Richards, Howard L.; Cohen, S. D.

    2001-03-01

    Terrace width distributions (TWDs) can be well fit by the generalized Wigner distribution (GWD), generally better than by conventional Gaussians, and thus offers a convenient way to estimate the dimensionless elastic repulsion strength tildeA from σ^2, the TWD variance.(T.L. Einstein and O. Pierre-Louis, Surface Sci. 424), L299 (1999) The GWD σ^2 accurately reproduces values for the two exactly soluble cases at small tildeA and in the asymptotic limit. Taxing numerical simulations show that the GWD σ^2 interpolates well between these limits. Extensive applications have been made to experimental data, esp. on Cu.(M. Giesen and T.L. Einstein, Surface Sci. 449), 191 (2000) Recommended analysis procedures are catalogued.(H.L. Richards, S.D. Cohen, TLE, & M. Giesen, Surf Sci 453), 59 (2000) Extensions of the GWD for multistep distributions are tested, with good agreement for second-neighbor distributions, less good for third.(TLE, HLR, SDC, & OP-L, Proc ISSI-PDSC2000, cond-mat/0012xxxxx) Alternatively, step-step correlation functions, about which there is more theoretical information, should be measured.

  13. Assessing mobility and redistribution patterns of sand and oil agglomerates in the surf zone

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dalyander, P. Soupy; Long, Joesph W.; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Thompson, David M.

    2014-01-01

    Heavier-than-water sand and oil agglomerates that formed in the surf zone following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continued to cause beach re-oiling 3 years after initial stranding. To understand this phenomena and inform operational response now and for future spills, a numerical method to assess the mobility and alongshore movement of these “surface residual balls” (SRBs) was developed and applied to the Alabama and western Florida coasts. Alongshore flow and SRB mobility and potential flux were used to identify likely patterns of transport and deposition. Results indicate that under typical calm conditions, cm-size SRBs are unlikely to move alongshore, whereas mobility and transport is likely during storms. The greater mobility of sand compared to SRBs makes burial and exhumation of SRBs likely, and inlets were identified as probable SRB traps. Analysis of field data supports these model results.

  14. Surfing with capillary waves: a survival strategy for trapped bees

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roh, Chris; Gharib, Morteza

    2017-11-01

    Honeybees are able to propel themselves at the water surface. A rapid vibration (30-220 Hz) of wings at the air-water interface results in a locomotion speed of 3-4 cm/s. A mechanism for generating thrust required for achieving and maintaining such speed must be different from their mechanism of flight inasmuch as they are in a different fluid environment. In this study, we present the thrust generating mechanism of the honeybee at the air-water interface. A close observation of the wing's interaction with the water surface showed that the wing does not penetrate nor detach from the water surface. Moreover, the stroke speed of the wing exceeds the minimum capillary wave speed, which signifies that the wing constantly generates the capillary wave by pulling on the surface with its wetted underside. Observation of such interaction suggests that honeybee's locomotion at the water surface resembles surfing on the self-generated capillary wave. A further evidence of described mechanism is explored by constructing a similarly sized mechanical model. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CBET-1511414; additional support by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1144469.

  15. SciELO, Scientific Electronic Library Online, a Database of Open Access Journals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meneghini, Rogerio

    2013-01-01

    This essay discusses SciELO, a scientific journal database operating in 14 countries. It covers over 1000 journals providing open access to full text and table sets of scientometrics data. In Brazil it is responsible for a collection of nearly 300 journals, selected along 15 years as the best Brazilian periodicals in natural and social sciences.…

  16. What's Manifest in the History of SciTech: Reflections on The History Manifesto.

    PubMed

    Kevles, Daniel J

    2016-06-01

    Making nuts-and-bolts public policy is not--and never has been--the long suit of professional historians, but general historical work, whatever its durée, has done a good deal to shape discourse on public issues. Jo Guldi and David Armitage neglect that fact, as well as the opinion-shaping influence of history conveyed via nonprint media. They also ignore the large body of scholarship produced in all media during recent decades in the history of science, technology, and science-related medicine (SciTech), even though SciTech itself looms enormously large in the modern era as an instrument of national and international security, a driver of the economy, and a transformer of medicine, public health, and the environment. Much of this scholarship, even though of short durée, can illuminate salient contemporary issues, including innovation; patronage and practice; government and policy; imperialism and globalization; intellectual property; science and religion; and human rights, environment, energy, and disasters.

