Cardiovascular risk assessment of South Asians in a religious setting: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Rao, N; Eastwood, S V; Jain, A; Shah, M; Leurent, B; Harvey, D; Robertson, L; Walters, K; Persaud, J W; Mikhailidis, D P; Nair, D R

2012-03-01

South Asians in the UK have high cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Therefore, this population is likely to benefit from screening programmes. To address this issue, an initiative was set up between the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust, H.E.A.R.T. UK and two Hindu temples in North London to provide screening for CVD risk factors in the community. A total of 434 individuals of Gujarati Indian origin were screened. Measurements included anthropometry, blood pressure and lipid profiles. Three different scoring systems: Framingham, Joint British Societies' 2 and QRISK2 were used to estimate CVD risk. At least one modifiable CVD risk factor was present in 92% of the individuals screened; 52% were hypertensive, 40% were obese, 75% had central adiposity and 10% had total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio > 6. In addition, 37% of a subset of 104 individuals with a fasting sample fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. Overall, 15% of participants screened had a 10-year CV risk score > 20% using QRISK2. The three risk score calculators showed moderate agreement: QRISK2 and JBS2 (kappa 0.61, 95% CI 0.54-0.67), QRISK2 and Framingham (kappa 0.63, 95% CI 0.57-0.70) and JBS2 and Framingham (kappa 0.70, 95% CI 0.64-0.75). A high prevalence of modifiable risk factors for CVD was detected in the population screened. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Lederberg on bacterial recombination, Haldane, and cold war genetics: an interview.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sahotra

2014-01-01

Joshua Lederberg (1925-2008), was one of the pioneers of molecular genetics perhaps best known for his discovery of genetic recombination in bacteria which earned him a Nobel Prize in 1958 (shared with George Beadle and Edward Tatum). Lederberg's interests were broad including the origin of life, exobiology (a term that he coined) and emerging diseases and artificial intelligence in his, later years. This article contains the transcription of an interview in excerpts, docu- menting the interactions between Lederberg and fellow biologist J.B.S. Haldane wlich lasted from 1946 until Haldane's death in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1964.

Zero end-digit preference in recorded blood pressure and its impact on classification of patients for pharmacologic management in primary care — PREDICT-CVD–6

PubMed Central

Broad, Joanna; Wells, Sue; Marshall, Roger; Jackson, Rod

2007-01-01

Background Most blood pressure recordings end with a zero end-digit despite guidelines recommending measurement to the nearest 2 mmHg. The impact of rounding on management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is unknown. Aim To document the use of rounding to zero end-digit and assess its potential impact on eligibility for pharmacologic management of CVD risk. Design of study Cross-sectional study. Setting A total of 23 676 patients having opportunistic CVD risk assessment in primary care practices in New Zealand. Method To simulate rounding in practice, for patients with systolic blood pressures recorded without a zero end-digit, a second blood pressure measure was generated by arithmetically rounding to the nearest zero end-digit. A 10-year Framingham CVD risk score was estimated using actual and rounded blood pressures. Eligibility for pharmacologic treatment was then determined using the Joint British Societies' JBS2 and the British Hypertension Society BHS–IV guidelines based on actual and rounded blood pressure values. Results Zero end-digits were recorded in 64% of systolic and 62% of diastolic blood pressures. When eligibility for drug treatment was based only on a Framingham 10-year CVD risk threshold of 20% or more, rounding misclassified one in 41 of all those patients subject to this error. Under the two guidelines which use different combinations of CVD risk and blood pressure thresholds, one in 19 would be misclassified under JBS2 and one in 12 under the BHS–IV guidelines mostly towards increased treatment. Conclusion Zero end-digit preference significantly increases a patient's likelihood of being classified as eligible for drug treatment. Guidelines that base treatment decisions primarily on absolute CVD risk are less susceptible to these errors. PMID:17976291

Zero end-digit preference in recorded blood pressure and its impact on classification of patients for pharmacologic management in primary care - PREDICT-CVD-6.

PubMed

Broad, Joanna; Wells, Sue; Marshall, Roger; Jackson, Rod

2007-11-01

Most blood pressure recordings end with a zero end-digit despite guidelines recommending measurement to the nearest 2 mmHg. The impact of rounding on management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is unknown. To document the use of rounding to zero end-digit and assess its potential impact on eligibility for pharmacologic management of CVD risk. Cross-sectional study. A total of 23,676 patients having opportunistic CVD risk assessment in primary care practices in New Zealand. To simulate rounding in practice, for patients with systolic blood pressures recorded without a zero end-digit, a second blood pressure measure was generated by arithmetically rounding to the nearest zero end-digit. A 10-year Framingham CVD risk score was estimated using actual and rounded blood pressures. Eligibility for pharmacologic treatment was then determined using the Joint British Societies' JBS2 and the British Hypertension Society BHS-IV guidelines based on actual and rounded blood pressure values. Zero end-digits were recorded in 64% of systolic and 62% of diastolic blood pressures. When eligibility for drug treatment was based only on a Framingham 10year CVD risk threshold of 20% or more, rounding misclassified one in 41 of all those patients subject to this error. Under the two guidelines which use different combinations of CVD risk and blood pressure thresholds, one in 19 would be misclassified under JBS2 and one in 12 under the BHS-IV guidelines mostly towards increased treatment. Zero end-digit preference significantly increases a patient's likelihood of being classified as eligible for drug treatment. Guidelines that base treatment decisions primarily on absolute CVD risk are less susceptible to these errors.

Leakage current reduction of vertical GaN junction barrier Schottky diodes using dual-anode process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashida, Tetsuro; Nanjo, Takuma; Furukawa, Akihiko; Watahiki, Tatsuro; Yamamuka, Mikio

2018-04-01

The origin of the leakage current of a trench-type vertical GaN diode was discussed. We found that the edge of p-GaN is the main leakage spot. To reduce the reverse leakage current at the edge of p-GaN, a dual-anode process was proposed. As a result, the reverse blocking voltage defined at the leakage current density of 1 mA/cm2 of a vertical GaN junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diode was improved from 780 to 1,190 V, which is the highest value ever reported for vertical GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs).

Factors Affecting Route Selection and Survival of Steelhead Kelts at Snake River Dams in 2012 and 2013

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

Harnish, Ryan A.; Colotelo, Alison HA; Li, Xinya

2014-12-01

In 2012 and 2013, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a study that summarized the passage proportions and route-specific survival rates of steelhead kelts that passed through Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) dams. To accomplish this, a total of 811 steelhead kelts were tagged with Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) transmitters. Acoustic receivers, both autonomous and cabled, were deployed throughout the FCRPS to monitor the downstream movements of tagged-kelts. Kelts were also tagged with Passive Integrated Transponder tags to monitor passage through juvenile bypass systems and detect returning fish. The current study evaluated data collected in 2012 and 2013more » to identify individual, behavioral, environmental and dam operation variables that were related to passage and survival of steelhead kelts that passed through FCRPS dams. Bayesian model averaging of multivariable logistic regression models was used to identify the environmental, temporal, operational, individual, and behavioral variables that had the highest probability of influencing the route of passage and the route-specific survival probabilities for kelts that passed Lower Granite (LGR), Little Goose (LGS), and Lower Monumental (LMN) dams in 2012 and 2013. The posterior probabilities of the best models for predicting route of passage ranged from 0.106 for traditional spill at LMN to 0.720 for turbine passage at LGS. Generally, the behavior (depth and near-dam searching activity) of kelts in the forebay appeared to have the greatest influence on their route of passage. Shallower-migrating kelts had a higher probability of passing via the weir and deeper-migrating kelts had a higher probability of passing via the JBS and turbines than other routes. Kelts that displayed a higher level of near-dam searching activity had a higher probability of passing via the spillway weir and those that did less near-dam searching had a higher probability of passing via the JBS and turbines. The side of the river in which kelts approached the dam and dam operations also affected route of passage. Dam operations and the size and condition of kelts were found to have the greatest effect on route-specific survival probabilities for fish that passed via the spillway at LGS. That is, longer kelts and those in fair condition had a lower probability of survival for fish that passed via the spillway weir. The survival of spillway weir- and deep-spill passed kelts was positively correlated with the percent of the total discharge that passed through turbine unit 4. Too few kelts passed through the traditional spill, JBS, and turbine units to evaluate survival through these routes. The information gathered in this study describes Snake River steelhead kelt passage behavior, rates, and distributions through the FCRPS as well as provide information to biologists and engineers about the dam operations and abiotic conditions that are related to passage and survival of steelhead kelts.« less

A Markov chain analysis of the movements of juvenile salmonids, including sockeye salmon, in the forebay of McNary Dam, Washington and Oregon, 2006-09

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adams, Noah S.; Hatton, Tyson W.

2012-01-01

Passage and survival data were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the dam. Much of the valuable information collected at McNary Dam was in the form of three-dimensional (hereafter referred to as 3-D) tracks of fish movements in the forebay. These data depicted the behavior of multiple species (in three dimensions) during different diel periods, spill conditions, powerhouse operations, and testing of the surface bypass structures (temporary spillway weirs; TSWs). One of the challenges in reporting 3-D results is presenting the information in a manner that allows interested parties to summarize the behavior of many fish over many different conditions across multiple years. To accomplish this, we used a Markov chain analysis to characterize fish movement patterns in the forebay of McNary Dam. The Markov chain analysis allowed us to numerically summarize the behavior of fish in the forebay. This report is the second report published in 2012 that uses this analytical method. The first report included only fish released as part of the annual studies conducted at McNary Dam. This second report includes sockeye salmon that were released as part of studies conducted by the Chelan and Grant County Public Utility Districts at mid-Columbia River dams. The studies conducted in the mid-Columbia used the same transmitters as were used for McNary Dam studies, but transmitter pulse width was different between studies. Additionally, no passive integrated transponder tags were implanted in sockeye salmon. Differences in transmitter pulse width resulted in lower detection probabilities for sockeye salmon at McNary Dam. The absence of passive integrated transponder tags prevented us from determining if fish passed the powerhouse through the juvenile bypass system (JBS) or turbines. To facilitate comparison among species in this report, we combined JBS and turbine passage for yearling Chinook salmon, steelhead, and subyearling Chinook salmon even though we were able to differentiate between passage through the JBS or turbines for these three species. Information on passage proportions through the JBS and turbines can be found in the first report. Numerically summarizing the behavior of juvenile salmonids in the forebay of McNary Dam using the Markov chain analysis allowed us to confirm what had been previously summarized using visualization software. For example, within the powerhouse region, passage proportions among the three powerhouse areas were often greater in the southern and middle areas of the powerhouse compared to the northern area of the powerhouse for yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon. The opposite generally was observed for steelhead. The results of this analysis also allowed us to confirm and quantify the extent of milling behavior that was observed for steelhead. For fish that were first detected in the powerhouse region, less than 0.10 of the steelhead, on average, passed within each of the powerhouse areas. Instead, steelhead transitioned to adjoining areas in the spillway before passing the dam. In comparison, greater than 0.20 of the Chinook salmon passed within each of the powerhouse areas. Less milling behavior was observed for all species for fish that first approached the spillway. Compared to the powerhouse areas, a higher proportion of fish, regardless of species, passed the spillway areas and fewer transitioned to adjoining areas in the powerhouse. In addition to quantifying what had been previously speculated about the behavior of fish in the forebay of McNary Dam, the Markov chain analysis refined our understanding of how fish behavior and passage can be influenced by changes to the operations and structure of McNary Dam. For example, the addition of TSWs to the spillway area clearly influenced the passage of fish. Previous results have been reported showing that TSWs increased passage through non-turbine routes and the fish-track videos indicated, in general, how fish behaved before passing the TSWs. However, the analysis presented in this report allowed us to better understand how fish transitioned across the face of the dam before passing the TSWs and resulted in a quantitative way to measure the effect of moving the location of the TSWs from year to year. Installation of the TSWs in bays 22 and 20 clearly increased passage proportions through the southern one-third of the spillway area for all species, most significantly for steelhead. When the TSWs were moved to bays 19 and 20 in 2008, overall passage through the southern one-third of the spillway remained higher than 2006, but decreased from what was observed in 2007. Shifting the TSWs to the north decreased the proportion of fish passing through the TSWs and increased the number of fish that transitioned to adjoining areas before passing the dam. Perhaps the most interesting new information to come out of the two-step Markov chain analysis relates to how the performance of the TSWs was influenced by their proximity to the powerhouse. During 2007, the highest proportion of fish passing through TSW 22 was for fish that transitioned from the powerhouse area. In contrast, a relatively low proportion of fish passed through TSW 20 after coming from the powerhouse area. Instead, the proportion of fish that passed TSW 20 after coming from the northern part of the spillway was twice as high as the proportion of fish that passed through TSW 20 after coming from the powerhouse. During 2008, the TSW in bay 22 was moved to bay 19, leaving the TSW in bay 20 as the one closest to the powerhouse. As was the case when a TSW was located in bay 22, the proportion of fish passing through TSW 20 after coming from the powerhouse was higher than the proportion of fish passing TSW 20 after coming from the northern part of the spillway. Passage proportions for fish passing through TSW 19, the farthest north of the two TSWs during 2008, was higher for fish that came from the northern part of the spillway compared to the proportion of fish that passed through TSW 19 after coming from the powerhouse. The Markov chain analysis provided a mathematical way to characterize fish behavior in the forebay of McNary Dam and helped refine our understanding of how fish movements were influenced by operational and structural changes at the dam. The numerical information used to quantify the behavior of fish also can be used to construct simulations to examine how proposed fish passage structures might influence passage of juvenile salmonids. To demonstrate this, we used the results of the Markov chain analysis to examine how a virtual fish collector located in the center of the powerhouse might influence passage of juvenile salmonids at McNary Dam.

Realization of a complementary medium using dielectric photonic crystals.

PubMed

Xu, Tao; Fang, Anan; Jia, Ziyuan; Ji, Liyu; Hang, Zhi Hong

2017-12-01

By exploiting the scaling invariance of photonic band diagrams, a complementary photonic crystal slab structure is realized by stacking two uniformly scaled double-zero-index dielectric photonic crystal slabs together. The space cancellation effect in complementary photonic crystals is demonstrated in both numerical simulations and microwave experiments. The refractive index dispersion of double-zero-index dielectric photonic crystal is experimentally measured. Using pure dielectrics, our photonic crystal structure will be an ideal platform to explore various intriguing properties related to a complementary medium.

Three-Level Inverter with 60 A, 4.5 kV Si IGBT/SiC JBS Power Modules for Marine Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

charge region occupying the whole drift region before the reverse- recovery current is zero, which causes the reverse-recovery current to snap to zero...around 300nH. 0.6 0.6005 0.601 0.6015 0.602 0.6025 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 Time (ms) V ol ta ge ( V ) 5A 10A 20A 40A 60A Figure 4: 4.5kV Si PiN...same operating conditions. 0.23 0.2305 0.231 0.2315 0.232 0.2325 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Time (ms) V ol ta ge ( V ) 5A 10A 20A 40A 60A

Development of the jugular bulb: a radiologic study.

PubMed

Friedmann, David R; Eubig, Jan; McGill, Megan; Babb, James S; Pramanik, Bidyut K; Lalwani, Anil K

2011-10-01

Jugular bulb (JB) abnormalities such as JB diverticulum and high-riding JBs of the temporal bone can erode into the inner ear and present with hearing loss, vestibular disturbance, and pulsatile tinnitus. Their cause and potential to progress remain to be studied. This comprehensive radiologic study investigates the postnatal development of the venous system from transverse sinus to internal jugular vein (IJV). Academic medical center. PATIENTS, INTERVENTION, MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Measurements of the transverse and sigmoid sinus, the JB, IJV, and carotid artery were made from computed tomographic scans of the neck with intravenous contrast in infants (n = 5), children (n = 13), adults (n = 35), and the elderly (n = 15). Jugular bulbs were not detected in patients younger than 2 years, enlarged in adulthood, and remained stable in the elderly. The venous system was larger in men than in women. From transverse sinus to IJV, the greatest variation in size was just proximal and distal to the JB with greater symmetry observed as blood returned to the heart. Right-sided venous dominance was most common occurring in 70% to 80% of cases. The JB is a dynamic structure that forms after 2 years, and its size stabilizes in adulthood. The determinants in its exact position and size are multifactorial and may be related to blood flow. Improved understanding of this structure's development may help to better understand the cause of the high-riding JB and JB diverticulum, both of which may cause clinical symptoms.

Thalassemia and malaria: new insights into an old problem.

PubMed

Clegg, J B; Weatherall, D J

1999-01-01

The hemoglobinopathies are probably the world's most common genetic diseases: The World Health Organization has estimated that at least 5% of the population are carriers for one or other of the most serious forms, the alpha- and beta-thalassemias and the structural variant hemoglobins S, C, and E, which are found at polymorphic frequencies in many countries. All these hemoglobinopathies are believed to provide protection against malaria, and it is thought that, in malarial regions of the world, natural selection has been responsible for elevating and maintaining their gene frequencies, an idea first proposed 50 years ago by J.B.S. Haldane. Epidemiological studies undertaken in the 1950s on hemoglobin S in Africa provided support for the "malaria hypothesis," but until recently it has proved extremely difficult to verify it for the thalassemias. The application of molecular methods has, however, provided new opportunities to address this old question. Population and molecular genetic analysis of thalassemia variants, and microepidemiological studies of the relationship between alpha-thalassemia and malaria in the southwest Pacific, have provided unequivocal evidence for protection. Surprisingly, some of this protection appears to derive from enhanced susceptibility in very young thalassemic children to both Plasmodium falciparum and, especially, P. vivax, and this early exposure appears to provide the basis for better protection in later life.

Complementary structure for designer localized surface plasmons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Zhen; Gao, Fei; Zhang, Youming; Zhang, Baile

2015-11-01

Magnetic localized surface plasmons (LSPs) supported on metallic structures corrugated by very long and curved grooves have been recently proposed and demonstrated on an extremely thin metallic spiral structure (MSS) in the microwave regime. However, the mode profile for the magnetic LSPs was demonstrated by measuring only the electric field, not the magnetic field. Here, based on Babinet's principle, we propose a Babinet-inverted, or complementary MSS whose electric/magnetic mode profiles match the magnetic/electric mode profiles of MSS. This complementarity of mode profiles allows mapping the magnetic field distribution of magnetic LSP mode profile on MSS by measuring the electric field distribution of the corresponding mode on complementary MSS. Experiment at microwave frequencies also demonstrate the use of complementary MSS in sensing refractive-index change in the environment.

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2005-02-08

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. The advanced containment system comprises a plurality of casing sections with each casing section interlocked to an adjacent casing section. Each casing section includes a complementary interlocking structure that interlocks with the complementary interlocking structure on an adjacent casing section. A barrier filler substantially fills the casing sections and may substantially fill the spaces of the complementary interlocking structure to form a substantially impermeable barrier. Some of the casing sections may include sensors so that the casing sections and the zone of interest may be remotely monitored after the casing sections are emplaced in the ground.

Nanoantennas for enhancing and confining the magnetic optical field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosjean, Thierry; Mivelle, Mathieu; Baida, Fadi I.; Burr, Geoffrey W.; Fischer, Ulrich C.

2011-05-01

We propose different optical antenna structures for enhancing and confining the magnetic optical field. A common feature of these structures are concave corners in thin metal films as locations of the enhanced magnetic field. This proposal is inspired by Babinet's principle as the concave edges are the complementary structures to convex metal corners, which are known to be locations of a strongly enhanced electric field. Bowtie antennas and the bowtie apertures of appropriate size were shown to exhibit resonances in the infrared frequency range with an especially strong enhancement of the electrical field in the gap between 2 convex metal corners. We show by numerical calculations, that the complementary structures, the complementary bowtie aperture - the diabolo antenna - and the complementary bow tie antenna - two closely spaced triangular apertures in a metal film with a narrow gap between two opposing concave corners - exhibit resonances with a strongly enhanced magnetic field at the narrow metal constriction between the concave corners. We suggest sub-wavelength circuits of concave and convex corners as building blocks of planar metamaterials.

Compact wideband filter element-based on complementary split-ring resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horestani, Ali K.; Shaterian, Zahra; Withayachumnankul, Withawat; Fumeaux, Christophe; Al-Sarawi, Said; Abbott, Derek

2011-12-01

A double resonance defected ground structure is proposed as a filter element. The structure involves a transmission line loaded with complementary split ring resonators embedded in a dumbbell shape defected ground structure. By using a parametric study, it is demonstrated that the two resonance frequencies can be independently tuned. Therefore the structure can be used for different applications such as dual bandstop filters and wide bandstop filters.

Linear Optical and SERS Study on Metallic Membranes with Subwavelength Complementary Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Qingzhen; Zeng, Yong; Jensen, Lasse; Werner, Douglas; Crespi, Vincent; Huang, Tony Jun; Interdepartmental Collaboration

2011-03-01

An efficient technique is developed to fabricate optically thin metallic films with subwavelength patterns and their complements simultaneously. By comparing the spectra of the complementary films, we show that Babinet's principle nearly holds in the optical domain. A discrete-dipole approximation can qualitatively describe their spectral dependence on the geometry of the constituent particles and the illuminating polarization. Using pyridine as probe molecules, we studied surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) from the complementary structure. Although the complementary structure posses closely related linear spectra, they have quite different near-field behaviors. For hole arrays, their averaged local field gains as well as the SERS enhancements are strongly correlated to their transmission spectra. We therefore can use cos 4 θ to approximately describe the dependence of the Raman intensity on the excitation polarization angle θ , while the complementary particle arrays present maximal local field gains at wavelengths generally much bigger than their localized surface plasmonic resonant wavelengths.

Complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI; I: structure and function.

PubMed

Mulkern, Robert V; Davis, Peter E; Haker, Steven J; Estepar, Raul San Jose; Panych, Lawrence P; Maier, Stephan E; Rivkin, Michael J

2006-05-01

Studying the intersection of brain structure and function is an important aspect of modern neuroscience. The development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) over the last 25 years has provided new and powerful tools for the study of brain structure and function. Two tools in particular, diffusion imaging and functional MRI (fMRI), are playing increasingly important roles in elucidating the complementary aspects of brain structure and function. In this work, we review basic technical features of diffusion imaging and fMRI for studying the integrity of white matter structural components and for determining the location and extent of cortical activation in gray matter, respectively. We then review a growing body of literature in which the complementary aspects of diffusion imaging and fMRI, applied as separate examinations but analyzed in tandem, have been exploited to enhance our knowledge of brain structure and function.

KSC-20161214-JBS-MH-01-0001-L_1011_Pegasus_XL_CYGNSS-3139565_HEVC

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-14

The Orbital ATK L-1011 Stargazer aircraft is at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Attached beneath the Stargazer is the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL with NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) on board. CYGNSS was processed and prepared for its mission at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. CYGNSS is scheduled for its airborne launch aboard the Pegasus XL rocket from the Skid Strip on Dec. 15. CYGNSS will make frequent and accurate measurements of ocean surface winds throughout the life cycle of tropical storms and hurricanes. The data that CYGNSS provides will enable scientists to probe key air-sea interaction processes that take place near the core of storms, which are rapidly changing and play a critical role in the beginning and intensification of hurricanes.

A metamaterial terahertz modulator based on complementary planar double-split-ring resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chang-hui; Kuang, Deng-feng; Chang, Sheng-jiang; Lin, Lie

2013-07-01

A metamaterial based on complementary planar double-split-ring resonator (DSRR) structure is presented and demonstrated, which can optically tune the transmission of the terahertz (THz) wave. Unlike the traditional DSRR metamaterials, the DSRR discussed in this paper consists of two split rings connected by two bridges. Numerical simulations with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method reveal that the transmission spectra of the original and the complementary metamaterials are both in good agreement with Babinet's principle. Then by increasing the carrier density of the intrinsic GaAs substrate, the magnetic response of the complementary special DSRR metamaterial can be weakened or even turned off. This metamaterial structure is promised to be a narrow-band THz modulator with response time of several nanoseconds.

Application of golay complementary coded excitation schemes for non-destructive testing of sandwich structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arora, Vanita; Mulaveesala, Ravibabu

2017-06-01

In recent years, InfraRed Thermography (IRT) has become a widely accepted non-destructive testing technique to evaluate the structural integrity of composite sandwich structures due to its full-field, remote, fast and in-service inspection capabilities. This paper presents a novel infrared thermographic approach named as Golay complementary coded thermal wave imaging is presented to detect disbonds in a sandwich structure having face sheets from Glass/Carbon Fibre Reinforced (GFR/CFR) laminates and core of the wooden block.

Variation in genome-wide mutation rates within and between human families.

PubMed

Conrad, Donald F; Keebler, Jonathan E M; DePristo, Mark A; Lindsay, Sarah J; Zhang, Yujun; Casals, Ferran; Idaghdour, Youssef; Hartl, Chris L; Torroja, Carlos; Garimella, Kiran V; Zilversmit, Martine; Cartwright, Reed; Rouleau, Guy A; Daly, Mark; Stone, Eric A; Hurles, Matthew E; Awadalla, Philip

2011-06-12

J.B.S. Haldane proposed in 1947 that the male germline may be more mutagenic than the female germline. Diverse studies have supported Haldane's contention of a higher average mutation rate in the male germline in a variety of mammals, including humans. Here we present, to our knowledge, the first direct comparative analysis of male and female germline mutation rates from the complete genome sequences of two parent-offspring trios. Through extensive validation, we identified 49 and 35 germline de novo mutations (DNMs) in two trio offspring, as well as 1,586 non-germline DNMs arising either somatically or in the cell lines from which the DNA was derived. Most strikingly, in one family, we observed that 92% of germline DNMs were from the paternal germline, whereas, in contrast, in the other family, 64% of DNMs were from the maternal germline. These observations suggest considerable variation in mutation rates within and between families.

Ft Nelson, Muskwa Apt, British Columbia, Canada. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations (RUSSWO). Parts A-F.

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-01-17

OBSERVATIONS 930 USAFETAC 0.8.5 (OLI) PRIOIS IDI ’ NS I -II FORTA D 1I ( JBS -I7f DIATA PRIKESSIN ’JVLSIfN FT (./US^, SURFACE WINDS2 L1 E.,T E E’VICE/’C...821719 7 2 , n 79, 9.n 7. e -1-9 /9 0r ."J--%l 4. :j Hh .3 7 7 Soso3 n,, ) A(~ 9).95 8)16 9 . ) 2. 9 .19 , 9, 10 4 U L 21 5 󈨐. td lt 711~ri)~ 79.7 A0.4...85.9 i. 85.3 jb .7 8.7 . 87. 4 87.4 87 . 87,4 87.4 87,4 200 0 .0 tR86 139 1 i. 900() 90 6l I l L ~ 9 ’ U 2000 r 94.~ 00 ! 8. 89]. 9O 90,8 90.9 q.,7 2 2

Single step purification of concanavalin A (Con A) and bio-sugar production from jack bean using glucosylated magnetic nano matrix.

PubMed

Kim, Ho Myeong; Cho, Eun Jin; Bae, Hyeun-Jong

2016-08-01

Jack bean (JB, Canavalia ensiformis) is the source of bio-based products, such as proteins and bio-sugars that contribute to modern molecular biology and biomedical research. In this study, the use of jack bean was evaluated as a source for concanavalin A (Con A) and bio-sugar production. A novel method for purifying Con A from JBs was successfully developed using a glucosylated magnetic nano matrix (GMNM) as a physical support, which facilitated easy separation and purification of Con A. In addition, the enzymatic conversion rate of 2% (w/v) Con A extracted residue to bio-sugar was 98.4%. Therefore, this new approach for the production of Con A and bio-sugar is potentially useful for obtaining bio-based products from jack bean. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The meat industry: do we think and behave globally or locally?

PubMed

Belk, K E; Woerner, D R; Delmore, R J; Tatum, J D; Yang, H; Sofos, J N

2014-11-01

For generations, those that produce livestock and meat generally felt that their country or geographical region (i.e., provenance) reflected a basis for product differentiation. This occurs to the extent that geography of production often is considered a "brand." For example, there exists "U.S. Grain-Fed Beef" or "Kobe Black Wagyu" or "Uruguayan Grass-Fed Lamb" or "Danish Pork." However, for most meat trade, industry has evolved beyond this. With the exception perhaps of farms onto which livestock are born, meat company's profits are not generally tied to geographical considerations. Most major companies (e.g., JBS, Marfrig, Tyson, Cargill, Danish Crown, Nippon Meat Packers, etc.) operate in multiple countries and represent to consumers the production of a number of locations. However, there also now exist entrepreneurial options for meat production and "local" sales, albeit at lesser volumes. This discussion explores "global" and "local" meat marketing options. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2004-10-12

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. A trench is dug on either side of the zone of interest containing the buried waste so as to accommodate a micro tunnel boring machine. A series of small diameter tunnels are serially excavated underneath the buried waste. The tunnels are excavated by the micro tunnel boring machine at a consistent depth and are substantially parallel to each other. As tunneling progresses, steel casing sections are connected end to end in the excavated portion of the tunnel so that a steel tube is formed. Each casing section has complementary interlocking structure running its length that interlocks with complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent casing section. Thus, once the first tube is emplaced, placement of subsequent tubes is facilitated by the complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent, previously placed, casing sections.

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2005-05-24

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. A trench is dug on either side of the zone of interest containing the buried waste so as to accommodate a micro tunnel boring machine. A series of small diameter tunnels are serially excavated underneath the buried waste. The tunnels are excavated by the micro tunnel boring machine at a consistent depth and are substantially parallel to each other. As tunneling progresses, steel casing sections are connected end to end in the excavated portion of the tunnel so that a steel tube is formed. Each casing section has complementary interlocking structure running its length that interlocks with complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent casing section. Thus, once the first tube is emplaced, placement of subsequent tubes is facilitated by the complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent, previously placed, casing sections.

Detection of Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB) Using a Porous Silicon Optical Biosensor Based on a Multilayered Double Bragg Mirror Structure.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongyan; Lv, Jie; Jia, Zhenhong

2018-01-01

We successfully demonstrate a porous silicon (PS) double Bragg mirror by electrochemical etching at room temperature as a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) label-free biosensor for detecting ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). Compared to various other one-dimension photonic crystal configurations of PS, the double Bragg mirror structure is quite easy to prepare and exhibits interesting optical properties. The width of high reflectivity stop band of the PS double Bragg mirror is about 761 nm with a sharp and deep resonance peak at 1328 nm in the reflectance spectrum, which gives a high sensitivity and distinguishability for sensing performance. The detection sensitivity of such a double Bragg mirror structure is illustrated through the investigation of AOB DNA hybridization in the PS pores. The redshifts of the reflectance spectra show a good linear relationship with both complete complementary and partial complementary DNA. The lowest detection limit for complete complementary DNA is 27.1 nM and the detection limit of the biosensor for partial complementary DNA is 35.0 nM, which provides the feasibility and effectiveness for the detection of AOB in a real environment. The PS double Bragg mirror structure is attractive for widespread biosensing applications and provides great potential for the development of optical applications.

Dual embedded agency: physicians implement integrative medicine in health-care organizations.

PubMed

Keshet, Yael

2013-11-01

The paradox of embedded agency addresses the question of how embedded agents are able to conceive of new ideas and practices and then implement them in institutionalized organizations if social structures exert so powerful an influence on behavior, and agents operate within a framework of institutional constraints. This article proposes that dual embedded agency may provide an explanation of the paradox. The article draws from an ethnographic study that examined the ways in which dual-trained physicians, namely medical doctors trained also in some modality of complementary and alternative medicine, integrate complementary and alternative medicine into the biomedical fortress of mainstream health-care organizations. Participant observations were conducted during the years 2006-2011. The observed physicians were found to be embedded in two diverse medical cultures and to have a hybrid professional identity that comprised two sets of health-care values. Seeking to introduce new ideas and practices associated with complementary and alternative medicine to medical institutions, they maneuvered among the constraints of institutional structures while using these very structures, in an isomorphic mode of action, as a platform for launching complementary and alternative medicine practices and values. They drew on the complementary and alternative medicine philosophical principle of interconnectedness and interdependency of seemingly polar opposites or contrary forces and acted to achieve change by means of nonadversarial strategies. By addressing the structure-agency dichotomy, this study contributes to the literature on change in institutionalized health-care organizations. It likewise contributes both theoretically and empirically to the study of integrative medicine and to the further development of this relatively new area of inquiry within the sociology of medicine.

Conformational Heterogeneity in a Fully Complementary DNA Three-Way Junction with a GC-Rich Branchpoint.

PubMed

Toulmin, Anita; Baltierra-Jasso, Laura E; Morten, Michael J; Sabir, Tara; McGlynn, Peter; Schröder, Gunnar F; Smith, Brian O; Magennis, Steven W

2017-09-19

DNA three-way junctions (3WJs) are branched structures that serve as important biological intermediates and as components in DNA nanostructures. We recently derived the global structure of a fully complementary 3WJ and found that it contained unpaired bases at the branchpoint, which is consistent with previous observations of branch flexibility and branchpoint reactivity. By combining high-resolution single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer, molecular modeling, time-resolved ensemble fluorescence spectroscopy, and the first 19 F nuclear magnetic resonance observations of fully complementary 3WJs, we now show that the 3WJ structure can adopt multiple distinct conformations depending upon the sequence at the branchpoint. A 3WJ with a GC-rich branchpoint adopts an open conformation with unpaired bases at the branch and at least one additional conformation with an increased number of base interactions at the branchpoint. This structural diversity has implications for branch interactions and processing in vivo and for technological applications.

The Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Dermatology Outpatients in Shiraz, Iran

PubMed Central

Dastgheib, Ladan; Farahangiz, Saman; Adelpour, Zeinab; Salehi, Alireza

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to assess complementary and alternative medicine use and its related factors among Iranian dermatology outpatients. In this cross-sectional study, a self-structured questionnaire was administered to 600 dermatology outpatients. Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression test were used. A total of 188 (31.3%) patients had used one of complementary and alternative medicine methods. The most frequent method used was herbal medicine (89.9%). The mean years of duration of the skin condition were significantly higher in complementary and alternative medicine users compared with nonusers (P = .037). Patients with acne and alopecia significantly used more complementary and alternative medicine (odds ratio: 2.48 and 3.19, respectively). There was a significant relationship between education and using complementary and alternative medicine (P < .001). Complementary and alternative medicine use is prevalent among our patients and we should think of ways of educating general population about complementary and alternative medicine methods and their potential risks and benefits and encourage our health care workers to communicate these materials with their patients. PMID:28446027

The Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Dermatology Outpatients in Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Dastgheib, Ladan; Farahangiz, Saman; Adelpour, Zeinab; Salehi, Alireza

2017-10-01

The objective of this study was to assess complementary and alternative medicine use and its related factors among Iranian dermatology outpatients. In this cross-sectional study, a self-structured questionnaire was administered to 600 dermatology outpatients. Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and binary logistic regression test were used. A total of 188 (31.3%) patients had used one of complementary and alternative medicine methods. The most frequent method used was herbal medicine (89.9%). The mean years of duration of the skin condition were significantly higher in complementary and alternative medicine users compared with nonusers ( P = .037). Patients with acne and alopecia significantly used more complementary and alternative medicine (odds ratio: 2.48 and 3.19, respectively). There was a significant relationship between education and using complementary and alternative medicine ( P < .001). Complementary and alternative medicine use is prevalent among our patients and we should think of ways of educating general population about complementary and alternative medicine methods and their potential risks and benefits and encourage our health care workers to communicate these materials with their patients.

Implicit and explicit attitudes towards conventional and complementary and alternative medicine treatments: Introduction of an Implicit Association Test.

PubMed

Green, James A; Hohmann, Cynthia; Lister, Kelsi; Albertyn, Riani; Bradshaw, Renee; Johnson, Christine

2016-06-01

This study examined associations between anticipated future health behaviour and participants' attitudes. Three Implicit Association Tests were developed to assess safety, efficacy and overall attitude. They were used to examine preference associations between conventional versus complementary and alternative medicine among 186 participants. A structural equation model suggested only a single implicit association, rather than three separate domains. However, this single implicit association predicted additional variance in anticipated future use of complementary and alternative medicine beyond explicit. Implicit measures should give further insight into motivation for complementary and alternative medicine use. © The Author(s) 2014.

Complementary bowtie aperture for localizing and enhancing optical magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Nan; Kinzel, Edward C.; Xu, Xianfan

2011-08-01

Nanoscale bowtie antenna and bowtie aperture antenna have been shown to generate strongly enhanced and localized electric fields below the diffraction limit in the optical frequency range. According to Babinet's principle, their complements will be efficient for concentrating and enhancing magnetic fields. In this Letter, we discuss the enhancement of magnetic field intensity of nanoscale complementary bowtie aperture as well as complementary bowtie aperture antenna, or diabolo nanoantenna. We show that the complementary bowtie antenna resonates at a smaller wavelength and thus is more suitable for applications near visible wavelengths. The near-field magnetic intensity can be further enhanced by the addition of groove structures that scatter surface plasmon.

The patterns of organisation and structure of interactions in a fish-parasite network of a neotropical river.

PubMed

Bellay, Sybelle; Oliveira, Edson F de; Almeida-Neto, Mário; Abdallah, Vanessa D; Azevedo, Rodney K de; Takemoto, Ricardo M; Luque, José L

2015-07-01

The use of the complex network approach to study host-parasite interactions has helped to improve the understanding of the structure and dynamics of ecological communities. In this study, this network approach is applied to evaluate the patterns of organisation and structure of interactions in a fish-parasite network of a neotropical Atlantic Forest river. The network includes 20 fish species and 73 metazoan parasite species collected from the Guandu River, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. According to the usual measures in studies of networks, the organisation of the network was evaluated using measures of host susceptibility, parasite dependence, interaction asymmetry, species strength and complementary specialisation of each species as well as the network. The network structure was evaluated using connectance, nestedness and modularity measures. Host susceptibility typically presented low values, whereas parasite dependence was high. The asymmetry and species strength were correlated with host taxonomy but not with parasite taxonomy. Differences among parasite taxonomic groups in the complementary specialisation of each species on hosts were also observed. However, the complementary specialisation and species strength values were not correlated. The network had a high complementary specialisation, low connectance and nestedness, and high modularity, thus indicating variability in the roles of species in the network organisation and the expected presence of many specialist species. Copyright © 2015 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of Conformational Features of Watson-Crick Duplex Fragments by Molecular Mechanics and Quantum Mechanics Methods].

PubMed

Poltev, V I; Anisimov, V M; Sanchez, C; Deriabina, A; Gonzalez, E; Garcia, D; Rivas, F; Polteva, N A

2016-01-01

It is generally accepted that the important characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex originate from the molecular structure of its subunits. However, it still remains to elucidate what properties of each subunit are responsible for the significant characteristic features of the DNA structure. The computations of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions using density functional theory revealed a pivotal role of DNA conformational properties of single-chain minimal fragments in the development of unique features of the Watson-Crick duplex. We found that directionality of the sugar-phosphate backbone and the preferable ranges of its torsion angles, combined with the difference between purines and pyrimidines. in ring bases, define the dependence of three-dimensional structure of the Watson-Crick duplex on nucleotide base sequence. In this work, we extended these density functional theory computations to the minimal' fragments of DNA duplex, complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions. Using several computational methods and various functionals, we performed a search for energy minima of BI-conformation for complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with different nucleoside sequences. Two sequences are optimized using ab initio method at the MP2/6-31++G** level of theory. The analysis of torsion angles, sugar ring puckering and mutual base positions of optimized structures demonstrates that the conformational characteristic features of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complexes with Na-ions remain within BI ranges and become closer to the corresponding characteristic features of the Watson-Crick duplex crystals. Qualitatively, the main characteristic features of each studied complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphates complex remain invariant when different computational methods are used, although the quantitative values of some conformational parameters could vary lying within the limits typical for the corresponding family. We observe that popular functionals in density functional theory calculations lead to the overestimated distances between base pairs, while MP2 computations and the newer complex functionals produce the structures that have too close atom-atom contacts. A detailed study of some complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes with Na-ions highlights the existence of several energy minima corresponding to BI-conformations, in other words, the complexity of the relief pattern of the potential energy surface of complementary desoxydinucleoside monophosphate complexes. This accounts for variability of conformational parameters of duplex fragments with the same base sequence. Popular molecular mechanics force fields AMBER and CHARMM reproduce most of the conformational characteristics of desoxydinucleoside monophosphates and their complementary complexes with Na-ions but fail to reproduce some details of the dependence of the Watson-Crick duplex conformation on the nucleotide sequence.

Resourcing the clinical complementary medicine information needs of Australian medical students: Results of a grounded theory study.

PubMed

Templeman, Kate; Robinson, Anske; McKenna, Lisa

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to identify Australian medical students' complementary medicine information needs. Thirty medical students from 10 medical education faculties across Australian universities were recruited. Data were generated using in-depth semi-structured interviews and constructivist grounded theory method was used to analyze and construct data. Students sought complementary medicine information from a range of inadequate sources, such as pharmacological texts, Internet searches, peer-reviewed medical journals, and drug databases. The students identified that many complementary medicine resources may not be regarded as objective, reliable, differentiated, or comprehensive, leaving much that medical education needs to address. Most students sought succinct, easily accessible, evidence-based information to inform safe and appropriate clinical decisions about complementary medicines. A number of preferred resources were identified that can be recommended and actively promoted to medical students. Therefore, specific, evidence-based complementary medicine databases and secondary resources should be subscribed and recommended to medical schools and students, to assist meeting professional responsibilities regarding complementary medicines. These findings may help inform the development of appropriate medical information resources regarding complementary medicines. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Selected Manpower Statistics, FY-65

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-04-11

o 0.1 • • O.T 0.1 0.1 MM ID Ja* UH OWtStWWllfl) tarn JB y Lit, «•&. ■nvV M».». MUWT ClflUM U,I ».» 15 1.0 >,*T) 8:8 J:J 5:S ^8 i.« t.» ».I...8» «8» »»» i M*4I fjßl ISS iss saa SBJS aas ma Bias SS »««ü 1KB W« 5!K 5BB5 B»B KB» ! BJB 5«B! t| •»«« SUM 33313 SS9IS 9(1119 199911 llttil II99M...v«vw 3N’M*«*M’ <f<r«v<r ««*«««« «MVfr«v ttm* ****** ****** S «8 5^5 JSB B« ffl« BBS? SSäi »BJ! S5J135 g «IS JBS BBS SB! »BB MBB BBS iBBJ SB

High-efficiency broadband excitation and propagation of second-mode spoof surface plasmon polaritons by a complementary structure.

PubMed

Zhang, Dawei; Zhang, Kuang; Wu, Qun; Yang, Guohui; Sha, Xuejun

2017-07-15

A complementary structure based on coplanar waveguides (CPWs) with periodical etching slots is proposed to support spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs). In contrast to the traditional slotline-based complementary SSPP structure, a dispersion curve of the second mode by the proposed structure has a much lower starting point from the origin which exhibits greatly improved operating bandwidth. Moreover, tighter confinements of SSPPs in the region of small wave vectors corresponding to lower frequencies can be predicted from the dispersion analysis, which means enhancement of transmission efficiency. Then a simple and efficient transition structure with tapered CPWs and gradient slots is proposed to realize high-efficiency and broadband excitation of the second mode of SSPPs for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Based on the proposed structure, a seamless connection between CPWs and the SSPP structure can be achieved. The measured insertion loss and return loss below 6.6 GHz is better than -0.86 and -13.62  dB, respectively. Furthermore, it can be seen from the measurement results that a 3 dB bandwidth ranges from 0 to 10.57 GHz, and the return loss is better than -10  dB from 0 to 8.96 GHz. The proposed structure can promote the development of plasmonic integrate circuits and functional devices at microwave frequencies.

Operando XRD studies as a tool for determination of transport parameters of mobile ions in electrode materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondracki, Łukasz; Kulka, Andrzej; Świerczek, Konrad; Ziąbka, Magdalena; Molenda, Janina

2017-11-01

In this work a detailed operando XRD investigations of structural properties of LixMn2O4 manganese spinel are shown to be a complementary, successful method of determination of diffusion coefficient D and surface exchange coefficient k in the working electrode. Kinetics of lithium ions transport are estimated on the basis of rate of structural changes of the cathode material during a relaxation stage after a high current charge, i.e. during structural relaxation of the material. The presented approach seems to be applicable as a complementary method of determination of transport coefficients for all intercalation-type electrode materials.

Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff.

PubMed

Iyer, Priya; McFarland, Reanna; La Caze, Adam

2017-08-01

Most sales of complementary medicines within pharmacies are conducted by pharmacy support staff. The absence of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of many complementary medicines raises a number of ethical questions regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies. Explore (1) what consumers expect from pharmacists/pharmacies with regard to the sale of complementary medicines, and (2) how pharmacy support staff perceive their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacy support staff and consumers in pharmacies in Brisbane. Consumers were asked to describe their expectations when purchasing complementary medicines. Pharmacy support staff were asked to describe their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. Interviews were conducted and analysed using the techniques developed within Grounded Theory. Thirty-three consumers were recruited from three pharmacies. Consumers described complementary medicine use as a personal health choice. Consumer expectations on the pharmacist included: select the right product for the right person, expert product knowledge and maintaining a wide range of good quality stock. Twenty pharmacy support staff were recruited from four pharmacies. Pharmacy support staff employed processes to ensure consumers receive the right product for the right person. Pharmacy support staff expressed a commitment to aiding consumers, but few evaluated the reliability of effectiveness claims regarding complementary medicines. Pharmacists need to respect the personal health choices of consumers while also putting procedures in place to ensure safe and appropriate use of complementary medicines. This includes providing appropriate support to pharmacy support staff. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Design, fabrication, and characterization of 4H-silicon carbide rectifiers for power switching applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheridan, David Charles

Silicon Carbide has received a substantial increase in research interest over the past few years as a base material system for high-frequency and high-power semiconductor devices. Of the over 1200 polytypes, 4H-SiC is the most attractive polytype for power devices due to its wide band gap (3.2eV), excellent thermal conductivity (4.9 W/cm·K), and high critical field strength (˜2 x 106 V/cm). Important for power devices, the 10x increase in critical field strength of SiC allows high voltage blocking layers to be fabricated significantly thinner than for comparable Si devices. For power rectifiers, this reduces device on-resistance, while maintaining the same high voltage blocking capability. In this work, 4H-SiC Schottky, pn, and junction barrier Schottky (JBS) rectifiers for use in high voltage switching applications have been designed, fabricated, and extensively characterized. First, a detailed review of 4H-SiC material parameters was performed and SiC models were implemented into a standard Si drift-diffusion numerical simulator. Using these models, a SiC simulation methodology was developed in order to enable predictive SiC device design. A wide variety of rectifier and edge termination designs were investigated and optimized with respect to breakdown efficiency, area consumption, resistance to interface charge, and fabrication practicality. Simulated termination methods include: field plates, floating guard rings, and a variety of junction termination extensions (JTE). Using the device simulation results, both Schottky and JBS rectifiers were fabricated with a novel self-aligned edge termination design, and fabricated with process elements developed at the Alabama Microelectronics Science and Technology Center facility. These rectifiers exhibited near-ideal forward characteristics and had blocking voltages in excess of 2.5kV. The SiC diodes were subjected to inductive switching tests, and were found to have superior reverse recovery characteristics compared to a similar Si diode. Finally, the performance of these SiC rectifiers were tested in inductive switching circuits and in high dose gamma radiation environments. In both cases, these devices were shown to be superior to their silicon counterparts. The details of this work was presented and published in the proceedings of the 45th International Meeting of the American Vacuum Society [1], the 1999 International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials [2, 3] and the 2000 European Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials [4]. The expanded conference papers were published in the international journal. Solid-State Electronics [5, 6].

Factors Associated with the Early Introduction of Complementary Feeding in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alzaheb, Riyadh A

2016-07-12

Mothers' instigation of complementary feeding before their infant reaches 6 months old risks shortening their breastfeeding duration, and high morbidity and mortality for their child. Complementary feeding practices require further investigation in Saudi Arabia. The present study aims to evaluate complementary feeding practices, and to establish which factors are associated with the early introduction of complementary feeding in the Saudi Arabian context. Cross-sectional research was conducted with 632 mothers of infants aged between 4 and 24 months attending five primary health care centers (PHCCs) between July and December 2015 in Saudi Arabia. Data on participants' socio-demographic characteristics and complementary feeding practices were collected via structured questionnaires. A regression analysis identified the factors associated with the early introduction of solid foods, defined as before 17 weeks. 62.5% of the study's infants received solid foods before reaching 17 weeks old. The maternal factors at higher risk of early introduction of solids were: younger age; Saudi nationality; shorter education; employment within 6 months post-birth; caesareans; not breastfeeding fully for six weeks post-birth, and living in low-income households. Complementary feeding prior to 6 months postpartum was common in Saudi Arabia. Public health interventions are needed to reduce early complementary feeding, focusing on mothers at highest risk of giving solids too early.

Three dimensional-stacked complementary thin-film transistors using n-type Al:ZnO and p-type NiO thin-film transistors.

PubMed

Lee, Ching-Ting; Chen, Chia-Chi; Lee, Hsin-Ying

2018-03-05

The three dimensional inverters were fabricated using novel complementary structure of stacked bottom n-type aluminum-doped zinc oxide (Al:ZnO) thin-film transistor and top p-type nickel oxide (NiO) thin-film transistor. When the inverter operated at the direct voltage (V DD ) of 10 V and the input voltage from 0 V to 10 V, the obtained high performances included the output swing of 9.9 V, the high noise margin of 2.7 V, and the low noise margin of 2.2 V. Furthermore, the high performances of unskenwed inverter were demonstrated by using the novel complementary structure of the stacked n-type Al:ZnO thin-film transistor and p-type nickel oxide (NiO) thin-film transistor.

Effect of structure variation of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe on the performance of displacement-based electrochemical aptamer sensors.

PubMed

Pang, Jie; Zhang, Ziping; Jin, Haizhu

2016-03-15

Electrochemical aptamer-based (E-AB) sensors employing electrode-immobilized, redox-tagged aptamer probes have emerged as a promising platform for the sensitive and quick detection of target analytes ranging from small molecules to proteins. Signal generation in this class of sensor is linked to change in electron transfer efficiency upon binding-induced change in flexibility/conformation of the aptamer probe. Because of this signaling mechanism, signal gains of these sensors can be improved by employing a displacement-based recognition system, which links target binding with a large-scale flexibility/conformation shift from the aptamer-DNA duplex to the single-stranded DNA or the native aptamer. Despite the relatively large number of displacement-based E-AB sensor samples, little attention has been paid to the structure variation of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe. Here we detail the effects of complementary length and position of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe on the performance of a model displacement-based E-AB sensor for ATP. We find that, greater background suppression and signal gain are observed with longer complementary length of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe. However, sensor equilibration time slows monotonically with increasing complementary length; and with too many target binding sites in aptamer sequence being occupied by the complementary DNA, the aptamer-target binding does not occur and no signal gain observed. We also demonstrate that signal gain of the displacement-based E-AB sensor is strongly dependent on the complementary position of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe, with complementary position located at the electrode-attached or redox-tagged end of the duplex probe, larger background suppression and signal increase than that of the middle position are observed. These results highlight the importance of rational structure design of the aptamer-DNA duplex probe and provide new insights into the optimization of displacement-based E-AB sensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Designing and benchmarking the MULTICOM protein structure prediction system

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Predicting protein structure from sequence is one of the most significant and challenging problems in bioinformatics. Numerous bioinformatics techniques and tools have been developed to tackle almost every aspect of protein structure prediction ranging from structural feature prediction, template identification and query-template alignment to structure sampling, model quality assessment, and model refinement. How to synergistically select, integrate and improve the strengths of the complementary techniques at each prediction stage and build a high-performance system is becoming a critical issue for constructing a successful, competitive protein structure predictor. Results Over the past several years, we have constructed a standalone protein structure prediction system MULTICOM that combines multiple sources of information and complementary methods at all five stages of the protein structure prediction process including template identification, template combination, model generation, model assessment, and model refinement. The system was blindly tested during the ninth Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP9) in 2010 and yielded very good performance. In addition to studying the overall performance on the CASP9 benchmark, we thoroughly investigated the performance and contributions of each component at each stage of prediction. Conclusions Our comprehensive and comparative study not only provides useful and practical insights about how to select, improve, and integrate complementary methods to build a cutting-edge protein structure prediction system but also identifies a few new sources of information that may help improve the design of a protein structure prediction system. Several components used in the MULTICOM system are available at: http://sysbio.rnet.missouri.edu/multicom_toolbox/. PMID:23442819

Integrated Silicon Carbide Power Electronic Block

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

Radhakrishnan, Rahul

2017-11-07

Research involved in this project is aimed at monolithically integrating an anti-parallel diode to the SiC MOSFET switch, so as to avoid having to use an external anti-parallel diode in power circuit applications. SiC MOSFETs are replacing Si MOSFETs and IGBTs in many applications, yet the high bandgap of the body diode in SiC MOSFET and consequent need for an external anti-parallel diode increases costs and discourages circuit designers from adopting this technology. Successful demonstration and subsequent commercialization of this technology would reduce SiC MOSFET cost and additionally reduce component count as well as other costs at the power circuitmore » level. In this Phase I project, we have created multiple device designs, set up a process for device fabrication at the 150mm SiC foundry XFAB Texas, demonstrated unit-processes for device fabrication in short loops and started full flow device fabrication. Key findings of the development activity were: The limits of coverage of photoresist over the topology of thick polysilicon structures covered with oxide, which required larger feature dimensions to overcome; and The insufficient process margin for removing oxide spacers from polysilicon field ring features which could result in loss of some features without further process development No fundamental obstacles were uncovered during the process development. Given sufficient time for additional development it is likely that processes could be tuned to realize the monolithically integrated SiC JBS diode and MOSFET. Sufficient funds were not available in this program to resolve processing difficulties and fabricate the devices.« less

Reinforced self-assembly of donor-acceptor π-conjugated molecules to DNA templates by dipole-dipole interactions together with complementary hydrogen bonding interactions for biomimetics.

PubMed

Yang, Wanggui; Chen, Yali; Wong, Man Shing; Lo, Pik Kwan

2012-10-08

One of the most important criteria for the successful DNA-templated polymerization to generate fully synthetic biomimetic polymers is to design the complementary structural monomers, which assemble to the templates strongly and precisely before carrying polymerization. In this study, water-soluble, laterally thymine-substituted donor-acceptor π-conjugated molecules were designed and synthesized to self-assemble with complementary oligoadenines templates, dA(20) and dA(40), into stable and tubular assemblies through noncovalent interactions including π-π stacking, dipole-dipole interactions, and the complementary adenine-thymine (A-T) hydrogen-bonding. UV-vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were used to investigate the formation of highly robust nanofibrous structures. Our results have demonstrated for the first time that the dipole-dipole interactions are stronger and useful to reinforce the assembly of donor-acceptor π-conjugated molecules to DNA templates and the formation of the stable and robust supramolecular nanofibrous complexes together with the complementary hydrogen bonding interactions. This provides an initial step toward DNA-templated polymerization to create fully synthetic DNA-mimetic polymers for biotechnological applications. This study also presents an opportunity to precisely position donor-acceptor type molecules in a controlled manner and tailor-make advanced materials for various biotechnological applications.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in children with autism and other developmental disabilities: associations with ethnicity, child comorbid symptoms, and parental stress.

PubMed

Valicenti-McDermott, Maria; Burrows, Bethany; Bernstein, Leora; Hottinger, Kathryn; Lawson, Katharine; Seijo, Rosa; Schechtman, Merryl; Shulman, Lisa; Shinnar, Shlomo

2014-03-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by children with autism and the association of its use with child comorbid symptoms and parental stress was studied in an ethnically diverse population, in a cross-sectional study with structured interviews. The sample included 50 families of children with autism and 50 families of children with other developmental disabilities, matched by age/gender. Interview included the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire, Gastrointestinal Questionnaire, Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and Parenting Stress Index. In this ethnically diverse sample, the use of complementary and alternative medicine was significantly higher for the autism group. In the autism group, use was significantly related to child's irritability, hyperactivity, food allergies, and parental stress; in the developmental disabilities group, there was no association with child comorbid symptoms or parental stress. The results contribute information to health care providers about families of children with autism who are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine.

Complementary and alternative medicine use in Iranian patients with diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem; Heydari, Mojtaba; Mosavat, Seyed Hamdollah; Heydari, Seyyed Taghi; Shams, Mesbah

2015-09-01

There is increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine generally, and especially by those affected by chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. We aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus in Shiraz, southern Iran. Another objective was to explore associated factors for use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with diabetes mellitus. A 19-item semi-structured questionnaire (open- and close-ended) was administered to 239 patients with diabetes mellitus in this cross-sectional study. It was carried out in two outpatient diabetes clinics affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. One hundred and eighty patients (75.3%) used at least one type of complementary and alternative medicine in the last year prior to the interview. Patients with diabetes mellitus who were living in a large family (≥5 members), not taking insulin, and believed that complementary and alternative medicine have synergistic effects with conventional medicine, were independently and significantly (P values: 0.02, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively) more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine. Most of the users (97.7%) reported use of herbal preparations, and 89.4% of users did not change their medication, neither in medication schedule nor its dosage. The use of complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal remedies, is popular among diabetes patients in Shiraz, Iran. This use is associated with patients' family size, type of conventional medications and their view about concomitant use of complementary and conventional medicine.

Solution structure of a highly stable DNA duplex conjugated to a minor groove binder.

PubMed Central

Kumar, S; Reed, M W; Gamper, H B; Gorn, V V; Lukhtanov, E A; Foti, M; West, J; Meyer, R B; Schweitzer, B I

1998-01-01

The tripeptide 1,2-dihydro-(3 H )-pyrrolo[3,2- e ]indole-7-carboxylate (CDPI3) binds to the minor groove of DNA with high affinity. When this minor groove binder is conjugated to the 5'-end of short oligonucleotides the conjugates form unusually stable hybrids with complementary DNA and thus may have useful diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications. In order to gain an understanding of the structural interactions between the CDPI3minor groove binding moiety and the DNA, we have determined and compared the solution structure of a duplex consisting of oligodeoxyribonucleotide 5'-TGATTATCTG-3' conjugated at the 5'-end to CDPI3 and its complementary strand to an unmodified control duplex of the same sequence using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Thermal denaturation studies indicated that the hybrid of this conjugate with its complementary strand had a melting temperature that was 30 degrees C higher compared with the unmodified control duplex. Following restrained molecular dynamics and relaxation matrix refinement, the solution structure of the CDPI3-conjugated DNA duplex demonstrated that the overall shape of the duplex was that of a straight B-type helix and that the CDPI3moiety was bound snugly in the minor groove, where it was stabilized by extensive van der Waal's interactions. PMID:9443977

Solution structure of a highly stable DNA duplex conjugated to a minor groove binder.

PubMed

Kumar, S; Reed, M W; Gamper, H B; Gorn, V V; Lukhtanov, E A; Foti, M; West, J; Meyer, R B; Schweitzer, B I

1998-02-01

The tripeptide 1,2-dihydro-(3 H )-pyrrolo[3,2- e ]indole-7-carboxylate (CDPI3) binds to the minor groove of DNA with high affinity. When this minor groove binder is conjugated to the 5'-end of short oligonucleotides the conjugates form unusually stable hybrids with complementary DNA and thus may have useful diagnostic and/or therapeutic applications. In order to gain an understanding of the structural interactions between the CDPI3minor groove binding moiety and the DNA, we have determined and compared the solution structure of a duplex consisting of oligodeoxyribonucleotide 5'-TGATTATCTG-3' conjugated at the 5'-end to CDPI3 and its complementary strand to an unmodified control duplex of the same sequence using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Thermal denaturation studies indicated that the hybrid of this conjugate with its complementary strand had a melting temperature that was 30 degrees C higher compared with the unmodified control duplex. Following restrained molecular dynamics and relaxation matrix refinement, the solution structure of the CDPI3-conjugated DNA duplex demonstrated that the overall shape of the duplex was that of a straight B-type helix and that the CDPI3moiety was bound snugly in the minor groove, where it was stabilized by extensive van der Waal's interactions.

