Technical challenges and future direction for high-efficiency metal hydride thermal energy storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Patrick A.; Corgnale, Claudio; Teprovich, Joseph A.; Motyka, Theodore; Hardy, Bruce; Sheppard, Drew; Buckley, Craig; Zidan, Ragaiy

2016-04-01

Recently, there has been increasing interest in thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, which allow for continuous operation when sunlight is unavailable. Thermochemical energy storage materials have the advantage of much higher energy densities than latent or sensible heat materials. Furthermore, thermochemical energy storage systems based on metal hydrides have been gaining great interest for having the advantage of higher energy densities, better reversibility, and high enthalpies. However, in order to achieve higher efficiencies desired of a thermal storage system by the US Department of Energy, the system is required to operate at temperatures >600 °C. Operation at temperatures >600 °C presents challenges including material selection, hydrogen embrittlement and permeation of containment vessels, appropriate selection of heat transfer fluids, and cost. Herein, the technical difficulties and proposed solutions associated with the use of metal hydrides as TES materials in CSP applications are discussed and evaluated.

The Roles of Cost and Quality Information in Medicare Advantage Plan Enrollment Decisions: an Observational Study.

PubMed

Reid, Rachel O; Deb, Partha; Howell, Benjamin L; Conway, Patrick H; Shrank, William H

2016-02-01

To facilitate informed decision-making in the Medicare Advantage marketplace, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes plan information on the Medicare Plan Finder website, including costs, benefits, and star ratings reflecting quality. Little is known about how beneficiaries weigh costs versus quality in enrollment decisions. We aimed to assess associations between publicly reported Medicare Advantage plan attributes (i.e., costs, quality, and benefits) and brand market share and beneficiaries' enrollment decisions. We performed a nationwide, beneficiary-level cross-sectional analysis of 847,069 beneficiaries enrolling in Medicare Advantage for the first time in 2011. Matching beneficiaries with their plan choice sets, we used conditional logistic regression to estimate associations between plan attributes and enrollment to assess the proportion of enrollment variation explained by plan attributes and willingness to pay for quality. Relative to the total variation explained by the model, the variation in plan choice explained by premiums (25.7 %) and out-of-pocket costs (11.6 %) together explained nearly three times as much as quality ratings (13.6 %), but brand market share explained the most variation (35.3 %). Further, while beneficiaries were willing to pay more in total annual combined premiums and out-of-pocket costs for higher-rated plans (from $4,154.93 for 2.5-star plans to $5,698.66 for 5-star plans), increases in willingness to pay diminished at higher ratings, from $549.27 (95 %CI: $541.10, $557.44) for a rating increase from 2.5 to 3 stars to $68.22 (95 %CI: $61.44, $75.01) for an increase from 4.5 to 5 stars. Willingness to pay varied among subgroups: beneficiaries aged 64-65 years were more willing to pay for higher-rated plans, while black and rural beneficiaries were less willing to pay for higher-rated plans. While beneficiaries prefer higher-quality and lower-cost Medicare Advantage plans, marginal utility for quality diminishes at higher star ratings, and their decisions are strongly associated with plans' brand market share.

Financing Higher Education: Federal Income-Tax Consequences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Marci

1991-01-01

The current income tax law's effects on common elements of education financing are discussed, including scholarships, loans, employment, and related issues. In light of recent tax changes that increase the after-tax cost of education, information for maximizing remaining tax advantages is offered. (MSE)

Telework Is Coming...Ready or Not!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Richard D.

1995-01-01

The potential of advancing information and telecommunications technology to transform the workplace in higher education is examined. Demographic, social, and economic trends contributing to this trend and its advantages and disadvantages are also discussed. Suggestions are made for managing the transition to telework, including selection of…

Can Internationalisation Really Lead to Institutional Competitive Advantage?--A Study of 16 Dutch Public Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Haan, Haijing

2014-01-01

Public higher education institutions (PHEIs) have widely acknowledged a positive relationship between internationalization and their institutional competitive advantage enhancement. Although some concerns have been raised by practitioners and researchers about whether institutional competitive advantage can be enhanced given the current ways of…

On the Gender Effects of Handedness in Professional Tennis

PubMed Central

Breznik, Kristijan

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the gender variable in relation to other player and match characteristics on the advantage possessed by left-handed professional tennis players over their right-handed rivals. The data include 16 732 male tennis players and 16 432 female tennis players who played 438 937 and 415 346 matches, respectively, in the period from 1968 to the end of 2011. The results revealed that the advantage of left-handed professional tennis players is higher in males compared to females. The inverse impact of player and match quality on the left- handers’ advantage was clearly confirmed. On the contrary, it seems that the type of court surface does not directly imply this advantage. To obtain an overview on the individual level, directed and weighted networks of tennis matches in both gender categories were constructed. Applying network analytic methods and the PageRank algorithm, the best left and right-handed players in the Open Era of tennis were identified. The top three ranked left-handed players in the male and female categories were found to be far more consistent in their ranks achieved against left and right-handed opponents compared to their right-handed counterparts. Key Points The advantage of left-handed professional tennis players over their right-handed opponents is higher in males compared to females. The quality of player and match is inversely proportional to the advantage of left-handers against their right-handed counterparts. On the contrary, it seems that the type of court surface does not directly imply this advantage. When the tennis talent appears in left-handers it is likely to be an outstanding one, particularly in the female category. PMID:24149815

Transforming Higher Education in the Information Age: Presidents Respond.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breslin, Richard D.; And Others

1991-01-01

College presidents respond to an article by Richard Nolan challenging college and university presidents and chancellors to transform their campuses for survival and competitive advantage in the information age. Respondents include Richard D. Breslin, David M. Clarke, Joseph Cronin, Thomas Ehrlich, Donald N. Langenberg, Harold McAninch, and Donald…

Libraries, Knowledge Management, and Higher Education in an Electronic Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Brian

This paper discusses transformational change in academic libraries, as digital technology alters how services are provided, research is conducted, and learning occurs. Highlights include: advantages of libraries over the World Wide Web; redefining the knowledge management paradigm; two different types of information (i.e., explicit and tacit); a…

The Paradoxical Status of the Only Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terhune, Kenneth W.

This paper explores the popular stereotypes and research relating to the single child family. Advantages small families experience include more money available for each child, more attention from parents, healthier children, higher intelligence among the children, and less family tension. Concern over only children centers on their being spoiled…

Increasing the Success of Online Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, Ivan L., II

2008-01-01

The introduction of the Internet has dramatically changed the process of information transmission as well as practically every other aspect of American society, including the higher education system. Many colleges and universities have taken advantage of the utility of the Internet and instituted online courses and online degree and certificate…

Mission Advantages of NEXT: Nasa's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleson, Steven; Gefert, Leon; Benson, Scott; Patterson, Michael; Noca, Muriel; Sims, Jon

2002-01-01

With the demonstration of the NSTAR propulsion system on the Deep Space One mission, the range of the Discovery class of NASA missions can now be expanded. NSTAR lacks, however, sufficient performance for many of the more challenging Office of Space Science (OSS) missions. Recent studies have shown that NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system is the best choice for many exciting potential OSS missions including outer planet exploration and inner solar system sample returns. The NEXT system provides the higher power, higher specific impulse, and higher throughput required by these science missions.

Racial and ethnic disparities in end-stage kidney failure-survival paradoxes in African-Americans.

PubMed

Agodoa, Lawrence; Eggers, Paul

2007-01-01

The risk of death is nearly 45% lower in African-Americans than Caucasians undergoing chronic hemodialysis. In light of the higher mortality rate in African-Americans in the general US population, this paradox requires explanation and further investigation. Factors that may contribute to this survival advantage include a younger age at which African-Americans arrive at end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the slightly higher body mass index. On the other hand, factors, such as lower residual renal function, lower mean hemoglobin and hematocrit, increased prevalence of hypertension, a higher prevalence of catheter use for initial dialysis, and generally lower dose of dialysis should put African-Americans on dialysis at a higher risk of death. This survival advantage seems to be completely annulled with a successful renal transplant. Finally, it should be noted that ESRD carries with it a very high mortality rate in all racial and ethnic groups. A successful renal transplant improves but does not restore the expected remaining life times. Therefore, aggressive approach is required in investigating the factors that confer such high mortality risk on ESRD patients.

Comparison of femtosecond- and nanosecond-two-photon-absorption laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF) of atomic oxygen in atmospheric-pressure plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Jacob B.; Sands, Brian; Scofield, James; Gord, James R.; Roy, Sukesh

2017-05-01

Absolute number densities of atomic species produced by nanosecond (ns)-duration, repetitively pulsed electric discharges are measured by two-photon-absorption laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF). Unique to this work is the development of femtosecond-laser-based TALIF (fs-TALIF) that offers a number of advantages over more conventional nanosecond (ns)-pulse-duration laser techniques, such as higher-fidelity quenching rate measurements over a wide pressure range, significantly reduced photolytic interference (including photo-dissociation and photo-ionization), ability to collect two-dimensional images of atomic-species number densities with high spatial resolution aided by higher signal level, and efficient and accurate measurements of atomic-species number densities due to the higher repetition rates of the laser. For full quantification of these advantages, atomic-oxygen TALIF signals are collected from an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet employing both ns- and fs-duration laser-excitation pulses and the results are compared and contrasted.

Pre-competition hormonal and psychological levels of elite hockey players: relationship to the "home advantage".

PubMed

Carré, Justin; Muir, Cameron; Belanger, Joey; Putnam, Susan K

2006-10-30

The home advantage is a robust phenomenon that occurs in the world of amateur and professional sport. Athletic teams have been shown to win significantly more games in their home venue as compared to their opponents' venue. Studies have suggested that the home advantage may be related to familiarity with the facility, increased crowd density and even pre-competition hormonal levels. The present study investigated pre-competition physiological and psychological states of elite hockey players in the home and away venues. Physiological measures included salivary cortisol and testosterone, which were assessed using enzyme immunoassays. In addition, pre-competition psychological states were assessed using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2. Physiological measures indicated that the players had significantly higher pre-game testosterone when playing in their home venue as compared to their opponents' venue (t(13)=2.29, p=0.04); however, this difference was not due to a pre-game rise in testosterone while competing at home. Furthermore, players showed a trend toward higher pre-game cortisol when playing in their home venue (t(13)=1.96, p=0.07). Psychological measures indicated that players were more self-confident when playing in their home venue (t(13)=2.8, p=0.008) and also had higher somatic (t(13)=2.3, p=0.02) and cognitive anxiety (t(13)=1.87, p=0.04) when playing in their opponents' venue. The present study supports the notion that there are differences in pre-competition hormonal and psychological states that may play a key role in the "home advantage".

Advantages of III-nitride laser diodes in solid-state lighting: Advantages of III-nitride laser diodes in solid-state lighting

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

Wierer, Jonathan J.; Tsao, Jeffrey Y.

2015-01-14

III-nitride laser diodes (LDs) are an interesting light source for solid-state lighting (SSL). Modelling of LDs is performed to reveal the potential advantages over traditionally used light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The first, and most notable, advantage is LDs have higher efficiency at higher currents when compared to LEDs. This is because Auger recombination that causes efficiency droop can no longer grow after laser threshold. Second, the same phosphor-converted methods used with LEDs can also be used with LDs to produce white light with similar color rendering and color temperature. Third, producing white light from color mixed emitters is equally challenging formore » both LEDs and LDs, with neither source having a direct advantage. Fourth, the LD emission is directional and can be more readily captured and focused, leading to the possibility of novel and more compact luminaires. Finally, the smaller area and higher current density operation of LDs provides them with a potential cost advantage over LEDs. These advantages make LDs a compelling source for future SSL.« less

Nano-Science-Engineering-Technology Applications to Food and Nutrition.

PubMed

Nakajima, Mitsutoshi; Wang, Zheng; Chaudhry, Qasim; Park, Hyun Jin; Juneja, Lekh R

2015-01-01

Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology are applied to Food and Nutrition. Various delivery systems include nanoemulsions, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, micelles, and liposomes. The nanoscale systems have advantages, such as higher bioavailabitity, and other physicochemical properties. The symposium will provide an overview of the formulation, characterization, and utilization of nanotechnology-based food and nutrition.

Computing Newsletter for Schools of Business.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Couger, J. Daniel, Ed.

1973-01-01

The first of the two issues included here reports on various developments concerning the use of computers for schools of business. One-page articles cover these topics: widespread use of simulation games, survey of computer use in higher education, ten new computer cases which teach techniques for management analysis, advantages of the use of…

Less Intense Postacute Care, Better Outcomes For Enrollees In Medicare Advantage Than Those In Fee-For-Service

PubMed Central

Huckfeldt, Peter J.; Escarce, Jose J.; Rabideau, Brendan; Karaca-Mandic, Pinar; Sood, Neeraj

2017-01-01

Traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare’s prospective payment systems for postacute care provide little incentive to coordinate care or control costs. In contrast, Medicare Advantage plans pay for postacute care out of monthly capitated payments and thus have stronger incentives to use it efficiently. We compared the use of postacute care in skilled nursing and inpatient rehabilitation facilities by enrollees in Medicare Advantage and FFS Medicare after hospital discharge for three high-volume conditions: lower extremity joint replacement, stroke, and heart failure. After accounting for differences in patient characteristics at discharge, we found lower intensity of postacute care for Medicare Advantage patients compared to FFS Medicare patients discharged from the same hospital, across all three conditions. Medicare Advantage patients also exhibited better outcomes than their FFS Medicare counterparts, including lower rates of hospital readmission and higher rates of return to the community. These findings suggest that payment reforms such as bundling in FFS Medicare may reduce the intensity of postacute care without adversely affecting patient health. PMID:28069851

Less Intense Postacute Care, Better Outcomes For Enrollees In Medicare Advantage Than Those In Fee-For-Service.

PubMed

Huckfeldt, Peter J; Escarce, José J; Rabideau, Brendan; Karaca-Mandic, Pinar; Sood, Neeraj

2017-01-01

Traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare's prospective payment systems for postacute care provide little incentive to coordinate care or control costs. In contrast, Medicare Advantage plans pay for postacute care out of monthly capitated payments and thus have stronger incentives to use it efficiently. We compared the use of postacute care in skilled nursing and inpatient rehabilitation facilities by enrollees in Medicare Advantage and FFS Medicare after hospital discharge for three high-volume conditions: lower extremity joint replacement, stroke, and heart failure. After accounting for differences in patient characteristics at discharge, we found lower intensity of postacute care for Medicare Advantage patients compared to FFS Medicare patients discharged from the same hospital, across all three conditions. Medicare Advantage patients also exhibited better outcomes than their FFS Medicare counterparts, including lower rates of hospital readmission and higher rates of return to the community. These findings suggest that payment reforms such as bundling in FFS Medicare may reduce the intensity of postacute care without adversely affecting patient health. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Replica amplification of nucleic acid arrays

DOEpatents

Church, George M.; Mitra, Robi D.

2010-08-31

Disclosed are improved methods of making and using immobilized arrays of nucleic acids, particularly methods for producing replicas of such arrays. Included are methods for producing high density arrays of nucleic acids and replicas of such arrays, as well as methods for preserving the resolution of arrays through rounds of replication. Also included are methods which take advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays for increased sensitivity in detection of sequences on arrays. Improved methods of sequencing nucleic acids immobilized on arrays utilizing single copies of arrays and methods taking further advantage of the availability of replicas of arrays are disclosed. The improvements lead to higher fidelity and longer read lengths of sequences immobilized on arrays. Methods are also disclosed which improve the efficiency of multiplex PCR using arrays of immobilized nucleic acids.

The diffusion of evidence-based decision making among local health department practitioners in the United States.

PubMed

Harris, Jenine K; Erwin, Paul C; Smith, Carson; Brownson, Ross C

2015-01-01

Evidence-based decision making (EBDM) is the process, in local health departments (LHDs) and other settings, of translating the best available scientific evidence into practice. Local health departments are more likely to be successful if they use evidence-based strategies. However, EBDM and use of evidence-based strategies by LHDs are not widespread. Drawing on diffusion of innovations theory, we sought to understand how LHD directors and program managers perceive the relative advantage, compatibility, simplicity, and testability of EBDM. Directors and managers of programs in chronic disease, environmental health, and infectious disease from LHDs nationwide completed a survey including demographic information and questions about diffusion attributes (advantage, compatibility, simplicity, and testability) related to EBDM. Bivariate inferential tests were used to compare responses between directors and managers and to examine associations between participant characteristics and diffusion attributes. Relative advantage and compatibility scores were high for directors and managers, whereas simplicity and testability scores were lower. Although health department directors and managers of programs in chronic disease generally had higher scores than other groups, there were few significant or large differences between directors and managers across the diffusion attributes. Larger jurisdiction population size was associated with higher relative advantage and compatibility scores for both directors and managers. Overall, directors and managers were in strong agreement on the relative advantage of an LHD using EBDM, with directors in stronger agreement than managers. Perceived relative advantage has been demonstrated to be the most important factor in the rate of innovation adoption, suggesting an opportunity for directors to speed EBDM adoption. However, lower average scores across all groups for simplicity and testability may be hindering EBDM adoption. Recommended strategies for increasing perceived EBDM simplicity and testability are provided.

General Wahlquist metrics in all dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinoue, Kazuki; Houri, Tsuyoshi; Rugina, Christina; Yasui, Yukinori

2014-07-01

It is shown that the Wahlquist metric, which is a stationary, axially symmetric perfect fluid solution with ρ +3p=const, admits a rank-2 generalized closed conformal Killing-Yano tensor with a skew-symmetric torsion. Taking advantage of the presence of such a tensor, we obtain a higher-dimensional generalization of the Wahlquist metric in arbitrary dimensions, including a family of vacuum black hole solutions with spherical horizon topology such as Schwarzschild-Tangherlini, Myers-Perry and higher-dimensional Kerr-NUT-(A)dS metrics and a family of static, spherically symmetric perfect fluid solutions in higher dimensions.

HAARP 2011 Summer Student Research Campaign

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-16

in order to take advantage of a wide variety of background ionospheric conditions and to provide ample time for each student to investigate...The SSRC expands on the PARS Summer School by providing a significant increase in facility operational time. This has advantages in several areas...in several advantages for scheduling and conducting experiments: (1) Higher ionospheric density yields higher F-region critical frequency (foF2

Research on solar pumped liquid lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, R. T.; Kurzweg, U. H.; Cox, J. D.; Weinstein, N. H.

1983-01-01

A solar pumped liquid laser that can be scaled up to high power (10Mw CW) for space applications was developed. Liquid lasers have the inherent advantage over gases in that they provide much higher lasant densities and thus high power densities. Liquids also have inherent advantages over solids in that they have much higher damage thresholds and are much cheaper to produce for large scale applications. Among the liquid laser media that are potential candidates for solar pumping, the POC13:Nd(3+):ZrC14 liquid was chosen for its high intrinsic efficiency as well as its relatively good stability against decomposition due to protic contamination. The development and testing of the laser liquid and the development of a large solar concentrator to pump the laser was emphasized. The procedure to manufacture the laser liquid must include diagnostic tests of the solvent purity (from protic contamination) at various stages in the production process.

The association of adherence to osteoporosis therapies with fracture, all-cause medical costs, and all-cause hospitalizations: a retrospective claims analysis of female health plan enrollees with osteoporosis.

PubMed

Halpern, Rachel; Becker, Laura; Iqbal, Sheikh Usman; Kazis, Lewis E; Macarios, David; Badamgarav, Enkhjargal

2011-01-01

Osteoporosis affects approximately 10 million people in the United States and is associated with increased fracture risk and fracture-related costs. Poor adherence to osteoporosis medications is associated with higher general burden of illness compared with optimal adherence. To examine the associations of adherence to osteoporosis therapies with (a) occurrence of closed fracture, (b) all-cause medical costs, and (c) all-cause hospitalizations. This retrospective analysis of administrative claims data examined women with osteoporosis initiating therapy with alendronate, risedronate, ibandronate, or raloxifene from July 1, 2002, to March 10, 2006. Data were from a large, geographically diverse U.S. health plan that covered about 12.6 million females during the identification period. Commercially insured and Medicare Advantage plan enrollees were observed for 1 year before (baseline period) and 540 days after therapy initiation (follow-up period). Outcomes included closed fractures, all-cause medical costs, and all-cause hospitalizations; all outcomes were measured starting 180 days after therapy initiation through follow-up. All subjects had at least 2 pharmacy claims for any of the targeted osteoporosis medications. Adherence was measured with a medication possession ratio (MPR) and accounted for all osteoporosis treatment. High adherence was MPR of at least 0.80; low adherence was MPR less than 0.50. Covariates included baseline fracture, "early" fracture (in the first 180 days of follow-up), baseline corticosteroid or thyroid hormone use, health status indicators, and demographic characteristics. Outcome fractures were modeled with Cox survival regression with time-dependent cumulative MPR. All-cause medical costs and all-cause hospitalizations were modeled, respectively, with generalized linear model regression (gamma distribution, log link) and negative binomial regression. The sample comprised 21,655 patients--16,295 (75.2%) commercial and 5,360 (24.8%) Medicare Advantage. During the entire follow-up period, 5,406 (33.2%) and 2,253 (42.0%) of commercial and Medicare Advantage patients, respectively, had low adherence. Adherence tended to decrease over the follow-up period. The Cox regression showed that commercial plan patients with low versus high adherence had 37% higher risk of fracture (hazard ratio = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.12-1.68). Adherence was not significantly associated with fracture in the Medicare Advantage cohort. Commercial and Medicare Advantage patients with low versus high adherence had 12% (exponentiated coefficient = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.02-1.24) and 18% (exponentiated coefficient = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.04-1.35) higher all-cause medical costs during months 7 through 18 of follow-up. Commercial and Medicare Advantage patients with low versus high adherence had 59% (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.38-1.83) and 34% (IRR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.13-1.58) more all-cause hospitalizations during months 7 through 18 of follow-up, respectively. Low adherence to osteoporosis pharmacotherapy was associated with higher risk of fracture for commercially insured but not Medicare Advantage patients and with higher all-cause medical costs and more all-cause hospitalizations in both groups. These results are consistent with the literature and highlight the importance of promoting better adherence among patients with osteoporosis.

Earning by Degrees: Differences in the Career Outcomes of UK Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vries, Robert

2014-01-01

Despite increasing numbers of young people going on to higher education, a university degree still confers a substantial advantage in the labour market. However, not all degrees are created equal. This report examines how graduate career outcomes differ depending on the subject they studied and the university they attended. Key findings include:…

Child center closures: Does nonprofit status provide a comparative advantage?

PubMed

Lam, Marcus; Klein, Sacha; Freisthler, Bridget; Weiss, Robert E

2013-03-01

Reliable access to dependable, high quality childcare services is a vital concern for large numbers of American families. The childcare industry consists of private nonprofit, private for-profit, and governmental providers that differ along many dimensions, including quality, clientele served, and organizational stability. Nonprofit providers are theorized to provide higher quality services given comparative tax advantages, higher levels of consumer trust, and management by mission driven entrepreneurs. This study examines the influence of ownership structure, defined as nonprofit, for-profit sole proprietors, for-profit companies, and governmental centers, on organizational instability, defined as childcare center closures. Using a cross sectional data set of 15724 childcare licenses in California for 2007, we model the predicted closures of childcare centers as a function of ownership structure as well as center age and capacity. Findings indicate that for small centers (capacity of 30 or less) nonprofits are more likely to close, but for larger centers (capacity 30+) nonprofits are less likely to close. This suggests that the comparative advantages available for nonprofit organizations may be better utilized by larger centers than by small centers. We consider the implications of our findings for parents, practitioners, and social policy.

Child center closures: Does nonprofit status provide a comparative advantage?

PubMed Central

Lam, Marcus; Klein, Sacha; Freisthler, Bridget; Weiss, Robert E.

2013-01-01

Reliable access to dependable, high quality childcare services is a vital concern for large numbers of American families. The childcare industry consists of private nonprofit, private for-profit, and governmental providers that differ along many dimensions, including quality, clientele served, and organizational stability. Nonprofit providers are theorized to provide higher quality services given comparative tax advantages, higher levels of consumer trust, and management by mission driven entrepreneurs. This study examines the influence of ownership structure, defined as nonprofit, for-profit sole proprietors, for-profit companies, and governmental centers, on organizational instability, defined as childcare center closures. Using a cross sectional data set of 15724 childcare licenses in California for 2007, we model the predicted closures of childcare centers as a function of ownership structure as well as center age and capacity. Findings indicate that for small centers (capacity of 30 or less) nonprofits are more likely to close, but for larger centers (capacity 30+) nonprofits are less likely to close. This suggests that the comparative advantages available for nonprofit organizations may be better utilized by larger centers than by small centers. We consider the implications of our findings for parents, practitioners, and social policy. PMID:23543882

Nanomedicine strategies for targeting skin inflammation.

PubMed

Abdel-Mottaleb, Mona Ma; Try, Celine; Pellequer, Yann; Lamprecht, Alf

2014-08-01

Topical treatment of skin diseases is an attractive strategy as it receives high acceptance from patients, resulting in higher compliance and therapeutic outcomes. Recently, the use of variable nanocarriers for dermal application has been widely explored, as they offer several advantages compared with conventional topical preparations, including higher skin penetration, controlled and targeted drug delivery and the achievement of higher therapeutic effects. This article will focus on skin inflammation or dermatitis as it is one of the most common skin problems, describing the different types and causes of dermatitis, as well as the typical treatment regimens. The potential use of nanocarriers for targeting skin inflammation and the achievement of higher therapeutic effects using nanotechnology will be explored.

Intermediary LEO propagation including higher order zonal harmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hautesserres, Denis; Lara, Martin

2017-04-01

Two new intermediary orbits of the artificial satellite problem are proposed. The analytical solutions include higher order effects of the geopotential, and are obtained by means of a torsion transformation applied to the quasi-Keplerian system resulting after the elimination of the parallax simplification, for the first intermediary, and after the elimination of the parallax and perigee simplifications, for the second one. The new intermediaries perform notably well for low Earth orbits propagation, are free from special functions, and result advantageous, both in accuracy and efficiency, when compared to the standard Cowell integration of the J_2 problem, thus providing appealing alternatives for onboard, short-term, orbit propagation under limited computational resources.

A process for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from municipal wastewater treatment with biological carbon and nitrogen removal demonstrated at pilot-scale.

PubMed

Bengtsson, Simon; Karlsson, Anton; Alexandersson, Tomas; Quadri, Luca; Hjort, Markus; Johansson, Peter; Morgan-Sagastume, Fernando; Anterrieu, Simon; Arcos-Hernandez, Monica; Karabegovic, Lamija; Magnusson, Per; Werker, Alan

2017-03-25

A process was developed for biological treatment of municipal wastewater for carbon and nitrogen removal while producing added-value polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The process comprised steps for pre-denitrification, nitrification and post-denitrification and included integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) with biofilm carrier media to support nitrification. In a pilot-scale demonstration (500-800L), wastewater treatment performance, in line with European standards, were achieved for total chemical oxygen demand (83% removal) and total nitrogen (80% removal) while producing a biomass that was able to accumulate up to 49% PHA of volatile suspended solids with acetic acid or fermented organic residues as substrates. Robust performance in wastewater treatment and enrichment of PHA-producing biomass was demonstrated under realistic conditions including influent variability during 225days of operation. The IFAS system was found to be advantageous since maintaining nitrification on the biofilm allowed for a relatively low (2days) solids retention time (SRT) for the suspended biomass in the bulk phase. Lower SRT has advantages in higher biomass yield and higher active fraction in the biomass which leads to higher PHA productivity and content. The outcomes show that production of added-value biopolymers may be readily integrated with carbon and nitrogen removal from municipal wastewater. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of Effectiveness of Peer Assessment of Individuals' Contributions to Group Projects in Undergraduate Construction Management Core Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Xiao-Hua

2012-01-01

In recent years, various forms of group work have been introduced in university courses across various subject domains, including construction management courses. Although the use of group work in higher education has sound pedagogical reasons and advantages, group work has its own drawbacks. Therefore, the acceptance by students and the success…

Metabolic advantages of higher protein diets and benefits of dairy foods on weight management, glycemic regulation, and bone.

PubMed

Pasiakos, Stefan M

2015-03-01

The Inst. of Medicine and World Health Organization have determined that 0.8 to 0.83 g protein·kg(-1) ·d(-1) is the quantity of protein required to establish nitrogen balance in nearly all healthy individuals. However, consuming higher protein diets may be metabolically advantageous, particularly for overweight and obese adults attempting weight loss, and for physically active individuals such as athletes and military personnel. Studies have demonstrated that higher protein diets may spare lean body mass during weight loss, promote weight management, enhance glycemic regulation, and increase intestinal calcium absorption, which may result in long-term improvements in bone health. The extent to which higher protein diets are beneficial is largely attributed to the digestive and absorptive properties, and also to the essential amino acid (EAA) content of the protein. Proteins that are rapidly digested and absorbed likely contribute to the metabolic advantages conferred by consuming higher protein diets. The EAA profiles, as well as the digestive and absorptive properties of dairy proteins, such as whey protein and casein, are particularly advantageous because they facilitate a rapid, robust, and sustained delivery of EAAs to the periphery. This article reviews the scientific literature assessing metabolic advantages associated with higher protein diets on weight management, glycemic regulation, and bone, with emphasis given to studies evaluating the potential benefits associated with dairy. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Orbiting Deep Space Relay Station (ODSRS). Volume 1: Requirement determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunter, J. A.

1979-01-01

The deep space communications requirements of the post-1985 time frame are described and the orbiting deep space relay station (ODSRS) is presented as an option for meeting these requirements. Under current conditions, the ODSRS is not yet cost competitive with Earth based stations to increase DSN telemetry performance, but has significant advantages over a ground station, and these are sufficient to maintain it as a future option. These advantages include: the ability to track a spacecraft 24 hours per day with ground stations located only in the USA; the ability to operate at higher frequencies that would be attenuated by Earth's atmosphere; and the potential for building very large structures without the constraints of Earth's gravity.

Gender differences in episodic memory and visual working memory including the effects of age.

PubMed

Pauls, Franz; Petermann, Franz; Lepach, Anja Christina

2013-01-01

Analysing the relationship between gender and memory, and examining the effects of age on the overall memory-related functioning, are the ongoing goals of psychological research. The present study examined gender and age group differences in episodic memory with respect to the type of task. In addition, these subgroup differences were also analysed in visual working memory. A sample of 366 women and 330 men, aged between 16 and 69 years of age, participated in the current study. Results indicate that women outperformed men on auditory memory tasks, whereas male adolescents and older male adults showed higher level performances on visual episodic and visual working memory measures. However, the size of gender-linked effects varied somewhat across age groups. Furthermore, results partly support a declining performance on episodic memory and visual working memory measures with increasing age. Although age-related losses in episodic memory could not be explained by a decreasing verbal and visuospatial ability with age, women's advantage in auditory episodic memory could be explained by their advantage in verbal ability. Men's higher level visual episodic memory performance was found to result from their advantage in visuospatial ability. Finally, possible methodological, biological, and cognitive explanations for the current findings are discussed.

Performance of PZT8 Versus PZT4 Piezoceramic Materials in Ultrasonic Transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeAngelis, Dominick A.; Schulze, Gary W.

PZT8 and PZT4 are the common "hard" piezoceramic materials used in power ultrasonic transducers (e.g., welding, cutting, sonar, etc.). PZT8 is perceived as the better choice for resonant devices, primarily due to its higher mechanical quality factor Qm. PZT8 is also considered a "harder" material compared to PZT4, since it has better stability at higher preloads and drive levels. Many transducer designers never consider PZT4 for their applications, even though it has clear advantages such as higher output (i.e., higher d33). Even the perceived advantage of PZT8 regarding Qm may not be significant for most Langevin, bolted stack type transducers if the mechanical joint losses dominate. This research is a case study on the performance of identical ultrasonic transducers used for semiconductor wire bonding, assembled with either PZT8 or PZT4 materials. The main purpose of the study is to establish rule-of-thumb transducer design guidelines for the selection of PZT8 versus PZT4 materials. Several metrics are investigated such as impedance, frequency, capacitance, dielectric loss, Qm, heating, displacement gain, and electro-mechanical coupling factor. The experimental and theoretical research methods include Bode plots, thermal IR camera imaging, scanning laser vibrometry and coupled-field finite element analysis.

A comparison study on various low energy sources in interstitial prostate brachytherapy

PubMed Central

Bakhshabadi, Mahdi; Ghorbani, Mahdi; Knaup, Courtney; Meigooni, Ali S.

2016-01-01

Purpose Low energy sources are routinely used in prostate brachytherapy. 125I is one of the most commonly used sources. Low energy 131Cs source was introduced recently as a brachytherapy source. The aim of this study is to compare dose distributions of 125I, 103Pd, and 131Cs sources in interstitial brachytherapy of prostate. Material and methods ProstaSeed 125I brachytherapy source was simulated using MCNPX Monte Carlo code. Additionally, two hypothetical sources of 103Pd and 131Cs were simulated with the same geometry as the ProstaSeed 125I source, while having their specific emitted gamma spectra. These brachytherapy sources were simulated with distribution of forty-eight seeds in a phantom including prostate. The prostate was considered as a sphere with radius of 1.5 cm. Absolute and relative dose rates were obtained in various distances from the source along the transverse and longitudinal axes inside and outside the tumor. Furthermore, isodose curves were plotted around the sources. Results Analyzing the initial dose profiles for various sources indicated that with the same time duration and air kerma strength, 131Cs delivers higher dose to tumor. However, relative dose rate inside the tumor is higher and outside the tumor is lower for the 103Pd source. Conclusions The higher initial absolute dose in cGy/(h.U) of 131Cs brachytherapy source is an advantage of this source over the others. The higher relative dose inside the tumor and lower relative dose outside the tumor for the 103Pd source are advantages of this later brachytherapy source. Based on the total dose the 125I source has advantage over the others due to its longer half-life. PMID:26985200

A comparison study on various low energy sources in interstitial prostate brachytherapy.

PubMed

Bakhshabadi, Mahdi; Ghorbani, Mahdi; Khosroabadi, Mohsen; Knaup, Courtney; Meigooni, Ali S

2016-02-01

Low energy sources are routinely used in prostate brachytherapy. (125)I is one of the most commonly used sources. Low energy (131)Cs source was introduced recently as a brachytherapy source. The aim of this study is to compare dose distributions of (125)I, (103)Pd, and (131)Cs sources in interstitial brachytherapy of prostate. ProstaSeed (125)I brachytherapy source was simulated using MCNPX Monte Carlo code. Additionally, two hypothetical sources of (103)Pd and (131)Cs were simulated with the same geometry as the ProstaSeed (125)I source, while having their specific emitted gamma spectra. These brachytherapy sources were simulated with distribution of forty-eight seeds in a phantom including prostate. The prostate was considered as a sphere with radius of 1.5 cm. Absolute and relative dose rates were obtained in various distances from the source along the transverse and longitudinal axes inside and outside the tumor. Furthermore, isodose curves were plotted around the sources. Analyzing the initial dose profiles for various sources indicated that with the same time duration and air kerma strength, (131)Cs delivers higher dose to tumor. However, relative dose rate inside the tumor is higher and outside the tumor is lower for the (103)Pd source. The higher initial absolute dose in cGy/(h.U) of (131)Cs brachytherapy source is an advantage of this source over the others. The higher relative dose inside the tumor and lower relative dose outside the tumor for the (103)Pd source are advantages of this later brachytherapy source. Based on the total dose the (125)I source has advantage over the others due to its longer half-life.

Application of photon Doppler velocimetry to direct impact Hopkinson pressure bars

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

Lea, Lewis J., E-mail: ll379@cam.ac.uk; Jardine, Andrew P.

2016-02-15

Direct impact Hopkinson pressure bar systems offer many potential advantages over split Hopkinson pressure bars, including access to higher strain rates, higher strains for equivalent striker velocity and system length, lower dispersion, and faster achievement of force equilibrium. Currently, these advantages are gained at the expense of all information about the striker impacted specimen face, preventing the experimental determination of force equilibrium, and requiring approximations to be made on the sample deformation history. In this paper, we discuss an experimental method and complementary data analysis for using photon Doppler velocimetry to measure surface velocities of the striker and output barsmore » in a direct impact bar experiment, allowing similar data to be recorded as in a split bar system. We discuss extracting velocity and force measurements, and the precision of measurements. Results obtained using the technique are compared to equivalent split bar tests, showing improved stress measurements for the lowest and highest strains in fully dense metals, and improvement for all strains in slow and non-equilibrating materials.« less

Effects of Charged Particles on Human Tumor Cells

PubMed Central

Held, Kathryn D.; Kawamura, Hidemasa; Kaminuma, Takuya; Paz, Athena Evalour S.; Yoshida, Yukari; Liu, Qi; Willers, Henning; Takahashi, Akihisa

2016-01-01

The use of charged particle therapy in cancer treatment is growing rapidly, in large part because the exquisite dose localization of charged particles allows for higher radiation doses to be given to tumor tissue while normal tissues are exposed to lower doses and decreased volumes of normal tissues are irradiated. In addition, charged particles heavier than protons have substantial potential clinical advantages because of their additional biological effects, including greater cell killing effectiveness, decreased radiation resistance of hypoxic cells in tumors, and reduced cell cycle dependence of radiation response. These biological advantages depend on many factors, such as endpoint, cell or tissue type, dose, dose rate or fractionation, charged particle type and energy, and oxygen concentration. This review summarizes the unique biological advantages of charged particle therapy and highlights recent research and areas of particular research needs, such as quantification of relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for various tumor types and radiation qualities, role of genetic background of tumor cells in determining response to charged particles, sensitivity of cancer stem-like cells to charged particles, role of charged particles in tumors with hypoxic fractions, and importance of fractionation, including use of hypofractionation, with charged particles. PMID:26904502

Advances in central receivers for concentrating solar applications

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

Ho, Clifford K.

This paper provides a review of current state-of-the-art commercial central receiver systems and emerging technologies intended to increase the outlet temperature to >700 °C. Research on particle-based, gas-based, and liquid-based receiver designs that can achieve these higher temperatures are discussed. Particle-based technologies include directly irradiated designs (free-falling, obstructed, centrifugal) and enclosed designs (gravity fed, fluidized). New gas-based receivers include micro-channel designs and light-trapping configurations that increase the surface area, heat transfer, and solar absorptance to enable higher fluxes and pressures. Liquid-based receivers and materials that are reviewed include high-temperature halide salts (chlorides and fluorides), carbonate salts, and liquid metals (sodiummore » and lead bismuth). Advantages and challenges associated with each of the technologies and receiver designs are presented.« less

Advances in central receivers for concentrating solar applications

DOE PAGES

Ho, Clifford K.

2017-04-09

This paper provides a review of current state-of-the-art commercial central receiver systems and emerging technologies intended to increase the outlet temperature to >700 °C. Research on particle-based, gas-based, and liquid-based receiver designs that can achieve these higher temperatures are discussed. Particle-based technologies include directly irradiated designs (free-falling, obstructed, centrifugal) and enclosed designs (gravity fed, fluidized). New gas-based receivers include micro-channel designs and light-trapping configurations that increase the surface area, heat transfer, and solar absorptance to enable higher fluxes and pressures. Liquid-based receivers and materials that are reviewed include high-temperature halide salts (chlorides and fluorides), carbonate salts, and liquid metals (sodiummore » and lead bismuth). Advantages and challenges associated with each of the technologies and receiver designs are presented.« less

Competitive Advantage, What Does It Really Mean in the Context of Public Higher Education Institutions?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Haan, Haijing Helen

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically investigate the discourse on "competitive advantage", a concept that has been widely applied in the public higher education sector, but rarely defined and conceptualised. Design/methodology/approach: In order to get some insightful understanding about how "competitive…

Branched-chain higher alcohols.

PubMed

Wang, Bao-Wei; Shi, Ai-Qin; Tu, Ran; Zhang, Xue-Li; Wang, Qin-Hong; Bai, Feng-Wu

2012-01-01

China's energy requirements and environmental concerns have stimulated efforts toward developing alternative liquid fuels. Compared with fuel ethanol, branched-chain higher alcohols (BCHAs), including isopropanol, isobutanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, and 3-methyl-1-butanol, exhibit significant advantages, such as higher energy density, lower hygroscopicity, lower vapor pressure, and compatibility with existing transportation infrastructures. However, BCHAs have not been synthesized economically using native organisms, and thus their microbial production based on metabolic engineering and synthetic biology offers an alternative approach, which presents great potential for improving production efficiency. We review the current status of production and consumption of BCHAs and research progress regarding their microbial production in China, especially with the combination of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.

Nanofiber/ZrO2-based mixed matrix separator for high safety/high-rate lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Wei; Liu, Jianguo; Yan, Chuanwei

2017-10-01

A novel asymmetric separator based on a thin bacterial cellulose nanofiber (BCF)/nano-ZrO2 composite layer and a non-woven support was prepared by paper-making method. Owing to the relatively polar constituents and well-developed, gradient porous structure, the separator exhibited the advantages of higher thermal resistance, electrolyte wettability, and ionic conductivity in comparison to polyethylene separator. Based on these advantages, the Li/LiFePO4 cells assembled from this composite separator showed excellent performance characteristics, including outstanding C-rate capability, high capacity and cycling performance. Production of the composite separator is simple, environmentally benign and economically viable. Therefore, it's a good candidate for creating improved lithium-ion batteries.

Contingent Self-Esteem and Race: Implications for the Black Self-Esteem Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeigler-Hill, Virgil

2007-01-01

Previous research has found that despite being aware of negative stereotypes about their group and experiencing prejudice and discrimination, Blacks tend to report higher levels of self-esteem than Whites. Despite the robust nature of the Black self-esteem advantage, an adequate explanation for the higher self-esteem of Blacks relative to Whites…

The Nonprofit Advantage: Producing Quality in Thick and Thin Child Care Markets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleveland, Gordon; Krashinsky, Michael

2009-01-01

Nonprofit child care centers are frequently observed to produce child care which is, on average, of higher quality than care provided in commercial child care centers. In part, this nonprofit advantage is due to different input choices made by nonprofit centers--lower child--staff ratios, better-educated staff and directors, higher rates of…

Rotating assembly working group summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, S. V.

1984-01-01

The feasibility of a fail safe flywheel system was demonstrated. Three of the major advantages of flywheel systems are: longer operational life, higher electrical efficiency, and higher system energy density. The use of composite material flywheels is important to realize these advantages. Rotor design and dynamics, rotor materials and fabrication, safety, nondestructive testing, and systems operation loads and environment, are outlined.

Liquid fuel cells.

PubMed

Soloveichik, Grigorii L

2014-01-01

The advantages of liquid fuel cells (LFCs) over conventional hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells include a higher theoretical energy density and efficiency, a more convenient handling of the streams, and enhanced safety. This review focuses on the use of different types of organic fuels as an anode material for LFCs. An overview of the current state of the art and recent trends in the development of LFC and the challenges of their practical implementation are presented.

Turning over a new 'leaf': multiple functional significances of leaves versus phyllodes in Hawaiian Acacia koa.

PubMed

Pasquet-Kok, Jessica; Creese, Christine; Sack, Lawren

2010-12-01

Hawaiian endemic tree Acacia koa is a model for heteroblasty with bipinnately compound leaves and phyllodes. Previous studies suggested three hypotheses for their functional differentiation: an advantage of leaves for early growth or shade tolerance, and an advantage of phyllodes for drought tolerance. We tested the ability of these hypotheses to explain differences between leaf types for potted plants in 104 physiological and morphological traits, including gas exchange, structure and composition, hydraulic conductance, and responses to varying light, intercellular CO(2) , vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and drought. Leaf types were similar in numerous traits including stomatal pore area per leaf area, leaf area-based gas exchange rates and cuticular conductance. Each hypothesis was directly supported by key differences in function. Leaves had higher mass-based gas exchange rates, while the water storage tissue in phyllodes contributed to greater capacitance per area; phyllodes also showed stronger stomatal closure at high VPD, and higher maximum hydraulic conductance per area, with stronger decline during desiccation and recovery with rehydration. While no single hypothesis completely explained the differences between leaf types, together the three hypotheses explained 91% of differences. These findings indicate that the heteroblasty confers multiple benefits, realized across different developmental stages and environmental contexts. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Medicare Advantage Enrollees More Likely To Enter Lower-Quality Nursing Homes Compared To Fee-For-Service Enrollees

PubMed Central

Meyers, David J.; Mor, Vincent; Rahman, Momotazur

2018-01-01

Unlike fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, most Medicare Advantage (MA) plans have a preferred network of care providers that serve most of a plan’s enrollees. Little is known about how the quality of care MA enrollees receive differs from that of FFS Medicare enrollees. This article evaluates the differences in the quality of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that Medicare Advantage and FFS beneficiaries entered in the period 2012–14. After we controlled for patients’ clinical, demographic, and residential neighborhood effects, we found that FFS Medicare patients have substantially higher probabilities of entering higher-quality SNFs (those rated four or five stars by Nursing Home Compare) and those with lower readmission rates, compared to MA enrollees. The difference between MA and FFS Medicare SNF selections was less for enrollees in higher-quality MA plans than those in lower-quality plans, but Medicare Advantage still guided patients to lower-quality facilities. PMID:29309215

Advantages of Aging.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmore, Erdman

1979-01-01

There are at least 14 advantages of aging. Advantages to society of older persons include their lower criminal activity; greater political participation; increasing voluntary organization participation; work abilities; and visual perception abilities. Advantages for the individual include less criminal victimization; fewer accidents; social…

The Corporate University and Training: Return on Investment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newell, Marshall D.

2013-01-01

With a global marketplace, companies are seeking ways to manage knowledge with tools, such as the corporate university toward gaining a competitive advantage. Research has identified a common goal is to sustain competitive advantage. With a competitive advantage, a company may achieve a higher profitability. Thus far, research has provided limited…

The advantage of being slow: The quasi-neutral contact process.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Marcelo Martins; Dickman, Ronald

2017-01-01

According to the competitive exclusion principle, in a finite ecosystem, extinction occurs naturally when two or more species compete for the same resources. An important question that arises is: when coexistence is not possible, which mechanisms confer an advantage to a given species against the other(s)? In general, it is expected that the species with the higher reproductive/death ratio will win the competition, but other mechanisms, such as asymmetry in interspecific competition or unequal diffusion rates, have been found to change this scenario dramatically. In this work, we examine competitive advantage in the context of quasi-neutral population models, including stochastic models with spatial structure as well as macroscopic (mean-field) descriptions. We employ a two-species contact process in which the "biological clock" of one species is a factor of α slower than that of the other species. Our results provide new insights into how stochasticity and competition interact to determine extinction in finite spatial systems. We find that a species with a slower biological clock has an advantage if resources are limited, winning the competition against a species with a faster clock, in relatively small systems. Periodic or stochastic environmental variations also favor the slower species, even in much larger systems.

A {3,2}-Order Bending Theory for Laminated Composite and Sandwich Beams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Geoffrey M.; Tessler, Alexander

1998-01-01

A higher-order bending theory is derived for laminated composite and sandwich beams thus extending the recent {1,2}-order theory to include third-order axial effect without introducing additional kinematic variables. The present theory is of order {3,2} and includes both transverse shear and transverse normal deformations. A closed-form solution to the cylindrical bending problem is derived and compared with the corresponding exact elasticity solution. The numerical comparisons are focused on the most challenging material systems and beam aspect ratios which include moderate-to-thick unsymmetric composite and sandwich laminates. Advantages and limitations of the theory are discussed.

Medicare Advantage Plans Pay Hospitals Less Than Traditional Medicare Pays.

PubMed

Baker, Laurence C; Bundorf, M Kate; Devlin, Aileen M; Kessler, Daniel P

2016-08-01

There is ongoing debate about how prices paid to providers by Medicare Advantage plans compare to prices paid by fee-for-service Medicare. We used data from Medicare and the Health Care Cost Institute to identify the prices paid for hospital services by fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, and commercial insurers in 2009 and 2012. We calculated the average price per admission, and its trend over time, in each of the three types of insurance for fixed baskets of hospital admissions across metropolitan areas. After accounting for differences in hospital networks, geographic areas, and case-mix between Medicare Advantage and FFS Medicare, we found that Medicare Advantage plans paid 5.6 percent less for hospital services than FFS Medicare did. Without taking into account the narrower networks of Medicare Advantage, the program paid 8.0 percent less than FFS Medicare. We also found that the rates paid by commercial plans were much higher than those of either Medicare Advantage or FFS Medicare, and growing. At least some of this difference comes from the much higher prices that commercial plans pay for profitable service lines. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Current and future trends for biofilm reactors for fermentation processes.

PubMed

Ercan, Duygu; Demirci, Ali

2015-03-01

Biofilms in the environment can both cause detrimental and beneficial effects. However, their use in bioreactors provides many advantages including lesser tendencies to develop membrane fouling and lower required capital costs, their higher biomass density and operation stability, contribution to resistance of microorganisms, etc. Biofilm formation occurs naturally by the attachment of microbial cells to the support without use of any chemicals agent in biofilm reactors. Biofilm reactors have been studied and commercially used for waste water treatment and bench and pilot-scale production of value-added products in the past decades. It is important to understand the fundamentals of biofilm formation, physical and chemical properties of a biofilm matrix to run the biofilm reactor at optimum conditions. This review includes the principles of biofilm formation; properties of a biofilm matrix and their roles in the biofilm formation; factors that improve the biofilm formation, such as support materials; advantages and disadvantages of biofilm reactors; and industrial applications of biofilm reactors.

[Advantages and disadvantages of minimally invasive surgery in colorectal cancer surgery].

PubMed

Zheng, Minhua; Ma, Junjun

2017-06-25

Since the emergence of minimally invasive technology twenty years ago, as a surgical concept and surgical technique for colorectal cancer surgery, its obvious advantages have been recognized. Laparoscopic technology, as one of the most important technology platform, has got a lot of evidence-based support for the oncological safety and effectiveness in colorectal cancer surgery Laparoscopic technique has advantages in terms of identification of anatomic plane and autonomic nerve, protection of pelvic structure, and fine dissection of vessels. But because of the limitation of laparoscopic technology there are still some deficiencies and shortcomings, including lack of touch and lack of stereo vision problems, in addition to the low rectal cancer, especially male, obese, narrow pelvis, larger tumors, it is difficult to get better view and manipulating triangle in laparoscopy. However, the emergence of a series of new minimally invasive technology platform is to make up for the defects and deficiencies. The robotic surgical system possesses advantages, such as stereo vision, higher magnification, manipulator wrist with high freedom degree, filtering of tremor and higher stability, but still has disadvantages, such as lack of haptic feedback, longer operation time, high operation cost and expensive price. 3D system of laparoscopic surgery has similar visual experience and feelings as robotic surgery in the 3D view, the same operating skills as 2D laparoscopy and a short learning curve. The price of 3D laparoscopy is also moderate, which makes the 3D laparoscopy more popular in China. Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) by changing the traditional laparoscopic pelvic surgery approach, may have certain advantages for male cases with narrow pelvic and patients with large tumor, and it is in accordance with the technical concept of natural orifice, with less minimally invasive and better cosmetics, which can be regarded as a supplemental technique of the traditional laparoscopic TME surgery for rectal carcinoma. However, this technology also has its own shortcomings, including difficulty getting a high ligation of vessels, difficulty exploring the abdominal cavity, and longer learning curve than laparoscopy. We believe that with the continuous progress and development of technology, continuous improvement and innovation of equipment platform, more organ functions will be protected in laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer without compromising the safety and oncological effectiveness.

Perspectives of different type biological life support systems (BLSS) usage in space missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartsev, S. I.; Gitelson, J. I.; Lisovsky, G. M.; Mezhevikin, V. V.; Okhonin, V. A.

1996-10-01

In the paper an attempt is made to combine three important criteria of LSS comparison: minimum mass, maximum safety and maximum quality of life. Well-known types of BLSS were considered: with higher plant, higher plants and mushrooms, microalgae, and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. These BLSSs were compared in terms of "integrated" mass for the case of a vegetarian diet and a "normal" one (with animal proteins and fats). It was shown that the BLSS with higher plants and incineration of wastes becomes the best when the exploitation period is more than 1 yr. The dependence of higher plants' LSS structure on operation time was found. Comparison of BLSSs in terms of integral reliability (this criterion includes mass and quality of life criteria) for a lunar base scenario showed that BLSSs with higher plants are advantageous in reliability and comfort. This comparison was made for achieved level of technology of closing and for perspective one.

Liquid fuel cells

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Summary The advantages of liquid fuel cells (LFCs) over conventional hydrogen–oxygen fuel cells include a higher theoretical energy density and efficiency, a more convenient handling of the streams, and enhanced safety. This review focuses on the use of different types of organic fuels as an anode material for LFCs. An overview of the current state of the art and recent trends in the development of LFC and the challenges of their practical implementation are presented. PMID:25247123

New developments in fabrication of high-energy-resolution analyzers for inelastic x-ray spectroscopy.

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

Said, A. H.; Sinn, H.; Divan, R.

2011-05-01

In this work new improvements related to the fabrication of spherical bent analyzers for 1 meV energy-resolution inelastic X-ray scattering spectroscopy are presented. The new method includes the use of a two-dimensional bender to achieve the required radius of curvature for X-ray analyzers. The advantage of this method is the ability to monitor the focus during bending, which leads to higher-efficiency analyzers.

Practical application of power conditioning to electric propulsion for passenger vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demerdash, N. A.; Lee, F. C.; Nehl, T. W.; Overton, B. P.

1980-01-01

A functional model 15 HP, 120 volt, 4-pole, 7600 r.p.m. samarium-cobalt permanent magnet type brushless dc motor-transistorized power conditioner unit was designed, fabricated and tested for specific use in propulsion of electric passenger vehicles. This new brushless motor system, including its power conditioner package, has a number of important advantages over existing systems such as reduced weight and volume, higher reliability, and potential for improvements in efficiencies. These advantages are discussed in this paper in light of the substantial test data collected during experimentation with the newly developed conditioner motor propulsion system. Details of the power conditioner design philosophy and particulars are given in the paper. Also, described here are the low level electronic design and operation in relation to the remainder of the system.