  17. A pilot Croatian survey of risk factor (CRO-SURF) management in patients with cardiovascular disease.

    PubMed

    Pećin, Ivan; Milicić, Davor; Jurin, Hrvoje; Reiner, Zeljko

    2012-06-01

    A pilot survey was performed to determine the presence of known risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Croatian patients with diagnosed coronary heart disease (CHD) using a new questionnaire. The idea was to test this new and very simple questionnaire but also to compare the data collected in this pilot survey with the results of the last Croatian national survey (TASPIC-CRO V) and so to obtain the information whether secondary prevention has improved between 2003 and 2010. 122 patients with established CHD (88 men, 34 women, mean age 66.3 years) treated in Zagreb University Hospital Center were included. Data collection was based on filling the SURF questionnaire right after the clinical exam or later using review of medical records. Patients were hospitalized because of CABG (1%), PCI (8%), ACS (35%) or chronic stable angina (56%). The history of arterial hypertension had 95%patients (however, on admission mean systolic pressure was 130.1 mmHg, diastolic 76.8 mmHg), 90% had dyslipidaemia (total cholesterol <4.5 mmol/L had 43%; <4.0 mmol/L 33%; LDL-cholesterol <2.5 mmol/L 49%; <2.0 mmol/L 32%; HDL>1.2 mmol/L (women) or >1.0 mmol/L (men) had 67%), 25% had diabetes which was poorly regulated (mean HbA1c 8.2%), 18% were active smokers. After discharge only 24% performed cardiac rehabilitation. Mean body mass index of the patients was 28.3 kg/m2 (32% were obese, 72% overweight). Compared to TASPIC-CRO V there was lower usage of aspirin than recommended on discharge. This was also true for statin therapy. More patients were taking beta blockers, calcium antagonists and diuretics than 7 years ago. This pilot survey showed that CRO-SURF questionnaire is short, quick, effective and simple to use. It is a good and cost effective tool to collect data on CVD risk factors and their management. The results obtained by using it indicate that there is still a high prevalence of modifiable risk factors in Croatian patients with CHD.

  18. Surf Zone Injuries and Beach Safety along the Delaware Coast: Associated Hydrodynamic and Morphological Factors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doelp, M.; Puleo, J. A.; Cowan, P.; Arford-Granholm, M.; Carey, W.

    2016-12-01

    Beebe Healthcare in Lewes, Delaware has collected surf zone injury (SZI) data for six summer seasons from 2010 through 2015. There were 1,791 injuries recorded within this time frame, consisting of 78 spinal injuries. In the summer of 2015, there were 276 injuries distributed amongst the five study beaches along the Delaware coast. However, beach associated hazards do not receive the same level of awareness that other surf related dangers primarily rip currents, receive. The demographics of the injured population indicated those between the ages of 11 and 15 years old suffered the greatest proportion of injuries at 18.8 %. The distribution of injury percentage among age groups in 2015 follows the trend observed over the previous five summers of data collection. Analysis of injury occurrence indicated that male water users were two times more likely to sustain injury than their female counterparts. Also, tourists were roughly six times more likely to sustain injury than locals. In 2015, 6 or more injuries occurred for 16 % of the days sampled, whereas more than 2 injuries occurred for 63 % of the sample days. The daily fluctuation of injury numbers motivated the collection of data relating to environmental parameters that may influence the likelihood of injury on a particular day. For example, elevation data were measured at each beach during the summers of 2014 and 2015 in order to quantify beach slope. Other environmental parameters that were monitored include, but are not limited to, grain size, wave height, wave period, wave direction, and wind speed. Prior work on the data set between the years 2010 and 2014 determined that no single parameter was highly correlated to injury rate. Due to the interrelated nature of the parameters, higher order statistics are necessary to effectively assess SZI cause and likelihood of occurrence on a particular day. The use of Bayes Theorem in the construction of a network using Netica software (Norsys) allows for the connection

  19. Constitutively reduced sensory capacity promotes better recovery after spinal cord-injury (SCI) in blind rats of the dystrophic RCS strain.