Peripheral dysgraphia: dissociations of lowercase from uppercase letters and of print from cursive writing.

PubMed

Ingles, Janet L; Fisk, John D; Fleetwood, Ian; Burrell, Steven; Darvesh, Sultan

2014-03-01

Clinical analyses of patients with acquired dysgraphia provide unique opportunities to understand the cognitive and neural organization of written language production. We report J.B., a 50-year-old woman with peripheral dysgraphia who had prominent dissociations in her ability to write in lowercase versus uppercase and print versus cursive. We gave J.B. a series of tasks that evaluated her skills at writing uppercase and lowercase print and cursive, spelling aloud and in writing, writing numbers and symbols, and visual letter recognition and imagery. She was impaired in printing letters, with lowercase more affected than uppercase, but her cursive writing was relatively intact. This pattern was consistent across letter, word, and nonword writing tasks. She was unimpaired on tasks assessing her visual recognition and imagery of lowercase and uppercase letters. Her writing of numbers was preserved. J.B.'s handwriting disorder was accompanied by a central phonological dysgraphia. Our findings indicate functional independence of graphomotor programs for print and cursive letter styles and for letters and numbers. We discuss the relationship between peripheral and central writing disorders.

The search for purpose in a post-Darwinian universe: George Bernard Shaw, 'creative evolution', and Shavian eugenics: 'The dark side of the force'.

PubMed

Hale, Piers J

2006-01-01

The Irish playwright and socialist George Bernard Shaw has been of marginal concern for historians of biology because his vitalist Lamarckism has been viewed as out of step with contemporary science. However, Julian Huxley and J.B.S. Haldane were certainly of the opinion that Shaw was a man of influence in this regard and took pains to counter his views in their own attempts to engage the public in science. Previously, Shaw's colleague and friend H.G. Wells had also agued with Shaw from his own mechanistic neo-Darwinian perspective. The very public debate between Shaw and Wells, which continued to concern Huxley and Haldane, shows that public concern over the moral implications of Darwinism has a long history. Taking into account the opinions of John Maynard Smith on this matter, I suggest that a consideration of Shaw in this context can give us an understanding of the historical popularity of vitalist teleology as well as of the persistent ambivalence to the non-normative character of Darwinism.

Structure Identification Using the US EPA's CompTox Chemistry Dashboard (CompTox CoP)

EPA Science Inventory

Community of practice webinar presentation on the Identification of unknowns in non-targeted analyses (NTA) requires the integration of complementary data types to generate a confident consensus structure.

Transcriptome analysis by strand-specific sequencing of complementary DNA

PubMed Central

Parkhomchuk, Dmitri; Borodina, Tatiana; Amstislavskiy, Vyacheslav; Banaru, Maria; Hallen, Linda; Krobitsch, Sylvia; Lehrach, Hans; Soldatov, Alexey

2009-01-01

High-throughput complementary DNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful tool for whole-transcriptome analysis, supplying information about a transcript's expression level and structure. However, it is difficult to determine the polarity of transcripts, and therefore identify which strand is transcribed. Here, we present a simple cDNA sequencing protocol that preserves information about a transcript's direction. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mouse brain transcriptomes as models, we demonstrate that knowing the transcript's orientation allows more accurate determination of the structure and expression of genes. It also helps to identify new genes and enables studying promoter-associated and antisense transcription. The transcriptional landscapes we obtained are available online. PMID:19620212

Transcriptome analysis by strand-specific sequencing of complementary DNA.

PubMed

Parkhomchuk, Dmitri; Borodina, Tatiana; Amstislavskiy, Vyacheslav; Banaru, Maria; Hallen, Linda; Krobitsch, Sylvia; Lehrach, Hans; Soldatov, Alexey

2009-10-01

High-throughput complementary DNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a powerful tool for whole-transcriptome analysis, supplying information about a transcript's expression level and structure. However, it is difficult to determine the polarity of transcripts, and therefore identify which strand is transcribed. Here, we present a simple cDNA sequencing protocol that preserves information about a transcript's direction. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mouse brain transcriptomes as models, we demonstrate that knowing the transcript's orientation allows more accurate determination of the structure and expression of genes. It also helps to identify new genes and enables studying promoter-associated and antisense transcription. The transcriptional landscapes we obtained are available online.

Direct Nanoscale Conversion of Biomolecular Signals into Electronic Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-22

the electrode surface. In this experiment, the single free cysteine group featured in the GOx structure was exploited to demonstrate that orientation...first with GOx-ssDNA conjugates featuring a sequence complementary to the address strand, then with a non-complementary conjugate and finally with...fully-functional for an enzyme that features a free thiol group, or that can be engineered to incorporate a thiol onto its outer shell

Complementary effects of cereal and pulse polyphenols and dietary fiber on chronic inflammation and gut health.

PubMed

Awika, Joseph M; Rose, Devin J; Simsek, Senay

2018-03-01

Cereal grains and grain pulses are primary staples often consumed together, and contribute a major portion of daily human calorie and protein intake globally. Protective effects of consuming whole grain cereals and grain pulses against various inflammation-related chronic diseases are well documented. However, potential benefits of combined intake of whole cereals and pulses beyond their complementary amino acid nutrition is rarely considered in literature. There is ample evidence that key bioactive components of whole grain cereals and pulses are structurally different and thus may be optimized to provide synergistic/complementary health benefits. Among the most important whole grain bioactive components are polyphenols and dietary fiber, not only because of their demonstrated biological function, but also their major impact on consumer choice of whole grain/pulse products. This review highlights the distinct structural differences between key cereal grain and pulse polyphenols and non-starch polysaccharides (dietary fiber), and the evidence on specific synergistic/complementary benefits of combining the bioactive components from the two commodities. Interactive effects of the polyphenols and fiber on gut microbiota and associated benefits to colon health, and against systemic inflammation, are discussed. Processing technologies that can be used to further enhance the interactive benefits of combined cereal-pulse bioactive compounds are highlighted.

Nurses' beliefs, experiences and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine in Taiwan.

PubMed

Smith, Graeme D; Wu, Shu-Chen

2012-09-01

To gain an insight into this issue, this study used a qualitative approach and aims to explore and describe nurses' beliefs, experiences and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine in Taiwan. The integration of complementary and alternative medicine with conventional medicine has become more common worldwide in recent years. An increase in patient use and an expansion of nurses using complementary and alternative medicine has spawned further investigation. Most published studies have concentrated on the usage of complementary and alternative medicine in western societies and have focused principally on physicians' attitudes and practice patterns in this regard. Despite the large amount of time and the unique relationship that nurses share with their patients, little research has investigated the nurse's attitudes and practice regarding complementary and alternative medicine. Moreover, there has been no previous research into understanding this issue from the Taiwanese nursing perspective. A qualitative research design. By using an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative approach, data were collected from 11 registered nurses. The methods of the data collection were in-depth, semi-structured interviews, field notes and memos and the data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Three major categories emerged from the data; namely, a 'lack of clear definition', 'limited experience' and 'high interest' towards complementary and alternative medicine. These results suggest that the definition of complementary and alternative medicine is often unclear for nurses in Taiwan. Due to the organisational policies and personal knowledge base, very few nurses integrate complementary and alternative medicine into their daily practice. However, the nurses in Taiwan show a great desire to participate in complementary and alternative medicine continuing education programmes. This study is not only significant in filling the gap in the existing literature, but is also important in understanding this issue from the nurses' perspective, to offer a series of recommendations for policy, nursing education, nursing practice and suggestions for further research. This study highlights the importance of nursing attitude in the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Clinical nurses have the potential to provide appropriate information to their patients to ensure safe complementary and alternative medicine use. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Optical panel system including stackable waveguides

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

DeSanto, Leonard; Veligdan, James T.

An optical panel system including stackable waveguides is provided. The optical panel system displays a projected light image and comprises a plurality of planar optical waveguides in a stacked state. The optical panel system further comprises a support system that aligns and supports the waveguides in the stacked state. In one embodiment, the support system comprises at least one rod, wherein each waveguide contains at least one hole, and wherein each rod is positioned through a corresponding hole in each waveguide. In another embodiment, the support system comprises at least two opposing edge structures having the waveguides positioned therebetween, whereinmore » each opposing edge structure contains a mating surface, wherein opposite edges of each waveguide contain mating surfaces which are complementary to the mating surfaces of the opposing edge structures, and wherein each mating surface of the opposing edge structures engages a corresponding complementary mating surface of the opposite edges of each waveguide.« less

Optical panel system including stackable waveguides

DOEpatents

DeSanto, Leonard; Veligdan, James T.

2007-03-06

An optical panel system including stackable waveguides is provided. The optical panel system displays a projected light image and comprises a plurality of planar optical waveguides in a stacked state. The optical panel system further comprises a support system that aligns and supports the waveguides in the stacked state. In one embodiment, the support system comprises at least one rod, wherein each waveguide contains at least one hole, and wherein each rod is positioned through a corresponding hole in each waveguide. In another embodiment, the support system comprises at least two opposing edge structures having the waveguides positioned therebetween, wherein each opposing edge structure contains a mating surface, wherein opposite edges of each waveguide contain mating surfaces which are complementary to the mating surfaces of the opposing edge structures, and wherein each mating surface of the opposing edge structures engages a corresponding complementary mating surface of the opposite edges of each waveguide.

Improving real-time inflow forecasting into hydropower reservoirs through a complementary modelling framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gragne, A. S.; Sharma, A.; Mehrotra, R.; Alfredsen, K.

2015-08-01

Accuracy of reservoir inflow forecasts is instrumental for maximizing the value of water resources and benefits gained through hydropower generation. Improving hourly reservoir inflow forecasts over a 24 h lead time is considered within the day-ahead (Elspot) market of the Nordic exchange market. A complementary modelling framework presents an approach for improving real-time forecasting without needing to modify the pre-existing forecasting model, but instead formulating an independent additive or complementary model that captures the structure the existing operational model may be missing. We present here the application of this principle for issuing improved hourly inflow forecasts into hydropower reservoirs over extended lead times, and the parameter estimation procedure reformulated to deal with bias, persistence and heteroscedasticity. The procedure presented comprises an error model added on top of an unalterable constant parameter conceptual model. This procedure is applied in the 207 km2 Krinsvatn catchment in central Norway. The structure of the error model is established based on attributes of the residual time series from the conceptual model. Besides improving forecast skills of operational models, the approach estimates the uncertainty in the complementary model structure and produces probabilistic inflow forecasts that entrain suitable information for reducing uncertainty in the decision-making processes in hydropower systems operation. Deterministic and probabilistic evaluations revealed an overall significant improvement in forecast accuracy for lead times up to 17 h. Evaluation of the percentage of observations bracketed in the forecasted 95 % confidence interval indicated that the degree of success in containing 95 % of the observations varies across seasons and hydrologic years.

Exploring the underlying structure of mental disorders: cross-diagnostic differences and similarities from a network perspective using both a top-down and a bottom-up approach.

PubMed

Wigman, J T W; van Os, J; Borsboom, D; Wardenaar, K J; Epskamp, S; Klippel, A; Viechtbauer, W; Myin-Germeys, I; Wichers, M

2015-08-01

It has been suggested that the structure of psychopathology is best described as a complex network of components that interact in dynamic ways. The goal of the present paper was to examine the concept of psychopathology from a network perspective, combining complementary top-down and bottom-up approaches using momentary assessment techniques. A pooled Experience Sampling Method (ESM) dataset of three groups (individuals with a diagnosis of depression, psychotic disorder or no diagnosis) was used (pooled N = 599). The top-down approach explored the network structure of mental states across different diagnostic categories. For this purpose, networks of five momentary mental states ('cheerful', 'content', 'down', 'insecure' and 'suspicious') were compared between the three groups. The complementary bottom-up approach used principal component analysis to explore whether empirically derived network structures yield meaningful higher order clusters. Individuals with a clinical diagnosis had more strongly connected moment-to-moment network structures, especially the depressed group. This group also showed more interconnections specifically between positive and negative mental states than the psychotic group. In the bottom-up approach, all possible connections between mental states were clustered into seven main components that together captured the main characteristics of the network dynamics. Our combination of (i) comparing network structure of mental states across three diagnostically different groups and (ii) searching for trans-diagnostic network components across all pooled individuals showed that these two approaches yield different, complementary perspectives in the field of psychopathology. The network paradigm therefore may be useful to map transdiagnostic processes.

Johann Deisenhofer, Crystallography, and Proteins

Science.gov Websites

research using X-ray crystallography to elucidate for the first time the three-dimensional structure of a large membrane-bound protein molecule. This structure helped explain the process of photosynthesis, by a protein structure determination that relied on complementary features of two different beam lines

Frequency-Independent Response of Self-Complementary Checkerboard Screens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urade, Yoshiro; Nakata, Yosuke; Nakanishi, Toshihiro; Kitano, Masao

2015-06-01

This research resolves a long-standing problem on the electromagnetic response of self-complementary metallic screens with checkerboardlike geometry. Although Babinet's principle implies that they show a frequency-independent response, this unusual characteristic has not been observed yet due to the singularities of the metallic point contacts in the checkerboard geometry. We overcome this difficulty by replacing the point contacts with resistive sheets. The proposed structure is prepared and characterized by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. It is experimentally confirmed that the resistive checkerboard structures exhibit a flat transmission spectrum over 0.1-1.1 THz. It is also demonstrated that self-complementarity can eliminate even the frequency-dependent transmission characteristics of resonant metamaterials.

Elasto-limited plastic analysis of structures for probabilistic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Movahedi Rad, M.

2018-06-01

With applying plastic analysis and design methods, significant saving in material can be obtained. However, as a result of this benefit excessive plastic deformations and large residual displacements might develop, which in turn might lead to unserviceability and collapse of the structure. In this study, for deterministic problem the residual deformation of structures is limited by considering a constraint on the complementary strain energy of the residual forces. For probabilistic problem the constraint for the complementary strain energy of the residual forces is given randomly and critical stresses updated during the iteration. Limit curves are presented for the plastic limit load factors. The results show that these constraints have significant effects on the load factors. The formulations of the deterministic and probabilistic problems lead to mathematical programming which are solved by the use of nonlinear algorithm.

Tuning resistance states by thickness control in an electroforming-free nanometallic complementary resistance random access memory

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

Yang, Xiang; Lu, Yang; Lee, Jongho

2016-01-04

Tuning low resistance state is crucial for resistance random access memory (RRAM) that aims to achieve optimal read margin and design flexibility. By back-to-back stacking two nanometallic bipolar RRAMs with different thickness into a complementary structure, we have found that its low resistance can be reliably tuned over several orders of magnitude. Such high tunability originates from the exponential thickness dependence of the high resistance state of nanometallic RRAM, in which electron wave localization in a random network gives rise to the unique scaling behavior. The complementary nanometallic RRAM provides electroforming-free, multi-resistance-state, sub-100 ns switching capability with advantageous characteristics formore » memory arrays.« less

An ENG resonator-based microwave sensor for the characterization of aqueous glucose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumari, Ratnesh; Patel, Piyush N.; Yadav, Rahul

2018-02-01

This work proposes a microwave filter with a notched frequency of transmission using an epsilon negative (ENG) unit-cell resonator as a sensor device. The device finds important application for the characterization of life-saving samples such as glucose. The ENG structure consists of two complementary geometries in the shape of ring and horn. The structure efficiently inhibits the incoming RF signal and creates a stopband resonance at 2.074 GHz. The printed circuit board of the layout was realized using FR-4 substrate of relative permittivity ɛ r  =  4.4, and height of 1.6 mm. It is experimentally seen that in the complementary area of horn and circular ring, the glucose sample perturbs the air-dielectric fringing fields which exist over the complementary area and modifies the frequency of stopband resonance. A change in sensor resonance was recorded and calibrated for different concentrations of glucose sample. The sensor exhibits a linear response for glucose concentration ranging from 20 to 100 mg ml-1 in the sensing area.

A general method for targeted quantitative cross-linking mass spectrometry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) provides protein structural information by identifying covalently linked proximal amino acid residues on protein surfaces. The information gained by this technique is complementary to other structural biology methods such as x-ray crystallography, NM...

A Survey of Medical Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Urmia, Iran.

PubMed

Sadeghi, Mahshid; Rabiepoor, Soheila; Forough, Aida Sefidani; Jabbari, Shiva; Shahabi, Shahram

2016-10-01

Personal beliefs of medical students may interfere with their tendency for learning Complementary and Alternative Medicine concepts. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of medical students toward complementary and alternative medicine in Urmia, Iran. A structured questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. One hundred questionnaires were returned. Thirty-one percent of students reported use of alternative medicine for at least once. Iranian Traditional Medicine was the main type of alternative medicine used by medical students (93.5%). Neuromuscular disorders were the main indication of alternative medicine use among students (34.4%). Ninety percent of participants demonstrated competent knowledge about acupuncture while the lowest scores belonged to homeopathy (12%). Study results showed that 49% of medical students had positive attitudes and demonstrated a willingness to receive training on the subject. Thus, there appears a necessity to integrate complementary and alternative medicine into the medical curriculum, by taking expectations and feedbacks of medical students into consideration. © The Author(s) 2015.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of General Practitioners toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine: a Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Barikani, Ameneh; Beheshti, Akram; Javadi, Maryam; Yasi, Marzieh

2015-08-01

Orientation of public and physicians to the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is one of the most prominent symbols of structural changes in the health service system. The aim of his study was a determination of knowledge, attitude, and practice of general practitioners in complementary and alternative medicine. This cross- sectional study was conducted in Qazvin, Iran in 2013. A self-administered questionnaire was used for collecting data including four information parts: population information, physicians' attitude and knowledge, methods of getting information and their function. A total of 228 physicians in Qazvin comprised the population of study according to the deputy of treatment's report of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. A total of 150 physicians were selected randomly, and SPSS Statistical program was used to enter questionnaires' data. Results were analyzed as descriptive statistics and statistical analysis. Sixty percent of all responders were male. About sixty (59.4) percent of participating practitioners had worked less than 10 years.96.4 percent had a positive attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine. Knowledge of practitioners about traditional medicine in 11 percent was good, 36.3% and 52.7% had average and little information, respectively. 17.9% of practitioners offered their patients complementary and alternative medicine for treatment. Although there was little knowledge among practitioners about traditional medicine and complementary approaches, a significant percentage of them had attitude higher than the lower limit.

Complementary medicine for cancer patients in general practice: qualitative interviews with german general practitioners.

PubMed

Dahlhaus, Anne; Siebenhofer, Andrea; Guethlin, Corina

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how general practitioners react when their cancer patients show interest in complementary medicine, and how their reaction is related to their knowledge in the field. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 German general practitioners. Interviewees came from 5 different federal states and varied in terms of urban/rural setting, single/joint practice, additional certifications, gender and length of professional experience. Interviews were electronically recorded, transcribed and then analysed using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. General practitioners feel largely responsible for providing information on complementary medicine to their cancer patients. However, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge concerning CAM lead mainly to reactive responses to patients' needs, and the general practitioners base their recommendations on personal experiences and attitudes. They wish to support their cancer patients and thus, in order to keep their patients' hopes up and maintain a trusting relationship, sometimes support complementary medicine, regardless of their own convictions. Although general practitioners see themselves as an important source of information on complementary medicine for their cancer patients, they also speak of their uncertainties and lack of knowledge. General practitioners would profit from training in complementary medicine enabling them to discuss this topic with their cancer patients in a proactive, open and honest manner. © 2015 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg

Dimensional-Hybrid Structures of 2D Materials with ZnO Nanostructures via pH-Mediated Hydrothermal Growth for Flexible UV Photodetectors.

PubMed

Lee, Young Bum; Kim, Seong Ku; Lim, Yi Rang; Jeon, In Su; Song, Wooseok; Myung, Sung; Lee, Sun Sook; Lim, Jongsun; An, Ki-Seok

2017-05-03

Complementary combination of heterostructures is a crucial factor for the development of 2D materials-based optoelectronic devices. Herein, an appropriate solution for fabricating complementary dimensional-hybrid nanostructures comprising structurally tailored ZnO nanostructures and 2D materials such as graphene and MoS 2 is suggested. Structural features of ZnO nanostructures hydrothermally grown on graphene and MoS 2 are deliberately manipulated by adjusting the pH value of the growing solution, which will result in the formation of ZnO nanowires, nanostars, and nanoflowers. The detailed growth mechanism is further explored for the structurally tailored ZnO nanostructures on the 2D materials. Furthermore, a UV photodetector based on the dimensional-hybrid nanostructures is fabricated, which demonstrates their excellent photocurrent and mechanical durability. This can be understood by the existence of oxygen vacancies and oxygen-vacancies-induced band narrowing in the ZnO nanostructures, which is a decisive factor for determining their photoelectrical properties in the hybrid system.

Dynamic covalent chemistry enables formation of antimicrobial peptide quaternary assemblies in a completely abiotic manner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuther, James F.; Dees, Justine L.; Kolesnichenko, Igor V.; Hernandez, Erik T.; Ukraintsev, Dmitri V.; Guduru, Rusheel; Whiteley, Marvin; Anslyn, Eric V.

2018-01-01

Naturally occurring peptides and proteins often use dynamic disulfide bonds to impart defined tertiary/quaternary structures for the formation of binding pockets with uniform size and function. Although peptide synthesis and modification are well established, controlling quaternary structure formation remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the facile incorporation of aryl aldehyde and acyl hydrazide functionalities into peptide oligomers via solid-phase copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SP-CuAAC) click reactions. When mixed, these complementary functional groups rapidly react in aqueous media at neutral pH to form peptide-peptide intermolecular macrocycles with highly tunable ring sizes. Moreover, sequence-specific figure-of-eight, dumbbell-shaped, zipper-like and multi-loop quaternary structures were formed selectively. Controlling the proportions of reacting peptides with mismatched numbers of complementary reactive groups results in the formation of higher-molecular-weight sequence-defined ladder polymers. This also amplified antimicrobial effectiveness in select cases. This strategy represents a general approach to the creation of complex abiotic peptide quaternary structures.

Artificial photosynthetic systems: assemblies of slipped cofacial porphyrins and phthalocyanines showing strong electronic coupling.

PubMed

Satake, Akiharu; Kobuke, Yoshiaki

2007-06-07

This paper reviews selected types of structurally well defined assemblies of porphyrins and phthalocyanines with strong electronic coupling. Face-to-face, head-to-tail, slipped cofacial, and non-parallel dimeric motifs constructed by covalent and non-covalent bonds are compared in the earlier sections. Their molecular orientation, electronic overlap, and absorption and fluorescence properties are discussed with a view towards the development of artificial photosynthetic systems and molecular electronics. Complementary coordination dimers are fully satisfactory in terms of structural stability, orientation factor, pi-electronic overlap, and zero fluorescence quenching. In later sections, several polymeric and macrocyclic porphyrin assemblies constructed by a combination of covalent bonds and complementary coordination bonds are discussed from the viewpoint of light-harvesting antenna functions.

Noise and current-voltage characterization of complementary heterojunction field-effect transistor (CHFET) structures below 8 K

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cunningham, Thomas J.; Fossum, Eric R.; Baier, Steven M.

1992-01-01

Noise and current-voltage characterization of complementary heterojunction field-effect transistor (CHFET) structures below 8 K are presented. It is shown that the CHFET exhibits normal transistor operation down to 6 K. Some of the details of the transistor operation, such as the gate-voltage dependence of the channel potential, are analyzed. The gate current is examined and is shown to be due to several mechanisms acting in parallel. These include field-emission and thermionic-field-emission, conduction through a temperature-activated resistance, and thermionic emission. The input referred noise for n-channel CHFETs is presented and discussed. The noise has the spectral dependence of 1/f noise, but does not exhibit the usual area dependence.

Temporal variation in bat-fruit interactions: Foraging strategies influence network structure over time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zapata-Mesa, Natalya; Montoya-Bustamante, Sebastián; Murillo-García, Oscar E.

2017-11-01

Mutualistic interactions, such as seed dispersal, are important for the maintenance of structure and stability of tropical communities. However, there is a lack of information about spatial and temporal variation in plant-animal interaction networks. Thus, our goal was to assess the effect of bat's foraging strategies on temporal variation in the structure and robustness of bat-fruit networks in both a dry and a rain tropical forest. We evaluated monthly variation in bat-fruit networks by using seven structure metrics: network size, average path length, nestedness, modularity, complementary specialization, normalized degree and betweenness centrality. Seed dispersal networks showed variations in size, species composition and modularity; did not present nested structures and their complementary specialization was high compared to other studies. Both networks presented short path lengths, and a constantly high robustness, despite their monthly variations. Sedentary bat species were recorded during all the study periods and occupied more central positions than nomadic species. We conclude that foraging strategies are important structuring factors that affect the dynamic of networks by determining the functional roles of frugivorous bats over time; thus sedentary bats are more important than nomadic species for the maintenance of the network structure, and their conservation is a must.

Project Career: A qualitative examination of five college students with traumatic brain injuries.

PubMed

Nardone, Amanda; Sampson, Elaine; Stauffer, Callista; Leopold, Anne; Jacobs, Karen; Hendricks, Deborah J; Elias, Eileen; Chen, Hui; Rumrill, Phillip

2015-01-01

Project Career is an interprofessional five-year development project designed to improve the employment success of undergraduate college and university students with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The case study information was collected and synthesized by the project's Technology and Employment Coordinators (TECs) at each of the project's three university sites. The project's evaluation is occurring independently through JBS International, Inc. Five case studies are presented to provide an understanding of student participants' experiences within Project Career. Each case study includes background on the student, engagement with technology, vocational supports, and interactions with his/her respective TEC. A qualitative analysis from the student's case notes is provided within each case study, along with a discussion of the overall qualitative analysis. Across all five students, the theme Positive Outcomes was mentioned most often in the case notes. Of all the different type of challenges, Cognitive Challenges were most often mentioned during meetings with the TECs, followed by Psychological Challenges, Physical Challenges, Other Challenges, and Academic Challenges, respectively. Project Career is providing academic enrichment and career enhancement that may substantially improve the unsatisfactory employment outcomes that presently await students with TBI following graduation.

Structure identification by Mass Spectrometry Non-Targeted Analysis using the US EPA’s CompTox Chemistry Dashboard

EPA Science Inventory

Identification of unknowns in mass spectrometry based non-targeted analyses (NTA) requires the integration of complementary pieces of data to arrive at a confident, consensus structure. Researchers use chemical reference databases, spectral matching, fragment prediction tools, r...

Introduction of inappropriate complementary feeding in the first year of life and associated factors in children with low socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Dallazen, Camila; Silva, Sara Araújo da; Gonçalves, Vivian Siqueira Santos; Nilson, Eduardo Augusto Fernandes; Crispim, Sandra Patricia; Lang, Regina Maria Ferreira; Moreira, Júlia Dubois; Tietzmann, Daniela Cardoso; Vítolo, Márcia Regina

2018-02-19

The study aimed to identify factors associated with the introduction of inappropriate complementary feeding in the first year of life in children living in municipalities (counties) with low socioeconomic statusl. This was a cross-sectional multicenter study in 1,567 children 12 to 59 months of age in 48 municipalities participating in the Brazil Without Poverty plan in the South of Brazil. A structured questionnaire was applied to the children's parents to obtain socio-demographic information and the age at which inappropriate complementary foods were introduced for the first time in complementary feeding. Prevalence of introduction of sugar before four months of age was 35.5% (n = 497; 95%CI: 33.1-38.0). The prevalence rates for the introduction of cookies/crackers, creamy yogurt, and jelly before six months of age were 20.4% (n = 287; 95%CI: 18.3-22.3), 24.8% (n = 349; 95%CI: 22.4-27.1), and 13.8% (n = 192; 95%CI: 12.0-15.7), respectively. Associations were identified between low maternal schooling (PR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.03-1.51) and low monthly family income (PR = 1.22; CI95%: 1.01-1.48) and the introduction of inappropriate complementary feeding. The study identified the introduction of inappropriate complementary feeding in the first year of life among children in municipalities with high socioeconomic vulnerability in the South of Brazil, associated with low maternal schooling and low monthly family income.

[Complementary and alternative medicine: use in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais].

PubMed

Neto, Joao Felício Rodrigues; Faria, Anderson Antônio de; Figueiredo, Maria Fernanda Santos

2009-01-01

To determine prevalence of utilization and social and economic profile of those using complementary and alternative medicine in the medium sized Brazilian city of Montes Claros, MG. A transversal descriptive study was conducted. The sample of 3090 people was probabilistic, by clusters using the household as the sample unit for interview of both genders, older than 18 years. Data were collected by semi-structured questionnaires. Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine was of 8.9% when only those involving costs such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractics, techniques of relaxation/ meditation and massage are considered and of 70.0%, when all therapies found were included. Prevalent were prayers to God (52.0%), popular medicines (30.9%), physical exercises (25.5%), faith healers (15.0%), popular diets (7.1%), massage (4.9%), relaxation/meditation (2.8%), homeopathy (2.4%), and groups of self-help (1.9%), chiropractics (1.7%), acupuncture (1.5%) and orthomolecular medicine (0.2%). Women, Catholic, married of higher income and education were positively associated with utilization of therapies involving expenses. Complementary and alternative medicine is used by a significant number of those interviewed. Gender, religion, marital status, income and education were positively associated with utilization of complementary and alternative medicine. Access of those with less income and education could increase the utilization of the options that involve expenses.

20180318 - Structure identification by Mass Spectrometry Non-Targeted Analysis using the US EPA’s CompTox Chemistry Dashboard (ACS Spring)

EPA Science Inventory

Identification of unknowns in mass spectrometry based non-targeted analyses (NTA) requires the integration of complementary pieces of data to arrive at a confident, consensus structure. Researchers use chemical reference databases, spectral matching, fragment prediction tools, r...

Complementary alternative medicine use in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Erzurum, Turkey.

PubMed

Arýkan, Duygu; Sívríkaya, Sibel Karaca; Olgun, Nermin

2009-08-01

The aims of this study were: (i) to determine the types of complementary and alternative medicine use among children with type I diabetes mellitus as reported by parents and (ii) to describe sociodemographic and medical factors associated with the use of such treatments in families residing in Eastern Turkey. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a tremendously challenging and complex disease for children and families to manage. Therefore, the use of complementary and alternative medicines among children with type 1 diabetes is becoming increasingly popular. Survey. Parents of 100 paediatric patients (who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at least 6 months prior to the study) who visited the participating paediatric endocrinology multidisciplinary centres and clinics for diabetes management were included in the study. Data were collected by using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results. Fifty-two per cent of the parents reported the use of one or more complementary alternative medicine therapies. Most such users (59.6%) were using oral herbal preparations; including morus alba (leaves) aloe vera and stinging nettle. Since we found that 78.6% of those using herbals were satisfied with their results and 69.2% were planning to continue use, it is important for healthcare providers to have relevant knowledge about complementary alternative medicine use and learn about its efficacy and effects (positive and adverse) of these treatments. Relevance to clinical practice. Botanical substitute for insulin seems unlikely, but complementary alternative treatments may provide valuable clues for the development of new oral hypoglycaemic agents and simple dietary agents. It is important for healthcare providers to have up-to-date knowledge about the use and effects of complementary alternative medicines in the outpatient clinical care setting.

Ground Characterization Studies in Canakkale Pilot Site of LIQUEFACT Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozcep, F.; Oztoprak, S.; Aysal, N.; Bozbey, I.; Tezel, O.; Ozer, C.; Sargin, S.; Bekin, E.; Almasraf, M.; Cengiz Cinku, M.; Ozdemir, K.

2017-12-01

The our aim is to outline the ground characterisation studies in Canakkale test site. Study is based on the EU H2020 LIQUEFACT project entitled "Liquefact: Assessment and mitigation of liquefaction potential across Europe: a holistic approach to protect structures / infrastructures for improved resilience to earthquake-induced liquefaction disasters". Objectives and extent of ground characterization for Canakkale test site includes pre-existing soil investigation studies and complementary field studies. There were several SPT and geophysical tests carried out in the study area. Within the context of the complementary tests, six (6) study areas in the test site were chosen and complementary tests were carried out in these areas. In these areas, additional boreholes were opened and SPT tests were performed. It was decided that additional CPT (CPTU and SCPT) and Marchetti Dilatometer (DMT) tests should be carried out within the scope of the complementary testing. Seismic refraction, MASW and micro tremor measurements had been carried out in pre-existing studies. Shear wave velocities obtained from MASW measurements were evaluated to the most rigorous level. These tests were downhole seismic, PS-logging, seismic refraction, 2D-ReMi, MASW, micro tremor (H/V Nakamura method), 2D resistivity and resonance acoustic profiling (RAP). RAP is a new technique which will be explained briefly in the relevant section. Dynamic soil properties had not been measured in pre-existing studies, therefore these properties were investigated within the scope of the complementary tests. Selection of specific experimental tests of the complementary campaign was based on cost-benefit considerations Within the context of complementary field studies, dynamic soil properties were measured using resonant column and cyclic direct shear tests. Several sieve analyses and Atterberg Limits tests which were documented in the pre-existing studies were evaluated. In the complementary study carried out, additional sieve analyses and Atterberg Limit tests were carried out. It was aimed to make some correlations between geophysical measurements and other field measurements; such as SPT, blow count values.

Dynamic reassembly of peptide RADA16 nanofiber scaffold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoi, Hidenori; Kinoshita, Takatoshi; Zhang, Shuguang

2005-06-01

Nanofiber structures of some peptides and proteins as biological materials have been studied extensively, but their molecular mechanism of self-assembly and reassembly still remains unclear. We report here the reassembly of an ionic self-complementary peptide RADARADARADARADA (RADA16-I) that forms a well defined nanofiber scaffold. The 16-residue peptide forms stable -sheet structure and undergoes molecular self-assembly into nanofibers and eventually a scaffold hydrogel consisting of >99.5% water. In this study, the nanofiber scaffold was sonicated into smaller fragments. Circular dichroism, atomic force microscopy, and rheology were used to follow the kinetics of the reassembly. These sonicated fragments not only quickly reassemble into nanofibers that were indistinguishable from the original material, but their reassembly also correlated with the rheological analyses showing an increase of scaffold rigidity as a function of nanofiber length. The disassembly and reassembly processes were repeated four times and, each time, the reassembly reached the original length. We proposed a plausible sliding diffusion model to interpret the reassembly involving complementary nanofiber cohesive ends. This reassembly process is important for fabrication of new scaffolds for 3D cell culture, tissue repair, and regenerative medicine. atomic force microscopy | circular dichroism | dynamic behaviors | ionic self-complementary peptides | nanofiber hydrogels

1H NMR spectra dataset and solid-state NMR data of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata).

PubMed

Alves Filho, Elenilson G; Silva, Lorena M A; Teofilo, Elizita M; Larsen, Flemming H; de Brito, Edy S

2017-04-01

In this article the NMR data from chemical shifts, coupling constants, and structures of all the characterized compounds were provided, beyond a complementary PCA evaluation for the corresponding manuscript (E.G. Alves Filho, L.M.A. Silva, E.M. Teofilo, F.H. Larsen, E.S. de Brito, 2017) [3]. In addition, a complementary assessment from solid-state NMR data was provided. For further chemometric analysis, numerical matrices from the raw 1 H NMR data were made available in Microsoft Excel workbook format (.xls).

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like transmission in side-coupled complementary split-ring resonators.

PubMed

Guo, Yinghui; Yan, Lianshan; Pan, Wei; Luo, Bin; Wen, Kunhua; Guo, Zhen; Luo, Xiangang

2012-10-22

We investigate a plasmonic waveguide system based on side-coupled complementary split-ring resonators (CSRR), which exhibits electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like transmission. LC resonance model is utilized to explain the electromagnetic responses of CSRR, which is verified by simulation results of finite difference time domain method. The electromagnetic responses of CSRR can be flexible handled by changing the asymmetry degree of the structure and the width of the metallic baffles. Cascaded CSRRs also have been studied to obtain EIT-like transmission at visible and near-infrared region, simultaneously.

Polarization-selective transmission in stacked two-dimensional complementary plasmonic crystal slabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwanaga, Masanobu

2010-02-01

It has been experimentally and numerically shown that transmission at near infrared wavelengths is selectively controlled by polarizations in two-dimensional complementary plasmonic crystal slabs (2D c-PlCSs) of stacked unit cell. This feature is naturally derived by taking account of Babinet's principle. Moreover, the slight structural modification of the unit cell has been found to result in a drastic change in linear optical responses of stacked 2D c-PlCSs. These results substantiate the feasibility of 2D c-PlCSs for producing efficient polarizers with subwavelength thickness.

Coplanar waveguide metamaterials: The role of bandwidth modifying slots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibraheem, Ibraheem A.; Koch, Martin

2007-09-01

The authors propose a coplanar waveguide stopband metasurface based on the Babinet principle. The resulting layout is a compact planar metal structure with complementary split ring resonators, which exhibits a high rejection stop band. The complementary rings provide a frequency band with an effective negative dielectric permittivity. Moreover, the rejected bandwidth can be expanded by introducing slots close to the rings. The authors provide a simple physical model which explains the impact of the slots. Simulations confirm the expected behavior and are in excellent agreement with the measurements.

Characterization of complementary patterned metallic membranes produced simultaneously by a dual fabrication process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Qingzhen; Zeng, Yong; Wang, Xiande; Zhao, Yanhui; Wang, Bei; Chiang, I.-Kao; Werner, Douglas H.; Crespi, Vincent; Huang, Tony Jun

2010-11-01

An efficient technique is developed to fabricate optically thin metallic films with subwavelength patterns and their complements simultaneously. By comparing the spectra of the complementary films, we show that Babinet's principle nearly holds for these structures in the optical domain. Rigorous full-wave simulations are employed to verify the experimental observations. It is further demonstrated that a discrete-dipole approximation can qualitatively describe the spectral dependence of the metallic membranes on the geometry of the constituent particles as well as the illuminating polarization.

Characterization of complementary electric field coupled resonant surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, Thomas H.; Gollub, Jonah; Sajuyigbe, Soji; Smith, David R.; Cummer, Steven A.

2008-11-01

We present angle-resolved free-space transmission and reflection measurements of a surface composed of complementary electric inductive-capacitive (CELC) resonators. By measuring the reflection and transmission coefficients of a CELC surface with different polarizations and particle orientations, we show that the CELC only responds to in-plane magnetic fields. This confirms the Babinet particle duality between the CELC and its complement, the electric field coupled LC resonator. Characterization of the CELC structure serves to expand the current library of resonant elements metamaterial designers can draw upon to make unique materials and surfaces.

Timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors among children aged 6 to 12 months in Northern Ethiopia: an institution-based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of life is critical for the wellbeing of the child. In the mean while, timely initiation and starting nutritionally-adequate, safe, age-appropriate complementary feeding at six months is recommended for the better health and development of infants. According to the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2011, timely initiation of complementary feeding in Ethiopia at the 6th month was only 51%. The purpose of this study is to determine the magnitude of timely initiation of complementary feeding and associated factors in Mekelle town, Northern Ethiopia. Methods An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 422 mothers of infants aged from six months to one year selected from six public health facilities. Sample size proportional to the patient flow rate of each institution was allocated and systematic random sampling method was used to get the study participant. An exit interview using structured questionnaire was conducted about their experience on complementary feeding and related experience. The questionnaire was pretested among 21 mothers. Data were entered with EPI info version 3.5.1 and cleaning and analysis was done by using SPSS version 16. Frequencies distribution, binary and multiple logistic regressions were done. OR and 95% confidence interval was computed. Result The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding at sixth month was 62.8% (265/422, 95% C.I: 58.1, 67.31%). Educational level, occupation of mother, parity, having ANC follow up, and birth preparedness were found to be independent predictor of timely initiation of complementary feeding. Conclusions Almost two-third of mothers initiated complementary feeding at six month of child’ age as recommended. This was relatively higher prevalence than most developing countries. However, significant proportion of mothers still did not initiate complementary feeding timely. Mothers who are illiterate and completed only primary school need more attention. All mothers must be encouraged to make antenatal care follow up. PMID:24195592

Structure identification for Non-Targeted Analytical Chemistry using the US EPA’s CompTox Chemistry Dashboard (ACS 2017 Fall meeting 3 of 3)

EPA Science Inventory

Identification of unknowns in non-targeted analyses (NTA) requires the integration of complementary data types to generate a confident consensus structure. Researchers use a variety of data and tools (e.g., chemical reference databases, spectral matching, fragment prediction too...

Composite Structure with Origami Core

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-19

spherical linkages using the mechanism theory . Precise motions of origami were identified. In the second case, we identified a link between thick panel...operating reversibly by a coupled tension-to-torsion actuation mechanism . Using theory , we quantitatively explain the complementary effects of an increase in...structures. Our research has paved the way for much broader utilization of such structures in aeronautics and aerospace industries. 15. SUBJECT TERMS

Electron Capture Dissociation of Divalent Metal-adducted Sulfated N-Glycans Released from Bovine Thyroid Stimulating Hormone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wen; Håkansson, Kristina

2013-11-01

Sulfated N-glycans released from bovine thyroid stimulating hormone (bTSH) were ionized with the divalent metal cations Ca2+, Mg2+, and Co by electrospray ionization (ESI). These metal-adducted species were subjected to infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) and electron capture dissociation (ECD) and the corresponding fragmentation patterns were compared. IRMPD generated extensive glycosidic and cross-ring cleavages, but most product ions suffered from sulfonate loss. Internal fragments were also observed, which complicated the spectra. ECD provided complementary structural information compared with IRMPD, and all observed product ions retained the sulfonate group, allowing sulfonate localization. To our knowledge, this work represents the first application of ECD towards metal-adducted sulfated N-glycans released from a glycoprotein. Due to the ability of IRMPD and ECD to provide complementary structural information, the combination of the two strategies is a promising and valuable tool for glycan structural characterization. The influence of different metal ions was also examined. Calcium adducts appeared to be the most promising species because of high sensitivity and ability to provide extensive structural information.

Submolecular Structure and Orientation of Oligonucleotide Duplexes Tethered to Gold Electrodes Probed by Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy: Effect of the Electrode Potentials.

PubMed

Kékedy-Nagy, László; Ferapontova, Elena E; Brand, Izabella

2017-02-23

Unique electronic and ligand recognition properties of the DNA double helix provide basis for DNA applications in biomolecular electronic and biosensor devices. However, the relation between the structure of DNA at electrified interfaces and its electronic properties is still not well understood. Here, potential-driven changes in the submolecular structure of DNA double helices composed of either adenine-thymine (dAdT) 25 or cytosine-guanine (dGdC) 20 base pairs tethered to the gold electrodes are for the first time analyzed by in situ polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM IRRAS) performed under the electrochemical control. It is shown that the conformation of the DNA duplexes tethered to gold electrodes via the C 6 alkanethiol linker strongly depends on the nucleic acid sequence composition. The tilt of purine and pyrimidine rings of the complementary base pairs (dAdT and dGdC) depends on the potential applied to the electrode. By contrast, neither the conformation nor orientation of the ionic in character phosphate-sugar backbone is affected by the electrode potentials. At potentials more positive than the potential of zero charge (pzc), a gradual tilting of the double helix is observed. In this tilted orientation, the planes of the complementary purine and pyrimidine rings lie ideally parallel to each other. These potentials do not affect the integral stability of the DNA double helix at the charged interface. At potentials more negative than the pzc, DNA helices adopt a vertical to the gold surface orientation. Tilt of the purine and pyrimidine rings depends on the composition of the double helix. In monolayers composed of (dAdT) 25 molecules the rings of the complementary base pairs lie parallel to each other. By contrast, the tilt of purine and pyrimidine rings in (dGdC) 20 helices depends on the potential applied to the electrode. Such potential-induced mobility of the complementary base pairs can destabilize the helix structure at a submolecular level. These pioneer results on the potential-driven changes in the submolecular structure of double stranded DNA adsorbed on conductive supports contribute to further understanding of the potential-driven sequence-specific electronic properties of surface-tethered oligonucleotides.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with hematological diseases experience at a university hospital in northeast Mexico.

PubMed

Jaime-Pérez, José Carlos; Chapa-Rodríguez, Adrián; Rodríguez-Martínez, Marisol; Colunga-Pedraza, Perla Rocío; Marfil-Rivera, Luis Javier; Gómez-Almaguer, David

2012-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine includes a diverse group of medical and healthcare systems, practices and products not considered part of conventional medicine. Although there is information on unconventional practices in oncological diseases, specific data regarding the use of complementary and alternative medicine by hematology patients is scarce. The aim of this study is to document the prevalence of this modality of unconventional therapy in patients with malignant and benign hematological diseases, particularly children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. An observational study of adult patients and guardians of children with malignant or benign hematological diseases was carried out by applying a structured questionnaire detailing the use and results of the most prevalent complementary and alternative medicine practices. One hundred and twenty patients were included; 104 had malignant and 16 had benign hematological diseases. The use of complementary and alternative medicine was greater in benign diseases but the difference was not statistically significant (64.7% versus 41.7%; p-value = 0.08). Patients and guardians with high school or college educations used these alternative practices more than patients with less schooling (60.7% versus 54.7%; p-value = 0.032). The use of folk remedies was most prevalent followed by herbal preparations and spiritual healing. Sixty-four percent of patients that used these unconventional practices reported improvement in their symptoms and increased capacity to perform daily activities. No significant difference was documented between patients with malignant or benign hematological diseases using these alternative practices. The majority of complementary and alternative medicine users reported improvement of the disease or chemotherapy-related symptoms.

Detection of bacterial 16S rRNA using a molecular beacon-based X sensor

PubMed Central

Gerasimova, Yulia V.; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate how a long structurally constrained RNA can be analyzed in homogeneous solution at ambient temperatures with high specificity using a sophisticated biosensor. The sensor consists of a molecular beacon probe as a signal reporter and two DNA adaptor strands, which have fragments complementary to the reporter and to the analyzed RNA. One adaptor strand uses its long RNA-binding arm to unwind the RNA secondary structure. Second adaptor strand with a short RNA-binding arm hybridizes only to a fully complementary site, thus providing high recognition specificity. Overall the three-component sensor and the target RNA form a four-stranded DNA crossover (X) structure. Using this sensor, E.coli 16S rRNA was detected in real time with the detection limit of ~ 0.17 nM. The high specificity of the analysis was proven by differentiating B.subtilus from E.coli 16S rRNA sequences. The sensor responds to the presence of the analyte within seconds. PMID:23021850

Regulation of T-cell receptor signalling by membrane microdomains

PubMed Central

Razzaq, Tahir M; Ozegbe, Patricia; Jury, Elizabeth C; Sembi, Phupinder; Blackwell, Nathan M; Kabouridis, Panagiotis S

2004-01-01

There is now considerable evidence suggesting that the plasma membrane of mammalian cells is compartmentalized by functional lipid raft microdomains. These structures are assemblies of specialized lipids and proteins and have been implicated in diverse biological functions. Analysis of their protein content using proteomics and other methods revealed enrichment of signalling proteins, suggesting a role for these domains in intracellular signalling. In T lymphocytes, structure/function experiments and complementary pharmacological studies have shown that raft microdomains control the localization and function of proteins which are components of signalling pathways regulated by the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR). Based on these studies, a model for TCR phosphorylation in lipid rafts is presented. However, despite substantial progress in the field, critical questions remain. For example, it is unclear if membrane rafts represent a homogeneous population and if their structure is modified upon TCR stimulation. In the future, proteomics and the parallel development of complementary analytical methods will undoubtedly contribute in further delineating the role of lipid rafts in signal transduction mechanisms. PMID:15554919

In crystallo optical spectroscopy (icOS) as a complementary tool on the macromolecular crystallography beamlines of the ESRF

PubMed Central

von Stetten, David; Giraud, Thierry; Carpentier, Philippe; Sever, Franc; Terrien, Maxime; Dobias, Fabien; Juers, Douglas H.; Flot, David; Mueller-Dieckmann, Christoph; Leonard, Gordon A.; de Sanctis, Daniele; Royant, Antoine

2015-01-01

The analysis of structural data obtained by X-ray crystallo­graphy benefits from information obtained from complementary techniques, especially as applied to the crystals themselves. As a consequence, optical spectroscopies in structural biology have become instrumental in assessing the relevance and context of many crystallographic results. Since the year 2000, it has been possible to record such data adjacent to, or directly on, the Structural Biology Group beamlines of the ESRF. A core laboratory featuring various spectrometers, named the Cryobench, is now in its third version and houses portable devices that can be directly mounted on beamlines. This paper reports the current status of the Cryobench, which is now located on the MAD beamline ID29 and is thus called the ID29S-Cryobench (where S stands for ‘spectroscopy’). It also reviews the diverse experiments that can be performed at the Cryobench, highlighting the various scientific questions that can be addressed. PMID:25615856

Complementary MS Methods Assist Conformational Characterization of Antibodies with Altered S-S Bonding Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Lisa M.; Zhang, Hao; Cui, Weidong; Kumar, Sandeep; Sperry, Justin B.; Carroll, James A.; Gross, Michael L.

2013-06-01

As therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) become a major focus in biotechnology and a source of the next-generation drugs, new analytical methods or combination methods are needed for monitoring changes in higher order structure and effects of post-translational modifications. The complexity of these molecules and their vulnerability to structural change provide a serious challenge. We describe here the use of complementary mass spectrometry methods that not only characterize mutant mAbs but also may provide a general framework for characterizing higher order structure of other protein therapeutics and biosimilars. To frame the challenge, we selected members of the IgG2 subclass that have distinct disulfide isomeric structures as a model to evaluate an overall approach that uses ion mobility, top-down MS sequencing, and protein footprinting in the form of fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP). These three methods are rapid, sensitive, respond to subtle changes in conformation of Cys → Ser mutants of an IgG2, each representing a single disulfide isoform, and may be used in series to probe higher order structure. The outcome suggests that this approach of using various methods in combination can assist the development and quality control of protein therapeutics.

Neutron Crystallography for the Study of Hydrogen Bonds in Macromolecules.

PubMed

Oksanen, Esko; Chen, Julian C-H; Fisher, Suzanne Zoë

2017-04-07

Abstract : The hydrogen bond (H bond) is one of the most important interactions that form the foundation of secondary and tertiary protein structure. Beyond holding protein structures together, H bonds are also intimately involved in solvent coordination, ligand binding, and enzyme catalysis. The H bond by definition involves the light atom, H, and it is very difficult to study directly, especially with X-ray crystallographic techniques, due to the poor scattering power of H atoms. Neutron protein crystallography provides a powerful, complementary tool that can give unambiguous information to structural biologists on solvent organization and coordination, the electrostatics of ligand binding, the protonation states of amino acid side chains and catalytic water species. The method is complementary to X-ray crystallography and the dynamic data obtainable with NMR spectroscopy. Also, as it gives explicit H atom positions, it can be very valuable to computational chemistry where exact knowledge of protonation and solvent orientation can make a large difference in modeling. This article gives general information about neutron crystallography and shows specific examples of how the method has contributed to structural biology, structure-based drug design; and the understanding of fundamental questions of reaction mechanisms.

Neutron crystallography for the study of hydrogen bonds in macromolecules

DOE PAGES

Oksanen, Esko; Chen, Julian C.; Fisher, Zoe

2017-04-07

The hydrogen bond (H bond) is one of the most important interactions that form the foundation of secondary and tertiary protein structure. Beyond holding protein structures together, H bonds are also intimately involved in solvent coordination, ligand binding, and enzyme catalysis. The H bond by definition involves the light atom, H, and it is very difficult to study directly, especially with X-ray crystallographic techniques, due to the poor scattering power of H atoms. Neutron protein crystallography provides a powerful, complementary tool that can give unambiguous information to structural biologists on solvent organization and coordination, the electrostatics of ligand binding, themore » protonation states of amino acid side chains and catalytic water species. The method is complementary to X-ray crystallography and the dynamic data obtainable with NMR spectroscopy. Also, as it gives explicit H atom positions, it can be very valuable to computational chemistry where exact knowledge of protonation and solvent orientation can make a large difference in modeling. Finally, this article gives general information about neutron crystallography and shows specific examples of how the method has contributed to structural biology, structure-based drug design; and the understanding of fundamental questions of reaction mechanisms.« less

Neutron crystallography for the study of hydrogen bonds in macromolecules

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

Oksanen, Esko; Chen, Julian C.; Fisher, Zoe

The hydrogen bond (H bond) is one of the most important interactions that form the foundation of secondary and tertiary protein structure. Beyond holding protein structures together, H bonds are also intimately involved in solvent coordination, ligand binding, and enzyme catalysis. The H bond by definition involves the light atom, H, and it is very difficult to study directly, especially with X-ray crystallographic techniques, due to the poor scattering power of H atoms. Neutron protein crystallography provides a powerful, complementary tool that can give unambiguous information to structural biologists on solvent organization and coordination, the electrostatics of ligand binding, themore » protonation states of amino acid side chains and catalytic water species. The method is complementary to X-ray crystallography and the dynamic data obtainable with NMR spectroscopy. Also, as it gives explicit H atom positions, it can be very valuable to computational chemistry where exact knowledge of protonation and solvent orientation can make a large difference in modeling. Finally, this article gives general information about neutron crystallography and shows specific examples of how the method has contributed to structural biology, structure-based drug design; and the understanding of fundamental questions of reaction mechanisms.« less

Complementary and alternative medicine: Interaction and communication between midwives and women.

PubMed

Hall, Helen G; Griffiths, Debra; McKenna, Lisa G

2015-06-01

Many pregnant women use complementary and alternative medicine. Although midwives are often supportive, how they communicate with women about the safe use of these therapies has received limited research attention. The aim of this study was to explore how midwives interact with women regarding use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy. We utilised grounded theory methodology to collect and analyse data. Twenty-five midwives who worked in metropolitan hospitals situated in Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews and non-participant observations, over an 18-month period. How midwives communicate about complementary and alternative medicine is closely associated with the meaning they construct around the woman's role in decisionmaking. Most aim to work in a manner consistent with the midwifery partnership model and share the responsibility for decisions regarding complementary and alternative medicine. However, although various therapies were commonly discussed, usually the pregnant woman initiated the dialogue. A number of contextual conditions such as the biomedical discourse, lack of knowledge, language barriers and workplace constraints, limited communication in some situations. Midwives often interact with women interested in using CAM. Most value the woman's autonomy and aim to work in partnership. However, various contextual conditions restrain overt CAM communication in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What Learning Systems do Intelligent Agents Need? Complementary Learning Systems Theory Updated.

PubMed

Kumaran, Dharshan; Hassabis, Demis; McClelland, James L

2016-07-01

We update complementary learning systems (CLS) theory, which holds that intelligent agents must possess two learning systems, instantiated in mammalians in neocortex and hippocampus. The first gradually acquires structured knowledge representations while the second quickly learns the specifics of individual experiences. We broaden the role of replay of hippocampal memories in the theory, noting that replay allows goal-dependent weighting of experience statistics. We also address recent challenges to the theory and extend it by showing that recurrent activation of hippocampal traces can support some forms of generalization and that neocortical learning can be rapid for information that is consistent with known structure. Finally, we note the relevance of the theory to the design of artificial intelligent agents, highlighting connections between neuroscience and machine learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Balanced Tri-band PD Based on Microstrip-slotline Transition Structure Embedded Complementary Split-ring Resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Li, Xiao Yan; Wei, Feng

2017-12-01

A balanced tri-band equal power divider (PD) is proposed based on a balanced stepped-impedance microstrip-slotline transition structure in this paper. Multi-band differential-mode (DM) responses can be realized by embedding multiple complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) into the slotline resonator. It is found that a high and wideband common-mode (CM) suppression can be achieved. Moreover, the center frequencies of the DM passbands are independent from the CM ones, which significantly simplifies the design procedure. In order to validate its practicalbility, a balanced PD with three DM passbands centred at 1.57, 2.5 and 3.5 GHz is fabricated and a good agreement between the simulated and measured results is observed. To our best knowledge, a balanced tri-band PD is the first ever reported.

Beyond simple small-angle X-ray scattering: developments in online complementary techniques and sample environments.

PubMed

Bras, Wim; Koizumi, Satoshi; Terrill, Nicholas J

2014-11-01

Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS) are standard tools in materials research. The simultaneous measurement of SAXS and WAXS data in time-resolved studies has gained popularity due to the complementary information obtained. Furthermore, the combination of these data with non X-ray based techniques, via either simultaneous or independent measurements, has advanced understanding of the driving forces that lead to the structures and morphologies of materials, which in turn give rise to their properties. The simultaneous measurement of different data regimes and types, using either X-rays or neutrons, and the desire to control parameters that initiate and control structural changes have led to greater demands on sample environments. Examples of developments in technique combinations and sample environment design are discussed, together with a brief speculation about promising future developments.

Beyond simple small-angle X-ray scattering: developments in online complementary techniques and sample environments

PubMed Central

Bras, Wim; Koizumi, Satoshi; Terrill, Nicholas J

2014-01-01

Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS) are standard tools in materials research. The simultaneous measurement of SAXS and WAXS data in time-resolved studies has gained popularity due to the complementary information obtained. Furthermore, the combination of these data with non X-ray based techniques, via either simultaneous or independent measurements, has advanced understanding of the driving forces that lead to the structures and morphologies of materials, which in turn give rise to their properties. The simultaneous measurement of different data regimes and types, using either X-rays or neutrons, and the desire to control parameters that initiate and control structural changes have led to greater demands on sample environments. Examples of developments in technique combinations and sample environment design are discussed, together with a brief speculation about promising future developments. PMID:25485128

Improving inflow forecasting into hydropower reservoirs through a complementary modelling framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gragne, A. S.; Sharma, A.; Mehrotra, R.; Alfredsen, K.

2014-10-01

Accuracy of reservoir inflow forecasts is instrumental for maximizing the value of water resources and benefits gained through hydropower generation. Improving hourly reservoir inflow forecasts over a 24 h lead-time is considered within the day-ahead (Elspot) market of the Nordic exchange market. We present here a new approach for issuing hourly reservoir inflow forecasts that aims to improve on existing forecasting models that are in place operationally, without needing to modify the pre-existing approach, but instead formulating an additive or complementary model that is independent and captures the structure the existing model may be missing. Besides improving forecast skills of operational models, the approach estimates the uncertainty in the complementary model structure and produces probabilistic inflow forecasts that entrain suitable information for reducing uncertainty in the decision-making processes in hydropower systems operation. The procedure presented comprises an error model added on top of an un-alterable constant parameter conceptual model, the models being demonstrated with reference to the 207 km2 Krinsvatn catchment in central Norway. The structure of the error model is established based on attributes of the residual time series from the conceptual model. Deterministic and probabilistic evaluations revealed an overall significant improvement in forecast accuracy for lead-times up to 17 h. Season based evaluations indicated that the improvement in inflow forecasts varies across seasons and inflow forecasts in autumn and spring are less successful with the 95% prediction interval bracketing less than 95% of the observations for lead-times beyond 17 h.

The management of a sexually charged clinical problem: social structural and psychoanalytic functionalist approaches in a therapeutic community.

PubMed

James, O W

1986-03-01

An event in a therapeutic community is examined from the perspectives of the structuralism of Durkheim and the functionalism of psychoanalysis. Although these two approaches might appear theoretically contradictory, analysis of the evidence shows them to be clinically complementary. The role of social structure in therapeutic communities requires deliberate conceptualization if such communities are to be demonstrably therapeutic.

