Handbook of solar energy data for south-facing surfaces in the United States. Volume 2: Average hourly and total daily insolation data for 235 localities. Alaska - Montana

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. H.

1980-01-01

Average hourly and daily total insolation estimates for 235 United States locations are presented. Values are presented for a selected number of array tilt angles on a monthly basis. All units are in kilowatt hours per square meter.

7 CFR 457.167 - Pecan revenue crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...,000. Approved average revenue per acre—The total of your average gross sales per acre based on at...—Pecans as they are removed from the orchard with the nut-meats in the shell. Interplanted—Acreage on... insurance per acre is based and the number of affected acres; (2) The number of bearing trees on insurable...

7 CFR 457.167 - Pecan revenue crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... average revenue per acre. The total of your average gross sales per acre based on the most recent... overcrowding of pecan trees. In-shell pecans. Pecans as they are removed from the orchard with the nut-meats in... per acre is based and the number of affected acres; (2) The number of bearing trees on insurable and...

Geographic and Age-Based Variations in Medicare Reimbursement Among ASSH Members.

PubMed

Gaspar, Michael P; Kane, Patrick M; Honik, Grace B; Shin, Eon K; Jacoby, Sidney M; Osterman, A Lee

2016-09-01

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate how American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) members' Medicare reimbursement depends on their geographical location and number of years in practice. Methods: Demographic data for surgeons who were active members of the ASSH in 2012 were obtained using information publicly available through the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "Hand-surgeons-per-capita" and average reimbursement per surgeon were calculated for each state. Regression analysis was performed to determine a relationship between (1) each state's average reimbursement versus the number of ASSH members in that state, (2) average reimbursement versus number of hand surgeons per capita, and (3) total reimbursement from Medicare versus number of years in practice. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to detect a difference in reimbursement based on categorical range of years as an ASSH member. Results: A total of 1667 ASSH members satisfied inclusion in this study. Although there was significant variation among states' average reimbursement, reimbursement was not significantly correlated with the state's hand surgeons per capita or total number of hand surgeons in that given state. Correlation between years as an ASSH member and average reimbursement was significant but non-linear; the highest reimbursements were seen in surgeons who had been ASSH members from 8 to 20 years. Conclusions: Peak reimbursement from Medicare for ASSH members appears to be related to the time of surgeons' peak operative volume, rather than any age-based bias for or against treating Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, though geographic variation in reimbursement does exist, this does not appear to correlate with density or availability of hand surgeons.

Reactions of Grape Rootstocks to Pratylenchus vulnus and Meloidogyne spp.

PubMed

Chitambar, J J; Raski, D J

1984-04-01

Five grape rootstocks were inoculated with 0, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 Pratylenchus vulnus. Dogridge and Saltcreek supported low average total numbers of P. vulnus, 136-705/pot, at 12 months after inoculation. Growth of both rootstocks was not affected. Harmony, Couderc 1613, and Ganzin 1 supported high average total numbers, 6-856 times the inoculum levels. Numbers in Harmony continued to increase at all levels but reduced root weight only at the 10,000 level after 12 months. Numbers in Couderc 1613 decreased by 15-30% after 12 months, and root weight was reduced at the 10,000 level. In Ganzin 1, total nematode numbers diminished after 12 months but were still at high levels; growth reduction was proportional to numbers of nematodes added. Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, and M. arenaria produced galls and egg masses in Harmony and Couderc 1613 only at 36 C. Galling in Ganzin 1 increased with increasing temperature. Galls in Ganzin 1 at 18 C supported mature females after 90 days. Harmony was resistant to M. incognita in single and concomitant inoculations of P. vulnus and M. incognita. At 250 days after inoculation, total numbers of P. vulnus increased above the inoculum level and the 150-day values; increase was greatest in P. vulnus added singly. Neither nematode species affected growth of Harmony.

Study of the total reaction cross section via QMD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Lin-Meng; Guo, Wen-Jun; Zhang, Fan; Ni, Sheng

2013-10-01

This paper presents a new empirical formula to calculate the average nucleon-nucleon (N-N) collision number for the total reaction cross sections (σR). Based on the initial average N-N collision number calculated by quantum molecular dynamics (QMD), quantum correction and Coulomb correction are taken into account within it. The average N-N collision number is calculated by this empirical formula. The total reaction cross sections are obtained within the framework of the Glauber theory. σR of 23Al+12C, 24Al+12C, 25 Al+12C, 26Al+12C and 27Al+12C are calculated in the range of low energy. We also calculate the σR of 27Al+12C with different incident energies. The calculated σR are compared with the experimental data and the results of Glauber theory including the σR of both spherical nuclear and deformed nuclear. It is seen that the calculated σR are larger than σR of spherical nuclear and smaller than σR of deformed nuclear, whereas the results agree well with the experimental data in low-energy range.

78 FR 49321 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-13

.... Residents. Respondent Universe: 1,000 individuals. Frequency of Submission: On occasion. Respondent Total annual Average time per Total annual Form number universe responses response burden hours Alleged...

78 FR 26088 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for a New Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

... form relates to a budget or estimate of the legal fees, costs, and expenses that outside counsel would... average number of respondents, burden, and total annual cost appear below. The estimated number of... and the representations and certifications form. The NCUA estimated the total annual cost by...

Use of scan overlap redundancy to enhance multispectral aircraft scanner data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindenlaub, J. C.; Keat, J.

1973-01-01

Two criteria were suggested for optimizing the resolution error versus signal-to-noise-ratio tradeoff. The first criterion uses equal weighting coefficients and chooses n, the number of lines averaged, so as to make the average resolution error equal to the noise error. The second criterion adjusts both the number and relative sizes of the weighting coefficients so as to minimize the total error (resolution error plus noise error). The optimum set of coefficients depends upon the geometry of the resolution element, the number of redundant scan lines, the scan line increment, and the original signal-to-noise ratio of the channel. Programs were developed to find the optimum number and relative weights of the averaging coefficients. A working definition of signal-to-noise ratio was given and used to try line averaging on a typical set of data. Line averaging was evaluated only with respect to its effect on classification accuracy.

A prospective randomised study comparing the jubilee dressing method to a standard adhesive dressing for total hip and knee replacements.

PubMed

Burke, Neil G; Green, Connor; McHugh, Gavin; McGolderick, Niall; Kilcoyne, Carol; Kenny, Patrick

2012-08-01

It is important to reduce potential wound complications in total hip and total knee arthroplasty procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare the jubilee dressing method to a standard adhesive dressing. 124 patients (62 total hip replacements and 62 total knee replacements) were randomly selected to have either a standard adhesive dressing or jubilee method dressing. The number of dressing changes, incidence of blistering, leakage, appearance of inflammation, infection rate and the average stay in hospital was recorded for each patient. The jubilee dressing significantly reduced the rate of blistering, leakage and number of dressing changes when compare to a traditional adhesive dressing (p < 0.05). The rate of inflammation and average length of stay in hospital was not significantly different between the two groups. The authors recommend the use of this dressing for total hip and total knee arthroplasty procedures due to the associated lower complication rate. Copyright © 2012 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 423.279 - National average monthly bid amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... bid amounts for each prescription drug plan (not including fallbacks) and for each MA-PD plan...(h) of the Act. (b) Calculation of weighted average. (1) The national average monthly bid amount is a....258(c)(1) of this chapter) and the denominator equal to the total number of Part D eligible...

42 CFR 423.279 - National average monthly bid amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... bid amounts for each prescription drug plan (not including fallbacks) and for each MA-PD plan...(h) of the Act. (b) Calculation of weighted average. (1) The national average monthly bid amount is a....258(c)(1) of this chapter) and the denominator equal to the total number of Part D eligible...

Scientific publications in public, environmental and occupational health journals by authors from China, Japan and Korea in East Asia: A 10-year literature survey from 2003 to 2012.

PubMed

Li, Meina; Liu, Xiaodong; Zhang, Lulu

2015-01-01

To compare the number and quality of public, environmental and occupational health articles published in international journals from the 3 major non-English speaking countries of East Asia: China, Japan and Korea. Public, environmental and occupational health articles from China, Japan and Korea that were published in 161 journals from 2003 to 2012 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. We recorded the numbers of total articles, impact factors (IF), citations, number of articles in top 10 journals, references as well as the article distribution from various regions in China. From 2003 to 2012, China, Japan and Korea published 5713, 3802 and 1967 papers respectively, with accumulated impact factor of 14 934.55, 8758.36 and 6189.25, the average impact factor of 2.61, 2.30 and 3.15 and the average citation numbers per document of 5.08, 6.49 and 5.25. In the top 10 high-impact public, environmental and occupational health journals, China, Japan and Korea accounted for 50.19%, 20.34% and 29.47% of all the papers published in those journals, respectively. Total impact factors of the most popular 10 papers for China, Japan and Korea were: 26.23, 27.08 and 26.91. Distribution of scientific papers among regions was unbalanced in China, for Hong Kong and Taiwan it accounted for 47.31% of the papers from China. From 2003 to 2012, both the quality and number of papers from China published in public, environmental and occupational health journals have greatly improved. China exceeded Japan and Korea in the number, accumulated impact factor, total citation times and the average number of references, while Korea had the highest average impact factor. Japan had the highest journal impact factor among the most popular journals, and the highest average citation number per document. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

77 FR 71601 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-03

... in certain circumstances, e.g., recall of the device, the occurrence of unanticipated adverse effects... Annual Reporting Burden \\1\\ Number of Average Activity/21 CFR Section Number of responses per Total annual burden per Total hours respondents respondent responses response Waivers--812.10 1 1 1 1 1 IDE...

77 FR 38842 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request: PHS Applications and Pre-Award Reporting Requirements...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

...) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review and approval of the... investigators. The annual reporting burden is as follows: Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 94,326; Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1; Average Burden Hours Per Response: 21.75; Estimated Total...

Age at marriage, fertility and infant-child mortality in a Lahore suburb.

PubMed

Afzal, M; Khan, Z; Chaudhry, N A

1976-01-01

An exploratory study of 700 ever-married women was conducted in a suburb of Lahore city in 1973 in an attempt to gather knowledge concerning the major determinants of fertility and family size. A retrospective sample survey was used for collecting the data. From the sample of 700, average age at marriage has been computed for the females getting married during different periods of time. The mean age at marriage shows an increasing trend from decade to decade, and these increases have been found to be statistically significant. Of the 700 women, 674 have actually been pregnant and in this group there were 3691 pregnancies, an average of 5.5 pregnancies per woman. The total number of pregnancy wastages among these women was 174 or 47/1000 pregnancies. The total number of children ever born to these mothers was 3531 or an average of 5.2 children per mother. The overall average number of children born alive to the mothers whose age at marriage was under 15 is 5.4; for those married at the average age of 15, the number of children is 5; and for those with higher ages at marriage, the number of children ranges from 4.4 to 4.6. The marital age-specific fertility rate is slightly higher for the age group 15-19 but is lower for the ages 30 and above. The relationship of cumulative number of pregnancies and the number of pregnancy wastages experienced shows that the pregnancies of m others increase with more pregnancy wastages, but the average number for those who never experienced a loss was also high. This suggests that the use of contraception has not been sufficiently extensive to help limit the incidence of pregnancies. The patterns of cumulative fertility also suggest that the family planning program has done little to reduce fertility. A comparison of the average number of children ever born to the 700 women with that provided by the National Impact Survey shows little change over the 5 years intervening between the 2 studies.

Health financing in the African Region: 2000-2009 data analysis.

PubMed

Sambo, Luis Gomes; Kirigia, Joses Muthuri; Orem, Juliet Nabyonga

2013-03-06

In order to raise African countries probability of achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015, there is need to increase and more efficiently use domestic and external funding to strengthen health systems infrastructure in order to ensure universal access to quality health care. The objective of this paper is to examine the changes that have occurred in African countries on health financing, taking into account the main sources of funding over the period 2000 to 2009. Our analysis is based on the National Health Accounts (NHA) data for the 46 countries of the WHO African Region. The data were obtained from the WHO World Health Statistics Report 2012. Data for Zimbabwe was not available. The analysis was done using Excel software. Between 2000 and 2009, number of countries spending less than 5% of their GDP on health decreased from 24 to 17; government spending on health as a percentage of total health expenditure increased in 31 countries and decreased in 13 countries; number of countries allocating at least 15% of national budgets on health increased from 2 to 4; number of countries partially financing health through social security increased from 19 to 21; number of countries where private spending was 50% and above of total health expenditure decreased from 29 (64%) to 23 (51%); over 70% of private expenditure on health came from household out-of-pocket payments (OOPS) in 32 (71%) countries and in 27 (60%) countries; number of countries with private prepaid plans increased from 29 to 31; number of countries financing more than 20% of their total health expenditure from external sources increased from 14 to 19; number of countries achieving the Commission for Macroeconomics and Health recommendation of spending at least US$34 per person per year increased from 11 to 29; number of countries achieving the International Taskforce on Innovative Financing recommendation of spending at least US$44 per person per year increased from 11 to 24; average per capita total expenditure on health increased from US$35 to US$82; and average per capita government expenditure on health grew from US$ 15 to US$ 41. Whilst the African Region (AFR) average government expenditure on health as a per cent of THE increased by 5.4 per cent, the average private health expenditure decreased by the same percentage between 2000 and 2009. The regional average OOPS as a per cent of private expenditure on health increased by 4.9 per cent. The average external resources for health as a percentage of THE increased by 3.7 per cent. Even though on average the quantity of health funds have increased, we cannot judge from the current study the extent to which financial risk protection, equity and efficiency has progressed or regressed.In 2009 OOPS made up over 20% of total expenditure on health in 34 countries. Evidence shows that where OOPS as a percentage of total health expenditure is less than 20%, the risk of catastrophic expenditure is negligible. Therefore, there is urgent need for countries to develop health policies that address inequities and health financing models that optimize the use of health resources and strengthen health infrastructure. Increased coverage of prepaid health-financing mechanisms would reduce over-reliance on potentially catastrophic and impoverishing out-of-pocket payments.

Health financing in the African Region: 2000–2009 data analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In order to raise African countries probability of achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015, there is need to increase and more efficiently use domestic and external funding to strengthen health systems infrastructure in order to ensure universal access to quality health care. The objective of this paper is to examine the changes that have occurred in African countries on health financing, taking into account the main sources of funding over the period 2000 to 2009. Methods Our analysis is based on the National Health Accounts (NHA) data for the 46 countries of the WHO African Region. The data were obtained from the WHO World Health Statistics Report 2012. Data for Zimbabwe was not available. The analysis was done using Excel software. Results Between 2000 and 2009, number of countries spending less than 5% of their GDP on health decreased from 24 to 17; government spending on health as a percentage of total health expenditure increased in 31 countries and decreased in 13 countries; number of countries allocating at least 15% of national budgets on health increased from 2 to 4; number of countries partially financing health through social security increased from 19 to 21; number of countries where private spending was 50% and above of total health expenditure decreased from 29 (64%) to 23 (51%); over 70% of private expenditure on health came from household out-of-pocket payments (OOPS) in 32 (71%) countries and in 27 (60%) countries; number of countries with private prepaid plans increased from 29 to 31; number of countries financing more than 20% of their total health expenditure from external sources increased from 14 to 19; number of countries achieving the Commission for Macroeconomics and Health recommendation of spending at least US$34 per person per year increased from 11 to 29; number of countries achieving the International Taskforce on Innovative Financing recommendation of spending at least US$44 per person per year increased from 11 to 24; average per capita total expenditure on health increased from US$35 to US$82; and average per capita government expenditure on health grew from US$ 15 to US$ 41. Conclusion Whilst the African Region (AFR) average government expenditure on health as a per cent of THE increased by 5.4 per cent, the average private health expenditure decreased by the same percentage between 2000 and 2009. The regional average OOPS as a per cent of private expenditure on health increased by 4.9 per cent. The average external resources for health as a percentage of THE increased by 3.7 per cent. Even though on average the quantity of health funds have increased, we cannot judge from the current study the extent to which financial risk protection, equity and efficiency has progressed or regressed. In 2009 OOPS made up over 20% of total expenditure on health in 34 countries. Evidence shows that where OOPS as a percentage of total health expenditure is less than 20%, the risk of catastrophic expenditure is negligible. Therefore, there is urgent need for countries to develop health policies that address inequities and health financing models that optimize the use of health resources and strengthen health infrastructure. Increased coverage of prepaid health-financing mechanisms would reduce over-reliance on potentially catastrophic and impoverishing out-of-pocket payments. PMID:23497637

SU-E-T-614: Plan Averaging for Multi-Criteria Navigation of Step-And-Shoot IMRT

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

Guo, M; Gao, H; Craft, D

2015-06-15

Purpose: Step-and-shoot IMRT is fundamentally discrete in nature, while multi-criteria optimization (MCO) is fundamentally continuous: the MCO planning consists of continuous sliding across the Pareto surface (the set of plans which represent the tradeoffs between organ-at-risk doses and target doses). In order to achieve close to real-time dose display during this sliding, it is desired that averaged plans share many of the same apertures as the pre-computed plans, since dose computation for apertures generated on-the-fly would be expensive. We propose a method to ensure that neighboring plans on a Pareto surface share many apertures. Methods: Our baseline step-and-shoot sequencing methodmore » is that of K. Engel (a method which minimizes the number of segments while guaranteeing the minimum number of monitor units), which we customize to sequence a set of Pareto optimal plans simultaneously. We also add an error tolerance to study the relationship between the number of shared apertures, the total number of apertures needed, and the quality of the fluence map re-creation. Results: We run tests for a 2D Pareto surface trading off rectum and bladder dose versus target coverage for a clinical prostate case. We find that if we enforce exact fluence map recreation, we are not able to achieve much sharing of apertures across plans. The total number of apertures for all seven beams and 4 plans without sharing is 217. With sharing and a 2% error tolerance, this number is reduced to 158 (73%). Conclusion: With the proposed method, total number of apertures can be decreased by 42% (averaging) with no increment of total MU, when an error tolerance of 5% is allowed. With this large amount of sharing, dose computations for averaged plans which occur during Pareto navigation will be much faster, leading to a real-time what-you-see-is-what-you-get Pareto navigation experience. Minghao Guo and Hao Gao were partially supported by the NSFC (#11405105), the 973 Program (#2015CB856000) and the Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program (#14PJ1404500)« less

AIRBORNE MICROORGANISMS IN BROILER PROCESSING PLANTS.

PubMed

KOTULA, A W; KINNER, J A

1964-05-01

Concentrations of total aerobic bacteria, molds, yeasts, coliforms, enterococci, and psychrophiles were determined in the air of two poultry processing plants with Andersen samplers and a mobile power supply. Total aerobic bacterial counts were highest in the dressing room, with diminishing numbers in the shackling, eviscerating, and holding rooms, when sampling was carried out during plant operation. The average counts per ft(3) of air in these four rooms were 2,200; 560; 230; and 62, respectively. (Each value is the average of 36 observations.) The number of organisms increased in the shackling and dressing rooms once processing was begun. Average total aerobic bacterial counts increased from 70 to 870 to 3,000 in the shackling room and from 310 to 4,900 to 7,000 in the dressing room when sampling was carried out at 5:00 am (before plant operations), 9:00 am, and 2:00 pm, respectively. (Each value is the mean of 12 observations.) Airborne molds might originate from a source other than the poultry being processed.

Airborne Microorganisms in Broiler Processing Plants

PubMed Central

Kotula, Anthony W.; Kinner, Jack A.

1964-01-01

Concentrations of total aerobic bacteria, molds, yeasts, coliforms, enterococci, and psychrophiles were determined in the air of two poultry processing plants with Andersen samplers and a mobile power supply. Total aerobic bacterial counts were highest in the dressing room, with diminishing numbers in the shackling, eviscerating, and holding rooms, when sampling was carried out during plant operation. The average counts per ft3 of air in these four rooms were 2,200; 560; 230; and 62, respectively. (Each value is the average of 36 observations.) The number of organisms increased in the shackling and dressing rooms once processing was begun. Average total aerobic bacterial counts increased from 70 to 870 to 3,000 in the shackling room and from 310 to 4,900 to 7,000 in the dressing room when sampling was carried out at 5:00 am (before plant operations), 9:00 am, and 2:00 pm, respectively. (Each value is the mean of 12 observations.) Airborne molds might originate from a source other than the poultry being processed. Images FIG. 3 PMID:14170951

7 CFR 457.167 - Pecan revenue crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...,000. Approved average revenue per acre. The total of your average gross sales per acre based on at... trees. In-shell pecans. Pecans as they are removed from the orchard with the nut-meats in the shell... average revenue upon which the amount of insurance per acre is based and the number of affected acres; (2...

7 CFR 457.167 - Pecan revenue crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...,000. Approved average revenue per acre. The total of your average gross sales per acre based on at... trees. In-shell pecans. Pecans as they are removed from the orchard with the nut-meats in the shell... average revenue upon which the amount of insurance per acre is based and the number of affected acres; (2...

78 FR 25455 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-01

... Assessment Survey, previously approved under information collection number OMB CN: 0970-0379, expires on 7/31... American nonprofit organizations, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Annual Burden Estimates Number of Average burden Instrument Number of responses per hours per Total burden respondents respondent response...

76 FR 50186 - Submission for OMB Emergency Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-12

... (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the.... Agency Number: None. Affected Public: Nonprofit organizations and congregations. Total Respondents: 600. Frequency: One time. Average Time per Response: 40 hours. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 24,000 hours. Total...

Trends in health care resource utilization and pharmacological management of COPD in Taiwan from 2004 to 2010.

PubMed

Tsai, Ying-Huang; Yang, Tsung-Ming; Lin, Chieh-Mo; Huang, Shu-Yi; Wen, Yu-Wen

2017-01-01

COPD has attracted widespread attention worldwide. The prevalence of COPD in Taiwan has been reported, but little is known about trends in health care resource utilization and pharmacologic management in COPD treatment. The objective of this article was to study trends in health care resource utilization, pharmacologic management, and medical costs of COPD treatment in Taiwan. Reimbursement claims in the Taiwan National Health Insurance System from 2004 to 2010 were collected. The disease burden of COPD, including health care resource utilization and medical costs, was evaluated. The pharmacy cost of COPD increased from 2004 to 2010 due to the increased utilization of long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and fixed-dose combination of long-acting β2-agonist and inhaled corticosteroid (LABA/ICS), whereas the cost of all other COPD-related medications decreased. The average outpatient department (OPD) cost per patient increased 29.3% from 1,070 USD in 2004 to 1,383 USD in 2010. The highest average total medical cost per patient was 3,434 USD in 2005, and it decreased 12.4% to 3,008 USD in 2010. There was no significant difference in the average number of OPD visits and emergency department visits per patient. The highest average number of hospital admissions was 0.81 in 2005, and it decreased to 0.65 in 2010. The average number of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions decreased from 0.52 in 2005 to 0.31 in 2010. From 2004 to 2010, the average total medical cost per patient of COPD was slightly decreased because of the decreased average number of hospital admissions and ICU admissions. The costs of both LAMA and LABA/ICS increased, while the cost for all other COPD-related medications decreased. These findings suggest that the increased utilization of LAMA and LABA/ICS may have contributed to the decreased average number of hospital admissions and ICU admissions in COPD patients from 2004 to 2010.

Relationship between neighbor number and vibrational spectra in disordered colloidal clusters with attractive interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunker, Peter J.; Zhang, Zexin; Gratale, Matthew; Chen, Ke; Yodh, A. G.

2013-03-01

We study connections between vibrational spectra and average nearest neighbor number in disordered clusters of colloidal particles with attractive interactions. Measurements of displacement covariances between particles in each cluster permit calculation of the stiffness matrix, which contains effective spring constants linking pairs of particles. From the cluster stiffness matrix, we derive vibrational properties of corresponding "shadow" glassy clusters, with the same geometric configuration and interactions as the "source" cluster but without damping. Here, we investigate the stiffness matrix to elucidate the origin of the correlations between the median frequency of cluster vibrational modes and average number of nearest neighbors in the cluster. We find that the mean confining stiffness of particles in a cluster, i.e., the ensemble-averaged sum of nearest neighbor spring constants, correlates strongly with average nearest neighbor number, and even more strongly with median frequency. Further, we find that the average oscillation frequency of an individual particle is set by the total stiffness of its nearest neighbor bonds; this average frequency increases as the square root of the nearest neighbor bond stiffness, in a manner similar to the simple harmonic oscillator.

Numerical study of magnetic field on mixed convection and entropy generation of nanofluid in a trapezoidal enclosure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghaei, Alireza; Khorasanizadeh, Hossein; Sheikhzadeh, Ghanbarali; Abbaszadeh, Mahmoud

2016-04-01

The flow under influence of magnetic field is experienced in cooling electronic devices and voltage transformers, nuclear reactors, biochemistry and in physical phenomenon like geology. In this study, the effects of magnetic field on the flow field, heat transfer and entropy generation of Cu-water nanofluid mixed convection in a trapezoidal enclosure have been investigated. The top lid is cold and moving toward right or left, the bottom wall is hot and the side walls are insulated and their angle from the horizon are 15°, 30°, 45° and 60°. Simulations have been carried out for constant Grashof number of 104, Reynolds numbers of 30, 100, 300 and 1000, Hartmann numbers of 25, 50, 75 and 100 and nanoparticles volume fractions of zero up to 0.04. The finite volume method and SIMPLER algorithm have been utilized to solve the governing equations numerically. The results showed that with imposing the magnetic field and enhancing it, the nanofluid convection and the strength of flow decrease and the flow tends toward natural convection and finally toward pure conduction. For this reason, for all of the considered Reynolds numbers and volume fractions, by increasing the Hartmann number the average Nusselt number decreases. Furthermore, for any case with constant Reynolds and Hartmann numbers by increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles the maximum stream function decreases. For all of the studied cases, entropy generation due to friction is negligible and the total entropy generation is mainly due to irreversibility associated with heat transfer and variation of the total entropy generation with Hartmann number is similar to that of the average Nusselt number. With change in lid movement direction at Reynolds number of 30 the average Nusselt number and total entropy generation are changed, but at Reynolds number of 1000 it has a negligible effect.

42 CFR 423.279 - National average monthly bid amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... each MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Act. The calculation does not include bids... section 1876(h) of the Act. (b) Calculation of weighted average. (1) The national average monthly bid... defined in § 422.258(c)(1) of this chapter) and the denominator equal to the total number of Part D...

42 CFR 423.279 - National average monthly bid amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... each MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Act. The calculation does not include bids... section 1876(h) of the Act. (b) Calculation of weighted average. (1) The national average monthly bid... defined in § 422.258(c)(1) of this chapter) and the denominator equal to the total number of Part D...

42 CFR 423.279 - National average monthly bid amount.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... each MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Act. The calculation does not include bids... section 1876(h) of the Act. (b) Calculation of weighted average. (1) The national average monthly bid... defined in § 422.258(c)(1) of this chapter) and the denominator equal to the total number of Part D...

Ensuring Resiliency of the Milk and Dairy Industry in California

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

cannot be zero. Also, the upper bound cannot exceed the capacity of raw milk that the milk producing cows can make in each county. Between the...the amount of milk producing cows in each county and multiplying by the daily average amount of raw milk produced. RawMilkProd = NumMilkProdCows...the total number of milk producing cows . 365 TotalMilkProdDailyAvgAmtMilkProdPerCow TotalMilkProdCows = × We get the number of milk producing cows

SU-E-T-364: Estimating the Minimum Number of Patients Required to Estimate the Required Planning Target Volume Margins for Prostate Glands

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

Bakhtiari, M; Schmitt, J; Sarfaraz, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: To establish a minimum number of patients required to obtain statistically accurate Planning Target Volume (PTV) margins for prostate Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). Methods: A total of 320 prostate patients, consisting of a total number of 9311 daily setups, were analyzed. These patients had gone under IMRT treatments. Daily localization was done using the skin marks and the proper shifts were determined by the CBCT to match the prostate gland. The Van Herk formalism is used to obtain the margins using the systematic and random setup variations. The total patient population was divided into different grouping sizes varyingmore » from 1 group of 320 patients to 64 groups of 5 patients. Each grouping was used to determine the average PTV margin and its associated standard deviation. Results: Analyzing all 320 patients lead to an average Superior-Inferior margin of 1.15 cm. The grouping with 10 patients per group (32 groups) resulted to an average PTV margin between 0.6–1.7 cm with the mean value of 1.09 cm and a standard deviation (STD) of 0.30 cm. As the number of patients in groups increases the mean value of average margin between groups tends to converge to the true average PTV of 1.15 cm and STD decreases. For groups of 20, 64, and 160 patients a Superior-Inferior margin of 1.12, 1.14, and 1.16 cm with STD of 0.22, 0.11, and 0.01 cm were found, respectively. Similar tendency was observed for Left-Right and Anterior-Posterior margins. Conclusion: The estimation of the required margin for PTV strongly depends on the number of patients studied. According to this study at least ∼60 patients are needed to calculate a statistically acceptable PTV margin for a criterion of STD < 0.1 cm. Numbers greater than ∼60 patients do little to increase the accuracy of the PTV margin estimation.« less

Dynamical mass ejection from the merger of asymmetric binary neutron stars: Radiation-hydrodynamics study in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sekiguchi, Yuichiro; Kiuchi, Kenta; Kyutoku, Koutarou; Shibata, Masaru; Taniguchi, Keisuke

2016-06-01

We perform neutrino radiation-hydrodynamics simulations for the merger of asymmetric binary neutron stars in numerical relativity. Neutron stars are modeled by soft and moderately stiff finite-temperature equations of state (EOS). We find that the properties of the dynamical ejecta such as the total mass, neutron richness profile, and specific entropy profile depend on the mass ratio of the binary systems for a given EOS in a unique manner. For a soft EOS (SFHo), the total ejecta mass depends weakly on the mass ratio, but the average of electron number per baryon (Ye ) and specific entropy (s ) of the ejecta decreases significantly with the increase of the degree of mass asymmetry. For a stiff EOS (DD2), with the increase of the mass asymmetry degree, the total ejecta mass significantly increases while the average of Ye and s moderately decreases. We find again that only for the SFHo, the total ejecta mass exceeds 0.01 M⊙ irrespective of the mass ratio chosen in this paper. The ejecta have a variety of electron number per baryon with an average approximately between Ye˜0.2 and ˜0.3 irrespective of the EOS employed, which is well suited for the production of the rapid neutron capture process heavy elements (second and third peaks), although its averaged value decreases with the increase of the degree of mass asymmetry.

77 FR 52322 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-29

... under the Resource Conservation and recovery Act (RCRA); employees working at routine hazardous waste... 10.69 hours per response. Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by...: Annually. Estimated Total Average Number of Responses for Each Respondent: 1. Estimated Total Annual Hour...

45 CFR 98.71 - Content of reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Matching and Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) Funds: (1) The total monthly family income for determining... of children; (5) Whether the head of the family is a single parent; (6) The sources of family income...) Average number of hours of care provided per week; (6) Average hourly amount paid for care; (7) Children...

Queueing system analysis of multi server model at XYZ insurance company in Tasikmalaya city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhajir, Ahmad; Binatari, Nikenasih

2017-08-01

Queueing theory or waiting line theory is a theory that deals with the queue process from the customer comes, queue to be served, served and left on service facilities. Queue occurs because of a mismatch between the numbers of customers that will be served with the available number of services, as an example at XYZ insurance company in Tasikmalaya. This research aims to determine the characteristics of the queue system which then to optimize the number of server in term of total cost. The result shows that the queue model can be represented by (M/M/4):(GD/∞/∞), where the arrivals are Poisson distributed while the service time is following exponential distribution. The probability of idle customer service is 2,39% of the working time, the average number of customer in the queue is 3 customers, the average number of customer in a system is 6 customers, the average time of a customer spent in the queue is 15,9979 minutes, the average time a customer spends in the system is 34,4141 minutes, and the average number of busy customer servicer is 3 server. The optimized number of customer service is 5 servers, and the operational cost has minimum cost at Rp 4.323.

Universality of Citation Distributions for Academic Institutions and Journals

PubMed Central

Chatterjee, Arnab; Ghosh, Asim; Chakrabarti, Bikas K.

2016-01-01

Citations measure the importance of a publication, and may serve as a proxy for its popularity and quality of its contents. Here we study the distributions of citations to publications from individual academic institutions for a single year. The average number of citations have large variations between different institutions across the world, but the probability distributions of citations for individual institutions can be rescaled to a common form by scaling the citations by the average number of citations for that institution. We find this feature seems to be universal for a broad selection of institutions irrespective of the average number of citations per article. A similar analysis for citations to publications in a particular journal in a single year reveals similar results. We find high absolute inequality for both these sets, Gini coefficients being around 0.66 and 0.58 for institutions and journals respectively. We also find that the top 25% of the articles hold about 75% of the total citations for institutions and the top 29% of the articles hold about 71% of the total citations for journals. PMID:26751563

Universality of Citation Distributions for Academic Institutions and Journals.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Arnab; Ghosh, Asim; Chakrabarti, Bikas K

2016-01-01

Citations measure the importance of a publication, and may serve as a proxy for its popularity and quality of its contents. Here we study the distributions of citations to publications from individual academic institutions for a single year. The average number of citations have large variations between different institutions across the world, but the probability distributions of citations for individual institutions can be rescaled to a common form by scaling the citations by the average number of citations for that institution. We find this feature seems to be universal for a broad selection of institutions irrespective of the average number of citations per article. A similar analysis for citations to publications in a particular journal in a single year reveals similar results. We find high absolute inequality for both these sets, Gini coefficients being around 0.66 and 0.58 for institutions and journals respectively. We also find that the top 25% of the articles hold about 75% of the total citations for institutions and the top 29% of the articles hold about 71% of the total citations for journals.

76 FR 20990 - Submission for OMB review; comment request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-14

... and unearned income information reported to IRS by employers and financial institutions. The IRS 1099 information is used to locate noncustodial parents and to verify income and employment. Respondents: Annual Burden Estimates Number of Average Instrument Number of responses per burden hours Total burden...

Just in time: technology to disseminate curriculum and manage educational requirements with mobile technology.

PubMed

Ferenchick, Gary; Fetters, Moses; Carse, A Mervyn

2008-01-01

Learning objectives intended to guide clinical education may be of limited usefulness if they are unavailable to students when interacting with patients. We developed, implemented, and evaluated a Web-based process to disseminate the Clerkship Directors of Internal Medicine curricular objectives to students via handheld computers and for students to upload patient logs to a central database. We delivered this program to all students in our geographically dispersed system, with minimal technological problems. The total number of "hits" on curricular objectives was 8,932 (averaging 149 per student or approximately 2.7 times daily). The average number of "hits" per problem was 470, ranging from 18 for smoking cessation to 1,784 for chest pain. The total number of patient problems logged by students was 9,579, and 91% of students met our prespecified criteria for numbers and types of patients. Dissemination and use of curricular learning objectives and related tools is enhanced with mobile technology.

Image analysis for the automated estimation of clonal growth and its application to the growth of smooth muscle cells.

PubMed

Gavino, V C; Milo, G E; Cornwell, D G

1982-03-01

Image analysis was used for the automated measurement of colony frequency (f) and colony diameter (d) in cultures of smooth muscle cells, Initial studies with the inverted microscope showed that number of cells (N) in a colony varied directly with d: log N = 1.98 log d - 3.469 Image analysis generated the complement of a cumulative distribution for f as a function of d. The number of cells in each segment of the distribution function was calculated by multiplying f and the average N for the segment. These data were displayed as a cumulative distribution function. The total number of colonies (fT) and the total number of cells (NT) were used to calculate the average colony size (NA). Population doublings (PD) were then expressed as log2 NA. Image analysis confirmed previous studies in which colonies were sized and counted with an inverted microscope. Thus, image analysis is a rapid and automated technique for the measurement of clonal growth.

5 CFR 842.406 - Members of Congress and Congressional employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... is— (a) One and seven-tenths percent of average pay multiplied by the total number of years of service as a Member and/or congressional employee not exceeding 20 years: plus (b) One percent of average pay multiplied by the years of service other than that of a Member and/or congressional employee. ...

5 CFR 842.406 - Members of Congress and Congressional employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... is— (a) One and seven-tenths percent of average pay multiplied by the total number of years of service as a Member and/or congressional employee not exceeding 20 years: plus (b) One percent of average pay multiplied by the years of service other than that of a Member and/or congressional employee. ...

40 CFR 60.493 - Performance test and compliance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... equivalent or alternative method. The owner or operator shall determine from company records the volume of... estimate the volume of coating used at each facility by using the average dry weight of coating, number of... acceptable to the Administrator. (i) Calculate the volume-weighted average of the total mass of VOC per...

Impact of orphan drugs on Latvian budget.

PubMed

Logviss, Konstantins; Krievins, Dainis; Purvina, Santa

2016-05-11

Number of orphan medicinal products on the market and number of rare disease patients, taking these usually expensive products, are increasing. As a result, budget impact of orphan drugs is growing. This factor, along with the cost-effectiveness of orphan drugs, is often considered in the reimbursement decisions, directly affecting accessibility of rare disease therapies. The current study aims to assess the budget impact of orphan drugs in Latvia. Our study covered a 5-year period, from 2010 to 2014. Impact of orphan drugs on Latvian budget was estimated from the National Health Service's perspective. It was calculated in absolute values and relative to total pharmaceutical market and total drug reimbursement budget. A literature review was performed for comparison with other European countries. Orphan drug annual expenditure ranged between EUR 2.065 and 3.065 million, with total 5-year expenditure EUR 12.467 million. It constituted, on average, 0.84 % of total pharmaceutical market and 2.14 % of total drug reimbursement budget, respectively. Average annual per patient expenditures varied widely, from EUR 1 534 to EUR 580 952. The most costly treatment was enzyme replacement therapy (Elaprase) for MPS II. Glivec had the highest share (34 %) of the total orphan drug expenditure. Oncological drugs represented more than a half of the total orphan drug expenditure, followed by drugs for metabolic and endocrine conditions and medicines for cardiopulmonary diseases. Three indications: Ph+ CML, MPS II, and PAH accounted for nearly 90 % of the total orphan drug expenditure. Budget impact of orphan drugs in Latvia is very small. It increased slightly over a period of five years, due to the slight increase in the number of patients and the number of orphan drugs reimbursed. Current Latvian drug reimbursement system is not sufficient for most orphan drugs.

Does scale matter? The costs of HIV-prevention interventions for commercial sex workers in India.

PubMed Central

Guinness, Lorna; Kumaranayake, Lilani; Rajaraman, Bhuvaneswari; Sankaranarayanan, Girija; Vannela, Gangadhar; Raghupathi, P.; George, Alex

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To explore how the scale of a project affects both the total costs and average costs of HIV prevention in India. METHODS: Economic cost data and measures of scale (coverage and service volume indicators for number of cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) referred, number of STIs treated, condoms distributed and contacts made with target groups) were collected from 17 interventions run by nongovernmental organizations aimed at commercial sex workers in southern India. Nonparametric methods and regression analyses were used to look at the relationship between total costs, unit costs and scale. FINDINGS: Coverage varied from 250 to 2008 sex workers. Annual costs ranged from US$ 11 274 to US$ 52 793. The median cost per sex worker reached was US$ 19.21 (range = US$ 10.00-51.00). The scale variables explain more than 50% of the variation in unit costs for all of the unit cost measures except cost per contact. Total costs and unit costs have non-linear relationships to scale. CONCLUSION: Average costs vary with the scale of the project. Estimates of resource requirements based on a constant average cost could underestimate or overestimate total costs. The results highlight the importance of improving scale-specific cost information for planning. PMID:16283051

Optimal field-splitting algorithm in intensity-modulated radiotherapy: Evaluations using head-and-neck and female pelvic IMRT cases

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

Dou, Xin; Kim, Yusung, E-mail: yusung-kim@uiowa.edu; Bayouth, John E.

2013-04-01

To develop an optimal field-splitting algorithm of minimal complexity and verify the algorithm using head-and-neck (H and N) and female pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) cases. An optimal field-splitting algorithm was developed in which a large intensity map (IM) was split into multiple sub-IMs (≥2). The algorithm reduced the total complexity by minimizing the monitor units (MU) delivered and segment number of each sub-IM. The algorithm was verified through comparison studies with the algorithm as used in a commercial treatment planning system. Seven IMRT, H and N, and female pelvic cancer cases (54 IMs) were analyzed by MU, segment numbers, andmore » dose distributions. The optimal field-splitting algorithm was found to reduce both total MU and the total number of segments. We found on average a 7.9 ± 11.8% and 9.6 ± 18.2% reduction in MU and segment numbers for H and N IMRT cases with an 11.9 ± 17.4% and 11.1 ± 13.7% reduction for female pelvic cases. The overall percent (absolute) reduction in the numbers of MU and segments were found to be on average −9.7 ± 14.6% (−15 ± 25 MU) and −10.3 ± 16.3% (−3 ± 5), respectively. In addition, all dose distributions from the optimal field-splitting method showed improved dose distributions. The optimal field-splitting algorithm shows considerable improvements in both total MU and total segment number. The algorithm is expected to be beneficial for the radiotherapy treatment of large-field IMRT.« less

The effects of electromagnetic fields on the number of ovarian primordial follicles: An experimental study.

PubMed

Bakacak, Murat; Bostancı, Mehmet Sühha; Attar, Rukset; Yıldırım, Özge Kizilkale; Yıldırım, Gazi; Bakacak, Zeyneb; Sayar, Hamide; Han, Agahan

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an electromagnetic field (EMF), generated close to the ovaries, on primordial follicles. A total of 16 rats were used in this study. The study group consisted of rats exposed to an EMF in the abdominal region for 15 min/d for 15 days. Both the study and control group were composed of eight rats. After the treatment period of 15 days, the ovaries of the rats were extracted, and sections of ovarian tissue were taken for histological evaluation. The independent samples t test was used to compare the two groups. In the study group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 34.00 ± 10.20 and 36.00 ± 10.53, respectively. The average total ovarian follicle number was 70.00 ± 19.03. In the control group, the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers were 78.50 ± 25.98 and 71.75 ± 29.66, respectively, and the average total ovarian follicle number was 150.25 ± 49.53. The comparisons of the means of the right and left ovarian follicle numbers and the means of the total ovarian follicle numbers between the study and control groups indicated that the study group had significantly fewer follicles (p < 0.001, p = 0.011, and p = 0.002, respectively). This study found a significant decrease in the number of ovarian follicles in rats exposed to an EMF. Further clinical studies are needed to reveal the effects of EMFs on ovarian reserve and infertility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.

76 FR 62072 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-06

... Evaluation--Design Survey. OMB No.: New collection. Description: The Family and Youth Services Bureau. (HHS... Organizations. Annual Burden Estimates Design survey Number of Average burden Instrument Annual number responses... Total for Design 92 Survey Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by...

Multi-faceted case management: reducing compensation costs of musculoskeletal work injuries in Australia.

PubMed

Iles, Ross Anthony; Wyatt, M; Pransky, G

2012-12-01

This study aimed to determine whether a multi-faceted model of management of work related musculoskeletal disorders reduced compensation claim costs and days of compensation for injured workers. An intervention including early reporting, employee centred case management and removal of barriers to return to work was instituted in 16 selected companies with a combined remuneration over $337 million. Outcomes were evaluated by an administrative dataset from the Victorian WorkCover Authority database. A 'quasi experimental' pre-post design was employed with 492 matched companies without the intervention used as a control group and an average of 21 months of post-intervention follow-up. Primary outcomes were average number of days of compensation and average cost of claims. Secondary outcomes were total medical costs and weekly benefits paid. Information on 3,312 claims was analysed. In companies where the intervention was introduced the average cost of claims was reduced from $6,019 to $3,913 (estimated difference $2,329, 95 % CI $1,318-$3,340) and the number of days of compensation decreased from 33.5 to 14.1 (HR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.67-0.88). Medical costs and weekly benefits costs were also lower after the intervention (p < 0.05). Reduction in claims costs were noted across industry types, injury location and most employer sizes. The model of claims management investigated was effective in reducing the number of days of compensation, total claim costs, total medical costs and the amount paid in weekly benefits. Further research should investigate whether the intervention improves non-financial outcomes in the return to work process.

Profile, cost and pattern of prescriptions for polymedicated patients in Catalonia, Spain

PubMed Central

Lizano-Díez, Irene; Modamio, Pilar; López-Calahorra, Pilar; Lastra, Cecilia F; Gilabert-Perramon, Antoni; Segú, Jose L; Mariño, Eduardo L

2013-01-01

Objectives Polypharmacy is one of the main management issues in public health policies because of its financial impact and the increasing number of people involved. The polymedicated population according to their demographic and therapeutic profile and the cost for the public healthcare system were characterised. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Primary healthcare in Barcelona Health Region, Catalonia, Spain (5 105 551 inhabitants registered). Participants All insured polymedicated patients. Polymedicated patients were those with a consumption of ≥16 drugs/month. Main outcomes measures The study variables were related to age, gender and medication intake obtained from the 2008 census and records of prescriptions dispensed in pharmacies and charged to the public health system. Results There were 36 880 polymedicated patients (women: 64.2%; average age: 74.5±10.9 years). The total number of prescriptions billed in 2008 was 2 266 830 (2 272 920 total package units). The most polymedicated group (up to 40% of the total prescriptions) was patients between 75 and 84 years old. The average number of prescriptions billed monthly per patient was 32±2, with an average cost of €452.7±27.5. The total cost of those prescriptions corresponded to 2% of the drug expenditure in Catalonia. The groups N, C, A, R and M represented 71.4% of the total number of drug package units dispensed to polymedicated patients. Great variability was found between the medication profiles of men and women, and between age groups; greater discrepancies were found in paediatric patients (5–14 years) and the elderly (≥65 years). Conclusions This study provides essential information to take steps towards rational drug use and a structured approach in the polymedicated population in primary healthcare. PMID:24334177

High voltage electrical injuries.

PubMed

Kaloudová, Y; Sín, R; Rihová, H; Brychta, R; Suchánek, I; Martincová, A

2006-01-01

Between 1999 and 2005, a total of 41 patients were hospitalized at the Burn Centre of Brno University Hospital with high voltage electrical injuries, representing 6.06% of the total number of patients treated at the Burn Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for extensive burn trauma. The average age of patients with serious electrotraumas was 27.29 years. The youngest patient was 9 years old, the oldest 64 years. Lethality amounted to 17.07% of the total number of patients. The article clearly shows the sinister dimension (a frighteningly high number of cases) of high voltage electrical injuries suffered outside work context in the vicinity of railway tracks and affecting in particular the youngest age groups--children.

[An analysis of articles published by academic groups in pediatrics in Chinese Journal of Pediatrics and their citations].

PubMed

Song, Qiurong; Hu, Yanping; Li, Linping

2014-08-01

To explore academic significance and guiding function played by subspecialty groups of the Society of Pediatrics, Chinese Medical Association on Chinese pediatric clinical practice through a statistical analysis of the articles published by the subspecialty groups. Bibliometric methods were used to analyze the number of articles, article types, total citations, highly cited articles and the distribution of citing journals. Totally 7 156 articles were published in Chinese Journal of Pediatrics from 1993 (31) to 2012 (51), of which 187 by subspecialty groups of pediatrics (2.6%), with a total citations of 11 985. Among them, 137 articles were cited with a citation rate of 73.3% and average citations for each article was 64.1. Articles classified as clinical guidelines had been totally cited for 10 900 times with average citations of 123.86 per article. The article on Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy diagnosis and clinical index was cited 1 791 times ranked in highly cited literatures. All the top three cited literature periodicals were core journals of pediatrics, and 10 periodicals among the top 20 were in pediatrics and the rest in other medical fields. The number of the articles published by the subspecialty groups of pediatrics was increasing year by year though the portion it in the total number of the articles in the journal was not large. However, the citation frequency of the articles by the subspecialty groups of pediatrics was high, making an obvious contribution to the total citations of Chinese Journal of Pediatrics. The total citation rate of clinical guideline articles and their average rate was higher than those of other articles published in this journal, which meant that this type of articles provided academic references with guiding significance for clinical practice of pediatrics and for other medical fields as well.

45 CFR 402.31 - Determination of allocations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... based on the State's eligible legalized alien population, with 49 percent based upon the number of eligible legalized aliens in a State relative to the number of such aliens in all States, and 1 percent to States which have higher-than-average ratios of eligible legalized aliens to total population relative to...

45 CFR 402.31 - Determination of allocations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... based on the State's eligible legalized alien population, with 49 percent based upon the number of eligible legalized aliens in a State relative to the number of such aliens in all States, and 1 percent to States which have higher-than-average ratios of eligible legalized aliens to total population relative to...

45 CFR 402.31 - Determination of allocations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... based on the State's eligible legalized alien population, with 49 percent based upon the number of eligible legalized aliens in a State relative to the number of such aliens in all States, and 1 percent to States which have higher-than-average ratios of eligible legalized aliens to total population relative to...

Measurement of the atmospheric aerosol particle size distribution in a highly polluted mega-city in Southeast Asia (Dhaka-Bangladesh)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam, Abdus; Mamoon, Hassan Al; Ullah, Md. Basir; Ullah, Shah M.

2012-11-01

Aerosol particle size distribution was measured with an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) spectrometer continuously from January 21 to April 24, 2006 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Particles number, surface and mass distributions data were stored automatically with Aerosol Instrument Manager (AIM) software on average every half an hour in a computer attached to the APS. The grand total average of number, surface and mass concentrations were 8.2 × 103 ± 7.8 × 103 particles cm-3, 13.3 × 103 ± 11.8 × 103 μm2 cm-3 and 3.04 ± 2.10 mg m-3, respectively. Fine particles with diameter smaller than 1.0 μm aerodynamic diameter (AD) dominated the number concentration, accounted for 91.7% of the total particles indicating vehicular emissions were dominating in Dhaka air either from fossil fuel burning or compressed natural gas (CNGs). The surface and mass concentrations between 0.5 and 1.0 μm AD were about 56.0% and 26.4% of the total particles, respectively. Remarkable seasonal differences were observed between winter and pre-monsoon seasons with the highest monthly average in January and the lowest in April. Aerosol particles in winter were 3.79 times higher for number, 3.15 times for surface and 2.18 times for mass distributions than during the pre-monsoon season. Weekends had lower concentrations than weekdays due to less vehicular traffic in the streets. Aerosol particles concentrations were about 15.0% (ranging from 9.4% to 17.3%) higher during traffic peak hours (6:00am-8:00pm) than off hours (8:00pm-6:00am). These are the first aerosol size distribution measurements with respect to number, surface and mass concentrations in real time at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

76 FR 14073 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Existing Collection; Comments Requested

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

... year, one year or less; and unsentenced inmates; (b) The number of inmates housed in privately operated... average respondent to respond to both forms: 51 respondents each taking an average 6.5 total hours to respond to the NPS-1B. Burden hours are down by 76 hours since the last clearance because we are...

Suicidal Decapitation by Hanging-A Population-based Study.

PubMed

Byard, Roger W; Gilbert, John D

2018-05-01

A prospective study was undertaken at Forensic Science SA over a 15-year period from July 2002 to June 2017 for all cases of adult (>18 years) suicidal hangings with decapitation. A total of 1446 cases of suicidal hangings were identified from a general population of approximately 1.5 million (1206 males-age range 18-97 years, average 42.6; and 240 females-age range 18-96 years, average 40.1). Only three cases of decapitation were found, all from long-drop hangings; these consisted of three males (ages 32-55 years; average 45 years). Spinal transections had occurred between the first and second, second and third, and third and fourth cervical vertebrae, respectively. In this study, the number of suicidal hangings with decapitation represented only 0.2% of the total number of hangings. These events are therefore extremely rare, most likely due to most suicidal hangings occurring from relatively low levels in a domestic environment. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

RECS Data Show Decreased Energy Consumption per Household

EIA Publications

2012-01-01

Total United States energy consumption in homes has remained relatively stable for many years as increased energy efficiency has offset the increase in the number and average size of housing units, according to the newly released data from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). The average household consumed 90 million British thermal units (Btu) in 2009 based on RECS. This continues the downward trend in average residential energy consumption of the last 30 years. Despite increases in the number and the average size of homes plus increased use of electronics, improvements in efficiency for space heating, air conditioning, and major appliances have all led to decreased consumption per household. Newer homes also tend to feature better insulation and other characteristics, such as double-pane windows, that improve the building envelope.

A Comparison of Quality of Community Health Services Between Public and Private Community Health Centers in Urban China.

PubMed

Yin, Xiaoxv; Gong, Yanhong; Yang, Chen; Tu, Xiaochen; Liu, Wei; Cao, Shiyi; Yang, Huajie; Lu, Zuxun

2015-10-01

This study was the first of its kind to evaluate and compare the quality of private and public community health centers (CHCs) in urban China. A total of 2501 CHCs in 35 cities were chosen in 2011 using a multistage sampling method, and data on human resources, medical equipment and drug inventory were collected. A subset of 422 CHCs was randomly selected and 100 prescriptions from each CHCs were reviewed to evaluate prescribing practice. In total, 12,386 patients who visited the selected 422 CHCs were interviewed to assess patient satisfaction and payments. Controlling for population covered per CHC and geographic regions, private CHCs were higher than public CHCs in average building area (2310.96 vs. 2000.92 square meters), average number of medical equipment (6.42 vs. 6.14), average number of physicians and nurses per 10,000 population (4.86 vs. 3.81 and 3.38 vs. 2.62), and average number of medicines in stock (435.08 vs. 375.83), but lower in average percentage of medicines on the national essential medicines list (67.29% vs. 77.55%). Prescriptions from private CHCs had significantly higher number of drugs per prescription (2.38 vs. 2.24), higher percentage of prescriptions with injections (36.44% vs. 30.50%), and higher percentage of prescriptions with antibiotics (37.17% vs. 30.14%). Patient satisfaction was similar between the 2 groups, and patient payments per visit were lower in private CHCs after controlling for patients' sociodemographic characteristics. Private CHCs are better equipped and better staffed than public CHCs but are less compliant with national policy on essential medicines and have poorer prescribing quality in China, warranting more rigorous government supervision.

Comparative evaluation of five Pleurotus species for their growth behaviour and yield performance using wheat straw as a substrate.

PubMed

Holkar, Somnath Kadappa; Chandra, Ram

2016-01-01

Pleurotus spp. is one of the most important edible mushrooms cultivated in India. The present study was an attempt to compare five Pleurotus species in context of actual time required for each growth stage viz., spawn run period, number of days required for initiation of pin heads of sporophores, average weight of fruiting bodies in all the flushes and total yield. The spawn run period in all the five species were recorded between 18 days-21 days, similarly for initiation of pinheads 5 days -7 days were required after spawn run period. A total of 24 days to 27 days, 34 days to 37 days and 47 days to 53 days were required for harvesting the I, II and III flushes respectively. An average number of 41 to 70 sporophores per bag containing 1 kg of dry substrates were obtained from all the Pleurotus species. Maximum 14 g weight of single sporophore was recorded from P. florida, similarly, an average maximum diameter of 5.3 cm of sporophores of P. florida was observed whereas the diameter of sporophores in rest of the species ranged from 3.0 cm to 3.2 cm. The number of sporophores were obtained from P. sajor-caju (n-70) and all the species showed significant difference with respect to the number of sporophores in a bunch at probability level of P = 0.05. Maximum weight of single bunch was recorded (58 g) in P. florida and total yield of 740 gkg(-1) of dry matter was recorded in P. florida.

75 FR 382 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Process Evaluation of the NIH's Roadmap Interdisciplinary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-05

... submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Proposed Collection: The... Investigators, 1; Trainees, 1; Average burden hours per response: 30 minutes; and Estimated total annual burden hours requested: 250 hours. The total annualized cost to respondents (calculated as the number of...

Hot Streak Characterization in Serpentine Exhaust Nozzles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-26

111 4.4 Nozzles Listed in Ascending Order of Modified Dean Number . . . . . . . . . 206 4.5 CDI Results Per Ring ...212 4.6 RDI Results Per Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 4.7 No-Swirl Surface...non-dimensional stagnation pressure PT2/PT0 non-dimensional freestream total pressure PAV average ring total pressure (Pa) xxi Symbol Definition PAVLOW

78 FR 75375 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comments Requested: Application...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-11

... and local law. The changes to the form are to allow the applicant to pay the transfer tax by credit or...) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: It is estimated that 65,085 respondents will take an average of 1.68 hours to complete...

76 FR 53910 - Fee for Using a Priority Review Voucher in Fiscal Year 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-30

... ordinarily takes 10 months into 6 months, OPP estimates that a multiplier of 1.67 (10 months divided by 6... FY 2010. Dividing $6,856,000 (rounded to the nearest thousand dollars) by 13 (the total number of... adjust the FY 2010 cost figure above by the average amount by which FDA's average salary and benefit...

The future is urban.

PubMed

1992-05-01

Urban centers are growing due to natural increase and the movement of people from rural areas. Urban areas are the traditional centers of trade, science, and culture, but growth over a threshold results in crime, congestion, and pollution. Sustainability is threatened in modern towns that are dependent on other sources for food, fuel, or water. Housing, water, food supplies, and sanitation, communication, and transportation services are threatened in rapidly growing cities. In 1990 45/100 people lived in towns or cities. Hyper-cities have grown in number to 20, of which 14 are in developing countries. 83% of world population increase is expected to occur in cities. In 48 countries with faster population growth cities had growth rates averaging about 6.1% per year, and the urban share of total population averaged 2.8%. In 49 countries with slower population growth, urban growth rates averaged only 3.6% per year, and the urban share of total population averaged about 1.8%. Squatter settlements are endemic to urban areas that are congested and without basic services, limited housing particularly for the poor, and few job opportunities. The number of street children in urban areas has risen. This child population is subjected to low wages, overwork, auto accidents, poor health, and lack of social services. Malnutrition is a more serious issue in urban areas. In the Philippines malnutrition is 3% nationally and 9% in Metro Manila. Rural land reform in the Philippines is no longer a viable solution. In Metro Manila squatters are expected to increase in number to 4 million people by the year 2000, which would be almost 50% of total population. The squatter areas are areas of neglect, decay, and poverty. Cities are viewed as development's "blind alleys."

49 CFR Appendix D to Part 222 - Determining Risk Levels

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) through (e). (c) FRA will match the highway-rail incident files for the past five years against a data... of the number of predicted collisions per year: 1. average annual daily traffic 2. total number of... history for the previous five years and it is calibrated by resetting normalizing constants. The...

75 FR 65046 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-21

... benefits as earnings increase. The experimental design for BOND will test a benefit offset alone and in... proposed public survey data collections will have four components--an impact study, a cost-benefit analysis..., 2010 at 75 FR 49013. Average burden Survey Number of Frequency of Number of per response Total annual...

The UP4FUN Intervention Effect on Breaking Up Sedentary Time in 10- to 12-Year-Old Belgian Children: The ENERGY-Project.

PubMed

Verloigne, Maïté; Berntsen, Sveinung; Ridgers, Nicola D; Cardon, Greet; Chinapaw, Mai; Altenburg, Teatske; Brug, Johannes; Bere, Elling; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Maes, Lea

2015-05-01

There are currently no studies available reporting intervention effects on breaking up children's sedentary time. This study examined the UP4FUN intervention effect on objectively measured number of breaks in sedentary time, number of sedentary bouts (≥ 10 mins) and total and average amount of time spent in those sedentary bouts among 10- to 12-year-old Belgian children. The total sample included 354 children (mean age: 10.9 ± 0.7 years; 59% girls) with valid ActiGraph accelerometer data at pre- and posttest. Only few and small intervention effects were found, namely on total time spent in sedentary bouts immediately after school hours (4-6PM; β = -3.51mins) and on average time spent in sedentary bouts before school hours (6-8.30AM; β = -4.83mins) and immediately after school hours in favor of children from intervention schools (β = -2.71mins). Unexpectedly, girls from intervention schools decreased the number of breaks during school hours (8.30AM-4PM; β = -23.45breaks) and increased the number of sedentary bouts on a weekend day (β = +0.90bouts), whereas girls in control schools showed an increase in number of breaks and a decrease in number of bouts. In conclusion, UP4FUN did not have a consistent or substantial effect on breaking up children's sedentary time and these data suggest that more intensive and longer lasting interventions are needed.

Estimating the number of fractions by tumour site for European countries in 2012 and 2025: An ESTRO-HERO analysis.

PubMed

Borras, Josep M; Grau, Cai; Corral, Julieta; Wong, Karen; Barton, Michael B; Ferlay, Jacques; Bray, Freddie; Lievens, Yolande

2018-02-01

The optimal number of radiotherapy fractions is a relevant input for planning resource needs. An estimation of the total number of fractions by country and tumour site is assessed for 2012 and 2025. European cancer incidence data by tumour site and country for 2012 and 2025 were extracted from the GLOBOCAN database. Incidence and stage data were introduced in the Australian Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CCORE) model, producing an evidence-based proportion of incident cases with an indication for radiotherapy and fractions by indication. An indication was defined as a clinical situation in which radiotherapy was the treatment of choice. The total number of fractions if radiotherapy was given according to guidelines to all patients with an indication in Europe was estimated to be 30 million for 2012; with a forecasted increase of 16.1% by 2025, yet with differences by country and tumour. The average number of fractions per course was 17.6 with a small range of differences following stage at diagnosis. Among the treatments with radical intent the average was 24 fractions, while it decreased to 2.5 among palliative treatments. An increase in the total number of fractions is expected in many European countries in the coming years following the trends in cancer incidence. In planning radiotherapy resources, these increases should be balanced to the evolution towards hypofractionation, along with increased complexity and quality assurance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Productivity and cost implications of implementing electronic medical records into an ambulatory surgical subspecialty clinic.

PubMed

Patil, Mukul; Puri, Lalit; Gonzalez, Chris M

2008-02-01

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have been proposed as technology through which the quality of healthcare could be improved. We present an analysis of the cost and productivity implications associated with the transition from transcription to an EMR system in an ambulatory setting. Data were collected from eight consecutive fiscal years from 1998 to 2005. Transcription was used in the first 4-year period, and EMR was implemented and used in the later 4-year period. Productivity was defined as ambulatory revenue and the number of patient encounters. All costs related to transcription and EMR implementation were calculated. All data were adjusted for inflation. Within the transcription era, the transcription costs were $395,404, total revenue was $18,137,945, and patient encounters numbered 52,027. The average transcription cost per encounter was $7.60, average revenue per encounter was $348.63, and average revenue per provider was $505,615. Within the EMR era, the EMR-related costs were $293,406, total revenue was $30,370,647 and patient encounters numbered 65,102. The average documentation cost per encounter was $4.51, average revenue per encounter was $466.51, and average revenue per provider was $690,242. The startup costs of initial EMR implementation were $10,329 per physician provider. The results of our study have shown that the implementation of an EMR system when an economy of scale exists coincides with an increase in the revenue per encounter and per provider compared with transcription. The advantage of the fixed costs of an EMR system compared with the variable costs of a transcription-based system is the allowance of cash savings in an ambulatory surgical subspecialty practice.

Costs and outcomes associated with IVF using recombinant FSH.

PubMed

Ledger, W; Wiebinga, C; Anderson, P; Irwin, D; Holman, A; Lloyd, A

2009-09-01

Cost and outcome estimates based on clinical trial data may not reflect usual clinical practice, yet they are often used to inform service provision and budget decisions. To expand understanding of assisted reproduction treatment in clinical practice, an economic evaluation of IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) data from a single assisted conception unit (ACU) in England was performed. A total of 1418 IVF/ICSI cycles undertaken there between October 2001 and January 2006 in 1001 women were analysed. The overall live birth rate was 22% (95% CI: 19.7-24.2), with the 30- to 34-year age group achieving the highest rate (28%). The average recombinant FSH (rFSH) dose/cycle prescribed was 1855 IU. Average cost of rFSH/cycle was 646 pound(SD: 219 pound), and average total cost/cycle was 2932 pound (SD: 422 pound). Economic data based on clinical trials informing current UK guidance assumes higher doses of rFSH dose/cycle (1750-2625 IU), higher average cost of drugs/cycle (1179 pound), and higher average total cost/cycle (3266 pound). While the outcomes in this study matched UK averages, total cost/cycle was lower than those cited in UK guidelines. Utilizing the protocols and (lower) rFSH dosages reported in this study may enable other ACU to provide a greater number of IVF/ICSI cycles to patients within given budgets.

[Analysis of the articles published in Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology between 2000 and 2006].

PubMed

Wang, Wei-Qiu; Pang, Xiang-Juan

2008-08-01

To analyze the characteristics of publications of Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology between 2000 and 2006, evaluate the academic level and the popularity of the issues, and supplying an evidence for the journal reform. With CNKI and manpower search, by use of literature metrology, a comprehensive analysis of the publications of Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology between 2000 and 2006 was made. The number of articles published form 2000 to 2006 in Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology was 968, The average number of each issue is 34.57, the average page of each article is 3.11, in the columns, the article about original articles was top of rank (66.22% of the total). In the quotation, the quotation increase year by year (100% in 2004-2006), the number of English quotation is very more (76.52% in average). In the time lag, the longest is 510 days, the shortest if 60 days, the average is 196.51 days. In the fund support, the level is increase by fund support, the article number by fund support is increase too, It is 97 in 2005. In the authors' professional positions and academic degrees, the authors' level is more and more higher. In the authors column, Beijing's author is the top of rank, has 162 persons (16.74% of the total). The Chinese Journal of Applied Physiology has published high quality articles. It is the one of the most important information resource for the physiological research and the most important medical journal.

Changes of the phytoplankton community as symptoms of deterioration of water quality in a shallow lake.

PubMed

Dembowska, Ewa Anna; Mieszczankin, Tomasz; Napiórkowski, Paweł

2018-01-25

Covering more than 60% of the lake surface, macrophytes determined the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton. We have found numerous indications of ecological deterioration and an increased trophic level year to year: an increased total number of taxa; a significantly increased number of species of Chlorophyta, Bacillariophyceae and Cyanoprokaryota; a decreased number of Chrysophyceae; increased Nygaard index, and high diversity and variability of phytoplankton functional groups. Within 2 years (2002 and 2003) algal biomass doubled: from 3.616 to 7.968 mg l -1 . An increased contribution of Chlorococcales and Cyanoprokaryota indicates progressive eutrophication of the lake. The average size of planktonic algae increased, particularly Cyanoprokaryota, where small-celled decreased dramatically and were replaced by large colonies. Cyanoprokaryota remained the dominant group of phytoplankton after 10 years, and the ecosystem of the lake remained in the turbid state. This group of algae had the average biomass 9.734 mg l -1 , which constituted almost 92% of the total biomass.

47 CFR 69.153 - Presubscribed interexchange carrier charge (PICC).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) ACCESS CHARGES Computation of Charges for Price Cap Local Exchange Carriers... to recover revenues totaling Average Price Cap CMT Revenues per Line month times the number of base...

Estimation of total bacteria by real-time PCR in patients with periodontal disease.

PubMed

Brajović, Gavrilo; Popović, Branka; Puletić, Miljan; Kostić, Marija; Milasin, Jelena

2016-01-01

Periodontal diseases are associated with the presence of elevated levels of bacteria within the gingival crevice. The aim of this study was to evaluate a total amount of bacteria in subgingival plaque samples in patients with a periodontal disease. A quantitative evaluation of total bacteria amount using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed on 20 samples of patients with ulceronecrotic periodontitis and on 10 samples of healthy subjects. The estimation of total bacterial amount was based on gene copy number for 16S rRNA that was determined by comparing to Ct values/gene copy number of the standard curve. A statistically significant difference between average gene copy number of total bacteria in periodontal patients (2.55 x 10⁷) and healthy control (2.37 x 10⁶) was found (p = 0.01). Also, a trend of higher numbers of the gene copy in deeper periodontal lesions (> 7 mm) was confirmed by a positive value of coefficient of correlation (r = 0.073). The quantitative estimation of total bacteria based on gene copy number could be an important additional tool in diagnosing periodontitis.

Use of modified halloysite nanotubes in the feed reduces the toxic effects of zearalenone on sow reproduction and piglet development.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanyuan; Gao, Rui; Liu, Min; Shi, Baoming; Shan, Anshan; Cheng, Baojing

2015-03-15

A study was conducted to determine the effects of feeding a blend of corn contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins on the physical condition of pregnant and suckling sows and the development of their offspring. Halloysite nanotubes modified using the surfactant, stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, were tested for its efficacy in protecting against the detrimental effects of zearalenone (ZEN) exposure. A total of 18 pregnant second parity Yorkshire sows (six per treatment) were fed control diet, contaminated grain diet (ZEN, 2.77 mg/kg), and contaminated grain + 1% modified halloysite nanotube (MHNT) diet (ZEN, 2.76 mg/kg) from 35 to 70 days in pregnancy (DIP), which is the critical period in development of fetuses. The results show that consumption of ZEN led to a reduction in sow's mass gain during 35 to 70 DIP and mass at 110 DIP, backfat at 70 DIP and weaning, placenta weight at 70 DIP and farrowing, the lactation average daily feed intake, and an increase in the weight of ovary at 70 DIP of sows (P < 0.05). The total number and average body weight (BW) of fetuses at 70 DIP, the number of piglets born, the litter birth weight, the average BW of piglet at birth, the number of piglets born alive, the born alive litter weight, and born alive piglet BW at farrowing were also decreased by ZEN exposure (P < 0.05). The increased expressions of P53, Bax, Cyto C, caspase 9, and caspase 3 and decreased expression of Bcl-2 were observed in the uterus and placenta of sows at 70 DIP, the placenta and fetal uterus at farrowing, and the piglet uterus at weaning (P < 0.05). Adding 1% MHNTs decreased the residue of ZEN in maternal and fetal tissues. The number of fetuses and the average fetus BW at 70 DIP, the total number of piglets born, the litter birth weight, the born alive piglet BW at farrowing, the average piglet BW, the litter weaned weight, and the average day gain at weaning were increased by adding 1% MHNTs, compared with the ZEN-treated group (P < 0.05). The MHNTs significantly reduced the damage to the fat in the colostrum and the protein and lactose in the milk induced by the ZEN-contaminated feed (P < 0.05). Modified halloysite nanotubes could be used as adsorbent in the feed to reduce the toxic effects of ZEN. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the impact of biomedical research in academic institutions of disparate sizes

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background The evaluation of academic research performance is nowadays a priority issue. Bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications, total citation counts and h-index are an indispensable tool in this task but their inherent association with the size of the research output may result in rewarding high production when evaluating institutions of disparate sizes. The aim of this study is to propose an indicator that may facilitate the comparison of institutions of disparate sizes. Methods The Modified Impact Index (MII) was defined as the ratio of the observed h-index (h) of an institution over the h-index anticipated for that institution on average, given the number of publications (N) it produces i.e. (α and β denote the intercept and the slope, respectively, of the line describing the dependence of the h-index on the number of publications in log10 scale). MII values higher than 1 indicate that an institution performs better than the average, in terms of its h-index. Data on scientific papers published during 2002–2006 and within 36 medical fields for 219 Academic Medical Institutions from 16 European countries were used to estimate α and β and to calculate the MII of their total and field-specific production. Results From our biomedical research data, the slope β governing the dependence of h-index on the number of publications in biomedical research was found to be similar to that estimated in other disciplines (≈0.4). The MII was positively associated with the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.653, p < 0.001), the h-index (r = 0.213, p = 0.002), the number of publications with ≥ 100 citations (r = 0.211, p = 0.004) but not with the number of publications (r = -0.020, p = 0.765). It was the most highly associated indicator with the share of country-specific government budget appropriations or outlays for research and development as % of GDP in 2004 (r = 0.229) followed by the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.153) whereas the corresponding correlation coefficient for the h-index was close to 0 (r = 0.029). MII was calculated for first 10 top-ranked European universities in life sciences and biomedicine, as provided by Times Higher Education ranking system, and their total and field-specific performance was compared. Conclusion The MII should complement the use of h-index when comparing the research output of institutions of disparate sizes. It has a conceptual interpretation and, with the data provided here, can be computed for the total research output as well as for field-specific publication sets of institutions in biomedicine. PMID:19480665

Assessing the impact of biomedical research in academic institutions of disparate sizes.