    PubMed

    Rink, Svenja; Bendella, Habib; Alsolivany, Kurdin; Meyer, Carolin; Woehler, Aliona; Jansen, Ramona; Isik, Zeynep; Stein, Gregor; Wennmachers, Sina; Nakamura, Makoto; Angelov, Doychin N

    2018-01-01

    We compared functional, electrophysiological and morphological parameters after SCI in two groups of rats Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with normal vision and blind rats from a SD-substrain "Royal College of Surgeons" (SD/RCS) who lose their photoreceptor cells after birth due to a genetic defect in the retinal pigment epithelium. For these animals skin-, intramuscular-, and tendon receptors are major available means to resolve spatial information. The purpose of this study was to check whether increased sensitivity in SD/RCS rats would promote an improved recovery after SCI. All rats were subjected to severe compression of the spinal cord at vertebra Th8, spinal cord segment Th10. Recovery of locomotion was analyzed at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks after SCI using video recordings of beam walking and inclined ladder climbing. Five functional parameters were studied: foot-stepping angle (FSA), rump-height index (RHI) estimating paw placement and body weight support, respectively, number of correct ladder steps (CLS) assessing skilled hindlimb movements, the BBB-locomotor score and an established urinary bladder score (BS). Sensitivity tests were followed by electrophysiological measurement of M- and H-wave amplitudes from contractions of the plantar musculature after stimulation of the tibial nerve. The closing morphological measurements included lesion volume and expression of astro- and microglia below the lesion. Numerical assessments of BBB, FSA, BS, lesion volume and GFAP-expression revealed no significant differences between both strains. However, compared to SD-rats, the blind SD/RCS animals significantly improved RHI and CLS by 6 - 12 weeks after SCI. To our surprise the withdrawal latencies in the blind SD/RCS rats were longer and the amplitudes of M- and H-waves lower. The expression of IBA1-immunoreactivity in the lumbar enlargement was lower than in the SD-animals. The longer withdrawal latencies suggest a decreased sensitivity in the blind SD/RCS rats, which

  20. A unified spectral,parameterization for wave breaking: from the deep ocean to the surf zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Filipot, J.

    2010-12-01

    A new wave-breaking dissipation parameterization designed for spectral wave models is presented. It combines wave breaking basic physical quantities, namely, the breaking probability and the dissipation rate per unit area. The energy lost by waves is fi[|#12#|]rst calculated in the physical space before being distributed over the relevant spectral components. This parameterization allows a seamless numerical model from the deep ocean into the surf zone. This transition from deep to shallow water is made possible by a dissipation rate per unit area of breaking waves that varies with the wave height, wavelength and water depth.The parameterization is further tested in the WAVEWATCH III TM code, from the global ocean to the beach scale. Model errors are smaller than with most specialized deep or shallow water parameterizations.

  1. Effect of Nanotechnology Instructions on Senior High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Chow-Chin; Sung, Chia-Chi

    2011-01-01

    In this research, we cooperate with senior high school teachers to understand current nanotechnology model of senior high school nanotechnology curriculum in Taiwan. Then design senior high school nanotechnology (nano-tech) curriculum to teach 503 senior high school students. After teaching the nano-tech curriculum we use the "Nanotechnology…

  2. Using Ab-Initio Calculations to Appraise Stm-Based - and Kink-Formation Energies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feibelman, Peter J.