Determining the folding and unfolding rate constants of nucleic acids by biosensor. Application to telomere G-quadruplex.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong; Kan, Zhong-yuan; Zeng, Zhi-xiong; Hao, Yu-hua; Chen, Hua; Tan, Zheng

2004-10-20

Nucleic acid molecules may fold into secondary structures, and the formation of such structures is involved in many biological processes and technical applications. The folding and unfolding rate constants define the kinetics of conformation interconversion and the stability of these structures and is important in realizing their functions. We developed a method to determine these kinetic parameters using an optical biosensor based on surface plasmon resonance. The folding and unfolding of a nucleic acid is coupled with a hybridization reaction by immobilization of the target nucleic acid on a sensor chip surface and injection of a complementary probe nucleic acid over the sensor chip surface. By monitoring the time course of duplex formation, both the folding and unfolding rate constants for the target nucleic acid and the association and dissociation rate constants for the target-probe duplex can all be derived from the same measurement. We applied this method to determine the folding and unfolding rate constants of the G-quadruplex of human telomere sequence (TTAGGG)(4) and its association and dissociation rate constants with the complementary strand (CCCTAA)(4). The results show that both the folding and unfolding occur on the time scale of minutes at physiological concentration of K(+). We speculate that this property might be important for telomere elongation. A complete set of the kinetic parameters for both of the structures allows us to study the competition between the formation of the quadruplex and the duplex. Calculations indicate that the formation of both the quadruplex and the duplex is strand concentration-dependent, and the quadruplex can be efficiently formed at low strand concentration. This property may provide the basis for the formation of the quadruplex in vivo in the presence of a complementary strand.

Long Life, Low Power, Multi-Cell Battery

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-28

complementary glass structures that provide for the containment walls that hold the electrolyte. B. Major task will involve the use...of an anodic bonding approach to fuse the silicon substrate containing the micro channels to the glass grid wall structures described above...Completion August 2010 Task B. completed, anodic bonding approach used on top glass and silicon layers

Youth Policies in the European Union. Structures and Training. Studies No. 7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazos, C. G.

This volume contains three studies that address important and complementary aspects of youth work as it is developing in the Member States of the European Union. Chapter 1, Youth Structures and Policies at National Level, has two parts. The first describes the specific nature of youth policies carried out by the various governments and the…

CMOS Active-Pixel Image Sensor With Simple Floating Gates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R.; Nakamura, Junichi; Kemeny, Sabrina E.

1996-01-01

Experimental complementary metal-oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) active-pixel image sensor integrated circuit features simple floating-gate structure, with metal-oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) as active circuit element in each pixel. Provides flexibility of readout modes, no kTC noise, and relatively simple structure suitable for high-density arrays. Features desirable for "smart sensor" applications.

D-section structural tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leete, II, John H. (Inventor); Skinner, William J. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

Structural members for a frame or truss are formed of two substantially identical elongated tubular like members each having a planar extending wall with the tubular members joined together along the planar wall, back to back, and end portions of the joined planar walls form extending lugs. A complementary joint fitting includes a clevis having a slot for receiving the lug.

Does experience of the 'occult' predict use of complementary medicine? Experience of, and beliefs about, both complementary medicine and ways of telling the future.

PubMed

Furnham, A

2000-12-01

This study looked at the relationship between ratings of the perceived effectiveness of 24 methods for telling the future, 39 complementary therapies (CM) and 12 specific attitude statements about science and medicine. A total of 159 participants took part. The results showed that the participants were deeply sceptical of the effectiveness of the methods for telling the future which factored into meaningful and interpretable factors. Participants were much more positive about particular, but not all, specialties of complementary medicine (CM). These also factored into a meaningful factor structure. Finally, the 12 attitude to science/medicine statements revealed four factors: scepticism of medicine; the importance of psychological factors; patient protection; and the importance of scientific evaluation. Regressional analysis showed that belief in the total effectiveness of different ways of predicting the future was best predicted by beliefs in the effectiveness of the CM therapies. Although interest in the occult was associated with interest in CM, participants were able to distinguish between the two, and displayed scepticism about the effectiveness of methods of predicting the future and some CM therapies. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Prevalence and determinants of use of complementary and alternative medicine by hypertensive patients attending primary health care facilities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lulebo, Aimée M; Mapatano, Mala A; Mutombo, Paulin B; Mafuta, Eric M; Samba, Gédéon; Coppieters, Yves

2017-04-08

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the control of hypertension is poor, characterized by an increasing number of reported cases of hypertension related complications. Poor control of hypertension is associated with non-adherence to antihypertensive medication. It is well established that the use of complementary and alternative medicine is one of the main factors of non-adherence to antihypertensive medication. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine. A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Kinshasa Primary Health-care (KPHC) facilities network in November 2014. A structured interview questionnaire was administrated to a total of 280hypertensive patients. Complementary and alternative medicine were defined according to the National Institute of Health classification as a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Data were summarized using proportion and mean (with standard deviation). The student's t test and χ 2 test were used respectively for mean and proportion comparison. Logistic regression analysis identified determinants of the use of complementary and alternative medicine. The prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine was 26.1% (95% CI: 20.7% - 31.8%).Determinants of use of complementary and alternative medicine included misperception about hypertension curability (OR = 2.1; 95%CI: 1.1-3.7) and experience of medication side effects (OR = 2.9; 95%CI: 1.7-5.1). The use of CAM for hypertensive patients is a major problem; antihypertensives with fewer side effects must be emphasized. Religious leaders must become involved in the communication for behavioral change activities to improve the quality of life for hypertensive patients.

Self-complementary circular codes in coding theory.

PubMed

Fimmel, Elena; Michel, Christian J; Starman, Martin; Strüngmann, Lutz

2018-04-01

Self-complementary circular codes are involved in pairing genetic processes. A maximal [Formula: see text] self-complementary circular code X of trinucleotides was identified in genes of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, plasmids and viruses (Michel in Life 7(20):1-16 2017, J Theor Biol 380:156-177, 2015; Arquès and Michel in J Theor Biol 182:45-58 1996). In this paper, self-complementary circular codes are investigated using the graph theory approach recently formulated in Fimmel et al. (Philos Trans R Soc A 374:20150058, 2016). A directed graph [Formula: see text] associated with any code X mirrors the properties of the code. In the present paper, we demonstrate a necessary condition for the self-complementarity of an arbitrary code X in terms of the graph theory. The same condition has been proven to be sufficient for codes which are circular and of large size [Formula: see text] trinucleotides, in particular for maximal circular codes ([Formula: see text] trinucleotides). For codes of small-size [Formula: see text] trinucleotides, some very rare counterexamples have been constructed. Furthermore, the length and the structure of the longest paths in the graphs associated with the self-complementary circular codes are investigated. It has been proven that the longest paths in such graphs determine the reading frame for the self-complementary circular codes. By applying this result, the reading frame in any arbitrary sequence of trinucleotides is retrieved after at most 15 nucleotides, i.e., 5 consecutive trinucleotides, from the circular code X identified in genes. Thus, an X motif of a length of at least 15 nucleotides in an arbitrary sequence of trinucleotides (not necessarily all of them belonging to X) uniquely defines the reading (correct) frame, an important criterion for analyzing the X motifs in genes in the future.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with hematological diseases experience at a university hospital in northeast Mexico

PubMed Central

Jaime-Pérez, José Carlos; Chapa-Rodríguez, Adrián; Rodríguez-Martínez, Marisol; Colunga-Pedraza, Perla Rocío; Marfil-Rivera, Luis Javier; Gómez-Almaguer, David

2012-01-01

Background Complementary and alternative medicine includes a diverse group of medical and healthcare systems, practices and products not considered part of conventional medicine. Although there is information on unconventional practices in oncological diseases, specific data regarding the use of complementary and alternative medicine by hematology patients is scarce. Objective The aim of this study is to document the prevalence of this modality of unconventional therapy in patients with malignant and benign hematological diseases, particularly children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Methods An observational study of adult patients and guardians of children with malignant or benign hematological diseases was carried out by applying a structured questionnaire detailing the use and results of the most prevalent complementary and alternative medicine practices. Results One hundred and twenty patients were included; 104 had malignant and 16 had benign hematological diseases. The use of complementary and alternative medicine was greater in benign diseases but the difference was not statistically significant (64.7% versus 41.7%; p-value = 0.08). Patients and guardians with high school or college educations used these alternative practices more than patients with less schooling (60.7% versus 54.7%; p-value = 0.032). The use of folk remedies was most prevalent followed by herbal preparations and spiritual healing. Sixty-four percent of patients that used these unconventional practices reported improvement in their symptoms and increased capacity to perform daily activities. Conclusion No significant difference was documented between patients with malignant or benign hematological diseases using these alternative practices. The majority of complementary and alternative medicine users reported improvement of the disease or chemotherapy-related symptoms. PMID:23049401

Influence of arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors on ALS outcome: a population-based study.

PubMed

Moglia, Cristina; Calvo, Andrea; Canosa, Antonio; Bertuzzo, Davide; Cugnasco, Paolo; Solero, Luca; Grassano, Maurizio; Bersano, Enrica; Cammarosano, Stefania; Manera, Umberto; Pisano, Fabrizio; Mazzini, Letizia; Dalla Vecchia, Laura A; Mora, Gabriele; Chiò, Adriano

2017-11-01

To assess the prognostic influence of pre-morbid type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and cardiovascular (CV) risk profile on ALS phenotype and outcome in a population-based cohort of Italian patients. A total of 650 ALS patients from the Piemonte/Valle d'Aosta Register for ALS, incident in the 2007-2011 period, were recruited. Information about premorbid presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension was collected at the time of diagnosis. Patients' CV risk profile was calculated according to the Joint British Societies' guidelines on prevention of cardiovascular disease in clinical practice (JBS2). At the univariate analysis, the presence of pre-morbid arterial hypertension was associated with a higher age at onset of ALS and a shorter survival, and patients with a high CV risk profile had a worse prognosis than those with a low CV risk profile. The Cox multivariable analysis did not confirm such findings. Type 2 diabetes mellitus did not modify either the phenotype or the prognosis of ALS patients. This study performed on a large population-based cohort of ALS patients has demonstrated that arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes and CV risk factors, calculated using the Framingham equation, do not influence ALS phenotype and prognosis.

Breaking Boundaries: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Provider Framing of Preventive Care.

PubMed

Agarwal, Vinita

2017-11-01

This textual examination extends understandings of how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers constitute preventive care in their discourse by identifying the frame of breaking boundaries referencing relational, structural, and philosophical orientations in their practice with their clients. Analysis of semistructured, in-depth interviews with CAM providers ( n = 17) reveals that the frame of breaking boundaries was comprised of three themes: finding one's own strength; I don't prescribe, so I'm exploring; and ground yourself, and have an escape route. The themes describe preventive care by identifying how CAM providers negotiate their relational positionality in connecting with clients, structural positionality within the field of health care, and philosophical positionality within the ontological understandings that guide how health is defined and conceptualized. The study contributes toward enhancing diverse understandings of constituting preventive care in practice and suggests pragmatic implications for addressing biomedical provider communication with their patients seeking CAM care alongside conventional treatments.

Water soluble nano-scale transient material germanium oxide for zero toxic waste based environmentally benign nano-manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almuslem, A. S.; Hanna, A. N.; Yapici, T.; Wehbe, N.; Diallo, E. M.; Kutbee, A. T.; Bahabry, R. R.; Hussain, M. M.

2017-02-01

In the recent past, with the advent of transient electronics for mostly implantable and secured electronic applications, the whole field effect transistor structure has been dissolved in a variety of chemicals. Here, we show simple water soluble nano-scale (sub-10 nm) germanium oxide (GeO2) as the dissolvable component to remove the functional structures of metal oxide semiconductor devices and then reuse the expensive germanium substrate again for functional device fabrication. This way, in addition to transiency, we also show an environmentally friendly manufacturing process for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Every year, trillions of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics are manufactured and billions are disposed, which extend the harmful impact to our environment. Therefore, this is a key study to show a pragmatic approach for water soluble high performance electronics for environmentally friendly manufacturing and bioresorbable electronic applications.

Lipophilic oligonucleotides spontaneously insert into lipid membranes, bind complementary DNA strands, and sequester into lipid-disordered domains.

PubMed

Bunge, Andreas; Kurz, Anke; Windeck, Anne-Kathrin; Korte, Thomas; Flasche, Wolfgang; Liebscher, Jürgen; Herrmann, Andreas; Huster, Daniel

2007-04-10

For the development of surface functionalized bilayers, we have synthesized lipophilic oligonucleotides to combine the molecular recognition mechanism of nucleic acids and the self-assembly characteristics of lipids in planar membranes. A lipophilic oligonucleotide consisting of 21 thymidine units and two lipophilic nucleotides with an alpha-tocopherol moiety as a lipophilic anchor was synthesized using solid-phase methods with a phosphoramadite strategy. The interaction of the water soluble lipophilic oligonucleotide with vesicular lipid membranes and its capability to bind complementary DNA strands was studied using complementary methods such as NMR, EPR, DSC, fluorescence spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy. This oligonucleotide inserted stably into preformed membranes from the aqueous phase. Thereby, no significant perturbation of the lipid bilayer and its stability was observed. However, the non-lipidated end of the oligonucleotide is exposed to the aqueous environment, is relatively mobile, and is free to interact with complementary DNA strands. Binding of the complementary single-stranded DNA molecules is fast and accomplished by the formation of Watson-Crick base pairs, which was confirmed by 1H NMR chemical shift analysis and fluorescence resonance energy transfer. The molecular structure of the membrane bound DNA double helix is very similar to the free double-stranded DNA. Further, the membrane bound DNA double strands also undergo regular melting. Finally, in raft-like membrane mixtures, the lipophilic oligonucleotide was shown to preferentially sequester into liquid-disordered membrane domains.

NMR and IR Spectroscopy for the Structural Characterization of Edible Fats and Oils: An Instrumental Analysis Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, Molly W.

2008-01-01

This article describes an upper-level instrumental laboratory for undergraduates that explores the complementary nature of IR and NMR spectroscopy for analysis of several edible fats and oils that are structurally similar but differ in physical properties and health implications. Five different fats and oils are analyzed for average chain length,…

[Structural and Dipole Structure Peculiarities of Hoogsteen Base Pairs Formed in Complementary Nucleobases according to ab initio Quantum Mechanics Studies].

PubMed

Petrenko, Y M

2015-01-01

Ab initio quantum mechanics studies for the detection of structure and dipole structure peculiarities of Hoogsteen base pairs relative to Watson-Crick base pairs, were performed during our work. These base pairs are formed as a result of complementary interactions. It was revealed, that adenine-thymine Hoogsteen base pair and adenine-thymine Watson-Crick base pairs can be formed depending on initial configuration. Cytosine-guanine Hoogsteen pairs are formed only when cytosine was originally protonated. Both types of Hoogsteen pairs have noticeable difference in the bond distances and angles. These differences appeared in purine as well as in pyrimidine parts of the pairs. Hoogsteen pairs have mostly shorter hydrogen bond lengths and significantly larger angles of hydrogen bonds and larger angles between the hydrogen bonds than Watson-Crick base pairs. Notable differences are also observed with respect to charge distribution and dipole moment. Quantitative data on these differences are shown in our work. It is also reported that the values of local parameters (according to Cambridge classification of the parameters which determine DNA properties) in Hoogsteen base pairs, are greatly different from Watson-Crick ones.

Structural Basis for the Altered PAM Recognition by Engineered CRISPR-Cpf1.

PubMed

Nishimasu, Hiroshi; Yamano, Takashi; Gao, Linyi; Zhang, Feng; Ishitani, Ryuichiro; Nureki, Osamu

2017-07-06

The RNA-guided Cpf1 nuclease cleaves double-stranded DNA targets complementary to the CRISPR RNA (crRNA), and it has been harnessed for genome editing technologies. Recently, Acidaminococcus sp. BV3L6 (AsCpf1) was engineered to recognize altered DNA sequences as the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), thereby expanding the target range of Cpf1-mediated genome editing. Whereas wild-type AsCpf1 recognizes the TTTV PAM, the RVR (S542R/K548V/N552R) and RR (S542R/K607R) variants can efficiently recognize the TATV and TYCV PAMs, respectively. However, their PAM recognition mechanisms remained unknown. Here we present the 2.0 Å resolution crystal structures of the RVR and RR variants bound to a crRNA and its target DNA. The structures revealed that the RVR and RR variants primarily recognize the PAM-complementary nucleotides via the substituted residues. Our high-resolution structures delineated the altered PAM recognition mechanisms of the AsCpf1 variants, providing a basis for the further engineering of CRISPR-Cpf1. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complexes of mismatched and complementary DNA with minor groove binders. Structures at nucleotide resolution via an improved hydroxyl radical cleavage methodology

PubMed Central

Bialonska, Dobroslawa; Song, Kenneth; Bolton, Philip H.

2011-01-01

Tumor cell lines can replicate faster than normal cells and many also have defective DNA repair pathways. This has lead to the investigation of the inhibition of DNA repair proteins as a means of therapeutic intervention. An alternative approach is to hide or mask damaged DNA from the repair systems. We have developed a protocol to investigate the structures of the complexes of damaged DNA with drug like molecules. Nucleotide resolution structural information can be obtained using an improved hydroxyl radical cleavage protocol. The use of a dTn tail increases the length of the smallest fragments of interest and allows efficient co-precipitation of the fragments with poly(A). The use of a fluorescent label, on the 5′ end of the dTn tail, in conjunction with modified cleavage reaction conditions, avoids the lifetime and other problems with 32P labeling. The structures of duplex DNAs containing AC and CC mismatches in the presence and absence of minor groove binders have been investigated as have those of the fully complementary DNA. The results indicate that the structural perturbations of the mismatches are localized, are sequence dependent and that the presence of a mismatch can alter the binding of drug like molecules. PMID:21893212

Divergent regional patterns of cerebral hypoperfusion and gray matter atrophy in mild cognitive impairment patients.

PubMed

Wirth, Miranka; Pichet Binette, Alexa; Brunecker, Peter; Köbe, Theresa; Witte, A Veronica; Flöel, Agnes

2017-03-01

Reductions of cerebral blood flow and gray matter structure have been implicated in early pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, potentially providing complementary information. The present study evaluated regional patterns of cerebral hypoperfusion and atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults. In each participant, cerebral perfusion and gray matter structure were extracted within selected brain regions vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease using magnetic resonance imaging. Measures were compared between diagnostic groups with/without adjustment for covariates. In mild cognitive impairment patients, cerebral blood flow was significantly reduced in comparison with healthy controls in temporo-parietal regions and the basal ganglia in the absence of local gray matter atrophy. By contrast, gray matter structure was significantly reduced in the hippocampus in the absence of local hypoperfusion. Both, cerebral perfusion and gray matter structure were significantly reduced in the entorhinal and isthmus cingulate cortex in mild cognitive impairment patients compared with healthy older adults. Our results demonstrated partly divergent patterns of temporo-parietal hypoperfusion and medial-temporal atrophy in mild cognitive impairment patients, potentially indicating biomarker sensitivity to dissociable pathological mechanisms. The findings support applicability of cerebral perfusion and gray matter structure as complementary magnetic resonance imaging-based biomarkers in early Alzheimer's disease detection, a hypothesis to be further evaluated in longitudinal studies.

Complementary and partially complementary DNA duplexes tethered to a functionalized substrate: a molecular dynamics approach to biosensing.

PubMed

Monti, Susanna; Cacelli, Ivo; Ferretti, Alessandro; Prampolini, Giacomo; Barone, Vincenzo

2011-07-21

Molecular dynamics simulations (90 ns) of different DNA complexes attached to a functionalized substrate in solution were performed in order to clarify the behavior of mismatched DNA sequences captured by a tethered DNA probe (biochip). Examination of the trajectories revealed that the substrate influence and a series of cooperative events, including recognition, reorientation and reorganization of the bases, could induce the formation of stable duplexes having non-canonical arrangements. Major adjustment of the structures was observed when the mutated base was located in the end region of the chain close to the surface. This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/nuclear magnetic resonance as complementary analytical techniques for unambiguous identification of polymethoxylated flavones in residues from molecular distillation of orange peel oils (Citrus sinensis).

PubMed

Weber, Berthold; Hartmann, Beate; Stöckigt, Detlef; Schreiber, Klaus; Roloff, Michael; Bertram, Heinz-Jürgen; Schmidt, Claus O

2006-01-25

Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/nuclear magnetic resonance techniques with ultraviolet/diode array detection were used as complementary analytical tools for the reliable identification of polymethoxylated flavones in residues from molecular distillation of cold-pressed peel oils of Citrus sinensis. After development of a liquid chromatographic separation procedure, the presence of several polymethoxy flavones such as sinensetin, nobiletin, tangeretin, quercetogetin, heptamethoxyflavone, and other derivatives was unambiguously confirmed. In addition, proceranone, an acetylated tetranortriterpenoid with limonoid structure, was identified for the first time in citrus.

Complementary periodic diffracting metallic nanohole and nanodipole arrays in the mid-infrared range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Yong-Hong; Zhang, Jia-Yu; Feng Ma, Hui; Yao, Jie; Wang, Xudong

2012-10-01

Metallic nanohole arrays and metallic nanodipole arrays are fabricated and experimentally characterized. A complementary response is observed in both transmission and reflection. For the metallic nanohole arrays, a peak (dip) in transmission (reflection) is observed at resonance whereas the metallic nanodipole arrays display a dip (peak) in transmission (reflection). The resonant frequency of both the metallic nanohole arrays and the nanodipole arrays depends on the dipole arm length, the incident angle, and the period. The resonant position of the nanohole arrays matches that of its complement, which means that Babinet's principle nearly holds for these structures in the mid-infrared region.

Predicting backbone Cα angles and dihedrals from protein sequences by stacked sparse auto-encoder deep neural network.

PubMed

Lyons, James; Dehzangi, Abdollah; Heffernan, Rhys; Sharma, Alok; Paliwal, Kuldip; Sattar, Abdul; Zhou, Yaoqi; Yang, Yuedong

2014-10-30

Because a nearly constant distance between two neighbouring Cα atoms, local backbone structure of proteins can be represented accurately by the angle between C(αi-1)-C(αi)-C(αi+1) (θ) and a dihedral angle rotated about the C(αi)-C(αi+1) bond (τ). θ and τ angles, as the representative of structural properties of three to four amino-acid residues, offer a description of backbone conformations that is complementary to φ and ψ angles (single residue) and secondary structures (>3 residues). Here, we report the first machine-learning technique for sequence-based prediction of θ and τ angles. Predicted angles based on an independent test have a mean absolute error of 9° for θ and 34° for τ with a distribution on the θ-τ plane close to that of native values. The average root-mean-square distance of 10-residue fragment structures constructed from predicted θ and τ angles is only 1.9Å from their corresponding native structures. Predicted θ and τ angles are expected to be complementary to predicted ϕ and ψ angles and secondary structures for using in model validation and template-based as well as template-free structure prediction. The deep neural network learning technique is available as an on-line server called Structural Property prediction with Integrated DEep neuRal network (SPIDER) at http://sparks-lab.org. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Complementary molecular information changes our perception of food web structure

PubMed Central

Wirta, Helena K.; Hebert, Paul D. N.; Kaartinen, Riikka; Prosser, Sean W.; Várkonyi, Gergely; Roslin, Tomas

2014-01-01

How networks of ecological interactions are structured has a major impact on their functioning. However, accurately resolving both the nodes of the webs and the links between them is fraught with difficulties. We ask whether the new resolution conferred by molecular information changes perceptions of network structure. To probe a network of antagonistic interactions in the High Arctic, we use two complementary sources of molecular data: parasitoid DNA sequenced from the tissues of their hosts and host DNA sequenced from the gut of adult parasitoids. The information added by molecular analysis radically changes the properties of interaction structure. Overall, three times as many interaction types were revealed by combining molecular information from parasitoids and hosts with rearing data, versus rearing data alone. At the species level, our results alter the perceived host specificity of parasitoids, the parasitoid load of host species, and the web-wide role of predators with a cryptic lifestyle. As the northernmost network of host–parasitoid interactions quantified, our data point exerts high leverage on global comparisons of food web structure. However, how we view its structure will depend on what information we use: compared with variation among networks quantified at other sites, the properties of our web vary as much or much more depending on the techniques used to reconstruct it. We thus urge ecologists to combine multiple pieces of evidence in assessing the structure of interaction webs, and suggest that current perceptions of interaction structure may be strongly affected by the methods used to construct them. PMID:24449902

[DNA structure from A to Z--biological implications of structural diversity of DNA].

PubMed

Bukowiecka-Matusiak, Małgorzata; Woźniak, Lucyna A

2006-01-01

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a biopolymer of nucleotides, usually adopting a double-stranded helical form in cells, with complementary base pairing holding the two strands together. The most stable is B-DNA conformation, although numerous other double helical structures can occur under specific conditions (A-DNA, Z-DNA, P-DNA). The existence of multiple-stranded (triplex, tetraplex) forms in vivo and their biological function in cells are subject of intensive studies.

Structural correlates of affinity in fetal versus adult endplate nicotinic receptors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nayak, Tapan Kumar; Chakraborty, Srirupa; Zheng, Wenjun; Auerbach, Anthony

2016-04-01

Adult-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) mediate signalling at mature neuromuscular junctions and fetal-type AChRs are necessary for proper synapse development. Each AChR has two neurotransmitter binding sites located at the interface of a principal and a complementary subunit. Although all agonist binding sites have the same core of five aromatic amino acids, the fetal site has ~30-fold higher affinity for the neurotransmitter ACh. Here we use molecular dynamics simulations of adult versus fetal homology models to identify complementary-subunit residues near the core that influence affinity, and use single-channel electrophysiology to corroborate the results. Four residues in combination determine adult versus fetal affinity. Simulations suggest that at lower-affinity sites, one of these unsettles the core directly and the others (in loop E) increase backbone flexibility to unlock a key, complementary tryptophan from the core. Swapping only four amino acids is necessary and sufficient to exchange function between adult and fetal AChRs.

Chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting via specific homo- and complementary-duplex formations

PubMed Central

Makiguchi, Wataru; Tanabe, Junki; Yamada, Hidekazu; Iida, Hiroki; Taura, Daisuke; Ousaka, Naoki; Yashima, Eiji

2015-01-01

Self-recognition and self-discrimination within complex mixtures are of fundamental importance in biological systems, which entirely rely on the preprogrammed monomer sequences and homochirality of biological macromolecules. Here we report artificial chirality- and sequence-selective successive self-sorting of chiral dimeric strands bearing carboxylic acid or amidine groups joined by chiral amide linkers with different sequences through homo- and complementary-duplex formations. A mixture of carboxylic acid dimers linked by racemic-1,2-cyclohexane bis-amides with different amide sequences (NHCO or CONH) self-associate to form homoduplexes in a completely sequence-selective way, the structures of which are different from each other depending on the linker amide sequences. The further addition of an enantiopure amide-linked amidine dimer to a mixture of the racemic carboxylic acid dimers resulted in the formation of a single optically pure complementary duplex with a 100% diastereoselectivity and complete sequence specificity stabilized by the amidinium–carboxylate salt bridges, leading to the perfect chirality- and sequence-selective duplex formation. PMID:26051291

Detection of DNA damage by using hairpin molecular beacon probes and graphene oxide.

PubMed

Zhou, Jie; Lu, Qian; Tong, Ying; Wei, Wei; Liu, Songqin

2012-09-15

A hairpin molecular beacon tagged with carboxyfluorescein in combination with graphene oxide as a quencher reagent was used to detect the DNA damage by chemical reagents. The fluorescence of molecular beacon was quenched sharply by graphene oxide; while in the presence of its complementary DNA the quenching efficiency decreased because their hybridization prevented the strong adsorbability of molecular beacon on graphene oxide. If the complementary DNA was damaged by a chemical reagent and could not form intact duplex structure with molecular beacon, more molecular beacon would adsorb on graphene oxide increasing the quenching efficiency. Thus, damaged DNA could be detected based on different quenching efficiencies afforded by damaged and intact complementary DNA. The damage effects of chlorpyrifos-methyl and three metabolites of styrene such as mandelieaeids, phenylglyoxylieaeids and epoxystyrene on DNA were studied as models. The method for detection of DNA damage was reliable, rapid and simple compared to the biological methods. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The architecture of amyloid-like peptide fibrils revealed by X-ray scattering, diffraction and electron microscopy

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

Langkilde, Annette E., E-mail: annette.langkilde@sund.ku.dk; Morris, Kyle L.; Serpell, Louise C.

The aggregation process and the fibril state of an amyloidogenic peptide suggest monomer addition to be the prevailing mechanism of elongation and a model of the peptide packing in the fibrils has been obtained. Structural analysis of protein fibrillation is inherently challenging. Given the crucial role of fibrils in amyloid diseases, method advancement is urgently needed. A hybrid modelling approach is presented enabling detailed analysis of a highly ordered and hierarchically organized fibril of the GNNQQNY peptide fragment of a yeast prion protein. Data from small-angle X-ray solution scattering, fibre diffraction and electron microscopy are combined with existing high-resolution X-raymore » crystallographic structures to investigate the fibrillation process and the hierarchical fibril structure of the peptide fragment. The elongation of these fibrils proceeds without the accumulation of any detectable amount of intermediate oligomeric species, as is otherwise reported for, for example, glucagon, insulin and α-synuclein. Ribbons constituted of linearly arranged protofilaments are formed. An additional hierarchical layer is generated via the pairing of ribbons during fibril maturation. Based on the complementary data, a quasi-atomic resolution model of the protofilament peptide arrangement is suggested. The peptide structure appears in a β-sheet arrangement reminiscent of the β-zipper structures evident from high-resolution crystal structures, with specific differences in the relative peptide orientation. The complexity of protein fibrillation and structure emphasizes the need to use multiple complementary methods.« less

Self-assembly of heterogeneous supramolecular structures with uniaxial anisotropy.

PubMed

Ruiz-Osés, M; Gonzalez-Lakunza, N; Silanes, I; Gourdon, A; Arnau, A; Ortega, J E

2006-12-28

Uniaxial anisotropy in two-dimensional self-assembled supramolecular structures is achieved by the coadsorption of two different linear molecules with complementary amine and imide functionalization. The two-dimensional monolayer is defined by a one-dimensional stack of binary chains, which can be forced to line up along steps in vicinal surfaces. The competing driving forces in the self-organization process are discussed in light of the structures observed during single molecule adsorption and coadsorption on flat and vicinal surfaces and the corresponding theoretical calculations.

GC/HRSIR as a Complementary Technique to GC/ECNIMS

EPA Science Inventory

Gas chromatography/electron capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC/ECNIMS) is a highly selective and sensitive technique for the analysis of appropriate analytes in complex matrices. Its major drawback is often the lack of fragmentation indicative of structure that can be use...

A 0.13-µm implementation of 5 Gb/s and 3-mW folded parallel architecture for AES algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimunnisa, K.; Karthigaikumar, P.; Kirubavathy, J.; Jayakumar, J.; Kumar, S. Suresh

2014-02-01

A new architecture for encrypting and decrypting the confidential data using Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm is presented in this article. This structure combines the folded structure with parallel architecture to increase the throughput. The whole architecture achieved high throughput with less power. The proposed architecture is implemented in 0.13-µm Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The proposed structure is compared with different existing structures, and from the result it is proved that the proposed structure gives higher throughput and less power compared to existing works.

"Placebo effect is probably what we refer to as patient healing power": A qualitative pilot study examining how Norwegian complementary therapists reflect on their practice.

PubMed

Stub, Trine; Foss, Nina; Liodden, Ingrid

2017-05-12

Complementary therapists spend considerable time with their patients, especially in the first consultation. The communication between patients and their therapists is important for raising consciousness and activation of the patient's self-healing power. Thus, the aims in this study were to delineate what complementary therapists regard as essential in patient consultations, their view of the healing process, and how the therapists understand the placebo effect and its position in the healing process. Semi-structured individual interviews (n = 4), focus group interview (n = 1) and participant observation were conducted among four different complementary therapists in a Norwegian community. The text data was transcribed verbatim and the analysis of the material was conducted according to conventional and direct content analysis. Some codes were predefined and others were defined during the analysis. The pilot study showed that the implemented methods seems feasible and fit well with the aims of this study. Complementary therapists (chiropractor, naprapath (musculoskeletal therapist), acupuncturist and acupuncturist/homeopath) representing four different complementary modalities participated. A combination of the conversation and examination during the first consultation formed the basis for the therapist's choice of treatment. A successful consultation was characterized by a fruitful relationship between the therapist and the patient. Moreover, the therapist needs to be humble and show the patient respect. Patients' positive beliefs and expectations about the treatment play a significant role in the healing process. The more hope the therapist can bring about, the more easily the patient can start believing that it is possible to get well. This was a pilot study. Therefore the findings should be appreciated as limited and preliminary. Therapists' and patients' mutual understanding and treatment goals were essential for a successful consultation. The therapists emphasized their professional skills and therapeutic competence as important when building fruitful relationships with their patients. Exerting authority and making the patient feel confident were essential factors for a successful healing process. The complementary therapists understood the placebo effect as the patient's self-healing power, resulting from establishing trust and belief in the treatment process.

Views and experiences of healthcare professionals towards the use of African traditional, complementary and alternative medicines among patients with HIV infection: the case of eThekwini health district, South Africa.

PubMed

Nlooto, Manimbulu

2015-06-06

Many patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection use traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines and other practices to combat the disease, with some also using prescribed antiretroviral therapy provided by the public health sector. This study aimed to establish the awareness of public sector biomedical health care providers on the use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines by HIV-infected patients who also used highly active antiretroviral therapy, and to determine whether this was based on patients seen or cases being reported to them. Potential risks of interactions between the prescribed antiretroviral and non-prescribed medication therapies may pose safety and effectiveness issues in patients using both types of treatment. A descriptive cross-sectional study, using a researcher administered semi-structured questionnaire, was conducted from June to August 2013 at ten public sector antiretroviral clinics in five regional, three specialised and two district hospitals in eThekwini Health District, South Africa. Questionnaires were administered through face-to face interview to 120 eligible participants consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and post-basic pharmacist assistants in HIV clinical practice. The results are presented as percent or proportion with standard error (SE), or as frequency. Ninety-four respondents completed the questionnaire, yielding a response rate of 78.3 %. Almost half (48/94) were aware of patients using African traditional herbal medicines, over-the-counter supplements, unnamed complementary Ayurveda medicines and acupuncture. Twenty-three of the 94 respondents (24.4 %) said they had consulted patients who were using both antiretroviral therapy and certain types of non-prescribed medication in the previous three months. Awareness among healthcare providers on patient use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines was relatively high. Few respondents had seen patients who used mostly African traditional medicines, over-the counter supplements, and negligible complementary Ayurveda medicines and acupuncture, with caution being advised in the interpretation of the former. Further research is needed to investigate communication between healthcare providers and patients in this regard, and levels of acceptance of traditional, complementary and alternative medicines by biomedical health care workers in HIV public sector practice.

Analysis of bacterial populations in the environment using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA and complementary DNA.

PubMed

Liu, Guo-Hua; Nakamura, Tatsuo; Amemiya, Takashi; Rajendran, Narasimmalu; Itoh, Kiminori

2011-01-01

Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DGE) mapping of genomic DNA and complementary DNA (cDNA) amplicons was attempted to analyze total and active bacterial populations within soil and activated sludge samples. Distinct differences in the number and species of bacterial populations and those that were metabolically active at the time of sampling were visually observed especially for the soil community. Statistical analyses and sequencing based on the 2-DGE data further revealed the relationships between total and active bacterial populations within each community. This high-resolution technique would be useful for obtaining a better understanding of bacterial population structures in the environment.

State transfer in highly connected networks and a quantum Babinet principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsomokos, D. I.; Plenio, M. B.; de Vega, I.; Huelga, S. F.

2008-12-01

The transfer of a quantum state between distant nodes in two-dimensional networks is considered. The fidelity of state transfer is calculated as a function of the number of interactions in networks that are described by regular graphs. It is shown that perfect state transfer is achieved in a network of size N , whose structure is that of an (N/2) -cross polytope graph, if N is a multiple of 4 . The result is reminiscent of the Babinet principle of classical optics. A quantum Babinet principle is derived, which allows for the identification of complementary graphs leading to the same fidelity of state transfer, in analogy with complementary screens providing identical diffraction patterns.

High-Performance WSe2 Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Technology and Integrated Circuits.

PubMed

Yu, Lili; Zubair, Ahmad; Santos, Elton J G; Zhang, Xu; Lin, Yuxuan; Zhang, Yuhao; Palacios, Tomás

2015-08-12

Because of their extraordinary structural and electrical properties, two-dimensional materials are currently being pursued for applications such as thin-film transistors and integrated circuit. One of the main challenges that still needs to be overcome for these applications is the fabrication of air-stable transistors with industry-compatible complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate a novel high performance air-stable WSe2 CMOS technology with almost ideal voltage transfer characteristic, full logic swing and high noise margin with different supply voltages. More importantly, the inverter shows large voltage gain (∼38) and small static power (picowatts), paving the way for low power electronic system in 2D materials.

The A{sup 2+}Mn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} family of triangular lattice, ferrimagnetic sulfates

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

West, D.V., E-mail: barelytone@gmail.co; McQueen, T.M.; Posen, I.D.

2009-06-15

A new family of anhydrous sulfates, A{sup 2+}Mn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} (A=Pb, Ba, Sr) is reported. The crystal structures of PbMn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} and SrMn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} are solved by powder X-ray and neutron diffraction. BaMn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} is isostructural. PbMn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} crystallizes with P3-bar symmetry and unit cell parameters of a=14.551(1) A and c=7.535(1) A. The structure has rich features, including dimers of face-sharing MnO{sub 6} octahedra, and two complementary triangular layers of Mn atoms. All compounds undergo a magnetic ordering transition at 10 K, below which, the magnetic susceptibility of the compounds variesmore » systematically with the radius of the non-magnetic cation. Low temperature neutron diffraction shows that the complementary triangular layers result in a ferrimagnet with a net moment corresponding to one high spin Mn{sup 2+} per unit cell, correlating well with the magnetization data. The non-magnetic variant PbMg{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} is also reported. - Graphical abstract: A new family sulfates, A{sup 2+}Mn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} (A=Pb, Ba, Sr) is reported. Structures are solved by powder neutron diffraction. PbMn{sub 5}(SO{sub 4}){sub 6} is trigonal with lattice parameters of a=14.551(1) A and c=7.535(1) A. The structure has dimers of face-sharing MnO{sub 6} octahedra, and two complementary triangular layers of Mn atoms that result in a ferrimagnet. All compounds magnetically order at 10 K. Low field susceptibility varies systematically with non-magnetic cation radius.« less

Complexes of mismatched and complementary DNA with minor groove binders. Structures at nucleotide resolution via an improved hydroxyl radical cleavage methodology.

PubMed

Bialonska, Dobroslawa; Song, Kenneth; Bolton, Philip H

2011-11-27

Tumor cell lines can replicate faster than normal cells and many also have defective DNA repair pathways. This has lead to the investigation of the inhibition of DNA repair proteins as a means of therapeutic intervention. An alternative approach is to hide or mask damaged DNA from the repair systems. We have developed a protocol to investigate the structures of the complexes of damaged DNA with drug like molecules. Nucleotide resolution structural information can be obtained using an improved hydroxyl radical cleavage protocol. The use of a dT(n) tail increases the length of the smallest fragments of interest and allows efficient co-precipitation of the fragments with poly(A). The use of a fluorescent label, on the 5' end of the dT(n) tail, in conjunction with modified cleavage reaction conditions, avoids the lifetime and other problems with (32)P labeling. The structures of duplex DNAs containing AC and CC mismatches in the presence and absence of minor groove binders have been investigated as have those of the fully complementary DNA. The results indicate that the structural perturbations of the mismatches are localized, are sequence dependent and that the presence of a mismatch can alter the binding of drug like molecules. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A human transcription factor in search mode.

PubMed

Hauser, Kevin; Essuman, Bernard; He, Yiqing; Coutsias, Evangelos; Garcia-Diaz, Miguel; Simmerling, Carlos

2016-01-08

Transcription factors (TF) can change shape to bind and recognize DNA, shifting the energy landscape from a weak binding, rapid search mode to a higher affinity recognition mode. However, the mechanism(s) driving this conformational change remains unresolved and in most cases high-resolution structures of the non-specific complexes are unavailable. Here, we investigate the conformational switch of the human mitochondrial transcription termination factor MTERF1, which has a modular, superhelical topology complementary to DNA. Our goal was to characterize the details of the non-specific search mode to complement the crystal structure of the specific binding complex, providing a basis for understanding the recognition mechanism. In the specific complex, MTERF1 binds a significantly distorted and unwound DNA structure, exhibiting a protein conformation incompatible with binding to B-form DNA. In contrast, our simulations of apo MTERF1 revealed significant flexibility, sampling structures with superhelical pitch and radius complementary to the major groove of B-DNA. Docking these structures to B-DNA followed by unrestrained MD simulations led to a stable complex in which MTERF1 was observed to undergo spontaneous diffusion on the DNA. Overall, the data support an MTERF1-DNA binding and recognition mechanism driven by intrinsic dynamics of the MTERF1 superhelical topology. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

[Motivation for the choice of complementary and mainstream medicine. Patients' behavior in a pluralistic medical system].

PubMed

Schär, A; Messerli-Rohrbach, V

1999-02-01

The reasons for choosing between various therapeutic possibilities depend in part on rational and in part on emotional factors. This project dealt with the systematic verification of some decision factors most of which were known already. The project was divided in a qualitative and a quantitative part. The qualitative segment was based on semistructured interviews with patients of general practitioners or of naturopaths. This procedure is often used in ethnological research. It identified and evaluated the main motives for the individual choices of therapies by the patients. The quantitative part of the study was carried out by a procedure often used in social sciences, namely by strictly structured telephone interviews of several thousand policyholders of the health insurance fund Helvetia. The aim of this part of the study was to verify the findings of the qualitative study and to investigate the possible significance of additional sociological factors for the choice between different therapies. The conclusions drawn from the abundance of data show that a widespread use of complementary medicine is a reality. Both parts of the project came to the same conclusions. The patients use complementary medicine in a very pragmatic way, be it alternately, be it in parallel but not necessarily in addition to mainstream medicine. The behavior of the patients is very complex, depends on many factors, and can neither be predicted nor easily influenced, not even by an additional free insurance for complementary medicine which was offered to one of the subgroups of the study (in conjunction with J. Sommer's project 'A Randomized Experiment Studying the Effect of Including Complementary Medicine in the Mandatory Benefit Package of Health Insurance Funds in Switzerland'). The interpretation of the telephone interviews concerning the significance of some of the registered sociological factors turned out to be difficult. The project aimed primarily at illustrating the use of complementary medicine and at characterizing its users.

Asian American Cultural Resistance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libretti, Tim

1997-01-01

Explores the encounter of Marxism and Asian American literary theory and imagines an Asian American Marxism. To do so requires theorizing race, class, and gender not as substantive categories of antagonisms but as complementary and coordinated elements of a totality of social relations structuring racial patriarchal capitalism. (SLD)

Design and Analysis of Linear Fault-Tolerant Permanent-Magnet Vernier Machines

PubMed Central

Xu, Liang; Liu, Guohai; Du, Yi; Liu, Hu

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a new linear fault-tolerant permanent-magnet (PM) vernier (LFTPMV) machine, which can offer high thrust by using the magnetic gear effect. Both PMs and windings of the proposed machine are on short mover, while the long stator is only manufactured from iron. Hence, the proposed machine is very suitable for long stroke system applications. The key of this machine is that the magnetizer splits the two movers with modular and complementary structures. Hence, the proposed machine offers improved symmetrical and sinusoidal back electromotive force waveform and reduced detent force. Furthermore, owing to the complementary structure, the proposed machine possesses favorable fault-tolerant capability, namely, independent phases. In particular, differing from the existing fault-tolerant machines, the proposed machine offers fault tolerance without sacrificing thrust density. This is because neither fault-tolerant teeth nor the flux-barriers are adopted. The electromagnetic characteristics of the proposed machine are analyzed using the time-stepping finite-element method, which verifies the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. PMID:24982959

Identification of antisense nucleic acid hybridization sites in mRNA molecules with self-quenching fluorescent reporter molecules

PubMed Central

Gifford, Lida K.; Opalinska, Joanna B.; Jordan, David; Pattanayak, Vikram; Greenham, Paul; Kalota, Anna; Robbins, Michelle; Vernovsky, Kathy; Rodriguez, Lesbeth C.; Do, Bao T.; Lu, Ponzy; Gewirtz, Alan M.

2005-01-01

We describe a physical mRNA mapping strategy employing fluorescent self-quenching reporter molecules (SQRMs) that facilitates the identification of mRNA sequence accessible for hybridization with antisense nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo, real time. SQRMs are 20–30 base oligodeoxynucleotides with 5–6 bp complementary ends to which a 5′ fluorophore and 3′ quenching group are attached. Alone, the SQRM complementary ends form a stem that holds the fluorophore and quencher in contact. When the SQRM forms base pairs with its target, the structure separates the fluorophore from the quencher. This event can be reported by fluorescence emission when the fluorophore is excited. The stem–loop of the SQRM suggests that SQRM be made to target natural stem–loop structures formed during mRNA synthesis. The general utility of this method is demonstrated by SQRM identification of targetable sequence within c-myb and bcl-6 mRNA. Corresponding antisense oligonucleotides reduce these gene products in cells. PMID:15718294

Design and analysis of linear fault-tolerant permanent-magnet vernier machines.

PubMed

Xu, Liang; Ji, Jinghua; Liu, Guohai; Du, Yi; Liu, Hu

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a new linear fault-tolerant permanent-magnet (PM) vernier (LFTPMV) machine, which can offer high thrust by using the magnetic gear effect. Both PMs and windings of the proposed machine are on short mover, while the long stator is only manufactured from iron. Hence, the proposed machine is very suitable for long stroke system applications. The key of this machine is that the magnetizer splits the two movers with modular and complementary structures. Hence, the proposed machine offers improved symmetrical and sinusoidal back electromotive force waveform and reduced detent force. Furthermore, owing to the complementary structure, the proposed machine possesses favorable fault-tolerant capability, namely, independent phases. In particular, differing from the existing fault-tolerant machines, the proposed machine offers fault tolerance without sacrificing thrust density. This is because neither fault-tolerant teeth nor the flux-barriers are adopted. The electromagnetic characteristics of the proposed machine are analyzed using the time-stepping finite-element method, which verifies the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.

Label-Free Detection of Live Cancer Cells and DNA Hybridization using 3D Multilayered Plasmonic Biosensor.

PubMed

Zhu, Shuyan; Li, Hualin; Yang, Mengsu; Pang, Stella W

2018-05-31

Three-dimensional (3D) multilayered plasmonic structures consisting of Au submicrometric squares on top of SU-8 submicrometric pillars, Au asymmetrical submicrometric structures in the middle, and Au asymmetrical submicrometric holes at the bottom were fabricated through reversal nanoimprint technology. Compared with two-dimensional and quasi-3D plasmonic structures, the 3D multilayered plasmonic structures showed higher electromagnetic field intensity, longer plasmon decay length and larger plasmon sensing area, which are desirable for highly sensitive localized surface plasmonic resonance biosensors. The sensitivity and resonance peak wavelength of the 3D multilayered plasmonic structures could be adjusted by varying the offset between the top and bottom SU-8 submicrometric pillars from 31% to 56%, and the highest sensitivity of 382 and 442 nm/refractive index unit were observed for resonance peaks at 581 and 805 nm, respectively. Live lung cancer A549 cells with a low concentration of 5×103 cells/ml and a low sample volume of 2 µl could be detected by the 3D multilayered plasmonic structures integrated in a microfluidic system. The 3D plasmonic biosensors also had the advantages of detecting DNA hybridization by capturing the complementary target DNA in the low concentration range of 10-14 to 10-7 M, and providing a large peak shift of 82 nm for capturing 10-7 M complementary target DNA without additional signal amplification. Creative Commons Attribution license.

Massive integration of diverse protein quality assessment methods to improve template based modeling in CASP11

PubMed Central

Cao, Renzhi; Bhattacharya, Debswapna; Adhikari, Badri; Li, Jilong; Cheng, Jianlin

2015-01-01

Model evaluation and selection is an important step and a big challenge in template-based protein structure prediction. Individual model quality assessment methods designed for recognizing some specific properties of protein structures often fail to consistently select good models from a model pool because of their limitations. Therefore, combining multiple complimentary quality assessment methods is useful for improving model ranking and consequently tertiary structure prediction. Here, we report the performance and analysis of our human tertiary structure predictor (MULTICOM) based on the massive integration of 14 diverse complementary quality assessment methods that was successfully benchmarked in the 11th Critical Assessment of Techniques of Protein Structure prediction (CASP11). The predictions of MULTICOM for 39 template-based domains were rigorously assessed by six scoring metrics covering global topology of Cα trace, local all-atom fitness, side chain quality, and physical reasonableness of the model. The results show that the massive integration of complementary, diverse single-model and multi-model quality assessment methods can effectively leverage the strength of single-model methods in distinguishing quality variation among similar good models and the advantage of multi-model quality assessment methods of identifying reasonable average-quality models. The overall excellent performance of the MULTICOM predictor demonstrates that integrating a large number of model quality assessment methods in conjunction with model clustering is a useful approach to improve the accuracy, diversity, and consequently robustness of template-based protein structure prediction. PMID:26369671

High Redundancy as well as Complementary Prey Choice Characterize Generalist Predator Food Webs in Agroecosystems.

PubMed

Roubinet, Eve; Jonsson, Tomas; Malsher, Gerard; Staudacher, Karin; Traugott, Michael; Ekbom, Barbara; Jonsson, Mattias

2018-05-23

Food web structure influences ecosystem functioning and the strength and stability of associated ecosystem services. With their broad diet, generalist predators represent key nodes in the structure of many food webs and they contribute substantially to ecosystem services such as biological pest control. However, until recently it has been difficult to empirically assess food web structure with generalist predators. We utilized DNA-based molecular gut-content analyses to assess the prey use of a set of generalist invertebrate predator species common in temperate agricultural fields. We investigated the degree of specialization of predator-prey food webs at two key stages of the cropping season and analysed the link temperature of different trophic links, to identify non-random predation. We found a low level of specialization in our food webs, and identified warm and cool links which may result from active prey choice or avoidance. We also found a within-season variation in interaction strength between predators and aphid pests which differed among predator species. Our results show a high time-specific functional redundancy of the predator community, but also suggest temporally complementary prey choice due to within-season succession of some predator species.

On the origin of pure optical rotation in twisted-cross metamaterials

PubMed Central

Barr, Lauren E.; Díaz-Rubio, Ana; Tremain, Ben; Carbonell, Jorge; Sánchez-Dehesa, José; Hendry, Euan; Hibbins, Alastair P.

2016-01-01

We present an experimental and computational study of the response of twisted-cross metamaterials that provide near dispersionless optical rotation across a broad band of frequencies from 19 GHz to 37 GHz. We compare two distinct geometries: firstly, a bilayer structure comprised of arrays of metallic crosses where the crosses in the second layer are twisted about the layer normal; and secondly where the second layer is replaced by the complementary to the original, i.e. an array of cross-shaped holes. Through numerical modelling we determine the origin of rotatory effects in these two structures. In both, pure optical rotation occurs in a frequency band between two transmission minima, where alignment of electric and magnetic dipole moments occurs. In the cross/cross metamaterial, the transmission minima occur at the symmetric and antisymmetric resonances of the coupled crosses. By contrast, in the cross/complementary-cross structure the transmission minima are associated with the dipole and quadrupole modes of the cross, the frequencies of which appear intrinsic to the cross layer alone. Hence the bandwidth of optical rotation is found to be relatively independent of layer separation. PMID:27457405

Structural characterization of anti-complementary polysaccharides from the leaves of Artemisia princeps.

PubMed

Yamada, H; Otsuka, Y; Omura, S

1986-08-01

Structural characterizations of the anti-complementary acidic heteroglycans, AAF IIb-2 and IIb-3, obtained from the leaves of Artemisia princeps pamp have been studied. AAF IIb-2 consists of rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, galactose, glucose and uronic acids (glucuronic acid and galacturonic acid) in the molar ratio of 7.6:7.6:13.0:10.9:3.0:57.9, and AAF IIb-3 consists of the same sugars in the ratio of 3.9:2.6:24.7:19.7:2.6:46.5. Methylation analysis including carboxyl-reduction and also selective enzymolysis using EXO-alpha- L-arabinofuranosidase suggested that AAF IIb-3 has a main chain consisting of (1-->4)-linked galacturonic acid and (1-->2)-linked rhamnose mostly substituted at the O-4 position. AAF IIb-3 also contained arabino-3,6-galactan moiety and most of the arabinose was present as an alpha- L-furanosyl residue in the non-reducing terminals and highly branched side chains which mostly attached to the O-3 position of (1-->6)-linked galactopyranosyl residue. The basic structure of AAF IIb-2 is similar to that of AAF IIb-3, but IIb-3 has a higher arabinogalactan content than IIb-2.

Interfacial Shear Strength and Adhesive Behavior of Silk Ionomer Surfaces.

PubMed

Kim, Sunghan; Geryak, Ren D; Zhang, Shuaidi; Ma, Ruilong; Calabrese, Rossella; Kaplan, David L; Tsukruk, Vladimir V

2017-09-11

The interfacial shear strength between different layers in multilayered structures of layer-by-layer (LbL) microcapsules is a crucial mechanical property to ensure their robustness. In this work, we investigated the interfacial shear strength of modified silk fibroin ionomers utilized in LbL shells, an ionic-cationic pair with complementary ionic pairing, (SF)-poly-l-glutamic acid (Glu) and SF-poly-l-lysine (Lys), and a complementary pair with partially screened Coulombic interactions due to the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments and SF-Glu/SF-Lys[PEG] pair. Shearing and adhesive behavior between these silk ionomer surfaces in the swollen state were probed at different spatial scales and pressure ranges by using functionalized atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips as well as functionalized colloidal probes. The results show that both approaches were consistent in analyzing the interfacial shear strength of LbL silk ionomers at different spatial scales from a nanoscale to a fraction of a micron. Surprisingly, the interfacial shear strength between SF-Glu and SF-Lys[PEG] pair with partially screened ionic pairing was greater than the interfacial shear strength of the SF-Glu and SF-Lys pair with a high density of complementary ionic groups. The difference in interfacial shear strength and adhesive strength is suggested to be predominantly facilitated by the interlayer hydrogen bonding of complementary amino acids and overlap of highly swollen PEG segments.

Malnutrition among vaccinated children aged 0-5 years in Batouri, Republic of Cameroon.

PubMed

Nagahori, Chikako; Kinjo, Yoshihide; Tchuani, Jean Paul; Yamauchi, Taro

2017-12-01

Malnutrition continues to contribute to a high infant mortality rate. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and its potential association with the time at which complementary feeding was introduced among children aged 0-5 years in Batouri, Republic of Cameroon. Mothers (n=212) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Child height or length, and weight measurements were determined and the appropriate Z -scores calculated. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the values of all nutritional status indicators as dependent variables and the time of commencing complementary feeding, and the child's age and sex, as independent variables. The prevalence of stunting (height/length for age<-2 standard deviation [SD]), underweight (weight for age<-2SD), and wasting (weight for height/length<-2SD) was 45.8%, 30.2%, and 11.3%, respectively. Even taking into consideration the biological variables, there was a significant association in the effects of time of starting complementary foods on the nutritional status indicators. Furthermore, adding socio-economic variables did not produce a rise in adjusted R 2 values for all age group models concerned. Approximately 30% of the children in the study region were underweight, and approximately half of the children exhibited stunting, indicating chronic malnutrition. Commencing complementary feeding at an appropriate time had a positive effect on nutritional status from approximately 2 years of age.

Compulsory private complementary health insurance offered by employers in France: implications and current debate.

PubMed

Franc, Carine; Pierre, Aurélie

2015-02-01

In January 2013, within the framework of a National Inter-professional Agreement (NIA), the French government required all employers (irrespective of the size of their business) to offer private complementary health insurance to their employees from January 2016. The generalization of group complementary health insurance to all employees will directly affect insurers, employers and employees, as well as individuals not directly concerned (students, retirees, unemployed and civil servants). In this paper, we present the issues raised by this regulation, the expected consequences and the current debate around this reform. In particular, we argue that this reform may have adverse effects on equity of access to complementary health insurance in France, since the risk structure of the market for individual health insurance will change, potentially increasing inequalities between wage-earners and others. Moreover, tax exemptions given to group contracts are problematic because public funds used to support these contracts can be higher at individual level for high-salary individuals than those allocated to improve access for the poorest. In response to the criticism and with the aim of ensuring equity in the system, the government decided to reconsider some of the fiscal advantages given to group contracts, to enhance programs and aids dedicated to the poorest and to redefine an overall context of incentives. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

One hand cannot clap-a study of Arab practitioners of traditional and complementary medicine in Israel: identifying barriers to integrative oncology care.

PubMed

Popper-Giveon, Ariela; Schiff, Elad; Hatem, David; Samuels, Noah; Ben-Arye, Eran

2014-01-01

The integration of complementary medicine is gradually becoming an accepted part of standard care for patients with cancer. In our integrative oncology program, we have encountered difficulties in recruiting Arab patients. In order to understand the special needs of this population, we conducted interviews among Arab practitioners of complementary and traditional medicine (CTM). The characteristics of practitioners and their views regarding the therapeutic process were examined. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were administered to 27 Arab practitioners of CTM whose clientele was comprised primarily of Arab cancer patients. Conventional content analysis of the transcribed interviews and field notes was performed in order to identify key themes. Three groups of CTM practice were identified: Folk-herbal medicine (n = 9), complementary medicine (CM; n = 14), and religious healing (n = 4). Seven factors were identified in the practitioner accounts: the duration and scheduling of treatment sessions, the language of communication, the presence of family members, the appearance of the practitioner, the definition of treatment goals, the discussion of behavioral and lifestyle changes, and finally, the use of tangible elements in treatment. The study of Arab CTM practitioner recommendations may help facilitate a culture-sensitive encounter with Arab patients with cancer. This approach may also have implications for other ethno-culturally unique populations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expectation and futurity: The remarkable success of genetic determinism.

PubMed

Esposito, Maurizio

2017-04-01

Genetic determinism is nowadays largely questioned and widely criticized. However, if we look at the history of biology in the last one hundred years, we realize that genetic determinism has always been controversial. Why, then, did it acquire such relevance in the past despite facing longstanding criticism? Through the analysis of some of the ambitious expectations of future scientific applications, this article explores the possibility that part of the historical success of genetic determinism lies in the powerful rhetorical strategies that have connected the germinal matter with alluring bio-technological visions. Indeed, in drawing on the recent perspectives of "expectation studies" in science and technology, it will be shown that there has been an interesting historical relationship between reductionist notions of the gene as a hereditary unit, coded information or functional DNA segment, and startling prophecies of what controlling such an entity might achieve. It will also be suggested that the well-known promissory nature of genomics is far older than the emergence of biotechnology in the 1970s. At least from the time of the bio-utopias predicted by J.B.S. Haldane and J. S. Huxley, the gene has often been surrounded by what I call the "rhetoric of futurity": a promissory rhetoric that, despite momentous changes in the life sciences throughout the 20th century, has remained relatively consistent over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Size of the Internal Loop in DNA Hairpins Influences Their Targeting with Partially Complementary Strands

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Targeting of noncanonical DNA structures, such as hairpin loops, may have significant diagnostic and therapeutic potential. Oligonucleotides can be used for binding to mRNA, forming a DNA/RNA hybrid duplex that inhibits translation. This kind of modulation of gene expression is called the antisense approach. In order to determine the best strategy to target a common structural motif in mRNA, we have designed a set of stem-loop DNA molecules with sequence: d(GCGCTnGTAAT5GTTACTnGCGC), where n = 1, 3, or 5, “T5” is an end loop of five thymines. We used a combination of calorimetric and spectroscopy techniques to determine the thermodynamics for the reaction of a set of hairpins containing internal loops with their respective partially complementary strands. Our aim was to determine if internal- and end-loops are promising regions for targeting with their corresponding complementary strands. Indeed, all targeting reactions were accompanied by negative changes in free energy, indicating that reactions proceed spontaneously. Further investigation showed that these negative free energy terms result from a net balance of unfavorable entropy and favorable enthalpy contributions. In particular, unfolding of hairpins and duplexes is accompanied by positive changes in heat capacity, which may be a result of exposure of hydrophobic groups to the solvent. This study provides a new method for the targeting of mRNA in order to control gene expression. PMID:25486129

We and they in the house of healing: debate among Arab complementary medicine practitioners on an integrative versus alternative approach to supportive cancer care.