PubMed

Sypsa, Vana; Hatzakis, Angelos

2009-05-29

The evaluation of academic research performance is nowadays a priority issue. Bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications, total citation counts and h-index are an indispensable tool in this task but their inherent association with the size of the research output may result in rewarding high production when evaluating institutions of disparate sizes. The aim of this study is to propose an indicator that may facilitate the comparison of institutions of disparate sizes. The Modified Impact Index (MII) was defined as the ratio of the observed h-index (h) of an institution over the h-index anticipated for that institution on average, given the number of publications (N) it produces i.e. MII = h/10alphaNbeta (alpha and beta denote the intercept and the slope, respectively, of the line describing the dependence of the h-index on the number of publications in log10 scale). MII values higher than 1 indicate that an institution performs better than the average, in terms of its h-index. Data on scientific papers published during 2002-2006 and within 36 medical fields for 219 Academic Medical Institutions from 16 European countries were used to estimate alpha and beta and to calculate the MII of their total and field-specific production. From our biomedical research data, the slope beta governing the dependence of h-index on the number of publications in biomedical research was found to be similar to that estimated in other disciplines ( approximately 0.4). The MII was positively associated with the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.653, p < 0.001), the h-index (r = 0.213, p = 0.002), the number of publications with > or = 100 citations (r = 0.211, p = 0.004) but not with the number of publications (r = -0.020, p = 0.765). It was the most highly associated indicator with the share of country-specific government budget appropriations or outlays for research and development as % of GDP in 2004 (r = 0.229) followed by the average number of citations/publication (r = 0.153) whereas the corresponding correlation coefficient for the h-index was close to 0 (r = 0.029). MII was calculated for first 10 top-ranked European universities in life sciences and biomedicine, as provided by Times Higher Education ranking system, and their total and field-specific performance was compared. The MII should complement the use of h-index when comparing the research output of institutions of disparate sizes. It has a conceptual interpretation and, with the data provided here, can be computed for the total research output as well as for field-specific publication sets of institutions in biomedicine.

Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

[The effect of selected antibiotics on microorganisms contaminating boar ejaculate].

PubMed

Mazurová, J; Vinter, P

1991-04-01

The occurrence of microorganisms, including their total counts in boar native ejaculates, was investigated in two stages; the objective of this investigation also was to determine contamination after the sperms were treated with diluents containing the antibiotics ampicillin, gentamycin, apramycin, cefoxitin, or antibiotic combinations penicillin + streptomycin, ampicillin + cefoxitin, gentamycin + cefoxitin and ampicillin + gentamycin. The representation of bacterial species and total counts of microbes in 1 ml diluted sperm stored at a temperature of about 18 degrees C were determined in 24, 48 and 72 h after dilution. The microorganisms were cultivated from all native ejaculates. Proteus sp. (63.3%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (51.5% of the total number of examined samples) were the most frequent species. The number of contaminated diluted ejaculates ranged from 12.5 to 95.8% in 24 h after dilution, from 12.5 to 98.5% in 48 h and from 16.8 to 95.8% of the total number of examined ejaculates in 72 h. The occurrence of microorganisms correlated mostly with the efficiency spectrum of the antibiotics or their combinations. The average counts of microorganisms in 1 ml of native ejaculate made 2,363,000 in stage I and 1,472,108 in stage II. The highest average counts in 1 ml of diluted sperm were found in ejaculates containing cefoxitin and apramycin. Gentamycin was the most effective antibiotic used as a sole component (average counts of microorganisms CPM in 1 ml were 416 in 24 h, 955 in 48 h and 2260 in 72 h after dilution); ampicillin and gentamycin were the most efficient combination (14--20--21). This combination exerted very good effects also on Proteus sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Association Between Extraversion and Exercise Performance Among Elderly Persons Receiving a Videogame Intervention.

PubMed

Zaitsu, Kosuke; Nishimura, Yuki; Matsuguma, Hiroyuki; Higuchi, Shigekazu

2015-10-01

We examined the effects of an exergame intervention on exercise performance, as well as the influence of players' personality traits on the effects of the intervention. In total, 16 elderly persons (>65 years old) participated in the study for 12 weeks. Participants were required to complete the Big Five Scale. We measured the number of times that the sit-to-stand exercise was performed during the interventions with and without exergames. We compared the average number of times that the sit-to-stand exercise was performed per day in each of the two conditions. The average number of times that exercise was undertaken with exergame use was greater than that without exergame use; however, no significant difference was found. The difference between the average number of times that exercise occurred with and without exergame use was positively correlated with neuroticism, negatively correlated with extraversion, and not associated with conscientiousness. The intervention comprising the use of exergames has a positive motivational influence among less extraverted elderly persons.

A dynamo theory prediction for solar cycle 22: Sunspot number, radio flux, exospheric temperature, and total density at 400 km

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schatten, K. H.; Hedin, A. E.

1986-01-01

Using the dynamo theory method to predict solar activity, a value for the smoothed sunspot number of 109 + or - 20 is obtained for solar cycle 22. The predicted cycle is expected to peak near December, 1990 + or - 1 year. Concommitantly, F(10.7) radio flux is expected to reach a smoothed value of 158 + or - 18 flux units. Global mean exospheric temperature is expected to reach 1060 + or - 50 K and global total average total thermospheric density at 400 km is expected to reach 4.3 x 10 to the -15th gm/cu cm + or - 25 percent.

Appreciation of the 2015 JGR Space Physics Peer Reviewers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liemohn, Michael W.; Balikhin, Michael; Kepko, Larry; Rodger, Alan; Wang, Yuming

2016-01-01

The Editors of the Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics are deeply indebted to the many people among the research community that serve this journal through peer review. The journal could not exist without the time and effort invested by the community through this voluntary activity, providing expert evaluations and thoughtful assessments of the work of others. In 2015, the journal had 1506 scientists contribute to the process with at least one peer review, for a total of 3575 reviews completed, including additional reviews of resubmitted manuscripts. There were 277 reviewers that contributed four or more reports in 2015. The average number of reviews per referee in 2015 was, therefore, 2.4. Note that the total number of manuscript final decisions (i.e., accept or reject) for Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR) Space Physics was 1147 in 2015. Of this, 774 were accepted and 373 were declined, for an acceptance rate of 67% last year. If the 1334 "revision" decisions are included in the tally, then the total number of decisions made in 2015 was 2481. Working out the arithmetic, it means that on average, a manuscript gets about 1.2 revision decisions before a final accept-or-reject decision. This explains the 3.1 average number of reviews per manuscript throughout each paper's lifetime in the submission-revision editorial process. We are pleased and happy that the research community is willing and able to devote their resources toward this service endeavor. We appreciate each and every one of you that helped maintain the high quality of papers in JGR Space Physics last year. We look forward to another excellent year working with all of you through the year ahead.

Development System for FPGA-Controlled, Portable Processing Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-08

SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) ARO 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER Maciej Noras ...Maciej Noras 611103 c. THIS PAGE The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response...PERCENT_SUPPORTEDNAME FTE Equivalent: Total Number: National Academy Member Maciej Noras 0.00 Aidan Browne 0.00 0.00 2 PERCENT_SUPPORTEDNAME FTE

78 FR 15379 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for a New Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-11

... form relates to a budget or estimate of the legal fees, costs, and expenses that outside counsel would... estimates of the average number of respondents, burden, and total annual cost appear below. The estimated... cost by multiplying its estimate of the number of respondents (100) by the burden (2 hours) and...

78 FR 46980 - Prescription Drug User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2014

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... 116.333 The FY 2014 application fee is estimated by dividing the average number of full applications... dividing the adjusted total fee revenue to be derived from establishments ($252,342,667) by the estimated... use this number for its FY 2014 estimate. The FY 2014 product fee rate is determined by dividing the...

Triacylglycerols profiling in plant oils important in food industry, dietetics and cosmetics using high-performance liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Lísa, Miroslav; Holcapek, Michal

2008-07-11

Optimized non-aqueous reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method using acetonitrile-2-propanol gradient elution and the column coupling in the total length of 45 cm has been applied for the high resolution separation of plant oils important in food industry, dietetics and cosmetics. Positive-ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry is used for the unambiguous identification and also the reliable quantitation with the response factors approach. Based on the precise determination of individual triacyglycerol concentrations, the calculation of average parameters important in the nutrition is performed, i.e. average carbon number, average double bond number, relative concentrations of essential, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results are reported in the form of both chromatographic fingerprints and tables containing relative concentrations for all triacylglycerols and fatty acids in individual samples. In total, 264 triacylglycerols consisting of 28 fatty acids with the alkyl chain length from 6 to 26 carbon atoms and 0 to 4 double bonds have been identified in 26 industrial important plant oils.

Flight Tests of Various Tail Modifications on the Brewster XSBA-1 Airplane II : Measurements of Flying Qualities with Tail Configuration Number Two

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, W.H.; Crane, H.L.

1943-01-01

Several tail modifications of the Brewster XSBA-1 scout-bomber were investigated and results compared. Modifications consisted of variation of the chord of the elevator and rudder while the total area of the surfaces is kept constant and variations of the total area of the vertical tail surface. Configuration number 2 reduced trim changes by 50 percent and reduced average elevator control force gradient from 30 to 27 pounds/g. Stick travel required to stall in maneuver was 4.6 inches.

Comparing Medical Ecology, Utilization, and Expenditures Between 1996-1997 and 2011-2012.

PubMed

Johansen, Michael E

2017-07-01

This study compared ecology (number of individuals using a service), utilization (number of services used), and expenditures (dollars spent) for various categories of medical services between primarily 1996-1997 and 2011-2012. A repeated cross-sectional study was performed using nationally representative data mainly from the 1996, 1997, 2011, and 2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). These data were augmented with the 2002-2003 MEPS as well as the 1999-2000 and 2011-2012 National Heath and Nutrition Examination Survey. Individuals (number per 1,000 people), utilization, and expenditures during an average month in 1996-1997 and 2011-2012 were determined for 15 categories of services. The number of individuals who used various medical services was unchanged for many categories of services (total, outpatient, outpatient physician, users of prescribed medications, primary care and specialty physicians, inpatient hospitalization, and emergency department). It was, however, increased for others (optometry/podiatry, therapy, and alternative/complementary medicine) and decreased for a few (dental and home health). The number of services used (utilization) largely mirrored the findings for individual use, with the exception of an increase in the number of prescribed medications and a decrease in number of primary care physician visits. There were large increases in dollars spent (expenditures) in every category with the exception of primary care physician and home health; the largest absolute increases were in prescribed medications, specialty physicians, emergency department visits, and likely inpatient hospitalizations. Although the number of individuals with visits during an average month and the total utilization of medical services were largely unchanged between the 2 time periods, total expenditures increased markedly. The increases in expenditure varied dramatically by category. © 2017 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

Effect of loading on unintentional lifting velocity declines during single sets of repetitions to failure during upper and lower extremity muscle actions.

PubMed

Izquierdo, M; González-Badillo, J J; Häkkinen, K; Ibáñez, J; Kraemer, W J; Altadill, A; Eslava, J; Gorostiaga, E M

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different loads on repetition speed during single sets of repetitions to failure in bench press and parallel squat. Thirty-six physical active men performed 1-repetition maximum in a bench press (1 RM (BP)) and half squat position (1 RM (HS)), and performed maximal power-output continuous repetition sets randomly every 10 days until failure with a submaximal load (60 %, 65 %, 70 %, and 75 % of 1RM, respectively) during bench press and parallel squat. Average velocity of each repetition was recorded by linking a rotary encoder to the end part of the bar. The values of 1 RM (BP) and 1 RM (HS) were 91 +/- 17 and 200 +/- 20 kg, respectively. The number of repetitions performed for a given percentage of 1RM was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in half squat than in bench press performance. Average repetition velocity decreased at a greater rate in bench press than in parallel squat. The significant reductions observed in the average repetition velocity (expressed as a percentage of the average velocity achieved during the initial repetition) were observed at higher percentage of the total number of repetitions performed in parallel squat (48 - 69 %) than in bench press (34 - 40 %) actions. The major finding in this study was that, for a given muscle action (bench press or parallel squat), the pattern of reduction in the relative average velocity achieved during each repetition and the relative number of repetitions performed was the same for all percentages of 1RM tested. However, relative average velocity decreased at a greater rate in bench press than in parallel squat performance. This would indicate that in bench press the significant reductions observed in the average repetition velocity occurred when the number of repetitions was over one third (34 %) of the total number of repetitions performed, whereas in parallel squat it was nearly one half (48 %). Conceptually, this would indicate that for a given exercise (bench press or squat) and percentage of maximal dynamic strength (1RM), the pattern of velocity decrease can be predicted over a set of repetitions, so that a minimum repetition threshold to ensure maximal speed performance is determined.

Work and workload of Dutch primary care midwives in 2010.

PubMed

Wiegers, Therese A; Warmelink, J Catja; Spelten, Evelien R; Klomp, T; Hutton, Eileen K

2014-09-01

to re-assess the work and workload of primary care midwives in the Netherlands. in the Netherlands most midwives work in primary care as independent practitioners in a midwifery practice with two or more colleagues. Each practice provides 24/7 care coverage through office hours and on-call hours of the midwives. In 2006 the results of a time registration project of primary care midwives were published as part of a 4-year monitor study. This time the registration project was repeated, albeit on a smaller scale, in 2010. as part of a larger study (the Deliver study) all midwives working in 20 midwifery practices kept a time register 24 hours a day, for one week. They also filled out questionnaires about their background, work schedules and experiences of workload. A second component of this study collected data from all midwifery practices in the Netherlands and included questions about practice size (number of midwives and number of clients in the previous year). in 2010, primary care midwives actually worked on an average 32.6 hours per week and approximately 67% of their working time (almost 22 hours per week) was spent on client-related activities. On an average a midwife was on-call for 39 hours a week and almost 13 of the 32.6 hours of work took place during on-call-hours. This means that the total hours that an average midwife was involved in her work (either actually working or on-call) was almost 59 hours a week. Compared to 2004 the number of hours an average midwife was actually working increased by 4 hours (from 29 to 32.6 hours) whereas the total number of hours an average midwife was involved with her work decreased by 6 hours (from 65 to 59 hours). In 2010, compared to 2001-2004, the midwives spent proportionally less time on direct client care (67% versus 73%), although in actual number of hours this did not change much (22 versus 21). In 2009 the average workload of a midwife was 99 clients at booking, 56 at the start of labour, 33 at childbirth, and 90 clients in post partum care. the midwives worked on an average more hours in 2010 than they did in 2004 or 2001, but spent these extra hours increasingly on non-client-related activities. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of gizzards and grits of wild cranes found dead at Izumi Plain in Japan

PubMed Central

UEGOMORI, Mima; HARAGUCHI, Yuko; OBI, Takeshi; TAKASE, Kozo

2018-01-01

We analyzed the gizzards, and grits retained in the gizzards of 41 cranes that migrated to the Izumi Plain during the winter of 2015/2016 and died there, either due to accident or disease. These included 31 Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) and 10 White-naped Cranes (G. vipio). We determined body weight, gizzard weight, total grit weight and number per gizzard, and size, shape, and surface roundness of the grits. Average gizzard weights were 92.4 g for Hooded Cranes and 97.1 g for White-naped Cranes, and gizzard weight positively correlated with body weight in both species. Average total grit weights per gizzard were 19.7 g in Hooded Cranes and 25.7 g in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. Average percentages of body weight to grit weight were 0.8% in Hooded Cranes and 0.5% in White-naped Cranes. Average grit number per gizzard was 693.5 in Hooded Cranes and 924.2 in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. The average grit size was 2.8 mm in both species. No differences were found in the shape and surface roundness of grits between the two species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the grits retained in the gizzards of Hooded and White-naped Cranes. PMID:29503349

Characterization of gizzards and grits of wild cranes found dead at Izumi Plain in Japan.

PubMed

Uegomori, Mima; Haraguchi, Yuko; Obi, Takeshi; Takase, Kozo

2018-04-18

We analyzed the gizzards, and grits retained in the gizzards of 41 cranes that migrated to the Izumi Plain during the winter of 2015/2016 and died there, either due to accident or disease. These included 31 Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) and 10 White-naped Cranes (G. vipio). We determined body weight, gizzard weight, total grit weight and number per gizzard, and size, shape, and surface roundness of the grits. Average gizzard weights were 92.4 g for Hooded Cranes and 97.1 g for White-naped Cranes, and gizzard weight positively correlated with body weight in both species. Average total grit weights per gizzard were 19.7 g in Hooded Cranes and 25.7 g in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. Average percentages of body weight to grit weight were 0.8% in Hooded Cranes and 0.5% in White-naped Cranes. Average grit number per gizzard was 693.5 in Hooded Cranes and 924.2 in White-naped Cranes, and were significantly higher in the latter. The average grit size was 2.8 mm in both species. No differences were found in the shape and surface roundness of grits between the two species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the grits retained in the gizzards of Hooded and White-naped Cranes.

Mach number effect on jet impingement heat transfer.

PubMed

Brevet, P; Dorignac, E; Vullierme, J J

2001-05-01

An experimental investigation of heat transfer from a single round free jet, impinging normally on a flat plate is described. Flow at the exit plane of the jet is fully developed and the total temperature of the jet is equal to the ambient temperature. Infrared measurements lead to the characterization of the local and averaged heat transfer coefficients and Nusselt numbers over the impingement plate. The adiabatic wall temperature is introduced as the reference temperature for heat transfer coefficient calculation. Various nozzle diameters from 3 mm to 15 mm are used to make the injection Mach number M vary whereas the Reynolds number Re is kept constant. Thus the Mach number influence on jet impingement heat transfer can be directly evaluated. Experiments have been carried out for 4 nozzle diameters, for 3 different nozzle-to-target distances, with Reynolds number ranging from 7200 to 71,500 and Mach number from 0.02 to 0.69. A correlation is obtained from the data for the average Nusselt number.

Does player unavailability affect football teams' match physical outputs? A two-season study of the UEFA champions league.

PubMed

Windt, Johann; Ekstrand, Jan; Khan, Karim M; McCall, Alan; Zumbo, Bruno D

2018-05-01

Player unavailability negatively affects team performance in elite football. However, whether player unavailability and its concomitant performance decrement is mediated by any changes in teams' match physical outputs is unknown. We examined whether the number of players injured (i.e. unavailable for match selection) was associated with any changes in teams' physical outputs. Prospective cohort study. Between-team variation was calculated by correlating average team availability with average physical outputs. Within-team variation was quantified using linear mixed modelling, using physical outputs - total distance, sprint count (efforts over 20km/h), and percent of distance covered at high speeds (>14km/h) - as outcome variables, and player unavailability as the independent variable of interest. To control for other factors that may influence match physical outputs, stage (group stage/knockout), venue (home/away), score differential, ball possession (%), team ranking (UEFA Club Coefficient), and average team age were all included as covariates. Teams' average player unavailability was positively associated with the average number of sprints they performed in matches across two seasons. Multilevel models similarly demonstrated that having 4 unavailable players was associated with 20.8 more sprints during matches in 2015/2016, and with an estimated 0.60-0.77% increase in the proportion of total distance run above 14km/h in both seasons. Player unavailability had a possibly positive and likely positive association with total match distances in the two respective seasons. Having more players injured and unavailable for match selection was associated with an increase in teams' match physical outputs. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost containment and diffusion of MRI: oil and water?. Japanese experience.

PubMed

Korogi, Y; Takahashi, M

1997-01-01

The total number of MR units available in Japan relative to the population is the highest in the world. The total number of MR units installed in 1996 was 2,663, equivalent to 24 per million population. The average charge per procedure in Japan is only one fifth of that in the United States (USA), approximately US$200 and US$950, respectively, suggesting that economic considerations in Japan may not take the highest priority. Despite the low costs, the utilisation (the number of patients examined each year or per week) of MR units in Japan is only about half that in the USA. As such, an increase in the number of MR units per se does not result in excessive health care costs.

[Termites (Isoptera) in forest ecosystems of Cat Tien National Park (Southern Vietnam)].

PubMed

Beliaeva, N V; Tiunov, A V

2010-01-01

The species composition and termite community populations were studied and the total land termites biomass was estimated in five forest habitats of Cat Tien National Park, Southern Vietnam. Twenty-four species of two families, Rhinotermitidae (1 species) and Termitidae (23 species), the predominant representatives of the subfamily Macrotermitinae, were found in mounds and in soil samples. On the test plots the density of termite mounds averaged 68 per hectare, primarily the mounds of three Macrotermes species. Destructive sampling allowed estimation of the caste composition and total community biomass based on six termite mounds of the prevailing species (Globitermes sulphureus, Microcerotermes burmanicus, Macrotermes carbonarius, M. gilvus, M. malaccensis, and Hypotermes obscuriceps). The total number of termites in the nests ranged from 65 000 to 3 150 000 individuals with the total biomass ranging from 185 to 2440 g live weight. The total abundance of nesting Macrotermes species alone could conservatively be estimated as 2.5 million individuals and 20.5 kg live weight per hectare. The number of soil- and litter-feeding termites averaged for the test plots was estimated at about 60 ind./m2. Four species dominating on the test plots (M. carbonarius, M. gilvus, M. malaccensis, and H. obscuriceps) belong to active tree litter feeders.

Floristic summary of 22 National Parks in the Midwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, J.P.

1996-01-01

Biological diversity is studied at many geographical scales, but specimen collecting is invariably done at a local level. Collecting of animal and plant specimens leads to the compilation of checklists for multiple small areas, which are sometimes merged to produce larger, regional checklists. Such an approach was employed to study the regional vascular flora of 22 national parks of the midwestern United States. Total number of plant taxa (species level and below) ranged from 86 at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park to 1,399 at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and averaged 520 per park. Infraspecific taxa were 12% or less of all taxa at all parks and averaged 7%. Genera per parkranged from 70 to 562, and families ranged from 41 to 145. Non-native species averaged 95 per park, or about 27% on average of the total number of taxa per park. The aggregated regional flora contained just over 2,900 taxa, 828 genera and 160 families. Eleven percent of the taxa were below the species level. Almost 17% of the taxa were non-native, a relatively large percentage, but not out of the range of percentages reported in the literature. The observed and estimated numbers of taxa for this region were in good agreement with other estimates for these latitudes and for a standard regional size. However, the parks do not represent their respective state floras very well when they are aggregated at that scale. Indiana was the best represented state with 65% of the state flora found in the parks, while only 25% of each state's flora were represented by parks in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, and the average representation was only 42%.

[Relationship between sulfur dioxide pollution and upper respiratory outpatients in Jiangbei, Ningbo].

PubMed

Wu, Yifeng; Zhao, Fengmin; Qian, Xujun; Xu, Guozhang; He, Tianfeng; Shen, Yueping; Cai, Yibiao

2015-07-01

To describe the daily average concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Ningbo, and to analysis the health impacts it caused in upper respiratory disease. With outpatients log and air pollutants monitoring data matched in 2011-2013, the distributed lag non-linear models were used to analysis the relative risk of the number of upper respiratory patients associated with SO2, and also excessive risk, and the inferred number of patients due to SO2 pollution. The daily average concentration of SO2 didn't exceed the limit value of second class area. The coefficient of upper respiratory outpatient number and daily average concentration of SO2 matched was 0.44,with the excessive risk was 10% to 18%, the lag of most SO2 concentrations was 4 to 6 days. It could be estimated that about 30% of total upper respiratory outpatients were caused by SO2 pollution. Although the daily average concentration of SO2 didn't exceed the standard in 3 years, the health impacts still be caused with lag effect.

Porous membrane utilization in plant nutrient delivery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreschel, T. W.; Hinkle, C. R.; Prince, R. P.; Knott, W. M., III

1987-01-01

A spacecraft hydroponic plant growth unit of tubular configuration, employing a microporous membrane as a capilary interface between plant roots and a nutrient solution, is presented. All three of the experimental trials undertaken successfully grew wheat from seed to harvest. Attention is given to the mass/seed, number of seeds/head, ratio of seed dry mass to total plant dry mass, production of tillers, and mass of seed/plant. Dry matter production is found to be reduced with increasing suction pressure; this is true for both average seed and average total dry matter/plant. This may be due to a reduction in water and nutrient availability through the microporous membrane.

Field evaluation of the error arising from inadequate time averaging in the standard use of depth-integrating suspended-sediment samplers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Topping, David J.; Rubin, David M.; Wright, Scott A.; Melis, Theodore S.

2011-01-01

Several common methods for measuring suspended-sediment concentration in rivers in the United States use depth-integrating samplers to collect a velocity-weighted suspended-sediment sample in a subsample of a river cross section. Because depth-integrating samplers are always moving through the water column as they collect a sample, and can collect only a limited volume of water and suspended sediment, they collect only minimally time-averaged data. Four sources of error exist in the field use of these samplers: (1) bed contamination, (2) pressure-driven inrush, (3) inadequate sampling of the cross-stream spatial structure in suspended-sediment concentration, and (4) inadequate time averaging. The first two of these errors arise from misuse of suspended-sediment samplers, and the third has been the subject of previous study using data collected in the sand-bedded Middle Loup River in Nebraska. Of these four sources of error, the least understood source of error arises from the fact that depth-integrating samplers collect only minimally time-averaged data. To evaluate this fourth source of error, we collected suspended-sediment data between 1995 and 2007 at four sites on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, using a P-61 suspended-sediment sampler deployed in both point- and one-way depth-integrating modes, and D-96-A1 and D-77 bag-type depth-integrating suspended-sediment samplers. These data indicate that the minimal duration of time averaging during standard field operation of depth-integrating samplers leads to an error that is comparable in magnitude to that arising from inadequate sampling of the cross-stream spatial structure in suspended-sediment concentration. This random error arising from inadequate time averaging is positively correlated with grain size and does not largely depend on flow conditions or, for a given size class of suspended sediment, on elevation above the bed. Averaging over time scales >1 minute is the likely minimum duration required to result in substantial decreases in this error. During standard two-way depth integration, a depth-integrating suspended-sediment sampler collects a sample of the water-sediment mixture during two transits at each vertical in a cross section: one transit while moving from the water surface to the bed, and another transit while moving from the bed to the water surface. As the number of transits is doubled at an individual vertical, this error is reduced by ~30 percent in each size class of suspended sediment. For a given size class of suspended sediment, the error arising from inadequate sampling of the cross-stream spatial structure in suspended-sediment concentration depends only on the number of verticals collected, whereas the error arising from inadequate time averaging depends on both the number of verticals collected and the number of transits collected at each vertical. Summing these two errors in quadrature yields a total uncertainty in an equal-discharge-increment (EDI) or equal-width-increment (EWI) measurement of the time-averaged velocity-weighted suspended-sediment concentration in a river cross section (exclusive of any laboratory-processing errors). By virtue of how the number of verticals and transits influences the two individual errors within this total uncertainty, the error arising from inadequate time averaging slightly dominates that arising from inadequate sampling of the cross-stream spatial structure in suspended-sediment concentration. Adding verticals to an EDI or EWI measurement is slightly more effective in reducing the total uncertainty than adding transits only at each vertical, because a new vertical contributes both temporal and spatial information. However, because collection of depth-integrated samples at more transits at each vertical is generally easier and faster than at more verticals, addition of a combination of verticals and transits is likely a more practical approach to reducing the total uncertainty in most field situatio

[Influence of the duration of recording in the reproducibility of the signal averaged electrocardiogram].

PubMed

Copie, X; Blankoff, I; Hnatkova, K; Fei, L; Camm, A J; Malik, M

1996-06-01

The authors studied the possibility of improving the reproducibility of the signal averaged ECG by increasing the number of averaged QRS complexes. One hundred patients were included in the study. In each cases, 400 QRS complexes were recorded on twice, consecutively, in strictly identical conditions. During each recording, the total duration of the amplified and averaged QRS complex (tQRS), the duration of the terminal signal below 40 microV (LAS) and the root mean square of the amplitude of the last 40 ms (RMS) were determined for 100, 200, 300 and 400 recorded QRS complexes. The presence of late potentials was defined as the positivity of two of the following criteria: tQRS > 114 ms, LAS > 38 ms, RMS < 20 microV. The number of contradictory diagnostic conclusions between two successive recordings of the same duration decreased progressively with the number of averaged QRS complexes: 10 for 100 QRS, 10 for 200 QRS, 9 for 300 QRS and 6 for 400 QRS complexes, but this improvement was not statistically significant. The absolute differences of tQRS and RMS between two successive recordings of the same duration were statistically different for the four durations of recording (p = 0.05) and there was a tendency towards statistical significance for LAS (p = 0.09). The best quantitative reproducibility of the 3 parameters was obtained with the recording of 300 QRS complexes. In conclusion, the reproducibility of the signal averaged ECG is improved when the number of average QRS complexes is increased. The authors' results suggests that reproducibility this is optimal with the amplification and averaging of 300 QRS complexes.

Research Productivity and Rankings of Anesthesiology Departments in Canada and the United States: The Relationship Between the h-Index and Other Common Metrics [RETRACTED].

PubMed

Bunting, Alexandra C; Alavifard, Sepand; Walker, Benjamin; Miller, Donald R; Ramsay, Tim; Boet, Sylvain

2018-03-05

To evaluate the relative research productivity and ranking of anesthesiology departments in Canada and the United States, using the Hirsch index (h-index) and 4 other previously validated metrics. We identified 150 anesthesiology departments in Canada and the United States with an accredited residency program. Publications for each of the 150 departments were identified using Thomson's Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science, and the citation report for each department was exported. The bibliometric data were used to calculate publication metrics for 3 time periods: cumulative (1945-2014), 10 years (2005-2014), and 5 years (2010-2014). The following group metrics were then used to determine the publication impact and relative ranking of all 150 departments: h-index, m-index, total number of publications, sum of citations, and average number of citations per article. Ranking for each metric were also stratified by using a proxy for departmental size. The most common journals in which US and Canadian anesthesiology departments publish their work were identified. The majority (23 of the top 25) of top-ranked anesthesiology departments are in the United States, and 2 of the top 25 departments (University of Toronto; McGill University) are in Canada. There was a strong positive relationship between each of h-index, total number of publications, and the sum of citations (0.91-0.97; P < .0001). Departmental size correlates with increased academic productivity on most metrics. The most frequent journals in which US and Canadian anesthesiology departments publish are Anesthesiology, Anesthesia and Analgesia, and the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. Our study ranked the Canadian and US anesthesiology departmental research productivity using the h-index applied to each department, total number of publications, total number of citations, and average number of citations. The strong relationship between the h-index and both the number of publications and number of citations of anesthesiology departments shows that the departments with the highest number of publications are also producing research with the most highly cited articles (ie, most impact), as demonstrated by the h-index.

Research funding for addressing tobacco-related disease: an analysis of UK investment between 2008 and 2012

PubMed Central

Hall, Mary; Bogdanovica, Ilze; Britton, John

2016-01-01

Introduction Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. However, research spending on tobacco-related disease, and particularly smoking prevention, is thought to be low. We therefore aimed to assess the relation between tobacco-related research investment and disease burden from 2008 to 2012. Methods We used the Health Research Classification System to classify UK government and charitable research funding by broad health category and then by tobacco prevention research and 18 WHO defined tobacco-related diseases. We used UK mortality figures to calculate disease-specific tobacco attributable deaths and then compared disease specific and tobacco prevention research investment with all cause and tobacco attributable mortality over the 5-year period and as annual averages. Results 12 922 research grants were identified with a total value of £6.69bn, an annual average of £1.34bn. Annually an average of 110 000 people die from tobacco-related disease, approximately 20% of total deaths. £130m is invested in researching tobacco-related disease each year and £5m on tobacco prevention, 10.8% and 0.42% of total annual research funding, respectively. Prevention research equated to an annual average of £46 per tobacco attributable death or one pound for every £29 spent on tobacco-related disease. Funding varied widely for diseases with different numbers of deaths (eg, lung cancer £68 per all cause death, cervical cancer £2500), similar numbers of deaths (leukaemia £983 per death, stomach cancer £43) or similar numbers of tobacco attributable deaths (eg, colorectal cancer £5k, pancreatic cancer £670, bladder cancer £340). Conclusions Tobacco-related research funding is not related to burden of disease or level of risk. As a result certain diseases receive a disproportionately low level of research funding and disease prevention funding is even lower. PMID:27377637

Analysis of Services Received Under Medicare by Specialty of Physician

PubMed Central

Pine, Penelope L.; Gornick, Marian; Lubitz, James; Newton, Marilyn

1981-01-01

This paper examines use of physicians' services by Medicare beneficiaries according to the specialty of the physician providing care. The major objectives of this study were to determine which types of physicians are most frequently used, the average charge per service by specialty, the mix of physicians (by specialty) that patients saw during the year, and the amount Medicare reimburses in relation to total physician income. Data were studied for the total Medicare population and by age, sex, race, and geographic area. Claims data for 1975 and 1977 were used from the Part B Bill Summary System. This system collects information from bills for a 5 percent sample of Medicare enrollees. Major findings from this study indicate: (1) Physicians in general practice and internal medicine provided about the same number of services and each far outranked all other types of physicians in numbers of Medicare beneficiaries with reimbursed services. (2) There were marked differences by census region in the use of certain specialists, particularly pathologists, podiatrists, dermatologists, and the specialty group otology, laryngology, rhinology. (3) Average charges per service varied considerably by specialty. Internists' charges averaged 35 percent higher per service than charges by general practitioners. Charges submitted by the surgical specialties far outranked all others and showed the greatest increase during the period under study. (4) Of the total persons with reimbursed physicians' services in 1977, 85 percent saw a primary care physician during the year, while the remaining 15 percent received services from specialists only. (5) Of the total reimbursements made by Medicare, internists received 20 percent, general practitioners received 14 percent, and general surgeons 12 percent. Medicare's payments were estimated to be 21 percent of total gross income for internists, 20 percent for anesthesiologists, and 18 percent for surgical specialties. PMID:10309476

The burden of gunshot injuries on orthopaedic healthcare resources in South Africa.

PubMed

Martin, Case; Thiart, Gerhard; McCollum, Graham; Roche, Stephen; Maqungo, Sithombo

2017-06-30

Injuries inflicted by gunshot wounds (GSWs) are an immense burden on the South African (SA) healthcare system. In 2005, Allard and Burch estimated SA state hospitals treated approximately 127 000 firearm victims annually and concluded that the cost of treating an abdominal GSW was approximately USD1 467 per patient. While the annual number of GSW injuries has decreased over the past decade, an estimated 54 870 firearm-related injuries occurred in SA in 2012. No study has estimated the burden of these GSWs from an orthopaedic perspective. To estimate the burden and average cost of treating GSW victims requiring orthopaedic interventions in an SA tertiary level hospital. This retrospective study surveyed more than 1 500 orthopaedic admissions over a 12-month period (2012) at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, SA. Chart review subsequently yielded data that allowed analysis of cost, theatre time, number and type of implants, duration of admission, diagnostic imaging studies performed, blood products used, laboratory studies ordered and medications administered. A total of 111 patients with an average age of 28 years (range 13 - 74) were identified. Each patient was hit by an average of 1.69 bullets (range 1 - 7). These patients sustained a total of 147 fractures, the majority in the lower extremities. Ninety-five patients received surgical treatment for a total of 135 procedures, with a cumulative surgical theatre time of >306 hours. Theatre costs, excluding implants, were in excess of USD94 490. Eighty of the patients received a total of 99 implants during surgery, which raised theatre costs an additional USD53 381 cumulatively, or USD667 per patient. Patients remained hospitalised for an average of 9.75 days, and total ward costs exceeded USD130 400. Individual patient costs averaged about USD2 940 (ZAR24 945) per patient. This study assessed the burden of orthopaedic firearm injuries in SA. It was estimated that on average, treating an orthopaedic GSW patient cost USD2 940, used just over 3 hours of theatre time per operation, and necessitated a hospital bed for an average period of 9.75 days. Improved understanding of the high incidence of orthopaedic GSWs treated in an SA tertiary care trauma centre and the costs incurred will help the state healthcare system better prioritise orthopaedic trauma funding and training opportunities, while also supporting cost-saving measures, including redirection of financial resources to primary prevention initiatives.

Scientific publications in critical care medicine journals from Chinese authors: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Liao, Zhuan; Wu, Fei-Xiang; Yang, Li-Qun; Sun, Yu-Ming; Yu, Wei-Feng

2010-10-01

People of Chinese ethnicity are the largest population in the world. Critical care medicine in China is developing rapidly and has achieved great advances in recent 20 years. The research contribution in critical care medicine among Chinese individuals in the three major regions of China--Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW)--is unknown. Articles published in 18 journals on critical care medicine originating from ML, TW, and HK from 1999 to 2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database and Science Citation Index Expanded. Quantity and quality analyses were conducted for the total numbers of articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in high-impact journals. There were 932 articles from ML (268), TW (506), and HK (158) from 1999 to 2008. The annual total numbers of articles of the three regions increased gradually from 1999 to 2008 (from 57 to 157). From 2002 onward, the number of articles published from ML exceeded that from HK, but TW still has the dominance in both annual and total number of articles published compared with ML and HK. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (1676.67) was higher than that from ML (708.25) and HK (449.51). TW had the highest average IF of 3.31 followed by HK of 2.85 and ML of 2.64. HK had the highest average citations of each article of 10.73, followed by TW of 6.74 and ML of 5.34. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions. The total numbers of articles in China increased markedly from 1999 to 2008. TW published the most number of articles, clinical trials, and randomised controlled trials among the three regions. The Journal of Trauma was the most popular journal in the three regions.

Potency of energy saving and emission reduction from lighting system in residential sector of Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambarita, H.

2018-03-01

The Government of Indonesia (GoI) has a strong commitment to the target of decreasing energy intensity and reducing Greenhouse gas emissions. One of the significant solutions to reach the target is increasing energy efficiency in the lighting system in the residential sector. The objective of this paper is twofold, to estimate the potency of energy saving and emission reduction from lighting in the residential sector. Literature related to the lighting system in Indonesia has been reviewed to provide sufficient data for the estimation of the energy saving and emission reduction. The results show that the in the year 2016, a total of 95.33 TWh of nationally produced electricity is used in the residential sector. This is equal to 44% of total produced electricity. The number of costumers is 64.78 million houses. The average number of lamps and average wattage of lamps used in Indonesia are 8.35 points and 13.8 W, respectively. The number of lighting and percentage of electricity used for lighting in the residential sector in Indonesia are 20.03 TWh (21.02 %) and 497 million lamps, respectively. The projection shows that in the year 2026 the total energy for lighting and number of lamps in the residential sector are 25.05 TWh and 619 million, respectively. By promoting the present technology of high efficient lamps (LED), the potency of energy saving and emission reduction in 2026 are 2.6 TWh and 2.1 million tons CO2eq, respectively.

On entanglement of light and Stokes parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Żukowski, Marek; Laskowski, Wiesław; Wieśniak, Marcin

2016-08-01

We present a new approach to Stokes parameters, which enables one to see better non-classical properties of bright quantum light, and of undefined overall photon numbers. The crucial difference is as follows. The standard quantum optical Stokes parameters are averages of differences of intensities of light registered at the two exits of polarization analyzers, and one gets their normalized version by dividing them by the average total intensity. The new ones are averages of the registered normalized Stokes parameters, for the duration of the experiment. That is, we redefine each Stokes observable as the difference of photon number operators at the two exits of a polarizing beam splitter multiplied by the inverse of their sum. The vacuum eigenvalue of the operator is defined a zero. We show that with such an approach one can obtain more sensitive entanglement indicators based on polarization measurements.

Validity of four approaches of using repeaters' MCAT scores in medical school admissions to predict USMLE Step 1 total scores.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaohui; Oppler, Scott; Dunleavy, Dana; Kroopnick, Marc

2010-10-01

This study investigated the validity of four approaches (the average, most recent, highest-within-administration, and highest-across-administration approaches) of using repeaters' Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores to predict Step 1 scores. Using the differential predication method, this study investigated the magnitude of differences in the expected Step 1 total scores between MCAT nonrepeaters and three repeater groups (two-time, three-time, and four-time test takers) for the four scoring approaches. For the average score approach, matriculants with the same MCAT average are expected to achieve similar Step 1 total scores regardless of whether the individual attempted the MCAT exam one or multiple times. For the other three approaches, repeaters are expected to achieve lower Step 1 scores than nonrepeaters; for a given MCAT score, as the number of attempts increases, the expected Step 1 decreases. The effect was strongest for the highest-across-administration approach, followed by the highest-within-administration approach, and then the most recent approach. Using the average score is the best approach for considering repeaters' MCAT scores in medical school admission decisions.

78 FR 76378 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

... collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Mail, email, or fax your comments and...-approved information collection. Time Burden--Participating Companies Average Total Number of Frequency of... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and...

Weak associations between the daily number of suicide cases and amount of daily sunlight.

PubMed

Seregi, Bernadett; Kapitány, Balázs; Maróti-Agóts, Ákos; Rihmer, Zoltán; Gonda, Xénia; Döme, Péter

2017-02-06

Several environmental factors with periodic changes in intensity during the calendar year have been put forward to explain the increase in suicide frequency during spring and summer. In the current study we investigated the effect of averaged daily sunshine duration of periods with different lengths and 'lags' (i.e. the number of days between the last day of the period for which the averaged sunshine duration was calculated and the day of suicide) on suicide risk. We obtained data on daily numbers of suicide cases and daily sunshine duration in Hungary from 1979 to 2013. In order to remove the seasonal components from the two time series (i.e. numbers of suicide and sunshine hours) we used the differencing method. Pearson correlations (n=22,950) were calculated to reveal associations between sunshine duration and suicide risk. The final sample consisted of 122,116 suicide cases. Regarding the entire investigated period, after differencing, sunshine duration and number of suicides on the same days showed a distinctly weak, but highly significant positive correlation in the total sample (r=0.067; p=1.17*10 -13 ). Positive significant correlations (p˂0.0001) between suicide risk on the index day and averaged sunshine duration in the previous days (up to 11days) were also found in the total sample. Our results from a large sample strongly support the hypothesis that sunshine has a prompt, but very weak increasing effect on the risk of suicide (especially violent cases among males). The main limitation is that possible confounding factors were not controlled for. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patterns of care for brachytherapy in Europe. Results in Spain.

PubMed

López Torrecilla, J; Guedea, F; Heeren, G; Nissin, R; Ellison, T; Cottier, B

2006-05-01

In 2003 ESTRO began a project whose primary objective, was to make a map in the European area of infrastructures in technology and personnel for brachytherapy. A survey and a web site were elaborated. The survey was sent to the 76 Spanish Radiation Oncology departments in May 2003. By the end of 2003, 66 (86.8%) services had responded, 40 (71.4%) of which had brachytherapy. The services with brachytherapy treated 73.5% of the total patients, an average of 1,199 patients. The mean number of patients treated with brachytherapy by department was 135.5 and the number of applications was 265 annually. The average number of specialists was 7, 4 of them trained in brachytherapy. The average weekly work load of the radiation oncologists, physicists, and technicians was 22.6 h, 13.8 h and 21.0 h, respectively. The mean time dedicated to each patient by radiation oncologists, physicists and technicians was 9.2 h; 6.19 h; 7.2 h, respectively. The total number of afterloaders was 43 (22 HDR, 18 LDR, 3 PDR). The tumours most frequently treated with brachytherapy were gynaecological (56.24%), breast (14.2%) and prostate (11.7%). High dose rate was used in 47.46% of the patients and low dose rate in 47.24%. Between 1997 and 2002 there was an increase of 50.53% in patients treated with brachytherapy. The survey shows the brachytherapy resources and activity in Spain up to 2003. Increased use of brachytherapy in prostate tumours, prevalence of gynaecology brachytherapy and similar number of treatments with HDR and LDR are demonstrated in the Patterns of Care of Brachytherapy in Europe (PCBE) study in Spain.

Longer biopsy cores do not increase prostate cancer detection rate: A large-scale cohort study refuting cut-off values indicated in the literature

PubMed Central

Yılmaz, Hasan; Yavuz, Ufuk; Üstüner, Murat; Çiftçi, Seyfettin; Yaşar, Hikmet; Müezzinoğlu, Bahar; Uslubaş, Ali Kemal; Dillioğlugil, Özdal

2017-01-01

Objective Only a few papers in the literature aimed to evaluate biopsy core lengths. Additionally, studies evaluated the core length with different approaches. We aimed to determine whether prostate cancer (PCa) detection is affected from core lengths according to three different approaches in a large standard cohort and compare our cut-off values with the published cut-offs. Material and methods We retrospectively analyzed 1,523 initial consecutive transrectal ultrasound-guided 12-core prostate biopsies. Biopsies were evaluated with respect to total core length (total length of each patients’ core) average core length (total core length divided by total number of cores in each patient), and mean core length (mean length of all cores pooled), and compared our cut-off values with the published cut-offs. The prostate volumes were categorized into four groups (<30, 30–59.99, 60–119.99, ≥120 cm3) and PCa detection rates in these categories were examined. Results PCa was found in 41.5% patients. There was no difference between benign and malignant mean core lengths of the pooled cores (p>0.05). Total core length and average core length were not significantly associated with PCa in multivariate logistic regression analyses (p>0.05). The core lengths (mean, average and total core lengths) increased (p<0.001) and PCa rates decreased (p<0.001) steadily with increasing prostate volume categories. PCa percentages decreased in all categories above the utilized cut-offs for mean (p>0.05), average (p<0.05), and total core lengths (p>0.05). Conclusion There was no difference between mean core lengths of benign and malignant cores. Total core length and average core length were not significantly associated with PCa. Contrary to the cut-offs used for mean and average core lengths in the published studies, PCa rates decrease as these core lengths increase. Larger studies are necessary for the determination and acceptance of accurate cut-offs. PMID:28861301

Total Ownership Cost a Decade Into the 21st Century

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-30

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Prepared for the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 93943. Total Ownership Cost a Decade...ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for...Naval Postgraduate School,Graduate School of Business and Public Policy,Monterey,CA,93943 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING

Fish Habitat and Fish Populations in a Southern Appalachian Watershed before and after Hurricane Hugo

Treesearch

C. Andrew Dolloff; Patricia A. Flebbe; Michael D. Owen

1994-01-01

Habitat features and relative abundance of all fish species were estimated in 8.4 km of a small mountain stream system before and 11 months after Hurricane Hugo crossed the southern Appalachians in September 1989. There was no change in the total amount (area) of each habitat type but the total number of habitat units decreased and average size and depth of habitat...

Evaluation of Multi-Level Support Structure Requirements for New Weapon Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

transformer 1 total consumed manhours on this level 19.45 hrs average manhrs within 4 weeks on this level : .38 hrs average rounded number of mainten; personal ...major unit data to provide conclusions about the logistics behavior of failing weapon systems. The modeling of system behavior with CAESAR has severa-l...characteristic data and major unit data to provide conclusions about the logistics behavior of failing weapon systems. The modelling of system behavior

Effect of parameters in moving average method for event detection enhancement using phase sensitive OTDR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Yong-Seok; Naeem, Khurram; Jeon, Min Yong; Kwon, Il-bum

2017-04-01

We analyze the relations of parameters in moving average method to enhance the event detectability of phase sensitive optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). If the external events have unique frequency of vibration, then the control parameters of moving average method should be optimized in order to detect these events efficiently. A phase sensitive OTDR was implemented by a pulsed light source, which is composed of a laser diode, a semiconductor optical amplifier, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier, a fiber Bragg grating filter, and a light receiving part, which has a photo-detector and high speed data acquisition system. The moving average method is operated with the control parameters: total number of raw traces, M, number of averaged traces, N, and step size of moving, n. The raw traces are obtained by the phase sensitive OTDR with sound signals generated by a speaker. Using these trace data, the relation of the control parameters is analyzed. In the result, if the event signal has one frequency, then the optimal values of N, n are existed to detect the event efficiently.

The 100 Most-Cited Human Cleft Lip and Palate-Related Articles Published in Dentistry, Oral Surgery, and Medicine Journals.

PubMed

Christou, Panagiotis; Antonarakis, Gregory S

2015-07-01

To identify the 100 most-cited articles pertaining to human cleft lip and palate research published in dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine journals and to identify their principal bibliometric characteristics. Web-based bibliometric analysis. The Web of Science was searched to identify the 100 most-cited clinical articles related to cleft lip and/or palate. Information was extracted with regard to total number of citations, number of authors, affiliations, year, and journal of publication, Medical Subject Headings, type of study, specific area of study. Trends in citations were assessed. The 100 most-cited articles identified received between 437 and 58 citations. The oldest was published in 1954 and the most recent in 2008. The number of authors ranged from 1 to 12, with an average of three authors per article. Most of the first authors were affiliated with institutions in the United States, with the most prolific institution being the University of Iowa. More than 70% of the studies appeared in The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal. There was a significant negative correlation between average citations per year and time since publication (P < .001); whereas, a significant positive correlation was observed between average citations per year and number of total citations (P < .001). The 100 most-cited articles in human cleft lip and palate research published in dentistry, oral surgery, and medicine journals are listed and characterized. This can be used as a potential knowledge base for specialists in training or to produce relevant knowledge defining the direction of future research.

Traffic in the operating room during joint replacement is a multidisciplinary problem

PubMed Central

Bédard, Martin; Pelletier-Roy, Rémi; Angers-Goulet, Mathieu; Leblanc, Pierre-Alexandre; Pelet, Stéphane

2015-01-01

Background Door openings disrupt the laminar air flow and increase the bacterial count in the operating room (OR). We aimed to define the incidence of door openings in the OR during primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA) surgeries and determine whether measures were needed and/or possible to reduce OR staff traffic. Methods We recorded the number of door openings during 100 primary elective TJA surgeries; the OR personnel were unaware of the observer’s intention. Operating time was divided into the preincision period, defined as the time from the opening of surgical trays to skin incision, and the postincision period, defined as time from incision to dressing application. Results The mean number of door openings during primary TJA was 71.1 (range 35–176) with a mean operative time of 111.9 (range 53–220) minutes, for an average of 0.64 (range 0.36–1.05) door openings/min. Nursing staff were responsible for 52.2% of total door openings, followed by anesthesia staff at 23.9% and orthopedic staff at 12.7%. In the preincision period, we observed an average of 0.84 door openings/min, with nursing and orthopedic personnel responsible for most of the door openings. The postincision period yielded an average of 0.54 door openings/min, with nursing and anesthesia personnel being responsible for most of the door openings. Conclusion There is a high incidence of door openings during TJA. Because we observed a range in the number of door openings per surgery, we believe it is possible to reduce this number during TJA. PMID:26022153

The reporting of functional outcome instruments in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma over a 5-year period.

PubMed

Horwitz, Daniel S; Richard, Raveesh D; Suk, Michael

2014-01-01

Orthopaedic journals, such as the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, frequently publish studies reporting functional outcome instruments, but little information has been provided regarding the validity and overall strength of these instruments. This study analyzes the trends in reported functional outcome instruments in articles published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma over a 5-year period and examines the utilization rate, "overall" strength, and validity of these functional outcome instruments for the populations being studied. Articles that were published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma from January 2006 to December 2010 were reviewed, and each article was assigned to 1 of 4 different categories, based on the subspecialty focus and body region. The total number of articles reporting the use of functional outcome instruments, articles with at least 1 functional outcome instrument found in the AO Handbook, and the total number of functional outcome instruments reported were recorded. Each functional outcome instrument was assigned to 1 of 3 categories (generic, nonvalidated, validated), and each validated instrument was also examined to determine whether the category of interest for which it was used was one in which it was previously validated in. A total of 171 articles (34%) of the articles initially reviewed met the inclusion criteria. The average number of articles per year that reported functional outcome instruments was 56% (range, 47%-65%), and the average number of articles that reported at least 1 validated outcome instrument was 51% (range, 44%-61%). The average percentage of validated scores that were appropriately used within the category of interest was 23% (range, 13%-41%). Even though the 56% utilization rate of functional outcome instruments in The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma is much higher than other journals, it is still low given the importance of measuring and attaining excellent functional outcomes. It is clear that future effort should be given to validating outcome measures for correct evaluation of orthopaedic trauma patients.

Under-reporting of adverse drug reactions: a challenge for pharmacovigilance in India.

PubMed

Tandon, Vishal R; Mahajan, Vivek; Khajuria, Vijay; Gillani, Zahid

2015-01-01

The aim was to evaluate the extent and factors responsible for underreporting (UR) of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in India. A retrospective observational, cross-sectional prospective questionnaire-based analysis was undertaken to evaluate the extent and factors for UR of ADRs in pharmacovigilance. At the time, this report was prepared, 90 ADR Monitoring Centers (AMC) were operational in India. Indian AMC functional rate was 56.45%. The average number of Individual Case Safety Reports reported by our center via VigiFlow per month was 48.038. In a period of the 3 years the total number of ADRs reported was 3024. The average number of reports per month was 80.08. Active surveillance versus spontaneous reporting contributed 66.13% versus 33.86% of the total ADRs (P < 0.0001). Outpatient Department (OPD) contribution was 76.05% and indoor contribution was 23.94% of total reports (P < 0.0001). Department of Medicine (33%), followed by oncology (19.27%) and chest disease (13.49%) contributed maximally. The contribution of Pharmacology ADR monitoring OPD was 16.20%. Eye, ear, nose and throat and surgery, private Medical Colleges, hospitals in periphery, sub-district and district contributed no ADRs. ADR detection rates by clinical presentation, biochemical investigation and diagnostic tools were 84.33%, 14.57%, and 1.09% respectively (P < 0.0001). Reporting by postgraduate, registrars, consultants and nurses were 72.65%, 6.58%, 16.56% and 4.19% respectively (P < 0.0001). PG students in Pharmacology contributed an average number of 5.61 ADR reports/month. The lack of knowledge and awareness about Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI), lethargy, indifference, insecurity, complacency, workload, lack of training were the common factors responsible for UR. Major academic activity, exams, thesis and synopsis submission time influenced reporting of ADRs by postgraduate students. UR is a matter of concern PvPI. Multiple interventions are needed to improve ADR reporting.

Out of Pocket Payment for Obstetrical Complications: A Cost Analysis Study in Iran

PubMed Central

Yavangi, Mahnaz; Sohrabi, Mohammad Reza; Riazi, Sahand

2013-01-01

Background: This study was conducted to determine the total expenditure and out of pocket payment on pregnancy complications in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted on 1172 patients who admitted in two general teaching referral Hospitals in Tehran. In this study, we calculated total and out of pocket inpatient costs for seven pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), abortion, ante-partum hemorrhage, preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes and post-dated pregnancy. We used descriptive analysis and analysis of variance test to compare these pregnancy complications. Results: The average duration of hospitalization was 3.28 days and the number of visits by physicians for a patient was 9.79 on average. The average total cost for these pregnancy complications was 735.22 Unites States Dollars (USD) (standard deviation [SD] = 650.53). The average out of packet share was 277.08 USD (SD = 350.74), which was 37.69% of total expenditure. IUGR with payment of 398.76 USD (SD = 418.54) (52.06% of total expenditure) had the greatest amount of out of pocket expenditure in all complications. While, abortion had the minimum out of pocket amount that was 148.77 USD (SD = 244.05). Conclusions: Obstetrics complications had no catastrophic effect on families, but IUGR cost was about 30% of monthly household non-food costs in Tehran so more financial protection plans and insurances are recommended for these patients. PMID:24404365

Open abdominal surgical training differences experienced by integrated vascular and general surgery residents.

PubMed

Tanious, Adam; Wooster, Mathew; Jung, Andrew; Nelson, Peter R; Armstrong, Paul A; Shames, Murray L

2017-10-01

As the integrated vascular residency program reaches almost a decade of maturity, a common area of concern among trainees is the adequacy of open abdominal surgical training. It is our belief that although their overall exposure to open abdominal procedures has decreased, integrated vascular residents have an adequate and focused exposure to open aortic surgery during training. National operative case log data supplied by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education were compiled for both graduating integrated vascular surgery residents (IVSRs) and graduating categorical general surgery residents (GSRs) for the years 2012 to 2014. Mean total and open abdominal case numbers were compared between the IVSRs and GSRs, with more in-depth exploration into open abdominal procedures by organ system. Overall, the mean total 5-year case volume of IVSRs was 1168 compared with 980 for GSRs during the same time frame (P < .0001). IVSRs reported nearly double the number of surgeon-chief cases compared with GSRs (452 vs 239; P < .0001). GSRs reported more than double the number of open abdominal procedures compared with IVSRs (205 vs 83; P < .0001). Sixty-five percent of the open abdominal experience for IVSRs was focused on procedures involving the aorta and its branches, with an average of 54 open aortic cases recorded throughout their training. The largest single contributor to open surgical experience for a GSR was alimentary tract surgery, representing 57% of all open abdominal cases. GSRs completed an average of 116 open alimentary tract surgeries during their training. Open abdominal surgery represented an average of 7.1% of the total vascular case volume for the vascular residents, whereas open abdominal surgery represented 21% of a GSR's total surgical experience. IVSRs reported almost double the number of total cases during their training, with double chief-level cases. Sixty-five percent of open abdominal surgeries performed by IVSRs involved the aorta or its renovisceral branches. Whereas open abdominal surgery represented 7.1% of an IVSR's surgical training, GSRs had a far broader scope of open abdominal procedures, completing nearly double those of IVSRs. The differences in open abdominal procedures pertain to the differing diseases treated by GSRs and IVSRs. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

JPRS Report, China.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-16

290,000 in 1988 to over 324,000 in 1990, an increase of 11.87 percent. The average annual rate of growth was 2.27 percent, much higher than the...population growth rate. The number of hired cadres increased by 31,200 in 1988-1990, but the total number of employees decreased by 0.32 percent over...1. Trade: Growth of Exports + Curbing of Imports + Technology Imports - 2. Nontrade: Growth of Tourism + Increase in Overseas Remittance

The Impact of Adult Mortality on Primary School Enrollment in Northwestern Tanzania. Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ainsworth, Martha; Beegle, Kathleen; Koda, Godlike

The AIDS epidemic is making orphans out of many African children and threatens to reverse hard-won gains in raising school enrollments. The average gross primary enrollment ration (GPER) the number of children enrolled as a percent of the total number of children of school age was only 77% for Sub-Saharan Africa in 1996. The countries are hard-hit…

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students

PubMed Central

Lee, Romeo B.; Baring, Rito V.; Sta. Maria, Madelene A.

2016-01-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students. PMID:27247700

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students.

PubMed

Lee, Romeo B; Baring, Rito V; Sta Maria, Madelene A

2016-02-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students.

Irreversible reactions and diffusive escape: Stationary properties

DOE PAGES

Krapivsky, Paul L.; Ben-Naim, Eli

2015-05-01

We study three basic diffusion-controlled reaction processes—annihilation, coalescence, and aggregation. We examine the evolution starting with the most natural inhomogeneous initial configuration where a half-line is uniformly filled by particles, while the complementary half-line is empty. We show that the total number of particles that infiltrate the initially empty half-line is finite and has a stationary distribution. We determine the evolution of the average density from which we derive the average total number N of particles in the initially empty half-line; e.g. for annihilationmore » $$\\langle N\\rangle = \\frac{3}{16}+\\frac{1}{4\\π}$$ . For the coalescence process, we devise a procedure that in principle allows one to compute P(N), the probability to find exactly N particles in the initially empty half-line; we complete the calculations in the first non-trivial case (N = 1). As a by-product we derive the distance distribution between the two leading particles.« less

Pharmacy student debt and return on investment of a pharmacy education.

PubMed

Cain, Jeff; Campbell, Tom; Congdon, Heather Brennan; Hancock, Kim; Kaun, Megan; Lockman, Paul R; Evans, R Lee

2014-02-12

To describe the current landscape within the profession of pharmacy regarding student tuition, indebtedness, salaries, and job potential. Pharmacy tuition and student debt data were obtained through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Institutional Research website. Tuition was defined as average first-year tuition and fees for accredited schools. Debt was defined as the total average amount borrowed. Median salaries and numbers of jobs were obtained from the United States Department of Labor. In-state tuition at public schools rose an average of $1,211 ± 31 (r2 = 0.996), whereas out-of-state tuition at public schools rose significantly faster at $1,838 ± 80 per year (r2 = 0.988). The average tuition cost for pharmacy school has increased 54% in the last 8 years. The average pharmacist salary has risen from $75,000 to over $112,000 since 2002. The increase in salary has been nearly linear (r2 = 0.988) rising $4,409 ± $170 dollars per year. However, average salary in 2011 was $3,064 below the predicted value based upon a linear regression of salaries over 10 years. The number of pharmacist jobs in the United States has risen from 215,000 jobs in 2003 to 275,000 in 2010. However, there were 3,000 fewer positions in 2012 than in 2011. In 2011, average indebtedness for pharmacy students ($114,422) was greater than average first-year salary ($112,160). Rising tuition and student indebtedness is a multifaceted problem requiring attention from a number of parties including students, faculty members, universities, and accreditation and government entities.

Measurements of Skin Friction of the Compressible Turbulent Boundary Layer on a Cone with Foreign Gas Injection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pappas, Constantine C.; Ukuno, Arthur F.

1960-01-01

Measurements of average skin friction of the turbulent boundary layer have been made on a 15deg total included angle cone with foreign gas injection. Measurements of total skin-friction drag were obtained at free-stream Mach numbers of 0.3, 0.7, 3.5, and 4.7 and within a Reynolds number range from 0.9 x 10(exp 6) to 5.9 x 10(exp 6) with injection of helium, air, and Freon-12 (CCl2F2) through the porous wall. Substantial reductions in skin friction are realized with gas injection within the range of Mach numbers of this test. The relative reduction in skin friction is in accordance with theory-that is, the light gases are most effective when compared on a mass flow basis. There is a marked effect of Mach number on the reduction of average skin friction; this effect is not shown by the available theories. Limited transition location measurements indicate that the boundary layer does not fully trip with gas injection but that the transition point approaches a forward limit with increasing injection. The variation of the skin-friction coefficient, for the lower injection rates with natural transition, is dependent on the flow Reynolds number and type of injected gas; and at the high injection rates the skin friction is in fair agreement with the turbulent boundary layer results.

Gallstones and gallbladder cancer-volume and weight of gallstones are associated with gallbladder cancer: a case-control study.

PubMed

Roa, Iván; Ibacache, Gilda; Roa, Juan; Araya, Juan; de Aretxabala, Xabier; Muñoz, Sergio

2006-06-15

Gallstones are considered the most important risk factor for gallbladder cancer. To identify differences in the number, weight, volume, and density of gallstones associated with chronic cholecystitis (CC), gallbladder dysplasia (GD), and gallbladder cancer (GBC). A total of 125 cases were selected, of which 93 had gallstones associated with GBC and 31 had gallstones associated with GD. The controls were those with CC, matched by sex and age. The number, weight, volume, and density of these gallstones were examined in order to determine differences and relative cancer risk. Number: Multiple gallstones were present in over 76% of cases (GBC and GD) and controls (P = ns). The average number of multiple stones was 21 in GBC versus 14 in controls (P < 0.01). Weight: The average weight of the gallstones was 9.6 g in GBC versus 6.0 g in controls (P = 0.0004). The average weight in multiple stones over 10 g had strong association with GBC (P = 0.0006). Volume: The average volume was 11.7 and 6.48 ml in GBC and controls (P = 0.0002). Average volumes of 6, 8, and 10 ml had a relative cancer risk of 5, 7, and 11 times, respectively. Size: No differences were shown between GBC, GD, and controls. The volume of gallstones associated with other risk factors of GBC may be helpful in prioritizing cholecystectomies in symptomatic patients. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

[Trends concerning medical articles 1989-1998. A study of Danish articles compared to other members of the European Union].

PubMed

Jørgensen, H L; Praetorius, L; Ingwersen, P

1999-11-15

The paper analyses the development of the total number of journal articles indexed in the Medline database published by authors affiliated to Denmark 1989-1998 in medicine compared to the development in the European Union during the same period. The publication analysis is then compared to the citation impact of articles published in the central journals indexed in Science Citation Index (ISI) 1987-1996 through use of the National Science Indicators (NIS, ISI) database. The total number of Danish journal articles has remained relatively constant compared to a 50% increase in the EU as a whole. The number of Danish articles published in central journals, however, has increased by 20% (compared to 27% for the EU) and the number of citations obtained by these articles by 58% (compared to 66% for the EU) in the 1987-1996 period. By population, Denmark ranked third in total number of articles in 1998. In conclusion, Denmark is very active in medical research but neither the quantity nor the quality of Danish medical research has increased at the same rate as the EU average.

HIV prevention costs and their predictors: evidence from the ORPHEA Project in Kenya

PubMed Central

Galárraga, Omar; Wamai, Richard G; Sosa-Rubí, Sandra G; Mugo, Mercy G; Contreras-Loya, David; Bautista-Arredondo, Sergio; Nyakundi, Helen; Wang’ombe, Joseph K

2017-01-01

Abstract We estimate costs and their predictors for three HIV prevention interventions in Kenya: HIV testing and counselling (HTC), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC). As part of the ‘Optimizing the Response of Prevention: HIV Efficiency in Africa’ (ORPHEA) project, we collected retrospective data from government and non-governmental health facilities for 2011–12. We used multi-stage sampling to determine a sample of health facilities by type, ownership, size and interventions offered totalling 144 sites in 78 health facilities in 33 districts across Kenya. Data sources included key informants, registers and time-motion observation methods. Total costs of production were computed using both quantity and unit price of each input. Average cost was estimated by dividing total cost per intervention by number of clients accessing the intervention. Multivariate regression methods were used to analyse predictors of log-transformed average costs. Average costs were $7 and $79 per HTC and PMTCT client tested, respectively; and $66 per VMMC procedure. Results show evidence of economies of scale for PMTCT and VMMC: increasing the number of clients per year by 100% was associated with cost reductions of 50% for PMTCT, and 45% for VMMC. Task shifting was associated with reduced costs for both PMTCT (59%) and VMMC (54%). Costs in hospitals were higher for PMTCT (56%) in comparison to non-hospitals. Facilities that performed testing based on risk factors as opposed to universal screening had higher HTC average costs (79%). Lower VMMC costs were associated with availability of male reproductive health services (59%) and presence of community advisory board (52%). Aside from increasing production scale, HIV prevention costs may be contained by using task shifting, non-hospital sites, service integration and community supervision. PMID:29029086

Retinal specializations and visual ecology in an animal with an extremely elaborate pupil shape: The Little skate Leucoraja (Raja) erinacea Mitchell, 1825.

PubMed

Jinson, S Terrell; Liebich, Jan; Senft, Stephen L; Mäthger, Lydia M

2018-05-14

Investigating retinal specializations offers insights into eye functionality. Using retinal wholemount techniques, we investigated the distribution of retinal ganglion cells in the Little skate Leucoraja erinacea by (1) dye-backfilling into the optic nerve prior to retinal wholemounting; (2) Nissl-staining of retinal wholemounts. Retinas were examined for regional specializations (higher numbers) of ganglion cells that would indicate higher visual acuity in those areas. Total ganglion cell number were low compared to other elasmobranchs (backfilled: average 49,713 total ganglion cells, average peak cell density 1,315 ganglion cells mm -2 ; Nissl-stained: average 47,791 total ganglion cells, average peak cell density 1,319 ganglion cells mm -2 ). Ganglion cells fit into three size categories: small (5-20µm); medium (20-30µm); large: (≥ 30µm), and they were not homogeneously distributed across the retina. There was a dorsally located horizontal visual streak with increased ganglion cell density; additionally, there were approximately 3 local maxima in ganglion cell distribution (potential areae centrales) within this streak in which densities were highest. Using computerized tomography (CT) and micro-CT, geometrical dimensions of the eye were obtained. Combined with ganglion cell distributions, spatial resolving power was determined to be between 1.21 to 1.37 cycles per degree. Additionally, photoreceptor sizes across different retinal areas varied; photoreceptors were longest within the horizontal visual streak. Variations in the locations of retinal specializations appear to be related to the animal's anatomy: shape of the head and eyes, position of eyes, location of tapetum, and shape of pupil, as well as the visual demands associated with lifestyle and habitat type. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Preliminary clinical experience of single incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery].

PubMed

Wu, S D; Han, J Y

2016-06-01

Objective: To discuss the preliminary experience of single incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: The clinical data and surgical outcomes of 104 selected patients who underwent single incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery in the 2 nd Department of General Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from January 2010 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 62 male and 42 female patients, aging from 21 to 87 years with a mean of (61±12) years. Eighty-five patients were diagnosed with malignancy while the rest 19 cases were benign diseases. All the procedures were performed by the same surgeon using the rigid laparoscopic instruments. Surgical and oncological outcomes were analyzed in 4 kinds of procedures which are over 5 cases respectively, including low anterior resection, abdominoperineal resection, radical right colon resection and radical sigmoidectomy. Results: Single incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery was performed in 104 selected patients and was successfully managed in 99 cases with a total conversion rate of 4.8%. Radical procedures for malignancy in cases with the number of patients more than 5 were performed for 74 cases. For low anterior resection, 35 cases with an average surgical time of (191±57) minutes, average estimated blood loss of (117±72) ml and average number of harvested lymph nodes of 14.6±1.1. For abdominoperineal resection, 9 cases with an average surgical time of (226±54) minutes, average estimated blood loss of (194±95) ml and average number of harvested lymph nodes of 14.1±1.5. For radical right colon resection, 16 cases with an average surgical time of (222±62) minutes, average estimated blood loss of (142±68) ml and average number of harvested lymph nodes of 15.4±2.4. For radical sigmoidectomy, 14 cases with an average surgical time of (159±32) minutes, average estimated blood loss of (94±33) ml and average number of harvested lymph nodes of 13.9±1.5. The overall intraoperative complication rate was 2.7% (2 cases) and postoperative complication rate was 8.1% (6 cases) in these 74 cases. Conclusion: Single incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery is safe and feasible with acceptable surgical outcomes and cosmetic benefits in the hands of skilled laparoscopic surgeon in well-selected patients.

Purifying capability, enzyme activity, and nitrification potentials in December in integrated vertical flow constructed wetland with earthworms and different substrates.

PubMed

Xu, Defu; Gu, Jiaru; Li, Yingxue; Zhang, Yu; Howard, Alan; Guan, Yidong; Li, Jiuhai; Xu, Hui

2016-01-01

The response of purifying capability, enzyme activity, nitrification potentials, and total number of bacteria in the rhizosphere in December to wetland plants, substrates, and earthworms was investigated in integrated vertical flow constructed wetlands (IVFCW). The removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN), NH4-N, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total phosphorus (TP) was increased when earthworms were added into IVFCW. A significantly average removal efficiency of N in IVFCW that employed river sand as substrate and in IVFCW that employed a mixture of river sand and Qing sand as substrate was not found. However, the average removal efficiency of P was higher in IVFCW with a mixture of river sand and Qing sand as substrate than in IVFCW with river sand as substrate. Invertase activity in December was higher in IVFCW that used a mixture of river sand and Qing sand as substrate than in IVFCW which used only river sand as substrate. However, urease activity, nitrification potential, and total number of bacteria in December was higher in IVFCW that employed river sand as substrate than in IVFCW with a mixture of river sand and Qing sand as substrate. The addition of earthworms into the integrated vertical flow constructed wetland increased the above-ground biomass, enzyme activity (catalase, urease, and invertase), nitrification potentials, and total number of bacteria in December. The above-ground biomass of wetland plants was significantly positively correlated with urease and nitrification potentials (p < 0.01). The addition of earthworms into IVFCW increased enzyme activity and nitrification potentials in December, which resulted in improving purifying capability.

Hauser-Feshbach fission fragment de-excitation with calculated macroscopic-microscopic mass yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffke, Patrick; Möller, Peter; Talou, Patrick; Sierk, Arnold J.

2018-03-01

The Hauser-Feshbach statistical model is applied to the de-excitation of primary fission fragments using input mass yields calculated with macroscopic-microscopic models of the potential energy surface. We test the sensitivity of the prompt fission observables to the input mass yields for two important reactions, 235U(nth,f ) and 239Pu(nth,f ) , for which good experimental data exist. General traits of the mass yields, such as the location of the peaks and their widths, can impact both the prompt neutron and γ -ray multiplicities, as well as their spectra. Specifically, we use several mass yields to determine a linear correlation between the calculated prompt neutron multiplicity ν ¯ and the average heavy-fragment mass 〈Ah〉 of the input mass yields ∂ ν ¯/∂ 〈Ah〉 =±0.1 (n /f ) /u . The mass peak width influences the correlation between the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments and the total number of prompt neutrons emitted, ν¯T(TKE ) . Typical biases on prompt particle observables from using calculated mass yields instead of experimental ones are δ ν ¯=4 % for the average prompt neutron multiplicity, δ M ¯γ=1 % for the average prompt γ -ray multiplicity, δ ɛ¯nLAB=1 % for the average outgoing neutron energy, δ ɛ¯γ=1 % for the average γ -ray energy, and δ 〈TKE 〉=0.4 % for the average total kinetic energy of the fission fragments.