    2001-03-01

    Ab-initio total energies can and should be used to test the typically model-dependent results of interpreting STM morphologies. The benefits of such tests are illustrated here by ab-initio energies of step- and kink-formation on Pb and Pt(111) which show that the STM-based values of the kink energies must be revised. On Pt(111), the computed kink-energies for (100)- and (111)-microfacet steps are about 0.25 and 0.18 eV. These results imply a specific ratio of formation energies for the two step types, namely 1.14, in excellent agreement with experiment. If kink-formation actually cost the same energy on the two step types, an inference drawn from scanning probe observations of step wandering,(M. Giesen et al., Surf. Sci. 366, 229(1996).) this ratio ought to be 1. In the case of Pb(111), though computed energies to form (100)- and (111)-microfacet steps agree with measurement, the ab-initio kink-formation energies for the two step types, 41 and 60 meV, are 40-50% below experimental values drawn from STM images.(K. Arenhold et al., Surf. Sci. 424, 271(1999).) The discrepancy results from interpreting the images with a step-stiffness vs. kink-energy relation appropriate to (100) but not (111) surfaces. Good agreement is found when proper account of the trigonal symmetry of Pb(111) is taken in reinterpreting the step-stiffness data.

  3. An effect of couterion in STM imaging process of DNA on Cu(111)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Furukawa, Masashi; Nishimura, Makoto; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Kawai, Tomoji

    2002-03-01

    In order to elucidate electrical conduction mechanism of DNA, which is still under debate over the last decade, we have performed local electronic structure measurement of single- and double-stranded DNA molecules adsorbed onto Cu(111) surfaces using scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Bias-voltage-dependent STM images (from -5 V to +5 V) have shown that the molecular corrugation height in STM increases gradually at positive bias voltage region (empty state). Despite the theoretical assumption in which their 1st-LUMO states are localized at π plane of DNA bases, one cannot conclude its origin as the existence of their LUMO states, based on the results of relevant control measurements, DNA base molecules/Cu(111) [1] and NaCl/Cu(111). In fact, we found almost identical bias dependencies in the latter case (NaCl/Cu(111)), indicating that the feature of π* states of DNA bases should be buried in an additional channel that opens up by the onset of its unoccupied overlayer state in the tunneling process [2]. This study implies a potential difficulty in direct comparison of the obtained data with those characterized by XAS, in which π* states is located at ca. -1 eV relative to the Fermi level [3]. [1]M. Furukawa et al., submitted to Surf. Sci. [2] J. Kliewer et al., Surf. Sci. 477 (2001) 250.; A. Carlsson et al., Phys. Rev. B. 56 (1997) 1593. [3] M. Furukawa et al., submitted to Phys. Rev. B.

  4. Impact of legal regulations and administrative policies on persons with SCI: identifying potential research priorities through expert interviews.

    PubMed

    Trezzini, Bruno; Phillips, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    To identify research gaps and potential research priorities regarding the impact that legal regulations and administrative policies might have on people with spinal cord injury (SCI) living in Switzerland. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 healthcare professionals working for or being associated with the largest SCI clinic in Switzerland. The transcribed interviews were content analyzed, involving qualitative description, and thematic analysis techniques. Four interrelated clusters of issues were corroborated: (1) social insurance, (2) caregiving, (3) work integration, and (4) aging. In addition, two overarching themes were identified: (1) fairness considerations and (2) unavailability of systematic empirical evidence. Work capacity assessment and family caregiving were deemed to be the most pressing research priority areas. Legal frameworks do play both a direct and an indirect role in the lives of people with SCI in Switzerland. This is particularly true with regard to various issues related to the social insurance system, such as family caregiving and work capacity assessment. The salience of these topics is closely related to major sociodemographic and political driving forces, i.e. aging and social insurance reforms. Research directly involving people with SCI is needed to further substantiate and refine the findings of this study. When dealing with issues related to work reintegration, aging, social insurance, and caregiving, rehabilitation professionals should take existing legal frameworks into account. Eligibility criteria for disability benefits may influence the therapy motivation of rehabilitation clients.

  5. Research Report for GeSci Meta-Review of ICT in Education: Phase Two

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeBaron, John; McDonough, Elizabeth

    2009-01-01

    This second phase of a comprehensive meta-review of educational ICT research and practice addresses global developments reflected in the research and development literature appearing since 2006. Completed in April 2009, the Phase One (P1) report comprised a synopsis of research related to GeSci's five thematic inquiry priorities. Preliminary…

  6. Implementation and modification of a three-dimensional radiation stress formulation for surf zone and rip-current applications

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kumar, N.; Voulgaris, G.; Warner, John C.