PubMed

Popper-Giveon, Ariela; Schiff, Elad; Ben-Arye, Eran

2013-11-01

Complementary and traditional medicine (CTM) plays an important role in culture-centered care for cancer patients in the Middle East. In this article, we have studied the attitudes of Arab CTM therapists concerning integration of complementary medicine within the conventional supportive cancer care of Arab patients in northern Israel. Semistructured interviews were held with 27 Arab therapists who use medicinal herbs, the Quran, and various CTM modalities, with the aim of characterizing their treatment practices and learning about their perspectives regarding conventional cancer care. We first summarized the different characteristics of the various CTM therapists, including training, typical practice, and so on. Thematic analysis revealed that folk healers and complementary medicine therapists describe their role as supportive and secondary to that of physicians. Their goal was not to cure patients with cancer but rather to enhance their quality of life by reducing the severity of both the disease symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment. Religious healers, by contrast, purport to cure the disease. While folk healers opt for parallel alternative care and complementary therapists support integrative care, religious healers claimed that they offer an alternative to conventional medicine in terms of both etiology and practice. The majority of Arab CTM therapists support integration of their treatments with the conventional system, but in practice, they are not sure how to bring about this change or create a parallel model in which 2 different systems are active, but not integrated. Our findings emphasized the need to promote doctor-CTM practitioner communication based on structured referral and bidirectional consultation. Moreover, we recommend intensifying research on the efficacy and safety of CTM in the Middle East and the potential role in promoting culture-based supportive care.

The leadership team: complementary strengths or conflicting agendas?

PubMed

Miles, Stephen A; Watkins, Michael D

2007-04-01

Senior leadership teams whose members play complementary roles have been chronicled as far back as Homer's account of the Trojan War: Although King Agamemnon commanded the Greek army, Achilles, Odysseus, and Nestor each played a distinct role in defeating Troy. Today, complementary-leadership structures are common and, in some cases, even institutionalized. Think of a CEO concerned mainly with external issues and a COO who focuses internally. The authors describe four kinds of complementarity: task, expertise, cognitive, and role. The two top executives at the software company Adobe Systems, for example, represent the second kind. As CEO, Bruce Chizen draws on his sales and marketing knowledge, while COO Shantanu Narayen adds his engineering and product development expertise. Roberto Goizueta, formerly the CEO of Coca-Cola, and Douglas Ivester, his COO (who later became CEO), were famous examples of the fourth type: Goizueta, the diplomat, maintained good relations with external stakeholders; Ivester, the warrior, drove the company to defeat the competition. Bringing together two or more people with complementary strengths can compensate for the natural limitations of each. But with the benefits comes the risk of confusion, disagreement about priorities, and turf battles. Leadership succession also presents substantial challenges, especially when a COO or president who has worked in a complementary fashion with the CEO moves into the top role. An organization's board of directors and CEO can manage the risks by fostering a shared vision, common incentives, communication, and trust. They can also ensure smooth succession processes in various ways, such as brokering a gradual transfer of responsibilities or allowing the CEO and the COO to share duties as long as they maintain the logic of complementarity.

PF2fit: Polar Fast Fourier Matched Alignment of Atomistic Structures with 3D Electron Microscopy Maps.

PubMed

Bettadapura, Radhakrishna; Rasheed, Muhibur; Vollrath, Antje; Bajaj, Chandrajit

2015-10-01

There continue to be increasing occurrences of both atomistic structure models in the PDB (possibly reconstructed from X-ray diffraction or NMR data), and 3D reconstructed cryo-electron microscopy (3D EM) maps (albeit at coarser resolution) of the same or homologous molecule or molecular assembly, deposited in the EMDB. To obtain the best possible structural model of the molecule at the best achievable resolution, and without any missing gaps, one typically aligns (match and fits) the atomistic structure model with the 3D EM map. We discuss a new algorithm and generalized framework, named PF(2) fit (Polar Fast Fourier Fitting) for the best possible structural alignment of atomistic structures with 3D EM. While PF(2) fit enables only a rigid, six dimensional (6D) alignment method, it augments prior work on 6D X-ray structure and 3D EM alignment in multiple ways: Scoring. PF(2) fit includes a new scoring scheme that, in addition to rewarding overlaps between the volumes occupied by the atomistic structure and 3D EM map, rewards overlaps between the volumes complementary to them. We quantitatively demonstrate how this new complementary scoring scheme improves upon existing approaches. PF(2) fit also includes two scoring functions, the non-uniform exterior penalty and the skeleton-secondary structure score, and implements the scattering potential score as an alternative to traditional Gaussian blurring. Search. PF(2) fit utilizes a fast polar Fourier search scheme, whose main advantage is the ability to search over uniformly and adaptively sampled subsets of the space of rigid-body motions. PF(2) fit also implements a new reranking search and scoring methodology that considerably improves alignment metrics in results obtained from the initial search.

PF2 fit: Polar Fast Fourier Matched Alignment of Atomistic Structures with 3D Electron Microscopy Maps

PubMed Central

Bettadapura, Radhakrishna; Rasheed, Muhibur; Vollrath, Antje; Bajaj, Chandrajit

2015-01-01

There continue to be increasing occurrences of both atomistic structure models in the PDB (possibly reconstructed from X-ray diffraction or NMR data), and 3D reconstructed cryo-electron microscopy (3D EM) maps (albeit at coarser resolution) of the same or homologous molecule or molecular assembly, deposited in the EMDB. To obtain the best possible structural model of the molecule at the best achievable resolution, and without any missing gaps, one typically aligns (match and fits) the atomistic structure model with the 3D EM map. We discuss a new algorithm and generalized framework, named PF2 fit (Polar Fast Fourier Fitting) for the best possible structural alignment of atomistic structures with 3D EM. While PF2 fit enables only a rigid, six dimensional (6D) alignment method, it augments prior work on 6D X-ray structure and 3D EM alignment in multiple ways: Scoring. PF2 fit includes a new scoring scheme that, in addition to rewarding overlaps between the volumes occupied by the atomistic structure and 3D EM map, rewards overlaps between the volumes complementary to them. We quantitatively demonstrate how this new complementary scoring scheme improves upon existing approaches. PF2 fit also includes two scoring functions, the non-uniform exterior penalty and the skeleton-secondary structure score, and implements the scattering potential score as an alternative to traditional Gaussian blurring. Search. PF2 fit utilizes a fast polar Fourier search scheme, whose main advantage is the ability to search over uniformly and adaptively sampled subsets of the space of rigid-body motions. PF2 fit also implements a new reranking search and scoring methodology that considerably improves alignment metrics in results obtained from the initial search. PMID:26469938

Capillary electrophoresis, a method for the determination of nucleic acid ligands covalently attached to quantum dots representing a donor of Förster resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Datinská, Vladimíra; Klepárník, Karel; Belšánová, Barbora; Minárik, Marek; Foret, František

2018-05-09

The synthesis and determination of the structure of a Förster resonance energy transfer probe intended for the detection of specific nucleic acid sequences are described here. The probe is based on the hybridization of oligonucleotide modified quantum dots with a fluorescently labeled nucleic acid sample resulting in changes of the fluorescence emission due to the energy transfer effect. The stoichiometry distribution of oligonucleotides conjugated to quantum dots was determined by capillary electrophoresis separation. The results indicate that one to four molecules of oligonucleotide are conjugated to the surface of a single nanoparticle. This conclusion is confirmed by the course of the dependence of Förster resonance energy transfer efficiency on the concentration of fluorescently labeled complementary single-stranded nucleic acid, showing saturation. While the energy transfer efficiency of the probe hybridized with complementary nucleic acid strands was 30%, negligible efficiency was observed with a non-complementary strands. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Identification of Skin Electrical Injury Using Infrared Imaging: A Possible Complementary Tool for Histological Examination

PubMed Central

Lin, Hancheng; Wang, Zhenyuan; Dong, Hongmei

2017-01-01

In forensic practice, determination of electrocution as a cause of death usually depends on the conventional histological examination of electrical mark in the body skin, but the limitation of this method includes subjective bias by different forensic pathologists, especially for identifying suspicious electrical mark. The aim of our work is to introduce Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics as a complementary tool for providing an relatively objective diagnosis. The results of principle component analysis (PCA) showed that there were significant differences of protein structural profile between electrical mark and normal skin in terms of α-helix, antiparallel β-sheet and β-sheet content. Then a partial least square (PLS) model was established based on this spectral dataset and used to discriminate electrical mark from normal skin areas in independent tissue sections as revealed by color-coded digital maps, making the visualization of electrical injury more intuitively. Our pilot study demonstrates the potential of FTIR spectroscopy as a complementary tool for diagnosis of electrical mark. PMID:28118398

Multiview three-dimensional display with continuous motion parallax through planar aligned OLED microdisplays.

PubMed

Teng, Dongdong; Xiong, Yi; Liu, Lilin; Wang, Biao

2015-03-09

Existing multiview three-dimensional (3D) display technologies encounter discontinuous motion parallax problem, due to a limited number of stereo-images which are presented to corresponding sub-viewing zones (SVZs). This paper proposes a novel multiview 3D display system to obtain continuous motion parallax by using a group of planar aligned OLED microdisplays. Through blocking partial light-rays by baffles inserted between adjacent OLED microdisplays, transitional stereo-image assembled by two spatially complementary segments from adjacent stereo-images is presented to a complementary fusing zone (CFZ) which locates between two adjacent SVZs. For a moving observation point, the spatial ratio of the two complementary segments evolves gradually, resulting in continuously changing transitional stereo-images and thus overcoming the problem of discontinuous motion parallax. The proposed display system employs projection-type architecture, taking the merit of full display resolution, but at the same time having a thin optical structure, offering great potentials for portable or mobile 3D display applications. Experimentally, a prototype display system is demonstrated by 9 OLED microdisplays.

Social medicalization and alternative and complementary medicine: the pluralization of health services in the Brazilian Unified Health System.

PubMed

Tesser, Charles Dalcanale; Barros, Nelson Filice de

2008-10-01

Social medicalization transforms people's habits, discourages them from finding their own solutions to certain health problems and places an excess demand on the Unified Health System. With regard to healthcare provision, an alternative to social medicalization is the pluralization of treatment provided by health institutions namely through the recognition and provision of alternative and complementary practices and medicines. The objective of the article was to analyze the potentials and difficulties of alternative and complementary practices and medicines based on clinical and institutional experiences and on the specialist literature. The research concludes that the potential of such a strategy to "demedicalize" is limited and should be included in the remit of the Unified Health System. The article highlights that the Biosciences retain a political and epistemiological hegemony over medicine and that the area of healthcare is dominated by market principles, whereby there is a trend towards the transformation of any kind of knowledge or structured practice related to health-illness processes into goods or procedures to be consumed, and this only reinforces heteronomy and medicalization.

Structural design principles for self-assembled coordination polygons and polyhedra.

PubMed

Young, Neil J; Hay, Benjamin P

2013-02-18

Strategies for the design of ligands that combine with metal ions to form high-symmetry coordination assemblies are reviewed. Evaluation of crystal structure evidence reveals that prior design approaches, based on the concept of complementary bonding vector angles, fail to predict the majority of known examples. After explaining the reasons for this failure, it is shown how an alternative approach, de novo structure-based design, provides a practical method that predicts a much wider range of component shapes encoded to direct the formation of such assemblies.

Aeroelastic characteristics of composite bearingless rotor blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bielawa, R. L.

1976-01-01

Owing to the inherent unique structural features of composite bearingless rotors, various assumptions upon which conventional rotor aeroelastic analyses are formulated, are violated. Three such features identified are highly nonlinear and time-varying structural twist, structural redundancy in bending and torsion, and for certain configurations a strongly coupled low frequency bending-torsion mode. An examination of these aeroelastic considerations and appropriate formulations required for accurate analyses of such rotor systems is presented. Also presented are test results from a dynamically scaled model rotor and complementary analytic results obtained with the appropriately reformulated aeroelastic analysis.

Integrative analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana transcriptomics reveals intuitive splicing mechanism for circular RNA.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoyong; Wang, Lin; Ding, Jiechao; Wang, Yanru; Wang, Jiansheng; Zhang, Xiaoyang; Che, Yulei; Liu, Ziwei; Zhang, Xinran; Ye, Jiazhen; Wang, Jie; Sablok, Gaurav; Deng, Zhiping; Zhao, Hongwei

2016-10-01

A new regulatory class of small endogenous RNAs called circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been described as miRNA sponges in animals. Using 16 Arabidopsis thaliana RNA-Seq data sets, we identified 803 circRNAs in RNase R-/non-RNase R-treated samples. The results revealed the following features: Canonical and noncanonical splicing can generate circRNAs; chloroplasts are a hotspot for circRNA generation; furthermore, limited complementary sequences exist not only in introns, but also in the sequences flanking splice sites. The latter finding suggests that multiple combinations between complementary sequences may facilitate the formation of the circular structure. Our results contribute to a better understanding of this novel class of plant circRNAs. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Complementary DNA sequences encoding the multimammate rat MHC class II DQ alpha and beta chains and cross-species sequence comparison in rodents.

PubMed

de Bellocq, J Goüy; Leirs, H

2009-09-01

Sequences of the complete open reading frame (ORF) for rodents major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes are rare. Multimammate rat (Mastomys natalensis) complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the alpha and beta chains of MHC class II DQ gene was cloned from a rapid amplifications of cDNA Emds (RACE) cDNA library. The ORFs consist of 801 and 771 bp encoding 266 and 256 amino acid residues for DQB and DQA, respectively. The genomic structure of Mana-DQ genes is globally analogous to that described for other rodents except for the insertion of a serine residue in the signal peptide of Mana-DQB, which is unique among known rodents.

Method of acquiring an image from an optical structure having pixels with dedicated readout circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Mendis, Sunetra (Inventor); Kemeny, Sabrina E. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

An imaging device formed as a monolithic complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit in an industry standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process, the integrated circuit including a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photogate overlying the substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate, a readout circuit including at least an output field effect transistor formed in the substrate, and a charge coupled device section formed on the substrate adjacent the photogate having a sensing node connected to the output transistor and at least one charge coupled device stage for transferring charge from the underlying portion of the substrate to the sensing node.

Complementary role of cardiac CT in the assessment of aortic valve replacement dysfunction

PubMed Central

Moss, Alastair J; Dweck, Marc R; Dreisbach, John G; Williams, Michelle C; Mak, Sze Mun; Cartlidge, Timothy; Nicol, Edward D; Morgan-Hughes, Gareth J

2016-01-01

Aortic valve replacement is the second most common cardiothoracic procedure in the UK. With an ageing population, there are an increasing number of patients with prosthetic valves that require follow-up. Imaging of prosthetic valves is challenging with conventional echocardiographic techniques making early detection of valve dysfunction or complications difficult. CT has recently emerged as a complementary approach offering excellent spatial resolution and the ability to identify a range of aortic valve replacement complications including structural valve dysfunction, thrombus development, pannus formation and prosthetic valve infective endocarditis. This review discusses each and how CT might be incorporated into a multimodal cardiovascular imaging pathway for the assessment of aortic valve replacements and in guiding clinical management. PMID:27843568

Simulations Using Random-Generated DNA and RNA Sequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryce, C. F. A.

1977-01-01

Using a very simple computer program written in BASIC, a very large number of random-generated DNA or RNA sequences are obtained. Students use these sequences to predict complementary sequences and translational products, evaluate base compositions, determine frequencies of particular triplet codons, and suggest possible secondary structures.…

Neuromorphic Computing: A Post-Moore's Law Complementary Architecture

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

Schuman, Catherine D; Birdwell, John Douglas; Dean, Mark

2016-01-01

We describe our approach to post-Moore's law computing with three neuromorphic computing models that share a RISC philosophy, featuring simple components combined with a flexible and programmable structure. We envision these to be leveraged as co-processors, or as data filters to provide in situ data analysis in supercomputing environments.

Is U.S. climatic diversity well represented within the existing federal protection network?

Treesearch

Enric Batllori; Carol Miller; Marc-Andre Parisien; Sean A. Parks; Max A. Moritz

2014-01-01

Establishing protection networks to ensure that biodiversity and associated ecosystem services persist under changing environments is a major challenge for conservation planning. The potential consequences of altered climates for the structure and function of ecosystems necessitates new and complementary approaches be incorporated into traditional conservation plans....

HUMAN GLYCERALDEHYDE 3-PHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE-2 (GAPD2) GENE IS EXPRESSED SPECIFICALLY IN SPERMATOGENIC CELLS

EPA Science Inventory

Although the process of glycolysis is highly conserved in eukaryotes, several glycolytic enzymes have unique structural or functional features in spermatogenic cells. We previously identified and characterized the mouse complementary DNA (cDNA) and a gene for 1 of these enzymes, ...

Structure-based Understanding of Binding Affinity and Mode of Estrogen Receptor α Agonists and Antagonists.

EPA Science Inventory

The flexible hydrophobic ligand binding pocket (LBP) of estrogen receptor α (ERα) allows the binding of a wide variety of endocrine disruptors. Upon ligand binding, the LBP reshapes around the contours of the ligand and stabilizes the complex by complementary hydrophobic interact...

Structure-Based Understanding of Binding Affinity and Mode of Estrogen Receptor α Agonists and Antagonists

EPA Science Inventory

The flexible hydrophobic ligand binding pocket (LBP) of estrogen receptor α (ERα) allows the binding of a wide variety of endocrine disruptors. Upon ligand binding, the LBP reshapes around the contours of the ligand and stabilizes the complex by complementary hydrophobic interact...

Manpower Theory and Policy and the Residual Occupational Elasticity of Substitution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rostker, Bernard Daniel

By developing the short-run policy implications of a structurally disaggregated labor market, this study attempts to show that fiscal and manpower policies are complementary means to achieve full employment. Using a constant elasticity of substitution production function, the study demonstrates mathematically that the smaller the residual…

Using countertransference in the hypnosis of trauma victims: a model for turning hazard into healing.

PubMed

Peebles-Kleiger, M J

1989-10-01

The article describes the usefulness of concepts of projective identification and the relational/structure model of countertransference in the treatment of trauma victims. Case examples are presented to illustrate how concordant, complementary, and indirect countertransference may be useful diagnostically and therapeutically.

Practise What You Preach: The Interactive Whiteboard in Preschool Mathematics Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourbour, Maryam; Masoumi, Davoud

2017-01-01

The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) is now a common technological artefact in Swedish preschools and schools. This study examines preschool teachers' thinking behind the embedding of IWB in the early years' mathematics classroom and how preschool teachers structure their mathematical activities when using IWB. Two complementary empirical studies,…

Contradictory or Complementary? Reassessment of Two Competing Theories of the Structure of Attitudes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birenbaum, Menucha; Zak, Itai

1982-01-01

The theories of Kerlinger and Eysenck on the nature of the dimensions underlying social attitudes are discussed. Integrating principles from both theories, an alternative approach to the issue, is suggested and tested on the domain of attitudes toward education in relation to personality. (Author/JKS)

Attitudes toward and education about complementary and alternative medicine among adult patients with depression in Taiwan.

PubMed

Hsu, Mei-Chi; Moyle, Wendy; Creedy, Debra; Venturato, Lorraine; Ouyang, Wen-Chen; Sun, Gwo-Ching

2010-04-01

To investigate patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine, the education nurses provided about complementary and alternative medicine for treating depression and to test whether such education mediates the effect of complementary and alternative medicine use and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Although we know that attitudes influence behaviour, very few studies simultaneously explore the relationship between attitudes, education and complementary and alternative medicine use. Survey. This study was conducted as part of a larger survey, using face-to-face survey interviews with 206 adult patients aged 50 years or over and hospitalised in conventional hospitals in Taiwan for treatment of depression. The attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and patient education about complementary and alternative medicine instruments were specially developed for the study. Participants expressed slightly favourable attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Many participants (50%) expressed that they were willing to try any potential treatment for depression. They believed that complementary and alternative medicine helped them to feel better and to live a happier life. However, 66.5% of participants reported that they had inadequate knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine. Participants with a higher monthly income, longer depression duration and religious beliefs hold more positive attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Most participants were not satisfied with the education they received about complementary and alternative medicine. Patient education about complementary and alternative medicine was found to be a mediator for the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Patient education from nurses may predict patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine. Continuing nursing education is needed to enable nurses to respond knowledgeably to concerns patients may have about complementary and alternative medicine and treatment options. This study highlights the potential role of patient education about complementary and alternative medicine as an effective way of adjusting patients' attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and to link both patients' preferences for complementary and alternative medicine and health professionals' concerns about the proper use of complementary and alternative medicine for depression management and adverse drug interactions.

Complementary and conventional providers in cancer care: experience of communication with patients and steps to improve communication with other providers.

PubMed

Stub, Trine; Quandt, Sara A; Arcury, Thomas A; Sandberg, Joanne C; Kristoffersen, Agnete E

2017-06-08

Effective interdisciplinary communication is important to achieve better quality in health care. The aims of this study were to compare conventional and complementary providers' experience of communication about complementary therapies and conventional medicine with their cancer patients, and to investigate how they experience interdisciplinary communication and cooperation. This study analyzed data from a self-administrated questionnaire. A total of 606 different health care providers, from four counties in Norway, completed the questionnaire. The survey was developed to describe aspects of the communication pattern among oncology doctors, nurses, family physicians and complementary therapists (acupuncturists, massage therapists and reflexologists/zone-therapists). Between-group differences were analyzed using chi-square, ANOVA and Fisher's exact tests. Significance level was defined as p < 0.05 without adjustment for multiple comparisons. Conventional providers and complementary therapists had different patterns of communication with their cancer patients regarding complementary therapies. While complementary therapists advised their patients to apply both complementary and conventional modalities, medical doctors were less supportive of their patients' use of complementary therapies. Of conventional providers, nurses expressed more positive attitudes toward complementary therapies. Opportunities to improve communication between conventional and complementary providers were most strongly supported by complementary providers and nurses; medical doctors were less supportive of such attempts. A number of doctors showed lack of respect for complementary therapists, but asked for more research, guidelines for complementary modalities and training in conventional medicine for complementary therapists. For better quality of care, greater communication about complementary therapy use is needed between cancer patients and their conventional and complementary providers. In addition, more communication between conventional and complementary providers is needed. Nurses may have a crucial role in facilitating communication, as they are positive toward complementary therapies and they have more direct communication with patients about their treatment preferences.

Factors influencing first-time mothers' introduction of complementary foods: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Walsh, Anne; Kearney, Lauren; Dennis, Nicole

2015-09-22

Optimal infant nutrition comprises exclusive breastfeeding, with complementary foods introduced from six months of age. How parents make decisions regarding this is poorly studied. This study begins to address the dearth of research into the decision-making processes used by first-time mothers relating to the introduction of complementary foods. This qualitative explorative study was conducted using interviews (13) and focus groups (3). A semi-structured interview guide based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The TPB, a well-validated decision-making model, identifies the key determinants of a behaviour through behavioural beliefs, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control over the behaviour. It is purported that these beliefs predict behavioural intention to perform the behaviour, and performing the behaviour. A purposive, convenience, sample of 21 metropolitan parents recruited through advertising at local playgroups and childcare centres, and electronically through the University community email list self-selected to participate. Data were analysed thematically within the theoretical constructs: behavioural beliefs, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Data relating to sources of information about the introduction of complementary foods were also collected. Overall, first-time mothers found that waiting until six months was challenging despite knowledge of the WHO recommendations and an initial desire to comply with this guideline. Beliefs that complementary foods would assist the infants' weight gain, sleeping patterns and enjoyment at meal times were identified. Barriers preventing parents complying with the recommendations included subjective and group norms, peer influences, infant cues indicating early readiness and food labelling inconsistencies. The most valued information source was from peers who had recently introduced complementary foods. First-time mothers in this study did not demonstrate a good understanding of the rationale behind the WHO recommendations, nor did they understand fully the signs of readiness of infants to commence solid foods. Factors that assisted waiting until six months were a trusting relationship with a health professional whose practice and advice was consistent with the recommendations and/or when their infant was developmentally ready for complementary foods at six months and accepted them with ease and enthusiasm. Barriers preventing parents complying with the recommendations included subjective and group norms, peer influences, infant cues indicating early readiness and food labelling inconsistencies.

Structural complexity of Dengue virus untranslated regions: cis-acting RNA motifs and pseudoknot interactions modulating functionality of the viral genome

PubMed Central

Sztuba-Solinska, Joanna; Teramoto, Tadahisa; Rausch, Jason W.; Shapiro, Bruce A.; Padmanabhan, Radhakrishnan; Le Grice, Stuart F. J.

2013-01-01

The Dengue virus (DENV) genome contains multiple cis-acting elements required for translation and replication. Previous studies indicated that a 719-nt subgenomic minigenome (DENV-MINI) is an efficient template for translation and (−) strand RNA synthesis in vitro. We performed a detailed structural analysis of DENV-MINI RNA, combining chemical acylation techniques, Pb2+ ion-induced hydrolysis and site-directed mutagenesis. Our results highlight protein-independent 5′–3′ terminal interactions involving hybridization between recognized cis-acting motifs. Probing analyses identified tandem dumbbell structures (DBs) within the 3′ terminus spaced by single-stranded regions, internal loops and hairpins with embedded GNRA-like motifs. Analysis of conserved motifs and top loops (TLs) of these dumbbells, and their proposed interactions with downstream pseudoknot (PK) regions, predicted an H-type pseudoknot involving TL1 of the 5′ DB and the complementary region, PK2. As disrupting the TL1/PK2 interaction, via ‘flipping’ mutations of PK2, previously attenuated DENV replication, this pseudoknot may participate in regulation of RNA synthesis. Computer modeling implied that this motif might function as autonomous structural/regulatory element. In addition, our studies targeting elements of the 3′ DB and its complementary region PK1 indicated that communication between 5′–3′ terminal regions strongly depends on structure and sequence composition of the 5′ cyclization region. PMID:23531545

Molecular analysis of vector genome structures after liver transduction by conventional and self-complementary adeno-associated viral serotype vectors in murine and nonhuman primate models.

PubMed

Sun, Xun; Lu, You; Bish, Lawrence T; Calcedo, Roberto; Wilson, James M; Gao, Guangping

2010-06-01

Vectors based on several new adeno-associated viral (AAV) serotypes demonstrated strong hepatocyte tropism and transduction efficiency in both small- and large-animal models for liver-directed gene transfer. Efficiency of liver transduction by AAV vectors can be further improved in both murine and nonhuman primate (NHP) animals when the vector genomes are packaged in a self-complementary (sc) format. In an attempt to understand potential molecular mechanism(s) responsible for enhanced transduction efficiency of the sc vector in liver, we performed extensive molecular studies of genome structures of conventional single-stranded (ss) and sc AAV vectors from liver after AAV gene transfer in both mice and NHPs. These included treatment with exonucleases with specific substrate preferences, single-cutter restriction enzyme digestion and polarity-specific hybridization-based vector genome mapping, and bacteriophage phi29 DNA polymerase-mediated and double-stranded circular template-specific rescue of persisted circular genomes. In mouse liver, vector genomes of both genome formats seemed to persist primarily as episomal circular forms, but sc vectors converted into circular forms more rapidly and efficiently. However, the overall differences in vector genome abundance and structure in the liver between ss and sc vectors could not account for the remarkable differences in transduction. Molecular structures of persistent genomes of both ss and sc vectors were significantly more heterogeneous in macaque liver, with noticeable structural rearrangements that warrant further characterizations.

Molecular Analysis of Vector Genome Structures After Liver Transduction by Conventional and Self-Complementary Adeno-Associated Viral Serotype Vectors in Murine and Nonhuman Primate Models

PubMed Central

Sun, Xun; Lu, You; Bish, Lawrence T.; Calcedo, Roberto; Wilson, James M.

2010-01-01

Abstract Vectors based on several new adeno-associated viral (AAV) serotypes demonstrated strong hepatocyte tropism and transduction efficiency in both small- and large-animal models for liver-directed gene transfer. Efficiency of liver transduction by AAV vectors can be further improved in both murine and nonhuman primate (NHP) animals when the vector genomes are packaged in a self-complementary (sc) format. In an attempt to understand potential molecular mechanism(s) responsible for enhanced transduction efficiency of the sc vector in liver, we performed extensive molecular studies of genome structures of conventional single-stranded (ss) and sc AAV vectors from liver after AAV gene transfer in both mice and NHPs. These included treatment with exonucleases with specific substrate preferences, single-cutter restriction enzyme digestion and polarity-specific hybridization-based vector genome mapping, and bacteriophage ϕ29 DNA polymerase-mediated and double-stranded circular template-specific rescue of persisted circular genomes. In mouse liver, vector genomes of both genome formats seemed to persist primarily as episomal circular forms, but sc vectors converted into circular forms more rapidly and efficiently. However, the overall differences in vector genome abundance and structure in the liver between ss and sc vectors could not account for the remarkable differences in transduction. Molecular structures of persistent genomes of both ss and sc vectors were significantly more heterogeneous in macaque liver, with noticeable structural rearrangements that warrant further characterizations. PMID:20113166

Development of user-centered interfaces to search the knowledge resources of the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library.

PubMed

Jones, Josette; Harris, Marcelline; Bagley-Thompson, Cheryl; Root, Jane

2003-01-01

This poster describes the development of user-centered interfaces in order to extend the functionality of the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library (VHINL) from library to web based portal to nursing knowledge resources. The existing knowledge structure and computational models are revised and made complementary. Nurses' search behavior is captured and analyzed, and the resulting search models are mapped to the revised knowledge structure and computational model.

Diversity-Oriented Synthesis as a Strategy for Fragment Evolution against GSK3β.

PubMed

Wang, Yikai; Wach, Jean-Yves; Sheehan, Patrick; Zhong, Cheng; Zhan, Chenyang; Harris, Richard; Almo, Steven C; Bishop, Joshua; Haggarty, Stephen J; Ramek, Alexander; Berry, Kayla N; O'Herin, Conor; Koehler, Angela N; Hung, Alvin W; Young, Damian W

2016-09-08

Traditional fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) relies heavily on structural analysis of the hits bound to their targets. Herein, we present a complementary approach based on diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS). A DOS-based fragment collection was able to produce initial hit compounds against the target GSK3β, allow the systematic synthesis of related fragment analogues to explore fragment-level structure-activity relationship, and finally lead to the synthesis of a more potent compound.

Atomic resolution characterization of a SrTiO{sub 3} grain boundary in the STEM

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

McGibbon, M.M.; Browning, N.D.; Chisholm, M.F.

This paper uses the complementary techniques of high resolution Z-contrast imaging and PEELS (parallel detection electron energy loss spectroscopy) to investigate the atomic structure and chemistry of a 25 degree symmetric tilt boundary in a bicrystal of the electroceramic SrTiO{sub 3}. The gain boundary is composed of two different boundary structural units which occur in about equal numbers: one which contains Ti-O columns and the other without.

The Coding of Biological Information: From Nucleotide Sequence to Protein Recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Štambuk, Nikola

The paper reviews the classic results of Swanson, Dayhoff, Grantham, Blalock and Root-Bernstein, which link genetic code nucleotide patterns to the protein structure, evolution and molecular recognition. Symbolic representation of the binary addresses defining particular nucleotide and amino acid properties is discussed, with consideration of: structure and metric of the code, direct correspondence between amino acid and nucleotide information, and molecular recognition of the interacting protein motifs coded by the complementary DNA and RNA strands.

Predicting oligonucleotide affinity to nucleic acid targets.

PubMed Central

Mathews, D H; Burkard, M E; Freier, S M; Wyatt, J R; Turner, D H

1999-01-01

A computer program, OligoWalk, is reported that predicts the equilibrium affinity of complementary DNA or RNA oligonucleotides to an RNA target. This program considers the predicted stability of the oligonucleotide-target helix and the competition with predicted secondary structure of both the target and the oligonucleotide. Both unimolecular and bimolecular oligonucleotide self structure are considered with a user-defined concentration. The application of OligoWalk is illustrated with three comparisons to experimental results drawn from the literature. PMID:10580474

Massive integration of diverse protein quality assessment methods to improve template based modeling in CASP11.

PubMed

Cao, Renzhi; Bhattacharya, Debswapna; Adhikari, Badri; Li, Jilong; Cheng, Jianlin

2016-09-01

Model evaluation and selection is an important step and a big challenge in template-based protein structure prediction. Individual model quality assessment methods designed for recognizing some specific properties of protein structures often fail to consistently select good models from a model pool because of their limitations. Therefore, combining multiple complimentary quality assessment methods is useful for improving model ranking and consequently tertiary structure prediction. Here, we report the performance and analysis of our human tertiary structure predictor (MULTICOM) based on the massive integration of 14 diverse complementary quality assessment methods that was successfully benchmarked in the 11th Critical Assessment of Techniques of Protein Structure prediction (CASP11). The predictions of MULTICOM for 39 template-based domains were rigorously assessed by six scoring metrics covering global topology of Cα trace, local all-atom fitness, side chain quality, and physical reasonableness of the model. The results show that the massive integration of complementary, diverse single-model and multi-model quality assessment methods can effectively leverage the strength of single-model methods in distinguishing quality variation among similar good models and the advantage of multi-model quality assessment methods of identifying reasonable average-quality models. The overall excellent performance of the MULTICOM predictor demonstrates that integrating a large number of model quality assessment methods in conjunction with model clustering is a useful approach to improve the accuracy, diversity, and consequently robustness of template-based protein structure prediction. Proteins 2016; 84(Suppl 1):247-259. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular structure of r/GCG/d/TATACGC/ - A DNA-RNA hybrid helix joined to double helical DNA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, A. H.-J.; Fujii, S.; Rich, A.; Van Boom, J. H.; Van Der Marel, G. A.; Van Boeckel, S. A. A.

1982-01-01

The molecule r(GCG)d(TATACGC) is self-complementary and forms two DNA-RNA hybrid segments surrounding a central region of double helical DNA; its molecular structure has been solved by X-ray analysis. All three parts of the molecule adopt a conformation which is close to that seen in the 11-fold RNA double helix. The conformation of the ribonucleotides is partly determined by water molecules bridging between the ribose O2' hydroxyl group and cytosine O2. The hybrid-DNA duplex junction contains no structural discontinuities. However, the central DNA TATA sequence has some structural irregularities.

Bringing in the Tech: Using Outside Expertise to Enhance Technology Learning in Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akiva, Thomas; Povis, Kaleen Tison; Martinez, Ani

2015-01-01

Afterschool continues to be promoted as a complementary setting to school for strengthening science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education (for example, Krishnamurthi, Bevan, Rinehart, & Coulon, 2013). This is a reasonable idea: 10.2 million children and youth in the U.S. participate in structured afterschool programs (Afterschool…

Sensitivity analysis of hybrid thermoelastic techniques

Treesearch

W.A. Samad; J.M. Considine

2017-01-01

Stress functions have been used as a complementary tool to support experimental techniques, such as thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) and digital image correlation (DIC), in an effort to evaluate the complete and separate full-field stresses of loaded structures. The need for such coupling between experimental data and stress functions is due to the fact that...

Performance trade-off in an adaptive IEEE 802.11ad waveform design for a joint automotive radar and communication system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-05-01

The IEEE 802.11ad waveform can be used for automotive radar by exploiting the Golay complementary sequences in the preamble of a frame. The performance of radar, however, is limited by the preamble structure. In this paper, we propose an adaptive pre...

Educational Approaches to Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: A View from the Swedish Horizon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoppe, Magnus; Westerberg, Mats; Leffler, Eva

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present and develop models of educational approaches to entrepreneurship that can provide complementary analytical structures to better study, enact and reflect upon the role of entrepreneurship in higher education. Design/methodology/approach A general framework for entrepreneurship education is developed…

Stiff upper lip: Labrum deformity and functionality in bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In hyper-diverse groups such as Hymenoptera, a variety of structures with different, complementary functions are used for feeding. Although the function of the parts such as the mandibles is obvious, the use of others, like the labrum, is more difficult to discern. Here, we discuss the labrum’s func...

Improving STEM Program Quality in Out-of-School-Time: Tool Development and Validation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Ashima Mathur; Wylie, Caroline; Gitomer, Drew; Noam, Gil

2018-01-01

In and out-of-school time (OST) experiences are viewed as complementary in contributing to students' interest, engagement, and performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). While tools exist to measure quality in general afterschool settings and others to measure structured science classroom experiences, there is a need…

Nonlinear Spectroscopy of Rubidium: An Undergraduate Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacques, V.; Hingant, B.; Allafort, A.; Pigeard, M.; Roch, J. F.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we describe two complementary nonlinear spectroscopy methods which both allow one to achieve Doppler-free spectra of atomic gases. First, saturated absorption spectroscopy is used to investigate the structure of the 5S[subscript 1/2] [right arrow] 5P[subscript 3/2] transition in rubidium. Using a slightly modified experimental…

Finite Element Analysis of Film Stack Architecture for Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Image Sensors.

PubMed

Wu, Kuo-Tsai; Hwang, Sheng-Jye; Lee, Huei-Huang

2017-05-02

Image sensors are the core components of computer, communication, and consumer electronic products. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors have become the mainstay of image-sensing developments, but are prone to leakage current. In this study, we simulate the CMOS image sensor (CIS) film stacking process by finite element analysis. To elucidate the relationship between the leakage current and stack architecture, we compare the simulated and measured leakage currents in the elements. Based on the analysis results, we further improve the performance by optimizing the architecture of the film stacks or changing the thin-film material. The material parameters are then corrected to improve the accuracy of the simulation results. The simulated and experimental results confirm a positive correlation between measured leakage current and stress. This trend is attributed to the structural defects induced by high stress, which generate leakage. Using this relationship, we can change the structure of the thin-film stack to reduce the leakage current and thereby improve the component life and reliability of the CIS components.

Self-Assembly of Octopus Nanoparticles into Pre-Programmed Finite Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halverson, Jonathan; Tkachenko, Alexei

2012-02-01

The precise control of the spatial arrangement of nanoparticles (NP) is often required to take full advantage of their novel optical and electronic properties. NPs have been shown to self-assemble into crystalline structures using either patchy surface regions or complementary DNA strands to direct the assembly. Due to a lack of specificity of the interactions these methods lead to only a limited number of structures. An emerging approach is to bind ssDNA at specific sites on the particle surface making so-called octopus NPs. Using octopus NPs we investigate the inverse problem of the self-assembly of finite clusters. That is, for a given target cluster (e.g., arranging the NPs on the vertices of a dodecahedron) what are the minimum number of complementary DNA strands needed for the robust self-assembly of the cluster from an initially homogeneous NP solution? Based on the results of Brownian dynamics simulations we have compiled a set of design rules for various target clusters including cubes, pyramids, dodecahedrons and truncated icosahedrons. Our approach leads to control over the kinetic pathway and has demonstrated nearly perfect yield of the target.

Finite Element Analysis of Film Stack Architecture for Complementary Metal-Oxide–Semiconductor Image Sensors

PubMed Central

Wu, Kuo-Tsai; Hwang, Sheng-Jye; Lee, Huei-Huang

2017-01-01

Image sensors are the core components of computer, communication, and consumer electronic products. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors have become the mainstay of image-sensing developments, but are prone to leakage current. In this study, we simulate the CMOS image sensor (CIS) film stacking process by finite element analysis. To elucidate the relationship between the leakage current and stack architecture, we compare the simulated and measured leakage currents in the elements. Based on the analysis results, we further improve the performance by optimizing the architecture of the film stacks or changing the thin-film material. The material parameters are then corrected to improve the accuracy of the simulation results. The simulated and experimental results confirm a positive correlation between measured leakage current and stress. This trend is attributed to the structural defects induced by high stress, which generate leakage. Using this relationship, we can change the structure of the thin-film stack to reduce the leakage current and thereby improve the component life and reliability of the CIS components. PMID:28468324

Complementary and alternative health care in Israel

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The paper explores the patterns of coexistence of alternative/complementary health care (CAM) and conventional medicine in Israel in the cultural, political, and social contexts of the society. The data are drawn from over ten years of sociological research on CAM in Israel, which included observation, survey research, and over one hundred in-depth interviews with a variety of CAM practitioners - many with bio-medical credentials - and with policy makers in the major medical institutions. The analysis considers the reasons for CAM use, number of practitioners, the frequency of CAM use and some of its correlates, and how CAM is regulated. The structure of the relationship between the conventional health care system and CAM is discussed in the public sector, which provides two-thirds of CAM services, and in the private sector, which provides about one-third. The history of the development of these structures and some of the dilemmas of their operation are discussed. A number of policy issues are considered against this background: regulation and licensing, CAM in primary care, reimbursement for CAM treatment, and the inclusion of CAM in education and training for the health professions. PMID:22913721

A Posteriori Comparison of Natural and Surgical Destabilization Models of Canine Osteoarthritis

PubMed Central

Pelletier, Jean-Pierre; d'Anjou, Marc-André; Blond, Laurent; Pelletier, Johanne-Martel; del Castillo, Jérôme R. E.

2013-01-01

For many years Canis familiaris, the domestic dog, has drawn particular interest as a model of osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we optimized the dog model of experimental OA induced by cranial cruciate ligament sectioning. The usefulness of noninvasive complementary outcome measures, such as gait analysis for the limb function and magnetic resonance imaging for structural changes, was demonstrated in this model. Relationships were established between the functional impairment and the severity of structural changes including the measurement of cartilage thinning. In the dog model of naturally occurring OA, excellent test-retest reliability was denoted for the measurement of the limb function. A criterion to identify clinically meaningful responders to therapy was determined for privately owned dogs undergoing clinical trials. In addition, the recording of accelerometer-based duration of locomotor activity showed strong and complementary agreement with the biomechanical limb function. The translation potential of these models to the human OA condition is underlined. A preclinical testing protocol which combines the dog model of experimental OA induced by cranial cruciate ligament transection and the Dog model of naturally occurring OA offers the opportunity to further investigate the structural and functional benefits of disease-modifying strategies. Ultimately, a better prediction of outcomes for human clinical trials would be brought. PMID:24288664

Dimensions and Global Twist of Single-Layer DNA Origami Measured by Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.

PubMed

Baker, Matthew A B; Tuckwell, Andrew J; Berengut, Jonathan F; Bath, Jonathan; Benn, Florence; Duff, Anthony P; Whitten, Andrew E; Dunn, Katherine E; Hynson, Robert M; Turberfield, Andrew J; Lee, Lawrence K

2018-06-04

The rational design of complementary DNA sequences can be used to create nanostructures that self-assemble with nanometer precision. DNA nanostructures have been imaged by atomic force microscopy and electron microscopy. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) provides complementary structural information on the ensemble-averaged state of DNA nanostructures in solution. Here we demonstrate that SAXS can distinguish between different single-layer DNA origami tiles that look identical when immobilized on a mica surface and imaged with atomic force microscopy. We use SAXS to quantify the magnitude of global twist of DNA origami tiles with different crossover periodicities: these measurements highlight the extreme structural sensitivity of single-layer origami to the location of strand crossovers. We also use SAXS to quantify the distance between pairs of gold nanoparticles tethered to specific locations on a DNA origami tile and use this method to measure the overall dimensions and geometry of the DNA nanostructure in solution. Finally, we use indirect Fourier methods, which have long been used for the interpretation of SAXS data from biomolecules, to measure the distance between DNA helix pairs in a DNA origami nanotube. Together, these results provide important methodological advances in the use of SAXS to analyze DNA nanostructures in solution and insights into the structures of single-layer DNA origami.

An S 4 model inspired from self-complementary neutrino mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xinyi

2018-03-01

We build an S 4 model for neutrino masses and mixings based on the self-complementary (SC) neutrino mixing pattern. The SC mixing is constructed from the self-complementarity relation plus {δ }CP}=-\\tfrac{π }{2}. We elaborately construct the model at a percent level of accuracy to reproduce the structure given by the SC mixing. After performing a numerical study on the model’s parameter space, we find that in the case of normal ordering, the model can give predictions on the observables that are compatible with their 3σ ranges, and give predictions for the not-yet observed quantities like the lightest neutrino mass m 1 ∈ [0.003, 0.010] eV and the Dirac CP violating phase {δ }CP}\\in [256.72^\\circ ,283.33^\\circ ].

Syntheses and characterization of liposome-incorporated adamantyl aminoguanidines.

PubMed

Šekutor, Marina; Štimac, Adela; Mlinarić-Majerski, Kata; Frkanec, Ruža

2014-08-21

A series of mono and bis-aminoguanidinium adamantane derivatives has been synthesized and incorporated into liposomes. They combine two biomedically significant molecules, the adamantane moiety and the guanidinium group. The adamantane moiety possesses the membrane compatible features while the cationic guanidinium subunit was recognized as a favourable structural feature for binding to complementary molecules comprising phosphate groups. The liposome formulations of adamantyl aminoguanidines were characterized and it was shown that the entrapment efficiency of the examined compounds is significant. In addition, it was demonstrated that liposomes with incorporated adamantyl aminoguanidines effectively recognized the complementary liposomes via the phosphate group. These results indicate that adamantane derivatives bearing guanidinium groups might be versatile tools for biomedical application, from studies of molecular recognition processes to usage in drug formulation and cell targeting.

Low-Temperature Bainite: A Thermal Stability Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santajuana, Miguel A.; Rementeria, Rosalia; Kuntz, Matthias; Jimenez, Jose A.; Caballero, Francisca G.; Garcia-Mateo, Carlos

2018-06-01

The thermal stability of nanobainitic structures obtained by heat treating two different high-carbon high-silicon steels at temperatures between 200 °C and 600 °C has been investigated by means of three complementary techniques, i.e., field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution dilatometry. Three main stages have been established, each of them characterized by a distinctive microstructure. Furthermore, the nanocrystalline structure generated by the bainite reaction confers the steel with an extraordinary tempering resistance.

“Addition” and “Subtraction”: Selectivity Design for Type II Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase Inhibitors

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

Chen, Xin; Giraldes, John; Sprague, Elizabeth R.

2017-02-17

While adding the structural features that are more favored by on-target activity is the more common strategy in selectivity optimization, the opposite strategy of subtracting the structural features that contribute more to off-target activity can also be very effective. Reported here is our successful effort of improving the kinase selectivity of type II maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase inhibitors by applying these two complementary approaches together, which clearly demonstrates the powerful synergy between them.

Low-Temperature Bainite: A Thermal Stability Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santajuana, Miguel A.; Rementeria, Rosalia; Kuntz, Matthias; Jimenez, Jose A.; Caballero, Francisca G.; Garcia-Mateo, Carlos

2018-04-01

The thermal stability of nanobainitic structures obtained by heat treating two different high-carbon high-silicon steels at temperatures between 200 °C and 600 °C has been investigated by means of three complementary techniques, i.e., field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high-resolution dilatometry. Three main stages have been established, each of them characterized by a distinctive microstructure. Furthermore, the nanocrystalline structure generated by the bainite reaction confers the steel with an extraordinary tempering resistance.

Synergy of VSWIR and LiDAR for Ecosystem Structure, Biomass, and Canopy Diversity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Bruce D.; Asner, Gregory P.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of Visible ShortWave InfraRed (VSWIR) Imaging Spectrometer and LiDAR to study ecosystem structure, biomass and canopy diversity. It is shown that the biophysical data from LiDAR and biochemical information from hyperspectral remote sensing provides complementary data for: (1) describing spatial patterns of vegetation and biodiversity, (2) characterizing relationships between ecosystem form and function, and (3) detecting natural and human induced change that affects the biogeochemical cycles.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by pediatric patients with functional and organic gastrointestinal diseases: results from a multicenter survey.

PubMed

Vlieger, Arine M; Blink, Marjolein; Tromp, Ellen; Benninga, Marc A

2008-08-01

Many pediatric patients use complementary and alternative medicine, especially when facing a chronic illness for which treatment options are limited. So far, research on the use of complementary and alternative medicine in patients with functional gastrointestinal disease has been scarce. This study was designed to assess complementary and alternative medicine use in children with different gastrointestinal diseases, including functional disorders, to determine which factors predicted complementary and alternative medicine use and to assess the willingness of parents to participate in future studies on complementary and alternative medicine efficacy and safety. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use was assessed by using a questionnaire for 749 children visiting pediatric gastroenterology clinics of 9 hospitals in the Netherlands. The questionnaire consisted of 35 questions on the child's gastrointestinal disease, medication use, health status, past and future complementary and alternative medicine use, reasons for its use, and the necessity of complementary and alternative medicine research. In this study population, the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine use was 37.6%. A total of 60.3% of this group had used complementary and alternative medicine specifically for their gastrointestinal disease. This specific complementary and alternative medicine use was higher in patients with functional disorders than organic disorders (25.3% vs 17.2%). Adverse effects of allopathic medication, school absenteeism, age

Crystal Structure Predictions Using Adaptive Genetic Algorithm and Motif Search methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, K. M.; Wang, C. Z.; Zhao, X.; Wu, S.; Lyu, X.; Zhu, Z.; Nguyen, M. C.; Umemoto, K.; Wentzcovitch, R. M. M.

2017-12-01

Material informatics is a new initiative which has attracted a lot of attention in recent scientific research. The basic strategy is to construct comprehensive data sets and use machine learning to solve a wide variety of problems in material design and discovery. In pursuit of this goal, a key element is the quality and completeness of the databases used. Recent advance in the development of crystal structure prediction algorithms has made it a complementary and more efficient approach to explore the structure/phase space in materials using computers. In this talk, we discuss the importance of the structural motifs and motif-networks in crystal structure predictions. Correspondingly, powerful methods are developed to improve the sampling of the low-energy structure landscape.

DNA attachment to support structures

DOEpatents

Balhorn, Rodney L.; Barry, Christopher H.

2002-01-01

Microscopic beads or other structures are attached to nucleic acids (DNA) using a terminal transferase. The transferase adds labeled dideoxy nucleotide bases to the ends of linear strands of DNA. The labels, such as the antigens digoxigenin and biotin, bind to the antibody compounds or other appropriate complementary ligands, which are bound to the microscopic beads or other support structures. The method does not require the synthesis of a synthetic oligonucleotide probe. The method can be used to tag or label DNA even when the DNA has an unknown sequence, has blunt ends, or is a very large fragment (e.g., >500 kilobase pairs).

Biomimetic DNA emulsions: specific, thermo-reversible and adjustable binding from a liquid-like DNA layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontani, Lea-Laetitia; Feng, Lang; Dreyfus, Remi; Seeman, Nadrian; Chaikin, Paul; Brujic, Jasna

2013-03-01

We develop micron-sized emulsions coated with specific DNA sequences and complementary sticky ends. The emulsions are stabilized with phospholipids on which the DNA strands are grafted through biotin-streptavidin interactions, which allows the DNA to diffuse freely on the surface. We produce two complementary emulsions: one is functionalized with S sticky ends and dyed with red streptavidin, the other displays the complementary S' sticky ends and green streptavidin. Mixing those emulsions reveals specific adhesion between them due to the short-range S-S' hybridization. As expected this interaction is thermo-reversible: the red-green adhesive droplets dissociate upon heating and reassemble after cooling. Here the fluid phospholipids layer also leads to diffusive adhesion patches, which allows the bound droplets to rearrange throughout the packing structure. We quantify the adhesion strength between two droplets and build a theoretical framework that captures the observed trends through parameters such as the size of the droplets, the DNA surface density, the various DNA constructs or the temperature. This colloidal-scale, specific, thermo-reversible biomimetic emulsion offers a new versatile and powerful tool for the development of complex self-assembled materials.

Fully Associative, Nonisothermal, Potential-Based Unified Viscoplastic Model for Titanium-Based Matrices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

A number of titanium matrix composite (TMC) systems are currently being investigated for high-temperature air frame and propulsion system applications. As a result, numerous computational methodologies for predicting both deformation and life for this class of materials are under development. An integral part of these methodologies is an accurate and computationally efficient constitutive model for the metallic matrix constituent. Furthermore, because these systems are designed to operate at elevated temperatures, the required constitutive models must account for both time-dependent and time-independent deformations. To accomplish this, the NASA Lewis Research Center is employing a recently developed, complete, potential-based framework. This framework, which utilizes internal state variables, was put forth for the derivation of reversible and irreversible constitutive equations. The framework, and consequently the resulting constitutive model, is termed complete because the existence of the total (integrated) form of the Gibbs complementary free energy and complementary dissipation potentials are assumed a priori. The specific forms selected here for both the Gibbs and complementary dissipation potentials result in a fully associative, multiaxial, nonisothermal, unified viscoplastic model with nonlinear kinematic hardening. This model constitutes one of many models in the Generalized Viscoplasticity with Potential Structure (GVIPS) class of inelastic constitutive equations.

Online Wavelet Complementary velocity Estimator.

PubMed

Righettini, Paolo; Strada, Roberto; KhademOlama, Ehsan; Valilou, Shirin

2018-02-01

In this paper, we have proposed a new online Wavelet Complementary velocity Estimator (WCE) over position and acceleration data gathered from an electro hydraulic servo shaking table. This is a batch estimator type that is based on the wavelet filter banks which extract the high and low resolution of data. The proposed complementary estimator combines these two resolutions of velocities which acquired from numerical differentiation and integration of the position and acceleration sensors by considering a fixed moving horizon window as input to wavelet filter. Because of using wavelet filters, it can be implemented in a parallel procedure. By this method the numerical velocity is estimated without having high noise of differentiators, integration drifting bias and with less delay which is suitable for active vibration control in high precision Mechatronics systems by Direct Velocity Feedback (DVF) methods. This method allows us to make velocity sensors with less mechanically moving parts which makes it suitable for fast miniature structures. We have compared this method with Kalman and Butterworth filters over stability, delay and benchmarked them by their long time velocity integration for getting back the initial position data. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Authoritative School Discipline: High School Practices Associated with Lower Bullying and Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, Anne; Cornell, Dewey; Fan, Xitao; Sheras, Peter; Shih, Tse-Hua; Huang, Francis

2010-01-01

In this study we examined authoritative discipline theory, which posits that 2 complementary aspects of school climate--structure and support--are important for adolescents' safety in school. Using a statewide sample of over 7,300 ninth-grade students and 2,900 teachers randomly selected from 290 high schools, we showed, using hierarchical linear…

Factor Structure, Construct Validity and Reliability of the Seeking of Noetic Goals (SONG) and Purpose in Life (PIL) Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reker, Gary T.; Cousins, J. B.

1979-01-01

In this study with 240 introductory psychology students, ten interpretable independent dimensions of satisfaction with life were extracted with six factors that loaded on the PIL and four that loaded on the SONG, supporting Crumbaugh's assertion that the SONG is a complementary scale to the PIL. (Author/SJL)

Attitudes towards and personal use of complementary and alternative medicine amongst clinicians working in audiovestibular disciplines.

PubMed

Crundwell, G; Baguley, D M

2016-08-01

Literature indicates that complementary and alternative medicine is used by patients with auditory and vestibular symptoms. This study sought to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine uptake, and examine attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in clinicians working with audiovestibular disorder patients. The Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire and a devised questionnaire about recent and lifetime use of complementary and alternative medicine were used. Fifty-four individuals, including audiologists, ENT surgeons, nurses and rehabilitationists, completed the questionnaires (67 per cent response rate). Lifetime prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine uptake was 44 per cent, and 12-month prevalence was 22 per cent. Uptake was more common in females, but there was no significant difference in use when comparing age, seniority or profession. Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine were mildly adverse, but sizeable standard deviation indicates wide-ranging attitudes. Clinicians working with patients with audiovestibular disorders have a range of attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine. Personal uptake of complementary and alternative medicine was lower than that of the general UK population, but remains sizeable.

The minute virus of mice (MVM) nonstructural protein NS1 induces nicking of MVM DNA at a unique site of the right-end telomere in both hairpin and duplex conformations in vitro.

PubMed

Willwand, K; Baldauf, A Q; Deleu, L; Mumtsidu, E; Costello, E; Beard, P; Rommelaere, J

1997-10-01

The right-end telomere of replicative form (RF) DNA of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVM) consists of a sequence that is self-complementary except for a three nucleotide loop around the axis of symmetry and an interior bulge of three unpaired nucleotides on one strand (designated the right-end 'bubble'). This right-end inverted repeat can exist in the form of a folded-back strand (hairpin conformation) or in an extended form, base-paired to a copy strand (duplex conformation). We recently reported that the right-end telomere is processed in an A9 cell extract supplemented with the MVM nonstructural protein NS1. This processing is shown here to result from the NS1-dependent nicking of the complementary strand at a unique position 21 nt inboard of the folded-back genomic 5' end. DNA species terminating in duplex or hairpin configurations, or in a mutated structure that has lost the right-end bulge, are all cleaved in the presence of NS1, indicating that features distinguishing these structures are not prerequisites for nicking under the in vitro conditions tested. Cleavage of the hairpin structure is followed by strand-displacement synthesis, generating the right-end duplex conformation, while processing of the duplex structure leads to the release of free right-end telomeres. In the majority of molecules, displacement synthesis at the right terminus stops a few nucleotides before reaching the end of the template strand, possibly due to NS1 which is covalently bound to this end. A fraction of the right-end duplex product undergoes melting and re-folding into hairpin structures (formation of a 'rabbit-ear' structure).

Synthesis of juvenile lamprey migration and passage research and monitoring at Columbia and Snake River Dams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mesa, Matthew G.; Weiland, Lisa K.; Christiansen, Helena E.

2016-01-01

We compiled and summarized previous sources of data and research results related to the presence, numbers, and migration timing characteristics of juvenile (eyed macropthalmia) and larval (ammocoetes) Pacific lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus, in the Columbia River basin (CRB). Included were data from various screw trap collections, data from historic fyke net studies, catch records of lampreys at JBS facilities, turbine cooling water strainer collections, and information on the occurrence of lampreys in the diets of avian and piscine predators. We identified key data gaps and uncertainties that should be addressed in a juvenile lamprey passage research program. The goal of this work was to summarize information from disparate sources so that managers can use it to prioritize and guide future research and monitoring efforts related to the downstream migration of juvenile Pacific lamprey within the CRB. A common finding in all datasets was the high level of variation observed for CRB lamprey in numbers present, timing and spatial distribution. This will make developing monitoring programs to accurately characterize lamprey migrations and passage more challenging. Primary data gaps centered around our uncertainty on the numbers of juvenile and larval present in the system which affects the ability to assign risk to passage conditions and prioritize management actions. Recommendations include developing standardized monitoring methods, such as at juvenile bypass systems (JBS’s), to better document numbers and timing of lamprey migrations at dams, and use biotelemetry tracking techniques to estimate survival potentials for different migration histories.

Dissecting the hybridization of oligonucleotides to structured complementary sequences.

