Dutch healthcare reform: did it result in performance improvement of health plans? A comparison of consumer experiences over time.

PubMed

Hendriks, Michelle; Spreeuwenberg, Peter; Rademakers, Jany; Delnoij, Diana M J

2009-09-17

Many countries have introduced elements of managed competition in their healthcare system with the aim to accomplish more efficient and demand-driven health care. Simultaneously, generating and reporting of comparative healthcare information has become an important quality-improvement instrument. We examined whether the introduction of managed competition in the Dutch healthcare system along with public reporting of quality information was associated with performance improvement in health plans. Experiences of consumers with their health plan were measured in four consecutive years (2005-2008) using the CQI(R) health plan instrument 'Experiences with Healthcare and Health Insurer'. Data were available of 13,819 respondents (response = 45%) of 30 health plans in 2005, of 8,266 respondents (response = 39%) of 32 health plans in 2006, of 8,088 respondents (response = 34%) of 32 health plans in 2007, and of 7,183 respondents (response = 31%) of 32 health plans in 2008. We performed multilevel regression analyses with three levels: respondent, health plan and year of measurement. Per year and per quality aspect, we estimated health plan means while adjusting for consumers' age, education and self-reported health status. We tested for linear and quadratic time effects using chi-squares. The overall performance of health plans increased significantly from 2005 to 2008 on four quality aspects. For three other aspects, we found that the overall performance first declined and then increased from 2006 to 2008, but the performance in 2008 was not better than in 2005. The overall performance of health plans did not improve more often for quality aspects that were identified as important areas of improvement in the first year of measurement. On six out of seven aspects, the performance of health plans that scored below average in 2005 increased more than the performance of health plans that scored average and/or above average in that year. We found mixed results concerning the effects of managed competition on the performance of health plans. To determine whether managed competition in the healthcare system leads to quality improvement in health plans, it is important to examine whether and for what reasons health plans initiate improvement efforts.

Comparing Families of Dynamic Causal Models

PubMed Central

Penny, Will D.; Stephan, Klaas E.; Daunizeau, Jean; Rosa, Maria J.; Friston, Karl J.; Schofield, Thomas M.; Leff, Alex P.

2010-01-01

Mathematical models of scientific data can be formally compared using Bayesian model evidence. Previous applications in the biological sciences have mainly focussed on model selection in which one first selects the model with the highest evidence and then makes inferences based on the parameters of that model. This “best model” approach is very useful but can become brittle if there are a large number of models to compare, and if different subjects use different models. To overcome this shortcoming we propose the combination of two further approaches: (i) family level inference and (ii) Bayesian model averaging within families. Family level inference removes uncertainty about aspects of model structure other than the characteristic of interest. For example: What are the inputs to the system? Is processing serial or parallel? Is it linear or nonlinear? Is it mediated by a single, crucial connection? We apply Bayesian model averaging within families to provide inferences about parameters that are independent of further assumptions about model structure. We illustrate the methods using Dynamic Causal Models of brain imaging data. PMID:20300649

Returns on Investment in California County Departments of Public Health

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Objectives. To estimate the average return on investment for the overall activities of county departments of public health in California. Methods. I gathered the elements necessary to estimate the average return on investment for county departments of public health in California during the period 2001 to 2008–2009. These came from peer-reviewed journal articles published as part of a larger project to develop a method for determining return on investment for public health by using a health economics framework. I combined these elements by using the standard formula for computing return on investment, and performed a sensitivity analysis. Then I compared the return on investment for county departments of public health with the returns on investment generated for various aspects of medical care. Results. The estimated return on investment from $1 invested in county departments of public health in California ranges from $67.07 to $88.21. Conclusions. The very large estimated return on investment for California county departments of public health relative to the return on investment for selected aspects of medical care suggests that public health is a wise investment. PMID:27310339

Returns on Investment in California County Departments of Public Health.

PubMed

Brown, Timothy T

2016-08-01

To estimate the average return on investment for the overall activities of county departments of public health in California. I gathered the elements necessary to estimate the average return on investment for county departments of public health in California during the period 2001 to 2008-2009. These came from peer-reviewed journal articles published as part of a larger project to develop a method for determining return on investment for public health by using a health economics framework. I combined these elements by using the standard formula for computing return on investment, and performed a sensitivity analysis. Then I compared the return on investment for county departments of public health with the returns on investment generated for various aspects of medical care. The estimated return on investment from $1 invested in county departments of public health in California ranges from $67.07 to $88.21. The very large estimated return on investment for California county departments of public health relative to the return on investment for selected aspects of medical care suggests that public health is a wise investment.

Subcutaneous Fascial Bands—A Qualitative and Morphometric Analysis

PubMed Central

Li, Weihui; Ahn, Andrew C.

2011-01-01

Background Although fascial bands within the subcutaneous (SQ) layer are commonly seen in ultrasound images, little is known about their functional role, much less their structural characteristics. This study's objective is to describe the morphological features of SQ fascial bands and to systematically evaluate the bands using image analyses tools and morphometric measures. Methods In 28 healthy volunteers, ultrasound images were obtained at three body locations: the lateral aspect of the upper arm, medial aspect of the thigh and posterior aspect of lower leg. Using image analytical techniques, the total SQ band area, fascial band number, fascial band thickness, and SQ zone (layer) thickness were determined. In addition, the SQ spatial coherence was calculated based on the eigenvalues associated with the largest and smallest eigenvectors of the images. Results Fascial bands at these sites were contiguous with the dermis and the epimysium forming an interconnected network within the subcutaneous tissue. Subcutaneous blood vessels were also frequently encased by these fascial bands. The total SQ fascial band area was greater at the thigh and calf compared to the arm and was unrelated to SQ layer (zone) thickness. The thigh was associated with highest average number of fascial bands while calf was associated with the greatest average fascial band thickness. Across body regions, greater SQ zone thickness was associated with thinner fascial bands. SQ coherence was significantly associated with SQ zone thickness and body location (calf with statistically greater coherence compared to arm). Conclusion Fascial bands are structural bridges that mechanically link the skin, subcutaneous layer, and deeper muscle layers. This cohesive network also encases subcutaneous vessels and may indirectly mediate blood flow. The quantity and morphological characteristics of the SQ fascial band may reflect the composite mechanical forces experienced by the body part. PMID:21931632

Gridded versus point data in the context of validation results from experiments of the COST action VALUE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibig, Joanna; Kotlarski, Sven; Maraun, Douglas; Soares, Pedro; Jaczewski, Adam; Czernecki, Bartosz; Gutierrez, Jose; Pongracz, Rita; Bartholy, Judit

2016-04-01

The aim of the paper is to compare the bias of selected ERA-Interim driven RCM projections when evaluated to gridded observation data (regridded to the same resolution as the considered RCM output) with those evaluated against station data to isolate the representativeness issue from the downscaling performance. The comparison has to be done for experiments of the COST action VALUE, so the same data period (1979-2008) and the same set consisting of 85 stations were used. As a gridded observations the EOBs data from the gridpoints closest to selected stations were used. The comparison was made for daily precipitation totals as well as daily minimum, maximum and mean temperature. A lot of indices were analysed to weigh up representativeness issues for marginal and temporal aspects. Relevant marginal aspects are described by average and extreme values distributions, whereas temporal aspects are presented by seasonality and length of extremespells. Set of indices used in VALUE experiment 1 is calculated for each dataset (stations, EOBs, selected RCM outputs) and biases of RCM outputs against station and EOBs data are obtained and compared. Those with most significant changes are analysed in details.

The Influence of Averageness on Adults' Perceptions of Attractiveness: The Effect of Early Visual Deprivation.

PubMed

Vingilis-Jaremko, Larissa; Maurer, Daphne; Rhodes, Gillian; Jeffery, Linda

2016-08-03

Adults who missed early visual input because of congenital cataracts later have deficits in many aspects of face processing. Here we investigated whether they make normal judgments of facial attractiveness. In particular, we studied whether their perceptions are affected normally by a face's proximity to the population mean, as is true of typically developing adults, who find average faces to be more attractive than most other faces. We compared the judgments of facial attractiveness of 12 cataract-reversal patients to norms established from 36 adults with normal vision. Participants viewed pairs of adult male and adult female faces that had been transformed 50% toward and 50% away from their respective group averages, and selected which face was more attractive. Averageness influenced patients' judgments of attractiveness, but to a lesser extent than controls. The results suggest that cataract-reversal patients are able to develop a system for representing faces with a privileged position for an average face, consistent with evidence from identity aftereffects. However, early visual experience is necessary to set up the neural architecture necessary for averageness to influence perceptions of attractiveness with its normal potency. © The Author(s) 2016.

DCT based interpolation filter for motion compensation in HEVC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alshin, Alexander; Alshina, Elena; Park, Jeong Hoon; Han, Woo-Jin

2012-10-01

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) draft standard has a challenging goal to improve coding efficiency twice compare to H.264/AVC. Many aspects of the traditional hybrid coding framework were improved during new standard development. Motion compensated prediction, in particular the interpolation filter, is one area that was improved significantly over H.264/AVC. This paper presents the details of the interpolation filter design of the draft HEVC standard. The coding efficiency improvements over H.264/AVC interpolation filter is studied and experimental results are presented, which show a 4.0% average bitrate reduction for Luma component and 11.3% average bitrate reduction for Chroma component. The coding efficiency gains are significant for some video sequences and can reach up 21.7%.

Characterizing Sleep in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

PubMed

Goldman, S E; Alder, M L; Burgess, H J; Corbett, B A; Hundley, R; Wofford, D; Fawkes, D B; Wang, L; Laudenslager, M L; Malow, B A

2017-06-01

We studied 28 adolescents/young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 13 age/sex matched individuals of typical development (TD). Structured sleep histories, validated questionnaires, actigraphy (4 weeks), and salivary cortisol and melatonin (4 days each) were collected. Compared to those with TD, adolescents/young adults with ASD had longer sleep latencies and more difficulty going to bed and falling asleep. Morning cortisol, evening cortisol, and the morning-evening difference in cortisol did not differ by diagnosis (ASD vs. TD). Dim light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) averaged across participants were not different for the ASD and TD participants. Average participant scores indicated aspects of poor sleep hygiene in both groups. Insomnia in ASD is multifactorial and not solely related to physiological factors.

Characterizing Sleep in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Goldman, SE; Alder, ML; Burgess, HJ; Corbett, BA; Hundley, R; Wofford, D; Fawkes, DB; Wang, L; Laudenslager, ML; Malow, BA

2017-01-01

We studied 28 adolescents/young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and 13 age/sex matched individuals of typical development (TD). Structured sleep histories, validated questionnaires, actigraphy (four weeks), and salivary cortisol and melatonin (four days each) were collected. Compared to those with TD, adolescents/young adults with ASD had longer sleep latencies and more difficulty going to bed and falling asleep. Morning cortisol, evening cortisol, and the morning-evening difference in cortisol did not differ by diagnosis (ASD vs. TD). Dim light melatonin onsets (DLMOs) averaged across participants were not different for the ASD and TD participants. Average participant scores indicated aspects of poor sleep hygiene in both groups. Insomnia in ASD is multifactorial and not solely related to physiological factors. PMID:28286917

Motivation and academic achievement in medical students.

PubMed

Yousefy, Alireza; Ghassemi, Gholamreza; Firouznia, Samaneh

2012-01-01

Despite their ascribed intellectual ability and achieved academic pursuits, medical students' academic achievement is influenced by motivation. This study is an endeavor to examine the role of motivation in the academic achievement of medical students. In this cross-sectional correlational study, out of the total 422 medical students, from 4th to final year during the academic year 2007-2008, at School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 344 participated in completion of the Inventory of School Motivation (ISM), comprising 43 items and measuring eight aspects of motivation. The gold standard for academic achievement was their average academic marks at pre-clinical and clinical levels. Data were computer analyzed by running a couple of descriptive and analytical tests including Pearson Correlation and Student's t-student. Higher motivation scores in areas of competition, effort, social concern, and task were accompanied by higher average marks at pre-clinical as well as clinical levels. However, the latter ones showed greater motivation for social power as compared to the former group. Task and competition motivation for boys was higher than for girls. In view of our observations, students' academic achievement requires coordination and interaction between different aspects of motivation.

Effect of Fin Porosity on Wake Geometry for Flapping Fins at Intermediate Reynolds Number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Xia, B.; Krueger, P. S.

2017-11-01

Low aspect ratio flapping fins generate interesting 3-dimensional flow structures as has been observed, for example, in studies of fish swimming. As the Reynolds number is reduced, the exact geometry of the fin is less important and even certain amounts of porosity might be allowed without significantly affecting propulsive performance. These effects are investigated experimentally using flapping rectangular fins of aspect ratio 2 at Reynolds numbers in the range 100 - 1000. The experiments were conducted using a water tunnel to supply the free stream flow and the fin flapping parameters were set to provide a Strouhal number (based on amplitude of the fin tip motion) in the range 0.15 - 0.35. Phase-averaged measurements were made of the 3-dimensional, volumetric flow field, allowing visualization of the typical shed vortex structure behind the fin and calculation of time averaged thrust and propulsive efficiency. Results comparing the flow structure in the fin wake and the resulting propulsive performance will be presented for several fins with different planform porosities where the porosities are set using arrays of holes in the fins. This material is based on the work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1510707.

Observations of axisymmetric tracer particle orientation during flow through a dilute fixed bed of fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frattini, Paul L.; Shaqfeh, Eric S. G.; Levy, Jeffrey L.; Koch, Donald L.

1991-11-01

Direct microstructural evidence for net tracer particle orientation induced solely by hydrodynamic interactions in a dilute, disordered, fibrous media is reported. A dilute fixed bed of randomly placed fibers was constructed and glycerol/water suspensions of either synthetic akaganeite (βFeOOH, average aspect ratio 6.3) or hematite (αFe2O3, average aspect ratio 1.6) tracer particles were made to flow axially through the bed at prescribed flow rates. Conservative linear dichroism, a noninvasive light scattering technique, was employed to provide a direct measure of the orientational order parameter for the tracer particle population at the end of the bed. The effect of Brownian motion on the hydrodynamically induced order in the suspensions was studied over three orders of magnitude in scaled rotary Peclet number, 5

Towards An Improvement of Hospital Services and Streamlining of Health Care Costs: The DRG Analysis in Italy.

PubMed

Bellavia, M; Tomasello, G; Damiani, P; Damiani, F; Geraci, A; Accardo, Fm; Gioviale, Mc; Lo Monte, Ai

2012-01-01

The term Diagnosis-related Group (DRG) refers to a classification system used to assess hospital services with the aim of a better management of health care costs and improving performance. The DRG system focuses on the utilization of resources, and is not concerned with the specific type of care provided to the patient. This system highlights any diseconomies and eventual critical aspects of the hospital system. This article, starting from the history of heath care financing in Italy and pointing out the difficulty to define the "quality" of health care services, describes the variables used to evaluate correctly hospital performance based on the DRG system. These include Average Length of Stay, Average Daily Patient Load, Comparative Performance Index, and Case Mix Index.

Core compressor exit stage study. 1: Aerodynamic and mechanical design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burdsall, E. A.; Canal, E., Jr.; Lyons, K. A.

1979-01-01

The effect of aspect ratio on the performance of core compressor exit stages was demonstrated using two three stage, highly loaded, core compressors. Aspect ratio was identified as having a strong influence on compressors endwall loss. Both compressors simulated the last three stages of an advanced eight stage core compressor and were designed with the same 0.915 hub/tip ratio, 4.30 kg/sec (9.47 1bm/sec) inlet corrected flow, and 167 m/sec (547 ft/sec) corrected mean wheel speed. The first compressor had an aspect ratio of 0.81 and an overall pressure ratio of 1.357 at a design adiabatic efficiency of 88.3% with an average diffusion factor or 0.529. The aspect ratio of the second compressor was 1.22 with an overall pressure ratio of 1.324 at a design adiabatic efficiency of 88.7% with an average diffusion factor of 0.491.

[Gastritis associated with duodeno-gastric reflux].

PubMed

Diarra, M; Konate, A; Traore, C B; Drabo, M; Soukho, A espouse Diarra; Kalle, A; Dembele, M; Traore, H A; Maiga, M Y

2007-01-01

Our main objective was to study gastritis associated to duodeno-gastric reflux. It is about a longitudinal study case/witness, paired according to the sex and the age. It was unrolled from February 2005 to January 2006 in the digestive diseases department of the hospital Gabriél Touré, and endoscopic centers of Promenade des Angevins, and clinique Farako. The patients profited from an upper digestive endoscopy to appreciate endoscopic aspect of gastritis associated to bile in the stomach mucus lake. The gastric biopsies were systematic. This study included 50 patients having gastritis associated to bile in gastric mucus lake compared to 50 patients having gastritis associated to clearly gastric mucus lake. The sex-ratio was 1.26 in favour of men. The average age of the patients was of 41.30 +/- 15.43 years. On the symptomatic hand, fetid breath was significantly met in duodeno-gastric reflux (p = 0.013). Potash consumption in the "tô" (millet cake) was significantly reported in gastritis associated to bile in gastric mucus lake (p = 0.042). The endoscopic aspects were comparable. Histological aspects of nonatrophic chronic gastritis were significantly mint in witnesses as well into the antrum as into the fundus (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.00023). The reactional gastritis aspect was the prerogative of duodenogastric reflux (p ranging between 10(-6) and 3.10 (-6). Helicobacter pylori infection was found comparable in the two groups (p = 0.297). Dysplasia although rare was found only in gastritis associated to duodeno-gastric reflux. Gastritis associated to bile in gastric mucus does not se,nm to have specific clinical, endoscopic and histological presentation. However the presence of dysplasia must have an attentive monitoring.

Shedding of dual structures in the wake of a surface-mounted low aspect ratio cone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zixiang; Martinuzzi, Robert J.

2018-04-01

The periodic shedding of vortex pairs in the turbulent wake of a surface-mounted right cone of aspect ratio 0.867 protruding a thin turbulent boundary layer is investigated experimentally. A phase-averaged volumetric velocity field is reconstructed from planar stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. During a typical (phase-averaged) shedding cycle, counter-rotating base vortices alternately form. These are tilted and stretched to merge with stream-wise tip vortices. The merged structure sheds and is convected downstream. A synthesis of earlier observations suggests that a similar shedding process exists for other low aspect ratio tapered geometries and is more complex than the shedding patterns observed for cantilevered cylinders, despite similarities of the mean flow field structure.

[Interaction of mental health and forced married migrants in Germany].

PubMed

Kizilhan, Jan

2015-11-01

The study examines the interaction of the forced married migrants and the frequency of the psychological illness. Forced-married and not forced-married migrants are compared concerning her psychological illness in psychosomatic clinics in Germany. Forced-married women reported significantly more about psychological illness and have undertaken on average at least four times a suicide attempt. Forced-married women suffer lifelong from this event and need, with taking into account cultural migration-specific aspects, special support in the psychosocial consultation and medical-therapeutic treatment. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

An in vitro study of mesiobuccal root thickness of maxillary first molars.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh Akhlaghi, Nahid; Ravandoust, Yasaman; Najafi, Mohammad; Dadresanfar, Bahareh

2012-01-01

Understanding the internal anatomy of root canal system can significantly influence outcomes of root canal treatment. The aim of this in vitro study was to measure the thickness of mesiobuccal root at different levels in maxillary first molars. In this cross-sectional study, forty extracted human maxillary first molars were radiographed; accordingly, the mesial and distal root thicknesses of mesiobuccal (MB) roots were measured at four parallel horizontal levels. The samples were sectioned at the measured levels and then sections were scanned and saved in the computer. Buccal (B), Palatal (P), Mesial (M) and Distal (D) aspects of root thicknesses in single-canalled roots were measured. In two-canalled mesiobuccal roots, Distobuccal (DB) and Distopalatal (DP) aspects were evaluated alongside other measurements. Average radicular thickness in each aspect and each level was compared using ANOVA and t-test. A total of 25 had two canals and 15 had one canal in MB root. In single-canalled roots M and D aspects were the thinnest whereas in two-canalled samples, the thicknesses of DP and DB aspects were significantly less than others (P<0.001). The B and P had the greatest thicknesses in all the samples. The results showed that special attention should be paid to "danger zone" areas of mesiobuccal maxillary first molar roots in order to avoid technical mishaps.

Career Compromises: Framings and Their Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gati, Itamar; Houminer, Daphna; Aviram, Tamar

1998-01-01

Career compromise was investigated in three framings (alternatives, aspect importance, within-aspect preference). Young adults and school counselors rated hypothetical stories. Results of four studies with different designs (Average N=106) supported the hypothesis. The alternatives framing was associated with greater compromise and decision…

Observations of low-energy ions in the wake of a magnetospheric satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Samir, U.; Comfort, R. H.; Chappell, C. R.; Stone, N. H.

1986-01-01

Measurements of low-energy ions made by the retarding ion mass spectrometer (RIMS) onboard the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) satellite are used to study some aspects of 'body-plasma interactions' in the terrestrial plasmasphere. Preliminary results are presented, yielding the degree of H+ and He+ ion depletion in the wake of the satellite in terms of specific and average ion Mach numbers, average ion mass, body size normalized to ionic Debye length, and body potential normalized to ion thermal energy. Some results from the RIMS measurements are compared with relevant results from the Explorer 31 and the Atmosphere Explorer C ionospheric satellites. Wake depletion is found to vary approximately linearly for small bodies (R-sub-Di less than about 12) and exponentially for large bodies (R-sub-Di greater than 50).

Experimental measurement of self-diffusion in a strongly coupled plasma

DOE PAGES

Strickler, Trevor S.; Langin, Thomas K.; McQuillen, Paul; ...

2016-05-17

Here, we present a study of the collisional relaxation of ion velocities in a strongly coupled, ultracold neutral plasma on short time scales compared to the inverse collision rate. The measured average velocity of a tagged population of ions is shown to be equivalent to the ion-velocity autocorrelation function. We thus gain access to fundamental aspects of the single-particle dynamics in strongly coupled plasmas and to the ion self-diffusion constant under conditions where experimental measurements have been lacking. Nonexponential decay towards equilibrium of the average velocity heralds non-Markovian dynamics that are not predicted by traditional descriptions of weakly coupled plasmas.more » This demonstrates the utility of ultracold neutral plasmas for studying the effects of strong coupling on collisional processes, which is of interest for dense laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.« less

Sundanese ancient manuscripts search engine using probability approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryani, Mira; Hadi, Setiawan; Paulus, Erick; Nurma Yulita, Intan; Supriatna, Asep K.

2017-10-01

Today, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become a regular thing for every aspect of live include cultural and heritage aspect. Sundanese ancient manuscripts as Sundanese heritage are in damage condition and also the information that containing on it. So in order to preserve the information in Sundanese ancient manuscripts and make them easier to search, a search engine has been developed. The search engine must has good computing ability. In order to get the best computation in developed search engine, three types of probabilistic approaches: Bayesian Networks Model, Divergence from Randomness with PL2 distribution, and DFR-PL2F as derivative form DFR-PL2 have been compared in this study. The three probabilistic approaches supported by index of documents and three different weighting methods: term occurrence, term frequency, and TF-IDF. The experiment involved 12 Sundanese ancient manuscripts. From 12 manuscripts there are 474 distinct terms. The developed search engine tested by 50 random queries for three types of query. The experiment results showed that for the single query and multiple query, the best searching performance given by the combination of PL2F approach and TF-IDF weighting method. The performance has been evaluated using average time responds with value about 0.08 second and Mean Average Precision (MAP) about 0.33.

Pollutant Concentrations in Street Canyons of Different Aspect Ratio with Avenues of Trees for Various Wind Directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gromke, Christof; Ruck, Bodo

2012-07-01

This study summarizes the effects of avenues of trees in urban street canyons on traffic pollutant dispersion. We describe various wind-tunnel experiments with different tree-avenue models in combination with variations in street-canyon aspect ratio W/ H (with W the street-canyon width and H the building height) and approaching wind direction. Compared to tree-free street canyons, in general, higher pollutant concentrations are found. Avenues of trees do not suppress canyon vortices, although the air ventilation in canyons is hindered significantly. For a perpendicular wind direction, increases in wall-average and wall-maximum concentrations at the leeward canyon wall and decreases in wall-average concentrations at the windward wall are found. For oblique and perpendicular wind directions, increases at both canyon walls are obtained. The strongest effects of avenues of trees on traffic pollutant dispersion are observed for oblique wind directions for which also the largest concentrations at the canyon walls are found. Thus, the prevailing assumption that attributes the most harmful dispersion conditions to a perpendicular wind direction does not hold for street canyons with avenues of trees. Furthermore, following dimensional analysis, an estimate of the normalized wall-maximum traffic pollutant concentration in street canyons with avenues of trees is derived.

Constrained Optimization of Average Arrival Time via a Probabilistic Approach to Transport Reliability

PubMed Central

Namazi-Rad, Mohammad-Reza; Dunbar, Michelle; Ghaderi, Hadi; Mokhtarian, Payam

2015-01-01

To achieve greater transit-time reduction and improvement in reliability of transport services, there is an increasing need to assist transport planners in understanding the value of punctuality; i.e. the potential improvements, not only to service quality and the consumer but also to the actual profitability of the service. In order for this to be achieved, it is important to understand the network-specific aspects that affect both the ability to decrease transit-time, and the associated cost-benefit of doing so. In this paper, we outline a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of proposed changes to average transit-time, so as to determine the optimal choice of average arrival time subject to desired punctuality levels whilst simultaneously minimizing operational costs. We model the service transit-time variability using a truncated probability density function, and simultaneously compare the trade-off between potential gains and increased service costs, for several commonly employed cost-benefit functions of general form. We formulate this problem as a constrained optimization problem to determine the optimal choice of average transit time, so as to increase the level of service punctuality, whilst simultaneously ensuring a minimum level of cost-benefit to the service operator. PMID:25992902

Quality, range, and legibility in web sites related to orofacial functions.

PubMed

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane; Berretin-Felix, Giédre

2013-10-01

Introduction Plenty of information about health is available on the Internet; however, quality and legibility are not always evaluated. Knowledge regarding orofacial functions can be considered important for the population because it allows proper stimulus, early diagnosis, and prevention of the oral myofunctional alterations during early infancy. Objective The aim was evaluate the quality, legibility, and range of Web sites available in Brazilian Portuguese regarding the orofacial functions. Methods Selected Web sites with information directed to parents/caregivers of babies regarding breast-feeding, feeding after 6 months, deleterious oral habits, and breathing and speech were studied. The Web sites were evaluated through the application of Flesch Reading Ease Test and aspects of the Health on the Net (HON) modified code (HONCode); the range of the subjects addressed was compared with other aspects of infant development. Results From the access of 350 pages of the Internet, 35 Web sites were selected and 315 excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. In relation to legibility, Web sites scored an average of 61.23% in the Flesch Test, and the application of the modified HONCode showed an average of 6.43 points; an average of 2.49 subjects were found per Web site evaluated, with information on breast-feeding being more frequent and subjects such as breathing and speech less frequent. Conclusions Web sites that deal with orofacial functions presented standard legibility classification. Only half of the ethical principles were considered by the modified HONCode in their majority, and most addressed subjects after "breast-feeding" were presented with restricted range.

Quality, Range, and Legibility in Web Sites Related to Orofacial Functions

PubMed Central

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Ferrari, Deborah Viviane; Berretin-Felix, Giédre

2013-01-01

Introduction Plenty of information about health is available on the Internet; however, quality and legibility are not always evaluated. Knowledge regarding orofacial functions can be considered important for the population because it allows proper stimulus, early diagnosis, and prevention of the oral myofunctional alterations during early infancy. Objective The aim was evaluate the quality, legibility, and range of Web sites available in Brazilian Portuguese regarding the orofacial functions. Methods Selected Web sites with information directed to parents/caregivers of babies regarding breast-feeding, feeding after 6 months, deleterious oral habits, and breathing and speech were studied. The Web sites were evaluated through the application of Flesch Reading Ease Test and aspects of the Health on the Net (HON) modified code (HONCode); the range of the subjects addressed was compared with other aspects of infant development. Results From the access of 350 pages of the Internet, 35 Web sites were selected and 315 excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. In relation to legibility, Web sites scored an average of 61.23% in the Flesch Test, and the application of the modified HONCode showed an average of 6.43 points; an average of 2.49 subjects were found per Web site evaluated, with information on breast-feeding being more frequent and subjects such as breathing and speech less frequent. Conclusions Web sites that deal with orofacial functions presented standard legibility classification. Only half of the ethical principles were considered by the modified HONCode in their majority, and most addressed subjects after “breast-feeding” were presented with restricted range. PMID:25992036

Defining the lateral limits of the endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum transplanum approach: anatomical study with pertinent quantitative analysis.

PubMed

Di Somma, Alberto; Torales, Jorge; Cavallo, Luigi Maria; Pineda, Jose; Solari, Domenico; Gerardi, Rosa Maria; Frio, Federico; Enseñat, Joaquim; Prats-Galino, Alberto; Cappabianca, Paolo

2018-04-20

OBJECTIVE The extended endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum transplanum approach is currently used for the surgical treatment of selected midline anterior skull base lesions. Nevertheless, the possibility of accessing the lateral aspects of the planum sphenoidale could represent a limitation for such an approach. To the authors' knowledge, a clear definition of the eventual anatomical boundaries has not been delineated. Hence, the present study aimed to detail and quantify the maximum amount of bone removal over the planum sphenoidale required via the endonasal pathway to achieve the most lateral extension of such a corridor and to evaluate the relative surgical freedom. METHODS Six human cadaveric heads were dissected at the Laboratory of Surgical NeuroAnatomy of the University of Barcelona. The laboratory rehearsals were run as follows: 1) preliminary predissection CT scans, 2) the endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum transplanum approach (lateral limit: medial optocarotid recess) followed by postdissection CT scans, 3) maximum lateral extension of the transtuberculum transplanum approach followed by postdissection CT scans, and 4) bone removal and surgical freedom analysis (a nonpaired Student t-test). A conventional subfrontal bilateral approach was used to evaluate, from above, the bone removal from the planum sphenoidale and the lateral limit of the endonasal route. RESULTS The endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum transplanum approach was extended at its maximum lateral aspect in the lateral portion of the anterior skull base, removing the bone above the optic prominence, that is, the medial portion of the lesser sphenoid wing, including the anterior clinoid process. As expected, a greater bone removal volume was obtained compared with the approach when bone removal is limited to the medial optocarotid recess (average 533.45 vs 296.07 mm 2 ; p < 0.01). The anteroposterior diameter was an average of 8.1 vs 15.78 mm, and the laterolateral diameter was an average of 18.77 vs 44.54 mm (p < 0.01). The neurovascular contents of this area were exposed up to the insular segment of the middle cerebral artery. The surgical freedom analysis revealed a possible increased lateral maneuverability of instruments inserted in the contralateral nostril compared with a midline target (average 384.11 vs 235.31 mm 2 ; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Bone removal from the medial aspect of the lesser sphenoid wing, including the anterior clinoid process, may increase the exposure and surgical freedom of the extended endoscopic endonasal transtuberculum transplanum approach over the lateral segment of the anterior skull base. Although this study represents a preliminary anatomical investigation, it could be useful to refine the indications and limitations of the endoscopic endonasal corridor for the surgical management of skull base lesions involving the lateral portion of the planum sphenoidale.

Comparison of student achievement among two science laboratory types: traditional and virtual

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reese, Mary Celeste

Technology has changed almost every aspect of our daily lives. It is not surprising then that technology has made its way into the classroom. More and more educators are utilizing technological resources in creative ways with the intent to enhance learning, including using virtual laboratories in the sciences in place of the "traditional" science laboratories. This has generated much discussion as to the influence on student achievement when online learning replaces the face-to-face contact between instructor and student. The purpose of this study was to discern differences in achievement of two laboratory instruction types: virtual laboratory and a traditional laboratory. Results of this study indicate statistical significant differences in student achievement defined by averages on quiz scores in virtual labs compared with traditional face-to-face laboratories and traditional laboratories result in greater student learning gains than virtual labs. Lecture exam averages were also greater for students enrolled in the traditional laboratories compared to students enrolled in the virtual laboratories. To account for possible differences in ability among students, a potential extraneous variable, GPA and ACT scores were used as covariates.

Work-focused treatment of common mental disorders and return to work: a comparative outcome study.

PubMed

Lagerveld, Suzanne E; Blonk, Roland W B; Brenninkmeijer, Veerle; Wijngaards-de Meij, Leoniek; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2012-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two individual-level psychotherapy interventions: (a) treatment as usual consisting of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and (b) work-focused CBT (W-CBT) that integrated work aspects early into the treatment. Both interventions were carried out by psychotherapists with employees on sick leave because of common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, or adjustment disorder). In a quasi-experimental design, 12-month follow-up data of 168 employees were collected. The CBT group consisted of 79 clients, the W-CBT group of 89. Outcome measures were duration until return to work (RTW), mental health problems, and costs to the employer. We found significant effects on duration until RTW in favor of the W-CBT group: full RTW occurred 65 days earlier. Partial RTW occurred 12 days earlier. A significant decrease in mental health problems was equally present in both conditions. The average financial advantage for the employer of an employee in the W-CBT group was estimated at $5,275 U.S. dollars compared with the CBT group. These results show that through focusing more and earlier on work-related aspects and RTW, functional recovery in work can be substantially speeded up within a regular psychotherapeutic setting. This result was achieved without negative side effects on psychological complaints over the course of 1 year. Integrating work-related aspects into CBT is, therefore, a fruitful approach with benefits for employees and employers alike. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

A study of damage zones or characteristic lengths as related to the fracture behavior of graphite/epoxy laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeow, Y. T.; Brinson, H. F.

1977-01-01

Uniaxial tensile tests conducted on a variety of graphite/epoxy laminates, containing narrow rectangular slits, square or circular holes with various aspect ratios are discussed. The techniques used to study stable crack or damage zone growth--namely, birefringence coatings, COD gages, and microscopic observations are discussed. Initial and final fracture modes are discussed as well as the effect of notch size and shape, and laminate type on the fracture process. Characteristic lengths are calculated and compared to each other using the point, average and inherent flaw theories. Fracture toughnesses are calculated by the same theories and compared to a boundary integral equation technique. Finite width K-calibration factors are also discussed.

Development of an Assessment Model for Sustainable Supply Chain Management in Batik Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mubiena, G. F.; Ma’ruf, A.

2018-03-01

This research proposes a dynamic assessment model for sustainable supply chain management in batik industry. The proposed model identifies the dynamic relationship between economic aspect, environment aspect and social aspect. The economic aspect refers to the supply chain operation reference model. The environment aspect uses carbon emissions and liquid waste as the attribute assessment, while the social aspect focus on employee’s welfare. Lean manufacturing concept was implemented as an alternative approach to sustainability. The simulation result shows that the average of sustainability score for 5 years increased from 65,3% to 70%. Future experiments will be conducted on design improvements to reach the company target on sustainability score.

Total electron content (TEC) variability at Los Alamos, New Mexico: A comparative study: FORTE-derived TEC analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhen; Roussel-Dupré, Robert

2005-12-01

Data collected from Fast On-Orbit Recording of Transient Events (FORTE) satellite-received Los Alamos Portable Pulser (LAPP) signals during 1997-2002 are used to derive the total electron content (TEC) at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The LAPP-derived TECs at Los Alamos are analyzed for diurnal, seasonal, interannual, and 27-day solar cycle variations. Several aspects in deriving TEC are analyzed, including slant to vertical TEC conversion, quartic effects on transionosperic signals, and geomagnetic storm effects on the TEC variance superimposed on the averaged TEC values.

Self-Regulation and Implicit Attitudes Toward Physical Activity Influence Exercise Behavior.

PubMed

Padin, Avelina C; Emery, Charles F; Vasey, Michael; Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K

2017-08-01

Dual-process models of health behavior posit that implicit and explicit attitudes independently drive healthy behaviors. Prior evidence indicates that implicit attitudes may be related to weekly physical activity (PA) levels, but the extent to which self-regulation attenuates this link remains unknown. This study examined the associations between implicit attitudes and self-reported PA during leisure time among 150 highly active young adults and evaluated the extent to which effortful control (one aspect of self-regulation) moderated this relationship. Results indicated that implicit attitudes toward exercise were unrelated to average workout length among individuals with higher effortful control. However, those with lower effortful control and more negative implicit attitudes reported shorter average exercise sessions compared with those with more positive attitudes. Implicit and explicit attitudes were unrelated to total weekly PA. A combination of poorer self-regulation and negative implicit attitudes may leave individuals vulnerable to mental and physical health consequences of low PA.

Knowledge about epilepsy in university health students: A multicenter study.

PubMed

Souza, Priscila; Portes, Leslie A; Thomas, Robert K; Bonito, Jorge R; Rua, Marilia; Pacheco, Fabio J; Plaatjes, Phillip; Oliveira, Natalia C

2018-02-01

Even with economic development and improvements in health care around the world, it is estimated that nowadays, 50 million people have epilepsy. It is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases, yet it is still surrounded by prejudice, stigma, lack of awareness, and wrong attitudes of the population towards the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the knowledge about epilepsy in health students from different countries: Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, United States, and South Africa. Students were asked to complete a survey regarding knowledge about epilepsy (the Epilepsy Knowledge Questionnaire). One hundred and two students participated, 62.2% of them were female. Portuguese students had significantly higher values than the American ones (p=0.025). Regarding the medical aspects, on average, students hit 63.8% of the questions, and the students from Portugal had significantly higher average than the ones from the United States (p=0.0007). Statements with lower percent of correct answers were about pathophysiology, medication, and treatment of the disease. There were no differences between the scores obtained by the students of each country in the social aspects of the disease. Statements with higher percent of mistakes were about sports practice, labor, proceedings in case of convulsion, and ability to drive vehicles. General knowledge of senior health students about epilepsy was considered low, however, regarding the medical aspects of the disease, students from Brazil and Portugal exhibited a slightly superior knowledge. Changing the way of seeing and treating people with epilepsy brings, as a consequence, increased opportunities for these people in different sectors of society. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is Judgement of Biotechnological Ethical Aspects Related to High School Students' Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crne-Hladnik, Helena; Hladnik, Ales; Javornik, Branka; Kosmelj, Katarina; Peklaj, Cirila

2012-01-01

Quantitative and qualitative studies of various aspects of the perception of biotechnology were conducted among 469 Slovenian high school students of average age 17 years. Our research aimed to explore relationships among students' pre-knowledge of molecular and human genetics, and their attitudes to four specific biotechnological applications.…

Perception of the nursing team of a Surgical Center regarding Hospital Accreditation at a University Hospital.

PubMed

Fernandes, Hellen Maria de Lima Graf; Peniche, Aparecida de Cássia Giani

2015-02-01

Objective To analyze the perception of nursing teams at a surgical center regarding the process of hospital accreditation, in the evaluative aspects of structure, process, and result. Method The study takes a quantitative and exploratory-descriptive approach, carried out at a university hospital. Result The population consisted of 69 nursing professionals, and the data collection was performed in the months of January and February 2014 by way of a questionnaire, utilizing the Likert scale. The methodology used a Cronbach's Alpha equal to 0.812. In the comparison of the three aspects, the one with the highest favorability score was "result", with an average of 47.12 (dp±7.23), and the smallest was "structure," with an average of 40.70 (dp±5.19). Conclusion This situational diagnostic can assist in the restructuring of the vulnerable areas evaluated in these three aspects, mainly in the aspect of structure, with a goal of level 2 accreditation by the ONA (Brazilian's National Organization for Accreditation) defended by the Institution.

Implications of different methods for specifying classroom composition of externalizing behavior and its relationship to social–emotional outcomes

PubMed Central

Yudron, Monica; Jones, Stephanie M.; Raver, C. Cybele

2016-01-01

In this paper, we examine common methods for using individual-level data to represent classroom composition by examining exemplary studies that thoughtfully incorporate such measures. Building on these studies, and using data from the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP), this paper examines theoretical and analytical implications of a set of different transformations of individual ratings of child externalizing behaviors in order to examine and compare the influence of these representations of classroom composition on Kindergarten internalizing behaviors, social competence, and attention/impulsivity problems. Results indicate that each Kindergarten outcome is influenced by distinct aspects of classroom composition of externalizing behaviors. Kindergarten internalizing behaviors are positively associated with the proportion of children in the Head Start classroom who started with externalizing scores above the 75th percentile regardless of the average value of externalizing behaviors in the classroom. In contrast, Kindergarten social competence is predicted by three aspects of the classroom distribution of externalizing behaviors in the fall of Head Start—the classroom mean, standard deviation, and skew. Finally, Kindergarten attention/impulsivity problems were not associated with any aspect of classroom composition of externalizing behavior examined in this paper. PMID:28275289

Clustering Strategy in Intellectually Gifted Children: Assessment Using a Collaborative Recall Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Huan; Zhang, Xingli; He, Yunfeng; Shi, Jiannong

2017-01-01

This study examined three aspects of the clustering strategy used by participants: the differences of clustering strategy between intellectually gifted and average children; the relationship between clustering strategy and recall performance in intellectually gifted and average children; and the differences in recall performance on collaborative…

Increasing healthcare costs: can we influence the costs of glaucoma care?

PubMed

Töteberg-Harms, Marc; Berlin, Michael S; Meier-Gibbons, Frances

2017-03-01

Despite a decrease in real average growth rates per capita since 2009, healthcare costs continue to rise worldwide. Numerous patient-related and doctor-related factors have contributed to this rise. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and requires chronic, usually lifelong treatment. As with other chronic diseases, the adherence to prescribed treatment is often low and maybe influenced by the cost of the therapy. The purpose of this review is to seek potential solutions to best control the escalating costs of glaucoma care. The studies we selected for this review can be divided into four different categories: costs of diagnostic tests; costs of direct comparisons between drugs or laser and conventional surgery; patient-related factors (such as adherence); and general aspects regarding costs: theoretical models and calculations. It is challenging to find reliable studies concerning this subject matter. As patients are under the umbrellas of variously organized healthcare systems which span different cultures, the costs between countries are difficult to compare. However, one common aspect to lower costs in glaucoma care is to improve patient adherence. Theoretical models with actual patient studies could enable cost reductions by comparing multiple diagnostic and therapeutic scenarios. VIDEO ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/COOP/A22.

Study of Natural Fiber Breakage during Composite Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quijano-Solis, Carlos Jafet

Biofiber-thermoplastic composites have gained considerable importance in the last century. To provide mechanical reinforcement to the polymer, fibers must be larger than a critical aspect ratio (length-to-width ratio). However, biofibers undergo breakage in length or width during processing, affecting their final aspect ratio in the composites. In this study, influence on biofiber breakage by factors related to processing conditions, fiber morphology and the flow type was investigated through: a) experiments using an internal mixer, a twin-screw extruder (TSE) or a capillary rheometer; and b) a Monte Carlo computer simulation. Composites of thermomechanical fibers of aspen or wheat straw mixed with polypropylene were studied. Internal mixer experiments analyzed wheat straw and two batches of aspen fibers, named AL and AS. AL fibers had longer average length. Processing variables included the temperature, rotors speed and fiber concentration. TSE experiments studied AL and AS fiber composites under various screws speeds, temperatures and feeding rates of the polymer and fibers. Capillary rheometers experiments determined AL fiber breakage in shear and elongational flows for composites processed at different concentrations, temperatures, and strain rates. Finally, the internal mixer experimental results where compared to Monte Carlo simulation predictions. The simulation focused on fiber length breakage due to fiber-polymer interactions. Internal mixer results showed that final fiber average length depended almost solely on processing conditions while final fiber average width depended on both processing conditions and initial fiber morphology. In the TSE, processing conditions as well as initial fiber length influenced final average length. TSE results showed that the fiber concentration regime seems to influence the effect of processing variables on fiber breakage. Capillary rheometer experiments demonstrated that biofiber breakage happens in both elongational and shear flows. In some cases, percentage of biofiber breakage in elongational flow is higher. In general, simulation predictions of final average lengths were in good agreement with experiments, indicating the importance of fiber-polymer interactions on fiber breakage. The largest discrepancies were obtained at higher fiber concentration composites; these differences might be resolved, in future simulations, by including the effect of fiber-fiber interactions.

Quantitative assessment of pedodiversity and soil erosion within a karst sinkhole in the dry steppe subzone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnova, M. A.; Gennadiev, A. N.

2017-08-01

A detailed study of the soil cover of a sinkhole (300 m2) in the dry steppe landscape of the Bogdinsk-Baskunchak Natural Reserve in Astrakhan oblast has been performed, and the factors of its differentiation have been analyzed. The indices of pedodiversity have been calculated and compared for karst sinkholes in the dry steppe and northern taiga landscapes. Quantitative parameters of the lateral migration of solid soil substances on the slopes of the sinkhole have been determined. The rate of soil erosion decreases from the slope of southern aspect to the slopes of western, northern, and eastern aspects. On the average, it is estimated at 0.4 mm/yr. The average rate of accumulation of solid substances on the lower parts of the slopes and in the bottom of the sinkhole reaches 0.74 mm/yr. A comparative analysis of the soil properties attests to their dependence on the particular position of a given soil within the sinkhole. Downward the slopes of the sinkhole, full-profile brown arid soils (Cambic Calcisols) are replaced by sierozem-like soils (Haplic Calcisols), light-humus poorly developed soils (Luvisols), lithozems (Leptosols), and stratified soils (stratozems, or Colluvic Regosols). The soils within the upper ring-shape soil microzone are more diverse and contrasting with respect to their morphological, physical, chemical, and physicochemical properties. The degree of soil contrasts decreases down the slopes of the sinkhole towards its bottom. The studied sinkhole is characterized by considerable pedodiversity. Quantitative parameters of pedodiversity for the sinkhole in the dry steppe zone are higher than those form the sinkholes in the northern taiga zone.

A global overview of health insurance administrative costs: what are the reasons for variations found?

PubMed

Mathauer, Inke; Nicolle, Emmanuelle

2011-10-01

Administrative costs are an important spending category in total health insurance expenditure. Yet, they have rarely been a topic outside the US and there is no cross-country comparison available. This paper provides a global overview and analysis of administrative costs for social security schemes (SSS) and private health insurance schemes (PHI). The analysis is based on data of the World Health Organization (WHO) National Health Accounts (NHA) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) System of Health Accounts (SHA). These are the only worldwide databases on health expenditure data. Further data was retrieved from a literature search. Administrative costs are presented as a share of total health insurance costs. Data is available for 58 countries. In high-income OECD countries, the average SSS administrative costs are 4.2%. Average PHI administrative costs are about three times higher. The shares are much higher for low- and middle-income countries. However, considerable variations across and within countries over time are revealed. Seven explanatory factors are explored to explain the variations: health financing system aspects, administrative activities undertaken, insurance design aspects, context factors, reporting format, accounting methods, and management and administrative efficiency measures. More detailed reporting of administrative costs would enhance comparability and provide benchmarks. Improved administrative efficiency could free resources to expand coverage. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Oval Female Facial Shape--A Study in Beauty.

PubMed

Goodman, Greg J

2015-12-01

Our understanding of who is beautiful seems to be innate but has been argued to conform to mathematical principles and proportions. One aspect of beauty is facial shape that is gender specific. In women, an oval facial shape is considered attractive. To study the facial shape of beautiful actors, pageant title winners, and performers across ethnicities and in different time periods and to construct an ideal oval shape based on the average of their facial shape dimensions. Twenty-one full-face photographs of purportedly beautiful female actors, performers, and pageant winners were analyzed and an oval constructed from their facial parameters. Only 3 of the 21 faces were totally symmetrical, with the most larger in the left upper and lower face. The average oval was subsequently constructed from an average bizygomatic distance (horizontal parameter) of 4.3 times their intercanthal distance (ICD) and a vertical dimension that averaged 6.3 times their ICD. This average oval could be fitted to many of the individual subjects showing a smooth flow from the forehead through temples, cheeks, jaw angle, jawline, and chin with all these facial aspects abutting the oval. Where they did not abut, treatment may have improved these subjects.

The psychosocial work environment among physicians employed at Danish oncology departments in 2009. A nationwide cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andreassen, Christian Nicolaj; Eriksen, Jesper Grau

2013-01-01

Working as a physician at an oncology department has some distinctive characteristics that may lead to a stressful work environment. The present study was conducted to provide a nationwide description of the work conditions of all oncologists in Denmark. By comparing the results of the present study with those of a similar study carried out in 2006, the aim was furthermore to elucidate changes in the psychosocial work environment over time. From May to September 2009, 330 physicians employed at six oncology centres and seven community based oncology departments were invited to participate in a survey based on the short version of the COPSOQ II questionnaire. The results were compared with data from a representative section of Danish employees and with data from the 2006 survey. Two hundred and twenty of the 330 invited physicians returned the questionnaire (response rate 67%). Concerning the aspects quantitative demands, work pace, emotional demands, influence, burnout and stress, the oncologists reported worse work conditions than the average Danish employee. However, with regard to possibilities for development, meaning of work and commitment to workplace, the oncologists reported better work conditions. Between 2006 and 2009, substantial improvement was seen concerning several of the assessed work environment aspects within the group of young physicians at the oncology centres. Though substantial improvement of the work conditions has been achieved between 2006 and 2009, certain aspects of the psychosocial work environment at Danish oncology departments still require attention.

Gender Roles and Mental Health in Women With and at Risk for HIV

PubMed Central

Brody, Leslie R.; Stokes, Lynissa R.; Dale, Sannisha K.; Kelso, Gwendolyn A.; Cruise, Ruth C.; Weber, Kathleen M.; Burke-Miller, Jane K.; Cohen, Mardge H.

2014-01-01

Predominantly low-income and African American women from the same community, HIV-infected (n = 100; HIV+) and uninfected (n = 42; HIV−), were assessed on reported gender roles in sexual and other close relationships—including levels of self-silencing, unmitigated communion, and sexual relationship power—at a single recent study visit during 2008–2012. Recent gender roles were investigated in relation to depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life assessed both at a single visit during 2008–2012 and averaged over semiannual visits (for depressive symptoms) and annual visits (for quality of life) occurring between 1994 and 2012. Compared to HIV− women, HIV+ women reported significantly higher levels of several aspects of self-silencing, unmitigated communion, and multi-year averaged depressive symptoms as well as lower levels of sexual relationship power and recent and multi-year averaged quality of life. For both HIV+ and HIV− women, higher self-silencing and unmitigated communion significantly related to recent or multi-year averaged higher depressive symptoms and lower quality of life. Intervention strategies designed to increase self-care and self-advocacy in the context of relationships could potentially minimize depressive symptoms and enhance quality of life in women with and at risk for HIV. PMID:25492991

Feminization laryngoplasty: assessment of surgical pitch elevation.

PubMed

Thomas, James P; Macmillan, Cody

2013-09-01

The aim of this study is to analyze change in pitch following feminization laryngoplasty, a technique to alter the vocal tract of male to female transgender patients. This is a retrospective review of 94 patients undergoing feminization laryngoplasty between June 2002 and April 2012 of which 76 individuals completed follow-up audio recordings. Feminization laryngoplasty is a procedure removing the anterior thyroid cartilage, collapsing the diameter of the larynx as well as shortening and tensioning the vocal folds to raise the pitch. Changes in comfortable speaking pitch, lowest vocal pitch and highest vocal pitch are assessed before and after surgery. Acoustic parameters of speaking pitch and vocal range were compared between pre- and postoperative results. The average comfortable speaking pitch preoperatively, C3# (139 Hz), was raised an average of six semitones to G3 (196 Hz), after surgical intervention. The lowest attainable pitch was raised an average of seven semitones and the highest attainable pitch decreased by an average of two semitones. One aspect of the procedure, thyrohyoid approximation (introduced in 2006 to alter resonance), did not affect pitch. Feminization laryngoplasty successfully increased the comfortable fundamental frequency of speech and removed the lowest notes from the patient's vocal range. It does not typically raise the upper limits of the vocal range.

Directed motion of spheres induced by unbiased driving forces in viscous fluids beyond the Stokes' law regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casado-Pascual, Jesús

2018-03-01

The emergence of directed motion is investigated in a system consisting of a sphere immersed in a viscous fluid and subjected to time-periodic forces of zero average. The directed motion arises from the combined action of a nonlinear drag force and the applied driving forces, in the absence of any periodic substrate potential. Necessary conditions for the existence of such directed motion are obtained and an analytical expression for the average terminal velocity is derived within the adiabatic approximation. Special attention is paid to the case of two mutually perpendicular forces with sinusoidal time dependence, one with twice the period of the other. It is shown that, although neither of these two forces induces directed motion when acting separately, when added together, the resultant force generates directed motion along the direction of the force with the shortest period. The dependence of the average terminal velocity on the system parameters is analyzed numerically and compared with that obtained using the adiabatic approximation. Among other results, it is found that, for appropriate parameter values, the direction of the average terminal velocity can be reversed by varying the forcing strength. Furthermore, certain aspects of the observed phenomenology are explained by means of symmetry arguments.

Topographic analysis of individual activation patterns in medial frontal cortex in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Stern, Emily R.; Welsh, Robert C.; Fitzgerald, Kate D.; Taylor, Stephan F.

2009-01-01

Individual variability in the location of neural activations poses a unique problem for neuroimaging studies employing group averaging techniques to investigate the neural bases of cognitive and emotional functions. This may be especially challenging for studies examining patient groups, which often have limited sample sizes and increased intersubject variability. In particular, medial frontal cortex (MFC) dysfunction is thought to underlie performance monitoring dysfunction among patients with previous studies using group averaging to have yielded conflicting results. schizophrenia, yet compare schizophrenic patients to controls To examine individual activations in MFC associated with two aspects of performance monitoring, interference and error processing, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while 17 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls performed an event-related version of the multi-source interference task. Comparisons of averaged data revealed few differences between the groups. By contrast, topographic analysis of individual activations for errors showed that control subjects exhibited activations spanning across both posterior and anterior regions of MFC while patients primarily activated posterior MFC, possibly reflecting an impaired emotional response to errors in schizophrenia. This discrepancy between topographic and group-averaged results may be due to the significant dispersion among individual activations, particularly among healthy controls, highlighting the importance of considering intersubject variability when interpreting the medial frontal response to error commission. PMID:18819107

Quasi-Axially Symmetric Stellarators with 3 Field Periods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garabedian, Paul; Ku, Long-Poe

1998-11-01

Compact hybrid configurations with 2 field periods have been studied recently as candidates for a proof of principle experiment at PPPL, cf. A. Reiman et al., Physics design of a high beta quasi-axially symmetric stellarator, J. Plas. Fus. Res. SERIES 1, 429(1998). This enterprise has led us to the discovery of a family of quasi-axially symmetric stellarators with 3 field periods that seem to have significant advantages, although their aspect ratios are a little larger. They have reversed shear and perform better in a local analysis of ballooning modes. Nonlinear equilibrium and stability calculations predict that the average beta limit may be as high as 6% if the bootstrap current turns out to be as big as that expected in comparable tokamaks. The concept relies on a combination of helical fields and bootstrap current to achieve adequate rotational transform at low aspect ratio. A detailed manuscript describing some of this work will be published soon, cf. P.R. Garabedian, Quasi-axially symmetric stellarators, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95 (1998).

Correlation of cervical endplate strength with CT measured subchondral bone density

PubMed Central

Ordway, Nathaniel R.; Lu, Yen-Mou; Zhang, Xingkai; Cheng, Chin-Chang; Fang, Huang

2007-01-01

Cervical interbody device subsidence can result in screw breakage, plate dislodgement, and/or kyphosis. Preoperative bone density measurement may be helpful in predicting the complications associated with anterior cervical surgery. This is especially important when a motion preserving device is implanted given the detrimental effect of subsidence on the postoperative segmental motion following disc replacement. To evaluate the structural properties of the cervical endplate and examine the correlation with CT measured trabecular bone density. Eight fresh human cadaver cervical spines (C2–T1) were CT scanned and the average trabecular bone densities of the vertebral bodies (C3–C7) were measured. Each endplate surface was biomechanically tested for regional yield load and stiffness using an indentation test method. Overall average density of the cervical vertebral body trabecular bone was 270 ± 74 mg/cm3. There was no significant difference between levels. The yield load and stiffness from the indentation test of the endplate averaged 139 ± 99 N and 156 ± 52 N/mm across all cervical levels, endplate surfaces, and regional locations. The posterior aspect of the endplate had significantly higher yield load and stiffness in comparison to the anterior aspect and the lateral aspect had significantly higher yield load in comparison to the midline aspect. There was a significant correlation between the average yield load and stiffness of the cervical endplate and the trabecular bone density on regression analysis. Although there are significant regional variations in the endplate structural properties, the average of the endplate yield loads and stiffnesses correlated with the trabecular bone density. Given the morbidity associated with subsidence of interbody devices, a reliable and predictive method of measuring endplate strength in the cervical spine is required. Bone density measures may be used preoperatively to assist in the prediction of the strength of the vertebral endplate. A threshold density measure has yet to be established where the probability of endplate fracture outweighs the benefit of anterior cervical procedure. PMID:17712574

Bias effects of short- and long-term color memory for unique objects.

PubMed

Bloj, Marina; Weiß, David; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2016-04-01

Are objects remembered with a more saturated color? Some of the evidence supporting this statement comes from research using "memory colors"-the typical colors of particular objects, for example, the green of grass. The problematic aspect of these findings is that many different exemplars exist, some of which might exhibit a higher saturation than the one measured by the experimenter. Here we avoid this problem by using unique personal items and comparing long- and short-term color memory matches (in hue, value, and chroma) with those obtained with the object present. Our results, on average, confirm that objects are remembered as more saturated than they are.

Recognition of aspect-dependent three-dimensional objects by an echolocating Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.

PubMed

Helweg, D A; Roitblat, H L; Nachtigall, P E; Hautus, M J

1996-01-01

We examined the ability of a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) to recognize aspect-dependent objects using echolocation. An aspect-dependent object such as a cube produces acoustically different echoes at different angles relative to the echolocation signal. The dolphin recognized the objects even though the objects were free to rotate and sway. A linear discriminant analysis and nearest centroid classifier could classify the objects using average amplitude, center frequency, and bandwidth of object echoes. The results show that dolphins can use varying acoustic properties to recognize constant objects and suggest that aspect-independent representations may be formed by combining information gleaned from multiple echoes.

Thinning response in 110-year-old Douglas-fir

Treesearch

Richard L. Williamson

1966-01-01

A study was established in 1952 near Boundary Creek in the Panther Creek area on the Wind River experimental Forest near Carson, Wash. Site index averages 140, and aspect is westerly at elevations around 2,000 to 2,400 feet. Two minor drainages traverse the study area from east to west, creating various northwesterly and southwesterly aspects. The almost pure Douglas-...

"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder"? Aspects of beauty and attractiveness.

