Encoding of Spatio-Temporal Input Characteristics by a CA1 Pyramidal Neuron Model

PubMed Central

Pissadaki, Eleftheria Kyriaki; Sidiropoulou, Kyriaki; Reczko, Martin; Poirazi, Panayiota

2010-01-01

The in vivo activity of CA1 pyramidal neurons alternates between regular spiking and bursting, but how these changes affect information processing remains unclear. Using a detailed CA1 pyramidal neuron model, we investigate how timing and spatial arrangement variations in synaptic inputs to the distal and proximal dendritic layers influence the information content of model responses. We find that the temporal delay between activation of the two layers acts as a switch between excitability modes: short delays induce bursting while long delays decrease firing. For long delays, the average firing frequency of the model response discriminates spatially clustered from diffused inputs to the distal dendritic tree. For short delays, the onset latency and inter-spike-interval succession of model responses can accurately classify input signals as temporally close or distant and spatially clustered or diffused across different stimulation protocols. These findings suggest that a CA1 pyramidal neuron may be capable of encoding and transmitting presynaptic spatiotemporal information about the activity of the entorhinal cortex-hippocampal network to higher brain regions via the selective use of either a temporal or a rate code. PMID:21187899

Stagnation point reverse flow combustor for a combustion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zinn, Ben T. (Inventor); Neumeier, Yedidia (Inventor); Seitzman, Jerry M. (Inventor); Jagoda, Jechiel (Inventor); Hashmonay, Ben-Ami (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A combustor assembly includes a combustor vessel having a wall, a proximate end defining an opening and a closed distal end opposite said proximate end. A manifold is carried by the proximate end. The manifold defines a combustion products exit. The combustion products exit being axially aligned with a portion of the closed distal end. A plurality of combustible reactant ports is carried by the manifold for directing combustible reactants into the combustion vessel from the region of the proximate end towards the closed distal end.

Clustering the lexicon in the brain: a meta-analysis of the neurofunctional evidence on noun and verb processing

PubMed Central

Crepaldi, Davide; Berlingeri, Manuela; Cattinelli, Isabella; Borghese, Nunzio A.; Luzzatti, Claudio; Paulesu, Eraldo

2013-01-01

Although it is widely accepted that nouns and verbs are functionally independent linguistic entities, it is less clear whether their processing recruits different brain areas. This issue is particularly relevant for those theories of lexical semantics (and, more in general, of cognition) that suggest the embodiment of abstract concepts, i.e., based strongly on perceptual and motoric representations. This paper presents a formal meta-analysis of the neuroimaging evidence on noun and verb processing in order to address this dichotomy more effectively at the anatomical level. We used a hierarchical clustering algorithm that grouped fMRI/PET activation peaks solely on the basis of spatial proximity. Cluster specificity for grammatical class was then tested on the basis of the noun-verb distribution of the activation peaks included in each cluster. Thirty-two clusters were identified: three were associated with nouns across different tasks (in the right inferior temporal gyrus, the left angular gyrus, and the left inferior parietal gyrus); one with verbs across different tasks (in the posterior part of the right middle temporal gyrus); and three showed verb specificity in some tasks and noun specificity in others (in the left and right inferior frontal gyrus and the left insula). These results do not support the popular tenets that verb processing is predominantly based in the left frontal cortex and noun processing relies specifically on temporal regions; nor do they support the idea that verb lexical-semantic representations are heavily based on embodied motoric information. Our findings suggest instead that the cerebral circuits deputed to noun and verb processing lie in close spatial proximity in a wide network including frontal, parietal, and temporal regions. The data also indicate a predominant—but not exclusive—left lateralization of the network. PMID:23825451

Distributed Autonomous Control of Multiple Spacecraft During Close Proximity Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

programs may be the XSS-11. The AFRL Space Vehicle Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico developed the XSS-11 in order to exhibit the...the LQR/APF algorithm appears to be a promising new development for the field of multiple spacecraft close proximity maneuver control. Monte...dissertation reports the development of an autonomous distributed control algorithm for multiple spacecraft during close proximity operations

Spacecraft Guidance Strategies for Proximity Maneuvering and Close Approach with a Tumbling Object

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

R., and Junkins, J. L. (1984), ‘Optimal Open-Loop and Stable Feedback Control of Rigid Spacecraft Attitude Maneuvers ,’ The Journal of the... SPACECRAFT GUIDANCE STRATEGIES FOR PROXIMITY MANEUVERING AND CLOSE APPROACH WITH A TUMBLING OBJECT by George A. Boyarko March 2010...Dissertation 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Spacecraft Guidance Strategies for Proximity Maneuvering and Close Approach with a Tumbling Object 6. AUTHOR

Event construal and temporal distance in natural language.

PubMed

Bhatia, Sudeep; Walasek, Lukasz

2016-07-01

Construal level theory proposes that events that are temporally proximate are represented more concretely than events that are temporally distant. We tested this prediction using two large natural language text corpora. In study 1 we examined posts on Twitter that referenced the future, and found that tweets mentioning temporally proximate dates used more concrete words than those mentioning distant dates. In study 2 we obtained all New York Times articles that referenced U.S. presidential elections between 1987 and 2007. We found that the concreteness of the words in these articles increased with the temporal proximity to their corresponding election. Additionally the reduction in concreteness after the election was much greater than the increase in concreteness leading up to the election, though both changes in concreteness were well described by an exponential function. We replicated this finding with New York Times articles referencing US public holidays. Overall, our results provide strong support for the predictions of construal level theory, and additionally illustrate how large natural language datasets can be used to inform psychological theory. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Hand Proximity and Movement Direction in Spatial and Temporal Gap Discrimination.

PubMed

Wiemers, Michael; Fischer, Martin H

2016-01-01

Previous research on the interplay between static manual postures and visual attention revealed enhanced visual selection near the hands (near-hand effect). During active movements there is also superior visual performance when moving toward compared to away from the stimulus (direction effect). The "modulated visual pathways" hypothesis argues that differential involvement of magno- and parvocellular visual processing streams causes the near-hand effect. The key finding supporting this hypothesis is an increase in temporal and a reduction in spatial processing in near-hand space (Gozli et al., 2012). Since this hypothesis has, so far, only been tested with static hand postures, we provide a conceptual replication of Gozli et al.'s (2012) result with moving hands, thus also probing the generality of the direction effect. Participants performed temporal or spatial gap discriminations while their right hand was moving below the display. In contrast to Gozli et al. (2012), temporal gap discrimination was superior at intermediate and not near hand proximity. In spatial gap discrimination, a direction effect without hand proximity effect suggests that pragmatic attentional maps overshadowed temporal/spatial processing biases for far/near-hand space.

Temporal dynamics of divided spatial attention

PubMed Central

Garcia, Javier O.; Serences, John T.

2013-01-01

In naturalistic settings, observers often have to monitor multiple objects dispersed throughout the visual scene. However, the degree to which spatial attention can be divided across spatially noncontiguous objects has long been debated, particularly when those objects are in close proximity. Moreover, the temporal dynamics of divided attention are unclear: is the process of dividing spatial attention gradual and continuous, or does it onset in a discrete manner? To address these issues, we recorded steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) as subjects covertly monitored two flickering targets while ignoring an intervening distractor that flickered at a different frequency. All three stimuli were clustered within either the lower left or the lower right quadrant, and our dependent measure was SSVEP power at the target and distractor frequencies measured over time. In two experiments, we observed a temporally discrete increase in power for target- vs. distractor-evoked SSVEPs extending from ∼350 to 150 ms prior to correct (but not incorrect) responses. The divergence in SSVEP power immediately prior to a correct response suggests that spatial attention can be divided across noncontiguous locations, even when the targets are closely spaced within a single quadrant. In addition, the division of spatial attention appears to be relatively discrete, as opposed to slow and continuous. Finally, the predictive relationship between SSVEP power and behavior demonstrates that these neurophysiological measures of divided attention are meaningfully related to cognitive function. PMID:23390315

Temporal dynamics of divided spatial attention.

PubMed

Itthipuripat, Sirawaj; Garcia, Javier O; Serences, John T

2013-05-01

In naturalistic settings, observers often have to monitor multiple objects dispersed throughout the visual scene. However, the degree to which spatial attention can be divided across spatially noncontiguous objects has long been debated, particularly when those objects are in close proximity. Moreover, the temporal dynamics of divided attention are unclear: is the process of dividing spatial attention gradual and continuous, or does it onset in a discrete manner? To address these issues, we recorded steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) as subjects covertly monitored two flickering targets while ignoring an intervening distractor that flickered at a different frequency. All three stimuli were clustered within either the lower left or the lower right quadrant, and our dependent measure was SSVEP power at the target and distractor frequencies measured over time. In two experiments, we observed a temporally discrete increase in power for target- vs. distractor-evoked SSVEPs extending from ∼350 to 150 ms prior to correct (but not incorrect) responses. The divergence in SSVEP power immediately prior to a correct response suggests that spatial attention can be divided across noncontiguous locations, even when the targets are closely spaced within a single quadrant. In addition, the division of spatial attention appears to be relatively discrete, as opposed to slow and continuous. Finally, the predictive relationship between SSVEP power and behavior demonstrates that these neurophysiological measures of divided attention are meaningfully related to cognitive function.

Geophysical variables and behavior: LIII. Epidemiological considerations for incidence of cancer and depression in areas of frequent UFO reports.

PubMed

Persinger, M A

1988-12-01

Luminous phenomena and anomalous physical forces have been hypothesized to be generated by focal tectonic strain fields that precede earthquakes. If these geophysical processes exist, then their spatial and temporal density should be greatest during periods of protracted, localized UFO reports; they might be used as dosimetric indicators. Contemporary epidemiological data concerning the health risks of power frequency electromagnetic fields and radon gas levels (expected correlates of certain tectonic strain fields), suggest that increased incidence (odds ratios greater 1:3) of brain tumors and leukemia should be evident within "flap" areas. In addition the frequency of variants of temporal lobe lability, psychological depression and posttraumatic stress should be significantly elevated. UFO field investigators, because they have repeated, intermittent close proximity to these fields, are considered to be a particularly high risk population for these disorders.

Geophysical variables and behavior: LIII. Epidemiological considerations for incidence of cancer and depression in areas of frequent UFO reports

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

Persinger, M.A.

Luminous phenomena and anomalous physical forces have been hypothesized to be generated by focal tectonic strain fields that precede earthquakes. If these geophysical processes exist, then their spatial and temporal density should be greatest during periods of protracted, localized UFO reports; they might be used as dosimetric indicators. Contemporary epidemiological data concerning the health risks of power frequency electromagnetic fields and radon gas levels (expected correlates of certain tectonic strain fields), suggest that increased incidence (odds ratios greater 1:3) of brain tumors and leukemia should be evident within flap areas. In addition the frequency of variants of temporal lobe lability,more » psychological depression and posttraumatic stress should be significantly elevated. UFO field investigators, because they have repeated, intermittent close proximity to these fields, are considered to be a particularly high risk population for these disorders. 22 references.« less

Spatially and temporally resolved gas distributions around heterogeneous catalysts using infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence

PubMed Central

Zetterberg, Johan; Blomberg, Sara; Gustafson, Johan; Evertsson, Jonas; Zhou, Jianfeng; Adams, Emma C.; Carlsson, Per-Anders; Aldén, Marcus; Lundgren, Edvin

2015-01-01

Visualizing and measuring the gas distribution in close proximity to a working catalyst is crucial for understanding how the catalytic activity depends on the structure of the catalyst. However, existing methods are not able to fully determine the gas distribution during a catalytic process. Here we report on how the distribution of a gas during a catalytic reaction can be imaged in situ with high spatial (400 μm) and temporal (15 μs) resolution using infrared planar laser-induced fluorescence. The technique is demonstrated by monitoring, in real-time, the distribution of carbon dioxide during catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide above powder catalysts. Furthermore, we demonstrate the versatility and potential of the technique in catalysis research by providing a proof-of-principle demonstration of how the activity of several catalysts can be measured simultaneously, either in the same reactor chamber, or in parallel, in different reactor tubes. PMID:25953006

Spatial transposition gradients in visual working memory.

PubMed

Rerko, Laura; Oberauer, Klaus; Lin, Hsuan-Yu

2014-01-01

In list memory, access to individual items reflects limits of temporal distinctiveness. This is reflected in the finding that neighbouring list items tend to be confused most often. This article investigates the analogous effect of spatial proximity in a visual working-memory task. Items were presented in different locations varying in spatial distance. A retro-cue indicated the location of the item relevant for the subsequent memory test. In two recognition experiments, probes matching spatially close neighbours of the relevant item led to more false alarms than probes matching distant neighbours or non-neighbouring memory items. In two probed-recall experiments, one with simultaneous, the other with sequential memory item presentation, items closer to the cued location were more frequently chosen for recall than more distant items. These results reflect a spatial transposition gradient analogous to the temporal transposition gradient in serial recall and challenge fixed-capacity models of visual working memory (WM).

The Middle Temporal Artery: Surgical Anatomy and Exposure for Cerebral Revascularization.

PubMed

Rubio, Roberto Rodriguez; Lawton, Michael T; Kola, Olivia; Tabani, Halima; Yousef, Sonia; Meybodi, Ali Tayebi; Burkhardt, Jan-Karl; El-Sayed, Ivan; Benet, Arnau

2018-02-01

The middle temporal artery (MTA) is the proximal medial branch of the superficial temporal artery (STA), supplying the temporalis muscle along with deep temporal arteries. Its use in vascularized flaps for reconstructive and otologic procedures has been described, yet its potential use in neurosurgery has not been studied. We report a novel technique for exposing the MTA and evaluated its characteristics for extracranial-intracranial cerebrovascular bypass. After a curvilinear frontotemporal incision in 10 cadaveric specimens, the STA was dissected from distal to proximal. The horizontal portion of MTA was found posterolateral to the posterior end of the zygomatic root and was followed proximally until its origin and distally until its 2 terminal branches. The total length, visible branches, and caliber of MTA were measured. The mean total harvested length of MTA was 31.7 ± 5.1 mm, with an average proximal caliber of 1.7 ± 0.4 mm, and distal caliber of 1.3 ± 0.5 mm. There were 4-6 terminal MTA branches. The caliber of the proximal STA trunk was 2.5 ± 0.5 mm. The origin of the MTA was visible with a mean distance of 16.9 ± 4.8 mm inferior to the PEZR. The parotid gland was traversed and a communicating auriculotemporal nerve to the temporal branch of the facial nerve crossed MTA in 2 specimens. MTA can be safely harvested with an anterolateral approach, following its horizontal portion at the level of the zygomatic root, which is constant. The length and caliber of MTA makes it a potential alternative donor vessel or interposition graft for extracranial-intracranial bypass, especially when other donors are unavailable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A geo-computational algorithm for exploring the structure of diffusion progression in time and space.

PubMed

Chin, Wei-Chien-Benny; Wen, Tzai-Hung; Sabel, Clive E; Wang, I-Hsiang

2017-10-03

A diffusion process can be considered as the movement of linked events through space and time. Therefore, space-time locations of events are key to identify any diffusion process. However, previous clustering analysis methods have focused only on space-time proximity characteristics, neglecting the temporal lag of the movement of events. We argue that the temporal lag between events is a key to understand the process of diffusion movement. Using the temporal lag could help to clarify the types of close relationships. This study aims to develop a data exploration algorithm, namely the TrAcking Progression In Time And Space (TaPiTaS) algorithm, for understanding diffusion processes. Based on the spatial distance and temporal interval between cases, TaPiTaS detects sub-clusters, a group of events that have high probability of having common sources, identifies progression links, the relationships between sub-clusters, and tracks progression chains, the connected components of sub-clusters. Dengue Fever cases data was used as an illustrative case study. The location and temporal range of sub-clusters are presented, along with the progression links. TaPiTaS algorithm contributes a more detailed and in-depth understanding of the development of progression chains, namely the geographic diffusion process.

Dynamical Structure of a Traditional Amazonian Social Network

PubMed Central

Hooper, Paul L.; DeDeo, Simon; Caldwell Hooper, Ann E.; Gurven, Michael; Kaplan, Hillard S.

2014-01-01

Reciprocity is a vital feature of social networks, but relatively little is known about its temporal structure or the mechanisms underlying its persistence in real world behavior. In pursuit of these two questions, we study the stationary and dynamical signals of reciprocity in a network of manioc beer (Spanish: chicha; Tsimane’: shocdye’) drinking events in a Tsimane’ village in lowland Bolivia. At the stationary level, our analysis reveals that social exchange within the community is heterogeneously patterned according to kinship and spatial proximity. A positive relationship between the frequencies at which two families host each other, controlling for kinship and proximity, provides evidence for stationary reciprocity. Our analysis of the dynamical structure of this network presents a novel method for the study of conditional, or non-stationary, reciprocity effects. We find evidence that short-timescale reciprocity (within three days) is present among non- and distant-kin pairs; conversely, we find that levels of cooperation among close kin can be accounted for on the stationary hypothesis alone. PMID:25053880

Dynamical Structure of a Traditional Amazonian Social Network.

PubMed

Hooper, Paul L; DeDeo, Simon; Caldwell Hooper, Ann E; Gurven, Michael; Kaplan, Hillard S

2013-11-13

Reciprocity is a vital feature of social networks, but relatively little is known about its temporal structure or the mechanisms underlying its persistence in real world behavior. In pursuit of these two questions, we study the stationary and dynamical signals of reciprocity in a network of manioc beer (Spanish: chicha ; Tsimane': shocdye' ) drinking events in a Tsimane' village in lowland Bolivia. At the stationary level, our analysis reveals that social exchange within the community is heterogeneously patterned according to kinship and spatial proximity. A positive relationship between the frequencies at which two families host each other, controlling for kinship and proximity, provides evidence for stationary reciprocity. Our analysis of the dynamical structure of this network presents a novel method for the study of conditional, or non-stationary, reciprocity effects. We find evidence that short-timescale reciprocity (within three days) is present among non- and distant-kin pairs; conversely, we find that levels of cooperation among close kin can be accounted for on the stationary hypothesis alone.

Spatiotemporal information during unsupervised learning enhances viewpoint invariant object recognition

PubMed Central

Tian, Moqian; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2015-01-01

Recognizing objects is difficult because it requires both linking views of an object that can be different and distinguishing objects with similar appearance. Interestingly, people can learn to recognize objects across views in an unsupervised way, without feedback, just from the natural viewing statistics. However, there is intense debate regarding what information during unsupervised learning is used to link among object views. Specifically, researchers argue whether temporal proximity, motion, or spatiotemporal continuity among object views during unsupervised learning is beneficial. Here, we untangled the role of each of these factors in unsupervised learning of novel three-dimensional (3-D) objects. We found that after unsupervised training with 24 object views spanning a 180° view space, participants showed significant improvement in their ability to recognize 3-D objects across rotation. Surprisingly, there was no advantage to unsupervised learning with spatiotemporal continuity or motion information than training with temporal proximity. However, we discovered that when participants were trained with just a third of the views spanning the same view space, unsupervised learning via spatiotemporal continuity yielded significantly better recognition performance on novel views than learning via temporal proximity. These results suggest that while it is possible to obtain view-invariant recognition just from observing many views of an object presented in temporal proximity, spatiotemporal information enhances performance by producing representations with broader view tuning than learning via temporal association. Our findings have important implications for theories of object recognition and for the development of computational algorithms that learn from examples. PMID:26024454

Temporal Tuning of Word- and Face-selective Cortex.

PubMed

Yeatman, Jason D; Norcia, Anthony M

2016-11-01

Sensitivity to temporal change places fundamental limits on object processing in the visual system. An emerging consensus from the behavioral and neuroimaging literature suggests that temporal resolution differs substantially for stimuli of different complexity and for brain areas at different levels of the cortical hierarchy. Here, we used steady-state visually evoked potentials to directly measure three fundamental parameters that characterize the underlying neural response to text and face images: temporal resolution, peak temporal frequency, and response latency. We presented full-screen images of text or a human face, alternated with a scrambled image, at temporal frequencies between 1 and 12 Hz. These images elicited a robust response at the first harmonic that showed differential tuning, scalp topography, and delay for the text and face images. Face-selective responses were maximal at 4 Hz, but text-selective responses, by contrast, were maximal at 1 Hz. The topography of the text image response was strongly left-lateralized at higher stimulation rates, whereas the response to the face image was slightly right-lateralized but nearly bilateral at all frequencies. Both text and face images elicited steady-state activity at more than one apparent latency; we observed early (141-160 msec) and late (>250 msec) text- and face-selective responses. These differences in temporal tuning profiles are likely to reflect differences in the nature of the computations performed by word- and face-selective cortex. Despite the close proximity of word- and face-selective regions on the cortical surface, our measurements demonstrate substantial differences in the temporal dynamics of word- versus face-selective responses.

Temporal and spatial variation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contamination in environmental compartments of highly polluted area in Central Russia.

PubMed

Malina, Natalia; Mazlova, Elena A

2017-10-01

This study highlights the fact that serious contamination from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) still exists in Serpukhov City (Russia). The research help to determine the temporal (16- and 24-year periods) and spatial PCBs distribution in the environmental compartments of the studied region. Samples of soil, sediments, water and plants were analysed in order to establish their contamination levels. The most recent data on the Serpukhov City's soil contamination showed that the PCBs concentrations varies from 0.0009 to 1169 mg/kg depending on the sampling point and the distance from the pollution source. The temporal trends of the contamination distribution with the soil depth showed contamination migration in the upper soil layers of the highly polluted site. The high level of water pollution (11.5 μg/L) in the proximity to the contamination source and the sediments contamination (0.098-119 mg/kg) were determined, as well as the water migration pathways of the PCBs that were prevalent in the studied region. The PCB congener group (by the level of chlorination) analysis showed that heptachlorinated biphenyls were only found in the soils in close proximity to the contamination place, while biphenyls with Cl ≤ 6 were found in the soil samples downstream of the condenser plant and with Cl ≤ 5 in the soil samples upstream of the plant. The plant uptake of PCBs, even on the extremely contaminated site, was shown. In turn, this research present new knowledge necessary for the development of a contaminated territory remediation strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bypass of the maxillary artery to proximal middle cerebral artery.

PubMed

Ma, Lin; Ren, He-cheng; Huang, Ying

2015-03-01

The objective of this work was to explore the feasibility of bypass between the maxillary artery (MA) and proximity of middle cerebral artery (MCA). Ten fixed and perfused adult cadaver heads were dissected bilaterally, 20 sides in total. The superficial temporal artery and its 2 branches were dissected, and outer diameters were measured. The MA and its branch were exposed as well as deep temporal artery; outer diameter of MA was measured. The lengths between the external carotid artery, internal carotid artery, maxillary artery, and proximal middle cerebral artery were measured. Ten healthy adults as targets (20 sides), inner diameter and blood flow dynamic parameters of the common carotid artery, external carotid artery, internal carotid artery, maxillary artery, superficial temporal artery, and its 2 branches were done with ultrasound examination. The mean outer diameter of MA (2.60 ± 0.20 mm) was larger than that of the temporal artery trunk (1.70 ± 0.30 mm). The mean lengths of graft vessels between the internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, and the bifurcation section of MCA (171.00 ± 2.70 and 162.40 ± 2.60 mm) were longer than the mean lengths of graft vessels between MA and MCA bifurcation section (61.70 ± 1.50 mm). In adults, the mean blood flow of the second part of MA (62.70 ± 13.30 mL/min) was more than that of the 2 branches of the superficial temporal artery (15.90 ± 3.70 mL/min and 17.70 ± 4.10 ml/min). Bypass between the maxillary artery and proximity of middle cerebral artery is feasible. It is a kind of effective high flow bypass with which the graft vessel is shorter and straighter than the bypass between internal carotid artery or external carotid artery and proximity of middle cerebral artery.

Behavioral and neural markers of cigarette-craving regulation in young-adult smokers during abstinence and after smoking.

PubMed

Ghahremani, Dara G; Faulkner, Paul; M Cox, Chelsea; London, Edythe D

2018-06-01

Cigarette craving contributes substantially to the maintenance of tobacco use disorder. Behavioral strategies to regulate craving may facilitate smoking cessation but remain underexplored. We adapted an emotion-regulation strategy, using proximal/distal self-positioning, to the context of cigarette craving to examine craving regulation in 42, daily smokers (18-25 years old). After overnight abstinence from smoking, before and after smoking their first cigarette of the day, participants viewed videos of natural scenes presenting young adults who were either smoking cigarettes ("smoke") or not ("non-smoke"). Before each video, participants were instructed to imagine themselves either immersed in the scene ("close") or distanced from it ("far"). They rated their craving after each video. Task-based fMRI data are presented for a subsample of participants (N = 21). We found main effects of smoking, instruction, and video type on craving-lower ratings after smoking than before, following the "far" vs. "close" instructions, and when viewing non-smoke vs. smoke videos. Before smoking, "smoke" vs. "non-smoke" videos elicited activation in, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, lateral parietal cortex, mid-occipital cortex, ventral striatum, dorsal caudate, and midbrain. Smoking reduced activation in anterior cingulate, left inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral temporal poles. Activation was reduced in the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex after the "far" vs. the "close" instruction, suggesting less engagement with the stimuli during distancing. The results indicate that proximal/distal regulation strategies impact cue-elicited craving, potentially via downregulation of the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex, and that smoking during abstinence may increase cognitive control capacity during craving regulation.

Spatial and temporal allocation of ship exhaust emissions in Australian coastal waters using AIS data: Analysis and treatment of data gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsworthy, Brett

2017-08-01

Ship exhaust emissions need to be allocated accurately in both space and time in order to examine many of the associated impacts, including on air quality and health. Data on ship activity from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) allow ship exhaust emissions to be calculated with fine spatial and temporal resolution. However, there are spatial gaps in the coverage afforded by the coastal network of ground stations that are used to collect the AIS data. This paper focuses on the problem of allocating emissions to the coastal gap regions. Allocating emissions to these regions involves generating interpolated ship tracks that both span the gaps and avoid coming too close to land. In most cases, a simple shortest path or straight line interpolation produces tracks that do not overlap or come too close to land. Where the simple method does not produce acceptable results, vessel tracks are steered around land on shortest available paths using a combination of visibility graphs and Dijkstra's algorithm. A geographical cluster analysis is first used to identify the boundary regions of the data gaps. The properties of the data gaps are summarised in terms of the length, duration and speed of the spanning tracks. The interpolation methods are used to improve the spatial distribution of emissions. It is also shown that emissions in the gap regions can contribute substantially to the total ship exhaust emissions in close proximity to highly populated areas.

Stress induced gene expression drives transient DNA methylation changes at adjacent repetitive elements.

PubMed

Secco, David; Wang, Chuang; Shou, Huixia; Schultz, Matthew D; Chiarenza, Serge; Nussaume, Laurent; Ecker, Joseph R; Whelan, James; Lister, Ryan

2015-07-21

Cytosine DNA methylation (mC) is a genome modification that can regulate the expression of coding and non-coding genetic elements. However, little is known about the involvement of mC in response to environmental cues. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of mC in rice grown under phosphate starvation and recovery conditions, we identified widespread phosphate starvation-induced changes in mC, preferentially localized in transposable elements (TEs) close to highly induced genes. These changes in mC occurred after changes in nearby gene transcription, were mostly DCL3a-independent, and could partially be propagated through mitosis, however no evidence of meiotic transmission was observed. Similar analyses performed in Arabidopsis revealed a very limited effect of phosphate starvation on mC, suggesting a species-specific mechanism. Overall, this suggests that TEs in proximity to environmentally induced genes are silenced via hypermethylation, and establishes the temporal hierarchy of transcriptional and epigenomic changes in response to stress.

Attentional blink in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Amador-Campos, Juan A; Aznar-Casanova, J Antonio; Bezerra, Izabela; Torro-Alves, Nelson; Sánchez, Manuel M

2015-01-01

To explore the temporal mechanism of attention in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and controls using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task in which two letters (T1 and T2) were presented in close temporal proximity among distractors (attentional blink [AB]). Thirty children aged between 9 and 13 years (12 with ADHD combined type and 18 controls) took part in the study. Both groups performed two kinds of RSVP task. In the single task, participants simply had to identify a target letter (T1), whereas in the dual task, they had to identify a target letter (T1) and a probe letter (T2). The ADHD and control groups were equivalent in their single-task performance. However, in the dual-task condition, there were significant between-group differences in the rate of detection of the probe letter (T2) at lag + 1 and lag + 4. The ADHD group exhibited a larger overall AB compared with controls. Our findings provide support for a link between ADHD and attentional blink.

47 CFR 27.19 - Requirements for operation of base and fixed stations in the 600 MHz downlink band in close...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... stations in the 600 MHz downlink band in close proximity to Radio Astronomy Observatories. 27.19 Section 27... base and fixed stations in the 600 MHz downlink band in close proximity to Radio Astronomy Observatories. (a) Licensees must make reasonable efforts to protect the radio astronomy observatory at Green...

37 CFR 212.4 - Affixation and placement of design notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... console; (3) If the vessel is twenty feet in length or less and is governed by 33 CFR 183.21, in close proximity to the capacity marking; and (4) In close proximity to the make and/or model designation of the...

23 CFR 1340.6 - Assignment of observation times.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Highways NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM CRITERIA FOR... sites. (c) Grouping of observation sites in close geographic proximity. Observations sites in close geographic proximity may be grouped to reduce data collection burdens if: (1) The first assignment of an...

23 CFR 1340.6 - Assignment of observation times.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Highways NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM CRITERIA FOR... sites. (c) Grouping of observation sites in close geographic proximity. Observations sites in close geographic proximity may be grouped to reduce data collection burdens if: (1) The first assignment of an...

23 CFR 1340.6 - Assignment of observation times.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Highways NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM CRITERIA FOR... sites. (c) Grouping of observation sites in close geographic proximity. Observations sites in close geographic proximity may be grouped to reduce data collection burdens if: (1) The first assignment of an...

Temporal associations for spatial events: the role of the dentate gyrus.

PubMed

Morris, Andrea M; Curtis, Brian J; Churchwell, John C; Maasberg, David W; Kesner, Raymond P

2013-11-01

Previous research suggests that the dorsal dentate gyrus (DG) hippocampal subregion mediates spatial processing functions. However, a novel role for the DG in temporal processing for spatial information has begun to emerge based on the development of a computational model of neurogenesis. According to this model, adult born granule cells in the DG contribute to a temporal associative integration process for events presented closer in time. Currently, there is a paucity of behavioral evidence to support the temporal integration theory. Therefore, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm to investigate the role of the dDG in temporal integration for proximal and distal spatial events. Male Long-Evans rats were randomly assigned to a control group or to receive bilateral intracranial infusions of colchicine into the dDG. Following recovery from surgery, each rat was tested on a cued-recall of sequence paradigm. In this task, animals were allowed to explore identical objects placed in designated spatial locations on a cheeseboard maze across 2 days (e.g., Day 1: A and B; Day 2: C and D). One week later, animals were given a brief cue (A or C) followed by a preference test between spatial location B and D. Control animals had a significant preference for the spatial location previously paired with the cue (the temporal associate) whereas dDG lesioned animals failed to show a preference. These findings suggest that selective colchicine-induced dDG lesions are capable of disrupting the formation of temporal associations between spatial events presented close in time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal proximity effects in visual short-term memory examined by target-nontarget analysis.

PubMed

Sapkota, Raju P; Pardhan, Shahina; van der Linde, Ian

2016-08-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is a limited-capacity system that holds a small number of objects online simultaneously, implying that competition for limited storage resources occurs (Phillips, 1974). How the spatial and temporal proximity of stimuli affects this competition is unclear. In this 2-experiment study, we examined the effect of the spatial and temporal separation of real-world memory targets and erroneously selected nontarget items examined during location-recognition and object-recall tasks. In Experiment 1 (the location-recognition task), our test display comprised either the picture or name of 1 previously examined memory stimulus (rendered above as the stimulus-display area), together with numbered square boxes at each of the memory-stimulus locations used in that trial. Participants were asked to report the number inside the square box corresponding to the location at which the cued object was originally presented. In Experiment 2 (the object-recall task), the test display comprised a single empty square box presented at 1 memory-stimulus location. Participants were asked to report the name of the object presented at that location. In both experiments, nontarget objects that were spatially and temporally proximal to the memory target were confused more often than nontarget objects that were spatially and temporally distant (i.e., a spatiotemporal proximity effect); this effect generalized across memory tasks, and the object feature (picture or name) that cued the test-display memory target. Our findings are discussed in terms of spatial and temporal confusion "fields" in VSTM, wherein objects occupy diffuse loci in a spatiotemporal coordinate system, wherein neighboring locations are more susceptible to confusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of executive attention in object substitution masking.

PubMed

Filmer, Hannah L; Wells-Peris, Roxanne; Dux, Paul E

2017-05-01

It was long thought that a key characteristic of object substitution masking (OSM) was the requirement for spatial attention to be dispersed for the mask to impact visual sensitivity. However, recent studies have provided evidence questioning whether spatial attention interacts with OSM magnitude, suggesting that the previous reports reflect the impact of performance being at ceiling for the low attention load conditions. Another technique that has been employed to modulate attention in OSM paradigms involves presenting the target stimulus foveally, but with another demanding task shown immediately prior, and thus taxing executive/temporal attention. Under such conditions, when the two tasks occur in close temporal proximity relatively to greater temporal separation, masking is increased. However this effect could also be influenced by performance being at ceiling in some conditions. Here, we manipulated executive attention for a foveated target using a dual-task paradigm. Critically, ceiling performance was avoided by thresholding the target stimulus prior to it being presented under OSM conditions. We found no evidence for an interaction between executive attention load and masking. Collectively, along with the previous findings, our results provide compelling evidence that OSM as a phenomenon occurs independently of attention.

Exogenous temporal cues enhance recognition memory in an object-based manner.

PubMed

Ohyama, Junji; Watanabe, Katsumi

2010-11-01

Exogenous attention enhances the perception of attended items in both a space-based and an object-based manner. Exogenous attention also improves recognition memory for attended items in the space-based mode. However, it has not been examined whether object-based exogenous attention enhances recognition memory. To address this issue, we examined whether a sudden visual change in a task-irrelevant stimulus (an exogenous cue) would affect participants' recognition memory for items that were serially presented around a cued time. The results showed that recognition accuracy for an item was strongly enhanced when the visual cue occurred at the same location and time as the item (Experiments 1 and 2). The memory enhancement effect occurred when the exogenous visual cue and an item belonged to the same object (Experiments 3 and 4) and even when the cue was counterpredictive of the timing of an item to be asked about (Experiment 5). The present study suggests that an exogenous temporal cue automatically enhances the recognition accuracy for an item that is presented at close temporal proximity to the cue and that recognition memory enhancement occurs in an object-based manner.

Aboveground growth interactions of paired conifer seedlings in close proximity

Treesearch

Warren D. Devine; Timothy B. Harrington

2011-01-01

Where belowground resources are relatively abundant, naturally established trees sometimes occur in very close proximity to one another. We conducted a two-year study to assess the aboveground interactions between Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), grand fir (Abies grandis) and noble fir (Abies procera)...

Development of Sensitivity to Audiovisual Temporal Asynchrony during Midchildhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaganovich, Natalya

2016-01-01

Temporal proximity is one of the key factors determining whether events in different modalities are integrated into a unified percept. Sensitivity to audiovisual temporal asynchrony has been studied in adults in great detail. However, how such sensitivity matures during childhood is poorly understood. We examined perception of audiovisual temporal…

Temporal and spatial changes in golden eagle reproduction in relation to increased off highway vehicle activity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steenhof, Karen; Brown, Jessi L.; Kochert, Michael N.

2014-01-01

We used >40 years of data on golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) nesting in southwestern Idaho, USA, to assess whether the proportion of territories and pairs producing young has changed over time, and whether territories in areas where off highway vehicle (OHV) use has increased significantly were less likely to be productive than those in areas that continued to have little or no motorized recreation. The proportion of territories that produced young was similar across southwestern Idaho from the late 1960s to 1999. After a dramatic increase in OHV use from 1999 to 2009, occupancy and success of territories in close proximity to recreational trails and parking areas declined, and the proportion of these territories producing young differed significantly from territories not impacted by OHVs. We could not pinpoint which types of motorized activity are most disturbing, nor could we identify disturbance thresholds at which eagles abandon their eggs, their young, and finally their territory. Timing, proximity, duration, and frequency of disturbance could all play a role. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

High dendritic expression of Ih in the proximity of the axon origin controls the integrative properties of nigral dopamine neurons.

PubMed

Engel, Dominique; Seutin, Vincent

2015-11-15

The hyperpolarization-activated cation current Ih is expressed in dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra, but the subcellular distribution of the current and its role in synaptic integration remain unknown. We used cell-attached patch recordings to determine the localization profile of Ih along the somatodendritic axis of nigral dopamine neurons in slices from young rats. Ih density is higher in axon-bearing dendrites, in a membrane area close to the axon origin, than in the soma and axon-lacking dendrites. Dual current-clamp recordings revealed a similar contribution of Ih to the waveform of single excitatory postsynaptic potentials throughout the somatodendritic domain. The Ih blocker ZD 7288 increased the temporal summation in all dendrites with a comparable effect in axon- and non-axon dendrites. The strategic position of Ih in the proximity of the axon may influence importantly transitions between pacemaker and bursting activities and consequently the downstream release of dopamine. Dendrites of most neurons express voltage-gated ion channels in their membrane. In combination with passive properties, active currents confer to dendrites a high computational potential. The hyperpolarization-activated cation current Ih present in the dendrites of some pyramidal neurons affects their membrane and integration properties, synaptic plasticity and higher functions such as memory. A gradient of increasing h-channel density towards distal dendrites has been found to be responsible for the location independence of excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) waveform and temporal summation in cortical and hippocampal pyramidal cells. However, reports on other cell types revealed that smoother gradients or even linear distributions of Ih can achieve homogeneous temporal summation. Although the existence of a robust, slowly activating Ih current has been repeatedly demonstrated in nigral dopamine neurons, its subcellular distribution and precise role in synaptic integration are unknown. Using cell-attached patch-clamp recordings, we find a higher Ih current density in the axon-bearing dendrite than in the soma or in dendrites without axon in nigral dopamine neurons. Ih is mainly concentrated in the dendritic membrane area surrounding the axon origin and decreases with increasing distances from this site. Single EPSPs and temporal summation are similarly affected by blockade of Ih in axon- and non-axon-bearing dendrites. The presence of Ih close to the axon is pivotal to control the integrative functions and the output signal of dopamine neurons and may consequently influence the downstream coding of movement. © 2015 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2015 The Physiological Society.

Proximity Operations for Space Situational Awareness Spacecraft Rendezvous and Maneuvering using Numerical Simulations and Fuzzy Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrico, T.; Langster, T.; Carrico, J.; Alfano, S.; Loucks, M.; Vallado, D.

The authors present several spacecraft rendezvous and close proximity maneuvering techniques modeled with a high-precision numerical integrator using full force models and closed loop control with a Fuzzy Logic intelligent controller to command the engines. The authors document and compare the maneuvers, fuel use, and other parameters. This paper presents an innovative application of an existing capability to design, simulate and analyze proximity maneuvers; already in use for operational satellites performing other maneuvers. The system has been extended to demonstrate the capability to develop closed loop control laws to maneuver spacecraft in close proximity to another, including stand-off, docking, lunar landing and other operations applicable to space situational awareness, space based surveillance, and operational satellite modeling. The fully integrated end-to-end trajectory ephemerides are available from the authors in electronic ASCII text by request. The benefits of this system include: A realistic physics-based simulation for the development and validation of control laws A collaborative engineering environment for the design, development and tuning of spacecraft law parameters, sizing actuators (i.e., rocket engines), and sensor suite selection. An accurate simulation and visualization to communicate the complexity, criticality, and risk of spacecraft operations. A precise mathematical environment for research and development of future spacecraft maneuvering engineering tasks, operational planning and forensic analysis. A closed loop, knowledge-based control example for proximity operations. This proximity operations modeling and simulation environment will provide a valuable adjunct to programs in military space control, space situational awareness and civil space exploration engineering and decision making processes.

Role of DARPP-32 and ARPP-21 in the Emergence of Temporal Constraints on Striatal Calcium and Dopamine Integration

PubMed Central

Bhalla, Upinder S.; Hellgren Kotaleski, Jeanette

2016-01-01

In reward learning, the integration of NMDA-dependent calcium and dopamine by striatal projection neurons leads to potentiation of corticostriatal synapses through CaMKII/PP1 signaling. In order to elicit the CaMKII/PP1-dependent response, the calcium and dopamine inputs should arrive in temporal proximity and must follow a specific (dopamine after calcium) order. However, little is known about the cellular mechanism which enforces these temporal constraints on the signal integration. In this computational study, we propose that these temporal requirements emerge as a result of the coordinated signaling via two striatal phosphoproteins, DARPP-32 and ARPP-21. Specifically, DARPP-32-mediated signaling could implement an input-interval dependent gating function, via transient PP1 inhibition, thus enforcing the requirement for temporal proximity. Furthermore, ARPP-21 signaling could impose the additional input-order requirement of calcium and dopamine, due to its Ca2+/calmodulin sequestering property when dopamine arrives first. This highlights the possible role of phosphoproteins in the temporal aspects of striatal signal transduction. PMID:27584878

Social anxiety in Cornelia de Lange syndrome.

PubMed

Richards, Caroline; Moss, Jo; O'Farrell, Laura; Kaur, Gurmeash; Oliver, Chris

2009-08-01

In this study we assessed the behavioral presentation of social anxiety in Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) using a contrast group of Cri du Chat syndrome (CdCS). Behaviors indicative of social anxiety were recorded in twelve children with CdLS (mean age = 11.00; SD = 5.15) and twelve children with CdCS (8.20; SD = 2.86) during social interaction. Lag sequential analysis revealed that participants with CdLS were significantly more likely to evidence behavior indicative of anxiety in close temporal proximity to the point at which they maintained eye contact or spoke. Individuals with CdLS demonstrate a heightened probability of anxiety related behavior during social interaction but only at the point at which social demand is high.

Effects of Temporal Framing on Response to Antismoking Messages: The Mediating Role of Perceived Relevance.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiaoquan; Peterson, Emily

2017-01-01

This study tested the effect of temporal framing on young adult smokers' response to antismoking communication messages. In two studies using largely identical designs, young adult smokers recruited from a large university (n = 52) and Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 210) were exposed to either no messages or messages featuring different temporal frames. Analysis of the combined data (N = 262) showed that framing the health consequences of smoking in a proximal (vs. distal) time frame led to greater perceived message relevance, less use of heuristic processing, greater use of systematic processing, greater positive affect, and more intense fear. Mediation analysis showed that perceived relevance was a significant mediator of the effect of temporal framing on message processing and emotional responses. In separate analysis of the Amazon Mechanical Turk data, the proximal frame also showed a consistent pattern of stronger impact on behavioral intentions compared to the distal frame, but the difference was only significant on the measure of intending to try to quit. Overall, findings of this study suggest that using proximal (vs. distal) frames may enhance receptivity to antismoking messages among young adult smokers, although the behavioral impact of this framing strategy still awaits further research.

A Novel Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Paradigm for the Preoperative Assessment of Auditory Perception in a Musician Undergoing Temporal Lobe Surgery.

PubMed

Hale, Matthew D; Zaman, Arshad; Morrall, Matthew C H J; Chumas, Paul; Maguire, Melissa J

2018-03-01

Presurgical evaluation for temporal lobe epilepsy routinely assesses speech and memory lateralization and anatomic localization of the motor and visual areas but not baseline musical processing. This is paramount in a musician. Although validated tools exist to assess musical ability, there are no reported functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms to assess musical processing. We examined the utility of a novel fMRI paradigm in an 18-year-old left-handed pianist who underwent surgery for a left temporal low-grade ganglioglioma. Preoperative evaluation consisted of neuropsychological evaluation, T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and fMRI. Auditory blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI was performed using a dedicated auditory scanning sequence. Three separate auditory investigations were conducted: listening to, humming, and thinking about a musical piece. All auditory fMRI paradigms activated the primary auditory cortex with varying degrees of auditory lateralization. Thinking about the piece additionally activated the primary visual cortices (bilaterally) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Humming demonstrated left-sided predominance of auditory cortex activation with activity observed in close proximity to the tumor. This study demonstrated an fMRI paradigm for evaluating musical processing that could form part of preoperative assessment for patients undergoing temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multilevel groundwater monitoring of hydraulic head and temperature in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, 2011-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twining, Brian V.; Fisher, Jason C.

2015-01-01

Normalized mean head values were analyzed for all 11 multilevel monitoring wells for the period of record (2007–13). The mean head values suggest a moderately positive correlation among all boreholes and generally reflect regional fluctuations in water levels in response to seasonal climatic changes. Boreholes within volcanic rift zones and near the southern boundary (USGS 103, USGS 105, USGS 108, USGS 132, USGS 135, USGS 137A) display a temporal correlation that is strongly positive. Boreholes in the Big Lost Trough display some variations in temporal correlations that may result from proximity to the mountain front to the northwest and episodic flow in the Big Lost River drainage system. For example, during June 2012, boreholes MIDDLE 2050A and MIDDLE 2051 showed head buildup within the upper zones when compared to the June 2010 profile event, which correlates to years when surface water was reported for the Big Lost River several months preceding the measurement period. With the exception of borehole USGS 134, temporal correlation between MLMS wells completed within the Big Lost Trough is generally positive. Temporal correlation for borehole USGS 134 shows the least agreement with other MLMS boreholes located within the Big Lost Trough; however, borehole USGS 134 is close to the mountain front where tributary valley subsurface inflow is suspected.

Mapping subsurface in proximity to newly-developed sinkhole along roadway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

MS&T acquired electrical resistivity tomography profiles in immediate proximity to a newly-developed sinkhole in Nixa Missouri : The sinkhole has closed a well-traveled municipal roadway and threatens proximal infrastructure. The intent of this inves...

Making an implant-level impression using solid plastic, press-fit, closed-tray impression copings: a clinical report.

PubMed

Selecman, Audrey M; Wicks, Russell A

2009-03-01

An implant-level impression is often desired for designing and fabricating an implant-supported fixed restoration, especially when 2 or more implants have been placed. However, convergent implants placed too close in proximity pose several problems, starting with the impression. In situations of extreme convergence or close proximity, modification of conventional metal copings may be impossible. This clinical report describes the use and associated advantages and disadvantages of solid plastic, press-fit, closed-tray impression copings as a mechanism suitable to create an implant-level cast.

Stress induced gene expression drives transient DNA methylation changes at adjacent repetitive elements

PubMed Central

Secco, David; Wang, Chuang; Shou, Huixia; Schultz, Matthew D; Chiarenza, Serge; Nussaume, Laurent; Ecker, Joseph R; Whelan, James; Lister, Ryan

2015-01-01

Cytosine DNA methylation (mC) is a genome modification that can regulate the expression of coding and non-coding genetic elements. However, little is known about the involvement of mC in response to environmental cues. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing to assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of mC in rice grown under phosphate starvation and recovery conditions, we identified widespread phosphate starvation-induced changes in mC, preferentially localized in transposable elements (TEs) close to highly induced genes. These changes in mC occurred after changes in nearby gene transcription, were mostly DCL3a-independent, and could partially be propagated through mitosis, however no evidence of meiotic transmission was observed. Similar analyses performed in Arabidopsis revealed a very limited effect of phosphate starvation on mC, suggesting a species-specific mechanism. Overall, this suggests that TEs in proximity to environmentally induced genes are silenced via hypermethylation, and establishes the temporal hierarchy of transcriptional and epigenomic changes in response to stress. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09343.001 PMID:26196146

Maternal residential proximity to sources of extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and adverse birth outcomes in a UK cohort.

PubMed

de Vocht, Frank; Hannam, Kimberly; Baker, Philip; Agius, Raymond

2014-04-01

Studies have suggested that exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) may be associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. This study tested the hypothesis that close proximity to residential ELF-EMF sources is associated with a reduction in birth weight and increased the risk of low birthweight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA) and spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). Closest residential proximity to high voltage cables, overhead power lines, substations or towers during pregnancy was calculated for 140356 singleton live births between 2004 and 2008 in Northwest England. Associations between proximity and risk for LBW, SGA and SPTB were calculated, as well as associations with birth weight directly. Associations were adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, parity and for part of the population additionally for maternal smoking during pregnancy. Reduced average birth weight of 212 g (95% confidence interval (CI): -395 to -29 g) was found for close proximity to a source, and was largest for female births (-251 g (95% CI: -487 to -15 g)). No statistically significant increased risks for any clinical birth outcomes with residential proximity of 50 m or less were observed. Living close (50 m or less) to a residential ELF-EMF source during pregnancy is associated with suboptimal growth in utero, with stronger effects in female than in males. However, only a few pregnant women live this close to high voltage cables, overhead power lines, substations or towers, likely limiting its public health impact. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pushing the limits of high-resolution functional MRI using a simple high-density multi-element coil design.