Under-sampling in a Multiple-Channel Laser Vibrometry System

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

Corey, Jordan

2007-03-01

Laser vibrometry is a technique used to detect vibrations on objects using the interference of coherent light with itself. Most vibrometry systems process only one target location at a time, but processing multiple locations simultaneously provides improved detection capabilities. Traditional laser vibrometry systems employ oversampling to sample the incoming modulated-light signal, however as the number of channels increases in these systems, certain issues arise such a higher computational cost, excessive heat, increased power requirements, and increased component cost. This thesis describes a novel approach to laser vibrometry that utilizes undersampling to control the undesirable issues associated with over-sampled systems. Undersamplingmore » allows for significantly less samples to represent the modulated-light signals, which offers several advantages in the overall system design. These advantages include an improvement in thermal efficiency, lower processing requirements, and a higher immunity to the relative intensity noise inherent in laser vibrometry applications. A unique feature of this implementation is the use of a parallel architecture to increase the overall system throughput. This parallelism is realized using a hierarchical multi-channel architecture based on off-the-shelf programmable logic devices (PLDs).« less

Fosphenytoin. Pharmacoeconomic implications of therapy.

PubMed

Holliday, S M; Benfield, P; Plosker, G L

1998-12-01

Advantages and disadvantages of Fosphenytoin. Advantages. More rapid intravenous administration than phenytoin and no need for an in-line filter. May be administered by intramuscular injection. Lower potential for local tissue and cardiac toxicity than phenytoin. Associated with less pain and phlebitis at the injection site, fewer reductions in infusion rate and fewer changes of administration site because of injection site complications than phenytoin. Benefits in terms of ease of administration and improved tolerability vs phenytoin have pharmacoeconomic implications which may translate into an overall cost advantage. Disadvantages. Approximately 10-fold higher acquisition cost vs phenytoin. Fosphenytoin is a parenterally administered prodrug of phenytoin, used in the treatment of patients with seizures. Advantages of fosphenytoin over phenytoin include more rapid intravenous administration, no need for an intravenous filter, and a lower potential for local tissue and cardiac toxicity. Unlike phenytoin, fosphenytoin may also be administered by intramuscular injection. Pharmacoeconomic data from a small study of patients with acute seizures in a US emergency department showed an overall cost advantage of fosphenytoin over phenytoin, despite a considerably greater acquisition cost of fosphenytoin. The main cost drivers for phenytoin therapy were treatment costs associated with adverse events. In view of the limited pharmacoeconomic data currently available, it is in the interests of individual institutions to conduct their own formal pharmacoeconomic studies applying local cost data and patterns of clinical practise to determine whether fosphenytoin should replace phenytoin on their formularly list.

The potential of ill-nitride laser diodes for solid-state lighting [Advantages of III-Nitride Laser Diodes in Solid-State Lighting

DOE PAGES

Wierer, Jonathan; Tsao, Jeffrey Y.

2014-09-01

III-nitride laser diodes (LDs) are an interesting light source for solid-state lighting (SSL). Modelling of LDs is performed to reveal the potential advantages over traditionally used light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The first, and most notable, advantage is LDs have higher efficiency at higher currents when compared to LEDs. This is because Auger recombination that causes efficiency droop can no longer grow after laser threshold. Second, the same phosphor-converted methods used with LEDs can also be used with LDs to produce white light with similar color rendering and color temperature. Third, producing white light from direct emitters is equally challenging for bothmore » LEDs and LDs, with neither source having a direct advantage. Lastly, the LD emission is directional and can be more readily captured and focused, leading to the possibility of novel and more compact luminaires. These advantages make LDs a compelling source for future SSL.« less

Data Assimilation and Predictability Studies on Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) Using the WRF-LETKF System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyoshi, T.; Kunii, M.

2011-12-01

Data assimilation and predictability studies on Tropical Cyclones with a particular focus on intensity forecasts are performed with the newly-developed Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) system with the WRF model. Taking advantage of intensive observations of the internationally collaborated T-PARC (THORPEX Pacific Asian Regional Campaign) project, we focus on Typhoon Sinlaku (2008) which intensified rapidly before making landfall to Taiwan. This study includes a number of data assimilation experiments, higher-resolution forecasts, and sensitivity analysis which quantifies impacts of observations on forecasts. This presentation includes latest achievements up to the time of the conference.

Efficiency of nonstandard and high contact ratio involute spur gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, N. E.; Loewenthal, S. H.

1984-01-01

A power loss prediction was extended to include involute spur gears of nonstandard proportions. The method is used to analyze the effects of modified addendum, tooth thickness, and gear center distance in addition to the parameters previously considered which included gear diameter, pitch, pressure angle, face width, oil viscosity, speed, and torque. Particular emphasis was placed on high contact ratio gearing (contact ratios greater than two). Despite their higher sliding velocities, high contact ratio gears are designed to levels of efficiency comparable to those of conventional gears while retaining their advantages through proper selection of gear geometry.

Efficiency of nonstandard and high contact ratio involute spur gears

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, N. E.; Loewenthal, S. H.

1986-01-01

A power loss prediction was extended to include involute spur gears of nonstandard proportions. The method is used to analyze the effects of modified addendum, tooth thickness, and gear center distance in addition to the parameters previously considered which included gear diameter, pitch, pressure angle, face width, oil viscosity, speed, and torque. Particular emphasis was placed on high contact ratio gearing (contact ratios greater than two). Despite their higher sliding velocities, high contact ratio gears are designed to levels of efficiency comparable to those of conventional gears while retaining their advantages through proper selection of gear geometry.

Game Location and Team Quality Effects on Performance Profiles in Professional Soccer

PubMed Central

Lago-Peñas, Carlos; Lago-Ballesteros, Joaquin

2011-01-01

Home advantage in team sports has an important role in determining the outcome of a game. The aim of the present study was to identify the soccer game- related statistics that best discriminate home and visiting teams according to the team quality. The sample included all 380 games of the Spanish professional men’s league. The independent variables were game location (home or away) and the team quality. Teams were classified into four groups according to their final ranking at the end of the league. The game-related statistics registered were divided into three groups: (i) variables related to goals scored; (ii) variables related to offense and (iii) variables related to defense. A univariate (t-test and Mann-Whitney U) and multivariate (discriminant analysis) analysis of data was done. Results showed that home teams have significantly higher means for goal scored, total shots, shots on goal, attacking moves, box moves, crosses, offsides committed, assists, passes made, successful passes, dribbles made, successful dribbles, ball possession, and gains of possession, while visiting teams presented higher means for losses of possession and yellow cards. In addition, the findings of the current study confirm that game location and team quality are important in determining technical and tactical performances in matches. Teams described as superior and those described as inferior did not experience the same home advantage. Future research should consider the influence of other confounding variables such as weather conditions, game status and team form. Key points Home teams have significantly higher figures for attack indicators probably due to facilities familiarity and crowd effects. The teams’ game-related statistics profile varied according to game location and team quality. Teams described as superior and those described as inferior did not experience the same home advantage. PMID:24150619

Radial turbine cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roelke, Richard J.

1992-01-01

Radial turbines have been used extensively in many applications including small ground based electrical power generators, automotive engine turbochargers and aircraft auxiliary power units. In all of these applications the turbine inlet temperature is limited to a value commensurate with the material strength limitations and life requirements of uncooled metal rotors. To take advantage of all the benefits that higher temperatures offer, such as increased turbine specific power output or higher cycle thermal efficiency, requires improved high temperature materials and/or blade cooling. Extensive research is on-going to advance the material properties of high temperature superalloys as well as composite materials including ceramics. The use of ceramics with their high temperature potential and low cost is particularly appealing for radial turbines. However until these programs reach fruition the only way to make significant step increases beyond the present material temperature barriers is to cool the radial blading.

Managing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Policy Implications of Expanding Global Access to Nuclear Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-05

However, the case of Iran raises perhaps the most critical question in this decade for strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime: How can...enrichment process can take advantage of the slight difference in atomic mass between 235U and 238U. The typical enrichment process requires about 10 lbs of...neutrons but can induce fission in all actinides , including all plutonium isotopes. Therefore, nuclear fuel for a fast reactor must have a higher

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan, Government and Private Sector Joint R&D Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-16

is that if this system uses exogenous genes represented by the DNA that codes for hepatitis B surface antigen, polyvaccines can be produced easily...that can express in large quantities molecular clones of genetic products is awaited. Vectors using cells of higher mammals including man have been...functions of IVM and MMD using cultured spinal nerve cells with a great advantage that the same sample can be used for both electrophysiological and

Unicellular eukaryotes as models in cell and molecular biology: critical appraisal of their past and future value.

PubMed

Simon, Martin; Plattner, Helmut

2014-01-01

Unicellular eukaryotes have been appreciated as model systems for the analysis of crucial questions in cell and molecular biology. This includes Dictyostelium (chemotaxis, amoeboid movement, phagocytosis), Tetrahymena (telomere structure, telomerase function), Paramecium (variant surface antigens, exocytosis, phagocytosis cycle) or both ciliates (ciliary beat regulation, surface pattern formation), Chlamydomonas (flagellar biogenesis and beat), and yeast (S. cerevisiae) for innumerable aspects. Nowadays many problems may be tackled with "higher" eukaryotic/metazoan cells for which full genomic information as well as domain databases, etc., were available long before protozoa. Established molecular tools, commercial antibodies, and established pharmacology are additional advantages available for higher eukaryotic cells. Moreover, an increasing number of inherited genetic disturbances in humans have become elucidated and can serve as new models. Among lower eukaryotes, yeast will remain a standard model because of its peculiarities, including its reduced genome and availability in the haploid form. But do protists still have a future as models? This touches not only the basic understanding of biology but also practical aspects of research, such as fund raising. As we try to scrutinize, due to specific advantages some protozoa should and will remain favorable models for analyzing novel genes or specific aspects of cell structure and function. Outstanding examples are epigenetic phenomena-a field of rising interest. © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Transtibial, Anteromedial Portal, and Outside-In Femoral Tunnel Drilling in Single-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Robin, Brett N; Jani, Sunil S; Marvil, Sean C; Reid, John B; Schillhammer, Carl K; Lubowitz, James H

2015-07-01

Controversy exists regarding the best method for creating the knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) femoral tunnel or socket. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the risks, benefits, advantages, and disadvantages of the endoscopic transtibial (TT) technique, anteromedial portal technique, outside-in technique, and outside-in retrograde drilling technique for creating the ACL femoral tunnel. A PubMed search of English-language studies published between January 1, 2000, and February 17, 2014, was performed using the following keywords: "anterior cruciate ligament" AND "femoral tunnel." Included were studies reporting risks, benefits, advantages, and/or disadvantages of any ACL femoral technique. In addition, references of included articles were reviewed to identify potential studies missed in the original search. A total of 27 articles were identified through the search. TT technique advantages include familiarity and proven long-term outcomes; disadvantages include the risk of nonanatomic placement because of constrained (TT) drilling. Anteromedial portal technique advantages include unconstrained anatomic placement; disadvantages include technical challenges, short tunnels or sockets, and posterior-wall blowout. Outside-in technique advantages include unconstrained anatomic placement; disadvantages include the need for 2 incisions. Retrograde drilling technique advantages include unconstrained anatomic placement, as well as all-epiphyseal drilling in skeletally immature patients; disadvantages include the need for fluoroscopy for all-epiphyseal drilling. There is no one, single, established "gold-standard" technique for creation of the ACL femoral socket. Four accepted techniques show diverse and subjective advantages, disadvantages, risks, and benefits. Level V, systematic review of Level II through V evidence. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advantages of T2 Weighted Three Dimensional and T1 Weighted Three Dimensional Contrast Medium Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Urography in Examination of the Child Population.

PubMed

Sehic, Adnan; Julardzija, Fuad; Vegar-Zubovic, Sandra; Sefic-Pasic, Irmina

2017-03-01

The aim of this study is to prove the advantages of combined use of T2 weighted three dimensional (T2 W 3D) and T1 weighted three dimensional contrast medium enhanced (T1 W 3D CE) magnetic resonance (MR) urography in displaying urinary tract in child population. Total of 120 patients were included in the study, 71 (59%) male patients and 49 (41%) female patients. The study was conducted on the Radiology clinic, University of Sarajevo Clinical Center, during the period from February to November 2016. Patients were examined on the 1.5T and 3T MRI, with standard protocol which includes T2 W 3D and T1 W 3D contrast medium enhanced MR urography. In the post procesing quantitative measurement of signal intensity and evaluation of the display quality in the area of renal pelvis, middle of ureter and the mouth of the ureter were done. Measurement was concluded on Syngo software B13. Analyzing the acquired data and statistically processing them we got results which have shown higher signal intensity of measured structures on T1 W 3D contrast medium enhanced MR urography on the level p<0.01 and p<0.05 compared to T2 W 3D MR urography in patients that had normal dynamics of contrast medium secretion. However, in kidneys with decreased function, T2 W 3D MR urography provided higher signal intensity and better display compared to T1 W 3D contrast medium enhanced MR urography on the level p<0.05 and p<0.01. T2 W3D MR urography is useful in imaging nonfunctional kidney as well as in patients prone to allergic reactions, where as T1 W3D CE MR urography is at an advantage over T2 W 3D MR urography in imaging the kidney functionality, kidney dynamics measurement, it provides higher MRI signal intensity required for clear 3D reconstructions.

Mental Health of Aging Immigrants and Native-Born Men Across 11 European Countries

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives. Though working-age immigrants exhibit lower mortality compared with those domestic-born immigrants, consequences of immigration for mental health remain unclear. We examine whether older immigrants exhibit a mental advantage and whether factors believed to underlie immigrant vulnerability explain disparities. Method. The sample includes 12,247 noninstitutionalized men more than 50 years in 11 European countries. Multivariate logistic regression models estimated the impact of physical health, health behaviors, availability of social support, social participation, citizenship, time since immigration, socioeconomic status (SES), and employment on the mental health of immigrants. Results. Immigrants face 1.60 increased odds of depression despite a physical health advantage, evidenced by 0.74 lower odds of chronic illness. SES and availability of social support were predictive, though acculturation measures were not. Decomposition analysis revealed that only approximately 20% of the variation in depression rates between immigrants and native-born peers were explained by commonly cited risk factors. Conclusions. Despite physical health advantages, older immigrants suffer substantially higher depression rates. Time since immigration does not appear to mitigate depressive symptoms. PMID:23325505

Anaesthesia for laparoscopic surgery: General vs regional anaesthesia

PubMed Central

Bajwa, Sukhminder Jit Singh; Kulshrestha, Ashish

2016-01-01

The use of laparoscopy has revolutionised the surgical field with its advantages of reduced morbidity with early recovery. Laparoscopic procedures have been traditionally performed under general anaesthesia (GA) due to the respiratory changes caused by pneumoperitoneum, which is an integral part of laparoscopy. The precise control of ventilation under controlled conditions in GA has proven it to be ideal for such procedures. However, recently the use of regional anaesthesia (RA) has emerged as an alternative choice for laparoscopy. Various reports in the literature suggest the safety of the use of spinal, epidural and combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia in laparoscopic procedures. The advantages of RA can include: Prevention of airway manipulation, an awake and spontaneously breathing patient intraoperatively, minimal nausea and vomiting, effective post-operative analgesia, and early ambulation and recovery. However, RA may be associated with a few side effects such as the requirement of a higher sensory level, more severe hypotension, shoulder discomfort due to diaphragmatic irritation, and respiratory embarrassment caused by pneumoperitoneum. Further studies may be required to establish the advantage of RA over GA for its eventual global use in different patient populations. PMID:26917912

The longevity of adaptive memory: evidence for mnemonic advantages of survival processing 24 and 48 hours later.

PubMed

Raymaekers, Linsey H C; Otgaar, Henry; Smeets, Tom

2014-01-01

Prior studies have convincingly demonstrated that survival-related processing of information enhances its subsequent retention. This phenomenon, known as the survival recall advantage, generalises to other stimuli, memory domains, and research populations, thereby underscoring its reliability. As previous studies used only short retention intervals between survival processing and the memory test, an important yet hitherto unanswered issue is whether this effect persists over time. The present experiment therefore examined whether survival processing also produces mnemonic benefits when retention is tested after longer delay periods. Participants (N =81) rated the relevance of words according to a survival and a moving scenario, and were then randomly assigned to the typical immediate (3-minute delay) retention test condition or conditions that included a 24- or 48-hour interval between survival processing and memory testing. In each of these conditions survival processing led to higher surprise free recall and recognition rates than processing words according to the moving scenario. Thus this study provides evidence that illustrates the longevity of survival processing advantages on memory performance.

Gender differences in asthma prevalence: variations with socioeconomic disadvantage.

PubMed

Chittleborough, Catherine R; Taylor, Anne W; Dal Grande, Eleonora; Gill, Tiffany K; Grant, Janet F; Adams, Robert J; Wilson, David H; Ruffin, Richard E

2010-01-01

Socioeconomic inequalities in health have been shown to vary for different diseases and by gender. This study aimed to examine gender differences in associations between asthma and socioeconomic disadvantage. Socioeconomic variables were assessed among men and women in the North West Adelaide Health Study, a representative population cohort (n = 4060) aged 18 years and over in metropolitan South Australia. Asthma was determined from spirometry and self-reported doctor diagnosis. The prevalence of asthma was 12.0% (95% CI: 11.1-13.1), and was significantly higher among women (13.5%) than men (10.5%). For participants aged 18-64 years a higher prevalence of asthma was associated with an education level of secondary school or lower, or not being in the paid labour force among men, and with a gross annual household income of $20,000 or less among women. Among socioeconomically advantaged groups, the prevalence of asthma was significantly higher among women than men. Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with higher asthma prevalence, although this varied by gender depending on the indicator of socioeconomic position used. Men with low education or those not employed in the paid labour force had higher asthma prevalence than more socioeconomically advantaged men. Women with low income had higher asthma prevalence than those with higher income. Among all socioeconomically advantaged groups, and also the low-income group, women experienced a higher prevalence of asthma than men.

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

Kim, Moon-Jung; Lee, Byung Cheon; Division of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701

Thioredoxin (Trx) is a major thiol-disulfide reductase that plays a role in many biological processes, including DNA replication and redox signaling. Although selenocysteine (Sec)-containing Trxs have been identified in certain bacteria, their enzymatic properties have not been characterized. In this study, we expressed a selenoprotein Trx from Treponema denticola, an oral spirochete, in Escherichia coli and characterized this selenoenzyme and its natural cysteine (Cys) homologue using E. coli Trx1 as a positive control. {sup 75}Se metabolic labeling and mutation analyses showed that the SECIS (Sec insertion sequence) of T. denticola selenoprotein Trx is functional in the E. coli Sec insertion system with specificmore » selenium incorporation into the Sec residue. The selenoprotein Trx exhibited approximately 10-fold higher catalytic activity than the Sec-to-Cys version and natural Cys homologue and E. coli Trx1, suggesting that Sec confers higher catalytic activity on this thiol-disulfide reductase. Kinetic analysis also showed that the selenoprotein Trx had a 30-fold higher K{sub m} than Cys-containing homologues, suggesting that this selenoenzyme is adapted to work efficiently with high concentrations of substrate. Collectively, the results of this study support the hypothesis that selenium utilization in oxidoreductase systems is primarily due to the catalytic advantage provided by the rare amino acid, Sec. - Highlights: • The first characterization of a selenoprotein Trx is presented. • The selenoenzyme Trx exhibits 10-fold higher catalytic activity than Cys homologues. • Se utilization in Trx is primarily due to the catalytic advantage provided by Sec residue.« less

Participant supervision: supervisor and supervisee experiences of cotherapy.

PubMed

Falke, Stephanie I; Lawson, Lindsey; Pandit, Mayuri L; Patrick, Elizabeth A

2015-04-01

Participant supervision is a unique application of live supervision in which a supervisor and supervisee see clients conjointly. Although minimally discussed in the family therapy literature, it has notable advantages, chief among them being a shared clinical experience that increases attunement to supervisee skill and development, the modeling of skillful intervention, and a higher degree of collegiality. However, it is not without its challenges, including supervisee vulnerability and anxiety, diffusion of responsibility, and limited time for case discussion. This article highlights the experience of one supervisor and three doctoral-level supervisees engaging in participant supervision over the course of a 2-year period. Using illustrative examples, we discuss our experience of the advantages and challenges of participant supervision, and provide recommendations for establishing a collaborative relational context within which supervisory benefits can be maximized. © 2013 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Favorable Risk Selection in Medicare Advantage: Trends in Mortality and Plan Exits Among Nursing Home Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Elizabeth M.; Trivedi, Amal N.; Mor, Vincent; Jung, Hye-Young; Rahman, Momotazur

2016-01-01

The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) increased payments to Medicare Advantage plans and instituted a new risk-adjustment payment model to reduce plans' incentives to enroll healthier Medicare beneficiaries and avoid those with higher costs. Whether the MMA reduced risk selection remains debatable. This study uses mortality differences, nursing home utilization, and switch rates to assess whether the MMA successfully decreased risk selection from 2000 to 2012. We found no decrease in the mortality difference or adjusted difference in nursing home use between plan beneficiaries pre- and post the MMA. Among beneficiaries with nursing home use, disenrollment from Medicare Advantage plans declined from 20% to 12%, but it remained 6 times higher than the switch rate from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage. These findings suggest that the MMA was not associated with reductions in favorable risk selection, as measured by mortality, nursing home use, and switch rates. PMID:27516452

Sequential Immunofluorescent Light Microscopy and Electron Microscopy of Recombination Nodules During Meiotic Prophase I.

PubMed

Anderson, Lorinda K

2017-01-01

Immunolocalization using either fluorescence for light microscopy (LM) or gold particles for electron microscopy (EM) has become a common tool to pinpoint proteins involved in recombination during meiotic prophase. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, LM immunofluorescence is comparatively easier and higher throughput compared to immunogold EM localization. In addition, immunofluorescence has the advantages that a faint signal can often be enhanced by longer exposure times and colocalization using two (or more) probes with different absorbance and emission spectra is straightforward. However, immunofluorescence is not useful if the object of interest does not label with an antibody probe and is below the resolution of the LM. In comparison, immunogold EM localization is higher resolution than immunofluorescent LM localization, and individual nuclear structures, such as recombination nodules, can be identified by EM regardless of whether they are labeled or not. However, immunogold localization has other disadvantages including comparatively low signal-to-noise ratios, more difficult colocalization using gold particles of different sizes, and the inability to evaluate labeling efficiency before examining the sample using EM (a more expensive and time-consuming technique than LM). Here we describe a method that takes advantage of the good points of both immunofluorescent LM and EM to analyze two classes of late recombination nodules (RNs), only one of which labels with antibodies to MLH1 protein, a marker of crossovers. The method can be used readily with other antibodies to analyze early recombination nodules or other prophase I structures.

K–12 Educational Outcomes of Immigrant Youth

PubMed Central

Crosnoe, Robert; López Turley, Ruth N.

2017-01-01

Summary The children from immigrant families in the United States make up a historically diverse population, and they are demonstrating just as much diversity in their experiences in the K–12 educational system. Robert Crosnoe and Ruth López Turley summarize these K–12 patterns, paying special attention to differences in academic functioning across segments of the immigrant population defined by generational status, race and ethnicity, and national origin. A good deal of evidence points to an immigrant advantage in multiple indicators of academic progress, meaning that many youths from immigrant families outperform their peers in school. This apparent advantage is often referred to as the immigrant paradox, in that it occurs despite higher-than-average rates of social and economic disadvantages in this population as a whole. The immigrant paradox, however, is more pronounced among the children of Asian and African immigrants than other groups, and it is stronger for boys than for girls. Furthermore, evidence for the paradox is far more consistent in secondary school than in elementary school. Indeed, school readiness appears to be one area of potential risk for children from immigrant families, especially those of Mexican origin. For many groups, including those from Latin America, any evidence of the immigrant paradox usually emerges after researchers control for family socioeconomic circumstances and youths’ English language skills. For others, including those from Asian countries, it is at least partially explained by the tendency for more socioeconomically advantaged residents of those regions to leave their home country for the United States. Bilingualism and strong family ties help to explain immigrant advantages in schooling; school, community, and other contextual disadvantages may suppress these advantages or lead to immigrant risks. Crosnoe and Turley also discuss several policy efforts targeting young people from immigrant families, especially those of Latin American origin. One is the DREAM Act, proposed federal legislation to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth who meet certain criteria. Another effort includes culturally grounded programs to support the college preparation of immigrant adolescents and the educational involvement of immigrant parents of young children. PMID:21465858

Alternative Operational Energy Options - A Need for a Holistic Approach to Reduce the Logistics Tail and Improve Strategic Advantage

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-18

tends to resurge when the cost of petroleum rises as it did during the energy crisis of the 1970’s. Wind turbines are divided into two categories that...include horizontal axis and vertical axis. Horizontal-axis wind turbines have a main rotor driving an electrical generator on... turbines . They convert significantly more power in medium and higher winds than drag blades. Blades are attached directly to a hub just like on a

Csbnd N bond formation in alicyclic and heterocyclic compounds by amine-modified nanoclay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarnegar, Zohre; Alizadeh, Roghayeh; Ahmadzadeh, Majid; Safari, Javad

2017-09-01

In the current protocol, amine functionalized montmorillonite K10 nanoclay (NH2-MMT) was applied to catalyze the formation of Csbnd N bonds in the synthesis of azines and 2-aminothiazoles at room temperature. In comparison with the current methods of Csbnd N bond formation, this approach displays specific advantages include atom economy, clean conversion, design for energy efficiency, the use of nontoxic and heterogeneous catalyst, higher purity and yields, safer solvent and reagents for this organic transformation.

Research on the high-precision non-contact optical detection technology for banknotes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Xiaofeng; Liang, Tiancai; Luo, Pengfeng; Sun, Jianfeng

2015-09-01

The technology of high-precision laser interferometry was introduced for optical measurement of the banknotes in this paper. Taking advantage of laser short wavelength and high sensitivity, information of adhesive tape and cavity about the banknotes could be checked efficiently. Compared with current measurement devices, including mechanical wheel measurement device, Infrared measurement device, ultrasonic measurement device, the laser interferometry measurement has higher precision and reliability. This will improve the ability of banknotes feature information in financial electronic equipment.

The Panama Canal: Writings of the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Officers Who Conceived and Built It

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-26

which included the railroad), franchises , and equipment. During the following year the American-backed revolt against Colombia produced the... disadvantages of the proposed Nicaragua route. Published separately by the New York Evening Post Printing House,1898. 6 _____. “The New Panama Canal...June 1903):321-26. Followed by a reply by George S. Morison, “The Advantages of Lake Bohio at the Higher Level,” pp. 326-28. Abbot favors a dual

Concepts, strategies and potentials using hypo-g and other features of the space environment for commercialization using higher plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krikorian, A. D.

1985-01-01

Opportunities for releasing, capturing, constructing and/or fixing the differential expressions or response potentials of the higher plant genome in the hypo-g environment for commercialization are explored. General strategies include improved plant-growing, crop and forestry production systems which conserve soil, water, labor and energy resources, and nutritional partitioning and mobilization of nutrients and synthates. Tissue and cell culture techniques of commercial potential include the growing and manipulation of cultured plant cells in vitro in a bioreactor to produce biologicals and secondary plants of economic value. The facilitation of plant breeding, the cloning of specific pathogen-free materials, the elimination of growing point or apex viruses, and the increase of plant yield are other O-g applications. The space environment may be advantageous in somatic embryogenesis, the culture of alkaloids, and the development of completely new crop plant germ plasm.

Realistic Specific Power Expectations for Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.

2006-01-01

Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) are being considered for a wide range of future NASA space science and exploration missions. Generally, RPS offer the advantages of high reliability, long life, and predictable power production regardless of operating environment. Previous RPS, in the form of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG), have been used successfully on many NASA missions including Apollo, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo. NASA is currently evaluating design options for the next generation of RPS. Of particular interest is the use of advanced, higher efficiency power conversion to replace the previous thermoelectric devices. Higher efficiency reduces the quantity of radioisotope fuel and potentially improves the RPS specific power (watts per kilogram). Power conversion options include Segmented Thermoelectric (STE), Stirling, Brayton, and Thermophotovoltaic (TPV). This paper offers an analysis of the advanced 100 watt-class RPS options and provides credible projections for specific power. Based on the analysis presented, RPS specific power values greater than 10 W/kg appear unlikely.

The Himalayan hydro machine and space transmission power systems - An Asian dream of 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Admoddie, M.

The advantages and disadvantages for the development of hydroelectric power are assessed for the Himalayan Rectangle, an area rising 1500 km north of a baseline between Karachi and Mandalay. This area has the potential for possessing one of the world's greatest power production capabilities. Among the disadvantages cited are the political instability and religious fundamentalism of the area, the bankrupt governments, environmental degradation, and inefficient power and irrigation systems. The advantages include the millions of talented and enterprising people in the region awaiting higher opportunities who are eager to improve their families' living standards and the large untapped hydropower resources. The concepts for hydropower development are discussed and go beyond the technologies of power and water. They include catchment ecodevelopment strategies with massive afforestation plans, setting up plans to strengthen village-level institutions to manage local natural biomass and water assets, the conversion of this regional hydropower potential into a subcontinental power system, and the exporting of power and the development of an interregional and international power grid by 2030, when both oil and local ecosystems would be dangerously depleted.

Piezoelectric technology in otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery: a review.

PubMed

Meller, C; Havas, T E

2017-07-01

Piezoelectric technology has existed for many years as a surgical tool for precise removal of soft tissue and bone. The existing literature regarding its use specifically for otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery was reviewed. The databases Medline, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, Embase and Cambridge Scientific Abstracts were searched. Studies were selected and reviewed based on relevance. Sixty studies were identified and examined for evidence of benefits and disadvantages of piezoelectric surgery and its application in otolaryngology. The technique was compared with traditional surgical methods, in terms of intra-operative bleeding, histology, learning curve, operative time and post-operative pain. Piezoelectric technology has been successfully employed, particularly in otology and skull base surgery, where its specific advantages versus traditional drills include a lack of 'blunting' and tissue selectivity. Technical advantages include ease of use, a short learning curve and improved visibility. Its higher cost warrants consideration given that clinically significant improvements in operative time and morbidity have not yet been proven. Further studies may define the evolving role of piezoelectric surgery in otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery.

Prediction of Bayley and Stanford-Binet scores with a group of very low birthweight children.

PubMed

Dezoete, J A; MacArthur, B A; Tuck, B

2003-09-01

To study the prediction of cognitive development with a group of very low birthweight infants (<1500 g) at 18 months and at 4 years of age. Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II Mental Development Indexes (MDI), and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (S-B) Composite Scores were studied in a population of 334 children with birthweights <1500 g. Independent variables measured were gestational age, birthweight, gender and parental socio-economic status (SES). Longer gestation (28 weeks and over) and higher birthweight (1000-1500 g) proved to be advantageous for cognitive ability at both 18 months and 4 years. Other significant advantages were associated with female and higher SES. High correlations were found between MDI and the S-B Composite Score (r = 0.62), and between birthweight and gestation (r = 0.72). When information available at birth was included in forward stepwise regression analyses to predict the S-B Composite at 4 years, the best predictors were MDI at 18 months and SES. With the measures employed and this population, prediction of cognitive development from early childhood to preschool was possible. This may enable reliable identification of those children at risk for delayed cognitive development who require intervention before starting school.

Two-wave photon Doppler velocimetry measurements in direct impact Hopkinson pressure bar experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lea, Lewis J.; Jardine, Andrew P.

2015-09-01

Direct impact Hopkinson pressure bar systems offer many potential advantages over split Hopkinson pressure bars, including access to higher strain rates, higher strains for equivalent striker velocity and system length, lower dispersion and faster achievement of force equilibrium. Currently advantages are gained at a significant cost: the fact that input bar data is unavailable removes all information about the striker impacted specimen face, preventing the determination of force equilibrium, and requiring approximations to be made on the sample deformation history. Recently photon Doppler velocimetry methods have been developed, which can replace strain gauges on Hopkinson bars. In this paper we discuss an experimental method and complementary data analysis for using Doppler velocimetry to measure surface velocities of the striker and output bars in a direct impact bar experiment, allowing similar data to be recorded as in a split bar system, with the same level of convenience. We discuss extracting velocity and force measurements, and improving the accuracy and convenience of Doppler velocimetry on Hopkinson bars. Results obtained using the technique are compared to equivalent split bar tests, showing improved stress measurements for the lowest and highest strains.

LOX/LH2 propulsion system for launch vehicle upper stage, test results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ikeda, T.; Imachi, U.; Yuzawa, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Miyoshi, K.; Higashino, K.

1984-01-01

The test results of small LOX/LH2 engines for two propulsion systems, a pump fed system and a pressure fed system are reported. The pump fed system has the advantages of higher performances and higher mass fraction. The pressure fed system has the advantages of higher reliability and relative simplicity. Adoption of these cryogenic propulsion systems for upper stage of launch vehicle increases the payload capability with low cost. The 1,000 kg thrust class engine was selected for this cryogenic stage. A thrust chamber assembly for the pressure fed propulsion system was tested. It is indicated that it has good performance to meet system requirements.

Potential clinical impact of laser-accelerated beams in cancer ion therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obcemea, Ceferino

2016-09-01

In this article, I present three advantages of plasma-accelerated ion beams for cancer therapy. I discuss how: 1. low-emittance and well-collimated beams are advantageous in proximal normal tissue-sparing; 2. highly-peaked quasi-monoenergetic beams are ideal for fast energy selection and switching in Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) as a treatment delivery; 3. high fluence and ultra-short pulse delivery produce collective excitations in the medium and enhance the stopping power. This in turn produces denser ionization track signatures (spurs, blobs, etc.) in target tumors, higher linear energy transfer, higher Bragg peak, and higher radiobiological effectiveness at the micro-level.

Energy Advantages for Green Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, J. Tim

2012-01-01

Because of many advantages associated with central utility systems, school campuses, from large universities to elementary schools, have used district energy for decades. District energy facilities enable thermal and electric utilities to be generated with greater efficiency and higher system reliability, while requiring fewer maintenance and…

Advantages of robotics in benign gynecologic surgery.

PubMed

Truong, Mireille; Kim, Jin Hee; Scheib, Stacey; Patzkowsky, Kristin

2016-08-01

The purpose of this article is to review the literature and discuss the advantages of robotics in benign gynecologic surgery. Minimally invasive surgery has become the preferred route over abdominal surgery. The laparoscopic or robotic approach is recommended when vaginal surgery is not feasible. Thus far, robotic gynecologic surgery data have demonstrated feasibility, safety, and equivalent clinical outcomes in comparison with laparoscopy and better clinical outcomes compared with laparotomy. Robotics was developed to overcome challenges of laparoscopy and has led to technological advantages such as improved ergonomics, visualization with three-dimensional capabilities, dexterity and range of motion with instrument articulation, and tremor filtration. To date, applications of robotics in benign gynecology include hysterectomy, myomectomy, endometriosis surgery, sacrocolpopexy, adnexal surgery, tubal reanastomosis, and cerclage. Though further data are needed, robotics may provide additional benefits over other approaches in the obese patient population and in higher complexity cases. Challenges that arose in the earlier adoption stage such as the steep learning curve, costs, and operative times are becoming more optimized with greater experience, with implementation of robotics in high-volume centers and with improved training of surgeons and robotic teams. Robotic laparoendoscopic single-site surgery, albeit still in its infancy where technical advantages compared with laparoscopic single-site surgery are still unclear, may provide a cost-reducing option compared with multiport robotics. The cost may even approach that of laparoscopy while still conferring similar perioperative outcomes. Advances in robotic technology such as the single-site platform and telesurgery, have the potential to revolutionize the field of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. Higher quality evidence is needed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of robotic surgery in benign gynecologic surgery. Conclusions on the benefits and risks of robotic surgery should be made with caution given limited data, especially when compared with other routes. Route of surgery selection should take into consideration the surgeons' skill and comfort level that allows for the highest level of safety and efficiency. Ultimately, the robotic device is an additional minimally invasive surgical tool that can further the goal of minimizing laparotomy in gynecology.

Thermal energy storage. [by means of chemical reactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grodzka, P. G.

1975-01-01

The principles involved in thermal energy storage by sensible heat, chemical potential energy, and latent heat of fusion are examined for the purpose of evolving selection criteria for material candidates in the low ( 0 C) and high ( 100 C) temperature ranges. The examination identifies some unresolved theoretical considerations and permits a preliminary formulation of an energy storage theory. A number of candidates in the low and high temperature ranges are presented along with a rating of candidates or potential candidates. A few interesting candidates in the 0 to 100 C region are also included. It is concluded that storage by means of reactions whose reversibility can be controlled either by product removal or by catalytic means appear to offer appreciable advantages over storage with reactions whose reversability cannot be controlled. Among such advantages are listed higher heat storage capacities and more favorable options regarding temperatures of collection, storage, and delivery. Among the disadvantages are lower storage efficiencies.

Performance indicators analysis at Brazilian and Italian women's volleyball leagues according to game location, game outcome, and set number.

PubMed

Campos, Fabio A D; Stanganélli, Luiz C R; Campos, Leandra C B; Pasquarelli, Bruno N; Gómez, Miguel-Angel

2014-04-01

This study was done to investigate the advantage of playing at home in elite women's volleyball leagues and the influence of performance indicators in the game score according to set number. The sample consisted of 240 games of the Brazilian Volleyball League (n = 132 games) and the Italian Volleyball League (n = 108 games) from the 2011-2012 season. The relationship of performance indicators (including serve, attack, block, and opponents' errors) with the game outcome (win or lose) was assessed. The results showed that there was a home advantage effect in women's volleyball leagues, with a higher prevalence of victory for the home teams in Brazilian and Italian leagues (58 and 56%, respectively). When related to the performance indicators and among the aspects that were most highly correlated with victory, the attack was the technical indicator that explained most of the results of volleyball games.

Applications of maximally concentrating optics for solar energy collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Gallagher, J.; Winston, R.

1985-11-01

A new family of optical concentrators based on a general nonimaging design principle for maximizing the geometric concentration, C, for radiation within a given acceptance half angle ±θα has been developed. The maximum limit exceeds by factors of 2 to 10 that attainable by systems using focusing optics. The wide acceptance angles permitted using these techniques have several unique advantages for solar concentrators including the elimination of the diurnal tracking requirement at intermediate concentrations (up to ˜10x), collection of circumsolar and some diffuse radiation, and relaxed tolerances. Because of these advantages, these types of concentrators have applications in solar energy wherever concentration is desired, e.g. for a wide variety of both thermal and photovoltaic uses. The basic principles of nonimaging optical design are reviewed. Selected configurations for thermal collector applications are discussed and the use of nonimaging elements as secondary concentrators is illustrated in the context of higher concentration applications.

Family Background, School-Age Trajectories of Activity Participation, and Academic Achievement at the Start of High School.

PubMed

Crosnoe, Robert; Smith, Chelsea; Leventhal, Tama

2015-07-01

Applying latent class and regression techniques to data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( n = 997), this study explored the potential academic advantages of time spent in out-of-school activities. Of particular interest was how these potential advantages played out in relation to the timing and duration of activity participation and the family contexts in which it occurred. Participation closer to the start of high school-including consistent participants and latecomers-was associated with higher grades at the transition into high school, especially for youth from low-income families. Sensitivity analyses indicated that this link between school-age activity participation and adolescent academic progress was unlikely to be solely a function of selection. It also tended to be more pronounced among youth from lower-income families, although without varying by other aspects of family status or process.

Trait Values, Not Trait Plasticity, Best Explain Invasive Species' Performance in a Changing Environment

PubMed Central

Matzek, Virginia

2012-01-01

The question of why some introduced species become invasive and others do not is the central puzzle of invasion biology. Two of the principal explanations for this phenomenon concern functional traits: invasive species may have higher values of competitively advantageous traits than non-invasive species, or they may have greater phenotypic plasticity in traits that permits them to survive the colonization period and spread to a broad range of environments. Although there is a large body of evidence for superiority in particular traits among invasive plants, when compared to phylogenetically related non-invasive plants, it is less clear if invasive plants are more phenotypically plastic, and whether this plasticity confers a fitness advantage. In this study, I used a model group of 10 closely related Pinus species whose invader or non-invader status has been reliably characterized to test the relative contribution of high trait values and high trait plasticity to relative growth rate, a performance measure standing in as a proxy for fitness. When grown at higher nitrogen supply, invaders had a plastic RGR response, increasing their RGR to a much greater extent than non-invaders. However, invasive species did not exhibit significantly more phenotypic plasticity than non-invasive species for any of 17 functional traits, and trait plasticity indices were generally weakly correlated with RGR. Conversely, invasive species had higher values than non-invaders for 13 of the 17 traits, including higher leaf area ratio, photosynthetic capacity, photosynthetic nutrient-use efficiency, and nutrient uptake rates, and these traits were also strongly correlated with performance. I conclude that, in responding to higher N supply, superior trait values coupled with a moderate degree of trait variation explain invasive species' superior performance better than plasticity per se. PMID:23119098

76 FR 14691 - Delphi Steering, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Acro Service Corporation, Aerotek, Inc...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-17

... Health Care and Advantage Technical Resourcing, Saginaw, MI; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility... on-site leased workers from Advantage Technical Resourcing were employed on-site at the Saginaw... Department is amending this certification to include workers leased from Advantage Technical Resourcing...

Flow Chemistry for Designing Sustainable Chemical Synthesis (journal article)

EPA Science Inventory

An efficiently designed continuous flow chemical process can lead to significant advantages in developing a sustainable chemical synthesis or process. These advantages are the direct result of being able to impart a higher degree of control on several key reactor and reaction par...

Silicon Carbide MOSFET-Based Switching Power Amplifier for Precision Magnet Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Kenneth; Ziemba, Timothy; Prager, James; Picard, Julian

2016-10-01

Eagle Harbor Technologies, Inc. (EHT) is using the latest in solid-state switching technologies to advance the state-of-the-art in magnet control for fusion science. Silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs offer advantages over IGBTs including lower drive energy requirements, lower conduction and switching losses, and higher switching frequency capabilities. When comparing SiC and traditional silicon-based MOSFETs, SiC MOSFETs provide higher current carrying capability allowing for smaller package weights and sizes and lower operating temperature. To validate the design, EHT has developed a low-power switching power amplifier (SPA), which has been used for precision control of magnetic fields, including rapidly changing the fields in coils. This design has been incorporated in to a high power SPA, which has been bench tested. This high power SPA will be tested at the Helicity Injected Torus (HIT) at the University of Washington. Following successful testing, EHT will produce enough SiC MOSFET-based SPAs to replace all of the units at HIT, which allows for higher frequency operation and an overall increase in pulsed current levels.

Sex differences in cognition among illiterate Bangladeshis: a comparison with literate Bangladeshis and Swedes.

PubMed

Herlitz, Agneta; Kabir, Zarina N

2006-12-01

We investigated the presence and magnitude of sex differences in late adulthood, assessing 426 illiterate Bangladeshis, 239 literate Bangladeshis, and 598 Swedes. The cognitive domains examined included calculation, episodic memory, spatial visualization, and global cognitive ability. In general, men performed at a higher level than women on tasks assessing calculation and spatial visualization, whereas women performed at a higher level than men on the episodic memory task. Notably, the pattern of cognitive sex differences was similar irrespective of nationality and literacy, although the magnitude of the male advantage was inversely related to level of education. Finally, the low performance of the illiterate women demonstrated the penalizing effect restrictions in public exposure might have on cognitive performance.

Clinical Ion Beam Applications: Basic Properties, Application, Quality Control, Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Gerhard

2009-03-01

Heavy-ion therapy using beam scanning and biological dose optimization is a novel technique of high-precision external radiotherapy. It yields a better perspective for tumor cure of radio-resistant tumors. However, heavy-ion therapy is not a general solution for all types of tumors. As compared to conventional radiotherapy, heavy-ion radiotherapy has the advantages of higher tumor dose, improved sparing of normal tissue in the entrance channel, a more precise concentration of the dose in the target volume with steeper gradients to the normal tissue, and a higher radiobiological effectiveness for tumors which are radio-resistant in conventional therapy. These properties make it possible to treat radio-resistant tumors with great success, including those in close vicinity to critical organs.

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

Guo, Wei, E-mail: wguo2@ncsu.edu; Kirste, Ronny; Bryan, Zachary

Enhanced light extraction efficiency was demonstrated on nanostructure patterned GaN and AlGaN/AlN Multiple-Quantum-Well (MQW) structures using mass production techniques including natural lithography and interference lithography with feature size as small as 100 nm. Periodic nanostructures showed higher light extraction efficiency and modified emission profile compared to non-periodic structures based on integral reflection and angular-resolved transmission measurement. Light extraction mechanism of macroscopic and microscopic nanopatterning is discussed, and the advantage of using periodic nanostructure patterning is provided. An enhanced photoluminescence emission intensity was observed on nanostructure patterned AlGaN/AlN MQW compared to as-grown structure, demonstrating a large-scale and mass-producible pathway to higher lightmore » extraction efficiency in deep-ultra-violet light-emitting diodes.« less

Comparison of costs for three hypothetical alternative kitchen waste management systems.

PubMed

Schiettecatte, Wim; Tize, Ronald; De Wever, Heleen

2014-11-01

Urban water and waste management continues to be a major challenge, with the Earth's population projected to rise to 9 billion by 2050, with 70% of this population expected to live in cities. A combined treatment of wastewater and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste offers opportunities for improved environmental protection and energy recovery, but the collection and transport of organic wastes must be cost effective. This study compares three alternative kitchen waste collection and transportation systems for a virtual modern urban area with 300,000 residents and a population density of 10,000 persons per square kilometre. Door-to-door collection, being the standard practice in modern urban centres, remains the most economically advantageous at a cost of 263 euros per tonne of kitchen waste. Important drawbacks are the difficult logistics, increased city traffic, air and noise pollution. The quieter, cleaner and more hygienic vacuum transport of kitchen waste comes with a higher cost of 367 euros per tonne, mainly resulting from a higher initial investment cost for the system installation. The third option includes the well-known use of under-sink food waste disposers (often called garbage grinders) that are connected to the kitchen's wastewater piping system, with a total yearly cost of 392 euros per tonne. Important advantages with this system are the clean operation and the current availability of a city-wide sewage conveyance pipeline system. Further research is recommended, for instance the application of a life cycle assessment approach, to more fully compare the advantages and disadvantages of each option. © The Author(s) 2014.

Development status of a sealed bipolar lead/acid battery for high-power battery applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, J. L.; Rowlette, J. J.; Drake, E. D.

A sealed bipolar lead/acid (SBLA) battery is being developed by Arias Research Associates (ARA) which will offer a number of important advantages in applications requiring high power densities. These applications include electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles, uninterruptable power supplies (UPS), electrically-heated catalysts (EHCs) for automobiles, utility-power peak-shaving, and others. The advantages of the SBLA over other types of batteries will by significantly higher power density, together with good energy density, high cycle life, high voltage density, low production cost and zero maintenance. In addition, the lead/acid battery represents a technology which is familiar and accepted by Society, is recyclable within the existing infrastructure, and does not raise the safety concerns of many other new batteries (e.g., fire, explosion and toxic gases). This paper briefly reviews the basic design concepts and issues of the SBLA battery technology, various quasi-bipolar approaches and the results of ARA's development work during the past four years. Performance data are given based on both in-house and independent testing of ARA laboratory test batteries. In addition, performance projections and other characteristics are given for three ARA SBLA battery designs, which are compared with other batteries in three example applications: UPS, EHCs, and EVs. The most notable advantages of the SBLA battery are substantial reductions in product size and weight for the UPS, smaller packaging and longer life for the EHC, and higher vehicle performance and lower cost for the EV, compared to both existing and advanced EV batteries.

[Effects of neighbor competition on growth, fine root morphology and distribution of Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata in different nutrient environments].

PubMed

Yao, Jia Bao; Chu, Xiu Li; Zhou, Zhi Chun; Tong, Jian She; Wang, Hui; Yu, Jia Zhong

2017-05-18

Taking Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata as test materials, a pot experiment was conducted to simulate the heterogeneous and homogeneous forest soil nutrient environments, and design three planting modes including single plant, two-strain pure plant and two-strain mixed ones to reason the promotion in mixed S. superba and C. lanceolata plantation and the competitive advantage of S. superba. Results showed that compared with the homogeneous nutrient environment, both S. superba and C. lanceolata had the higher seedling height and dry matter accumulation, when mixed in the heterogeneous nutrient environment, S. superba displayed the obviously competitive advantage, which related to its root plasticity. The fine root of S. superba mixed in each diameter class showed a lot of hyperplasia, and the root total length, surface area and volume of which were 80%-180% higher than that of C. lanceolata. S. superba took the advantage of the compensatory growth strategy of vertical direction in fine roots, namely, they still multiplied to gain greater competitive advantage in low nutrient patches, besides occupying eutrophic surface. The different soil colonization and niche differentiation in fine root of S. superba and C. lanceolata alleviated the strong competition for nutrients of the roots of the two species, and improved the mixed-plantation production. Pure plantation of S. superba harvested the lower yield, which due to the root self-recognition inhibited the growth of root system. Fine roots staggered and evenly distributed on the space might be a reason for stable structure of pure S. superba plantation. So, it was recommended that block surface layer soil preparation and fertilization are used to improve the soil nutrient distribution, and the mixed plantation is constructed to promote the growth of S. superba and C. lanceolata, at the same time, the stand density is regulated to promote tree growth for the pure artificial S. superba plantation which had already been built.

Advancing Knowledge in Higher Education: Universities in Turbulent Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzgerald, Tanya, Ed.

2014-01-01

Over the last three decades, higher education institutions have experienced massive changes. In particular, institutions of higher education have been positioned as a means to contribute to the knowledge economy and gain a level of competitive advantage in the global marketplace. "Advancing Knowledge in Higher Education: Universities in…

Maternal Behavior by Birth Order in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Increased Investment by First-Time Mothers.

PubMed

Stanton, Margaret A; Lonsdorf, Elizabeth V; Pusey, Anne E; Goodall, Jane; Murray, Carson M

2014-08-01

Parental investment theory predicts that maternal resources are finite and allocated among offspring based on factors including maternal age and condition, and offspring sex and parity. Among humans, firstborn children are often considered to have an advantage and receive greater investment than their younger siblings. However, conflicting evidence for this "firstborn advantage" between modern and hunter-gatherer societies raises questions about the evolutionary history of differential parental investment and birth order. In contrast to humans, most non-human primate firstborns belong to young, inexperienced mothers and exhibit higher mortality than laterborns. In this study, we investigated differences in maternal investment and offspring outcomes based on birth order (firstborn vs. later-born) among wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodyte schweinfurthii ). During the critical first year of life, primiparous mothers nursed, groomed, and played with their infants more than did multiparous mothers. Furthermore, this pattern of increased investment in firstborns appeared to be compensatory, as probability of survival did not differ by birth order. Our study did not find evidence for a firstborn advantage as observed in modern humans but does suggest that unlike many other primates, differences in maternal behavior help afford chimpanzee first-borns an equal chance of survival.

Covered self-expandable metal stents for benign biliary tract diseases.

PubMed

Baron, Todd H

2011-05-01

Benign biliary diseases are often managed endoscopically using plastic stents. Benign biliary strictures (BBS) respond to placement of multiple large-bore plastic stents, though requiring multiple procedures to place stents, and to exchange stents to prevent and/or treat stent occlusion. Bile leaks close using plastic stents, which divert bile away from the leak into the duodenum. Covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMS), intended for palliation of malignant biliary obstruction, have been used to treat benign biliary diseases. Advantages include small predeployment and large postexpansion diameters. Lack of imbedding of the metal into the bile duct wall enables removability. For strictures, one CSEMS is inserted without need for dilation and remains in place for up to 6 months. Successful removal has been reported in all cases. Long-term stricture resolution is achieved in up to 92%. Adverse events include migration and new stricture formation. For treatment of complex bile leaks, the covering and large diameter allow successful closure in nearly all cases. Other uses of CSEMS include treatment of postsphincterotomy bleeding and closure of perforations. CSEMS show promise for treatment of BBS and complex biliary leaks. Successful resolution can be achieved in the majority of patients with the advantage of fewer procedures, which offsets their higher cost.

Bringing functions together with fusion enzymes--from nature's inventions to biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Elleuche, Skander

2015-02-01

It is a mammoth task to develop a modular protein toolbox enabling the production of posttranslational organized multifunctional enzymes that catalyze reactions in complex pathways. However, nature has always guided scientists to mimic evolutionary inventions in the laboratory and, nowadays, versatile methods have been established to experimentally connect enzymatic activities with multiple advantages. Among the oldest known natural examples is the linkage of two or more juxtaposed proteins catalyzing consecutive, non-consecutive, or opposing reactions by a native peptide bond. There are multiple reasons for the artificial construction of such fusion enzymes including improved catalytic activities, enabled substrate channelling by proximity of biocatalysts, higher stabilities, and cheaper production processes. To produce fused proteins, it is either possible to genetically fuse coding open reading frames or to connect proteins in a posttranslational process. Molecular biology techniques that have been established for the production of end-to-end or insertional fusions include overlap extension polymerase chain reaction, cloning, and recombination approaches. Depending on their flexibility and applicability, these methods offer various advantages to produce fusion genes in high throughput, different orientations, and including linker sequences to maximize the flexibility and performance of fusion partners. In this review, practical techniques to fuse genes are highlighted, enzymatic parameters to choose adequate enzymes for fusion approaches are summarized, and examples with biotechnological relevance are presented including a focus on plant biomass-degrading glycosyl hydrolases.

Applications of Continuous-Flow Photochemistry in Organic Synthesis, Material Science, and Water Treatment.