Patterns in Trouble Sleeping among Women at Mid-Life: Results from a British Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Tom, Sarah E.; Kuh, Diana; Guralnik, Jack M.; Mishra, Gita D

2012-01-01

Background While trouble sleeping is a common problem among women at mid-life, patterns in trouble sleeping relating to social and health-related risk factors are unclear. This analysis describes the dynamics of trouble sleeping among women at mid-life Methods The National Survey of Health and Development is a nationally representative study of births in 1946 in England, Scotland, and Wales followed up through mid-life. Multistate life table analysis utilised 893 women interviewed annually between ages 48 to 54 years. Results Women spent an average of 2.6 years with trouble sleeping, and the average length of a continuous episode of trouble sleeping was 2.4 years. Among women who reported at least one episode, the average number of episodes was 1.5. Health-related risk factors at age 43 of number of physical conditions, anxiety and depression symptoms, use of prescription medication, and current or past trouble sleeping were related to increased total and per episode duration of trouble sleeping over the seven year study interval and increased duration per episode. Differences associated with these risk factors ranged from 1.2 – 1.8 years for duration over the study interval and 0.5-0.8 years per episode. There was no association between average number of episodes per woman reporting at least one episode and these health-related risk factors at age 43. Conclusions This study provides support for association between increased duration of trouble sleeping, in total and per episode, and health risk factors at age 43, suggesting a long-term relationship between risk factors and sleep. PMID:19608560

Pyruvate-Enhanced Resuscitation for Hemorrhagic Shock and Hindlimb Ischemia

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-06

Albert Yurvati Albert H Olivencia-Yurvati 611102 c . THIS PAGE The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...journals (N/A for none) ( c ) Presentations Received Paper TOTAL: Received Paper TOTAL: Number of Non Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceeding publications (other...Mallet . “Surgical management of the goat.” , Lab Animal (06 2011) Devin C . Flaherty, DO, PhD, Besim Hoxha, MD, Shirley Nelson, RLAT, Jie Sun, BS

An Analysis of Image Segmentation Time in Beam’s-Eye-View Treatment Planning

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

Li, Chun; Spelbring, D.R.; Chen, George T.Y.

In this work we tabulate and histogram the image segmentation time for beam’s eye view (BEV) treatment planning in our center. The average time needed to generate contours on CT images delineating normal structures and treatment target volumes is calculated using a data base containing over 500 patients’ BEV plans. The average number of contours and total image segmentation time needed for BEV plans in three common treatment sites, namely, head/neck, lung/chest, and prostate, were estimated.

Developing and Testing a Robust, Multi-Scale Framework for the Recovery of Longleaf Pine Understory Communities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

Model averaging for species richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.8. Model selection for species ... richness on post-agricultural sites (1000 m2) with a landscape radius of 150 m. Table 3.4.9. Model averaging for proportion of reference species on...Direct, indirect, and total standardized effects on species richness . Table 4.1.1. Species and number of seeds added to the experimental plots at

40 CFR 240.211-3 - Recommended procedures: Operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... measurements and laboratory analyses required by the responsible agency. (12) Complete records of monitoring... waste received and processed, summarized on a monthly basis. (2) A summary of the laboratory analyses including at least monthly averages. (3) Number and qualifications of personnel in each job category; total...

An agent-based simulation combined with group decision-making technique for improving the performance of an emergency department.

PubMed

Yousefi, M; Ferreira, R P M

2017-03-30

This study presents an agent-based simulation modeling in an emergency department. In a traditional approach, a supervisor (or a manager) allocates the resources (receptionist, nurses, doctors, etc.) to different sections based on personal experience or by using decision-support tools. In this study, each staff agent took part in the process of allocating resources based on their observation in their respective sections, which gave the system the advantage of utilizing all the available human resources during the workday by being allocated to a different section. In this simulation, unlike previous studies, all staff agents took part in the decision-making process to re-allocate the resources in the emergency department. The simulation modeled the behavior of patients, receptionists, triage nurses, emergency room nurses and doctors. Patients were able to decide whether to stay in the system or leave the department at any stage of treatment. In order to evaluate the performance of this approach, 6 different scenarios were introduced. In each scenario, various key performance indicators were investigated before and after applying the group decision-making. The outputs of each simulation were number of deaths, number of patients who leave the emergency department without being attended, length of stay, waiting time and total number of discharged patients from the emergency department. Applying the self-organizing approach in the simulation showed an average of 12.7 and 14.4% decrease in total waiting time and number of patients who left without being seen, respectively. The results showed an average increase of 11.5% in total number of discharged patients from emergency department.

An agent-based simulation combined with group decision-making technique for improving the performance of an emergency department

PubMed Central

Yousefi, M.; Ferreira, R.P.M.

2017-01-01

This study presents an agent-based simulation modeling in an emergency department. In a traditional approach, a supervisor (or a manager) allocates the resources (receptionist, nurses, doctors, etc.) to different sections based on personal experience or by using decision-support tools. In this study, each staff agent took part in the process of allocating resources based on their observation in their respective sections, which gave the system the advantage of utilizing all the available human resources during the workday by being allocated to a different section. In this simulation, unlike previous studies, all staff agents took part in the decision-making process to re-allocate the resources in the emergency department. The simulation modeled the behavior of patients, receptionists, triage nurses, emergency room nurses and doctors. Patients were able to decide whether to stay in the system or leave the department at any stage of treatment. In order to evaluate the performance of this approach, 6 different scenarios were introduced. In each scenario, various key performance indicators were investigated before and after applying the group decision-making. The outputs of each simulation were number of deaths, number of patients who leave the emergency department without being attended, length of stay, waiting time and total number of discharged patients from the emergency department. Applying the self-organizing approach in the simulation showed an average of 12.7 and 14.4% decrease in total waiting time and number of patients who left without being seen, respectively. The results showed an average increase of 11.5% in total number of discharged patients from emergency department. PMID:28380196

[The Current State of Inappropriate Drug Use among Elderly Assisted-Living Residents].

PubMed

Hirotani, Yoshihiko; Kawamura, Hitomi; Nakamura, Mayuri; Urashima, Yoko; Myotoku, Michiaki

2015-12-01

Previous studies have reported that elderly assisted-living residents use multiple drug combinations and inappropriate drugs.The aim of this study was to assess the drug use and its consequences in residents of a nursing facility.We examined the prescriptions of all residents in a nursing facility in Osaka from their medical records.Of the total 67 residents, 48 were women.The average age of the residents was 86 years, the average number of prescription drugs they took was 6.4, and the average number of diseases present was 4.9. Correlation between the number of diseases and the drugs taken was significant (p<0.05), but the correlation between the degree of independence for activities of daily living and the number of the drugs taken was not significant.The most commonly present health condition was bone fracture.About 50% of the residents used a psychotropic drug and prescription drugs such as amantadine and hydroxyzine, which are not advisable for elderly people.It is necessary for the elderly to avoid the use of drugs that cause delirium and drowsiness, and future studies should focus on methods to prevent disuse syndrome in the elderly.

Relationships between fire danger and the daily number and daily growth of active incidents burning in the northern Rocky Mountains, USA

Treesearch

Patrick H. Freeborn; Mark A. Cochrane; W. Matt Jolly

2015-01-01

Daily National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) indices are typically associated with the number and final size of newly discovered fires, or averaged over time and associated with the likelihood and total burned area of large fires. Herein we used a decade (2003-12) of NFDRS indices and US Forest Service (USFS) fire reports to examine daily relationships between fire...

Intra-seasonal rainfall characteristics and their importance to the seasonal prediction problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tennant, Warren J.; Hewitson, Bruce C.

2002-07-01

Daily station rainfall data in South Africa from 1936 to 1999 are combined into homogeneous rainfall regions using Ward's clustering method. Various rainfall characteristics are calculated for the summer season, defined as December to February. These include seasonal rainfall total, region-average number of station rain days exceeding 1 and 20 mm, region-average of periods between rain days at stations >1 and >20 mm, region-average of wet spell length (sequential days of station rainfall >1 and >20 mm), correlation of daily station rainfall within a region and correlation of seasonal station rainfall anomalies within a region.Rank-ordered rainfall characteristic data generally form an s-shaped curve, and significance testing of discontinuities in these curves suggests that normal rainfall conditions in South Africa consist of a combined middle three quintiles separated from the outer quintiles, rather than the traditional middle tercile.The relationships between the various rainfall characteristics show that seasons with a high total rainfall generally have a higher number of heavy rain days (>20 mm) and not necessarily an increase in light rain days. The length of the period between rain days has a low correlation to season totals, demonstrating that seasons with a high total rainfall may still contain prolonged dry periods. These additional rainfall characteristics are important to end-users, and the analysis undertaken here offers a valuable starting point for seeking physical relationships between rainfall characteristics and the general circulation. Preliminary studies show that the vertical mean wind is related to rainfall characteristics in South Africa. Given that general circulation models capture this part of the circulation adequately, seasonal forecasts of rainfall characteristics become plausible.

Direct and indirect costs associated with the onset of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Western Consortium of Practicing Rheumatologists.

PubMed

Newhall-Perry, K; Law, N J; Ramos, B; Sterz, M; Wong, W K; Bulpitt, K J; Park, G; Lee, M; Clements, P; Paulus, H E

2000-05-01

To examine the direct and indirect costs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) during the first year of disease. As part of a longitudinal observational study, 150 patients with seropositive RA of 5.9 +/- 2.9 mo duration were recruited through the Western Consortium of Practicing Rheumatologists. Subjects completed questionnaires about health care services and resources utilized and about the number of days of usual activity lost as a result of RA during the 6 month period prior to enrolment. Study participants had active RA as evidenced by mean tender and swollen joint counts of 24.9 +/- 13.5 and 20.6 +/- 11.6, respectively, and moderate functional impairment reflected by a mean Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score of 1.24 +/- 0.7. The average total direct cost of RA was $200/month. Health care visits, medications, and radiographs accounted for 78% of the total direct cost, while expenditures for hospitalizations accounted for only 3.5% of the total. The average number of days of usual activity lost per month because of RA was 3.8 +/- 7.7, translating into an average indirect cost of $281/month. Of the 95 subjects who were gainfully employed prior to disease onset, 12 were disabled and 5 were on sick leave as a result of RA, corresponding to a work disability rate of 18%. Work disabled subjects reported significantly lower total household incomes and higher HAQ disability and global disease activity scores than subjects who continued working. In this group of patients with seropositive RA substantial costs, both direct and indirect, were incurred during the first year of disease.

Characterization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbonyl compounds in diesel exhaust emissions.

PubMed

Mabilia, Rosanna; Cecinato, Angelo; Tomasi Scianò, Maria Concetta; Di Palo, Vincenzo; Possanzini, Massimiliano

2004-01-01

Exhaust emissions from a recent model heavy-duty diesel vehicle (city bus) in a chassis dynamometer were measured during a transient driving cycle. Particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and gaseous carbonyls, substances that create health hazards and are, as yet, unregulated were collected, the former on filters and the latter on dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-coated silica cartridges and analysed by GC-MS and HPLC, respectively. PAH emission rates decreased with the number of benzene fused rings. They averaged 0.2 mg km(-1) for a total of 11 PAHs ranging from fluoranthene to benzo(ghi)perylene. Fluoranthene and pyrene accounted for 90% of total PAHs. The sum of emission rates of C1 approximately C6 carbonyls averaged 174 mg km(-1), even if formaldehyde alone represented approximately 70% of the total carbonyl mass, followed by acetaldehyde (13%). Results obtained were compared with emission data reported in previous studies.

Factors governing particle number emissions in a waste-to-energy plant.

PubMed

Ozgen, Senem; Cernuschi, Stefano; Giugliano, Michele

2015-05-01

Particle number concentration and size distribution measurements were performed on the stack gas of a waste-to-energy plant which co-incinerates municipal solid waste, sewage sludge and clinical waste in two lines. Average total number of particles was found to be 4.0·10(5)cm(-3) and 1.9·10(5)cm(-3) for the line equipped with a wet flue gas cleaning process and a dry cleaning system, respectively. Ultrafine particles (dp<100nm) accounted for about 97% of total number concentration for both lines, whereas the nanoparticle (dp<50nm) contribution differed slightly between the lines (87% and 84%). The experimental data is explored statistically through some multivariate pattern identifying methods such as factor analysis and cluster analysis to help the interpretation of the results regarding the origin of the particles in the flue gas with the objective of determining the factors governing the particle number emissions. The higher moisture of the flue gas in the wet cleaning process was found to increase the particle number emissions on average by a factor of about 2 due to increased secondary formation of nanoparticles through nucleation of gaseous precursors such as sulfuric acid, ammonia and water. The influence of flue gas dilution and cooling monitored through the variation of the sampling conditions also confirms the potential effect of the secondary new particle formation in increasing the particle number emissions. This finding shows the importance of reporting the experimental conditions in detail to enable the comparison and interpretation of particle number emissions. Regarding the fuel characteristics no difference was observed in terms of particle number concentration and size distributions between the clinical waste feed and the municipal solid waste co-incineration with sludge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Modeling Assumptions used in Production Cost Models for Renewable Integration Studies

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

Stoll, Brady; Brinkman, Gregory; Townsend, Aaron

2016-01-01

Renewable energy integration studies have been published for many different regions exploring the question of how higher penetration of renewable energy will impact the electric grid. These studies each make assumptions about the systems they are analyzing; however the effect of many of these assumptions has not been yet been examined and published. In this paper we analyze the impact of modeling assumptions in renewable integration studies, including the optimization method used (linear or mixed-integer programming) and the temporal resolution of the dispatch stage (hourly or sub-hourly). We analyze each of these assumptions on a large and a small systemmore » and determine the impact of each assumption on key metrics including the total production cost, curtailment of renewables, CO2 emissions, and generator starts and ramps. Additionally, we identified the impact on these metrics if a four-hour ahead commitment step is included before the dispatch step and the impact of retiring generators to reduce the degree to which the system is overbuilt. We find that the largest effect of these assumptions is at the unit level on starts and ramps, particularly for the temporal resolution, and saw a smaller impact at the aggregate level on system costs and emissions. For each fossil fuel generator type we measured the average capacity started, average run-time per start, and average number of ramps. Linear programming results saw up to a 20% difference in number of starts and average run time of traditional generators, and up to a 4% difference in the number of ramps, when compared to mixed-integer programming. Utilizing hourly dispatch instead of sub-hourly dispatch saw no difference in coal or gas CC units for either start metric, while gas CT units had a 5% increase in the number of starts and 2% increase in the average on-time per start. The number of ramps decreased up to 44%. The smallest effect seen was on the CO2 emissions and total production cost, with a 0.8% and 0.9% reduction respectively when using linear programming compared to mixed-integer programming and 0.07% and 0.6% reduction, respectively, in the hourly dispatch compared to sub-hourly dispatch.« less

Impact of Supplemental Site Grants to Increase African-American Accrual for SELECT

PubMed Central

Cook, Elise D.; Arnold, Kathryn B.; Hermos, John A.; McCaskill-Stevens, Worta; Moody-Thomas, Sarah; Probstfield, Jeffrey L.; Hamilton, Sandra J.; Campbell, Russell D.; Anderson, Karen B.; Minasian, Lori M.

2014-01-01

Background Low rates of minority recruitment in prevention studies may reduce the generalizability of study results to minority populations, including African Americans. High African American accrual to prevention studies requires additional resources and focused efforts. Objective To analyze the impact of Minority Recruitment Enhancement Grants (MREGs) on African American recruitment to the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). Results Fifteen of 427 SELECT sites received MREGs after they demonstrated early success in minority recruitment. After receiving the grants, the average monthly rate of African American recruitment at these sites increased from 27.2% to 31.5%, and total average monthly recruitment also increased. Sites that did not receive grants, including sites that did not apply, increased average monthly African American recruitment from 11.0% to 14.6% but declined in total average monthly recruitment. Conclusions and Implications Sites who received MREGs modestly increased both the proportion of African American recruits and total recruits. These results are tempered by the high cost of the intervention, the relatively low number of SELECT sites that applied for the grants and the administrative delays in implementation. Nevertheless, targeted grants may be a useful multi-site intervention to increase African American accrual for a prevention study where adequate African American recruitment is essential. PMID:20156960

ELECTRICAL AEROSOL DETECTOR (EAD) MEASUREMENTS AT THE ST. LOUIS SUPERSITE

EPA Science Inventory

The Model 3070A Electrical Aerosol Detector (EAD) measures a unique aerosol parameter called total aerosol length. Reported as mm/cm3, aerosol length can be thought of as a number concentration times average diameter, or simply as d1 weighting. This measurement falls between nu...

20 CFR 225.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... result of dividing the total of the indexed earnings through the indexing year and the nonindexed earnings after the indexing year in the benefit computation years by the number of months in the benefit computation years. The indexing year for the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings PIA is the second year before...

20 CFR 225.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... result of dividing the total of the indexed earnings through the indexing year and the nonindexed earnings after the indexing year in the benefit computation years by the number of months in the benefit computation years. The indexing year for the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings PIA is the second year before...

20 CFR 225.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... result of dividing the total of the indexed earnings through the indexing year and the nonindexed earnings after the indexing year in the benefit computation years by the number of months in the benefit computation years. The indexing year for the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings PIA is the second year before...

20 CFR 225.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... result of dividing the total of the indexed earnings through the indexing year and the nonindexed earnings after the indexing year in the benefit computation years by the number of months in the benefit computation years. The indexing year for the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings PIA is the second year before...

20 CFR 225.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... result of dividing the total of the indexed earnings through the indexing year and the nonindexed earnings after the indexing year in the benefit computation years by the number of months in the benefit computation years. The indexing year for the Average Indexed Monthly Earnings PIA is the second year before...

75 FR 47839 - Notice of Quarterly Report (January 1, 2010-March 31, 2010)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-09

... Facilitate $45,219,525 Number of international Project. transportation to tourists--Efate. increase tourism...,264 Establish an $11,978,769 Total wage bill of Improvement Project. independent and tourism industry... $637,900 Average revenue of added to tourism potters receiving and artisan Artisan Production sectors...

21 CFR 172.260 - Oxidized polyethylene.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) FOOD ADDITIVES PERMITTED FOR DIRECT ADDITION TO FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION... polyethylene has a minimum number average molecular weight of 1,200, as determined by high temperature vapor pressure osmometry; contains a maximum of 5 percent by weight of total oxygen; and has an acid value of 9...

Publication Ratings versus Peer Ratings of Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Richard C.; And Others

1978-01-01

A quantitative comparison of peer versus bibliometric procedures for rating the quality of U.S. universities is presented. The quality of graduate faculty is measured by the Roose-Andersen peer rating, while bibliometric ratings are based on the number, average "quality," and total influence of university papers in each field.…

Fish, benthic-macroinvertebrate, and stream-habitat data from two estuaries near Galveston Bay, Texas, 2000-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hogan, Jennifer L.

2002-01-01

This report presents data on the status of fish, macroinvertebrates, and stream habitat collected from 10 sites in the lower (estuarine) parts of Armand and Dickinson Bayous near Galveston Bay, Texas, during summer 2000 and winter 2001. The total number of individual fish caught at the five Armand Bayou sites (2,091) was greater than at the five Dickinson Bayou sites (1,055), but the total number of fish species caught at Dickinson Bayou sites (37) was greater than at Armand Bayou sites (30). The total number of invertebrates (26,641) and the total number of invertebrate taxa (141) were both greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites (10,467 and 131, respectively). Among habitat data, the average sinuosity of Armand Bayou sites (1.31) was greater than that of Dickinson Bayou sites (1.14). Mean left-bank and right-bank slopes were greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites, although the Armand Bayou banks were lower and narrower than the Dickinson Bayou banks. The Dickinson Bayou channel was deeper at the sampling sites than the Armand Bayou channel.

Heritability of semen traits in German Warmblood stallions.

PubMed

Gottschalk, M; Sieme, H; Martinsson, G; Distl, O

2016-07-01

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate genetic parameters for semen quality traits of 241 fertile German Warmblood stallions regularly employed in artificial insemination (AI). Stallions were owned by the National Studs Celle and Warendorf in Germany. Semen traits analyzed were gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility and total number of progressively motile sperm. Semen protocols from a total of 63,972 ejaculates were collected between the years 2001 and 2014 for the present analysis. A multivariate linear animal model was employed for estimation of additive genetic and permanent environmental variances among stallions and breeding values (EBVs) for semen traits. Heritabilities estimated for all German Warmblood stallions were highest for gel-free volume (h(2)=0.28) and lowest for total number of progressively motile sperm (h(2)=0.13). The additive genetic correlation among gel-free volume and sperm concentration was highly negative (rg=-0.76). Average reliabilities of EBVs were at 0.37-0.68 for the 241 stallions with own records. The inter-stallion variance explained between 33 and 61% of the trait variance, underlining the major impact of the individual stallion on semen quality traits analyzed here. Recording of semen traits from stallions employed in AI may be recommended because EBVs achieve sufficient accuracies to improve semen quality in future generations. Due to favorable genetic correlations, sperm concentration, total number of sperm and total number of progressively motile sperm may be increased simultaneously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-reporting of internal medicine house staff work hours.

PubMed

Saunders, David L; Kehoe, Kimberly C; Rinehart, Vivian H; Berg, Benjamin W

2005-01-01

The 80-hour workweek became a reality for residency programs nationwide on July 1, 2003. In this review of administrative data, we examine the self-reporting of work hours by a cohort of Internal Medicine residents. Data was collected from 27 residents in training at Tripler Army Medical Center over a 4 month period from September 1 to December 31 2002. House staff reported their hours on a daily basis by responding to an email message, as well as on a monthly basis utilizing the Army's UCAPERs (Uniform Chart of Account Personnel System) mandatory monthly workload tracking system. Data from the two separate reporting systems was compared for accuracy, completeness and internal consistency. Compliance with daily reporting was variable (67-97% with overall compliance rate of 86%) but lower when compared with the mandatory military monthly reporting system (95-100%). There were large differences in reporting of average weekly work hours among individual residents when monthly reporting was compared to daily reporting of data with higher averages with monthly data reporting. Weekly totals averaged nearly 12 hours higher when reported monthly compared to reporting on a daily basis (p < 0.0001). A total of 18 residents reported that they worked more than 80 hours per week during one month using monthly data, while only 7 reported that they averaged more than 80 hours with the daily reporting data. When average weekly hours reported on a daily basis were compared with the total number of inpatient days worked over the four month period using a simple regression model, there was a significant relationship with average hours increasing with increasing number of inpatient days worked (adjusted R square = 0. 19, p = 0.01). Little internal consistency was found in the comparison of daily versus monthly work hour reporting, indicating that self-reporting may not provide accurate data. Complying with the 80-hour workweek is crucial for residency programs to maintain accreditation, and thus programs will need a way to accurately capture consistent resident work hour data. Further studies are indicated to determine the most accurate way of assessing house staff work hours.

Impact of business infrastructure on financial metrics in departments of surgery.

PubMed

Wai, Philip Y; O'Hern, Tim; Andersen, Dave O; Kuo, Marissa C; Weber, Cynthia E; Talbot, Lindsay J; Kuo, Paul C

2012-10-01

In the current environment, pressure is ever increasing to maximize financial performance in surgery departments. Factors such as physician extenders, billing and collection, payor mix, contracting, incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and administrative incentives may greatly influence financial performance. However, despite a plethora of information from the University HealthSystem Consortium and the Association of American Medical Colleges, best-practice information for business infrastructure is lacking. To obtain a sampling of current practices, we conducted a survey of departments of surgery. An anonymous 30-question survey addressing demographics, productivity, revenue and expense profile, payor mix, physician extender and staff personnel, billing and collections methodology, and financial performance was distributed among members of the Society of Surgical Chairs via SurveyMonkey. This was approved by the Loyola Institutional Research Board. Multivariate linear regression analyses and t tests/rank-sum tests were performed, as appropriate. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. A total of 25 (19%) departments responded; 14 were integrated with the hospital/health system, and 11 were integrated with the medical school. In 60% (n = 15), the main hospital had 500 to 1,000 beds; 48% (n = 12) had >4 hospitals in their system. For FY10, MD clinical full-time equivalents (FTEs) were 49 ± 10; total work relative value units (wRVUs) were 320 ± 8 k; and total billed cases were 43 ± 16 k. A total of 23 of 25 used physician-extenders with an average of 18 ± 5 per department and in 22 of 23, the physician extenders billed. On average, there were 18 ± 6 clinical-support staff, 25 ± 11 front-office staff, and 13 ± 3 back-office support staff FTEs. Among these FTEs, there were 16 ± 5 devoted to business operations (billing, coding, denial/claims management, financial oversight). Collections/wRVUs were $60 ± 3 (range, 39-80). Regression modeling demonstrated that total wRVUs were determined by the number of MD FTEs (P = .01), number of physician extenders (P = .01), number of front-office staff (P = .01), number of back-office staff (P = .02), and number of total business staff (P = .01). Collections/wRVUs were predicted by number of hospitals (P = .04), number of MD FTEs (P = .03), number of physician extenders (P = .01), and number of cases/total business staff (P = .02). Interestingly, wRVUs/MD was predicted by number of MD FTEs (P = .01) but were not greatly impacted by numbers of clinical or business support staff. In 4 of 25, the billing and coding staff were incentivized and had a Collections/wRVU = 64 ± 5 whereas nonincentivized staff had collections/wRVU = 59 ± 3. (P = NS) Also, %Accounts receivable >90 days (15% vs 25%) were not substantially different. Only 48% (12/25) have departments have recouped Centers for Medicare and Medicaid dollars for Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, Meaningful Use, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, or other Accountable Care-like programs. One-half (13) of the departments had both an inpatient and outpatient electronic medical record. Finally, on a scale of 1-10 (10 = highest), the average level of satisfaction with billing and collections processes was 6. Our results indicate that the physician extender, clinical support staff, and business staff environment can impact surgeon productivity, and there is opportunity for improvement. Determining best practices for ratios of support staff/MD and optimizing the role of electronic medical record in workflow and billing/collections are critical in the current environment. Our pilot study requires extension across more institutions for validation. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Average Skin-Friction Drag Coefficients from Tank Tests of a Parabolic Body of Revolution (NACA RM-10)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mottard, Elmo J; Loposer, J Dan

1954-01-01

Average skin-friction drag coefficients were obtained from boundary-layer total-pressure measurements on a parabolic body of revolution (NACA rm-10, basic fineness ratio 15) in water at Reynolds numbers from 4.4 x 10(6) to 70 x 10(6). The tests were made in the Langley tank no. 1 with the body sting-mounted at a depth of two maximum body diameters. The arithmetic mean of three drag measurements taken around the body was in good agreement with flat-plate results, but, apparently because of the slight surface wave caused by the body, the distribution of the boundary layer around the body was not uniform over part of the Reynolds number range.

Very Luminous X-ray Point Sources in Starburst Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colbert, E.; Heckman, T.; Ptak, A.; Weaver, K. A.; Strickland, D.

Extranuclear X-ray point sources in external galaxies with luminosities above 1039.0 erg/s are quite common in elliptical, disk and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~ 0.5 and dwarf galaxies, with an average of ~0.5 sources per galaxy. These objects may be a new class of object, perhaps accreting intermediate-mass black holes, or beamed stellar mass black hole binaries. Starburst galaxies tend to have a larger number of these intermediate-luminosity X-ray objects (IXOs), as well as a large number of lower-luminosity (1037 - 1039 erg/s) point sources. These point sources dominate the total hard X-ray emission in starburst galaxies. We present a review of both types of objects and discuss possible schemes for their formation.

Statistics of AUV's Missions for Operational Ocean Observation at the South Brazilian Bight.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, F. A.; São Tiago, P. M.; Oliveira, A. L. S. C.; Barmak, R. B.; Miranda, T. C.; Guerra, L. A. A.

2016-02-01

The high costs and logistics limitations of ship-based data collection represent an obstacle for a persistent in-situ data collection. Satellite-operated Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV's) or gliders (as these AUV's are generally known by the scientific community) are presented as an inexpensive and reliable alternative to perform long-term and real-time ocean monitoring of important parameters such as temperature, salinity, water-quality and acoustics. This work is focused on the performance statistics and the reliability for continuous operation of a fleet of seven gliders navigating in Santos Basin - Brazil, since March 2013. The gliders performance were evaluated by the number of standby days versus the number of operating days, the number of interrupted missions due to (1) equipment failure, (2) weather, (3) accident versus the number of successful missions and the amount and quality of data collected. From the start of the operations in March 2013 to the preparation of this work (July 2015), a total of 16 glider missions were accomplished, operating during 728 of the 729 days passed since then. From this total, 11 missions were successful, 3 missions were interrupted due to equipment failure and 2 gliders were lost. Most of the identified issues were observed in the communication with the glider (when recovery was necessary) or the optode sensors (when remote settings solved the problem). The average duration of a successful mission was 103 days while interrupted ones ended on average in 7 days. The longest mission lasted for 139 days, performing 859 continuous profiles and covering a distance of 2734 Km. The 2 projects performed together 6856 dives, providing an average of 9,5 profiles per day or one profile every 2,5 hours each day during 2 consecutive years.

High resolution light microscopic evaluation of boar semen quality sperm cytoplasmic droplet retention in relationship with boar fertility parameters.

PubMed

Lovercamp, K W; Safranski, T J; Fischer, K A; Manandhar, G; Sutovsky, M; Herring, W; Sutovsky, P

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between fertility and quantitative measures of boar semen quality, including various patterns of sperm cytoplasmic droplet (CD) retention, as determined by high power differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. A total of 116 ejaculates were collected from a nucleus herd of 18 Large White boars over an eight month period. Semen quality parameters were analyzed for each ejaculate by calculating the percentage of normal spermatozoa, spermatozoa possessing a CD in the proximal, distal, or distal midpiece reflex position, total spermatozoa with an attached cytoplasmic droplet, spermatozoa with non-CD related aberrations and total spermatozoa with abnormalities. Of the 116 ejaculates received, 71 ejaculates from 13 boars had corresponding fertility data from single-sire inseminations of multiparous sows. The fertility data included farrowing rate (FR) and total number born (TNB). The monthly FR encompassed one month before and one month after the date of semen collection. Detection of differences for fertility and semen quality parameters was performed by separating the boars into either an above-average or below-average group based on the mean FR (74.01 +/- 1.43%) or TNB (12.34 +/- 0.17) for the study. For FR, the boars in the below-average group had a significantly lower percentage of normal spermatozoa and significantly higher percentage of spermatozoa possessing distal CDs, total attached CDs and total abnormalities compared to the boars in the above-average group. Conversely, for TNB there were no significant differences between the above- and below-average groups for the semen quality parameters. These data suggest that the attached CD may negatively affect FR, but not TNB. The detection of relationships between the boar fertility parameters and the retention of the sperm CD after ejaculation, document the advantage of high power DIC microscopy in conventional semen evaluation.

Productivity in using school's resources: A case study of secondary school in Dumai, Riau Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rozamuri, Arif Murti; Suradi, Nur Riza Mohd

2015-09-01

Definition of good school's differs for every individual. The performance of the school's has always been an interesting discussion topic. This situation requires parents to be more selective for choosing the best school's for their child, especially in the efficient management of resources. This study evaluated changes in total productivity, technology, technical efficiency, and scale efficiency among 12 school of Dumai City in Riau Indonesia using DEA Malmquist Index. The inputs include number of teacher's, number of students, and number of classrooms while output is the number of students that passed the national examination. The results show that average efficiency of secondary school in Dumai City from 2011 to 2013 recorded good changes in terms of technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency. However, technological and total factor productivity change do not show a positive change.

Pharmacy Student Debt and Return on Investment of a Pharmacy Education

PubMed Central

Campbell, Tom; Congdon, Heather Brennan; Hancock, Kim; Kaun, Megan; Lockman, Paul R.; Evans, R. Lee

2014-01-01

Objective. To describe the current landscape within the profession of pharmacy regarding student tuition, indebtedness, salaries, and job potential. Methods. Pharmacy tuition and student debt data were obtained through the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Institutional Research website. Tuition was defined as average first-year tuition and fees for accredited schools. Debt was defined as the total average amount borrowed. Median salaries and numbers of jobs were obtained from the United States Department of Labor. Results. In-state tuition at public schools rose an average of $1,211 ± 31 (r2 = 0.996), whereas out-of-state tuition at public schools rose significantly faster at $1,838 ± 80 per year (r2 = 0.988). The average tuition cost for pharmacy school has increased 54% in the last 8 years. The average pharmacist salary has risen from $75,000 to over $112,000 since 2002. The increase in salary has been nearly linear (r2 = 0.988) rising $4,409 ± $170 dollars per year. However, average salary in 2011 was $3,064 below the predicted value based upon a linear regression of salaries over 10 years. The number of pharmacist jobs in the United States has risen from 215,000 jobs in 2003 to 275,000 in 2010. However, there were 3,000 fewer positions in 2012 than in 2011. In 2011, average indebtedness for pharmacy students ($114,422) was greater than average first-year salary ($112,160). Conclusion. Rising tuition and student indebtedness is a multifaceted problem requiring attention from a number of parties including students, faculty members, universities, and accreditation and government entities. PMID:24558273

The Dental Needs of Army Family Members, 1986: Pilot Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-10

was significantly lower in children with ac, ,ss to routine military dental care. Likewise, the percentage of total DMFS scores attributable to filled...most 25-44 year olds required 1-3 extractions or restorations. The mean number of types of restorations and extractions by age group is shown in Table...Diagnostic and preventive costs are not included in the comprehensive total . The average cost of preventive and diagnostic care is fixed in the sense that

West Asia - a demographic profile.

PubMed

1980-01-01

The average rate of population growth in the Arab region is about 3% per year, and fertility rates are high. The population aged 15 years or under accounts for 48% of the total population in most countries. The rate of economically active population is very low, ranging from 22% to 32% of the total. Infant mortality rates range from 60/1000 to 200/1000. Illiteracy rates average around 47% of the total number of males aged 15 and above, and exceeded 70% among women. Special attention is being given girls' education. The proportion of girls aged 6-24 enrolled at various educational levels rose from about 14.3% in 1960 to about 25% in 1975. Female illiteracy rates in Arab countries are among the highest in the world. Negative attitudes toward working women continue to be the major obstacle and contributes to high fertility. Demographic profiles are given for Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, and United Arab Emirates. In the United Arab Emirates the most prominent feature of the age-sex structure is the relatively large number of males between the ages of 20 and 40. The total fertility rate and the gross reproduction rate for the entire population in 1975 were estimated to be about 5.9 and 2.9 respectively. Between 1968 and 1975 the population of the United Arab Emirates grew from 180,226 to 557,887, yielding an annual growth of 14.6%.

Total mortality risk in relation to use of less-common dietary supplements123

PubMed Central

Pocobelli, Gaia; Kristal, Alan R; Patterson, Ruth E; Potter, John D; Lampe, Johanna W; Kolar, Ann; Evans, Ilonka; White, Emily

2010-01-01

Background: Dietary supplement use is common in older US adults; however, data on health risks and benefits are lacking for a number of supplements. Objective: We evaluated whether 10-y average intakes of 13 vitamin and mineral supplements and glucosamine, chondroitin, saw palmetto, Ginko biloba, garlic, fish-oil, and fiber supplements were associated with total mortality. Design: We conducted a prospective cohort study of Washington State residents aged 50–76 y during 2000–2002. Participants (n = 77,719) were followed for mortality for an average of 5 y. Results: A total of 3577 deaths occurred during 387,801 person-years of follow-up. None of the vitamin or mineral 10-y average intakes were associated with total mortality. Among the nonvitamin-nonmineral supplements, only glucosamine and chondroitin were associated with total mortality. The hazard ratio (HR) when persons with a high intake of supplements (≥4 d/wk for ≥3 y) were compared with nonusers was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.97; P for trend = 0.009) for glucosamine and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.69, 1.00; P for trend = 0.011) for chondroitin. There was also a suggestion of a decreased risk of total mortality associated with a high intake of fish-oil supplements (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70, 1.00), but the test for trend was not statistically significant. Conclusions: For most of the supplements we examined, there was no association with total mortality. Use of glucosamine and use of chondroitin were each associated with decreased total mortality. PMID:20410091

Research funding for addressing tobacco-related disease: an analysis of UK investment between 2008 and 2012.

PubMed

Hall, Mary; Bogdanovica, Ilze; Britton, John

2016-07-04

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. However, research spending on tobacco-related disease, and particularly smoking prevention, is thought to be low. We therefore aimed to assess the relation between tobacco-related research investment and disease burden from 2008 to 2012. We used the Health Research Classification System to classify UK government and charitable research funding by broad health category and then by tobacco prevention research and 18 WHO defined tobacco-related diseases. We used UK mortality figures to calculate disease-specific tobacco attributable deaths and then compared disease specific and tobacco prevention research investment with all cause and tobacco attributable mortality over the 5-year period and as annual averages. 12 922 research grants were identified with a total value of £6.69bn, an annual average of £1.34bn. Annually an average of 110 000 people die from tobacco-related disease, approximately 20% of total deaths. £130m is invested in researching tobacco-related disease each year and £5m on tobacco prevention, 10.8% and 0.42% of total annual research funding, respectively. Prevention research equated to an annual average of £46 per tobacco attributable death or one pound for every £29 spent on tobacco-related disease. Funding varied widely for diseases with different numbers of deaths (eg, lung cancer £68 per all cause death, cervical cancer £2500), similar numbers of deaths (leukaemia £983 per death, stomach cancer £43) or similar numbers of tobacco attributable deaths (eg, colorectal cancer £5k, pancreatic cancer £670, bladder cancer £340). Tobacco-related research funding is not related to burden of disease or level of risk. As a result certain diseases receive a disproportionately low level of research funding and disease prevention funding is even lower. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

[Response of HeLa cells to mitomycine C. III. The analysis of nucleoli of mother and daughter cells].

PubMed

Petrov, Iu P; Neguliaev, Iu A; Tsupkina, N V

2014-01-01

The comparative analysis of the number of nucleoli in cells of the established HeLa-M line was carried out before and after exposure to mitomycin C in a concentration of 10 μg/ml for 2 h. Using time-lapse microscopy, nucleoli in mother and their respective daughter cells were computed. It has been shown that the average number of nucleoli per cell is generally higher in daughter cells than in mother cells, and a standard deviation, on the contrary, decreases. An average number of nucleoli in daughter cells, whose mother cells had been treated with mitomycin C, was higher than in corresponding cells of control group. The separate analysis has been performed for the cells having from 1 to 4 nucleoli. Nonrandom complete coincidence of the number of nucleoli in mather and daughter cells has been typicaly shown for about 1/7 of the total cell population. Mitomycin C reduces this value of about 1.5 times.

A Quantitative Microscopy Technique for Determining the Number of Specific Proteins in Cellular Compartments

PubMed Central

Mutch, Sarah A.; Gadd, Jennifer C.; Fujimoto, Bryant S.; Kensel-Hammes, Patricia; Schiro, Perry G.; Bajjalieh, Sandra M.; Chiu, Daniel T.

2013-01-01

This protocol describes a method to determine both the average number and variance of proteins in the few to tens of copies in isolated cellular compartments, such as organelles and protein complexes. Other currently available protein quantification techniques either provide an average number but lack information on the variance or are not suitable for reliably counting proteins present in the few to tens of copies. This protocol entails labeling the cellular compartment with fluorescent primary-secondary antibody complexes, TIRF (total internal reflection fluorescence) microscopy imaging of the cellular compartment, digital image analysis, and deconvolution of the fluorescence intensity data. A minimum of 2.5 days is required to complete the labeling, imaging, and analysis of a set of samples. As an illustrative example, we describe in detail the procedure used to determine the copy number of proteins in synaptic vesicles. The same procedure can be applied to other organelles or signaling complexes. PMID:22094731

Evolution of the Orszag-Tang vortex system in a compressible medium. I - Initial average subsonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahlburg, R. B.; Picone, J. M.

1989-01-01

The results of fully compressible, Fourier collocation, numerical simulations of the Orszag-Tang vortex system are presented. The initial conditions for this system consist of a nonrandom, periodic field in which the magnetic and velocity field contain X points but differ in modal structure along one spatial direction. The velocity field is initially solenoidal, with the total initial pressure field consisting of the superposition of the appropriate incompressible pressure distribution upon a flat pressure field corresponding to the initial, average Mach number of the flow. In these numerical simulations, this initial Mach number is varied from 0.2-0.6. These values correspond to average plasma beta values ranging from 30.0 to 3.3, respectively. It is found that compressible effects develop within one or two Alfven transit times, as manifested in the spectra of compressible quantities such as the mass density and the nonsolenoidal flow field. These effects include (1) a retardation of growth of correlation between the magnetic field and the velocity field, (2) the emergence of compressible small-scale structure such as massive jets, and (3) bifurcation of eddies in the compressible flow field. Differences between the incompressible and compressible results tend to increase with increasing initial average Mach number.

New particle formation events arising from painting materials in an indoor microenvironment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazaridis, Mihalis; Serfozo, Norbert; Chatoutsidou, Sofia Eirini; Glytsos, Thodoros

2015-02-01

Particulate matter (PM) number size distribution and mass concentration along with total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) were measured during emissions from painting materials inside an indoor microenvironment. The emission sources were derived from oil painting medium and turpentine used for painting. Two sets of measurements (10 experiments) were conducted in a laboratory room of 54 m3. New particle formation events were observed in all 10 experiments. The nucleation events lasted on average less than one hour with an average growth rate 33.9 ± 9.1 nm/h and average formation rate 21.1 ± 8.7 cm-3s-1. After the end of the nucleation event, a condensational growth of indoor particles followed with average growth rate 11.6 ± 2.8 nm/h and duration between 1.4 and 4.1 h. High concentrations up to 3.24 ppm were measured for the indoor TVOC concentrations during the experiments. Simultaneous mass and number size concentration measurements were performed outdoors where no new particle formation event was observed. It is the first time that high nucleation rates indoors were observed in conjunction with high TVOC concentrations originating from painting materials which resulted to high exposure concentration levels of particle number concentration.

Evolution of the Orszag--Tang vortex system in a compressible medium. I. Initial average subsonic flow

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

Dahlburg, R.B.; Picone, J.M.

In this paper the results of fully compressible, Fourier collocation, numerical simulations of the Orszag--Tang vortex system are presented. The initial conditions for this system consist of a nonrandom, periodic field in which the magnetic and velocity field contain X points but differ in modal structure along one spatial direction. The velocity field is initially solenoidal, with the total initial pressure field consisting of the superposition of the appropriate incompressible pressure distribution upon a flat pressure field corresponding to the initial, average Mach number of the flow. In these numerical simulations, this initial Mach number is varied from 0.2--0.6. Thesemore » values correspond to average plasma beta values ranging from 30.0 to 3.3, respectively. It is found that compressible effects develop within one or two Alfven transit times, as manifested in the spectra of compressible quantities such as the mass density and the nonsolenoidal flow field. These effects include (1) a retardation of growth of correlation between the magnetic field and the velocity field, (2) the emergence of compressible small-scale structure such as massive jets, and (3) bifurcation of eddies in the compressible flow field. Differences between the incompressible and compressible results tend to increase with increasing initial average Mach number.« less

Osteological Development of the Larvae and Juvenile of Bullhead torrent catfish, Liobagrus obesus

PubMed Central

Seo, Won-Il; Park, Jae-Min; Lee, Sung-Hun; Yoon, Seong Min; Hwang, Seon-Yeong; Han, Kyeong-Ho

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to investigate the skeletal development of bullhead torrent catfish, Liobagrus obesus larvae and to utilize them as basic data for the taxonomic study of Liobagrus larvae. Skeletal development was observed by being divided into cranium, visceral skeleton, shoulder girdle bone, pelvic girdle bone and vertebra. On the first day after hatching, the pre-larvae had an average total length of 7.92 mm, and a line-shaped parasphenoid ossified in the cranium. In the jaw bone, the dentary supporting the lower jaw and the maxillary supporting the upper jaw were ossified. In the anterior abdominal vertebrae of the vertebra, seven centrums began to ossify and five neural spines ossified simultaneously. On the 3 day after hatching, pre-larvae had an average total length of 8.95 mm, and the prefrontal ossified in cranium. The number of abdominal vertebrae was increased to 14, and three parapophysis developed from the front side. On the 24th day after hatching, post-larvae had an average total length of 15.2 mm and the epural bone ossified in coccyx. The parhypural bone was ossified, and ossification of coccyx and pelvic girdle bone was completed. On the 30th day after hatching, the average total length of the juvenile was 17.8 mm, and the ossification of cranium and visceral skeleton was all completed while the preorbital and three suborbitals were ossified in the orbital region of the cranium. PMID:29707680

Is orthopedics more competitive today than when my attending matched? An analysis of National Resident Matching Program data for orthopedic PGY1 applicants from 1984 to 2011.

PubMed

Karnes, Jonathan M; Mayerson, Joel L; Scharschmidt, Thomas J

2014-01-01

This study evaluated supply and demand trends for orthopedic postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) positions from 1984 to 2011 for the purpose of estimating national intercandidate competition over time. National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data for orthopedic surgery from 1984 to 2011 were collected. Proxy variables including (total number of orthopedic applicants/number of orthopedic PGY1 positions), (number of US senior applicants to orthopedics/number of orthopedic PGY1 positions), (number of US seniors matching into orthopedics/number of US senior orthopedic applicants), (total number of matched orthopedic applicants/total number of orthopedic applicants), and (total number of US applicants who fail to match into orthopedics/total number of US senior applicants into orthopedics) as well as average United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores were used to gauge the level of competition between candidates and were compared over time. Academic medical center in the Midwestern United States. Medical professors and medical students. The NRMP data suggested that the number of positions per applicant decreased or remained stable since 1984 and that the percentage of applicants who did not match was no higher now than in the past. This finding was primarily because of the relative decrease in the ratio of applicants to available PGY1 positions, which stems from the number of positions increasing more rapidly than the number of applicants. The NRMP data from 1984 to 2011 supported our hypothesis that intercandidate competition intensity for orthopedic PGY1 positions has not increased over time. The misconception that orthopedics is becoming more competitive likely arises from the increased number of applications submitted per candidate and the resulting relative importance placed on objective criteria such as United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores when programs select interview cohorts. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Retrofit Weight-Loss Outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 Months and Characteristics of 12-Month High Performers: A Retrospective Analysis.

PubMed

Painter, Stefanie; Ditsch, Gary; Ahmed, Rezwan; Hanson, Nicholas Buck; Kachin, Kevin; Berger, Jan

2016-08-22

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death costing the health care system billions of dollars. Combining self-monitoring technology with personalized behavior change strategies results in clinically significant weight loss. However, there is a lack of real-world outcomes in commercial weight-loss program research. Retrofit is a personalized weight management and disease-prevention solution. This study aimed to report Retrofit's weight-loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months and characterize behaviors, age, and sex of high-performing participants who achieved weight loss of 10% or greater at 12 months. A retrospective analysis was performed from 2011 to 2014 using 2720 participants enrolled in a Retrofit weight-loss program. Participants had a starting body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m² and were at least 18 years of age. Weight measurements were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months in the program to evaluate change in body weight, BMI, and percentage of participants who achieved 5% or greater weight loss. A secondary analysis characterized high-performing participants who lost ≥10% of their starting weight (n=238). Characterized behaviors were evaluated, including self-monitoring through weigh-ins, number of days wearing an activity tracker, daily step count average, and engagement through coaching conversations via Web-based messages, and number of coaching sessions attended. Average weight loss at 6 months was -5.55% for male and -4.86% for female participants. Male and female participants had an average weight loss of -6.28% and -5.37% at 12 months, respectively. Average weight loss at 24 months was -5.03% and -3.15% for males and females, respectively. Behaviors of high-performing participants were assessed at 12 months. Number of weigh-ins were greater in high-performing male (197.3 times vs 165.4 times, P=.001) and female participants (222 times vs 167 times, P<.001) compared with remaining participants. Total activity tracker days and average steps per day were greater in high-performing females (304.7 vs 266.6 days, P<.001; 8380.9 vs 7059.7 steps, P<.001, respectively) and males (297.1 vs 255.3 days, P<.001; 9099.3 vs 8251.4 steps, P=.008, respectively). High-performing female participants had significantly more coaching conversations via Web-based messages than remaining female participants (341.4 vs 301.1, P=.03), as well as more days with at least one such electronic message (118 vs 108 days, P=.03). High-performing male participants displayed similar behavior. Participants on the Retrofit program lost an average of -5.21% at 6 months, -5.83% at 12 months, and -4.09% at 24 months. High-performing participants show greater adherence to self-monitoring behaviors of weighing in, number of days wearing an activity tracker, and average number of steps per day. Female high performers have higher coaching engagement through conversation days and total number of coaching conversations.

[Reproduction characteristics and Crow's index in different groups of Yevpatoria population].

PubMed

Atramentova, L A; Meshcheryakova, I P; Filipsova, O V

2013-12-01

According to the obstetric history of Yevpatoria residents of postreproductive age, the parameters of the dif- ferential fertility as components of the natural selection (index Crow) in Slavic (Russian and Ukrainian) and non-Slavic individuals have been calculated. It is shown that, in the studied population, in one generation, the index of total selection decreased from 0.3 to 0.32 by reducing the value Im. For Slavic females, the average number of pregnancies is 5.26, while the number of offspring is 1.75, and the index of total selection equals 0.31. For non-Slavic women, these ratings were 4.84, 2.09, and 0.46. In non-Slavic women, natural reproductive losses occur more frequently than in Slavic women, which may be associated with inbreeding, the level of which is usually higher in members of the Muslim faith. The average number of adverse pregnancy outcomes in the non-Slavic families is 0.759, while for Slavic families, it is 0.503. Reproductive problems were observed in 36.4% of Slavic families and 44.8% of non-Slavic families. The index of total selection in non-Slavs (0.46) is 1.5 times higher than in Slavs (0.31). The difference is due to the selection component, coupled with differential fertility (0.36 and 0.23, respectively). Interethnic differences in the rate of natural increase can change the ethnic and denominational composition of the city, leading to an increase in the Muslim component.

Hauser-Feshbach fission fragment de-excitation with calculated macroscopic-microscopic mass yields

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

Jaffke, Patrick John; Talou, Patrick; Sierk, Arnold John

The Hauser-Feshbach statistical model is applied to the de-excitation of primary fission fragments using input mass yields calculated with macroscopic-microscopic models of the potential energy surface. We test the sensitivity of the prompt fission observables to the input mass yields for two important reactions, 235U (n th, f) and 239Pu (n th, f) , for which good experimental data exist. General traits of the mass yields, such as the location of the peaks and their widths, can impact both the prompt neutron and γ-ray multiplicities, as well as their spectra. Specifically, we use several mass yields to determine a linear correlation between the calculated prompt neutron multiplicitymore » $$\\bar{v}$$ and the average heavy-fragment mass $$\\langle$$A h$$\\rangle$$ of the input mass yields ∂$$\\bar{v}$$/∂ $$\\langle$$A h$$\\rangle$$ = ± 0.1 (n / f )/u . The mass peak width influences the correlation between the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments and the total number of prompt neutrons emitted, $$\\bar{v}_T$$ ( TKE ) . Finally, typical biases on prompt particle observables from using calculated mass yields instead of experimental ones are δ$$\\bar{v}$$ = 4 % for the average prompt neutron multiplicity, δ$$\\overline{M}_γ$$ = 1% for the average prompt γ-ray multiplicity, δ$$\\bar{ε}$$ $$LAB\\atop{n}$$ = 1 % for the average outgoing neutron energy, δ$$\\bar{ε}_γ$$ = 1 % for the average γ-ray energy, and δ $$\\langle$$TKE$$\\rangle$$ = 0.4 % for the average total kinetic energy of the fission fragments.« less

Hauser-Feshbach fission fragment de-excitation with calculated macroscopic-microscopic mass yields

DOE PAGES

Jaffke, Patrick John; Talou, Patrick; Sierk, Arnold John; ...

2018-03-15

The Hauser-Feshbach statistical model is applied to the de-excitation of primary fission fragments using input mass yields calculated with macroscopic-microscopic models of the potential energy surface. We test the sensitivity of the prompt fission observables to the input mass yields for two important reactions, 235U (n th, f) and 239Pu (n th, f) , for which good experimental data exist. General traits of the mass yields, such as the location of the peaks and their widths, can impact both the prompt neutron and γ-ray multiplicities, as well as their spectra. Specifically, we use several mass yields to determine a linear correlation between the calculated prompt neutron multiplicitymore » $$\\bar{v}$$ and the average heavy-fragment mass $$\\langle$$A h$$\\rangle$$ of the input mass yields ∂$$\\bar{v}$$/∂ $$\\langle$$A h$$\\rangle$$ = ± 0.1 (n / f )/u . The mass peak width influences the correlation between the total kinetic energy of the fission fragments and the total number of prompt neutrons emitted, $$\\bar{v}_T$$ ( TKE ) . Finally, typical biases on prompt particle observables from using calculated mass yields instead of experimental ones are δ$$\\bar{v}$$ = 4 % for the average prompt neutron multiplicity, δ$$\\overline{M}_γ$$ = 1% for the average prompt γ-ray multiplicity, δ$$\\bar{ε}$$ $$LAB\\atop{n}$$ = 1 % for the average outgoing neutron energy, δ$$\\bar{ε}_γ$$ = 1 % for the average γ-ray energy, and δ $$\\langle$$TKE$$\\rangle$$ = 0.4 % for the average total kinetic energy of the fission fragments.« less

Long-term dynamics of winter and summer annual communities in the Chihuahuan Desert

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guo, Q.; Brown, J.H.; Valone, T.J.

2002-01-01

Using 15 years of census data from permanent quadrats, this paper compared the characteristics and temporal dynamics of these two distinct, spatially coexistent but temporally segregated communities. Although the total number of summer annual species recorded during our 15 years observation was higher than winter annuals, the average number of species observed each year was higher in the winter community. The winter community exhibited lower temporal variation in total plant abundance and populations of individual species, lower species turnover rate and higher evenness than the summer community. The higher seasonal species diversity (i.e., number of species observed in each season) in winters rather than the overall special pool (over 15 yrs) may be responsible for the greater community stability of winter annuals. The difference in long-term community dynamics between the two communities of annuals plants are likely due to the differences in total species pool, life history traits (e.g., seed size), and seasonal climatic regimes.

Assisted reproductive technology in Japan: a summary report of 1992-2014 by the Ethics Committee, Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

PubMed

Irahara, Minoru; Kuwahara, Akira; Iwasa, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Tomonori; Ishihara, Osamu; Kugu, Koji; Sawa, Rintaro; Banno, Kouji; Saito, Hidekazu

2017-04-01

The Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology implemented a registry report system for the clinical practice of assisted reproductive technology in 1986. The aggregated results from 1992 to 2014 are reported herein. The total number of registered treatments was 393 745 cycles, of which 66 550 were pregnancy cycles and 46 008 were cycles with a live birth. Compared to the number of registered treatments in 2008, when the cycle-based registry was newly introduced, there was a 2.07-fold increase in the total number of treatments and a 2.25-fold increase in the number of cycles with a live birth. As the average age of patients who receive assisted reproductive technology has become markedly higher year by year, the most common age of those patients who received assisted reproductive technology in 2014 was 40 years. The total numbers of both assisted reproductive technology treatments and assisted reproductive technology live births are likely to be higher in the future. In addition, the trend toward aging patients seems to be continuing into the future.

Skin-Friction Measurements in Incompressible Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Donald W.; Walker, John H.

1959-01-01

Experiments have been conducted to measure the local surface-shear stress and the average skin-friction coefficient in Incompressible flow for a turbulent boundary layer on a smooth flat plate having zero pressure gradient. Data were obtained for a range of Reynolds numbers from 1 million to 45 million. The local surface-shear stress was measured by a floating-element skin-friction balance and also by a calibrated total head tube located on the surface of the test wall. The average skin-friction coefficient was obtained from boundary-layer velocity profiles.

76 FR 80363 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-23

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-30

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Feedback Drug Delivery Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-28

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-08

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77 FR 49476 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-16

... approximately 10,000 respondents will submit fingerprint cards each year. It also estimates that each respondent will submit 55 fingerprint cards per year. The staff estimates that the average number of hours necessary to comply with Rule 17f-2(a) by completing a fingerprint card is one-half hour. Thus, the total...

[Distribution and changes in species composition and abundance of ichthyoplankton in the Yangtze estuary].

PubMed

Zhang, Heng; Yang, Sheng-Long; Meng, Hai-Xing

2012-06-01

Based on four surveys of eggs and larvae in the Yangtze estuary in 2005 (April and November) and 2006 (April and September), combined with the historical data of the wetland in 1990 (September) and 1991 (March), we analyzed seasonal changes in fish species composition and quantity of ichthyoplankton. Thirty-six species of egg and larvae were collected and marine fish species were the highest represented ecological guild. Average fish species and average abundance in spring were lower than in autumn for every survey. The total number of eggs in brackish water was higher than in fresh water, but the total number of larvae and juveniles in brackish water was lower. The abundance of eggs and larvae during from 2005 to 2006 in both spring and autumn was higher compared to those from 1990 to 1991. Obvious differences in species composition in September between 1990 and 2006 were found, especially for Erythroculter ilishaeformis and Neosalanx taihuensis. Fish species composition and quantity within the ichthyoplankton community has obviously changed in the Yangtze estuary over the last 20 years.

The cost of hospitalization in Crohn's disease.

PubMed

Cohen, R D; Larson, L R; Roth, J M; Becker, R V; Mummert, L L

2000-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographics, resource use, and costs associated with hospitalization of Crohn's disease patients. All patients hospitalized at our institution from 7/1/96 to 6/30/97 with a primary diagnosis of "Crohn's Disease" were analyzed using a computerized database. Data are presented "per hospitalization." A total of 175 hospitalizations (147 patients) were identified. Mean patient age was 36.5 yr; 61% were female; 82% Caucasian. Payer mix was most commonly contracted (57%), commercial (21%), or Medicare (13%). 57% of hospitalizations had a primary surgical procedure; the remainder were medical. Average length of stay was 8.7 days (surgical, 9.6 days; medical, 7.5 days). The average cost of hospitalization, excluding physician fees, was $12,528 (surgical, $14,409; medical, $10,020), whereas average charges were $35,378 (surgical, $46,354; medical, $20,744), including physician fees, which averaged $7,249 (surgical, $11,217; medical, $1,959). Mean reimbursements were $21,968 (surgical, $28,946; medical, $12,666) with average weighted reimbursement rates of 60.17% of hospital charges, 69.57% of physician fees. The distribution of costs across subcategories was: Surgery (39.6%), Pharmacy (18.6%), Laboratory (3.8%), Radiology (2.1%), Pathology (0.8%), Endoscopy (0.3%), and Other Hospital Costs (34.9%). Of the hospitalizations, 87% included treatment with steroids, 23% with immunomodulators, and 14% with aminosalicylates; 27% included the administration of total parenteral nutrition, which accounted for 63% of the total pharmacy costs. Surgery accounts for the majority of hospitalizations, nearly 40% of their total costs, and 75% of overall charges and reimbursements. Therapy that decreases the number of surgical hospitalizations should substantially reduce inpatient Crohn's disease costs, as well as overall costs.

Costs and resource use following defunctioning stoma in low anterior resection for cancer - A long-term analysis of a randomized multicenter trial.

PubMed

Floodeen, H; Hallböök, O; Hagberg, L A; Matthiessen, P

2017-02-01

Defunctioning stoma in low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer can prevent major complications, but overall cost-effectiveness for the healthcare provider is unknown. This study compared inpatient healthcare resources and costs within 5 years of LAR between two randomized groups of patients undergoing LAR with and without defunctioning stoma. Five-year follow-up of a randomized, multicenter trial on LAR (NCT 00636948) with (stoma; n = 116) or without (no stoma; n = 118) defunctioning stoma comparing inpatient healthcare resources and costs. Unplanned stoma formation, days with stoma, length of hospital stay, reoperations, and total associated inpatient costs were analyzed. Average costs were € 21.663 per patient with defunctioning stoma and € 15.922 per patient without defunctioning stoma within 5 years of LAR, resulting in an average cost-saving of € 5.741. There was no difference between groups regarding the total number of days with any stoma (stoma = 33 398 vs. no stoma = 34 068). The total number of unplanned reoperations were 70 (no stoma) and 32 (stoma); p < 0.001. In the group randomized to no stoma at LAR, 30.5% (36/118) required an unplanned stoma later. Randomization to defunctioning stoma in LAR was more expensive than no stoma, despite the cost-savings associated with a reduced frequency of anastomotic leakage. Both groups required the same total number of days with a stoma within five years of LAR. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.

The sociocultural effects on orthopedic surgeries in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chiu, Shin-Lin; Chu, Chiao-Lee; Lan, Shou-Jen; Chen, Chiu-Liang

2018-01-01

Various sociocultural factors affect healthcare-seeking behaviors. In Taiwanese society, superstitions and lunar festivals play important roles in people’s lives. We investigated the impact of “Ghost Month” (the 7th lunar month) and Chinese New Year (the 12th lunar month and the 1st lunar month of the following year) on the number of elective surgeries and emergent surgeries in Taiwan. The number of total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries and proximal femur fracture (PFF) surgeries in each lunar month from 2000 to 2011 were extracted from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database, a computerized and population-based database. Patients were then sorted by location of residence or gender. The average number of TKR surgeries performed was significantly lower during the 1st, 7th, and 12th lunar months in urban areas, whereas in rural areas this trend was only evident in the 7th and 12th lunar months. There was however, no significant difference in the average number of PFF surgeries in each lunar month except for an increase seen in the 1st lunar month in rural patients (p<0.05). When sorted by gender, the average number of TKR surgeries was significantly decreased in the 7th and 12th lunar months in male patients, and decreased in the 1st, 7th, and 12th lunar months in female patients. In contrast, there was no difference in the average numbers of PFF surgeries in the 7th and 12th lunar months either in male or female patients. We proposed that the timing of elective surgeries such as TKR might be influenced by Ghost Month and Chinese New Year; however, emergent PFF surgeries were not significantly influenced by sociocultural beliefs and taboos in Taiwan. PMID:29596539

[Objective evaluation and comparison of the scientific publication from the departments of the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris: analysis of the SIGAPS score].

PubMed

Lefèvre, J H; Faron, M; Drouin, S J; Glanard, A; Chartier-Kastler, E; Parc, Y; Rouprêt, M

2013-06-01

To analyze the results of the bibliometric system (SIGAPS score) of scientific publications in the Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and to compare the scientific production among the various medical and surgical specialties of the academic hospitals of Paris. All the publications imported from Pubmed between 2006 and 2008 were included. The following data were taken into account and analysed: the hospital department of origin, the number of articles published, the number of full-time physicians, the SIGAPS score. Thirty-eight thousand, seven hundred and nine publications were included. The departments were consisted of 747 full-time practitioners 5719 (1895 Professors [33.1%], 2772 Assistant Professors [48.4%] and 1052 fellows [18.4%]). The average number of full-time practitioner by department was 7.7±6.7 (range 1-69). The average total number of articles published in a department was 51.8±49.4 (range 1-453). The average SIGAPS score was more important in medicine than in surgery (621.2±670.1 vs. 401±382.2; P=0.01) but not the average number of article per practitioner (8.1±8.3 vs. 6.6±6.2; P=0.0797). The mean number of publication by full-time practitioner was 7.9±7.8 (1-45), or an average of 2.7±2.6 for each full-time practitioner each year. Academic hospitals in Paris have a reasonably scientific output but with a mean of 2.7 articles per full-time practitioner per year. No major differences between medical and surgical disciplines were observed. Copyright © 2012 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Outcome of total knee replacement following explantation and cemented spacer therapy.

PubMed

Ghanem, Mohamed; Zajonz, Dirk; Bollmann, Juliane; Geissler, Vanessa; Prietzel, Torsten; Moche, Michael; Roth, Andreas; Heyde, Christoph-E; Josten, Christoph

2016-01-01

Infection after total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the serious complications which must be pursued with a very effective therapeutic concept. In most cases this means revision arthroplasty, in which one-setting and two-setting procedures are distinguished. Healing of infection is the conditio sine qua non for re-implantation. This retrospective work presents an assessment of the success rate after a two-setting revision arthroplasty of the knee following periprosthetic infection. It further considers drawing conclusions concerning the optimal timing of re-implantation. A total of 34 patients have been enclosed in this study from September 2005 to December 2013. 35 re-implantations were carried out following explantation of total knee and implantation of cemented spacer. The patient's group comprised of 53% (18) males and 47% (16) females. The average age at re-implantation time was 72.2 years (ranging from 54 to 85 years). We particularly evaluated the microbial spectrum, the interval between explantation and re-implantation, the number of surgeries that were necessary prior to re-implantation as well as the postoperative course. We reported 31.4% (11) reinfections following re-implantation surgeries. The number of the reinfections declined with increasing time interval between explantation and re-implantation. Patients who developed reinfections were operated on (re-implantation) after an average of 4.47 months. Those patients with uncomplicated course were operated on (re-implantation) after an average of 6.79 months. Nevertheless, we noticed no essential differences in outcome with regard to the number of surgeries carried out prior to re-implantation. Mobile spacers proved better outcome than temporary arthrodesis with intramedullary fixation. No uniform strategy of treatment exists after peri-prosthetic infections. In particular, no optimal timing can be stated concerning re-implantation. Our data point out to the fact that a longer time interval between explantation and re-implantation reduces the rate of reinfection. From our point of view, the optimal timing for re-implantation depends on various specific factors and therefore it should be defined individually.

Outcome of total knee replacement following explantation and cemented spacer therapy

PubMed Central

Ghanem, Mohamed; Zajonz, Dirk; Bollmann, Juliane; Geissler, Vanessa; Prietzel, Torsten; Moche, Michael; Roth, Andreas; Heyde, Christoph-E.; Josten, Christoph

2016-01-01

Background: Infection after total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the serious complications which must be pursued with a very effective therapeutic concept. In most cases this means revision arthroplasty, in which one-setting and two-setting procedures are distinguished. Healing of infection is the conditio sine qua non for re-implantation. This retrospective work presents an assessment of the success rate after a two-setting revision arthroplasty of the knee following periprosthetic infection. It further considers drawing conclusions concerning the optimal timing of re-implantation. Patients and methods: A total of 34 patients have been enclosed in this study from September 2005 to December 2013. 35 re-implantations were carried out following explantation of total knee and implantation of cemented spacer. The patient’s group comprised of 53% (18) males and 47% (16) females. The average age at re-implantation time was 72.2 years (ranging from 54 to 85 years). We particularly evaluated the microbial spectrum, the interval between explantation and re-implantation, the number of surgeries that were necessary prior to re-implantation as well as the postoperative course. Results: We reported 31.4% (11) reinfections following re-implantation surgeries. The number of the reinfections declined with increasing time interval between explantation and re-implantation. Patients who developed reinfections were operated on (re-implantation) after an average of 4.47 months. Those patients with uncomplicated course were operated on (re-implantation) after an average of 6.79 months. Nevertheless, we noticed no essential differences in outcome with regard to the number of surgeries carried out prior to re-implantation. Mobile spacers proved better outcome than temporary arthrodesis with intramedullary fixation. Conclusion: No uniform strategy of treatment exists after peri-prosthetic infections. In particular, no optimal timing can be stated concerning re-implantation. Our data point out to the fact that a longer time interval between explantation and re-implantation reduces the rate of reinfection. From our point of view, the optimal timing for re-implantation depends on various specific factors and therefore it should be defined individually. PMID:27066391

The impact on emergency department visits for respiratory illness during the southern california wildfires.

PubMed

Dohrenwend, Paul B; Le, Minh V; Bush, Jeff A; Thomas, Cyril F

2013-03-01

In 2007 wildfires ravaged Southern California resulting in the largest evacuation due to a wildfire in American history. We report how these wildfires affected emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory illness. We extracted data from a Kaiser Permanente database for a single metropolitan community ED. We compared the number of visits due to respiratory illness at time intervals of 2 weeks before and during the time when the fires were burning. We counted the total number of patients with chief complaint of dyspnea, cough, and asthma and final international classification of disease 9 coding diagnosis of asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory syndrome, and analyzed data for both total number and proportion of ED visits. We evaluated the data using Early Aberration Reporting System software to determine significant single-visit increases compared to expected counts. We also analyzed the average length of ED stay. Data on air quality were extracted from the http://www.airnow.gov site. There were significant differences between pre-fire and fire period average visit counts for the chief complaints of dyspnea and asthma. Dypnea complaints increased by 3.2 visits per day. During the fire the diagnoses of asthma increased significantly by 2.6 patients per day. Air quality reached air quality index values of 300, indicating very unhealthy conditions. Average ED length of stay times remained unchanged during the fire period compared to the pre-fire period. The 2007 Southern California wildfires caused significant surges in the volume of ED patients seeking treatment for respiratory illness. Disaster plans should prepare for these surges when future wildfires occur.

Use of the UPOINT Classification in Turkish Chronic Prostatitis or Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome Patients.

PubMed

Arda, Ersan; Cakiroglu, Basri; Tas, Tuncay; Ekici, Sinan; Uyanik, Bekir Sami

2016-11-01

To determine the positive subdomain numbers and distribution of the UPOINT classification in chronic prostatitis and to compare the erectile dysfunction (ED) pattern. From 2008 to 2013, 839 patients with symptomatic chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome were included in this study. The correlation between UPOINT domains and National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) total score, subscores, and the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function scores were evaluated retrospectively. The mean patient age was calculated as 37.7 ± 7.4 (range 21-65). The average total NIH-CPSI score was determined as 9.07 (range 1-40) and the average positive UPOINT subdomain number was determined as 2.87 ± 0.32 (range 1-6). Subdomain patient numbers and rates were calculated as 529 urinary (63%), 462 psychosocial (55%), 382 organ specific (45%), 290 infection (34%), 288 neurological or systemic (34%), and 418 tenderness (skeletal muscle) (50%), respectively. It was determined that ED, determining the subdomain of sexual dysfunction in patients, was positive in a total of 326 (39.9%) patients, with 220 patients having mild (26.2%), 76 mild to moderate (9.1%), 19 moderate (2.3%), and 5 with severe (0.6%) ED. A statistically significant correlation was not determined between the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function score and UPOINT subdomain number and NIH-CPSI score. It has been determined that although there is a strong and significant correlation between UPOINT classification and NIH-CPSI score in Turkish patients with chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome, the inclusion of ED as an independent subdomain to the UPOINT classification is not statistically significant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spine surgery cost reduction at a specialized treatment center

PubMed Central

Viola, Dan Carai Maia; Lenza, Mario; de Almeida, Suze Luize Ferraz; dos Santos, Oscar Fernando Pavão; Cendoroglo, Miguel; Lottenberg, Claudio Luiz; Ferretti, Mario

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective To compare the estimated cost of treatment of spinal disorders to those of this treatment in a specialized center. Methods An evaluation of average treatment costs of 399 patients referred by a Health Insurance Company for evaluation and treatment at the Spine Treatment Reference Center of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein. All patients presented with an indication for surgical treatment before being referred for assessment. Of the total number of patients referred, only 54 underwent surgical treatment and 112 received a conservative treatment with motor physical therapy and acupuncture. The costs of both treatments were calculated based on a previously agreed table of values for reimbursement for each phase of treatment. Results Patients treated non-surgically had an average treatment cost of US$ 1,650.00, while patients treated surgically had an average cost of US$ 18,520.00. The total estimated cost of the cohort of patients treated was US$ 1,184,810.00, which represents a 158.5% decrease relative to the total cost projected for these same patients if the initial type of treatment indicated were performed. Conclusion Treatment carried out within a center specialized in treating spine pathologies has global costs lower than those regularly observed. PMID:23579752

Relationship between gustatory function and average number of taste buds per fungiform papilla measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy in humans.

PubMed

Saito, Takehisa; Ito, Tetsufumi; Ito, Yumi; Manabe, Yasuhiro; Sano, Kazuo

2017-02-01

The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the gustatory function and average number of taste buds per fungiform papilla (FP) in humans. Systemically healthy volunteers (n = 211), pre-operative patients with chronic otitis media (n = 79), and postoperative patients, with or without a chorda tympani nerve (CTN) severed during middle ear surgery (n = 63), were included. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed to observe fungiform taste buds because it allows many FP to be observed non-invasively in a short period of time. Taste buds in an average of 10 FP in the midlateral region of the tongue were counted. In total, 3,849 FP were observed in 353 subjects. The gustatory function was measured by electrogustometry (EGM). An inverse relationship was found between the gustatory function and average number of fungiform taste buds per papilla. The healthy volunteers showed a lower EGM threshold (better gustatory function) and had more taste buds than did the patients with otitis media, and the patients with otitis media showed a lower EGM threshold and had more taste buds than did postoperative patients, reflecting the severity of damage to the CTN. It was concluded that the confocal laser scanning microscope is a very useful tool for using to observe a large number of taste buds non-invasively. © 2017 Eur J Oral Sci.

A Comparison of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Common Office Blood Pressure Monitoring Protocols.