PubMed

Petridou, N; Italiaander, M; van de Bank, B L; Siero, J C W; Luijten, P R; Klomp, D W J

2013-01-01

Recent studies have shown that functional MRI (fMRI) can be sensitive to the laminar and columnar organization of the cortex based on differences in the spatial and temporal characteristics of the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal originating from the macrovasculature and the neuronal-specific microvasculature. Human fMRI studies at this scale of the cortical architecture, however, are very rare because the high spatial/temporal resolution required to explore these properties of the BOLD signal are limited by the signal-to-noise ratio. Here, we show that it is possible to detect BOLD signal changes at an isotropic spatial resolution as high as 0.55 mm at 7 T using a high-density multi-element surface coil with minimal electronics, which allows close proximity to the head. The coil comprises of very small, 1 × 2-cm(2) , elements arranged in four flexible modules of four elements each (16-channel) that can be positioned within 1 mm from the head. As a result of this proximity, tissue losses were five-fold greater than coil losses and sufficient to exclude preamplifier decoupling. When compared with a standard 16-channel head coil, the BOLD sensitivity was approximately 2.2-fold higher for a high spatial/temporal resolution (1 mm isotropic/0.4 s), multi-slice, echo planar acquisition, and approximately three- and six-fold higher for three-dimensional echo planar images acquired with isotropic resolutions of 0.7 and 0.55 mm, respectively. Improvements in parallel imaging performance (geometry factor) were up to around 1.5-fold with increasing acceleration factor, and improvements in fMRI detectability (temporal signal-to-noise ratio) were up to around four-fold depending on the distance to the coil. Although deeper lying structures may not benefit from the design, most fMRI questions pertain to the neocortex which lies within approximately 4 cm from the surface. These results suggest that the resolution of fMRI (at 7 T) can approximate levels that are closer to the spatial/temporal scale of the fundamental functional organization of the human cortex using a simple high-density coil design for high sensitivity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Clinical incidents involving students on placement: an analysis of incident reports to identify potential risk factors.

PubMed

Gaida, J E; Maloney, S; Lo, K; Morgan, P

2015-06-01

Students are sometimes involved in incidents during clinical training. To the authors' knowledge, no quantitative studies of incidents specifically involving physiotherapy students on clinical placement are available in the literature. A retrospective audit (2008 to 2011) of incident reports involving physiotherapy students was conducted to identify the nature and features of incidents. The study aimed to determine if injuries to a student or patient were more or less likely when the supervisor was in close proximity, and whether students with lower academic performance in their preclinical semester were more likely to be involved in an incident. There were 19 care-delivery-related and three equipment-related incidents. There were no incidents of violent, aggressive or demeaning behaviour towards students. The incident rate was 9.0/100,000 student-hours for third-year students and 6.8/100,000 student-hours for fourth-year students. The majority of incidents (55%) occurred from 11 am to 12-noon and from 3 pm to 3.30 pm. Incidents more often resulted in patient or student injury when the supervisor was not in close proximity (approximately 50% vs approximately 20%), although the difference was not significant (P=0.336). The academic results of students involved in incidents were equivalent to the whole cohort in their preclinical semester {mean 75 [standard deviation (SD) 6] vs 76 (SD 7); P=0.488}. The unexpected temporal clustering of incidents warrants further investigation. Student fatigue may warrant attention as a potential contributor; however, contextual factors, such as staff workload, along with organisational systems, structures and procedures may be more relevant. The potential relationship between supervisor proximity and injury also warrants further exploration. The findings of the present study should be integrated into clinical education curricula and communicated to clinical educators. Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Composite Material Hazard Assessment at Crash Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

advanced composite materials. All personnel involved in rescue in close crash-site proximity are required to wear self -contained breathing apparatus...close crash-site proximity are required to wear self -contained breathing apparatus, chemical protective clothing, leather gloves, and neoprene...Take extra precaution when handling these materials. Nitrile rubber gloves can be worn underneath the leather gloves to provide chemical hazard

In-situ Fluorometers Reveal High Frequency Dynamics In Dissolved Organic Matter For Urban Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croghan, D.; Bradley, C.; Khamis, K.; Hannah, D. M.; Sadler, J. P.; Van Loon, A.

2017-12-01

To-date Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) dynamics have been quantified poorly in urban rivers, despite the substantial water quality issues linked to urbanisation. Research has been hindered by the low temporal resolution of observations and over-reliance on manual sampling which often fail to capture precipitation events and diurnal dynamics. High frequency data are essential to estimate more accurately DOM fluxes/loads and to understand DOM furnishing and transport processes. Recent advances in optical sensor technology, including field deployable in-situ fluorometers, are yielding new high resolution DOM information. However, no consensus regarding the monitoring resolution required for urban systems exists, with no studies monitoring at <15 min time steps. High-frequency monitoring (5 min resolution; 4 week duration) was conducted on a headwater urban stream in Birmingham, UK (N 52.447430 W -1.936715) to determine the optimum temporal resolution for characterization of DOM event dynamics. A through-flow GGNU-30 monitored wavelengths corresponding to tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF; Peak T1) (Ex 285 nm/ Em 345 nm) and humic-like fluorescence (HLF; Peak C) (Ex 365 nm/Em 490 nm). The results suggest that at base flow TLF and HLF are relatively stable, though episodic DOM inputs can pulse through the system, which may be missed during lower temporal resolution monitoring. High temporal variation occurs during storm events in TLF and HLF intensity: TLF intensity is highest during the rising limb of the hydrograph and can rapidly decline thereafter, indicating the importance of fast flow-path and close proximity sources to TLF dynamics. HLF intensity tracks discharge more closely, but can also quickly decline during high flow events due to dilution effects. Furthermore, the ratio of TLF:HLF when derived at high-frequency provides a useful indication of the presence and type of organic effluents in stream, which aids in the identification of Combined Sewage Overflow releases. Our work highlights the need for future studies to utilise shorter temporal scales than previously used to monitor urban DOM dynamics. The application of higher frequency monitoring enables the identification of finer-scale patterns and subsequently aids in deciphering the sources and pathways controlling urban DOM dynamics.

Spatiotemporal Proximity Effects in Visual Short-Term Memory Examined by Target-Nontarget Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sapkota, Raju P.; Pardhan, Shahina; van der Linde, Ian

2016-01-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is a limited-capacity system that holds a small number of objects online simultaneously, implying that competition for limited storage resources occurs (Phillips, 1974). How the spatial and temporal proximity of stimuli affects this competition is unclear. In this 2-experiment study, we examined the effect of the…

Evolution of microgastropods (Ellobioidea, Carychiidae): integrating taxonomic, phylogenetic and evolutionary hypotheses

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Current biodiversity patterns are considered largely the result of past climatic and tectonic changes. In an integrative approach, we combine taxonomic and phylogenetic hypotheses to analyze temporal and geographic diversification of epigean (Carychium) and subterranean (Zospeum) evolutionary lineages in Carychiidae (Eupulmonata, Ellobioidea). We explicitly test three hypotheses: 1) morphospecies encompass unrecognized evolutionary lineages, 2) limited dispersal results in a close genetic relationship of geographical proximally distributed taxa and 3) major climatic and tectonic events had an impact on lineage diversification within Carychiidae. Results Initial morphospecies assignments were investigated by different molecular delimitation approaches (threshold, ABGD, GMYC and SP). Despite a conservative delimitation strategy, carychiid morphospecies comprise a great number of unrecognized evolutionary lineages. We attribute this phenomenon to historic underestimation of morphological stasis and phenotypic variability amongst lineages. The first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the Carychiidae (based on COI, 16S and H3) reveals Carychium and Zospeum to be reciprocally monophyletic. Geographical proximally distributed lineages are often closely related. The temporal diversification of Carychiidae is best described by a constant rate model of diversification. The evolution of Carychiidae is characterized by relatively few (long distance) colonization events. We find support for an Asian origin of Carychium. Zospeum may have arrived in Europe before extant members of Carychium. Distantly related Carychium clades inhabit a wide spectrum of the available bioclimatic niche and demonstrate considerable niche overlap. Conclusions Carychiid taxonomy is in dire need of revision. An inferred wide distribution and variable phenotype suggest underestimated diversity in Zospeum. Several Carychium morphospecies are results of past taxonomic lumping. By collecting populations at their type locality, molecular investigations are able to link historic morphospecies assignments to their respective evolutionary lineage. We propose that rare founder populations initially colonized a continent or cave system. Subsequent passive dispersal into adjacent areas led to in situ pan-continental or mountain range diversifications. Major environmental changes did not influence carychiid diversification. However, certain molecular delimitation methods indicated a recent decrease in diversification rate. We attribute this decrease to protracted speciation. PMID:23343473

Using stop signals to reduce impulsive choices for palatable unhealthy foods.

PubMed

Veling, Harm; Aarts, Henk; Stroebe, Wolfgang

2013-05-01

Exposure to palatable foods in the environment can trigger impulsive reactions to obtain them, which may lead to unhealthy food choices and eating behaviour. Two studies tested the fundamental question whether impulsive unhealthy food choices can be altered by means of linking unhealthy palatable foods to behavioural stop signals. Study 1 adopted a 2 (signal condition: stop signal vs. control) by 2 (appetite: low vs. high) between-subjects design. Study 2 adopted a 2 (signal condition: stop signal vs. control) between-subjects design with frequency to consume unhealthy palatable foods as a continuous factor. Participants performed a task in which behavioural stop signals were either consistently (or not) presented in close temporal proximity to unhealthy palatable snack foods. Next, participants were given the opportunity to select snacks that they would like to consume. Two studies showed that participants were less likely to select unhealthy palatable foods that had been presented near stop signals, and that they selected healthy foods instead. Importantly, this reduction in choices for palatable foods was especially observed when participants' appetite was relatively high (Study 1), or when this food was part of their habit to frequently consume this food (Study 2). These findings show that a short stop signal intervention in which palatable foods are presented in close temporal proximity of stop signals can reduce palatable food choices by modifying an impulsive determinant of eating behaviour. What is already known on this subject? Exposure to unhealthy palatable foods in the environment can lead to impulsive food choices. People's habits towards unhealthy palatable foods and their current state of appetite are important determinants of such impulsive food choices. This impulsive behaviour is hard to change. What this study add? Linking unhealthy palatable foods to behavioural stop signals reduces choices for these foods, and increases healthy food choices. This effect is particularly strong when people's food choices are driven by their current state of appetite or habits. Behavioural stop signals foster healthy eating behaviour by modifying an impulsive determinant of behaviour. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

Memory without Consolidation: Temporal Distinctiveness Explains Retroactive Interference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ecker, Ullrich K. H.; Brown, Gordon D. A.; Lewandowsky, Stephan

2015-01-01

Is consolidation needed to account for retroactive interference in free recall? Interfering mental activity during the retention interval of a memory task impairs performance, in particular if the interference occurs in temporal proximity to the encoding of the to-be-remembered (TBR) information. There are at least two rival theoretical accounts…

Rural Poverty Dynamics and Refugee Communities in South Africa: A Spatial-Temporal Model.

PubMed

Sartorius, Kurt; Sartorius, Benn; Tollman, Stephen; Schatz, Enid; Kirsten, Johann; Collinson, Mark

2013-01-01

The assimilation of refugees into their host community economic structures is often problematic. The paper investigates the ability of refugees in rural South Africa to accumulate assets over time relative to their host community. Bayesian spatial-temporal modelling was employed to analyse a longitudinal database that indicated that the asset accumulation rate of former Mozambican refugee households was similar to their host community; however, they were unable to close the wealth gap. A series of geo-statistical wealth maps illustrate that there is a spatial element to the higher levels of absolute poverty in the former refugee villages. The primary reason for this is their physical location in drier conditions that are established further away from facilities and infrastructure. Neighbouring South African villages in close proximity, however, display lower levels of absolute poverty, suggesting that the spatial location of the refugees only partially explains their disadvantaged situation. In this regard, the results indicate that the wealth of former refugee households continues to be more compromised by higher mortality levels, poorer education, and less access to high-return employment opportunities. The long-term impact of low initial asset status appears to be perpetuated in this instance by difficulties in obtaining legal status in order to access state pensions, facilities, and opportunities. The usefulness of the results is that they can be used to sharpen the targeting of differentiated policy in a given geographical area for refugee communities in rural Africa. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rural Poverty Dynamics and Refugee Communities in South Africa: A Spatial–Temporal Model

PubMed Central

Sartorius, Kurt; Sartorius, Benn; Tollman, Stephen; Schatz, Enid; Kirsten, Johann; Collinson, Mark

2013-01-01

The assimilation of refugees into their host community economic structures is often problematic. The paper investigates the ability of refugees in rural South Africa to accumulate assets over time relative to their host community. Bayesian spatial–temporal modelling was employed to analyse a longitudinal database that indicated that the asset accumulation rate of former Mozambican refugee households was similar to their host community; however, they were unable to close the wealth gap. A series of geo-statistical wealth maps illustrate that there is a spatial element to the higher levels of absolute poverty in the former refugee villages. The primary reason for this is their physical location in drier conditions that are established further away from facilities and infrastructure. Neighbouring South African villages in close proximity, however, display lower levels of absolute poverty, suggesting that the spatial location of the refugees only partially explains their disadvantaged situation. In this regard, the results indicate that the wealth of former refugee households continues to be more compromised by higher mortality levels, poorer education, and less access to high-return employment opportunities. The long-term impact of low initial asset status appears to be perpetuated in this instance by difficulties in obtaining legal status in order to access state pensions, facilities, and opportunities. The usefulness of the results is that they can be used to sharpen the targeting of differentiated policy in a given geographical area for refugee communities in rural Africa. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:24348199

Positive social behaviours are induced and retained after oxytocin manipulations mimicking endogenous concentrations in a wild mammal

PubMed Central

Twiss, Sean D.; Hazon, Neil; Moss, Simon; Pomeroy, Patrick P.

2017-01-01

The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin modulates numerous social and parental behaviours across a wide range of species, including humans. We conducted manipulation experiments on wild grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) to determine whether oxytocin increases proximity-seeking behaviour, which has previously been correlated with endogenous oxytocin concentrations in wild seal populations. Pairs of seals that had never met previously were given intravenous injections of 0.41 µg kg−1 oxytocin or saline and were observed for 1 h post-manipulation. The dose was designed to mimic endogenous oxytocin concentrations during the observation period, and is one of the lowest doses used to manipulate behaviour to date. Seals given oxytocin spent significantly more time in close proximity to each other, confirming that oxytocin causes conspecifics to seek others out and remain close to one another. Aggressive and investigative behaviours also significantly fell after oxytocin manipulations. Despite using a minimal oxytocin dose, pro-social behavioural changes unexpectedly persisted for 2 days despite rapid dose clearance from circulation post-injection. This study verifies that oxytocin promotes individuals staying together, demonstrating how the hormone can form positive feedback loops of oxytocin release following conspecific stimuli, increased motivation to remain in close proximity and additional oxytocin release from stimuli received while in close proximity. PMID:28539519

Positive social behaviours are induced and retained after oxytocin manipulations mimicking endogenous concentrations in a wild mammal.

PubMed

Robinson, Kelly J; Twiss, Sean D; Hazon, Neil; Moss, Simon; Pomeroy, Patrick P

2017-05-31

The neuropeptide hormone oxytocin modulates numerous social and parental behaviours across a wide range of species, including humans. We conducted manipulation experiments on wild grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) to determine whether oxytocin increases proximity-seeking behaviour, which has previously been correlated with endogenous oxytocin concentrations in wild seal populations. Pairs of seals that had never met previously were given intravenous injections of 0.41 µg kg -1 oxytocin or saline and were observed for 1 h post-manipulation. The dose was designed to mimic endogenous oxytocin concentrations during the observation period, and is one of the lowest doses used to manipulate behaviour to date. Seals given oxytocin spent significantly more time in close proximity to each other, confirming that oxytocin causes conspecifics to seek others out and remain close to one another. Aggressive and investigative behaviours also significantly fell after oxytocin manipulations. Despite using a minimal oxytocin dose, pro-social behavioural changes unexpectedly persisted for 2 days despite rapid dose clearance from circulation post-injection. This study verifies that oxytocin promotes individuals staying together, demonstrating how the hormone can form positive feedback loops of oxytocin release following conspecific stimuli, increased motivation to remain in close proximity and additional oxytocin release from stimuli received while in close proximity. © 2017 The Authors.

Close proximity electrostatic effect from small clusters of emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dall'Agnol, Fernando F.; de Assis, Thiago A.

2017-10-01

Using a numerical simulation based on the finite-element technique, this work investigates the field emission properties from clusters of a few emitters at close proximity, by analyzing the properties of the maximum local field enhancement factor (γm ) and the corresponding emission current. At short distances between the emitters, we show the existence of a nonintuitive behavior, which consists of the increasing of γm as the distance c between the emitters decreases. Here we investigate this phenomenon for clusters with 2, 3, 4 and 7 identical emitters and study the influence of the proximity effect in the emission current, considering the role of the aspect ratio of the individual emitters. Importantly, our results show that peripheral emitters with high aspect-ratios in large clusters can, in principle, significantly increase the emitted current as a consequence only of the close proximity electrostatic effect (CPEE). This phenomenon can be seen as a physical mechanism to produce self-oscillations of individual emitters. We discuss new insights for understanding the nature of self-oscillations in emitters based on the CPEE, including applications to nanometric oscillators.

Close Encounters - Probing Proximal Proteins in Live or Fixed Cells.

PubMed

Lönn, Peter; Landegren, Ulf

2017-07-01

The well-oiled machinery of the cellular proteome operates via variable expression, modifications, and interactions of proteins, relaying genomic and transcriptomic information to coordinate cellular functions. In recent years, a number of techniques have emerged that serve to identify sets of proteins acting in close proximity in the course of orchestrating cellular activities. These proximity-dependent assays, including BiFC, BioID, APEX, FRET, and isPLA, have opened up new avenues to examine protein interactions in live or fixed cells. We review herein the current status of proximity-dependent in situ techniques. We compare the advantages and limitations of the methods, underlining recent progress and the growing importance of these techniques in basic research, and we discuss their potential as tools for drug development and diagnostics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Humor in the eye tracker: attention capture and distraction from context cues.

PubMed

Strick, Madelijn; Holland, Rob W; Van Baaren, Rick; Van Knippenberg, Ad

2010-01-01

The humor effect refers to a robust finding in memory research that humorous information is easily recalled, at the expense of recall of nonhumorous information that was encoded in close temporal proximity. Previous research suggests that memory retrieval processes underlie this effect. That is, free recall is biased toward humorous information, which interferes with the retrieval of nonhumorous information. The present research tested an additional explanation that has not been specifically addressed before: Humor receives enhanced attention during information encoding, which decreases attention for context information. Participants observed humorous, nonhumorous positive, and nonhumorous neutral texts paired with novel consumer brands, while their eye movements were recorded using eye-tracker technology. The results confirmed that humor receives prolonged attention relative to both positive and neutral nonhumorous information. This enhanced attention correlated with impaired brand recognition.

Single to Multiquasiparticle Excitations in the Itinerant Helical Magnet CeRhIn 5

DOE PAGES

Stock, C.; Rodriguez-Rivera, J. A.; Schmalzl, K.; ...

2015-06-19

Neutron scattering is used to measure the quantum spin fluctuations in CeRhIn 5 - the parent material of the eXIn 5 superconducting series. Out-of-plane spin fluctuations are gapped and localized in momentum, similar to the spin excitons in CeCoIn5. The in-plane fluctuations consist of sharp spin-wave excitations parameterized by a nearest neighbor exchange J RKKY =0.88 ± 0.05 meV that crossover to a temporally and spatially broad multiparticle spectrum with energies of ~ 2 × J RKKY . This continuum represents composite fluctuations that illustrate the breakdown of single magnons originating from the delicate energy balance between localized 4f andmore » itinerant behavior in a heavy metal. The experiment therefore shows how quasiparticle behavior is changed by the close proximity of quantum criticality.« less

Novel treatment for radiation optic neuropathy with intravenous bevacizumab.

PubMed

Farooq, Osman; Lincoff, Norah S; Saikali, Nicolas; Prasad, Dheerendra; Miletich, Robert S; Mechtler, Laszlo L

2012-12-01

Radiation optic neuropathy is a devastating form of vision loss that can occur months to years after radiation therapy for tumors and other lesions located in close proximity to the visual pathways. We present the case of a 24-year-old woman who underwent external beam radiation for treatment of a tectal pilocytic astrocytoma, and 5 years later she developed bilateral radiation optic neuropathy and radiation necrosis of the right temporal lobe. We opted to treat her with intravenous bevacizumab with 3 doses every 3 weeks, as well as dexamethasone and pentoxifylline. After the first infusion of bevacizumab, the patient noted improvement in vision and color vision, and a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging study showed that the previous enhancement of the optic nerves and chiasm was diminishing. Her vision improved dramatically and has remained stable over a 3-year period.

Conversion of just-continuous metallic films to large particulate substrates for metal-enhanced fluorescence

PubMed Central

Aslan, Kadir; Malyn, Stuart N.; Zhang, Yongxia; Geddes, Chris D.

2008-01-01

We report the effects of thermally annealing, non-, just-, and thick continuous silver films for their potential applications in metal-enhanced fluorescence, a near-field concept which can alter the free-space absorption and emissive properties of close-proximity fluorophores (excited states). We have chosen to anneal a noncontinuous particulate film 5 nm thick and two thicker continuous films, 15 and 25 nm thick, respectively. Our results show that the annealing of the 25 nm film has little effect on close-proximity fluorescence when coated with a monolayer of fluorophore-labeled protein. However, the 15 nm continuous film cracks upon annealing, producing large nanoparticles which are ideal for enhancing the fluorescence of close-proximity fluorophores that are indeed difficult to prepare by other wet-chemical deposition processes. The annealing of 5 nm noncontinuous particulate films (a control sample) has little influence on metal-enhanced fluorescence, as expected. PMID:19479004

Conversion of just-continuous metallic films to large particulate substrates for metal-enhanced fluorescence.

PubMed

Aslan, Kadir; Malyn, Stuart N; Zhang, Yongxia; Geddes, Chris D

2008-04-15

We report the effects of thermally annealing, non-, just-, and thick continuous silver films for their potential applications in metal-enhanced fluorescence, a near-field concept which can alter the free-space absorption and emissive properties of close-proximity fluorophores (excited states). We have chosen to anneal a noncontinuous particulate film 5 nm thick and two thicker continuous films, 15 and 25 nm thick, respectively. Our results show that the annealing of the 25 nm film has little effect on close-proximity fluorescence when coated with a monolayer of fluorophore-labeled protein. However, the 15 nm continuous film cracks upon annealing, producing large nanoparticles which are ideal for enhancing the fluorescence of close-proximity fluorophores that are indeed difficult to prepare by other wet-chemical deposition processes. The annealing of 5 nm noncontinuous particulate films (a control sample) has little influence on metal-enhanced fluorescence, as expected.

A Tissue Propagation Model for Validating Close-Proximity Biomedical Radiometer Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonds, Q.; Herzig, P.; Weller, T.

2016-01-01

The propagation of thermally-generated electromagnetic emissions through stratified human tissue is studied herein using a non-coherent mathematical model. The model is developed to complement subsurface body temperature measurements performed using a close proximity microwave radiometer. The model takes into account losses and reflections as thermal emissions propagate through the body, before being emitted at the skin surface. The derivation is presented in four stages and applied to the human core phantom, a physical representation of a stomach volume of skin, muscle, and blood-fatty tissue. A drop in core body temperature is simulated via the human core phantom and the response of the propagation model is correlated to the radiometric measurement. The results are comparable, with differences on the order of 1.5 - 3%. Hence the plausibility of core body temperature extraction via close proximity radiometry is demonstrated, given that the electromagnetic characteristics of the stratified tissue layers are known.

Increasing the Efficacy of SLNB in Cases of Malignant Melanoma Located in Close Proximity to the Lymphatic Basin

PubMed Central

Bogdanov-Berezovsky, Alexander; Pagkalos, Vasileios A.; Silberstein, Eldad; Xanthinaki, Arsinoi A.; Krieger, Yuval

2014-01-01

Background. Being predictive of the entire nodal bed, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is invaluable in the surgical management of melanoma. Although the concept is simple, sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification and removal can be technically challenging. Methods. A total of 102 consecutive patients have undergone SLNB in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of Soroka University Medical Center from 2009 to 2012. Patients have undergone SLNB using a radioactive tracer and blue stain in order to identify the SLN. Although SLNB usually precedes the wide excision of melanoma, primary lesions in close proximity (<10 cm) to the lymph basin require wide excision before beginning the SLN quest. Results. All pathology reports confirmed the excision of lymph nodes. Conclusions. When treating MM in close proximity to the lymph basin, changing the sequence of the SLNB procedure seems to increase the efficacy of the method. PMID:24660067

How humans search for targets through time: A review of data and theory from the attentional blink

PubMed Central

Dux, Paul E.; Marois, Réne

2009-01-01

Under conditions of rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), subjects display a reduced ability to report the second of two targets (Target 2; T2) in a stream of distractors if it appears within 200–500 ms of Target 1 (T1). This effect, known as the attentional blink (AB), has been central in characterizing the limits of humans’ ability to consciously perceive stimuli distributed across time. Here we review theoretical accounts of the AB and examine how they explain key findings in the literature. We conclude that the AB arises from attentional demands of T1 for selection, working memory encoding, episodic registration and response selection, which prevents this high-level central resource from being applied to T2 at short T1–T2 lags. T1 processing also transiently impairs the re-deployment of these attentional resources to subsequent targets, and the inhibition of distractors that appear in close temporal proximity to T2. While these findings are consistent with a multi-factorial account of the AB, they can also be largely explained by assuming that the activation of these multiple processes depend on a common capacity-limited attentional process to select behaviorally relevant events presented amongst temporally distributed distractors. Thus, at its core, the attentional blink may ultimately reveal the temporal limits of the deployment of selective attention. PMID:19933555

Residential Proximity to Major Roadways Is Associated With Increased Levels of AC133+ Circulating Angiogenic Cells.

PubMed

DeJarnett, Natasha; Yeager, Ray; Conklin, Daniel J; Lee, Jongmin; O'Toole, Timothy E; McCracken, James; Abplanalp, Wes; Srivastava, Sanjay; Riggs, Daniel W; Hamzeh, Ihab; Wagner, Stephen; Chugh, Atul; DeFilippis, Andrew; Ciszewski, Tiffany; Wyatt, Brad; Becher, Carrie; Higdon, Deirdre; Ramos, Kenneth S; Tollerud, David J; Myers, John A; Rai, Shesh N; Shah, Jasmit; Zafar, Nagma; Krishnasamy, Sathya S; Prabhu, Sumanth D; Bhatnagar, Aruni

2015-11-01

Previous studies have shown that residential proximity to a roadway is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. Yet, the nature of this association remains unclear, and its effect on individual cardiovascular disease risk factors has not been assessed. The objective of this study was to determine whether residential proximity to roadways influences systemic inflammation and the levels of circulating angiogenic cells. In a cross-sectional study, cardiovascular disease risk factors, blood levels of C-reactive protein, and 15 antigenically defined circulating angiogenic cell populations were measured in participants (n=316) with moderate-to-high cardiovascular disease risk. Attributes of roadways surrounding residential locations were assessed using geographic information systems. Associations between road proximity and cardiovascular indices were analyzed using generalized linear models. Close proximity (<50 m) to a major roadway was associated with lower income and higher rates of smoking but not C-reactive protein levels. After adjustment for potential confounders, the levels of circulating angiogenic cells in peripheral blood were significantly elevated in people living in close proximity to a major roadway (CD31(+)/AC133(+), AC133(+), CD34(+)/AC133(+), and CD34(+)/45(dim)/AC133(+) cells) and positively associated with road segment distance (CD31(+)/AC133(+), AC133(+), and CD34(+)/AC133(+) cells), traffic intensity (CD31(+)/AC133(+) and AC133(+) cells), and distance-weighted traffic intensity (CD31(+)/34(+)/45(+)/AC133(+) cells). Living close to a major roadway is associated with elevated levels of circulating cells positive for the early stem marker AC133(+). This may reflect an increased need for vascular repair. Levels of these cells in peripheral blood may be a sensitive index of cardiovascular injury because of residential proximity to roadways. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Ontogeny and Sexual Differences in Swimming Proximity to Conspecifics in Response to Visual Cues in Medaka Fish.

PubMed

Isoe, Yasuko; Konagaya, Yumi; Yokoi, Saori; Kubo, Takeo; Takeuchi, Hideaki

2016-06-01

Adult medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) exhibit complex social behaviors that depend mainly on visual cues from conspecifics. The ontogeny of visually-mediated social behaviors from larval/juvenile to adult medaka fish, however, is unknown. In the present study, we established a simple behavioral paradigm to evaluate the swimming proximity to conspecifics based on visual cues in an inter-individual interaction of two medaka fish throughout life. When two fish were placed separately in a cylindrical tank with a concentric transparent wall, the two fish maintained close proximity to each other. A normal fish inside the tank maintained proximity to an optic nerve-cut fish outside of the tank, while the converse was not true. This behavioral paradigm enabled us to quantify visually-induced motivation of a single fish inside the tank. The proximity was detected from larval/juvenile to adult fish. Larval fish, however, maintained close proximity not only to conspecifics, but also to heterospecifics. As the growth stage increased, the degree of proximity to heterospecifics decreased, suggesting that shoaling preferences toward conspecifics and/or visual ability to recognize conspecifics is refined and established according to the growth stage. Furthermore, the proximity of adult female fish was affected by their reproductive status and social familiarity. Only before spawning, adult females maintained closer proximity to familiar males rather than to unfamiliar males, suggesting that proximity was affected by familiarity in a female-specific manner. This simple behavioral paradigm will contribute to our understanding of the neural basis of the development of visually-mediated social behavior using medaka fish.

High Resolution Measurement of the Glycolytic Rate

PubMed Central

Bittner, Carla X.; Loaiza, Anitsi; Ruminot, Iván; Larenas, Valeria; Sotelo-Hitschfeld, Tamara; Gutiérrez, Robin; Córdova, Alex; Valdebenito, Rocío; Frommer, Wolf B.; Barros, L. Felipe

2010-01-01

The glycolytic rate is sensitive to physiological activity, hormones, stress, aging, and malignant transformation. Standard techniques to measure the glycolytic rate are based on radioactive isotopes, are not able to resolve single cells and have poor temporal resolution, limitations that hamper the study of energy metabolism in the brain and other organs. A new method is described in this article, which makes use of a recently developed FRET glucose nanosensor to measure the rate of glycolysis in single cells with high temporal resolution. Used in cultured astrocytes, the method showed for the first time that glycolysis can be activated within seconds by a combination of glutamate and K+, supporting a role for astrocytes in neurometabolic and neurovascular coupling in the brain. It was also possible to make a direct comparison of metabolism in neurons and astrocytes lying in close proximity, paving the way to a high-resolution characterization of brain energy metabolism. Single-cell glycolytic rates were also measured in fibroblasts, adipocytes, myoblasts, and tumor cells, showing higher rates for undifferentiated cells and significant metabolic heterogeneity within cell types. This method should facilitate the investigation of tissue metabolism at the single-cell level and is readily adaptable for high-throughput analysis. PMID:20890447

The discrimination of geoforensic trace material from close proximity locations by organic profiling using HPLC and plant wax marker analysis by GC.

PubMed

McCulloch, G; Dawson, L A; Ross, J M; Morgan, R M

2018-07-01

There is a need to develop a wider empirical research base to expand the scope for utilising the organic fraction of soil in forensic geoscience, and to demonstrate the capability of the analytical techniques used in forensic geoscience to discriminate samples at close proximity locations. The determination of wax markers from soil samples by GC analysis has been used extensively in court and is known to be effective in discriminating samples from different land use types. A new HPLC method for the analysis of the organic fraction of forensic sediment samples has also been shown recently to add value in conjunction with existing inorganic techniques for the discrimination of samples derived from close proximity locations. This study compares the ability of these two organic techniques to discriminate samples derived from close proximity locations and finds the GC technique to provide good discrimination at this scale, providing quantification of known compounds, whilst the HPLC technique offered a shorter and simpler sample preparation method and provided very good discrimination between groups of samples of different provenance in most cases. The use of both data sets together gave further improved accuracy rates in some cases, suggesting that a combined organic approach can provide added benefits in certain case scenarios and crime reconstruction contexts. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Charged Particle In-Situ Measurements in the Inner Saturnian Magnetosphere during the "grand Finale" of Cassini in 2016/2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krupp, N.; Roussos, E.; Mitchell, D. G.; Kollmann, P.; Paranicas, C.; Krimigis, S. M.; Hedman, M. M.; Dougherty, M. K.

2017-12-01

After 13 years in orbit around Saturn Cassini came to an end on 15 September 2017. The last phase of the mission was called the "Grand Finale" and consisted of high latitude orbits crossing the F-Ring 22 times between Nov 2016 and April 2017 followed by the so called proximal orbits passing the ring plane inside the D-ring. The roughly 7-day long F-ring orbits with periapsis at nearly the same local time allowed to study temporal variations of the particle distributions in the inner part of Saturn's magnetosphere while during the proximal orbits Cassini measured for the first time the charged particle environment in-situ inside the D-ring up to 2500 km above the 1-bar cloud level of the planet. In this presentation first results of the Low Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System LEMMS, part of the Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument MIMI during the "Grand Finale" will be summarized in detail, including the discovery of MeV particles close to Saturn, higher intensities of charged particles when Cassini was magnetically connected to the D-Ring, sharp dropouts at the inner edge of the D-ring as well as unexpected features and asymmetries in the particle measurements related to newly discovered ring arcs in the inner magnetosphere.

Temporal dynamics of biogeochemical processes at the Norman Landfill site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arora, Bhavna; Mohanty, Binayak P.; McGuire, Jennifer T.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.

2013-01-01

The temporal variability observed in redox sensitive species in groundwater can be attributed to coupled hydrological, geochemical, and microbial processes. These controlling processes are typically nonstationary, and distributed across various time scales. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate biogeochemical data sets from a municipal landfill site to identify the dominant modes of variation and determine the physical controls that become significant at different time scales. Data on hydraulic head, specific conductance, δ2H, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, and nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon were collected between 1998 and 2000 at three wells at the Norman Landfill site in Norman, OK. Wavelet analysis on this geochemical data set indicates that variations in concentrations of reactive and conservative solutes are strongly coupled to hydrologic variability (water table elevation and precipitation) at 8 month scales, and to individual eco-hydrogeologic framework (such as seasonality of vegetation, surface-groundwater dynamics) at 16 month scales. Apart from hydrologic variations, temporal variability in sulfate concentrations can be associated with different sources (FeS cycling, recharge events) and sinks (uptake by vegetation) depending on the well location and proximity to the leachate plume. Results suggest that nitrate concentrations show multiscale behavior across temporal scales for different well locations, and dominant variability in dissolved organic carbon for a closed municipal landfill can be larger than 2 years due to its decomposition and changing content. A conceptual framework that explains the variability in chemical concentrations at different time scales as a function of hydrologic processes, site-specific interactions, and/or coupled biogeochemical effects is also presented.

Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of High-Resolution Animal Networks: What Can We Learn from Domestic Animals?

PubMed

Chen, Shi; Ilany, Amiyaal; White, Brad J; Sanderson, Michael W; Lanzas, Cristina

2015-01-01

Animal social network is the key to understand many ecological and epidemiological processes. We used real-time location system (RTLS) to accurately track cattle position, analyze their proximity networks, and tested the hypothesis of temporal stationarity and spatial homogeneity in these networks during different daily time periods and in different areas of the pen. The network structure was analyzed using global network characteristics (network density), subgroup clustering (modularity), triadic property (transitivity), and dyadic interactions (correlation coefficient from a quadratic assignment procedure) at hourly level. We demonstrated substantial spatial-temporal heterogeneity in these networks and potential link between indirect animal-environment contact and direct animal-animal contact. But such heterogeneity diminished if data were collected at lower spatial (aggregated at entire pen level) or temporal (aggregated at daily level) resolution. The network structure (described by the characteristics such as density, modularity, transitivity, etc.) also changed substantially at different time and locations. There were certain time (feeding) and location (hay) that the proximity network structures were more consistent based on the dyadic interaction analysis. These results reveal new insights for animal network structure and spatial-temporal dynamics, provide more accurate descriptions of animal social networks, and allow more accurate modeling of multiple (both direct and indirect) disease transmission pathways.

Networks of volatility spillovers among stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumöhl, Eduard; Kočenda, Evžen; Lyócsa, Štefan; Výrost, Tomáš

2018-01-01

In our network analysis of 40 developed, emerging and frontier stock markets during the 2006-2014 period, we describe and model volatility spillovers during both the global financial crisis and tranquil periods. The resulting market interconnectedness is depicted by fitting a spatial model incorporating several exogenous characteristics. We document the presence of significant temporal proximity effects between markets and somewhat weaker temporal effects with regard to the US equity market - volatility spillovers decrease when markets are characterized by greater temporal proximity. Volatility spillovers also present a high degree of interconnectedness, which is measured by high spatial autocorrelation. This finding is confirmed by spatial regression models showing that indirect effects are much stronger than direct effects; i.e., market-related changes in 'neighboring' markets (within a network) affect volatility spillovers more than changes in the given market alone, suggesting that spatial effects simply cannot be ignored when modeling stock market relationships. Our results also link spillovers of escalating magnitude with increasing market size, market liquidity and economic openness.

Short-sighted confession decisions: the role of uncertain and delayed consequences.

PubMed

Yang, Yueran; Madon, Stephanie; Guyll, Max

2015-02-01

Suspects have a propensity to focus on short-term contingencies, giving disproportionate weight to the proximal consequences that are delivered by police during an interrogation, and too little consideration to the distal (and often more severe) consequences that may be levied by the judicial system if they are convicted. In this research, the authors examined whether the perceived uncertainty and temporal distance of distal consequences contribute to this propensity. Using the repetitive question paradigm (Madon et al., 2012), participants (N = 209) were interviewed about 20 prior criminal and unethical behaviors and were required to admit or deny each one. Participants' denials and admissions were paired with both a proximal consequence and a distal consequence, respectively. Results indicated that the distal consequence had less impact on participants' admission decisions when it was uncertain and temporally remote. These results provide evidence that the perceived uncertainty and temporal distance of future punishment are key factors that lead suspects to confess to crimes in exchange for short-term gains.

Quantification of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation by the proximal flow convergence method using two-dimensional colour Doppler and colour Doppler M-mode: influence of the mechanism of regurgitation.

PubMed

Grossmann, G; Giesler, M; Stein, M; Kochs, M; Höher, M; Hombach, V

1998-10-30

In patients with mitral (n=77: organic=49, functional=28) and tricuspid regurgitation (n=55: functional=54) quantified by angiography, the temporal variation of the proximal flow convergence region throughout systole was assessed by colour Doppler M-Mode, and peak and mean radius of the proximal isovelocity surface area for 28 cm/s blood flow velocity were measured. Additionally, the peak radius derived from two-dimensional colour Doppler was obtained. About 50% of the patients with mitral and tricuspid regurgitation showed a typical temporal variation of the flow convergence region related to the mechanism of regurgitation. The different proximal isovelocity surface area radii were similarly correlated to the angiographic grade in mitral and tricuspid regurgitation (rank correlation coefficients 0.55-0.89) and they differentiated mild to moderate (grade < or =II) from severe (grade > or =III) mitral and tricuspid regurgitation with comparable accuracy (82-96%). However, moderate mitral regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse in two patients was correctly classified by the mean M-mode radius and overestimated by both peak radii. Only half of the patients showed a typical variation of the flow convergence region related to the mechanism of regurgitation. The different proximal isovelocity surface area radii were suitable to quantify mitral and tricuspid regurgitation in most patients. However, in mitral regurgitation due to leaflet prolapse the use of the mean M-mode radius may avoid overestimation.

Remote Detection of Saline Intrusion in a Coastal Aquifer Using Borehole Measurements of Self-Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacAllister, DJ.; Jackson, M. D.; Butler, A. P.; Vinogradov, J.

2018-03-01

Two years of self-potential (SP) measurements were made in a monitoring borehole in the coastal UK Chalk aquifer. The borehole SP data showed a persistent gradient with depth, and temporal variations with a tidal power spectrum consistent with ocean tides. No gradient with depth was observed at a second coastal monitoring borehole ca. 1 km further inland, and no gradient or tidal power spectrum were observed at an inland site ca. 80 km from the coast. Numerical modeling suggests that the SP gradient recorded in the coastal monitoring borehole is dominated by the exclusion-diffusion potential, which arises from the concentration gradient across a saline front in close proximity to, but not intersecting, the base of the borehole. No such saline front is present at the two other monitoring sites. Modeling further suggests that the ocean tidal SP response in the borehole, measured prior to breakthrough of saline water, is dominated by the exclusion-diffusion potential across the saline front, and that the SP fluctuations are due to the tidal movement of the remote front. The electrokinetic potential, caused by changes in hydraulic head across the tide, is one order of magnitude too small to explain the observed SP data. The results suggest that in coastal aquifers, the exclusion-diffusion potential plays a dominant role in borehole SP when a saline front is nearby. The SP gradient with depth indicates the close proximity of the saline front to the borehole and changes in SP at the borehole reflect changes in the location of the saline front. Thus, SP monitoring can be used to facilitate more proactive management of abstraction and saline intrusion in coastal aquifers.

Pre-Surgical Integration of fMRI and DTI of the Sensorimotor System in Transcortical Resection of a High-Grade Insular Astrocytoma

PubMed Central

Ekstrand, Chelsea L.; Mickleborough, Marla J. S.; Fourney, Daryl R.; Gould, Layla A.; Lorentz, Eric J.; Ellchuk, Tasha; Borowsky, Ron W.

2016-01-01

Herein we report on a patient with a WHO Grade III astrocytoma in the right insular region in close proximity to the internal capsule who underwent a right frontotemporal craniotomy. Total gross resection of insular gliomas remains surgically challenging based on the possibility of damage to the corticospinal tracts. However, maximizing the extent of resection has been shown to decrease future adverse outcomes. Thus, the goal of such surgeries should focus on maximizing extent of resection while minimizing possible adverse outcomes. In this case, pre-surgical planning included integration of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to localize motor and sensory pathways. Novel fMRI tasks were individually developed for the patient to maximize both somatosensory and motor activation simultaneously in areas in close proximity to the tumor. Information obtained was used to optimize resection trajectory and extent, facilitating gross total resection of the astrocytoma. Across all three motor-sensory tasks administered, fMRI revealed an area of interest just superior and lateral to the astrocytoma. Further, DTI analyses showed displacement of the corona radiata around the superior dorsal surface of the astrocytoma, extending in the direction of the activation found using fMRI. Taking into account these results, a transcortical superior temporal gyrus surgical approach was chosen in order to avoid the area of interest identified by fMRI and DTI. Total gross resection was achieved and minor post-surgical motor and sensory deficits were temporary. This case highlights the utility of comprehensive pre-surgical planning, including fMRI and DTI, to maximize surgical outcomes on a case-by-case basis. PMID:27013996

Similarities and differences between on-scalp and conventional in-helmet magnetoencephalography recordings

PubMed Central

Pfeiffer, Christoph; Ruffieux, Silvia; Jousmäki, Veikko; Hämäläinen, Matti; Schneiderman, Justin F.; Lundqvist, Daniel

2017-01-01

The development of new magnetic sensor technologies that promise sensitivities approaching that of conventional MEG technology while operating at far lower operating temperatures has catalysed the growing field of on-scalp MEG. The feasibility of on-scalp MEG has been demonstrated via benchmarking of new sensor technologies performing neuromagnetic recordings in close proximity to the head surface against state-of-the-art in-helmet MEG sensor technology. However, earlier work has provided little information about how these two approaches compare, or about the reliability of observed differences. Herein, we present such a comparison, based on recordings of the N20m component of the somatosensory evoked field as elicited by electric median nerve stimulation. As expected from the proximity differences between the on-scalp and in-helmet sensors, the magnitude of the N20m activation as recorded with the on-scalp sensor was higher than that of the in-helmet sensors. The dipole pattern of the on-scalp recordings was also more spatially confined than that of the conventional recordings. Our results furthermore revealed unexpected temporal differences in the peak of the N20m component. An analysis protocol was therefore developed for assessing the reliability of this observed difference. We used this protocol to examine our findings in terms of differences in sensor sensitivity between the two types of MEG recordings. The measurements and subsequent analysis raised attention to the fact that great care has to be taken in measuring the field close to the zero-line crossing of the dipolar field, since it is heavily dependent on the orientation of sensors. Taken together, our findings provide reliable evidence that on-scalp and in-helmet sensors measure neural sources in mostly similar ways. PMID:28742118

The Grammaticalization of the Proximative in Tok Pisin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romaine, Suzanne

1999-01-01

Discusses grammaticalization of "laik" in Tok Pisin, meaning "want/like/desire" (from English "like") and "klostu," meaning "near" (from English "close to") as markers of proximative. Shows although "klostu" was more generally a feature of Pacific Pidgin English and began to…

SARS Control and Psychological Effects of Quarantine, Toronto, Canada

PubMed Central

Hawryluck, Laura; Gold, Wayne L.; Robinson, Susan; Pogorski, Stephen; Galea, Sandro

2004-01-01

As a transmissible infectious disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was successfully contained globally by instituting widespread quarantine measures. Although these measures were successful in terminating the outbreak in all areas of the world, the adverse effects of quarantine have not previously been determined in a systematic manner. In this hypothesis-generating study supported by a convenience sample drawn in close temporal proximity to the period of quarantine, we examined the psychological effects of quarantine on persons in Toronto, Canada. The 129 quarantined persons who responded to a Web-based survey exhibited a high prevalence of psychological distress. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression were observed in 28.9% and 31.2% of respondents, respectively. Longer durations of quarantine were associated with an increased prevalence of PTSD symptoms. Acquaintance with or direct exposure to someone with a diagnosis of SARS was also associated with PTSD and depressive symptoms. PMID:15324539

Determining density of maize canopy. 3: Temporal considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoner, E. R.; Baumgardner, M. F.; Anuta, P. E.; Cipra, J. E.

1972-01-01

Multispectral scanner data were collected in two flights over ground cover plots at an altitude of 305 m. Eight ground reflectance panels in close proximity to the ground cover plots were used to normalize the scanner data obtained on different dates. Separate prediction equations were obtained for both flight dates for all eleven reflective wavelength bands of the multispectral scanner. Ratios of normalized scanner data were related to leaf area index over time. Normalized scanner data were used to plot relative reflectance versus wavelength for the ground cover plots. Spectral response curves were similar to those for bare soil and green vegetation as determined by laboratory measurements. The spectral response curves from the normalized scanner data indicated that reflectance in the 0.72 to 1.3 micron wavelength range increased as leaf area index increased. A decrease in reflectance was observed in the 0.65 micron chlorophyll absorption band as leaf area index increased.

Vascular Mural Cells Promote Noradrenergic Differentiation of Embryonic Sympathetic Neurons.

PubMed

Fortuna, Vitor; Pardanaud, Luc; Brunet, Isabelle; Ola, Roxana; Ristori, Emma; Santoro, Massimo M; Nicoli, Stefania; Eichmann, Anne

2015-06-23

The sympathetic nervous system controls smooth muscle tone and heart rate in the cardiovascular system. Postganglionic sympathetic neurons (SNs) develop in close proximity to the dorsal aorta (DA) and innervate visceral smooth muscle targets. Here, we use the zebrafish embryo to ask whether the DA is required for SN development. We show that noradrenergic (NA) differentiation of SN precursors temporally coincides with vascular mural cell (VMC) recruitment to the DA and vascular maturation. Blocking vascular maturation inhibits VMC recruitment and blocks NA differentiation of SN precursors. Inhibition of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) signaling prevents VMC differentiation and also blocks NA differentiation of SN precursors. NA differentiation is normal in cloche mutants that are devoid of endothelial cells but have VMCs. Thus, PDGFR-mediated mural cell recruitment mediates neurovascular interactions between the aorta and sympathetic precursors and promotes their noradrenergic differentiation. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conjugated Polymers/DNA Hybrid Materials for Protein Inactivation.