PubMed

Cambié, Dario; Bottecchia, Cecilia; Straathof, Natan J W; Hessel, Volker; Noël, Timothy

2016-09-14

Continuous-flow photochemistry in microreactors receives a lot of attention from researchers in academia and industry as this technology provides reduced reaction times, higher selectivities, straightforward scalability, and the possibility to safely use hazardous intermediates and gaseous reactants. In this review, an up-to-date overview is given of photochemical transformations in continuous-flow reactors, including applications in organic synthesis, material science, and water treatment. In addition, the advantages of continuous-flow photochemistry are pointed out and a thorough comparison with batch processing is presented.

Remotely Operating a Fourier Transform Spectrometer for Atmospheric Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blavier, J.-F.; Toon, G. C.; Sen, B.

2000-01-01

This paper describes how the MkIV instrument was adapted for remote operation from the Barcroft site, where the harsh winter conditions make access difficult. Some of the main technical challenges will be discussed including, (i) operation from solar panels and batteries, (ii) cooling the detectors with LN2, (iii) instrument control and monitoring over a cellular phone, and (iv) data storage, processing and analysis. Finally, MkIV spectra measured from Barcroft and compared with those measured from JPL to highlight the advantages of the higher altitude site.

Quantum-optical coherence tomography with classical light.

PubMed

Lavoie, J; Kaltenbaek, R; Resch, K J

2009-03-02

Quantum-optical coherence tomography (Q-OCT) is an interferometric technique for axial imaging offering several advantages over conventional methods. Chirped-pulse interferometry (CPI) was recently demonstrated to exhibit all of the benefits of the quantum interferometer upon which Q-OCT is based. Here we use CPI to measure axial interferograms to profile a sample accruing the important benefits of Q-OCT, including automatic dispersion cancellation, but with 10 million times higher signal. Our technique solves the artifact problem in Q-OCT and highlights the power of classical correlation in optical imaging.

Strategic Mergers of Strong Institutions to Enhance Competitive Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harman, Grant; Harman, Kay

2008-01-01

Strategic mergers are formal combinations or amalgamations of higher education institutions with the aim of enhancing competitive advantage, or merging for "mutual growth". Recently, in a number of countries, there has been a decided shift from mergers initiated by governments, and dealing mainly with "problem" cases, towards…

The Online Crit: The Community of Inquiry Meets Design Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barber, Tene C.

2011-01-01

Asynchronous discussion technologies offer the advantage of providing time for reflection essential for higher order cognitive thinking. In the context of a ten-week graphic design foundations course in the Digital Graphic Design program at Vancouver Community College, this advantage provides an avenue for advancing critical discussion of design…

Electron-phonon coupling from finite differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monserrat, Bartomeu

2018-02-01

The interaction between electrons and phonons underlies multiple phenomena in physics, chemistry, and materials science. Examples include superconductivity, electronic transport, and the temperature dependence of optical spectra. A first-principles description of electron-phonon coupling enables the study of the above phenomena with accuracy and material specificity, which can be used to understand experiments and to predict novel effects and functionality. In this topical review, we describe the first-principles calculation of electron-phonon coupling from finite differences. The finite differences approach provides several advantages compared to alternative methods, in particular (i) any underlying electronic structure method can be used, and (ii) terms beyond the lowest order in the electron-phonon interaction can be readily incorporated. But these advantages are associated with a large computational cost that has until recently prevented the widespread adoption of this method. We describe some recent advances, including nondiagonal supercells and thermal lines, that resolve these difficulties, and make the calculation of electron-phonon coupling from finite differences a powerful tool. We review multiple applications of the calculation of electron-phonon coupling from finite differences, including the temperature dependence of optical spectra, superconductivity, charge transport, and the role of defects in semiconductors. These examples illustrate the advantages of finite differences, with cases where semilocal density functional theory is not appropriate for the calculation of electron-phonon coupling and many-body methods such as the GW approximation are required, as well as examples in which higher-order terms in the electron-phonon interaction are essential for an accurate description of the relevant phenomena. We expect that the finite difference approach will play a central role in future studies of the electron-phonon interaction.

Just Imaginary: Delimiting Social Inclusion in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Trevor; Hodge, Steven

2014-01-01

This paper explores the notion of a "just imaginary" for social inclusion in higher education. It responds to the current strategy of OECD nations to expand higher education and increase graduate numbers, as a way of securing a competitive advantage in the global knowledge economy. The Australian higher education system provides the case…

Near-term lander experiments for growing plants on Mars: requirements for information on chemical and physical properties of Mars regolith.

PubMed

Schuerger, Andrew C; Ming, Douglas W; Newsom, Horton E; Ferl, Robert J; McKay, Christopher P

2002-01-01

In order to support humans for long-duration missions to Mars, bioregenerative Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems have been proposed that would use higher plants as the primary candidates for photosynthesis. Hydroponic technologies have been suggested as the primary method of plant production in ALS systems, but the use of Mars regolith as a plant growth medium may have several advantages over hydroponic systems. The advantages for using Mars regolith include the likely bioavailability of plant-essential ions, mechanical support for plants, and easy access of the material once on the surface. We propose that plant biology experiments must be included in near-term Mars lander missions in order to begin defining the optimum approach for growing plants on Mars. Second, we discuss a range of soil chemistry and soil physics tests that must be conducted prior to, or in concert with, a plant biology experiment in order to properly interpret the results of plant growth studies in Mars regolith. The recommended chemical tests include measurements on soil pH, electrical conductivity and soluble salts, redox potential, bioavailability of essential plant nutrients, and bioavailability of phytotoxic elements. In addition, a future plant growth experiment should include procedures for determining the buffering and leaching requirements of Mars regolith prior to planting. Soil physical tests useful for plant biology studies in Mars regolith include bulk density, particle size distribution, porosity, water retention, and hydraulic conductivity.

Near-term lander experiments for growing plants on Mars: requirements for information on chemical and physical properties of Mars regolith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuerger, Andrew C.; Ming, Douglas W.; Newsom, Horton E.; Ferl, Robert J.; McKay, Christopher P.

2002-01-01

In order to support humans for long-duration missions to Mars, bioregenerative Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems have been proposed that would use higher plants as the primary candidates for photosynthesis. Hydroponic technologies have been suggested as the primary method of plant production in ALS systems, but the use of Mars regolith as a plant growth medium may have several advantages over hydroponic systems. The advantages for using Mars regolith include the likely bioavailability of plant-essential ions, mechanical support for plants, and easy access of the material once on the surface. We propose that plant biology experiments must be included in near-term Mars lander missions in order to begin defining the optimum approach for growing plants on Mars. Second, we discuss a range of soil chemistry and soil physics tests that must be conducted prior to, or in concert with, a plant biology experiment in order to properly interpret the results of plant growth studies in Mars regolith. The recommended chemical tests include measurements on soil pH, electrical conductivity and soluble salts, redox potential, bioavailability of essential plant nutrients, and bioavailability of phytotoxic elements. In addition, a future plant growth experiment should include procedures for determining the buffering and leaching requirements of Mars regolith prior to planting. Soil physical tests useful for plant biology studies in Mars regolith include bulk density, particle size distribution, porosity, water retention, and hydraulic conductivity.

Advantage of resonant power conversion in aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, I. G.

1983-01-01

An ultrasonic, sinusoidal aerospace power distribution system is shown to have many advantages over other candidate power systems. These advantages include light weight, ease of fault clearing, versatility in handling many loads including motors, and the capability of production within the limits of present technology. References are cited that demonstrate the state of resonant converter technology and support these conclusions.

Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel: a novel Cremphor-EL-free formulation of paclitaxel.

PubMed

Stinchcombe, Thomas E

2007-08-01

Standard formulation paclitaxel requires the use of solvents, such as Cremphor-EL, which contribute to some of the toxicities commonly associated with paclitaxel-based therapy. Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) is a novel solvent-free formulation of paclitaxel. The formulation is prepared by high-pressure homogenization of paclitaxel in the presence of serum albumin into a nanoparticle colloidal suspension. The human albumin-stabilized paclitaxel particles have an average size of 130 nm. Nab-paclitaxel has several practical advantages over Cremphor-EL-paclitaxel, including a shorter infusion time (30 min) and no need for premedications for hypersensitivity reactions. The nab-paclitaxel formulation eliminates the impact of Cremphor-EL on paclitaxel pharmacokinetics and utilizes the endogenous albumin transport mechanisms to concentrate nab-paclitaxel within the tumor. A recent Phase III trial compared nab- and Cremphor-EL-paclitaxel in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Patients treated with nab-paclitaxel experienced a higher response, longer time to tumor progression and, in patients receiving second-line or greater therapy, a longer median survival. Patients treated with nab-paclitaxel had a significantly lower rate of severe neutropenia and a higher rate of sensory neuropathy. The preclinical and clinical data indicate that the nab-paclitaxel formulation has significant advantages over Cremphor-EL-paclitaxel.

Advantages of computer cameras over video cameras/frame grabbers for high-speed vision applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, Gaylord G.; Walker, Jo N.

1997-09-01

Cameras designed to work specifically with computers can have certain advantages in comparison to the use of cameras loosely defined as 'video' cameras. In recent years the camera type distinctions have become somewhat blurred, with a great presence of 'digital cameras' aimed more at the home markets. This latter category is not considered here. The term 'computer camera' herein is intended to mean one which has low level computer (and software) control of the CCD clocking. These can often be used to satisfy some of the more demanding machine vision tasks, and in some cases with a higher rate of measurements than video cameras. Several of these specific applications are described here, including some which use recently designed CCDs which offer good combinations of parameters such as noise, speed, and resolution. Among the considerations for the choice of camera type in any given application would be such effects as 'pixel jitter,' and 'anti-aliasing.' Some of these effects may only be relevant if there is a mismatch between the number of pixels per line in the camera CCD and the number of analog to digital (A/D) sampling points along a video scan line. For the computer camera case these numbers are guaranteed to match, which alleviates some measurement inaccuracies and leads to higher effective resolution.

Tower Based Load Measurements for Individual Pitch Control and Tower Damping of Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A. A.; Hugues-Salas, O.; Savini, B.; Keogh, W.

2016-09-01

The cost of IPC has hindered adoption outside of Europe despite significant loading advantages for large wind turbines. In this work we presented a method for applying individual pitch control (including for higher-harmonics) using tower-top strain gauge feedback instead of blade-root strain gauge feedback. Tower-top strain gauges offer hardware savings of approximately 50% in addition to the possibility of easier access for maintenance and installation and requiring a less specialised skill-set than that required for applying strain gauges to composite blade roots. A further advantage is the possibility of using the same tower-top sensor array for tower damping control. This method is made possible by including a second order IPC loop in addition to the tower damping loop to reduce the typically dominating 3P content in tower-top load measurements. High-fidelity Bladed simulations show that the resulting turbine spectral characteristics from tower-top feedback IPC and from the combination of tower-top IPC and damping loops largely match those of blade-root feedback IPC and nacelle- velocity feedback damping. Lifetime weighted fatigue analysis shows that the methods allows load reductions within 2.5% of traditional methods.

Perinatal Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Underweight before Pregnancy: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

Trojner Bregar, Andreja; Blickstein, Isaac; Bržan Šimenc, Gabrijela; Janša, Vid; Verdenik, Ivan; Lučovnik, Miha; Tul, Nataša

2017-01-01

To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of being underweight before pregnancy. Cohort study of a large population-based dataset of singleton births was used to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes of pre-gravid underweight body mass index (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) women with pre-gravid normal weight controls (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). A total of 10,995 pre-gravid underweight and 146,155 pre-gravid normal weight mothers were compared. The mean maternal age and gestational age were not different but lean mothers were significantly and more frequently primiparous, had a higher incidence of births at <36 and <32 weeks' gestation, and had a significantly higher incidence of low and very low birth weight infants. Lean mothers had a significantly lower incidence of birth weights >4,000 g, less cesarean births and a lower incidence of gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders. A tradeoff exists between the advantages of being lean before pregnancy in terms of less maternal morbidity in return for gaining a more advanced gestational age and higher birth weight. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Universities and the Mobilization of Claims of Excellence for Competitive Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wangenge-Ouma, Gerald; Langa, Patricio V.

2010-01-01

This study discusses the phenomenon of making claims of excellence by universities, which we interpret as a response, inter alia, to the hitherto unfamiliar context of scarce and diminishing resources. The main objective is to understand how claims of excellence are mobilised by higher education institutions to achieve "competitive advantage". The…

Parental Educational Attainment and Sense of Control in Mid-and Late-Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Michael M.

2013-01-01

Sense of control is greater among children who grow up in households of higher socioeconomic status. It is unclear if this childhood advantage persists throughout life or if schooling and adulthood experiences override any early childhood advantage. Using data from 2 nationally representative samples of primarily middle-aged (National Survey of…

Do Increased Levels of Parental Involvement Account for Social Class Differences in Track Placement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Sean

This paper attempts to determine whether increased levels of involvement among socially advantaged parents accounts for children's track placements. Research has shown that students of higher social classes have a greater advantage in attaining placement in elite math sequences. Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey (1988) was…

Ear Advantage for Musical Location and Relative Pitch: Effects of Musical Training and Attention.

PubMed

Hutchison, Joanna L; Hubbard, Timothy L; Hubbard, Nicholas A; Rypma, Bart

2017-06-01

Trained musicians have been found to exhibit a right-ear advantage for high tones and a left-ear advantage for low tones. We investigated whether this right/high, left/low pattern of musical processing advantage exists in listeners who had varying levels of musical experience, and whether such a pattern might be modulated by attentional strategy. A dichotic listening paradigm was used in which different melodic sequences were presented to each ear, and listeners attended to (a) the left ear or the right ear or (b) the higher pitched tones or the lower pitched tones. Listeners judged whether tone-to-tone transitions within each melodic sequence moved upward or downward in pitch. Only musically experienced listeners could adequately judge the direction of successive pitch transitions when attending to a specific ear; however, all listeners could judge the direction of successive pitch transitions within a high-tone stream or a low-tone stream. Overall, listeners exhibited greater accuracy when attending to relatively higher pitches, but there was no evidence to support a right/high, left/low bias. Results were consistent with effects of attentional strategy rather than an ear advantage for high or low tones. Implications for a potential performer/audience paradox in listening space are considered.

Health smart cards: differing perceptions of emergency department patients and staff.

PubMed

Mohd Rosli, Reizal; Taylor, David McD; Knott, Jonathan C; Das, Atandrila; Dent, Andrew W

2009-02-01

An analytical, cross-sectional survey of 270 emergency department patients and 92 staff undertaken in three tertiary referral hospital emergency departments was completed to compare the perceptions of patients and staff regarding the use of health smart cards containing patient medical records. The study recorded data on a range of health smart card issues including awareness, privacy, confidentiality, security, advantages and disadvantages, and willingness to use. A significantly higher proportion of staff had heard of the card. The perceived disadvantages reported by patients and staff were, overall, significantly different, with the staff reporting more disadvantages. A significantly higher proportion of patients believed that they should choose what information is on the card and who should have access to the information. Patients were more conservative regarding what information should be included, but staff were more conservative regarding who should have access to the information. Significantly fewer staff believed that patients could reliably handle the cards. Overall, however, the cards were considered acceptable and useful, and their introduction would be supported.

Exploiting current-generation graphics hardware for synthetic-scene generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Michael A.; Keen, Wayne A.

2010-04-01

Increasing seeker frame rate and pixel count, as well as the demand for higher levels of scene fidelity, have driven scene generation software for hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) and software-in-the-loop (SWIL) testing to higher levels of parallelization. Because modern PC graphics cards provide multiple computational cores (240 shader cores for a current NVIDIA Corporation GeForce and Quadro cards), implementation of phenomenology codes on graphics processing units (GPUs) offers significant potential for simultaneous enhancement of simulation frame rate and fidelity. To take advantage of this potential requires algorithm implementation that is structured to minimize data transfers between the central processing unit (CPU) and the GPU. In this paper, preliminary methodologies developed at the Kinetic Hardware In-The-Loop Simulator (KHILS) will be presented. Included in this paper will be various language tradeoffs between conventional shader programming, Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) and Open Computing Language (OpenCL), including performance trades and possible pathways for future tool development.

Phase dependent fracture and damage evolution of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

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

Brown, E. N.; Rae, P.; Orler, E. B.

2004-01-01

Compared with other polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) presents several advantages for load-bearing structural components including higher strength at elevated temperatures and higher toughness at lowered temperatures. Failure sensitive applications of PTFE include surgical implants, aerospace components, and chemical barriers. Polytetrafluoroethylene is semicrystalline in nature with their linear chains forming complicated phases near room temperature and ambient pressure. The presence of three unique phases near room temperature implies that failure during standard operating conditions may be strongly dependent on the phase. This paper presents a comprehensive and systematic study of fracture and damage evolution in PTFE to elicit the effects of temperature-inducedmore » phase on fracture mechanisms. The fracture behavior of PTFE is observed to undergo transitions from brittle-fracture below 19 C to ductile-fracture with crazing and some stable crack growth to plastic flow aver 30 C. The bulk failure properties are correlated to failure mechanisms through fractography and analysis of the crystalline structure.« less

Graphene-Based Materials for Lithium-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Ma, Yanfeng; Chang, Huicong; Zhang, Miao; Chen, Yongsheng

2015-09-23

Lithium-ion hybrid supercapacitors (LIHSs), also called Li-ion capacitors, have attracted much attention due to the combination of the rapid charge-discharge and long cycle life of supercapacitors and the high energy-storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Thus, LIHSs are expected to become the ultimate power source for hybrid and all-electric vehicles in the near future. As an electrode material, graphene has many advantages, including high surface area and porous structure, high electric conductivity, and high chemical and thermal stability, etc. Compared with other electrode materials, such as activated carbon, graphite, and metal oxides, graphene-based materials with 3D open frameworks show higher effective specific surface area, better control of channels, and higher conductivity, which make them better candidates for LIHS applications. Here, the latest advances in electrode materials for LIHSs are briefly summarized, with an emphasis on graphene-based electrode materials (including 3D graphene networks) for LIHS applications. An outlook is also presented to highlight some future directions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Responses of soil microbial carbolic metabolism characteristics to home-field advantage of leaf litter decomposition in Liaoheyuan Nature Reserve of northern Hebei Province, China].

PubMed

Li, Tian-yu; Kang, Feng-feng; Han, Hai-rong; Gao, Jing; Song, Xiao-shuai; Yu, Shu

2015-07-01

Using litter bag method, we studied the responses of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial respiration (MR) and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) in 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers to home-field advantage of Betula platyphlla and Quercus mongolica leaf litter decomposition in Liaoheyuan Nature Reserve, northern Hebei Province. The results showed that the contents of MBC in Betula platyphila and Quercus mongolica leaf litter treatments in home environment (Bh and Qh treatments) were significant higher than that in B. platyphlla and Q. mongolica leaf litter treatments in non-home environment (Ba and Qa treatments). There was no significant difference in MR between home and non-home environments. Response degree of MBC and MR to home-field advantage of different litter decomposition was inconsistent. The MBC of the different soil layers in Qa treatment fell by 39.6%, 34.9% and 33.5% compared to Qh treatment, respectively, and that in B. platyphlla treatment was decreased by 31.6%, 27.1% and 17.0%, respectively. MR of the different soil layers in Qa treatment accounted for 96.3%, 92.4% and 83.7% of Qh treatment, respectively, while MR in B. platyphila treatment was 99. 4%, 97. 3% and 101.3%, respectively. In contrast to MBC, qCO2 in soil showed a reverse pattern. Our study suggested that rich nutrients in soil enhanced microbial activity and weakened the conflict of nutrient uptake between plants and microorganisms, which led to the result that MBC and qCO2 had an obvious response to home-field advantage of litter decomposition, when litter decomposed in its home environment. There was a weak response between MR and home-field advantage of litter decomposition, because of influence of soil temperature, water content and their interaction. Furthermore, MBC, MR and qCO2 had a higher response degree to home-field advantage of Q. mongolica litter than B. platyphila litter, since lower quality litter exhibited higher home-field advantage of litter decomposition.

Selecting the Right Courseware for Your Online Learning Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Mara, Heather

2000-01-01

Presents criteria for selecting courseware for online classes. Highlights include ease of use, including navigation; assessment tools; advantages of Java-enabled courseware; advantages of Oracle databases, including scalability; future possibilities for multimedia technology; and open architecture that will integrate with other systems. (LRW)

Did Babe Ruth Have a Comparative Advantage as a Pitcher?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scahill, Edward M.

1990-01-01

Advocates using baseball statistics to illustrate the advantages of specialization in production. Using Babe Ruth's record as an analogy, suggests a methodology for determining a player's comparative advantage as a teaching illustration. Includes the team's statistical profile in five tables to explain comparative advantage and profit maximizing.…

Strategy Development in UK Higher Education: Towards Resource-Based Competitive Advantages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Richard; Baines, Paul

2004-01-01

Britain's higher education institutions (HEIs) face fundamental and unprecedented competitive pressures due to lower government funding (Cm 5735, "The Future of Higher Education," Department for Education and Skills, 2003) and a government agenda focused on a "widening participation agenda". We employ the resource-based view (RBV) of strategy…

Home advantage in southern hemisphere rugby union: national and international.

PubMed

Morton R, Hugh

2006-05-01

This study evaluates home advantages both for national (Super 12) and international (Tri-nations) rugby union teams from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, over the five-year period 2000 - 2004 using linear modelling. These home advantages are examined for statistical and practical significance, for variability between teams, for stability over time and for inter-correlation. These data reveal that the overall home advantage in elite rugby union has a mean of +6.7 points, and that this changes little from year to year. Closer scrutiny nevertheless reveals a high degree of variability. Different teams can and do have different home advantages, which ranges from a low of -0.7 to a high of +28.3 points in any one year. Furthermore, some team home advantages change up or down from one year to the next, by as much as -36.5 to +31.4 points at the extremes. There is no evidence that the stronger teams have the higher home advantages, or that a high home advantage leads to a superior finishing position in the competition.

Influence of weather, rank, and home advantage on football outcomes in the Gulf region.

PubMed

Brocherie, Franck; Girard, Olivier; Farooq, Abdulaziz; Millet, Grégoire P

2015-02-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of weather, rank, and home advantage on international football match results and scores in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Football matches (n = 2008) in six GCC countries were analyzed. To determine the weather influence on the likelihood of favorable outcome and goal difference, generalized linear model with a logit link function and multiple regression analysis were performed. In the GCC region, home teams tend to have greater likelihood of a favorable outcome (P < 0.001) and higher goal difference (P < 0.001). Temperature difference was identified as a significant explanatory variable when used independently (P < 0.001) or after adjustment for home advantage and team ranking (P < 0.001). The likelihood of favorable outcome for GCC teams increases by 3% for every 1-unit increase in temperature difference. After inclusion of interaction with opposition, this advantage remains significant only when playing against non-GCC opponents. While home advantage increased the odds of favorable outcome (P < 0.001) and goal difference (P < 0.001) after inclusion of interaction term, the likelihood of favorable outcome for a GCC team decreased (P < 0.001) when playing against a stronger opponent. Finally, the temperature and wet bulb globe temperature approximation were found as better indicators of the effect of environmental conditions than absolute and relative humidity or heat index on match outcomes. In GCC region, higher temperature increased the likelihood of a favorable outcome when playing against non-GCC teams. However, international ranking should be considered because an opponent with a higher rank reduced, but did not eliminate, the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Conditional health-related benefits of higher education: an assessment of compensatory versus accumulative mechanisms.

PubMed

Bauldry, Shawn

2014-06-01

A college degree is associated with a range of health-related benefits, but the effects of higher education are known to vary across different population subgroups. Competing theories have been proposed for whether people from more or less advantaged backgrounds or circumstances will gain greater health-related benefits from a college degree. This study draws on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and recently developed models for analyzing heterogeneous treatment effects to examine how the effect of obtaining a college degree on the self-rated health of young adults varies across the likelihood of obtaining a college degree, a summary measure of advantage/disadvantage. Results indicate that a college degree has a greater effect on self-rated health for people from advantaged backgrounds. This finding differs from two recent studies, and possible reasons for the contrasting findings are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students' Use of Extra-Curricular Activities for Positional Advantage in Competitive Job Markets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roulin, Nicolas; Bangerter, Adrian

2013-01-01

With the rise of mass higher education, competition between graduates in the labour market is increasing. Students are aware that their degree will not guarantee them a job and realise they should add value and distinction to their credentials to achieve a positional advantage. Participation in extra-curricular activities (ECAs) is one such…

A Roy Model of Social Interactions. NBER Working Paper No. 16880

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicala, Steve; Fryer, Roland G., Jr.; Spenkuch, Jorg L.

2011-01-01

We develop a Roy model of social interactions in which individuals sort into peer groups based on comparative advantage. Two key results emerge: First, when comparative advantage is the guiding principle of peer group organization, the effect of moving a student into an environment with higher-achieving peers depends on where in the ability…

Grids: The Top Ten Questions

DOE PAGES

Schopf, Jennifer M.; Nitzberg, Bill

2002-01-01

The design and implementation of a national computing system and data grid has become a reachable goal from both the computer science and computational science point of view. A distributed infrastructure capable of sophisticated computational functions can bring many benefits to scientific work, but poses many challenges, both technical and socio-political. Technical challenges include having basic software tools, higher-level services, functioning and pervasive security, and standards, while socio-political issues include building a user community, adding incentives for sites to be part of a user-centric environment, and educating funding sources about the needs of this community. This paper details the areasmore » relating to Grid research that we feel still need to be addressed to fully leverage the advantages of the Grid.« less

From Athletes to Astrophysicists: Gender Differences in Patterns and Predictors of Career Aspirations in Pre-Adolescence

PubMed Central

Perry, Brea L.; Morris, Edward W.; Link, Tanja C.; Leukefeld, Carl

2017-01-01

This paper adds to research on girls’ growing educational advantage by examining gender differences in career paths. Using baseline data from an intervention study (TRY-IT!) targeting 265 sixth-graders in Title I schools, our research traces adolescent career aspirations by gender, race and class. Additionally, we investigate whether girls and boys exhibit differential sensitivity to environmental risk and protective factors that shape career and educational aspirations. We find that the career choices of boys vary more widely by social context, including socioeconomic status, race, and academic resources. Specifically, among youth with fewer social and academic advantages, girls aspire to more practical careers and careers which require higher levels of educational attainment relative to boys. The findings reveal how sources of inequality such as race and class shape gendered aspirations and complicate gender inequality. We reason that boys’ choices are more volatile and socially contingent because of the emphasis on high-status careers as a signifier of masculinity. PMID:28540079

Small capacity, low cost (Ni-H2) design concept for commercial, military, and higher-volume aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, James R.; Cook, William D.; Smith, Ron

1991-01-01

Nickel Hydrogen (Ni/H2) batteries have become the technology of choice for both commercial and defense related satellites in geosynchronous orbits. Their use for low earth orbit (LEO) applications is not as advanced, but seems just as inevitable because of their inherent advantages over nickel cadmium batteries. These include superior energy density, longer cycle life, and better tolerance to over-charge and reversal. Ni/H2 cells have the added advantage in both construction and operation of not presenting the environmental possibility of cadmium pollution. Unfortunately, but necessarily, the design of these cells has been driven to high cost by the sophistication of the satellites and their uses. Now, using most of the same concepts but less costly materials and techniques, a low cost, small cell design was developed. Combined with the concept of the common pressure vessel, this new design promises to be ideal for the small-sat and commercial markets which, increasingly, are calling for large numbers of less expensive satellites.

The application of the high throughput sequencing technology in the transposable elements.

PubMed

Liu, Zhen; Xu, Jian-hong

2015-09-01

High throughput sequencing technology has dramatically improved the efficiency of DNA sequencing, and decreased the costs to a great extent. Meanwhile, this technology usually has advantages of better specificity, higher sensitivity and accuracy. Therefore, it has been applied to the research on genetic variations, transcriptomics and epigenomics. Recently, this technology has been widely employed in the studies of transposable elements and has achieved fruitful results. In this review, we summarize the application of high throughput sequencing technology in the fields of transposable elements, including the estimation of transposon content, preference of target sites and distribution, insertion polymorphism and population frequency, identification of rare copies, transposon horizontal transfers as well as transposon tagging. We also briefly introduce the major common sequencing strategies and algorithms, their advantages and disadvantages, and the corresponding solutions. Finally, we envision the developing trends of high throughput sequencing technology, especially the third generation sequencing technology, and its application in transposon studies in the future, hopefully providing a comprehensive understanding and reference for related scientific researchers.

A wireless trust model for healthcare.

PubMed

Wickramasinghe, Nilmini; Misra, Santosh K

2004-01-01

In today's context of escalating costs, managed care, regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and a technology savvy patient, the healthcare industry can no longer be complacent regarding embracing technologies to enable better, more effective and efficient practice management. In such an environment, many healthcare organisations are turning to m-commerce or wireless solutions. These solutions, in particular the mobile electronic patient record, have many advantages over their wired counterparts, including significant cost advantages, higher levels of physician acceptance, more functionalities as well as enabling easy accessibility to healthcare in remote geographic regions, however, they also bring with them challenges of their own. One such major challenge is security. To date, few models exist that help establish an appropriate framework, in the context of wireless in healthcare, in which to understand and evaluate all the security issues let alone facilitate the development of systematic and robust solutions. Our paper addresses this need by outlining an appropriate mobile trust model for such a scenario in healthcare organisations.

Modern affinity reagents: Recombinant antibodies and aptamers.

PubMed

Groff, Katherine; Brown, Jeffrey; Clippinger, Amy J

2015-12-01

Affinity reagents are essential tools in both basic and applied research; however, there is a growing concern about the reproducibility of animal-derived monoclonal antibodies. The need for higher quality affinity reagents has prompted the development of methods that provide scientific, economic, and time-saving advantages and do not require the use of animals. This review describes two types of affinity reagents, recombinant antibodies and aptamers, which are non-animal technologies that can replace the use of animal-derived monoclonal antibodies. Recombinant antibodies are protein-based reagents, while aptamers are nucleic-acid-based. In light of the scientific advantages of these technologies, this review also discusses ways to gain momentum in the use of modern affinity reagents, including an update to the 1999 National Academy of Sciences monoclonal antibody production report and federal incentives for recombinant antibody and aptamer efforts. In the long-term, these efforts have the potential to improve the overall quality and decrease the cost of scientific research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solid state recorders for airborne reconnaissance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klang, Mark R.

2003-08-01

Solid state recorders have become the recorder of choice for meeting airborne ruggedized requirements for reconnaissance and flight test. The cost of solid state recorders have decreased over the past few years that they are now less expense than the traditional high speed tape recorders. CALCULEX, Inc manufactures solid state recorders called MONSSTR (Modular Non-volatile Solid State Recorder). MONSSTR is being used on many different platforms such as F/A-22, Global Hawk, F-14, F-15, F-16, U-2, RF-4, and Tornado. This paper will discuss the advantages of using solid state recorders to meet the airborne reconnaissance requirement and the ability to record instrumentation data. The CALCULEX recorder has the ability to record sensor data and flight test data in the same chassis. This is an important feature because it eliminates additional boxes on the aircraft. The major advantages to using a solid state recorder include; reliability, small size, light weight, and power. Solid state recorders also have a larger storage capacity and higher bandwidth capability than other recording devices.

Young consumers' considerations of healthy working conditions in purchasing decisions: a qualitative examination.

PubMed

Dixon, Shane M; Nordvall, Anna-Carin; Cukier, Wendy; Neumann, W Patrick

2017-05-01

Research has suggested that products manufactured under healthy work conditions (HWC) may provide a marketing advantage to companies. This paper explores young consumers' considerations of HWC in purchasing decisions using data from qualitative interviews with a sample of 21 university students. The results suggest that interviewees frequently considered the working conditions of those who produced the products they purchased. Participants reported a willingness to pay 17.5% more on a $100 product if it were produced under HWC compared to not. Their ability and willingness to act on this issue was, however, hampered by  a lack of credible information about working conditions in production, the limited availability of HWC goods and a presumed higher price of HWC goods. While caution should be applied when generalising from this targetable market segment to a general population, these results provide actionable direction for companies interested in using a HWC brand image to gain a strategic sales advantage. Practitioner Summary: This interview study shows that young consumers are interested in, and willing to pay a premium for, goods made under healthy working conditions (HWC). Reported barriers to acting on this impulse include a lack of credible information on working conditions. Ergonomics can help provide a strategic marketing advantage for companies.

Accessible magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Kaufman, L; Arakawa, M; Hale, J; Rothschild, P; Carlson, J; Hake, K; Kramer, D; Lu, W; Van Heteren, J

1989-10-01

The cost of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is driven by magnetic field strength. Misperceptions as to the impact of field strength on performance have led to systems that are more expensive than they need to be. Careful analysis of all the factors that affect diagnostic quality lead to the conclusion that field strength per se is not a strong determinant of system performance. Freed from the constraints imposed by high-field operation, it is possible to exploit a varied set of opportunities afforded by low-field operation. In addition to lower costs and easier siting, we can take advantage of shortened T1 times, higher contrast, reduced sensitivity to motion, and reduced radiofrequency power deposition. These conceptual advantages can be made to coalesce onto practical imaging systems. We describe a low-cost MRI system that utilizes a permanent magnet of open design. Careful optimization of receiving antennas and acquisition sequences permit performance levels consistent with those needed for an effective diagnostic unit. Ancillary advantages include easy access to the patient, reduced claustrophobia, quiet and comfortable operation, and absence of a missile effect. The system can be sited in 350 sq ft and consumes a modest amount of electricity. MRI equipment of this kind can widen the population base than can access this powerful and beneficial diagnostic modality.

The Contribution of Higher Education to Employment and Training Programs: Patterns, Potential Benefits, and Constraints. Higher Education/CETA Project Monograph.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Marilyn L.

Advantages to employment and training agencies from linkages with higher education are reviewed as part of the American Council on Education's Higher Education/Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) Project, which was supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. The most significant benefits obtained by agencies…

Quantum solution to a class of two-party private summation problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Run-Hua; Zhang, Shun

2017-09-01

In this paper, we define a class of special two-party private summation (S2PPS) problems and present a common quantum solution to S2PPS problems. Compared to related classical solutions, our solution has advantages of higher security and lower communication complexity, and especially it can ensure the fairness of two parties without the help of a third party. Furthermore, we investigate the practical applications of our proposed S2PPS protocol in many privacy-preserving settings with big data sets, including private similarity decision, anonymous authentication, social networks, secure trade negotiation, secure data mining.

Practical adaptive quantum tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granade, Christopher; Ferrie, Christopher; Flammia, Steven T.

2017-11-01

We introduce a fast and accurate heuristic for adaptive tomography that addresses many of the limitations of prior methods. Previous approaches were either too computationally intensive or tailored to handle special cases such as single qubits or pure states. By contrast, our approach combines the efficiency of online optimization with generally applicable and well-motivated data-processing techniques. We numerically demonstrate these advantages in several scenarios including mixed states, higher-dimensional systems, and restricted measurements. http://cgranade.com complete data and source code for this work are available online [1], and can be previewed at https://goo.gl/koiWxR.

Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy using a Prism Cavity and Supercontinuum Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Kevin K.; Johnston, Paul S.

2010-03-01

The multiplex advantage of current cavity enhanced spectrometers is limited by the limited high reflectivity bandwidth of the dielectric mirrors used to construct the high finesse cavity. We report on our development of a spectrometer that uses Brewster's angle retroreflectors that is excited with supercontinuum radiation generated by a 1.06 μm pumped photonic crystal fiber, which covers the 500-1800 nm spectral range. Recent progress will be discussed including modeling of the prism cavity losses, alternative prism materials for use in the UV and mid-IR, and a new higher power source pumped by a mode-locked laser.

Computer simulation results of attitude estimation of earth orbiting satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kou, S. R.

1976-01-01

Computer simulation results of attitude estimation of Earth-orbiting satellites (including Space Telescope) subjected to environmental disturbances and noises are presented. Decomposed linear recursive filter and Kalman filter were used as estimation tools. Six programs were developed for this simulation, and all were written in the basic language and were run on HP 9830A and HP 9866A computers. Simulation results show that a decomposed linear recursive filter is accurate in estimation and fast in response time. Furthermore, for higher order systems, this filter has computational advantages (i.e., less integration errors and roundoff errors) over a Kalman filter.

Optical rangefinding applications using communications modulation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplan, William D.; Morcom, Christopher John

2010-10-01

A novel range detection technique combines optical pulse modulation patterns with signal cross-correlation to produce an accurate range estimate from low power signals. The cross-correlation peak is analyzed by a post-processing algorithm such that the phase delay is proportional to the range to target. This technique produces a stable range estimate from noisy signals. The advantage is higher accuracy obtained with relatively low optical power transmitted. The technique is useful for low cost, low power and low mass sensors suitable for tactical use. The signal coding technique allows applications including IFF and battlefield identification systems.

Higher Order Skills, Job Design, and Incentives: An Analysis and Proposal.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannaway, Jane

1992-01-01

The current imbalance between teaching basic skills and higher order skills can be addressed by redesigning teaching into two specialized areas. Using the principal-agent model and applying ideas from organization theory, the advantages of restructuring teaching to increase emphasis on problem-solving and higher order skills are discussed. (SLD)

Economic evaluation of drug-eluting stents in coronary angioplasty.

PubMed

Santos, Ricardo; Pereira, Hélder

2005-11-01

Coronary angioplasty has revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease, from the first balloon angioplasty to the current era of drug-eluting stents (DES), which were developed to eliminate the bare metal stent's (BMS) Achilles' heel, restenosis. DES have an extremely low restenosis rate but are significantly more expensive and need more prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy. Restenosis has a generally benign prognosis and is not associated with higher mortality or major adverse cardiovascular events, which has limited the penetration of DES, whose only advantage is the reduction of restenosis. Economic evaluation of DES is therefore of paramount importance for assessing their appropriate use. In randomized trials in which they are compared with BMS, economic evaluation is advantageous for DES, with good cost-effectiveness ratios for both cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and cost per revascularization avoided. However, these trials have two major limitations--the angiographic follow-up protocol and selection of patients with lower risk--and so their results do not accurately reflect reality. Other studies with unselected populations and cost-effectiveness models show that there is an economic advantage in the use of DES in groups with higher risk of restenosis, but not for the whole population undergoing angioplasty. Use of DES will be more appropriate if we can identify populations with a higher likelihood of restenosis, because these are the patients that will benefit most from their use and in whom they will be economically advantageous.

Neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors at birth as moderators of the association between birth characteristics and school attainment: a population study of children attending government schools in Western Australia.

PubMed

Malacova, E; Li, J; Blair, E; Mattes, E; de Klerk, N; Stanley, F

2009-10-01

This article investigates whether reading and writing skills among children of equivalent perinatal characteristics differ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status and maternal factors. Notifications of births for all non-Aboriginal singletons born in 1990-7 in Western Australia subsequently attending government primary schools were linked to the State literacy tests in grade three and with information on socioeconomic status of the school and the residential area. Using multilevel modelling, the associations between birth characteristics (gestational age, intrauterine growth, birth order and Apgar score at 5 minutes) and literacy attainment in grade three were examined in models that included socioeconomic and demographic factors of the child, mother and community. Higher percentages of optimal head circumference and birth length and term birth were positively and independently associated with literacy scores. A higher percentage of optimal birth weight was associated with higher reading scores especially for children born to mothers residing in educationally advantaged areas. First birth was positively associated with reading and writing attainment: this association was stronger for children born to single mothers and additional advantage in writing was also associated with first birth in children living in disadvantaged areas. These findings suggest that having suboptimal growth in utero or an older sibling at birth increases vulnerability to poor literacy attainment especially among children born to single mothers or those in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. These data provide evidence for advocating lifestyles compatible with optimum fetal growth and socioeconomic conditions conducive to healthy lifestyles, particularly during pregnancy.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy: Part II. Advantages of FT-IR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins, W. D.

1987-01-01

This is Part II in a series on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Described are various advantages of FT-IR spectroscopy including energy advantages, wavenumber accuracy, constant resolution, polarization effects, and stepping at grating changes. (RH)

Students' Evaluations of the Use of E-Learning in a Collaborative Project between Two South African Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohleder, Poul; Bozalek, Vivienne; Carolissen, Ronelle; Leibowitz, Brenda; Swartz, Leslie

2008-01-01

Online learning is increasingly being used in Higher Education, with a number of advantages to online learning being identified. One of these advantages is the suggestion that online learning provides for equality of opportunity. This article reports on students' evaluations of the use of e-learning in a collaborative project between two South…

The female advantage in natural populations of gynodioecious Plantago coronopus: seed quantity vs. offspring quality.

PubMed

van der Meer, Sascha; Sebrechts, Thomas; Vanderstraeten, Sylvette; Jacquemyn, Hans

2017-12-01

In gynodioecious plant species, females can only persist when they have a reproductive advantage in comparison with hermaphrodites. However, several studies have shown that females do not necessarily produce more seeds than hermaphrodites, since seed production can be affected by population characteristics, such as female frequency or population size. The aim of this study was to quantify the female advantage across a large number of natural populations, examine its relationship with population sex ratio and size, and to assess the role of competition on the magnitude of the female advantage. We sampled 27 populations of Plantago coronopus (nuclear-cytoplasmic gynodioecy) along the Belgian and Dutch coast. In each population, we estimated population sex ratio and size, and assessed seed production per flower and seed production per plant. Subsequently, germination, growth, and competition experiments were performed in the greenhouse to determine the female advantage regarding offspring quality. Females produced fewer seeds per plant than hermaphrodites (FA = 0.90), and seed production was negatively related to female frequency. Since both sex morphs were equally affected by pollen availability, the female advantage was not related to population sex ratio. On the other hand, offspring of females showed higher germination and growth rates, resulting in higher competitive abilities when seeds of a female and a hermaphrodite were grown together. Overall, these results indicate that differences in competitive abilities between the offspring of females and hermaphrodites may have contributed to the maintenance of females in relatively high frequencies in populations of this short-lived gynodioecious plant species.

Liquid-crystal displays for medical imaging: a discussion of monochrome versus color

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Steven L.; Samei, Ehsan

2004-05-01

A common view is that color displays cannot match the performance of monochrome displays, normally used for diagnostic x-ray imaging. This view is based largely on historical experience with cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays, and does not apply in the same way to liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Recent advances in color LCD technology have considerably narrowed performance differences with monochrome LCDs for medical applications. The most significant performance advantage of monochrome LCDs is higher luminance, a concern for use under bright ambient conditions. LCD luminance is limited primarily by backlight design, yet to be optimized for color LCDs for medical applications. Monochrome LCDs have inherently higher contrast than color LCDs, but this is not a major advantage under most conditions. There is no practical difference in luminance precision between color and monochrome LCDs, with a slight theoretical advantage for color. Color LCDs can provide visualization and productivity enhancement for medical applications, using digital drive from standard commercial graphics cards. The desktop computer market for color LCDs far exceeds the medical monitor market, with an economy of scale. The performance-to-price ratio for color LCDs is much higher than monochrome, and warrants re-evaluation for medical applications.

Improved heating efficiency with High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound using a new ultrasound source excitation.

PubMed

Bigelow, Timothy A

2009-01-01

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is quickly becoming one of the best methods to thermally ablate tissue noninvasively. Unlike RF or Laser ablation, the tissue can be destroyed without inserting any probes into the body minimizing the risk of secondary complications such as infections. In this study, the heating efficiency of HIFU sources is improved by altering the excitation of the ultrasound source to take advantage of nonlinear propagation. For ultrasound, the phase velocity of the ultrasound wave depends on the amplitude of the wave resulting in the generation of higher harmonics. These higher harmonics are more efficiently converted into heat in the body due to the frequency dependence of the ultrasound absorption in tissue. In our study, the generation of the higher harmonics by nonlinear propagation is enhanced by transmitting an ultrasound wave with both the fundamental and a higher harmonic component included. Computer simulations demonstrated up to a 300% increase in temperature increase compared to transmitting at only the fundamental for the same acoustic power transmitted by the source.

Increased aggressive and affiliative display behavior in intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) baboons

PubMed Central

Huber, Hillary F; Ford, Susan M; Bartlett, Thad Q; Nathanielsz, Peter W

2016-01-01

Background We hypothesized intrauterine growth restricted offspring (IUGR) demonstrate higher rates of aggression and higher dominance ranks than control (CTR) offspring with normal weight at term; if aggressive behavior is advantageous during resource scarcity, developmental programming may lead to an association between aggression and IUGR. Methods We studied 22 group-housed baboons (ages 3-5 years). CTR (male n=8, female n=5) mothers ate ad libitum. IUGR (male n=4, female n=5) mothers were fed 70% feed eaten by CTR mothers during pregnancy and lactation. Results IUGR showed higher rates of aggressive displays (p<0.01) and friendly displays (p<0.02). Dominance ranks and physical aggression rates did not differ between groups. Conclusions High rates of IUGR aggressive display might reflect developmental programming of behavioral phenotypes enhancing fitness. Friendly displays may reflect reconciliation. Potential mechanisms include neurodevelopment and learning. Exploration of IUGR as a risk factor for behavioral patterns is important for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. PMID:25891005

Asian children's verbal development: A comparison of the United States and Australia.

PubMed

Choi, Kate H; Hsin, Amy; McLanahan, Sara S

2015-07-01

Using longitudinal cohort studies from Australia and the United States, we assess the pervasiveness of the Asian academic advantage by documenting White-Asian differences in verbal development from early to middle childhood. In the United States, Asian children begin school with higher verbal scores than Whites, but their advantage erodes over time. The initial verbal advantage of Asian American children is partly due to their parent's socioeconomic advantage and would have been larger had it not been for their mother's English deficiency. In Australia, Asian children have lower verbal scores than Whites at age 4, but their scores grow a faster rate and converge towards those of Whites by age 8. The initial verbal disadvantage of Asian Australian children is partly due to their mother's English deficiency and would have been larger had it not been for their Asian parent's educational advantage. Asian Australian children's verbal scores grow at a faster pace, in part, because of their parent's educational advantage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microcombustor-thermoelectric power generator for 10-50 watt applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Daniel S.; Cho, Steve T.

2010-04-01

Fuel-based portable power systems, including combustion and fuel cell systems, take advantage of the 80x higher energy density of fuel over lithium battery technologies and offer the potential for much higher energy density power sources - especially for long-duration applications, such as unattended sensors. Miniaturization of fuel-based systems poses significant challenges, including processing of fuel in small channels, catalyst poisoning, and coke and soot formation. Recent advances in micro-miniature combustors in the 200Watt thermal range have enabled the development of small power sources that use the chemical energy of heavy fuel to drive thermal-to-electric converters for portable applications. CUBE Technology has developed compact Micro-Furnace combustors that efficiently deliver high-quality heat to optimized thermal-to-electric power converters, such as advanced thermoelectric power modules and Stirling motors, for portable power generation at the 10-50Watt scale. Key innovations include a compact gas-gas recuperator, innovative heavy fuel processing, coke- & soot-free operation, and combustor optimization for low balance-of-plant power use while operating at full throttle. This combustor enables the development of robust, high energy density, miniature power sources for portable applications.

Integrating Exposure into Chemical Alternatives Assessment ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Most alternatives assessments (AA) published to date are largely hazard-based rankings, and as such may not represent a fully informed consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of possible alternatives. With an assessment goal of identifying an alternative chemical that is more sustainable, other attributes beyond hazard are also important, including exposure, risk, life-cycle impacts, performance, cost, and social responsibility. Building on the 2014 recommendations by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to improve AA decisions by including comparative exposure assessment, the HESISustainable Chemical Alternatives Technical Committee, which consists of scientists from academia, industry, government, and NGOs, has developed a qualitative comparative exposure approach. Conducting such a comparison can screen for alternatives that are expected to have a higher exposure potential, which could trigger a higher-tiered, more quantitative exposure assessment on the alternatives being considered. This talk will demonstrate an approach for including chemical- and product-related exposure information in a qualitative AA comparison. Starting from existing hazard AAs, a series of four chemical-product application scenarios were examined to test the concept, to understand the effort required, and to determine the value of exposure data in AA decision-making. The group has developed a classification approach for ingredient and product parameters to support compariso

Home advantage in the Winter Olympics (1908-1998).

PubMed

Balmer, N J; Nevill, A M; Williams, A M

2001-02-01

We obtained indices of home advantage, based on the medals won by competing nations, for each event held at the Winter Olympics from 1908 to 1998. These indices were designed to assess home advantage while controlling for nation strength, changes in the number of medals on offer and the performance of 'non-hosting' nations. Some evidence of home advantage was found in figure skating, freestyle skiing, ski jumping, alpine skiing and short track speed skating. In contrast, little or no home advantage was observed in ice hockey, Nordic combined, Nordic skiing, bobsled, luge, biathlon or speed skating. When all events were combined, a significant home advantage was observed (P = 0.029), although no significant differences in the extent of home advantage were found between events (P > 0.05). When events were grouped according to whether they were subjectively assessed by judges, significantly greater home advantage was observed in the subjectively assessed events (P = 0.037). This was a reflection of better home performances, suggesting that judges were scoring home competitors disproportionately higher than away competitors. Familiarity with local conditions was shown to have some effect, particularly in alpine skiing, although the bobsled and luge showed little or no advantage over other events. Regression analysis showed that the number of time zones and direction of travel produced no discernible trends or differences in performance.

Mechanistic Basis of Cocrystal Dissolution Advantage.

PubMed

Cao, Fengjuan; Amidon, Gordon L; Rodríguez-Hornedo, Naír; Amidon, Gregory E

2018-01-01

Current interest in cocrystal development resides in the advantages that the cocrystal may have in solubility and dissolution compared with the parent drug. This work provides a mechanistic analysis and comparison of the dissolution behavior of carbamazepine (CBZ) and its 2 cocrystals, carbamazepine-saccharin (CBZ-SAC) and carbamazepine-salicylic acid (CBZ-SLC) under the influence of pH and micellar solubilization. A simple mathematical equation is derived based on the mass transport analyses to describe the dissolution advantage of cocrystals. The dissolution advantage is the ratio of the cocrystal flux to drug flux and is defined as the solubility advantage (cocrystal to drug solubility ratio) times the diffusivity advantage (cocrystal to drug diffusivity ratio). In this work, the effective diffusivity of CBZ in the presence of surfactant was determined to be different and less than those of the cocrystals. The higher effective diffusivity of drug from the dissolved cocrystals, the diffusivity advantage, can impart a dissolution advantage to cocrystals with lower solubility than the parent drug while still maintaining thermodynamic stability. Dissolution conditions where cocrystals can display both thermodynamic stability and a dissolution advantage can be obtained from the mass transport models, and this information is useful for both cocrystal selection and formulation development. Copyright © 2018 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trazodone Addition to Paroxetine and Mirtazapine in a Patient with Treatment-Resistant Depression: The Pros and Cons of Combining Three Antidepressants

PubMed Central

Alves, José Carlos; Rego, Raquel Garcia

2016-01-01

Dual antidepressant combination for treatment-resistant depression is a strategy well supported by literature and accepted in clinical practice. Rather, the usefulness of the combination of more than two antidepressants is controversial. This may be related to the possibility of higher side-effect burden and to doubts about its pharmacological effectiveness and therapeutic advantage compared to other standard treatment options. We report a relapse of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms with insomnia that successfully remitted after the addition of trazodone to a dual combination of paroxetine and mirtazapine (in standard effective doses) in a patient with treatment-resistant depression. We also review the literature and discuss the utility of triple antidepressant combination in treatment-resistant depression. This clinical case highlights the utility of combining trazodone as a third antidepressant for the relapse of depressive symptoms after the failure of a dual antidepressant combination. Trazodone may be advantageous in patients presenting recurrence of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms that include sleep problems and/or insomnia and may be particularly useful when benzodiazepines are not recommended. Although its use may be controversial and associated with higher risk of side-effects, more investigation is needed to determine the efficacy and safety for triple antidepressant combinations as reliable strategies for treatment-resistant depression in clinical practice. PMID:27807450

Reducing risk and increasing confidence of decision making at a lower cost: In-situ pXRF assessment of metal-contaminated sites.

PubMed

Rouillon, Marek; Taylor, Mark P; Dong, Chenyin

2017-10-01

This study evaluates the in-situ use of field portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) for metal-contaminated site assessments, and assesses the advantages of increased sampling to reduce risk, and increase confidence of decision making at a lower cost. Five metal-contaminated sites were assessed using both in-situ pXRF and ex-situ inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses at various sampling resolutions. Twenty second in-situ pXRF measurements of Mn, Zn and Pb were corrected using a subset of parallel ICP-MS measurements taken at each site. Field and analytical duplicates revealed sampling as the major contributor (>95% variation) to measurement uncertainties. This study shows that increased sampling led to several benefits including more representative site characterisation, higher soil-metal mapping resolution, reduced uncertainty around the site mean, and reduced sampling uncertainty. Real time pXRF data enabled efficient, on-site decision making for further judgemental sampling, without the need to return to the site. Additionally, in-situ pXRF was more cost effective than the current approach of ex-situ sampling and ICP-MS analysis, even with higher sampling at each site. Lastly, a probabilistic site assessment approach was applied to demonstrate the advantages of integrating estimated measurement uncertainties into site reporting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Whole-body-CT in Severely Injured Children. Results of Retrospective, Multicenter Study with Patients from the TraumaRegsiter DGU®].