    2011-01-01

    Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v 3.0), a three-dimensional numerical ocean model, was previously enhanced for shallow water applications by including wave-induced radiation stress forcing provided through coupling to wave propagation models (SWAN, REF/DIF). This enhancement made it suitable for surf zone applications as demonstrated using examples of obliquely incident waves on a planar beach and rip current formation in longshore bar trough morphology (Haas and Warner, 2009). In this contribution, we present an update to the coupled model which implements a wave roller model and also a modified method of the radiation stress term based on Mellor (2008, 2011a,b,in press) that includes a vertical distribution which better simulates non-conservative (i.e., wave breaking) processes and appears to be more appropriate for sigma coordinates in very shallow waters where wave breaking conditions dominate. The improvements of the modified model are shown through simulations of several cases that include: (a) obliquely incident spectral waves on a planar beach; (b) obliquely incident spectral waves on a natural barred beach (DUCK'94 experiment); (c) alongshore variable offshore wave forcing on a planar beach; (d) alongshore varying bathymetry with constant offshore wave forcing; and (e) nearshore barred morphology with rip-channels. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons to previous analytical, numerical, laboratory studies and field measurements show that the modified model replicates surf zone recirculation patterns (onshore drift at the surface and undertow at the bottom) more accurately than previous formulations based on radiation stress (Haas and Warner, 2009). The results of the model and test cases are further explored for identifying the forces operating in rip current development and the potential implication for sediment transport and rip channel development. Also, model analysis showed that rip current strength is higher when waves approach at angles of 5

  7. It is a marathon rather than a sprint: an initial exploration of unmet needs and support preferences of caregivers of children with SCI.

    PubMed

    Ryerson Espino, Susan L; Kelly, Erin H; Rivelli, Anne; Zebracki, Kathy; Vogel, Lawrence C

    2018-03-01

    Focus group study. Explore unmet needs and support preferences of caregivers of youth with spinal cord injury (SCI). One pediatric specialty rehabilitation hospital system in the United States. Four focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 26 caregivers who were primarily mothers (96%) and married (65%), and had at least some college education (85%). Children living with SCI were on average 12.8 years old (SD = 3.3, 8-18). The average age of injury was 4.7 years (SD = 4.4, 0-16.2); mean injury duration was 8.2 years (SD = 3.9, 2-16); 77% had paraplegia; and 58% were male. Focus groups were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded using thematic analysis and NVivo. Qualitative data highlighted caregiver perspectives on unmet needs relating to two phases of care: acute and rehabilitation vs. current life with SCI, and two kinds of stressors: those associated with SCI and care vs. those related to other areas of the caregivers' lives, especially their families. Caregivers described stressful interactions with care systems and community services, articulated several concerns regarding well-being of family members, and noted that both they and their children with SCI experienced isolation. Caregivers articulated preferences for additional support from professionals and peers. Data suggest the need for ongoing caregiver interventions and strengthened family-centered care systems, including professional assistance navigating health systems and peer support. Intervention development would benefit from further qualitative data collection with additional caregivers of youth with SCI, including multiple family members, and families from more diverse care settings.

  8. SCI Survey to Determine Pressure Ulcer Vulnerability in the Outpatient Population

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    of transportation, mobility, caregiver status, bowel and bladder continence, level of education , mental health status or illicit drug use. Key...coded a number of variables. For example, we created a new variable: “Good Nutrition ”, reflecting nutritional status using the recorded albumin and...no difference in age, level of education or marital status and presence of PrUs. Violence as the etiology of SCI was more common among those with ≥ 1

  9. A Comprehensive Evaluation of H2SO4 formation from OH and sCI pathways in high BVOC environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, S.; Seco, R.; Park, J. H.; Guenther, A. B.; Smith, J. N.; Kuang, C.; Bustillos, J. O. V.; Tota, J.; Souza, R. A. F. D.