PubMed

Kronish, I M; Edmondson, D; Shimbo, D; Shaffer, J A; Krakoff, L R; Schwartz, J E

2018-04-20

The optimal approach to measuring office blood pressure (BP) is uncertain. We aimed to compare BP measurement protocols that differed based on numbers of readings within and between visits and by assessment method. We enrolled a sample of 707 employees without known hypertension or cardiovascular disease, and obtained 6 standardized BP readings during each of 3 office visits at least 1 week apart, using mercury sphygmomanometer and BpTRU oscillometric devices (18 readings per participant) for a total of 12,645 readings. We used confirmatory factor analysis to develop a model estimating "true" office BP that could be used to compare the probability of correctly classifying participants' office BP status using differing numbers and types of office BP readings. Averaging two systolic BP readings across two visits correctly classified participants as having BP below or above the 140 mmHg threshold at least 95% of the time if the averaged reading was <134 mmHg or >149 mmHg, respectively. Our model demonstrated that more confidence was gained by increasing the number of visits with readings than by increasing the number of readings within a visit. No clinically significant confidence was gained by dropping the first reading versus averaging all readings, nor by measuring with a manual mercury device versus with an automated oscillometric device. Averaging two BP readings across two office visits appeared to best balance increased confidence in office BP status with efficiency of BP measurement, though the preferred measurement strategy may vary with the clinical context.

Number of papers published in English from the nursing departments of 42 national universities in Japan in the past ten years.

PubMed

Kameoka, Junichi; Iwazaki, Junya; Takahashi, Fumie; Sato, Fumiko; Sato, Kazuki; Taguchi, Atsuko; Nakamura, Yasuka; Ishii, Seiichi; Kagaya, Yutaka

2016-03-01

In Japan, the departments of nursing were established by 2004, and graduate school programs for master's degree were established by 2008, in 42 national universities. With these changes, a more academic mission has been pursued, and the need for writing papers in English has increased. To investigate the numbers of papers published in English from the nursing departments of national universities in Japan over the past ten years. The lists of teachers who have nursing licenses in the departments of nursing in the 42 national universities (n=2292) were obtained from the Japan Association of Nursing Programs in Universities. The number of papers published in English by these teachers from 2004 to 2013 was counted using the SCOPUS database. The average number of total papers, in which at least one of the authors was a nursing teacher, and first-authored papers, in which the first author was a nursing teacher, were 211.4 and 69.9 per year, respectively; both increased approximately two-fold during the past ten years. The means and standard deviations of the number of total papers and first-authored papers were 50.3±63.8 (range: 1-382) and 18.3±23.4 (range: 0-147) according to universities, and 1.39±5.84 (range: 0-140) and 0.33±1.28 (range: 0-21) according to teachers, respectively. When journals with the highest number of papers were analyzed, 12 of the top 20 (total papers) and 12 of the top 16 (first-authored papers) were in journals whose editorial offices are in Japan. The number of papers published in English has increased over the past ten years, varied markedly depending on the universities and teachers, and many papers were published in Japanese journals. To our knowledge, this is the first report anywhere to determine the average number of nursing papers "per teacher" in a specific population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Image-Based Algorithm for Precise and Accurate High Throughput Assessment of Drug Activity against the Human Parasite Trypanosoma cruzi

PubMed Central

Moraes, Carolina Borsoi; Yang, Gyongseon; Kang, Myungjoo; Freitas-Junior, Lucio H.; Hansen, Michael A. E.

2014-01-01

We present a customized high content (image-based) and high throughput screening algorithm for the quantification of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in host cells. Based solely on DNA staining and single-channel images, the algorithm precisely segments and identifies the nuclei and cytoplasm of mammalian host cells as well as the intracellular parasites infecting the cells. The algorithm outputs statistical parameters including the total number of cells, number of infected cells and the total number of parasites per image, the average number of parasites per infected cell, and the infection ratio (defined as the number of infected cells divided by the total number of cells). Accurate and precise estimation of these parameters allow for both quantification of compound activity against parasites, as well as the compound cytotoxicity, thus eliminating the need for an additional toxicity-assay, hereby reducing screening costs significantly. We validate the performance of the algorithm using two known drugs against T.cruzi: Benznidazole and Nifurtimox. Also, we have checked the performance of the cell detection with manual inspection of the images. Finally, from the titration of the two compounds, we confirm that the algorithm provides the expected half maximal effective concentration (EC50) of the anti-T. cruzi activity. PMID:24503652

Sex-linked strategies of human reproductive behavior.

PubMed

Jaffe, K; Urribarri, D; Chacon, G C; Diaz, G; Torres, A; Herzog, G

1993-01-01

We present data on fertility characteristics in the Venezuelan population for each sex separately, allowing a detailed comparative analysis of the variance in fertility between males and females. We show that the fertility distribution for both sexes is discontinuous, that the average female has a larger number of offspring per individual than the average male, and that highly fertile males outnumber highly fertile females so that the total number of offspring produced by males and females is balanced. Results indicate that a few males are responsible for a relative higher fertility of the average female and that interactions between polyandric females with monogamic and polygynic males are common. Among the Yanomami, a relatively unacculturated hunter-gatherer-horticulturist tribe, similar differences in fertility distribution of both sexes are apparent. The data suggest that human populations contain statistically distinct subpopulations, with different reproductive strategies, suggesting the existence of complex interactions among human populations which are not evident from the study of individuals or groups.

Quality of life and use of health care resources among patients with chronic depression

PubMed Central

Villoro, Renata; Merino, María; Hidalgo-Vega, Alvaro

2016-01-01

Purpose This study estimates the health-related quality of life and the health care resource utilization of patients diagnosed with chronic depression (CD) in Spain. Patients and methods We used the Spanish National Health Survey 2011–2012, a cross-sectional survey representative at the national level, that selects people aged between 18 and 64 years (n=14,691). We estimated utility indices through the EuroQol five-dimensional descriptive system questionnaire included in the survey. We calculated percentage use of health care resources (medical visits, hospitalizations, emergency services, and drug consumption) and average number of resources used when available. A systematic comparison was made between people diagnosed with CD and other chronic conditions (OCCs). The chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to determine the statistical significance of differences between comparison groups. Multivariate analyses (Poisson regression, logistic regression, and linear regression) were also carried out to assess the relationship between quality of life and consumption of health care resources. Results Approximately, 6.1% of the subjects aged between 18 and 64 years were diagnosed with CD (average age 48.3±11 years, 71.7% females). After controlling for age, sex, and total number of comorbidities, a diagnosis of CD reduced utility scores by 0.09 (P<0.05) vs OCCs, and increased the average number of hospitalizations by 15%, the average number of days at hospital by 51%, and the average number of visits to emergency services by 15% (P<0.05). CD also increased the average number of visits to secondary care by 14% and visits to general practitioners by 4%. People with CD had a higher probability of consuming drugs than people with OCCs (odds ratio [OR]: 1.24, P<0.05), but only 38.6% took antidepressants. Conclusion People with CD had significantly lower health-related quality of life than people with OCCs. CD was associated with increased hospital length of stay and involved a higher consumption of emergency services and drugs than OCCs. PMID:27713651

Assessing the evolution of scientific publications in orthopedics journals from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan: a 12-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Jiang, Hua; Nong, Bingjin; Yang, Lijing; Zong, Shaohui; Zhan, Xinli; Wei, Qingjun; Xiao, Zengming

2016-06-17

In China, the field of orthopedics has experienced significant growth over the past 12 years. However, the recent status of research on orthopedics among individuals in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan is unknown. In this study, we investigated characteristics and trends of orthopedics publications from these three regions. Between 2003 and 2014, all articles published in 63 orthopedics journals originating from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were identified via Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) database. A survey was conducted to systematically analyze the published orthopedics articles from the three regions according to the numbers of articles, study design, impact factors (IFs), citations, most prolific authors, and institutions. Additionally, we evaluated global trends in orthopedics publications, and ranked top 10 countries in terms of the total number of published articles over 12 years and the number of published articles per year. A total number of 123,317 articles were published in the 63 orthopedics journals between 2003 and 2014. The worldwide number of annually published orthopedics articles tended to increase during the study period. The total number of orthopedics publications from the three regions, especially in mainland China, increased markedly from 2003 to 2014. The annual number of orthopedics articles from mainland China increased from 6 in 2003 to 813 in 2014, Hong Kong increased from 32 in 2003 to 71 in 2014, and Taiwan increased from 68 in 2003 to 168 in 2014. For accumulated IFs and total citations of articles, mainland China ranked the first place, followed by Taiwan and Hong Kong. However, publications from Taiwan had the highest average citations per article, and publications from Hong Kong had the highest average IFs. Among the top 10 most prolific authors and institutions, 4 authors and 4 institutions were from Taiwan, 3 authors and 4 institutions were from mainland China, and 3 authors and 2 institutions were from Hong Kong. The quantity of articles published in international orthopedics journals from mainland China presented a remarkable upward trend during the past 12 years. Given the relative size of the populations, it should be emphasized that mainland China still has a long way to go to achieve the academic performance of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

[26th Conference of the Spanish Society of Quality in Healthcare: a good balance between quality, innovation, science and participation].

PubMed

Astier-Peña, M P; Barrasa-Villar, I; García-Mata, J R; Aranaz-Andrés, J; Enriquez-Martín, N; Vela-Marquina, M L

2010-01-01

The experience and learning process of preparing a scientific conference programme, organising and conducting a conference ccompletes the quality circle with the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the process and results. The transmission of this experience and learning process through this paper will improve the performance of committees of future conference venues, partners and participants and collaborators. The method for performing this evaluation is the assessment of the activities of both the scientific and organising committees of the XXVI Conference of the Spanish Society of Quality Healthcare in October 2008 in Zaragoza. The methodology evaluated the observance of the timetable and tasks assigned to the committees in the Congress Manual of the society along with the presentation of final results of the congress concerning scientific participation and overall satisfaction. There were a total of 1211 communications with a rejection rate of 9.1%. Of the total, 577 communications were presented in oral format and 544 in poster format. Aragon was the community of origin of 24% of communications. By subject areas, those of most interest were patient safety, organisational and management processes, and patient perspectives. A total of 83 participants attended 7 of the 11 workshops offered. The average attendance for each workshop was 12 people. The response rate to the assessment of workshops questionnaire was 54.2% with an average score of 4 (scale of 1 to 5). A total of 1131 people attended the conference of which 17% (193) were SECA associates. Out of a total of 1075 overall satisfaction conference questionnaires distributed there was a response rate of 9.30% (100). The scientific content was assessed with an average score of 3.6 and the organization with 3.87, both on a total score of 5 points. According to the number of abstracts received, number of conferences, level of satisfaction with the scientific program and organisation, we can conclude that the XXVI Conference of the Society has been a success, although we are still in our continuous quality improvement circle that will make conferences even better. Copyright © 2010 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Transferability of STS markers in studying genetic relationships of marvel grass (Dichanthium annulatum).

PubMed

Saxena, Raghvendra; Chandra, Amaresh

2011-11-01

Transferability of sequence-tagged-sites (STS) markers was assessed for genetic relationships study among accessions of marvel grass (Dichanthium annulatum Forsk.). In total, 17 STS primers of Stylosanthes origin were tested for their reactivity with thirty accessions of Dichanthium annulatum. Of these, 14 (82.4%) reacted and a total 106 (84 polymorphic) bands were scored. The number of bands generated by individual primer pairs ranged from 4 to 11 with an average of 7.57 bands, whereas polymorphic bands ranged from 4 to 9 with an average of 6.0 bands accounts to an average polymorphism of 80.1%. Polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.222 to 0.499 and marker index (MI) from 1.33 to 4.49. Utilizing Dice coefficient of genetic similarity dendrogram was generated through un-weighted pairgroup method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) algorithm. Further, clustering through sequential agglomerative hierarchical and nested (SAHN) method resulted three main clusters constituted all accessions except IGBANG-D-2. Though there was intermixing of few accessions of one agro-climatic region to another, largely groupings of accessions were with their regions of collections. Bootstrap analysis at 1000 scale also showed large number of nodes (11 to 17) having strong clustering (> 50). Thus, results demonstrate the utility of STS markers of Stylosanthes in studying the genetic relationships among accessions of Dichanthium.

Feasibility of semiautomated MR volumetry using gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI at hepatobiliary phase for living liver donors.

PubMed

Lee, Jeongjin; Kim, Kyoung Won; Kim, So Yeon; Kim, Bohyoung; Lee, So Jung; Kim, Hyoung Jung; Lee, Jong Seok; Lee, Moon Gyu; Song, Gi-Won; Hwang, Shin; Lee, Sung-Gyu

2014-09-01

To assess the feasibility of semiautomated MR volumetry using gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI at the hepatobiliary phase compared with manual CT volumetry. Forty potential live liver donor candidates who underwent MR and CT on the same day, were included in our study. Semiautomated MR volumetry was performed using gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI at the hepatobiliary phase. We performed the quadratic MR image division for correction of the bias field inhomogeneity. With manual CT volumetry as the reference standard, we calculated the average volume measurement error of the semiautomated MR volumetry. We also calculated the mean of the number and time of the manual editing, edited volume, and total processing time. The average volume measurement errors of the semiautomated MR volumetry were 2.35% ± 1.22%. The average values of the numbers of editing, operation times of manual editing, edited volumes, and total processing time for the semiautomated MR volumetry were 1.9 ± 0.6, 8.1 ± 2.7 s, 12.4 ± 8.8 mL, and 11.7 ± 2.9 s, respectively. Semiautomated liver MR volumetry using hepatobiliary phase gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI with the quadratic MR image division is a reliable, easy, and fast tool to measure liver volume in potential living liver donors. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Morphometric and electrophoretic analysis of 13 populations of Anatolian black pine in Turkey.

PubMed

Turna, Ibrahim; Yahyaoglu, Zeki; Yüksek, Filiz; Ayaz, F Ahmet; Guney, Deniz

2006-07-01

The genetic variation in populations of Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (L.) Holmboe.), one of the species covering large areas in Turkey, was investigated. Open pollinated seeds were collected from 13 populations in a natural distribution range. Six characters of seeds (length, width, ratio of length to width, weight/1000 seeds) and seedling characters (cotyledon number and hypocotyls height) and two enzyme systems viz. leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, (GOT) were investigated. Significant differences were detected among the populations for the morphological characters. In addition, isozyme patterns of two enzyme systems revealed that LAP has two loci (one with 2 alleles and the other with 3), while GOT has three loci (two with 3 alleles and the third one with 2 alleles). Polymorphic loci were 74% on the average. The mean number of alleles per loci was 1.94 and expected heterozygosity was 19%. The mean total genetic diversity was calculated as 0.203; the mean gene diversity within populations was determined as 0.188, and the average between subpopulations diversity was 0.016. The relative magnitude of genetic differentiation among subpopulations was measured as 0.074 indicating that only 7.4% of the total genetic diversity was there between populations. Average genetic distance was 0.093 according to Gregorius. Nei's genetic distance was 0.022.

Structure and coarsening at the surface of a dry three-dimensional aqueous foam.

PubMed

Roth, A E; Chen, B G; Durian, D J

2013-12-01

We utilize total-internal reflection to isolate the two-dimensional surface foam formed at the planar boundary of a three-dimensional sample. The resulting images of surface Plateau borders are consistent with Plateau's laws for a truly two-dimensional foam. Samples are allowed to coarsen into a self-similar scaling state where statistical distributions appear independent of time, except for an overall scale factor. There we find that statistical measures of side number distributions, size-topology correlations, and bubble shapes are all very similar to those for two-dimensional foams. However, the size number distribution is slightly broader, and the shapes are slightly more elongated. A more obvious difference is that T2 processes now include the creation of surface bubbles, due to rearrangement in the bulk, and von Neumann's law is dramatically violated for individual bubbles. But nevertheless, our most striking finding is that von Neumann's law appears to holds on average, namely, the average rate of area change for surface bubbles appears to be proportional to the number of sides minus six, but with individual bubbles showing a wide distribution of deviations from this average behavior.

Numerical simulation of the compressible Orszag-Tang vortex. Interim report, June 1988-February 1989

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

Dahlburg, R.B.; Picone, J.M.

Results of fully compressible, Fourier collocation, numerical simulations of the Orszag-Tang vortex system are presented. Initial conditions consist of a nonrandom, periodic field in which the magnetic and velocity fields contain X-points but differ in modal structure along one spatial direction. The velocity field is initially solenoidal, with the total initial pressure-field consisting of the superposition of the appropriate incompressible pressure distribution upon a flat pressure field corresponding to the initial, average flow Mach number of the flow. In the numerical simulations, this initial Mach number is varied from 0.2 to 0.6. These values correspond to average plasma beta valuesmore » ranging from 30.0 to 3.3, respectively. Compressible effects develop within one or two Alfven transit times, as manifested in the spectra of compressible quantities such as mass density and nonsolenoidal flow field. These effects include (1) retardation of growth of correlation between the magnetic field and the velocity field, (2) emergence of compressible small-scale structure such as massive jets, and (3) bifurcation of eddies in the compressible-flow field. Differences between the incompressible and compressible results tend to increase with increasing initial average Mach number.« less

Effects of inlet flow field conditions on the performance of centrifugal compressor diffusers: Part 1 -- Discrete-passage diffuser

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

Filipenco, V.G.; Deniz, S.; Johnston, J.M.

2000-01-01

This is Part 1 of a two-part paper considering the performance of radial diffusers for use in a high-performance centrifugal compressor. Part 1 reports on discrete-passage diffusers, while Part 2 describes a test of a straight-channel diffuser designed for equivalent duty. Two builds of discrete-passage diffuser were tested, with 30 and 38 separate passages. Both the 30 and 38 passage diffusers investigated showed comparable range of unstalled operation and similar level of overall diffuser pressure recovery. The paper concentrates on the influence of inlet flow conditions on the pressure recovery and operating range of radial diffusers for centrifugal compressor stages.more » The flow conditions examined include diffuser inlet Mach number, flow angle, blockage, and axial flow nonuniformity. The investigation was carried out in a specially built test facility, designed to provide a controlled inlet flow field to the test diffusers. The facility can provide a wide range of diffuser inlet velocity profile distortion and skew with Mach numbers up to unity and flow angles of 63 to 75 deg from the radical direction. The consequences of different averaging methods for the inlet total pressure distributions, which are needed in the definition of diffuser pressure recovery coefficient for nonuniform diffuser inlet conditions, were also assessed. The overall diffuser pressure recovery coefficient, based on suitably averaged inlet total pressure, was found to correlate well with the momentum-averaged flow angle into the diffuser. It is shown that the generally accepted sensitivity of diffuser pressure recovery performance to inlet flow distortion and boundary layer blockage can be largely attributed to inappropriate quantification of the average dynamic pressure at diffuser inlet. Use of an inlet dynamic pressure based on availability or mass-averaging in combination with definition of inlet flow angle based on mass average of the radial and tangential velocity at diffuser inlet removes this sensitivity.« less

Medical expenditures in division I collegiate athletics: an analysis by sport and gender.

PubMed

Kaeding, Christopher C; Borchers, James; Oman, Janine; Pedroza, Angela

2014-09-01

Medical expenses for collegiate athletics include providing a training room with its supplies, equipment, personnel costs, and insurance coverage. Additional expenses beyond the training room include imaging, diagnostic testing, specialty consultations, and surgeries. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in average expenses or number of claims between male and female athletes over a 5-year period. Prospective patient cohort. A sports medicine center serving athletes in Big 10 Conference intercollegiate sports. All medical claims and charges for 36 varsity teams were analyzed from 2005 to 2010. The teams were categorized into 3 groups: female-only teams, male-only teams, and coed teams. Analysis of sports with corresponding male and female teams was also performed. Claims and charges for medical care for 36 intercollegiate athletic teams over 5 years. Individual team claims and charges were stable over the study period. In 11 of the 14 sex-matched sports, the female teams had higher average annual charges. After normalizing for roster size in the sex-matched sports, females had 0.97 more average annual claims (P < 0.01) and $1459 higher annual charges (P = 0.001) than their male counterparts. The charges per claim were similar between the sexes. The 5 teams with the highest average annual charges were football, wrestling, softball, women's crew, and men's lacrosse. When normalized for roster size, the 5 sports with the highest average annual charges per athlete were softball, women's diving, men's basketball, wrestling, and men's gymnastics. Charges per claim were similar between the sex-matched sports, but the female sports had a higher number of annual claims per athlete and thus higher total charges per athlete/year. Football had the highest average annual total charges as a team, but when normalized for roster size football charges per athlete/year were similar to those of other sports.

To flap or not to flap: a discussion between a fish and a jellyfish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Nathan; Roh, Chris; Idrees, Suhail; Gharib, Morteza

2016-11-01

Fish and jellyfish are known to swim by flapping and by periodically contracting respectively, but which is the more effective propulsion mechanism? In an attempt to answer this question, an experimental comparison is made between simplified versions of these motions to determine which generates the greatest thrust for the least power. The flapping motion is approximated by pitching plates while periodic contractions are approximated by clapping plates. A machine is constructed to operate in either a flapping or a clapping mode between Reynolds numbers 1,880 and 11,260 based on the average plate tip velocity and span. The effect of the total sweep angle, total sweep time, plate flexibility, and duty cycle are investigated. The average thrust generated and power required per cycle are compared between the two modes when their total sweep angle and total sweep time are identical. In general, operating in the clapping mode required significantly more power to generate a similar thrust compared to the flapping mode. However, modifying the duty cycle for clapping caused the effectiveness to approach that of flapping with an unmodified duty cycle. These results suggest that flapping is the more effective propulsion mechanism within the range of Reynolds numbers tested. This work was supported by the Charyk Bio-inspired Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1144469, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships program.

Association between sequence variants in panicle development genes and the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

PubMed

Jang, Su; Lee, Yunjoo; Lee, Gileung; Seo, Jeonghwan; Lee, Dongryung; Yu, Yoye; Chin, Joong Hyoun; Koh, Hee-Jong

2018-01-15

Balancing panicle-related traits such as panicle length and the numbers of primary and secondary branches per panicle, is key to improving the number of spikelets per panicle in rice. Identifying genetic information contributes to a broader understanding of the roles of gene and provides candidate alleles for use as DNA markers. Discovering relations between panicle-related traits and sequence variants allows opportunity for molecular application in rice breeding to improve the number of spikelets per panicle. In total, 142 polymorphic sites, which constructed 58 haplotypes, were detected in coding regions of ten panicle development gene and 35 sequence variants in six genes were significantly associated with panicle-related traits. Rice cultivars were clustered according to their sequence variant profiles. One of the four resultant clusters, which contained only indica and tong-il varieties, exhibited the largest average number of favorable alleles and highest average number of spikelets per panicle, suggesting that the favorable allele combination found in this cluster was beneficial in increasing the number of spikelets per panicle. Favorable alleles identified in this study can be used to develop functional markers for rice breeding programs. Furthermore, stacking several favorable alleles has the potential to substantially improve the number of spikelets per panicle in rice.

Differences among breeds and manifestation of heterosis in AI boar sperm output.

PubMed

Smital, J; De Sousa, L L; Mohsen, A

2004-01-01

A total of 271,547 records of semen collections were utilized to appraise sperm characteristics of 3319 boars belonging to eight breeds: Czech Large White (CLW), Czech Landrace (CLA), Prestice Black-Pied (PBP), Czech Meat Pig (CM), Hampshire (HA), Duroc (DC), Pietrain (PN), Large White (LW), and various crosses of these breeds. The data was collected over 8 years (1990-1997) from insemination stations for boars in the Czech Republic. The assessment of sperm output was based on semen volume, number of total spermatozoa and number of viable spermatozoa. A linear model was used for statistical analysis included fixed effects of breed or crossbred combinations, boar within breed or crossbred combinations, year-season, and linear and quadratic regression on age of boars at collection and on interval between collections. The average semen volume of boars ranged from 161 to 349 ml, number of total spermatozoa from 81x10(9) to 119x10(9) and number of viable spermatozoa from 60x10(9) to 86x10(9). The lowest values were detected in DC while the highest were observed in LW. In general, sperm output significantly differed across breeds and their crossbreeds. The highest heterosis effect for semen volume was 30.6% (HA x PN), for number of total spermatozoa 18.2% (HA x PN) and 10.4% for number of viable spermatozoa (CLA x DC). Sperm output varied with season, including high values in autumn and winter and low ones in spring and summer.

Indexed triangle strips optimization for real-time visualization using genetic algorithm: preliminary study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Kiyoshi; Takano, Shuichi; Sugimura, Tatsuo

2000-10-01

In this work we focus on the indexed triangle strips that is an extended representation of triangle strips to improve the efficiency for geometrical transformation of vertices, and present a method to construct optimum indexed triangle strips using Genetic Algorithm (GA) for real-time visualization. The main objective of this work is how to optimally construct indexed triangle strips by improving the ratio that reuses the data stored in the cash memory and simultaneously reducing the total index numbers with GA. Simulation results verify that the average index numbers and cache miss ratio per polygon cold be small, and consequently the total visualization time required for the optimum solution obtained by this scheme could be remarkably reduced.

Modeling the cost of influenza: the impact of missing costs of unreported complications and sick leave

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Estimating the economic impact of influenza is complicated because the disease may have non-specific symptoms, and many patients with influenza are registered with other diagnoses. Furthermore, in some countries like Norway, employees can be on paid sick leave for a specified number of days without a doctor's certificate ("self-reported sick leave") and these sick leaves are not registered. Both problems result in gaps in the existing literature: costs associated with influenza-related illness and self-reported sick leave are rarely included. The aim of this study was to improve estimates of total influenza-related health-care costs and productivity losses by estimating these missing costs. Methods Using Norwegian data, the weekly numbers of influenza-attributable hospital admissions and certified sick leaves registered with other diagnoses were estimated from influenza-like illness surveillance data using quasi-Poisson regression. The number of self-reported sick leaves was estimated using a Monte-Carlo simulation model of illness recovery curves based on the number of certified sick leaves. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted on the economic outcomes. Results During the 1998/99 through 2005/06 influenza seasons, the models estimated an annual average of 2700 excess influenza-associated hospitalizations in Norway, of which 16% were registered as influenza, 51% as pneumonia and 33% were registered with other diagnoses. The direct cost of seasonal influenza totaled US$22 million annually, including costs of pharmaceuticals and outpatient services. The annual average number of working days lost was predicted at 793 000, resulting in an estimated productivity loss of US$231 million. Self-reported sick leave accounted for approximately one-third of the total indirect cost. During a pandemic, the total cost could rise to over US$800 million. Conclusions Influenza places a considerable burden on patients and society with indirect costs greatly exceeding direct costs. The cost of influenza-attributable complications and the cost of self-reported sick leave represent a considerable part of the economic burden of influenza. PMID:21106057

Nutritional Considerations for Physical Fitness in the Elderly.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniel, Michael L.; And Others

On the average, the diet of the elderly in this country is adequate, except possibly in total caloric intake and the intake of calcium. Many deficiencies may exist in specific ethnic, demographic, and economic subpopulations. A number of factors might enter into causing these general and specific problems, of which drug-to-drug and drug-to-food…

78 FR 78503 - Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-26

... landline and/or a personal cell phone. Estimated Number of Respondents--30 pretest respondents, 6,000... a total of 12,460 respondents. Estimated Time per Response--20 minutes per pretest and main survey... survey will be preceded by a pretest administered to 30 respondents. Interview length will average 20...

Forest statistics for Central Georgia, 1989

Treesearch

Michael T. Thompson

1989-01-01

Since 1982, area of timberland in Central Georgia has increased 2.5 percent and now totals 7.2 million acres. Nonindustrial private owners control 68 percent of the region's timberland. The annual rate of stand regeneration more than doubled and averaged more than 217,000 acres each year. Number of live 2-inch softwood trees increased 17 percent. Volume of...

The Relationship of Life Events to Academic Performance in College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Samuel

Numerous studies have shown a correlation between life events and physical health, mental health, and behavioral measures such as impaired grade point average. Most of these studies have measured stressfulness by summing the total number of events experienced in a given time period. However, Vinokur and Selzer have shown that the amount of…

Analysis of Transportation Energy Consumption: En Route Towards Carbon Reduction for Sustainable Campus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukor, Nur Sabahiah Abdul; Asmah Hassan, Sitti

2017-08-01

This paper reports the estimation of transportation energy consumption based on the travel behaviour characteristics of the population in the Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia. The travel behaviour characteristics include the travel distance, travel speed, number of trips per day, and modal share of the transport, which only focused on the trips that were made inside the campus. The travel behaviour data were collected through online and pencil-and-paper questionnaire survey involving 1000 respondents including staffs and students, which is equivalent to 25% of the total population. The result from the survey showed that a total of 1897 trips per day were made by the motorised vehicle owners including car and motorcycle owners. The total trip length per day was 1056.29 km with an average speed of 45km/h. The average trip for each person was four trips per day. The estimate energy consumption from the motorised vehicles in this campus was reported to be 1.25E9 MJ.

Top 100 Most-cited Articles on Pituitary Adenoma: A Bibliometric Analysis.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaopeng; Gao, Lu; Wang, Zihao; Feng, Chenzhe; Xing, Bing

2018-06-02

Many articles have been published on pituitary adenomas. Bibliometric analyses are helpful for determining the most impactful studies within a field. To identify the top 100 most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas using the bibliometric analysis method. We searched the Thomson Reuters Web of Science on March 31, 2018. Articles were listed in descending order by the total citation (TC) number, and the most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas were identified and analyzed. The most-cited articles were published between 1970 and 2014, with 1999 as the most prolific year. Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma was the most commonly studied tumor subtype (43%), and in clinical studies, treatment options and follow-up were the most important research focuses (62%). The average number of TCs was 326, and the average number of annual citations (ACs) was 17. More review articles were published in the last decade, and the average number of ACs was higher for this decade than for previous decades. Twenty-one articles were recognized as "Citation Classics" with a TC number>400. Twenty-five journals published the top 100 works; the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the most articles (25%). The most articles (43%) were published in the United States. S. Melmed authored the greatest number of publications (14%). Departments of Medicine (32%) and Endocrinology (32%) contributed to the largest number of articles. This study identified the research focuses and trends regarding pituitary adenoma and provides key references for investigators in guiding future pituitary adenoma research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stable isotope studies of nicotine kinetics and bioavailability

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

Benowitz, N.L.; Jacob, P. 3d.; Denaro, C.

1991-03-01

The stable isotope-labeled compound 3',3'-dideuteronicotine was used to investigate the disposition kinetics of nicotine in smokers, the systemic absorption of nicotine from cigarette smoke, and the bioavailability of nicotine ingested as oral capsules. Blood levels of labeled nicotine could be measured for 9 hours after a 30-minute intravenous infusion. Analysis of disposition kinetics in 10 healthy men revealed a multiexponential decline after the end of an infusion, with an elimination half-life averaging 203 minutes. This half-life was longer than that previously reported, indicating the presence of a shallow elimination phase. Plasma clearance averaged 14.6 ml/min/kg. The average intake of nicotinemore » per cigarette was 2.29 mg. A cigarette smoke-monitoring system that directly measured particulate matter in smoke was evaluated in these subjects. Total particulate matter, number of puffs on the cigarette, total puff volume, and time of puffing correlated with the intake of nicotine from smoking. The oral bioavailability of nicotine averaged 44%. This bioavailability is higher than expected based on the systemic clearance of nicotine and suggests that there may be significant extrahepatic metabolism of nicotine.« less

Mental health care and average happiness: strong effect in developed nations.

PubMed

Touburg, Giorgio; Veenhoven, Ruut

2015-07-01

Mental disorder is a main cause of unhappiness in modern society and investment in mental health care is therefore likely to add to average happiness. This prediction was checked in a comparison of 143 nations around 2005. Absolute investment in mental health care was measured using the per capita number of psychiatrists and psychologists working in mental health care. Relative investment was measured using the share of mental health care in the total health budget. Average happiness in nations was measured with responses to survey questions about life-satisfaction. Average happiness appeared to be higher in countries that invest more in mental health care, both absolutely and relative to investment in somatic medicine. A data split by level of development shows that this difference exists only among developed nations. Among these nations the link between mental health care and happiness is quite strong, both in an absolute sense and compared to other known societal determinants of happiness. The correlation between happiness and share of mental health care in the total health budget is twice as strong as the correlation between happiness and size of the health budget. A causal effect is likely, but cannot be proved in this cross-sectional analysis.

Latin American Clinical Epidemiology Network Series - Paper 6: The influence of alcohol in traffic accidents and health care costs of it in Bogotá-Colombia.

PubMed

Gómez-Restrepo, Carlos; Naranjo-Lujan, Salomé; Rondón, Martín; Acosta, Andrés; Maldonado, Patricia; Arango Villegas, Carlos; Hurtado, Jaime; Hernández, Juan Carlos; Angarita, María Del Pilar; Peña, Marcela; Saavedra, Miguel Ángel; Quitian, Hoover

2017-06-01

In Colombia, some studies have estimated medical costs associated to traffic accidents. It is required to assess results by city or region and determine the influence of variables such as alcohol consumption. The main objective of this study was to identify health care costs associated to traffic accidents in Bogota and determine whether alcohol consumption can increase them. Cross-sectional costs study conducted in patients over 18 years treated in the emergency rooms of six different hospitals in Bogota, Colombia. The average total cost of medical care per patient was 628 USD, in Bogota-Colombia. The average cost per accident was estimated at 1,349 USD. On average, the total cost for health care for patients with positive blood alcohol level was 1.8 times higher than those who did not consume alcohol. The indirect costs were on average 115.3 USD per injured person. Numbers are expressed in 2011 U.S. dollars. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of traffic accidents and direct medical health costs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Number size distribution of particulate emissions of heavy-duty engines in real world test cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Urs; Mohr, Martin; Schweizer, Thomas; Rütter, Josef

Five in-service engines in heavy-duty trucks complying with Euro II emission standards were measured on a dynamic engine test bench at EMPA. The particulate matter (PM) emissions of these engines were investigated by number and mass measurements. The mass of the total PM was evaluated using the standard gravimetric measurement method, the total number concentration and the number size distribution were measured by a Condensation Particle Counter (lower particle size cut-off: 7 nm) and an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (lower particle size: 32 nm), respectively. The transient test cycles used represent either driving behaviour on the road (real-world test cycles) or a type approval procedure. They are characterised by the cycle power, the average cycle power and by a parameter for the cycle dynamics. In addition, the particle number size distribution was determined at two steady-state operating modes of the engine using a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer. For quality control, each measurement was repeated at least three times under controlled conditions. It was found that the number size distributions as well as the total number concentration of emitted particles could be measured with a good repeatability. Total number concentration was between 9×10 11 and 1×10 13 particles/s (3×10 13-7×10 14 p/kWh) and mass concentration was between 0.09 and 0.48 g/kWh. For all transient cycles, the number mean diameter of the distributions lay typically at about 120 nm for aerodynamic particle diameter and did not vary significantly. In general, the various particle measurement devices used reveal the same trends in particle emissions. We looked at the correlation between specific gravimetric mass emission (PM) and total particle number concentration. The correlation tends to be influenced more by the different engines than by the test cycles.

Review the number of accidents in Tehran over a two-year period and prediction of the number of events based on a time-series model

PubMed Central

Teymuri, Ghulam Heidar; Sadeghian, Marzieh; Kangavari, Mehdi; Asghari, Mehdi; Madrese, Elham; Abbasinia, Marzieh; Ahmadnezhad, Iman; Gholizadeh, Yavar

2013-01-01

Background: One of the significant dangers that threaten people’s lives is the increased risk of accidents. Annually, more than 1.3 million people die around the world as a result of accidents, and it has been estimated that approximately 300 deaths occur daily due to traffic accidents in the world with more than 50% of that number being people who were not even passengers in the cars. The aim of this study was to examine traffic accidents in Tehran and forecast the number of future accidents using a time-series model. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2011. The sample population was all traffic accidents that caused death and physical injuries in Tehran in 2010 and 2011, as registered in the Tehran Emergency ward. The present study used Minitab 15 software to provide a description of accidents in Tehran for the specified time period as well as those that occurred during April 2012. Results: The results indicated that the average number of daily traffic accidents in Tehran in 2010 was 187 with a standard deviation of 83.6. In 2011, there was an average of 180 daily traffic accidents with a standard deviation of 39.5. One-way analysis of variance indicated that the average number of accidents in the city was different for different months of the year (P < 0.05). Most of the accidents occurred in March, July, August, and September. Thus, more accidents occurred in the summer than in the other seasons. The number of accidents was predicted based on an auto-regressive, moving average (ARMA) for April 2012. The number of accidents displayed a seasonal trend. The prediction of the number of accidents in the city during April of 2012 indicated that a total of 4,459 accidents would occur with mean of 149 accidents per day during these three months. Conclusion: The number of accidents in Tehran displayed a seasonal trend, and the number of accidents was different for different seasons of the year. PMID:26120405

Work-related accidents among the Iranian population: a time series analysis, 2000–2011

PubMed Central

Karimlou, Masoud; Imani, Mehdi; Hosseini, Agha-Fatemeh; Dehnad, Afsaneh; Vahabi, Nasim; Bakhtiyari, Mahmood

2015-01-01

Background Work-related accidents result in human suffering and economic losses and are considered as a major health problem worldwide, especially in the economically developing world. Objectives To introduce seasonal autoregressive moving average (ARIMA) models for time series analysis of work-related accident data for workers insured by the Iranian Social Security Organization (ISSO) between 2000 and 2011. Methods In this retrospective study, all insured people experiencing at least one work-related accident during a 10-year period were included in the analyses. We used Box–Jenkins modeling to develop a time series model of the total number of accidents. Results There was an average of 1476 accidents per month (1476·05±458·77, mean±SD). The final ARIMA (p,d,q) (P,D,Q)s model for fitting to data was: ARIMA(1,1,1)×(0,1,1)12 consisting of the first ordering of the autoregressive, moving average and seasonal moving average parameters with 20·942 mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Conclusions The final model showed that time series analysis of ARIMA models was useful for forecasting the number of work-related accidents in Iran. In addition, the forecasted number of work-related accidents for 2011 explained the stability of occurrence of these accidents in recent years, indicating a need for preventive occupational health and safety policies such as safety inspection. PMID:26119774

Work-related accidents among the Iranian population: a time series analysis, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Karimlou, Masoud; Salehi, Masoud; Imani, Mehdi; Hosseini, Agha-Fatemeh; Dehnad, Afsaneh; Vahabi, Nasim; Bakhtiyari, Mahmood

2015-01-01

Work-related accidents result in human suffering and economic losses and are considered as a major health problem worldwide, especially in the economically developing world. To introduce seasonal autoregressive moving average (ARIMA) models for time series analysis of work-related accident data for workers insured by the Iranian Social Security Organization (ISSO) between 2000 and 2011. In this retrospective study, all insured people experiencing at least one work-related accident during a 10-year period were included in the analyses. We used Box-Jenkins modeling to develop a time series model of the total number of accidents. There was an average of 1476 accidents per month (1476·05±458·77, mean±SD). The final ARIMA (p,d,q) (P,D,Q)s model for fitting to data was: ARIMA(1,1,1)×(0,1,1)12 consisting of the first ordering of the autoregressive, moving average and seasonal moving average parameters with 20·942 mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The final model showed that time series analysis of ARIMA models was useful for forecasting the number of work-related accidents in Iran. In addition, the forecasted number of work-related accidents for 2011 explained the stability of occurrence of these accidents in recent years, indicating a need for preventive occupational health and safety policies such as safety inspection.

Ad libitum fluid consumption via self- or external administration.

PubMed

Yeargin, Susan W; Finn, Megan E; Eberman, Lindsey E; Gage, Matthew J; McDermott, Brendon P; Niemann, Andrew

2015-01-01

During team athletic events, athletic trainers commonly provide fluids with water bottles. When a limited number of water bottles exist, various techniques are used to deliver fluids. To determine whether fluid delivered via water-bottle administration influenced fluid consumption and hydration status. Crossover study. Outdoor field (22.2°C ± 3.5°C). Nineteen participants (14 men, 5 women, age = 30 ± 10 years, height = 176 ± 8 cm, mass = 72.5 ± 10 kg) were recruited from the university and local running clubs. The independent variable was fluid delivery with 3 levels: self-administration with mouth-to-bottle direct contact (SA-DC), self-administration with no contact between mouth and bottle (SA-NC), and external administration with no contact between the mouth and the bottle (EA-NC). Participants warmed up for 10 minutes before completing 5 exercise stations, after which an ad libitum fluid break was given, for a total of 6 breaks. We measured the fluid variables of total volume consumed, total number of squirts, and average volume per squirt. Hydration status via urine osmolality and body-mass loss, and perceptual variables for thirst and fullness were recorded. We calculated repeated-measures analyses of variance to assess hydration status, fluid variables, and perceptual measures to analyze conditions across time. The total volume consumed for EA-NC was lower than for SA-DC (P = .001) and SA-NC (P = .001). The total number of squirts for SA-DC was lower than for SA-NC (P = .009). The average volume per squirt for EA-NC was lower than for SA-DC (P = .020) and SA-NC (P = .009). Participants arrived (601.0 ± 21.3 mOsm/L) and remained (622.3 ± 38.3 mOsm/L) hydrated, with no difference between conditions (P = .544); however, the EA-NC condition lost more body mass than did the SA-DC condition (P = .001). There was no main effect for condition on thirst (P = .147) or fullness (P = .475). External administration of fluid decreased total volume consumed via a decreased average volume per squirt. The SA-DC method requires fewer squirts within a specific time frame. Fluid breaks every 15 minutes resulted in maintenance of euhydration; however, loss of body mass was influenced by fluid administration. Athletic trainers should avoid external administration to promote positive hydration behaviors. When fluid is self-administered, individual bottles may be the best clinical practice because more volume can be consumed per squirt.

Operating room metrics score card-creating a prototype for individualized feedback.

PubMed

Gabriel, Rodney A; Gimlich, Robert; Ehrenfeld, Jesse M; Urman, Richard D

2014-11-01

The balance between reducing costs and inefficiencies with that of patient safety is a challenging problem faced in the operating room suite. An ongoing challenge is the creation of effective strategies that reduce these inefficiencies and provide real-time personalized metrics and electronic feedback to anesthesia practitioners. We created a sample report card structure, utilizing existing informatics systems. This system allows to gather and analyze operating room metrics for each anesthesia provider and offer personalized feedback. To accomplish this task, we identified key metrics that represented time and quality parameters. We collected these data for individual anesthesiologists and compared performance to the overall group average. Data were presented as an electronic score card and made available to individual clinicians on a real-time basis in an effort to provide effective feedback. These metrics included number of cancelled cases, average turnover time, average time to operating room ready and patient in room, number of delayed first case starts, average induction time, average extubation time, average time to recovery room arrival to discharge, performance feedback from other providers, compliance to various protocols, and total anesthetic costs. The concept we propose can easily be generalized to a variety of operating room settings, types of facilities and OR health care professionals. Such a scorecard can be created using content that is important for operating room efficiency, research, and practice improvement for anesthesia providers.

Intravenous Lipid Emulsion as an Antidote for the Treatment of Acute Poisoning: A Bibliometric Analysis of Human and Animal Studies.

PubMed

Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Waring, W Stephen; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sweileh, Waleed M; Rahhal, Belal; Awang, Rahmat

2016-11-01

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the role of intravenous lipid formulations as potential antidotes in patients with severe cardiotoxicity caused by drug toxicity. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of all human and animal studies featuring lipid emulsion as an antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning. The Scopus database search was performed on 5 February 2016 to analyse the research output related to intravenous lipid emulsion as an antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning. Research indicators used for analysis included total number of articles, date (year) of publication, total citations, value of the h-index, document types, countries of publication, journal names, collaboration patterns and institutions. A total of 594 articles were retrieved from Scopus database for the period of 1955-2015. The percentage share of global intravenous lipid emulsion research output showed that research output was 85.86% in 2006-2015 with yearly average growth in this field of 51 articles per year. The USA, United Kingdom (UK), France, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Australia, China, Turkey and Japan accounted for 449 (75.6%) of all the publications. The total number of citations for all documents was 9,333, with an average of 15.7 citations per document. The h-index of the retrieved documents for lipid emulsion research as antidote for the treatment of acute poisoning was 49. The USA and the UK achieved the highest h-indices, 34 and 14, respectively. New Zealand produced the greatest number of documents with international collaboration (51.9%) followed by Australia (50%) and Canada (41.4%) out of the total number of publications for each country. In summary, we found an increase in the number of publications in the field of lipid emulsion after 2006. The results of this study demonstrate that the majority of publications in the field of lipid emulsion were published by high-income countries. Researchers from institutions in the USA led scientific production on lipid emulsion research. There is an obvious need to promote a deeper engagement through international collaborative research projects and funding mechanisms. © 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung-Eun; Kim, Jin-Woo; Jee, Yong-Seok

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Excessive usage of smartphones may induce social problems, such as depression and impairment of social and emotional functioning. Moreover, its usage can impede physical activity, but the relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity is obscure. Therefore, we examined the relationship and the impact of excessive smartphone use on physical activity. Methods This study collected data through the structured questionnaire consisting of general characteristics, the number and hours of smartphone usage, and the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) from 110 Chinese international students in Korea. The body composition and physical activity, such as the total daily number of steps and consumed calories, were measured. Results In this study, high-risk smartphone users showed less physical activity, such as the total number of steps taken and the average consumed calories per day. Moreover, their body composition, such as muscle mass and fat mass, was significantly different. Among these factors, the hours of smartphone use revealed the proportional relationship with smartphone addiction (β = 0.209, p = 0.026), while the average number of walking steps per day showed a significant reverse proportional tendency in participants with smartphone addiction (β = –0.883, p < 0.001). Conclusions Participants with smartphone addiction were less likely to walk for each day. Namely, smartphone addiction may negatively influence physical health by reducing the amount of physical activity, such as walking, resulting in an increase of fat mass and a decrease of muscle mass associated with adverse health consequences. PMID:26551911

Relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity in Chinese international students in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sung-Eun; Kim, Jin-Woo; Jee, Yong-Seok

2015-09-01

Excessive usage of smartphones may induce social problems, such as depression and impairment of social and emotional functioning. Moreover, its usage can impede physical activity, but the relationship between smartphone addiction and physical activity is obscure. Therefore, we examined the relationship and the impact of excessive smartphone use on physical activity. This study collected data through the structured questionnaire consisting of general characteristics, the number and hours of smartphone usage, and the Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) from 110 Chinese international students in Korea. The body composition and physical activity, such as the total daily number of steps and consumed calories, were measured. In this study, high-risk smartphone users showed less physical activity, such as the total number of steps taken and the average consumed calories per day. Moreover, their body composition, such as muscle mass and fat mass, was significantly different. Among these factors, the hours of smartphone use revealed the proportional relationship with smartphone addiction (β = 0.209, p = 0.026), while the average number of walking steps per day showed a significant reverse proportional tendency in participants with smartphone addiction (β = -0.883, p < 0.001). Participants with smartphone addiction were less likely to walk for each day. Namely, smartphone addiction may negatively influence physical health by reducing the amount of physical activity, such as walking, resulting in an increase of fat mass and a decrease of muscle mass associated with adverse health consequences.

Real-Time Ultrafine Aerosol Measurements from Wastewater Treatment Facilities.

PubMed

Piqueras, P; Li, F; Castelluccio, V; Matsumoto, M; Asa-Awuku, A

2016-10-18

Airborne particle emissions from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) have been associated with health repercussions but particulate quantification studies are scarce. In this study, particulate matter (PM) number concentrations and size distributions in the ultrafine range (7-300 nm) were measured from two different sources: a laboratory-scale aerobic bioreactor and the activated sludge aeration basins at Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD). The relationships between wastewater parameters (total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS)), aeration flow rate and particle concentrations were also explored. A significant positive relationship was found between particle concentration and WWTP variables (COD: r(10) = 0.876, p <.001, TOC: r(10) = 0.664, p <.05, TSS: r(10) = 0.707, p <.05, aeration flow rate: r(8) = 0.988, p <.0001). A theoretical model was also developed from empirical data to compare real world WWTP aerosol number emission fluxes with laboratory data. Aerosol number fluxes at OCSD aerated basins (9.8 × 10 4 lbs/min·cm 2 ) and the bioreactor (7.95 × 10 4 lbs/min·cm 2 ) were calculated and showed a relatively small difference (19%). The ultrafine size distributions from both systems were consistent, with a mode of ∼48 nm. The average mass concentration (7.03 μg/cm 3 ) from OCSD was relatively small compared to other urban sources. However, the in-tank average number concentration of airborne particles (14 480 lbs/cm 3 ) was higher than background ambient concentrations.

What happens after the implementation of electronic locking devices for adolescents at cigarette vending machines? A natural longitudinal experiment from 2005 to 2009 in Germany.

PubMed

Schneider, Sven; Gruber, Johannes; Yamamoto, Shelby; Weidmann, Christian

2011-08-01

As of January 01, 2007, electronic locking devices based on proof of age (electronic cash cards or European driving licenses) were installed on 500,000 cigarette vending machines across Germany to restrict the purchase of cigarettes to those over the age of 16 years. In 2009, the age limit was raised to 18 years. The aim of this study was to compare the number of cigarette vending machines and other commercial sources before and after the enactment of the new law and to examine the association between commercial cigarette sources and area socioeconomic status (SES). We recorded and mapped using Geographical Information System software the total number of commercial cigarette sources in 4 selected districts in the major German city of Cologne. The city was the ideal setting for this study as we were able to use existing sociogeographical data from this area. We compiled a complete inventory of commercial cigarette sources in autumn 2005 and 2009. An interim inventory was also completed in 2007. Between 2005 and 2009, the total number of cigarette sources decreased from 369 to 325 within the study area. Although the most obvious reduction was detected in the number of outdoor vending machines (-44%), the number of indoor vending machines also decreased by 5%. In 2005 as well as in 2009, we found significantly fewer commercial cigarette sources in districts with above-average SES than in districts with below-average SES. Although the number of overall cigarette vending machines decreased, the disparity in distribution of cigarette sources between socially advantaged and disadvantaged areas increased.

Early stages of island development in a mountain river recovering from channelization and channel incision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikuś, Paweł; Walusiak, Edward; Wyżga, Bartłomiej; Liro, Maciej; Zawiejska, Joanna

2017-04-01

Development of islands in the Raba River, Polish Carpathians was investigated to document its early stages in a mountain river recovering from channelization and channel incision and verify whether islands can significantly contribute to the overall plant diversity of the river corridor. In the 20th century the heavily channelized Raba incised deeply in its mountain course, but a few years ago an erodible river corridor was established in its 3 km-long reach. Resignation from the maintenance of channelization structures in the reach about 10 years ago and the passage of two large floods in 2010 and 2014 resulted in up to a threefold increase in channel width, re-establishment of a multi-thread channel pattern and development of islands in the widened channel. Similar to other European mountain rivers, in the Raba islands originate as a result of deposition and sprouting of living driftwood of Salicaceae. Monitoring of islands in the study reach performed each year between 2011 and 2016 documented an increase in the number of islands from 28 to 42, in average island age from 2.8 to 5.0 years, in total island area from 0,39 ha to 1,75 ha and in average island area from 139 m2 to 418 m2. However, the increase in these parameters was not steady, but moderated by processes of island erosion by flood flows, island establishment shortly after major floods (increasing the number and reducing the average age and area of islands) and island coalescence in the years without major floods (with the opposite effects on the island parameters). The total number of vascular plant species fluctuated between 142 and 202 in particular years. An inventory of plant species on islands and plots of riparian forest performed in 2012 indicated that islands supported a greater total number of species than the adjacent riparian forest and that particular islands supported a significantly greater number of biennial and annual plants than riparian forest plots. An inventory performed in 2015 documented similar total numbers of plant species in the two types of habitats and indicated that for any life form of plants, the number of their species on islands did not exceed that on riparian forest plots. This study indicates that (i) island re-establishment in the river was initiated by substantial channel widening, (ii) varying flood magnitudes exert a considerable influence on the trajectory of island development, and (iii) the contribution of islands to the overall species richness of the riparian corridor can be highly variable at early stages of island re-establishment depending on hydrological conditions and the state of islands in a given year. This study was performed within the scope of the Research Project 2015/19/N/ST10/01501 financed by the National Science Centre of Poland.

Retrofit Weight-Loss Outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 Months and Characteristics of 12-Month High Performers: A Retrospective Analysis

PubMed Central

Hanson, Nicholas Buck; Kachin, Kevin; Berger, Jan

2016-01-01

Background Obesity is the leading cause of preventable death costing the health care system billions of dollars. Combining self-monitoring technology with personalized behavior change strategies results in clinically significant weight loss. However, there is a lack of real-world outcomes in commercial weight-loss program research. Objective Retrofit is a personalized weight management and disease-prevention solution. This study aimed to report Retrofit’s weight-loss outcomes at 6, 12, and 24 months and characterize behaviors, age, and sex of high-performing participants who achieved weight loss of 10% or greater at 12 months. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed from 2011 to 2014 using 2720 participants enrolled in a Retrofit weight-loss program. Participants had a starting body mass index (BMI) of >25 kg/m² and were at least 18 years of age. Weight measurements were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months in the program to evaluate change in body weight, BMI, and percentage of participants who achieved 5% or greater weight loss. A secondary analysis characterized high-performing participants who lost ≥10% of their starting weight (n=238). Characterized behaviors were evaluated, including self-monitoring through weigh-ins, number of days wearing an activity tracker, daily step count average, and engagement through coaching conversations via Web-based messages, and number of coaching sessions attended. Results Average weight loss at 6 months was −5.55% for male and −4.86% for female participants. Male and female participants had an average weight loss of −6.28% and −5.37% at 12 months, respectively. Average weight loss at 24 months was −5.03% and −3.15% for males and females, respectively. Behaviors of high-performing participants were assessed at 12 months. Number of weigh-ins were greater in high-performing male (197.3 times vs 165.4 times, P=.001) and female participants (222 times vs 167 times, P<.001) compared with remaining participants. Total activity tracker days and average steps per day were greater in high-performing females (304.7 vs 266.6 days, P<.001; 8380.9 vs 7059.7 steps, P<.001, respectively) and males (297.1 vs 255.3 days, P<.001; 9099.3 vs 8251.4 steps, P=.008, respectively). High-performing female participants had significantly more coaching conversations via Web-based messages than remaining female participants (341.4 vs 301.1, P=.03), as well as more days with at least one such electronic message (118 vs 108 days, P=.03). High-performing male participants displayed similar behavior. Conclusions Participants on the Retrofit program lost an average of −5.21% at 6 months, −5.83% at 12 months, and −4.09% at 24 months. High-performing participants show greater adherence to self-monitoring behaviors of weighing in, number of days wearing an activity tracker, and average number of steps per day. Female high performers have higher coaching engagement through conversation days and total number of coaching conversations. PMID:27549134

Match-play activity profile in professional soccer players during official games and the relationship between external and internal load.

PubMed

Suarez-Arrones, L; Torreño, N; Requena, B; Sáez De Villarreal, E; Casamichana, D; Barbero-Alvarez, J C; Munguía-Izquierdo, D

2015-12-01

The aim was to quantify for the first time the physical and physiological profile of professional soccer players in official games using GPS and heart rate (HR) response. Thirty professional soccer players were investigated during a half in competitive club level matches (N.=348) using GPS devices. The relative total distance was 118.9±10.7 m∙min(-1) and player's Work-To-Rest Ratio was 2.1:1. Defenders covered the lowest total distance, while Second-Strikers (2(nd)S) and Wide-Midfielders (W-MD) traveled the greatest total distance. Defenders presented the lowest Work-To-Rest Ratio values. Playing position also impacted on all sprinting performance results, except in average sprint distance and time of sprint. The number of sprints and repeated-sprint sequences recorded by the W-MD and Strikers (S) were significantly greater than any other group. The average HR recorded was 87.1%HRmax and the relationship between the external and internal load value (Effindex) was 1.4 with significant differences in both between playing positions. W-MD recorded a significantly smaller average HR than any other group and Centre-Backs showed a significantly smaller Effindex value than any other group. Conversely, W-MD showed a significantly greater Effindex value than any other group, except the 2(nd)S. This study has verified a number of statistically significant differences between the different playing positions. Coaches should be focused on the specific physical and physiological requirements of the playing positions to optimize the training prescription in soccer. The relationships between external and internal load measures among position-specific indicates that players with less overall running performance during match-play were the worst in Effindex.

Methods to determine pumped irrigation-water withdrawals from the Snake River between Upper Salmon Falls and Swan Falls Dams, Idaho, using electrical power data, 1990-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maupin, Molly A.

1999-01-01

Pumped withdrawals compose most of the irrigation-water diversions from the Snake River between Upper Salmon Falls and Swan Falls Dams in southwestern Idaho. Pumps at 32 sites along the reach lift water as high as 745 feet to irrigate croplands on plateaus north and south of the river. The number of pump sites at which withdrawals are being continuously measured has been steadily decreasing, from 32 in 1990 to 7 in 1998. A cost-effective and accurate means of estimating annual irrigation-water withdrawals at pump sites that are no longer continuously measured was needed. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey began a study in 1998, as part of its Water-Use Program, to determine power-consumption coeffi- cients (PCCs) for each pump site so that withdrawals could be estimated by using electrical powerconsumption and total head data. PCC values for each pump site were determined by using withdrawal data that were measured by the U.S. Geological Survey during 1990–92 and 1994–95, energy data reported by Idaho Power Company during the same period, and total head data collected at each site during a field inventory in 1998. Individual average annual withdrawals for the 32 pump sites ranged from 1,120 to 44,480 acre-feet; average PCC values ranged from 103 to 1,248 kilowatthours per acre-foot. During the 1998 field season, power demand, total head, and withdrawal at 18 sites were measured to determine 1998 PCC values. Most of the 1998 PCC values were within 10 percent of the 5-year average, which demonstrates that withdrawals for a site that is no longer continuously measured can be calculated with reasonable accuracy by using the PCC value determined from this study and annual power-consumption data. K-factors, coefficients that describe the amount of energy necessary to lift water, were determined for each pump site by using values of PCC and total head and ranged from 1.11 to 1.89 kilowatthours per acre-foot per foot. Statistical methods were used to define the relations among PCC values and selected pumpsite characteristics. Multiple correlation analysis between average PCC values and total head, total horsepower, and total number of pumps revealed the strongest correlation was between average PCC and total head. Linear regression of these two variables resulted in a strong coefficient of determination R2=0 .9 86) and a representative K-factor of 1.463. Pump sites were subdivided into two groups on the basis of total head—0 to 300 feet and greater than 300 feet. Regression of average PCC values for eight pump sites with total head less than 300 feet produced a good correlation of determination (R2=0.870) and a representative K-factor of 1.682. The second group consisted of 10 pump sites with total head greater than 300 feet; regression produced a correlation of R2=0.939 and a representative K-factor of 1.405. Data on pump-site characteristics were successfully used to determine individual PCC and K-factor values. Statistical relations between pumpsite characteristics and PCC values were defined and used to determine regression equations that resulted in good coefficients of determination and representative K-factors. The individual PCC values will be used in the future to calculate irrigation- water withdrawals at sites that are no longer continuously measured. The representative K-factors and regression equations will be used to calculate irrigation-water withdrawals at sites that have not been previously measured and where total head and power consumption are known.

Abundance of host fish and frequency of glochidial parasitism in fish assessed in field and laboratory settings and frequency of juvenile mussels or glochidia recovered from hatchery-held fish, central and southeastern Texas, 2012-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braun, Christopher L.; Stevens, Charrish L.; Echo-Hawk, Patricia D.; Johnson, Nathan A.; Moring, James B.

2014-01-01

A total of 19 fish species collected at nine sites was submitted to the hatchery in 2013, and 14 of these species had juvenile mussels or glochidia that were recovered at the hatchery. The three most productive species, in terms of the average number of juvenile mussels or glochidia recovered, were longear sunfish, spotted bass, and largemouth bass, each of which averaged more than two juvenile mussels or glochidia recovered per individual.

Empirical comparison of heuristic load distribution in point-to-point multicomputer networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Dirk C.; Nazief, Bobby A. A.; Reed, Daniel A.

1990-01-01

The study compared several load placement algorithms using instrumented programs and synthetic program models. Salient characteristics of these program traces (total computation time, total number of messages sent, and average message time) span two orders of magnitude. Load distribution algorithms determine the initial placement for processes, a precursor to the more general problem of load redistribution. It is found that desirable workload distribution strategies will place new processes globally, rather than locally, to spread processes rapidly, but that local information should be used to refine global placement.

The Impact on Emergency Department Visits for Respiratory Illness During the Southern California Wildfires

PubMed Central

Dohrenwend, Paul B.; Le, Minh V.; Bush, Jeff A.; Thomas, Cyril F.

2013-01-01

Introduction: In 2007 wildfires ravaged Southern California resulting in the largest evacuation due to a wildfire in American history. We report how these wildfires affected emergency department (ED) visits for respiratory illness. Methods: We extracted data from a Kaiser Permanente database for a single metropolitan community ED. We compared the number of visits due to respiratory illness at time intervals of 2 weeks before and during the time when the fires were burning. We counted the total number of patients with chief complaint of dyspnea, cough, and asthma and final international classification of disease 9 coding diagnosis of asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory syndrome, and analyzed data for both total number and proportion of ED visits. We evaluated the data using Early Aberration Reporting System software to determine significant single-visit increases compared to expected counts. We also analyzed the average length of ED stay. Data on air quality were extracted from the http://www.airnow.gov site. Results: There were significant differences between pre-fire and fire period average visit counts for the chief complaints of dyspnea and asthma. Dypnea complaints increased by 3.2 visits per day. During the fire the diagnoses of asthma increased significantly by 2.6 patients per day. Air quality reached air quality index values of 300, indicating very unhealthy conditions. Average ED length of stay times remained unchanged during the fire period compared to the pre-fire period. Conclusion: The 2007 Southern California wildfires caused significant surges in the volume of ED patients seeking treatment for respiratory illness. Disaster plans should prepare for these surges when future wildfires occur. PMID:23599837

Trends and Cost of Posterior Cervical Fusions With and Without Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in the US Medicare Population.

PubMed

Myhre, Sue Lynn; Buser, Zorica; Meisel, Hans-Joerg; Brodke, Darrel S; Yoon, S Tim; Wang, Jeffrey C; Park, Jong-Beom; Youssef, Jim A

2017-06-01

Retrospective database review. To analyze and report the trends and cost of posterior cervical fusions (PCFs) with and without off-label recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) in the Medicare population. Patient records from the PearlDiver database were retrospectively reviewed from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2012, to distinguish individuals who underwent a PCF with or without rhBMP-2. Total numbers, incidence, age, gender, geographic region, reimbursement, and length of stay were analyzed and summarized. The combined total of non-rhBMP-2 (n = 39 479; 85.51%) and rhBMP-2 PCF (n = 6692; 14.49%) procedures performed between 2005 and 2012 was 46 171. In general, the number of PCFs without rhBMP-2 consistently increased over time, while the number of PCFs with rhBMP-2 had only a slight increase from 2005 to 2012. On average, PCFs without rhBMP-2 were associated with $1197 higher cost than those with rhBMP-2, but the average length of stay was similar (6 days). From 2005 to 2012, the average cost for procedures with and without rhBMP-2 increased by $12 605 and $7291, respectively. The percentage of rhBMP-2 use peaked in 2007 and dwindled until 2010, and declined an additional 2.84% from 2011 to 2012. Multiple age, region, and gender tendencies were observed. To our knowledge, this was the first study to use the PearlDiver database to report incidence and cost trends of PCF procedures. This article provides meaningful trend data on PCFs to surgeons and clinicians, researchers, and patients, as well as functions as a beacon for future research questions.

Prevalence and consequences of chromosomal abnormalities in Canadian commercial swine herds.

PubMed

Quach, Anh T; Revay, Tamas; Villagomez, Daniel A F; Macedo, Mariana P; Sullivan, Alison; Maignel, Laurence; Wyss, Stefanie; Sullivan, Brian; King, W Allan

2016-09-12

Structural chromosome abnormalities are well known as factors that reduce fertility rate in domestic pigs. According to large-scale national cytogenetic screening programs that are implemented in France, it is estimated that new chromosome abnormalities occur at a rate of 0.5 % in fertility-unproven boars. This work aimed at estimating the prevalence and consequences of chromosome abnormalities in commercial swine operations in Canada. We found pig carriers at a frequency of 1.64 % (12 out of 732 boars). Carrier pigs consistently showed lower fertility values. The total number of piglets born for litters from carrier boars was between 4 and 46 % lower than the herd average. Similarly, carrier boars produced litters with a total number of piglets born alive that was between 6 and 28 % lower than the herd average. A total of 12 new structural chromosome abnormalities were identified. Reproductive performance is significantly reduced in sires with chromosome abnormalities. The incidence of such abnormal sires appears relatively high in populations without routine cytogenetic screening such as observed for Canada in this study. Systematic cytogenetic screening of potential breeding boars would minimise the risk of carriers of chromosome aberrations entering artificial insemination centres. This would avoid the large negative effects on productivity for the commercial sow herds and reduce the risk of transmitting abnormalities to future generations in nucleus farms.

Performance of Mentik Wangi rice (Oryza sativa, L.) M2 generation from gamma ray irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, A.; Parjanto; Nandariyah; Wulandari, S.

2018-03-01

The objective of this research is to produce Mentik Wangi rice with shorter flowering age, shorter rice stem and high yield. This research was conducted in Palur Village, Mojolaban Sub-district, Sukoharjo District, from April to August 2016. This research used descriptive method, performed by observing each individual and comparing to the control average. Observational variables included plant height, total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, panicle length, number of grain per panicle, panicle density index, 1,000 filled seed weight, seed weight of cluster, flowering age and M2 mutant selection. The results showed that there were several plants indicated mutation, there were 7 plants indicate short stem mutation with height 85 cm to 97 cm. The plants which indicated short flowering age were 5 weeks after planting up to 6 weeks after planting. The mutated plants indicating of the highest number of productive tillers which were 27 up to 36. Each component result includes total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, number of grain of panicle as well as the weight of 1000 seeds in the plant indicated some mutation that has a high level of diversity in each treatment.

[Travel time and distances to Norwegian out-of-hours casualty clinics].

PubMed

Raknes, Guttorm; Morken, Tone; Hunskår, Steinar

2014-11-01

Geographical factors have an impact on the utilisation of out-of-hours services. In this study we have investigated the travel distance to out-of-hours casualty clinics in Norwegian municipalities in 2011 and the number of municipalities covered by the proposed recommendations for secondary on-call arrangements due to long distances. We estimated the average maximum travel times and distances in Norwegian municipalities using a postcode-based method. Separate analyses were performed for municipalities with a single, permanently located casualty clinic. Altogether 417 out of 430 municipalities were included. We present the median value of the maximum travel times and distances for the included municipalities. The median maximum average travel distance for the municipalities was 19 km. The median maximum average travel time was 22 minutes. In 40 of the municipalities (10 %) the median maximum average travel time exceeded 60 minutes, and in 97 municipalities (23 %) the median maximum average travel time exceeded 40 minutes. The population of these groups comprised 2 % and 5 % of the country's total population respectively. For municipalities with permanent emergency facilities(N = 316), the median average flight time 16 minutes and median average distance 13 km.. In many municipalities, the inhabitants have a long average journey to out-of-hours emergency health services, but seen as a whole, the inhabitants of these municipalities account for a very small proportion of the Norwegian population. The results indicate that the proposed recommendations for secondary on-call duty based on long distances apply to only a small number of inhabitants. The recommendations should therefore be adjusted and reformulated to become more relevant.

Numerical Analysis of the Trailblazer Inlet Flowfield for Hypersonic Mach Numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steffen, C. J., Jr.; DeBonis, J. R.

1999-01-01

A study of the Trailblazer vehicle inlet was conducted using the Global Air Sampling Program (GASP) code for flight Mach numbers ranging from 4-12. Both perfect gas and finite rate chemical analysis were performed with the intention of making detailed comparisons between the two results. Inlet performance was assessed using total pressure recovery and kinetic energy efficiency. These assessments were based upon a one-dimensional stream-thrust-average of the axisymmetric flowfield. Flow visualization utilized to examine the detailed shock structures internal to this mixed-compression inlet. Kinetic energy efficiency appeared to be the least sensitive to differences between the perfect gas and finite rate chemistry results. Total pressure recovery appeared to be the most sensitive discriminator between the perfect gas and finite rate chemistry results for flight Mach numbers above Mach 6. Adiabatic wall temperature was consistently overpredicted by the perfect gas model for flight Mach numbers above Mach 4. The predicted shock structures were noticeably different for Mach numbers from 6-12. At Mach 4, the perfect gas and finite rate chemistry models collapse to the same result.

Changing patterns in endotracheal intubation for anaesthesia trainees: a retrospective analysis of 80,000 cases over 10 years.

PubMed

Smith, N A; Tandel, A; Morris, R W

2011-07-01

Several overseas studies have suggested that opportunities for anaesthesia trainees to learn and practise endotracheal intubation have decreased over time. We analysed the operating theatre data collection system at a large Australian metropolitan teaching hospital from 1998 to 2008 to determine if numbers for trainees' caseloads in general, and endotracheal intubation in particular had changed. The total caseload per trainee of approximately 800 cases per year was stable throughout the study period. The number of gastrointestinal endoscopies per trainee increased significantly with a corresponding decrease in the number of other cases. The mean number of endotracheal intubations per trainee per year fell by 10% and of supraglottic devices by 16%, neither of which was statistically significant. Endotracheal intubation for caesarean sections did however fall significantly from an average of nine to an average of six cases per trainee per year. Our findings contrast with other reports of much larger decreases in the number of endotracheal intubations performed by trainees over the last decade, but suggest that our local practice is similar to the international experience of decreasing opportunities for endotracheal intubation in obstetric anaesthesia.

Determination and comparison of microbial loads in atmospheres of two hospitals in Izmir, Turkey.

PubMed

Aydin Çakir, Nergüze; Uçar, Füsun Bahriye; Haliki Uztan, Alev; Corbaci, Cengiz; Akpinar, Onur

2013-01-01

Nosocomial infections, also known as hospital-acquired infections, has become one of the most important health problems in health care units worldwide. The presented study aims to determine the average amount of microorganism loads and to show that the atmospheres of the two hospitals can be a potential source regarding nosocomial infections. The effect of surface and floor disinfection processes in the two hospitals and the antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates were also evaluated. Microorganisms were isolated from air samples collected from different areas (patient wards, corridors, operating theatres and postoperative units) of the two hospitals in Izmir. Sampling was conducted between December 2006 - March 2007. During the 3-month sampling period, the average number of live microorganisms in the air samples collected from second-class environments in the hospital 1 and the hospital 2 was found to be 224.44 and 536.66 cfu/m(3) , respectively. The average number of microorganisms in hospital 2 collected before the disinfection process was higher than those after the disinfection process. However, because of the closure of the air-conditioning system and the hepa filters after the disinfection process, this was reversed in hospital 1. In total, 54 and 42 isolates were obtained from hospital 1 and hospital 2, respectively. 49 isolates from hospital 1 and 35 isolates from hospital 2 were identified as Staphylacoccus sp. The remaining isolates were identified as Aerococcus sp. and Enterococcus sp. Pseudomonas sp. was not determined in the air samples of the two hospitals. It was detected that the microbial loads in the atmospheres of the two hospitals studied varied greatly depending on the number of people in the environment. As the results indicate, the total number of microorganisms in the atmospheres of operating theatres in both hospitals does not pose a threat according to the Air Microbe Index.

Reduction in nevus biopsies in patients monitored by total body photography.

PubMed

Truong, Amanda; Strazzulla, Lauren; March, Jordon; Boucher, Kenneth M; Nelson, Kelly C; Kim, Caroline C; Grossman, Douglas

2016-07-01

Total body photography (TBP) can facilitate identification of new and changing lesions. By confirming that particular nevi are stable, TBP may reduce nevus biopsies. We sought to determine the number and rate of nevus biopsies before and after TBP, and the factors associated with increased biopsy rate during monitoring by TBP. We reviewed records of all patients in 2 pigmented lesion clinics (PLCs) who received TBP and had 2 or more follow-up visits over a period of 2 years or longer. Before PLCs and TBP, the mean number of nevus biopsies per patient was 5.92 (589 patients) at a mean rate of 1.62 per year (160 patients). After TBP in PLCs, the same patients averaged 1.56 biopsies at a mean rate of 0.34 per year (P < 2 × 10(-16)). The entire cohort (926 patients) averaged similarly low post-TBP biopsy rates of less than 0.2 per year and per visit. Biopsy rates after TBP were positively correlated with decreased age, male gender, and family history of melanoma, but not nevus number. Some information was not available for some patients. Patients at risk for melanoma experienced a 3.8-fold reduction in nevus biopsies after TBP. Younger male patients with family history of melanoma had higher biopsy rates after TBP. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Economic Analysis of the Effects of Dropouts and State Tax Revenues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saterfiel, Thomas H.; Blackbourn, Richard

An analysis of the 1981 high school graduating class in Mississippi suggests that greater earnings for students and increased state revenues from income and sales taxes would result if the dropout rate could be reduced to the national average of 10 percent. Subtracting from the total first-grade enrollment (1969-70) both the number of 1981 private…

34 CFR 395.8 - Distribution and use of income from vending machines on Federal property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... blind vendor in any amount exceeding the average net income of the total number of blind vendors in the... 34 Education 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Distribution and use of income from vending machines on... use of income from vending machines on Federal property. (a) Vending machine income from vending...