PubMed

Zhao, Likun; Zhang, Jiangyan; Xu, Huiming; Geng, Hao; Cheng, Yongqiang

2016-09-07

Chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) is a powerful tool for analyzing protein functions due to the high degree of spatial and temporal resolution. In this work, we demonstrate a CALI approach based on conjugated polymers (CPs)/DNA hybrid material for protein inactivation. The target protein is conjugated with single-stranded DNA in advance. Single-stranded DNA can form CPs/DNA hybrid material with cationic CPs via electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Through the formation of CPs/DNA hybrid material, the target protein that is conjugated with DNA is brought into close proximity to CPs. Under irradiation, CPs harvest light and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in the inactivation of the adjacent target protein. This approach can efficiently inactivate any target protein which is conjugated with DNA and has good specificity and universality, providing a new strategy for studies of protein function and adjustment of protein activity.

An evaluation of tannery industry wastewater treatment sludge gasification by artificial neural network modeling.

PubMed

Ongen, Atakan; Ozcan, H Kurtulus; Arayıcı, Semiha

2013-12-15

This paper reports on the calorific value of synthetic gas (syngas) produced by gasification of dewatered sludge derived from treatment of tannery wastewater. Proximate and ultimate analyses of samples were performed. Thermochemical conversion alters the chemical structure of the waste. Dried air was used as a gasification agent at varying flow rates, which allowed the feedstock to be quickly converted into gas by means of different heterogeneous reactions. A lab-scale updraft fixed-bed steel reactor was used for thermochemical conversion of sludge samples. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling techniques were used to observe variations in the syngas related to operational conditions. Modeled outputs showed that temporal changes of model predictions were in close accordance with real values. Correlation coefficients (r) showed that the ANN used in this study gave results with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Counterion effects on the ultrafast dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent electrons.

PubMed

Rivas, N; Moriena, G; Domenianni, L; Hodak, J H; Marceca, E

2017-12-06

We performed femtosecond transient absorption (TA) experiments to monitor the solvation dynamics of charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) electrons originating from UV photoexcitation of ammoniated iodide in close proximity to the counterions. Solutions of KI were prepared in liquid ammonia and TA experiments were carried out at different temperatures and densities, along the liquid-gas coexistence curve of the fluid. The results complement previous femtosecond TA work by P. Vöhringer's group in neat ammonia via multiphoton ionization. The dynamics of CTTS-detached electrons in ammonia was found to be strongly affected by ion pairing. Geminate recombination time constants as well as escape probabilities were determined from the measured temporal profiles and analysed as a function of the medium density. A fast unresolved (τ < 250 fs) increase of absorption related to the creation/thermalization of solvated electron species was followed by two decay components: one with a characteristic time around 10 ps, and a slower one that remains active for hundreds of picoseconds. While the first process is attributed to an early recombination of (I, e - ) pairs, the second decay and its asymptote reflects the effect of the K + counterion on the geminate recombination dynamics, rate and yield. The cation basically acts as an electron anchor that restricts the ejection distance, leading to solvent-separated counterion-electron species. The formation of (K + , NH 3 , e - ) pairs close to the parent iodine atom brings the electron escape probability to very low values. Transient spectra of the electron species have also been estimated as a function of time by probing the temporal profiles at different wavelengths.

Binding of Sights and Sounds: Age-Related Changes in Multisensory Temporal Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillock, Andrea R.; Powers, Albert R.; Wallace, Mark T.

2011-01-01

We live in a multisensory world and one of the challenges the brain is faced with is deciding what information belongs together. Our ability to make assumptions about the relatedness of multisensory stimuli is partly based on their temporal and spatial relationships. Stimuli that are proximal in time and space are likely to be bound together by…

Near or far: The effect of spatial distance and vocabulary knowledge on word learning.

PubMed

Axelsson, Emma L; Perry, Lynn K; Scott, Emilly J; Horst, Jessica S

2016-01-01

The current study investigated the role of spatial distance in word learning. Two-year-old children saw three novel objects named while the objects were either in close proximity to each other or spatially separated. Children were then tested on their retention for the name-object associations. Keeping the objects spatially separated from each other during naming was associated with increased retention for children with larger vocabularies. Children with a lower vocabulary size demonstrated better retention if they saw objects in close proximity to each other during naming. This demonstrates that keeping a clear view of objects during naming improves word learning for children who have already learned many words, but keeping objects within close proximal range is better for children at earlier stages of vocabulary acquisition. The effect of distance is therefore not equal across varying vocabulary sizes. The influences of visual crowding, cognitive load, and vocabulary size on word learning are discussed. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of asphalt concrete acoustic performance in urban streets.

PubMed

Paje, S E; Bueno, M; Terán, F; Viñuela, U; Luong, J

2008-03-01

Geo-referenced close proximity rolling noise and sound absorption measurements are used for acoustical characterization of asphalt concrete surfaces in an urban environment. A close proximity noise map of streets with low speed limits is presented for a reference speed of 50 km/h. Different pavements and pavement conditions, common in urban streets, are analyzed: dense and semidense asphalt concrete, with Spanish denomination D-8 and S-12, respectively, and on the other hand, dense pavement at the end of its service life (D-8(*)). From the acoustics point of view, the most favorable surface, by more than 4 dB(A) compared with the S-12 mix, is the smoothest surface, i.e., the D-8 mix, even though it presents a minor absorption coefficient in normal incidence. Noise levels from dense surfaces (D-8) increase significantly over time, principally due to the appearance of surface defects such as cracks and ruts. Longitudinal variability of the close proximity tire/pavement noise emission and surface homogeneity are also analyzed.

Social Brain Hypothesis: Vocal and Gesture Networks of Wild Chimpanzees

PubMed Central

Roberts, Sam G. B.; Roberts, Anna I.

2016-01-01

A key driver of brain evolution in primates and humans is the cognitive demands arising from managing social relationships. In primates, grooming plays a key role in maintaining these relationships, but the time that can be devoted to grooming is inherently limited. Communication may act as an additional, more time-efficient bonding mechanism to grooming, but how patterns of communication are related to patterns of sociality is still poorly understood. We used social network analysis to examine the associations between close proximity (duration of time spent within 10 m per hour spent in the same party), grooming, vocal communication, and gestural communication (duration of time and frequency of behavior per hour spent within 10 m) in wild chimpanzees. This study examined hypotheses formulated a priori and the results were not corrected for multiple testing. Chimpanzees had differentiated social relationships, with focal chimpanzees maintaining some level of proximity to almost all group members, but directing gestures at and grooming with a smaller number of preferred social partners. Pairs of chimpanzees that had high levels of close proximity had higher rates of grooming. Importantly, higher rates of gestural communication were also positively associated with levels of proximity, and specifically gestures associated with affiliation (greeting, gesture to mutually groom) were related to proximity. Synchronized low-intensity pant-hoots were also positively related to proximity in pairs of chimpanzees. Further, there were differences in the size of individual chimpanzees' proximity networks—the number of social relationships they maintained with others. Focal chimpanzees with larger proximity networks had a higher rate of both synchronized low- intensity pant-hoots and synchronized high-intensity pant-hoots. These results suggest that in addition to grooming, both gestures and synchronized vocalizations may play key roles in allowing chimpanzees to manage a large and differentiated set of social relationships. Gestures may be important in reducing the aggression arising from being in close proximity to others, allowing for proximity to be maintained for longer and facilitating grooming. Vocalizations may allow chimpanzees to communicate with a larger number of recipients than gestures and the synchronized nature of the pant-hoot calls may facilitate social bonding of more numerous social relationships. As group sizes increased through human evolution, both gestures and synchronized vocalizations may have played important roles in bonding social relationships in a more time-efficient manner than grooming. PMID:27933005

Long-Distance and Proximal Romantic Relationship Satisfaction: Attachment and Closeness Predictors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Amber; Pistole, M. Carole

2009-01-01

Relationship satisfaction was examined in college student long-distance romantic relationships (LDRRs) and geographically proximal romantic relationships (PRRs). LDRR/PRR attachment style proportions and relationship satisfaction were similar. Multiple regression analyses revealed that low attachment avoidance contributed uniquely to high LDRR…

Robust adaptive relative position and attitude control for spacecraft autonomous proximity.

PubMed

Sun, Liang; Huo, Wei; Jiao, Zongxia

2016-07-01

This paper provides new results of the dynamical modeling and controller designing for autonomous close proximity phase during rendezvous and docking in the presence of kinematic couplings and model uncertainties. A globally defined relative motion mechanical model for close proximity operations is introduced firstly. Then, in spite of the kinematic couplings and thrust misalignment between relative rotation and relative translation, robust adaptive relative position and relative attitude controllers are designed successively. Finally, stability of the overall system is proved that the relative position and relative attitude are uniformly ultimately bounded, and the size of the ultimate bound can be regulated small enough by control system parameters. Performance of the controlled overall system is demonstrated via a representative numerical example. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatio-temporal distribution of injured elephants in Masai Mara and the putative negative and positive roles of the local community.

PubMed

Mijele, Domnic; Obanda, Vincent; Omondi, Patrick; Soriguer, Ramón C; Gakuya, Francis; Otiende, Moses; Hongo, Peter; Alasaad, Samer

2013-01-01

Very few studies have ever focused on the elephants that are wounded or killed as local communities attempt to scare these animals away from their settlements and farms, or on the cases in which local people take revenge after elephants have killed or injured humans. On the other hand, local communities live in close proximity to elephants and hence can play a positive role in elephant conservation by informing the authorities of the presence of injured elephants. Between 2007 and 2011, 129 elephants were monitored in Masai Mara (Kenya), of which 54 had various types of active (intentionally caused) or passive (non-intentionally caused) injuries. Also studied were 75 random control samples of apparently unaffected animals. The observed active injuries were as expected biased by age, with adults suffering more harm; on the other hand, no such bias was observed in the case of passive injuries. Bias was also observed in elephant sex since more males than females were passively and actively injured. Cases of passive and active injuries in elephants were negatively related to the proximity to roads and farms; the distribution of injured elephants was not affected by the presence of either human settlements or water sources. Overall more elephants were actively injured during the dry season than the wet season as expected. Local communities play a positive role by informing KWS authorities of the presence of injured elephants and reported 43% of all cases of injured elephants. Our results suggest that the negative effect of local communities on elephants could be predicted by elephant proximity to farms and roads. In addition, local communities may be able to play a more positive role in elephant conservation given that they are key informants in the early detection of injured elephants.

Piped water consumption in Ghana: A case study of temporal and spatial patterns of clean water demand relative to alternative water sources in rural small towns.

PubMed

Kulinkina, Alexandra V; Kosinski, Karen C; Liss, Alexander; Adjei, Michael N; Ayamgah, Gilbert A; Webb, Patrick; Gute, David M; Plummer, Jeanine D; Naumova, Elena N

2016-07-15

Continuous access to adequate quantities of safe water is essential for human health and socioeconomic development. Piped water systems (PWSs) are an increasingly common type of water supply in rural African small towns. We assessed temporal and spatial patterns in water consumption from public standpipes of four PWSs in Ghana in order to assess clean water demand relative to other available water sources. Low water consumption was evident in all study towns, which manifested temporally and spatially. Temporal variability in water consumption that is negatively correlated with rainfall is an indicator of rainwater preference when it is available. Furthermore, our findings show that standpipes in close proximity to alternative water sources such as streams and hand-dug wells suffer further reductions in water consumption. Qualitative data suggest that consumer demand in the study towns appears to be driven more by water quantity, accessibility, and perceived aesthetic water quality, as compared to microbiological water quality or price. In settings with chronic under-utilization of improved water sources, increasing water demand through household connections, improving water quality with respect to taste and appropriateness for laundry, and educating residents about health benefits of using piped water should be prioritized. Continued consumer demand and sufficient revenue generation are important attributes of a water service that ensure its function over time. Our findings suggest that analyzing water consumption of existing metered PWSs in combination with qualitative approaches may enable more efficient planning of community-based water supplies and support sustainable development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dopamine and temporal attention: An attentional blink study in Parkinson's disease patients on and off medication.

PubMed

Slagter, H A; van Wouwe, N C; Kanoff, K; Grasman, R P P P; Claassen, D O; van den Wildenberg, W P M; Wylie, S A

2016-10-01

The current study aimed to shed more light on the role of dopamine in temporal attention. To this end, we pharmacologically manipulated dopamine levels in a large sample of Parkinson's disease patients (n=63) while they performed an attentional blink (AB) task in which they had to identify two targets (T1 and T2) presented in close temporal proximity among distractors. We specifically examined 1) differences in the magnitude of the AB between unmedicated Parkinson patients, who have depleted levels of striatal dopamine, and healthy controls, and 2) effects of two dopaminergic medications (l-DOPA and dopamine agonists) on the AB in the Parkinson patients at the group level and as a function of individual baseline performance. In line with the notion that relatively low levels of striatal dopamine may impair target detection in general, Parkinson patients OFF medications displayed overall poor target perception compared to healthy controls. Moreover, as predicted, effects of dopaminergic medication on AB performance critically depended on individual baseline AB size, although this effect was only observed for l-DOPA. l-DOPA generally decreased the size of the AB in patients with a large baseline AB (i.e., OFF medications), while l-DOPA generally increased the AB in patients with a small baseline AB. These findings may support a role for dopamine in the AB and temporal attention, more generally and corroborate the notion that there is an optimum dopamine level for cognitive function. They also emphasize the need for more studies that examine the separate effects of DA agonists and l-DOPA on cognitive functioning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High speed multiphoton axial scanning through an optical fiber in a remotely scanned temporal focusing setup

PubMed Central

Straub, Adam; Durst, Michael E.; Xu, Chris

2011-01-01

Simultaneous spatial and temporal focusing is used to acquire high speed (200Hz), chemically specific axial scans of mouse skin through a single-mode fiber. The temporal focus is remotely scanned by modulating the group delay dispersion (GDD) at the proximal end of the fiber. No moving parts or electronics are required at the distal end. A novel GDD modulation technique is implemented using a piezo bimorph mirror in a folded grating pair to achieve a large GDD tuning range at high speed. PMID:21326638

Intramedullary Percutaneous Fixation of Extra-Articular Proximal and Middle Phalanx Fractures.

PubMed

Jovanovic, Nebojsa; Aldlyami, Ehab; Saraj, Basem; Fm Seidam, Mohamed; Badawi, Hamed; Shaat, Ahmed; Alawadi, Khalid; Dodakundi, Chaitanya

2018-06-01

Multiple methods have been described for treating unstable proximal and middle phalangeal fractures. Irrespective of using an open or closed technique of fixation, stiffness and extensor lag at the proximal/distal interphalangeal joint almost always occur. This issue can be avoided by allowing the patients to mobilize the fingers out of plaster or splint as early as possible from the day of surgery. We describe a technique of intramedullary percutaneous fixation of extra-articular proximal and middle phalanx fractures allowing immediate mobilization of fingers, concurrent stabilization with progressive healing and thus preventing such complications.

Spatial and temporal control of microwave triggered chemiluminescence: a protein detection platform.

PubMed

Previte, Michael J R; Aslan, Kadir; Geddes, Chris D

2007-09-15

We have combined the principles of microwave circuitry and antenna design and our recent work in microwave-triggered metal-enhanced chemiluminescence to now "trigger" chemically and enzyme-catalyzed chemiluminescent reactions with spatial and temporal control. With this technology platform, we achieve spatial and temporal control of enzyme and chemically catalyzed chemiluminescence reactions to achieve more than 500-fold increases in "on-demand" photon flux from chemically catalyzed chemiluminescent reactions. We also report a 6-fold increase in photon flux from HRP-catalyzed assays on disposable coverslips functionalized with HRP and placed proximal to the substrates modified with thin-film aluminum triangle disjointed "bow-tie" structures. In addition, we demonstrate the applicability of this technology to develop multiplexed or high-throughput chemiluminescent assays. We also demonstrate the clinical and biological relevance of this technology platform by affixing aluminum structures in proximity to HRP protein immobilized on nitrocellulose to improve the sensitivity for this model Western blot scheme by 50-fold. We believe analytical applications that rely on enzyme-catalyzed chemiluminescence, such as immunoassays, may greatly benefit from this new platform technology.

Mental traveling along psychological distances: The effects of cultural syndromes, perspective flexibility, and construal level.

PubMed

Wong, Vincent Chi; Wyer, Robert S

2016-07-01

Individuals' psychological distance from the stimuli they encounter in daily life can influence the abstractness or generality of the mental representations they form of these stimuli. However, these representations can also depend on the perspective from which the stimuli are construed. When individuals have either an individualistic social orientation or a short-term temporal orientation, they construe psychologically distal events more globally than they construe proximal ones, as implied by construal level theory (Trope & Liberman, 2010). When they have either a collectivistic social orientation or a long-term temporal orientation, however, they not only construe the implications of distal events more concretely than individuals with an egocentric perspective but also construe the implications of proximal events in more abstract terms. These effects are mediated by the flexibility of the perspectives that people take when they make judgments. Differences in perspective flexibility account for the impact of both situationally induced differences in social and temporal orientation and more chronic cultural differences in these orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Hybrid Air Quality Modeling Approach For Use in the Near ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Near-road EXposures to Urban air pollutant Study (NEXUS) investigated whether children with asthma living in close proximity to major roadways in Detroit, MI, (particularly near roadways with high diesel traffic) have greater health impacts associated with exposure to air pollutants than those living farther away. A major challenge in such health and exposure studies is the lack of information regarding pollutant exposure characterization. Air quality modeling can provide spatially and temporally varying exposure estimates for examining relationships between traffic-related air pollutants and adverse health outcomes. This paper presents a hybrid air quality modeling approach and its application in NEXUS in order to provide spatial and temporally varying exposure estimates and identification of the mobile source contribution to the total pollutant exposure. Model-based exposure metrics, associated with local variations of emissions and meteorology, were estimated using a combination of the AERMOD and R-LINE dispersion models, local emission source information from the National Emissions Inventory, detailed road network locations and traffic activity, and meteorological data from the Detroit City Airport. The regional background contribution was estimated using a combination of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model and the Space/Time Ordinary Kriging (STOK) model. To capture the near-road pollutant gradients, refined “mini-grids” of model recep

Functional and Physical Outcomes following Use of a Flexible CO2 Laser Fiber and Bipolar Electrocautery in Close Proximity to the Rat Sciatic Nerve with Correlation to an In Vitro Thermal Profile Model

PubMed Central

Robinson, A. M.; Fishman, A. J.; Bendok, B. R.; Richter, C.-P.

2015-01-01

This study compared functional and physical collateral damage to a nerve when operating a Codman MALIS Bipolar Electrosurgical System CMC-III or a CO2 laser coupled to a laser, with correlation to an in vitro model of heating profiles created by the devices in thermochromic ink agarose. Functional damage of the rat sciatic nerve after operating the MALIS or CO2 laser at various power settings and proximities to the nerve was measured by electrically evoked nerve action potentials, and histology of the nerve was used to assess physical damage. Thermochromic ink dissolved in agarose was used to model the spatial and temporal profile of the collateral heating zone of the electrosurgical system and the laser ablation cone. We found that this laser can be operated at 2 W directly above the nerve with minimal damage, while power settings of 5 W and 10 W resulted in acute functional and physical nerve damage, correlating with the maximal heating cone in the thermochromic ink model. MALIS settings up to 40 (11 W) did not result in major functional or physical nerve damage until the nerve was between the forceps tips, correlating with the hottest zone, localized discretely between the tips. PMID:25699266

Temporal coherence of two alpine lake basins of the Colorado Front Range, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baron, Jill S.; Caine, N.

2000-01-01

1. Knowledge of synchrony in trends is important to determining regional responses of lakes to disturbances such as atmospheric deposition and climate change. We explored the temporal coherence of physical and chemical characteristics of two series of mostly alpine lakes in nearby basins of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Using year-to-year variation over a 10-year period, we asked whether lakes more similar in exposure to the atmosphere be-haved more similarly than those with greater influence of catchment or in-lake processes.2. The Green Lakes Valley and Loch Vale Watershed are steeply incised basins with strong altitudinal gradients. There are glaciers at the heads of each catchment. The eight lakes studied are small, shallow and typically ice-covered for more than half the year. Snowmelt is the dominant hydrological event each year, flushing about 70% of the annual discharge from each lake between April and mid-July. The lakes do not thermally stratify during the period of open water. Data from these lakes included surface water temper-ature, sulphate, nitrate, calcium, silica, bicarbonate alkalinity and conductivity.3. Coherence was estimated by Pearson's correlation coefficient between lake pairs for each of the different variables. Despite close geographical proximity, there was not a strong direct signal from climatic or atmospheric conditions across all lakes in the study. Individual lake characteristics overwhelmed regional responses. Temporal coherence was higher for lakes within each basin than between basins and was highest for nearest neighbours.4. Among the Green Lakes, conductivity, alkalinity and temperature were temporally coherent, suggesting that these lakes were sensitive to climate fluctuations. Water tem-perature is indicative of air temperature, and conductivity and alkalinity concentrations are indicative of dilution from the amount of precipitation flushed through by snowmelt.5. In Loch Vale, calcium, conductivity, nitrate, sulphate and alkalinity were temporally coherent, while silica and temperature were not. This suggests that external influences are attenuated by internal catchment and lake processes in Loch Vale lakes. Calcium and sulphate are primarily weathering products, but sulphate derives both from deposition and from mineral weathering. Different proportions of snowmelt versus groundwater in different years could influence summer lake concentrations. Nitrate is elevated in lake waters from atmospheric deposition, but the internal dynamics of nitrate and silica may be controlled by lake food webs. Temperature is attenuated by inconsistently different climates across altitude and glacial meltwaters.6. It appears that, while the lakes in the two basins are topographically close, geologically and morphologically similar, and often connected by streams, only some attributes are temporally coherent. Catchment and in-lake processes influenced temporal patterns, especially for temperature, alkalinity and silica. Montane lakes with high altitudinal gradients may be particularly prone to local controls compared to systems where coherence is more obvious.

Surgical implications of perimodiolar cochlear implant electrode design: avoiding intracochlear damage and scala vestibuli insertion.

PubMed

Briggs, R J; Tykocinski, M; Saunders, E; Hellier, W; Dahm, M; Pyman, B; Clark, G M

2001-09-01

To review the mechanisms and nature of intracochlear damage associated with cochlear implant electrode array insertion, in particular, the various perimodiolar electrode designs. Make recommendations regarding surgical techniques for the Nucleus Contour electrode to ensure correct position and minimal insertion trauma. The potential advantages of increased modiolar proximity of intracochlear multichannel electrode arrays are a reduction in stimulation thresholds, an increase in dynamic range and more localized neural excitation. This may improve speech perception and reduce power consumption. These advantages may be negated if increased intracochlear damage results from the method used to position the electrodes close to the modiolus. A review of the University of Melbourne Department of Otolaryngology experience with temporal bone safety studies using the Nucleus standard straight electrode array and a variety of perimodiolar electrode array designs; comparison with temporal bone insertion studies from other centres and postmortem histopathology studies reported in the literature. Review of our initial clinical experience using the Nucleus Contour electrode array. The nature of intracochlear damage resulting from electrode insertion trauma ranges from minor, localized, spiral ligament tear to diffuse organ of Corti disruption and osseous spiral lamina fracture. The type of damage depends on the mechanical characteristics of the electrode array, the stiffness, curvature and size of the electrode in relation to the scala, and the surgical technique. The narrow, flexible, straight arrays are the least traumatic. Pre-curved or stiffer arrays are associated with an incidence of basilar membrane perforation. The cochleostomy must be correctly sited in relation to the round window to ensure scala tympani insertion. A cochleostomy anterior to the round window rather than inferior may lead to scala media or scala vestibuli insertion. Proximity of electrodes to the modiolus can be achieved without intracochlear damage provided the electrode array is a free fit within the scala, of appropriate size and shape, and accurate scala tympani insertion is performed.

Microseismic Event Grouping Based on PageRank Linkage at the Newberry Volcano Geothermal Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguiar, A. C.; Myers, S. C.

2016-12-01

The Newberry Volcano DOE FORGE site in Central Oregon has been stimulated two times using high-pressure fluid injection to study the Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology. Several hundred microseismic events were generated during the first stimulation in the fall of 2012. Initial locations of this microseismicity do not show well defined subsurface structure in part because event location uncertainties are large (Foulger and Julian, 2013). We focus on this stimulation to explore the spatial and temporal development of microseismicity, which is key to understanding how subsurface stimulation modifies stress, fractures rock, and increases permeability. We use PageRank, Google's initial search algorithm, to determine connectivity within the events (Aguiar and Beroza, 2014) and assess signal-correlation topology for the micro-earthquakes. We then use this information to create signal families and compare these to the spatial and temporal proximity of associated earthquakes. We relocate events within families (identified by PageRank linkage) using the Bayesloc approach (Myers et al., 2007). Preliminary relocations show tight spatial clustering of event families as well as evidence of events relocating to a different cluster than originally reported. We also find that signal similarity (linkage) at several stations, not just one or two, is needed in order to determine that events are in close proximity to one another. We show that indirect linkage of signals using PageRank is a reliable way to increase the number of events that are confidently determined to be similar to one another, which may lead to efficient and effective grouping of earthquakes with similar physical characteristics, such as focal mechanisms and stress drop. Our ultimate goal is to determine whether changes in the state of stress and/or changes in the generation of subsurface fracture networks can be detected using PageRank topology as well as aid in the event relocation to obtain more accurate subsurface structure. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-699142.

Note: Spin-exchange optical pumping in a van

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

Chauvin, C.; Liagre, L.; Boutin, C.

2016-01-15

The advent of spin-hyperpolarization techniques designed to overcome the sensitivity issue of nuclear magnetic resonance owing to polarization transfer from more ordered systems has recently raised great enthusiasm. However, the out-of-equilibrium character of the polarization requires a close proximity between the area of production and the site of use. We present here a mobile spin-exchange optical pumping setup that enables production of laser-polarized noble gases in a standalone mode, in close proximity to hospitals or research laboratories. Only compressed air and mains power need to be supplied by the host laboratory.

Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration

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

The SPIRE system consists of software for visual analysis of primarily text based information sources. This technology enables the content analysis of text documents without reading all the documents. It employs several algorithms for text and word proximity analysis. It identifies the key themes within the text documents. From this analysis, it projects the results onto a visual spatial proximity display (Galaxies or Themescape) where items (documents and/or themes) visually close to each other are known to have content which is close to each other. Innovative interaction techniques then allow for dynamic visual analysis of large text based information spaces.

SPIRE1.03. Spatial Paradigm for Information Retrieval and Exploration

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

Adams, K.J.; Bohn, S.; Crow, V.

The SPIRE system consists of software for visual analysis of primarily text based information sources. This technology enables the content analysis of text documents without reading all the documents. It employs several algorithms for text and word proximity analysis. It identifies the key themes within the text documents. From this analysis, it projects the results onto a visual spatial proximity display (Galaxies or Themescape) where items (documents and/or themes) visually close to each other are known to have content which is close to each other. Innovative interaction techniques then allow for dynamic visual analysis of large text based information spaces.

Phase-Discriminating Capacitive Sensor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vranish, John M.; Rahim, Wadi

1993-01-01

Crosstalk eliminated by maintaining voltages on all electrodes at same amplitude, phase, and frequency. Each output feedback-derived control voltage, change of which indicates proximity-induced change in capacitance of associated sensing electrode. Sensors placed close together, enabling imaging of sort. Images and/or output voltages used to guide robots in proximity to various objects.

Closed geometric models in medical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagannathan, Lakshmipathy; Nowinski, Wieslaw L.; Raphel, Jose K.; Nguyen, Bonnie T.

1996-04-01

Conventional surface fitting methods give twisted surfaces and complicates capping closures. This is a typical character of surfaces that lack rectangular topology. We suggest an algorithm which overcomes these limitations. The analysis of the algorithm is presented with experimental results. This algorithm assumes the mass center lying inside the object. Both capping closure and twisting are results of inadequate information on the geometric proximity of the points and surfaces which are proximal in the parametric space. Geometric proximity at the contour level is handled by mapping the points along the contour onto a hyper-spherical space. The resulting angular gradation with respect to the centroid is monotonic and hence avoids the twisting problem. Inter-contour geometric proximity is achieved by partitioning the point set based on the angle it makes with the respective centroids. Avoidance of capping complications is achieved by generating closed cross curves connecting curves which are reflections about the abscissa. The method is of immense use for the generation of the deep cerebral structures and is applied to the deep structures generated from the Schaltenbrand- Wahren brain atlas.

Spike Train Similarity Space (SSIMS) Method Detects Effects of Obstacle Proximity and Experience on Temporal Patterning of Bat Biosonar

PubMed Central

Accomando, Alyssa W.; Vargas-Irwin, Carlos E.; Simmons, James A.

2018-01-01

Bats emit biosonar pulses in complex temporal patterns that change to accommodate dynamic surroundings. Efforts to quantify these patterns have included analyses of inter-pulse intervals, sonar sound groups, and changes in individual signal parameters such as duration or frequency. Here, the similarity in temporal structure between trains of biosonar pulses is assessed. The spike train similarity space (SSIMS) algorithm, originally designed for neural activity pattern analysis, was applied to determine which features of the environment influence temporal patterning of pulses emitted by flying big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus. In these laboratory experiments, bats flew down a flight corridor through an obstacle array. The corridor varied in width (100, 70, or 40 cm) and shape (straight or curved). Using a relational point-process framework, SSIMS was able to discriminate between echolocation call sequences recorded from flights in each of the corridor widths. SSIMS was also able to tell the difference between pulse trains recorded during flights where corridor shape through the obstacle array matched the previous trials (fixed, or expected) as opposed to those recorded from flights with randomized corridor shape (variable, or unexpected), but only for the flight path shape in which the bats had previous training. The results show that experience influences the temporal patterns with which bats emit their echolocation calls. It is demonstrated that obstacle proximity to the bat affects call patterns more dramatically than flight path shape. PMID:29472848

Spike Train Similarity Space (SSIMS) Method Detects Effects of Obstacle Proximity and Experience on Temporal Patterning of Bat Biosonar.

PubMed

Accomando, Alyssa W; Vargas-Irwin, Carlos E; Simmons, James A

2018-01-01

Bats emit biosonar pulses in complex temporal patterns that change to accommodate dynamic surroundings. Efforts to quantify these patterns have included analyses of inter-pulse intervals, sonar sound groups, and changes in individual signal parameters such as duration or frequency. Here, the similarity in temporal structure between trains of biosonar pulses is assessed. The spike train similarity space (SSIMS) algorithm, originally designed for neural activity pattern analysis, was applied to determine which features of the environment influence temporal patterning of pulses emitted by flying big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus . In these laboratory experiments, bats flew down a flight corridor through an obstacle array. The corridor varied in width (100, 70, or 40 cm) and shape (straight or curved). Using a relational point-process framework, SSIMS was able to discriminate between echolocation call sequences recorded from flights in each of the corridor widths. SSIMS was also able to tell the difference between pulse trains recorded during flights where corridor shape through the obstacle array matched the previous trials (fixed, or expected) as opposed to those recorded from flights with randomized corridor shape (variable, or unexpected), but only for the flight path shape in which the bats had previous training. The results show that experience influences the temporal patterns with which bats emit their echolocation calls. It is demonstrated that obstacle proximity to the bat affects call patterns more dramatically than flight path shape.

Correlation between social proximity and mobility similarity.

PubMed

Fan, Chao; Liu, Yiding; Huang, Junming; Rong, Zhihai; Zhou, Tao

2017-09-20

Human behaviors exhibit ubiquitous correlations in many aspects, such as individual and collective levels, temporal and spatial dimensions, content, social and geographical layers. With rich Internet data of online behaviors becoming available, it attracts academic interests to explore human mobility similarity from the perspective of social network proximity. Existent analysis shows a strong correlation between online social proximity and offline mobility similarity, namely, mobile records between friends are significantly more similar than between strangers, and those between friends with common neighbors are even more similar. We argue the importance of the number and diversity of common friends, with a counter intuitive finding that the number of common friends has no positive impact on mobility similarity while the diversity plays a key role, disagreeing with previous studies. Our analysis provides a novel view for better understanding the coupling between human online and offline behaviors, and will help model and predict human behaviors based on social proximity.

Residential proximity to electromagnetic field sources and birth weight: Minimizing residual confounding using multiple imputation and propensity score matching.

PubMed

de Vocht, Frank; Lee, Brian

2014-08-01

Studies have suggested that residential exposure to extremely low frequency (50 Hz) electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) from high voltage cables, overhead power lines, electricity substations or towers are associated with reduced birth weight and may be associated with adverse birth outcomes or even miscarriages. We previously conducted a study of 140,356 singleton live births between 2004 and 2008 in Northwest England, which suggested that close residential proximity (≤ 50 m) to ELF-EMF sources was associated with reduced average birth weight of 212 g (95%CI: -395 to -29 g) but not with statistically significant increased risks for other adverse perinatal outcomes. However, the cohort was limited by missing data for most potentially confounding variables including maternal smoking during pregnancy, which was only available for a small subgroup, while also residual confounding could not be excluded. This study, using the same cohort, was conducted to minimize the effects of these problems using multiple imputation to address missing data and propensity score matching to minimize residual confounding. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation using chained equations to generate five datasets. For each dataset 115 exposed women (residing ≤ 50 m from a residential ELF-EMF source) were propensity score matched to 1150 unexposed women. After doubly robust confounder adjustment, close proximity to a residential ELF-EMF source remained associated with a reduction in birth weight of -116 g (95% confidence interval: -224:-7 g). No effect was found for proximity ≤ 100 m compared to women living further away. These results indicate that although the effect size was about half of the effect previously reported, close maternal residential proximity to sources of ELF-EMF remained associated with suboptimal fetal growth. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proximity Begins with a Smile, But Which One? Associating Non-duchenne Smiles with Higher Psychological Distance

PubMed Central

Bogodistov, Yevgen; Dost, Florian

2017-01-01

This study reveals that Duchenne (genuine) and non-Duchenne (non-genuine, polite) smiles are implicitly associated with psychological proximity and distance, respectively. These findings link two extensive research streams from human communication and psychology. Interestingly, extant construal-level theory research suggests the link may work as smiles signaling either a benign situation or politeness, resulting in conflicting predictions for the association between smile type and psychological distance. The current study uses implicit association tests to reveal theoretically and empirically consistent non-Duchenne-smile–distance and Duchenne-smile–proximity associations for all four types of psychological distance: temporal, spatial, social, and hypothetical. Practically, the results suggest several useful applications of non-Duchenne smiles in human communication contexts. PMID:28848483

The Draw of Home: How Teachers' Preferences for Proximity Disadvantage Urban Schools. NBER Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Donald; Lankford, Hamilton; Loeb, Susanna; Wyckoff, James

This paper explores a little-understood aspect of labor markets, their spatial geography. Using data from New York State, it finds teacher labor markets to be geographically very small. Teachers express preferences to teach close to where they grew up, and, controlling for proximity, they prefer areas with characteristics similar to their…

Relative Proximity Theory: Measuring the Gap between Actual and Ideal Online Course Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swart, William; MacLeod, Kenneth; Paul, Ravi; Zhang, Aixiu; Gagulic, Mario

2014-01-01

Based on the Theory of Transactional Distance and Needs Assessment, this article reports a procedure for quantitatively measuring how close the actual delivery of a course was to ideal, as perceived by students. It extends Zhang's instrument and prescribes the computational steps to calculate relative proximity at the element and construct…

Dirac-electron-mediated magnetic proximity effect in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

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

Li, Mingda; Song, Qichen; Zhao, Weiwei

The possible realization of dissipationless chiral edge current in a topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructure is based on the condition that the magnetic proximity exchange coupling at the interface is dominated by the Dirac surface states of the topological insulator. We report a polarized neutron reflectometry observation of Dirac-electron-mediated magnetic proximity effect in a bulk-insulating topological insulator (Bi 0.2Sb 0.8) 2Te 3/magnetic insulator EuS heterostructure. We are able to maximize the proximity-induced magnetism by applying an electrical back gate to tune the Fermi level of topological insulator to be close to the Dirac point. A phenomenological model based on diamagnetic screeningmore » is developed to explain the suppressed proximity-induced magnetism at high carrier density. Our work paves the way to utilize the magnetic proximity effect at the topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterointerface for low-power spintronic applications.« less

Dirac-electron-mediated magnetic proximity effect in topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Li, Mingda; Song, Qichen; Zhao, Weiwei; ...

2017-11-01

The possible realization of dissipationless chiral edge current in a topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterostructure is based on the condition that the magnetic proximity exchange coupling at the interface is dominated by the Dirac surface states of the topological insulator. We report a polarized neutron reflectometry observation of Dirac-electron-mediated magnetic proximity effect in a bulk-insulating topological insulator (Bi 0.2Sb 0.8) 2Te 3/magnetic insulator EuS heterostructure. We are able to maximize the proximity-induced magnetism by applying an electrical back gate to tune the Fermi level of topological insulator to be close to the Dirac point. A phenomenological model based on diamagnetic screeningmore » is developed to explain the suppressed proximity-induced magnetism at high carrier density. Our work paves the way to utilize the magnetic proximity effect at the topological insulator/magnetic insulator heterointerface for low-power spintronic applications.« less

Disorders of Arousal From Sleep and Violent Behavior: The Role of Physical Contact and Proximity

PubMed Central

Pressman, Mark R.

2007-01-01

Study Objectives: To review medical and legal case reports to determine how many appear to support the belief that violence against other individuals that occurs during Disorders of Arousal - sleepwalking, confusional arousal, and sleep terrors – is triggered by direct physical contact or close proximity to that individual and does not occur randomly or spontaneously. Design: Historical review of case reports in the medical and legal literature. Measurements and Results: A total of 32 cases drawn from medical and legal literature were reviewed. Each case contained a record of violence associated with Disorders of Arousal; in each, details of the violent behavior were available. Violent behaviors associated with provocations and/or close proximity were found to be present in 100% of confusional arousal patients and 81% of sleep terror patients. Violent behaviors were associated with provocation or close proximity in 40%–90% of sleepwalking cases, depending on whether the legal verdict and other factors were taken into account. Often the provocation was quite minor and the response greatly exaggerated. The specific manner in which the violence was triggered differed among sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and sleep terrors. Conclusions: In the cases reviewed, violent behavior directed against other individuals associated with Disorders of Arousal most frequently appeared to follow direct provocation by, or close proximity to, another individual. Sleepwalkers most often did not seek out victims, but rather the victims sought out or encountered the sleepwalker. These conclusions are tempered by several limitations: the selection of cases was not random and may not represent an accurate sample of violent behaviors associated with Disorders of Arousal. Also, final verdicts by juries in reported legal cases should not be confused with scientific proof of the presence or absence of sleepwalking. The pathophysiology of Disorders of Arousal with and without violent behavior could be associated with normally occurring deactivation of the frontal lobes during slow wave sleep (SWS) connected via atypically active thalamocortical pathways to the limbic areas. It is not known if the violent sleepwalker, confusional arousal patient, or sleep terror patient differs from other patients with these disorders. The conclusions of this case series await confirmation by the results of future sleep laboratory based studies. Citation: Pressman MR. Disorders of arousal from sleep and violent behavior: the role of physical contact and proximity. SLEEP 2007;30(8):1039–1047. PMID:17702274

[Close reduction combined with minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis for proximal and distal tibial fractures: a report of 56 patients].

PubMed

Liu, Yin-Wen; Kuang, Yong; Gu, Xin-Feng; Zheng, Yu-Xin; Li, Zhi-Qiang; Wei, Xiao-En; Zhang, Ming-Cai; Zhan, Hong-Sheng; Shi, Yin-yu

2013-03-01

To evaluate the clinical effects of close reduction combined with minimally invasive percutanous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) for proximal and distal tibial fractures. From March 2007 to December 2010, 56 patients with proximal and distal tibial fractures were treated with close reduction combined with MIPPO technique. There were 39 males and 17 females,aged from 22 to 67 years with an average of 41.3 years. Left fracture was in 25 cases and right fracture was in 31 cases; proximal tibial fracture was in 15 cases and distal tibial fractures was in 41 cases; 34 cases caused by fall down and 22 cases caused by road accident. The mean time from injury to operation was 1.7 d. Clinical manifestation included pain, swelling of leg with limitation of activity. According to the standard of Johner-Wruhs, clinical effects were evaluated. The mean operative time was 46 min in 56 patients. All fractures obtained satisfactory reduction and the location of plate was good. Incisions healed with one-stage and no superficial or deep infection was found. All the patients were followed up from 8 to 23 months with an average of 14.2 months. Only one fracture complication with delayed union,and after auto grafting with ilium bone,the fracture got union. Other 55 cases obtained bone healing in 15 to 20 weeks after operation and no internal fixation failure was found. The time of walking was 4-6 months after operation,without limping at 7 months after operation. Both lower extremities were symmetrical and the function of knee and ankle got complete recovery. According to the criteria of Johner-Wruhs score,46 cases obtained excellent results,9 good and 2 fair. Treatment of proximal and distal tibial fractures with close reduction and MIPPO technique can not only preserve soft tissue,simplify operative procedure and decrease wound, but also can obtain rigid internal fixation and guarantee early function exercises of knee and ankle joints. The method has the advantages of less soft tissue injury, less blood loss, reliable fixation, which is effective method in treating proximal and distal tibial fractures and corresponds with the standpoint of biological fixation.

A Spatial-frequency Method for Analyzing Antenna-to-Probe Interactions in Near-field Antenna Measurements.

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

Brock, Billy C.

The measurement of the radiation characteristics of an antenna on a near-field range requires that the antenna under test be located very close to the near-field probe. Although the direct coupling is utilized for characterizing the near field, this close proximity also presents the opportunity for significant undesired interactions (for example, reflections) to occur between the antenna and the near-field probe. When uncompensated, these additional interactions will introduce error into the measurement, increasing the uncertainty in the final gain pattern obtained through the near-field-to-far-field transformation. Quantifying this gain-uncertainty contribution requires quantifying the various additional interactions. A method incorporating spatial-frequency analysismore » is described which allows the dominant interaction contributions to be easily identified and quantified. In addition to identifying the additional antenna-to-probe interactions, the method also allows identification and quantification of interactions with other nearby objects within the measurement room. Because the method is a spatial-frequency method, wide-bandwidth data is not required, and it can be applied even when data is available at only a single temporal frequency. This feature ensures that the method can be applied to narrow-band antennas, where a similar time-domain analysis would not be possible. - 3 - - 4 -« less

Recharge signal identification based on groundwater level observations.

PubMed

Yu, Hwa-Lung; Chu, Hone-Jay

2012-10-01

This study applied a method of the rotated empirical orthogonal functions to directly decompose the space-time groundwater level variations and determine the potential recharge zones by investigating the correlation between the identified groundwater signals and the observed local rainfall records. The approach is used to analyze the spatiotemporal process of piezometric heads estimated by Bayesian maximum entropy method from monthly observations of 45 wells in 1999-2007 located in the Pingtung Plain of Taiwan. From the results, the primary potential recharge area is located at the proximal fan areas where the recharge process accounts for 88% of the spatiotemporal variations of piezometric heads in the study area. The decomposition of groundwater levels associated with rainfall can provide information on the recharge process since rainfall is an important contributor to groundwater recharge in semi-arid regions. Correlation analysis shows that the identified recharge closely associates with the temporal variation of the local precipitation with a delay of 1-2 months in the study area.

Large-scale patterns formed by solar active regions during the ascending phase of cycle 21

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaizauskas, V.; Harvey, K. L.; Harvey, J. W.; Zwaan, C.

1983-02-01

Synoptic maps of photospheric magnetic fields prepared at the Kitt Peak National Observatory are used in investigating large-scale patterns in the spatial and temporal distribution of solar active regions for 27 solar rotations between 1977 and 1979. The active regions are found to be distributed in 'complexes of activity' (Bumba and Howard, 1965). With the working definition of a complex of activity based on continuity and proximity of the constituent active regions, the phenomenology of complexes is explored. It is found that complexes of activity form within one month and that they are typically maintained for 3 to 6 solar rotations by fresh injections of magnetic flux. During the active lifetime of a complex of activity, the total magnetic flux in the complex remains steady to within a factor of 2. The magnetic polarities are closely balanced, and each complex rotates about the sun at its own special, constant rate. In certain cases, the complexes form two diverging branches.

Merchant ships discharging unwanted marine species in close proximity of a French aquaculture area: risks involved.

PubMed

Masson, Daniel; Thomas, Gerard; Genauzeau, Sylvie; Le Moine, Olivier; Derrien, Annick

2013-12-15

The most important oyster farming area in Europe is in a close proximity of two medium size merchant ports. Cargo ships deballast in this area before loading, releasing unwanted or noxious marine species. During a sampling campaign aboard these arriving ships, we found in some ballast water samples a huge number of potentially toxic dinoflagellates and some potentially pathogenic bacteria. A model was applied to find the potential geographical spread of the discharged ballast water. This model predicts the water to reach highly vulnerable shellfish farmed areas in six to eight days. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coronectomy of Deeply Impacted Lower Third Molar: Incidence of Outcomes and Complications after One Year Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Heijsters, Guido; Salem, Ahmed Sobhy; Van Slycke, Sarah; Schepers, Serge; Politis, Constantinus; Vrielinck, Luc

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Objectives The purpose of present study was to assess the surgical management of impacted third molar with proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve and complications associated with coronectomy in a series of patients undergoing third molar surgery. Material and Methods The position of the mandibular canal in relation to the mandibular third molar region and mandibular foramen in the front part of the mandible (i.e., third molar in close proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve [IAN] or not) was identified on panoramic radiographs of patients scheduled for third molar extraction. Results Close proximity to the IAN was observed in 64 patients (35 females, 29 males) with an impacted mandibular third molar. Coronectomy was performed in these patients. The most common complication was tooth migration away from the mandibular canal (n = 14), followed by root exposure (n = 5). Re-operation to remove the root was performed in cases with periapical infection and root exposure. Conclusions The results indicate that coronectomy can be considered a reasonable and safe treatment alternative for patients who demonstrate elevated risk for injury to the inferior alveolar nerve with removal of the third molars. Coronectomy did not increase the incidence of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve and would be safer than complete extraction in situations in which the root of the mandibular third molar overlaps or is in close proximity to the mandibular canal. PMID:26229580

Selective deficits of grip force control during object manipulation in patients with reduced sensibility of the grasping digits.

PubMed

Nowak, Dennis A; Hermsdörfer, Joachim

2003-09-01

Persons with impaired manual sensibility frequently report problems to use the hand in manipulative tasks, such as using tools or buttoning a shirt. At least two control processes determine grip forces during voluntary object manipulation. Anticipatory force control specifies the motor commands on the basis of predictions about physical object properties and the consequences of our own actions. Feedback sensory information from the grasping digits, representing mechanical events at the skin-object interface, automatically modifies grip force according to the actual loading requirements and updates sensorimotor memories to support anticipatory grip force control. We investigated grip force control in nine patients with moderately impaired tactile sensibility of the grasping digits and in nine sex- and age-matched healthy controls lifting and holding an instrumented object. In healthy controls grip force was adequately scaled to the weight of the object to be lifted. The grip force was programmed to smoothly change in parallel with load force over the entire lifting movement. In particular, the grip force level was regulated in an economical way to be always slightly higher than the minimum required to prevent the object slipping. The temporal coupling between the grip and load force profiles achieved a high precision with the maximum grip and load forces coinciding closely in time. For the temporal regulation of the grip force profile patients with impaired tactile sensibility maintained the close co-ordination between proximal arm muscles, responsible for the lifting movement and the fingers stabilising the grasp. Maximum grip force coincided with maximum acceleration of the lifting movement. However, patients employed greater maximum grip forces and greater grip forces to hold the object unsupported when compared with controls. Our results give further evidence to the suggestion that during manipulation of objects with known physical properties the anticipatory temporal regulation of the grip force profile is centrally processed and less under sensory feedback control. In contrast, sensory afferent information from the grasping fingers plays a dominant role for the efficient scaling of the grip force level according to actual loading requirements.

Compact Dexterous Robotic Hand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovchik, Christopher Scott (Inventor); Diftler, Myron A. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A compact robotic hand includes a palm housing, a wrist section, and a forearm section. The palm housing supports a plurality of fingers and one or more movable palm members that cooperate with the fingers to grasp and/or release an object. Each flexible finger comprises a plurality of hingedly connected segments, including a proximal segment pivotally connected to the palm housing. The proximal finger segment includes at least one groove defining first and second cam surfaces for engagement with a cable. A plurality of lead screw assemblies each carried by the palm housing are supplied with power from a flexible shaft rotated by an actuator and output linear motion to a cable move a finger. The cable is secured within a respective groove and enables each finger to move between an opened and closed position. A decoupling assembly pivotally connected to a proximal finger segment enables a cable connected thereto to control movement of an intermediate and distal finger segment independent of movement of the proximal finger segment. The dexterous robotic hand closely resembles the function of a human hand yet is light weight and capable of grasping both heavy and light objects with a high degree of precision.

Disorders of arousal from sleep and violent behavior: the role of physical contact and proximity.