    2014-12-01

    The recently highlighted importance of stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCI) as an oxidant for atmospheric SO2 triggered a number of studies to assess the atmospheric implications of H2SO4 formation from the sCI reaction pathway. In addition, it has not been clear why new particle formation events are not observed in the Amazon rain forest. The mostly widely speculated reason has been a very low H2SO4 level. We will present quantitative assessments of SO2 oxidation by sCI leading to the H2SO4 production using a comprehensive observational dataset from a tropical rainforest study during the GOAmazon field campaign at the T3 site in Manacapuru, Amazonas, Brazil. To our best knowledge, this is the first observation of H2SO4 and OH in Amazon and is unique for all tropical sites due to the accompanying comprehensive gas and aerosol observations such as CO, NOX, SO2, VOCs, and physical and chemical characteristics of aerosols. We will discuss observed H2SO4 levels during the GOAmazon field campaigns to demonstrate 1) H2SO4 formation potential from OH and sCI oxidation pathways by contrasting extremely clean and relatively polluted air masses and 2) the Implications of the observed H2SO4 levels in new particle formation and particle growth events.

  10. Musculoskeletal Model-Guided, Customizable Selection of Shoulder and Elbow Muscles for a C5 SCI Neuroprosthesis

    PubMed Central

    Hincapie, Juan Gabriel; Blana, Dimitra; Chadwick, Edward K.; Kirsch, Robert F.

    2010-01-01

    Individuals with C5/C6 spinal cord injury (SCI) have a number of paralyzed muscles in their upper extremities that can be electrically activated in a coordinated manner to restore function. The selection of a practical subset of paralyzed muscles for stimulation depends on the specific condition of the individual, the functions targeted for restoration, and surgical considerations. This paper presents a musculoskeletal model-based approach for optimizing the muscle set used for functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the shoulder and elbow in this population. Experimentally recorded kinematics from able-bodied subjects served as inputs to a musculoskeletal model of the shoulder and elbow, which was modified to reflect the reduced muscle force capacities of an individual with C5 SCI but also the potential of using FES to activate paralyzed muscles. A large number of inverse dynamic simulations mimicking typical activities of daily living were performed that included 1) muscles with retained voluntary control and 2) many different combinations of stimulated paralyzed muscles. These results indicate that a muscle set consisting of the serratus anterior, infraspinatus and triceps would enable the greatest range of relevant movements. This set will become the initial target in a C5 SCI neuroprosthesis to restore shoulder and elbow function. PMID:18586604

  11. Solubility of pharmaceuticals: A comparison between SciPharma, a PC-SAFT-based approach, and NRTL-SAC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouillot, Baptiste; Spyriouni, Theodora; Teychené, Sébastien; Biscans, Béatrice

    2017-04-01

    The solubility of seven pharmaceutical compounds (paracetamol, benzoic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid, salicylic acid, ibuprofen, naproxen and temazepam) in pure and mixed solvents as a function of temperature is calculated with SciPharma, a semi-empirical approach based on PC-SAFT, and the NRTL-SAC model. To conduct a fair comparison between the approaches, the parameters of the compounds were regressed against the same solubility data, chosen to account for hydrophilic, polar and hydrophobic interactions. Only these solubility data were used by both models for predicting solubility in other pure and mixed solvents for which experimental data were available for comparison. A total of 386 pure solvent data points were used for the comparison comprising one or more temperatures per solvent. SciPharma is found to be more accurate than NRTL-SAC on the pure solvent data used especially in the description of the temperature dependence. This is due to the appropriate parameterization of the pharmaceuticals and the temperature-dependent description of the activity coefficient in PC-SAFT. The solubility in mixed solvents is predicted satisfactorily with SciPharma. NRTL-SAC tends to overestimate the solubility in aqueous solutions of alcohols or shows invariable solubility with composition in other cases.