PubMed

Hilbert-Carius, P; Hofmann, G O; Lefering, R; Stuttmann, R; Bucher, M; Goebel, P; Gronwald, G H

2015-07-01

A fast and comprehensive diagnostic by means of whole-body CT has been shown to reduce mortality in the adult trauma population. Therefore whole-body CT seems to be the standard in adult trauma-patients. Due to the higher radiation exposure of whole-body CT the use of this diagnostic toll in pediatric trauma patients is still under debate. It is not yet clear if whole-body CT in children can increase the probability of survival. In a retrospective, multicenter study, we used the data recorded in the TraumaRegister DGU(®) to calculate the probability of survival according to the revised injury severity classification (RISC) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). The SMR reflects the ratio of recorded to expected mortality. Included in the study were all children (1-15 years) and adults (16-50 years) with an Injury Severity Score (ISS)>9, who were directly admitted to the hospital from the scene of accident. We compared the groups of patients given whole-body CT or non-whole-body CT. Subgroup analysis was performed for children 1-9 years, children 10-15 years and adults. A total of 1,456 pediatric trauma patients (mean age 9.9 years) and 20,796 adults (mean age 32.7 years) were included in the study. In contrast to adult trauma patients, were the SMR in the whole-body CT group was significant lower; we observed no advantage for the whole-body CT in pediatric trauma patients. Due to the missing advantage of whole-body CT in the pediatric trauma population and the higher radiation exposure of whole-body CT a non-whole-body CT approach seems equivalent with a lower radiation exposure. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Customer Orientation in Higher Education: The Missing Link in International Student Recruitment? A Relationship Marketing Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vauterin, Johanna Julia; Linnanen, Lassi; Marttila, Esa

2011-01-01

This paper suggests that the service mindset of academia needs attention to ensure that the potential of university-industry linkages for creating value is used strategically in building advantage in the increasingly competitive market for international higher education. Universities should clearly articulate the value of the higher education-…

Strategic Management for Competitive Advantage: A Case Study of Higher Technical and Vocational Education in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsun-I; Lee, Cheng-Fei

2012-01-01

Higher technical and vocational education institutions in Taiwan face the pressure of an oversupply of student places and fierce competition from domestic and international institutions. To cope with these challenges, higher technical and vocational education institutions that are better equipped to respond to market requirements are expected to…

An Examination of Potential Variation in the Benefits of Higher Education for Health and Wellbeing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauldry, Shawn

2012-01-01

Understanding the implications of the significant expansion in higher education over the latter half of the 20th century remains one of the central questions of research in stratification and inequality. Attaining a college degree is associated with numerous advantages ranging from higher earnings to improved health and wellbeing. As higher…

Redesigning Collegiate Leadership: Teams and Teamwork in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bensimon, Estela Mara; Neumann, Anna

This report examines the usefulness of leadership teams in higher education based on study results involving 15 institutions of higher education located throughout the United States. In chapters 1 and 2 the concept of the "leadership team" is introduced by means of: (1) a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork; and (2) a…

Why Universities Need Technology Strategies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, John S.

1997-01-01

Higher education's response to crisis must focus on developing institutions' competitive advantage. Technology is the basis on which institutional renewal must occur. American higher education is not using technology intelligently because it is driven by teaching, not learning. Today's technology fundamentally changes the relationship between…

Cognitive-behavioral versus non-directive therapy for preschoolers with severe nighttime fears and sleep-related problems.

PubMed

Kahn, Michal; Ronen, Alon; Apter, Alan; Sadeh, Avi

2017-04-01

To compare the efficacy of a developmentally appropriate cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol for preschoolers with severe nighttime fears and sleep-related problems, with an active control treatment. Ninety children aged four to six years (63% boys) with severe nighttime fears and their parents were randomized to either cognitive-behavioral therapy including parent involved play (CBT-PIP) or to a structurally equivalent non-directive treatment (TEPT; triadic expressive play therapy). Treatment conditions were also equivalent in parent- and child-rated credibility and expectancy, and in therapist-rated compliance. Children and parents were assessed at baseline, during the first intervention week and four weeks after treatment. Measures included actigraphy, daily sleep logs, structured diagnostic interviews and parent questionnaires. Significant reductions were observed in nighttime fears and objectively and subjectively measured sleep disruptions in both intervention groups following treatment. Parent reports indicated more advantageous outcomes for CBT-PIP compared to TEPT, with greater reductions in sleep problems and co-sleeping as well as higher customer satisfaction in the former group. While CBT-PIP showed no significant advantage compared to the active control in reducing fears or in improving objectively measured sleep, it was significantly more beneficial in reducing the adverse behavioral features of nighttime fears. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Mismatch between the Unmet Need for and Supply of Occupational English Skills: An Investigation of Higher Educated Government Staff in Norway

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellekjaer, Glenn Ole; Fairway, Tone

2015-01-01

Nordic universities are involved in a global competition against American and UK universities, whose main competitive advantage is their placement in English-speaking countries. The authors argue that Nordic universities need to do more to offset this advantage than merely offer English-Medium (EM) courses to foreign and domestic students. They…

NASA seeking high-power 60-GHz IMPATT diodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haugland, E. J.

1984-01-01

Recent progress in the development of high-power 60 GHz GaAs IMPATT diodes for communication links with high-data-rate satellites is discussed. One of the advantages of GaAs over Si as the material for the diodes are that GaAs is likely to have a higher output and efficiency than Si despite recent advances in Si technology. It is therefore in GaAs technology that research is currently concentrating. Some of the design strategies of the various companies working on the technology are described, including a pill process, MOCVD growth, and the use of diethy zinc as a dopant. Reliability testing of the diodes will be performed by NASA. Some of the alternatives to solid state amplifiers are discussed, including optical and traveling wave tube technology (TWT).

A simple and widely applicable hit validation strategy for protein-protein interaction inhibitors based on a quantitative ligand displacement assay.

PubMed

Sameshima, Tomoya; Miyahisa, Ikuo; Homma, Misaki; Aikawa, Katsuji; Hixon, Mark S; Matsui, Junji

2014-12-15

Identification of inhibitors for protein-protein interactions (PPIs) from high-throughput screening (HTS) is challenging due to the weak affinity of primary hits. We present a hit validation strategy of PPI inhibitors using quantitative ligand displacement assay. From an HTS for Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 inhibitors, we obtained a hit candidate, I1, which potentially forms a reactive Michael acceptor, I2, inhibiting Bcl-xL/Mcl-1 through covalent modification. We confirmed rapid reversible and competitive binding of I1 with a probe peptide, suggesting non-covalent binding. The advantages of our approach over biophysical assays include; simplicity, higher throughput, low protein consumption and universal application to PPIs including insoluble membrane proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic Enantioselective Decarboxylative Protonation of Heteroaryl Malonates

PubMed Central

Lewin, Ross; Goodall, Mark; Thompson, Mark L; Leigh, James; Breuer, Michael; Baldenius, Kai; Micklefield, Jason

2015-01-01

The enzyme aryl/alkenyl malonate decarboxylase (AMDase) catalyses the enantioselective decarboxylative protonation (EDP) of a range of disubstituted malonic acids to give homochiral carboxylic acids that are valuable synthetic intermediates. AMDase exhibits a number of advantages over the non-enzymatic EDP methods developed to date including higher enantioselectivity and more environmentally benign reaction conditions. In this report, AMDase and engineered variants have been used to produce a range of enantioenriched heteroaromatic α-hydroxycarboxylic acids, including pharmaceutical precursors, from readily accessible α-hydroxymalonates. The enzymatic method described here represents an improvement upon existing synthetic chemistry methods that have been used to produce similar compounds. The relationship between the structural features of these new substrates and the kinetics associated with their enzymatic decarboxylation is explored, which offers further insight into the mechanism of AMDase. PMID:25766433

Absorption Coefficient of a Semiconductor Thin Film from Photoluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, G.; Spindler, C.; Babbe, F.; Rachad, W.; Siebentritt, S.; Nuys, M.; Carius, R.; Li, S.; Platzer-Björkman, C.

2018-06-01

The photoluminescence (PL) of semiconductors can be used to determine their absorption coefficient (α ) using Planck's generalized law. The standard method, suitable only for self-supported thick samples, like wafers, is extended to multilayer thin films by means of the transfer-matrix method to include the effect of the substrate and optional front layers. α values measured on various thin-film solar-cell absorbers by both PL and photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) show good agreement. PL measurements are extremely sensitive to the semiconductor absorption and allow us to advantageously circumvent parasitic absorption from the substrate; thus, α can be accurately determined down to very low values, allowing us to investigate deep band tails with a higher dynamic range than in any other method, including spectrophotometry and PDS.

Testosterone, territoriality, and the 'home advantage'.

PubMed

Neave, Nick; Wolfson, Sandy

2003-02-01

The consistently better performance seen by teams in various sporting contexts when playing at home is referred to as the 'home advantage'. Various explanations have been put forward to account for this robust phenomenon, though none has yet focussed on possible hormonal factors. In an initial study, we showed that salivary testosterone levels in soccer players were significantly higher before a home game than an away game.In a second study involving a different group of soccer players, this finding was replicated over two home games, two away games, and three training sessions. Perceived rivalry of the opposing team was important as testosterone levels were higher before playing an 'extreme' rival than a 'moderate' rival. Self-reported measures of mood in both studies were not linked to testosterone level. The present results corroborate and extend earlier findings on the relationships between testosterone, territoriality, and dominance in human competitive encounters and further suggest an important role for testosterone in the home advantage seen in various team sports.

Comparison of the home advantage in nine different professional team sports in Spain.

PubMed

Gómez, Miguel A; Pollard, Richard; Luis-Pascual, Juan-Carlos

2011-08-01

Home advantage is a well-established phenomenon in many sports. The present study is unique in that it includes different sports analysed in the same country, at the same level of competition, and over the same time period. Nine team sports from Spain were included: baseball, basketball, handball, indoor soccer, roller hockey, rugby, soccer, volleyball, and water polo. Data for five seasons (2005-2006 to 2009-2010) were obtained, totaling 9,472 games. The results confirmed the existence of home advantage in all nine sports. There was a statistically significant difference between the sports; home advantage was highest in rugby (67.0%), and lowest in volleyball (55.7%), water polo (56.2%), and roller hockey (58.3%). The design of the study controlled for some of the likely causes of home advantage, and the results suggested that the high home advantage for rugby was likely a reflection of the continuous, aggressive, and intense nature of the sport.

Light field imaging and application analysis in THz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongfei; Su, Bo; He, Jingsuo; Zhang, Cong; Wu, Yaxiong; Zhang, Shengbo; Zhang, Cunlin

2018-01-01

The light field includes the direction information and location information. Light field imaging can capture the whole light field by single exposure. The four-dimensional light field function model represented by two-plane parameter, which is proposed by Levoy, is adopted in the light field. Acquisition of light field is based on the microlens array, camera array and the mask. We calculate the dates of light-field to synthetize light field image. The processing techniques of light field data include technology of refocusing rendering, technology of synthetic aperture and technology of microscopic imaging. Introducing the technology of light field imaging into THz, the efficiency of 3D imaging is higher than that of conventional THz 3D imaging technology. The advantages compared with visible light field imaging include large depth of field, wide dynamic range and true three-dimensional. It has broad application prospects.

Measuring home advantage in Spanish handball.

PubMed

Gutiérrez Aguilar, Oscar; Saavedra García, Miguel; Fernández Romero, Juan José

2012-02-01

Since Pollard established the system for analysing home advantage in 1986, it has been demonstrated and quantified in various sports, including many team sports. This study aims to assess whether home advantage exists in handball, using a sample of more than 19,000 Spanish handball league games. Results of the games played at home and away, the sex of the players, and the levels of the competition were included as variables. In Spanish handball, there was a home advantage of 61%, which means, on average, the team playing at home wins 61% of points available. This value varies according to sex and according to competition level, increasing as competition level decreases and season rank improves.

Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses

PubMed Central

de Castro, A. B.; Gee, Gilbert; Fujishiro, Kaori; Rue, Tessa

2014-01-01

The healthy immigrant hypothesis asserts that immigrants arrive in the receiving country healthier than same race/ethnic counterparts born there. Contemporary research, however, has not evaluated pre-migration health among migrants, nor has explicitly considered comparisons with non-migrants in the country of origin. Pre-migration health was examined among 621 Filipino nurses, including self-reported physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and social stress. Measures were compared by intention to migrate and also tested as predictors of actual migration using time-to-event analysis. Nurses intending to migrate had higher proportion of depression and reported higher general perceived stress compared to those not. Predictors of actual migration included age, mentally unhealthy days, social strain, and social support. Physical health and health behavior measures had no association with migration intention or actual migration. Findings suggest that, relative to those not intending to migrate, nurses intending to migrate have worse mental health status and social stress; and, do not have a physical health advantage. Future research must span the pre- to post-migration continuum to better understand the impact of moving from one country to another on health and well-being. PMID:25385090

Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET-based Full-Bridge for Fusion Science Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziemba, Timothy; Miller, Kenneth; Prager, James; Picard, Julian; Hashim, Akel

2014-10-01

Switching power amplifiers (SPAs) have a wide variety of applications within the fusion science community, including feedback and control systems for dynamic plasma stabilization in tokamaks, inductive and arc plasma sources, Radio Frequency (RF) helicity and flux injection, RF plasma heating and current drive schemes, ion beam generation, and RF pre-ionizer systems. SiC MOSFETs offer many advantages over IGBTs including lower drive energy requirements, lower conduction and switching losses, and higher switching frequency capabilities. When comparing SiC and traditional silicon-based MOSFETs, SiC MOSFETs provide higher current carrying capability allowing for smaller package weights and sizes and lower operating temperature. Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) is designing, constructing, and testing a SiC MOSFET-based full-bridge SPA. EHT will leverage the proprietary gate drive technology previously developed with the support of a DOE SBIR, which will enable fast, efficient switching in a small form factor. The primary goal is to develop a SiC MOSFET-based SPA for fusion science applications. Work supported in part by the DOE under Contract Number DE-SC0011907.

Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses.

PubMed

de Castro, A B; Gee, Gilbert; Fujishiro, Kaori; Rue, Tessa

2015-12-01

The healthy immigrant hypothesis asserts that immigrants arrive in the receiving country healthier than same race/ethnic counterparts born there. Contemporary research, however, has not evaluated pre-migration health among migrants, nor has explicitly considered comparisons with non-migrants in the country of origin. Pre-migration health was examined among 621 Filipino nurses, including self-reported physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and social stress. Measures were compared by intention to migrate and also tested as predictors of actual migration using time-to-event analysis. Nurses intending to migrate had higher proportion of depression and reported higher general perceived stress compared to those not. Predictors of actual migration included age, mentally unhealthy days, social strain, and social support. Physical health and health behavior measures had no association with migration intention or actual migration. Findings suggest that, relative to those not intending to migrate, nurses intending to migrate have worse mental health status and social stress; and, do not have a physical health advantage. Future research must span the pre- to post-migration continuum to better understand the impact of moving from one country to another on health and well-being.

Application of N-Doped Three-Dimensional Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel to Thin Film Loudspeaker.

PubMed

Kim, Choong Sun; Lee, Kyung Eun; Lee, Jung-Min; Kim, Sang Ouk; Cho, Byung Jin; Choi, Jung-Woo

2016-08-31

We built a thermoacoustic loudspeaker employing N-doped three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide aerogel (N-rGOA) based on a simple template-free fabrication method. A two-step fabrication process, which includes freeze-drying and reduction/doping, was used to realize a three-dimensional, freestanding, and porous graphene-based loudspeaker, whose macroscopic structure can be easily modulated. The simplified fabrication process also allows the control of structural properties of the N-rGOAs, including density and area. Taking advantage of the facile fabrication process, we fabricated and analyzed thermoacoustic loudspeakers with different structural properties. The anlayses showed that a N-rGOA with lower density and larger area can produce a higher sound pressure level (SPL). Furthermore, the resistance of the proposed loudspeaker can be easily controlled through heteroatom doping, thereby helping to generate higher SPL per unit driving voltage. Our success in constructing an array of optimized N-rGOAs able to withstand input power as high as 40 W demonstrates that a practical thermoacoustic loudspeaker can be fabricated using the proposed mass-producible solution-based process.

Attractiveness Compensates for Low Status Background in the Prediction of Educational Attainment

PubMed Central

Bauldry, Shawn; Shanahan, Michael J.; Russo, Rosemary; Roberts, Brent W.; Damian, Rodica

2016-01-01

Background People who are perceived as good looking or as having a pleasant personality enjoy many advantages, including higher educational attainment. This study examines (1) whether associations between physical/personality attractiveness and educational attainment vary by parental socioeconomic resources and (2) whether parental socioeconomic resources predict these forms of attractiveness. Based on the theory of resource substitution with structural amplification, we hypothesized that both types of attractiveness would have a stronger association with educational attainment for people from disadvantaged backgrounds (resource substitution), but also that people from disadvantaged backgrounds would be less likely to be perceived as attractive (amplification). Methods This study draws on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health—including repeated interviewer ratings of respondents’ attractiveness—and trait-state structural equation models to examine the moderation (substitution) and mediation (amplification) of physical and personality attractiveness in the link between parental socioeconomic resources and educational attainment. Results Both perceived personality and physical attractiveness have stronger associations with educational attainment for people from families with lower levels of parental education (substitution). Further, parental education and income are associated with both dimensions of perceived attractiveness, and personality attractiveness is positively associated with educational attainment (amplification). Results do not differ by sex and race/ethnicity. Further, associations between perceived attractiveness and educational attainment remain after accounting for unmeasured family-level confounders using a sibling fixed-effects model. Conclusions Perceived attractiveness, particularly personality attractiveness, is a more important psychosocial resource for educational attainment for people from disadvantaged backgrounds than for people from advantaged backgrounds. People from disadvantaged backgrounds, however, are less likely to be perceived as attractive than people from advantaged backgrounds. PMID:27249216

Attractiveness Compensates for Low Status Background in the Prediction of Educational Attainment.

PubMed

Bauldry, Shawn; Shanahan, Michael J; Russo, Rosemary; Roberts, Brent W; Damian, Rodica

2016-01-01

People who are perceived as good looking or as having a pleasant personality enjoy many advantages, including higher educational attainment. This study examines (1) whether associations between physical/personality attractiveness and educational attainment vary by parental socioeconomic resources and (2) whether parental socioeconomic resources predict these forms of attractiveness. Based on the theory of resource substitution with structural amplification, we hypothesized that both types of attractiveness would have a stronger association with educational attainment for people from disadvantaged backgrounds (resource substitution), but also that people from disadvantaged backgrounds would be less likely to be perceived as attractive (amplification). This study draws on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health-including repeated interviewer ratings of respondents' attractiveness-and trait-state structural equation models to examine the moderation (substitution) and mediation (amplification) of physical and personality attractiveness in the link between parental socioeconomic resources and educational attainment. Both perceived personality and physical attractiveness have stronger associations with educational attainment for people from families with lower levels of parental education (substitution). Further, parental education and income are associated with both dimensions of perceived attractiveness, and personality attractiveness is positively associated with educational attainment (amplification). Results do not differ by sex and race/ethnicity. Further, associations between perceived attractiveness and educational attainment remain after accounting for unmeasured family-level confounders using a sibling fixed-effects model. Perceived attractiveness, particularly personality attractiveness, is a more important psychosocial resource for educational attainment for people from disadvantaged backgrounds than for people from advantaged backgrounds. People from disadvantaged backgrounds, however, are less likely to be perceived as attractive than people from advantaged backgrounds.

Socioeconomic differences in alcohol-related risk-taking behaviours.

PubMed

Livingston, Michael

2014-11-01

There is substantial research showing that low socioeconomic position is a predictor of negative outcomes from alcohol consumption, while alcohol consumption itself does not exhibit a strong social gradient. This study aims to examine socioeconomic differences in self-reported alcohol-related risk-taking behaviour to explore whether differences in risk-taking while drinking may explain some of the socioeconomic disparities in alcohol-related harm. Cross-sectional data from current drinkers (n = 21 452) in the 2010 wave of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey were used. Ten items on risk-taking behaviour while drinking were combined into two risk scores, and zero-inflated Poisson regression was used to assess the relationship between socioeconomic position and risk-taking while controlling for age, sex and alcohol consumption. Socioeconomically advantaged respondents reported substantially higher rates of alcohol-related hazardous behaviour than socioeconomically disadvantaged respondents. Controlling for age, sex, volume of drinking and frequency of heavy drinking, respondents living in the most advantaged quintile of neighbourhoods reported significantly higher rates of hazardous behaviour than those in the least advantaged quintile. A similar pattern was evident for household income. Socioeconomically advantaged Australians engage in alcohol-related risky behaviour at higher rates than more disadvantaged Australians even with alcohol consumption controlled. The significant socioeconomic disparities in negative consequences linked to alcohol consumption cannot in this instance be explained via differences in behaviour while drinking. Other factors not directly related to alcohol consumption may be responsible for health inequalities in outcomes with significant alcohol involvement. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Toward Regional Clusters: Networking Events, Collaborative Research, and the Business Finder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichling, Tim; Moos, Benjamin; Rohde, Markus; Wulf, Volker

Networks of regionally collocated organizations improve the competitiveness of their member companies. This is not only a result of lower transportation costs when delivering or purchasing physical goods but also other matters such as mutual trust or a higher diffusion of specialized knowledge among companies that have emerged as important aspects of regional networks. Even increased competition among collocated companies can lead to comparative advantages over externals as a result of an increased pressure for innovation. While the reasons why regional networks of companies offer comparative advantages has been widely investigated, the question arises as to how networks can be developed in terms of higher interconnectedness and deeper connections.

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES FOR ISCO METHODS IN-SITU FENTON OXIDATION IN-SITU PERMANGANATE OXIDATION

EPA Science Inventory

The advantages and disadvantages of in-situ Fenton oxidation and in-situ permanganate oxidation will be presented. This presentation will provide a brief overview of each technology and a detailed analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each technology. Included in the ...

Student Loans as a Means of Financing Higher Education: Lessons from International Experience. World Bank Staff Working Papers Number 599.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodhall, Maureen

International experience with student loans as a means of financing higher education is examined, with particular reference to developing countries. After summarizing the main purposes and kinds of student loan programs and practices in developed countries, advantages and disadvantages of loans as a means of financing higher education are…

Student Motivation and the "Feel Good" Factor: An Empirical Examination of Motivational Predictors of University Service Quality Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chong, Yit Sean; Ahmed, Pervaiz K.

2015-01-01

With the globalisation of the higher education industry, service quality in the higher education services is seen as a vital factor in determining a university's competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to extend current conceptualisation of quality research in higher education by investigating the influence of self-determination and…

Data Envelopment Analysis and Its Application to the Measurement of Efficiency in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnes, Jill

2006-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of measuring efficiency in the context of higher education. The paper begins by exploring the advantages and drawbacks of the various methods for measuring efficiency in the higher education context. The ease with which data envelopment analysis (DEA) can handle multiple inputs and multiple…

Towards efficient photosynthesis: overexpression of Zea mays phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Kandoi, Deepika; Mohanty, Sasmita; Govindjee; Tripathy, Baishnab C

2016-12-01

Plants with C4 photosynthesis are efficient in carbon assimilation and have an advantage over C3 photosynthesis. In C4 photosynthesis, the primary CO 2 fixation is catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). Here, we show that overexpression of Zea mays PEPC cDNA, under the control of 35 S promoter, in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in ~7-10 fold higher protein abundance and ~7-10 fold increase in PEPC activity in the transgenic lines than that in the vector control. We suggest that overexpression of PEPC played an anaplerotic role to increase the supply of 4-carbon carboxylic acids, which provided carbon skeletons for increased amino acid and protein synthesis. Higher protein content must have been responsible for increased metabolic processes including chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and respiration. Consequently, the PEPC-overexpressed transgenic plants had higher chlorophyll content, enhanced electron transport rate (ETR), lower non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll a fluorescence, and a higher performance index (PI) than the vector control. Consistent with these observations, the rate of CO 2 assimilation, the starch content, and the dry weight of PEPC-overexpressed plants increased by 14-18 %, 10-18 %, and 6.5-16 %, respectively. Significantly, transgenics were tolerant to salt stress as they had increased ability to synthesize amino acids, including the osmolyte proline. NaCl (150 mM)-treated transgenic plants had higher variable to maximum Chl a fluorescence (F v /F m ) ratio, higher PI, higher ETR, and lower NPQ than the salt-treated vector controls. These results suggest that expression of C4 photosynthesis enzyme(s) in a C3 plant can improve its photosynthetic capacity with enhanced tolerance to salinity stress.

Soybeans vs. textured soy proteins as meat extenders. Cooking losses, palatability, and thiamin content of freshly cooked and frozen meat loaves.

PubMed

Ali, F S; Perry, A K; Van Duyne, F O

1982-10-01

The effects of replacing 30 percent of the ground beef in meat loaves with boiled ground soybeans or textured soy protein (TSP) were studied. The substitutions were equally effective in increasing yields of freshly cooked, raw frozen and cooked, and cooked, frozen, and reheated meat loaves. Scores for several palatability characteristics, including general desirability, were higher for meat loaves containing soybeans than for loaves containing TSP. The mixtures and loaves contained similar amounts of protein and thiamin. Cooking losses and mean palatability scores indicated advantages for freezing raw loaf mixtures rather than cooked loaves.

Evaluation of experimental epoxy monomers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodges, W. T.; St.clair, T. L.; Pratt, J. R.; Ficklin, R.

1985-01-01

Future generation aircraft need higher performance polymer matrices to fully achieve the weight savings possible with composite materials. New resins are being formulated in an effort to understand basic polymer behavior and to develop improved resins. Some polymer/curing agent combinations that could be useful are difficult to process. In the area of epoxies, a major problem is that some components have physical properties which make them difficult to utilize as matrix resins. A previous study showed that the use of ultrasonic energy can be advantageous in the mixing of curing agents into a standard epoxy resin, such as MY 720 (Ciba-Geigy designation). This work is expanded to include three novel epoxides.

Processable Polyimides Containing APB and Reactive End Caps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jensen, Brian J.

2003-01-01

Imide copolymers that contain 1,3- bis(3-aminophenoxy)benzene (APB) and other diamines and dianhydrides and that are terminated with appropriate amounts of reactive end caps have been invented. The reactive end caps investigated thus far include 4-phenylethynyl phthalic anhydride (PEPA), 3- aminophenoxy-4-phenylethynylbenzop henone (3-APEB), maleic anhydride (MA), and 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride [also known as nadic anhydride (NA)]. The advantage of these copolyimides terminated with reactive groups, relative to other polyimides terminated with reactive groups, is a combination of (1) higher values of desired mechanical-property parameters and (2) greater ease of processing into useful parts.

Next-generation organic photovoltaics based on non-fullerene acceptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Pei; Li, Gang; Zhan, Xiaowei; Yang, Yang

2018-03-01

Over the past three years, a particularly exciting and active area of research within the field of organic photovoltaics has been the use of non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs). Compared with fullerene acceptors, NFAs possess significant advantages including tunability of bandgaps, energy levels, planarity and crystallinity. To date, NFA solar cells have not only achieved impressive power conversion efficiencies of 13-14%, but have also shown excellent stability compared with traditional fullerene acceptor solar cells. This Review highlights recent progress on single-junction and tandem NFA solar cells and research directions to achieve even higher efficiencies of 15-20% using NFA-based organic photovoltaics are also proposed.

Nontraditional families and childhood progress through school.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, Michael J

2010-08-01

luse U.S. census data to perform the first large-sample, nationally representative tests of outcomes for children raised by same-sex couples. The results show that children of same-sex couples are as likely to make normal progress through school as the children of most other family structures. Heterosexual married couples are the family type whose children have the lowest rates of grade retention, but the advantage of heterosexual married couples is mostly due to their higher socioeconomic status. Children ofallfamily types (including children ofsame-sex couples) are far more likely to make normal progress through school than are children living in group quarters (such as orphanages and shelters).

Learning Communities: An Untapped Sustainable Competitive Advantage for Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Shane; Burnett, Bruce; O' Donohue, Mark

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper demonstrates the need for the higher education sector to develop and implement scaleable, quantitative measures that evaluate community and establish organisational benchmarks in order to guide the development of future practices designed to enhance the student learning experience. Design/methodology/approach: Literature…

Assuring Quality in Higher Education: The New Zealand Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weir, Annie

2009-01-01

With the expansion of higher education across the globe in response to the creation of knowledge economies and learning societies, governments have become increasingly interested in ensuring value for money from their investments. In determining their comparative economic advantage, nation states have increasingly focused on the…

Strategic Enrollment Management: Transforming Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bontrager, Bob; Ingersoll, Doris; Ingersoll, Ronald

2012-01-01

As external forces demand change in the delivery of postsecondary education and institutions seek to take advantage of new opportunities, the potential for achieving higher levels of student and institutional success is vast. New technologies, communication tools, data use, and organizational constructs present key factors in improving the…

Choosy Wolves? Heterozygote Advantage But No Evidence of MHC-Based Disassortative Mating.

PubMed

Galaverni, Marco; Caniglia, Romolo; Milanesi, Pietro; Lapalombella, Silvana; Fabbri, Elena; Randi, Ettore

2016-03-01

A variety of nonrandom mate choice strategies, including disassortative mating, are used by vertebrate species to avoid inbreeding, maintain heterozygosity and increase fitness. Disassortative mating may be mediated by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), an important gene cluster controlling immune responses to pathogens. We investigated the patterns of mate choice in 26 wild-living breeding pairs of gray wolf (Canis lupus) that were identified through noninvasive genetic methods and genotyped at 3 MHC class II and 12 autosomal microsatellite (STR) loci. We tested for deviations from random mating and evaluated the covariance of genetic variables at functional and STR markers with fitness proxies deduced from pedigree reconstructions. Results did not show evidences of MHC-based disassortative mating. Rather we found a higher peptide similarity between mates at MHC loci as compared with random expectations. Fitness values were positively correlated with heterozygosity of the breeders at both MHC and STR loci, whereas they decreased with relatedness at STRs. These findings may indicate fitness advantages for breeders that, while avoiding highly related mates, are more similar at the MHC and have high levels of heterozygosity overall. Such a pattern of MHC-assortative mating may reflect local coadaptation of the breeders, while a reduction in genetic diversity may be balanced by heterozygote advantages. © The American Genetic Association 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS OF NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION.

PubMed

Crowder, Kyle; South, Scott J

2011-01-30

Research into the effects of neighborhood characteristics on children's behavior has burgeoned in recent years, but these studies have generally adopted a limited conceptualization of the spatial and temporal dimensions of neighborhood effects. We use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and techniques of spatial data analysis to examine how both the socioeconomic characteristics of extralocal neighborhoods-neighborhoods surrounding the immediate neighborhood of residence-and the duration of exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the childhood life course influence the likelihood of graduating from high school. Among blacks and whites, socioeconomic advantage in the immediate neighborhood increases the likelihood of completing high school, but among whites higher levels of socioeconomic advantage in extralocal neighborhoods decrease high school graduation rates. Extralocal neighborhood advantage suppresses the influence of advantage in the immediate neighborhood so that controlling for extralocal conditions provides stronger support for the neighborhood effects hypothesis than has previously been observed. Exposure to advantaged neighborhoods over the childhood life course exerts a stronger effect than point-in-time measures on high school graduation, and racial differences in exposure to advantaged neighbors over the childhood life course help to suppress a net black advantage in the likelihood of completing high school.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DIMENSIONS OF NEIGHBORHOOD EFFECTS ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

PubMed Central

Crowder, Kyle; South, Scott J.

2010-01-01

Research into the effects of neighborhood characteristics on children’s behavior has burgeoned in recent years, but these studies have generally adopted a limited conceptualization of the spatial and temporal dimensions of neighborhood effects. We use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and techniques of spatial data analysis to examine how both the socioeconomic characteristics of extralocal neighborhoods—neighborhoods surrounding the immediate neighborhood of residence—and the duration of exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the childhood life course influence the likelihood of graduating from high school. Among blacks and whites, socioeconomic advantage in the immediate neighborhood increases the likelihood of completing high school, but among whites higher levels of socioeconomic advantage in extralocal neighborhoods decrease high school graduation rates. Extralocal neighborhood advantage suppresses the influence of advantage in the immediate neighborhood so that controlling for extralocal conditions provides stronger support for the neighborhood effects hypothesis than has previously been observed. Exposure to advantaged neighborhoods over the childhood life course exerts a stronger effect than point-in-time measures on high school graduation, and racial differences in exposure to advantaged neighbors over the childhood life course help to suppress a net black advantage in the likelihood of completing high school. PMID:21180398

[Sacrocolpopexy - pro laparoscopic].

PubMed

Hatzinger, M; Sohn, M

2012-05-01

Innovative techniques have a really magical attraction for physicians as well as for patients. The number of robotic-assisted procedures worldwide has almost tripled from 80,000 procedures in the year 2007 to 205,000 procedures in 2010. In the same time the total number of Da Vinci surgery systems sold climbed from 800 to 1,400. Advantages, such as three-dimensional visualization, a tremor-filter, an excellent instrument handling with 6 degrees of freedom and better ergonomics, together with aggressive marketing led to a veritable flood of new Da Vinci acquisitions in the whole world. Many just took the opportunity to introduce a new instrument to save a long learning curve and start immediately in the surgical master class.If Da Vinci sacrocolpopexy is compared with the conventional laparoscopic approach, robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy shows a significantly longer duration of the procedure, a higher need for postoperative analgesics, much higher costs and an identical functional outcome without any advantage over the conventional laparoscopic approach. Although the use of robotic-assisted systems shows a significantly lower learning curve for laparoscopic beginners, it only shows minimal advantages for the experienced laparoscopic surgeon. Therefore it remains uncertain whether robotic-assisted surgery shows a significant advantage compared to the conventional laparoscopic surgery, especially with small reconstructive laparoscopic procedures such as sacrocolpopexy.

Preparation and Characterization of Hyaluronic Acid-Polycaprolactone Copolymer Micelles for the Drug Delivery of Radioactive Iodine-131 Labeled Lipiodol.

PubMed

Chen, Shih-Cheng; Yang, Ming-Hui; Chung, Tze-Wen; Jhuang, Ting-Syuan; Yang, Jean-Dean; Chen, Ko-Chin; Chen, Wan-Jou; Huang, Ying-Fong; Jong, Shiang-Bin; Tsai, Wan-Chi; Lin, Po-Chiao; Tyan, Yu-Chang

2017-01-01

Micelles, with the structure of amphiphilic molecules including a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail, are recently developed as nanocarriers for the delivery of drugs with poor solubility. In addition, micelles have shown many advantages, such as enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effects, prolonged circulation times, and increased endocytosis through surface modification. In this study, we measured the critical micelle concentrations, diameters, stability, and cytotoxicity and the cell uptake of micelles against hepatic cells with two kinds of hydrophilic materials: PEG-PCL and HA-g-PCL. We used 131 I as a radioactive tracer to evaluate the stability, drug delivery, and cell uptake activity of the micelles. The results showed that HA-g-PCL micelles exhibited higher drug encapsulation efficiency and stability in aqueous solutions. In addition, the 131 I-lipiodol loaded HA-g-PCL micelles had better affinity and higher cytotoxicity compared to HepG2 cells.

Power-Efficient, High-Current-Density, Long-Life Thermionic Cathode Developed for Microwave Amplifier Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, Edwin G.

2002-01-01

A power-efficient, miniature, easily manufactured, reservoir-type barium-dispenser thermionic cathode has been developed that offers the significant advantages of simultaneous high electron-emission current density (>2 A/sq cm) and very long life (>100,000 hr of continuous operation) when compared with the commonly used impregnated-type barium-dispenser cathodes. Important applications of this cathode are a wide variety of microwave and millimeter-wave vacuum electronic devices, where high output power and reliability (long life) are essential. We also expect it to enable the practical development of higher purveyance electron guns for lower voltage and more reliable device operation. The low cathode heater power and reduced size and mass are expected to be particularly beneficial in traveling-wave-tube amplifiers (TWTA's) for space communications, where future NASA mission requirements include smaller onboard spacecraft systems, higher data transmission rates (high frequency and output power) and greater electrical efficiency.

The Use of Steady and Unsteady Detonation Waves for Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adelman, Henry G.; Menees, Gene P.; Cambier, Jean-Luc; Bowles, Jeffrey V.; Cavolowsky, John A. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Detonation wave enhanced supersonic combustors such as the Oblique Detonation Wave Engine (ODWE) are attractive propulsion concepts for hypersonic flight. These engines utilize detonation waves to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion. The benefits of wave combustion systems include shorter and lighter engines which require less cooling and generate lower internal drag. These features allow air-breathing operation at higher Mach numbers than the diffusive burning scramjet delaying the need for rocket engine augmentation. A comprehensive vehicle synthesis code has predicted the aerodynamic characteristics and structural size and weight of a typical single-stage-to-orbit vehicle using an ODWE. Other studies have focused on the use of unsteady or pulsed detonation waves. For low speed applications, pulsed detonation engines (PDE) have advantages in low weight and higher efficiency than turbojets. At hypersonic speeds, the pulsed detonations can be used in conjunction with a scramjet type engine to enhance mixing and provide thrust augmentation.

Can Any Good Thing Come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46) 1999 George C. Pimentel Award, sponsored by Union Carbide Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orna, Mary Virginia

1999-09-01

We are in the era of Big Science, which also means big institutions where the Big Science is done. However, higher education in the United States is unique in that parallel to the array of big institutions is a system of small liberal arts and sciences colleges where students receive the personal attention and faculty contact that is often not possible at larger institutions. While these smaller institutions are limited in resources and finances, studies have shown that they contribute a disproportionately higher number of leaders across a spectrum of disciplines, including chemistry. This address summarizes my personal odyssey and the reasons for the award. In it, I emphasize the advantages enjoyed by liberal arts and sciences students and faculty that enable them to overcome the view that great things can only be done in large, cosmopolitan settings.

A comparison of the costs of laparoscopic myomectomy and open myomectomy at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Chi-Chang

2013-06-01

To compare the costs of traditional open myomectomy (OM) with laparoscopic myomectomy (LM). A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of 155 women who underwent traditional open myomectomy (OM) or laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) in a teaching hospital in Taiwan. The total medical service expense and the patient out-of-pocket expense were significantly higher for women who received LM than for women who received OM. However, the operative time and blood loss during surgery were significantly less in women who received LM than in women who received OM. The overall expense is higher for LM than for OM; however, the laparoscopic approach has numerous advantages for patients, including shorter operative time, less blood loss, and a more rapid recovery time. No difference existed in the rate of complications or in the recurrence of disease for the two procedures. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

High-efficiency and flexible generation of vector vortex optical fields by a reflective phase-only spatial light modulator.

PubMed

Cai, Meng-Qiang; Wang, Zhou-Xiang; Liang, Juan; Wang, Yan-Kun; Gao, Xu-Zhen; Li, Yongnan; Tu, Chenghou; Wang, Hui-Tian

2017-08-01

The scheme for generating vector optical fields should have not only high efficiency but also flexibility for satisfying the requirements of various applications. However, in general, high efficiency and flexibility are not compatible. Here we present and experimentally demonstrate a solution to directly, flexibly, and efficiently generate vector vortex optical fields (VVOFs) with a reflective phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) based on optical birefringence of liquid crystal molecules. To generate the VVOFs, this approach needs in principle only a half-wave plate, an LC-SLM, and a quarter-wave plate. This approach has some advantages, including a simple experimental setup, good flexibility, and high efficiency, making the approach very promising in some applications when higher power is need. This approach has a generation efficiency of 44.0%, which is much higher than the 1.1% of the common path interferometric approach.

Some early perspectives on ground requirements of liquid hydrogen air transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korycinski, P. F.

1976-01-01

The paper examines the problem of liquid-hydrogen (LH2) subsonic long-range air transport from the perspectives of airplane manufacturers, the airline operator, the air terminal authority and the LH2 supplier. Emphasis is placed on identifying common problems and interfaces that are likely to occur in preparing for commercial airline operations of LH2 subsonic air transport in the 1990-1995 period. General considerations are discussed relative to sources and cost of gaseous hydrogen, hydrogen liquefaction, and LH2 availability. The fact that hydrogen sustains combustion at altitudes substantially higher than hydrocarbon fuels suggests that air transport can be designed to operate at higher enroute air traffic flight levels. This can be an advantage if only to relieve traffic congestion on heavily traveled routes. Pertinent interfaces in planning for the use of LH2 in air transportation are identified, including productivity and profitability, passenger-fuel compatibility, and lightning and electrical discharges.

Bimodal atomic force microscopy driving the higher eigenmode in frequency-modulation mode: Implementation, advantages, disadvantages and comparison to the open-loop case.

PubMed

Ebeling, Daniel; Solares, Santiago D

2013-01-01

We present an overview of the bimodal amplitude-frequency-modulation (AM-FM) imaging mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM), whereby the fundamental eigenmode is driven by using the amplitude-modulation technique (AM-AFM) while a higher eigenmode is driven by using either the constant-excitation or the constant-amplitude variant of the frequency-modulation (FM-AFM) technique. We also offer a comparison to the original bimodal AFM method, in which the higher eigenmode is driven with constant frequency and constant excitation amplitude. General as well as particular characteristics of the different driving schemes are highlighted from theoretical and experimental points of view, revealing the advantages and disadvantages of each. This study provides information and guidelines that can be useful in selecting the most appropriate operation mode to characterize different samples in the most efficient and reliable way.

Competitive advantage and higher fitness in native populations of genetically structured planktonic diatoms.

PubMed

Sildever, Sirje; Sefbom, Josefin; Lips, Inga; Godhe, Anna

2016-12-01

It has been shown that the planktonic diatom Skeletonema from neighbouring areas are genetically differentiated despite absence of physical dispersal barriers. We revisited two sites, Mariager Fjord and Kattegat, NE Atlantic, and isolated new strains. Microsatellite genotyping and F-statistics revealed that the populations were genetically differentiated. An experiment was designed to investigate if populations are locally adapted and have a native competitive advantage. Ten strains from each location were grown individually in native and foreign water to investigate differences in produced biomass. Additionally, we mixed six pairs, one strain from each site, and let them grow together in native and foreign water. Strains from Mariager Fjord and Kattegat produced higher biomass in native water. In the competition experiment, strains from both sites displayed higher relative abundance and demonstrated competitive advantage in their native water. The cause of the differentiated growth is unknown, but could possibly be attributed to differences in silica concentration or viruses in the two water types. Our data show that dispersal potential does not influence the genetic structure of the populations. We conclude that genetic adaptation has not been overruled by gene flow, but instead the responses to different selection conditions are enforcing the observed genetic structure. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Labour perspectives of engineering degrees in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): a case of study in the University of Cordoba (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taguas, E. V.; Redel, M. D.; Pérez, R.; Peña, A.

2009-04-01

The Bologna process is reaching its final stages and is causing controversy among students. The adaptation of European universities to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) entails not only the modification of curricular programmes and the nomenclature and duration of degrees, but also the incorporation of new teaching strategies aimed at ensuring that students acquire transversal skills and aptitudes and at increasing student participation in the teaching-learning process. A number of surveys have been carried out during the last few courses among students doing degrees in engineering (Industrial Engineering, Agronomy Engineering and Forestry Engineering). These surveys include questions on their knowledge of Bologna process, its advantages and drawbacks, their opinion about optional masters or doctorate degrees, what perspectives their degrees have on the labour market and suggestions for improvement. Although the different degrees showed notable differences, the content of EHEA is well-known by less than 30% of students, while 40% of them state they know about their perspectives on the labour market. The main advantages of EHEA were related to the improvement of practical knowledge in the subjects, the recognition of degrees in Europe and wider working opportunities. The main drawbacks pointed out were worse and shorter training periods, higher costs and fiercer competition between different degrees. In addition, they suggested that the new degrees are better adjusted to the demands of the labour market. 60% and 40% of them, respectively, approved of Masters degrees and PhDs. These features should be taken into account to organize and improve the contents of the degrees as well as to involve the students in the future of University education.

Measures of economic advantage associated with HPV-positive head and neck cancers among non-Hispanic black and white males identified through the National Cancer Database.

PubMed

Peterson, Caryn E; Khosla, Shaveta; Jefferson, Gina D; Davis, Faith G; Fitzgibbon, Marian L; Freels, Sally; Johnson, Timothy P; Hoskins, Kent; Joslin, Charlotte E

2017-06-01

National trends show dramatic increases in the incidence of HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) among black and white males. Using cases identified through the National Cancer Data Base, we assessed factors associated with HPV 16- or 16/18 positive HNSCCs among non-Hispanic black and white males diagnosed in the U.S. between 2009 and 2013. This sample included 21,524 HNSCCs with known HPV status. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using log-binomial regression. Compared to those with HPV-negative tumors, male patients diagnosed with HPV-positive HNSCCs were non-Hispanic white, younger at diagnosis, lived in zip-code areas with higher median household income and higher educational attainment, had private health insurance and no reported comorbidities at diagnosis. Although the risk of HPV-positive HNSCCs increased with measures of higher area-level socioeconomic status, the effect was stronger for non-Hispanic black males (RR Adjusted =1.76, 95% CI 1.49-2.09) than for whites (RR Adjusted =1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16). The peak age for diagnosis of HPV-positive HNSCCs occurred in those diagnosed at 45-49 years (RR Adjusted =1.57, 95% CI 1.42-1.73). Oropharyngeal tumors were strongly associated with HPV-positivity (RR Adjusted =4.32, 95% CI 4.03-4.63). In the analysis restricted to oropharyngeal anatomic sites, similar patterns persisted. In our analysis, measures of economic advantage were associated with an increased risk of HPV-positive HNSCCs. In order to develop effective interventions, greater understanding of the risk factors for HPV-positive HNSCCs is needed among both high-risk males and their healthcare providers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Socioeconomic disadvantage but not remoteness affects short-term survival in prostate cancer: A population-based study using competing risks.

PubMed

Thomas, Audrey A; Pearce, Alison; Sharp, Linda; Gardiner, Robert Alexander; Chambers, Suzanne; Aitken, Joanne; Molcho, Michal; Baade, Peter

2017-04-01

We examined how sociodemographic, clinical and area-level factors are related to short-term prostate cancer mortality versus mortality from other causes, a crucial distinction for this disease that disproportionately affects men older than 60 years. We applied competing risk survival models to administrative data from the Queensland Cancer Registry (Australia) for men diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 2005 and July 2007, including stratification by Gleason score. The men (n = 7393) in the study cohort had a median follow-up of 5 years 3 months. After adjustment, remoteness and area-level disadvantage were not significantly associated with prostate cancer mortality. However, area-level disadvantage had a significant negative relationship with hazard of death from a cause other than prostate cancer within 7 years; compared with those living in the most advantaged areas, the likelihood of mortality was higher for those in the most disadvantaged (subhazard ratio [SHR] = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.01-1.90; P = 0.041), disadvantaged (SHR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.14-2.00; P = 0.004), middle (SHR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02-1.75; P = 0.034) and advantaged areas (SHR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.09-1.89; P = 0.009). Those with Gleason score of 7 and higher had a lower hazard of prostate cancer mortality if they were living with a partner, whereas those with lower Gleason scores and living a partner had lower hazards of other-cause mortality. Understanding why men living in more disadvantaged areas have higher risk of non-prostate cancer mortality should be a priority. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Preliminary assessment of a potassium-steam-gas vapor cycle for better fuel economy and reduced thermal pollution

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

Fraas, A.P.

1971-08-01

The facts of fuel supply limitations, environmental quality demands, and spiraling electric generating costs strongly favor development of electric power plants that simultaneously run at higher efficiency, i.e., higher temperature, use to advantage clean fuels, and have as low a capital cost as possible. Both fuel supply and thermal pollution considerations that are becoming progressively more important strongly favor the development of a higher temperature, and more efficient, thermodynamic cycle for electric power plants. About 200,000 hr of operation of boiling potassium systems, including over 15,000 hr of potassium vapor turbine operation under the space power plant program, suggest thatmore » a potassium vapor topping cycle with a turbine inlet temperature of approximately 1500/sup 0/F merits consideration. A design study has been carried out to indicate the size, cost, and development problems of the new types of equipment required. The results indicate that a potassium vapor cycle superimposed on a conventional 1050/sup 0/F steam cycle would give an overall thermal efficiency of about 54% as compared to only 40% from a conventional steam cycle. Thus the proposed system would have a fuel consumption only 75% and a heat rejection rate only 50% that of a conventional plant. The system requires clean fuel, and takes advantage of the present trend toward eliminating SO/sub 2/, NO/sub x/ and ash emissions. Surprisingly, at first sight, the assessment at this stage shows that the capital cost may be less than that of a conventional plant. The main reason for this is use of pressurized combustion, which leads to a much smaller combustor, and thin tube walls to contain potassium at about the same pressure.« less

Measures of economic advantage associated with HPV-positive head and neck cancers among non-Hispanic black and white males identified through the National Cancer Database

PubMed Central

Peterson, Caryn E.; Khosla, Shaveta; Jefferson, Gina D.; Davis, Faith G.; Fitzgibbon, Marian L.; Freels, Sally; Johnson, Timothy P.; Hoskins, Kent; Joslin, Charlotte E.

2018-01-01

Background National trends show dramatic increases in the incidence of HPV-related head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) among black and white males. Using cases identified through the National Cancer Data Base, we assessed factors associated with HPV 16- or 16/18 positive HNSCCs among non-Hispanic black and white males diagnosed in the U.S. between 2009 and 2013. Methods This sample included 21,524 HNSCCs with known HPV status. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using log-binomial regression. Results Compared to those with HPV-negative tumors, male patients diagnosed with HPV-positive HNSCCs were non-Hispanic white, younger at diagnosis, lived in zip-code areas with higher median household income and higher educational attainment, had private health insurance and no reported comorbidities at diagnosis. Although the risk of HPV-positive HNSCCs increased with measures of higher area-level socioeconomic status, the effect was stronger for non-Hispanic black males (RRAdjusted = 1.76, 95% CI 1.49–2.09) than for whites (RRAdjusted = 1.12, 95% CI 1.08–1.16). The peak age for diagnosis of HPV-positive HNSCCs occurred in those diagnosed at 45–49 years (RRAdjusted = 1.57, 95% CI 1.42–1.73). Oropharyngeal tumors were strongly associated with HPV-positivity (RRAdjusted = 4.32, 95% CI 4.03–4.63). In the analysis restricted to oropharyngeal anatomic sites, similar patterns persisted. Conclusion In our analysis, measures of economic advantage were associated with an increased risk of HPV-positive HNSCCs. In order to develop effective interventions, greater understanding of the risk factors for HPV-positive HNSCCs is needed among both high-risk males and their healthcare providers. PMID:28282541

Simultaneous integrated boost to intraprostatic lesions using different energy levels of intensity-modulated radiotherapy and volumetric-arc therapy

PubMed Central

Sonmez, S; Erbay, G; Guler, O C; Arslan, G

2014-01-01

Objective: This study compared the dosimetry of volumetric-arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with a dynamic multileaf collimator using the Monte Carlo algorithm in the treatment of prostate cancer with and without simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) at different energy levels. Methods: The data of 15 biopsy-proven prostate cancer patients were evaluated. The prescribed dose was 78 Gy to the planning target volume (PTV78) including the prostate and seminal vesicles and 86 Gy (PTV86) in 39 fractions to the intraprostatic lesion, which was delineated by MRI or MR-spectroscopy. Results: PTV dose homogeneity was better for IMRT than VMAT at all energy levels for both PTV78 and PTV86. Lower rectum doses (V30–V50) were significantly higher with SIB compared with PTV78 plans in both IMRT and VMAT plans at all energy levels. The bladder doses at high dose level (V60–V80) were significantly higher in IMRT plans with SIB at all energy levels compared with PTV78 plans, but no significant difference was observed in VMAT plans. VMAT plans resulted in a significant decrease in the mean monitor units (MUs) for 6, 10, and 15 MV energy levels both in plans with and those without SIB. Conclusion: Dose escalation to intraprostatic lesions with 86 Gy is safe without causing serious increase in organs at risk (OARs) doses. VMAT is advantageous in sparing OARs and requiring less MU than IMRT. Advances in knowledge: VMAT with SIB to intraprostatic lesion is a feasible method in treating prostate cancer. Additionally, no dosimetric advantage of higher energy is observed. PMID:24319009

Socioeconomic status as an effect modifier of alcohol consumption and harm: analysis of linked cohort data.

PubMed

Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Whitley, Elise; Lewsey, Jim; Gray, Linsay; Leyland, Alastair H

2017-06-01

Alcohol-related mortality and morbidity are high in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations compared with individuals from advantaged areas. It is unclear if this increased harm reflects differences in alcohol consumption between these socioeconomic groups, reverse causation (ie, downward social selection for high-risk drinkers), or a greater risk of harm in individuals of low socioeconomic status compared with those of higher status after similar consumption. We aimed to investigate whether the harmful effects of alcohol differ by socioeconomic status, accounting for alcohol consumption and other health-related factors. The Scottish Health Surveys are record-linked cross-sectional surveys representative of the adult population of Scotland. We obtained baseline demographics and data for alcohol consumption (units per week and binge drinking) from Scottish Health Surveys done in 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. We matched these data to records for deaths, admissions, and prescriptions. The primary outcome was alcohol-attributable admission or death. The relation between alcohol-attributable harm and socioeconomic status was investigated for four measures (education level, social class, household income, and area-based deprivation) using Cox proportional hazards models. The potential for alcohol consumption and other risk factors (including smoking and body-mass index [BMI]) mediating social patterning was explored in separate regression models. Reverse causation was tested by comparing change in area deprivation over time. 50 236 participants (21 777 men and 28 459 women) were included in the analytical sample, with 429 986 person-years of follow-up. Low socioeconomic status was associated consistently with strikingly raised alcohol-attributable harms, including after adjustment for weekly consumption, binge drinking, BMI, and smoking. Evidence was noted of effect modification; for example, relative to light drinkers living in advantaged areas, the risk of alcohol-attributable admission or death for excessive drinkers was increased (hazard ratio 6·12, 95% CI 4·45-8·41 in advantaged areas; and 10·22, 7·73-13·53 in deprived areas). We found little support for reverse causation. Disadvantaged social groups have greater alcohol-attributable harms compared with individuals from advantaged areas for given levels of alcohol consumption, even after accounting for different drinking patterns, obesity, and smoking status at the individual level. Medical Research Council, NHS Research Scotland, Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.

The Application of the NFW Design Philosophy to the HSR Arrow Wing Configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Steven X. S.; Krist, Steven E.