34 CFR 395.8 - Distribution and use of income from vending machines on Federal property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... blind vendor in any amount exceeding the average net income of the total number of blind vendors in the... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Distribution and use of income from vending machines on... use of income from vending machines on Federal property. (a) Vending machine income from vending...

Early development of matched planted and naturally regenerated Douglas-fir stands after slash burning in the Cascade Range.

Treesearch

R.E. Miller; R.E. Bigley; S. Webster

1993-01-01

We compared matched planted and naturally regenerated plots in 35- to 38- year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) stands at seven locations in western Washington and Oregon. Total number of live stems is similar, but stands planted to Douglas fir average 26 more live stemslac of Douglas-fir and 39 fewer...

Sampling Utterances and Grammatical Analysis Revised (SUGAR): New Normative Values for Language Sample Analysis Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavelko, Stacey L.; Owens, Robert E., Jr.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to document whether mean length of utterance (MLU[subscript S]), total number of words (TNW), clauses per sentence (CPS), and/or words per sentence (WPS) demonstrated age-related changes in children with typical language and to document the average time to collect, transcribe, and analyze conversational…

Ozone and nitrogen dioxide above the northern Tien Shan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arefev, Vladimir N.; Volkovitsky, Oleg A.; Kamenogradsky, Nikita E.; Semyonov, Vladimir K.; Sinyakov, Valery P.

1994-01-01

The results of systematic perennial measurements of the total ozone (since 1979) and nitrogen dioxide column (since 1983) in the atmosphere in the European-Asian continent center above the mountainmass of the Tien Shan are given. This region is distinguished by a great number of sunny days during a year. The observation station is at the Northern shore of Issyk Kul Lake (42.56 N 77.04 E 1650 m above the sea level). The measurement results are presented as the monthly averaged atmospheric total ozone and NO2 stratospheric column abundances (morning and evening). The peculiarities of seasonal variations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents, their regular variances with a quasi-biennial cycles and trends have been noticed. Irregular variances of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents, i.e. their positive and negative anomalies in the monthly averaged contents relative to the perennial averaged monthly means, have been analyzed. The synchronous and opposite in phase anomalies in variations of ozone and nitrogen dioxide atmospheric contents were explained by the transport and zonal circulation in the stratosphere (Kamenogradsky et al., 1990).

Superlinear scaling of offspring at criticality in branching processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saichev, A.; Sornette, D.

2014-01-01

For any branching process, we demonstrate that the typical total number rmp(ντ) of events triggered over all generations within any sufficiently large time window τ exhibits, at criticality, a superlinear dependence rmp(ντ)˜(ντ)γ (with γ >1) on the total number ντ of the immigrants arriving at the Poisson rate ν. In branching processes in which immigrants (or sources) are characterized by fertilities distributed according to an asymptotic power-law tail with tail exponent 1<γ ⩽2, the exponent of the superlinear law for rmp(ντ) is identical to the exponent γ of the distribution of fertilities. For γ >2 and for standard branching processes without power-law distribution of fertilities, rmp(ντ)˜(ντ)2. This scaling law replaces and tames the divergence ντ /(1-n) of the mean total number R¯t(τ) of events, as the branching ratio (defined as the average number of triggered events of first generation per source) tends to 1. The derivation uses the formalism of generating probability functions. The corresponding prediction is confirmed by numerical calculations, and an heuristic derivation enlightens its underlying mechanism. We also show that R¯t(τ) is always linear in ντ even at criticality (n =1). Our results thus illustrate the fundamental difference between the mean total number, which is controlled by a few extremely rare realizations, and the typical behavior represented by rmp(ντ).

Total knee arthroplasty after high tibial osteotomy. A comparison study in patients who had bilateral total knee replacement.

PubMed

Meding, J B; Keating, E M; Ritter, M A; Faris, P M

2000-09-01

The outcome of total knee replacement after high tibial osteotomy remains uncertain. We hypothesized that the results of total knee replacement with or without a previous high tibial osteotomy are similar. The results of a consecutive series of thirty-nine bilateral total knee arthroplasties performed with cement at an average of 8.7 years after unilateral high tibial osteotomy were reviewed. There were twenty-seven men and twelve women. Preoperatively, the knee scores according to the system of the Knee Society were similar for all of the knees; however, valgus alignment and patella infera were more common in the knees with a previous high tibial osteotomy. Bilateral total knee replacement was staged in seven patients and was simultaneous in thirty-two patients. The results of the total knee arthroplasties were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the knee and function scores according to the system of the Knee Society, the radiographic findings, and the complications. Intraoperatively, no notable differences were identified in the number of medial, lateral, or lateral patellar releases required. However, less lateral tibial bone was resected in the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy (average, 3.3 millimeters) than in the group without a high tibial osteotomy (average, 7.5 millimeters). The average duration of follow-up was 7.5 years (range, three to sixteen years) in the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy and 6.8 years (range, two to ten years) in the group without a high tibial osteotomy. At the time of the final follow-up, the knee and function scores were similar for the two groups (89.0 and 81.0 points, respectively, for the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy, and 89.6 and 83.9 points, respectively, for the group without a high tibial osteotomy). Although more knees were free of pain in the group without a previous high tibial osteotomy (thirty-six) than in the group with a previous osteotomy (thirty-three), this difference was not found to be significant with the numbers available (p = 0.4810). Knee alignment and stability, femoral and tibial component alignment, and range of motion also were similar in both groups postoperatively. One allpolyethylene tibial component was revised in the high tibial osteotomy group. Two knees in each group required manipulation. There were no deep infections. While patients with a previous high tibial osteotomy may have important differences preoperatively, including valgus alignment, patella infera, and decreased bone stock in the proximal part of the tibia, the present study suggests that the clinical and radiographic results of primary total knee arthroplasty in knees with and without a previous high tibial osteotomy are not substantially different. In our relatively small group of patients, the previous high tibial osteotomy had no adverse effect on the outcome of the subsequent total knee replacement.

Patient-related and financial outcomes analysis of conventional full-arch rehabilitation versus the All-on-4 concept: a cohort study.

PubMed

Babbush, Charles A; Kanawati, Ali; Kotsakis, Georgios A; Hinrichs, James E

2014-04-01

Patient-related variables such as cost of treatment, length of the treatment period, and comfort provided by the interim prosthesis when treatment planning for full-arch rehabilitation are often neglected in dental publications. Two patient cohorts were followed up longitudinally in this study: the "All-on-4 treatment concept group" and the "historical group." The number of implants, total treatment time, number of surgical procedures, number of sinus grafts, necessity for immediate provisional implants, adjusted cost associated for treatment in each group, and the quality of interim prosthesis were compared. The total adjusted cost for patients receiving All-on-4 treatment concept averaged at $42,422 ± 3860 (&OV0556;31,392 ± 2856), whereas the mean total adjusted cost for the historical group was $57,944 ± 20,198 (&OV0556;42,879 ± 2113) (P = 0.01). The difference in cost had a mean value of $7307 (&OV0556;5407) per jaw. Factors associated with complexity of treatment and patient comfort, such as the quality of interim prosthesis, number of surgeries, and duration of treatment time, all significantly favored the All-on-4 treatment concept group in comparison with conventional treatment modalities. When implant rehabilitation of the total jaw is sought, the All-on-4 treatment concept should be considered the least costly and least time consuming treatment option.

Xerostomia and medication: a cross-sectional study in long-term geriatric wards.

PubMed

Desoutter, A; Soudain-Pineau, M; Munsch, F; Mauprivez, C; Dufour, T; Coeuriot, J-L

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of xerostomia in old people living in long-term geriatric wards, and to measure the relationship between xerostomia and etiologic factors such as age and medication (total number of medications, xerogenic medications, anticholinergic medications and medications that induce hypersialorrhea). An observational retrospective, comparative, multicentre epidemiological study. Long-term geriatric wards, in Reims, France. 769 old people living in long-term geriatric wards. Prevalence of xerostomia assessed from age, total number of medications, xerogenic medications, anticholinergic medications and those that induce hypersialorrhea. Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate Odds Ratios (OR) and their 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI). Among 769 old people (average age 84.6±8.4 years old), 287 residents suffered from xerostomia (37.3%). Significant predictors of xerostomia were: resident's age OR=1.56, 95% CI (1.30-1.88), p<0.0001 and anticholinergic medications OR=1.35, 95% CI (1.05-1.73), p=0.02. The only protective factor against xerostomia identified was medications that induce hypersialorrhea OR=0.81, 95% CI (0.67-0.98), p=0.03. The total number of medications and xerogenic medications did not play a significant role in xerostomia. Increasing Age and anticholinergic medications induce a dry mouth. Conversely, the total number of medications and xerogenic medications do not influence xerostomia. Medications that induce hypersialorrhea protect against the occurrence of dry mouth.

Distribution of randomly diffusing particles in inhomogeneous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yiwei; Kahraman, Osman; Haselwandter, Christoph A.

2017-09-01

Diffusion can be conceptualized, at microscopic scales, as the random hopping of particles between neighboring lattice sites. In the case of diffusion in inhomogeneous media, distinct spatial domains in the system may yield distinct particle hopping rates. Starting from the master equations (MEs) governing diffusion in inhomogeneous media we derive here, for arbitrary spatial dimensions, the deterministic lattice equations (DLEs) specifying the average particle number at each lattice site for randomly diffusing particles in inhomogeneous media. We consider the case of free (Fickian) diffusion with no steric constraints on the maximum particle number per lattice site as well as the case of diffusion under steric constraints imposing a maximum particle concentration. We find, for both transient and asymptotic regimes, excellent agreement between the DLEs and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of the MEs. The DLEs provide a computationally efficient method for predicting the (average) distribution of randomly diffusing particles in inhomogeneous media, with the number of DLEs associated with a given system being independent of the number of particles in the system. From the DLEs we obtain general analytic expressions for the steady-state particle distributions for free diffusion and, in special cases, diffusion under steric constraints in inhomogeneous media. We find that, in the steady state of the system, the average fraction of particles in a given domain is independent of most system properties, such as the arrangement and shape of domains, and only depends on the number of lattice sites in each domain, the particle hopping rates, the number of distinct particle species in the system, and the total number of particles of each particle species in the system. Our results provide general insights into the role of spatially inhomogeneous particle hopping rates in setting the particle distributions in inhomogeneous media.

Activity Levels in Healthy Older Adults: Implications for Joint Arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Thorp, Laura E.; Orozco, Diego; Block, Joel A.; Sumner, Dale R.; Wimmer, Markus A.

2012-01-01

This work evaluated activity levels in a group of healthy older adults to establish a target activity level for adults of similar age after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). With the decreasing age of TJA patients, it is essential to have a reference for activity level in younger patients as activity level affects quality of life and implant design. 54 asymptomatic, healthy older adults with no clinical evidence of lower extremity OA participated. The main outcome measure, average daily step count, was measured using an accelerometer-based activity monitor. On average the group took 8813 ± 3611 steps per day, approximately 4000 more steps per day than has been previously reported in patients following total joint arthroplasty. The present work provides a reference for activity after joint arthroplasty which is relevant given the projected number of people under the age of 65 who will undergo joint arthroplasty in the coming years. PMID:23577274

Cost of illness among patients with diabetic foot ulcer in Turkey

PubMed Central

Oksuz, Ergun; Malhan, Simten; Sonmez, Bilge; Numanoglu Tekin, Rukiye

2016-01-01

AIM To evaluate the annual cost of patients with Wagner grade 3-4-5 diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) from the public payer’s perspective in Turkey. METHODS This study was conducted focused on a time frame of one year from the public payer’s perspective. Cost-of-illness (COI) methodology, which was developed by the World Health Organization, was used in the generation of cost data. By following a clinical path with the COI method, the main total expenses were reached by multiplying the number of uses of each expense item, the percentage of cases that used them and unit costs. Clinical guidelines and real data specific to Turkey were used in the calculation of the direct costs. Monte Carlo Simulation was used in the study as a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The following were calculated in DFU treatment from the public payer’s perspective: The annual average per patient outpatient costs $579.5 (4.1%), imaging test costs $283.2 (2.0%), laboratory test costs $284.8 (2.0%), annual average per patient cost of intervention, rehabilitation and trainings $2291.7 (16.0%), annual average per patient cost of drugs used $2545.8 (17.8%) and annual average per patient cost of medical materials used in DFU treatment $735.0 (5.1%). The average annual per patient cost for hospital admission is $7357.4 (51.5%). The average per patient complication cost for DFU is $210.3 (1.5%). The average annual per patient cost of DFU treatment in Turkey is $14287.70. As a result of the sensitivity analysis, the standard deviation of the analysis was $5706.60 (n = 5000, mean = $14146.8, 95%CI: $13988.6-$14304.9). CONCLUSION The health expenses per person are $-PPP 1045 in 2014 in Turkey and the average annual per patient cost for DFU is 14-fold of said amount. The total health expense in 2014 in Turkey is $-PPP 80.3 billion and the total DFU cost has a 3% share in the total annual health expenses for Turkey. Hospital costs are the highest component in DFU disease costs. In order to prevent DFU, training of the patients at risk and raising consciousness in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) will provide benefits in terms of economy. Appropriate and efficient treatment of DM is a health intervention that can prevent complications. PMID:27795820

Hydrocarbon reservoirs of Gulf of Mexico

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

Ray, P.K.

1988-01-01

The statistical distribution of over 12,000 producible hydrocarbon reservoirs from various biostratigraphic intervals of the Gulf of Mexico is presented. The average number, thickness, volume, subsurface depth, and ecozone of depositional environments of the reservoirs are grouped according to biostratigraphic intervals, trends, and geographic areas. The upper Pliocene and Pleistocene reservoirs account for more than 77% of the total number. Within the Miocene trend, Bigenerina H in the western Gulf of Bigenerina A and Bigenerina 2 in the central Gulf show significant concentration of reservoirs. The average depth of production for all trends gets deeper, both from west and east,more » toward Ship Shoal-South Timbalier areas. The average thickness varies slightly between trends; however, variation between areas is more significant. A significant majority of the reservoirs of all trends in the entire Gulf is reported from the outer shelf-upper slope ecozones (E3 and E4). According to volume, the E3-E5 reservoirs can be classified into three groups; larger than 10,000 acre-ft/reservoir, 5,000 to 10,000 acre-ft/reservoir, and smaller than 5,000 acre-ft/reservoir.« less

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

Vinuesa, Ricardo; Fick, Lambert; Negi, Prabal

In the present document we describe a toolbox for the spectral-element code Nek5000, aimed at computing turbulence statistics. The toolbox is presented for a small test case, namely a square duct with L x = 2h, L y = 2h and L z = 4h, where x, y and z are the horizontal, vertical and streamwise directions, respectively. The number of elements in the xy-plane is 16 X 16 = 256, and the number of elements in z is 4, leading to a total of 1,204 spectral elements. A polynomial order of N = 5 is chosen, and the meshmore » is generated using the Nek5000 tool genbox. The toolbox presented here allows to compute mean-velocity components, the Reynolds-stress tensor as well as turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and Reynolds-stress budgets. Note that the present toolbox allows to compute turbulence statistics in turbulent flows with one homogeneous direction (where the statistics are based on time-averaging as well as averaging in the homogeneous direction), as well as in fully three-dimensional flows (with no periodic directions, where only time-averaging is considered).« less

A new formulation of the dispersion tensor in homogeneous porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdés-Parada, Francisco J.; Lasseux, Didier; Bellet, Fabien

2016-04-01

Dispersion is the result of two mass transport processes, namely molecular diffusion, which is a pure mixing effect and hydrodynamic dispersion, which combines mixing and spreading. The identification of each contribution is crucial and is often misinterpreted. Traditionally, under a volume averaging framework, a single closure problem is solved and the resulting fields are substituted into diffusive and dispersive filters. However the diffusive filter (that leads to the effective diffusivity) allows passing information from convection, which leads to an incorrect definition of the effective medium coefficients composing the total dispersion tensor. In this work, we revisit the definitions of the effective diffusivity and hydrodynamic dispersion tensors using the method of volume averaging. Our analysis shows that, in the context of laminar flow with or without inertial effects, two closure problems need to be computed in order to correctly define the corresponding effective medium coefficients. The first closure problem is associated to momentum transport and needs to be solved for a prescribed Reynolds number and flow orientation. The second closure problem is related to mass transport and it is solved first with a zero Péclet number and second with the required Péclet number and flow orientation. All the closure problems are written using closure variables only as required by the upscaling method. The total dispersion tensor is shown to depend on the microstructure, macroscopic flow angles, the cell (or pore) Péclet number and the cell (or pore) Reynolds number. It is non-symmetric in the general case. The condition for quasi-symmetry is highlighted. The functionality of the longitudinal and transverse components of this tensor with the flow angle is investigated for a 2D model porous structure obtaining consistent results with previous studies.

Randomized Trial of Reduced-Nicotine Standards for Cigarettes.

PubMed

Donny, Eric C; Denlinger, Rachel L; Tidey, Jennifer W; Koopmeiners, Joseph S; Benowitz, Neal L; Vandrey, Ryan G; al'Absi, Mustafa; Carmella, Steven G; Cinciripini, Paul M; Dermody, Sarah S; Drobes, David J; Hecht, Stephen S; Jensen, Joni; Lane, Tonya; Le, Chap T; McClernon, F Joseph; Montoya, Ivan D; Murphy, Sharon E; Robinson, Jason D; Stitzer, Maxine L; Strasser, Andrew A; Tindle, Hilary; Hatsukami, Dorothy K

2015-10-01

The Food and Drug Administration can set standards that reduce the nicotine content of cigarettes. We conducted a double-blind, parallel, randomized clinical trial between June 2013 and July 2014 at 10 sites. Eligibility criteria included an age of 18 years or older, smoking of five or more cigarettes per day, and no current interest in quitting smoking. Participants were randomly assigned to smoke for 6 weeks either their usual brand of cigarettes or one of six types of investigational cigarettes, provided free. The investigational cigarettes had nicotine content ranging from 15.8 mg per gram of tobacco (typical of commercial brands) to 0.4 mg per gram. The primary outcome was the number of cigarettes smoked per day during week 6. A total of 840 participants underwent randomization, and 780 completed the 6-week study. During week 6, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day was lower for participants randomly assigned to cigarettes containing 2.4, 1.3, or 0.4 mg of nicotine per gram of tobacco (16.5, 16.3, and 14.9 cigarettes, respectively) than for participants randomly assigned to their usual brand or to cigarettes containing 15.8 mg per gram (22.2 and 21.3 cigarettes, respectively; P<0.001). Participants assigned to cigarettes with 5.2 mg per gram smoked an average of 20.8 cigarettes per day, which did not differ significantly from the average number among those who smoked control cigarettes. Cigarettes with lower nicotine content, as compared with control cigarettes, reduced exposure to and dependence on nicotine, as well as craving during abstinence from smoking, without significantly increasing the expired carbon monoxide level or total puff volume, suggesting minimal compensation. Adverse events were generally mild and similar among groups. In this 6-week study, reduced-nicotine cigarettes versus standard-nicotine cigarettes reduced nicotine exposure and dependence and the number of cigarettes smoked. (Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01681875.).

Bioavailability and chronic toxicity of bismuth citrate to earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to natural sandy soil.

PubMed

Omouri, Zohra; Hawari, Jalal; Fournier, Michel; Robidoux, Pierre Yves

2018-01-01

The present study describes bioavailability and chronic effects of bismuth to earthworms Eisenia andrei using OECD reproduction test. Adult earthworms were exposed to natural sandy soil contaminated artificially by bismuth citrate. Average total concentrations of bismuth in soil recovered by HNO 3 digestion ranged from 75 to 289mg/kg. Results indicate that bismuth decreased significantly all reproduction parameters of Eisenia andrei at concentrations ≥ 116mg/kg. However, number of hatched cocoons and number of juveniles seem to be more sensitive than total number of cocoons, as determined by IC 50 ; i.e., 182, 123 and > 289mg/kg, respectively. Bismuth did not affect Eisenia andrei growth and survival, and had little effect on phagocytic efficiency of coelomocytes. The low immunotoxicity effect might be explained by the involvement of other mechanisms i.e. bismuth sequestered by metal-binding compounds. After 28 days of exposure bismuth concentrations in earthworms tissue increased with increasing bismuth concentrations in soil reaching a stationary state of 21.37mg/kg dry tissue for 243mg Bi/kg dry soil total content. Data indicate also that after 56 days of incubation the average fractions of bismuth available extracted by KNO 3 aqueous solution in soil without earthworms varied from 0.0051 to 0.0229mg/kg, while in soil with earthworms bismuth concentration ranged between 0.310-1.347mg/kg dry soil. We presume that mucus and chelating agents produced by earthworms and by soil or/and earthworm gut microorganisms could explain this enhancement, as well as the role of dermal and ingestion routes of earthworms uptake to soil contaminant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Peruvian scientific production in medicine and collaboration networks, analysis of the Science Citation Index 2000-2009].

PubMed

Huamaní, Charles; Mayta-Tristán, Percy

2010-09-01

To describe the Peruvian scientific production in indexed journals in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and the characteristics of the institutional collaborative networks. All papers published in the ISI database (Clinical Medicine collection) were included during 2000 to 2009 with at least one author with a Peruvian affiliation. The publication trend, address of corresponding author, type of article, institution, city (only for Peru), and country were evaluated. The collaborative networks were analized using the Pajek® software. 1210 papers were found, increasing from 61 in 2000 to 200 in 2009 (average of 121 articles/year). 30.4% articles included a corresponding author from a Peruvian institution. The average of authors per article was 8.3. Original articles represented 82.1% of total articles. Infectious diseases-related journals concentrated most of the articles. The main countries that collaborate with Peru are: USA (60.4%), England (12.9%), and Brazil (8.0%). Lima concentrated 94.7% of the publications and three regions (Huancavelica, Moquegua and Tacna) did not register any publication. Only two universities published more than one article/year and four institutions published more than 10 articles/year. Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia published 45% of the total number of articles, being the most productive institution and which concentrated the most number of collaborations with foreign institutions. The ministry of Health--including all dependencies--published 37.3% of the total number of publications. There is a higher level of collaboration with foreign institutions rather than local institutions. The Peruvian scientific production in medicine represented in the ISI database is very low but growing, and is concentrated in Lima and in a few institutions. The most productive Peruvian institutions collaborate more intensively with foreign journals rather than local institutions.

Effects of irrigation practices on water use in the groundwater management districts within the Kansas high plains, 1991-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Charles A.

2006-01-01

Data compiled for the High Plains region of Kansas that includes five Groundwater Management Districts (GMDs) were analyzed for trends in irrigation water use, acres irrigated, precipitation, irrigation system types, and irrigated crop types to determine the effects of irrigation practices on water use over time. For the study period 1991 through 2003, precipitation decreased significantly (with 95-percent confidence) in northwestern and west-central Kansas but not in the southwestern and south-central parts of the State. Irrigation water use had no statistically significant trend during this period. There was a good (R= -0.77) relation between average regional precipitation and total GMD irrigation water use. When irrigation water use was adjusted for this relation, there was a positive trend (90-percent confidence level) in the adjusted irrigation water use. Another adjustment to water use was made using the ratio of annual precipitation to 1991-2005 average precipitation, which resulted in a negative trend (95-percent confidence level) in irrigation water use. This demonstrated the contradictory nature of precipitation adjustments to water use, making their utility somewhat suspect. GMD 3 in southwestern Kansas used 63 percent of the total acre-feet of irrigation water within all the GMDs. When all GMDs are considered, the number of irrigated acres for flood and center pivot systems without drop nozzles decreased significantly during the study period. At the same time the number of drop nozzle irrigated acres increased significantly. The number of irrigated acres of water-intensive crops (corn, alfalfa, and soybeans) also increased significantly, whereas the number of less- or non-water-intensive crops (grain sorghum and wheat), and multiple crop type acres decreased. Drop nozzle irrigation systems used approximately 2 percent less water in a year-by-year comparison than center pivot systems and 8 to 11 percent less water than flood irrigation. The best estimator of irrigation water use incorporated total acres irrigated and annual average or March-October regional precipitation. A conclusion that can be drawn from the trend analyses described in this report is that, although irrigation water use for all GMDs showed no statistically significant trend, an apparent increased efficiency of center pivots irrigation systems with drop nozzles has allowed more water-intensive crops to be grown on more irrigated acres.

Concurrent Validity Between a Shared Curriculum, the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination, and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination.

PubMed

Sisson, Stephen D; Bertram, Amanda; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2015-03-01

A core objective of residency education is to facilitate learning, and programs need more curricula and assessment tools with demonstrated validity evidence. We sought to demonstrate concurrent validity between performance on a widely shared, ambulatory curriculum (the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Curriculum), the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE), and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (ABIM-CE). A cohort study of 443 postgraduate year (PGY)-3 residents at 22 academic and community hospital internal medicine residency programs using the curriculum through the Johns Hopkins Internet Learning Center (ILC). Total and percentile rank scores on ILC didactic modules were compared with total and percentile rank scores on the IM-ITE and total scores on the ABIM-CE. The average score on didactic modules was 80.1%; the percentile rank was 53.8. The average IM-ITE score was 64.1% with a percentile rank of 54.8. The average score on the ABIM-CE was 464. Scores on the didactic modules, IM-ITE, and ABIM-CE correlated with each other (P < .05). Residents completing greater numbers of didactic modules, regardless of scores, had higher IM-ITE total and percentile rank scores (P < .05). Resident performance on modules covering back pain, hypertension, preoperative evaluation, and upper respiratory tract infection was associated with IM-ITE percentile rank. Performance on a widely shared ambulatory curriculum is associated with performance on the IM-ITE and the ABIM-CE.

IVF outcomes in average- and poor-prognosis infertile women according to the number of embryos transferred.

PubMed

Vega, Mario G; Gleicher, Norbert; Darmon, Sarah K; Weghofer, Andrea; Wu, Yan-Guang; Wang, Qi; Zhang, Lin; Albertini, David F; Barad, David H; Kushnir, Vitaly A

2016-09-01

Outcome measures of IVF success, which account for effectiveness of IVF and perinatal outcome risks, have recently been described. The association between number of embryos transferred in average and poor-prognosis IVF patients, and the chances of having good or poor IVF and perinatal outcomes, was investigated. Good IVF and perinatal outcome was defined as the birth of a live, term, normal-weight infant (≥2500 g). Poor IVF and perinatal outcome was defined as no live birth or birth of a very low weight neonate (<1500 g) or severe prematurity (birth at <32 weeks gestation). Each neonate was analysed as a separate outcome. A total of 713 IVF cycles in 504 average and poor-prognosis patients from January 2010 to December 2013 were identified. The odds of having good IVF and perinatal outcomes increased by 28% for each additional embryo transferred. The odds of poor IVF and perinatal outcome decreased by 32% with an additional embryo transferred. The likelihood of live birth with good perinatal outcome in average- and poor-prognosis patients after IVF increases with additional embryos being transferred. These data add to recently reported evidence in favour of multiple embryo transfer in older women and those with average or poor IVF prognosis. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination against Obese Exercise Clients: An Experimental Study of Personal Trainers.

PubMed

Fontana, Fabio; Bopes, Jonathan; Bendixen, Seth; Speed, Tyler; George, Megan; Mack, Mick

2018-01-01

The aim of the study was to compare exercise recommendations, attitudes, and behaviors of personal trainers toward clients of different weight statuses. Fifty-two personal trainers participated in the study. The data collection was organized into two phases. In phase one, trainers read a profile and watched the video displaying an interview of either an obese or an average-weight client. Profiles and video interviews were identical except for weight status. Then, trainers provided exercise recommendations and rated their attitude toward the client. In phase two, trainers personally met an obese or an average-weight mock client. Measures were duration and number of advices provided by the trainer to a question posed by the client and sitting distance between trainer and client. There were no significant differences in exercise intensity ( p = .94), duration of first session ( p = .65), and total exercise duration of first week ( p = .76) prescribed to the obese and average-weight clients. The attitude of the personal trainers toward the obese client were not significantly different from the attitude of personal trainers toward the average-weight client ( p = .58). The number of advices provided ( p = .49), the duration of the answer ( p = .55), and the distance personal trainers sat from the obese client ( p = .68) were not significantly different from the behaviors displayed toward the average-weight client. Personal trainers did not discriminate against obese clients in professional settings.

Radiation exposure from consumer products and miscellaneous sources

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

Not Available

1977-01-01

This review of the literature indicates that there is a variety of consumer products and miscellaneous sources of radiation that result in exposure to the U.S. population. A summary of the number of people exposed to each such source, an estimate of the resulting dose equivalents to the exposed population, and an estimate of the average annual population dose equivalent are tabulated. A review of the data in this table shows that the total average annual contribution to the whole-body dose equivalent of the U.S. population from consumer products is less than 5 mrem; about 70 percent of this arisesmore » from the presence of naturally-occurring radionuclides in building materials. Some of the consumer product sources contribute exposure mainly to localized tissues or organs. Such localized estimates include: 0.5 to 1 mrem to the average annual population lung dose equivalent (generalized); 2 rem to the average annual population bronchial epithelial dose equivalent (localized); and 10 to 15 rem to the average annual population basal mucosal dose equivalent (basal mucosa of the gum). Based on these estimates, these sources may be grouped or classified as those that involve many people and the dose equivalent is relative large or those that involve many people but the dose equivalent is relatively small, or the dose equivalent is relatively large but the number of people involved is small.« less

An analysis of effect of land use change on river flow variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Liu, Yuting; Yang, Xinyue; Wang, Xiang

2018-02-01

Land use scenario analysis, SWAT model, flow characteristic indices and flow variability technology were used to analyze the effect of land use quantity and location change on river flow. Results showed that river flow variation caused by land use change from forest to crop was larger than that caused by land use change from forest to grass; Land use change neither from upstream to downstream nor from downstream to upstream had little effect on annual average discharge and maximum annual average discharge. But it had obvious effect on maximum daily discharge; Land use change which occurred in upstream could lead to producing larger magnitude flood more easily; Land use change from forest to crop or grass could increase the number of large magnitude floods and their total duration. And it also could increase the number of small magnitude floods but decrease their duration.

Suicide and meteorological factors in São Paulo, Brazil, 1996-2011: a time series analysis.

PubMed

Bando, Daniel H; Teng, Chei T; Volpe, Fernando M; Masi, Eduardo de; Pereira, Luiz A; Braga, Alfésio L

2017-01-01

Considering the scarcity of reports from intertropical latitudes and the Southern Hemisphere, we aimed to examine the association between meteorological factors and suicide in São Paulo. Weekly suicide records stratified by sex were gathered. Weekly averages for minimum, mean, and maximum temperature (°C), insolation (hours), irradiation (MJ/m2), relative humidity (%), atmospheric pressure (mmHg), and rainfall (mm) were computed. The time structures of explanatory variables were modeled by polynomial distributed lag applied to the generalized additive model. The model controlled for long-term trends and selected meteorological factors. The total number of suicides was 6,600 (5,073 for men), an average of 6.7 suicides per week (8.7 for men and 2.0 for women). For overall suicides and among men, effects were predominantly acute and statistically significant only at lag 0. Weekly average minimum temperature had the greatest effect on suicide; there was a 2.28% increase (95%CI 0.90-3.69) in total suicides and a 2.37% increase (95%CI 0.82-3.96) among male suicides with each 1 °C increase. This study suggests that an increase in weekly average minimum temperature has a short-term effect on suicide in São Paulo.

[Comparative study of the conventional scheme and prolonged treatment with steroids on primary steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome in children].

PubMed

Liern, Miguel; Codianni, Paola; Vallejo, Graciela

In the steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) the prolonged treatment with steroids could decrease the frequency of relapses. We conducted a comparative study of prolonged steroid scheme and the usual treatment of primary SSNS to assess: the number of patients with relapses, mean time to treatment initiation, to remission and to first relapse, total number of relapses, total cumulative dose of steroids, and the steroid toxicity. Patients were divided into two groups: group A (27 patients) received 16-β-methylprednisolone for 12 weeks, reducing the steroid until week 24. Group B (29 patients) received 16-β-methylprednisolone for 12 weeks and placebo until week 24. Cumulative incidence rate of relapse (person/years) for group A was of 36/100 and 66/100 for group B (p=0.04). Average elapsed time to first relapse was of 114 days for group A and of 75 days to for group B (p=0.01). The difference in time for initial response to treatment and up to achieve remission between both groups was not significant. Total cumulative relapses were 9 for group A and 17 for group B (p=0.04). Total patients with relapses were 3 for group A and 7 for group B (p=0.17). Cumulative average dose per patient was 5,243mg/m 2 for group A and 4,306mg/m 2 for group B (p=0.3), and serum cortisol was 14μg/dl for group A and 16μg/dl for group B (p=0.4). There were no steroid toxicity differences between groups. The duration of the treatment had an impact on the number of relapses without increasing steroid toxicity. Copyright © 2016 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

78 FR 55723 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-11

... information as follows: Table 1--Estimated Annual Reporting Burden \\1\\ Number of Average Activity/21 CFR... 16 40 640 822.30) Periodic reports (Sec. 822.38) 131 3 393 40 15,720 Total 33,360 \\1\\ There are no.... Explanation of Reporting Burden Estimate. The burden captured in table 1 of this document is based on the data...

Hydrodynamic Trails Produced by Daphnia: Size and Energetics

PubMed Central

Wickramarathna, Lalith N.; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of to and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between and , respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers. PMID:24671019

Evaluation of eating and rumination behaviour in cows using a noseband pressure sensor

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background An automated technique for recording eating and rumination behaviour was evaluated in ten lactating Brown Swiss cows by comparing data obtained from a pressure sensor with data obtained via direct observation over a 24-hour period. The recording device involved a pressure sensor integrated in the noseband of a halter. The analysed variables included number and duration of individual rumination, eating and resting phases, total daily length of these phases and number of cuds chewed per day. Results Eating and rumination phases were readily differentiated based on characteristic pressure profiles. Chewing movements during rumination were regular and generated regular waveforms with uniform amplitudes, whereas eating generated irregular waveforms with variable amplitudes. There was complete or almost complete agreement and no significant differences between data obtained via direct observation and pressure sensor technique. Both methods yielded an average of 16 daily eating phases with a mean duration of 28.3 minutes. Total time spent eating was 445.0 minutes for direct observation and 445.4 minutes for the pressure sensor technique. Both techniques recorded an average of 13.3 rumination phases with a mean duration of 30.3 (direct observation) and of 30.2 (pressure sensor) minutes. Total time spent ruminating per day, number of cuds per day and chewing cycles per cud were 389.3 and 388.3 minutes, 410.1 and 410.0 and 60.0 and 60.3 for direct observation and pressure sensor technique, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two methods with respect to mean number of chewing cycles per day (24′669, direct observation vs. 24′751, pressure sensor, P < 0.05, paired t-test). There were strong correlations between the two recording methods with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.98 to 1.00. Conclusions The results confirmed that measurements of eating and rumination variables obtained via the pressure sensor technique are in excellent agreement with data obtained via direct observation. PMID:23941142

The effect of ethics training on students recognizing ethical violations and developing moral sensitivity.

PubMed

Baykara, Zehra Gocmen; Demir, Sevil Guler; Yaman, Sengul

2015-09-01

Moral sensitivity is a life-long cognitive ability. It is expected that nurses who work in a professional purpose at "curing human beings" should have a highly developed moral sensitivity. The general opinion is that ethics education plays a significant role in this sense to enhance the moral sensitivity in terms of nurses' professional behaviors and distinguish ethical violations. This study was conducted as intervention research for the purpose of determining the effect of the ethics training on fourth-year students of the nursing department recognizing ethical violations experienced in the hospital and developing ethical sensitivity. The study was conducted with 50 students, with 25 students each in the experiment and control groups. Students in the experiment group were provided ethics training and consultancy services. The data were collected through the data collection form, which consists of questions on the socio-demographic characteristics and ethical sensitivity of the students, Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, and the observation form on ethical principle violations/protection in the clinic environment. The data were digitized on the computer with the SPSS for Windows 13.0 program. The data were evaluated utilizing number, percentile calculation, paired samples t-test, Wilcoxon test, and the McNemar test. The total Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire pre-test score averages of students in the experiment group were determined to be 93.88 ± 13.57, and their total post-test score averages were determined to be 89.24 ± 15.90. The total pre-test score averages of students in the control group were determined to be 91.48 ± 17.59, and their total post-test score averages were determined to be 97.72 ± 19.91. In the study, it was determined that the post-training ethical sensitivity of students in the experiment group increased; however, this was statistically not significant. Furthermore, it was determined that the number of ethical principle protection/violation observations and correct examples provided by students in the experiment group were higher than the control group and the difference was statistically significant. Written permission and ethical approval were obtained from the university where the study was conducted. Written consent was received from students accepting to participate in the study. As a result, ethics education given to students enables them to distinguish ethical violations in a hospital and make a proper observation in this issue. © The Author(s) 2014.

The epidemiology of pediatric burns undergoing intensive care in Burn Centre Brno, Czech Republic, 1997-2009.

PubMed

Lipový, B; Brychta, P; Gregorová, N; Jelínková, Z; Rihová, H; Suchánek, I; Kaloudová, Y; Mager, R; Krupicová, H; Martincová, A

2012-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the basic epidemiological characteristics of severely burned children who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), Department of Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Faculty Hospital Brno, Czech Republic in the years 1997-2009. We collected and evaluated epidemiological data such as age, sex, burn etiology, length of hospitalization, duration of the ICU stay, surgical or conservative therapeutic strategies, the use of mechanical ventilation and its duration, day and month of injury and the extent of burned area. In total 383 children (253 boys, 130 girls) aged 0-14 years, underwent intensive care for at least 48h. Male to female ratio was 1.95:1. The average range of burn area in the group was 16.43±12.86% TBSA (total body surface area). During the reporting period, 16 children were admitted with burns over 50% TBSA. 328 children suffered burns indoors, with 55 children being burned outdoors. Indoor/outdoor ratio was set at 5.96:1. The most frequent etiological agent was scalding (hot water, soup, coffee, oil, tea). The total number of scalded children in this group was 312 (81.46%). Mechanical ventilation was used in 96 cases (25.07% of all the admitted patients). The duration of mechanical ventilation in these patients was 8.03±5.67 days in average. The average length of stay in ICU was 10.71±10.92 days and total length of hospital stay was an average of 21.55±14.55 days. A total of 184 patients (48.04%) were treated surgically and therefore required necrectomy and skin grafting. The other 199 (51.96%) patients were treated conservatively. During the reporting period 3 children died (0.78%). In our report we identify basic epidemiological data defined in the aim of this study for burned children requiring intensive care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Elk monitoring in Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: 2008-2012 synthesis report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Paul C.; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Cole, Carla; Clatterbuck, Chris; Boetsch, John; Beirne, Katherine

2014-01-01

tailed P=0.17). Statistical significance of a measure’s trend depends on both the magnitude (i.e., slope) of the observed trend and the number of years the trend continues in the same increasing or decreasing direction. Through simulation modeling we determined how many additional years of surveys would be required to reveal a statistically significant trend, based on the same trends in pellet group density and PAO, and associated variation, observed from 2009-2012. Assuming the same trends persist in the future, simulations indicated that there is a 70% probability that a statistically significant trend would be detected after two more years of conducting pellet group surveys. Relative use by elk during winter, as indexed by elk pellet group density, was generally greatest in the southeast region of the Fort Clatsop unit in or near the large freshwater marsh at the mouth of Colewort Creek and adjacent upland areas. Pellet group density was also higher than average in the north-central forested area, not far from a privately-owned pasture north of the park boundary. This spatial pattern in pellet group densities across the Fort Clatsop unit was consistent across all four years, although specific pellet group densities varied from year to year. Pellet group density declined significantly over time at two points in the southeast of the Fort Clatsop unit, even though pellet group density at those points remained higher than the unit average. Pellet group density increased significantly over time at one point in the north-central region, and at one point in the south-central region of the unit, indicating a slight shift in the distribution of elk use within the Fort Clatsop Unit over the four years. As an index of visitors’ opportunities to see elk in and around the Fort Clatsop Unit, we conducted replicated roadside elk surveys 3-5 times monthly during February, April, June, August, October and December 2008-2012. During each morning of survey, we searched for elk along four routes that totaled 32 km. We examined bimonthly trends in the numbers of elk groups seen, the total number of elk seen, and the observed composition ratios for those six months of the year. The average number of elk groups seen per survey ranged from 0.75 (+/- 0.32 SE) during February to a peak of 1.95 (+/- 0.36 SE) during June. Despite this seasonal variation in numbers of elk groups seen, the average total number of elk seen per morning was less variable. The average ratios of antlered elk to antlerless adult elk (i.e., bulls:cows) and calves to antlerless adult elk (i.e. calves:cows) varied seasonally, with the highest of both average ratios observed in August. We detected no significant trends in the average number of elk groups and total numbers of elk seen per survey from 2008-2012. Similarly, ratios of calves and antlered elk per antlerless elk did not differ over time. Elk groups were frequently seen from January to August in the southeast region of the Fort Clatsop unit, in the vicinity of Colewort Creek. Outside of NPS lands, we observed elk most frequently in open areas near the Astoria regional airport, in the pastures and forests immediately north of the Fort Clatsop unit and, prior to the construction of a residential development, in a pasture northwest of the Fort Clatsop unit. Elk monitoring at Lewis and Clark NHP is still in its initial years and additional monitoring will be required to verify trends that appear to be emerging. For example, the initial monitoring suggested incipient declining trends in both pellet group density and proportion of plots with pellets present, as well as, potentially, a small shift in elk distribution away from a new trail that was recently constructed in the southeast portion of the Fort Clatsop unit. Continued monitoring will aid in determining whether this local change in distribution persists (or, alternatively, resulted from short-term random variation), and whether there will be any positive or negative effect in the northern portion of the unit where a new trail has been constructed. High variability in road counts prevented our ability to find any clear trend in numbers or composition of elk observed in and near Fort Clatsop, but changes in the patterns of observations of elk from roadways suggest that residential development outside the park has reduced the available habitat for elk in some of the areas surveyed, and may have affected spatial use patterns of elk adjacent to some areas of the park. In addition to monitoring future effects of land use changes outside the park, continued monitoring may also prove useful for assessing elk responses to natural succession in forests disturbed by windthrow in December 2007 and to NPS vegetation management activities such as variable density thinning in the forest, trail development, and restoration at Otter Point tidal area and Colewort Creek Slough.

Plasma concentrations of acyl-ghrelin are associated with average daily gain and feeding behavior in grow-finish pigs.

PubMed

Lents, C A; Brown-Brandl, T M; Rohrer, G A; Oliver, W T; Freking, B A

2016-04-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of sex, sire line, and litter size on concentrations of acyl-ghrelin and total ghrelin in plasma of grow-finish pigs and to understand the relationship of plasma concentrations of ghrelin with feeding behavior, average daily gain (ADG), and back fat in grow-finish swine. Yorkshire-Landrace crossbred dams were inseminated with semen from Yorkshire, Landrace, or Duroc sires. Within 24 h of birth, pigs were cross-fostered into litter sizes of normal (N; >12 pigs/litter) or small (S; ≤ 9 pigs/litter). At 8 wk of age, pigs (n = 240) were blocked by sire breed, sex, and litter size and assigned to pens (n = 6) containing commercial feeders modified with a system to monitor feeding behavior. Total time eating, number of daily meals, and duration of meals were recorded for each individual pig. Body weight was recorded every 4 wk. Back fat and loin eye area were recorded at the conclusion of the 12-wk feeding study. A blood sample was collected at week 7 of the study to quantify concentrations of acyl- and total ghrelin in plasma. Pigs from small litters weighed more (P < 0.05) and tended (P = 0.07) to be fatter than pigs from normal litters. Postnatal litter size did not affect ADG, feeding behavior, or concentrations of ghrelin in plasma during the grow-finish phase. Barrows spent more time eating (P < 0.001) than gilts, but the number of meals and concentrations of ghrelin did not differ with sex of the pig. Pigs from Duroc and Yorkshire sires had lesser (P < 0.0001) concentrations of acyl-ghrelin than pigs from Landrace sires, but plasma concentrations of total ghrelin were not affected by sire breed. Concentrations of acyl-ghrelin were positively correlated with the number of meals and negatively correlated with meal length and ADG (P < 0.05). A larger number of short-duration meals may indicate that pigs with greater concentrations of acyl-ghrelin consumed less total feed, which likely explains why they were leaner and grew more slowly. Acyl-ghrelin is involved in regulating feeding behavior in pigs, and measuring acyl-ghrelin is important when trying to understand the role of this hormone in swine physiology. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The highly-cited Electrocardiogram-related articles in science citation index expanded: characteristics and hotspots.

PubMed

Yang, Xianglin; Gu, Jiaojiao; Yan, Hong; Xu, Zhi; Ren, Bing; Yang, Yaming; Yang, Xiaodong; Chen, Qi; Tan, Shaohua

2014-01-01

We used bibliometric analysis methodology in the expanded Science Citation Index to identify highly-cited electrocardiogram (ECG)-related articles with total citations (TC2012) exceeding 100 from the publication year to 2012. Web of Science search tools were used to identify the highly-cited articles. The aspects analyzed for highly cited publications included effect of time on citation analysis, journals and Web of Science categories, number of authors per publication, originating institutions and countries, total citation and total citation per year life cycles of articles (C2012) and research hotspots. Results showed that a total of 467 electrocardiogram-related publications were regarded as the highly-cited publications. TC2012 ranged from 101 to 2879, with 215 as the average number of citations. No highly-cited publications have emerged yet during the first two years of the present 2010 Decade. All 11 countries and institutions originating highly-cited ECG-related publications were developed countries, USA in 9 of them. Four subject categories were identified as hotspots by total citations TC2012 and C2012: atrial fibrillation, long QT syndrome, angina and myocardial infarction, and risk factor analysis and health evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the correlation between energy deposition and clustered DNA damage induced by low-energy electrons.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Tan, Zhenyu; Zhang, Liming; Champion, Christophe

2018-05-01

This study presents the correlation between energy deposition and clustered DNA damage, based on a Monte Carlo simulation of the spectrum of direct DNA damage induced by low-energy electrons including the dissociative electron attachment. Clustered DNA damage is classified as simple and complex in terms of the combination of single-strand breaks (SSBs) or double-strand breaks (DSBs) and adjacent base damage (BD). The results show that the energy depositions associated with about 90% of total clustered DNA damage are below 150 eV. The simple clustered DNA damage, which is constituted of the combination of SSBs and adjacent BD, is dominant, accounting for 90% of all clustered DNA damage, and the spectra of the energy depositions correlating with them are similar for different primary energies. One type of simple clustered DNA damage is the combination of a SSB and 1-5 BD, which is denoted as SSB + BD. The average contribution of SSB + BD to total simple clustered DNA damage reaches up to about 84% for the considered primary energies. In all forms of SSB + BD, the SSB + BD including only one base damage is dominant (above 80%). In addition, for the considered primary energies, there is no obvious difference between the average energy depositions for a fixed complexity of SSB + BD determined by the number of base damage, but average energy depositions increase with the complexity of SSB + BD. In the complex clustered DNA damage constituted by the combination of DSBs and BD around them, a relatively simple type is a DSB combining adjacent BD, marked as DSB + BD, and it is of substantial contribution (on average up to about 82%). The spectrum of DSB + BD is given mainly by the DSB in combination with different numbers of base damage, from 1 to 5. For the considered primary energies, the DSB combined with only one base damage contributes about 83% of total DSB + BD, and the average energy deposition is about 106 eV. However, the energy deposition increases with the complexity of clustered DNA damage, and therefore, the clustered DNA damage with high complexity still needs to be considered in the study of radiation biological effects, in spite of their small contributions to all clustered DNA damage.

Fiber number and size in overloaded chicken anterior latissimus dorsi muscle.

PubMed

Gollnick, P D; Parsons, D; Riedy, M; Moore, R L

1983-05-01

The relative contribution of increases in fiber area and number was evaluated in the chicken anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle in which enlargement was induced by hanging a weight on one wing. ALD muscles from wings to which weights had been attached for periods ranging from 6 to 65 days weighed an average of 105% (range 22-225%) more than control muscles. Total muscle fiber number, determined by direct counts after nitric acid digestion and fiber dissection, and the frequency of branched fibers were unchanged by muscular enlargement. Fiber cross-sectional area was greater (P less than 0.01) in the enlarged muscles. A close relationship existed (r = 0.78) between actual muscle weight and weight calculated as the product of fiber volume, total fiber number, and muscle density for the control and enlarged muscles. Histochemical staining revealed a conversion of type IIa to type I fibers in the stretched muscles. These results support the concept that skeletal muscle enlargement in response to chronic overload is produced by hypertrophy of preexisting fibers and not be a formation of new fibers.

Explicit finite-volume time-marching calculations of total temperature distributions in turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Stephen; Moore, Joan G.; Moore, John

1987-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time-marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. This paper investigates the introduction of a new formulation of the energy equation which gives improved transient behavior as the calculation converges. The effect of variable Prandtl number on the temperature distribution through the boundary layer is also investigated. A turbulent boundary layer in an adverse pressure gradient (M = 0.55) is used to demonstrate the improved transient temperature distribution obtained when the new formulation of the energy equation is used. A flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a supersonic free-stream Mach number of 2.8 is used to investigate the effect of Prandtl number on the distribution of properties through the boundary layer. The computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

Explicit finite-volume time-marching calculations of total temperature distributions in turbulent flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicholson, Stephen; Moore, Joan G.; Moore, John

1986-01-01

A method was developed which calculates two-dimensional, transonic, viscous flow in ducts. The finite volume, time-marching formulation is used to obtain steady flow solutions of the Reynolds-averaged form of the Navier-Stokes equations. The entire calculation is performed in the physical domain. This paper investigates the introduction of a new formulation of the energy equation which gives improved transient behavior as the calculation converges. The effect of variable Prandtl number on the temperature distribution through the boundary layer is also investigated. A turbulent boundary layer in an adverse pressure gradient (M = 0.55) is used to demonstrate the improved transient temperature distribution obtained when the new formulation of the energy equation is used. A flat plate turbulent boundary layer with a supersonic free-stream Mach number of 2.8 is used to investigate the effect of Prandtl number on the distribution of properties through the boundary layer. The computed total temperature distribution and recovery factor agree well with the measurements when a variable Prandtl number is used through the boundary layer.

Anticorrelation of X-ray bright points with sunspot number, 1970-1978

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, L.; Davis, J. M.; Krieger, A. S.

1979-01-01

Soft X-ray observations of the solar corona over the period 1970-1978 show that the number of small short-lived bipolar magnetic features (X-ray bright points) varies inversely with the sunspot index. During the entire period from 1973 to 1978 most of the magnetic flux emerging at the solar surface appeared in the form of bright points. In 1970, near the peak of solar cycle 20, the contributions from bright points and from active regions appear to be approximately equal. These observations strongly support an earlier suggestion that the solar cycle may be characterized as an oscillator in wave-number space with relatively little variation in the average total rate of flux emergence.

Minimizing patient waiting time in emergency department of public hospital using simulation optimization approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Ireen Munira; Liong, Choong-Yeun; Bakar, Sakhinah Abu; Ahmad, Norazura; Najmuddin, Ahmad Farid

2017-04-01

Emergency department (ED) is the main unit of a hospital that provides emergency treatment. Operating 24 hours a day with limited number of resources invites more problems to the current chaotic situation in some hospitals in Malaysia. Delays in getting treatments that caused patients to wait for a long period of time are among the frequent complaints against government hospitals. Therefore, the ED management needs a model that can be used to examine and understand resource capacity which can assist the hospital managers to reduce patients waiting time. Simulation model was developed based on 24 hours data collection. The model developed using Arena simulation replicates the actual ED's operations of a public hospital in Selangor, Malaysia. The OptQuest optimization in Arena is used to find the possible combinations of a number of resources that can minimize patients waiting time while increasing the number of patients served. The simulation model was modified for improvement based on results from OptQuest. The improvement model significantly improves ED's efficiency with an average of 32% reduction in average patients waiting times and 25% increase in the total number of patients served.

Numbers, biomass and cultivable diversity of microbial populations relate to depth and borehole-specific conditions in groundwater from depths of 4-450 m in Olkiluoto, Finland.

PubMed

Pedersen, Karsten; Arlinger, Johanna; Eriksson, Sara; Hallbeck, Anna; Hallbeck, Lotta; Johansson, Jessica

2008-07-01

Microbiology, chemistry and dissolved gas in groundwater from Olkiluoto, Finland, were analysed over 3 years; samples came from 16 shallow observation tubes and boreholes from depths of 3.9-16.2 m and 14 deep boreholes from depths of 35-742 m. The average total number of cells (TNC) was 3.9 x 10(5) cells per ml in the shallow groundwater and 5.7 x 10(4) cells per ml in the deep groundwater. There was a significant correlation between the amount of biomass, analysed as ATP concentration, and TNC. ATP concentration also correlated with the stacked output of anaerobic most probable number cultivations of nitrate-, iron-, manganese- and sulphate-reducing bacteria, and acetogenic bacteria and methanogens. The numbers and biomass varied at most by approximately three orders of magnitude between boreholes, and TNC and ATP were positively related to the concentration of dissolved organic carbon. Two depth zones were found where the numbers, biomass and diversity of the microbial populations peaked. Shallow groundwater down to a depth of 16.2 m on average contained more biomass and cultivable microorganisms than did deep groundwater, except in a zone at a depth of approximately 300 m where the average biomass and number of cultivable microorganisms approached those of shallow groundwater. Starting at a depth of approximately 300 m, there were steep gradients of decreasing sulphate and increasing methane concentrations with depth; together with the peaks in biomass and sulphide concentration at this depth, these suggest that anaerobic methane oxidation may be a significant process at depth in Olkiluoto.

A safety radiation marker in the cardiac catheterization lab.

PubMed

Kostakou, Peggy M; Damaskos, Dimitris S; Dagre, Anna G; Makavos, Georgios A; Olympios, Christophoros D

2016-04-01

Nowadays, in order to deal with cardiovascular disease, coronary angiography (CRA) is the best tool and gold standard for diagnosis and assessment. CRA inevitably exposes both patient and operator to radiation. The purpose of this study was to calculate the radiation exposure in association with the radiation absorbed by interventional cardiologists, in order to estimate a safety radiation marker in the catheterization laboratory. In 794 successive patients undergoing CRA and in three interventional cardiologists the following parameters were examined: radioscopy duration, radiation exposure during fluoroscopy, total radiation exposure and the number of stents per procedure. Every interventional cardiologist was exposed to 562,936 μGym2 of total radiation during CRA procedures, to 833,371 μGym2 during elective CRA + percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures and to 328,250 μGym2 during primary CRA + PCI. Hence, the total amount of radiation that every angiographer was exposed to amounted to 1,724,557.5 μGym2 (median values). During the same period, the average radiation that every angiographer absorbed was 15,253 while the average dose of radiation absorbed during one procedure was 0.06 mSv for each operator. Therefore, the ratio between radiation exposure and the radiation finally absorbed by every operator was 113:1 μGym2/mSv. The present study, indicating the ratio above, offers a safety marker in order to realistically estimate the dose absorbed by interventional cardiologists, suggesting a specified number of permitted procedures and an effective level of radiation use protection tools.

Modelled female sale options demonstrate improved profitability in northern beef herds.

PubMed

Niethe, G E; Holmes, W E

2008-12-01

To examine the impact of improving the average value of cows sold, the risk of decreasing the number weaned, and total sales on the profitability of northern Australian cattle breeding properties. Gather, model and interpret breeder herd performances and production parameters on properties from six beef-producing regions in northern Australia. Production parameters, prices, costs and herd structure were entered into a herd simulation model for six northern Australian breeding properties that spay females to enhance their marketing options. After the data were validated by management, alternative management strategies were modelled using current market prices and most likely herd outcomes. The model predicted a close relationship between the average sale value of cows, the total herd sales and the gross margin/adult equivalent. Keeping breeders out of the herd to fatten generally improves their sale value, and this can be cost-effective, despite the lower number of progeny produced and the subsequent reduction in total herd sales. Furthermore, if the price of culled cows exceeds the price of culled heifers, provided there are sufficient replacement pregnant heifers available to maintain the breeder herd nucleus, substantial gains in profitability can be obtained by decreasing the age at which cows are culled from the herd. Generalised recommendations on improving reproductive performance are not necessarily the most cost-effective strategy to improve breeder herd profitability. Judicious use of simulation models is essential to help develop the best turnoff strategies for females and to improve station profitability.

Otolaryngology Service Usage in Children With Cleft Palate.

PubMed

Whittemore, Kenneth R; Dargie, Jenna M; Dornan, Briana K; Boudreau, Brian

2018-05-01

To determine the usage of otolaryngology services by children with cleft palate at a pediatric tertiary care facility. Retrospective case series. Specialty clinic at a pediatric tertiary care hospital. Children born between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2002, with the diagnosis of cleft palate or cleft lip and palate. A total of 41 female and 48 male patients were included. Total number of otolaryngology clinic visits and total number of otolaryngologic surgeries (tympanostomy tube placements and other otologic or upper airway procedures). In the first 5 years of life, these children utilized an average of 8.2 otolaryngology clinic visits (SD = 5.0; range: 1-22) and underwent 3.3 tympanostomy tube surgeries (SD = 2.0; range: 0-10). Seventy-three had their first tube placed at the time of palate repair, and 4 at the time of lip repair. Fifty-one (57.3%) required other otologic or upper airway procedures, including tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (27 children), removal of tympanostomy tubes (24 children), tympanomastoidectomy (3 children), and tympanoplasty (14 children). Of the children who underwent other procedures, they underwent a mean of 1.67 (SD = 0.84; range: 1-4) surgeries. Children with cleft palate are at increased risk for eustachian tube dysfunction, frequently utilize otolaryngology care, and typically receive multiple sets of tympanostomy tubes. This study found that children with cleft palate receive on average of approximately 3 sets of tympanostomy tubes, and the majority required another otologic or upper airway surgery.

Abundance and Characterization of Perfect Microsatellites on the Cattle Y Chromosome.

PubMed

Ma, Zhi-Jie

2017-07-03

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are found in most organisms and play an important role in genomic organization and function. To characterize the abundance of SSRs (1-6 base-pairs [bp]) on the cattle Y chromsome, the relative frequency and density of perfect or uninterrupted SSRs based on the published Y chromosome sequence were examined. A total of 17,273 perfect SSRs were found, with total length of 324.78 kb, indicating that approximately 0.75% of the cattle Y chromosome sequence (43.30 Mb) comprises perfect SSRs, with an average length of 18.80 bp. The relative frequency and density were 398.92 loci/Mb and 7500.62 bp/Mb, respectively. The proportions of the six classes of perfect SSRs were highly variable on the cattle Y chromosome. Mononucleotide repeats had a total number of 8073 (46.74%) and an average length of 15.45 bp, and were the most abundant SSRs class, while the percentages of di-, tetra-, tri-, penta-, and hexa-nucleotide repeats were 22.86%, 11.98%, 11.58%, 6.65%, and 0.19%, respectively. Different classes of SSRs varied in their repeat number, with the highest being 42 for dinucleotides. Results reveal that repeat categories A, AC, AT, AAC, AGC, GTTT, CTTT, ATTT, and AACTG predominate on the Y chromosome. This study provides insight into the organization of cattle Y chromosome repetitive DNA, as well as information useful for developing more polymorphic cattle Y-chromosome-specific SSRs.

The Impact of Dose Rate on the Accuracy of Step-and-Shoot Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance Using Varian 2300CD.

PubMed

Njeh, Christopher F; Salmon, Howard W; Schiller, Claire

2017-01-01

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivery using "step-and-shoot" technique on Varian C-Series linear accelerator (linac) is influenced by the communication frequency between the multileaf collimator and linac controllers. Hence, the dose delivery accuracy is affected by the dose rate. Our aim was to quantify the impact of using two dose rates on plan quality assurance (QA). Twenty IMRT patients were selected for this study. The plan QA was measured at two different dose rates. A gamma analysis was performed, and the degree of plan modulation on the QA pass rate was also evaluated in terms of average monitor unit per segment (MU/segment) and the total number of segments. The mean percentage gamma pass rate of 94.9% and 93.5% for 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min dose rate, respectively, was observed. There was a significant ( P = 0.001) decrease in percentage gamma pass rate when the dose rate was increased from 300 MU/min to 600 MU/min. There was a weak, but significant association between the percentage pass rate at both dose rate and total number of segments. The total number of MU was significantly correlated to the total number of segments ( r = 0.59). We found a positive correlation between the percentage pass rate and mean MU/segment, r = 0.52 and r = 0.57 for 300 MU/min and 600 MU/min, respectively. IMRT delivery using step-and-shoot technique on Varian 2300CD is impacted by the dose rate and the total amount of segments.

Capability of the two microorganisms Bifidobacterium breve B632 and Bifidobacterium breve BR03 to colonize the intestinal microbiota of children.

PubMed

Mogna, Luca; Del Piano, Mario; Mogna, Giovanni

2014-01-01

The total number of bacteria present in the gut microbiota of a newborn is consistently lower than the average found in adults, with the extent of this difference being directly related to body weight and age. It could be assumed that a lower number of viable probiotic cells is necessary to achieve significant gut colonization in infants and children. This study assessed the capability of Bifidobacterium breve B632 (DSM 24706) and Bifidobacterium breve BR03 (DSM 16604), 2 strains able to significantly inhibit some gram-negative bacteria in vitro, to integrate into the intestinal microbiota of children. Ten healthy children aged an average of 5.7±2.6 were given an oily suspension containing B. breve B632 and B. breve BR03 for 21 consecutive days. The daily dose was 100 million live cells of each strain. Fecal specimens were collected and analyzed at the beginning (d0) and at the end of the study (d21). Total fecal bifidobacteria and coliforms have been quantified by microbiological plate counts. A significant increase in total fecal bifidobacteria (from 8.99 to 9.47 log10 CFU/g, P=0.042) and a parallel decrease in total coliforms (from 8.60 to 7.93 log10 CFU/g, P=0.048) was recorded after 21 days of supplementation. An oily suspension has proved an effective way of providing probiotics to children. A lower viable cells concentration was sufficient to mediate this effect in the light of the fact that the intestinal microbiota of children harbors a considerably smaller amount of total bacteria compared with adults. In addition to gut colonization in healthy children, B. breve B632 and B. breve BR03 were able to decrease total fecal coliforms, therefore supporting their potential specific use in colicky infants.

A new algorithm to reduce noise in microscopy images implemented with a simple program in python.

PubMed

Papini, Alessio

2012-03-01

All microscopical images contain noise, increasing when (e.g., transmission electron microscope or light microscope) approaching the resolution limit. Many methods are available to reduce noise. One of the most commonly used is image averaging. We propose here to use the mode of pixel values. Simple Python programs process a given number of images, recorded consecutively from the same subject. The programs calculate the mode of the pixel values in a given position (a, b). The result is a new image containing in (a, b) the mode of the values. Therefore, the final pixel value corresponds to that read in at least two of the pixels in position (a, b). The application of the program on a set of images obtained by applying salt and pepper noise and GIMP hurl noise with 10-90% standard deviation showed that the mode performs better than averaging with three-eight images. The data suggest that the mode would be more efficient (in the sense of a lower number of recorded images to process to reduce noise below a given limit) for lower number of total noisy pixels and high standard deviation (as impulse noise and salt and pepper noise), while averaging would be more efficient when the number of varying pixels is high, and the standard deviation is low, as in many cases of Gaussian noise affected images. The two methods may be used serially. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A long-time limit for world subway networks.

PubMed

Roth, Camille; Kang, Soong Moon; Batty, Michael; Barthelemy, Marc

2012-10-07

We study the temporal evolution of the structure of the world's largest subway networks in an exploratory manner. We show that, remarkably, all these networks converge to a shape that shares similar generic features despite their geographical and economic differences. This limiting shape is made of a core with branches radiating from it. For most of these networks, the average degree of a node (station) within the core has a value of order 2.5 and the proportion of k = 2 nodes in the core is larger than 60 per cent. The number of branches scales roughly as the square root of the number of stations, the current proportion of branches represents about half of the total number of stations, and the average diameter of branches is about twice the average radial extension of the core. Spatial measures such as the number of stations at a given distance to the barycentre display a first regime which grows as r(2) followed by another regime with different exponents, and eventually saturates. These results--difficult to interpret in the framework of fractal geometry--confirm and yield a natural explanation in the geometric picture of this core and their branches: the first regime corresponds to a uniform core, while the second regime is controlled by the interstation spacing on branches. The apparent convergence towards a unique network shape in the temporal limit suggests the existence of dominant, universal mechanisms governing the evolution of these structures.

A long-time limit for world subway networks

PubMed Central

Roth, Camille; Kang, Soong Moon; Batty, Michael; Barthelemy, Marc

2012-01-01

We study the temporal evolution of the structure of the world's largest subway networks in an exploratory manner. We show that, remarkably, all these networks converge to a shape that shares similar generic features despite their geographical and economic differences. This limiting shape is made of a core with branches radiating from it. For most of these networks, the average degree of a node (station) within the core has a value of order 2.5 and the proportion of k = 2 nodes in the core is larger than 60 per cent. The number of branches scales roughly as the square root of the number of stations, the current proportion of branches represents about half of the total number of stations, and the average diameter of branches is about twice the average radial extension of the core. Spatial measures such as the number of stations at a given distance to the barycentre display a first regime which grows as r2 followed by another regime with different exponents, and eventually saturates. These results—difficult to interpret in the framework of fractal geometry—confirm and yield a natural explanation in the geometric picture of this core and their branches: the first regime corresponds to a uniform core, while the second regime is controlled by the interstation spacing on branches. The apparent convergence towards a unique network shape in the temporal limit suggests the existence of dominant, universal mechanisms governing the evolution of these structures. PMID:22593096

The influence of weather on Golden Eagle migration in northwestern Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, R.E.; McClelland, B.R.; Mcclelland, P.T.; Key, C.H.; Bennetts, R.E.

2001-01-01

We analyzed the influence of 17 weather factors on migrating Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) near the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, Montana, U.S.A. Local weather measurements were recorded at automated stations on the flanks of two peaks within the migration path. During a total of 506 hr of observation, the yearly number of Golden Eagles in autumn counts (1994-96) averaged 1973; spring counts (1995 and 1996) averaged 605 eagles. Mean passage rates (eagles/hr) were 16.5 in autumn and 8.2 in spring. Maximum rates were 137 in autumn and 67 in spring. Using generalized linear modeling, we tested for the effects of weather factors on the number of eagles counted. In the autumn model, the number of eagles increased with increasing air temperature, rising barometric pressure, decreasing relative humidity, and interactions among those factors. In the spring model, the number of eagles increased with increasing wind speed, barometric pressure, and the interaction between these factors. Our data suggest that a complex interaction among weather factors influenced the number of eagles passing on a given day. We hypothesize that in complex landscapes with high topographic relief, such as Glacier National Park, numerous weather factors produce different daily combinations to which migrating eagles respond opportunistically. ?? 2001 The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.

Does the risk of developing dementia increase with the number of episodes in patients with depressive disorder and in patients with bipolar disorder?

PubMed

Kessing, L V; Andersen, P K

2004-12-01

Several findings suggest that some patients with depressive or bipolar disorder may be at increased risk of developing dementia. The present study aimed to investigate whether the risk of developing dementia increases with the number of affective episodes in patients with depressive disorder and in patients with bipolar disorder. This was a case register study including all hospital admissions with primary affective disorder in Denmark during 1970-99. The effect of the number of prior episodes leading to admission on the rate of readmission with a diagnosis of dementia following the first discharge after 1985 was estimated. A total of 18,726 patients with depressive disorder and 4248 patients with bipolar disorder were included in the study. The rate of a diagnosis of dementia on readmission was significantly related to the number of prior affective episodes leading to admission. On average, the rate of dementia tended to increase 13% with every episode leading to admission for patients with depressive disorder and 6% with every episode leading to admission for patients with bipolar disorder, when adjusted for differences in age and sex. On average, the risk of dementia seems to increase with the number of episodes in depressive and bipolar affective disorders.

Time-evolution of uniform momentum zones in a turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laskari, Angeliki; Hearst, R. Jason; de Kat, Roeland; Ganapathisubramani, Bharathram

2016-11-01

Time-resolved planar particle image velocimetry (PIV) is used to analyse the organisation and evolution of uniform momentum zones (UMZs) in a turbulent boundary layer. Experiments were performed in a recirculating water tunnel on a streamwise-wall-normal plane extending approximately 0 . 5 δ × 1 . 8 δ , in x and y, respectively. In total 400,000 images were captured and for each of the resulting velocity fields, local peaks in the probability density distribution of the streamwise velocity were detected, indicating the instantaneous presence of UMZs throughout the boundary layer. The main characteristics of these zones are outlined and more specifically their velocity range and wall-normal extent. The variation of these characteristics with wall normal distance and total number of zones are also discussed. Exploiting the time information available, time-scales of zones that have a substantial coherence in time are analysed and results show that the zones' lifetime is dependent on both their momentum deficit level and the total number of zones present. Conditional averaging of the flow statistics seems to further indicate that a large number of zones is the result of a wall-dominant mechanism, while the opposite implies an outer-layer dominance.

Comparative Analysis of User-Generated Online Yelp Reviews for Periodontal Practices in Multiple Metropolitan Markets.

PubMed

Holtzclaw, Dan J

2017-02-01

Previously published research for a single metropolitan market (Austin, Texas) found that periodontists fare poorly on the Yelp website for nearly all measured metrics, including average star ratings, number of reviews, review removal rate, and evaluations by "elite" Yelp users. The purpose of the current study is to confirm or refute these findings by expanding datasets to additional metropolitan markets of various sizes and geographic locations. A total of 6,559 Yelp reviews were examined for general dentists, endodontists, pediatric dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, and periodontists in small (Austin, Texas), medium (Seattle, Washington), and large (New York City, New York) metropolitan markets. Numerous review characteristics were evaluated, including: 1) total number of reviews; 2) average star rating; 3) review filtering rate; and 4) number of reviews by Yelp members with elite status. Results were compared in multiple ways to determine whether statistically significant differences existed. In all metropolitan markets, periodontists were outperformed by all other dental specialties for all measured Yelp metrics in this study. Intermetropolitan comparisons of periodontal practices showed no statistically significant differences. Periodontists were outperformed consistently by all other dental specialties in every measured metric on the Yelp website. These results were consistent and repeated in all three metropolitan markets evaluated in this study. Poor performance of periodontists on Yelp may be related to the age profile of patients in the typical periodontal practice. This may result in inadvertently biased filtering of periodontal reviews and subsequently poor performance in multiple other categories.

[Usefulness of SCL-90-R and SIMS inventories for the detection of mental health malingering at workplace].

PubMed

Loskin, Ulises E; Bertone, Matías S; López-Regueira, Joaquín

2017-03-01

Mental illness is a common cause of work leave. This situation has a negative impact on labor productivity and costs, and may contribute to con?icts affecting workplace environment. The purpose of this investigation is to describe the evaluation results of a total of 89 cases on sick leave for psychological and psychiatric reasons, and to test the convergent validity of scales in the "Positive Symptom Total" (PST) and "Positive Symptom Distress" (PSDI) of the Symptom Checklist Revised (SCL-90-R) by means of the Structured Inventory of Malingered Symptomatology (SIMS). Taking a score higher than 16 in the SIMS as the cut-off point, the analysis focused on whether PST and PSDI scales presented differences in average between malingers and non-malingers. From the total number of cases, 66 were found to be likely cases of malingered mental illness, with different averages in PST (77.02) and PSDI (2.71). Statistical correlation tests allowed to objectify convergent validity and statistical signifcance between the PSDI and PST scales of the inventory SCL-90-R and the SIMS inventory, with a higher average in PSDI scale (0.617) as compared with PST scale (0.413) in Spearman's rho. The results of the investigation confrm the usefulness of both instruments for the assessment of mental illness malingering in employers on sick leave due to mental disorders.

Variation in Methane Emission Rates from Well Pads in Four Oil and Gas Basins with Contrasting Production Volumes and Compositions.