PubMed

Peracchi, Alessio

2016-06-01

When oligonucleotides hybridize to long target molecules, the process is slowed by the secondary structure in the targets. The phenomenon has been analyzed in several previous studies, but many details remain poorly understood. I used a spectrofluorometric strategy, focusing on the formation/breaking of individual base pairs, to study the kinetics of association between a DNA hairpin and >20 complementary oligonucleotides ('antisenses'). Hybridization rates differed by over three orders of magnitude. Association was toehold-mediated, both for antisenses binding to the target's ends and for those designed to interact with the loop. Binding of these latter, besides being consistently slower, was affected to variable, non-uniform extents by the asymmetric loop structure. Divalent metal ions accelerated hybridization, more pronouncedly when nucleation occurred at the loop. Incorporation of locked nucleic acid (LNA) residues in the antisenses substantially improved the kinetics only when LNAs participated to the earliest hybridization steps. The effects of individual LNAs placed along the antisense indicated that the reaction transition state occurred after invading at least the first base pair of the stem. The experimental approach helps dissect hybridization reactions involving structured nucleic acids. Toehold-dependent, nucleation-invasion models appear fully appropriate for describing such reactions. Estimating the stability of nucleation complexes formed at internal toeholds is the major hurdle for the quantitative prediction of hybridization rates. While analyzing the mechanisms of a fundamental biochemical process (hybridization), this work also provides suggestions for the improvement of technologies that rely on such process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2016-05-15

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

Three-dimensional electron diffraction as a complementary technique to powder X-ray diffraction for phase identification and structure solution of powders.

PubMed

Yun, Yifeng; Zou, Xiaodong; Hovmöller, Sven; Wan, Wei

2015-03-01

Phase identification and structure determination are important and widely used techniques in chemistry, physics and materials science. Recently, two methods for automated three-dimensional electron diffraction (ED) data collection, namely automated diffraction tomography (ADT) and rotation electron diffraction (RED), have been developed. Compared with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and two-dimensional zonal ED, three-dimensional ED methods have many advantages in identifying phases and determining unknown structures. Almost complete three-dimensional ED data can be collected using the ADT and RED methods. Since each ED pattern is usually measured off the zone axes by three-dimensional ED methods, dynamic effects are much reduced compared with zonal ED patterns. Data collection is easy and fast, and can start at any arbitrary orientation of the crystal, which facilitates automation. Three-dimensional ED is a powerful technique for structure identification and structure solution from individual nano- or micron-sized particles, while powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) provides information from all phases present in a sample. ED suffers from dynamic scattering, while PXRD data are kinematic. Three-dimensional ED methods and PXRD are complementary and their combinations are promising for studying multiphase samples and complicated crystal structures. Here, two three-dimensional ED methods, ADT and RED, are described. Examples are given of combinations of three-dimensional ED methods and PXRD for phase identification and structure determination over a large number of different materials, from Ni-Se-O-Cl crystals, zeolites, germanates, metal-organic frameworks and organic compounds to intermetallics with modulated structures. It is shown that three-dimensional ED is now as feasible as X-ray diffraction for phase identification and structure solution, but still needs further development in order to be as accurate as X-ray diffraction. It is expected that three-dimensional ED methods will become crucially important in the near future.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer in northern Turkey: analysis of cost and satisfaction.

PubMed

Aydin Avci, Ilknur; Koç, Zeliha; Sağlam, Zeynep

2012-03-01

The aims of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer, (2) the method of use of the particular therapy, (3) the reasons for using complementary and alternative medicine therapies, (4) the benefits experienced by the use of complementary and alternative medicine, (5) the source of information about complementary and alternative medicine therapies and, (6) the satisfaction and cost of complementary and alternative medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine consists of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products that are not considered at present to be a part of conventional medicine. The majority of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine use more than one method. Complementary and alternative medicine use is more common in cases of advanced disease or poor prognosis. This is a descriptive study of complementary and alternative medicine. This study was conducted in the Chemotherapy Unit at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey, between 18 March 2008-30 June 2008. Two hundred fifty-three patients with cancer, among 281 patients who applied to the chemotherapy clinic between these dates, agreed to take part in the study with whom contact could be made were included. A questionnaire including descriptive characteristics in collecting data, characteristics about diseases and their treatments, complementary and alternative medicine information and implementation situations and a control list about complementary and alternative medicine implementations were given. The collected data were evaluated by computer using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Student's t-test. In this study, 94·1% of the patients were content with medical treatment, 58·9% of them used complementary and alternative medicine treatments, 41·1% did not use any complementary and alternative medicine treatments. The satisfaction level of the patients with complementary and alternative medicine methods was slightly above mediocre (2·33 SD 0·64, on a scale of 1-3). The average cost per capita spent by the patients using complementary and alternative medicine for all the different methods was US$288·26. It was determined that although patients did not have enough knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine methods, the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine and satisfaction levels are high that complementary and alternative medicine users spend substantial sums of money for these methods. To sustain medical treatment and prognosis of cancer, it is important for nurses to consult with their patients regarding the use and potential risks of some complementary and alternative medicine. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Joining Forces: Integrating Proteomics and Cross-linking with the Mass Spectrometry of Intact Complexes*

PubMed Central

Stengel, Florian; Aebersold, Ruedi; Robinson, Carol V.

2012-01-01

Protein assemblies are critical for cellular function and understanding their physical organization is the key aim of structural biology. However, applying conventional structural biology approaches is challenging for transient, dynamic, or polydisperse assemblies. There is therefore a growing demand for hybrid technologies that are able to complement classical structural biology methods and thereby broaden our arsenal for the study of these important complexes. Exciting new developments in the field of mass spectrometry and proteomics have added a new dimension to the study of protein-protein interactions and protein complex architecture. In this review, we focus on how complementary mass spectrometry-based techniques can greatly facilitate structural understanding of protein assemblies. PMID:22180098

American Academy of Pediatrics. The use of complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics.

PubMed

Kemper, Kathi J; Vohra, Sunita; Walls, Richard

2008-12-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics is dedicated to optimizing the well-being of children and advancing family-centered health care. Related to these goals, the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes the increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and, as a result, the need to provide information and support for pediatricians. From 2000 to 2002, the American Academy of Pediatrics convened and charged the Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine to address issues related to the use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and to develop resources to educate physicians, patients, and families. One of these resources is this report describing complementary and alternative medicine services, current levels of utilization and financial expenditures, and associated legal and ethical considerations. The subject of complementary and alternative medicine is large and diverse, and consequently, an in-depth discussion of each method of complementary and alternative medicine is beyond the scope of this report. Instead, this report will define terms; describe epidemiology; outline common types of complementary and alternative medicine therapies; review medicolegal, ethical, and research implications; review education and training for complementary and alternative medicine providers; provide resources for learning more about complementary and alternative medicine; and suggest communication strategies to use when discussing complementary and alternative medicine with patients and families.

Discrete-continuous duality of protein structure space.

PubMed

Sadreyev, Ruslan I; Kim, Bong-Hyun; Grishin, Nick V

2009-06-01

Recently, the nature of protein structure space has been widely discussed in the literature. The traditional discrete view of protein universe as a set of separate folds has been criticized in the light of growing evidence that almost any arrangement of secondary structures is possible and the whole protein space can be traversed through a path of similar structures. Here we argue that the discrete and continuous descriptions are not mutually exclusive, but complementary: the space is largely discrete in evolutionary sense, but continuous geometrically when purely structural similarities are quantified. Evolutionary connections are mainly confined to separate structural prototypes corresponding to folds as islands of structural stability, with few remaining traceable links between the islands. However, for a geometric similarity measure, it is usually possible to find a reasonable cutoff that yields paths connecting any two structures through intermediates.

The presence of codon-anticodon pairs in the acceptor stem of tRNAs.

PubMed Central

Rodin, S; Rodin, A; Ohno, S

1996-01-01

A total of 1268 available (excluding mitochondrial) tRNA sequences was used to reconstruct the common consensus image of their acceptor domains. Its structure appeared as a 11-bp-long double-stranded palindrome with complementary triplets in the center, each flanked by the 3'-ACCD and NGGU-5' motifs on each strand (D, base determinator). The palindrome readily extends up to the modern tRNA-like cloverleaf passing through an intermediate hairpin having in the center the single-stranded triplet, in supplement to its double-stranded precursor. The latter might represent an original anticodon-codon pair mapped at 1-2-3 positions of the present-day tRNA acceptors. This conclusion is supported by the striking correlation: in pairs of consensus tRNAs with complementary anticodons, their bases at the 2nd position of the acceptor stem were also complementary. Accordingly, inverse complementarity was also evident at the 71st position of the acceptor stem. With a single exception (tRNA(Phe)-tRNA(Glu) pair), the parallelism is especially impressive for the pairs of tRNAs recognized by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS) from the opposite classes. The above complementarity still doubly presented at the key central position of real single-stranded anticodons and their hypothetical double-stranded precursors is consistent with our previous data pointing to the double-strand use of ancient RNAs in the origin of the main actors in translation- tRNAs with complementary anticodons and the two classes of aaRS. Images Fig. 3 Table 2 Fig. 4 PMID:8643439

The Role of Salivary Neuropeptides in Pediatrics: Potential Biomarkers for Integrated Therapies.

PubMed

Gershan, Lynn A; Durham, Paul L; Skidmore, Jaci; Shimizu, Joshua; Cady, Ryan J; Sheng, Xiaoming; Maloney, Christopher G

2015-08-01

Objective measures of symptom response to integrated complementary approaches in pediatrics are evolving. The purpose of this study was to document the concentration range of salivary neuropeptides in healthy controls and in children with cancer, to explore correlations between serum and salivary measurements for Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP), and to determine whether there is a change in these salivary neuropeptide levels in response to integrated mind-body therapies. A non-randomized pragmatic study with three phases: Phase 1- Healthy Control Saliva-10 healthy controls provided saliva samples; Phase 2- Cancer Diagnosis Serum-Saliva- 16 mixed-type cancer patients provided blood and saliva samples; Phase 3- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) Saliva Intervention- 12 patients with ALL provided pre- and post-complementary intervention saliva samples. 20-minutes of structured touch or scripted relaxation breathing were administered to patients in Phase 3; Phase 1 and 2 patients did not receive this intervention. cortisol, CGRP, VIP, State/Trait Anxiety Scale, visual analogue scale, vital signs. Salivary CGRP and VIP were similar for children in Phases 1 and 2. There was a correlation between serum and salivary VIP in the mixed cancer group, though not between serum and salivary CGRP. In Phase 3 children, following a complementary intervention, salivary CGRP, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure decreased. These data provide evidence of a decrease in sympathetic output after integrative/complementary therapy intervention in children with cancer. The study underscores the potential role of salivary neuropeptides as non-invasive biomarkers for integrated therapies in pediatrics.

The Role of Salivary Neuropeptides in Pediatrics: Potential Biomarkers for Integrated Therapies

PubMed Central

Gershan, Lynn A; Durham, Paul L; Skidmore, Jaci; Shimizu, Joshua; Cady, Ryan J; Sheng, Xiaoming; Maloney, Christopher G

2015-01-01

Introduction Objective measures of symptom response to integrated complementary approaches in pediatrics are evolving. The purpose of this study was to document the concentration range of salivary neuropeptides in healthy controls and in children with cancer, to explore correlations between serum and salivary measurements for Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) and Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP), and to determine whether there is a change in these salivary neuropeptide levels in response to integrated mind-body therapies. Methods A non-randomized pragmatic study with three phases: Phase 1- Healthy Control Saliva-10 healthy controls provided saliva samples; Phase 2- Cancer Diagnosis Serum-Saliva- 16 mixed-type cancer patients provided blood and saliva samples; Phase 3- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) Saliva Intervention- 12 patients with ALL provided pre- and post-complementary intervention saliva samples. Interventions 20-minutes of structured touch or scripted relaxation breathing were administered to patients in Phase 3; Phase 1 and 2 patients did not receive this intervention. Outcome Measures cortisol, CGRP, VIP, State/Trait Anxiety Scale, visual analogue scale, vital signs. Results Salivary CGRP and VIP were similar for children in Phases 1 and 2. There was a correlation between serum and salivary VIP in the mixed cancer group, though not between serum and salivary CGRP. In Phase 3 children, following a complementary intervention, salivary CGRP, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure decreased. Discussion/Conclusions These data provide evidence of a decrease in sympathetic output after integrative/complementary therapy intervention in children with cancer. The study underscores the potential role of salivary neuropeptides as non-invasive biomarkers for integrated therapies in pediatrics. PMID:26388958

Segmentally structured disk triboelectric nanogenerator

DOEpatents

Wang, Zhong Lin; Zhu, Guang; Lin, Long; Wang, Sihong; Chen, Jun

2016-11-01

A generator includes a disc shaped first unit, a disc shaped second unit and an axle. The first unit includes a substrate layer, a double complementary electrode layer and an electrification material layer. The electrode layer includes a first electrode member and a second electrode member. The first electrode member includes evenly spaced apart first electrode legs extending inwardly. The second electrode member is complementary in shape to the first electrode member. The legs of the first electrode member and the second electrode member are interleaved with each other and define a continuous gap therebetween. The electrification material includes a first material that is in a first position on the triboelectric series. The second unit defines elongated openings and corresponding elongated leg portions, and includes a second material that is at a second position on a triboelectric series, different than the first position.

Knowledge of, Attitudes Toward, and Experience of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Western Medicine– and Oriental Medicine–Trained Physicians in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang-Il; Khang, Young-Ho; Lee, Moo-Song; Kang, Weechang

2002-01-01

Objectives. We compared knowledge of, attitudes toward, and experience with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among Western medicine–trained doctors (WMDs) and Oriental medicine–trained doctors (OMDs). Methods. In Korea, 502 WMDs and 500 OMDs were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Results. OMDs held more favorable attitudes toward CAM than did WMDs. OMDs possessed a deeper understanding of and greater experience with CAM. OMDs more readily endorsed health beliefs congruent with CAM. Conclusions. In the future, CAM can be more readily used by OMDs than by WMDs. Because evidence for the effectiveness of CAM remains sparse, more research is needed for the prudent use of CAM in Korea. An education and training system for potential CAM providers remains to be developed. PMID:12453822

Molecular brain imaging in the multimodality era

PubMed Central

Price, Julie C

2012-01-01

Multimodality molecular brain imaging encompasses in vivo visualization, evaluation, and measurement of cellular/molecular processes. Instrumentation and software developments over the past 30 years have fueled advancements in multimodality imaging platforms that enable acquisition of multiple complementary imaging outcomes by either combined sequential or simultaneous acquisition. This article provides a general overview of multimodality neuroimaging in the context of positron emission tomography as a molecular imaging tool and magnetic resonance imaging as a structural and functional imaging tool. Several image examples are provided and general challenges are discussed to exemplify complementary features of the modalities, as well as important strengths and weaknesses of combined assessments. Alzheimer's disease is highlighted, as this clinical area has been strongly impacted by multimodality neuroimaging findings that have improved understanding of the natural history of disease progression, early disease detection, and informed therapy evaluation. PMID:22434068

Self-organized centripetal movement of corneal epithelium in the absence of external cues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lobo, Erwin P.; Delic, Naomi C.; Richardson, Alex; Raviraj, Vanisri; Halliday, Gary M.; di Girolamo, Nick; Myerscough, Mary R.; Lyons, J. Guy

2016-08-01

Maintaining the structure of the cornea is essential for high-quality vision. In adult mammals, corneal epithelial cells emanate from stem cells in the limbus, driven by an unknown mechanism towards the centre of the cornea as cohesive clonal groups. Here we use complementary mathematical and biological models to show that corneal epithelial cells can self-organize into a cohesive, centripetal growth pattern in the absence of external physiological cues. Three conditions are required: a circumferential location of stem cells, a limited number of cell divisions and mobility in response to population pressure. We have used these complementary models to provide explanations for the increased rate of centripetal migration caused by wounding and the potential for stem cell leakage to account for stable transplants derived from central corneal tissue, despite the predominantly limbal location of stem cells.

Perspectives of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners in the support and treatment of infertility.

PubMed

O'Reilly, Erin; Sevigny, Marika; Sabarre, Kelley-Anne; Phillips, Karen P

2014-10-14

Infertility patients are increasingly using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to supplement or replace conventional fertility treatments. The objective of this study was to determine the roles of CAM practitioners in the support and treatment of infertility. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted in Ottawa, Canada in 2011 with CAM practitioners who specialized in naturopathy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, hypnotherapy and integrated medicine. CAM practitioners played an active role in both treatment and support of infertility, using a holistic, interdisciplinary and individualized approach. CAM practitioners recognized biological but also environmental and psychosomatic determinants of infertility. Participants were receptive to working with physicians, however little collaboration was described. Integrated infertility patient care through both collaboration with CAM practitioners and incorporation of CAM's holistic, individualized and interdisciplinary approaches would greatly benefit infertility patients.

Cancer and Complementary Health Approaches

MedlinePlus

... Cancer Institute's activities in research on complementary health approaches. Toll-free in the U.S.: 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Web ... complementary health approaches. Information on complementary health approaches in cancer treatment: ...

Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients

MedlinePlus

... Ask about Your Treatment Research Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Patients Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is ... based on scientific evidence from research studies. Complementary medicine refers to treatments that are used with standard ...

Self-assembly of free-standing RNA membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Daehoon; Park, Yongkuk; Kim, Hyejin; Lee, Jong Bum

2014-07-01

RNA has emerged as a promising material for nanostructure and microstructure engineering. Although rare, some macroscopic RNA structures have also been constructed using lipid or polymer materials. Here, we report the first example of an enzymatically generated RNA membrane. This robust and free-standing RNA membrane has a macroscopic structure and is generated without any polymer support or complexation. Our RNA membrane is fabricated following two sequential processes, complementary rolling circle transcription and evaporation-induced self-assembly, and its structural and functional properties are rationally controlled by adjusting RNA base pairing. In this study, three types of RNA membranes are fabricated and are used to demonstrate potential applications.

Scattering from fractals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurd, Alan J.

The realization that structures in Nature often can be described by Mandelbrot's fractals has led to a revolution in many areas of physics. The interaction of waves with fractal systems has, understandably, become intensely studied since scattering is the method of choice to probe delicate fractal structures such as chainlike particle aggregates. Not all of these waves are electromagnetic. Neutron scattering, for example, is an important complementary tool to structural studies by X-ray and light scattering. Since the phenomenology of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), as it is applied to fractal systems, is identical to that of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), it falls within the scope of this paper.

On the design of wave digital filters with low sensitivity properties.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Renner, K.; Gupta, S. C.

1973-01-01

The wave digital filter patterned after doubly terminated maximum available power (MAP) networks by means of the Richard's transformation has been shown to have low-coefficient-sensitivity properties. This paper examines the exact nature of the relationship between the wave-digital-filter structure and the MAP networks and how the sensitivity property arises, which permits implementation of the digital structure with a lower coefficient word length than that possible with the conventional structures. The proper design procedure is specified and the nature of the unique complementary outputs is discussed. Finally, an example is considered which illustrates the design, the conversion techniques, and the low sensitivity properties.

Evolution of crystal structure during the initial stages of ZnO atomic layer deposition

DOE PAGES

Boichot, R.; Tian, L.; Richard, M. -I.; ...

2016-01-05

In this study, a complementary suite of in situ synchrotron X-ray techniques is used to investigate both structural and chemical evolution during ZnO growth by atomic layer deposition. Focusing on the first 10 cycles of growth, we observe that the structure formed during the coalescence stage largely determines the overall microstructure of the film. Furthermore, by comparing ZnO growth on silicon with a native oxide with that on Al 2O 3(001), we find that even with lattice-mismatched substrates and low deposition temperatures, the crystalline texture of the films depend strongly on the nature of the interfacial bonds.

On the structural intricacies of a metabolic precursor: Direct spectroscopic detection of water-induced conformational reshaping of mevalonolactone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domingos, Sérgio R.; Pérez, Cristóbal; Schnell, Melanie

2017-09-01

We use high-resolution rotational spectroscopy to investigate the structural intricacies of the lactone form of mevalonic acid, precursor of the mevalonate pathway. By combining microwave spectroscopy with supersonic expansions and quantum-chemical calculations, we determine the two most stable conformations of the precursor. Complementary micro-solvation studies reveal that aggregation of the first water molecule induces a substantial structural rearrangement comprising a hydroxy rotation and an endocyclic core torsion to create a favourable geometry to accommodate the water molecule. We discuss the conformational aspects of the precursor in isolation and under micro-hydrated conditions.

Nonenzymatic synthesis of RNA and DNA oligomers on hexitol nucleic acid templates: the importance of the A structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kozlov, I. A.; Politis, P. K.; Van Aerschot, A.; Busson, R.; Herdewijn, P.; Orgel, L. E.; Bada, J. L. (Principal Investigator); Dolan, M. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

Hexitol nucleic acid (HNA) is an analogue of DNA containing the standard nucleoside bases, but with a phosphorylated 1,5-anhydrohexitol backbone. HNA oligomers form duplexes having the nucleic acid A structure with complementary DNA or RNA oligomers. The HNA decacytidylate oligomer is an efficient template for the oligomerization of the 5'-phosphoroimidazolides of guanosine or deoxyguanosine. Comparison of the oligomerization efficiencies on HNA, RNA, and DNA decacytidylate templates under various conditions suggests strongly that only nucleic acid double helices with the A structure support efficient template-directed synthesis when 5'-phosphoroimidazolides of nucleosides are used as substrates.

Patient Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines in an Outpatient Pediatric Neurology Clinic.

PubMed

Kenney, Daniel; Jenkins, Sarah; Youssef, Paul; Kotagal, Suresh

2016-05-01

This article describes the use of complementary and alternative medicines in an outpatient pediatric neurology clinic, and assesses family attitudes toward the efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines versus prescription medications. Complementary and alternative medicine is an important element of the modern health care landscape. There is limited information about whether, and to what extent, families perceive its utility in childhood neurological disorders. Surveys were distributed to 500 consecutive patients at a child neurology clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Questions pertained to the child's diagnoses, use of complementary and alternative medicines, and the specific complementary and alternative medicine modalities that were used. Opinions were also gathered on the perceived efficacy of complementary and alternative medicines and prescription medications. Data were compared using χ(2) or Fisher exact tests as indicated. A total of 484 surveys were returned, of which 327 were usable. Only 17.4% admitted to use of complementary and alternative medicine to treat neurological problems. However, in follow-up questioning, actually 41.6% of patients recognized that they were using one or more types of complementary and alternative medicines. Disorders associated with a statistically significant increased prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use were headache (50.8% with headache used complementary and alternative medicine versus 35.7% without headache; P = 0.008, Fisher exact test), chronic fatigue (63.2% vs 38.8%; P = 0.005, Fisher exact test), and sleep disorders (77.1% vs 37.3%; P < 0.0001, Fisher exact test). A large proportion of pediatric neurology patients in our clinic are also using complementary and alternative medicine. Only 38.5% of these recognize themselves as using complementary and alternative medicine, underlining the need to inquire in-depth about its use. Patients who are less satisfied with their prescription medications are more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine, perhaps reflecting the less tractable nature of their disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How cryo‐electron microscopy and X‐ray crystallography complement each other

PubMed Central

Wang, Jia‐Wei

2016-01-01

Abstract With the ability to resolve structures of macromolecules at atomic resolution, X‐ray crystallography has been the most powerful tool in modern structural biology. At the same time, recent technical improvements have triggered a resolution revolution in the single particle cryo‐EM method. While the two methods are different in many respects, from sample preparation to structure determination, they both have the power to solve macromolecular structures at atomic resolution. It is important to understand the unique advantages and caveats of the two methods in solving structures and to appreciate the complementary nature of the two methods in structural biology. In this review we provide some examples, and discuss how X‐ray crystallography and cryo‐EM can be combined in deciphering structures of macromolecules for our full understanding of their biological mechanisms. PMID:27543495

How cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography complement each other.

PubMed

Wang, Hong-Wei; Wang, Jia-Wei

2017-01-01

With the ability to resolve structures of macromolecules at atomic resolution, X-ray crystallography has been the most powerful tool in modern structural biology. At the same time, recent technical improvements have triggered a resolution revolution in the single particle cryo-EM method. While the two methods are different in many respects, from sample preparation to structure determination, they both have the power to solve macromolecular structures at atomic resolution. It is important to understand the unique advantages and caveats of the two methods in solving structures and to appreciate the complementary nature of the two methods in structural biology. In this review we provide some examples, and discuss how X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM can be combined in deciphering structures of macromolecules for our full understanding of their biological mechanisms. © 2016 The Protein Society.

[Regularities of fixation of brain serum antibodies from patients with lateral amyotrophic sclerosis in rabbit CNS].

PubMed

Musaeva, L S; Gannyshkina, I V; Zavalishin, I A; Markova, E D; Ivanova-Smolenskaia, I A

2002-01-01

Kuhns' indirect immunofluorescent test was used to study fixation of serum brain antibodies (Ab) of patients with bulbar, cervicothoracic, lumbosacral lateral amyotropic sclerosis (LAS) on brain sections of rabbits. The disease is characterized by formation of brain Ab complementary to various structures of nervous and glial cells, myelin of fibers from different conducting systems, vessels which exhibit both common and individual antigenic properties. It was found that fixation of antineuronal, antimyelin brain Ab of patients with bulbar, cervicothoracic and lumbosacral LAS in different CNS structures varies.

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

Pritychenko, B.

The precision of double-beta ββ-decay experimental half lives and their uncertainties is reanalyzed. The method of Benford's distributions has been applied to nuclear reaction, structure and decay data sets. First-digit distribution trend for ββ-decay T 2v 1/2 is consistent with large nuclear reaction and structure data sets and provides validation of experimental half-lives. A complementary analysis of the decay uncertainties indicates deficiencies due to small size of statistical samples, and incomplete collection of experimental information. Further experimental and theoretical efforts would lead toward more precise values of-decay half-lives and nuclear matrix elements.

Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Y. H.; Zhao, T.; Cruz, M. P.; Zhan, Q.; Yang, P. L.; Martin, L. W.; Huijben, M.; Yang, C. H.; Zavaliche, F.; Zheng, H.; Ramesh, R.

2007-06-01

Ferroelectric size effects in multiferroic BiFeO3 have been studied using a host of complementary measurements. The structure of such epitaxial films has been investigated using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The crystal structure of the films has been identified as a monoclinic phase, which suggests that the polarization direction is close to ⟨111⟩. Such behavior has also been confirmed by piezoforce microscopy measurements. That also reveals that the ferroelectricity is down to at least 2nm.

End-of-fabrication CMOS process monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buehler, M. G.; Allen, R. A.; Blaes, B. R.; Hannaman, D. J.; Lieneweg, U.; Lin, Y.-S.; Sayah, H. R.

1990-01-01

A set of test 'modules' for verifying the quality of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process at the end of the wafer fabrication is documented. By electrical testing of specific structures, over thirty parameters are collected characterizing interconnects, dielectrics, contacts, transistors, and inverters. Each test module contains a specification of its purpose, the layout of the test structure, the test procedures, the data reduction algorithms, and exemplary results obtained from 3-, 2-, or 1.6-micrometer CMOS/bulk processes. The document is intended to establish standard process qualification procedures for Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC's).

Potentially Reactive Forms of Silica in Volcanic Rocks Using Different Analytical Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esteves, Hugo; Fernandes, Isabel; Janeiro, Ana; Santos Silva, António; Pereira, Manuel; Medeiros, Sara; Nunes, João Carlos

2017-12-01

Several concrete structures show signs of deterioration resulting from internal chemical reactions, such as the alkali-silica reaction (ASR). It is well known that these swelling reactions occur in the presence of moisture, between some silica mineral phases present in the aggregates and the alkalis of the concrete, leading to the degradation of concrete structures and consequently compromising their safety. In most of the cases, rehabilitation, demolition or even rebuilding of such structures is needed and the effective costs can be very high. Volcanic rocks are commonly used as aggregates in concrete, and they are sometimes the only option due to the unavailability of other rock types. These rocks may contain different forms of silica that are deleterious to concrete, such as opal, chalcedony, cristobalite, tridymite and micro- to cryptocrystalline quartz, as well as Si-rich volcanic glass. Volcanic rocks are typically very finegrained and their constituting minerals are usually not distinguished under optical microscopy, thus leading to using complementary methods. The objective of this research is to find the more adequate analytical methods to identify silica phases that might be present in volcanic aggregates and cause ASR. The complementary methods used include X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), mineral acid digestion and Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (SEM/EDS), as well as Electron Probe Micro-Analysis (EPMA).

Formation of rings from segments of HeLa-cell nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid

PubMed Central

Hardman, Norman

1974-01-01

Duplex segments of HeLa-cell nuclear DNA were generated by cleavage with DNA restriction endonuclease from Haemophilus influenzae. About 20–25% of the DNA segments produced, when partly degraded with exonuclease III and annealed, were found to form rings visible in the electron microscope. A further 5% of the DNA segments formed structures that were branched in configuration. Similar structures were generated from HeLa-cell DNA, without prior treatment with restriction endonuclease, when the complementary polynucleotide chains were exposed by exonuclease III action at single-chain nicks. After exposure of an average single-chain length of 1400 nucleotides per terminus at nicks in HeLa-cell DNA by exonuclease III, followed by annealing, the physical length of ring closures was estimated and found to be 0.02–0.1μm, or 50–300 base pairs. An almost identical distribution of lengths was recorded for the regions of complementary base sequence responsible for branch formation. It is proposed that most of the rings and branches are formed from classes of reiterated base sequence with an average length of 180 base pairs arranged intermittenly in HeLa-cell DNA. From the rate of formation of branched structures when HeLa-cell DNA segments were heat-denatured and annealed, it is estimated that the reiterated sequences are in families containing approximately 2400–24000 copies. ImagesPLATE 2PLATE 1 PMID:4462738

Mutually Exclusive Formation of G-Quadruplex and i-Motif Is a General Phenomenon Governed by Steric Hindrance in Duplex DNA.

PubMed

Cui, Yunxi; Kong, Deming; Ghimire, Chiran; Xu, Cuixia; Mao, Hanbin

2016-04-19

G-Quadruplex and i-motif are tetraplex structures that may form in opposite strands at the same location of a duplex DNA. Recent discoveries have indicated that the two tetraplex structures can have conflicting biological activities, which poses a challenge for cells to coordinate. Here, by performing innovative population analysis on mechanical unfolding profiles of tetraplex structures in double-stranded DNA, we found that formations of G-quadruplex and i-motif in the two complementary strands are mutually exclusive in a variety of DNA templates, which include human telomere and promoter fragments of hINS and hTERT genes. To explain this behavior, we placed G-quadruplex- and i-motif-hosting sequences in an offset fashion in the two complementary telomeric DNA strands. We found simultaneous formation of the G-quadruplex and i-motif in opposite strands, suggesting that mutual exclusivity between the two tetraplexes is controlled by steric hindrance. This conclusion was corroborated in the BCL-2 promoter sequence, in which simultaneous formation of two tetraplexes was observed due to possible offset arrangements between G-quadruplex and i-motif in opposite strands. The mutual exclusivity revealed here sets a molecular basis for cells to efficiently coordinate opposite biological activities of G-quadruplex and i-motif at the same dsDNA location.

Precursor Mediated Synthesis of Nanostructured Silicas: From Precursor-Surfactant Ion Pairs to Structured Materials.

PubMed

Hesemann, Peter; Nguyen, Thy Phung; Hankari, Samir El

2014-04-11

The synthesis of nanostructured anionic-surfactant-templated mesoporous silica (AMS) recently appeared as a new strategy for the formation of nanostructured silica based materials. This method is based on the use of anionic surfactants together with a co-structure-directing agent (CSDA), mostly a silylated ammonium precursor. The presence of this CSDA is necessary in order to create ionic interactions between template and silica forming phases and to ensure sufficient affinity between the two phases. This synthetic strategy was for the first time applied in view of the synthesis of surface functionalized silica bearing ammonium groups and was then extended on the formation of materials functionalized with anionic carboxylate and bifunctional amine-carboxylate groups. In the field of silica hybrid materials, the "anionic templating" strategy has recently been applied for the synthesis of silica hybrid materials from cationic precursors. Starting from di- or oligosilylated imidazolium and ammonium precursors, only template directed hydrolysis-polycondensation reactions involving complementary anionic surfactants allowed accessing structured ionosilica hybrid materials. The mechanistic particularity of this approach resides in the formation of precursor-surfactant ion pairs in the hydrolysis-polycondensation mixture. This review gives a systematic overview over the various types of materials accessed from this cooperative ionic templating approach and highlights the high potential of this original strategy for the formation of nanostructured silica based materials which appears as a complementary strategy to conventional soft templating approaches.

Length and weight of very low birth weight infants in Germany at 2 years of age: does it matter at what age they start complementary food?

PubMed

Spiegler, J; Eisemann, N; Ehlers, S; Orlikowsky, T; Kannt, O; Herting, E; Göpel, W

2015-06-01

We analysed at what age parents start complementary food in very low birth weight infants, determined risk factors for early introduction of complementary food (post-term age) and analysed whether the age at introduction of complementary food influences height or weight at 2 years of age. Parents of premature infants born in 2009-2011 answered questionnaires regarding introduction of complementary food in the first year of life (N=2262) and were followed up at a post-term age of 2 years (N=981). Length and weight were compared with full-term infants from the KiGGs study. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to study predictors for early introduction of complementary food and the influence of age at introduction of complementary food on later height and weight. Average age at introduction of complementary food was 3.5 months post-term age. The lower the gestational age at birth, the earlier (post-term age) vegetables and meat were introduced. Age at introduction of complementary food was influenced by intrauterine growth restriction, gestational age at birth, maternal education and a developmental delay perceived by the parents. Length and weight at a post-term age of 2 years was not negatively influenced by early introduction of complementary food. VLBW infants are introduced to complementary food on average before a post-term age of 4 months. There was no negative effect of early introduction of complementary food on height and weight at 2 years of age.

Comparative Phylogeography of Neotropical Birds

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

of lowland Neotropical rainforest birds that have populations isolated on either side of the Andes, Amazon River, and Madeira River. I found widely...Unlike canopy species, understory birds were structured at smaller spatial scales, particularly across riverine barriers of the Amazon basin...expansive complementary forest of the Amazon Basin. This divide is relatively young as the northern Andes were only half their present elevation

Strained InGaAs/InAlAs Quantum Wells for Complementary III-V Transistors

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

GaAs substrates for low power and high frequency applications, J. Appl. Phys. 109 (2011) 033706. [28] A. Ali, H. Madan , A. Agrawal, I. Ramirez, R...Growth of InAsSb-channel high electron mobility transistor structures, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 23 (2005) 1441–1444. [30] A. Ali, H. Madan , M.J

Images, Ideals and Constraints in Times of Neoliberal Transformations: Reproduction and Profession as Conflicting or Complementary Spheres in Academia?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bomert, Christiane; Leinfellner, Stefanie

2017-01-01

The article deals with structural, cultural and habitual concepts, principles and ideals of parenthood in the German academic working context. It focuses on social processes of transformation and reconfiguration of reproduction and profession, which means within work and family spheres and especially within academia in times of neoliberalism,…

An Assessment of Character and Leadership Development Latent Factor Structures through Confirmatory Factor, Item Response Theory, and Latent Class Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higginbotham, David L.

2013-01-01

This study leveraged the complementary nature of confirmatory factor (CFA), item response theory (IRT), and latent class (LCA) analyses to strengthen the rigor and sophistication of evaluation of two new measures of the Air Force Academy's "leader of character" definition--the Character Mosaic Virtues (CMV) and the Leadership Mosaic…

New horizons in Biophysics

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

This editorial celebrates the re-launch of PMC Biophysics previously published by PhysMath Central, in its new format as BMC Biophysics published by BioMed Central with an expanded scope and Editorial Board. BMC Biophysics will fill its own niche in the BMC series alongside complementary companion journals including BMC Bioinformatics, BMC Medical Physics, BMC Structural Biology and BMC Systems Biology. PMID:21595996

Special Section: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM):Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine

MedlinePlus

... Special Section CAM Quiz on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Past Issues / Winter 2009 Table of Contents For ... low back pain. True False Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) includes: Meditation Chiropractic Use of natural products, ...

Top-Down Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Analysis of Protein Structures Using Ultraviolet Photodissociation.

PubMed

Brodie, Nicholas I; Huguet, Romain; Zhang, Terry; Viner, Rosa; Zabrouskov, Vlad; Pan, Jingxi; Petrotchenko, Evgeniy V; Borchers, Christoph H

2018-03-06

Top-down hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) analysis using electron capture or transfer dissociation Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) is a powerful method for the analysis of secondary structure of proteins in solution. The resolution of the method is a function of the degree of fragmentation of backbone bonds in the proteins. While fragmentation is usually extensive near the N- and C-termini, electron capture (ECD) or electron transfer dissociation (ETD) fragmentation methods sometimes lack good coverage of certain regions of the protein, most often in the middle of the sequence. Ultraviolet photodissociation (UVPD) is a recently developed fast-fragmentation technique, which provides extensive backbone fragmentation that can be complementary in sequence coverage to the aforementioned electron-based fragmentation techniques. Here, we explore the application of electrospray ionization (ESI)-UVPD FTMS on an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos Tribrid mass spectrometer to top-down HDX analysis of proteins. We have incorporated UVPD-specific fragment-ion types and fragment-ion mixtures into our isotopic envelope fitting software (HDX Match) for the top-down HDX analysis. We have shown that UVPD data is complementary to ETD, thus improving the overall resolution when used as a combined approach.

Colorimetric molecular diagnosis of the HIV gag gene using DNAzyme and a complementary DNA-extended primer.

PubMed

Kim, Seong U; Batule, Bhagwan S; Mun, Hyoyoung; Byun, Ju-Young; Shim, Won-Bo; Kim, Min-Gon

2018-02-07

We have developed a novel strategy for the colorimetric detection of PCR products by utilizing a target-specific primer modified at the 5'-end with an anti-DNAzyme sequence. A single-stranded DNAzyme sequence folds into a G-quadruplex structure with hemin and shows strong peroxidase activity. When the complementary strand binds to the DNAzyme sequence, it blocks the formation of the G-quadraduplex structure and loses its peroxidase activity. In the presence of the target gene, PCR amplification proceeds, and anti-DNAzyme sequence modified primers present in the reaction mixture form a double strand through primer extension. Therefore, it does not block the DNAzyme sequence. Further, a colorimetric signal is generated by the addition of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) and H 2 O 2 at the end of the reaction. We have successfully detected a single copy of the HIV type 1 gag gene in buffer and 10 copies in human serum. The strategy developed could be used to detect DNA and RNA in complex biological samples by simple primer designing that includes DNAzyme and a DNA extended primer.

NOTE: Characterization of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma using low-angle x-ray scattering signatures of serum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elshemey, Wael M.; Desouky, Omar S.; Mohammed, Mohammed S.; Elsayed, Anwar A.; El-houseini, Motawa E.

2003-09-01

The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually occurs at late stages in the disease when there are few effective treatment options. The measurement of the concentration of tumour markers in the serum of patients is a complementary tool frequently used for the interpretation of diagnostic imaging results. It is also used as a prognostic tool for the detection of cancer. Unfortunately, the sensitivity of tumour markers is still low and many times it yields normal results for cirrhotic and HCC patients. In the current work, the detection possibility of the structural changes in serum proteins accompanying cirrhosis and HCC is investigated using a low-angle x-ray scattering (LAXS) technique. The results show that there are significant differences in the LAXS profiles of cirrhosis and HCC lyophilized serum samples compared to normal. The changes in shape, total counts and position of the first scattering peak at 4.8°, which was previously reported to be sensitive to the structural changes in protein, showed the most characteristic deviations from normal serum. The present results are promising and would offer a potentially helpful complementary tool for monitoring cirrhosis and HCC.

225-255-GHz InP DHBT Frequency Tripler MMIC Using Complementary Split-Ring Resonator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Zhang, Yong; Li, Oupeng; Sun, Yan; Lu, Haiyan; Cheng, Wei; Xu, Ruimin

2017-02-01

In this paper, a novel design of frequency tripler monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) using complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) is proposed based on 0.5-μm InP DHBT process. The CSRR-loaded microstrip structure is integrated in the tripler as a part of impedance matching network to suppress the fundamental harmonic, and another frequency tripler based on conventional band-pass filter is presented for comparison. The frequency tripler based on CSRR-loaded microstrip generates an output power between -8 and -4 dBm from 228 to 255 GHz when the input power is 6 dBm. The suppression of fundamental harmonic is better than 20 dBc at 77-82 GHz input frequency within only 0.15 × 0.15 mm2 chip area of the CSRR structure on the ground layer. Compared with the frequency tripler based on band-pass filter, the tripler using CSRR-loaded microstrip obtains a similar suppression level of unwanted harmonics and higher conversion gain within a much smaller chip area. To our best knowledge, it is the first time that CSRR is used for harmonic suppression of frequency multiplier at such high frequency band.

Tracing back the nascence of a new sex-determination pathway to the ancestor of bees and ants

PubMed Central

Schmieder, Sandra; Colinet, Dominique; Poirié, Marylène

2012-01-01

In several Hymenoptera, sexual fate is determined by the allelic composition at the complementary sex-determiner locus, a sex-determination mechanism that can strongly affect population dynamics. To date, the molecular identification of complementary sex determiner has only been achieved in the honeybee, where the complementary sex-determiner gene was reported to have arisen from duplication of the feminizer gene. Strikingly, the complementary sex-determiner gene was also proposed to be unique to the honeybee lineage. Here we identify feminizer and complementary sex-determiner orthologues in bumble bees and ants. We further demonstrate that the duplication of feminizer that produced complementary sex determiner occurred before the divergence of Aculeata species (~120 Myr ago). Finally, we provide evidence that the two genes evolved concertedly through gene conversion, complementary sex-determiner evolution being additionally shaped by mosaic patterns of selection. Thus, the complementary sex-determiner gene likely represents the molecular basis for single locus-complementary sex determination in the Aculeata infra-order, and possibly, in the entire Hymenoptera order. PMID:22692538

Highly Flexible Hybrid CMOS Inverter Based on Si Nanomembrane and Molybdenum Disulfide.

PubMed

Das, Tanmoy; Chen, Xiang; Jang, Houk; Oh, Il-Kwon; Kim, Hyungjun; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

2016-11-01

2D semiconductor materials are being considered for next generation electronic device application such as thin-film transistors and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuit due to their unique structural and superior electronics properties. Various approaches have already been taken to fabricate 2D complementary logics circuits. However, those CMOS devices mostly demonstrated based on exfoliated 2D materials show the performance of a single device. In this work, the design and fabrication of a complementary inverter is experimentally reported, based on a chemical vapor deposition MoS 2 n-type transistor and a Si nanomembrane p-type transistor on the same substrate. The advantages offered by such CMOS configuration allow to fabricate large area wafer scale integration of high performance Si technology with transition-metal dichalcogenide materials. The fabricated hetero-CMOS inverters which are composed of two isolated transistors exhibit a novel high performance air-stable voltage transfer characteristic with different supply voltages, with a maximum voltage gain of ≈16, and sub-nano watt power consumption. Moreover, the logic gates have been integrated on a plastic substrate and displayed reliable electrical properties paving a realistic path for the fabrication of flexible/transparent CMOS circuits in 2D electronics. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Missing Part of Seed Dispersal Networks: Structure and Robustness of Bat-Fruit Interactions

PubMed Central

Mello, Marco Aurelio Ribeiro; Marquitti, Flávia Maria Darcie; Guimarães, Paulo Roberto; Kalko, Elisabeth Klara Viktoria; Jordano, Pedro; de Aguiar, Marcus Aloizio Martinez

2011-01-01

Mutualistic networks are crucial to the maintenance of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, what we know about seed dispersal networks is based only on bird-fruit interactions. Therefore, we aimed at filling part of this gap by investigating bat-fruit networks. It is known from population studies that: (i) some bat species depend more on fruits than others, and (ii) that some specialized frugivorous bats prefer particular plant genera. We tested whether those preferences affected the structure and robustness of the whole network and the functional roles of species. Nine bat-fruit datasets from the literature were analyzed and all networks showed lower complementary specialization (H2' = 0.37±0.10, mean ± SD) and similar nestedness (NODF = 0.56±0.12) than pollination networks. All networks were modular (M = 0.32±0.07), and had on average four cohesive subgroups (modules) of tightly connected bats and plants. The composition of those modules followed the genus-genus associations observed at population level (Artibeus-Ficus, Carollia-Piper, and Sturnira-Solanum), although a few of those plant genera were dispersed also by other bats. Bat-fruit networks showed high robustness to simulated cumulative removals of both bats (R = 0.55±0.10) and plants (R = 0.68±0.09). Primary frugivores interacted with a larger proportion of the plants available and also occupied more central positions; furthermore, their extinction caused larger changes in network structure. We conclude that bat-fruit networks are highly cohesive and robust mutualistic systems, in which redundancy is high within modules, although modules are complementary to each other. Dietary specialization seems to be an important structuring factor that affects the topology, the guild structure and functional roles in bat-fruit networks. PMID:21386981

The missing part of seed dispersal networks: structure and robustness of bat-fruit interactions.

PubMed

Mello, Marco Aurelio Ribeiro; Marquitti, Flávia Maria Darcie; Guimarães, Paulo Roberto; Kalko, Elisabeth Klara Viktoria; Jordano, Pedro; de Aguiar, Marcus Aloizio Martinez

2011-02-28

Mutualistic networks are crucial to the maintenance of ecosystem services. Unfortunately, what we know about seed dispersal networks is based only on bird-fruit interactions. Therefore, we aimed at filling part of this gap by investigating bat-fruit networks. It is known from population studies that: (i) some bat species depend more on fruits than others, and (ii) that some specialized frugivorous bats prefer particular plant genera. We tested whether those preferences affected the structure and robustness of the whole network and the functional roles of species. Nine bat-fruit datasets from the literature were analyzed and all networks showed lower complementary specialization (H(2)' = 0.37±0.10, mean ± SD) and similar nestedness (NODF = 0.56±0.12) than pollination networks. All networks were modular (M = 0.32±0.07), and had on average four cohesive subgroups (modules) of tightly connected bats and plants. The composition of those modules followed the genus-genus associations observed at population level (Artibeus-Ficus, Carollia-Piper, and Sturnira-Solanum), although a few of those plant genera were dispersed also by other bats. Bat-fruit networks showed high robustness to simulated cumulative removals of both bats (R = 0.55±0.10) and plants (R = 0.68±0.09). Primary frugivores interacted with a larger proportion of the plants available and also occupied more central positions; furthermore, their extinction caused larger changes in network structure. We conclude that bat-fruit networks are highly cohesive and robust mutualistic systems, in which redundancy is high within modules, although modules are complementary to each other. Dietary specialization seems to be an important structuring factor that affects the topology, the guild structure and functional roles in bat-fruit networks.

Factors related to complementary/alternative medicine use among cancer patients in central Anatolia.

PubMed

Er, Ozlem; Mistik, Selcuk; Ozkan, Metin; Ozturk, Ahmet; Altinbas, Mustafa

2008-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of and factors related to the use of complementary/alternative medicine among cancer patients undergoing or following conventional treatment at the Erciyes University Oncology Hospital in Central Anatolia. Face-to-face interview and a questionnaire were carried out with cancer patients attending the outpatient clinic of Medical Oncology. Questionnaire items included patients' demographic data, treatment, use of complementary/alternative medicine and possible related factors. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare the factors related to use of complementary/alternative medicine. A total of 268 consecutive cancer patients were enrolled in the study. Overall, 43% of the patients were using or had used complementary/alternative medicine. Totally, 90% of the patients using complementary/alternative medicine utilized herbs, and most of the herbs used were stinging nettle. Nearly half of the patients using complementary/alternative medicine (46.1%) were aiming to fight the disease. Among users, nearly half of them regarded the method used as effective and 54 (50.5%) suggested the use of complementary/alternative medicine to other patients. Only 23.1% of the patients discussed the use of complementary/alternative medicine with their physician. In logistic regression analysis, younger age, higher educational status, advanced stage of the disease, longer duration of the disease and current treatment status were significantly associated with the use of complementary/alternative medicine. In our regression model, the predictivity rate of these variables was 72.2% for use of complementary/alternative medicine according to the backward Wald test. Use of complementary/alternative medicine among cancer patients in our center is modestly high, and the most common method is herbal therapy. Communication between the patient and the physician should be improved on this subject.

Automated batch fiducial-less tilt-series alignment in Appion using Protomo

PubMed Central

Noble, Alex J.; Stagg, Scott M.

2015-01-01

The field of electron tomography has benefited greatly from manual and semi-automated approaches to marker-based tilt-series alignment that have allowed for the structural determination of multitudes of in situ cellular structures as well as macromolecular structures of individual protein complexes. The emergence of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor detectors capable of detecting individual electrons has enabled the collection of low dose, high contrast images, opening the door for reliable correlation-based tilt-series alignment. Here we present a set of automated, correlation-based tilt-series alignment, contrast transfer function (CTF) correction, and reconstruction workflows for use in conjunction with the Appion/Leginon package that are primarily targeted at automating structure determination with cryogenic electron microscopy. PMID:26455557

Numerical modelling of electromagnetic loads on fusion device structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bettini, Paolo; Furno Palumbo, Maurizio; Specogna, Ruben

2014-03-01

In magnetic confinement fusion devices, during abnormal operations (disruptions) the plasma begins to move rapidly towards the vessel wall in a vertical displacement event (VDE), producing plasma current asymmetries, vessel eddy currents and open field line halo currents, each of which can exert potentially damaging forces upon the vessel and in-vessel components. This paper presents a methodology to estimate electromagnetic loads, on three-dimensional conductive structures surrounding the plasma, which arise from the interaction of halo-currents associated to VDEs with a magnetic field of the order of some Tesla needed for plasma confinement. Lorentz forces, calculated by complementary formulations, are used as constraining loads in a linear static structural analysis carried out on a detailed model of the mechanical structures of a representative machine.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines during the third trimester.

PubMed

Pallivalapila, Abdul Rouf; Stewart, Derek; Shetty, Ashalatha; Pande, Binita; Singh, Rajvir; McLay, James S

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence, indications, and associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use during the last trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire survey was conducted of women with a live birth (N=700) admitted to the postnatal unit at the Royal Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, northeast Scotland. Outcome measures included: complementary and alternative medicine used; vitamins and minerals used; reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use; independent associated factors for use; views; and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. The response rate was 79.6% of eligible women. Two thirds of respondents (61.4%) reported using complementary and alternative medicine, excluding vitamins and minerals, during the third trimester. Respondents reported using a total of 30 different complementary and alternative medicine modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (38% of respondents, 40 different products). The independent associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use identified were: complementary and alternative medicine use before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 4.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.39-7.95, P<.001); a university education (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.46-4.0, P=.001), and complementary and alternative medicine use by family or friends (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.47, P<.001). There was no association with health care professional recommendations. Users were significantly more likely than nonusers to agree that complementary and alternative medicines were safer than prescribed medicines (P=.006), less likely to be associated with side effects (P≤.001), and could interfere with conventional medicines (P≤.001). Despite the majority of respondents, and notably users, being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, complementary and alternative medicine modalities and complementary and alternative medicine products are widely used during the third trimester of pregnancy in this study population. Although prior use was the most significant independent associated factor, the role of family and friends, rather than health professionals, in the decision to use complementary and alternative medicine may be of concern. III.

Nutrients and neurodevelopment: lipids.

PubMed

González, Horacio F; Visentin, Silvana

2016-10-01

Nutrients, lipids in particular, make up the central nervous system structure and play major functional roles: they stimulate development, migration, and nerve cell differentiation. They are part of gray matter, white matter, nerve nuclei, and synaptogenesis. Breast milk contains lipids which are crucial for infant brain development. The lipid profile of breast milk was used as a guideline for the development of breast milk substitutes. However, to date, no substitute has matched it. Complementary feeding should include docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, other polyunsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and complex lipids found in milk fat. The lipid composition of breast milk depends on maternal intake and nutritional status during pregnancy and breast-feeding. It has a great impact on development. Our goal is to review scientific literature regarding the role of lipids on infant brain development and the importance of breast milk lipid composition, maternal diet, and complementary feeding. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

Cuba's international cooperation in health: an overview.

PubMed

De Vos, Pol; De Ceukelaire, Wim; Bonet, Mariano; Van der Stuyft, Patrick

2007-01-01

In the first years after Cuba's 1959 revolution, the island's new government provided international medical assistance to countries affected by natural disasters or armed conflicts. Step by step, a more structural complementary program for international collaboration was put in place. The relief operations after Hurricane Mitch, which struck Central America in 1998, were pivotal. From November 1998 onward, the "Integrated Health Program" was the cornerstone of Cuba's international cooperation. The intense cooperation with Hugo Chávez's Venezuela became another cornerstone. Complementary to the health programs abroad, Cuba also set up international programs at home, benefiting tens of thousands of foreign patients and disaster victims. In a parallel program, medical training is offered to international students in the Latin American Medical School in Cuba and, increasingly, also in their home countries. The importance and impact of these initiatives, however, cannot and should not be analyzed solely in public health terms.

Salience of unique hues and implications for color theory

PubMed Central

Wool, Lauren E.; Komban, Stanley J.; Kremkow, Jens; Jansen, Michael; Li, Xiaobing; Alonso, Jose-Manuel; Zaidi, Qasim

2015-01-01

The unique hues—blue, green, yellow, red—form the fundamental dimensions of opponent-color theories, are considered universal across languages, and provide useful mental representations for structuring color percepts. However, there is no neural evidence for them from neurophysiology or low-level psychophysics. Tapping a higher prelinguistic perceptual level, we tested whether unique hues are particularly salient in search tasks. We found no advantage for unique hues over their nonunique complementary colors. However, yellowish targets were detected faster, more accurately, and with fewer saccades than their complementary bluish targets (including unique blue), while reddish-greenish pairs were not significantly different in salience. Similarly, local field potentials in primate V1 exhibited larger amplitudes and shorter latencies for yellowish versus bluish stimuli, whereas this effect was weaker for reddish versus greenish stimuli. Consequently, color salience is affected more by early neural response asymmetries than by any possible mental or neural representation of unique hues. PMID:25761328

Rapid method to detect duplex formation in sequencing by hybridization methods, a method for constructing containment structures for reagent interaction

DOEpatents

Mirzabekov, Andrei Darievich; Yershov, Gennadiy Moiseyevich; Guschin, Dmitry Yuryevich; Gemmell, Margaret Anne; Shick, Valentine V.; Proudnikov, Dmitri Y.; Timofeev, Edward N.

2002-01-01

A method for determining the existence of duplexes of oligonucleotide complementary molecules is provided whereby a plurality of immobilized oligonucleotide molecules, each of a specific length and each having a specific base sequence, is contacted with complementary, single stranded oligonucleotide molecules to form a duplex so as to facilitate intercalation of a fluorescent dye between the base planes of the duplex. The invention also provides for a method for constructing oligonucleotide matrices comprising confining light sensitive fluid to a surface, exposing said light-sensitive fluid to a light pattern so as to cause the fluid exposed to the light to polymerize into discrete units and adhere to the surface; and contacting each of the units with a set of different oligonucleotide molecules so as to allow the molecules to disperse into the units.

Complementary Barrier Infrared Detector (CBIRD) with Double Tunnel Junction Contact and Quantum Dot Barrier Infrared Detector (QD-BIRD)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ting, David Z.-Y; Soibel, Alexander; Khoshakhlagh, Arezou; Keo, Sam A.; Nguyen, Jean; Hoglund, Linda; Mumolo, Jason M.; Liu, John K.; Rafol, Sir B.; Hill, Cory J.;

Active pixel sensor pixel having a photodetector whose output is coupled to an output transistor gate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fossum, Eric R. (Inventor); Nakamura, Junichi (Inventor); Kemeny, Sabrina E. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

An imaging device formed as a monolithic complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit in an industry standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor process, the integrated circuit including a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including a photogate overlying the substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in an underlying portion of the substrate and a charge coupled device section formed on the substrate adjacent the photogate having a sensing node and at least one charge coupled device stage for transferring charge from the underlying portion of the substrate to the sensing node. There is also a readout circuit, part of which can be disposed at the bottom of each column of cells and be common to all the cells in the column. A Simple Floating Gate (SFG) pixel structure could also be employed in the imager to provide a non-destructive readout and smaller pixel sizes.

Continually emerging mechanistic complexity of the multi-enzyme cellulosome complex.

PubMed

Smith, Steven P; Bayer, Edward A; Czjzek, Mirjam

2017-06-01

The robust plant cell wall polysaccharide-degrading properties of anaerobic bacteria are harnessed within elegant, marcomolecular assemblages called cellulosomes, in which proteins of complementary activities amass on scaffold protein networks. Research efforts have focused and continue to focus on providing detailed mechanistic insights into cellulosomal complex assembly, topology, and function. The accumulated information is expanding our fundamental understanding of the lignocellulosic biomass decomposition process and enhancing the potential of engineered cellulosomal systems for biotechnological purposes. Ongoing biochemical studies continue to reveal unexpected functional diversity within traditional cellulase families. Genomic, proteomic, and functional analyses have uncovered unanticipated cellulosomal proteins that augment the function of the native and designer cellulosomes. In addition, complementary structural and computational methods are continuing to provide much needed insights on the influence of cellulosomal interdomain linker regions on cellulosomal assembly and activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress in the Correlative Atomic Force Microscopy and Optical Microscopy

PubMed Central

Zhou, Lulu; Cai, Mingjun; Tong, Ti; Wang, Hongda

2017-01-01

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has evolved from the originally morphological imaging technique to a powerful and multifunctional technique for manipulating and detecting the interactions between molecules at nanometer resolution. However, AFM cannot provide the precise information of synchronized molecular groups and has many shortcomings in the aspects of determining the mechanism of the interactions and the elaborate structure due to the limitations of the technology, itself, such as non-specificity and low imaging speed. To overcome the technical limitations, it is necessary to combine AFM with other complementary techniques, such as fluorescence microscopy. The combination of several complementary techniques in one instrument has increasingly become a vital approach to investigate the details of the interactions among molecules and molecular dynamics. In this review, we reported the principles of AFM and optical microscopy, such as confocal microscopy and single-molecule localization microscopy, and focused on the development and use of correlative AFM and optical microscopy. PMID:28441775

Age of Complementary Foods Introduction and Risk of Anemia in Children Aged 4-6 years: A Prospective Birth Cohort in China.

PubMed

Wang, Fenglei; Liu, Huijuan; Wan, Yi; Li, Jing; Chen, Yu; Zheng, Jusheng; Huang, Tao; Li, Duo

2017-03-23

Age of complementary foods introduction is associated with childhood anemia, but the ideal age for the introduction of complementary foods to infants is a continuing topic of debate. We examined the longitudinal association between complementary foods introduction age and risk of anemia in 18,446 children from the Jiaxing Birth Cohort, who had detailed complementary feeding records at 3 and 6 months of age and had hemoglobin concentrations measured at 4-6 years. Early introduction of complementary foods at 3-6 months of age was significantly associated with a higher risk of anemia (odds ratio = 1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.28) and a lower hemoglobin concentration of -0.84 g/L (95% confidence interval: -1.33 to -0.35) in children aged 4-6 years, compared with those fed complementary foods starting at 6 months of age. When it comes to the specific type of complementary foods, early introduction of all plant-based foods was associated with increased anemia risks and lower hemoglobin concentrations, while early introduction of most animal-based foods was not. These findings may be informative regarding the appropriate time to introduce complementary foods in infants.

Analysis of Functional Dynamics of Modular Multidomain Proteins by SAXS and NMR.