1999-01-01

The Natural Flow Wing design philosophy was developed for improving performance characteristics of highly-swept fighter aircraft at cruise and maneuvering conditions across the Mach number range (from Subsonic through Supersonic). The basic philosophy recognizes the flow characteristics that develop on highly swept wings and contours the surface to take advantage of those flow characteristics (e.g., forward facing surfaces in low pressure regions and aft facing surfaces in higher pressure regions for low drag). Because the wing leading edge and trailing edge have multiple sweep angles and because of shocks generated on nacelles and diverters, a viscous code was required to accurately define the surface pressure distributions on the wing. A method of generating the surface geometry to take advantage of those surface pressures (as well as not violating any structural constraints) was developed and the resulting geometries were analyzed and compared to a baseline configuration. This paper will include discussions of the basic Natural Flow Wing design philosophy, the application of the philosophy to an HSCT vehicle, and preliminary wind-tunnel assessment of the NFW HSCT vehicle.

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

Chen, Jingguang; Frenkel, Anatoly; Rodriguez, Jose

Synchrotron spectroscopies offer unique advantages over conventional techniques, including higher detection sensitivity and molecular specificity, faster detection rate, and more in-depth information regarding the structural, electronic and catalytic properties under in-situ reaction conditions. Despite these advantages, synchrotron techniques are often underutilized or unexplored by the catalysis community due to various perceived and real barriers, which will be addressed in the current proposal. Since its establishment in 2005, the Synchrotron Catalysis Consortium (SCC) has coordinated significant efforts to promote the utilization of cutting-edge catalytic research under in-situ conditions. The purpose of the current renewal proposal is aimed to provide assistance, andmore » to develop new sciences/techniques, for the catalysis community through the following concerted efforts: Coordinating the implementation of a suite of beamlines for catalysis studies at the new NSLS-II synchrotron source; Providing assistance and coordination for catalysis users at an SSRL catalysis beamline during the initial period of NSLS to NSLS II transition; Designing in-situ reactors for a variety of catalytic and electrocatalytic studies; Assisting experimental set-up and data analysis by a dedicated research scientist; Offering training courses and help sessions by the PIs and co-PIs.« less

A Rigid Mid-Lift-to-Drag Ratio Approach to Human Mars Entry, Descent, and Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerimele, Christopher J.; Robertson, Edward A.; Sostaric, Ronald R.; Campbell, Charles H.; Robinson, Phil; Matz, Daniel A.; Johnson, Breanna J.; Stachowiak, Susan J.; Garcia, Joseph A.; Bowles, Jeffrey V.;

Rare cell isolation and analysis in microfluidics

PubMed Central

Chen, Yuchao; Li, Peng; Huang, Po-Hsun; Xie, Yuliang; Mai, John D.; Wang, Lin; Nguyen, Nam-Trung; Huang, Tony Jun

2014-01-01

Rare cells are low-abundance cells in a much larger population of background cells. Conventional benchtop techniques have limited capabilities to isolate and analyze rare cells because of their generally low selectivity and significant sample loss. Recent rapid advances in microfluidics have been providing robust solutions to the challenges in the isolation and analysis of rare cells. In addition to the apparent performance enhancements resulting in higher efficiencies and sensitivity levels, microfluidics provides other advanced features such as simpler handling of small sample volumes and multiplexing capabilities for high-throughput processing. All of these advantages make microfluidics an excellent platform to deal with the transport, isolation, and analysis of rare cells. Various cellular biomarkers, including physical properties, dielectric properties, as well as immunoaffinities, have been explored for isolating rare cells. In this Focus article, we discuss the design considerations of representative microfluidic devices for rare cell isolation and analysis. Examples from recently published works are discussed to highlight the advantages and limitations of the different techniques. Various applications of these techniques are then introduced. Finally, a perspective on the development trends and promising research directions in this field are proposed. PMID:24406985

Characteristics of 2-heptanone decomposition using nanosecond pulsed discharge plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakase, Yuki; Fukuchi, Yuichi; Wang, Douyan; Namihira, Takao; Akiyama, Hidenori; Kumamoto University Collaboration

2015-09-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) evaporate at room temperature. VOCs typically consist of toluene, benzene and ethyl acetate, which are used in cosmetics, dry cleaning products and paints. Exposure to elevated levels of VOCs may cause headaches, dizziness and irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat; they may also cause environmental problems such as air pollution, acid rain and photochemical smog. As such, they require prompt removal. Nanosecond pulsed discharge is a kind of non-thermal plasma consisting of a streamer discharge. Several advantages of nanosecond pulsed discharge plasma have been demonstrated by studies of our research group, including low heat loss, highly energetic electron generation, and the production of highly active radicals. These advantages have shown ns pulsed discharge plasma capable of higher energy efficiency for processes, such as air purification, wastewater treatment and ozone generation. In this research, nanosecond pulsed discharge plasma was employed to treat 2-heptanone, which is a volatile organic compound type and presents several harmful effects. Characteristics of treatment dependent on applied voltage, gas flow rate and input energy density were investigated. Furthermore, byproducts generated by treatment were also investigated.

GaAs VLSI for aerospace electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larue, G.; Chan, P.

1990-01-01

Advanced aerospace electronics systems require high-speed, low-power, radiation-hard, digital components for signal processing, control, and communication applications. GaAs VLSI devices provide a number of advantages over silicon devices including higher carrier velocities, ability to integrate with high performance optical devices, and high-resistivity substrates that provide very short gate delays, good isolation, and tolerance to many forms of radiation. However, III-V technologies also have disadvantages, such as lower yield compared to silicon MOS technology. Achieving very large scale integration (VLSI) is particularly important for fast complex systems. At very short gate delays (less than 100 ps), chip-to-chip interconnects severely degrade circuit clock rates. Complex systems, therefore, benefit greatly when as many gates as possible are placed on a single chip. To fully exploit the advantages of GaAs circuits, attention must be focused on achieving high integration levels by reducing power dissipation, reducing the number of devices per logic function, and providing circuit designs that are more tolerant to process and environmental variations. In addition, adequate noise margin must be maintained to ensure a practical yield.

Hemisphericity and information processing in North American Native (Ojibwa) and non-native adolescents.

PubMed

Morton, L L; Allen, J D; Williams, N H

1994-04-01

Thirty-two male and female adolescents of native ancestry (Ojibwa) and 32 controls were tested using (1) four WISC-R subtests and (2) two dichotic listening tasks which employed a focused-attention paradigm for processing consonant-vowel combinations (CVs) and musical melodies. On the WISC-R, natives scored higher than controls on Block Design and Picture Completion subtests but lower on Vocabulary and Similarities subtests. On laterality measures more native males showed a left ear advantage on the CV task and the melody task. For CVs the left ear advantage was due to native males' lower right ear (i.e., left hemisphere) involvement. For melodies, the laterality index pointed to less left hemisphere involvement for native males, however, the raw scores showed that natives were performing lower overall. The findings are consistent with culturally-based strategy differences, possibly linked to "hemisphericity," but additional clarifying research regarding the cause and extent of such differences is warranted. Thus, implications for education are premature but a focus on teaching "left hemisphere type" strategies to all individuals not utilizing such skills, including many native males, may prove beneficial.

Recent insights in the use of nanocarriers for the oral delivery of bioactive proteins and peptides.

PubMed

Batista, Patrícia; Castro, Pedro M; Madureira, Ana Raquel; Sarmento, Bruno; Pintado, Manuela

2018-03-01

Bioactive proteins and peptides have been used with either prophylactic or therapeutic purposes, presenting inherent advantages as high specificity and biocompatibility. Nanocarriers play an important role in the stabilization of proteins and peptides, offering enhanced buccal permeation and protection while crossing the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, preparation of nanoparticles as oral delivery systems for proteins/peptides may include tailored formulation along with functionalization aiming bioavailability enhancement of carried proteins or peptides. Oral delivery systems, namely buccal delivery systems, represent an interesting alternative route to parenteric delivery systems to carry proteins and peptides, resulting in higher comfort of administration and, therefore, compliance to treatment. This paper outlines an extensive overview of the existing publications on proteins/peptides oral nanocarriers delivery systems, with special focus on buccal route. Manufacturing aspects of most commonly used nanoparticles for oral delivery (e.g. polymeric nanoparticles using synthetic or natural polymers and lipid nanoparticles) advantages and limitations and potential applications of nanoparticles as proteins/peptides delivery systems will also be thoroughly addressed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

It's Not the Way I Learned!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, Diana S.

2003-11-01

Computer-enhanced learning as noted by Cole and Todd (5) is “somewhat less effective at the precollege level” (p 1339). Progress is slow due to a number of factors, including instructors who are resistant to change, the complexity of the subject, and the handling of chemistry laboratories. Many of our students politely go through the motions but are not actively engaged with the lesson. Simply listening to chemistry lectures may provide students with little in the way of substantial learning gains, because lectures do not necessarily actively involve students in the activity (9), yet with the incorporation of today’s technology into our curriculum and the flexible, asynchronous environment of online learning with the advantages immediate feedback provides (6) many students will expand their knowledge and skills. Careful monitoring by the instructor and setting of internal deadlines for students involved in online learning are known to encourage higher completion rates than are generally reported (10). We should take advantage of today’s advances, embrace them, and be the ones to change—set the pace and avoid the trap of “it’s not the way I learned to do it!”

The application of coded excitation technology in medical ultrasonic Doppler imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Weifeng; Chen, Xiaodong; Bao, Jing; Yu, Daoyin

2008-03-01

Medical ultrasonic Doppler imaging is one of the most important domains of modern medical imaging technology. The application of coded excitation technology in medical ultrasonic Doppler imaging system has the potential of higher SNR and deeper penetration depth than conventional pulse-echo imaging system, it also improves the image quality, and enhances the sensitivity of feeble signal, furthermore, proper coded excitation is beneficial to received spectrum of Doppler signal. Firstly, this paper analyzes the application of coded excitation technology in medical ultrasonic Doppler imaging system abstractly, showing the advantage and bright future of coded excitation technology, then introduces the principle and the theory of coded excitation. Secondly, we compare some coded serials (including Chirp and fake Chirp signal, Barker codes, Golay's complementary serial, M-sequence, etc). Considering Mainlobe Width, Range Sidelobe Level, Signal-to-Noise Ratio and sensitivity of Doppler signal, we choose Barker codes as coded serial. At last, we design the coded excitation circuit. The result in B-mode imaging and Doppler flow measurement coincided with our expectation, which incarnated the advantage of application of coded excitation technology in Digital Medical Ultrasonic Doppler Endoscope Imaging System.

Fermentative hydrogen production using pretreated microalgal biomass as feedstock.

PubMed

Wang, Jianlong; Yin, Yanan

2018-02-14

Microalgae are simple chlorophyll containing organisms, they have high photosynthetic efficiency and can synthesize and accumulate large quantities of carbohydrate biomass. They can be cultivated in fresh water, seawater and wastewater. They have been used as feedstock for producing biodiesel, bioethanol and biogas. The production of these biofuels can be integrated with CO 2 mitigation, wastewater treatment, and the production of high-value chemicals. Biohydrogen from microalgae is renewable. Microalgae have several advantages compared to terrestrial plants, such as higher growth rate with superior CO 2 fixation capacity; they do not need arable land to grow; they do not contain lignin. In this review, the biology of microalgae and the chemical composition of microalgae were briefly introduced, the advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen production from microalgae were discussed, and the pretreatment of microalgal biomass and the fermentative hydrogen production from microalgal biomass pretreated by different methods (including physical, chemical, biological and combined methods) were summarized and evaluated. For the production of biohydrogen from microalgae, the economic feasibility remains the most important aspect to consider. Several technological and economic issues must be addressed to achieve success on a commercial scale.

A Skin-attachable Flexible Piezoelectric Pulse Wave Energy Harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sunghyun; Cho, Young-Ho

2014-11-01

We present a flexible piezoelectric generator, capable to harvest energy from human arterial pulse wave on the human wrist. Special features and advantages of the flexible piezoelectric generator include the multi-layer device design with contact windows and the simple fabrication process for the higher flexibility with the better energy harvesting efficiency. We have demonstrated the design effectiveness and the process simplicity of our skin- attachable flexible piezoelectric pulse wave energy harvester, composed of the sensitive P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric layer on the flexible polyimide support layer with windows. We experimentally characterize and demonstrate the energy harvesting capability of 0.2~1.0μW in the Human heart rate range on the skin contact area of 3.71cm2. Additional physiological and/or vital signal monitoring devices can be fabricated and integrated on the skin attachable flexible generator, covered by an insulation layer; thus demonstrating the potentials and advantages of the present device for such applications to the flexible multi-functional selfpowered artificial skins, capable to detect physiological and/or vital signals on Human skin using the energy harvested from arterial pulse waves.

Gender Earnings Gap among Young European Higher Education Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Aracil, Adela

2007-01-01

This paper examines the composition of the gender earnings gap among young European higher education graduates, with a particular focus on competencies controlling for individual background and job characteristics. The results show that much of the female worker's earnings advantage can be explained by job characteristics. With respect to the…

Higher Education Funding Formulas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeown-Moak, Mary P.

1999-01-01

One of the most critical components of the college or university chief financial officer's job is budget planning, especially using formulas. A discussion of funding formulas looks at advantages, disadvantages, and types of formulas used by states in budgeting for higher education, and examines how chief financial officers can position the campus…

Service Quality in Higher Education Using an Enhanced SERVQUAL Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Kay C.; Kek, Sei W.

2004-01-01

Customer service and quality are driving forces in the business community. As higher educational institutions tussle for competitive advantage and high service quality, the evaluation of educational service quality is essential to provide motivation for and to give feedback on the effectiveness of educational plans and implementation. This…

Strategic Innovation in HE: The Roles of Academic Middle Managers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kallenberg, Ton

2007-01-01

This article explains the development of, and presents a theoretical framework for, harnessing the roles of the academic middle manager in strategic innovation in Dutch higher education, thereby increasing higher education's ability to learn, innovate and develop a competitive advantage. The framework is developed from theoretical models of role…

From Silicon Valley to Phoenix Industries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puukka, Jaana

2009-01-01

As university leaders have long argued, the contribution of higher education to national and regional economies is considerable. Although the importance of universities in their local economies is not usually contested, much more should and could be done to take full advantage of higher education in regional and city development. Why have the…

A review of the factors affecting the survival of donkeys in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Smith, D G; Pearson, R A

2005-11-01

The large fluctuations seen in cattle populations during periods of drought in sub-Saharan Africa are not evident in the donkey population. Donkeys appear to have a survival advantage over cattle that is increasingly recognized by smallholder farmers in their selection of working animals. The donkey's survival advantages arise from both socioeconomic and biological factors. Socioeconomic factors include the maintenance of a low sustainable population of donkeys owing to their single-purpose role and their low social status. Also, because donkeys are not usually used as a meat animal and can provide a regular income as a working animal, they are not slaughtered in response to drought, as are cattle. Donkeys have a range of physiological and behavioural adaptations that individually provide small survival advantages over cattle but collectively may make a large difference to whether or not they survive drought. Donkeys have lower maintenance costs as a result of their size and spend less energy while foraging for food; lower energy costs result in a lower dry matter intake (DMI) requirement. In donkeys, low-quality diets are digested almost as efficiently as in ruminants and, because of a highly selective feeding strategy, the quality of diet obtained by donkeys in a given pasture is higher than that obtained by cattle. Lower energy costs of walking, longer foraging times per day and ability to tolerate thirst may allow donkeys to access more remote, under-utilized sources of forage that are inaccessible to cattle on rangeland. As donkeys become a more popular choice of working animal for farmers, specific management practices need to be devised that allow donkeys to fully maximize their natural survival advantages.

Sanctification of Marriage and General Religiousness as Buffers of the Effects of Marital Inequity

PubMed Central

DeMaris, Alfred; Mahoney, Annette; Pargament, Kenneth I.

2011-01-01

Theory suggests that relationship inequity will be associated with less marital and personal distress among the more religious, and that this interaction effect will be stronger for women than men. Data are from 178 married couples experiencing the third trimester of pregnancy of their first biological child. Five outcome variables were assessed for each spouse: marital satisfaction, love, marital conflict, depression, and anxiety. Consistent with equity theory, perceived relative advantage was related in a non-monotonic fashion to all outcomes, with increasing advantage predicting better outcomes up to the equity point, but worse outcomes afterwards. Sanctification of marriage appeared to be a more important moderator of inequity effects than general religiousness. In particular, relative advantage had weaker effects among higher sanctifiers. The influence of relative advantage was also conditioned by gender. Wives’ psychological well-being appeared to be more adversely affected than men’s due to considering oneself overbenefited in the relationship. Moreover, the interaction between sanctification and relative advantage was somewhat stronger for wives. PMID:21984859

Tackling membrane fouling in microalgae filtration using nylon 6,6 nanofiber membrane.

PubMed

Bilad, M R; Azizo, A S; Wirzal, M D H; Jia Jia, L; Putra, Z A; Nordin, N A H M; Mavukkandy, M O; Jasni, M J F; Yusoff, A R M

2018-06-06

Microalgae technology, if managed properly, has promising roles in solving food-water-energy nexus. The Achilles' heel is, however, to lower the costs associated with cultivation and harvesting. As a favorable technique, application of membrane process is strongly limited by membrane fouling. This study evaluates performance of nylon 6,6 nanofiber membrane (NFM) to a conventional polyvinylidene fluoride phase inverted membrane (PVDF PIM) for filtration of Chlorella vulgaris. Results show that nylon 6,6 NFM is superhydrophilic, has higher size of pore opening (0.22 vs 0.18 μm) and higher surface pore density (23 vs 18 pores/μm 2 ) leading to higher permeance (1018 vs 493 L/m 2 hbar) and better fouling resistant. Such advantages help to outperform the filterability of PVDF PIM by showing much higher steady-state permeance (286 vs 120 L/m 2 hbar), with comparable biomass retention. In addition, unlike for PVDF PIM, imposing longer relaxation cycles further enhances the performance of the NFM (i.e., 178 L/m 2 hbar for 0.5 min and 236 L/m 2 hbar for 5 min). Overall findings confirm the advantages of nylon 6,6 NFM over the PVDF PIM. Such advantages can help to reduce required membrane area and specific aeration demand by enabling higher flux and lowering aeration rate. Nevertheless, developments of nylon 6,6 NFM material with respect to its intrinsic properties, mechanical strength and operational conditions of the panel can still be explored to enhance its competitiveness as a promising fouling resistant membrane material for microalgae filtration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal Building Systems Fit To Be Tried

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nation's Schools, 1974

1974-01-01

Describes the advantages of metal building systems in school construction. These advantages include faster occupancy, lower initial costs, reduced maintenance, flexibility, and predictability of cost. (Author/DN)

Fast and stable redox reactions of MnO2/CNT hybrid electrodes for dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Taoli; Wei, Bingqing

2015-07-01

Pseudocapacitors, which are energy storage devices that take advantage of redox reactions to store electricity, have a different charge storage mechanism compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), and they could realize further gains if they were used as stretchable power sources. The realization of dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors and understanding of the underlying fundamentals of their mechanical-electrochemical relationship have become indispensable. We report herein the electrochemical performance of dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors using buckled MnO2/CNT hybrid electrodes. The extremely small relaxation time constant of less than 0.15 s indicates a fast redox reaction at the MnO2/CNT hybrid electrodes, securing a stable electrochemical performance for the dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors. This finding and the fundamental understanding gained from the pseudo-capacitive behavior coupled with mechanical deformation under a dynamic stretching mode would provide guidance to further improve their overall performance including a higher power density than LIBs, a higher energy density than EDLCs, and a long-life cycling stability. Most importantly, these results will potentially accelerate the applications of stretchable pseudocapacitors for flexible and biomedical electronics.Pseudocapacitors, which are energy storage devices that take advantage of redox reactions to store electricity, have a different charge storage mechanism compared to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), and they could realize further gains if they were used as stretchable power sources. The realization of dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors and understanding of the underlying fundamentals of their mechanical-electrochemical relationship have become indispensable. We report herein the electrochemical performance of dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors using buckled MnO2/CNT hybrid electrodes. The extremely small relaxation time constant of less than 0.15 s indicates a fast redox reaction at the MnO2/CNT hybrid electrodes, securing a stable electrochemical performance for the dynamically stretchable pseudocapacitors. This finding and the fundamental understanding gained from the pseudo-capacitive behavior coupled with mechanical deformation under a dynamic stretching mode would provide guidance to further improve their overall performance including a higher power density than LIBs, a higher energy density than EDLCs, and a long-life cycling stability. Most importantly, these results will potentially accelerate the applications of stretchable pseudocapacitors for flexible and biomedical electronics. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02310f

Accounting for the Down syndrome advantage?

PubMed

Esbensen, Anna J; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick

2011-01-01

The authors examined factors that could explain the higher levels of psychosocial well being observed in past research in mothers of individuals with Down syndrome compared with mothers of individuals with other types of intellectual disabilities. The authors studied 155 mothers of adults with Down syndrome, contrasting factors that might validly account for the ?Down syndrome advantage? (behavioral phenotype) with those that have been portrayed in past research as artifactual (maternal age, social supports). The behavioral phenotype predicted less pessimism, more life satisfaction, and a better quality of the mother?child relationship. However, younger maternal age and fewer social supports, as well as the behavioral phenotype, predicted higher levels of caregiving burden. Implications for future research on families of individuals with Down syndrome are discussed.

Carbon Nanotubes for Supercapacitor

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

As an electrical energy storage device, supercapacitor finds attractive applications in consumer electronic products and alternative power source due to its higher energy density, fast discharge/charge time, low level of heating, safety, long-term operation stability, and no disposable parts. This work reviews the recent development of supercapacitor based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their composites. The purpose is to give a comprehensive understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of carbon nanotubes-related supercapacitor materials and to find ways for the improvement in the performance of supercapacitor. We first discussed the effects of physical and chemical properties of pure carbon nanotubes, including size, purity, defect, shape, functionalization, and annealing, on the supercapacitance. The composites, including CNTs/oxide and CNTs/polymer, were further discussed to enhance the supercapacitance and keep the stability of the supercapacitor by optimally engineering the composition, particle size, and coverage. PMID:20672061

Evidence for a Right-Ear Advantage in Newborn Hearing Screening Results.

PubMed

Ari-Even Roth, Daphne; Hildesheimer, Minka; Roziner, Ilan; Henkin, Yael

2016-12-06

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ear asymmetry, order of testing, and gender on transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) pass rates and response levels in newborn hearing screening. The screening results of 879 newborns, of whom 387 (study group) passed screening successfully in only one ear in the first TEOAE screening, but passed screening successfully in both ears thereafter, and 492 (control group) who passed screening successfully in both ears in the first TEOAE, were retrospectively examined for pass rates and TEOAE characteristics. Results indicated a right-ear advantage, as manifested by significantly higher pass rates in the right ear (61% and 39% for right and left ears, respectively) in the study group, and in 1.75 dB greater TEOAE response amplitudes in the control group. The right-ear advantage was enhanced when the first tested ear was the right ear (76%). When the left ear was tested first, pass rates were comparable in both ears. The right-ear advantage in pass rates was similar in females versus males, but manifested in 1.5 dB higher response amplitudes in females compared with males, regardless of the tested ear and order of testing in both study and control groups. The study provides further evidence for the functional lateralization of the auditory system at the cochlear level already apparent soon after birth in both males and females. While order of testing plays a significant role in the asymmetry in pass rates, the innate right-ear advantage seems to be a more dominant contributor. © The Author(s) 2016.

Evidence for a Right-Ear Advantage in Newborn Hearing Screening Results

PubMed Central

Hildesheimer, Minka; Roziner, Ilan; Henkin, Yael

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ear asymmetry, order of testing, and gender on transient-evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) pass rates and response levels in newborn hearing screening. The screening results of 879 newborns, of whom 387 (study group) passed screening successfully in only one ear in the first TEOAE screening, but passed screening successfully in both ears thereafter, and 492 (control group) who passed screening successfully in both ears in the first TEOAE, were retrospectively examined for pass rates and TEOAE characteristics. Results indicated a right-ear advantage, as manifested by significantly higher pass rates in the right ear (61% and 39% for right and left ears, respectively) in the study group, and in 1.75 dB greater TEOAE response amplitudes in the control group. The right-ear advantage was enhanced when the first tested ear was the right ear (76%). When the left ear was tested first, pass rates were comparable in both ears. The right-ear advantage in pass rates was similar in females versus males, but manifested in 1.5 dB higher response amplitudes in females compared with males, regardless of the tested ear and order of testing in both study and control groups. The study provides further evidence for the functional lateralization of the auditory system at the cochlear level already apparent soon after birth in both males and females. While order of testing plays a significant role in the asymmetry in pass rates, the innate right-ear advantage seems to be a more dominant contributor. PMID:27927982

Sofosbuvir and ABT-450: terminator of hepatitis C virus?

PubMed

Zeng, Qing-Lei; Zhang, Ji-Yuan; Zhang, Zheng; Wang, Li-Feng; Wang, Fu-Sheng

2013-06-07

Combination therapy with peginterferon (pegIFN)-α and ribavirin (RBV) has been the standard of care (SOC) for chronic hepatitis C. Unfortunately, not all patients can achieve a sustained virologic response (SVR) with this regimen. SVR rates are approximately 80% in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2, 3, 5 and 6 and 40%-50% in patients with genotype 1 and 4. Therefore, strategies to improve SVR rates have been an important issue for clinical physicians. Several direct acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have significantly higher SVR rates when combined with pegIFN-α and RBV than pegIFN-α and RBV alone. Treatments containing DAAs have several advantages over the previous SOC, including higher specificity and efficacy, shorter treatment durations, fewer side effects, and oral administration. Based on these advantages, treatment with pegIFN-α and RBV plus telaprevir or boceprevir has become the current SOC for patients with genotype 1 HCV infection. However, many patients are either not eligible for therapy or decline treatment due to coexisting relative or absolute contraindications as well as an inability to tolerate the hematological side effects and adverse events caused by the new SOC. These factors have contributed to the advent of pegIFN-α-free regimens. The newest therapeutic regimens containing sofosbuvir and ABT-450 have shown promising results. In this review, we summarize the development of anti-HCV agents and the clinical efficacy of sofosbuvir and ABT-450-based therapies as well as the potential for future HCV studies.

Mineralized polymer composites as biogenic bone substitute material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Rushita; Saha, Nabanita; Kitano, Takeshi; Saha, Petr

2015-05-01

Mineralized polymer composites (MPC) are recognized as potential fillers of bone defects. Though bioceramics exhibits quite a good bone-bonding and vascularization, it is considered to be too stiff and brittle for using alone. Thus, the use of polymer scaffold instead of bioceramics has several advantages including combining the osteoconductivity and bone-bonding potential of the inorganic phase with the porosity and interconnectivity of the three-dimensional construction. Aiming the advantages of ceramic-polymer composite scaffolds, the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) based biomineralized scaffold was prepared, where the PVP-CMC hydrogel was used as an extracellular matrix. This paper is reported about the morphology, swelling trend (in physiological solution) and viscoelastic behavior of (90 min mineralized) MPC. The dry MPC are off-white, coarse in texture, comparatively less flexible than the original PVP-CMC based hydrogel film, and the deposition of granular structures on the surface of the hydrogel film confirms about the development of biomineralized scaffold/polymer composites. Irrespective of thickness, the dry MPC shows higher values of swelling ratio within 30 min, which varies between 200-250 approximately. The dynamic viscoelastic nature of freshly prepared MPC was investigated applying 1% and 10% strain. At higher strain the viscoelastic moduli (G' and G") show significant change, and the nature of MPC turns from elastic to viscous. Based on the observed basic properties, the MPC (calcite based polymer composites) can be recommended for the treatment of adyanamic bone disorder.

System concept definition of the Grumman superconducting Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) Maglev design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Proise, M.

1994-01-01

Grumman, under contract to the Army Corps of Engineers, completed a System Concept Definition (SCD) study to design a high-speed 134 m/s (300 m.p.h.) magnetically levitated (Maglev) transportation system. The primary development goals were to design a Maglev that is safe, reliable, environmentally acceptable, and low-cost. The cost issue was a predominant one, since previous studies have shown that an economically viable Maglev system (one that is attractive to investors for future models of passenger and/or freight transportation) requires a cost that is about $12.4 M/km ($20 Million per mile). The design is based on the electromagnetic suspension (EMS) system using superconducting iron-core magnets mounted along both sides of the vehicle. The EMS system has several advantages compared to the electrodynamic suspension (EDS) Maglev systems such as low stray magnetic fields in the passenger cabin and the surrounding areas, uniform load distribution along the full length of the vehicle, and small pole pitch for smoother propulsion and ride comfort. It is also levitated at all speeds and incorporates a wrap-around design of safer operation. The Grumman design has all the advantages of an EMS system identified above, while eliminating (or significantly improving) drawbacks associated with normal magnet powered EMS systems. Improvements include larger gap clearance, lighter weight, lower number of control servos, and higher off line switching speeds. The design also incorporates vehicle tilt (plus or minus 9 deg) for higher coordinated turn and turn out speed capability.

Home advantage and referee bias in European football.

PubMed

Goumas, Chris

2014-01-01

Home advantage is well documented in a wide range of team sports including association football (soccer). Home team crowd support has been shown to be a likely causal factor and its influence on referee decision-making appears to play a significant role. Match data from the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 seasons of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League and Europa League were used to investigate referee bias in terms of the association between match location (home vs. away) and disciplinary sanctions used by football referees. The adjusted mean number of yellow cards received by home and away teams and the ratios of these means were estimated from Poisson regression models. After controlling for within-match measures of attacking dominance referees in the Champions League and Europa League issued 25% (p<0.001) and 10% (p=0.002) more yellow cards, respectively, to away teams than to home teams. The higher level of home team bias in the Champions League appeared to be mainly due to higher crowd densities. In a combined analysis of both UEFA leagues the magnitude of referee bias increased with increasing crowd density (p<0.001). Crowd size and crowd proximity were not associated with referee bias after controlling for crowd density. These results provide further evidence that crowd support influences referee decisions. Failure to control for within-match team performance may over-estimate the extent of referee bias in terms of the number of disciplinary sanctions used.

Sex Differences in World-Record Performance: The Influence of Sport Discipline and Competition Duration.

PubMed

Sandbakk, Øyvind; Solli, Guro Strøm; Holmberg, Hans-Christer

2018-01-01

The current review summarizes scientific knowledge concerning sex differences in world-record performance and the influence of sport discipline and competition duration. In addition, the way that physiological factors relate to sex dimorphism is discussed. While cultural factors played a major role in the rapid improvement of performance of women relative to men up until the 1990s, sex differences between the world's best athletes in most events have remained relatively stable at approximately 8-12%. The exceptions are events in which upper-body power is a major contributor, where this difference is more than 12%, and ultraendurance swimming, where the gap is now less than 5%. The physiological advantages in men include a larger body size with more skeletal-muscle mass, a lower percentage of body fat, and greater maximal delivery of anaerobic and aerobic energy. The greater strength and anaerobic capacity in men normally disappear when normalized for fat-free body mass, whereas the higher hemoglobin concentrations lead to 5-10% greater maximal oxygen uptake in men with such normalization. The higher percentage of muscle mass in the upper body of men results in a particularly large sex difference in power production during upper-body exercise. While the exercise efficiency of men and women is usually similar, women have a better capacity to metabolize fat and demonstrate better hydrodynamics and more even pacing, which may be advantageous, in particular during long-lasting swimming competitions.

Effects of isoflavone supplements vs. soy foods on blood concentrations of genistein and daidzein in adults

PubMed Central

Gardner, Christopher D.; Chatterjee, Lorraine M.; Franke, Adrian A.

2012-01-01

The objective of this investigation was to examine the pharmacokinetics of isoflavone concentrations over a 24-hour period among healthy adults consuming either soy foods or soy isoflavone tablets at different doses. This randomized, cross-over trial was conducted with twelve generally healthy adults. The three phases of the intervention included: isoflavone tablets at 1) 144 mg/day or 2) 288 mg/day, and 3) soy foods designed to provide a calculated 96 mg isoflavones/day (doses in aglycone equivalents). Doses were spread out over three meals/day. After 6 days on each study phase, plasma isoflavone concentrations were determined on the seventh day at 0, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 24 hours. Average levels of total isoflavone concentrations at 8, 10 and 12 hours were >4 μmol/L for the soy food phase and for the higher dose tablet phase. Genistein concentrations were higher overall in the soy food vs. both the lower and the higher dose supplement phases of the study (p≤0.05). When comparing plasma concentrations for the two doses of tablets, saturation appeared more evident for genistein than daidzein at the higher dose level. In conclusion, we observed important differences in the pharmacokinetics of genistein and daidzein contrasting the sources and doses of isoflavones when administered three times daily, including a possible advantage for increasing serum concentrations of isoflavones from consuming soy foods relative to isoflavone supplements. PMID:18602820

Effects of isoflavone supplements vs. soy foods on blood concentrations of genistein and daidzein in adults.

PubMed

Gardner, Christopher D; Chatterjee, Lorraine M; Franke, Adrian A

2009-03-01

The objective of this investigation was to examine the pharmacokinetics of isoflavone concentrations over a 24-h period among healthy adults consuming either soy foods or soy isoflavone tablets at different doses. This randomized, cross-over trial was conducted with 12 generally healthy adults. The three phases of the intervention included isoflavone tablets at (1) 144 mg/day or (2) 288 mg/day and (3) soy foods designed to provide a calculated 96 mg isoflavones/day (doses in aglycone equivalents). Doses were spread out over three meals per day. After 6 days on each study phase, plasma isoflavone concentrations were determined on the seventh day at 0, 4, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h. Average levels of total isoflavone concentrations at 8, 10 and 12 h were >4 micromol/L for the soy food phase and for the higher dose tablet phase. Genistein concentrations were higher overall in the soy food vs. both the lower and the higher dose supplement phases of the study (P<.05). When comparing plasma concentrations for the two doses of tablets, saturation appeared more evident for genistein than for daidzein at the higher dose level. In conclusion, we observed important differences in the pharmacokinetics of genistein and daidzein contrasting the sources and doses of isoflavones when administered three times daily, including a possible advantage for increasing serum concentrations of isoflavones from consuming soy foods relative to isoflavone supplements.

Do Medicare Advantage Plans Minimize Costs? Investigating the Relationship Between Benchmarks, Costs, and Rebates.

PubMed

Zuckerman, Stephen; Skopec, Laura; Guterman, Stuart

2017-12-01

Medicare Advantage (MA), the program that allows people to receive their Medicare benefits through private health plans, uses a benchmark-and-bidding system to induce plans to provide benefits at lower costs. However, prior research suggests medical costs, profits, and other plan costs are not as low under this system as they might otherwise be. To examine how well the current system encourages MA plans to bid their lowest cost by examining the relationship between costs and bonuses (rebates) and the benchmarks Medicare uses in determining plan payments. Regression analysis using 2015 data for HMO and local PPO plans. Costs and rebates are higher for MA plans in areas with higher benchmarks, and plan costs vary less than benchmarks do. A one-dollar increase in benchmarks is associated with 32-cent-higher plan costs and a 52-cent-higher rebate, even when controlling for market and plan factors that can affect costs. This suggests the current benchmark-and-bidding system allows plans to bid higher than local input prices and other market conditions would seem to warrant. To incentivize MA plans to maximize efficiency and minimize costs, Medicare could change the way benchmarks are set or used.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Aquatic Plant Management Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

This report provides an overview of the environmental and practical advantages and disadvantages of the major aquatic plant management methods, including biological, chemical, mechanical, and physical control techniques.

State-of-the-evidence reviews: advantages and challenges of including grey literature.

PubMed

Benzies, Karen M; Premji, Shahirose; Hayden, K Alix; Serrett, Karen

2006-01-01

Increasingly, health policy decision-makers and professionals are turning to research-based evidence to support decisions about policy and practice. Systematic reviews are useful for gathering, summarizing, and synthesizing published and unpublished research about clearly defined interventions. State-of-the-evidence reviews are broader than traditional systematic reviews and may include not only published and unpublished research, but also published and unpublished non-research literature. Decisions about whether to include this "grey literature" in a review are challenging and lead to many questions about whether the advantages outweigh the challenges. The primary purpose of this article is to describe what constitutes grey literature, and methods to locate it and assess its quality. The secondary purpose is to discuss the core issues to consider when making decisions to include grey literature in a state-of-the-evidence review. A recent state-of-the-evidence review is used as an exemplar to present advantages and challenges related to including grey literature in a review. Despite the challenges, in the exemplar, inclusion of grey literature was useful to validate the results of a research-based literature search. Decisions about whether to include grey literature in a state-of-the-evidence review are complex. A checklist to assist in decision-making was created as a tool to assist the researcher in determining whether it is advantageous to include grey literature in a review.

Why have hydrostatic bearings been avoided as a stabilizing element for rotating machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bently, D. E.; Muszynska, A.

1985-01-01

The advantages are discussed of hydrostatic, high pressure bearings as providers of higher margin of stability to the rotor/bearing systems. It is apparent that deliberate use of hydrostatic bearing high pressure lubricated (any gas or liquid) can easily be used to build higher stability margin into rotating machinery, in spite of the thirty years bias against high pressure lubrication. Since this supply pressure is controllable (the Direct Dynamic Stiffness at lower eccentricity is also controllable) so that within some rotor system limits, the stability margin and dynamic response of the rotor system is more readily controllable. It may be possible to take advantage of this effect in the various seals, as well as the bearings, to assist with stability margin and dynamic response of rotating machinery. The stability of the bearing can be additionally improved by taking advantage of the anti-swirling concept. The high pressure fluid supply inlets should be located tangentially at the bearing circumference and directed against rotation. The incoming fluid flow creates stability by reducing the swirling rate.

Theoretical investigation on exciplex pumped alkali vapor lasers with sonic-level gas flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xingqi; Shen, Binglin; Huang, Jinghua; Xia, Chunsheng; Pan, Bailiang

2017-07-01

Considering the effects of higher excited and ion energy states and utilizing the methodology in the fluid mechanics, a modified model of exciplex pumped alkali vapor lasers with sonic-level flowing gas is established. A comparison of output characters between subsonic flow and supersonic flow is made. In this model, higher excited and ion energy states are included as well, which modifies the analysis of the kinetic process and introduces larger heat loading in an operating CW exciplex-pumped alkali vapor laser. The results of our calculations predict that subsonic flow has an advantage over supersonic flow under the same fluid parameters, and stimulated emission in the supersonic flow would be quenched while the pump power reaching a threshold value of the fluid choking effect. However, by eliminating the influence of fluid characters, better thermal management and higher optical conversion efficiency can be obtained in supersonic flow. In addition, we make use of the "nozzle-diffuser" to build up the closed-circle flowing experimental device and gather some useful simulated results.

Effects of current on droplet generation and arc plasma in gas metal arc welding

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

Hu, J.; Tsai, H. L.

2006-09-01

In gas metal arc welding (GMAW), a technology using pulsed currents has been employed to achieve the one-droplet-per-pulse (ODPP) metal transfer mode with the advantages of low average currents, a stable and controllable droplet generation, and reduced spatter. In this paper, a comprehensive model was developed to study the effects of different current profiles on the droplet formation, plasma generation, metal transfer, and weld pool dynamics in GMAW. Five types of welding currents were studied, including two constant currents and three wave form currents. In each type, the transient temperature and velocity distributions of the arc plasma and the moltenmore » metal, and the shapes of the droplet and the weld pool were calculated. The results showed that a higher current generates smaller droplets, higher droplet frequency, and higher electromagnetic force that becomes the dominant factor detaching the droplet from the electrode tip. The model has demonstrated that a stable ODPP metal transfer mode can be achieved by choosing a current with proper wave form for given welding conditions.« less

Variable-Length Computerized Adaptive Testing Using the Higher Order DINA Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Chia-Ling; Wang, Wen-Chung

2015-01-01

Cognitive diagnosis models provide profile information about a set of latent binary attributes, whereas item response models yield a summary report on a latent continuous trait. To utilize the advantages of both models, higher order cognitive diagnosis models were developed in which information about both latent binary attributes and latent…

Advancing Campus Efficiencies: A Companion for Campus Leaders in the Digital Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnstone, Sally M.

2007-01-01

Technology is continually changing the world. In higher education in particular, new technologies can be applied to great advantage by campus communities seeking to offer better services for students in more efficient ways. Written for deans, vice presidents, and presidents of higher education institutions, this book provides advice that is…

On the Move: Globalising Higher Education in Europe and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Susan L.; Kedzierski, Matt

2016-01-01

This paper examines the rise and rise of a range of individual, institutional, national and regional mobility projects in the global higher education sector, and explores the implications of these dynamics for the economisation, and thus instrumentalisation, of English as a global language, as a medium of instruction and a competitive advantage.…

Higher Education Advocate. Volume VI, Number 1-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wechsler, Harold, Ed.

1989-01-01

Twelve issues of the National Education Association's (NEA) newsletter for NEA members in higher education focus on the following subjects: (1) NEA endorsement of Dukakis candidacy, and organizing at Southern Illinois University; (2) Dukakis STARS plan: a solid solution, and the Dukakis advantage; (3) the 100th Congress: praise from NEA, and the…

SERVMO: A Measure for Service-Driven Market Orientation in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voon, B. H.

2008-01-01

With the intensified pace of globalization and increasing customer expectations, the higher education sector, like other economy sectors, faces increasing competition in terms of serving customers better. Service has been recognized as an effective tool for a competitive advantage. Thus, there is always a need for a more effective way of improving…

Investigation on the Influence of the Brand Image of Higher Educational Institutions on Satisfaction and Customer Lifetime Value

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Cheng-Cai; Chen, Chin-Tsu; Chen, Chun-Fu

2012-01-01

This study aimed to discuss the relationships among the brand image of universities (external variables), university satisfaction (mediating variables) and customer lifetime value (internal variables). The findings can serve as a reference for higher educational institutions in strengthening their advantages and overcoming their shortcomings, as…

Thoroughly Applying Scientific Outlook on Development Implementing Sustainable Development Strategy in Higher Vocational Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Zhi; Wang, Youhua

2008-01-01

To make breakthroughs, obtain further development, and win in the fierce competition, higher vocational colleges must apply scientific outlook on development, set up students-and-teachers oriented educational concept, enhance connotation construction, create competition advantages so as to fully improve education and teaching quality and realize…

A Comparative Analysis on Models of Higher Education Massification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Maoyuan; Luo, Dan

2008-01-01

Four financial models of massification of higher education are discussed in this essay. They are American model, Western European model, Southeast Asian and Latin American model and the transition countries model. The comparison of the four models comes to the conclusion that taking advantage of nongovernmental funding is fundamental to dealing…

Academic Use of Social Media Technologies as an Integral Element of Informatics Program Delivery in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Jane See Yin; Harper, Barry; Chicharo, Joe F.

2014-01-01

Higher education institutions are currently examining how the current emerging technologies and social media applications can be integrated with the appropriate teaching pedagogies adopted by higher education institutions to provide students with learning experiences that take advantage of these new affordances. Due to the continuous and pervasive…

Degrees with Less Debt: Effective Higher Education Strategies for Underrepresented Student Populations. Research Highlights. IERC 2017-2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Janet K.; White, Bradford R.; Terrell, Sarah K.

2017-01-01

The higher education landscape is becoming increasingly more adverse for students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students. Postsecondary enrollment and completion rates for traditionally underrepresented populations continue to be disproportionately lower than for their more advantaged peers (Chen & Carroll, 2005; Nunez…

Investigating Student Choices in Performing Higher-Level Comprehension Tasks Using TED

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bianchi, Francesca; Marenzi, Ivana

2016-01-01

The current paper describes a first experiment in the use of TED talks and open tagging exercises to train higher-level comprehension skills, and of automatic logging of the student's actions to investigate the student choices while performing analytical tasks. The experiment took advantage of an interactive learning platform--LearnWeb--that…

Stakeholder Perspectives on Citation and Peer-Based Rankings of Higher Education Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Stephen; Huisman, Jeroen

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to identify and discuss the possible uses of higher education journal rankings, and the associated advantages and disadvantages of using them. The research involved 40 individuals--lecturers, university managers, journal editors and publishers--who represented a range of stakeholders involved with research into…

Home Advantage in Men's and Women's Spanish First and Second Division Water Polo Leagues.

PubMed

Prieto, Jaime; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; Pollard, Richard

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to quantify the home advantage in both men's and women's First and Second Division water polo leagues, to compare the results obtained according to sex of participants and the level of competition, and to test for possible differences in home advantage when considering the interaction between these two factors. The sample comprised four seasons from 2007-2008 to 2010-2011 for a total of 1942 games analyzed. The results showed the existence of home advantage in both men's and women's First and Second Divisions. After controlling for the competitive balance of each league in each season, there was a significant difference between men's and women's leagues, with higher home advantage for men's leagues (58.60% compared with 53.70% for women's leagues). There was also a significant difference between the levels of competition, with greater home advantage for the Second Division (57.95% compared with 54.35% for First Division). No significant differences in home advantage were found when considering the interaction between sex of participants and the level of competition. The results in relation to sex of participants and the level of competition are consistent with previous studies in other sports such as football or handball.

Home Advantage in Men’s and Women’s Spanish First and Second Division Water Polo Leagues

PubMed Central

Prieto, Jaime; Gómez, Miguel-Ángel; Pollard, Richard

The purpose of this study was to quantify the home advantage in both men’s and women’s First and Second Division water polo leagues, to compare the results obtained according to sex of participants and the level of competition, and to test for possible differences in home advantage when considering the interaction between these two factors. The sample comprised four seasons from 2007–2008 to 2010–2011 for a total of 1942 games analyzed. The results showed the existence of home advantage in both men’s and women’s First and Second Divisions. After controlling for the competitive balance of each league in each season, there was a significant difference between men’s and women’s leagues, with higher home advantage for men’s leagues (58.60% compared with 53.70% for women’s leagues). There was also a significant difference between the levels of competition, with greater home advantage for the Second Division (57.95% compared with 54.35% for First Division). No significant differences in home advantage were found when considering the interaction between sex of participants and the level of competition. The results in relation to sex of participants and the level of competition are consistent with previous studies in other sports such as football or handball. PMID:24146714

Solid state direct bonding of polymers by vacuum ultraviolet light below 160 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Yuki; Yamamoto, Takatoki

2017-10-01

This work investigated the application of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation to the bonding of various substrates, including glass, polycarbonate (PC), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). This method has the advantage of being able to bond various substrates without the application of heat or adhesives, and therefore may be very useful in the fabrication of micro/nanoscale structures composed of polymers. In contrast to previous applications of this technique, the present study used VUV radiation at wavelengths at and below 160 nm so as to take advantage of the higher energy in this range. Bonding was assessed based on measuring the shear stress of various test specimens subjected to VUV irradiation and then pressed together, and a number of analytical methods were also employed to examine the irradiated surfaces in order to elucidate the morphological and chemical changes following VUV treatment. These analyses included water contact angle measurements, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Poor bonding was identified between combinations consisting of PMMA/PC, PMMA/COP, PMMA/PMMA, PMMA/glass, and PC/COP, whereas all other combinations resulted in successful bonding with the bonding stress values such as PC/PC = 2.0 MPa, PC/glass = 10.7 MPa and COP/COP = 1.7 MPa, respectively.

Freestanding heart hospitals is the end near?

PubMed

Ronning, Philip L; Nugent, Michael

2004-09-01

Freestanding heart hospitals are not enjoying the same competitive advantages they have in recent years for several reasons: Regulatory policy seems to be turning against them. They no longer enjoy the same cost structure advantage. Technology shifts mean lower payment rates and higher costs for cardiac services. Their access to capital is diminished. Traditional hospitals are mounting more effective competitive responses, while entrepreneurial physician practice executives are pursuing alternative strategies that may lead to more competition for heart hospitals.

Slotted Polyimide-Aerogel-Filled-Waveguide Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez-Solis, Rafael A.; Pacheco, Hector L.; Miranda, Felix A.; Meador, Mary Ann B.

2013-01-01

This presentation discussed the potential advantages of developing Slotted Waveguide Arrays using polyimide aerogels. Polyimide (PI) aerogels offer great promise as an enabling technology for lightweight aerospace antenna systems. PI aerogels are highly porous solids possessing low density and low dielectric permittivity combined with good mechanical properties. For slotted waveguide array applications, there are significant advantages in mass that more than compensate for the slightly higher loss of the aerogel filled waveguide when compared to state of practice commercial waveguide.

Visual-motor association learning in undergraduate students as a function of the autism-spectrum quotient.

PubMed

Parkington, Karisa B; Clements, Rebecca J; Landry, Oriane; Chouinard, Philippe A

2015-10-01

We examined how performance on an associative learning task changes in a sample of undergraduate students as a function of their autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) score. The participants, without any prior knowledge of the Japanese language, learned to associate hiragana characters with button responses. In the novel condition, 50 participants learned visual-motor associations without any prior exposure to the stimuli's visual attributes. In the familiar condition, a different set of 50 participants completed a session in which they first became familiar with the stimuli's visual appearance prior to completing the visual-motor association learning task. Participants with higher AQ scores had a clear advantage in the novel condition; the amount of training required reaching learning criterion correlated negatively with AQ. In contrast, participants with lower AQ scores had a clear advantage in the familiar condition; the amount of training required to reach learning criterion correlated positively with AQ. An examination of how each of the AQ subscales correlated with these learning patterns revealed that abilities in visual discrimination-which is known to depend on the visual ventral-stream system-may have afforded an advantage in the novel condition for the participants with the higher AQ scores, whereas abilities in attention switching-which are known to require mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex-may have afforded an advantage in the familiar condition for the participants with the lower AQ scores.

What Medicare Covers

MedlinePlus

... your Medicare coverage — Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C). What Part A covers Medicare ... health plans cover Medicare health plans include Medicare Advantage, Medical Savings Account (MSA), Medicare Cost plans, PACE, ...

Is there an urban advantage in child survival in sub-saharan Africa? Evidence from 18 countries in the 1990s.

PubMed

Bocquier, Philippe; Madise, Nyovani Janet; Zulu, Eliya Msiyaphazi

2011-05-01

Evidence of higher child mortality of rural-to-urban migrants compared with urban nonmigrants is growing. However, less attention has been paid to comparing the situation of the same families before and after they migrate with the situation of urban-to-rural migrants. We use DHS data from 18 African countries to compare child mortality rates of six groups based on their mothers' migration status: rural nonmigrants; urban nonmigrants; rural-to-urban migrants before and after they migrate; and urban-to-rural migrants before and after they migrate. The results show that rural-to-urban migrants had, on average, lower child mortality before they migrated than rural nonmigrants, and that their mortality levels dropped further after they arrived in urban areas. We found no systematic evidence of higher child mortality for rural-to-urban migrants compared with urban nonmigrants. Urban-to-rural migrants had higher mortality in the urban areas, and their move to rural areas appeared advantageous because they experienced lower or similar child mortality after living in rural areas. After we control for known demographic and socioeconomic correlates of under-5 mortality, the urban advantage is greatly reduced and sometimes reversed. The results suggest that it may not be necessarily the place of residence that matters for child survival but, rather, access to services and economic opportunities.

A Subtle Source of Power: The Effect of Having an Expectation on Anticipated Interpersonal Power

PubMed Central

BALDWIN, AUSTIN S.; KIVINIEMI, MARC T.; SNYDER, MARK

2009-01-01

In 2 studies, the authors tested the hypothesis that having information about another person can be a source of power in interpersonal interactions. In Study 1, the authors randomized participants to receive an expectation about an interaction partner, and the expectation provided an informational advantage for some participants but not for others. Participants with an advantage reported higher perceptions of power than did those who had information that did not confer an advantage; however, the effect was isolated to feelings of informational power. In Study 2, the authors examined whether the effect extended to different types of power when the information did not provide an explicit advantage. In this case, participants who received a more ambiguous expectation reported more diffuse feelings of power. The authors discuss implications for understanding the dynamics of power in social interactions. PMID:19245049

The relationship among the resiliency practices in supply chain, financial performance, and competitive advantage in manufacturing firms in Indonesia and Sierra Leone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musa, I.; Nyoman Pujawan, I.

2018-04-01

Current supply chain management (SCM) has become a potentially treasured way of safeguarding competitive advantage and improving organizational performance since competition is no longer between organizations, but among supply chains. This research conceptualizes and develops four resiliency practices (Flexibility, Redundancy, Collaboration and Agility) and tests the relationships between organizations’ financial performance and competitive advantage in manufacturing firms. The study involves manufacturing firms in Indonesia and Sierra Leone. The study used stratified random sampling to pick a sample size of 95 manufacturing firms, which represented different industrial sectors. The respondents were mainly managers of different manufacturing companies. The relationships proposed in the conceptual framework were tested using correlation analysis. The results indicate that higher levels of resilience practices in manufacturing firms can lead to enhanced competitive advantage and improved financial performance.

Nontraditional Families and Childhood Progress Through School

PubMed Central

ROSENFELD, MICHAEL J.

2010-01-01

I use U.S. census data to perform the first large-sample, nationally representative tests of outcomes for children raised by same-sex couples. The results show that children of same-sex couples are as likely to make normal progress through school as the children of most other family structures. Heterosexual married couples are the family type whose children have the lowest rates of grade retention, but the advantage of heterosexual married couples is mostly due to their higher socioeconomic status. Children of all family types (including children of same-sex couples) are far more likely to make normal progress through school than are children living in group quarters (such as orphanages and shelters). PMID:20879687

Recovery Processes of Organic Acids from Fermentation Broths in the Biomass-Based Industry.

PubMed

Li, Qian-Zhu; Jiang, Xing-Lin; Feng, Xin-Jun; Wang, Ji-Ming; Sun, Chao; Zhang, Hai-Bo; Xian, Mo; Liu, Hui-Zhou

2016-01-01

The new movement towards green chemistry and renewable feedstocks makes microbial production of chemicals more competitive. Among the numerous chemicals, organic acids are more attractive targets for process development efforts in the renewable-based biorefinery industry. However, most of the production costs in microbial processes are higher than that in chemical processes, among which over 60% are generated by separation processes. Therefore, the research of separation and purification processes is important for a promising biorefinery industry. This review highlights the progress of recovery processes in the separation and purification of organic acids, including their advantages and disadvantages, current situation, and future prospects in terms of recovery yields and industrial application.