PubMed

Robertson, Anna M; Edie, Rachel; Snare, Dustin; Soltis, Jeffrey; Field, Robert A; Burkhart, Matthew D; Bell, Clay S; Zimmerle, Daniel; Murphy, Shane M

2017-08-01

Atmospheric methane emissions from active natural gas production sites in normal operation were quantified using an inverse Gaussian method (EPA's OTM 33a) in four major U.S. basins/plays: Upper Green River (UGR, Wyoming), Denver-Julesburg (DJ, Colorado), Uintah (Utah), and Fayetteville (FV, Arkansas). In DJ, Uintah, and FV, 72-83% of total measured emissions were from 20% of the well pads, while in UGR the highest 20% of emitting well pads only contributed 54% of total emissions. The total mass of methane emitted as a percent of gross methane produced, termed throughput-normalized methane average (TNMA) and determined by bootstrapping measurements from each basin, varied widely between basins and was (95% CI): 0.09% (0.05-0.15%) in FV, 0.18% (0.12-0.29%) in UGR, 2.1% (1.1-3.9%) in DJ, and 2.8% (1.0-8.6%) in Uintah. Overall, wet-gas basins (UGR, DJ, Uintah) had higher TNMA emissions than the dry-gas FV at all ranges of production per well pad. Among wet basins, TNMA emissions had a strong negative correlation with average gas production per well pad, suggesting that consolidation of operations onto single pads may reduce normalized emissions (average number of wells per pad is 5.3 in UGR versus 1.3 in Uintah and 2.8 in DJ).

DFT study of gases adsorption on sharp tip nano-catalysts surface for green fertilizer synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahya, Noorhana; Irfan, Muhammad; Shafie, Afza; Soleimani, Hassan; Alqasem, Bilal; Rehman, Zia Ur; Qureshi, Saima

2016-11-01

The energy minimization and spin modifications of sorbates with sorbents in magnetic induction method (MIM) play a vital role in yield of fertilizer. Hence, in this article the focus of study is the interaction of sorbates/reactants (H2, N2 and CO2) in term of average total adsorption energies, average isosteric heats of adsorption energies, magnetic moments, band gaps energies and spin modifications over identical cone tips nanocatalyst (sorbents) of Fe2O3, Fe3O4 (magnetic), CuO and Al2O3 (non-magnetic) for green nano-fertilizer synthesis. Study of adsorption energy, band structures and density of states of reactants with sorbents are purely classical and quantum mechanical based concepts that are vividly illustrated and supported by ADSORPTION LOCATOR and Cambridge Seriel Total Energy Package (CASTEP) modules following classical and first principle DFT simulation study respectively. Maximum values of total average energies, total average adsorption energies and average adsorption energies of H2, N2 and CO2 molecules are reported as -14.688 kcal/mol, -13.444 kcal/mol, -3.130 kcal/mol, - kcal/mol and -6.348 kcal/mol over Al2O3 cone tips respectively and minimum over magnetic cone tips. Whereas, the maximum and average minimum values of average isosteric heats of adsorption energies of H2, N2 and CO2 molecules are figured out to be 3.081 kcal/mol, 4.842 kcal/mol and 6.848 kcal/mol, 0.988 kcal/mol, 1.554 kcal/mol and 2.236 kcal/mol over aluminum oxide and Fe3O4 cone tips respectively. In addition to the adsorption of reactants over identical cone sorbents the maximum and minimum values of net spin, electrons and number of bands for magnetite and aluminum oxide cone structures are attributed to 82 and zero, 260 and 196, 206 and 118 for Fe3O4 and Al2O3 cones respectively. Maximum and least observed values of band gap energies are figured out to be 0.188 eV and 0.018 eV with Al2O3 and Fe3O4 cone structures respectively. Ultimately, with the adsorption of reactants an identical increment of 14 electrons each in up and down spins is resulted.

[Community traits of soil fauna in forestlands converted from cultivated lands in limestone red soil region of Ruichang, Jiangxi Province of China].

PubMed

Li, Tao; Liu, Yuan-Qiug; Guo, Sheng-Mao; Ke, Guo-Qing; Zhang, Zhao; Xiao, Xu-Bao; Liu, Wu

2012-04-01

This paper studied the variations of the community composition and individuals' number of soil fauna in limestone red soil region of Ruichang, Jiangxi Province after six years of converting cultivated lands into forestlands. Three converted forestlands, including the lands of mixed multiple-species forest, bamboo-broadleaved forest, and tree-seedling integration, were selected as test objects, with cultivated lands as the comparison. A total of 34 orders, 17 classes, and 6 phyla of soil fauna were observed in the converted forestlands. The dominant group was Nematoda, accounting for 86.7% of the total, whereas Acarina, Enchytraeidae, and Collembola were the common groups. In the cultivated lands, soil fauna had 21 orders, 10 classes, and 5 phyla. The dominant group was also Nematoda, accounting 86.7% of the total, and Acarina and Enchytraeidae were the common groups. In the converted forestlands, the group number of rare species was greater than that in the cultivated lands (30 vs. 18), and, except in winter, the group number and average density were significantly higher than those in the cultivated lands (P < 0.05). The vertical distribution of soil fauna in the soil profiles showed an obvious surface accumulation, which was more apparent in converted forestlands than in cultivated lands, and the individuals' number had significant differences between the surface (0-5 cm) layer and the 5-10 cm and 10-15 cm layers (P < 0.01) for both the converted forestlands and the cultivated lands. The group number of soil fauna in the converted forestlands had a seasonal variation ranked in the order of summer > autumn > spring > winter, and there was a significant difference between summer-autumn and spring-winter. The average density of the soil fauna also had a seasonal variation but ranked as autumn > summer > spring > winter, and the differences among the seasons were significant (P < 0.05). The biodiversity index of soil fauna was significantly higher in converted forestlands than in cultivated lands, and was the highest in mixed multiple-species forestland and the least in tree-seedling integration land.

Stand Parameters of a 27-Year-Old Water Oak Plantation on Old Field Loessial Soils

Treesearch

Roger M. Krinard; Robert L. Johnson

1988-01-01

At age 27, water oak (Quercus nigra L.) plantings on Macon Ridge old field loessial soil near Winnsboro, Louisiana, had per-acre stand values as follows: number of trees, 356; average d.b.h., 6.6 inches; basal area, 86 ft2; total volume from the stump to the tip (of trees with d.b.h. 25.0 in), 2,017 ft3...

The Burden of Dengue and the Financial Cost to Colombia, 2010–2012

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Raúl Castro; Carrasquilla, Gabriel; Porras, Alexandra; Galera-Gelvez, Katia; Yescas, Juan Guillermo Lopez; Rueda-Gallardo, Jorge A.

2016-01-01

Data on the burden of dengue and its economic costs can help guide health policy decisions. However, little reliable information is available for Colombia. We therefore calculated the burden of the disease, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), for two scenarios: endemic years (average number of cases in non-epidemic years 2011 and 2012) and an epidemic year (2010, when the highest number of dengue cases was reported in the study period). We also estimated the total economic cost of the disease (U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate for 2012), including indirect costs to households derived from expenses such as preventing entry of mosquitos into the home and costs to government arising from direct, indirect, and prevention and monitoring activities, as well as the direct medical and non-medical costs. In the epidemic year 2010, 1,198.73 DALYs were lost per million inhabitants versus 83.88 in endemic years. The total financial cost of the disease in Colombia from a societal perspective was US$167.8 million for 2010, US$129.9 million for 2011, and US$131.7 million for 2012. The cost of mosquito prevention borne by households was a major cost driver (accounting for 46% of the overall cost in 2010, 62% in 2011, and 64% in 2012). PMID:26928834

The Cost and Burden of the Residency Match in Emergency Medicine.

PubMed

Blackshaw, Aaron M; Watson, Simon C; Bush, Jeffrey S

2017-01-01

To obtain a residency match, medical students entering emergency medicine (EM) must complete away rotations, submit a number of lengthy applications, and travel to multiple programs to interview. The expenses incurred acquiring this residency position are burdensome, but there is little specialty-specific data estimating it. We sought to quantify the actual cost spent by medical students applying to EM residency programs by surveying students as they attended a residency interview. Researchers created a 16-item survey, which asked about the time and monetary costs associated with the entire EM residency application process. Applicants chosen to interview for an EM residency position at our institution were invited to complete the survey during their interview day. In total, 66 out of a possible 81 residency applicants (an 81% response rate) completed our survey. The "average applicant" who interviewed at our residency program for the 2015-16 cycle completed 1.6 away, or "audition," rotations, each costing an average of $1,065 to complete. This "average applicant" applied to 42.8 programs, and then attended 13.7 interviews. The cost of interviewing at our program averaged $342 and in total , an average of $8,312 would be spent in the pursuit of an EM residency. Due to multiple factors, the costs of securing an EM residency spot can be expensive. By understanding the components that are driving this trend, we hope that the academic EM community can explore avenues to help curtail these costs.

Biotechnological and clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization in non-obese patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

PubMed

Ciepiela, Przemyslaw; Baczkowski, Tomasz; Brelik, Pawel; Antonowicz, Anna; Safranow, Krzysztof; Kurzawa, Rafal

2007-01-01

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal and metabolic disorder which poses problems with controlled ovarian stimulation (COH). It has been also postulated that PCOS patients have oocytes and embryos with poorer quality which affects IVF results. To verify IVF outcome in non-obese patients with PCOS. IVF results of 71 non-obese PCOS patients with 243 non-obese non-POCS patients, regardless of stimulation protocol, from years 2004-2006 were compared. Biotechnological results of PCOS patients in opposition to non-PCOS patients were respectively as follows: higher average number (10.19 vs. 7.61; p=0.001) and percentage (82.34% vs. 76.25%; p=0.025) of retrieved mature M2 oocytes; similar (77.01% vs. 76.75%; p=0.835) fertilization rate with higher average number of embryos (7.633 vs. 5.650 p=0.003); higher average number (4.830 vs. 3.304; p=0.001) and percentage (65.66% vs. 60.57%; p=0.006) of embryos with optimal Z1 and Z2 pronuclei pattern according to Scott; higher average number of class Aembryos (3.57 vs. 2.34; p=0.001). Similar number of embryos were transferred in both groups (2.408 vs. 2.485, p=0.552). Clinical results in PCOS and non-PCOS patients were as follows: similar stimulation duration (10.53 days vs. 10.31 days; p=0.639) with significant less gonadotropin total usage (1866.54 IU vs. 2276.18 IU; p=0.001). Also clinical pregnancy per transfer (57.75% vs. 41.98%; p=0.021) and delivery per transfer (45.07% vs. 32.51%; p=0.066) were more often in PCOS patients with comparable miscarriages (12,68% vs. 6,58%; p=0.131) and ectopic pregnancy (0.00% vs. 2.06%; p=0.591) rates, respectively. PCOS in non-obese patients is linked with good biotechnological and clinical IVF outcome.

Construction of a SSR-Based Genetic Map and Identification of QTLs for Catechins Content in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

PubMed Central

Ma, Chun-Lei; Wang, Xin-Chao; Jin, Ji-Qiang; Wang, Xue-Min; Chen, Liang

2014-01-01

Catechins are the most important bioactive compounds in tea, and have been demonstrated to possess a wide variety of pharmacological activities. To characterize quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for catechins content in the tender shoots of tea plant, we constructed a moderately saturated genetic map using 406 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, based on a pseudo-testcross population of 183 individuals derived from an intraspecific cross of two Camellia sinensis varieties with diverse catechins composition. The map consisted of fifteen linkage groups (LGs), corresponding to the haploid chromosome number of tea plant (2n = 2x = 30). The total map length was 1,143.5 cM, with an average locus spacing of 2.9 cM. A total of 25 QTLs associated with catechins content were identified over two measurement years. Of these, nine stable QTLs were validated across years, and clustered into four main chromosome regions on LG03, LG11, LG12 and LG15. The population variability explained by each QTL was predominantly at moderate-to-high levels and ranged from 2.4% to 71.0%, with an average of 17.7%. The total number of QTL for each trait varied from four to eight, while the total population variability explained by all QTLs for a trait ranged between 38.4% and 79.7%. This is the first report on the identification of QTL for catechins content in tea plant. The results of this study provide a foundation for further cloning and functional characterization of catechin QTLs for utilization in improvement of tea plant. PMID:24676054

Quality and quantity of research publications by Iranian neurosurgeons: Signs of scientific progress over the past decades

PubMed Central

Alimi, Marjan; Taslimi, Shervin; Ghodsi, Seyed Mohammad; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2013-01-01

Background: This is an analysis of papers published by Iranian neurosurgeons while working in Iran until the year 2010. Methods: We collected bibliometric data and assigned a level of evidence (LOE) for each paper and compared neurosurgical research productivity across three time periods (before 1990, between 1991 and 2000, and after 2000). For further illustration, the annual growth rates of Iranian publications were calculated for all papers published after 1995. Results: We found a total of 1196 papers by 422 Iranian neurosurgeons. Five authors accounted for 22.9% of the papers. The average number of authors for each published manuscript was 3.48 and increased significantly from 2.0 to 4.0 across the three investigated periods (P < 0.001). 58.9% of Iranian papers were published in local journals only. A total of 74.6% articles were published after 2000, which was a significant increase compared with the decades before (P < 0.001). Original articles and case reports accounted for 63.8% and 31.1% of the publications, respectively. The proportion of case reports decreased while the proportion of original articles increased across the three time periods (P < 0.001). The adjusted growth rate for the total number of publications, original articles, case reports, clinical trials, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were 14.4%, 16.6%, 10.7%, 13.46%, and 14.7% per year, respectively. Overall, the four most frequently investigated topics were spine (27.3%), trauma (22.3%), tumor (19.1%), and vascular diseases (13.5%). The mean impact factor for journals publishing these studies and average number of citations for each paper (obtained from web of science) were found to be 1.2 and 5.46, respectively. A partitioning of these publications into assigned categories reflecting the LOE of each paper yielded the following LOE distribution for all assessed publications: Ib: 6.02%, Ic: 0.3%, IIa: 0.2%, IIb: 5.4%, IIc: 0.41%, IIIb: 4.8%, IV: 22.5%, and V: 1.2%. The relative number of publications categorized into higher LOE classes increased over the three investigated periods (P = 0.003). Based on growth curve model, the rate of increase in total numbers of publications following each position change from nonuniversity affiliated neurosurgeon to university affiliated and from university affiliated neurosurgeon to chairman university affiliated neurosurgeon was 81%. Conclusions: A considerable increase in amount and quality of Iranian papers was observed during the past decade as reflected in a higher number of papers categorized in upper LOE classes. PMID:23607060

Quality and quantity of research publications by Iranian neurosurgeons: Signs of scientific progress over the past decades.

PubMed

Alimi, Marjan; Taslimi, Shervin; Ghodsi, Seyed Mohammad; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

2013-01-01

This is an analysis of papers published by Iranian neurosurgeons while working in Iran until the year 2010. We collected bibliometric data and assigned a level of evidence (LOE) for each paper and compared neurosurgical research productivity across three time periods (before 1990, between 1991 and 2000, and after 2000). For further illustration, the annual growth rates of Iranian publications were calculated for all papers published after 1995. We found a total of 1196 papers by 422 Iranian neurosurgeons. Five authors accounted for 22.9% of the papers. The average number of authors for each published manuscript was 3.48 and increased significantly from 2.0 to 4.0 across the three investigated periods (P < 0.001). 58.9% of Iranian papers were published in local journals only. A total of 74.6% articles were published after 2000, which was a significant increase compared with the decades before (P < 0.001). Original articles and case reports accounted for 63.8% and 31.1% of the publications, respectively. The proportion of case reports decreased while the proportion of original articles increased across the three time periods (P < 0.001). The adjusted growth rate for the total number of publications, original articles, case reports, clinical trials, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were 14.4%, 16.6%, 10.7%, 13.46%, and 14.7% per year, respectively. Overall, the four most frequently investigated topics were spine (27.3%), trauma (22.3%), tumor (19.1%), and vascular diseases (13.5%). The mean impact factor for journals publishing these studies and average number of citations for each paper (obtained from web of science) were found to be 1.2 and 5.46, respectively. A partitioning of these publications into assigned categories reflecting the LOE of each paper yielded the following LOE distribution for all assessed publications: Ib: 6.02%, Ic: 0.3%, IIa: 0.2%, IIb: 5.4%, IIc: 0.41%, IIIb: 4.8%, IV: 22.5%, and V: 1.2%. The relative number of publications categorized into higher LOE classes increased over the three investigated periods (P = 0.003). Based on growth curve model, the rate of increase in total numbers of publications following each position change from nonuniversity affiliated neurosurgeon to university affiliated and from university affiliated neurosurgeon to chairman university affiliated neurosurgeon was 81%. A considerable increase in amount and quality of Iranian papers was observed during the past decade as reflected in a higher number of papers categorized in upper LOE classes.

Automated high-level disinfection of nonchanneled flexible endoscopes: duty cycles and endoscope repair.

PubMed

Statham, Melissa McCarty; Willging, J Paul

2010-10-01

Guidelines issued by the Association of Operating Room Nurses and the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology recommend high-level disinfection (HLD) for semicritical instruments, such as flexible endoscopes. We aim to examine the durability of endoscopes to continued use and automated HLD. We report the number of duty cycles a flexible endoscope can withstand before repairs should be anticipated. Retrospective review. A total of 4,336 endoscopic exams and subsequent disinfection cycles were performed with 60 flexible endoscopes in an outpatient tertiary pediatric otolaryngology practice from 2005 to 2009. All endoscopes were systemically cleaned with mechanical cleansing followed by leak testing, enzymatic cleaning, and exposure to Orthophthaldehyde (0.55%) for 5 minutes at a temperature of at least 25°C, followed by rinsing for 3 minutes. A total of 77 repairs were performed, 48 major (average cost $3,815.97), and 29 minor (average cost $326.85). On average, the 2.2-mm flexible endoscopes were utilized for 61.9 examinations before major repair was needed, whereas the 3.6 mm endoscopes were utilized for 154.5 exams before needing minor repairs. No major repairs have been needed to date on the 3.6-mm endoscopes. Automated endoscope reprocessor use for HLD is an effective means to disinfect and process flexible endoscopes. This minimizes variability in the processing of the endoscopes and maximizes the rate of successful HLD. Even when utilizing standardized, automated HLD and limiting the number of personnel processing the endoscopes, smaller fiberoptic endoscopes demonstrate a shortened time interval between repairs than that seen with the larger endoscopes. Laryngoscope, 2010.

Athletic Training Student Core Competency Implementation During Patient Encounters.

PubMed

Cavallario, Julie M; Van Lunen, Bonnie L; Hoch, Johanna M; Hoch, Matthew; Manspeaker, Sarah A; Pribesh, Shana L

2018-03-01

  Health care research evidence suggests that early patient encounters (PEs), as well as the purposeful implementation of professional core competencies (CCs), for athletic training students (ATSs) may be beneficial to their ability to provide care. However, no investigators have related facets of the clinical education experience with CC implementation as a form of summative assessment of the clinical experience.   To determine the relationship between the frequency and length of PEs, as well as the student's role and clinical site during PEs, and the students' perceived CC implementation during these encounters.   Cross-sectional study.   Professional athletic training program, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institution.   We purposefully recruited 1 athletic training program that used E*Value software; 40 participants (31 females, 9 males) enrolled in the professional phase (12 first year, 14 second year, 14 third year) participated.   Participants viewed a 20-minute recorded CC educational module followed by educational handouts, which were also posted online for reference throughout the semester. The E*Value software was used to track PEs, including the type of encounter (ie, actual patient, practice encounter, didactic practice scenario), the type of site where the encounter occurred (university, high school), and the participant's role (observed, assisted, performed), as well as responses to an added block of questions indicating which, if any, of the CCs were implemented during the PE.   Variables per patient were PE length (minutes), participant role, site at which the encounter occurred, and whether any of the 6 CCs were implemented ( yes/ no). Variables per participant were average encounter length (minutes), encounter frequency, modal role, clinical site assignment, and the number of times each CC was implemented. Separate 1-way analyses of variance were used to examine the relationships between role or clinical site and implementation of total number of CCs. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine how the average length and frequency of PEs were related to the average and total number of implemented CCs. Binary logistic regression models indicated how the length of each encounter, role of the participant, and type of clinical site related to the implementation of each CC.   The roles of participants during PEs were related to their ability to implement the total number of CCs ( F = 103.48, P < .001). Those who observed were likely to implement fewer total CCs than those who assisted (M diff = -0.29, P < .001); those who assisted were likely to implement more total CCs than those who performed (M diff = 0.32, P < .001). Frequency of encounters was the only significant variable in the model examining all independent variables with CC implementation ( b 4,32 = 3.34, t = 9.46, P < .001).   The role of the student, namely assisting during PEs, and the volume of PEs should be considered priorities for students to promote greater CC implementation.

Single-stage, low-noise, advanced technology fan. Volume 4: Fan aerodynamics. Section 1: Results and analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, T. J.; Silverman, I.; Little, D. R.

1977-01-01

Test results at design speed show fan total pressure ratio, weight flow, and adiabatic efficiency to be 2.2, 2.9, and 1.8% lower than design goal values. The hybrid acoustic inlet (which utilizes a high throat Mach number and acoustic wall treatment for noise suppression) demonstrated total pressure recoveries of 98.9% and 98.2% at takeoff and approach. Exhaust duct pressure losses differed between the hardwall duct and treated duct with splitter by about 0.6% to 2.0% in terms of fan exit average total pressure (depending on operating condition). When the measured results were used to estimate pressure losses, a cruise sfc penalty of 0.68%, due to the acoustically treated duct, was projected.

Bacteriological contamination, dirt, and cracks of eggshells in furnished cages and noncage systems for laying hens: an international on-farm comparison.

PubMed

De Reu, K; Rodenburg, T B; Grijspeerdt, K; Messens, W; Heyndrickx, M; Tuyttens, F A M; Sonck, B; Zoons, J; Herman, L

2009-11-01

For laying hens, the effects of housing system on bacterial eggshell contamination and eggshell quality is almost exclusively studied in experimental hen houses. The aim of this study was to compare eggshell hygiene and quality under commercial conditions. Six flocks of laying hens in furnished cages and 7 flocks in noncage systems were visited when hens were about 60 wk of age. Farms from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany were included in the study. The following parameters were determined on eggs sampled at the egg belts: 1) bacterial eggshell contamination, as expressed by total count of aerobic bacteria and number of Enterobacteriaceae; 2) proportion of dirty eggs; and 3) proportion of cracked eggs and eggs with microcracks. Considerable within-flock differences were found in eggshell contamination with total count of aerobic bacteria, both for furnished cages (P < or = 0.001, range 4.24 to 5.22 log cfu/eggshell) and noncage systems (P < or = 0.001, range 4.35 to 5.51 log cfu/eggshell). On average, lower levels of contamination with total count of aerobic bacteria (4.75 vs. 4.98 log cfu/eggshell; P < or = 0.001) were found on eggshells from furnished cages compared with noncage systems. Concerning Enterobacteriaceae, no significant difference in average eggshell contamination between both systems could be shown. The total percentage of cracked eggs was higher (P < or = 0.01) in furnished cages (7.8%) compared with noncage systems (4.1%). This was, however, due to the high percentage of cracked eggs (24%) observed on one of the furnished cage farms. We conclude that bacteriological eggshell contamination and percentage of cracked eggs differed substantially between individual farms using the same housing system. This may also explain some discrepancies between the findings of the present study versus some findings of previous experimental studies or studies on a small number of farms. Although statistically significant, the average differences in bacteriological contamination of nest eggs between both housing systems have limited microbiological relevancy.

Atmospheric pressure fluctuations in the far infrasound range and emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases.

PubMed

Didyk, L A; Gorgo, Yu P; Dirckx, J J J; Bogdanov, V B; Buytaert, J A N; Lysenko, V A; Didyk, N P; Vershygora, A V; Erygina, V T

2008-09-01

This study examines whether a relation exists between rapid atmospheric pressure fluctuations, attributed to the far infrasound frequency range (APF), and a number of emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases (EEC). Over an entire year, the average integral amplitudes of APF in the range of periods from 3 s to 120 s over each hour (HA) were measured. Daily dynamics of HA averaged over the year revealed a wave shape with smooth increase from night to day followed by decrease from day to night. The total daily number of EEC within the city of Kiev, Ukraine, was related to the daily mean of HA (DHA) and to the ratio of HA averaged over the day time to HA averaged over the night time (Rdn), and was checked for confounding effects of classical meteorological variables through non-parametric regression algorithms. The number of EEC were significantly higher on days with high DHA (3.72-11.07 Pa, n = 87) compared to the low DHA (0.7-3.62 Pa, n = 260, p = 0.01), as well at days with low Rdn (0.21-1.64, n = 229) compared to the high Rdn (1.65-7.2, n = 118, p = 0.03). A difference between DHA and Rdn effects on the emergency events related to different categories of circulatory diseases points to a higher sensitivity of rheumatic and cerebro-vascular diseases to DHA, and ischaemic and hypertensive diseases to Rdn. Results suggest that APF could be considered as a meteorotropic factor capable of influencing circulatory system diseases.

Atmospheric pressure fluctuations in the far infrasound range and emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Didyk, L. A.; Gorgo, Yu. P.; Dirckx, J. J. J.; Bogdanov, V. B.; Buytaert, J. A. N.; Lysenko, V. A.; Didyk, N. P.; Vershygora, A. V.; Erygina, V. T.

2008-09-01

This study examines whether a relation exists between rapid atmospheric pressure fluctuations, attributed to the far infrasound frequency range (APF), and a number of emergency transport events coded as circulatory system diseases (EEC). Over an entire year, the average integral amplitudes of APF in the range of periods from 3 s to 120 s over each hour (HA) were measured. Daily dynamics of HA averaged over the year revealed a wave shape with smooth increase from night to day followed by decrease from day to night. The total daily number of EEC within the city of Kiev, Ukraine, was related to the daily mean of HA (DHA) and to the ratio of HA averaged over the day time to HA averaged over the night time (Rdn), and was checked for confounding effects of classical meteorological variables through non-parametric regression algorithms. The number of EEC were significantly higher on days with high DHA (3.72 11.07 Pa, n = 87) compared to the low DHA (0.7 3.62 Pa, n = 260, p = 0.01), as well at days with low Rdn (0.21 1.64, n = 229) compared to the high Rdn (1.65 7.2, n = 118, p = 0.03). A difference between DHA and Rdn effects on the emergency events related to different categories of circulatory diseases points to a higher sensitivity of rheumatic and cerebro-vascular diseases to DHA, and ischaemic and hypertensive diseases to Rdn. Results suggest that APF could be considered as a meteorotropic factor capable of influencing circulatory system diseases.

Characterizing Dust from Cutting Corian®, a Solid-Surface Composite Material, in a Laboratory Testing System.

PubMed

Qi, Chaolong; Echt, Alan; Murata, Taichi K

2016-06-01

We conducted a laboratory test to characterize dust from cutting Corian(®), a solid-surface composite material, with a circular saw. Air samples were collected using filters and direct-reading instruments in an automatic laboratory testing system. The average mass concentrations of the total and respirable dusts from the filter samples were 4.78±0.01 and 1.52±0.01mg cm(-3), respectively, suggesting about 31.8% mass of the airborne dust from cutting Corian(®) is respirable. Analysis of the metal elements on the filter samples reveals that aluminum hydroxide is likely the dominant component of the airborne dust from cutting Corian(®), with the total airborne and respirable dusts containing 86.0±6.6 and 82.2±4.1% aluminum hydroxide, respectively. The results from the direct-reading instruments confirm that the airborne dust generated from cutting Corian(®) were mainly from the cutting process with very few particles released from the running circular saw alone. The number-based size distribution of the dusts from cutting Corian(®) had a peak for fine particles at 1.05 µm with an average total concentration of 871.9 particles cm(-3), and another peak for ultrafine particles at 11.8nm with an average total concentration of 1.19×10(6) particles cm(-3) The small size and high concentration of the ultrafine particles suggest additional investigation is needed to study their chemical composition and possible contribution to pulmonary effect. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society 2016.

Concurrent Validity Between a Shared Curriculum, the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination, and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination

PubMed Central

Sisson, Stephen D.; Bertram, Amanda; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2015-01-01

Background A core objective of residency education is to facilitate learning, and programs need more curricula and assessment tools with demonstrated validity evidence. Objective We sought to demonstrate concurrent validity between performance on a widely shared, ambulatory curriculum (the Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Curriculum), the Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (IM-ITE), and the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examination (ABIM-CE). Methods A cohort study of 443 postgraduate year (PGY)-3 residents at 22 academic and community hospital internal medicine residency programs using the curriculum through the Johns Hopkins Internet Learning Center (ILC). Total and percentile rank scores on ILC didactic modules were compared with total and percentile rank scores on the IM-ITE and total scores on the ABIM-CE. Results The average score on didactic modules was 80.1%; the percentile rank was 53.8. The average IM-ITE score was 64.1% with a percentile rank of 54.8. The average score on the ABIM-CE was 464. Scores on the didactic modules, IM-ITE, and ABIM-CE correlated with each other (P < .05). Residents completing greater numbers of didactic modules, regardless of scores, had higher IM-ITE total and percentile rank scores (P < .05). Resident performance on modules covering back pain, hypertension, preoperative evaluation, and upper respiratory tract infection was associated with IM-ITE percentile rank. Conclusions Performance on a widely shared ambulatory curriculum is associated with performance on the IM-ITE and the ABIM-CE. PMID:26217421

Characterizing Dust from Cutting Corian®, a Solid-Surface Composite Material, in a Laboratory Testing System

PubMed Central

Qi, Chaolong; Echt, Alan; Murata, Taichi K

2016-01-01

We conducted a laboratory test to characterize dust from cutting Corian®, a solid-surface composite material, with a circular saw. Air samples were collected using filters and direct-reading instruments in an automatic laboratory testing system. The average mass concentrations of the total and respirable dusts from the filter samples were 4.78±0.01 and 1.52±0.01 mg cm−3, respectively, suggesting about 31.8% mass of the airborne dust from cutting Corian® is respirable. Analysis of the metal elements on the filter samples reveals that aluminum hydroxide is likely the dominant component of the airborne dust from cutting Corian®, with the total airborne and respirable dusts containing 86.0%±6.6% and 82.2%±4.1% aluminum hydroxide, respectively. The results from the direct-reading instruments confirm that the airborne dust generated from cutting Corian® were mainly from the cutting process with very few particles released from the running circular saw alone. The number-based size distribution of the dusts from cutting Corian® had a peak for fine particles at 1.05 µm with an average total concentration of 871.9 particles cm−3, and another peak for ultrafine particles at 11.8 nm with an average total concentration of 1.19×106 particles cm−3. The small size and high concentration of the ultrafine particles suggest additional investigation is needed to study their chemical composition and possible contribution to pulmonary effect. PMID:26872962

Total and methyl mercury contents and distribution characteristics in cicada, Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius).

PubMed

Zheng, Dongmei; Zhang, Zhongsheng; Wang, Qichao

2010-06-01

Total and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies, wings, and exuviae were investigated to study the mercury distribution characteristics. Results indicated that total and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies were 2.64 mg/kg and 123.93 ng/g on average, respectively. In cicada tissues, total mercury concentrations were found to increase in the order of exuviae (0.50 mg/kg on average) < wings (0.98 mg/kg on average) < cicada bodies (2.64 mg/kg on average) and methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies were 123.93 ng/g on average and were the highest. Methyl mercury concentrations accounted for about 4.69% of total mercury in cicada bodies and most mercury was in inorganic forms in cicada. Sex differences of total mercury concentrations were significantly great (F = 8.433, p < 0.01) and total mercury concentrations of the males, which were 3.38 mg/kg on average, were much higher. Correlation analysis showed that neither total nor methyl mercury concentrations of cicada bodies was significantly related to the corresponding contents of soil (r = 0.0598, p > 0.05).

Pressure and heat-transfer distributions in a simulated wing-elevon cove with variable leakage at a free-stream Mach number of 6.9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deveikis, W. D.; Bartlett, W.

1978-01-01

An experimental aerodynamic heating investigation was conducted to determine effects of hot boundary-layer ingestion into the cove on the windward surface between a wing and elevon for cove seal leak areas nominally between 0 and 100 percent of cove entrance area. Pressure and heating-rate distributions were obtained on the wing and elevon surfaces and on the cove walls of a full-scale model that represented a section of the cove region on the space shuttle orbiter. Data were obtained for both attached and separated turbulent boundary layers upstream of the unswept cove entrance. Average free-stream Mach number was 6.9, average free-stream unit Reynolds numbers were 1.31 x 10 to the 6th power and 4.40 x 10 to the 6th power per meter (0.40 x 10 to the 6th power and 1.34 x 10 to the 6th power per foot), and average total temperature was 1888 K (3400 R). Cove pressures and heating rates varied as a function of seal leak area independent of leak aspect ratio. Although cove heating rates for attached flow did not appear intolerable, it was postulated that convective heating in the cove may increase with time. For separated flow, the cove environment was considered too severe for unprotected interior structures of control surfaces.

Mobility based multicast routing in wireless mesh networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Sanjeev; Tripathi, Vijay S.; Tiwari, Sudarshan

2013-01-01

There exist two fundamental approaches to multicast routing namely minimum cost trees and shortest path trees. The (MCT's) minimum cost tree is one which connects receiver and sources by providing a minimum number of transmissions (MNTs) the MNTs approach is generally used for energy constraint sensor and mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper we have considered node mobility and try to find out simulation based comparison of the (SPT's) shortest path tree, (MST's) minimum steiner trees and minimum number of transmission trees in wireless mesh networks by using the performance metrics like as an end to end delay, average jitter, throughput and packet delivery ratio, average unicast packet delivery ratio, etc. We have also evaluated multicast performance in the small and large wireless mesh networks. In case of multicast performance in the small networks we have found that when the traffic load is moderate or high the SPTs outperform the MSTs and MNTs in all cases. The SPTs have lowest end to end delay and average jitter in almost all cases. In case of multicast performance in the large network we have seen that the MSTs provide minimum total edge cost and minimum number of transmissions. We have also found that the one drawback of SPTs, when the group size is large and rate of multicast sending is high SPTs causes more packet losses to other flows as MCTs.

Distribution of bacterioplankton with active metabolism in waters of the St. Anna Trough, Kara Sea, in autumn 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosharova, I. V.; Mosharov, S. A.; Ilinskiy, V. V.

2017-01-01

The distribution of bacterioplankton with active electron transport chains, as well as bacteria with intact cell membranes, was investigated for the first time in the region of St. Anna Trough in the Kara Sea. The average number of bacteria with active electron transport chains in the waters of the St. Anna Trough was 15.55 × 103 cells mL-1 (the limits of variation were 1.06-92.17 × 103 cells mL-1). The average number of bacteria with intact membranes was 33.46 × 103 cells mL-1 (the limits of variation were 6.78 to 103.18 × 103 cells mL-1). Almost all bacterioplankton microorganisms in the studied area were potentially viable, and the average share of bacteria with intact membranes was 92.1% of the total number of bacterioplankton (TNB) (the limits of variation were 76.2 to 98.4%). The share of bacteria with active metabolisms was 38.2% of the TNB (the limits of variation were 5.6-93.4%). The shares of the bacteria with active metabolisms were maximum in areas with the most stable environmental conditions (on the shelf and in deep water), whereas on the slope, where the gradients of water temperature and salinity were maximum, these values were lower.

Observations on the use of membrane filtration and liquid impingement to collect airborne microorganisms in various atmospheric environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Dale W.; Gonzalez, C.; Teigell, N.; Petrosky, T.; Northup, D.E.; Lyles, M.

2011-01-01

The influence of sample-collection-time on the recovery of culturable airborne microorganisms using a low-flow-rate membrane-filtration unit and a high-flow-rate liquid impinger were investigated. Differences in recoveries were investigated in four different atmospheric environments, one mid-oceanic at an altitude of ~10.0 m, one on a mountain top at an altitude of ~3,000.0 m, one at ~1.0 m altitude in Tallahassee, Florida, and one at ~1.0 m above ground in a subterranean-cave. Regarding use of membrane filtration, a common trend was observed: the shorter the collection period, the higher the recovery of culturable bacteria and fungi. These data also demonstrated that lower culturable counts were common in the more remote mid-oceanic and mountain-top atmospheric environments with bacteria, fungi, and total numbers averaging (by sample time or method categories) <3.0 colony-forming units (CFU) m -3. At the Florida and subterranean sites, the lowest average count noted was 3.5 bacteria CFU m-3, and the highest averaged 140.4 total CFU m-3. When atmospheric temperature allowed use, the high-volume liquid impinger utilized in this study resulted in much higher recoveries, as much as 10?? greater in a number of the categories (bacterial, fungal, and total CFU). Together, these data illustrated that (1) the high-volume liquid impinger is clearly superior to membrane filtration for aeromicrobiology studies if start-up costs are not an issue and temperature permits use; (2) although membrane filtration is more cost friendly and has a 'typically' wider operational range, its limits include loss of cell viability with increased sample time and issues with effectively extracting nucleic acids for community-based analyses; (3) the ability to recover culturable microorganisms is limited in 'extreme' atmospheric environments and thus the use of a 'limited' methodology in these environments must be taken into account; and (4) the atmosphere culls, i.e., everything is not everywhere. ?? 2010 US Government.

HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR CHOLECYSTITIS AND CHOLELITHIASIS IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL, BRAZIL

PubMed Central

NUNES, Emeline Caldana; ROSA, Roger dos Santos; BORDIN, Ronaldo

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The cholelithiasis is disease of surgical resolution with about 60,000 hospitalizations per year in the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS - Brazilian National Health System) of the Rio Grande do Sul state. Aim: To describe the profile of hospitalizations for cholecystitis and cholelithiasis performed by the SUS of Rio Grande do Sul state, 2011-2013. Methods: Hospital Information System data from the National Health System through morbidity list for cholelithiasis and cholecystitis (ICD-10 K80-K81). Variables studied were sex, age, number of hospitalizations and approved Hospitalization Authorizations (AIH), total amount and value of hospital services generated, days and average length of stay, mortality, mortality and case fatality ratio, from health regions of the Rio Grande do Sul. Results: During 2011-2013 there were 60,517 hospitalizations for cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, representing 18.86 hospitalizations per 10,000 inhabitants/year, most often in the age group from 60 to 69 years (41.34 admissions per 10,000 inhabitants/year) and female (27.72 hospitalizations per 10,000 inhabitants/year). The fatality rate presented an inverse characteristic: 13.52 deaths per 1,000 admissions/year for males, compared with 7.12 deaths per 1,000 admissions/year in females. The state had an average total amount spent and value of hospital services of R$ 16,244,050.60 and R$ 10,890,461.31, respectively. The health region "Capital/Gravataí Valley" exhibit the highest total expenditure and hospital services, and the largest number of deaths, and average length of stay. Conclusion: The hospitalization and lethality coefficients, the deaths, the length of stay and spending related to admissions increased from 50 years old. Females had a higher frequency and higher values ​​spent on hospitalization, while the male higher coefficient of mortality and mean hospital stay. PMID:27438030

Sensitivity of Noncontrast Computed Tomography for Small Renal Calculi With Endoscopy as the Gold Standard.

PubMed

Bhojani, Naeem; Paonessa, Jessica E; El Tayeb, Marawan M; Williams, James C; Hameed, Tariq A; Lingeman, James E

2018-04-03

To compare the sensitivity of noncontrast computed tomography (CT) with endoscopy for detection of renal calculi. Imaging modalities for detection of nephrolithiasis have centered on abdominal x-ray, ultrasound, and noncontrast CT. Sensitivities of 58%-62% (abdominal x-ray), 45% (ultrasound), and 95%-100% (CT) have been previously reported. However, these results have never been correlated with endoscopic findings. Idiopathic calcium oxalate stone formers with symptomatic calculi requiring ureteroscopy were studied. At the time of surgery, the number and the location of all calculi within the kidney were recorded followed by basket retrieval. Each calculus was measured and sent for micro-CT and infrared spectrophotometry. All CT scans were reviewed by the same genitourinary radiologist who was blinded to the endoscopic findings. The radiologist reported on the number, location, and size of each calculus. Eighteen renal units were studied in 11 patients. Average time from CT scan to ureteroscopy was 28.6 days. The mean number of calculi identified per kidney was 9.2 ± 6.1 for endoscopy and 5.9 ± 4.1 for CT (P <.004). The mean size of total renal calculi (sum of the longest stone diameters) per kidney was 22.4 ± 17.1 mm and 18.2 ± 13.2 mm for endoscopy and CT, respectively (P = .06). CT scan underreports the number of renal calculi, probably missing some small stones and being unable to distinguish those lying in close proximity to one another. However, the total stone burden seen by CT is, on average, accurate when compared with that found on endoscopic examination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Financial impact of adopting implantable loop recorder diagnostic for unexplained syncope compared with conventional diagnostic pathway in Portugal.

PubMed

Providência, Rui; Candeias, Rui; Morais, Carlos; Reis, Hipólito; Elvas, Luís; Sanfins, Vitor; Farinha, Sara; Eggington, Simon; Tsintzos, Stelios

2014-05-06

To estimate the short- and long-term financial impact of early referral for implantable loop recorder diagnostic (ILR) versus conventional diagnostic pathway (CDP) in the management of unexplained syncope (US) in the Portuguese National Health Service (PNHS). A Markov model was developed to estimate the expected number of hospital admissions due to US and its respective financial impact in patients implanted with ILR versus CDP. The average cost of a syncope episode admission was estimated based on Portuguese cost data and landmark papers. The financial impact of ILR adoption was estimated for a total of 197 patients with US, based on the number of syncope admissions per year in the PNHS. Sensitivity analysis was performed to take into account the effect of uncertainty in the input parameters (hazard ratio of death; number of syncope events per year; probabilities and unit costs of each diagnostic test; probability of trauma and yield of diagnosis) over three-year and lifetime horizons. The average cost of a syncope event was estimated to be between 1,760€ and 2,800€. Over a lifetime horizon, the total discounted costs of hospital admissions and syncope diagnosis for the entire cohort were 23% lower amongst patients in the ILR group compared with the CDP group (1,204,621€ for ILR, versus 1,571,332€ for CDP). The utilization of ILR leads to an earlier diagnosis and lower number of syncope hospital admissions and investigations, thus allowing significant cost offsets in the Portuguese setting. The result is robust to changes in the input parameter values, and cost savings become more pronounced over time.

Analysis of economic determinants of fertility in Iran: a multilevel approach.

PubMed

Moeeni, Maryam; Pourreza, Abolghasem; Torabi, Fatemeh; Heydari, Hassan; Mahmoudi, Mahmood

2014-08-01

During the last three decades, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Iran has fallen considerably; from 6.5 per woman in 1983 to 1.89 in 2010. This paper analyzes the extent to which economic determinants at the micro and macro levels are associated with the number of children in Iranian households. Household data from the 2010 Household Expenditure and Income Survey (HEIS) is linked to provincial data from the 2010 Iran Multiple-Indicator Demographic and Health Survey (IrMIDHS), the National Census of Population and Housing conducted in 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2011, and the 1985-2010 Iran statistical year books. Fertility is measured as the number of children in each household. A random intercept multilevel Poisson regression function is specified based on a collective model of intra-household bargaining power to investigate potential determinants of the number of children in Iranian households. Ceteris paribus (other things being equal), probability of having more children drops significantly as either real per capita educational expenditure or real total expenditure of each household increase. Both the low- and the high-income households show probabilities of having more children compared to the middle-income households. Living in provinces with either higher average amount of value added of manufacturing establishments or lower average rate of house rent is associated to higher probability of having larger number of children. Higher levels of gender gap indices, resulting in household's wife's limited power over household decision-making, positively affect the probability of having more children. Economic determinants at the micro and macro levels, distribution of intra-household bargaining power between spouses and demographic covariates determined fertility behavior of Iranian households.

Death and Disability in Patients with Sleep Apnea - A Meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Fonseca, Maria Inês Pires; Pereira, Telmo; Caseiro, Paulo

2015-01-01

Background Several studies have been attempting to ascertain the risks of Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) and its morbidity and mortality. Objective The main objective was to verify whether SAS increases the risk of death; the secondary objective was to evaluate its morbidity in relation to cardiovascular disease and the number of days hospitalized. Methods A systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed of the published literature. The research focused on studies comparing the number of deaths in patients with untreated SAS and in patients with non-SAS. Results The meta-analysis was based on 13 articles, corresponding to a total of 13394 participants divided into two groups (non-SAS = 6631; SAS = 6763). The meta-analysis revealed a clear association of SAS with the occurrence of fatal events, where the presence of SAS corresponded to a 61% higher risk of total mortality (OR=1.61; CI: 1.43 - 1.81; p < 0.00001), while the risk of death from cardiac causes was 2.52 times higher in these patients (OR = 2.52; IC: 1.80 - 3.52; p < 0.00001). Similar results were obtained for mortality from other causes (OR = 1.68; CI: 1.08 - 2.61; p = 0.02). Resembling results were obtained in the remaining outcomes: non-fatal cardiovascular events were higher in the SAS group (OR = 2.46; IC: 1.80 - 3.36; p < 0.00001), the average number of days hospitalized was also higher in the SAS group (IV = 18.09; IC: 13.34 - 22.84; p < 0.00001). Conclusion The results show that untreated SAS significantly increases the risk of death, cardiovascular events and the average number of days hospitalized. PMID:25409880

Analysis of economic determinants of fertility in Iran: a multilevel approach

PubMed Central

Moeeni, Maryam; Pourreza, Abolghasem; Torabi, Fatemeh; Heydari, Hassan; Mahmoudi, Mahmood

2014-01-01

Background: During the last three decades, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in Iran has fallen considerably; from 6.5 per woman in 1983 to 1.89 in 2010. This paper analyzes the extent to which economic determinants at the micro and macro levels are associated with the number of children in Iranian households. Methods: Household data from the 2010 Household Expenditure and Income Survey (HEIS) is linked to provincial data from the 2010 Iran Multiple-Indicator Demographic and Health Survey (IrMIDHS), the National Census of Population and Housing conducted in 1986, 1996, 2006 and 2011, and the 1985–2010 Iran statistical year books. Fertility is measured as the number of children in each household. A random intercept multilevel Poisson regression function is specified based on a collective model of intra-household bargaining power to investigate potential determinants of the number of children in Iranian households. Results: Ceteris paribus (other things being equal), probability of having more children drops significantly as either real per capita educational expenditure or real total expenditure of each household increase. Both the low- and the high-income households show probabilities of having more children compared to the middle-income households. Living in provinces with either higher average amount of value added of manufacturing establishments or lower average rate of house rent is associated to higher probability of having larger number of children. Higher levels of gender gap indices, resulting in household’s wife’s limited power over household decision-making, positively affect the probability of having more children. Conclusion: Economic determinants at the micro and macro levels, distribution of intra-household bargaining power between spouses and demographic covariates determined fertility behavior of Iranian households. PMID:25197678

Influence of an information literacy course on students' information search behavior.

PubMed

Weinert, Daniel J; Palmer, Erin M

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an information literacy course on students' information gathering behavior. Two student groups, consisting of 69 (Group One) and 177 (Group Two) students, were compared in their performance on a literature review assignment. Group one did not have an information literacy course, while group two was the first class to receive a newly introduced course in information literacy. Assignment references served as the dependent variables and included the following categories: total number of references, number and percentage of peer reviewed journal references, number and percentage of non-peer reviewed journal references, number and percentage of website references, number and percentage of authority opinion references, and number and percentage of textbook references. Referenced websites were further divided into the following: .com, .org, .edu, .gov. for both total number and percent utilization.Independent T-tests were performed between the information literacy course status and each of the dependent variables. Descriptive data (prior education, cumulative GPA, average age of student groups) was similar for both groups. Independent T-test analysis revealed a strong association (p < .05) between increasing both the number and percentage of peer reviewed references and having the information literacy course. The introduction of an information literacy course did influence the information gathering behavior of students. Students showed an increased reliance on peer-reviewed references.

Uniformly high-order accurate non-oscillatory schemes, 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harten, A.; Osher, S.

1985-01-01

The construction and the analysis of nonoscillatory shock capturing methods for the approximation of hyperbolic conservation laws was begun. These schemes share many desirable properties with total variation diminishing schemes (TVD), but TVD schemes have at most first order accuracy, in the sense of truncation error, at extreme of the solution. A uniformly second order approximation was constucted, which is nonoscillatory in the sense that the number of extrema of the discrete solution is not increasing in time. This is achieved via a nonoscillatory piecewise linear reconstruction of the solution from its cell averages, time evolution through an approximate solution of the resulting initial value problem, and averaging of this approximate solution over each cell.

Numerical solution of the unsteady Navier-Stokes equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osher, Stanley J.; Engquist, Bjoern

1985-01-01

The construction and the analysis of nonoscillatory shock capturing methods for the approximation of hyperbolic conservation laws are discussed. These schemes share many desirable properties with total variation diminishing schemes, but TVD schemes have at most first-order accuracy, in the sense of truncation error, at extrema of the solution. In this paper a uniformly second-order approximation is constructed, which is nonoscillatory in the sense that the number of extrema of the discrete solution is not increasing in time. This is achieved via a nonoscillatory piecewise linear reconstruction of the solution from its cell averages, time evolution through an approximate solution of the resulting initial value problem, and averaging of this approximate solution over each cell.

Melatonin versus placebo in children with autism spectrum conditions and severe sleep problems not amenable to behaviour management strategies: a randomised controlled crossover trial.

PubMed

Wright, Barry; Sims, David; Smart, Siobhan; Alwazeer, Ahmed; Alderson-Day, Ben; Allgar, Victoria; Whitton, Clare; Tomlinson, Heather; Bennett, Sophie; Jardine, Jenni; McCaffrey, Nicola; Leyland, Charlotte; Jakeman, Christine; Miles, Jeremy

2011-02-01

Twenty-two children with autism spectrum disorders who had not responded to supported behaviour management strategies for severe dysomnias entered a double blind, randomised, controlled crossover trial involving 3 months of placebo versus 3 months of melatonin to a maximum dose of 10 mg. 17 children completed the study. There were no significant differences between sleep variables at baseline. Melatonin significantly improved sleep latency (by an average of 47 min) and total sleep (by an average of 52 min) compared to placebo, but not number of night wakenings. The side effect profile was low and not significantly different between the two arms.

Genetic diversity and relationship analysis of Gossypium arboreum accessions.

PubMed

Liu, F; Zhou, Z L; Wang, C Y; Wang, Y H; Cai, X Y; Wang, X X; Zhang, Z S; Wang, K B

2015-11-19

Simple sequence repeat techniques were used to identify the genetic diversity of 101 Gossypium arboreum accessions collected from India, Vietnam, and the southwest of China (Guizhou, Guangxi, and Yunnan provinces). Twenty-six pairs of SSR primers produced a total of 103 polymorphic loci with an average of 3.96 polymorphic loci per primer. The average of the effective number of alleles, Nei's gene diversity, and Shannon's information index were 0.59, 0.2835, and 0.4361, respectively. The diversity varied among different geographic regions. The result of principal component analysis was consistent with that of unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean clustering analysis. The 101 G. arboreum accessions were clustered into 2 groups.

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from Zelkova schneideriana Hand.-Mazz.

PubMed

Liu, H L; Zhang, R Q; Geng, M L; Zhu, J Y; Ma, J L

2014-12-03

Zelkova schneideriana is a highly valued hardwood species. An improved technique for isolating codominant compound microsatellite markers was used to develop simple sequence repeat markers for Z. schneideriana. A total of 12 microsatellite loci were identified. Overall, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 8-19, with an average of 11.75. Observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0.109-0.709 and 0.832-0.929, respectively. Polymorphic information content is from 0.803-0.915, with an average of 0.854. These markers will be very important for future research related to the genetic diversity, population structure, patterns of gene flow, and mating system of this species.

The economic burden of HIV/AIDS on individuals and households in Nepal: a quantitative study.

PubMed

Poudel, Ak Narayan; Newlands, David; Simkhada, Padam

2017-01-24

There have been only limited studies assessing the economic burden of HIV/AIDS in terms of direct costs, and there has been no published study related to productivity costs in Nepal. Therefore, this study explores in detail the economic burden of HIV/AIDS, including direct costs and productivity costs. This paper focuses on the direct costs of seeking treatment, productivity costs, and related factors affecting direct costs, and productivity costs. This study was a cross-sectional, quantitative study. The primary data were collected through a structured face-to-face survey from 415 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). The study was conducted in six representative treatment centres of six districts of Nepal. The data analysis regarding the economic burden (direct costs and productivity costs) was performed from the household's perspective. Descriptive statistics have been used, and regression analyses were applied to examine the extent, nature and determinants of the burden of the disease, and its correlations. Average total costs due to HIV/AIDS (the sum of average total direct and average productivity costs before adjustment for coping strategies) were Nepalese Rupees (NRs) 2233 per month (US$ 30.2/month), which was 28.5% of the sample households' average monthly income. The average total direct costs for seeking HIV/AIDS treatment were NRs 1512 (US$ 20.4), and average productivity costs (before adjustment for coping strategies) were NRs 721 (US$ 9.7). The average monthly productivity losses (before adjustment for coping strategies) were 5.05 days per person. The major determinants for the direct costs were household income, occupation, health status of respondents, respondents accompanied or not, and study district. Health status of respondents, ethnicity, sexual orientation and study district were important determinants for productivity costs. The study concluded that HIV/AIDS has caused a significant economic burden for PLHIV and their families in Nepal. The study has a number of policy implications for different stakeholders. Provision of social support and income generating programmes to HIV-affected individuals and their families, and decentralising treatment services in each district seem to be viable solutions to reduce the economic burden of HIV-affected individuals and households.

120 Years of U.S. Residential Housing Stock and Floor Space

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

Pinto de Moura, Maria C.; Smith, Steven J.; Belzer, David B.

2015-08-11

Energy consumption in the residential sector accounts for one-fifth of total U.S. energy consumption and energy-related CO2 emissions. Floor space is a major driver of building energy demand. This paper develops a historical time series of total residential floor space for 1891-2010 and examines the role of socio-economic drivers GDP, population and household size on floor space. Using primarily data from the U.S. Census Bureau, we develop new construction and vintage-disaggregated housing stock for three building types, and address various data inconsistency issues. An examination of the long-term relationship of GDP and total residential floor space shows a remarkably constantmore » trend over the period. While population increases five times over the period, a 50% decrease in household size contributes towards a tenfold increase in the number of housing units and floor space, while average floor space per unit remains surprisingly constant, as a result of housing retirement dynamics. In the last 30 years, however, these trends appear to be changing, as household size shows signs of leveling off, or even increasing again, while average floor space per unit has been increasing. Total residential sector primary energy consumption and floor space show a similar growth trend over the last 60 years.« less

Comparison of m-Endo LES, MacConkey, and Teepol media for membrane filtration counting of total coliform bacteria in water.

PubMed Central

Grabow, W O; du Preez, M

1979-01-01

Total coliform counts obtained by means of standard membrane filtration techniques, using MacConkey agar, m-Endo LES agar, Teepol agar, and pads saturated with Teepol broth as growth media, were compared. Various combinations of these media were used in tests on 490 samples of river water and city wastewater after different stages of conventional purification and reclamation processes including lime treatment, and filtration, active carbon treatment, ozonation, and chlorination. Endo agar yielded the highest average counts for all these samples. Teepol agar generally had higher counts then Teepol broth, whereas MacConkey agar had the lowest average counts. Identification of 871 positive isolates showed that Aeromonas hydrophila was the species most commonly detected. Species of Escherichia, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter represented 55% of isolates which conformed to the definition of total coliforms on Endo agar, 54% on Teepol agar, and 45% on MacConkey agar. Selection for species on the media differed considerably. Evaluation of these data and literature on alternative tests, including most probable number methods, indicated that the technique of choice for routine analysis of total coliform bacteria in drinking water is membrane filtration using m-Endo LES agar as growth medium without enrichment procedures or a cytochrome oxidase restriction. PMID:394678

A partial least squares based spectrum normalization method for uncertainty reduction for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiongwei; Wang, Zhe; Lui, Siu-Lung; Fu, Yangting; Li, Zheng; Liu, Jianming; Ni, Weidou

2013-10-01

A bottleneck of the wide commercial application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology is its relatively high measurement uncertainty. A partial least squares (PLS) based normalization method was proposed to improve pulse-to-pulse measurement precision for LIBS based on our previous spectrum standardization method. The proposed model utilized multi-line spectral information of the measured element and characterized the signal fluctuations due to the variation of plasma characteristic parameters (plasma temperature, electron number density, and total number density) for signal uncertainty reduction. The model was validated by the application of copper concentration prediction in 29 brass alloy samples. The results demonstrated an improvement on both measurement precision and accuracy over the generally applied normalization as well as our previously proposed simplified spectrum standardization method. The average relative standard deviation (RSD), average of the standard error (error bar), the coefficient of determination (R2), the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP), and average value of the maximum relative error (MRE) were 1.80%, 0.23%, 0.992, 1.30%, and 5.23%, respectively, while those for the generally applied spectral area normalization were 3.72%, 0.71%, 0.973, 1.98%, and 14.92%, respectively.

Associations between andrological measures, hormones and semen quality in fertile Australian men: inverse relationship between obesity and sperm output.

PubMed

Stewart, T M; Liu, D Y; Garrett, C; Jørgensen, N; Brown, E H; Baker, H W G

2009-07-01

The World Health Organization developed a time to pregnancy (TTP) study (number of menstrual cycles taken to conceive) to determine whether the average TTP is increasing and semen quality decreasing with time. The present study describes clinical, semen and hormone characteristics obtained from male partners of pregnant women in Melbourne, Australia, and examines the associations between these characteristics. Male partners (n = 225) of pregnant women (16-32 weeks) who conceived naturally had physical examination, health and lifestyle questionnaires, semen and hormone (FSH, LH, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone and Inhibin B) analyses. Previously known associations between semen, hormone and clinical variables were confirmed as significant: sperm numbers (concentration and total sperm count) correlated positively with Inhibin B and inversely with FSH and left varicocele, while total testicular volume correlated positively with sperm numbers and Inhibin B and inversely with FSH. However, only abstinence, total testicular volume, varicocele grade and obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) were independently significantly related to total sperm count. Compared with those with BMI < 30 (n = 188), obese subjects (n = 35) had significantly lower total sperm count (mean 324 versus 231 million, P = 0.013) and Inhibin B (187 versus 140 pg/ml, P < 0.001) but not FSH (3.4 versus 4.0 IU/l, P = 0.6). Obese fertile men appear to have reduced testicular function. Whether this is cause or effect, i.e. adiposity impairing spermatogenesis or reduced testicular function promoting fat deposition, remains to be determined.

Heritability and factors associated with number of harness race starts in the Spanish Trotter horse population.

PubMed

Solé, M; Valera, M; Gómez, M D; Sölkner, J; Molina, A; Mészáros, G

2017-05-01

Longevity/durability is a relevant trait in racehorses. Genetic analysis and knowledge of factors that influence number of harness race starts would be advantageous for both horse welfare and the equine industry. To perform a genetic analysis on harness racing using number of races as a measure of longevity/durability and to identify factors associated with career length in Spanish Trotter Horses (STH). Longitudinal study. Performance data (n = 331,970) on the STH population for harness racing at national level between 1990 and 2014 were used. A grouped data model was fitted to assess factors influencing the risk of ending harness racing career and to estimate the heritability and breeding values for total number of harness races starts as an indicator of horses' longevity and durability. The model included sex, age at first race and first start earnings as time-independent effects, and the calendar year, driver, trainer, racetrack category and season of competition as time-dependent effects. Across the whole dataset, the average number of harness races horses achieved in Spain was 54.7 races, and this was associated with the horses' sex, age at first race and first start earnings, calendar year, driver, racetrack category, and season. The heritability estimated (0.17 ± 0.01) for number of harness race starts indicates that a beneficial response to direct genetic selection can be expected. Data on horses' health status were not available. Horses' total number of harness race starts is a promising tool for genetic analysis and the evaluation of racing longevity and durability. The estimated heritability provides evidence to support the application of genetic selection of total career number of races to improve longevity/durability of STH. © 2016 EVJ Ltd.

Comparative analysis of the performance of One-Way and Two-Way urban road networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gheorghe, Carmen

2017-10-01

The fact that the number of vehicles is increasing year after year represents a challenge in road traffic management because it is necessary to adjust the road traffic, in order to prevent any incidents, using mostly the same road infrastructure. At this moment one-way road network provides efficient traffic flow for vehicles but it is not ideal for pedestrians. Therefore, a proper solution must be found and applied when and where it is necessary. Replacing one-way road network with two-way road network may be a viable solution especially if in the area is high pedestrian traffic. The paper aims to highlight the influence of both, one-way and two-way urban road networks through an experimental research which was performed by using traffic data collected in the field. Each of the two scenarios analyzed were based on the same traffic data, the same geometrical conditions of the road (lane width, total road segment width, road slopes, total length of the road network) and also the same signaling conditions (signalised intersection or roundabout). The analysis which involves two-way scenario reveals changes in the performance parameters like delay average, stops average, delay stop average and vehicle speed average. Based on the values obtained, it was possible to perform a comparative analysis between the real, one-way, scenario and the theoretical, two-way, scenario.

Levels of unmet needs and distress amongst adolescents and young adults (AYAs) impacted by familial cancer

PubMed Central

McDonald, F.E.J.; White, K.J.; Walczak, A.; Butow, P.N.

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To describe levels of, and relationships between, distress and psychosocial unmet needs in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with a family member with cancer. Methods Adolescents and young adults (12‐24 years old) with a living sibling or parent with cancer participated. Participants completed demographics, the Kessler 10 (K10) distress scale and the Sibling or Offspring Cancer Needs Instruments. Descriptive statistics were obtained for all measures, item‐level frequencies were examined to identify common unmet needs, and relationships between distress and unmet needs were explored. Results Average sibling (N = 106) and offspring (N = 256) distress levels were in the high range (K10total = 22‐30), with 29.6% and 31.6% in the very high range (K10total = 31‐50), respectively. Siblings had mean = 19.7 unmet needs (range 0‐45), 66% had ≥10 unmet needs, and 44% of the 45 needs were unmet on average. Offspring had mean = 22.4 unmet needs (range 0‐47), 77% had ≥10 unmet needs, and 48% of the 47 needs were unmet on average. Strong positive correlations were found between K10 distress and the number of sibling/offspring unmet needs (r = 0.599 and r = 0.522, respectively, P = .00). Conclusions Australian AYA siblings and offspring impacted by familial cancer experience high levels and numbers of unmet needs and substantial distress. Strong associations were found between increased distress and more unmet needs. Distress levels were comparable to AYAs seeking treatment for mental health issues. Insights into the type and number of needs experienced by AYA siblings and offspring will facilitate development and delivery of targeted, age‐appropriate interventions, and resources for these vulnerable and underserved young people. PMID:28295848

Reoperations following proximal interphalangeal joint nonconstrained arthroplasties.

PubMed

Pritsch, Tamir; Rizzo, Marco

2011-09-01

To retrospectively analyze the reasons for reoperations following primary nonconstrained proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthroplasty and review clinical outcomes in this group of patients with 1 or more reoperations. Between 2001 and 2009, 294 nonconstrained (203 pyrocarbon and 91 metal-plastic) PIP joint replacements were performed in our institution. A total of 76 fingers (59 patients) required reoperation (50 pyrocarbon and 26 metal-plastic). There were 40 women and 19 men with an average age of 51 years (range, 19-83 y). Primary diagnoses included osteoarthritis in 35, posttraumatic arthritis in 24, and inflammatory arthritis in 17 patients. There were 21 index, 27 middle, 18 ring, and 10 small fingers. The average number of reoperations per PIP joint was 1.6 (range, 1-4). A total of 45 joints had 1 reoperation, 19 had 2, 11 had 3, and 1 had 4. Extensor mechanism dysfunction was the most common reason for reoperation; it involved 51 of 76 fingers and was associated with Chamay or tendon-reflecting surgical approaches. Additional etiologies included component loosening in 17, collateral ligament failure in 10, and volar plate contracture in 8 cases. Inflammatory arthritis was associated with collateral ligament failure. Six fingers were eventually amputated, 9 had PIP joint arthrodeses, and 2 had resection arthroplasties. The arthrodesis and amputation rates correlated with the increased number of reoperations per finger. Clinically, most patients had no or mild pain at the most recent follow-up, and the PIP joint range-of-motion was not significantly different from preoperative values. Pain levels improved with longer follow-up. Reoperations following primary nonconstrained PIP joint arthroplasties are common. Extensor mechanism dysfunction was the most common reason for reoperation. The average reoperation rate was 1.6, and arthrodesis and amputation are associated with an increasing number of operations. Overall clinical outcomes demonstrated no significant change in range of motion, and most patients had mild or no pain. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relative efficiency and productivity: a preliminary exploration of public hospitals in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Dong, Siping; Liu, Tingfang

2014-04-06

Third-grade hospitals in Beijing have been rapidly developing in capacity and scale for many years. These hospitals receive a large number of patients, and ensuring their efficient operation is crucial in meeting people's healthcare needs. In this context, a study of their relative efficiency and productivity would be helpful to identify the driving factors and further improve their performance. After a review of literature, the current numbers of open beds and employees were selected as input variables. The number of outpatient and emergency visits and the number of discharged patients were selected as output variables. A total of 12 third-grade Class A general public hospitals in Beijing were selected for a preliminary study. The panel data from 2006-2009 were collected by the National Institute of Hospital Administration, Ministry of Health of P.R. China. Descriptive analysis and data envelopment analysis were used to analyze the data using Stata 10.0 and DEAP(V2.1) software. In the 2006-2009 period, descriptive results show that sample hospitals continuously expanded their capacity and scale, with growth rate of total revenue being the highest among all variables. The DEA results show that the average annual growth rate of productivity was 26.7%, and the rates were 47.3%, 21.3% and 13.8% respectively for two consecutive years. The average annual growth rate of technological change was 28.3%, and the rates were 49.4%, 21.5% and 16.4% respectively for two consecutive years. The average annual growth rate of technical efficiency change was -1.3%, and the rates were -1.4%, -0.02% and -2.2% respectively for two consecutive years. The sample hospitals in Beijing experienced substantial productivity growth, but annual growth rates were declining. Substantial technological change was the main contributor to the growth. Although some hospitals exhibited improvements in technical efficiency, there was a slight decline in general. To improve overall efficiency and productivity, both government and hospitals need to further drive positive technological change, technical change, and allocative efficiency of public hospitals. More empirical studies are needed to include more hospitals of all three grades at a larger scale.

Care Transitions and Adult Day Services Moderate the Longitudinal Links between Stress Biomarkers and Family Caregivers' Functional Health.

PubMed

Liu, Yin; Almeida, David M; Rovine, Michael J; Zarit, Steven H

2017-01-01

Stress biomarkers have been linked to health and well-being. There are, however, few studies on how dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system actually affects functional health of family caregivers of persons with dementia. Further, it is not clear whether and how factors affecting caregiving stressor exposures such as care transitions and adult day services (ADS) use may affect such association. First, to examine the association of daily stress biomarkers and functional health over time among family caregivers of persons with dementia. Second, to examine effects of care transitions and ADS use on the association between baseline stress biomarkers and functional health over time. At baseline, caregivers provided 5 saliva samples each day during an 8-day diary study, where all caregivers were having a varying number of ADS days per week. There were 2 longitudinal follow-ups at 6 and 12 months on ADS use, care transitions, and caregivers' functional health. The average daily total output across days was computed at baseline for salivary cortisol, the sulfated form of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA-s), and salivary alpha amylase (sAA), which were used as predictors of caregivers' longitudinal functional limitation trajectories. Care transitions and total number of ADS days per week at baseline were considered as moderators of the associations between stress biomarkers and health over time. The associations between functional limitation trajectories and daily total outputs of cortisol and sAA were modified by ADS use and care transitions. Among caregivers who experienced a transition, and who used less than average ADS days per week, lower daily cortisol total output and lower daily sAA total output were associated with increasing functional limitations. Caregivers who experienced a transition but used greater than average ADS days per week did not show such patterns of association. No significant effect was found for DHEA-s. The study contributes to an important but largely unanswered question regarding implications of stress biomarkers on functional health. Assessments of the association between stress biomarkers and health among family caregivers of persons with dementia need to consider changes in stressor exposures over time, such as care transitions and ADS use. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

78 FR 19262 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-29

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2013-N-04] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and that has average total assets below a statutory cap.\\2\\ The Bank...

75 FR 9601 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-03

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2010-N-01] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... Deposit Insurance Corporation and that has average total assets below a statutory cap. See 12 U.S.C. 1422...

Automated identification of OB associations in M31

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magnier, Eugene A.; Battinelli, Paolo; Lewin, Walter H. G.; Haiman, Zoltan; Paradijs, Jan Van; Hasinger, Guenther; Pietsch, Wolfgang; Supper, Rodrigo; Truemper, Joachim

1993-01-01

A new identification of OB associations in M31 has been performed using the Path Linkage Criterion (PLC) technique of Battinelli (1991). We found 174 associations with a very small contamination (less than 5%) by random clumps of stars. The expected total number and average size of OB associations in the region of M 31 covered by our data set (Magnier et al. 1992) are approximately 280 and approximately 90 pc, respectively. M31 associations therefore have sizes similar to those of OB associations observed in nearby galaxies, so that we can consider them to be classical OB associations. This list of OB associations will be used for the study of the spatial distribution of OB associations and their correlation with other objects. Taking into account the fact that we do not cover the entire disk of M31, we extrapolate a total number of association in M31 of approximately 420.

High-efficiency transformation by biolistics of soybean, common bean and cotton transgenic plants.

PubMed

Rech, Elibio L; Vianna, Giovanni R; Aragão, Francisco J L

2008-01-01

This protocol describes a method for high-frequency recovery of transgenic soybean, bean and cotton plants, by combining resistance to the herbicide imazapyr as a selectable marker, multiple shoot induction from embryonic axes of mature seeds and biolistics techniques. This protocol involves the following stages: plasmid design, preparation of soybean, common bean and cotton apical meristems for bombardment, microparticle-coated DNA bombardment of apical meristems and in vitro culture and selection of transgenic plants. The average frequencies (the total number of fertile transgenic plants divided by the total number of bombarded embryonic axes) of producing germline transgenic soybean and bean and cotton plants using this protocol are 9, 2.7 and 0.55%, respectively. This protocol is suitable for studies of gene function as well as the production of transgenic cultivars carrying different traits for breeding programs. This protocol can be completed in 7-10 months.

Diagnostics of ion beam generated from a Mather type plasma focus device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, L. K.; Ngoi, S. K.; Wong, C. S.; Yap, S. L.

2014-03-01

Diagnostics of ion beam emission from a 3 kJ Mather-type plasma focus device have been performed for deuterium discharge at low pressure regime. Deuterium plasma focus was found to be optimum at pressure of 0.2 mbar. The energy spectrum and total number of ions per shot from the pulsed ion beam are determined by using biased ion collectors, Faraday cup, and solid state nuclear track detector CR-39. Average energy of the ion beam obtained is about 60 keV. Total number of the ions has been determined to be in the order of 1011 per shot. Solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) CR39 are employed to measure the particles at all angular direction from end on (0°) to side on (90°). Particle tracks are registered by SSNTD at 30° to 90°, except the one at the end-on 0°.

Evaluation of five years of nursing home inspection forms: structural and hygiene-related violation trends.

PubMed

Avery, Chris; Humphrey, Charles; Balany, Jo Anne

2014-11-01

Health inspections are performed at nursing homes to identify and reduce risk and to help maintain a safe environment for nursing home residents. The study described in this article aimed to identify the most frequent violations, types of violations (hygiene or structural), and repeat violations in nursing home facilities during health inspections; and to determine if the age of the facility influenced inspection scores. Nursing home health inspection forms (N = 131) completed between 2005 and 2011 in Pitt County, North Carolina, were analyzed. Results indicated that 60% of all violations were hygiene-related and could possibly be corrected without significant financial investments by management. Significant correlations occurred between the total number of violations and the facility age (p = .003) and between the number of repeat violations and total violations (p < .001). The average inspection score for nursing homes could be increased by more than three points if sanitation practices were improved.

Hydrodynamic trails produced by Daphnia: size and energetics.

PubMed

Wickramarathna, Lalith N; Noss, Christian; Lorke, Andreas

2014-01-01

This study focuses on quantifying hydrodynamic trails produced by freely swimming zooplankton. We combined volumetric tracking of swimming trajectories with planar observations of the flow field induced by Daphnia of different size and swimming in different patterns. Spatial extension of the planar flow field along the trajectories was used to interrogate the dimensions (length and volume) and energetics (dissipation rate of kinetic energy and total dissipated power) of the trails. Our findings demonstrate that neither swimming pattern nor size of the organisms affect the trail width or the dissipation rate. However, we found that the trail volume increases with increasing organism size and swimming velocity, more precisely the trail volume is proportional to the third power of Reynolds number. This increase furthermore results in significantly enhanced total dissipated power at higher Reynolds number. The biggest trail volume observed corresponds to about 500 times the body volume of the largest daphnids. Trail-averaged viscous dissipation rate of the swimming daphnids vary in the range of 1.8 x 10(-6) W/kg to 3.4 x 10(-6) W/kg and the observed magnitudes of total dissipated power between 1.3 x 10(-9) W and 1 x 10(-8) W, respectively. Among other zooplankton species, daphnids display the highest total dissipated power in their trails. These findings are discussed in the context of fluid mixing and transport by organisms swimming at intermediate Reynolds numbers.