PubMed

Thompson, Matthew K; Ehlinger, Aaron C; Chazin, Walter J

2017-01-01

Multiprotein machines drive virtually all primary cellular processes. Modular multidomain proteins are widely distributed within these dynamic complexes because they provide the flexibility needed to remodel structure as well as rapidly assemble and disassemble components of the machinery. Understanding the functional dynamics of modular multidomain proteins is a major challenge confronting structural biology today because their structure is not fixed in time. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy have proven particularly useful for the analysis of the structural dynamics of modular multidomain proteins because they provide highly complementary information for characterizing the architectural landscape accessible to these proteins. SAXS provides a global snapshot of all architectural space sampled by a molecule in solution. Furthermore, SAXS is sensitive to conformational changes, organization and oligomeric states of protein assemblies, and the existence of flexibility between globular domains in multiprotein complexes. The power of NMR to characterize dynamics provides uniquely complementary information to the global snapshot of the architectural ensemble provided by SAXS because it can directly measure domain motion. In particular, NMR parameters can be used to define the diffusion of domains within modular multidomain proteins, connecting the amplitude of interdomain motion to the architectural ensemble derived from SAXS. Our laboratory has been studying the roles of modular multidomain proteins involved in human DNA replication using SAXS and NMR. Here, we present the procedure for acquiring and analyzing SAXS and NMR data, using DNA primase and replication protein A as examples. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparative higher-order structure analysis of antibody biosimilars using combined bottom-up and top-down hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Pan, Jingxi; Zhang, Suping; Borchers, Christoph H

2016-12-01

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful technique for higher-order structural characterization of antibodies. Although the peptide-based bottom-up HDX approach and the protein-based top-down HDX approach have complementary advantages, the work done so far on biosimilars has involved only one or the other approach. Herein we have characterized the structures of two bevacizumab (BEV) biosimilars and compared them to the reference BEV using both methods. A sequence coverage of 87% was obtained for the heavy chain and 74% for the light chain in the bottom-up approach. The deuterium incorporation behavior of the peptic peptides from the three BEVs were compared side by side and showed no differences at various HDX time points. Top-down experiments were carried out using subzero temperature LC-MS, and the deuterium incorporation of the intact light chain and heavy chain were obtained. Top-down ETD was also performed to obtain amino acid-level HDX information that covered 100% of the light chain, but only 50% coverage is possible for the heavy chain. Consistent with the intact subunit level data, no differences were observed in the amino acid level HDX data. All these results indicate that there are no differences between the three BEV samples with respect to their high-order structures. The peptide level information from the bottom-up approach, and the residue level and intact subunit level information from the top-down approach were complementary and covered the entire antibody. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dark matter self-interactions and small scale structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tulin, Sean; Yu, Hai-Bo

2018-02-01

We review theories of dark matter (DM) beyond the collisionless paradigm, known as self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), and their observable implications for astrophysical structure in the Universe. Self-interactions are motivated, in part, due to the potential to explain long-standing (and more recent) small scale structure observations that are in tension with collisionless cold DM (CDM) predictions. Simple particle physics models for SIDM can provide a universal explanation for these observations across a wide range of mass scales spanning dwarf galaxies, low and high surface brightness spiral galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. At the same time, SIDM leaves intact the success of ΛCDM cosmology on large scales. This report covers the following topics: (1) small scale structure issues, including the core-cusp problem, the diversity problem for rotation curves, the missing satellites problem, and the too-big-to-fail problem, as well as recent progress in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation; (2) N-body simulations for SIDM, including implications for density profiles, halo shapes, substructure, and the interplay between baryons and self-interactions; (3) semi-analytic Jeans-based methods that provide a complementary approach for connecting particle models with observations; (4) merging systems, such as cluster mergers (e.g., the Bullet Cluster) and minor infalls, along with recent simulation results for mergers; (5) particle physics models, including light mediator models and composite DM models; and (6) complementary probes for SIDM, including indirect and direct detection experiments, particle collider searches, and cosmological observations. We provide a summary and critical look for all current constraints on DM self-interactions and an outline for future directions.

Patient assessment of effectiveness and satisfaction with traditional medicine, globalized complementary and alternative medicines, and allopathic medicines for cancer in Pakistan.

PubMed

Tovey, Philip; Broom, Alex; Chatwin, John; Hafeez, Muhammad; Ahmad, Salma

2005-09-01

Virtually no research has been conducted on patient assessments of traditional medicines and allopathic medicines for cancer care in poorer countries marked by pluralistic medical environments. Pakistan represents an excellent case for such a study because of the coexistence of culturally and historically specific indigenous traditional medicine, the strong presence of allopathic medicine, and, to a lesser extent, the availability of some globalized complementary and alternative medicines. To gain a preliminary understanding of cancer patients' perceptions of effectiveness and satisfaction with traditional medicine, globalized complementary and alternative medicine, and allopathy in the context of a pluralistic medical environment. Structured survey of 362 cancer patients, from diverse regions in the Punjab province and Northwest Frontier province, who were being treated in 4 different hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Use of traditional medicine remains high among cancer patients, with traditional healers used by the majority of those surveyed. Although patients' perceptions of the overall effectiveness of traditional medicines for treating cancer are low, those patients who do use traditional medicines still have high levels of satisfaction with these modalities. This is distinct from levels of satisfaction with, and perceptions of effectiveness of, Western cancer treatments, which were synonymous in this group of patients. Important differences in patient perceptions were found within groups (eg, between different forms of traditional healers) as well as between them. This study showed considerable support for complementary and alternative medicine/traditional medicine but also significant variation in usage of and perceptions of local traditional medicines. More research needs to be done to explore the social processes underlying this variation in cancer patients' preferences for particular traditional medicines.

Aptamer-based electrochemical sensors with aptamer-complementary DNA oligonucleotides as probe.

PubMed

Lu, Ying; Li, Xianchan; Zhang, Limin; Yu, Ping; Su, Lei; Mao, Lanqun

2008-03-15

This study describes a facile and general strategy for the development of aptamer-based electrochemical sensors with a high specificity toward the targets and a ready regeneration feature. Very different from the existing strategies for the development of electrochemical aptasensors with the aptamers as the probes, the strategy proposed here is essentially based on the utilization of the aptamer-complementary DNA (cDNA) oligonucleotides as the probes for electrochemical sensing. In this context, the sequences at both ends of the cDNA are tailor-made to be complementary and both the redox moiety (i.e., ferrocene in this study) and thiol group are labeled onto the cDNA. The labeled cDNA are hybridized with their respective aptamers (i.e., ATP- and thrombin-binding aptamers in this study) to form double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) and the electrochemical aptasensors are prepared by self-assembling the labeled ds-DNA onto Au electrodes. Upon target binding, the aptamers confined onto electrode surface dissociate from their respective cDNA oligonucleotides into the solution and the single-stranded cDNA could thus tend to form a hairpin structure through the hybridization of the complementary sequences at both its ends. Such a conformational change of the cDNA resulting from the target binding-induced dissociation of the aptamers essentially leads to the change in the voltammetric signal of the redox moiety labeled onto the cDNA and thus constitutes the mechanism for the electrochemical aptasensors for specific target sensing. The aptasensors demonstrated here with the cDNA as the probe are readily regenerated and show good responses toward the targets. This study may offer a new and relatively general approach to electrochemical aptasensors with good analytical properties and potential applications.

76 FR 59707 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal... for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel, Training and Education. Date... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel, Clinical Studies of CAM Therapies. Date: November...

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.

PubMed

Höfer, Juliana; Hoffmann, Falk; Bachmann, Christian

2017-05-01

Despite limited evidence, complementary and alternative medicine treatments are popular in autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this review was to summarize the available evidence on complementary and alternative medicine use frequency in autism spectrum disorder. A systematic search of three electronic databases was performed. All research studies in English or German reporting data on the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine use in individuals with autism spectrum disorder were included. Two independent reviewers searched the literature, extracted information on study design and results, and assessed study quality using an established quality assessment tool. Twenty studies with a total of 9540 participants were included. The prevalence of any complementary and alternative medicine use ranged from 28% to 95% (median: 54%). Special diets or dietary supplements (including vitamins) were the most frequent complementary and alternative medicine treatments, ranking first in 75% of studies. There was some evidence for a higher prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in autism spectrum disorder compared to other psychiatric disorders and the general population. Approximately half of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder use complementary and alternative medicine. Doctors should be aware of this and should discuss complementary and alternative medicine use with patients and their carers, especially as the evidence is mixed and some complementary and alternative medicine treatments are potentially harmful.

Ethical responsibilities of pharmacists when selling complementary medicines: a systematic review.

PubMed

Salman Popattia, Amber; Winch, Sarah; La Caze, Adam

2018-04-01

The widespread sale of complementary medicines in community pharmacy raises important questions regarding the responsibilities of pharmacists when selling complementary medicines. This study reviews the academic literature that explores a pharmacist's responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Embase, PubMed, Cinahl, PsycINFO and Philosopher's index databases were searched for articles written in English and published between 1995 and 2017. Empirical studies discussing pharmacists' practices or perceptions, consumers' expectations and normative studies discussing ethical perspectives or proposing ethical frameworks related to pharmacists' responsibilities in selling complementary medicines were included in the review. Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies discussing the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines had an empirical focus. Pharmacists and consumers identified counselling and ensuring safe use of complementary medicines as the primary responsibilities of pharmacists. No formal ethical framework is explicitly employed to describe the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines. To the degree any ethical framework is employed, a number of papers implicitly rely on principlism. The studies discussing the ethical perspectives of selling complementary medicines mainly describe the ethical conflict between a pharmacist's business and health professional role. No attempt is made to provide guidance on appropriate ways to resolve the conflict. There is a lack of explicit normative advice in the existing literature regarding the responsibilities of pharmacists selling complementary medicines. This review identifies the need to develop a detailed practice-specific ethical framework to guide pharmacists regarding their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. © 2018 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

75 FR 11186 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on Natural...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-10

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on Natural Products ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: As part of its strategic planning process, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine... attend. Seating is limited. Background: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine...

75 FR 19979 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-16

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Announcement of Workshop on the Deconstruction of Back Pain ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) invites the... Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) was established in 1999 with the mission of exploring complementary and...

75 FR 30039 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-28

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meetings Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel; Education Panel. Date: June 24-25, 2010. Time: 5... of Committee: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel; RFA...

75 FR 57970 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-23

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Panel, Centers of Excellence for Research on CAM (CERC... Complementary, & Alternative Medicine, NIH, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 401, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-594-3456...

77 FR 73036 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date...

77 FR 52750 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-30

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date...

78 FR 76635 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-18

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; NCCAM...

75 FR 43994 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM) meeting. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date...

77 FR 25185 - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-27

... Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... privacy. Name of Committee: National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date...

Instability-driven frequency decoupling between structure dynamics and wake fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yaqing; Kim, Jin-Tae; Chamorro, Leonardo P.

2018-04-01

Flow-induced dynamics of flexible structures is, in general, significantly modulated by periodic vortex shedding. Experiments and numerical simulations suggest that the frequencies associated with the dominant motions of structures are highly coupled with those of the wake under low-turbulence uniform flow. Here we present experimental evidence that demonstrates a significant decoupling between the dynamics of simple structures and wake fluctuations for various geometries, Reynolds numbers, and mass ratios. High-resolution particle tracking velocimetry and hot-wire anemometry are used to quantitatively characterize the dynamics of the structures and wake fluctuations; a complementary planar particle image velocimetry measurement is conducted to illustrate distinctive flow patterns. Results show that for structures with directional stiffness, von Kármán vortex shedding might dominate the wake of bodies governed by natural-frequency motion. This phenomenon can be a consequence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, where the structural characteristics of the body dominate the oscillations.

Complementary Metal-Oxide-Silicon (CMOS)-Memristor Hybrid Nanoelectronics for Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) Encryption

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

with Al top electrodes and Cu bottom electrodes. ................... 9 Figure 4. SPICE netlist structure...memory elements play a part in logic gate. 4.4.2 Simulation SPICE Simulation Program for Integrated Circuits Emphasis ( SPICE ) is a general-purpose...analog circuit simulator that was developed at the Electronics Research Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley [6]. In 1975, SPICE

Oligonucleotides Containing Aminated 2'-Amino-LNA Nucleotides: Synthesis and Strong Binding to Complementary DNA and RNA.

PubMed

Lou, Chenguang; Samuelsen, Simone V; Christensen, Niels Johan; Vester, Birte; Wengel, Jesper

2017-04-19

Mono- and diaminated 2'-amino-LNA monomers were synthesized and introduced into oligonucleotides. Each modification imparts significant stabilization of nucleic acid duplexes and triplexes, excellent sequence selectivity, and significant nuclease resistance. Molecular modeling suggested that structural stabilization occurs via intrastrand electrostatic attraction between the protonated amino groups of the aminated 2'-amino-LNA monomers and the host oligonucleotide backbone.

RNA Polymerase Structure, Function, Regulation, Dynamics, Fidelity, and Roles in GENE EXPRESSION | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Multi-subunit RNA polymerases (RNAP) are ornate molecular machines that translocate on a DNA template as they generate a complementary RNA chain. RNAPs are highly conserved in evolution among eukarya, eubacteria, archaea, and some viruses. As such, multi-subunit RNAPs appear to be an irreplaceable advance in the evolution of complex life on earth. Because of their stepwise

Ensemble-based prediction of RNA secondary structures.

PubMed

Aghaeepour, Nima; Hoos, Holger H

2013-04-24

Accurate structure prediction methods play an important role for the understanding of RNA function. Energy-based, pseudoknot-free secondary structure prediction is one of the most widely used and versatile approaches, and improved methods for this task have received much attention over the past five years. Despite the impressive progress that as been achieved in this area, existing evaluations of the prediction accuracy achieved by various algorithms do not provide a comprehensive, statistically sound assessment. Furthermore, while there is increasing evidence that no prediction algorithm consistently outperforms all others, no work has been done to exploit the complementary strengths of multiple approaches. In this work, we present two contributions to the area of RNA secondary structure prediction. Firstly, we use state-of-the-art, resampling-based statistical methods together with a previously published and increasingly widely used dataset of high-quality RNA structures to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of existing RNA secondary structure prediction procedures. The results from this evaluation clarify the performance relationship between ten well-known existing energy-based pseudoknot-free RNA secondary structure prediction methods and clearly demonstrate the progress that has been achieved in recent years. Secondly, we introduce AveRNA, a generic and powerful method for combining a set of existing secondary structure prediction procedures into an ensemble-based method that achieves significantly higher prediction accuracies than obtained from any of its component procedures. Our new, ensemble-based method, AveRNA, improves the state of the art for energy-based, pseudoknot-free RNA secondary structure prediction by exploiting the complementary strengths of multiple existing prediction procedures, as demonstrated using a state-of-the-art statistical resampling approach. In addition, AveRNA allows an intuitive and effective control of the trade-off between false negative and false positive base pair predictions. Finally, AveRNA can make use of arbitrary sets of secondary structure prediction procedures and can therefore be used to leverage improvements in prediction accuracy offered by algorithms and energy models developed in the future. Our data, MATLAB software and a web-based version of AveRNA are publicly available at http://www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/beta/Software/AveRNA.

Discovering complementary colors from the perspective of steam education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabey, Burak; Yigit Koyunkaya, Melike; Enginoglu, Turan; Yurumezoglu, Kemal

2018-05-01

This study explored the theory and applications of complementary colors using a technology-based activity designed from the perspective of STEAM education. Complementary colors and their areas of use were examined from the perspective of physics, mathematics and art, respectively. The study, which benefits from technology, makes the theory of complementary colors accessible to all through practical applications and provides a multidisciplinary, integrated and innovative technique of teaching the subject of colors, which could be used to teach complementary colors.

Complementary and alternative medicine in women's health. Developing a research agenda.

PubMed

Murphy, P A; Kronenberg, F; Wade, C

1999-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine is becoming an established intervention modality within the contemporary health care system. Various forms of complementary and alternative medicine are used by patients and practitioners alike, including chiropractic, massage, botanical medicine, homeopathy, and energy therapies. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was established within the National Institutes of Health to facilitate evaluation of these alternative therapies, establish an information clearinghouse, and promote research in the field. This article discusses several aspects of complementary and alternative medicine, relates them to women's health, and describes the need for a research agenda to evaluate the impact of the complementary and alternative medicine modalities used for important conditions affecting women.

Babinet's principle and the band structure of surface waves on patterned metal arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edmunds, J. D.; Taylor, M. C.; Hibbins, A. P.; Sambles, J. R.; Youngs, I. J.

2010-05-01

The microwave response of an array of square metal patches and its complementary structure, an array of square holes, has been experimentally studied. The resonant phenomena, which yield either enhanced transmission or reflection, are attributed to the excitation of diffractively coupled surface waves. The band structure of these surface modes has been quantified for both p-(transverse magnetic) and s-(transverse electric) polarized radiation and is found to be dependent on the periodicity of the electric and magnetic fields on resonance. The results are in excellent accord with predictions from finite element method modeling and the electromagnetic form of Babinet's principle [Babinet, C. R. Acad. Sci. 4, 638 (1837)].

75 FR 76019 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM) meeting. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date: February 4, 2011. Closed: February 4, 2011, 8:30 a.m...

Predictors of College Students' Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chng, Chwee Lye; Neill, Kweethai; Fogle, Peggy

2003-01-01

This study assessed the use of complementary and alternative medicine among college students (N=913), the relationships between health locus of control with use of complementary and alternative medicine, and health local of control with attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine and what predicts their use. A majority (66%, n-913) of…

78 FR 21381 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-10

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Closed Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Complementary and Alternative Medicine Special Emphasis Education Panel. Date: June 21, 2013. Time: 8:00 a.m. to... Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, HHS) Dated: April 4, 2013. Michelle Trout...

76 FR 19379 - National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-07

... Complementary & Alternative Medicine; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory... Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM) meeting. The meeting will be open to the public as indicated... for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Date: June 3, 2011. Closed: June 3, 2011, 8:30 a.m. to 10...

An Evidence-Based Course in Complementary Medicines

PubMed Central

Hughes, Jeff

2012-01-01

Objective. To evaluate the impact of an evidence-based course in complementary medicines on the attitudes, knowledge, and professional practice behavior of undergraduate pharmacy students. Design. A required 12-week evidence-based complementary medicine course was designed and introduced into the third-year undergraduate pharmacy curriculum. The course included a combination of traditional lectures, interactive tutorial sessions, and a range of formal assessments. Assessment. Pre- and post-course survey instruments were administered to assess changes in students’ attitudes, perceptions, knowledge, and the likelihood they would recommend the use of complementary medicines in a pharmacy practice environment. Conclusion. Completion of a required evidence-based complementary medicines course resulted in a positive change in pharmacy students’ perceptions of the value of various complementary medicines as well as in their willingness to recommend them, and provided students with the required knowledge to make patient-centered recommendations for use of complementary medicines in a professional pharmacy practice setting. These findings support the need for greater evidence-based complementary medicine education within pharmacy curricula to meet consumer demand and to align with pharmacists’ professional responsibilities. PMID:23275665

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Residents of Wayu Town, Western Ethiopia.

PubMed

Belachew, Negash; Tadesse, Tarekegne; Gube, Addisu Alemayehu

2017-10-01

Complementary and alternative medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices, which vary from country to country and region to region. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of complementary and alternative medicine among the residents of Wayu town, Western Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 302 residents. A systematic sampling was used to select households. Data were entered in SPSS (version 20; IBM Corp) and descriptive statistics was carried out. Of 302 participants, 51.65% have a good knowledge, 78.6% were aware of complementary and alternative medicine, and 74.22% used it in the past 2 years. A total of 23.83% believe that complementary and alternative medicine is more effective than modern medicine and 28.8% preferred complementary and alternative medicine to modern medicine. This study revealed that in Wayu town, there is relatively high public interest in complementary and alternative medicine practices and a significant number has a good knowledge but generally the attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine is relatively low.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among Residents of Wayu Town, Western Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Belachew, Negash; Tadesse, Tarekegne

2017-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices, which vary from country to country and region to region. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of complementary and alternative medicine among the residents of Wayu town, Western Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 302 residents. A systematic sampling was used to select households. Data were entered in SPSS (version 20; IBM Corp) and descriptive statistics was carried out. Of 302 participants, 51.65% have a good knowledge, 78.6% were aware of complementary and alternative medicine, and 74.22% used it in the past 2 years. A total of 23.83% believe that complementary and alternative medicine is more effective than modern medicine and 28.8% preferred complementary and alternative medicine to modern medicine. This study revealed that in Wayu town, there is relatively high public interest in complementary and alternative medicine practices and a significant number has a good knowledge but generally the attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine is relatively low. PMID:29250965

Complementary Feeding: Review of Recommendations, Feeding Practices, and Adequacy of Homemade Complementary Food Preparations in Developing Countries – Lessons from Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Abeshu, Motuma Adimasu; Lelisa, Azeb; Geleta, Bekesho

2016-01-01

Breastfeeding provides the ideal food during the first 6 months of life. Complementary feeding starts when breast milk is no longer sufficient by itself, where the target age is for 6–23 months. The gap between nutritional requirement and amount obtained from breast milk increases with age. For energy, 200, 300, and 550 kcal per day is expected to be covered by complementary foods at 6–8, 9–11, and 12–23 months, respectively. In addition, the complementary foods must provide relatively large proportions of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B6. In several parts of the developing world, complementary feeding continues as a challenge to good nutrition in children. In Ethiopia, only 4.2% of breastfed children of 6–23 months of age have a minimum acceptable diet. The gaps are mostly attributed to either poor dietary quality or poor feeding practices, if not both. Commercial fortified foods are often beyond the reach of the poor. Thus, homemade complementary foods remain commonly used. Even when based on an improved recipe, however, unfortified plant-based complementary foods provide insufficient key micronutrients (especially, iron, zinc, and calcium) during the age of 6–23 months. Thus, this review assessed complementary feeding practice and recommendation and reviewed the level of adequacy of homemade complementary foods. PMID:27800479

Use of Complementary Health Practices in a Church-Based African American Cohort.

PubMed

Escoto, Kamisha Hamilton; Milbury, Kathrin; Nguyen, Nga; Cho, Dalnim; Roberson, Crystal; Wetter, David; McNeill, Lorna H

2018-06-08

Few studies have examined the use of complementary health practices (e.g., mind/body practices and dietary supplements) among African Americans, particularly those who identify as being spiritual and/or religious. Furthermore, research on the health and health behavior profiles of such complementary health users is scant. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of complementary health practices and their lifestyle and health indicator correlates in a large, church-based African American population. Cross-sectional analysis of 1467 African American adults drawn from a church-based cohort study. Participants reported use of complementary health practices, lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet and smoking status), and health indicators (e.g., physical health and medical problems). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted to examine associations between lifestyle variables, health indicators, and use of complementary health practices. Outcomes included prevalence of mind/body practices (e.g., meditation and Reiki) and dietary supplements (multivitamins) along with health indicator and lifestyle correlates of use. Use of complementary health practices was high; 40% reported using any mind/body practice and 50% reported using dietary supplements. Poorer physical health was associated with use of mind/body practices, while likelihood of meeting fruit and vegetable recommendations was significantly associated with dietary supplement use. Complementary health practices were used heavily in a church-based sample of African American adults. Poorer physical health was associated with use of complementary health practices, yet users also displayed health conscious behaviors. Given the high engagement in complementary health practices, it may be prudent to consider adapting complementary health approaches for use in wellness interventions targeting African Americans in faith-based settings.

Timing and Determinants of the Introduction of Complementary Foods in Kuwait: Results of a Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Scott, Jane A; Dashti, Manal; Al-Sughayer, Mona; Edwards, Christine A

2015-08-01

The early introduction of complementary foods is common in Middle Eastern countries but little is known about the determinants of this practice in this region. This prospective cohort study conducted from October 2007 to October 2008 investigated the determinants of the very early (before 17 weeks) introduction of complementary foods in Kuwait and compared rates of this practice against rates reported in the mid-1990s. A total of 373 women were recruited from maternity hospitals in Kuwait City and followed to 26 weeks postpartum. Data on complementary feeding practices were available from 303 women. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the association of very early introduction of complementary foods with infant sex and maternal characteristics including age, years of education, employment intentions at 6 months postpartum, parity, prepregnancy body mass index, and prepregnancy smoking status. All infants had received complementary foods by 26 weeks of age, with 30.4% receiving complementary foods before 17 weeks of age. Women born in other Arabic countries were less likely to introduce complementary foods before 17 weeks (adjusted odds ratio [adj OR] = 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-0.73) than women born in Kuwait. Women who were exclusively formula feeding at 6 weeks postpartum were less likely to introduce complementary foods before 17 weeks (adj OR = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23-0.71) than women who were still breastfeeding. Compared to the mid-1990s, fewer infants in Kuwait were receiving complementary foods before 17 weeks. Nevertheless, all infants had received complementary foods by 6 months of age. © The Author(s) 2015.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with arthritis.

PubMed

Unsal, Ayla; Gözüm, Sebahat

2010-04-01

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with arthritis, the types of complementary and alternative medicine used, pertinent socio-demographic factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use and its perceived efficacy. Arthritis is a major health issue, and the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with arthritis is common. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from 250 patients with arthritis at the physiotherapy and immunology clinics Atatürk University Hospital in eastern Turkey between May-July 2005 using a questionnaire developed specifically for this study. The instrument included questions on socio-demographic information, disease specifics and complementary and alternative medicine usage. Seventy-six per cent of participants reported use of at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine in the previous year. Complementary and alternative medicine users and non-users were not significantly different in most socio-demographic characteristics including age, gender, marital status and education level with the exception of economic status. We categorised treatment into six complementary and alternative medicine categories: 62.6% of patients used thermal therapies; 41.5% used oral herbal therapies; 40.5% used hot therapies; 32.6% used externally applied (skin) therapies; 28.4% used massage and 12.6% used cold therapies. All forms of complementary and alternative medicine except thermal and oral herbal therapies were perceived as very effective by more than half of study participants. Complementary and alternative medicine therapy is widely used by patients with arthritis and has perceived beneficial effects. It is important for nurses and other health care professionals to be knowledgeable about the use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies when providing care to patients with arthritis because of possible interactions with other treatments, delays in seeking care and the potential for poor quality products. It is also essential for health professionals to discuss treatment options with patients and to monitor treatment efficacy.

Perception of risk and communication among conventional and complementary health care providers involving cancer patients' use of complementary therapies: a literature review.

PubMed

Stub, Trine; Quandt, Sara A; Arcury, Thomas A; Sandberg, Joanne C; Kristoffersen, Agnete E; Musial, Frauke; Salamonsen, Anita

2016-09-08

Communication between different health care providers (conventional and complementary) and cancer patients about their use of complementary therapies affects the health and safety of the patients. The aim of this study was to examine the qualitative research literature on the perception of and communication about the risk of complementary therapies between different health care providers and cancer patients. Systematic searches in six medical databases covering literature from 2000 to 2015 were performed. The studies were accessed according to the level of evidence and summarized into different risk situations. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the text data, and the codes were defined before and during the data analysis. Twenty-nine papers were included in the primary analysis and five main themes were identified and discussed. The main risk situations identified were 1. Differences in treatment concepts and philosophical values among complementary and conventional health care providers. 2. Adverse effects from complementary products and herbs due to their contamination/toxicity and interactions with conventional cancer treatment. 3. Health care physicians and oncologists find it difficult to recommend many complementary modalities due to the lack of scientific evidence for their effect. 4. Lack of knowledge and information about complementary and conventional cancer treatments among different health care providers. The risk of consuming herbs and products containing high level of toxins is a considerable threat to patient safety (direct risk). At the same time, the lack of scientific evidence of effect for many complementary therapies and differences in treatment philosophy among complementary and conventional health care providers potentially hinder effective communication about these threats with mutual patients (indirect risk). As such, indirect risk may pose an additional risk to patients who want to combine complementary therapies with conventional treatment in cancer care. Health care providers who care for cancer patients should be aware of these risks.

Advanced composite structural concepts and materials technologies for primary aircraft structures: Advanced material concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lau, Kreisler S. Y.; Landis, Abraham L.; Chow, Andrea W.; Hamlin, Richard D.

1993-01-01

To achieve acceptable performance and long-term durability at elevated temperatures (350 to 600 F) for high-speed transport systems, further improvements of the high-performance matrix materials will be necessary to achieve very long-term (60,000-120,000 service hours) retention of mechanical properties and damage tolerance. This report emphasizes isoimide modification as a complementary technique to semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (SIPN's) to achieve greater processibility, better curing dynamics, and possibly enhanced thermo-mechanical properties in composites. A key result is the demonstration of enhanced processibility of isoimide-modified linear and thermo-setting polyimide systems.

Single Cell Spectroscopy: Noninvasive Measures of Small-Scale Structure and Function

PubMed Central

Mousoulis, Charilaos; Xu, Xin; Reiter, David A.; Neu, Corey P.

2013-01-01

The advancement of spectroscopy methods attained through increases in sensitivity, and often with the coupling of complementary techniques, has enabled real-time structure and function measurements of single cells. The purpose of this review is to illustrate, in light of advances, the strengths and the weaknesses of these methods. Included also is an assessment of the impact of the experimental setup and conditions of each method on cellular function and integrity. A particular emphasis is placed on noninvasive and nondestructive techniques for achieving single cell detection, including nuclear magnetic resonance, in addition to physical, optical, and vibrational methods. PMID:23886910

Secondary electron imaging of monolayer materials inside a transmission electron microscope

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

Cretu, Ovidiu, E-mail: cretu.ovidiu@nims.go.jp; Lin, Yung-Chang; Suenaga, Kazutomo

2015-08-10

A scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a backscattered and secondary electron detector is shown capable to image graphene and hexagonal boron nitride monolayers. Secondary electron contrasts of the two lightest monolayer materials are clearly distinguished from the vacuum level. A signal difference between these two materials is attributed to electronic structure differences, which will influence the escape probabilities of the secondary electrons. Our results show that the secondary electron signal can be used to distinguish between the electronic structures of materials with atomic layer sensitivity, enhancing its applicability as a complementary signal in the analytical microscope.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy and neutron diffraction study of the perovskite-type rare-earth cobaltites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikolenko, V.; Efimova, E.; Franz, A.; Ritter, C.; Troyanchuk, I. O.; Karpinsky, D.; Zubavichus, Y.; Veligzhanin, A.; Tiutiunnikov, S. I.; Sazonov, A.; Efimov, V.

2018-05-01

Correlations between local and long-range structure distortions in the perovskite-type RE1-xSrxCoO3-δ (RE = La, Pr, Nd; x = 0.0 and 0.5) compounds have been studied at room temperature by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at the Co K-edge and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction (NPD). The use of two complementary experimental techniques allowed us to explore the influence of the type of rare-earth element and strontium substitution on unusual behavior of static and dynamic features of both the Co-O bond lengths.

A sextuple-band ultra-thin metamaterial absorber with perfect absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Dingwang; Liu, Peiguo; Dong, Yanfei; Zhou, Dongming; Zhou, Qihui

2017-08-01

This paper presents the design, simulation and measurement of a sextuple-band ultra-thin metamaterial absorber (MA). The unit cell of this proposed structure is composed of triangular spiral-shaped complementary structures imprinted on the dielectric substrate backed by a metal ground. The measured results are in good agreement with simulations with high absorptivities of more than 90% at all six absorption frequencies. In addition, this proposed absorber has good performances of ultra-thin, polarization insensitivity and a wide-angle oblique incidence, which can easily be used in many potential applications such as detection, imaging and sensing.

Chemistry Division annual progress report for period ending April 30, 1993

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

Poutsma, M.L.; Ferris, L.M.; Mesmer, R.E.

1993-08-01

The Chemistry Division conducts basic and applied chemical research on projects important to DOE`s missions in sciences, energy technologies, advanced materials, and waste management/environmental restoration; it also conducts complementary research for other sponsors. The research are arranged according to: coal chemistry, aqueous chemistry at high temperatures and pressures, geochemistry, chemistry of advanced inorganic materials, structure and dynamics of advanced polymeric materials, chemistry of transuranium elements and compounds, chemical and structural principles in solvent extraction, surface science related to heterogeneous catalysis, photolytic transformations of hazardous organics, DNA sequencing and mapping, and special topics.

Assembly of Colloidal Materials Using Bioadhesive Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammer, Daniel A.; Hiddessen, Amy L.; Tohver, Valeria; Crocker, John C.; Weitz, David A.

2002-01-01

We have pursued the use of biological crosslinking molecules of several types to make colloidal materials at relatively low volume fraction of colloidal particles. The objective is to make binary alloys of colloidal particles, made of two different colloidal particles coated with complementary biological lock-and-key binding molecules, which assemble due to the biological specificity. The long-term goal is to use low affinity lock-and-key biological interactions, so that the can anneal to form crystalline states. We have used a variety of different surface chemistries in order to make colloidal materials. Our first system involved using selectin-carbohydrate (sialyl-Lewis) interactions; this chemistry is derived from immune system. This chemical interaction is of relatively low affinity, with timescales for dissociation of several seconds. Furthermore, the adhesion mediated by these molecules can be reversed by the chelation of calcium atoms; thus assembled structures can be disassembled reversibly. Our second system employed avidin-biotin chemistry. This well-studied system is of high affinity, and is generally irreversible on a laboratory time-scale. Thus, we would expect selectin-carbohydrate interactions at high molecular density and avidin-biotin interactions to give kinetically-trapped structures; however, at low densities, we would expect significant differences in the structure and dynamics of the two materials, owing to their very different release rates. We have also begun to use a third chemistry - DNA hybridization. By attaching single stranded DNA oligonucleotide chains to beads, we can drive the assembly of colloidal materials by hybridization of complementary DNA chains. It is well known that DNA adenosine-thymine (A-T) and guanine-cytosine (G-C) bases hybridize pairwise with a Gibbs free energy change of 1.7 kcal/mol per base; thus, the energy of the assembly can be modulated by altering the number of complementary bases in the DNA chains. Using these different crosslinking molecules, we have assembled colloidal materials from different-sized colloidal particles, A and B. In the first sets of experiment, we used high densities of adhesion molecules, and 0.96 micron (A) and 5.5 micron (B) diameter particles. The high density of adhesion molecules means that the structures are kinetically trapped in nonequilibrium configurations. The structure of the suspension can be varied by changing the number ratio of the two types of colloidal particles, NA and NB, where A is the smaller particle. With carbohydrate-selectin or avidin-biotin interactions, large NA/NB leads to the formation of colloidal micelles, with the large center B particle surrounded by many smaller A particles. As the ratio NA/NB decreases, the structures become more extended, approaching the formation of macro-Rouse polymers - extended linear chains where A beads are connected with intervening small B linkers.

Experiences in extraction of contact parameters from process-evaluation test-structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lieneweg, Udo

1988-01-01

Six-terminal-contact test structures are introduced for characterizing ohmic contacts between a metal and a heavily doped semiconductor layer. Specifically, the six-terminal test structure supplies the additional information needed in order to calculate the transmission length and eventual corrections to the characteristic resistance per unit width due to finite contact length. The essential feature of this test structure is a square contact with four taps in the lower (semiconductor) layer. Every other one of these taps is used for current injection ('front'). From the voltage drop at the opposite tap and the side taps, the 'end' resistance and the 'side' resistances are calculated. The test structures are shown to give valuable information complementary to the common front resistance measurements. The interfacial resistivity is obtained directly after proper correction for flange effects.

Integrating Mass Spectrometry of Intact Protein Complexes into Structural Proteomics

PubMed Central

Hyung, Suk-Joon; Ruotolo, Brandon T.

2013-01-01

Summary Mass spectrometry analysis of intact protein complexes has emerged as an established technology for assessing the composition and connectivity within dynamic, heterogeneous multiprotein complexes at low concentrations and in the context of mixtures. As this technology continues to move forward, one of the main challenges is to integrate the information content of such intact protein complex measurements with other mass spectrometry approaches in structural biology. Methods such as H/D exchange, oxidative foot-printing, chemical cross-linking, affinity purification, and ion mobility separation add complementary information that allows access to every level of protein structure and organization. Here, we survey the structural information that can be retrieved by such experiments, demonstrate the applicability of integrative mass spectrometry approaches in structural proteomics, and look to the future to explore upcoming innovations in this rapidly-advancing area. PMID:22611037

Solid-state structure of a Li/F carbenoid: pentafluoroethyllithium.

PubMed

Waerder, Benedikt; Steinhauer, Simon; Neumann, Beate; Stammler, Hans-Georg; Mix, Andreas; Vishnevskiy, Yury V; Hoge, Berthold; Mitzel, Norbert W

2014-10-20

Lithium carbenoids are versatile compounds for synthesis owing to their intriguing ambiphilic behavior. Although this class of compounds has been known for several years, few solid-state structures exist because of their high reactivity and often low thermal stability. Using cryo X-ray techniques, we were now able to elucidate the first solid-state structure of a Li/F alkyl carbenoid, pentafluoroethyllithium (LiC2F5), finally yielding a prototype for investigating structure-reactivity relationships for this class of molecules. The compound forms a diethyl ether-solvated dimer bridged by a rare C-F-Li link. Complementary NMR spectroscopy studies in solution show dynamic processes and indicate rapid exchange of starting material and product. Theoretical investigations help to understand the formation of the observed unusual structural motif. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) maps the epitope of EGFR binding to adnectin.

PubMed

Yan, Yuetian; Chen, Guodong; Wei, Hui; Huang, Richard Y-C; Mo, Jingjie; Rempel, Don L; Tymiak, Adrienne A; Gross, Michael L

2014-12-01

Epitope mapping is an important tool for the development of monoclonal antibodies, mAbs, as therapeutic drugs. Recently, a class of therapeutic mAb alternatives, adnectins, has been developed as targeted biologics. They are derived from the 10th type III domain of human fibronectin ((10)Fn3). A common approach to map the epitope binding of these therapeutic proteins to their binding partners is X-ray crystallography. Although the crystal structure is known for Adnectin 1 binding to human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), we seek to determine complementary binding in solution and to test the efficacy of footprinting for this purpose. As a relatively new tool in structural biology and complementary to X-ray crystallography, protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry is promising for protein-protein interaction studies. We report here the use of fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) coupled with MS to map the epitope of EGFR-Adnectin 1 at both the peptide and amino-acid residue levels. The data correlate well with the previously determined epitopes from the crystal structure and are consistent with HDX MS data, which are presented in an accompanying paper. The FPOP-determined binding interface involves various amino-acid and peptide regions near the N terminus of EGFR. The outcome adds credibility to oxidative labeling by FPOP for epitope mapping and motivates more applications in the therapeutic protein area as a stand-alone method or in conjunction with X-ray crystallography, NMR, site-directed mutagenesis, and other orthogonal methods.

Crustal insights from gravity and aeromagnetic analysis: Central North Slope, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saltus, R.W.; Potter, C.J.; Phillips, J.D.

2006-01-01

Aeromagnetic and gravity data are processed and interpreted to reveal deep and shallow information about the crustal structure of the central North Slope, Alaska. Regional aeromagnetic anomalies primarily reflect deep crustal features. Regional gravity anomalies are more complex and require detailed analysis. We constrain our geophysical models with seismic data and interpretations along two transects including the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect. Combined geophysical analysis reveals a remarkable heterogeneity of the pre-Mississippian basement. In the central North Slope, pre-Mississippian basement consists of two distinct geophysical domains. To the southwest, the basement is dense and highly magnetic; this basement is likely mafic and mechanically strong, possibly acting as a buttress to basement involvement in Brooks Range thrusting. To the northeast, the central North Slope basement consists of lower density, moderately magnetic rocks with several discrete regions (intrusions?) of more magnetic rocks. A conjugate set of geophysical trends, northwest-southeast and southwest-northeast, may be a factor in the crustal response to tectonic compression in this domain. High-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data, where available, reflect details of shallow fault and fold structure. The maps and profile models in this report should provide useful guidelines and complementary information for regional structural studies, particularly in combination with detailed seismic reflection interpretations. Future challenges include collection of high-resolution gravity and aeromagnetic data for the entire North Slope as well as additional deep crustal information from seismic, drilling, and other complementary methods. Copyrights ?? 2006. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Fast Photochemical Oxidation of Proteins (FPOP) Maps the Epitope of EGFR Binding to Adnectin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Yuetian; Chen, Guodong; Wei, Hui; Huang, Richard Y.-C.; Mo, Jingjie; Rempel, Don L.; Tymiak, Adrienne A.; Gross, Michael L.

2014-12-01

Epitope mapping is an important tool for the development of monoclonal antibodies, mAbs, as therapeutic drugs. Recently, a class of therapeutic mAb alternatives, adnectins, has been developed as targeted biologics. They are derived from the 10th type III domain of human fibronectin (10Fn3). A common approach to map the epitope binding of these therapeutic proteins to their binding partners is X-ray crystallography. Although the crystal structure is known for Adnectin 1 binding to human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), we seek to determine complementary binding in solution and to test the efficacy of footprinting for this purpose. As a relatively new tool in structural biology and complementary to X-ray crystallography, protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry is promising for protein-protein interaction studies. We report here the use of fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) coupled with MS to map the epitope of EGFR-Adnectin 1 at both the peptide and amino-acid residue levels. The data correlate well with the previously determined epitopes from the crystal structure and are consistent with HDX MS data, which are presented in an accompanying paper. The FPOP-determined binding interface involves various amino-acid and peptide regions near the N terminus of EGFR. The outcome adds credibility to oxidative labeling by FPOP for epitope mapping and motivates more applications in the therapeutic protein area as a stand-alone method or in conjunction with X-ray crystallography, NMR, site-directed mutagenesis, and other orthogonal methods.

Precursor Mediated Synthesis of Nanostructured Silicas: From Precursor-Surfactant Ion Pairs to Structured Materials

PubMed Central

Hesemann, Peter; Nguyen, Thy Phung; Hankari, Samir El

2014-01-01

The synthesis of nanostructured anionic-surfactant-templated mesoporous silica (AMS) recently appeared as a new strategy for the formation of nanostructured silica based materials. This method is based on the use of anionic surfactants together with a co-structure-directing agent (CSDA), mostly a silylated ammonium precursor. The presence of this CSDA is necessary in order to create ionic interactions between template and silica forming phases and to ensure sufficient affinity between the two phases. This synthetic strategy was for the first time applied in view of the synthesis of surface functionalized silica bearing ammonium groups and was then extended on the formation of materials functionalized with anionic carboxylate and bifunctional amine-carboxylate groups. In the field of silica hybrid materials, the “anionic templating” strategy has recently been applied for the synthesis of silica hybrid materials from cationic precursors. Starting from di- or oligosilylated imidazolium and ammonium precursors, only template directed hydrolysis-polycondensation reactions involving complementary anionic surfactants allowed accessing structured ionosilica hybrid materials. The mechanistic particularity of this approach resides in the formation of precursor-surfactant ion pairs in the hydrolysis-polycondensation mixture. This review gives a systematic overview over the various types of materials accessed from this cooperative ionic templating approach and highlights the high potential of this original strategy for the formation of nanostructured silica based materials which appears as a complementary strategy to conventional soft templating approaches. PMID:28788602

Electron Microscopy and Analytical X-ray Characterization of Compositional and Nanoscale Structural Changes in Fossil Bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boatman, Elizabeth Marie

The nanoscale structure of compact bone contains several features that are direct indicators of bulk tissue mechanical properties. Fossil bone tissues represent unique opportunities to understand the compact bone structure/property relationships from a deep time perspective, offering a possible array of new insights into bone diseases, biomimicry of composite materials, and basic knowledge of bioapatite composition and nanoscale bone structure. To date, most work with fossil bone has employed microscale techniques and has counter-indicated the survival of bioapatite and other nanoscale structural features. The obvious disconnect between the use of microscale techniques and the discernment of nanoscale structure has prompted this work. The goal of this study was to characterize the nanoscale constituents of fossil compact bone by applying a suite of diffraction, microscopy, and spectrometry techniques, representing the highest levels of spatial and energy resolution available today, and capable of complementary structural and compositional characterization from the micro- to the nanoscale. Fossil dinosaur and crocodile long bone specimens, as well as modern ratite and crocodile femurs, were acquired from the UC Museum of Paleontology. Preserved physiological features of significance were documented with scanning electron microscopy back-scattered imaging. Electron microprobe wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS) revealed fossil bone compositions enriched in fluorine with a complementary loss of oxygen. X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that all specimens were composed of apatite. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging revealed preserved nanocrystallinity in the fossil bones and electron diffraction studies further identified these nanocrystallites as apatite. Tomographic analyses of nanoscale elements imaged by TEM and small angle X-ray scattering were performed, with the results of each analysis further indicating that nanoscale structure is highly conserved in these four fossil specimens. Finally, the results of this study indicate that bioapatite can be preserved in even the most ancient vertebrate specimens, further supporting the idea that fossilization is a preservational process. This work also underlines the importance of using appropriately selected characterization and analytical techniques for the study of fossil bone, especially from the perspective of spatial resolution and the scale of the bone structural features in question.

Development of advanced structural analysis methodologies for predicting widespread fatigue damage in aircraft structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Starnes, James H., Jr.; Newman, James C., Jr.

1995-01-01

NASA is developing a 'tool box' that includes a number of advanced structural analysis computer codes which, taken together, represent the comprehensive fracture mechanics capability required to predict the onset of widespread fatigue damage. These structural analysis tools have complementary and specialized capabilities ranging from a finite-element-based stress-analysis code for two- and three-dimensional built-up structures with cracks to a fatigue and fracture analysis code that uses stress-intensity factors and material-property data found in 'look-up' tables or from equations. NASA is conducting critical experiments necessary to verify the predictive capabilities of the codes, and these tests represent a first step in the technology-validation and industry-acceptance processes. NASA has established cooperative programs with aircraft manufacturers to facilitate the comprehensive transfer of this technology by making these advanced structural analysis codes available to industry.

Harnessing glycomics technologies: integrating structure with function for glycan characterization

PubMed Central

Robinson, Luke N.; Artpradit, Charlermchai; Raman, Rahul; Shriver, Zachary H.; Ruchirawat, Mathuros; Sasisekharan, Ram

2013-01-01

Glycans, or complex carbohydrates, are a ubiquitous class of biological molecules which impinge on a variety of physiological processes ranging from signal transduction to tissue development and microbial pathogenesis. In comparison to DNA and proteins, glycans present unique challenges to the study of their structure and function owing to their complex and heterogeneous structures and the dominant role played by multivalency in their sequence-specific biological interactions. Arising from these challenges, there is a need to integrate information from multiple complementary methods to decode structure-function relationships. Focusing on acidic glycans, we describe here key glycomics technologies for characterizing their structural attributes, including linkage, modifications, and topology, as well as for elucidating their role in biological processes. Two cases studies, one involving sialylated branched glycans and the other sulfated glycosaminoglycans, are used to highlight how integration of orthogonal information from diverse datasets enables rapid convergence of glycan characterization for development of robust structure-function relationships. PMID:22522536

Automated batch fiducial-less tilt-series alignment in Appion using Protomo.

PubMed

Noble, Alex J; Stagg, Scott M

2015-11-01

The field of electron tomography has benefited greatly from manual and semi-automated approaches to marker-based tilt-series alignment that have allowed for the structural determination of multitudes of in situ cellular structures as well as macromolecular structures of individual protein complexes. The emergence of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor detectors capable of detecting individual electrons has enabled the collection of low dose, high contrast images, opening the door for reliable correlation-based tilt-series alignment. Here we present a set of automated, correlation-based tilt-series alignment, contrast transfer function (CTF) correction, and reconstruction workflows for use in conjunction with the Appion/Leginon package that are primarily targeted at automating structure determination with cryogenic electron microscopy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design, fabrication, and measurement of two silicon-based ultraviolet and blue-extended photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Changping; Wang, Han; Jiang, Zhenyu; Jin, Xiangliang; Luo, Jun

2014-12-01

Two silicon-based ultraviolet (UV) and blue-extended photodiodes are presented, which were fabricated for light detection in the ultraviolet/blue spectral range. Stripe-shaped and octagon-ring-shaped structures were designed to verify parameters of the UV-responsivity, UV-selectivity, breakdown voltage, and response time. The ultra-shallow lateral pn junction had been successfully realized in a standard 0.5-μm complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process to enlarge the pn junction area, enhance the absorption of UV light, and improve the responsivity and quantum efficiency. The test results illustrated that the stripe-shaped structure has the lower breakdown voltage, higher UV-responsicity, and higher UV-selectivity. But the octagon-ring-shaped structure has the lower dark current. The response time of both structures was almost the same.

Nutritional and sensory evaluation of a complementary food formulated from rice, faba beans, sweet potato flour, and peanut oil.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Amal H; El Anany, Ayman Mohammed

2014-12-01

Childhood malnutrition is a common disorder in developing countries. To formulate a complementary food from rice, germinated-decoated faba bean, orange-fleshed sweet potato flour, and peanut oil (RFPP formula) for infants aged 6 to 24 months. The nutritional and sensory characteristics of the RFPP complementary food in comparison with those of a commercial complementary food were determined using standard official procedures. The levels of protein (17.89 g/100 g), fat (10.35 g/100 g), carbohydrate (67.82 g/100 g), and energy (435.99 kcal/100 g) of the RFPP complementary food met the specifications of the Codex standard (1991) and the Egyptian Standard No. 3284 (2005). The essential amino acid contents of the RFPP complementary food were higher than the amino acid profile of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University (2002) reference protein for children 0.5 to 1 and 1 to 2 years of age. The RFPP complementary food had high levels (54.00%) of monounsaturated fatty acids. However, the highest level of saturated fatty acids (51.10%) was recorded for the commercial complementary food. The sensory evaluation results, using a nine-point hedonic scale ranging from 1 (dislike extremely) to 9 (like extremely), show that the RFPP complementary food was acceptable in appearance (7.20), color (6.35), aroma (6.75), taste (7.25), and mouthfeel (7.10) and had an overall acceptability of 6.40. The RFPP formulated complementary food was acceptable and adequate in nutrients for weaning purposes.

[Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Brazil: inclusion in the Brazilian Unified National Health System and integration with primary care].

PubMed

Sousa, Islandia Maria Carvalho de; Tesser, Charles Dalcanale

2017-01-23

This study aimed to analyze the inclusion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) and its integration with primary healthcare (PHC). A qualitative study drew on institutional data, indexed articles, and case studies in selected Brazilian cities: Campinas (São Paulo State), Florianópolis (Santa Catarina State), Recife (Pernambuco State), Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. The analysis adopted the perspective of inclusion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in the healthcare network and its integration with primary healthcare, based on the following dimensions: presence of Traditional and Complementary Medicine on the municipal agenda; position in the services; mode of access to Traditional and Complementary Medicine; Traditional and Complementary Medicine practitioners; types of practices; demand profile; and potential for expansion in the SUS. The authors identified and characterized four types of inclusion and integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, whether in association or not: Type 1 - in primary healthcare via professionals from the family health teams - Integrated; Type 2 - in primary healthcare via professionals with full-time employment - Juxtaposed; Type 3 - in primary healthcare via matrix-organized teams - Matrix Organization; Type 4 - in specialized services - Without Integration. The combination of types 1 and 3 was considered a potential guideline for the expansion of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in the SUS and can orient the growth and integration of Traditional and Complementary Medicine with primary healthcare. The growing presence of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in the SUS requires conceiving its strategic expansion, while existing experiences should not be wasted.

Percutaneous transendocardial delivery of self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6 achieves global cardiac gene transfer in canines

PubMed Central

Bish, Lawrence T.; Sleeper, Meg M.; Brainard, Benjamin; Cole, Stephen; Russell, Nicholas; Withnall, Elanor; Arndt, Jason; Reynolds, Caryn; Davison, Ellen; Sanmiguel, Julio; Wu, Di; Gao, Guangping; Wilson, James M.; Sweeney, H. Lee

2011-01-01

Achieving efficient cardiac gene transfer in a large animal model has proven to be technically challenging. Prior strategies have employed cardio-pulmonary bypass or dual catheterization with the aid of vasodilators to deliver vectors, such as adenovirus, adeno-associated virus or plasmid DNA. While single stranded adeno-associated virus vectors have shown the greatest promise, they suffer from delayed expression, which might be circumvented by using self-complementary vectors. We sought to optimize cardiac gene transfer using a percutaneous transendocardial injection catheter to deliver adeno-associated virus vectors to the canine myocardium. Four vectors were evaluated—single stranded adeno-associated virus 9, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 9, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 8, self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6—so that comparison could be made between single stranded and self complementary vectors as well as among serotypes 9, 8, and 6. We demonstrate that self-complementary adeno-associated virus is superior to single stranded adeno-associated virus and that adeno-associated virus 6 is superior to other serotypes evaluated. Biodistribution studies revealed that vector genome copies were 15 to 4000 times more abundant in the heart than in any other organ for self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6. Percutaneous transendocardial injection of self-complementary adeno-associated virus 6 is a safe, effective method for achieving efficient cardiac gene transfer. PMID:18813281

High-throughput Crystallography for Structural Genomics

PubMed Central

Joachimiak, Andrzej

2009-01-01

Protein X-ray crystallography recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The structures of myoglobin and hemoglobin determined by Kendrew and Perutz provided the first glimpses into the complex protein architecture and chemistry. Since then, the field of structural molecular biology has experienced extraordinary progress and now over 53,000 proteins structures have been deposited into the Protein Data Bank. In the past decade many advances in macromolecular crystallography have been driven by world-wide structural genomics efforts. This was made possible because of third-generation synchrotron sources, structure phasing approaches using anomalous signal and cryo-crystallography. Complementary progress in molecular biology, proteomics, hardware and software for crystallographic data collection, structure determination and refinement, computer science, databases, robotics and automation improved and accelerated many processes. These advancements provide the robust foundation for structural molecular biology and assure strong contribution to science in the future. In this report we focus mainly on reviewing structural genomics high-throughput X-ray crystallography technologies and their impact. PMID:19765976

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in Pediatric Inpatients

PubMed Central

Dhankar, Mukesh

2018-01-01

The aim was to study the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in acutely sick hospitalized children and factors associated with it. This is a cross-sectional, hospital-based study in a tertiary care center of Delhi, India. Children admitted to a pediatric unit during the study period were assessed using a specially designed questionnaire. Out of the total 887 admitted children, 161 (18.1%) were using complementary and alternate medicine in one form or another. Of these, 113 (70.2%) were using complementary and alternate medicine for the current illness directly leading to admission and the remaining 48 (29.8%) had used complementary and alternate medicine in past. The common complementary and alternate medicine use observed in our study was combined ayurveda and spiritual approach (25.5%), ayurveda (24.8%), spiritual (21.7%), homeopathic (13%), and 47.2% of children were using spiritual approach in form of Jhada (tying piece of cloth on arm or leg or keeping a knife by the side of child). The significant factors associated with complementary and alternate medicine use were younger age, female gender, and father being employed. Complementary and alternate medicine is commonly used even in acutely sick children. PMID:29616560

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Modern Obstetrics: A Survey of the Central Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Members.

PubMed

Babbar, Shilpa; Williams, Karen B; Maulik, Dev

2016-10-05

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy is currently on the rise. A validated survey was conducted at the Central Association of Obstetrician and Gynecologists annual meeting to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general obstetricians and gynecologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists in America. We obtained 128 responses: 73 electronically (57%) and 55 via the paper survey (43%). Forty-five percent reported personally using complementary and alternative medicine and 9% of women respondents used complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy. Overall, 62% had advised their patients to utilize some form of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy. Biofeedback, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga were considered the most effective modalities in pregnancy (median [semi-interquartile range] = 2 [0.5]). Maternal-fetal medicine specialists were significantly more likely to disagree on the use of complementary and alternative medicine for risk reduction of preterm birth compared to obstetricians and gynecologists (P = .03). As the use of complementary and alternative medicine continues to rise in reproductive-age women, obstetricians will play an integral role in incorporating complementary and alternative medicine use with conventional medicine. © The Author(s) 2016.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Modern Obstetrics: A Survey of the Central Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Members

PubMed Central

Babbar, Shilpa; Williams, Karen B.; Maulik, Dev

2016-01-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy is currently on the rise. A validated survey was conducted at the Central Association of Obstetrician and Gynecologists annual meeting to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general obstetricians and gynecologists and maternal-fetal medicine specialists in America. We obtained 128 responses: 73 electronically (57%) and 55 via the paper survey (43%). Forty-five percent reported personally using complementary and alternative medicine and 9% of women respondents used complementary and alternative medicine during pregnancy. Overall, 62% had advised their patients to utilize some form of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy. Biofeedback, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga were considered the most effective modalities in pregnancy (median [semi-interquartile range] = 2 [0.5]). Maternal-fetal medicine specialists were significantly more likely to disagree on the use of complementary and alternative medicine for risk reduction of preterm birth compared to obstetricians and gynecologists (P = .03). As the use of complementary and alternative medicine continues to rise in reproductive-age women, obstetricians will play an integral role in incorporating complementary and alternative medicine use with conventional medicine. PMID:27707901

Design of Synchrotron Light Source in Taiwan

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

Kuo, C. C.; Chang, H. P.; Chou, P. J.

2007-01-19

An intermediate energy synchrotron light source has been proposed. The goal is to construct a high performance light source in complementary to the existing 1.5 GeV synchrotron ring in Taiwan to boost the research capabilities. A 3 GeV machine with 518.4 m and 24-cell DBA lattice structure is considered and other options are also investigated. We report the 24-cell design considerations and its performances.

Two-Dimensional Nanoporous Networks Formed by Liquid-to-Solid Transfer of Hydrogen-Bonded Macrocycles Built from DNA Bases.

PubMed

Bilbao, Nerea; Destoop, Iris; De Feyter, Steven; González-Rodríguez, David

2016-01-11

We present an approach that makes use of DNA base pairing to produce hydrogen-bonded macrocycles whose supramolecular structure can be transferred from solution to a solid substrate. A hierarchical assembly process ultimately leads to two-dimensional nanostructured porous networks that are able to host size-complementary guests. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of fast parallel multi-technique scanning X-ray imaging at Synchrotron Soleil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medjoubi, K.; Leclercq, N.; Langlois, F.; Buteau, A.; Lé, S.; Poirier, S.; Mercère, P.; Kewish, C. M.; Somogyi, A.

2013-10-01

A fast multimodal scanning X-ray imaging scheme is prototyped at Soleil Synchrotron. It permits the simultaneous acquisition of complementary information on the sample structure, composition and chemistry by measuring transmission, differential phase contrast, small-angle scattering, and X-ray fluorescence by dedicated detectors with ms dwell time per pixel. The results of the proof of principle experiments are presented in this paper.

Complementary fMRI and EEG evidence for more efficient neural processing of rhythmic vs. unpredictably timed sounds

PubMed Central

van Atteveldt, Nienke; Musacchia, Gabriella; Zion-Golumbic, Elana; Sehatpour, Pejman; Javitt, Daniel C.; Schroeder, Charles

2015-01-01

The brain’s fascinating ability to adapt its internal neural dynamics to the temporal structure of the sensory environment is becoming increasingly clear. It is thought to be metabolically beneficial to align ongoing oscillatory activity to the relevant inputs in a predictable stream, so that they will enter at optimal processing phases of the spontaneously occurring rhythmic excitability fluctuations. However, some contexts have a more predictable temporal structure than others. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the processing of rhythmic sounds is more efficient than the processing of irregularly timed sounds. To do this, we simultaneously measured functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electro-encephalograms (EEG) while participants detected oddball target sounds in alternating blocks of rhythmic (e.g., with equal inter-stimulus intervals) or random (e.g., with randomly varied inter-stimulus intervals) tone sequences. Behaviorally, participants detected target sounds faster and more accurately when embedded in rhythmic streams. The fMRI response in the auditory cortex was stronger during random compared to random tone sequence processing. Simultaneously recorded N1 responses showed larger peak amplitudes and longer latencies for tones in the random (vs. the rhythmic) streams. These results reveal complementary evidence for more efficient neural and perceptual processing during temporally predictable sensory contexts. PMID:26579044

Effects of Complementary DNA and Salt on the Thermoresponsiveness of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-DNA.