Examples of current radar technology and applications, chapter 5, part B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Basic principles and tradeoff considerations for SLAR are summarized. There are two fundamental types of SLAR sensors available to the remote sensing user: real aperture and synthetic aperture. The primary difference between the two types is that a synthetic aperture system is capable of significant improvements in target resolution but requires equally significant added complexity and cost. The advantages of real aperture SLAR include long range coverage, all-weather operation, in-flight processing and image viewing, and lower cost. The fundamental limitation of the real aperture approach is target resolution. Synthetic aperture processing is the most practical approach for remote sensing problems that require resolution higher than 30 to 40 m.

Sealed aerospace metal-hydride batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coates, Dwaine

1992-01-01

Nickel metal hydride and silver metal hydride batteries are being developed for aerospace applications. There is a growing market for smaller, lower cost satellites which require higher energy density power sources than aerospace nickel-cadmium at a lower cost than space nickel-hydrogen. These include small LEO satellites, tactical military satellites and satellite constellation programs such as Iridium and Brilliant Pebbles. Small satellites typically do not have the spacecraft volume or the budget required for nickel-hydrogen batteries. NiCd's do not have adequate energy density as well as other problems such as overcharge capability and memory effort. Metal hydride batteries provide the ideal solution for these applications. Metal hydride batteries offer a number of advantages over other aerospace battery systems.

Biocatalysis: applications and potentials for the chemical industry.

PubMed

Thomas, Stuart M; DiCosimo, Robert; Nagarajan, Vasantha

2002-06-01

The chemical industry is exploring the use of renewable feed stocks to improve sustainability, prompting the exploration of bioprocesses for the production of chemicals. Attractive features of biological systems include versatility, substrate selectivity, regioselectivity, chemoselectivity, enantioselectivity and catalysis at ambient temperatures and pressures. However, a challenge facing bioprocesses is cost competitiveness with chemical processes because capital assets associated with the existing commercial processes are high. The chemical industry will probably use biotechnology with existing feed stocks and processes to extract higher values from feed stocks, process by-products and waste streams. In this decade, bioprocesses that offer either a process or a product advantage over traditional chemical routes will become more widely used.

Broadband parametric amplifiers based on nonlinear kinetic inductance artificial transmission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, S.; Li, D.; Irwin, K. D.; Bockstiegel, C.; Hubmayr, J.; Ullom, J. N.; Vissers, M. R.; Gao, J.

2017-04-01

We present broadband parametric amplifiers based on the kinetic inductance of superconducting NbTiN thin films in an artificial (lumped-element) transmission line architecture. We demonstrate two amplifier designs implementing different phase matching techniques: periodic impedance loading and resonator phase shifters placed periodically along the transmission line. Our design offers several advantages over previous CPW-based amplifiers, including intrinsic 50 Ω characteristic impedance, natural suppression of higher pump harmonics, lower required pump power, and shorter total trace length. Experimental realizations of both versions of the amplifiers are demonstrated. With a transmission line length of 20 cm, we have achieved gains of 15 dB over several GHz of bandwidth.

The structure of teenage employment: Social background and the jobs held by high school seniors

PubMed Central

Hirschman, Charles; Voloshin, Irina

2009-01-01

Although it is widely assumed that work careers begin after the completion of schooling, most enrolled high school students are also workers. Teenage workers are heavily concentrated in the low wage service sector, but they are also found as supplemental part-time workers in many occupations, including clerical, retail sales, and blue collar employment. Gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic origins are important determinants of the types of jobs that teenage students hold. Students from advantaged socioeconomic origins and students with above average grades are more likely to work in “good jobs,” defined by lower hours of work per week and higher status. PMID:20011672

Ceramic technology for solar thermal receivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kudirka, A. A.; Smoak, R. H.

1981-01-01

The high-temperature capability, resistance to corrosive environments and non-strategic nature of ceramics have prompted applications in the solar thermal field whose advantages over metallic devices of comparable performance may begin to be assessed. It is shown by a survey of point-focusing receiver designs employing a variety of ceramic compositions and fabrication methods that the state-of-the-art in structural ceramics is not sufficiently advanced to fully realize the promised benefits of higher temperature capabilities at lower cost than metallic alternatives. The ceramics considered include alumina, berylia, magnesia, stabilized zirconia, fused silica, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, mullite and cordierite, processed by such methods as isostatic pressing, dry pressing, slip casting, extrusion, calendaring and injection molding.

Caterpillars benefit from thermal ecosystem engineering by wandering albatrosses on sub-Antarctic Marion Island.

PubMed

Sinclair, Brent J; Chown, Steven L

2006-03-22

Wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) nest on Southern Ocean islands, building elevated nests upon which they incubate eggs and raise chicks, and which the chicks occupy through winter. The nests support high invertebrate biomass, including larvae of the flightless moth Pringleophaga marioni. Here we argue that high biomass of P. marioni in the nests is not associated with nutrient loading as previously suspected, but that higher temperatures in the nests increase growth and feeding rate, and decrease deleterious repeated cold exposure, providing fitness advantages for P. marioni. Thus, wandering albatrosses may be serving as thermal engineers, modifying temperature and therefore enabling better resource use by P. marioni.

A review on biomass classification and composition, cofiring issues and pretreatment methods

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

Jaya Shankar Tumuluru; Shahab Sokhansanj; Christopher T. Wright

Presently around the globe there is a significant interest in using biomass for power generation as power generation from coal continues to raise environmental concerns. Biomass alone can be used for generation of power which can bring lot of environmental benefits. However the constraints of using biomass alone can include high investments costs for biomass feed systems and also uncertainty in the security of the feedstock supply due to seasonal variations and in most of the countries biomass is dispersed and the infrastructure for biomass supply is not well established. Alternatively cofiring biomass along with coal offer advantages like (a)more » reducing the issues related to biomass quality and buffers the system when there is insufficient feedstock quantity and (b) costs of adapting the existing coal power plants will be lower than building new systems dedicated only to biomass. However with the above said advantages there exists some technical constrains including low heating and energy density values, low bulk density, lower grindability index, higher moisture and ash content to successfully cofire biomass with coal. In order to successfully cofire biomass with coal, biomass feedstock specifications need to be established to direct pretreatment options that may include increasing the energy density, bulk density, stability during storage and grindability. Impacts on particle transport systems, flame stability, pollutant formation and boiler tube fouling/corrosion must also be minimized by setting feedstock specifications including composition and blend ratios if necessary. Some of these limitations can be overcome by using pretreatment methods. This paper discusses the impact of feedstock pretreatment methods like sizing, baling, pelletizing, briquetting, washing/leaching, torrefaction, torrefaction and pelletization and steam explosion in attainment of optimum feedstock characteristics to successfully cofire biomass with coal.« less

Advanced composite fuselage technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilcewicz, Larry B.; Smith, Peter J.; Horton, Ray E.

1993-01-01

Boeing's ATCAS program has completed its third year and continues to progress towards a goal to demonstrate composite fuselage technology with cost and weight advantages over aluminum. Work on this program is performed by an integrated team that includes several groups within The Boeing Company, industrial and university subcontractors, and technical support from NASA. During the course of the program, the ATCAS team has continued to perform a critical review of composite developments by recognizing advances in metal fuselage technology. Despite recent material, structural design, and manufacturing advancements for metals, polymeric matrix composite designs studied in ATCAS still project significant cost and weight advantages for future applications. A critical path to demonstrating technology readiness for composite transport fuselage structures was created to summarize ATCAS tasks for Phases A, B, and C. This includes a global schedule and list of technical issues which will be addressed throughout the course of studies. Work performed in ATCAS since the last ACT conference is also summarized. Most activities relate to crown quadrant manufacturing scaleup and performance verification. The former was highlighted by fabricating a curved, 7 ft. by 10 ft. panel, with cocured hat-stiffeners and cobonded J-frames. In building to this scale, process developments were achieved for tow-placed skins, drape formed stiffeners, braided/RTM frames, and panel cure tooling. Over 700 tests and supporting analyses have been performed for crown material and design evaluation, including structural tests that demonstrated limit load requirements for severed stiffener/skin failsafe damage conditions. Analysis of tests for tow-placed hybrid laminates with large damage indicates a tensile fracture toughness that is higher than that observed for advanced aluminum alloys. Additional recent ATCAS achievements include crown supporting technology, keel quadrant design evaluation, and sandwich process development.

Performance study of sugar-yeast-ethanol bio-hybrid fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahnke, Justin P.; Mackie, David M.; Benyamin, Marcus; Ganguli, Rahul; Sumner, James J.

2015-05-01

Renewable alternatives to fossil hydrocarbons for energy generation are of general interest for a variety of political, economic, environmental, and practical reasons. In particular, energy from biomass has many advantages, including safety, sustainability, and the ability to be scavenged from native ecosystems or from waste streams. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can take advantage of microorganism metabolism to efficiently use sugar and other biomolecules as fuel, but are limited by low power densities. In contrast, direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) take advantage of proton exchange membranes (PEMs) to generate electricity from alcohols at much higher power densities. Here, we investigate a novel bio-hybrid fuel cell design prepared using commercial off-the-shelf DAFCs. In the bio-hybrid fuel cells, biomass such as sugar is fermented by yeast to ethanol, which can be used to fuel a DAFC. A separation membrane between the fermentation and the DAFC is used to purify the fermentate while avoiding any parasitic power losses. However, shifting the DAFCs from pure alcohol-water solutions to filtered fermented media introduces complications related to how the starting materials, fermentation byproducts, and DAFC waste products affect both the fermentation and the long-term DAFC performance. This study examines the impact of separation membrane pore size, fermentation/fuel cell byproducts, alcohol and salt concentrations, and load resistance on fuel cell performance. Under optimized conditions, the performance obtained is comparable to that of a similar DAFC run with a pure alcohol-water mixture. Additionally, the modified DAFC can provide useable amounts of power for weeks.

High Temperature Polymers for use in Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peplowski, Katherine M.

2004-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is currently working on polymers for fuel cell and lithium battery applications. The desire for more efficient, higher power density, and a lower environmental impact power sources has led to interest in proton exchanges membrane fuels cells (PEMFC) and lithium batteries. A PEMFC has many advantages as a power source. The fuel cell uses oxygen and hydrogen as reactants. The resulting products are electricity, heat, and water. The PEMFC consists of electrodes with a catalyst, and an electrolyte. The electrolyte is an ion-conducting polymer that transports protons from the anode to the cathode. Typically, a PEMFC is operated at a temperature of about 80 C. There is intense interest in developing a fuel cell membrane that can operate at higher temperatures in the range of 80 C- 120 C. Operating the he1 cell at higher temperatures increases the kinetics of the fuel cell reaction as well as decreasing the susceptibility of the catalyst to be poisoned by impurities. Currently, Nafion made by Dupont is the most widely used polymer membrane in PEMFC. Nafion does not function well above 80 C due to a significant decrease in the conductivity of the membrane from a loss of hydration. In addition to the loss of conductivity at high temperatures, the long term stability and relatively high cost of Nafion have stimulated many researches to find a substitute for Nafion. Lithium ion batteries are popular for use in portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers and mobile phones. The high power density of lithium batteries makes them ideal for the high power demand of today s advanced electronics. NASA is developing a solid polymer electrolyte that can be used for lithium batteries. Solid polymer electrolytes have many advantages over the current gel or liquid based systems that are used currently. Among these advantages are the potential for increased power density and design flexibility. Automobiles, computers, and cell phones require highly efficient power density for lowering emissions and meeting increasing consumer demands. Many of the solutions can be provided by proton exchange membrane fuel cells and lithium batteries. NASA Glenn Research Center has recognized this need, and is presently engaged in a solution. The goals for the summer include mastering synthesis techniques, understanding the reactions occurring during the synthesis, and characterizing the resulting polymer membranes using NMR, DSC, and TGA for the PEMFC and lithium batteries.

Trends in the Teaching of Typewriting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meehan, James R.

1977-01-01

Topics discussed include the cost advantages of electric versus manual typewriters, the advantages of teaching with electric typewriters, copying and typewriting, computers and typewriting, standardization of typewriting style, and word processing and typewriting. (TA)

Research on solar pumped liquid lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, J. D.; Kurzweg, U. H.; Weinstein, N. H.; Schneider, R. T.

1985-01-01

A solar pumped liquid laser that can be scaled up to high power (10 mW CW) for space applications was developed. Liquid lasers have the advantage over gases in that they provide much higher lasant densities and thus high-power densities. Liquids also have advantages over solids in that they have much higher damage thresholds and are much cheaper to produce for large scale applications. Among the liquid laser media that are potential candidates for solar pumping, the POC13: Nd sup 3+:ZrC14 liquid was chosen for its high intrinsic efficiency and its relatively good stability against decomposition due to protic contamination. The development of a manufacturing procedure and performance testing of the laser, liquid and the development of an inexpensive large solar concentrator to pump the laser are examined.

The extraction characteristic of Au-Ag from Au concentrate by thiourea solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Bongju; Cho, Kanghee; On, Hyunsung; Choi, Nagchoul; Park, Cheonyoung

2013-04-01

The cyanidation process has been used commercially for the past 100 years, there are ores that are not amenable to treatment by cyanide. Interest in alternative lixiviants, such as thiourea, halogens, thiosulfate and malononitrile, has been revived as a result of a major increase in gold price, which has stimulated new developments in extraction technology, combined with environmental concern. The Au extraction process using the thiourea solvent has many advantages over the cyanidation process, including higher leaching rates, faster extraction time and less than toxicity. The purpose of this study was investigated to the extraction characteristic of Au-Ag from two different Au concentrate (sulfuric acid washing and roasting) under various experiment conditions (thiourea concentration, pH of solvent, temperature) by thiourea solvent. The result of extraction experiment showed that the Au-Ag extraction was a fast extraction process, reaching equilibrium (maximum extraction rate) within 30 min. The Au-Ag extraction rate was higher in the roasted concentrate than in the sulfuric acid washing. The higher the Au-Ag extraction rate (Au - 70.87%, Ag - 98.12%) from roasted concentrate was found when the more concentration of thiourea increased, pH decreased and extraction temperature increased. This study informs extraction method basic knowledge when thiourea was a possibility to eco-/economic resources of Au-Ag utilization studies including the hydrometallurgy.

Higher Education as a Means of Upward Social Mobility: The Expectations of Graduates and the Realities of Present-Day Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burlutskaia, M. G.

2014-01-01

Research data show that higher education in Russia is less of a vehicle of upward mobility than it was in earlier times, not least because it is becoming less of an advantage as the percentage of people with degrees increases. This raises questions about what the goals of higher education should be, and of how to prepare young people for the job…

A comparative study between spiral-filter press and belt press implemented in a cloudy apple juice production process.

PubMed

De Paepe, Domien; Coudijzer, Katleen; Noten, Bart; Valkenborg, Dirk; Servaes, Kelly; De Loose, Marc; Diels, Ludo; Voorspoels, Stefan; Van Droogenbroeck, Bart

2015-04-15

In this study, advantages and disadvantages of the innovative, low-oxygen spiral-filter press system were studied in comparison with the belt press, commonly applied in small and medium size enterprises for the production of cloudy apple juice. On the basis of equivalent throughput, a higher juice yield could be achieved with spiral-filter press. Also a more turbid juice with a higher content of suspended solids could be produced. The avoidance of enzymatic browning during juice extraction led to an attractive yellowish juice with an elevated phenolic content. Moreover, it was found that juice produced with spiral-filter press demonstrates a higher retention of phenolic compounds during the downstream processing steps and storage. The results demonstrates the advantage of the use of a spiral-filter press in comparison with belt press in the production of a high quality cloudy apple juice rich in phenolic compounds, without the use of oxidation inhibiting additives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Challenge of Parenting Girls in Neighborhoods of Different Perceived Quality

PubMed Central

Ahonen, Lia; Loeber, Rolf; Hipwell, Alison; Stepp, Stephanie

2015-01-01

It is well-known that disadvantaged neighborhoods, as officially identified through census data, harbor higher numbers of delinquent individuals than advantaged neighborhoods. What is much less known is whether parents’ perception of the neighborhood problems predicts low parental engagement with their girls and, ultimately, how this is related to girls’ delinquency, including violence. This paper elucidates these issues by examining data from the Pittsburgh Girls Study, including parent-report of neighborhood problems and level of parental engagement and official records and girl-reported delinquency at ages 15, 16, and 17. Results showed higher stability over time for neighborhood problems and parental engagement than girls’ delinquency. Parents’ perception of their neighborhood affected the extent to which parents engaged in their girls’ lives, but low parental engagement did not predict girls being charged for offending at age 15, 16 or 17. These results were largely replicated for girls’ self-reported delinquency with the exception that low parental engagement at age 16 was predictive of the frequency of girls’ self-reported delinquency at age 17 as well. The results, because of their implications for screening and early interventions, are relevant to policy makers as well as practitioners. PMID:26543639

The Challenge of Parenting Girls in Neighborhoods of Different Perceived Quality.

PubMed

Ahonen, Lia; Loeber, Rolf; Hipwell, Alison; Stepp, Stephanie

It is well-known that disadvantaged neighborhoods, as officially identified through census data, harbor higher numbers of delinquent individuals than advantaged neighborhoods. What is much less known is whether parents' perception of the neighborhood problems predicts low parental engagement with their girls and, ultimately, how this is related to girls' delinquency, including violence. This paper elucidates these issues by examining data from the Pittsburgh Girls Study, including parent-report of neighborhood problems and level of parental engagement and official records and girl-reported delinquency at ages 15, 16, and 17. Results showed higher stability over time for neighborhood problems and parental engagement than girls' delinquency. Parents' perception of their neighborhood affected the extent to which parents engaged in their girls' lives, but low parental engagement did not predict girls being charged for offending at age 15, 16 or 17. These results were largely replicated for girls' self-reported delinquency with the exception that low parental engagement at age 16 was predictive of the frequency of girls' self-reported delinquency at age 17 as well. The results, because of their implications for screening and early interventions, are relevant to policy makers as well as practitioners.

Predation Response of Vibrio fischeri Biofilms to Bacterivorus Protists

PubMed Central

Chavez-Dozal, Alba; Gorman, Clayton; Erken, Martina; Steinberg, Peter D.; McDougald, Diane

2013-01-01

Vibrio fischeri proliferates in a sessile, stable community known as a biofilm, which is one alternative survival strategy of its life cycle. Although this survival strategy provides adequate protection from abiotic factors, marine biofilms are still susceptible to grazing by bacteria-consuming protozoa. Subsequently, grazing pressure can be controlled by certain defense mechanisms that confer higher biofilm antipredator fitness. In the present work, we hypothesized that V. fischeri exhibits an antipredator fitness behavior while forming biofilms. Different predators representing commonly found species in aquatic populations were examined, including the flagellates Rhynchomonas nasuta and Neobodo designis (early biofilm feeders) and the ciliate Tetrahymena pyriformis (late biofilm grazer). V. fischeri biofilms included isolates from both seawater and squid hosts (Euprymna and Sepiola species). Our results demonstrate inhibition of predation by biofilms, specifically, isolates from seawater. Additionally, antiprotozoan behavior was observed to be higher in late biofilms, particularly toward the ciliate T. pyriformis; however, inhibitory effects were found to be widespread among all isolates tested. These results provide an alternative explanation for the adaptive advantage and persistence of V. fischeri biofilms and provide an important contribution to the understanding of defensive mechanisms that exist in the out-of-host environment. PMID:23144127

Ticagrelor - toward more efficient platelet inhibition and beyond.

PubMed

Kubisa, Michał J; Jezewski, Mateusz P; Gasecka, Aleksandra; Siller-Matula, Jolanta M; Postuła, Marek

2018-01-01

Novel antiplatelet drugs, including ticagrelor, are being successively introduced into the therapy of atherothrombotic conditions due to their superiority over a standard combination of clopidogrel with acetylsalicylic acid in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). A P2Y12 receptor antagonist, ticagrelor, is unique among antiplatelet drugs, because ticagrelor inhibits the platelet P2Y12 receptor in a reversible manner, and because it demonstrates a wide palette of advantageous pleiotropic effects associated with the increased concentration of adenosine. The pleiotropic effects of ticagrelor comprise cardioprotection, restoration of the myocardium after an ischemic event, promotion of the release of anticoagulative factors and, eventually, anti-inflammatory effects. Beyond the advantageous effects, the increased concentration of adenosine is responsible for some of ticagrelor's adverse effects, including dyspnea and bradycardia. Large-scale clinical trials demonstrated that both standard 12-month therapy and long-term use of ticagrelor reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with ACS, but at the expense of a higher risk of major bleeding. Further trials focused on the use of ticagrelor in conditions other than ACS, including ischemic stroke, peripheral artery disease and status after coronary artery bypass grafting. The results of these trials suggest comparable efficacy and safety of ticagrelor and clopidogrel in extra-coronary indications, but firm conclusions are anticipated from currently ongoing studies. Here, we summarize current evidence on the superiority of ticagrelor over other P2Y12 antagonists in ACS, discuss the mechanism underlying the drug-drug interactions and pleiotropic effects of ticagrelor, and present future perspectives of non-coronary indications for ticagrelor.

Explicit continuous charge-based compact model for long channel heavily doped surrounding-gate MOSFETs incorporating interface traps and quantum effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzah, Afiq; Hamid, Fatimah A.; Ismail, Razali

2016-12-01

An explicit solution for long-channel surrounding-gate (SRG) MOSFETs is presented from intrinsic to heavily doped body including the effects of interface traps and fixed oxide charges. The solution is based on the core SRGMOSFETs model of the Unified Charge Control Model (UCCM) for heavily doped conditions. The UCCM model of highly doped SRGMOSFETs is derived to obtain the exact equivalent expression as in the undoped case. Taking advantage of the undoped explicit charge-based expression, the asymptotic limits for below threshold and above threshold have been redefined to include the effect of trap states for heavily doped cases. After solving the asymptotic limits, an explicit mobile charge expression is obtained which includes the trap state effects. The explicit mobile charge model shows very good agreement with respect to numerical simulation over practical terminal voltages, doping concentration, geometry effects, and trap state effects due to the fixed oxide charges and interface traps. Then, the drain current is obtained using the Pao-Sah's dual integral, which is expressed as a function of inversion charge densities at the source/drain ends. The drain current agreed well with the implicit solution and numerical simulation for all regions of operation without employing any empirical parameters. A comparison with previous explicit models has been conducted to verify the competency of the proposed model with the doping concentration of 1× {10}19 {{cm}}-3, as the proposed model has better advantages in terms of its simplicity and accuracy at a higher doping concentration.

Ultra-sonic motor for the actuators of space optical communications terminal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araki, T.; Kobayashi, Y.; Kawashima, N.; Maniwa, K.; Obara, S.; Zakoji, T.; Kubota, A.

2017-02-01

The main advantages of space optical communication technologies compared with RF communications are 1) Wide bandwidth that enables a much higher data rate and 2) Smaller antenna and hardware due to the ultra-short wavelength characteristics. The cost and weight of each spacecraft has been decreasing year by year. Space optical communication technologies, that are being established, have been required to reduce cost and weight recently. The general rotational actuators of spacecraft are magnetic motors. However, it is difficult to reduce it's weight and cost dramatically since magnetic motors include iron core and metal coil. In addition, we do not have the flexibility of magnetic motor's shape. JAXA is interested in optical data relay including LEO-GEO optical communication. In this application, space optical communication equipment must equip rotational actuators as a coarse pointing mechanism. Therefore, the authors have focused on ultra-sonic motors (USM) for the equipment of space optical communication so that we will achieve lower cost, lower weight and a more-flexible-shape of actuators than magnetic motors. In this presentation, the authors propose applications of USM as actuators of space optical communications. USM has been widely used in our life and industry. Usage in industry includes vacuum environments of the semiconductor manufacturing process. So, the authors estimated the usage of USM can be applied to actuators of spacecraft. At first, the authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of USM compared to traditional magnetic motors. Then, driving performance of USM under vacuum, high and low-temperature conditions are shown. At last, results of life estimation test of USM are discussed.

Advanced Math: Closing the Equity Gap. Math Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2013

2013-01-01

Minority and low-income students are less likely to have access to, enroll in and succeed in higher-level math courses in high school than their more advantaged peers. Under these circumstances, higher-level math courses function not as the intellectual and practical boost they should be, but as a filter that screens students out of the pathway to…

Retaining Students in Australian Higher Education: Cultural Capital, Field Distinction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gale, Trevor; Parker, Stephen

2017-01-01

In the global phenomenon of widening participation policy in higher education, lower retention rates for students from less advantaged socio-economic circumstances have potential to undermine the social inclusion agenda of HE. This might be an issue in Europe but is not necessarily the case elsewhere. In this paper we consider statistical data on…

Twitter in the Higher Education Classroom: Known Fragmentations and Needed Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knowlton, Dave S.; Nygard, Shanda

2016-01-01

This article reviews early literature (that is, up to mid-year 2013) about Twitter's use in the higher education classroom. Fragmentations are highlighted as a way of showing that the literature does not cohesively claim advantages or disadvantages of using Twitter as a teaching and learning tool. The article also points to the limitations of the…

The "Virtual Face" of Planning: How to Use Higher Education Web Sites to Assess Competitive Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Katrina A.; Wilson, Jeffery L.

2010-01-01

The research presented in this article demonstrates how to investigate the competitive position of an institution's academic programs or services through an analysis of the Web sites of other higher education institutions. By using information from research/doctoral, master's, baccalaureate, and community colleges across 40 states, this study…

Alternative Organisational Structures in Higher and Further Education. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1471.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, C. T.

Alternative models of organizational structure are discussed in this paper as they operate in higher and further education in Great Britain. First, the basic principles of the traditional hierarchical model of college organization are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of this model are highlighted. Next, the paper discusses the…

Research Relationships between Higher Education Institutions and the Charitable Sector. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol.

This study was conducted to map the range of research-related links between charities and higher education institutions (HEIs) and to make recommendations on how these links could be developed to the mutual advantage of both sectors. The research methods used for the review are described in an associated mapping report, published separately.…

Taking Advantage of External Funding for Air Force Officer PH.D. Candidates at Civilian Universities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

5_01738_table_4.pdf . 32 John M. Braxton and Robert C. Nordvall , “Selective Liberal Arts Colleges: Higher Quality as well as Higher Prestige?” The Journal...Requirements and Utilizing Assets.‖ Master‘s thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 1986. Braxton, John M. and Robert C. Nordvall . ―Selective Liberal Arts

Taking Advantage of External Funding for Air Force Officer Ph.D. Candidates at Civilian Universities

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

5_01738_table_4.pdf . 32 John M. Braxton and Robert C. Nordvall , “Selective Liberal Arts Colleges: Higher Quality as well as Higher Prestige?” The Journal...Requirements and Utilizing Assets.‖ Master‘s thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, 1986. Braxton, John M. and Robert C. Nordvall . ―Selective Liberal Arts

The Place of E-Learning in Africa's Institutions of Higher Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nafukho, Fredrick Muyia

2007-01-01

The paper seeks to accomplish four objectives. The first is to examine the need for e-learning in Africa's institutions of higher learning. The second is to discuss the policy, institutional, pedagogical, copyright, and quality assurance issues that need to be addressed. The third is to critically examine the advantages and disadvantages of…

Gender Inequalities in Higher Education: Extent, Development and Mechanisms of Gender Differences in Enrolment and Field of Study Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorz, Markus; Schindler, Steffen; Walter, Jessica G.

2011-01-01

In the course of educational expansion, gender differences in access to higher education have decreased substantially in many European countries. In Germany women are currently over-represented in upper secondary education and more frequently attain a general qualification for university entrance. Despite those advantages, women still enrol in…

Gender Differences in the Use of Laptops in Higher Education: A Formative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Robin H.; Lauricella, Sharon

2011-01-01

Over the past 18 years, a number of large scale reviews of the literature have documented that gender differences in computer attitudes, ability, and use tend to favor males. Since the use of laptops in higher education classrooms is increasing, it is important to examine whether this use is disproportionally advantageous to males and…

Interim Administrators in Higher Education: A National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huff, Marie Thielke; Neubrander, Judy

2015-01-01

The focus of this paper is on the roles and experiences of interim administrators in higher education. A survey was given to current and recent interim administrators in four-year public universities and colleges across the United States. The goals were to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using and serving as interims, and to solicit…

Fluid and solute transfer characteristics in a dialyzer with a high-performance membrane.

PubMed

Mineshima, Michio

2011-01-01

To date, many types of high-flux dialyzers with high-performance membranes have been developed. They seem to have a higher internal filtration flow rate (Q(IF)) because of a higher ultrafiltration coefficient. In the health reimbursement system in Japan, commercially available dialyzers are categorized into five types based on their β(2)-microglobulin clearance (K(BMG)) values. Although the K(BMG) value was not correlated strongly with the Q(IF) value for 26 types of commercially available dialyzers, almost all the dialyzers with a higher Q(IF) value had a higher KBMG value. These dialyzers seem to have a higher convective transport because of internal filtration in addition to diffusive transport. We measured the blood flow velocity in a cross-sectional plane of the dialyzer using pulse Doppler ultra-sonography to evaluate QIF. It is a useful method for the bedside monitoring because it is noninvasive to the patient and produces reliable data with a higher reproducibility. On the other hand, membrane fouling occurs more easily in higher Q(IF) dialyzers, compared with conventional dialyzers, because of the higher degree of membrane fouling. Internal filtration-enhanced hemodialysis (IFEHD) using these dialyzers, therefore, has the advantage of increasing solute removal efficiency by enhancing convective transport and the simultaneous disadvantage of decreasing solute removal efficiency by causing membrane fouling. Thus, IFEHD treatment should be performed using a dialyzer with a high-performance membrane to ensure that the advantage is superior to the disadvantage. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Applying Spatial Audio to Human Interfaces: 25 Years of NASA Experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Begault, Durand R.; Wenzel, Elizabeth M.; Godfrey, Martine; Miller, Joel D.; Anderson, Mark R.

2010-01-01

From the perspective of human factors engineering, the inclusion of spatial audio within a human-machine interface is advantageous from several perspectives. Demonstrated benefits include the ability to monitor multiple streams of speech and non-speech warning tones using a cocktail party advantage, and for aurally-guided visual search. Other potential benefits include the spatial coordination and interaction of multimodal events, and evaluation of new communication technologies and alerting systems using virtual simulation. Many of these technologies were developed at NASA Ames Research Center, beginning in 1985. This paper reviews examples and describes the advantages of spatial sound in NASA-related technologies, including space operations, aeronautics, and search and rescue. The work has involved hardware and software development as well as basic and applied research.

Accurate Micro-Tool Manufacturing by Iterative Pulsed-Laser Ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warhanek, Maximilian; Mayr, Josef; Dörig, Christian; Wegener, Konrad

2017-12-01

Iterative processing solutions, including multiple cycles of material removal and measurement, are capable of achieving higher geometric accuracy by compensating for most deviations manifesting directly on the workpiece. Remaining error sources are the measurement uncertainty and the repeatability of the material-removal process including clamping errors. Due to the lack of processing forces, process fluids and wear, pulsed-laser ablation has proven high repeatability and can be realized directly on a measuring machine. This work takes advantage of this possibility by implementing an iterative, laser-based correction process for profile deviations registered directly on an optical measurement machine. This way efficient iterative processing is enabled, which is precise, applicable for all tool materials including diamond and eliminates clamping errors. The concept is proven by a prototypical implementation on an industrial tool measurement machine and a nanosecond fibre laser. A number of measurements are performed on both the machine and the processed workpieces. Results show production deviations within 2 μm diameter tolerance.

Longitudinal assessment of the impact of the use of the UK clinical aptitude test for medical student selection.

PubMed

Mathers, Jonathan; Sitch, Alice; Parry, Jayne

2016-10-01

Medical schools are increasingly using novel tools to select applicants. The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is one such tool and measures mental abilities, attitudes and professional behaviour conducive to being a doctor using constructs likely to be less affected by socio-demographic factors than traditional measures of potential. Universities are free to use UKCAT as they see fit but three broad modalities have been observed: 'borderline', 'factor' and 'threshold'. This paper aims to provide the first longitudinal analyses assessing the impact of the different uses of UKCAT on making offers to applicants with different socio-demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression was used to model the outcome of applications to UK medical schools during the period 2004-2011 (data obtained from UCAS), adjusted for sex, ethnicity, schooling, parental occupation, educational attainment, year of application and UKCAT use (borderline, factor and threshold). The three ways of using the UKCAT did not differ in their impact on making the selection process more equitable, other than a marked reversal for female advantage when applied in a 'threshold' manner. Our attempt to model the longitudinal impact of the use of the UKCAT in its threshold format found again the reversal of female advantage, but did not demonstrate similar statistically significant reductions of the advantages associated with White ethnicity, higher social class and selective schooling. Our findings demonstrate attenuation of the advantage of being female but no changes in admission rates based on White ethnicity, higher social class and selective schooling. In view of this, the utility of the UKCAT as a means to widen access to medical schools among non-White and less advantaged applicants remains unproven. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Experimental demonstration of conflicting interest nonlocal games using superconducting qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Situ, Haozhen; Li, Lvzhou; Huang, Zhiming; He, Zhimin; Zhang, Cai

2018-06-01

Conflicting interest nonlocal games are special Bayesian games played by noncooperative players without communication. In recent years, some conflicting interest nonlocal games have been proposed where quantum advice can help players to obtain higher payoffs. In this work we perform an experiment of six conflicting interest nonlocal games using the IBM quantum computer made up of five superconducting qubits. The experimental results demonstrate quantum advantage in four of these games, whereas the other two games fail to showcase quantum advantage in the experiment.

Proper nozzle location, bit profile, and cutter arrangement affect PDC-bit performance significantly

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

Garcia-Gavito, D.; Azar, J.J.

1994-09-01

During the past 20 years, the drilling industry has looked to new technology to halt the exponentially increasing costs of drilling oil, gas, and geothermal wells. This technology includes bit design innovations to improve overall drilling performance and reduce drilling costs. These innovations include development of drag bits that use PDC cutters, also called PDC bits, to drill long, continuous intervals of soft to medium-hard formations more economically than conventional three-cone roller-cone bits. The cost advantage is the result of higher rates of penetration (ROP's) and longer bit life obtained with the PDC bits. An experimental study comparing the effectsmore » of polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC)-bit design features on the dynamic pressure distribution at the bit/rock interface was conducted on a full-scale drilling rig. Results showed that nozzle location, bit profile, and cutter arrangement are significant factors in PDC-bit performance.« less

Brachytherapy devices and methods employing americium-241

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

Gray, L. A.

1985-04-16

Sources and methods for radiation therapy, particularly brachytherapy, employing americium-241 (60 keV gamma emission and 433 year half-life) provide major advantages for radiotherapy, including simplified radiation protection, dose reduction to healthy tissue, increased dose to tumor, and improved dose distributions. A number of apparent drawbacks and unfavorable considerations including low gamma factor, high self-absorption, increased activity required and alpha-particle generation leading to helium gas pressure buildup and potential neutron contamination in the generated radiation are all effectively dealt with and overcome through recognition of subtle favorable factors unique to americium-241 among brachytherapy sources and through suitable constructional techniques. Due tomore » an additional amount of radiation, in the order of 50%, provided primarily to nearby regions as a result of Compton scatter in tissue and water, higher dose rates occur than would be predicted by conventional calculations.« less

[Corruption risks in relations between doctor and patient ].

PubMed

Kolwitz, Marcin; Gąsiorowski, Jakub

2014-01-01

The article describes the problem of corruption occurring in the relationship between doctor and patient. The doctor-patient relationship, including the provision of health services, is one of several potential areas of corruption in the health care system. Among the reasons for the existence of corruption in these relationships are the need to obtain better healthcare for the patient, and higher earnings in the case of a doctor. Indications of corruption are utilitarian (action for personal advantage without ethical aspects), but may also be (actually or in the patient's opinion) the only way to obtain services and save health and even life. Corruption between the doctor and the patient can be limited by better organization of the health care system, including the financing of benefits and education of medical personnel and patients, as well as traditional legal measures, such as prevention or the application of criminal sanctions.

Continuous Manufacturing of Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins: Upstream and Downstream Technologies.

PubMed

Patil, Rohan; Walther, Jason

2017-03-07

Continuous biomanufacturing of recombinant therapeutic proteins offers several potential advantages over conventional batch processing, including reduced cost of goods, more flexible and responsive manufacturing facilities, and improved and consistent product quality. Although continuous approaches to various upstream and downstream unit operations have been considered and studied for decades, in recent years interest and application have accelerated. Researchers have achieved increasingly higher levels of process intensification, and have also begun to integrate different continuous unit operations into larger, holistically continuous processes. This review first discusses approaches for continuous cell culture, with a focus on perfusion-enabling cell separation technologies including gravitational, centrifugal, and acoustic settling, as well as filtration-based techniques. We follow with a review of various continuous downstream unit operations, covering categories such as clarification, chromatography, formulation, and viral inactivation and filtration. The review ends by summarizing case studies of integrated and continuous processing as reported in the literature.

Monogamy has a fixation advantage based on fitness variance in an ideal promiscuity group.

PubMed

Garay, József; Móri, Tamás F

2012-11-01

We consider an ideal promiscuity group of females, which implies that all males have the same average mating success. If females have concealed ovulation, then the males' paternity chances are equal. We find that male-based monogamy will be fixed in females' promiscuity group when the stochastic Darwinian selection is described by a Markov chain.We point out that in huge populations the relative advantage (difference between average fitness of different strategies) determines primarily the end of evolution; in the case of neutrality (means are equal) the smallest variance guarantees fixation (absorption) advantage; when the means and variances are the same, then the higher third moment determines which types will be fixed in the Markov chains.

Assisted Living

MedlinePlus

... higher than in other supported-living environments. Adult Foster Care Foster care homes generally provide room, board, and some ... caregivers, who usually live on the premises. Adult foster care has the advantage of maintaining frail older ...

The Blind Advantage: How Going Blind Made Me a Stronger Principal and How Including Children with Disabilities Made Our School Better for Everyone

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Bill

2011-01-01

'The Blind Advantage" provides insight into the challenges, possibilities, and practicalities of including students with disabilities--and into the mind and heart of an inspired and determined leader. "You should get out of education." That was the advice first-year teacher Bill Henderson received when he discovered he was gradually…

MRI of the Musculoskeletal System: Advanced Applications using High and Ultrahigh Field MRI.

PubMed

Alizai, Hamza; Chang, Gregory; Regatte, Ravinder R

2015-09-01

In vivo MRI has revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders over the past 3 decades. Traditionally performed at 1.5 T, MRI at higher field strengths offers several advantages over lower field strengths including increased signal-to-noise ratio, higher spatial resolution, improved spectral resolution for spectroscopy, improved sensitivity for X-nucleus imaging, and decreased image acquisition times. However, the physics of imaging at higher field strengths also presents technical challenges. These include B0 and B1+ field inhomogeneity, design and construction of dedicated radiofrequency (RF) coils for use at high field, increased chemical shift and susceptibility artifacts, increased RF energy deposition (specific absorption rate), increased metal artifacts, and changes in relaxation times compared with the lower field scanners. These challenges were overcome in optimizing high-field (HF) (3 T) MRI over a decade ago. HF MRI systems have since gained universal acceptance for clinical musculoskeletal imaging and have also been widely utilized for the study of musculoskeletal anatomy and physiology. Recently there has been an increasing interest in exploring musculoskeletal applications of ultrahigh field (UHF) (7 T) systems. However, technical challenges similar to those encountered when moving from 1.5 T to 3 T have to be overcome to optimize 7 T musculoskeletal imaging. In this narrative review, we discuss the many potential opportunities and technical challenges presented by the HF and UHF MRI systems. We highlight recent developments in in vivo imaging of musculoskeletal tissues that benefit most from HF imaging including cartilage, skeletal muscle, and bone. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Keeping the rhythm: light/dark cycles during postharvest storage preserve the tissue integrity and nutritional content of leafy plants.

PubMed

Liu, John D; Goodspeed, Danielle; Sheng, Zhengji; Li, Baohua; Yang, Yiran; Kliebenstein, Daniel J; Braam, Janet

2015-03-27

The modular body structure of plants enables detached plant organs, such as postharvest fruits and vegetables, to maintain active responsiveness to environmental stimuli, including daily cycles of light and darkness. Twenty-four hour light/darkness cycles entrain plant circadian clock rhythms, which provide advantage to plants. Here, we tested whether green leafy vegetables gain longevity advantage by being stored under light/dark cycles designed to maintain biological rhythms. Light/dark cycles during postharvest storage improved several aspects of plant tissue performance comparable to that provided by refrigeration. Tissue integrity, green coloration, and chlorophyll content were generally enhanced by cycling of light and darkness compared to constant light or darkness during storage. In addition, the levels of the phytonutrient glucosinolates in kale and cabbage remained at higher levels over time when the leaf tissue was stored under light/dark cycles. Maintenance of the daily cycling of light and dark periods during postharvest storage may slow the decline of plant tissues, such as green leafy vegetables, improving not only appearance but also the health value of the crops through the maintenance of chlorophyll and phytochemical content after harvest.

Parallel computing in experimental mechanics and optical measurement: A review (II)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tianyi; Kemao, Qian

2018-05-01

With advantages such as non-destructiveness, high sensitivity and high accuracy, optical techniques have successfully integrated into various important physical quantities in experimental mechanics (EM) and optical measurement (OM). However, in pursuit of higher image resolutions for higher accuracy, the computation burden of optical techniques has become much heavier. Therefore, in recent years, heterogeneous platforms composing of hardware such as CPUs and GPUs, have been widely employed to accelerate these techniques due to their cost-effectiveness, short development cycle, easy portability, and high scalability. In this paper, we analyze various works by first illustrating their different architectures, followed by introducing their various parallel patterns for high speed computation. Next, we review the effects of CPU and GPU parallel computing specifically in EM & OM applications in a broad scope, which include digital image/volume correlation, fringe pattern analysis, tomography, hyperspectral imaging, computer-generated holograms, and integral imaging. In our survey, we have found that high parallelism can always be exploited in such applications for the development of high-performance systems.

Selective Extraction of Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens Ait. by Mechanochemistry.

PubMed

Zhang, Qihong; Yu, Jingbo; Wang, Yingyao; Su, Weike

2016-07-29

Flavonoids from Sophora flavescens were selectively extracted by mechanochemical-promoted extraction technology (MPET) after using response surface methodology to determine the optimal extraction parameters. The highest yield of 35.17 mg/g was achieved by grinding the roots with Na₂CO₃ (15%) at 440 rpm/min for 17.0 min and water was used as the sole solvent with a ratio of solvent to solid material of 25 mL/g. Flavonoids prepared by MPET demonstrated relatively higher antioxidant activities in subsequent DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Main constituents in the extracts, including kurarinol, kushenol I/N and kurarinone, were characterized by HPLC-MS/MS, indicating good selective extraction by MPET. Physicochemical property changes of powder during mechanochemical milling were identified by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and UV-Vis diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy. Compared with traditional extraction methods, MPET possesses notable advantages of higher selectivity, lower extraction temperature, shorter extraction time, and organic solvent free properties.

Parametric Study of Fire Performance of Concrete Filled Hollow Steel Section Columns with Circular and Square Cross-Section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurfaidhi Rizalman, Ahmad; Tahir, Ng Seong Yap Mahmood Md; Mohammad, Shahrin

2018-03-01

Concrete filled hollow steel section column have been widely accepted by structural engineers and designers for high rise construction due to the benefits of combining steel and concrete. The advantages of concrete filled hollow steel section column include higher strength, ductility, energy absorption capacity, and good structural fire resistance. In this paper, comparison on the fire performance between circular and square concrete filled hollow steel section column is established. A three-dimensional finite element package, ABAQUS, was used to develop the numerical model to study the temperature development, critical temperature, and fire resistance time of the selected composite columns. Based on the analysis and comparison of typical parameters, the effect of equal cross-sectional size for both steel and concrete, concrete types, and thickness of external protection on temperature distribution and structural fire behaviour of the columns are discussed. The result showed that concrete filled hollow steel section column with circular cross-section generally has higher fire resistance than the square section.

Microwave processing of maple sap to maple syrup and maple syrup products.

PubMed

Favreau, D; Sosle, V; Raghavan, G S

2001-01-01

A study of the physical process of concentration of maple sap to maple syrup and preparation of maple syrup products by microwave heating is described. Duty cycles of 60, 75 and 100% were used for the microwave application. During the process, some of the drying kinetics are discussed, including the reduction of moisture content with time, the progress of the process in terms of increasing sugar concentration and the power absorbed. Obviously, the rate of water removal was higher in case of the higher duty cycles. The total time required for finishing the syrup was also dependent on the initial mass of the load and the initial sugar content. The products obtained were compared with commercial graded products for the quality and met the highest standards prescribed by the industry. The absence of heat damage or browning of the product was identified as a distinct advantage that could be derived from microwave processing of maple syrup.

Component-cost and performance based comparison of flow and static batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Brandon J.; Smith, Kyle C.; Slocum, Alexander H.; Chiang, Yet-Ming

2015-10-01

Flow batteries are a promising grid-storage technology that is scalable, inherently flexible in power/energy ratio, and potentially low cost in comparison to conventional or ;static; battery architectures. Recent advances in flow chemistries are enabling significantly higher energy density flow electrodes. When the same battery chemistry can arguably be used in either a flow or static electrode design, the relative merits of either design choice become of interest. Here, we analyze the costs of the electrochemically active stack for both architectures under the constraint of constant energy efficiency and charge and discharge rates, using as case studies the aqueous vanadium-redox chemistry, widely used in conventional flow batteries, and aqueous lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP)/lithium-titanium-phosphate (LTP) suspensions, an example of a higher energy density suspension-based electrode. It is found that although flow batteries always have a cost advantage (kWh-1) at the stack level modeled, the advantage is a strong function of flow electrode energy density. For the LFP/LTP case, the cost advantages decreases from ∼50% to ∼10% over experimentally reasonable ranges of suspension loading. Such results are important input for design choices when both battery architectures are viable options.

Microcystis aeruginosa strengthens the advantage of Daphnia similoides in competition with Moina micrura.

PubMed

Tang, Hengxing; Hou, Xinying; Xue, Xiaofeng; Chen, Rui; Zhu, Xuexia; Huang, Yuan; Chen, Yafen

2017-08-31

Microcystis blooms are generally associated with zooplankton shifts by disturbing interspecific relationships. The influence of Microcystis on competitive dominance by different sized zooplanktons showed species-specific dependence. We evaluated the competitive responses of small Moina micrura and large Daphnia similoides to the presence of Microcystis using mixed diets comprising 0%, 20%, and 35% of toxic M. aeruginosa, and the rest of green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. No competitive exclusion occurred for the two species under the tested diet combinations. In the absence of M. aeruginosa, the biomasses of the two cladocerans were decreased by the competition between them. However, the Daphnia was less inhibited with the higher biomass, suggesting the competitive dominance of Daphnia. M. aeruginosa treatment suppressed the population growths of the two cladocerans, with the reduced carrying capacities. Nonetheless, the population inhibition of Daphnia by competition was alleviated by the increased Microcystis proportion in diet. As a result, the competitive advantage of Daphnia became more pronounced, as indicated by the higher Daphnia: Moina biomass ratio with increased Microcystis proportions. These results suggested that M. aeruginosa strengthens the advantage of D. similoides in competition with M. micrura, which contributes to the diversified zooplankton shifts observed in fields during cyanobacteria blooms.

Anaerobic fermentation of glycerol: a path to economic viability for the biofuels industry.

PubMed

Yazdani, Syed Shams; Gonzalez, Ramon

2007-06-01

Although biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol represent a secure, renewable and environmentally safe alternative to fossil fuels, their economic viability is a major concern. The implementation of biorefineries that co-produce higher value products along with biofuels has been proposed as a solution to this problem. The biorefinery model would be especially advantageous if the conversion of byproducts or waste streams generated during biofuel production were considered. Glycerol-rich streams generated in large amounts by the biofuels industry, especially during the production of biodiesel, present an excellent opportunity to establish biorefineries. Once considered a valuable 'co-product', crude glycerol is rapidly becoming a 'waste product' with a disposal cost attributed to it. Given the highly reduced nature of carbon in glycerol and the cost advantage of anaerobic processes, fermentative metabolism of glycerol is of special interest. This review covers the anaerobic fermentation of glycerol in microbes and the harnessing of this metabolic process to convert abundant and low-priced glycerol streams into higher value products, thus creating a path to viability for the biofuels industry. Special attention is given to products whose synthesis from glycerol would be advantageous when compared with their production from common sugars.

It Effectiveness and Flexibility versus Strategic Alignment: Assessing the Correlative Effects in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Michael F.

2011-01-01

Fiscal challenges are forcing institutions of higher education to do more with less, while retaining the quality of service that the institution has established. The net result is that these institutions need to prepare themselves to achieve a sustained competitive advantage. In business, the focus has been on strategic alignment of IT to provide…

Reconciling Means and Ends in Equity and Access through Further and Higher Education Sector Partnerships: An Australian Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broughton, Sharon

2005-01-01

This paper examines the educational implications of pursuing equity and access for adult learners across further and higher education sectors. It contextualizes some advantages and disadvantages in cross-sectoral arrangements by reference to a specific access and equity partnership program in Australia and analyses the impact on the equity aims of…

E-Learning as an Alternative Strategy for Tourism Higher Education in Egypt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afifi, Galal M. H.

2011-01-01

Purpose: This research aims to be one of the earliest studies to investigate tourism e-learning in Egypt, thus, it will initially shed light on the current standing of e-learning in Egypt before proceeding to: identify the present status of e-learning in Egyptian tourism higher education; explore the potential advantages and drawbacks of using…

Working with Missing Data in Higher Education Research: A Primer and Real-World Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Bradley E.; McIntosh, Kadian; Reason, Robert D.; Terenzini, Patrick T.

2014-01-01

Nearly all quantitative analyses in higher education draw from incomplete datasets-a common problem with no universal solution. In the first part of this paper, we explain why missing data matter and outline the advantages and disadvantages of six common methods for handling missing data. Next, we analyze real-world data from 5,905 students across…

Access in Scotland: Access to Higher Education for People from Less Advantaged Backgrounds in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, Lucy Hunter; Kadar-Satat, Gitit; Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2016-01-01

Access to universities across the United Kingdom remains a challenge despite improvements in recent years. Those challenges are still more marked in Scotland than in the other nations, as this report shows. This report lays bare the extent of the challenge. Scotland has a different approach to higher education. It no longer charges tuition fees,…

"Times Higher Education" 100 under 50 Ranking: Old Wine in a New Bottle?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soh, Kaycheng

2013-01-01

"Times Higher Education" 100 under 50 ranking is a new twist to the university ranking. It focuses on universities that have a history of 50 years or less with the purpose of offsetting the advantage of prestige of the older ones. This article re-analysed the data publicly available and looked into relevant conceptual and statistical issues. The…

Use of Internet for Academic Purposes among Students in Malaysian Institutions of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayub, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd; Hamid, Wan Hamzari Wan; Nawawi, Mokhtar Hj.

2014-01-01

Students in institutions of higher learning should take advantage of information available on the Internet in their coursework. The Internet is also utilised for social and other non-academic functions. Hence, it is desirable, for students to strike a balance in the time spent online for academic and non-academic purposes. In this study, the…

Universal Higher Education and Positional Advantage: Soviet Legacies and Neoliberal Transformations in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolentseva, Anna

2017-01-01

The great expansion of participation in higher education in Russia in the post-Soviet period was the layered and contradictory result of both conditions established in the Soviet period, and the structuring of reforms after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992. The Soviet government was strongly committed to the expansion of education across…

Green Carrots: A Survey of State Use of Fiscal Incentives for Academic Quality. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Barbara A.; Berdahl, Robert O.

This paper presents data from a 1989 survey of 48 state higher education executive officers regarding the use of fiscal enhancement programs as a strategy to influence higher education performance. The paper reports on the purposes and objectives most often funded through specific incentives, and on the key advantages and disadvantages of this…

Beyond the Mincer Equation: The Internal Rate of Return to Higher Education in Colombia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

García-Suaza, Andrés Felipe; Guataquí, Juan Carlos; Guerra, José Alberto; Maldonado, Darío

2014-01-01

In order to present an estimation of the internal rate of return (IRR) to higher education in Colombia, we take advantage of recent updates on the methodological approach towards earnings equations. In order to overcome the criticism that surrounds interpretations of the education coefficient of Mincer equations as being the rate of return to…

Social Class, Ethnicity and Access to Higher Education in the Four Countries of the UK: 1996-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croxford, Linda; Raffe, David

2014-01-01

This paper compares access to full-time undergraduate higher education (HE) by members of less advantaged social classes and ethnic minorities across the four "home countries" of the UK. It uses data on applicants to HE in selected years from 1996 to 2010. In all home countries students from intermediate and working-class backgrounds…

Rate & Microstructure Influence on Fracture of WC-Co/Ni Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamberson, Leslie

2017-06-01

Tungsten carbide metal matrix composites contain ceramic grains of tungsten carbide within a binder of cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni), allowing the material to have advantageous properties of both metals and ceramics including higher resistance to fracture than most structural ceramics, and higher resistance to permanent deformation than most engineering metals. Due to these performance advantages, WC composites are of interest in drilling, manufacturing tools, and defense penetrator applications, to name a few. Under quasi-static conditions, these hardmetals have been shown to generally exhibit an increase in fracture toughness with an increase in mean free path in the binder phase, and an increase in hardness and wear resistance with a decrease in WC grain size; yet relatively little is known in regards to their dynamic response. Here we present the fracture behavior of WC metal matrix composites under three extreme loading conditions: (1) a single-strike acceleration loading to characterize classical dynamic crack tip energetics via stress intensity factors (SIFs) (2) the impact fatigue, or sub-catastrophic repetitive strikes to failure, and (3) the dynamic crack interactions with normal impact over 1 km/s using an in-house combustionless two-stage light-gas gun. All investigations are conducted using ultra high-speed imaging with full-field measurements from digital image correlation (DIC), and post-mortem scanning electron microscopy. Preliminary results for (1) show that the dynamic fracture toughness increases by a factor of 1.22 to 1.65 over quasi-static, regardless of the binder or grain size investigated. Supported by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund No. 55860-ND10.