Operative Landscape at Canadian Neurosurgery Residency Programs.

PubMed

Tso, Michael K; Dakson, Ayoub; Ahmed, Syed Uzair; Bigder, Mark; Elliott, Cameron; Guha, Daipayan; Iorio-Morin, Christian; Kameda-Smith, Michelle; Lavergne, Pascal; Makarenko, Serge; Taccone, Michael S; Wang, Bill; Winkler-Schwartz, Alexander; Sankar, Tejas; Christie, Sean D

2017-07-01

Background Currently, the literature lacks reliable data regarding operative case volumes at Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. Our objective was to provide a snapshot of the operative landscape in Canadian neurosurgical training using the trainee-led Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative. Anonymized administrative operative data were gathered from each neurosurgery residency program from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014. Procedures were broadly classified into cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures. A number of prespecified subspecialty procedures were recorded. We defined the resident case index as the ratio of the total number of operations to the total number of neurosurgery residents in that program. Resident number included both Canadian medical and international medical graduates, and included residents on the neurosurgery service, off-service, or on leave for research or other personal reasons. Overall, there was an average of 1845 operative cases per neurosurgery residency program. The mean numbers of cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and miscellaneous procedures were 725, 466, 48, and 193, respectively. The nationwide mean resident case indices for cranial, spine, peripheral nerve, and total procedures were 90, 58, 5, and 196, respectively. There was some variation in the resident case indices for specific subspecialty procedures, with some training programs not performing carotid endarterectomy or endoscopic transsphenoidal procedures. This study presents the breadth of neurosurgical training within Canadian neurosurgery residency programs. These results may help inform the implementation of neurosurgery training as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons residency training transitions to a competence-by-design curriculum.

The independent roles of cardiorespiratory fitness and sedentary time on chronic conditions and Body Mass Index in older adults.

PubMed

Stathokostas, L; Dogra, S; Paterson, D H

2015-10-01

The aim of this paper was to examine the independent influence of cardiorespiratory fitness and sedentary behavior on chronic disease incidence and body composition in older adults. A sample of 292 community dwelling men and women (mean 69.3±8.1 years) underwent maximal treadmill testing and completed questionnaires relating to their leisure-time physical activity, sedentary time, and health. The average V O2 of the sample was approximately 21 ml.kg(-1).min(-1) with the average sedentary time being over 3 hours per day. Cardiorespiratory fitness was found to be a stronger predictor of number of chronic conditions and BMI than total physical activity and sedentary. Those with a higher cardiorespiratory fitness had fewer chronic conditions and a lower BMI. No such associations were seen for either total physical activity levels or sedentary time. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a stronger predictor of health among older adults and further highlights the importance of promoting public health guidelines for cardiorespiratory fitness.

Use of Balanced Indicators as a Management Tool in Nursing.

PubMed

Fugaça, Neidamar Pedrini Arias; Cubas, Marcia Regina; Carvalho, Deborah Ribeiro

2015-01-01

To develop a proposal for a nursing panel of indicators based on the guiding principles of Balanced Scorecard. A single case study that ranked 200 medical records of patients, management reports and protocols, which are capable of generating indicators. We identified 163 variables that resulted in 72 indicators; of these, 32 nursing-related: two financial indicators (patient's average revenue per day and patient's revenue per day by product used); two client indicators (overall satisfaction rate of patient with nursing care and adherence rate to the patient satisfaction survey); 23 process indicators, and five learning and growth indicators (average total hours of training, total of approved nursing professionals in the internal selection process, absenteeism rate, turnover rate and index of performance evaluation). Although there is a limit related to the amount of data generated, the methodology of Balanced Scorecard has proved to be flexible and adaptable to incorporate nursing services. It was possible to identify indicators with adherence to more than one area. Internal processes was the area with the higher number of indicators.

[Study of polymedicated patients over 65 years-old in an urban primary care centre].

PubMed

Garrido-Garrido, E M; García-Garrido, I; García-López-Durán, J C; García-Jiménez, F; Ortega-López, I; Bueno-Cavanillas, A

2011-01-01

To identify and characterise the polymedicated population over 65 years-old; and to determine the prevalence of drugs and the diseases in this population subgroup. Cross-sectional study. A primary care centre Zaidín-Centro in Granada. Andalusian Public Health Service. A total of 305 patients over 65 years-old taking polypharmacy (defined as use of five or more drugs, during a period equal to or greater than six months by any route) selected by stratified sampling by sex, age and number of drugs consumed. The analysed variables were sex, age, number of diseases, number of drugs and medical doctor. The prevalence of polypharmacy in patients over 65 years-old was 33.77%. These patients were using an average number of drugs of 8.7±2.5 and had an average number of diseases of 5.56±1.89. The prevalence of polypharmacy was greater among women, but differences decreased in people more than 85 years old. The antihypertensive pharmacological group was the most commonly used, in accordance with the most frequent disease, arterial hypertension. We found a strong relationship between the number of drugs and the number of diseases (p=0.05). Chronic use of drugs in the elderly is of considerable magnitude, affecting one out of every three. Polypharmacy in the elderly is a common and serious problem that needs to be reviewed and evaluated continuously. Copyright © 2010 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of silicon versus thermopile radiometers for daily and monthly integrated total hemispherical solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoffel, Thomas L.; Myers, Daryl R.

2010-08-01

Measurement stations for solar radiation resource assessment data are expensive and labor intensive. For this reason, long-term solar radiation measurements are not widely available. Growing interest in solar renewable energy systems has generated a great number of questions about the quality of data obtained from inexpensive silicon photodiode radiometers versus costly thermopile radiometers. We analyze a year of daily total and monthly mean global horizontal irradiance measurements derived from 1-minute averages of 3-second samples of pyranometer signals. The data were collected simultaneously from both types of radiometers at the Solar Radiation Research Laboratory (SRRL) operated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. All broadband radiometers in service at SRRL are calibrated annually using an outdoor method with reference radiometers traceable to the World Radiometric Reference. We summarized the data by daily total and monthly mean daily total amounts of solar radiation. Our results show that systematic and random errors (identified in our outdoor calibration process) in each type of radiometer cancel out over periods of one day or more. Daily total and mean monthly daily total solar energy measured by the two pyranometer types compare within 1% to 2%. The individual daily variations among different models of thermopile radiometers may be up to twice as large, up to +/-5%, being highest in the winter (higher average solar zenith angle conditions) and lowest in summer, consistent with the lower solar zenith angle conditions.

The Bass diffusion model on networks with correlations and inhomogeneous advertising

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertotti, M. L.; Brunner, J.; Modanese, G.

2016-09-01

The Bass model, which is an effective forecasting tool for innovation diffusion based on large collections of empirical data, assumes an homogeneous diffusion process. We introduce a network structure into this model and we investigate numerically the dynamics in the case of networks with link density $P(k)=c/k^\\gamma$, where $k=1, \\ldots , N$. The resulting curve of the total adoptions in time is qualitatively similar to the homogeneous Bass curve corresponding to a case with the same average number of connections. The peak of the adoptions, however, tends to occur earlier, particularly when $\\gamma$ and $N$ are large (i.e., when there are few hubs with a large maximum number of connections). Most interestingly, the adoption curve of the hubs anticipates the total adoption curve in a predictable way, with peak times which can be, for instance when $N=100$, between 10% and 60% of the total adoptions peak. This may allow to monitor the hubs for forecasting purposes. We also consider the case of networks with assortative and disassortative correlations and a case of inhomogeneous advertising where the publicity terms are "targeted" on the hubs while maintaining their total cost constant.

Microflora of black and red pepper.

PubMed

Christensen, C M; Fanse, H A; Nelson, G H; Bates, F; Mirocha, C J

1967-05-01

Dilution cultures of 30 samples of ground black pepper yielded an average of 39,000 colonies of fungi per g, with a range of 1,700 to 310,000 per g. Total numbers of colonies of bacteria from 11 samples averaged 194,000,000 per g, with a range from 8,300,000 to 704,000,000 per g. A variety of fungi grew from nearly all surface-disinfected whole peppercorns that were cultured. Thirteen samples of ground red pepper from the United States yielded an average of 1,600 colonies of storage fungi per g and an equal number of other fungi; five samples from India yielded an average of 78,900 colonies of storage fungi per g and 169,400 colonies of other fungi per g. Among the fungi from both black and red pepper were Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus, some isolates of which, when grown for 8 to 10 days on moist autoclaved corn and fed to white rats or to 2-day-old Pekin ducklings, were rapidly lethal to them. Aflatoxin B(1) was isolated from one of the samples of corn on which A. flavus from black pepper was grown. Among the bacteria isolated from ground black pepper were Escherichia coli, E. freudii, Serratia sp., Klebsiella sp., Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Streptococcus sp. No cultures of Shigella or Salmonella were found.

Drug-resistant focal epilepsy in women of childbearing age: Reproduction and the effect of epilepsy surgery.

PubMed

Fabris, Rachel R; Cascino, Teresa Griffin; Mandrekar, Jay; Marsh, W Richard; Meyer, Frederic B; Cascino, Gregory D

2016-07-01

Women with epilepsy (WWE) have lower birth rates than expected. The reasons for this are multifactorial and involve a complex interaction between reproductive endocrine and psychosocial factors. The effect of epilepsy surgery on reproduction in women with drug-resistant focal epilepsy has not previously been studied. Adult women of childbearing age (18-45years old) with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who had undergone a focal cortical resection between 1997 and 2008 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN were included in the study. Patients who had a history of hysterectomy or tubal ligation or who were menopausal at the time of surgery were excluded. Data on prior pregnancies and births, epilepsy history, surgical treatment, hormonal dysfunction, and socioeconomic status were obtained using a retrospective chart review. Associations between various clinical and demographic variables with changes in pregnancies and births from pre- to postsurgery were assessed using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables. All tests were 2-sided, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. All analyses were performed using SAS software version 9.2 (SAS INC, Cary NC). One hundred and thirteen women (average age: 30.5years) were included in the study. Average length of follow-up was 5.7years (SD-3.90). Sixty-four patients (57.5%) were nulliparous at the time of surgery. Sixty-one patients (54%) had never been married. Average number of pregnancies per patient prior to surgery was 0.93, and average number of births prior to surgery was 0.73. After surgery, a total of 17 women had a total of 35 pregnancies and 25 births. The average number of pregnancies and births after surgery was 1.27 and 0.96, respectively. Infertility was reported in one patient postoperatively. Patients who were younger at the time of surgery experienced a greater change in the number of pregnancies and births after surgery (p=0.0036 and 0.0060, respectively). Patients who received fewer antiepileptic drug medication trials by the time of surgery also had a greater change in the number of births after surgery (p=0.0362). Seizure onset localization and lateralization, presurgical seizure frequency, age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, and postoperative seizure outcome were not statistically significant factors. The present retrospective observational study provides additional evidence for the importance of early surgical treatment in women with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Patients who had received fewer medications prior to surgery were more likely to experience an increase in births following surgery. The significance of these findings requires further investigation but may support a role for earlier surgical intervention in the management of drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

76 FR 3142 - Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average Total Assets That Defines Community Financial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-19

... FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY [No. 2011-N-01] Notice of Annual Adjustment of the Cap on Average.... ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has adjusted the cap on average total... average total assets below a statutory cap. See 12 U.S.C. 1422(10)(A); 12 CFR 1263.1. The Bank Act was...

Hazardous medical waste generation in Greece: case studies from medical facilities in Attica and from a small insular hospital.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Katsafaros, Nikolaos; Vassilopoulos, Panagiotis

2011-08-01

The accurate calculation of the unit generation rates and composition of medical waste generated from medical facilities is necessary in order to design medical waste treatment systems. In this work, the unit medical waste generation rates of 95 public and private medical facilities in the Attica region were calculated based on daily weight records from a central medical waste incineration facility. The calculated medical waste generation rates (in kg bed(-1) day( -1)) varied widely with average values at 0.27 ± 113% and 0.24 ± 121%, for public and private medical facilities, respectively. The hazardous medical waste generation was measured, at the source, in the 40 bed hospital of the island of Ikaria for a period of 42 days during a 6 month period. The average hazardous medical waste generation rate was 1.204 kg occupied bed(-1) day(-1) or 0.33 kg (official) bed( -1) day(-1). From the above amounts, 54% resulted from the patients' room (solid and liquid wastes combined), 24% from the emergency department (solid waste), 17% from the clinical pathology lab and 6% from the X-ray lab. In average, 17% of the total hazardous medical waste was solely infectious. Conclusively, no correlation among the number of beds and the unit medical waste generation rate could be established. Each hospital should be studied separately, since medical waste generation and composition depends on the number and type of departments/laboratories at each hospital, number of external patients and number of occupied beds.

CT analysis of lung density changes in patients undergoing total body irradiation prior to bone marrow transplantation.

PubMed

Lee, J Y; Shank, B; Bonfiglio, P; Reid, A

1984-10-01

Sequential changes in lung density measured by CT are potentially sensitive and convenient monitors of lung abnormalities following total body irradiation (TBI). Methods have been developed to compare pre- and post-TBI CT of lung. The average local features of a cross-sectional lung slice are extracted from three peripheral regions of interest in the anterior, posterior, and lateral portions of the CT image. Also, density profiles across a specific region may be obtained. These may be compared first for verification of patient position and breathing status and then for changes between pre- and post-TBI. These may also be compared with radiation dose profiles through the lung. A preliminary study on 21 leukemia patients undergoing total body irradiation indicates the following: (a) Density gradients of patients' lungs in the antero-posterior direction show a marked heterogeneity before and after transplantation compared with normal lungs. The patients with departures from normal density gradients pre-TBI correlate with later pulmonary complications. (b) Measurements of average peripheral lung densities have demonstrated that the average lung density in the younger age group is substantially higher: pre-TBI, the average CT number (1,000 scale) is -638 +/- 39 Hounsfield unit (HU) for 0-10 years old and -739 +/- 53 HU for 21-40 years old. (c) Density profiles showed no post-TBI regional changes in lung density corresponding to the dose profile across the lung, so no differentiation of a radiation-specific effect has yet been possible. Computed tomographic density profiles in the antero-posterior direction are successfully used to verify positioning of the CT slice and the breathing level of the lung.

Method and Apparatus for Monitoring of Daily Activity in Terms of Ground Reaction Forces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Robert T. (Inventor); Breit, Gregory A. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A device to record and analyze habitual daily activity in terms of the history of gait-related musculoskeletal loading is disclosed. The device consists of a pressure-sensing insole placed into the shoe or embedded in a shoe sole, which detects contact of the foot with the ground. The sensor is coupled to a portable battery-powered digital data logger clipped to the shoe or worn around the ankle or waist. During the course of normal daily activity, the system maintains a record of time-of-occurrence of all non-spurious foot-down and lift-off events. Off line, these data are filtered and converted to a history of foot-ground contact times, from which measures of cumulative musculoskeletal loading, average walking- and running-specific gait speed, total time spent walking and running, total number of walking steps and running steps, and total gait-related energy expenditure are estimated from empirical regressions of various gait parameters to the contact time reciprocal. Data are available as cumulative values or as daily averages by menu selection. The data provided by this device are useful for assessment of musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health and risk factors associated with habitual patterns of daily activity.

Reconstruction of solar spectral irradiance since the Maunder minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivova, N. A.; Vieira, L. E. A.; Solanki, S. K.

2010-12-01

Solar irradiance is the main external driver of the Earth's climate. Whereas the total solar irradiance is the main source of energy input into the climate system, solar UV irradiance exerts control over chemical and physical processes in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The time series of accurate irradiance measurements are, however, relatively short and limit the assessment of the solar contribution to the climate change. Here we reconstruct solar total and spectral irradiance in the range 115-160,000 nm since 1610. The evolution of the solar photospheric magnetic flux, which is a central input to the model, is appraised from the historical record of the sunspot number using a simple but consistent physical model. The model predicts an increase of 1.25 W/m2, or about 0.09%, in the 11-year averaged solar total irradiance since the Maunder minimum. Also, irradiance in individual spectral intervals has generally increased during the past four centuries, the magnitude of the trend being higher toward shorter wavelengths. In particular, the 11-year averaged Ly-α irradiance has increased by almost 50%. An exception is the spectral interval between about 1500 and 2500 nm, where irradiance has slightly decreased (by about 0.02%).

Child Health Week in Zambia: costs, efficiency, coverage and a reassessment of need.

PubMed

Fiedler, John L; Mubanga, Freddie; Siamusantu, Ward; Musonda, Mofu; Kabwe, Kabaso F; Zulu, Charles

2014-01-01

Child Health Weeks (CHWs) are semi-annual, campaign-style, facility- and outreach-based events that provide a package of high-impact nutrition and health services to under-five children. Since 1999, 30% of the 85 countries that regularly implement campaign-style vitamin A supplementation programmes have transformed their programmes into CHW. Using data drawn from districts' budget, expenditures and salary documents, UNICEF's CHW planning and budgeting tool and a special purposive survey, an economic analysis of the June 2010 CHW's provision of measles, vitamin A and deworming was conducted using activity-based costing combined with an ingredients approach. Total CHW costs were estimated to be US$5.7 million per round. Measles accounted for 57%, deworming 22% and vitamin A 21% of total costs. The cost per child was US$0.46. The additional supplies and personnel required to include measles increased total costs by 42%, but reduced the average costs of providing vitamin A and deworming alone, manifesting economies of scope. The average costs of covering larger, more urban populations was less than the cost of covering smaller, more dispersed populations. Provincial-level costs per child served were determined primarily by the number of service sites, not the number of children treated. Reliance on volunteers to provide 60% of CHW manpower enables expanding coverage, shortening the duration of CHWs and reduces costs by one-third. With costs of $1093 per life saved and $45 per disability-adjusted life-year saved, WHO criteria classify Zambia's CHWs as 'very cost-effective'. The continued need for CHWs is discussed.

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2002-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ˜97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ˜2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2003-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ~97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ~2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Manpower studies for the United States. Part II. Demand for eye care. A public opinion poll based upon a Gallup poll survey.

PubMed

Reinecke, R D; Steinberg, T

1981-04-01

This is the second in the series of Ophthalmology Manpower Studies. Part I presented estimates of disease prevalence and incidence, the average amount of time required to care for such conditions, and based on that information, the total hours of ophthalmological services required to care for all the projected need in the population. Using different estimates of the average number of hours worked per year per ophthalmologist (based on a 35, 40 and 48 hours/week in patient care), estimates of the total number of ophthalmologists required were calculated. This method is basically similar to the method later adopted by the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee (GMENAC) to arrive at estimates of hours of ophthalmological services required for 1990. However, instead of using all the need present in the population, the GMENAC panel chose to use an "adjusted-needs based" model as a compromise between total need and actual utilization, the former being an overestimation and the latter being an underestimation since it is in part a function of the barriers to medical care. Since some of these barriers to medical care include informational factors, as well as availability and accessibility, this study was undertaken to assess the utilization of these services and the adequacy of present ophthalmological manpower in the opinion of the consumer. Also, since the consumer's choice or behavior depends on being informed about the differences between optometrists and ophthalmologists, such knowledge was assessed and the responses further evaluated after explanatory statements were made to the responders.

Match-play activity profile in elite women's rugby union players.

PubMed

Suarez-Arrones, Luis; Portillo, Javier; Pareja-Blanco, Fernando; Sáez de Villareal, Eduardo; Sánchez-Medina, Luis; Munguía-Izquierdo, Diego

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to provide an objective description of the locomotive activities and exercise intensity undergone during the course of an international-level match of female rugby union. Eight players were analyzed using global positioning system tracking technology. The total distance covered by the players during the whole match was 5,820 ± 512 m. The backs covered significantly more distance than the forwards (6,356 ± 144 vs. 5,498 ± 412 m, respectively). Over this distance, 42.7% (2,487 ± 391 m) was spent standing or walking, 35% jogging (2,037 ± 315 m), 9.7% running at low intensity (566 ± 115 m), 9.5% at medium intensity (553 ± 190 m), 1.8% at high intensity (105 ± 74 m), and 1.2% sprinting (73 ± 107 m). There were significant differences in the distance covered by forwards and backs in certain speed zones. Analysis of the relative distance traveled over successive 10-minute period of match play revealed that the greatest distances were covered during the first (725 ± 53 m) and the last (702 ± 79 m) 10-minute period of the match. The average number of sprints, the average maximum distance of sprinting, the average minimum distance of sprinting, and the average sprint distance during the game were 4.7 ± 3.9 sprints, 20.6 ± 10.5 m, 5.8 ± 0.9 -m, and 12.0 ± 3.8 m, respectively. There were substantial differences between forwards and backs. Backs covered greater total distance, distance in certain speed zones, and sprinting performance. The players spent 46.9 ± 28.9% of match time between 91 and 100% of maximum heart rate and experienced a large number of impacts (accelerometer data and expressed as g forces) during the game. These findings offer important information to design better training strategies and physical fitness testing adapted to the specific demands of female rugby union.

Musculoskeletal disorder costs and medical claim filing in the US retail trade sector.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Anasua; Leigh, J Paul

2011-01-01

The average costs of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) and odds ratios for filing medical claims related to MSD were examined. The medical claims were identified by ICD 9 codes for four US Census regions within retail trade. Large private firms' medical claims data from Thomson Reuters Inc. MarketScan databases for the years 2003 through 2006 were used. Average costs were highest for claims related to lumbar region (ICD 9 Code: 724.02) and number of claims were largest for low back syndrome (ICD 9 Code: 724.2). Whereas the odds of filing an MSD claim did not vary greatly over time, average costs declined over time. The odds of filing claims rose with age and were higher for females and southerners than men and non-southerners. Total estimated national medical costs for MSDs within retail trade were $389 million (2007 USD).

Economic and Disease Burden of Dengue Illness in India

PubMed Central

Shepard, Donald S.; Halasa, Yara A.; Tyagi, Brij Kishore; Adhish, S. Vivek; Nandan, Deoki; Karthiga, K. S.; Chellaswamy, Vidya; Gaba, Mukul; Arora, Narendra K.

2014-01-01

Between 2006 and 2012 India reported an annual average of 20,474 dengue cases. Although dengue has been notifiable since 1996, regional comparisons suggest that reported numbers substantially underrepresent the full impact of the disease. Adjustment for underreporting from a case study in Madurai district and an expert Delphi panel yielded an annual average of 5,778,406 clinically diagnosed dengue cases between 2006 and 2012, or 282 times the reported number per year. The total direct annual medical cost was US$548 million. Ambulatory settings treated 67% of cases representing 18% of costs, whereas 33% of cases were hospitalized, comprising 82% of costs. Eighty percent of expenditures went to private facilities. Including non-medical and indirect costs based on other dengue-endemic countries raises the economic cost to $1.11 billion, or $0.88 per capita. The economic and disease burden of dengue in India is substantially more than captured by officially reported cases, and increased control measures merit serious consideration. PMID:25294616

The effects of the addition of a pediatric surgery fellow on the operative experience of the general surgery resident.

PubMed

Raines, Alexander; Garwe, Tabitha; Adeseye, Ademola; Ruiz-Elizalde, Alejandro; Churchill, Warren; Tuggle, David; Mantor, Cameron; Lees, Jason

2015-06-01

Adding fellows to surgical departments with residency programs can affect resident education. Our specific aim was to evaluate the effect of adding a pediatric surgery (PS) fellow on the number of index PS cases logged by the general surgery (GS) residents. At a single institution with both PS and GS programs, we examined the number of logged cases for the fellows and residents over 10 years [5 years before (Time 1) and 5 years after (Time 2) the addition of a PS fellow]. Additionally, the procedure related relative value units (RVUs) recorded by the faculty were evaluated. The fellows averaged 752 and 703 cases during Times 1 and 2, respectively, decreasing by 49 (P = 0.2303). The residents averaged 172 and 161 cases annually during Time 1 and Time 2, respectively, decreasing by 11 (P = 0.7340). The total number of procedure related RVUs was 4627 and 6000 during Times 1 and 2, respectively. The number of cases logged by the PS fellows and GS residents decreased after the addition of a PS fellow; however, the decrease was not significant. Programs can reasonably add an additional PS fellow, but care should be taken especially in programs that are otherwise static in size.

Responses of meiofauna and nematode communities to crude oil contamination in a laboratory microcosm experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Teawook; Oh, Je Hyeok; Hong, Jae-Sang; Kim, Dongsung

2016-09-01

We examined the effects of crude oil contamination on community assemblages of meiofauna and nematodes after exposure to total petroleum hydrocarbons in the laboratory. We administered a seawater solution that had been contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbons to seven treatment groups at different concentrations, while the control group received uncontaminated filtered seawater. The average density of total meiofauna in the experimental microcosms diluted with 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% contaminated seawater was higher than the density in the control. The average density of total meiofauna in the 8%, 15%, and 20% microcosms was lower than the density in the control. The density of nematodes was similar to that of the total meiofauna. Cluster analysis divided the microcosms into group 1 (control, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% microcosms) and group 2 (8%, 15%, and 20% microcosms). However, SIMPROF analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups ( p > 0.05). Bolbolaimus spp. (37.1%) were dominant among the nematodes. Cluster analysis showed similar results for nematode and meiofaunal communities. The total meiofaunal density, nematode density, and number of Bolbolaimus spp. individuals were significantly negatively associated with the concentration of total petroleum hydrocarbons (Spearman correlation coefficients, p < 0.05). Within the nematodes, epistrate feeders (group 2A: 46%) were the most abundant trophic group. Among the treatment groups, the abundance of group 2A increased in low-concentration microcosms and decreased in high-concentration microcosms. Thus, our findings provide information on the effects of oil pollution on meiofauna in the intertidal zones of sandy beaches.

Estimated metabolic and mechanical demands during different small-sided games in elite soccer players.

PubMed

Gaudino, Paolo; Alberti, Giampietro; Iaia, F Marcello

2014-08-01

The present study examined the extent to which game format (possession play, SSG-P and game with regular goals and goalkeepers, SSG-G) and the number of players (5, 7 and 10 a-side) influence the physical demands of small-sided soccer games (SSGs) in elite soccer players. Training data were collected during the in-season period from 26 English Premier League outfield players using global positioning system technology. Total distance covered, distance at different speed categories and maximal speed were calculated. In addition, we focused on changes in velocity by reporting the number of accelerations and decelerations carried out during the SSGs (divided in two categories: moderate and high) and the absolute maximal values of acceleration and deceleration achieved. By taking into account these parameters besides speed and distance values, estimated energy expenditure and average metabolic power and distance covered at different metabolic power categories were calculated. All variables were normalized by time (i.e., 4min). The main findings were that the total distance, distances run at high speed (>14.4kmh(-1)) as well as absolute maximum velocity, maximum acceleration and maximum deceleration increased with pitch size (10v10>7v7>5v5; p<.05). Furthermore, total distance, very high (19.8-25.2kmh(-1)) and maximal (>25.2kmh(-1)) speed distances, absolute maximal velocity and maximum acceleration and deceleration were higher in SSG-G than in SSG-P (p<.001). On the other hand, the number of moderate (2-3ms(-2)) accelerations and decelerations as well as the total number of changes in velocity were greater as the pitch dimensions decreased (i.e., 5v5>7v7>10v10; p<.001) in both SSG-G and SSG-P. In addition, predicted energy cost, average metabolic power and distance covered at every metabolic power categories were higher in SSG-P compared to SSG-G and in big than in small pitch areas (p<.05). A detailed analysis of these drills is pivotal in contemporary football as it enables an in depth understanding of the workload imposed on each player which consequently has practical implications for the prescription of the adequate type and amount of stimulus during exercise training. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimal spatial sampling techniques for ground truth data in microwave remote sensing of soil moisture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, R. G. S.; Ulaby, F. T.

1977-01-01

The paper examines optimal sampling techniques for obtaining accurate spatial averages of soil moisture, at various depths and for cell sizes in the range 2.5-40 acres, with a minimum number of samples. Both simple random sampling and stratified sampling procedures are used to reach a set of recommended sample sizes for each depth and for each cell size. Major conclusions from statistical sampling test results are that (1) the number of samples required decreases with increasing depth; (2) when the total number of samples cannot be prespecified or the moisture in only one single layer is of interest, then a simple random sample procedure should be used which is based on the observed mean and SD for data from a single field; (3) when the total number of samples can be prespecified and the objective is to measure the soil moisture profile with depth, then stratified random sampling based on optimal allocation should be used; and (4) decreasing the sensor resolution cell size leads to fairly large decreases in samples sizes with stratified sampling procedures, whereas only a moderate decrease is obtained in simple random sampling procedures.

Fluid intake patterns: an epidemiological study among children and adolescents in Brazil

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Energy from liquids is one of the most important factors that could impact on the high prevalence of children and adolescents obesity around the world. There are few data on the liquid consumption in Brazil. The aim of this study is to evaluate the volume and quality of liquids consumed by Brazilian children and adolescents and to determine the proportion of their daily energy intake composed of liquids. Methods A multicenter study was conducted in five Brazilian cities; the study included 831 participants between 3 and 17 years of age. A four-day dietary record specific to fluids was completed for each individual, and the volume of and Kcal from liquid intake were evaluated. The average number of Kcal in each beverage was determined based on label information, and the daily energy intake data from liquids were compared with the recommendations of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária– ANVISA), the Brazilian food regulation authority, according to each subject’s age. Results As the children aged, the volume of carbonated beverages that they consumed increased significantly, and their milk intake decreased significantly. For children between the ages of 3 and 10, milk and dairy products contributed the greatest daily number of Kcal from liquids. Sugar sweetened beverages which included carbonated beverages, nectars and artificial beverages, accounted for 37% and 45% of the total Kcal from liquid intake in the 3- to 6-year-old and 7- to 10- year-old groups, respectively. Among adolescents (participants 11- to 17- years old), most of the energy intake from liquids came from carbonated beverages, which accounted for an average of 207 kcal/day in this group (42% of their total energy intake from liquids). Health professionals should be attentive to the excessive consumption of sugar sweetened beverages in children and adolescents. The movement toward healthier dietary patterns at the individual and population levels may help to improve programs for preventing overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Conclusion From childhood to adolescence the daily volume of liquid ingested increased reaching a total of 2.0 liters on average. Of this volume, the daily volume of milk ingested decreased while the carbonated drinks, sweetened, nectars and artificial beverages increased significantly. The proportion of water remained constant in about 1/3 of the total volume. From 3 to 17 years of age the energy intake from carbonated beverages increased by about 20%. The carbonated drinks on average corresponded to a tenth of the daily requirements of energy of adolescents. PMID:23167254

Amniotic Constriction Bands: Secondary Deformities and Their Treatments.

PubMed

Drury, Benjamin T; Rayan, Ghazi M

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to report the surgical treatment experience of patients with amniotic constriction bands (ACB) over a 35-year interval and detail consequential limb deformities with emphasis on hands and upper extremities, along with the nature and frequency of their surgical treatment methods. Fifty-one patients were identified; 26 were males and 25 females. The total number of deformities was listed. The total number of operations, individual procedures, and operations plus procedures that were done for each patient and their frequency were recorded. The total number of operations was 117, and total number of procedures was 341. More procedures were performed on the upper extremity (85%) than the lower extremity (15%). Including the primary deformity ACB, 16 different hand deformities secondary to ACB were encountered. Sixteen different surgical methods for the upper extremity were utilized; a primary procedure for ACB and secondary reconstructions for all secondary deformities. Average age at the time of the first procedure was 9.3 months. The most common procedures performed, in order of frequency, were excision of ACB plus Z-plasty, release of partial syndactyly, release of fenestrated syndactyly, full-thickness skin grafts, resection of digital bony overgrowth from amputation stumps, and deepening of first and other digital web spaces. Many hand and upper extremity deformities secondary to ACB are encountered. Children with ACB may require more than one operation including multiple procedures. Numerous surgical methods of reconstruction for these children's secondary deformities are necessary in addition to the customary primary procedure of excision of ACB and Z-plasty.

Number and size of nucleoli in the spermatocytes of chicken and Japanese quail.

PubMed

Andraszek, Katarzyna; Gryzińska, Magdalena; Knaga, Sebastian; Wójcik, Ewa; Smalec, Elzbieta

2012-01-01

Nucleoli are the product of nucleolus organizing region activity (NOR) of specific chromosomes. Their basic function is to synthetise ribosomal RNA precursors and promote the maturation and assemblage of preribosomal RNP molecules. Information on rRNA-coding gene activity can be provided by the analysis of the number and size of nucleoli in the prophase of the first meiotic division. The morphology and ultrastructure of a nucleolus depends, among others, on the species and cell growth cycle as well as the physiological and pathological state of an organism. The purpose of this research was to determine the number and size of nucleoli in the spermatocytes of the domestic chicken and the Japanese quail. Diverse numbers and sizes of nucleoli in the cells of the analysed birds were observed. 1-4 nucleoli were identified in chicken cells (1.91 +/- 0.63 on average) and 1-2 in quail cells (1.13 +/- 0.33 on average). For the total of 957 nucleoli observed in Gallus cells, 329 were classified as large and 628 as small. In Coturnix cells, 563 nucleoli were identified (66 large and 497 small ones). An analysis of the numbers and sizes of nucleoli can be performed at the cytogenetic level and serve as an alternative source of information on rRNA encoding gene and nucleolus organising region (NOR) activities.

Ministers of Health: short-term tenure for long-term goals?

PubMed

Ferraz, Marcos Bosi; Azevedo, Rafael Teixeira

2011-03-01

Healthcare investments should consider short and long-term demands. The objectives here were to compare the average tenures of ministers of health in Brazil and in another 22 countries and to evaluate the relationship between ministers' tenures and a number of indicators. Descriptive study conducted at Centro Paulista de Economia da Saúde (CPES). Twenty-two countries with the highest Human Development Indices (HDIs) and Brazil were included. The number of ministers over the past 20 years was investigated through each country's Ministry of Health website. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to compare the number of ministers in each country with that country's indicators. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare ministers' tenures in Brazil and other countries. The mean tenure (standard deviation, SD) of Brazilian ministers of health was 15 (12) months, a period that is statistically significantly shorter than the mean tenure of 33 (18) months in the other 22 countries (P < 0.05). There was a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between the number of ministers and mortality rates for several conditions. The number of ministers also presented moderate and statistically significant negative correlations with per capita total healthcare expenditure (r = -0.567) and with per capita government healthcare expenditure (r = -0.530). On average, ministers of health have extremely short tenures. There is an urgent need to think and plan healthcare systems from a long-term perspective.

She ate not the bread of idleness: exhaustion is related to domestic and salaried working conditions among 539 Québec hospital workers.

PubMed

Tierney, D; Romito, P; Messing, K

1990-01-01

Hospital workers completed a questionnaire on domestic and professional working conditions and health symptoms. Workers were asked to estimate the number of domestic work hours, and the degree of sharing of laundry, cleaning, meal preparation and childcare. Responses from the 532 women workers showed an average professional work week of 31.2 hours and an average domestic work week of 19.2 hours. The length of the domestic work week increased with the number of children, and the degree of sharing diminished. Among couples with children, the reported length of the domestic work week correlated highly with an index calculated from the degree of sharing of domestic tasks, and the number and ages of children. Exhaustion and insomnia were associated with work speed and shift work, respectively, at the hospital job, but also with the number of hours of domestic work. Backache, which was related to lifting weights in the workplace, was not associated with the number of reported hours of domestic work. Due to errors in formulating some questions, the study underestimates total hours of domestic work, and, probably, effects of domestic work on health. However, it is the first North American study to show the combined effects of domestic work and paid work on physical health symptoms among women.

Sizing the cannabis market: a demand-side and user-specific approach in seven European countries.

PubMed

van Laar, Margriet; Frijns, Tom; Trautmann, Franz; Lombi, Linda

2013-06-01

Demand-based estimates of total cannabis consumption rarely consider differences among different user types and variation across countries. To describe cannabis consumption patterns and estimate annual consumption for different user types across EU Member States, a web survey in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and United Kingdom (England & Wales) collected data on cannabis use patterns from 3,922 persons who had consumed cannabis at least once in the past year. They were classified into four groups based on their number of use days in the past 12 months: infrequent users or chippers (<11 days), occasional users (11-50 days), regular users (51-250 days) and intensive users (>250 days). User type specific data on typical amounts consumed were matched with data on numbers of users per user type estimated from existing population surveys, taking differences in mode of consumption, age and gender into account. Estimates were supplemented with data from populations of problem users to compensate for under coverage. Results showed remarkably consistent differences among user groups across countries. Both the average number of units consumed per typical use day and the average amount of cannabis consumed per unit increased across user types of increasing frequency of use. In all countries except Portugal, intensive users formed the smallest group of cannabis users but were responsible for the largest part of total annual cannabis consumption. Annual cannabis consumption varied across countries but confidence intervals were wide. Results are compared with previous estimates and discussed in the context of improving estimation methods.

Application of a spectrum standardization method for carbon analysis in coal using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Li, Xiongwei; Wang, Zhe; Fu, Yangting; Li, Zheng; Liu, Jianmin; Ni, Weidou

2014-01-01

Measurement of coal carbon content using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is limited by its low precision and accuracy. A modified spectrum standardization method was proposed to achieve both reproducible and accurate results for the quantitative analysis of carbon content in coal using LIBS. The proposed method used the molecular emissions of diatomic carbon (C2) and cyanide (CN) to compensate for the diminution of atomic carbon emissions in high volatile content coal samples caused by matrix effect. The compensated carbon line intensities were further converted into an assumed standard state with standard plasma temperature, electron number density, and total number density of carbon, under which the carbon line intensity is proportional to its concentration in the coal samples. To obtain better compensation for fluctuations of total carbon number density, the segmental spectral area was used and an iterative algorithm was applied that is different from our previous spectrum standardization calculations. The modified spectrum standardization model was applied to the measurement of carbon content in 24 bituminous coal samples. The results demonstrate that the proposed method has superior performance over the generally applied normalization methods. The average relative standard deviation was 3.21%, the coefficient of determination was 0.90, the root mean square error of prediction was 2.24%, and the average maximum relative error for the modified model was 12.18%, showing an overall improvement over the corresponding values for the normalization with segmental spectrum area, 6.00%, 0.75, 3.77%, and 15.40%, respectively.

Suboptimal Herd Performance Amplifies the Spread of Infectious Disease in the Cattle Industry

PubMed Central

Gates, M. Carolyn; Woolhouse, Mark E. J.

2014-01-01

Farms that purchase replacement breeding cattle are at increased risk of introducing many economically important diseases. The objectives of this analysis were to determine whether the total number of replacement breeding cattle purchased by individual farms could be reduced by improving herd performance and to quantify the effects of such reductions on the industry-level transmission dynamics of infectious cattle diseases. Detailed information on the performance and contact patterns of British cattle herds was extracted from the national cattle movement database as a case example. Approximately 69% of beef herds and 59% of dairy herds with an average of at least 20 recorded calvings per year purchased at least one replacement breeding animal. Results from zero-inflated negative binomial regression models revealed that herds with high average ages at first calving, prolonged calving intervals, abnormally high or low culling rates, and high calf mortality rates were generally more likely to be open herds and to purchase greater numbers of replacement breeding cattle. If all herds achieved the same level of performance as the top 20% of herds, the total number of replacement beef and dairy cattle purchased could be reduced by an estimated 34% and 51%, respectively. Although these purchases accounted for only 13% of between-herd contacts in the industry trade network, they were found to have a disproportionately strong influence on disease transmission dynamics. These findings suggest that targeting extension services at herds with suboptimal performance may be an effective strategy for controlling endemic cattle diseases while simultaneously improving industry productivity. PMID:24671129

Convergence Studies of Mass Transport in Disks with Gravitational Instabilities. I. The Constant Cooling Time Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Scott; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Durisen, Richard H.; Boley, Aaron C.

2012-02-01

We conduct a convergence study of a protostellar disk, subject to a constant global cooling time and susceptible to gravitational instabilities (GIs), at a time when heating and cooling are roughly balanced. Our goal is to determine the gravitational torques produced by GIs, the level to which transport can be represented by a simple α-disk formulation, and to examine fragmentation criteria. Four simulations are conducted, identical except for the number of azimuthal computational grid points used. A Fourier decomposition of non-axisymmetric density structures in cos (mphi), sin (mphi) is performed to evaluate the amplitudes Am of these structures. The Am , gravitational torques, and the effective Shakura & Sunyaev α arising from gravitational stresses are determined for each resolution. We find nonzero Am for all m-values and that Am summed over all m is essentially independent of resolution. Because the number of measurable m-values is limited to half the number of azimuthal grid points, higher-resolution simulations have a larger fraction of their total amplitude in higher-order structures. These structures act more locally than lower-order structures. Therefore, as the resolution increases the total gravitational stress decreases as well, leading higher-resolution simulations to experience weaker average gravitational torques than lower-resolution simulations. The effective α also depends upon the magnitude of the stresses, thus αeff also decreases with increasing resolution. Our converged αeff is consistent with predictions from an analytic local theory for thin disks by Gammie, but only over many dynamic times when averaged over a substantial volume of the disk.

[Oral morphine in the treatment of patients with terminal disease].

PubMed

Manzini, J L; Somoza, E J; Fridlender, H I

1990-01-01

From May 1986 until July 1987, oral morphine hydrochloride in water solution was used in terminal patients, under a strict protocol of administration, and complying with the basic principles of Palliative Care. A retrospective study was carried out on the 40 patients who had received the drug for more than three consecutive days. As shown in Table 1, the average age of the treated patients was 70 years. The ambulatory patients represented 27.5% of the sample. The average initial dose was 60 mg, and the average maintenance dose was 120 mg. The median treatment time was 45 days. "Good" results were achieved in 85% of the patients, and "fairly good" in the remainder ("good" results were defined as "satisfactory symptom control, good life quality"--in this group there were some patients who obtained total suppression of the symptoms and optimal life-quality, i.e. "excellent" results; "bad" results were defined as "total absence of therapeutic effect"; and "fairly good" results, the intermediate cases). The more frequently treated symptoms were: 67.5%, pain due to tumor mass; and 20%, pain due to nerve compression-invasion, bone pain, and dyspnoea due to pulmonary metastases or primary lung cancer: total symptoms was more than a hundred per cent, because a number of patients had more than one symptom. Whenever necessary, adjuvant drugs were employed. Side effects were seen in 37% of the patients (specially nausea, vomiting, constipation, and somnolence for more than four days).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Reducing the length of hospital stay after total knee arthroplasty: influence of femoral and sciatic nerve block.

PubMed

Carvalho Júnior, Lúcio Honório de; Temponi, Eduardo Frois; Paganini, Vinícius Oliveira; Costa, Lincoln Paiva; Soares, Luiz Fernando Machado; Gonçalves, Matheus Braga Jacques

2015-01-01

the aim of this study is to evaluate the change in length of hospital stay postoperatively for Total Knee Arthroplasty after using femoral and sciatic nerve block. the medical records of 287 patients were evaluated, taking into account the number of hours of admission, the percentage and the reason for re-hospitalization within 30 days, as well as associated complications. All patients were divided into two groups according or not to whether they were admitted to ICU or not. During the years 2009 and 2010, isolated spinal anesthesia was the method used in the procedure. From 2011 on, femoral and sciatic nerve blocking was introduced. between the years 2009 and 2012, the average length of stay ranged from 74 hours in 2009 to 75.2 hours in 2010. The average length of stay in 2011 was 56.52 hours and 53.72 hours in 2012, all in the group of patients who did not remain in the ICU postoperatively. In the same period, among those in the group that needed ICU admission, the average length of stay was 138.7 hours in 2009, 90.25 hours in 2010, 79.8 hours in 2011, and 52.91 hours in 2012. During 2009 and 2010, the rate of re-hospitalization was 0%, while in 2011 and 2012, were 3.44% and 1%, respectively. according to this study, the use of femoral and sciatic nerve blocking after total knee arthroplasty allowed significant reduction in hospital stay.

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children’s exposure

PubMed Central

Hochstetler, Heather A.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H.; Grinshpun, Sergey A.

2015-01-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m−3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors). PMID:25904818

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children's exposure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochstetler, Heather A.; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H.; Grinshpun, Sergey A.

2011-03-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 μg m-3. The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).

[Effects of forest gap size on the architecture of Quercus variablis seedlings on the south slope of Qinling Mountains, west China].

PubMed

Yu, Bi-yun; Zhang, Wen-hui; He, Ting; You, Jian-jian; Li, Gang

2014-12-01

Typical sampling method was conducted to survey the effects of forest gap size on branch architecture, leaf characteristics and their vertical distribution of Quercus variablis seedlings from different size gaps in natural secondary Q. variablis thinning forest, on the south slope of Qinling Mountains. The results showed that gap size significantly affected the diameter, crown area of Q. variablis seedlings. The gap size positively correlated with diameter and negatively correlated with crown area, while it had no significant impact on seedling height, crown length and crown rates. The overall bifurcation ratio, stepwise bifurcation ratio, and ratio of branch diameter followed as large gap > middle gap > small gap > understory. The vertical distribution of first-order branches under different size gaps mainly concentrated at the middle and upper part of trunk, larger diameter first-order branches were mainly distributed at the lower part of trunk, and the angle of first-order branch increased at first and then declined with the increasing seedling height. With the increasing forest gap size, the leaf length, leaf width and average leaf area of seedlings all gradually declined, while the average leaf number per plant and relative total leaf number increased, the leaf length-width ratio kept stable, the relative leaf number was mainly distributed at the middle and upper parts of trunk, the changes of leaf area index was consistent with the change of the relative total number of leaves. There was no significant difference between the diameters of middle gap and large gap seedlings, but the diameter of middle gap seedlings was higher than that of large gap, suggesting the middle gap would benefit the seedlings regeneration and high-quality timber cultivation. To promote the regeneration of Q. variabilis seedlings, and to cultivate high-quality timber, appropriate thinning should be taken to increase the number of middle gaps in the management of Q. variabilis forest.

Aerosol particles generated by diesel-powered school buses at urban schools as a source of children's exposure.

PubMed

Hochstetler, Heather A; Yermakov, Mikhail; Reponen, Tiina; Ryan, Patrick H; Grinshpun, Sergey A

2011-03-01

Various heath effects in children have been associated with exposure to traffic-related particulate matter (PM), including emissions from school buses. In this study, the indoor and outdoor aerosol at four urban elementary schools serviced by diesel-powered school buses was characterized with respect to the particle number concentrations and size distributions as well as the PM2.5 mass concentrations and elemental compositions. It was determined that the presence of school buses significantly affected the outdoor particle size distribution, specifically in the ultrafine fraction. The time-weighted average of the total number concentration measured outside the schools was significantly associated with the bus and the car counts. The concentration increase was consistently observed during the morning drop-off hours and in most of the days during the afternoon pick-up period (although at a lower degree). Outdoor PM2.5 mass concentrations measured at schools ranged from 3.8 to 27.6 µg m -3 . The school with the highest number of operating buses exhibited the highest average PM2.5 mass concentration. The outdoor mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) were also highest at the school with the greatest number of buses. Most (47/55) correlations between traffic-related elements identified in the outdoor PM2.5 were significant with elements identified in the indoor PM2.5. Significant associations were observed between indoor and outdoor aerosols for EC, EC/OC, and the total particle number concentration. Day-to-day and school-to-school variations in Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios were related to the observed differences in opening windows and doors, which enhanced the particle penetration, as well as indoor activities at schools. Overall, the results on I/O ratio obtained in this study reflect the sizes of particles emitted by diesel-powered school bus engines (primarily, an ultrafine fraction capable of penetrating indoors).

The Evolution of Academic Performance in Nine Subspecialties of Internal Medicine: An Analysis of Journal Citation Reports from 1998 to 2010

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xue-Guang; Zhang, Li; Liu, Shu-Wen; Cao, Xue-Ying; Wang, Yuan-Da; Wei, Ri-Bao; Cai, Guang-Yan; Chen, Xiang-Mei

2012-01-01

Background Internal medicine includes several subspecialties. This study aimed to describe change trend of impact factors in different subspecialties of internal medicine during the past 12 years, as well as the developmental differences among each subspecialty, and the possible influencing factors behind these changes and differences. Methods Nine subspecialties of internal medicine were chosen for comparison. All data were collected from the Science Citation Index Expanded and Journal Citation Reports database. Results (1) Journal numbers in nine subspecialties increased significantly from 1998 to 2010, with an average increment of 80.23%, in which cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases increased 131.2% rank the first; hematology increased 45% rank the least. (2) Impact Factor in subspecialties of infectious disease, cardiac and cardiovascular system diseases, gastroenterology and hepatology, hematology, endocrinology and metabolism increased significantly (p<0.05), in which gastroenterology and hepatology had the largest increase of 65.4%. (3) Journal impact factor of 0–2 had the largest proportion in all subspecialties. Among the journals with high impact factor (IF>6), hematology had the maximum proportion of 10%, nephrology and respiratory system disease had the minimum of 4%. Among the journal with low impact factor (IF<2), journal in nephrology and allergy had the most (60%), while endocrinology and metabolism had the least (40%). There were differences in median number of IF among the different subspecialties (p<0.05), in which endocrinology and metabolism had the highest, nephrology had the lowest. (4) The highest IF had a correlation with journal numbers and total paper numbers in each field. Conclusion The IF of internal medicine journals showed an increasingly positive trend, in which gastroenterology and hepatology increase the most. Hematology had more high IF journals. Endocrinology and metabolism had higher average IF. Nephrology remained the lowest position. Numbers of journals and total papers were associated with the highest IF. PMID:23118973

SU-E-T-568: Improving Normal Brain Sparing with Increasing Number of Arc Beams for Volume Modulated Arc Beam Radiosurgery of Multiple Brain Metastases

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

Hossain, S; Hildebrand, K; Ahmad, S

Purpose: Intensity modulated arc beams have been newly reported for treating multiple brain metastases. The purpose of this study was to determine the variations in the normal brain doses with increasing number of arc beams for multiple brain metastases treatments via the TrueBeam Rapidarc system (Varian Oncology, Palo Alto, CA). Methods: A patient case with 12 metastatic brain lesions previously treated on the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion (GK) was used for the study. All lesions and organs at risk were contoured by a senior radiation oncologist and treatment plans for a subset of 3, 6, 9 and all 12 targetsmore » were developed for the TrueBeam Rapidarc system via 3 to 7 intensity modulated arc-beams with each target covered by at least 99% of the prescribed dose of 20 Gy. The peripheral normal brain isodose volumes as well as the total beam-on time were analyzed with increasing number of arc beams for these targets. Results: All intensisty modulated arc-beam plans produced efficient treatment delivery with the beam-on time averaging 0.6–1.5 min per lesion at an output of 1200 MU/min. With increasing number of arc beams, the peripheral normal brain isodose volumes such as the 12-Gy isodose line enclosed normal brain tissue volumes were on average decreased by 6%, 11%, 18%, and 28% for the 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-target treatment plans respectively. The lowest normal brain isodose volumes were consistently found for the 7-arc treatment plans for all the cases. Conclusion: With nearly identical beam-on times, the peripheral normal brain dose was notably decreased when the total number of intensity modulated arc beams was increased when treating multiple brain metastases. Dr Sahgal and Dr Ma are currently serving on the board of international society of stereotactic radiosurgery.« less

The Cost and Burden of the Residency Match in Emergency Medicine

PubMed Central

Blackshaw, Aaron M.; Watson, Simon C.; Bush, Jeffrey S.

2017-01-01

Introduction To obtain a residency match, medical students entering emergency medicine (EM) must complete away rotations, submit a number of lengthy applications, and travel to multiple programs to interview. The expenses incurred acquiring this residency position are burdensome, but there is little specialty-specific data estimating it. We sought to quantify the actual cost spent by medical students applying to EM residency programs by surveying students as they attended a residency interview. Methods Researchers created a 16-item survey, which asked about the time and monetary costs associated with the entire EM residency application process. Applicants chosen to interview for an EM residency position at our institution were invited to complete the survey during their interview day. Results In total, 66 out of a possible 81 residency applicants (an 81% response rate) completed our survey. The “average applicant” who interviewed at our residency program for the 2015–16 cycle completed 1.6 away, or “audition,” rotations, each costing an average of $1,065 to complete. This “average applicant” applied to 42.8 programs, and then attended 13.7 interviews. The cost of interviewing at our program averaged $342 and in total, an average of $8,312 would be spent in the pursuit of an EM residency. Conclusion Due to multiple factors, the costs of securing an EM residency spot can be expensive. By understanding the components that are driving this trend, we hope that the academic EM community can explore avenues to help curtail these costs. PMID:28116032

Age, Growth and Reproduction of the Eastern Mudminnow (Umbra pygmaea) at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panek, Frank; Weis, Judith S.

2012-01-01

Umbra pygmaea DeKay (Eastern Mudminnow) is one of four species of Umbridae in North America. There is little published life-history information on the species within its native range, particularly on age, growth, and reproduction. This study focuses on these aspects of the life history of this fish at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County, NJ. A total of 336 fish of seven species was collected from June 1978 through May 1979, with the Eastern Mudminnow comprising 74% of the total. The average annual growth increment in total length for the Eastern Mudminnow was 15.3 2.06 mm, with age-1 fish averaging 40 mm total length and age-5 fish, the oldest collected, averaging 107 mm total length. The length-weight relationship was log10W = -5.291 + 3.182 log10TL mm for males and log10W = -4.999 + 3.032 log10TL mm for females. We observed no statistically significant sexually dimorphic differences in length-weight relationships in this population. The ratio of females to males increased from a low of 0.6 (predominance of male fish) at age-1 to a high of 4.6 (predominance of females) at age-5. Annual mortality for age 2–5 fish ranged from 40–76% with a mean of 59 13%. Age-specific fecundity estimates ranged from 250 eggs/female at age-1 to 2168 eggs/female at age-5. The relationship of number of mature ova to age was best described by the exponential function y = 149.29e0.5287x, where y = age-specific fecundity and x = age in years. Ova ranged from 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter in June and July and averaged 1.41 0.1 mm (range = 1.29–1.62 mm) in early February prior to spawning. Peak spawning occurred in mid-April at temperatures of 9–12 °C, and all females were spent by late April (13–15 °C).

Single-specialty management and reconstruction of necrotizing fasciitis of the upper extremities: clinical and economic benefits from a case series.

PubMed

Mattison, Gennaya; Leis, Amber R; Gupta, Subhas C

2014-05-01

Patients with necrotizing fasciitis are managed with multiple prompt, radical surgical debridements and critical care support. Debridement and reconstruction are often provided by different surgical teams. Anecdotally, single-specialty management seemed to be a more efficient management strategy. This study aimed to investigate and compare the outcomes of management by plastic surgery versus multiple disciplines through a retrospective economic and clinical analysis of patients with necrotizing fasciitis treated over 8 years. We also present 3 index cases for which our service functioned as the primary management team. Necrotizing fasciitis cases evaluated and treated by our department, covering both Level I and Level II Trauma Centers, were reviewed for total charges, length of hospital stay, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and number of procedures. The admission Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was calculated for each patient. Three comparative index cases of upper extremity necrotizing fasciitis managed primarily by the plastic surgery team are presented in greater detail. Patients managed primarily by the plastic surgery service had equivalent Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores to patients managed by multiple services for their necrotizing fasciitis, with the average score higher for patients managed by plastic surgery alone. In a case-matched series of upper extremity necrotizing fasciitis, the patients admitted directly to plastic surgery had shorter average lengths of hospital and ICU stays as well as decreased total number of procedures, resulting in decreased average total hospital charges. There were no amputations among the cases treated primarily by the plastic surgery. The patients also required smaller areas of reconstruction with skin grafting despite large initial areas of debridement compared to those whose reconstructive teams differed from the team performing the debridement. Improved economic and clinical outcomes-as indicated by the reduced lengths of overall and ICU stay, the reduced number of procedures, none of the cases requiring amputation, and the reduced need for skin grafting-may be attainable when the surgeon eventually performing the reconstruction is involved early in management. We propose that, in the interest of improving patient care, a closer collaboration should be established between the reconstructive and primary managing teams.

A comparison of case volumes among urologic surgeons identified on an industry-sponsored website to an all provider peer group.

PubMed

See, William A; Jacobson, Kenneth; Derus, Sue; Langenstroer, Peter

2014-11-01

Industry-sponsored websites for robotic surgery direct to surgeons listed as performing specific robotic surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare average annual, surgeon-specific, case volumes for those procedures for which they were listed as performing on the commercial website with the volumes of all providers performing these same procedures across a defined geographic region. A list of providers within the state of Wisconsin cited as performing specific urologic procedures was obtained through the Intuitive Surgical website 〈http://www.davincisurgery.com/da-vinci-urology/〉. Surgeon-specific annual case volumes from 2009 to 2013 for these same cases were obtained for all Wisconsin providers through DataBay Resources (Warrendale, PA) based on International classification of diseases-9 codes. Procedural activity was rank ordered, and surgeons were placed in "volume deciles" derived from the total annual number of cases performed by all surgeons. The distribution of commercially listed surgeon volumes, both 5-year average and most recent year, was compared with the average and 2013 volumes of all surgeons performing a specific procedure. A total of 35 individual urologic surgeons listed as performing robotic surgery in Wisconsin were identified through a "search" using the Intuitive Surgical website. Specific procedure analysis returned 5, 12, 9, and 15 surgeon names for cystectomy, partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy, and prostatectomy, respectively. This compared with the total number of surgeons who had performed the listed procedure in Wisconsin at least 1 time during the prior 5 years of 123, 153, 242, and 165, respectively. When distributed by surgeon-volume deciles, surgeons listed on industry-sponsored sites varied widely in their respective volume decile. More than half of site-listed, procedure-specific surgeons fell below the fifth decile for surgeon volume. Data analysis based solely on 2013 case volumes had no effect on the number of website-listed surgeons whose volumes fell below the fifth decile. Surgeons listed on an industry-sponsored website demonstrate wide variation in the actual volume of specific procedures performed. The inferred endorsement of competence by commercial sites has the potential to mislead patients seeking surgical expertise. Providers should consider the ethical and legal implications of these commercial advertising that do not have volume or outcome data. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Report of China's innovation increase and research growth in radiation oncology.

PubMed

Zhu, Hongcheng; Yang, Xi; Qin, Qin; Bian, Kangqi; Zhang, Chi; Liu, Jia; Cheng, Hongyan; Sun, Xinchen

2014-06-01

To investigate the research status of radiation oncology in China through survey of literature in international radiation oncology journals and retrospectively compare the outputs of radiation oncology articles of the three major regions of China-Mainland (ML), Taiwan (TW) and Hong Kong (HK). Radiation oncology journals were selected from "oncology" and "radiology, nuclear & medical image" category from Science Citation Index Expand (SCIE). Articles from the ML, TW and HK were retrieved from MEDLINE. The number of total articles, clinical trials, case reports, impact factors (IF), institutions and articles published in each journals were conducted for quantity and quality comparisons. A total 818 articles from 13 radiation oncology journals were searched, of which 427 are from ML, 259 from TW, and 132 from HK. Ninety-seven clinical trials and 5 case reports are reported in China. Accumulated IF of articles from ML (1,417.11) was much higher than that of TW (1,003.093) and HK (544.711), while the average IF of articles from ML is the lowest. The total number of articles from China especially ML increased significantly in the last decade. The number of articles published from the ML has exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK is better than that from ML.

Changes in the number of resident publications after inception of the 80-hour work week.

PubMed

Namdari, Surena; Baldwin, Keith D; Weinraub, Barbara; Mehta, Samir

2010-08-01

Since the inception of resident work-hour regulations, there has been considerable concern regarding the influence of decreased work hours on graduate medical education. In particular, it is unclear whether implementation of work-hour restrictions has influenced resident academic performance as defined by quantity of peer-reviewed publications while participating in graduate medical education. We determined the impact of work-hour changes on resident involvement in the number of published clinical studies, laboratory research, case reports, and review articles. We conducted a PubMed literature search of 139 consecutive orthopaedic surgery residents (789 total resident-years) at one institution from academic years 1995-1996 to 2008-2009. This represented a continuous timeline before and after implementation of work-hour restrictions. The number of resident publications before and after implementation of work-hour changes was compared. There was a greater probability of peer review authorship in any given resident-year after work-hour changes than before. Average publications per resident-year increased for total articles, clinical articles, case reports, and reviews. There was an increased rate of publications in which the resident was the first author. Since implementation of work-hour changes, total resident publications and publications per resident-year have increased.

Quantitative analysis of treatment process time and throughput capacity for spot scanning proton therapy.

PubMed

Suzuki, Kazumichi; Palmer, Matthew B; Sahoo, Narayan; Zhang, Xiaodong; Poenisch, Falk; Mackin, Dennis S; Liu, Amy Y; Wu, Richard; Zhu, X Ronald; Frank, Steven J; Gillin, Michael T; Lee, Andrew K

2016-07-01

To determine the patient throughput and the overall efficiency of the spot scanning system by analyzing treatment time, equipment availability, and maximum daily capacity for the current spot scanning port at Proton Therapy Center Houston and to assess the daily throughput capacity for a hypothetical spot scanning proton therapy center. At their proton therapy center, the authors have been recording in an electronic medical record system all treatment data, including disease site, number of fields, number of fractions, delivered dose, energy, range, number of spots, and number of layers for every treatment field. The authors analyzed delivery system downtimes that had been recorded for every equipment failure and associated incidents. These data were used to evaluate the patient census, patient distribution as a function of the number of fields and total target volume, and equipment clinical availability. The duration of each treatment session from patient walk-in to patient walk-out of the spot scanning treatment room was measured for 64 patients with head and neck, central nervous system, thoracic, and genitourinary cancers. The authors retrieved data for total target volume and the numbers of layers and spots for all fields from treatment plans for a total of 271 patients (including the above 64 patients). A sensitivity analysis of daily throughput capacity was performed by varying seven parameters in a throughput capacity model. The mean monthly equipment clinical availability for the spot scanning port in April 2012-March 2015 was 98.5%. Approximately 1500 patients had received spot scanning proton therapy as of March 2015. The major disease sites treated in September 2012-August 2014 were the genitourinary system (34%), head and neck (30%), central nervous system (21%), and thorax (14%), with other sites accounting for the remaining 1%. Spot scanning beam delivery time increased with total target volume and accounted for approximately 30%-40% of total treatment time for the total target volumes exceeding 200 cm(3), which was the case for more than 80% of the patients in this study. When total treatment time was modeled as a function of the number of fields and total target volume, the model overestimated total treatment time by 12% on average, with a standard deviation of 32%. A sensitivity analysis of throughput capacity for a hypothetical four-room spot scanning proton therapy center identified several priority items for improvements in throughput capacity, including operation time, beam delivery time, and patient immobilization and setup time. The spot scanning port at our proton therapy center has operated at a high performance level and has been used to treat a large number of complex cases. Further improvements in efficiency may be feasible in the areas of facility operation, beam delivery, patient immobilization and setup, and optimization of treatment scheduling.

Average Cross-Sectional Area of DebriSat Fragments Using Volumetrically Constructed 3D Representations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scruggs, T.; Moraguez, M.; Patankar, K.; Fitz-Coy, N.; Liou, J.-C.; Sorge, M.; Huynh, T.

2016-01-01

Debris fragments from the hypervelocity impact testing of DebriSat are being collected and characterized for use in updating existing satellite breakup models. One of the key parameters utilized in these models is the ballistic coefficient of the fragment which is directly related to its area-to-mass ratio. However, since the attitude of fragments varies during their orbital lifetime, it is customary to use the average cross-sectional area in the calculation of the area-to-mass ratio. The average cross-sectional area is defined as the average of the projected surface areas perpendicular to the direction of motion and has been shown to be equal to one-fourth of the total surface area of a convex object. Unfortunately, numerous fragments obtained from the DebriSat experiment show significant concavity (i.e., shadowing) and thus we have explored alternate methods for computing the average cross-sectional area of the fragments. An imaging system based on the volumetric reconstruction of a 3D object from multiple 2D photographs of the object was developed for use in determining the size characteristic (i.e., characteristics length) of the DebriSat fragments. For each fragment, the imaging system generates N number of images from varied azimuth and elevation angles and processes them using a space-carving algorithm to construct a 3D point cloud of the fragment. This paper describes two approaches for calculating the average cross-sectional area of debris fragments based on the 3D imager. Approach A utilizes the constructed 3D object to generate equally distributed cross-sectional area projections and then averages them to determine the average cross-sectional area. Approach B utilizes a weighted average of the area of the 2D photographs to directly compute the average cross-sectional area. A comparison of the accuracy and computational needs of each approach is described as well as preliminary results of an analysis to determine the "optimal" number of images needed for the 3D imager to accurately measure the average cross sectional area of objects with known dimensions.

Consumption of freshwater fish by recreational and native freshwater anglers in the upper St-Maurice (Quebec, Canada) and estimation of the intake of methylmercury in humans

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

Loranger, S.; Houde, L.; Schetagne, R.

1995-12-31

Hydro-Quebec is planning to build two hydroelectric reservoirs in the upper Saint-Maurice River, which would flood about 80% of the surrounding area. The methylmercury (MeHg) content in freshwater fish will therefore tend to increase during the first few years. This development will have a direct impact on the amount of MeHg that the actual users of this river section are exposed to. The objective of this study is to assess the consumption of local fish of these target groups using a Monte-Carlo approach. This study is part of a larger research project aimed at assessing human exposure and the healthmore » risks related to MeHg contamination in local fish. The fish consumption rate for recreational freshwater anglers was calculated using the duration of the average annual fishing trip, the average number of catches per species, the average fish weight per species exceeding a specific length of fish usually caught, and the edible portion of fish consumed. This rate was calculated for the native communities based on the total number of meals per year per species, the average fish weight per species, and the edible portion. Based on these calculations, average intake for sport fishermen is estimated at 6.9 g/day (sd = 6.4). This value is 5 to 25 times lower on average than for other North American native communities. However, it must be pointed out that the food habits of the native population were very similar to those of non-native populations; less than 30% of the food comes from traditional sources.« less

Drinking water microbiological survey of the Northwestern State of Sinaloa, Mexico.

PubMed

Chaidez, Cristobal; Soto, Marcela; Martinez, Celida; Keswick, Bruce

2008-03-01

A potable water survey, in two important municipalities of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico was conducted. Culiacan, capital city of Sinaloa and its neighboring municipality, Navolato were selected to enumerate Aeromonas hydrophila, Escherichia coli, fecal and total coliforms, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Heterotrophic plate count bacteria from 100 households' taps. Manganese; residual chlorine; pH; temperature and turbidity were also examined. Overall, Aeromonas hydrophila was not detected in any of the samples, 3% contained Escherichia coli, 28% had fecal and 46 total coliforms, P. aeruginosa was present in 15% of the samples. HPC bacteria were found in all of the samples but 43% had numbers greater than 500 CFU per ml. The average numbers obtained for the physico-chemical parameters were 0.15 mg/L; 0.32 mg/L; 6.5; 28.7 degrees C and 2.92 NTU for manganese, residual chlorine, pH, temperature and turbidity, respectively. The findings of the current study demonstrate that potable water from both municipalities can harbor substantial numbers of indicator and opportunistic pathogens suggesting that additional treatment in the household may be needed.

Evidence for a Complex Class of Nonadenylated mRNA in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Zimmerman, J. Lynn; Fouts, David L.; Manning, Jerry E.

1980-01-01

The amount, by mass, of poly(A+) mRNA present in the polyribosomes of third-instar larvae of Drosophila melanogaster, and the relative contribution of the poly(A+) mRNA to the sequence complexity of total polysomal RNA, has been determined. Selective removal of poly(A+) mRNA from total polysomal RNA by use of either oligo-dT-cellulose, or poly(U)-sepharose affinity chromatography, revealed that only 0.15% of the mass of the polysomal RNA was present as poly(A+) mRNA. The present study shows that this RNA hybridized at saturation with 3.3% of the single-copy DNA in the Drosophila genome. After correction for asymmetric transcription and reactability of the DNA, 7.4% of the single-copy DNA in the Drosophila genome is represented in larval poly(A+) mRNA. This corresponds to 6.73 x 106 nucleotides of mRNA coding sequences, or approximately 5,384 diverse RNA sequences of average size 1,250 nucleotides. However, total polysomal RNA hybridizes at saturation to 10.9% of the single-copy DNA sequences. After correcting this value for asymmetric transcription and tracer DNA reactability, 24% of the single-copy DNA in Drosophila is represented in total polysomal RNA. This corresponds to 2.18 x 107 nucleotides of RNA coding sequences or 17,440 diverse RNA molecules of size 1,250 nucleotides. This value is 3.2 times greater than that observed for poly(A+) mRNA, and indicates that ≃69% of the polysomal RNA sequence complexity is contributed by nonadenylated RNA. Furthermore, if the number of different structural genes represented in total polysomal RNA is ≃1.7 x 104, then the number of genes expressed in third-instar larvae exceeds the number of chromomeres in Drosophila by about a factor of three. This numerology indicates that the number of chromomeres observed in polytene chromosomes does not reflect the number of structural gene sequences in the Drosophila genome. PMID:6777246

Liability claims and costs before and after implementation of a medical error disclosure program.

PubMed

Kachalia, Allen; Kaufman, Samuel R; Boothman, Richard; Anderson, Susan; Welch, Kathleen; Saint, Sanjay; Rogers, Mary A M

2010-08-17

Since 2001, the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) has fully disclosed and offered compensation to patients for medical errors. To compare liability claims and costs before and after implementation of the UMHS disclosure-with-offer program. Retrospective before-after analysis from 1995 to 2007. Public academic medical center and health system. Inpatients and outpatients involved in claims made to UMHS. Number of new claims for compensation, number of claims compensated, time to claim resolution, and claims-related costs. After full implementation of a disclosure-with-offer program, the average monthly rate of new claims decreased from 7.03 to 4.52 per 100,000 patient encounters (rate ratio [RR], 0.64 [95% CI, 0.44 to 0.95]). The average monthly rate of lawsuits decreased from 2.13 to 0.75 per 100,000 patient encounters (RR, 0.35 [CI, 0.22 to 0.58]). Median time from claim reporting to resolution decreased from 1.36 to 0.95 years. Average monthly cost rates decreased for total liability (RR, 0.41 [CI, 0.26 to 0.66]), patient compensation (RR, 0.41 [CI, 0.26 to 0.67]), and non-compensation-related legal costs (RR, 0.39 [CI, 0.22 to 0.67]). The study design cannot establish causality. Malpractice claims generally declined in Michigan during the latter part of the study period. The findings might not apply to other health systems, given that UMHS has a closed staff model covered by a captive insurance company and often assumes legal responsibility. The UMHS implemented a program of full disclosure of medical errors with offers of compensation without increasing its total claims and liability costs. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation.

Memantine may affect pseudobulbar affect in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Prokšelj, Tatjana; Jerin, Aleš; Kogoj, Aleš

2013-12-01

Behavioural symptoms are common in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) and are improved by memantine with the most pronounced effect on agitation/aggression. Dextromethorphan in combination with quinidine is the only drug approved by US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA) on the basis of efficacy in patients with multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of memantine on PBA in patients with AD. In a prospective, double-blind, case-control study to assess PBA with pathological laughter and crying scale patients were administered memantine (final dose of 20 mg daily) or citalopram (20 mg once daily), each for 10 weeks. The number of episodes of involuntary emotional expression, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Overt Aggression Scale-Modified (OAS-M) total scores were also recorded. Furthermore, the platelet serotonin (5-HT) concentration was measured. Although memantine had beneficial effects on PBA, it also had a crucial impact on behavioural symptoms, especially aggression and agitation (to an average of 3.5 times higher end-point scores on OAS-M and increase of NPI total scores for an average of 114% of initial value). Therefore, the study was prematurely stopped. In addition, we had evidenced a drop of platelet 5-HT concentration (to an average of 73% of initial value). Surprisingly, our research showed the opposite action of memantine on neuropsychiatric symptoms as expected. In a limited number of AD patients with PBA, memantine had a beneficial effect on involuntary emotional expression, but it potentiated agitation/aggression, irritability and caused a crucial drop of the platelet 5-HT concentration.

Cost analysis of surgically treated pressure sores stage III and IV.