PubMed

Fujita, Masahiro; Hiramine, Hayato; Pan, Pengju; Hikima, Takaaki; Maeda, Mizuo

2016-02-02

The thermoresponsive structural transition of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)-b-DNA copolymers was explored. Molecular assembly of the block copolymers was facilitated by adding salt, and this assembly was not nucleated by the association between DNA strands but by the coil-globule transition of PNIPAAm blocks. Below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAAm, the copolymer solution remained transparent even at high salt concentrations, regardless of whether DNA was hybridized with its complementary partner to form a double-strand (or single-strand) structure. At the LCST, the hybridized copolymer assembled in spherical nanoparticles, surrounded by double-stranded DNA; subsequently, the non-cross-linking aggregation occurred, while the nanoparticles were dispersed if the salt concentration was low or DNA blocks were unhybridized. When the DNA duplex was denatured to a single-stranded state by heating, the aggregated nanoparticles redispersed owing to the recovery of the steric repulsion of the DNA strands. The changes in the steric and electrostatic effects by hybridization and the addition of salt did not result in any specific attraction between DNA strands but merely decreased the repulsive interactions. The van der Waals attraction between the nanoparticles overcame such repulsive interactions so that the non-cross-linking aggregation of the micellar particles was mediated.

Biochemical interpretation of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) for biodegradation of N-heterocycles: a complementary approach to predict biodegradability.

PubMed

Philipp, Bodo; Hoff, Malte; Germa, Florence; Schink, Bernhard; Beimborn, Dieter; Mersch-Sundermann, Volker

2007-02-15

Prediction of the biodegradability of organic compounds is an ecologically desirable and economically feasible tool for estimating the environmental fate of chemicals. We combined quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) with the systematic collection of biochemical knowledge to establish rules for the prediction of aerobic biodegradation of N-heterocycles. Validated biodegradation data of 194 N-heterocyclic compounds were analyzed using the MULTICASE-method which delivered two QSAR models based on 17 activating (OSAR 1) and on 16 inactivating molecular fragments (GSAR 2), which were statistically significantly linked to efficient or poor biodegradability, respectively. The percentages of correct classifications were over 99% for both models, and cross-validation resulted in 67.9% (GSAR 1) and 70.4% (OSAR 2) correct predictions. Biochemical interpretation of the activating and inactivating characteristics of the molecular fragments delivered plausible mechanistic interpretations and enabled us to establish the following biodegradation rules: (1) Target sites for amidohydrolases and for cytochrome P450 monooxygenases enhance biodegradation of nonaromatic N-heterocycles. (2) Target sites for molybdenum hydroxylases enhance biodegradation of aromatic N-heterocycles. (3) Target sites for hydratation by an urocanase-like mechanism enhance biodegradation of imidazoles. Our complementary approach represents a feasible strategy for generating concrete rules for the prediction of biodegradability of organic compounds.

Commonalities in the central nervous system's involvement with complementary medical therapies: limbic morphinergic processes.

PubMed

Esch, Tobias; Guarna, Massimo; Bianchi, Enrica; Zhu, Wei; Stefano, George B

2004-06-01

Currently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are experiencing growing popularity, especially in former industrialized countries. However, most of the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms as well as participating biological structures are still speculative. Specific and non-specific effects may play a role in CAM. Moreover, trust, belief, and expectation may be of importance, pointing towards common central nervous system (CNS) pathways involved in CAM. Four CAM approaches (acupuncture, meditation, music therapy, and massage therapy) were examined with regard to the CNS activity pattern involved. CNS commonalities between different approaches were investigated. Frontal/prefrontal and limbic brain structures play a role in CAM. Particularly, left-anterior regions of the brain and reward or motivation circuitry constituents are involved, indicating positive affect and emotion-related memory processing--accompanied by endocrinologic and autonomic functions--as crucial components of CAM effects. Thus, trust and belief in a therapist or positive therapy expectations seem to be important. However, besides common non-specific or subjective effects, specific (objective) physiological components also exist. Non-specific CNS commonalities are involved in various CAM therapies. Different therapeutic approaches physiologically overlap in the brain. However, molecular correspondents of the detected CNS analogies still have to be specified. In particular, fast acting autoregulatory signaling molecules presumably play a role. These may also be involved in the placebo response.

X-ray-structure of a cytidylyl-3',5'-adenosine-proflavine complex: a self-paired parallel-chain double helical dimer with an intercalated acridine dye.

PubMed Central

Westhof, E; Sundaralingam, M

1980-01-01

The non-self-complementary dinucleoside monophosphate cytidylyl-3',5'-adenosine (CpA) forms a base-paired parallel-chain dimer with an intercalated proflavine. The dimer complex possesses a right-handed helical twist. The dimer helix has an irregular girth with a neutral adenine-adenine (A-A) pair, hydrogen-bonded through the N6 and N7 sites (C1'...C1' separation of 10.97 A), and a triply hydrogen-bonded protonated cytosine-cytosine (C-C) pair with a proton shared between the base N3 sites (Cl'...Cl' separation of 9.59 A). The torsion angles of the sugar-phosphate backbone are within their most preferred ranges and the sugar puckering sequence (5' leads to 3') is C3'-endo, C2'-endo. There is also a second proflavine molecule sandwiched between CpA dimers on the 21-axis. Both proflavines are necessarily disordered, being on dyad axis, and this suggests possible insights into the dynamics of intercalation of planar drugs. This structure shows that intercalation of planar drugs in nucleic acids may not be restricted to antiparallel complementary Watson-Crick pairing regions and provides additional mechanisms for acridine mutagenesis. PMID:6929524

Clinical application of optical coherence tomography in combination with functional diagnostics: advantages and limitations for diagnosis and assessment of therapy outcome in central serous chorioretinopathy.

PubMed

Schliesser, Joshua A; Gallimore, Gary; Kunjukunju, Nancy; Sabates, Nelson R; Koulen, Peter; Sabates, Felix N

2014-01-01

While identifying functional and structural parameters of the retina in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) patients, this study investigated how an optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based diagnosis can be significantly supplemented with functional diagnostic tools and to what degree the determination of disease severity and therapy outcome can benefit from diagnostics complementary to OCT. CSCR patients were evaluated prospectively with microperimetry (MP) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to determine retinal sensitivity function and retinal thickness as outcome measures along with measures of visual acuity (VA). Patients received clinical care that involved focal laser photocoagulation or pharmacotherapy targeting inflammation and neovascularization. Correlation of clinical parameters with a focus on functional parameters, VA, and mean retinal sensitivity, as well as on the structural parameter mean retinal thickness, showed that functional measures were similar in diagnostic power. A moderate correlation was found between OCT data and the standard functional assessment of VA; however, a strong correlation between OCT and MP data showed that diagnostic measures cannot always be used interchangeably, but that complementary use is of higher clinical value. The study indicates that integrating SD-OCT with MP provides a more complete diagnosis with high clinical relevance for complex, difficult to quantify diseases such as CSCR.

Three-Dimensional Flexible Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Logic Circuits Based On Two-Layer Stacks of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Networks.

PubMed

Zhao, Yudan; Li, Qunqing; Xiao, Xiaoyang; Li, Guanhong; Jin, Yuanhao; Jiang, Kaili; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

2016-02-23

We have proposed and fabricated stable and repeatable, flexible, single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin film transistor (TFT) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits based on a three-dimensional (3D) structure. Two layers of SWCNT-TFT devices were stacked, where one layer served as n-type devices and the other one served as p-type devices. On the basis of this method, it is able to save at least half of the area required to construct an inverter and make large-scale and high-density integrated CMOS circuits easier to design and manufacture. The 3D flexible CMOS inverter gain can be as high as 40, and the total noise margin is more than 95%. Moreover, the input and output voltage of the inverter are exactly matched for cascading. 3D flexible CMOS NOR, NAND logic gates, and 15-stage ring oscillators were fabricated on PI substrates with high performance as well. Stable electrical properties of these circuits can be obtained with bending radii as small as 3.16 mm, which shows that such a 3D structure is a reliable architecture and suitable for carbon nanotube electrical applications in complex flexible and wearable electronic devices.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in head and neck cancer patients.

PubMed

Lim, C M; Ng, A; Loh, K S

2010-05-01

To determine the prevalence and profile of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine, within a cohort of head and neck cancer patients. Cross-sectional survey. Ninety-three consecutive head and neck cancer patients being followed up at the department of otolaryngology head and neck surgery were surveyed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use was 67.8 per cent. Patients who used complementary and alternative medicine were more likely to be female, better educated and younger, compared with non-users. A total of 82.5 per cent (52/63) perceived complementary and alternative medicine to be effective, even though they were aware of the lack of research and endorsement by their physician regarding such medicine. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by head and neck cancer patients is common, regardless of efficacy or cost. Clinicians should routinely ask patients about their use of complementary and alternative medicine, to facilitate communication and enable appropriate use of such medicine.

Enterocin C, a class IIb bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis C901, a strain isolated from human colostrum.

PubMed

Maldonado-Barragán, Antonio; Caballero-Guerrero, Belén; Jiménez, Esther; Jiménez-Díaz, Rufino; Ruiz-Barba, José L; Rodríguez, Juan M

2009-07-31

Enterocin C (EntC), a class IIb bacteriocin was purified from culture supernatants of Enterococcus faecalis C901, a strain isolated from human colostrum. Enterocin C consists of two distinct peptides, named EntC1 and EntC2, whose complementary action is required for full antimicrobial activity. The structural genes entC1 and entC2 encoding enterocins EntC1 and EntC2, respectively, and that encoding the putative immunity protein (EntCI) are located in the 9-kb plasmid pEntC, harboured by E. faecalis C901. The N-terminal sequence of both antimicrobial peptides revealed that EntC1 (4284 Da) is identical to Ent1071A, one of the two peptides that form enterocin 1071 (Ent1071), a bacteriocin produced by E. faecalis BFE 1071. In contrast, EntC2 (3867 Da) presents the non-polar alanine residue at position 17 (Ala(17)) instead of the polar threonine residue (Thr(17)) in Ent1071B, the second peptide constituting Ent1071. In spite of peptide similarities, EntC differs from Ent1071 in major aspects, including the complementary activity among its constitutive peptides and its wider inhibitory spectrum of activity. Different amphiphilic alpha-helical conformations between EntC2 and Ent1071B could explain both, acquired complementary activity and increased antimicrobial spectrum.

Electrochemical biosensor for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA detection based on gold nanotubes array electrode platform.

PubMed

Torati, Sri Ramulu; Reddy, Venu; Yoon, Seok Soo; Kim, CheolGi

2016-04-15

The template assisted electrochemical deposition technique was used for the synthesis of gold nanotubes array (AuNTsA). The morphological structure of the synthesized AuNTsA was observed by scanning electron microscopy and found that the individual nanotubes are around 1.5 μm in length with a diameter of 200 nm. Nanotubes are vertically aligned to the Au thick film, which is formed during the synthesis process of nanotubes. The electrochemical performance of the AuNTsA was compared with the bare Au electrode and found that AuNTsA has better electron transfer surface than bare Au electrode which is due to the high surface area. Hence, the AuNTsA was used as an electrode for the fabrication of DNA hybridization biosensor for detection of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA. The DNA hybridization biosensor constructed by AuNTsA electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry technique with Fe(CN)6(3-/4-) as an electrochemical redox indicator. The selectivity of the fabricated biosensor was illustrated by hybridization with complementary DNA and non-complementary DNA with probe DNA immobilized AuNTsA electrode using methylene blue as a hybridization indicator. The developed electrochemical DNA biosensor shows good linear range of complementary DNA concentration from 0.01 ng/μL to 100 ng/μL with high detection limit. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigating the potential of multiwalled carbon nanotubes based zinc nanocomposite as a recognition interface towards plant pathogen detection.

PubMed

Tahir, Muhammad Ali; Hameed, Sadaf; Munawar, Anam; Amin, Imran; Mansoor, Shahid; Khan, Waheed S; Bajwa, Sadia Zafar

2017-11-01

The emergence of nanotechnology has opened new horizons for constructing efficient recognition interfaces. This is the first report where the potential of a multiwalled carbon nanotube based zinc nanocomposite (MWCNTs-Zn NPs) investigated for the detection of an agricultural pathogen i.e. Chili leaf curl betasatellite (ChLCB). Atomic force microscope analyses revealed the presence of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) having a diameter of 50-100nm with zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs) of 25-500nm. In this system, these bunches of Zn-NPs anchored along the whole lengths of MWCNTs were used for the immobilization of probe DNA strands. The electrochemical performance of DNA biosensor was assessed in the absence and presence of the complementary DNA during cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry scans. Target binding events occurring on the interface surface patterned with single-stranded DNA was quantitatively translated into electrochemical signals due to hybridization process. In the presence of complementary target DNA, as the result of duplex formation, there was a decrease in the peak current from 1.89×10 -04 to 5.84×10 -05 A. The specificity of this electrochemical DNA biosensor was found to be three times as compared to non-complementary DNA. This material structuring technique can be extended to design interfaces for the recognition of the other plant viruses and biomolecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complementary medicine.

PubMed Central

Spiegel, D; Stroud, P; Fyfe, A

1998-01-01

The widespread use of complementary and alternative medicine techniques, often explored by patients without discussion with their primary care physician, is seen as a request from patients for care as well as cure. In this article, we discuss the reasons for the growth of and interest in complementary and alternative medicine in an era of rapidly advancing medical technology. There is, for instance, evidence of the efficacy of supportive techniques such as group psychotherapy in improving adjustment and increasing survival time of cancer patients. We describe current and developing complementary medicine programs as well as opportunities for integration of some complementary techniques into standard medical care. PMID:9584661

Plane-wave scattering by self-complementary metasurfaces in terms of electromagnetic duality and Babinet's principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Yosuke; Urade, Yoshiro; Nakanishi, Toshihiro; Kitano, Masao

2013-11-01

We investigate theoretically electromagnetic plane-wave scattering by self-complementary metasurfaces. By using Babinet's principle extended to metasurfaces with resistive elements, we show that the frequency-independent transmission and reflection are realized for normal incidence of a circularly polarized plane wave onto a self-complementary metasurface, even if there is diffraction. Next, we consider two special classes of self-complementary metasurfaces. We show that self-complementary metasurfaces with rotational symmetry can act as coherent perfect absorbers, and those with translational symmetry compatible with their self-complementarity can split the incident power equally, even for oblique incidences.

Automated Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) LC/NMR Applied to the Structural Analysis of Extractable Compounds from a Pharmaceutical Packaging Material of Construction.

PubMed

Norwood, Daniel L; Mullis, James O; Davis, Mark; Pennino, Scott; Egert, Thomas; Gonnella, Nina C

2013-01-01

The structural analysis (i.e., identification) of organic chemical entities leached into drug product formulations has traditionally been accomplished with techniques involving the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. These include gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for volatile and semi-volatile compounds, and various forms of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS or HPLC/MS) for semi-volatile and relatively non-volatile compounds. GC/MS and LC/MS techniques are complementary for structural analysis of leachables and potentially leachable organic compounds produced via laboratory extraction of pharmaceutical container closure/delivery system components and corresponding materials of construction. Both hyphenated analytical techniques possess the separating capability, compound specific detection attributes, and sensitivity required to effectively analyze complex mixtures of trace level organic compounds. However, hyphenated techniques based on mass spectrometry are limited by the inability to determine complete bond connectivity, the inability to distinguish between many types of structural isomers, and the inability to unambiguously determine aromatic substitution patterns. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) does not have these limitations; hence it can serve as a complement to mass spectrometry. However, NMR technology is inherently insensitive and its ability to interface with chromatography has been historically challenging. This article describes the application of NMR coupled with liquid chromatography and automated solid phase extraction (SPE-LC/NMR) to the structural analysis of extractable organic compounds from a pharmaceutical packaging material of construction. The SPE-LC/NMR technology combined with micro-cryoprobe technology afforded the sensitivity and sample mass required for full structure elucidation. Optimization of the SPE-LC/NMR analytical method was achieved using a series of model compounds representing the chemical diversity of extractables. This study demonstrates the complementary nature of SPE-LC/NMR with LC/MS for this particular pharmaceutical application. The identification of impurities leached into drugs from the components and materials associated with pharmaceutical containers, packaging components, and materials has historically been done using laboratory techniques based on the combination of chromatography with mass spectrometry. Such analytical techniques are widely recognized as having the selectivity and sensitivity required to separate the complex mixtures of impurities often encountered in such identification studies, including both the identification of leachable impurities as well as potential leachable impurities produced by laboratory extraction of packaging components and materials. However, while mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques have limitations for this application, newer analytical techniques based on the combination of chromatography with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provide an added dimension of structural definition. This article describes the development, optimization, and application of an analytical technique based on the combination of chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to the identification of potential leachable impurities from a pharmaceutical packaging material. The complementary nature of the analytical techniques for this particular pharmaceutical application is demonstrated.

Beyond the EPR: Complementary roles of the hospital-wide electronic health record and clinical departmental systems

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Many hospital departments have implemented small clinical departmental systems (CDSs) to collect and use patient data for documentation as well as for other department-specific purposes. As hospitals are implementing institution-wide electronic patient records (EPRs), the EPR is thought to be integrated with, and gradually substitute the smaller systems. Many EPR systems however fail to support important clinical workflows. Also, successful integration of systems has proven hard to achieve. As a result, CDSs are still in widespread use. This study was conducted to see which tasks are supported by CDSs and to compare this to the support offered by the EPR. Methods Semi-structured interviews with users of 16 clinicians using 15 different clinical departmental systems (CDS) at a Medium-sized University hospital in Norway. Inductive analysis of transcriptions from the audio taped interviews. Results The roles of CDSs were complementary to those of the hospital-wide EPR system. The use of structured patient data was a characteristic feature. This facilitated quality development and supervision, tasks that were poorly supported by the EPR system. The structuring of the data also improved filtering of information to better support clinical decision-making. Because of the high value of the structured patient data, the users put much effort in maintaining their integrity and representativeness. Employees from the departments were also engaged in the funding, development, implementation and maintenance of the systems. Conclusion Clinical departmental systems are vital to the activities of a clinical hospital department. The development, implementation and clinical use of such systems can be seen as bottom-up, user-driven innovations. PMID:19523198

Complementary and Integrative Medicine

MedlinePlus

... medical treatments that are not part of mainstream medicine. When you are using these types of care, it may be called complementary, integrative, or alternative medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with mainstream medical ...

A review of nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and ability to communicate the risks and benefits of complementary and alternative medicine.

PubMed

Chang, Hsiao-Yun; Chang, Huai-Lu

2015-06-01

This study reviewed existing literature to investigate how frequently nurses include complementary and alternative forms of medicine in their clinical practice. In so doing, we investigated nurses' knowledge of and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine as well as their ability to communicate the risks and benefits of these therapies with patients. Little information is available concerning nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine or how they incorporate these therapies into their practice. In addition, little is known about the ability of nurses to communicate the risks and benefits of complementary and alternative medicine to their patients. This study used a scoping review method to map and synthesise existing literature. Both electronic and manual searches were used to identify relevant studies published between January 2007 and January 2014. The review was conducted in five stages: (1) identification of research question(s), (2) locate studies, (3) selection of studies, (4) charting of data, and (5) collating, summarising, and reporting of results. Fifteen papers met the inclusion criteria for this review, among which 53·7% referenced how frequently nurses include complementary and alternative medicine in their practice. We found that 66·4% of nurses had positive attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine; however, 77·4% did not possess a comprehensive understanding of the associated risks and benefits. In addition, nearly half of the respondents (47·3-67·7%) reported feeling uncomfortable discussing complementary and alternative medicine therapies with their patients. The lack of knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine among nurses is a cause for concern, particularly in light of its widespread application. Findings from this study suggest that health care professionals need to promote evidence informed decision-making in complementary and alternative medicine practice and be knowledgeable enough to discuss complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Without involvement of complementary and alternative medicine communication on the part of our profession, we may put our patients at risk of uninformed and without medical guidance. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrative Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Therapies

MedlinePlus

... and tai chi. Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Team Use the following questions as a guide to discuss complementary therapies with your healthcare team: Are there complementary therapies that you would recommend? ...

Effect of C(60) fullerene on the duplex formation of i-motif DNA with complementary DNA in solution.

PubMed

Jin, Kyeong Sik; Shin, Su Ryon; Ahn, Byungcheol; Jin, Sangwoo; Rho, Yecheol; Kim, Heesoo; Kim, Seon Jeong; Ree, Moonhor

2010-04-15

The structural effects of fullerene on i-motif DNA were investigated by characterizing the structures of fullerene-free and fullerene-bound i-motif DNA, in the presence of cDNA and in solutions of varying pH, using circular dichroism and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. To facilitate a direct structural comparison between the i-motif and duplex structures in response to pH stimulus, we developed atomic scale structural models for the duplex and i-motif DNA structures, and for the C(60)/i-motif DNA hybrid associated with the cDNA strand, assuming that the DNA strands are present in an ideal right-handed helical conformation. We found that fullerene shifted the pH-induced conformational transition between the i-motif and the duplex structure, possibly due to the hydrophobic interactions between the terminal fullerenes and between the terminal fullerenes and an internal TAA loop in the DNA strand. The hybrid structure showed a dramatic reduction in cyclic hysteresis.

Rclick: a web server for comparison of RNA 3D structures.

PubMed

Nguyen, Minh N; Verma, Chandra

2015-03-15

RNA molecules play important roles in key biological processes in the cell and are becoming attractive for developing therapeutic applications. Since the function of RNA depends on its structure and dynamics, comparing and classifying the RNA 3D structures is of crucial importance to molecular biology. In this study, we have developed Rclick, a web server that is capable of superimposing RNA 3D structures by using clique matching and 3D least-squares fitting. Our server Rclick has been benchmarked and compared with other popular servers and methods for RNA structural alignments. In most cases, Rclick alignments were better in terms of structure overlap. Our server also recognizes conformational changes between structures. For this purpose, the server produces complementary alignments to maximize the extent of detectable similarity. Various examples showcase the utility of our web server for comparison of RNA, RNA-protein complexes and RNA-ligand structures. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Deducing 2D crystal structure at the liquid/solid interface with atomic resolution: a combined STM and SFG study.

PubMed

McClelland, Arthur A; Ahn, Seokhoon; Matzger, Adam J; Chen, Zhan

2009-11-17

Sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG) has been applied to study two-dimensional (2D) crystals formed by an isophthalic acid diester on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, providing complementary measurements to scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and computational modeling. SFG results indicate that both aromatic and C=O groups in the 2D crystal tilt from the surface. This study demonstrates that a combination of SFG and STM techniques can be used to gain a more complete picture of 2D crystal structure, and it is necessary to consider solvent-2D crystal interactions and dynamics in the computer models to achieve an accurate representation of interfacial structure.

Minimal entropy approximation for cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukś, Henryk

2014-02-01

We present a method for the construction of approximate orbits of measures under the action of cellular automata which is complementary to the local structure theory. The local structure theory is based on the idea of Bayesian extension, that is, construction of a probability measure consistent with given block probabilities and maximizing entropy. If instead of maximizing entropy one minimizes it, one can develop another method for the construction of approximate orbits, at the heart of which is the iteration of finite-dimensional maps, called minimal entropy maps. We present numerical evidence that the minimal entropy approximation sometimes outperforms the local structure theory in characterizing the properties of cellular automata. The density response curve for elementary CA rule 26 is used to illustrate this claim.

Chromophoric Nucleoside Analogues: Synthesis and Characterization of 6-Aminouracil-Based Nucleodyes.

PubMed

Freeman, Noam S; Moore, Curtis E; Wilhelmsson, L Marcus; Tor, Yitzhak

2016-06-03

Nucleodyes, visibly colored chromophoric nucleoside analogues, are reported. Design criteria are outlined and the syntheses of cytidine and uridine azo dye analogues derived from 6-aminouracil are described. Structural analysis shows that the nucleodyes are sound structural analogues of their native nucleoside counterparts, and photophysical studies demonstrate that the nucleodyes are sensitive to microenvironmental changes. Quantum chemical calculations are presented as a valuable complementary tool for the design of strongly absorbing nucleodyes, which overlap with the emission of known fluorophores. Förster critical distance (R0) calculations determine that the nucleodyes make good FRET pairs with both 2-aminopurine (2AP) and pyrrolocytosine (PyC). Additionally, unique tautomerization features exhibited by 5-(4-nitrophenylazo)-6-oxocytidine (8) are visualized by an extraordinary crystal structure.

Complementary Feeding Knowledge, Practices, and Dietary Diversity among Mothers of Under-Five Children in an Urban Community in Lagos State, Nigeria

PubMed Central

Olatona, Foluke Adenike; Adenihun, Jesupelumi Oreoluwa; Aderibigbe, Sunday Adedeji; Adeniyi, Oluwafunmilayo Funke

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: Inappropriate complementary feeding is a major cause of child malnutrition and death. This study determined the complementary feeding knowledge, practices, minimum dietary diversity, and acceptable diet among mothers of under-five children in an urban Local Government Area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Eti-Osa area of Lagos State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 355 mothers and infants. Data was collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire and 24-hour diet recall was used to assess dietary diversity. Data was analyzed using Epi-Info. Results: Knowledge of complementary feeding was low (14.9%) and was associated with older mothers’ age, being married, and higher level of education. The prevalence of timely initiation of complementary feeding (47.9%), dietary diversity (16.0%) and minimum acceptable diet for children between 6 and 9 months (16%) were low. Overall, appropriate complementary feeding practice was low (47.0%) and associated with higher level of mothers’ education and occupation. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: Complementary feeding knowledge and practices were poor among mothers of under-5 especially the non-literate. Reduction of child malnutrition through appropriate complementary feeding remains an important global health goal. Complementary feeding education targeting behavioral change especially among young, single and uneducated mothers in developing countries is important to reduce child morbidity and mortality. PMID:28798893

Complementary-encoding holographic associative memory using a photorefractive crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, ShiFu; Wu, Minxian; Yan, Yingbai; Jin, Guofan

1996-06-01

We present a holographic implementation of accurate associative memory with only one holographic memory system. In the implementation, the stored and test images are coded by using complementary-encoding method. The recalled complete image is also a coded image that can be decoded with a decoding mask to get an original image or its complement image. The experiment shows that the complementary encoding can efficiently increase the addressing accuracy in a simple way. Instead of the above complementary-encoding method, a scheme that uses complementary area-encoding method is also proposed for the holographic implementation of gray-level image associative memory with accurate addressing.

Complementary approaches to palliative oncological care.

PubMed

Zappa, Simone B; Cassileth, Barrie R

2003-01-01

The popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased tremendously in recent years. Thus, it is imperative to distinguish between alternative therapies that can be dangerous and complementary therapies that are primarily palliative and augment conventional treatment. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Integrative Medicine Service offers complementary therapies to patients in an attempt to improve quality of life and provide symptom management. In addition to clinical services, it also provides education to health care professionals and the public and performs clinical and laboratory research on complementary modalities and the antitumor properties of botanicals. If CAM is to be accepted by mainstream medicine, research must be done usingstandard research methodologies.

Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine

MedlinePlus

... Information. Outreach. The Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) was established in October 1998 to coordinate ... Institute (NCI) in the arena of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). More about us. CAM at the NCI ...

Cross-Linking and Mass Spectrometry Methodologies to Facilitate Structural Biology: Finding a Path through the Maze

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

Merkley, Eric D.; Cort, John R.; Adkins, Joshua N.

2013-09-01

Multiprotein complexes, rather than individual proteins, make up a large part of the biological macromolecular machinery of a cell. Understanding the structure and organization of these complexes is critical to understanding cellular function. Chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry is emerging as a complementary technique to traditional structural biology methods and can provide low-resolution structural information for a multitude of purposes, such as distance constraints in computational modeling of protein complexes. In this review, we discuss the experimental considerations for successful application of chemical cross-linking-mass spectrometry in biological studies and highlight three examples of such studies from the recent literature.more » These examples (as well as many others) illustrate the utility of a chemical cross-linking-mass spectrometry approach in facilitating structural analysis of large and challenging complexes.« less

Synthesis and structural characterization of some trisulfide analoges of thiouracil-based antithyroid drugs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhabak, Krishna P.; Bhowmick, Debasish

2012-08-01

Thiourea-based antithyroid drugs are effectively used for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of new trisulfides (11-12) from the commonly used thiourea-based antithyroid drugs such as 6-n-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) and 6-methyl-2-thiouracil (MTU) in the reaction with I2/KI system. Structural analysis by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed the stabilization of trisulfides by a lactam-lactim tautomerism facilitating effective intramolecular as well as intermolecular non-covalent interactions. Although the structures of both trisulfides were found to be quite similar, a notable difference in the intermolecular interactions was observed between compounds 11 and 12 leading to different structural patterns. Structural stabilization of these trisulfides by tautomerism followed by intramolecular as well as intermolecular H-bonds makes these molecules as perfect examples in molecular recognition with self-complementary donor and acceptor units within a single molecule.

Introduction to the computational structural mechanics testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lotts, C. G.; Greene, W. H.; Mccleary, S. L.; Knight, N. F., Jr.; Paulson, S. S.; Gillian, R. E.

1987-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) testbed software system based on the SPAR finite element code and the NICE system is described. This software is denoted NICE/SPAR. NICE was developed at Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory and contains data management utilities, a command language interpreter, and a command language definition for integrating engineering computational modules. SPAR is a system of programs used for finite element structural analysis developed for NASA by Lockheed and Engineering Information Systems, Inc. It includes many complementary structural analysis, thermal analysis, utility functions which communicate through a common database. The work on NICE/SPAR was motivated by requirements for a highly modular and flexible structural analysis system to use as a tool in carrying out research in computational methods and exploring computer hardware. Analysis examples are presented which demonstrate the benefits gained from a combination of the NICE command language with a SPAR computational modules.

Structural Vulnerability and Health: Latino Migrant Laborers in the United States

PubMed Central

Quesada, James; Hart, Laurie K.; Bourgois, Philippe

2011-01-01

Latino immigrants in the United States constitute a paradigmatic case of a population group subject to structural violence. Their subordinated location in the global economy and their culturally depreciated status in the United States are exacerbated by legal persecution. Medical Anthropology Volume 30, issues 4 and 5, include a series of ethnographic analyses of the processes that render undocumented Latino immigrants structurally vulnerable to ill-health. We hope to extend the social science concept of ‘structural vulnerability’ to make it a useful tool for health care. Defined as a positionality that imposes physical/emotional suffering on specific population groups and individuals in patterned ways, structural vulnerability is a product of two complementary forces: (1) class-based economic exploitation and cultural, gender/sexual, and racialized discrimination; and (2) processes of symbolic violence and subjectivity formation that have increasingly legitimized punitive neoliberal discourses of individual unworthiness. PMID:21777121

Manual for the prediction of blast and fragment loadings on structures

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

Not Available

1980-11-01

The purpose of this manual is to provide Architect-Engineer (AE) firms guidance for the prediction of air blast, ground shock and fragment loadings on structures as a result of accidental explosions in or near these structures. Information in this manual is the result of an extensive literature survey and data gathering effort, supplemented by some original analytical studies on various aspects of blast phenomena. Many prediction equations and graphs are presented, accompanied by numerous example problems illustrating their use. The manual is complementary to existing structural design manuals and is intended to reflect the current state-of-the-art in prediction of blastmore » and fragment loads for accidental explosions of high explosives at the Pantex Plant. In some instances, particularly for explosions within blast-resistant structures of complex geometry, rational estimation of these loads is beyond the current state-of-the-art.« less

A new species of Piaroa (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) from Venezuela, with taxonomic notes on the genus.

PubMed

M, Osvaldo Villarreal; De Armas, Luis F; García, Luis Fernando

2014-02-19

A new species belonging to the schizomid genus Piaroa Villarreal, Giupponi and Tourinho, 2008 is described from north-western Venezuela. A complementary description of Piaroa guipongai Villarreal and Garcia, 2012 is provided including SEM pictures of relevant structures of both sexes. A key for males of Piaroa and Colombiazomus Armas and Delgado-Santa, 2012 is included. The presence of Dm3 setae on Hubbardiidae is discussed.

Study of marbles from Middle Atlas (Morocco): elemental, mineralogical and structural analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrissi, S.; Bejjit, L.; Haddad, M.; Falguères, C.; Ait Lyazidi, S.; El Amraoui, M.

2018-05-01

A series of marbles sampled from the region of Middle Atlas (Morocco), are characterized by different complementary spectroscopic techniques. X-Ray fluorescence is used to determine elemental composition of rock while X-Ray diffraction and the Raman spectroscopy are used to determine major crystalline phases (calcite and dolomite) and minor ones (quartz).The samples display typical EPR spectra of Mn2+ in calcite and reveal the presence of Fe3+ ions.

Recognition-Mediated Assembly of Quantum Dot Polymer Conjugates with Controlled Morphology

PubMed Central

Nandwana, Vikas; Subramani, Chandramouleeswaran; Eymur, Serkan; Yeh, Yi-Cheun; Tonga, Gulen Yesilbag; Tonga, Murat; Jeong, Youngdo; Yang, Boqian; Barnes, Michael D.; Cooke, Graeme; Rotello, Vincent M.

2011-01-01

We have demonstrated a polymer mediated “bricks and mortar” method for the self-assembly of quantum dots (QDs). This strategy allows QDs to self-assemble into structured aggregates using complementary three-point hydrogen bonding. The resulting nanocomposites have distinct morphologies and inter-particle distances based on the ratio between QDs and polymer. Time resolved photoluminescence measurements showed that the optical properties of the QDs were retained after self-assembly. PMID:22016664

Design of a candidate flutter suppression control law for DAST ARW-2. [Drones for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing Aeroelastic Research Wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, W. M., Jr.; Tiffany, S. H.

1983-01-01

A control law is developed to suppress symmetric flutter for a mathematical model of an aeroelastic research vehicle. An implementable control law is attained by including modified LQG (linear quadratic Gaussian) design techniques, controller order reduction, and gain scheduling. An alternate (complementary) design approach is illustrated for one flight condition wherein nongradient-based constrained optimization techniques are applied to maximize controller robustness.

Inelastic and Dynamic Fracture and Stress Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atluri, S. N.

1984-01-01

Large deformation inelastic stress analysis and inelastic and dynamic crack propagation research work is summarized. The salient topics of interest in engine structure analysis that are discussed herein include: (1) a path-independent integral (T) in inelastic fracture mechanics, (2) analysis of dynamic crack propagation, (3) generalization of constitutive relations of inelasticity for finite deformations , (4) complementary energy approaches in inelastic analyses, and (5) objectivity of time integration schemes in inelastic stress analysis.

The mirror neuron system is more active during complementary compared with imitative action.

PubMed

Newman-Norlund, Roger D; van Schie, Hein T; van Zuijlen, Alexander M J; Bekkering, Harold

2007-07-01

We assessed the role of the human mirror neuron system (MNS) in complementary actions using functional magnetic resonance imaging while participants prepared to execute imitative or complementary actions. The BOLD signal in the right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal lobes was greater during preparation of complementary than during imitative actions, suggesting that the MNS may be essential in dynamically coupling action observation to action execution.

Reconfigurable Complementary Logic Circuits with Ambipolar Organic Transistors

PubMed Central

Yoo, Hocheon; Ghittorelli, Matteo; Smits, Edsger C. P.; Gelinck, Gerwin H.; Lee, Han-Koo; Torricelli, Fabrizio; Kim, Jae-Joon

2016-01-01

Ambipolar organic electronics offer great potential for simple and low-cost fabrication of complementary logic circuits on large-area and mechanically flexible substrates. Ambipolar transistors are ideal candidates for the simple and low-cost development of complementary logic circuits since they can operate as n-type and p-type transistors. Nevertheless, the experimental demonstration of ambipolar organic complementary circuits is limited to inverters. The control of the transistor polarity is crucial for proper circuit operation. Novel gating techniques enable to control the transistor polarity but result in dramatically reduced performances. Here we show high-performance non-planar ambipolar organic transistors with electrical control of the polarity and orders of magnitude higher performances with respect to state-of-art split-gate ambipolar transistors. Electrically reconfigurable complementary logic gates based on ambipolar organic transistors are experimentally demonstrated, thus opening up new opportunities for ambipolar organic complementary electronics. PMID:27762321

Reconfigurable Complementary Logic Circuits with Ambipolar Organic Transistors.

PubMed

Yoo, Hocheon; Ghittorelli, Matteo; Smits, Edsger C P; Gelinck, Gerwin H; Lee, Han-Koo; Torricelli, Fabrizio; Kim, Jae-Joon

2016-10-20

Ambipolar organic electronics offer great potential for simple and low-cost fabrication of complementary logic circuits on large-area and mechanically flexible substrates. Ambipolar transistors are ideal candidates for the simple and low-cost development of complementary logic circuits since they can operate as n-type and p-type transistors. Nevertheless, the experimental demonstration of ambipolar organic complementary circuits is limited to inverters. The control of the transistor polarity is crucial for proper circuit operation. Novel gating techniques enable to control the transistor polarity but result in dramatically reduced performances. Here we show high-performance non-planar ambipolar organic transistors with electrical control of the polarity and orders of magnitude higher performances with respect to state-of-art split-gate ambipolar transistors. Electrically reconfigurable complementary logic gates based on ambipolar organic transistors are experimentally demonstrated, thus opening up new opportunities for ambipolar organic complementary electronics.

Complementary Split-Ring Resonator-Loaded Microfluidic Ethanol Chemical Sensor.

PubMed

Salim, Ahmed; Lim, Sungjoon

2016-10-28

In this paper, a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-loaded patch is proposed as a microfluidic ethanol chemical sensor. The primary objective of this chemical sensor is to detect ethanol's concentration. First, two tightly coupled concentric CSRRs loaded on a patch are realized on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5870 substrate, and then a microfluidic channel engraved on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is integrated for ethanol chemical sensor applications. The resonant frequency of the structure before loading the microfluidic channel is 4.72 GHz. After loading the microfluidic channel, the 550 MHz shift in the resonant frequency is ascribed to the dielectric perturbation phenomenon when the ethanol concentration is varied from 0% to 100%. In order to assess the sensitivity range of our proposed sensor, various concentrations of ethanol are tested and analyzed. Our proposed sensor exhibits repeatability and successfully detects 10% ethanol as verified by the measurement set-up. It has created headway to a miniaturized, non-contact, low-cost, reliable, reusable, and easily fabricated design using extremely small liquid volumes.

Second-generation supramolecular dendrimer with a defined structure due to orthogonal binding.

PubMed

Eckelmann, Jens; Dethlefs, Christiane; Brammer, Stefan; Doğan, Ahmet; Uphoff, Andreas; Lüning, Ulrich

2012-07-02

A second-generation supramolecular dendrimer has been prepared by orthogonal multiple hydrogen bonding. In the first (inner) recognition domain, the interaction of one bis-isocyanuric acid (25) with two branching units (21) that carry complementary Hamilton receptors has been exploited. In the second (outer) generation, the two ADDA (A=hydrogen-bond acceptor, D=donor) receptors of each branching unit (21) have bound complementary DAAD units (4). The problem of limited solubility of the building blocks has been overcome by the introduction of branched ethylhexyl residues and by the use of flexible alkylene or oligo(ethylene glycol) linking chains. The orthogonal binding of the two hydrogen-bonding pairs was elucidated by chemical induced shift NMR titrations, which proved that the two pairs, isocyanuric acid with the Hamilton receptor and ADDA with DAAD, bind preferentially. The formation of the supramolecular self-assembled 1:2:4 dendrimer with a molecular weight of 5065 g mol(-1) was investigated by diffusion NMR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

8.4% efficient fullerene-free organic solar cells exploiting long-range exciton energy transfer.

PubMed

Cnops, Kjell; Rand, Barry P; Cheyns, David; Verreet, Bregt; Empl, Max A; Heremans, Paul

2014-03-07

In order to increase the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells, their absorption spectrum should be broadened while maintaining efficient exciton harvesting. This requires the use of multiple complementary absorbers, usually incorporated in tandem cells or in cascaded exciton-dissociating heterojunctions. Here we present a simple three-layer architecture comprising two non-fullerene acceptors and a donor, in which an energy-relay cascade enables an efficient two-step exciton dissociation process. Excitons generated in the remote wide-bandgap acceptor are transferred by long-range Förster energy transfer to the smaller-bandgap acceptor, and subsequently dissociate at the donor interface. The photocurrent originates from all three complementary absorbing materials, resulting in a quantum efficiency above 75% between 400 and 720 nm. With an open-circuit voltage close to 1 V, this leads to a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 8.4%. These results confirm that multilayer cascade structures are a promising alternative to conventional donor-fullerene organic solar cells.

Atomic characterization of Si nanoclusters embedded in SiO2 by atom probe tomography

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Silicon nanoclusters are of prime interest for new generation of optoelectronic and microelectronics components. Physical properties (light emission, carrier storage...) of systems using such nanoclusters are strongly dependent on nanostructural characteristics. These characteristics (size, composition, distribution, and interface nature) are until now obtained using conventional high-resolution analytic methods, such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, EFTEM, or EELS. In this article, a complementary technique, the atom probe tomography, was used for studying a multilayer (ML) system containing silicon clusters. Such a technique and its analysis give information on the structure at the atomic level and allow obtaining complementary information with respect to other techniques. A description of the different steps for such analysis: sample preparation, atom probe analysis, and data treatment are detailed. An atomic scale description of the Si nanoclusters/SiO2 ML will be fully described. This system is composed of 3.8-nm-thick SiO layers and 4-nm-thick SiO2 layers annealed 1 h at 900°C. PMID:21711666

Hypertensive patients' preferences for complementary and alternative medicine and the influence of these preferences on the adherence to prescribed medication.

PubMed

Lee, Khuan; Mokhtar, Halimatun Halaliah; Krauss, Steven Eric; Ong, Beng Kok

2014-05-01

This study aimed to understand hypertensive patients' perceptions of and adherence to prescribed medication. A qualitative research study based on 23 purposely selected participants from a community health clinic in Malaysia. The participants underwent in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis method. The participants were presented with six types of perceptions of medication. The majority of the participants had negative perceptions of Western medicine (WM), self-adjusted their prescribed medication with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and concealed their self-adjusting habits from their doctors. Participants who thought positively of WM took their prescribed medication regularly. Most of the participants perceived the nature of WM as not being curative because of its side effects. Patients have the right to choose their preferred medication when they understand their illness. Local health care systems should provide patients with alternative health services that suit their requests. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and classification of an operational definition of complementary and alternative medicine for the Cochrane Collaboration

PubMed Central

Wieland, L. Susan; Manheimer, Eric; Berman, Brian M.

2011-01-01

Over the past decade the Cochrane Collaboration has been an increasingly important source of information on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. From 2007 to 2008 the Cochrane CAM Field developed a topics list that allowed us to categorize all 396 Cochrane reviews related to CAM (as of The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2009). This topics list is an advance in making Cochrane reviews on CAM topics accessible to the public. In this paper, we discuss challenges in developing the topics list, including developing an operational definition of CAM, deciding which reviews should be included within the CAM Field’s scope, developing the structured list of CAM Field-specific topics, and determining where in the topics list the reviews should be placed. Although aspects of our operational definition of CAM are open to revision, a standardized definition provides us with an objective, reproducible and systematic method for defining and classifying CAM therapies. PMID:21717826

Recognition-mediated activation of therapeutic gold nanoparticles inside living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chaekyu; Agasti, Sarit S.; Zhu, Zhengjiang; Isaacs, Lyle; Rotello, Vincent M.

2010-11-01

Supramolecular chemistry provides a versatile tool for the organization of molecular systems into functional structures and the actuation of these assemblies for applications through the reversible association between complementary components. Use of this methodology in living systems, however, represents a significant challenge owing to the chemical complexity of cellular environments and lack of selectivity of conventional supramolecular interactions. Herein, we present a host-guest system featuring diaminohexane-terminated gold nanoparticles (AuNP-NH2) and complementary cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]). In this system, threading of CB[7] on the particle surface reduces the cytotoxicity of AuNP-NH2 through sequestration of the particle in endosomes. Intracellular triggering of the therapeutic effect of AuNP-NH2 was then achieved through the administration of 1-adamantylamine (ADA), removing CB[7] from the nanoparticle surface, causing the endosomal release and concomitant in situ cytotoxicity of AuNP-NH2. This supramolecular strategy for intracellular activation provides a new tool for potential therapeutic applications.

Enhancing the far-ultraviolet sensitivity of silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor imaging arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retherford, Kurt D.; Bai, Yibin; Ryu, Kevin K.; Gregory, James A.; Welander, Paul B.; Davis, Michael W.; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Winters, Gregory S.; Suntharalingam, Vyshnavi; Beletic, James W.

2015-10-01

We report our progress toward optimizing backside-illuminated silicon P-type intrinsic N-type complementary metal oxide semiconductor devices developed by Teledyne Imaging Sensors (TIS) for far-ultraviolet (UV) planetary science applications. This project was motivated by initial measurements at Southwest Research Institute of the far-UV responsivity of backside-illuminated silicon PIN photodiode test structures, which revealed a promising QE in the 100 to 200 nm range. Our effort to advance the capabilities of thinned silicon wafers capitalizes on recent innovations in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) doping processes. Key achievements to date include the following: (1) representative silicon test wafers were fabricated by TIS, and set up for MBE processing at MIT Lincoln Laboratory; (2) preliminary far-UV detector QE simulation runs were completed to aid MBE layer design; (3) detector fabrication was completed through the pre-MBE step; and (4) initial testing of the MBE doping process was performed on monitoring wafers, with detailed quality assessments.

Giardia intestinalis and nutritional status in children participating in the complementary nutrition program, Antioquia, Colombia, May to October 2006.

PubMed

Botero-Garcés, Jorge H; García-Montoya, Gisela M; Grisales-Patiño, Dayvin; Aguirre-Acevedo, Daniel C; Alvarez-Uribe, Martha C

2009-01-01

Giardia intestinalis infection is prevalent throughout the world and widely distributed in developing countries. In general, children display serious consequences to their state of health, including slow height-weight development; therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the association between Giardia infection and the nutritional status of children who participate in the program of complementary feeding (Mejoramiento Alimentario y Nutricional de Antioquia (MANA) - Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar (ICBF)). A cross-sectional study examining the association of giardiasis with nutritional status was conducted. A total of 2035 children aged eight months to six years-old were studied. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analysis of blood and stool samples. Analysis of the results showed that 27.6% of children were infected with G. intestinalis, while 8.1% and 1.9% were mildly and significantly underweight, respectively, and 14.1% presented stunting. Giardiasis was statistically identified as a strong predictor of stunting in this study population.

Stable quantum systems in anti-de Sitter space: Causality, independence, and spectral properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchholz, Detlev; Summers, Stephen J.

2004-12-01

If a state is passive for uniformly accelerated observers in n-dimensional (n⩾2) anti-de Sitter (Ads) space-time (i.e., cannot be used by them to operate a perpetuum mobile), they will (a) register a universal value of the Unruh temperature, (b) discover a PCT symmetry, and (c) find that observables in complementary wedge-shaped regions necessarily commute with each other in this state. The stability properties of such a passive state induce a "geodesic causal structure" on AdS and concommitant locality relations. It is shown that observables in these complementary wedge-shaped regions fulfill strong additional independence conditions. In two-dimensional AdS these even suffice to enable the derivation of a nontrivial, local, covariant net indexed by bounded space-time regions. All these results are model-independent and hold in any theory which is compatible with a weak notion of space-time localization. Examples are provided of models satisfying the hypotheses of these theorems.

Complementary Split-Ring Resonator-Loaded Microfluidic Ethanol Chemical Sensor

PubMed Central

Salim, Ahmed; Lim, Sungjoon

2016-01-01

In this paper, a complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-loaded patch is proposed as a microfluidic ethanol chemical sensor. The primary objective of this chemical sensor is to detect ethanol’s concentration. First, two tightly coupled concentric CSRRs loaded on a patch are realized on a Rogers RT/Duroid 5870 substrate, and then a microfluidic channel engraved on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is integrated for ethanol chemical sensor applications. The resonant frequency of the structure before loading the microfluidic channel is 4.72 GHz. After loading the microfluidic channel, the 550 MHz shift in the resonant frequency is ascribed to the dielectric perturbation phenomenon when the ethanol concentration is varied from 0% to 100%. In order to assess the sensitivity range of our proposed sensor, various concentrations of ethanol are tested and analyzed. Our proposed sensor exhibits repeatability and successfully detects 10% ethanol as verified by the measurement set-up. It has created headway to a miniaturized, non-contact, low-cost, reliable, reusable, and easily fabricated design using extremely small liquid volumes. PMID:27801842

Detection of miRNA using a double-strand displacement biosensor with a self-complementary fluorescent reporter.

PubMed

Larkey, Nicholas E; Almlie, C Kyle; Tran, Victoria; Egan, Marianne; Burrows, Sean M

2014-02-04

Design of rapid, selective, and sensitive DNA and ribonucleic acid (RNA) biosensors capable of minimizing false positives from nuclease degradation is crucial for translational research and clinical diagnostics. We present proof-of-principle studies of an innovative micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) reporter-probe biosensor that displaces a self-complementary reporter, while target miRNA binds to the probe. The freed reporter folds into a hairpin structure to induce a decrease in the fluorescent signal. The self-complementarity of the reporter facilitates the reduction of false positives from nuclease degradation. Nanomolar limits of detection and quantitation were capable with this proof-of-principle design. Detection of miRNA occurs within 10 min and does not require any additional hybridization, labeling, or rinsing steps. The potential for medical applications of the reporter-probe biosensor is demonstrated by selective detection of a cancer regulating microRNA, Lethal-7 (Let-7a). Mechanisms for transporting the biosensor across the cell membrane will be the focus of future work.

Ultra-thin narrow-band, complementary narrow-band, and dual-band metamaterial absorbers for applications in the THz regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astorino, Maria Denise; Frezza, Fabrizio; Tedeschi, Nicola

2017-02-01

In this paper, ultra-thin narrow-band, complementary narrow-band, and dual-band metamaterial absorbers (MMAs), exploiting the same electric ring resonator configuration, are investigated at normal and oblique incidence for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, and with different physical properties in the THz regime. In the analysis of the ultra-thin narrow-band MMA, the limit of applicability of the transmission line model has been overcome with the introduction of a capacitance which considers the z component of the electric field. These absorbing structures have shown a wide angular response and a polarization-insensitive behavior due to the introduction of a conducting ground plane and to the four-fold rotational symmetry of the resonant elements around the propagation axis. We have adopted a retrieval procedure to extract the effective electromagnetic parameters of the proposed MMAs and we have compared the simulated and analytical results through the interference theory.

The European Project Semester at ISEP: the challenge of educating global engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malheiro, Benedita; Silva, Manuel; Ribeiro, Maria Cristina; Guedes, Pedro; Ferreira, Paulo

2015-05-01

Current engineering education challenges require approaches that promote scientific, technical, design and complementary skills while fostering autonomy, innovation and responsibility. The European Project Semester (EPS) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP) (EPS@ISEP) is a one semester project-based learning programme (30 European Credit Transfer Units (ECTU)) for engineering students from diverse scientific backgrounds and nationalities that intends to address these goals. The students, organised in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, are challenged to solve real multidisciplinary problems during one semester. The EPS package, although on project development (20 ECTU), includes a series of complementary seminars aimed at fostering soft, project-related and engineering transversal skills (10 ECTU). Hence, the students enrolled in this programme improve their transversal skills and learn, together and with the team of supervisors, subjects distinct from their core training. This paper presents the structure, implementation and results of the EPS@ISEP that was created in 2011 to apply the best engineering practices and promote internationalisation and engineering education innovation at ISEP.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Infertility: Cultural and Religious Influences in a Multicultural Canadian Setting

PubMed Central

Read, Suzanne C.; Carrier, Marie-Eve; Whitley, Rob; Gold, Ian; Tulandi, Togas

2014-01-01

Abstract Objectives: To explore the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for infertility in a multicultural healthcare setting and to compare Western and non-Western infertility patients' reasons for using CAM and the meanings they attribute to CAM use. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis. Settings/location: Two infertility clinics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Participants: An ethnoculturally varied sample of 32 heterosexual infertile couples. Results: CAM used included lifestyle changes (e.g., changing diet, exercise), alternative medicine (e.g., acupuncture, herbal medicines), and religious methods (e.g., prayers, religious talismans). Patients expressed three attitudes toward CAM: desperate hope, casual optimism, and amused skepticism. Participants' CAM use was consistent with cultural traditions of health and fertility: Westerners relied primarily on biomedicine and used CAM mainly for relaxation, whereas non-Westerners' CAM use was often influenced by culture-specific knowledge of health, illness and fertility. Conclusions: Understanding patients' CAM use may help clinicians provide culturally sensitive, patient-centered care. PMID:25127071

Systemic errors in quantitative polymerase chain reaction titration of self-complementary adeno-associated viral vectors and improved alternative methods.

PubMed

Fagone, Paolo; Wright, J Fraser; Nathwani, Amit C; Nienhuis, Arthur W; Davidoff, Andrew M; Gray, John T

2012-02-01

Self-complementary AAV (scAAV) vector genomes contain a covalently closed hairpin derived from a mutated inverted terminal repeat that connects the two monomer single-stranded genomes into a head-to-head or tail-to-tail dimer. We found that during quantitative PCR (qPCR) this structure inhibits the amplification of proximal amplicons and causes the systemic underreporting of copy number by as much as 10-fold. We show that cleavage of scAAV vector genomes with restriction endonuclease to liberate amplicons from the covalently closed terminal hairpin restores quantitative amplification, and we implement this procedure in a simple, modified qPCR titration method for scAAV vectors. In addition, we developed and present an AAV genome titration procedure based on gel electrophoresis that requires minimal sample processing and has low interassay variability, and as such is well suited for the rigorous quality control demands of clinical vector production facilities.

High-pressure Phase Ge nanoparticles and Si-ZnS nanocomposites: New Paradigms to Improve the Efficiency of MEG Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wippermann, Stefan; Voros, Marton; Somogyi, Balint; Gali, Adam; Rocca, Dario; Gygi, Francois; Zimanyi, Gergely; Galli, Giulia

2014-03-01

The efficiency of nanoparticle (NP) solar cells may substantially exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit by exploiting multi-exciton generation. However, (i) quantum confinement tends to increase the electronic gap and thus the MEG threshold beyond the solar spectrum and (ii) charge extraction through NP networks may be hindered by facile recombination. Using ab initio calculations we found that (i) Ge NPs with exotic core structures such as BC8 exhibit significantly lower gaps and MEG thresholds than particles with diamond cores, and an order of magnitude higher MEG rates. (ii) We also investigated Si NPs embedded in a ZnS host matrix and observed complementary charge transport networks, where electron transport occurs by hopping between NPs and hole transport through the ZnS-matrix. Such complementary pathways may substantially reduce recombination, as was indeed observed in recent experiments. We employed several levels of theory, including DFT with hybrid functionals and GW calculations.

On the thermodynamic framework of generalized coupled thermoelastic-viscoplastic-damage modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, S. M.; Saleeb, A. F.

1991-01-01

A complete potential based framework using internal state variables is put forth for the derivation of reversible and irreversible constitutive equations. In this framework, the existence of the total (integrated) form of either the (Helmholtz) free energy or the (Gibbs) complementary free energy are assumed a priori. Two options for describing the flow and evolutionary equations are described, wherein option one (the fully coupled form) is shown to be over restrictive while the second option (the decoupled form) provides significant flexibility. As a consequence of the decoupled form, a new operator, i.e., the Compliance operator, is defined which provides a link between the assumed Gibb's and complementary dissipation potential and ensures a number of desirable numerical features, for example the symmetry of the resulting consistent tangent stiffness matrix. An important conclusion reached, is that although many theories in the literature do not conform to the general potential framework outlined, it is still possible in some cases, by slight modifications of the used forms, to restore the complete potential structure.

Branchpoint expansion in a fully complementary three-way DNA junction.

PubMed

Sabir, Tara; Toulmin, Anita; Ma, Long; Jones, Anita C; McGlynn, Peter; Schröder, Gunnar F; Magennis, Steven W

2012-04-11

Branched nucleic acid molecules serve as key intermediates in DNA replication, recombination, and repair; architectural elements in RNA; and building blocks and functional components for nanoscience applications. Using a combination of high-resolution single-molecule FRET, time-resolved spectroscopy, and molecular modeling, we have probed the local and global structure of a DNA three-way junction (3WJ) in solution. We found that it adopts a Y-shaped, pyramidal structure, in which the bases adjacent to the branchpoint are unpaired, despite the full Watson-Crick complementarity of the molecule. The unpairing allows a nanoscale cavity to form at the junction center. Our structure accounts for earlier observations made of the structure, flexibility, and reactivity of 3WJs. We anticipate that these results will guide the development of new DNA-based supramolecular receptors and nanosystems. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Three-dimensional macro-structures of two-dimensional nanomaterials.

PubMed

Shehzad, Khurram; Xu, Yang; Gao, Chao; Duan, Xiangfeng

2016-10-21

If two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are ever to be utilized as components of practical, macroscopic devices on a large scale, there is a complementary need to controllably assemble these 2D building blocks into more sophisticated and hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) architectures. Such a capability is key to design and build complex, functional devices with tailored properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various experimental strategies currently used to fabricate the 3D macro-structures of 2D nanomaterials. Additionally, various approaches for the decoration of the 3D macro-structures with organic molecules, polymers, and inorganic materials are reviewed. Finally, we discuss the applications of 3D macro-structures, especially in the areas of energy, environment, sensing, and electronics, and describe the existing challenges and the outlook for this fast emerging field.

Multi-wavelength Observations and Modeling of Solar Flares: Magnetic Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Y.

2017-12-01

We present a review of our recent investigations on multi-wavelength observations and magnetic field modeling of solar flares. High-resolution observations taken by NVST and BBSO/NST reveal unprecedented fine structures of the flaring regions. Observations by SDO, IRIS, and GOES provide the complementary information. The magnetic field models are constructed using either non-linear force free field extrapolations or flux rope insertion method. Our studies have shown that the flaring regions often consist of double or multiple flux ropes, which often exist at different heights. The fine flare ribbon structures may be due to the magnetic reconnection in the complex quasi separatrix layers. The magnetic field modeling of several large flares suggests that the so called hot-channel structure is corresponding to the erupting flux rope above the X-point in a magnetic configuration with Hyperbolic Flux Tube.

Charging of Basic Structural Shapes in a Simulated Lunar Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craven, P.; Schneider, T.; Vaughn, J.; Wang, J.; Polansky, J.

2012-01-01

In order to understand the effect of the charging environment on and around structures on the lunar surface, we have exposed basic structural shapes to electrons and Vacuum Ultra-Violet (VUV) radiation. The objects were, in separate runs, isolated, grounded, and placed on dielectric surfaces. In this presentation, the effects of electron energy, VUV flux, and sample orientation, on the charging of the objects will be examined. The potential of each of the object surfaces was monitored in order to determine the magnitude of the ram and wake effects under different orientations relative to the incoming beams (solar wind). This is a part of, and complementary to, the study of the group at USC under Dr. J. Wang, the purpose of which is to model the effects of the charging environment on structures on the lunar surface.

Z = 50 core stability in 110Sn from magnetic-moment and lifetime measurements

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

Kumbartzki, G. J.; Benczer-Koller, N.; Speidel, K. -H.

2016-04-18

In this study, the structure of the semimagic Sn50 isotopes were previously studied via measurements of B(E2;2 1 + → 0 1 +) and g factors of 2 1 + states. The values of the B(E2;2 1 +) in the isotopes below midshell at N = 66 show an enhancement in collectivity, contrary to predictions from shell-model calculations. This work presents the first measurement of the 2 1 + and 4 1 + states' magnetic moments in the unstable neutron-deficient 110Sn. The g factors provide complementary structure information to the interpretation of the observed B(E2) values.

Structure and Function of Lipopolysaccharide Binding Protein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumann, Ralf R.; Leong, Steven R.; Flaggs, Gail W.; Gray, Patrick W.; Wright, Samuel D.; Mathison, John C.; Tobias, Peter S.; Ulevitch, Richard J.