PubMed

Borelli, Claudia; Berneburg, Mirjam

2010-05-01

Discussing aesthetic issues and their management with patients is a growing area of dermatologic practice. Sometimes treatment options within one's own discipline are rapidly discussed, without a clear idea of the various aspects of the face which all combine to produce beauty and attractiveness. We review various features leading to the impression of beauty and attractiveness. Familiarity with these concepts should facilitate a broader discussion with the patient on the aspects of beauty and attractiveness beyond the borders of one's own discipline and also lead to multidisciplinary treatment options. We also examine the question how much the personality of the beholder himself is involved in the perception of attractiveness and beauty (of the person sitting opposite to him). The "ideal" face has an average profile with slightly protrusive and full lips. Attractiveness increases with average features and symmetry. Moreover, particular features such as the scheme of childlike characteristics combined with aspects of maturity and expression make a female face appear especially beautiful. Which attributes contribute to attractiveness of a man's face are controversial. Clear male signals such as a strong chin are likely not to increase attractiveness.

Sedimentation and mobility of PDCs: a reappraisal of ignimbrites' aspect ratio.

PubMed

Giordano, Guido; Doronzo, Domenico M

2017-06-30

The aspect ratio of ignimbrites is a commonly used parameter that has been related to the energy of the parent pyroclastic density currents (PDCs). However this parameter, calculated as the ratio between the average thickness and the average lateral extent of ignimbrites, does not capture fundamental differences in pyroclastic flow mobility nor relates to lithofacies variations of the final deposits. We herein introduce the "topological aspect ratio" (ARt) as the ratio of the local deposit thickness (Ht) to the distance between the local site and the maximum runout distance (Lt), where Ht is a proxy for the PDC tendency to deposit, and Lt a proxy for the PDC mobility or its tendency to further transport the pyroclastic material. The positive versus negative spatial gradient d(ARt)/dx along flow paths discriminate zones where PDCs are forced (i.e. where they transport the total energy under the action of mass discharge rate) from zones where they are inertial (i.e. where they transport the total energy under the action of viscous or turbulent fluidization). Though simple to apply, the topological aspect ratio and its spatial gradient are powerful descriptors of the interplay between sedimentation and mobility of PDCs, and of the resulting lithofacies variations.

The Educational Aspects of Obesity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufmann, David A.

A traditional discussion of obesity considers the number of pounds over what is considered average for one's age, height, and sex, and is based on the assumption that the average weight for a given group of people of the same age, height, and sex is the healthiest status for that group. There is a physiological and biochemical basis for obesity.…

A Meta-Analytic Review of Gender Variations in Children's Language Use: Talkativeness, Affiliative Speech, and Assertive Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leaper, Campbell; Smith, Tara E.

2004-01-01

Three sets of meta-analyses examined gender effects on children's language use. Each set of analyses considered an aspect of speech that is considered to be gender typed: talkativeness, affiliative speech, and assertive speech. Statistically significant average effect sizes were obtained with all three language constructs. On average, girls were…

Turbulent thermal superstructures in Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Richard J. A. M.; Blass, Alexander; Zhu, Xiaojue; Verzicco, Roberto; Lohse, Detlef

2018-04-01

We report the observation of superstructures, i.e., very large-scale and long living coherent structures in highly turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection up to Rayleigh Ra=109 . We perform direct numerical simulations in horizontally periodic domains with aspect ratios up to Γ =128 . In the considered Ra number regime the thermal superstructures have a horizontal extend of six to seven times the height of the domain and their size is independent of Ra. Many laboratory experiments and numerical simulations have focused on small aspect ratio cells in order to achieve the highest possible Ra. However, here we show that for very high Ra integral quantities such as the Nusselt number and volume averaged Reynolds number only converge to the large aspect ratio limit around Γ ≈4 , while horizontally averaged statistics such as standard deviation and kurtosis converge around Γ ≈8 , the integral scale converges around Γ ≈32 , and the peak position of the temperature variance and turbulent kinetic energy spectra only converge around Γ ≈64 .

The Computer Student Worksheet Based Mathematical Literacy for Statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manoy, J. T.; Indarasati, N. A.

2018-01-01

The student worksheet is one of media teaching which is able to improve teaching an activity in the classroom. Indicators in mathematical literacy were included in a student worksheet is able to help the students for applying the concept in daily life. Then, the use of computers in learning can create learning with environment-friendly. This research used developmental research which was Thiagarajan (Four-D) development design. There are 4 stages in the Four-D, define, design, develop, and disseminate. However, this research was finish until the third stage, develop stage. The computer student worksheet based mathematical literacy for statistics executed good quality. This student worksheet is achieving the criteria if able to achieve three aspects, validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The subject in this research was the students at The 1st State Senior High School of Driyorejo, Gresik, grade eleven of The 5th Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The computer student worksheet products based mathematical literacy for statistics executed good quality, while it achieved the aspects for validity, practical, and effectiveness. This student worksheet achieved the validity aspects with an average of 3.79 (94.72%), and practical aspects with an average of 2.85 (71.43%). Besides, it achieved the effectiveness aspects with a percentage of the classical complete students of 94.74% and a percentage of the student positive response of 75%.

Opinion-enhanced collaborative filtering for recommender systems through sentiment analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Wang, Hongwei

2015-10-01

The motivation of collaborative filtering (CF) comes from the idea that people often get the best recommendations from someone with similar tastes. With the growing popularity of opinion-rich resources such as online reviews, new opportunities arise as we can identify the preferences from user opinions. The main idea of our approach is to elicit user opinions from online reviews, and map such opinions into preferences that can be understood by CF-based recommender systems. We divide recommender systems into two types depending on the number of product category recommended: the multiple-category recommendation and the single-category recommendation. For the former, sentiment polarity in coarse-grained manner is identified while for the latter fine-grained sentiment analysis is conducted for each product aspect. If the evaluation frequency for an aspect by a user is greater than the average frequency by all users, it indicates that the user is more concerned with that aspect. If a user's rating for an aspect is lower than the average rating by all users, he or she is much pickier than others on that aspect. Through sentiment analysis, we then build an opinion-enhanced user preference model, where the higher the similarity between user opinions the more consistent preferences between users are. Experiment results show that the proposed CF algorithm outperforms baseline methods for product recommendation in terms of accuracy and recall.

Can You Hear What I Think? Theory of Mind in Young Children With Moderate Hearing Loss.

PubMed

Netten, Anouk P; Rieffe, Carolien; Soede, Wim; Dirks, Evelien; Korver, Anna M H; Konings, Saskia; Briaire, Jeroen J; Oudesluys-Murphy, Anne Marie; Dekker, Friedo W; Frijns, Johan H M

The first aim of this study was to examine various aspects of Theory of Mind (ToM) development in young children with moderate hearing loss (MHL) compared with hearing peers. The second aim was to examine the relation between language abilities and ToM in both groups. The third aim was to compare the sequence of ToM development between children with MHL and hearing peers. Forty-four children between 3 and 5 years old with MHL (35 to 70 dB HL) who preferred to use spoken language were identified from a nationwide study on hearing loss in young children. These children were compared with 101 hearing peers. Children were observed during several tasks to measure intention understanding, the acknowledgement of the other's desires, and belief understanding. Parents completed two scales of the child development inventory to assess expressive language and language comprehension in all participants. Objective language test scores were available from the medical files of children with MHL. Children with MHL showed comparable levels of intention understanding but lower levels of both desire and belief understanding than hearing peers. Parents reported lower language abilities in children with MHL compared with hearing peers. Yet, the language levels of children with MHL were within the average range compared with test normative samples. A stronger relation between language and ToM was found in the hearing children than in children with MHL. The expected developmental sequence of ToM skills was divergent in approximately one-fourth of children with MHL, when compared with hearing children. Children with MHL have more difficulty in their ToM reasoning than hearing peers, despite the fact that their language abilities lie within the average range compared with test normative samples.

The application of tailor-made force fields and molecular dynamics for NMR crystallography: a case study of free base cocaine

PubMed Central

Neumann, Marcus A.

2017-01-01

Motional averaging has been proven to be significant in predicting the chemical shifts in ab initio solid-state NMR calculations, and the applicability of motional averaging with molecular dynamics has been shown to depend on the accuracy of the molecular mechanical force field. The performance of a fully automatically generated tailor-made force field (TMFF) for the dynamic aspects of NMR crystallography is evaluated and compared with existing benchmarks, including static dispersion-corrected density functional theory calculations and the COMPASS force field. The crystal structure of free base cocaine is used as an example. The results reveal that, even though the TMFF outperforms the COMPASS force field for representing the energies and conformations of predicted structures, it does not give significant improvement in the accuracy of NMR calculations. Further studies should direct more attention to anisotropic chemical shifts and development of the method of solid-state NMR calculations. PMID:28250956

Enhanced Airport Capacity Through Safe, Dynamic Reductions in Aircraft Separation: NASA's Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

OConnor, Cornelius J.; Rutishauser, David K.

2001-01-01

An aspect of airport terminal operations that holds potential for efficiency improvements is the separation criteria applied to aircraft for wake vortex avoidance. These criteria evolved to represent safe spacing under weather conditions conducive to the longest wake hazards, and are consequently overly conservative during a significant portion of operations. Under many ambient conditions, such as moderate crosswinds or turbulence, wake hazard durations are substantially reduced. To realize this reduction NASA has developed a proof-of-concept Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). Successfully operated in a real-time field demonstration during July 2000 at the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, AVOSS is a novel integration of weather sensors, wake sensors, and analytical wake prediction algorithms. Gains in airport throughput using AVOSS spacing as compared to the current criteria averaged 6%, with peak values approaching the theoretical maximum of 16%. The average throughput gain translates to 15-40% reductions in delay when applied to realistic capacity ratios at major airports.

Anthropometry of Arabian Arthritic Knees: Comparison to Other Ethnic Groups and Implant Dimensions.

PubMed

Hafez, Mahmoud A; Sheikhedrees, Sharafeldin M; Saweeres, Emad S B

2016-05-01

We aim to measure the proximal tibia and distal femur of the osteoarthritic knees of Arab patients and to compare these measurements with data on other ethnic groups available in literature and with the dimensions of 6 knee implants. Anteroposterior and mediolateral measurements of tibia and femur were done on 3-dimensional computed tomography reconstructions of 124 osteoarthritic knees undergoing total knee arthroplasty with patient-specific instruments. Average mediolateral and anteroposterior dimensions of the tibia for Arab knees were 74.36 ± 6 mm and 48.94 ± 4.57 mm, respectively, whereas for femur, 72.04 ± 6.6 and 68.1 ± 7.75, respectively. Average aspect ratio for tibial was 152.62 ± 12.66 and for femur 106.37 ± 14.34. The size of Arab knees was generally smaller than Caucasian and larger than Asian. There is significant asymmetry of proximal tibial plateau and femur condyles. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Toxicological and analytical lists: chromium and its compounds].

PubMed

Minoia, C; Apostoli, P; Battaglia, A; Catenacci, G; Cottica, D; Franco, G; Pozzoli, L; Vanola, C; Candura, F; Capodaglio, E

1987-03-01

The main aspects of occupational exposure to chromium and chromium compounds are surveyed. Special attention is paid to the toxic action of this metal at the different target organs. The nutritional aspect of CrIII is examined preliminarily, and data detailing the metal contents in water and food are provided. As far the different working processes that entail occupational exposure to chromium are concerned, hygienic and environmental problems are discussed while identifying the average environment exposure to the different chemical forms of chromium (CrIII, CrIV, soluble and not soluble), as a function of the worker's tasks, and the relevant human response (total human Cr). Different hygienic and environmental standards in force in various countries and applicable to chromium compounds are compared. Additional information is given on the main aspects of chromium metabolism (absorption, distribution, excretion), and on the prevailing toxic actions, with specific reference to cancerogenesis. As far as biologic monitoring of the exposed people is concerned, the significance of Cr-U as dose-exposure indicator is discussed, also in the light of a critical review of the reference values. The report describes a series of analytical methods for the identification of chromium in aqueous and biologic matrices. The problems connected with health monitoring and fitness for work are eventually covered.

Evaluating the impacts of slope aspect on forest dynamic succession in Northwest China based on FAREAST model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Shanshan; Ma, Jianyong; Shugart, Herman H.; Yan, Xiaodong

2018-03-01

Mountain forests provide the main water resources and lumber for Northwest China. The understanding of the differences in forests growing among individual slope aspects in mountainous regions is of great significance to the wise management and planning of these natural systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of slope aspect on forest dynamic succession in Northwest China by using the dynamic forest succession model (FAREAST). First, the simulated forest composition and vertical forest zonation produced by the model were compared against recorded data in three sub-regions of the Altai Mountains. The FAREAST model accurately reproduced the vertical zonation, forest composition, growth curves of the dominant species (Larix sibirica), and forest biomass in the Altai Mountains. Transitions along the forest zones of the Altai Mountains averaged about a 400 m difference between the northern and southern sites. Biomass for forests on north-facing slopes were 11.0, 15.3 and 55.9 t C ha-1 higher than for south-facing slopes in the Northeast, Central and Southeast sub-regions, respectively. Second, our analyses showed that the FAREAST model can be used to predict dynamic forest succession in Northwest China under the influence of slope and aspect. In the Altai Mountains, the north-facing slopes supported the best forest growth, followed by the west- and east-facing slopes. South-facing slopes consistently exhibited the lowest growth, biomass storage and forest diversity.

Patient-specific coronary artery blood flow simulation using myocardial volume partitioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyung Hwan; Kang, Dongwoo; Kang, Nahyup; Kim, Ji-Yeon; Lee, Hyong-Euk; Kim, James D. K.

2013-03-01

Using computational simulation, we can analyze cardiovascular disease in non-invasive and quantitative manners. More specifically, computational modeling and simulation technology has enabled us to analyze functional aspect such as blood flow, as well as anatomical aspect such as stenosis, from medical images without invasive measurements. Note that the simplest ways to perform blood flow simulation is to apply patient-specific coronary anatomy with other average-valued properties; in this case, however, such conditions cannot fully reflect accurate physiological properties of patients. To resolve this limitation, we present a new patient-specific coronary blood flow simulation method by myocardial volume partitioning considering artery/myocardium structural correspondence. We focus on that blood supply is closely related to the mass of each myocardial segment corresponding to the artery. Therefore, we applied this concept for setting-up simulation conditions in the way to consider many patient-specific features as possible from medical image: First, we segmented coronary arteries and myocardium separately from cardiac CT; then the myocardium is partitioned into multiple regions based on coronary vasculature. The myocardial mass and required blood mass for each artery are estimated by converting myocardial volume fraction. Finally, the required blood mass is used as boundary conditions for each artery outlet, with given average aortic blood flow rate and pressure. To show effectiveness of the proposed method, fractional flow reserve (FFR) by simulation using CT image has been compared with invasive FFR measurement of real patient data, and as a result, 77% of accuracy has been obtained.

Aerodynamic Analysis of a Hale Aircraft Joined-Wing Configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivaji, Rangarajan; Ghia, Urmila; Ghia, Karman; Thornburg, Hugh

2003-11-01

Aerodynamic analysis of a high-aspect ratio, joined wing of a High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft is performed. The requirement of high lift over extended flight periods for the HALE aircraft leads to high-aspect ratio wings experiencing significant deflections necessitating consideration of aeroelastic effects. The finite-volume solver COBALT, with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) capabilities, is used for the flow simulations. Calculations are performed at á = 0° and 12° for M = 0.6, at an altitude of 30,000 feet, at a Re per unit length of 5.6x106. The wing cross sections are NACA 4421 airfoils. Because of the high lift-to-drag ratio wings, an inviscid flow analysis is also performed. The inviscid surface pressure coefficient (Cp) is compared with the corresponding viscous Cp to examine the feasibility of the use of the inviscid pressure loads as an estimate of the total fluid loads on the structure. The viscous and inviscid Cp results compare reasonably only at á = 0°. The viscous flow is examined in detail via surface and field velocity vectors, vorticity, density and pressure contours. For á = 12°, the unsteady DES solutions show a weak shock at the aft-wing trailing edge. Also, the flow near the joint exhibits a region of mild separation.

Relative changes with contraction in the central excitability state of the tibialis anterior and calf muscles.

PubMed Central

Fisher, M A

1980-01-01

F responses were recorded from the surface of the tibialis muscle and medial aspect of the soleus muscle in 14 normal subjects. The persistence (that is the fraction of measurable F responses found with a series of supramaximal stimuli) and average F amplitudes (measured peak-to-peak and based on at least five F responses) were determined both at rest and with isometric contraction with the ankle maintained at 90 degrees. Although the persistence at rest was significantly less in the tibialis anterior soleus than the (p less than 0.001), no significant difference was found with the muscles contracted. This was associated with a significant increase in both average F amplitudes and average F amplitude/direct motor response ratios in the tibialis anterior in comparison to the soleus. In four of the subjects, studies were also performed when the H reflex in the soleus muscle was eliminated by thigh compression. Comparable changes in both F response persistence and average F amplitude were found with and without an H reflex. These data indicate that, in contrast to the situation at rest, with isometric contraction the "central excitatory state" of the tibialis anterior is at least as great as in its antagonist antigravity muscles and that this is not due simply to increased large fiber reflex input associated with agonist contraction. PMID:7373321

Prediction of human gait trajectories during the SSP using a neuromusculoskeletal modeling: A challenge for parametric optimization.

PubMed

Seyed, Mohammadali Rahmati; Mostafa, Rostami; Borhan, Beigzadeh

2018-04-27

The parametric optimization techniques have been widely employed to predict human gait trajectories; however, their applications to reveal the other aspects of gait are questionable. The aim of this study is to investigate whether or not the gait prediction model is able to justify the movement trajectories for the higher average velocities. A planar, seven-segment model with sixteen muscle groups was used to represent human neuro-musculoskeletal dynamics. At first, the joint angles, ground reaction forces (GRFs) and muscle activations were predicted and validated for normal average velocity (1.55 m/s) in the single support phase (SSP) by minimizing energy expenditure, which is subject to the non-linear constraints of the gait. The unconstrained system dynamics of extended inverse dynamics (USDEID) approach was used to estimate muscle activations. Then by scaling time and applying the same procedure, the movement trajectories were predicted for higher average velocities (from 2.07 m/s to 4.07 m/s) and compared to the pattern of movement with fast walking speed. The comparison indicated a high level of compatibility between the experimental and predicted results, except for the vertical position of the center of gravity (COG). It was concluded that the gait prediction model can be effectively used to predict gait trajectories for higher average velocities.

A longitudinal study of aspects of a hospital's family-centred nursing: changing practice through data translation.

PubMed

White, Chris; Wilson, Valerie

2015-01-01

To examine how results and data from multiple Family Centred Nursing Index surveys help the development of family-centred nursing at organizational and ward levels. A critical analysis of survey data. The Family Centred Nursing Index provides a valid and reliable assessment of aspects of nursing, through a comprehensive survey of traditional indicators of practice development and a broader range of aspects of practice. A survey with 113 questions, each to be answered on 7-point Likert scale conducted six times in the last 7 years. Surveys have been in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. All nurses employed by the organization can participate. These are reported as means across 19 constructs linked to five key domains and their significance is examined by year and (in the clinical settings) and compared against the organizational (whole population) averages. Ongoing survey and analysis of nurses' views of their work is providing a valuable source of developmental data. The results show unexpected associations between constructs e.g. - a high level of work stress does not correlate with a lower level of job satisfaction (and vice versa). A clear historical picture of many elements of developing family-centred care is emerging at both the organizational and individual-ward levels. This study provides insights into aspects of organizational and wards working environment for nurses and how these aspects of nurses' work interact in unexpected ways. It is appropriate for providing information to organizations and ward teams in relation to their development towards family-centred cultures. © 2014 Commonwealth of Australia. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The female knee: anatomic variations.

PubMed

Conley, Sheryl; Rosenberg, Aaron; Crowninshield, Roy

2007-01-01

Traditional knee implants have been designed "down the middle,"based on the combined average size and shape of male and female knee anatomy.Sex-based research in the field of orthopaedics has led to new understanding of the anatomic differences between the sexes and the associated implications for women undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Through the use of a comprehensive bone morphology atlas that utilizes novel three-dimensional computed tomography analysis technology, significant anatomic differences have been documented in the shape and size of female knees compared with male knees. This research identifies three notable anatomic differences in the female population: a less prominent anterior condyle, an increased Q angle, and a reduced medial-lateral:anterior-posterior aspect ratio.

Topographic Controls on Spatial Patterns of Soil Texture and Moisture in a Semi-arid Montane Catchment with Aspect-Dependent Vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehman, B. M.; Niemann, J. D.

2008-12-01

Soil moisture exerts significant control over the partitioning of latent and sensible energy fluxes, the magnitude of both vertical and lateral water fluxes, the physiological and water-use characteristics of vegetation, and nutrient cycling. Considerable progress has been made in determining how soil characteristics, topography, and vegetation influence spatial patterns of soil moisture in humid environments at the catchment, hillslope, and plant scales. However, understanding of the controls on soil moisture patterns beyond the plant scale in semi-arid environments remains more limited. This study examines the relationships between the spatial patterns of near surface soil moisture (upper 5 cm), terrain indices, and soil properties in a small, semi-arid, montane catchment. The 8 ha catchment, located in the Cache La Poudre River Canyon in north-central Colorado, has a total relief of 115 m and an average elevation of 2193 m. It is characterized by steep slopes and shallow, gravelly/sandy soils with scattered granite outcroppings. Depth to bedrock ranges from 0 m to greater than 1 m. Vegetation in the catchment is highly correlated with topographic aspect. In particular, north-facing hillslopes are predominately vegetated by ponderosa pines, while south-facing slopes are mostly vegetated by several shrub species. Soil samples were collected at a 30 m resolution to characterize soil texture and bulk density, and several datasets consisting of more than 300 point measurements of soil moisture were collected using time domain reflectometry (TDR) between Fall 2007 and Summer 2008 at a 15 m resolution. Results from soil textural analysis performed with sieving and the ASTM standard hydrometer method show that soil texture is finer on the north-facing hillslope than on the south-facing hillslope. Cos(aspect) is the best univariate predictor of silts, while slope is the best predictor of coarser fractions up to fine gravel. Bulk density increases with depth but shows no significant relationship with topographic indices. When the catchment average soil moisture is low, the variance of soil moisture increases with the average. When the average is high, the variance remains relatively constant. Little of the variation in soil moisture is explained by topographic indices when the catchment is either very wet or dry; however, when the average soil moisture takes on intermediate values, cos(aspect) is consistently the best predictor among the terrain indices considered.

HDAC6 is a Regulator of CTL Function through Control of Lytic Granule Dynamics

PubMed Central

Nunez-Andrade, Norman

2016-01-01

Viral infections involve specific stress exposure that can influence the quality and average lifespan of an organism. The immune system acts through virus clearance from the organism. Many aspects of immune cells accounting for this response are still under study. Here, we review recent aspects of the molecular mechanisms involved in the delivery of the lethal hit by Cytotoxic T lymphocytes. PMID:27595053

Diabatic processes and the evolution of two contrasting extratropical cyclones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Alvarado, Oscar; Gray, Suzanne; Methven, John

2016-04-01

Two contrasting extratropical cyclones were observed over the United Kingdom during the summer 2012 field campaign of the DIAMET (DIAbatic influences on Mesoscale structures in ExtraTropical storms) project. The first cyclone, observed in July, was a shallow system typical of summer over west Europe while the second cyclone, observed in August, was a much deeper system which developed a potential vorticity (PV) tower. The evolution of these two cyclones was analysed and compared in terms of diabatic effects with respect to two aspects. The first aspect is the amount and distribution of heat produced during the development of each cyclone, measured by the cross-isentropic motion around the cyclone centre. The second aspect is the modification to the circulation around the cyclones' centres, measured by area-averaged isentropic vorticity. The contributions from individual diabatic processes, such as convection, cloud microphysics and radiation, to these two aspects is also considered. The cyclones were analysed via hindcast simulations with a research version of the Met Office Unified Model, enhanced with on-line tracers of diabatic changes of potential temperature and PV. A new methodology for the interpretation of these tracers was also implemented and used. The hindcast simulations were compared with the available dropsonde observations from the field campaign as well as operational analyses and radar rainfall rates. It is shown that, while boundary layer and turbulent mixing processes and cloud microphysics processes contributed to the development of both cyclones, the main differences between the cyclones in terms of diabatic effects could be attributed to differences in convective activity. It is also shown that the contribution from all these diabatic processes to changes in the circulation was modulated by the characteristics of advection around each cyclone in a highly nonlinear fashion. This research establishes a new framework for a systematic comparison of diabatic processes and their importance for the evolution of extratropical cyclones.

Horizontal stability of connective tissue grafts at the buccal aspect of single implants: a 1-year prospective case series.

PubMed

De Bruyckere, Thomas; Eghbali, Aryan; Younes, Faris; De Bruyn, Hugo; Cosyn, Jan

2015-09-01

To clinically evaluate the horizontal stability of a connective tissue graft (CTG) at the buccal aspect of single implants (1); to compare actual gingival thickness between thin and thick gingival biotype (2). Periodontally healthy non-smoking patients with a single implant in the anterior maxilla (15-25) were selected for a prospective case series. All demonstrated a horizontal alveolar defect and were in need of contour augmentation by means of CTG for aesthetic reasons. Patients were enrolled 3 months after implant surgery and had been provided with a provisional screw-retained crown. CTG was inserted in the buccal mucosa via the envelope technique using one intrasulcular incision. An ultrasonic device was used to evaluate mucosal thickness (MT) at the buccal aspect. MT was assessed at t0 (before CTG), t1 (immediately after CTG), t2 (2 weeks after CTG = suture removal), t3 (3 months after CTG = permanent crown installation) and t4 (1 year after implant placement). The gingival biotype was categorized as thin or thick based on the transparency of a periodontal probe through the soft tissues while probing the buccal sulcus of the contra-lateral tooth. Gingival thickness (GT) was measured at the contra-lateral tooth using the same ultrasonic device. Thirty-seven patients (19 men, 18 women; mean age 38) met the selection criteria and consented to the treatment. Mean soft tissue gain immediately after CTG was on average 1.07 mm (SD 0.49). What remained of this tissue gain after 1 year was on average 0.97 mm (SD 0.48; 90.5%). Hence, mean soft tissue loss amounted to 0.10 mm (SD 0.23; 9.5%; p = 0.015) with no significant difference between patients with a thin or thick biotype (p ≥ 0.290). Patients with a thin biotype had a mean GT of 1.02 mm (SD 0.21), whereas GT was on average 1.32 mm (SD 0.31) in subjects with a thick biotype (p = 0.004). Connective tissue graft substantially thickens the peri-implant mucosa with acceptable stability over a 1-year period. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Regeneration of Douglas-fir cutblocks on the Six Rivers National Forest in northwestern California

Treesearch

R. O. Strothmann

1979-01-01

A survey of 61 cutblocks planted since 1964 evaluated stocking of conifers (trees 1 foot tall or taller) on 2-milacre quadrats. Overall stocking percentage averaged 42.2 and ranged from 15 to 8 1. Overall number of trees per acre averaged 396. In the regression model, based on 36 cutblocks, better stocking was associated with high site class, northerly aspect,...

Modeling particle number concentrations along Interstate 10 in El Paso, Texas

PubMed Central

Olvera, Hector A.; Jimenez, Omar; Provencio-Vasquez, Elias

2014-01-01

Annual average daily particle number concentrations around a highway were estimated with an atmospheric dispersion model and a land use regression model. The dispersion model was used to estimate particle concentrations along Interstate 10 at 98 locations within El Paso, Texas. This model employed annual averaged wind speed and annual average daily traffic counts as inputs. A land use regression model with vehicle kilometers traveled as the predictor variable was used to estimate local background concentrations away from the highway to adjust the near-highway concentration estimates. Estimated particle number concentrations ranged between 9.8 × 103 particles/cc and 1.3 × 105 particles/cc, and averaged 2.5 × 104 particles/cc (SE 421.0). Estimates were compared against values measured at seven sites located along I10 throughout the region. The average fractional error was 6% and ranged between -1% and -13% across sites. The largest bias of -13% was observed at a semi-rural site where traffic was lowest. The average bias amongst urban sites was 5%. The accuracy of the estimates depended primarily on the emission factor and the adjustment to local background conditions. An emission factor of 1.63 × 1014 particles/veh-km was based on a value proposed in the literature and adjusted with local measurements. The integration of the two modeling techniques ensured that the particle number concentrations estimates captured the impact of traffic along both the highway and arterial roadways. The performance and economical aspects of the two modeling techniques used in this study shows that producing particle concentration surfaces along major roadways would be feasible in urban regions where traffic and meteorological data are readily available. PMID:25313294

Three-dimensional biofilm structure quantification.

PubMed

Beyenal, Haluk; Donovan, Conrad; Lewandowski, Zbigniew; Harkin, Gary

2004-12-01

Quantitative parameters describing biofilm physical structure have been extracted from three-dimensional confocal laser scanning microscopy images and used to compare biofilm structures, monitor biofilm development, and quantify environmental factors affecting biofilm structure. Researchers have previously used biovolume, volume to surface ratio, roughness coefficient, and mean and maximum thicknesses to compare biofilm structures. The selection of these parameters is dependent on the availability of software to perform calculations. We believe it is necessary to develop more comprehensive parameters to describe heterogeneous biofilm morphology in three dimensions. This research presents parameters describing three-dimensional biofilm heterogeneity, size, and morphology of biomass calculated from confocal laser scanning microscopy images. This study extends previous work which extracted quantitative parameters regarding morphological features from two-dimensional biofilm images to three-dimensional biofilm images. We describe two types of parameters: (1) textural parameters showing microscale heterogeneity of biofilms and (2) volumetric parameters describing size and morphology of biomass. The three-dimensional features presented are average (ADD) and maximum diffusion distances (MDD), fractal dimension, average run lengths (in X, Y and Z directions), aspect ratio, textural entropy, energy and homogeneity. We discuss the meaning of each parameter and present the calculations in detail. The developed algorithms, including automatic thresholding, are implemented in software as MATLAB programs which will be available at site prior to publication of the paper.

Investigating the Improved Aerodynamic Efficiency of Cambered Frames on Membrane MAV Wings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wrist, Andrew; Zhang, Zheng; Hubner, Paul

2014-11-01

Previous research has demonstrated that membrane wings with cambered frames are more aerodynamically efficient than those with flat frames, despite passive dynamic membrane cambering for both. To help understand this aerodynamic benefit, this study compares the time-averaged membrane shape as well as membrane vibration frequency and amplitude for a group of wings with cambered frames. The frames were 3D printed with a hardened polymer material, and a silicon rubber membrane was attached to the top surface. The frame aspect ratio is two, comprised of two cells each with a cell aspect ratio of one. The rigid leading edge extended 20% of the chord, and the trailing edge was scalloped at 25%. Camber ranged from 2--6%, camber location from 40--60%, and airfoil thickness from 4--6%. Tests were performed in the University of Alabama's MAV wind tunnel at 10 m/s (Re = 50,000). High speed imaging results of the deformation and vibration will be discussed in context to airfoil and wing theory. National Science Foundation Grant Number: 1358991.

A scattering database of marine particles and its application in optical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, G.; Yang, P.; Kattawar, G.; Zhang, X.

2016-12-01

In modeling the scattering properties of marine particles (e.g. phytoplankton), the laboratory studies imply a need to properly account for the influence of particle morphology, in addition to size and composition. In this study, a marine particle scattering database is constructed using a collection of distorted hexahedral shapes. Specifically, the scattering properties of each size bin and refractive index are obtained by the ensemble average associated with distorted hexahedra with randomly tilted facets and selected aspect ratios (from elongated to flattened). The randomness degree in shape-generation process defines the geometric irregularity of the particles in the group. The geometric irregularity and particle aspect ratios constitute a set of "shape factors" to be accounted for (e.g. in best-fit analysis). To cover most of the marine particle size range, we combine the Invariant Imbedding T-matrix (II-TM) method and the Physical-Geometric Optics Hybrid (PGOH) method in the calculations. The simulated optical properties are shown and compared with those obtained from Lorenz-Mie Theory. Using the scattering database, we present a preliminary optical analysis of laboratory-measured optical properties of marine particles.

Twin Jet Effects on Noise of Round and Rectangular Jets: Experiment and Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozak, Rick

2014-01-01

Many subsonic and supersonic aircraft concepts proposed by NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program have asymmetric, integrated propulsion systems. The asymmetries in the exhaust of these propulsion systems create an asymmetric acoustic field. The asymmetries investigated in the current study are from twin jets and rectangular nozzles. Each effect produces its own variation of the acoustic field. An empirical model was developed to predict the acoustic field variation from round twin jets with twin jet spacing from 2.6 to 5.6, where s is the center-to-center spacing over the jet diameter. The model includes parameters to account for the effects of twin jet spacing, jet static temperature ratio, flight Mach number, frequency, and observer angle (both polar and azimuthal angles). The model was then applied to twin 2:1 and 8:1 aspect ratio nozzles to determine the impact of jet aspect ratio. For the round and rectangular jets, the use of the model reduces the average magnitude of the error over all frequencies, observation angles, and jet spacings by approximately 0.5dB when compared against the assumption of adding two jets incoherently.

Physiological and Medical Aspects That Put Women Soldiers at Increased Risk for Overuse Injuries.

PubMed

Epstein, Yoram; Fleischmann, Chen; Yanovich, Ran; Heled, Yuval

2015-11-01

Anthropometric and physiological factors place female soldiers at a disadvantage relative to male soldiers in most aspects of physical performance. Average aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels are lower in women than in men. Thus, women have a lower overall work capacity and must exert themselves more than men to achieve the same output. The lower weight and fat-free mass and the higher body fat of women are associated with lower muscle strength and endurance, placing them at a disadvantage compared with men in performing military tasks such as lifting and carrying weights, or marching with a load. Working at a higher percentage of their maximal capacity to achieve the same performance levels as men, women tire earlier. Their smaller size, skeletal anatomy, and different bone geometry also predispose women to a higher incidence of exercise-related injuries. Consequently, the attrition rate of female soldiers in combat units is higher than that of their male counterparts. This review summarizes the literature on gender-related physiological and anatomical differences that put female soldiers at an increased risk of exercise-related injuries.

On residents' satisfaction with community health services after health care system reform in Shanghai, China, 2011.

PubMed

Li, Zhijian; Hou, Jiale; Lu, Lin; Tang, Shenglan; Ma, Jin

2012-01-01

Health care system reform is a major issue in many countries and therefore how to evaluate the effects of changes is incredibly important. This study measured residents' satisfaction with community health care service in Shanghai, China, and aimed to evaluate the effect of recent health care system reform. Face-to-face interviews were performed with a stratified random sample of 2212 residents of the Shanghai residents using structured questionnaires. In addition, 972 valid responses were retrieved from internet contact. Controlling for sex, age, income and education, the study used logistic regression modeling to analyze factors associated with satisfaction and to explain the factors that affect the residents' satisfaction. Comparing current attitudes with those held at the initial implementation of the reform in this investigation, four dimensions of health care were analyzed: 1) the health insurance system; 2) essential drugs; 3) basic clinical services; and 4) public health services. Satisfaction across all dimensions improved since the reform was initiated, but differences of satisfaction level were found among most dimensions and groups. Residents currently expressed greater satisfaction with clinical service (average score=3.79, with 5 being most satisfied) and the public health/preventive services (average score=3.62); but less satisfied with the provision of essential drugs (average score=3.20) and health insurance schemes (average score=3.23). The disadvantaged groups (the elderly, the retired, those with only an elementary education, those with lower incomes) had overall poorer satisfaction levels on these four aspects of health care (P<0.01). 25.39% of the respondents thought that their financial burden had increased and 38.49% thought that drugs had become more expensive. The respondents showed more satisfaction with the clinical services (average score=3.79) and public health services/interventions (average score=3.79); and less satisfaction with the health insurance system (average score=3.23) and the essential drug system (average score=3.20). Disadvantaged groups showed lower satisfaction levels overall relative to non-disadvantaged groups.

Investigation of 1 : 1,000 Scale Map Generation by Stereo Plotting Using Uav Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhee, S.; Kim, T.

2017-08-01

Large scale maps and image mosaics are representative geospatial data that can be extracted from UAV images. Map drawing using UAV images can be performed either by creating orthoimages and digitizing them, or by stereo plotting. While maps generated by digitization may serve the need for geospatial data, many institutions and organizations require map drawing using stereoscopic vision on stereo plotting systems. However, there are several aspects to be checked for UAV images to be utilized for stereo plotting. The first aspect is the accuracy of exterior orientation parameters (EOPs) generated through automated bundle adjustment processes. It is well known that GPS and IMU sensors mounted on a UAV are not very accurate. It is necessary to adjust initial EOPs accurately using tie points. For this purpose, we have developed a photogrammetric incremental bundle adjustment procedure. The second aspect is unstable shooting conditions compared to aerial photographing. Unstable image acquisition may bring uneven stereo coverage, which will result in accuracy loss eventually. Oblique stereo pairs will create eye fatigue. The third aspect is small coverage of UAV images. This aspect will raise efficiency issue for stereo plotting of UAV images. More importantly, this aspect will make contour generation from UAV images very difficult. This paper will discuss effects relate to these three aspects. In this study, we tried to generate 1 : 1,000 scale map from the dataset using EOPs generated from software developed in-house. We evaluated Y-disparity of the tie points extracted automatically through the photogrammetric incremental bundle adjustment process. We could confirm that stereoscopic viewing is possible. Stereoscopic plotting work was carried out by a professional photogrammetrist. In order to analyse the accuracy of the map drawing using stereoscopic vision, we compared the horizontal and vertical position difference between adjacent models after drawing a specific model. The results of analysis showed that the errors were within the specification of 1 : 1,000 map. Although the Y-parallax can be eliminated, it is still necessary to improve the accuracy of absolute ground position error in order to apply this technique to the actual work. There are a few models in which the difference in height between adjacent models is about 40 cm. We analysed the stability of UAV images by checking angle differences between adjacent images. We also analysed the average area covered by one stereo model and discussed the possible difficulty associated with this narrow coverage. In the future we consider how to reduce position errors and improve map drawing performances from UAVs.

Validity of "Hi_Science" as instructional media based-android refer to experiential learning model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qamariah, Jumadi, Senam, Wilujeng, Insih

2017-08-01

Hi_Science is instructional media based-android in learning science on material environmental pollution and global warming. This study is aimed: (a) to show the display of Hi_Science that will be applied in Junior High School, and (b) to describe the validity of Hi_Science. Hi_Science as instructional media created with colaboration of innovative learning model and development of technology at the current time. Learning media selected is based-android and collaborated with experiential learning model as an innovative learning model. Hi_Science had adapted student worksheet by Taufiq (2015). Student worksheet had very good category by two expert lecturers and two science teachers (Taufik, 2015). This student worksheet is refined and redeveloped in android as an instructional media which can be used by students for learning science not only in the classroom, but also at home. Therefore, student worksheet which has become instructional media based-android must be validated again. Hi_Science has been validated by two experts. The validation is based on assessment of meterials aspects and media aspects. The data collection was done by media assessment instrument. The result showed the assessment of material aspects has obtained the average value 4,72 with percentage of agreement 96,47%, that means Hi_Science on the material aspects is in excellent category or very valid category. The assessment of media aspects has obtained the average value 4,53 with percentage of agreement 98,70%, that means Hi_Science on the media aspects is in excellent category or very valid category. It was concluded that Hi_Science as instructional media can be applied in the junior high school.

Development and evaluation of a stand-alone web-based CAL program. A case study.

PubMed

Perryer, G; Walmsley, A D; Barclay, C W; Shaw, L; Smith, A J

2000-08-01

The use of web browser technology allows the construction of computer-aided learning programs which will have a familiar interface to dentists. This paper reports on the evaluation of a web-based CAL program which covered the topic of tooth wear with an emphasis on the rôle of erosion in its aetiology. Evaluation of the software was made by 50 dentists contacted by an electronic mailing list. They completed a questionnaire which evaluated aspects of the functionality of the program educational objectives. The average age of the dentists was 39 years (range 24-70) and 82% were male. The average time of use was 1 h 10 min (range 15 min to 3 h). A significant change in their knowledge of tooth wear before and after using the program was recorded. Both the use of patient cases and leaflets scored highly with other aspects such as treatment planning and patient advice receiving high marks. All dentists commented that they had gained greater knowledge with particular reference to treatment and advice of tooth wear problems. 34 dentists (68%) found the web interface easy to use. Negative comments were mainly attributed to the quality of the pictures (4/50) which were corrected in the final release version. Respondents were asked to compare the program to other educational media on the same subject. 80% rated this CAL program as better than video, and 14% claimed it was as good as video. 84% rated it better than books, and 14% said it was as good as books. 98% preferred it to audio tapes and 86% preferred it to journals. The average amount that they would pay for a CAL package such as "tooth wear" would be 42 ECU. It is concluded that web browser software is a suitable medium for the use of a CAL program and this is reflected in its ease of use by dentists.

Student-Designed River Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turkall, Sheila Florian

1996-01-01

Describes an integrated student-designed investigation in which students explore different aspects of the Chagrin River including the river ecosystem, velocity and average depth, river flooding, water quality, and economic and political factors. (JRH)

Aspects of the breeding biology of the Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) in Montserrat, West Indies, and its impact on nest vegetation

Treesearch

W.J. Arendt; A.I. Arendt

1988-01-01

Aspects of the Cattle Egret's reproductive ecology and habitat use in an insular environment were studied on Montserrat, West Indies. Average size of 290 nests (17.9 cm) was smaller than sizes reported in the literature and was attributed to a paucity of available nesting materials. We measured 330 eggs to determine: egg volume (24,117.04 mm3), fresh egg weight (...

Model selection and model averaging in phylogenetics: advantages of akaike information criterion and bayesian approaches over likelihood ratio tests.

PubMed

Posada, David; Buckley, Thomas R

2004-10-01

Model selection is a topic of special relevance in molecular phylogenetics that affects many, if not all, stages of phylogenetic inference. Here we discuss some fundamental concepts and techniques of model selection in the context of phylogenetics. We start by reviewing different aspects of the selection of substitution models in phylogenetics from a theoretical, philosophical and practical point of view, and summarize this comparison in table format. We argue that the most commonly implemented model selection approach, the hierarchical likelihood ratio test, is not the optimal strategy for model selection in phylogenetics, and that approaches like the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian methods offer important advantages. In particular, the latter two methods are able to simultaneously compare multiple nested or nonnested models, assess model selection uncertainty, and allow for the estimation of phylogenies and model parameters using all available models (model-averaged inference or multimodel inference). We also describe how the relative importance of the different parameters included in substitution models can be depicted. To illustrate some of these points, we have applied AIC-based model averaging to 37 mitochondrial DNA sequences from the subgenus Ohomopterus(genus Carabus) ground beetles described by Sota and Vogler (2001).

[Characteristics of social activity of the elderly who belong to senior citizens].

PubMed

Takahashi, Mihoko; Shibazaki, Satomi; Nagai, Masaki

2003-10-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify environmental conditions determining the social activities of the elderly, by analyzing levels of activity in individuals belonging to clubs for senior citizens. In 1998, we conducted a survey of over 10,000 elderly subjects, 65 years of age or older, who belonged to 228 clubs for senior citizens in a region of Saitama Prefecture, using a 'Check list' developed for self-evaluation of social activities. The proportions of 'active' and 'inactive' seniors, as judged by the 'Check list' for each of the four different aspects of social activities (1. individual activities, 2. social participation/volunteering, 3. education/training, 4. employment), were compared with those of the standard elderly population. Two hundred and seven clubs for senior citizens (90.8%) participated in this study. About 82.0% of the members of each club filled out the 'Check list'. High levels as compared to the standard population were demonstrated for two aspects of social activity: individual activity and social participation/volunteering. Women had higher levels of both types of social activity than men. Men aged 74 years or younger had lower than average levels for three aspects of social activity: social participation/volunteering, education/training, and employment. Members who resided in urban areas with easy access had higher levels of individual activity, social participation/volunteering and education/training. On the other hand, those residing in suburbs with large spaces for agriculture had higher levels for employment. Our results for social activities of elderly subjects belonging to clubs for senior citizens indicate that strong correlations exist with environmental conditions, including communication facilities and local or industrial structure.

The Airline Quality Rating 2004

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowen, Brent D.; Headley, Dean E.

2004-01-01

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) was developed and first announced in early 1991 as an objective method of comparing airline quality on combined multiple performance criteria. This current report, the Airline Quality Rating 2004, reflects monthly Airline Quality Rating scores for 2003. AQR scores far the calendar year 2003 are based on 15 elemnts in four major areas that focus on airline performance aspects important to air travel consumers. The Airline Quality Rating 2004 is a summary of month-by-month quality ratings for U.S. airlines that have at least 1% of domestic passenger volume during 2003. Using the Airline Quality Rating system of weighted averages and monthly performance data in the areas of on-time arrivals, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled baggage, and a combination of 12 customer complaint categories, airlines comparative performance for the calendar year of 2003 is reported. This research monograph contains a brief summary of the AQR methodology, detailed data and charts that track comparative quality for domestic airline operations for the 12-month period of 2003, and industry results. Also, comparative Airline Quality Rating data for 2002 are included, where available, to provide historical perspective

Students' Preference for Science Careers: International comparisons based on PISA 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kjærnsli, Marit; Lie, Svein

2011-01-01

This article deals with 15-year-old students' tendencies to consider a future science-related career. Two aspects have been the focus of our investigation. The first is based on the construct called 'future science orientation', an affective construct consisting of four Likert scale items that measure students' consideration of being involved in future education and careers in science-related areas. Due to the well-known evidence for Likert scales providing culturally biased estimates, the aim has been to go beyond the comparison of simple country averages. In a series of regression and correlation analyses, we have investigated how well the variance of this construct in each of the participating countries can be accounted for by other Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) student data. The second aspect is based on a question about students' future jobs. By separating science-related jobs into what we have called 'soft' and 'hard' science-related types of jobs, we have calculated and compared country percentages within each category. In particular, gender differences are discussed, and interesting international patterns have been identified. The results in this article have been reported not only for individual countries, but also for groups of countries. These cluster analyses of countries are based on item-by-item patterns of (residual values of) national average values for the combination of cognitive and affective items. The emerging cluster structure of countries has turned out to contribute to the literature of similarities and differences between countries and the factors behind the country clustering both in science education and more generally.

Vortex dynamics of very low aspect ratio rectangular orifice synthetic jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straccia, Joseph; Farnsworth, John; Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory Team

2017-11-01

The vast majority of prior synthetic jet research has focused on actuators with either circular orifices or rectangular orifices with high aspect ratios (AR), i.e. AR >=25. The results reported in these studies have also been biased towards bulk and time averaged statistics of the jet, viewing them in a steady sense as a source of momentum addition. Recent work has revealed that the unsteady vortex dynamics in a synthetic jet can be very relevant to how the jet interacts with and influences the base flow. In this study the synthetic jet issued into a quiescent fluid by an actuator with low orifice aspect ratios (i.e. AR =2-18) was studied using Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) with a special focus on the vortex dynamics. The progression of vortex ring axis switching is presented and a distinct difference between the axis switching dynamics of very low AR (AR <=6) and moderate AR (AR =6-24) vortex rings is discussed. The high resolution SPIV vector fields are also used to extract details of the vortex core structure which are compared to theoretical vortex models. Furthermore, the influence of axis switching on the circulation magnitude around the vortex ring is reported in addition to how circulation varies with time as the ring advects. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. (DGE 1144083).

[Comparative study on graft of autogeneic iliac bone and tissue engineered bone].

PubMed

Shen, Bing; Xie, Fu-lin; Xie, Qing-fang

2002-11-01

To compare the clinical results of repairing bone defect of limbs with tissue engineering technique and with autogeneic iliac bone graft. From July 1999 to September 2001, 52 cases of bone fracture were randomly divided into two groups (group A and B). Open reduction and internal fixation were performed in all cases as routine operation technique. Autogeneic iliac bone was implanted in group A, while tissue engineered bone was implanted in group B. Routine postoperative treatment in orthopedic surgery was taken. The operation time, bleeding volume, wound healing and drainage volume were compared. The bone union was observed by the X-ray 1, 2, 3, and 5 months after operation. The sex, age and disease type had no obvious difference between groups A and B. all the wounds healed with first intention. The swelling degree of wound and drainage volume had no obvious difference. The operation time in group A was longer than that in group B (25 minutes on average) and bleeding volume in group A was larger than that in group B (150 ml on average). Bone union completed within 3 to 7 months in both groups. But there were 2 cases of delayed union in group A and 1 case in group B. Repair of bone defect with tissue engineered bone has as good clinical results as that with autogeneic iliac bone graft. In aspect of operation time and bleeding volume, tissue engineered bone graft is superior to autogeneic iliac bone.

Fine Structure of Diffuse Scattering Rings in Al-Li-Cu Quasicrystal: A Comparative X-ray and Electron Diffraction Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnadieu, P.; Dénoyer, F.

1996-11-01

A comparative X-ray and electron diffraction study has been performed on Al-Li-Cu icosahedral quasicrystal in order to investigate the diffuse scattering rings revealed by a previous work. Electron diffraction confirms the existence of rings but shows that the rings have a fine structure. The diffuse aspect on the X-ray diffraction patterns is then due to an averaging effect. Recent simulations based on the model of canonical cells related to the icosahedral packing give diffractions patterns in agreement with this fine structure effect. Nous comparons les diagrammes de diffraction des rayon-X et des électrons obtenus sur les mêmes échantillons du quasicristal icosaèdrique Al-Li-Cu. Notre but est d'étudier les anneaux de diffusion diffuse mis en évidence par un travail précédent. Les diagrammes de diffraction électronique confirment la présence des anneaux mais ils montrent aussi que ces anneaux possèdent une structure fine. L'aspect diffus des anneaux révélés par la diffraction des rayons X est dû à un effet de moyenne. Des simulations récentes basées sur la décomposition en cellules canoniques de l'empilement icosaédrique produisent des diagrammes de diffraction en accord avec ces effects de structure fine.

Profile of Prospective Physics Teachers on Assessment Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efendi, R.; Rustaman, N. Y.; Kaniawati, I.

2017-02-01

A study about assessment literacy of prospective Physics teachers was conducted with the involvement of 45 prospective physics teachers. Data collected by using test consisted of seven competencies. The profile of prospective physics teachers on assessment literacy determined in descriptive statistics, in the form of respondent average values. Research finding shows that prospective physics teachers were weak at all competency areas. The average values of the Choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions is the highest average values and the average values of the communicating assessment results to students, parents, other lay audiences, and other educators is the lowest average values. In depth study to detect the reason underlined the results was still in progress so far, as another aspect was planned to be administered on the next semester.

Nurse's Awareness on Ethico-legal Aspects of Nursing Profession.

PubMed

Paudel Subedi, Krishna Kumari; Timalsina, Kalpana; Bhele, Raja Laxmi

2018-03-13

Nursing practice amicably includes practical efficacy and ethics. Now a days legal and ethical problems associated with client care are arising day by day. Therefore, nurses should have adequate understanding of basic legal concepts and issues relevant to nursing profession in order to protect the rights of the clients and the nurses. A cross sectional descriptive design was adopted for the study. 142 nurses were included by using purposive sampling technique. Data was collected with self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics was used to reveal demographic information. Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney test were used to find out association of selected demographic variables and ethico legal aspects of nursing. Majority of participants were belonging to 20-29 years of age. More than half nurses had complete bachelor's degree and had less than 10 year's experiences. Majority of participants reported that they did not encounter any legal issues in their professional life till date. Similarly, majority of participants had average level knowledge and equate level of practice. Years of experiences and education level did not affect in knowledge level and existing practice related to ethico legal aspect of nursing. There was no significant relationship between level of knowledge and existing practice. Nurses have average knowledge and practice on ethico legal aspects. There is positive relationship between knowledge and practice though it is not statistically significant.

A study of forest fire danger district division in Lushan Mountain based on RS and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Jinxiang; Huang, Shu-E.; Zhong, Anjian; Zhu, Biqin; Ye, Qing; Sun, Lijun

2009-09-01

The study selected 9 factors, average maximum temperature, average temperature, average precipitation, average the longest days of continuous drought and average wind speed during fire prevention period, vegetation type, altitude, slope and aspect as the index of forest fire danger district division, which has taken the features of Lushan Mountain's forest fire history into consideration, then assigned subjective weights to each factor according to their sensitivity to fire or their fire-inducing capability. By remote sensing and GIS, vegetation information layer were gotten from Landsat TM image and DEM with a scale of 1:50000 was abstracted from the digital scanned relief map. Topography info. (elevation, slope, aspect) layers could be gotten after that. A climate resource databank that contained the data from the stations of Lushan Mountain and other nearby 7 stations was built up and extrapolated through the way of grid extrapolation in order to make the distribution map of climate resource. Finally synthetical district division maps were made by weighing and integrating all the single factor special layers,and the study area were divided into three forest fire danger district, include special fire danger district, I-fire danger district and II-fire danger district. It could be used as a basis for developing a forest fire prevention system, preparing the annual investment plan, allocating reasonably the investment of fire prevention, developing the program of forest fire prevention and handle, setting up forest fire brigade, leaders' decisions on forest fire prevention work.

Electric Fields at the Active Site of an Enzyme: Direct Comparison of Experiment with Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suydam, Ian T.; Snow, Christopher D.; Pande, Vijay S.; Boxer, Steven G.

2006-07-01

The electric fields produced in folded proteins influence nearly every aspect of protein function. We present a vibrational spectroscopy technique that measures changes in electric field at a specific site of a protein as shifts in frequency (Stark shifts) of a calibrated nitrile vibration. A nitrile-containing inhibitor is used to deliver a unique probe vibration to the active site of human aldose reductase, and the response of the nitrile stretch frequency is measured for a series of mutations in the enzyme active site. These shifts yield quantitative information on electric fields that can be directly compared with electrostatics calculations. We show that extensive molecular dynamics simulations and ensemble averaging are required to reproduce the observed changes in field.

[The current aspects of hospital infections in maternity and neonatal wards].

PubMed

Ribarova, N; Todorova, M; Khristov, Kh

1994-01-01

The epidemiologic, etiologic and clinical structure of HAI in the maternity and neonatal wards in the country for the 1982-1992 period has been specified. 934 women in child-birth and 2357 neonates acquire nosocomial infections at an average annually. A comparatively constant level in HAI epidemic process intensity is observed with inconsiderable diversions in the beginning and by the end of the studied period. Staphylococci like causative agents of HAI take up a leading place in both types of wards with especially marked incidence rate among the newborn children. The predominant clinical forms in the women in child-birth are the surgical wound infections, skin and genital infections and in the neonates--the staphylodermatites, upper respiratory airway infections, pulmonary and enteric infections.

Dynamical influence processes on networks: general theory and applications to social contagion.

PubMed

Harris, Kameron Decker; Danforth, Christopher M; Dodds, Peter Sheridan

2013-08-01

We study binary state dynamics on a network where each node acts in response to the average state of its neighborhood. By allowing varying amounts of stochasticity in both the network and node responses, we find different outcomes in random and deterministic versions of the model. In the limit of a large, dense network, however, we show that these dynamics coincide. We construct a general mean-field theory for random networks and show this predicts that the dynamics on the network is a smoothed version of the average response function dynamics. Thus, the behavior of the system can range from steady state to chaotic depending on the response functions, network connectivity, and update synchronicity. As a specific example, we model the competing tendencies of imitation and nonconformity by incorporating an off-threshold into standard threshold models of social contagion. In this way, we attempt to capture important aspects of fashions and societal trends. We compare our theory to extensive simulations of this "limited imitation contagion" model on Poisson random graphs, finding agreement between the mean-field theory and stochastic simulations.

The effect of mobile phone to audiologic system.

PubMed

Kerekhanjanarong, Virachai; Supiyaphun, Pakpoom; Naratricoon, Jantra; Laungpitackchumpon, Prinya

2005-09-01

Mobile phones have come into widespread use. There are a lot of possible adverse effect to health. Use of mobile phone generate potentially harmful radiofrequency electromagnetic field (EMF) particularly for the hearing aspect. 98 subjects underwent hearing evaluations at Department of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University. 31 males and 67females, mean age was 30.48 +/- 9.51 years old, all subjects were investigated the hearing level by audiometry, tympanometry, otoacoustic emission (OAE) and auditory brain stem evoked response (ABR). The average of using time were 32.54 +/- 27.64 months, 57 subjects usually used the right side and 41 the left side. Average time of use per day was 26.31 +/- 30.91 minutes (range from 3 to 180 mins). When the authors compared the audiogram, both pure tone and speech audiometry, between the dominant and nondominant side, it indicated that there is no significant different. When the authors focused on the 8 subjects that used the mobile phone more than 60 mins per day. It indicated that the hearing threshold of the dominant ears was worse than the nondominant ears.

Work capacity, sociodemographic and work characteristics of nurses at a university hospital.

PubMed

Hilleshein, Eunice Fabiani; Lautert, Liana

2012-01-01

This cross-sectional study evaluated the work capacity of 195 nurses at a university hospital, from a calculation of sample size with a Confidence Interval (CI) of 95%. The data was collected by means of the Work Capacity Index (WCI) instrument and analyzed by statistical analysis. 94.5% of the sample was made up of women; the average age was of 42.6 years (sd=8.5); 66.5% had partners and 76.7% were educated to post-graduate level. 36.0% worked the night shift; 28.4% the morning shift and 20.8% the afternoon shift. The average score given to work capacity was Good (41.8 points) and there was a significant correlation with pay (p-value<0.05), satisfaction with workplace (p-value=0.001) and feeling valued by the institution (p-value=0.003). The group which carried out family activities showed higher scores in the WCI compared to those who did not (p-value=0.009). The nurses presented differing sociodemographic and work aspects, with a high capacity for work.