The New Heavy Gas Testing Capability in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Stanley R.; Rivera, Jose A., Jr.

1997-01-01

The NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) has provided a unique capability for aeroelastic testing for over thirty-five years. The facility has a rich history of significant contributions to the design of many United States commercial transports and military aircraft. The facility has many features which contribute to its uniqueness for aeroelasticity testing; however, perhaps the most important facility capability is the use of a heavy gas test medium to achieve higher test densities. Higher test medium densities substantially improve model building requirements and therefore simplify the fabrication process for building aeroelastically scaled wind-tunnel models. The heavy gas also provides other testing benefits, including reduction in the power requirements to operate the facility during testing. Unfortunately, the use of the original heavy gas has been curtailed due to environmental concerns. A new gas, referred to as R-134a, has been identified as a suitable replacement for the former TDT heavy gas. The TDT is currently undergoing a facility upgrade to allow testing in R-134a heavy gas. This replacement gas will result in an operational test envelope, model scaling advantages, and general testing capabilities similar to those available with the former TDT heavy gas. As such, the TDT is expected to remain a viable facility for aeroelasticity research and aircraft dynamic clearance testing well into the 21st century. This paper describes the anticipated advantages and facility calibration plans for the new heavy gas and briefly reviews several past test programs that exemplify the possible benefits of heavy gas testing.

Cardiorenal syndrome and vitamin D receptor activation in chronic kidney disease☆

PubMed Central

Darabian, Sirous; Rattanasompattikul, Manoch; Hatamizadeh, Parta; Bunnapradist, Suphamai; Budoff, Matthew J.; Kovesdy, Csaba P.; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

2012-01-01

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) refers to a constellation of conditions whereby heart and kidney diseases are pathophysiologically connected. For clinical purposes, it would be more appropriate to emphasize the pathophysiological pathways to classify CRS into: (1) hemodynamic, (2) atherosclerotic, (3) uremic, (4) neurohumoral, (5) anemic–hematologic, (6) inflammatory–oxidative, (7) vitamin D receptor (VDR) and/or FGF23-, and (8) multifactorial CRS. In recent years, there have been a preponderance data indicating that vitamin D and VDR play an important role in the combination of renal and cardiac diseases. This review focuses on some important findings about VDR activation and its role in CRS, which exists frequently in chronic kidney disease patients and is a main cause of morbidity and mortality. Pathophysiological pathways related to suboptimal or defective VDR activation may play a role in causing or aggravating CRS. VDR activation using newer agents including vitamin D mimetics (such as paricalcitol and maxacalcitol) are promising agents, which may be related to their selectivity in activating VDR by means of attracting different post-D-complex cofactors. Some, but not all, studies have confirmed the survival advantages of D-mimetics as compared to non-selective VDR activators. Higher doses of D-mimetic per unit of parathyroid hormone (paricalcitol to parathyroid hormone ratio) is associated with greater survival, and the survival advantages of African American dialysis patients could be explained by higher doses of paricalcitol (>10 μg/week). More studies are needed to verify these data and to explore additional avenues for CRS management via modulating VDR pathway. PMID:26889405

Development of orientation-patterned GaP grown on foreign substrates for QPM frequency conversion devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vangala, Shivashankar; Peterson, Rita; Snure, Michael; Tassev, Vladimir

2017-02-01

Thick hydride vapor phase epitaxially grown orientation-patterned gallium phosphide (OPGaP) is a leading material for quasi-phase matching (QPM) frequency conversion in the mid- and longwave infrared (IR). This is due to its negligible two-photon absorption (2PA) in the convenient pumping range 1 - 1.7 μm, compared with the 2PA of some traditional QPM materials, such as GaAs. In this paper, we describe homo- and heteroepitaxial growth techniques aimed to produce hundreds of microns thick OPGaP on: 1) OPGaAs templates fabricated using an improved wafer-fusion process; 2) OPGaAs templates fabricated by using a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) for sublattice polarity inversion, but one with and one without MBE regrowth after the inversion. Some of the advantages of the heteroepitaxial growth of OPGaP on OPGaAs templates include: 1) achieving good domain fidelity as a result of the significantly higher OPGaAs template quality; 2) eliminating the needs of using the poor quality commercially available GaP in the production of thick OPGaP material, and 3) suppression of the additional absorption band between 2 - 4 μm (which is due to incorporation of n-type impurities) and, in general, improvement of the IR transmittance in the entire IR region. Combining the advantages of the two most promising nonlinear materials, GaAs and GaP, will accelerate the development of high power, broadly tunable laser sources in the IR which, in addition, will be offered with higher device quality and at a reasonably lower unit cost.

A review of oxygen removal from oxygen-bearing coal-mine methane.

PubMed

Zhao, Peiyu; Zhang, Guojie; Sun, Yinghui; Xu, Ying

2017-06-01

In this article, a comparison will be made concerning the advantages and disadvantages of five kinds of coal mine methane (CMM) deoxygenation method, including pressure swing adsorption, combustion, membrane separation, non-metallic reduction, and cryogenic distillation. Pressure swing adsorption has a wide range of application and strong production capacity. To achieve this goal, adsorbent must have high selectivity, adsorption capacity, and adequate adsorption/desorption kinetics, remain stable after several adsorption/desorption cycles, and possess good thermal and mechanical stabilities. Catalytic combustion deoxygenation is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction, which releases large amounts of thermal energy. So, the stable and accurate control of the temperature is not easy. Meanwhile partial methane is lost. The key of catalytic combustion deoxygenation lies in the development of high-efficiency catalyst. Membrane separation has advantages of high separation efficiency and low energy consumption. However, there are many obstacles, including higher costs. Membrane materials have the requirements of both high permeability and high selectivity. The development of new membrane materials is a key for membrane separation. Cryogenic distillation has many excellence advantages, such as high purity production and high recovery. However, the energy consumption increases with decreasing CH 4 concentrations in feed gas. Moreover, there are many types of operational security problems. And that several kinds of deoxygenation techniques mentioned above have an economic value just for oxygen-bearing CMM with methane content above 30%. Moreover, all the above methods are not applicable to deoxygenation of low concentration CMM. Non-metallic reduction method cannot only realize cyclic utilization of deoxidizer but also have no impurity gases generation. It also has a relatively low cost and low loss rate of methane, and the oxygen is removed thoroughly. In particular, the non-metallic reduction method has good development prospects for low concentration oxygen-bearing CMM. This article also points out the direction of future development of coal mine methane deoxygenation.

High-power direct ethylene glycol fuel cell (DEGFC) based on nanoporous proton-conducting membrane (NP-PCM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peled, E.; Livshits, V.; Duvdevani, T.

We recently reported the development of a new nanoporous proton-conducting membrane (NP-PCM) and have applied it in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) and in other direct oxidation fuel cells. The use of the NP-PCM in the DMFC offers several advantages over the Nafion-based DMFC including lower membrane cost, lower methanol crossover which leads to a much higher fuel utilization and higher conductivity. In this work, we found that the 90 °C swelling of the NP-PCM is only 5-8% and that the diffusion constant of methanol at 80-130 °C is higher by a factor of 1.5-3 than that of ethylene glycol (EG). The maximum power density of methanol/oxygen and EG/oxygen FCs equipped with a 100 μm thick NP-PCMs is 400 and 300 mW/cm 2 respectively, higher than that for a DMFC based on Nafion 115 (260 mW/cm 2 [Eletrochem. Solid-State Lett. 4 (4) (2001) A31]. This puts the DEGFC in direct competition with both DMFC and indirect methanol FC. Ethylene glycol (EG) is well known in the automobile industry and in contrast to methanol, its distribution infrastructure already exists, thus it is a promising candidate for practical electric vehicles.

Anxiety, depression, and the suicidal spectrum: a latent class analysis of overlapping and distinctive features.

PubMed

Podlogar, Matthew C; Rogers, Megan L; Stanley, Ian H; Hom, Melanie A; Chiurliza, Bruno; Joiner, Thomas E

2017-03-20

Anxiety and depression diagnoses are associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours. However, a categorical understanding of these associations limits insight into identifying dimensional mechanisms of suicide risk. This study investigated anxious and depressive features through a lens of suicide risk, independent of diagnosis. Latent class analysis of 97 depression, anxiety, and suicidality-related items among 616 psychiatric outpatients indicated a 3-class solution, specifically: (1) a higher suicide-risk class uniquely differentiated from both other classes by high reported levels of depression and anxious arousal; (2) a lower suicide-risk class that reported levels of anxiety sensitivity and generalised worry comparable to Class 1, but lower levels of depression and anxious arousal; and (3) a low to non-suicidal class that reported relatively low levels across all depression and anxiety measures. Discriminants of the higher suicide-risk class included borderline personality disorder; report of worthlessness, crying, and sadness; higher levels of anxious arousal and negative affect; and lower levels of positive affect. Depression and anxiety diagnoses were not discriminant between higher and lower suicide risk classes. This transdiagnostic and dimensional approach to understanding the suicidal spectrum contrasts with treating it as a depressive symptom, and illustrates the advantages of a tripartite model for conceptualising suicide risk.

Silicon-Germanium Films Grown on Sapphire for Ka-Band Communications Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alterovitz, Samuel A.; Mueller, Carl H.; Croke, Edward T.

2004-01-01

NASA's vision in the space communications area is to develop a broadband data network in which there is a high degree of interconnectivity among the various satellite systems, ground stations, and wired systems. To accomplish this goal, we will need complex electronic circuits integrating analog and digital data handling at the Ka-band (26 to 40 GHz). The purpose of this project is to show the feasibility of a new technology for Ka-band communications applications, namely silicon germanium (SiGe) on sapphire. This new technology will have several advantages in comparison to the existing silicon-substrate- based circuits. The main advantages are extremely low parasitic reactances that enable much higher quality active and passive components, better device isolation, higher radiation tolerance, and the integration of digital and analog circuitry on a single chip.

Research on solar pumped liquid lasers. Final Report

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

Cox, J.D.; Kurzweg, U.H.; Weinstein, N.H.

1985-04-01

A solar pumped liquid laser that can be scaled up to high power (10 mW CW) for space applications was developed. Liquid lasers have the advantage over gases in that they provide much higher lasant densities and thus high-power densities. Liquids also have advantages over solids in that they have much higher damage thresholds and are much cheaper to produce for large scale applications. Among the liquid laser media that are potential candidates for solar pumping, the POC13: Nd sup 3+:ZrCl4 liquid was chosen for its high intrinsic efficiency and its relatively good stability against decomposition due to protic contamination.more » The development of a manufacturing procedure and performance testing of the laser liquid and the development of an inexpensive large solar concentrator to pump the laser are examined.« less

A Comparative Study on the Detection of Covert Attention in Event-Related EEG and MEG Signals to Control a BCI

PubMed Central

Reichert, Christoph; Dürschmid, Stefan; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Hinrichs, Hermann

2017-01-01

In brain-computer interface (BCI) applications the detection of neural processing as revealed by event-related potentials (ERPs) is a frequently used approach to regain communication for people unable to interact through any peripheral muscle control. However, the commonly used electroencephalography (EEG) provides signals of low signal-to-noise ratio, making the systems slow and inaccurate. As an alternative noninvasive recording technique, the magnetoencephalography (MEG) could provide more advantageous electrophysiological signals due to a higher number of sensors and the magnetic fields not being influenced by volume conduction. We investigated whether MEG provides higher accuracy in detecting event-related fields (ERFs) compared to detecting ERPs in simultaneously recorded EEG, both evoked by a covert attention task, and whether a combination of the modalities is advantageous. In our approach, a detection algorithm based on spatial filtering is used to identify ERP/ERF components in a data-driven manner. We found that MEG achieves higher decoding accuracy (DA) compared to EEG and that the combination of both further improves the performance significantly. However, MEG data showed poor performance in cross-subject classification, indicating that the algorithm's ability for transfer learning across subjects is better in EEG. Here we show that BCI control by covert attention is feasible with EEG and MEG using a data-driven spatial filter approach with a clear advantage of the MEG regarding DA but with a better transfer learning in EEG. PMID:29085279

Obesity Paradox in End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients

PubMed Central

Park, Jongha; Ahmadi, Seyed-Foad; Streja, Elani; Molnar, Miklos Z; Flegal, Katherine M.; Gillen, Daniel; Kovesdy, Csaba P.; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

2016-01-01

In the general population, obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and decreased survival. In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), however, an “obesity paradox” or “reverse epidemiology” (to include lipid and hypertension paradoxes) has been consistently reported, i.e. a higher body mass index (BMI) is paradoxically associated with better survival. This survival advantage of large body size is relatively consistent for hemodialysis patients across racial and regional differences, although published results are mixed for peritoneal dialysis patients.. Recent data indicate that both higher skeletal muscle mass and increased total body fat are protective, although there are mixed data on visceral (intra-abdominal) fat. The obesity paradox in ESRD is unlikely to be due to residual confounding alone and has biologic plausibility. Possible causes of the obesity paradox include protein-energy wasting and inflammation, time discrepancy among competitive risk factors (undernutrition versus overnutrition), hemodynamic stability, alteration of circulatory cytokines, sequestration of uremic toxin in adipose tissue, and endotoxin-lipoprotein interaction. The obesity paradox may have significant clinical implications in the management of ESRD patients especially if obese dialysis patients are forced to lose weight upon transplant wait-listing. Well-designed studies exploring the causes and consequences of the reverse epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors, including the obesity paradox, among ESRD patients could provide more information on mechanisms. These could include controlled trials of nutritional and pharmacologic interventions to examine whether gain in lean body mass or even body fat can improve survival and quality of life in these patients. PMID:24438733

Closed DTU fuel cycle with Np recycle and waste transmutation

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

Beller, D.E.; Sailor, W.C.; Venneri, F.

1999-09-01

A nuclear energy scenario for the 21st century that included a denatured thorium-uranium-oxide (DTU) fuel cycle and new light water reactors (LWRs) supported by accelerator-driven transmutation of waste (ATW) systems was previously described. This coupled system with the closed DTU fuel cycle provides several improvements beyond conventional LWR (CLWR) (once-through, UO{sub 2} fuel) nuclear technology: increased proliferation resistance, reduced waste, and efficient use of natural resources. However, like CLWR fuel cycles, the spent fuel in the first one-third core discharged after startup contains higher-quality Pu than the equilibrium fuel cycle. To eliminate this high-grade Pu, Np is separated and recycledmore » with Th and U--rather than with higher actinides [(HA) including Pu]. The presence of Np in the LWR feed greatly increases the production of {sup 238}Pu so that a few kilograms of Pu generated enough alpha-decay heat that the separated Pu is highly resistant to proliferation. This alternate process also simplifies the pyrochemical separation of fuel elements (Th and U) from HAs. To examine the advantages of this concept, the authors modeled a US deployment scenario for nuclear energy that includes DTU-LWRs plus ATW`s to burn the actinides produced by these LWRs and to close the back-end of the DTU fuel cycle.« less

Non-linear non-local molecular electrodynamics with nano-optical fields.

PubMed

Chernyak, Vladimir Y; Saurabh, Prasoon; Mukamel, Shaul

2015-10-28

The interaction of optical fields sculpted on the nano-scale with matter may not be described by the dipole approximation since the fields may vary appreciably across the molecular length scale. Rather than incrementally adding higher multipoles, it is advantageous and more physically transparent to describe the optical process using non-local response functions that intrinsically include all multipoles. We present a semi-classical approach for calculating non-local response functions based on the minimal coupling Hamiltonian. The first, second, and third order response functions are expressed in terms of correlation functions of the charge and the current densities. This approach is based on the gauge invariant current rather than the polarization, and on the vector potential rather than the electric and magnetic fields.

Microfluidic Systems for Biosensing

PubMed Central

Liu, Kuo-Kang; Wu, Ren-Guei; Chuang, Yun-Ju; Khoo, Hwa Seng; Huang, Shih-Hao; Tseng, Fan-Gang

2010-01-01

In the past two decades, Micro Fluidic Systems (MFS) have emerged as a powerful tool for biosensing, particularly in enriching and purifying molecules and cells in biological samples. Compared with conventional sensing techniques, distinctive advantages of using MFS for biomedicine include ultra-high sensitivity, higher throughput, in-situ monitoring and lower cost. This review aims to summarize the recent advancements in two major types of micro fluidic systems, continuous and discrete MFS, as well as their biomedical applications. The state-of-the-art of active and passive mechanisms of fluid manipulation for mixing, separation, purification and concentration will also be elaborated. Future trends of using MFS in detection at molecular or cellular level, especially in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, are also prospected. PMID:22163570

Lipid-modifying effects of nutraceuticals: An evidence-based approach.

PubMed

Sahebkar, Amirhossein; Serban, Maria-Corina; Gluba-Brzózka, Anna; Mikhailidis, Dimitri P; Cicero, Arrigo F; Rysz, Jacek; Banach, Maciej

2016-01-01

The present review provides an up-to-date summary of the findings on the lipid-lowering effects of the most important nutraceuticals and functional foods. Based on current knowledge, nutraceuticals might exert significant lipid-lowering, and their use has several advantages: A number of important questions remain to be addressed, including whether longer durations of therapy would result in a better response and the exact safety profile of nutraceuticals, especially at doses higher than those consumed in an average diet. Additionally, data regarding the effects of nutraceutical supplementation on the incidence of cardiovascular outcomes are lacking, and it is not clear whether additional lipid lowering by nutraceuticals can modify the residual cardiovascular risk that remains after statin therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design and Photovoltaic Properties of Graphene/Silicon Solar Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Dikai; Yu, Xuegong; Yang, Lifei; Yang, Deren

2018-04-01

Graphene/silicon (Gr/Si) Schottky junction solar cells have attracted widespread attention for the fabrication of high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells. However, their performance is still limited by the working principles of Schottky junctions. Modulating the working mechanism of the solar cells into a quasi p-n junction has advantages, including higher open-circuit voltage (V OC) and less carrier recombination. In this study, Gr/Si quasi p-n junction solar cells were formed by inserting a tunneling Al2O3 interlayer in-between graphene and silicon, which led to obtain the PCE up to 8.48% without antireflection or chemical doping techniques. Our findings could pave a new way for the development of Gr/Si solar cells.

Induction plasma tube

DOEpatents

Hull, D.E.

1982-07-02

An induction plasma tube having a segmented, fluid-cooled internal radiation shield is disclosed. The individual segments are thick in cross-section such that the shield occupies a substantial fraction of the internal volume of the plasma enclosure, resulting in improved performance and higher sustainable plasma temperatures. The individual segments of the shield are preferably cooled by means of a counterflow fluid cooling system wherein each segment includes a central bore and a fluid supply tube extending into the bore. The counterflow cooling system results in improved cooling of the individual segments and also permits use of relatively larger shield segments which permit improved electromagnetic coupling between the induction coil and a plasma located inside the shield. Four embodiments of the invention, each having particular advantages, are disclosed.

Induction plasma tube

DOEpatents

Hull, Donald E.

1984-01-01

An induction plasma tube having a segmented, fluid-cooled internal radiation shield is disclosed. The individual segments are thick in cross-section such that the shield occupies a substantial fraction of the internal volume of the plasma enclosure, resulting in improved performance and higher sustainable plasma temperatures. The individual segments of the shield are preferably cooled by means of a counterflow fluid cooling system wherein each segment includes a central bore and a fluid supply tube extending into the bore. The counterflow cooling system results in improved cooling of the individual segments and also permits use of relatively larger shield segments which permit improved electromagnetic coupling between the induction coil and a plasma located inside the shield. Four embodiments of the invention, each having particular advantages, are disclosed.

Magnetic resonance imaging of pancreatitis: An update

PubMed Central

Manikkavasakar, Sriluxayini; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Busireddy, Kiran K; Ramalho, Miguel; Nilmini, Viragi; Alagiyawanna, Madhavi; Semelka, Richard C

2014-01-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and staging of acute and chronic pancreatitis and may represent the best imaging technique in the setting of pancreatitis due to its unmatched soft tissue contrast resolution as well as non-ionizing nature and higher safety profile of intravascular contrast media, making it particularly valuable in radiosensitive populations such as pregnant patients, and patients with recurrent pancreatitis requiring multiple follow-up examinations. Additional advantages include the ability to detect early forms of chronic pancreatitis and to better differentiate adenocarcinoma from focal chronic pancreatitis. This review addresses new trends in clinical pancreatic MR imaging emphasizing its role in imaging all types of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatitis complications and other important differential diagnoses that mimic pancreatitis. PMID:25356038

Miniature traveling wave tube and method of making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosmahl, Henry G. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

It is an object of the invention to provide a miniature traveling wave tube which will have most of the advantages of solid state circuitry but with higher efficiency and without being highly sensitive to temperature and various types of electromagnetic radiation and subatomic particles as are solid state devices. The traveling wave tube which is about 2.5 cm in length includes a slow wave circuit (SWS) comprising apertured fins with a top cover which is insulated from the fins by strips or rungs of electrically insulating, dielectric material. Another object of the invention is to construct a SWS of extremely small size by employing various grooving or etching methods and by providing insulating strips or rungs by various deposition and masking techniques.

Are Serious Games a Good Strategy for Pharmacy Education?

PubMed

Cain, Jeff; Piascik, Peggy

2015-05-25

Serious gaming is the use of game principles for the purposes of learning, skill acquisition, and training. Higher education is beginning to incorporate serious gaming into curricula, and health professions education is the most common area for serious game use. Advantages of serious gaming in pharmacy education include authentic, situated learning without risk of patient consequences, collaborative learning, ability to challenge students of all performance levels, high student motivation with increased time on task, immediate feedback, ability to learn from mistakes without becoming discouraged, and potential for behavior and attitude change. Development of quality games for pharmacy education requires content expertise as well as expertise in the science and design of gaming. When well done, serious gaming provides a valuable additional tool for pharmacy education.

Performance Analysis of Stirling Engine-Driven Vapor Compression Heat Pump System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagawa, Noboru

Stirling engine-driven vapor compression systems have many unique advantages including higher thermal efficiencies, preferable exhaust gas characteristics, multi-fuel usage, and low noise and vibration which can play an important role in alleviating environmental and energy problems. This paper introduces a design method for the systems based on reliable mathematical methods for Stirling and Rankin cycles using reliable thermophysical information for refrigerants. The model deals with a combination of a kinematic Stirling engine and a scroll compressor. Some experimental coefficients are used to formulate the model. The obtained results show the performance behavior in detail. The measured performance of the actual system coincides with the calculated results. Furthermore, the calculated results clarify the performance using alternative refrigerants for R-22.

Progress in the utilization of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened alloy for small engine turbine blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beatty, T. G.; Millan, P. P.

1984-01-01

The conventional means of improving gas turbine engine performance typically involves increasing the turbine inlet temperature; however, at these higher operational temperatures the high pressure turbine blades require air-cooling to maintain durability. Air-cooling imposes design, material, and economic constraints not only on the turbine blades but also on engine performance. The use of uncooled turbine blades at increased operating temperatures can offer significantly improved performance in small gas turbine engines. A program to demonstrate uncooled MA6000 high pressure turbine blades in a GTEC TFE731 turbofan engine is being conducted. The project goals include demonstration of the advantages of using uncooled MA6000 turbine blades as compared with cast directionally solidified MAR-M 247 blades.

Broadband parametric amplifiers based on nonlinear kinetic inductance artificial transmission lines

DOE PAGES

Chaudhuri, S.; Li, D.; Irwin, K. D.; ...

2017-04-10

Here, we present broadband parametric amplifiers based on the kinetic inductance of superconducting NbTiN thin films in an artificial (lumped-element) transmission line architecture. We demonstrate two amplifier designs implementing different phase matching techniques: periodic impedance loading and resonator phase shifters placed periodically along the transmission line. Our design offers several advantages over previous CPW-based amplifiers, including intrinsic 50 Ω characteristic impedance, natural suppression of higher pump harmonics, lower required pump power, and shorter total trace length. Experimental realizations of both versions of the amplifiers are demonstrated. In conclusion, with a transmission line length of 20 cm, we have achieved gainsmore » of 15 dB over several GHz of bandwidth.« less

Cryogenic Wind Tunnel Models. Design and Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, C. P., Jr. (Compiler); Gloss, B. B. (Compiler)

1983-01-01

The principal motivating factor was the National Transonic Facility (NTF). Since the NTF can achieve significantly higher Reynolds numbers at transonic speeds than other wind tunnels in the world, and will therefore occupy a unique position among ground test facilities, every effort is being made to ensure that model design and fabrication technology exists to allow researchers to take advantage of this high Reynolds number capability. Since a great deal of experience in designing and fabricating cryogenic wind tunnel models does not exist, and since the experience that does exist is scattered over a number of organizations, there is a need to bring existing experience in these areas together and share it among all interested parties. Representatives from government, the airframe industry, and universities are included.

Broadband parametric amplifiers based on nonlinear kinetic inductance artificial transmission lines

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

Chaudhuri, S.; Li, D.; Irwin, K. D.

Here, we present broadband parametric amplifiers based on the kinetic inductance of superconducting NbTiN thin films in an artificial (lumped-element) transmission line architecture. We demonstrate two amplifier designs implementing different phase matching techniques: periodic impedance loading and resonator phase shifters placed periodically along the transmission line. Our design offers several advantages over previous CPW-based amplifiers, including intrinsic 50 Ω characteristic impedance, natural suppression of higher pump harmonics, lower required pump power, and shorter total trace length. Experimental realizations of both versions of the amplifiers are demonstrated. In conclusion, with a transmission line length of 20 cm, we have achieved gainsmore » of 15 dB over several GHz of bandwidth.« less

Better With Age: Social Relationships Across Adulthood

PubMed Central

Luong, Gloria; Charles, Susan T.; Fingerman, Karen L.

2012-01-01

Older adults typically report higher levels of satisfaction with their social relationships than younger adults. The present paper integrates current developmental research to explain why social relationships are generally more positive with age. We discuss actions by older adults that contribute to more positive social experiences. We also include social role changes that may provide advantages for older adults when navigating their relationships. Next, we turn to interactional processes between older adults with their social partners. We review literature indicating that: (a) older adults engage in strategies that optimize positive social experiences and minimize negative ones by avoiding conflicts, and (b) social partners often reciprocate by treating older adults more positively and with greater forgiveness than they do younger adults. PMID:22389547

Comparison of efficacy between buprenorphine and tramadol in the detoxification of opioid (heroin)-dependent subjects.

PubMed

Chawla, Jatinder Mohan; Pal, Hemraj; Lal, Rakesh; Jain, Raka; Schooler, Nina; Balhara, Yatan Pal Singh

2013-01-01

Tramadol is a synthetic opiate and a centrally acting weak m-opioid receptor agonist. The potential advantages of tramadol include ease of administration, low abuse potential, and being nonscheduled. This study compared tramadol and buprenorphine for controlling withdrawal symptoms in patients with opioid dependence syndrome. Consenting male subjects between 20 and 45 years of age who fulfilled the ICD-10-DCR criteria for opiate dependence syndrome were randomly assigned in a double-blind, double-dummy placebo-controlled trial for detoxification. Those with multiple drug dependence, abnormal cardiac, renal and hepatic functions, psychosis, or organic mental illness were excluded. Assessments included Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS), Objective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (OOWS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Side Effect Check List. Subjects were evaluated daily and study duration was 10 days. Sixty two subjects were enrolled. The mean SOWS and OOWS and VAS were significantly lower in the buprenorphine group on second and third day of detoxification as compared to the tramadol group. Although the retention rate was higher for buprenorphine group throughout the study, when compared with tramadol the difference was not significant on any day. Three subjects in the tramadol group had seizures. Tramadol was found to have limited detoxification efficacy in moderate to severe opioid withdrawal and substantial risk of seizures as compared to buprenorphine. Further studies are warranted to examine its efficacy in mild opioid withdrawal symptoms and its potential use in outpatient settings where its administration advantages may be valuable.

OVATION Prime -2013: Solar Wind Driven Precipitation Model Extended to Higher Geomagnetic Activity Levels (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newell, P. T.; Liou, K.; Zhang, Y.; Paxton, L.; Sotirelis, T.; Mitchell, E. J.

2013-12-01

OVATION Prime is an auroral precipitation model parameterized by solar wind driving. Distinguishing features of the model include an optimized solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function (dΦMP/dt) which predicts auroral power far better than Kp or other traditional parameters, the separation of aurora into categories (diffuse aurora, monoenergetic, broadband, and ion), the inclusion of seasonal variations, and separate parameter fits for each MLATxMLT bin, thus permitting each type of aurora and each location to have differing responses to season and solar wind input (as indeed they do). We here introduce OVATION Prime-2013, an upgrade to the 2008 version currently widely available. The most notable advantage of OP-2013 is that it uses UV images from the GUVI instrument on the satellite TIMED for high disturbance levels (dΦMP/dt > 12,000 (nT2/3 (km/s)4/3 which roughly corresponds to Kp = 5+ or 6-). The range of validity is thought to be about 0 < dΦMP/dt = 30000 (say Kp = 8 or 8+). Other upgrades include a reduced susceptibility to salt and pepper noise, and smoother interpolation across the postmidnight data gap. We will also provide a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of other current precipitation models, especially OVATION-SuperMAG, which produces particularly good estimates for total auroral power, at the expense of working best on an historical basis. OVATION Prime-2013, for high solar wind driving, as TIMED GUVI data takes over from DMSP

The OCT penlight: in-situ image guidance for microsurgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galeotti, John; Sajjad, Areej; Wang, Bo; Kagemann, Larry; Shukla, Gaurav; Siegel, Mel; Wu, Bing; Klatzky, Roberta; Wollstein, Gadi; Schuman, Joel S.; Stetten, George

2010-02-01

We have developed a new image-based guidance system for microsurgery using optical coherence tomography (OCT), which presents a virtual image in its correct location inside the scanned tissue. Applications include surgery of the cornea, skin, and other surfaces below which shallow targets may advantageously be displayed for the naked eye or low-power magnification by a surgical microscope or loupes (magnifying eyewear). OCT provides real-time highresolution (3 micron) images at video rates within a two or more millimeter axial range in soft tissue, and is therefore suitable for guidance to various shallow targets such as Schlemm's canal in the eye (for treating Glaucoma) or skin tumors. A series of prototypes of the "OCT penlight" have produced virtual images with sufficient resolution and intensity to be useful under magnification, while the geometrical arrangement between the OCT scanner and display optics (including a half-silvered mirror) permits sufficient surgical access. The two prototypes constructed thus far have used, respectively, a miniature organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a reflective liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. The OLED has the advantage of relative simplicity, satisfactory resolution (15 micron), and color capability, whereas the LCoS can produce an image with much higher intensity and superior resolution (12 micron), although it is monochromatic and more complicated optically. Intensity is a crucial limiting factor, since light flux is greatly diminished with increasing magnification, thus favoring the LCoS as the more practical system.

Year-Round Education: Learning More for Less.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballinger, Charles

1990-01-01

Advantages and examples of year-round education are discussed in this publication. Advantages include instructional benefits, relief from overcrowding, savings on operational and capital costs, increased teacher flexibility, improved attendance, and reduced vandalism. Guidelines for implementation, calendar design, and descriptions of various…

Competitive Intelligence and Social Advantage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Elisabeth; Cronin, Blaise

1994-01-01

Presents an overview of issues concerning civilian competitive intelligence (CI). Topics discussed include competitive advantage in academic and research environments; public domain information and libraries; covert and overt competitive intelligence; data diversity; use of the Internet; cooperative intelligence; and implications for library and…

Strategic Market Planning in Conglomerate Continuing Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pappas, James P.

1987-01-01

The author tells how very large, multidivision continuing education programs can use their size as a marketing advantage. Some advantages include (1) superior service, (2) an image of high quality, (3) the bandwagon effect, and (4) stronger buying power. (CH)

High Altitude Launch for a Practical SSTO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Denis, Vincent; Lyons, Valerie (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Existing engineering materials allow the construction of towers to heights of many kilometers. Orbital launch from a high altitude has significant advantages over sea-level launch due to the reduced atmospheric pressure, resulting in lower atmospheric drag on the vehicle and allowing higher rocket engine performance. High-altitude launch sites are particularly advantageous for single-stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicles, where the payload is typically 2% of the initial launch mass. An earlier paper enumerated some of the advantages of high altitude launch of SSTO vehicles. In this paper, we calculate launch trajectories for a candidate SSTO vehicle, and calculate the advantage of launch at launch altitudes 5 to 25 kilometer altitudes above sea level. The performance increase can be directly translated into increased payload capability to orbit, ranging from 5 to 20% increase in the mass to orbit. For a candidate vehicle with an initial payload fraction of 2% of gross lift-off weight, this corresponds to 31% increase in payload (for 5-km launch altitude) to 122% additional payload (for 25-km launch altitude).

High Altitude Launch for a Practical SSTO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.; Denis, Vincent

2003-01-01

Existing engineering materials allow the constuction of towers to heights of many kilometers. Orbital launch from a high altitude has significant advantages over sea-level launch due to the reduced atmospheric pressure, resulting in lower atmospheric drag on the vehicle and allowing higher rocket engine performance. High-altitude launch sites are particularly advantageous for single-stage to orbit (SSTO) vehicles, where the payload is typically 2% of the initial launch mass. An earlier paper enumerated some of the advantages of high altitude launch of SSTO vehicles. In this paper, we calculate launch trajectories for a candidate SSTO vehicle, and calculate the advantage of launch at launch altitudes 5 to 25 kilometer altitudes above sea level. The performance increase can be directly translated into increased payload capability to orbit, ranging from 5 to 20% increase in the mass to orbit. For a candidate vehicle with an initial payload fraction of 2% of gross lift-off weight, this corresponds to 31% increase in payload (for 5-km launch altitude) to 122% additional payload (for 25-km launch altitude).

The Impact of Commodity Councils on the Internal Structures of Purchasing Organizations in the United States Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-01

product or service) (Tyndall 133). Purchasing in bulk allows companies to take advantage of volume discounts, while at the same time streamlining...for industry. They included, financial advantage , strategic global sourcing, quicker response to marketplace changes, a paperless environment for...purchasing, and an increased competitive advantage (Richter). He cautioned the Air Force to avoid the trap of focusing only on efficiency in creating

Practical advantages of evolutionary computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fogel, David B.

1997-10-01

Evolutionary computation is becoming a common technique for solving difficult, real-world problems in industry, medicine, and defense. This paper reviews some of the practical advantages to using evolutionary algorithms as compared with classic methods of optimization or artificial intelligence. Specific advantages include the flexibility of the procedures, as well as their ability to self-adapt the search for optimum solutions on the fly. As desktop computers increase in speed, the application of evolutionary algorithms will become routine.

Architecture for VLSI design of Reed-Solomon encoders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, K. Y.

1981-01-01

The logic structure of a universal VLSI chip called the symbol-slice Reed-Solomon (RS) encoder chip is discussed. An RS encoder can be constructed by cascading and properly interconnecting a group of such VLSI chips. As a design example, it is shown that a (255,223) RD encoder requiring around 40 discrete CMOS ICs may be replaced by an RS encoder consisting of four identical interconnected VLSI RS encoder chips. Besides the size advantage, the VLSI RS encoder also has the potential advantages of requiring less power and having a higher reliability.

Changes Are Needed to the Army Contract with Sikorsky to Use Existing DoD Inventory and Control Costs at the Corpus Christi Army Depot

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-03

contingency stock for requirements outside the CCAD/Sikorsky contract. 6 The DoD EMALL is a full-service eCommerce site, which strives to be the single...such quantity as (A) will result in the total cost and unit cost most advantageous to the United States where practicable.” Having more than one...practice and frequently does not allow DoD to take advantage of economic order quantities. Table 15 shows examples where higher quantities procured

ISS Has an Attitude! Determining ISS Attitude at the ISS Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) Using Landmarks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runco, Susan K.; Pickard,Henry; Kowtha, Vijayanand; Jackson, Dan

2011-01-01

Universities and secondary schools can help solve a real issue for remote sensing from the ISS WORF through hands-on engineering and activities. Remote sensing technology is providing scientists with higher resolution, higher sensitivity sensors. Where is it pointing? - To take full advantage of these improved sensors, space platforms must provide commensurate improvements in attitude determination

The Homogenized Energy Model (HEM) for Characterizing Polarization and Strains in Hysteretic Ferroelectric Materials: Material Properties and Uniaxial Model Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

auto focusing mechanisms, energy harvesting , and pico air vehicle design. Their advantages include nanometer positioning resolution, broadband frequency...high speed camera shutters and auto focusing mechanisms energy harvesting , and pico air vehicle design. Their advantages include nanometer positioning...THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Nomenclature d Piezoelectric constant (m/V = C/N) h

Robustness of the sequential lineup advantage.

PubMed

Gronlund, Scott D; Carlson, Curt A; Dailey, Sarah B; Goodsell, Charles A

2009-06-01

A growing movement in the United States and around the world involves promoting the advantages of conducting an eyewitness lineup in a sequential manner. We conducted a large study (N = 2,529) that included 24 comparisons of sequential versus simultaneous lineups. A liberal statistical criterion revealed only 2 significant sequential lineup advantages and 3 significant simultaneous advantages. Both sequential advantages occurred when the good photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the fifth position in the sequential lineup; all 3 simultaneous advantages occurred when the poorer quality photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the second position. Adjusting the statistical criterion to control for the multiple tests (.05/24) revealed no significant sequential advantages. Moreover, despite finding more conservative overall choosing for the sequential lineup, no support was found for the proposal that a sequential advantage was due to that conservative criterion shift. Unless lineups with particular characteristics predominate in the real world, there appears to be no strong preference for conducting lineups in either a sequential or a simultaneous manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Creating Competitive Advantage through Effective Management Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longenecker, Clinton O.; Ariss, Sonny S.

2002-01-01

Managers trained in executive education programs (n=203) identified ways in which management education can increase an organization's competitive advantage: exposure to new ideas and practices, skill development, and motivation. Characteristics of effective management education included experience-based learning orientation, credible instructors,…

Exposures to Particulate Matter from the Eruptions of the Puyehue Volcano and Birth Outcomes in Montevideo, Uruguay.

PubMed

Balsa, Ana Ines; Caffera, Marcelo; Bloomfield, Juanita

2016-11-01

The ashes and dust resulting from the 2011 eruptions of the Puyehue volcano in Chile more than doubled monthly averages of PM10 concentrations in Montevideo, Uruguay. Few studies have taken advantage of natural experiments to assess the relationship between ambient air pollutant concentrations and birth outcomes. In this study we explored the effect of particulate matter with diameter of ≤ 10 μm (PM10) on perinatal outcomes in Uruguay, a middle-income country in South America with levels of PM10 that in general do not exceed the recommended thresholds. The analyzed outcomes are preterm birth, term birth weight, and term low birth weight. We took advantage of the sharp variation in PM10 concentrations due to the Puyehue eruptions to estimate the associations between mother's exposure to PM10 in each trimester of pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. We use birth registries for 2010-2013 and control for covariates, including maternal and pregnancy characteristics, weather, co-pollutants, and calendar quarter and hospital indicators. A 10-μg/m3 increase in exposure to PM10 during the third trimester was associated with a higher likelihood of a preterm birth [odds ratio (OR) = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.19]. The association was robust to different model specifications, and increased with categorical exposure levels (OR for third-trimester PM10 ≥ 70 vs. < 30 μg/m3 = 5.24; 95% CI: 3.40, 8.08). Exposures were not consistently associated with birth weight or low birth weight among term births, though second-trimester exposures were associated with higher birth weight, contrary to expectations. Taking advantage of a natural experiment, we found evidence that exposure to high levels of PM10 during the third trimester of pregnancy may have increased preterm births among women in Montevideo, Uruguay. Citation: Balsa AI, Caffera M, Bloomfield J. 2016. Exposures to particulate matter from the eruptions of the Puyehue Volcano and birth outcomes in Montevideo, Uruguay. Environ Health Perspect 124:1816-1822; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP235.

Exposures to Particulate Matter from the Eruptions of the Puyehue Volcano and Birth Outcomes in Montevideo, Uruguay

PubMed Central

Balsa, Ana Ines; Caffera, Marcelo; Bloomfield, Juanita

2016-01-01

Background: The ashes and dust resulting from the 2011 eruptions of the Puyehue volcano in Chile more than doubled monthly averages of PM10 concentrations in Montevideo, Uruguay. Few studies have taken advantage of natural experiments to assess the relationship between ambient air pollutant concentrations and birth outcomes. Objectives: In this study we explored the effect of particulate matter with diameter of ≤ 10 μm (PM10) on perinatal outcomes in Uruguay, a middle-income country in South America with levels of PM10 that in general do not exceed the recommended thresholds. The analyzed outcomes are preterm birth, term birth weight, and term low birth weight. Methods: We took advantage of the sharp variation in PM10 concentrations due to the Puyehue eruptions to estimate the associations between mother’s exposure to PM10 in each trimester of pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. We use birth registries for 2010–2013 and control for covariates, including maternal and pregnancy characteristics, weather, co-pollutants, and calendar quarter and hospital indicators. Results: A 10-μg/m3 increase in exposure to PM10 during the third trimester was associated with a higher likelihood of a preterm birth [odds ratio (OR) = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.19]. The association was robust to different model specifications, and increased with categorical exposure levels (OR for third-trimester PM10 ≥ 70 vs. < 30 μg/m3 = 5.24; 95% CI: 3.40, 8.08). Exposures were not consistently associated with birth weight or low birth weight among term births, though second-trimester exposures were associated with higher birth weight, contrary to expectations. Conclusions: Taking advantage of a natural experiment, we found evidence that exposure to high levels of PM10 during the third trimester of pregnancy may have increased preterm births among women in Montevideo, Uruguay. Citation: Balsa AI, Caffera M, Bloomfield J. 2016. Exposures to particulate matter from the eruptions of the Puyehue Volcano and birth outcomes in Montevideo, Uruguay. Environ Health Perspect 124:1816–1822; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP235 PMID:27152597

Solar concentrator technology development for space based applications, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pintz, A.; Castle, C. H.; Reimer, R. R.

1992-01-01

Thermoelectric conversion using a radio-isotope heat source has been used where outer planetary space craft are too far away for absorbing significant solar energy. Solar dynamic power (SDP) conversion is one technology that offers advantages for applications within the inner planet region. Since SDP conversion efficiency can be 2 to 3 times higher than photovoltaic, the collecting surfaces are much reduced in area and therefore lighter. This becomes an advantage in allocating more weight to launched payloads. A second advantage results for low earth orbit applications. The reduced area results in lower drag forces on the spacecraft and requires less reboost propellant to maintain orbit. A third advantage occurs because of the sun-to-shade cycling while in earth orbit. Photovoltaic systems require batteries to store energy for use when in the shade, and battery life for periods of 10 to 15 years is not presently achievable. For these reasons the Solar Dynamics and Thermal Systems Branch at NASA LeRC has funded work in developing SDP systems. The generic SDP system uses a large parabolic solar concentrator to focus solar energy onto a power conversion device. The concentrators are large areas and must therefore be efficient and have low specific weights. Yet these surfaces must be precise and capable of being stowed in a launch vehicle and then deployed and sometimes unfurled in space. There are significant technical challenges in engineering such structures, and considerable investigation has been made to date. This is the second of two volumes reporting on the research done by the Advanced Manufacturing Center at Cleveland State University to assist NASA LeRC in evaluating this technology. This volume includes the appendices of selected data sets, drawings, and procedures. The objective of the grant was to restore the solar concentrator development technology of the 1960s while improving it with advances that have occurred since then. This report summarizes the work done from January 1989 through December 1991.

Tomographic Aperture-Encoded Particle Tracking Velocimetry: A New Approach to Volumetric PIV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troolin, Dan; Boomsma, Aaron; Lai, Wing; Pothos, Stamatios; Fluid Mechanics Research Instruments Team

2016-11-01

Volumetric velocity fields are useful in a wide variety of fluid mechanics applications. Several types of three-dimensional imaging methods have been used in the past to varying degrees of success, for example, 3D PTV (Maas et al., 1993), DDPIV (Peireira et al., 2006), Tomographic PIV (Elsinga, 2006), and V3V (Troolin and Longmire, 2009), among others. Each of these techniques has shown advantages and disadvantages in different areas. With the advent of higher resolution and lower noise cameras with higher stability levels, new techniques are emerging that combine the advantages of the existing techniques. This talk describes a new technique called Tomographic Aperture-Encoded Particle Tracking Velocimetry (TAPTV), in which segmented triangulation and diameter tolerance are used to achieve three-dimensional particle tracking with extremely high particle densities (on the order of ppp = 0.2 or higher) without the drawbacks normally associated with ghost particles (for example in TomoPIV). The results are highly spatially-resolved data with very fast processing times. A detailed explanation of the technique as well as plots, movies, and experimental considerations will be discussed.

Teaching matters-academic professional development in the early 21st century.

PubMed

Fahnert, Beatrix

2015-10-01

Academic work at different career stages has changed and a broadened portfolio of expertise enables academics to adapt, maintain and advance their career. Development related to research activity is naturally driven by methodology and technology. Institutions and peers largely support development in the contexts of dissemination, measuring impact and obtaining funding. A European Commission High Level Group recommended pedagogic training for everyone teaching in Higher Education by 2020 with mandatory continuing professional development and with academic staff recruitment and promotion being linked to teaching performance. Early career teaching experience is already an expectation, and advantage is gained by developing recognized teaching expertise. More senior academics gain an advantage through recognition of higher levels of expertise, also covering elements of leadership and innovation in teaching. This review aims to raise awareness particularly of teaching-related skills within the dimensions of academic professional development in Higher Education, outlining some general directions for development and recognition in context of current challenges to support planning and identifying training needs and opportunities at different career stages. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved.

Is bilingualism losing its advantage? A bibliometric approach

PubMed Central

López-Penadés, Raúl; Buil-Legaz, Lucía; Aguilar-Mediavilla, Eva; Adrover-Roig, Daniel

2017-01-01

This study uses several bibliometric indices to explore the temporal course of publication trends regarding the bilingual advantage in executive control over a ten-year window. These indices include the number of published papers, numbers of citations, and the journal impact factor. According to the information available in their abstracts, studies were classified into one of four categories: supporting, ambiguous towards, not mentioning, or challenging the bilingual advantage. Results show that the number of papers challenging the bilingual advantage increased notably in 2014 and 2015. Both the average impact factor and the accumulated citations as of June 2016 were equivalent between categories. However, of the studies published in 2014, those that challenge the bilingual advantage accumulated more citations in June 2016 than those supporting it. Our findings offer evidence-based bibliometric information about the current state of the literature and suggest a change in publication trends regarding the literature on the bilingual advantage. PMID:28426797

One-dimensional hybrid model of plasma-solid interaction in argon plasma at higher pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jelínek, P.; Hrach, R.

2007-04-01

One of problems important in the present plasma science is the surface treatment of materials at higher pressures, including the atmospheric pressure plasma. The theoretical analysis of processes in such plasmas is difficult, because the theories derived for collisionless or slightly collisional plasma lose their validity at medium and high pressures, therefore the methods of computational physics are being widely used. There are two basic ways, how to model the physical processes taking place during the interaction of plasma with immersed solids. The first technique is the particle approach, the second one is called the fluid modelling. Both these approaches have their limitations-small efficiency of particle modelling and limited accuracy of fluid models. In computer modelling is endeavoured to use advantages by combination of these two approaches, this combination is named hybrid modelling. In our work one-dimensional hybrid model of plasma-solid interaction has been developed for an electropositive plasma at higher pressures. We have used hybrid model for this problem only as the test for our next applications, e.g. pulsed discharge, RF discharge, etc. The hybrid model consists of a combined molecular dynamics-Monte Carlo model for fast electrons and fluid model for slow electrons and positive argon ions. The latter model also contains Poisson's equation, to obtain a self-consistent electric field distribution. The derived results include the spatial distributions of electric potential, concentrations and fluxes of individual charged species near the substrate for various pressures and for various probe voltage bias.

Scintillation index of higher order mode laser beams in strong turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baykal, Yahya

2017-03-01

The scintillation index of higher order laser modes is examined in strong atmospheric turbulence. In our formulation, modified Rytov theory is employed with the inclusion of existing modified turbulence spectrum which presents the atmospheric turbulence spectrum as a linear filter having refractive and diffractive spatial frequency cutoffs. Variations of the scintillation index in strong atmospheric turbulence are shown against the weak turbulence plane wave scintillation index for various higher order laser modes of different sizes. Use of higher order modes in optical wireless communication links operating in strongly turbulent atmosphere is found to be advantageous in reducing the scintillation noise.

Competitiveness Implications of Environmental Regulations: Case Studies (1992- 1997)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This collection of reports is part of a series of case studies designed to examine Michael Porter’s hypothesis that innovative companies responding to environmental regulation can create competitive advantage through lower costs or higher sales.

Plants: Novel Developmental Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Robert B.

1988-01-01

Describes the diversity of plants. Outlines novel developmental and complex genetic processes that are specific to plants. Identifies approaches that can be used to solve problems in plant biology. Cites the advantages of using higher plants for experimental systems. (RT)

Conceptual design of an intense positron source based on an LIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Ji-Dong; Yang, Zhen; Dong, Pan; Shi, Jin-Shui

2012-04-01

Accelerator based positron sources are widely used due to their high intensity. Most of these accelerators are RF accelerators. An LIA (linear induction accelerator) is a kind of high current pulsed accelerator used for radiography. A conceptual design of an intense pulsed positron source based on an LIA is presented in the paper. One advantage of an LIA is its pulsed power being higher than conventional accelerators, which means a higher amount of primary electrons for positron generations per pulse. Another advantage of an LIA is that it is very suitable to decelerate the positron bunch generated by bremsstrahlung pair process due to its ability to adjustably shape the voltage pulse. By implementing LIA cavities to decelerate the positron bunch before it is moderated, the positron yield could be greatly increased. These features may make the LIA based positron source become a high intensity pulsed positron source.

Automated computation of autonomous spectral submanifolds for nonlinear modal analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponsioen, Sten; Pedergnana, Tiemo; Haller, George

2018-04-01

We discuss an automated computational methodology for computing two-dimensional spectral submanifolds (SSMs) in autonomous nonlinear mechanical systems of arbitrary degrees of freedom. In our algorithm, SSMs, the smoothest nonlinear continuations of modal subspaces of the linearized system, are constructed up to arbitrary orders of accuracy, using the parameterization method. An advantage of this approach is that the construction of the SSMs does not break down when the SSM folds over its underlying spectral subspace. A further advantage is an automated a posteriori error estimation feature that enables a systematic increase in the orders of the SSM computation until the required accuracy is reached. We find that the present algorithm provides a major speed-up, relative to numerical continuation methods, in the computation of backbone curves, especially in higher-dimensional problems. We illustrate the accuracy and speed of the automated SSM algorithm on lower- and higher-dimensional mechanical systems.

Letter to the Editor: On "Advantages and disadvantages of stiffness instructions when studying postural control" by C.T. Bonnet: You just can't win: Advantages and disadvantages of the postural stability requirement.

PubMed

Lajoie, Y; Richer, N; Jehu, D A; Polskaia, N; Saunders, D

2016-05-01

In the examination of postural control, instructions to stand as still as possible are common and promote a relatively unnatural sway pattern. The validity of the stability requirement is discussed in the present commentary in response to the discussion initiated by Cedrick T. Bonnet. The advantages of using the stability requirement include: evaluating unbiased postural control, reducing variability in postural sway, manipulating focus of attention, examining the ability to maintain an upright stance, and ecological validity of testing. The disadvantages include: constraining natural postural sway, increasing the complexity of the control condition, promoting an internal focus of attention, and reducing the ability to detect exploratory behaviour. After evaluating the aforementioned advantages and disadvantages, the present commentary suggests that researchers should strive to provide specific instructions to maintain feet, arm and eye position without specifically requiring participants to reduce their postural sway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higher-Order Theory: Structural/MicroAnalysis Code (HOTSMAC) Developed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M.

2002-01-01

The full utilization of advanced materials (be they composite or functionally graded materials) in lightweight aerospace components requires the availability of accurate analysis, design, and life-prediction tools that enable the assessment of component and material performance and reliability. Recently, a new commercially available software product called HOTSMAC (Higher-Order Theory--Structural/MicroAnalysis Code) was jointly developed by Collier Research Corporation, Engineered Materials Concepts LLC, and the NASA Glenn Research Center under funding provided by Glenn's Commercial Technology Office. The analytical framework for HOTSMAC is based on almost a decade of research into the coupled micromacrostructural analysis of heterogeneous materials. Consequently, HOTSMAC offers a comprehensive approach for analyzing/designing the response of components with various microstructural details, including certain advantages not always available in standard displacement-based finite element analysis techniques. The capabilities of HOTSMAC include combined thermal and mechanical analysis, time-independent and time-dependent material behavior, and internal boundary cells (e.g., those that can be used to represent internal cooling passages, see the preceding figure) to name a few. In HOTSMAC problems, materials can be randomly distributed and/or functionally graded (as shown in the figure, wherein the inclusions are distributed linearly), or broken down by strata, such as in the case of thermal barrier coatings or composite laminates.

3D direct writing fabrication of electrodes for electrochemical storage devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Min; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Wei; Alexandridis, Paschalis; Zhou, Chi; Wu, Gang

2017-06-01

Among different printing techniques, direct ink writing is commonly used to fabricate 3D battery and supercapacitor electrodes. The major advantages of using the direct ink writing include effectively building 3D structure for energy storage devices and providing higher power density and higher energy density than traditional techniques due to the increased surface area of electrode. Nevertheless, direct ink writing has high standards for the printing inks, which requires high viscosity, high yield stress under shear and compression, and well-controlled viscoelasticity. Recently, a number of 3D-printed energy storage devices have been reported, and it is very important to understand the printing process and the ink preparation process for further material design and technology development. We discussed current progress of direct ink writing technologies by using various electrode materials including carbon nanotube-based material, graphene-based material, LTO (Li4Ti5O12), LFP (LiFePO4), LiMn1-xFexPO4, and Zn-based metallic oxide. Based on achieve electrochemical performance, these 3D-printed devices deliver performance comparable to the energy storage device fabricated using traditional methods still leaving large room for further improvement. Finally, perspectives are provided on the potential future direction of 3D printing for all solid-state electrochemical energy storage devices.