PubMed

Pressman, Mark R

2007-08-01

To review medical and legal case reports to determine how many appear to support the belief that violence against other individuals that occurs during Disorders of Arousal - sleepwalking, confusional arousal, and sleep terrors - is triggered by direct physical contact or close proximity to that individual and does not occur randomly or spontaneously. Historical review of case reports in the medical and legal literature. A total of 32 cases drawn from medical and legal literature were reviewed. Each case contained a record of violence associated with Disorders of Arousal; in each, details of the violent behavior were available. Violent behaviors associated with provocations and/or close proximity were found to be present in 100% of confusional arousal patients and 81% of sleep terror patients. Violent behaviors were associated with provocation or close proximity in 40%-90% of sleepwalking cases, depending on whether the legal verdict and other factors were taken into account. Often the provocation was quite minor and the response greatly exaggerated. The specific manner in which the violence was triggered differed among sleepwalking, confusional arousals, and sleep terrors. In the cases reviewed, violent behavior directed against other individuals associated with Disorders of Arousal most frequently appeared to follow direct provocation by, or close proximity to, another individual. Sleepwalkers most often did not seek out victims, but rather the victims sought out or encountered the sleepwalker. These conclusions are tempered by several limitations: the selection of cases was not random and may not represent an accurate sample of violent behaviors associated with Disorders of Arousal. Also, final verdicts by juries in reported legal cases should not be confused with scientific proof of the presence or absence of sleepwalking. The pathophysiology of Disorders of Arousal with and without violent behavior could be associated with normally occurring deactivation of the frontal lobes during slow wave sleep (SWS) connected via atypically active thalamocortical pathways to the limbic areas. It is not known if the violent sleepwalker, confusional arousal patient, or sleep terror patient differs from other patients with these disorders. The conclusions of this case series await confirmation by the results of future sleep laboratory based studies.

Progress towards a high-resolution retinal prosthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butterwick, Alex; Vankov, Alex; Huie, Phil; Vijayraghavan, Karthik; Loudin, Jim; Palanker, Daniel

2007-02-01

Electronic retinal prostheses represent a potentially effective approach for restoring some degree of sight in blind patients with retinal degeneration. Functional restoration of sight would require hundreds to thousands of electrodes effectively stimulating remaining neurons in the retina. We present a design of an optoelectronic retinal prosthetic system having 3mm diameter retinal implant with pixel sizes down to 25 micrometers, which allows for natural eye scanning for observing a large field of view, as well as spatial and temporal processing of the visual scene to optimize the patient experience. Information from a head mounted video camera is processed in a portable computer and delivered to the implanted photodiode array by projection from the LCD goggles using pulsed IR (810 nm) light. Each photodiode converts pulsed light (0.5 ms in duration) into electric current with efficiency of 0.3 A/W using common bi-phasic power line. Power is provided by the inductively-coupled RF link from the coil on the goggles into a miniature power supply implanted between the sclera and the conjuctiva, and connected to subretinal implant with a thin 2-wire trans-scleral cable. 3-dimensional structures in the subretinal prosthesis induce retinal migration and thus ensure close proximity between stimulating electrodes and the target retinal neurons. Subretinal implantations of the 3-dimentional pillar and chamber arrays in RCS rats with 2 and 6 week follow-up demonstrate achievement of intimate proximity between the stimulation cites and the inner nuclear layer. In some instances formation of a fibrotic seal has been observed.

Spatial and temporal patterns of deforestation in Rio Cajarí Extrative Reserve, Amapá, Brazil.

PubMed

Funi, Claudia; Paese, Adriana

2012-01-01

The Rio Cajarí Extractive Reserve (RCER) is a sustainable use protected area located in Southern Amapá state, Brazil. This protected area is home to traditional agro-extractive families, but has been increasingly invaded by commercial agriculture producers. In this work, we test the hypothesis that the RCER implementation has distinctly affected spatial patterns of deforestation and rates of bare soil and secondary forest formation by the social groups occupying the protected area and its surrounding area. Detailed maps of vegetation cover and deforestation were elaborated, based on Landsat TM images from 1991, 1998, 2007 and 2008 and Linear Spectral Mixture Models. Based on an extensive fieldwork, patches were classified according to the agents causing deforestation and characterized with ten explanatory variables. A discriminant function analysis was used to identify homogeneous groups based on the data. Results show increased rates and distinct spatial patterns of deforestation by three groups: extractivists, non traditional commercial agriculture producers, and a less representative group constituted of miners, cattle and timber producers. In all analyzed dates, clearings by the extrativist community presented the highest total area and smaller average sizes and were located in close proximity to villages. Deforestation patches by the non-traditional group were exclusively associated with ombrophilous forests; these presented higher average sizes and proximity indexes, and showed increased aggregation and large cluster formation. No significant differences were observed in deforestation patterns by the three groups inside or outside the reserve.

Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Deforestation in Rio Cajarí Extrative Reserve, Amapá, Brazil

PubMed Central

Funi, Claudia; Paese, Adriana

2012-01-01

The Rio Cajarí Extractive Reserve (RCER) is a sustainable use protected area located in Southern Amapá state, Brazil. This protected area is home to traditional agro-extractive families, but has been increasingly invaded by commercial agriculture producers. In this work, we test the hypothesis that the RCER implementation has distinctly affected spatial patterns of deforestation and rates of bare soil and secondary forest formation by the social groups occupying the protected area and its surrounding area. Detailed maps of vegetation cover and deforestation were elaborated, based on Landsat TM images from 1991, 1998, 2007 and 2008 and Linear Spectral Mixture Models. Based on an extensive fieldwork, patches were classified according to the agents causing deforestation and characterized with ten explanatory variables. A discriminant function analysis was used to identify homogeneous groups based on the data. Results show increased rates and distinct spatial patterns of deforestation by three groups: extractivists, non traditional commercial agriculture producers, and a less representative group constituted of miners, cattle and timber producers. In all analyzed dates, clearings by the extrativist community presented the highest total area and smaller average sizes and were located in close proximity to villages. Deforestation patches by the non-traditional group were exclusively associated with ombrophilous forests; these presented higher average sizes and proximity indexes, and showed increased aggregation and large cluster formation. No significant differences were observed in deforestation patterns by the three groups inside or outside the reserve. PMID:23284806

Reconstruction of the subjective temporal distance of past interpersonal experiences after mortality salience.

PubMed

Wakimoto, Ryutaro

2011-05-01

The present article examines the effect of mortality salience on the subjective temporal distance of past experiences with close friends. Since mortality salience motivates relational strivings, it should also affect the perception of past interpersonal experiences that influence the anticipation of future closeness and continuity of the friendship. Three studies were conducted with a total of 428 Japanese college students. Study 1 revealed that a smaller temporal distance of an experience of positive conduct from a friend was associated with greater satisfaction with the friendship. Study 2 found that the temporal distance of such an experience was perceived as smaller in the mortality salience than in the control condition. Study 3 found equivalent results with respect to the temporal distance of the participants' positive conduct toward a close friend. These results suggest that people cope with existential concerns through reconstructing autobiographical memories in the interpersonal domain.

Proximal protection with hybrid stent, a safer combination for carotid artery stenting against carotid endarterectomy?

PubMed

Gürkaş, E; Ak, F; Orhan, G; Bozkurt, E; Ulusoy, E K

2015-12-01

Carotid revascularization is an established theurapeutic modality in preventing stroke and death among patients with severe carotid stenosis. Although carotid endarterectomy remains as the primary option, carotid stenting is accepted as an alternative for patients with high risk for carotid endarterectomy. Recently published reports have better results with proximal protection devices when compared with distal protection devices. These studies have revealed less microembolic signals and less periprocedural new ischemic lesions on diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Stent choice may be also important for these procedures as open cell stent design has advantage of better flexibility whereas closed cell systems have an advantage of better scaffolding. Hybrid stents which are composed of open cells in the proximal and distal part and closed cells in the middle may carry both advantages. The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether combination of proximal protection devices with hybrid stents can be a safe alternative for carotid stenting in terms of periprocedural and 30-day outcomes. Here we retrospectively evaluated 68 symptomatic carotid stenosis patients undergoing carotid stenting with hybrid stent (Cristallo Ideale®, Invatec s.r.l., Medtronic, Italy) and proximal protection device (MO.MA®, Invatec s.r.l., Medtronic, Italy). Our results showed only 1 minor stroke in the periprocedural period and during the first 30-day after stenting, with no death or myocardial infarction. Although our case number is not large, we propose that carotid stenting may be safer with utilization of proximal protection system and hybrid type carotid stents.

Probing conformational dynamics by photoinduced electron transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuweiler, Hannes; Herten, Dirk P.; Marme, N.; Knemeyer, J. P.; Piestert, Oliver; Tinnefeld, Philip; Sauer, Marcus

2004-07-01

We demonstrate how photoinduced electron transfer (PET) reactions can be successfully applied to monitor conformational dynamics in individual biopolymers. Single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments are ideally suited to study conformational dynamics occurring on the nanometer scale, e.g. during protein folding or unfolding. In contrast, conformational dynamics with functional significance, for example occurring in enzymes at work, often appear on much smaller spatial scales of up to several Angströms. Our results demonstrate that selective PET-reactions between fluorophores and amino acids or DNA nucleotides represent a versatile tool to measure small-scale conformational dynamics in biopolymers on a wide range of time scales, extending from nanoseconds to seconds, at the single-molecule level under equilibrium conditions. That is, the monitoring of conformational dynamics of biopolymers with temporal resolutions comparable to those within reach using new techniques of molecular dynamic simulations. We present data about structural changes of single biomolecules like DNA hairpins and peptides by using quenching electron transfer reactions between guanosine or tryptophan residues in close proximity to fluorescent dyes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the strong distance dependence of charge separation reactions on the sub-nanometer scale can be used to develop conformationally flexible PET-biosensors. These sensors enable the detection of specific target molecules in the sub-picomolar range and allow one to follow their molecular binding dynamics with temporal resolution.

Distributed practice can boost evaluative conditioning by increasing memory for the stimulus pairs.

PubMed

Richter, Jasmin; Gast, Anne

2017-09-01

When presenting a neutral stimulus (CS) in close temporal and spatial proximity to a positive or negative stimulus (US) the former is often observed to adopt the valence of the latter, a phenomenon named evaluative conditioning (EC). It is already well established that under most conditions, contingency awareness is important for an EC effect to occur. In addition to that, some findings suggest that awareness of the stimulus pairs is not only relevant during the learning phase, but that it is also relevant whether memory for the pairings is still available during the measurement phase. As previous research has shown that memory is better after temporally distributed than after contiguous (massed) repetitions, it seems plausible that also EC effects are moderated by distributed practice manipulations. This was tested in the current studies. In two experiments with successful distributed practice manipulations on memory, we show that also the magnitude of the EC effect was larger for pairs learned under spaced compared to massed conditions. Both effects, on memory and on EC, are found after a within-participant and after a between-participant manipulation. However, we did not find significant differences in the EC effect for different conditions of spaced practice. These findings are in line with the assumption that EC is based on similar processes as memory for the pairings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatio-temporal measurement of indoor particulate matter concentrations using a wireless network of low-cost sensors in households using solid fuels.

PubMed

Patel, Sameer; Li, Jiayu; Pandey, Apoorva; Pervez, Shamsh; Chakrabarty, Rajan K; Biswas, Pratim

2017-01-01

Many households use solid fuels for cooking and heating purposes. There is currently a knowledge gap in our understanding of the variations in indoor air quality throughout the household as most of the studies focus on the areas in the close proximity of the cookstove. A low-cost wireless particulate matter (PM) sensor network was developed and deployed in households in Raipur, India to establish the spatio-temporal variation of PM concentrations. The data from multiple sensors were acquired in real-time with a wireless system. Data collected from the sensors agreed well (R 2 =0.713) with the reference data collected from a commercially available instrument. Low spatial variability was observed within the kitchen due to its small size and poor ventilation - a common feature of most rural Indian kitchens. Due to insufficient ventilation from open doors and windows, high PM concentrations similar to those found in the kitchen were also found in the adjoining rooms. The same household showed significantly different post-extinguished cookstove PM concentration decay rates (0.26mg/m 3 -min and 0.87mg/m 3 -min) on different days, owing to varying natural air exchange rates (7.68m 3 /min and 37.40m 3 /min). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Location of the β4 transmembrane helices in the BK potassium channel

PubMed Central

Wu, Roland S.; Chudasama, Neelesh; Zakharov, Sergey I.; Doshi, Darshan; Motoike, Howard; Liu, Guoxia; Yao, Yongneng; Niu, Xiaowei; Deng, Shi-Xian; Landry, Donald W.; Karlin, Arthur; Marx, Steven O.

2009-01-01

Large-conductance, voltage- and Ca2+-gated potassium (BK) channels control excitability in a number of cell types. BK channels are composed of α subunits, which contain the voltage-sensor domains and the Ca2+- sensor domains, and form the pore, and often one of four types of β subunits, which modulate the channel in a cell-specific manner. β4 is expressed in neurons throughout the brain. Deletion of β4 in mice causes temporal lobe epilepsy. Compared to channels composed of α alone, channels composed of α and β4 activate and deactivate more slowly. We inferred the locations of the two β4 transmembrane (TM) helices, TM1 and TM2, relative to the seven αTM helices, S0-S6, from the extent of disulfide bond formation between cysteines substituted in the extracellular flanks of these TM helices. We found that β4 TM2 is close to α S0 and that β4 TM1 is close to both α S1 and S2. At least at their extracellular ends, TM1 and TM2 are not close to S3 through S6. In six of eight of the most highly crosslinked cysteine pairs, four crosslinks from TM2 to S0 and one each from TM1 to S1 and S2 had small effects on the V50 and on the rates of activation and deactivation. That disulfide crosslinking caused only small functional perturbations is consistent with the proximity of the extracellular ends of TM2 to S0 and of TM1 to S1 and to S2, in both the open and closed states. PMID:19571123

Capacitive proximity sensor

DOEpatents

Kronberg, James W.

1994-01-01

A proximity sensor based on a closed field circuit. The circuit comprises a ring oscillator using a symmetrical array of plates that creates an oscillating displacement current. The displacement current varies as a function of the proximity of objects to the plate array. Preferably the plates are in the form of a group of three pair of symmetric plates having a common center, arranged in a hexagonal pattern with opposing plates linked as a pair. The sensor produces logic level pulses suitable for interfacing with a computer or process controller. The proximity sensor can be incorporated into a load cell, a differential pressure gauge, or a device for measuring the consistency of a characteristic of a material where a variation in the consistency causes the dielectric constant of the material to change.

Automatic arc welding of propulsion system tubing in close proximity to sensitive electronic devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lumsden, J. M.; Whittlesey, A. C.

1981-01-01

The planned final assembly of the Galileo spacecraft propulsion system tubing, which involves welding in close proximity to sensitive electronics, raised significant concerns about the effects of electromagnetic coupling of weld energy on CMOS and other sensitive integrated circuits. A test program was established to assess the potential of an orbital arc welder and an RF-induction brazing machine to damage sensitive electronic equipment. Test parameters were varied to assess the effectiveness of typical transient suppression practices such as grounding, bonding, and shielding. A technique was developed to calibrate the hazard levels at the victim-circuit location; this technique is described along with the results and conclusions of the test program.

Endoscopic hip osteotomies: less invasive approaches to peri-acetabular, proximal femoral and pubic symphyseal procedures

PubMed Central

Matsuda, Dean K.; Matsuda, Nicole A.

2015-01-01

Beyond the recent expansion of extra-articular hip arthroscopy into the peri-trochanteric and subgluteal space, this instructional course lecture introduces three innovative procedures: endoscopy-assisted periacetabular osteotomy, closed derotational proximal femoral osteotomy and endoscopic pubic symphysectomy. Supportive rationale, evolving indications, key surgical techniques and emerging outcomes are presented for these innovative less invasive procedures. PMID:27011827

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer at the proximal aorta complicated with cardiac tamponade and aortic valve regurgitation.

PubMed

Yano, K; Makino, N; Hirayama, H; Hatakenaka, M; Matsui, H; Soeda, T; Hadama, T

1999-03-01

A 56-year-old man had a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer originating in the proximal ascending aorta, which is an unusual case of penetrating aortic ulcer complicated with the aortic valve regurgitation and cardiac tamponade. This hemodynamically unstable patient was successfully treated by conservative management to control his blood pressure and was also monitored closely with follow-up imaging studies.

Reentry Vehicle On-Site Inspection Technology Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-11-01

masking Image Additional required* generated information required/wquied Pasive radiation Neutron scanning Neutron dose rate PNS Yes No SRS/BMO Yes...considerations for RVOSI techbologles. Inspection methods Instrument Setup Data Host support proximity time collection (m) (hr) time (hir) Pasive radiation...The unwillingness of our own services to allow equipment in close proximity to missile front ends is a matter which will have to be considered if a

A model for the implementation of a two-shift municipal solid waste and recyclable material collection plan that offers greater convenience to residents.

PubMed

Lin, Hung-Yueh; Tsai, Zong-Pei; Chen, Guan-Hwa; Kao, Jehng-Jung

2011-01-01

Separating recyclables from municipal solid waste (MSW) before collection reduces not only the quantity of MSW that needs to be treated but also the depletion of resources. However, the participation of residents is essential for a successful recycling program, and the level of participation usually depends on the degree of convenience associated with accessing recycling collection points. The residential accessing convenience (RAC) of a collection plan is determined by the proximity of its collection points to all residents and its temporal flexibility in response to resident requirements. The degree of proximity to all residents is determined by using a coverage radius that represents the maximum distance residents need to travel to access a recycling point. The temporal flexibility is assessed by the availability of proximal recycling points at times suitable to the lifestyles of all residents concerned. In Taiwan, the MSW collection is implemented at fixed locations and at fixed times. Residents must deposit their garbage directly into the collection vehicle. To facilitate the assignment of collection vehicles and to encourage residents to thoroughly separate their recyclables, in Taiwan MSW and recyclable materials are usually collected at the same time by different vehicles. A heuristic procedure including an integer programming (IP) model and ant colony optimization (ACO) is explored in this study to determine an efficient two-shift collection plan that takes into account RAC factors. The IP model has been developed to determine convenient collection points in each shift on the basis of proximity, and then the ACO algorithm is applied to determine the most effective routing plan of each shift. With the use of a case study involving a city in Taiwan, this study has demonstrated that collection plans generated using the above procedure are superior to current collection plans on the basis of proximity and total collection distance.

Searching for new features of intravitality of hanging based on macro- and microscopic evaluation of the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone.

PubMed

Szleszkowski, Ł; Hałoń, A; Thannhäuser, A; Jurek, T

2015-01-01

Assessment of the usefulness of intravital lesions in the proximal attachment of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the mastoid process of the temporal bone in medico-legal evaluation of death by hanging. The study material was obtained from the bodies of 35 people who died by hanging. The control group comprised specimens collected from 30 people who died of non-traumatic causes. The structures under study were examined macro- and microscopically. The basic change which could be recognized as a marker of intravitality of hanging was the presence of a macroscopically extensive blotchy area of abundant ecchymosis in the proximal muscle attachment, similar to that found in the distal attachment, and the presence of abundant diffuse intraosseous ecchymoses in the mastoid process. None of the cases revealed any ecchymoses in the proximal attachment of the muscle that would be similar to those present in the distal attachment. Discolourations within the mastoid processes, macroscopically suggestive of extensive intraosseous effusions arising from the mechanism of stretching, were not confirmed by microscopic evaluation and occurred at the same frequency as in the control group. Limitations of the study were related to the method which involved sample collection by means of bone chisels, decalcification and preparation of specimens, which had an effect, for example, on the measurable evaluation of the degree of congestion. The study has failed to provide convincing and unambiguous data on the usefulness of examining mastoid processes and proximal attachments of the sternocleidomastoid muscles during autopsy to determine the presence of intravitality features of hanging. A description of research methodology and its associated difficulties, e.g. with the interpretation of results, can also be useful for the planning of similar studies by other researchers.

Spatial and temporal variations of urban litter in Mar del Plata, the major coastal city of Argentina.

PubMed

Seco Pon, Juan Pablo; Becherucci, Maria Eugenia

2012-02-01

Urban littering is considered an important environmental and public issue globally. This problem is growing considerably within coastal communities of the southern region of South America. The goals of this study were to assess (1) the abundance and composition of urban litter; (2) the spatial and temporal variations of its abundance; and (3) the relationship between the abundance of litter and three anthropogenic variables (i.e. abundance of pedestrians, of parked vehicles, and of trash bins) in Mar del Plata, the most populated coastal city in Argentina. Eighty-eight transects, each covering 1425 m(2), were sampled along four sites from April 2008 to March 2009. Results showed 20,336 items (ca. 14 items per m(2)) of which cigarette butts (33%), papers (31%), and plastics (22%) were the most commonly littered items. Higher amounts of litter were found in an industrial area (city's harbor), while the abundance of litter appeared relatively even throughout the year. Redundancy analysis techniques indicated a high abundance of all three anthropogenic variables associated with the central business district area of the city and an area in close proximity to a major seaside resort, where cigarette butts and papers dominated. This is the first study that has examined spatial and temporal variations of urban litter in a high-density coastal city in Argentina. Our results showed that addressing the problems associated with urban litter must include intensive educational and advertising campaigns directed at pedestrians and owners of parked vehicles, but waste reduction, clean-up operations and law enforcement should be also considered. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Insertion characteristics and placement of the Mid-Scala electrode array in human temporal bones using detailed cone beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Dietz, Aarno; Gazibegovic, Dzemal; Tervaniemi, Jyrki; Vartiainen, Veli-Matti; Löppönen, Heikki

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the insertion results and placement of the new Advanced Bionics HiFocus Mid-Scala (HFms) electrode array, inserted through the round window membrane, in eight fresh human temporal bones using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Pre- and post-insertion CBCT scans were registered to create a 3D reconstruction of the cochlea with the array inserted. With an image fusion technique both the bony edges of the cochlea and the electrode array in situ could accurately be determined, thus enabling to identify the exact position of the electrode array within the scala tympani. Vertical and horizontal scalar location was measured at four points along the cochlea base at an angular insertion depth of 90°, 180° and 270° and at electrode 16, the most basal electrode. Smooth insertion through the round window membrane was possible in all temporal bones. The imaging results showed that there were no dislocations from the scala tympani into the scala vestibule. The HFms electrode was positioned in the middle of the scala along the whole electrode array in three out of the eight bones and in 62 % of the individual locations measured along the base of the cochlea. In only one cochlea a close proximity of the electrode with the basilar membrane was observed, indicating possible contact with the basilar membrane. The results and assessments presented in this study appear to be highly accurate. Although a further validation including histopathology is needed, the image fusion technique described in this study represents currently the most accurate method for intracochlear electrode assessment obtainable with CBCT.

Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Injured Elephants in Masai Mara and the Putative Negative and Positive Roles of the Local Community

PubMed Central

Mijele, Domnic; Obanda, Vincent; Omondi, Patrick; Soriguer, Ramón C.; Gakuya, Francis; Otiende, Moses; Hongo, Peter; Alasaad, Samer

2013-01-01

Background Very few studies have ever focused on the elephants that are wounded or killed as local communities attempt to scare these animals away from their settlements and farms, or on the cases in which local people take revenge after elephants have killed or injured humans. On the other hand, local communities live in close proximity to elephants and hence can play a positive role in elephant conservation by informing the authorities of the presence of injured elephants. Methodology/Principal Findings Between 2007 and 2011, 129 elephants were monitored in Masai Mara (Kenya), of which 54 had various types of active (intentionally caused) or passive (non-intentionally caused) injuries. Also studied were 75 random control samples of apparently unaffected animals. The observed active injuries were as expected biased by age, with adults suffering more harm; on the other hand, no such bias was observed in the case of passive injuries. Bias was also observed in elephant sex since more males than females were passively and actively injured. Cases of passive and active injuries in elephants were negatively related to the proximity to roads and farms; the distribution of injured elephants was not affected by the presence of either human settlements or water sources. Overall more elephants were actively injured during the dry season than the wet season as expected. Local communities play a positive role by informing KWS authorities of the presence of injured elephants and reported 43% of all cases of injured elephants. Conclusions Our results suggest that the negative effect of local communities on elephants could be predicted by elephant proximity to farms and roads. In addition, local communities may be able to play a more positive role in elephant conservation given that they are key informants in the early detection of injured elephants. PMID:23936262

Identifying Functional Neighborhoods within the Cell Nucleus: Proximity Analysis of Early S-Phase Replicating Chromatin Domains to Sites of Transcription, RNA Polymerase II, HP1γ, Matrin 3 and SAF-A

PubMed Central

Malyavantham, Kishore S; Bhattacharya, Sambit; Barbeitos, Marcos; Mukherjee, Lopamudra; Xu, Jinhui; Fackelmayer, Frank O; Berezney, Ronald

2009-01-01

Higher order chromatin organization in concert with epigenetic regulation is a key process that determines gene expression at the global level. The organization of dynamic chromatin domains and their associated protein factors is intertwined with nuclear function to create higher levels of functional zones within the cell nucleus. As a step towards elucidating the organization and dynamics of these functional zones, we have investigated the spatial proximities among a constellation of functionally related sites that are found within euchromatic regions of the cell nucleus including: HP1γ, nascent transcript sites (TS), active DNA replicating sites in early S phase (PCNA) and RNA polymerase II sites. We report close associations among these different sites with proximity values specific for each combination. Analysis of matrin 3 and SAF-A sites demonstrates that these nuclear matrix proteins are highly proximal with the functionally related sites as well as to each other and display closely aligned and overlapping regions following application of the minimal spanning tree (MST) algorithm to visualize higher order network-like patterns. Our findings suggest that multiple factors within the nuclear microenvironment collectively form higher order combinatorial arrays of function. We propose a model for the organization of these functional neighborhoods which takes into account the proximity values of the individual sites and their spatial organization within the nuclear architecture. PMID:18618731

[A study of proximal humerus fractures using close reduction and percutaneous minimally invasive fixation].

PubMed

Liu, Yin-wen; Kuang, Yong; Gu, Xin-feng; Zheng, Yu-xin; Li, Zhi-qiang; Wei, Xiao-en; Lu, Wei-da; Zhan, Hong-sheng; Shi, Yin-yu

2011-11-01

To investigate the clinical effects of close reduction and percutaneous minimally invasive fixation in the treatment of proximal humerus fractures. From April 2008 to March 2010, 28 patients with proximal humerus fracture were treated with close reduction and percutaneous minimally invasive fixation. There were 21 males and 7 females, ranging in age from 22 to 78 years,with an average of 42.6 years. The mean time from suffering injuries to the operation was 1.7 d. Nineteen cases caused by falling down, 9 cases by traffic accident. The main clinical manifestation was swelling, pain and limited mobility of shoulders. According to Neer classification, two part fractures were in 17 cases and three part fractures in 11 cases. The locking proximal humerus plate was used to minimally fixation through deltoid muscle under acromion. The operating time,volume of blood loss, the length of incision and Constant-Murley assessment were applied to evaluate the therapeutic effects. The mean operating time was 40 min, the mean blood loss was 110 ml, and the mean length of incision was about 5.6 cm. The postoperative X-ray showed excellent reduction and the plate and screws were successfully place. Twenty-eight patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months (averaged 14.2 months). The healing time ranged from 6 to 8 weeks and all incision was primarily healed. There were no cases with necrosis head humerus, 24 cases without omalgia, and 4 cases with o-malgia occasionally. All the patients can complete the daily life. The mean score of Constant-Murley assessment was 91.0 +/- 5.8, 24 cases got an excellent result, 3 good and 1 fair. Close reduction and percutaneous minimally invasive fixation, not only can reduce surgical invasive, but also guarantee the early function activities. It has the advantages of less invasive, fixed well and less damage of blood circulation.

Stimulating human accommodation without changes in focus.

PubMed

Weiss, Monika; Seidemann, Anne; Schaeffel, Frank

2004-05-01

Inspired by the finding in chickens that preferential stimulation of the ON retinal system suppresses myopia induced by negative spectacle lens wear and that stimulation of the OFF system suppresses the hyperopia induced by positive lens wear, we sought to determine whether stimulation of the ON-OFF retinal systems could drive directional accommodation responses in humans. If emmetropisation and accommodation use similar image processing algorithms, more accommodation would be expected with OFF stimulation. Accommodation responses were measured while viewing a computer-generated pattern designed to stimulate the ON-OFF systems. The stimulus comprised a rectangular field (12 x 9.5 cm) on a black background filled with 196 discs (diameters: 0.4-1.0 cm). These were presented on an LCD monitor in a dark room at a viewing distance of 55 cm (1.8 D). Thirteen subjects aged 21-37 years took part. The individual discs had saw-tooth shaped temporal luminance profiles with the same time period but with random phases with respect to each other, so that the mean brightness of the stimulus was constant. To eliminate accommodation responses based on other cues (i.e. proximity) a 0.5 mm artificial pupil was used to open the accommodation loop. Refraction in the vertical pupil meridian was continuously recorded with an infrared photorefractor (the PowerRefractor). To verify that computer-based stimuli presented within our experimental design were effective in driving accommodation, previously studied stimuli were also tested: changes in size (looming) and incremental low pass filtering. Preferential stimulation of the ON or OFF subsystems produced a convincing depth illusion in all subjects (which was psychophysically confirmed in four subjects). Although the stimulus appeared to move in depth it did not produce accommodation responses that were consistent with that, i.e. the accommodation system did not appear to fluctuate in rhythm with the temporal oscillations of the stimulus. As the target appeared to loom it induced a greater accommodation response then when it appeared to recede. The looming target produced changes in the accommodation response in nine of 13 subjects that were consistent with its perceived change in proximity (although the target did not actually move in depth). Incremental low pass filtering produced non-directional drifts of accommodation in all subjects. Combinations of the stimuli (i.e. looming and low pass filtering, ON/OFF and looming) were not more effective stimuli to accommodation. After removal of the artificial pupil (closed loop conditions), accommodation was no longer induced with any of these stimuli. Although the preferential ON or OFF stimulation produced a pronounced illusion of motion in depth despite constant average brightness, proximal accommodation was induced in only one subject. Therefore, the ON/OFF stimulation appeared to have only minor input into proximal accommodation. Potential inputs into reflex accommodation need to be defined in further studies.

Analysis of close associations of uropod-associated proteins in human T-cells using the proximity ligation assay

PubMed Central

Baumann, Tommy; Affentranger, Sarah

2013-01-01

We have shown previously that the raft-associated proteins flotillin-1 and -2 are rapidly recruited to the uropods of chemoattractant-stimulated human neutrophils and T-cells and are involved in cell polarization. Other proteins such as the adhesion receptor PSGL-1, the actin-membrane linker proteins ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) and the signaling enzyme phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase type Iγ90 (PIPKIγ90) also accumulate in the T-cell uropod. Using the in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) we now have investigated putative close associations of these proteins in human freshly isolated T-cells before and after chemokine addition. The PLA allows in situ subcellular localization of close proximity of endogenous proteins at single-molecule resolution in fixed cells. It allows detection also of weaker and transient complexes that would not be revealed with co-immunoprecipitation approaches. We previously provided evidence for heterodimer formation of tagged flotillin-1 and -2 in T-cells before and after chemokine addition using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). We now confirm these findings using PLA for the endogenous flotillins in fixed human T-cells. Moreover, in agreement with the literature, our PLA findings confirm a close association of endogenous PSGL-1 and ERM proteins both in resting and chemokine-activated human T-cells. In addition, we provide novel evidence using the PLA for close associations of endogenous activated ERM proteins with PIPKIγ90 and of endogenous flotillins with PSGL-1 in human T-cells, before and after chemokine addition. Our findings suggest that preformed clusters of these proteins coalesce in the uropod upon cell stimulation. PMID:24167781

Investigation of the McDonnell-Douglas orbiter and booster shuttle models in proximity at Mach numbers 2.0 to 6.0. Volume 7: Proximity data at Mach 4 and 6, interference free and launch vehicle data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trimmer, L. L.; Love, D. A.; Decker, J. P.; Blackwell, K. L.; Strike, W. T.; Rampy, J. M.

1972-01-01

Aerodynamic data obtained from a space shuttle abort stage separation wind tunnel test are presented. The .00556 scale models of the orbiter and booster configuration were tested in close proximity using dual balances during the time period of April 21 to April 27 1971. Data were obtained for both booster and orbiter over an angle of attack range from -10 to 10 deg for zero degree sideslip angle. The models were tested at several relative incidence angles and separation distances and power conditions. Plug nozzles utilizing air were used to simulate booster and orbiter plumes at various altitudes along a nominal ascent trajectory. Powered conditions were 100, 50, 25 and 0 percent of full power for the orbiter and 100, 50 and 0 percent of full power for the booster. Pitch control effectiveness data were obtained for both booster and orbiter with power on and off. In addition, launch vehicle data with and without booster power were obtained utilizing a single balance in the booster model. Data were also obtained with the booster canard off in close proximity and for the launch configuration.

Deposition model of a Miocene barred wave- and storm-dominated shoreface and shelf, southeastern Malay basin, offshore west Malaysia

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

Ramli, N.

1986-01-01

The J sandstone is an important hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir in the southeastern part of the Malay basin. The lower and upper members of the J sandstone are composed of shoreface and offshore sediments. The shoreface sequence contains depositional structures characteristic of a barred wave- and storm-dominated shoreface. Each shoreface sequence is laterally associated with a series of stacked offshore bars. Offshore bars can be subdivided into proximal and distal types. Two types of proximal offshore bars have been identified: (1) proximal bars formed largely above fair-weather wave base (inner proximal bars), and (2) proximal bars formed below fair-weather wave base (outermore » proximal bars). The inner proximal bars are closely associated with the shoreface sequence and are similar to the middle and lower shoreface. The presence of poorly sorted, polymodal, very fine to very coarse-grained sandstone beneath well-sorted crestal sandstones of inner proximal bars suggests that these offshore bars may have been deposited rapidly by storms. The crests of the inner proximal offshore bars were subsequently reworked by fair-weather processes, and the crests of the outer proximal and distal offshore bars were reworked by waning storm currents and oscillatory waves. Thick marine shales overlying offshore bars contain isolated sheet sandstones. Each sheet sandstone exhibits features that may be characteristic of distal storm shelf deposits. 15 figures, 2 tables.« less

Developmental trends in utilizing perceptual closure for grouping of shape: effects of spatial proximity and collinearity.

PubMed

Hadad, Bat-Sheva; Kimchi, Ruth

2006-11-01

In two experiments, visual search was used to study the grouping of shape on the basis of perceptual closure among participants 5-23 years of age. We first showed that young children, like adults, demonstrate an efficient search for a concave target among convex distractors for closed connected stimuli but an inefficient search for open stimuli. Reliable developmental differences, however, were observed in search for fragmented stimuli as a function of spatial proximity and collinearity between the closure-inducing fragments. When only closure was available, search for all the age groups was equally efficient for spatially close fragments and equally inefficient for spatially distant fragments. When closure and collinearity were available, search for spatially close fragments was equally efficient for all the age groups, but search for spatially distant fragments was inefficient for younger children and improved significantly between ages 5 and 10. These findings suggest that young children can utilize closure as efficiently as can adults for the grouping of shape for closed or nearly closed stimuli. When the closure-inducing fragments are spatially distant, only older children and adults, but not 5-year-olds, can utilize collinearity to enhance closure for the perceptual grouping of shape.

Proposals for the Future of JCAS Doctrine

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

close proximity to friendly forces. GPS-equipped aircraft and munitions, laser range finders/designators and digital system capabilities are...Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 IIistory of Close Air Support 3 Current Views on JCAS 15 JCAS Doctrine io Conclusion 22 Bibliography 27" r Executive...to be refined. An over-reliance on technology in an evolving Joint Close Air Support (JCAS) dogma increases airpower’s risk of fratricide to friendly

Brachial Plexus Injury in a 6-Year-Old Boy with 100% Displaced Proximal Humeral Metaphyseal Fracture: A Case Presentation.

PubMed

Jovanovich, Elizabeth Nora; Howard, James F

2017-12-01

Posttraumatic brachial plexopathies can occur following displaced proximal humeral fractures, causing profound functional deficits. Described here is an unusual case of a displaced proximal humeral metaphyseal fracture in a young child. The patient underwent closed reduction and serial casting, but hand weakness and forearm sensory loss persisted. Needle electromyography localized the injury to the mid/proximal arm near the fracture site, resulting in damage to the posterior and medial cords of the brachial plexus with profound involvement of the radial, ulnar, and median nerves and sparing of the axillary nerve. After months of occupational therapy, hand strength improved, with a nearly full return of function. V. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Capacitive proximity sensor

DOEpatents

Kronberg, J.W.

1994-05-31

A proximity sensor based on a closed field circuit is disclosed. The circuit comprises a ring oscillator using a symmetrical array of plates that creates an oscillating displacement current. The displacement current varies as a function of the proximity of objects to the plate array. Preferably the plates are in the form of a group of three pair of symmetric plates having a common center, arranged in a hexagonal pattern with opposing plates linked as a pair. The sensor produces logic level pulses suitable for interfacing with a computer or process controller. The proximity sensor can be incorporated into a load cell, a differential pressure gauge, or a device for measuring the consistency of a characteristic of a material where a variation in the consistency causes the dielectric constant of the material to change. 14 figs.

Proximity of couples to parents: influences of gender, labor market, and family.

PubMed

Chan, Tak Wing; Ermisch, John

2015-04-01

We use household survey data from the UK to study how close middle-aged men and women in partnerships live to their parents and their partner's parents. We find a slight tendency for couples to live closer to the woman's parents than the man's. This tendency is more pronounced among couples in which neither partner has a college degree and in which there is a child. In other respects, proximity to parents is gender-neutral, with the two partners having equal influence on intergenerational proximity. Better-educated couples live farther from their parents. And although certain family characteristics matter, intergenerational proximity is primarily driven by factors affecting mobility over long distances, which are mainly associated with the labor market, as opposed to gender or family circumstances.

Using geochemistry as a tool for correlating proximal andesitic tephra: Case studies from Mt Rainier (USA) and Mt Ruapehu (New Zealand)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donoghue, S.L.; Vallance, J.; Smith, I.E.M.; Stewart, R.B.

2007-01-01

Volcanic hazards assessments at andesite stratovolcanoes rely on the assessment of frequency and magnitude of past events. The identification and correlation of proximal and distal andesitic tephra, which record the explosive eruptive history, are integral to such assessments. These tephra are potentially valuable stratigraphic marker beds useful to the temporal correlation and age dating of Quaternary volcanic, volcaniclastic and epiclastic sedimentary deposits with which they are interbedded. At Mt Ruapehu (New Zealand) and Mt Rainier (USA), much of the detail of the recent volcanic record remains unresolved because of the difficulty in identifying proximal tephra. This study investigates the value of geochemical methods in discriminating andesitic tephra. Our dataset comprises petrological and geochemical analyses of tephra that span the late Quaternary eruptive record of each volcano. Our data illustrate that andesitic tephra are remarkably heterogeneous in composition. Tephra compositions fluctuate widely over short time intervals, and there are no simple or systematic temporal trends in geochemistry within either eruptive record. This complexity in tephra geochemistry limits the application of geochemical approaches to tephrostratigraphic studies, beyond a general characterisation useful to provenance assignation. Petrological and geochemical data suggest that the products of andesite systems are inherently variable and therefore intractable to discrimination by simple geochemical methods alone. Copyright ?? 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Size and structure dependent ultrafast dynamics of plasmonic gold nanosphere heterostructures on poly (ethylene glycol) brushes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karatay, Ahmet; Küçüköz, Betül; Pekdemir, Sami; Onses, Mustafa Serdar; Elmali, Ayhan

2017-11-01

We have investigated the plasmonic properties of heterostructures that consist of gold nanosphere (NSs) with average diameters of 60 nm, 40 nm and 20 nm on poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) brushes by using ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy experiments. Gold NSs start to behave like gold nanorods with increasing number of immobilization cycles due to the close proximity. Gold NSs immobilized by 3 and 5 deposition cycles show longitudinal modes of plasmon bands at long wavelengths which are characteristic behaviors for gold nanorods. Increasing the number of immobilization cycle also increase relaxation times of samples due to the close proximity. Linear absorption spectra and scanning electron microscopy images show that there are close packing assemblies for heterostructures containing 20 nm gold NSs as the small particle. Ultrafast electron transfer (<100 fs) occurs between transverse and longitudinal modes by exciting the samples at both 520 nm and 650 nm. Further, experimental results indicate that, heterostructures with the small particles have faster relaxation times than other heterostructures due to closed packing of 20 nm gold NSs.

Cellular resolution circuit mapping with temporal-focused excitation of soma-targeted channelrhodopsin

PubMed Central

Baker, Christopher A; Elyada, Yishai M; Parra, Andres; Bolton, M McLean

2016-01-01

We describe refinements in optogenetic methods for circuit mapping that enable measurements of functional synaptic connectivity with single-neuron resolution. By expanding a two-photon beam in the imaging plane using the temporal focusing method and restricting channelrhodopsin to the soma and proximal dendrites, we are able to reliably evoke action potentials in individual neurons, verify spike generation with GCaMP6s, and determine the presence or absence of synaptic connections with patch-clamp electrophysiological recording. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.14193.001 PMID:27525487

Timing: An Attribute of Associative Learning

PubMed Central

Molet, Mikael; Miller, Ralph R.

2013-01-01

The evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that when two events occur in spatiotemporal proximity to one another, an association between the two events is formed which encodes the timing of the events in relation to one another (including duration, order, and interval). The primary evidence supporting the view that temporal relationships are encoded is that subsequent presentation of one event ordinarily elicits behavior indicative of an expectation of the other event at a specific time. Thus, temporal relationships appear to be one of several attributes encoded at acquisition. PMID:23751257

Safe-trajectory optimization and tracking control in ultra-close proximity to a failed satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingrui; Chu, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Yao; Hu, Quan; Zhai, Guang; Li, Yanyan

2018-03-01

This paper presents a trajectory-optimization method for a chaser spacecraft operating in ultra-close proximity to a failed satellite. Based on the combination of active and passive trajectory protection, the constraints in the optimization framework are formulated for collision avoidance and successful docking in the presence of any thruster failure. The constraints are then handled by an adaptive Gauss pseudospectral method, in which the dynamic residuals are used as the metric to determine the distribution of collocation points. A finite-time feedback control is further employed in tracking the optimized trajectory. In particular, the stability and convergence of the controller are proved. Numerical results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

JSEP fellowship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodman, Alvin M.; Powers, Edward J.

1993-06-01

In this dissertation, the precision of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) is taken advantage of in order to grow semiconductor reflectors, microcavities, and quantum wells for studies of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL's) and the coupling between reflectors and the spatially localized dipoles of semiconductor quantum wells. The design of the structures and the choice of epitaxial growth parameters used for the structures are discussed in detail. Experimental techniques and results are discussed which relate to studies that advance the optoelectronics technology and our understanding of fundamental physics. MBE is used to grow epitaxial structures in which a QW is precisely placed either in close proximity to a DBR, or near the surface of the epitaxial layer, so that a highly reflective mirror can be placed in close proximity to the QW.

Dynamical Friedel oscillations of a Fermi sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J. M.; Liu, Y.

2018-02-01

We study the scenario of quenching an interaction-free Fermi sea on a one-dimensional lattice ring by suddenly changing the potential of a site. From the point-of-view of the conventional Friedel oscillation, which is a static or equilibrium problem, it is of interest what temporal and spatial oscillations the local sudden quench will induce. Numerically, the primary observation is that for a generic site, the local particle density switches between two plateaus periodically in time. Making use of the proximity of the realistic model to an exactly solvable model and employing the Abel regularization to assign a definite value to a divergent series, we obtain an analytical formula for the heights of the plateaus, which turns out to be very accurate for sites not too close to the quench site. The unexpect relevance and the incredible accuracy of the Abel regularization are yet to be understood. Eventually, when the contribution of the defect mode is also taken into account, the plateaus for those sites close to or on the quench site can also be accurately predicted. We have also studied the infinite lattice case. In this case, ensuing the quench, the out-going wave fronts leave behind a stable density oscillation pattern. Because of some interesting single-particle property, this dynamically generated Friedel oscillation differs from its conventional static counterpart only by the defect mode.

Fuel for Debate: Three Studies of the Political Mobilization for and against Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dokshin, Fedor Aleksandrovich

This dissertation uses the context of the unfolding boom in oil and gas production enabled by hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") technology to ask several interrelated questions: What motivates people to oppose or support industrial development? How do material interests interact with political identities to shape political mobilization? What consequences does this political contestation have for policymaking? Three stand-alone articles, each using unique data and methods, provide new evidence for answering these questions. The three studies place a common emphasis on the multiple meanings that fracking has for opponents and supporters of proposed development as well as the alternative structural conditions that give rise to the divergent beliefs and the social networks that facilitate mobilization. The first article, examines the passage of local zoning ordinances prohibiting fracking and identifies spatial and temporal processes that influenced the pattern of ordinance adoption. The second article, looks more closely at political mobilization for and against hydraulic fracturing by examining individual-level data collected from one town's debate over a proposed ban on oil and gas development. The third article uses a large set of public comments to directly examine the meanings that the public attached to hydraulic fracturing and whether residents who live in close proximity to proposed development understood the industry in systematically different terms than individuals who participated in the debate despite facing little or no direct impact from fracking.

A Precarious Ecstasy: Beyond Temporality in Self and Other

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Greg

2016-01-01

This article explores Levinas's [1961/1969. "Totality and infinity." (A. Lingis, Trans.). Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press; 1981/1997. "Otherwise than being or beyond essence." (A. Lingis, Trans.). Pittsburgh, PA: Duquesne University Press] ideas on relational proximity in the face of the Other and, through meeting,…

Multi-scale soil salinity mapping and monitoring with proximal and remote sensing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This talk is part of a technical short course on “Soil mapping and process modelling at diverse scales”. In the talk, guidelines, special considerations, protocols, and strengths and limitations are presented for characterizing spatial and temporal variation in soil salinity at several spatial scale...

Novel Surgical Technique for Coronary Fistulas With Proximal Origin.

PubMed

Uchida, Tetsuro; Hamasaki, Azumi; Kuroda, Yoshinori; Ohba, Eiichi; Yamashita, Atsushi; Sadahiro, Mitsuaki

2017-09-01

Postoperative residual shunting is a significant concern in patients with coronary arteriovenous fistulas, especially in fistulas originating from the proximal left coronary artery, because of the limited surgical field. We report a case of fistulas originating from the proximal coronary artery in a 63-year-old woman in whom the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery were transected to obtain good surgical exposure. After complete transection of both great arteries, fistulas arising from the left main trunk were ligated externally, and their intracardiac openings were closed internally. Postoperative examination revealed no residual shunt flow. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary Management of An Unusual Isolated Alveolar Bone Infection- A Rare Case Report

PubMed Central

B, Dixit Mala; S, Kulkarni Rahul; M, Ramugade Manoj

2015-01-01

Restoration of proximal defect of tooth is of paramount importance as its improper restoration usually results in fracture of the restoration or deteriorated periodontal health. The article reports a case with a discreet mass of alveolar bone necrosis closed to the overhanged amalgam restoration in the proximal box of the maxillary molar. As a result of this improper proximal restoration it led to deep periodontal pocket and subsequent alveolar bone necrosis which was managed successfully with combined Endodontic-Periodontic treatment. This article highlights the unfortunate sequelae of bone necrosis as a consequence of an incorrect or overlooked dental treatment and its comprehensive management. PMID:26155587

Psychological responses to the proximity of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brügger, Adrian; Dessai, Suraje; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Morton, Thomas A.; Pidgeon, Nicholas F.

2015-12-01

A frequent suggestion to increase individuals' willingness to take action on climate change and to support relevant policies is to highlight its proximal consequences, that is, those that are close in space and time. But previous studies that have tested this proximizing approach have not revealed the expected positive effects on individual action and support for addressing climate change. We present three lines of psychological reasoning that provide compelling arguments as to why highlighting proximal impacts of climate change might not be as effective a way to increase individual mitigation and adaptation efforts as is often assumed. Our contextualization of the proximizing approach within established psychological research suggests that, depending on the particular theoretical perspective one takes on this issue, and on specific individual characteristics suggested by these perspectives, proximizing can bring about the intended positive effects, can have no (visible) effect or can even backfire. Thus, the effects of proximizing are much more complex than is commonly assumed. Revealing this complexity contributes to a refined theoretical understanding of the role that psychological distance plays in the context of climate change and opens up further avenues for future research and for interventions.

Oak tree-rings record spatial-temporal pollution trends from different sources in Terni (Central Italy).