Chromatic-aberration-corrected diffractive lenses for ultra-broadband focusing

DOE PAGES

Wang, Peng; Mohammad, Nabil; Menon, Rajesh

2016-02-12

We exploit the inherent dispersion in diffractive optics to demonstrate planar chromatic-aberration-corrected lenses. Specifically, we designed, fabricated and characterized cylindrical diffractive lenses that efficiently focus the entire visible band (450 nm to 700 nm) onto a single line. These devices are essentially pixelated, multi-level microstructures. Experiments confirm an average optical efficiency of 25% for a three-wavelength apochromatic lens whose chromatic focus shift is only 1.3 μm and 25 μm in the lateral and axial directions, respectively. Super-achromatic performance over the continuous visible band is also demonstrated with averaged lateral and axial focus shifts of only 1.65 μm and 73.6 μm,more » respectively. These lenses are easy to fabricate using single-step grayscale lithography and can be inexpensively replicated. Furthermore, these devices are thin (<3 μm), error tolerant, has low aspect ratio (<1:1) and offer polarization-insensitive focusing, all significant advantages compared to alternatives that rely on metasurfaces. Lastly, our design methodology offers high design flexibility in numerical aperture and focal length, and is readily extended to 2D.« less

Benchmarking of protein descriptor sets in proteochemometric modeling (part 2): modeling performance of 13 amino acid descriptor sets

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background While a large body of work exists on comparing and benchmarking descriptors of molecular structures, a similar comparison of protein descriptor sets is lacking. Hence, in the current work a total of 13 amino acid descriptor sets have been benchmarked with respect to their ability of establishing bioactivity models. The descriptor sets included in the study are Z-scales (3 variants), VHSE, T-scales, ST-scales, MS-WHIM, FASGAI, BLOSUM, a novel protein descriptor set (termed ProtFP (4 variants)), and in addition we created and benchmarked three pairs of descriptor combinations. Prediction performance was evaluated in seven structure-activity benchmarks which comprise Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) dipeptidic inhibitor data, and three proteochemometric data sets, namely (1) GPCR ligands modeled against a GPCR panel, (2) enzyme inhibitors (NNRTIs) with associated bioactivities against a set of HIV enzyme mutants, and (3) enzyme inhibitors (PIs) with associated bioactivities on a large set of HIV enzyme mutants. Results The amino acid descriptor sets compared here show similar performance (<0.1 log units RMSE difference and <0.1 difference in MCC), while errors for individual proteins were in some cases found to be larger than those resulting from descriptor set differences ( > 0.3 log units RMSE difference and >0.7 difference in MCC). Combining different descriptor sets generally leads to better modeling performance than utilizing individual sets. The best performers were Z-scales (3) combined with ProtFP (Feature), or Z-Scales (3) combined with an average Z-Scale value for each target, while ProtFP (PCA8), ST-Scales, and ProtFP (Feature) rank last. Conclusions While amino acid descriptor sets capture different aspects of amino acids their ability to be used for bioactivity modeling is still – on average – surprisingly similar. Still, combining sets describing complementary information consistently leads to small but consistent improvement in modeling performance (average MCC 0.01 better, average RMSE 0.01 log units lower). Finally, performance differences exist between the targets compared thereby underlining that choosing an appropriate descriptor set is of fundamental for bioactivity modeling, both from the ligand- as well as the protein side. PMID:24059743

Creating "Intelligent" Ensemble Averages Using a Process-Based Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Noel; Taylor, Patrick

2014-05-01

The CMIP5 archive contains future climate projections from over 50 models provided by dozens of modeling centers from around the world. Individual model projections, however, are subject to biases created by structural model uncertainties. As a result, ensemble averaging of multiple models is used to add value to individual model projections and construct a consensus projection. Previous reports for the IPCC establish climate change projections based on an equal-weighted average of all model projections. However, individual models reproduce certain climate processes better than other models. Should models be weighted based on performance? Unequal ensemble averages have previously been constructed using a variety of mean state metrics. What metrics are most relevant for constraining future climate projections? This project develops a framework for systematically testing metrics in models to identify optimal metrics for unequal weighting multi-model ensembles. The intention is to produce improved ("intelligent") unequal-weight ensemble averages. A unique aspect of this project is the construction and testing of climate process-based model evaluation metrics. A climate process-based metric is defined as a metric based on the relationship between two physically related climate variables—e.g., outgoing longwave radiation and surface temperature. Several climate process metrics are constructed using high-quality Earth radiation budget data from NASA's Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument in combination with surface temperature data sets. It is found that regional values of tested quantities can vary significantly when comparing the equal-weighted ensemble average and an ensemble weighted using the process-based metric. Additionally, this study investigates the dependence of the metric weighting scheme on the climate state using a combination of model simulations including a non-forced preindustrial control experiment, historical simulations, and several radiative forcing Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. Ultimately, the goal of the framework is to advise better methods for ensemble averaging models and create better climate predictions.

Modeling and characterization of the CEJ for optimization of esthetic implant design.

PubMed

Gallucci, German O; Belser, Urs C; Bernard, Jean-Pierre; Magne, Pascal

2004-02-01

This study evaluated the dimensions and characteristics of the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) of maxillary anterior teeth; the natural CEJ was compared to current implant design and used for design optimization. Standardized digital images of 137 extracted human teeth (45 central incisors, 46 lateral incisors, and 46 canines) were used to measure cervical dimensions, CEJ curvature, and distance from zenith of CEJ to interdental contact on proximal views. The x- and y-coordinates of the CEJ contour were digitized before mathematic processing to allow the representation of a single average curve for buccal, palatal, mesial, and distal surfaces for each tooth type. These measurements were combined to existing data related to dentogingival and "implantomucosal" junction to extrapolate specific biologic landmarks around teeth and implants. Mean cervical dimensions, distance from zenith of CEJ to interdental contact, and CEJ curvature were compared. Cervical dimensions significantly differed, with a more symmetric cervical cross-section for central incisors, slightly more rectangular shape for lateral incisors, and distinctly rectangular shape for canines. CEJ curvature was statistically different between all tooth groups (centrals > laterals > canines); within groups, curvature value was always superior at the mesial aspect compared to distally (3.46 mm vs 3.13 mm for centrals, 2.97 mm vs 2.38 mm for laterals, and 2.55 mm vs 1.60 mm for canines). Tooth-implant biologic width discrepancies ranged from 4.10 to 5.96 mm and were different between all groups of teeth (centrals > laterals > canines); within groups, the discrepancy was always superior at the mesial aspect compared to distally. Current implant design featuring a flat, rotation-symmetric shoulder should be reconsidered in view of natural CEJ contour to improve biologic considerations and related esthetics.

Family functioning in two treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Ciao, Anna C; Accurso, Erin C; Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ellen E; Lock, James; Le Grange, Daniel

2015-01-01

Family functioning impairment is widely reported in the eating disorders literature, yet few studies have examined the role of family functioning in treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN). This study examined family functioning in two treatments for adolescent AN from multiple family members' perspectives. Participants were 121 adolescents with AN ages 12-18 from a randomized-controlled trial comparing family-based treatment (FBT) to individual adolescent-focused therapy (AFT). Multiple clinical characteristics were assessed at baseline. Family functioning from the perspective of the adolescent and both parents was assessed at baseline and after 1 year of treatment. Full remission from AN was defined as achieving both weight restoration and normalized eating disorder psychopathology. In general, families dealing with AN reported some baseline impairment in family functioning, but average ratings were only slightly elevated compared to published impaired functioning cutoffs. Adolescents' perspectives on family functioning were the most impaired and were generally associated with poorer psychosocial functioning and greater clinical severity. Regardless of initial level of family functioning, improvements in several family functioning domains were uniquely related to full remission at the end of treatment in both FBT and AFT. However, FBT had a more positive impact on several specific aspects of family functioning compared to AFT. Families seeking treatment for adolescent AN report some difficulties in family functioning, with adolescents reporting the greatest impairment. Although FBT may be effective in improving some specific aspects of family dynamics, remission from AN was associated with improved family dynamics, regardless of treatment type. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of reproductive condition, roost microclimate, and weather patterns on summer torpor use by a vespertilionid bat

PubMed Central

Johnson, Joseph S; Lacki, Michael J

2014-01-01

A growing number of mammal species are recognized as heterothermic, capable of maintaining a high-core body temperature or entering a state of metabolic suppression known as torpor. Small mammals can achieve large energetic savings when torpid, but they are also subject to ecological costs. Studying torpor use in an ecological and physiological context can help elucidate relative costs and benefits of torpor to different groups within a population. We measured skin temperatures of 46 adult Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) to evaluate thermoregulatory strategies of a heterothermic small mammal during the reproductive season. We compared daily average and minimum skin temperatures as well as the frequency, duration, and depth of torpor bouts of sex and reproductive classes of bats inhabiting day-roosts with different thermal characteristics. We evaluated roosts with microclimates colder (caves) and warmer (buildings) than ambient air temperatures, as well as roosts with intermediate conditions (trees and rock crevices). Using Akaike's information criterion (AIC), we found that different statistical models best predicted various characteristics of torpor bouts. While the type of day-roost best predicted the average number of torpor bouts that bats used each day, current weather variables best predicted daily average and minimum skin temperatures of bats, and reproductive condition best predicted average torpor bout depth and the average amount of time spent torpid each day by bats. Finding that different models best explain varying aspects of heterothermy illustrates the importance of torpor to both reproductive and nonreproductive small mammals and emphasizes the multifaceted nature of heterothermy and the need to collect data on numerous heterothermic response variables within an ecophysiological context. PMID:24558571

Estimating spatial travel times using automatic vehicle identification data

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-01-01

Prepared ca. 2001. The paper describes an algorithm that was developed for estimating reliable and accurate average roadway link travel times using Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) data. The algorithm presented is unique in two aspects. First, ...

Geographical and Geomorphological Effects on Air Temperatures in the Columbia Basin's Signature Vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olson, L.; Pogue, K. R.; Bader, N.

2012-12-01

The Columbia Basin of Washington and Oregon is one of the most productive grape-growing areas in the United States. Wines produced in this region are influenced by their terroir - the amalgamation of physical and cultural elements that influence grapes grown at a particular vineyard site. Of the physical factors, climate, and in particular air temperature, has been recognized as a primary influence on viticulture. Air temperature directly affects ripening in the grapes. Proper fruit ripening, which requires precise and balanced levels of acid and sugar, and the accumulation of pigment in the grape skin, directly correlates with the quality of wine produced. Many features control air temperature within a particular vineyard. Elevation, latitude, slope, and aspect all converge to form complex relationships with air temperatures; however, the relative degree to which these attributes affect temperatures varies between regions and is not well understood. This study examines the influence of geography and geomorphology on air temperatures within the American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) of the Columbia Basin in eastern Washington and Oregon. The premier vineyards within each AVA, which have been recognized for producing high-quality wine, were equipped with air temperature monitoring stations that collected hourly temperature measurements. A variety of temperature statistics were calculated, including daily average, maximum, and minimum temperatures. From these values, average diurnal variation and growing degree-days (10°C) were calculated. A variety of other statistics were computed, including date of first and last frost and time spent below a minimum temperature threshold. These parameters were compared to the vineyard's elevation, latitude, slope, aspect, and local topography using GPS, ArcCatalog, and GIS in an attempt to determine their relative influences on air temperatures. From these statistics, it was possible to delineate two trends of temperature variation controlled by elevation. In some AVAs, such as Walla Walla Valley and Red Mountain, average air temperatures increased with elevation because of the effect of cold air pooling on valley floors. In other AVAs, such as Horse Heaven Hills, Lake Chelan and Columbia Gorge, average temperatures decreased with elevation due to the moderating influences of the Columbia River and Lake Chelan. Other temperature statistics, including average diurnal range and maximum and minimum temperature, were influenced by relative topography, including local topography and slope. Vineyards with flat slopes that had low elevations relative to their surroundings had larger diurnal variations and lower maximum and minimum temperatures than vineyards with steeper slopes that were high relative to their surroundings.

Could international compulsory licensing reconcile tiered pricing of pharmaceuticals with the right to health?

PubMed

Ooms, Gorik; Forman, Lisa; Williams, Owain D; Hill, Peter S

2014-12-18

The heads of the Global Fund and the GAVI Alliance have recently promoted the idea of an international tiered pricing framework for medicines, despite objections from civil society groups who fear that this would reduce the leeway for compulsory licenses and generic competition. This paper explores the extent to which an international tiered pricing framework and the present leeway for compulsory licensing can be reconciled, using the perspective of the right to health as defined in international human rights law. We explore the practical feasibility of an international tiered pricing and compulsory licensing framework governed by the World Health Organization. We use two simple benchmarks to compare the relative affordability of medicines for governments - average income and burden of disease - to illustrate how voluntary tiered pricing practice fails to make medicines affordable enough for low and middle income countries (if compared with the financial burden of the same medicines for high income countries), and when and where international compulsory licenses should be issued in order to allow governments to comply with their obligations to realize the right to health. An international tiered pricing and compulsory licensing framework based on average income and burden of disease could ease the tension between governments' human rights obligation to provide medicines and governments' trade obligation to comply with the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights.

Home range and use of diurnal shelters by the Etendeka round-eared sengi, a newly discovered Namibian endemic desert mammal.

PubMed

Rathbun, Galen B; Dumbacher, John P

2015-01-01

To understand habitat use by the newly described Etendeka round-eared sengi (Macroscelides micus) in northwestern Namibia, we radio-tracked five individuals for nearly a month. Home ranges (100% convex polygons) in the rocky desert habitat were remarkably large (mean 14.9 ha) when compared to sengi species in more mesic habitats (<1.5 ha). The activity pattern of M. micus was strictly nocturnal, which contrasts to the normal diurnal or crepuscular activity of other sengis. The day shelters of M. micus were under single rocks and they likely were occupied by single sengis. One tagged sengi used 22 different day shelters during the study. On average, only 7% of the day shelters were used more than once by the five tagged sengis. The shelters were also unusual for a small mammal in that they were unmodified in terms of excavation or nesting material. Shelter entrances were significantly oriented to face south by south west (average 193°), away from the angle of the prevailing midday sun. This suggests that solar radiation is probably an important aspect of M. micus thermal ecology, similar to other sengis. Compared to published data on other sengis, M. micus generally conforms to the unique sengi adaptive syndrome, but with modifications related to its hyper-arid habitat.

Comparative Study of the Physical, Topographical and Biological Properties of Electrospinning PCL, PLLA, their Blend and Copolymer Scaffolds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolbasov, E.; Goreninskii, S.; Tverdokhlebov, S.; Mishanin, A.; Viknianshchuk, A.; Bezuidenhout, D.; Golovkin, A.

2018-05-01

Biodegradable polymers (blends, copolymers) could be the ideal materials for manufacturing of scaffolds for small diameter vascular graft. Such material characteristics as mechanical properties, chemical structure, nano- and micro topography, surface charge, porosity, wettability etc. are becoming the most important aspects for effectiveness of prosthesis biofunctionalization because of their great impact on cell adhesion, spreading, cell proliferation, differentiation and cell function. The aim of the study is to compare physical, topographical and biological properties of polycaprolactone (PCL), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), polycaprolactone + poly-L-lactic acid blend (PCL PLLA), L-lactide/Caprolactone copolymer (PLC7015) scaffolds fabricated with the same fiber thickness using electrospun technology. PCL PLLA scaffolds had the highest average pore area (p<0.01) and the lowest strength (p<0.01). PLC7015 scaffolds had the significantly lower average pore area (p=0.03) but the highest elastic deformation (p<0.01). Biological testing with MMSC (multipotent mesenchyme stem cells) demonstrated that after 72 hours of co-cultivation only on PCL and PLLA scaffolds cells entered to the active phase of adhesion process. We propose that physical and topographical properties of PCL, PLLA, their blend and copolymer are of a great dependence of chemical structure but could be changed during the manufacturing process that will lead to changes in biological properties.

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

Wardaya, P. D., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my; Noh, K. A. B. M., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my; Yusoff, W. I. B. W., E-mail: pongga.wardaya@utp.edu.my

This paper discusses a new approach for investigating the seismic wave velocity of rock, specifically carbonates, as affected by their pore structures. While the conventional routine of seismic velocity measurement highly depends on the extensive laboratory experiment, the proposed approach utilizes the digital rock physics view which lies on the numerical experiment. Thus, instead of using core sample, we use the thin section image of carbonate rock to measure the effective seismic wave velocity when travelling on it. In the numerical experiment, thin section images act as the medium on which wave propagation will be simulated. For the modeling, anmore » advanced technique based on artificial neural network was employed for building the velocity and density profile, replacing image's RGB pixel value with the seismic velocity and density of each rock constituent. Then, ultrasonic wave was simulated to propagate in the thin section image by using finite difference time domain method, based on assumption of an acoustic-isotropic medium. Effective velocities were drawn from the recorded signal and being compared to the velocity modeling from Wyllie time average model and Kuster-Toksoz rock physics model. To perform the modeling, image analysis routines were undertaken for quantifying the pore aspect ratio that is assumed to represent the rocks pore structure. In addition, porosity and mineral fraction required for velocity modeling were also quantified by using integrated neural network and image analysis technique. It was found that the Kuster-Toksoz gives the closer prediction to the measured velocity as compared to the Wyllie time average model. We also conclude that Wyllie time average that does not incorporate the pore structure parameter deviates significantly for samples having more than 40% porosity. Utilizing this approach we found a good agreement between numerical experiment and theoretically derived rock physics model for estimating the effective seismic wave velocity of rock.« less

Multiscale modeling of lithium ion batteries: thermal aspects

PubMed Central

Zausch, Jochen

2015-01-01

Summary The thermal behavior of lithium ion batteries has a huge impact on their lifetime and the initiation of degradation processes. The development of hot spots or large local overpotentials leading, e.g., to lithium metal deposition depends on material properties as well as on the nano- und microstructure of the electrodes. In recent years a theoretical structure emerges, which opens the possibility to establish a systematic modeling strategy from atomistic to continuum scale to capture and couple the relevant phenomena on each scale. We outline the building blocks for such a systematic approach and discuss in detail a rigorous approach for the continuum scale based on rational thermodynamics and homogenization theories. Our focus is on the development of a systematic thermodynamically consistent theory for thermal phenomena in batteries at the microstructure scale and at the cell scale. We discuss the importance of carefully defining the continuum fields for being able to compare seemingly different phenomenological theories and for obtaining rules to determine unknown parameters of the theory by experiments or lower-scale theories. The resulting continuum models for the microscopic and the cell scale are numerically solved in full 3D resolution. The complex very localized distributions of heat sources in a microstructure of a battery and the problems of mapping these localized sources on an averaged porous electrode model are discussed by comparing the detailed 3D microstructure-resolved simulations of the heat distribution with the result of the upscaled porous electrode model. It is shown, that not all heat sources that exist on the microstructure scale are represented in the averaged theory due to subtle cancellation effects of interface and bulk heat sources. Nevertheless, we find that in special cases the averaged thermal behavior can be captured very well by porous electrode theory. PMID:25977870

Geriatrics in medical students’ curricula: questionnaire-based analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Demographic development is accompanied by an increasingly aging society. Concerning medical education, the treatment of older people as well as the scientific research and exploration of ageing aspects in the coming years need to be considered. Aim of the study was to ascertain medical students’ knowledge, interest, and attitudes regarding older patients and geriatric medicine. Methods Each participant completed a self-designed questionnaire. This questionnaire was based on three validated internationally recognised questionnaires (“Facts on Aging Quiz – FAQ”, “Expectations Regarding Aging – ERA” and the “Aging Semantic Differential – ASD”). The inquiry and survey were performed at the beginning of the summer term in 2012 at the University of Regensburg Medical School. Results A total of n = 184/253 (72.7%) students participated in this survey. The results of the FAQ 25+ showed that respondents were able to answer an average of M = 20.4 of 36 questions (56.7%) correctly (Median, Md = 21; SD ±6.1). The personal attitudes and expectations of ageing averaged M = 41.2 points on the Likert-scale that ranged from 0 to 100 (Md = 40.4; SD ±13.7). Respondents’ attitudes towards the elderly (ASD 24) averaged M = 3.5 points on the Likert-scale (range 1–7, Md 3.6, SD ±0.8). Conclusions In our investigation, medical students’ knowledge of ageing was comparable to previous surveys. Attitudes and expectations of ageing were more positive compared to previous studies. Overall, medical students expect markedly high cognitive capacities towards older people that can actively prevent cognitive impairment. However, medical students’ personal interest in medicine of ageing and older people seems to be rather slight. PMID:25062568

Development and analysis of a leak-based blast attenuator and scaling laws for primary blast peak overpressure for a large caliber muzzleloaded cannon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carson, Robert Andrew

One of the primary aspects of the research and development work carried out at Benet Laboratories is the Soldier. Maintenance of their health in the field is the first priority while the second priority is the enhancement of their performance. Therefore, a new concept for a weapon system that targets these two priorities is highly desirable. This is the case with a new concept that can reduce the peak overpressure without the use of a muzzle device for a muzzle loaded cannon system. Such a novel concept was developed in this thesis through the application of propellant leak into the precursor region, i.e., when the projectile is still in the bore. A 3D hydrocode (ALE3D) was employed to predict the blast overpressure for the baseline and propellant leak configurations. However, a 3D hydrocode is computationally very expensive to predict peak overpressure in the far-field and an efficient method to predict peak overpressure in the far-field is of significance. Therefore, scaling laws for primary blast peak overpressure were also developed in this thesis. Initially, two propellant leak concepts were examined. A bulge leak method and a channel leak method, which were compared to the baseline configuration. The initial channel leak configuration (referred to as CLM-1) significantly reduced the exit pressure ratio during projectile ejection, and thereby, resulted in a weaker blast. This in-turn substantially attenuated the peak overpressure to the rear of the muzzle without the aid of a muzzle device while having a marginal loss in the projectile exit velocity. For CLM-1, at one monitored location with the largest peak overpressure, a reduction of about 38% in peak overpressure was observed as compared to the baseline case. In order to compare different leak configurations, a performance metric was defined by comparing the ratio of peak overpressure and projectile exit velocity for a leak configuration to that for the baseline configuration. This metric was referred to as the Figure of Merit (FoM) and defined for any probe location. An average FoM was also defined based on the average of local FoM over different locations/probes. The greater the FoM is above zero, the better the configuration. The average FoM for the CLM-1 configuration was 0.221. In addition to FoM, shock structure and strength were also analyzed for the bulge and channel configurations at both the precursor and blast stages. With the success of the CLM-1 configuration, we then performed a parametric study of the channel leak geometry and examined the effect of different geometric parameters on peak overpressure attenuation. The idea was to further improve the performance of the channel leak method. We divided our parametric study into five groups (i.e., A through E), referred to as CLM-A through CLM-E configurations. The focus in these five groups was on geometric parameters that were expected to be the most influential or relevant. Three relevant geometric parameters were considered in this work. In groups A and B, we focused on channel leak volume. Group C analyzed the effect of channel length while groups D and E investigated the effect of aspect ratio. The five groups were ordered in this way because we anticipated the total leak volume to be the most influential parameter, then the channel length which was followed by the aspect ratio. The total leak volume of 7.5% resulted in a relatively high average FoM. On the other hand, the use of channels with a shorter length was found to be detrimental while a lower value of aspect ratio was beneficial. Three leak configurations of CLM-A1, CLM-E1 and CLM-E2 provided excellent peak overpressure attenuation (i.e., above 45% and up to 63%). Each led to an average FoM above 0.5 while CLM-E configurations resulted in lower local FoM for probes near the muzzle and higher FoM for probes farther from the muzzle, and thus, a higher variation of FoM over the probes. The average FoM based on the far-field probes was about 0.575 and 0.560 for CLM-E1 and CLM-E2, respectively, and 0.520 for CLM-A1. Blast structure and strength were also analyzed for these three configurations. In the last part of this thesis, we focused on the baseline and CLM-A1 configurations in order to develop scaling laws for the primary blast peak overpressure. Two different power-law scaling techniques were considered. In the first power-law, scaling parameters were defined from the muzzle center. The second power-law scaling was defined based on the blast center. The muzzle center based power-law has been used in the past while the blast center based power-law is a newly developed scaling law in this thesis. For the baseline configuration, both scaling laws performed well and for many locations absolute difference was below 10%. For the CLM-A1 configuration, blast center based power-law predictions were better than those from the muzzle center based power-law and showed a better overall correlation with the ALE3D predictions.

[How are religiosity, psychological distress and integration interrelated? A comparative study of the religiosity in Turkish/Kurdish migrants in comparison to Germans].

PubMed

Tagay, Sefik; Düllmann, Sonja; Brähler, Elmar; Stecker, Anja; Senf, Wolfgang

2009-09-01

The current study aimed to assess the association between religious involvement, psychological distress and various aspects of integration in a population of Turkish/Kurdish migrants in primary care. We compared the group of Turkish/Kurdish migrants (n = 179, age m = 39.4 years, 65.0 % female) with German dermatological patients (n = 184, age m = 43.1 years, 60.9 % female) with regard to their religiosity. On average the migrants lived in Germany for 24.98 years (SD = 8.90). Compared to the German patients, they showed higher religious involvement and participation. The migrants were highly significant more religious (p < 0.001) than the German patients. Contrary to expectation, no significant correlations between measures of religiosity and psychological distress were found for the Turkish migrant group. Further, inverse relationships between measures of religiosity and measures of integration resulted. Migrants who were more acculturated showed less religiosity. The religious affiliation of the examined group was islamic. It remains open if the inverse association between religiosity and integration would be the same also for other religions.

Inpatient satisfaction at different public sector hospitals of a metropolitan city in Pakistan: a comparative cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hussain, Mehwish; Rehman, Rehana; Ikramuddin, Zia; Asad, Nava; Farooq, Ayesha

2018-04-01

To observe inpatient satisfaction at different public sector hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. A cross sectional study was carried out during 2010-2012 in four major public sector hospitals of Karachi. A total of 710 patients completed the study. Responses were gathered in a self-structured questionnaire that comprised of four dimensions of satisfaction with doctor, staff, administration and treatment. Average Score of each dimension was taken and compared using one way analysis of variance. Satisfaction with doctors, staff and administration of provincial and federal hospitals were comparatively similar (P > 0.05). However, satisfaction with treatment significantly differed in all four hospitals (P < 0.0001). Highest satisfaction with treatment was observed among inpatients of hospital running by medical institute (P < 0.0001). Comparison with respect to different departments revealed significant difference for treatment satisfaction of medicine and surgery units. Patients who were admitted from emergency mode acquired lowest satisfaction in all aspects. Response of inpatients from public sector hospitals showed satisfaction with healthcare personnel and related administration. However, treatment dimension needs to be improved to get more satisfaction.

Simulations of DNA stretching by flow field in microchannels with complex geometry.

PubMed

Huang, Chiou-De; Kang, Dun-Yen; Hsieh, Chih-Chen

2014-01-01

Recently, we have reported the experimental results of DNA stretching by flow field in three microchannels (C. H. Lee and C. C. Hsieh, Biomicrofluidics 7(1), 014109 (2013)) designed specifically for the purpose of preconditioning DNA conformation for easier stretching. The experimental results do not only demonstrate the superiority of the new devices but also provides detailed observation of DNA behavior in complex flow field that was not available before. In this study, we use Brownian dynamics-finite element method (BD-FEM) to simulate DNA behavior in these microchannels, and compare the results against the experiments. Although the hydrodynamic interaction (HI) between DNA segments and between DNA and the device boundaries was not included in the simulations, the simulation results are in fairly good agreement with the experimental data from either the aspect of the single molecule behavior or from the aspect of ensemble averaged properties. The discrepancy between the simulation and the experimental results can be explained by the neglect of HI effect in the simulations. Considering the huge savings on the computational cost from neglecting HI, we conclude that BD-FEM can be used as an efficient and economic designing tool for developing new microfluidic device for DNA manipulation.

Influence of elliptical structure on impinging-jet-array heat transfer performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arjocu, Simona C.; Liburdy, James A.

1997-11-01

A three-by-three square array of submerged, elliptic, impinging jets in water was used to study the heat transfer distribution in the cooling process of a constant heat flux surface. Tow jet aspect ratios were used, 2 and 3, both with the same hydraulic diameter. The array was tested at Reynolds numbers from 300 to 1500 and impinging distances of 1 to 5 hydraulic diameters. Thermochromic liquid crystals wee used to map the local heat transfer coefficient using a transient method, while the jet temperature was kept constant. The liquid crystal images were recorded through an optical fiber coupled with a CCD camera and a frame grabber and analyzed based on an RGB-temperature calibration technique. The results are reported relative to the unit cell that is used to delimitate the central jet. The heat transfer variation is shown to depend on the impingement distance and Reynolds number. The elliptic jets exhibit axis switching, jet column instability and jet swaying. All of these mechanisms affect the enhancement of the heat transfer rate and its distribution. The results are compared in terms of average and local heat transfer coefficients, for both major and minor planes for the two jet aspect ratios.

No Improvement in Sprint Performance With a Neuromuscular Fitted Dental Splint.

PubMed

Fischer, Henrike; Weber, Daniel; Beneke, Ralph

2017-03-01

Mouth guards protect against orofacial and dental injuries in sports. However, special fitted dental splints have been claimed to improve strength and speed and, therefore, to enhance athletic performance. To test the effects of a neuromuscular fitted dental splint in comparison with a habitual verticalizing splint and a no-splint condition on cycling sprint performance in the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT). Twenty-three men (26.0 ± 2.0 y, 1.82 ± 0.06 m, 79.4 ± 7.7 kg) performed 3 WAnTs, 1 with the neuromuscular fitted splint, 1 with a habitual verticalized dental splint of the same height and material, and 1 under control conditions without any mouth guard, in randomized order separated by 1 wk. No differences between any splint conditions were found in any aspect of WAnT performance (time to peak power, peak power, minimum power, power drop, and average power). Moderate to nearly perfect correlations between all splint conditions in all WAnT outcomes with coefficients of variation between 1.3% and 6.6% were found. Irrespective of habitual verticalization or myocentric positioning, dental splints have no effects on any aspect of WAnT performance. Results are comparable to those of test-retest experiments.

Qualitative and quantitative aspects of pain in lateral posterior thoracotomy patients.

PubMed

Xavier, Thaiza Teixeira; Torres, Gilson de Vasconcelos; da Rocha, Vera Maria

2006-01-01

Descriptive study that proposed to compare the qualitative and quantitative behavior of the pain in lateral posterior thoracotomy patients. The sample was consisted of 18 individuals with an average age of 44 years. The instruments used were physiotherapy evaluation form, numerical pain scale and McGill questionnaire for pain. The pain on the numerical pain scale was considered moderate(5) for both sexes. The descriptors of the McGill questionnaire choosen by the patients with higher frequency were: in the sensorial component, beat4, pointed1, shock2, final and pull2; in the afetive component, tired1, bored1, punishald1 and miserable1 and in the evaluative component was flat. The characteristics of pain in the sensorial group were more evidents on male group. No significant statistical difeferences were observed between quantitative answers concerning pain between the men and women. On the qualitative aspects , was observed an predominancy of the same descriptors of pain in afetive component for both sexes. Pain intensity was categorized as moderate. No significant statistical difference were observed between the pain on the post-operatory lateral posterior thoracotomy. These data demonstrate a necessity for an analysis with a larger study group.

Comparing magnetic fluctuation dynamics in nonlinear MHD simulations of low-aspect-ratio RFPs to RELAX experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCollam, K. J.; den Hartog, D. J.; Jacobson, C. M.; Sovinec, C. R.; Masamune, S.; Sanpei, A.

2017-10-01

We present comparisons of magnetic tearing fluctuation activity between RFP experiments on the low-aspect-ratio RELAX device (R / a 2) and nonlinear simulations of zero-beta, single-fluid MHD using the NIMROD code in both cylindrical and toroidal geometries at a Lundquist number of S =104 , nearly as high as experimental values. Time-average fluctuation amplitudes observed in the simulations are similar to those from the experiments, but more rigorous comparisons versus spectral mode numbers are in progress. We also focus on how the spatiotemporal dynamics of the fluctuations vary with RFP equilibrium parameters. Interestingly, at shallow reversal, cylindrical simulations show a relatively uncoupled spectrum of nearly quiescent modes periodically varying in time, whereas the corresponding toroidal cases show a fully chaotic spectrum of strongly nonlinearly interacting modes. We ascribe this to the geometric m = 1 coupling present in the toroidal but not the cylindrical case. We present initial results from convergence studies with increased spatial resolution for both geometries. Simulations at higher S are planned. This work is supported by the U.S. DOE and by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

[Macrocephalic spermatozoa. What would be the impact on reproduction?].

PubMed

Guichaoua, M-R; Mercier, G; Geoffroy-Siraudin, C; Paulmyer-Lacroix, O; Lanteaume, A; Metzler-Guillemin, C; Perrin, J; Achard, V

2009-09-01

We want to highlight the risk of infertility and failure of Assisted Reproductive Technologies due to the presence of macrocephalic spermatozoa (MS) in the sperm at rate equalling or superior to 20% in at least one semen analysis. We did a retrospective analysis of 19 infertile patients presenting MS at average rate between 14.3 and 49.7%. For each patient, at least one semen analysis showed a MS rate equal or superior to 20%. We did an automated analysis of the spermatozoa surface for 13 patients and a detailed analysis of the MS morphology in 18 patients. Thirteen couples benefited of one or more IVF with or without ICSI. The semen analysis shows an impairment of one or more parameter of the sperm in all patients. Three morphological aspects for MS were highlighted: MS with irregular head, MS with regular head, and MS with multiple heads, with a dominance of irregular heads. The spermatozoa surface analysis shows a significant increase of the average surface and of the standard deviation (p<0.0001). The average rate of pregnancies by transfer is decreased compared to usual rates in our laboratories (13% versus 28%). We want to sensitize biologist and clinical doctors to the existence of partial forms of this syndrome, which could be related to infertility with impaired sperm parameters and low pregnancy rates after FIV or ICSI.

Hypothesis regarding the transformation of the intended direction of movement during the production of graphic trajectories: a study of drawing movements in 8- to 12-year-old children.

PubMed

Pellizzer, Giuseppe; Zesiger, Pascal

2009-03-01

Children from 8 to 12 years of age drew figure-eights and ellipses at a self-chosen tempo on a digitizing tablet. Global aspects (perimeter and average speed) and local aspects (relation between instantaneous speed and curvature) of performance were analyzed across age groups and types of figures. We tested the predictions of the transformation model, which is based on the hypothesis that changing the intended direction of movement is a time-consuming process that affects the evolution in time of the movement trajectory, and compared how well it fitted the data relative to the power law. We found that the relation between speed and curvature was typically better described by the transformation model than by the power law. However, the power law provided a better description when ellipses were drawn at a fast speed. The analyses of the parameters of the transformation model indicate that processing speed increased linearly with age. In addition, the results suggest that the effects of the spring-like properties of the arm were noticeable when ellipses were drawn at a fast speed. This study indicates that both biomechanical properties and central processes have an effect on the kinematics of continuous movements and particularly on the relation between speed and curvature. However, their relative importance varies with the type of figure and average movement speed. In conclusion, the results support the hypothesis that a time-consuming process of transformation of the intended direction of movement is operating during the production of continuous movements and that this process increases in speed between 8 to 12 years of age.

Statistical Considerations of Data Processing in Giovanni Online Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suhung, Shen; Leptoukh, G.; Acker, J.; Berrick, S.

2005-01-01

The GES DISC Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure (Giovanni) is a web-based interface for the rapid visualization and analysis of gridded data from a number of remote sensing instruments. The GES DISC currently employs several Giovanni instances to analyze various products, such as Ocean-Giovanni for ocean products from SeaWiFS and MODIS-Aqua; TOMS & OM1 Giovanni for atmospheric chemical trace gases from TOMS and OMI, and MOVAS for aerosols from MODIS, etc. (http://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov) Foremost among the Giovanni statistical functions is data averaging. Two aspects of this function are addressed here. The first deals with the accuracy of averaging gridded mapped products vs. averaging from the ungridded Level 2 data. Some mapped products contain mean values only; others contain additional statistics, such as number of pixels (NP) for each grid, standard deviation, etc. Since NP varies spatially and temporally, averaging with or without weighting by NP will be different. In this paper, we address differences of various weighting algorithms for some datasets utilized in Giovanni. The second aspect is related to different averaging methods affecting data quality and interpretation for data with non-normal distribution. The present study demonstrates results of different spatial averaging methods using gridded SeaWiFS Level 3 mapped monthly chlorophyll a data. Spatial averages were calculated using three different methods: arithmetic mean (AVG), geometric mean (GEO), and maximum likelihood estimator (MLE). Biogeochemical data, such as chlorophyll a, are usually considered to have a log-normal distribution. The study determined that differences between methods tend to increase with increasing size of a selected coastal area, with no significant differences in most open oceans. The GEO method consistently produces values lower than AVG and MLE. The AVG method produces values larger than MLE in some cases, but smaller in other cases. Further studies indicated that significant differences between AVG and MLE methods occurred in coastal areas where data have large spatial variations and a log-bimodal distribution instead of log-normal distribution.

Cumulative sum control charts for monitoring geometrically inflated Poisson processes: An application to infectious disease counts data.

PubMed

Rakitzis, Athanasios C; Castagliola, Philippe; Maravelakis, Petros E

2018-02-01

In this work, we study upper-sided cumulative sum control charts that are suitable for monitoring geometrically inflated Poisson processes. We assume that a process is properly described by a two-parameter extension of the zero-inflated Poisson distribution, which can be used for modeling count data with an excessive number of zero and non-zero values. Two different upper-sided cumulative sum-type schemes are considered, both suitable for the detection of increasing shifts in the average of the process. Aspects of their statistical design are discussed and their performance is compared under various out-of-control situations. Changes in both parameters of the process are considered. Finally, the monitoring of the monthly cases of poliomyelitis in the USA is given as an illustrative example.

Turbulence kinetic energy equation for dilute suspensions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abou-Arab, T. W.; Roco, M. C.

1989-01-01

A multiphase turbulence closure model is presented which employs one transport equation, namely the turbulence kinetic energy equation. The proposed form of this equation is different from the earlier formulations in some aspects. The power spectrum of the carrier fluid is divided into two regions, which interact in different ways and at different rates with the suspended particles as a function of the particle-eddy size ratio and density ratio. The length scale is described algebraically. A mass/time averaging procedure for the momentum and kinetic energy equations is adopted. The resulting turbulence correlations are modeled under less retrictive assumptions comparative to previous work. The closures for the momentum and kinetic energy equations are given. Comparisons of the predictions with experimental results on liquid-solid jet and gas-solid pipe flow show satisfactory agreement.

The shift from plant-plant facilitation to competition under severe water deficit is spatially explicit.

PubMed

O'Brien, Michael J; Pugnaire, Francisco I; Armas, Cristina; Rodríguez-Echeverría, Susana; Schöb, Christian

2017-04-01

The stress-gradient hypothesis predicts a higher frequency of facilitative interactions as resource limitation increases. Under severe resource limitation, it has been suggested that facilitation may revert to competition, and identifying the presence as well as determining the magnitude of this shift is important for predicting the effect of climate change on biodiversity and plant community dynamics. In this study, we perform a meta-analysis to compare temporal differences of species diversity and productivity under a nurse plant ( Retama sphaerocarpa ) with varying annual rainfall quantity to test the effect of water limitation on facilitation. Furthermore, we assess spatial differences in the herbaceous community under nurse plants in situ during a year with below-average rainfall. We found evidence that severe rainfall deficit reduced species diversity and plant productivity under nurse plants relative to open areas. Our results indicate that the switch from facilitation to competition in response to rainfall quantity is nonlinear. The magnitude of this switch depended on the aspect around the nurse plant. Hotter south aspects under nurse plants resulted in negative effects on beneficiary species, while the north aspect still showed facilitation. Combined, these results emphasize the importance of spatial heterogeneity under nurse plants for mediating species loss under reduced precipitation, as predicted by future climate change scenarios. However, the decreased water availability expected under climate change will likely reduce overall facilitation and limit the role of nurse plants as refugia, amplifying biodiversity loss.

[Gender aspects in female and male physicians : Occupational and psychosocial stress].

PubMed

Beschoner, P; Braun, M; Schönfeldt-Lecuona, C; Freudenmann, R W; von Wietersheim, J

2016-10-01

International studies have shown that physicians have an elevated risk of developing depression or burnout syndrome. Gender aspects with regard to occupation are discussed in German politics and society. Currently, there is little data comparing female and male physicians with regard to stress at work, depression, and burnout. Are there differences between male and female physicians with respect to psychosocial strain, emotional exhaustion, and depression? In different cross-sectional studies, anaesthetists, psychiatrists and dentists filled out a questionnaire containing questions on personal data, occupation, past medical history and medication intake. Additional standardized questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)) were performed. The return rate was 51.8 % (n = 3782). Male and female physicians vary significantly in social data, participation in the job, and health status. Female physicians are on average not married (p < 0.001) and have significantly fewer children (p < 0.05). Leading positions are mostly held by male physicians (p < 0.001); female physicians more often work in part-time jobs (p < 0.001). Female physicians reached higher scores of emotional exhaustion (MBI) (p < 0.01) and depression (BDI) (p < 0.001). The study shows big differences between male and female physicians with respect to their occupation, personal life, and psychosocial wellbeing. Female physicians more often report burnout and depression. Causes might be family and job strain, gender aspects in hierarchy, as well as different recognition and interpretation of symptoms.

Learning to rank diversified results for biomedical information retrieval from multiple features.

PubMed

Wu, Jiajin; Huang, Jimmy; Ye, Zheng

2014-01-01

Different from traditional information retrieval (IR), promoting diversity in IR takes consideration of relationship between documents in order to promote novelty and reduce redundancy thus to provide diversified results to satisfy various user intents. Diversity IR in biomedical domain is especially important as biologists sometimes want diversified results pertinent to their query. A combined learning-to-rank (LTR) framework is learned through a general ranking model (gLTR) and a diversity-biased model. The former is learned from general ranking features by a conventional learning-to-rank approach; the latter is constructed with diversity-indicating features added, which are extracted based on the retrieved passages' topics detected using Wikipedia and ranking order produced by the general learning-to-rank model; final ranking results are given by combination of both models. Compared with baselines BM25 and DirKL on 2006 and 2007 collections, the gLTR has 0.2292 (+16.23% and +44.1% improvement over BM25 and DirKL respectively) and 0.1873 (+15.78% and +39.0% improvement over BM25 and DirKL respectively) in terms of aspect level of mean average precision (Aspect MAP). The LTR method outperforms gLTR on 2006 and 2007 collections with 4.7% and 2.4% improvement in terms of Aspect MAP. The learning-to-rank method is an efficient way for biomedical information retrieval and the diversity-biased features are beneficial for promoting diversity in ranking results.

Toward developing a standardized Arabic continuous text reading chart.

PubMed

Alabdulkader, Balsam; Leat, Susan Jennifer

Near visual acuity is an essential measurement during an oculo-visual assessment. Short duration continuous text reading charts measure reading acuity and other aspects of reading performance. There is no standardized version of such chart in Arabic. The aim of this study is to create sentences of equal readability to use in the development of a standardized Arabic continuous text reading chart. Initially, 109 Arabic pairs of sentences were created for use in constructing a chart with similar layout to the Colenbrander chart. They were created to have the same grade level of difficulty and physical length. Fifty-three adults and sixteen children were recruited to validate the sentences. Reading speed in correct words per minute (CWPM) and standard length words per minute (SLWPM) was measured and errors were counted. Criteria based on reading speed and errors made in each sentence pair were used to exclude sentence pairs with more outlying characteristics, and to select the final group of sentence pairs. Forty-five sentence pairs were selected according to the elimination criteria. For adults, the average reading speed for the final sentences was 166 CWPM and 187 SLWPM and the average number of errors per sentence pair was 0.21. Childrens' average reading speed for the final group of sentences was 61 CWPM and 72 SLWPM. Their average error rate was 1.71. The reliability analysis showed that the final 45 sentence pairs are highly comparable. They will be used in constructing an Arabic short duration continuous text reading chart. Copyright © 2016 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of bone cleaning process using chemical and entomology approaches: time and cost.

PubMed

Lai, Poh Soon; Khoo, Lay See; Mohd Hilmi, Saidin; Ahmad Hafizam, Hasmi; Mohd Shah, Mahmood; Nurliza, Abdullah; Nazni, Wasi Ahmad

2015-08-01

Skeletal examination is an important aspect of forensic pathology practice, requiring effective bone cleaning with minimal artefact. This study was conducted to compare between chemical and entomology methods of bone cleaning. Ten subjects between 20 and 40 years old who underwent uncomplicated medico-legal autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine Malaysia were randomly chosen for this descriptive cross sectional study. The sternum bone was divided into 4 parts, each part subjected to a different cleaning method, being two chemical approaches i.e. laundry detergent and a combination of 6% hydrogen peroxide and powder sodium bicarbonate and two entomology approaches using 2nd instar maggots of Chrysomyia rufifacies and Ophyra spinigera. A scoring system for grading the outcome of cleaning was used. The effectiveness of the methods was evaluated based on average weight reduction per day and median number of days to achieve the average score of less than 1.5 within 12 days of the bone cleaning process. Using maggots was the most time-effective and costeffective method, achieving an average weight reduction of 1.4 gm per day, a median of 11.3 days to achieve the desired score and an average cost of MYR 4.10 per case to reach the desired score within 12 days. This conclusion was supported by blind validation by forensic specialists achieving a 77.8% preference for maggots. Emission scanning electron microscopy evaluation also revealed that maggots especially Chrysomyia rufifacies preserved the original condition of the bones better allowing improved elucidation of bone injuries in future real cases.

Clinical, Pathological, and Surgical Outcomes for Adult Pineoblastomas.

PubMed

Gener, Melissa A; Conger, Andrew R; Van Gompel, Jamie; Ariai, Mohammad S; Jentoft, Mark; Meyer, Fredric B; Cardinal, Jeremy S; Bonnin, José M; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A

2015-12-01

Pineoblastomas are uncommon primitive neuroectodermal tumors that occur mostly in children; they are exceedingly rare in adults. Few published reports have compared the various aspects of these tumors between adults and children. The authors report a series of 12 pineoblastomas in adults from 2 institutions over 24 years. The clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features and clinical outcomes were compared with previously reported cases in children and adults. Patient age ranged from 24 to 81 years, and all but 1 patient exhibited symptoms of obstructive hydrocephalus. Three patients underwent gross total resection, and subtotal resection was performed in 3 patients. Diagnostic biopsy specimens were obtained in an additional 6 patients. Pathologically, the tumors had the classical morphologic and immunohistochemical features of pineoblastomas. Postoperatively, 10 patients received radiotherapy, and 5 patients received chemotherapy. Compared with previously reported cases, several differences were noted in clinical outcomes. Of the 12 patients, only 5 (42%) died of their disease (average length of survival, 118 months); 5 patients (42%) are alive with no evidence of disease (average length of follow-up, 92 months). One patient died of unrelated causes, and one was lost to follow-up. Patients with subtotal resections or diagnostic biopsies did not suffer a worse prognosis. Of the 9 patients with biopsy or subtotal resection, 4 are alive, 4 died of their disease, and 1 died of an unrelated hemorrhagic cerebral infarction. Although this series is small, the data suggest that pineoblastomas in adults have a less aggressive clinical course than in children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microclimatic Divergence in a Mediterranean Canyon Affects Richness, Composition, and Body Size in Saproxylic Beetle Assemblages.

PubMed

Buse, Jörn; Fassbender, Samuel; Entling, Martin H; Pavlicek, Tomas

2015-01-01

Large valleys with opposing slopes may act as a model system with which the effects of strong climatic gradients on biodiversity can be evaluated. The advantage of such comparisons is that the impact of a change of climate can be studied on the same species pool without the need to consider regional differences. The aim of this study was to compare the assemblage of saproxylic beetles on such opposing slopes at Lower Nahal Oren, Mt. Carmel, Israel (also known as "Evolution Canyon") with a 200-800% higher solar radiation on the south-facing (SFS) compared to the north-facing slope (NFS). We tested specific hypotheses of species richness patterns, assemblage structure, and body size resulting from interslope differences in microclimate. Fifteen flight-interception traps per slope were distributed over three elevation levels ranging from 50 to 100 m a.s.l. Richness of saproxylic beetles was on average 34% higher on the SFS compared with the NFS, with no detected influence of elevation levels. Both assemblage structure and average body size were determined by slope aspect, with more small-bodied beetles found on the SFS. Both the increase in species richness and the higher prevalence of small species on the SFS reflect ecological rules present on larger spatial grain (species-energy hypothesis and community body size shift hypothesis), and both can be explained by the metabolic theory of ecology. This is encouraging for the complementary use of micro- and macroclimatic gradients to study impacts of climate warming on biodiversity.

The Airline Quality Rating 2004

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, Mary M. (Editor); Bowen, Brent D.; Headley, Dean E.

2004-01-01

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) was developed and first announced in early 1991 as an objective method of comparing airline quality on combined multiple performance criteria. This current report, the Airline Quality Rating 2004, reflects monthly Airline Quality Rating scores for 2003. AQR scores for the calendar year 2003 are based on 15 elements in four major areas that focus on airline performance aspects important to air travel consumers. The Airline Quality Rating 2004 is a summary of month-by-month quality ratings for U.S. airlines that have at least 1 % of domestic passenger volume during 2003. Using the Airline Quality Rating system of weighted averages and monthly performance data in the areas of on-time arrivals, involuntary denied boardings, mishandled baggage, and a combination of 12 customer complaint categories, airlines comparative performance for the calendar year of 2003 is reported. This research monograph contains a brief summary of the AQR methodology, detailed data and charts that track comparative quality for domestic airline operations for the 12-month period of 2003, and industry results. Also, comparative Airline Quality Rating data for 2002 are included, where available, to provide historical perspective regarding performance quality in the industry.

Electric cars. Advantages and disadvantages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gelmanova, Z. S.; Zhabalova, G. G.; Sivyakova, G. A.; Lelikova, O. N.; Onishchenko, O. N.; Smailova, A. A.; Kamarova, S. N.

2018-05-01

The article considers the positive and negative aspects of the use of electric vehicles. A rough calculation of the energy efficiency and average cost per month was made. Also priorities to avoid the existing problems in the market of electric vehicles were set.

Characteristics of flow and reactive pollutant dispersion in urban street canyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Soo-Jin; Kim, Jae-Jin; Kim, Minjoong J.; Park, Rokjin J.; Cheong, Hyeong-Bin

2015-05-01

In this study, the effects of aspect ratio defined as the ratio of building height to street width on the dispersion of reactive pollutants in street canyons were investigated using a coupled CFD-chemistry model. Flow characteristics for different aspect ratios were analyzed first. For each aspect ratio, six emission scenarios with different VOC-NOX ratios were considered. One vortex was generated when the aspect ratio was less than 1.6 (shallow street canyon). When the aspect ratio was greater than 1.6 (deep street canyon), two vortices were formed in the street canyons. Comparing to previous studies on two-dimensional street canyons, the vortex center is slanted toward the upwind building and reverse and downward flows are dominant in street canyons. Near the street bottom, there is a marked difference in flow pattern between in shallow and deep street canyons. Near the street bottom, reverse and downward flows are dominant in shallow street canyon and flow convergence exists near the center of the deep street canyons, which induces a large difference in the NOX and O3 dispersion patterns in the street canyons. NOX concentrations are high near the street bottom and decreases with height. The O3 concentrations are low at high NO concentrations near the street bottom because of NO titration. At a low VOC-NOX ratio, the NO concentrations are sufficiently high to destroy large amount of O3 by titration, resulting in an O3 concentration in the street canyon much lower than the background concentration. At high VOC-NOX ratios, a small amount of O3 is destroyed by NO titration in the lower layer of the street canyons. However, in the upper layer, O3 is formed through the photolysis of NO2 by VOC degradation reactions. As the aspect ratio increases, NOX (O3) concentrations averaged over the street canyons decrease (increase) in the shallow street canyons. This is because outward flow becomes strong and NOX flux toward the outsides of the street canyons increases, resulting in less NO titration. In the deep street canyons, outward flow becomes weak and outward NOX flux decreases, resulting in an increase (decrease) in NOX (O3) concentration.

Job satisfaction of Department of Veterans Affairs peer mental health providers.

PubMed

Chang, Bei-Hung; Mueller, Lisa; Resnick, Sandra G; Osatuke, Katerine; Eisen, Susan V

2016-03-01

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) peer specialists and vocational rehabilitation specialists are Veterans employed in mental health services to help other Veterans with similar histories and experiences. Study objectives were to (a) examine job satisfaction among these employees, (b) compare them to other VA mental health workers, and (c) identify factors associated with job satisfaction across the 3 cohorts. The study sample included 152 VA-employed peer specialists and 222 vocational rehabilitation specialists. A comparison group included 460 VA employees from the same job categories. All participants completed the Job Satisfaction Index (11 aspects and overall satisfaction ratings). Linear regression was used to compare job satisfaction and identify its predictors among the 3 cohorts. Job satisfaction was fairly high, averaging "somewhat satisfied" to "very satisfied" in 6 (peer specialists) and 9 (vocational rehabilitation specialists) of the 11 aspects and overall job ratings. Adjusting for length of employment, age and gender resulted in no significant group differences with 2 exceptions: White peer specialists were less satisfied with pay and promotion opportunities than vocational rehabilitation specialists and comparison-group employees. Across all cohorts, shorter length of time employed in the job was associated with higher job satisfaction. The high job satisfaction levels among the 2 peer cohorts suggest support for the policy of hiring peer specialists in the VA. Furthermore, the results are consistent with those of the nonveteran samples, indicating that integrating peer providers into mental health care is possible in VA and non-VA settings. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Consumer preferences for teledermoscopy screening to detect melanoma early.

PubMed

Spinks, Jean; Janda, Monika; Soyer, H Peter; Whitty, Jennifer A

2016-01-01

'Store and forward' teledermoscopy is a technology with potential advantages for melanoma screening. Any large-scale implementation of this technology is dependent on consumer acceptance. To investigate preferences for melanoma screening options compared with skin self-examination in adults considered to be at increased risk of developing skin cancer. A discrete choice experiment was completed by 35 consumers, all of whom had prior experience with the use of teledermoscopy, in Queensland, Australia. Participants made 12 choices between screening alternatives described by seven attributes including monetary cost. A mixed logit model was used to estimate the relative weights that consumers place on different aspects of screening, along with the marginal willingness to pay for teledermoscopy as opposed to screening at a clinic. Overall, participants preferred screening/diagnosis by a health professional rather than skin self-examination. Key drivers of screening choice were for results to be reviewed by a dermatologist; a higher detection rate; fewer non-cancerous moles being removed in relation to every skin cancer detected; and less time spent away from usual activities. On average, participants were willing to pay AUD110 to have teledermoscopy with dermatologist review available to them as a screening option. Consumers preferentially value aspects of care that are more feasible with a teledermoscopy screening model, as compared with other skin cancer screening and diagnosis options. This study adds to previous literature in the area which has relied on the use of consumer satisfaction scales to assess the acceptability of teledermoscopy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Comparing lumbo-pelvic kinematics in people with and without back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Clinicians commonly examine posture and movement in people with the belief that correcting dysfunctional movement may reduce pain. If dysfunctional movement is to be accurately identified, clinicians should know what constitutes normal movement and how this differs in people with low back pain (LBP). This systematic review examined studies that compared biomechanical aspects of lumbo-pelvic movement in people with and without LBP. Methods MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, EMBASE, AMI, CINAHL, Scopus, AMED, ISI Web of Science were searched from inception until January 2014 for relevant studies. Studies had to compare adults with and without LBP using skin surface measurement techniques to measure lumbo-pelvic posture or movement. Two reviewers independently applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, and identified and extracted data. Standardised mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for group differences between people with and without LBP, and where possible, meta-analyses were performed. Within-group variability in all measurements was also compared. Results The search identified 43 eligible studies. Compared to people without LBP, on average, people with LBP display: (i) no difference in lordosis angle (8 studies), (ii) reduced lumbar ROM (19 studies), (iii) no difference in lumbar relative to hip contribution to end-range flexion (4 studies), (iv) no difference in standing pelvic tilt angle (3 studies), (v) slower movement (8 studies), and (vi) reduced proprioception (17 studies). Movement variability appeared greater for people with LBP for flexion, lateral flexion and rotation ROM, and movement speed, but not for other movement characteristics. Considerable heterogeneity exists between studies, including a lack of detail or standardization between studies on the criteria used to define participants as people with LBP (cases) or without LBP (controls). Conclusions On average, people with LBP have reduced lumbar ROM and proprioception, and move more slowly compared to people without LBP. Whether these deficits exist prior to LBP onset is unknown. PMID:25012528

Eye movements during visual search in patients with glaucoma

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Glaucoma has been shown to lead to disability in many daily tasks including visual search. This study aims to determine whether the saccadic eye movements of people with glaucoma differ from those of people with normal vision, and to investigate the association between eye movements and impaired visual search. Methods Forty patients (mean age: 67 [SD: 9] years) with a range of glaucomatous visual field (VF) defects in both eyes (mean best eye mean deviation [MD]: –5.9 (SD: 5.4) dB) and 40 age-related people with normal vision (mean age: 66 [SD: 10] years) were timed as they searched for a series of target objects in computer displayed photographs of real world scenes. Eye movements were simultaneously recorded using an eye tracker. Average number of saccades per second, average saccade amplitude and average search duration across trials were recorded. These response variables were compared with measurements of VF and contrast sensitivity. Results The average rate of saccades made by the patient group was significantly smaller than the number made by controls during the visual search task (P = 0.02; mean reduction of 5.6% (95% CI: 0.1 to 10.4%). There was no difference in average saccade amplitude between the patients and the controls (P = 0.09). Average number of saccades was weakly correlated with aspects of visual function, with patients with worse contrast sensitivity (PR logCS; Spearman’s rho: 0.42; P = 0.006) and more severe VF defects (best eye MD; Spearman’s rho: 0.34; P = 0.037) tending to make less eye movements during the task. Average detection time in the search task was associated with the average rate of saccades in the patient group (Spearman’s rho = −0.65; P < 0.001) but this was not apparent in the controls. Conclusions The average rate of saccades made during visual search by this group of patients was fewer than those made by people with normal vision of a similar average age. There was wide variability in saccade rate in the patients but there was an association between an increase in this measure and better performance in the search task. Assessment of eye movements in individuals with glaucoma might provide insight into the functional deficits of the disease. PMID:22937814

Secondary flow in turbulent ducts with increasing aspect ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinuesa, R.; Schlatter, P.; Nagib, H. M.

2018-05-01

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent duct flows with aspect ratios 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 14.4 at a center-plane friction Reynolds number Reτ,c≃180 , and aspect ratios 1 and 3 at Reτ,c≃360 , were carried out with the spectral-element code nek5000. The aim of these simulations is to gain insight into the kinematics and dynamics of Prandtl's secondary flow of the second kind and its impact on the flow physics of wall-bounded turbulence. The secondary flow is characterized in terms of the cross-plane component of the mean kinetic energy, and its variation in the spanwise direction of the flow. Our results show that averaging times of around 3000 convective time units (based on duct half-height h ) are required to reach a converged state of the secondary flow, which extends up to a spanwise distance of around ≃5 h measured from the side walls. We also show that if the duct is not wide enough to accommodate the whole extent of the secondary flow, then its structure is modified as reflected through a different spanwise distribution of energy. Another confirmation of the extent of the secondary flow is the decay rate of kinetic energy of any remnant secondary motions for zc/h >5 (where zc is the spanwise distance from the corner) in aspect ratios 7, 10, and 14.4, which exhibits a decreasing level of energy with increasing averaging time ta, and in its rapid rate of decay given by ˜ta-1 . This is the same rate of decay observed in a spanwise-periodic channel simulation, which suggests that at the core, the kinetic energy of the secondary flow integrated over the cross-sectional area, , behaves as a random variable with zero mean, with rate of decay consistent with central limit theorem. Long-time averages of statistics in a region of rectangular ducts extending about the width of a well-designed channel simulation (i.e., extending about ≃3 h on each side of the center plane) indicate that ducts or experimental facilities with aspect ratios larger than 10 may, if properly designed, exhibit good agreement with results obtained from spanwise-periodic channel computations.