1990-09-01

The primary structure of lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), a trace plasma protein that binds to the lipid A moiety of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), was deduced by sequencing cloned complementary DNA. LBP shares sequence identity with another LPS binding protein found in granulocytes, bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein, and with cholesterol ester transport protein of the plasma. LBP may control the response to LPS under physiologic conditions by forming high-affinity complexes with LPS that bind to monocytes and macrophages, which then secrete tumor necrosis factor. The identification of this pathway for LPS-induced monocyte stimulation may aid in the development of treatments for diseases in which Gram-negative sepsis or endotoxemia are involved.

Metamaterial-based half Maxwell fish-eye lens for broadband directive emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhouibi, Abdallah; Nawaz Burokur, Shah; de Lustrac, André; Priou, Alain

2013-01-01

The broadband directive emission from a metamaterial surface is numerically and experimentally reported. The metasurface, composed of non-resonant complementary closed ring structures, is designed to obey the refractive index of a half Maxwell fish-eye lens. A planar microstrip Vivaldi antenna is used as transverse magnetic polarized wave launcher for the lens. A prototype of the lens associated with its feed structure has been fabricated using standard lithography techniques. To experimentally demonstrate the broadband focusing properties and directive emissions, both the far-field radiation patterns and the near-field distributions have been measured. Measurements agree quantitatively and qualitatively with theoretical simulations.

An algorithm to compute the sequency ordered Walsh transform

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsen, H.

1976-01-01

A fast sequency-ordered Walsh transform algorithm is presented; this sequency-ordered fast transform is complementary to the sequency-ordered fast Walsh transform introduced by Manz (1972) and eliminating gray code reordering through a modification of the basic fast Hadamard transform structure. The new algorithm retains the advantages of its complement (it is in place and is its own inverse), while differing in having a decimation-in time structure, accepting data in normal order, and returning the coefficients in bit-reversed sequency order. Applications include estimation of Walsh power spectra for a random process, sequency filtering and computing logical autocorrelations, and selective bit reversing.

Time Hierarchies and Model Reduction in Canonical Non-linear Models

PubMed Central

Löwe, Hannes; Kremling, Andreas; Marin-Sanguino, Alberto

2016-01-01

The time-scale hierarchies of a very general class of models in differential equations is analyzed. Classical methods for model reduction and time-scale analysis have been adapted to this formalism and a complementary method is proposed. A unified theoretical treatment shows how the structure of the system can be much better understood by inspection of two sets of singular values: one related to the stoichiometric structure of the system and another to its kinetics. The methods are exemplified first through a toy model, then a large synthetic network and finally with numeric simulations of three classical benchmark models of real biological systems. PMID:27708665

First X-ray crystal structure and internal reference diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy study of the prototypical Posner reagent, MeCu(SPh)Li(THF)3.

PubMed

Bertz, Steven H; Hardin, Richard A; Heavey, Thomas J; Jones, Daniel S; Monroe, T Blake; Murphy, Michael D; Ogle, Craig A; Whaley, Tara N

2013-07-29

Grow slow: The usual direct treatment of MeLi and CuSPh did not yield X-ray quality crystals of MeCu(SPh)Li. An indirect method starting from Me2CuLi⋅LiSPh and chalcone afforded the desired crystals by the slow reaction of the intermediate π-complex (see scheme). This strategy produced the first X-ray crystal structure of a Posner cuprate. A complementary NMR study showed that the contact ion pair was also the main species in solution. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Forest Attributes from Radar Interferometric Structure and its Fusion with Optical Remote Sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Treuhaft, Robert N.; Law, Beverly E.; Asner, Gregory P.

2004-01-01

The possibility of global, three-dimensional remote sensing of forest structure with interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) bears on important forest ecological processes, particularly the carbon cycle. InSAR supplements two-dimensional remote sensing with information in the vertical dimension. Its strengths in potential for global coverage complement those of lidar (light detecting and ranging), which has the potential for high-accuracy vertical profiles over small areas. InSAR derives its sensitivity to forest vertical structure from the differences in signals received by two, spatially separate radar receivers. Estimation of parameters describing vertical structure requires multiple-polarization, multiple-frequency, or multiple-baseline InSAR. Combining InSAR with complementary remote sensing techniques, such as hyperspectral optical imaging and lidar, can enhance vertical-structure estimates and consequent biophysical quantities of importance to ecologists, such as biomass. Future InSAR experiments will supplement recent airborne and spaceborne demonstrations, and together with inputs from ecologists regarding structure, they will suggest designs for future spaceborne strategies for measuring global vegetation structure.

Time to face the fats: what can mass spectrometry reveal about the structure of lipids and their interactions with proteins?

PubMed

Brown, Simon H J; Mitchell, Todd W; Oakley, Aaron J; Pham, Huong T; Blanksby, Stephen J

2012-09-01

Since the 1950s, X-ray crystallography has been the mainstay of structural biology, providing detailed atomic-level structures that continue to revolutionize our understanding of protein function. From recent advances in this discipline, a picture has emerged of intimate and specific interactions between lipids and proteins that has driven renewed interest in the structure of lipids themselves and raised intriguing questions as to the specificity and stoichiometry in lipid-protein complexes. Herein we demonstrate some of the limitations of crystallography in resolving critical structural features of ligated lipids and thus determining how these motifs impact protein binding. As a consequence, mass spectrometry must play an important and complementary role in unraveling the complexities of lipid-protein interactions. We evaluate recent advances and highlight ongoing challenges towards the twin goals of (1) complete structure elucidation of low, abundant, and structurally diverse lipids by mass spectrometry alone, and (2) assignment of stoichiometry and specificity of lipid interactions within protein complexes.

Time to Face the Fats: What Can Mass Spectrometry Reveal about the Structure of Lipids and Their Interactions with Proteins?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Simon H. J.; Mitchell, Todd W.; Oakley, Aaron J.; Pham, Huong T.; Blanksby, Stephen J.

2012-09-01

Since the 1950s, X-ray crystallography has been the mainstay of structural biology, providing detailed atomic-level structures that continue to revolutionize our understanding of protein function. From recent advances in this discipline, a picture has emerged of intimate and specific interactions between lipids and proteins that has driven renewed interest in the structure of lipids themselves and raised intriguing questions as to the specificity and stoichiometry in lipid-protein complexes. Herein we demonstrate some of the limitations of crystallography in resolving critical structural features of ligated lipids and thus determining how these motifs impact protein binding. As a consequence, mass spectrometry must play an important and complementary role in unraveling the complexities of lipid-protein interactions. We evaluate recent advances and highlight ongoing challenges towards the twin goals of (1) complete structure elucidation of low, abundant, and structurally diverse lipids by mass spectrometry alone, and (2) assignment of stoichiometry and specificity of lipid interactions within protein complexes.

Solution NMR structure of a designed metalloprotein and complementary molecular dynamics refinement.

PubMed

Calhoun, Jennifer R; Liu, Weixia; Spiegel, Katrin; Dal Peraro, Matteo; Klein, Michael L; Valentine, Kathleen G; Wand, A Joshua; DeGrado, William F

2008-02-01

We report the solution NMR structure of a designed dimetal-binding protein, di-Zn(II) DFsc, along with a secondary refinement step employing molecular dynamics techniques. Calculation of the initial NMR structural ensemble by standard methods led to distortions in the metal-ligand geometries at the active site. Unrestrained molecular dynamics using a nonbonded force field for the metal shell, followed by quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical dynamics of DFsc, were used to relax local frustrations at the dimetal site that were apparent in the initial NMR structure and provide a more realistic description of the structure. The MD model is consistent with NMR restraints, and in good agreement with the structural and functional properties expected for DF proteins. This work demonstrates that NMR structures of metalloproteins can be further refined using classical and first-principles molecular dynamics methods in the presence of explicit solvent to provide otherwise unavailable insight into the geometry of the metal center.

Special Section: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): Time to Talk

MedlinePlus

... with your health care providers any complementary and alternative medicines you take or are thinking about starting. Photo: ... and older use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). But less than one-third who use ...

Investigation into the use of complementary and alternative medicine and affecting factors in Turkish asthmatic patients.

PubMed

Tokem, Yasemin; Aytemur, Zeynep Ayfer; Yildirim, Yasemin; Fadiloglu, Cicek

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of complementary and alternative medicine usage in asthmatic patients living in the west of Turkey, the most frequently used complementary and alternative medicine methods and socio-demographic factors affecting this and factors related to the disease. While the rate of complementary and alternative medicine usage in asthmatic patients and the reasons for using it vary, practices specific to different countries and regions are of interest. Differing cultural and social factors even in geographically similar regions can affect the type of complementary and alternative medicine used. Two hundred asthmatic patients registered in the asthma outpatient clinic of a large hospital in Turkey and who had undergone pulmonary function tests within the previous six months were included in this study, which was planned according to a descriptive design. The patients filled out a questionnaire on their demographic characteristics and complementary and alternative medicine usage. The proportion of patients who reported using one or more of the complementary and alternative medicine methods was 63·0%. Of these patients, 61·9% were using plants and herbal treatments, 53·2% were doing exercises and 36·5% said that they prayed. The objectives of their use of complementary and alternative medicine were to reduce asthma-related complaints (58%) and to feel better (37·8%). The proportion of people experiencing adverse effects was 3·3% (n = 4). Factors motivating asthmatic patients to use complementary and alternative medicine were the existence of comorbid diseases and a long period since diagnosis (p < 0·05). No statistically significant difference was found between the use of complementary and alternative medicine and the severity of the disease, pulmonary function test parameters, the number of asthma attacks or hospitalisations because of asthma within the last year (p > 0·05). Understanding by nurses of the causes and patterns of the use of complementary and alternative medicine in asthmatic patients helps them in directing patient care and patient safety. Nurses should conduct comprehensive diagnostics in the light of complementary and alternative medicine use, and they should be aware of the potential risks. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[Correlation of codon biases and potential secondary structures with mRNA translation efficiency in unicellular organisms].

PubMed

Vladimirov, N V; Likhoshvaĭ, V A; Matushkin, Iu G

2007-01-01

Gene expression is known to correlate with degree of codon bias in many unicellular organisms. However, such correlation is absent in some organisms. Recently we demonstrated that inverted complementary repeats within coding DNA sequence must be considered for proper estimation of translation efficiency, since they may form secondary structures that obstruct ribosome movement. We have developed a program for estimation of potential coding DNA sequence expression in defined unicellular organism using its genome sequence. The program computes elongation efficiency index. Computation is based on estimation of coding DNA sequence elongation efficiency, taking into account three key factors: codon bias, average number of inverted complementary repeats, and free energy of potential stem-loop structures formed by the repeats. The influence of these factors on translation is numerically estimated. An optimal proportion of these factors is computed for each organism individually. Quantitative translational characteristics of 384 unicellular organisms (351 bacteria, 28 archaea, 5 eukaryota) have been computed using their annotated genomes from NCBI GenBank. Five potential evolutionary strategies of translational optimization have been determined among studied organisms. A considerable difference of preferred translational strategies between Bacteria and Archaea has been revealed. Significant correlations between elongation efficiency index and gene expression levels have been shown for two organisms (S. cerevisiae and H. pylori) using available microarray data. The proposed method allows to estimate numerically the coding DNA sequence translation efficiency and to optimize nucleotide composition of heterologous genes in unicellular organisms. http://www.mgs.bionet.nsc.ru/mgs/programs/eei-calculator/.

Conformational influence of the ribose 2'-hydroxyl group: crystal structures of DNA-RNA chimeric duplexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Egli, M.; Usman, N.; Rich, A.

1993-01-01

We have crystallized three double-helical DNA-RNA chimeric duplexes and determined their structures by X-ray crystallography at resolutions between 2 and 2.25 A. The two self-complementary duplexes [r(G)d(CGTATACGC)]2 and [d(GCGT)r(A)d(TACGC)]2, as well as the Okazaki fragment d(GGGTATACGC).r(GCG)d(TATACCC), were found to adopt A-type conformations. The crystal structures are non-isomorphous, and the crystallographic environments for the three chimeras are different. A number of intramolecular interactions of the ribose 2'-hydroxyl groups contribute to the stabilization of the A-conformation. Hydrogen bonds between 2'-hydroxyls and 5'-oxygens or phosphate oxygens, in addition to the previously observed hydrogen bonds to 1'-oxygens of adjacent riboses and deoxyriboses, are observed in the DNA-RNA chimeric duplexes. The crystalline chimeric duplexes do not show a transition between the DNA A- and B-conformations. CD spectra suggest that the Okazaki fragment assumes an A-conformation in solution as well. In this molecule the three RNA residues may therefore lock the complete decamer in the A-conformation. Crystals of an all-DNA strand with the same sequence as the self-complementary chimeras show a morphology which is different from those of the chimera crystals. Moreover, the oligonucleotide does not match any of the sequence characteristics of DNAs usually adopting the A-conformation in the crystalline state (e.g., octamers with short alternating stretches of purines and pyrimidines). In DNA-RNA chimeric duplexes, it is therefore possible that a single RNA residue can drive the conformational equilibrium toward the A-conformation.

Comparison of molecular dynamics and superfamily spaces of protein domain deformation.

PubMed

Velázquez-Muriel, Javier A; Rueda, Manuel; Cuesta, Isabel; Pascual-Montano, Alberto; Orozco, Modesto; Carazo, José-María

2009-02-17

It is well known the strong relationship between protein structure and flexibility, on one hand, and biological protein function, on the other hand. Technically, protein flexibility exploration is an essential task in many applications, such as protein structure prediction and modeling. In this contribution we have compared two different approaches to explore the flexibility space of protein domains: i) molecular dynamics (MD-space), and ii) the study of the structural changes within superfamily (SF-space). Our analysis indicates that the MD-space and the SF-space display a significant overlap, but are still different enough to be considered as complementary. The SF-space space is wider but less complex than the MD-space, irrespective of the number of members in the superfamily. Also, the SF-space does not sample all possibilities offered by the MD-space, but often introduces very large changes along just a few deformation modes, whose number tend to a plateau as the number of related folds in the superfamily increases. Theoretically, we obtained two conclusions. First, that function restricts the access to some flexibility patterns to evolution, as we observe that when a superfamily member changes to become another, the path does not completely overlap with the physical deformability. Second, that conformational changes from variation in a superfamily are larger and much simpler than those allowed by physical deformability. Methodologically, the conclusion is that both spaces studied are complementary, and have different size and complexity. We expect this fact to have application in fields as 3D-EM/X-ray hybrid models or ab initio protein folding.

Comparison of molecular dynamics and superfamily spaces of protein domain deformation

PubMed Central

Velázquez-Muriel, Javier A; Rueda, Manuel; Cuesta, Isabel; Pascual-Montano, Alberto; Orozco, Modesto; Carazo, José-María

2009-01-01

Background It is well known the strong relationship between protein structure and flexibility, on one hand, and biological protein function, on the other hand. Technically, protein flexibility exploration is an essential task in many applications, such as protein structure prediction and modeling. In this contribution we have compared two different approaches to explore the flexibility space of protein domains: i) molecular dynamics (MD-space), and ii) the study of the structural changes within superfamily (SF-space). Results Our analysis indicates that the MD-space and the SF-space display a significant overlap, but are still different enough to be considered as complementary. The SF-space space is wider but less complex than the MD-space, irrespective of the number of members in the superfamily. Also, the SF-space does not sample all possibilities offered by the MD-space, but often introduces very large changes along just a few deformation modes, whose number tend to a plateau as the number of related folds in the superfamily increases. Conclusion Theoretically, we obtained two conclusions. First, that function restricts the access to some flexibility patterns to evolution, as we observe that when a superfamily member changes to become another, the path does not completely overlap with the physical deformability. Second, that conformational changes from variation in a superfamily are larger and much simpler than those allowed by physical deformability. Methodologically, the conclusion is that both spaces studied are complementary, and have different size and complexity. We expect this fact to have application in fields as 3D-EM/X-ray hybrid models or ab initio protein folding. PMID:19220918

Complementary and alternative medicine for multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Schwarz, S; Knorr, C; Geiger, H; Flachenecker, P

2008-09-01

We analyzed characteristics, motivation, and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine in a large sample of people with multiple sclerosis. A 53-item survey was mailed to the members of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society, chapter of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Surveys of 1573 patients (48.5 +/- 11.7 years, 74% women, duration of illness 18.1 +/- 10.5 years) were analyzed. In comparison with conventional medicine, more patients displayed a positive attitude toward complementary and alternative medicine (44% vs 38%, P < 0.05), with 70% reporting lifetime use of at least one method. Among a wide variety of complementary and alternative medicine, diet modification (41%), Omega-3 fatty acids (37%), removal of amalgam fillings (28%), vitamins E (28%), B (36%), and C (28%), homeopathy (26%), and selenium (24%) were cited most frequently. Most respondents (69%) were satisfied with the effects of complementary and alternative medicine. Use of complementary and alternative medicine was associated with religiosity, functional independence, female sex, white-collar job, and higher education (P < 0.05). Compared with conventional therapies, complementary and alternative medicine rarely showed unwanted side effects (9% vs 59%, P < 0.00001). A total of 52% stated that the initial consultation with their physician lasted less than 15 min. To conclude, main reasons for the use of complementary and alternative medicine include the high rate of side effects and low levels of satisfaction with conventional treatments and brief patients/physicians contacts.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with lysosomal storage diseases.

PubMed

Balwani, Manisha; Fuerstman, Laura; Desnick, Robert J; Buckley, Brian; McGovern, Margaret M

2009-10-01

To evaluate the extent of complementary and alternative medicine use and perceived effectiveness in patients with lysosomal storage diseases. A 26-item survey was distributed to 495 patients with type 1 Gaucher, Fabry, and type B Niemann-Pick diseases who were seen at the Lysosomal Storage Disease Program at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Survey responses were entered into an access database and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Surveys were completed by 167 respondents with an overall response rate of 34%. Complementary and alternative medicines were used by 45% of patients with type 1 Gaucher disease, 41% of patients with Fabry disease, and 47% of patients with type B Niemann-Pick for symptoms related to their disease. Complementary and alternative medicines were used most frequently by adult females (55%), in patients who reported having one or more invasive procedures due to their disease, patients who use one or more conventional medical therapies, or those with depression and/or anxiety. Overall perceived effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine supplements was low; however, complementary and alternative medicine therapies were perceived as effective. Complementary and alternative medicines are commonly used among patients with lysosomal storage diseases. Assessment of the effectiveness of these approaches in the lysosomal storage diseases is needed, and physicians should be aware of complementary and alternative medicine therapies used by patients to evaluate safety and possible drug interactions.

The use of non-prescription medicines during lactation: A qualitative study of community pharmacists' attitudes and perspectives.

PubMed

Sim, Tin Fei; Hattingh, H Laetitia; Sherriff, Jillian; Tee, Lisa B G

2018-05-01

Community pharmacists play a significant role in the provision of non-prescription medicines. There is evidence that women self-medicate and use non-prescription medicines whilst breastfeeding. Studies have demonstrated that breastfeeding women are likely to seek advice from pharmacists, presenting a unique opportunity for pharmacists to provide on-going support of these women especially in relation to the appropriate use of non-prescription medicines. This study aimed to explore community pharmacists' attitudes and perspectives towards the use of non-prescription medicines during breastfeeding. This exploratory study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 30 community pharmacists in Western Australia, between July and September 2013. Transcribed data were analysed using descriptive and qualitative approaches. NVivo ® Version 10.0 was used to organise qualitative data and quotations to facilitate thematic analysis. Four major themes emerged. Despite the positive attitudes and favourable perceived knowledge level, participants often found themselves in a dilemma when required to make clinical recommendations especially in situations where there was a therapeutic need for treatment but clear guidelines or evidence to suggest safety of the medicines or treatment in lactation was absent. Despite the popularity of complementary medicines, participants felt more confident in providing advice in relation to conventional over complementary medicines. Whilst medication safety is within the field of expertise of pharmacists, the absence of information and safety data was seen as a major challenge and barrier to enable pharmacists to confidently provide evidence-based recommendations. This study has enhanced our understanding of the attitudes and perspectives of community pharmacists towards the use of non-prescription, including complementary medicines, during breastfeeding. Future studies are warranted to confirm the safety of commonly used or requested medicines in breastfeeding. University training and continuing education for pharmacists should include the latest information available regarding the use of both conventional and complementary medicines throughout lactation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

US Spending On Complementary And Alternative Medicine During 2002–08 Plateaued, Suggesting Role In Reformed Health System

PubMed Central

Davis, Matthew A.; Martin, Brook I.; Coulter, Ian D.; Weeks, William B.

2013-01-01

Complementary and alternative medicine services in the United States are an approximately $9 billion market each year, equal to 3 percent of national ambulatory health care expenditures. Unlike conventional allopathic health care, complementary and alternative medicine is primarily paid for out of pocket, although some services are covered by most health insurance. Examining trends in demand for complementary and alternative medicine services in the United States reported in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey during 2002–08, we found that use of and spending on these services, previously on the rise, have largely plateaued. The higher proportion of out-of-pocket responsibility for payment for services may explain the lack of growth. Our findings suggest that any attempt to reduce national health care spending by eliminating coverage for complementary and alternative medicine would have little impact at best. Should some forms of complementary and alternative medicine—for example, chiropractic care for back pain—be proven more efficient than allopathic and specialty medicine, the inclusion of complementary and alternative medicine providers in new delivery systems such as accountable care organizations could help slow growth in national health care spending. PMID:23297270

Complementary and alternative medicine in pregnancy: a survey of North Carolina certified nurse-midwives.

PubMed

Allaire, A D; Moos, M K; Wells, S R

2000-01-01

To determine the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine therapies used by certified nurse-midwives in North Carolina. Surveys were sent to all 120 licensed certified nurse-midwives in North Carolina requesting information concerning their recommendations for use of complementary and alternative medicine for their pregnant or postpartum patients. Eighty-two responses were received (68.3%). Seventy-seven (93.9%) reported recommending complementary and alternative medicine to their pregnant patients in the past year. Forty-seven (57.3%) reported recommending complementary and alternative medicine to more than 10% of patients. The percentage of nurse-midwives who recommended each type of complementary and alternative medicine was as follows: herbal therapy (73.2%), massage therapy (67.1%), chiropractic (57.3%), acupressure (52.4%), mind-body interventions (48.8%), aromatherapy (32.9%), homeopathy (30.5%), spiritual healing (23.2%), acupuncture (19.5%), and bioelectric or magnetic applications (14.6%). The 60 respondents who reported prescribing herbal therapies gave them for the following indications: nausea and vomiting, labor stimulation, perineal discomfort, lactation disorders, postpartum depression, preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage, labor analgesia, and malpresentation. Complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal therapy, is commonly prescribed to pregnant women by nurse-midwives in North Carolina.

7 CFR 3405.8 - Complementary project proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Complementary project proposals. 3405.8 Section 3405.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.8 Complementary...

7 CFR 3405.8 - Complementary project proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Complementary project proposals. 3405.8 Section 3405.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.8 Complementary...

7 CFR 3405.8 - Complementary project proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Complementary project proposals. 3405.8 Section 3405.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.8 Complementary...

7 CFR 3405.8 - Complementary project proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Complementary project proposals. 3405.8 Section 3405.8 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3405.8 Complementary...

Orthogonal Polynomials Associated with Complementary Chain Sequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, Kiran Kumar; Sri Ranga, A.; Swaminathan, A.

2016-07-01

Using the minimal parameter sequence of a given chain sequence, we introduce the concept of complementary chain sequences, which we view as perturbations of chain sequences. Using the relation between these complementary chain sequences and the corresponding Verblunsky coefficients, the para-orthogonal polynomials and the associated Szegő polynomials are analyzed. Two illustrations, one involving Gaussian hypergeometric functions and the other involving Carathéodory functions are also provided. A connection between these two illustrations by means of complementary chain sequences is also observed.

Two complementary personal medication management applications developed on a common platform: case report.

PubMed

Ross, Stephen E; Johnson, Kevin B; Siek, Katie A; Gordon, Jeffry S; Khan, Danish U; Haverhals, Leah M

2011-07-12

Adverse drug events are a major safety issue in ambulatory care. Improving medication self-management could reduce these adverse events. Researchers have developed medication applications for tethered personal health records (PHRs), but little has been reported about medication applications for interoperable PHRs. Our objective was to develop two complementary personal health applications on a common PHR platform: one to assist children with complex health needs (MyMediHealth), and one to assist older adults in care transitions (Colorado Care Tablet). The applications were developed using a user-centered design approach. The two applications shared a common PHR platform based on a service-oriented architecture. MyMediHealth employed Web and mobile phone user interfaces. Colorado Care Tablet employed a Web interface customized for a tablet PC. We created complementary medication management applications tailored to the needs of distinctly different user groups using common components. Challenges were addressed in multiple areas, including how to encode medication identities, how to incorporate knowledge bases for medication images and consumer health information, how to include supplementary dosing information, how to simplify user interfaces for older adults, and how to support mobile devices for children. These prototypes demonstrate the utility of abstracting PHR data and services (the PHR platform) from applications that can be tailored to meet the needs of diverse patients. Based on the challenges we faced, we provide recommendations on the structure of publicly available knowledge resources and the use of mobile messaging systems for PHR applications.

Australian men with cancer practice complementary therapies (CTs) as a coping strategy.

PubMed

Klafke, Nadja; Eliott, Jaklin A; Olver, Ian N; Wittert, Gary A

2014-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore how and why Australian men with cancer practice complementary therapies (CTs) and how their significant others (SOs) contribute to the regular uptake of CTs. This qualitative study employed semi-structured interviews with 26 male cancer patients and 24 SOs. Participants were purposefully sampled from a preceding Australian survey investigating the use of CTs in men with cancer (94% response rate and 86% consent rate for follow-up interview). Interviews were conducted in a metropolitan location, and the 43 interview transcripts were analyzed thematically. Three core themes were identified: men used CTs as (a) problem-focused coping (e.g., diet modification), (b) emotion-focused coping (e.g., meditation), and (c) meaning-based coping (e.g., prayer). Practicing CTs helped men to cope with physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns, although some men spoke of difficulties with practicing meditation to regulate their emotions. SOs were supportive of men's coping strategies but were only rarely involved in men's emotion-focused coping. Complementary therapies have the potential to facilitate coping with cancer, independent of any measurable physiological benefit. Our findings suggest that when clinicians engage in conversations about CTs use, they should consider the type of coping strategy employed by their patient. Such information may enhance the efficacy of some interventions (e.g., meditation) and also provide for an opportunity to discuss patients' expectations concerning CTs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A novel aptasensor for the ultra-sensitive detection of adenosine triphosphate via aptamer/quantum dot based resonance energy transfer.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Wang, Yijing; Liu, Ying; Zeng, Yongyi; Huang, Aimin; Peng, Niancai; Liu, Xiaolong; Liu, Jingfeng

2013-09-07

We designed a novel aptamer based biosensor (aptasensor) for ultrasensitive detection of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) through resonance energy transfer (RET). The ATP aptamer was modified with Cy3 at the 3' end, and a green quantum dot (525) was attached to the 5' end of its complementary sequence respectively. The ATP aptamer and its complementary sequence could assemble into a duplex structure in the absence of target ATP, and then decrease the distance between the quantum dot and Cy3 which could produce significant RET signal. Upon ATP binding, the ATP aptamer could dissociate with its complementary sequence and then increase the distance between the quantum dot and Cy3 which would significantly decrease the RET signal. Therefore, the ATP detection could be easily achieved through detection of the fluorescence intensity ratio between 525 nm and 560 nm. The results show that the emission fluorescence intensity ratio of 525/560 is linearly related to the logarithmic concentration of ATP. The linear range of this aptasensor is from 0.1 nM to 1 μM, and the detection limit is lower down to 0.01 nM. Excellent selectivity of this aptasensor for ATP has been demonstrated through the detection of thymidine triphosphate (TTP), cytidine triphosphate (CTP), guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) respectively as control. The method we described here could easily detect ATP with excellent selectivity, linearity and sensitivity down to the nanomolar range, as well as avoid photobleaching.

InN/InGaN complementary heterojunction-enhanced tunneling field-effect transistor with enhanced subthreshold swing and tunneling current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yue; Han, Genquan; Wang, Hongjuan; Zhang, Chunfu; Liu, Yan; Wang, Yibo; Zhao, Shenglei; Zhang, Jincheng; Hao, Yue

2016-05-01

InN/In0.75Ga0.25N complementary heterojunction-enhanced tunneling field-effect transistors (HE-TFETs) were characterized using the numerical simulation. InN/In0.75Ga0.25N HE-TFET has an InN/In0.75Ga0.25N heterojunction located in the channel region with a distance of LT-H from the source/channel tunneling junction. We demonstrate that, for both n- and p-channel devices, HE-TFETs have a delay of onset voltage VONSET, a steeper subthreshold swing (SS), and an enhanced on-state current ION in comparison with the homo-TFETs. InN/In0.75Ga0.25N n- and p-channel HE-TFETs with a gate length LG of 25 nm and a LT-H of 5 nm achieve a 7 and 9 times ION improvement in comparison with the homo devices, respectively, at a supply voltage of 0.3 V. The performance enhancement in HE-TFETs is attributed to the modulating effect of heterojunction on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT). Because InN/In0.75Ga0.25N heterointerface shows the similar band offsets at conduction and valence bands, the InN/In0.75Ga0.25N heterojunction exhibits the improved effect on BTBT for both n- and p-channel devices. This makes InN/In0.75Ga0.25N heterojunction a promising structure for high performance complementary TFETs.

[Case mix analysis of patients who can be referred from emergency department triage to primary care].

PubMed

Gómez-Jiménez, Josep; Becerra, Oscar; Boneu, Francisco; Burgués, Lluís; Pàmies, Salvador

2006-01-01

Structured emergency department (ED) triage scales can be used to develop patient referral strategies from the ED to primary care. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the percentage of patients who could potentially be referred from triage to primary care and to describe their clinical characteristics. We analyzed all patients with low acuity (triage levels IV and V) and low complexity (patients discharged from the ED) triaged during 2003 with the Andorran Triage Model in the ED and estimated the percentage of patients who could potentially be referred on the basis of three primary care models: A, centers unable to deal with emergencies or perform complementary investigations; B, centers able to deal with emergencies and perform complementary investigations, and C, centers able to deal with emergencies but unable to perform complementary investigations. Of the 25,319 patients included in the study, 5.63% could be referred to model A, 75.22% to model B and 33.36% to model C. A total of 81.04% of these model C patients were classified in seven symptomatic categories: wounds and traumatisms, inflammation or fever, pediatric problems, rhinolaryngological infection or alterations, ocular symptoms, pain and cutaneous allergy or reactions. Casemix analysis, based on the level of acuity and discharge criteria, can be used to establish the percentage of patients that could potentially be referred to primary care. Analysis of their clinical profile is useful to design referral protocols.

The relation of Complementary-Alternative Medicine use with glomerular filtration rate and depression in patients with chronic kidney disease at predialysis stage.

PubMed

Esen, Bennur; Atay, Ahmet Engin; Gokmen, Emel Saglam; Karakoc, Ayten; Sari, Hakan; Sarisakal, Samprie; Kahvecioglu, Serdar; Kayabasi, Hasan; Sit, Dede

2015-05-08

Complementary and alternative medicine is a broad field of health including all health care practices and methods; and their accompanying theories and beliefs. In the present study, we aimed to examine the frequency of complementary-alternative medicine use, and its relation with glomerular filtration rate and depression in patients with chronic kidney disease at predialysis stage. A total of 1053 predialysis patients; 518 female and 535 male, that were followed up with chronic kidney disease for at least 3 months were enrolled into the study. Demographic features, biochemical parameters and findings of physical examination were recorded. Their compliance to diet, and knowledge about disease were questioned. Beck depression inventory and questionnaire regarding to complementary-alternative medicine use were performed. The overall frequency of complementary-alternative medicine use was 40.3% . Total ratio of herbal products was 46%. Complementary-alternative medicine use was significantly more frequent in female or single patients, and patients that informed about chronic kidney disease or under strict diet (p:0.007, p:0.016, p:0.02, p:0.016; respectively). When glomerular filtration rate of participants were considered, complementary-alternative medicine use was similar in different stages of kidney disease. Depression was observed in 41.9% of patients and significantly frequent in patients with alternative method use (p:0.002). Depression score was higher as creatinine increases and glomerular filtration rate decreases (p:0.002; r: 0,093). We determined that complementary-alternative medicine use gradually increases at predialysis stage as glomerular filtration rate decreases and there is a strict relation between complementary-alternative medicine use and depression or female gender. Disorder related stressors may lead to seeking of alternative methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[Standards, options, and recommendations for initial management of patients with malignant ovarian epithelial tumors].

PubMed

Kerbrat, P; Lhommé, C; Fervers, B; Guastalla, J P; Thomas, L; Basuyau, J P; Duvillard, P; Cohen-Solal, C; Dauplat, J; Tournemaine, N

2000-12-09

Suprapubic and transvaginal pelvic ultrasound exploration is indicated for suspected ovarian tumor (standard). Diagnosis and search for extension require surgery and pathology examination. Systematic preoperative computed tomography is not recommended (standard). Surgery for cancer of the ovary is a specialized procedure requiring skill in cancer, gynecology, visceral surgery and laparoscopic surgery. If the patient is referred to a specialized center after a primary procedure considered to be inadequate, a new procedure is recommended for staging. Residual tumor volume after the primary procedure has prognostic value. Systematic second look procedures are not recommended for routine practice (standard). For patients with grade IA G1 tumors, there is no indication for complementary treatment (standard). For patients with grade IA G2-3 or clear cell tumors, IB, IC, IIA, there is no standard. no complementary treatment, complementary chemotherapy using platinum, complementary external abdominopelvic radiotherapy. A complementary treatment is recommended for grades IC and IIA. Complementary treatment for grades IIB (no residual tissue), IIC (with residual tissue), III (no residual tissue), is based on: complementary chemotherapy with platinium, complementary external abdominopelvic radiotherapy (options). Complementary treatment for advanced forms (IIB (with residual tissue), IIC (with residual tissue), III (with residual tissue) and IV) is based on polychemotherapy with platinium (standard). platinium combined with paclitaxel (intravenous), platinium combined with cyclophosphamide and/or doxorubicin (intravenous) or intraperitoneal cisplatin combined with cyclophosphamide (intravenous). The chemotherapy work-up includes physical examination, assay of serum markers (particularly CA125) and abdominopelvic computed tomography (proof level B) (standard). Physical examination is recommended for monitoring patients in complete remission with no sign of suspected recurrence (standard). This document was reviewed in April 1977. The working group again validated the Standards, OPTIONS and Recommendations, without modifications in June 1999.

The initiation of complementary feeding among Qom indigenous people.

PubMed

Olmedo, Sofia Irene; Valeggia, Claudia

2014-06-01

As of six months of life, breastfeeding no longer covers an infant's energy or micronutrient needs, so appropriate complementary feeding should be provided. The objective of this study was to assess the time and adequacy for introducing complementary feeding in a Qom/Toba population and analyze the sociocultural concepts of families regarding complementary feeding. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by participant observation and semistructured surveys administered to mothers of 0-2 year old infants. Qom breastfeed their infants long term and on demand. Most infants have an adequate nutritional status and start complementary feeding at around 6 months old as per the local health center and international standards. However, mostly due to socioeconomic factors, foods chosen to complement breastfeeding have a relatively scarce nutritional value.

Complementary therapies for depression: an overview.

PubMed

Ernst, E; Rand, J I; Stevinson, C

1998-11-01

Depression is one of the most common reasons for using complementary and alternative therapies. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the evidence available on the treatment of depression with complementary therapies. Systematic literature searches were performed using several databases, reference list searching, and inquiry to colleagues. Data extraction followed a predefined protocol. The amount of rigorous scientific data to support the efficacy of complementary therapies in the treatment of depression is extremely limited. The areas with the most evidence for beneficial effects are exercise, herbal therapy (Hypericum perforatum), and, to a lesser extent, acupuncture and relaxation therapies. There is a need for further research involving randomized controlled trials into the efficacy of complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of depression.

Electronic and structural aspects of spin transitions observed by optical microscopy. The case of [Fe(ptz)6](BF4)2.

PubMed

Chong, Christian; Mishra, Haritosh; Boukheddaden, Kamel; Denise, Stéphane; Bouchez, Guillaume; Collet, Eric; Ameline, Jean-Claude; Naik, Anil D; Garcia, Yann; Varret, François

2010-02-11

The colorimetric analysis of images recorded with an optical microscope during the onset of the spin crossover transformation allows monitoring separately the involved electronic and structural aspects, through the separation of resonant absorption and scattering effects. Complementary information can also be obtained by using the polarized modes of the microscope. These potentialities are illustrated by the observation of [Fe(ptz)(6)](BF(4))(2) single crystals during the onset of the thermal transitions in the 110-140 K range. We characterized the interplay between the electronic (HS <--> LS) and structural (order <--> disorder) transformations. Elastic stresses and mechanical effects (hopping, self-cleavage) generated by the volume change upon electronic transition are also illustrated, with their impact on the photoswitching properties of the crystals.

Géodynamique et évolution thermique de la matière organique: exemple du bassin de Qasbat-Tadla, Maroc centralBasin geodynamics and thermal evolution of organic material: example from the Qasbat-Tadla Basin, central Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Er-Raïoui, H.; Bouabdelli, M.; Bélayouni, H.; Chellai, H.

2001-05-01

Seismic data analysis of the Qasbat-Tadla Basin allows the deciphering of the main tectonic and sedimentary events that characterised the Hercynian orogen and its role in the basin's structural development. The global tectono-sedimentary framework involves structural evolution of an orogenic foreland basin and was the source of rising geotherms in an epizonal metamorphic environment. The complementary effects of these parameters has led to different source rock maturity levels, ranging from oil producing to graphite domains. Different maturity levels result from three distinct structural domains within the basin, each of which exhibit characteristic geodynamic features (tectonic contraints, rate of subsidence, etc.).

Complementary study of molecular dynamics and domain sizes in heterogenous nanocomposites PBT/DA-C{sub 60} and PBT/TCNEO-C{sub 60}

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

Woźniak-Braszak, A., E-mail: abraszak@amu.edu.pl; Baranowski, M.; Jurga, K.

2014-05-28

A comprehensive study of molecular dynamics and structure in new heterogenous nanocomposites based on poly(butylene terephthalate) and nanoparticles C{sub 60} modified by n-decylamine or tetracyanoethylene oxide has been performed. The domain structure of new nanocomposites has been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. Solid-state {sup 1}H NMR techniques were used to study molecular dynamics and domain sizes in new nanocomposites. Information about the electronic properties of these nanocomposites was obtained by means of electron paramagnetic resonance method. It was shown that the structure and molecular dynamics of new nanocomposites were strongly dependentmore » on the properties and concentration of fullerene derivates.« less

Trapping of light by metal arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khardikov, Vyacheslav V.; Iarko, Ekaterina O.; Prosvirnin, Sergey L.

2010-04-01

The problem of the near-IR light reflection from and transmittance through a planar 2D periodic metal-dielectric structure with a square periodic cell of two complex-shaped asymmetric metal elements has been solved. Conditions of the light confinement by excitation of the trapped mode resonances in certain structures, both polarization-sensitive and polarization-insensitive, were studied. For the first time, the existence of a high-order trapped mode resonance with the greater quality factor than that of the lowest one has been shown. It was ascertained that the Babinet principle provides a good prediction of the resonance properties of the complementary structures, despite the very high Joule losses in the metal strips in near-IR, a finite thickness of the metal elements and the presence of a dielectric substrate.

Inter-particle interaction dependent evaporation-induced assembly in contact-free micro-colloidal droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sen, Debasis; Biswas, Priyanka; Melo, J. S.

2018-04-01

Evaporation-induced assembly of constituent particles in tiny dispersion droplet allows an efficient way to realize nano-structured micro-granules with potential for various applications. Morphology of the granules, obtained by such one-step dispersion to granular transformation, is decided by several physicochemical conditions. Here we demonstrate that the inter-particle interaction plays a crucial role in deciding the assembled morphology. Resultant granules are investigated by complementary techniques, Electron microscopy and small-angle scattering.

Private algebras in quantum information and infinite-dimensional complementarity

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

Crann, Jason, E-mail: jason-crann@carleton.ca; Laboratoire de Mathématiques Paul Painlevé–UMR CNRS 8524, UFR de Mathématiques, Université Lille 1–Sciences et Technologies, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cédex; Kribs, David W., E-mail: dkribs@uoguelph.ca

We introduce a generalized framework for private quantum codes using von Neumann algebras and the structure of commutants. This leads naturally to a more general notion of complementary channel, which we use to establish a generalized complementarity theorem between private and correctable subalgebras that applies to both the finite and infinite-dimensional settings. Linear bosonic channels are considered and specific examples of Gaussian quantum channels are given to illustrate the new framework together with the complementarity theorem.

Structure, sequence and expression of the hepatitis delta (δ) viral genome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kang-Sheng; Choo, Qui-Lim; Weiner, Amy J.; Ou, Jing-Hsiung; Najarian, Richard C.; Thayer, Richard M.; Mullenbach, Guy T.; Denniston, Katherine J.; Gerin, John L.; Houghton, Michael

1986-10-01

Biochemical and electron microscopic data indicate that the human hepatitis δ viral agent contains a covalently closed circular and single-stranded RNA genome that has certain similarities with viroid-like agents from plants. The sequence of the viral genome (1,678 nucleotides) has been determined and an open reading frame within the complementary strand has been shown to encode an antigen that binds specifically to antisera from patients with chronic hepatitis δ viral infections.

Multi-scale Functional and Molecular Photoacoustic Tomography

PubMed Central

Yao, Junjie; Xia, Jun; Wang, Lihong V.

2015-01-01

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) combines rich optical absorption contrast with the high spatial resolution of ultrasound at depths in tissue. The high scalability of PAT has enabled anatomical imaging of biological structures ranging from organelles to organs. The inherent functional and molecular imaging capabilities of PAT have further allowed it to measure important physiological parameters and track critical cellular activities. Integration of PAT with other imaging technologies provides complementary capabilities and can potentially accelerate the clinical translation of PAT. PMID:25933617

Using Complementary Learning Clusters in Studying Literature to Enhance Students' Medical Humanities Literacy, Critical Thinking, and English Proficiency.

PubMed

Liao, Hung-Chang; Wang, Ya-Huei

2016-04-01

This study examined whether students studying literature in complementary learning clusters would show more improvement in medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency compared to those in conventional learning clusters. Ninety-three students participated in the study (M age = 18.2 years, SD = 0.4; 36 men, 57 women). A quasi-experimental design was used over 16 weeks, with the control group (n = 47) working in conventional learning clusters and the experimental group (n = 46) working in complementary learning clusters. Complementary learning clusters were those in which individuals had complementary strengths enabling them to learn from and offer assistance to other cluster members, hypothetically facilitating the learning process. Measures included the Medical Humanities Literacy Scale, Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment, English proficiency tests, and Analytic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric. The results showed that complementary learning clusters have the potential to improve students' medical humanities literacy, critical thinking skills, and English proficiency. © The Author(s) 2016.

Complementary and alternative medicine usage and its determinant factors among Iranian infertile couples.

PubMed

Dehghan, Mahlagha; Mokhtarabadi, Sima; Heidari, Fatemeh Ghaedi

2018-04-04

Background The aim of this study was to determine the status of utilizing some complementary and alternative medicine techniques in infertile couples. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 250 infertile couples referred to a hospital in Kerman using convenience sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to study the prevalence and user satisfaction of complementary and alternative medicines. Results Results indicated that 49.6% of the infertile couples used at least one of the complementary and alternative medicines during the past year. Most individuals used spiritual techniques (71.8% used praying and 70.2% used Nazr) and medicinal plants (54.8%). Safety is the most important factor affecting the satisfaction of infertile couples with complementary treatments (couples think that such treatments are safe (54.8%)). Discussion Concerning high prevalence of complementary and alternative treatments in infertile couples, incorporating such treatments into the healthcare education and promoting the awareness of infertile individuals seem crucial.

Electrochemical product detection of an asymmetric convective polymerase chain reaction.

PubMed

Duwensee, Heiko; Mix, Maren; Stubbe, Marco; Gimsa, Jan; Adler, Marcel; Flechsig, Gerd-Uwe

2009-10-15

For the first time, we describe the application of heated microwires for an asymmetric convective polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in a modified PCR tube in a small volume. The partly single-stranded product was labeled with the electrochemically active compound osmium tetroxide bipyridine using a partially complementary protective strand with five mismatches compared to the single-stranded product. The labeled product could be successfully detected at a gold electrode modified with a complementary single-stranded capture probe immobilized via a thiol-linker. Our simple thermo-convective PCR yielded electrochemically detectable products after only 5-10 min. A significant discrimination between complementary and non-complementary target was possible using different immobilized capture probes. The total product yield was approx. half the amount of the classical thermocycler PCR. Numerical simulations describing the thermally driven convective PCR explain the received data. Discrimination between complementary capture probes and non-complementary capture probes was performed using square-wave voltammetry. The coupling of asymmetric thermo-convective PCR with electrochemical detection is very promising for future compact DNA sensor devices.

Insight into Evolution, Processing and Performance of Multi-length-scale Structures in Planar Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Cho, Yi-Ju; Chen, Kuan-Chen; Chiang, Kai-Ming; Hsiao, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Chang-Wen; Su, Chun-Jen; Jeng, U-Ser; Lin, Hao-Wu

2015-09-04

The structural characterization correlated to the processing control of hierarchical structure of planar heterojunction perovskite layer is still incomplete due to the limitations of conventional microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This present study performed the simultaneously grazing-incidence small-angle scattering and wide-angle scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS) techniques to quantitatively probe the hierarchical structure of the planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. The result is complementary to the currently microscopic study. Correlation between the crystallization behavior, crystal orientation, nano- and meso-scale internal structure and surface morphology of perovskite film as functions of various processing control parameters is reported for the first time. The structural transition from the fractal pore network to the surface fractal can be tuned by the chloride percentage. The GISAXS/GIWAXS measurement provides the comprehensive understanding of concurrent evolution of the film morphology and crystallization correlated to the high performance. The result can provide the insight into formation mechanism and rational synthesis design.

Insight into Evolution, Processing and Performance of Multi-length-scale Structures in Planar Heterojunction Perovskite Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yu-Ching; Tsao, Cheng-Si; Cho, Yi-Ju; Chen, Kuan-Chen; Chiang, Kai-Ming; Hsiao, Sheng-Yi; Chen, Chang-Wen; Su, Chun-Jen; Jeng, U.-Ser; Lin, Hao-Wu

2015-09-01

The structural characterization correlated to the processing control of hierarchical structure of planar heterojunction perovskite layer is still incomplete due to the limitations of conventional microscopy and X-ray diffraction. This present study performed the simultaneously grazing-incidence small-angle scattering and wide-angle scattering (GISAXS/GIWAXS) techniques to quantitatively probe the hierarchical structure of the planar heterojunction perovskite solar cells. The result is complementary to the currently microscopic study. Correlation between the crystallization behavior, crystal orientation, nano- and meso-scale internal structure and surface morphology of perovskite film as functions of various processing control parameters is reported for the first time. The structural transition from the fractal pore network to the surface fractal can be tuned by the chloride percentage. The GISAXS/GIWAXS measurement provides the comprehensive understanding of concurrent evolution of the film morphology and crystallization correlated to the high performance. The result can provide the insight into formation mechanism and rational synthesis design.

Supramolecular Polymer Network-Mediated Self-Assembly of Semicrystalline Polymers with Excellent Crystalline Performance.

PubMed

Cheng, Chih-Chia; Chuang, Wei-Tsung; Lee, Duu-Jong; Xin, Zhong; Chiu, Chih-Wei

2017-03-01

A novel application of supramolecular interactions within semicrystalline polymers, capable of self-assembling into supramolecular polymer networks via self-complementary multiple hydrogen-bonded complexes, is demonstrated for efficient construction of highly controlled self-organizing hierarchical structures to offer a direct, efficient nucleation pathway resulting in superior crystallization performance. Herein, a novel functionalized poly(ε-caprolactone) containing self-complementary sextuple hydrogen-bonded uracil-diamidopyridine (U-DPy) moieties is successfully developed and demonstrated excellent thermal and viscoelastic properties as well as high dynamic structural stability in the bulk state due to physical cross-linking created by reversible sextuple hydrogen bonding between U-DPy units. Due to the ability to vary the extent of the reversible network by tuning the U-DPy content, this newly developed material can be readily adjusted to obtain the desired crystalline products with specific characteristics. Importantly, incorporating only 0.1% U-DPy resulted in a polymer with a high crystallization rate constant, short crystallization half-time, and much more rapid crystallization kinetics than pristine PCL, indicating a low content of U-DPy moieties provides highly efficient nucleation sites that manipulate the nucleation and growth processes of polymer crystals to promote crystallization and chain alignment in bulk. This new system is suggested as a potential new route to substantially improve the performance of polymer crystallization. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

G-quadruplexes as novel cis-elements controlling transcription during embryonic development.

PubMed

David, Aldana P; Margarit, Ezequiel; Domizi, Pablo; Banchio, Claudia; Armas, Pablo; Calcaterra, Nora B

2016-05-19

G-quadruplexes are dynamic structures folded in G-rich single-stranded DNA regions. These structures have been recognized as a potential nucleic acid based mechanism for regulating multiple cellular processes such as replication, transcription and genomic maintenance. So far, their transcriptional role in vivo during vertebrate embryonic development has not yet been addressed. Here, we performed an in silico search to find conserved putative G-quadruplex sequences (PQSs) within proximal promoter regions of human, mouse and zebrafish developmental genes. Among the PQSs able to fold in vitro as G-quadruplex, those present in nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 promoters were selected for further studies. In cellulo studies revealed that the selected G-quadruplexes affected the transcription of luciferase controlled by the SV40 nonrelated promoter. G-quadruplex disruption in vivo by microinjection in zebrafish embryos of either small ligands or DNA oligonucleotides complementary to the selected PQSs resulted in lower transcription of the targeted genes. Moreover, zebrafish embryos and larvae phenotypes caused by the presence of complementary oligonucleotides fully resembled those ones reported for nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 morphants. To our knowledge, this is the first work revealing in vivo the role of conserved G-quadruplexes in the embryonic development, one of the most regulated processes of the vertebrates biology. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

G-quadruplexes as novel cis-elements controlling transcription during embryonic development

PubMed Central

David, Aldana P.; Margarit, Ezequiel; Domizi, Pablo; Banchio, Claudia; Armas, Pablo; Calcaterra, Nora B.

2016-01-01

G-quadruplexes are dynamic structures folded in G-rich single-stranded DNA regions. These structures have been recognized as a potential nucleic acid based mechanism for regulating multiple cellular processes such as replication, transcription and genomic maintenance. So far, their transcriptional role in vivo during vertebrate embryonic development has not yet been addressed. Here, we performed an in silico search to find conserved putative G-quadruplex sequences (PQSs) within proximal promoter regions of human, mouse and zebrafish developmental genes. Among the PQSs able to fold in vitro as G-quadruplex, those present in nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 promoters were selected for further studies. In cellulo studies revealed that the selected G-quadruplexes affected the transcription of luciferase controlled by the SV40 nonrelated promoter. G-quadruplex disruption in vivo by microinjection in zebrafish embryos of either small ligands or DNA oligonucleotides complementary to the selected PQSs resulted in lower transcription of the targeted genes. Moreover, zebrafish embryos and larvae phenotypes caused by the presence of complementary oligonucleotides fully resembled those ones reported for nog3, col2a1 and fzd5 morphants. To our knowledge, this is the first work revealing in vivo the role of conserved G-quadruplexes in the embryonic development, one of the most regulated processes of the vertebrates biology. PMID:26773060

Characterization and modelling of a microstrip line loaded with complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) and its application to highpass filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C.; Li, Fang

2007-06-01

A method to characterize and model a microstrip line coupled with complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) is investigated. The detailed parameter extraction approach based on three characteristic frequencies is presented. Good agreement between the results of the equivalent circuit model and the full wave simulations supports the effectiveness of the proposed modelling methodology. In particular, it is found that the shunt capacitance in the equivalent circuit has a negative value which appears to contradict the general physical perception. The physical rationality of the problem is discussed and justified. It is found that the negative capacitance is a natural part required to approximate more closely the distributed nature of the CSRR-loaded microstrip line and the whole equivalent circuit still satisfies Foster's reactance theorem. To extract the effective permittivity of the CSRR-loaded microstrip, the dielectric window concept and the effective medium theory are both applied. Both their results show the negative permittivity at the vicinity of the resonance. Finally, the application of the CSRRs in microstip highpass filters is presented to highlight the unique features of the CSRRs and the validity of their equivalent circuit descriptions. Compared with conventional structures, the proposed highpass filters not only have via free structure but also exhibit extremely steep out-of-band rejection. This may lead to useful applications.

SNBRFinder: A Sequence-Based Hybrid Algorithm for Enhanced Prediction of Nucleic Acid-Binding Residues.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoxia; Wang, Jia; Sun, Jun; Liu, Rong

2015-01-01

Protein-nucleic acid interactions are central to various fundamental biological processes. Automated methods capable of reliably identifying DNA- and RNA-binding residues in protein sequence are assuming ever-increasing importance. The majority of current algorithms rely on feature-based prediction, but their accuracy remains to be further improved. Here we propose a sequence-based hybrid algorithm SNBRFinder (Sequence-based Nucleic acid-Binding Residue Finder) by merging a feature predictor SNBRFinderF and a template predictor SNBRFinderT. SNBRFinderF was established using the support vector machine whose inputs include sequence profile and other complementary sequence descriptors, while SNBRFinderT was implemented with the sequence alignment algorithm based on profile hidden Markov models to capture the weakly homologous template of query sequence. Experimental results show that SNBRFinderF was clearly superior to the commonly used sequence profile-based predictor and SNBRFinderT can achieve comparable performance to the structure-based template methods. Leveraging the complementary relationship between these two predictors, SNBRFinder reasonably improved the performance of both DNA- and RNA-binding residue predictions. More importantly, the sequence-based hybrid prediction reached competitive performance relative to our previous structure-based counterpart. Our extensive and stringent comparisons show that SNBRFinder has obvious advantages over the existing sequence-based prediction algorithms. The value of our algorithm is highlighted by establishing an easy-to-use web server that is freely accessible at http://ibi.hzau.edu.cn/SNBRFinder.

A fluorescent aptasensor for analysis of adenosine triphosphate based on aptamer-magnetic nanoparticles and its single-stranded complementary DNA labeled carbon dots.

PubMed

Saberi, Zeinab; Rezaei, Behzad; Khayamian, Taghi

2018-06-01

A new fluorimetric aptasensor was designed for the determination of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and carbon dots (CDs). In this analytical strategy, an ATP aptamer was conjugated on MNPs and a complementary strand of the aptamer (CS) was labeled with CDs. The aptamer and its CS were hybridized to form a double helical structure. The hybridized aptamers could be used for the specific recognition of ATP in a biological complex matrix using a strong magnetic field to remove the interfering effect. In the absence of ATP, no CDs-CS could be released into the solution and this resulted in a weak fluorescence signal. In the presence of ATP, the target binds to its aptamer and causes the dissociation of the double helical structure and liberation of the CS, such that a strong fluorescence signal was generated. The increased fluorescence signal was proportional to ATP concentration. The limit of detection was estimated to be 1.0 pmol L -1 with a dynamic range of 3.0 pmol L -1 to 5.0 nmol L -1 . The specific aptasensor was applied to detect ATP in human serum samples with satisfactory results. Moreover, molecular dynamic simulation (MDS) studies were used to analyze interactions of the ATP molecule with the aptamer. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Insights into DNA-mediated interparticle interactions from a coarse-grained model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Yajun; Mittal, Jeetain

2014-11-01

DNA-functionalized particles have great potential for the design of complex self-assembled materials. The major hurdle in realizing crystal structures from DNA-functionalized particles is expected to be kinetic barriers that trap the system in metastable amorphous states. Therefore, it is vital to explore the molecular details of particle assembly processes in order to understand the underlying mechanisms. Molecular simulations based on coarse-grained models can provide a convenient route to explore these details. Most of the currently available coarse-grained models of DNA-functionalized particles ignore key chemical and structural details of DNA behavior. These models therefore are limited in scope for studying experimental phenomena. In this paper, we present a new coarse-grained model of DNA-functionalized particles which incorporates some of the desired features of DNA behavior. The coarse-grained DNA model used here provides explicit DNA representation (at the nucleotide level) and complementary interactions between Watson-Crick base pairs, which lead to the formation of single-stranded hairpin and double-stranded DNA. Aggregation between multiple complementary strands is also prevented in our model. We study interactions between two DNA-functionalized particles as a function of DNA grafting density, lengths of the hybridizing and non-hybridizing parts of DNA, and temperature. The calculated free energies as a function of pair distance between particles qualitatively resemble experimental measurements of DNA-mediated pair interactions.

Polarizability extraction of complementary metamaterial elements in waveguides for aperture modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulido-Mancera, Laura; Bowen, Patrick T.; Imani, Mohammadreza F.; Kundtz, Nathan; Smith, David

2017-12-01

We consider the design and modeling of metasurfaces that couple energy from guided waves to propagating wave fronts. To this purpose, we develop a comprehensive, multiscale dipolar interpretation for large arrays of complementary metamaterial elements embedded in a waveguide structure. Within this modeling technique, the detailed electromagnetic response of each metamaterial element is replaced by a polarizable dipole, described by means of an effective polarizability. In this paper, we present two methods to extract this effective polarizability. The first method invokes surface equivalence principles, averaging over the effective surface currents and charges induced in the element's surface in order to obtain the effective dipole moments, from which the effective polarizability can be inferred. The second method is based in the coupled-mode theory, from which a direct relationship between the effective polarizability and the amplitude coefficients of the scattered waves can be deduced. We demonstrate these methods on several variants of waveguide-fed metasurface elements (both one- and two-dimensional waveguides), finding excellent agreement between the two, as well as with the analytical expressions derived for circular and elliptical irises. With the effective polarizabilities of the metamaterial elements accurately determined, the radiated fields generated by a waveguide-fed metasurface can be found self-consistently by including the interactions between polarizable dipoles. The dipole description provides an effective perspective and computational framework for engineering metasurface structures such as holograms, lenses, and beam-forming arrays, among others.

Simulating the Refractive Index Structure Constant ({C}_{n}^{2}) in the Surface Layer at Antarctica with a Mesoscale Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qing, Chun; Wu, Xiaoqing; Li, Xuebin; Tian, Qiguo; Liu, Dong; Rao, Ruizhong; Zhu, Wenyue

2018-01-01

In this paper, we introduce an approach wherein the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is coupled with the bulk aerodynamic method to estimate the surface layer refractive index structure constant (C n 2) above Taishan Station in Antarctica. First, we use the measured meteorological parameters to estimate C n 2 using the bulk aerodynamic method, and second, we use the WRF model output parameters to estimate C n 2 using the bulk aerodynamic method. Finally, the corresponding C n 2 values from the micro-thermometer are compared with the C n 2 values estimated using the WRF model coupled with the bulk aerodynamic method. We analyzed the statistical operators—the bias, root mean square error (RMSE), bias-corrected RMSE (σ), and correlation coefficient (R xy )—in a 20 day data set to assess how this approach performs. In addition, we employ contingency tables to investigate the estimation quality of this approach, which provides complementary key information with respect to the bias, RMSE, σ, and R xy . The quantitative results are encouraging and permit us to confirm the fine performance of this approach. The main conclusions of this study tell us that this approach provides a positive impact on optimizing the observing time in astronomical applications and provides complementary key information for potential astronomical sites.