PubMed

Filius, A; Damen, T H C; Schuijer-Maaskant, K P; Polinder, S; Hovius, S E R; Walbeehm, E T

2013-11-01

Health-care costs associated with pressure sores are significant and their financial burden is likely to increase even further. The aim of this study was to analyse the direct medical costs of hospital care for surgical treatment of pressure sores stage III and IV. We performed a retrospective chart study of patients who were surgically treated for stage III and IV pressure sores between 2007 and 2010. Volumes of health-care use were obtained for all patients and direct medical costs were subsequently calculated. In addition, we evaluated the effect of location and number of pressure sores on total costs. A total of 52 cases were identified. Average direct medical costs in hospital were €20,957 for the surgical treatment of pressure sores stage III or IV; average direct medical costs for patients with one pressure sore on an extremity (group 1, n = 5) were €30,286, €10,113 for patients with one pressure sore on the trunk (group 2, n = 32) and €40,882 for patients with multiple pressure sores (group 3, n = 15). The additional costs for patients in group 1 and group 3 compared to group 2 were primarily due to longer hospitalisation. The average direct medical costs for surgical treatment of pressure sores stage III and IV were high. Large differences in costs were related to the location and number of pressure sores. Insight into the distribution of these costs allows identification of high-risk patients and enables the development of specific cost-reducing measures. Copyright © 2013 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends of adverse drug reactions related-hospitalizations in Spain (2001-2006)

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are a substantial cause of hospital admissions. We conducted a nationwide study to estimate the burden of hospital admissions for ADRs in Spain during a six-year period (2001-2006) along with the associated total health cost. Methods Data were obtained from the national surveillance system for hospital data (Minimum Basic Data Set) maintained by the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, and covering more than 95% of Spanish hospitals. From these admissions we selected all hospitalization that were code as drug-related (ICD-9-CM codes E), but intended forms of overdoses, errors in administration and therapeutics failure were excluded. The average number of hospitalizations per year, annual incidence of hospital admissions, average length of stay in the hospital, and case-fatality rate, were calculated. Results During the 2001-2006 periods, the total number of hospitalized patients with ADR diagnosis was 350,835 subjects, 1.69% of all acute hospital admissions in Spain. The estimated incidence of admissions due to ADR decreased during the period 2001-2006 (p < 0.05). More than five percent of patients (n = 19,734) died during an ADR-related hospitalization. The drugs most commonly associated with ADR-related hospitalization were antineoplastic and immunosuppressive drugs (n = 75,760), adrenal cortical steroids (n = 47,539), anticoagulants (n = 26,546) and antibiotics (n = 22,144). The costs generated by patients in our study increased by 19.05% between 2001 and 2006. Conclusions Approximately 1.69% of all acute hospital admissions were associated with ADRs. The rates were much higher for elderly patients. The total cost of ADR-related hospitalization to the Spanish health system is high and has increased between 2001 and 2006. ADRs are an important cause of admission, resulting in considerable use of national health system beds and a significant number of deaths. PMID:20942906

Genome Wide Characterization of Short Tandem Repeat Markers in Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)

PubMed Central

Biswas, Manosh Kumar; Xu, Qiang; Mayer, Christoph; Deng, Xiuxin

2014-01-01

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is one of the major cultivated and most-consumed citrus species. With the goal of enhancing the genomic resources in citrus, we surveyed, developed and characterized microsatellite markers in the ≈347 Mb sequence assembly of the sweet orange genome. A total of 50,846 SSRs were identified with a frequency of 146.4 SSRs/Mbp. Dinucleotide repeats are the most frequent repeat class and the highest density of SSRs was found in chromosome 4. SSRs are non-randomly distributed in the genome and most of the SSRs (62.02%) are located in the intergenic regions. We found that AT-rich SSRs are more frequent than GC-rich SSRs. A total number of 21,248 SSR primers were successfully developed, which represents 89 SSR markers per Mb of the genome. A subset of 950 developed SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested by wet lab experiments on a set of 16 citrus accessions. In total we identified 534 (56.21%) polymorphic SSR markers that will be useful in citrus improvement. The number of amplified alleles ranges from 2 to 12 with an average of 4 alleles per marker and an average PIC value of 0.75. The newly developed sweet orange primer sequences, their in silico PCR products, exact position in the genome assembly and putative function are made publicly available. We present the largest number of SSR markers ever developed for a citrus species. Almost two thirds of the markers are transferable to 16 citrus relatives and may be used for constructing a high density linkage map. In addition, they are valuable for marker-assisted selection studies, population structure analyses and comparative genomic studies of C. sinensis with other citrus related species. Altogether, these markers provide a significant contribution to the citrus research community. PMID:25148383

Genome wide characterization of short tandem repeat markers in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis).

PubMed

Biswas, Manosh Kumar; Xu, Qiang; Mayer, Christoph; Deng, Xiuxin

2014-01-01

Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) is one of the major cultivated and most-consumed citrus species. With the goal of enhancing the genomic resources in citrus, we surveyed, developed and characterized microsatellite markers in the ≈347 Mb sequence assembly of the sweet orange genome. A total of 50,846 SSRs were identified with a frequency of 146.4 SSRs/Mbp. Dinucleotide repeats are the most frequent repeat class and the highest density of SSRs was found in chromosome 4. SSRs are non-randomly distributed in the genome and most of the SSRs (62.02%) are located in the intergenic regions. We found that AT-rich SSRs are more frequent than GC-rich SSRs. A total number of 21,248 SSR primers were successfully developed, which represents 89 SSR markers per Mb of the genome. A subset of 950 developed SSR primer pairs were synthesized and tested by wet lab experiments on a set of 16 citrus accessions. In total we identified 534 (56.21%) polymorphic SSR markers that will be useful in citrus improvement. The number of amplified alleles ranges from 2 to 12 with an average of 4 alleles per marker and an average PIC value of 0.75. The newly developed sweet orange primer sequences, their in silico PCR products, exact position in the genome assembly and putative function are made publicly available. We present the largest number of SSR markers ever developed for a citrus species. Almost two thirds of the markers are transferable to 16 citrus relatives and may be used for constructing a high density linkage map. In addition, they are valuable for marker-assisted selection studies, population structure analyses and comparative genomic studies of C. sinensis with other citrus related species. Altogether, these markers provide a significant contribution to the citrus research community.

Effect of air pollution on pediatric respiratory emergency room visits and hospital admissions.

PubMed

Farhat, S C L; Paulo, R L P; Shimoda, T M; Conceição, G M S; Lin, C A; Braga, A L F; Warth, M P N; Saldiva, P H N

2005-02-01

In order to assess the effect of air pollution on pediatric respiratory morbidity, we carried out a time series study using daily levels of PM10, SO2, NO2, ozone, and CO and daily numbers of pediatric respiratory emergency room visits and hospital admissions at the Children's Institute of the University of Sao Paulo Medical School, from August 1996 to August 1997. In this period there were 43,635 hospital emergency room visits, 4534 of which were due to lower respiratory tract disease. The total number of hospital admissions was 6785, 1021 of which were due to lower respiratory tract infectious and/or obstructive diseases. The three health end-points under investigation were the daily number of emergency room visits due to lower respiratory tract diseases, hospital admissions due to pneumonia, and hospital admissions due to asthma or bronchiolitis. Generalized additive Poisson regression models were fitted, controlling for smooth functions of time, temperature and humidity, and an indicator of weekdays. NO2 was positively associated with all outcomes. Interquartile range increases (65.04 microg/m3) in NO2 moving averages were associated with an 18.4% increase (95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 12.5-24.3) in emergency room visits due to lower respiratory tract diseases (4-day moving average), a 17.6% increase (95% CI = 3.3-32.7) in hospital admissions due to pneumonia or bronchopneumonia (3-day moving average), and a 31.4% increase (95% CI = 7.2-55.7) in hospital admissions due to asthma or bronchiolitis (2-day moving average). The study showed that air pollution considerably affects children's respiratory morbidity, deserving attention from the health authorities.

Two-mode bosonic quantum metrology with number fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Pasquale, Antonella; Facchi, Paolo; Florio, Giuseppe; Giovannetti, Vittorio; Matsuoka, Koji; Yuasa, Kazuya

2015-10-01

We search for the optimal quantum pure states of identical bosonic particles for applications in quantum metrology, in particular, in the estimation of a single parameter for the generic two-mode interferometric setup. We consider the general case in which the total number of particles is fluctuating around an average N with variance Δ N2 . By recasting the problem in the framework of classical probability, we clarify the maximal accuracy attainable and show that it is always larger than the one reachable with a fixed number of particles (i.e., Δ N =0 ). In particular, for larger fluctuations, the error in the estimation diminishes proportionally to 1 /Δ N , below the Heisenberg-like scaling 1 /N . We also clarify the best input state, which is a quasi-NOON state for a generic setup and, for some special cases, a two-mode Schrödinger-cat state with a vacuum component. In addition, we search for the best state within the class of pure Gaussian states with a given average N , which is revealed to be a product state (with no entanglement) with a squeezed vacuum in one mode and the vacuum in the other.

Prediction Methods in Solar Sunspots Cycles

PubMed Central

Ng, Kim Kwee

2016-01-01

An understanding of the Ohl’s Precursor Method, which is used to predict the upcoming sunspots activity, is presented by employing a simplified movable divided-blocks diagram. Using a new approach, the total number of sunspots in a solar cycle and the maximum averaged monthly sunspots number Rz(max) are both shown to be statistically related to the geomagnetic activity index in the prior solar cycle. The correlation factors are significant and they are respectively found to be 0.91 ± 0.13 and 0.85 ± 0.17. The projected result is consistent with the current observation of solar cycle 24 which appears to have attained at least Rz(max) at 78.7 ± 11.7 in March 2014. Moreover, in a statistical study of the time-delayed solar events, the average time between the peak in the monthly geomagnetic index and the peak in the monthly sunspots numbers in the succeeding ascending phase of the sunspot activity is found to be 57.6 ± 3.1 months. The statistically determined time-delayed interval confirms earlier observational results by others that the Sun’s electromagnetic dipole is moving toward the Sun’s Equator during a solar cycle. PMID:26868269

Citation analysis of five journals in andrology.

PubMed

Yang, H; Pan, B-C; Chen, J

2006-01-01

To find out features in literature demand by researchers in the field of andrology and to offer advice on literature utilization and journal management. Five andrology journals indexed by Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) (Andrologia, Archives of Andrology, Asian Journal of Andrology, International Journal of Andrology, and Journal of Andrology) were included in the study. Original articles, editorials, reviews, corrections and letters from these journals were analyzed with bibliometric method for document loading, citations, information absorbing ability, and geographical coverage. The average number of references in each paper was 28.78. The main type of references was periodicals (94.32%), while books and other sources accounted for only 5.68%. Average Price index was 30.14%. The number of references in the first ranking 10 periodicals cited by the five journals made up 34.53% of the total references cited. Geographically, the five journals covered 6 continents with 42 countries or regions. Andrology journals have a wide coverage of literatures, which are related to reproductive medicine, urology, endocrinology and biochemistry. References in andrology journals are mainly periodicals and are relatively old. US, China and Japan lead the world in andrology researches for the number of papers published.

[The short-term effects of air pollution on mortality: the results of the EMECAM project in greater Bilbao. Estudio Multicéntrico Español sobre la Relación entre la Contaminación Atmosférica y la Mortalidad].

PubMed

Cambra Contín, K; Alonso Fustel, E

1999-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess the short-term impact of air pollution with sulfur dioxide (SO2), total suspended particles (TSP), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and black smoke (BS) on the daily number of deaths in the metropolitan area of Bilbao. The EMECAM project protocol was followed. Increases in TSP, in both maximum hourly figures and daily averages, are significantly associated with increases in the daily number of deaths from all causes, from circulatory causes and from all causes among those older than 70. No differences between six-month periods were found. NO2 average levels were associated with daily mortality from respiratory causes in the entire period and during the warm season, and from all causes among those older than 70 in the cool months. TSP levels are associated with daily mortality in the metropolitan area of Bilbao. The relationship between NO2 and the number of deaths from respiratory causes, very high in the warm season, needs further research to assess its independence.

Pressure-Aware Control Layer Optimization for Flow-Based Microfluidic Biochips.

PubMed

Wang, Qin; Xu, Yue; Zuo, Shiliang; Yao, Hailong; Ho, Tsung-Yi; Li, Bing; Schlichtmann, Ulf; Cai, Yici

2017-12-01

Flow-based microfluidic biochips are attracting increasing attention with successful biomedical applications. One critical issue with flow-based microfluidic biochips is the large number of microvalves that require peripheral control pins. Even using the broadcasting addressing scheme, i.e., one control pin controls multiple microvalves simultaneously, thousands of microvalves would still require hundreds of control prins, which is unrealistic. To address this critical challenge in control scalability, the control-layer multiplexer is introduced to effectively reduce the number of control pins into log scale of the number of microvalves. There are two practical design issues with the control-layer multiplexer: (1) the reliability issue caused by the frequent control-valve switching, and (2) the pressure degradation problem caused by the control-valve switching without pressure refreshing from the pressure source. This paper addresses these two design issues by the proposed Hamming-distance-based switching sequence optimization method and the XOR-based pressure refreshing method. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods with an average 77.2% (maximum 89.6%) improvement in total pressure refreshing cost, and an average 88.5% (maximum 90.0%) improvement in pressure deviation.

SHADOZ Comparisons with TOMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McPeters, Richard D.; Labow, Gordon J.; Witte, Jacquelyn; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

One year of balloon-sonde profiles taken from the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) archive have been compared with data from the Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) by integrating the balloon profiles to obtain total column ozone. The TOMS backscattered ultraviolet measurement loses sensitivity to ozone in the lowest five to ten kilometers of the atmosphere, limiting the accuracy of the TOMS measurement of tropospheric ozone. This is shown by the increased deviation between TOMS total ozone and the sonde total in the tropical Pacific, where tropospheric ozone is known to be lower than the tropical climatological average. The TOMS underestimate is further confirmed by the correlation of deviations between TOMS and the sondes with changes in lower tropospheric ozone. After allowing for the TOMS offset, the sondes appear to underestimate ozone by three to five percent. This is confirmed by a limited number of comparisons with Dobson data.

[Estimation of the excess death associated with influenza pandemics and epidemics in Japan after world war II: relation with pandemics and the vaccination system].

PubMed

Ohmi, Kenichi; Marui, Eiji

2011-10-01

To estimate the excess death associated with influenza pandemics and epidemics in Japan after World War II, and to reexamine the relationship between the excess death and the vaccination system in Japan. Using the Japanese national vital statistics data for 1952-2009, we specified months with influenza epidemics, monthly mortality rates and the seasonal index for 1952-74 and for 1975-2009. Then we calculated excess deaths of each month from the observed number of deaths and the 95% range of expected deaths. Lastly we calculated age-adjusted excess death rates using the 1985 model population of Japan. The total number of excess deaths for 1952-2009 was 687,279 (95% range, 384,149-970,468), 12,058 (95% range, 6,739-17,026) per year. The total number of excess deaths in 6 pandemic years of 1957-58, 58-59, 1968-69, 69-70, 77-78 and 78-79, was 95,904, while that in 51 'non-pandemic' years was 591,376, 6.17 fold larger than pandemic years. The average number of excess deaths for pandemic years was 23,976, nearly equal to that for 'non-pandemic' years, 23,655. At the beginning of pandemics, 1957-58, 1968-69, 1969-70, the proportion of those aged <65 years in excess deaths rose compared with 'non-pandemic' years. In the 1970s and 1980s, when the vaccination program for schoolchildren was mandatory in Japan on the basis of the "Fukumi thesis", age-adjusted average excess mortality rates were relatively low, with an average of 6.17 per hundred thousand. In the 1990s, when group vaccination was discontinued, age-adjusted excess mortality rose up to 9.42, only to drop again to 2.04 when influenza vaccination was made available to the elderly in the 2000s, suggesting that the vaccination of Japanese children prevented excess deaths from influenza pandemics and epidemics. Moreover, in the age group under 65, average excess mortality rates were low in the 1970s and 1980s rather than in the 2000s, which shows that the "Social Defensive" schoolchildren vaccination program in the 1970s and 1980s was more effective than the "Individual Defensive" vaccination program in the 2000s. Excess deaths were observed continually, and not limited to pandemic years. We must not slight public health interventions for 'non-pandemic' influenza as well as pandemic influenza. We should also re-examine the importance of "Social Defenses", including preventative vaccination, for public health policy.

A modelling tool for capacity planning in acute and community stroke services.

PubMed

Monks, Thomas; Worthington, David; Allen, Michael; Pitt, Martin; Stein, Ken; James, Martin A

2016-09-29

Mathematical capacity planning methods that can take account of variations in patient complexity, admission rates and delayed discharges have long been available, but their implementation in complex pathways such as stroke care remains limited. Instead simple average based estimates are commonplace. These methods often substantially underestimate capacity requirements. We analyse the capacity requirements for acute and community stroke services in a pathway with over 630 admissions per year. We sought to identify current capacity bottlenecks affecting patient flow, future capacity requirements in the presence of increased admissions, the impact of co-location and pooling of the acute and rehabilitation units and the impact of patient subgroups on capacity requirements. We contrast these results to the often used method of planning by average occupancy, often with arbitrary uplifts to cater for variability. We developed a discrete-event simulation model using aggregate parameter values derived from routine administrative data on over 2000 anonymised admission and discharge timestamps. The model mimicked the flow of stroke, high risk TIA and complex neurological patients from admission to an acute ward through to community rehab and early supported discharge, and predicted the probability of admission delays. An increase from 10 to 14 acute beds reduces the number of patients experiencing a delay to the acute stroke unit from 1 in every 7 to 1 in 50. Co-location of the acute and rehabilitation units and pooling eight beds out of a total bed stock of 26 reduce the number of delayed acute admissions to 1 in every 29 and the number of delayed rehabilitation admissions to 1 in every 20. Planning by average occupancy would resulted in delays for one in every five patients in the acute stroke unit. Planning by average occupancy fails to provide appropriate reserve capacity to manage the variations seen in stroke pathways to desired service levels. An appropriate uplift from the average cannot be based simply on occupancy figures. Our method draws on long available, intuitive, but underused mathematical techniques for capacity planning. Implementation via simulation at our study hospital provided valuable decision support for planners to assess future bed numbers and organisation of the acute and rehabilitation services.

Aerosol size distribution and new particle formation events in the suburb of Xi'an, northwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yan; Liu, Xiaodong; Dai, Jin; Wang, Zhao; Dong, Zipeng; Dong, Yan; Chen, Chuang; Li, Xingmin; Zhao, Na; Fan, Chao

2017-03-01

Particle number concentration and size distribution are important for better understanding the characteristics of aerosols. However, their measurements are scarce in western China. Based on the first measurement of particle number size distribution (10-487 nm) in the suburb of Xi'an, northwest China from November 2013 to December 2014, the seasonal, monthly and diurnal average particle number concentrations were investigated, and the characteristics of new particle formation (NPF) events and their dependencies on meteorological parameters also discussed. The results showed that the annual average particle number concentrations in the nucleation (NNUC), Aitken (NAIT), and Accumulation (NACC) size ranges were 960 cm-3, 4457 cm-3, 3548 cm-3, respectively. The mean total particle number concentration (NTOT) was 8965 cm-3 and largely dominated by particles in Aitken mode. The number concentration was dominated by particles around 67.3 nm in spring, summer and fall, while about 89.8 nm in winter. The percentage of the ultrafine size range (UFP, particles of diameter below 100 nm) to total particle number concentration was 63.2%, 69.6%, 62.2% and 58.1% in four seasons. The diurnal variation of the nucleation mode particles was mainly influenced by NPF events in summer, while by both traffic densities and NPF events in spring, fall and winter. The diurnal variation of the number concentration of Aitken mode particles correlated with the traffic emission in spring, fall and winter, while in summer it more correlated with contribution of the growth of the nucleation mode particles. The burst of nucleation mode particles typically started in the daytime (08:15-16:05, LST). The growth rates of nucleated particles ranged from 2.8 to 10.7 nm h-1 with an average of 5.0 ± 1.9 nm h-1. Among observed 66 NPF events from 347 effective measurement days, 85 percent of their air masses came from north or northwest China, resulting in a low concentration of pre-existing particles, and only 15 percent came southerly from Qingling Mountains. Based on their growth rate, 64 and 36 percent of their subsequent particles, corresponding to types 1 and 2 NPF events, grew and seldom grew after the burst of nucleation mode particles. For type 1 NPF event, the nucleated particles could grow up to 40 nm or larger when surface winds shifted from westerly to easterly or southeasterly (from village areas). For type 2 NPF events, the particles kept almost unchanged when the winds stayed westerly. This implied that the surface wind direction with different emissions might play an important role in new particle growth in suburb of Xi'an.

Computation and Learning in Neural Networks With Binary Weights

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-28

alternatively, the total number of component updates before convergence is 0(n 3 ). We follow this with an average case analysis, similar in flavour to...anecdotal evidence in support of it in ’Well, maybe an imp. I I situations where the network has a more "distributed" flavour with relatively dense...Within the hipocampus, there is a three stage sequence of processing consisting of granule cells (which 3 receive from the entorhinal cortex), the CA3

A Demographic Analysis of Suicide Among U.S. Navy Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-08-01

estimates of a Poisson- distributed variable according to the procedure described in Lilienfeld and Lilienfeld .27 Based on averaged age-specific rates of...n suicides, the total number of pairs will be n(n- 1)/2). The Knox method tests the null hypothesis that the event of a pair of suicides being close...significantly differ. It is likely, however, that the military’s required suicide prevention programs and psychological autopsies help to ascertain as

Computerised Axial Tomography (CAT)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

commercial market. EMI, which had originally counted on being the only firm selling CT units , subsequently increased its production in order to overtake...to a rough estimate’"’ the number of CT scanners at present working in Italy is about 18 units installed. apart from those in the large cities such as...hGdcl scanners and 198 total body scanners): among othar things, they emphasise that a CT unit , works, on an average, for 5.4 days in the week and

Navy and Coast Guard Shipbuilding: Navy Should Reconsider Approach to Warranties for Correcting Construction Defects

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

million in guaranty claims under the construction contract. • LCS 3 and 4—According to Navy contracting officers, the Navy negotiated lower...their responsibility for both guaranty claims and follow-on work to correct the defects. Shipbuilders earn profit under the construction contract, and...for its ships with guarantees. On average, commercial ship buyers told us that the number of warranty claims totals 1 to 2 percent of the construction

The Burden of Dengue and the Financial Cost to Colombia, 2010-2012.

PubMed

Castro Rodríguez, Raúl; Carrasquilla, Gabriel; Porras, Alexandra; Galera-Gelvez, Katia; Lopez Yescas, Juan Guillermo; Rueda-Gallardo, Jorge A

2016-05-04

Data on the burden of dengue and its economic costs can help guide health policy decisions. However, little reliable information is available for Colombia. We therefore calculated the burden of the disease, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), for two scenarios: endemic years (average number of cases in non-epidemic years 2011 and 2012) and an epidemic year (2010, when the highest number of dengue cases was reported in the study period). We also estimated the total economic cost of the disease (U.S. dollars at the average exchange rate for 2012), including indirect costs to households derived from expenses such as preventing entry of mosquitos into the home and costs to government arising from direct, indirect, and prevention and monitoring activities, as well as the direct medical and non-medical costs. In the epidemic year 2010, 1,198.73 DALYs were lost per million inhabitants versus 83.88 in endemic years. The total financial cost of the disease in Colombia from a societal perspective was US$167.8 million for 2010, US$129.9 million for 2011, and US$131.7 million for 2012. The cost of mosquito prevention borne by households was a major cost driver (accounting for 46% of the overall cost in 2010, 62% in 2011, and 64% in 2012). © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Research and collaboration overview of Institut Pasteur International Network: a bibliometric approach toward research funding decisions.

PubMed

Mostafavi, Ehsan; Bazrafshan, Azam

2014-01-01

Institut Pasteur International Network (IPIN), which includes 32 research institutes around the world, is a network of research and expertise to fight against infectious diseases. A scientometric approach was applied to describe research and collaboration activities of IPIN. Publications were identified using a manual search of IPIN member addresses in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) between 2006 and 2011. Total publications were then subcategorized by geographic regions. Several scientometric indicators and the H-index were employed to estimate the scientific production of each IPIN member. Subject and geographical overlay maps were also applied to visualize the network activities of the IPIN members. A total number of 12667 publications originated from IPIN members. Each author produced an average number of 2.18 papers and each publication received an average of 13.40 citations. European Pasteur Institutes had the largest amount of publications, authored papers, and H-index values. Biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases were the most important research topics, respectively. Geographic mapping of IPIN publications showed wide international collaboration among IPIN members around the world. IPIN has strong ties with national and international authorities and organizations to investigate the current and future health issues. It is recommended to use scientometric and collaboration indicators as measures of research performance in IPIN future policies and investment decisions.

T700 Blisk and Impeller Manufacturing Process Development Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

700(40) Reworked Media Temperature - 790 F Average Media Pressure - 200 psi Total Cycles (Test No. 1) - 40 Total Cycles (Test No. 2) - 20 Total Time...36A(73), - 700(40" Media Temperature - 80F Average Media Pressure - 150 psi Total Cycles - 52 Total Time - 95 Minutes Some difficulty was...61)-36A(73)-700( 4O)Media Temperature - 79OF average Media Pressure - 200 psi Time - 40 cycles - 72 minutes Time - 60 cycles - 109 minutes Time - 80

Time and size resolved Measurement of Mass Concentration at an Urban Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karg, E.; Ferron, G. A.; Heyder, J.

2003-04-01

Time- and size-resolved measurements of ambient particles are necessary for modelling of atmospheric particle transport, the interpretation of particulate pollution events and the estimation of particle deposition in the human lungs. In the size range 0.01 - 2 µm time- and size-resolved data are obtained from differential mobility and optical particle counter measurements and from gravimetric filter analyses on a daily basis (PM2.5). By comparison of the time averaged and size integrated particle volume concentration with PM2.5 data, an average density of ambient particles can be estimated. Using this density, the number concentration data can be converted in time- and size-resolved mass concentration. Such measurements were carried out at a Munich downtown crossroads. The spectra were integrated in the size ranges 10 - 100 nm, 100 - 500 nm and 500 - 2000 nm. Particles in these ranges are named ultrafine, fine and coarse particles. These ranges roughly represent freshly emitted particles, aged/accumulated particles and particles entrained by erosive processes. An average number concentration of 80000 1/cm3 (s.d. 67%), a particle volume concentration of 53 µm3/cm3 (s.d. 76%) and a PM2.5 mass concentration of 27 µg/m3 was found. These particle volume- and PM2.5 data imply an average density of 0.51 g/cm3. Average number concentration showed 95.3%, 4.7% and 0.006% of the total particle concentration in the size ranges mentioned above. Mass concentration was 14.7%, 80.2% and 5.1% of the total, assuming the average density to be valid for all particles. The variability in mass concentration was 94%, 75% and 33% for the three size ranges. Nearly all ambient particles were in the ultrafine size range, whereas most of the mass concentration was in the fine size range. However, a considerable mass fraction of nearly 15% was found in the ultrafine size range. As the sampling site was close to the road and traffic emissions were the major source of the particles, 1) the density was very low due to agglomerated and porous structures of freshly emitted combustion particles and 2) the variability was highest in the ultrafine range, obviously correlated to traffic activity and lowest in the micron size range. In conclusion, almost all ambient particles were ultrafine particles, whereas most of the particle mass was associated with fine particles. Nevertheless, a considerable mass fraction was found in the ultrafine size range. These particles had a very low density so that they can be considered as agglomerated and porous particles emitted from vehicles passing the crossroads. Therefore they showed a much higher variation in mass concentration than the fine and coarse particles.

Combining Soil Databases for Topsoil Organic Carbon Mapping in Europe.

PubMed

Aksoy, Ece; Yigini, Yusuf; Montanarella, Luca

2016-01-01

Accuracy in assessing the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important issue because of playing key roles in the functions of both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems. There are several studies in the literature with the aim of finding the best method to assess and map the distribution of SOC content for Europe. Therefore this study aims searching for another aspect of this issue by looking to the performances of using aggregated soil samples coming from different studies and land-uses. The total number of the soil samples in this study was 23,835 and they're collected from the "Land Use/Cover Area frame Statistical Survey" (LUCAS) Project (samples from agricultural soil), BioSoil Project (samples from forest soil), and "Soil Transformations in European Catchments" (SoilTrEC) Project (samples from local soil data coming from six different critical zone observatories (CZOs) in Europe). Moreover, 15 spatial indicators (slope, aspect, elevation, compound topographic index (CTI), CORINE land-cover classification, parent material, texture, world reference base (WRB) soil classification, geological formations, annual average temperature, min-max temperature, total precipitation and average precipitation (for years 1960-1990 and 2000-2010)) were used as auxiliary variables in this prediction. One of the most popular geostatistical techniques, Regression-Kriging (RK), was applied to build the model and assess the distribution of SOC. This study showed that, even though RK method was appropriate for successful SOC mapping, using combined databases was not helpful to increase the statistical significance of the method results for assessing the SOC distribution. According to our results; SOC variation was mainly affected by elevation, slope, CTI, average temperature, average and total precipitation, texture, WRB and CORINE variables for Europe scale in our model. Moreover, the highest average SOC contents were found in the wetland areas; agricultural areas have much lower soil organic carbon content than forest and semi natural areas; Ireland, Sweden and Finland has the highest SOC, on the contrary, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy have the lowest values with the average 3%.

Combining Soil Databases for Topsoil Organic Carbon Mapping in Europe

PubMed Central

Aksoy, Ece

2016-01-01

Accuracy in assessing the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important issue because of playing key roles in the functions of both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems. There are several studies in the literature with the aim of finding the best method to assess and map the distribution of SOC content for Europe. Therefore this study aims searching for another aspect of this issue by looking to the performances of using aggregated soil samples coming from different studies and land-uses. The total number of the soil samples in this study was 23,835 and they’re collected from the “Land Use/Cover Area frame Statistical Survey” (LUCAS) Project (samples from agricultural soil), BioSoil Project (samples from forest soil), and “Soil Transformations in European Catchments” (SoilTrEC) Project (samples from local soil data coming from six different critical zone observatories (CZOs) in Europe). Moreover, 15 spatial indicators (slope, aspect, elevation, compound topographic index (CTI), CORINE land-cover classification, parent material, texture, world reference base (WRB) soil classification, geological formations, annual average temperature, min-max temperature, total precipitation and average precipitation (for years 1960–1990 and 2000–2010)) were used as auxiliary variables in this prediction. One of the most popular geostatistical techniques, Regression-Kriging (RK), was applied to build the model and assess the distribution of SOC. This study showed that, even though RK method was appropriate for successful SOC mapping, using combined databases was not helpful to increase the statistical significance of the method results for assessing the SOC distribution. According to our results; SOC variation was mainly affected by elevation, slope, CTI, average temperature, average and total precipitation, texture, WRB and CORINE variables for Europe scale in our model. Moreover, the highest average SOC contents were found in the wetland areas; agricultural areas have much lower soil organic carbon content than forest and semi natural areas; Ireland, Sweden and Finland has the highest SOC, on the contrary, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy have the lowest values with the average 3%. PMID:27011357

Naive vs. Sophisticated Methods of Forecasting Public Library Circulations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Terrence A.

1984-01-01

Two sophisticated--autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), straight-line regression--and two naive--simple average, monthly average--forecasting techniques were used to forecast monthly circulation totals of 34 public libraries. Comparisons of forecasts and actual totals revealed that ARIMA and monthly average methods had smallest mean…

Forecasting Daily Patient Outflow From a Ward Having No Real-Time Clinical Data

PubMed Central

Tran, Truyen; Luo, Wei; Phung, Dinh; Venkatesh, Svetha

2016-01-01

Background: Modeling patient flow is crucial in understanding resource demand and prioritization. We study patient outflow from an open ward in an Australian hospital, where currently bed allocation is carried out by a manager relying on past experiences and looking at demand. Automatic methods that provide a reasonable estimate of total next-day discharges can aid in efficient bed management. The challenges in building such methods lie in dealing with large amounts of discharge noise introduced by the nonlinear nature of hospital procedures, and the nonavailability of real-time clinical information in wards. Objective Our study investigates different models to forecast the total number of next-day discharges from an open ward having no real-time clinical data. Methods We compared 5 popular regression algorithms to model total next-day discharges: (1) autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), (2) the autoregressive moving average with exogenous variables (ARMAX), (3) k-nearest neighbor regression, (4) random forest regression, and (5) support vector regression. Although the autoregressive integrated moving average model relied on past 3-month discharges, nearest neighbor forecasting used median of similar discharges in the past in estimating next-day discharge. In addition, the ARMAX model used the day of the week and number of patients currently in ward as exogenous variables. For the random forest and support vector regression models, we designed a predictor set of 20 patient features and 88 ward-level features. Results Our data consisted of 12,141 patient visits over 1826 days. Forecasting quality was measured using mean forecast error, mean absolute error, symmetric mean absolute percentage error, and root mean square error. When compared with a moving average prediction model, all 5 models demonstrated superior performance with the random forests achieving 22.7% improvement in mean absolute error, for all days in the year 2014. Conclusions In the absence of clinical information, our study recommends using patient-level and ward-level data in predicting next-day discharges. Random forest and support vector regression models are able to use all available features from such data, resulting in superior performance over traditional autoregressive methods. An intelligent estimate of available beds in wards plays a crucial role in relieving access block in emergency departments. PMID:27444059

DRG benchmarking: analysis of service structures and -differences in dermatology departments.

PubMed

Fürstenberg, Torsten; Gierling, Patrick; Irps, Sebastian; Gollnick, Harald; Kaufmann, Roland; Stadler, Rudolf; Rompel, Rainer; Hensen, Peter

2014-07-01

In the context of DRG-based hospital funding, the analysis of services provided in dermatologic inpatient care is highly relevant. We analyzed and compared clinical service structures and varieties in dermatologic hospitals through a benchmarking technique. For this multicenter cross-sectional study, routine data from 46 German dermatologic clinics and departments were collected, processed, and analyzed. In total, 95 257 data sets from 2011 were available. The data were grouped according to the G-DRG-system 2013 version. The average length of stay for all cases was 6.3 days (DRG "inliers": 5.7 days), and average patient age was 52 years. In total, 55 % of all cases were grouped to medical, 45 % to surgical DRGs. 71 % of all hospitals provide services within or close to this average value (± 10 %). No association was found between the number of hospital beds and the variety of clinical services provided in our sample. We found huge varieties in several parameters assessing the coding quality. The results reflect the heterogeneous reality in German inpatient dermatology. The varieties in dermatologic service range still depend on patient-related factors as well as infrastructural conditions and the resources available at each site. © 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Respiratory hospitalizations in association with fine PM and its ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Despite observed geographic and temporal variation in particulate matter (PM)-related health morbidities, only a small number of epidemiologic studies have evaluated the relation between PM2.5 chemical constituents and respiratory disease. Most assessments are limited by inadequate spatial and temporal resolution of ambient PM measurements and/or by their approaches to examine the role of specific PM components on health outcomes. In a case-crossover analysis using daily average ambient PM2.5 total mass and species estimates derived from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and available observations, we examined the association between the chemical components of PM (including elemental and organic carbon, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and other remaining) and respiratory hospitalizations in New York State. We evaluated relationships between levels (low, medium, high) of PM constituent mass fractions, and assessed modification of the PM2.5–hospitalization association via models stratified by mass fractions of both primary and secondary PM components. In our results, average daily PM2.5 concentrations in New York State were generally lower than the 24-hr average National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). Year-round analyses showed statistically significant positive associations between respiratory hospitalizations and PM2.5 total mass, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium concentrations at multiple exposure lags (0.5–2.0% per interquartile range [IQR

Assessment of the long-term visual and anatomical outcomes of ranibizumab to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

PubMed

Küçük, Bekir; Kadayıfçılar, Sibel; Eldem, Bora

2018-01-01

To investigate the long-term visual and anatomical outcomes of patients who underwent intravitreal ranibizumab monotherapy to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and followed-up for at least 2y. A total of 74 eyes of 74 patients who underwent ranibizumab monotherapy for neovascular AMD were included in this retrospective study. The average patient age was 72.1±6.5 (range, 57-85)y, the average follow-up time 46.2±13.1 (range, 24-75)mo, and the average number of visits 24.1±9.5 (range, 8-48). The mean number of injections in year 1 was 4.5, 1.6 in year 2, 0.9 in year 3, 0.4 on year 4, and 0.1 in the following years. Within the entire follow-up period, the mean number of injections was 7.6±4.4 (range, 2-21). The mean visual acuity was 48.1±15 (range, 15-76) letters at baseline and 45.7±19 (range, 7-75) at year 5. The mean central macular thickness was 303±78 (range, 178-552) µm at baseline and 251±51 (range, 138-359) µm at year 5. Scars developed in 47 (63.5%) eyes at the end of the follow-up period, and atrophy was evident in 6 (8.1%) eyes. Ranibizumab monotherapy can stabilize visual acuity for a mean period of 4y in patients with neovascular AMD.

Development of the Statocyst in the Freshwater Snail Biomphalaria Glabrata (Pulmonata, Basommatophora)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gao, Wenyuan; Wiederhold, Michael; Hejl, Robert

1997-01-01

The development of the statocyst of the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata has been examined from embryo to adult. Special emphasis was put on the growth of the statoconia in the statocysts. In the statocysts of embryonic snails (90-120 h after oviposition) there is not a single statolith but an average of 40-50 statoconia per statocyst. The number of statoconia increases to 385-400 when the snails reach a shell diameter of 4 mm and remains relatively constant thereafter, irrespective of shell size. Small statoconia are found in supporting cells, which suggests that the statoconia are produced within these cells. The average diameter of statoconia and the total mass of statoconia increase with increasing shell diameter. The average number of large statoconia (diameter greater than 7 micrometers) per statocyst continues to increase from 2 to 10 mm animals while the number of small ones (diameter less than 4 micrometers) initially rises and then decreases after 4 mm. These results demonstrate continuous growth of the statoconia in the cyst lumen of Biomphalaria. The single statoconia vibrate in a regular pattern in vivo, indicating beating of the statocyst cilia. The statoconia sink under the influence of gravity to load and stimulate receptor cells which are at the bottom. The length of cilia and the size of statocyst gradually increase as the animal grows. However, the increase in the volume of the statocyst is relatively small compared with the increase in body weight during normal development.

Boosting workplace stair utilization: a study of incremental reinforcement.

PubMed

Schumacher, Joseph E; Utley, Janice; Sutton, Lindsay; Horton, Trudi; Hamer, Trey; You, Zhiying; Klapow, Joshua C

2013-02-01

This study was designed to determine whether engagement in stair taking can be increased in a worksite setting through the provision of an employer-sponsored, behavior-based incentive system in which employees (members) accumulate points that can be redeemed for merchandise. ChipRewards implemented stair utilization in one employer as a part of a larger health incentive engagement program. Using an AB (baseline-intervention) design, members (N = 216) were observed for 6 months (6.17.10 to 12.14.10 or 129 weekdays after excluding 52 weekend days) before the intervention (baseline) and after 6 months (1.1.11 to 6.30.11 with the same number of weekdays) of implementation. Members were 84% female, 51% Caucasian, 48% African American, 3% Hispanic, and 45 years average age. The number of total stair transactions for all members for all days monitored increased from 5,070 to 38,900, and the average number of stair transactions per day rose from 39 to 301, representing over a 600% increase. The overall cost of incentives for stair utilization was $3,739.30 or $17.55 per member on average. This study supports that stair usage in the workplace is a viable way to increase physical activity. This study adds to existing research that attempted to increase stair utilization through promotion only by adding a behavioral reinforcement strategy. Finally, this study demonstrates that a physical activity among employees at the worksite can be increased with minimal relative cost.

Competition in the Dutch hospital sector: an analysis of health care volume and cost.

PubMed

Krabbe-Alkemade, Y J F M; Groot, T L C M; Lindeboom, M

2017-03-01

This paper evaluates the impact of market competition on health care volume and cost. At the start of 2005, the financing system of Dutch hospitals started to be gradually changed from a closed-end budgeting system to a non-regulated price competitive prospective reimbursement system. The gradual implementation of price competition is a 'natural experiment' that provides a unique opportunity to analyze the effects of market competition on hospital behavior. We have access to a unique database, which contains hospital discharge data of diagnosis treatment combinations (DBCs) of individual patients, including detailed care activities. Difference-in-difference estimates show that the implementation of market-based competition leads to relatively lower total costs, production volume and number of activities overall. Difference-in-difference estimates on treatment level show that the average costs for outpatient DBCs decreased due to a decrease in the number of activities per DBC. The introduction of market competition led to an increase of average costs of inpatient DBCs. Since both volume and number of activities have not changed significantly, we conclude that the cost increase is likely the result of more expensive activities. A possible explanation for our finding is that hospitals look for possible efficiency improvements in predominantly outpatient care products that are relatively straightforward, using easily analyzable technologies. The effects of competition on average cost and the relative shares of inpatient and outpatient treatments on specialty level are significant but contrary for cardiology and orthopedics, suggesting that specialties react differently to competitive incentives.

Daily tornado frequency distributions in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsner, J. B.; Jagger, T. H.; Widen, H. M.; Chavas, D. R.

2014-01-01

The authors examine daily tornado counts in the United States over the period 1994-2012 and find strong evidence for a power-law relationship in the distribution frequency. The scaling exponent is estimated at 1.64 (0.019 s.e.) giving a per tornado-day probability of 0.014% (return period of 71 years) that a tornado day produces 145 tornadoes as was observed on 27 April 2011. They also find that the total number of tornadoes by damage category on days with at least one violent tornado follows an exponential rule. On average, the daily number of tornadoes in the next lowest damage category is approximately twice the number in the current category. These findings are important and timely for tornado hazard models and for seasonal and sub-seasonal forecasts of tornado activity.

Academic productivity among fellowship associated adult total joint reconstruction surgeons.

PubMed

Khan, Adam Z; Kelley, Benjamin V; Patel, Ankur D; McAllister, David R; Leong, Natalie L

2017-12-01

The Hirsch index (h-index) is a measure that evaluates both research volume and quality-taking into consideration both publications and citations of a single author. No prior work has evaluated academic productivity and contributions to the literature of adult total joint replacement surgeons. This study uses h-index to benchmark the academic impact and identify characteristics associated with productivity of faculty members at joint replacement fellowships. Adult reconstruction fellowship programs were obtained via the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons website. Via the San Francisco match and program-specific websites, program characteristics (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approval, academic affiliation, region, number of fellows, fellow research requirement), associated faculty members, and faculty-specific characteristics (gender, academic title, formal fellowship training, years in practice) were obtained. H-index and total faculty publications served as primary outcome measures. Multivariable linear regression determined statistical significance. Sixty-six adult total joint reconstruction fellowship programs were identified: 30% were Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approved and 73% had an academic affiliation. At these institutions, 375 adult reconstruction surgeons were identified; 98.1% were men and 85.3% had formal arthroplasty fellowship training. Average number of publications per faculty member was 50.1 (standard deviation 76.8; range 0-588); mean h-index was 12.8 (standard deviation 13.8; range 0-67). Number of fellows, faculty academic title, years in practice, and formal fellowship training had a significant ( P < .05) positive correlation with both h-index and total publications. The statistical overview presented in this work can help total joint surgeons quantitatively benchmark their academic performance against that of their peers.

Impact of the 80-hour workweek on surgical exposure and national in-training examination scores in an orthopedic residency program.

PubMed

Froelich, John; Milbrandt, Joseph C; Allan, D Gordon

2009-01-01

This study examines the impact of the 80-hour workweek on the number of surgical cases performed by PGY-2 through PGY-5 orthopedic residents. We also evaluated orthopedic in-training examination (OITE) scores during the same time period. Data were collected from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) national database for 3 academic years before and 5 years after July 1, 2003. CPT surgical procedure codes logged by all residents 3 years before and 5 years after implementation of the 80-hour workweek were compared. The average raw OITE scores for each class obtained during the same time period were also evaluated. Data were reported as the mean +/- standard deviation (SD), and group means were compared using independent t-tests. No statistical difference was noted in the number of surgical procedure codes logged before or after the institution of the 80-hour week during any single year of training. However, an increase in the number of CPT codes logged in the PGY-3 years after 2003 did approach significance (457.7 vs 551.9, p = 0.057). Overall, the average number of cases performed per resident increased each year after implementation of the work-hour restriction (464.4 vs 515.5 cases). No statistically significant difference was noted in the raw OITE scores before or after work-hour restrictions for our residents or nationally. We found no statistical difference for each residency class in the average number of cases performed or OITE scores, although the total number of cases performed has increased after implementation of the work-hour restrictions. We also found no statistical difference in the national OITE scores. Our data suggest that the impact of the 80-hour workweek has not had a detrimental effect on these 2 resident training measurements.

Costs and Efficiency of Online and Offline Recruitment Methods: A Web-Based Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Riis, Anders H; Hatch, Elizabeth E; Wise, Lauren A; Nielsen, Marie G; Rothman, Kenneth J; Toft Sørensen, Henrik; Mikkelsen, Ellen M

2017-01-01

Background The Internet is widely used to conduct research studies on health issues. Many different methods are used to recruit participants for such studies, but little is known about how various recruitment methods compare in terms of efficiency and costs. Objective The aim of our study was to compare online and offline recruitment methods for Internet-based studies in terms of efficiency (number of recruited participants) and costs per participant. Methods We employed several online and offline recruitment methods to enroll 18- to 45-year-old women in an Internet-based Danish prospective cohort study on fertility. Offline methods included press releases, posters, and flyers. Online methods comprised advertisements placed on five different websites, including Facebook and Netdoktor.dk. We defined seven categories of mutually exclusive recruitment methods and used electronic tracking via unique Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and self-reported data to identify the recruitment method for each participant. For each method, we calculated the average cost per participant and efficiency, that is, the total number of recruited participants. Results We recruited 8252 study participants. Of these, 534 were excluded as they could not be assigned to a specific recruitment method. The final study population included 7724 participants, of whom 803 (10.4%) were recruited by offline methods, 3985 (51.6%) by online methods, 2382 (30.8%) by online methods not initiated by us, and 554 (7.2%) by other methods. Overall, the average cost per participant was €6.22 for online methods initiated by us versus €9.06 for offline methods. Costs per participant ranged from €2.74 to €105.53 for online methods and from €0 to €67.50 for offline methods. Lowest average costs per participant were for those recruited from Netdoktor.dk (€2.99) and from Facebook (€3.44). Conclusions In our Internet-based cohort study, online recruitment methods were superior to offline methods in terms of efficiency (total number of participants enrolled). The average cost per recruited participant was also lower for online than for offline methods, although costs varied greatly among both online and offline recruitment methods. We observed a decrease in the efficiency of some online recruitment methods over time, suggesting that it may be optimal to adopt multiple online methods. PMID:28249833

Supercomputer simulations of structure formation in the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishiyama, Tomoaki

2017-06-01

We describe the implementation and performance results of our massively parallel MPI†/OpenMP‡ hybrid TreePM code for large-scale cosmological N-body simulations. For domain decomposition, a recursive multi-section algorithm is used and the size of domains are automatically set so that the total calculation time is the same for all processes. We developed a highly-tuned gravity kernel for short-range forces, and a novel communication algorithm for long-range forces. For two trillion particles benchmark simulation, the average performance on the fullsystem of K computer (82,944 nodes, the total number of core is 663,552) is 5.8 Pflops, which corresponds to 55% of the peak speed.

[Size distribution characteristics of particulate matter in the top areas of coke oven].

PubMed

Xie, Qiuyan; Zhao, Hongwei; Yu, Tao; Ning, Zhaojun; Li, Jinmu; Niu, Yong; Zheng, Yuxin; Zhao, Xiulan; Duan, Huawei

2015-03-01

To systematically evaluate the environmental exposure information of coke oven workers, we investigated the concentration and size distribution characteristics of the particle matter (PM) in the top working area of coke oven. The aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer was employed to collect the concentration and size distribution information of PM at a top working area. The PM was divided into PM ≤ 1.0 µm, 1.0 µm < PM ≤ 2.5 µm, 2.5 µm < PM ≤ 5.0 µm, 5.0 µm < PM ≤ 10.0 µm and PM>10.0 µm based on their aerodynamic diameters. The number concentration, surface area concentration, and mass concentration were analyzed between different groups. We also conducted the correlation analysis on these parameters among groups. We found the number and surface area concentration of top area particulate was negatively correlated with particle size, but mass concentration curve showed bimodal type with higher point at PM = 1.0 µm and PM = 5.0 µm. The average number concentration of total particulate matter in the top working area was 661.27 number/cm³, surface area concentration was 523.92 µm²/cm³, and mass concentration was 0.12 mg/m³. The most number of particulate matter is not more than 1 µm (PM(1.0)), and its number concentration and surface area concentration accounted for 96.85% and 67.01% of the total particles respectively. In the correlation analysis, different particle size correlated with the total particulate matter differently. And the characteristic parameters of PM2.5 cannot fully reflect the total information of particles. The main particulate matter pollutants in the top working area of coke oven is PM1.0, and it with PM(5.0) can account for a large proportion in the mass concentration of PM. It suggest that PM1.0 and PM(5.0) should be considered for occupational health surveillance on the particulate matter in the top area of coke oven.

An extract of pomegranate fruit and galangal rhizome increases the numbers of motile sperm: a prospective, randomised, controlled, double-blinded trial.

PubMed

Fedder, Maja D K; Jakobsen, Henrik B; Giversen, Ina; Christensen, Lars P; Parner, Erik T; Fedder, Jens

2014-01-01

Pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum) and galangal (Alpinia galanga) have separately been shown to stimulate spermatogenesis and to increase sperm counts and motility in rodents. Within traditional medicine, pomegranate fruit has long been used to increase fertility, however studies on the effect on spermatogenesis in humans have never been published. With this study we investigated whether oral intake of tablets containing standardised amounts of extract of pomegranate fruit and powder of greater galangal rhizome (Punalpin) would increase the total number of motile spermatozoa. The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Enrolment was based on the mean total number of motile spermatozoa of two ejaculates. The participants delivered an ejaculate after 4-8 days of tablet intake and two ejaculates just before they stopped taking the tablets. Seventy adult men with a semen quality not meeting the standards for commercial application at Nordic Cryobank, but without azoospermia, were included in the study. Participants were randomized to take tablets containing extract of pomegranate fruit (standardised with respect to punicalagin A+B, punicalin and ellagic acid) and freeze-dried rhizome of greater galangal (standardised with respect to 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate) or placebo on a daily basis for three months. Sixty-six participants completed the intervention (active treatment: n = 34; placebo: n = 32). After the intervention the total number of motile spermatozoa was increased in participants treated with plant extracts compared with the placebo group (p = 0.026). After three months of active treatment, the average total number of motile sperm increased by 62% (from 23.4 to 37.8 millions), while for the placebo group, the number of motile sperm increased by 20%. Sperm morphology was not affected by the treatment. Our findings may help subfertile men to gain an improved amount of motile ejaculated sperm by taking tablets containing preparations of pomegranate fruit extract and rhizome of greater galangal. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01357044.

Health service costs in Europe: cost and reimbursement of primary hip replacement in nine countries.

PubMed

Stargardt, Tom

2008-01-01

This paper assesses variations in the cost of primary hip replacement between and within nine member states of the European Union (EU). It also compares the cost of service with public-payer reimbursements. To do so, data on cost and reimbursement were surveyed at the micro-level in 42 hospitals in Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain. The total cost of treatment ranged from 1290 euros (Hungary) to 8739 euros (The Netherlands), with a mean cost of 5043 euros (STD +/- 2071 euros). The main cost drivers were found to be implants (34% of total cost on average) and ward costs (20.9% of total cost on average). A one-way random effects analysis of variance model indicated that 74.0% of variation was between and only 26% of variation was within countries. In a two-level random-intercept regression model, purchasing-power parities explained 79.4% of the explainable between-country variation, while the percentage of uncemented implants used and the number of beds explained 12.1 and 1.6% of explainable within-country variation, respectively. The large differences in cost and reimbursement between Poland, Hungary, and the other EU member states shows that primary total hip replacement is a highly relevant case for cross-border care. Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of neurosurgery in Germany: comparison of data collected by polls for 1997, 2003, and 2008 among providers of neurosurgical care.

PubMed

Steiger, Hans J; Krämer, Michael; Reulen, Hans J

2012-01-01

To deduce structural trends in neurosurgery in Germany by comparison of data derived from polls conducted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) in 1997, 2003 and 2008. The questionnaires of the different polls probed a comparable set of issues. The data from the responding sample were extrapolated to the nationwide average or sum and compared between the different time periods. The number of identified neurosurgical departments increased from 146 to 201 during the years 1997-2008 largely as a result of the new foundation of numerous private groups. Nationwide total neurosurgical bed capacity and intensive care unit bed capacity increased modestly over the time period. The extrapolated total number of neurosurgical operations increased from 196,341 to 319,295. Although cranial and spinal neurosurgery remain the dominant subspecialties, the number of functional neurosurgical procedures and operations for pain increased more than proportionally. Outpatient procedures were established during the time period and corresponded in 2008 to a substantial proportion of the surgical volume. The total number of residents and board-certified neurosurgeons increased during the period 1997-2008 from 1513 to 1961. The proportion of residents decreased during 1997-2003 and then increased again. The number of neurosurgical operations increased in Germany proportionally to the economic growth of other service branches over the time period. Private organizations developed more than neurosurgical departments at university and other general hospitals. Work density measured as operations per physician increased during the period 1997-2008. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific publications in respiratory journals from Chinese authors in various parts of North Asia: a 10-year survey of literature.

PubMed

Ye, Bo; Du, Ting-Ting; Xie, Ting; Ji, Jun-Tao; Zheng, Zhao-Hong; Liao, Zhuan; Hu, Liang-Hao; Li, Zhao-Shen

2014-02-28

Respiratory disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in China. However, little is known about the research status of respirology in three major regions of China-Mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK) and Taiwan (TW). A 10-year survey of literature was conducted to compare the three regions' outputs in the research of respirology. A bibliometric study. China. A literature search in PubMed database, updated as of September 2012, led to the identification of the related articles from 2000 to 2009. The number of total articles, randomised controlled trials, case reports, meta-analysis, impact factors (IF), citations and articles published in top general medicine journals was collected for quantity and quality comparisons. 2208 articles were collected, 814 from ML, 909 from TW and 485 from HK. The total number of articles from the three regions has increased significantly from 2000 to 2009. The number of articles published per year from ML has exceeded that from HK in 2005 and TW in 2008. The accumulated IF of articles from TW (3192.417) was much higher than that from ML (2409.956) and HK (1898.312). HK got the highest average IF of respirology articles and the majority of articles were published in top general medicine journals. The total number of published articles from the three major regions of China has increased notably from 2000 to 2009. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK is better than that from ML.

Scientific publications in nephrology and urology journals from Chinese authors in East Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Mao, Zhi-Guo; Kong, Mei; Hu, Liang-Hao; Ye, Chao-Yang; Xu, Cheng-Gang; Rong, Shu; Sun, Li-Jun; Wu, Jun; Dai, Bing; Chen, Dong-Ping; Zhu, Yu-Xian; Zhang, Yi-Xiang; Zhang, Yu-Qiang; Zhao, Xue-Zhi; Mei, Chang-Lin

2011-04-08

Diseases of the kidneys and genitourinary tract are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we compared the quantity and quality of nephrological and urological articles published in international journals from the three major regions of China: the mainland (ML), Hong Kong (HK), and Taiwan (TW). Nephrological and urological articles originating from ML, TW, and HK that were published in 61 journals from 1999-2008 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the numbers of total articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, case reports, impact factors (IF), citations, and articles published in the leading general-medicine journals. We used these data to compare the quantity and quality of publication output from the three regions. The total number of articles increased significantly from 1999 to 2008 in the three regions. The number of articles from ML has exceeded that from HK since 2004, and surpassed that from TW in 2008. Publications from TW had the highest accumulated IF, total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading general-medicine journals. However, HK publications had the highest average IF. Although ML produced the largest quantity of articles, it exhibited the lowest quality among the three regions. The number of nephrological and urological publications originating from the three major regions of China increased significantly from 1999 to 2008. The annual number of publications by ML researchers exceeded those from TW and HK. However, the quality of articles from TW and HK was higher than that from ML.

Editorial.

PubMed

Al-Deeb, Saleh M; Khan, Sonia

2009-01-01

Neurosciences continues to be the leading journal for Neurosciences in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. In January 2007, Neurosciences was indexed by Thomson ISI in Science Citation Index Expanded online at ISI Web of KnowledgeSM and Neurosciences Citation Index. Since then a significantly increased volume of scientific articles continues to be submitted to the journal by enthusiastic authors, a fact that enriches the scientific contents of the journal. In 2008, we had a total number of website hits of 495,625 with a monthly average of 41,000. We received a total of 155 manuscripts, with a monthly average of 13 and an average rejection rate of 29%. From these, we published a total of 100 articles, totaling 523 pages for the entire volume. Forty-nine percent of these were original articles. Fifty-eight percent of published articles were from the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), with 30% from KSA, 5% from the Gulf, and 23% from other Arab and EMR countries. The remaining 42% of published articles we received from Canada, India, Japan, Malaysia, and Turkey. The average time from received to acceptance of original articles was 4 months and 4.9 months for acceptance to publication. Reasons for rejection included unrelated topics, poor contents, or duplicate publication. In addition to our 4 regular issues in 2008, we published a supplement of abstracts presented at the 16th Saudi Neuroscience Symposium. We would like to thank the Editorial and Advisory Board Members for their significant contribution to maintain the standards of Neuroscience and looking forward to their important continued role in achieving our goals for 2009. In 2009, we aim to increase the number of issues to meet the increased load of manuscripts. Our objective is to enrich the scientific Neuroscience material presented by the journal with important topic reviews and regular neuroscience quizzes to achieve PubMed indexing. We will continue to promote our new web-based manuscript submission interface; strive to reduce the time from received to acceptance and acceptance to publication to no more than 3 to 4 months each; attend regional conferences, and participate in academic activities to encourage submission of high quality articles; encourage editorial board members to solicit potential authors from conferences; and commission our best reviewers to write good articles and encourage editorial board members to contribute material for a regular editorial feature on topical issues. We would also like to introduce a number of new features, such as highlights from international neuroscience meetings, regular basic neuroscience review articles, and 5 MCQs on basic/clinical neuroscience in each issue. These features will greatly enhance the journal and make it more attractive to trainees and board residents. However, their success will rely heavily on the contributions that we receive. The strict check for duplicate publication and plagiarism will continue, and if detected appropriate action will be taken in accordance with international guidelines. A small number of articles were rejected last year due to extensive plagiarism and duplicate publication. We hope all our readers benefitted from the introduction of the Arabic abstracts, and enjoyed the new look and the feel of the journal. We extend our sincerest thanks to our authors, readers, reviewers, and board members, and wish all a successful year.

Patients at Risk: Large Opioid Prescriptions After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Hernandez, Nicholas M; Parry, Joshua A; Taunton, Michael J

2017-08-01

Opioids are an effective, and often necessary, treatment of postoperative pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, it is often difficult to know how much medication patients will need after discharge. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients discharged with greater quantities of opioids after TKA are more likely to request refills. This is a retrospective review of 105 primary TKAs performed with at least 1 year of follow-up. Exclusion criteria included bilateral TKA, preoperative opioid use, or reoperation within the first 3 months. Data collected included opioid refills, Knee Society Score, and total and daily morphine equivalent dose (MED) prescribed. Patients were most commonly discharged on oxycodone (90%), hydromorphone (5%), and hydrocodone/acetaminophen (1%). The average total prescribed MED was 1405 ± 616 mg (range, 273-3250 mg). Patients requiring refills did not differ in the total prescribed MED (1521 ± 624 vs 1349 ± 609 mg; P = .1), daily prescribed MED (153 ± 10 vs 155 ± 7 mg; P = .8), or preoperative Knee Society Score (63 ± 16 vs 60 ± 13; P = .3). Average follow-up time was 2.4 ± 0.5 years. The quantity of opioids prescribed after TKA varied widely, ranging from a total MED of 273-3250 mg. The refill rate did not differ between large prescriptions (≥1400 mg) and smaller prescriptions. Excessive opioid prescriptions should be avoided as they did not decrease the number of refills and pose the risk of divergence and subsequent abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient and surgeon radiation exposure during spinal instrumentation using intraoperative computed tomography-based navigation.

PubMed

Mendelsohn, Daniel; Strelzow, Jason; Dea, Nicolas; Ford, Nancy L; Batke, Juliet; Pennington, Andrew; Yang, Kaiyun; Ailon, Tamir; Boyd, Michael; Dvorak, Marcel; Kwon, Brian; Paquette, Scott; Fisher, Charles; Street, John

2016-03-01

Imaging modalities used to visualize spinal anatomy intraoperatively include X-ray studies, fluoroscopy, and computed tomography (CT). All of these emit ionizing radiation. Radiation emitted to the patient and the surgical team when performing surgeries using intraoperative CT-based spine navigation was compared. This is a retrospective cohort case-control study. Seventy-three patients underwent CT-navigated spinal instrumentation and 73 matched controls underwent spinal instrumentation with conventional fluoroscopy. Effective doses of radiation to the patient when the surgical team was inside and outside of the room were analyzed. The number of postoperative imaging investigations between navigated and non-navigated cases was compared. Intraoperative X-ray imaging, fluoroscopy, and CT dosages were recorded and standardized to effective doses. The number of postoperative imaging investigations was compared with the matched cohort of surgical cases. A literature review identified historical radiation exposure values for fluoroscopic-guided spinal instrumentation. The 73 navigated operations involved an average of 5.44 levels of instrumentation. Thoracic and lumbar instrumentations had higher radiation emission from all modalities (CT, X-ray imaging, and fluoroscopy) compared with cervical cases (6.93 millisievert [mSv] vs. 2.34 mSv). Major deformity and degenerative cases involved more radiation emission than trauma or oncology cases (7.05 mSv vs. 4.20 mSv). On average, the total radiation dose to the patient was 8.7 times more than the radiation emitted when the surgical team was inside the operating room. Total radiation exposure to the patient was 2.77 times the values reported in the literature for thoracolumbar instrumentations performed without navigation. In comparison, the radiation emitted to the patient when the surgical team was inside the operating room was 2.50 lower than non-navigated thoracolumbar instrumentations. The average total radiation exposure to the patient was 5.69 mSv, a value less than a single routine lumbar CT scan (7.5 mSv). The average radiation exposure to the patient in the present study was approximately one quarter the recommended annual occupational radiation exposure. Navigation did not reduce the number of postoperative X-rays or CT scans obtained. Intraoperative CT navigation increases the radiation exposure to the patient and reduces the radiation exposure to the surgeon when compared with values reported in the literature. Intraoperative CT navigation improves the accuracy of spine instrumentation with acceptable patient radiation exposure and reduced surgical team exposure. Surgeons should be aware of the implications of radiation exposure to both the patient and the surgical team when using intraoperative CT navigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific publications in ophthalmic journals from China and other top-ranking countries: a 12-year review of the literature.

PubMed

Huang, Wenbin; Wang, Wei; Zhan, Jiao; Zhou, Minwen; Chen, Shida; Zhang, Xiulan

2013-06-26

Eye diseases with increasing mortality are common health problems that affect people of all ages and demographic backgrounds. In this study, we study the publication characteristics in international ophthalmic journals of the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and China. Articles published in 53 ophthalmic journals from 2000 to 2011 were retrieved from the PubMed database. We recorded the number of articles published each year, analyzed the publication type, and evaluated the accumulated and average impact factors (IFs), and the distribution of articles in ophthalmic journals in relation to IFs. The characteristics of publication outputs from China and other top-ranking countries were compared. The total number of articles increased significantly during the past 12 years, with an increase of 51.0%. The growth in the annual number of articles from the US, the UK, Australia, and China showed a significantly positive trend. Publications from the US exceeded those from any other country and had the highest IFs, largest number of total citations of articles, and the most articles published in leading ophthalmic journals. During the past 12 years, China contributed 3.5% of the total publications, and the number of Chinese articles showed a more than 6-fold increase (from 99 to 605, R2 =0.947, P<0.001). The numbers of IFs and citations of articles originating in China were mostly lower than for other top-ranking counties. Research on ophthalmic journals has maintained an upward growing trend from 2000 to 2011. Chinese ophthalmology research has developed rapidly, but the gap still exists between China and other top-ranking countries for the advanced level of research.

The 100 most influential papers about cataract surgery: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Ze-Nan; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Qi; Li, Qian; Cai, Min-Yun; Yang, Hai; Cui, Hong-Ping

2017-01-01

To identify the 100 most cited papers in cataract surgery, we performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis basing on the literature search on the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. The number of citations, including the total citations, latest 5y citations and average citation number per year (ACY), authorship, year of publication, major topics, journal of publication, country and institution of origin of each paper were recorded and then analyzed. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the published year and the number of citations. The correlation between journal's impact factor (IF) and number of citations was assessed as well. The most cited paper was the classic paper done by the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) group. This paper focused on the topic of endophthalmitis. Not only the most cited papers originated from the USA, but also some American institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, etc. had the most citations. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that the latest 5y citations and ACY were significantly related with the published year (5y citations: r =0.615, P <0.001; ACY: r =0.657, P <0.001), whereas no association between the total number of citations and published year was found ( r =0.045). Moreover, the IFs of journals were found to have no significant effect on the number of total citations. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the most influential papers in cataract surgery after a comprehensive research of relevant literatures. The present work may provide us concise information concerning the development history of cataract surgery over the past 66y.

The 100 most influential papers about cataract surgery: a bibliometric analysis

PubMed Central

Lin, Ze-Nan; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Qi; Li, Qian; Cai, Min-Yun; Yang, Hai; Cui, Hong-Ping

2017-01-01

AIM To identify the 100 most cited papers in cataract surgery, we performed a comprehensive bibliometric analysis basing on the literature search on the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge. METHODS The number of citations, including the total citations, latest 5y citations and average citation number per year (ACY), authorship, year of publication, major topics, journal of publication, country and institution of origin of each paper were recorded and then analyzed. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the published year and the number of citations. The correlation between journal's impact factor (IF) and number of citations was assessed as well. RESULTS The most cited paper was the classic paper done by the European Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) group. This paper focused on the topic of endophthalmitis. Not only the most cited papers originated from the USA, but also some American institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Harvard Medical School, etc. had the most citations. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that the latest 5y citations and ACY were significantly related with the published year (5y citations: r=0.615, P<0.001; ACY: r=0.657, P<0.001), whereas no association between the total number of citations and published year was found (r=0.045). Moreover, the IFs of journals were found to have no significant effect on the number of total citations. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study on the most influential papers in cataract surgery after a comprehensive research of relevant literatures. The present work may provide us concise information concerning the development history of cataract surgery over the past 66y. PMID:29062780

Are recent graduates of orthopaedic training programs performing less fracture care? American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons part II: a quality improvement initiative.

PubMed

Koval, Kenneth J; Marsh, Larry; Anglen, Jeff; Weinstein, James; Harrast, John J

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there has been a change in the amount of fracture care performed by recent graduates of orthopaedic residency programs over time. Retrospective review. American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) Part II database. Candidates applying for Part II of the second part of the Orthopaedic (ABOS) certification. The ABOS Part II database was searched from years 1999 to 2008 for Current Procedural Terminology codes indicating 1) "simpler fractures" that any candidate surgeon should be able to perform; 2) "complex fractures" that are often referred to surgeons with specialty training; and 3) "emergent cases" that should be done emergently by a physician. Logistic regression and chi-square tests were used to evaluate whether there has been a change in the amount of fracture care among recent graduates of orthopaedic residency programs over time. Over the 10-year period (1999-2008), a total of 95,922 cases were in the simpler fractures category; 16,523 were classified as complex fractures and 17,789 were classified as emergent cases. The overall number of cases by fracture type increased from 1999 to 2008 as did the average number of surgery cases performed by surgeons in each category over the 6-month collection period. Simpler fracture cases increased 18% (8304-9784 cases) with the average number surgically treated by surgeons performing at least one simple fracture case also increasing 18% (14.1-16.6 cases per surgeon). Complex fracture cases increased 51% (1266-1916 cases) with the average number of these cases per surgeon operating at least one complex fracture case increasing 52% (3.3-5.0 cases per surgeon). Emergent fracture cases increased 92% (1178-2264 cases) with the average number of these cases per surgeon operating at least one emergent fracture case increasing 49% (4.5-6.7 cases per surgeon). From the data presented here, candidate orthopaedic surgeons are treating fractures as least as often as young surgeons were 10 years ago.

Microbiological Quality of the Water used in Agriculture in Sardinia.

PubMed

Sanna, A; Meloni, B; Ruggeri, A; Succa, S; Sanna, C; Carraro, V; Coroneo, V

2016-01-01

The microbiological quality of the water used in irrigation is crucial for the safety of products, such as fruit and vegetables, especially when destined to be consumed raw. However, the microbiological quality of this water is not defined at a community regulatory level or at a national level. With our present work, we wanted to investigate the microbiological quality of the water used for crop irrigation in various Sardinian provinces. Since in most fields the irrigation water is filtered to remove any impurities, the sample was processed twice - both before and after the filtering process. Furthermore, with the purpose of hypothesising the potential health risks attributable to the consumption of crops from the tested fields, samples of horticultural product were collect. Any eventual seasonal differences in the values of microbial concentration were assessed. Microorganism faecal contamination indicators (Escherichia coli, total coliform and faecal streptococci), but even the presence of the opportunistic pathogen such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa were researched in irrigation water. Total mesophilic counts (TMC) were assessed at 36°C and 22°C. On horticultural products we researched both the indicators of process parameters, such as Escherichia coli, Total mesophilic counts at 30°C, Enterobacteriaceae, Total Psychrophilic counts and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and pathogens, such as Salmonella spp, Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica. The number of target microorganisms, when present in irrigation water, was very limited: Escherichia coli, total coliform and faecal streptococci, were detected respectively in 48% and 67% of the water samples tested with average concentration values of 0.9, 1.2 and 1.4 log respectively. In fresh vegetable products, the total mesophilic counts (TMC) were found to have average values of 6.6x107 CFU/g. The average values of Enterobacteriaceae totalled 6.1x105 CFU/g; Escherichia coli was detected in only one sample (curly endive) with a value of 180 CFU/g. The data highlights the high quality of the water and how this contributed to achieving satisfactory quality on prime material. However the use of filters, to eliminate impurities, and reservoirs, may represent a crucial issue, if not managed correctly.

[Cognitive function screening of community-dwelling elderly by Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J)].

PubMed

Konagaya, Yoko; Watanabe, Tomoyuki; Takata, Kazuko; Ohta, Toshiki

2008-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J) is accepted among community-dwelling elderly, to examine the correlations among gender, age or the duration of education and the TICS-J, as well as to grasp the subjects with probable cognitive impairment. A total of 12,059 community-dwelling elderly were invited to join the cognitive screening by the TICS-J, among which 3,482 responded, of these we were actually able to measure 2,620 and found out the educational back ground of the 2,431. They counted 1,186 men (age 72.3+/-5.7 (mean+/-SD) years old, duration of education 11.4+/-2.9 years) and 1,245 women (72.4+/-5.8, 10.3+/-2.2). The TICS-J was administered according to the TICS manual. The TICS-J consisted of orientation concerning name, time and place, counting backward from 20 to 1, remembering a word list, 7 serial subtractions, naming of verbal descriptions, repetition, recent memory, praxis and opposites. The subjects were divided into two groups by the duration of education (less than 11 years, or 11 years or more), or four groups by age (65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80 years old or more). There were no significant differences of total TICS-J scores between men and women, 34.3+/-3.5 and 34.4+/-3.6, respectively. The mean total score of the high education group (35.3+/-3.0) was significantly higher than that of the low education group (33.3+/-3.8). Moreover, the averages of the total scores decreased according to age increase. The number of the subjects who showed the total TICS-J scores below the cut-off point of 33 was 564 (23.2%). There was no difference between men and women with the average total score of the TICS-J, however, there were correlations between ages and extent of education and their average total scores. The TICS-J is useful to assess the cognitive function of the community-dwelling elderly.

Data on the number and frequency of scientific literature citations for established medulloblastoma cell lines.

PubMed

Ivanov, D P; Walker, D A; Coyle, B; Grabowska, A M

2016-12-01

This article collates information about the number of scientific articles mentioning each of the established medulloblastoma cell lines, derived through a systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar in 2016. The data for each cell line have been presented as raw number of citations, percentage share of the total citations for each search engine and as an average percentage between the three search engines. In order to correct for the time since each cell line has been in use, the raw citation data have also been divided by the number of years since the derivation of each cell line. This is a supporting article for a review of in vitro models of medulloblastoma published in "in vitro models of medulloblastoma: choosing the right tool for the job" (D.P. Ivanov, D.A. Walker, B. Coyle, A.M. Grabowska, 2016) [1].