Workplace Math I: Easing into Math.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Nancy; Goschen, Claire

This basic skills learning module includes instruction in performing basic computations, using general numerical concepts such as whole numbers, fractions, decimals, averages, ratios, proportions, percentages, and equivalents in practical situations. The problems are relevant to all aspects of the printing and manufacturing industry, with emphasis…

Assessment of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Traumatic Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-11-01

be used in the diagnosis of patients with hydrocephalus symptoms or shunt malfunctions (Czosnyka et al. 2004). The frequency dependent aspects of...patients with normotensive hydrocephalus , are particularly important. Fig. 9. The values of wavelet gain and synchronization index, averaged over the

What is "good reasoning" about global warming? A comparison of high school students and specialists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Stephen Thomas

This study compares the knowledge and reasoning about global warming of 10 twelfth grade students and 6 specialists, including scientists and policy analysts. The study uses global warming as a context for addressing the broad objective of formulating goals for scientific literacy. Subjects evaluated a set of articles about global warming and evaluated policies proposed to ameliorate global warming, including a gasoline tax and a "feebate" system of fees and rebates on automobiles. All students and one scientist participated in a full treatment involving interviews and activities with a computer program (discussed below), averaging about 3.75 hours. In addition, five specialists participated in interviews only, averaging one hour. One line of analysis focuses on knowledge content, examining how subjects applied perspectives from both natural and social sciences. This analysis is positioned as an empirical component to the movement to develop content standards for science education, as exemplified by the recommendations of Science for All Americans (SFAA). Some aspects of competent performance in the present study hinged upon knowledge and skills advocated by SFAA (e.g., fluency with themes of science such as scale). Other aspects involved such skills as evaluating economic interests behind a scientific argument in the media or considering hidden costs in a policy area. By characterizing a range of approaches to how students and specialists performed the experimental tasks, the present study affords a view of scientific literacy not possible without this type of information. Another line of analysis investigates a measure of coherent argumentation from a computer program, Convince Me, in relation to policy reasoning. The program is based on a connectionist model, ECHO. Subjects used the program to create arguments about the aforementioned policies. The study compares Convince Me's Model's Fit argumentation measure to other measures, including ratings of 6 human judges about the quality of the arguments, a measure of the stability of subjects' views, and the number of statements in subjects' arguments. The pattern of significant correlations among several of these measures, plus interview findings, help to clarify cognitive and educational issues involved with using Convince Me (or related programs) in this area.

Music and Sound in Time Processing of Children with ADHD

PubMed Central

Carrer, Luiz Rogério Jorgensen

2015-01-01

ADHD involves cognitive and behavioral aspects with impairments in many environments of children and their families’ lives. Music, with its playful, spontaneous, affective, motivational, temporal, and rhythmic dimensions can be of great help for studying the aspects of time processing in ADHD. In this article, we studied time processing with simple sounds and music in children with ADHD with the hypothesis that children with ADHD have a different performance when compared with children with normal development in tasks of time estimation and production. The main objective was to develop sound and musical tasks to evaluate and correlate the performance of children with ADHD, with and without methylphenidate, compared to a control group with typical development. The study involved 36 participants of age 6–14 years, recruited at NANI-UNIFESP/SP, subdivided into three groups with 12 children in each. Data was collected through a musical keyboard using Logic Audio Software 9.0 on the computer that recorded the participant’s performance in the tasks. Tasks were divided into sections: spontaneous time production, time estimation with simple sounds, and time estimation with music. Results: (1) performance of ADHD groups in temporal estimation of simple sounds in short time intervals (30 ms) were statistically lower than that of control group (p < 0.05); (2) in the task comparing musical excerpts of the same duration (7 s), ADHD groups considered the tracks longer when the musical notes had longer durations, while in the control group, the duration was related to the density of musical notes in the track. The positive average performance observed in the three groups in most tasks perhaps indicates the possibility that music can, in some way, positively modulate the symptoms of inattention in ADHD. PMID:26441688

Music and Sound in Time Processing of Children with ADHD.

PubMed

Carrer, Luiz Rogério Jorgensen

2015-01-01

ADHD involves cognitive and behavioral aspects with impairments in many environments of children and their families' lives. Music, with its playful, spontaneous, affective, motivational, temporal, and rhythmic dimensions can be of great help for studying the aspects of time processing in ADHD. In this article, we studied time processing with simple sounds and music in children with ADHD with the hypothesis that children with ADHD have a different performance when compared with children with normal development in tasks of time estimation and production. The main objective was to develop sound and musical tasks to evaluate and correlate the performance of children with ADHD, with and without methylphenidate, compared to a control group with typical development. The study involved 36 participants of age 6-14 years, recruited at NANI-UNIFESP/SP, subdivided into three groups with 12 children in each. Data was collected through a musical keyboard using Logic Audio Software 9.0 on the computer that recorded the participant's performance in the tasks. Tasks were divided into sections: spontaneous time production, time estimation with simple sounds, and time estimation with music. (1) performance of ADHD groups in temporal estimation of simple sounds in short time intervals (30 ms) were statistically lower than that of control group (p < 0.05); (2) in the task comparing musical excerpts of the same duration (7 s), ADHD groups considered the tracks longer when the musical notes had longer durations, while in the control group, the duration was related to the density of musical notes in the track. The positive average performance observed in the three groups in most tasks perhaps indicates the possibility that music can, in some way, positively modulate the symptoms of inattention in ADHD.

A Comparative Study of the Influence of Sugars Sucrose, Trehalose, and Maltose on the Hydration and Diffusion of DMPC Lipid Bilayer at Complete Hydration: Investigation of Structural and Spectroscopic Aspect of Lipid-Sugar Interaction.

PubMed

Roy, Arpita; Dutta, Rupam; Kundu, Niloy; Banik, Debasis; Sarkar, Nilmoni

2016-05-24

It is well-known that sugars protect membrane structures against fusion and leakage. Here, we have investigated the interaction between different sugars (sucrose, trehalose, and maltose) and phospholipid membrane of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phoshpocholine (DMPC) using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and other various spectroscopic techniques. DLS measurement reveals that the addition of sugar molecule results a significant increase of the average diameter of DMPC membrane. We have also noticed that in the presence of different sugars the rotational relaxation and solvation time of coumarin 480 (C480) and coumarin 153 (C153) surrounding DMPC membrane increases, suggesting a marked reduction of the hydration behavior at the surface of phospholipid membrane. In addition, we have also investigated the effect of sugar molecules on the lateral mobility of phospholipids. Interestingly, the relative increase in rotational, solvation and lateral diffusion is more prominent for C480 than that of C153 because of their different location in lipid bilayer. It is because of preferential location of comparatively hydrophilic probe C480 in the interfacial region of the lipid bilayer. Sugars intercalate with the phospholipid headgroup through hydrogen bonding and replace smaller sized water molecules from the membrane surface. Therefore, overall, we have monitored a comparative analysis regarding the interaction of different sugar molecules (sucrose, trehalose, and maltose) with the DMPC membrane through DLS, TEM, solvation dynamics, time-resolved anisotropy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) measurements to explore the structural and spectroscopic aspect of lipid-sugar interaction.

Quantification aspects of constant pressure (ultra) high pressure liquid chromatography using mass-sensitive detectors with a nebulizing interface.

PubMed

Verstraeten, M; Broeckhoven, K; Lynen, F; Choikhet, K; Landt, K; Dittmann, M; Witt, K; Sandra, P; Desmet, G

2013-01-25

The present contribution investigates the quantitation aspects of mass-sensitive detectors with nebulizing interface (ESI-MSD, ELSD, CAD) in the constant pressure gradient elution mode. In this operation mode, the pressure is controlled and maintained at a set value and the liquid flow rate will vary according to the inverse mobile phase viscosity. As the pressure is continuously kept at the allowable maximum during the entire gradient run, the average liquid flow rate is higher compared to that in the conventional constant flow rate operation mode, thus shortening the analysis time. The following three mass-sensitive detectors were investigated: mass spectrometry detector (MS), evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) and charged aerosol detector (CAD) and a wide variety of samples (phenones, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, wine, cocoa butter) has been considered. It was found that the nebulizing efficiency of the LC-interfaces of the three detectors under consideration changes with the increasing liquid flow rate. For the MS, the increasing flow rate leads to a lower peak area whereas for the ELSD the peak area increases compared to the constant flow rate mode. The peak area obtained with a CAD is rather insensitive to the liquid flow rate. The reproducibility of the peak area remains similar in both modes, although variation in system permeability compromises the 'long-term' reproducibility. This problem can however be overcome by running a flow rate program with an optimized flow rate and composition profile obtained from the constant pressure mode. In this case, the quantification remains reproducibile, despite any occuring variations of the system permeability. Furthermore, the same fragmentation pattern (MS) has been found in the constant pressure mode compared to the customary constant flow rate mode. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A survey on gastroenterology training in Europe

PubMed Central

Bisschops, R; Wilmer, A; Tack, J

2002-01-01

Background: Specialist training in gastroenterology and hepatology is not standardised in different European countries. Aim: The aim of this survey was to assess the different teaching and socioeconomic aspects of training programmes in Europe. Methods: Seventy questionnaires were distributed to last year trainees or newly graduated gastroenterologists. Forty two respondents (60%) from 34 major training centres in 10 different European countries replied. Results: Overall, the data revealed major diversity for all aspects analysed, between and within the different European countries. Both the duration of training (range 4–10.4 years) and workload (range 48.5–89.2 hours per week) differed markedly between countries. The average number of endoscopic procedures (gastroscopies, range 300–2600; colonoscopies, range 73–550; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies, range 1–385) differed also. One third of last year trainees reported that they felt uncertain in some endoscopic procedure. The European trainee was on call for 5–6 nights a month on average (range 1–8). Monthly wages differed considerably between countries, ranging from 767 to 2180 Euro. Conclusion: We found major differences in the professional aspects and socioeconomic conditions of gastroenterologist/hepatologist training in 10 different European countries, probably leading to differences in quality of training. In several countries or centres the average number of procedures was below the threshold issued by the European Board of Gastroenterlogy or the American Gastroenterological Association. Issuing a European diploma for gastroenterology is a valuable effort towards meeting this problem. Further studies are needed to re-evaluate the training programmes in Europe and to define threshold numbers and technical end points for assessment of endoscopic skills. PMID:11950824

Effects of ocean acidification on the dissolution rates of reef-coral skeletons.

PubMed

van Woesik, Robert; van Woesik, Kelly; van Woesik, Liana; van Woesik, Sandra

2013-01-01

Ocean acidification threatens the foundation of tropical coral reefs. This study investigated three aspects of ocean acidification: (i) the rates at which perforate and imperforate coral-colony skeletons passively dissolve when pH is 7.8, which is predicted to occur globally by 2100, (ii) the rates of passive dissolution of corals with respect to coral-colony surface areas, and (iii) the comparative rates of a vertical reef-growth model, incorporating passive dissolution rates, and predicted sea-level rise. By 2100, when the ocean pH is expected to be 7.8, perforate Montipora coral skeletons will lose on average 15 kg CaCO3 m(-2) y(-1), which is approximately -10.5 mm of vertical reduction of reef framework per year. This rate of passive dissolution is higher than the average rate of reef growth over the last several millennia and suggests that reefs composed of perforate Montipora coral skeletons will have trouble keeping up with sea-level rise under ocean acidification. Reefs composed of primarily imperforate coral skeletons will not likely dissolve as rapidly, but our model shows they will also have trouble keeping up with sea-level rise by 2050.

Quantifying Nucleic Acid Ensembles with X-ray Scattering Interferometry.

PubMed

Shi, Xuesong; Bonilla, Steve; Herschlag, Daniel; Harbury, Pehr

2015-01-01

The conformational ensemble of a macromolecule is the complete description of the macromolecule's solution structures and can reveal important aspects of macromolecular folding, recognition, and function. However, most experimental approaches determine an average or predominant structure, or follow transitions between states that each can only be described by an average structure. Ensembles have been extremely difficult to experimentally characterize. We present the unique advantages and capabilities of a new biophysical technique, X-ray scattering interferometry (XSI), for probing and quantifying structural ensembles. XSI measures the interference of scattered waves from two heavy metal probes attached site specifically to a macromolecule. A Fourier transform of the interference pattern gives the fractional abundance of different probe separations directly representing the multiple conformation states populated by the macromolecule. These probe-probe distance distributions can then be used to define the structural ensemble of the macromolecule. XSI provides accurate, calibrated distance in a model-independent fashion with angstrom scale sensitivity in distances. XSI data can be compared in a straightforward manner to atomic coordinates determined experimentally or predicted by molecular dynamics simulations. We describe the conceptual framework for XSI and provide a detailed protocol for carrying out an XSI experiment. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Real-Time Neural Signals Decoding onto Off-the-Shelf DSP Processors for Neuroprosthetic Applications.

PubMed

Pani, Danilo; Barabino, Gianluca; Citi, Luca; Meloni, Paolo; Raspopovic, Stanisa; Micera, Silvestro; Raffo, Luigi

2016-09-01

The control of upper limb neuroprostheses through the peripheral nervous system (PNS) can allow restoring motor functions in amputees. At present, the important aspect of the real-time implementation of neural decoding algorithms on embedded systems has been often overlooked, notwithstanding the impact that limited hardware resources have on the efficiency/effectiveness of any given algorithm. Present study is addressing the optimization of a template matching based algorithm for PNS signals decoding that is a milestone for its real-time, full implementation onto a floating-point digital signal processor (DSP). The proposed optimized real-time algorithm achieves up to 96% of correct classification on real PNS signals acquired through LIFE electrodes on animals, and can correctly sort spikes of a synthetic cortical dataset with sufficiently uncorrelated spike morphologies (93% average correct classification) comparably to the results obtained with top spike sorter (94% on average on the same dataset). The power consumption enables more than 24 h processing at the maximum load, and latency model has been derived to enable a fair performance assessment. The final embodiment demonstrates the real-time performance onto a low-power off-the-shelf DSP, opening to experiments exploiting the efferent signals to control a motor neuroprosthesis.

Energy use and recovery in waste management and implications for accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions.

PubMed

Fruergaard, Thilde; Astrup, Tomas; Ekvall, Thomas

2009-11-01

The energy system plays an essential role in accounting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste management systems and waste technologies. This paper focuses on energy use and energy recovery in waste management and outlines how these aspects should be addressed consistently in a GHG perspective. Essential GHG emission data for the most common fuels, electricity and heat are provided. Average data on electricity provision show large variations from country to country due to different fuels being used and different efficiencies for electricity production in the individual countries (0.007-1.13 kg CO(2)-eq. kWh(-1)). Marginal data on electricity provision show even larger variations (0.004-3 kg CO(2)-eq. kWh( -1)). Somewhat less variation in GHG emissions is being found for heat production (0.01-0.69 kg CO(2)-eq. kWh( -1)). The paper further addresses allocation principles and the importance of applying either average or marginal energy data, and it discusses the consequences of introducing reduction targets on CO( 2) emissions. All discussed aspects were found to significantly affect the outcome of GHG accounts suggesting transparent reporting to be critical. Recommendations for use of average/marginal energy data are provided.

Anisometric Particle Systems—from Shape Characterization to Suspension Rheology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregorová, Eva; Pabst, Willi; Vaněrková, Lucie

2009-06-01

Methods for the characterization of anisometric particle systems are discussed. For prolate particles, the aspect ratio determination via microscopic image analysis is recalled, and aspect ratio distributions as well as shape-size dependences are commented upon. For oblate particles a simple relation is recalled with can be used to determine an average aspect ratio when size distributions are available from two methods, typically from sedimentation analysis and laser diffraction. The connection between particle shape (aspect ratio) and suspension rheology is outlined and it is shown how a generic procedure, based on Brenner's theory, can be applied to predict the intrinsic viscosity when the aspect ratio is known. On the other hand it is shown, how information on the intrinsic viscosity and the critical solids volume fraction can be extracted from experiments, when the measured concentration dependence of the effective suspension viscosity is adequately interpreted (using the Krieger relation for fitting). The examples mentioned in this paper include systems with oblate or prolate ceramic particles (kaolins, pyrophyllite, wollastonite, silicon carbide) as well as (prolate) pharmaceuticals (mesalamine, ibuprofen, nifuroxazide, paracetamol).

Visualization of Secondary Flow Development in High Aspect Ratio Channels with Curvature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Michael L.; Giuliani, James E.

1994-01-01

The results of an experimental project to visually examine the secondary flow structure that develops in curved, high aspect-ratio rectangular channels are presented. The results provide insight into the fluid dynamics within high aspect ratio channels. A water flow test rig constructed out of plexiglass, with an adjustable aspect ratio, was used for these experiments. Results were obtained for a channel geometry with a hydraulic diameter of 10.6 mm (0.417 in.), an aspect ratio of 5.0, and a hydraulic radius to curvature radius ratio of 0.0417. Flow conditions were varied to achieve Reynolds numbers up to 5,100. A new particle imaging velocimetry technique was developed which could resolve velocity information from particles entering and leaving the field of view. Time averaged secondary flow velocity vectors, obtained using this velocimetry technique, are presented for 30 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees into a 180 degrees bend and at a Reynolds number of 5,100. The secondary flow results suggest the coexistence of both the classical curvature induced vortex pair flow structure and the eddies seen in straight turbulent channel flow.

Morphological evolution of the southwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey since the early 2000s: medium- vs. short-term changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LiBassi, Nick; Özener, Haluk; Otay, Emre; Doğru, Aslı

2018-06-01

Coastal zones are in a state of continual flux worldwide, due in part to seasonal factors and in part to influences operating over longer periods of time. Discerning changes on different timescales remains a challenge. This study compares shoreline position and nearshore bathymetry over a time interval of 16 years in order to determine the extent of medium-term changes in comparison with short-term changes along the southwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey near Kilyos. For this purpose the results of surveys completed in 2001 and 2002 are compared with data collected in December 2015, September 2016, and March 2017 at the same location using a differential global positioning system (DGPS) in real-time kinematic (RTK) configuration combined with echo-sounder profiling. Average shoreline recession over the 16-year period (medium term) has been estimated at 3-4 cm/year as opposed to an average of 9.5 m in the 12-month period from June 2001 to June 2002 (short term). The medium-term nearshore sediment loss has been approx. 100-125 m3/m shoreline since the early 2000s. Over the same period a prominent offshore bar has moved seaward at a maximum rate of 1 m/year since 2002. Considering the large discrepancy in the shoreline recession rates recorded in the short and medium term, this aspect must be taken into account in any integrated coastal zone management strategy.

Morphological evolution of the southwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey since the early 2000s: medium- vs. short-term changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LiBassi, Nick; Özener, Haluk; Otay, Emre; Doğru, Aslı

2017-12-01

Coastal zones are in a state of continual flux worldwide, due in part to seasonal factors and in part to influences operating over longer periods of time. Discerning changes on different timescales remains a challenge. This study compares shoreline position and nearshore bathymetry over a time interval of 16 years in order to determine the extent of medium-term changes in comparison with short-term changes along the southwestern Black Sea coast of Turkey near Kilyos. For this purpose the results of surveys completed in 2001 and 2002 are compared with data collected in December 2015, September 2016, and March 2017 at the same location using a differential global positioning system (DGPS) in real-time kinematic (RTK) configuration combined with echo-sounder profiling. Average shoreline recession over the 16-year period (medium term) has been estimated at 3-4 cm/year as opposed to an average of 9.5 m in the 12-month period from June 2001 to June 2002 (short term). The medium-term nearshore sediment loss has been approx. 100-125 m3/m shoreline since the early 2000s. Over the same period a prominent offshore bar has moved seaward at a maximum rate of 1 m/year since 2002. Considering the large discrepancy in the shoreline recession rates recorded in the short and medium term, this aspect must be taken into account in any integrated coastal zone management strategy.

Large eddy simulation on Rayleigh–Bénard convection of cold water in the neighborhood of the maximum density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xiao-Jie; Zhang, Li; Hu, Yu-Peng; Li, You-Rong

2018-06-01

In order to understand the effect of the Rayleigh number, the density inversion phenomenon and the aspect ratio on the flow patterns and the heat transfer characteristics of Rayleigh–Bénard convection of cold water in the neighborhood of the maximum density, a series of large eddy simulations are conducted by using the finite volume method. The Rayleigh number ranges between 106 and 109, the density inversion parameter and the aspect ratio are varied from 0 to 0.9 and from 0.4 to 2.5, respectively. The results indicate that the reversal of the large scale circulation (LSC) occurs with the increase of the Rayleigh number. When there exists a density inversion phenomenon, the key driver for the LSC is hot plumes. When the density inversion parameter is large enough, a stagnant region is found near the top of the container as the hot plumes cannot move to the top wall. The flow pattern structures depend mainly on the aspect ratio. When the aspect ratio is small, the rolls are vertically stacked and the flow keeps on switching among different flow states. For a moderate aspect ratio, different long-lived roll states coexist at a fixed aspect ratio. For a larger aspect ratio, the flow state is everlasting. The number of rolls increases with the increase of the aspect ratio. Furthermore, the aspect ratio has only slight influence on the time averaged Nusselt number for all density inversion parameters.

Entropy/information flux in Hawking radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alonso-Serrano, Ana; Visser, Matt

2018-01-01

Blackbody radiation contains (on average) an entropy of 3.9 ± 2.5 bits per photon. If the emission process is unitary, then this entropy is exactly compensated by "hidden information" in the correlations. We extend this argument to the Hawking radiation from GR black holes, demonstrating that the assumption of unitarity leads to a perfectly reasonable entropy/information budget. The key technical aspect of our calculation is a variant of the "average subsystem" approach developed by Page, which we extend beyond bipartite pure systems, to a tripartite pure system that considers the influence of the environment.

A numerical analysis of the British Experimental Rotor Program blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duque, Earl P. N.

1989-01-01

Two Computational Fluid Dynamic codes which solve the compressible full-potential and the Reynolds-Averaged Thin-Layer Navier-Stokes equations were used to analyze the nonrotating aerodynamic characteristics of the British Experimental Rotor Program (BERP) helicopter blade at three flow regimes: low angle of attack, high angle of attack and transonic. Excellent agreement was found between the numerical results and experiment. In the low angle of attack regime, the BERP had less induced drag than a comparable aspect ratio rectangular planform wing. At high angle of attack, the blade attained high-lift by maintaining attached flow at the outermost spanwise locations. In the transonic regime, the BERP design reduces the shock strength at the outer spanwise locations which affects wave drag and shock-induced separation. Overall, the BERP blade exhibited many favorable aerodynamic characteristics in comparison to conventional helicopter rotor blades.

Self-regulated learning and self-directed study in a pre-college sample

PubMed Central

Abar, Beau; Loken, Eric

2009-01-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a multi-dimensional construct that has been difficult to operationalize using traditional, variable-centered methodologies. The current paper takes a person-centered approach to the study of SRL in a sample of 205 high-school students. Using latent profile analysis on self-reports of seven aspects of SRL, three groups were identified: high SRL, low SRL, and average SRL. Student self-reports of goal orientation were used as validation for the profile solution, with the high academic self- regulation group reporting the highest levels of mastery orientation while the low self-regulation group reported highest levels of avoidant orientation. Profiles were also compared on independently collected, behavioral measures of study behaviors, with the highly self-regulated group tending to study more material and for a longer time than less self-regulated individuals. PMID:20161484

[Nursing team knowledge on behavioral assessment of pain in critical care patients].

PubMed

Souza, Regina Cláudia Silva; Garcia, Dayse Maioli; Sanches, Mariana Bucci; Gallo, Andréa Maria Alice; Martins, Cassia Pimenta Barufi; Siqueira, Ivana Lúcia Correa Pimentel

2013-09-01

This investigation consisted on a prospective cross-sectional study that aimed to describe the nursing team knowledge on behavioral assessment of pain. The study was conducted in a private hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil in November 2011, with nursing professionals from a general adult intensive care unit. They answered a questionnaire that contained sociodemographic data and questions related to knowledge about a behavioral assessment of pain. Descriptive data analysis was carried out and the average positive score was compared among categories using the Mann-Whitney test. Out of the 113 participants, over 70% have demonstrated knowledge of the main aspects of this assessment and there was no statistical significant difference among the professional categories. It was concluded that the knowledge of the professionals was satisfactory, but it can be improved.

[Evolutive particularities of appendicular plastron in children].

PubMed

Sabetay, C; Maloş, Anca; Ciobanu, O; Ciucă, M; Kamel, J; Zavate, A; Stoica, A; Cârstoiu, E; Purcaru, I; Sabetay, Eva

2008-01-01

This paper analyses the experience of the Paediatric Surgery Department from the Emergency Hospital in Craiova regarding the clinical and therapeutical evaluation of 55 cases with appendicular plastron admitted in our department between 1997-2006. We analyse both the evolution and the complications in managing these cases, together with particular aspects of differential diagnosis related to this group of age. These 55 cases were children aged between 2 and 15 years with a 15 days average hospitalization period. Applying a standard treatment we had favorable results in 85% of cases with 15% cases underwent surgical treatment from the first admission. Comparative to a study realised in our dept. between 1975-1996, which registered 30 cases with a mortality of 6.70%, the present one revealed in the latest years an important increase of the number of appendicular plastron with a significant low mortality.

Shadows of Music-Language Interaction on Low Frequency Brain Oscillatory Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrus, Elisa; Koelsch, Stefan; Bhattacharya, Joydeep

2011-01-01

Electrophysiological studies investigating similarities between music and language perception have relied exclusively on the signal averaging technique, which does not adequately represent oscillatory aspects of electrical brain activity that are relevant for higher cognition. The current study investigated the patterns of brain oscillations…

Focus Groups Help To Focus the Marketing Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashar, Hanna; Lane, Maureen

1996-01-01

A university-based degree completion program for adults conducted focus group research to refine market positioning and promotion. Focus groups averaged five current students and recent graduates who reflected, demographically, the current student population. Results gave insight into reasons for selecting the university, aspects of the program…

[Medical-and-social aspects of prevalence of alcoholism among women in the city of Astrakhan].

PubMed

Kur'ianova, N N

2004-01-01

The scale of labor losses from unexpected or premature death of women in Astrakhan due to alcohol abuse is extensive; it made 10,935 man-years in 1996-1999. The average annual labor losses made 2733.75 man-years.

Intellectual Functioning in Fragile X Syndrome School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bromham, Susan; Jupp, James

1991-01-01

Aspects of intellectual function were investigated in a school age sample of 17 Fragile X individuals, employing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised). The general ability of the sample was substantially below normative average because of the significantly poorer performance by males than females. (Author/DB)

How much time does it take to prescribe a new medication?

PubMed

Tarn, Derjung M; Paterniti, Debora A; Kravitz, Richard L; Heritage, John; Liu, Honghu; Kim, Sue; Wenger, Neil S

2008-08-01

To measure the length of time spent discussing all aspects of new prescriptions and guideline-recommended aspects of counseling, and to evaluate factors associated with duration of discussion. We analyzed tape recordings in which 181 patients received 234 new medication prescriptions from 16 family physicians, 18 internists, and 11 cardiologists in 2 healthcare systems in Sacramento, California between January and November 1999. Of the mean total visit time of 15.9min (S.D.=434s), a mean of 26s (S.D.=28s) was allocated to guideline-recommended components and a mean of 23s (S.D.=25s) was allocated to discussion of all other aspects of new prescription medications. The majority of time spent discussing individual new prescriptions was dedicated to: medication purpose or justification, directions and duration of use, and side effects. On average, more complete discussion of these components was associated with more time. More time was spent talking about guideline-recommended information if patients were in better health, if there was a third party in the room, and if the medication belonged to a psychiatric, compared to an ear, nose, throat medication class. Less time was spent discussing over-the-counter (OTC) medications and those prescribed to patients with a previous visit to the physician. Higher quality information transmission between physicians and patients about new medications requires more time, and may be difficult to achieve in short office visits. Time-compressed office visits may need to be redesigned to promote improved provider-patient communication about new medications.

How Much Time Does It Take to Prescribe a New Medication?

PubMed Central

Tarn, Derjung M.; Paterniti, Debora A.; Kravitz, Richard L.; Heritage, John; Liu, Honghu; Kim, Sue; Wenger, Neil S.

2008-01-01

Objective To measure the length of time spent discussing all aspects of new prescriptions and guideline-recommended aspects of counseling, and to evaluate factors associated with duration of discussion. Methods We analyzed tape recordings in which 181 patients received 234 new medication prescriptions from 16 family physicians, 18 internists, and 11 cardiologists in 2 healthcare systems in Sacramento, California between January and November 1999. Results Of the mean total visit time of 15.9 minutes (SD=434 seconds), a mean of 26 seconds (SD=28 seconds) was allocated to guideline-recommended components and a mean of 23 seconds (SD=25 seconds) was allocated to discussion of all other aspects of new prescription medications. The majority of time spent discussing individual new prescriptions was dedicated to: medication purpose or justification, directions and duration of use, and side effects. On average, more complete discussion of these components was associated with more time. More time was spent talking about guideline-recommended information if patients were in better health, if there was a third party in the room, and if the medication belonged to a psychiatric, compared to an ear, nose, throat medication class. Less time was spent discussing over-the-counter medications and those prescribed to patients with a previous visit to the physician. Conclusion Higher quality information transmission between physicians and patients about new medications requires more time, and may be difficult to achieve in short office visits. Practice Implications Time-compressed office visits may need to be redesigned to promote improved provider-patient communication about new medications. PMID:18406562

Trends in biopharmaceutical IPOS: 1996-2005.

PubMed

Williams, David R; Young, Carlton C

2006-01-01

This study examines the stock market reaction and other financial aspects of all biopharmaceutical firms that had an initial public offering (IPO) between 1996 and 2005. Overall, increases in stock price at the close of the first day averaged 20.9 percent while the stock price of those firms that went public and survived until the end of 2005 stock price increased by only 7.7 percent on average. Sixty-nine percent of the firms that went public during this period were still trading at the end of 2005, with the majority of those de-listed being acquired or merged. Three-fourths of all biopharmaceutical IPOs had venture capital investors. Venture capitalists owned 47.4 percent of all common stock outstanding prior to the IPO on average.

Psychosocial aspect of quality of life among working and unemployed nurses and midwives.

PubMed

Czekirda, Marta; Chruściel, Paweł; Czekirda, Neomi; Jarosz, Mirosław J

2017-09-21

The objective of the study was to explain differences in the subjective evaluation of the psychological and social aspects of quality of life in a group of working and unemployed nurses and midwives. The survey was conducted in a group of 620 professionally-active and inactive people (315 nurses and 305 midwives), selected by random stratified-systematic sampling. The tool used to gather empirical material was the standardized questionnaire WHOQoL-100. Professionally-active nurses evaluated the mental domain less favourably (M=12.33), compared with unemployed nurses (M=12.73), and the difference between average values was statistically significant (p=.043). It is also worth noting that in the group of midwives there were significant differences in each discussed domain. The unemployed respondents evaluated more positively the overall quality of life (M=14.29; p=.005) and the mental domain (M=12.85; p=.009), while the social domain was evaluated less favourably by the professionally-active midwives (M=12.73; p=.022). Paradoxically, those who were unemployed made slightly more positive evaluations in comparison with the professionally active. Professional work is not a factor preferably affecting the quality of life and its psychosocial dimension. The higher quality of life of the unemployed respondents may result from the buffering impact of social support.

Outstanding adsorption performance of high aspect ratio and super-hydrophobic carbon nanotubes for oil removal.

PubMed

Kayvani Fard, Ahmad; Mckay, Gordon; Manawi, Yehia; Malaibari, Zuhair; Hussien, Muataz A

2016-12-01

Oil removal from water is a highly important area due to the large production rate of emulsified oil in water, which is considered one of the major pollutants, having a negative effect on human health, environment and wildlife. In this study, we have reported the application of high quality carbon nanotube bundles produced by an injected vertical chemical vapor deposition (IV-CVD) reactor for oil removal. High quality, bundles, super hydrophobic, and high aspect ratio carbon nanotubes were produced. The average diameters of the produced CNTs ranged from 20 to 50 nm while their lengths ranged from 300 to 500 μm. Two types of CNTs namely, P-CNTs and C-CNTs, (Produced CNTs from the IV-CVD reactor and commercial CNTs) were used for oil removal from water. For the first time, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to measure maximum oil uptake using CNT and it was found that P-CNT can take oil up to 17 times their weight. The effect of adsorbent dosage, contact time, and agitation speed were examined on the oil spill clean-up efficiency using batch sorption experiments. Higher efficiency with almost 97% removal was achieved using P-CNTs compared to 87% removal using C-CNTs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and Characterization of Edible Films Based on Fruit and Vegetable Residues.

PubMed

Andrade, Roberta M S; Ferreira, Mariana S L; Gonçalves, Édira C B A

2016-02-01

Edible films were developed from the solid residue of the processing of whole fruits and vegetables. The solid residue, processed into flour (FVR flour) was chemically and structurally characterized by microstructure, elemental composition, structural links, and moisture sorption isotherm. Films were prepared by casting using aqueous extracts of 8% and 10% of flour (w/w) and characterized in terms of thickness, water solubility, mechanical properties, water vapor permeability, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The analysis of microstructure and elemental composition, performed on flour (mean particle size 350 μm), showed an essentially granular aspect, with the presence of fibrous particles having potassium as one of the most abundant elements. FTIR results showed similarity between the characteristic bands of other raw materials used in edible films. The sorption isotherm of FVR flour showed a typical profile of foods rich in soluble components, such as sugars. Dried films presented an average thickness of 0.263 ± 0.003 mm, a homogenous aspect, bright yellow color, pronounced fruit flavor, and high water solubility. The FTIR spectra of the edible films revealed that addition of potato skin flour did not change the molecular conformation. Moreover, the films presented low tensile strength at break when compared with fruit starch-based films. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Personal and situational factors influencing coaches' perceptions of stress.

PubMed

Knight, Camilla J; Reade, Ian L; Selzler, Anne-Marie; Rodgers, Wendy M

2013-01-01

Coaching has been recognised as a demanding occupation, associated with a range of stressors. The extent to which coaches perceive stress is likely to be influenced by various personal and situational factors. The purpose of this study was to identify coaches' levels of perceived stress and examine the personal and situational factors that may influence coaches' perceptions of stress. In total, 502 coaches working with university, college, Canada Games, and/or nationally identified athletes completed this study. Coaches completed an online survey, which included questions regarding demographics, work/job-related considerations, and aspects relating to their contract. Coaches also completed the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Overall coaches indicated slightly below average levels of perceived stress (M = 15.13 out of 40) compared with norm-values (Cohen & Janicki-Deverts, 2012). Demographic factors, job-related characteristics, and certain aspects of their contract were associated with coaches' perceptions of stress. In particular, unclear expectations, long-working hours (>40), lack of agreed evaluation criteria, higher salaries, and a lack of social support were related to higher perceptions of stress. As such, the findings of the current study indicate that a reduction in perceived stress is likely to be achieved through a multifaceted approach that addresses multiple factors associated with coaching.

Oil spill vulnerability assessment integrating physical, biological and socio-economical aspects: application to the Cantabrian coast (Bay of Biscay, Spain).

PubMed

Castanedo, S; Juanes, J A; Medina, R; Puente, A; Fernandez, F; Olabarrieta, M; Pombo, C

2009-10-01

A methodology has been developed to carry out an integrated oil spill vulnerability index, V, for coastal environments. This index takes into account the main physical, biological and socio-economical characteristics by means of three intermediate indexes. Three different integration methods (worst-case, average and survey-based) along with ESI-based vulnerability scores, V(ESI), proposed for the Cantabrian coast during the Prestige oil spill, have been analyzed and compared in terms of agreement between the classifications obtained with each one for this coastal area. Results of this study indicate that the use of the worst-case index, V(R), leads to a conservative ranking, with a very poor discrimination which is not helpful in coastal oil spill risk management. Due to the homogeneity of this coastal stretch, the rest of the methods, V(I), V(M) and V(ESI), provide similar classifications. However, V(M) and V(I) give more flexibility allowing three indexes for each coastal segment and including socio-economic aspects. Finally, the V(I) procedure is proposed here as the more advisable as using this index promotes the public participation that is a key element in the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (IZCM).

Detection of 224 candidate structured RNAs by comparative analysis of specific subsets of intergenic regions

PubMed Central

Lünse, Christina E.; Corbino, Keith A.; Ames, Tyler D.; Nelson, James W.; Roth, Adam; Perkins, Kevin R.; Sherlock, Madeline E.

2017-01-01

Abstract The discovery of structured non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in bacteria can reveal new facets of biology and biochemistry. Comparative genomics analyses executed by powerful computer algorithms have successfully been used to uncover many novel bacterial ncRNA classes in recent years. However, this general search strategy favors the discovery of more common ncRNA classes, whereas progressively rarer classes are correspondingly more difficult to identify. In the current study, we confront this problem by devising several methods to select subsets of intergenic regions that can concentrate these rare RNA classes, thereby increasing the probability that comparative sequence analysis approaches will reveal their existence. By implementing these methods, we discovered 224 novel ncRNA classes, which include ROOL RNA, an RNA class averaging 581 nt and present in multiple phyla, several highly conserved and widespread ncRNA classes with properties that suggest sophisticated biochemical functions and a multitude of putative cis-regulatory RNA classes involved in a variety of biological processes. We expect that further research on these newly found RNA classes will reveal additional aspects of novel biology, and allow for greater insights into the biochemistry performed by ncRNAs. PMID:28977401

Some Spatial Aspects of Southeastern United States Climatology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soule, Peter T.

1998-01-01

Focuses on the climatology of an eight-state region in the southern and southeastern United States. Discusses general controls of climate and spatial patterns of various climatic averages. Examines mapped extremes as a means of fostering increased awareness of the variability that exists for climatic conditions in the region. (CMK)

Basic Comfort Heating Principles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dempster, Chalmer T.

The material in this beginning book for vocational students presents fundamental principles needed to understand the heating aspect of the sheet metal trade and supplies practical experience to the student so that he may become familiar with the process of determining heat loss for average structures. Six areas covered are: (1) Background…

Aspects of Motor Performance and Preacademic Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feder, Katya; Kerr, Robert

1996-01-01

The Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) and a number/counting test were given to 50 4- and 5-year-olds. Low performance on counting was related to significantly slower average response time, overshoot movement time, and reaction time, indicating perceptual-motor difficulty. Low MAP scores indicated difficulty processing visual spatial…

Enterprise Information Lifecycle Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Washington...Need for Information Lifecycle Management .......................................................... 6 3.3 Challenges of Information Lifecycle

High-Aspect-Ratio Rotating Cell-Culture Vessel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, David A.; Sams, Clarence; Schwarz, Ray P.

1992-01-01

Cylindrical rotating cell-culture vessel with thin culture-medium layer of large surface area provides exchange of nutrients and products of metabolism with minimal agitation. Rotation causes averaging of buoyant forces otherwise separating components of different densities. Vessel enables growth of cells in homogeneous distribution with little agitation and little shear stress.

Maritime Military Decision Making in Environments of Extreme Information Ambiguity: An Initial Exploration

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the...collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for

The Use of Standardized Patients to Teach Low-Literacy Communication Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Kimberly D.; Kripalani, Sunil

2007-01-01

Objective: To describe methods for incorporating standardized patients into health literacy training programs. Methods: We discuss aspects of program development that are relatively unique to this educational context. Results: Individuals were recruited to play the role of an average adult with limited health literacy. Methods of recruitment,…

Job Tenure among Persons with Severe Mental Illness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Haiyi; Dain, Bradley J.; Becker, Deborah R.; Drake, Robert E.

1997-01-01

Examined job tenure among 85 individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Surveyed clients' demographic, clinical, and vocational histories, their initial reactions to specific jobs, and aspects of the work environment. The average job lasted 70 days. Longer tenure was predicted by previous work history, early satisfaction with the job, lower…

Facial Shape Analysis Identifies Valid Cues to Aspects of Physiological Health in Caucasian, Asian, and African Populations.

PubMed

Stephen, Ian D; Hiew, Vivian; Coetzee, Vinet; Tiddeman, Bernard P; Perrett, David I

2017-01-01

Facial cues contribute to attractiveness, including shape cues such as symmetry, averageness, and sexual dimorphism. These cues may represent cues to objective aspects of physiological health, thereby conferring an evolutionary advantage to individuals who find them attractive. The link between facial cues and aspects of physiological health is therefore central to evolutionary explanations of attractiveness. Previously, studies linking facial cues to aspects of physiological health have been infrequent, have had mixed results, and have tended to focus on individual facial cues in isolation. Geometric morphometric methodology (GMM) allows a bottom-up approach to identifying shape correlates of aspects of physiological health. Here, we apply GMM to facial shape data, producing models that successfully predict aspects of physiological health in 272 Asian, African, and Caucasian faces - percentage body fat (21.0% of variance explained), body mass index (BMI; 31.9%) and blood pressure (BP; 21.3%). Models successfully predict percentage body fat and blood pressure even when controlling for BMI, suggesting that they are not simply measuring body size. Predicted values of BMI and BP, but not percentage body fat, correlate with health ratings. When asked to manipulate the shape of faces along the physiological health variable axes (as determined by the models), participants reduced predicted BMI, body fat and (marginally) BP, suggesting that facial shape provides a valid cue to aspects of physiological health.

Facial Shape Analysis Identifies Valid Cues to Aspects of Physiological Health in Caucasian, Asian, and African Populations

PubMed Central

Stephen, Ian D.; Hiew, Vivian; Coetzee, Vinet; Tiddeman, Bernard P.; Perrett, David I.

2017-01-01

Facial cues contribute to attractiveness, including shape cues such as symmetry, averageness, and sexual dimorphism. These cues may represent cues to objective aspects of physiological health, thereby conferring an evolutionary advantage to individuals who find them attractive. The link between facial cues and aspects of physiological health is therefore central to evolutionary explanations of attractiveness. Previously, studies linking facial cues to aspects of physiological health have been infrequent, have had mixed results, and have tended to focus on individual facial cues in isolation. Geometric morphometric methodology (GMM) allows a bottom–up approach to identifying shape correlates of aspects of physiological health. Here, we apply GMM to facial shape data, producing models that successfully predict aspects of physiological health in 272 Asian, African, and Caucasian faces – percentage body fat (21.0% of variance explained), body mass index (BMI; 31.9%) and blood pressure (BP; 21.3%). Models successfully predict percentage body fat and blood pressure even when controlling for BMI, suggesting that they are not simply measuring body size. Predicted values of BMI and BP, but not percentage body fat, correlate with health ratings. When asked to manipulate the shape of faces along the physiological health variable axes (as determined by the models), participants reduced predicted BMI, body fat and (marginally) BP, suggesting that facial shape provides a valid cue to aspects of physiological health. PMID:29163270

Ownership of dwelling affects the sex ratio at birth in Uganda.

PubMed

Wallner, Bernard; Fieder, Martin; Seidler, Horst

2012-01-01

Socio-economic conditions can affect the secondary sex ratio in humans. Mothers under good environmental conditions are predicted to increase the birth rates of sons according to the Trivers-Willard hypothesis (TWH). This study analyzed the effects of ownership and non-ownership of dwellings on the sex ratio at birth (SRB) on a Ugandan sample. Our investigation included 438,640 mothers aged between 12 and 54 years. The overall average SRB was 0.5008. Mothers who live in owned dwellings gave increased births to sons (0.5019) compared to those who live in non-owned dwellings (0.458). Multivariate statistics revealed the strongest effects of dwelling ownership when controlling for demographic and social variables such as marital status, type of marriage, mothers' age, mothers' education, parity and others. The results are discussed in the framework of recent plausible models dealing with the adjustment of the sex ratio. We conclude that the aspect of dwelling status could represent an important socio-economic parameter in relation to SRB variations in humans if further studies are able to analyze it between different countries in a comparative way.

Evaluation of Clipping Based Iterative PAPR Reduction Techniques for FBMC Systems

PubMed Central

Kollár, Zsolt

2014-01-01

This paper investigates filter bankmulticarrier (FBMC), a multicarrier modulation technique exhibiting an extremely low adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) compared to conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique. The low ACLR of the transmitted FBMC signal makes it especially favorable in cognitive radio applications, where strict requirements are posed on out-of-band radiation. Large dynamic range resulting in high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) is characteristic of all sorts of multicarrier signals. The advantageous spectral properties of the high-PAPR FBMC signal are significantly degraded if nonlinearities are present in the transceiver chain. Spectral regrowth may appear, causing harmful interference in the neighboring frequency bands. This paper presents novel clipping based PAPR reduction techniques, evaluated and compared by simulations and measurements, with an emphasis on spectral aspects. The paper gives an overall comparison of PAPR reduction techniques, focusing on the reduction of the dynamic range of FBMC signals without increasing out-of-band radiation. An overview is presented on transmitter oriented techniques employing baseband clipping, which can maintain the system performance with a desired bit error rate (BER). PMID:24558338

Effect of Leg-to-Body Ratio on Body Shape Attractiveness.

PubMed

Kiire, Satoru

2016-05-01

Recent studies have examined various aspects of human physical attractiveness. Attractiveness is considered an evolved psychological mechanism acquired via natural selection because an attractive body reflects an individual's health and fertility. The length of the legs is an often-emphasized aspect of attractiveness and has been investigated using the leg-to-body ratio (LBR), which reflects nutritional status of the infant, health status, fecundity, and other factors that are predictive of physical fitness. However, previous studies of leg length and physical fitness have produced mixed results. The present study investigated the relationship between LBR, defined as the height to perineum divided by total height, and perceived attractiveness. Three-dimensional stimuli (11 male and 11 female) were constructed with various LBR features. Each stimulus was rated by 40 women and 40 men in Japan on a 7-point scale. The results showed that the values closest to the average LBRs were rated as the most attractive. Furthermore, by fitting a quadratic curve on the relationship between attractiveness and LBR, an inverted U-shaped curve with the peak located at the average LBR was observed. In addition, high LBR values were rated as more attractive in females, whereas the opposite was true for males. These results suggest that average LBR is indicative of good health and good reproductive potential, whereas more extreme values are avoided because they could be indicative of diseases and other maladaptive conditions.

Electron Scattering Studies of Gas Phase Molecular Structure at High Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mawhorter, Richard J., Jr.

A high precision counting electron diffraction study of the structure of gaseous sulfur dioxide as a function of temperature from 300(DEGREES) to 1000(DEGREES)K is presented. The results agree well with current theory, and yield insight into the effects of anharmonicity on molecular structure. Another aspect of molecular structure is the molecular charge density distribution. The difference (DELTA)(sigma) is between the electron scattering cross sections for the actual molecule and independent atom model (IAM) are a sensitive measure of the change in this distribution due to bond formation. These difference cross sections have been calculated using ab initio methods, and the results for a wide range of simple polyatomic molecules are presented. Such calculations are routinely done for a single, fixed molecular geometry, an approach which neglects the effects of the vibrational motion of real molecules. The effect of vibrational averaging is studied in detail for the three normal vibrational modes of H(,2)O in the ground state. The effects are small, lending credence to the practice of comparing cross sections calculated at a fixed geometry with inherently averaged experimental data. The efficacy of the standard formula used to account for vibrational averaging in the IAM is also examined. Finally, the nature of the ionic bond is probed with an experimental study of the structure of alkali chlorides, NaCl, KCl, RbCl, and CsCl, in the gas phase. Temperatures from 840-960(DEGREES)K were required to achieve the necessary vapor pressures of approximately 0.01 torr. A planar rhombic structure for the dimer molecule is confirmed, with a fairly uniform decrease of the chlorine-alkali-chlorine angle as the alkalis increase in size. The experiment also yields information on the amount of dimer present in the vapor, and these results are compared with thermodynamic values.

Metabolic Demand and Internal Training Load in Technical-Tactical Training Sessions of Professional Futsal Players.

PubMed

Wilke, Carolina F; Ramos, Guilherme P; Pacheco, Diogo A S; Santos, Weslley H M; Diniz, Mateus S L; Gonçalves, Gabriela G P; Marins, João C B; Wanner, Samuel P; Silami-Garcia, Emerson

2016-08-01

Wilke, CF, Ramos, GP, Pacheco, DAS, Santos, WHM, Diniz, MSL, Gonçalves, GGP, Marins, JCB, Wanner, SP, and Silami-Garcia, E. Metabolic demand and internal training load in technical-tactical training sessions of professional futsal players. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2330-2340, 2016-The aim of the study was to characterize aspects of technical-tactical training sessions of a professional futsal team. We addressed 4 specific aims: characterize the metabolic demands and intensity of these training sessions, compare the training intensity among players of different positions, compare the intensity of different futsal-specific activities (4 × 4, 6 × 4, and match simulation), and investigate the association between an objective (training impulse; TRIMP) and a subjective method (session rating of perceived exertion; sRPE) of measuring a player's internal training load. Twelve top-level futsal players performed an incremental exercise to determine their maximal oxygen consumption, maximal heart rate (HRmax), ventilatory threshold (VT), and respiratory compensation point (RCP). Each player's HR and RPE were measured and used to calculate energy expenditure, TRIMP, and sRPE during 37 training sessions over 8 weeks. The average intensity was 74 ± 4% of HRmax, which corresponded to 9.3 kcal·min. The players trained at intensities above the RCP, between the RCP and VT and below the VT for 20 ± 8%, 28 ± 6%, and 51 ± 10% of the session duration, respectively. Wingers, defenders, and pivots exercised at a similar average intensity but with different intensity distributions. No difference in intensity was found between the 3 typical activities. A strong correlation between the average daily TRIMP and sRPE was observed; however, this relationship was significant for only 4 of 12 players, indicating that sRPE is a useful tool for monitoring training loads but that it should be interpreted for each player individually rather than collectively.

Complete grain boundaries from incomplete EBSD maps: the influence of segmentation on grain size determinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heilbronner, Renée; Kilian, Ruediger

2017-04-01

Grain size analyses are carried out for a number of reasons, for example, the dynamically recrystallized grain size of quartz is used to assess the flow stresses during deformation. Typically a thin section or polished surface is used. If the expected grain size is large enough (10 µm or larger), the images can be obtained on a light microscope, if the grain size is smaller, the SEM is used. The grain boundaries are traced (the process is called segmentation and can be done manually or via image processing) and the size of the cross sectional areas (segments) is determined. From the resulting size distributions, 'the grain size' or 'average grain size', usually a mean diameter or similar, is derived. When carrying out such grain size analyses, a number of aspects are critical for the reproducibility of the result: the resolution of the imaging equipment (light microscope or SEM), the type of images that are used for segmentation (cross polarized, partial or full orientation images, CIP versus EBSD), the segmentation procedure (algorithm) itself, the quality of the segmentation and the mathematical definition and calculation of 'the average grain size'. The quality of the segmentation depends very strongly on the criteria that are used for identifying grain boundaries (for example, angles of misorientation versus shape considerations), on pre- and post-processing (filtering) and on the quality of the recorded images (most notably on the indexing ratio). In this contribution, we consider experimentally deformed Black Hills quartzite with dynamically re-crystallized grain sizes in the range of 2 - 15 µm. We compare two basic methods of segmentations of EBSD maps (orientation based versus shape based) and explore how the choice of methods influences the result of the grain size analysis. We also compare different measures for grain size (mean versus mode versus RMS, and 2D versus 3D) in order to determine which of the definitions of 'average grain size yields the most stable results.

The thin section rock physics: Modeling and measurement of seismic wave velocity on the slice of carbonates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardaya, P. D.; Noh, K. A. B. M.; Yusoff, W. I. B. W.; Ridha, S.; Nurhandoko, B. E. B.

2014-09-01

This paper discusses a new approach for investigating the seismic wave velocity of rock, specifically carbonates, as affected by their pore structures. While the conventional routine of seismic velocity measurement highly depends on the extensive laboratory experiment, the proposed approach utilizes the digital rock physics view which lies on the numerical experiment. Thus, instead of using core sample, we use the thin section image of carbonate rock to measure the effective seismic wave velocity when travelling on it. In the numerical experiment, thin section images act as the medium on which wave propagation will be simulated. For the modeling, an advanced technique based on artificial neural network was employed for building the velocity and density profile, replacing image's RGB pixel value with the seismic velocity and density of each rock constituent. Then, ultrasonic wave was simulated to propagate in the thin section image by using finite difference time domain method, based on assumption of an acoustic-isotropic medium. Effective velocities were drawn from the recorded signal and being compared to the velocity modeling from Wyllie time average model and Kuster-Toksoz rock physics model. To perform the modeling, image analysis routines were undertaken for quantifying the pore aspect ratio that is assumed to represent the rocks pore structure. In addition, porosity and mineral fraction required for velocity modeling were also quantified by using integrated neural network and image analysis technique. It was found that the Kuster-Toksoz gives the closer prediction to the measured velocity as compared to the Wyllie time average model. We also conclude that Wyllie time average that does not incorporate the pore structure parameter deviates significantly for samples having more than 40% porosity. Utilizing this approach we found a good agreement between numerical experiment and theoretically derived rock physics model for estimating the effective seismic wave velocity of rock.

[Public health in Orhei County--realities and opportunities].

PubMed

Cărăuşu, Elena Mihaela; Stirbate, P; Indrei, L L

2011-01-01

Orhei District Hospital has 420 beds located in 17 wards. Providing beds in 2010 is 39.2 to 10 000 people compared with 47.7 in 2008, but it is still more than the regional average for the country- 32.6. Rotation bed, the lethality rate of hospitalization of people have not changed in the previous year. The average duration of treatment and average bed occupancy rose in 2010 compared with 2009, but the bed occupancy rate is still small--about 60%. Share divergence diagnostic is lower than the previous year--this is a good indicator of quality. Enough old equipment is still an issue for the District Hospital Orhei. Making an analysis of the distinctive features of health care evaluations, where resources are expressed by the cost and the results are expressed as effects on health, we conclude that it is necessary to change the conceptual aspects regarding health care financing. For redress the economic and financial situation, is proposed following strategy: 1. Reduced costs for hotel accommodation, by introducing "a day hospital". This system implies investigation and medical advice, and writing medication without the patient to remain hospitalized for a long time (for cases that do not require prolonged hospitalization) 2. Reducing costs the necessary material resources with, the introduction of electronic auction. 3. Introducing the concept of health management, need for hospital management, better management the four types of resources available (human resources, material resources, financial resources, time). 4. Increasing managerial capacity, through a competitive selection manager, will be combine short-term planning and the long-term strategy (more flexible) to raise the efficiency of medical care. In this respect spaces allocated section of Pulmonology, will be reassembled in geriatric beds, and the space available, will be outsourced of other persons (individuals or corporate person), under the law where they will earn additional income. It is noted that the actual development costs are increasing.

The biogeochemistry of microbial mats, stromatolites and the ancient biosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desmarais, D. J.; Canfield, D. E.

1991-01-01

Stromatolites offer an unparalleled geologic record of early life, because they constitute the oldest and most abundant recognizable remains of microbial ecosystems. Microbial mats are living homologs of stromatolites; thus, the physiology of the microbiota as well as the processes which create those features of mats (e.g., biomarker organic compounds, elemental and stable isotopic compositions) which are preserved in the ancient record. Observations of the carbon isotopic composition (delta C-13) of stromatolites and microbial mats were made and are consistent with the hypothesis that atmospheric CO2 concentrations have declined by at least one to two orders of magnitude during the past 2.5 Ga. Whereas delta C-13 values of carbonate carbon average about 0 permil during both the early and mid-Proterozoic, the delta C-13 values of stromatolitic organic matter increase from an average of -35 between 2.0 and 2.6 Ga ago to an average of about -28 about 1.0 Ga ago. Modern microbial mats in hypersaline environments have delta C-13 values typically in the range of -5 to -9, relative to an inorganic bicarbonate source at 0 permil. Both microbial mats and pur cultures of cyanobacteria grown in waters in near equilibrium with current atmospheric CO2 levels exhibit minimal discrimination against C-13. In contrast, hot spring cyanobacterial mats or cyanobacterial cultures grown under higher CO2 levels exhibit substantially greater discrimination. If care is taken to compare modern mats with stromatolites from comparable environments, it might be possible to estimate ancient levels of atmospheric CO2. In modern microbial mats, a tight coupling exists between photosynthetic organic carbon production and subsequent carbon oxidation, mostly by sulfate reduction. The rate of one process fuels a high rate of the other, with much of the sulfate reduction occurring within the same depth interval as oxygenic photosynthesis. Other aspects of this study are presented.

Pharmacy specialists' attitudes toward pharmaceutical service quality at community pharmacies.

PubMed

Urbonas, Gvidas; Jakušovaitė, Irayda; Savickas, Arūnas

2010-01-01

The main objective of this study was to analyze pharmacy specialists' attitudes toward the quality of pharmaceutical services at Lithuanian community pharmacies. Between April and June 2009, a total of 471 Lithuanian community pharmacy specialists completed a questionnaire designed to evaluate their attitudes toward the quality of pharmaceutical services at community pharmacies. The main dimensions of pharmaceutical service quality were extracted by principal component analysis. Two main dimensions of pharmaceutical service quality were extracted: pharmacotherapeutic aspects (provision of information about drug therapy, possible side effects, health promotion, the amount of time spent with a patient, and the ascertainment that a patient understood the provided information) and socioeconomic aspects (considering patient's needs and financial capabilities, making a patient confident with the services provided). Pharmacy specialists evaluated the quality of both dimensions positively, but the quality of the first dimension was rated significantly worse than that of the second dimension. The attitudes of pharmacy specialists working at independent pharmacies were more positive toward pharmacotherapeutic aspects as compared to the specialists working at chain or state pharmacies. Pharmacotherapeutic aspects were rated better by pharmacy specialists, aged ≥ 55 years, than those younger than 45 years. Moreover, the attitudes of 45-54-year-old pharmacy specialists toward the socioeconomic aspects were more positive as compared with those of 35-44-year olds. Pharmacists rated the socioeconomic aspects of pharmaceutical service quality worse as compared with pharmacy technicians. The attitudes of pharmacy specialists working at pharmacies with 6-9 specialists were more negative toward pharmacotherapeutic aspects than those of the pharmacies with 1-2 specialists. Pharmacy specialists working at pharmacies with ≥ 10 specialists reported lower scores of socioeconomic aspects as compared to those working at pharmacies with fewer specialists. Men evaluated both pharmacotherapeutic and socioeconomic aspects worse than women. The evaluation of pharmaceutical service quality did not differ by pharmacy location. Two dimensions of pharmaceutical service quality were determined. According to Lithuanian pharmacy specialists, the quality of pharmacotherapeutic aspects at community pharmacies was worse than that of socioeconomic aspects. The evaluation of the quality of pharmaceutical service significantly differed according to the specialists' sex, age, qualification, and type and size of pharmacies.

Preparation of HCPT-Loaded Nanoneedles with Pointed Ends for Highly Efficient Cancer Chemotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shichao; Yang, Xiangrui; Li, Yang; Wu, Hongjie; Huang, Yu; Xie, Liya; Zhang, Ying; Hou, Zhenqing; Liu, Xiangyang

2016-06-01

The high-aspect-ratio nanoparticles were proved to be internalized much more rapidly and efficiently by cancer cells than the nanoparticles with an equal aspect ratio. Herein, a kind of high-aspect ratio, pointed-end nanoneedles (NDs) with a high drug loading (15.04 %) and the prolonged drug release profile were fabricated with an anti-tumor drug—10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT)—via an ultrasound-assisted emulsion crystallization technique. It is surprising to see that the cellular internalization of NDs with an average length of 5 μm and an aspect ratio of about 12:1 was even much faster and higher than that of nanorods with the same size and the nanospheres with a much smaller size of 150 nm. The results further validated that cellular internalization of the nanoparticles exhibited a strong shape-dependent effect, and cellular uptake may favor the particles with sharp ends as well as a high-aspect ratio instead of particle size. The NDs with enhanced cytotoxicity would lead to a promising sustained local drug delivery system for highly efficient anticancer therapy. More importantly, the fabrication of NDs opens a door to design new formulations of nanoneedle drug delivery systems for highly efficient cancer.