PubMed

Perone, A; Cocozza, C; Cherubini, P; Bachmann, O; Guillong, M; Lasserre, B; Marchetti, M; Tognetti, R

2018-02-01

Monitoring atmospheric pollution in industrial areas near urban center is essential to infer past levels of contamination and to evaluate the impact for environmental health and safety. The main aim of this study was to understand if the chemical composition of tree-ring wood can be used for monitoring spatial-temporal variability of pollutants in Terni, Central Italy, one of the most polluted towns in Italy. Tree cores were taken from 32 downy oaks (Quercus pubescens) located at different distances from several pollutant sources, including a large steel factory. Trace element (Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg, Mo, Ni, Tl, W, U, V, and Zn) index in tree-ring wood was determined using high-resolution laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). We hypothesized that the presence of contaminants detected in tree-rings reflected industrial activities over time. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings was affected by anthropogenic activities in the period 1958-2009, though signals varied in intensity with the distance of trees from the industrial plant. A stronger limitation of tree growth was observed in the proximity of the industrial plant in comparison with other pollutant sources. Levels of Cr, Ni, Mo, V, U and W increased in tree-ring profiles of trees close to the steel factory, especially during the 80's and 90's, in correspondence to a peak of pollution in this period, as recorded by air quality monitoring stations. Uranium contents in our tree-rings were difficult to explain, while the higher contents of Cu, Hg, Pb, and Tl could be related to the contaminants released from an incinerator located close to the industrial plant. The accumulation of contaminants in tree-rings reflected the historical variation of environmental pollution in the considered urban context. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of image based techniques for wildfire detection and fuel mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabbert, Dustin W.

Few events can cause the catastrophic impact to ecology, infrastructure, and human safety of a wildland fire along the wildland urban interface. The suppression of natural wildland fires over the past decade has caused a buildup of dry, dead surface fuels: a condition that, coupled with the right weather conditions, can cause large destructive wildfires that are capable of threatening both ancient tree stands and manmade infrastructure. Firefighters use fire danger models to determine staffing needs on high fire risk days; however models are only as effective as the spatial and temporal density of their observations. OKFIRE, an Oklahoma initiative created by a partnership between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma, has proven that fire danger assessments close to the fire - both geographically and temporally - can give firefighters a significant increase in their situational awareness while fighting a wildland fire. This paper investigates several possible solutions for a small Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) which could gather information useful for detecting ground fires and constructing fire danger maps. Multiple fire detection and fuel mapping programs utilize satellites, manned aircraft, and large UAS equipped with hyperspectral sensors to gather useful information. Their success provides convincing proof of the utility that could be gained from low-altitude UAS gathering information at the exact time and place firefighters and land managers are interested in. Close proximity, both geographically and operationally, to the end can reduce latency times below what could ever be possible with satellite observation. This paper expands on recent advances in computer vision, photogrammetry, and infrared and color imagery to develop a framework for a next-generation UAS which can assess fire danger and aid firefighters in real time as they observe, contain, or extinguish wildland fires. It also investigates the impact information gained by this system could have on pre-fire risk assessments through the development of very high resolution fuel maps.

An Evaluation of Image Based Techniques for Early Wildfire Detection and Fuel Mapping

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

Gabbert, Dustin W.

Few events can cause the catastrophic impact to ecology, infrastructure, and human safety of a wildland fire along the wildland urban interface. The suppression of natural wildland fires over the past decade has caused a buildup of dry, dead surface fuels: a condition that, coupled with the right weather conditions, can cause large destructive wildfires that are capable of threatening both ancient tree stands and manmade infrastructure. Firefighters use fire danger models to determine staffing needs on high fire risk days; however models are only as effective as the spatial and temporal density of their observations. OKFIRE, an Oklahoma initiativemore » created by a partnership between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma, has proven that fire danger assessments close to the fire – both geographically and temporally – can give firefighters a significant increase in their situational awareness while fighting a wildland fire. This paper investigates several possible solutions for a small Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) which could gather information useful for detecting ground fires and constructing fire danger maps. Multiple fire detection and fuel mapping programs utilize satellites, manned aircraft, and large UAS equipped with hyperspectral sensors to gather useful information. Their success provides convincing proof of the utility that could be gained from low-altitude UAS gathering information at the exact time and place firefighters and land managers are interested in. Close proximity, both geographically and operationally, to the end can reduce latency times below what could ever be possible with satellite observation. This paper expands on recent advances in computer vision, photogrammetry, and infrared and color imagery to develop a framework for a next-generation UAS which can assess fire danger and aid firefighters in real time as they observe, contain, or extinguish wildland fires. It also investigates the impact information gained by this system could have on pre-fire risk assessments through the development of very high resolution fuel maps.« less

Proximal metatarsal osteotomies: a comparative geometric analysis conducted on sawbone models.

PubMed

Nyska, Meir; Trnka, Hans-Jörg; Parks, Brent G; Myerson, Mark S

2002-10-01

We evaluated the change in position of the first metatarsal head using a three-dimensional digitizer on sawbone models. Crescentic, closing wedge, oblique shaft (Ludloff 8 degrees and 16 degrees), reverse oblique shaft (Mau 8 degrees and 16 degrees), rotational "Z" (Scarf), and proximal chevron osteotomies were performed and secured using 3-mm screws. The 16 degrees Ludloff provided the most lateral shift (9.5 mm) and angular correction (14.5 degrees) but also produced the most elevation (1.4 mm) and shortening (2.9 mm). The 8 degrees Ludloff provided lateral and angular corrections similar to those of the crescentic and closing wedge osteotomies with less elevation and shortening. Because the displacement osteotomies (Scarf, proximal chevron) provided less angular correction, the same lateral displacement, and less shortening than the basilar angular osteotomies, based upon this model they can be more reliably used for a patient with a mild to moderate deformity, a short first metatarsal, or an intermediate deformity with a large distal metatarsal articular angle. These results can serve as recommendations for selecting the optimal osteotomy with which to correct a deformation.

Heightened attentional capture by visual food stimuli in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Neimeijer, Renate A M; Roefs, Anne; de Jong, Peter J

2017-08-01

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that anorexia nervosa (AN) patients are relatively insensitive to the attentional capture of visual food stimuli. Attentional avoidance of food might help AN patients to prevent more elaborate processing of food stimuli and the subsequent generation of craving, which might enable AN patients to maintain their strict diet. Participants were 66 restrictive AN spectrum patients and 55 healthy controls. A single-target rapid serial visual presentation task was used with food and disorder-neutral cues as critical distracter stimuli and disorder-neutral pictures as target stimuli. AN spectrum patients showed diminished task performance when visual food cues were presented in close temporal proximity of the to-be-identified target. In contrast to our hypothesis, results indicate that food cues automatically capture AN spectrum patients' attention. One explanation could be that the enhanced attentional capture of food cues in AN is driven by the relatively high threat value of food items in AN. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Sediment and discharge yields within a minimally disturbed, headwater watershed in North Central Pennsylvania, USA, with an emphasis on Superstorm Sandy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maloney, Kelly O.; Shull, Dustin R.

2015-01-01

We estimated discharge and suspended sediment (SS) yield in a minimally disturbed watershed in North Central Pennsylvania, USA, and compared a typical storm (September storm, 4.80 cm) to a large storm (Superstorm Sandy, 7.47 cm rainfall). Depending on branch, Sandy contributed 9.7–19.9 times more discharge and 11.5–37.4 times more SS than the September storm. During the September storm, the upper two branches accounted for 60.6% of discharge and 88.8% of SS at Lower Branch; during Sandy these percentages dropped to 36.1% for discharge and 30.1% for SS. The branch with close proximity roads had over two-three times per area SS yield than the branch without such roads. Hysteresis loops showed typical clockwise patterns for the September storm and more complicated patterns for Sandy, reflecting the multipeak event. Estimates of SS and hysteresis in minimally disturbed watersheds provide useful information that can be compared spatially and temporally to facilitate management.

Observation of skull-guided acoustic waves in a water-immersed murine skull using optoacoustic excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Estrada, Héctor; Rebling, Johannes; Razansky, Daniel

2017-02-01

The skull bone, a curved solid multilayered plate protecting the brain, constitutes a big challenge for the use of ultrasound-mediated techniques in neuroscience. Ultrasound waves incident from water or soft biological tissue are mostly reflected when impinging on the skull. To this end, skull properties have been characterized for both high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) operating in the narrowband far-field regime and optoacoustic imaging applications. Yet, no study has been conducted to characterize the near-field of water immersed skulls. We used the thermoelastic effect with a 532 nm pulsed laser to trigger a wide range of broad-band ultrasound modes in a mouse skull. In order to capture the waves propagating in the near-field, a thin hydrophone was scanned in close proximity to the skull's surface. While Leaky pseudo-Lamb waves and grazing-angle bulk water waves are clearly visible in the spatio-temporal data, we were only able to identify skull-guided acoustic waves after dispersion analysis in the wavenumber-frequency space. The experimental data was found to be in a reasonable agreement with a flat multilayered plate model.

Tracking Virus Particles in Fluorescence Microscopy Images Using Multi-Scale Detection and Multi-Frame Association.

PubMed

Jaiswal, Astha; Godinez, William J; Eils, Roland; Lehmann, Maik Jorg; Rohr, Karl

2015-11-01

Automatic fluorescent particle tracking is an essential task to study the dynamics of a large number of biological structures at a sub-cellular level. We have developed a probabilistic particle tracking approach based on multi-scale detection and two-step multi-frame association. The multi-scale detection scheme allows coping with particles in close proximity. For finding associations, we have developed a two-step multi-frame algorithm, which is based on a temporally semiglobal formulation as well as spatially local and global optimization. In the first step, reliable associations are determined for each particle individually in local neighborhoods. In the second step, the global spatial information over multiple frames is exploited jointly to determine optimal associations. The multi-scale detection scheme and the multi-frame association finding algorithm have been combined with a probabilistic tracking approach based on the Kalman filter. We have successfully applied our probabilistic tracking approach to synthetic as well as real microscopy image sequences of virus particles and quantified the performance. We found that the proposed approach outperforms previous approaches.

Measurements of left-to-right intracardiac shunting in adults: oximetric versus indicator dilution techniques.

PubMed

Hillis, L D; Winniford, M D; Jackson, J A; Firth, B G

1985-01-01

Of the various techniques that are available to assess the presence and magnitude of intracardiac shunting, oximetry and indicator dilution are used most frequently. This study was performed to compare these methods in adult patients with pure left-to-right intracardiac shunting. In 27 patients [12 men, 15 women, aged 32 +/- 12 (mean +/- SD) years], shunt magnitude was assessed in close temporal proximity by both techniques. The oximetric percentage left-to-right shunt averaged 55 +/- 16%, whereas the indocyanine green dye percentage shunt was significantly less (36 +/- 14%, p less than 0.001). The oximetric percentage shunt exceeded the indocyanine green dye percentage shunt in 26 and did so by greater than 20% in 23 patients. Thus, there is a substantial difference in shunt magnitude between the oximetric and the indicator dilution techniques. In infants, indicator dilution yields results that are larger than those obtained with the oximetric method. Conversely, in adults, the indicator dilution technique gives results that are consistently smaller than those obtained with oximetry. As a result, the decision regarding therapy of an intracardiac shunt should be made with this in mind.

Biomechanical force in blood development: extrinsic physical cues drive pro-hematopoietic signaling

PubMed Central

Lee, Hyun Jung; Li, Nan; Evans, Siobahn M.; Diaz, Miguel F.; Wenzel, Pamela L.

2013-01-01

The hematopoietic system is dynamic during development and in adulthood, undergoing countless spatial and temporal transitions during the course of one’s life. Microenvironmental cues in the many unique hematopoietic niches differ, characterized by distinct soluble molecules, membrane-bound factors, and biophysical features that meet the changing needs of the blood system. Research from the last decade has revealed the importance of substrate elasticity and biomechanical force in determination of stem cell fate. Our understanding of the role of these factors in hematopoiesis is still relatively poor; however, the developmental origin of blood cells from the endothelium promts a model for comparison. Many endothelial mechanical sensors and second messenger systems may also determine hematopoietic stem cell fate, self renewal, and homing behaviors. Further, the intimate contact of hematopoietic cells with mechanosensitive cell types, including osteoblasts, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and pericytes, places them in close proximity to paracrine signaling downstream of mechanical signals. The objective of this review is to present an overview of the sensors and intracellular signaling pathways activated by mechanical cues and highlight the role of mechanotransductive pathways in hematopoiesis. PMID:23850217

The relationship between physical activity facility proximity and leisure-time physical activity in persons with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Arbour, Kelly P; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A

2009-07-01

Within the general able-bodied population, proximity of one's home to physical activity facilities is modestly associated with physical activity behavior. Currently, no research has examined whether facility proximity is related to physical activity among persons living with disabilities. To examine (1) the level of agreement between perceived and actual proximity to accessible physical activity facilities and (2) the relationship between facility proximity (perceived and actual) and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). It was hypothesized that (1) perceived and actual proximity measures would exhibit low agreement and (2) a small, positive relationship would emerge between proximity (perceived and actual) and LTPA. Data from 50 Ontario residents living with SCI (70% male; 52% tetraplegia) were collected for proximity and LTPA. Perceived facility proximity was determined by a self-report "YES" versus "NO" presence measure, while actual facility proximity was assessed using Geographical Information Systems. An SCI-specific instrument, the PARA-SCI, was used to measure LTPA. Low agreement levels were found between perceived and actual proximity. LTPA status (active versus inactive) was shown to moderate the relationship, with higher agreement levels found for participants who reported engaging in mild or heavy LTPA versus their inactive counterparts, but only for the 30-minute wheeling boundary. Contrary to hypothesis, people living within a 30-minute wheel from an accessible facility were less likely to engage in heavy LTPA than were people who did not have an accessible facility located within a 30-minute wheel. No significant associations were found between LTPA and perceived proximity. Living in close proximity to a facility that provides accessible programming and equipment does not necessarily translate into greater physical activity behavior.

The place of proximity: social support in mother-adult daughter relationships.

PubMed

Scelza, Brooke A

2011-07-01

The mother-adult daughter relationship has been highlighted in both the social sciences and the public health literature as an important facet of social support networks, particularly as they pertain to maternal and child health. Evolutionary anthropologists also have shown positive associations between support from maternal grandmothers and various outcomes related to reproductive success; however, many of these studies rely on proximity as a surrogate measure of support. Here I present data from the Puerto Rican Maternal and Infant Health Survey (PRMIHS) comparing geographic proximity of mother and daughter with a self-reported measure of mother-to-daughter support. These two measures were used to predict infant health outcomes as well as various measures of instrumental and emotional aid provided during pregnancy and after birth. Primary support was shown to have a positive effect across the analyses, whereas geographic proximity was associated with an increased risk of infant mortality and low birth weight as well as reduced odds of receiving support. This paradox was then examined using a combination variable that teased out the interactions of maternal support and proximity. Women who were geographically close to their mothers but who did not consider them a primary source of support had increased odds of infant death and low birth weight, and were less likely to receive either tangible or intangible forms of aid, while women whose mothers were both close and primary showed uniformly positive outcomes. These results place the role of propinquity within the larger context of social support and highlight the need for more detailed studies of social support within evolutionary anthropology.

The use of visual and verbal means of communication across psychological distance.

PubMed

Amit, Elinor; Wakslak, Cheryl; Trope, Yaacov

2013-01-01

The current study investigated the effect of distance on medium preferences in interpersonal communication. Five experiments showed that people's preference for using pictures (vs. words) is increasingly higher when communicating with temporally, socially, or geographically proximal (vs. distal) others. In contrast, preference for words is increasingly higher when communicating with those who were distal. A sixth experiment showed that communication's medium influences distance preferences, such that people's preference for communicating a message to a distant (vs. proximal) target is greater for verbal compared with pictorial communications. A seventh experiment showed that recipients are more likely to heed a sender's suggestions when the medium and distance are congruent. These findings reflect the suitability of pictures for communication with proximal others and words with distal others. Implications of these findings for construal-level theory, perspective taking, embodied cognition, the development of language, and social skills with children are discussed.

A room with a viewpoint revisited: descriptive norms and hotel guests' towel reuse behavior.

PubMed

Bohner, Gerd; Schlüter, Lena E

2014-01-01

Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204), descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group ("hotel guests" vs. "guests in this room") and temporal proximity (currently vs. two years previous). Reuse of towels was unobtrusively recorded. Results showed that reuse rates were high overall and that both standard and descriptive norm messages increased reuse rates compared to a no-message baseline. However, descriptive norm messages were not more effective than the standard message, and effects of proximity were inconsistent across studies. Discussion addresses cultural and conceptual issues in comparing the present findings with previous ones.

Short-range airborne transmission of expiratory droplets between two people.

PubMed

Liu, L; Li, Y; Nielsen, P V; Wei, J; Jensen, R L

2017-03-01

The occurrence of close proximity infection for many respiratory diseases is often cited as evidence of large droplet and/or close contact transmission. We explored interpersonal exposure of exhaled droplets and droplet nuclei of two standing thermal manikins as affected by distance, humidity, ventilation, and breathing mode. Under the specific set of conditions studied, we found a substantial increase in airborne exposure to droplet nuclei exhaled by the source manikin when a susceptible manikin is within about 1.5 m of the source manikin, referred to as the proximity effect. The threshold distance of about 1.5 m distinguishes the two basic transmission processes of droplets and droplet nuclei, that is, short-range modes and the long-range airborne route. The short-range modes include both the conventional large droplet route and the newly defined short-range airborne transmission. We thus reveal that transmission occurring in close proximity to the source patient includes both droplet-borne (large droplet) and short-range airborne routes, in addition to the direct deposition of large droplets on other body surfaces. The mechanisms of the droplet-borne and short-range airborne routes are different; their effective control methods also differ. Neither the current droplet precautions nor dilution ventilation prevents short-range airborne transmission, so new control methods are needed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Local neuropeptide signaling modulates serotonergic transmission to shape the temporal organization of C. elegans egg-laying behavior

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Navonil; Bhattacharya, Raja; Francis, Michael M.

2017-01-01

Animal behaviors are often composed of distinct alternating behavioral states. Neuromodulatory signals are thought to be critical for establishing stable behavioral states and for orchestrating transitions between them. However, we have only a limited understanding of how neuromodulatory systems act in vivo to alter circuit performance and shape behavior. To address these questions, we have investigated neuromodulatory signaling in the context of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying. Egg-laying activity cycles between discrete states–short bursts of egg deposition (active phases) that alternate with prolonged quiescent periods (inactive phases). Here using genetic, pharmacological and optogenetic approaches for cell-specific activation and inhibition, we show that a group of neurosecretory cells (uv1) located in close spatial proximity to the egg-laying neuromusculature direct the temporal organization of egg-laying by prolonging the duration of inactive phases. We demonstrate that the modulatory effects of the uv1 cells are mediated by peptides encoded by the nlp-7 and flp-11 genes that act locally to inhibit circuit activity, primarily by inhibiting vesicular release of serotonin from HSN motor neurons. This peptidergic inhibition is achieved, at least in part, by reducing synaptic vesicle abundance in the HSN motor neurons. By linking the in vivo actions of specific neuropeptide signaling systems with the generation of stable behavioral outcomes, our study reveals how cycles of neuromodulation emanating from non-neuronal cells can fundamentally shape the organization of a behavioral program. PMID:28384151

External fixation of proximal tracheal airway stents: a modified technique.

PubMed

Majid, Adnan; Fernandez-Bussy, Sebastian; Kent, Michael; Folch, Erik; Fernandez, Liliana; Cheng, George; Gangadharan, Sidhu P

2012-06-01

Treatment of subglottic and proximal tracheal stenosis for nonsurgical candidates includes tracheostomy, Montgomery T tubes, and silicone stents. When used in lesions with concomitant malacia, silicone stents have a high incidence of migration. We describe a simple and effective technique of securing endoluminal stents using an Endo Close suturing device (Coviden, Boston, MA) and an external silicone button in 9 consecutive patients. Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis and Results from a Flush Airdata Sensing (FADS) System in Close Proximity to Firing Rocket Nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ali, Aliyah N.; Borrer, Jerry L.

2013-01-01

This presentation presents information regarding the nose-cap flush airdata sensing (FADS) system on Orion's Pad Abort 1 (PA-1) vehicle. The purpose of the nose-cap FADS system was to test whether or not useful data could be obtained from a FADS system if it was placed in close proximity to firing rockets nozzles like the attitude control motor (ACM) nozzles on the PA-1 launch abort system (LAS). The nose-cap FADS systems use pressure measurements from a series of pressure ports which are arranged in a cruciform pattern and flush with the surface of the vehicle to estimate values of angle of attack, angle of side-slip, Mach number, impact pressure and free-stream static pressure.

Regressing Team Performance on Collective Efficacy: Considerations of Temporal Proximity and Concordance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Nicholas D.; Paiement, Craig A.; Feltz, Deborah L.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine to what degree collective efficacy judgments based on summative team performance capabilities exhibited different levels of prediction for three additive intervals of team performance in women's ice hockey. Collective efficacy beliefs of 12 teams were assessed prior to Friday's game and Saturday's game…

Quasibiennial Periodicity of Solar and Planetary Phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Predeanu, Irina

The quasibiennial oscillation (QBO) of various solar and geophysical parameters is anlysed, taking some planetary configurations as temporal reference points. The incidence of the QBO minima in the proximity of Sun-Mars oppositions is discussed. The increase of this effect when Mars is near the perihelion or Jupiter is conjunct to the Sun is pointed out,

Age-differences in the temporal properties of proactive interference in working memory.

PubMed

Samrani, George; Bäckman, Lars; Persson, Jonas

2017-12-01

The inability to suppress irrelevant information has been suggested as a primary cause of proactive interference (PI), and this deficit may be enhanced in aging. The current study examines age differences and temporal boundaries of PI, by manipulating lure distances in a verbal 2-back working memory task. Both younger and older adults showed effects of interference for proximal 3- and 4-back lures, and this effect was greater for older adults. Whereas younger adults showed less interference during 4-back compared to 3-back lures, in both reaction times and accuracy, older adults improved only in accuracy. For distant lures, when the time between the 1st presentation of an item to its reappearance as a lure item was longer (e.g., 5- to 10-back lures), younger adults were no longer affected by PI. However, older adults were affected by PI throughout all distant lures, up to the most distant lure (9-/10-back). The results suggest that older adults were less successful in resolving interference from both proximal and distant familiar lures. Further, younger adults were able to overcome the effects of PI completely after a specific lure distance. The age differences in temporal properties of PI may therefore highlight a unique component linked to impaired interference control and aging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Wherever I may roam: social viscosity and kin affiliation in a wild population despite natal dispersal

PubMed Central

Hinde, Camilla A.; Garroway, Colin J.; Sheldon, Ben C.

2016-01-01

Dispersal affects the social contexts individuals experience by redistributing individuals in space, and the nature of social interactions can have important fitness consequences. During the vagrancy stage of natal dispersal, after an individual has left its natal site and before it has settled to breed, social affiliations might be predicted by opportunities to associate (e.g., distance in space and time between natal points of origin) or kin preferences. We investigated the social structure of a population of juvenile great tits (Parus major) and asked whether social affiliations during vagrancy were predicted by 1) the distance between natal nest-boxes, 2) synchrony in fledge dates, and 3) accounting for spatial and temporal predictors, whether siblings tended to stay together. We show that association strength was affected predominantly by spatial proximity at fledging and, to a lesser extent, temporal proximity in birth dates. Independently of spatial and temporal effects, sibling pairs associated more often than expected by chance. Our results suggest that the structure of the winter population is shaped primarily by limits to dispersal through incomplete population mixing. In addition, our results reveal kin structure, and hence the scope for fitness-related interactions between particular classes of kin. Both spatial-mediated and socially mediated population structuring can have implications for our understanding of the evolution of sociality. PMID:27418755

Open and Lys–His Hexacoordinated Closed Structures of a Globin with Swapped Proximal and Distal Sites

PubMed Central

Teh, Aik-Hong; Saito, Jennifer A.; Najimudin, Nazalan; Alam, Maqsudul

2015-01-01

Globins are haem-binding proteins with a conserved fold made up of α-helices and can possess diverse properties. A putative globin-coupled sensor from Methylacidiphilum infernorum, HGbRL, contains an N-terminal globin domain whose open and closed structures reveal an untypical dimeric architecture. Helices E and F fuse into an elongated helix, resulting in a novel site-swapped globin fold made up of helices A–E, hence the distal site, from one subunit and helices F–H, the proximal site, from another. The open structure possesses a large cavity binding an imidazole molecule, while the closed structure forms a unique Lys–His hexacoordinated species, with the first turn of helix E unravelling to allow Lys52(E10) to bind to the haem. Ligand binding induces reorganization of loop CE, which is stabilized in the closed form, and helix E, triggering a large conformational movement in the open form. These provide a mechanical insight into how a signal may be relayed between the globin domain and the C-terminal domain of HGbRL, a Roadblock/LC7 domain. Comparison with HGbI, a closely related globin, further underlines the high degree of structural versatility that the globin fold is capable of, enabling it to perform a diversity of functions. PMID:26094577

47 CFR 15.117 - TV broadcast receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service. (j) For a TV broadcast receiver... prominently display in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers...

47 CFR 15.117 - TV broadcast receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service. (j) For a TV broadcast receiver... prominently display in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers...

Proximity of public elementary schools to major roads in Canadian urban areas

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Epidemiologic studies have linked exposure to traffic-generated air and noise pollution with a wide range of adverse health effects in children. Children spend a large portion of time at school, and both air pollution and noise are elevated in close proximity to roads, so school location may be an important determinant of exposure. No studies have yet examined the proximity of schools to major roads in Canadian cities. Methods Data on public elementary schools in Canada's 10 most populous cities were obtained from online databases. School addresses were geocoded and proximity to the nearest major road, defined using a standardized national road classification scheme, was calculated for each school. Based on measurements of nitrogen oxide concentrations, ultrafine particle counts, and noise levels in three Canadian cities we conservatively defined distances < 75 m from major roads as the zone of primary interest. Census data at the city and neighborhood levels were used to evaluate relationships between school proximity to major roads, urban density, and indicators of socioeconomic status. Results Addresses were obtained for 1,556 public elementary schools, 95% of which were successfully geocoded. Across all 10 cities, 16.3% of schools were located within 75 m of a major road, with wide variability between cities. Schools in neighborhoods with higher median income were less likely to be near major roads (OR per $20,000 increase: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.00), while schools in densely populated neighborhoods were more frequently close to major roads (OR per 1,000 dwellings/km2: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.16). Over 22% of schools in the lowest neighborhood income quintile were close to major roads, compared to 13% of schools in the highest income quintile. Conclusions A substantial fraction of students at public elementary schools in Canada, particularly students attending schools in low income neighborhoods, may be exposed to elevated levels of air pollution and noise while at school. As a result, the locations of schools may negatively impact the healthy development and academic performance of a large number of Canadian children. PMID:22188682

Proximity of public elementary schools to major roads in Canadian urban areas.

PubMed

Amram, Ofer; Abernethy, Rebecca; Brauer, Michael; Davies, Hugh; Allen, Ryan W

2011-12-21

Epidemiologic studies have linked exposure to traffic-generated air and noise pollution with a wide range of adverse health effects in children. Children spend a large portion of time at school, and both air pollution and noise are elevated in close proximity to roads, so school location may be an important determinant of exposure. No studies have yet examined the proximity of schools to major roads in Canadian cities. Data on public elementary schools in Canada's 10 most populous cities were obtained from online databases. School addresses were geocoded and proximity to the nearest major road, defined using a standardized national road classification scheme, was calculated for each school. Based on measurements of nitrogen oxide concentrations, ultrafine particle counts, and noise levels in three Canadian cities we conservatively defined distances < 75 m from major roads as the zone of primary interest. Census data at the city and neighborhood levels were used to evaluate relationships between school proximity to major roads, urban density, and indicators of socioeconomic status. Addresses were obtained for 1,556 public elementary schools, 95% of which were successfully geocoded. Across all 10 cities, 16.3% of schools were located within 75 m of a major road, with wide variability between cities. Schools in neighborhoods with higher median income were less likely to be near major roads (OR per $20,000 increase: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.00), while schools in densely populated neighborhoods were more frequently close to major roads (OR per 1,000 dwellings/km²: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.16). Over 22% of schools in the lowest neighborhood income quintile were close to major roads, compared to 13% of schools in the highest income quintile. A substantial fraction of students at public elementary schools in Canada, particularly students attending schools in low income neighborhoods, may be exposed to elevated levels of air pollution and noise while at school. As a result, the locations of schools may negatively impact the healthy development and academic performance of a large number of Canadian children.

Proximal arm kinematics affect grip force-load force coordination

PubMed Central

Vermillion, Billy C.; Lum, Peter S.

2015-01-01

During object manipulation, grip force is coordinated with load force, which is primarily determined by object kinematics. Proximal arm kinematics may affect grip force control, as proximal segment motion could affect control of distal hand muscles via biomechanical and/or neural pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of proximal kinematics on grip force modulation during object manipulation. Fifteen subjects performed three vertical lifting tasks that involved distinct proximal kinematics (elbow/shoulder), but resulted in similar end-point (hand) trajectories. While temporal coordination of grip and load forces remained similar across the tasks, proximal kinematics significantly affected the grip force-to-load force ratio (P = 0.042), intrinsic finger muscle activation (P = 0.045), and flexor-extensor ratio (P < 0.001). Biomechanical coupling between extrinsic hand muscles and the elbow joint cannot fully explain the observed changes, as task-related changes in intrinsic hand muscle activation were greater than in extrinsic hand muscles. Rather, between-task variation in grip force (highest during task 3) appears to contrast to that in shoulder joint velocity/acceleration (lowest during task 3). These results suggest that complex neural coupling between the distal and proximal upper extremity musculature may affect grip force control during movements, also indicated by task-related changes in intermuscular coherence of muscle pairs, including intrinsic finger muscles. Furthermore, examination of the fingertip force showed that the human motor system may attempt to reduce variability in task-relevant motor output (grip force-to-load force ratio), while allowing larger fluctuations in output less relevant to task goal (shear force-to-grip force ratio). PMID:26289460

Solar Triumvirate

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-02-09

The magnetic field lines of three active regions in close proximity to one another interacted with each other over two and a half days Feb. 8-10, 2016. This image is from NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Retrograde amnesia in patients with diencephalic, temporal lobe or frontal lesions.

PubMed

Kopelman, M D; Stanhope, N; Kingsley, D

1999-07-01

Patients with focal diencephalic, temporal lobe, or frontal lobe lesions were examined on various measures of remote memory. Korsakoff patients showed a severe impairment with a characteristic 'temporal gradient', whereas two patients with focal diencephalic damage (and anterograde amnesia) were virtually unimpaired on remote memory measures. Patients with frontal lobe pathology were severely impaired in the recall of autobiographical incidents and famous news events. Patients with temporal lobe pathology showed severe impairment but a relatively 'flat' temporal gradient, largely attributable to herpes encephalitis patients. From recognition and cued recall tasks, it is argued that there is an important retrieval component to the remote memory deficit across all the lesion groups. In general, the pattern of performance by the frontal lobe and temporal lobe groups was closely similar, and there was no evidence of any major access/storage difference between them. However, laterality comparisons across these groups indicated that the right temporal and frontal lobe regions may make a greater contribution to the retrieval of past episodic (incident and event) memories, whereas the left temporal region is more closely involved in the lexical-semantic labelling of remote memories.

Capacity and Wake Vortices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-09-08

Aircraft wake vortices can pose a threat, especially in the terminal environment where aircraft operate in close proximity. Vortex separation standards preclude hazardous encounters, but are oftentimes very conservative. A key to increasing airport c...

47 CFR 15.117 - TV broadcast receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... receive TV service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service. (j) For a TV broadcast... in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers, in clear and...

47 CFR 15.117 - TV broadcast receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... receive TV service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service. (j) For a TV broadcast... in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers, in clear and...

47 CFR 15.117 - TV broadcast receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... receive TV service on the frequencies allocated for broadcast television service. (j) For a TV broadcast... in close proximity to the images or descriptions of such television broadcast receivers, in clear and...

Factors increasing snake detection and perceived threat in captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

PubMed

Etting, Stephanie F; Isbell, Lynne A; Grote, Mark N

2014-02-01

The primary predators of primates are all ambush hunters, and yet felids, raptors, and snakes differ in aspects of their ecology that affect the evasive strategies of their primate prey. Felids and raptors can traverse long distances quickly, thus the urgency of threat they present increases as they come closer in proximity to primates. In contrast, snakes do not move rapidly over long distances, and so primates may be reasonably safe even at close distances provided snakes can be detected and monitored. We investigated the ability of captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) to detect snakes at distances ranging from 15 to 1.5 m. We also examined variation in intensity of perceived threat by applying a Hidden Markov Model to infer changes in underlying state from observable behaviors, that is, increased attention and mobbing. We found that the macaques often failed to detect snake models but that closer proximity improved snake detection, which is necessary before threat can be perceived. We also found that having only one individual in fairly close proximity (≤ 7.5 m) was sufficient to alert the rest of the group and so the chances of detection did not increase with increasing group size. Finally, we found that when the snakes were perceived, they did not elicit greater intensity of response with closer proximity. These results provide evidence that the threat from snakes is greatest when they are in proximity to primates but are unseen. When snakes are seen, however, distance appears not to affect primates' perceived risk, in contrast to their perceived risk from raptors and felids. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Avoidance of malreduction of proximal femoral shaft fractures with the use of a minimally invasive nail insertion technique (MINIT).

PubMed

Russell, Thomas A; Mir, Hassan R; Stoneback, Jason; Cohen, Jose; Downs, Brandon

2008-07-01

To determine our rate of malalignment in proximal femoral shaft fractures treated with intramedullary (IM) nails, with and without the use of a minimally invasive nail insertion technique (MINIT). Retrospective study. Level 1 trauma center. Between July 1, 2003, and June 31, 2005, 100 consecutive proximal femoral shaft fractures (97 patients) were treated with IM nails. The average age of the 56 men and 41 women was 43.5 years (range, 17 to 96 years). There were 92 closed fractures and 8 open fractures. Fractures were classified according to the Russell-Taylor classification (69 type 1A, 11 type 1B, 3 type 2A, 17 type 2B). All patients underwent antegrade IM nailing using a fracture table in the supine (83) or lateral (17) position. A total of 72 entry portals were trochanteric, and 28 were piriformis. Seventy-seven percent of the femurs were opened with MINIT, a technique that uses a percutaneous cannulated channel reamer over a guide pin as opposed to the standard method of Kuntscher, which employs a femoral awl. Nails were locked proximally using standard locking in 37 fractures, and recon mode in 63. Fracture reduction was examined on immediate postoperative films to determine angulation in the coronal and sagittal planes. Criteria for acceptable reduction were less than 5 degrees angulation in any plane. In addition, surgical position, entry portal, mechanism of injury, Russell-Taylor classification, OTA classification, open or closed fracture, open or closed reduction, and type of implant used were analyzed for significance. The frequency of malalignment was 10% for the entire group of patients. Malalignment occurred in 26% of fractures treated without the use of the MINIT and in 5.2% when the MINIT was used (P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between the different Russell-Taylor fracture types, although there was a trend towards more malalignment in type 2A and 2B fractures (P = 0.06). None of the other factors studied had a statistically significant effect on malalignment. A whole-model test of the factors that were surgeon-controlled (use of the MINIT, surgical position, open or closed reduction, type of implant used, and entry portal) found that only use of the MINIT had a statistically significant effect on malalignment (P < 0.01). The results indicate that use of the minimally invasive nail insertion technique (MINIT) significantly decreases the occurrence of malalignment in proximal femoral shaft fractures.

Confusion and Compensation in Visual Perception: Effects of Spatiotemporal Proximity and Selective Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weidemann, Christoph T.; Huber, David E.; Shiffrin, Richard M.

2005-01-01

The authors investigated spatial, temporal, and attentional manipulations in a short-term repetition priming paradigm. Brief primes produced a strong preference to choose the primed alternative, whereas long primes had the opposite effect. However, a 2nd brief presentation of a long prime produced a preference for the primed word despite the long…

Hyper-Binding across Time: Age Differences in the Effect of Temporal Proximity on Paired-Associate Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Karen L.; Trelle, Alexandra; Hasher, Lynn

2014-01-01

Older adults show hyper- (or excessive) binding effects for simultaneously and sequentially presented distraction. Here, we addressed the potential role of hyper-binding in paired-associate learning. Older and younger adults learned a list of word pairs and then received an associative recognition task in which rearranged pairs were formed from…

An integrated circuit switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonin, E. L.

1969-01-01

Multi-chip integrated circuit switch consists of a GaAs photon-emitting diode in close proximity with S1 phototransistor. A high current gain is obtained when the transistor has a high forward common-emitter current gain.

GN/C translation and rotation control parameters for AR/C (category 2)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, David M.

1991-01-01

Detailed analysis of the Automatic Rendezvous and Capture problem indicate a need for three different regions of mathematical description for the GN&C algorithms: (1) multi-vehicle orbital mechanics to the rendezvous interface point, i.e., within 100 n.; (2) relative motion solutions (such as Clohessy-Wiltshire type) from the far-field to the near-field interface, i.e., within 1 nm; and (3) close proximity motion, the nearfield motion where the relative differences in the gravitational and orbit inertial accelerations can be neglected from the equations of motion. This paper defines the reference coordinate frames and control parameters necessary to model the relative motion and attitude of spacecraft in the close proximity of another space system (Region 2 and 3) during the Automatic Rendezvous and Capture phase of an orbit operation.

Apparatus and method for rapid cooling of large area substrates in vacuum

DOEpatents

Barth, Kurt L.; Enzenroth, Robert A.; Sampath, Walajabad S.

2012-11-06

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for rapid cooling of a large substrate in a vacuum environment. A first cooled plate is brought into close proximity with one surface of a flat substrate. The spatial volume between the first cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and brought to a higher pressure than the surrounding vacuum level to increase the cooling efficiency. A second cooled plate is brought into close proximity with the opposite surface of the flat substrate. A second spatial volume between the second cooling plate and the substrate is sealed and the gas pressure is equalized to the gas pressure in the first spatial volume. The equalization of the gas pressure on both sides of the flat substrate eliminates deflection of the substrate and bending stress in the substrate.

Long-term analysis of spatio-temporal patterns in population dynamics and demography of juvenile Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacin, D. H.; Switzer, T. S.; Ainsworth, C. H.; Stallings, C. D.

2016-12-01

In estuarine systems, proximity to the ocean has the potential to directly and indirectly drive patterns of fish distribution and population dynamics. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of fisheries-independent data and quantified patterns of density, biomass, and growth rates of juvenile Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) across spatial and temporal scales in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. Spatially, the highest density and biomass were found in the outermost regions (closest to the Gulf of Mexico) of the Bay, and these patterns were generally consistent temporally. Inter-annually, Pinfish density and biomass were the highest during periods coinciding with favorable oceanographic conditions (e.g., anomalously intense and prolonged upwelling) for across-shelf transport of larvae from spawning grounds in the Gulf to Tampa Bay. Intra-annually, density and biomass were the highest during spring and summer likely due to the combined effects of spawning timing (and delivery of new settlers), and high somatic growth fueled by increased secondary and primary productivity. Declines in density and biomass during the late summer through early winter were possibly due to high post-settlement mortality and egress to offshore habitats. Pinfish increased predictably in size across the months of the calendar year, and tended to be larger and grew faster in the innermost regions of the Bay, which were located farthest from the Gulf. Pinfish density was related to the proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, with the outermost regions of the Bay having greater seagrass cover, higher salinity, and being closer to the offshore larval pool where spawning occurs. Thus, this study provided evidence that distance to the ocean was an important driver of biotic and abiotic factors that influenced Pinfish demographic rates across spatial and temporal scales in the largest estuary in Florida.

A novel fluorescent aptasensor based on hairpin structure of complementary strand of aptamer and nanoparticles as a signal amplification approach for ultrasensitive detection of cocaine.

PubMed

Emrani, Ahmad Sarreshtehdar; Danesh, Noor Mohammad; Ramezani, Mohammad; Taghdisi, Seyed Mohammad; Abnous, Khalil

2016-05-15

Cocaine is one of the most commonly misused stimulant which could influence the central nervous system. In this study, a fluorescent aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor) was designed for sensitive and selective detection of cocaine, based on hairpin structure of complementary strand of aptamer (CS), target-induced release of aptamer (Apt) from CS and two kinds of nanoparticles, including silica nanoparticles (SNPs) coated with streptavidin and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The designed aptasensor acquires characteristics of AuNPs such as unique optical properties and large surface area, SNPs as amplifiers of fluorescence intensity, higher affinity of Apt toward its target relative to its CS, and finally the hairpin structure of CS that brings the fluorophore (FAM) to close proximity to the surface of SNPs. In the absence of cocaine, FAM is in close proximity to the surface of AuNPs, resulting in a weak fluorescence emission. In the presence of target, FAM comes to close proximity to the surface of SNPs because of the formation of hairpin structure of CS, leading to a very strong fluorescence emission. The fabricated fluorescent aptasensor exhibited a good selectivity toward cocaine with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 209 pM. Moreover, the designed aptasensor was successfully utilized to detect cocaine in serum with a LOD as low as 293 pM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research note: Mapping spatial patterns in sewer age, material, and proximity to surface waterways to infer sewer leakage hotspots

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, Kristina G.; Bain, Daniel J.

2018-01-01

Identifying areas where deteriorating sewer infrastructure is in close proximity to surface waterways is needed to map likely connections between sewers and streams. We present a method to estimate sewer installation year and deterioration status using historical maps of the sewer network, parcel-scale property assessment data, and pipe material. Areas where streams were likely buried into the sewer system were mapped by intersecting the historical stream network derived from a 10-m resolution digital elevation model with sewer pipe locations. Potential sewer leakage hotspots were mapped by identifying where aging sewer pipes are in close proximity (50-m) to surface waterways. Results from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA), indicated 41% of the historical stream length was lost or buried and the potential interface between sewers and streams is great. The co-location of aging sewer infrastructure (>75 years old) near stream channels suggests that 42% of existing streams are located in areas with a high potential for sewer leakage if sewer infrastructure fails. Mapping the sewer-stream interface provides an approach to better understand areas were failing sewers may contribute a disproportional amount of nutrients and other pathogens to surface waterways.

Relationship proximity to victims of witnessed community violence: associations with adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

PubMed

Lambert, Sharon F; Boyd, Rhonda C; Cammack, Nicole L; Ialongo, Nicholas S

2012-01-01

Witnessing community violence has been linked with several adverse outcomes for adolescents, including emotional and behavioral problems. Among youth who have witnessed community violence, proximity to the victim of community violence is one factor that may determine, in part, the nature of adolescents' responses to community violence exposure. The present study examines whether relationship proximity to the victim of community violence is associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors among a sample of urban and predominantly African American adolescents (N = 501) who have witnessed community violence. In 10th grade, participants reported whether they had witnessed 10 community violence events during the past year, and, if so, whether the victim of the violence was a family member, close friend, acquaintance, or stranger. Witnessed community violence against a family member or close friend was associated with depressive symptoms, and witnessed community violence against known individuals was associated with anxiety symptoms. Witnessing community violence against familiar persons and strangers was linked with aggressive behavior. Gender differences in these associations and implications for assessment and intervention with community violence-exposed youth are discussed. © 2012 American Orthopsychiatric Association.

Extra-articular osteotomy for malunited unicondylar fractures of the proximal phalanx.

PubMed

Harness, Neil G; Chen, Alvin; Jupiter, Jesse B

2005-05-01

To evaluate an extra-articular osteotomy rather than an intra-articular osteotomy in the treatment of malunited unicondylar fractures of the proximal phalanx. An extra-articular osteotomy was used to correct the deformity resulting from a malunion of a unicondylar fracture of the proximal phalanx in 5 patients. A closing wedge osteotomy that was stabilized with tension band fixation accomplished realignment of the joint. Each patient was evaluated at a minimum of 1 year after surgery for radiographic healing, correction of angulation, digital motion, postoperative complications, current level of pain with motion, and overall satisfaction with the procedure. All of the osteotomies healed by 10 to 12 weeks after surgery with an average angular correction from 25 degrees to 1 degrees . The average proximal interphalangeal joint motion improved to 86 degrees from the preoperative average of 40 degrees , whereas the average total digital motion improved from 154 degrees before surgery to 204 degrees at follow-up evaluation. This method of extra-articular osteotomy for malunited unicondylar fractures of the proximal phalanx is highly reproducible, avoids the risks of intra-articular surgery, and leads to a predictable outcome.

Presenting rhythm in sudden deaths temporally proximate to discharge of TASER conducted electrical weapons.

PubMed

Swerdlow, Charles D; Fishbein, Michael C; Chaman, Linda; Lakkireddy, Dhanunjaya R; Tchou, Patrick

2009-08-01

Sudden deaths proximate to use of conducted electrical weapons (CEWs) have been attributed to cardiac electrical stimulation. The rhythm in death caused by rapid, cardiac electrical stimulation usually is ventricular fibrillation (VF); electrical stimulation has not been reported to cause asystole or pulseless electrical activity (PEA). The authors studied the presenting rhythms in sudden deaths temporally proximate to use of TASER CEWs to estimate the likelihood that these deaths could be caused by cardiac electrical stimulation. This was a retrospective review of CEW-associated, nontraumatic sudden deaths from 2001 to 2008. Emergency medical services (EMS), autopsy, and law enforcement reports were requested and analyzed. Subjects were included if they collapsed within 15 minutes of CEW discharge and the first cardiac arrest rhythm was reported. Records for 200 cases were received. The presenting rhythm was reported for 56 of 118 subjects who collapsed within 15 minutes (47%). The rhythm was VF in four subjects (7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3% to 17%) and bradycardia-asystole or PEA in 52 subjects (93%; 95% CI = 83% to 97%). None of the eight subjects who collapsed during electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring had VF. Only one subject (2%) collapsed immediately after CEW discharge. This was the only death typical of electrically induced VF (2%, 95% CI = 0% to 9%). An additional 4 subjects (7%) collapsed within 1 minute, and the remaining 51 subjects (91%) collapsed more than 1 minute later. The time from collapse to first recorded rhythm was 3 minutes or less in 35 subjects (62%) and 5 minutes or less in 43 subjects (77%). In sudden deaths proximate to CEW discharge, immediate collapse is unusual, and VF is an uncommon VF presenting rhythm. Within study limitations, including selection bias and the possibility that VF terminated before the presenting rhythm was recorded, these data do not support electrically induced VF as a common mechanism of these sudden deaths.

Testosterone positively associated with both male mating effort and paternal behavior in savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

PubMed Central

Onyango, Patrick Ogola; Gesquiere, Laurence R.; Altmann, Jeanne; Alberts, Susan C.

2012-01-01

Testosterone (T) is often positively associated with male sexual behavior and negatively associated with paternal care. These associations have primarily been demonstrated in species where investment in paternal care begins well after mating activity is complete, when offspring are hatched or born. Different patterns may emerge in studies of species where investment in mating and paternal care overlap temporally, for instance in non-seasonal breeders in which males mate with multiple females sequentially and may simultaneously have multiple offspring of different ages. In a 9-year data set on levels of T in male baboons, fecal concentrations of T (fT) were positively associated with both mate guarding (“consortship”) – a measure of current reproductive activity – and with the number of immature offspring a male had in his social group – a measure of past reproductive activity and an indicator of likely paternal behavior. To further examine the relationship between T and potential paternal behavior, we next drew on an intensive 8-month study of male behavior, and found that fathers were more likely to be in close proximity to their offspring than expected by chance. Because male baboons are known to provide paternal care, and because time in proximity to offspring would facilitate such care, this suggests that T concentrations in wild male baboons may be associated with both current reproductive activity and with current paternal behavior. These results are consistent with the predicted positive association between T a mating effort but not nd with a negative association between T a paternal care; in male baboons, high levels of nd T occur in males that are differentially associating with their offspring. PMID:23206991

21 CFR 886.1670 - Ophthalmic isotope uptake probe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., by a probe which is placed in close proximity to the eye, the uptake of a radioisotope (phosphorus 32) by tumors to detect tumor masses on, around, or within the eye. (b) Classification. Class II. ...

21 CFR 886.1670 - Ophthalmic isotope uptake probe.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., by a probe which is placed in close proximity to the eye, the uptake of a radioisotope (phosphorus 32) by tumors to detect tumor masses on, around, or within the eye. (b) Classification. Class II. ...