Efficacy of rivastigmine tartrate, transdermal system, in Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Nieto, Rachel A; Deardorff, William James; Grossberg, George T

2016-01-01

As the most common major neurocognitive disorder, Alzheimer's disease (AD) will play an increasingly important role both socially and financially as the population ages. Approved treatments for AD are symptomatic in nature and show modest improvements in cognition and global functioning among patients with AD. This article focuses on the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, efficacy, and safety of the transdermal patch form of the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine. The rivastigmine transdermal system is approved for the treatment of patients with mild, moderate, and severe AD. Three randomized trials have shown the rivastigmine patch to be efficacious and tolerable across all stages of AD. The rivastigmine patch offers several advantages over the capsule form, including decreased peak to trough plasma fluctuations, reduced rates of nausea and vomiting, better treatment adherence, higher probability of reaching the target dose, ease of administration, and greater satisfaction among caregivers. These factors may be especially important in patients with severe AD, in which patients are more vulnerable to adverse side effects from higher doses. While the patch is more expensive than generic therapies, patient populations that may benefit from the patch include those that are particularly sensitive to GI side effects, have chronic gastrointestinal problems, have difficulty swallowing medications, or have failed to respond with high doses of other generic options.

Snake (Colubridae: Thamnophis) predatory responses to chemical cues from native and introduced prey species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullin, S.J.; Imbert, H.; Fish, J.M.; Ervin, E.L.; Fisher, R.N.

2004-01-01

Several aquatic vertebrates have been introduced into freshwater systems in California over the past 100 years. Some populations of the two-striped garter snake (Thamnophis hammondii) have lived in sympatry with these species since their introduction; other populations have never encountered them. To assess the possible adaptation to a novel prey, we tested the predatory responses of T. hammondii from different populations to different chemosensory cues from native and introduced prey species. We presented chemical extracts from potential prey types and 2 control odors to individual snakes on cotton swabs and recorded the number of tongue flicks and attacks directed at each swab. Subject response was higher for prey odors than control substances. Odors from introduced centrarchid fish (Lepomis) elicited higher response levels than other prey types, including native anuran larvae (Pseudacris regilla). The pattern of response was similar for both populations of snakes (experienced and nai??ve, with respect to the introduced prey). We suggest that the generalist aquatic lifestyle of T. hammondii has allowed it to take advantage of increasing populations of introduced prey. Decisions on the management strategies for some of these introduced prey species should include consideration of how T. hammondii populations might respond in areas of sympatry.

Innovative Phase Change Thermal Energy Storage Solution for Baseload Power Phase 1 Final Report

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

Qiu, Songgang

2013-05-15

The primary purpose of this project is to develop and validate an innovative, scalable phase change salt thermal energy storage (TES) system that can interface with Infinia’s family of free-piston Stirling engines (FPSE). This TES technology is also appropriate for Rankine and Brayton power converters. Solar TES systems based on latent heat of fusion rather than molten salt temperature differences, have many advantages that include up to an order of magnitude higher energy storage density, much higher temperature operation, and elimination of pumped loops for most of Infinia’s design options. DOE has funded four different concepts for solar phase changemore » TES, including one other Infinia awarded project using heat pipes to transfer heat to and from the salt. The unique innovation in this project is an integrated TES/pool boiler heat transfer system that is the simplest approach identified to date and arguably has the best potential for minimizing the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The Phase 1 objectives are to design, build and test a 1-hour TES proof-of-concept lab demonstrator integrated with an Infinia 3 kW Stirling engine, and to conduct a preliminary design of a 12-hour TES on-sun prototype.« less

Capturing Reality at Centre Block

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulanger, C.; Ouimet, C.; Yeomans, N.

2017-08-01

The Centre Block of Canada's Parliament buildings, National Historic Site of Canada is set to undergo a major rehabilitation project that will take approximately 10 years to complete. In preparation for this work, Heritage Conservation Services (HCS) of Public Services and Procurement Canada has been completing heritage documentation of the entire site which includes laser scanning of all interior rooms and accessible confined spaces such as attics and other similar areas. Other documentation completed includes detailed photogrammetric documentation of rooms and areas of high heritage value. Some of these high heritage value spaces present certain challenges such as accessibility due to the height and the size of the spaces. Another challenge is the poor lighting conditions, requiring the use of flash or strobe lighting to either compliment or completely eliminate the available ambient lighting. All the spaces captured at this higher level of detail were also captured with laser scanning. This allowed the team to validate the information and conduct a quality review of the photogrammetric data. As a result of this exercise, the team realized that in most, if not all cases, the photogrammetric data was more detailed and at a higher quality then the terrestrial laser scanning data. The purpose and motivation of this paper is to present these findings, as well provide the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods and data sets.

Relationships between Medicare Advantage contract characteristics and quality-of-care ratings: an observational analysis of Medicare Advantage star ratings.

PubMed

Xu, Peng; Burgess, James F; Cabral, Howard; Soria-Saucedo, Rene; Kazis, Lewis E

2015-03-03

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes star ratings on Medicare Advantage (MA) contracts to measure plan quality of care with implications for reimbursement and bonuses. To investigate whether MA contract characteristics are associated with quality of care through the Medicare plan star ratings. Retrospective study of MA star ratings in 2010. Unadjusted and adjusted multivariable linear regression models assessed the relationship between 5-star rating summary scores and plan characteristics. CMS MA contracts nationally. 409 (71%) of a total of 575 MA contracts, covering 10.56 million Medicare beneficiaries (90% of the MA population) in the United States in 2010. The MA quality ratings summary score (stars range from 1 to 5) is a quality measure based on 36 indicators related to processes of care, health outcomes, access to care, and beneficiary satisfaction. Nonprofit, larger, and older MA contracts were more likely to receive higher star ratings. Star ratings ranged from 2 to 5. Nonprofit contracts received an average 0.55 (95% CI, 0.42 to 0.67) higher star ratings than for-profit contracts (P  < 0.001) after controls were set for contract characteristics. The study focused on persons aged 65 years or older covered by MA. In 2010, nonprofit MA contracts received significantly higher star ratings than for-profit contracts. When comparing health plans in the future, the CMS should give increasing attention to for-profit plans with lower quality ratings and consider developing programs to assist newer and smaller plans in improving their care for Medicare beneficiaries. None.

Higher energy: is it necessary, is it worth the cost for radiation oncology?

PubMed

Das, I J; Kase, K R

1992-01-01

The physical characteristics of the interactions of megavoltage photons and electrons with matter provide distinct advantages, relative to low-energy (orthovoltage) x rays, that lead to better radiation dose distributions in patients. Use of these high-energy radiations has resulted in better patient care, which has been reflected in improved radiation treatment outcome in recent years. But, as the desire for higher energy radiation beams increases, it becomes important to determine whether the physical characteristics that make megavoltage beams beneficial continue to provide a net advantage. It is demonstrated that, in fact, there is an energy range from 4 to 15 MV for photons and 4 to 20 MeV for electrons that is optimally suited for the treatment of cancer in humans. Radiation beams that exceed these maximum energies were found to add no advantage. This is because the costs (price of unit, installation, maintenance, shielding for neutron and photons) are not justified by either improved physical characteristics of the radiation (penetration, skin sparing, dose distribution) or treatment outcome. In fact, for photon beams some physical characteristics result in less desirable dose distributions, less accurate dosimetry, and increased safety problems as the energy increases for example, increasingly diffuse beam edges, loss of electron equilibrium, uncertainty in dose perturbations at interfaces, increased neutron contamination, and potential for higher personnel dose. The special features that make electron beams useful at lower energies, for example, skin sparing and small penetration, are lost at high energies. These physical factors are analyzed together with the economic factors related to radiation therapy patient care using megavoltage beams.

Field instrumentation, monitoring of drilled shafts for landslide stabilization and development of pertinent design method : executive summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-01

The use of a row of spaced drilled shafts to stabilize unstable slopes along the highways offers many advantages compared to other slope stabilization techniques. Some of these advantages may include: (1) various construction techniques are available...

Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Departmentalization of Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Fuchang

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of departmentalization of elementary schools, with an emphasis on teaching mathematics, as perceived by preservice teachers who shared their opinions through online discussion. Advantages include teachers' enthusiasm about and focused attention on the specialized area and students' easier…

Stretching Your Technology Dollar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Doug

2012-01-01

A school district technology director offers 10 strategies to help schools make the most of their technology dollar. These include using effective budgeting techniques, taking advantage of the buying power of groups, practicing sustainable technology, purchasing the right tool for the right job, taking advantage of free software, using cloud…

The significance of field work in monographic studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The focus of this paper is to document the clear and obvious advantages of field work for monographic studies. These advantages include: 1) ability to understand published distributions better and greatly expand these data, 2) access to taxonomic data obscured on herbarium sheets (as colors, odors, ...

Organizational Culture and Its Relationship with the Organizational Climate in the Youth Higher Council from the Perspective of Council Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Majali, Basel Abdel Wahab

2016-01-01

In this article, the Higher Council of Youth in Jordan seeks to develop its services, to participate actively in King Abdullah II award for excellence and transparency, to promote the concepts of quality in all its activities and to take advantage of modern technology in the output of its programs and activities. This study considered as one of…

An Evaluation of Using Data Set in Teaching and Learning within a Further and Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Anwen; Dewi, Ioan Ap

2007-01-01

This study aims to establish the effectiveness of an industrial data set in the delivery of an active approach to teaching and learning across a range of programme levels from NVQ to MSc within Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) Institutions in North Wales. The result described in the paper reinforces in FE and HE the advantages of…

On the three-quarter view advantage of familiar object recognition.

PubMed

Nonose, Kohei; Niimi, Ryosuke; Yokosawa, Kazuhiko

2016-11-01

A three-quarter view, i.e., an oblique view, of familiar objects often leads to a higher subjective goodness rating when compared with other orientations. What is the source of the high goodness for oblique views? First, we confirmed that object recognition performance was also best for oblique views around 30° view, even when the foreshortening disadvantage of front- and side-views was minimized (Experiments 1 and 2). In Experiment 3, we measured subjective ratings of view goodness and two possible determinants of view goodness: familiarity of view, and subjective impression of three-dimensionality. Three-dimensionality was measured as the subjective saliency of visual depth information. The oblique views were rated best, most familiar, and as approximating greatest three-dimensionality on average; however, the cluster analyses showed that the "best" orientation systematically varied among objects. We found three clusters of objects: front-preferred objects, oblique-preferred objects, and side-preferred objects. Interestingly, recognition performance and the three-dimensionality rating were higher for oblique views irrespective of the clusters. It appears that recognition efficiency is not the major source of the three-quarter view advantage. There are multiple determinants and variability among objects. This study suggests that the classical idea that a canonical view has a unique advantage in object perception requires further discussion.

How user diversity and country of origin impact the readiness to adopt E-health technologies: an intercultural comparison.

PubMed

Wilkowsk, Wiktoria; Ziefle, Martina; Alagöz, Firat

2012-01-01

In recent years, due to the demographical change and the resulting overload of healthcare systems, there has been an increasing interest focusing on the global proliferation of assistive medical technologies (=E-health) in home environments. The present study examines how users' diversity influences the readiness to adopt novel medical technologies, comparing users' attitudes in terms of perceived advantages and disadvantages in three technically and culturally different countries: Germany, Poland and Turkey. This investigation also intended to verify if acceptance of information and communication technologies is associated with the sensitive acceptance of E-health. Results revealed overall a considerably higher motivation to use medical technology compared to perceived barriers, with Polish users more willing to use E-health, higher than German or Turkish ones. Older participants showed a highly positive attitude, comparable to young and middle-aged respondents' receptiveness, differing from the latter in terms of greater appreciation of the advantage of higher independency when being supported by medical technology. With respect to gender, woman showed higher motivation to use E-health technology than men, although utilization barriers were not gendered. Following these results, an unconditional transfer of acceptance from information and communication to medical technology is not justified.

Is higher placement stability in kinship foster care by virtue or design?

PubMed

Font, Sarah A

2015-04-01

Prior research has repeatedly documented higher placement stability for children who enter kinship care rather than non-relative foster care. However, little is known about why, and under what circumstances, kinship care is more stable. This study uses longitudinal state administrative data to explore possible explanations. Results suggest that, while children in non-relative foster care are indeed at higher risk of any placement move than their peers in kinship care, this appears to be partly driven by child selection factors and policy preferences for kinship care. That is, the gap is not explained primarily by different rates of caregiver-requested moves. However, the gap was sizably smaller among select high-risk subgroups of foster children, suggesting that higher stability in kinship care may be partly explained by differences in the characteristics of children entering kinship care (versus non-relative foster care). Moreover, a large portion of the gap is explained by children in non-relative care being moved into kinship care; a move that is likely the result of policy preferences for kinship care rather than a defect in the initial placement. In sum, these results suggest that kinship care provides only a limited stability advantage, and the reasons for that advantage are not well understood. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The maintenance of sex: Ronald Fisher meets the Red Queen.

PubMed

Green, David; Mason, Chris

2013-08-21

Sex in higher diploids carries a two-fold cost of males that should reduce its fitness relative to cloning, and result in its extinction. Instead, sex is widespread and clonal species face early obsolescence. One possible reason is that sex is an adaptation that allows organisms to respond more effectively to endless changes in their environment. The purpose of this study was to model mutation and selection in a diploid organism in an evolving environment and ascertain their support for sex. We used a computational approach to model finite populations where a haploid environment subjects a diploid host to endlessly evolving change. Evolution in both populations is primarily through adoption of novel advantageous mutations within a large allele space. Sex outcompetes cloning by two complementary mechanisms. First, sexual diploids adopt advantageous homozygous mutations more rapidly than clonal ones under conditions of lag load (the gap between the actual adaptation of the diploid population and its theoretical optimum). This rate advantage can offset the higher fecundity of cloning. Second, a relative advantage to sex emerges where populations are significantly polymorphic, because clonal polymorphism runs the risk of clonal interference caused by selection on numerous lines of similar adaptation. This interference extends allele lifetime and reduces the rate of adaptation. Sex abolishes the interference, making selection faster and elevating population fitness. Differences in adaptation between sexual and clonal populations increase markedly with the number of loci under selection, the rate of mutation in the host, and a rapidly evolving environment. Clonal interference in these circumstances leads to conditions where the greater fecundity of clones is unable to offset their poor adaptation. Sexual and clonal populations then either co-exist, or sex emerges as the more stable evolutionary strategy. Sex can out-compete clones in a rapidly evolving environment, such as that characterized by pathogens, where clonal interference reduces the adaptation of clonal populations and clones adopt advantageous mutations more slowly. Since all organisms carry parasitic loads, the model is of potentially general applicability.

Method and apparatus for hydrocarbon recovery from tar sands

DOEpatents

Westhoff, J.D.; Harak, A.E.

1988-05-04

A method and apparatus for utilizing tar sands having a broad range of bitumen content is disclosed. More particularly, tar sands are pyrolyzed in a cyclone retort with high temperature gases recycled from the cyclone retort to produce oil and hydrocarbon products. The spent tar sands are then burned at 2000/degree/F in a burner to remove residual char and produce a solid waste that is easily disposable. The process and apparatus have the advantages of being able to utilize tar sands having a broad range of bitumen content and the advantage of producing product gases that are free from combustion gases and thereby have a higher heating value. Another important advantage is rapid pyrolysis of the tar sands in the cyclone so as to effectively utilize smaller sized reactor vessels for reducing capitol and operating costs. 1 fig., 1 tab.

Method and apparatus for hydrocarbon recovery from tar sands

DOEpatents

Westhoff, James D.; Harak, Arnold E.

1989-01-01

A method and apparatus for utilizing tar sands having a broad range of bitumen content is disclosed. More particularly, tar sands are pyrolyzed in a cyclone retort with high temperature gases recycled from the cyclone retort to produce oil and hydrocarbon products. The spent tar sands are then burned at 2000.degree. F. in a burner to remove residual char and produce a solid waste that is easily disposable. The process and apparatus have the advantages of being able to utilize tar sands having a broad range of bitumen content and the advantage of producing product gases that are free from combustion gases and thereby have a higher heating value. Another important advantage is rapid pyrolysis of the tar sands in the cyclone so as to effectively utilize smaller sized reactor vessels for reducing capitol and operating costs.

A general solution strategy of modified power method for higher mode solutions

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

Zhang, Peng; Lee, Hyunsuk; Lee, Deokjung, E-mail: deokjung@unist.ac.kr

2016-01-15

A general solution strategy of the modified power iteration method for calculating higher eigenmodes has been developed and applied in continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. The new approach adopts four features: 1) the eigen decomposition of transfer matrix, 2) weight cancellation for higher modes, 3) population control with higher mode weights, and 4) stabilization technique of statistical fluctuations using multi-cycle accumulations. The numerical tests of neutron transport eigenvalue problems successfully demonstrate that the new strategy can significantly accelerate the fission source convergence with stable convergence behavior while obtaining multiple higher eigenmodes at the same time. The advantages of the newmore » strategy can be summarized as 1) the replacement of the cumbersome solution step of high order polynomial equations required by Booth's original method with the simple matrix eigen decomposition, 2) faster fission source convergence in inactive cycles, 3) more stable behaviors in both inactive and active cycles, and 4) smaller variances in active cycles. Advantages 3 and 4 can be attributed to the lower sensitivity of the new strategy to statistical fluctuations due to the multi-cycle accumulations. The application of the modified power method to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation and the higher eigenmodes up to 4th order are reported for the first time in this paper. -- Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Modified power method is applied to continuous energy Monte Carlo simulation. •Transfer matrix is introduced to generalize the modified power method. •All mode based population control is applied to get the higher eigenmodes. •Statistic fluctuation can be greatly reduced using accumulated tally results. •Fission source convergence is accelerated with higher mode solutions.« less

Recent Advances in Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cellular Imaging and Targeted Therapy Research

PubMed Central

Wang, Yi-Xiang J.; Xuan, Shouhu; Port, Marc; Idee, Jean-Marc

2013-01-01

Advances of nanotechnology have led to the development of nanomaterials with both potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Among them, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles have received particular attention. Over the past decade, various SPIOs with unique physicochemical and biological properties have been designed by modifying the particle structure, size and coating. This article reviews the recent advances in preparing SPIOs with novel properties, the way these physicochemical properties of SPIOs influence their interaction with cells, and the development of SPIOs in liver and lymph nodes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast. Cellular uptake of SPIO can be exploited in a variety of potential clinical applications, including stem cell and inflammation cell tracking and intra-cellular drug delivery to cancerous cells which offers higher intra-cellular concentration. When SPIOs are used as carrier vehicle, additional advantages can be achieved including magnetic targeting and hyperthermia options, as well as monitoring with MRI. Other potential applications of SPIO include magnetofection and gene delivery, targeted retention of labeled stem cells, sentinel lymph nodes mapping, and magnetic force targeting and cell orientation for tissue engineering. PMID:23621536

DIAL with heterodyne detection including speckle noise: Aircraft/shuttle measurements of O3, H2O, and NH3 with pulsed tunable CO2 lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brockman, P.; Hess, R. V.; Staton, L. D.; Bair, C. H.

1980-01-01

Atmospheric trace constituent measurements with higher vertical resolution than attainable with passive radiometers are discussed. Infrared differential absorption lidar (DIAL), which depends on Mie scattering from aerosols, has special advantages for tropospheric and lower stratospheric applications and has great potential importance for measurements from shuttle and aircraft. Differential absorption lidar data reduction involves comparing large amplitude signals which have small differences. The accuracy of the trace constituent concentration inferred from DIAL measurements depends strongly on the errors in determining the amplitude of the signals. Thus, the commonly used SNR expression (signal divided by noise in the absence of signal) is not adequate to describe DIAL measurement accuracy and must be replaced by an expression which includes the random coherent (speckle) noise within the signal. A comprehensive DIAL computer algorithm is modified to include heterodyne detection and speckle noise. Examples for monitoring vertical distributions of O3, H2O, and NH3 using a ground-, aircraft-, or shuttle-based pulsed tunable CO2 laser DIAL system are given.

Cognitive and adaptive advantages of growth hormone treatment in children with Prader-Willi syndrome.

PubMed

Dykens, Elisabeth M; Roof, Elizabeth; Hunt-Hawkins, Hailee

2017-01-01

People with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) typically have mild to moderate intellectual deficits, compulsivity, hyperphagia, obesity, and growth hormone deficiencies. Growth hormone treatment (GHT) in PWS has well-established salutatory effects on linear growth and body composition, yet cognitive benefits of GHT, seen in other patient groups, have not been well studied in PWS. Study 1 included 96 children and youth with PWS aged 4-21 years who naturalistically varied in their exposures to GHT. Controlling for socioeconomic status, analyses compared cognitive and adaptive behavior test scores across age-matched treatment naïve versus growth hormone treated children. Study II assessed if age of treatment initiation or treatment duration was associated with subsequent cognition or adaptive behavior in 127, 4- to 21-year olds with PWS. Study III longitudinally examined cognitive and adaptive behavior in 168 participants who were either consistently on versus off GHT for up to 4-5 years. Compared to the treatment naïve group, children receiving GHT had significantly higher Verbal and Composite IQs, and adaptive communication and daily living skills. Children who began treatment before 12 months of age had higher Nonverbal and Composite IQs than children who began treatment between 1 and 5 years of age. Longitudinally, the groups differed in their intercepts, but not slopes, with each group showing stable IQ and adaptive behavior scores over time. Cognitive and adaptive advantages should be considered an ancillary benefit and additional justification for GHT in people with PWS. Future efforts need to target apparent socioeconomic inequities in accessing GHT in the PWS population. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Obese Japanese Patients with Stroke Have Higher Functional Recovery in Convalescent Rehabilitation Wards: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Nishioka, Shinta; Wakabayashi, Hidetaka; Yoshida, Tomomi; Mori, Natsumi; Watanabe, Riko; Nishioka, Emi

2016-01-01

A protective effect of excessive body mass index (BMI) on mortality or functional outcome in patients with stroke is not well established in the Asian population. This study aimed to explore whether obese patients with stroke have advantages for functional improvement in Japanese rehabilitation wards. This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with stroke admitted and discharged from convalescent rehabilitation wards between 2011 and 2015. Demographic data, BMI, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score, and nutritional status were analyzed. Participants were classified into 4 groups according to BMI (underweight <18.5 kg/m(2), standard 18.5-<23 kg/m(2), overweight 23-<27.5 kg/m(2), obese ≥27.5 kg/m(2)). The primary outcome was the FIM gain, and the secondary outcome was the FIM score at discharge. Multiple regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between BMI and functional recovery. In total, 897 participants (males 484, females 413; mean age 71.6 years) were analyzed and classified as underweight (134), standard (432), overweight (277), and obese (54). The median FIM gain and the FIM score at discharge were 30 and 114, respectively. The FIM gain in the obese group was significantly higher than those in the other groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that obesity was independently correlated with the FIM gain, and those at discharge after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and FIM score on admission. Obese Japanese convalescent patients with stroke may have some advantages for functional recovery in rehabilitation wards. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Effects of phosphorus application rates and depths on P utilization and loss risk in a maize-soybean intercropping system].

PubMed

Zhao, Wei; Song, Chun; Zhou, Pan; Wang, Jia Yu; Xui, Feng; Ye, Fang; Wang, Xiao Chun; Yang, Wen Yu

2018-04-01

In order to explore the advantage of intercropping on phosphorus (P) efficient utilization and the reduction of soil P loss, a field experiment in a maize-soybean intercropping system, which included three P application (P 2 O 5 ) rates (CP: 168 kg·hm -2 ; RP 1 : 135 kg·hm -2 ; RP 2 : 101 kg·hm -2 ) and three P application depths (D 1 : applied in 5 cm depth; D 2 : applied in 15 cm depth; D 3 : 1/2 of P fertilizer applied in 5 cm depth and another 1/2 in 15 cm depth) was carried out to analyze the effects of P application rates and depth on crop aboveground biomass, grain yield, crop P uptake, soil total and available P contents, and soil P adsorption-desorption characteristics. Compared with control treatment, the aboveground biomass, grain yield, crop P uptake, soil total P, and available P content were increased significantly by P application, regardless of P rate and application depth. Under the same application depth, RP 1 had similar grain yield but higher crop P uptake compared with CP, and thus higher P apparent utilization efficiency. Under the same P application rate, the application depth of D 2 had the highest crop aboveground biomass, grain yield, P uptake, soil total P, and available P. According to the characteristic of soil P adsorption-desorption, the treatment with the rate of RP 1 and the depth of D 2 had the strongest soil P retention capacity, which had advantage in alleviating P loss. These results suggested that reducing application rate but increasing application depth of P fertilizer could improve P use efficiency and reduce soil P loss without sacrifice in crop production in maize-soybean relay intercropping system.

Cognitive and adaptive advantages of growth hormone treatment in children with Prader-Willi syndrome

PubMed Central

Dykens, Elisabeth M; Roof, Elizabeth; Hunt-Hawkins, Hailee

2016-01-01

Background People with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) typically have mild to moderate intellectual deficits, compulsivity, hyperphagia, obesity, and growth hormone deficiencies. Growth hormone treatment (GHT) in PWS has well-established salutatory effects on linear growth and body composition, yet cognitive benefits of GHT, seen in other patient groups, have not been well studied in PWS. Methods Study 1 included 96 children and youth with PWS aged 4 to 21 years who naturalistically varied in their exposures to GHT. Controlling for socio-economic status, analyses compared cognitive and adaptive behavior test scores across age-matched treatment naïve versus growth hormone treated children. Study II assessed if age of treatment initiation or treatment duration was associated with subsequent cognition or adaptive behavior in 127, 4- to-21 year olds with PWS. Study III longitudinally examined cognitive and adaptive behavior in 168 participants who were either consistently on versus off GHT for up to 4–5 years. Results Compared to the treatment naïve group, children receiving growth hormone treatment had significantly higher Verbal and Composite IQs, and adaptive communication and daily living skills. Children who began treatment before 12 months of age had higher Nonverbal and Composite IQs than children who began treatment between 1 to 5 years of age. Longitudinally, the groups differed in their intercepts, but not slopes, with each group showing stable IQ and adaptive behavior scores over time. Conclusions Cognitive and adaptive advantages should be considered an ancillary benefit and additional justification for GHT in people with PWS. Future efforts need to target apparent socio-economic inequities in accessing GHT in the PWS population. PMID:27481444

48 CFR 3.700 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... source selection information in exchange for a thing of value or to give anyone a competitive advantage... or giving anyone a competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract. (b... available to the Government with respect to such contracts, including but not limited to, the common law...

48 CFR 3.700 - Scope of subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... source selection information in exchange for a thing of value or to give anyone a competitive advantage... or giving anyone a competitive advantage in the award of a Federal agency procurement contract. (b... available to the Government with respect to such contracts, including but not limited to, the common law...

Robustness of the Sequential Lineup Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gronlund, Scott D.; Carlson, Curt A.; Dailey, Sarah B.; Goodsell, Charles A.

2009-01-01

A growing movement in the United States and around the world involves promoting the advantages of conducting an eyewitness lineup in a sequential manner. We conducted a large study (N = 2,529) that included 24 comparisons of sequential versus simultaneous lineups. A liberal statistical criterion revealed only 2 significant sequential lineup…

BAS Brings Continuous Savings to Nebraska School District.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Energy Management Technology, 1985

1985-01-01

Discusses advantages of a building automation system (BAS) used for monitoring and controlling 16 buildings (1,000,000 square feet). Problems solved and savings occurred with air handlers, indoor pool, minerals in boilers, and service tunnels. The system included numerous advantages for operators and paid for itself in 15 months. (DH)

Potential end-to-end imaging information rate advantages of various alternative communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, R. F.

1978-01-01

Various communication systems were considered which are required to transmit both imaging and a typically error sensitive, class of data called general science/engineering (gse) over a Gaussian channel. The approach jointly treats the imaging and gse transmission problems, allowing comparisons of systems which include various channel coding and data compression alternatives. Actual system comparisons include an Advanced Imaging Communication System (AICS) which exhibits the rather significant potential advantages of sophisticated data compression coupled with powerful yet practical channel coding.

Introduction to the problem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramohalli, Kumar

1989-01-01

Solid propellant rockets were used extensively in space missions ranging from large boosters to orbit-raising upper stages. The smaller motors find exclusive use in various earth-based applications. The advantage of the solids include simplicity, readiness, volumetric efficiency, and storability. Important recent progress in related fields (combustion, rheology, micro-instrumentation/diagnostics, and chaos theory) can be applied to solid rockets to derive maximum advantage and avoid waste. Main objectives of research in solid propellants include: to identify critical parameters, to establish specification rules, and to develop quantitative criteria.

The directed mutation controversy and neo-Darwinism.

PubMed

Lenski, R E; Mittler, J E

1993-01-08

According to neo-Darwinian theory, random mutation produces genetic differences among organisms whereas natural selection tends to increase the frequency of advantageous alleles. However, several recent papers claim that certain mutations in bacteria and yeast occur at much higher rates specifically when the mutant phenotypes are advantageous. Various molecular models have been proposed that might explain these directed mutations, but the models have not been confirmed. Critics contend that studies purporting to demonstrate directed mutation lack certain controls and fail to account adequately for population dynamics. Further experiments that address these criticisms do not support the existence of directed mutations.

Social Capital, Information, and Socioeconomic Disparities in Math Coursework

PubMed Central

Crosnoe, Robert; Schneider, Barbara

2011-01-01

Analysis of the National Education Longitudinal Study revealed that socioeconomically advantaged students persist in high school math at higher rates than their disadvantaged peers, even when they have the same initial placements and skill levels. These disparities are larger among students with prior records of low academic status because students from more privileged backgrounds persist in math coursework even when their prior performance predicts they will not. Among students with low middle school math performance, those from socioeconomically disadvantaged families appear to benefit from having consultants for coursework decisions, so that they make up ground with their socioeconomically advantaged peers. PMID:21743762

Payment policy and the growth of Medicare Advantage.

PubMed

Zarabozo, Carlos; Harrison, Scott

2009-01-01

This paper reviews recent trends in Medicare Advantage, examining program costs, access to plans, enrollment, plan bids, and benchmarks. We find that current policy has favored the growth of particular types of plans. Bid data show that plans are paid, on average, 113 percent of what expenditures would have been under the traditional Medicare program. Although some of the plan payments are used to finance extra benefits for enrollees, paying plans at higher than fee-for-service levels could affect the sustainability of the Medicare program and result in increased costs for all taxpayers and beneficiaries.

Comparison of home advantage in men's and women's football leagues in Europe.

PubMed

Pollard, Richard; Gómez, Miguel A

2014-01-01

Most research into home advantage is based on men's sports. This article analyses home advantage in the women's domestic football leagues of Europe and makes a comparison with the corresponding men's football leagues. A total of 47,042 games were included. From 2004 to 2010, home advantage existed in the domestic women's soccer leagues of all 26 European countries analysed, ranging from 51.0% to 58.8% and averaging 54.2%. In every country, this was less than the corresponding men's home advantage which averaged 60.0%. Crowd effects, both on players and referees, and different gender perceptions of territorial protection are plausible reasons for the differences found. Using a regression model that controlled for the competitive balance of each league, as well as for crowd size, the Gender Gap Index, which quantifies the status of women in each country, was a significant predictor of the difference between men's and women's home advantage. As the status of women becomes closer to that of men within a country, the difference in home advantage is less between the men's and women's football leagues.

Super-long bridges with floating towers: the role of multi-box decks and Hardware-In-the-Loop technology for wind tunnel tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zasso, A.; Argentini, T.; Bayati, I.; Belloli, M.; Rocchi, D.

2017-12-01

The super long fjord crossings in E39 Norwegian project pose new challenges to long span bridge design and construction technology. Proposed solutions should consider the adoption of bridge deck with super long spans or floating solutions for at least one of the towers, due to the relevant fjord depth. At the same time, the exposed fjord environment, possibly facing the open ocean, calls for higher aerodynamic stability performances. In relation to this scenario, the present paper addresses two topics: 1) the aerodynamic advantages of multi-box deck sections in terms of aeroelastic stability, and 2) an experimental setup in a wind tunnel able to simulate the aeroelastic bridge response including the wave forcing on the floating.

Process for production of solution-derived (Pb,La)(Nb,Sn,Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} thin films and powders

DOEpatents

Boyle, T.J.

1999-01-12

A simple and rapid process for synthesizing (Pb,La)(Nb,Sn,Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} precursor solutions and subsequent ferroelectric thin films and powders of the perovskite phase of these materials has been developed. This process offers advantages over standard methods, including: rapid solution synthesis (<10 minutes), use of commercially available materials, film production under ambient conditions, ease of lanthanum dissolution at high concentrations, and no heating requirements during solution synthesis. For lanthanum-doped ferroelectric materials, the lanthanum source can be added with total synthesis time less than 10 minutes. Films and powders are crystallized at approximately 650 C and exhibit ferroelectric properties comparable to films and powders produced by other techniques which require higher crystallization temperatures. 2 figs.

Development of salt production technology using prism greenhouse method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guntur, G.; Jaziri, A. A.; Prihanto, A. A.; Arisandi, D. M.; Kurniawan, A.

2018-01-01

The main problem of salt production in Indonesia is low productivity and quality because the technology used commonly by Indonesian salt farmers is traditional method. This research aims to increase production of salt by using the prism greenhouse method. The prism greenhouse method is a salt production system with a combination of several salt production technologies, including geomembrane, threaded filter, and prism greenhouse technology. This research method used descriptive method. The results of this study were the productivity increased threefold, and the quality of salt produced also increased in terms of the content of NaCl from 85% to 95%. In addition, salt production with the prism greenhouse method has several advantages, such as faster harvest time, weather resistance, easy to use, and higher profit than traditional methods.

Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of azoic dyes based on pyrazolone derivatives catalyzed by an acidic ionic liquid supported on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaad, Jalal; El Achari, Ahmida

2018-02-01

Novel family of azoic dyes pyrazolone based were prepared by an efficient and rapid methodology through diazotization reaction of different pyrazolone amine derivatives, in the presence of acidic ionic liquid supported on silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles as acidic catalyst at room temperature and under solvent-free conditions. The attractive advantages of the present process include short reaction times, milder and cleaner conditions, higher purity and yields, easy isolation of products, easier work-up procedure and lower generation of waste or pollution. This catalyst was easily separated by an external magnet and the recovered catalyst was reused several times without any significant loss of activity. Therefore, this method provides improved protocol over the existing methods.

A new fabrication technique for back-to-back varactor diodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, R. Peter; Choudhury, Debabani; Martin, Suzanne; Frerking, Margaret A.; Liu, John K.; Grunthaner, Frank A.

1992-01-01

A new varactor diode process has been developed in which much of the processing is done from the back of an extremely thin semiconductor wafer laminated to a low-dielectric substrate. Back-to-back BNN diodes were fabricated with this technique; excellent DC and low-frequency capacitance measurements were obtained. Advantages of the new technique relative to other techniques include greatly reduced frontside wafer damage from exposure to process chemicals, improved capability to integrate devices (e.g. for antenna patterns, transmission lines, or wafer-scale grids), and higher line yield. BNN diodes fabricated with this technique exhibit approximately the expected capacitance-voltage characteristics while showing leakage currents under 10 mA at voltages three times that needed to deplete the varactor. This leakage is many orders of magnitude better than comparable Schottky diodes.

A novel single-phase flux-switching permanent magnet linear generator used for free-piston Stirling engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Ping; Sui, Yi; Tong, Chengde; Bai, Jingang; Yu, Bin; Lin, Fei

2014-05-01

This paper investigates a novel single-phase flux-switching permanent-magnet (PM) linear machine used for free-piston Stirling engines. The machine topology and operating principle are studied. A flux-switching PM linear machine is designed based on the quasi-sinusoidal speed characteristic of the resonant piston. Considering the performance of back electromotive force and thrust capability, some leading structural parameters, including the air gap length, the PM thickness, the ratio of the outer radius of mover to that of stator, the mover tooth width, the stator tooth width, etc., are optimized by finite element analysis. Compared with conventional three-phase moving-magnet linear machine, the proposed single-phase flux-switching topology shows advantages in less PM use, lighter mover, and higher volume power density.

Continuous imaging of the blood vessels in tumor mouse dorsal skin window chamber model by using SD-OCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiao; Yang, Shaozhuang; Yu, Bin; Wang, Qi; Lin, Danying; Gao, Jian; Zhang, Peiqi; Ma, Yiqun; Qu, Junle; Niu, Hanben

2016-03-01

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has been widely applied into microstructure imaging of tissues or blood vessels with a series of advantages, including non-destructiveness, real-time imaging, high resolution and high sensitivity. In this study, a Spectral Domain OCT (SD-OCT) system with higher sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was built up, which was used to observe the blood vessel distribution and blood flow in the dorsal skin window chamber of the nude mouse tumor model. In order to obtain comparable data, the distribution images of blood vessels were collected from the same mouse before and after tumor injection. In conclusion, in vivo blood vessel distribution images of the tumor mouse model have been continuously obtained during around two weeks.

VCSEL proliferation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatum, Jim

2007-02-01

Since the commercialization of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) in 1996, Finisar's Advanced Optical Components Division has shipped well over 50 Million VCSELs. The vast majority of these were shipped into the data communications industry, which was essentially the only volume application until 2005. The driver for VCSEL manufacturing might well shift to the increasingly popular laser based optical mouse. The advantages of the laser based mouse over traditional LED mice include operation on a wider range of surfaces, higher resolution, and increased battery lifetime. What is the next application that will drive growth in VCSELs? This paper will offer a historical perspective on the emergence of VCSELs from the laboratory to reality, and the companies that have played key roles in VCSEL commercialization. Furthermore, a perspective on the market needs of future VCSEL development and applications is described.

Are Serious Games a Good Strategy for Pharmacy Education?

PubMed Central

Cain, Jeff

2015-01-01

Serious gaming is the use of game principles for the purposes of learning, skill acquisition, and training. Higher education is beginning to incorporate serious gaming into curricula, and health professions education is the most common area for serious game use. Advantages of serious gaming in pharmacy education include authentic, situated learning without risk of patient consequences, collaborative learning, ability to challenge students of all performance levels, high student motivation with increased time on task, immediate feedback, ability to learn from mistakes without becoming discouraged, and potential for behavior and attitude change. Development of quality games for pharmacy education requires content expertise as well as expertise in the science and design of gaming. When well done, serious gaming provides a valuable additional tool for pharmacy education. PMID:26089556

Photodynamic Therapy for Gynecological Diseases and Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Shishkova, Natashis; Kuznetsova, Olga; Berezov, Temirbolat

2012-01-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive and promising new method in cancer treatment. Cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by the tissue-localized non-toxic sensitizer upon illumination and in the presence of oxygen. Thus, selective destruction of a targeted tumor may be achieved. Compared with traditional cancer treatment, PDI has advantages including higher selectivity and lower rate of toxicity. The high degree of selectivity of the proposed method was applied to cancer diagnosis using fluorescence. This article reviews previous studies done on PDT treatment and photodetection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, ovarian and breast cancer, and PDT application in treating non-cancer lesions. The article also highlights the clinical responses to PDT, and discusses the possibility of enhancing treatment efficacy by combination with immunotherapy and targeted therapy. PMID:23691448

The computational worm: spatial orientation and its neuronal basis in C. elegans.

PubMed

Lockery, Shawn R

2011-10-01

Spatial orientation behaviors in animals are fundamental for survival but poorly understood at the neuronal level. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans orients to a wide range of stimuli and has a numerically small and well-described nervous system making it advantageous for investigating the mechanisms of spatial orientation. Recent work by the C. elegans research community has identified essential computational elements of the neural circuits underlying two orientation strategies that operate in five different sensory modalities. Analysis of these circuits reveals novel motifs including simple circuits for computing temporal derivatives of sensory input and for integrating sensory input with behavioral state to generate adaptive behavior. These motifs constitute hypotheses concerning the identity and functionality of circuits controlling spatial orientation in higher organisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process for production of solution-derived (Pb,La)(Nb,Sn,Zr,Ti)O.sub.3 thin films and powders

DOEpatents

Boyle, Timothy J.

1999-01-01

A simple and rapid process for synthesizing (Pb,La)(Nb,Sn,Zr,Ti)O.sub.3 precursor solutions and subsequent ferroelectric thin films and powders of the perovskite phase of these materials has been developed. This process offers advantages over standard methods, including: rapid solution synthesis (<10 minutes), use of commercially available materials, film production under ambient conditions, ease of lanthanum dissolution at high concentrations, and no heating requirements during solution synthesis. For lanthanum-doped ferroelectric materials, the lanthanum source can be added with total synthesis time less than 10 minutes. Films and powders are crystallized at approximately 650.degree. C. and exhibit ferroelectric properties comparable to films and powders produced by other techniques which require higher crystallization temperatures.

Applications of plasma core reactors to terrestrial energy systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Latham, T. S.; Biancardi, F. R.; Rodgers, R. J.

1974-01-01

Plasma core reactors offer several new options for future energy needs in addition to space power and propulsion applications. Power extraction from plasma core reactors with gaseous nuclear fuel allows operation at temperatures higher than conventional reactors. Highly efficient thermodynamic cycles and applications employing direct coupling of radiant energy are possible. Conceptual configurations of plasma core reactors for terrestrial applications are described. Closed-cycle gas turbines, MHD systems, photo- and thermo-chemical hydrogen production processes, and laser systems using plasma core reactors as prime energy sources are considered. Cycle efficiencies in the range of 50 to 65 percent are calculated for closed-cycle gas turbine and MHD electrical generators. Reactor advantages include continuous fuel reprocessing which limits inventory of radioactive by-products and thorium-U-233 breeder configurations with about 5-year doubling times.-

The receiving simplification partnership: a win-win approach to better service and higher profitability.

PubMed

Beech, W D; Berg, R C

1999-02-01

To achieve competitive advantage, customers and suppliers are increasingly forming logistics partnerships to improve supply chain performance and reduce costs. The partnerships are typically motivated by the need to solve a particular problem, but with attention and open communication, new program ideas can develop, sometimes even breakthrough concepts. During the course of their partnership, Avery Dennison and United Stationers created a program that dramatically simplifies and speeds receiving and put-away of shipments with the aim of reducing workloads, improving service, and increasing profitability. The program involves optimizing order quantity increments to full-pallet, layer, and case volumes based on demand and warehouse configurations. Within six weeks, the results included a 50 percent reduction in shipment line items and 92 percent fewer put-away pieces, despite unchanged inventory levels.

Emergy assessment of three home courtyard agriculture production systems in Tibet Autonomous Region, China*

PubMed Central

Guan, Fa-chun; Sha, Zhi-peng; Zhang, Yu-yang; Wang, Jun-feng; Wang, Chao

2016-01-01

Home courtyard agriculture is an important model of agricultural production on the Tibetan plateau. Because of the sensitive and fragile plateau environment, it needs to have optimal performance characteristics, including high sustainability, low environmental pressure, and high economic benefit. Emergy analysis is a promising tool for evaluation of the environmental-economic performance of these production systems. In this study, emergy analysis was used to evaluate three courtyard agricultural production models: Raising Geese in Corn Fields (RGICF), Conventional Corn Planting (CCP), and Pea-Wheat Rotation (PWR). The results showed that the RGICF model produced greater economic benefits, and had higher sustainability, lower environmental pressure, and higher product safety than the CCP and PWR models. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) and emergy self-support ratio (ESR) of RGICF were 0.66 and 0.11, respectively, lower than those of the CCP production model, and 0.99 and 0.08, respectively, lower than those of the PWR production model. The impact of RGICF (1.45) on the environment was lower than that of CCP (2.26) and PWR (2.46). The emergy sustainable indices (ESIs) of RGICF were 1.07 and 1.02 times higher than those of CCP and PWR, respectively. With regard to the emergy index of product safety (EIPS), RGICF had a higher safety index than those of CCP and PWR. Overall, our results suggest that the RGICF model is advantageous and provides higher environmental benefits than the CCP and PWR systems. PMID:27487808

Emergy assessment of three home courtyard agriculture production systems in Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

PubMed

Guan, Fa-Chun; Sha, Zhi-Peng; Zhang, Yu-Yang; Wang, Jun-Feng; Wang, Chao

2016-08-01

Home courtyard agriculture is an important model of agricultural production on the Tibetan plateau. Because of the sensitive and fragile plateau environment, it needs to have optimal performance characteristics, including high sustainability, low environmental pressure, and high economic benefit. Emergy analysis is a promising tool for evaluation of the environmental-economic performance of these production systems. In this study, emergy analysis was used to evaluate three courtyard agricultural production models: Raising Geese in Corn Fields (RGICF), Conventional Corn Planting (CCP), and Pea-Wheat Rotation (PWR). The results showed that the RGICF model produced greater economic benefits, and had higher sustainability, lower environmental pressure, and higher product safety than the CCP and PWR models. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) and emergy self-support ratio (ESR) of RGICF were 0.66 and 0.11, respectively, lower than those of the CCP production model, and 0.99 and 0.08, respectively, lower than those of the PWR production model. The impact of RGICF (1.45) on the environment was lower than that of CCP (2.26) and PWR (2.46). The emergy sustainable indices (ESIs) of RGICF were 1.07 and 1.02 times higher than those of CCP and PWR, respectively. With regard to the emergy index of product safety (EIPS), RGICF had a higher safety index than those of CCP and PWR. Overall, our results suggest that the RGICF model is advantageous and provides higher environmental benefits than the CCP and PWR systems.

Fission matrix-based Monte Carlo criticality analysis of fuel storage pools

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

Farlotti, M.; Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, F 91128; Larsen, E. W.

2013-07-01

Standard Monte Carlo transport procedures experience difficulties in solving criticality problems in fuel storage pools. Because of the strong neutron absorption between fuel assemblies, source convergence can be very slow, leading to incorrect estimates of the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction. This study examines an alternative fission matrix-based Monte Carlo transport method that takes advantage of the geometry of a storage pool to overcome this difficulty. The method uses Monte Carlo transport to build (essentially) a fission matrix, which is then used to calculate the criticality and the critical flux. This method was tested using a test code on a simplemore » problem containing 8 assemblies in a square pool. The standard Monte Carlo method gave the expected eigenfunction in 5 cases out of 10, while the fission matrix method gave the expected eigenfunction in all 10 cases. In addition, the fission matrix method provides an estimate of the error in the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction, and it allows the user to control this error by running an adequate number of cycles. Because of these advantages, the fission matrix method yields a higher confidence in the results than standard Monte Carlo. We also discuss potential improvements of the method, including the potential for variance reduction techniques. (authors)« less

The novel synthesis of magnetically chitosan/carbon nanotube composites and their catalytic applications.

PubMed

Zarnegar, Zohre; Safari, Javad

2015-04-01

Chitosan-modified magnetic carbon nanotubes (CS-MCNTs) were synthesized and were investigated by FT-IR, EDX, FE-SEM, elemental analysis, XRD, VSM and TGA. In order to synthesize the CS-MCNTs composites, Fe3O4 decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs-Fe3O4) were modified with a silica layer by the ammonia-catalysed hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (CNTs-Fe3O4@SiO2). Then, CS-MCNTs were successfully grafted on the surface of CNTs-Fe3O4@SiO2via a suspension cross-linking method. The CS-MCNT was found to be an excellent heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs). The attractive advantages of the present process include short reaction times, milder and cleaner conditions, higher purity and yields, easy isolation of products, easier work-up procedure and lower generation of waste or pollutions. This catalyst was easily separated by an external magnet and the recovered catalyst was reused several times without any significant loss of activity. A combination of the advantages of CNTs, chitosan and magnetic nanoparticles provides an important methodology for carrying out catalytic transformations. Therefore, this method provides a green and much improved protocol over the existing methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of unicondylar versus total knee arthroplasty: a Markov model analysis.

PubMed

Peersman, Geert; Jak, Wouter; Vandenlangenbergh, Tom; Jans, Christophe; Cartier, Philippe; Fennema, Peter

2014-01-01

Unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) is believed to lead to less morbidity and enhanced functional outcomes when compared with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Conversely, UKA is also associated with a higher revision risk than TKA. In order to further clarify the key differences between these separate procedures, the current study assessing the cost-effectiveness of UKA versus TKA was undertaken. A state-transition Markov model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of UKA versus TKA for unicondylar osteoarthritis using a Belgian payer's perspective. The model was designed to include the possibility of two revision procedures. Model estimates were obtained through literature review and revision rates were based on registry data. Threshold analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the model's robustness. UKA was associated with a cost reduction of €2,807 and a utility gain of 0.04 quality-adjusted life years in comparison with TKA. Analysis determined that the model is sensitive to clinical effectiveness, and that a marginal reduction in the clinical performance of UKA would lead to TKA being the more cost-effective solution. UKA yields clear advantages in terms of costs and marginal advantages in terms of health effects, in comparison with TKA. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tissue expanders with a focus on extremity reconstruction.

PubMed

Arain, Abdul R; Cole, Keegan; Sullivan, Christopher; Banerjee, Samik; Kazley, Jillian; Uhl, Richard L

2018-02-01

Acute traumatic or surgical wounds that cannot be primarily closed often cause substantial morbidity and mortality. This often leads to increased costs from higher material expenses, more involved nursing care, and longer hospital stays. Advancements in soft tissue expansion has made it a popular alternative to facilitate early closure without the need for more complicated plastic surgical procedures. Areas covered: In this review, we briefly elaborate on the history and biomechanics of tissue expansion and provide comprehensive descriptions of traditional internal tissue expanders and a variety of contemporary external tissue expanders. We describe their uses, advantages, disadvantages, and clinical outcomes. The majority of articles reviewed include case series with level IV evidence. Outcome data was collected for studies after 1990 using PubMed database. Expert commentary: An overall reduction in cost, time-to-wound closure, hospital length-of-stay, and infection rate may be expected with most tissue expanders. However, further studies comparing outcomes and cost-effectiveness of various expanders may be beneficial. Surgeons should be aware of the wide array of tissue expanders that are commercially available to individualize treatment based on thorough understanding of their advantages and disadvantages to optimize outcomes. We predict the use of external expanders to increase in the future and the need for more invasive procedures such as flaps to decrease.

Lineage Selection and the Maintenance of Sex.

PubMed

de Vienne, Damien M; Giraud, Tatiana; Gouyon, Pierre-Henri

2013-01-01

Sex predominates in eukaryotes, despite its short-term disadvantage when compared to asexuality. Myriad models have suggested that short-term advantages of sex may be sufficient to counterbalance its twofold costs. However, despite decades of experimental work seeking such evidence, no evolutionary mechanism has yet achieved broad recognition as explanation for the maintenance of sex. We explore here, through lineage-selection models, the conditions favouring the maintenance of sex. In the first model, we allowed the rate of transition to asexuality to evolve, to determine whether lineage selection favoured species with the strongest constraints preventing the loss of sex. In the second model, we simulated more explicitly the mechanisms underlying the higher extinction rates of asexual lineages than of their sexual counterparts. We linked extinction rates to the ecological and/or genetic features of lineages, thereby providing a formalisation of the only figure included in Darwin's "The origin of species". Our results reinforce the view that the long-term advantages of sex and lineage selection may provide the most satisfactory explanations for the maintenance of sex in eukaryotes, which is still poorly recognized, and provide figures and a simulation website for training and educational purposes. Short-term benefits may play a role, but it is also essential to take into account the selection of lineages for a thorough understanding of the maintenance of sex.

Wave-front propagation of rinsing flows on rotating semiconductor wafers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frostad, John M.; Ylitalo, Andy; Walls, Daniel J.; Mui, David S. L.; Fuller, Gerald G.

2016-11-01

The semiconductor manufacturing industry is migrating to a cleaning technology that involves dispersing cleaning solutions onto a rotating wafer, similar to spin-coating. Advantages include a more continuous overall fabrication process, lower particle level, no cross contamination from the back side of a wafer, and less usage of harsh chemicals for a lower environmental impact. Rapid rotation of the wafer during rinsing can be more effective, but centrifugal forces can pull spiral-like ribbons of liquid radially outward from the advancing wave-front where particles can build up, causing higher instances of device failure at these locations. A better understanding of the rinsing flow is essential for reducing yield losses while taking advantage of the benefits of rotation. In the present work, high-speed video and image processing are used to study the dynamics of the advancing wave-front from an impinging jet on a rotating substrate. The flow-rate and rotation-speed are varied for substrates coated with a thin layer of a second liquid that has a different surface tension than the jet liquid. The difference in surface tension of the two fluids gives rise to Marangoni stresses at the interface that have a significant impact on the rinsing process, despite the extremely short time-scales involved.

High power density superconducting rotating machines—development status and technology roadmap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haran, Kiruba S.; Kalsi, Swarn; Arndt, Tabea; Karmaker, Haran; Badcock, Rod; Buckley, Bob; Haugan, Timothy; Izumi, Mitsuru; Loder, David; Bray, James W.; Masson, Philippe; Stautner, Ernst Wolfgang

2017-12-01

Superconducting technology applications in electric machines have long been pursued due to their significant advantages of higher efficiency and power density over conventional technology. However, in spite of many successful technology demonstrations, commercial adoption has been slow, presumably because the threshold for value versus cost and technology risk has not yet been crossed. One likely path for disruptive superconducting technology in commercial products could be in applications where its advantages become key enablers for systems which are not practical with conventional technology. To help systems engineers assess the viability of such future solutions, we present a technology roadmap for superconducting machines. The timeline considered was ten years to attain a Technology Readiness Level of 6+, with systems demonstrated in a relevant environment. Future projections, by definition, are based on the judgment of specialists, and can be subjective. Attempts have been made to obtain input from a broad set of organizations for an inclusive opinion. This document was generated through a series of teleconferences and in-person meetings, including meetings at the 2015 IEEE PES General meeting in Denver, CO, the 2015 ECCE in Montreal, Canada, and a final workshop in April 2016 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign that brought together a broad group of technical experts spanning the industry, government and academia.