Flow separation of currents in shallow water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Signell, Richard P.

1989-01-01

Flow separation of currents in shallow coastal areas is investigated using a boundary layer model for two-dimensional (depth-averaged) tidal flow past an elliptic headland. If the shoaling region near the coast is narrow compared to the scale of the headland, bottom friction causes the flow to separate just downstream of the point where the pressure gradient switches from favoring to adverse. As long as the shoaling region at the coast is well resolved, the inclusion of eddy viscosity and a no-slip boundary condition have no effect on this result. An approximate analytic solution for the pressure gradient along the boundary is obtained by assuming the flow away from the immediate vicinity of the boundary is irrotational. On the basis of the pressure gradient obtained from the irrotational flow solution, flow separation is a strong function of the headland aspect ratio, an equivalent Reynolds number, and a Keulegan-Carpenter number.

Information filtering via a scaling-based function.

PubMed

Qiu, Tian; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Chen, Guang

2013-01-01

Finding a universal description of the algorithm optimization is one of the key challenges in personalized recommendation. In this article, for the first time, we introduce a scaling-based algorithm (SCL) independent of recommendation list length based on a hybrid algorithm of heat conduction and mass diffusion, by finding out the scaling function for the tunable parameter and object average degree. The optimal value of the tunable parameter can be abstracted from the scaling function, which is heterogeneous for the individual object. Experimental results obtained from three real datasets, Netflix, MovieLens and RYM, show that the SCL is highly accurate in recommendation. More importantly, compared with a number of excellent algorithms, including the mass diffusion method, the original hybrid method, and even an improved version of the hybrid method, the SCL algorithm remarkably promotes the personalized recommendation in three other aspects: solving the accuracy-diversity dilemma, presenting a high novelty, and solving the key challenge of cold start problem.

A comparison of maximum likelihood and other estimators of eigenvalues from several correlated Monte Carlo samples

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

Beer, M.

1980-12-01

The maximum likelihood method for the multivariate normal distribution is applied to the case of several individual eigenvalues. Correlated Monte Carlo estimates of the eigenvalue are assumed to follow this prescription and aspects of the assumption are examined. Monte Carlo cell calculations using the SAM-CE and VIM codes for the TRX-1 and TRX-2 benchmark reactors, and SAM-CE full core results are analyzed with this method. Variance reductions of a few percent to a factor of 2 are obtained from maximum likelihood estimation as compared with the simple average and the minimum variance individual eigenvalue. The numerical results verify that themore » use of sample variances and correlation coefficients in place of the corresponding population statistics still leads to nearly minimum variance estimation for a sufficient number of histories and aggregates.« less

Time-lapse microscopy and image processing for stem cell research: modeling cell migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gustavsson, Tomas; Althoff, Karin; Degerman, Johan; Olsson, Torsten; Thoreson, Ann-Catrin; Thorlin, Thorleif; Eriksson, Peter

2003-05-01

This paper presents hardware and software procedures for automated cell tracking and migration modeling. A time-lapse microscopy system equipped with a computer controllable motorized stage was developed. The performance of this stage was improved by incorporating software algorithms for stage motion displacement compensation and auto focus. The microscope is suitable for in-vitro stem cell studies and allows for multiple cell culture image sequence acquisition. This enables comparative studies concerning rate of cell splits, average cell motion velocity, cell motion as a function of cell sample density and many more. Several cell segmentation procedures are described as well as a cell tracking algorithm. Statistical methods for describing cell migration patterns are presented. In particular, the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) was investigated. Results indicate that if the cell motion can be described as a non-stationary stochastic process, then the HMM can adequately model aspects of its dynamic behavior.

A meta-analysis of decision-making and attention in adults with ADHD.

PubMed

Mowinckel, Athanasia M; Pedersen, Mads Lund; Eilertsen, Espen; Biele, Guido

2015-05-01

Deficient reward processing has gained attention as an important aspect of ADHD, but little is known about reward-based decision-making (DM) in adults with ADHD. This article summarizes research on DM in adult ADHD and contextualizes DM deficits by comparing them to attention deficits. Meta-analytic methods were used to calculate average effect sizes for different DM domains and continuous performance task (CPT) measures. None of the 59 included studies (DM: 12 studies; CPT: 43; both: 4) had indications of publication bias. DM and CPT measures showed robust, small to medium effects. Large effect sizes were found for a drift diffusion model analysis of the CPT. The results support the existence of DM deficits in adults with ADHD, which are of similar magnitude as attention deficits. These findings warrant further examination of DM in adults with ADHD to improve the understanding of underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. © 2014 SAGE Publications.

Blade Displacement Predictions for the Full-Scale UH-60A Airloads Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bledron, Robert T.; Lee-Rausch, Elizabeth M.

2014-01-01

An unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver for unstructured grids is loosely coupled to a rotorcraft comprehensive code and used to simulate two different test conditions from a wind-tunnel test of a full-scale UH-60A rotor. Performance data and sectional airloads from the simulation are compared with corresponding tunnel data to assess the level of fidelity of the aerodynamic aspects of the simulation. The focus then turns to a comparison of the blade displacements, both rigid (blade root) and elastic. Comparisons of computed root motions are made with data from three independent measurement systems. Finally, comparisons are made between computed elastic bending and elastic twist, and the corresponding measurements obtained from a photogrammetry system. Overall the correlation between computed and measured displacements was good, especially for the root pitch and lag motions and the elastic bending deformation. The correlation of root lead-lag motion and elastic twist deformation was less favorable.

The strength of friendship ties in proximity sensor data.

PubMed

Sekara, Vedran; Lehmann, Sune

2014-01-01

Understanding how people interact and socialize is important in many contexts from disease control to urban planning. Datasets that capture this specific aspect of human life have increased in size and availability over the last few years. We have yet to understand, however, to what extent such electronic datasets may serve as a valid proxy for real life social interactions. For an observational dataset, gathered using mobile phones, we analyze the problem of identifying transient and non-important links, as well as how to highlight important social interactions. Applying the Bluetooth signal strength parameter to distinguish between observations, we demonstrate that weak links, compared to strong links, have a lower probability of being observed at later times, while such links-on average-also have lower link-weights and probability of sharing an online friendship. Further, the role of link-strength is investigated in relation to social network properties.

Enhancing Fracture and Wear Resistance of Dentures/Overdentures Utilizing Digital Technology: A Case Series Report.

PubMed

Afify, Ahmed; Haney, Stephan

2016-08-01

Since it was first introduced into the dental world, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology has improved dramatically in regards to both data acquisition and fabrication abilities. CAD/CAM is capable of providing well-fitting intra- and extraoral prostheses when sound guidelines are followed. As CAD/CAM technology encompasses both surgical and prosthetic dental applications as well as fixed and removable aspects, it could improve the average quality of dental prostheses compared with the results obtained by conventional manufacturing methods. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction into the methods in which this technology may be used to enhance the wear and fracture resistance of dentures and overdentures. This article will also showcase two clinical reports in which CAD/CAM technology has been implemented. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Using Folktales to Strengthen Literacy in Papua

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yektiningtyas-Modouw, Wigati; Karna, Sri R. W.

2013-01-01

Rural and remote Papua and West Papua are among the most important regions for Indonesia to achieve the second MDG on primary education with equity. Both provinces have gross, net enrolment and literacy rates which barely touch the national averages. Given the distinct political, socio-cultural, and geographical aspects of Papua and West Papua…

77 FR 74488 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-14

... burden and associated response time should be directed to: DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy... the burden in terms of time and money incurred by applicants for the following aspects of this... service. The average time required and money expended to secure secondary evidence such as an affidavit...

78 FR 13370 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-27

... may be submitted to: DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Chief, Regulatory Coordination... estimates on the burden in terms of time and money incurred by applicants for the following aspects of this... service. The average time required and money expended to secure secondary evidence such as an affidavit...

Jets or vortices - what flows are generated by an inverse turbulent cascade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frishman, Anna; Laurie, Jason; Falkovich, Gregory

An inverse cascade-energy transfer to progressively larger scales - is a salient feature of two-dimensional turbulence. If the cascade reaches the system scale, it creates a coherent flow expected to have the largest available scale and conform with the symmetries of the domain. In a doubly periodic rectangle, the mean flow with zero total momentum was therefore believed to be unidirectional, with two jets along the short side; while for an aspect ratio close to unity, a vortex dipole was expected. Using direct numerical simulations, we show that in fact neither the box symmetry is respected nor the largest scale is realized: the flow is never purely unidirectional since the inverse cascade produces coherent vortices, whose number and relative motion are determined by the aspect ratio. This spontaneous symmetry breaking is closely related to the hierarchy of averaging times. Long-time averaging restores translational invariance due to vortex wandering along one direction, and gives jets whose profile, however, can be deduced neither from the largest-available-scale argument, nor from the often employed maximum-entropy principle or quasi-linear approximation.

Jets or vortices—What flows are generated by an inverse turbulent cascade?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frishman, Anna; Laurie, Jason; Falkovich, Gregory

2017-03-01

An inverse cascade, energy transfer to progressively larger scales, is a salient feature of two-dimensional turbulence. If the cascade reaches the system scale, it creates a coherent flow expected to have the largest available scale and conform with the symmetries of the domain. In a doubly periodic rectangle, the mean flow with zero total momentum was therefore believed to be unidirectional, with two jets along the short side; while for an aspect ratio close to unity, a vortex dipole is expected. Using direct numerical simulations, we show that in fact neither is the box symmetry respected nor the largest scale realized: the flow is never purely unidirectional since the inverse cascade produces coherent vortices, whose number and relative motion are determined by the aspect ratio. This spontaneous symmetry breaking is closely related to the hierarchy of averaging times. Long-time averaging restores translational invariance due to vortex wandering along one direction, and gives jets whose profile, however, can neither be deduced from the largest-available-scale argument, nor from the often employed maximum-entropy principle or quasilinear approximation.

How robust are the estimated effects of air pollution on health? Accounting for model uncertainty using Bayesian model averaging.

PubMed

Pannullo, Francesca; Lee, Duncan; Waclawski, Eugene; Leyland, Alastair H

2016-08-01

The long-term impact of air pollution on human health can be estimated from small-area ecological studies in which the health outcome is regressed against air pollution concentrations and other covariates, such as socio-economic deprivation. Socio-economic deprivation is multi-factorial and difficult to measure, and includes aspects of income, education, and housing as well as others. However, these variables are potentially highly correlated, meaning one can either create an overall deprivation index, or use the individual characteristics, which can result in a variety of pollution-health effects. Other aspects of model choice may affect the pollution-health estimate, such as the estimation of pollution, and spatial autocorrelation model. Therefore, we propose a Bayesian model averaging approach to combine the results from multiple statistical models to produce a more robust representation of the overall pollution-health effect. We investigate the relationship between nitrogen dioxide concentrations and cardio-respiratory mortality in West Central Scotland between 2006 and 2012. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Human preference for individual colors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmer, Stephen E.; Schloss, Karen B.

2010-02-01

Color preference is an important aspect of human behavior, but little is known about why people like some colors more than others. Recent results from the Berkeley Color Project (BCP) provide detailed measurements of preferences among 32 chromatic colors as well as other relevant aspects of color perception. We describe the fit of several color preference models, including ones based on cone outputs, color-emotion associations, and Palmer and Schloss's ecological valence theory. The ecological valence theory postulates that color serves an adaptive "steering' function, analogous to taste preferences, biasing organisms to approach advantageous objects and avoid disadvantageous ones. It predicts that people will tend to like colors to the extent that they like the objects that are characteristically that color, averaged over all such objects. The ecological valence theory predicts 80% of the variance in average color preference ratings from the Weighted Affective Valence Estimates (WAVEs) of correspondingly colored objects, much more variance than any of the other models. We also describe how hue preferences for single colors differ as a function of gender, expertise, culture, social institutions, and perceptual experience.

Predicting relationship between magnetostriction and applied field of magnetostrictive composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Xinchun; Dong, Xufeng; Ou, Jinping

2008-03-01

Consideration of demagnetization effect, the model used to calculate the magnetostriction of single particle under the applied field is firstly built up. Then treating the magnetostriction particulate as an eigenstrain, based on Eshelby equivalent inclusion and Mori-Tanaka method, the approach to calculate average magnetostriction of the composites under any applied field as well as saturation is studied. Results calculated by the approach indicate that saturation magnetostriction of magnetostrictive composites increases with increasing of particle aspect, particle volume fraction and decreasing of Young' modulus of matrix, and the influence of applied field on magnetostriction of the composites becomes more significant with larger particle volume fraction or particle aspect.

Cardiovascular responses to spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicogossian, A.; Pool, S. L.; Rambaut, P. C.

1983-01-01

The cardiovascular system's adaptive changes during and after spaceflight are discussed. Cephalic fluid shifts are demonstrated by photographs along with calf girth and leg volume changes. Inflight measurements show an increase in average resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure, and a sympathetic-parasympathetic neural imbalance. Postflight findings include a small but reversible decrease in the left ventricular muscle mass. Since 1980, NASA's research has emphasized cardiovascular deconditioning and countermeasures: hemodynamic changes, endocrine and neurohumoral aspects, etiologic factors, and lower body negative pressure devices. Though human beings acclimate to the space environment, questions concerning the immediate and long-term aspects of spaceflight need to be answered for adequate planning of extended space missions.

Validation of the Poisson Stochastic Radiative Transfer Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhuravleva, Tatiana; Marshak, Alexander

2004-01-01

A new approach to validation of the Poisson stochastic radiative transfer method is proposed. In contrast to other validations of stochastic models, the main parameter of the Poisson model responsible for cloud geometrical structure - cloud aspect ratio - is determined entirely by matching measurements and calculations of the direct solar radiation. If the measurements of the direct solar radiation is unavailable, it was shown that there is a range of the aspect ratios that allows the stochastic model to accurately approximate the average measurements of surface downward and cloud top upward fluxes. Realizations of the fractionally integrated cascade model are taken as a prototype of real measurements.

A second generation human haplotype map of over 3.1 million SNPs.

PubMed

Frazer, Kelly A; Ballinger, Dennis G; Cox, David R; Hinds, David A; Stuve, Laura L; Gibbs, Richard A; Belmont, John W; Boudreau, Andrew; Hardenbol, Paul; Leal, Suzanne M; Pasternak, Shiran; Wheeler, David A; Willis, Thomas D; Yu, Fuli; Yang, Huanming; Zeng, Changqing; Gao, Yang; Hu, Haoran; Hu, Weitao; Li, Chaohua; Lin, Wei; Liu, Siqi; Pan, Hao; Tang, Xiaoli; Wang, Jian; Wang, Wei; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Bo; Zhang, Qingrun; Zhao, Hongbin; Zhao, Hui; Zhou, Jun; Gabriel, Stacey B; Barry, Rachel; Blumenstiel, Brendan; Camargo, Amy; Defelice, Matthew; Faggart, Maura; Goyette, Mary; Gupta, Supriya; Moore, Jamie; Nguyen, Huy; Onofrio, Robert C; Parkin, Melissa; Roy, Jessica; Stahl, Erich; Winchester, Ellen; Ziaugra, Liuda; Altshuler, David; Shen, Yan; Yao, Zhijian; Huang, Wei; Chu, Xun; He, Yungang; Jin, Li; Liu, Yangfan; Shen, Yayun; Sun, Weiwei; Wang, Haifeng; Wang, Yi; Wang, Ying; Xiong, Xiaoyan; Xu, Liang; Waye, Mary M Y; Tsui, Stephen K W; Xue, Hong; Wong, J Tze-Fei; Galver, Luana M; Fan, Jian-Bing; Gunderson, Kevin; Murray, Sarah S; Oliphant, Arnold R; Chee, Mark S; Montpetit, Alexandre; Chagnon, Fanny; Ferretti, Vincent; Leboeuf, Martin; Olivier, Jean-François; Phillips, Michael S; Roumy, Stéphanie; Sallée, Clémentine; Verner, Andrei; Hudson, Thomas J; Kwok, Pui-Yan; Cai, Dongmei; Koboldt, Daniel C; Miller, Raymond D; Pawlikowska, Ludmila; Taillon-Miller, Patricia; Xiao, Ming; Tsui, Lap-Chee; Mak, William; Song, You Qiang; Tam, Paul K H; Nakamura, Yusuke; Kawaguchi, Takahisa; Kitamoto, Takuya; Morizono, Takashi; Nagashima, Atsushi; Ohnishi, Yozo; Sekine, Akihiro; Tanaka, Toshihiro; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko; Deloukas, Panos; Bird, Christine P; Delgado, Marcos; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T; Gwilliam, Rhian; Hunt, Sarah; Morrison, Jonathan; Powell, Don; Stranger, Barbara E; Whittaker, Pamela; Bentley, David R; Daly, Mark J; de Bakker, Paul I W; Barrett, Jeff; Chretien, Yves R; Maller, Julian; McCarroll, Steve; Patterson, Nick; Pe'er, Itsik; Price, Alkes; Purcell, Shaun; Richter, Daniel J; Sabeti, Pardis; Saxena, Richa; Schaffner, Stephen F; Sham, Pak C; Varilly, Patrick; Altshuler, David; Stein, Lincoln D; Krishnan, Lalitha; Smith, Albert Vernon; Tello-Ruiz, Marcela K; Thorisson, Gudmundur A; Chakravarti, Aravinda; Chen, Peter E; Cutler, David J; Kashuk, Carl S; Lin, Shin; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Guan, Weihua; Li, Yun; Munro, Heather M; Qin, Zhaohui Steve; Thomas, Daryl J; McVean, Gilean; Auton, Adam; Bottolo, Leonardo; Cardin, Niall; Eyheramendy, Susana; Freeman, Colin; Marchini, Jonathan; Myers, Simon; Spencer, Chris; Stephens, Matthew; Donnelly, Peter; Cardon, Lon R; Clarke, Geraldine; Evans, David M; Morris, Andrew P; Weir, Bruce S; Tsunoda, Tatsuhiko; Mullikin, James C; Sherry, Stephen T; Feolo, Michael; Skol, Andrew; Zhang, Houcan; Zeng, Changqing; Zhao, Hui; Matsuda, Ichiro; Fukushima, Yoshimitsu; Macer, Darryl R; Suda, Eiko; Rotimi, Charles N; Adebamowo, Clement A; Ajayi, Ike; Aniagwu, Toyin; Marshall, Patricia A; Nkwodimmah, Chibuzor; Royal, Charmaine D M; Leppert, Mark F; Dixon, Missy; Peiffer, Andy; Qiu, Renzong; Kent, Alastair; Kato, Kazuto; Niikawa, Norio; Adewole, Isaac F; Knoppers, Bartha M; Foster, Morris W; Clayton, Ellen Wright; Watkin, Jessica; Gibbs, Richard A; Belmont, John W; Muzny, Donna; Nazareth, Lynne; Sodergren, Erica; Weinstock, George M; Wheeler, David A; Yakub, Imtaz; Gabriel, Stacey B; Onofrio, Robert C; Richter, Daniel J; Ziaugra, Liuda; Birren, Bruce W; Daly, Mark J; Altshuler, David; Wilson, Richard K; Fulton, Lucinda L; Rogers, Jane; Burton, John; Carter, Nigel P; Clee, Christopher M; Griffiths, Mark; Jones, Matthew C; McLay, Kirsten; Plumb, Robert W; Ross, Mark T; Sims, Sarah K; Willey, David L; Chen, Zhu; Han, Hua; Kang, Le; Godbout, Martin; Wallenburg, John C; L'Archevêque, Paul; Bellemare, Guy; Saeki, Koji; Wang, Hongguang; An, Daochang; Fu, Hongbo; Li, Qing; Wang, Zhen; Wang, Renwu; Holden, Arthur L; Brooks, Lisa D; McEwen, Jean E; Guyer, Mark S; Wang, Vivian Ota; Peterson, Jane L; Shi, Michael; Spiegel, Jack; Sung, Lawrence M; Zacharia, Lynn F; Collins, Francis S; Kennedy, Karen; Jamieson, Ruth; Stewart, John

2007-10-18

We describe the Phase II HapMap, which characterizes over 3.1 million human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 270 individuals from four geographically diverse populations and includes 25-35% of common SNP variation in the populations surveyed. The map is estimated to capture untyped common variation with an average maximum r2 of between 0.9 and 0.96 depending on population. We demonstrate that the current generation of commercial genome-wide genotyping products captures common Phase II SNPs with an average maximum r2 of up to 0.8 in African and up to 0.95 in non-African populations, and that potential gains in power in association studies can be obtained through imputation. These data also reveal novel aspects of the structure of linkage disequilibrium. We show that 10-30% of pairs of individuals within a population share at least one region of extended genetic identity arising from recent ancestry and that up to 1% of all common variants are untaggable, primarily because they lie within recombination hotspots. We show that recombination rates vary systematically around genes and between genes of different function. Finally, we demonstrate increased differentiation at non-synonymous, compared to synonymous, SNPs, resulting from systematic differences in the strength or efficacy of natural selection between populations.

Diagnostic index of three-dimensional osteoarthritic changes in temporomandibular joint condylar morphology

PubMed Central

Gomes, Liliane R.; Gomes, Marcelo; Jung, Bryan; Paniagua, Beatriz; Ruellas, Antonio C.; Gonçalves, João Roberto; Styner, Martin A.; Wolford, Larry; Cevidanes, Lucia

2015-01-01

Abstract. This study aimed to investigate imaging statistical approaches for classifying three-dimensional (3-D) osteoarthritic morphological variations among 169 temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyles. Cone-beam computed tomography scans were acquired from 69 subjects with long-term TMJ osteoarthritis (OA), 15 subjects at initial diagnosis of OA, and 7 healthy controls. Three-dimensional surface models of the condyles were constructed and SPHARM-PDM established correspondent points on each model. Multivariate analysis of covariance and direction-projection-permutation (DiProPerm) were used for testing statistical significance of the differences between the groups determined by clinical and radiographic diagnoses. Unsupervised classification using hierarchical agglomerative clustering was then conducted. Compared with healthy controls, OA average condyle was significantly smaller in all dimensions except its anterior surface. Significant flattening of the lateral pole was noticed at initial diagnosis. We observed areas of 3.88-mm bone resorption at the superior surface and 3.10-mm bone apposition at the anterior aspect of the long-term OA average model. DiProPerm supported a significant difference between the healthy control and OA group (p-value=0.001). Clinically meaningful unsupervised classification of TMJ condylar morphology determined a preliminary diagnostic index of 3-D osteoarthritic changes, which may be the first step towards a more targeted diagnosis of this condition. PMID:26158119

Quantitative aspects of the ruminating process in giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) fed with different diets.

PubMed

Schüßler, Dominik; Greven, Hartmut

2017-12-01

Giraffes are ruminants feeding on fresh browse and twigs in the wild, but in zoos, their diet is mainly based on alfalfa hay, grains, and pellets occasionally supplemented by twigs and foliage. These diets, which differ in composition and digestibility, affect the behavior of the animals, tooth wear patterns, and chewing efficiency. We quantified several parameters of the rumination process in ten zoo housed giraffes of different sexes and ages fed either with alfalfa hay, fresh browse, or a combination of both. Chewing during rumination was highly ritualized and specimens showed an even distribution of chewing directions during this process, which prevents uneven tooth wear and use of chewing muscles. During rumination of alfalfa hay, chewing cycles of the giraffes took on average 49 s and included 54 jaw movements compared to 37 s and 42 jaw movements during rumination of browse, respectively. Single jaw movements (measured as basic chewing rates) were on average significantly slower during rumination of alfalfa hay (alfalfa: 1.10 chews per second, browse: 1.17 chews per second) and intercycle times between two chewing cycles took significantly longer (alfalfa: 7.77 s, browse: 7.46 s). Our results clearly indicate that several rumination parameters are influenced by the type of diet. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Combination of Micro Diaphragm Pumps and Flow Sensors for Single Stroke Based Liquid Flow Control

PubMed Central

Jenke, Christoph; Pallejà Rubio, Jaume; Kibler, Sebastian; Häfner, Johannes; Richter, Martin; Kutter, Christoph

2017-01-01

With the combination of micropumps and flow sensors, highly accurate and secure closed-loop controlled micro dosing systems for liquids are possible. Implementing a single stroke based control mode with piezoelectrically driven micro diaphragm pumps can provide a solution for dosing of volumes down to nanoliters or variable average flow rates in the range of nL/min to μL/min. However, sensor technologies feature a yet undetermined accuracy for measuring highly pulsatile micropump flow. Two miniaturizable in-line sensor types providing electrical readout—differential pressure based flow sensors and thermal calorimetric flow sensors—are evaluated for their suitability of combining them with mircopumps. Single stroke based calibration of the sensors was carried out with a new method, comparing displacement volumes and sensor flow volumes. Limitations of accuracy and performance for single stroke based flow control are described. Results showed that besides particle robustness of sensors, controlling resistive and capacitive damping are key aspects for setting up reproducible and reliable liquid dosing systems. Depending on the required average flow or defined volume, dosing systems with an accuracy of better than 5% for the differential pressure based sensor and better than 6.5% for the thermal calorimeter were achieved. PMID:28368344

Analysis of Different Cost Functions in the Geosect Airspace Partitioning Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wong, Gregory L.

2010-01-01

A new cost function representing air traffic controller workload is implemented in the Geosect airspace partitioning tool. Geosect currently uses a combination of aircraft count and dwell time to select optimal airspace partitions that balance controller workload. This is referred to as the aircraft count/dwell time hybrid cost function. The new cost function is based on Simplified Dynamic Density, a measure of different aspects of air traffic controller workload. Three sectorizations are compared. These are the current sectorization, Geosect's sectorization based on the aircraft count/dwell time hybrid cost function, and Geosect s sectorization based on the Simplified Dynamic Density cost function. Each sectorization is evaluated for maximum and average workload along with workload balance using the Simplified Dynamic Density as the workload measure. In addition, the Airspace Concept Evaluation System, a nationwide air traffic simulator, is used to determine the capacity and delay incurred by each sectorization. The sectorization resulting from the Simplified Dynamic Density cost function had a lower maximum workload measure than the other sectorizations, and the sectorization based on the combination of aircraft count and dwell time did a better job of balancing workload and balancing capacity. However, the current sectorization had the lowest average workload, highest sector capacity, and the least system delay.

What's in a Name? Impact of marketing different course titles on enrollment for online classes.

PubMed

Kemper, Kathi J; Woods, Charles; McBride, Allison

2008-12-01

Little is known about the impact of different marketing strategies on enrollment of online courses for health professionals. The authors compared one aspect of marketing, course titles, for online classes about herbs and dietary supplements (HDS). The authors marketed two titles-one knowledge-oriented, the other behavior-oriented-for each of seven online HDS classes. The two titles were (1) "Introduction to topic" (Knowledge) and (2) "Talking with patients about topic" (Behavior). The seven classes were two general (introduction and safety) and five specialty (women, children, the elderly, depression, and gastrointestinal) topics. The Area Health Education Center in northwest North Carolina marketed the classes. Altogether, 195 clinicians enrolled in an average of 7.6 classes per enrollee (1,487 total). For every class, enrollment was higher for knowledge-oriented than behavior-oriented titled classes (average of 124 versus 89 enrollees per class, P < .01). Enrollment, combining the two general classes, was also significantly higher for general than specialty classes (266 versus 191 enrollees per class, P < .01). Differences in titles and levels of generality significantly impacted enrollment rates in these online classes on an unfamiliar topic. Additional marketing research is needed to inform efforts to enroll clinicians into courses on more familiar topics.

Reliable Fusion of Stereo Matching and Depth Sensor for High Quality Dense Depth Maps

PubMed Central

Liu, Jing; Li, Chunpeng; Fan, Xuefeng; Wang, Zhaoqi

2015-01-01

Depth estimation is a classical problem in computer vision, which typically relies on either a depth sensor or stereo matching alone. The depth sensor provides real-time estimates in repetitive and textureless regions where stereo matching is not effective. However, stereo matching can obtain more accurate results in rich texture regions and object boundaries where the depth sensor often fails. We fuse stereo matching and the depth sensor using their complementary characteristics to improve the depth estimation. Here, texture information is incorporated as a constraint to restrict the pixel’s scope of potential disparities and to reduce noise in repetitive and textureless regions. Furthermore, a novel pseudo-two-layer model is used to represent the relationship between disparities in different pixels and segments. It is more robust to luminance variation by treating information obtained from a depth sensor as prior knowledge. Segmentation is viewed as a soft constraint to reduce ambiguities caused by under- or over-segmentation. Compared to the average error rate 3.27% of the previous state-of-the-art methods, our method provides an average error rate of 2.61% on the Middlebury datasets, which shows that our method performs almost 20% better than other “fused” algorithms in the aspect of precision. PMID:26308003

Cryptosporidium parvum, a potential cause of colic adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Certad, Gabriela; Ngouanesavanh, Tramy; Guyot, Karine; Gantois, Nausicaa; Chassat, Thierry; Mouray, Anthony; Fleurisse, Laurence; Pinon, Anthony; Cailliez, Jean-Charles; Dei-Cas, Eduardo; Creusy, Colette

2007-01-01

Background Cryptosporidiosis represents a major public health problem. This infection has been reported worldwide as a frequent cause of diarrhoea. Particularly, it remains a clinically significant opportunistic infection among immunocompromised patients, causing potentially life-threatening diarrhoea in HIV-infected persons. However, the understanding about different aspects of this infection such as invasion, transmission and pathogenesis is problematic. Additionally, it has been difficult to find suitable animal models for propagation of this parasite. Efforts are needed to develop reproducible animal models allowing both the routine passage of different species and approaching unclear aspects of Cryptosporidium infection, especially in the pathophysiology field. Results We developed a model using adult severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice inoculated with Cryptosporidium parvum or Cryptosporidium muris while treated or not with Dexamethasone (Dex) in order to investigate divergences in prepatent period, oocyst shedding or clinical and histopathological manifestations. C. muris-infected mice showed high levels of oocysts excretion, whatever the chemical immunosuppression status. Pre-patent periods were 11 days and 9.7 days in average in Dex treated and untreated mice, respectively. Parasite infection was restricted to the stomach, and had a clear preferential colonization for fundic area in both groups. Among C. parvum-infected mice, Dex-treated SCID mice became chronic shedders with a prepatent period of 6.2 days in average. C. parvum-inoculated mice treated with Dex developed glandular cystic polyps with areas of intraepithelial neoplasia, and also with the presence of intramucosal adenocarcinoma. Conclusion For the first time C. parvum is associated with the formation of polyps and adenocarcinoma lesions in the gut of Dex-treated SCID mice. Additionally, we have developed a model to compare chronic muris and parvum cryptosporidiosis using SCID mice treated with corticoids. This reproducible model has facilitated the evaluation of clinical signs, oocyst shedding, location of the infection, pathogenicity, and histopathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, indicating divergent effects of Dex according to Cryptosporidium species causing infection. PMID:18031572

Electricity Consumption Risk Map - The use of Urban Climate Mapping for smarter analysis: Case study for Birmingham, UK.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antunes Azevedo, Juliana; Burghardt, René; Chapman, Lee; Katzchner, Lutz; Muller, Catherine L.

2015-04-01

Climate is a key driving factor in energy consumption. However, income, vegetation, building mass structure, topography also impact on the amount of energy consumption. In a changing climate, increased temperatures are likely to lead to increased electricity consumption, affecting demand, distribution and generation. Furthermore, as the world population becomes more urbanized, increasing numbers of people will need to deal with not only increased temperatures from climate change, but also from the unintentional modification of the urban climate in the form of urban heat islands. Hence, climate and climate change needs to be taken into account for future urban planning aspects to increase the climate and energy resilience of the community and decrease the future social and economic costs. Geographical Information Systems provide a means to create urban climate maps as part of the urban planning process. Geostatistical analyses linking these maps with demographic and social data, enables a geo-statistical analysis to identify linkages to high-risk groups of the community and vulnerable areas of town and cities. Presently, the climatope classification is oriented towards thermal aspects and the ventilation quality (roughness) of the urban areas but can also be adapted to take into account other structural "environmental factors". This study aims to use the climatope approach to predict areas of potential high electricity consumption in Birmingham, UK. Several datasets were used to produce an average surface temperature map, vegetation map, land use map, topography map, building height map, built-up area roughness calculations, an average air temperature map and a domestic electricity consumption map. From the correlations obtained between the layers it is possible to average the importance of each factor and create a map for domestic electricity consumption to understand the influence of environmental aspects on spatial energy consumption. Based on these results city planners and local authorities can guide their directives and policies towards electricity consumption, demand, generation and distribution.

Can surface electromyography improve surgery planning? Electromyographic assessment and intraoperative verification of the nerve bundle entry point location of the gracilis muscle.

PubMed

Romaniszyn, Michal; Walega, Piotr; Nowakowski, Michal; Nowak, Wojciech

2016-06-01

To verify the precision of surface electromyography (sEMG) in locating the innervation zone of the gracilis muscle, by comparing the location of the IZ estimated by means of sEMG with in vivo location of the nerve bundle entry point in patients before graciloplasty procedure due to fecal incontinence. Nine patients who qualified for the graciloplasty procedure underwent sEMG on both gracilis muscle before their operations. During surgery the nerve bundle was identified by means of electrical stimulation. The distance between the proximal attachment and the nerve entry point into the muscle's body was measured. Both measurements (sEMG and in vivo identification) were compared for each subject. On average, the IZ was located 65.5mm from the proximal attachment. The mean difference in location of the innervation zones in each individual was 10±9.7mm, maximal - 30mm, the difference being statistically significant (p=0.017). It was intraoperatively confirmed, that the nerve entered the muscle an average of 62mm from the proximal attachment. The largest difference between the EMG IZ estimation and nerve bundle entry point was 5mm (mean difference 2.8mm, p=0.767). Preoperative surface electromyography of both gracilis muscles is a safe, precise and reliable method of assessing the location of the innervation zones of the gracilis muscles. The asymmetry of the IZ location in left and right muscles may be important in context of technical aspects of the graciloplasty procedure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-verbal communication between primary care physicians and older patients: how does race matter?

PubMed

Stepanikova, Irena; Zhang, Qian; Wieland, Darryl; Eleazer, G Paul; Stewart, Thomas

2012-05-01

Non-verbal communication is an important aspect of the diagnostic and therapeutic process, especially with older patients. It is unknown how non-verbal communication varies with physician and patient race. To examine the joint influence of physician race and patient race on non-verbal communication displayed by primary care physicians during medical interviews with patients 65 years or older. Video-recordings of visits of 209 patients 65 years old or older to 30 primary care physicians at three clinics located in the Midwest and Southwest. Duration of physicians' open body position, eye contact, smile, and non-task touch, coded using an adaption of the Nonverbal Communication in Doctor-Elderly Patient Transactions form. African American physicians with African American patients used more open body position, smile, and touch, compared to the average across other dyads (adjusted mean difference for open body position = 16.55, p < 0.001; smile = 2.35, p = 0.048; touch = 1.33, p < 0.001). African American physicians with white patients spent less time in open body position compared to the average across other dyads, but they also used more smile and eye gaze (adjusted mean difference for open body position = 27.25, p < 0.001; smile = 3.16, p = 0.005; eye gaze = 17.05, p < 0.001). There were no differences between white physicians' behavior toward African American vs. white patients. Race plays a role in physicians' non-verbal communication with older patients. Its influence is best understood when physician race and patient race are considered jointly.

Laser radar cross-section estimation from high-resolution image data.

PubMed

Osche, G R; Seeber, K N; Lok, Y F; Young, D S

1992-05-10

A methodology for the estimation of ladar cross sections from high-resolution image data of geometrically complex targets is presented. Coherent CO(2) laser radar was used to generate high-resolution amplitude imagery of a UC-8 Buffalo test aircraft at a range of 1.3 km at nine different aspect angles. The average target ladar cross section was synthesized from these data and calculated to be sigma(T) = 15.4 dBsm, which is similar to the expected microwave radar cross sections. The aspect angle dependence of the cross section shows pronounced peaks at nose on and broadside, which are also in agreement with radar results. Strong variations in both the mean amplitude and the statistical distributions of amplitude with the aspect angle have also been observed. The relative mix of diffuse and specular returns causes significant deviations from a simple Lambertian or Swerling II target, especially at broadside where large normal surfaces are present.

Configuration design studies and wind tunnel tests of an energy efficient transport with a high-aspect-ratio supercritical wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henne, P. A.; Dahlin, J. A.; Peavey, C. C.; Gerren, D. S.

1982-01-01

The results of design studies and wind tunnel tests of high aspect ratio supercritical wings suitable for a medium range, narrow body transport aircraft flying near M=0.80 were presented. The basic characteristics of the wing design were derived from system studies of advanced transport aircraft where detailed structural and aerodynamic tradeoffs were used to determine the most optimum design from the standpoint of fuel usage and direct operating cost. These basic characteristics included wing area, aspect ratio, average thickness, and sweep. The detailed wing design was accomplished through application of previous test results and advanced computational transonic flow procedures. In addition to the basic wing/body development, considerable attention was directed to nacelle/plyon location effects, horizontal tail effects, and boundary layer transition effects. Results of these tests showed that the basic cruise performance objectives were met or exceeded.

High β produced by neutral beam injection in the START (Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokamak) spherical tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, Alan

1997-05-01

The world's first high-power auxiliary heating experiments in a tight aspect ratio (or spherical) tokamak have been performed on the Small Tight Aspect Ratio Tokomak (START) device [Sykes et al., Nucl. Fusion 32, 694 (1992)] at Culham Laboratory, using the 40 keV, 0.5 MW Neutral Beam Injector loaned by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Injection has been mainly of hydrogen into hydrogen or deuterium target plasmas, with a one-day campaign to explore D→D operation. In each case injection provides a combination of higher density operation and effective heating of both ions and electrons. The highest β values achieved to date in START are volume average βT˜11.5% and central beta βO˜50%. Already high, these values are expected to increase further with the use of higher beam power.

Distribution of the endangered giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens, on the Naval Petroleum Reserves, Kern County, California

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

O'Farrell, T.P.; Mathews, N.E.; Kato, T.T.

1987-07-01

Field surveys were conducted to determine the distribution and relative abundance of burrow systems of the endangered giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens, on the US Department of Energy's Naval Petroleum Reserves (NPR-1, NPR-2) in Kern County, California. A total of 1080 burrow systems were observed on 30 sections of NPR-1, 22 sections of NPR-2, and six adjoining sections. Most burrow systems were found in clusters on deep sandy loams in Buena Vista Valley, but isolated burrows were found in similar soils on the upper slopes or crests of ridges in 30 other sections of the reserves. Burrow systems had anmore » average of 3.3 horizontal entrances measuring 2.7 in. high and 3.4 in. wide, and an average of 1.4 vertical entrances 2.0 in. in diameter. In the valleys burrows occurred in a density of 28.2 per acre; had an average slope angle of 4.3/sup 0/; were within 3.3 yd of a perennial shrub, usually a cheese-bush, Hymenoclea salsola; had a predominantly southern aspect; and were grazed by sheep, but were remote from petroleum production activities. In the uplands burrows occurred in a density of 0.1 per acre; had an average slope angle of 6.4/sup 0/; were within 5.1 yd of a perennial shrub, usually a desert saltbush, Atriplex polycarpa; had no particular aspect; and were not grazed by sheep, but were close to petroleum production activities. Since 1980, preconstruction surveys have helped conserve giant kangaroo rat burrows that may have been inadvertently threatened by construction projects on the reserves.« less

Reliability generalization of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R).

PubMed

Herrington, Hayley M; Smith, Timothy B; Feinauer, Erika; Griner, Derek

2016-10-01

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 63(5) of Journal of Counseling Psychology (see record 2016-33161-001). The name of author Erika Feinauer was misspelled as Erika Feinhauer. All versions of this article have been corrected.] Individuals' strength of ethnic identity has been linked with multiple positive indicators, including academic achievement and overall psychological well-being. The measure researchers use most often to assess ethnic identity, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), underwent substantial revision in 2007. To inform scholars investigating ethnic identity, we performed a reliability generalization analysis on data from the revised version (MEIM-R) and compared it with data from the original MEIM. Random-effects weighted models evaluated internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach's alpha). Reliability coefficients for the MEIM-R averaged α = .88 across 37 samples, a statistically significant increase over the average of α = .84 for the MEIM across 75 studies. Reliability coefficients for the MEIM-R did not differ across study and participant characteristics such as sample gender and ethnic composition. However, consistently lower reliability coefficients averaging α = .81 were found among participants with low levels of education, suggesting that greater attention to data reliability is warranted when evaluating the ethnic identity of individuals such as middle-school students. Future research will be needed to ascertain whether data with other measures of aspects of personal identity (e.g., racial identity, gender identity) also differ as a function of participant level of education and associated cognitive or maturation processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Combining Soil Databases for Topsoil Organic Carbon Mapping in Europe.

PubMed

Aksoy, Ece; Yigini, Yusuf; Montanarella, Luca

2016-01-01

Accuracy in assessing the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important issue because of playing key roles in the functions of both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems. There are several studies in the literature with the aim of finding the best method to assess and map the distribution of SOC content for Europe. Therefore this study aims searching for another aspect of this issue by looking to the performances of using aggregated soil samples coming from different studies and land-uses. The total number of the soil samples in this study was 23,835 and they're collected from the "Land Use/Cover Area frame Statistical Survey" (LUCAS) Project (samples from agricultural soil), BioSoil Project (samples from forest soil), and "Soil Transformations in European Catchments" (SoilTrEC) Project (samples from local soil data coming from six different critical zone observatories (CZOs) in Europe). Moreover, 15 spatial indicators (slope, aspect, elevation, compound topographic index (CTI), CORINE land-cover classification, parent material, texture, world reference base (WRB) soil classification, geological formations, annual average temperature, min-max temperature, total precipitation and average precipitation (for years 1960-1990 and 2000-2010)) were used as auxiliary variables in this prediction. One of the most popular geostatistical techniques, Regression-Kriging (RK), was applied to build the model and assess the distribution of SOC. This study showed that, even though RK method was appropriate for successful SOC mapping, using combined databases was not helpful to increase the statistical significance of the method results for assessing the SOC distribution. According to our results; SOC variation was mainly affected by elevation, slope, CTI, average temperature, average and total precipitation, texture, WRB and CORINE variables for Europe scale in our model. Moreover, the highest average SOC contents were found in the wetland areas; agricultural areas have much lower soil organic carbon content than forest and semi natural areas; Ireland, Sweden and Finland has the highest SOC, on the contrary, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy have the lowest values with the average 3%.

Combining Soil Databases for Topsoil Organic Carbon Mapping in Europe

PubMed Central

Aksoy, Ece

2016-01-01

Accuracy in assessing the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important issue because of playing key roles in the functions of both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems. There are several studies in the literature with the aim of finding the best method to assess and map the distribution of SOC content for Europe. Therefore this study aims searching for another aspect of this issue by looking to the performances of using aggregated soil samples coming from different studies and land-uses. The total number of the soil samples in this study was 23,835 and they’re collected from the “Land Use/Cover Area frame Statistical Survey” (LUCAS) Project (samples from agricultural soil), BioSoil Project (samples from forest soil), and “Soil Transformations in European Catchments” (SoilTrEC) Project (samples from local soil data coming from six different critical zone observatories (CZOs) in Europe). Moreover, 15 spatial indicators (slope, aspect, elevation, compound topographic index (CTI), CORINE land-cover classification, parent material, texture, world reference base (WRB) soil classification, geological formations, annual average temperature, min-max temperature, total precipitation and average precipitation (for years 1960–1990 and 2000–2010)) were used as auxiliary variables in this prediction. One of the most popular geostatistical techniques, Regression-Kriging (RK), was applied to build the model and assess the distribution of SOC. This study showed that, even though RK method was appropriate for successful SOC mapping, using combined databases was not helpful to increase the statistical significance of the method results for assessing the SOC distribution. According to our results; SOC variation was mainly affected by elevation, slope, CTI, average temperature, average and total precipitation, texture, WRB and CORINE variables for Europe scale in our model. Moreover, the highest average SOC contents were found in the wetland areas; agricultural areas have much lower soil organic carbon content than forest and semi natural areas; Ireland, Sweden and Finland has the highest SOC, on the contrary, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy have the lowest values with the average 3%. PMID:27011357

Cartilage can be thicker in advanced osteoarthritic knees: a tridimensional quantitative analysis of cartilage thickness at posterior aspect of femoral condyles.

PubMed

Omoumi, Patrick; Babel, Hugo; Jolles, Brigitte M; Favre, Julien

2018-04-16

To test, through tridimensional analysis, whether (1) cartilage thickness at the posterior aspect of femoral condyles differs in knees with medial femorotibial osteoarthritis (OA) compared to non-OA knees; (2) the location of the thickest cartilage at the posterior aspect of femoral condyles differs between OA and non-OA knees. CT arthrograms of knees without radiographic OA (n = 30) and with severe medial femorotibial OA (n = 30) were selected retrospectively from patients over 50 years of age. The groups did not differ in gender, age and femoral size. CT arthrograms were segmented to measure the mean cartilage thickness, the maximal cartilage thickness and its location in a region of interest at the posterior aspect of condyles. For the medial condyle, mean and maximum cartilage thicknesses were statistically significantly higher in OA knees compared to non-OA knees [1.66 vs 1.46 mm (p = 0.03) and 2.56 vs 2.14 mm (p = 0.003), respectively]. The thickest cartilage was located in the half most medial aspect of the posterior medial condyle for both groups, without significant difference between groups. For the lateral condyle, no statistically significant difference between non-OA and OA knees was found (p ≥ 0.17). Cartilage at the posterior aspect of the medial condyle, but not the lateral condyle, is statistically significantly thicker in advanced medial femorotibial OA knees compared to non-OA knees. The thickest cartilage was located in the half most medial aspect of the posterior medial condyle. These results will serve as the basis for future research to determine the histobiological processes involved in this thicker cartilage. Advances in knowledge: This study, through a quantitative tridimensional approach, shows that cartilage at the posterior aspect of the medial condyles is thicker in severe femorotibial osteoarthritic knees compared to non-OA knees. In the posterior aspect of the medial condyle, the thickest cartilage is located in the vicinity of the center of the half most medial aspect of the posterior medial condyle. These results will serve as the basis for future research to determine the histobiological processes involved in this thicker cartilage.

[Clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic aspects in elderly hypertensive patients in Senegal].

PubMed

Sarr, Simon Antoine; Babaka, Kana; Mboup, Mouhamadou Cherif; Fall, Pape Diadie; Dia, Khadidiatou; Bodian, Malick; Ndiaye, Mouhamadou Bamba; Kane, Adama; Diao, Maboury; Ba, Serigne Abdou

2016-01-01

Arterial hypertension (HTA) in the elderly is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Our study aims to describe the clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic aspects of Arterial hypertension in elderly patients. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study from January to September 2013. Hypertensive patients =60 years treated in Outpatient Cardiology Department at the Principal Hospital in Dakar were included in the study. Statistical data were analyzed using Epi Info 7 software and a p-value < 0.05 was taken as significant. A total of 208 patients were enrolled in the study. The average age was 69.9 years with a female predominance (sex ratio 0.85). Average blood pressure was 162/90 mm Hg. HTA was under control in 13% of cases. The ECG showed evidence of rhythm disturbance (17.78%), left atrial enlargement (45.19%), left ventricular hypertrophy (28.85%) and complete atrioventricular block in 2 cases. Holter ECG revealed non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (Lown class IVb) in 4 cases, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in 6 cases and paroxysmal atrial flutter in 1 case. Echocardiography performed in 140 patients showed mainly concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in 25 patients, occuring more frequently in males (p=0,04) and dilated left atrium in 56,42% of cases, occuring more frequently in elderly patients (p= 0,01). Electrocardiographic and echocardiographic aspects in elderly hypertensive population are characterized by concentric left ventricular hypertrophy and by the frequency of arrhythmias sometimes revealed by long-term continuous external electrocardiographic recording.

DEM simulation of flow of dumbbells on a rough inclined plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandal, Sandip; Khakhar, Devang

2015-11-01

The rheology of non-spherical granular materials such as food grains, sugar cubes, sand, pharmaceutical pills, among others, is not understood well. We study the flow of non-spherical dumbbells of different aspect ratios on a rough inclined plane by using soft sphere DEM simulations. The dumbbells are generated by fusing two spheres together and a linear spring dashpot model along with Coulombic friction is employed to calculate inter-particle forces. At steady state, a uni-directional shear flow is obtained which allows for a detailed study of the rheology. The effect of aspect ratio and inclination angle on mean velocity, volume fraction, shear rate, shear stress, pressure and viscosity profiles is examined. The effect of aspect ratio on probability distribution of angles, made by the major axes of the dumbbells with the flow direction, average angle and order parameter is analyzed. The dense flow rheology is well explained by Bagnold's law and the constitutive laws of JFP model. The dependencies of first and second normal stress differences on aspect ratio are studied. The probability distributions of translational and rotational velocity are analyzed.

Numerical modeling on air quality in an urban environment with changes of the aspect ratio and wind direction.

PubMed

Yassin, Mohamed F

2013-06-01

Due to heavy traffic emissions within an urban environment, air quality during the last decade becomes worse year by year and hazard to public health. In the present work, numerical modeling of flow and dispersion of gaseous emissions from vehicle exhaust in a street canyon were investigated under changes of the aspect ratio and wind direction. The three-dimensional flow and dispersion of gaseous pollutants were modeled using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model which was numerically solved using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The diffusion flow field in the atmospheric boundary layer within the street canyon was studied for different aspect ratios (W/H=1/2, 3/4, and 1) and wind directions (θ=90°, 112.5°, 135°, and 157.5°). The numerical models were validated against wind tunnel results to optimize the turbulence model. The numerical results agreed well with the wind tunnel results. The simulation demonstrated that the minimum concentration at the human respiration height within the street canyon was on the windward side for aspect ratios W/H=1/2 and 1 and wind directions θ=112.5°, 135°, and 157.5°. The pollutant concentration level decreases as the wind direction and aspect ratio increase. The wind velocity and turbulence intensity increase as the aspect ratio and wind direction increase.

Cardiovascular and respiratory physiopathological aspects of hypokinesia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dagianti, A.

1980-01-01

The many effects of hypokinesia on the human organism are described. The differences in normally mobile subjects and hypokinetic subjects as relates to heart rate, average humeral pressure, cardiac capacity, cardia index, systolic range, and large cycle resistances are discussed. It is concluded that further studies must be carried out in seven specific areas of cariocirculatory damage due to hypokinesia.

Emotional Intelligence and Deans: Exploring the Nature of the Emotional Intelligence of Community College Deans in the Southeastern Region of the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maundu, Irene Kasungwa

2013-01-01

Leadership is an essential aspect of community college administration. Community colleges are currently facing numerous challenges such as: above average retirement rates for administrators, funding and limited government support, diverse student populations, changes in technology, shift in teaching to student-centered learning, and steep…

Computing the Average Square: An Agent-Based Introduction to Aspects of Current Psychometric Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stroup, Walter M.; Hills, Thomas; Carmona, Guadalupe

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes an approach to helping future educators to engage with key issues related to the application of measurement-related statistics to learning and teaching, especially in the contexts of science, mathematics, technology and engineering (STEM) education. The approach we outline has two major elements. First, students are asked to…

Concepts for Conducting Warfare in Cyberspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-04-20

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of... information , including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information

Political Revolution And Social Communication Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data...sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden...estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services

A Lifespan Study of Cooperative Education Graduates: Quantitative Aspects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Patricia L.; Ferguson, Jane

1999-01-01

Career histories of 73 graduates of Antioch College's liberal arts co-op program, 1946-55, showed an average of 6.5 jobs before retirement and high rates of self-employment. Those with low performance in cooperative education were much more likely to have earned graduate degrees. Self-employed graduates had more varied jobs and retired later. (SK)

Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send...0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to

High Assurance Software

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-22

CONGRESSIONAL ) HIGH ASSURANCE SOFTWARE WILLIAM MAHONEY UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA 10/22/2013 Final Report DISTRIBUTION A: Distribution approved for ...0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to

Motor Difficulties in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Linking Symptom Severity and Postural Stability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Travers, Brittany G.; Powell, Patrick S.; Klinger, Laura G.; Klinger, Mark R.

2013-01-01

Postural stability is a fundamental aspect of motor ability that allows individuals to sustain and maintain the desired physical position of one's body. The present study examined postural stability in average-IQ adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Twenty-six individuals with ASD and 26 age-and-IQ-matched individuals…

Understanding of Macroscopic, Microscopic and Symbolic Representations among Form Four Students in Solving Stoichiometric Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sujak, Kamariah Binti; Daniel, Esther Gnanamalar Sarojini

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to determine the levels of understanding for solving Stoichiometry problems from the aspect of macroscopic, microscopic and symbolic representations of high, average and low achieving students after infusion of metacognitive skills. Nine form four students aged sixteen years old from a secondary school in Kuala…

Early Prediction of Students' Grade Point Averages at Graduation: A Data Mining Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekin, Ahmet

2014-01-01

Problem Statement: There has recently been interest in educational databases containing a variety of valuable but sometimes hidden data that can be used to help less successful students to improve their academic performance. The extraction of hidden information from these databases often implements aspects of the educational data mining (EDM)…

Does Iterative Reconstruction Lower CT Radiation Dose: Evaluation of 15,000 Examinations

PubMed Central

Noël, Peter B.; Renger, Bernhard; Fiebich, Martin; Münzel, Daniela; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Dobritz, Martin

2013-01-01

Purpose Evaluation of 15,000 computed tomography (CT) examinations to investigate if iterative reconstruction (IR) reduces sustainably radiation exposure. Method and Materials Information from 15,000 CT examinations was collected, including all aspects of the exams such as scan parameter, patient information, and reconstruction instructions. The examinations were acquired between January 2010 and December 2012, while after 15 months a first generation IR algorithm was installed. To collect the necessary information from PACS, RIS, MPPS and structured reports a Dose Monitoring System was developed. To harvest all possible information an optical character recognition system was integrated, for example to collect information from the screenshot CT-dose report. The tool transfers all data to a database for further processing such as the calculation of effective dose and organ doses. To evaluate if IR provides a sustainable dose reduction, the effective dose values were statistically analyzed with respect to protocol type, diagnostic indication, and patient population. Results IR has the potential to reduce radiation dose significantly. Before clinical introduction of IR the average effective dose was 10.1±7.8mSv and with IR 8.9±7.1mSv (p*=0.01). Especially in CTA, with the possibility to use kV reduction protocols, such as in aortic CTAs (before IR: average14.2±7.8mSv; median11.4mSv /with IR:average9.9±7.4mSv; median7.4mSv), or pulmonary CTAs (before IR: average9.7±6.2mSV; median7.7mSv /with IR: average6.4±4.7mSv; median4.8mSv) the dose reduction effect is significant(p*=0.01). On the contrary for unenhanced low-dose scans of the cranial (for example sinuses) the reduction is not significant (before IR:average6.6±5.8mSv; median3.9mSv/with IR:average6.0±3.1mSV; median3.2mSv). Conclusion The dose aspect remains a priority in CT research. Iterative reconstruction algorithms reduce sustainably and significantly radiation dose in the clinical routine. Our results illustrate that not only in studies with a limited number of patients but also in the clinical routine, IRs provide long-term dose saving. PMID:24303035

Does iterative reconstruction lower CT radiation dose: evaluation of 15,000 examinations.

PubMed

Noël, Peter B; Renger, Bernhard; Fiebich, Martin; Münzel, Daniela; Fingerle, Alexander A; Rummeny, Ernst J; Dobritz, Martin

2013-01-01

Evaluation of 15,000 computed tomography (CT) examinations to investigate if iterative reconstruction (IR) reduces sustainably radiation exposure. Information from 15,000 CT examinations was collected, including all aspects of the exams such as scan parameter, patient information, and reconstruction instructions. The examinations were acquired between January 2010 and December 2012, while after 15 months a first generation IR algorithm was installed. To collect the necessary information from PACS, RIS, MPPS and structured reports a Dose Monitoring System was developed. To harvest all possible information an optical character recognition system was integrated, for example to collect information from the screenshot CT-dose report. The tool transfers all data to a database for further processing such as the calculation of effective dose and organ doses. To evaluate if IR provides a sustainable dose reduction, the effective dose values were statistically analyzed with respect to protocol type, diagnostic indication, and patient population. IR has the potential to reduce radiation dose significantly. Before clinical introduction of IR the average effective dose was 10.1±7.8mSv and with IR 8.9±7.1mSv (p*=0.01). Especially in CTA, with the possibility to use kV reduction protocols, such as in aortic CTAs (before IR: average14.2±7.8mSv; median11.4mSv /with IR:average9.9±7.4mSv; median7.4mSv), or pulmonary CTAs (before IR: average9.7±6.2mSV; median7.7mSv /with IR: average6.4±4.7mSv; median4.8mSv) the dose reduction effect is significant(p*=0.01). On the contrary for unenhanced low-dose scans of the cranial (for example sinuses) the reduction is not significant (before IR:average6.6±5.8mSv; median3.9mSv/with IR:average6.0±3.1mSV; median3.2mSv). The dose aspect remains a priority in CT research. Iterative reconstruction algorithms reduce sustainably and significantly radiation dose in the clinical routine. Our results illustrate that not only in studies with a limited number of patients but also in the clinical routine, IRs provide long-term dose saving.

Durability Indicators Comparison for SCC and CC in Tropical Coastal Environments.

PubMed

Calado, Carlos; Camões, Aires; Monteiro, Eliana; Helene, Paulo; Barkokébas, Béda

2015-03-27

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) demands more studies of durability at higher temperatures when subjected to more aggressive environments in comparison to the conventional vibrated concrete (CC). This work aims at presenting results of durability indicators of SCC and CC, having the same water/binder relations and constituents. The applied methodologies were electrical resistivity, diffusion of chloride ions and accelerated carbonation experiments, among others, such as microstructure study, scanning electron microscope and microtomography experiments. The tests were performed in a research laboratory and at a construction site of the Pernambuco Arena. The obtained results shows that the SCC presents an average electrical resistivity 11.4% higher than CC; the average chloride ions diffusion was 63.3% of the CC; the average accelerated carbonation penetration was 45.8% of the CC; and the average open porosity was 55.6% of the CC. As the results demonstrated, the SCC can be more durable than CC, which contributes to elucidate the aspects related to its durability and consequent prolonged life cycle.