  12. SCiP at 35: an idiosyncratic history of the society for computers in psychology.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, Christopher R

    2006-05-01

    SCiP history may be divided into three eras: the Paleozoic (1971-1982), the Mesozoic (1982-1994), and the Cenozoic (1994-present). Following a list of Secretary-Treasurers, a list of all SCiP Presidents is provided in Table 1. Next I present personal highlights, including the first symposium on psychology and the World-Wide Web; David Rumelhart's mathematical explanation of connectionism; and Stevan Hamad's discussion of "freeing" the journal literature. I observe that a small conference is becoming more intimate and that much of our mission involves figuring out how to conduct high-quality scientific research with consumer-grade electronics. I argue that we are an increasingly international organization, that graduate students are welcome, and that we should become more inclusive in the areas of gender and ethnicity and should make membership more meaningful I conclude by looking ahead and attempting to predict the future.

  13. Measuring self-esteem after spinal cord injury: Development, validation and psychometric characteristics of the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank and short form.

    PubMed

    Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Tate, Denise G; Kisala, Pamela A; Tulsky, David S

    2015-05-01

    To describe the development and psychometric properties of the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) Self-esteem item bank. Using a mixed-methods design, we developed and tested a self-esteem item bank through the use of focus groups with individuals with SCI and clinicians with expertise in SCI, cognitive interviews, and item-response theory-(IRT) based analytic approaches, including tests of model fit, differential item functioning (DIF) and precision. We tested a pool of 30 items at several medical institutions across the United States, including the University of Michigan, Kessler Foundation, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, the University of Washington, Craig Hospital, and the James J. Peters/Bronx Department of Veterans Affairs hospital. A total of 717 individuals with SCI completed the self-esteem items. A unidimensional model was observed (CFI=0.946; RMSEA=0.087) and measurement precision was good (theta range between -2.7 and 0.7). Eleven items were flagged for DIF; however, effect sizes were negligible with little practical impact on score estimates. The final calibrated item bank resulted in 23 retained items. This study indicates that the SCI-QOL Self-esteem item bank represents a psychometrically robust measurement tool. Short form items are also suggested and computer adaptive tests are available.

  14. A Novel Approach for Effectively Treating SCI Pain, Improving Opioid Efficacy, and Preventing Opioid-Induced Constipation: Key Role of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling and costly condition...23 11. Appendices…………………………………………………………. 24 INTRODUCTION   Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a disabling and costly condition... learned everything taught in the renowned Spinal Cord Injury Training Program. Since Gaudet already has training in SCI research, further training

  15. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (CR&D) Delivery Order 0063: Flexible and Transparent Electronics (FAT) Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-01

    Suzuki, T . Matsushita, T . Aoki and M. Okuda, Thin Solid Films, 445, p263 (2003). 7 S.M. Park, T . Ikegami , K. Ebihara and P.K. Shin, App. Surf...quality films and substrates have negligible scatter therefore we may take the absorption to be 1- T -R, where T and R are the specularly resolved...1995. 2 T . Minami, Semicond. Sci. Technol. 20, S35–S44 (2005). 3 G. Fang, D. Li and B.L. Yao, Vacuum 68, p363 (2003). 4 T . Minami, S. Suzuki and T

  16. Origin of Ultralow Friction and Wear in Ultrananocrystalline Diamond

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-11

    Erdemir, G. R. Fenske , A. R. Krauss, D. M. Gruen, T. McCauley, and R. T. Csencsits, Surf. Coat. Technol. 120–121, 565 (1999). [3] S. E. Grillo and J...and A. Erdemir, Tribol. Lett. 21, 51 (2006). [6] A. Erdemir, O. L. Eryilmaz, and G. Fenske , J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 18, 1987 (2000). [7] L. Sun, Q. Wu... Fenske , C. Zuiker, R. Csencsits, A. R. Krauss, and D. M. Gruen, Tribol. Trans. 40, 667 (1997). [28] Worn and unworn areas were imaged in the same

  17. Cell-type specific expression of constitutively-active Rheb promotes regeneration of bulbospinal respiratory axons following cervical SCI.