Hardware-in-the-Loop Rendezvous Tests of a Novel Actuators Command Concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes dos Santos, Willer; Marconi Rocco, Evandro; Boge, Toralf; Benninghoff, Heike; Rems, Florian

2016-12-01

Integration, test and validation results, in a real-time environment, of a novel concept for spacecraft control are presented in this paper. The proposed method commands simultaneously a group of actuators optimizing a given set of objective functions based on a multiobjective optimization technique. Since close proximity maneuvers play an important role in orbital servicing missions, the entire GNC system has been integrated and tested at a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) rendezvous and docking simulator known as European Proximity Operations Simulator (EPOS). During the test campaign at EPOS facility, a visual camera has been used to provide the necessary measurements for calculating the relative position with respect to the target satellite during closed-loop simulations. In addition, two different configurations of spacecraft control have been considered in this paper: a thruster reaction control system and a mixed actuators mode which includes thrusters, reaction wheels, and magnetic torqrods. At EPOS, results of HIL closed-loop tests have demonstrated that a safe and stable rendezvous approach can be achieved with the proposed GNC loop.

Proximal Nephron

PubMed Central

Zhuo, Jia L.; Li, Xiao C.

2013-01-01

The kidney plays a fundamental role in maintaining body salt and fluid balance and blood pressure homeostasis through the actions of its proximal and distal tubular segments of nephrons. However, proximal tubules are well recognized to exert a more prominent role than distal counterparts. Proximal tubules are responsible for reabsorbing approximately 65% of filtered load and most, if not all, of filtered amino acids, glucose, solutes, and low molecular weight proteins. Proximal tubules also play a key role in regulating acid-base balance by reabsorbing approximately 80% of filtered bicarbonate. The purpose of this review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of new insights and perspectives into current understanding of proximal tubules of nephrons, with an emphasis on the ultrastructure, molecular biology, cellular and integrative physiology, and the underlying signaling transduction mechanisms. The review is divided into three closely related sections. The first section focuses on the classification of nephrons and recent perspectives on the potential role of nephron numbers in human health and diseases. The second section reviews recent research on the structural and biochemical basis of proximal tubular function. The final section provides a comprehensive overview of new insights and perspectives in the physiological regulation of proximal tubular transport by vasoactive hormones. In the latter section, attention is particularly paid to new insights and perspectives learnt from recent cloning of transporters, development of transgenic animals with knockout or knockin of a particular gene of interest, and mapping of signaling pathways using microarrays and/or physiological proteomic approaches. PMID:23897681

A Room with a Viewpoint Revisited: Descriptive Norms and Hotel Guests' Towel Reuse Behavior

PubMed Central

Bohner, Gerd; Schlüter, Lena E.

2014-01-01

Field experiments on descriptive norms as a means to increase hotel guests' towel reuse [1] were replicated and extended. In two hotels in Germany (Study 1: N = 724; Study 2: N = 204), descriptive norm messages suggesting that 75% of guests had reused their towels, or a standard message appealing to environmental concerns, were placed in guests' bathrooms. Descriptive norm messages varied in terms of proximity of the reference group (“hotel guests” vs. “guests in this room”) and temporal proximity (currently vs. two years previous). Reuse of towels was unobtrusively recorded. Results showed that reuse rates were high overall and that both standard and descriptive norm messages increased reuse rates compared to a no-message baseline. However, descriptive norm messages were not more effective than the standard message, and effects of proximity were inconsistent across studies. Discussion addresses cultural and conceptual issues in comparing the present findings with previous ones. PMID:25084348

Acute Exercise and Motor Memory Consolidation: The Role of Exercise Timing

PubMed Central

Christiansen, Lasse; Roig, Marc

2016-01-01

High intensity aerobic exercise amplifies offline gains in procedural memory acquired during motor practice. This effect seems to be evident when exercise is placed immediately after acquisition, during the first stages of memory consolidation, but the importance of temporal proximity of the exercise bout used to stimulate improvements in procedural memory is unknown. The effects of three different temporal placements of high intensity exercise were investigated following visuomotor skill acquisition on the retention of motor memory in 48 young (24.0 ± 2.5 yrs), healthy male subjects randomly assigned to one of four groups either performing a high intensity (90% Maximal Power Output) exercise bout at 20 min (EX90), 1 h (EX90+1), 2 h (EX90+2) after acquisition or rested (CON). Retention tests were performed at 1 d (R1) and 7 d (R7). At R1 changes in performance scores after acquisition were greater for EX90 than CON (p < 0.001) and EX90+2 (p = 0.001). At R7 changes in performance scores for EX90, EX90+1, and EX90+2 were higher than CON (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.008, resp.). Changes for EX90 at R7 were greater than EX90+2 (p = 0.049). Exercise-induced improvements in procedural memory diminish as the temporal proximity of exercise from acquisition is increased. Timing of exercise following motor practice is important for motor memory consolidation. PMID:27446616

Proximity of fast food restaurants to schools: do neighborhood income and type of school matter?

PubMed

Simon, Paul A; Kwan, David; Angelescu, Aida; Shih, Margaret; Fielding, Jonathan E

2008-09-01

To investigate the proximity of fast food restaurants to public schools and examine proximity by neighborhood income and school level (elementary, middle, or high school). Geocoded school and restaurant databases from 2005 and 2003, respectively, were used to determine the percentage of schools with one or more fast food restaurants within 400 m and 800 m of all public schools in Los Angeles County, California. Single-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) models were run to examine fast food restaurant proximity to schools by median household income of the surrounding census tract and by school level. Two-factor ANOVA models were run to assess the additional influence of neighborhood level of commercialization. Overall, 23.3% and 64.8% of schools had one or more fast food restaurants located within 400 m and 800 m, respectively. Fast food restaurant proximity was greater for high schools than for middle and elementary schools, and was inversely related to neighborhood income for schools in the highest commercial areas. No association with income was observed in less commercial areas. Fast food restaurants are located in close proximity to many schools in this large metropolitan area, especially high schools and schools located in low income highly commercial neighborhoods. Further research is needed to assess the relationship between fast food proximity and student dietary practices and obesity risk.

Temporal variations of randomness in seismic noise during the 2009 Redoubt volcano eruption, Cook Inlet, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinou, Konstantinos; Glynn, Chagnon

2017-04-01

Redoubt volcano is a stratovolcano in the Cook Inlet, south-central Alaska, that has erupted several times in the last fifty years. Its latest eruption in March 2009 was preceded first by volcanic tremor, which was immediately followed by a swarm of low-frequency earthquakes. Due to its proximity to sensitive infrastructure (oil platforms and storage facilities) and the fact that it lies in the way of air traffic routes, Redoubt has been closely monitored by permanent and temporary seismic stations. One of these stations (REF) equipped with a short-period, vertical component sensor was located very near the summit and was continuously recording before, during and after the 2009 eruption. Here we quantify the randomness levels of the continuous seismic signal at REF by calculating Permutation Entropy (PE), which is a nonlinear statistical measure of the amount of randomness in a time series. The time window for this calculation starts 1 January 2009 about two months before the first earthquake swarm, and ends 2 May 2009 when the main explosive activity ceased. The temporal variation of PE during this period shows two significant features: (1) a large decrease about 20 days prior to the onset of the earthquake swarm of 26 February, and (2) smaller decreases that occur shortly (few hours to a day) before phreatic/magmatic explosions. These decreases in PE also coincide with depletion of higher frequencies (> 6 Hz) in the seismic signal, confirming previous findings where reduced randomness in seismic noise may indicate increased absorption losses as hot magmatic fluids reach shallow levels within the volcano edifice.

A study of adverse birth outcomes and agricultural land use practices in Missouri.

PubMed

Almberg, Kirsten S; Turyk, Mary; Jones, Rachael M; Anderson, Robert; Graber, Judith; Banda, Elizabeth; Waller, Lance A; Gibson, Roger; Stayner, Leslie T

2014-10-01

Missouri is an agriculturally intensive state, primarily growing corn and soybeans with additional rice and cotton farming in some southeastern counties. Communities located in close proximity to pesticide-treated fields are known to have increased exposure to pesticides and may be at increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. The study aims were to assess the relationship between county-level measures of crop-specific agricultural production and adverse birth outcomes in Missouri and to evaluate the most appropriate statistical methodologies for doing so. Potential associations between county level data on the densities of particular crops and low birth weight and preterm births were examined in Missouri between 2004-2006. Covariates considered as potential confounders and effect modifiers included gender, maternal race/ethnicity, maternal age at delivery, maternal smoking, access to prenatal care, quarter of birth, county median household income, and population density. These data were analyzed using both standard Poisson regression models as well as models allowing for temporal and spatial correlation of the data. There was no evidence of an association between corn, soybean, or wheat densities with low birth weight or preterm births. Significant positive associations between both rice and cotton density were observed with both low birth weight and preterm births. Model results were consistent using Poisson and alternative models accounting for spatial and temporal variability. The associations of rice and cotton with low birth weight and preterm births warrant further investigation. Study limitations include the ecological study design and limited available covariate information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contralateral Anterior Interhemispheric Transparaterminal Gyrus Approach for Thalamopeduncular Pilocytic Astrocytoma in an Adult: Technical Report.

PubMed

Kumar, Amandeep; Sharma, Raghavendra; Garg, Ajay; Sharma, Bhawani S

2016-03-01

Thalamopeduncular gliomas arise at the junction of the thalamus and cerebral peduncle and constitute a subgroup of thalamic gliomas. These are surgically challenging lesions because of close proximity to important neural structures including corticospinal tracts (CSTs) and the thalamus. These tumors usually displace CSTs anterolaterally or extend to the lateral ventricular surface. Such tumors can be removed by either temporal or transventricular approaches. However, if CSTs cover the entire lateral surface of tumor and tumor does not extend to the ventricular surface, temporal and transventricular approaches cannot be used because the trajectories of both approaches would pass through normal eloquent structures (CSTs and thalamus), and consequently there would be a very high risk of postoperative neurologic deficits developing. A 50-year-old woman presented with contralateral hemiparesis. Radiologic evaluation revealed a right Thalamopeduncular glioma that displaced CSTs laterally and was covered by normal thalamus superiorly. Some CST fibers passed through the tumor. Because both lateral and superior surfaces were covered by eloquent structures, we used an anterior interhemispheric transparaterminal gyrus approach to access the tumor successfully and achieved subtotal excision. The patient had transient neurologic deterioration postoperatively that recovered to preoperative level within 2 weeks. The anterior interhemispheric transparaterminal gyrus approach has not been described previously for accessing brainstem lesions. This approach can be used to access tumors of the cerebral peduncle that displace CSTs laterally and are covered by normal thalamus superiorly. The anterior interhemispheric transparaterminal gyrus approach adds to the armamentarium of neurosurgeons for treatment of cerebral peduncular lesions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

After facial nerve damage, regenerating axons become aberrant throughout the length of the nerve and not only at the site of the lesion: an experimental study.

PubMed

Choi, D; Raisman, G

2004-02-01

After facial nerve trauma, aberrant regeneration is associated with synkinesis. Animal models of mechanical nerve guides or reparative cell transplants at the site of a lesion have not been shown to improve disorganized regeneration. We examined whether this is because regenerating axons become disorganized throughout the length of the nerve and not only at the site of the lesion. In rats (n = 12), retrograde fluorescent tracer techniques were used to establish that most of the temporal branch fibres were carried in the superior half of the facial nerve trunk. In two further groups of rats (n = 24) a complete proximal facial nerve lesion was made, and the nerve immediately repaired by suture. After 4 weeks, at a second operation, the superior half of the facial nerve trunk was cut, either proximal or distal to the original lesion, and retrograde tracers were applied to distal branches of the nerve. It was possible to localize the points at which regenerating fibres became aberrant in their course by studying the number of labelled motoneurons in the facial nucleus after application of the tracer to the temporal branch of the nerve: this was similar in the distal and proximal hemisection groups, suggesting that aberrant axonal development occurred throughout the length of the nerve. Future strategies aimed at improving the organization of regeneration need to provide guidance cues not only at the site of the lesion as previously thought, but also throughout the length of the nerve.

Judging near and distant virtue and vice ☆

PubMed Central

Eyal, Tal; Liberman, Nira; Trope, Yaacov

2009-01-01

We propose that people judge immoral acts as more offensive and moral acts as more virtuous when the acts are psychologically distant than near. This is because people construe more distant situations in terms of moral principles, rather than attenuating situation-specific considerations. Results of four studies support these predictions. Study 1 shows that more temporally distant transgressions (e.g., eating one's dead dog) are construed in terms of moral principles rather than contextual information. Studies 2 and 3 further show that morally offensive actions are judged more severely when imagined from a more distant temporal (Study 2) or social (Study 3) perspective. Finally, Study 4 shows that moral acts (e.g., adopting a disabled child) are judged more positively from temporal distance. The findings suggest that people more readily apply their moral principles to distant rather than proximal behaviors. PMID:19554217

Interactions of Entamoeba Histolytica with Host Cells in the Gut Mucosa,

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

amebae were observed close to the cecal epithelium, the apposing epithelial cell was found to have protruded in the lumen and making contact with the... amebae . Such cells often had become detached from their basal lamina and intercellular tight junctions, affording spaces through which amebae invaded the...mucosa. Other epithelial cells in close proximity to amebae showed degenerative changes characterized by swelling of mitochondria and endoplasmic

Optimal Control of a Circular Satellite Formation Subject to Gravitational Perturbations

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

fundamental reference in the study of the dynamics of close-proximity spacecraft is the paper by Clohessy and Wiltshire (5). In this work, the linear...dynamics for a satellite rendezvous problem are derived, which are now commonly known as either the Clohessy - Wiltshire (CW) equations or Hill’s...themselves to closed-form solutions, as did the Clohessy - Wiltshire development. When the nonlinear approach is undertaken, the numeric integration

Evaluation of the environmental impact of bridge deck runoff.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

Bridges are located in very close proximity to receiving waters, and regulatory agencies often require specific stormwater : control measures for bridge deck runoff. While there is some information available on roadway runoff, few studies have : focu...

MR-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) on Pediatric Solid Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2018-03-30

Relapsed Pediatric Solid Tumors; Refractory Pediatric Solid Tumors; Tumors Located in Bone or Soft Tissue in Close Proximity to Bone; Rhabdomyosarcoma; Ewing Sarcoma; Osteosarcoma; Neuroblastoma; Wilms Tumor; Hepatic Tumor; Germ Cell Tumor; Desmoid Tumor

Electronic device simulates respiration rate and depth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, J. A.

1964-01-01

An oscillator circuit and a thermistor, in close proximity to a light bulb, periodically alter the heat output of the bulb by varying the voltage across its filament. Use of this simulator permits checkout tests on pneumographs.

Timing issues for traffic signals interconnected with highway-railroad grade crossings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

The coordination of highway-railroad grade crossing warning signals with nearby traffic signals is of vital : importance due to potential safety consequences. Interconnections between traffic signals in close : proximity to railroad crossings provide...

RADIATION FACILITY FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS

DOEpatents

Currier, E.L. Jr.; Nicklas, J.H.

1961-12-12

A radiation facility is designed for irradiating samples in close proximity to the core of a nuclear reactor. The facility comprises essentially a tubular member extending through the biological shield of the reactor and containing a manipulatable rod having the sample carrier at its inner end, the carrier being longitudinally movable from a position in close proximity to the reactor core to a position between the inner and outer faces of the shield. Shield plugs are provided within the tubular member to prevent direct radiation from the core emanating therethrough. In this device, samples may be inserted or removed during normal operation of the reactor without exposing personnel to direct radiation from the reactor core. A storage chamber is also provided within the radiation facility to contain an irradiated sample during the period of time required to reduce the radioactivity enough to permit removal of the sample for external handling. (AEC)

Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Growth via Close Proximity Precursor Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Maria; McEvoy, Niall; Hallam, Toby; Kim, Hye-Young; Berner, Nina C.; Hanlon, Damien; Lee, Kangho; Coleman, Jonathan N.; Duesberg, Georg S.

2014-12-01

Reliable chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is currently a highly pressing research field, as numerous potential applications rely on the production of high quality films on a macroscopic scale. Here, we show the use of liquid phase exfoliated nanosheets and patterned sputter deposited layers as solid precursors for chemical vapour deposition. TMD monolayers were realized using a close proximity precursor supply in a CVD microreactor setup. A model describing the growth mechanism, which is capable of producing TMD monolayers on arbitrary substrates, is presented. Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electrical transport measurements reveal the high quality of the TMD samples produced. Furthermore, through patterning of the precursor supply, we achieve patterned growth of monolayer TMDs in defined locations, which could be adapted for the facile production of electronic device components.

Effect of mass and density of ambient gas on the interaction of laser-blow-off plasma plumes propagating in close proximity

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

Kumar, Bhupesh; Singh, R. K.; Kumar, Ajai, E-mail: ajai@ipr.res.in

2016-04-15

The effects of mass and pressure of ambient gas on the propagation dynamics of two laser-blow-off plasma plumes created in close proximity are investigated. A time gated fast imaging technique is used for recording the images of the laterally colliding plumes under different experimental conditions. Pressure is varied from 0.1 to 3 mbar in three ambient, i.e., helium, neon, and argon. Emphasis is given on the nature of shock-shock interaction under different ambient conditions. It has been observed that the shock-velocity, shape, strength, and their interactions are strongly dependent on the mass and density of the ambient gases. The rolemore » of the interacting shocks and their subsequent reflections on the formation and geometrical shape of the interaction region in different ambient conditions is briefly described.« less

Solar electric and thermal conversion system in close proximity to the consumer. [solar panels on house roofs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boeer, K. W.

1975-01-01

Solar cells may be used to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy and into lowgrade heat to be used for large-scale terrestrial solar-energy conversion. Both forms of energy can be utilized if such cells are deployed in close proximity to the consumer (rooftop). Cadmium-sulfide/copper-sulfide (CdS/Cu2S) solar cells are an example of cells which may be produced inexpensively enough to become economically attractive. Cell parameters relevant for combined solar conversion are presented. Critical issues, such as production yield, life expectancy, and stability of performance, are discussed. Systems-design parameters related to operating temperatures are analyzed. First results obtained on Solar One, the experimental house of the University of Delaware, are given. Economic aspects are discussed. Different modes of operation are discussed in respect to the power utility and consumer incentives.

Geographic analysis of shigellosis in Vietnam.

PubMed

Kim, Deok Ryun; Ali, Mohammad; Thiem, Vu Dinh; Park, Jin-Kyung; von Seidlein, Lorenz; Clemens, John

2008-12-01

Geographic and ecological analysis may provide investigators useful ecological information for the control of shigellosis. This paper provides distribution of individual Shigella species in space, and ecological covariates for shigellosis in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Data on shigellosis in neighborhoods were used to identify ecological covariates. A Bayesian hierarchical model was used to obtain joint posterior distribution of model parameters and to construct smoothed risk maps for shigellosis. Neighborhoods with a high proportion of worshippers of traditional religion, close proximity to hospital, or close proximity to the river had increased risk for shigellosis. The ecological covariates associated with Shigella flexneri differed from the covariates for Shigella sonnei. In contrast the spatial distribution of the two species was similar. The disease maps can help identify high-risk areas of shigellosis that can be targeted for interventions. This approach may be useful for the selection of populations and the analysis of vaccine trials.

De novo tandem duplication of chromosome segement 22q11-q12: Clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization

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

Lindsay, E.A.; Shaffer, L.G.; Carrozzo, R.

We report on a case of duplication of the segment 22q11-q12 due to a de novo duplication. Molecular cytogenetics studies demonstrated this to be a tandem duplication, flanked proximally by the marker D22Z4, a centromeric alpha satellite DNA repeat, and distally by D22S260, an anonymous DNA marker proximal to the Ewing sarcoma breakpoint. The segment includes the regions responsible for the {open_quotes}cat-eye{close_quotes}, Di George, and velo-cardio-facial syndromes and extends distal to the breakpoint cluster region (BCR). The clinical picture is dominated by the cardiac defects and includes findings reminiscent of {open_quotes}cat-eye{close_quotes} syndrome. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that the proximalmore » 22q region contains dosage-sensitive genes involved in development. 20 refs., 3 figs.« less

Asymmetrical field emitter

DOEpatents

Fleming, J.G.; Smith, B.K.

1995-10-10

A method is disclosed for providing a field emitter with an asymmetrical emitter structure having a very sharp tip in close proximity to its gate. One preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an asymmetrical emitter and a gate. The emitter having a tip and a side is coupled to a substrate. The gate is connected to a step in the substrate. The step has a top surface and a side wall that is substantially parallel to the side of the emitter. The tip of the emitter is in close proximity to the gate. The emitter is at an emitter potential, and the gate is at a gate potential such that with the two potentials at appropriate values, electrons are emitted from the emitter. In one embodiment, the gate is separated from the emitter by an oxide layer, and the emitter is etched anisotropically to form its tip and its asymmetrical structure. 17 figs.

Interphase Chromosome Conformation and Chromatin-chromatin Interactions in Human Epithelial Cells Cultured Under Different Gravity Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhang, Ye; Hada, Megumi; Wu, Honglu

2014-01-01

On a multi-mega base pair scale of the DNA, the arrangement of chromatin is non-random. In M10 epithelial cells, both telomere regions tend to be located towards the exterior of the chromosome domain, whereas the rest p-arm of the chromatin region towards the interior. In contrast, most of the q-arm of the chromatin is found in the peripheral of the domain. In lymphocytes, the p-arm chromatin regions towards the interior in close proximity with each other, whereas two q-arm regions are nearness in space. It indicates that G0 lymphocytes may lack secondary 3D chromatin folding. There chromatin folding patterns are consistent with our previous finding of non-random distribution of intra-chromosomal exchanges. In simulated microgravity conditions, the chromosome conformation may be altered and new regions in close proximity, especially to region 2 are suggested.

Retinoschisis and neurosensory detachment in advanced focal glaucoma.

PubMed

Arranz-Márquez, E; Jarrín Hernández, E; Pastor, A; García Gil de Bernabé, J

2017-10-01

A 71-year-old woman with normotensive primary open-angle glaucoma presented with an asymptomatic temporal peripapillary retinoschisis, associated with serous retinal detachment in the eye with the more advanced glaucoma. It was located at the inferior pole of the optic disc, in the proximity of a glaucomatous focal disc defect. Although congenital optic pits are strongly related with juxta-papillary retinoschisis, retinoschisis can also arise from acquired defects in the proximity of glaucomatous optic discs. As symptoms depend on the extent of the retinoschisis, the prevalence of this complication could be greater than that reported in glaucomatous eyes. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Information content of contact-pattern representations and predictability of epidemic outbreaks

PubMed Central

Holme, Petter

2015-01-01

To understand the contact patterns of a population—who is in contact with whom, and when the contacts happen—is crucial for modeling outbreaks of infectious disease. Traditional theoretical epidemiology assumes that any individual can meet any with equal probability. A more modern approach, network epidemiology, assumes people are connected into a static network over which the disease spreads. Newer yet, temporal network epidemiology, includes the time in the contact representations. In this paper, we investigate the effect of these successive inclusions of more information. Using empirical proximity data, we study both outbreak sizes from unknown sources, and from known states of ongoing outbreaks. In the first case, there are large differences going from a fully mixed simulation to a network, and from a network to a temporal network. In the second case, differences are smaller. We interpret these observations in terms of the temporal network structure of the data sets. For example, a fast overturn of nodes and links seem to make the temporal information more important. PMID:26403504

Degenerative (true) superficial temporal artery aneurysm: a case report with review of literature.

PubMed

Mousa, Albeir Y; Jain, Akhilesh K; Campbell, John E; Stone, Patrick A; AbuRahma, Ali F

2011-08-01

This is a case report of a 72-year-old female who presented to our clinic with right temple mass that was found incidentally on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her head about 2 years ago, as part of a stroke workup. However, it was thought to be a sebaceous cyst and left as such. The patient then experienced a rapid increase in the size of the mass about 2 weeks prior to her presentation to us. On examination, she had a 2 × 2 cm pulsating aneurysmal mass over the right temporal fossa, which was felt to be an aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery and was confirmed by a color duplex ultrasound examination. Open surgical resection with primary ligation of both proximal and distal branches was achieved under local anesthesia. Pathology confirmed a true (degenerative) aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery. Her postoperative course was uneventful. This case report describes this rare entity along with a review of the literature.

Emergence of new red-shifted carbon nanotube photoluminescence based on proximal doped-site design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraki, Tomohiro; Shiraishi, Tomonari; Juhász, Gergely; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2016-06-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) show unique photoluminescence (PL) in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Here we propose a concept based on the proximal modification in local covalent functionalization of SWNTs. Quantum mechanical simulations reveal that the SWNT band gap changes specifically based on the proximal doped-site design. Thus, we synthesize newly-designed bisdiazonium molecules and conduct local fucntionalisation of SWNTs. Consequently, new red-shifted PL (E112*) from the bisdiazonium-modified SWNTs with (6, 5) chirality is recognized around 1250 nm with over ~270 nm Stokes shift from the PL of the pristine SWNTs and the PL wavelengths are shifted depending on the methylene spacer lengths of the modifiers. The present study revealed that SWNT PL modulation is enable by close-proximity-local covalent modification, which is highly important for fundamental understanding of intrinsic SWNT PL properties as well as exciton engineering-based applications including photonic devices and (bio)imaging/sensing.

Novel Biosensor of Membrane Protein Proximity Based on Fluorogen Activated Proteins.

PubMed

Vasilev, Kalin V; Gallo, Eugenio; Shank, Nathaniel; Jarvik, Jonathan W

2016-01-01

We describe a novel biosensor system for reporting proximity between cell surface proteins in live cultured cells. The biosensor takes advantage of recently developed fluorogen-activating proteins (FAPs) that display fluorescence only when bound to otherwise-nonfluorescent fluorogen molecules. To demonstrate feasibility for the approach, two recombinant rapamycin-binding proteins were expressed as single-pass plasma membrane proteins in HeLa cells; one of the proteins (scAvd- FRB) carried an extracellular avidin tag; the other (HL1-TO1-FKBP) carried an extracellular FAP. Cells were incubated with a membrane-impermeable bivalent ligand (biotin-PEG2000-DIR) consisting of biotin joined to a dimethyl-indole red (DIR) fluorogen by a polyethylene glycol linker, thus tethering the fluorogen to the scAvd-FRB fusion protein. Addition of rapamycin, which promotes FKBP-FRB dimerization and thereby brings the FAP in close proximity to the tethered fluorogen, led to a significant increase in DIR fluorescence. We call the new proximity assay TEFLA, for tethered fluorogen assay.

Genetic Recombination at the Buff Spore Color Locus in SORDARIA BREVICOLLIS. II. Analysis of Flanking Marker Behavior in Crosses between Buff Mutants.

PubMed

Sang, H; Whitehouse, H L

1983-02-01

Aberrant asci containing one or more wild-type spores were selected from crosses between pairs of alleles of the buff locus in the presence of closely linked flanking markers. Data were obtained relating to the site of aberrant segregation and the position of any associated crossover giving recombination of flanking markers. Aberrant segregation at a proximal site within the buff gene may be associated with a crossover proximal to the site of aberrant segregation or, with equal frequency, with a crossover distal to the site of the second mutant present in the cross. Similarly, segregation at a distal site may be associated with a crossover distal to the site or, with lower frequency, with a crossover proximal to the site of the proximal mutant present in the cross. Crossovers between the alleles were rare. This evidence for the relationship between hybrid DNA and crossing over is discussed in terms of current models for the mechanism of recombination.

[The association between proximity to sports facilities and participation in sports among 13-year-olds in the city of Porto, Portugal].

PubMed

Autran, Roseanne Gomes; Ramos, Elisabete; Pina, Maria de Fátima de; Santos, Maria Paula

2012-03-01

The built environment can influence sports practice. The objective of this study was to examine the association between proximity (< 500m) to sports facilities and participation in sports. We evaluated 1,175 13-year-olds (54% girls) enrolled in public and private schools in Porto, Portugal. Sports activity was assessed using a self-completed questionnaire. The adolescents' residences and sports facilities were georeferenced. A matrix of distances from each residence to the facilities was calculated. For the majority (87%) of the adolescents, there was at least one sports facility close to their place of residence. No statistically significant differences were found in participation in sports based on proximity to facilities (< 500m vs. > 500m); the proportions were 44% vs. 38% (p = 0.414) in girls and 72% vs. 61% (p = 0.094) in boys. In conclusion, proximity to sports facilities was not significantly associated with participation in sports.

Emergence of new red-shifted carbon nanotube photoluminescence based on proximal doped-site design

PubMed Central

Shiraki, Tomohiro; Shiraishi, Tomonari; Juhász, Gergely; Nakashima, Naotoshi

2016-01-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) show unique photoluminescence (PL) in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Here we propose a concept based on the proximal modification in local covalent functionalization of SWNTs. Quantum mechanical simulations reveal that the SWNT band gap changes specifically based on the proximal doped-site design. Thus, we synthesize newly-designed bisdiazonium molecules and conduct local fucntionalisation of SWNTs. Consequently, new red-shifted PL (E112*) from the bisdiazonium-modified SWNTs with (6, 5) chirality is recognized around 1250 nm with over ~270 nm Stokes shift from the PL of the pristine SWNTs and the PL wavelengths are shifted depending on the methylene spacer lengths of the modifiers. The present study revealed that SWNT PL modulation is enable by close-proximity-local covalent modification, which is highly important for fundamental understanding of intrinsic SWNT PL properties as well as exciton engineering–based applications including photonic devices and (bio)imaging/sensing. PMID:27345862

Polydrug use among college students in Brazil: a nationwide survey.

PubMed

Oliveira, Lúcio Garcia de; Alberghini, Denis Guilherme; Santos, Bernardo dos; Andrade, Arthur Guerra de

2013-01-01

To estimate the frequency of polydrug use (alcohol and illicit drugs) among college students and its associations with gender and age group. A nationwide sample of 12,544 college students was asked to complete a questionnaire on their use of drugs according to three time parameters (lifetime, past 12 months, and last 30 days). The co-use of drugs was investigated as concurrent polydrug use (CPU) and simultaneous polydrug use (SPU), a subcategory of CPU that involves the use of drugs at the same time or in close temporal proximity. Almost 26% of college students reported having engaged in CPU in the past 12 months. Among these students, 37% had engaged in SPU. In the past 30 days, 17% college students had engaged in CPU. Among these, 35% had engaged in SPU. Marijuana was the illicit drug mostly frequently used with alcohol (either as CPU or SPU), especially among males. Among females, the most commonly reported combination was alcohol and prescribed medications. A high proportion of Brazilian college students may be engaging in polydrug use. College administrators should keep themselves informed to be able to identify such use and to develop educational interventions to prevent such behavior.

Spatial-temporal and modal analysis of propeller induced ground vortices by particle image velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Sciacchitano, A.; Veldhuis, L. L. M.; Eitelberg, G.

2016-10-01

During the ground operation of aircraft, there is potentially a system of vortices generated from the ground toward the propulsor, commonly denoted as ground vortices. Although extensive research has been conducted on ground vortices induced by turbofans which were simplified by suction tubes, these studies cannot well capture the properties of ground vortices induced by propellers, e.g., the flow phenomena due to intermittent characteristics of blade passing and the presence of slipstream of the propeller. Therefore, the investigation of ground vortices induced by a propeller is performed to improve understanding of these phenomena. The distributions of velocities in two different planes containing the vortices were measured by high frequency Particle Image Velocimetry. These planes are a wall-parallel plane in close proximity to the ground and a wall-normal plane upstream of the propeller. The instantaneous flow fields feature highly unsteady flow in both of these two planes. The spectral analysis is conducted in these two flow fields and the energetic frequencies are quantified. The flow fields are further evaluated by applying the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis to capture the coherent flow structures. Consistent flow structures with strong contributions to the turbulent kinetic energy are noticed in the two planes.

Attentional Disengagement in Adults with Williams syndrome

PubMed Central

Lense, Miriam D.; Key, Alexandra P.; Dykens, Elisabeth M.

2011-01-01

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a distinctive behavioral and cognitive profile, including widespread problems with attention. However, the specific nature of their attentional difficulties, such as inappropriate attentional allocation and/or poor attentional disengagement abilities, has yet to be elucidated. Furthermore, it is unknown if there is an underlying difficulty with the temporal dynamics of attention in WS or if their attentional difficulties are task-dependent, because previous studies have examined attention in established areas of deficit and atypicality (specifically, visuospatial and face processing). In this study, we examined attentional processing in 14 adults with WS (20-59 years) and 17 typically developing controls (19-39 years) using an attentional blink (AB) paradigm. The AB is the decreased ability to detect a second target when it is presented in close proximity to an initial target. Overall, adults with WS had an AB that was prolonged in duration, but no different in magnitude, compared with typically developing control participants. AB performance was not explained by IQ, working memory, or processing speed in either group. Thus, results suggest that the attention problems in WS are primarily due to general attentional disengagement difficulties rather than inappropriate attentional allocation. PMID:21885176

Ratiometric fluorescent sensing of pH values in living cells by dual-fluorophore-labeled i-motif nanoprobes.

PubMed

Huang, Jin; Ying, Le; Yang, Xiaohai; Yang, Yanjing; Quan, Ke; Wang, He; Xie, Nuli; Ou, Min; Zhou, Qifeng; Wang, Kemin

2015-09-01

We designed a new ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe for sensing pH values in living cells. Briefly, the nanoprobe consists of a gold nanoparticle (AuNP), short single-stranded oligonucleotides, and dual-fluorophore-labeled i-motif sequences. The short oligonucleotides are designed to bind with the i-motif sequences and immobilized on the AuNP surface via Au-S bond. At neutral pH, the dual fluorophores are separated, resulting in very low fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency. At acidic pH, the i-motif strands fold into a quadruplex structure and leave the AuNP, bringing the dual fluorophores into close proximity, resulting in high FRET efficiency, which could be used as a signal for pH sensing. The nanoprobe possesses abilities of cellular transfection, enzymatic protection, fast response and quantitative pH detection. The in vitro and intracellular applications of the nanoprobe were demonstrated, which showed excellent response in the physiological pH range. Furthermore, our experimental results suggested that the nanoprobe showed excellent spatial and temporal resolution in living cells. We think that the ratiometric sensing strategy could potentially be applied to create a variety of new multicolor sensors for intracellular detection.

The role of virtual reality in surgical training in otorhinolaryngology.

PubMed

Fried, Marvin P; Uribe, José I; Sadoughi, Babak

2007-06-01

This article reviews the rationale, current status and future directions for the development and implementation of virtual reality surgical simulators as training tools. The complexity of modern surgical techniques, which utilize advanced technology, presents a dilemma for surgical training. Hands-on patient experience - the traditional apprenticeship method for teaching operations - may not apply because of the learning curve for skill acquisition and patient safety expectation. The paranasal sinuses and temporal bone have intricate anatomy with a significant amount of vital structures either within the surgical field or in close proximity. The current standard of surgical care in these areas involves the use of endoscopes, cameras and microscopes, requiring additional hand-eye coordination, an accurate command of fine motor skills, and a thorough knowledge of the anatomy under magnified vision. A surgeon's disorientation or loss of perspective can lead to complications, often catastrophic and occasionally lethal. These considerations define the ideal environment for surgical simulation; not surprisingly, significant research and validation of simulators in these areas have occurred. Virtual reality simulators are demonstrating validity as training and skills assessment tools. Future prototypes will find application for routine use in teaching, surgical planning and the development of new instruments and computer-assisted devices.

Groundwater recharge to a sedimentary aquifer in the topographically closed Uley South Basin, South Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordens, Carlos M.; Werner, Adrian D.; Post, Vincent E. A.; Hutson, John L.; Simmons, Craig T.; Irvine, Benjamin M.

2012-02-01

The chloride mass balance (CMB) and water-table fluctuation (WTF) analysis methods were used to estimate recharge rates in the Uley South Basin, South Australia. Groundwater hydrochemistry and isotope data were used to infer the nature of recharge pathways and evapotranspiration processes. These data indicate that some combination of two plausible processes is occurring: (1) complete evaporation of rainfall occurs, and the precipitated salts are washed down and redissolved when recharge occurs, and (2) transpiration dominates over evaporation. It is surmised that sinkholes predominantly serve to by-pass the shallow soil zone and redistribute infiltration into the deeper unsaturated zone, rather than transferring rainfall directly to the water table. Chlorofluorocarbon measurements were used in approximating recharge origins to account for coastal proximity effects in the CMB method and pumping seasonality was accounted for in the WTF-based recharge estimates. Best estimates of spatially and temporally averaged recharge rates for the basin are 52-63 and 47-129 mm/year from the CMB and WTF analyses, respectively. Adaptations of both the CMB and WTF analyses to account for nuances of the system were necessary, demonstrating the need for careful application of these methods.

Reaching back: the relative strength of the retroactive emotional attentional blink

PubMed Central

Ní Choisdealbha, Áine; Piech, Richard M.; Fuller, John K.; Zald, David H.

2017-01-01

Visual stimuli with emotional content appearing in close temporal proximity either before or after a target stimulus can hinder conscious perceptual processing of the target via an emotional attentional blink (EAB). This occurs for targets that appear after the emotional stimulus (forward EAB) and for those appearing before the emotional stimulus (retroactive EAB). Additionally, the traditional attentional blink (AB) occurs because detection of any target hinders detection of a subsequent target. The present study investigated the relations between these different attentional processes. Rapid sequences of landscape images were presented to thirty-one male participants with occasional landscape targets (rotated images). For the forward EAB, emotional or neutral distractor images of people were presented before the target; for the retroactive EAB, such images were also targets and presented after the landscape target. In the latter case, this design allowed investigation of the AB as well. Erotic and gory images caused more EABs than neutral images, but there were no differential effects on the AB. This pattern is striking because while using different target categories (rotated landscapes, people) appears to have eliminated the AB, the retroactive EAB still occurred, offering additional evidence for the power of emotional stimuli over conscious attention. PMID:28255172

Micro-optics for simultaneous multi-spectral imaging applied to chemical/biological and IED detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinnrichs, Michele

2012-06-01

Using diffractive micro-lenses configured in an array and placed in close proximity to the focal plane array will enable a small compact simultaneous multispectral imaging camera. This approach can be applied to spectral regions from the ultraviolet (UV) to the long-wave infrared (LWIR). The number of simultaneously imaged spectral bands is determined by the number of individually configured diffractive optical micro-lenses (lenslet) in the array. Each lenslet images at a different wavelength determined by the blaze and set at the time of manufacturing based on application. In addition, modulation of the focal length of the lenslet array with piezoelectric or electro-static actuation will enable spectral band fill-in allowing hyperspectral imaging. Using the lenslet array with dual-band detectors will increase the number of simultaneous spectral images by a factor of two when utilizing multiple diffraction orders. Configurations and concept designs will be presented for detection application for biological/chemical agents, buried IED's and reconnaissance. The simultaneous detection of multiple spectral images in a single frame of data enhances the image processing capability by eliminating temporal differences between colors and enabling a handheld instrument that is insensitive to motion.

Exposure caused by wireless technologies used for short-range indoor communication in homes and offices.

PubMed

Schmid, G; Lager, D; Preiner, P; Uberbacher, R; Cecil, S

2007-01-01

In order to estimate typical radio frequency exposures from indoor used wireless communication technologies applied in homes and offices, WLAN, Bluetooth and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications systems, as well as baby surveillance devices and wireless headphones for indoor usage, have been investigated by measurements and numerical computations. Based on optimised measurement methods, field distributions and resulting exposure were assessed on selected products and real exposure scenarios. Additionally, generic scenarios have been investigated on the basis of numerical computations. The obtained results demonstrate that under usual conditions the resulting spatially (over body dimensions) averaged and 6-min time-averaged exposure for persons in the radio frequency fields of the considered applications is below approximately 0.1% of the reference level for power density according to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines published in 1998. Spatial and temporal peak values can be considerably higher by 2-3 orders of magnitude. In case of some transmitting devices operated in close proximity to the body (e.g. WLAN transmitters), local exposure can reach the same order of magnitude as the basic restriction; however, none of the devices considered in this study exceeded the limits according to the ICNIRP guidelines.

Use of New Imaging CARTO® Segmentation Module Software to Facilitate Ablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias.

PubMed

Tovia-Brodie, Oholi; Belhassen, Bernard; Glick, Aharon; Shmilovich, Haim; Aviram, Galit; Rosso, Raphael; Michowitz, Yoav

2017-02-01

A new imaging software (CARTO® Segmentation Module, Biosense Webster) allows preprocedural 3-D reconstruction of all heart chambers based on cardiac CT. We describe our initial experience with the new module during ablation of ventricular arrhythmias. Eighteen consecutive patients with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias or ischemic ventricular tachycardia (VT) were studied. In the latter group, a combined endocardial and epicardial ablation was performed. Of the 14 patients with idiopathic arrhythmias, 12 were ablated in the outflow tract (OT), 1 in the midseptal left ventricle, and 1 at the left posterior fascicular area; acute successful ablation was achieved in 11 (78.6%) patients. The procedure was discontinued due to close proximity of the arrhythmia origin to the coronary arteries (CA) in 2 patients. Acute successful uncomplicated ablation was achieved in all 4 patients with ischemic VT. During ablation in the coronary cusps commissures, the CARTO® Segmentation Module accurately defined the cusps anatomy. The precise anatomic location provided by the module assisted in successfully ablating when information from activation mapping was not optimal, by ablating at the opposite side of the cusps. In addition, by demonstrating the precise location of the CA, it allowed safe ablation of arrhythmias that originated in close proximity to the CA both in the OT area and the epicardium, eliminating the need for repeat angiography. The CARTO® Segmentation Module is useful for accurate definition of the exact anatomic location of ventricular arrhythmias and for safely ablating them especially in close proximity to the CA. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

FHWA roadway construction noise model, version 1.0 : user's guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

The Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM) is the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) national model for the prediction of construction noise. Due to the fact that construction is often conducted in close proximity to residences and businesses...

Managing Surface Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marable, Michele A.; Raimondi, Sharon L.

1995-01-01

Nonverbal and verbal techniques that teachers can use to manage surface behaviors are suggested, including planned ignoring, eye contact, facial expression, body posture, close proximity, touch control, limitation of space, redirection to another activity, ventilation, distraction, understanding and reassurance, modeling, humor, one-to-one…

77 FR 58172 - Proposed Renewal of Existing Information Collection; Records of Preshift and Onshift Inspections...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-19

... conditions are identified, thereby ensuring a safe working environment for the slope and shaft sinking... environment at any time. The working environment is typically a confined area in close proximity to moving...

Realigning thunder and lightning: temporal adaptation to spatiotemporally distant events.

PubMed

Navarra, Jordi; Fernández-Prieto, Irune; Garcia-Morera, Joel

2013-01-01

The brain is able to realign asynchronous signals that approximately coincide in both space and time. Given that many experience-based links between visual and auditory stimuli are established in the absence of spatiotemporal proximity, we investigated whether or not temporal realignment arises in these conditions. Participants received a 3-min exposure to visual and auditory stimuli that were separated by 706 ms and appeared either from the same (Experiment 1) or from different spatial positions (Experiment 2). A simultaneity judgment task (SJ) was administered right afterwards. Temporal realignment between vision and audition was observed, in both Experiment 1 and 2, when comparing the participants' SJs after this exposure phase with those obtained after a baseline exposure to audiovisual synchrony. However, this effect was present only when the visual stimuli preceded the auditory stimuli during the exposure to asynchrony. A similar pattern of results (temporal realignment after exposure to visual-leading asynchrony but not after exposure to auditory-leading asynchrony) was obtained using temporal order judgments (TOJs) instead of SJs (Experiment 3). Taken together, these results suggest that temporal recalibration still occurs for visual and auditory stimuli that fall clearly outside the so-called temporal window for multisensory integration and appear from different spatial positions. This temporal realignment may be modulated by long-term experience with the kind of asynchrony (vision-leading) that we most frequently encounter in the outside world (e.g., while perceiving distant events).

Measurement of Temporal Awareness in Air Traffic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rantanen, E.M.

2009-01-01

Temporal awareness, or level 3 situation awareness, is critical to successful control of air traffic, yet the construct remains ill-defined and difficult to measure. This research sought evidence for air traffic controllers awareness of temporal characteristics of their tasks in data from a high-fidelity system evaluation simulation. Five teams of controllers worked on four scenarios with different traffic load. Several temporal parameters were defined for each task controllers performed during a simulation run and their actions on the tasks were timed relative to them. Controllers showed a strong tendency to prioritize tasks according to a first come, first served principle. This trend persisted as task load increased. Also evident was awareness of the urgency of tasks, as tasks with impending closing of a window of opportunity were performed before tasks that had longer time available before closing of the window.

Small Renal Masses in Close Proximity to the Collecting System and Renal Sinus Are Enriched for Malignancy and High Fuhrman Grade and Should Be Considered for Early Intervention.

PubMed

Correa, Andres F; Toussi, Amir; Amin, Milon; Hrebinko, Ronald L; Gayed, Bishoy A; Parwani, Anil V; Maranchie, Jodi K

2018-02-05

Recent reports show a correlation between renal tumor radiographic characteristics and pathologic features. We hypothesize that a more central location within the relatively hypoxic renal medulla might confer a more aggressive tumor phenotype. To test this, radiographic tumor characteristics were compared with tumor grade and histology. We retrospectively reviewed renal masses <4 cm in diameter that underwent resection between 2008 and 2013. Tumor location was recorded using standard R.E.N.A.L. Nephrometry Score. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to compare independent anatomic features with incidence of malignancy and high nuclear grade. A total of 334 renal tumors had information available for analysis. Univariate analysis showed that increasing endophycity and proximity to the collecting system (<4 mm) were predictors of malignancy and high-grade features. In multivariate analysis, proximity to the collecting system <4 mm remained the as the only anatomical variable predictive of malignancy (odds ratio [OR], 3.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-12.05; P = .04) and high nuclear grade (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.44-5.51; P = .003). Malignancy and high tumor grade occur with much greater frequency when tumors are located deep in the kidney, in close proximity to the collecting system and renal sinus. Ninety-six percent of small renal masses in this region were cancers and nearly half were Fuhrman Grade 3 or 4, suggesting that these small centrally located tumors should be targeted for early intervention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multiple proximate and ultimate causes of natal dispersal in white-tailed deer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, E.S.; Diefenbach, D.R.; Rosenberry, C.S.; Wallingford, B.D.

2008-01-01

Proximate and ultimate causes of dispersal in vertebrates vary, and relative importance of these causes is poorly understood. Among populations, inter- and intrasexual social cues for dispersal are thought to reduce inbreeding and local mate competition, respectively, and specific emigration cue may affect dispersal distance, such that inbreeding avoidance dispersal tends to be farther than dispersal to reduce local competition. To investigate potential occurrence of multiple proximate and ultimate causes of dispersal within populations, we radio-marked 363 juvenile male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in 2 study areas in Pennsylvania. Natal dispersal probability and distance were monitored over a 3-year period when large-scale management changes reduced density of adult females and increased density of adult males. Most dispersal (95-97%) occurred during two 12-week periods: spring, when yearling males still closely associate with related females, and prior to fall breeding season, when yearling males closely associate with other breeding-age males. Following changes to sex and age structure that reduced potential for inbreeding and increased potential for mate competition, annual dispersal probability did not change; however, probability of spring dispersal decreased, whereas probability of fall dispersal increased. Spring dispersal distances were greater than fall dispersal distances, suggesting that adaptive inbreeding avoidance dispersal requires greater distance than mate competition dispersal where opposite-sex relatives are philopatric and populations are not patchily distributed. Both inbreeding avoidance and mate competition are important ultimate causes of dispersal of white-tailed deer, but ultimate motivations for dispersal are proximately cued by different social mechanisms and elicit different responses in dispersers.

Regionalization of municipal solid waste management in Japan: balancing the proximity principle with economic efficiency.

PubMed

Okuda, Itaru; Thomson, Vivian E

2007-07-01

The proximity principle - disposing of waste close to its origin - has been a central value in municipal solid waste (MSW) management in Japan for the last 30 years and its widespread adoption has helped resolve numerous "Not in My Backyard" issues related to MSW management. However, MSW management costs have soared, in large part because of aggressive recycling efforts and because most MSW is incinerated in a country that has scarce landfill capacity. In addition, smaller, less sophisticated incinerators have been closed because of high dioxin emissions. Rising costs combined with the closure of smaller incinerators have shifted MSW management policy toward regionalization, which is the sharing of waste management facilities across municipalities. Despite the increased use of regionalized MSW facilities, the proximity principle remains the central value in Japanese MSW management. Municipal solid waste management has become increasingly regionalized in the United States, too, but different driving forces are at work in these two countries. The transition to regionalized MSW management in Japan results from strong governmental control at all levels, with the central government providing funds and policy direction and prefectures and municipalities being the primary implementing authorities. By contrast, market forces are a much stronger force with US MSW management, where local governments - with state government oversight - have primary responsibility for MSW management. We describe recent changes in Japan's MSW programs. We examine the connections between MSW facility regionalization, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the proximity principle, coordination among local governments, central government control, and financing mechanisms.

[Intramedullary nailing of the tibia with the expert tibia nail].

PubMed

Hansen, Matthias; El Attal, René; Blum, Jochen; Blauth, Michael; Rommens, Pol Maria

2009-12-01

Restoration of axis, length, and rotation of the lower leg. Sufficient primary stability of the osteosynthesis for functional aftercare. Early functional aftercare to maintain joint mobility. Good bony healing in closed and open fractures. All closed and open fractures of the tibia and complete lower leg fractures (AO 42). Certain extraarticular fractures of the proximal and distal tibia (AO 41 A2/A3; AO 43 A1/A2/A3). Segmental fractures of the tibia. Certain intraarticular fractures of the tibia with use of additional implants (AO 41 C1/C2; AO 43 C1/C2). Stabilization during and after segmental bone transport or callus distraction of the tibia. Patients in poor general condition (e.g., bedridden). Flexion of the knee of less than 90 degrees . Infection in the nail's insertion area. Infection of the tibial cavity. Complex articular fractures of the proximal or distal tibia with joint depression. Closed reduction of the fracture. If necessary, use of reduction clamps through additional stab incisions or open surgical procedures. In some cases, additional osteosynthesis procedures are necessary (e.g., screws). Positioning of the patient may be performed on a radiolucent table or a traction table. Opening of the proximal tibia in line with the medullary canal. Cannulated or noncannulated insertion of the Expert Tibia Nail((R)) with or without reaming of the medullary canal depending on the fracture type and soft-tissue condition. Control of axis, length, and rotation. Distal interlocking with the radiolucent drill and proximal interlocking with the targeting device. Immediate mobilization of ankle joint and knee joint. Depending on the type of fracture, mobilization with 20 kg partial weight bearing or pain-dependent full weight bearing with crutches. X-ray control 6 weeks postoperatively and increased weight bearing depending on the fracture status. In a prospective, international multicentric study, 181 patients with 186 fractures were included between July 2004 and May 2005. 57 of these fractures (30.7%) initially were graded open, 15 of them grade I, 32 grade II, and ten grade III. Most of the fractures (36%) were shaft fractures. After 1 year, 146 patients (81%) could be evaluated clinically and radiologically. The overall pseudarthrosis rate was 12.2% (18.2% for open and 9.7% for closed fractures). The risk for secondary operations or revisions (including dynamization of the nail) was 18.8%. Without consideration of dynamization procedures, revisions were necessary in only 5.4% of all patients. The risk for varus, valgus or antecurvation malalignment of more than 5 degrees in any plane on radiologic long leg views was 4.3% for shaft fractures, 1.5% for distal fractures, and 13.6% for proximal fractures. The implant-specific risk for bolt breakage was 3.2%.

An Algorithm for Finding Candidate Synaptic Sites in Computer Generated Networks of Neurons with Realistic Morphologies

PubMed Central

van Pelt, Jaap; Carnell, Andrew; de Ridder, Sander; Mansvelder, Huibert D.; van Ooyen, Arjen

2010-01-01

Neurons make synaptic connections at locations where axons and dendrites are sufficiently close in space. Typically the required proximity is based on the dimensions of dendritic spines and axonal boutons. Based on this principle one can search those locations in networks formed by reconstructed neurons or computer generated neurons. Candidate synapses are then located where axons and dendrites are within a given criterion distance from each other. Both experimentally reconstructed and model generated neurons are usually represented morphologically by piecewise-linear structures (line pieces or cylinders). Proximity tests are then performed on all pairs of line pieces from both axonal and dendritic branches. Applying just a test on the distance between line pieces may result in local clusters of synaptic sites when more than one pair of nearby line pieces from axonal and dendritic branches is sufficient close, and may introduce a dependency on the length scale of the individual line pieces. The present paper describes a new algorithm for defining locations of candidate synapses which is based on the crossing requirement of a line piece pair, while the length of the orthogonal distance between the line pieces is subjected to the distance criterion for testing 3D proximity. PMID:21160548

The magnetic field in the very close neighborhood of Mars according to data from the Mars 2 and Mars 3 spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolginov, S. S.; Yeroshenko, Y. G.; Zhuzgov, L. N.

1972-01-01

The magnetic field in the close proximity of planet Mars according to data from Mars 2 and Mars 3 spacecraft is discussed. The magnetometers on the spacecraft detected a field whose intensity near the orbital periapses was 7 to 10 times higher than the interplanetary field at the distance of the Martian orbit. The nature of the observed field is described.

Finding Dantzig Selectors with a Proximity Operator based Fixed-point Algorithm

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-01

experiments showed that this method usually outperforms the method in [2] in terms of CPU time while producing solutions of comparable quality. The... method proposed in [19]. To alleviate the difficulty caused by the subprob- lem without a closed form solution , a linearized ADM was proposed for the...a closed form solution , but the β-related subproblem does not and is solved approximately by using the nonmonotone gradient method in [18]. The

Autonomic innervation of the muscles in the wall of the bladder and proximal urethra of male rats.

PubMed Central

Watanabe, H; Yamamoto, T Y

1979-01-01

The muscular coat of the body of the rat bladder is innervated almost exclusively by cholinergic endings:adrenergic endings are rare. In the inner longitudinal muscle layer of the proximal urethra, 53% of 310 autonomic nerve endings observed in close relation to the smooth muscle cells were adrenergic and the remaining 47% cholinergic. The middle circular muscle layer of the proximal urethra was innervated predominantly by adrenergic endings: in this layer 86% of the total of 335 endings examined wre regarded as adrenergic. A similar predominantly adrenergic innervation was noted in the outer longitudinal layer of the proximal urethra. A number of striated muscle fibres arose from the outermost striated muscle layer of the proximal urethra and intruded deeply into the outer and middle smooth muscle layers. These intruding striated muscle fibres also received direct autonomic (mostly adrenergic) innervation. The significance of these findings in relation to the physiology of the lower urinary tracts is discussed. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 11 Fig. 12 Fig. 13 Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Fig. 16 PMID:489473

3D geometric morphometric analysis of the proximal epiphysis of the hominoid humerus

PubMed Central

Arias-Martorell, Julia; Potau, Josep Maria; Bello-Hellegouarch, Gaëlle; Pastor, Juan Francisco; Pérez-Pérez, Alejandro

2012-01-01

In this study we perform a three-dimensional geometric morphometric (3D GM) analysis of the proximal epiphysis of the humerus in extant great apes, including humans, in order to accurately describe the functional anatomical differences between these taxa. In addition, a fossil hominin specimen of Australopithecus afarensis was included in a multivariate GM analysis in order to test the potential of this methodological approach for making locomotor inferences from fossil remains. The results obtained show significant differences in proximal humeral morphology among the taxa studied, which had thus far largely remained unnoticed. Based on morphofunctional considerations, these anatomical differences can be correlated to differences in the locomotor repertoires of the taxa, thus confirming that the proximal humerus is suitable for constructing paleobiological inferences about locomotion. Modern humans display markedly divergent features, which set them apart from both the extant great apes and the fossil hominin A. afarensis. The morphology of the proximal epiphysis of the humerus of the latter more closely resembles that of the orangutans, thus suggesting that despite hindlimb adaptations to bipedalism, the forelimb of this taxon was still functionally involved in arboreal behaviors, such as climbing or suspension. PMID:22946496

The Effect of Geographical Proximity on Scientific Cooperation among Chinese Cities from 1990 to 2010

PubMed Central

Ma, Haitao; Fang, Chuanglin; Pang, Bo; Li, Guangdong

2014-01-01

Background The relations between geographical proximity and spatial distance constitute a popular topic of concern. Thus, how geographical proximity affects scientific cooperation, and whether geographically proximate scientific cooperation activities in fact exhibit geographic scale features should be investigated. Methodology Selected statistics from the ISI database on cooperatively authored papers, the authors of which resided in 60 typical cites in China, and which were published in the years 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010, were used to establish matrices of geographic distance and cooperation levels between cities. By constructing a distance-cooperation model, the degree of scientific cooperation based on spatial distance was calculated. The relationship between geographical proximity and scientific cooperation, as well as changes in that relationship, was explored using the fitting function. Result (1) Instead of declining, the role of geographical proximity in inter-city scientific cooperation has increased gradually but significantly with the popularization of telecommunication technologies; (2) the relationship between geographical proximity and scientific cooperation has not followed a perfect declining curve, and at certain spatial scales, the distance-decay regularity does not work; (3) the Chinese scientific cooperation network gathers around different regional center cities, showing a trend towards a regional network; within this cooperation network the amount of inter-city cooperation occurring at close range increased greatly. Conclusion The relationship between inter-city geographical distance and scientific cooperation has been enhanced and strengthened over time. PMID:25365449

Fracture line morphology of complex proximal humeral fractures.

PubMed

Hasan, Afsana P; Phadnis, Joideep; Jaarsma, Ruurd L; Bain, Gregory I

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to assess proximal humeral fracture patterns using 3-dimensional computed tomography images and relate them to the normal osseous landmarks and soft-tissue attachments. Forty-eight 3-dimensional computed tomography scans of proximal humeral fractures were retrospectively collected, and the fractures were transcribed onto proximal humeral templates. We analyzed the common location and orientation of the fracture lines, with a focus on fractures of the articular surface, tuberosities, metaphysis, and proximal diaphysis. These fractures were compared with the attachments of the rotator cuff and glenohumeral capsule. Fifty-two percent of the fractures involved the articular surface. No fractures passed through the bicipital groove, and fractures were more commonly found on the posterior lesser tuberosity and on the anterior greater tuberosity, coinciding with the intervals between the rotator cuff tendon insertions. Intracapsular fractures of the calcar were more common (68%) than extracapsular fractures (32%). On the anterolateral aspect of the proximal humerus, fractures radiated from the articular margin, vertically down through the tuberosity zone between the rotator cuff footprints, meeting horizontally oriented fractures in the metaphyseal zone. On the posterior aspect, vertical fractures from the tuberosity zone continued downward to the metaphyseal zone adjacent to the infraspinatus and teres minor footprints. Fractures of the proximal humerus follow characteristic patterns. Fractures frequently split the greater tuberosity and are closely related to the intervals of the rotator cuff attachments. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autonomous dial-a-ride transit : benefit-cost evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

Among public transit and for-hire modes, fixed-route bus and rail are most effective in maintaining high ridership in high density areas such as urban centers. The cost effectiveness of fixed-route transit, however, depends on close proximity to the ...

Evaluation of a mobile work zone barrier system : appendices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

A high percentage of highway maintenance activities and some construction activities are performed in a travel lane, median, or shoulder while the public travels by at relatively high speeds in very close proximity to the workers. Work zone traffic c...

Incorporation of forward-directivity into seismic hazard analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

Ground motions in close proximity to the causative fault of an earthquake can be significantly affected by the propagation of : rupture. In particular, when the rupture and slip direction relative to a site coincide and a significant portion of the f...

Evaluation of a mobile work zone barrier system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

A high percentage of highway maintenance activities and some construction activities are performed in a travel lane, median, or shoulder while the public travels by at relatively high speeds in very close proximity to the workers. Work zone traffic c...

Astronomy: A small star with an Earth-like planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Drake

2015-11-01

A rocky planet close in size to Earth has been discovered in the cosmic vicinity of our Sun. The small size and proximity of the associated star bode well for studies of the planet's atmosphere. See Letter p.204

Nonparametric Trajectory Analysis of R2PIER Data

EPA Science Inventory

Strategies to isolate air pollution contributions from sources is of interest as voluntary or regulatory measures are undertaken to reduce air pollution. When different sources are located in close proximity to one another and have similar emissions, separating source emissions ...

Neurogenic and myogenic motor patterns of rabbit proximal, mid, and distal colon.

PubMed

Dinning, P G; Costa, M; Brookes, S J; Spencer, N J

2012-07-01

The rabbit colon consists of four distinct regions. The motility of each region is controlled by myogenic and neurogenic mechanisms. Associating these mechanisms with specific motor patterns throughout all regions of the colon has not previously been achieved. Three sections of the colon (the proximal, mid, and distal colon) were removed from euthanized rabbits. The proximal colon consists of a triply teniated region and a single tenia region. Spatio-temporal maps were constructed from video recordings of colonic wall diameter, with associated intraluminal pressure recorded from the aboral end. Hexamethonium (100 μM) and tetrodotoxin (TTX; 0.6 μM) were used to inhibit neural activity. Four distinct patterns of motility were detected: 1 myogenic and 3 neurogenic. The myogenic activity consisted of circular muscle (CM) contractions (ripples) that occurred throughout the colon and propagated in both antegrade (anal) and retrograde (oral) directions. The neural activity of the proximal colon consisted of slowly (0.1 mm/s) propagating colonic migrating motor complexes, which were abolished by hexamethonium. These complexes were observed in the region of the proximal colon with a single band of tenia. In the distal colon, tetrodotoxin-sensitive, thus neurally mediated, but hexamethonium-resistant, peristaltic (anal) and antiperistaltic (oral) contractions were identified. The distinct patterns of neurogenic and myogenic motor activity recorded from isolated rabbit colon are specific to each anatomically distinct region. The regional specificity motor pattern is likely to facilitate orderly transit of colonic content from semi-liquid to solid composition of feces.

Examining Procrastination Across Multiple Goal Stages: A Longitudinal Study of Temporal Motivation Theory

PubMed Central

Steel, Piers; Svartdal, Frode; Thundiyil, Tomas; Brothen, Thomas

2018-01-01

Procrastination is among the most common of motivational failures, putting off despite expecting to be worse off. We examine this dynamic phenomenon in a detailed and realistic longitudinal design (Study 1) as well as in a large correlational data set (N = 7400; Study 2). The results are largely consistent with temporal motivation theory. People’s pacing style reflects a hyperbolic curve, with the steepness of the curve predicted by self-reported procrastination. Procrastination is related to intention-action gaps, but not intentions. Procrastinators are susceptible to proximity of temptation and to the temporal separation between their intention and the planned act; the more distal, the greater the gap. Critical self-regulatory skills in explaining procrastination are attention control, energy regulation and automaticity, accounting for 74% of the variance. Future research using this design is recommended, as it provides an almost ideal blend of realism and detailed longitudinal assessment. PMID:29666590

Examining Procrastination Across Multiple Goal Stages: A Longitudinal Study of Temporal Motivation Theory.

PubMed

Steel, Piers; Svartdal, Frode; Thundiyil, Tomas; Brothen, Thomas

2018-01-01

Procrastination is among the most common of motivational failures, putting off despite expecting to be worse off. We examine this dynamic phenomenon in a detailed and realistic longitudinal design (Study 1) as well as in a large correlational data set ( N = 7400; Study 2). The results are largely consistent with temporal motivation theory. People's pacing style reflects a hyperbolic curve, with the steepness of the curve predicted by self-reported procrastination. Procrastination is related to intention-action gaps, but not intentions. Procrastinators are susceptible to proximity of temptation and to the temporal separation between their intention and the planned act; the more distal, the greater the gap. Critical self-regulatory skills in explaining procrastination are attention control, energy regulation and automaticity, accounting for 74% of the variance. Future research using this design is recommended, as it provides an almost ideal blend of realism and detailed longitudinal assessment.

Fish schooling as a basis for vertical axis wind turbine farm design.

PubMed

Whittlesey, Robert W; Liska, Sebastian; Dabiri, John O

2010-09-01

Most wind farms consist of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) due to the high power coefficient (mechanical power output divided by the power of the free-stream air through the turbine cross-sectional area) of an isolated turbine. However when in close proximity to neighboring turbines, HAWTs suffer from a reduced power coefficient. In contrast, previous research on vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) suggests that closely spaced VAWTs may experience only small decreases (or even increases) in an individual turbine's power coefficient when placed in close proximity to neighbors, thus yielding much higher power outputs for a given area of land. A potential flow model of inter-VAWT interactions is developed to investigate the effect of changes in VAWT spatial arrangement on the array performance coefficient, which compares the expected average power coefficient of turbines in an array to a spatially isolated turbine. A geometric arrangement based on the configuration of shed vortices in the wake of schooling fish is shown to significantly increase the array performance coefficient based upon an array of 16 x 16 wind turbines. The results suggest increases in power output of over one order of magnitude for a given area of land as compared to HAWTs.

Shock wave interactions between slender bodies. Some aspects of three-dimensional shock wave diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooseria, S. J.; Skews, B. W.

2017-01-01

A complex interference flowfield consisting of multiple shocks and expansion waves is produced when high-speed slender bodies are placed in close proximity. The disturbances originating from a generator body impinge onto the adjacent receiver body, modifying the local flow conditions over the receiver. This paper aims to uncover the basic gas dynamics produced by two closely spaced slender bodies in a supersonic freestream. Experiments and numerical simulations were used to interpret the flowfield, where good agreement between the predictions and measurements was observed. The numerical data were then used to characterise the attenuation associated with shock wave diffraction, which was found to be interdependent with the bow shock contact perimeter over the receiver bodies. Shock-induced boundary layer separation was observed over the conical and hemispherical receiver bodies. These strong viscous-shock interactions result in double-reflected, as well as double-diffracted shock wave geometries in the interference region, and the diffracting waves progress over the conical and hemispherical receivers' surfaces in "lambda" type configurations. This gives evidence that viscous effects can have a substantial influence on the local bow shock structure surrounding high-speed slender bodies in close proximity.

The effect of equipment proximity on safe performance in a manufacturing setting.

PubMed

Abellon, O Elizabeth; Wilder, David A

2014-01-01

We examined the effect of equipment proximity on the safe performance of 3 assembly workers in a manufacturing setting. After a baseline period in which protective eyewear was kept 6.1 m from employee workstations, task clarification was used to inform participants to wear their eyewear while they worked. Next, the eyewear was moved to 1.5 m from employee workstations. After a return to the 6.1-m condition, the eyewear was again positioned 1.5 m from workstations. Results indicate that task clarification alone was ineffective, but safe performance increased when eyewear was stored in close proximity to employees. A social validity measure suggested that safe performance among the employees increased to levels comparable to that of an exemplary employee. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Neural Activity Associated with Information Selection in Open-ended Creativity.

PubMed

Zhou, Siyuan; Chen, Shi; Wang, Shuang; Zhao, Qingbai; Zhou, Zhijin; Lu, Chunming

2018-02-10

Novel information selection is a crucial process in creativity and was found to be associated with frontal-temporal functional connectivity in the right brain in closed-ended creativity. Since it has distinct cognitive processing from closed-ended creativity, the information selection in open-ended creativity might be underlain by different neural activity. To address this issue, a creative generation task of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings was adopted, and the trials were classified into novel and normal solutions according to participants' self-ratings. The results showed that (1) novel solutions induced a higher lower alpha power in the temporal area, which might be associated with the automatic, unconscious mental process of retrieving extensive semantic information, and (2) upper alpha power in both frontal and temporal areas and frontal-temporal alpha coherence were higher in novel solutions than in normal solutions, which might reflect the selective inhibition of semantic information. Furthermore, lower alpha power in the temporal area showed a reduction with time, while the frontal-temporal and temporal-temporal coherence in the upper alpha band appeared to increase from the early to the middle phase. These dynamic changes in neural activity might reflect the transformation from divergent thinking to convergent thinking in the creative progress. The advantage of the right brain in frontal-temporal connectivity was not found in the present work, which might result from the diversity of solutions in open-ended creativity. Copyright © 2017 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A General Simulation Method for Multiple Bodies in Proximate Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meakin, Robert L.

2003-01-01

Methods of unsteady aerodynamic simulation for an arbitrary number of independent bodies flying in close proximity are considered. A novel method to efficiently detect collision contact points is described. A method to compute body trajectories in response to aerodynamic loads, applied loads, and inter-body collisions is also given. The physical correctness of the methods are verified by comparison to a set of analytic solutions. The methods, combined with a Navier-Stokes solver, are used to demonstrate the possibility of predicting the unsteady aerodynamics and flight trajectories of moving bodies that involve rigid-body collisions.

Zoonoses of ferrets, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders.

PubMed

Pignon, Charly; Mayer, Jörg

2011-09-01

With urbanization, people live in close proximity to their pets. People often share their living quarters and furniture, and this proximity carries a new potential for pathogen transmission. In addition to the change in lifestyle with our pets, new exotic pets are being introduced to the pet industry regularly. Often, we are unfamiliar with specific clinical signs of diseases in these new exotic pets or the routes of transmission of pathogens for the particular species. This article reviews zoonoses that occur naturally in ferrets, hedgehogs, and sugar gliders, discussing the occurrence and clinical symptoms of these diseases in humans.

Implicit Learning of Arithmetic Regularities Is Facilitated by Proximal Contrast

PubMed Central

Prather, Richard W.

2012-01-01

Natural number arithmetic is a simple, powerful and important symbolic system. Despite intense focus on learning in cognitive development and educational research many adults have weak knowledge of the system. In current study participants learn arithmetic principles via an implicit learning paradigm. Participants learn not by solving arithmetic equations, but through viewing and evaluating example equations, similar to the implicit learning of artificial grammars. We expand this to the symbolic arithmetic system. Specifically we find that exposure to principle-inconsistent examples facilitates the acquisition of arithmetic principle knowledge if the equations are presented to the learning in a temporally proximate fashion. The results expand on research of the implicit learning of regularities and suggest that contrasting cases, show to facilitate explicit arithmetic learning, is also relevant to implicit learning of arithmetic. PMID:23119101

Temporal association of children's pesticide exposure and agricultural spraying: report of a longitudinal biological monitoring study.

PubMed Central

Koch, Denise; Lu, Chensheng; Fisker-Andersen, Jennifer; Jolley, Lance; Fenske, Richard A

2002-01-01

We measured organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposures of young children living in an agricultural community over an entire year and evaluated the impact of agricultural spraying on exposure. We also examined the roles of age, sex, parental occupation, and residential proximity to fields. We recruited 44 children (2-5 years old) through a Women, Infants, and Children clinic. We collected urine samples on a biweekly basis over a 21-month period. Each child provided at least 16 urine samples, and most provided 26. We analyzed samples for the dialkylphosphate (DAP) metabolites common to the OP pesticides. DAP concentrations were elevated in months when OP pesticides were sprayed in the region's orchards. The geometric means of dimethyl and diethyl DAPs during spray months were higher than those during nonspray months (p = 0.009 for dimethyl; p = 0.018 for diethyl). Dimethyl DAP geometric means were 0.1 and 0.07 micro mol/L for spray months and nonspray months, respectively (57% difference); diethyl DAP geometric means were 0.49 and 0.35, respectively (40% difference). We also observed differences for sex of the child, with male levels higher than female levels (p = 0.005 for dimethyl; p = 0.046 for diethyl). We observed no differences due to age, parental occupation, or residential proximity to fields. This study reports for the first time the temporal pattern of pesticide exposures over the course of a full year and indicates that pesticide spraying in an agricultural region can increase children's exposure in the absence of parental work contact with pesticides or residential proximity to pesticide-treated farmland. PMID:12153767

Tubular Obstruction Leads to Progressive Proximal Tubular Injury and Atubular Glomeruli in Polycystic Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Galarreta, Carolina I.; Grantham, Jared J.; Forbes, Michael S.; Maser, Robin L.; Wallace, Darren P.; Chevalier, Robert L.

2015-01-01

In polycystic kidney disease (PKD), renal parenchyma is destroyed by cysts, hypothesized to obstruct nephrons. A signature of unilateral ureteral obstruction, proximal tubular atrophy leads to formation of atubular glomeruli. To determine whether this process occurs in PKD, kidneys from pcy mice (moderately progressive PKD), kidneys from cpk mice (rapidly progressive PKD), and human autosomal dominant PKD were examined in early and late stages. Integrity of the glomerulotubular junction and proximal tubular mass were determined in sections stained with Lotus tetragonolobus lectin. Development of proximal tubular atrophy and atubular glomeruli was determined in serial sections of individual glomeruli. In pcy mice, most glomerulotubular junctions were normal at 20 weeks, but by 30 weeks, 56% were atrophic and 25% of glomeruli were atubular; glomerulotubular junction integrity decreased with increasing cyst area (r = 0.83, P < 0.05). In cpk mice, all glomerulotubular junctions were normal at 10 days, but by 19 days, 26% had become abnormal. In early-stage autosomal dominant PKD kidneys, 50% of glomeruli were atubular or attached to atrophic tubules; in advanced disease, 100% were abnormal. Thus, proximal tubular injury in cystic kidneys closely parallels that observed with ureteral obstruction. These findings support the hypothesis that, in renal cystic disorders, cyst-dependent obstruction of medullary and cortical tubules initiates a process culminating in widespread destruction of proximal convoluted tubules at the glomerulotubular junction. PMID:24815352

Effects of urbanization on carnivore species distribution and richness

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ordenana, Miguel A.; Crooks, Kevin R.; Boydston, Erin E.; Fisher, Robert N.; Lyren, Lisa M.; Siudyla, Shalene; Haas, Christopher D.; Harris, Sierra; Hathaway, Stacie A.; Turschak, Greta M.; Miles, A. Keith; Van Vuren, Dirk H.

2010-01-01

Urban development can have multiple effects on mammalian carnivore communities. We conducted a meta-analysis of 7,929 photographs from 217 localities in 11 camera-trap studies across coastal southern California to describe habitat use and determine the effects of urban proximity (distance to urban edge) and intensity (percentage of area urbanized) on carnivore occurrence and species richness in natural habitats close to the urban boundary. Coyotes (Canis latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus) were distributed widely across the region. Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), mountain lions (Puma concolor), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) were detected less frequently, and long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata), American badgers (Taxidea taxus), western spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis), and domestic cats (Felis catus) were detected rarely. Habitat use generally reflected availability for most species. Coyote and raccoon occurrence increased with both proximity to and intensity of urbanization, whereas bobcat, gray fox, and mountain lion occurrence decreased with urban proximity and intensity. Domestic dogs and Virginia opossums exhibited positive and weak negative relationships, respectively, with urban intensity but were unaffected by urban proximity. Striped skunk occurrence increased with urban proximity but decreased with urban intensity. Native species richness was negatively associated with urban intensity but not urban proximity, probably because of the stronger negative response of individual species to urban intensity.

Seismic wave triggering of nonvolcanic tremor, episodic tremor and slip, and earthquakes on Vancouver Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinstein, Justin L.; Gomberg, Joan; Vidale, John E.; Wech, Aaron G.; Kao, Honn; Creager, Kenneth C.; Rogers, Garry

2009-02-01

We explore the physical conditions that enable triggering of nonvolcanic tremor and earthquakes by considering local seismic activity on Vancouver Island, British Columbia during and immediately after the arrival of large-amplitude seismic waves from 30 teleseismic and 17 regional or local earthquakes. We identify tremor triggered by four of the teleseismic earthquakes. The close temporal and spatial proximity of triggered tremor to ambient tremor and aseismic slip indicates that when a fault is close to or undergoing failure, it is particularly susceptible to triggering of further events. The amplitude of the triggering waves also influences the likelihood of triggering both tremor and earthquakes such that large amplitude waves triggered tremor in the absence of detectable aseismic slip or ambient tremor. Tremor and energy radiated from regional/local earthquakes share the same frequency passband so that tremor cannot be identified during these smaller, more frequent events. We confidently identify triggered local earthquakes following only one teleseism, that with the largest amplitude, and four regional or local events that generated vigorous aftershock sequences in their immediate vicinity. Earthquakes tend to be triggered in regions different from tremor and with high ambient seismicity rates. We also note an interesting possible correlation between large teleseismic events and episodic tremor and slip (ETS) episodes, whereby ETS events that are "late" and have built up more stress than normal are susceptible to triggering by the slight nudge of the shaking from a large, distant event, while ETS events that are "early" or "on time" are not.

Diverse, rare microbial taxa responded to the Deepwater Horizon deep-sea hydrocarbon plume.

PubMed

Kleindienst, Sara; Grim, Sharon; Sogin, Mitchell; Bracco, Annalisa; Crespo-Medina, Melitza; Joye, Samantha B

2016-02-01

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil well blowout generated an enormous plume of dispersed hydrocarbons that substantially altered the Gulf of Mexico's deep-sea microbial community. A significant enrichment of distinct microbial populations was observed, yet, little is known about the abundance and richness of specific microbial ecotypes involved in gas, oil and dispersant biodegradation in the wake of oil spills. Here, we document a previously unrecognized diversity of closely related taxa affiliating with Cycloclasticus, Colwellia and Oceanospirillaceae and describe their spatio-temporal distribution in the Gulf's deepwater, in close proximity to the discharge site and at increasing distance from it, before, during and after the discharge. A highly sensitive, computational method (oligotyping) applied to a data set generated from 454-tag pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene V4-V6 regions, enabled the detection of population dynamics at the sub-operational taxonomic unit level (0.2% sequence similarity). The biogeochemical signature of the deep-sea samples was assessed via total cell counts, concentrations of short-chain alkanes (C1-C5), nutrients, (colored) dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, as well as methane oxidation rates. Statistical analysis elucidated environmental factors that shaped ecologically relevant dynamics of oligotypes, which likely represent distinct ecotypes. Major hydrocarbon degraders, adapted to the slow-diffusive natural hydrocarbon seepage in the Gulf of Mexico, appeared unable to cope with the conditions encountered during the DWH spill or were outcompeted. In contrast, diverse, rare taxa increased rapidly in abundance, underscoring the importance of specialized sub-populations and potential ecotypes during massive deep-sea oil discharges and perhaps other large-scale perturbations.

Past and future implications of near-misses and their emotional consequences.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiyuan; Covey, Judith

2014-01-01

The Reflection and Evaluation Model (REM) of comparative thinking predicts that temporal perspective could moderate people's emotional reactions to close counterfactuals following near-misses (Markman & McMullen, 2003). The experiments reported in this paper tested predictions derived from this theory by examining how people's emotional reactions to a near-miss at goal during a football match (Experiment 1) or a close score in a TV game show (Experiment 2) depended on the level of perceived future possibility. In support of the theory it was found that the presence of future possibility enhanced affective assimilation (e.g., if the near-miss occurred at the beginning of the game the players who had nearly scored were hopeful of future success) whereas the absence of future possibility enhanced affective contrast (e.g., if the near-miss occurred at the end of the game the players who had nearly scored were disappointed about missing an opportunity). Furthermore the experiments built upon our theoretical understanding by exploring the mechanisms which produce assimilation and contrast effects. In Experiment 1 we examined the incidence of present-oriented or future-oriented thinking, and in Experiment 2 we examined the mediating role of counterfactual thinking in the observed effect of proximity on emotions by testing whether stronger counterfactuals (measured using counterfactual probability estimates) produce bigger contrast and assimilation effects. While the results of these investigations generally support the REM, they also highlight the necessity to consider other psychological mechanisms (e.g., social comparison), in addition to counterfactual thinking, that might contribute to the emotional consequences of near-miss outcomes.

Exercise Induced Neuroplasticity to Enhance Therapeutic Outcomes of Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia: Analyzing the Role of Brai nderived Neurotrophic Factor.

PubMed

Campos, Carlos; Rocha, Nuno B F; Lattari, Eduardo; Nardi, Antonio E; Machado, Sergio

2017-01-01

Cognitive impairment is a major manifestation of schizophrenia and a crucial treatment target as these deficits are closely related to patients' functional outcomes. Cognitive remediation is the gold-standard practice to address cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. There is clear evidence stating that cognitive remediation improves cognitive function and promotes structural neuroplastic changes in patients with schizophrenia, with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression emerging as a potential biomarker for its efficacy. This is particularly important as there is clear evidence relating atypical BDNF expression to cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia. Despite the valuable role of cognitive remediation in the management of schizophrenia, there is still a need to develop methods that allow maximizing its efficacy. In this review, we present a hypothesis arguing that cognitive remediation efficacy for patients with schizophrenia can be enhanced by aerobic exercise-induced BDNF upregulation. There have been a few trials reporting that combining aerobic exercise with cognitive training was superior to cognitive training alone to improve cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence suggesting that combined aerobic and cognitive training can increase peripheral BDNF levels. Thereby, engaging in aerobic exercise in close temporal proximity to cognitive remediation may allow achieving a state of neuroplastic readiness in the brain, facilitating cognitive functioning enhancement. Although this hypothesis still lacks evidence, future clinical trials using cognitive remediation for schizophrenia should explore strategies to maximize neuroplasticity and achieve optimal cognitive improvements. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A novel biological 'twin-father' temporal paradox of General Relativity in a Gödel universe - Where reproductive biology meets theoretical physics.

PubMed

Ashrafian, Hutan

2018-03-01

Several temporal paradoxes exist in physics. These include General Relativity's grandfather and ontological paradoxes and Special Relativity's Langevin-Einstein twin-paradox. General relativity paradoxes can exist due to a Gödel universe that follows Gödel's closed timelike curves solution to Einstein's field equations. A novel biological temporal paradox of General Relativity is proposed based on reproductive biology's phenomenon of heteropaternal fecundation. Herein, dizygotic twins from two different fathers are the result of concomitant fertilization during one menstrual cycle. In this case an Oedipus-like individual exposed to a Gödel closed timelike curve would sire a child during his maternal fertilization cycle. As a consequence of heteropaternal superfecundation, he would father his own dizygotic twin and would therefore generate a new class of autofraternal superfecundation, and by doing so creating a 'twin-father' temporal paradox. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conjugating time and frequency: hemispheric specialization, acoustic uncertainty, and the mustached bat

PubMed Central

Washington, Stuart D.; Tillinghast, John S.

2015-01-01

A prominent hypothesis of hemispheric specialization for human speech and music states that the left and right auditory cortices (ACs) are respectively specialized for precise calculation of two canonically-conjugate variables: time and frequency. This spectral-temporal asymmetry does not account for sex, brain-volume, or handedness, and is in opposition to closed-system hypotheses that restrict this asymmetry to humans. Mustached bats have smaller brains, but greater ethological pressures to develop such a spectral-temporal asymmetry, than humans. Using the Heisenberg-Gabor Limit (i.e., the mathematical basis of the spectral-temporal asymmetry) to frame mustached bat literature, we show that recent findings in bat AC (1) support the notion that hemispheric specialization for speech and music is based on hemispheric differences in temporal and spectral resolution, (2) discredit closed-system, handedness, and brain-volume theories, (3) underscore the importance of sex differences, and (4) provide new avenues for phonological research. PMID:25926767

Conjugating time and frequency: hemispheric specialization, acoustic uncertainty, and the mustached bat.

PubMed

Washington, Stuart D; Tillinghast, John S

2015-01-01

A prominent hypothesis of hemispheric specialization for human speech and music states that the left and right auditory cortices (ACs) are respectively specialized for precise calculation of two canonically-conjugate variables: time and frequency. This spectral-temporal asymmetry does not account for sex, brain-volume, or handedness, and is in opposition to closed-system hypotheses that restrict this asymmetry to humans. Mustached bats have smaller brains, but greater ethological pressures to develop such a spectral-temporal asymmetry, than humans. Using the Heisenberg-Gabor Limit (i.e., the mathematical basis of the spectral-temporal asymmetry) to frame mustached bat literature, we show that recent findings in bat AC (1) support the notion that hemispheric specialization for speech and music is based on hemispheric differences in temporal and spectral resolution, (2) discredit closed-system, handedness, and brain-volume theories, (3) underscore the importance of sex differences, and (4) provide new avenues for phonological research.

Modified Anterolateral Portals in Elbow Arthroscopy: A Cadaveric Study on Safety.

PubMed

Thon, Stephen; Gold, Peter; Rush, Lane; O'Brien, Michael J; Savoie, Felix H

2017-11-01

To evaluate the proximity to the radial nerve on cadaveric specimens of 2 modified anterolateral portals used for elbow arthroscopy. Ten fresh cadaveric elbow specimens were prepared. Four-millimeter Steinman pins were inserted into 3 anterolateral portal sites in relation to the lateral epicondyle: (1) the standard distal anterolateral portal, (2) a modified direct anterolateral portal, and (3) a modified proximal anterolateral portal. These were defined as follows: direct portals 2 cm directly anterior to the lateral epicondyle, and proximal portals 2 cm proximal and 2 cm directly anterior to the lateral epicondyle. Each elbow was then dissected to reveal the course of the radial nerve. Digital photographs were taken of each specimen, and the distance from the Steinman pin to the radial nerve was measured. The modified proximal anterolateral and direct anterolateral portals were found to be a statistically significant distance from the radial nerve compare to the distal portal site (P = .011 and P = .0011, respectively). No significant difference was found in the proximity of the radial nerve between the modified proximal and direct anterolateral portals (P = .25). Inadequate imaging was found at a single portal site for the proximal site; 9 specimens were used for analysis of this portal with 10 complete specimens for the other 2 sites. In cadaveric analysis, both the modified proximal and direct lateral portals provide adequate distance from the radial nerve and may be safe for clinical use. In this study, the distal anterolateral portal was in close proximity of the radial nerve and may result in iatrogenic injury in the clinical setting. This is a cadaveric analysis of 2 modified portal locations at the anterolateral elbow for use in elbow arthroscopy. Further clinical studies are needed prior to determining their absolute safety in comparison to previously identified portal sites. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular deletion mapping of the Y chromosome in males with idiopathic azoospermia reveals a new class of microdeletions located in middle Yq11

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

Farah, S.B.; Ramos, C.F.; Bortoletto, R.K.

1994-09-01

Microdeletions in proximal and distal Yq11 found {open_quotes}de novo{close_quotes} in males with idiopathic azoospermia or a severe oligospermia suggested that these Y mutations interrupt the gene structure(s) of a spermatogenesis function located in Yq11 and defined earlier as AZF. Using an extended interval map, dividing Yq11 into 22 subintervals (D1-D22) a third class of microdeletions could now be mapped in middle Yq11. It was found {open_quotes}de novo{close_quotes} in two sterile males with idiopathic azoospermia. Histological analysis of testes tissue sections of both males reveals arrest of spermatogenesis during the pachytene stage. Y-mutations in proximal Yq11 were usually associated to anmore » arrest of spermatogenesis before the proliferation phase of spermatogonia; the corresponding Y gene was defined as {open_quotes}AZFa{close_quotes}. It is, therefore, assumed that the new class of microdeletions, observed now in the middle of Yq11, disrupt another Y spermatogenesis gene expressed during the spermatocyte stage and defined earlier as {open_quotes}AZFb{close_quotes}. Experimental evidence presented during the meeting will try to confirm this view discussing a series of Y genes (AZFa,b,c,...) in Yq11 functioning at different stages during human spermatogenesis.« less

Curiosity Uses X-ray Instrument Data for Proximity Placement

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-09-23

NASA Mars rover Curiosity used a new technique, with added autonomy for the rover, in placement of the tool-bearing turret on its robotic arm. The technique is used to assess how close the instrument is to a soil or rock surface.

Safe and effective speed reductions for freeway work zones phase 2.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

Freeway preservation projects typically require construction workers to conduct their : work in close proximity to ongoing traffic and often reduce traffic flow to a single lane while work is : undertaken in an adjacent lane. Due to the short-term na...

Mount Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest alternative transportation feasibility study : phase I final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-31

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBSNF) is located in close proximity to the Puget Sound metropolitan area in western Washington State. The Forest is facing a number of transportation issues, such as increasing congestion and decreasing availa...

Near-source air pollution and mitigation strategies

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract. Local-scale air pollution impact is of concern for populations located in close proximity to transit sources, including highway, port, rail, and other areas of concentrated diesel emissions. Previous near-road air monitoring research has prompted the U.S. EPA to implem...

The effects of highway noise on residential property values in Louisiana : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-11-30

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if residential properties subjected to highway noise levels in excess of FHWA Guidelines experienced a diminution in-value. Both signle family homes and apartments in close proximity to Interstate highways, ...

Evidence for a shared representation of sequential cues that engage sign-tracking.

PubMed

Smedley, Elizabeth B; Smith, Kyle S

2018-06-19

Sign-tracking is a phenomenon whereby cues that predict rewards come to acquire their own motivational value (incentive salience) and attract appetitive behavior. Typically, sign-tracking paradigms have used single auditory, visual, or lever cues presented prior to a reward delivery. Yet, real world examples of events often can be predicted by a sequence of cues. We have shown that animals will sign-track to multiple cues presented in temporal sequence, and with time develop a bias in responding toward a reward distal cue over a reward proximal cue. Further, extinction of responding to the reward proximal cue directly decreases responding to the reward distal cue. One possible explanation of this result is that serial cues become representationally linked with one another. Here we provide further support of this by showing that extinction of responding to a reward distal cue directly reduces responding to a reward proximal cue. We suggest that the incentive salience of one cue can influence the incentive salience of the other cue. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A review of cooperative and uncooperative spacecraft pose determination techniques for close-proximity operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opromolla, Roberto; Fasano, Giancarmine; Rufino, Giancarlo; Grassi, Michele

2017-08-01

The capability of an active spacecraft to accurately estimate its relative position and attitude (pose) with respect to an active/inactive, artificial/natural space object (target) orbiting in close-proximity is required to carry out various activities like formation flying, on-orbit servicing, active debris removal, and space exploration. According to the specific mission scenario, the pose determination task involves both theoretical and technological challenges related to the search for the most suitable algorithmic solution and sensor architecture, respectively. As regards the latter aspect, electro-optical sensors represent the best option as their use is compatible with mass and power limitation of micro and small satellites, and their measurements can be processed to estimate all the pose parameters. Overall, the degree of complexity of the challenges related to pose determination largely varies depending on the nature of the targets, which may be actively/passively cooperative, uncooperative but known, or uncooperative and unknown space objects. In this respect, while cooperative pose determination has been successfully demonstrated in orbit, the uncooperative case is still under study by universities, research centers, space agencies and private companies. However, in both the cases, the demand for space applications involving relative navigation maneuvers, also in close-proximity, for which pose determination capabilities are mandatory, is significantly increasing. In this framework, a review of state-of-the-art techniques and algorithms developed in the last decades for cooperative and uncooperative pose determination by processing data provided by electro-optical sensors is herein presented. Specifically, their main advantages and drawbacks in terms of achieved performance, computational complexity, and sensitivity to variability of pose and target geometry, are highlighted.

Structural interactions between retroviral Gag proteins examined by cysteine cross-linking.

PubMed Central

Hansen, M S; Barklis, E

1995-01-01

We have examined structural interactions between Gag proteins within Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) particles by making use of the cysteine-specific cross-linking agents iodine and bis-maleimido hexane. Virion-associated wild-type M-MuLV Pr65Gag proteins in immature particles were intermolecularly cross-linked at cysteines to form Pr65Gag oligomers, from dimers to pentamers or hexamers. Following a systematic approach of cysteine-to-serine mutagenesis, we have shown that cross-linking of Pr65Gag occurred at cysteines of the nucleocapsid (NC) Cys-His motif, suggesting that the Cys-His motifs within virus particles are packed in close proximity. The M-MuLV Pr65Gag protein did not cross-link to the human immunodeficiency virus Pr55Gag protein when the two molecules were coexpressed, indicating either that they did not coassemble or that heterologous Gag proteins were not in close enough proximity to be cross-linked. Using an assembly-competent, protease-minus, cysteine-minus Pr65Gag protein as a template, novel cysteine residues were generated in the M-MuLV capsid domain major homology region (MHR). Cross-linking of proteins containing MHR cysteines showed above-background levels of Gag-Gag dimers but also identified a novel cellular factor, present in virions, that cross-linked to MHR residues. Although the NC cysteine mutation was compatible with M-MuLV particle assembly, deletions of the NC domain were not tolerated. These results suggest that the Cys-His motif is held in close proximity within immature M-MuLV particles by interactions between CA domains and/or non-Cys-His motif domains of the NC. PMID:7815493

Computer Modeling of Thoracic Response to Blast

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

be solved at reasonable cost. intrathoracic pressure responses for subjects wearing In order to determine if the gas content of the sheep ballistic...spatial and temporal ries were compared with data. Two extreme cases had distribution of the load can be reasonably predicted by the rumen filled with...to the ap- is that sheep have large, multiple stomachs that have a proximate location where intrathoracic pressure meas- considerable air content . It

In a year, memory will benefit from learning, tomorrow it won't: distance and construal level effects on the basis of metamemory judgments.

PubMed

Halamish, Vered; Nussinson, Ravit; Ben-Ari, Liat

2013-09-01

Metamemory judgments may rely on 2 bases of information: subjective experience and abstract theories about memory. On the basis of construal level theory, we predicted that psychological distance and construal level (i.e., concrete vs. abstract thinking) would have a qualitative impact on the relative reliance on these 2 bases: When considering learning from proximity or under a low-construal mindset, learners would rely more heavily on their experience, whereas when considering learning from a distance or under a high-construal mindset, they would rely more heavily on their abstract theories. Consistent with this prediction, results of 2 experiments revealed that temporal distance (Experiment 1) and construal level (Experiment 2) affected the stability bias--the failure to predict the benefits of learning. When considering learning from proximity or using a low-construal mindset, participants relied less heavily on their theory regarding the benefits of learning and were therefore insensitive to future learning. However, when considering learning from temporal distance or using a high-construal mindset, participants relied more heavily on their theory and were therefore better able to predict the benefits of future learning, thus overcoming the stability bias. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Anatomical study of the facial nerve canal in comparison to the site of the lesion in Bell's palsy.

PubMed

Dawidowsky, Krsto; Branica, Srećko; Batelja, Lovorka; Dawidowsky, Barbara; Kovać-Bilić, Lana; Simunić-Veselić, Anamarija

2011-03-01

The term Bell's palsy is used for the peripheral paresis of the facial nerve and is of unknown origin. Many studies have been performed to find the cause of the disease, but none has given certain evidence of the etiology. However, the majority of investigators agree that the pathophysiology of the palsy starts with the edema of the facial nerve and consequent entrapment of the nerve in the narrow facial canal in the temporal bone. In this study the authors wanted to find why the majority of the paresis are suprastapedial, i.e. why the entrapment of the nerve mainly occurs in the proximal part of the canal. For this reason they carried out anatomical measurements of the facial canal diameter in 12 temporal bones. By use of a computer program which measures the cross-sectional area from the diameter, they proved that the width of the canal is smaller at its proximal part. Since the nerve is thicker at that point because it contains more nerve fibers, the authors conclude that the discrepancy between the nerve diameter and the surrounding bony walls in the suprastapedial part of the of the canal would, in cases of a swollen nerve after inflammation, cause the facial palsy.

Residential proximity to major roads and term low birth weight: the roles of air pollution, heat, noise, and road-adjacent trees.

PubMed

Dadvand, Payam; Ostro, Bart; Figueras, Francesc; Foraster, Maria; Basagaña, Xavier; Valentín, Antònia; Martinez, David; Beelen, Rob; Cirach, Marta; Hoek, Gerard; Jerrett, Michael; Brunekreef, Bert; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J

2014-07-01

Maternal residential proximity to roads has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, there is no study investigating mediators or buffering effects of road-adjacent trees on this association. We investigated the association between mothers' residential proximity to major roads and term low birth weight (LBW), while exploring possible mediating roles of air pollution (PM(2.5), PM(2.5-10), PM(10), PM(2.5) absorbance, nitrogen dioxide, and nitrogen oxides), heat, and noise and buffering effect of road-adjacent trees on this association. This cohort study was based on 6438 singleton term births in Barcelona, Spain (2001-2005). Road proximity was measured as both continuous distance to and living within 200 m from a major road. We assessed individual exposures to air pollution, noise, and heat using, respectively, temporally adjusted land-use regression models, annual averages of 24-hour noise levels across 50 m and 250 m, and average of satellite-derived land-surface temperature in a 50-m buffer around each residential address. We used vegetation continuous fields to abstract tree coverage in a 200-m buffer around major roads. Living within 200 m of major roads was associated with a 46% increase in term LBW risk; an interquartile range increase in heat exposure with an 18% increase; and third-trimester exposure to PM(2.5), PM(2.5-10), and PM10 with 24%, 25%, and 26% increases, respectively. Air pollution and heat exposures together explained about one-third of the association between residential proximity to major roads and term LBW. Our observations on the buffering of this association by road-adjacent trees were not consistent between our 2 measures of proximity to major roads. An increased risk of term LBW associated with proximity to major roads was partly mediated by air pollution and heat exposures.

The future is now: prospective temporal self-appraisals among defensive pessimists and optimists.

PubMed

Sanna, Lawrence J; Chang, Edward C; Carter, Seth E; Small, Eulena M

2006-06-01

Three studies found that prospective temporal self-appraisals can be part of defensive pessimists' strategy; they felt closer to equally distant negative than positive futures. In Study 1, defensive pessimists felt closer to future failures and reported more negative affect than those considering success. In Study 2, when manipulated negative futures were close, defensive pessimists felt bad and performed well; results suggested that viewing negative futures as close may be part of their natural strategy. Study 3 found that prospective self-appraisals influenced performances through felt preparation. Optimists did not use prospective self-appraisals (Study 1) and their performances were unaffected by manipulated temporal distance (Studies 2 and 3). Discussion centers on prospective self-appraisals and multiple strategies of defensive pessimists.