Durability Indicators Comparison for SCC and CC in Tropical Coastal Environments

PubMed Central

Calado, Carlos; Camões, Aires; Monteiro, Eliana; Helene, Paulo; Barkokébas, Béda

2015-01-01

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) demands more studies of durability at higher temperatures when subjected to more aggressive environments in comparison to the conventional vibrated concrete (CC). This work aims at presenting results of durability indicators of SCC and CC, having the same water/binder relations and constituents. The applied methodologies were electrical resistivity, diffusion of chloride ions and accelerated carbonation experiments, among others, such as microstructure study, scanning electron microscope and microtomography experiments. The tests were performed in a research laboratory and at a construction site of the Pernambuco Arena. The obtained results shows that the SCC presents an average electrical resistivity 11.4% higher than CC; the average chloride ions diffusion was 63.3% of the CC; the average accelerated carbonation penetration was 45.8% of the CC; and the average open porosity was 55.6% of the CC. As the results demonstrated, the SCC can be more durable than CC, which contributes to elucidate the aspects related to its durability and consequent prolonged life cycle. PMID:28788012

Readability assessment of online thyroid surgery patient education materials.

PubMed

Patel, Chirag R; Cherla, Deepa V; Sanghvi, Saurin; Baredes, Soly; Eloy, Jean Anderson

2013-10-01

Published guidelines recommend written health information be written at or below the sixth-grade level. We evaluate the readability of online materials related to thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgery materials were evaluated using Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES), Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Frequency of Gobbledygook (GFOG), and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG). Thirty-one documents were evaluated. FRES scores ranged from 29.3 to 67.8 (possible range = 0 to 100), and averaged 50.5. FKGL ranged from 6.9 to 14.9 (possible range = 3 to 12), and averaged 10.4. SMOG scores ranged from 11.8 to 14.5 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.0. GFOG scores ranged from 10.6 to 18.0 (possible range = 3 to 19), and averaged 13.5. Readability scores for online thyroid surgery materials are higher (i.e., more difficult) than the recommended levels. However, readability is only one aspect of comprehension. Written information should be designed with that fact in mind. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Abortion providers, stigma and professional quality of life.

PubMed

Martin, Lisa A; Debbink, Michelle; Hassinger, Jane; Youatt, Emily; Harris, Lisa H

2014-12-01

The Providers Share Workshop (PSW) provides abortion providers safe space to discuss their work experiences. Our objectives were to assess changes in abortion stigma over time and explore how stigma is related to aspects of professional quality of life, including compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue for providers participating in the workshops. Seventy-nine providers were recruited to the PSW study. Surveys were completed prior to, immediately following and 1 year after the workshops. The outcome measures were the Abortion Provider Stigma Survey and the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) survey. Baseline ProQOL scores were compared to published averages using t tests. Changes in abortion stigma and aspects of professional quality of life were assessed by fitting a two-level random-effects model with repeated measures at level 1 (period-level) and static measures (e.g., demographic data) at level 2 (person-level). Potential covariates included age, parenting status, education, organizational tenure, job type and clinic type (stand-alone vs. hospital-based clinics). Compared to other healthcare workers, abortion providers reported higher compassion satisfaction (t=2.65, p=.009) and lower burnout (t=5.13, p<.0001). Repeated-measures analysis revealed statistically significant decreases in stigma over time. Regression analysis identified abortion stigma as a significant predictor of lower compassion satisfaction, higher burnout and higher compassion fatigue. Participants in PSW reported a reduction in abortion stigma over time. Further, stigma is an important predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue, suggesting that interventions aimed at supporting the abortion providing workforce should likely assess abortion stigma. Stigma is an important predictor of compassion satisfaction, burnout and compassion fatigue among abortion care providers. Therefore, strengthening human resources for abortion care requires stigma reduction efforts. Participants in the PSWs show reductions in stigma over time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On the road again after traumatic brain injury: driver safety and behaviour following on-road assessment and rehabilitation.

PubMed

Ross, Pamela; Ponsford, Jennie L; Di Stefano, Marilyn; Charlton, Judith; Spitz, Gershon

2016-01-01

To examine pre- and post-injury self-reported driver behaviour and safety in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who returned to driving after occupational therapy driver assessment and on-road rehabilitation. A self-report questionnaire, administered at an average of 4.5 years after completing an on-road driver assessment, documenting pre- and post-injury crash rates, near-crashes, frequency of driving, distances driven, driving conditions avoided and navigation skills, was completed by 106 participants, who had either passed the initial driver assessment (pass group n = 74), or required driver rehabilitation, prior to subsequent assessments (rehabilitation group n = 32). No significant difference was found between pre- and post-injury crash rates. Compared to pre-injury, 36.8% of drivers reported limiting driving time, 40.6% drove more slowly, 41.5% reported greater difficulty with navigating and 20.0% reported more near-crashes. The rehabilitation group (with greater injury severity) was significantly more likely to drive less frequently, shorter distances, avoid: driving with passengers, busy traffic, night and freeway driving than the pass group. Many drivers with moderate/severe TBI who completed a driver assessment and rehabilitation program at least 3 months post-injury, reported modifying their driving behaviour, and did not report more crashes compared to pre-injury. On-road driver training and training in navigation may be important interventions in driver rehabilitation programs. Driver assessment and on-road retraining are important aspects of rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Many drivers with moderate/severe TBI, reported modifying their driving behaviour to compensate for ongoing impairment and continued to drive safely in the longer term. Navigational difficulties were commonly experienced following TBI, suggesting that training in navigation may be an important aspect of driver rehabilitation.

Comparative Anatomy of the Bony Labyrinth (Inner Ear) of Placental Mammals

PubMed Central

Ekdale, Eric G.

2013-01-01

Background Variation is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is observable at all levels of morphology, from anatomical variations of DNA molecules to gross variations between whole organisms. The structure of the otic region is no exception. The present paper documents the broad morphological diversity exhibited by the inner ear region of placental mammals using digital endocasts constructed from high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT). Descriptions cover the major placental clades, and linear, angular, and volumetric dimensions are reported. Principal Findings The size of the labyrinth is correlated to the overall body mass of individuals, such that large bodied mammals have absolutely larger labyrinths. The ratio between the average arc radius of curvature of the three semicircular canals and body mass of aquatic species is substantially lower than the ratios of related terrestrial taxa, and the volume percentage of the vestibular apparatus of aquatic mammals tends to be less than that calculated for terrestrial species. Aspects of the bony labyrinth are phylogenetically informative, including vestibular reduction in Cetacea, a tall cochlear spiral in caviomorph rodents, a low position of the plane of the lateral semicircular canal compared to the posterior canal in Cetacea and Carnivora, and a low cochlear aspect ratio in Primatomorpha. Significance The morphological descriptions that are presented add a broad baseline of anatomy of the inner ear across many placental mammal clades, for many of which the structure of the bony labyrinth is largely unknown. The data included here complement the growing body of literature on the physiological and phylogenetic significance of bony labyrinth structures in mammals, and they serve as a source of data for future studies on the evolution and function of the vertebrate ear. PMID:23805251

Vector-averaged gravity does not alter acetylcholine receptor single channel properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reitstetter, R.; Gruener, R.

1994-01-01

To examine the physiological sensitivity of membrane receptors to altered gravity, we examined the single channel properties of the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), in co-cultures of Xenopus myocytes and neurons, to vector-averaged gravity in the clinostat. This experimental paradigm produces an environment in which, from the cell's perspective, the gravitational vector is "nulled" by continuous averaging. In that respect, the clinostat simulates one aspect of space microgravity where the gravity force is greatly reduced. After clinorotation, the AChR channel mean open-time and conductance were statistically not different from control values but showed a rotation-dependent trend that suggests a process of cellular adaptation to clinorotation. These findings therefore suggest that the ACHR channel function may not be affected in the microgravity of space despite changes in the receptor's cellular organization.

Learning style preferences and their influence on students' problem solving in kinematics observed by eye-tracking method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kekule, Martina

2017-01-01

The article presents eye-tracking method and its using for observing students when they solve problems from kinematics. Particularly, multiple-choice items in TUG-K test by Robert Beichner. Moreover, student's preference for visual way of learning as a possible influential aspect is proofed and discussed. Learning Style Inventory by Dunn, Dunn&Price was administered to students in order to find out their preferences. More than 20 high school and college students about 20 years old took part in the research. Preferred visual way of learning in contrast to the other ways of learning (audio, tactile, kinesthetic) shows very slight correlation with the total score of the test, none correlation with the average fixation duration and slight correlation with average fixation count on a task and average total visit duration on a task.

"Do octopuses have a brain?" Knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards neuroscience at school.

PubMed

Sperduti, Alessandra; Crivellaro, Federica; Rossi, Paola Francesca; Bondioli, Luca

2012-01-01

The present study contributes to the question of school literacy about the brain, with an original survey conducted on Italian students from the 3(rd) to 10(th) grades (n=508). The main goal was to test student's knowledge, attitudes, and interests about neuroscience, to assess needs, prospects, and difficulties in teaching about the brain from elementary to high school. A written questionnaire, maintaining anonymity, asked 12 close-ended multiple choice questions on topics related to human and animal brains, plus one facultative open-ended question about interests and curiosities on brain topics. The results show that respondents have a fragmentary level of basic knowledge about the brain, with aspects related to brain functions and consciousness the most challenging. As expected, degrees of performance improve with school level; elementary school students answered correctly an average number of 5.3 questions, middle school 6.5, and high school 7.4. Overall, students show great interest in the brain, as shown by the large number of questions gathered through the open-ended question (n=384). Other topics are addressed, mostly related to brain structure/functions and the role of the brain in the everyday life. The survey indicates the need of more thorough school programs on this subject, reinforced by interdisciplinary teaching where comparative anatomy and evolutionary aspects of brain development are covered.

Personalized ovarian stimulation for assisted reproductive technology: study design considerations to move from hype to added value for patients.

PubMed

Mol, Ben W; Bossuyt, Patrick M; Sunkara, Sesh K; Garcia Velasco, Juan A; Venetis, Christos; Sakkas, Denny; Lundin, Kersti; Simón, Carlos; Taylor, Hugh S; Wan, Robert; Longobardi, Salvatore; Cottell, Evelyn; D'Hooghe, Thomas

2018-06-01

Although most medical treatments are designed for the average patient with a one-size-fits-all-approach, they may not benefit all. Better understanding of the function of genes, proteins, and metabolite, and of personal and environmental factors has led to a call for personalized medicine. Personalized reproductive medicine is still in its infancy, without clear guidance on treatment aspects that could be personalized and on trial design to evaluate personalized treatment effect and benefit-harm balance. While the rationale for a personalized approach often relies on retrospective analyses of large observational studies or real-world data, solid evidence of superiority of a personalized approach will come from randomized trials comparing outcomes and safety between a personalized and one-size-fits-all strategy. A more efficient, targeted randomized trial design may recruit only patients or couples for which the personalized approach would differ from the previous, standard approach. Multiple monocenter studies using the same study protocol (allowing future meta-analysis) might reduce the major center effect associated with multicenter studies. In certain cases, single-arm observational studies can generate the necessary evidence for a personalized approach. This review describes each of the main segments of patient care in assisted reproductive technologies treatment, addressing which aspects could be personalized, emphasizing current evidence and relevant study design. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dietary inflammation factor rating™ system and risk of Alzheimer’s disease in elders

PubMed Central

Gu, Yian; Nieves, Jeri W; Luchsinger, Jose A; Scarmeas, Nikolaos

2010-01-01

It has been suggested that inflammation is involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between inflammatory aspects of diet and incident AD risk. 2258 non-demented elderly (age ≥ 65) in New York who provided dietary information at baseline were followed-up prospectively for AD development. We examined the composite total Inflammation Factor Rating (tIFR), as a measure of inflammatory impact of foods, in relation with (i) serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and (ii) risk of incident AD using Cox proportional hazards model. The tIFR was not associated with serum hsCRP level. After an average of 4.0 years of follow-up, 262 subjects developed incident AD. The tIFR was not associated with AD risk: compared to the lowest tertile of tIFR (most pro-inflammatory), HRs (95% CI) for the highest tertile (most anti-inflammatory) was 0.97(0.69–1.35) (p-for-trend=0.84), in the adjusted model. We conclude that tIFR might not be a biologically relevant measure of the inflammatory impact of the diet. Additionally, although it remains possible that tIFR might be related with some other aspects of inflammation not captured by hsCRP, lack of association with AD risk suggests its limited clinical utility. PMID:21606905

Updating the profile of C-terminal MECP2 deletions in Rett syndrome

PubMed Central

Bebbington, A; Percy, A; Christodoulou, J; Ravine, D; Ho, G; Jacoby, P; Anderson, A; Pineda, M; Ben Zeev, B; Bahi-Buisson, N; Smeets, E; Leonard, H

2014-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to compare the phenotype of Rett syndrome cases with C-terminal deletions to that of cases with different MECP2 mutations and to examine the phenotypic variation within C-terminal deletions. Methods Cases were selected from InterRett, an international database and from the population-based Australian Rett Syndrome Database. Cases (n=832) were included if they had a pathogenic MECP2 mutation in which the nature of the amino acid change was known. Three severity scale systems were used, and individual aspects of the phenotype were also compared. Results Lower severity was associated with C-terminal deletions (n=79) compared to all other MECP2 mutations (e.g. Pineda scale C-terminals mean 15.0 (95% CI 14.0–16.0) vs 16.2 (15.9–16.5). Cases with C-terminal deletions were more likely to have a normal head circumference (odds ratio 3.22, 95% CI 1.53 – 6.79) and weight (odds ratio 2.97, 95% CI 1.25–5.76). Onset of stereotypies tended to be later (median age 2.5 years vs 2 years, p<0.001 from survival analysis), and age of learning to walk tended to be earlier (median age 1.6 years vs 2 years, p=0.002 from survival analysis). Those with C-terminal deletions occurring later in the region had lower average severity scores than those occurring earlier in the region. Conclusion In terms of overall severity C-terminal deletion cases would appear to be in the middle of the range. In terms of individual aspects of phenotype growth and ability to ambulate appear to be particular strengths. By pooling data internationally this study has achieved the case numbers to provide a phenotypic profile of C-terminal deletions in Rett syndrome. PMID:19914908

Treatment of chronic back pain by sensory discrimination training. A Phase I RCT of a novel device (FairMed) vs. TENS.

PubMed

Barker, Karen L; Elliott, Christopher J; Sackley, Catherine M; Fairbank, Jeremy C T

2008-06-28

The causes of chronic low back pain (CLBP) remain obscure and effective treatment of symptoms remains elusive. A mechanism of relieving chronic pain based on the consequences of conflicting unpleasant sensory inputs to the central nervous system has been hypothesised. As a result a device was generated to deliver sensory discrimination training (FairMed), and this randomised controlled trial compared therapeutic effects with a comparable treatment modality, TENS. 60 patients with CLBP were recruited from physiotherapy referrals to a single-blinded, randomised controlled, non-inferiority trial. They were randomised to receive either FairMed or TENS and asked to use the allocated device for 30 minutes, twice a day, for 3 weeks. The primary outcome variable measured at 0 and 3 weeks was pain intensity measured using a visual analogue scale averaged over 7 days. Secondary outcome measures were Oswestry Disability Index, 3 timed physical tests, 4 questionnaires assessing different aspects of emotional coping and a global measure of patient rating of change. Data were analysed for the difference in change of scores between groups using one-way ANOVA. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The primary outcome, change in pain intensity (VAS) at 3 weeks showed a mean difference between groups of -0.1, (non significant p = 0.82). The mean difference in change in ODI scores was 0.4; (non significant p = 0.85). Differences in change of physical functioning showed that no significant difference in change of scores for any of these test (p = 0.58 - 0.90). Changes in scores of aspects of emotional coping also demonstrated no significant difference in change scores between the groups (p = 0.14 - 0.94). FairMed was not inferior to TENS treatment. The findings have implications for further research on current chronic pain theories and treatments. Further work to explore these mechanisms is important to expand our understanding of chronic pain and the role of neuro-modulation.

Diagnosing Early Ischemic Changes with the Latest-Generation Flat Detector CT: A Comparative Study with Multidetector CT.

PubMed

Maier, I L; Leyhe, J R; Tsogkas, I; Behme, D; Schregel, K; Knauth, M; Schnieder, M; Liman, J; Psychogios, M-N

2018-05-01

One-stop management of mechanical thrombectomy-eligible patients with large-vessel occlusion represents an innovative approach in acute stroke treatment. This approach reduces door-to-reperfusion times by omitting multidetector CT, using flat detector CT as pre-mechanical thrombectomy imaging. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of the latest-generation flat detector CT with multidetector CT. Prospectively derived data from patients with ischemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion and mechanical thrombectomy were analyzed in this monocentric study. All included patients underwent multidetector CT before referral to our comprehensive stroke center and flat detector CT in the angiography suite before mechanical thrombectomy. Diagnosis of early ischemic signs, quantified by the ASPECTS, was compared between modalities using cross tables, the Pearson correlation, and Bland-Altman plots. The predictive value of multidetector CT- and flat detector CT-derived ASPECTS for functional outcome was investigated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Of 25 patients, 24 (96%) had flat detector CT with sufficient diagnostic quality. Median multidetector CT and flat detector CT ASPECTSs were 7 (interquartile range, 5.5-9 and 4.25-8, respectively) with a mean period of 143.6 ± 49.5 minutes between both modalities. The overall sensitivity was 85.1% and specificity was 83.1% for flat detector CT ASPECTS compared with multidetector CT ASPECTS as the reference technique. Multidetector CT and flat detector CT ASPECTS were strongly correlated ( r = 0.849, P < .001) and moderately predicted functional outcome (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.738; P = .007 and .715; P = .069, respectively). Determination of ASPECTS on flat detector CT is feasible, showing no significant difference compared with multidetector CT ASPECTS and a similar predictive value for functional outcome. Our findings support the use of flat detector CT for emergency stroke imaging before mechanical thrombectomy to reduce door-to-groin time. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

A 31-Channel MR Brain Array Coil Compatible with Positron Emission Tomography

PubMed Central

Sander, Christin Y.; Keil, Boris; Chonde, Daniel B.; Rosen, Bruce R.; Catana, Ciprian; Wald, Lawrence L.

2014-01-01

Purpose Simultaneous acquisition of MR and PET images requires the placement of the MR detection coil inside the PET detector ring where it absorbs and scatters photons. This constraint is the principal barrier to achieving optimum sensitivity on each modality. Here, we present a 31-channel PET-compatible brain array coil with reduced attenuation but improved MR sensitivity. Methods A series of component tests were performed to identify tradeoffs between PET and MR performance. Aspects studied include the remote positioning of preamplifiers, coax size, coil trace size/material, and plastic housing. We then maximized PET performance at minimal cost to MR sensitivity. The coil was evaluated for MR performance (SNR, g-factor) and PET attenuation. Results The coil design showed an improvement in attenuation by 190% (average) compared to conventional 32-channel arrays, and no loss in MR SNR. Moreover, the 31-channel coil displayed an SNR improvement of 230% (cortical ROI) compared to a PET-optimized 8-channel array with similar attenuation properties. Implementing attenuation correction of the 31-channel array successfully removed PET artifacts, which were comparable to those of the 8-channel array. Conclusion The design of the 31-channel PET-compatible coil enables higher sensitivity for PET/MR imaging, paving the way for novel applications in this hybrid-imaging domain. PMID:25046699

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

Lentine, Anthony L.; Cox, Jonathan Albert

Methods and systems for stabilizing a resonant modulator include receiving pre-modulation and post-modulation portions of a carrier signal, determining the average power from these portions, comparing an average input power to the average output power, and operating a heater coupled to the modulator based on the comparison. One system includes a pair of input structures, one or more processing elements, a comparator, and a control element. The input structures are configured to extract pre-modulation and post-modulation portions of a carrier signal. The processing elements are configured to determine average powers from the extracted portions. The comparator is configured to comparemore » the average input power and the average output power. The control element operates a heater coupled to the modulator based on the comparison.« less

Turbulent Natural Convection in a Square Cavity with a Circular Cylinder

DOE PAGES

Aithal, S. M.

2016-07-19

In this paper, numerical simulations of high Rayleigh number flows (10 8-10 10) were conducted to investigate the turbulent fluid flow and thermal characteristics of natural convection induced by a centrally placed hot cylinder in a cold square enclosure. The effect of the aspect ratio (radius of the cylinder to the side of the cavity) was investigated for three values (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) for each Rayleigh number. Effects of turbulence induced by the high Rayleigh number (>10 7) were computed by using the unsteady k-ω model. A spectral-element method with high polynomial order (high resolution) was used to solvemore » the system of unsteady time-averaged equations of continuity, momentum, and energy, along with the turbulence equations. Detailed comparison with other numerical work is presented. Contours of velocity, temperature, and turbulence quantities are presented for various high Rayleigh numbers. Also presented is the influence of the Rayleigh number on the local Nusselt number on the centrally placed hot cylinder and the cold enclosure walls. Time-marching results show that the steady-state solutions can be obtained even for high Rayleigh numbers considered in this study. The results also show that the average and peak Nusselt numbers roughly double for each order of magnitude increase of the Rayleigh number for all radii considered. Finally, a correlation for the average Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number and aspect ratio is also presented.« less

Turbulent Natural Convection in a Square Cavity with a Circular Cylinder

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

Aithal, S. M.

In this paper, numerical simulations of high Rayleigh number flows (10 8-10 10) were conducted to investigate the turbulent fluid flow and thermal characteristics of natural convection induced by a centrally placed hot cylinder in a cold square enclosure. The effect of the aspect ratio (radius of the cylinder to the side of the cavity) was investigated for three values (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) for each Rayleigh number. Effects of turbulence induced by the high Rayleigh number (>10 7) were computed by using the unsteady k-ω model. A spectral-element method with high polynomial order (high resolution) was used to solvemore » the system of unsteady time-averaged equations of continuity, momentum, and energy, along with the turbulence equations. Detailed comparison with other numerical work is presented. Contours of velocity, temperature, and turbulence quantities are presented for various high Rayleigh numbers. Also presented is the influence of the Rayleigh number on the local Nusselt number on the centrally placed hot cylinder and the cold enclosure walls. Time-marching results show that the steady-state solutions can be obtained even for high Rayleigh numbers considered in this study. The results also show that the average and peak Nusselt numbers roughly double for each order of magnitude increase of the Rayleigh number for all radii considered. Finally, a correlation for the average Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number and aspect ratio is also presented.« less

Facebook Advertising to Recruit Young, Urban Women into an HIV Prevention Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Jones, Rachel; Lacroix, Lorraine J; Porcher, Eloni

2017-11-01

Advertising via Facebook to elicit involvement in clinical trials has demonstrated promise in expanding geographic reach while maintaining confidentiality. The purpose of this study is to evaluate Facebook advertising to reach at-risk, predominately African American or Black women in higher HIV prevalence communities for an HIV prevention clinical trial, and to compare baseline characteristics to those recruited on-the-ground. Maintaining confidentiality and the practical aspects of creating and posting ads on Facebook are described. The advertising strategy targeted multicultural affinities, gender, age, interest terms, and zip codes. We report on results during 205 days. A total of 516,498 Facebook users viewed the ads an average of four times, resulting in 37,133 clicks to the study website. Compared to 495 screened on-the-ground, 940 were screened via Facebook ads, of these, half (n = 477, 50.74%) were high risk, and of those at risk, 154 were randomized into the 6-month clinical trial. Black women comprised 71.60% (n = 673) of the total screened online. Roughly twice as many Black women screened via Facebook compared to on-the-ground, yet, the percentage at high risk was similar. Preliminary data suggest that the extent to which ad headlines and photos tap into authentic social experience, advertising on Facebook can extend geographic reach and provide a comparative sample to women recruited on-the-ground.

Bulk purification and deposition methods for selective enrichment in high aspect ratio single-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Bhatt, Nidhi P; Vichchulada, Pornnipa; Lay, Marcus D

2012-06-06

Aqueous batch processing methods for the concurrent purification of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) soot and enrichment in high aspect ratio nanotubes are essential to their use in a wide variety of electronic, structural, and mechanical applications. This manuscript presents a new route to the bulk purification and enrichment of unbundled SWNTs having average lengths in excess of 2 μm. Iterative centrifugation cycles at low centripetal force not only removed amorphous C and catalyst nanoparticles but also allowed the enhanced buoyancy of surfactant encapsulated, unbundled, high aspect ratio SWNTs to be used to isolate them in the supernatant. UV-vis-NIR and Raman spectroscopy were used to verify the removal of residual impurities from as-produced (AP-grade) arc discharge soot and the simultaneous enrichment in unbundled, undamaged, high aspect ratio SWNTs. The laminar flow deposition process (LFD) used to form two-dimensional networks of SWNTs prevented bundle formation during network growth. Additionally, it further enhanced the quality of deposits by taking advantage of the inverse relationship between the translational diffusion coefficient and length for suspended nanoparticles. This resulted in preferential deposition of pristine, unbundled, high aspect ratio SWNTs over residual impurities, as observed by Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Numerical analysis of two-fluid tearing mode instability in a finite aspect ratio cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Atsushi; Ramos, Jesús J.

2018-01-01

The two-fluid resistive tearing mode instability in a periodic plasma cylinder of finite aspect ratio is investigated numerically for parameters such that the cylindrical aspect ratio and two-fluid effects are of order unity, hence the real and imaginary parts of the mode eigenfunctions and growth rate are comparable. Considering a force-free equilibrium, numerical solutions of the complete eigenmode equations for general aspect ratios and ion skin depths are compared and found to be in very good agreement with the corresponding analytic solutions derived by means of the boundary layer theory [A. Ito and J. J. Ramos, Phys. Plasmas 24, 072102 (2017)]. Scaling laws for the growth rate and the real frequency of the mode are derived from the analytic dispersion relation by using Taylor expansions and Padé approximations. The cylindrical finite aspect ratio effect is inferred from the scaling law for the real frequency of the mode.

Assessing satellite-derived start-of-season measures in the conterminous USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwartz, Mark D.; Reed, Bradley C.; White, Michael A.

2002-01-01

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-series satellites, carrying advanced very high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) sensors, have allowed moderate resolution (1 km) measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to be collected from the Earth's land surfaces for over 20 years. Across the conterminous USA, a readily accessible and decade-long data set is now available to study many aspects of vegetation activity in this region. One feature, the onset of deciduous plant growth at the start of the spring season (SOS) is of special interest, as it appears to be crucial for accurate computation of several important biospheric processes, and a sensitive measure of the impacts of global change. In this study, satellite-derived SOS dates produced by the delayed moving average (DMA) and seasonal midpoint NDVI (SMN) methods, and modelled surface phenology (spring indices, SI) were compared at widespread deciduous forest and mixed woodland sites during 1990–93 and 1995–99, and these three measures were also matched to native species bud-break data collected at the Harvard Forest (Massachusetts) over the same time period. The results show that both SOS methods are doing a modestly accurate job of tracking the general pattern of surface phenology, but highlight the temporal limitations of biweekly satellite data. Specifically, at deciduous forest sites: (1) SMN SOS dates are close in time to SI first bloom dates (average bias of +0.74 days), whereas DMA SOS dates are considerably earlier (average bias of −41.24 days) and also systematically earlier in late spring than in early spring; (2) SMN SOS tracks overall yearly trends in deciduous forests somewhat better than DMA SOS, but with larger average error (MAEs 8.64 days and 7.37 days respectively); and (3) error in both SOS techniques varies considerably by year. Copyright © 2002 Royal Meteorological Society.

Effect of Human Milk and its Components on Streptococcus Mutans Biofilm Formation.

PubMed

Allison, L M; Walker, L A; Sanders, B J; Yang, Z; Eckert, G; Gregory, R L

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effects of human breast milk and its components on the nutritional aspect of the caries process due to Streptococcus mutans UA159 biofilm formation. Human breast milk was collected from 11 mothers during 3-9 months postpartum. To test for the effect on biofilm formation, a 16-hour culture of S. mutans was treated with dilutions of human breast milk and several major components of human breast milk, lactose, lactoferrin, IgA, and bovine casein in sterile 96-well flat bottom microtiter plates for 24 hours. The biofilms were fixed, washed, stained with crystal violet, and extracted. Absorbance was measured to evaluate biofilm growth mass. Dilutions 1:10-1:2,560 of the human breast milk samples increased biofilm formation by 1.5-3.8 fold compared to the control. Lactoferrin decreased biofilm formation significantly in all dilutions (average milk concentration of 3 mg/ml). Lactose had no effect at average breast milk concentrations (60 mg/ml) except at its lowest concentration (15 mg/ml) where it was increased. IgA significantly decreased biofilm formation at its highest concentration of 2,400 μg/ml (average milk concentration 600 μg/ml). Casein caused significantly increased biofilm formation at all concentrations tested above the average milk content (2.3 mg/ml). The results of this study demonstrate an increase in S. mutans biofilm formation by human breast milk 3-9 months post partum. Among its major components, only casein significantly increased biofilm formation among the concentrations analyzed. Lactose had no effect except at 15 mg/ml. Lactoferrin and IgA significantly decreased S. mutans biofilm formation at their highest concentrations. This information expands the current knowledge regarding the nutritional influence of breastfeeding and validates the necessity to begin an oral hygiene regimen once the first tooth erupts.

Evaluation of implants coated with rhBMP-2 using two different coating strategies: a critical-size supraalveolar peri-implant defect study in dogs.

PubMed

Lee, Jaebum; Decker, John F; Polimeni, Giuseppe; Cortella, Carlo Alberto; Rohrer, Michael D; Wozney, John M; Hall, Jan; Susin, Cristiano; Wikesjö, Ulf M E

2010-06-01

Implants coated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) induce relevant bone formation but also resident bone remodelling. To compare the effect of implants fully or partially coated with rhBMP-2 on new bone formation and resident bone remodelling. Twelve, male, adult, Hound Labrador mongrel dogs were used. Critical-size, supraalveolar, peri-implant defects received titanium porous oxide surface implants coated in their most coronal aspect with rhBMP-2 (coronal-load/six animals) or by immersion of the entire implant in an rhBMP-2 solution (soak-load/six animals) for a total of 30 mug rhBMP-2/implant. All implants were air-dried. The animals were euthanized at 8 weeks for histometric evaluation. Clinical healing was uneventful. Supraalveolar bone formation was not significantly affected by the rhBMP-2 application protocol. New bone height and area averaged (+/- SE) 3.4 +/- 0.2 versus 3.5 +/- 0.4 mm and 2.6 +/- 0.4 versus 2.5 +/- 0.7 mm(2) for coronal-load and soak-load implants, respectively (p>0.05). The corresponding bone density and bone-implant contact (BIC) recordings averaged 38.0 +/- 3.8%versus 34.4 +/- 5.6% and 25.0 +/- 3.8%versus 31.2 +/- 3.3% (p>0.05). In contrast, resident bone remodelling was significantly influenced by the rhBMP-2 application protocol. Bone density outside the implants threads averaged 74.7 +/- 3.8% and 50.8 +/- 4.1% for coronal-load and soak-load implants, respectively (p<0.05); bone density within the thread area averaged 51.8 +/- 1.2% and 37.8 +/- 2.9%, and BIC 70.1 +/- 6.7% and 43.3 +/- 3.9% (p<0.05). Local application of rhBMP-2 appears to be a viable technology to support local bone formation and osseointegration. Coronal-load implants obviate resident bone remodelling without compromising new bone formation.

Problems in Comprehensive Ambulatory Health Care for High-Risk Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielding, Jon E., Ed.

This volume contains 21 articles on aspects held to be important for delivering comprehensive health care to young adults who are at higher than average risk levels for a number of health and health-related problems; choice of topics for the articles is based on experience gained in directing the health program for the Job Corps. Most of the…

Determining Source Attenuation History to Support Closure by Natural Attenuation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering...and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other...aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for

Expanding UCR’s Interdisciplinary Materials Science and Engineering Faculty

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-27

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Microstructure Analyses of Detonation Diamond Nanoparticles

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

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Alaska Native Parkinson’s Disease Registry

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-01

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A Scalable, Reconfigurable, and Dependable Time-Triggered Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-07-01

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Communication Breakdown: DHS Operations During a Cyber Attack

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of...Presidential Directive, Malware, National Exercise, Quadrennial Homeland Security Review , Trusted Internet Connections, Zero-Day Exploits 16. PRICE CODE 17

Evaluation of Microcomposite Coatings for Chrome Replacement

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-02

Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time...of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing...this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204

Adaptive Campaigning Applied: Australian Army Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-01

of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering...and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any...other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for

Gendered Time-Crunch and Work Factors in Denmark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deding, Mette; Lausten, Mette

2011-01-01

Being crunched for time is an important aspect of life quality. Although Denmark is a country known for gender-equality, on average mothers are more time-crunched than fathers. We show this using a representative sample of Danish dual-earner couples with at least one child aged 0-10 years. We analyze the determinants of time-crunch in relation to…

The Augmented Reality Sandtable (ARES) Research Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-01

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Modeling Human Behavior with Fuzzy and Soft Computing Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-13

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2016 Quantum Science Gordon Research Conference

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-10

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Optimizing Human Input in Social Network Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-23

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Two Invariants of Human-Swarm Interaction

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-16

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Exceptional Information: Recognizing Threats and Exploiting Opportunities

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

EXCEPTIONAL INFORMATION : RECOGNIZING THREATS AND EXPLOITING OPPORTUNITIES A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army...No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for... information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this

Coupling Considerations in Assembly Language. Revision 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-13

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Inclusion of Disaster Resiliency in City/Neighborhood Comprehensive Plans

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

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Unitary Transformations in 3 D Vector Representation of Qutrit States

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-12

Representation of Qutrit States Vinod K Mishra Computational and Information Sciences Directorate, ARL Approved for public... information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect

Developing Scene Understanding Neural Software for Realistic Autonomous Outdoor Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

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State of the Recruiting Market (Briefing charts)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-26

Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per...reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including...suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis

Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send...0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to

Progression towards Functions: Students' Performance on Three Tasks about Variables from Grades 7 to 12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayalon, Michal; Watson, Anne; Lerman, Steve

2016-01-01

Identifying and expressing relations between quantities is a key aspect of understanding and using functions. We are aiming to understand the development of functions understanding throughout school years in Israel. A survey instrument was developed with teachers and given to 20 high and average achieving students from each of years 7-11 and to 10…

Relative Contributions of Caregivers' Level of Education, Role Definition and Average Household Income to Caregiver Involvement in Children's Emergent Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wambiri, Gladwell N.; Ndani, Mary N.

2015-01-01

Recent studies have consistently reported low reading achievement levels among primary school children in Kenya. Reading is a very critical component of children's development. Many aspects of learning at school revolve around this skill. Being the media via which other subjects are taught and learnt, reading is very significant and could…

Quantifying plant diversity in Zion National Park, Utah

Treesearch

K. T. Harper; Stewart C. Sanderson; E. Durant McArthur

2001-01-01

The vegetation of Zion National Park (ZNP) is used to illustrate the use of various indices that describe aspects of botanical diversity. The simplest method reports the average number of vascular species per 0.01 ha (0.025 acre) macroplot. The MacArthur-Wilson index of diversity is given for each plant community of occurrence in the Park. Neither the number of species...

Nonrandom Acts of Kindness: Parasympathetic and Subjective Empathic Responses to Sadness Predict Children's Prosociality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jonas G.; Nuselovici, Jacob N.; Hastings, Paul D.

2016-01-01

How does empathic physiology unfold as a dynamic process, and which aspect of empathy predicts children's kindness? In response to empathy induction videos, 4- to 6-year-old children (N = 180) showed an average pattern of dynamic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) change characterized by early RSA suppression, followed by RSA recovery, and modest…

The Effects of Physical Impairment on Shooting Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

Anthropometry Anthropometric data were collected from each participant. Summary anthropometric statistics are shown in table 1. Table 1...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

Correlates of Critical Thinking and College and Career Readiness for Students with and without Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Allison R.; Kowitt, Jennifer S.; Staples, Frank E.

2015-01-01

Considered a non-academic factor that is not necessarily measured by academic indicators of college and career readiness (e.g., grade point average, college admissions exams scores), critical thinking is an important aspect of 21st century learning and thus should be embedded into secondary school instruction and assessment. In this study,…

Studying entrepreneurial occupations in the Terman women.

PubMed

Schmitt-Rodermund, Eva; Schröder, Elke; Obschonka, Martin

2017-07-16

To achieve a better understanding of entrepreneurship development in women, longitudinal data on 672 individuals collected from 1922 to 1959 were analysed in a secondary investigation of the Terman Longitudinal Study. Women's reports on their occupations during 10 different years were assigned to one of two categories: work for pay (0/1), and work allowing for self-employment (0/1) in the respective year. Structural equation modelling supported earlier results concerning male entrepreneurial activity. Personality and aspects of the parenting context the women had experienced by the average age of 12 predicted early entrepreneurial competencies (inventions, leadership) and occupational interests by age 13, which related to an entrepreneurship-related career goal in 1936, when the participants were about 27 years of age on average. Such a career goal in turn predicted a higher number of occasions of entrepreneurship-prone work. Surprisingly, we also found a relationship to divorce. Women who had experienced the failure of a marriage were in occupations with a potential for entrepreneurship more often. Reasons are discussed against a backdrop of historical timing and current findings to identify general aspects of entrepreneurship development. © 2017 International Union of Psychological Science.

Climate change and drought effects on rural income distribution in the Mediterranean: a case study for Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quiroga, Sonia; Suárez, Cristina

2016-06-01

This paper examines the effects of climate change and drought on agricultural incomes in Spanish rural areas. Present research has focused on the effects of these extreme climatological events through response functions, considering effects on crop productivity and average incomes. Among the impacts of droughts, we focused on potential effects on income distribution. The study of the effects on abnormally dry periods is therefore needed in order to perform an analysis of diverse social aspects in the long term. We estimate crop production functions for a range of Mediterranean crops in Spain and we use a measure of the decomposition of inequality to estimate the impact of climate change and drought on yield disparities. Certain adaptation measures may require a better understanding of risks by the public to achieve general acceptance. We provide empirical estimations for the marginal effects of the two impacts considered: farms' average income and income distribution. Our estimates consider crop production response to both biophysical and socio-economic aspects to analyse long-term implications on competitiveness and disparities. As for the results, we find disparities in the adaptation priorities depending on the crop and the region analysed.

Creating "Intelligent" Climate Model Ensemble Averages Using a Process-Based Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, N. C.; Taylor, P. C.

2014-12-01

The CMIP5 archive contains future climate projections from over 50 models provided by dozens of modeling centers from around the world. Individual model projections, however, are subject to biases created by structural model uncertainties. As a result, ensemble averaging of multiple models is often used to add value to model projections: consensus projections have been shown to consistently outperform individual models. Previous reports for the IPCC establish climate change projections based on an equal-weighted average of all model projections. However, certain models reproduce climate processes better than other models. Should models be weighted based on performance? Unequal ensemble averages have previously been constructed using a variety of mean state metrics. What metrics are most relevant for constraining future climate projections? This project develops a framework for systematically testing metrics in models to identify optimal metrics for unequal weighting multi-model ensembles. A unique aspect of this project is the construction and testing of climate process-based model evaluation metrics. A climate process-based metric is defined as a metric based on the relationship between two physically related climate variables—e.g., outgoing longwave radiation and surface temperature. Metrics are constructed using high-quality Earth radiation budget data from NASA's Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument and surface temperature data sets. It is found that regional values of tested quantities can vary significantly when comparing weighted and unweighted model ensembles. For example, one tested metric weights the ensemble by how well models reproduce the time-series probability distribution of the cloud forcing component of reflected shortwave radiation. The weighted ensemble for this metric indicates lower simulated precipitation (up to .7 mm/day) in tropical regions than the unweighted ensemble: since CMIP5 models have been shown to overproduce precipitation, this result could indicate that the metric is effective in identifying models which simulate more realistic precipitation. Ultimately, the goal of the framework is to identify performance metrics for advising better methods for ensemble averaging models and create better climate predictions.

Comparison of total protein concentration in skeletal muscle as measured by the Bradford and Lowry assays.

PubMed

Seevaratnam, Rajini; Patel, Barkha P; Hamadeh, Mazen J

2009-06-01

The Lowry and Bradford assays are the most commonly used methods of total protein quantification, yet vary in several aspects. To date, no comparisons have been made in skeletal muscle. We compared total protein concentrations of mouse red and white gastrocnemius, reagent stability, protein stability and range of linearity using both assays. The Lowry averaged protein concentrations 15% higher than the Bradford with a moderate correlation (r = 0.36, P = 0.01). However, Bland-Altman analysis revealed considerable bias (15.8 +/- 29.7%). Both Lowry reagents and its protein-reagent interactions were less stable over time than the Bradford. The linear range of concentration was smaller for the Lowry (0.05-0.50 mg/ml) than the Bradford (0-2.0 mg/ml). We conclude that the Bradford and Lowry measures of total protein concentration in skeletal muscle are not interchangeable. The Bradford and Lowry assays have various strengths and weaknesses in terms of substance interference and protein size. However, the Bradford provides greater reagent stability, protein-reagent stability and range of linearity, and requires less time to analyse compared to the Lowry assay.

Polymer flexibility and turbulent drag reduction.

PubMed

Gillissen, J J J

2008-10-01

Polymer-induced drag reduction is the phenomenon by which the friction factor of a turbulent flow is reduced by the addition of small amounts of high-molecular-weight linear polymers, which conformation in solution at rest can vary between randomly coiled and rodlike. It is well known that drag reduction is positively correlated to viscous stresses, which are generated by extended polymers. Rodlike polymers always assume this favorable conformation, while randomly coiling chains need to be unraveled by fluid strain rate in order to become effective. The coiling and stretching of flexible polymers in turbulent flow produce an additional elastic component in the polymer stress. The effect of the elastic stresses on drag reduction is unclear. To study this issue, we compare direct numerical simulations of turbulent drag reduction in channel flow using constitutive equations describing solutions of rigid and flexible polymers. When compared at constant phi r2, both simulations predict the same amount of drag reduction. Here phi is the polymer volume fraction and r is the polymer aspect ratio, which for flexible polymers is based on average polymer extension at the channel wall. This demonstrates that polymer elasticity plays a marginal role in the mechanism for drag reduction.

[Eppendorf Schizophrenia Inventory (ESI) vs. Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ). Direct comparison in a clinical trial].

PubMed

Mass, R

2005-09-01

This study is the first to directly compare two clinical questionnaires which are both aimed at self-experienced cognitive dysfunctions of schizophrenia: Eppendorf Schizophrenia Inventory (ESI) and Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ). Evaluated were (a) diagnostic validity, (b) psychometric properties, (c) scale intercorrelations, and (d) factor analytic stability. Ad (a): schizophrenic subjects (n=36) show highly significant increases in the ESI scales and sum score when compared to other clinical groups (patients with depression, alcohol dependence, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, n>30, respectively); on the other hand, the FCQ yields no systematic group differences. Ad (b): mean of reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha) of the ESI scales is r(tt)=0.86, mean of reliability coefficients of the FCQ scales is significantly lower. Ad (c): the mean intercorrelation between ESI and FCQ scales amounts to r(xy)=0.56 (minimum 0.29, maximum 0.73), corresponding to an average shared variance of about 31%. Ad (d): factor analysis yielded an ESI factor and a FBF factor; one-way ANOVA with the factor scores confirms the diagnostic validity of the ESI. ESI and FCQ measure essentially different aspects of schizophrenic psychopathology. Regarding reliability and diagnostic validity, the ESI is superior to the FCQ.

The influence of active seating on car passengers' perceived comfort and activity levels.

PubMed

Hiemstra-van Mastrigt, S; Kamp, I; van Veen, S A T; Vink, P; Bosch, T

2015-03-01

New technologies have led to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary behaviour is characterised by physical inactivity and is associated with several health risks. This excessive sitting does not only take place in the office or at home, but also during daily commute. Therefore, BMW AG developed an active seating system for the back seat of a car, consisting of sensors in the back rest that register upper body movements of the passenger, with which the passenger controls a game. This study evaluated three different aspects of active seating compared to other tasks (reading, working on laptop, and gaming on tablet). First, discomfort and comfort perception were measured in a 30-minute driving test. Discomfort was very low for all activities and participants felt significantly more challenged, more fit and more refreshed during active seating. Second, heart rate was measured, indicating a light intensity, but nevertheless non-sedentary, activity. Third, average and variability in activity of six postural muscles was measured by electromyography (EMG), showing a higher muscle activity and higher muscle variability for active seating compared to other activities. Active seating might stimulate movements, thereby increasing comfort and well-being. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Technologies that affect the weaning rate in beef cattle production systems.

PubMed

Dill, Matheus Dhein; Pereira, Gabriel Ribas; Costa, João Batista Gonçalves; Canellas, Leonardo Canali; Peripolli, Vanessa; Neto, José Braccini; Sant'Anna, Danilo Menezes; McManus, Concepta; Barcellos, Júlio Otávio Jardim

2015-10-01

We investigated the differences between weaning rates and technologies adopted by farmers in cow-calf production systems in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Interviews were carried out with 73 farmers about 48 technologies that could affect reproductive performance. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis using a non-hierarchical cluster method. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Three distinct clusters of farmers were created (R (2) = 0.90), named as low (LWR), intermediate (IWR), and high (HWR) weaning rate, with 100, 91, and 96 % of the farmers identified within their respective groups and average weaning rates of 59, 72, and 83 %, respectively. IWR and HWR farmers used more improved natural pasture, fixed-time artificial insemination, selection for birth weight, and proteinated salt compared to LWR. HWR farmers used more stocking rate control, and IWR farmers used more ultrasound to evaluate reproductive performance compared to the LWR group. IWR and HWR adopted more technologies related to nutrition and reproductive aspects of the herd in comparison to LWR. We concluded that farmers with higher technology use on farm had higher weaning rates which could be used to benefit less efficient farmers.

Traditional learning and problem-based learning: self-perception of preparedness for internship.

PubMed

Millan, Laís Pereira Bueno; Semer, Beatriz; Rodrigues, José Mauro da Silva; Gianini, Reinaldo José

2012-01-01

This study aims to evaluate Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) medical students' perception of their preparedness to attend the internship course by comparing students who entered the internship in 2009, who were taught according to the traditional learning method, and those who entered the internship in 2010, who were taught according to the new method, i.e. problem-based learning (PBL). 50 traditional learning method students answered a standard Lickert scale questionnaire upon entering internship in 2009. In 2010, the process was repeated with PBL students. The questionnaire was based upon the Preparation for Hospital Practice Questionnaire. This questionnaire was evaluated by professors from three medical schools in Brazil regarding its applicability. The original questions were classified according to the importance these professors attributed to them, and less important questions were removed. Scores obtained from the Student's t-test were considered significant with p < 0.05. A significant statistical difference was observed in 16 questions, and the traditional learning method students reported higher average scores. When questions were divided into dimensions, a significant statistical difference appeared in the dimensions " social aspects of health", "medical skills", and "ethical concepts"; traditional learning method students again reported higher scores (p < 0.001 for all dimensions). Higher scores were also reported when the average of the answers to the whole questionnaire was calculated. Traditional learning method students consider themselves to be better prepared for internship activities than PBL students, according to the following three comparative means: by analyzing the answers to each question, by grouping these answers into dimensions, and by calculating the means of answers to the whole questionnaire.

[The sural medial perforator flap: Anatomical bases, surgical technique and indications in head and neck reconstruction].

PubMed

Struk, S; Schaff, J-B; Qassemyar, Q

2018-04-01

The medial sural artery perforator (MSAP) flap is defined as a thin cutaneo-adipose perforator flap harvested on the medial aspect of the leg. The aims of this study were to describe the anatomical basis as well as the surgical technique and discuss the indications in head and neck reconstructive surgery. We harvested 10 MSAP flap on 5 fresh cadavers. For each case, the number and the location of the perforators were recorded. For each flap, the length of pedicle, the diameter of source vessels and the thickness of the flap were studied. Finally, we performed a clinical application of a MSAP flap. A total of 23 perforators with a diameter superior than 1mm were dissected on 10 legs. The medial sural artery provided between 1 and 4 musculocutaneous perforators. Perforators were located in average at 10.3cm±2cm from the popliteal fossa and at 3.6cm±1cm from the median line of the calf. The mean pedicle length was 12.1cm±2.5cm. At its origin, the source artery diameter was 1.8mm±0.25mm and source veins diameters were 2.45mm±0.9mm in average. There was no complication in our clinical application. This study confirms the reliability of previous anatomical descriptions of the medial sural artery perforator flap. This flap was reported as thin and particularly adapted for oral cavity reconstruction and for facial or limb resurfacing. Sequelae might be reduced as compared to those of the radial forearm flap with comparable results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Multi-centennial upper-ocean heat content reconstruction using online data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, W. A.; Hakim, G. J.

2017-12-01

The Last Millennium Reanalysis (LMR) provides an advanced paleoclimate ensemble data assimilation framework for multi-variate climate field reconstructions over the Common Era. Although reconstructions in this framework with full Earth system models remain prohibitively expensive, recent work has shown improved ensemble reconstruction validation using computationally inexpensive linear inverse models (LIMs). Here we leverage these techniques in pursuit of a new multi-centennial field reconstruction of upper-ocean heat content (OHC), synthesizing model dynamics with observational constraints from proxy records. OHC is an important indicator of internal climate variability and responds to planetary energy imbalances. Therefore, a consistent extension of the OHC record in time will help inform aspects of low-frequency climate variability. We use the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) and Max Planck Institute (MPI) last millennium simulations to derive the LIMs, and the PAGES2K v.2.0 proxy database to perform annually resolved reconstructions of upper-OHC, surface air temperature, and wind stress over the last 500 years. Annual OHC reconstructions and uncertainties for both the global mean and regional basins are compared against observational and reanalysis data. We then investigate differences in dynamical behavior at decadal and longer time scales between the reconstruction and simulations in the last-millennium Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 5 (CMIP5). Preliminary investigation of 1-year forecast skill for an OHC-only LIM shows largely positive spatial grid point local anomaly correlations (LAC) with a global average LAC of 0.37. Compared to 1-year OHC persistence forecast LAC (global average LAC of 0.30), the LIM outperforms the persistence forecasts in the tropical Indo-Pacific region, the equatorial Atlantic, and in certain regions near the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. In other regions, the forecast correlations are less than the persistence case but still positive overall.

Is cepstrum averaging applicable to circularly polarized electric-field data?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tunnell, T.

1990-04-01

In FY 1988 a cepstrum averaging technique was developed to eliminate the ground reflections from charged particle beam (CPB) electromagnetic pulse (EMP) data. The work was done for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Project DEWPOINT at SST-7. The technique averages the cepstra of horizontally and vertically polarized electric field data (i.e., linearly polarized electric field data). This cepstrum averaging technique was programmed into the FORTRAN codes CEP and CEPSIM. Steve Knox, the principal investigator for Project DEWPOINT, asked the authors to determine if the cepstrum averaging technique could be applied to circularly polarized electric field data. The answer is, Yes, but some modifications may be necessary. There are two aspects to this answer that we need to address, namely, the Yes and the modifications. First, regarding the Yes, the technique is applicable to elliptically polarized electric field data in general: circular polarization is a special case of elliptical polarization. Secondly, regarding the modifications, greater care may be required in computing the phase in the calculation of the complex logarithm. The calculation of the complex logarithm is the most critical step in cepstrum-based analysis. This memorandum documents these findings.

The effects of graded levels of calorie restriction: III. Impact of short term calorie and protein restriction on mean daily body temperature and torpor use in the C57BL/6 mouse

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Sharon E.; Delville, Camille; Konstantopedos, Penelope; Derous, Davina; Green, Cara L.; Chen, Luonan; Han, Jing-Dong J.; Wang, Yingchun; Promislow, Daniel E.L.; Douglas, Alex; Lusseau, David; Speakman, John R.

2015-01-01

A commonly observed response in mammals to calorie restriction (CR) is reduced body temperature (Tb). We explored how the Tb of male C57BL/6 mice responded to graded CR (10 to 40%), compared to the response to equivalent levels of protein restriction (PR) over 3 months. Under CR there was a dynamic change in daily Tb over the first 30–35 days, which stabilized thereafter until day 70 after which a further decline was noted. The time to reach stability was dependent on restriction level. Body mass negatively correlated with Tb under ad libitum feeding and positively correlated under CR. The average Tb over the last 20 days was significantly related to the levels of body fat, structural tissue, leptin and insulin-like growth factor-1. Some mice, particularly those under higher levels of CR, showed periods of daily torpor later in the restriction period. None of the changes in Tb under CR were recapitulated by equivalent levels of PR. We conclude that changes in Tb under CR are a response only to the shortfall in calorie intake. The linear relationship between average Tb and the level of restriction supports the idea that Tb changes are an integral aspect of the lifespan effect. PMID:26286956

Measuring Alcohol Consumption in Population Surveys: A Review of International Guidelines and Comparison with Surveys in England

PubMed Central

Nugawela, Manjula D.; Langley, Tessa; Szatkowski, Lisa; Lewis, Sarah

2016-01-01

Aims To review the international guidelines and recommendations on survey instruments for measurement of alcohol consumption in population surveys and to examine how national surveys in England meet the core recommendations. Methods A systematic search for international guidelines for measuring alcohol consumption in population surveys was undertaken. The common core recommendations for alcohol consumption measures and survey instruments were identified. Alcohol consumption questions in national surveys in England were compared with these recommendations for specific years and over time since 2000. Results Four sets of international guidelines and three core alcohol consumption measures (alcohol consumption status, average volume of consumption, frequency and volume of heavy episodic drinking) with another optional measure (drinking context) were identified. English national surveys have been inconsistent over time in including questions that provide information on average volume of consumption but have not included questions on another essential alcohol consumption measure, frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Instead, they have used questions that focus only on maximum volume of alcohol consumed on any day in the previous week. Conclusions International guidelines provide consistent recommendations for measuring alcohol consumption in population surveys. These recommendations have not been consistently applied in English national surveys, and this has contributed to the inadequacy of survey measurements for monitoring vital aspects of alcohol consumption in England over recent years. PMID:26115987

A point of application study to determine the accuracy, precision and reliability of a low-cost balance plate for center of pressure measurement.

PubMed

Goble, Daniel J; Khan, Ehran; Baweja, Harsimran S; O'Connor, Shawn M

2018-04-11

Changes in postural sway measured via force plate center of pressure have been associated with many aspects of human motor ability. A previous study validated the accuracy and precision of a relatively new, low-cost and portable force plate called the Balance Tracking System (BTrackS). This work compared a laboratory-grade force plate versus BTrackS during human-like dynamic sway conditions generated by an inverted pendulum device. The present study sought to extend previous validation attempts for BTrackS using a more traditional point of application (POA) approach. Computer numerical control (CNC) guided application of ∼155 N of force was applied five times to each of 21 points on five different BTrackS Balance Plate (BBP) devices with a hex-nose plunger. Results showed excellent agreement (ICC > 0.999) between the POAs and measured COP by the BBP devices, as well as high accuracy (<1% average percent error) and precision (<0.1 cm average standard deviation of residuals). The ICC between BBP devices was exceptionally high (ICC > 0.999) providing evidence of almost perfect inter-device reliability. Taken together, these results provide an important, static corollary to the previously obtained dynamic COP results from inverted pendulum testing of the BBP. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Circulating Levels of Sirtuin 4 in Obese Patients: A Novel Association

PubMed Central

Barrea, Luigi; Somma, Carolina Di; Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Macchia, Paolo Emidio; Falco, Andrea; Colao, Annamaria; Savastano, Silvia

2017-01-01

Purpose This study was aimed at evaluating sirtuin 4 (Sirt4) levels in obese individuals, in relation to their adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), a healthy dietary pattern characterized by high antioxidant capacity, and markers of visceral fat storage. Subjects/Methods Forty-three obese patients (44% males; BMI: 36.7–58.8 kg/m2) were consecutively included. PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) and the 7-day food records were used to assess the adherence to MD and dietary pattern, respectively. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) was calculated. Sirt4 levels were detected by ELISA method. Results The majority of the obese participants (62.8%) had an average adherence to MD. Compared with average adherers, low adherers had higher BMI, energy intake, and percentage of energy from lipids, mainly saturated fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and lower Sirt4 levels. After adjusting for BMI, Sirt4 levels remained negatively correlated with VAI. After adjusting for total energy intake, Sirt4 levels remained negatively associated with PREDIMED and consumption of n-3 PUFA, vitamins C and E. The threshold value of PREDIMED predicting the lowest decrease in Sirt4 levels was found at a score of 6. Conclusions Less reduced Sirt4 levels in obese patients adhering to MD suggest a further aspect of the antioxidant advantage of MD. PMID:28706576

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Circulating Levels of Sirtuin 4 in Obese Patients: A Novel Association.

PubMed

Barrea, Luigi; Tarantino, Giovanni; Somma, Carolina Di; Muscogiuri, Giovanna; Macchia, Paolo Emidio; Falco, Andrea; Colao, Annamaria; Savastano, Silvia

2017-01-01

This study was aimed at evaluating sirtuin 4 (Sirt4) levels in obese individuals, in relation to their adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), a healthy dietary pattern characterized by high antioxidant capacity, and markers of visceral fat storage. Forty-three obese patients (44% males; BMI: 36.7-58.8 kg/m 2 ) were consecutively included. PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) and the 7-day food records were used to assess the adherence to MD and dietary pattern, respectively. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) was calculated. Sirt4 levels were detected by ELISA method. The majority of the obese participants (62.8%) had an average adherence to MD. Compared with average adherers, low adherers had higher BMI, energy intake, and percentage of energy from lipids, mainly saturated fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and lower Sirt4 levels. After adjusting for BMI, Sirt4 levels remained negatively correlated with VAI. After adjusting for total energy intake, Sirt4 levels remained negatively associated with PREDIMED and consumption of n-3 PUFA, vitamins C and E. The threshold value of PREDIMED predicting the lowest decrease in Sirt4 levels was found at a score of 6. Less reduced Sirt4 levels in obese patients adhering to MD suggest a further aspect of the antioxidant advantage of MD.

Washing machine usage in remote aboriginal communities.

PubMed

Lloyd, C R

1998-10-01

The use of washing machines was investigated in two remote Aboriginal communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara homelands. The aim was to look both at machine reliability and to investigate the health aspect of washing clothes. A total of 39 machines were inspected for wear and component reliability every three months over a one-year period. Of these, 10 machines were monitored in detail for water consumption, hours of use and cycles of operation. The machines monitored were Speed Queen model EA2011 (7 kg washing load) commercial units. The field survey results suggested a high rate of operation of the machines with an average of around 1,100 washing cycles per year (range 150 and 2,300 cycles per year). The results were compared with available figures for the average Australian household. A literature survey, to ascertain the health outcomes relating to washing clothes and bedding, confirmed that washing machines are efficient at removal of bacteria from clothes and bedding but suggested that recontamination of clothing after washing often negated the prior removal. High temperature washing (> 60 degrees C) appeared to be advantageous from a health perspective. With regards to larger organisms, while dust mites and body lice transmission between people would probably be decreased by washing clothes, scabies appeared to be mainly transmitted by body contact and thus transmission would be only marginally decreased by the use of washing machines.