    PubMed

    Urban, Mark W; Ghosh, Biswarup; Strojny, Laura R; Block, Cole G; Blazejewski, Sara M; Wright, Megan C; Smith, George M; Lepore, Angelo C

    2018-05-01

    Damage to respiratory neural circuitry and consequent loss of diaphragm function is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals suffering from traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Repair of CNS axons after SCI remains a therapeutic challenge, despite current efforts. SCI disrupts inspiratory signals originating in the rostral ventral respiratory group (rVRG) of the medulla from their phrenic motor neuron (PhMN) targets, resulting in loss of diaphragm function. Using a rat model of cervical hemisection SCI, we aimed to restore rVRG-PhMN-diaphragm circuitry by stimulating regeneration of injured rVRG axons via targeted induction of Rheb (ras homolog enriched in brain), a signaling molecule that regulates neuronal-intrinsic axon growth potential. Following C2 hemisection, we performed intra-rVRG injection of an adeno-associated virus serotype-2 (AAV2) vector that drives expression of a constitutively-active form of Rheb (cRheb). rVRG neuron-specific cRheb expression robustly increased mTOR pathway activity within the transduced rVRG neuron population ipsilateral to the hemisection, as assessed by levels of phosphorylated ribosomal S6 kinase. By co-injecting our novel AAV2-mCherry/WGA anterograde/trans-synaptic axonal tracer into rVRG, we found that cRheb expression promoted regeneration of injured rVRG axons into the lesion site, while we observed no rVRG axon regrowth with AAV2-GFP control. AAV2-cRheb also significantly reduced rVRG axonal dieback within the intact spinal cord rostral to the lesion. However, cRheb expression did not promote any recovery of ipsilateral hemi-diaphragm function, as assessed by inspiratory electromyography (EMG) burst amplitudes. This lack of functional recovery was likely because regrowing rVRG fibers did not extend back into the caudal spinal cord to synaptically reinnervate PhMNs that we retrogradely-labeled with cholera toxin B from the ipsilateral hemi-diaphragm. Our findings demonstrate that enhancing neuronal

  18. Theoretical Risk and Prevention Model for Secondary Health Conditions and Mortality After SCI: 15 Years of Research

    PubMed Central

    Krause, James S.; Saunders, Lee L.; DiPiro, Nicole D.; Reed, Karla S.

    2013-01-01

    Background: To successfully prevent secondary health conditions (SHCs) and promote longevity after spinal cord injury (SCI), we must first understand the risk factors precipitating their occurrence and develop strategies to address these risk factors. Conceptual models may aid in identifying the nature of SHCs and guide research, clinical practice, and the development of prevention strategies. Objective: Our purpose is to review and refine an existing theoretical risk and prevention model (TRPM) as a means of classifying risk and protective factors for SHCs and mortality after SCI and for identifying points of intervention. Methods: We describe conceptual work within the field of SCI research and SHCs, including a description of the TRPM, a review of research using the TRPM, and conceptual enhancements to the TRPM based on previous research. Conclusions: The enhanced TRPM directs research to the timing and chronicity of the SHCs and their relationship with overall health and physiologic decline. Future research should identify differences in the nature of SHCs, the extent to which they relate to risk and protective factors, and the degree to which they may be prevented with appropriate research-based strategies. PMID:23459002

  19. DoD Information Security Program and Protection of Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-21

    collateral, special access program, SCI, and controlled unclassified information ( CUI ) within an overarching DoD Information Security Program...classified, safeguarded, and declassified in accordance with References (c), (d), and DoD Manual 5200.01 (Reference (i)). CUI will be identified...Information will not be classified, continue to be maintained as classified, or fail to be declassified, or be designated CUI under any circumstances in

  20. Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Chronic SCI: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Treatment Impact on Cognition, Quality of Life, and Cardiovascular Disease

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    randomized controlled trial, we will objectively measure sleep disordered breathing ( SDB ) in chronic SCI patients using portable sleep studies, and...systematically evaluate the association between SDB , cognitive performance, mood, pain, and CV measures. We will randomize participants to 4 months of PAP...TERMS SDB , SCI, PAP, CV 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON USAMRMC a