Population responses in primary auditory cortex simultaneously represent the temporal envelope and periodicity features in natural speech.

PubMed

Abrams, Daniel A; Nicol, Trent; White-Schwoch, Travis; Zecker, Steven; Kraus, Nina

2017-05-01

Speech perception relies on a listener's ability to simultaneously resolve multiple temporal features in the speech signal. Little is known regarding neural mechanisms that enable the simultaneous coding of concurrent temporal features in speech. Here we show that two categories of temporal features in speech, the low-frequency speech envelope and periodicity cues, are processed by distinct neural mechanisms within the same population of cortical neurons. We measured population activity in primary auditory cortex of anesthetized guinea pig in response to three variants of a naturally produced sentence. Results show that the envelope of population responses closely tracks the speech envelope, and this cortical activity more closely reflects wider bandwidths of the speech envelope compared to narrow bands. Additionally, neuronal populations represent the fundamental frequency of speech robustly with phase-locked responses. Importantly, these two temporal features of speech are simultaneously observed within neuronal ensembles in auditory cortex in response to clear, conversation, and compressed speech exemplars. Results show that auditory cortical neurons are adept at simultaneously resolving multiple temporal features in extended speech sentences using discrete coding mechanisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping dynamics of deforestation and forest degradation in tropical forests using radar satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Neha; Mitchard, Edward TA; Woo, Natalia; Torres, Jorge; Moll-Rocek, Julian; Ehammer, Andrea; Collins, Murray; Jepsen, Martin R.; Fensholt, Rasmus

2015-03-01

Mapping anthropogenic forest disturbances has largely been focused on distinct delineations of events of deforestation using optical satellite images. In the tropics, frequent cloud cover and the challenge of quantifying forest degradation remain problematic. In this study, we detect processes of deforestation, forest degradation and successional dynamics, using long-wavelength radar (L-band from ALOS PALSAR) backscatter. We present a detection algorithm that allows for repeated disturbances on the same land, and identifies areas with slow- and fast-recovering changes in backscatter in close spatial and temporal proximity. In the study area in Madre de Dios, Peru, 2.3% of land was found to be disturbed over three years, with a false positive rate of 0.3% of area. A low, but significant, detection rate of degradation from sparse and small-scale selective logging was achieved. Disturbances were most common along the tri-national Interoceanic Highway, as well as in mining areas and areas under no land use allocation. A continuous spatial gradient of disturbance was observed, highlighting artefacts arising from imposing discrete boundaries on deforestation events. The magnitude of initial radar backscatter, and backscatter decrease, suggested that large-scale deforestation was likely in areas with initially low biomass, either naturally or since already under anthropogenic use. Further, backscatter increases following disturbance suggested that radar can be used to characterize successional disturbance dynamics, such as biomass accumulation in lands post-abandonment. The presented radar-based detection algorithm is spatially and temporally scalable, and can support monitoring degradation and deforestation in tropical rainforests with the use of products from ALOS-2 and the future SAOCOM and BIOMASS missions.

Emissions of CO2 and criteria air pollutants from mobile sources: Insights from integrating real-time traffic data into local air quality models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gately, Conor; Hutyra, Lucy

2016-04-01

In 2013, on-road mobile sources were responsible for over 26% of U.S. fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) emissions, and over 34% of both CO and NOx emissions. However, accurate representations of these emissions at the scale of urban areas remains a difficult challenge. Quantifying emissions at the scale of local streets and highways is critical to provide policymakers with the information needed to develop appropriate mitigation strategies and to guide research into the underlying process that drive mobile emissions. Quantification of vehicle ffCO2 emissions at high spatial and temporal resolutions requires a detailed synthesis of data on traffic activity, roadway attributes, fleet characteristics and vehicle speeds. To accurately characterize criteria air pollutant emissions, information on local meteorology is also critical, as the temperature and relative humidity can affect emissions rates of these pollutants by as much as 400%. As the health impacts of air pollutants are more severe for residents living in close proximity (<500m) to road sources, it is critical that inventories of these emissions rely on highly resolved source data to locate potential hot-spots of exposure. In this study we utilize real-time GPS estimates of vehicle speeds to estimate ffCO2 and criteria air pollutant emissions at multiple spatial and temporal scales across a large metropolitan area. We observe large variations in emissions associated with diurnal activity patterns, congestion, sporting and civic events, and weather anomalies. We discuss the advantages and challenges of using highly-resolved source data to quantify emissions at a roadway scale, and the potential of this methodology for forecasting the air quality impacts of changes in infrastructure, urban planning policies, and regional climate.

Emissions of CO2 and criteria air pollutants from mobile sources: Insights from integrating real-time traffic data into local air quality models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gately, C.; Hutyra, L.; Sue Wing, I.; Peterson, S.; Janetos, A.

2015-12-01

In 2013, on-road mobile sources were responsible for over 26% of U.S. fossil fuel carbon dioxide (ffCO2) emissions, and over 34% of both CO and NOx emissions. However, accurate representations of these emissions at the scale of urban areas remains a difficult challenge. Quantifying emissions at the scale of local streets and highways is critical to provide policymakers with the information needed to develop appropriate mitigation strategies and to guide research into the underlying process that drive mobile emissions. Quantification of vehicle ffCO2 emissions at high spatial and temporal resolutions requires a detailed synthesis of data on traffic activity, roadway attributes, fleet characteristics and vehicle speeds. To accurately characterize criteria air pollutant emissions, information on local meteorology is also critical, as the temperature and relative humidity can affect emissions rates of these pollutants by as much as 400%. As the health impacts of air pollutants are more severe for residents living in close proximity (<500m) to road sources, it is critical that inventories of these emissions rely on highly resolved source data to locate potential hot-spots of exposure. In this study we utilize real-time GPS estimates of vehicle speeds to estimate ffCO2 and criteria air pollutant emissions at multiple spatial and temporal scales across a large metropolitan area. We observe large variations in emissions associated with diurnal activity patterns, congestion, sporting and civic events, and weather anomalies. We discuss the advantages and challenges of using highly-resolved source data to quantify emissions at a roadway scale, and the potential of this methodology for forecasting the air quality impacts of changes in infrastructure, urban planning policies, and regional climate.

Interfacing sensory input with motor output: does the control architecture converge to a serial process along a single channel?

PubMed Central

van de Kamp, Cornelis; Gawthrop, Peter J.; Gollee, Henrik; Lakie, Martin; Loram, Ian D.

2013-01-01

Modular organization in control architecture may underlie the versatility of human motor control; but the nature of the interface relating sensory input through task-selection in the space of performance variables to control actions in the space of the elemental variables is currently unknown. Our central question is whether the control architecture converges to a serial process along a single channel? In discrete reaction time experiments, psychologists have firmly associated a serial single channel hypothesis with refractoriness and response selection [psychological refractory period (PRP)]. Recently, we developed a methodology and evidence identifying refractoriness in sustained control of an external single degree-of-freedom system. We hypothesize that multi-segmental whole-body control also shows refractoriness. Eight participants controlled their whole body to ensure a head marker tracked a target as fast and accurately as possible. Analysis showed enhanced delays in response to stimuli with close temporal proximity to the preceding stimulus. Consistent with our preceding work, this evidence is incompatible with control as a linear time invariant process. This evidence is consistent with a single-channel serial ballistic process within the intermittent control paradigm with an intermittent interval of around 0.5 s. A control architecture reproducing intentional human movement control must reproduce refractoriness. Intermittent control is designed to provide computational time for an online optimization process and is appropriate for flexible adaptive control. For human motor control we suggest that parallel sensory input converges to a serial, single channel process involving planning, selection, and temporal inhibition of alternative responses prior to low dimensional motor output. Such design could aid robots to reproduce the flexibility of human control. PMID:23675342

Sensitivity to volcanic field boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runge, Melody; Bebbington, Mark; Cronin, Shane; Lindsay, Jan; Rashad Moufti, Mohammed

2016-04-01

Volcanic hazard analyses are desirable where there is potential for future volcanic activity to affect a proximal population. This is frequently the case for volcanic fields (regions of distributed volcanism) where low eruption rates, fertile soil, and attractive landscapes draw populations to live close by. Forecasting future activity in volcanic fields almost invariably uses spatial or spatio-temporal point processes with model selection and development based on exploratory analyses of previous eruption data. For identifiability reasons, spatio-temporal processes, and practically also spatial processes, the definition of a spatial region is required to which volcanism is confined. However, due to the complex and predominantly unknown sub-surface processes driving volcanic eruptions, definition of a region based solely on geological information is currently impossible. Thus, the current approach is to fit a shape to the known previous eruption sites. The class of boundary shape is an unavoidable subjective decision taken by the forecaster that is often overlooked during subsequent analysis of results. This study shows the substantial effect that this choice may have on even the simplest exploratory methods for hazard forecasting, illustrated using four commonly used exploratory statistical methods and two very different regions: the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand, and Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For Harrat Rahat, sensitivity of results to boundary definition is substantial. For the Auckland Volcanic Field, the range of options resulted in similar shapes, nevertheless, some of the statistical tests still showed substantial variation in results. This work highlights the fact that when carrying out any hazard analysis on volcanic fields, it is vital to specify how the volcanic field boundary has been defined, assess the sensitivity of boundary choice, and to carry these assumptions and related uncertainties through to estimates of future activity and hazard analyses.

Assessing the spatial and temporal variability of fine particulate matter components in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian cities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarnat, Jeremy A.; Moise, Tamar; Shpund, Jacob; Liu, Yang; Pachon, Jorge E.; Qasrawi, Radwan; Abdeen, Ziad; Brenner, Shmuel; Nassar, Khaled; Saleh, Rami; Schauer, James J.

2010-07-01

This manuscript presents results from an extensive, multi-country comparative monitoring study of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and its primary chemical components in Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian cities. This study represented the first time that researchers from these countries have worked together to examine spatial and temporal relationships for PM 2.5 and its major components among the study sites. The findings indicated that total PM 2.5 mass was relatively homogenous among many of the 11 sites as shown from strong between-site correlations. Mean annual concentrations ranged from 19.9 to 34.9 μg m -3 in Haifa and Amman, respectively, and exceeded accepted international air quality standards for annual PM 2.5 mass. Similarity of total mass was largely driven by SO 42- and crustal PM 2.5 components. Despite the close proximity of the seven, well correlated sites with respect to PM 2.5, there were pronounced differences among the cities for EC and, to a lesser degree, OC. EC, in particular, exhibited spatiotemporal trends that were indicative of strong local source contributions. Interestingly, there were moderate to strong EC correlations ( r > 0.65) among the large metropolitan cities, West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman. For these relatively large cities, (i.e., West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman), EC sources from the fleet of buses and cars typical for many urban areas predominate and likely drive spatiotemporal EC distributions. As new airshed management strategies and public health interventions are implemented throughout the Middle East, our findings support regulatory strategies that target integrated regional and local control strategies to reduce PM 2.5 mass and specific components suspected to drive adverse health effects of particulate matter exposure.

Using Satellite Tracking and Isotopic Information to Characterize the Impact of South American Sea Lions on Salmonid Aquaculture in Southern Chile.

PubMed

Sepúlveda, Maritza; Newsome, Seth D; Pavez, Guido; Oliva, Doris; Costa, Daniel P; Hückstädt, Luis A

2015-01-01

Apex marine predators alter their foraging behavior in response to spatial and/or seasonal changes in natural prey distribution and abundance. However, few studies have identified the impacts of aquaculture that represents a spatially and temporally predictable and abundant resource on their foraging behavior. Using satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis we examined the degree of spatial overlap between the South American sea lion (SASL) and salmon farms, and quantify the amount of native prey versus farmed salmonids in SASL diets. We instrumented eight SASL individuals with SRDL-GPS tags. Vibrissae, hair and skin samples were collected for δ13C and δ15N analyses from five of the tagged individuals and from four males captured in a haul-out located adjacent to salmon farms. Tracking results showed that almost all the foraging areas of SASL are within close proximity to salmon farms. The most important prey for the individuals analyzed was farmed salmonids, with an estimated median (±SD) contribution of 19.7 ± 13.5‰ and 15.3 ± 9.6‰ for hair and skin, respectively. Using vibrissae as a temporal record of diet for each individual, we observed a remarkable switch in diet composition in two SASL, from farmed salmonids to pelagic fishes, which coincided with the decrease of salmon production due to the infectious salmon anemia virus that affected salmon farms in Chile at the end of 2008. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of integrating stable isotope derived dietary data with movement patterns to characterize the impacts of a non-native prey on the foraging ecology of an apex marine predator, providing important applied implications in situations where interactions between aquaculture and wildlife are common.

Using Satellite Tracking and Isotopic Information to Characterize the Impact of South American Sea Lions on Salmonid Aquaculture in Southern Chile

PubMed Central

Sepúlveda, Maritza; Newsome, Seth D.; Pavez, Guido; Oliva, Doris; Costa, Daniel P.; Hückstädt, Luis A.

2015-01-01

Apex marine predators alter their foraging behavior in response to spatial and/or seasonal changes in natural prey distribution and abundance. However, few studies have identified the impacts of aquaculture that represents a spatially and temporally predictable and abundant resource on their foraging behavior. Using satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis we examined the degree of spatial overlap between the South American sea lion (SASL) and salmon farms, and quantify the amount of native prey versus farmed salmonids in SASL diets. We instrumented eight SASL individuals with SRDL-GPS tags. Vibrissae, hair and skin samples were collected for δ13C and δ15N analyses from five of the tagged individuals and from four males captured in a haul-out located adjacent to salmon farms. Tracking results showed that almost all the foraging areas of SASL are within close proximity to salmon farms. The most important prey for the individuals analyzed was farmed salmonids, with an estimated median (±SD) contribution of 19.7 ± 13.5‰ and 15.3 ± 9.6‰ for hair and skin, respectively. Using vibrissae as a temporal record of diet for each individual, we observed a remarkable switch in diet composition in two SASL, from farmed salmonids to pelagic fishes, which coincided with the decrease of salmon production due to the infectious salmon anemia virus that affected salmon farms in Chile at the end of 2008. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of integrating stable isotope derived dietary data with movement patterns to characterize the impacts of a non-native prey on the foraging ecology of an apex marine predator, providing important applied implications in situations where interactions between aquaculture and wildlife are common. PMID:26309046

Realigning Thunder and Lightning: Temporal Adaptation to Spatiotemporally Distant Events

PubMed Central

Navarra, Jordi; Fernández-Prieto, Irune; Garcia-Morera, Joel

2013-01-01

The brain is able to realign asynchronous signals that approximately coincide in both space and time. Given that many experience-based links between visual and auditory stimuli are established in the absence of spatiotemporal proximity, we investigated whether or not temporal realignment arises in these conditions. Participants received a 3-min exposure to visual and auditory stimuli that were separated by 706 ms and appeared either from the same (Experiment 1) or from different spatial positions (Experiment 2). A simultaneity judgment task (SJ) was administered right afterwards. Temporal realignment between vision and audition was observed, in both Experiment 1 and 2, when comparing the participants’ SJs after this exposure phase with those obtained after a baseline exposure to audiovisual synchrony. However, this effect was present only when the visual stimuli preceded the auditory stimuli during the exposure to asynchrony. A similar pattern of results (temporal realignment after exposure to visual-leading asynchrony but not after exposure to auditory-leading asynchrony) was obtained using temporal order judgments (TOJs) instead of SJs (Experiment 3). Taken together, these results suggest that temporal recalibration still occurs for visual and auditory stimuli that fall clearly outside the so-called temporal window for multisensory integration and appear from different spatial positions. This temporal realignment may be modulated by long-term experience with the kind of asynchrony (vision-leading) that we most frequently encounter in the outside world (e.g., while perceiving distant events). PMID:24391928

Radiographic anatomy of juvenile bovine limbs.

PubMed

Hoey, S E; Biedrzycki, A H; Livesey, M J; Drees, R

2016-11-26

Juvenile bovine patients who present with clinical signs of lameness are commonly evaluated using radiographic techniques both within a hospital setting and in a farm environment. The radiographic development of the juvenile bovine skeleton is currently poorly documented. In this study, the limbs of four heifer calves were sequentially radiographed to assess development of the juvenile bovine appendicular skeleton in the first 12 months of life. Images were acquired at three weeks, three months, six months, nine months and one year of age. The normal radiographic anatomy of the fore limbs and hindlimbs and the changes over the first 12 months are described. The majority of physes remain open throughout this period, with the exception of the proximal physes of the proximal and middle phalanges, the proximal radial physis, and the proximal humeral physis which close radiographically between 9 months and 12 months of age, and fusion of the fourth and central tarsal bones occurs between 9 months and 12 months of age. The results of this study may aid in differentiating normal and abnormal anatomy in the juvenile bovine limb. British Veterinary Association.

Genotoxic effects and serum abnormalities in residents of regions proximal to e-waste disposal facilities in Jinghai, China.

PubMed

Li, KeQiu; Liu, ShaSha; Yang, QiaoYun; Zhao, YuXia; Zuo, JunFang; Li, Ran; Jing, YaQing; He, XiaoBo; Qiu, XingHua; Li, Guang; Zhu, Tong

2014-07-01

Electronic waste (e-waste) disposal is a growing problem in China, and its effects on human health are a concern. To determine the concentrations of pollutants in peripheral blood and genetic aberrations near an e-waste disposal area in Jinghai, China, blood samples were collected from 30 (age: 41±11.01 years) and 28 (age: 33±2.14 years) individuals residing within 5 and 40km of e-waste disposal facilities in Jinghai (China), respectively, during the week of October 21-28, 2011. Levels of inorganic pollutants (calcium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, selenium, and zinc) and malondialdehyde (MDA), identities of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), micronucleus rates, and lymphocyte subsets were analyzed in individuals. Total RNA expression profiles were analyzed by group and gender. The population group living in proximity to the e-waste site displayed significantly higher mean levels of copper, zinc, lead, MDAs, POPs (B4-6DE, B7-9DE, total polychlorinated biphenyls, and BB-153). In addition, micronucleus rates of close-proximity group were higher compared with the remote group (18.27% vs. 7.32%). RNA expression of genes involved in metal ion binding and transport, oxidation/reduction, immune defense, and tumorigenesis varied between groups, with men most detrimentally affected (p<0.05). CD4(+)/CD8(+)T cell ratios, CD4(+)CD25(nt/hi)CD127(lo)regulatory T cell percentages, and CD95 expression were greater in the e-waste group (p<0.05). Residing in close proximity to e-waste disposal facilities (≤5km) may be associated with the accumulation of potentially harmful inorganic/organic compounds and gender-preferential genetic aberrations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do terrestrial animals avoid areas close to turbines in functioning wind farms in agricultural landscapes?

PubMed

Łopucki, Rafał; Klich, Daniel; Gielarek, Sylwia

2017-07-01

Most studies on the effects of wind energy on animals have focused on avian and bat activity, habitat use, and mortality, whereas very few have been published on terrestrial, non-volant wildlife. In this paper, we studied the utilization of functioning wind farm areas by four terrestrial animals common to agricultural landscapes: European roe deer, European hare, red fox, and the common pheasant. Firstly, we expected that the studied animals do not avoid areas close to turbines and utilize the whole area of functioning wind farms with a frequency similar to the control areas. Secondly, we expected that there is no relation between the turbine proximity and the number of tracks of these animals. The study was conducted over two winter seasons using the snow-tracking method along 100 m linear transects. In total, 583 transects were recorded. Wind farm operations may affect terrestrial animals both in wind farm interiors and in a 700-m buffer zone around the edge of turbines. The reactions of animals were species specific. Herbivorous mammals (roe deer and European hare) avoided wind farm interiors and proximity to turbines. The common pheasant showed a positive reaction to wind turbine proximity. The red fox had the most neutral response to wind turbines. Although this species visited wind farm interiors less often than the control area, there was no relation between fox track density and turbine proximity. Greater weight should be given to the effects of wind farms on non-flying wildlife than at present. Investors and regulatory authorities should always consider the likely impacts of wind farms during environmental impact assessments and try to reduce these negative effects.

Environmental Exposures and Breast Cancer on Long Island

Cancer.gov

A nested, case-control study to determine if residence in close proximity to hazardous waste sites, toxic release inventory sites, prior land use (for example, farm land), and exposure to various chemicals in drinking water may be associated with breast cancer on Long Island.

Characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci of Pityopsis graminifolia var. latifolia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Small var. latifolia (Fern.) Semple is an herbaceous perennial that grows in close proximity to the federally endangered species P. ruthii (Small) Small. Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified from 87 samples of P. graminifolia var. latifolia and addit...

Language Nests and Language Acquisition: An Empirical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okura, Eve K.

2017-01-01

This dissertation presents the findings from interviews conducted with language nest workers, teachers, language nest coordinators, administrators of language revitalization programs, principals and directors of language immersion schools that work in close proximity with language nests, and linguists involved in language revitalization efforts.…

Nature-Inspired Acoustic Sensor Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-08-24

m). The pager motors are worn on the wrists. Yale Intelligent Sensors Lab 8 Autonomous vehicle navigation Yago – Yale Autonomous Go-Cart Yago is used...proximity sensor determined the presence of close-by objects missed by the sonars. Yago operated autonomously by avoiding obstacles. Problems being

The science, technology and mission design for the Laser Astrometric test of relativity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turyshev, Slava G.

2006-01-01

The Laser Astrometric Test of Relativity (LATOR) is a Michelson-Morley-type experiment designed to test the Einstein's general theory of relativity in the most intense gravitational environment available in the solar system - the close proximity to the Sun.

Management of soil biota and their properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In natural systems organisms can be structured compartmentally to be, close to other organism for symbiosis, away from other organisms for protection and in proximity to nutrients and water. An example of organism symbiosis is fungi breaking down the macromolecule cellulose into smaller more “diges...

New coordination features; A bridging pyridine and the forced shortest non-covalent distance between two CO 3 2- species

DOE PAGES

Velasco, V.; Aguilà, D.; Barrios, L. A.; ...

2014-09-29

The aerobic reaction of the multidentate ligand 2,6-bis-(3-oxo-3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-propionyl)-pyridine, H 4L, with Co (II) salts in strong basic conditions produces the clusters [Co 4(L) 2(OH)(py) 7]NO 3 (1) and [Co 8Na 4(L) 4(OH) 2(CO 3) 2(py) 10](BF 4) 2 (2). Analysis of their structure unveils unusual coordination features including a very rare bridging pyridine ligand or two trapped carbonate anions within one coordination cage, forced to stay at an extremely close distance (d O···O = 1.946 Å). This unprecedented non-bonding proximity represents a meeting point between long covalent interactions and “intermolecular” contacts. These original motifs have been analysed here through DFTmore » calculations, which have yielded interaction energies and the reduced repulsion energy experimented by both CO 3 2- anions when located in close proximity inside the coordination cage.« less

Altered fish community and feeding behaviour in close proximity to boat moorings in an urban estuary.

PubMed

Lanham, Brendan S; Vergés, Adriana; Hedge, Luke H; Johnston, Emma L; Poore, Alistair G B

2018-04-01

Coastal urbanization has led to large-scale transformation of estuaries, with artificial structures now commonplace. Boat moorings are known to reduce seagrass cover, but little is known about their effect on fish communities. We used underwater video to quantify abundance, diversity, composition and feeding behaviour of fish assemblages on two scales: with increasing distance from moorings on fine scales, and among locations where moorings were present or absent. Fish were less abundant in close proximity to boat moorings, and the species composition varied on fine scales, leading to lower predation pressure near moorings. There was no relationship at the location with seagrass. On larger scales, we detected no differences in abundance or community composition among locations where moorings were present or absent. These findings show a clear impact of moorings on fish and highlight the importance of fine-scale assessments over location-scale comparisons in the detection of the effects of artificial structures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Canine dacryolithiasis: a case description and mineral analysis.

PubMed

Malho, Pedro; Sansom, Jane; Johnson, Phillipa; Stewart, Jennifer

2013-07-01

A 4-year-old, female, spayed, Labrador retriever was presented with a painless swelling of the left ventromedial eyelid and epiphora of 3 months duration. Bilateral patency of the nasolacrimal system was confirmed by the appearance of fluorescein dye at both nares. Ultrasonography revealed a well-demarcated fluid-filled structure containing echogenic ill-defined material in close proximity to the nasolacrimal system. A transconjunctival surgical approach confirmed the close anatomical proximity of the cyst and the absence of a communication with the inferior canaliculus. The cyst contained multiple intraluminal calculi (dacryoliths). Following surgical excision of the cyst, the epiphora resolved and no recurrence was noted over a 12-month follow-up period. On histopathology, the cystic structure was lined by stratified squamous epithelium, consistent with lacrimal canaliculus epithelium. Presumed progression of a canalicular diverticulum to a cyst with the formation of intraluminal dacryoliths was suspected. Mineral analysis of the dacryoliths revealed a calcium carbonate composition. © 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Proximity under Threat: The Role of Physical Distance in Intergroup Relations

PubMed Central

Wohl, Michael J. A.; Van Bavel, Jay J.

2016-01-01

Throughout human history, social groups have invested immense amounts of wealth and time to keep threatening out-groups at a distance. In the current research, we explored the relationship between intergroup threat, physical distance, and discrimination. Specifically, we examined how intergroup threat alters estimates of physical distance to out-groups and how physical proximity affects intergroup relations. Previous research has found that people judge threatening out-groups as physically close. In Studies 1 and 2, we examined ways to attenuate this bias. In Study 1 a secure (vs. permeable) US-Mexico border reduced the estimated proximity to Mexico City among Americans who felt threatened by Mexican immigration. In Study 2, intergroup apologies reduced estimates of physical proximity to a threatening cross-town rival university, but only among participants with cross-group friendships. In Study 3, New York Yankees fans who received an experimental induction of physical proximity to a threatening out-group (Boston Red Sox) had a stronger relationship between their collective identification with the New York Yankees and support for discriminatory policies toward members of the out-group (Red Sox fans) as well as how far they chose to sit from out-group members (Red Sox fans). Together, these studies suggest that intergroup threat alters judgment of physical properties, which has important implications for intergroup relations. PMID:27467267

Social and Spatial Networks: Kinship Distance and Dwelling Unit Proximity in Rural Thailand

PubMed Central

Verdery, Ashton M.; Entwisle, Barbara; Faust, Katherine; Rindfuss, Ronald R.

2013-01-01

We address a long hypothesized relationship between the proximity of individuals' dwelling units and their kinship association. Better understanding this relationship is important because of its implications for contact and association among members of a society. In this paper, we use a unique dataset from Nang Rong, Thailand which contains dwelling unit locations (GPS) and saturated kinship networks of all individuals living in 51 agricultural villages. After presenting arguments for a relationship between individuals’ dwelling unit locations and their kinship relations as well as the particulars of our case study, we introduce the data and describe our analytic approach. We analyze how kinship - considered as both a system linking collections of individuals in an extended kinship network and as dyadic links between pairs of individuals -patterns the proximity of dwelling units in rural villages. The results show that in general, extended kin live closer to one another than do unrelated individuals. Further, the degree of relatedness between kin correlates with the distance between their dwelling units. Close kin are more likely to co-reside, a fact which drives much of the relationship between kinship relatedness and dwelling unit proximity within villages. There is nevertheless suggestive evidence of a relationship between kinship association and dwelling unit proximity among kin who do not live together. PMID:23956489

Implantation of active fixation leads in coronary veins for left ventricular stimulation: report of five cases.

PubMed

Hansky, Bert; Vogt, Juergen; Gueldner, Holger; Schulte-Eistrup, Sebastian; Lamp, Barbara; Heintze, Johannes; Horstkotte, Dieter; Koerfer, Reiner

2007-01-01

Securing transvenous left ventricular (LV) pacing leads without an active fixation mechanism in proximal coronary vein (CV) segments is usually challenging and frequently impossible. We investigated how active fixation leads can be safely implanted in this location, how to avoid perforating the free wall of the CV, and how to recognize and respond to perforations. In five patients with no alternative to LV pacing from proximal CV segments, 4 Fr SelectSecure (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) leads, which have a fixed helix, were implanted through a modified 6 Fr guide catheter with a pre-shaped tip (Launcher, Medtronic). Active fixation leads were successfully implanted in proximal CVs in five patients. There were no complications. Acute and chronic pacing thresholds were comparable to those of conventional CV leads. The pre-shaped guide catheter tip remains in close proximity to the myocardial aspect of the CV, directing the lead helix toward a safe implantation site. If only proximal CV pacing sites are available, 4 Fr SelectSecure leads can be safely implanted through a modified Launcher guide catheter, avoiding more invasive implantation techniques. Other than venous stenting or implantation of leads with retractable tines, SelectSecure leads are expected to remain extractable.

The role of temporal call structure in species recognition of male Allobates talamancae (Cope, 1875): (Anura: Dendrobatidae).

PubMed

Kollarits, Dennis; Wappl, Christian; Ringler, Max

2017-01-30

Acoustic species recognition in anurans depends on spectral and temporal characteristics of the advertisement call. The recognition space of a species is shaped by the likelihood of heterospecific acoustic interference. The dendrobatid frogs Allobates talamancae (Cope, 1875) and Silverstoneia flotator (Dunn, 1931) occur syntopically in south-west Costa Rica. A previous study showed that these two species avoid acoustic interference by spectral stratification. In this study, the role of the temporal call structure in the advertisement call of A. talamancae was analyzed, in particular the internote-interval duration in providing species specific temporal cues. In playback trials, artificial advertisement calls with internote-intervals deviating up to ± 90 % from the population mean internote-interval were broadcast to vocally active territorial males. The phonotactic reactions of the males indicated that, unlike in closely related species, internote-interval duration is not a call property essential for species recognition in A. talamancae . However, temporal call structure may be used for species recognition when the likelihood of heterospecific interference is high. Also, the close-encounter courtship call of male A. talamancae is described.

The Influence of Proximity to a National Forest on Emotions and Fire-Management Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vining, Joanne; Merrick, Melinda S.

2008-02-01

Because American national forests are managed for all citizens, it is important that researchers explore the differences and similarities between citizens living both near and far from publicly managed land. We surveyed residents living at various distances from nationally managed land to collect resident perceptions of different forest fire-management techniques, to determine public preferences for these techniques, and to examine the motivations behind these preferences. Participants both close to and far away from national forests tended to favor a multipronged approach to fire management by preferring the use of a combination of two or more fire-management techniques. There were no significant differences by proximity in participants’ self-rated emotions, types of fire-management techniques preferred, or the reasons and rationales for their preferred fire-management technique(s), indicating that the proximity variable may not be as significant as previously thought.

Associations between proximity and density of local alcohol outlets and alcohol use among Scottish adolescents.

PubMed

Young, Robert; Macdonald, Laura; Ellaway, Anne

2013-01-01

Associations between different alcohol outcomes and outlet density measures vary between studies and may not be generalisable to adolescents. In a cross-sectional study of 979 15-year old Glaswegians, we investigated the association between alcohol outlet availability (outlet density and proximity), outlet type (on-premise vs. off-premise) and frequent (weekly) alcohol consumption. We adjusted for social background (gender, social class, family structure). Proximity and density of on-premise outlets were not associated with weekly drinking. However, adolescents living close (within 200 m) to an off-sales outlet were more likely to drink frequently (OR 1.97, p=0.004), as were adolescents living in areas with many nearby off-premises outlets (OR 1.60, p=0.016). Our findings suggest that certain alcohol behaviours (e.g. binge drinking) may be linked to the characteristics of alcohol outlets in the vicinity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Associations between proximity and density of local alcohol outlets and alcohol use among Scottish adolescents

PubMed Central

Young, Robert; Macdonald, Laura; Ellaway, Anne

2013-01-01

Associations between different alcohol outcomes and outlet density measures vary between studies and may not be generalisable to adolescents. In a cross-sectional study of 979 15-year old Glaswegians, we investigated the association between alcohol outlet availability (outlet density and proximity), outlet type (on-premise vs. off-premise) and frequent (weekly) alcohol consumption. We adjusted for social background (gender, social class, family structure). Proximity and density of on-premise outlets were not associated with weekly drinking. However, adolescents living close (within 200 m) to an off-sales outlet were more likely to drink frequently (OR 1.97, p=0.004), as were adolescents living in areas with many nearby off-premises outlets (OR 1.60, p=0.016). Our findings suggest that certain alcohol behaviours (e.g. binge drinking) may be linked to the characteristics of alcohol outlets in the vicinity. PMID:23220375

The influence of proximity to a national forest on emotions and fire-management decisions.

PubMed

Vining, Joanne; Merrick, Melinda S

2008-02-01

Because American national forests are managed for all citizens, it is important that researchers explore the differences and similarities between citizens living both near and far from publicly managed land. We surveyed residents living at various distances from nationally managed land to collect resident perceptions of different forest fire-management techniques, to determine public preferences for these techniques, and to examine the motivations behind these preferences. Participants both close to and far away from national forests tended to favor a multipronged approach to fire management by preferring the use of a combination of two or more fire-management techniques. There were no significant differences by proximity in participants' self-rated emotions, types of fire-management techniques preferred, or the reasons and rationales for their preferred fire-management technique(s), indicating that the proximity variable may not be as significant as previously thought.

Design of a Unique Azimuth Monitoring Device.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-10

which will direct two beams N (in close proximity to the receiving photomulttplters or image dsetr if these are the receiving sensors ) to the target...receiving sensors and data Av., recording equipment are also at the transmitting/receiving site. It is lrist 2 Iai ~~W5 s-i I I gJJ- I 1&I hoped that for...facility in Bedford, Massachusetts, close to a tiltmeter array site. Pillars will be constructed to accept the observing equipment and the targets with a

Microwave Properties of Superconductors Close to the Superconductor-Insulator Transition.

PubMed

Feigel'man, M V; Ioffe, L B

2018-01-19

Strongly disordered pseudogapped superconductors are expected to display arbitrarily high values of kinetic inductance close to the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT), which make them attractive for the implementation of large dissipationless inductance. We develop the theory of the collective modes in these superconductors and discuss associated dissipation at microwave frequencies. We obtain the collective mode spectra dependence on the disorder level and conclude that collective modes become a relevant source of dissipation and noise in the outer proximity of the SIT.

Microwave Properties of Superconductors Close to the Superconductor-Insulator Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feigel'man, M. V.; Ioffe, L. B.

2018-01-01

Strongly disordered pseudogapped superconductors are expected to display arbitrarily high values of kinetic inductance close to the superconductor-insulator transition (SIT), which make them attractive for the implementation of large dissipationless inductance. We develop the theory of the collective modes in these superconductors and discuss associated dissipation at microwave frequencies. We obtain the collective mode spectra dependence on the disorder level and conclude that collective modes become a relevant source of dissipation and noise in the outer proximity of the SIT.

Modular package for cooling a laser diode array

DOEpatents

Mundinger, David C.; Benett, William J.; Beach, Raymond J.

1992-01-01

A laser diode array is disclosed that includes a plurality of planar packages and active cooling. The laser diode array may be operated in a long duty cycle, or in continuous operation. A laser diode bar and a microchannel heat sink are thermally coupled in a compact, thin planar package having the laser diode bar located proximate to one edge. In an array, a number of such thin planar packages are secured together in a stacked configuration, in close proximity so that the laser diodes are spaced closely. The cooling means includes a microchannel heat sink that is attached proximate to the laser bar so that it absorbs heat generated by laser operation. To provide the coolant to the microchannels, each thin planar package comprises a thin inlet manifold and a thin outlet manifold connected to an inlet corridor and an outlet corridor. The inlet corridor comprises a hole extending through each of the packages in the array, and the outlet corridor comprises a hole extending through each of the packages in the array. The inlet and outlet corridors are connected to a conventional coolant circulation system. The laser diode array with active cooling has application as an optical pump for high power solid state lasers. Further, it can be incorporated in equipment such as communications devices and active sensors, and in military and space applications, and it can be useful in applications having space constraints and energy limitations.

Cassini at Saturn Proximal Orbits - Attitude Control Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burk, Thomas A.

2013-01-01

The Cassini mission at Saturn will come to an end in the spring and summer of 2017 with a series of 22 orbits that will dip inside the rings of Saturn. These are called proximal orbits and will conclude with spacecraft disposal into the atmosphere of the ringed world on September 15, 2017. These unique orbits that cross the ring plane only a few thousand kilometers above the cloud tops of the planet present new attitude control challenges for the Cassini operations team. Crossing the ring plane so close to the inner edge of the rings means that the Cassini orientation during the crossing will be tailored to protect the sensitive electronics bus of the spacecraft. This orientation will put the sun sensors at some extra risk so this paper discusses how the team prepares for dust hazards. Periapsis is so close to the planet that spacecraft controllability with RCS thrusters needs to be evaluated because of the predicted atmospheric torque near closest approach to Saturn. Radiation during the ring plane crossings will likely trigger single event transients in some attitude control sensors. This paper discusses how the attitude control team deals with radiation hazards. The angular size and unique geometry of the rings and Saturn near periapsis means that star identification will be interrupted and this paper discusses how the safe mode attitude is selected to best deal with these large bright bodies during the proximal orbits.

Microencephaloceles: another dual pathology of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy in childhood.

PubMed

Aquilina, Kristian; Clarke, Dave F; Wheless, James W; Boop, Frederick A

2010-04-01

Temporal lobe encephaloceles can be associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. The authors report on the case of an adolescent with multiple microencephaloceles, in the anterolateral middle fossa floor, identified at surgery (temporal lobectomy) for intractable partial-onset seizures of temporal origin. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed only hippocampal atrophy. Subdural electrodes demonstrated ictal activity arising primarily from the anterior and lateral temporal lobe, close to the microencephaloceles, spreading to the anterior and posterior mesial structures. Pathological examination revealed diffuse temporal gliosis involving the hippocampus, together with microdysgenesis of the amygdala. The literature on epilepsy secondary to encephaloceles is reviewed and the contribution of the microencephaloceles to the seizure disorder in this patient is discussed.

The Duplex Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schorr, Alvin L.

1984-01-01

The duplex society, in which the poor live in close proximity to others but in a separate compartment, is already with us. Unless something deeply changes about family income, more than one-third of future generations will come to adulthood having spent a portion of their childhood in official poverty. (RM)

Implementing speed reductions at specific interstate work zones from 65 mph to 35 mph : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

Interstate preservation projects are commonly conducted at night and often require working in close proximity to ongoing traffic. Vehicle speed and speed variability in work zones is inextricably connected to the work zone design and the selected tra...

Designing Ships to the Natural Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

and Soviet Destroyer Seakeeping (Soviet Kotlin -Class Destroyer on Right, U.S. 710 Class on Left) .... 19 2 - Outline of Seakeeping Performance...SPRAY ON THE BRIDGE. THE SOVIET KOTLIN -CLASS DESTROYER OPERATING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CARRIER TASK GROUP APPEARED TO BE TAKING NO WAIER OVER THE

Mt. Dioxin: "Clean Up" Action Threatens Florida Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbs, Lois

1995-01-01

Addresses citizen action taken by African American communities in Pensacola, Florida located in close proximity to a Superfund site. Discusses how the community is organizing to stop site clean-up efforts that residents claim have unjustly increased their already high exposure to toxins such as dioxin. (LZ)

Semiconductor-based optical refrigerator

DOEpatents

Epstein, Richard I.; Edwards, Bradley C.; Sheik-Bahae, Mansoor

2002-01-01

Optical refrigerators using semiconductor material as a cooling medium, with layers of material in close proximity to the cooling medium that carries away heat from the cooling material and preventing radiation trapping. In addition to the use of semiconducting material, the invention can be used with ytterbium-doped glass optical refrigerators.

Surgical exclusion of postsurgical pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta

PubMed Central

Barik, Ramachandra; Patnaik, Amar Narayana; Kumar, Ravintula Venkata; Mohapatra, Rudra Prasad; Medep, Vikas; Nemani, Lalita

2014-01-01

Pseudoaneurysm of ascending aorta after cardiac surgery is rare in children. We report a case of successful surgical exclusion of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm in a 15-year-old boy. The neck of the aneurysm was in close proximity to the right coronary artery (RCA). PMID:24987261

WARM SPRINGS CREEK GEOTHERMAL STUDY, BLAIN COUNTY IDAHO, 1987

EPA Science Inventory

In the Warm Springs Creek drainage near Ketchum, Idaho (17040219), a leaking pipeline coveys geothermal water through the valley to heat nearby homes as well as to supply a resorts swimming pool. Several domestic wells in close proximity to this line have exhibited increasing fl...

Back-trajectory modeling of high time-resolution air measurement data to separate nearby sources

EPA Science Inventory

Strategies to isolate air pollution contributions from sources is of interest as voluntary or regulatory measures are undertaken to reduce air pollution. When different sources are located in close proximity to one another and have similar emissions, separating source emissions ...

Proposal for a low cost close air support aircraft for the year 2000: The Raptor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Jerome D.; Dewitt, Ward S.; Mcdonald, Mark; Riley, John W.; Roberts, Anthony E.; Watson, Sean; Whelan, Margaret M.

1991-01-01

The Raptor is a proposed low cost Close Air Support (CAS) aircraft for the U.S. Military. The Raptor incorporates a 'cranked arrow' wing planform, and uses canards instead of a traditional horizontal tail. The Raptor is designed to be capable of responsive delivery of effective ordnance in close proximity to friendly ground forces during the day, night, and 'under the weather' conditions. Details are presented of the Raptor's mission, configuration, performance, stability and control, ground support, manufacturing, and overall cost to permit engineering evaluation of the proposed design. A description of the design process and analysis methods used is also provided.

Optimised collision avoidance for an ultra-close rendezvous with a failed satellite based on the Gauss pseudospectral method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Jingrui; Lu, Shan; Zhang, Yao; Sun, Yue

2016-11-01

This paper presents a trajectory planning algorithm to optimise the collision avoidance of a chasing spacecraft operating in an ultra-close proximity to a failed satellite. The complex configuration and the tumbling motion of the failed satellite are considered. The two-spacecraft rendezvous dynamics are formulated based on the target body frame, and the collision avoidance constraints are detailed, particularly concerning the uncertainties. An optimisation solution of the approaching problem is generated using the Gauss pseudospectral method. A closed-loop control is used to track the optimised trajectory. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Dating young tephras - a distal solution to proximal controversy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xuanyu; Blockley, Simon; Xu, Yigang; Menzies, Martin

2017-04-01

In-situ dating of young volcanic rocks (<50ka) is fraught with difficulties, a classic example being Changbaishan Volcano NE China. During the caldera-forming 'Millennium' eruption (ca. 940-950 CE) tephra was deposited around the world and as primary fall deposits on the caldera rims. The proximal deposits have been studied using multiple dating methods (e.g. 14C, 40Ar/39Ar, U-series and TL) but controversy and contradiction surrounds the age of these tephra deposits and, as a consequence, the proximal stratigraphy of the 'Millennium' eruption. Accurate characterization of the 'Millennium' tephra is vital if the tephras are to be used to reliably link disparate palaeoclimate archives on a hemispheric-wide scale. Our approach has been to use glass geochemistry to correlate the proximal units with a distal lake sequence from Lake Kushu Japan ca. 1100 km from Changbaishan. Investigation of a 19 m lake core revealed a crypto-tephra deposit with an approximate 'Millennium' age (i.e., 913-1395 cal. CE, 95.4% confidence), confirmed by the 14C-based Bayesian age model of the sedimentary record. Geochemical analysis of tephra shards for both proximal and distal deposits, confirmed identical major, minor and trace element chemistry. This allowed us to correlate the distal crypto-tephra with proximal pyroclastic fall units and to revise the 'Millennium' stratigraphy. Contrary to published data we propose that the 'Millennium' eruption is evident as a composite proximal sequence and that there is no evidence of any post-caldera deposits at the investigated profile (Chen et al., 2016). This is a significant step in our understanding of the nature and timing of Changbaishan eruptions and allows us to resolve an uncertain stratigraphy and eruption history. The correlation of the Lake Kushu crypto-tephra deposit to the distal Millennium (i.e., B-Tm) tephra reported from the Greenland ice-core (Sun et al., 2014) allows the use of high resolution ice-core tephra ages to validate and improve the radiocarbon-based Bayesian age model of the lacustrine sedimentary record. Modelling reveals that the import of ice-core ages (e.g. GICC05 timescale) has placed significant constraints on our correlative tephra, narrowing down the resultant age to 933-949 cal. CE (95.4% confidence). This improves the chronological control on forthcoming proxy data and subsequent tephra layers identified in the lake core within the same timeframe. The 'Millennium' tephra (i.e., B-Tm) is a hemispheric-wide chronological maker that is closely associated in time with the Medieval Climate Anomaly (ca. 900-1300 CE). Interestingly the timing, amplitude and duration of this Holocene anomaly may vary (Broecker, 2001; Ge and Wu, 2011) and could be evaluated by integration of chronological and environmental data. Assessment of the temporal and spatial variations of such climatic events will help us better understand the dynamics of these rapid and short-lived climatic episodes. References: Broecker, W.S., 2001. Was the Medieval Warm Period Global? Science, 291(5508): 1497-1499. Chen, X.-Y., Blockley, S.P.E., Tarasov, P.E., Xu, Y.-G., McLean, D., Tomlinson, E.L., Albert, P.G., Liu, J.-Q., Müller, S., Wagner, M. and Menzies, M.A., 2016. Clarifying the distal to proximal tephrochronology of the Millennium (B-Tm) eruption, Changbaishan Volcano, northeast China. Quat. Geochronol., 33: 61-75. Ge, Q. and Wu, W., 2011. Climate during the Medieval Climate Anomaly in China. PAGES news, 19: 24-26. Sun, C., Plunkett, G., Liu, J., Zhao, H., Sigl, M., McConnell, J.R., Pilcher, J.R., Vinther, B., Steffensen, J.P. and Hall, V., 2014. Ash from Changbaishan Millennium eruption recorded in Greenland ice: Implications for determining the eruption's timing and impact. Geophys. Res. Lett., 2013GL058642.

Plant proximity perception dynamically modulates hormone levels and sensitivity in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Bou-Torrent, Jordi; Galstyan, Anahit; Gallemí, Marçal; Cifuentes-Esquivel, Nicolás; Molina-Contreras, Maria José; Salla-Martret, Mercè; Jikumaru, Yusuke; Yamaguchi, Shinjiro; Kamiya, Yuji; Martínez-García, Jaime F

2014-06-01

The shade avoidance syndrome (SAS) refers to a set of plant responses initiated after perception by the phytochromes of light enriched in far-red colour reflected from or filtered by neighbouring plants. These varied responses are aimed at anticipating eventual shading from potential competitor vegetation. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the most obvious SAS response at the seedling stage is the increase in hypocotyl elongation. Here, we describe how plant proximity perception rapidly and temporally alters the levels of not only auxins but also active brassinosteroids and gibberellins. At the same time, shade alters the seedling sensitivity to hormones. Plant proximity perception also involves dramatic changes in gene expression that rapidly result in a new balance between positive and negative factors in a network of interacting basic helix-loop-helix proteins, such as HFR1, PAR1, and BIM and BEE factors. Here, it was shown that several of these factors act as auxin- and BR-responsiveness modulators, which ultimately control the intensity or degree of hypocotyl elongation. It was deduced that, as a consequence of the plant proximity-dependent new, dynamic, and local balance between hormone synthesis and sensitivity (mechanistically resulting from a restructured network of SAS regulators), SAS responses are unleashed and hypocotyls elongate. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Natural parameter values for generalized gene adjacency.

PubMed

Yang, Zhenyu; Sankoff, David

2010-09-01

Given the gene orders in two modern genomes, it may be difficult to decide if some genes are close enough in both genomes to infer some ancestral proximity or some functional relationship. Current methods all depend on arbitrary parameters. We explore a class of gene proximity criteria and find two kinds of natural values for their parameters. One kind has to do with the parameter value where the expected information contained in two genomes about each other is maximized. The other kind of natural value has to do with parameter values beyond which all genes are clustered. We analyze these using combinatorial and probabilistic arguments as well as simulations.

Optical Properties of a Semimagnetic Quantum Well in a Proximity of a Superconducting Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebecki, K. M.; Kłopotowski, Ł.; Kossut, J.

2006-11-01

We consider, via numerical calculations, a hybrid structure made of a semimagnetic Cd1-xMnxTe quantum well deposited in a close proximity to superconducting niobium film. We simulate photoluminescence and the Faraday rotation spectra, modified by the presence of vortices in this type II superconductor. The magnitude of the evaluated effects is small - the vortex induced spectral line shape variation is of the order of 1% at 1 K and 0.1% at 3 K and is expected to occur mainly in the field range between 0.03 T and 0.05 T.