Sensitivity of visual evoked potentials and spectral domain optical coherence tomography in early relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Behbehani, Raed; Ahmed, Samar; Al-Hashel, Jasem; Rousseff, Rossen T; Alroughani, Raed

2017-02-01

Visual evoked potentials and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography are common ancillary studies that assess the visual pathways from a functional and structural aspect, respectively. To compare prevalence of abnormalities of Visual evoked potentials (VEP) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). A cross-sectional study of 100 eyes with disease duration of less than 5 years since the diagnosis. Correlation between retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion-cell/inner plexiform layer with pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials amplitude and latency and contrast sensitivity was performed. The prevalence of abnormalities in pattern-reversal visual VEP was 56% while that of SOCT was 48% in all eyes. There was significant negative correlations between the average RNFL (r=-0.34, p=0.001) and GCIPL (r=-0.39, p<0.001) with VEP latency. In eyes with prior optic neuritis, a significant negative correlation was seen between average RNFL (r=-0.33, p=0.037) and GCIPL (r=-0.40, p=0.010) with VEP latency. We have found higher prevalence of VEP abnormalities than SCOCT in early relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. This suggests that VEP has a higher sensitivity for detecting lesions of the visual pathway in patients with early RRMS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of out-of-pocket payments on health care inequity: the case of national health insurance in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Weon-Young; Shaw, Ian

2014-07-18

The global financial crisis of 2008 has led to the reinforcement of patient cost sharing in health care policy. This study aimed to explore the impact of direct out-of pocket payments (OOPs) on health care utilization and the resulting financial burden across income groups under the South Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) program with universal population coverage. We used the fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES-IV) and the Korean Household Income and Expenditure Survey (KHIES) of 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Horizontal Inequity Index (HIwv) and the average unit OOPs were used to measure income-related inequity in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of health care utilization, respectively. For financial burden, the incidence rates of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) were compared across income groups. For outpatient and hospital visits, there was neither pro-poor or pro-rich inequality. The average unit OOPs of the poorest quintile was approximately 75% and 60% of each counterpart in the richest quintile in the outpatient and inpatient services. For the CHE threshold of 40%, the incidence rates were 5.7%, 1.67%, 0.72%, 0.33% and 0.27% in quintiles I (the poorest quintile), II, III, IV and V, respectively. Substantial OOPs under the NHI are disadvantageous, particularly for the lowest income group in terms of health care quality and financial burden.

Physical aspects of Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scatena, F.N.; Larsen, Matthew C.

1991-01-01

On 18 September 1989 the western part ofHurricane Hugo crossed eastern Puerto Rico and the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF). Storm-facing slopes on the northeastern part of the island that were within 15 km of the eye and received greater than 200 mm of rain were most affected by the storm. In the LEF and nearby area, recurrence intervals associated with Hurricane Hugo were 50 yr for wind velocity, 10 to 31 yr for stream discharge, and 5 yr for rainfall intensity. To compare the magnitudes of the six hurricanes to pass over PuertoRico since 1899, 3 indices were developed using the standardized values of the product of: the maximum sustained wind speed at San Juan squared and storm duration; the square of the product of the maximum sustained wind velocity at San Juan and the ratio of the distance between the hurricane eye and San Juan to the distance between the eye and percentage of average annual rainfall delivered by the storm. Based on these indices, HurricaneHugo was of moderate intensity. However, because of the path of Hurricane Hugo, only one of these six storms (the 1932 storm) caused more damage to the LEF than Hurricane Hugo. Hurricanes of Hugo's magnitude are estimated to pass over the LEF once every 50-60 yr, on average. 

Entropy and generalized least square methods in assessment of the regional value of streamgages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markus, M.; Vernon, Knapp H.; Tasker, Gary D.

2003-01-01

The Illinois State Water Survey performed a study to assess the streamgaging network in the State of Illinois. One of the important aspects of the study was to assess the regional value of each station through an assessment of the information transfer among gaging records for low, average, and high flow conditions. This analysis was performed for the main hydrologic regions in the State, and the stations were initially evaluated using a new approach based on entropy analysis. To determine the regional value of each station within a region, several information parameters, including total net information, were defined based on entropy. Stations were ranked based on the total net information. For comparison, the regional value of the same stations was assessed using the generalized least square regression (GLS) method, developed by the US Geological Survey. Finally, a hybrid combination of GLS and entropy was created by including a function of the negative net information as a penalty function in the GLS. The weights of the combined model were determined to maximize the average correlation with the results of GLS and entropy. The entropy and GLS methods were evaluated using the high-flow data from southern Illinois stations. The combined method was compared with the entropy and GLS approaches using the high-flow data from eastern Illinois stations. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reproductive performance parameters in a large population of game-ranched white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum)

PubMed Central

van Zijll Langhout, Martine; Hostens, Miel; Otto, Michelle; Govaere, Jan; Durrant, Barbara; Van Soom, Ann

2017-01-01

The population of free-roaming white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) is under serious threat. Captive breeding of this species is therefore becoming more important, but this is challenging and often not successful. Obtaining reproductive reference values is a crucial aspect of improving these breeding results. In this study performed between 2008 and 2016, reproductive performance was analysed in 1,354 animals kept in a 8000 hectares game-ranched environment. Descriptive statistics of this captive population showed an average annual herd growth (%) of 7 .0±0.1 (min -9 –max 15). Average calving rates were calculated as an annual calving rate of 20% and biennial calving rate of 37% adult females calving per year. Females had a median age of 83.2 months at first calving (IQR 72.9–110.7) and inter-calving intervals of 29.2 (IQR 24.6–34.8) months. Furthermore, translocations of animals did not interfere with reproductive success in terms of inter-calving periods or age at first calving. Multivariate models showed a clear seasonal calving pattern with a significant increase of the number of calvings during December–April when compared to April–December. Our results did not show any significant skewed progeny sex ratios. Weather observations showed no significant influence of rain or season on sex ratios of the calves. PMID:29236723

Tuning the shear viscosity of a dilute suspension using particle shapes that inhibit rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinai Borker, Neeraj; Stroock, Abraham; Koch, Donald

2017-11-01

We show that a suspension of slender, rigid-particles that attain an equilibrium orientation in a simple shear flow have a much smaller intrinsic viscosity relative to a suspension of tumbling particles with the same aspect ratio. An axisymmetric particle, such as a ring or a fiber, with certain cross-sections can attain an equilibrium orientation in a low Reynolds number simple shear flow without application of external forces (Singh et al., J. Fluid Mech., 2013; Bretherton, J. Fluid Mech., 1962 a). These particles align such that the slender dimension(s) of the particle is/are almost perpendicular to the velocity gradient direction of the simple shear flow and thus they have much smaller stresslets compared to the time averaged stresslet of a rotating slender particle. While slender fibers, also remain aligned in a similar state for a long time, the major contribution to the average stresslet occurs when the fiber is flipping. Using slender body theory and boundary element method calculations we demonstrate that particle alignment could significantly reduce the intrinsic viscosity of the suspension relative to a suspension of rotating particles. By choosing particle shapes that can be fabricated using manufacturing techniques such as photolithography or 3-D printing, our results open new pathways to control the rheological properties of a particle suspension by altering the shape of the particle. This research was funded by NSF Grant CBET-1435013.

Average crystal structure(s) of the embedded meta stable η‧-phase in the Al-Mg-Zn system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bøvik Larsen, Helge; Thorkildsen, Gunnar; Natland, Sølvi; Pattison, Philip

2014-05-01

Meta stable embedded nano-sized ?-particles within a single grain extracted from an alloy having the nominal composition ? have been examined with X-ray diffraction. By applying the orientational and metric relationships that exist between the hexagonal unit cell of the ?-particles and the cubic unit cell of the Al-matrix, it has been proven possible to directly collect diffracted intensity data from the ?-particle ensemble. This has been done using synchrotron radiation and a ?-diffractometer having a scintillator point detector setup. The approach has resulted in improved data quality compared to previous experiments. The interpretation of the data set, based on a combination of Patterson syntheses, direct methods and geometrical restraints, yielded two possible average structural representations: one Al-rich with the approximate stoichiometric composition ? and one Al-depleted with approximate stoichiometric composition ?. Both structures are realized in the same space group, ?, and are most probably superimposed in the crystalline system examined. The geometries are discussed within the atomic environment approach where icosahedral or near-icosahedral configurations are encountered. Comparison with previous published models and the equilibrium structure reveals a main difference related to the distribution of the Zn-sites in the unit cell. A possible transformation path is also suggested. Various aspects and challenges regarding data collection, data reduction and data quality are specifically addressed.

SU-E-T-173: Clinical Comparison of Treatment Plans and Fallback Plans for Machine Downtime

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

Cruz, W; Cancer Therapy and Research Center, San Antonio, TX; Papanikolaou, P

2015-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effectiveness and dosimetric quality of fallback planning in relation to machine downtime. Methods: Plans for a Varian Novalis TX were mimicked, and fallback plans using an Elekta VersaHD machine were generated using a dual arc template. Plans for thirty (n=30) patients of various treatment sites optimized and calculated using RayStation treatment planning system. For each plan, a fall back plan was created and compared to the original plan. A dosimetric evaluation was conducted using the homogeneity index, conformity index, as well as DVH analysis to determine the quality ofmore » the fallback plan on a different treatment machine. Fallback plans were optimized for 60 iterations using the imported dose constraints from the original plan DVH to give fallback plans enough opportunity to achieve the dose objectives. Results: The average conformity index and homogeneity index for the NovalisTX plans were 0.76 and 10.3, respectively, while fallback plan values were 0.73 and 11.4. (Homogeneity =1 and conformity=0 for ideal plan) The values to various organs at risk were lower in the fallback plans as compared to the imported plans across most organs at risk. Isodose difference comparisons between plans were also compared and the average dose difference across all plans was 0.12%. Conclusion: The clinical impact of fallback planning is an important aspect to effective treatment of patients. With the complexity of LINACS increasing every year, an option to continue treating during machine downtime remains an essential tool in streamlined treatment execution. Fallback planning allows the clinic to continue to run efficiently should a treatment machine become offline due to maintenance or repair without degrading the quality of the plan all while reducing strain on members of the radiation oncology team.« less

ECG artifact cancellation in surface EMG signals by fractional order calculus application.

PubMed

Miljković, Nadica; Popović, Nenad; Djordjević, Olivera; Konstantinović, Ljubica; Šekara, Tomislav B

2017-03-01

New aspects for automatic electrocardiography artifact removal from surface electromyography signals by application of fractional order calculus in combination with linear and nonlinear moving window filters are explored. Surface electromyography recordings of skeletal trunk muscles are commonly contaminated with spike shaped artifacts. This artifact originates from electrical heart activity, recorded by electrocardiography, commonly present in the surface electromyography signals recorded in heart proximity. For appropriate assessment of neuromuscular changes by means of surface electromyography, application of a proper filtering technique of electrocardiography artifact is crucial. A novel method for automatic artifact cancellation in surface electromyography signals by applying fractional order calculus and nonlinear median filter is introduced. The proposed method is compared with the linear moving average filter, with and without prior application of fractional order calculus. 3D graphs for assessment of window lengths of the filters, crest factors, root mean square differences, and fractional calculus orders (called WFC and WRC graphs) have been introduced. For an appropriate quantitative filtering evaluation, the synthetic electrocardiography signal and analogous semi-synthetic dataset have been generated. The examples of noise removal in 10 able-bodied subjects and in one patient with muscle dystrophy are presented for qualitative analysis. The crest factors, correlation coefficients, and root mean square differences of the recorded and semi-synthetic electromyography datasets showed that the most successful method was the median filter in combination with fractional order calculus of the order 0.9. Statistically more significant (p < 0.001) ECG peak reduction was obtained by the median filter application compared to the moving average filter in the cases of low level amplitude of muscle contraction compared to ECG spikes. The presented results suggest that the novel method combining a median filter and fractional order calculus can be used for automatic filtering of electrocardiography artifacts in the surface electromyography signal envelopes recorded in trunk muscles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The validation study on a three-dimensional burn estimation smart-phone application: accurate, free and fast?

PubMed

Cheah, A K W; Kangkorn, T; Tan, E H; Loo, M L; Chong, S J

2018-01-01

Accurate total body surface area burned (TBSAB) estimation is a crucial aspect of early burn management. It helps guide resuscitation and is essential in the calculation of fluid requirements. Conventional methods of estimation can often lead to large discrepancies in burn percentage estimation. We aim to compare a new method of TBSAB estimation using a three-dimensional smart-phone application named 3D Burn Resuscitation (3D Burn) against conventional methods of estimation-Rule of Palm, Rule of Nines and the Lund and Browder chart. Three volunteer subjects were moulaged with simulated burn injuries of 25%, 30% and 35% total body surface area (TBSA), respectively. Various healthcare workers were invited to use both the 3D Burn application as well as the conventional methods stated above to estimate the volunteer subjects' burn percentages. Collective relative estimations across the groups showed that when used, the Rule of Palm, Rule of Nines and the Lund and Browder chart all over-estimated burns area by an average of 10.6%, 19.7%, and 8.3% TBSA, respectively, while the 3D Burn application under-estimated burns by an average of 1.9%. There was a statistically significant difference between the 3D Burn application estimations versus all three other modalities ( p  < 0.05). Time of using the application was found to be significantly longer than traditional methods of estimation. The 3D Burn application, although slower, allowed more accurate TBSAB measurements when compared to conventional methods. The validation study has shown that the 3D Burn application is useful in improving the accuracy of TBSAB measurement. Further studies are warranted, and there are plans to repeat the above study in a different centre overseas as part of a multi-centre study, with a view of progressing to a prospective study that compares the accuracy of the 3D Burn application against conventional methods on actual burn patients.

The Northern Norway mother-and-child contaminant cohort study: implementation, population characteristics and summary of dietary findings

PubMed Central

Veyhe, Anna Sofía; Hansen, Solrunn; Sandanger, Torkjel M.; Nieboer, Evert; Odland, Jon Øyvind

2012-01-01

Objectives To describe the essential features of a new Northern Norway mother-and-child contaminant cohort study called MISA, including its rationale, content, implementation and selected findings (mostly dietary). Study design Cross-sectional with longitudinal aspects. Methods Five hundred and fifteen eligible women were enrolled in early pregnancy, with 391 completing the study protocol that included a self-administrated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and donation of biological samples for contaminant analysis in the 2nd trimester, just after delivery, and 6 weeks postpartum. Macronutrient consumption was converted to energy intake, and the amounts of both macro- and micronutrients ingested were estimated. Some of the MISA findings were compared to data available in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Results Compared to all 2004–2006 mothers in Northern Norway, the study cohort women were about 2 years older and smoked less; on average, they had close to 16 years of education. Parity, gestational age and birth weight of the newborn were comparable as well. The estimated average dietary intake of 8.1 MJ per day was less than that recommended by the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations (NNR), but the intake of micronutrients per MJ complied. Conclusions Although the final cohort sample size was less than targeted, the generally good comparisons observed between MBRN-registered information for the study cohort and dropouts suggest that this occurrence introduced minimal bias. The agreement of the observed demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort women and newborns with all births in Northern Norway implied acceptable external validity. Also, the dietary findings aligned well with Norwegian national data and guidelines and other studies, as did the high prevalence of breastfeeding. The MISA database is considered suitable for exploring associations between contaminant exposure and diet, enhancing our knowledge of the interplay of the physiological changes that occur in mothers with contaminant pharmacokinetics (including transfer to the infant before and after birth), and conducting prospective health studies of the children. PMID:22957315

The Northern Norway mother-and-child contaminant cohort study: implementation, population characteristics and summary of dietary findings.

PubMed

Veyhe, Anna Sofía; Hansen, Solrunn; Sandanger, Torkjel M; Nieboer, Evert; Odland, Jon Øyvind

2012-01-01

To describe the essential features of a new Northern Norway mother-and-child contaminant cohort study called MISA, including its rationale, content, implementation and selected findings (mostly dietary). Cross-sectional with longitudinal aspects. Five hundred and fifteen eligible women were enrolled in early pregnancy, with 391 completing the study protocol that included a self-administrated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and donation of biological samples for contaminant analysis in the 2nd trimester, just after delivery, and 6 weeks postpartum. Macronutrient consumption was converted to energy intake, and the amounts of both macro- and micronutrients ingested were estimated. Some of the MISA findings were compared to data available in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN). Compared to all 2004-2006 mothers in Northern Norway, the study cohort women were about 2 years older and smoked less; on average, they had close to 16 years of education. Parity, gestational age and birth weight of the newborn were comparable as well. The estimated average dietary intake of 8.1 MJ per day was less than that recommended by the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations (NNR), but the intake of micronutrients per MJ complied. Although the final cohort sample size was less than targeted, the generally good comparisons observed between MBRN-registered information for the study cohort and dropouts suggest that this occurrence introduced minimal bias. The agreement of the observed demographic and clinical characteristics of the cohort women and newborns with all births in Northern Norway implied acceptable external validity. Also, the dietary findings aligned well with Norwegian national data and guidelines and other studies, as did the high prevalence of breastfeeding. The MISA database is considered suitable for exploring associations between contaminant exposure and diet, enhancing our knowledge of the interplay of the physiological changes that occur in mothers with contaminant pharmacokinetics (including transfer to the infant before and after birth), and conducting prospective health studies of the children.

Multilevel segmentation of intracranial aneurysms in CT angiography images

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

Wang, Yan; Zhang, Yue, E-mail: y.zhang525@gmail.com; Navarro, Laurent

Purpose: Segmentation of aneurysms plays an important role in interventional planning. Yet, the segmentation of both the lumen and the thrombus of an intracranial aneurysm in computed tomography angiography (CTA) remains a challenge. This paper proposes a multilevel segmentation methodology for efficiently segmenting intracranial aneurysms in CTA images. Methods: The proposed methodology first uses the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to extract the lumen part directly from the original image. Then, the LBM is applied again on an intermediate image whose lumen part is filled by the mean gray-level value outside the lumen, to yield an image region containing part ofmore » the aneurysm boundary. After that, an expanding disk is introduced to estimate the complete contour of the aneurysm. Finally, the contour detected is used as the initial contour of the level set with ellipse to refine the aneurysm. Results: The results obtained on 11 patients from different hospitals showed that the proposed segmentation was comparable with manual segmentation, and that quantitatively, the average segmentation matching factor (SMF) reached 86.99%, demonstrating good segmentation accuracy. Chan–Vese method, Sen’s model, and Luca’s model were used to compare the proposed method and their average SMF values were 39.98%, 40.76%, and 77.11%, respectively. Conclusions: The authors have presented a multilevel segmentation method based on the LBM and level set with ellipse for accurate segmentation of intracranial aneurysms. Compared to three existing methods, for all eleven patients, the proposed method can successfully segment the lumen with the highest SMF values for nine patients and second highest SMF values for the two. It also segments the entire aneurysm with the highest SMF values for ten patients and second highest SMF value for the one. This makes it potential for clinical assessment of the volume and aspect ratio of the intracranial aneurysms.« less

An analysis on how switching to a more balanced and naturally improved milk would affect consumer health and the environment.

PubMed

Roibás, Laura; Martínez, Ismael; Goris, Alfonso; Barreiro, Rocío; Hospido, Almudena

2016-10-01

This study compares a premium brand of UHT milk, Unicla, characterised by an improved nutritional composition, to conventional milk, in terms of health effects and environmental impacts. Unlike enriched milks, in which nutrients are added to the final product, Unicla is obtained naturally by improving the diet of the dairy cows. Health effects have been analysed based on literature findings, while the environmental analysis focused on those spheres of the environment where milk is expected to cause the higher impacts, and thus carbon (CF) and water footprints (WF) have been determined. Five final products have been compared: 3 conventional (skimmed, semi-skimmed, whole) and 2 Unicla (skimmed, semi-skimmed) milks. As a functional unit, one litre of packaged UHT milk entering the regional distribution centre has been chosen. The improved composition of Unicla milk is expected to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and to protect consumers against oxidative damage, among other health benefits. Concerning the environmental aspect, CF of Unicla products are, on average, 10% lower than their conventional equivalents, mainly due to the lower enteric emissions of caused by the Unicla diet. No significant differences were found between the WF of Unicla and conventional milk. Raw milk is the main contributor to both footprints (on average, 83.2 and 84.3% of the total CF of Unicla and conventional milk, respectively, and 99.9% of WF). The results have been compared to those found in literature, and a sensitivity analysis has been performed to verify their robustness. The study concludes that switching to healthier milk compositions can help slowing down global warming, without contributing to other environmental issues such as water scarcity. The results should encourage other milk companies to commit to the development of healthier, less environmentally damaging products, and also to stimulate consumers to bet on them. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Prevalence, Beliefs, and Habits of Hookah Smoking Among People with a Medical Background Compared to People with a Non-medical Background: A Cross-sectional Self-administered Questionnaire-based Study

PubMed Central

Jain, Ashna

2016-01-01

Introduction: Hookah smoking has seen a reemergence in popularity in the last 30 years, particularly in the young urban population. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of and the attitude and beliefs about hookah smoking of people with a medical background and compare it with people from a non-medical background. Materials and methods: An anonymous questionnaire with ten questions about various aspects of hookah smoking was formulated using Google forms®, which was then circulated via Facebook®, Whatsapp® and emails to the intended participants and all responses were recorded and analyzed. Results: The total number of respondents were 470. The number of respondents with a medical background was 45.31%. The percentage of the respondents with a medical background who smoked a hookah was 28.63%, while the same percentage of the respondents with a non-medical background was 63.42. The perception of hookah being less harmful than a cigarette was not found to be statistically different between the two groups. Respondents with a medical background were more ignorant of the presence or absence of tobacco in the hookah they smoked. The average duration of the hookah smoking habit, the frequency of its use per month, and the average lengths of the hookah smoking session were 3.52 years (95% CI of 3.21 to 3.82), 1.946 (95% CI 1.799 to 2.093), and 58.90 minutes (95% CI of 54.42 to 63.37), respectively. Conclusion: The knowledge about the ill effects of smokeless tobacco should be integrated into the structured teaching curriculum of undergraduate medical and dental courses as they prepare future physicians and dental surgeons for an anti-tobacco campaign. PMID:27660734

Reconstructing paleoclimate fields using online data assimilation with a linear inverse model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Walter A.; Hakim, Gregory J.

2017-05-01

We examine the skill of a new approach to climate field reconstructions (CFRs) using an online paleoclimate data assimilation (PDA) method. Several recent studies have foregone climate model forecasts during assimilation due to the computational expense of running coupled global climate models (CGCMs) and the relatively low skill of these forecasts on longer timescales. Here we greatly diminish the computational cost by employing an empirical forecast model (linear inverse model, LIM), which has been shown to have skill comparable to CGCMs for forecasting annual-to-decadal surface temperature anomalies. We reconstruct annual-average 2 m air temperature over the instrumental period (1850-2000) using proxy records from the PAGES 2k Consortium Phase 1 database; proxy models for estimating proxy observations are calibrated on GISTEMP surface temperature analyses. We compare results for LIMs calibrated using observational (Berkeley Earth), reanalysis (20th Century Reanalysis), and CMIP5 climate model (CCSM4 and MPI) data relative to a control offline reconstruction method. Generally, we find that the usage of LIM forecasts for online PDA increases reconstruction agreement with the instrumental record for both spatial fields and global mean temperature (GMT). Specifically, the coefficient of efficiency (CE) skill metric for detrended GMT increases by an average of 57 % over the offline benchmark. LIM experiments display a common pattern of skill improvement in the spatial fields over Northern Hemisphere land areas and in the high-latitude North Atlantic-Barents Sea corridor. Experiments for non-CGCM-calibrated LIMs reveal region-specific reductions in spatial skill compared to the offline control, likely due to aspects of the LIM calibration process. Overall, the CGCM-calibrated LIMs have the best performance when considering both spatial fields and GMT. A comparison with the persistence forecast experiment suggests that improvements are associated with the linear dynamical constraints of the forecast and not simply persistence of temperature anomalies.

With a Little Help from My Friends: Microbial Partners in Integrative and Comparative Biology-An Introduction to the Symposium.

PubMed

Kohl, Kevin D; Dearing, M Denise

2017-10-01

The role that host-associated microbes play in animal biology is gaining attention in comparative biology. Numerous research groups study the roles that microbes play in human health and nutrition, or in enhancing the production of agricultural animals. However, inclusion of host-associated microbes into research questions of integrative and comparative biology has lagged behind. We hosted a symposium to bring together top researchers in the field of host-associated microbes who also incorporate aspects of integrative and comparative biology. In this introduction, we highlight recent research demonstrating the profound roles that host-associated microbes play in many aspects of animal biology, such as immune function, endocrinology, and even behavior. It is our hope that integrative and comparative biologists will begin to include aspects of host-associated microbes into their research programs, enhancing both the fields of comparative biology and host-microbe interactions. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Anatomic findings and complications after surgical treatment of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon tears: a case cohort comparison study.

PubMed

Ruch, David S; Watters, Tyler Steven; Wartinbee, Daniel A; Richard, Marc J; Leversedge, Fraser J; Mithani, Suhail K

2014-08-01

To describe pertinent anatomic findings during repair of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon tears and to compare the complications of surgery with a similar cohort of acute, complete tears. Group 1 included 14 patients (15 elbows) with partial tears managed operatively an average of 10 months from onset of injury or symptoms. Group 2 included a matched cohort of 16 patients (17 elbows) treated for complete, acute tears an average of 19 days from injury. A retrospective review of all 30 patients focused on demographic data, intraoperative findings, and postoperative complications. A single, anterior incision was used in all cases with multiple suture anchors or a bicortical toggling button for fixation of the repair. We evaluated 27 men and 3 women with an average age of 55 years (group 1) and 48 years (group 2). Intratendinous ganglion formation at the site of rupture of the degenerative tendon was observed in 5 cases of partial tears and none of the complete tears. Partial tears involved the lateral aspect or short head of the biceps tendon insertion in all cases. Postoperative complications included lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve neuritis in 8 group 1 patients and 6 group 2 patients and transient posterior interosseus nerve palsy in 3 group 1 patients. Partial distal biceps tendon ruptures showed a consistent pattern of pathology involving disruption of the lateral side of the tendon insertion involving the small head of the biceps. Degenerative intratendinous ganglion formation was present in one third of cases. Repair of chronic, partial distal biceps tendon injuries may have a higher incidence of posterior interosseous and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve palsies. Therapeutic III. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interventions to address deficits of pharmacological pain management in nursing home residents--A cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Könner, F; Budnick, A; Kuhnert, R; Wulff, I; Kalinowski, S; Martus, P; Dräger, D; Kreutz, R

2015-10-01

To evaluate the effect of interventions for general practitioners and nursing home staff to improve pain severity and appropriateness of pain medication in nursing home residents (NHR). This cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in six nursing homes in the intervention and control group, respectively. Pain management was analysed before (T0) and after (T1, T2) an educational intervention in 239 NHR, aged ≥65 years, without moderate or severe cognitive impairment. Primary and secondary outcomes were average pain severity and appropriateness of pain medication as determined with the Numeric Rating Scale and Pain Medication Appropriateness Scale (PMASD ), respectively. At T0, 72.2% and 73.7% of NHR (mean age 83 years) reported pain (average pain severity 2.4) in the intervention and control group, respectively. The PMASD at T0 was 53.9 in the intervention group and 60.8 in the control group (p = 0.12), while 20.6% compared to 6.9% (p = 0.009) received no pain medication in the two groups. At T2, non-significant improvements in the average pain severity (1.59) and PMASD (61.07) were observed in the intervention group. Moreover, the mean individual PMASD increased by 8.09 (p = 0.03) and the proportion of NHR without pain medication decreased by 50% (p = 0.03) in the intervention group. No appreciable changes were found in the control group at T2. NHR exhibited a high prevalence of pain with overall low severity, while a high proportion of individuals received inappropriate pain medications. Both findings were not significantly improved by the intervention, although some aspects of drug treatment were meaningful improved. © 2015 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

"Reliability generalization of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R)": Correction to Herrington et al. (2016).

PubMed

2016-10-01

Reports an error in "Reliability Generalization of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R)" by Hayley M. Herrington, Timothy B. Smith, Erika Feinauer and Derek Griner ( Journal of Counseling Psychology , Advanced Online Publication, Mar 17, 2016, np). The name of author Erika Feinauer was misspelled as Erika Feinhauer. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-13160-001.) Individuals' strength of ethnic identity has been linked with multiple positive indicators, including academic achievement and overall psychological well-being. The measure researchers use most often to assess ethnic identity, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM), underwent substantial revision in 2007. To inform scholars investigating ethnic identity, we performed a reliability generalization analysis on data from the revised version (MEIM-R) and compared it with data from the original MEIM. Random-effects weighted models evaluated internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach's alpha). Reliability coefficients for the MEIM-R averaged α = .88 across 37 samples, a statistically significant increase over the average of α = .84 for the MEIM across 75 studies. Reliability coefficients for the MEIM-R did not differ across study and participant characteristics such as sample gender and ethnic composition. However, consistently lower reliability coefficients averaging α = .81 were found among participants with low levels of education, suggesting that greater attention to data reliability is warranted when evaluating the ethnic identity of individuals such as middle-school students. Future research will be needed to ascertain whether data with other measures of aspects of personal identity (e.g., racial identity, gender identity) also differ as a function of participant level of education and associated cognitive or maturation processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Biorhythms, deciduous enamel thickness, and primary bone growth: a test of the Havers-Halberg Oscillation hypothesis.

PubMed

Mahoney, Patrick; Miszkiewicz, Justyna J; Pitfield, Rosie; Schlecht, Stephen H; Deter, Chris; Guatelli-Steinberg, Debbie

2016-06-01

Across mammalian species, the periodicity with which enamel layers form (Retzius periodicity) in permanent teeth corresponds with average body mass and the pace of life history. According to the Havers-Halberg Oscillation hypothesis (HHO), Retzius periodicity (RP) is a manifestation of a biorhythm that is also expressed in lamellar bone. Potentially, these links provide a basis for investigating aspects of a species' biology from fossilized teeth. Here, we tested intra-specific predictions of this hypothesis on skeletal samples of human juveniles. We measured daily enamel growth increments to calculate RP in deciduous molars (n = 25). Correlations were sought between RP, molar average and relative enamel thickness (AET, RET), and the average amount of primary bone growth (n = 7) in humeri of age-matched juveniles. Results show a previously undescribed relationship between RP and enamel thickness. Reduced major axis regression reveals RP is significantly and positively correlated with AET and RET, and scales isometrically. The direction of the correlation was opposite to HHO predictions as currently understood for human adults. Juveniles with higher RPs and thicker enamel had increased primary bone formation, which suggests a coordinating biorhythm. However, the direction of the correspondence was, again, opposite to predictions. Next, we compared RP from deciduous molars with new data for permanent molars, and with previously published values. The lowermost RP of 4 and 5 days in deciduous enamel extends below the lowermost RP of 6 days in permanent enamel. A lowered range of RP values in deciduous enamel implies that the underlying biorhythm might change with age. Our results develop the intra-specific HHO hypothesis. © 2016 Anatomical Society.

Optimization study of normal conductor tokamak for commercial neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, T.; Sakai, R.; Okamoto, A.

2017-05-01

The optimum conceptual design of tokamak with normal conductor coils was studied for minimizing the cost for producing a given neutron flux by using a system code, PEC. It is assumed that the fusion neutrons are used for burning transuranics from the fission reactor spent fuel in the blanket and a fraction of the generated electric power is circulated to opearate the tokamak with moderate plasma fusion gain. The plasma performance was assumed to be moderate ones; {β\\text{N}}~∼ ~3{--}4 in the aspect ratio A~=~2{--}3 and {{H}98y2}~=~1 . The circulating power is an important factor affecting the cost. Though decreasing the aspect ratio is useful to raise the plasma beta and decrease the toroidal field, the maximum field in the coil starts to rise in the very low aspect ratio range and then the circulating power increases with decrease in the plasma aspect ratio A below A~∼ ~2 , while the construction cost increases with A . As a result, the cost per neutron has its minimum around A~∼ ~2.2 , namely, between ST and the conventional tokamak. The average circulating power fraction is expected to be ~51%.

Analysis of multispectral signatures and investigation of multi-aspect remote sensing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malila, W. A.; Hieber, R. H.; Sarno, J. E.

1974-01-01

Two major aspects of remote sensing with multispectral scanners (MSS) are investigated. The first, multispectral signature analysis, includes the effects on classification performance of systematic variations found in the average signals received from various ground covers as well as the prediction of these variations with theoretical models of physical processes. The foremost effects studied are those associated with the time of day airborne MSS data are collected. Six data collection runs made over the same flight line in a period of five hours are analyzed, it is found that the time span significantly affects classification performance. Variations associated with scan angle also are studied. The second major topic of discussion is multi-aspect remote sensing, a new concept in remote sensing with scanners. Here, data are collected on multiple passes by a scanner that can be tilted to scan forward of the aircraft at different angles on different passes. The use of such spatially registered data to achieve improved classification of agricultural scenes is investigated and found promising. Also considered are the possibilities of extracting from multi-aspect data, information on the condition of corn canopies and the stand characteristics of forests.

Program to develop a performance and heat load prediction system for multistage turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, OM

1994-01-01

Flows in low-aspect ratio turbines, such as the SSME fuel turbine, are three dimensional and highly unsteady due to the relative motion of adjacent airfoil rows and the circumferential and spanwise gradients in total pressure and temperature, The systems used to design these machines, however, are based on the assumption that the flow is steady. The codes utilized in these design systems are calibrated against turbine rig and engine data through the use of empirical correlations and experience factors. For high aspect ratio turbines, these codes yield reasonably accurate estimates of flow and temperature distributions. However, future design trends will see lower aspect ratio (reduced number of parts) and higher inlet temperature which will result in increased three dimensionality and flow unsteadiness in turbines. Analysis of recently acquired data indicate that temperature streaks and secondary flows generated in combustors and up-stream airfoils can have a large impact on the time-averaged temperature and angle distributions in downstream airfoil rows.

Evaluating and Comparing the Effects of Group Contingencies on Mathematics Accuracy in a First-Grade Classroom: Class Average Criteria versus Unknown Small-Group Average Criteria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Katelyn C.; Skinner, Christopher H.; Moore, Tara C.; McCurdy, Merilee; Ciancio, Dennis; Cihak, David F.

2017-01-01

An adapted alternating treatments design was used to evaluate and compare the effects of two group contingency interventions on mathematics assignment accuracy in an intact first-grade classroom. Both an interdependent contingency with class-average criteria (16 students) and a dependent contingency with criteria based on the average of a smaller,…

Porous gravity currents: Axisymmetric propagation in horizontally graded medium and a review of similarity solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauriola, I.; Felisa, G.; Petrolo, D.; Di Federico, V.; Longo, S.

2018-05-01

We present an investigation on the combined effect of fluid rheology and permeability variations on the propagation of porous gravity currents in axisymmetric geometry. The fluid is taken to be of power-law type with behaviour index n and the permeability to depend from the distance from the source as a power-law function of exponent β. The model represents the injection of a current of non-Newtonian fluid along a vertical bore hole in porous media with space-dependent properties. The injection is either instantaneous (α = 0) or continuous (α > 0). A self-similar solution describing the rate of propagation and the profile of the current is derived under the assumption of small aspect ratio between the current average thickness and length. The limitations on model parameters imposed by the model assumptions are discussed in depth, considering currents of increasing/decreasing velocity, thickness, and aspect ratio, and the sensitivity of the radius, thickness, and aspect ratio to model parameters. Several critical values of α and β discriminating between opposite tendencies are thus determined. Experimental validation is performed using shear-thinning suspensions and Newtonian mixtures in different regimes. A box filled with ballotini of different diameter is used to reproduce the current, with observations from the side and bottom. Most experimental results for the radius and profile of the current agree well with the self-similar solution except at the beginning of the process, due to the limitations of the 2-D assumption and to boundary effects near the injection zone. The results for this specific case corroborate a general model for currents with constant or time-varying volume of power-law fluids propagating in porous domains of plane or radial geometry, with uniform or varying permeability, and the possible effect of channelization. All results obtained in the present and previous papers for the key parameters governing the dynamics of power-law gravity currents are summarized and compared to infer the combinations of parameters leading to the fastest/lowest rate of propagation, and of variation of thickness and aspect ratio.

PEDOT:PSS/GO nanocomposites: Determination of the aspect ratio by indirect measurements

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

Giuri, Antonella; Colella, Silvia; Listorti, Andrea

2016-05-18

Polymer nanocomposites properties significantly depend on the average size of the fillers dispersed into the matrix and on the grade of the dispersion, the latter influenced by the process techniques. In this work, we determined the aspect ratio of graphene oxide (GO) dispersed into Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), starting from the indirect measurement of the rheological behavior of polymer/filler mixtures, as a function of the shear rate and the volumetric composition. PEDOT:PSS+GO nanocomposite films were also realized by spin coating on different substrates and characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), in order to analyze the quality of themore » dispersion, even by direct measurements.« less

Settlement statistics of a granular layer composed of polyhedral particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quezada, Juan Carlos; Saussine, Gilles; Breul, Pierre; Radjai, Farhang

2013-06-01

We use 3D contact dynamics simulations to investigate the mechanical equilibrium and settlement of a granular material composed of irregular polyhedral particles confined between two horizontal frictional planes. We show that, as a consequence of mobilized wall-particle friction force at the top and bottom boundaries, the transient deformation induced by a constant vertical load increment is controlled by the aspect ratio (thickness over width) of the packing as well as the stress ratio. The transient deformation declines considerably for increasingly smaller aspect ratios and grows with the stress ratio. From the simulation data for a large number of independent configurations, we find that sample-to-sample fluctuations of the deformation have a broad distribution and they scale with the average deformation.

Comparative Aspects of Management Observed by Heads of Public and Private Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imran, Muhammad

2010-01-01

The major purpose of the research was to compare the management aspects in public and private schools. All the heads of secondary schools of public and private sector of the Punjab province, Pakistan constituted population of the study. A sample of 216 head teachers (fifty percent from public sector schools and fifty percent private schools) was…

International Views of Inclusive Education: A Comparative Study of Early Childhood Educator's Perceptions in Jordan, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamaidi, Diala; Homidi, Moayyad; Reyes, Luis V.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research was to explore and describe early childhood educators' perceptions of academic aspects and social and emotional aspects of inclusion practices. In this comparative international quantitative research an attitudinal demographic survey was distributed to 300 early childhood educators in mandated kindergartens and primary…

Global Project Management: Graduate Course

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

They take advantage of the fact that the other party assumes the counterparty is acting in good faith and telling the truth . , One common trick is...average 1 h our per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed...and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of

Contract-Based Integration of Cyber-Physical Analyses

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-14

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Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics and Predictability of MJO’s

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

chlorophyll modulation by the MJO Previous studies analyzed ocean color satellite data and suggested that the primary mechanism of surface...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Dynamics and Predictability of MJO’s

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

mechanisms of surface chlorophyll modulation by the MJO Previous studies analyzed ocean color satellite data and suggested that the primary mechanism of...estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the... data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

412th Test Engineering Group Vision for Future Knowledge Management (KM)

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-05-17

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Management of Noncompressible Hemorrhage Using Vena Cava Ultrasound

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0709 TITLE: Management of Noncompressible Hemorrhage Using Vena Cava Ultrasound PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Donald...No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for... information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this

Indians of Eastern Bolivia: Aspects of Their Present Situation. IWGIA Document No. 18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riester, Jurgen

Of the 41 Indian tribes in Eastern Bolivia, the very existence of 29, averaging 202 members, is threatened because their numbers have been so reduced that only in certain cases could direct assistance be useful. Of these 29 tribes, it is certain that 16 will not last until the end of the seventies due to epidemics, violent subjugation, and…

Characterizing Candidate Oncogenes at 8q21 in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

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Applications of Electromagnetic Waves to Problems in Nondestructive Testing and Target Identification

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-09

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Defence Science and Technology Strategy. Science and Technology for a Secure Canada

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

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Spectral Analysis for DIAL and Lidar Detection of TATP

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-13

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 The public reporting burden for this collection of information is. estimated to average 1...hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed, and...completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of

Far Infrared Photonic Crystals Operating in the Reststrahl Region

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-20

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Overcoming Resistance to Trastuzumab in HER2-Amplified Breast Cancers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-01

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Second-Order Active NLO Chromophores for DNA Based Electro-Optics Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-21

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Post-Remediation Evaluation of EVO Treatment: How Can We Improve Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-15

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Attribution In Influence: Relative Power And The Use Of Attribution

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

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Conversion of Clinical Data from the NABISH I and II into FITBIR

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

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Pathomechanics of Post-Traumatic OA Development in the Military Following Articular Fracture

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

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Role of the U.S. Government in the Cybersecurity of Private Entities

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

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Correlation Immunity, Avalanche Features, and Other Cryptographic Properties of Generalized Boolean Functions

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

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Bioinspired Surface Treatments for Improved Decontamination: Handling andDecontamination Considerations

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-16

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Optimizing Sparse Representations of Kinetic Distributions via Information Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-31

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How The Democratization Of Technology Enhances Intelligence-Led Policing And Serves The Community

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

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Navy And Marine Corps IT/IS Acquisition: A Way Forward

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching...existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding...this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington

Comparison of Airway Control Methods and Ventilation Success with an Automatic Resuscitator

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-08

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information ...including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations

Globalization vs National Sovereignty

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

separation. The difference in today’s time is the speed of all aspects of our current life, social media, travel , news stories both verified and...Extremists use the mechanisms of globalization to plan and carry out attacks on the homeland. In a time where world travel is affordable and convenient...burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching

DoD Software Intensive Systems Development: A Hit and Miss Process

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments...Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions...regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Network Archive (DNA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

therefore decided for an iterative development process even within such a small project. The first iteration consisted of conducting specific...Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions...regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Washington

GAT 2.0 Trend Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-25

Emotional , Social, Family, and Spiritual. Pilot testing on a sample of 8,000 Soldiers across grades indicated that the average completion time was 45...New questions were required for the emotional and family dimensions. Table 1 describes the questions and resilience aspects taken from validated...Source of questions used to analyze factor in GAT Emotional Bad/Good Coping Written by Professors Peterson and Park, based on and paraphrasing

Scientists Taking a Nature of Science Course: Beliefs and Learning Outcomes of Career Switchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters-Burton, Erin

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine what scientists studying to become teachers know about the nature of science (NOS) before, during and after a course focused on NOS. The 16 scientists had an average of 9.7 years of work experience. The course was structured to teach knowledge about the aspects of NOS, demonstrate effective methods of…

Computational Biomathematics: Toward Optimal Control of Complex Biological Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-26

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggesstions for reducing this burden, to...equations seems daunting. However, we are currently working on parameter estimation methods that show some promise. In this approach, we generate data from

The Unified Agenda: Implications for Rulemaking Transparency and Participation

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-07-20

R40713 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information ...including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson

Psychosocial Aspects of Body Mass and Body Image among Rural American Indian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Denise L.; Sontag, Lisa M.; Salvato, Rebecca

2006-01-01

This study examines the psychosocial risks associated with body weight (BMI) and body image in a southeastern, rural Lumbee American Indian community. A total of 134 adolescents (57% female) were surveyed over 2 years at ages of 13 and 15 years. On average, boys (55%) were more likely to be overweight or obese than were girls (31%). BMI was…

Epigenetic Regulation of microRNA Expression: Targeting the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Phenotype

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering...and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any...other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services

War in Afghanistan: Campaign Progress, Political Strategy, and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-29

Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information ...including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson

The Effect of Modified Eye Position on Shooting Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

participants was 20/20, with one participant aided by corrective contact lenses. 3.3 Anthropometry Anthropometric data was collected from each...estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the... data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

Human Systems Integration (HSI) in Acquisition. HSI Domain Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

job simulation that includes posture data , force parameters, and anthropometry . Output includes the percentage of men and women who have the strength...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

Facile Synthesis of Silver Nanowires with Different Aspect Ratios and Used as High-Performance Flexible Transparent Electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Qingwen; Yao, Weijing; Liu, Jun; Tian, Qingyong; Liu, Li; Li, Mengxiao; Lu, Qiang; Peng, Rui; Wu, Wei

2017-08-01

Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) are the promising materials to fabricate flexible transparent electrodes, aiming to replace indium tin oxide (ITO) in the next generation of flexible electronics. Herein, a feasible polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-mediated polyol synthesis of Ag NWs with different aspect ratios is demonstrated and high-quality Ag NWs transparent electrodes (NTEs) are fabricated without high-temperature thermal sintering. When employing the mixture of PVP with different average molecular weight as the capping agent, the diameters of Ag NWs can be tailored and Ag NWs with different aspect ratios varying from ca. 30 to ca. 1000 are obtained. Using these as-synthesized Ag NWs, the uniform Ag NWs films are fabricated by repeated spin coating. When the aspect ratios exceed 500, the optoelectronic performance of Ag NWs films improve remarkably and match up to those of ITO films. Moreover, an optimal Ag NTEs with low sheet resistance of 11.4 Ω/sq and a high parallel transmittance of 91.6% at 550 nm are achieved when the aspect ratios reach almost 1000. In addition, the sheet resistance of Ag NWs films does not show great variation after 400 cycles of bending test, suggesting an excellent flexibility. The proposed approach to fabricate highly flexible and high-performance Ag NTEs would be useful to the development of flexible devices.

Evaluation of expert system application based on usability aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munaiseche, C. P. C.; Liando, O. E. S.

2016-04-01

Usability usually defined as a point of human acceptance to a product or a system based on understands and right reaction to an interface. The performance of web application has been influence by the quality of the interface of that web to supporting information transfer process. Preferably, before the applications of expert systems were installed in the operational environment, these applications must be evaluated first by usability testing. This research aimed to measure the usability of the expert system application using tasks as interaction media. This study uses an expert system application to diagnose skin disease in human using questionnaire method which utilize the tasks as interaction media in measuring the usability. Certain tasks were executed by the participants in observing usability value of the application. The usability aspects observed were learnability, efficiency, memorability, errors, and satisfaction. Each questionnaire question represent aspects of usability. The results present the usability value for each aspect and the total average merit for all the five-usability aspect was 4.28, this indicated that the tested expert system application is in the range excellent for the usability level, so the application can be implemented as the operated system by user. The main contribution of the study is the research became the first step in using task model in the usability evaluation for the expert system application software.

Drought as a Disturbance: Implications for Peatland Carbon Budgets in the Hudson Bay Lowland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bello, R.; Abnizova, A.; Miller, E.

2009-05-01

Carbon feedbacks are of particular importance in high latitudes, both because of large circumpolar peatland carbon pools and because climate warming is occurring more rapidly at these latitudes. Longer-term net ecosystem exchange will be influenced by the capacity of plant communities to respond to changing conditions. The nature of community change and the factors inducing change are examined in this study of a disturbance generated by severe drought in 1994 causing widespread mortality in the dominant moss, Dicranum elongatum, occupying an upland tundra site within the Hudson Bay Lowland near Churchill, Manitoba. One quarter of this moss has recently died and become encrusted with the micro-lichen, Ochrolechia spp. Moss cushions affected in this manner exhibit strong allelopathic inhibition of seedling establishment progressing to complete moss decay. Chamber NEE growing-season flux measurements show an average net release of 642 mg C /m2/d from the dead moss compared to an average net uptake of 164 mg C /m2/d from completely healthy cushions. Between these two extremes, stressed living moss cushions support abundant seedling cover which increases in direct proportion with the fractional mortality. A proxy method for estimating the growth rates of cushions, based on the length of green living shoots, indicates that the moss community is uniform in age and established shortly after the most severe drought of historical record in 1966. Subsequent growth rates of cushions show a strong dependency on proximity to the water table (4.17-1.11 mm/y over 58 cm height interval). A growing-season moss water budget identifies the dominant water flow pathways and indicates capillary uptake (0.08 mm h-1) provides 64% of the storage gains, emphasizing the importance of groundwater for growth and survival. Maximum storage capacities are directly related to cushion biomass, leading to both enhanced moisture stress and increased susceptibility to mortality as cushion size decreases. Cushions which are completely dead share the common characteristic that they are small. When cushion data for the entire peatland are divided into 10 classes based on percent mortality there is a significant decrease in mortality as cushion size increases. The best correlate with mortality is cushion surface area to volume ratio (r2=0.79, p<0.001). The advantage of being large and storing large volumes of water is enhanced by the corresponding smaller relative surface area for moisture depletion. In average years, this maintains the growing surface at moisture levels non-limiting to photosynthesis and benefits growth. In extreme drought years, large cushions can fend off lethal desiccation and/or lethal temperatures that completely kill the smallest cushions. Between the two extremes, cushions with patchy mortality show a significantly greater proportion of damage on the south facing aspect (65%) compared to the north facing aspect (19%) (n=195, p<0.001). Dead patches on cushions form depressions on the growing surface which deepen with age as the surrounding living tissue continues to grow. On average, depression depth was 9/35 of cushion height suggesting a common mechanism of formation in 1994 (±3.4 years). The 1994 summer experienced the most severe drought since establishment and was preceded by two additional years of extreme drought in 1993 and 1992. Long term (35 year) apparent rates of carbon accumulation of 92 g C /m2 (moss)/y indicate the moss was an important contributor to the peatland carbon budget that has subsequently shifted to a more negative balance since the drought disturbance.

Analyzing the international exergy flow network of ferrous metal ores.

PubMed

Qi, Hai; An, Haizhong; Hao, Xiaoqing; Zhong, Weiqiong; Zhang, Yanbing

2014-01-01

This paper employs an un-weighted and weighted exergy network to study the properties of ferrous metal ores in countries worldwide and their evolution from 2002 to 2012. We find that there are few countries controlling most of the ferrous metal ore exports in terms of exergy and that the entire exergy flow network is becoming more heterogeneous though the addition of new nodes. The increasing of the average clustering coefficient indicates that the formation of an international exergy flow system and regional integration is improving. When we contrast the average out strength of exergy and the average out strength of currency, we find both similarities and differences. Prices are affected largely by human factors; thus, the growth rate of the average out strength of currency has fluctuated acutely in the eleven years from 2002 to 2012. Exergy is defined as the maximum work that can be extracted from a system and can reflect the true cost in the world, and this parameter fluctuates much less. Performing an analysis based on the two aspects of exergy and currency, we find that the network is becoming uneven.

Analyzing the International Exergy Flow Network of Ferrous Metal Ores

PubMed Central

Qi, Hai; An, Haizhong; Hao, Xiaoqing; Zhong, Weiqiong; Zhang, Yanbing

2014-01-01

This paper employs an un-weighted and weighted exergy network to study the properties of ferrous metal ores in countries worldwide and their evolution from 2002 to 2012. We find that there are few countries controlling most of the ferrous metal ore exports in terms of exergy and that the entire exergy flow network is becoming more heterogeneous though the addition of new nodes. The increasing of the average clustering coefficient indicates that the formation of an international exergy flow system and regional integration is improving. When we contrast the average out strength of exergy and the average out strength of currency, we find both similarities and differences. Prices are affected largely by human factors; thus, the growth rate of the average out strength of currency has fluctuated acutely in the eleven years from 2002 to 2012. Exergy is defined as the maximum work that can be extracted from a system and can reflect the true cost in the world, and this parameter fluctuates much less. Performing an analysis based on the two aspects of exergy and currency, we find that the network is becoming uneven. PMID:25188407

Does Grammatical Aspect Affect Motion Event Cognition? A Cross-Linguistic Comparison of English and Swedish Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasopoulos, Panos; Bylund, Emanuel

2013-01-01

In this article, we explore whether cross-linguistic differences in grammatical aspect encoding may give rise to differences in memory and cognition. We compared native speakers of two languages that encode aspect differently (English and Swedish) in four tasks that examined verbal descriptions of stimuli, online triads matching, and memory-based…

The Extension of the Progressive Aspect in Black South African English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Rooy, Bertus

2006-01-01

The extension of the progressive aspect to stative verbs has been identified as a characteristic feature of New Varieties of English across the world, including the English of black South Africans (BSAfE). This paper examines the use of the progressive aspect in BSAfE, by doing a comparative analysis of three corpora of argumentative student…

(In)Complete Acquisition of Aspect in Second Language and Heritage Russian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikhaylova, Anna

2012-01-01

This dissertation compares the knowledge of Russian Verbal Aspect in two types of learners enrolled in college level Russian courses: foreign language learners of Russian whose native language is English and heritage language speakers of Russian whose dominant language at the time of study is English. Russian Aspect is known to be problematic both…

Scaling deep learning on GPU and knights landing clusters

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

You, Yang; Buluc, Aydin; Demmel, James

Training neural networks has become a big bottleneck. For example, training ImageNet dataset on one Nvidia K20 GPU needs 21 days. To speed up the training process, the current deep learning systems heavily rely on the hardware accelerators. However, these accelerators have limited on-chip memory compared with CPUs. We use both self-host Intel Knights Landing (KNL) clusters and multi-GPU clusters as our target platforms. From the algorithm aspect, we focus on Elastic Averaging SGD (EASGD) to design algorithms for HPC clusters. We redesign four efficient algorithms for HPC systems to improve EASGD's poor scaling on clusters. Async EASGD, Async MEASGD,more » and Hogwild EASGD are faster than existing counter-part methods (Async SGD, Async MSGD, and Hogwild SGD) in all comparisons. Sync EASGD achieves 5.3X speedup over original EASGD on the same platform. We achieve 91.5% weak scaling efficiency on 4253 KNL cores, which is higher than the state-of-the-art implementation.« less

Evaluation of a Statewide HIV-HCV-STD Online Clinical Education Program by Healthcare Providers - A Comparison of Nursing and Other Disciplines.

PubMed

Wang, Dongwen; Luque, Amneris E

2016-01-01

The New York State HIV-HCV-STD Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) has developed a large repository of online resources and disseminated them to a wide range of healthcare providers. To evaluate the CEI online education program and in particular to compare the self-reported measures by clinicians from different disciplines, we analyzed the data from 1,558 course completions in a study period of three months. The results have shown that the overall evaluations by the clinicians were very positive. Meanwhile, there were significant differences across the clinical disciplines. In particular, physicians and nurse practitioners were the most satisfied. In contrast, pharmacists and case/care managers recorded lower than average responses. Nurses and counselors had mixed results. Nurse practitioners' responses were very similar to physicians on most measures, but significantly different from nurses in many aspects. For more effective knowledge dissemination, online education programs should consider the unique needs by clinicians from specific disciplines.

Radioactive nuclear waste stabilization - Aspects of solid-state molecular engineering and applied geochemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haggerty, S. E.

1983-01-01

Stabilization techniques for the storage of radioactive wastes are surveyed, with emphasis on immobilization in a primary barrier of synthetic rock. The composition, half-life, and thermal-emission characteristics of the wastes are shown to require thermally stable immobilization enduring at least 100,000 years. Glass materials are determined to be incapable of withstanding the expected conditions, average temperatures of 100-500 C for the first 100 years. The geological-time stability of crystalline materials, ceramics or synthetic rocks, is examined in detail by comparing their components with similar naturally occurring minerals, especially those containing the same radioactive elements. The high-temperature environment over the first 100 years is seen as stabilizing, since it can recrystallize radiation-induced metamicts. The synthetic-rock stabilization technique is found to be essentially feasible, and improvements are suggested, including the substitution of nepheline with freudenbergite and priderite for alkaline-waste stabilization, the maintenance of low oxygen fugacity, and the dilution of the synthetic-rock pellets into an inert medium.

Improved diffusion Monte Carlo propagators for bosonic systems using Itô calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hâkansson, P.; Mella, M.; Bressanini, Dario; Morosi, Gabriele; Patrone, Marta

2006-11-01

The construction of importance sampled diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) schemes accurate to second order in the time step is discussed. A central aspect in obtaining efficient second order schemes is the numerical solution of the stochastic differential equation (SDE) associated with the Fokker-Plank equation responsible for the importance sampling procedure. In this work, stochastic predictor-corrector schemes solving the SDE and consistent with Itô calculus are used in DMC simulations of helium clusters. These schemes are numerically compared with alternative algorithms obtained by splitting the Fokker-Plank operator, an approach that we analyze using the analytical tools provided by Itô calculus. The numerical results show that predictor-corrector methods are indeed accurate to second order in the time step and that they present a smaller time step bias and a better efficiency than second order split-operator derived schemes when computing ensemble averages for bosonic systems. The possible extension of the predictor-corrector methods to higher orders is also discussed.

Numerical simulation of exploding pusher targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atzeni, S.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Gatu Johnson, M.; Petrasso, R. D.

2017-10-01

Exploding pusher targets, i.e. gas-filled large aspect-ratio glass or plastic shells, driven by a strong laser-generated shock, are widely used as pulsed sources of neutrons and fast charged particles. Recent experiments on exploding pushers provided evidence for the transition from a purely fluid behavior to a kinetic one. Indeed, fluid models largely overpredict yield and temperature as the Knudsen number Kn (ratio of ion mean-free path to compressed gas radius) is comparable or larger than one. At Kn = 0.3 - 1, fluid codes reasonably estimate integral quantities as yield and neutron-averaged temperatures, but do not reproduce burn radii, burn profiles and DD/DHe3 yield ratio. This motivated a detailed simulation study of intermediate-Kn exploding pushers. We will show how simulation results depend on models for laser-interaction, electron conductivity (flux-limited local vs nonlocal), viscosity (physical vs artificial), and ion mixing. Work partially supported by Sapienza Project C26A15YTMA, Sapienza 2016 (n. 257584), and Eurofusion Project AWP17-ENR-IFE-CEA-01.

Progress on a Multichannel, Dual-Mixer Stability Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirk, Albert; Cole, Steven; Stevens, Gary; Tucker, Blake; Greenhall, Charles

2005-01-01

Several documents describe aspects of the continuing development of a multichannel, dual-mixer system for simultaneous characterization of the instabilities of multiple precise, low-noise oscillators. One of the oscillators would be deemed to be a reference oscillator, its frequency would be offset by an amount (100 Hz) much greater than the desired data rate, and each of the other oscillators would be compared with the frequency-offset signal by operation of a combination of hardware and software. A high-rate time-tag counter would collect zero-crossing times of the approximately equal 100-Hz beat notes. The system would effect a combination of interpolation and averaging to process the time tags into low-rate phase residuals at the desired grid times. Circuitry that has been developed since the cited prior article includes an eight-channel timer board to replace an obsolete commercial time-tag counter, plus a custom offset generator, cleanup loop, distribution amplifier, zero-crossing detector, and frequency divider.

CSR: Constrained Selfish Routing in Ad-Hoc Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassem, Christine; Bestavros, Azer

Routing protocols for ad-hoc networks assume that the nodes forming the network are either under a single authority, or else that they would be altruistically forwarding data for other nodes with no expectation of a return. These assumptions are unrealistic since in ad-hoc networks, nodes are likely to be autonomous and rational (selfish), and thus unwilling to help unless they have an incentive to do so. Providing such incentives is an important aspect that should be considered when designing ad-hoc routing protocols. In this paper, we propose a dynamic, decentralized routing protocol for ad-hoc networks that provides incentives in the form of payments to intermediate nodes used to forward data for others. In our Constrained Selfish Routing (CSR) protocol, game-theoretic approaches are used to calculate payments (incentives) that ensure both the truthfulness of participating nodes and the fairness of the CSR protocol. We show through simulations that CSR is an energy efficient protocol and that it provides lower communication overhead in the best and average cases compared to existing approaches.

Conversion of National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) Database into Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM).

PubMed

You, Seng Chan; Lee, Seongwon; Cho, Soo-Yeon; Park, Hojun; Jung, Sungjae; Cho, Jaehyeong; Yoon, Dukyong; Park, Rae Woong

2017-01-01

It is increasingly necessary to generate medical evidence applicable to Asian people compared to those in Western countries. Observational Health Data Sciences a Informatics (OHDSI) is an international collaborative which aims to facilitate generating high-quality evidence via creating and applying open-source data analytic solutions to a large network of health databases across countries. We aimed to incorporate Korean nationwide cohort data into the OHDSI network by converting the national sample cohort into Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM). The data of 1.13 million subjects was converted to OMOP-CDM, resulting in average 99.1% conversion rate. The ACHILLES, open-source OMOP-CDM-based data profiling tool, was conducted on the converted database to visualize data-driven characterization and access the quality of data. The OMOP-CDM version of National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC) can be a valuable tool for multiple aspects of medical research by incorporation into the OHDSI research network.

Exploring the possibilities of two-dimensional transition metal carbides as anode materials for sodium batteries.

PubMed

Yang, Eunjeong; Ji, Hyunjun; Kim, Jaehoon; Kim, Heejin; Jung, Yousung

2015-02-21

Recently a group of two-dimensional materials called MXenes have been discovered and they have demonstrated their potential in Li rechargeable batteries. Herein, the Na storage and ion migration properties of M2C-type MXenes (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Nb, Mo) were investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and were compared to the Li case. Based on the average voltage and migration barrier of surface ions, we suggest that M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Mo are suitable for sodium ion battery (SIB) anodes. These screened M2C materials can provide a theoretical capacity of 190-288 mA h g(-1) by accommodating two alkali ions per formula unit. They also exhibit an activation barrier of 0.1-0.2 eV for ionic motion, suggesting that the M2C materials are promising for high-power applications. The underlying aspects of the voltage differences between M2C materials are also discussed using electrostatic considerations.

CBDs take messages to communities in Tanzania.

PubMed

1996-02-01

The Family Planning Association of Tanzania (UMATI)/JOICFP Integrated Project to promote the use of contraceptive methods was launched in 1984 to a target population of 20,000 spread over three villages. The project now covers 117 villages with a total population of 356,000. In initial project areas, the project has increased the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) to more than 50% compared to the national average of 11.3% in five years. In overwhelmingly Catholic areas in Mgeta, Morogoro Region, the CPR increased from 1.0% in 1990 at the project start to reach 50.4% in 1994. The community-based distribution (CBD) system is one of the most impressive aspects of the UMATI/JOICFP project. The flexibility and ready accessibility of CBD personnel have made them more effective in reaching community people than clinical services. CBD personnel also work closely with government health workers. To further improve the CBD system, UMATI is concentrating upon the development of an effective CBD supervision system.

Evaluation of a Summer Bridge: Critical Component of the Leadership 2.0 Program.

PubMed

Pritchard, Tracy J; Perazzo, Joseph D; Holt, Julie A; Fishback, Benjamin P; McLaughlin, Michaela; Bankston, Karen D; Glazer, Greer

2016-04-01

Summer bridges facilitate the transition from high school to college. Although many schools employ summer bridges, few have published outcomes. This article's purpose is to share preconceptions of college by underrepresented and disadvantaged nursing students and describe important elements and long-term impact of a summer bridge, a component of the Leadership 2.0 program. A longitudinal study design was used to collect baseline, short-term, and long-term post-summer bridge data. Methods included pre- and postsurveys, interviews, and focus groups. After bridge completion, students felt more prepared for the nursing program. Students ranked socialization components as most important. The summer bridge had lasting impact through the first year, where grade point average and retention of underrepresented and disadvantaged bridge students was comparable to the majority first-year students. The summer bridge was effective in preparing nursing students for the first year of college. Through holistic evaluation, unique aspects of socialization critical to student success were uncovered. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Nonlinear analysis of switched semi-active controlled systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eslaminasab, Nima; Vahid A., Orang; Golnaraghi, Farid

2011-02-01

Semi-active systems improve suspension performance of the vehicles more effectively than conventional passive systems by simultaneously improving ride comfort and road handling. Also, because of size, weight, price and performance advantages, they have gained more interest over the active as well as passive systems. Probably the most neglected aspect of the semi-active on-off control systems and strategies is the effects of the added nonlinearities of those systems, which are introduced and analysed in this paper. To do so, numerical techniques, analytical method of averaging and experimental analysis are deployed. In this paper, a new method to analyse, calculate and compare the performances of the semi-active controlled systems is proposed; further, a new controller based on the observations of actual test data is proposed to eliminate the adverse effects of added nonlinearities. The significance of the proposed new system is the simplicity of the algorithm and ease of implementation. In fact, this new semi-active control strategy could be easily adopted and used with most of the existing semi-active control systems.

Revealed Preference Methods for Studying Bicycle Route Choice-A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Pritchard, Ray

2018-03-07

One fundamental aspect of promoting utilitarian bicycle use involves making modifications to the built environment to improve the safety, efficiency and enjoyability of cycling. Revealed preference data on bicycle route choice can assist greatly in understanding the actual behaviour of a highly heterogeneous group of users, which in turn assists the prioritisation of infrastructure or other built environment initiatives. This systematic review seeks to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of the empirical approaches for evaluating whole journey route choices of bicyclists. Two electronic databases were systematically searched for a selection of keywords pertaining to bicycle and route choice. In total seven families of methods are identified: GPS devices, smartphone applications, crowdsourcing, participant-recalled routes, accompanied journeys, egocentric cameras and virtual reality. The study illustrates a trade-off in the quality of data obtainable and the average number of participants. Future additional methods could include dockless bikeshare, multiple camera solutions using computer vision and immersive bicycle simulator environments.

Revealed Preference Methods for Studying Bicycle Route Choice—A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

One fundamental aspect of promoting utilitarian bicycle use involves making modifications to the built environment to improve the safety, efficiency and enjoyability of cycling. Revealed preference data on bicycle route choice can assist greatly in understanding the actual behaviour of a highly heterogeneous group of users, which in turn assists the prioritisation of infrastructure or other built environment initiatives. This systematic review seeks to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of the empirical approaches for evaluating whole journey route choices of bicyclists. Two electronic databases were systematically searched for a selection of keywords pertaining to bicycle and route choice. In total seven families of methods are identified: GPS devices, smartphone applications, crowdsourcing, participant-recalled routes, accompanied journeys, egocentric cameras and virtual reality. The study illustrates a trade-off in the quality of data obtainable and the average number of participants. Future additional methods could include dockless bikeshare, multiple camera solutions using computer vision and immersive bicycle simulator environments. PMID:29518991

Stall dimensions and the prevalence of lameness, injury, and cleanliness on 317 tie-stall dairy farms in Ontario

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

Abstract The study objectives were to provide a province-wide description of stall dimensions and the aspects of cattle welfare linked to stall design in the tie-stall industry. Data on stall design; stall dimensions; and the prevalence of lameness, injury, and hind limb and udder cleanliness in lactating dairy cattle were collected from a sample of 317 tie-stall farms across Ontario. The majority of the study farms (90%) had stalls with dimensions (length, width, tie-chain length, and tie rail height) that were less than the current recommendations. This may explain, in part, the prevalence of lameness measured as the prevalence of back arch (3.2%) and severe hind claw rotation (23%), hock lesions (44%), neck lesions (3.8%), broken tails (3%), dirty hind limbs (23%), and dirty udders (4.6%). Veterinarians and producers may use this information to compare farms with the industry averages and target areas in need of improvement. PMID:16454382

Paleo Data Assimilation of Pseudo-Tree-Ring-Width Chronologies in a Climate Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah Hassanabadi, B.; Acevedo, W.; Reich, S.; Cubasch, U.

2016-12-01

Using the Time-Averaged Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) and a forward model, we assimilate the pseudo Tree-Ring-Width (TRW) chronologies into an Atmospheric Global Circulation model. This study investigates several aspects of Paleo-Data Assimilation (PDA) within a perfect-model set-up: (i) we test the performance of several forward operators in the framework of a PDA-based climate reconstruction, (ii) compare the PDA-based simulations' skill against the free ensemble runs and (iii) inverstigate the skill of the "online" (with cycling) DA and the "off-line" (no-cycling) DA. In our experiments, the "online" (with cycling) PDA approach did not outperform the "off-line" (no-cycling) one, despite its considerable additional implementation complexity. On the other hand, it was observed that the error reduction achieved by assimilating a particular pseudo-TRW chronology is modulated by the strength of the yearly internal variability of the model at the chronology site. This result might help the dendrochronology community to optimize their sampling efforts.

Time delay occultation data of the Helios spacecraft for probing the electron density distribution in the solar corona

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edenhofer, P.; Lueneburg, E.; Esposito, P. B.; Martin, W. L.; Zygielbaum, A. I.; Hansen, R. T.; Hansen, S. F.

1978-01-01

S-band time delay measurements were collected from the spacecraft Helios A and B during three solar occultations in 1975/76 within heliocentric distances of about 3 and 215 earth radius in terms of range, Doppler frequency shift, and electron content. Characteristic features of measurement and data processing are described. Typical data sets are discussed to probe the electron density distribution near the sun (west and east limb as well) including the outer and extended corona. Steady-state and dynamical aspects of the solar corona are presented and compared with earth-bound-K-coronagraph measurements. Using a weighted least squares estimation, parameters of an average coronal electron density profile are derived in a preliminary analysis to yield electron densities at r = 3, 65, 215 earth radius. Transient phenomena are discussed and a velocity of propagation v is nearly equal to 900 km/s is determined for plasma ejecta from a solar flare observed during an extraordinary set of Helios B electron content measurements.

Aspect ratios and magma overpressures of non-feeder dikes observed in the Miyake-jima volcano (Japan), and fracture toughness of its upper part

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusumoto, Shigekazu; Geshi, Nobuo; Gudmundsson, Agust

2013-03-01

present a new method for estimating the length and maximum thickness (aperture) of a dike from the observed opening at one dike tip. We apply the method to 15 arrested non-feeder dikes (where the upper tip is known, the lower tip unknown) in the caldera walls of Miyake-jima, Japan, to estimate the length-thickness ratio, as well as the magma overpressure and fracture toughness. The calculated length-thickness ratio ranges from 61 to 246, with an average of 136. The ratios are low because the dikes are emplaced close to the surface in comparatively compliant (soft) rocks. Using these ratios and the appropriate elastic constants, the calculated magmatic overpressures of the dikes are between 2.3 and 8.9 MPa, and the stress intensity factors between 38 and 117 MPa m1/2. All these values are within the range of typical in situ estimates, supporting the validity of this new method.

Information Filtering via a Scaling-Based Function

PubMed Central

Qiu, Tian; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Chen, Guang

2013-01-01

Finding a universal description of the algorithm optimization is one of the key challenges in personalized recommendation. In this article, for the first time, we introduce a scaling-based algorithm (SCL) independent of recommendation list length based on a hybrid algorithm of heat conduction and mass diffusion, by finding out the scaling function for the tunable parameter and object average degree. The optimal value of the tunable parameter can be abstracted from the scaling function, which is heterogeneous for the individual object. Experimental results obtained from three real datasets, Netflix, MovieLens and RYM, show that the SCL is highly accurate in recommendation. More importantly, compared with a number of excellent algorithms, including the mass diffusion method, the original hybrid method, and even an improved version of the hybrid method, the SCL algorithm remarkably promotes the personalized recommendation in three other aspects: solving the accuracy-diversity dilemma, presenting a high novelty, and solving the key challenge of cold start problem. PMID:23696829

Investigation of Compressibility Effect for Aeropropulsive Shear Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balasubramanyam, M. S.; Chen, C. P.

2005-01-01

Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engines operate within a wide range of Mach numbers and altitudes. Fundamental fluid dynamic mechanisms involve complex choking, mass entrainment, stream mixing and wall interactions. The Propulsion Research Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is involved in an on- going experimental and numerical modeling study of non-axisymmetric ejector-based combined cycle propulsion systems. This paper attempts to address the modeling issues related to mixing, shear layer/wall interaction in a supersonic Strutjet/ejector flow field. Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solutions incorporating turbulence models are sought and compared to experimental measurements to characterize detailed flow dynamics. The effect of compressibility on fluids mixing and wall interactions were investigated using an existing CFD methodology. The compressibility correction to conventional incompressible two- equation models is found to be necessary for the supersonic mixing aspect of the ejector flows based on 2-D simulation results. 3-D strut-base flows involving flow separations were also investigated.

Patterns of coral bleaching: Modeling the adaptive bleaching hypothesis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ware, J.R.; Fautin, D.G.; Buddemeier, R.W.

1996-01-01

Bleaching - the loss of symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) from animals normally possessing them - can be induced by a variety of stresses, of which temperature has received the most attention. Bleaching is generally considered detrimental, but Buddemeier and Fautin have proposed that bleaching is also adaptive, providing an opportunity for recombining hosts with alternative algal types to form symbioses that might be better adapted to altered circumstances. Our mathematical model of this "adaptive bleaching hypothesis" provides insight into how animal-algae symbioses might react under various circumstances. It emulates many aspects of the coral bleaching phenomenon including: corals bleaching in response to a temperature only slightly greater than their average local maximum temperature; background bleaching; bleaching events being followed by bleaching of lesser magnitude in the subsequent one to several years; higher thermal tolerance of corals subject to environmental variability compared with those living under more constant conditions; patchiness in bleaching; and bleaching at temperatures that had not previously resulted in bleaching. ?? 1996 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

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

Shete, Meera; Kumar, Prashant; Bachman, Jonathan E.

High aspect-ratio nanosheets of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hold promise for use as selective flakes in gas separation membranes. However, simple and scalable methods for the synthesis of MOF nanosheets have thus far remained elusive. Here, we describe the direct synthesis of Cu(BDC) (BDC2-= 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate) nanosheets with an average lateral size of 2.5 mu m and a thickness of 25 nm from a well-mixed solution. Characterization of the nanosheets by powder and thin film X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and electron diffraction reveals pronounced structural disorder that may affect their pore structure. Incorporation of the Cu (BDC) nanosheets into a Matrimid polymermore » matrix results in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) that exhibit a 70% increase in the CO2/CH4 selectivity compared with that of Matrimid. Analysis of new and previously reported permeation data for Cu(BDC) MMMs using a mathematical model for selective flake composites indicates that further performance improvements could be achieved with the selection of different polymers for use in the continuous phase.« less

Volitional components of consciousness vary across wakefulness, dreaming and lucid dreaming

PubMed Central

Dresler, Martin; Eibl, Leandra; Fischer, Christian F. J.; Wehrle, Renate; Spoormaker, Victor I.; Steiger, Axel; Czisch, Michael; Pawlowski, Marcel

2014-01-01

Consciousness is a multifaceted concept; its different aspects vary across species, vigilance states, or health conditions. While basal aspects of consciousness like perceptions and emotions are present in many states and species, higher-order aspects like reflective or volitional capabilities seem to be most pronounced in awake humans. Here we assess the experience of volition across different states of consciousness: 10 frequent lucid dreamers rated different aspects of volition according to the Volitional Components Questionnaire for phases of normal dreaming, lucid dreaming, and wakefulness. Overall, experienced volition was comparable for lucid dreaming and wakefulness, and rated significantly higher for both states compared to non-lucid dreaming. However, three subscales showed specific differences across states of consciousness: planning ability was most pronounced during wakefulness, intention enactment most pronounced during lucid dreaming, and self-determination most pronounced during both wakefulness and lucid dreaming. Our data confirm the multifaceted nature of consciousness: different higher-order aspects of consciousness are differentially expressed across different conscious states. PMID:24427149

Volitional components of consciousness vary across wakefulness, dreaming and lucid dreaming.

PubMed

Dresler, Martin; Eibl, Leandra; Fischer, Christian F J; Wehrle, Renate; Spoormaker, Victor I; Steiger, Axel; Czisch, Michael; Pawlowski, Marcel

2014-01-01

Consciousness is a multifaceted concept; its different aspects vary across species, vigilance states, or health conditions. While basal aspects of consciousness like perceptions and emotions are present in many states and species, higher-order aspects like reflective or volitional capabilities seem to be most pronounced in awake humans. Here we assess the experience of volition across different states of consciousness: 10 frequent lucid dreamers rated different aspects of volition according to the Volitional Components Questionnaire for phases of normal dreaming, lucid dreaming, and wakefulness. Overall, experienced volition was comparable for lucid dreaming and wakefulness, and rated significantly higher for both states compared to non-lucid dreaming. However, three subscales showed specific differences across states of consciousness: planning ability was most pronounced during wakefulness, intention enactment most pronounced during lucid dreaming, and self-determination most pronounced during both wakefulness and lucid dreaming. Our data confirm the multifaceted nature of consciousness: different higher-order aspects of consciousness are differentially expressed across different conscious states.

Design aspects and comparison between high Tc superconducting coplanar waveguide and microstrip line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kong, K. S.; Bhasin, K. B.; Itoh, T.

1991-01-01

The high T sub c superconducting microstrip line and coplanar waveguide are compared in terms of the loss characteristics and the design aspects. The quality factor Q values for each structure are compared in respect to the same characteristic impedance with the comparable dimensions of the center conductor of the coplanar waveguide and the strip of the microstrip line. Also, the advantages and disadvantages for each structure are discussed in respect to passive microwave circuit applications.

Photon counting spectral breast CT: effect of adaptive filtration on CT numbers, noise, and contrast to noise ratio.

PubMed

Silkwood, Justin D; Matthews, Kenneth L; Shikhaliev, Polad M

2013-05-01

Photon counting spectral (PCS) computed tomography (CT) shows promise for breast imaging. An issue with current photon-counting detectors is low count rate capabilities, artifacts resulting from nonuniform count rate across the field of view, and suboptimal spectral information. These issues are addressed in part by using tissue-equivalent adaptive filtration of the x-ray beam. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of adaptive filtration on different aspects of PCS breast CT. The theoretical formulation for the filter shape was derived for different filter materials and evaluated by simulation and an experimental prototype of the filter was fabricated from a tissue-like material (acrylic). The PCS CT images of a glandular breast phantom with adipose and iodine contrast elements were simulated at 40, 60, 90, and 120 kVp tube voltages, with and without adaptive filter. The CT numbers, CT noise, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were compared for spectral CT images acquired with and without adaptive filters. Similar comparison was made for material-decomposed PCS CT images. The adaptive filter improved the uniformity of CT numbers, CT noise, and CNR in both ordinary and material decomposed PCS CT images. At the same tube output the average CT noise with adaptive filter, although uniform, was higher than the average noise without adaptive filter due to x-ray absorption by the filter. Increasing tube output, so that average skin exposure with the adaptive filter was same as without filter, made the noise with adaptive filter comparable to or lower than that without adaptive filter. Similar effects were observed when energy weighting was applied, and when material decompositions were performed using energy selective CT data. An adaptive filter decreases count rate requirements to the photon counting detectors which enables PCS breast CT based on commercially available detector technologies. Adaptive filter also improves image quality in PCS breast CT by decreasing beam hardening artifacts and by eliminating spatial nonuniformities of CT numbers, noise, and CNR.

High endemism and stem density distinguish New Caledonian from other high-diversity rainforests in the Southwest Pacific.

PubMed

Ibanez, Thomas; Blanchard, E; Hequet, V; Keppel, G; Laidlaw, M; Pouteau, R; Vandrot, H; Birnbaum, P

2018-01-25

The biodiversity hotspot of New Caledonia is globally renowned for the diversity and endemism of its flora. New Caledonia's tropical rainforests have been reported to have higher stem densities, higher concentrations of relictual lineages and higher endemism than other rainforests. This study investigates whether these aspects differ in New Caledonian rainforests compared to other high-diversity rainforests in the Southwest Pacific. Plants (with a diameter at breast height ≥10 cm) were surveyed in nine 1-ha rainforest plots across the main island of New Caledonia and compared with 14 1-ha plots in high-diversity rainforests of the Southwest Pacific (in Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands). This facilitated a comparison of stem densities, taxonomic composition and diversity, and species turnover among plots and countries. The study inventoried 11 280 stems belonging to 335 species (93 species ha-1 on average) in New Caledonia. In comparison with other rainforests in the Southwest Pacific, New Caledonian rainforests exhibited higher stem density (1253 stems ha-1 on average) including abundant palms and tree ferns, with the high abundance of the latter being unparalleled outside New Caledonia. In all plots, the density of relictual species was ≥10 % for both stems and species, with no discernible differences among countries. Species endemism, reaching 89 % on average, was significantly higher in New Caledonia. Overall, species turnover increased with geographical distance, but not among New Caledonian plots. High stem density, high endemism and a high abundance of tree ferns with stem diameters ≥10 cm are therefore unique characteristics of New Caledonian rainforests. High endemism and high spatial species turnover imply that the current system consisting of a few protected areas is inadequate, and that the spatial distribution of plant species needs to be considered to adequately protect the exceptional flora of New Caledonian rainforests. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

A Comparative Investigation of the Combined Effects of Pre-Processing, Wavelength Selection, and Regression Methods on Near-Infrared Calibration Model Performance.

PubMed

Wan, Jian; Chen, Yi-Chieh; Morris, A Julian; Thennadil, Suresh N

2017-07-01

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is being widely used in various fields ranging from pharmaceutics to the food industry for analyzing chemical and physical properties of the substances concerned. Its advantages over other analytical techniques include available physical interpretation of spectral data, nondestructive nature and high speed of measurements, and little or no need for sample preparation. The successful application of NIR spectroscopy relies on three main aspects: pre-processing of spectral data to eliminate nonlinear variations due to temperature, light scattering effects and many others, selection of those wavelengths that contribute useful information, and identification of suitable calibration models using linear/nonlinear regression . Several methods have been developed for each of these three aspects and many comparative studies of different methods exist for an individual aspect or some combinations. However, there is still a lack of comparative studies for the interactions among these three aspects, which can shed light on what role each aspect plays in the calibration and how to combine various methods of each aspect together to obtain the best calibration model. This paper aims to provide such a comparative study based on four benchmark data sets using three typical pre-processing methods, namely, orthogonal signal correction (OSC), extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC) and optical path-length estimation and correction (OPLEC); two existing wavelength selection methods, namely, stepwise forward selection (SFS) and genetic algorithm optimization combined with partial least squares regression for spectral data (GAPLSSP); four popular regression methods, namely, partial least squares (PLS), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), and Gaussian process regression (GPR). The comparative study indicates that, in general, pre-processing of spectral data can play a significant role in the calibration while wavelength selection plays a marginal role and the combination of certain pre-processing, wavelength selection, and nonlinear regression methods can achieve superior performance over traditional linear regression-based calibration.

Children's emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies.

PubMed

Sprung, Manuel; Münch, Hannah M; Harris, Paul L; Ebesutani, Chad; Hofmann, Stefan G

2015-09-01

In the course of development, children show increased insight and understanding of emotions-both of their own emotions and those of others. However, little is known about the efficacy of training programs aimed at improving children's understanding of emotion. To conduct an effect size analysis of trainings aimed at three aspects of emotion understanding: external aspects (i.e., the recognition of emotional expressions, understanding external causes of emotion, understanding the influence of reminders on present emotions); mental aspects (i.e., understanding desire-based emotions, understanding belief-based emotions, understanding hidden emotions); and reflective aspects (i.e., understanding the regulation of an emotion, understanding mixed emotions, understanding moral emotions). A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. The search identified 19 studies or experiments including a total of 749 children with an average age of 86 months ( S.D .=30.71) from seven different countries. Emotion understanding training procedures are effective for improving external (Hedge's g = 0.62), mental (Hedge's g = 0.31), and reflective (Hedge's g = 0.64) aspects of emotion understanding. These effect sizes were robust and generally unrelated to the number and lengths of training sessions, length of the training period, year of publication, and sample type. However, training setting and social setting moderated the effect of emotion understanding training on the understanding of external aspects of emotion. For the length of training session and social setting, we observed significant moderator effects of training on reflective aspects of emotion. Emotion understanding training may be a promising tool for both preventive intervention and the psychotherapeutic process. However, more well-controlled studies are needed.

Children’s emotion understanding: A meta-analysis of training studies

PubMed Central

Sprung, Manuel; Münch, Hannah M.; Harris, Paul L.; Ebesutani, Chad; Hofmann, Stefan G.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND In the course of development, children show increased insight and understanding of emotions—both of their own emotions and those of others. However, little is known about the efficacy of training programs aimed at improving children’s understanding of emotion. OBJECTIVES To conduct an effect size analysis of trainings aimed at three aspects of emotion understanding: external aspects (i.e., the recognition of emotional expressions, understanding external causes of emotion, understanding the influence of reminders on present emotions); mental aspects (i.e., understanding desire-based emotions, understanding belief-based emotions, understanding hidden emotions); and reflective aspects (i.e., understanding the regulation of an emotion, understanding mixed emotions, understanding moral emotions). DATA SOURCES A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and manual searches. REVIEW METHODS The search identified 19 studies or experiments including a total of 749 children with an average age of 86 months (S.D.=30.71) from seven different countries. RESULTS Emotion understanding training procedures are effective for improving external (Hedge’s g = 0.62), mental (Hedge’s g = 0.31), and reflective (Hedge’s g = 0.64) aspects of emotion understanding. These effect sizes were robust and generally unrelated to the number and lengths of training sessions, length of the training period, year of publication, and sample type. However, training setting and social setting moderated the effect of emotion understanding training on the understanding of external aspects of emotion. For the length of training session and social setting, we observed significant moderator effects of training on reflective aspects of emotion. CONCLUSION Emotion understanding training may be a promising tool for both preventive intervention and the psychotherapeutic process. However, more well-controlled studies are needed. PMID:26405369

Comparing ε-Aminocaproic Acid and Tranexamic Acid in Reducing Postoperative Transfusions in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PubMed

Churchill, Jessica L; Puca, Kathleen E; Meyer, Elizabeth; Carleton, Matthew; Anderson, Michael J

2017-06-01

Multiple studies have shown tranexamic acid (TXA) to reduce blood loss and transfusion rates in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Accordingly, TXA has become a routine blood conservation agent for TKA. In contrast, ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA), a similar acting antifibrinolytic to TXA, has been less frequently used. This study evaluated whether EACA is as efficacious as TXA in reducing postoperative blood transfusion rates and compared the cost per surgery between agents. A multicenter retrospective chart review of elective unilateral TKA from April 2012 through December 2014 was performed. Five hospitals within a health care system participated. Data collected included age, gender, severity of illness score, use of antifibrinolytic and dose, red blood cell (RBC) transfusions and the number of units, and preadmission and discharge hemoglobin (Hb). Dosing of the antifibrinolytic differed based on the agent used, 5 or 10 g (based on weight) for EACA versus 1 g for TXA. The institutional acquisition cost of each antifibrinolytic was obtained and averaged over the study period. Of 2,922 primary unilateral TKA cases, 820 patients received EACA, 610 patients received TXA, and 1,492 patients received no antifibrinolytic (control group). Compared with the control group both EACA and TXA groups had significantly fewer patients transfused (EACA 2.8% [ p  < 0.0001], TXA 3.2% [ p  < 0.0001] vs. control 10.8%) and lower mean RBC units transfused per patient (EACA 0.05 units/patient [pt] [ p  < 0.0001], TXA 0.05 units/pt [ p  < 0.0001] vs. control 0.19 units/pt]. There was no difference in mean RBC units transfused per patient, percentage of patients transfused, and discharge Hb levels between the EACA and TXA groups ( p  = 0.822, 0.236, and 0.322, respectively). Medication acquisition cost for EACA averaged $2.23 per surgery compared with TXA at $39.58 per surgery. Administration of EACA or TXA significantly decreased postoperative transfusion rates compared with no antifibrinolytic therapy. Utilization of EACA for unilateral TKA proved to be comparable to TXA in all studied aspects at a lower cost. The level of evidence for the study is Level 3. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Aspects regarding vertical distribution of greenhouse gases resulted from in situ airborne measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boscornea, Andreea; Sorin Vajaiac, Nicolae; Ardelean, Magdalena; Benciu, Silviu Stefan

2016-04-01

In the last decades the air quality, as well as other components of the environment, has been severely affected by uncontrolled emissions of gases - most known as greenhouse gases (GHG). The main role of GHG is given by the direct influence on the Earth's radiative budget, through Sun light scattering and indirectly by participating in cloud formation. Aldo, many efforts were made for reducing the high levels of these pollutants, e.g., International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) initiatives, Montreal Protocol, etc., this issue is still open. In this context, this study aims to present several aspects regarding the vertical distribution in the lower atmosphere of some greenhouse gases: water vapours, CO, CO2 and methane. Bucharest and its metropolitan area is one of the most polluted regions of Romania due to high traffic. For assessing the air quality of this area, in situ measurements of water vapours, CO, CO2 and CH4 were performed using a Britten Norman Islander BN2 aircraft equipped with a Picarro gas analyser, model G2401-mc, able to provide precised, continuous and accurate data in real time. This configuration consisting in aircraft and airborne instruments was tested for the first time in Romania. For accomplishing the objectives of the measurement campaign, there were proposed several flight strategies which included vertical and horizontal soundings from 105 m to 3300 m and vice-versa around Clinceni area (20 km West of Bucharest). During 5 days (25.08.2015 - 31.08.2015) were performed 7 flights comprising 10h 18min research flight hours. The measured concentrations of GHS ranged between 0.18 - 2.2 ppm for water vapours with an average maximum value of 1.7 ppm, 0.04 - 0.53 ppm for CO with an average maximum value of 0.21 ppm, 377 - 437.5 ppm for CO2 with an average maximum value of 397 ppm and 1.7 - 6.1 ppm for CH4 with an average maximum value of 2.195 ppm. It was noticed that measured concentrations of GHG are decreasing for high values of sounding altitude, this aspect showing a non-uniform mixing of GHG in the lower atmosphere. These results are part of the 2nd campaign of the project AROMAT - Airborne ROmanian Measurements of Aerosols and Trace gases founded by European Space Agency -ESA, whose objective consist in testing the most recent developed instruments able to provide a 3D representation of the state of the atmosphere for the validation of Sentinel 5P and Sentinel 5 observation systems.

Land-atmosphere coupling manifested in warm-season observations on the U.S. southern great plains

DOE PAGES

Phillips, Thomas J.; Klein, Stephen A.

2014-01-28

This study examines several observational aspects of land-atmosphere coupling on daily average time scales during warm seasons of the years 1997 to 2008 at the Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) Central Facility site near Lamont, Oklahoma. Characteristics of the local land-atmosphere coupling are inferred by analyzing the covariability of selected land and atmospheric variables that include precipitation and soil moisture, surface air temperature, relative humidity, radiant and turbulent fluxes, as well as low-level cloud base height and fractional coverage. For both the energetic and hydrological aspects of this coupling, it is found that large-scalemore » atmospheric forcings predominate, with local feedbacks of the land on the atmosphere being comparatively small much of the time. The weak land feedbacks are manifested by 1) the inability of soil moisture to comprehensively impact the coupled land-atmosphere energetics, and 2) the limited recycling of local surface moisture under conditions where most of the rainfall derives from convective cells that originate at remote locations. There is some evidence, nevertheless, of the local land feedback becoming stronger as the soil dries out in the aftermath of precipitation events, or on days when the local boundary-layer clouds are influenced by thermal updrafts known to be associated with convection originating at the surface. Finally, we also discuss potential implications of these results for climate-model representation of regional land-atmosphere coupling.« less

Improvement and Extension of Shape Evaluation Criteria in Multi-Scale Image Segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakamoto, M.; Honda, Y.; Kondo, A.

2016-06-01

From the last decade, the multi-scale image segmentation is getting a particular interest and practically being used for object-based image analysis. In this study, we have addressed the issues on multi-scale image segmentation, especially, in improving the performances for validity of merging and variety of derived region's shape. Firstly, we have introduced constraints on the application of spectral criterion which could suppress excessive merging between dissimilar regions. Secondly, we have extended the evaluation for smoothness criterion by modifying the definition on the extent of the object, which was brought for controlling the shape's diversity. Thirdly, we have developed new shape criterion called aspect ratio. This criterion helps to improve the reproducibility on the shape of object to be matched to the actual objectives of interest. This criterion provides constraint on the aspect ratio in the bounding box of object by keeping properties controlled with conventional shape criteria. These improvements and extensions lead to more accurate, flexible, and diverse segmentation results according to the shape characteristics of the target of interest. Furthermore, we also investigated a technique for quantitative and automatic parameterization in multi-scale image segmentation. This approach is achieved by comparing segmentation result with training area specified in advance by considering the maximization of the average area in derived objects or satisfying the evaluation index called F-measure. Thus, it has been possible to automate the parameterization that suited the objectives especially in the view point of shape's reproducibility.

Large scale affinity calculations of cyclodextrin host-guest complexes: Understanding the role of reorganization in the molecular recognition process

PubMed Central

Wickstrom, Lauren; He, Peng; Gallicchio, Emilio; Levy, Ronald M.

2013-01-01

Host-guest inclusion complexes are useful models for understanding the structural and energetic aspects of molecular recognition. Due to their small size relative to much larger protein-ligand complexes, converged results can be obtained rapidly for these systems thus offering the opportunity to more reliably study fundamental aspects of the thermodynamics of binding. In this work, we have performed a large scale binding affinity survey of 57 β-cyclodextrin (CD) host guest systems using the binding energy distribution analysis method (BEDAM) with implicit solvation (OPLS-AA/AGBNP2). Converged estimates of the standard binding free energies are obtained for these systems by employing techniques such as parallel Hamitionian replica exchange molecular dynamics, conformational reservoirs and multistate free energy estimators. Good agreement with experimental measurements is obtained in terms of both numerical accuracy and affinity rankings. Overall, average effective binding energies reproduce affinity rank ordering better than the calculated binding affinities, even though calculated binding free energies, which account for effects such as conformational strain and entropy loss upon binding, provide lower root mean square errors when compared to measurements. Interestingly, we find that binding free energies are superior rank order predictors for a large subset containing the most flexible guests. The results indicate that, while challenging, accurate modeling of reorganization effects can lead to ligand design models of superior predictive power for rank ordering relative to models based only on ligand-receptor interaction energies. PMID:25147485

Impact of computer-assisted data collection, evaluation and management on the cancer genetic counselor's time providing patient care.

PubMed

Cohen, Stephanie A; McIlvried, Dawn E

2011-06-01

Cancer genetic counseling sessions traditionally encompass collecting medical and family history information, evaluating that information for the likelihood of a genetic predisposition for a hereditary cancer syndrome, conveying that information to the patient, offering genetic testing when appropriate, obtaining consent and subsequently documenting the encounter with a clinic note and pedigree. Software programs exist to collect family and medical history information electronically, intending to improve efficiency and simplicity of collecting, managing and storing this data. This study compares the genetic counselor's time spent in cancer genetic counseling tasks in a traditional model and one using computer-assisted data collection, which is then used to generate a pedigree, risk assessment and consult note. Genetic counselor time spent collecting family and medical history and providing face-to-face counseling for a new patient session decreased from an average of 85-69 min when using the computer-assisted data collection. However, there was no statistically significant change in overall genetic counselor time on all aspects of the genetic counseling process, due to an increased amount of time spent generating an electronic pedigree and consult note. Improvements in the computer program's technical design would potentially minimize data manipulation. Certain aspects of this program, such as electronic collection of family history and risk assessment, appear effective in improving cancer genetic counseling efficiency while others, such as generating an electronic pedigree and consult note, do not.

Comparative Genomics Reveals Chd1 as a Determinant of Nucleosome Spacing in Vivo.

PubMed

Hughes, Amanda L; Rando, Oliver J

2015-07-14

Packaging of genomic DNA into nucleosomes is nearly universally conserved in eukaryotes, and many features of the nucleosome landscape are quite conserved. Nonetheless, quantitative aspects of nucleosome packaging differ between species because, for example, the average length of linker DNA between nucleosomes can differ significantly even between closely related species. We recently showed that the difference in nucleosome spacing between two Hemiascomycete species-Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis-is established by trans-acting factors rather than being encoded in cis in the DNA sequence. Here, we generated several S. cerevisiae strains in which endogenous copies of candidate nucleosome spacing factors are deleted and replaced with the orthologous factors from K. lactis. We find no change in nucleosome spacing in such strains in which H1 or Isw1 complexes are swapped. In contrast, the K. lactis gene encoding the ATP-dependent remodeler Chd1 was found to direct longer internucleosomal spacing in S. cerevisiae, establishing that this remodeler is partially responsible for the relatively long internucleosomal spacing observed in K. lactis. By analyzing several chimeric proteins, we find that sequence differences that contribute to the spacing activity of this remodeler are dispersed throughout the coding sequence, but that the strongest spacing effect is linked to the understudied N-terminal end of Chd1. Taken together, our data find a role for sequence evolution of a chromatin remodeler in establishing quantitative aspects of the chromatin landscape in a species-specific manner. Copyright © 2015 Hughes and Rando.

Song learning and cognitive ability are not consistently related in a songbird.

PubMed

Anderson, Rindy C; Searcy, William A; Peters, Susan; Hughes, Melissa; DuBois, Adrienne L; Nowicki, Stephen

2017-03-01

Learned aspects of song have been hypothesized to signal cognitive ability in songbirds. We tested this hypothesis in hand-reared song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) that were tutored with playback of adult songs during the critical period for song learning. The songs developed by the 19 male subjects were compared to the model songs to produce two measures of song learning: the proportion of notes copied from models and the average spectrogram cross-correlation between copied notes and model notes. Song repertoire size, which reflects song complexity, was also measured. At 1 year of age, subjects were given a battery of five cognitive tests that measured speed of learning in the context of a novel foraging task, color association, color reversal, detour-reaching, and spatial learning. Bivariate correlations between the three song measures and the five cognitive measures revealed no significant associations. As in other studies of avian cognition, different cognitive measures were for the most part not correlated with each other, and this result remained true when 22 hand-reared female song sparrows were added to the analysis. General linear mixed models controlling for effects of neophobia and nest of origin indicated that all three song measures were associated with better performance on color reversal and spatial learning but were associated with worse performance on novel foraging and detour-reaching. Overall, the results do not support the hypothesis that learned aspects of song signal cognitive ability.

Comparing Swedish and Norwegian Teachers' Professional Development: How Human Capital and Social Capital Factor into Teachers' Reading Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reichenberg, Monica; Andreassen, Rune

2018-01-01

The present study compares how Swedish (n = 340) and Norwegian (n = 236) teachers' human capital and social capital support reading habits as an aspect of professional development. The overall aim was to describe how teachers' human and social capital support their professional development as measured by the aspect of reading habits during leisure…

Knowledge based system and decision making methodologies in materials selection for aircraft cabin metallic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, Pashupati Raj

Materials selection processes have been the most important aspects in product design and development. Knowledge-based system (KBS) and some of the methodologies used in the materials selection for the design of aircraft cabin metallic structures are discussed. Overall aircraft weight reduction means substantially less fuel consumption. Part of the solution to this problem is to find a way to reduce overall weight of metallic structures inside the cabin. Among various methodologies of materials selection using Multi Criterion Decision Making (MCDM) techniques, a few of them are demonstrated with examples and the results are compared with those obtained using Ashby's approach in materials selection. Pre-defined constraint values, mainly mechanical properties, are employed as relevant attributes in the process. Aluminum alloys with high strength-to-weight ratio have been second-to-none in most of the aircraft parts manufacturing. Magnesium alloys that are much lighter in weight as alternatives to the Al-alloys currently in use in the structures are tested using the methodologies and ranked results are compared. Each material attribute considered in the design are categorized as benefit and non-benefit attribute. Using Ashby's approach, material indices that are required to be maximized for an optimum performance are determined, and materials are ranked based on the average of consolidated indices ranking. Ranking results are compared for any disparity among the methodologies.

A 31-channel MR brain array coil compatible with positron emission tomography.

PubMed

Sander, Christin Y; Keil, Boris; Chonde, Daniel B; Rosen, Bruce R; Catana, Ciprian; Wald, Lawrence L

2015-06-01

Simultaneous acquisition of MR and positron emission tomography (PET) images requires the placement of the MR detection coil inside the PET detector ring where it absorbs and scatters photons. This constraint is the principal barrier to achieving optimum sensitivity on each modality. Here, we present a 31-channel PET-compatible brain array coil with reduced attenuation but improved MR sensitivity. A series of component tests were performed to identify tradeoffs between PET and MR performance. Aspects studied include the remote positioning of preamplifiers, coax size, coil trace size/material, and plastic housing. We then maximized PET performance at minimal cost to MR sensitivity. The coil was evaluated for MR performance (signal to noise ratio [SNR], g-factor) and PET attenuation. The coil design showed an improvement in attenuation by 190% (average) compared with conventional 32-channel arrays, and no loss in MR SNR. Moreover, the 31-channel coil displayed an SNR improvement of 230% (cortical region of interest) compared with a PET-optimized 8-channel array with similar attenuation properties. Implementing attenuation correction of the 31-channel array successfully removed PET artifacts, which were comparable to those of the 8-channel array. The design of the 31-channel PET-compatible coil enables higher sensitivity for PET/MR imaging, paving the way for novel applications in this hybrid-imaging domain. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aesthetic outcome of single-tooth implant restorations following early implant placement and guided bone regeneration: crown and soft tissue dimensions compared with contralateral teeth.

PubMed

Cosyn, Jan; De Rouck, Tim

2009-10-01

The aim of this study was to compare crown and soft tissue dimensions of single-tooth implant restorations following early implant placement and guided bone regeneration (GBR) with contralateral non-restored teeth. Twenty-seven patients treated by one and the same surgeon and prosthodontist to restore a single-tooth gap with a class I bone defect in the premaxilla by means of an implant-supported restoration were reviewed. Patients were examined at least 6 months following placement of the crown. All implants had been inserted 6-8 weeks following tooth extraction in conjunction with GBR. At evaluation, crown dimensions, soft tissue dimensions, clinical conditions and patients' aesthetic satisfaction were assessed by one clinician who had not been involved in the treatment. Implant-supported crowns were not significantly longer than contralateral teeth and midfacial soft tissues showed comparable levels after on average 21 months of function. Our data also indicated significant papilla loss especially at the distal aspect of the implants. As the patient's aesthetic appreciation was favourable in 88% of the cases, this appeared to be of trivial importance. Favourable aesthetics may be achieved for single-tooth implant restorations following early implant placement and GBR. The impact of the latter on papilla levels, however, remains to be determined in longitudinal studies.

The bilateral movement condition facilitates maximal but not submaximal paretic-limb grip force in people with post-stroke hemiparesis

PubMed Central

DeJong, Stacey L.; Lang, Catherine E.

2012-01-01

Objectives Although healthy individuals have less force production capacity during bilateral muscle contractions compared to unilateral efforts, emerging evidence suggests that certain aspects of paretic upper limb task performance after stroke may be enhanced by moving bilaterally instead of unilaterally. We investigated whether the bilateral movement condition affects grip force differently on the paretic side of people with post-stroke hemiparesis, compared to their non-paretic side and both sides of healthy young adults. Methods Within a single session, we compared: 1) maximal grip force during unilateral vs. bilateral contractions on each side, and 2) force contributed by each side during a 30% submaximal bilateral contraction. Results Healthy controls produced less grip force in the bilateral condition, regardless of side (- 2.4% difference), and similar findings were observed on the non-paretic side of people with hemiparesis (- 4.5% difference). On the paretic side, however, maximal grip force was increased by the bilateral condition in most participants (+11.3% difference, on average). During submaximal bilateral contractions in each group, the two sides each contributed the same percentage of unilateral maximal force. Conclusions The bilateral condition facilitates paretic limb grip force at maximal, but not submaximal levels. Significance In some people with post-stroke hemiparesis, the paretic limb may benefit from bilateral training with high force requirements. PMID:22248812

Comparison of Effects of Different Forms of Presentation on the Recall and Retrieval of Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonassen, David H.; Pace, Ann Jaffe

A study compared the relative effects of typographically cued or mapped text, intact text with signaling, and intact text without signaling on the recall and retrieval of information from prose passages. (Signaling, a noncontent aspect of prose, emphasizes certain aspects of the semantic content or points out aspects of the structure of content.)…

Career choice and perceptions of dental hygiene students and applicants.

PubMed

DeAngelis, Susan; Dean, Kim; Pace, Cherin

2003-01-01

As the number of dental hygiene programs across the country continues to increase, educational opportunities for prospective students have flourished, resulting in increased competition among dental hygiene programs for qualified applicants. The purpose of this study was to provide a current description of dental hygiene students and applicants, assess the reasons for choosing the career, and evaluate the perceptions of both applicants and enrolled students with regard to specific aspects of the profession. A questionnaire was mailed to 142 prospective dental hygiene students who met the minimal requirements for admission to either of the two dental hygiene programs in Arkansas. The prospective students had been invited for an admissions interview. The questionnaire also was administered during class to 80 students currently enrolled in one of the two programs. An overall response rate of 71% (n = 157) was achieved. The average respondent was 22 years old, female, and Caucasian with a grade point average of 3.5 and a composite ACT score of 23. Dental hygiene was also the first career choice and most respondents had prior dental assisting experience. Dental hygienists and dentists were reported as providing the most career guidance, while high school and college guidance counselors were least influential. Respondents chose the profession in order to work with and help people, have flexible work schedules, and receive good salaries. Respondents typically viewed dental hygiene as offering a bright future in terms of job security, good salaries, flexible work schedules, diverse career opportunities, and personal responsibility. No significant difference in overall perceptions of the profession was found between applicants and those enrolled in dental hygiene programs, although the strength of individual perceptions of the profession differed between applicant and first-year students compared to second-year students. Dental hygiene programs can use the findings of this study to identify influential allies in guiding prospective students toward a career in dental hygiene. The results also can be used to design recruitment strategies that incorporate aspects of the profession found to motivate students in their career choice and shape their perceptions of the profession.

The 1923 Kanto earthquake reevaluated using a newly augmented geodetic data set

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nyst, M.; Nishimura, T.; Pollitz, F.F.; Thatcher, W.

2006-01-01

This study revisits the mechanism of the 1923 Ms = 7.9 Kanto earthquake in Japan. We derive a new source model and use it to assess quantitative and qualitative aspects of the accommodation of plate motion in the Kanto region. We use a new geodetic data set that consists of displacements from leveling and angle changes from triangulation measurements obtained in surveys between 1883 and 1927. Two unique aspects of our analysis are the inclusion of a large number of second-order triangulation measurements and the application of a correction to remove interseismic deformation. The geometry of the fault planes is adopted from a recent seismic reflection study of the Kanto region. We evaluate the minimum complexity necessary in the model to fit the data optimally. Our final uniform-slip elastic dislocation model consists of two adjacent ???20?? dipping low-angle planes accommodating reverse dextral slip of 6.0 in on the larger, eastern plane and 9.5 m on the smaller, western plane with azimuths of 163?? and 121??, respectively. The earthquake was located in the Sagami trough, where the Philippine Sea plate subducts under Honshu. Compared to the highly oblique angle of plate convergence, the coseismic slip on the large fault plane has a more orthogonal orientation to the strike of the plate boundary, suggesting that slip partitioning plays a role in accommodation of plate motion. What other structure is involved in the partitioning is unclear. Uplift records of marine coastal terraces in Sagami Bay document 7500 years of earthquake activity and predict average recurrence intervals of 400 years for events with vertical displacement profiles similar to those of the 1923 earthquake. This means that the average slip deficit per recurrence interval is ???50% of the relative plate convergence. These findings of plate motion partitioning and slip deficit lead us to suggest that instead of a simple recurrence model with characteristic earthquakes, additional mechanisms are necessary to describe the accommodation of deformation in the Kanto region. So far, obvious candidates for these alternative mechanisms have not been discovered. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Is the profitability of Canadian tiestall farms associated with their performance on an animal welfare assessment?

PubMed

Villettaz Robichaud, M; Rushen, J; de Passillé, A M; Vasseur, E; Haley, D B; Pellerin, D

2018-03-01

In order for dairy producers to comply with animal welfare recommendations, financial investments may be required. In Canada, a new dairy animal care assessment program is currently being implemented under the proAction Initiative to determine the extent to which certain aspects of the Code of Practice are being followed and to assess the care and well-being of dairy cattle on farm. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between meeting the proAction animal-based and the electric trainer placement criteria and certain aspects of productivity and profitability on tiestall dairy farms. The results of a previous on-farm cow comfort assessment conducted on 100 Canadian tiestall farms were used to simulate the results of a part of the proAction Animal Care assessment on these farms. Each farm's productivity and profitability data were retrieved from the regional dairy herd improvement associations. Univariable and multivariable linear regressions were used to evaluate the associations between meeting these proAction criteria and the farms' average yearly: corrected milk production, somatic cell count (SCC), calving interval, number of breedings/cow, culling rate, prevalence of cows in third or higher lactation, and margins per cow and per kilogram of quota calculated over replacement costs. The association between milk production and the proAction lameness criterion was moderated through an interaction with the milk production genetic index which resulted in an increase in milk production per year with increasing genetic index that was steeper in farms that met the proAction lameness criterion compared with farms that did not. Meeting the proAction body condition score criterion was associated with reduced SCC and meeting the proAction electric trainer placement criterion was associated with SCC through an interaction with the farms' average SCC genetic index. The increase in SCC with increasing SCC genetic index was milder in farms that met this criterion compared with farms that did not. Farms that met the proAction electric trainer placement criterion had 4.6% more cows in their third or greater lactation. These results suggest that some associations exist between the productivity of Canadian tiestall farms and meeting several parameters of the proAction Animal Care assessment. Meeting these criteria is unlikely to impose any economic burden to the dairy industry as a whole. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mandibular second molar periodontal healing after impacted third molar extraction in young adults.

PubMed

Faria, Ana Inocêncio; Gallas-Torreira, Mercedes; López-Ratón, Mónica

2012-12-01

To estimate the prevalence of preoperative periodontal defects and analyze 12-month spontaneous healing on the distal aspect of the mandibular second molar (M2) after impacted mandibular third molar (M3) extraction. This prospective clinical study was conducted in 25 healthy young patients (21.03 ± 4.38 yr old) with 40 extractions of higher-risk periodontal impacted M3s. Plaque and gingival indexes, recession, bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD), and attachment level were recorded before surgery and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery at 5 sites on the distal aspect of the M2. The initial mean PD was 5.70 ± 3.80 mm, with the deepest mean PD at the lingual side. At 12 months, a mean PD average of 3.77 ± 2.86 mm was recorded, with a total average recovery of 1.93 ± 2.46 mm (P < .001), that was higher at 3 months (-1.62 mm, P < .001). The PD and attachment level improvements were statistically significant (P < .001) and nearly clinically significant from baseline to 12-month follow-up and from the buccal to the lingual side of the distal aspect of the M2. Impacted M3s adjacent to M2s lead to periodontal defects that are deepest at the lingual side and almost recover at 12 months after extraction. The first 3 months is considered the cutoff for periodontal healing. Young adults with high-risk periodontal M3 impactions may benefit from early extraction, which increases spontaneous periodontal healing. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dependence of N-polar GaN rod morphology on growth parameters during selective area growth by MOVPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shunfeng; Wang, Xue; Mohajerani, Matin Sadat; Fündling, Sönke; Erenburg, Milena; Wei, Jiandong; Wehmann, Hergo-Heinrich; Waag, Andreas; Mandl, Martin; Bergbauer, Werner; Strassburg, Martin

2013-02-01

Selective area growth of GaN rods by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy has attracted great interest due to its novel applications in optoelectronic and photonics. In this work, we will present the dependence of GaN rod morphology on various growth parameters i.e. growth temperature, H2/N2 carrier gas concentration, V/III ratio, total carrier gas flow and reactor pressure. It is found that higher growth temperature helps to increase the aspect ratio of the rods, but reduces the height homogeneity. Furthermore, H2/N2 carrier gas concentration is found to be a critical factor to obtain vertical rod growth. Pure nitrogen carrier gas leads to irregular growth of GaN structure, while an increase of hydrogen carrier gas results in vertical GaN rod growth. Higher hydrogen carrier gas concentration also reduces the diameter and enhances the aspect of the GaN rods. Besides, increase of V/III ratio causes reduction of the aspect ratio of N-polar GaN rods, which could be explained by the relatively lower growth rate on (000-1) N-polar top surface when supplying more ammonia. In addition, an increase of the total carrier gas flow leads to a decrease in the diameter and the average volume of GaN rods. These phenomena are tentatively explained by the change of partial pressure of the source materials and boundary layer thickness in the reactor. Finally, it is shown that the average volume of the N-polar GaN rods keeps a similar value for a reactor pressure PR of 66 and 125 mbar, while an incomplete filling of the pattern opening is observed with PR of 250 mbar. Room temperature photoluminescence spectrum of the rods is also briefly discussed.

Autonomy, Positive Relationships, and IL-6: Evidence for Gender-Specific Effects

PubMed Central

Eisenlohr-Moul, Tory A.; Segerstrom, Suzanne C.

2014-01-01

Objectives A body of evidence indicates that women value relationship-centered aspects of well-being more than men do, while men value autonomy-centered aspects of well-being more than women do. The current study examined whether gender moderates relations between autonomy and positive relationships and interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine associated with inflammatory processes. Aspects of well-being consistent with gender-linked values were expected to be most health-protective such that positive relationships would predict lower IL-6 only or more strongly in women, and autonomy would predict lower IL-6 only or more strongly in men. Methods In the first study, a sample of 119 older adults (55% female) living in Kentucky were visited in their homes for interviews and blood draws. In the second study, a sample of 1,028 adults (45% female) living across the United States (U.S.) underwent a telephone interview followed by a visit to a research center for blood draws. Results In the Kentucky sample, autonomy was quadratically related to IL-6 such that average autonomy predicted higher IL-6; this effect was stronger in men, providing support for our hypothesis only at above average levels of IL-6. In the U.S. national sample, more positive relationships were associated with lower IL-6 in women only. When the national sample was restricted to match the Kentucky sample, higher autonomy was associated with lower IL-6 in men only. Conclusions Results provide preliminary evidence for gender-specific effects of positive relationships and autonomy on IL-6. Further work is needed to establish the generalizability of these effects to different ages, cultures, and health statuses. PMID:22908985

Assessment of Voting Assistance Programs for Calendar Year 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-30

is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of...emphasis. We reviewed the Service IG reports and certain supporting data , as needed; met with senior IG representatives from the Army, Navy, Air Force

The 6,000 Mile Screwdriver is Getting Longer: Washington’s Strengthening Grip

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for... information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing...this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson

Launch and Recovery System Literature Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing he collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect...if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURNYOU FORM TO THE AVOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 31-12

Feasibility of an Extended-Duration Aerial Platform Using Autonomous Multi-Rotor Vehicle Swapping and Battery Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

AN EXTENDED-DURATION AERIAL PLATFORM USING AUTONOMOUS MULTI-ROTOR VEHICLE SWAPPING AND BATTERY MANAGEMENT by Alexander G. Williams December...Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time...of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for

Human Capital Management of Air Force SOF: Leadership Identification, Selection and Cultivation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

MANAGEMENT OF AIR FORCE SOF: LEADERSHIP IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION AND CULTIVATION by Paul R. Andrews Jr. Brett A. Stitt December 2017...No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for... information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this

The RADAR Test Methodology: Evaluating a Multi-Task Machine Learning System with Humans in the Loop

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-10-01

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Estimating average tree crown size using spatial information from Ikonos and QuickBird images: Across-sensor and across-site comparisons

Treesearch

Conghe Song; Matthew B. Dickinson; Lihong Su; Su Zhang; Daniel Yaussey

2010-01-01

The forest canopy is the medium for energy, mass, and momentum exchanges between the forest ecosystem and the atmosphere. Tree crown size is a critical aspect of canopy structure that significantly influences these biophysical processes in the canopy. Tree crown size is also strongly related to other canopy structural parameters, such as tree height, diameter at breast...

IHPRPT Improvements to the Solid Performance Program (SPP)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-19

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of...other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a

Deep Ultraviolet Laser Imaging for Biology

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-15

AFRL-SR-AR-TR-09-0013 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per...and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information...should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of

Radiative Transfer in Submerged Macrophyte Canopies

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-09-30

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Social and Cognitive Functioning as Risk Factors for Suicide: A Historical-Prospective Cohort Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per...response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and...reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including

Adaptive Training in an Unmanned Aerial Vehicel: Examination of Several Candidate Real-time Metrics

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data... sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden... estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services

Enabling Software Acquisition Improvement: Government and Industry Software Development Team Acquisition Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-30

estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining...previous and current complex SW development efforts, the program offices will have a source of objective lessons learned and metrics that can be applied...the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

Operative Therapy and the Growth of Breast Cancer Micrometastases: Cause and Effect

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

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Factors Impacting Intra-District Collaboration: A Field Study in a Midwest Police Department

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing...data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this...burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services

Blind, Deaf, and Dumb: We Must Be Prepared to Fight for Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

Blind, Deaf, and Dumb: We Must Be Prepared to Fight for Information A Monograph By LTC Stephen M. Johnson United States Army... information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect

Enhancing Quality of Orthotic Services with Process and Outcome Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-16-1-0788 TITLE: Enhancing Quality of Orthotic Services with Process and Outcome Information PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR...OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for... information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Study the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Relapsing and Progressive MS

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

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Agent And Component Object Framework For Concept Design Modeling Of Mobile Cyber Physical Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing...data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this...burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters

An Analysis of the Marine Corps Selection Process: Does Increased Competition Lead to Increased Quality

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources...gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or...any other aspect of this collection of information , including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate

The Role of Inflammation in Development of Alzheimer’s Disease Following Repetitive Head Trauma

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

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A Multidisciplinary Approach to Study the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Relapsing and Progressive MS

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing this collection of information . Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information ...including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations

Reference Concepts in Ecosystem Restoration and Environmental Benefits Analysis (EBA): Principles and Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour...and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information... stratification by narrowing selection of reference ecosystem metrics. 5. Aids in identifying natural variability and thresholds within an ecosystem

Can Vertical Migrations of Dinoflagellates Explain Observed Bioluminescence Patterns During an Upwelling Event in Monterey Bay, California?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-25

concentration of their population , physical con- ditions (currents, temperature, strength of stratification , mixed layer depth etc.), light...REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 07040188 The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of

V-22 Osprey Joint Services Advanced Vertical Lift Aircraft (V-22)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response...including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the... collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions

Optimization of an Innovative Biofiltration System as a VOC Control Technology for Aircraft Painting Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-04-20

EUROPE (Leson, 1991). Chemical Operations Coffee Roasting Composting Facilities Chemical Storage Coca Roasting Landfill Gas Extraction Film Coating...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect

A Case Study in Transnational Crime: Ukraine and Modern Slavery

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

remained unable to appropriate resources or plan efficiently. The full extent of the decline remains unknown, because statistics were manipulated to hide...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of

Role of Obesity in Prostate Cancer Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per...reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including...305.95 Maltodextrin 160.0 104 Sucrose 100.0 65 Soybean oil3 40.0 160 Cellulose 40.0 98.4742 AIN-93-MX -Mineral mix 35.0

Construction of a Bacterial Cell that Contains Only the Set of Essential Genes Necessary to Impart Life

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-11

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information...including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations