Sample records for conversion initial sur

  1. GSDO Program Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives: Final Pretreatments Test Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2013-01-01

    Hexavalent chrome free pretreatments should be considered for use on Ground Support Equipment (OSE) and Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EOSE). Both of the hexavalent chrome free pretreatments (Metalast TCP HF and SurTec 650C) evaluated by this project met, and in some instances exceeded, the requirements ofMIL-DTL-5541 "Chemical Conversion Coatings on Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys". For DC resistance measurements, both Metalast TCP HF and SurTec (!50C met initial requirements following assembly and in many cases continued to maintain passing readings for the duration of testing.

  2. Local government units initiatives on coastal resource management in adjacent municipalities in Camarines Sur, Philippines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faustino, A. Z.; Madela, H. L.

    2018-03-01

    This research was conducted to determine the local government units (LGUs) initiatives on coastal resource management (CRM) in adjacent municipalities in Camarines Sur, Philippines. The respondents of this study are 100 fisherfolk leaders in the municipalities of Calabanga, Tinambac and Siruma. Descriptive, comparative and evaluative methods of research were employed and a survey questionnaire was used as the primary tool in data gathering. On the test of difference, the computed F-value of 12.038 and p-value of .001 revealed a very high difference in the implementation of CRM initiatives in the adjacent municipalities. The respondents in this study live below the poverty threshold. The intrusion of commercial fishers and the use of active fishing gears inside the 15-km municipal waters significantly affect the marine habitat while fishpond conversion kills the natural cycle in the mangrove forests. However, the FOs membership in the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council empower them to engage in governance which can be a venue for them to recommend policies related to CRM. As a result of this study, a CRM monitoring and evaluation model was crafted to guide the LGUs in the review, revision and crafting of CRM programs.

  3. Reflexions sur les marqueurs de structuration de la conversation (Considerations on the Structural Markers of Conversation).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auchlin, Antoine

    1981-01-01

    Examines morphemic markers that signal the opening and closing of discourse units, emphasizing their complexity and their central role for a descriptive model of conversation. Then proceeds to analyze their functions within the overall structure of conversation, classifying them according to their properties and uses. Societe Nouvelle Didier…

  4. Laboratory Validation and Demonstrations of Non-Hexavalent Chromium Conversion Coatings for Steel Substrates (Briefing Charts)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-02-01

    UNCLASSIFIED: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. Laboratory Validation and Demonstrations of Non-Hexavalent Chromium Conversion...00-00-2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Laboratory Validation and Demonstrations of Non-Hexavalent Chromium Conversion Coatings for Steel Substrates 5a...Coatings for HHA • SurTec 650 - ChromitAL TCP - Trivalent Chrome Pretreatment Developed by NAVAIR for Aluminum. • Chemetall Oxsilan 9810/2 - Non-chrome

  5. Enquete sur le langage de l'enfant francais: Transcriptions de conversations d'enfants de 9 ans (Investigation of the Language of French Children: Transcriptions of Conversations of 9-Year-Olds). Document No. 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leclercq, Janine, Comp.

    These transcriptions of children living in a suburb of Paris represent and illustrate linguistic behavior and interests of the average nine-year-old French child. Seventy-nine children in groups of three were recorded in 30-minute periods of free conversation and 10-minute periods of play. Analysis reveals more than 30 centers of interest which…

  6. The ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel-encoded dSUR gene is required for Drosophila heart function and is regulated by tinman

    PubMed Central

    Akasaka, Takeshi; Klinedinst, Susan; Ocorr, Karen; Bustamante, Erika L.; Kim, Seung K.; Bodmer, Rolf

    2006-01-01

    The homeobox transcription factor Tinman plays an important role in the initiation of heart development. Later functions of Tinman, including the target genes involved in cardiac physiology, are less well studied. We focused on the dSUR gene, which encodes an ATP-binding cassette transmembrane protein that is expressed in the heart. Mammalian SUR genes are associated with KATP (ATP-sensitive potassium) channels, which are involved in metabolic homeostasis. We provide experimental evidence that Tinman directly regulates dSUR expression in the developing heart. We identified a cis-regulatory element in the first intron of dSUR, which contains Tinman consensus binding sites and is sufficient for faithful dSUR expression in the fly’s myocardium. Site-directed mutagenesis of this element shows that these Tinman sites are critical to dSUR expression, and further genetic manipulations suggest that the GATA transcription factor Pannier is synergistically involved in cardiac-restricted dSUR expression in vivo. Physiological analysis of dSUR knock-down flies supports the idea that dSUR plays a protective role against hypoxic stress and pacing-induced heart failure. Because dSUR expression dramatically decreases with age, it is likely to be a factor involved in the cardiac aging phenotype of Drosophila. dSUR provides a model for addressing how embryonic regulators of myocardial cell commitment can contribute to the establishment and maintenance of cardiac performance. PMID:16882722

  7. Notes sur les mouvements recursifs (Notes on Regressive Moves).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auchlin, Antoine; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Examines the phenomenon of regressive moves (retro-interpretation) in the light of a hypothesis according to which the formation of complex and hierarchically organized conversation units is subordinated to the linearity of discourse. Analyzes a transactional exchange, describing the interplay of integration, anticipation, and retro-interpretation…

  8. Studying Hostile, Deceptive, and Dangerous Surroundings: Report of a Workshop on Social Research Methods for Non-Permissive Environments (Etudier des Milieux Hostiles, Trompeurs et Dangereux - Rapport Concernant un Atelier sur les Methodes de Recherche Sociale an Milieu non Permissif)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-08-01

    des groupes de consultation pour déterminer l’effet des opérations communes sur la population locale. Ils ont établi des « mesures de rendement...fondées sur les relations avec les habitants et les résultats des groupes de consultation ainsi que des « mesures de production » basées sur la ...l’ethnographie de combat, et la recherche d’initié étranger peuvent aider à tracer les microcosmes sociaux dans un

  9. Cover crop, N-rate impacts on corn yield and soil N

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nitrogen fertilizer is a significant input expense for producers, as conversion of stable nitrogen into plant available reactive forms such as NH4 or NO3 is energy intensive and costly. These reactive forms of nitrogen (Nr), critical for crop production, can escape from agricultural systems into sur...

  10. Expression of sulfonylurea receptors in rat taste buds.

    PubMed

    Liu, Dian-Xin; Liu, Xiao-Min; Zhou, Li-Hong; Feng, Xiao-Hong; Zhang, Xiao-Juan

    2011-07-01

    To test the possibility that a fast-onset promoting agent repaglinide may initiate prandial insulin secretion through the mechanism of cephalic-phase insulin release, we explored the expression and distribution character of sulfonylurea receptors in rat taste buds. Twenty male Wistar rats aged 10 weeks old were killed after general anesthesia. The circumvallate papillae, fungiform papillae and pancreas tissues were separately collected. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression and distribution of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) or sulfonylurea receptor 2 (SUR2) in rat taste buds. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of SUR1 or SUR2 mRNA. The pancreatic tissues from the same rat were used as positive control. This is the first study to report that SUR1 is uniquely expressed in the taste buds of fungiform papillae of each rat tongue, while the expression of SUR1 or SUR2 was not detected in the taste buds of circumvallate papillae. SUR1 is selectively expressed in rat taste buds, and its distribution pattern may be functionally relevant, suggesting that the rapid insulin secretion-promoting effect of repaglinide may be exerted through the cephalic-phase secretion pathway mediated by taste buds. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Forest succession following wildfire and sudden oak death epidemic

    Treesearch

    Clay M. DeLong; Kerri M. Frangioso; Margaret R. Metz; Ross K. Meentemeyer; Dave M. Rizzo

    2013-01-01

    The Big Sur region of central California is a rugged, fire-prone area that has been severely affected by Phytophthora ramorum. Meentemeyer et al. (2008) estimated that over 200,000 oaks and tanoaks had been killed by P. ramorum across the Big Sur ecoregion by 2005. In June of 2008, a complex of lightning-initiated...

  12. Glibenclamide for the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

    PubMed

    Caffes, Nicholas; Kurland, David B; Gerzanich, Volodymyr; Simard, J Marc

    2015-03-04

    Ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are associated with severe functional disability and high mortality. Except for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, therapies targeting the underlying pathophysiology of central nervous system (CNS) ischemia and hemorrhage are strikingly lacking. Sur1-regulated channels play essential roles in necrotic cell death and cerebral edema following ischemic insults, and in neuroinflammation after hemorrhagic injuries. Inhibiting endothelial, neuronal, astrocytic and oligodendroglial sulfonylurea receptor 1-transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (Sur1-Trpm4) channels and, in some cases, microglial KATP (Sur1-Kir6.2) channels, with glibenclamide is protective in a variety of contexts. Robust preclinical studies have shown that glibenclamide and other sulfonylurea agents reduce infarct volumes, edema and hemorrhagic conversion, and improve outcomes in rodent models of ischemic stroke. Retrospective studies suggest that diabetic patients on sulfonylurea drugs at stroke presentation fare better if they continue on drug. Additional laboratory investigations have implicated Sur1 in the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic CNS insults. In clinically relevant models of subarachnoid hemorrhage, glibenclamide reduces adverse neuroinflammatory and behavioral outcomes. Here, we provide an overview of the preclinical studies of glibenclamide therapy for CNS ischemia and hemorrhage, discuss the available data from clinical investigations, and conclude with promising preclinical results that suggest glibenclamide may be an effective therapeutic option for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.

  13. Analyse conversationnelle et representations sociales: Unite et diversite de L'image du bilinguisme (Conversational Analysis and Social Representations: Unity and Diversity in the Image of Bilingualism).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Py, Bernard, Ed.

    2000-01-01

    Articles in this issue include the following: "Representations sociales et discours. Questions epistemologiques et methodologiques" (Social Representations and Discourse. Questions of Epistemology and Methodology); "Aspects theoretiques et methodologiques de la recherche sur le traitement discursif des representations sociales"…

  14. Early Development of the First Earth Venture Mission: How CYGNSS Is Using Engineering Models to Validate the Design

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wells, James; Scherrer, John; Van Noord, Jonathan; Law, Richard

    2015-01-01

    In response to the recommendations made in the National Research Council' s Ear th Science and Applications 2007 Decadal Sur vey, NASA has initiated the Ear th Venture line of mission oppor tunities. The fir st orbital mission chosen for this competitively selected, cost and schedule constrained, Pr incipal Investigator -led oppor tunity is the CYclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS). The goal of CYGNSS is to understand the coupling between ocean sur face proper ties, moist atmospher ic thermodynamics, radiation, and convective dynamics in the inner core of a tropical cyclone. The CYGNSS mission is compr ised of eight Low Ear th Obser ving (LEO) micr osatellites that use GPS bi-static scatterometry to measure ocean sur face winds.

  15. Topical Ophthalmic Formulation of Trichostatin A and SurR9-C84A for Quick Recovery Post-alkali Burn of Corneal Haze

    PubMed Central

    Roy, Kislay; Cheung, Chun Hei Antonio; Kanwar, Rupinder K.; Sandhir, Rajat; Kanwar, Jagat R.

    2017-01-01

    Alkali burn injury is a true ocular emergency of the conjunctiva and cornea that requires immediate precision. Lack of an immediate therapy can lead to a substantial damage in the ocular surface and anterior segment further causing visual impairment and disfigurement. We explored the regenerative capability of dominant negative survivin protein (SurR9-C84A) and histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin-A (TSA) in vivo, in a rat alkali burn model. A topical insult in rat eyes with NaOH led to degradation of the conjunctival and corneal epithelium. The integrity of the conjunctival and corneal tissue was increased by TSA and SurR9-C84A by improving the clathrin and claudin expressions. Wound healing was initiated by an increase in TGF-beta-1 and, increased endogenous survivin which inhibited apoptosis post-TSA and SurR9-C84A treatments. Protein expressions of fibronectin and alpha-integrin 5 were found to increase promoting corneal integrity. The cytokine analysis confirmed increased expressions of IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, IL-13, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, GMCSF, Rantes, and MMP-2 in injured cornea, which were found to be significantly downregulated by the combined treatment of SurR9-C84A and TSA. The ocular and systemic pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were measured post-topical ocular administration of TSA and SurR9-C84A. The SurR9-C84A and TSA sustained relatively longer in the cornea, conjunctiva, and aqueous humor than in the tear fluid and plasma. Our results confirmed that a combination of TSA with SurR9-C8A worked in synergy and showed a promising healing and anti-inflammatory effect in a very short time against alkali burn. Therefore, a combination of TSA and SurR9-C84A can fulfill the need for an immediate response to wound healing in alkali burnt cornea. We also synthesized ultra-small chitosan nanoparticles (USC-NPs) targeted with alpha-SMA antibodies that can be used for delivery of TSA and SurR9-C84A specifically to the ocular burn site. PMID:28529481

  16. Earthquakes as collapse precursors at the Han-sur-Lesse Cave in the Belgian Ardennes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Camelbeeck, Thierry; Quinif, Yves; Verheyden, Sophie; Vanneste, Kris; Knuts, Elisabeth

    2018-05-01

    Collapse activation is an ongoing process in the evolution of karstic networks related to the weakening of cave vaults. Because collapses are infrequent, few have been directly observed, making it challenging to evaluate the role of external processes in their initiation and triggering. Here, we study the two most recent collapses in the Dôme chamber of the Han-sur-Lesse Cave (Belgian Ardenne) that occurred on or shortly after 3rd December 1828 and between the 13th and 14th of March 1984. Because of the low probability that the two earthquakes that generated the strongest ground motions in Han-sur-Lesse since 1800, on 23rd February 1828 (Mw = 5.1 in Central Belgium) and 8th November 1983 (Mw = 4.8 in Liège) occurred by coincidence less than one year before these collapses, we suggest that the collapses are related to these earthquakes. We argue that the earthquakes accelerated the cave vault instability, leading to the collapses by the action of other factors weakening the host rock. In particular, the 1828 collapse was likely triggered by a smaller Mw = 4.2 nearby earthquake. The 1984 collapse followed two months of heavy rainfall that would have increased water infiltration and pressure in the rock mass favoring destabilization of the cave ceiling. Lamina counting of a stalagmite growing on the 1828 debris dates the collapse at 1826 ± 9 CE, demonstrating the possibility of dating previous collapses with a few years of uncertainty. Furthermore, our study opens new perspectives for studying collapses and their chronology both in the Han-sur-Lesse Cave and in other karstic networks. We suggest that earthquake activity could play a stronger role than previously thought in initiating cave collapses.

  17. Levels of Participation of the School Stakeholders to the Different School-Initiated Activities and the Implementation of School-Based Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cabardo, Jimmy Rey Opong

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the levels of participation of the school stakeholders to the different school-initiated activities and the implementation of school-based management (SBM) in selected schools in the Division of Davao del Sur for the school year 2014-2015 using a descriptive-correlational survey research design. A…

  18. Comparaison de méthodes d'identification des paramètres d'une machine asynchrone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bellaaj-Mrabet, N.; Jelassi, K.

    1998-07-01

    Interests, in Genetic Algorithms (G.A.) expands rapidly. This paper consists initially to apply G.A. for identifying induction motor parameters. Next, we compare the performances with classical methods like Maximum Likelihood and classical electrotechnical methods. These methods are applied on three induction motors of different powers to compare results following a set of criteria. Les algorithmes génétiques sont des méthodes adaptatives de plus en plus utilisée pour la résolution de certains problèmes d'optimisation. Le présent travail consiste d'une part, à mettre en œuvre un A.G sur des problèmes d'identification des machines électriques, et d'autre part à comparer ses performances avec les méthodes classiques tels que la méthode du maximum de vraisemblance et la méthode électrotechnique basée sur des essais à vides et en court-circuit. Ces méthodes sont appliquées sur des machines asynchrones de différentes puissances. Les résultats obtenus sont comparés selon certains critères, permettant de conclure sur la validité et la performance de chaque méthode.

  19. Effets de l'humidite sur la propagation du delaminage dans un composite carbone/epoxy sollicite en mode mixte I/II

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LeBlanc, Luc R.

    Les materiaux composites sont de plus en plus utilises dans des domaines tels que l'aerospatiale, les voitures a hautes performances et les equipements sportifs, pour en nommer quelques-uns. Des etudes ont demontre qu'une exposition a l'humidite nuit a la resistance des composites en favorisant l'initiation et la propagation du delaminage. De ces etudes, tres peu traitent de l'effet de l'humidite sur l'initiation du delaminage en mode mixte I/II et aucune ne traite des effets de l'humidite sur le taux de propagation du delaminage en mode mixte I/II dans un composite. La premiere partie de cette these consiste a determiner les effets de l'humidite sur la propagation du delaminage lors d'une sollicitation en mode mixte I/II. Des eprouvettes d'un composite unidirectionnel de carbone/epoxy (G40-800/5276-1) ont ete immergees dans un bain d'eau distillee a 70°C jusqu'a leur saturation. Des essais experimentaux quasi-statiques avec des chargements d'une gamme de mixites des modes I/II (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% et 100%) ont ete executes pour determiner les effets de l'humidite sur la resistance au delaminage du composite. Des essais de fatigue ont ete realises, avec la meme gamme de mixite des modes I/II, pour determiner 1'effet de 1'humidite sur l'initiation et sur le taux de propagation du delaminage. Les resultats des essais en chargement quasi-statique ont demontre que l'humidite reduit la resistance au delaminage d'un composite carbone/epoxy pour toute la gamme des mixites des modes I/II, sauf pour le mode I ou la resistance au delaminage augmente apres une exposition a l'humidite. Pour les chargements en fatigue, l'humidite a pour effet d'accelerer l'initiation du delaminage et d'augmenter le taux de propagation pour toutes les mixites des modes I/II. Les donnees experimentales recueillies ont ete utilisees pour determiner lesquels des criteres de delaminage en statique et des modeles de taux de propagation du delaminage en fatigue en mode mixte I/II proposes dans la litterature representent le mieux le delaminage du composite etudie. Une courbe de regression a ete utilisee pour determiner le meilleur ajustement entre les donnees experimentales et les criteres de delaminage en statique etudies. Une surface de regression a ete utilisee pour determiner le meilleur ajustement entre les donnees experimentales et les modeles de taux de propagation en fatigue etudies. D'apres les ajustements, le meilleur critere de delaminage en statique est le critere B-K et le meilleur modele de propagation en fatigue est le modele de Kenane-Benzeggagh. Afin de predire le delaminage lors de la conception de pieces complexes, des modeles numeriques peuvent etre utilises. La prediction de la longueur de delaminage lors des chargements en fatigue d'une piece est tres importante pour assurer qu'une fissure interlaminaire ne va pas croitre excessivement et causer la rupture de cette piece avant la fin de sa duree de vie de conception. Selon la tendance recente, ces modeles sont souvent bases sur l'approche de zone cohesive avec une formulation par elements finis. Au cours des travaux presentes dans cette these, le modele de progression du delaminage en fatigue de Landry & LaPlante (2012) a ete ameliore en y ajoutant le traitement des chargements en mode mixte I/II et en y modifiant l'algorithme du calcul de la force d'entrainement maximale du delaminage. Une calibration des parametres de zone cohesive a ete faite a partir des essais quasi-statiques experimentaux en mode I et II. Des resultats de simulations numeriques des essais quasi-statiques en mode mixte I/II, avec des eprouvettes seches et humides, ont ete compares avec les essais experimentaux. Des simulations numeriques en fatigue ont aussi ete faites et comparees avec les resultats experimentaux du taux de propagation du delaminage. Les resultats numeriques des essais quasi-statiques et de fatigue ont montre une bonne correlation avec les resultats experimentaux pour toute la gamme des mixites des modes I/II etudiee.

  20. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-05-16

    subjects in research (Protocol NHRC.2001.0001). Postal survey The choice of questions and question layouts for the sur- vey instrument were modeled...health problems within the past 12 months. The optically scanned 10-page survey instrument was designed to take approximately 30 minutes to com- plete...the survey instrument was refined before the initial mailing. Additionally, a random sample of 33% of individuals who completed the initial

  1. Method to monitor HC-SCR catalyst NOx reduction performance for lean exhaust applications

    DOEpatents

    Viola, Michael B [Macomb Township, MI; Schmieg, Steven J [Troy, MI; Sloane, Thompson M [Oxford, MI; Hilden, David L [Shelby Township, MI; Mulawa, Patricia A [Clinton Township, MI; Lee, Jong H [Rochester Hills, MI; Cheng, Shi-Wai S [Troy, MI

    2012-05-29

    A method for initiating a regeneration mode in selective catalytic reduction device utilizing hydrocarbons as a reductant includes monitoring a temperature within the aftertreatment system, monitoring a fuel dosing rate to the selective catalytic reduction device, monitoring an initial conversion efficiency, selecting a determined equation to estimate changes in a conversion efficiency of the selective catalytic reduction device based upon the monitored temperature and the monitored fuel dosing rate, estimating changes in the conversion efficiency based upon the determined equation and the initial conversion efficiency, and initiating a regeneration mode for the selective catalytic reduction device based upon the estimated changes in conversion efficiency.

  2. Efficacy of a new technique - INtubate-RECruit-SURfactant-Extubate - "IN-REC-SUR-E" - in preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Vento, Giovanni; Pastorino, Roberta; Boni, Luca; Cota, Francesco; Carnielli, Virgilio; Cools, Filip; Dani, Carlo; Mosca, Fabio; Pillow, Jane; Polglase, Graeme; Tagliabue, Paolo; van Kaam, Anton H; Ventura, Maria Luisa; Tana, Milena; Tirone, Chiara; Aurilia, Claudia; Lio, Alessandra; Ricci, Cinzia; Gambacorta, Alessandro; Consigli, Chiara; D'Onofrio, Danila; Gizzi, Camilla; Massenzi, Luca; Cardilli, Viviana; Casati, Alessandra; Bottino, Roberto; Pontiggia, Federica; Ciarmoli, Elena; Martinelli, Stefano; Ilardi, Laura; Colnaghi, Mariarosa; Matassa, Piero Giuseppe; Vendettuoli, Valentina; Villani, Paolo; Fusco, Francesca; Gazzolo, Diego; Ricotti, Alberto; Ferrero, Federica; Stasi, Ilaria; Magaldi, Rosario; Maffei, Gianfranco; Presta, Giuseppe; Perniola, Roberto; Messina, Francesco; Montesano, Giovanna; Poggi, Chiara; Giordano, Lucio; Roma, Enza; Grassia, Carolina; Ausanio, Gaetano; Sandri, Fabrizio; Mescoli, Giovanna; Giura, Francesco; Garani, Giampaolo; Solinas, Agostina; Lucente, Maria; Nigro, Gabriella; Del Vecchio, Antonello; Petrillo, Flavia; Orfeo, Luigi; Grappone, Lidia; Quartulli, Lorenzo; Scorrano, Antonio; Messner, Hubert; Staffler, Alex; Gargano, Giancarlo; Balestri, Eleonora; Nobile, Stefano; Cacace, Caterina; Meli, Valerio; Dallaglio, Sara; Pasqua, Betta; Mattia, Loretta; Gitto, Eloisa; Vitaliti, Marcello; Re, Maria Paola; Vedovato, Stefania; Grison, Alessandra; Berardi, Alberto; Torcetta, Francesco; Guidotti, Isotta; di Fabio, Sandra; Maranella, Eugenia; Mondello, Isabella; Visentin, Stefano; Tormena, Francesca

    2016-08-18

    Although beneficial in clinical practice, the INtubate-SURfactant-Extubate (IN-SUR-E) method is not successful in all preterm neonates with respiratory distress syndrome, with a reported failure rate ranging from 19 to 69 %. One of the possible mechanisms responsible for the unsuccessful IN-SUR-E method, requiring subsequent re-intubation and mechanical ventilation, is the inability of the preterm lung to achieve and maintain an "optimal" functional residual capacity. The importance of lung recruitment before surfactant administration has been demonstrated in animal studies showing that recruitment leads to a more homogeneous surfactant distribution within the lungs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the application of a recruitment maneuver using the high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) modality just before the surfactant administration followed by rapid extubation (INtubate-RECruit-SURfactant-Extubate: IN-REC-SUR-E) with IN-SUR-E alone in spontaneously breathing preterm infants requiring nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) as initial respiratory support and reaching pre-defined CPAP failure criteria. In this study, 206 spontaneously breathing infants born at 24(+0)-27(+6) weeks' gestation and failing nCPAP during the first 24 h of life, will be randomized to receive an HFOV recruitment maneuver (IN-REC-SUR-E) or no recruitment maneuver (IN-SUR-E) just prior to surfactant administration followed by prompt extubation. The primary outcome is the need for mechanical ventilation within the first 3 days of life. Infants in both groups will be considered to have reached the primary outcome when they are not extubated within 30 min after surfactant administration or when they meet the nCPAP failure criteria after extubation. From all available data no definitive evidence exists about a positive effect of recruitment before surfactant instillation, but a rationale exists for testing the following hypothesis: a lung recruitment maneuver performed with a step-by-step Continuous Distending Pressure increase during High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (and not with a sustained inflation) could have a positive effects in terms of improved surfactant distribution and consequent its major efficacy in preterm newborns with respiratory distress syndrome. This represents our challenge. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02482766 . Registered on 1 June 2015.

  3. Cost of Community Integrated Prevention Campaign for Malaria, HIV, and Diarrhea in Rural Kenya

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Delivery of community-based prevention services for HIV, malaria, and diarrhea is a major priority and challenge in rural Africa. Integrated delivery campaigns may offer a mechanism to achieve high coverage and efficiency. Methods We quantified the resources and costs to implement a large-scale integrated prevention campaign in Lurambi Division, Western Province, Kenya that reached 47,133 individuals (and 83% of eligible adults) in 7 days. The campaign provided HIV testing, condoms, and prevention education materials; a long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net; and a water filter. Data were obtained primarily from logistical and expenditure data maintained by implementing partners. We estimated the projected cost of a Scaled-Up Replication (SUR), assuming reliance on local managers, potential efficiencies of scale, and other adjustments. Results The cost per person served was $41.66 for the initial campaign and was projected at $31.98 for the SUR. The SUR cost included 67% for commodities (mainly water filters and bed nets) and 20% for personnel. The SUR projected unit cost per person served, by disease, was $6.27 for malaria (nets and training), $15.80 for diarrhea (filters and training), and $9.91 for HIV (test kits, counseling, condoms, and CD4 testing at each site). Conclusions A large-scale, rapidly implemented, integrated health campaign provided services to 80% of a rural Kenyan population with relatively low cost. Scaling up this design may provide similar services to larger populations at lower cost per person. PMID:22189090

  4. Canadian Counsellor. Special Edition on Employment Counselling = Conseiller Canadien. Edition Speciale sur le Counselling d'Emploi.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paquin, Andre, Ed.

    1980-01-01

    This special edition on employment counseling contains a series of articles demonstrating some of the employment counseling initiatives currently underway in Canada. Included are separate English and French texts of each of the following articles: "The Assessment Component of Employment Counselling: Some Suggestions," by P. J. Patsula…

  5. Rapport sur l'état du patrimoine astronomique dans les observatoires français de la fin du XIXè siècle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damm, E.; Pécontal, E.

    2012-12-01

    Suite au colloque sur la sauvegarde du patrimoine astronomique organisé par le MAEE et la SAF, sous l'égide de l'UNESCO, qui a conduit à l'adoption de la Déclaration de Paris, les directeurs d'observatoires institutionnels qui étaient absents du colloque ont ressenti le besoin de discuter de ces conclusions prises en leur nom. L'initiative d'organiser une réunion des directeurs des Observatoires des Sciences de l'Univers (OSU) à ce sujet le 30 janvier 2012 a été prise par François Vernotte, directeur de l'Observatoire de Besançon. Le présent compte-rendu de visite résulte d'une initiative spontanée d'Emmanuel Pécontal, astronome responsable du Patrimoine à l'observatoire de Lyon, et d'Evelyne Damm, membre de la Commission Nationale de classement des Monuments Historiques (CNMH) et élue à la communauté d'agglomération des Portes de l'Essonne oû est sis l'observatoire de Camille Flammarion.

  6. Nateglinide, a D-phenylalanine derivative lacking either a sulfonylurea or benzamido moiety, specifically inhibits pancreatic beta-cell-type K(ATP) channels.

    PubMed

    Chachin, Motohiko; Yamada, Mitsuhiko; Fujita, Akikazu; Matsuoka, Tetsuro; Matsushita, Kenji; Kurachi, Yoshihisa

    2003-03-01

    A novel antidiabetic agent, nateglinide, is a D-phenylalanine derivative lacking either a sulfonylurea or benzamido moiety. We examined with the patch-clamp method the effect of nateglinide on recombinant ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells transfected with a Kir6.2 subunit and either of a sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) 1, SUR2A, and SUR2B. In inside-out patches, nateglinide reversibly inhibited the spontaneous openings of all three types of SUR/Kir6.2 channels. Nateglinide inhibited SUR1/Kir6.2 channels with high and low affinities (K(i) = 75 nM and 114 microM) but SUR2A/Kir6.2 and SUR2B/Kir6.2 channels only with low affinity (K(i) = 105 and 111 microM, respectively). Nateglinide inhibited the K(ATP) current mediated by Kir6.2 lacking C-terminal 26 amino acids only with low affinity (K(i) = 290 microM) in the absence of SUR. Replacement of serine at position 1237 of SUR1 to tyrosine [SUR1(S1237Y)] specifically abolished the high-affinity inhibition of SUR1/Kir6.2 channels by nateglinide. MgADP or MgUDP (100 microM) augmented the inhibitory effect of nateglinide on SUR1/Kir6.2 but not SUR1(S1237Y)/Kir6.2 or SUR2A/Kir6.2 channels. This augmenting effect of MgADP was also observed with the SUR1/Kir6.2(K185Q) channel, which was not inhibited by MgADP, but not with the SUR1(K1384A)/Kir6.2 channel, which was not activated by MgADP. These results indicate that therapeutic concentrations of nateglinide (approximately 10 microM) may selectively inhibit pancreatic type SUR1/Kir6.2 channels through SUR1, especially when the channel is activated by intracellular MgADP, even though the agent does not contain either a sulfonylurea or benzamido moiety.

  7. Effets potentiels d’un modèle rationnel de prescription sur les dépenses nationales en santé

    PubMed Central

    Littman, Jordan; Halil, Roland

    2016-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Estimer les économies que pourrait engendrer la mise en œuvre d’un modèle rationnel de prescription pour des classes de médicaments équivalents sur les plans de l’efficacité, de la toxicité et de la commodité. Conception L’Institut canadien d’information sur la santé a fourni des renseignements sur les 10 principales classes de médicaments en fonction des dépenses annuelles qui leur sont attribuables. Ces classes ont été examinées en vue de leur inclusion potentielle dans l’étude selon qu’il était possible de comparer les médicaments à l’intérieur d’une même classe. Lorsqu’à la suite d’une recherche documentaire, une équivalence a été établie en fonction de l’efficacité, de la toxicité et de la commodité des médicaments, les données annuelles sur les prescriptions ont été recueillies à partir de la base de données du Système national d’information sur l’utilisation des médicaments prescrits. Les économies potentielles de coûts ont ensuite été calculées en comparant les parts de marché actuelles avec les parts potentielles futures de ce marché. Contexte Le Canada. Principaux paramètres à l’étude Les différences estimées dans les dépenses que produirait un modèle rationnel de prescription. Résultats Une équivalence a été établie sur les plans de l’efficacité, de la toxicité et de la commodité dans les classes de statines, d’inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons, d’inhibiteurs de l’enzyme de conversion de l’angiotensine et d’inhibiteurs sélectifs du recaptage de l’angiotensine. Les dépenses annuelles totales dans ces classes se situent à 856 millions $ dans les programmes publics de médicaments et à 1,97 milliard $ environ à l’échelle nationale. Grâce à des prescriptions rationnelles, on estime que les économies annuelles pourraient atteindre 222 millions $ pour les programmes publics et 521 millions $ à l’échelle nationale. Conclusion La majorité des économies potentielles seraient attribuables à l’abandon des médicaments les plus récents protégés par un brevet dans chaque classe. En évitant de prescrire les plus récents médicaments intraclasses, en particulier en l’absence de recherche établissant leur supériorité dans les résultats cliniques pertinents, on pourrait réaliser des économies considérables dans les dépenses en santé et inciter l’industrie pharmaceutique à innover plutôt qu’à imiter.

  8. Kir6.2 activation by sulfonylurea receptors: a different mechanism of action for SUR1 and SUR2A subunits via the same residues

    PubMed Central

    Principalli, Maria A; Dupuis, Julien P; Moreau, Christophe J; Vivaudou, Michel; Revilloud, Jean

    2015-01-01

    ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K-ATP channels) play a key role in adjusting the membrane potential to the metabolic state of cells. They result from the unique combination of two proteins: the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR), an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) protein, and the inward rectifier K+ channel Kir6.2. Both subunits associate to form a heterooctamer (4 SUR/4 Kir6.2). SUR modulates channel gating in response to the binding of nucleotides or drugs and Kir6.2 conducts potassium ions. The activity of K-ATP channels varies with their localization. In pancreatic β-cells, SUR1/Kir6.2 channels are partly active at rest while in cardiomyocytes SUR2A/Kir6.2 channels are mostly closed. This divergence of function could be related to differences in the interaction of SUR1 and SUR2A with Kir6.2. Three residues (E1305, I1310, L1313) located in the linker region between transmembrane domain 2 and nucleotide-binding domain 2 of SUR2A were previously found to be involved in the activation pathway linking binding of openers onto SUR2A and channel opening. To determine the role of the equivalent residues in the SUR1 isoform, we designed chimeras between SUR1 and the ABC transporter multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), and used patch clamp recordings on Xenopus oocytes to assess the functionality of SUR1/MRP1 chimeric K-ATP channels. Our results reveal that the same residues in SUR1 and SUR2A are involved in the functional association with Kir6.2, but they display unexpected side-chain specificities which could account for the contrasted properties of pancreatic and cardiac K-ATP channels. PMID:26416970

  9. Énergie photovoltaïque : matériaux utilisés et perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marfaing, Y.

    2002-04-01

    Les matériaux pour la conversion photovoltaïque sont des semi-conducteurs dont la largeur de bande interdite peut se situer dans l'intervalle 1 - 1,8 eV. Les principes physiques de l'effet photovoltaïque sont d'abord rappelés afin de mettre en évidence les relations nécessaires entre les caractéristiques optiques et électroniques du semi-conducteur et l'épaisseur de la structure de conversion ou cellule. Les matériaux actuellement utilisés ou étudiés sont ensuite passés en revue en commençant par le silicium cristallin massif puis en décrivant le vaste secteur des couches minces : silicium amorphe, composés polycristallins, silicium cristallisé en film mince. Les développements attendus dans chacune de ces filières sont présentés ainsi que les recherches en cours sur d'autres types de matériaux et de structures.

  10. A Non-Lethal Traumatic/Hemorrhagic Insult Strongly Modulates the Compartment-Specific PAI-1 Response in the Subsequent Polymicrobial Sepsis

    PubMed Central

    Raeven, Pierre; Salibasic, Alma; Drechsler, Susanne; Weixelbaumer, Katrin Maria; Jafarmadar, Mohammad; van Griensven, Martijn; Bahrami, Soheyl; Osuchowski, Marcin Filip

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) is a key factor in trauma- and sepsis-induced coagulopathy. We examined how trauma-hemorrhage (TH) modulates PAI-1 responses in subsequent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis, and the association of PAI-1 with septic outcomes. Methods Mice underwent TH and CLP 48 h later in three separate experiments. In experiment 1, mice were sacrificed pre- and post-CLP to characterize the trajectory of PAI-1 in plasma (protein) and tissues (mRNA). Post-CLP dynamics in TH-CLP (this study) and CLP-Only mice (prior study) were then compared for modulatory effects of TH. In experiment 2, to relate PAI-1 changes to outcome, mice underwent TH-CLP and were sampled daily and followed for 14 days to compare non-survivors (DEAD) and survivors (SUR). In experiment 3, plasma and tissue PAI-1 expression were compared between mice predicted to die (P-DIE) and to live (P-LIVE). Results In experiment 1, an early post-TH rise of circulating PAI-1 was contrasted by a delayed (post-TH) decrease of PAI-1 mRNA in organs. In the post-CLP phase, profiles of circulating PAI-1 were similar between TH-CLP and CLP-Only mice. Conversely, PAI-1 mRNA declined in the liver and heart of TH-CLP mice versus CLP-Only. In experiment 2, there were no DEAD/SUR differences in circulating PAI-1 prior to CLP. Post-CLP, circulating PAI-1 in DEAD was 2–4-fold higher than in SUR. PAI-1 increase heralded septic deaths up to 48 h prior but DEAD/SUR thrombomodulin (endothelial injury marker) levels were identical. In experiment 3, levels of circulating PAI-1 and its hepatic gene expression were higher in P-DIE versus P-LIVE mice and those increases closely correlated with liver dysfunction. Conclusions Trauma modulated septic PAI-1 responses in a compartment-specific fashion. Only post-CLP increases in circulating PAI-1 predicted septic outcomes. In posttraumatic sepsis, pre-lethal release of PAI-1 was mostly of hepatic origin and was independent of endothelial injury. PMID:23408987

  11. NHEXAS PHASE I ARIZONA STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMANCE OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE: VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION (UA-D-2.0)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this SOP is to define the procedures used for the initial and periodic verification and validation of computer programs used during the Arizona NHEXAS project and the "Border" study. Keywords: Computers; Software; QA/QC.

    The National Human Exposure Assessment Sur...

  12. 24 CFR 245.416 - Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid utilities or a reduction in tenant utility... Covered Action § 245.416 Initial submission of materials to HUD: Conversion from project-paid utilities to tenant-paid utilities or a reduction in tenant utility allowances. In the case of a conversion from...

  13. Putative subunits of the rat mesangial KATP: a type 2B sulfonylurea receptor and an inwardly rectifying K+ channel.

    PubMed

    Szamosfalvi, Balázs; Cortes, Pedro; Alviani, Rebecca; Asano, Kenichiro; Riser, Bruce L; Zasuwa, Gary; Yee, Jerry

    2002-05-01

    Sulfonylurea agents exert their physiological effects in many cell types via binding to specific sulfonylurea receptors (SUR). SUR couple to inwardly-rectifying K+ channel (Kir6.x) to form tetradimeric ATP-sensitive K+ channels (KATP). The SUR subunits confer ATP-sensitivity on KATP and also provide the binding sites for sulfonylureas and other pharmacological agents. Our previous work demonstrated that the exposure of mesangial cells (MC) to sulfonylureas generated profound effects on MC glucose uptake and matrix metabolism and induced heightened cell contractility in association with Ca2+ transients. Because these responses likely resulted from the binding of sulfonylurea to a mesangial SUR2, we subsequently documented [3H]-glibenclamide binding to MC and the gene expression of several mesangial SUR2 transcripts. From these data, we inferred that MC expressed the components of a mesangial KATP and sought to establish their presence in primary MC. To obtain mesangial SUR2 cDNA sequences, rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was utilized. DNA sequences were established by the fluorescent dye termination method. Gene expression of mesangial SUR2 and Kir6.1/2 was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Northern analysis. SUR2 proteins were identified by immunoblotting of mesangial proteins from membrane-enriched fractions with polyclonal antiserum directed against SUR2. RACE cloning yielded two mesangial SUR2 cDNAs of 4.8 and 6.7 kbp whose open reading frames translated proteins of 964 and 1535 aa, respectively. Using probes specific to each cDNA, the presence of a unique, 5.5 kbp serum-regulated mesangial SUR2 splice variant was established. The sequence of this mesangial SUR2 (mcSUR2B) shares identity with the recently cloned rat SUR2B (rSUR2B), but, in comparison to rSUR2B, is truncated by 12 exons at the N-terminus where it contains a unique insert of 16 aa. Immunoblotting studies with anti-SUR2 antiserum demonstrated SUR2 proteins of 108 and 170 kD in membrane-enriched fractions of MC protein extracts. Complementary studies showed abundant gene expression of Kir6.1, thereby establishing gene expression of both components of KATP. Based upon analogy to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), there are at least two putative mesangial KATP that most likely represent hetero-octamers, comprised of either rSUR2B or mcSUR2 in complex with Kir6.1. Our results define the mesangial SUR2B as the possible first link in a chain of cellular events that culminates in MC contraction and altered extracellular matrix metabolism following exposure to sulfonylureas. In addition, our results serve as the basis for the future elucidation of the electrophysiologic characteristics of the mesangial KATP and the study of endogenous regulators of mesangial cell contractility.

  14. Caudal hindbrain lactate infusion alters glucokinase, SUR1, and neuronal substrate fuel transporter gene expression in the dorsal vagal complex, lateral hypothalamic area, and ventromedial nucleus hypothalamus of hypoglycemic male rats.

    PubMed

    Vavaiya, Kamlesh V; Briski, Karen P

    2007-10-24

    While in vitro studies show that the oxidizable energy substrate, lactate, is a preferred fuel for CNS neurons during states of energy crisis, and that lactate may regulate neuronal glucose uptake under those conditions, its role in neuronal function in vivo remains controversial. Glucose-excited neurons in hindbrain dorsal vagal complex (DVC) monitor both glucose and lactate, and express both the glucose sensor, glucokinase (GK), and the SUR1 subunit of the plasma membrane energy transducer, K(ATP). Fourth ventricular lactate infusion exacerbates insulin-induced hypoglycemia (IIH) and IIH-associated patterns of DVC neuronal activation. We investigated the hypothesis that during glucoprivation, lactate regulates neuronal monocarboxylate and glucose transporter gene transcription in the DVC, and adjustments in these gene profiles are correlated with altered GK and SUR1 mRNA expression. We also examined whether caudal hindbrain lactate repletion alters the impact of hypoglycemia on substrate fuel uptake and metabolic sensing functions in other characterized metabolic monitoring sites, e.g., the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). qPCR was used to measure MCT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, GK, and SUR1 transcripts in the microdissected DVC, VMH, and LHA from groups of male rats treated by continuous infusion of aCSF or lactate into the caudal fourth ventricle (CV4), initiated prior to injection of Humulin R or saline. Blood glucose was decreased in response to insulin, a response that was significantly augmented by CV4 lactate infusion. IIH alone did not alter mean DVC MCT2, GLUT3, GLUT4, GK, or SUR1 mRNA levels, but these transcripts were increased in the lactate plus insulin group, relative to both euglycemic and aCSF-infused hypoglycemic rats. IIH decreased MCT2, GLUT3, and SUR1 gene profiles in the VMH; CV4 lactate infusion during IIH further diminished these transcripts, and suppressed GLUT4 and GK mRNA levels in this site. In LHA, IIH increased GLUT3 and SUR1 gene expression to an equal extent, with or without lactate, while GLUT4, MCT2, and GK mRNA levels were elevated only in response to lactate plus insulin. These studies show that caudal hindbrain-targeted delivery of exogenous lactate during IIH upregulates neuronal monocarboxylate and glucose transporter, GK, and SUR1 gene profiles in the DVC, and results in increased or decreased GLUT4 and GK mRNA in LHA and VMH, respectively. These data suggest that lactate and glucose utilization by DVC neurons may be enhanced in response to local lactate surfeit, alone or relative to glucose deficiency, and that increases in intracellular glucose and net energy yield may be correlated with elevated GK and SUR1 gene transcription, respectively, in local glucose sensing neurons. The results also imply that GLUT4- and GK-mediated glucose uptake and glucose sensing functions in the VMH and LHA may be reactive to DVC signaling of relative lactate abundance within the caudal hindbrain, and/or to physiological sequelae of this fuel augmentation, including amplified hypoglycemia.

  15. Conversational Patterns of Homestay Hosts and Study Abroad Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pryde, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Although the initiation, response, and follow-up (IRF) conversational structure and the initiation, response, evaluation (IRE) structure, commonly termed "triadic dialogue," (Lemke, 1990) have been extensively documented in relation to classroom conversational style, there is little research on their distribution during, and impact on,…

  16. Initiating decision-making conversations in palliative care: an ethnographic discourse analysis.

    PubMed

    Bélanger, Emmanuelle; Rodríguez, Charo; Groleau, Danielle; Légaré, France; Macdonald, Mary Ellen; Marchand, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Conversations about end-of-life care remain challenging for health care providers. The tendency to delay conversations about care options represents a barrier that impedes the ability of terminally-ill patients to participate in decision-making. Family physicians with a palliative care practice are often responsible for discussing end-of-life care preferences with patients, yet there is a paucity of research directly observing these interactions. In this study, we sought to explore how patients and family physicians initiated decision-making conversations in the context of a community hospital-based palliative care service. This qualitative study combined discourse analysis with ethnographic methods. The field research lasted one year, and data were generated through participant observation and audio-recordings of consultations. A total of 101 consultations were observed longitudinally between 18 patients, 6 family physicians and 2 pivot nurses. Data analysis consisted in exploring the different types of discourses initiating decision-making conversations and how these discourses were affected by the organizational context in which they took place. The organization of care had an impact on decision-making conversations. The timing and origin of referrals to palliative care shaped whether patients were still able to participate in decision-making, and the decisions that remained to be made. The type of decisions to be made also shaped how conversations were initiated. Family physicians introduced decision-making conversations about issues needing immediate attention, such as symptom management, by directly addressing or eliciting patients' complaints. When decisions involved discussing impending death, decision-making conversations were initiated either indirectly, by prompting the patients to express their understanding of the disease and its progression, or directly, by providing a justification for broaching a difficult topic. Decision-making conversations and the initiation thereof were framed by the organization of care and the referral process prior to initial encounters. While symptom management was taken for granted as part of health care professionals' expected role, engaging in decisions regarding preparation for death implicitly remained under patients' control. This work makes important clinical contributions by exposing the rhetorical function of family physicians' discourse when introducing palliative care decisions.

  17. Building Substantive Engagement through the Use of Connection Prompts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alamar, Amy

    2013-01-01

    Conversation is a strategy that helps students build reading skills and improve reading comprehension. This study describes the implementation of connection prompts in a 2nd-grade classroom to support students in making predictions, questioning the text, and initiating further conversation. Research suggests that once conversation is initiated,…

  18. Requirement of Sur2 for Efficient Replication of Mouse Adenovirus Type 1

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Lei; Stevens, Jennitte L.; Berk, Arnold J.; Spindler, Katherine R.

    2004-01-01

    Mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) early region 1A (E1A) encodes a virulence gene in viral infection of mice. To broaden our understanding of the functions of E1A in MAV-1 pathogenesis, an unbiased experimental approach, glutathione S-transferase (GST) pulldown, was used to screen for cellular proteins that interact with E1A protein. We identified mouse Sur2, a subunit of Mediator complex, as a protein that binds to MAV-1 E1A. The interaction between Sur2 and MAV-1 E1A was confirmed in virus-infected cells. Conserved region 3 (CR3) of MAV-1 E1A was mapped as the region required for Sur2-E1A interaction, as is the case for human adenovirus E1A. Although it has been proposed that human adenovirus E1A recruits the Mediator complex to transactivate transcription of viral early genes, Sur2 function in adenovirus replication has not been directly tested previously. Studies on the functions of Sur2 with mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) showed that there was a multiplicity-dependent growth defect of MAV-1 in Sur2−/− MEFs compared to Sur2+/+ MEFs. Comparison of the viral DNA and viral mRNA levels in Sur2+/+ and Sur2−/− MEFs confirmed that Sur2 was important for efficient viral replication. The viral replication defects in Sur2−/− MEFs appeared to be due at least in part to a defect in viral early gene transcription. PMID:15542641

  19. The molecular basis of the specificity of action of KATP channel openers

    PubMed Central

    Moreau, Christophe; Jacquet, Hélène; Prost, Anne-Lise; D’hahan, Nathalie; Vivaudou, Michel

    2000-01-01

    KATP channels incorporate a regulatory subunit of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR), which defines their pharmacology. The therapeutically important K+ channel openers (e.g. pinacidil, cromakalim, nicorandil) act specifically on the SUR2 muscle isoforms but, except for diazoxide, remain ineffective on the SUR1 neuronal/pancreatic isoform. This SUR1/2 dichotomy underpinned a chimeric strategy designed to identify the structural determinants of opener action, which led to a minimal set of two residues within the last transmembrane helix of SUR. Transfer of either residue from SUR2A to SUR1 conferred opener sensitivity to SUR1, while the reverse operation abolished SUR2A sensitivity. It is therefore likely that these residues form part of the site of interaction of openers with the channel. Thus, openers would target a region that, in other ABC transporters, is known to be tightly involved with the binding of substrates and other ligands. This first glimpse of the site of action of pharmacological openers should permit rapid progress towards understanding the structural determinants of their affinity and specificity. PMID:11118199

  20. Hybrid assemblies of ATP-sensitive K+ channels determine their muscle-type-dependent biophysical and pharmacological properties.

    PubMed

    Tricarico, Domenico; Mele, Antonietta; Lundquist, Andrew L; Desai, Reshma R; George, Alfred L; Conte Camerino, Diana

    2006-01-24

    ATP-sensitive K(+) channels (K(ATP)) are an octameric complex of inwardly rectifying K(+) channels (Kir6.1 and Kir6.2) and sulfonylurea receptors (SUR1 and SUR2A/B), which are involved in several diseases. The tissue-selective expression of the subunits leads to different channels; however, the composition and role of the functional channel in native muscle fibers is not known. In this article, the properties of K(ATP) channels of fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles were compared by combining patch-clamp experiments with measurements of gene expression. We found that the density of K(ATP) currents/area was muscle-type specific, being higher in fast-twitch muscles compared with the slow-twitch muscle. The density of K(ATP) currents/area was correlated with the level of Kir6.2 expression. SUR2A was the most abundant subunit expressed in all muscles, whereas the vascular SUR2B subunit was expressed but at lower levels. A significant expression of the pancreatic SUR1 was also found in fast-twitch muscles. Pharmacological experiments showed that the channel response to the SUR1 agonist diazoxide, SUR2A/B agonist cromakalim, SUR1 antagonist tolbutamide, and the SUR1/SUR2A/B-antagonist glibenclamide matched the SURs expression pattern. Muscle-specific K(ATP) subunit compositions contribute to the physiological performance of different muscle fiber types and determine the pharmacological actions of drugs modulating K(ATP) activity in muscle diseases.

  1. Effect of castration method and analgesia on inflammation, behavior, growth performance, and carcass traits in feedlot cattle.

    PubMed

    Roberts, S L; Powell, J G; Hughes, H D; Richeson, J T

    2018-02-15

    Our objective was to determine the effect of castration timing, method, and use of the analgesic meloxicam (MEL) on inflammation, behavior, performance, and carcass traits in feedlot cattle. This study was a randomized complete block design conducted over a 3-yr period. In total, 194 crossbred beef calves from a single ranch origin were randomized at birth to receive one of five treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial: 1) bulls castrated within 48 h of birth (CON), 2) bulls surgically castrated on day 0 without MEL (SUR), 3) bulls surgically castrated on day 0 with MEL (SUR + MEL), 4) bulls band castrated on d 0 without MEL (BAN), and 5) bulls band castrated on day 0 with MEL (BAN + MEL). Upon feedlot arrival (day -11; average 287 ± 2.03 d of age), animals were blocked by initial BW (224 ± 4.5 kg) and assigned randomly to treatment pens in three consecutive years (n = 2 pens per treatment in each year). Oral MEL was administered at 1 mg/kg BW concurrent with applicable castration treatment on day 0. Data were analyzed using the MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures of SAS with pen (year) serving as experimental unit. From days 0 to 7, ADG was reduced (P = 0.01) for surgical (-0.42) compared to band (0.43 kg/d) castration. Conversely, ADG was increased for surgical (1.74) vs. band (1.46 kg/d) castration from days 14 to 32. There was also an overall (day 0 to final) improvement in ADG for MEL (P = 0.02), but no effect of castration method was observed (P = 0.81). The CON group had the greatest (P = 0.05) marbling score. Backfat thickness was increased (P = 0.01) for MEL. A treatment × day interaction (P = 0.04) existed for serum haptoglobin, with SUR having the greatest (P < 0.01) concentration on days 1 and 4. Meloxicam administered in the surgically castrated treatment reduced (P = 0.01) serum haptoglobin concentration on day 1. Relative to baseline, standing duration for surgical castration was increased 113 min (P < 0.01), while banding caused 6.7 more lying bouts (P < 0.01) immediately following castration on day 0. Step count was greatest for BAN, intermediate for CON, and least for surgical (P < 0.01). Results suggest that MEL mitigated the more pronounced inflammation observed for surgical castration, whereas behavior was differentially altered for castration method indicative of a divergent pain response. Castration, regardless of method, transiently reduced ADG, but MEL administration improved overall ADG for both methods.

  2. ATP-sensitive potassium currents from channels formed by Kir6 and a modified cardiac mitochondrial SUR2 variant

    PubMed Central

    Aggarwal, Nitin T; Shi, Nian-Qing; Makielski, Jonathan C

    2013-01-01

    Cardiac ATP-sensitive potassium channels (KATP) are found in both the sarcoplasmic reticulum (sarcKATP) and the inner membrane of mitochondria (mitoKATP). SarcKATP are composed of a pore containing subunit Kir6.2 and a regulatory sulfonylurea receptor subunit (SUR2), but the composition of mitoKATP remains unclear. An unusual intra-exonic splice variant of SUR2 (SUR2A-55) was previously identified in mitochondria of mammalian heart and brain, and by analogy with sarcKATP we proposed SUR2A-55 as a candidate regulatory subunit of mitoKATP. Although SUR2A-55 lacks the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD) and 2 transmembrane domains (TMD), it has a hybrid TMD and retains the second NBD. It resembles a hemi-ABC transporter suggesting it could multimerize to function as a regulatory subunit. A putative mitochondrial targeting signal in the N-terminal domain of SUR2A-55 was removed by truncation and when co-expressed with Kir6.1 and Kir6.2 it targeted to the plasma membrane and yielded KATP currents. Single channel conductance, mean open time, and burst open time of SUR2A-55 based KATP was similar to the full-length SUR2A based KATP. However, the SUR2A-55 KATP were 70-fold less sensitive to block by ATP, and twice as resistant to intracellular Ca2+ inhibition compared with the SUR2A KATP, and were markedly insensitive to KATP drugs, pinacidil, diazoxide, and glybenclamide. These results suggest that the SUR2A-55 based channels would tend to be open under physiological conditions and in ischemia, and could account for cardiac and mitochondrial phenotypes protective for ischemia. PMID:24037327

  3. Reconnaissance geologic map of the Loreto and part of the San Janier quadrangles, Baja California Sur, Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McLean, Hugh

    1988-01-01

    The Loreto area of Baja California Sur, Mexico, contains a diverse association of igneous, sedimentary, and metasedimentary rocks exposed in the foothills and arroyos between the Sierra La Giganta and Gulf of California. The Loreto area was selected for this study to examine the possible relation of the marine rocks to the opening of the Gulf of California, and to determine the stratigraphic and structural relations between basement rocks composed of granitic and prebatholithic rocks and overlying Tertiary (mainly Miocene) sedimentary and volcanic rocks, and by a sequence of Pliocene marine and nonmarine sedimentary rocks. The Pliocene marine rocks lie in a structural depression informally called here, the Loreto embayment. This geologic map and report stem from a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Consejo de Recursos Minerales of Mexico that was initiated in 1982.

  4. Bacteriologic monitoring of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in five DOTS-Plus pilot projects.

    PubMed

    Gammino, V M; Taylor, A B; Rich, M L; Bayona, J; Becerra, M C; Bonilla, C; Gelmanova, I; Hollo, V; Jaramillo, E; Keshavjee, S; Leimane, V; Mitnick, C D; Quelapio, M I D; Riektsina, V; Tupasi, T E; Wells, C D; Zignol, M; Cegielski, P J

    2011-10-01

    Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis programs in DOTS-Plus pilot sites in five countries. To calculate sputum conversion time and its relationship to treatment outcome, document the frequency of culture reversions and examine concordance of smear and culture to assess the potential consequences of monitoring by smear microscopy alone. Retrospective cohort analysis of 1926 patients receiving individualized, second-line therapy. Among 1385 sputum culture-positive cases at baseline, 1146 (83%) experienced at least one culture conversion during treatment. Conversion, however, was not sustained in all patients: 201 (15%) experienced initial culture conversion and at least one subsequent culture reversion to positive; 1064 (77%) achieved sustained culture conversion. Median time to culture conversion was 3 months. Among 206 patients whose nal conversion occurred 7-18 months after the initiation of therapy, 71% were cured or had completed treatment. Prolonged treatment for patients with delayed conversion may be beneficial, as 71% of late converters still achieved cure or completed treatment. This has implications for programs with de ned end points for treatment failure. The interval between rst and nal conversion among patients whose initial con- version is not sustained raises concern with respect to the ongoing debate regarding duration of treatment and the definition of cure.

  5. Quelques Facteurs Sociaux Agissant sur la Formation Permanente et l'Education Informelle en Algerie (Social Factors Acting upon Lifelong Learning and Informal Education in Algeria).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haddab, Mustapha

    1994-01-01

    Analyzes conditions that have led to an increase in private and collective educational initiatives in Algeria, highlighting political and socioeconomic changes since 1988. Indicates that after a long period of a public education monopoly, social factors have led to the development of alternative educational opportunities that are more responsive…

  6. Structure of Thermotoga maritima Stationary Phase Survival Protein SurE: A Novel Acid Phosphatase

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, R.-G.; Skarina, T.; Katz, J.E.; Beasley, S.; Khachatryan, A.; Vyas, S.; Arrowsmith, C.H.; Clarke, S.; Edwards, A.; Joachimiak, A.; Savchenko, A.

    2009-01-01

    Summary Background The rpoS, nlpD, pcm, and surE genes are among many whose expression is induced during the stationary phase of bacterial growth. rpoS codes for the stationary-phase RNA polymerase σ subunit, and nlpD codes for a lipoprotein. The pcm gene product repairs damaged proteins by converting the atypical isoaspartyl residues back to L-aspartyls. The physiological and biochemical functions of surE are unknown, but its importance in stress is supported by the duplication of the surE gene in E. coli subjected to high-temperature growth. The pcm and surE genes are highly conserved in bacteria, archaea, and plants. Results The structure of SurE from Thermotoga maritima was determined at 2.0 Å. The SurE monomer is composed of two domains; a conserved N-terminal domain, a Rossman fold, and a C-terminal oligomerization domain, a new fold. Monomers form a dimer that assembles into a tetramer. Biochemical analysis suggests that SurE is an acid phosphatase, with an optimum pH of 5.5–6.2. The active site was identified in the N-terminal domain through analysis of conserved residues. Structure-based site-directed point mutations abolished phosphatase activity. T. maritima SurE intra- and inter-subunit salt bridges were identified that may explain the SurE thermostability. Conclusions The structure of SurE provided information about the protein’s fold, oligomeric state, and active site. The protein possessed magnesium-dependent acid phosphatase activity, but the physiologically relevant substrate(s) remains to be identified. The importance of three of the assigned active site residues in catalysis was confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. PMID:11709173

  7. Teaching Partner-Focused Questions to Students Who Use Augmentative Communication to Initiate and Lengthen Their Communication Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Sondra; Rettig, Michael A.

    2009-01-01

    Students that use augmentative communication often have a hard time breaking into conversations, initiating conversations and then being able to sustain a conversation. Students that use augmentative communication (ACC) need training in not only the use of the machine but in social communication rules, and in strategies on how to bypass…

  8. Kir6.2-dependent high-affinity repaglinide binding to β-cell KATP channels

    PubMed Central

    Hansen, Ann Maria K; Hansen, John Bondo; Carr, Richard D; Ashcroft, Frances M; Wahl, Philip

    2005-01-01

    The β-cell KATP channel is composed of two types of subunit – the inward rectifier K+ channel (Kir6.2) which forms the channel pore, and the sulphonylurea receptor (SUR1), which serves as a regulatory subunit. The N-terminus of Kir6.2 is involved in transduction of sulphonylurea binding into channel closure, and deletion of the N-terminus (Kir6.2ΔN14) results in functional uncoupling of the two subunits. In this study, we investigate the interaction of the hypoglycaemic agents repaglinide and glibenclamide with SUR1 and the effect of Kir6.2 on this interaction. We further explore how the binding properties of repaglinide and glibenclamide are affected by functional uncoupling of SUR1 and Kir6.2 in Kir6.2ΔN14/SUR1 channels. All binding experiments are performed on membranes in ATP-free buffer at 37°C. Repaglinide was found to bind with low affinity (KD=59±16 nM) to SUR1 alone, but with high affinity (increased ∼150-fold) when SUR1 was co-expressed with Kir6.2 (KD=0.42±0.03 nM). Glibenclamide, tolbutamide and nateglinide all bound with marginally lower affinity to SUR1 than to Kir6.2/SUR1. Repaglinide bound with low affinity (KD=51±23 nM) to SUR1 co-expressed with Kir6.2ΔN14. In contrast, the affinity for glibenclamide, tolbutamide and nateglinide was only mildly changed as compared to wild-type channels. In whole-cell patch-clamp experiments inhibition of Kir6.2ΔN14/SUR1 currents by both repaglinide and nateglinde is abolished. The results suggest that Kir6.2 causes a conformational change in SUR1 required for high-affinity repaglinide binding, or that the high-affinity repaglinide-binding site includes contributions from both SUR1 and Kir6.2. Glibenclamide, tolbutamide and nateglinide binding appear to involve only SUR1. PMID:15678092

  9. Final Test Report: Hexavalent Chrome Free Coatings for Electronics Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding Effectiveness (SE)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2016-01-01

    The test results for Salt Spray Resistance, Static Heat and Humidity and Marine Environment can be found in Sections 3.1.3.3, 3.1.4.3 and 3.1.5.3 respectively. In summary, both the Metalast TCP and SurTec 650 Type 2 conversion coatings perform very similar to the incumbent Type 1 conversion coating against both 6061 and 5052 aluminum under all three test conditions. Significant prior work was performed to select the aluminum and conversion coating included within this test cycle; Reference - NASA GSDO Program Hexavalent Chrome Alternatives Final Pretreatments Test Report Task Order: NNH12AA45D September 01, 2013. As illustrated in the data, the 6061 aluminum panels SLIGHTLY out-performed the 5052 aluminum panels. Individual shielding effectiveness graphs for each panel are included within Appendix C and D. One other notable effect found during review of the data is that the Test Panels exposed to B117 Salt Fog reduced in shielding effectiveness significantly more than the Marine Environment Test Panels. The shielding effectiveness of the Marine Test Panels was approximately 20dB higher than the Test Panels that underwent B117 Salt Fog Exposure. The intent of this evaluation was not to maximize shielding effectiveness values. The same Parker Chomerics Cho-Seal 6503 gasket material was used for all panels with aluminum and conversion coating variants. A typical EMI gasket design for corrosive environments would be done quite differently. The intent was to execute a test that would provide the best possible evaluation of different aluminum materials and conversion coatings in corrosive environments. The test program achieved this intent. The fact that the two aluminums and two Type II conversion coatings performed similar to the incumbent Type 1 conversion coating is a positive outcome. It was desired to have an outcome that further differentiation the performance of two aluminum types and two conversion coating types but this could not be extracted by the test results. Further analysis of the test plates may be done by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) or Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Feasibility of this is under review.

  10. The occurrence of 'what', 'where', 'what house' and other repair initiations in the home environment of hearing-impaired individuals.

    PubMed

    Pajo, Kati

    2013-01-01

    Even though research has increasingly focused on the qualitative features of natural conversations, which have improved the communication therapy for hearing-impaired individuals (HI) and familiar partners (FP), very little is known about the interactions that occur outside clinical settings. This study investigated qualitatively how both HI and FP initiated repair due to misperceptions or to a difficulty in understanding during conversations conducted at home. The HI participant's multimodal production style was adopted in the present analysis, and the frequencies were calculated for the different types of verbal repair initiations. Participants with acquired hearing loss (43-69 years) and their familiar partners (24-67 years) were video recorded (total time approximately 9 h) in their homes. The data consisted of eight conversational dyads. The transcription and analysis utilized Conversation Analysis. A total of 209 (HI 164/FP 45) verbal repair initiations were identified. The five major types of initiations found in the data (used by both HI and FP) were: open repair initiation, targeting question word, question word with repetition, repetition, and candidate understanding. HI participants rarely explicitly verbalized their difficulty to hear, but the production style, which included a fast speech rate and 'trouble posture', indicated a sensitive routine that was visible particularly in clear misperceptions. Furthermore, the alerting action of overlapping turn taking with the FP participant's turn could be seen to reveal the depth of misperception. The individual differences between HI participants were found predominantly in the frequency of their repair initiations, but also in how they used the different types of repair initiation. Through a deeper qualitative analysis, conversational research can provide extended knowledge of the occurrence and style of ordinary repair initiations and highlight their relationship in certain conversational environments. A robust starting point in communication therapy is increasing the awareness of HI individuals' existing skills. © 2012 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  11. Nicotinamide-rich diet improves physical endurance by up-regulating SUR2A in the heart

    PubMed Central

    Sukhodub, Andriy; Sudhir, Rajni; Du, Qingyou; Jovanović, Sofija; Reyes, Santiago; Jovanović, Aleksandar

    2011-01-01

    Abstract SUR2A is an ATP-binding protein that serves as a regulatory subunit of cardioprotective ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. Based on signalling pathway regulating SUR2A expression and SUR2A role in regulating numbers of fully assembled KATP channels, we have suggested that nicotinamide-rich diet could improve physical endurance by stimulating SUR2A expression. We have found that mice on nicotinamide-rich diet significantly improved physical endurance, which was associated with significant increase in expression of SUR2A. Transgenic mice with solely overexpressed SUR2A on control diet had increased physical endurance in a similar manner as the wild-type mice on nicotinamide-rich diet. The experiments focused on action membrane potential and intracellular Ca2+ concentration have demonstrated that increased SUR2A expression was associated with the activation of sarcolemmal KATP channels and steady Ca2+ levels in cardiomyocytes in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. In contrast, the same challenge in the wild-type was characterized by a lack of the channel activation and rise in intracellular Ca2+. Nicotinamide-rich diet was ineffective to increase physical endurance in mice lacking KATP channels. This study has shown that nicotinamide-rich diet improves physical endurance by increasing expression of SUR2A and that this is a sole mechanism of the nicotinamide-rich diet effect. The obtained results suggest that oral nicotinamide is a regulator of SUR2A expression and has a potential as a drug that can improve physical endurance in conditions where this effect would be desirable. PMID:20731746

  12. Initiation of explosive conversions in energy-saturated nanoporous silicon-based compounds with fast semiconductor switches and energy-releasing elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savenkov, G. G.; Kardo-Sysoev, A. F.; Zegrya, A. G.; Os'kin, I. A.; Bragin, V. A.; Zegrya, G. G.

    2017-10-01

    The first findings concerning the initiation of explosive conversions in energy-saturated nanoporous silicon-based compounds via the electrical explosion of a semiconductor bridge are presented. The obtained results indicate that the energy parameters of an explosive conversion depend on the mass of a combustible agent—namely, nanoporous silicon—and the silicon-doping type.

  13. Lay Patient Navigators' Perspectives of Barriers, Facilitators and Training Needs in Initiating Advance Care Planning Conversations With Older Patients With Cancer.

    PubMed

    Niranjan, Soumya J; Huang, Chao-Hui S; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Halilova, Karina I; Pisu, Maria; Drentea, Patricia; Kvale, Elizabeth A; Bevis, Kerri S; Butler, Thomas W; Partridge, Edward E; Rocque, Gabrielle B

    2018-04-01

    Respecting Choices is an evidence-based model of facilitating advance care planning (ACP) conversations between health-care professionals and patients. However, the effectiveness of whether lay patient navigators can successfully initiate Respecting Choices ACP conversations is unknown. As part of a large demonstration project (Patient Care Connect [PCC]), a cohort of lay patient navigators underwent Respecting Choices training and were tasked to initiate ACP conversations with Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer. This article explores PCC lay navigators' perceived barriers and facilitators in initiating Respecting Choices ACP conversations with older patients with cancer in order to inform implementation enhancements to lay navigator-facilitated ACP. Twenty-six lay navigators from 11 PCC cancer centers in 4 states (Alabama, George, Tennessee, and Florida) completed in-depth, one-on-one semistructured interviews between June 2015 and August 2015. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. This evaluation identifies 3 levels-patient, lay navigator, and organizational factors in addition to training needs that influence ACP implementation. Key facilitators included physician buy-in, patient readiness, and navigators' prior experience with end-of-life decision-making. Lay navigators' perceived challenges to initiating ACP conversations included timing of the conversation and social and personal taboos about discussing dying. Our results suggest that further training and health system support are needed for lay navigators playing a vital role in improving the implementation of ACP among older patients with cancer. The lived expertise of lay navigators along with flexible longitudinal relationships with patients and caregivers may uniquely position this workforce to promote ACP.

  14. Exact solutions to model surface and volume charge distributions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukhopadhyay, S.; Majumdar, N.; Bhattacharya, P.; Jash, A.; Bhattacharya, D. S.

    2016-10-01

    Many important problems in several branches of science and technology deal with charges distributed along a line, over a surface and within a volume. Recently, we have made use of new exact analytic solutions of surface charge distributions to develop the nearly exact Boundary Element Method (neBEM) toolkit. This 3D solver has been successful in removing some of the major drawbacks of the otherwise elegant Green's function approach and has been found to be very accurate throughout the computational domain, including near- and far-field regions. Use of truly distributed singularities (in contrast to nodally concentrated ones) on rectangular and right-triangular elements used for discretizing any three-dimensional geometry has essentially removed many of the numerical and physical singularities associated with the conventional BEM. In this work, we will present this toolkit and the development of several numerical models of space charge based on exact closed-form expressions. In one of the models, Particles on Surface (ParSur), the space charge inside a small elemental volume of any arbitrary shape is represented as being smeared on several surfaces representing the volume. From the studies, it can be concluded that the ParSur model is successful in getting the estimates close to those obtained using the first-principles, especially close to and within the cell. In the paper, we will show initial applications of ParSur and other models in problems related to high energy physics.

  15. GSTAR-SUR Modeling With Calendar Variations And Intervention To Forecast Outflow Of Currencies In Java Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akbar, M. S.; Setiawan; Suhartono; Ruchjana, B. N.; Riyadi, M. A. A.

    2018-03-01

    Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) is general method to estimates Generalized Space Time Autoregressive (GSTAR) parameters. But in some cases, the residuals of GSTAR are correlated between location. If OLS is applied to this case, then the estimators are inefficient. Generalized Least Squares (GLS) is a method used in Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) model. This method estimated parameters of some models with residuals between equations are correlated. Simulation study shows that GSTAR with GLS method for estimating parameters (GSTAR-SUR) is more efficient than GSTAR-OLS method. The purpose of this research is to apply GSTAR-SUR with calendar variation and intervention as exogenous variable (GSTARX-SUR) for forecast outflow of currency in Java, Indonesia. As a result, GSTARX-SUR provides better performance than GSTARX-OLS.

  16. SurR9C84A protects and recovers human cardiomyocytes from hypoxia induced apoptosis

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

    Ashok, Ajay; Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, 2103 Cornell Rd. WRB 5128, Cleveland, OH 44106-7288; Kanwar, Jagat Rakesh

    Survivin, as an anti-apoptotic protein and a cell cycle regulator, is recently gaining importance for its regenerative potential in salvaging injured hypoxic cells of vital organs such as heart. Different strategies are being employed to upregulate survivin expression in dying hypoxic cardiomyocytes. We investigated the cardioprotective potential of a cell permeable survivin mutant protein SurR9C84A, for the management of hypoxia mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis, in a novel and clinically relevant model employing primary human cardiomyocytes (HCM). The aim of this research work was to study the efficacy and mechanism of SurR9C84A facilitated cardioprotection and regeneration in hypoxic HCM. To mimic hypoxicmore » microenvironment in vitro, well characterized HCM were treated with 100 µm (48 h) cobalt chloride to induce hypoxia. Hypoxia induced (HI) HCM were further treated with SurR9C84A (1 µg/mL) in order to analyse its cardioprotective efficacy. Confocal microscopy showed rapid internalization of SurR9C84A and scanning electron microscopy revealed the reinstatement of cytoskeleton projections in HI HCM. SurR9C84A treatment increased cell viability, reduced cell death via, apoptosis (Annexin-V assay), and downregulated free cardiac troponin T and MMP-9 expression. SurR9C84A also upregulated the expression of proliferation markers (PCNA and Ki-67) and downregulated mitochondrial depolarization and ROS levels thereby, impeding cell death. Human Apoptosis Array further revealed that SurR9C84A downregulated expression of pro-apoptotic markers and augmented expression of HSPs and HTRA2/Omi. SurR9C84A treatment led to enhanced levels of survivin, VEGF, PI3K and pAkt. SurR9C84A proved non-toxic to normoxic HCM, as validated through unaltered cell proliferation and other marker levels. Its pre-treatment exhibited lesser susceptibility to hypoxia/damage. SurR9C84A holds a promising clinical potential for human cardiomyocyte survival and proliferation following hypoxic injury. - Highlights: • Protection/regeneration of dying myocardium post myocardial infarction is important. • Downregulation of survivin induces apoptosis in hypoxic human cardiomyocytes (HCM). • Bio-replenishment with SurR9-C84A reinstates HCM survival, recovery and growth. • SurR9-C84A targets mitochondrial depolarization, fcTnT and ROS generation in HCM. • SurR9-C84A upregulates survivin, PCNA, PI3K/Akt pathway, VEGF and HSP levels. • SurR9-C84A holds promise as a treatment and preventive agent to replenish survivin.« less

  17. Finding the SurPriSe: A Case Study of a Faculty Learning Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michel, Roberta M.

    2014-01-01

    This article details a faculty learning community (FLC) that started in 2009 on the campus of a Midwestern University and has evolved into an interdisciplinary research, teaching and social community of practice and learning called SurPriSe. SurPriSe is an acronym that reflects the interest area of the FLC; Sur for surveillance, Pri for privacy,…

  18. Sulfonylureas suppress the stimulatory action of Mg-nucleotides on Kir6.2/SUR1 but not Kir6.2/SUR2A KATP channels: a mechanistic study.

    PubMed

    Proks, Peter; de Wet, Heidi; Ashcroft, Frances M

    2014-11-01

    Sulfonylureas, which stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells, are widely used to treat both type 2 diabetes and neonatal diabetes. These drugs mediate their effects by binding to the sulfonylurea receptor subunit (SUR) of the ATP-sensitive K(+) (KATP) channel and inducing channel closure. The mechanism of channel inhibition is unusually complex. First, sulfonylureas act as partial antagonists of channel activity, and second, their effect is modulated by MgADP. We analyzed the molecular basis of the interactions between the sulfonylurea gliclazide and Mg-nucleotides on β-cell and cardiac types of KATP channel (Kir6.2/SUR1 and Kir6.2/SUR2A, respectively) heterologously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. The SUR2A-Y1206S mutation was used to confer gliclazide sensitivity on SUR2A. We found that both MgATP and MgADP increased gliclazide inhibition of Kir6.2/SUR1 channels and reduced inhibition of Kir6.2/SUR2A-Y1206S. The latter effect can be attributed to stabilization of the cardiac channel open state by Mg-nucleotides. Using a Kir6.2 mutation that renders the KATP channel insensitive to nucleotide inhibition (Kir6.2-G334D), we showed that gliclazide abolishes the stimulatory effects of MgADP and MgATP on β-cell KATP channels. Detailed analysis suggests that the drug both reduces nucleotide binding to SUR1 and impairs the efficacy with which nucleotide binding is translated into pore opening. Mutation of one (or both) of the Walker A lysines in the catalytic site of the nucleotide-binding domains of SUR1 may have a similar effect to gliclazide on MgADP binding and transduction, but it does not appear to impair MgATP binding. Our results have implications for the therapeutic use of sulfonylureas. © 2014 Proks et al.

  19. A Literature Review on Operator Interface Technologies for Network Enabled Operational Environments Using Complex System Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-30

    d’interface fondées sur le comportement et sur la psychologie , ainsi que des méthodes de conception et de mise en œuvre d’interfaces multi-agents. On a mis...réseaucentriques. Ces technologies comprennent des approches de conception d’interface fondées sur le comportement et sur la psychologie , ainsi que des

  20. AirMSPI PODEX BigSur Terrain Images

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2013-12-13

    ... Browse Images from the PODEX 2013 Campaign   Big Sur target (Big Sur, California) 02/03/2013 Terrain-projected   Select ...   Version number   For more information, see the Data Product Specifications (DPS)   ...

  1. The processive kinetics of gene conversion in bacteria

    PubMed Central

    Paulsson, Johan; El Karoui, Meriem; Lindell, Monica

    2017-01-01

    Summary Gene conversion, non‐reciprocal transfer from one homologous sequence to another, is a major force in evolutionary dynamics, promoting co‐evolution in gene families and maintaining similarities between repeated genes. However, the properties of the transfer – where it initiates, how far it proceeds and how the resulting conversion tracts are affected by mismatch repair – are not well understood. Here, we use the duplicate tuf genes in Salmonella as a quantitatively tractable model system for gene conversion. We selected for conversion in multiple different positions of tuf, and examined the resulting distributions of conversion tracts in mismatch repair‐deficient and mismatch repair‐proficient strains. A simple stochastic model accounting for the essential steps of conversion showed excellent agreement with the data for all selection points using the same value of the conversion processivity, which is the only kinetic parameter of the model. The analysis suggests that gene conversion effectively initiates uniformly at any position within a tuf gene, and proceeds with an effectively uniform conversion processivity in either direction limited by the bounds of the gene. PMID:28256783

  2. Computerized Decision Support System Improves Fluid Resuscitation Outcomes Following Severe Burns: An Original Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    clinical decision- making paradigms, coupled with regula- tory and technical limitations, is just one of the hurdles that has kept advanced information...responses to assist care personnel during the resuscitation phase. CDSSs have been successfully used in the clinical setting for several years (23–24...because of clinical complications, death, or other factors were excluded. The control cohort included only patients who sur- vived for the initial 24

  3. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among US Navy and Marine Corps Personnel

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-05-16

    protection of human subjects in research (Protocol NHRC.2001.0001). Postal survey The choice of questions and question layouts for the sur- vey instrument were...specific health problems within the past 12 months. The optically scanned 10-page survey instrument was designed to take approximately 30 minutes to...suggestions, the survey instrument was refined before the initial mailing. Additionally, a random sample of 33% of individuals who completed the

  4. Human hair follicles contain two forms of ATP-sensitive potassium channels, only one of which is sensitive to minoxidil.

    PubMed

    Shorter, Katie; Farjo, Nilofer P; Picksley, Steven M; Randall, Valerie A

    2008-06-01

    Hair disorders cause psychological distress but are generally poorly controlled; more effective treatments are required. Despite the long-standing use of minoxidil for balding, its mechanism is unclear; suggestions include action on vasculature or follicle cells. Similar drugs also stimulate hair, implicating ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels. To investigate whether K(ATP) channels are present in human follicles, we used organ culture, molecular biological, and immunohistological approaches. Minoxidil and tolbutamide, a K(ATP) channel blocker, opposed each other's effects on the growing phase (anagen) of scalp follicles cultured in media with and without insulin. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction identified K(ATP) channel component gene expression including regulatory sulfonylurea receptors (SUR) SUR1 and SUR2B but not SUR2A and pore-forming subunits (Kir) Kir6.1 and Kir6.2. When hair bulb tissues were examined separately, epithelial matrix expressed SUR1 and Kir6.2, whereas both dermal papilla and sheath exhibited SUR2B and Kir6.1. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated similar protein distributions. Thus, human follicles respond biologically to K(ATP) channel regulators in culture and express genes and proteins for two K(ATP) channels, Kir6.2/SUR1 and Kir6.1/SUR2B; minoxidil only stimulates SUR2 channels. These findings indicate that human follicular dermal papillae contain K(ATP) channels that can respond to minoxidil and that tolbutamide may suppress hair growth clinically; novel drugs designed specifically for these channels could treat hair disorders.

  5. Study on film resistivity of Energy Conversion Components for MEMS Initiating Explosive Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Wei; Zhang, Bin; Zhao, Yulong; Chu, Enyi; Yin, Ming; Li, Hui; Wang, Kexuan

    2018-03-01

    Resistivity of Plane-film Energy Conversion Components is a key parameter to influence its resistance and explosive performance, and also it has important relations with the preparation of thin film technology, scale, structure and etc. In order to improve the design of Energy Conversion Components for MEMS Initiating Explosive Device, and reduce the design deviation of Energy Conversion Components in microscale, guarantee the design resistance and ignition performance of MEMS Initiating Explosive Device, this paper theoretically analyzed the influence factors of film resistivity in microscale, through the preparation of Al film and Ni-Cr film at different thickness with micro/nano, then obtain the film resistivity parameter of the typical metal under different thickness, and reveals the effect rule of the scale to the resistivity in microscale, at the same time we obtain the corresponding inflection point data.

  6. Pharmacologic Conversion during Dofetilide Treatment for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Steinberg, Jonathan S; Shah, Yash; Szepietowska, Barbara

    2017-06-01

    Dofetilide is a pure I Kr blocker and is one of the few drugs specifically studied and approved in the United States for the management of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Dofetilide has been noted to have a high rate of pharmacologic conversion during initial dosing in prior smaller studies. The intent of the study was to examine the safety of an inpatient loading strategy, and the incidence and patterns of pharmacologic conversion by dofetilide during the treatment of persistent AF in a large consecutive cohort. This is a retrospective analysis of 308 consecutive patients with persistent AF electively admitted for inpatient dofetilide loading. The initiation dose of dofetilide was determined by the creatinine clearance. Overall, 88% (n = 271) successfully completed initiation of dofetilide and were discharged in sinus rhythm. The most common reason for failure to complete initiation of dofetilide loading was QTc prolongation in 24 patients (7.8%), and torsade de pointes occurred in three patients (1%). Pharmacologic conversion was observed in 56% (n = 151) after a median of two doses. The rate of pharmacologic conversion based on the final dose was 75%, 9%, and 0% for 500 mcg, 250 mcg, and 125 mcg, respectively (P < 0.05). Dofetilide is a well-tolerated antiarrhythmic drug with a low incidence of proarrhythmia and an especially high rate of pharmacologic conversion in patients with persistent AF. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. 5 CFR 534.506 - Conversion provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Conversion provisions. 534.506 Section... OTHER SYSTEMS Pay for Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional Positions § 534.506 Conversion provisions. (a) This section covers initial conversion to the pay system under 5 U.S.C. 5376 as of the...

  8. 5 CFR 534.506 - Conversion provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conversion provisions. 534.506 Section... OTHER SYSTEMS Pay for Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional Positions § 534.506 Conversion provisions. (a) This section covers initial conversion to the pay system under 5 U.S.C. 5376 as of the...

  9. Concomitant Benznidazole and Suramin Chemotherapy in Mice Infected with a Virulent Strain of Trypanosoma cruzi

    PubMed Central

    Santos, Eliziária C.; Cupertino, Marli C.; Bastos, Daniel S. S.; Klein, Raphael C.; Silva, Eduardo A. M.; Fietto, Juliana L. R.; Talvani, André; Bahia, Maria T.

    2015-01-01

    Although suramin (Sur) is suggested as a potential drug candidate in the management of Chagas disease, this issue has not been objectively tested. In this study, we examined the applicability of concomitant treatment with benznidazole (Bz) and suramin in mice infected with a virulent strain of Trypanosoma cruzi. Eighty 12-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were equally randomized in eight groups: (i) noninfected mice (negative control) and mice infected with T. cruzi Y strain receiving (ii) no treatment (positive control), (iii) Bz, 100 mg/kg of body weight per day, (iv) Sur, 20 mg/kg/day, and (v to viii) Sur, 20 mg/kg/day, combined with Bz, 100, 50, 25, or 5 mg/kg/day. Bz was administered by gavage, and Sur was administered intraperitoneally. Sur dramatically increased the parasitemia, cardiac content of parasite DNA, inflammation, oxidative tissue damage, and mortality. In response to high parasitic load in cardiac tissue, Sur stimulated the immune system in a manner typical of the acute phase of Chagas disease, increasing tissue levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and inducing a preferential IgG2a anti-T. cruzi serum pattern. When Sur and Bz were combined, the infection severity was attenuated, showing a dose-dependent Bz response. Sur therapy had a more harmful effect on the host than on the parasite and reduced the efficacy of Bz against T. cruzi infection. Considering that Sur drastically reinforced the infection evolution, potentiating the inflammatory process and the severity of cardiac lesions, the in vivo findings contradicted the in vitro anti-T. cruzi potential described for this drug. PMID:26169419

  10. Déprescription des agonistes des récepteurs des benzodiazépines

    PubMed Central

    Pottie, Kevin; Thompson, Wade; Davies, Simon; Grenier, Jean; Sadowski, Cheryl A.; Welch, Vivian; Holbrook, Anne; Boyd, Cynthia; Swenson, Robert; Ma, Andy; Farrell, Barbara

    2018-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Formuler des lignes directrices fondées sur les données probantes visant à aider les cliniciens à décider du moment et de la façon sécuritaire de réduire la dose des agonistes des récepteurs des benzodiazépines (BZRA) pour mettre fin au traitement; se concentrer sur le niveau le plus élevé des données disponibles et obtenir les commentaires des professionnels de première ligne durant le processus de rédaction, de révision et d’adoption des lignes directrices. Méthodes L’équipe comptait 8 cliniciens (1 médecin de famille, 2 psychiatres, 1 psychologue clinique, 1 pharmacologue clinique, 2 pharmaciennes cliniques et 1 gériatre) et une spécialiste de la méthodologie; les membres ont divulgué tout conflit d’intérêts. Nous avons eu recours à un processus systématique, y compris l’approche GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) pour formuler les lignes directrices. Les données ont été générées par une revue systématique d’études portant sur la déprescription des BZRA contre l’insomnie, de même que par une revue des revues sur les torts liés à la poursuite du traitement par BZRA et des synthèses narratives sur les préférences des patients et les répercussions sur les ressources. Ces données et le score GRADE de qualité des données ont servi à formuler les recommandations. L’équipe a peaufiné le texte sur le contenu et les recommandations des lignes directrices par consensus et a synthétisé les considérations cliniques afin de répondre aux questions des cliniciens de première ligne. Une version préliminaire des lignes directrices a été révisée par les cliniciens et les intervenants. Recommandations Nous recommandons d’offrir la déprescription (réduction lente de la dose) des BZRA à tous les patients âgés (≥ 65 ans) sous un BZRA, sans égard à la durée de l’usage, et suggérons d’offrir la déprescription (réduction lente de la dose) à tous les adultes de 18 à 64 qui prennent un BZRA depuis plus de 4 semaines. Ces recommandations visent les patients qui prennent un BZRA contre l’insomnie seule (insomnie primaire) ou l’insomnie comorbide lorsque les comorbidités sous-jacentes sont efficacement prises en charge. Ces lignes directrices ne visent pas les personnes atteintes d’autres troubles non traités du sommeil ou d’anxiété, de dépression, ou d’autres troubles physiques ou de santé mentale pouvant causer ou aggraver l’insomnie. Conclusion Les agonistes des récepteurs des benzodiazépines sont liés à des torts, et leur effet thérapeutique serait bref. La réduction graduelle de la dose de BZRA améliore le taux d’abandon comparativement aux soins habituels, et ce, sans causer de torts graves. Les patients seraient plus ouverts à une conversation sur la déprescription s’ils comprennent le pourquoi (potentiel de torts), participent à l’élaboration du plan de réduction de la dose et reçoivent des conseils en matière de comportement. Les présentes lignes directrices émettent des recommandations pour décider du moment et de la façon de réduire la dose de BZRA pour mettre fin au traitement. Elles visent à contribuer au processus de décision conjointement avec le patient et non à le dicter. PMID:29760269

  11. Molecular Modeling of Chem-Bio (CB) Contaminant Sorption/Desorption and Reactions in Chlorinated Water Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-01

    The Smoluchowski model allows us to predict both the flux of DMMP molecules onto the channel membrane in the initial phase of the simulations, as... predicts both the transient and steady-state behavior of the MD simulations. However, the model breaks down for the silica sur- faces, because the...within the range predicted by the “one versus two contact point” conjecture outlined above. Subsequent chemical modeling obtained by Ginsberg (ERDC

  12. Africa Civic Action Planning and Implementation Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-03-17

    transfert du titre de propriet4 ou. que les d~fectuosit~s provenant de la conception sont... transfert du * .~.titre prendra effet normalement. au point de chargement chez le * fabricant; et pour ].es articles de de’fense fournis sur les stocks...dition avant l~e transfert . du Ititre de proprie’t4. Si l~e "lieu de livraison" d~sign4 est autre que le point initial d’expe’d’tion, l~e

  13. Investigation of NO interaction on Rh/doped TiO2-based automotive catalyst using combined transient diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared and mass spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chafik, T.; Ouassini, A.; Verykios, X. E.

    1998-07-01

    The interaction of NO with Rh supported on W+6 doped TiO2 has been investigated by coupling transient diffuse reflectance Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The experiments were carried out in dynamic conditions (under reactant flow and at temperature reaction) at atmospheric pressure. By comparing the results obtained with undoped Rh/TiO2 and Rh/TiO2(W6+) catalysts, the analytical approach used permitted to emphasis the effect of carrier doping, with respect to the elementary steps and surface intermediates involved in NO interaction process. It was found that W6+-doping of TiO2 promotes significantly the formation of Rh-NO- species and enhances the thermal stability of Rh-NO+ on Rh/TiO2 (W6+) surfaces. This leads to a drastic increase in the selectivity of NO decomposition reaction towards N2 formation, whereas the N2O yield decreases significantly. L'intéraction de NO sur un catalyseur à base de rhodium supporté sur TiO2 dopé par le tungstène W6+ a été étudiée en régime transitoire par couplage de la spectroscopie Infrarouge Diffuse à Transformée de Fourier (DRIFT) et la spectrométrie de masse. Ces études ont été effectuées dans des conditions dynamiques (sous flux de réactifs gazeux et à la température de la réaction) à la pression atmosphérique. La comparaison des études menées avec des catalyseurs non dopé (Rh/TiO2) et dopé (Rh/TiO2(W6+)) a permis de mettre en évidence l'influence du dopage du support catalytique sur la nature des intermédiaires superficiels et les étapes élémentaires intervenant dans le processus d'interaction de NO avec ces solides. Il a été montré que le dopage de TiO2 par W6+ accroît la formation des espèces Rh-NO- et la stabilité thermique des espèces Rh-NO+ sur Rh/TiO2(W6+). Ceci est à l'origine de l'augmentation de la sélectivité de la conversion de NO en N2 suite à la diminution considérable de la quantité N2O formée.

  14. State of Practice for Emerging Waste Conversion Technologies

    EPA Science Inventory

    New technologies to convert municipal and other waste streams into fuels and chemical commodities, termed conversion technologies, are rapidly developing. Conversion technologies are garnering increasing interest and demand due primarily to alternative energy initiatives. These t...

  15. Creatine kinase is physically associated with the cardiac ATP-sensitive k+ channel in vivo

    PubMed Central

    Crawford, Russell M.; Ranki, Harri J.; Botting, Catherine H.; Budas, Grant R.; Jovanovic, Aleksandar

    2007-01-01

    Cardiac sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels, composed of Kir6.2 and SUR2A subunits, couple the metabolic status of cells with the membrane excitability. Based on previous functional studies, we have hypothesized that creatine kinase (CK) may be a part of the sarcolemmal KATP channel protein complex. The inside-out and whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology applied on guinea pig cardiomyocytes showed that substrates of CK regulate KATP channels activity. Following immunoprecipitation of guinea-pig cardiac membrane fraction with the anti-SUR2 antibody, Coomassie blue staining revealed, besides Kir6.2 and SUR2A, a polypeptide at ∼48 kDa. Western blotting analysis confirmed the nature of putative Kir6.2 and SUR2A, whereas matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis identified p48 kDa as a muscle form of CK. In addition, the CK activity was found in the anti-SUR2A immunoprecipitate and the cross reactivity between an anti-CK antibody and the anti-SUR2A immunoprecipitate was observed as well as vice verse. Further results obtained at the level of recombinant channel subunits demonstrated that CK is directly physically associated with the SUR2A, but not the Kir6.2, subunit. All together, these results suggest that the CK is associated with SUR2A subunit in vivo, which is an integral part of the sarcolemmal KATP channel protein complex. PMID:11729098

  16. Systems and methods for initializing a charging system

    DOEpatents

    Ransom, Ray M.; Perisic, Milun; Kajouke, Lateef A.

    2014-09-09

    Systems and methods are provided for initiating a charging system. The method, for example, may include, but is not limited to, providing, by the charging system, an incrementally increasing voltage to a battery up to a first predetermined threshold while the energy conversion module has a zero-percent duty cycle, providing, by the charging system, an incrementally increasing voltage to the battery from an initial voltage level of the battery up to a peak voltage of a voltage source while the energy conversion module has a zero-percent duty cycle, and providing, by the charging system, an incrementally increasing voltage to the battery by incrementally increasing the duty cycle of the energy conversion module.

  17. Liquid Fuels from Lignins: Annual Report

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

    Chum, H. L.; Johnson, D. K.

    1986-01-01

    This task was initiated to assess the conversion of lignins into liquid fuels, primarily of lignins relevant to biomass-to-ethanol conversion processes. The task was composed of a literature review of this area and an experimental part to obtain pertinent data on the conversion of lignins germane to biomass-to-ethanol conversion processes.

  18. 2010 Coalition Battle Management Language Workshop (Atelier 2010 sur le langage de gestion du champ de bataille pour les operations en coalition)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-01

    Feb 2010 2010 Coalition Battle Management Language Workshop (Atelier 2010 sur le langage de gestion du champ de bataille pour les opérations en...RTO MEETING PROCEEDINGS MP-MSG-079 2010 Coalition Battle Management Language Workshop (Atelier 2010 sur le langage de gestion du champ de ...RTO-MP-MSG-079 ES - 3 Atelier 2010 sur le langage de gestion du champ de bataille pour les opérations en coalition (RTO-MP-MSG-079

  19. The Sur7 Protein Regulates Plasma Membrane Organization and Prevents Intracellular Cell Wall Growth in Candida albicans

    PubMed Central

    Alvarez, Francisco J.; Douglas, Lois M.; Rosebrock, Adam

    2008-01-01

    The Candida albicans plasma membrane plays important roles in cell growth and as a target for antifungal drugs. Analysis of Ca-Sur7 showed that this four transmembrane domain protein localized to stable punctate patches, similar to the plasma membrane subdomains known as eisosomes or MCC that were discovered in S. cerevisiae. The localization of Ca-Sur7 depended on sphingolipid synthesis. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, a C. albicans sur7Δ mutant displayed defects in endocytosis and morphogenesis. Septins and actin were mislocalized, and cell wall synthesis was very abnormal, including long projections of cell wall into the cytoplasm. Several phenotypes of the sur7Δ mutant are similar to the effects of inhibiting β-glucan synthase, suggesting that the abnormal cell wall synthesis is related to activation of chitin synthase activity seen under stress conditions. These results expand the roles of eisosomes by demonstrating that Sur7 is needed for proper plasma membrane organization and cell wall synthesis. A conserved Cys motif in the first extracellular loop of fungal Sur7 proteins is similar to a characteristic motif of the claudin proteins that form tight junctions in animal cells, suggesting a common role for these tetraspanning membrane proteins in forming specialized plasma membrane domains. PMID:18799621

  20. Cultural safety, diversity and the servicer user and carer movement in mental health research.

    PubMed

    Cox, Leonie G; Simpson, Alan

    2015-12-01

    This study will be of interest to anyone concerned with a critical appraisal of mental health service users' and carers' participation in research collaboration and with the potential of the postcolonial paradigm of cultural safety to contribute to the service user research (SUR) movement. The history and nature of the mental health field and its relationship to colonial processes provokes a consideration of whether cultural safety could focus attention on diversity, power imbalance, cultural dominance and structural inequality, identified as barriers and tensions in SUR. We consider these issues in the context of state-driven approaches towards SUR in planning and evaluation and the concurrent rise of the SUR movement in the UK and Australia, societies with an intimate involvement in processes of colonisation. We consider the principles and motivations underlying cultural safety and SUR in the context of the policy agenda informing SUR. We conclude that while both cultural safety and SUR are underpinned by social constructionism constituting similarities in principles and intent, cultural safety has additional dimensions. Hence, we call on researchers to use the explicitly political and self-reflective process of cultural safety to think about and address issues of diversity, power and social justice in research collaboration. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Aircraft Operations on Repaired Runways (l’Exploitation des Aeronefs sur les Pistes Refaites)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-08-01

    further compressed, so increasingThe discussions of this Section and investigations to be the force they’ apply to the axle . Under the intlucrncc of that...structural location the differLnce between the ratio of the For analysis the aircraft may be regarded as a system having stress corresponding to ultimate load...determine the rcliof of the loadingdIC initially be specified would probably require an to upward axle movement. For the former, since the length of

  2. Physiopathologie et Pathologie des Affections du Rachis en Medecine Aerospatiale (Physiopathology and Pathology of Affections of the Spine in Aerospace Medicine),

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-04-01

    Nous sommes conscients de 11holfeur de cette designation qui s base essentiellement sur is valeur reconnue des travaux prdsentds aux diff~rentes sessions... Comparativement l’avion eat beaucoup mieux adaptl au crash :conposante horizantale du chac plus Impartante, nombreuses structures ddfavorables, pour le pilate...Ejection Seat Design and Vertebral fractures. Aerospace Yed. 1nr4, _-; (6), 549-50. 165. Liu Y.K., Pontius U.P., Hoseyr R. : The effects of initi.l

  3. 12 CFR 5.24 - Conversion.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Conversion. 5.24 Section 5.24 Banks and Banking... ACTIVITIES Initial Activities § 5.24 Conversion. (a) Authority. 12 U.S.C. 35, 93a, 214a, 214b, 214c, and 2903... savings association. (d) Conversion of a state bank or Federal savings association to a national bank—(1...

  4. 12 CFR 5.24 - Conversion.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Conversion. 5.24 Section 5.24 Banks and Banking... ACTIVITIES Initial Activities § 5.24 Conversion. (a) Authority. 12 U.S.C. 35, 93a, 214a, 214b, 214c, and 2903... savings association. (d) Conversion of a state bank or Federal savings association to a national bank—(1...

  5. Pharmacist-patient communication about medication regimen adjustment during Ramadan.

    PubMed

    Amin, Mohamed E K; Chewning, Betty

    2016-12-01

    During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset while abstaining from food and drink. Although Muslim patients may be aware of their religious exemption from fasting, many patients still choose not to take that exemption and fast. This study examines pharmacists' initiation and timing of communication about medication regimen adjustment (MRA) with patients related to Ramadan. Predictors for initiating this communication with patients were also explored. A probability sample of community pharmacists in Alexandria, Egypt was surveyed. The self-administered instrument covered timing and likelihood of initiating discussion about MRA. Using ordered logistic regression, a model was estimated to predict pharmacists' initiation of the conversation on MRA during Ramadan. Ninety-three percent of the 298 approached pharmacists completed surveys. Only 16% of the pharmacists reported that they themselves usually initiated the conversation on MRA. Pharmacists' initiation of these conversations was associated with pharmacists' perceived importance of MRA on pharmacy revenue odds ratio ((OR) = 1.24, CI = 1.03-1.48). Eighty percent of the responding pharmacists reported the MRA conversation for chronic conditions started either 1-3 days before, or during the first week of Ramadan. These results suggest considerable pharmacist patient communication gaps regarding medication use during Ramadan. It is especially important for pharmacists and other health professionals to initiate communication with Muslim patients early enough to identify how best to help patients transition safely into and out of Ramadan as they fast. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  6. Empirical evaluation of inhibitory product, substrate, and enzyme effects during the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass.

    PubMed

    Smith, Benjamin T; Knutsen, Jeffrey S; Davis, Robert H

    2010-05-01

    The cellulose hydrolysis kinetics during batch enzymatic saccharification are typified by a rapid initial rate that subsequently decays, resulting in incomplete conversion. Previous studies suggest that changes associated with the solution, substrate, or enzymes may be responsible. In this work, kinetic experiments were conducted to determine the relative magnitude of these effects. Pretreated corn stover (PCS) was used as a lignocellulosic substrate likely to be found in a commercial saccharification process, while Avicel and Kraft lignin were used to create model substrates. Glucose inhibition was observed by spiking the reaction slurry with glucose during initial-rate experiments. Increasing the glucose concentration from 7 to 48 g/L reduced the cellulose conversion rate by 94%. When product sugars were removed using ultrafiltration with a 10 kDa membrane, the glucose-based conversion increased by 9.5%. Reductions in substrate reactivity with conversion were compared directly by saccharifying PCS and Avicel substrates that had been pre-reacted to different conversions. Reaction of substrate with a pre-conversion of 40% resulted in about 40% reduction in the initial rate of saccharification, relative to fresh substrate with identical cellulose concentration. Overall, glucose inhibition and reduced substrate reactivity appear to be dominant factors, whereas minimal reductions of enzyme activity were observed.

  7. Does the Establishment of Sustainable Use Reserves Affect Fire Management in the Humid Tropics?

    PubMed Central

    Carmenta, Rachel; Blackburn, George Alan; Davies, Gemma; de Sassi, Claudio; Lima, André; Parry, Luke; Tych, Wlodek; Barlow, Jos

    2016-01-01

    Tropical forests are experiencing a growing fire problem driven by climatic change, agricultural expansion and forest degradation. Protected areas are an important feature of forest protection strategies, and sustainable use reserves (SURs) may be reducing fire prevalence since they promote sustainable livelihoods and resource management. However, the use of fire in swidden agriculture, and other forms of land management, may be undermining the effectiveness of SURs in meeting their conservation and sustainable development goals. We analyse MODIS derived hot pixels, TRMM rainfall data, Terra-Class land cover data, socio-ecological data from the Brazilian agro-census and the spatial extent of rivers and roads to evaluate whether the designation of SURs reduces fire occurrence in the Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, we ask (1) a. Is SUR location (i.e., de facto) or (1) b. designation (i.e. de jure) the driving factor affecting performance in terms of the spatial density of fires?, and (2), Does SUR creation affect fire management (i.e., the timing of fires in relation to previous rainfall)? We demonstrate that pre-protection baselines are crucial for understanding reserve performance. We show that reserve creation had no discernible impact on fire density, and that fires were less prevalent in SURs due to their characteristics of sparser human settlement and remoteness, rather than their status de jure. In addition, the timing of fires in relation to rainfall, indicative of local fire management and adherence to environmental law, did not improve following SUR creation. These results challenge the notion that SURs promote environmentally sensitive fire-management, and suggest that SURs in Amazonia will require special attention if they are to curtail future accidental wildfires, particularly as plans to expand the road infrastructure throughout the region are realised. Greater investment to support improved fire management by farmers living in reserves, in addition to other fire users, will be necessary to help ameliorate these threats. PMID:26886207

  8. Does the Establishment of Sustainable Use Reserves Affect Fire Management in the Humid Tropics?

    PubMed

    Carmenta, Rachel; Blackburn, George Alan; Davies, Gemma; de Sassi, Claudio; Lima, André; Parry, Luke; Tych, Wlodek; Barlow, Jos

    2016-01-01

    Tropical forests are experiencing a growing fire problem driven by climatic change, agricultural expansion and forest degradation. Protected areas are an important feature of forest protection strategies, and sustainable use reserves (SURs) may be reducing fire prevalence since they promote sustainable livelihoods and resource management. However, the use of fire in swidden agriculture, and other forms of land management, may be undermining the effectiveness of SURs in meeting their conservation and sustainable development goals. We analyse MODIS derived hot pixels, TRMM rainfall data, Terra-Class land cover data, socio-ecological data from the Brazilian agro-census and the spatial extent of rivers and roads to evaluate whether the designation of SURs reduces fire occurrence in the Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, we ask (1) a. Is SUR location (i.e., de facto) or (1) b. designation (i.e. de jure) the driving factor affecting performance in terms of the spatial density of fires?, and (2), Does SUR creation affect fire management (i.e., the timing of fires in relation to previous rainfall)? We demonstrate that pre-protection baselines are crucial for understanding reserve performance. We show that reserve creation had no discernible impact on fire density, and that fires were less prevalent in SURs due to their characteristics of sparser human settlement and remoteness, rather than their status de jure. In addition, the timing of fires in relation to rainfall, indicative of local fire management and adherence to environmental law, did not improve following SUR creation. These results challenge the notion that SURs promote environmentally sensitive fire-management, and suggest that SURs in Amazonia will require special attention if they are to curtail future accidental wildfires, particularly as plans to expand the road infrastructure throughout the region are realised. Greater investment to support improved fire management by farmers living in reserves, in addition to other fire users, will be necessary to help ameliorate these threats.

  9. Flight Experience, Risk Taking, and Hazardous Attitudes in Glider Instructors (Experience de vol, Prise de Risque et Attitudes Dangereuses des Instructeurs de vol sur Planeur)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-11-01

    sur planeur . On a également examiné le rôle que jouent l’expérience de vol et la propension à prendre des risques dans le but d’anticiper les...données transversales, obtenues par l’observation de 144 instructeurs de vol sur planeur , en activité ou non, œuvrant dans cinq centres de vol à...137 Sommaire ..... Expérience de vol, prise de risque et attitudes dangereuses des instructeurs de vol sur planeur Ann-Renee Blais

  10. Identification of new adventitious rooting mutants amongst suppressors of the Arabidopsis thaliana superroot2 mutation.

    PubMed

    Pacurar, Daniel Ioan; Pacurar, Monica Lacramioara; Bussell, John Desmond; Schwambach, Joseli; Pop, Tiberia Ioana; Kowalczyk, Mariusz; Gutierrez, Laurent; Cavel, Emilie; Chaabouni, Salma; Ljung, Karin; Fett-Neto, Arthur Germano; Pamfil, Doru; Bellini, Catherine

    2014-04-01

    The plant hormone auxin plays a central role in adventitious rooting and is routinely used with many economically important, vegetatively propagated plant species to promote adventitious root initiation and development on cuttings. Nevertheless the molecular mechanisms through which it acts are only starting to emerge. The Arabidopsis superroot2-1 (sur2-1) mutant overproduces auxin and, as a consequence, develops excessive adventitious roots in the hypocotyl. In order to increase the knowledge of adventitious rooting and of auxin signalling pathways and crosstalk, this study performed a screen for suppressors of superroot2-1 phenotype. These suppressors provide a new resource for discovery of genetic players involved in auxin signalling pathways or at the crosstalk of auxin and other hormones or environmental signals. This study reports the identification and characterization of 26 sur2-1 suppressor mutants, several of which were identified as mutations in candidate genes involved in either auxin biosynthesis or signalling. In addition to confirming the role of auxin as a central regulator of adventitious rooting, superroot2 suppressors indicated possible crosstalk with ethylene signalling in this process.

  11. Magnetohydrodynamics of atmospheric transients. IV - Nonplane two-dimensional analyses of energy conversion and magnetic field evolution. [during corona following solar flare

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, S. T.; Nakagawa, Y.; Han, S. M.; Dryer, M.

    1982-01-01

    The evolution of the magnetic field and the manner of conversion of thermal energy into different forms in the corona following a solar flare are investigated by means of a nonplane magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) analysis. All three components of magnetic field and velocity are treated in a physically self-consistent manner, with all physical variables as functions of time (t) and two spatial coordinates (r, theta). The difference arising from the initial magnetic field, either twisted (force-free) or non-twisted (potential), is demonstrated. Consideration is given to two initial field topologies (open vs. closed). The results demonstrate that the conversion of magnetic energy is faster for the case of the initially twisted (force-free) field than for the initially untwisted (potential) field. In addition, the twisted field is found to produce a complex structure of the density enhancements.

  12. The big sur ecoregion sudden oak death adaptive management project: ecological monitoring

    Treesearch

    Allison C. Wickland; Kerri M. Frangioso; David M. Rizzo; Ross K. Meentemeyer

    2008-01-01

    The Big Sur area is one of the most ecologically diverse regions in California. Land preservation efforts are well established in Big Sur, including numerous preserves, state parks and the Los Padres National Forest. However, there are still many conservation threats that cut across these areas including exotic species (plants, animals, and pathogens) and alterations...

  13. Restauration fonctionnelle du rachis : effet du niveau initial de douleur sur les performances des sujets lombalgiques chroniques

    PubMed Central

    Caby, Isabelle; Olivier, N; Mendelek, F; Kheir, R Bou; Vanvelcenaher, J; Pelayo, P

    2014-01-01

    HISTORIQUE : La lombalgie chronique est une douleur lombaire persistante d’origine multifactorielle. Le niveau de douleur initial reste faiblement utilisé pour analyser et comparer les réponses des patients lombalgiques au programme de reconditionnement. OBJECTIFS : Apprécier et évaluer les réponses des sujets lombalgiques chroniques très douloureux à une prise en charge dynamique et intensive. MÉTHODOLOGIE : 144 sujets atteints de lombalgie chronique ont été inclus dans un programme de restauration fonctionnelle du rachis de 5 semaines. Les sujets ont été classés en deux groupes de niveau de douleur: un groupe atteint de douleur sévère (n = 28) et un groupe atteint de douleur légère à modérée (n = 106). L’ensemble des sujets ont bénéficié d’une prise en charge identique comprenant principalement de la kinésithérapie, de l’ergothérapie, du reconditionnement musculaire et cardio-vasculaire ainsi qu’un suivi psychologique. Les paramètres physiques (flexibilité, force musculaire) et psychologiques (qualité de vie) ont été mesurés avant (T0) et après le programme (T5sem). RÉSULTATS : L’ensemble des performances physiques et fonctionnelles des sujets très douloureux sont moins bonnes et le retentissement de la lombalgie sur la qualité de vie, pour ces mêmes sujets, est majoré à T0. Toutes les différences significatives constatées à T0 entre les deux groupes s’effacent à T5sem. CONCLUSIONS : Les sujets lombalgiques chroniques très douloureux répondent favorablement au programme dynamique et intensif. L’intensité douloureuse de la lombalgie n’aurait pas d’effet sur les réponses au programme. La restauration fonctionnelle du rachis apporterait aux sujets la possibilité de mieux gérer leur douleur quel que soit son niveau. PMID:25299476

  14. Tailoring the nanoscale morphology of HKUST-1 thin films via codeposition and seeded growth

    PubMed Central

    Brower, Landon J; Gentry, Lauren K; Napier, Amanda L

    2017-01-01

    Integration of surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (surMOFs) within hierarchical architectures is necessary for potential sensing, electronic, optical, or separation applications. It is important to understand the fundamentals of film formation for these surMOFs in order to develop strategies for their incorporation with nanoscale control over lateral and vertical dimensions. This research identified processing parameters to control the film morphology for surMOFs of HKUST-1 fabricated by codeposition and seeded deposition. Time and temperature were investigated to observe film formation, to control film thickness, and to tune morphology. Film thickness was investigated by ellipsometry, while film structure and film roughness were characterized by atomic force microscopy. Films formed via codeposition resulted in nanocrystallites anchored to the gold substrate. A dynamic process at the interface was observed with a low density of large particulates (above 100 nm) initially forming on the substrate; and over time these particulates were slowly replaced by the prevalence of smaller crystallites (ca. 10 nm) covering the substrate at a high density. Elevated temperature was found to expedite the growth process to obtain the full range of surface morphologies with reasonable processing times. Seed crystals formed by the codeposition method were stable and nucleated growth throughout a subsequent layer-by-layer deposition process. These seed crystals templated the final film structure and tailor the features in lateral and vertical directions. Using codeposition and seeded growth, different surface morphologies with controllable nanoscale dimensions can be designed and fabricated for integration of MOF systems directly into device architectures and sensor platforms. PMID:29181287

  15. Tailoring the nanoscale morphology of HKUST-1 thin films via codeposition and seeded growth.

    PubMed

    Brower, Landon J; Gentry, Lauren K; Napier, Amanda L; Anderson, Mary E

    2017-01-01

    Integration of surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (surMOFs) within hierarchical architectures is necessary for potential sensing, electronic, optical, or separation applications. It is important to understand the fundamentals of film formation for these surMOFs in order to develop strategies for their incorporation with nanoscale control over lateral and vertical dimensions. This research identified processing parameters to control the film morphology for surMOFs of HKUST-1 fabricated by codeposition and seeded deposition. Time and temperature were investigated to observe film formation, to control film thickness, and to tune morphology. Film thickness was investigated by ellipsometry, while film structure and film roughness were characterized by atomic force microscopy. Films formed via codeposition resulted in nanocrystallites anchored to the gold substrate. A dynamic process at the interface was observed with a low density of large particulates (above 100 nm) initially forming on the substrate; and over time these particulates were slowly replaced by the prevalence of smaller crystallites (ca. 10 nm) covering the substrate at a high density. Elevated temperature was found to expedite the growth process to obtain the full range of surface morphologies with reasonable processing times. Seed crystals formed by the codeposition method were stable and nucleated growth throughout a subsequent layer-by-layer deposition process. These seed crystals templated the final film structure and tailor the features in lateral and vertical directions. Using codeposition and seeded growth, different surface morphologies with controllable nanoscale dimensions can be designed and fabricated for integration of MOF systems directly into device architectures and sensor platforms.

  16. Exposure to 15% oxygen in vivo up-regulates cardioprotective SUR2A without affecting ERK1/2 and AKT: a crucial role for AMPK.

    PubMed

    Mohammed Abdul, Khaja Shameem; Jovanović, Sofija; Jovanović, Aleksandar

    2017-07-01

    SUR2A is an 'atypical' ABC protein that forms sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive K + (K ATP ) channels by binding to inward rectifier Kir6.2. Manipulation with SUR2A levels has been suggested to be a promising therapeutic strategy against ischaemic heart diseases and other diseases where increased heart resistance to stress is beneficial. Some years ago, it has been reported that high-altitude residents have lower mortality rates for ischaemic heart disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether SUR2A is regulated by mild-to-severe hypoxic conditions (15% oxygen; oxygen tension equivalent to 3000 m above sea level) and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Mice were exposed to either to 21% (control) or 15% concentration of oxygen for 24 hrs. Twenty-four hours long exposure to 15% oxygen decreased partial pressure of O2 (PO 2 ), but did not affect blood CO 2 (PCO 2 ), haematocrit nor levels of ATP, lactate and NAD+/NADH in the heart. Cardiac SUR2A levels were significantly increased while Kir6.2 levels were not affected. Hypoxia did not induce phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) or protein kinase B (Akt), but triggered phosphorylation of AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK). AICAR, an activator of AMPK, increased the level of SUR2A in H9c2 cells. We conclude that oxygen increases SUR2A level by activating AMPK. This is the first account of AMPK-mediated regulation of SUR2A. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.

  17. Three C-terminal residues from the sulphonylurea receptor contribute to the functional coupling between the KATP channel subunits SUR2A and Kir6.2

    PubMed Central

    Dupuis, Julien P; Revilloud, Jean; Moreau, Christophe J; Vivaudou, Michel

    2008-01-01

    Cardiac ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are metabolic sensors formed by the association of the inward rectifier potassium channel Kir6.2 and the sulphonylurea receptor SUR2A. SUR2A adjusts channel gating as a function of intracellular ATP and ADP and is the target of pharmaceutical openers and blockers which, respectively, up- and down-regulate Kir6.2. In an effort to understand how effector binding to SUR2A translates into Kir6.2 gating modulation, we examined the role of a 65-residue SUR2A fragment linking transmembrane domain TMD2 and nucleotide-binding domain NBD2 that has been shown to interact with Kir6.2. This fragment of SUR2A was replaced by the equivalent residues of its close homologue, the multidrug resistance protein MRP1. The chimeric construct was expressed in Xenopus oocytes and characterized using the patch-clamp technique. We found that activation by MgADP and synthetic openers was greatly attenuated although apparent affinities were unchanged. Further chimeragenetic and mutagenetic studies showed that mutation of three residues, E1305, I1310 and L1313 (rat numbering), was sufficient to confer this defective phenotype. The same mutations had no effects on channel block by the sulphonylurea glibenclamide or by ATP, suggesting a role for these residues in activatory – but not inhibitory – transduction processes. These results indicate that, within the KATP channel complex, the proximal C-terminal of SUR2A is a critical link between ligand binding to SUR2A and Kir6.2 up-regulation. PMID:18450778

  18. Changes in Microbial (Bacteria and Archaea) Plankton Community Structure after Artificial Dispersal in Grazer-Free Microcosms

    PubMed Central

    Karayanni, Hera; Meziti, Alexandra; Spatharis, Sofie; Genitsaris, Savvas; Courties, Claude; Kormas, Konstantinos A.

    2017-01-01

    Microbes are considered to have a global distribution due to their high dispersal capabilities. However, our knowledge of the way geographically distant microbial communities assemble after dispersal in a new environment is limited. In this study, we examined whether communities would converge because similar taxa would be selected under the same environmental conditions, or would diverge because of initial community composition, after artificial dispersal. To this aim, a microcosm experiment was performed, in which the temporal changes in the composition and diversity of different prokaryoplankton assemblages from three distant geographic coastal areas (Banyuls-sur-Mer in northwest Mediterranean Sea, Pagasitikos Gulf in northeast Mediterranean and Woods Hole, MA, USA in the northwest Atlantic), were studied. Diversity was investigated using amplicon pyrosequencing of the V1–V3 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA. The three assemblages were grown separately in particle free and autoclaved Banyuls-sur-mer seawater at 18 °C in the dark. We found that the variability of prokaryoplankton community diversity (expressed as richness, evenness and dominance) as well as the composition were driven by patterns observed in Bacteria. Regarding community composition, similarities were found between treatments at family level. However, at the OTU level microbial communities from the three different original locations diverge rather than converge during incubation. It is suggested that slight differences in the composition of the initial prokaryoplankton communities, resulted in separate clusters the following days even when growth took place under identical abiotic conditions. PMID:28587211

  19. Primary and Secondary Vestibular Connections in the Brain Stem and Cerebellum: An Axoplasmic Transport Study in the Monkey and Cat

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-08-25

    Edinger-Westphal nucleus in the cat, Brain Research, 141 (1978) 153-159. Lorente de No, R., Etudes sur le cerveau posterieur. Ill, Sur 1 es connexions...extra-cerebelleuses des fascicules afferents au cerveau , et sur la fontion de cet organe, Trav. Lab. Rech. Biol. Univ. Madrid, 22 (1924) 51-65

  20. Weather adjustment using seemingly unrelated regression

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

    Noll, T.A.

    1995-05-01

    Seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) is a system estimation technique that accounts for time-contemporaneous correlation between individual equations within a system of equations. SUR is suited to weather adjustment estimations when the estimation is: (1) composed of a system of equations and (2) the system of equations represents either different weather stations, different sales sectors or a combination of different weather stations and different sales sectors. SUR utilizes the cross-equation error values to develop more accurate estimates of the system coefficients than are obtained using ordinary least-squares (OLS) estimation. SUR estimates can be generated using a variety of statistical software packagesmore » including MicroTSP and SAS.« less

  1. Alternative Submarine Watch Systems: Recommendation for a New CF Submarine Watch Schedule (Systemes Differents d’Horaire de Garde a Bord des Sous-Marins: Nouvel Horaire Recommande Pour les Sous-Marins des FC)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    comparativement à une efficacité cognitive de 96 % pour l’horaire de 1 tour sur trois de quatre heures ainsi que pour l’horaire de 1 tour sur trois de...tour sur 2 (8-4-4-8) comparativement à une efficacité cognitive de 96 % pour l’horaire de 1 tour sur trois de quatre heures ainsi que pour l’horaire...FAST™ (Fatigue Avoidance and Safety Tool), a computer application designed to predict and prevent fatigue in operational settings. The output of FAST

  2. Comparative evaluation of SUV, tumor-to-blood standard uptake ratio (SUR), and dual time point measurements for assessment of the metabolic uptake rate in FDG PET.

    PubMed

    Hofheinz, Frank; Hoff, Jörg van den; Steffen, Ingo G; Lougovski, Alexandr; Ego, Kilian; Amthauer, Holger; Apostolova, Ivayla

    2016-12-01

    We have demonstrated recently that the tumor-to-blood standard uptake ratio (SUR) is superior to tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) as a surrogate of the metabolic uptake rate K m of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), overcoming several of the known shortcomings of the SUV approach: excellent linear correlation of SUR and K m from Patlak analysis was found using dynamic imaging of liver metastases. However, due to the perfectly standardized uptake period used for SUR determination and the comparatively short uptake period, these results are not automatically valid and applicable for clinical whole-body examinations in which the uptake periods (T) are distinctly longer and can vary considerably. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the correlation between SUR derived from clinical static whole-body scans and K m-surrogate derived from dual time point (DTP) measurements. DTP (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed in 90 consecutive patients with histologically proven non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the PET images, the primary tumor was delineated with an adaptive threshold method. For determination of the blood SUV, an aorta region of interest (ROI) was delineated manually in the attenuation CT and transferred to the PET image. Blood SUV was computed as the mean value of the aorta ROI. SUR values were computed as ratio of tumor SUV and blood SUV. SUR values from the early time point of each DTP measurement were scan time corrected to 75 min postinjection (SURtc). As surrogate of K m, we used the SUR(T) slope, K slope, derived from DTP measurements since it is proportional to the latter under the given circumstances. The correlation of SUV and SURtc with K slope was investigated. The prognostic value of SUV, SURtc, and K slope for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was investigated with univariate Cox regression in a homogeneous subgroup (N=31) treated with primary chemoradiation. Correlation analysis revealed for both, SUV and SURtc, a clear linear correlation with K slope (P<0.001). Correlation SUR vs. K slope was considerably stronger than correlation SUV vs. K slope (R (2)=0.92 and R (2)=0.69, respectively, P<0.001). Univariate Cox regression revealed SURtc and K slope as significant prognostic factors for PFS (hazard ratio (HR) =3.4/ P=0.017 and HR =4.3/ P=0.020, respectively). For SUV, no significant effect was found. None of the investigated parameters was prognostic for OS. Scan-time-corrected SUR is a significantly better surrogate of tumor FDG metabolism in clinical whole-body PET compared to SUV. The very high linear correlation of SUR and DTP-derived K slope (which is proportional to actual K m) implies that for histologically proven malignant lesions, FDG-DTP does not provide added value in comparison to the SUR approach in NSCLC.

  3. New ortho-para conversion mechanism in dense solid hydrogen.

    PubMed

    Strzhemechny, M A; Hemley, R J

    2000-12-25

    Analysis of recent measurements of striking changes in the rate of ortho-para conversion of solid H(2) up to 58 GPa shows that the conversion mechanism must differ from that at ambient pressure. A new conversion mechanism is identified in which the emerging excitations are coupled to the converting molecules via electric quadrupole-quadrupole rather than nuclear spin-spin interactions. The latter only initiates conversion while the coupling enhancement associated with the new mechanism is ensured by high compression and a gap closing, with the conversion energy diminishing strongly with increasing pressure.

  4. 75 FR 52355 - Draft National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures Work Group Reports...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-25

    ... Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures Work Group Reports; Opportunity for Public Comment AGENCY... Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures is a collaborative initiative through which many... protecting the public's health from harmful chemical exposures. This notice announces the availability of...

  5. 77 FR 35708 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Home Equity Conversion Mortgage...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-14

    ... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counseling Standardization... placed on the HECM counselor roster and to maintain their name on the HECM counseling roster. For initial... following information: Title of Proposal: Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) Counseling Standardization...

  6. The Minnesota Defense Industry Conversion Project. A Partnership for Retraining.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daines, James R.; And Others

    The Minnesota Defense Conversion Adjustment Project was initiated in 1993 with funding provided through the U.S. Department of Labor's Defense Conversion Adjustment Program to help workers at a Minnesota defense plant make the transition from assembler and related production classifications to machinists and other positions requiring specific job…

  7. Assertive and Responsive Conversational Skills of Italian-Speaking Late Talkers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bonifacio, Serena; Girolametto, Luigi; Bulligan, Manuela; Callegari, Monica; Vignola, Sandra; Zocconi, Elisabetta

    2007-01-01

    Background: Previous research on the pragmatic abilities of late talkers at 24 months of age indicates that they have difficulties initiating conversational interactions, but possess intact responsiveness skills. This study uses a parent-administered questionnaire for evaluating the conversational skills of late talkers and suggesting pragmatic…

  8. Provoking Reflective Thinking in Post Observation Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Younhee; Silver, Rita Elaine

    2016-01-01

    We present a micro-analysis of post observation conversations between classroom teachers and mentors. Using the approach of conversation analysis, we show how the sequential organization of an episode (i.e., who initiates the interaction, question format used by mentors) could potentially serve to provoke or hinder teacher reflection. Our analysis…

  9. Le groupe de recherches transfusionnelles d’Afrique francophone: bilan des cinq premières années

    PubMed Central

    Tagny, Claude Tayou; Murphy, Edward L.; Lefrère, Jean-Jacques

    2016-01-01

    Les travaux de recherches sur la sécurité transfusionnelle en Afrique sub-saharienne sont peu nombreux, souvent limités à des initiatives locales avec des conclusions difficilement représentatives de cette région. Le Groupe de recherches transfusionnelles en Afrique sub-saharienne francophone a été créé en mai 2007 avec pour objectif de développer des stratégies globales d’amélioration de la sécurité transfusionnelle mais adaptables à la situation de chaque pays. Les activités du Groupe à ce jour ont porté essentiellement sur l’obtention de données épidémiologiques et de laboratoire sur la transfusion sanguine et à proposer des stratégies de sécurité transfusionnelle dans le domaine des infections transmissibles par la transfusion. Pour mener à bien ces activités de recherche, le Groupe travaille en étroite collaboration avec les Centres nationaux de transfusion sanguine (CNTS), les Centres régionaux de transfusion sanguine (CRTS), les banques de sang hospitalières (BSH) et les postes de collecte de sang. Pour les 5 premières années, quatre priorités de recherche ont été identifiées: (i) des études descriptives sur les caractéristiques des donneurs de sang et des centres de transfusion; (ii) une estimation du risque résiduel post-transfusionnel des principales infections virales transmissibles par la transfusion; (iii) une analyse des stratégies de sélection médicale des donneurs de sang; et (iv) une description des stratégies de dépistage des ITT et une description du système d’assurance qualité externe existant. Durant cette période, sept projets ont été mis en œuvre au niveau national et publiés et cinq études multicentriques ont été réalisées et publiées. La présente étude rapporte les principales observations et recommandations de ces études. PMID:24360798

  10. The Effects of Cell Phone and Text Message Conversations on Simulated Street Crossing.

    PubMed

    Banducci, Sarah E; Ward, Nathan; Gaspar, John G; Schab, Kurt R; Crowell, James A; Kaczmarski, Henry; Kramer, Arthur F

    2016-02-01

    A fully immersive, high-fidelity street-crossing simulator was used to examine the effects of texting on pedestrian street-crossing performance. Research suggests that street-crossing performance is impaired when pedestrians engage in cell phone conversations. Less is known about the impact of texting on street-crossing performance. Thirty-two young adults completed three distraction conditions in a simulated street-crossing task: no distraction, phone conversation, and texting. A hands-free headset and a mounted tablet were used to conduct the phone and texting conversations, respectively. Participants moved through the virtual environment via a manual treadmill, allowing them to select crossing gaps and change their gait. During the phone conversation and texting conditions, participants had fewer successful crossings and took longer to initiate crossing. Furthermore, in the texting condition, smaller percentage of time with head orientation toward the tablet, fewer number of head orientations toward the tablet, and greater percentage of total characters typed before initiating crossing predicted greater crossing success. Our results suggest that (a) texting is as unsafe as phone conversations for street-crossing performance and (b) when subjects completed most of the texting task before initiating crossing, they were more likely to make it safely across the street. Sending and receiving text messages negatively impact a range of real-world behaviors. These results may inform personal and policy decisions. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

  11. Cirque du Monde en tant qu’intervention en santé

    PubMed Central

    Fournier, Cynthia; Drouin, Mélodie-Anne; Marcoux, Jérémie; Garel, Patricia; Bochud, Emmanuel; Théberge, Julie; Aubertin, Patrice; Favreau, Gil; Fleet, Richard

    2014-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Présenter le programme Cirque du Monde du Cirque du Soleil et son potentiel en tant qu’intervention en soins de santé de première ligne pour les médecins de famille. Sources des données Une revue de la littérature menée dans les bases de données PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, La Presse, Eureka, Google Scholar et Érudit à l’aide des mots-clés circus, social circus, Cirque du Monde et Cirque du Soleil. Une initiative à Montréal nommée Espace Transition qui s’inspire directement de Cirque du Monde. Communication personnelle avec le conseiller principal en formation en cirque social du Cirque du Soleil. Sélection d’études Les 50 premiers articles ou sites Internet répertoriés pour chaque mot-clé dans chacune des bases de données ciblées ont été révisés sur la base des titres et des résumés, s’il s’agissait d’un article, ou sur la base du titre et du contenu de la page, s’il s’agissait d’une page Internet. Ensuite, les articles et les sites Internet qui étudiaient un aspect du cirque social ou qui présentaient une intervention impliquant le cirque étaient retenus pour une révision. Aucune contrainte d’année de publication n’a été appliquée étant donné qu’on cherchait une littérature générale sur le cirque social. Synthèse Aucun article n’a été trouvé sur le cirque social en tant qu’intervention en santé. Nous avons trouvé une étude sur l’utilisation du cirque en tant qu’intervention en milieu scolaire. Cette étude a démontré une augmentation de l’estime personnelle des enfants grâce à l’intervention. Nous avons trouvé une étude sur l’utilisation du cirque en tant qu’intervention sur une réserve amérindienne. Cette étude présente des résultats qualitatifs non spécifiques au programme du cirque social. Les autres articles répertoriés n’étaient que des descriptions du cirque social. Un site web concernant l’utilisation du cirque social pour faciliter la réintégration sociale de jeunes traités en milieu hospitalier pour un trouble psychiatrique majeur a été répertorié. L’équipe du département de pédopsychiatrie du Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine responsable de ce projet nommé Espace Transition a été contactée. Des résultats préliminaires non publiés du projet pilote montrent des améliorations significatives du fonctionnement général des patients. Selon le Cirque du Soleil, plusieurs projets de recherche portant sur l’impact thérapeutique du cirque social sont en cours à travers le monde. Conclusion Cirque du Monde rejoint une clientèle marginalisée difficilement accessible par le système de santé. Ce programme revêt un potentiel thérapeutique de par sa clientèle cible, sa promotion de saines habitudes de vie et le soutien qu’il offre par l’intermédiaire du groupe et des intervenants. Compte tenu des investissements financiers importants du Cirque du Soleil dans ce projet, le manque de littérature donnant accès à des données probantes constitue un enjeu important.

  12. 46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... Breakwater. (b) A line drawn from the outer end of Morro Bay Entrance East Breakwater to latitude 35°21.5′ N...

  13. 46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... Breakwater. (b) A line drawn from the outer end of Morro Bay Entrance East Breakwater to latitude 35°21.5′ N...

  14. 46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... Breakwater. (b) A line drawn from the outer end of Morro Bay Entrance East Breakwater to latitude 35°21.5′ N...

  15. 46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... Breakwater. (b) A line drawn from the outer end of Morro Bay Entrance East Breakwater to latitude 35°21.5′ N...

  16. 46 CFR 7.130 - Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... LINES Pacific Coast § 7.130 Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. (a) A line drawn from the... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Point Conception, CA to Point Sur, CA. 7.130 Section 7... Breakwater. (b) A line drawn from the outer end of Morro Bay Entrance East Breakwater to latitude 35°21.5′ N...

  17. Biochemical effectiveness of allopurinol and allopurinol-probenecid in previously benzbromarone-treated gout patients.

    PubMed

    Reinders, Mattheus K; van Roon, Eric N; Houtman, Pieternella M; Brouwers, Jacobus R B J; Jansen, Tim L Th A

    2007-09-01

    In 2003, the uricosuric drug benzbromarone was withdrawn from the market. The first alternative drug of choice was the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol. The purpose was to (1) investigate the efficacy of allopurinol (standard dosage) compared with previous treatment with benzbromarone; and (2) investigate the combination therapy allopurinol-probenecid as an effective alternative treatment compared with previous benzbromarone treatment. A prospective, open study was carried out in a cohort of 51 gout patients who discontinued benzbromarone therapy because of market withdrawal. Patients were given 200-300 mg allopurinol (stage 1). When allopurinol failed to attain the target serum urate (sUr) levels

  18. Conversations: with Sean O'Keefe. Interview by Frank Sietzen Jr.

    PubMed

    O'Keefe, Sean

    2002-10-01

    Sean O'Keefe, who took office as the 10th NASA administrator in December 2001, is interviewed after 9 months on the job. Topics of conversation include his transition from the Office of Management and Budget to NASA, management priorities, space shuttle safety, the Space Launch Initiative and the National Aerospace Initiative, future space exploration, relationships with Congress and the President, and NASA's budget.

  19. A Recommended Methodology for Quantifying NDE/NDI Based on Aircraft Engine Experience (Le Projet de Methodologie Pour l’Evaluation du Controle Non- Destructif Fonde sur l’Experience Acquise sur les moteurs d’Avions)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-04-01

    Non-Destructif LECT E Fond6 sur l’Exp6rience Acquise .E Iuu sur les Moteurs dAvions) S JUL The material in this publication was assembled to support a...detection de dtfauts des organes des moteurs . Les confkrences sont destinies a tous ceux qui sont impliquds dans la garantie de la qualitW de fabrication, la...be more of an notches, the specimens should be further issue for the inspection of actual stress cycled to break the crack through any meta tht my

  20. Role of 2-month sputum smears in predicting culture conversion in pulmonary tuberculosis.

    PubMed

    Su, W-J; Feng, J-Y; Chiu, Y-C; Huang, S-F; Lee, Y-C

    2011-02-01

    Sputum smears and culture conversion are frequently used to evaluate treatment response in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Limited data are available on the evaluation of the correlation between under-treatment sputum smear results and culture conversion. This prospective study included sputum culture-proven pulmonary tuberculosis patients at six hospitals in Taiwan. At least two sets of sputum were collected at the completion of 8 weeks of TB treatment. The sensitivities and specificities of 2-month sputum smears were estimated based on culture conversion status. A total of 371 patients were enrolled for analysis. Factors associated with culture conversion included having a smear positive before treatment, presence of a cavity on radiography, rifampicin resistance and usage of the DOTS (directly observed therapy, short course) strategy. The sensitivities of 2-month sputum smears for culture conversion among all patients, initially smear-positive patients and initially smear-negative patients were 64.3, 71.4 and 38%, respectively, and the specificities were 81.6, 69.9 and 92.8%, respectively. In patients who were 2-month sputum smear-positive, the 2-month culture conversion rate was 80% if the patients were under DOTS and without cavitary lesions in radiograms. The predictive value of 2-month sputum smears in culture conversion was limited and highly influenced by clinical factors in pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

  1. Survival of Phytophthora ramorum following wildfires in the sudden oak death-impacted forests of the Big Sur region

    Treesearch

    Maia M. Beh; Margaret Metz; Kerri Frangioso; David Rizzo

    2013-01-01

    The summer of 2008 brought the first wildfires to occur in known Phytophthora ramorum-infested forests in California, with the largest individual fire burning in the Big Sur region of the central coast (Monterey County) (Metz et al. 2011). More than 100,000 ha in Big Sur were ultimately burned that summer, providing a natural experiment to examine...

  2. 1. View north from across State Highway 1 toward Inn. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. View north from across State Highway 1 toward Inn. 'Big Sur Inn' Building (HABS-CA-2611-A) visible at left, 'Hayloft' Building (HABS-CA-2611-B at right center, and 'Antique' Building (HABS-CA-2611-C) and 'Champagne' Building (HABS-CA-2611-D) out of sight behind trees at right. - Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, East Side of State Highway 1, Big Sur, Monterey County, CA

  3. Les annees de transition: une epoque de changement. Reveu et analyse des projets pilotes sur les questions relatives aux annees de Transition. Volume 1: Resume (Year of Transition: Times for Change. A Review and Analysis of Pilot Projects Investigating Issues in the Transition Years. Volume 1: Summary).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hargreaves, Andy; And Others

    In 1990, the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Education implemented the Transition Years project, an initiative for restructuring middle-grades education. This French-language document presents findings of a study that identified effective policies and practices used by the pilot schools. Data were derived from: (1) surveys completed by staffs in…

  4. Power Cards to Improve Conversational Skills in Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Kathy M.; Boon, Richard T.; Cihak, David F.; Fore, Cecil, III

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Power Cards on the initiation and maintenance of conversational skills in students with Asperger syndrome. Three high school students with Asperger Syndrome participated in this study. Power Cards were used to prompt students' previously learned conversational skills in a multiple-baseline…

  5. Studies in Dialogue and Discourse: An Exponential Law of Successive Questioning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mishler, Elliot G.

    1975-01-01

    The structure of natural conversations in first-grade classrooms is the focus of this inquiry. Analyses of a particular type of discourse, namely, connected conversations initiated and sustained by questioning, suggest that the probability that a conversation will be continued may be expressed as a simple exponential function. (Author/RM)

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

    Lowe, V.J.; Patz, E.; Harris, P.L.

    Pleural abnormalities identified on anatomical studies are often nonspecific and may represent benign or malignant disease. We prospectively evaluated the ability of FDG-PET to identify malignancy in patients with pleural abnormalities detected on chest radiographs or chest CT. Thirty-two patients with pleural abnormalities (pleural masses, thickening or effusions) found on chest radiographs or CT were evaluated by FDG-PET. Regions of interest (ROI) were identified on the PET images correlating to anatomic abnormalities and standard uptake ratios (SUR`s) of these ROI`s were calculated. A SUR value of 2.5 or greater was considered positive for malignancy. Physicians blinded to biopsy results gradedmore » their confidence of malignancy (1-5 scale) and graded lesion FDG uptake with respect to mediastinal radioactivity. Twenty-three of the patients had definitive diagnoses by tissue biopsy. Seventeen of these patients had malignant (SUR=7.9{plus_minus}3.8) and 6 had benign (SUR=2.8{plus_minus}2.4) causes of their pleural abnormalities (p=0.001). All but two malignant cases had SURs higher than 2.5 and one of these two was correctly interpreted by the observers. SURs lower than 2.5 were seen in four of the six (67%) benign pleural abnormalities. Using a combination of both visual and semiquantitative analysis, the sensitivity of FDG-PET for detecting malignant pleural abnormalities was 94%. Active infections in the pleural space had increased FDG uptake on PET studies while other benign pleural abnormalities did not. FDG-PET has very high sensitivity for detecting malignant pleural abnormalities and can differentiate benign from malignant pleural abnormalities.« less

  7. SurF: an innovative framework in biosecurity and animal health surveillance evaluation.

    PubMed

    Muellner, Petra; Watts, Jonathan; Bingham, Paul; Bullians, Mark; Gould, Brendan; Pande, Anjali; Riding, Tim; Stevens, Paul; Vink, Daan; Stärk, Katharina Dc

    2018-05-16

    Surveillance for biosecurity hazards is being conducted by the New Zealand Competent Authority, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to support New Zealand's biosecurity system. Surveillance evaluation should be an integral part of the surveillance life cycle, as it provides a means to identify and correct problems and to sustain and enhance the existing strengths of a surveillance system. The surveillance evaluation Framework (SurF) presented here was developed to provide a generic framework within which the MPI biosecurity surveillance portfolio, and all of its components, can be consistently assessed. SurF is an innovative, cross-sectoral effort that aims to provide a common umbrella for surveillance evaluation in the animal, plant, environment and aquatic sectors. It supports the conduct of the following four distinct components of an evaluation project: (i) motivation for the evaluation, (ii) scope of the evaluation, (iii) evaluation design and implementation and (iv) reporting and communication of evaluation outputs. Case studies, prepared by MPI subject matter experts, are included in the framework to guide users in their assessment. Three case studies were used in the development of SurF in order to assure practical utility and to confirm usability of SurF across all included sectors. It is anticipated that the structured approach and information provided by SurF will not only be of benefit to MPI but also to other New Zealand stakeholders. Although SurF was developed for internal use by MPI, it could be applied to any surveillance system in New Zealand or elsewhere. © 2018 2018 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  8. A Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Presenting as Conversion Disorder.

    PubMed

    Yegya-Raman, Nikhil; Aziz, Rehan; Schneider, Daniel; Tobia, Anthony; Leitch, Megan; Nwobi, Onyi

    2017-01-01

    Background . Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare disorder of the central nervous system. Its initial diagnosis may be obscured by its variable presentation. This case report illustrates the complexity of diagnosing this disease early in the clinical course, especially when the initial symptoms may be psychiatric. It offers a brief review of the literature and reinforces a role for consultation psychiatry services. Methods . PUBMED/MEDLINE was searched using the terms "Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease", "psychiatric symptoms", "conversion disorder", "somatic symptom disorder", "functional movement disorder", and "functional neurologic disorder". Case . The patient was a 64-year-old woman with no prior psychiatric history who was initially diagnosed with conversion disorder and unspecified anxiety disorder but soon thereafter was discovered to have Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Discussion . This case highlights the central role of psychiatric symptoms in early presentations of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Still, few other cases in the literature report functional neurological symptoms as an initial sign. The consultation psychiatrist must remain alert to changing clinical symptoms, especially with uncharacteristic disease presentations.

  9. Hairpin-Hairpin Molecular Beacon Interactions for Detection of Survivin mRNA in Malignant SW480 Cells.

    PubMed

    Ratajczak, Katarzyna; Krazinski, Bartlomiej E; Kowalczyk, Anna E; Dworakowska, Beata; Jakiela, Slawomir; Stobiecka, Magdalena

    2018-05-07

    Cancer biomarkers offer unique prospects for the development of cancer diagnostics and therapy. One of such biomarkers, protein survivin (Sur), exhibits strong antiapoptotic and proliferation-enhancing properties and is heavily expressed in multiple cancers. Thus, it can be utilized to provide new modalities for modulating the cell-growth rate, essential for effective cancer treatment. Herein, we have focused on the development of a new survivin-based cancer detection platform for colorectal cancer cells SW480 using a turn-on fluorescence oligonucleotide molecular beacon (MB) probe, encoded to recognize Sur messenger RNA (mRNA). Contrary to the expectations, we have found that both the complementary target oligonucleotide strands as well as the single- and double-mismatch targets, instead of exhibiting the anticipated simple random conformations, preferentially formed secondary structure motifs by folding into small-loop hairpin structures. Such a conformation may interfere with, or even undermine, the biorecognition process. To gain better understanding of the interactions involved, we have replaced the classical Tyagi-Kramer model of interactions between a straight target oligonucleotide strand and a hairpin MB with a new model to account for the hairpin-hairpin interactions as the biorecognition principle. A detailed mechanism of these interactions has been proposed. Furthermore, in experimental work, we have demonstrated an efficient transfection of malignant SW480 cells with SurMB probes containing a fluorophore Joe (SurMB-Joe) using liposomal nanocarriers. The green emission from SurMB-Joe in transfected cancer cells, due to the hybridization of the SurMB-Joe loop with Sur mRNA hairpin target, corroborates Sur overexpression. On the other hand, healthy human-colon epithelial cells CCD 841 CoN show only negligible expression of survivin mRNA. These experiments provide the proof-of-concept for distinguishing between the cancer and normal cells by the proposed hairpin-hairpin interaction method. The single nucleotide polymorphism sensitivity and a low detection limit of 26 nM (S/N = 3σ) for complementary targets have been achieved.

  10. Efficacy of combined hepatitis B immunoglobulin and hepatitis B vaccine in blocking father-infant transmission of hepatitis B viral infection.

    PubMed

    Cao, L-H; Liu, Z-M; Zhao, P-L; Sun, S-C; Xu, D-B; Shao, M-H; Zhang, J-D

    2015-05-04

    The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of combined immunization of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and hepatitis B vaccine (HBVac) in blocking father-infant transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Newborns positive at birth for blood HBV sur-face antigen (HBsAg) and/or HBV DNA were selected and immunized with HBIG combination HBVac. At 7 months, HBV markers and HBV DNA of each neonate were measured using electrochemiluminescence with the Cobas-e-411 Automatic Electrochemiluminescence Immuno-assay Analyzer and fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Among all 7-month-old subjects, the negative conversion rates of HBV DNA and HBsAg were 48/61 (78.7%) and 19/41 (46.3%), respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrated that prompt combination injection of HBIG and HBVac can protect some of the HBV DNA- and/ or HBsAg-positive newborns from HBV.

  11. Propriétés optiques du silicium mésoporeux et ses applications potentielles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lévy-Clément, C.; Bastide, S.

    2002-04-01

    Une couche de silicium poreux formée électrochimiquement à la surface de l'émetteur d'une jonction p-n+ peut jouer efficacement le rôle d'une couche antireflet pour les cellules solaires au silicium. En ajustant la densité de courant et le temps de formation, des simple et double-couches antireflet aux propriétés optiques optimisées ont pu être réalisées, conduisant à des réflectivités effectives respectives de 7.3 et 2.7 % sur l'ensemble du spectre solaire utile pour les cellules (400-1000 nm). De hauts rendements de conversion de l'énergie solaire, de l'ordre de 13-13.4 %, sont ainsi actuellement obtenus pour des cellules au silicium multicristallin avec une couche antireflet de silicium poreux.

  12. 46 CFR 7.135 - Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Pacific Coast § 7.135 Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. (a) A line drawn from Monterey Harbor Light “6” to latitude 36°36.5′ N. longitude 121°53.2′ W. (Monterey Harbor Anchorage Buoy “A”); thence to the... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. 7.135 Section 7.135...

  13. 46 CFR 7.135 - Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... Pacific Coast § 7.135 Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. (a) A line drawn from Monterey Harbor Light “6” to latitude 36°36.5′ N. longitude 121°53.2′ W. (Monterey Harbor Anchorage Buoy “A”); thence to the... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. 7.135 Section 7.135...

  14. 46 CFR 7.135 - Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... Pacific Coast § 7.135 Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. (a) A line drawn from Monterey Harbor Light “6” to latitude 36°36.5′ N. longitude 121°53.2′ W. (Monterey Harbor Anchorage Buoy “A”); thence to the... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. 7.135 Section 7.135...

  15. 46 CFR 7.135 - Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... Pacific Coast § 7.135 Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. (a) A line drawn from Monterey Harbor Light “6” to latitude 36°36.5′ N. longitude 121°53.2′ W. (Monterey Harbor Anchorage Buoy “A”); thence to the... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Point Sur, CA to Cape Blanco, OR. 7.135 Section 7.135...

  16. Training Implications of the Tactical Aircraft Recapitalization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-13

    and Wayne L. Waag , The Use of Simulators for Training In-Flight and Emergency Procedures in AGARD-AG-248 (Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France: Advisory Group...11 Edward E. Eddowes and Wayne L. Waag , The Use of Simulators for Training In-Flight and Emergency Procedures in AGARD-AG-248 (Neuilly-Sur...17 Edward E. Eddowes and Wayne L. Waag , The Use of Simulators for Training In-Flight and Emergency Procedures in AGARD-AG-248 (Neuilly-Sur-Seine

  17. Rotorcraft System Identification (L’Identification des Systemes de Voilures ;Tournantes)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-09-01

    Icgroupe detraivail No.18 sur t~idenrifleariisndes systtmes tie vcilures trturnatnt~s. a proe~dde lapplicatioindte toure la gamme tic mdtboties...AD-A244 250 -liii ii _,AGARD-AR-280 , AGAL?1Mw ADVISORY GROUP FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ag 7 RUE ANCELLE 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE FRANCE...DEVELOPMENT 7 RUE ANCELLE 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE FRANCE AGARD ADVISORY REPORT 280 Rotorcraft System Identification (L’ldcntification des Syst~mes de Voidures

  18. Diffraction de rayons X sur les plaquettes de fer durcies par cyanuration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Popescu, M.; Hoyer, W.; Stegarescu, M.; Cornet, A.; Broll, N.

    2004-11-01

    Une méthode de cyanuration a été developpée pour les surfaces des plaquettes de fer, basée sur une réaction thermochimique qui conduit à la formation des couches dures sur le métal. Les échantillons ont été analysés, pour de temps différents de traitement, par diffraction de rayons X et par mesures de dureté.

  19. Heterogeneous chemical reactions: Preparation of monodisperse latexes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vanderhoff, J. W.; Micale, F. J.; El-Aasser, M. S.; Sterk, A. A.; Bethke, G. W.

    1977-01-01

    It is demonstrated that a photoinitiated emulsion polymerization can be carried out to a significant conversion in a SPAR rocket prototype polymerization vessel within the six minutes allowed for the experiment. The percentage of conversion was determined by both dilatometry and gravimetric methods with good agreement. The experimental results lead to the following conclusions: (1) emulsion polymerizations can be carried out to conversions as high as 75%, using a stable micellized styrene-SLS system plus photoinitiator; (2) dilatometry can be used to accurately determine both the rate and conversion of polymerization; (3) thermal expansion due to the light source and heat of reaction is small and can be corrected for if necessary; (4) although seeded emulsion polymerizations are unfavorable in photoinitiation, as opposed to chemical initiation, polymerizations can be carried out to at least 15% conversion using 7940A seed particles, with 0.05% solids; and (5) photoinitiation should be used to initiate polymerization in the SPAR rocket experiments because of the mechanical simplicity of the experiment.

  20. Conversational assessment in memory clinic encounters: interactional profiling for differentiating dementia from functional memory disorders.

    PubMed

    Jones, Danielle; Drew, Paul; Elsey, Christopher; Blackburn, Daniel; Wakefield, Sarah; Harkness, Kirsty; Reuber, Markus

    2016-01-01

    In the UK dementia is under-diagnosed, there is limited access to specialist memory clinics, and many of the patients referred to such clinics are ultimately found to have functional (non-progressive) memory disorders (FMD), rather than a neurodegenerative disorder. Government initiatives on 'timely diagnosis' aim to improve the rate and quality of diagnosis for those with dementia. This study seeks to improve the screening and diagnostic process by analysing communication between clinicians and patients during initial specialist clinic visits. Establishing differential conversational profiles could help the timely differential diagnosis of memory complaints. This study is based on video- and audio recordings of 25 initial consultations between neurologists and patients referred to a UK memory clinic. Conversation analysis was used to explore recurrent communicative practices associated with each diagnostic group. Two discrete conversational profiles began to emerge, to help differentiate between patients with dementia and functional memory complaints, based on (1) whether the patient is able to answer questions about personal information; (2) whether they can display working memory in interaction; (3) whether they are able to respond to compound questions; (4) the time taken to respond to questions; and (5) the level of detail they offer when providing an account of their memory failure experiences. The distinctive conversational profiles observed in patients with functional memory complaints on the one hand and neurodegenerative memory conditions on the other suggest that conversational profiling can support the differential diagnosis of functional and neurodegenerative memory disorders.

  1. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide: a comparison between a conventional and a fast initiator.

    PubMed

    Bouchékif, Hassen; Narain, Ravin

    2007-09-27

    The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) was studied to determine the reasons for deviation of experimental molecular weights to lower molecular weight at high monomer conversion when S-1-dodecyl-S-(alpha,alpha'-dimethyl-alpha' '-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (CTAm) and S,S-bis(alpha,alpha'-dimethyl-alpha' '-acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (CTAd) were used as RAFT agents at 65 degrees C. For this purpose, experiments were performed in N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) at the NIPAM/CTA ratio of 200 with initiators capable of yielding fast and slow initiation, respectively by photochemical and thermal process, either at ambient temperature or at 65 degrees C. When the polymerization of NIPAM was conducted under these conditions with Irgacure-2959 (IRGC) as photoinitiator, a continuing supply of primary radicals by incremental initiator addition was required to achieve reasonably high conversion. This effect was also apparent by the loss of linearity of the first-order kinetic plot with a conventional initiator (4,4-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) (ACVA) as azo-initiator, 10h (t1/2) decomposition at 65 degrees C) indicating that steady-state concentration of the macroradical decreases significantly with the initiator consumption. Nevertheless, polymers with predictable number-average molecular weight Mn (i.e., based on [monomer]/([CTA] + [initiator]) ratio) and narrow polydispersities were obtained (PDIs < 1.2) with CTAm indicating that the process of chain growth was controlled. When CTAd was used, instead of CTAm, the polymers obtained were characterized by a larger polydispersity (1.2 < PDIs < 1.3). The so-called "living steady-state concentration" in chain equilibration together with the linear dependence of Mn vs conversion was observed only when the 200/1 NIPAM/CTA mixture in DMF was subjected to a permanent photoirradiation at 65 degrees C. With ACVA, the deviation of the experimentally measured molecular weights at high conversion was accounted for by the simultaneous self-initiated polymerization of NIPAM with the controlled process in the presence of CTA at 65 degrees C. Similar drift from the linear dependence Mn vs conversion was also observed at 65 degrees C when a significant number of low molecular weight polymer chains were generated intentionally by photodecomposition of IRGC.

  2. An electron-microscope study of alpha to gamma transformation in an iron-nickel alloy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lobodyuk, V. A.; Khandros, L. G.; Fedas, N. P.

    1980-01-01

    Procedures used to study the alpha to gamma conversion in thin foils of an iron alloy with 32% nickel concentration and initial martensite conversion temperature of -60 C are described. Photomicrographs show deformation twinning as well as changes in samples after they were heated. Reverse conversion is discussed and results are examined.

  3. Technologies, Multitasking, and Driving: Attending to and Preparing for a Mobile Phone Conversation in a Car

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haddington, Pentti; Rauniomaa, Mirka

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates mobile phone calls initiated or received by drivers and passengers in cars and focuses on the participants' actions before the telephone conversation proper. Drawing on video-recorded data of real driving situations, and building on conversation analysis and multimodal interaction analysis, this article discusses how…

  4. Key Role of Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 in Progressive Secondary Hemorrhage after Brain Contusion

    PubMed Central

    Kilbourne, Michael; Tsymbalyuk, Orest; Tosun, Cigdem; Caridi, John; Ivanova, Svetlana; Keledjian, Kaspar; Bochicchio, Grant; Gerzanich, Volodymyr

    2009-01-01

    Abstract An important but poorly understood feature of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the clinically serious problem of spatiotemporal progression (“blossoming”) of a hemorrhagic contusion, a phenomenon we term progressive secondary hemorrhage (PSH). Molecular mechanisms of PSH are unknown and efforts to reduce it by promoting coagulation have met with equivocal results. We hypothesized that PSH might be due to upregulation and activation of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1)-regulated NCCa-ATP channels in capillary endothelial cells, predisposing to oncotic death of endothelial cells and catastrophic failure of capillary integrity. Anesthetized adult male rats underwent left parietal craniectomy for induction of a focal cortical contusion. The regulatory subunit of the channel, SUR1, was prominently upregulated in capillaries of penumbral tissues surrounding the contusion. In untreated rats, PSH was characterized by progressive enlargement of the contusion deep into the site of cortical impact, including corpus callosum, hippocampus, and thalamus, by progressive accumulation of extravasated blood, with a doubling of the volume during the first 12 h after injury, and by capillary fragmentation in penumbral tissues. Block of SUR1 using low-dose (non-hypoglycemogenic) glibenclamide largely eliminated PSH and capillary fragmentation, and was associated with a significant reduction in the size of the necrotic lesion and in preservation of neurobehavioral function. Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against SUR1, administered after injury, reduced both SUR1 expression and PSH, consistent with a requirement for transcriptional upregulation of SUR1. Our findings provide novel insights into molecular mechanisms responsible for PSH associated with hemorrhagic contusions, and point to SUR1 as a potential therapeutic target in TBI. PMID:19604096

  5. Phenformin has a direct inhibitory effect on the ATP-sensitive potassium channel.

    PubMed

    Aziz, Qadeer; Thomas, Alison; Khambra, Tapsi; Tinker, Andrew

    2010-05-25

    The biguanides, phenformin and metformin, are used in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus, as well as being routinely used in studies investigating AMPK activity. We used the patch-clamp technique and rubidium flux assays to determine the role of these drugs in ATP-sensitive K+ channel (K(ATP)) regulation in cell lines expressing the cloned components of K(ATP) and the current natively expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Phenformin but not metformin inhibits a number of variants of K(ATP) including the cloned equivalents of currents present in vascular and non-vascular smooth muscle (Kir6.1/SUR2B and Kir6.2/SUR2B) and pancreatic beta-cells (Kir6.2/SUR1). However it does not inhibit the current potentially present in cardiac myocytes (Kir6.2/SUR2A). The highest affinity interaction is seen with Kir6.1/SUR2B (IC50=0.55 mM) and it also inhibits the current in native vascular smooth muscle cells. The extent and rate of inhibition are similar to that seen with the known K(ATP) blocker PNU 37883A. Additionally, phenformin inhibited the current elicited through the Kir6.2DeltaC26 (functional without SUR) channel with an IC50 of 1.78 mM. Phenformin reduced the open probability of Kir6.1/SUR2B channels by approximately 90% in inside-out patches. These findings suggest that phenformin interacts directly with the pore-forming Kir6.0 subunit however the sulphonylurea receptor is able to significantly modulate the affinity. It is likely to block from the intracellular side of the channel in a manner analogous to that of PNU 37883A. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. High-Lift System Aerodynamics (L’Aerodynamique des Systems Hypersustentateurs)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-09-01

    les kcouleinents incoinpressibles sur les profils L -a pr~sente m~thode num~rique montre que la simulation multi-corps, qui est un...de l ’&oulement du d𔄀chelle de discrdtisation, d’origine physique, introduit des m~me ordre que l ’~paisseur des couches limites sur le point de...hypersustentateurs. Enfin, les consequences des exigences de furtivite sur la forme des aeronefs - c’est it dire la creation de configurations telles que

  7. Plasma chemical conversion of sulphur hexafluoride initiated by a pulsed electron beam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kholodnaya, Galina; Sazonov, Roman; Ponomarev, Denis; Guzeeva, Tatiana

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the results of the experimental investigation of plasma chemical conversion of sulphur hexafluoride initiated by a pulsed electron beam (TEA-500 pulsed electron accelerator) with the following characteristics: 400-450 keV electron energy, 60 ns pulse duration, up to 200 J pulse energy, and 5 cm beam diameter. Experiments were conducted on the effect of the pulsed electron beam on SF6 and on mixtures of SF6 with O2, Ar, or N2. For the mixture of SF6 and oxygen, the results indicated chemical reactions involving the formation of a number of products of which one is sulphur, confirming the Wray - Fluorescence Analysis. The plasma chemical conversion of SF6 initiated by the pulsed electron beam was not detected when SF6 was mixed with Ar or N2, suggesting a possible mechanism for the reaction of SF6 in the presence of O2.

  8. Working Together: Contributions of Corpus Analyses and Experimental Psycholinguistics to Understanding Conversation.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Antje S; Alday, Phillip M; Decuyper, Caitlin; Knudsen, Birgit

    2018-01-01

    As conversation is the most important way of using language, linguists and psychologists should combine forces to investigate how interlocutors deal with the cognitive demands arising during conversation. Linguistic analyses of corpora of conversation are needed to understand the structure of conversations, and experimental work is indispensable for understanding the underlying cognitive processes. We argue that joint consideration of corpus and experimental data is most informative when the utterances elicited in a lab experiment match those extracted from a corpus in relevant ways. This requirement to compare like with like seems obvious but is not trivial to achieve. To illustrate this approach, we report two experiments where responses to polar (yes/no) questions were elicited in the lab and the response latencies were compared to gaps between polar questions and answers in a corpus of conversational speech. We found, as expected, that responses were given faster when they were easy to plan and planning could be initiated earlier than when they were harder to plan and planning was initiated later. Overall, in all but one condition, the latencies were longer than one would expect based on the analyses of corpus data. We discuss the implication of this partial match between the data sets and more generally how corpus and experimental data can best be combined in studies of conversation.

  9. Language development in a non-vocal child.

    PubMed

    Rogow, S M

    1994-01-01

    Many children who cannot speak, comprehend both oral and written language. Having knowledge of language is not the same as being able to use language for social transactions. Non-vocal children learn to use augmented and assisted systems, but they experience specific difficulties in initiating and maintaining conversations and making use of the pragmatic functions of language. The purpose of this study was to investigate the semantic and syntactic knowledge of a child with severe multiple disabilities who can read and write and comprehend two languages, but does not initiate conversation. The study demonstrates that high levels of language comprehension and ability to read and write do not automatically transfer to conversational competence or narrative ability.

  10. Evaluation d'impact sur la santé et évaluation d'impact sur l'équité en santé : éventail de pratiques et questions de recherche.

    PubMed

    Villeval, Mélanie; Bidault, Elsa; Lang, Thierry

    2016-09-01

    L'Evaluation d'Impact sur la Santé (EIS) se développe au niveau international et est encore au stade émergent en France. Elle vise à évaluer les effets positifs et négatifs potentiels d'un projet, d'un programme ou d'une politique sur la santé. L'objectif est de produire des recommandations en direction des décideurs, afin d'en maximiser les effets positifs et d'en diminuer les effets négatifs. L'EIS est un moyen particulièrement intéressant d'action sur les déterminants de la santé au-delà des comportements individuels et du système de santé. Les politiques de logement, de transport, de solidarité, économiques, etc. ont, en effet, des impacts souvent non prévus sur la santé. Au-delà des effets sur la santé, l'EIS doit aussi permettre d'apprécier la distribution de ces effets dans la population.Si la préoccupation pour l'équité en santé est centrale dans l'EIS, elle reste cependant difficilement traduite en pratique. Face à cette difficulté, des démarches d'évaluation d'impact ont été développées pour renforcer la prise en compte de l'équité à chaque étape de l'EIS ou « Equity Focused Health Impact Assessment », ou prendre en compte les impacts sur les inégalités de santé de façon spécifique. Ainsi, l'Evaluation de l'Impact sur l'Equité en Santé (EIES) semble, par exemple, particulièrement intéressante pour évaluer l'impact sur les inégalités de projets dans le champ sanitaire.L'EIS et l'EIES posent de nombreuses questions de recherche, notamment autour de la réunion, dans une même démarche, du politique, du citoyen et de l'expert. La participation des populations vulnérables potentiellement affectées par la politique évaluée est une valeur centrale de l'EIS, mais pose des questions d'acceptabilité sociale. La collaboration avec les décideurs politiques est également un enjeu majeur. Les difficultés méthodologiques, notamment de quantification des impacts, peuvent constituer des freins à la promotion de la démarche auprès des décideurs. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. Conversion of (Meth)acrylic acids to methane granular sludge: Initiation by specific anerobic microflora

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

    Shtarkman, N.B.; Obraztova, A.Y.; Laurinavichyus, K.S.

    1995-03-01

    The role of a specific anaerobic microflora in the initiation of degradation of (meth)acrylic acids to methane by granular sludge from a UASB reactor was investigated. Associations of anaerobic bacteria isolated from the anaerobic sludge, which was used for a long time for treatment of wastewater from (meth)acrylate production, were able to realize the initial stage of (meth)acrylic acid decomposition, i.e., a conversion of acrylic and methacrylic acids to propionic and isobutyric acids, respectively. When added to granules, these association played a role of an {open_quotes}initiator{close_quotes} of the degradation process, which was then continued by the granular sludge microflora utilizingmore » propionate and isobutyrate. Some characteristics of the granules adapted to propionate or isobutyrate are presented. The rates of propionate and isobutyrate consumption by adapted granules is, respectively, 21 and 53 times higher than the values obtained for nonadapted granules. A combined use of {open_quotes}initiating{close_quotes} bacteria and adapted granules provided degradation of (meth)acrylic acids with a maximum methane yield. The possibility is discussed of employing the granules, which are adapted to short-chain fatty acids, and the {open_quotes}initiating{close_quotes} bacteria, which accomplish the initial steps of the organic material decomposition to lower fatty acids, for the conversion of various chemical compounds to methane. 10 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.« less

  12. Technical Evaluation Report on the Fluid Dynamics Panel Specialists’ Meeting on Effects of Adverse Weather on Aerodynamics (Les Effets des Conditions Meteorologiques Adverses sur l’Aerodynamique)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-11-01

    AD-A245 117 III~i~IIiiIiIIi~ifhII _________________________AGARD-R306 0 AGARD ADVISORY GROUP FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 4 7 RUE ANCELLE...REPRODUCE LEGIBLY. AGARD-AR-306 ADVISORY GROUP FOR AEROSPACE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT 7 RUE ANCELLE 92200 NEUILLY SUR SEINE FRANCE AGARD ADVISORY RIEPORT...Conditions NMeleorolovioiue,, Adverscs sur rAerodynarminiuc) - J.J. Reinrnann National ,\\cronautico and Space .\\drmintration L eip Research (Center

  13. Advanced Beamformers for 3D Ultrasound Systems Deploying Linear and Planar Phased Array Probes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-05-01

    6tude sur la technologic d𔄀chographie 4D serviront de fondement important A l’innovation dans Ie secteur industriel canadien des dispositifs A...pouvant &tre utilis6 sur place A des fins de diagnostic. La technologie proposee comprend les travaux suivants: "* techniques de formation de faisceaux...faciliter l’imagerie durant les operations avec effraction minimale effectu6es sur place; "* concept d’impulsions A inversion temporelle pour les signaux

  14. Multiscale Materials Science: A Mathematical Approach to the Role of Defects and Uncertainty

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    ADDRESS(ES) Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees 6 et 8 avenue Blaise Pascal, Cite Descartes , Champs sur Marne 77 455 Marne la Vallee Cedex 2...nationale des ponts et chaussees 6 et 8 avenue Blaise-Pascal, Cite Descartes Champs-sur-Marne F-77455 Mame-la-Vallee cedex 2 www.enpc.fr tel...CHAUSSEES 6, AVENUE BLAISE PASCAL 6 ET 8 CITE DESCARTES CHAMPS SUR MARNE, 77420 FR 13d. BUSINESS OFFICE CONTACT: CAROLINA GARCIA-OLMEDO 13e

  15. Measuring Effects and Success in Influence Operations: Challenges, Limitations and Opportunitites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-01

    domaines de la psychologie , de l’anthropologie et de la sociologie, ainsi que sur des entrevues menées auprès de pionniers des technologies de...documents issus des domaines de la psychologie , de l’anthropologie et de la sociologie, ainsi que sur des entrevues menées auprès de pionniers des...la psychologie , de l’anthropologie et de la sociologie, ainsi que sur des entrevues menées auprès de pionniers des technologies de l’intelligence

  16. Decision Rules for Pictorial Threat Classification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-07-01

    utilise un seul indice pour classifier des cibles, et la stratégie de classification bayesienne qui repose sur des modèles de statistiques...L’approche heuristique consistant à « ne garder que le meilleur en vue de la classification » (TTB-C) repose sur l’hypothèse qu’un seul repère, hautement...stratégie bayesienne repose sur le recrutement de mécanismes perceptuels automatiques, elle peut s’avérer plus profitable dans des situations où

  17. To call or not to call--that is the question (while driving).

    PubMed

    Tractinsky, Noam; Ram, Efrat Soffer; Shinar, David

    2013-07-01

    We studied whether decisions to engage in cell phone conversation while driving and the consequences of such decisions are related to the driver's age, to the road conditions (demands of the driving task), and to the driver's role in initiating the phone call (i.e. the driver as caller vs. as receiver). Two experiments were performed in a driving simulator in which driver age, road conditions and phone conversation, as a secondary task, were manipulated. Engagement in cell phone conversations, performance in the driving and the conversation tasks, and subjective effort assessment were recorded. In general, drivers were more willing to accept incoming calls than to initiate calls. In addition, older and younger drivers were more susceptible to the deleterious effects of phone conversations while driving than middle aged/experienced drivers. While older drivers were aware of this susceptibility by showing sensitivity to road conditions before deciding whether to engage in a call or not, young drivers showed no such sensitivity. The results can guide the development of young driver training programs and point at the need to develop context-aware management systems of in-vehicle cell phone conversations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Fires Burning near Big Sur, California

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-06-30

    Fires near Big Sur, Calif., continued to burn unchecked when the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer ASTER instrument on NASA Terra satellite captured this image on Sunday, June 29, 2008.

  19. Modélisation à long terme et optimisation du stock d'énergie des installations solaires autonomes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maafi, A.; Delorme, C.

    1996-04-01

    A sizing approach of storage capacity for autonomous solar system has been developed by analyzing the difference between solar radiation input and energy demand on long-term periods. This approach has been implemented using series of daily global irradiation data recorded or generated on a horizontal surface in the meteorological stations of Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Algiers and Tamanrasset (Algeria) and Carpentras (France). The obtained results show that for an energy demand equaling the pluriannual mean of solar irradiation a storage of several months is needed to obtain the autonomy of solar systems located in Algiers, Carpentras and Tamanrasset. It should be too expensive investment to set-up such solar systems in these locations. Therefore, the size of the storage is minimized by using a non-zero initial energy storage and reducing the energy demand. This procedure show that it is possible to provide every day a programmed energy using autonomous solar systems which are competitive economically. Une approche de dimensionnement de la capacité de stockage des installations solaires autonomes a été développé. Elle est basée sur l'analyse de la différence entre l'énergie incidente et la consommation requise. Cette méthode a été mise au point à partir de données journalières d'irradiation globale enregistrées ou reconstituées sur plan horizontal dans les stations météorologiques d'Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), d'Alger et de Tamanrasset (Algérie) et de Carpentras (France). Pour une demande énergétique correspondant à la production moyenne pluriannuelle d'énergie solaire, les résultats montrent qu'un stockage de plusieurs mois est requis pour garantir l'autonomie de fonctionnement des installations solaires implantées à Alger, Carpentras et Tamanrasset. L'autonomie ainsi obtenue n'est pas économiquement rentable. Aussi, la taille du stockage a été minimisée en utilisant un stock initial d'énergie au démarrage de l'installation et en réduisant la consommation. Ceci a permis de montrer que la couverture de besoins énergétiques planifiés à l'aide d'installations solaires autonomes, compétitives sur le plan économique, est possible.

  20. No 129-L'exercice physique pendant la grossesse et le postpartum.

    PubMed

    Davies, Gregory A L; Wolfe, Larry A; Mottola, Michelle F; MacKinnon, Catherine

    2018-02-01

    Énoncer une directive canadienne visant à informer les fournisseurs de soins obstétricaux des répercussions, pour la mère, le fœtus et le nouveau-né, des exercices de conditionnement aerobique et musculaire pendant la grossesse. RéSULTATS ATTENDUS: Effets sur la morbidité maternelle, fœtale et néonatale et mesures de la forme physique maternelle. Une recherche sur MEDLINE des articles, publiés en anglais de 1966 à 2002, appartenant aux catégories suivantes : études sur le conditionnement aérobique et musculaire chez des femmes ne faisant pas jusque-là d'exercice et chez des femmes actives avant leur grossesse, ainsi que des études sur les répercussions du conditionnement aérobique et musculaire sur les issues précoces et tardives de la grossesse ou sur les issues néonatales; rapports de synthèse et méta-analyses portant sur l'exercice pendant la grossesse. Les résultats recueillis ont été revus par la Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada (Comité de la pratique clinique - obstétrique), avec la participation de la Société canadienne de physiologie de l'exercice, et ils ont été classés suivant les critères d'évaluation des preuves établis par le Groupe de travail canadien sur l'examen de santé périodique. VALIDATION: Cette directive a été approuvée par le Comité de pratique clinique - obstétrique de la SOGC, par le Comité exécutif et par le Conseil de la SOGC, ainsi que par le Conseil d'administration de la Société canadienne de physiologie de l'exercice. PARRAINé PAR: la Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada et par la Société canadienne de physiologie de l'exercice. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Photoinitiation chemistry affects light transmission and degree of conversion of curing experimental dental resin composites.

    PubMed

    Ogunyinka, A; Palin, W M; Shortall, A C; Marquis, P M

    2007-07-01

    The effect of photoinitiator and co-initiator chemistry on the setting reaction and degree of conversion of dental resin-based composites (RBCs) has rarely been determined explicitly. This work examines the effect of type and concentration of photoinitiator and co-initiator on the rate of change of light transmission throughout polymerisation and degree of conversion of model RBC formulations. Bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) (6:4 molar ratio) resins filled with silanized glass filler (74wt.%) and containing various photoinitiators (camphorquinone; CQ, 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione; PPD, benzil; BZ), co-initiator types (N,N-dimethyl-p-amino benzoic acid ethyl ester; DABE, N,N-cyanoethyl methylaniline; CEMA, N,N-diethanol-p-toluidine; DEPT) and concentration (0.0-0.3% DABE) were polymerised using a halogen or LED light curing-unit (LCU) for 10, 20 and 40s. The setting reaction was monitored in real-time by measuring the light transmittance through the curing specimen and bulk degree of conversion (DC) evaluated using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Specimens containing CQ and PPD cured with the halogen LCU did not have a significant effect on DC or changes in light transmission, although a significant increase in DC was observed for CQ compared with PPD specimens cured with the LED LCU. DABE and CEMA were more effective co-initiators than DEPT. Although DC was not limited by co-initiator concentration, the absence of a co-initiator resulted in marked differences in light transmission and decreased DC throughout 40s irradiation with each LCU type. The spectral range emitted from different types of LCU and absorption characteristics of the photoinitiator chemistry of light-activated resin-based composites play a critical role in the efficiency of polymerisation.

  2. Method for the photocatalytic conversion of gas hydrates

    DOEpatents

    Taylor, Charles E.; Noceti, Richard P.; Bockrath, Bradley C.

    2001-01-01

    A method for converting methane hydrates to methanol, as well as hydrogen, through exposure to light. The process includes conversion of methane hydrates by light where a radical initiator has been added, and may be modified to include the conversion of methane hydrates with light where a photocatalyst doped by a suitable metal and an electron transfer agent to produce methanol and hydrogen. The present invention operates at temperatures below 0.degree. C., and allows for the direct conversion of methane contained within the hydrate in situ.

  3. 50 CFR 660.112 - Trawl fishery-prohibitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... reports of groundfish landings, containing all data, and in the exact manner, required by the regulation.../Biogenic Area, Farallon Islands/Fanny Shoal, Half Moon Bay, Monterey Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur...

  4. AirMSPI PODEX Big Sur Ellipsoid Images

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2013-12-11

    ... Browse Images from the PODEX 2013 Campaign   Big Sur target 02/03/2013 Ellipsoid-projected   Select link to ...   Version number   For more information, see the  Data Product Specifications (DPS) ...

  5. Proceedings from the DRG Seminar on Robotics in the Battlefield (31st) Held on 6-8 March 1991 in Paris, France. Volume A (Actes du 31ieme Seminaire sur la Robotique du Champ de Bataille, Groupe sur la Recherche pour la Defense).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-06-01

    que ce que l’on peut esp~rer avec des hommes. Le second serait un robot de renseignement, sorte d’unit6 4 recherche dans la profondeur , mis en place par...3 1ime Seminaire sur la robotique du champ de Bataille Groupe sur la Recherche pour la Defense S92-25111 92 9 14 00O ;-" SANS CLASSIFICATION...6l6mentaires de pilotage d’un v~hicule en vue d’en am~liorer et d’en simplifier la t~l6commandabilit6 by M. Urvoy - Adaptation de l’algorithme A * 6 la

  6. Un accumulateur echangeur de chaleur hybride pour la gestion simultanee des energies solaire et electrique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ait Hammou, Zouhair

    Cette etude porte sur la conception d'un accumulateur echangeur de chaleur hybride (AECH) pour la gestion simultanee des energies solaire et electrique. Un modele mathematique reposant sur les equations de conservation de la quantite d'energie est expose. Il est developpe pour tester differents materiaux de stockage, entre autres, les materiaux a changement de phase (solide/liquide) et les materiaux de stockage sensible. Un code de calcul est mis en eeuvre sur ordinateur, puis valide a l'aide des resultats analytiques et numeriques de la litterature. En parallele, un prototype experimental a echelle reduite est concu au laboratoire afin de valider le code de calcul. Des simulations sont effectuees pour etudier les effets des parametres de conception et des materiaux de stockage sur le comportement thermique de l'AECH et sur la consommation d'energie electrique. Les resultats des simulations sur quatre mois d'hiver montrent que la paraffine n-octadecane et l'acide caprique sont deux candidats souhaitables pour le stockage d'energie destine au chauffage des habitats. L'utilisation de ces deux materiaux dans l'AECH permet de reduire la consommation d'energie electrique de 32% et d'aplanir le probleme de pointe electrique puisque 90% de l'energie electrique est consommee durant les heures creuses. En plus, en adoptant un tarif preferentiel, le calcul des couts lies a la consommation d'energie electrique montre que le consommateur adoptant ce systeme beneficie d'une reduction de 50% de la facture d'electricite.

  7. Field Trial of Attentuated Salmonella Typhi Live Oral Vaccine Ty21a in Liquid and Enteric-Coated Formulations and Epidemiological Survey for Incidence of Diarrhea due to Shigella Species

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-05-18

    trial was initiated in Area Sur Oriente and Area Norte, Santiago, Chile,. to compare the relative and absolute’ efficacy of three doses of Ty2la vaccine ...neighboirhood of Area Oriente, Santiago with the broad objective of pr3paring a field area uhere the efficacy of vaccines against Shigella...The high incidence rates of Shisella, ETEC, and EPEC infection make Santa Julia a suitable place for testing the efficacy of vaccines against these

  8. Subcritical hydrothermal liquefaction of cattle manure to bio-oil: Effects of conversion parameters on bio-oil yield and characterization of bio-oil.

    PubMed

    Yin, Sudong; Dolan, Ryan; Harris, Matt; Tan, Zhongchao

    2010-05-01

    In this study, cattle manure was converted to bio-oil by subcritical hydrothermal liquefaction in the presence of NaOH. The effects of conversion temperature, process gas, initial conversion pressure, residence time and mass ratio of cattle manure to water on the bio-oil yield were studied. The bio-oil was characterized in terms of elemental composition, higher heating value, ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that the bio-oil yield depended on the conversion temperature and the process gas. Higher initial conversion pressure, longer residence time and larger mass ratio of cattle manure to water, however, had negative impacts on the bio-oil yield. The higher heating value of bio-oil was 35.53MJ/kg on average. The major non-polar components of bio-oil were toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene, which are components of crude oil, gasoline and diesel. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Evaluation des indicateurs d’alerte précoce de la résistance du VIH aux ARV en Côte d’Ivoire en 2011

    PubMed Central

    Yao, Kouadio Jean; Damey, Néto Florence; Konan, Diby Jean Paul; Aka, Joseph; Aka-Konan, Sandrine; Ani, Alex; Bonle, Marguerite Te; Kouassi, Dinard

    2016-01-01

    Introduction En 2001, l'Organisation des Nations Unies recommandait de rendre disponible les médicaments antirétroviraux dans les pays à ressources limitées. Cependant, l'utilisation de ces médicaments à grande échelle s'accompagne du développement de résistance du virus. En Côte d'Ivoire, plusieurs sites prescrivent les antirétroviraux. Cette étude avait pour objectif d'évaluer les facteurs programmatiques associés à un risque élevé d'émergence de résistance du VIH aux antirétroviraux. Méthodes Il s'agit d'une cohorte rétrospective sur 20 sites de prise en charge des personnes vivant avec le VIH. La population d'étude était constituée des personnes ayant initié leur traitement antirétroviral sur les sites en 2008-2009. L'estimation de la taille de l'échantillon a été faite à partir de la stratégie d'échantillonnage de l'OMS. Résultats Sur 20 sites, 98% des prescriptions initiales étaient conformes aux directives nationales et 20% des sites avaient 100% de prescriptions conformes. Au total, 33% des patients étaient perdus de vue au cours des 12 premiers mois de traitement antirétroviral et 20% des sites avaient moins de 20% de perdus de vue. A 12 mois, 51% des patients demeuraient sous traitement de première intention approprié et 11% des sites ont atteint le seuil d'au moins 70% de patients sous traitement de première intention approprié. Un seul site n'a pas connu de rupture d'antirétroviraux sur les 12 mois. Conclusion Des insuffisances relevées dans la prise en charge des personnes vivant avec le VIH traduisent l'existence d'un risque important de résistance du virus aux antirétroviraux en 2008-2009. Pour minimiser ce risque les pratiques de prescription devraient être améliorées, un système de recherche des absents aux rendez-vous devrait être mis en place et la disponibilité constante des antirétroviraux devraient être assurée. PMID:28250876

  10. Hypotension Due to Kir6.1 Gain‐of‐Function in Vascular Smooth Muscle

    PubMed Central

    Li, Anlong; Knutsen, Russell H.; Zhang, Haixia; Osei‐Owusu, Patrick; Moreno‐Dominguez, Alex; Harter, Theresa M.; Uchida, Keita; Remedi, Maria S.; Dietrich, Hans H.; Bernal‐Mizrachi, Carlos; Blumer, Kendall J.; Mecham, Robert P.; Koster, Joseph C.; Nichols, Colin G.

    2013-01-01

    Background KATP channels, assembled from pore‐forming (Kir6.1 or Kir6.2) and regulatory (SUR1 or SUR2) subunits, link metabolism to excitability. Loss of Kir6.2 results in hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, whereas loss of Kir6.1 causes Prinzmetal angina–like symptoms in mice. Conversely, overactivity of Kir6.2 induces neonatal diabetes in mice and humans, but consequences of Kir6.1 overactivity are unknown. Methods and Results We generated transgenic mice expressing wild‐type (WT), ATP‐insensitive Kir6.1 [Gly343Asp] (GD), and ATP‐insensitive Kir6.1 [Gly343Asp,Gln53Arg] (GD‐QR) subunits, under Cre‐recombinase control. Expression was induced in smooth muscle cells by crossing with smooth muscle myosin heavy chain promoter–driven tamoxifen‐inducible Cre‐recombinase (SMMHC‐Cre‐ER) mice. Three weeks after tamoxifen induction, we assessed blood pressure in anesthetized and conscious animals, as well as contractility of mesenteric artery smooth muscle and KATP currents in isolated mesenteric artery myocytes. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced in GD and GD‐QR mice but normal in mice expressing the WT transgene and elevated in Kir6.1 knockout mice as well as in mice expressing dominant‐negative Kir6.1 [AAA] in smooth muscle. Contractile response of isolated GD‐QR mesenteric arteries was blunted relative to WT controls, but nitroprusside relaxation was unaffected. Basal KATP conductance and pinacidil‐activated conductance were elevated in GD but not in WT myocytes. Conclusions KATP overactivity in vascular muscle can lead directly to reduced vascular contractility and lower blood pressure. We predict that gain of vascular KATP function in humans would lead to a chronic vasodilatory phenotype, as indeed has recently been demonstrated in Cantu syndrome. PMID:23974906

  11. Cantú Syndrome Resulting from Activating Mutation in the KCNJ8 Gene

    PubMed Central

    Cooper, Paige E.; Reutter, Heiko; Woelfle, Joachim; Engels, Hartmut; Grange, Dorothy K.; van Haaften, Gijs; van Bon, Bregje W.; Hoischen, Alexander; Nichols, Colin G.

    2014-01-01

    ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, composed of inward-rectifying potassium channel subunits (Kir6.1 and Kir6.2, encoded by KCNJ8 and KCNJ11, respectively) and regulatory sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1 and SUR2, encoded by ABCC8 and ABCC9, respectively), couple metabolism to excitability in multiple tissues. Mutations in ABCC9 cause Cantú syndrome, a distinct multi-organ disease, potentially via enhanced KATP channel activity. We screened KCNJ8 in an ABCC9 mutation-negative patient who also exhibited clinical hallmarks of Cantú syndrome (hypertrichosis, macrosomia, macrocephaly, coarse facial appearance, cardiomegaly, and skeletal abnormalities). We identified a de novo missense mutation encoding Kir6.1[p.Cys176Ser] in the patient. Kir6.1[p.Cys176Ser] channels exhibited markedly higher activity than wild-type channels, as a result of reduced ATP sensitivity, whether co-expressed with SUR1 or SUR2A subunits. Our results identify a novel causal gene in Cantú syndrome, but also demonstrate that the cardinal features of the disease result from gain of KATP channel function, not from Kir6-independent SUR2 function. PMID:24700710

  12. Cantú syndrome resulting from activating mutation in the KCNJ8 gene.

    PubMed

    Cooper, Paige E; Reutter, Heiko; Woelfle, Joachim; Engels, Hartmut; Grange, Dorothy K; van Haaften, Gijs; van Bon, Bregje W; Hoischen, Alexander; Nichols, Colin G

    2014-07-01

    ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP ) channels, composed of inward-rectifying potassium channel subunits (Kir6.1 and Kir6.2, encoded by KCNJ8 and KCNJ11, respectively) and regulatory sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1 and SUR2, encoded by ABCC8 and ABCC9, respectively), couple metabolism to excitability in multiple tissues. Mutations in ABCC9 cause Cantú syndrome (CS), a distinct multiorgan disease, potentially via enhanced KATP channel activity. We screened KCNJ8 in an ABCC9 mutation-negative patient who also exhibited clinical hallmarks of CS (hypertrichosis, macrosomia, macrocephaly, coarse facial appearance, cardiomegaly, and skeletal abnormalities). We identified a de novo missense mutation encoding Kir6.1[p.Cys176Ser] in the patient. Kir6.1[p.Cys176Ser] channels exhibited markedly higher activity than wild-type channels, as a result of reduced ATP sensitivity, whether coexpressed with SUR1 or SUR2A subunits. Our results identify a novel causal gene in CS, but also demonstrate that the cardinal features of the disease result from gain of KATP channel function, not from a Kir6-independent SUR2 function. © 2014 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  13. Teaching Medical Students About "The Conversation": An Interactive Value-Based Advance Care Planning Session.

    PubMed

    Lum, Hillary D; Dukes, Joanna; Church, Skotti; Abbott, Jean; Youngwerth, Jean M

    2018-02-01

    Advance care planning (ACP) promotes care consistent with patient wishes. Medical education should teach how to initiate value-based ACP conversations. To develop and evaluate an ACP educational session to teach medical students a value-based ACP process and to encourage students to take personal ACP action steps. Groups of third-year medical students participated in a 75-minute session using personal reflection and discussion framed by The Conversation Starter Kit. The Conversation Project is a free resource designed to help individuals and families express their wishes for end-of-life care. One hundred twenty-seven US third-year medical students participated in the session. Student evaluations immediately after the session and 1 month later via electronic survey. More than 90% of students positively evaluated the educational value of the session, including rating highly the opportunities to reflect on their own ACP and to use The Conversation Starter Kit. Many students (65%) reported prior ACP conversations. After the session, 73% reported plans to discuss ACP, 91% had thought about preferences for future medical care, and 39% had chosen a medical decision maker. Only a minority had completed an advance directive (14%) or talked with their health-care provider (1%). One month later, there was no evidence that the session increased students' actions regarding these same ACP action steps. A value-based ACP educational session using The Conversation Starter Kit successfully engaged medical students in learning about ACP conversations, both professionally and personally. This session may help students initiate conversations for themselves and their patients.

  14. Taos Smart Growth Implementation Assistance: Concepts for the Paseo del Pueblo Sur Corridor

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report describes a technical assistance project with Taos, NM, to help make development along State Highway 68, the Paseo del Pueblo Sur commercial corridor, economically stronger and more attractive.

  15. CHARACTERIZATION OF CURING EMISSIONS FROM CONVERSION VARNISHES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Three commercially available conversion varnish coating "systems" (stain, sealer, and topcoat) were selected for an initial scoping study. The total volatile content of the catalyzed varnishes, as determined by EPA Method 24, ranged from 64 to 73 weight %. Uncombined (free) forma...

  16. Environmentally Safe and Effective Processes for Paint Removal (Les Procedes Efficaces et Ecologiques pour l’Enlevement des Peintures)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-03-01

    1992 sur tine coclule d’avion TRANSALL pointe A loexception des composites vner / dpoxy (inhtalla- avec In garame Airbus . don non robotisde, 2 buses...Los P.M.P. h AIRBUS INDUSTRIE page P.M.P, cii cabine (MATRASUR ct SCHLICK) pour l’onl~vormont des peinturos sur las 616ments md- Ril~ant suite h uno...dtudo sur las P.M.P. lancdo fin caziiquos (site do MARIGNANE) =* capacitd do iral. 1987, tine spcificatlun do pr ddwv Airbus Industrie tement : 1500 kg

  17. First record of a louse fly, Stilbometopa impressa (Bigot), and new host for Microlynchia pusilla (Speiser) (Hippoboscidae) from the Cape Region, Baja California Sur, México.

    PubMed

    Llinas, J; Jiménez, M L

    1996-04-01

    Nine of thirty California quail (Callipepla californica achrustera) captured in autumn of 1992, 17 km west of La Paz, Baja California Sur, México, were parasitized by louse flies. We identified eight Microlynchia pusilla and three Stilbometopa impressa from 30 quails in the ratio of 2.75:1. These are the first records of S. impressa for Cape Region and the first time either fly has been reported from the California quail in Baja California Sur.

  18. Approches pour la reduction de l'impact de defaut dans le transport d'energie du parc eolien offshore via VSC-HVDC =

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benadja, Mounir

    Dans ce travail est presente un systeme de generation d'energie d'un parc eolien offshore et un systeme de transport utilisant les stations VSC-HVDC connectees au reseau principal AC onshore. Trois configurations ont ete etudiees, modelisees et validees par simulation. Dans chacune des configurations, des contributions ameliorant les cotes techniques et economiques sont decrites ci-dessous : La premiere contribution concerne un nouvel algorithme MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) utilise pour l'extraction de la puissance maximale disponible dans les eoliennes des parcs offshores. Cette technique d'extraction du MPPT ameliore le rendement energetique de la chaine de conversion des energies renouvelables notamment l'energie eolienne a petite et a grande echelles (parc eolien offshore) qui constitue un probleme pour les constructeurs qui se trouvent confrontes a developper des dispositifs MPPT simples, moins couteux, robustes, fiables et capable d'obtenir un rendement energetique maximal. La deuxieme contribution concerne la reduction de la taille, du cout et de l'impact des defauts electriques (AC et DC) dans le systeme construit pour transporter l'energie d'un parc eolien offshore (OWF) vers le reseau principal AC onshore via deux stations 3L-NPC VSCHVDC. La solution developpee utilise des observateurs non-lineaires bases sur le filtre de Kalman etendu (EKF). Ce filtre permet d'estimer la vitesse de rotation et la position du rotor de chacune des generatrices du parc eolien offshore et de la tension du bus DC de l'onduleur DC-AC offshore et des deux stations 3L-NPC-VSC-HVDC (offshore et onshore). De plus, ce developpement du filtre de Kalman etendu a permis de reduire l'impact des defauts AC et DC. Deux commandes ont ete utilisees, l'une (commande indirect dans le plan abc) avec EKF integre destinee pour controler le convertisseur DC-AC offshore et l'autre (commande d-q) avec EKF integre pour controler les convertisseurs des deux stations AC-DC et DC-AC tout en tenant compte des entrees de chacune des stations. L'integration des observateurs non-lineaires (EKF) dans le controle des convertisseurs permet de resoudre le probleme des incertitudes de mesure, des incertitudes dans la modelisation, en cas du dysfonctionnement ou de panne des capteurs de mesure ainsi que le probleme de l'impact des defauts (AC et DC) sur la qualite d'energie dans les systemes de transmission. Ces estimations contribuent a rendre le cout global du systeme moins cher et sa taille moins encombrante ainsi que la reduction de l'impact des defauts (AC et DC) sur le systeme. La troisieme contribution concerne la reduction de la taille, du cout et de l'impact des defauts electriques (AC et DC) dans le systeme construit pour transporter l'energie d'un parc eolien offshore (OWF) vers le reseau principal AC onshore via deux stations VSC-HVDC. La solution developpee utilise des observateurs non-lineaires bases sur le filtre de Kalman etendu (EKF). Ce filtre permet d'estimer la vitesse de rotation et la position du rotor de chacune des generatrices du parc eolien et de la tension du bus DC de l'onduleur DC-AC offshore. La contribution porte surtout sur le developpement des deux commandes des deux stations. La premiere, la commande non-lineaire modifiee pour controler le premier convertisseur de la station VSC-HVDC offshore assurant le transfert de la puissance generee par le parc eolien vers la station VSC-HVDC onshore. La deuxieme commande non-lineaire modifiee avec integration de la regulation de la tension du bus DC et de la commande a modele de reference adaptative (MRAC) pour la compensation des surintensites et surtensions durant les defauts AC et DC. On peut constater que lors d'un defaut AC au PCC (Point of Common Coupling) du cote reseau onshore, la profondeur de l'impact du defaut AC sur l'amplitude des courants du reseau principal AC onshore qui etait reduit a 60% par les travaux de recherche (Erlich, Feltes et Shewarega, 2014), comparativement a la nouvelle commande proposee MRAC qui reduit la profondeur de l'impact a 35%. Lors de l'apparition des defauts AC et DC, une reduction de l'impact des defauts sur l'amplitude des courants de reseau AC terrestre et du temps de reponse a ete observee et la stabilite du systeme a ete renforcee par l'utilisation de la commande adaptative basee sur le modele de reference MRAC. La quatrieme contribution concerne une nouvelle commande basee sur le mode de glissement (SM) appliquee pour la station VSC-HVDC qui relie le parc eolien offshore (OWF) au reseau principal AC. Ce parc est compose de dix eoliennes basees sur des generatrices synchrones a aimant permanent (VSWT/PMSGs) connectees en parallele et chacune est controlee par son propre convertisseur DC-DC. Une comparaison des performances entre la commande SM et de la commande non-lineaire avec des controleurs PI pour les deux conditions (presence et absence de defaut DC) a ete analysee et montre la superiorite de la commande par SM. Un prototype du systeme etudie a echelle reduite a ete realise et teste au laboratoire GREPCI en utilisant la carte dSPACE-DS1104 pour la validation experimentale. L'analyse et la simulation des systemes etudies sont developpees sous l'environnement Matlab/Simulink/Simpowersystem. Les resultats obtenus a partir des configurations developpees sont valides par simulation et par experimentation. Les performances sont tres satisfaisantes du point de vue reponse dynamique, reponse en regime permanent, stabilite du systeme et qualite de l'energie.

  19. Working Together: Contributions of Corpus Analyses and Experimental Psycholinguistics to Understanding Conversation

    PubMed Central

    Meyer, Antje S.; Alday, Phillip M.; Decuyper, Caitlin; Knudsen, Birgit

    2018-01-01

    As conversation is the most important way of using language, linguists and psychologists should combine forces to investigate how interlocutors deal with the cognitive demands arising during conversation. Linguistic analyses of corpora of conversation are needed to understand the structure of conversations, and experimental work is indispensable for understanding the underlying cognitive processes. We argue that joint consideration of corpus and experimental data is most informative when the utterances elicited in a lab experiment match those extracted from a corpus in relevant ways. This requirement to compare like with like seems obvious but is not trivial to achieve. To illustrate this approach, we report two experiments where responses to polar (yes/no) questions were elicited in the lab and the response latencies were compared to gaps between polar questions and answers in a corpus of conversational speech. We found, as expected, that responses were given faster when they were easy to plan and planning could be initiated earlier than when they were harder to plan and planning was initiated later. Overall, in all but one condition, the latencies were longer than one would expect based on the analyses of corpus data. We discuss the implication of this partial match between the data sets and more generally how corpus and experimental data can best be combined in studies of conversation. PMID:29706919

  20. Methodologie de modelisation aerostructurelle d'une aile utilisant un logiciel de calcul aerodynamique et un logiciel de calcul par elements finis =

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Communier, David

    Lors de l'etude structurelle d'une aile d'avion, il est difficile de modeliser fidelement les forces aerodynamiques subies par l'aile de l'avion. Pour faciliter l'analyse, on repartit la portance maximale theorique de l'aile sur son longeron principal ou sur ses nervures. La repartition utilisee implique que l'aile entiere sera plus resistante que necessaire et donc que la structure ne sera pas totalement optimisee. Pour pallier ce probleme, il faudrait s'assurer d'appliquer une repartition aerodynamique de la portance sur la surface complete de l'aile. On serait donc en mesure d'obtenir une repartition des charges sur l'aile beaucoup plus fiable. Pour le realiser, nous aurons besoin de coupler les resultats d'un logiciel calculant les charges aerodynamiques de l'aile avec les resultats d'un logiciel permettant sa conception et son analyse structurelle. Dans ce projet, le logiciel utilise pour calculer les coefficients de pression sur l'aile est XFLR5 et le logiciel permettant la conception et l'analyse structurelle sera CATIA V5. Le logiciel XFLR5 permet une analyse rapide d'une aile en se basant sur l'analyse de ses profils. Ce logiciel calcule les performances des profils de la meme maniere que XFOIL et permet de choisir parmi trois methodes de calcul pour obtenir les performances de l'aile : Lifting Line Theory (LLT), Vortex Lattice Method (VLM) et 3D Panels. Dans notre methodologie, nous utilisons la methode de calcul 3D Panels dont la validite a ete testee en soufflerie pour confirmer les calculs sur XFLR5. En ce qui concerne la conception et l'analyse par des elements finis de la structure, le logiciel CATIA V5 est couramment utilise dans le domaine aerospatial. CATIA V5 permet une automatisation des etapes de conception de l'aile. Ainsi, dans ce memoire, nous allons decrire la methodologie permettant l'etude aerostructurelle d'une aile d'avion.

  1. Évaluation des caractéristiques mécaniques du polissoir en polyuréthanne utilisé comme porte abrasifs durant le processus du polissage du verre optique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aliouane, T.; Bouzid, D.; Belkhir, N.; Bouzid, S.; Herold, V.

    2005-05-01

    La fabrication des composants en verre optique nécessite des moyens de grande précision dans les procédés de finition vue l'importance accordée à leur qualité.
Durant le processus de polissage des verres optiques, le polissoir est un élément clé et a un impact direct sur les performances des composants optiques, non seulement il est utilisé comme support de grains abrasifs mais il doit posséder la fonction de transmission de la pression aux grains. La connaissance de ses propriétés, essentiellement mécanique, est impérative afin d'obtenir un état de surface optimal des composants optiques destinés à remplir des fonctions très précises dans des appareils optiques très performants.
Dans cette étude, nous avons constaté que les propriétés des polissoirs en polyuréthanne tel que la dureté, le module d'élasticité et la densité varient au cours du polissage. Ce changement a des effets sur l'état de surface de verre optique, causé par le changement microstructural de la surface du polissoir (distribution et dimensions des pores) et par conséquent sur la quantité des abrasifs (en oxyde de cérium) insérée dans les pores, ce qui influe sur la quantité de verre enlevée et sur l'état de surface du composant.
Sur la base des résultats obtenus, il a été prouvé que le polissoir subit des modifications très importantes ce qui influe considérablement sur son efficacité de polissage.

  2. Semantic trouble sources and their repair in conversations affected by Parkinson's disease

    PubMed Central

    Saldert, Charlotta; Ferm, Ulrika; Bloch, Steven

    2014-01-01

    Background It is known that dysarthria arising from Parkinson's disease may affect intelligibility in conversational interaction. Research has also shown that Parkinson's disease may affect cognition and cause word-retrieval difficulties and pragmatic problems in the use of language. However, it is not known whether or how these problems become manifest in everyday conversations or how conversation partners handle such problems. Aims To describe the pragmatic problems related to the use of words that occur in everyday conversational interaction in dyads including an individual with Parkinson's disease, and to explore how interactants in conversation handle the problems to re-establish mutual understanding. Methods & Procedures Twelve video-recorded everyday conversations involving three couples where one of the individuals had Parkinson's disease were included in the study. All instances of other-initiated repair following a contribution from the people with Parkinson's disease were analysed. Those instances involving a trouble source relating to the use of words were analysed with a qualitative interaction analysis based on the principles of conversation analysis. Outcomes & Results In 70% of the instances of other-initiated repair the trouble source could be related to the semantic content produced by the individual with Parkinson's disease. The problematic contributions were typically characterized by more or less explicit symptoms of word search or use of atypical wording. The conversation partners completed the repair work collaboratively, but typically the non-impaired individual made a rephrasing or provided a suggestion for what the intended meaning had been. Conclusions & Implications In clinical work with people with Parkinson's disease and their conversation partners it is important to establish what type of trouble sources occur in conversations in a specific dyad. It may often be necessary to look beyond intelligibility and into aspects of pragmatics to understand more fully the impact of Parkinson's disease on everyday conversational interaction. PMID:24934292

  3. L'astronomie dans le monde

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manfroid, J.

    2016-06-01

    Chocs d’amas - Amas de galaxies - Halos sur Pluton - Makémaké - Comète sans queue – Titan – Planètes Kepler - Transit de Mercure - Quatre lasers au-dessus de Paranal – NGC 1332 - Eau sur Mars

  4. Anchoring submersible ultrasonic receivers in river channels with stable substrate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bettoli, Phillip William; Scholten, G.D.; Hubbs, D.

    2010-01-01

    We developed an anchoring system for submersible ultrasonic receivers (SURs) that we placed on the bottom of the riverine reaches of three main-stem reservoirs in the upper Tennessee River. Each anchor consisted of a steel tube (8.9 x 35.6 cm) welded vertically to a round plate of steel (5.1 x 40.6 cm). All seven SURs and their 57-kg anchors were successfully deployed and retrieved three times over 547 d by a dive team employing surface air-breathing equipment and a davit-equipped boat. All of the anchors and their SURs remained stationary over two consecutive winters on the hard-bottom, thalweg sites where they were deployed. The SUR and its anchor at the most downriver site experienced flows that exceeded 2,100 m(3)/s and mean water column velocities of about 0.9 m/s.

  5. Lambeau Expanse du Cuir Chevelu dans la Couverture des Alopecies Cicatricielles sur Sequelles de Brulures. A Propos d'une Observation

    PubMed Central

    El Mazouz, S.; Hafidi, J.; Fejjal, N.; Mejjati, H.; Cherkab, L.; Gharib, N.; Abbassi, A.

    2010-01-01

    Summary Les séquelles esthétiques des alopécies cicatricielles sur séquelles de brûlures sont responsables de préjudices empêchant parfois la réinsertion sociale du patient, surtout chez les sujets de sexe féminin. Le cuir chevelu permet la réalisation de lambeaux permettant de couvrir ces alopécies. Les Auteurs décrivent le cas d'une jeune patiente victime d'une alopécie cicatricielle sur séquelles de brûlures chez qui ils ont réalisé un lambeau expansé du cuir chevelu et mettent le point sur la prise en charge de ces lésions à travers ce cas clinique et une revue de littérature. PMID:21991195

  6. Test-Retest Variability in Lesion SUV and Lesion SUR in 18F-FDG PET: An Analysis of Data from Two Prospective Multicenter Trials.

    PubMed

    Hofheinz, Frank; Apostolova, Ivayla; Oehme, Liane; Kotzerke, Jörg; van den Hoff, Jörg

    2017-11-01

    Quantitative assessment of radio- and chemotherapy response with 18 F-FDG whole-body PET has attracted increasing interest in recent years. In most published work, SUV has been used for this purpose. In the context of therapy response assessment, the reliability of lesion SUVs, notably their test-retest stability, thus becomes crucial. However, a recent study demonstrated substantial test-retest variability (TRV) in SUVs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the tumor-to-blood SUV ratio (SUR) can improve TRV in tracer uptake. Methods: 73 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer from the prospective multicenter trials ACRIN 6678 ( n = 34) and MK-0646-008 ( n = 39) were included in this study. All patients underwent two 18 F-FDG PET/CT investigations on two different days (time difference, 3.6 ± 2.1 d; range, 1-7 d) before therapy. For each patient, up to 7 tumor lesions were evaluated. For each lesion, SUV max and SUV peak were determined. Blood SUV was determined as the mean value of a 3-dimensional aortic region of interest that was delineated on the attenuation CT image and transferred to the PET image. SURs were computed as the ratio of tumor SUV to blood SUV and were uptake time-corrected to 75 min after injection. TRV was quantified as 1.96 multiplied by the root-mean-square deviation of the fractional paired differences in SUV and SUR. The combined effect of blood normalization and uptake time correction was inspected by considering R TRV (TRV SUR /TRV SUV ), a ratio reflecting the reduction in the TRV in SUR relative to SUV. R TRV was correlated with the group-averaged-value difference (δ) in CF mean (δCF mean ) of the quantity δCF = |CF - 1|, where CF is the numeric factor that converts individual ratios of paired SUVs into corresponding SURs. This correlation analysis was performed by successively increasing a threshold value δCF min and computing δCF mean and R TRV for the remaining subgroup of patients/lesions with δCF ≥ δCF min Results: The group-averaged TRV SUV and TRV SUR were 32.1 and 29.0, respectively, which correspond to a reduction of variability in SUR by an R TRV factor of 0.9 in comparison to SUV. This rather marginal improvement can be understood to be a consequence of the atypically low intrasubject variability in blood SUV and uptake time and the accordingly small δCF values in the investigated prospective study groups. In fact, subgroup analysis with increasing δCF min thresholds revealed a pronounced negative correlation (Spearman ρ = -0.99, P < 0.001) between R TRV and δCF mean , where R TRV ≈ 0.4 in the δCF min = 20% subgroup, corresponding to a more than 2-fold reduction of TRV SUR compared with TRV SUV Conclusion: Variability in blood SUV and uptake time has been identified as a causal factor in the TRV in lesion SUV. Therefore, TRV in lesion uptake measurements can be reduced by replacing SUV with SUR as the uptake measure. The improvement becomes substantial for the level of variability in blood SUV and uptake time typically observed in the clinical context. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

  7. Interactions of the sulfonylurea receptor 1 subunit in the molecular assembly of beta-cell K(ATP) channels.

    PubMed

    Mikhailov, M V; Ashcroft, S J

    2000-02-04

    We have investigated protein interactions involved in pancreatic beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel assembly. These channels, which are of key importance for control of insulin release, are a hetero-oligomeric complex of pore-forming Kir6.2 subunits and sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1) subunits with two nucleotide-binding domains (NBD1 and NBD2). We divided SUR1 into two halves at Pro-1042. Expression of either the individual N- or C-terminal domain in a baculovirus expression system did not lead to glibenclamide binding activity, although studies with green fluorescent protein fusion proteins showed that both half-molecules were inserted into the plasma membrane. However, significant glibenclamide binding activity was observed when the half-molecules were co-expressed (even when NBD2 was deleted from the C-terminal half-molecule). Simultaneous expression of Kir6.2 resulted in enhanced glibenclamide binding activity. We conclude that the glibenclamide-binding site includes amino acid residues from both halves of the molecule, that there is strong interaction between different regions of SUR1, that NBD2 is not essential for glibenclamide binding, and that interactions between Kir6.2 and SUR1 participate in ATP-sensitive potassium channel assembly. Investigation of NBD1-green fluorescent protein fusion protein distribution inside insect cells expressing C-terminal halves of SUR1 demonstrated strong interaction between NBD1 and NBD2. We also expressed and purified NBD1 from Escherichia coli. Purified NBD1 was found to exist as a tetramer indicating strong homomeric attractions and a possible role for NBD1 in SUR1 assembly.

  8. Rupture utérine sur utérus bicorne à 12 semaines d'aménorrhée: à propos d'un cas

    PubMed Central

    Itchimouh, Sanaa; Khabtou, Karima; Mahdaoui, Sakher; Boufettal, Houssine; Samouh, Naima

    2016-01-01

    La fréquence des malformations utérines ayant un impact sur la reproduction est difficile à apprécier. Leur mise en évidence nécessite un bilan spécifique (hystérosalpingographie, hystéroscopie, cœlioscopie). La fertilité spontanée peut être altérée en fonction du type d'anomalie utérine. Toutes ces anomalies peuvent avoir des répercussions sur l’évolution de la conception à type de fausses couches précoces et tardives, de grossesse extra utérine, de menace d'accouchement prématuré, d'accouchement prématuré, de pathologies vasculaires gravidiques et de retard de croissance intra-utérin. L'utérus bicorne est la plus connue des malformations et représente environ la moitié des anomalies de l'utérus. La survenue d'une telle grossesse constitue une situation à risque pouvant entraîner une mort maternelle, mais le diagnostic précoce et un bon suivi peut mener des grossesses à terme sur des utérus malformé. Le dépistage échographique devrait permettre la détection systématique de ce genre de cas afin de prendre préventivement les mesures qui s'imposent. Nous rapportons un cas de rupture utérine sur utérus bicorne unicervical sur grossesse à 12 semaines d'aménorrhée. PMID:27642490

  9. Prognostic Value of Pretherapeutic Tumor-to-Blood Standardized Uptake Ratio in Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Bütof, Rebecca; Hofheinz, Frank; Zöphel, Klaus; Stadelmann, Tobias; Schmollack, Julia; Jentsch, Christina; Löck, Steffen; Kotzerke, Jörg; Baumann, Michael; van den Hoff, Jörg

    2015-08-01

    Despite ongoing efforts to develop new treatment options, the prognosis for patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma is still poor and the reliability of individual therapy outcome prediction based on clinical parameters is not convincing. The aim of this work was to investigate whether PET can provide independent prognostic information in such a patient group and whether the tumor-to-blood standardized uptake ratio (SUR) can improve the prognostic value of tracer uptake values. (18)F-FDG PET/CT was performed in 130 consecutive patients (mean age ± SD, 63 ± 11 y; 113 men, 17 women) with newly diagnosed esophageal cancer before definitive radiochemotherapy. In the PET images, the metabolically active tumor volume (MTV) of the primary tumor was delineated with an adaptive threshold method. The blood standardized uptake value (SUV) was determined by manually delineating the aorta in the low-dose CT. SUR values were computed as the ratio of tumor SUV and blood SUV. Uptake values were scan-time-corrected to 60 min after injection. Univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis with respect to overall survival (OS), distant metastases-free survival (DM), and locoregional tumor control (LRC) was performed. Additionally, a multivariate Cox regression including clinically relevant parameters was performed. In multivariate Cox regression with respect to OS, including T stage, N stage, and smoking state, MTV- and SUR-based parameters were significant prognostic factors for OS with similar effect size. Multivariate analysis with respect to DM revealed smoking state, MTV, and all SUR-based parameters as significant prognostic factors. The highest hazard ratios (HRs) were found for scan-time-corrected maximum SUR (HR = 3.9) and mean SUR (HR = 4.4). None of the PET parameters was associated with LRC. Univariate Cox regression with respect to LRC revealed a significant effect only for N stage greater than 0 (P = 0.048). PET provides independent prognostic information for OS and DM but not for LRC in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma treated with definitive radiochemotherapy in addition to clinical parameters. Among the investigated uptake-based parameters, only SUR was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DM. These results suggest that the prognostic value of tracer uptake can be improved when characterized by SUR instead of SUV. Further investigations are required to confirm these preliminary results. © 2015 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  10. Online Education: Let's Start the Conversation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixon, Robert J.

    2017-01-01

    National shortages of school psychologists have started conversations about training, the number of training programs needed, and how to initiate new programs. This article discusses the difficulties associated with traditional training programs for school psychologists and proposes exploring online education and virtual school psychology service…

  11. Ethnographic Observational Study of the Biologic Initiation Conversation Between Rheumatologists and Biologic-Naive Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

    PubMed

    Kottak, Nicholas; Tesser, John; Leibowitz, Evan; Rosenberg, Melissa; Parenti, Dennis; DeHoratius, Raphael

    2018-01-30

    This ethnographic market research study investigated the biologic initiation conversation between rheumatologists and biologic-naive patients with rheumatoid arthritis to assess how therapy options, particularly mode of administration, were discussed. Consenting rheumatologists (n = 16) and patients (n = 48) were videotaped during medical visits and interviewed by a trained ethnographer. The content, structure, and timing of conversations regarding biologic initiation were analyzed. The mean duration of physician-patient visits was approximately 15 minutes; biologic therapies were discussed for a mean of 5.6 minutes. Subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) therapy options were mentioned in 45 and 35 visits, respectively, out of a total of 48 visits. All patients had some familiarity with SC administration, but nearly half of patients (22 of 48) were unfamiliar with IV therapy going into the visit. IV administration was not defined or described by rheumatologists in 77% of visits (27 of 35) mentioning IV therapy. Thus, 19 of 22 patients who were initially unfamiliar with IV therapy remained unfamiliar after the visit. Disparities in physician-patient perceptions were revealed, as all rheumatologists (16 of 16) believed IV therapy would be less convenient than SC therapy for patients, while 46% of patients (22 of 48) felt this way. In post-visit interviews, some patients seemed confused and overwhelmed, particularly when presented with many treatment choices in a visit. Some patients stated they would benefit from visual aids or summary sheets of key points. This study revealed significant educational opportunities to improve the biologic initiation conversation and indicated a disparity between patients' and rheumatologists' perception of IV therapy. © 2018 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.

  12. Helicopter Maritime Environment Trainer: Software Product Specification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    d’entraîner les pilotes d’hélicoptère à l’atterrissage sur le pont d’envol d’une frégate canadienne de patrouille dans un environnement virtuel. Le...d’entraîner les pilotes d’hélicoptère à l’atterrissage sur le pont d’envol d’une frégate canadienne de patrouille dans un environnement virtuel. Le...d’entraîner les pilotes d’hélicoptère à l’atterrissage sur le pont d’envol d’une frégate canadienne de patrouille dans un environnement virtuel. Le système

  13. Assessment of the effect of No Stay, Bent Stay or Straight Stay when the Clothe the Soldier Rucksack is Worn with the Fragmentation Vest

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-02-01

    effets de différents renforts de sac à dos (renforts droits, renforts courbés et aucun renfort) sur la...supérieures au seuil de tolérance de la peau et des muscles sous-jacents, et elles pourraient causer des lésions sur la peau et des ecchymoses. Assessment...présente évaluation portait sur cette pratique et visait à déterminer les effets de différents renforts de sac à dos (renforts droits, renforts courbés

  14. The Deer Creek Site, Oklahoma: A Wichita Village Sometimes Called Ferdinandina: An Ethnohistorian’s View. Series in Anthropology Number 5

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-01-01

    pour le Roi au dit pays et Sur les the Kansas Gateway to the American West, decouvertes et recherches de M. Be’nard de La 1540-1854. Topeka: Kansas...1831 Journal Historique de l’Establissement [1746-471 "Memoires sur la Louisiane," desFrantwii.a la Louisiane. Ed. A.-L. Boimare, BN, Joly de Fleur...Guillaume Boeckmann-Jones Company. 1700 Map titled: L’Am~rique//Septen- trionale//Dressee sur les Observations de Mrs. Cavelier de La Salle, Robert de

  15. Impact de la preparation des anodes crues et des conditions de cuisson sur la fissuration dans des anodes denses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amrani, Salah

    La fabrication de l'aluminium est realisee dans une cellule d'electrolyse, et cette operation utilise des anodes en carbone. L'evaluation de la qualite de ces anodes reste indispensable avant leur utilisation. La presence des fissures dans les anodes provoque une perturbation du procede l'electrolyse et une diminution de sa performance. Ce projet a ete entrepris pour determiner l'impact des differents parametres de procedes de fabrication des anodes sur la fissuration des anodes denses. Ces parametres incluent ceux de la fabrication des anodes crues, des proprietes des matieres premieres et de la cuisson. Une recherche bibliographique a ete effectuee sur tous les aspects de la fissuration des anodes en carbone pour compiler les travaux anterieurs. Une methodologie detaillee a ete mise au point pour faciliter le deroulement des travaux et atteindre les objectifs vises. La majorite de ce document est reservee pour la discussion des resultats obtenus au laboratoire de l'UQAC et au niveau industriel. Concernant les etudes realisees a l'UQAC, une partie des travaux experimentaux est reservee a la recherche des differents mecanismes de fissuration dans les anodes denses utilisees dans l'industrie d'aluminium. L'approche etait d'abord basee sur la caracterisation qualitative du mecanisme de la fissuration en surface et en profondeur. Puis, une caracterisation quantitative a ete realisee pour la determination de la distribution de la largeur de la fissure sur toute sa longueur, ainsi que le pourcentage de sa surface par rapport a la surface totale de l'echantillon. Cette etude a ete realisee par le biais de la technique d'analyse d'image utilisee pour caracteriser la fissuration d'un echantillon d'anode cuite. L'analyse surfacique et en profondeur de cet echantillon a permis de voir clairement la formation des fissures sur une grande partie de la surface analysee. L'autre partie des travaux est basee sur la caracterisation des defauts dans des echantillons d'anodes crues fabriquees industriellement. Cette technique a consiste a determiner le profil des differentes proprietes physiques. En effet, la methode basee sur la mesure de la distribution de la resistivite electrique sur la totalite de l'echantillon est la technique qui a ete utilisee pour localiser la fissuration et les macro-pores. La microscopie optique et l'analyse d'image ont, quant a elles, permis de caracteriser les zones fissurees tout en determinant la structure des echantillons analyses a l'echelle microscopique. D'autres tests ont ete menes, et ils ont consiste a etudier des echantillons cylindriques d'anodes de 50 mm de diametre et de 130 mm de longueur. Ces derniers ont ete cuits dans un four a UQAC a differents taux de chauffage dans le but de pouvoir determiner l'influence des parametres de cuisson sur la formation de la fissuration dans ce genre de carottes. La caracterisation des echantillons d'anodes cuites a ete faite a l'aide de la microscopie electronique a balayage et de l'ultrason. La derniere partie des travaux realises a l'UQAC contient une etude sur la caracterisation des anodes fabriquees au laboratoire sous differentes conditions d'operation. L'evolution de la qualite de ces anodes a ete faite par l'utilisation de plusieurs techniques. L'evolution de la temperature de refroidissement des anodes crues de laboratoire a ete mesuree; et un modele mathematique a ete developpe et valide avec les donnees experimentales. Cela a pour objectif d'estimer la vitesse de refroidissement ainsi que le stress thermique. Toutes les anodes fabriquees ont ete caracterisees avant la cuisson par la determination de certaines proprietes physiques (resistivite electrique, densite apparente, densite optique et pourcentage de defauts). La tomographie et la distribution de la resistivite electrique, qui sont des techniques non destructives, ont ete employees pour evaluer les defauts internes des anodes. Pendant la cuisson des anodes de laboratoire, l'evolution de la resistivite electrique a ete suivie et l'etape de devolatilisation a ete identifiee. Certaines anodes ont ete cuites a differents taux de chauffage (bas, moyen, eleve et un autre combine) dans l'objectif de trouver les meilleures conditions de cuisson en vue de minimiser la fissuration. D'autres anodes ont ete cuites a differents niveaux de cuisson, cela dans le but d'identifier a quelle etape de l'operation de cuisson la fissuration commence a se developper. Apres la cuisson, les anodes ont ete recuperees pour, a nouveau, faire leur caracterisation par les memes techniques utilisees precedemment. L'objectif principal de cette partie etait de reveler l'impact de differents parametres sur le probleme de fissuration, qui sont repartis sur toute la chaine de production des anodes. Le pourcentage de megots, la quantite de brai et la distribution des particules sont des facteurs importants a considerer pour etudier l'effet de la matiere premiere sur le probleme de la fissuration. Concernant l'effet des parametres du procede de fabrication sur le meme probleme, le temps de vibration, la pression de compaction et le procede de refroidissement ont ete a la base de cette etude. Finalement, l'influence de la phase de cuisson sur l'apparition de la fissuration a ete prise en consideration par l'intermediaire du taux de chauffage et du niveau de cuisson. Les travaux realises au niveau industriel ont ete faits lors d'une campagne de mesure dans le but d'evaluer la qualite des anodes de carbone en general et l'investigation du probleme de fissuration en particulier. Ensuite, il s'agissait de reveler les effets de differents parametres sur le probleme de la fissuration. Vingt-quatre anodes cuites ont ete utilisees. Elles ont ete fabriquees avec differentes matieres premieres (brai, coke, megots) et sous diverses conditions (pression, temps de vibration). Le parametre de la densite de fissuration a ete calcule en se basant sur l'inspection visuelle de la fissuration des carottes. Cela permet de classifier les differentes fissurations en plusieurs categories en se basant sur certains criteres tels que le type de fissures (horizontale, verticale et inclinee), leurs localisations longitudinales (bas, milieu et haut de l'anode) et transversales (gauche, centrale et droite). Les effets de la matiere premiere, les parametres de fabrication des anodes crues ainsi que les conditions de cuisson sur la fissuration ont ete etudies. La fissuration des anodes denses en carbones cause un serieux probleme pour l'industrie d'aluminium primaire. La realisation de ce projet a permis la revelation de differents mecanismes de fissuration, la classification de fissuration par plusieurs criteres (position, types localisation) et l'evaluation de l'impact de differents parametres sur la fissuration. Les etudes effectuees dans le domaine de cuisson ont donne la possibilite d'ameliorer l'operation et reduire la fissuration des anodes. Le travail consiste aussi a identifier des techniques capables d'evaluer la qualite d'anodes (l'ultrason, la tomographie et la distribution de la resistivite electrique). La fissuration des anodes en carbone est consideree comme un probleme complexe, car son apparition depend de plusieurs parametres repartis sur toute la chaine de production. Dans ce projet, plusieurs nouvelles etudes ont ete realisees, et elles permettent de donner de l'originalite aux travaux de recherches faits dans le domaine de la fissuration des anodes de carbone pour l'industrie de l'aluminium primaire. Les etudes realisees dans ce projet permettent d'ajouter d'un cote, une valeur scientifique pour mieux comprendre le probleme de fissuration des anodes et d'un autre cote, d'essayer de proposer des methodes qui peuvent reduire ce probleme a l'echelle industrielle.

  16. Maps showing estimated sediment yield from coastal landslides and active slope distribution along the Big Sur coast, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hapke, Cheryl J.; Green, Krystal R.; Dallas, Kate

    2004-01-01

    The 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Ni?os brought very high precipitation to California?s central coast; this precipitation resulted in raised groundwater levels, coastal flooding, and destabilized slopes throughout the region. Large landslides in the coastal mountains of Big Sur in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties blocked sections of California State Route 1, closing the road for months at a time. Large landslides such as these occur frequently in the winter months along the Big Sur coast due to the steep topography and weak bedrock. A large landslide in 1983 resulted in the closure of Highway 1 for over a year to repair the road and stabilize the slope. Resulting work from the 1983 landslide cost over $7 million and generated 30 million cubic yards of debris from landslide removal and excavations to re-establish the highway along the Big Sur coast. Before establishment of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) in 1992, typical road opening measures involved disposal of some landslide material and excess material generated from slope stabilization onto the seaward side of the highway. It is likely that some or most of this disposed material, either directly or indirectly through subsequent erosion, was eventually transported downslope into the ocean. In addition to the landslides that initiate above the road, natural slope failures sometimes occur on the steep slopes below the road and thus deliver material to the base of the coastal mountains where it is eroded and dispersed by waves and nearshore currents. Any coastal-slope landslide, generated through natural or anthropogenic processes, can result in sediment entering the nearshore zone. The waters offshore of the Big Sur coast are part of the MBNMS. Since it was established in 1992, landslide-disposal practices came under question for two reasons. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 15, Section 922.132 prohibits discharging or depositing, from beyond the boundary of the Sanctuary, any material or other matter that subsequently enters the Sanctuary and injures a Sanctuary resource or quality. The landslide-disposal practices previously used had the potential to alter nearshore zone habitat by converting marine habitats from rocky substrate to soft bottom. In addition, the disposal practices had the potential to increase concentrations of suspended sediment in the nearshore zone, and thereby possibly impact coastal biological communities. On the other hand, natural mass-wasting processes, including coastal cliff erosion coastal and landslides, as well as streams deliver sediment to the coast in unknown quantities and thus provide nutrients as well as source material for beaches. Current road maintenance and repair practices along the Coast Highway 1 corridor that restrict disposal of material within the MBNMS may actually reduce sediment input relative to natural processes.

  17. An exploration of contextual dimensions impacting goals of care conversations in postgraduate medical education.

    PubMed

    Roze des Ordons, Amanda L; Lockyer, Jocelyn; Hartwick, Michael; Sarti, Aimee; Ajjawi, Rola

    2016-03-21

    Postgraduate medical trainees are not well prepared difficult conversations about goals of care with patients and families in the acute care clinical setting. While contextual nuances within the workplace can impact communication, research to date has largely focused on individual communication skills. Our objective was to explore contextual factors that influence conversations between trainees and patients/families about goals of care in the acute care setting. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study involving five focus groups with Internal Medicine trainees (n = 20) and a series of interviews with clinical faculty (n = 11) within a single Canadian centre. Thematic framework analysis was applied to categorize the data and identify themes and subthemes. Challenges and factors enabling goals of care conversations emerged within individual, interpersonal and system dimensions. Challenges included inadequate preparation for these conversations, disconnection between trainees, faculty and patients, policies around documentation, the structure of postgraduate medical education, and resource limitations; these challenges led to missed opportunities, uncertainty and emotional distress. Enabling factors were awareness of the importance of goals of care conversations, support in these discussions, collaboration with colleagues, and educational initiatives enabling skill development; these factors have resulted in learning, appreciation, and an established foundation for future educational initiatives. Contextual factors impact how postgraduate medical trainees communicate with patients/families about goals of care. Attention to individual, interpersonal and system-related factors will be important in designing educational programs that help trainees develop the capacities needed for challenging conversations.

  18. CARDIAC SULFONYLUREA RECEPTOR SHORT FORM-BASED CHANNELS CONFER A GLIBENCLAMIDE-INSENSITIVE KATP ACTIVITY

    PubMed Central

    Pu, Jie-Lin,; Ye, Bin; Kroboth, Stacie L.; McNally, Elizabeth M.; Makielski, Jonathan C.; Shi, Nian-Qing

    2008-01-01

    The cardiac sarcolemmal ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) consists of a Kir6.2 pore and a SUR2 regulatory subunit, which is an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. KATP channels have been proposed to play protective roles during ischemic preconditioning. A SUR2 mutant mouse was previously generated by disrupting the first nucleotide-binding domain (NBD1), where a glibenclamide action site was located. In the mutant ventricular myocytes, a non-conventional glibenclamide-insensitive (10 μM), ATP-sensitive current (IKATPn) was detected in 33% of single-channel recordings with an average amplitude of 12.3±5.4 pA per patch, an IC50 to ATP inhibition at 10 μM, and a mean burst duration at 20.6±1.8 ms. Newly designed SUR2-isoform or variant-specific antibodies identified novel SUR2 short forms in the sizes of 28 and 68 kDa in addition to a 150-kDa long form in the sarcolemmal membrane of wild-type (WT) heart. We hypothesized that channels constituted by these short forms that lack NBD1, confer IKATPn. The absence of the long form in the mutant corresponded to loss of the conventional glibenclamide-sensitive KATP currents (IKATP) in isolated cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells but the SUR2 short forms remained intact. Nested exonic RT-PCR in the mutant indicated that the short forms lacked NBD1 but contained NBD2. The SUR2 short forms co-immunoprecipitated with Kir6.1 or Kir6.2 suggesting that the short forms may function as hemi-transporters reported in other eukaryotic ABC transporter subgroups. Our results indicate that different KATP compositions may co-exist in cardiac sarcolemmal membrane. PMID:18001767

  19. Inhibition of SUR1 Decreases the Vascular Permeability of Cerebral Metastases1

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, Eric M; Pishko, Gregory L; Muldoon, Leslie L; Neuwelt, Edward A

    2013-01-01

    Inhibition of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) by glyburide has been shown to decrease edema after subarachnoid hemorrhage. We investigated if inhibiting SUR1 reduces cerebral edema due to metastases, the most common brain tumor, and explored the putative association of SUR1 and the endothelial tight junction protein, zona occludens-1 (ZO-1). Nude rats were intracerebrally implanted with small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) LX1 or A2058 melanoma cells (n = 36). Rats were administered vehicle, glyburide (4.8 µg twice, orally), or dexamethasone (0.35 mg, intravenous). Blood-tumor barrier (BTB) permeability (Ktrans) was evaluated before and after treatment using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. SUR1 and ZO-1 expression was evaluated using immunofluorescence and Western blots. In both models, SUR1 expression was significantly increased (P < .05) in tumors. In animals with SCLC, control mean Ktrans (percent change ± standard error) was 101.8 ± 36.6%, and both glyburide (-21.4 ± 14.2%, P < .01) and dexamethasone (-14.2 ± 13.1%, P < .01) decreased BTB permeability. In animals with melanoma, compared to controls (117.1 ± 43.4%), glyburide lowered BTB permeability increase (3.2 ± 15.4%, P < .05), while dexamethasone modestly lowered BTB permeability increase (63.1 ± 22.1%, P > .05). Both glyburide (P < .001) and dexamethasone (P < .01) decreased ZO-1 gap formation. By decreasing ZO-1 gaps, glyburide was at least as effective as dexamethasone at halting increased BTB permeability caused by SCLC and melanoma. Glyburide is a safe, inexpensive, and efficacious alternative to dexamethasone for the treatment of cerebral metastasis-related vasogenic edema. PMID:23633925

  20. Glucose transporters and ATP-gated K+ (KATP) metabolic sensors are present in type 1 taste receptor 3 (T1r3)-expressing taste cells.

    PubMed

    Yee, Karen K; Sukumaran, Sunil K; Kotha, Ramana; Gilbertson, Timothy A; Margolskee, Robert F

    2011-03-29

    Although the heteromeric combination of type 1 taste receptors 2 and 3 (T1r2 + T1r3) is well established as the major receptor for sugars and noncaloric sweeteners, there is also evidence of T1r-independent sweet taste in mice, particularly so for sugars. Before the molecular cloning of the T1rs, it had been proposed that sweet taste detection depended on (a) activation of sugar-gated cation channels and/or (b) sugar binding to G protein-coupled receptors to initiate second-messenger cascades. By either mechanism, sugars would elicit depolarization of sweet-responsive taste cells, which would transmit their signal to gustatory afferents. We examined the nature of T1r-independent sweet taste; our starting point was to determine if taste cells express glucose transporters (GLUTs) and metabolic sensors that serve as sugar sensors in other tissues. Using RT-PCR, quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry, we determined that several GLUTs (GLUT2, GLUT4, GLUT8, and GLUT9), a sodium-glucose cotransporter (SGLT1), and two components of the ATP-gated K(+) (K(ATP)) metabolic sensor [sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) 1 and potassium inwardly rectifying channel (Kir) 6.1] were expressed selectively in taste cells. Consistent with a role in sweet taste, GLUT4, SGLT1, and SUR1 were expressed preferentially in T1r3-positive taste cells. Electrophysiological recording determined that nearly 20% of the total outward current of mouse fungiform taste cells was composed of K(ATP) channels. Because the overwhelming majority of T1r3-expressing taste cells also express SUR1, and vice versa, it is likely that K(ATP) channels constitute a major portion of K(+) channels in the T1r3 subset of taste cells. Taste cell-expressed glucose sensors and K(ATP) may serve as mediators of the T1r-independent sweet taste of sugars.

  1. The Development of a Multidimensional Measure of Post-deployment Reintegration: Initial Psychometric Analyses & Descriptive Results (Final Report to Director General Health Services Quality of Life Research Grant)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-12-01

    différences constatées entre les groupes étudiés étaient associées à l’état matrimonial , à la présence de personnes à charge, au groupe professionnel et...population, sur les plans suivants : état matrimonial (deux groupes : soldats mariés contre soldats célibataires), enfants (deux groupes : soldats...ou de soutien) et nombre de déploiements antérieurs (trois groupes : un, deux ou trois déploiements ou plus). État matrimonial : Les expériences

  2. "Reflections on a Europe of Knowledge": A Working Document from CEDEFOP Discussed by the Management Board at Its Meeting of 13 March 1998 = "Gedanken zu einem Europa des Wissens": Ein Arbeitsdokument des CEDEFOP vom Verwaltungsrat auf seiner Sitzung am 13. Marz 1998 diskutiert = "Reflexions sur une Europe de la connaissance": Un document de travail du CEDEFOP examine par le Conseil d'administration lors de la reunion du 13 mars 1998.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Thessaloniki (Greece).

    The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) supports the aims of European Community (EC) activities and initiatives to promote lifelong learning and access to training. To promote competencies and lifelong learning, CEDEFOP has monitored development of lifelong learning skills, clarified main differences in the…

  3. Perceptions of Male and Female Initiators of Relationships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Susan K.; Sandos, Philip

    As sex-role equality becomes more acceptable in heterosexual relationships, it is important to examine traditional assumptions about "appropriate" masculine and feminine behaviors. Subjects (N=203) reacted to descriptions of initiations of heterosexual relationships in which the sequence of two initiations (starting a conversation and issuing a…

  4. Soliton triads ensemble in frequency conversion: from inverse scattering theory to experimental observation.

    PubMed

    Baronio, Fabio; Andreana, Marco; Conforti, Matteo; Manili, Gabriele; Couderc, Vincent; De Angelis, Costantino; Barthélémy, Alain

    2011-07-04

    We consider the spectral theory of three-wave interactions to predict the initiation, formation and dynamics of an ensemble of bright-dark-bright soliton triads in frequency conversion processes. Spatial observation of non-interacting triads ensemble in a KTP crystal confirms theoretical prediction and numerical simulations.

  5. Evaluating a Tacit Knowledge Sharing Initiative: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gubbins, Claire; Corrigan, Siobhan; Garavan, Thomas N.; O'Connor, Christy; Leahy, Damien; Long, David; Murphy, Eamonn

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to present a case study illustrating the issues involved in the tacit knowledge conversion process and to determine whether such conversion delivers value to the organisation in terms of business value and return on investment (ROI). Design/methodology/approach: A single-case multiple baseline participants experimental…

  6. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Teaching Conversation Involving Feelings about Events

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conallen, K.; Reed, P.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Two procedures were developed to teach individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders labels (tacts) for various private events (emotions): Study 1 attempted to distinguish them from pure tacts and mands (requests); and Study 2 attempted to train initiating a conversation with grammatically correct subject-verb-comment construction.…

  7. Phonological Acquisition of Korean Consonants in Conversational Speech Produced by Young Korean Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Minjung; Kim, Soo-Jin; Stoel-Gammon, Carol

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates the phonological acquisition of Korean consonants using conversational speech samples collected from sixty monolingual typically developing Korean children aged two, three, and four years. Phonemic acquisition was examined for syllable-initial and syllable-final consonants. Results showed that Korean children acquired stops…

  8. 5 CFR 315.701 - Incumbents of positions brought into the competitive service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... SERVICE REGULATIONS CAREER AND CAREER-CONDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT Conversion to Career or Career-Conditional..., the employment of an employee covered by paragraph (a) of this section may be converted to career or career-conditional employment. (c) Time limits. Conversion may be initiated under paragraph (b) of this...

  9. Conversational Responsiveness of Speech- and Language-Impaired Preschoolers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadley, Pamela A.; Rice, Mabel L.

    1991-01-01

    This study of 18 preschoolers' conversational responsiveness in an integrated classroom setting during free play found that language-impaired and speech-impaired children were ignored by their peers and responded less often when a peer initiated to them. Results suggest that peer interaction difficulties may be concomitant consequences of early…

  10. The Use of Conversational Repairs by African American Preschoolers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stockman, Ida J.; Karasinski, Laura; Guillory, Barbara

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: This study aimed to describe the types and frequency of conversational repairs used by African American (AA) children in relationship to their geographic locations and levels of performance on commonly used speech-language measures. Method: The strategies used to initiate repairs and respond to repair requests were identified in…

  11. How was the UNAIDS drug access initiative implemented in Chile?

    PubMed Central

    Brousselle, Astrid; Champagne, François

    2012-01-01

    In 1997, UNAIDS decided to implement Drug Access Initiatives (DAI) in four different pilot-countries. We studied the implementation of the DAI in Chile as part of the evaluation program conducted by the ‘Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA’ (ANRS/France). The objective was to understand how the politico-organizational dynamic influenced the implementation process of the DAI. Approximately 50 semi-directed interviews and observation activities were conducted with the actors who participated in the implementation of the DAI or who played a role in the HIV/AIDS context. The program theory models were established and their evolution analyzed. This article offers an original analysis of an international HIV/AIDS drug access program that was put in place at a time when such programs were seen as a priority by international and governmental institutions. It also offers some insights for the creation of international projects that will be locally implemented. PMID:23230344

  12. Molecular structure of human KATP in complex with ATP and ADP

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Kenneth Pak Kin

    2017-01-01

    In many excitable cells, KATP channels respond to intracellular adenosine nucleotides: ATP inhibits while ADP activates. We present two structures of the human pancreatic KATP channel, containing the ABC transporter SUR1 and the inward-rectifier K+ channel Kir6.2, in the presence of Mg2+ and nucleotides. These structures, referred to as quatrefoil and propeller forms, were determined by single-particle cryo-EM at 3.9 Å and 5.6 Å, respectively. In both forms, ATP occupies the inhibitory site in Kir6.2. The nucleotide-binding domains of SUR1 are dimerized with Mg2+-ATP in the degenerate site and Mg2+-ADP in the consensus site. A lasso extension forms an interface between SUR1 and Kir6.2 adjacent to the ATP site in the propeller form and is disrupted in the quatrefoil form. These structures support the role of SUR1 as an ADP sensor and highlight the lasso extension as a key regulatory element in ADP’s ability to override ATP inhibition. PMID:29286281

  13. AutoTag and AutoSnap: Standardized, semi-automatic capture of regions of interest from whole slide images

    PubMed Central

    Marien, Koen M.; Andries, Luc; De Schepper, Stefanie; Kockx, Mark M.; De Meyer, Guido R.Y.

    2015-01-01

    Tumor angiogenesis is measured by counting microvessels in tissue sections at high power magnification as a potential prognostic or predictive biomarker. Until now, regions of interest1 (ROIs) were selected by manual operations within a tumor by using a systematic uniform random sampling2 (SURS) approach. Although SURS is the most reliable sampling method, it implies a high workload. However, SURS can be semi-automated and in this way contribute to the development of a validated quantification method for microvessel counting in the clinical setting. Here, we report a method to use semi-automated SURS for microvessel counting: • Whole slide imaging with Pannoramic SCAN (3DHISTECH) • Computer-assisted sampling in Pannoramic Viewer (3DHISTECH) extended by two self-written AutoHotkey applications (AutoTag and AutoSnap) • The use of digital grids in Photoshop® and Bridge® (Adobe Systems) This rapid procedure allows traceability essential for high throughput protein analysis of immunohistochemically stained tissue. PMID:26150998

  14. Infections fongiques des brûlé : revue

    PubMed Central

    Arnould, JF.; Le Floch, R.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Les infections fongiques locales ou générales sont souvent d’une extrême gravité chez les brûlés. Les brûlés combinent de nombreux facteurs de risque à une immunodépression induite par la brûlure. Les infections de plaies sont le fait des genres Candida, Aspergillus et des agents de mucormycoses. Ces deux derniers cas sont à l’origine de lésions particulièrement sévères. Leur diagnostic repose sur la biopsie cutanée avec examens mycologique et anatomopathologique. Le traitement est essentiellement chirurgical, associé à une antibiothérapie adaptée. Les septicémies sont le fait de levures, essentiellement du genre Candida. Le diagnostic en est difficile dans le contexte des brûlés et repose souvent sur une forte suspicion clinique. Leur traitement repose sur les échinocandines et plus secondairement sur le fluconazole. PMID:26668558

  15. Influence du traitement ionisant par rayonnement γ sur le pouvoir antioxydant de fractions polyphénoliques issues de substances d'origine végétale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stuyck, S.; Connaulte, J.; Lesgards, G.; Prost, M.; Raffi, J.

    1998-04-01

    Ionizing radiation of vegetables is a cleaning up and preservation physical treatment which consists in submitting them to γ radiation, X radiation or electrons beam. This study deals with the influence of γ radiation on antioxidative effect of vegetables polyphenolic parts. In that purpose, we use a simple biological test based on erythrocytes haemolysis. Le traitement ionisant des produits végétaux est un procédé physique d'assainissement et de conservation qui consiste à les soumettre à l'action de rayonnements γ, de rayons X ou de faisceaux d'électrons. Ce travail porte sur l'étude de l'influence des rayonnements γ sur le pouvoir antioxydant de fractions polyphénoliques issues de substances d'origine végétale. Pour cela, un test biologique basé sur l'hémolyse d'érythrocytes est utilisé.

  16. Influence des elements d'addition Ti, Nb, Al sur la structure et les proprietes mecaniques en traction et en fluage (de 298 A 1023 K) des alliages a base de fer et de nickel du type IN 706

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aubert, H.; Laniesse, J.; Lelong, C.; Pigoury, M.

    1981-09-01

    L'étude a porté sur 13 alliages du type IN 706 dont un alliage commercial et des alliages expérimentaux ayant une teneur en éléments durcissants niobium, titane, aluminium assez différente de celle de la nuance commerciale. On montre l'effet de la composition sur la structure et sur la cinétique de précipitation des phases stables et métastables. On décrit les propriétés mécaniques à l'état précipité: dureté, résistance à la traction, caractéristiques de fluage. Il est conclu que des alliages relativement pauvres en éléments durcissants peuvent convenir à la rélisation de gaines pour les réacteurs à neutrons rapides.

  17. Nurses' Interest in Independently Initiating End-of-Life Conversations and Palliative Care Consultations in a Suburban, Community Hospital.

    PubMed

    Mehta, Ambereen K; Wilks, Steven; Cheng, M Jennifer; Baker, Karen; Berger, Ann

    2018-03-01

    Patients who receive early palliative care consults have clinical courses and outcomes more consistent with their goals. Nurses have been shown to be advocates for early palliative care involvement and are able to lead advanced care planning discussions. The purpose of this study was to assess whether after a brief educational session, nurses at a suburban, community hospital could demonstrate knowledge of palliative care principles, would want to independently initiate end-of-life conversations with patients and families, and would want to place specialty palliative care consults. Four 1 hour presentations were made at 4 nursing leadership council meetings from November through December 2015. Anonymous pre- and post-presentation surveys were distributed and collected in person. Setting/Participant: Nonprofit, suburban, community hospital in Maryland. Participants were full-time or part-time hospital employees participating in a nursing leadership council who attended the presentation. We compared responses from pre- and post-presentation surveys. Fifty nurses (19 departments) completed pre-presentation surveys (100% response rate) and 49 nurses completed post-presentation surveys (98% response rate). The average score on 7 index questions increased from 71% to 90%. After the presentations, 86% strongly agreed or agreed that nurses should be able to independently order a palliative care consult and 88% strongly agreed or agreed with feeling comfortable initiating an end-of-life conversation. Brief educational sessions can teach palliative care principles to nurses. Most participants of the study would want to be able to directly consult palliative care and would feel comfortable initiating end-of-life conversations after this educational session.

  18. Canadian Forces Training and Mental Preparation for Adversity: Empirical Review of Stoltz ’Adversity Quotient (AQ) Training for Optimal Response to Adversity’, A Review of the AQ Literature and Supporting Studies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-07-01

    canadiennes. Enfin, nous faisons des recommandations aux FC sur la mise en ceuvre duS processus de d6veloppement du QA comme mesure proactive. Un examen...critique des ouvrages lies au QA et A d’autres sujets connexes a montr6 que le concept du QA est fond6 sur un certain nombre de thdories sens~es sur la...rdsilience. Cependant, m~me si le cadre th~orique et le programme de d6veloppement du QA pourraicnt 8tre valides dans un contexte industriel

  19. Traumatic Brain Injury in a Military Operational Setting (Le traumatisme cranien dans un cadre militaire operationnel)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-01

    la gestion du TCCL lié à un déploiement. Les objectifs de ce rapport étaient de : 1) Décrire la pratique clinique... de la projection de débris et à l’accélération/décélération ou rotation. L’impact sur la santé publique du TCCL lié à un déploiement sur tout...montré que le cours clinique du TCCL provoqué par une déflagration présente de forts parallèles avec ce qu’on constate dans la littérature sur le

  20. Using State Student Unit Record Data to Increase Community College Student Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ewell, Peter; Jenkins, Davis

    2008-01-01

    This chapter examines lessons learned by states that are using student unit record (SUR) data to improve outcomes for community college students and recommends steps states can take to strengthen their use of SUR databases to benefit students and communities. (Contains 1 exhibit.)

  1. Energy Relations in Natural and Artificial Diamagnetic Materials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-09

    A.D. Yaghjian, “Extreme electromagnetic boundary conditions and their manifestation at the inner sur- faces of spherical and cylindrical cloaks ...at the inner sur- faces of spherical and cylindrical cloaks ,”Metamaterials Journal, vol. 4, pp. 70–76, August-September 2010. [6] A.D. Yaghjian

  2. Minimisation de l'influence de la témperature sur un capteur polarimétrique de position angulaire

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaumont, Eric; Chakari, Ayoub; Clement, Michel; Meyrueis, Patrick

    2018-04-01

    This paper, "Minimisation de l'influence de la témperature sur un capteur polarimétrique de position angulaire," was presented as part of International Conference on Space Optics—ICSO 1997, held in Toulouse, France.

  3. Pharmacogénétique: qu'en est-il au Maroc?

    PubMed Central

    Idrissi, Meryem Janati; Ouldim, Karim; Amarti, Afaf; El Hassouni, Mohamed; Khabbal, Youssef

    2013-01-01

    La pharmacogénétique est l’étude de l'influence des variations génétiques interindividuelles sur la réponse aux médicaments, avec le but d'améliorer la prise en charge des patients en visant une médecine personnalisée. Au fait le génome de deux personnes ne diffère que par 0.1% des 3.2 milliards de paires de bases, ce qui implique les effets indésirables des médicaments, qui ont un très important impact sur le plan clinique que sur le plan économique. Or cette dernière décennie ces effets indésirables ont pu être évités grâce aux tests pharmacogénétiques. Au Maroc, la recherche en pharmacogénétique commence à susciter l'intérêt des chercheurs avec quelques études. Une toute première étude en 1986, sur l'acétylation de l'isoniazide chez la population marocaine, suivie par deux autres en 2011 se focalisant sur le métabolisme du tacrolimus et des anti-vitamines K. Ainsi l'espoir maintenant est d'identifier les majoritaires polymorphismes génétiques affectant les patients marocains, afin de leur fournir une prise en charge adaptée. PMID:23785548

  4. Advanced characterization study of commercial conversion and electrocoating structures on magnesium alloys AZ31B and ZE10A

    DOE PAGES

    Brady, Michael P.; Leonard, Donovan N.; Meyer, III, Harry M.; ...

    2016-03-31

    The local metal-coating interface microstructure and chemistry formed on commercial magnesium alloys Mg–3Al–1Zn (AZ31B) and Mg–1Zn–0.25Zr–<0.5Nd (ZE10A, ZEK100 type) were analyzed as-chemical conversion coated with a commercial hexafluoro-titanate/zirconate type + organic polymer based treatment (Bonderite® 5200) and a commercial hexafluoro-zirconate type + trivalent chromium Cr3 + type treatment (Surtec® 650), and after the same conversion coatings followed by electrocoating with an epoxy based coating, Cathoguard® 525. Characterization techniques included scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and cross-section scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Corrosion behavior was assessed in room temperature saturated aqueous Mg(OH)2 solution with 1 wt.% NaCl. Themore » goal of the effort was to assess the degree to which substrate alloy additions become enriched in the conversion coating, and how the conversion coating was impacted by subsequent electrocoating. Key findings included the enrichment of Al from AZ31B and Zr from ZE10A, respectively, into the conversion coating, with moderate corrosion resistance benefits for AZ31B when Al was incorporated. Varying degrees of increased porosity and modification of the initial conversion coating chemistry at the metal-coating interface were observed after electrocoating. These changes were postulated to result in degraded electrocoating protectiveness. As a result, these observations highlight the challenges of coating Mg, and the need to tailor electrocoating in light of potential degradation of the initial as-conversion coated Mg alloy surface.« less

  5. Teaching Medical Students About “The Conversation”: An Interactive Value-Based Advance Care Planning Session

    PubMed Central

    Lum, Hillary D.; Dukes, Joanna; Church, Skotti; Abbott, Jean; Youngwerth, Jean M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Advance care planning (ACP) promotes care consistent with patient wishes. Medical education should teach how to initiate value-based ACP conversations. Objective To develop and evaluate an ACP educational session to teach medical students a value-based ACP process and to encourage students to take personal ACP action steps. Design Groups of third-year medical students participated in a 75-minute session using personal reflection and discussion framed by The Conversation Starter Kit. The Conversation Project is a free resource designed to help individuals and families express their wishes for end-of-life care. Setting and Participants One hundred twenty-seven US third-year medical students participated in the session. Measurements Student evaluations immediately after the session and 1 month later via electronic survey. Results More than 90% of students positively evaluated the educational value of the session, including rating highly the opportunities to reflect on their own ACP and to use The Conversation Starter Kit. Many students (65%) reported prior ACP conversations. After the session, 73% reported plans to discuss ACP, 91% had thought about preferences for future medical care, and 39% had chosen a medical decision maker. Only a minority had completed an advance directive (14%) or talked with their health-care provider (1%). One month later, there was no evidence that the session increased students’ actions regarding these same ACP action steps. Conclusion A value-based ACP educational session using The Conversation Starter Kit successfully engaged medical students in learning about ACP conversations, both professionally and personally. This session may help students initiate conversations for themselves and their patients. PMID:28273761

  6. 50 CFR 660.112 - Trawl fishery-prohibitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    .../or file, retain or make available any and all reports of groundfish landings, containing all data... Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur Coast/Port San Luis, East San Lucia Bank, Point Conception, Hidden.... bleeding) before the observer has completed their data collection. (9) Mix catch from more than one haul...

  7. Reflections on "Petit Battement sur le Cou de Pied": Is It Still Relevant?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paskevska, Anna

    2007-01-01

    This article presents multiple perspectives of "petit battement sur le cou de pied". These perspectives include historical, biomechanical, and pedagogic points of view. The article offers useful information for ballet specialists and applied research studies aimed at ballet pedagogy. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)

  8. 50 CFR 660.112 - Trawl fishery-prohibitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    .../or file, retain or make available any and all reports of groundfish landings, containing all data... Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur Coast/Port San Luis, East San Lucia Bank, Point Conception, Hidden...) Discard any catch from the codend or net (i.e. bleeding) before the observer has completed their data...

  9. Effective communication during difficult conversations.

    PubMed

    Polito, Jacquelyn M

    2013-06-01

    A strong interest and need exist in the workplace today to master the skills of conducting difficult conversations. Theories and strategies abound, yet none seem to have found the magic formula with universal appeal and success. If it is such an uncomfortable skill to master is it better to avoid or initiate such conversations with employees? Best practices and evidence-based management guide us to the decision that quality improvement dictates effective communication, even when difficult. This brief paper will offer some suggestions for strategies to manage difficult conversations with employees. Mastering the skills of conducting difficult conversations is clearly important to keeping lines of communication open and productive. Successful communication skills may actually help to avert confrontation through employee engagement, commitment and appropriate corresponding behavior

  10. Starting the Conversation: University-Wide Research Data Management Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erway, Ricky

    2013-01-01

    This call for action addresses the high-level benefits of adopting a university-wide policy regarding research data management. It identifies the various university stakeholders and suggests that the library initiate a conversation among them in order to get buy-in for a proactive, rather than reactive, high-level policy for responsible data…

  11. Our Digital Conversion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Mark

    2012-01-01

    In this article, the author describes their digital conversion initiative at Mooresville Graded School District. The project has placed a MacBook Air laptop in the hands of every 3rd through 12th grader and their teachers in the district over the past four years, with over 5,000 computers distributed. But they believe their academic successes have…

  12. Social Valence in Children with Specific Language Impairment during Imitation-Based and Conversation-Based Language Intervention.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haley, Katarina L.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Fifteen preschool children with specific language impairment engaged in typical language intervention activities during conversation-based and imitation-based language programs. A higher number of positive social valence ratings; higher frequency of smiling, laughing, and engagement; and higher rate of verbal initiations were noted within…

  13. Advocating for Safe Schools, Positive School Climate, and Comprehensive Mental Health Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowan, Katherine C.; Vaillancourt, Kelly

    2013-01-01

    The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT (USA) has brought the conversation about how to reduce violence, make schools safer, improve school climate, and increase access to mental health services to the forefront of the national conversation. Advocating for comprehensive initiatives to address school safety, school climate, and…

  14. Robust and efficient enzymatic saccharification of softwoods by SPORL

    Treesearch

    J.Y. Zhu; X.J. Pan; W. Zhu; G.S. Wang; R. Gleisner

    2009-01-01

    This study demonstrated Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome Recalcitrance of Lignocellulose (SPORL) for robust conversion of softwood through enzymatic hydrolysis. At a sodium bisulfite charge around 9%, over 90% cellulose conversion could be achieved when spruce wood chips were pretreated at 180°C with pH near 2. For lodgepole pine, pretreatment liquor initial...

  15. Aberrant supplementary motor complex and limbic activity during motor preparation in motor conversion disorder

    PubMed Central

    Voon, V; Brezing, C; Gallea, C; Hallett, M

    2014-01-01

    Background Conversion disorder is characterized by unexplained neurological symptoms presumed related to psychological issues. The main hypotheses to explain conversion paralysis, characterized by a lack of movement, include impairments in either motor intention or disruption of motor execution, and further, that hyperactive self-monitoring, limbic processing or top-down regulation from higher order frontal regions may interfere with motor execution. We have recently shown that conversion disorder with positive abnormal or excessive motor symptoms was associated with greater amygdala activity to arousing stimuli along with greater functional connectivity between the amgydala and supplementary motor area. Here we studied patients with such symptoms focusing on motor initiation. Methods Subjects performed either an internally or externally generated two-button action selection task in a functional MRI study. Results Eleven conversion disorder patients without major depression and 11 age- and gender-matched normal volunteers were assessed. During both internally and externally generated movement, conversion disorder patients relative to normal volunteers had lower left supplementary motor area (SMA) (implicated in motor initiation) and higher right amygdala, left anterior insula and bilateral posterior cingulate activity (implicated in assigning emotional salience). These findings were confirmed in a subgroup analysis of patients with tremor symptoms. During internally versus externally generated action in CD patients, the left SMA had lower functional connectivity with bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Conclusion We propose a theory in which previously mapped conversion motor representations may in an arousing context hijack the voluntary action selection system which is both hypoactive and functionally disconnected from prefrontal top-down regulation. PMID:21935985

  16. Discussing Out-of-Pocket Expenses During Clinical Appointments: An Observational Study of Patient-Psychiatrist Interactions.

    PubMed

    Brown, Gregory D; Hunter, Wynn G; Hesson, Ashley; Davis, J Kelly; Kirby, Christine; Barnett, Jamison A; Byelmac, Dmytro; Ubel, Peter A

    2017-06-01

    High out-of-pocket expenses for medical treatment have been associated with worse quality of life, decreased treatment adherence, and increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Treatment of depression potentially has high out-of-pocket expenses. Limited data characterize psychiatrist-patient conversations about health care costs. The authors conducted content analysis from 422 outpatient psychiatrist-patient visits for medication management of major depressive disorder in community-based private practices nationwide from 2010 to 2014. Patients' health care expenses were discussed in 38% of clinic visits (95% confidence interval [CI]= 33%-43%). Uninsured patients were significantly more likely to discuss expenses than were patients enrolled in private or public plans (64%, 44%, and 30%, respectively; p<.001). Sixty-nine percent of cost conversations lasted less than one minute (median=36 seconds; interquartile range [IQR]=16-81 seconds). Cost conversations most frequently addressed psychotropic medications (51%). Physicians initiated 50% of cost conversations and brought up costs for psychotropic medications more often than did patients (62% versus 38%, p=.009). Conversely, a greater percentage of patient-initiated cost conversations addressed provider visit costs (27% versus 10%, p=.008). Overall, 45% of cost conversations mentioned cost-reducing strategies (CI=37%-53%). The most frequently discussed cost-reducing strategies were lowering cost by changing the source or timing of an intervention (for example, changing pharmacies), providing free samples, and switching to a lower-cost therapy or diagnostic test. Psychiatrists and patients regularly discuss patients' health care costs in visits for depression. These discussions cover a variety of clinical topics and frequently include strategies to lower patients' costs.

  17. Matrix Metalloproteinase Stromelysin-1 Triggers a Cascade of Molecular Alterations that leads to stable epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Conversion and a Premalignant Phenotype in Mammary Epithelial Cells

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

    Lochter, A.; Galosy, S.; Muschler, J.

    1997-08-11

    Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) regulate ductal morphogenesis, apoptosis, and neoplastic progression in mammary epithelial cells. To elucidate the direct effects of MMPs on mammary epithelium, we generated functionally normal cells expressing an inducible autoactivating stromelysin-1 (SL-1) transgene. Induction of SL-1 expression resulted in cleavage of E-cadherin, and triggered progressive phenotypic conversion characterized by disappearance of E-cadherin and catenins from cell-cell contacts, downregulation of cytokeratins, upregulation of vimentin, induction of keratinocyte growth factor expression and activation, and upregulation of endogenous MMPs. Cells expressing SL-1 were unable to undergo lactogenic differentiation and became invasive. Once initiated, this phenotypic conversion was essentially stable, andmore » progressed even in the absence of continued SL-1 expression. These observations demonstrate that inappropriate expression of SL-1 initiates a cascade of events that may represent a coordinated program leading to loss of the differentiated epithelial phenotype and gain of some characteristics of tumor cells. Our data provide novel insights into how MMPs function in development and neoplastic conversion.« less

  18. Lunar electric power systems utilizing the SP-100 reactor coupled to dynamic conversion systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harty, Richard B.; Durand, Richard E.

    1993-01-01

    An integration study was performed by Rocketdyne under contract to NASA-LeRC. The study was concerned with coupling an SP-0100 reactor to either a Brayton or Stirling power conversion system. The application was for a surface power system to supply power requirements to a lunar base. A power level of 550 kWe was selected based on the NASA Space Exploration Initiative 90-day study. Reliability studies were initially performed to determine optimum power conversion redundancy. This study resulted in selecting three operating engines and one stand-by unit. Integration design studies indicated that either the Brayton or Stirling power conversion systems could be integrated with the PS-100 reactor. The Stirling system had an integration advantage because of smaller piping size and fewer components. The Stirling engine, however, is more complex and heavier than the Brayton rotating unit, which tends to off-set the Stirling integration advantage. From a performance consideration, the Brayton had a 9 percent mass advantage, and the Stirling had a 50 percent radiator advantage.

  19. Motor starting a Brayton cycle power conversion system using a static inverter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Curreri, J. S.; Edkin, R. A.; Kruchowy, R.

    1973-01-01

    The power conversion module of a 2- to 15-kWe Brayton engine was motor started using a three-phase, 400-hertz static inverter as the power source. Motor-static tests were conducted for initial gas loop pressures of 10, 14, and 17 N/sq cm (15, 20, and 25 psia) over a range of initial turbine inlet temperatures from 366 to 550 K (200 to 530 F). The data are presented to show the effects of temperature and pressure on the motor-start characteristics of the rotating unit. Electrical characteristics during motoring are also discussed.

  20. Fermentative production of l-galactonate by using recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae containing the endogenous galacturonate reductase gene from Cryptococcus diffluens.

    PubMed

    Matsubara, Takeo; Hamada, Shohei; Wakabayashi, Ayaka; Kishida, Masao

    2016-11-01

    The GAR1 gene, encoding d-galacturonate reductase in Cryptococcus diffluens, was isolated, and the GAR1-expression plasmid was constructed by insertion of GAR1 downstream of the yeast constitutive promoter in the yeast-integrating vector. Recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing C. diffluensd-galacturonate reductase from a genome integrated copy of the gene was cultured for use the conversion of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid. The optimum conditions for l-galactonic acid production were determined in terms of the initial concentration of d-galacturonic acid, fermentation pH, and mixed sugars. The following conditions yielded high efficiency in the conversion of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid in large-scale cultures: 0.1% initial d-galacturonic acid concentration, pH 3.5, and glucose as additional sugar. The aerobic condition was necessary for the conversion of d-galacturonic acid. Subculture of that recombinant was not showing to decrease of the d-galacturonic acid conversion rate even though it was repeated in ten generations. Culturing in scale-up, the conversion rate of d-galacturonic acid to l-galactonic acid was increased. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Direct conversion technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Massier, Paul F.; Bankston, C. P.; Williams, R.; Underwood, M.; Jeffries-Nakamura, B.; Fabris, G.

    1989-01-01

    The overall objective of the Direct Conversion Technology task is to develop an experimentally verified technology base for promising direct conversion systems that have potential application for energy conservation in the end-use sectors. This report contains progress of research on the Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converter (AMTEC), and on the Two-Phase Liquid-Metal Magnetohydrodynamic Electrical Generator (LMMHD) for the period January 1, 1989 through December 31, 1989. Research on these concepts was initiated during October 1987. Reports prepared on previous occasions contain discussions on the following other direct conversion concepts: thermoelectric, pyroelectric, thermionic, thermophotovoltaic, thermoacoustic, thermomagnetic, thermoelastic (nitinol heat engines); and also, more complete discussions of AMTEC and LMMHD systems.

  2. Developpement de techniques de diagnostic non intrusif par tomographie optique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubot, Fabien

    Que ce soit dans les domaines des procedes industriels ou de l'imagerie medicale, on a assiste ces deux dernieres decennies a un developpement croissant des techniques optiques de diagnostic. L'engouement pour ces methodes repose principalement sur le fait qu'elles sont totalement non invasives, qu'elle utilisent des sources de rayonnement non nocives pour l'homme et l'environnement et qu'elles sont relativement peu couteuses et faciles a mettre en oeuvre comparees aux autres techniques d'imagerie. Une de ces techniques est la Tomographie Optique Diffuse (TOD). Cette methode d'imagerie tridimensionnelle consiste a caracteriser les proprietes radiatives d'un Milieu Semi-Transparent (MST) a partir de mesures optiques dans le proche infrarouge obtenues a l'aide d'un ensemble de sources et detecteurs situes sur la frontiere du domaine sonde. Elle repose notamment sur un modele direct de propagation de la lumiere dans le MST, fournissant les predictions, et un algorithme de minimisation d'une fonction de cout integrant les predictions et les mesures, permettant la reconstruction des parametres d'interet. Dans ce travail, le modele direct est l'approximation diffuse de l'equation de transfert radiatif dans le regime frequentiel tandis que les parametres d'interet sont les distributions spatiales des coefficients d'absorption et de diffusion reduit. Cette these est consacree au developpement d'une methode inverse robuste pour la resolution du probleme de TOD dans le domaine frequentiel. Pour repondre a cet objectif, ce travail est structure en trois parties qui constituent les principaux axes de la these. Premierement, une comparaison des algorithmes de Gauss-Newton amorti et de Broyden- Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) est proposee dans le cas bidimensionnel. Deux methodes de regularisation sont combinees pour chacun des deux algorithmes, a savoir la reduction de la dimension de l'espace de controle basee sur le maillage et la regularisation par penalisation de Tikhonov pour l'algorithme de Gauss-Newton amorti, et les regularisations basees sur le maillage et l'utilisation des gradients de Sobolev, uniformes ou spatialement dependants, lors de l'extraction du gradient de la fonction cout, pour la methode BFGS. Les resultats numeriques indiquent que l'algorithme de BFGS surpasse celui de Gauss-Newton amorti en ce qui concerne la qualite des reconstructions obtenues, le temps de calcul ou encore la facilite de selection du parametre de regularisation. Deuxiemement, une etude sur la quasi-independance du parametre de penalisation de Tikhonov optimal par rapport a la dimension de l'espace de controle dans les problemes inverses d'estimation de fonctions spatialement dependantes est menee. Cette etude fait suite a une observation realisee lors de la premiere partie de ce travail ou le parametre de Tikhonov, determine par la methode " L-curve ", se trouve etre independant de la dimension de l'espace de controle dans le cas sous-determine. Cette hypothese est demontree theoriquement puis verifiee numeriquement sur un probleme inverse lineaire de conduction de la chaleur puis sur le probleme inverse non-lineaire de TOD. La verification numerique repose sur la determination d'un parametre de Tikhonov optimal, defini comme etant celui qui minimise les ecarts entre les cibles et les reconstructions. La demonstration theorique repose sur le principe de Morozov (discrepancy principle) dans le cas lineaire, tandis qu'elle repose essentiellement sur l'hypothese que les fonctions radiatives a reconstruire sont des variables aleatoires suivant une loi normale dans le cas non-lineaire. En conclusion, la these demontre que le parametre de Tikhonov peut etre determine en utilisant une parametrisation des variables de controle associee a un maillage lâche afin de reduire les temps de calcul. Troisiemement, une methode inverse multi-echelle basee sur les ondelettes associee a l'algorithme de BFGS est developpee. Cette methode, qui s'appuie sur une reformulation du probleme inverse original en une suite de sous-problemes inverses de la plus grande echelle a la plus petite, a l'aide de la transformee en ondelettes, permet de faire face a la propriete de convergence locale de l'optimiseur et a la presence de nombreux minima locaux dans la fonction cout. Les resultats numeriques montrent que la methode proposee est plus stable vis-a-vis de l'estimation initiale des proprietes radiatives et fournit des reconstructions finales plus precises que l'algorithme de BFGS ordinaire tout en necessitant des temps de calcul semblables. Les resultats de ces travaux sont presentes dans cette these sous forme de quatre articles. Le premier article a ete accepte dans l'International Journal of Thermal Sciences, le deuxieme est accepte dans la revue Inverse Problems in Science and Engineering, le troisieme est accepte dans le Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics et le quatrieme a ete soumis au Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy & Radiative Transfer. Dix autres articles ont ete publies dans des comptes-rendus de conferences avec comite de lecture. Ces articles sont disponibles en format pdf sur le site de la Chaire de recherche t3e (www.t3e.info).

  3. Application of Fenton oxidation to cosmetic wastewaters treatment.

    PubMed

    Bautista, P; Mohedano, A F; Gilarranz, M A; Casas, J A; Rodriguez, J J

    2007-05-08

    The removal of organic matter (TOC and COD) from a cosmetic wastewater by Fenton oxidation treatment has been evaluated. The operating conditions (temperature as well as ferrous ion and hydrogen peroxide dosage) have been optimized. Working at an initial pH equal to 3.0, a Fe(2+) concentration of 200 mg/L and a H(2)O(2) concentration to COD initial weight ratio corresponding to the theoretical stoichiometric value (2.12), a TOC conversion higher than 45% at 25 degrees C and 60% at 50 degrees C was achieved. Application of the Fenton oxidation process allows to reach the COD regional limit for industrial wastewaters discharges to the municipal sewer system. A simple kinetic analysis based on TOC was carried out. A second-order equation describes well the overall kinetics of the process within a wide TOC conversion range covering up to the 80-90% of the maximum achievable conversion.

  4. Investigation into the role of NaCl deposited on oxide and metal substrates in the initiation of hot corrosion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Birks, N.

    1981-01-01

    Morphological aspects of the conversion to Na2SO4 of NaCl deposits over the temperature range 500-700 C, in air with added SO2 and H2O. Progress of the reaction was observed by withdrawing samples at various times and examining them under the scanning electron microscope using EDAX to assess the extent of chloride to sulfate conversion. These initial results show that the conversion to Na2SO4 proceeds directly on the sodium chloride surface as well as on the surrounding substrate due to evaporation of NaCl from the solid particle. The mechanism of this reaction could involve reaction in the vapor to produce Na2SO4 which then deposits, alternatively Na2SO4 could form directly on the substrate surface due to direct reaction there between the vapors NaCl, SO2 and O2.

  5. Improving Communication About Serious Illness in Primary Care: A Review.

    PubMed

    Lakin, Joshua R; Block, Susan D; Billings, J Andrew; Koritsanszky, Luca A; Cunningham, Rebecca; Wichmann, Lisa; Harvey, Doreen; Lamey, Jan; Bernacki, Rachelle E

    2016-09-01

    The Institute of Medicine recently called for systematic improvements in clinician-led conversations about goals, values, and care preferences for patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses. Studies suggest that these conversations are associated with improved outcomes for patients and their families, enhanced clinician satisfaction, and lower health care costs; however, the role of primary care clinicians in driving conversations about goals and priorities in serious illness is not well defined. To present a review of a structured search of the evidence base about communication in serious illness in primary care. MEDLINE was searched, via PubMed, on January 19, 2016, finding 911 articles; 126 articles were reviewed and selected titles were added from bibliography searches. Review of the literature informed 2 major topic areas: the role of primary care in communication about serious illness and clinician barriers and system failures that interfere with effective communication. Literature regarding the role that primary care plays in communication focused primarily on the ambiguity about whether primary care clinicians or specialists are responsible for initiating conversations, the benefits of primary care clinicians and specialists conducting conversations, and the quantity and quality of discussions. Timely and effective communication about serious illness in primary care is hampered by key clinician barriers, which include deficits in knowledge, skills, and attitudes; discomfort with prognostication; and lack of clarity about the appropriate timing and initiation of conversations. Finally, system failures in coordination, documentation, feedback, and quality improvement contribute to lack of conversations. Clinician and system barriers will challenge primary care clinicians and institutions to meet the needs of patients with serious illness. Ensuring that conversations about goals and values occur at the appropriate time for seriously ill patients will require improved training, validation, and dissemination of patient selection tools, systems for conducting and revisiting conversations, accessible documentation, and incentives for measurement, feedback, and continuous improvement.

  6. Land Ownership and Migration: Impact on the Muslim Secessionist Conflict in the Southern Philippines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-12-01

    provinces (provinces of of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao), and some municipalities of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay...Muslim Filipinos, edited by Peter G. Gowing and Robert D. McAmis. Manila: Solidaridad Publishing House, 1974. 72 Mercado , Elesio. as cited in Lawrence

  7. Senior Staff Meeting

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

    None

    Herbert Lengler fait l'introduction et remercie le DG, les directeurs et le vice président de l'association du personnel pour leur présence. Il parlera des activités depuis la dernière réunion et fera des commentaires sur l'"Abragam Commitee Final Report". Une discussion suivra sur plusieurs points importants.

  8. A Bottom Gravity Survey of the Continental Shelf Between Point Lobos and Point Sur, California.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    From an occupation of 68 ocean bottom and 38 land gravity stations between Pt. Lobos and Pt. Sur, California, a complete Bouguer anomaly map was...produced and analyzed. The steps in data reduction leading to the complete Bouguer anomaly field are presented, unique features of which are associated

  9. 50 CFR 660.112 - Trawl fishery-prohibitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ..., retain or make available any and all reports of groundfish landings, containing all data, and in the... Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur Coast/Port San Luis, East San Lucia Bank, Point Conception, Hidden...) Discard any catch from the codend or net (i.e. bleeding) before the observer has completed their data...

  10. 50 CFR 660.112 - Trawl fishery-prohibitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ..., retain or make available any and all reports of groundfish landings, containing all data, and in the... Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur Coast/Port San Luis, East San Lucia Bank, Point Conception, Hidden...) Discard any catch from the codend or net (i.e. bleeding) before the observer has completed their data...

  11. Coastal management at Ojo de Liebre, Baja California Sur

    Treesearch

    Frederico Salinas-Zavala; Alfredo Ortega-Rubio; Diego Valez-Zamudio; Aradit Castelanos-Vera

    2000-01-01

    We analyzed the biotic, abiotic, and human components interacting at the coastal zone of the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Using geographic information systems, satellite images, and the main biological, physical, and socioeconomic components, we developed an environmental characterization of the zone. According with the natural features of the...

  12. Etude de l'affaiblissement du comportement mecanique du pergelisol du au rechauffement climatique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buteau, Sylvie

    Le rechauffement climatique predit pour les prochaines decennies, aura des impacts majeurs sur le pergelisol qui sont tres peu documentes pour l'instant. La presente etude a pour but d'evaluer ces impacts sur les proprietes mecaniques du pergelisol et sa stabilite a long terme. Une nouvelle technique d'essai de penetration au cone a taux de deformation controle, a ete developpee pour caracteriser en place le pergelisol. Ces essais geotechniques et la mesure de differentes proprietes physiques ont ete effectues sur une butte de pergelisol au cours du printemps 2000. Le developpement et l'utilisation d'un modele geothermique 1D tenant compte de la thermodependance du comportement mecanique ont permis d'evaluer que les etendues de pergelisol chaud deviendraient instables a la suite d'un rechauffement de l'ordre de 5°C sur cent ans. En effet, la resistance mecanique du pergelisol diminuera alors rapidement jusqu'a 11,6 MPa, ce qui correspond a une perte relative de 98% de la resistance par rapport a un scenario sans rechauffement.

  13. Ability of a rapid HIV testing site to attract and test vulnerable populations: a cross-sectional study on Actuel sur Rue.

    PubMed

    Engler, Kim; Rollet, Kathleen; Lessard, David; Thomas, Réjean; Lebouché, Bertrand

    2016-10-01

    Quebec's HIV epidemic persists, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) and in Montreal. Increasing access to HIV testing is necessary and community-based rapid testing offers one strategy. This paper examines the clienteles and activities of a rapid HIV testing site in Montreal, the pilot project Actuel sur Rue. Comparative analyses were conducted with 1357 MSM, 147 heterosexual men and 64 women who visited Actuel sur Rue between July 2012 and November 2013 on socio-demographics, health, drug use, sexual practices/infection and HIV testing/prevention. Significant group differences were observed in each category. Actuel sur Rue received 1901 clients, conducted 1417 rapid HIV tests and tested 77 never-tested individuals. Rapid testing produced a high reactive rate (2%). Only 1/28 of those with reactive tests had no previous HIV testing, and 36% had used post-exposure prophylaxis, suggesting missed opportunities for prevention. Findings highlight diverse client vulnerability profiles and the relevance of checkpoints and further prevention efforts. © The Author(s) 2016.

  14. An oscillator model of the timing of turn-taking.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Margaret; Wilson, Thomas P

    2005-12-01

    When humans talk without conventionalized arrangements, they engage in conversation--that is, a continuous and largely nonsimultaneous exchange in which speakers take turns. Turn-taking is ubiquitous in conversation and is the normal case against which alternatives, such as interruptions, are treated as violations that warrant repair. Furthermore, turn-taking involves highly coordinated timing, including a cyclic rise and fall in the probability of initiating speech during brief silences, and involves the notable rarity, especially in two-party conversations, of two speakers' breaking a silence at once. These phenomena, reported by conversation analysts, have been neglected by cognitive psychologists, and to date there has been no adequate cognitive explanation. Here, we propose that, during conversation, endogenous oscillators in the brains of the speaker and the listeners become mutually entrained, on the basis of the speaker's rate of syllable production. This entrained cyclic pattern governs the potential for initiating speech at any given instant for the speaker and also for the listeners (as potential next speakers). Furthermore, the readiness functions of the listeners are counterphased with that of the speaker, minimizing the likelihood of simultaneous starts by a listener and the previous speaker. This mutual entrainment continues for a brief period when the speech stream ceases, accounting for the cyclic property of silences. This model not only captures the timing phenomena observed inthe literature on conversation analysis, but also converges with findings from the literatures on phoneme timing, syllable organization, and interpersonal coordination.

  15. Synthesis of mannosylinositol phosphorylceramides is involved in maintenance of cell integrity of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    PubMed

    Morimoto, Yuji; Tani, Motohiro

    2015-02-01

    Complex sphingolipids play important roles in many physiologically important events in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we screened yeast mutant strains showing a synthetic lethal interaction with loss of mannosylinositol phosphorylceramide (MIPC) synthesis and found that a specific group of glycosyltransferases involved in the synthesis of mannan-type N-glycans is essential for the growth of cells lacking MIPC synthases (Sur1 and Csh1). The genetic interaction was also confirmed by repression of MNN2, which encodes alpha-1,2-mannosyltransferase that synthesizes mannan-type N-glycans, by a tetracycline-regulatable system. MNN2-repressed sur1Δ csh1Δ cells exhibited high sensitivity to zymolyase treatment, and caffeine and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) strongly inhibited the growth of sur1Δ csh1Δ cells, suggesting impairment of cell integrity due to the loss of MIPC synthesis. The phosphorylated form of Slt2, a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activated by impaired cell integrity, increased in sur1Δ csh1Δ cells, and this increase was dramatically enhanced by the repression of Mnn2. Moreover, the growth defect of MNN2-repressed sur1Δ csh1Δ cells was enhanced by the deletion of SLT2 or RLM1 encoding a downstream target of Slt2. These results indicated that loss of MIPC synthesis causes impairment of cell integrity, and this effect is enhanced by impaired synthesis of mannan-type N-glycans. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Neonatal Diabetes Caused by Mutations in Sulfonylurea Receptor 1: Interplay between Expression and Mg-Nucleotide Gating Defects of ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels

    PubMed Central

    Zhou, Qing; Garin, Intza; Castaño, Luis; Argente, Jesús; Muñoz-Calvo, Ma. Teresa; Perez de Nanclares, Guiomar; Shyng, Show-Ling

    2010-01-01

    Context: ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels regulate insulin secretion by coupling glucose metabolism to β-cell membrane potential. Gain-of-function mutations in the sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) or Kir6.2 channel subunit underlie neonatal diabetes. Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the mechanisms by which two SUR1 mutations, E208K and V324M, associated with transient neonatal diabetes affect KATP channel function. Design: E208K or V324M mutant SUR1 was coexpressed with Kir6.2 in COS cells, and expression and gating properties of the resulting channels were assessed biochemically and electrophysiologically. Results: Both E208K and V324M augment channel response to MgADP stimulation without altering sensitivity to ATP4− or sulfonylureas. Surprisingly, whereas E208K causes only a small increase in MgADP response consistent with the mild transient diabetes phenotype, V324M causes a severe activating gating defect. Unlike E208K, V324M also impairs channel expression at the cell surface, which is expected to dampen its functional impact on β-cells. When either mutation was combined with a mutation in the second nucleotide binding domain of SUR1 previously shown to abolish Mg-nucleotide response, the activating effect of E208K and V324M was also abolished. Moreover, combination of E208K and V324M results in channels with Mg-nucleotide sensitivity greater than that seen in individual mutations alone. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that E208K and V324M, located in distinct domains of SUR1, enhance transduction of Mg-nucleotide stimulation from the SUR1 nucleotide binding folds to Kir6.2. Furthermore, they suggest that diabetes severity is determined by interplay between effects of a mutation on channel expression and channel gating. PMID:20810569

  17. Mise à jour sur la prévention et le dépistage selon l’âge à l’intention des médecins de soins primaires canadiens

    PubMed Central

    Shimizu, Tawnya; Bouchard, Manon; Mavriplis, Cleo

    2016-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Faire la synthèse des meilleures lignes directrices fondées sur des données probantes concernant la prévention et le dépistage chez les adultes canadiens selon l’âge. Qualité des données Les recommandations du Groupe d’étude canadien sur les soins de santé préventifs représentent la source principale des renseignements et sont complétées par les recommandations pertinentes du Preventive Services Task Force des États-Unis lorsque celles du Groupe d’étude canadien étaient inaccessibles ou désuètes. Les guides de pratique des principales organisations nationales axées spécifiquement sur une maladie ou une spécialité ont aussi fait l’objet d’une révision pour prendre en compte les données factuelles les plus récentes. Message principal Les interventions de dépistage recommandées selon l’âge et le sexe sont présentées dans un tableau de synthèse où est mise en évidence la qualité des données à l’appui de ces recommandations. Un exemple de modèle à suivre dans les dossiers médicaux électroniques ou sur papier est aussi proposé. Conclusion Qu’il s’agisse d’une visite consacrée à la prévention ou d’une occasion saisie autrement de faire du counseling et du dépistage de prévention chez leurs patients, les médecins de soins primaires peuvent se servir de cette synthèse des recommandations fondées sur des données probantes pour maximiser leur efficience et prévenir d’importantes omissions ou des dépistages inutiles.

  18. The Power of Conversation: On the Diversity Director and Head Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, Sandra; Kassen, Phil

    2014-01-01

    Since the late 1920s, diversity initiatives at the "Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School" (LREI) in New York City have centered on strategic conversations related to equity, justice, and inclusion. In this article, Sandra Chapman, Director of Diversity and Community, and Phil Kassen, Head of School, decided that they…

  19. "Are You a Computer?" Opening Exchanges in Virtual Reference Shape the Potential for Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dempsey, Paula R.

    2016-01-01

    Academic reference librarians frequently work with students who are not aware of their professional roles. In online interactions, a student might not even realize that the librarian is a person. The ways students initiate conversations reveal their understanding of the mutual roles involved in reference encounters. Conversation analysis of live…

  20. Silence, Words that Wound and Sexual Identity: A Conversation with Applebaum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Liz

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, I continue a conversation initiated by Barbara Applebaum on how to manage irreconcilable difference, harmful language or "words that wound" and various implications of power in the classroom. Referencing emerging works on the nature of speech and silence, classroom power and queer identity, I pose three questions to Applebaum in…

  1. A Content Analysis of Themes That Emerge from School Principals' Web2.0 Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manning, Rory

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze the self initiated conversations held by school principals on web2.o platforms, such as blogs, through the lens of current leadership standards. The online writings of thirteen school principals were analyzed using grounded theory techniques (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) to elucidate emerging…

  2. Seismic reflection-based evidence of a transfer zone between the Wagner and Consag basins: implications for defining the structural geometry of the northern Gulf of California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    González-Escobar, Mario; Suárez-Vidal, Francisco; Hernández-Pérez, José Antonio; Martín-Barajas, Arturo

    2010-12-01

    This study examines the structural characteristics of the northern Gulf of California by processing and interpreting ca. 415 km of two-dimensional multi-channel seismic reflection lines (data property of Petróleos Mexicanos PEMEX) collected in the vicinity of the border between the Wagner and Consag basins. The two basins appear to be a link between the Delfín Superior Basin to the south, and the Cerro Prieto Basin to the north in the Mexicali-Imperial Valley along the Pacific-North America plate boundary. The seismic data are consistent with existing knowledge of four main structures (master faults) in the region, i.e., the Percebo, Santa María, Consag Sur, and Wagner Sur faults. The Wagner and Consag basins are delimited to the east by the Wagner Sur Fault, and to the west by the Consag Sur Fault. The Percebo Fault borders the western margin of the modern Wagner Basin depocenter, and is oriented N10°W, dipping (on average) ˜40° to the northeast. The trace of the Santa María Fault located in the Wagner Basin strikes N19°W, dipping ˜40° to the west. The Consag Sur Fault is oriented N14°W, and dips ˜42° to the east over a distance of 21 km. To the east of the study area, the Wagner Sur Fault almost parallels the Consag Sur Fault over a distance of ˜86 km, and is oriented N10°W with an average dip of 59° to the east. Moreover, the data provide new evidence that the Wagner Fault is discontinuous between the two basins, and that its structure is more complex than previously reported. A structural high separates the northern Consag Basin from the southern Wagner Basin, comprising several secondary faults oriented NE oblique to the main faults of N-S direction. These could represent a zone of accommodation, or transfer zone, where extension could be transferred from the Wagner to the Consag Basin, or vice versa. This area shows no acoustic basement and/or intrusive body, which is consistent with existing gravimetric and magnetic data for the region.

  3. Diagnostiquer l’hypertension artérielle

    PubMed Central

    Gelfer, Mark; Dawes, Martin; Kaczorowski, Janusz; Padwal, Raj; Cloutier, Lyne

    2015-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Mettre en lumière les recommandations 2015 du Programme éducatif canadien sur l’hypertension (PECH) sur le diagnostic et l’évaluation de l’hypertension artérielle (HTA). Qualité des données Une recherche systématique remontant à août 2014 a été effectuée par un bibliothécaire de la Collaboration Cochrane dans les banques de données MEDLINE et PubMed. Les résultats de la recherche ont fait l’objet d’une évaluation critique par le sous-comité du PECH sur la mesure de la pression artérielle (PA) et le diagnostic d’HTA, et les recommandations fondées sur les données probantes ont été soumises au Comité central d’examen du PECH aux fins d’examen indépendant et de classement. Finalement, les résultats et recommandations ont été présentés au Groupe de travail sur les recommandations aux fins de discussion, de débat, d’approbation et de vote. Les principales recommandations reposent sur des données probantes de niveau II. Message principal Selon les données probantes les plus récentes, le PECH a formulé 4 nouvelles recommandations classées dans 2 vastes catégories pour améliorer la mesure de la PA et la façon dont l’HTA est diagnostiquée en 2015. Il est fortement recommandé de mesurer la PA à l’aide d’appareils électroniques en clinique plutôt que par auscultation. Chez les patients dont les mesures en clinique sont élevées, le PECH recommande de se tourner précocement vers les mesures ambulatoires, préférablement le monitorage ambulatoire de la PA, afin d’identifier rapidement les patients atteints du syndrome du sarrau blanc. Conclusion Il est crucial d’améliorer la justesse diagnostique afin d’optimiser la prise en charge de l’HTA au Canada. Les mises à jour annuelles du PECH veillent à ce que les praticiens disposent de renseignements fondés sur les données probantes à jour pour éclairer leur pratique.

  4. Initial PDS4 Support for the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hare, T. M.; Gaddis, L. R.

    2018-04-01

    We introduce initial support for PDS4 within the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL). Both highlights and limitations are presented, as well as a short discussion on methods for supporting a GDAL-based workflow for PDS4 conversions.

  5. Boundary layer measurements of the OH radical in the vicinity of an isolated power plant plume - SO2 and NO2 chemical conversion times

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, D. D.; Philen, D.; Mcgee, T.; Heaps, W.

    1979-01-01

    Direct measurements of the OH radical in the vicinity of an isolated power plant plume are reported. These measurements were used to estimate the conversion time of SO2 to H2SO4-sulfate aerosol via the initiating step OH + SO2 + M yields HSO3. Using the near-high-noon measured value of OH (9.5 million per cu cm), resulted in a 1/e conversion time of 1.4 days. The latter lifetime would correspond to a conversion rate of about 2%/hr. When the lifetime calculation was modified to take into consideration the OH diurnal cycle, the 1/e conversion time for SO2 was found to be 4.4 days, giving an apparent overall rate of conversion of about 0.7%/hr. Similar calculations carried out for the conversion of NO2 to NHO3 resulted in 1/e lifetimes for NO2 of 2-3 h for midday time periods.

  6. Substrate reactivity as a function of the extent of reaction in the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose

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

    Desai, S.G.; Converse, A.O.

    1997-12-20

    In an effort to better understand the role of the substrate in the rapid fall off in the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose with conversion, substrate reactivity was measured as a function of conversion. These measurements were made by interrupting the hydrolysis of pretreated wood at various degrees of conversion; and, after boiling and washing, restarting the hydrolysis in fresh butter with fresh enzyme. The comparison of the restart rate per enzyme adsorbed with the initial rate per enzyme adsorbed, both extrapolated back to zero conversion, provides a measurement of the substrate reactivity without the complications of product inhibitionmore » or cellulase inactivation. The results indicate that the substrate reactivity falls only modestly as conversion increases. However, the restart rate is still higher than the rate of the uninterrupted hydrolysis, particularly at high conversion. Hence the authors conclude that the loss of substrate reactivity is not the principal cause for the long residence time required for complete conversion.« less

  7. The Effects of Interaction Management and Background Similarity on Perceived Communication Competence and Attraction during Initial Interaction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Linda

    Although most information exchanged in an initial interaction is superficial, relationships often develop or terminate depending on the evaluations made during the first three to four minutes of a conversation. In order to investigate the content and process levels of the information exchanged during the initial interactions, 90 subjects watched…

  8. The Construction of Interculturality: A Study of Initial Encounters between Japanese and American Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mori, Junko

    2003-01-01

    Investigates how Japanese and American students initiate topical talk as they get acquainted with each other during their initial encounter at a student-organized conversation table. Looks at the observable and reportable ways in which the participants demonstrate the relevance, or the irrelevance, of interculturality in the development of the…

  9. Student Initiatives and Missed Learning Opportunities in an IRF Sequence: A Single Case Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Houxiang

    2013-01-01

    Most conversation analysis (CA) studies of the initiation-response-feedback (IRF; Sinclair & Coulthard, 1975) sequence have focused on teacher actions in the feedback move. In this article, I use CA to analyze student initiatives (Waring, 2011) within an IRF sequence in one excerpt from a Chinese as a foreign language class. The excerpt…

  10. Senior Staff Meeting

    ScienceCinema

    None

    2017-12-09

    Herbert Lengler fait l'introduction et remercie le DG, les directeurs et le vice président de l'association du personnel pour leur présence. Il parlera des activités depuis la dernière réunion et fera des commentaires sur l'"Abragam Commitee Final Report". Une discussion suivra sur plusieurs points importants.

  11. Quantification of sudden oak death tree mortality in the Big Sur ecoregion of California

    Treesearch

    Douglas A. Shoemaker; Christopher B. Oneal; David M. Rizzo; Ross K. Meentemeyer

    2008-01-01

    Big Sur is one of the most ecologically diverse regions in California and well recognized as a biodiversity hotspot for global conservation priority. Currently the region is experiencing substantial environmental change due to the invasion of Phytophthora ramorum, the plant pathogen causing the forest disease known as sudden oak death. First...

  12. The Work of Ambroise Tardieu: The First Definitive Description of Child Abuse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roche, A.J.; Fortin, G.; Labbe, J.; Brown, J.; Chadwick, D.

    2005-01-01

    The first important monograph describing the battered child syndrome was written in 1860 by Ambroise Tardieu, a French forensic physician. Here is a translation of his article, published in the Annales d'hygiene publique et de medecine legale, with the title ''Etude medico-legale sur les sevices et mauvais traitements exerces sur des enfants.''…

  13. Enquête internationale sur l'état de l'art et l'état de la pratique en géotechnique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acosta-Martinez, Hugo; Delage, Pierre; Nicks, Jennifer; Day, Peter

    2018-05-01

    Cet article présente une synthèse des résultats de l'enquête internationale sur l'état de l'art et l'état de la pratique en ingénierie géotechnique lancée par le Groupe présidentiel des entreprises associées et le Comité de supervision technique de la Société internationale de mécanique des sols et de géotechnique en mars 2017. Il résume également les discussions qui ont eu lieu sur le sujet durant le 19e CIMSG à Séoul, le 20 septembre 2017.

  14. Conversion of Cn-Unsaturated into Cn-2-Saturated LCFA Can Occur Uncoupled from Methanogenesis in Anaerobic Bioreactors.

    PubMed

    Cavaleiro, Ana J; Pereira, Maria Alcina; Guedes, Ana P; Stams, Alfons J M; Alves, M Madalena; Sousa, Diana Z

    2016-03-15

    Fat, oils, and grease present in complex wastewater can be readily converted to methane, but the energy potential of these compounds is not always recyclable, due to incomplete degradation of long chain fatty acids (LCFA) released during lipids hydrolysis. Oleate (C18:1) is generally the dominant LCFA in lipid-containing wastewater, and its conversion in anaerobic bioreactors results in palmitate (C16:0) accumulation. The reason why oleate is continuously converted to palmitate without further degradation via β-oxidation is still unknown. In this work, the influence of methanogenic activity in the initial conversion steps of unsaturated LCFA was studied in 10 bioreactors continuously operated with saturated or unsaturated C16- and C18-LCFA, in the presence or absence of the methanogenic inhibitor bromoethanesulfonate (BrES). Saturated Cn-2-LCFA accumulated both in the presence and absence of BrES during the degradation of unsaturated Cn-LCFA, and represented more than 50% of total LCFA. In the presence of BrES further conversion of saturated intermediates did not proceed, not even when prolonged batch incubation was applied. As the initial steps of unsaturated LCFA degradation proceed uncoupled from methanogenesis, accumulation of saturated LCFA can be expected. Analysis of the active microbial communities suggests a role for facultative anaerobic bacteria in the initial steps of unsaturated LCFA biodegradation. Understanding this role is now imperative to optimize methane production from LCFA.

  15. Power system requirements and definition for lunar and Mars outposts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Petri, D. A.; Cataldo, R. L.; Bozek, J. M.

    1990-01-01

    Candidate power systems being considered for outpost facilities (stationary power systems) and vehicles (mobile systems) are discussed, including solar, chemical, isotopic, and reactor. The current power strategy was an initial outpost power system composed of photovoltaic arrays for daytime energy needs and regenerative fuel cells for power during the long lunar night. As day and night power demands grow, the outpost transitions to nuclear-based power generation, using thermoelectric conversion initially and evolving to a dynamic conversion system. With this concept as a guideline, a set of requirements has been established, and a reference definition of candidate power systems meeting these requirements has been identified.

  16. Suspending the next turn as a form of repair initiation: evidence from Argentine Sign Language

    PubMed Central

    Manrique, Elizabeth; Enfield, N. J.

    2015-01-01

    Practices of other-initiated repair deal with problems of hearing or understanding what another person has said in the fast-moving turn-by-turn flow of conversation. As such, other-initiated repair plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of intersubjectivity in social interaction. This study finds and analyses a special type of other-initiated repair that is used in turn-by-turn conversation in a sign language: Argentine Sign Language (Lengua de Señas Argentina or LSA). We describe a type of response termed a “freeze-look,” which occurs when a person has just been asked a direct question: instead of answering the question in the next turn position, the person holds still while looking directly at the questioner. In these cases it is clear that the person is aware of having just been addressed and is not otherwise accounting for their delay in responding (e.g., by displaying a “thinking” face or hesitation, etc.). We find that this behavior functions as a way for an addressee to initiate repair by the person who asked the question. The “freeze-look” results in the questioner “re-doing” their action of asking a question, for example by repeating or rephrasing it. Thus, we argue that the “freeze-look” is a practice for other-initiation of repair. In addition, we argue that it is an “off-record” practice, thus contrasting with known on-record practices such as saying “Huh?” or equivalents. The findings aim to contribute to research on human understanding in everyday turn-by-turn conversation by looking at an understudied sign language, with possible implications for our understanding of visual bodily communication in spoken languages as well. PMID:26441710

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

    Kim, Dongwook; Vardon, Derek R.; Murali, Dheeptha

    We demonstrate hydrothermal (300 degrees C, 10 MPa) catalytic conversion of real waste lipids (e.g., waste vegetable oil, sewer trap grease) to liquid hydrocarbon fuels without net need for external chemical inputs (e.g., H2 gas, methanol). A supported bimetallic catalyst (Pt-Re/C; 5 wt % of each metal) previously shown to catalyze both aqueous phase reforming of glycerol (a triacylglyceride lipid hydrolysis coproduct) to H2 gas and conversion of oleic and stearic acid, model unsaturated and saturated fatty acids, to linear alkanes was applied to process real waste lipid feedstocks in water. For reactions conducted with an initially inert headspace gasmore » (N2), waste vegetable oil (WVO) was fully converted into linear hydrocarbons (C15-C17) and other hydrolyzed byproducts within 4.5 h, and H2 gas production was observed. Addition of H2 to the initial reactor headspace accelerated conversion, but net H2 production was still observed, in agreement with results obtained for aqueous mixtures containing model fatty acids and glycerol. Conversion to liquid hydrocarbons with net H2 production was also observed for a range of other waste lipid feedstocks (animal fat residuals, sewer trap grease, dry distiller's grain oil, coffee oil residual). These findings demonstrate potential for valorization of waste lipids through conversion to hydrocarbons that are more compatible with current petroleum-based liquid fuels than the biodiesel and biogas products of conventional waste lipid processing technologies.« less

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

    Warren, B.K.; Campbell, K.D.

    Methane oxidative coupling studies were carried out in an atmospheric quartz reactor at temperatures between 700 and 800/degree/C. New catalysts prepared and studied included doped alkaline earth catalysts, lanthanide oxides, and proprietary catalysts. Neodymium oxide, Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/, was found to be as active and selective as samarium oxide, Sm/sub 2/O/sub 3/, in contrast to literature reports. Proprietary Union Carbide catalysts (UCC-S:1) showed initial methane conversions and C/sub 2/ selectivities comparable to literature catalysts. Atypically low carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide ratios (typically ten times lower than those seen in the literature or other catalysts tested) and high ethylene tomore » ethane ratios (3 to 6 compared to typical literature ratios below 1) were obtained. These results are interesting because ethylene is more valuable than ethane and carbon monoxide is more valuable than carbon dioxide. With these UCC-S:1 catalysts, rapid deactivation was coupled with an observed shift in product ratios toward those more typical in the literature. Initial cases for process conceptualization studies were selected. The Comparison Case will consist of the conversion sequence from methane to synthesis gas to methanol to olefins to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Case 1 will consist of the conversion of methane to ethylene and ethane. Case 2 will be the direct conversion of methane to C/sub 2/'s followed by conversion to liquid hydrocarbon fuels. 7 figs., 18 tabs.« less

  19. Polymerization Kinetics: Monitoring Monomer Conversion Using an Internal Standard and the Key Role of Sample "t[subscript 0]"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colombani, Olivier; Langelier, Ophelie; Martwong, Ekkachai; Castignolles, Patrice

    2011-01-01

    The use of an internal standard is a conventional and convenient way to monitor the conversion of one or several monomers during a controlled radical polymerization. However, the validity of this technique relies on an accurate determination of the initial monomer-to-internal standard ratio, A[subscript 0], because all subsequent calculations of…

  20. Conversion of Successionally Stable Even-Aged Oak Stands to an Uneven-Aged Structure

    Treesearch

    Edward F. Loewenstein; James M. Guldin

    2004-01-01

    Developing a silvicultural prescription to convert an even-aged or unmanaged oak stand to an uneven-aged structure depends in large part on the length of time the existing overstory will live. Four conversion prescriptions, representing three initial stand conditions, are presented. Each prescription partitions the cut of the original overstory differently in time and...

  1. Online Initial Teacher Education Students' Perceptions of Using Web Conferences to Support Professional Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyment, Janet E.; Downing, Jill

    2018-01-01

    This paper draws on the work of Helen Timperley (2015) who suggests there are six clear enablers that support educators to have professional conversations: processes, resources, culture, knowledge, relationships, as well as context. This purpose of this paper is two-fold: first, it describes how weekly web conferences that were offered for online…

  2. Social Impairment in the "Care in the Community" Cohort: The Effect of Deinstitutionalization and Changes over Time in the Community.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beadle-Brown, Julie; Forrester-Jones, Rachel

    2003-01-01

    A longitudinal study involving 250 adults who had been institutionalized found that once they moved into the community, social impairment did not change over time, although there was a significant decrease in conversation and social mixing, non-verbal communication, and initiation of conversation and social interaction. (Contains references.) (CR)

  3. Hierarchical Interactions Model for Predicting Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Conversion

    PubMed Central

    Li, Han; Liu, Yashu; Gong, Pinghua; Zhang, Changshui; Ye, Jieping

    2014-01-01

    Identifying patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) who are likely to convert to dementia has recently attracted increasing attention in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. An accurate prediction of conversion from MCI to AD can aid clinicians to initiate treatments at early stage and monitor their effectiveness. However, existing prediction systems based on the original biosignatures are not satisfactory. In this paper, we propose to fit the prediction models using pairwise biosignature interactions, thus capturing higher-order relationship among biosignatures. Specifically, we employ hierarchical constraints and sparsity regularization to prune the high-dimensional input features. Based on the significant biosignatures and underlying interactions identified, we build classifiers to predict the conversion probability based on the selected features. We further analyze the underlying interaction effects of different biosignatures based on the so-called stable expectation scores. We have used 293 MCI subjects from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database that have MRI measurements at the baseline to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Our proposed method achieves better classification performance than state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, we discover several significant interactions predictive of MCI-to-AD conversion. These results shed light on improving the prediction performance using interaction features. PMID:24416143

  4. Diabetes mellitus reduces the function and expression of ATP-dependent K⁺ channels in cardiac mitochondria.

    PubMed

    Fancher, Ibra S; Dick, Gregory M; Hollander, John M

    2013-03-28

    Our goal was to determine the effects of type I diabetes mellitus on the function and expression of ATP-dependent K(+) channels in cardiac mitochondria (mitoKATP), composed of a pore-forming subunit (Kir6.1) and a diazoxide-sensitive sulphonylurea receptor (SUR1). We tested the hypothesis that diabetes reduces Kir6.1 and SUR1 expression as well as diazoxide-induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Male FVB mice were made diabetic for 5weeks with multiple low dose injections of streptozotocin. Cardiac mitochondria were separated into two populations: subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) and interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). mitoKATP expression was determined via Western blot analysis of Kir6.1 and SUR1 proteins. mitoKATP function was determined by measuring ΔΨm with the potentiometric dye rhodamine 123. Diabetes reduced Kir6.1 and SUR1 expression in IFM by over 40% (p<0.05 for both). Similarly, diabetes reduced Kir6.1 expression in SSM by approximately 40% (p<0.05); however, SUR1 expression was unaffected. Opening mitoKATP with diazoxide (100μM) depolarized control IFM ΔΨm by 80% of the valinomycin maximum; diabetic IFM depolarized only 30% (p<0.05). Diazoxide-induced depolarization was much less in SSM (20-30%) and unaffected by diabetes. Our data indicate that diabetes reduces mitoKATP expression and function in IFM. These changes in mitoKATP may provide an opportunity to understand mechanisms leading to diabetic cardiomyopathy and loss of cardioprotective mechanisms in the diabetic heart. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Agression sexuelle et violence dans les relations amoureuses : Le rôle médiateur du stress post-traumatique

    PubMed Central

    Hébert, Martine; Daspe, Marie-Ève; Blais, Martin; Lavoie, Francine; Guerrier, Mireille

    2017-01-01

    Résumé Cette étude vise à documenter le rôle médiateur des symptômes de stress post-traumatique (SSPT) dans le lien entre l’agression sexuelle et différentes formes de victimisation vécues dans le contexte de relations amoureuses. L’étude se fonde sur l’Enquête sur les parcours amoureux des jeunes (PAJ), réalisée au sein de 34 écoles secondaires du Québec. Les jeunes ont rempli un questionnaire portant sur leurs expériences de victimisation, y compris l’agression sexuelle vécue pendant l’enfance et la violence psychologique, physique et sexuelle vécue au sein de leurs relations amoureuses dans les 12 derniers mois. Les SSPT ont été évalués à l’aide du UCLA PTSD Index. Sur un total de 8 194 adolescents, 15% des filles et 4% des garçons ont rapporté avoir vécu une agression sexuelle. Les résultats des analyses acheminatoires semblent indiquer que le fait d’avoir été victime d’agression sexuelle est associé à davantage de SSPT et qu’en retour, les SSPT sont positivement associés à la violence psychologique, physique et sexuelle subie de la part d’un partenaire amoureux. Cette étude comporte des implications pratiques pour la prévention et l’intervention sur le plan de la violence dans les relations amoureuses chez les victimes d’agression sexuelle. PMID:29321695

  6. NiP black: vers l'utilisation d'un traitement plus noir que noir contre la lumière parasite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazuray, L.; Petilon, JF.

    2017-11-01

    Le NiP black est un alliage de Nickel-Phosphore poreux présentant un coefficient d'absorption exceptionnel de 0.998, permettant un gain en diffusion d'un facteur 10 à 20 par rapport à la meilleure des peintures noires utilisée sur les baffles et montures des instruments d'optique. L'industrialisation de ce procédé fait l'objet d'une collaboration entre le CNES, SODERN et MMS afin de répondre au mieux aux exigences des différents instruments spatiaux. Le faible niveau de diffusion des baffles et des montures des instruments optiques est un élément clé d'un faible niveau de lumière parasite et par voie de conséquence, des performances en détection, imagerie et d'analyse. Les essais réalisés en 98 et 99 sur des visières de senseurs solaires haute précision implantés sur les plate-formes telecom MMS ont confirmé les excellentes performances du senseur obtenues grâce à ce traitement. NiP Black s'incrit dans une démarche générale MMS d'amélioration des performances en lumière parasite des instruments optiques. Il est proposé de présenter le NiP Black et les performances réalisées sur des visières de senseurs implantés sur les plate-formes MMS, ainsi que son potentiel à venir.

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

    Stillman, J. A.; Feldman, E. E.; Wilson, E. H.

    This report contains the results of reactor accident analyses for the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). The calculations were performed as part of the conversion from the use of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The analyses were performed by staff members of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Reactor Conversion Program at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the MURR Facility, and the Nuclear Engineering Program – College of Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia. The core conversion to LEU is being performed with financial support from the U. S. government. This report contains themore » results of reactor accident analyses for the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). The calculations were performed as part of the conversion from the use of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The analyses were performed by staff members of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Reactor Conversion Program at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), the MURR Facility, and the Nuclear Engineering Program – College of Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia. The core conversion to LEU is being performed with financial support from the U. S. government. In the framework of non-proliferation policies, the international community presently aims to minimize the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons. In this geopolitical context most research and test reactors, both domestic and international, have started a program of conversion to the use of LEU fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on an alloy of uranium and molybdenum (U-Mo) is expected to allow the conversion of U.S. domestic high performance reactors like MURR. This report presents the results of a study of core behavior under a set of accident conditions for MURR cores fueled with HEU U-Alx dispersion fuel or LEU monolithic U-Mo alloy fuel with 10 wt% Mo (U-10Mo).« less

  8. Familiar communication partners' facilitation of topic management in conversations with individuals with dementia.

    PubMed

    Hall, Karinna; Lind, Christopher; Young, Jessica A; Okell, Elise; van Steenbrugge, Willem

    2018-05-01

    Language and memory impairments affect everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their communication partners. Impaired topic management, which compromises individuals' construction of relevant, meaningful discourse, is commonly reported amongst individuals with dementia. Currently, limited empirical evidence describes the sequential patterns of behaviour comprising topic-management practices in everyday conversation between individuals with dementia and their communication partners. To describe the sequential patterns of behaviour relating to the manifestation of topic-management impairments and facilitative behaviours in everyday interactions between individuals with dementia and their familiar communication partners (FCPs). Three 20-min conversations between individuals with moderate to severe dementia and their FCPs were recorded. Conversation Analysis was used to examine sequences in which topic-management appeared to be impaired. Conversational behaviours that reflected a difficulty in contributing on-topic talk were pervasive in the talk of the three individuals with dementia. FCPs responded to these conversational difficulties by using two categories of facilitative behaviours. The first involved responding to an individual with dementia's explicit repair-initiation by performing repair. In the second category, explicit repair-initiation was absent; instead, the distance of the conversational difficulty from the prior topic-shifting turn mediated the form and outcome of the FCPs' facilitative behaviours. Each category successfully facilitated the individual with dementia to contribute on-topic talk. The findings contribute to a growing understanding of topic-management abilities in everyday interactions involving individuals with dementia. Individuals with dementia took a proactive role in eliciting topic-management support. The FCPs responded with turns that facilitated the individuals with dementia to talk on-topic. Clinically, the results support and extend the current topic-management recommendations available in communication partner training programmes, and promote conversations which attend to the personhood of the individual with dementia. © 2018 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

  9. Conversion of external fixation to open reduction and internal fixation for complex distal radius fractures.

    PubMed

    Natoli, R M; Baer, M R; Bednar, M S

    2016-05-01

    Distal radius fractures are common injuries treated in a multitude of ways. One treatment paradigm not extensively studied is initial treatment by external fixation (EF) followed by conversion to open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). Such a paradigm may be beneficial in damage control situations, when there is extensive soft tissue injury, or when appropriate personnel/hospital resources are not available for immediate internal fixation. There is no increased risk of infection when converting EF to ORIF in the treatment of complex distal radius fractures when conversion occurs early or if EF pin sites are overlapped by the definitive fixation. Using an IRB approved protocol, medical records over nine years were queried to identify patients with distal radius fractures that had undergone initial EF and were later converted to ORIF. Charts were reviewed for demographic data, injury characteristics, operative details, time to conversion from EF to ORIF, assessment of whether the EF pin sites overlapped the definitive fixation, presence of infection after ORIF, complications, and occupational therapy measurements of range of motion and strength. In total, 16 patients were identified, only one of which developed an infection following conversion to ORIF. Fisher's exact testing showed that infection did not depend on open fracture, time to conversion of one week or less, presence of EF pin sites overlapping definitive fixation, fracture classification, high energy mechanism of injury, or concomitant injury to the DRUJ. Planned staged conversion from EF to ORIF for complex distal radius fractures does not appear to result in an increased rate of infection if conversion occurs early or if the EF pin sites are overlapped by definitive fixation. This treatment paradigm may be reasonable for treating complex distal radius fractures in damage control situations, when there is extensive soft tissue injury, or when appropriate personnel/hospital resources are not available for immediate internal fixation. IV, retrospective case series. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Overview of the Core Commitments Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McTighe Musil, Caryn

    2013-01-01

    This chapter provides an overview of the Core Commitments Initiative conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Core Commitments was intended to reinvigorate the conversation about personal and social responsibility within higher education, and served as the impetus for this "New Directions" volume.

  11. AFWL Standards for Scientific and Technical Reports.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-04-01

    Air Force Weapons Laboratory , Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, under...PROGRAM ELEMEN T PROJECT TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS Air Force Weapons Laboratory (SUR) Kirtland Air Force Base, NM 87117 62601F/99930000 I. CONTROLLING...OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12 REPORT DATE Air Force Weapons Laboratory (SUR) April 1980 Kirtland Air Force Base, NM 87117 13. NUMBER OF PAGES 72

  12. To amend the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act to allow the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe to determine blood quantum requirement for membership in that tribe.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Reyes, Silvestre [D-TX-16

    2010-07-21

    Senate - 12/09/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 683. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  13. The Classroom as Big Sur: Notes on the Liaison Between Evaluation and Professional Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sneeden, Ralph

    2013-01-01

    Bill Frisell's new album ("Big Sur") was heralded with a short documentary about its impulse and inception: Frisell's retreat to an isolated coastal ranch in Central California. In the video, he describes the influence of the place, the dramatic and evocative landscape, and how it ultimately became the subject and theme for the…

  14. Mining activities and arsenic in a Baja California Sur watershed

    Treesearch

    Alejandro Naranjo-Pulido; Alfredo Ortega-Rubio; Baudillo Acost-Vargas; Lia Rodriguez-Mendez; Marcos Acevedo-Beltran; Cerafina Arguelles-Mendez

    2000-01-01

    Mining is one of the most important sources of income for the Baja California Sur state. This state is the second most important area for mineral (gold, silver, copper) and non-mineral (salt) mining activities in the Mexican Republic. In the San Antonio-El Triunfo region, mineral-mining activities flourished during the 19th century. Tons of debris containing a high...

  15. Unlocking the potential of SnS2: Transition metal catalyzed utilization of reversible conversion and alloying reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Zhi Xiang; Wang, Ye; Liu, Bo; Kong, Dezhi; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Tupei; Yang, Hui Ying

    2017-01-01

    The alloying-dealloying reactions of SnS2 proceeds with the initial conversion reaction of SnS2 with lithium that produces Li2S. Unfortunately, due to the electrochemical inactivity of Li2S, the conversion reaction of SnS2 is irreversible, which significantly limit its potential applications in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a systematic understanding of transition metal molybdenum (Mo) as a catalyst in SnS2 anode is presented. It is found that Mo catalyst is able to efficiently promote the reversible conversion of Sn to SnS2. This leads to the utilization of both conversion and alloying reactions in SnS2 that greatly increases lithium storage capability of SnS2. Mo catalyst is introduced in the form of MoS2 grown directly onto self-assembled vertical SnS2 nanosheets that anchors on three-dimensional graphene (3DG) creating a hierarchal nanostructured named as SnS2/MoS2/3DG. The catalytic effect results in a significantly enhanced electrochemical properties of SnS2/MoS2/3DG; a high initial Coulombic efficiency (81.5%) and high discharge capacities of 960.5 and 495.6 mA h g-1 at current densities of 50 and 1000 mA g-1, respectively. Post cycling investigations using ex situ TEM and XPS analysis verifies the successful conversion reaction of SnS2 mediated by Mo. The successful integration of catalyst on alloying type metal sulfide anode creates a new avenue towards high energy density lithium anodes.

  16. Unlocking the potential of SnS2: Transition metal catalyzed utilization of reversible conversion and alloying reactions.

    PubMed

    Huang, Zhi Xiang; Wang, Ye; Liu, Bo; Kong, Dezhi; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Tupei; Yang, Hui Ying

    2017-01-19

    The alloying-dealloying reactions of SnS 2 proceeds with the initial conversion reaction of SnS 2 with lithium that produces Li 2 S. Unfortunately, due to the electrochemical inactivity of Li 2 S, the conversion reaction of SnS 2 is irreversible, which significantly limit its potential applications in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a systematic understanding of transition metal molybdenum (Mo) as a catalyst in SnS 2 anode is presented. It is found that Mo catalyst is able to efficiently promote the reversible conversion of Sn to SnS 2 . This leads to the utilization of both conversion and alloying reactions in SnS 2 that greatly increases lithium storage capability of SnS 2 . Mo catalyst is introduced in the form of MoS 2 grown directly onto self-assembled vertical SnS 2 nanosheets that anchors on three-dimensional graphene (3DG) creating a hierarchal nanostructured named as SnS 2 /MoS 2 /3DG. The catalytic effect results in a significantly enhanced electrochemical properties of SnS 2 /MoS 2 /3DG; a high initial Coulombic efficiency (81.5%) and high discharge capacities of 960.5 and 495.6 mA h g -1 at current densities of 50 and 1000 mA g -1 , respectively. Post cycling investigations using ex situ TEM and XPS analysis verifies the successful conversion reaction of SnS 2 mediated by Mo. The successful integration of catalyst on alloying type metal sulfide anode creates a new avenue towards high energy density lithium anodes.

  17. Structural changes in precipitates and cell model for the conversion of amorphous calcium phosphate to hydroxyapatite during the initial stage of precipitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zyman, Z.; Rokhmistrov, D.; Glushko, V.

    2012-08-01

    A new insight on the conversion of an amorphous calcium phosphate, ACP, to hydroxyapatite, HA, has been proposed. The ACP has been precipitated under appropriate conditions of the nitrous method (low concentrations of reactants, pH>10, 25 °С, fast mixing). The ACP to HA conversion has been found to commence immediately after the ACP precipitation. The conversion reveals itself in the first detected shift of the diffuse maximum from 29.5° 2θ (ACP) to about 32° 2θ (the position of principal peaks of HA) in the XRD patterns for the precipitates of 2 min-6 h lifetimes. The precipitates are biphasic mixtures of ACP and nanocrystalline HA, nHA, with increasing nHA/ACP ratio for longer lifetimes. Characteristics of the simulated XRD profiles calculated proceeding on such a picture are excellently confirmed by experimental results. At the end of the conversion, HA nanocrystals start growing. This follows from the appearance of broadened diffraction maxima, which gradually sharpen, along with the appearance and gradual increase of splitting of the initially featureless υ3 and υ4PO43- bands in the IR spectra of precipitates with their aging (after 6 h of the precipitation). Based on the detected structural and compositional peculiarities of ACP in the early stage of precipitation, a cell model for the HA crystallization has been proposed. Proceeding on the model, the principal data in this and earlier studies, considering the ACP to HA conversion as an internal rearrangement process in the ACP particles, has been reasonably explained.

  18. Cost effectiveness of converting to alternative motor vehicle fuels. A technical assistance study for the City of Longview

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

    McCoy, G.A.

    1983-11-18

    The City of Longview can obtain significant fuel savings benefits by converting a portion of their vehicle fleet to operate on either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquid petroleum gas (LPG) fuels. The conversion of 41 vehicles including police units, sedans, pickups, and light duty trucks to CNG use would offset approximately 47% of the city's 1982 gasoline consumption. The CNG conversion capital outlay of $115,000 would be recovered through fuel cost reductions. The Cascade Natural Gas Corporation sells natural gas under an interruptible tariff for $0.505 per therm, equivalent to slightly less than one gallon of gasoline. The citymore » currently purchases unleaded gasoline at $1.115 per gallon. A payback analysis indicates that 39.6 months are required for the CNG fuel savings benefits to offset the initial or first costs of the conversion. The conversion of fleet vehicles to liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or propane produces comparable savings in vehicle operating costs. The conversion of 59 vehicles including police units, pickup and one ton trucks, street sweepers, and five cubic yard dump trucks would cost approximately $59,900. The annual purchase of 107,000 gallons of propane would offset the consumption of 96,300 gallons of gasoline, or approximately 67% of the city's 1982 usage. Propane is currently retailing for $0.68 to $0.74 per gallon. A payback analysis indicates that 27.7 months are required for the fuel savings benefits to offset the initial LPG conversion costs.« less

  19. Extended turn construction and test question sequences in the conversations of three speakers with agrammatic aphasia

    PubMed Central

    Beckley, Firle; Best, Wendy; Johnson, Fiona; Edwards, Susan; Maxim, Jane

    2013-01-01

    The application of Conversation Analysis (CA) to the investigation of agrammatic aphasia reveals that utterances produced by speakers with agrammatism engaged in everyday conversation differ significantly from utterances produced in response to decontextualised assessment and therapy tasks. Early studies have demonstrated that speakers with agrammatism construct turns from sequences of nouns, adjectives, discourse markers and conjunctions, packaged by a distinct pattern of prosody. This article presents examples of turn construction methods deployed by three people with agrammatism as they take an extended turn, in order to recount a past event, initiate a discussion or have a disagreement. This is followed by examples of sequences occurring in the talk of two of these speakers that result in different, and more limited, turn construction opportunities, namely “test” questions asked in order to initiate a new topic of talk, despite the conversation partner knowing the answer. The contrast between extended turns and test question sequences illustrates the effect of interactional context on aphasic turn construction practices, and the potential of less than optimal sequences to mask turn construction skills. It is suggested that the interactional motivation for test question sequences in these data are to invite people with aphasia to contribute to conversation, rather than to practise saying words in an attempt to improve language skills. The idea that test question sequences may have their origins in early attempts to deal with acute aphasia, and the potential for conversation partnerships to become “stuck” in such interactional patterns after they may have outlived their usefulness, are discussed with a view to clinical implications. PMID:23848370

  20. Molecular assembly and subcellular distribution of ATP-sensitive potassium channel proteins in rat hearts.

    PubMed

    Kuniyasu, Akihiko; Kaneko, Kazuyoshi; Kawahara, Kohichi; Nakayama, Hitoshi

    2003-09-25

    Cardiac ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels are proposed to contribute to cardio-protection and ischemic preconditioning. Although mRNAs for all subunits of K(ATP) channels (Kir6.0 and sulfonylurea receptors SURs) were detected in hearts, subcellular localization of their proteins and the subunit combination are not well elucidated. We address these questions in rat hearts, using anti-peptide antibodies raised against each subunit. By immunoblot analysis, all of the subunits were detected in microsomal fractions including sarcolemmal membranes, while they were not detected in mitochondrial fractions at all. Immunoprecipitation and sucrose gradient sedimentation of the digitonin-solubilized microsomes indicated that Kir6.2 exclusively assembled with SUR2A. The molecular mass of the Kir6.2-SUR2A complex estimated by sucrose sedimentation was 1150 kDa, significantly larger than the calculated value for (Kir6.2)(4)-(SUR2A)(4), suggesting a potential formation of micellar complex with digitonin but no indication of hybrid channel formation under the conditions. These findings provide additional information on the structural and functional relationships of cardiac K(ATP) channel proteins involving subcellular localization and roles for cardioprotection and ischemic preconditioning.

  1. The Ne3LS Network, Québec's initiative to evaluate the impact and promote a responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Endo, Charles-Anica; Emond, Claude; Battista, Renaldo; Parizeau, Marie-Hélène; Beaudry, Catherine

    2011-07-01

    The spectacular progress made by nanosciences and nanotechnologies elicits as much hope and fear. Consequently, a great number of research and training initiatives on the ethical, environmental, economic, legal and social issues regarding nanotechnology development (Ne3LS) are emerging worldwide. In Québec, Canada, a Task Force was mandated by NanoQuébec to conceive a Ne3LS research and training strategy to assess those issues. This Task Force brought together experts from universities, governments or industry working in nanosciences and nanotechnologies or in Ne3LS. Their resulting action plan, made public in November 2006, contained several recommendations, including the creation of a knowledge network (Ne3LS Network). In the following years, after consulting with numerous key players concerned with the possible impacts of nanosciences and nanotechnologies in Québec, the Ne3LS Network was launched in January 2010 in partnership with the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies, the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture and the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, NanoQuébec, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail as well as the University of Montreal. Its objectives are to 1) Foster the development of Ne3LS research activities (grants and fellowships); 2) Spearhead the Canadian and international Ne3LS network; 3) Take part in the training of researchers and experts; 4) Encourage the creation of interactive tools for the general public; 5) Facilitate collaboration between decision-makers and experts; 6) Involve the scientific community through a host of activities (symposium, conferences, thematic events); 7) Build multidisciplinary research teams to evaluate the impact of nanotechnology.

  2. [The seaweed Sargassum (Sargassaceae) as tropical alternative for goats' feeding].

    PubMed

    Casas-Valdez, M; Hernández-Contreras, H; Marín-Alvarez, A; Aguila-Ramírez, R N; Hernández-Guerrero, C J; Sánchez-Rodríguez, I; Carrillo-Domínguez, S

    2006-03-01

    The seaweed Sargassum (Sargassaceae) as tropical alternative for goats' feeding. The nutritive value of seaweed (Sargassum spp.) was studied in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Twenty female Nubian goats (43-weeks old) were randomly distributed into two groups of 10 goats each and were housed in individual pens. One group was fed with a control diet and the other with a diet supplemented with 25% of Sargassum spp. Feed and water intake were recorded daily and individually for 60 days. The weight of each goat was recorded every 15 days. The nutritional content of Sargassum spp. was 89% dry mater, 8% crude protein, 31% ash, 2% ether extract, and 39% carbohydrates. Fiber fractions, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and antinutritional factors were also determined. There were no significant differences in body weight (8.6 kg control and 9 kg experimental), feed intake (1.3 kg control and 1.6 kg experimental), and feed conversion rate (11.1 control and 12.6 experimental). Water consumption was greater in the goats that ate the Sargassum diet (5.3 1). From these results, Sargassum spp. can be considered as an alternative feedstuff for goats.

  3. NATO Force Health Protection Requirements from Pre- to Post-Deployment: Population Health for the Military (Les besoins des forces de l’OTAN en matiere de soins de sante du pre-deploiement jusqu’au post-deploiement: la sante des populations militaires)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-12-01

    la dangerosité résultant d’un certain niveau d’exposition à un agent, ainsi que l’estimation des effets sur les populations après une exposition...grand que ce que peut accepter la société. 5) La phase de contrôle du risque se focalise sur les différentes mesures à prendre afin soit « de... les sections précédentes. Sur base de ce schéma, on peut envisager une stratégie globale de gestion des risques de santé au sein des Forces Armées

  4. [Expanded scalp flap in cicatricial areas affected by burns sequelae - an observation].

    PubMed

    El Mazouz, S; Hafidi, J; Fejjal, N; Mejjati, H; Cherkab, L; Gharib, N; Abbassi, A

    2010-03-31

    Les séquelles esthétiques des alopécies cicatricielles sur séquelles de brûlures sont responsables de préjudices empêchant parfois la réinsertion sociale du patient, surtout chez les sujets de sexe féminin. Le cuir chevelu permet la réalisation de lambeaux permettant de couvrir ces alopécies. Les Auteurs décrivent le cas d'une jeune patiente victime d'une alopécie cicatricielle sur séquelles de brûlures chez qui ils ont réalisé un lambeau expansé du cuir chevelu et mettent le point sur la prise en charge de ces lésions à travers ce cas clinique et une revue de littérature.

  5. Etude exploratoire des conceptions de la circulation sanguine aupres d'eleves de l'ordre collegial

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robitaille, Jean-Marc

    Il existe peu d'etudes sur les conceptions touchant les domaines de la biologie, notamment sur les conceptions de la circulation sanguine Nous avons observe egalement l'absence de recherche menee aupres d'eleves de l'ordre collegial sur cette question. Nous avons voulu combler une lacune en menant une recherche sur les conceptions de la circulation sanguine aupres d'eleves de l'ordre collegial. Pour mener cette recherche nous nous sommes inspires d'une methode developpee par Treagust (1988). Le premier niveau de formulation didactique etablit l'architecture du systeme et la fonction nutritive de la circulation. Le second niveau de formulation didactique decrit et relie les parametres de la dynamique de la circulation et leur relation: Pression, Debit et Resistance. Le troisieme niveau de formulation didactique s'interesse au controle de la circulation du sang dans un contexte d'homeostasie qui implique la regulation de la pression arterielle. Nous avons construit un questionnaire en nous guidant sur les niveaux de formulation didactique et l'analyse des entrevues menees aupres de dix-huit eleves, representatifs de la population cible. Ce questionnaire fut administre a un echantillon de 2300 eleves disperses dans six colleges de la region de Montreal. Notre echantillon comprend des eleves inscrits a des programmes de l'ordre collegial en Sciences de la nature et en Techniques de la sante et qui n'ont pas suivi le cours sur la circulation sanguine. Notre analyse des reponses des eleves de notre echantillon aux questions sur le premier niveau de formulation didactique revele que la majorite des eleves considerent que le systeme circulatoire relie les organes les uns aux autres dans un circuit en serie. Notre analyse revele egalement que la majorite des eleves estiment que les nutriments sont extraits du sang par les organes selon un processus de selection base sur les besoins determines par la fonction de l'organe. Ces besoins sont differents selon les organes qui ne prelevent que les nutriments necessaires. Au second niveau les reponses des eleves de la population indiquent une conception de la dynamique cardio-vasculaire axee d'abord sur le coeur, laissant aux vaisseaux un role passif de canaux. Ces reponses indiquent egalement que la dynamique circulatoire est reduite a une sequence d'etapes ponctuelles sans relation les unes avec les autres. Au troisieme niveau les reponses des eleves de la population font etat d'une conception du controle qui privilegie la satisfaction de besoins locaux, sans relation systemique. Nos resultats suggerent que les eleves de notre echantillon affichent une plus grande concordance avec l'expert pour les questions du premier niveau (70%) que pour les niveaux II (54%) et III (50%). Notre analyse des donnees revele que l'accord avec l'expert est eleve lorsque la questions touchent la description des structures et la definition de leurs roles et plus faible lorsque les questions touchent la dynamique et le controle. Il existerait donc un niveau de formulation qui correspond a la description de structures et un autre niveau qui recoupe toute la dynamique de la circulation et son controle. Du point de vue didactique lanalyse des donnees suggere que nous ne retrouvons pas une correspondance entre les niveaux de formulation didactique et les conceptions des eleves. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

  6. 24 CFR 972.206 - Required initial assessments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... designated for occupancy by the elderly and/or persons with disabilities (i.e., is not a general occupancy... the necessary conditions for voluntary conversion described § 972.224. (c) Documentation. A PHA must maintain documentation of the reasoning with respect to each required initial assessment. (d) Timing of...

  7. 24 CFR 972.206 - Required initial assessments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... designated for occupancy by the elderly and/or persons with disabilities (i.e., is not a general occupancy... the necessary conditions for voluntary conversion described § 972.224. (c) Documentation. A PHA must maintain documentation of the reasoning with respect to each required initial assessment. (d) Timing of...

  8. Facilitating advance care planning in community palliative care: conversation starters across the client journey.

    PubMed

    Blackford, Jeanine; Street, Annette F

    2013-03-01

    This paper describes the development of a tool for palliative care nurses to initiate and facilitate advance care planning (ACP) conversations in community palliative care practice. Seven community palliative care services located across Australia participated in a multi-site action research project. Data included participant observation, individual and focus group interviews with palliative care health professionals, and medical record audit. A directed content analysis used a pre-established palliative care practice framework of referral, admission, ongoing management, and terminal/discharge care. From this framework a Conversation Starter Tool for ACP was developed. The Tool was then used in orientation and continuing nurse education programmes. It provided palliative care nurses the opportunity to introduce and progress ACP conversations.

  9. Active media for up-conversion diode-pumped lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tkachuk, Alexandra M.

    1996-03-01

    In this work, we consider the different methods of populating the initial and final working levels of laser transitions in TR-doped crystals under the selective 'up-conversion' and 'avalanche' diode laser pumping. On the basis of estimates of the probabilities of competing non-radiative energy-transfer processes rates obtained from the experimental data and theoretical calculations, we estimated the efficiency of the up-conversion pumping and selfquenching of the upper TR3+ states excited by laser-diode emission. The effect of the host composition, dopant concentration, and temperature on the output characteristics and up-conversion processes in YLF:Er; BaY2F8:Er; BaY2F8:Er,Yb and BaY2F8:Yb,Ho are determined.

  10. High-Resolution Mapping of Two Types of Spontaneous Mitotic Gene Conversion Events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    PubMed Central

    Yim, Eunice; O’Connell, Karen E.; St. Charles, Jordan; Petes, Thomas D.

    2014-01-01

    Gene conversions and crossovers are related products of the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks by homologous recombination. Most previous studies of mitotic gene conversion events have been restricted to measuring conversion tracts that are <5 kb. Using a genetic assay in which the lengths of very long gene conversion tracts can be measured, we detected two types of conversions: those with a median size of ∼6 kb and those with a median size of >50 kb. The unusually long tracts are initiated at a naturally occurring recombination hotspot formed by two inverted Ty elements. We suggest that these long gene conversion events may be generated by a mechanism (break-induced replication or repair of a double-stranded DNA gap) different from the short conversion tracts that likely reflect heteroduplex formation followed by DNA mismatch repair. Both the short and long mitotic conversion tracts are considerably longer than those observed in meiosis. Since mitotic crossovers in a diploid can result in a heterozygous recessive deleterious mutation becoming homozygous, it has been suggested that the repair of DNA breaks by mitotic recombination involves gene conversion events that are unassociated with crossing over. In contrast to this prediction, we found that ∼40% of the conversion tracts are associated with crossovers. Spontaneous mitotic crossover events in yeast are frequent enough to be an important factor in genome evolution. PMID:24990991

  11. Effect of initiator concentration to low-density polyethylene production in a tubular reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azmi, A.; Aziz, N.

    2016-11-01

    Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is one of the most widely used polymers in the world, which is produced in high-capacity tubular and autoclave reactors. As the LDPE industry turn into more competitive and its market profit margins become tighter, manufacturers have to develop solutions to debottleneck the reactor output while abiding to the stringent product specification. A single polyolefin plant producing ten to forty grades of LDPE with various melt flow index (MFI), therefore understanding the reaction mechanism, the operating conditions as well as the dynamic behavior of tubular reactor is essential before any improvement can take place. In the present work, a steady state mathematical model representing a tubular reactor for the production of LDPE is simulated using MATLAB R2015a®. The model developed is a function of feed inlet, reactor jacket, single initiator injector and outlet stream. Analysis on the effect of initiator concentration (CI) shows sudden declining trend of initiator's concentration which indicates that all of the initiators are exhausted after polymerization reaction and no further reaction occur from this point onwards. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the concentration of initiator gives significant impact on reactor temperature's profile and monomer conversion rate, since higher initiator concentration promotes greater polymerization rate, and therefore leads to higher monomer conversion throughput.

  12. Understanding the initial irreversibility of metal sulfides for sodium-ion batteries via operando techniques

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Liguang; Wang, Jiajun; Guo, Fangmin; ...

    2018-11-13

    Transition metal sulfides are promising high capacity anodes for sodium-ion batteries in terms of the conversion reaction with multiple alkali metal ions. Nonetheless, some inherent challenges such as sluggish sodium ion diffusion kinetics, large volume change, and poor cycle stability limit their implementation. Addressing these issues necessitates a comprehensive understanding the complex sodium ion storage mechanism particularly at the initial cycle. Here, taking nickel subsulfide as a model material, we reveal the complicated conversion reaction mechanism upon the first cycle by combining in operando 2D transmission X-ray microscopy with X-ray absorption spectroscopy, ex-situ 3D nano-tomography, high-energy X-ray diffraction and electrochemicalmore » impedance spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that the microstructure evolution, inherent slow sodium ions diffusion kinetics, and slow ion mobility at the two-phase interface contribute to the high irreversible capacity upon the first cycle. Finally, such understandings are critical for developing the conversion reaction materials with the desired electrochemical activity and stability.« less

  13. Understanding the initial irreversibility of metal sulfides for sodium-ion batteries via operando techniques

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

    Wang, Liguang; Wang, Jiajun; Guo, Fangmin

    Transition metal sulfides are promising high capacity anodes for sodium-ion batteries in terms of the conversion reaction with multiple alkali metal ions. Nonetheless, some inherent challenges such as sluggish sodium ion diffusion kinetics, large volume change, and poor cycle stability limit their implementation. Addressing these issues necessitates a comprehensive understanding the complex sodium ion storage mechanism particularly at the initial cycle. Here, taking nickel subsulfide as a model material, we reveal the complicated conversion reaction mechanism upon the first cycle by combining in operando 2D transmission X-ray microscopy with X-ray absorption spectroscopy, ex-situ 3D nano-tomography, high-energy X-ray diffraction and electrochemicalmore » impedance spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that the microstructure evolution, inherent slow sodium ions diffusion kinetics, and slow ion mobility at the two-phase interface contribute to the high irreversible capacity upon the first cycle. Finally, such understandings are critical for developing the conversion reaction materials with the desired electrochemical activity and stability.« less

  14. Partial bisulfite conversion for unique template sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Vijay; Rosenbaum, Julie; Wang, Zihua; Forcier, Talitha; Ronemus, Michael; Wigler, Michael

    2018-01-01

    Abstract We introduce a new protocol, mutational sequencing or muSeq, which uses sodium bisulfite to randomly deaminate unmethylated cytosines at a fixed and tunable rate. The muSeq protocol marks each initial template molecule with a unique mutation signature that is present in every copy of the template, and in every fragmented copy of a copy. In the sequenced read data, this signature is observed as a unique pattern of C-to-T or G-to-A nucleotide conversions. Clustering reads with the same conversion pattern enables accurate count and long-range assembly of initial template molecules from short-read sequence data. We explore count and low-error sequencing by profiling 135 000 restriction fragments in a PstI representation, demonstrating that muSeq improves copy number inference and significantly reduces sporadic sequencer error. We explore long-range assembly in the context of cDNA, generating contiguous transcript clusters greater than 3,000 bp in length. The muSeq assemblies reveal transcriptional diversity not observable from short-read data alone. PMID:29161423

  15. Automatic conversational scene analysis in children with Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism and typically developing peers.

    PubMed

    Tavano, Alessandro; Pesarin, Anna; Murino, Vittorio; Cristani, Marco

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with Asperger syndrome/High Functioning Autism fail to spontaneously attribute mental states to the self and others, a life-long phenotypic characteristic known as mindblindness. We hypothesized that mindblindness would affect the dynamics of conversational interaction. Using generative models, in particular Gaussian mixture models and observed influence models, conversations were coded as interacting Markov processes, operating on novel speech/silence patterns, termed Steady Conversational Periods (SCPs). SCPs assume that whenever an agent's process changes state (e.g., from silence to speech), it causes a general transition of the entire conversational process, forcing inter-actant synchronization. SCPs fed into observed influence models, which captured the conversational dynamics of children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome/High Functioning Autism, and age-matched typically developing participants. Analyzing the parameters of the models by means of discriminative classifiers, the dialogs of patients were successfully distinguished from those of control participants. We conclude that meaning-free speech/silence sequences, reflecting inter-actant synchronization, at least partially encode typical and atypical conversational dynamics. This suggests a direct influence of theory of mind abilities onto basic speech initiative behavior.

  16. Cumulative Viral Load and Virologic Decay Patterns After Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Subjects Influence CD4 Recovery and AIDS

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-20

    Cohorte Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA EP 11 study. J Infect Dis 186: 710–714. 8. Hermankova M, Ray SC, Ruff C, Powell-Davis M, Ingersoll R, et...malignancy in HIV-infected patients during the combination antiretroviral therapy era: Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le Sida (ANRS) CO3 Aquitaine

  17. Wildfire and forest disease interaction lead to greater loss of soil nutrients and carbon

    Treesearch

    Richard C. Cobb; Ross K. Meentemeyer; David M. Rizzo

    2016-01-01

    Fire and forest disease have significant ecological impacts, but the interactions of these two disturbances are rarely studied. We measured soil C, N, Ca, P, and pH in forests of the Big Sur region of California impacted by the exotic pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, cause of sudden oak death, and the 2008 Basin wildfire complex. In Big Sur,...

  18. The Proposed Creation of University System in the Province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alviento, Severino G.

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to determine the level of acceptability of the proposed amalgamation of the three Public Higher Education Institutions in Ilocos Sur. It employed the descriptive method of research. The respondents of the study are the 3rd and 4th year AB Political Science and BSE major in Social Science students and the 4th year BEED students of…

  19. Santé sexuelle et reproductive des adolescentes de Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso: place de la communication parents-adolescentes pour la réduction des risques

    PubMed Central

    Some, Donmozoun Télesphore; Some, Der Adolphe; Hien, Hervé; Diallo, Ramata; Zingue, Dézémon; Diallo, Ibrahim; Diagbouga, Serge; Dao, Blami

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Les adolescentes sont très vulnérables face aux Infections Sexuellement Transmissibles (IST) et au VIH/SIDA. Notre étude a pour objectifs d’explorer la qualité de la communication entre les adolescentes et leurs parents sur les IST/VIH/SIDA et de recueillir leurs suggestions pour l’amélioration de cette communication. Méthodes L’étude était transversale qualitative sur 2 mois. La population de l’étude était composée par des adolescentes de 13 à 17 ans et leurs parents habitant la ville de Bobo Dioulasso. Vingt (20) adolescentes scolarisées ont été tirés au sort dans trois établissements secondaires et 20 autres non scolarisées choisies de façon accidentelle dans la ville. Les informations ont été collectées à l’aide de 8 focus groups. Les discussions ont été enregistrées sur cassettes, retranscrites en verbatim, et analysées à l’aide du logiciel QSR NVIVO 2.0. Résultats Les adolescentes et leurs parents communiquent très peu ou pas sur les questions des IST/VIH/SIDA; l’auto-information par les paires ou les médias est la première source d’information. Pour les parents, l’information existe et est accessible aux adolescentes alors que pour ces dernières, leurs connaissances de ces maladies sont parfois erronées. L’abstinence, la fidélité et le dépistage volontaire comme moyen de prévention sont très peu évoqués par les adolescentes de même que par leurs parents. Conclusion La communication parents-adolescentes est insuffisante voire absente dans certains milieux. Il est urgent de conduire des actions auprès des adolescentes et leurs parents pour mieux les informer sur les IST/VIH/SIDA et améliorer la communication sur ces maladies. PMID:22655099

  20. Violences conjugales à Antananarivo (Madagascar): un enjeu de santé publique

    PubMed Central

    Gastineau, Bénédicte; Gathier, Lucy

    2012-01-01

    Introduction La violence conjugale a été étudiée dans beaucoup de pays développés mais peu en Afrique subsaharienne. Madagascar est un pays où ce phénomène est peu documenté. Méthodes En 2007, une enquête sur la violence conjugale à Antananarivo (ELVICA) a été menée sur la violence conjugale envers les femmes dans la capitale malgache. ELVICA a interrogé 400 femmes en union, de 15 à 59 ans. Des informations sur les caractéristiques démographiques, socioéconomiques des couples ont été collectées ainsi que sur les actes de violences physiques des hommes sur leurs épouses. L’objectif de cet article est d’identifier les facteurs de risques de la violence conjugale grave, celle qui a des conséquences sur la santé physique des femmes. Résultats Trente-cinq pour cent des femmes qui ont déclaré avoir subi au moins une forme de violence physique au cours des 12 mois précédent l’enquête. Presque la moitié (46%) des femmes violentées ont déclaré avoir déjà eu des hématomes, et environ un quart (23%) des plaies avec saignement. Vingt-deux pour cent ont déjà dû consulter un médecin. Parmi les nombreuses variables socioéconomiques et démographiques testées, quelques-unes sont associées positivement au risque de violence conjugale grave: le fait pour une femme d’être en union consensuelle et d’avoir une activité professionnelle. Il y aussi un lien entre la violence subie et l’autonomie des femmes (liberté accordée par le mari de travailler, de circuler, de voir sa famille). Conclusion A Madagascar, comme ailleurs, la lutte contre les violences conjugales est un élément majeur de l’amélioration du statut et de la santé des femmes. PMID:22514757

  1. Prévention de la transmission mère-enfant du VIH/sida au Bénin: le consentement des femmes au dépistage est-il libre et éclairé ?

    PubMed Central

    Kêdoté, N.M.; Brousselle, A.; Champagne, F.; Laudy, D.

    2016-01-01

    Résumé Introduction Dans les politiques internationales et nationales sur le VIH/sida, le consentement libre et éclairé est reconnu comme une composante essentielle des programmes de dépistage. Le consentement libre et éclairé implique pour les femmes enceintes d’obtenir des informations sur le programme de prévention de la transmission du VIH de la mère à l’enfant (PTME), de les comprendre et de faire un choix autonome après avoir évalué les risques et avantages. Cependant, aucune évaluation du programme de PTME ne s’est intéressée au consentement. L’objectif de cet article est d’explorer le caractère libre et éclairé du consentement des femmes enceintes quant au dépistage et à leurs motivations à faire le test. Méthode Nous avons utilisé des données récoltées dans le cadre d’une analyse d’implantation du programme de PTME au Bénin. Cette analyse s’appuie sur un devis d’étude de cas multiples incluant six maternités choisies parmi les 56 sites fonctionnels. Spécifiquement pour l’analyse du consentement, nous avons associé les données provenant d’une enquête à celles d’une recherche qualitative. Résultats Hormis trois cas de dépistage à l’insu, le caractère volontaire du consentement au test est respecté sur les sites de PTME. Vingt-neuf cas de refus ont été identifiés. Les raisons les plus souvent évoquées par les femmes enceintes sont la peur du résultat positif et de ses conséquences sur la vie familiale dans 55,2 % des cas et l’attente de l’accord ou du désaccord du mari dans 27,6 % des cas. Si globalement le consentement a été volontaire sur tous les sites, son caractère éclairé est moins probant. PMID:27840660

  2. Guide de pratique clinique pour les lésions cérébrales traumatiques légères et les symptômes persistants

    PubMed Central

    Marshall, Shawn; Bayley, Mark; McCullagh, Scott; Velikonja, Diana; Berrigan, Lindsay

    2012-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Présenter les nouvelles lignes directrices sur la prise en charge des lésions cérébrales traumatiques légères (LCTL) et les symptômes persistants post-commotion (SPPC) afin de renseigner et d’orienter les médecins qui prennent en charge des patients qui se remettent d’une LCTL. Qualité des données On a effectué une recherche des guides de pratique clinique existants portant sur les LCTL et une synthèse critique des ouvrages scientifiques évaluant le traitement des SPPC. Étant donné la rareté des conseils sur la prise en charge des SPPC dans les travaux sur les lésions cérébrales traumatiques, une deuxième recherche documentaire a été faite pour recenser les guides de pratique clinique et les synthèses critiques concernant la prise en charge de ces symptômes communs dans la population en général. On a convoqué des professionnels de la santé provenant de différentes disciplines et régions du Canada et de l’étranger à une conférence consensuelle d’experts pour examiner les lignes directrices et les données probantes existantes et élaborer un guide complet pour la prise en charge des LCTL et des SPPC. Message principal À l’aide d’un processus Delphi modifié, on a produit 71 recommandations portant sur le diagnostic et la prise en charge des LCTL et des SPPC. De plus, on a inclus dans le guide de nombreuses ressources et des outils pour faciliter la mise en œuvre des recommandations. Conclusion Un guide de pratique clinique a été élaboré pour aider les professionnels de la santé à fournir des soins fondés sur les données probantes et les pratiques exemplaires à la population complexe de personnes qui ont des SPPC à la suite d’une LCTL.

  3. Evaluation de la formation des résidents en chirurgie générale et digestive en Tunisie

    PubMed Central

    Mahmoudi, Ammar; Noomen, Faouzi; Nasr, Mohamed; Zouari, Khadija; Hamdi, Abdelaziz

    2015-01-01

    Introduction De nombreux moyens sont mis à disposition des résidents en chirurgie générale et digestive pour assurer leur formation théorique et pratique. Cependant, le niveau d'utilisation de ces différents outils et leur impact sur la formation des résidents n'ont jamais été évalués. L'objectif de notre étude était d’étudier l’état des lieux des moyens de formation utilisés par les résidents pour évaluer leurs degrés de satisfaction et leurs propositions en vue d'améliorer leur formation. Méthodes Un questionnaire anonyme a été distribué aux résidents de chirurgie générale et digestive de l'année 2012-2013. Ce questionnaire portait sur les caractéristiques démographiques, les ressources pédagogiques, ainsi que le cursus médical et universitaire. Une évaluation de la formation ainsi qu'un recueil des propositions faites en vue d'améliorer leurs formations étaient réalisées. Résultats Cinquante résidents sur 83 ont répondu au questionnaire. L'orientation de carrière la plus fréquente était l'hospitalo-universitaire dans 70% des cas. La pratique quotidienne et l'internet étaient les deux ressources pédagogiques les plus utilisées. La formation chirurgicale était jugée satisfaisante par seulement 10% des répondants. Parmi l'ensemble des propositions faites, l'apprentissage sur simulateur chirurgical, l'existence d'un ouvrage national de référence, et l'institution d'un tutorat par un chirurgien senior recueillaient plus de 80% d'avis favorable. Conclusion La majorité des résidents jugent leur formation non satisfaisante. Une meilleure information sur les ressources déjà existantes, un renforcement du compagnonnage et un accès plus large à un apprentissage sur simulateur chirurgical permettraient de diminuer ce sentiment d'insatisfaction. PMID:26587174

  4. Préface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamieh, Tayssir

    2005-05-01

    Né simultanément à Mulhouse et à Beyrouth en 1996 dans le cadre d'une collaboraiion franco-libanaise sur une initiative personnelle de Monsieur Tayssir HAMIEH. le Colloque Franco-Libanais sur la Science des Matériaux (CSM), qui s'inscrit dans le cadre des relations étroites entre la France et le Liban, est très vite devenu une occasion très importante de rencontre entre scientifiques de haut niveau, non seulement, du contour méditerranéen mais également des pays européens, américains et arabes. La quatrieme édition CSM4 est une véritable réussite grâce à la participation des chercheurs confirmés dans tous les domaines des sciences de matériaux et venant de plusieurs pays tels que la France, I'Algérie, Le Liban, la Syrie, le Maroc, la Tunisie, l'Italie, l'Espagne, le Portugal, le Royaume Uni, les États-Unis, la Russie, l'Allemagne, le Japon et I'Inde ; pour présenter plus de 350 communications orales et par affiche et couvrant presque toutes les disciplines des systèmes des matériaux. Le choix des diffèrents thèmes du colloque sur la science des matériaux a été dicté par l'importance capitale de cette discipline dans notre civilisation moderne. En fait, les matériaux utilisés pour la fabrication artisanale ou industrielle d'objets, de produits et de systèmes ainsi que pour la réalisation de constructions et d'équipements ont de tout temps défini le niveau de notre civilisation technique. La réalisation des objectifs communs de notre monde en plein développement, pour ne pas dire en pleine mutation, est en grande partie tributaire de la mise au point de nouveaux matériaux et de procédés de transformation et d'assemblages nouveaux, présentant des performances et des qualités améliorées. Le colloque a illustré et traduit, de manière remarquables, l'excellente collaboration entre chercheurs libanais et français. Le partenariat est exemplaire par la qualité des laboratoires impliqués et par le niveau scientifique des résultats. Nous souhaitons que ce colloque franco-libanais sur la science des matériaux continue son succès implacable et incontournable et oeuvre pour une collaboration fructueuse entre les chercheurs des deux pays et les autres chercheurs des pays arabes et francophones. Coordinateur et Éditeur du Colloque Tayssir HAMIEH

  5. Attrition-enhanced sulfur capture by limestone particles in fluidized beds

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

    Saastamoinen, J.J.; Shimizu, T.

    2007-02-14

    Sulfur capture by limestone particles in fluidized beds is a well-established technology. The underlying chemical and physical phenomena of the process have been extensively studied and modeled. However, most of the studies have been focused on the relatively brief initial stage of the process, which extends from a few minutes to hours, yet the residence time of the particles in the boiler is much longer. Following the initial stage, a dense product layer will be formed on the particle surface, which decreases the rate of sulfur capture and the degree of utilization of the sorbent. Attrition can enhance sulfur capturemore » by removing this layer. A particle model for sulfur capture has been incorporated with an attrition model. After the initial stage, the rate of sulfur capture stabilizes, so that attrition removes the surface at the same rate as diffusion and chemical reaction produces new product in a thin surface layer of a particle. An analytical solution for the conversion of particles for this regime is presented. The solution includes the effects of the attrition rate, diffusion, chemical kinetics, pressure, and SO{sub 2} concentration, relative to conversion-dependent diffusivity and the rate of chemical reaction. The particle model results in models that describe the conversion of limestone in both fly ash and bottom ash. These are incorporated with the residence time (or reactor) models to calculate the average conversion of the limestone in fly ash and bottom ash, as well as the efficiency of sulfur capture. Data from a large-scale pressurized fluidized bed are compared with the model results.« less

  6. Post-Nissen Dysphagia and Bloating Syndrome: Outcomes After Conversion to Toupet Fundoplication.

    PubMed

    Schwameis, Katrin; Zehetner, Jörg; Rona, Kais; Crookes, Peter; Bildzukewicz, Nikolai; Oh, Daniel S; Ro, Geoffrey; Ross, Katherine; Sandhu, Kulmeet; Katkhouda, Namir; Hagen, Jeffrey A; Lipham, John C

    2017-03-01

    Protracted dysphagia and bloating are potential troublesome side effects following Nissen fundoplication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of conversion from Nissen to Toupet on dysphagia and bloating. The study used a retrospective chart review of all patients who had undergone conversion from Nissen to Toupet between 2001 and 2014. Endpoints were to determine the effect of conversion on dysphagia, bloating, and reflux control. Twenty-five patients underwent conversion at a median of 3.7 years (1.4-10.5) after initial fundoplication. Indications were dysphagia in 19 (76%) and bloating syndrome in 6 (24%) patients. The median operative time was 104 min (86-146). There were no serious complications or mortality. Median follow-up was 27 months (0.8-130). Dysphagia was relieved in 16 (84%) and bloating in all 6 patients. Two patients developed reflux requiring a redo-Nissen. Two patients had persistent dysphagia and required endoscopic dilation. The GERD-HRQL post-conversion showed a median score of 5 (3-13). Conversion relieved dysphagia in 84% and bloating in 100%. Significant recurrence of GERD was rare. Given the absence of serious complications, conversion should be considered in patients with severe bloating or dysphagia.

  7. Silicon Carbide Radioisotope Batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rybicki, George C.

    2005-01-01

    The substantial radiation resistance and large bandgap of SiC semiconductor materials makes them an attractive candidate for application in a high efficiency, long life radioisotope battery. To evaluate their potential in this application, simulated batteries were constructed using SiC diodes and the alpha particle emitter Americium Am-241 or the beta particle emitter Promethium Pm-147. The Am-241 based battery showed high initial power output and an initial conversion efficiency of approximately 16%, but the power output decayed 52% in 500 hours due to radiation damage. In contrast the Pm-147 based battery showed a similar power output level and an initial conversion efficiency of approximately 0.6%, but no degradation was observed in 500 hours. However, the Pm-147 battery required approximately 1000 times the particle fluence as the Am-242 battery to achieve a similar power output. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of battery and suggestions for future improvements will be discussed.

  8. Production of Renewable Natural Gas from Waste Biomass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Sachin; Suresh, S.; Arisutha, S.

    2013-03-01

    Biomass energy is expected to make a major contribution to the replacement of fossil fuels. Methane produced from biomass is referred to as bio-methane, green gas, bio-substitute natural gas or renewable natural gas (RNG) when it is used as a transport fuel. Research on upgrading of the cleaned producer gas to RNG is still ongoing. The present study deals with the conversion of woody biomass into fuels, RNG using gasifier. The various effects of parameters like temperature, pressure, and tar formation on conversion were also studied. The complete carbon conversion was observed at 480 °C and tar yield was significantly less. When biomass was gasified with and without catalyst at about 28 s residence time, ~75 % (w/w) and 88 % (w/w) carbon conversion for without and with catalyst was observed. The interest in RNG is growing; several initiatives to demonstrate the thermal-chemical conversion of biomass into methane and/or RNG are under development.

  9. R & D GTDS SST: Code Flowcharts and Input

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1995-01-01

    trajectory from a given set of initial conditions Typical output is in the form of a printer le of Cartesian coordinates and Keplerian orbital ... orbiting the Earth The input data specied for an EPHEM run are i Initial elements and epoch ii Orbit generator selection iii Conversion of osculating...discussed ELEMENT sets coordinate system reference central body and rst components of initial state ELEMENT sets the second

  10. Libraries as Facilitators of Coding for All

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Crystle

    2017-01-01

    Learning to code has been an increasingly frequent topic of conversation both in academic circles and popular media. Learning to code recently received renewed attention with the announcement of the White House's Computer Science for All initiative (Smith 2016). This initiative intends "to empower all American students from kindergarten…

  11. Developing appropriate methods for cost-effectiveness analysis of cluster randomized trials.

    PubMed

    Gomes, Manuel; Ng, Edmond S-W; Grieve, Richard; Nixon, Richard; Carpenter, James; Thompson, Simon G

    2012-01-01

    Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) may use data from cluster randomized trials (CRTs), where the unit of randomization is the cluster, not the individual. However, most studies use analytical methods that ignore clustering. This article compares alternative statistical methods for accommodating clustering in CEAs of CRTs. Our simulation study compared the performance of statistical methods for CEAs of CRTs with 2 treatment arms. The study considered a method that ignored clustering--seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) without a robust standard error (SE)--and 4 methods that recognized clustering--SUR and generalized estimating equations (GEEs), both with robust SE, a "2-stage" nonparametric bootstrap (TSB) with shrinkage correction, and a multilevel model (MLM). The base case assumed CRTs with moderate numbers of balanced clusters (20 per arm) and normally distributed costs. Other scenarios included CRTs with few clusters, imbalanced cluster sizes, and skewed costs. Performance was reported as bias, root mean squared error (rMSE), and confidence interval (CI) coverage for estimating incremental net benefits (INBs). We also compared the methods in a case study. Each method reported low levels of bias. Without the robust SE, SUR gave poor CI coverage (base case: 0.89 v. nominal level: 0.95). The MLM and TSB performed well in each scenario (CI coverage, 0.92-0.95). With few clusters, the GEE and SUR (with robust SE) had coverage below 0.90. In the case study, the mean INBs were similar across all methods, but ignoring clustering underestimated statistical uncertainty and the value of further research. MLMs and the TSB are appropriate analytical methods for CEAs of CRTs with the characteristics described. SUR and GEE are not recommended for studies with few clusters.

  12. Influence des macles sur le courant critique de transport selon c et sur la ligne d'irréversibilité dans les plans ab étudiée dans des échantillons monodomaines texturés d'YBaCuO

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanfilippo, S.; Sulpice, A.; Bourgault, D.; Villard, C.; Gautier-Picard, P.; Chaud, X.; Beaugnon, E.; Tournier, R.

    1998-02-01

    Direct transport measurements at 77 K of the critical current density along the c-axis (J_c) and magnetic measurements are performed on the same bulk textured single domain YBaCuO samples with the longest dimension along the c-axis. A strong influence of the Twin Planes (TP) on J_c and on the ab-plane irreversibility line B(T^*) is reported when the field is rotated in the ab-planes perpendicularly to the c-axis. The different unusual behaviors observed for J_c and the B(T^*), depending on the range of temperature and field are explained by the strong influence of these extended correlated defects on the pinning of the flux lines. La densité de courant critique selon l'axe c (J_c) est mesurée à 77 K en transport et par des mesures magnétiques sur les mêmes échantillons texturés monodomaines d'YBaCuO. L'influence des plans de macles (TP) sur J_c et sur la ligne d'irréversibilité B(T^*) est étudiée en faisant tourner le champ dans les plans ab, perpendiculairement à l'axe c. Les résultats montrent que dans ces composés, J_c et B(T^*) sont fortement influencés par le piégeage par les TP. Divers comportements des lignes de flux résultant de l'influence de ces défauts corrélés sont proposés selon les gammes de température et de champ étudiées.

  13. Developing Appropriate Methods for Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Cluster Randomized Trials

    PubMed Central

    Gomes, Manuel; Ng, Edmond S.-W.; Nixon, Richard; Carpenter, James; Thompson, Simon G.

    2012-01-01

    Aim. Cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) may use data from cluster randomized trials (CRTs), where the unit of randomization is the cluster, not the individual. However, most studies use analytical methods that ignore clustering. This article compares alternative statistical methods for accommodating clustering in CEAs of CRTs. Methods. Our simulation study compared the performance of statistical methods for CEAs of CRTs with 2 treatment arms. The study considered a method that ignored clustering—seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) without a robust standard error (SE)—and 4 methods that recognized clustering—SUR and generalized estimating equations (GEEs), both with robust SE, a “2-stage” nonparametric bootstrap (TSB) with shrinkage correction, and a multilevel model (MLM). The base case assumed CRTs with moderate numbers of balanced clusters (20 per arm) and normally distributed costs. Other scenarios included CRTs with few clusters, imbalanced cluster sizes, and skewed costs. Performance was reported as bias, root mean squared error (rMSE), and confidence interval (CI) coverage for estimating incremental net benefits (INBs). We also compared the methods in a case study. Results. Each method reported low levels of bias. Without the robust SE, SUR gave poor CI coverage (base case: 0.89 v. nominal level: 0.95). The MLM and TSB performed well in each scenario (CI coverage, 0.92–0.95). With few clusters, the GEE and SUR (with robust SE) had coverage below 0.90. In the case study, the mean INBs were similar across all methods, but ignoring clustering underestimated statistical uncertainty and the value of further research. Conclusions. MLMs and the TSB are appropriate analytical methods for CEAs of CRTs with the characteristics described. SUR and GEE are not recommended for studies with few clusters. PMID:22016450

  14. Utility of combinations of biomarkers, cognitive markers, and risk factors to predict conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease in patients in the Alzheimer's disease neuroimaging initiative.

    PubMed

    Gomar, Jesus J; Bobes-Bascaran, Maria T; Conejero-Goldberg, Concepcion; Davies, Peter; Goldberg, Terry E

    2011-09-01

    Biomarkers have become increasingly important in understanding neurodegenerative processes associated with Alzheimer disease. Markers include regional brain volumes, cerebrospinal fluid measures of pathological Aβ1-42 and total tau, cognitive measures, and individual risk factors. To determine the discriminative utility of different classes of biomarkers and cognitive markers by examining their ability to predict a change in diagnostic status from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease. Longitudinal study. We analyzed the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database to study patients with mild cognitive impairment who converted to Alzheimer disease (n = 116) and those who did not convert (n = 204) within a 2-year period. We determined the predictive utility of 25 variables from all classes of markers, biomarkers, and risk factors in a series of logistic regression models and effect size analyses. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative public database. Primary outcome measures were odds ratios, pseudo- R(2)s, and effect sizes. In comprehensive stepwise logistic regression models that thus included variables from all classes of markers, the following baseline variables predicted conversion within a 2-year period: 2 measures of delayed verbal memory and middle temporal lobe cortical thickness. In an effect size analysis that examined rates of decline, change scores for biomarkers were modest for 2 years, but a change in an everyday functional activities measure (Functional Assessment Questionnaire) was considerably larger. Decline in scores on the Functional Assessment Questionnaire and Trail Making Test, part B, accounted for approximately 50% of the predictive variance in conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer disease. Cognitive markers at baseline were more robust predictors of conversion than most biomarkers. Longitudinal analyses suggested that conversion appeared to be driven less by changes in the neurobiologic trajectory of the disease than by a sharp decline in functional ability and, to a lesser extent, by declines in executive function.

  15. Une masse palpébrale révélant une fistule carotidocaverneuse

    PubMed Central

    Oulali, Noureddine; Moufid, Fayçal; Khoulali, Mohammed; Sekhsoukh, Rachid; Housni, Brahim; Ghailan, Mohamed Rachid

    2012-01-01

    Les auteurs rapportent une observation particulière, chez un homme de 48 ans ayant dans ces antécédents un traumatisme crânio-faciale grave il y'a dix ans, qui présente depuis huit mois une masse palpébrale droite, avec une discrète exophtalmie et hémorragie sous conjonctivale, l'angio IRM a permis de confirmer le diagnostique d'une fistule carotidocaverneuse à haut débit, qui est responsable de cette symptomatologie. L'objectif de cet article est de mettre la lumière sur cette pathologie rare, en insistant sur les particularités cliniques de présentation d'une part, et sur le plan thérapeutique d'autre part, en exposant l'intérêt de la radiologie interventionnelle. PMID:23330040

  16. Grossesses extra utérines successives et bilharziose tubaire chez une touriste française

    PubMed Central

    Laroche, Justine; Mottet, Nicolas; Malincenco, Marianna; Gay, Catherine; Royer, Pierre Yves; Riethmuller, Didier

    2016-01-01

    La bilharziose est la seconde endémie parasitaire mondiale et ses atteintes génito urinaires sont bien décrites. Les grossesses ectopiques (GEU) sur obstruction tubaire par les œufs de bilharziose sont rapportées dans les populations africaines. La bilharziose affecte aussi les voyageurs mais l'atteinte de l'appareil génital féminin est plus rare. Nous rapportons un cas exceptionnel de deux GEU successives sur bilharziose tubaire chez une patiente d'origine Française, sept ans après un voyage touristique au Mali, la première découverte sur pièce de salpingectomie et la seconde ayant nécessité une salpingotomie controlatérale avec une injection de méthotrexate, deux mois plus tard. PMID:27200124

  17. Observation de l'interaction entre atome et surface en cellule de vapeur submicrométrique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dutier, G.; Saltiel, S.; Bloch, D.; Ducloy, M.; Papoyan, A.; Sarkisyan, D.

    2002-06-01

    Sur une cellule de vapeur d'épaisseur submicrométrique ( 300 nm), les spectres d'absorption linéaire se révèlent très peu sensibles à l'effet Doppler (les effets transitoires favorisent fortement les atomes lents), et font apparaître les effets de l'interaction van der Waals à longue portée entre atome-surface. L'étude, entreprise d'abord sur la raie de résonance D1 de Cs, est poursuivie sur une transition à deux photons vers le niveau Cs 6(D{3/2}) résonnant avec la surface de YAG de la fenêtre. Elle ouvre diverses perspectives, notamment la détection d'états liés par un puits de potentiel induit par la surface.

  18. Potential of glyburide to reduce intracerebral edema in brain metastases.

    PubMed

    Boggs, Drexell Hunter; Simard, J Marc; Steven, Andrew; Mehta, Minesh P

    2014-04-01

    Metastatic disease to the brain results in significant morbidity because of edema in the central nervous system. Current anti-edema therapies are either expensive or result in unwanted long-term side effects. Sulfonylurea receptor 1 (Sur1) is a transmembrane protein that, when activated in the central nervous system, allows for unregulated sodium influx into cells, a process that has been linked to cytotoxic edema formation in ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and, most recently, brain metastases. In this focused review, we explore preclinical data linking Sur1 channel formation to development of edema and reference evidence suggesting that the antidiabetic sulfonylurea drug glyburide (a Sur1 inhibitor) is an inexpensive and well-tolerated agent that can be clinically tested to reduce or prevent malignancy and/or treatment-associated edema.

  19. Detection and monitoring of shear crack growth using S-P conversion of seismic waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Modiriasari, A.; Bobet, A.; Pyrak-Nolte, L. J.

    2017-12-01

    A diagnostic method for monitoring shear crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence in rock is key for the detection of major rupture events, such as slip along a fault. Active ultrasonic monitoring was used in this study to determine the precursory signatures to shear crack initiation in pre-cracked rock. Prismatic specimens of Indiana limestone (203x2101x638x1 mm) with two pre-existing parallel flaws were subjected to uniaxial compression. The flaws were cut through the thickness of the specimen using a scroll saw. The length of the flaws was 19.05 mm and had an inclination angle with respect to the loading direction of 30o. Shear wave transducers were placed on each side of the specimen, with polarization parallel to the loading direction. The shear waves, given the geometry of the flaws, were normally incident to the shear crack forming between the two flaws during loading. Shear crack initiation and propagation was detected on the specimen surface using digital image correlation (DIC), while initiation inside the rock was monitored by measuring full waveforms of the transmitted and reflected shear (S) waves across the specimen. Prior to the detection of a shear crack on the specimen surface using DIC, transmitted S waves were converted to compressional (P) waves. The emergence of converted S-P wave occurs because of the presence of oriented microcracks inside the rock. The microcracks coalesce and form the shear crack observed on the specimen surface. Up to crack coalescence, the amplitude of the converted waves increased with shear crack propagation. However, the amplitude of the transmitted shear waves between the two flaws did not change with shear crack initiation and propagation. This is in agreement with the conversion of elastic waves (P- to S-wave or S- to P-wave) observed by Nakagawa et al., (2000) for normal incident waves. Elastic wave conversions are attributed to the formation of an array of oriented microcracks that dilate under shear stress, which causes energy partitioning into P, S, and P-to-S or S-to-P waves. This finding provides a diagnostic method for detecting shear crack initiation and growth using seismic wave conversions. Acknowledgments: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation, Geomechanics and Geotechnical Systems Program (award No. CMMI-1162082).

  20. Actes des journees de linguistique: Colloque sur la recherche etudiante (Proceedings of the Linguistics Conference: Colloquium on Student Research) (Quebec, Canada, March 18-19, 1988).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lepage, Danielle, Ed.; Dominik, Annette, Ed.

    Presentations by students at a colloquium on student research on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the University of Laval's Faculty of Letters, March 18-19, 1988, include: "Une enquete sur la qualite du francais ecrit au Quebec"; "Amenagement linguistique et neologie"; "Analyse syntaxique des 'arrets et retours' en…

  1. Tranel, Numero Special. Actes du 2eme colloque regional de linguistique, Neuchatel 2-3 Oct. 1986 (Tranel, Special Number. Proceedings of the Second Regional Linguistics Colloquium, Neuchatel, Switzerland, October 2-3, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neuchatel Univ. (Switzerland).

    This publication presents 20 conference papers in French and German on aspects of linguistic research. Papers include: "Objectivite et subjectivite dans la connaissance du langage" (Mahmoudian); "Focalisation et antifocus"(Bearth); "Remarques sur la notion d''etymologie populaire'"(Chambon); "Sur la construction serielle en malgache"; (Fugier)…

  2. A Methodology for Benchmarking Relational Database Machines,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    user benchmarks is to compare the multiple users to the best-case performance The data for each query classification coll and the performance...called a benchmark. The term benchmark originates from the markers used by sur - veyors in establishing common reference points for their measure...formatted databases. In order to further simplify the problem, we restrict our study to those DBMs which support the relational model. A sur - vey

  3. Inhibitory effect of protopine on K(ATP) channel subunits expressed in HEK-293 cells.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Bo; Cao, Kun; Wang, Rui

    2004-12-15

    Protopine is an isoquinoline alkaloid purified from Corydalis tubers and other families of medicinal plants. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of protopine on K(ATP) channels and big conductance (BKCa) channels. Protopine concentration-dependently inhibited K(ATP) channel currents in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293) which were cotransfected with Kir6.1 and sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) subunits, but not that with Kir6.1 cDNA transfection alone. At 25 muM, protopine reversibly decreased Kir6.1/SUR1 currents densities from -17.4+/-3 to -13.2+/-2.4 pA/pF at -60 mV (n=5, P<0.05). The heterologously expressed mSlo-encoded BK(Ca) channel currents in HEK-293 cells were not affected by protopine (25 muM), although iberiotoxin (100 nM) significantly inhibited the expressed BK(Ca) currents (n=5, P<0.05). In summary, protopine selectively inhibited K(ATP) channels by targeting on SUR1 subunit. This discovery may help design specific agents to selectively modulate the function of Kir6.1/SUR1 channel complex and facilitate the understanding of the structure-function relationship of specific subtype of K(ATP) channels.

  4. Seafloor geology of the Monterey Bay area continental shelf

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eittreim, S.L.; Anima, R.J.; Stevenson, A.J.

    2002-01-01

    Acoustic swath-mapping of the greater Monterey Bay area continental shelf from Point An??o Nuevo to Point Sur reveals complex patterns of rock outcrops on the shelf, and coarse-sand bodies that occur in distinct depressions on the inner and mid-shelves. Most of the rock outcrops are erosional cuestas of dipping Tertiary rocks that make up the bedrock of the surrounding lands. A mid-shelf mud belt of Holocene sediment buries the Tertiary rocks in a continuous, 6-km-wide zone on the northern Monterey Bay shelf. Rock exposures occur on the inner shelf, near tectonically uplifting highlands, and on the outer shelf, beyond the reach of the mud depositing on the mid-shelf since the Holocene sea-level rise. The sediment-starved shelf off the Monterey Peninsula and south to Point Sur has a very thin cover of Holocene sediment, and bedrock outcrops occur across the whole shelf, with Salinian granite outcrops surrounding the Monterey Peninsula. Coarse-sand deposits occur both bounded within low-relief rippled scour depressions, and in broad sheets in areas like the Sur Platform where fine sediment sources are limited. The greatest concentrations of coarse-sand deposits occur on the southern Monterey Bay shelf and the Sur shelf. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Formation of the Light Infantry.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-03-21

    for light infantry force. Using the conversion of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division as the focal point, the critical issues that effected that...7th Infantry Division-as the focal point, the critical issues that effected that conversion are discussed. Personnel issues addressed consider the...Fort Ord one day and leaving for Fort Benning the next were not uncommon. This slow formation also impacted on the effectiveness of the initial

  6. Li2S/Carbon Nanocomposite Strips from a Low-Temperature Conversion of Li2SO4 as High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Cathodes

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

    Ye, Fangmin; Noh, Hyungjun; Lee, Jin Hong

    2018-03-12

    Carbothermal conversion of Li2SO4 provides a cost-effective strategy to fabricate high-capacity Li2S cathodes, however, Li2S cathodes derived from Li2SO4 at high temperatures (> 800 oC), having high crystallinity and large crystal size, result in a low utilization of Li2S. Here, we report a Li2SO4/poly(vinyl alcohol)-derived Li2S/Carbon nanocomposite (Li2S@C) strips at a record low temperature of 635 oC. These Li2S@C nanocomposite strips as a cathode shows a low initial activation potential (2.63 V), a high initial discharge capacity (805 mAh g-1 Li2S) and a high cycling stability (0.2 C and 1 C). These improvedresults could be ascribed to the nano-sized Li2Smore » particles as well as their low crystallinity due to the PVA-induced carbon network and the low conversion temperature, respectively. An XPS analysis reveals that the C=C and C=O bonds derived from the carbonization of PVA can promote the conversion of Li2SO4 at the low temperature.« less

  7. Conversion to everolimus in kidney transplant recipients with decreased renal function.

    PubMed

    Inza, A; Balda, S; Alvarez, E; Zárraga, S; Gaínza, F J; Lampreabe, I

    2009-01-01

    Whenever graft function is good and proteinuria is under control, many reports describe the efficacy and safety of the conversion to Everolimus (EVL) among stable kidney recepients, simultaneously withdrawing the calcineurin inhibitor (CNI). However, there are few publications that evaluate the role of EVL in patients with decreased renal function. We describe our experience with 22 stable renal transplant recipients whose serum creatinine concentrations were >2 mg/dL and proteinuria <1000 mg/24 h who underwent an abrupt switch from a CNI to EVL. Conversion was simple, well-tolerated, and safe using an initial dose of 1-3 mg/d that was sufficient to achieve the recommended levels of 3-8 ng/dL. The adverse events were expected; most of them were of medium intensity. Globally, over the 24 months follow-up, there was improved renal function despite the initial creatinine. The improvement was greater when the switch was performed during the first year after transplantation. Two patients lost their grafts after a dramatic evolution with development of nephrotic syndrome and increasing creatinine. In our experience, conversion to EVL is a safe alternative among patients with chronic allograft nephropathy or nephrotoxicity due to CNI, even in patients with significantly decreased renal function at the time of the switch.

  8. Photo Degradation of Methyl Orange by Persulfate Activated with Zero Valent Iron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munkoeva, V. A.; Sizykh, M. R.; Batoeva, A. A.

    2017-11-01

    The oxidative degradation of Methyl Orange (MO) subjected to direct photolysis (Solar) and various oxidative systems was studied. The comparative experiments have shown that MO conversion and mineralization increases in the following order: Solar ∼ Solar/Fe0 ∼ Solar/S2O82- < S2O82-/Fe0 < Solar/S2O82-/Fe0. The influence of the main factors (duration of exposure, the ratio of initial concentrations of MO:S2O82-:Fe0, pH and temperature of the reaction medium) on the degree of MO conversion and mineralization was studied. The optimal pH and temperature of the reaction medium were 5.8 and 25°C, respectively. The rate of MO decomposition and mineralization increased proportionally to the initial concentration of the oxidant at the molar ratios [S2O82-] :[MO] ≤ 12. Judging by the nature of the kinetic curves, a further increase of this ratio is impractical. However, an increase in the oxidant concentration had a positive effect on the degrees of conversion and mineralization of total organic carbon (TOC). Thus, at the ratios of 12:1 and 48:1, the conversion efficiency of TOC was 23 and 60 %, respectively. The optimal concentration of Fe0 was 100 mg/l.

  9. Prise en charge des hypertendus dans la ville de Cotonou (Bénin) en 2011: connaissances attitudes et pratiques des médecins généralistes

    PubMed Central

    Houenassi, Martin Dèdonougbo; David, Dokoui; Codjo, Léopold Houétondji; Attinsounon, Angelo Cossi; Alassani, Adebayo; Ahoui, Séraphin; Dovonou, Albert Comlan; Adoukonou, Thierry Armel; Dohou, Serge Hugues Mahougnon; Wanvoegbe, Armand; Agbodande, Anthelme

    2016-01-01

    Summary But: Ce travail vise à évaluer les connaissances, attitudes et pratiques des médecins généralistes sur la prise en charge de l’hypertension artérielle à Cotonou. Méthodes: L’étude était transversale et descriptive basée sur une enquête multicentrique du 1er Mai 2011 au 31 Juillet 2011. Un recrutement de tous les médecins généralistes, volontaires exerçant dans les centres de santé privés, publics et confessionnels de la ville de Cotonou, ayant autorisé l’étude, a été fait. Le 7ème rapport de Joint National Committee (JNC7) a été utilisé comme référentiel pour l’évaluation de la prise en charge des hypertendus. Un auto-questionnaire adressé aux généralistes, testé et validé, a été utilisé pour recueillir ces données. Résultats: Au total, 41 médecins généralistes dans huit établissements sanitaires ont été inclus. Près de la moitié des généralistes (48.8%) ne connaissaient pas la définition de l’HTA. Seulement 25 généralistes (61.0%) pouvaient décrire les conditions de mesure de la pression artérielle. Dix généralistes (24.4%) étaient incapables de lister la moitié des examens du bilan minimum de l’hypertension artérielle (HTA). La majorité (92.7%) ne connaissait pas la notion de risque cardiovasculaire global. L’objectif tensionnel (TA ≤ 140/90 mmHg) n’était connu que par 18 (43.9%) médecins. Les mesures hygiéno-diététiques seules (82.9%) et la monothérapie seule (70.7%) étaient les modalités thérapeutiques les plus prescrites. Les classes pharmacologiques antihypertensives prescrites étaient surtout les inhibiteurs calciques (82.9%), les inhibiteurs de l’enzyme de conversion (53.7%) et les diurétiques (36.6%). Les généralistes référaient les hypertendus aux cardiologues principalement pour non-maitrise du chiffres tensionnels (63,4%) et l’apparition de complications aigues (56.1%). Conclusion: Les connaissances des généralistes sur la prise en charge de l’HTA étaient insuffisantes et leurs attitudes et pratiques ne respectaient pas les recommandations internationales. PMID:27841915

  10. Neuropsychological tests for predicting cognitive decline in older adults

    PubMed Central

    Baerresen, Kimberly M; Miller, Karen J; Hanson, Eric R; Miller, Justin S; Dye, Richelin V; Hartman, Richard E; Vermeersch, David; Small, Gary W

    2015-01-01

    Summary Aim To determine neuropsychological tests likely to predict cognitive decline. Methods A sample of nonconverters (n = 106) was compared with those who declined in cognitive status (n = 24). Significant univariate logistic regression prediction models were used to create multivariate logistic regression models to predict decline based on initial neuropsychological testing. Results Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (RCFT) Retention predicted conversion to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) while baseline Buschke Delay predicted conversion to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Due to group sample size differences, additional analyses were conducted using a subsample of demographically matched nonconverters. Analyses indicated RCFT Retention predicted conversion to MCI and AD, and Buschke Delay predicted conversion to AD. Conclusion Results suggest RCFT Retention and Buschke Delay may be useful in predicting cognitive decline. PMID:26107318

  11. A new-generation of Bacillus subtilis cell factory for further elevated scyllo-inositol production.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Kosei; Natsume, Ayane; Ishikawa, Shu; Takenaka, Shinji; Yoshida, Ken-Ichi

    2017-04-21

    A stereoisomer of inositol, scyllo-inositol (SI), has been regarded as a promising therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease. However, this compound is relatively rare, whereas another stereoisomer of inositol, myo-inositol (MI) is abundant in nature. Bacillus subtilis 168 has the ability to metabolize inositol stereoisomers, including MI and SI. Previously, we reported a B. subtilis cell factory with modified inositol metabolism that converts MI into SI in the culture medium. The strain was constructed by deleting all genes related to inositol metabolism and overexpressing key enzymes, IolG and IolW. By using this strain, 10 g/l of MI initially included in the medium was completely converted into SI within 48 h of cultivation in a rich medium containing 2% (w/v) Bacto soytone. When the initial concentration of MI was increased to 50 g/l, conversion was limited to 15.1 g/l of SI. Therefore, overexpression systems of IolT and PntAB, the main transporter of MI in B. subtilis and the membrane-integral nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase in Escherichia coli respectively, were additionally introduced into the B. subtilis cell factory, but the conversion efficiency hardly improved. We systematically determined the amount of Bacto soytone necessary for ultimate conversion, which was 4% (w/v). As a result, the conversion of SI reached to 27.6 g/l within 48 h of cultivation. The B. subtilis cell factory was improved to yield a SI production rate of 27.6 g/l/48 h by simultaneous overexpression of IolT and PntAB, and by addition of 4% (w/v) Bacto soytone in the conversion medium. The concentration of SI was increased even in the stationary phase perhaps due to nutrients in the Bacto soytone that contribute to the conversion process. Thus, MI conversion to SI may be further optimized via identification and control of these unknown nutrients.

  12. Japanese mothers’ utterances about agents and actions during joint picture-book reading

    PubMed Central

    Murase, Toshiki

    2013-01-01

    This study extended the research on the scaffolding provided by mothers while reading picture books with their children from a focus on conversational styles related to labeling to a focus on those related to agents and actions to clarify the process by which language develops from the one-word to the syntactic stage. We clarified whether mothers decreased the degree of scaffolding in their initiation of conversations, in the responses to their children’s utterances, and in the choice of referential ranges of their utterances. We also investigated whether maternal conversational styles contributed to the development of their children’s vocabularies. Eighteen pairs of Japanese mothers and their children were longitudinally observed when the children were 20 and 27 months of age. The pairs were given a picture book depicting 24 animals engaged in everyday behavior. The mothers shifted their approach in the initiation of conversation from providing to requesting information as a function of their children’s age. The proportion of maternal elaborative information-seeking responses was positively correlated with the size of their children’s productive vocabulary. In terms of referential choices, mothers broadened the range of their references as their children aged. In terms of the contribution of maternal conversational styles to children’s vocabulary development, the use of a maternal elaborative information-seeking style when the children were 20 months of age predicted the size of the children’s productive vocabulary at 27 months. These results indicate that mothers decrease the degree of scaffolding by introducing more complex information into the conversations and transferring the role of actively producing information to their children by requesting information as their children develop. The results also indicate that these conversational styles promote the development of children’s vocabularies during the transition from the one-word to the syntactic stage. PMID:24847288

  13. What's Worth Talking about? Meaning-Making in Toddler-Initiated Co-Narratives in Preschool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odegaard, Elin Eriksen

    2006-01-01

    To elaborate narratives, toddlers are dependent on adult co-construction. Both children and teachers make meaning and learn together. This article examines what themes toddlers introduce in mealtime conversations in preschool. The object of analysis is 39 toddler-initiated co-narratives constructed by toddlers and teachers in 15 videotaped meals…

  14. Why Do We Need Future Ready Librarians? That Kid.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Mark

    2018-01-01

    In this article, the author examines the need of the Future Ready Librarians (FRL) initiative. The FRL Framework helps define how librarians might lead, teach, and support schools based on the core research-based components defined by Future Ready. The framework and initiative are intended to be ways to change the conversation about school…

  15. The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate: The Case of Mathematics. Carnegie Essays on the Doctorate: Mathematics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bass, Hyman

    The Carnegie Foundation commissioned a collection of essays as part of the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID). Essays and essayists represent six disciplines that are part of the CID: chemistry, education, English, history, mathematics, and neuroscience. Intended to engender conversation about the conceptual foundation of doctoral…

  16. Turn Openings in Academic Talk: Where Goals and Roles Intersect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evison, Jane

    2013-01-01

    This study uses Corpus Linguistic (CL) techniques to explore multiple turn openings in conjunction with comparative measures of turn-initial priming (the proportion of occurrences of a form that are turn-initial). Using a benchmark corpus of casual conversation as a point of comparison, six frequent items which have a particularly strong affinity…

  17. Caught in the Act: How Extraverted and Introverted Friends Communally Cope with Being Recorded.

    PubMed

    Thorne, Avril; Shapiro, Lauren; Cardilla, Kim; Korobov, Neill; Nelson, Paul A

    2009-08-01

    This study explored how close friends who were similar or opposite on extraversion communally coped with being put on the spot to produce a recorded conversation. Participants were 50 pairs of same-sex college-age friends (54% female) who explicitly discussed the fact that their conversation was being recorded. The initial 'on-stage' episode emerged consistently earliest for extraverted dyads, and the majority of their episodes quickly diverted the on-stage moment. Dyads that included at least one introvert engaged in more extensive assortments of on-stage maneuvers, including research talk, soothing, and joking. In introvert-extravert dyads the extravert usually initiated and ended these episodes. Implications are discussed for understanding how personality is reciprocally implicated in managing shared everyday problems.

  18. Geoffrey Burbidge : L'art de la critique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonnet-Bidaud, J. M.

    1997-06-01

    Avec pres de cinquante ans de carriere derriere lui, Geoffrey Burbidge n'a rien perdu de son gout du débat et de la controverse. Mondialement reconnu pour ses travaux sur les quasars, il en agace aujourd'hui plus d'un en venant deranger le bel ordonnancement de la cosmologie. Il porte sur le monde scientifique un regard tres critique, condamnant notamment ces chercheurs qui acceptent trop volontiers d'emprunter les chemins tout traces.

  19. The Location of Stress in Clothing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-12-01

    BUTON STATEMEN A Akppwood ttx public wlesE LI. Dlabuutiof Unlimite~d : DEFENCE RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT OTTAWA REPORT 911 December 1984 Canadgi Ottawa 85 5...Protective Sciences Division * IV a., .4 DEFENCE RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT OTTAWA , REPORT 011 : - PCN December 1984 ", . 14B0M Ottawa - ’,o , , .; • -,,..- ’ t...seams. RESUME Cet exposi porte sur les r~sultats deune 6tude ayant pour but de * diterminer quelles positions imposent les plus grandes contraintes sur

  20. Advanced Non-Intrusive Instrumentation for Propulsion Engines

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-05-01

    pratique courante dans le secteur du developpement comme dans l’industrie. L’accent a ete mis sur le souhait de maintenir cette situation, et les...differentes installations de l’Alliance et autres, en vue de leur amelioration avant de proposer des applications plus larges dans les secteurs de...dans ’ une cellule statique oil les parametres P et T sont facilement mesurables, des mesures des trois parametres ont ete realisees sur un jet

  1. Dynamic Positioning at Sea Using the Global Positioning System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-06-01

    the Global Positioning System (GPS) acquired in Phase II of the Seafloor Benchmark Experiment on R/V Point Sur in August 1986. CPS position...data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) acquired in Phase 11 of the Seafloor Benchmark Experiment on R,:V Point Sur in August 1986. GPS position...The Seafloor Benchmark Experiment, a project of the Hydrographic Sciences Group of the Oceanography Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS

  2. Photo series for quantifying forest fuels in Mexico: montane subtropical forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and temperate forests and montane shrubland of the northern Sierra Madre Oriental

    Treesearch

    Jorge E. Morfin-Rios; Ernesto Alvarado-Celestino; Enrique J. Jardel-Pelaez; Robert E. Vihnanek; David K. Wright; Jose M. Michel-Fuentes; Clinton S. Wright; Roger D. Ottmar; David V. Sandberg; Andres Najera-Diaz

    2008-01-01

    Single wide-angle and stereo photographs display a range of forest ecosystems conditions and fuel loadings in montane subtropical forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and temperate forests and montane shrubland of the northern Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. Each group of photographs includes inventory information summarizing overstory vegetation composition and...

  3. Camille Flammarion's observatory: towards a revival

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morel, P.; Pecker, J. C.; Flammarion, A.; Fuentes, P.; Stépanoff, C. A.; Sol, R.; Dufour, G.; Chaufour, R.; Goury-Laffont, J.

    2011-06-01

    Camille Flammarion's observatory, located in Juvisy-sur-Orge in the suburbs of Paris, has been idle since 1962. Property of the Société Astronomique de France (SAF), it was made available to the city of Juvisy-sur-Orge since 1971, and contains a unique collection of objects and books currently being sorted out. The observatory is being restored by the SAF, thanks to the support of the city of Juvisy-sur-Orge, the French Académie des Sciences and the ``Amis de Camille Flammarion'' association. In 2006, the Maxime Goury Laffont foundation funded the refurbishment of the 240 mm refractor and in 2007 funds were obtained to restore the dome and central building. The main aim of the project is to make this historical place a popular observatory dedicated to astronomy and the sciences which Camille Flammarion enjoyed and contributed to. It constitutes a unique example in France of synergies linking associations, municipality, regional- and national-level institutions.

  4. Adolescence et pornographie sur la toile

    PubMed Central

    Haza, Marion

    2012-01-01

    Dans cet article, nous abordons la question de l’accès à la pornographie sur Internet par les adolescents. Nous déclinons plusieurs facettes de ces rencontres: la rencontre «fortuite», quand les adolescents sont confrontés à des images intempestives, des publicités ou spams avec des contenus pornographiques; la rencontre «spectatrice», quand les adolescents cherchent activement des vidéos ou photos mettant en scène la sexualité; et enfin la rencontre «actrice», quand les adolescents se mettent en scène eux-mêmes, seuls ou à plusieurs, de façon pornographique sur le Net. A partir d’exemple, nous réfléchissons aux enjeux de ces rencontres virtuelles précoces de la sexualité adulte par rapport au développement adolescent et à la représentation de leur propre sexualité en construction. PMID:22876261

  5. Les enjuex éthiques entourant la recherche en santé sur les enfants

    PubMed Central

    2008-01-01

    RÉSUMÉ La recherche en santé est un devoir moral parce qu’elle est la base des soins probants prodigués par tous les dispensateurs de soins. Des politiques et des règlements précis régissent la tenue des recherches sur des humains. Il faut procéder à une évaluation éthique d’un projet de recherche donné avant de pouvoir l’entreprendre. La recherche sur les enfants pose d’énormes défis en matière de consentement éclairé et d’assentiment, de vulnérabilité et de potentiel de conflit d’intérêts (CDI). Les chercheurs en santé pédiatrique devraient prôner la participation des enfants à la recherche, tout en se montrant attentifs à en limiter les risques.

  6. Replica Fourier Tansforms on Ultrametric Trees, and Block-Diagonalizing Multi-Replica Matrices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Dominicis, C.; Carlucci, D. M.; Temesvári, T.

    1997-01-01

    The analysis of objects living on ultrametric trees, in particular the block-diagonalization of 4-replica matrices M^{α β;γ^δ}, is shown to be dramatically simplified through the introduction of properly chosen operations on those objects. These are the Replica Fourier Transforms on ultrametric trees. Those transformations are defined and used in the present work. On montre que l'analyse d'objets vivant sur un arbre ultramétrique, en particulier, la diagonalisation par blocs d'une matrice M^{α β;γ^δ} dépendant de 4-répliques, se simplifie de façon dramatique si l'on introduit les opérations appropriées sur ces objets. Ce sont les Transformées de Fourier de Répliques sur un arbre ultramétrique. Ces transformations sont définies et utilisées dans le présent travail.

  7. A new species of Rhadinella (Serpentes: Colubridae) from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico.

    PubMed

    Campillo, Gustavo; Dávila-Galavíz, Luis Fernando; Flores-Villela, Oscar; Campbell, Jonathan A

    2016-04-12

    We describe a new species of Rhadinella from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico, a region where the genus was previously unknown. This diminutive species is a member of a group of snakes previously allocated in the Rhadinaea godmani group, and more recently transferred to the genus Rhadinella. These snakes may have conspicuous dark longitudinal striping on a pale brown to orange background or may have dark brown to blackish dorsal ground coloration, which mostly or completely obfuscates a pattern of longitudinal striping. The new species is mostly dark with barely discernible slightly paler or darker striping (depending on how striping is interpreted). The closest relative of the new species, on the basis of morphological similarities and biogeography, appears to be Rhadinella donaji which occurs to the east in the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca about 275 km from the type-locality of the new species.

  8. Effet de la teneur en carbone sur la resistance du CA6NM a la propagation des fissures de fatigue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akhiate, Aziz

    L'amelioration des performances des roues de turbines hydrauliques a fait l'objet de plusieurs etudes. Dans ce memoire, on s'est interesse a l'effet de la teneur en carbone du materiau de base de type CA6NM des aubes de turbines sur la microstructure et les proprietes mecaniques en general et en particulier sur le comportement en fatigue propagation. De maniere a bien atteindre cet objectif, on a choisi trois differentes nuances d'acier a faible 0.018% C, moyenne 0.033% C et elevee 0.067% C teneurs en carbone. Le 0.018% C et 0.067% C ont ete fabriques par le meme facturier et ils ont subi des traitements thermiques differents. De meme, le 0.033% C a subi des traitements thermiques differents des deux autres apres avoir ete coule par un autre fabricant. Afin d'effacer l'historique des traitements thermiques prealablement effectues et d'avoir la meme taille de grains parents austenitiques (GPA), on a austenitise les trois nuances d'acier a la meme temperature 1040°C, a differentes periodes suivant la teneur en carbone. Apres avoir homogeneise la GPA, on a entame le revenu. Le carbone a une influence sur la microstructure revenue notamment la quantite d'austenite de reversion ainsi que sur sa stabilite thermique et mecanique. Pour mettre en evidence l'effet de la teneur en carbone, on a trouve raisonnable d'isoler les effets relies a la temperature de revenu, en particulier la formation d'austenite de reversion. En effet, on a choisi deux temperatures de revenu. La premiere temperature est a 550°C pendant 2h imposee aux trois materiaux afin d'avoir une microstructure sans austenite de reversion. La deuxieme temperature choisie est a 610°C pour avoir un maximum et une identique quantite d'austenite de reversion sans presence de martensite fraiche. A la lumiere de ces deux microstructures, nous pouvons etablir une relation entre les proprietes mecaniques du CA6NM et la teneur en carbone, ainsi qu'entre les effets de la presence ou non d'austenite de reversion sur les proprietes mecaniques. Les resultats montrent que l'effet de la teneur en carbone est plus significatif sur les proprietes mecaniques monotones de traction et de resilience des alliages sans austenite de reversion. En effet, la limite d'elasticite, la resistance a la traction et la durete augmentent avec la teneur en carbone par contre l'allongement diminue. D'autre part, l'augmentation de la temperature et de la duree de revenu diminuent leur durete.

  9. Automatic Conversational Scene Analysis in Children with Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism and Typically Developing Peers

    PubMed Central

    Tavano, Alessandro; Pesarin, Anna; Murino, Vittorio; Cristani, Marco

    2014-01-01

    Individuals with Asperger syndrome/High Functioning Autism fail to spontaneously attribute mental states to the self and others, a life-long phenotypic characteristic known as mindblindness. We hypothesized that mindblindness would affect the dynamics of conversational interaction. Using generative models, in particular Gaussian mixture models and observed influence models, conversations were coded as interacting Markov processes, operating on novel speech/silence patterns, termed Steady Conversational Periods (SCPs). SCPs assume that whenever an agent's process changes state (e.g., from silence to speech), it causes a general transition of the entire conversational process, forcing inter-actant synchronization. SCPs fed into observed influence models, which captured the conversational dynamics of children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome/High Functioning Autism, and age-matched typically developing participants. Analyzing the parameters of the models by means of discriminative classifiers, the dialogs of patients were successfully distinguished from those of control participants. We conclude that meaning-free speech/silence sequences, reflecting inter-actant synchronization, at least partially encode typical and atypical conversational dynamics. This suggests a direct influence of theory of mind abilities onto basic speech initiative behavior. PMID:24489674

  10. What is the risk of developing pigmentary glaucoma from pigment dispersion syndrome?

    PubMed

    Siddiqui, Yasmin; Ten Hulzen, Richard D; Cameron, J Douglas; Hodge, David O; Johnson, Douglas H

    2003-06-01

    To determine the probability of converting from pigment dispersion syndrome to pigmentary glaucoma. Retrospective community-based study of all newly diagnosed cases of pigment dispersion syndrome or pigmentary glaucoma. Subjects were patients newly diagnosed with pigment dispersion syndrome or pigmentary glaucoma from 1976 to 1999 in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Criteria for pigment dispersion syndrome were two of three signs: midperipheral, radial iris transillumination defects; Krukenberg spindle; heavy trabecular meshwork pigmentation. Criteria for pigmentary glaucoma were pigment dispersion syndrome and two of three findings: intraocular pressure (IOP) greater than 21 mm, optic nerve damage, or visual field loss. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to determine the probability of conversion to pigmentary glaucoma. A total of 113 patients were newly diagnosed with pigment dispersion syndrome over the 24-year period. Of these, 9 persons developed pigmentary glaucoma or elevated IOP requiring therapy. The probability of converting to pigmentary glaucoma was 10% at 5 years and 15% at 15 years. An additional 23 patients were found to have pigmentary glaucoma at their initial examination. The mean age at diagnosis of pigmentary glaucoma was 42 +/- 12 years; 78% of patients were male, whereas 58% of patients with pigmentary dispersion syndrome glaucoma were male. The most significant risk factor for conversion to pigmentary glaucoma was an IOP greater than 21 mm Hg at initial examination, whereas age, refractive error, and family history of glaucoma were not correlated with conversion. The risk of developing pigmentary glaucoma from pigment dispersion syndrome was 10% at 5 years and 15% at 15 years. Young, myopic men were most likely to have pigmentary glaucoma. An IOP greater than 21 mm Hg at initial examination was associated with an increased risk of conversion.

  11. Intermediate Fidelity Closed Brayton Cycle Power Conversion Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lavelle, Thomas M.; Khandelwal, Suresh; Owen, Albert K.

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the implementation of an intermediate fidelity model of a closed Brayton Cycle power conversion system (Closed Cycle System Simulation). The simulation is developed within the Numerical Propulsion Simulation System architecture using component elements from earlier models. Of particular interest, and power, is the ability of this new simulation system to initiate a more detailed analysis of compressor and turbine components automatically and to incorporate the overall results into the general system simulation.

  12. Mechanism of nuclear spin initiated para-H2 to ortho-H2 conversion.

    PubMed

    Buntkowsky, G; Walaszek, B; Adamczyk, A; Xu, Y; Limbach, H-H; Chaudret, B

    2006-04-28

    In this paper a quantitative explanation for a diamagnetic ortho/para H2 conversion is given. The description is based on the quantum-mechanical density matrix formalism originally developed by Alexander and Binsch for studies of exchange processes in NMR spectra. Only the nuclear spin system is treated quantum-mechanically. Employing the model of a three spin system, the reactions of the hydrogen gas with the catalysts are treated as a phenomenological rate process, described by a rate constant. Numerical calculations reveal that for nearly all possible geometrical arrangements of the three spin system an efficient spin conversion is obtained. Only in the chemically improbable case of a linear group H-X-H no spin conversion is obtained. The efficiency of the spin conversion depends strongly on the lifetime of the H-X-H complex and on the presence of exchange interactions between the two hydrogens. Even moderate exchange couplings cause a quench of the spin conversion. Thus a sufficiently strong binding of the dihydrogen to the S spin is necessary to render the quenching by the exchange interaction ineffective.

  13. Does communication partner training improve the conversation skills of speech-language pathology students when interacting with people with aphasia?

    PubMed

    Finch, Emma; Cameron, Ashley; Fleming, Jennifer; Lethlean, Jennifer; Hudson, Kyla; McPhail, Steven

    2017-07-01

    Aphasia is a common consequence of stroke. Despite receiving specialised training in communication, speech-language pathology students may lack confidence when communicating with People with Aphasia (PWA). This paper reports data from secondary outcome measures from a randomised controlled trial. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of communication partner training on the communication skills of speech-language pathology students during conversations with PWA. Thirty-eight speech-language pathology students were randomly allocated to trained and untrained groups. The first group received a lecture about communication strategies for communicating with PWA then participated in a conversation with PWA (Trained group), while the second group of students participated in a conversation with the PWA without receiving the lecture (Untrained group). The conversations between the groups were analysed according to the Measure of skill in Supported Conversation (MSC) scales, Measure of Participation in Conversation (MPC) scales, types of strategies used in conversation, and the occurrence and repair of conversation breakdowns. The trained group received significantly higher MSC Revealing Competence scores, used significantly more props, and introduced significantly more new ideas into the conversation than the untrained group. The trained group also used more gesture and writing to facilitate the conversation, however, the difference was not significant. There was no significant difference between the groups according to MSC Acknowledging Competence scores, MPC Interaction or Transaction scores, or in the number of interruptions, minor or major conversation breakdowns, or in the success of strategies initiated to repair the conversation breakdowns. Speech-language pathology students may benefit from participation in communication partner training programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. L’euthanasie de convenance des animaux de compagnie : portrait du dilemme au sein de la profession vétérinaire québécoise

    PubMed Central

    Rathwell-Deault, Dominick; Godard, Béatrice; Frank, Diane; Ravel, André; Doizé, Béatrice

    2017-01-01

    Résumé L’euthanasie de convenance des animaux de compagnie représente un dilemme auquel sont confrontés les vétérinaires travaillant dans le domaine des animaux de compagnie au Québec. De par leur formation comme professionnels de la santé, les vétérinaires sont formés pour soigner les animaux qui leur sont présentés. Il est donc facile d’envisager que le fait d’euthanasier des animaux sains provoque un dilemme moral au sein de la profession. Les balises réglementaires entourant cette pratique se concentrent sur la méthode employée, mais ne sont pas impératives sur la légitimité des circonstances qui devraient entourer les demandes d’euthanasie. À ce jour peu d’écrits sur le sujet au sein de la littérature sont disponibles et la voix des vétérinaires y est peu décrite. Cet article présente les résultats obtenus suite à une étude menée auprès des vétérinaires québécois. Pour ce faire, un sondage en ligne a été effectué et portait sur la vision des vétérinaires concernant l’euthanasie de convenance, sur les conséquences découlant de cet acte et sur les pistes de solutions envisageables par la profession pour améliorer la situation de l’euthanasie de convenance. Les données recueillies ont permis de mettre de l’avant la dualité d’allégeance à laquelle les vétérinaires doivent faire face dans ce dilemme. D’une part, les vétérinaires reconnaissent que l’euthanasie de convenance va à l’encontre du bien-être animal et d’autre part ils reconnaissent qu’ils doivent respecter le droit décisionnel du propriétaire de se départir de son animal en demandant son euthanasie. PMID:28878419

  15. Modulation of Excitability of Stellate Neurons in the Ventral Cochlear Nucleus of Mice by ATP-Sensitive Potassium Channels.

    PubMed

    Bal, Ramazan; Ozturk, Gurkan; Etem, Ebru Onalan; Him, Aydin; Cengiz, Nurattin; Kuloglu, Tuncay; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Yildirim, Caner; Tektemur, Ahmet

    2018-02-01

    Major voltage-activated ionic channels of stellate cells in the ventral part of cochlear nucleus (CN) were largely characterized previously. However, it is not known if these cells are equipped with other ion channels apart from the voltage-sensitive ones. In the current study, it was aimed to study subunit composition and function of ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K ATP ) in stellate cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus. Subunits of K ATP channels, Kir6.1, Kir6.2, SUR1, and SUR2, were expressed at the mRNA level and at the protein level in the mouse VCN tissue. The specific and clearly visible bands for all subunits but that for Kir6.1 were seen in Western blot. Using immunohistochemical staining technique, stellate cells were strongly labeled with SUR1 and Kir6.2 antibodies and moderately labeled with SUR2 antibody, whereas the labeling signals for Kir6.1 were too weak. In patch clamp recordings, K ATP agonists including cromakalim (50 µM), diazoxide (0.2 mM), 3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ) (1 mM), 2,2-Dithiobis (5-nitro pyridine) (DTNP) (330 µM), 6-Chloro-3-isopropylamino- 4H-thieno[3,2-e]-1,2,4-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (NNC 55-0118) (1 µM), 6-chloro-3-(methylcyclopropyl)amino-4H-thieno[3,2-e]-1,2,4-thiadiazine 1,1-dioxide (NN414) (1 µM), and H 2 O 2 (0.88 mM) induced marked responses in stellate cells, characterized by membrane hyperpolarization which were blocked by K ATP antagonists. Blockers of K ATP channels, glibenclamide (0.2 mM), tolbutamide (0.1 mM) as well as 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (1 mM), and catalase (500 IU/ml) caused depolarization of stellate cells, increasing spontaneous action potential firing. In conclusion, K ATP channels seemed to be composed dominantly of Kir 6.2 subunit and SUR1 and SUR2 and activation or inhibition of K ATP channels regulates firing properties of stellate cells by means of influencing resting membrane potential and input resistance.

  16. Physicians Asking Patients About Guns: Promoting Patient Safety, Respecting Patient Rights.

    PubMed

    Parent, Brendan

    2016-10-01

    Recent debate on whether physicians should discuss gun ownership with their patients has centered on determining whether gun injuries are an issue of health or safety, and on protecting patient privacy. Yet, physicians' duties span personal health, public health, and safety spheres, and they often must address private patient matters. To prioritize gun safety and reduce gun injuries, the primary policy-driving question should be: will physician counseling on gun ownership effectively reduce gun-related injuries without interfering with the physician's other treatment obligations or compromising the physician-patient relationship? Existing data on physician-initiated conversations with patients about guns support a positive prevention effect. However, it is critical that physician-initiated discussions of safe gun practices are not motivated by, nor convey, disapproval of gun ownership. To be ethical, respectful, and efficient, the conversation should be standard between primary care providers and all of their patients (not limited to patient subsets); questions and education should be limited to topics of gun-ownership risks and storage practices; and the conversation must be framed without bias against gun ownership.

  17. Desired Change in Couples: Gender Differences and Effects on Communication

    PubMed Central

    Heyman, Richard E.; Hunt, Ashley N.; Malik, Jill; Smith Slep, Amy M.

    2009-01-01

    Using a sample (N = 453) drawn from a representative sampling frame of couples who are married or living together and have a 3–7 year old child, this study investigates (a) the amount and specific areas of change desired by men and women, (b) the relation between relationship adjustment and desired change; and (c) the ways in which partners negotiate change. On the Areas of Change Questionnaire, women, compared with men, wanted greater increases in their partners’ emotional and companionate behaviors, instrumental support, and parenting involvement; men wanted greater increases in sex. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny, 1996, both men’s and women’s relationship adjustment predicted desired change (i.e., actor effects), over and above the effects of their partners’ adjustment (i.e., partner effects); partner effects were not significant. Each couple was also observed discussing the man’s and the woman’s top desired change area. Both men and women behaved more positively during the partner-initiated conversations than during their own-initiated conversations. Women, compared with men, were more negative in their own and in their partners’ conversations. PMID:19685983

  18. Partial bisulfite conversion for unique template sequencing.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Vijay; Rosenbaum, Julie; Wang, Zihua; Forcier, Talitha; Ronemus, Michael; Wigler, Michael; Levy, Dan

    2018-01-25

    We introduce a new protocol, mutational sequencing or muSeq, which uses sodium bisulfite to randomly deaminate unmethylated cytosines at a fixed and tunable rate. The muSeq protocol marks each initial template molecule with a unique mutation signature that is present in every copy of the template, and in every fragmented copy of a copy. In the sequenced read data, this signature is observed as a unique pattern of C-to-T or G-to-A nucleotide conversions. Clustering reads with the same conversion pattern enables accurate count and long-range assembly of initial template molecules from short-read sequence data. We explore count and low-error sequencing by profiling 135 000 restriction fragments in a PstI representation, demonstrating that muSeq improves copy number inference and significantly reduces sporadic sequencer error. We explore long-range assembly in the context of cDNA, generating contiguous transcript clusters greater than 3,000 bp in length. The muSeq assemblies reveal transcriptional diversity not observable from short-read data alone. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  19. Aberrant supplementary motor complex and limbic activity during motor preparation in motor conversion disorder.

    PubMed

    Voon, Valerie; Brezing, Christina; Gallea, Cecile; Hallett, Mark

    2011-11-01

    Conversion disorder (CD) is characterized by unexplained neurological symptoms presumed related to psychological issues. The main hypotheses to explain conversion paralysis, characterized by a lack of movement, include impairments in either motor intention or disruption of motor execution, and further, that hyperactive self-monitoring, limbic processing or top-down regulation from higher order frontal regions may interfere with motor execution. We have recently shown that CD with positive abnormal or excessive motor symptoms was associated with greater amygdala activity to arousing stimuli along with greater functional connectivity between the amygdala and supplementary motor area. Here we studied patients with such symptoms focusing on motor initiation. Subjects performed either an internally or externally generated 2-button action selection task in a functional MRI study. Eleven CD patients without major depression and 11 age- and gender-matched normal volunteers were assessed. During both internally and externally generated movement, conversion disorder patients relative to normal volunteers had lower left supplementary motor area (SMA) (implicated in motor initiation) and higher right amygdala, left anterior insula, and bilateral posterior cingulate activity (implicated in assigning emotional salience). These findings were confirmed in a subgroup analysis of patients with tremor symptoms. During internally versus externally generated action in CD patients, the left SMA had lower functional connectivity with bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. We propose a theory in which previously mapped conversion motor representations may in an arousing context hijack the voluntary action selection system, which is both hypoactive and functionally disconnected from prefrontal top-down regulation. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

  20. Evaluation of Low Temperature CO Removal Catalysts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Monje, Oscar

    2015-01-01

    CO removal from spacecraft gas streams was evaluated for three commercial, low temperature oxidation catalysts: Carulite 300, Sofnocat 423, and Hamilton Sundstrand Pt1. The catalysts were challenged with CO concentrations (1-100 ppm) under dry and wet (50% humidity) conditions using 2-3 % O2. CO removal and CO2 concentration were measured at constant feed composition using a FTIR. Water vapor affected the CO conversion of each catalyst differently. An initial screening found that Caulite 300 could not operate in humid conditions. The presence of water vapor affected CO conversion of Sofnocat 423 for challenge concentrations below 40 ppm. The conversion of CO by Sofnocat 423 was 80% at CO concentrations greater than 40 ppm under both dry and moist conditions. The HS Pt1 catalyst exhibited CO conversion levels of 100% under both dry and moist conditions.

  1. Problematic topic transitions in dysarthric conversation.

    PubMed

    Bloch, Steven; Saldert, Charlotta; Ferm, Ulrika

    2015-01-01

    This study examined the nature of topic transition problems associated with acquired progressive dysarthric speech in the everyday conversation of people with motor neurone disease. Using conversation analytic methods, a video collection of five naturally occurring problematic topic transitions was identified, transcribed and analysed. These were extracted from a main collection of over 200 other-initiated repair sequences and a sub-set of 15 problematic topic transition sequences. The sequences were analysed with reference to how the participants both identified and resolved the problems. Analysis revealed that topic transition by people with dysarthria can prove problematic. Conversation partners may find transitions problematic not only because of speech intelligibility but also because of a sequential disjuncture between the dysarthric speech turn and whatever topic has come prior. In addition the treatment of problematic topic transition as a complaint reveals the potential vulnerability of people with dysarthria to judgements of competence. These findings have implications for how dysarthria is conceptualized and how specific actions in conversation, such as topic transition, might be suitable targets for clinical intervention.

  2. Do First Language Writing and Second Language Reading Equal Second Language Reading Comprehension? An Assessment Dilemma

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-01-01

    protectorat sur le Maroc et la Tunisie), A l’Afrique occidentale et A I’Afrique 4quatoriale plac4es sous I’autorit4 de gouverneurs,A l’Indochine...coloniale 2 de la France. 1 En 1914, 3 1 influence frangaise 3 S’Atend A l’Afrique du Nord 4 (d~partements alg~riens, 1 protectorat sur le Maroc 1 et la

  3. Littoral Infrared Ship Self Defence Technology Studies (Autodefense cotiere infrarouge des navires etudes technologiques)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    de simulation du Simulateur de Contre- mesures de la Menace Navale afin de pouvoir inclure des leurres et des autodirecteurs de missiles ; 4) Une...sur le littoral ; 2) La détection des petites cibles de surface sur le littoral ; 3) L’amélioration et la validation de la modélisation et du code...amélioration et une validation supplémentaire de la modélisation et du

  4. Interacting disturbances: did sudden oak death mortality in Big Sur worsen the impacts of the 2008 basin complex wildfire?

    Treesearch

    Margaret Metz; Kerri Frangioso; Ross Meentemeyer; David Rizzo

    2010-01-01

    In late June 2008, a large, dry lightning storm ignited thousands of fires across California. The largest of these fires became the Basin-Indians Complex Fire in Big Sur, along the State’s central coast. The fire burned over 240,000 acres (USDA Forest Service 2008) and required over a month of intense firefighting operations to contain the perimeter. Media reports and...

  5. Broadband Seismic Recordings of Mining Explosions and Earthquakes in South America.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-02-04

    mineralization in Chile are closely linked to the development of the Andean cordillera since late Paleozoic time. The porphyry copper deposits occupy a...sinuous belt over 2000 km long and 30 km wide that overlap with parts of the present day active volcanic arc. The porphyry copper deposits are... porphyry copper mine. The Pliocene age Disputada stock has a mineralized area covering about 12km2 (Bernstein, 1990). The Andina mines Sur-Sur (open

  6. Glyburide - Novel Prophylaxis and Effective Treatment for Blast-Traumatic Brain Injury

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-01

    determine the safety of the SUR1 blocker , glyburide (glibenclamide), as it might be used as prophylaxis against blast-TBI. During the 4th year of...We completed evaluation of the prophylaxis treatment with SUR1 blocker , glyburide in the neurobehavioral outcome after blast-TBI (Obj. 1d, c...APP ( Beta -amyloid precursor protein) 64 qPCR Casp 3 (caspase 3) 28 Tissue hemoglobin detection SP1 (ischemic, hypoxic marker) 7 ED1

  7. Defence SDI - A Useful Current Awareness System (Dissemination Selective de L’Information sur la Defense: Un Systeme Pratique D’Information Permanente).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION SERVICES L EFENCE SDI - A USEFUL CURRENT AWARENESS SYSTEM (Dissemination Selective de L’Information, Sur la Defense: Un...Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. CAUTION This information is furnished with the express understanding that proprietary and patent rights will be...may add his knowledge of information exchange agreements and Canadian projects covered by these agreements. These exchange agreements are important

  8. Intraregional Migration and Social Mobility: A Study of Europeans in the Southern Cone, 1880-1914

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-04-07

    25,681) 8,520 (9,235) Sources: Pescatello, "Both Ends of the Journey," "pp. 453- 454, and Inmigracion y Estadisticas en el Cono Sur de America, Serie...34 in Legislacion y Politica Inmigratoria en el Cono Sur de America, Serie Inmigracion , vol. 3 (Mexico, Distrito Federal: Inatituto Panamericano de...did not financially sponsor immigrants from Europe, it is argued in Ana Maria Cignetti, Inmigracion Espafiola en Patagonia (Mexico, Distrito

  9. [Theophilus of Bordeu (1722-1776). A man of spirit, eclectic knowledge and fascinating brilliance].

    PubMed

    Ferrandis, Jean-Jacques; Plessis, Jean-Louis

    2007-01-01

    A member of a medical family, Théophile de Bordeu (1722-1776) studied and worked in southwestern France, then in Paris. He was acquainted both with the Royal Court and the Encyclopedists and was very "a la mode". His main book was his Recherches anatomiques sur la position des glandes, et sur leur action published in 1752. Elegant and brilliant, he has been a good precursor in many medical fields.

  10. Views and Experiences of Malaysian Family Medicine Trainees of Female Sexual Dysfunction.

    PubMed

    Lai, Pauline Siew Mei; Tan, Sing Yee; Liew, Su May

    2016-11-01

    Sociocultural factors have been shown to be important influencers of sexual health and sexuality. Hence, the aim of our study was to explore the views and experiences of family medicine trainees regarding female sexual dysfunction (FSD) with a focus on the barriers and facilitators towards the initiation of conversation on this topic. A qualitative study design involving semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted with 19 family medicine trainees in Malaysia. The conceptual framework used was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. Thematic approach was used to analyze the data. Participants perceived FSD as being uncommon and unimportant. According to our participants, patients often presented with indirect complaints, and doctors were not proactive in asking about FSD. Three main barriers were identified: doctor factors, perceived patient factors, and system factors. Lack of confidence, knowledge, experience, time, and embarrassment were the key barriers identified at the doctors' level. Lack of awareness, among patients regarding FSD, and local cultural and religious norms were the perceived patient barriers. System barriers were lack of time and privacy. Various facilitators, such as continuous medical education and public forums, were suggested as means to encourage family medicine trainees to initiate discussion on sexual matters during consultations. In conclusion, family medicine trainees found it difficult to initiate conversation on FSD with patients. Interventions to encourage conversation on FSD should target this and other identified barriers.

  11. A Supercomplex Spanning the Inner and Outer Membranes Mediates the Biogenesis of β-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins in Bacteria.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan; Wang, Rui; Jin, Feng; Liu, Yang; Yu, Jiayu; Fu, Xinmiao; Chang, Zengyi

    2016-08-05

    β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are ubiquitously present in Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts, and function in a variety of biological processes. The mechanism by which the hydrophobic nascent β-barrel OMPs are transported through the hydrophilic periplasmic space in bacterial cells remains elusive. Here, mainly via unnatural amino acid-mediated in vivo photo-crosslinking studies, we revealed that the primary periplasmic chaperone SurA interacts with nascent β-barrel OMPs largely via its N-domain but with β-barrel assembly machine protein BamA mainly via its satellite P2 domain, and that the nascent β-barrel OMPs interact with SurA via their N- and C-terminal regions. Additionally, via dual in vivo photo-crosslinking, we demonstrated the formation of a ternary complex involving β-barrel OMP, SurA, and BamA in cells. More importantly, we found that a supercomplex spanning the inner and outer membranes and involving the BamA, BamB, SurA, PpiD, SecY, SecE, and SecA proteins appears to exist in living cells, as revealed by a combined analyses of sucrose-gradient ultra-centrifugation, Blue native PAGE and mass spectrometry. We propose that this supercomplex integrates the translocation, transportation, and membrane insertion events for β-barrel OMP biogenesis. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. A Supercomplex Spanning the Inner and Outer Membranes Mediates the Biogenesis of β-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins in Bacteria*

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yan; Wang, Rui; Jin, Feng; Liu, Yang; Yu, Jiayu; Fu, Xinmiao; Chang, Zengyi

    2016-01-01

    β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are ubiquitously present in Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts, and function in a variety of biological processes. The mechanism by which the hydrophobic nascent β-barrel OMPs are transported through the hydrophilic periplasmic space in bacterial cells remains elusive. Here, mainly via unnatural amino acid-mediated in vivo photo-crosslinking studies, we revealed that the primary periplasmic chaperone SurA interacts with nascent β-barrel OMPs largely via its N-domain but with β-barrel assembly machine protein BamA mainly via its satellite P2 domain, and that the nascent β-barrel OMPs interact with SurA via their N- and C-terminal regions. Additionally, via dual in vivo photo-crosslinking, we demonstrated the formation of a ternary complex involving β-barrel OMP, SurA, and BamA in cells. More importantly, we found that a supercomplex spanning the inner and outer membranes and involving the BamA, BamB, SurA, PpiD, SecY, SecE, and SecA proteins appears to exist in living cells, as revealed by a combined analyses of sucrose-gradient ultra-centrifugation, Blue native PAGE and mass spectrometry. We propose that this supercomplex integrates the translocation, transportation, and membrane insertion events for β-barrel OMP biogenesis. PMID:27298319

  13. Timing of Visual Bodily Behavior in Repair Sequences: Evidence from Three Languages

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floyd, Simeon; Manrique, Elizabeth; Rossi, Giovanni; Torreira, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    This article expands the study of other-initiated repair in conversation--when one party signals a problem with producing or perceiving another's turn at talk--into the domain of visual bodily behavior. It presents one primary cross-linguistic finding about the timing of visual bodily behavior in repair sequences: if the party who initiates repair…

  14. Energy Conversion and Combustion Sciences

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-08

    Rotational /Continuous Detonation • Only Single Initiation needed (Circumvent Initiation/DDT difficulty/loss in PDE ) • 10-100x cycle rate increase • Near...new fuels: 1. Rotational or Continuous Detonation (intense/concentrated combustion); 2. Flameless combustion (distributed combustion process...Steady Exit Flow *CFD Courtesy of NRL Rotational Detonation : (PI: Schauer, AFRL/RZ, working with NRL) Rotational Approach Allows Continuous

  15. Father Involvement in Young Children's Care and Education: Exploring Boundaries and Starting Conversations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chawla-Duggan, Rita; Milner, Susan

    2016-01-01

    This paper analyses the impact of a UK local authority initiative--Fathers' Friday--aiming to involve fathers in their children's education, which took place in 20 early years' and primary school settings. Whilst the study involved a range of methods, in this paper interview data associated with practitioners' perspectives of the initiative are…

  16. The Efficacy of Institutional Repositories: Reflections on the Development of a Personalised Collection on UPSpace

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olivier, Elsabe

    2007-01-01

    There is much speculation that the development of institutional repositories will impact on or even change the traditional scholarly communication process. The purpose of this conversation is to introduce the reader to the use of and response to institutional repositories which were initiated by the Open Access Initiative. The concept of…

  17. Measuring Quality beyond Test Scores: The Impact of Regional Context on Curriculum Implementation (in Northern Uganda)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spreen, Carol Anne; Knapczyk, Jillian J.

    2017-01-01

    Although global initiatives have brought attention to the lack of quality in education systems worldwide; the question remains, how do we implement quality education? Teachers, a vital component of the education process, are not usually included in these global conversations; this results in government initiatives missing key obstacles faced by…

  18. The Occurrence and the Success Rate of Self-Initiated Self-Repair

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sato, Rintaro; Takatsuka, Shigenobu

    2016-01-01

    Errors naturally appear in spontaneous speeches and conversations. Particularly in a second or foreign language, it is only natural that mistakes happen as a part of the learning process. After an inappropriate expression is detected, it can be corrected. This act of correcting can be initiated either by the speaker (non-native speaker) or the…

  19. The reliability and stability of multijunction amorphous silicon PV modules

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

    Carlson, D.E.

    1995-11-01

    Solarex is developing a manufacturing process for the commercial production of 8 ft{sup 2} multijunction amorphous silicon (a-Si) PV modules starting in 1996. The device structure used in these multijunction modules is: glass/textured tin oxide/p-i-n/p-i-n/ZnO/Al/EVA/Tedlar where the back junction of the tandem structure contains an amorphous silicon germanium alloy. As an interim step, 4 ft{sup 2} multijunction modules have been fabricated in a pilot production mode over the last several months. The distribution of initial conversion efficiencies for an engineering run of 67 modules (4 ft{sup 2}) is shown. Measurements recently performed at NREL indicate that the actual efficiencies aremore » about 5% higher than those shown, and thus exhibit an average initial conversion efficiency of about 9.5%. The data indicates that the process is relatively robust since there were no modules with initial efficiencies less than 7.5%.« less

  20. Parent-Child Communication and Marijuana Initiation: Evidence Using Discrete-Time Survival Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Nonnemaker, James M.; Silber-Ashley, Olivia; Farrelly, Matthew C.; Dench, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    This study supplements existing literature on the relationship between parent-child communication and adolescent drug use by exploring whether parental and/or adolescent recall of specific drug-related conversations differentially impact youth's likelihood of initiating marijuana use. Using discrete-time survival analysis, we estimated the hazard of marijuana initiation using a logit model to obtain an estimate of the relative risk of initiation. Our results suggest that parent-child communication about drug use is either not protective (no effect) or—in the case of youth reports of communication—potentially harmful (leading to increased likelihood of marijuana initiation). PMID:22958867

  1. Neutronic study on conversion of SAFARI-1 to LEU silicide fuel

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

    Ball, G.; Pond, R.; Hanan, N.

    1995-02-01

    This paper marks the initial study into the technical and economic feasibility of converting the SAFARI-1 reactor in South Africa to LEU silicide fuel. Several MTR assembly geometries and LEU uranium densities have been studied and compared with MEU and HEU fuels. Two factors of primary importance for conversion of SAFARI-1 to LEU fuel are the economy of the fuel cycle and the performance of the incore and excore irradiation positions.

  2. Implementing New Non-Chromate Coatings Systems (Briefing Charts)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-02-09

    Initiate Cr6+ authorization process for continued Cr6+ use using the form, Authorization to Use Hexavalent Chromium. YES NO • Approval of...Aluminum and magnesium anodizing • Hard Chrome Plating • Type II conversion coating on aluminum alloys under chromated primer • Type II conversion coating...Elimination of Hexavalent Chromium 80% 5% 14% 1% Type II Type III Type IC Type IC Fatigue Critical 50% 50% Type II Type IC FRC-SE (JAX) Fully Integrated FRC

  3. Ultraviolet radiation modelling from ground-based and satellite measurements on Reunion Island, southern tropics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamy, Kévin; Portafaix, Thierry; Brogniez, Colette; Godin-Beekmann, Sophie; Bencherif, Hassan; Morel, Béatrice; Pazmino, Andrea; Metzger, Jean Marc; Auriol, Frédérique; Deroo, Christine; Duflot, Valentin; Goloub, Philippe; Long, Charles N.

    2018-01-01

    Surface ultraviolet radiation (SUR) is not an increasing concern after the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the recovery of the ozone layer (Morgenstern et al., 2008). However, large uncertainties remain in the prediction of future changes of SUR (Bais et al., 2015). Several studies pointed out that UV-B impacts the biosphere (Erickson et al., 2015), especially the aquatic system, which plays a central part in the biogeochemical cycle (Hader et al., 2007). It can affect phytoplankton productivity (Smith and Cullen, 1995). This influence can result in either positive or negative feedback on climate (Zepp et al., 2007). Global circulation model simulations predict an acceleration of the Brewer-Dobson circulation over the next century (Butchart, 2014), which would lead to a decrease in ozone levels in the tropics and an enhancement at higher latitudes (Hegglin and Shepherd, 2009). Reunion Island is located in the tropics (21° S, 55° E), in a part of the world where the amount of ozone in the ozone column is naturally low. In addition, this island is mountainous and the marine atmosphere is often clean with low aerosol concentrations. Thus, measurements show much higher SUR than at other sites at the same latitude or at midlatitudes. Ground-based measurements of SUR have been taken on Reunion Island by a Bentham DTMc300 spectroradiometer since 2009. This instrument is affiliated with the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). In order to quantify the future evolution of SUR in the tropics, it is necessary to validate a model against present observations. This study is designed to be a preliminary parametric and sensitivity study of SUR modelling in the tropics. We developed a local parameterisation using the Tropospheric Ultraviolet and Visible Model (TUV; Madronich, 1993) and compared the output of TUV to multiple years of Bentham spectral measurements. This comparison started in early 2009 and continued until 2016. Only clear-sky SUR was modelled, so we needed to sort out the clear-sky measurements. We used two methods to detect cloudy conditions: the first was based on an observer's hourly report on the sky cover, while the second was based on applying Long and Ackerman (2000)'s algorithm to broadband pyranometer data to obtain the cloud fraction and then discriminating clear-sky windows on SUR measurements. Long et al. (2006)'s algorithm, with the co-located pyranometer data, gave better results for clear-sky filtering than the observer's report. Multiple model inputs were tested to evaluate the model sensitivity to different parameters such as total ozone column, aerosol optical properties, extraterrestrial spectrum or ozone cross section. For total column ozone, we used ground-based measurements from the SAOZ (Système d'Analyse par Observation Zénithale) spectrometer and satellite measurements from the OMI and SBUV instruments, while ozone profiles were derived from radio-soundings and the MLS ozone product. Aerosol optical properties came from a local aerosol climatology established using a Cimel photometer. Since the mean difference between various inputs of total ozone column was small, the corresponding response on UVI modelling was also quite small, at about 1 %. The radiative amplification factor of total ozone column on UVI was also compared for observations and the model. Finally, we were able to estimate UVI on Reunion Island with, at best, a mean relative difference of about 0.5 %, compared to clear-sky observations.

  4. Déprescrire les inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons

    PubMed Central

    Farrell, Barbara; Pottie, Kevin; Thompson, Wade; Boghossian, Taline; Pizzola, Lisa; Rashid, Farah Joy; Rojas-Fernandez, Carlos; Walsh, Kate; Welch, Vivian; Moayyedi, Paul

    2017-01-01

    Résumé Objectif Formuler des lignes directrices fondées sur les données probantes pour aider les cliniciens à décider du moment et de la façon sécuritaire de réduire la dose des inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons (IPP) ou d’en arrêter le traitement; se concentrer sur le niveau le plus élevé des données disponibles et obtenir les commentaires des professionnels de première ligne durant le processus de rédaction, de révision et d’adoption des lignes directrices. Méthodologie L’équipe était formée de 5 professionnels de la santé (1 médecin de famille, 3 pharmaciens et 1 gastro-entérologue) et de 5 membres sans droit de vote; les membres ont divulgué tout conflit d’intérêts. Le processus d’élaboration des lignes directrices a eu recours à l’approche GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation), de même qu’à un examen minutieux des données probantes dans le cadre de rencontres en personne, au téléphone et en ligne. Particulièrement, le processus d’élaboration des lignes directrices a inclus une revue systématique d’essais portant sur la déprescription des IPP et un examen de comptes rendus sur les torts liés à l’emploi continu des IPP. Les synthèses narratives sur les préférences des patients ainsi que les publications traitant des répercussions sur les ressources ont éclairé les recommandations. L’équipe a peaufiné le texte sur le contenu et les recommandations des lignes directrices par consensus, et a synthétisé les considérations cliniques afin de répondre aux questions courantes des cliniciens de première ligne. Une version préliminaire des lignes directrices a été distribuée aux cliniciens, puis aux associations de professionnels de la santé aux fins d’examen, et des révisions ont été apportées au texte à chaque étape. Un algorithme d’appui décisionnel a été conçu de concert avec les lignes directrices. Recommandations Les présentes lignes directrices recommandent de déprescrire les IPP (réduire la dose, mettre fin au traitement ou passer à l’administration « sur demande ») chez les adultes qui ont terminé un traitement d’au moins 4 semaines avec un IPP contre le pyrosis, l’œsophagite ou le reflux gastro-œsophagien léger à modéré, et dont les symptômes sont disparus. Les recommandations ne s’appliquent pas aux patients atteints ou qui ont déjà été atteints de l’œsophage de Barrett, d’une œsophagite grave de stade C ou D, ou d’antécédents connus d’ulcères gastro-intestinaux hémorragiques. Conclusion Les présentes lignes directrices émettent des recommandations pratiques pour décider du moment et de la façon de réduire la dose des inhibiteurs de la pompe à protons (IPP) ou d’en arrêter le traitement. Elles visent à contribuer au processus de décision conjointement avec le patient et non à dicter la décision.

  5. The relationship between cell phone use and management of driver fatigue: It's complicated.

    PubMed

    Saxby, Dyani Juanita; Matthews, Gerald; Neubauer, Catherine

    2017-06-01

    Voice communication may enhance performance during monotonous, potentially fatiguing driving conditions (Atchley & Chan, 2011); however, it is unclear whether safety benefits of conversation are outweighed by costs. The present study tested whether personalized conversations intended to simulate hands-free cell phone conversation may counter objective and subjective fatigue effects elicited by vehicle automation. A passive fatigue state (Desmond & Hancock, 2001), characterized by disengagement from the task, was induced using full vehicle automation prior to drivers resuming full control over the driving simulator. A conversation was initiated shortly after reversion to manual control. During the conversation an emergency event occurred. The fatigue manipulation produced greater task disengagement and slower response to the emergency event, relative to a control condition. Conversation did not mitigate passive fatigue effects; rather, it added worry about matters unrelated to the driving task. Conversation moderately improved vehicle control, as measured by SDLP, but it failed to counter fatigue-induced slowing of braking in response to an emergency event. Finally, conversation appeared to have a hidden danger in that it reduced drivers' insights into performance impairments when in a state of passive fatigue. Automation induced passive fatigue, indicated by loss of task engagement; yet, simulated cell phone conversation did not counter the subjective automation-induced fatigue. Conversation also failed to counter objective loss of performance (slower braking speed) resulting from automation. Cell phone conversation in passive fatigue states may impair drivers' awareness of their performance deficits. Practical applications: Results suggest that conversation, even using a hands-free device, may not be a safe way to reduce fatigue and increase alertness during transitions from automated to manual vehicle control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

  6. Catalytic Deoxygenation of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapors to Improve Bio-oil Stability

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

    Dayton, David C.

    2016-12-22

    The President’s Advanced Energy Initiative called for a change in the way Americans fuel their vehicles to promote improved energy security. Increasing biofuels production from domestic lignocellulosic resources requires advanced technology development to achieve the aggressive targets set forth to reduce motor gasoline consumption by 20% in ten years (by 2017). The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Office of the Biomass Program (currently Bioenergy Technologies Office) is actively funding research and development in both biochemical and thermochemical conversion technologies to accelerate the deployment of biofuels technologies in the near future to meet the goals of the Advanced Energy Initiative. Thermochemicalmore » conversion technology options include both gasification and pyrolysis to enable the developing lignocellulosic biorefineries and maximize biomass resource utilization for production of biofuels.« less

  7. Caught in the Act: How Extraverted and Introverted Friends Communally Cope with Being Recorded

    PubMed Central

    Thorne, Avril; Shapiro, Lauren; Cardilla, Kim; Korobov, Neill; Nelson, Paul A.

    2009-01-01

    This study explored how close friends who were similar or opposite on extraversion communally coped with being put on the spot to produce a recorded conversation. Participants were 50 pairs of same-sex college-age friends (54% female) who explicitly discussed the fact that their conversation was being recorded. The initial 'on-stage' episode emerged consistently earliest for extraverted dyads, and the majority of their episodes quickly diverted the on-stage moment. Dyads that included at least one introvert engaged in more extensive assortments of on-stage maneuvers, including research talk, soothing, and joking. In introvert-extravert dyads the extravert usually initiated and ended these episodes. Implications are discussed for understanding how personality is reciprocally implicated in managing shared everyday problems. PMID:20161279

  8. LSA silicon material task closed-cycle process development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roques, R. A.; Wakefield, G. F.; Blocher, J. M., Jr.; Browning, M. F.; Wilson, W.

    1979-01-01

    The initial effort on feasibility of the closed cycle process was begun with the design of the two major items of untested equipment, the silicon tetrachloride by product converter and the rotary drum reactor for deposition of silicon from trichlorosilane. The design criteria of the initial laboratory equipment included consideration of the reaction chemistry, thermodynamics, and other technical factors. Design and construction of the laboratory equipment was completed. Preliminary silicon tetrachloride conversion experiments confirmed the expected high yield of trichlorosilane, up to 98 percent of theoretical conversion. A preliminary solar-grade polysilicon cost estimate, including capital costs considered extremely conservative, of $6.91/kg supports the potential of this approach to achieve the cost goal. The closed cycle process appears to have a very likely potential to achieve LSA goals.

  9. [Dépistage précoce des retards du développement moteur: Outil de dépistage axé sur la famille].

    PubMed

    Harris, Susan R

    2016-08-01

    Décrire le test HINT (Harris Infant Neuromotor Test), un test d'évaluation du développement neuromoteur chez les nourrissons publié en 2010, qui s'appuie sur les normes canadiennes et peut être utilisé pour dépister les retards du développement moteur durant la première année de la vie. QUALITÉ DES DONNÉES: D'abondantes recherches ont été publiées sur la fiabilité intra-évaluateur, inter-évaluateur et test-retest ainsi que sur la validité convergente, prédictive, du contenu et des groupes connus du test HINT, de même que sur la sensibilité, la spécificité et les valeurs prédictives négatives et positives des inquiétudes des parents, telles qu'évaluées par le test HINT. La plupart des données probantes sont de niveau II. Il est important de diagnostiquer les retards du développement moteur durant la première année de vie, car ils sont souvent le signe de retards du développement généralisés ou de déficiences précises, telles que la paralysie cérébrale. Les inquiétudes des parents quant au développement moteur de leur enfant sont une valeur prédictive robuste de diagnostics subséquents de retard du développement moteur. Seul le dépistage précoce des retards du développement moteur, initialement par l'entremise d'outils de dépistage comme le test HINT, permet de recommander le patient à une intervention précoce qui profiterait tant à l'enfant qu'à sa famille. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

  10. Le syndrome d'embolie graisseuse post traumatique

    PubMed Central

    Berdai, Adnane Mohamed; Shimi, Abdelkarim; Khatouf, Mohammed

    2014-01-01

    Le syndrome d'embolie graisseuse est une complication grave des fractures des os longs, il est la conséquence de la dissémination des particules graisseuses dans la microcirculation. L'objectif de ce travail est de déterminer le profil épidémiologique, la présentation clinique et paraclinique de ce syndrome et sa prise en charge thérapeutique. Notre étude porte sur 11 cas de syndrome d'embolie graisseuse colligés au service de réanimation A1 au centre hospitalier universitaire Hassan II de Fès, de Janvier 2009 à Juin 2012. Le diagnostic positif est basé sur les critères de Gurd. Les cas collectés se caractérisent par la prédominance du sexe masculin, d'un âge inférieur à 40 ans, présentant une fracture fémorale. Ce syndrome survient souvent dans les 72 heures après le traumatisme. La présentation clinique est dominée par l'hypoxémie et les troubles de conscience. Sur le plan biologique: l'anémie et la thrombopénie sont les manifestations les plus fréquentes. La prise en charge est symptomatique, 63% des patients ont nécessité l'intubation et la ventilation. L’évolution n'est pas toujours bénigne. Nos résultats confirme le polymorphisme de la présentation clinique et paraclinique du syndrome d'embolie graisseuse. Le diagnostic de ce syndrome se base sur des critères cliniques, mais reste essentiellement un diagnostic d’élimination. La prise en charge est symptomatique. La prévention de ce syndrome est essentielle et se base sur une fixation précoce des fractures des os longs. PMID:25452829

  11. Methodologies nouvelles pour la realisation d'essais dans la soufflerie Price-Paidoussis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores Salinas, Manuel

    Le present memoire en genie de la production automatisee vise a decrire le travail effectue dans la soufflerie Price-Paidoussis du laboratoire LARCASE pour trouver les methodologies experimentales et les procedures de tests, qui seront utilisees avec les modeles d'ailes actuellement au laboratoire. Les methodologies et procedures presentees ici vont permettre de preparer les tests en soufflerie du projet MDO-505 Architectures et technologies deformables pour l'amelioration des performances des ailes, qui se derouleront durant l'annee 2015. D'abord, un bref historique des souffleries subsoniques sera fait. Les differentes sections de la soufflerie Price-Paidoussis seront decrites en mettant l'emphase sur leur influence dans la qualite de l'ecoulement qui se retrouve dans la chambre d'essai. Ensuite, une introduction a la pression, a sa mesure lors de tests en soufflerie et les instruments utilises pour les tests en soufflerie au laboratoire LARCASE sera presente, en particulier le capteur piezoelectrique XCQ-062. Une attention particuliere sera portee au mode de fonctionnement, a son installation, a la mesure et a la detection des frequences et aux sources d'erreurs lorsqu'on utilise des capteurs de haute precision comme la serie XCQ-062 du fournisseur Kulite. Finalement, les procedures et les methodologies elaborees pour les tests dans la soufflerie Price-Paidoussis seront utilisees sur quatre types d'ailes differentes. L'article New methodology for wind tunnel calibration using neural networks - EGD approch portant sur une nouvelle facon de predire les caracteristiques de l'ecoulement a l'interieur de la soufflerie Price-Paidoussis se trouve dans l'annexe 2 de ce document. Cet article porte sur la creation d'un reseau de neurones multicouche et sur l'entrainement des neurones, Ensuite, une comparaison des resultats du reseau de neurones a ete fait avec des valeurs simules avec le logiciel Fluent.

  12. Pax narcotica

    PubMed Central

    Bourgois, Philippe; Hart, Laurie Kain

    2016-01-01

    RÉSUMÉ/ABSTRACT Fondé sur un travail de terrain mené pendant cinq ans dans le ghetto portoricain de Philadelphie, cet article explore les logiques de violence et de paix à l’œuvre dans ce secteur situé en fin de circuit de l’industrie globale du narcotrafic. Tout en recourant à la violence armée pour éliminer leurs rivaux et défendre leur territoire, les patrons locaux de la drogue doivent simultanément renvoyer l’image de figures généreuses pour éviter que les habitants ne les dénoncent à la police, en se montrant responsables, prêts à redistribuer les ressources, à offrir des emplois bien rémunérés, à discipliner leurs employés et à contenir les excès de violence. Les chefs de la drogue sont donc contraints de transformer leur force brute en un pouvoir vertueux pour prospérer. Ils participent ainsi, avec voisins et employés, à une économie morale de relations patrimoniales et clientélistes au sein de laquelle ils s’imposent comme des leaders charismatiques. À partir d’une relecture du concept d’ « accumulation primitive », cet article revient à la fois : 1) sur la relation coloniale qui pousse la diaspora portoricaine ghettoïsée dans la niche économique que représente la revente de drogue au détail; 2) sur la violence symbolique à l’œuvre à tous les échelons de ce trafic; 3) sur les profits artificiellement élevés générés par cette industrie criminalisée par l’État; 4) et sur la prolifération opportuniste de secteurs spécialisés de l’économie légale et de la bureaucratie publique chargés de gérer les effets collatéraux de la coercition et des violences d’État. PMID:28090135

  13. Analyse de la dégradation thermique du Poly(éther éther cétone)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courvoisier, Emilie; Bicaba, Yoann; Colin, Xavier

    2018-03-01

    La dégradation thermique du PEEK a été étudiée à l'état caoutchoutique dans de larges intervalles de température (entre 180 et 320 °C) et de pression partielle d'oxygène (entre 0,21 et 50 bars). Tout d'abord, les mécanismes de vieillissement thermique ont été analysés et élucidés par spectroscopie IRTF et par calorimétrie différentielle (DSC) sur des films de PEEK suffisamment minces (entre 10 et 60 μm d'épaisseur) pour s'affranchir totalement des effets de la diffusion d'oxygène. L'oxydation se produit sur les cycles aromatiques provoquant la croissance de cinq nouvelles bandes d'absorption IR centrées à 3650, 3525, 1780, 1740 et 1718 cm-1 et attribuées aux vibrations d'élongation des liaisons O-H du phénol et de l'acide benzoïque, et des liaisons C-O de l'anhydride benzoïque, du benzoate de phényle et de la fluorénone respectivement. De plus, l'oxydation conduit à une large prédominance de la réticulation sur les coupures de chaîne (augmentation de Tg) empêchant le recuit du PEEK, en particulier lorsque la température d'exposition est supérieure au pied du pic de fusion. Enfin, les conséquences de l'oxydation sur les propriétés élastiques ont été analysées et élucidées par micro-indentation sur des sections droites préalablement polies de plaquettes de PEEK de 3 mm d'épaisseur. Les variations du module d'Young et du taux de cristallinité se corrèlent parfaitement, vérifiant ainsi la relation de Tobolsky.

  14. Hello Harlie: Enabling Speech Monitoring Through Chat-Bot Conversations.

    PubMed

    Ireland, David; Atay, Christina; Liddle, Jacki; Bradford, Dana; Lee, Helen; Rushin, Olivia; Mullins, Thomas; Angus, Dan; Wiles, Janet; McBride, Simon; Vogel, Adam

    2016-01-01

    People with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and dementia are known to have difficulties in language and communication. This paper presents initial testing of an artificial conversational agent, called Harlie. Harlie runs on a smartphone and is able to converse with the user on a variety of topics. A description of the application and a sample dialog are provided to illustrate the various roles chat-bots can play in the management of neurological conditions. Harlie can be used for measuring voice and communication outcomes during the daily life of the user, and for gaining information about challenges encountered. Moreover, it is anticipated that she may also have an educational and support role.

  15. Effect of different photo-initiators and light curing units on degree of conversion of composites.

    PubMed

    Brandt, William Cunha; Schneider, Luis Felipe Jochims; Frollini, Elisabete; Correr-Sobrinho, Lourenço; Sinhoreti, Mário Alexandre Coelho

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate: (i) the absorption of photo-initiators and emission spectra of light curing units (LCUs); and (ii) the degree of conversion (DC) of experimental composites formulated with different photo-initiators when activated by different LCUs. Blends of BisGMA, UDMA, BisEMA and TEGDMA with camphorquinone (CQ) and/ or 1-phenyl-1,2-propanedione (PPD) were prepared. Dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) was used as co-initiator. Each mixture was loaded with 65 wt% of silanated filler particles. One quartz-tungsten-halogen - QTH (XL 2500, 3M/ESPE) and two lightemitting diode (LED) LCUs (UltraBlue IS, DMC and UltraLume LED 5, Ultradent) were used for activation procedures. Irradiance (mW/cm²) was calculated by the ratio of the output power by the area of the tip, and spectral distribution with a spectrometer (USB 2000). The absorption curve of each photo-initiator was determined using a spectrophotometer (Varian Cary 5G). DC was assessed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (5%). No significant difference was found for DC values when using LED LCUs regardless of the photo-initiator type. However, PPD showed significantly lower DC values than composites with CQ when irradiated with QTH. PPD produced DC values similar to those of CQ, but it was dependent on the LCU type.

  16. Rate of displacement for Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures treated with a cast.

    PubMed

    Zale, C; Winthrop, Z A; Hennrikus, W

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this retrospective study is to report the rate of displacement of Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures that were initially treated in a cast. We performed a retrospective review of all patients that were treated for a non-displaced (Jakob Type 1 < 2 mm) lateral condyle fracture of the humerus at our institution between 2002 and 2015. A total of 59 patients were initially treated with casting. Five fractures displaced and were converted to a closed pinning treatment plan with a conversion rate of 8.5%. There was a mean of 13.2 days (4 to 21) between treatment by initial casting and closed pinning. This study demonstrates an 8.5% displacement and conversion rate from cast treatment to closed pinning for initially non-displaced Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures of the humerus. The internal oblique radiograph is most accurate to determine displacement. We recommend obtaining an internal oblique view at initial evaluation and at follow-up in the cast for lateral condyle fractures. To minimize movement at the fracture site, we recommend treating Jakob Type 1 lateral condyle fractures with a long arm cast with the elbow at 90° and the forearm in the supine position with a sling-loop design. IV - retrospective therapeutic study.

  17. Formation of Neogenic Ores on the Dump-Heaps of Old Uranium Mines and on the Mine-Head of Mines under Exploitation; FORMATION DE MINERAUX NEOGENES SUR LES HALDES D'ANCIENNES MINES D'URANIUM ET SUR LE CARREAU DES MINES EN EXPLOITATION

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

    Chervet, J.

    1960-01-01

    The major degradations suffered by primary and secondary uranium ores under the weathering action of air and water are assessed. Pyritic ores were found to be the most vunerable. The interactions between pynite oxidation products and urantferous compounds often lead to the formation of neogentc ores. (C.J.G.)

  18. The Lost Path: Regulating Transit Illegal Immigration on Mexico’s Southern Border

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, August 2013), 160. 7 George W. Grayson, “Mexico’s Forgotten Southern Border: Does Mexico Practice at Home What...Migraciones en el Sur de México y Centroamérica (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, 2008), 239. 243 Cervera, “ La Otra Frontera,” 144. 244...Tensiones entre los Derechos Humanos, Ley y Justicia,” in Migraciones en el Sur de México y Centroamérica (Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas

  19. CFD Simulations of a Ferry in Head Seas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    la durée de vie en fatigue globale du navire. Il est important, pour la conception, l’exploitation et la gestion du cycle de ...vibration de frottement qui exerce une contrainte sur la structure de coque primaire et qui a un effet défavorable sur la durée de vie en fatigue globale du ...laquelle ne peut simuler directement la physique du tossage. Le présent rapport contient les résultats d’une étude faisant

  20. Retirement Kjell Johnsen

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

    None

    2007-12-05

    A l'occasion de son 65me anniversaire plusieurs orateurs (aussi l'ambassadeur de Norvège) remercient Kjell Johnsen, né en juin 1921 en Norvège, pour ses 34 ans de service au Cern et retracent sa vie et son travail. K.Johnsen a pris part aux premières études sur les accélérateurs du futur centre de physique et fut aussi le père et le premier directeur de l'Ecole du Cern sur les accélérateurs (CAS)

  1. Transcendental Meditation

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

    None

    2005-11-29

    K.Wallace, qui vient des Etats Unis, parle des effects physiologiques de la méditation transcendantale. Il a fait son bachelor en physique à l'Université de Los Angeles et son doctorat en physiologie aussi à Los Angeles, mais à l'Institut de Recherche sur le cerveau. Il travaille maintenat à Harvard Medical School ou il continue des recherches biochimiques et physiologiques sur l'application médicale de la méditation transcendantale. Il s'occupe principalement des maladies cardiaques et de hypertension artérielle.

  2. Bio-optical profile data report coastal transition zone program, R/V Point Sur, June 15-28, 1987

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davis, Curtiss O.; Rhea, W. Joseph

    1990-01-01

    Twenty vertical profiles of the bio-optical properties of the ocean were made during a research cruise on the R/V Point Sur, June 15 to 28, 1987, as part of the Coastal Transition Zone Program off Point Arena, California. Extracted chlorophyll values were also measured at some stations to provide calibration data for the in situ fluorometer. This summary provides investigators with an overview of the data collected. The entire data set is available in digital form.

  3. What Should Users Expect from Information Storage and Retrieval Systems of the 1980’s

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-12-01

    cide dcentrer sur ls marchE de l1information secondaire, on doit d~finir Is secteur , rschercher des appuis (coop~rants) pour couvrir cc secteur ...inutiles. Ii appartient bien entendu chaque Gouvernemant dlapprdcier sea prioritds, mais en se plagant dans Is cadre tracE. GOUVERNEMENT ET SECTEUR PRIVE A...directive A76 salon laqualle le Gouvernament f~d~ral slappuiera sur Is secteur priv6 pour publiar at dissminar llinformation scientifique at technique

  4. Piégeage cohérent de population sur des atomes froids

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zanon, T.; Guérandel, S.; de Clercq, E.; Holleville, D.; Dimarcq, N.; Clairon, A.

    2004-11-01

    Dans le cadre de futures horloges atomiques compactes destinées à la navigation spatiale, il est possible de remplacer l'interrogation micro-onde d'une horloge atomique classique par une interrogation optique à l'aide de faisceaux Raman et d'asservir un oscillateur à quartz sur la réponse atomique crée par le phénomène de piégeage cohérent de population (CPT en anglais pour Coherent Population Trapping).

  5. Education for All: Is the World on Track? Summary Report. EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2002 = Education pour Tous: Le Monde Est-Il sur la Bonne Voie? Resume du Rapport. Rapport Mondial de Suivi sur l'EPT, 2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colclough, Christopher; Packer, Steve; Ellis, Simon; Van Ravens, Jan; Barry, Ulrika Peppler; Bella, Nicole; Djioze, Valerie; Mputu, Hilaire; Aggio, Carlos; Cifuentes-Montoya, Mariana; Pinceau, Pascale; Nsengimana, Delphine

    In 2000 the World Education Forum, sponsored by UNESCO, met to assess and act on educational opportunities for children, youth, and adults around the world. The forum agreed on six goals for education considered to be essential, attainable, and affordable, given strong international commitment and resolve, and on a program called Education for All…

  6. Replies to the Questionnaire on the Theme of the 42nd ICE on Literacy Education = Responses au questionnaire sur le theme de la 42e CIE sur l'alphabetisation. IBE Documents Series, Number 2, December 1991.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Bureau of Education, Geneva (Switzerland).

    This report represents elements of 105 replies received from UNESCO Member States to the International Bureau of Education (IBE) questionnaire. The report does not always reproduce the complete answers given, and the extracts presented are usually presented in the language used in the relevant answer. The report begins with a list of member…

  7. Frequency Assignment, Sharing and Conservation in Systems (Aerospace). (l’Attribution, le partage et la conservation des frequences pour les systemes aeronautiques et spatiales)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    que pour les installations et le personnel mis ä sa disposition. T- l Technical Evaluation Report of the RTO...radiocommunications sur le radar, on peut mettre en oeuvre des techniques de Formation de Faisceau par le Calcul qui permettent d’augmenter encore le niveau...plus 6loign6s pouvant fonctionner sur les mSmes canaux de frequence que le radar sans g£ne mutuelle1. equipements de radiocommunication

  8. Clair de lune sur le port de Boulogne: enquête sur un tableau de Manet, traduction d'un article de Donald W. Olson

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borg, Janet

    2016-10-01

    The 19th-century artist Edouard Manet created a spectacular nocturnal painting showing a full Moon over the harbor of Boulogne. Art historians have dated this work to either 1868 or 1869. Calculations of lunar phases, 19th-century maps and photographs of Boulogne harbor, the correspondence of the artist, and other clues allow us to determine a date and precise time when Manet observed this moonlit scene.

  9. Proceedings of the International Conference on Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology (2nd) Held in Iowa City, Iowa on May 22-25, 1991.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-05-25

    d’Etat, University of Paris-Sud. [Boudol 84] G. Boudol, An asynchronous calculus MEIJE, in NATO summer school, La - Colle - sur - Loup , France (1984). [Da...on the propositional p-calculus. Theoretical Comput. Sci., 27:333-354, 1983. [12] M. Nivat. Sur la synchronisation des processus. Revue Technique...Meulen, E.A. Deriving In- Traynor, 0., de la Cruz, P., Uniform (Meta- ) De- cremental Implementations from Algebraic Specifica- velopment in the PROSPECTRA

  10. Apport de la simulation numérique à la compréhension des mécanismes d'interaction de cavités dans le cadre de la modélisation de l'endommagement ductile sous sollicitation dynamique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, G.; Buy, F.; Llorca, F.

    2002-12-01

    L'étude présentée s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une démarche menant à la construction d'un modèle analytique ou semi analytique de comportement élasto-visco-plastique endommageable, applicable aux chargements rencontrés en configuration d'impact violent et générant de l'écaillage ductile. La prise en compte des effets de compressibilité et de micro inertie est essentielle pour modéliser la phase de croissance. Des simulations numériques globales de la structure et locales à l'échelle des hétérogénéités permettent d'évaluer les niveaux de sollicitations dans les zones susceptibles de s'endommager, dévaluer des critères analytiques de germination de l'endommagement et de comprendre les mécanismes d'interaction entre les défauts. Les effets micro inertiels et de compressibilité sont ainsi mis en évidence dans les phases de germination et de coalescence des micro défauts. II s'agit ici d'une illustration non exhaustive de travaux engagés au CEA Valduc sur le tantale, dans le cadre d'une thèse [10]. Un programme matériaux en partenariat CEA-CNRS sur la modélisation multi échelles du comportement de structures a également été initié dans ce contexte.

  11. Adolescent Girls’ Communication with “Mothers” About Topical Microbicides

    PubMed Central

    Sunder, Punita K.; Ramos, Stephanie; Short, Mary B.; Rosenthal, Susan L.

    2007-01-01

    Study Objective Topical microbicides, a female-initiated method to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy, will only be effective if found acceptable. Mothers may have an influence on acceptability and use among adolescent girls. The current study examined the communication between girls and mothers to understand the potential predictors and nature of conversations regarding surrogate microbicide products. Design Sexually experienced girls, 14 to 21 years, were recruited for a 6-month study examining microbicide acceptability. During face-to-face interviews, qualitative data were collected regarding communication between girls and mothers. Two independent raters coded the responses, which were organized into themes. Themes were interpreted according to the conceptual understanding of mother-daughter communication. Results Fifty percent of the 171 girls with codable responses had a conversation with their mother. Higher levels of indirect parental monitoring were related to being more likely to have a conversation. Concrete events related to the study (i.e. receiving phone call from the researcher, having an appointment, or seeing the product) or inquiries by mothers appeared to promote conversation. Barriers to conversation included the private nature of the information and relationship issues between the mother and daughter. Conversations often addressed issues related to girls’ participation in the study, although some conversations included global issues related to sexuality. Conclusions Girls may talk to their mothers about new products for STI prevention, and such conversations may provide opportunities to promote use. PMID:17174825

  12. Adolescent girls' communication with "mothers" about topical microbicides.

    PubMed

    Sunder, Punita K; Ramos, Stephanie; Short, Mary B; Rosenthal, Susan L

    2006-12-01

    Topical microbicides, a female-initiated method to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STI) and pregnancy, will only be effective if found acceptable. Mothers may have an influence on acceptability and use among adolescent girls. The current study examined the communication between girls and mothers to understand the potential predictors and nature of conversations regarding surrogate microbicide products. Sexually experienced girls, 14 to 21 years, were recruited for a 6-month study examining microbicide acceptability. During face-to-face interviews, qualitative data were collected regarding communication between girls and mothers. Two independent raters coded the responses, which were organized into themes. Themes were interpreted according to the conceptual understanding of mother-daughter communication. Fifty percent of the 171 girls with codable responses had a conversation with their mother. Higher levels of indirect parental monitoring were related to being more likely to have a conversation. Concrete events related to the study (i.e. receiving phone call from the researcher, having an appointment, or seeing the product) or inquiries by mothers appeared to promote conversation. Barriers to conversation included the private nature of the information and relationship issues between the mother and daughter. Conversations often addressed issues related to girls' participation in the study, although some conversations included global issues related to sexuality. Girls may talk to their mothers about new products for STI prevention, and such conversations may provide opportunities to promote use.

  13. Technique distribuee de gestion de la charge sur le reseau electrique et ring-tree: Un nouveau systeme de communication P2P

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayoub, Simon

    Le reseau de distribution et de transport de l'electricite se modernise dans plusieurs pays dont le Canada. La nouvelle generation de ce reseau que l'on appelle smart grid, permet entre autre l'automatisation de la production, de la distribution et de la gestion de la charge chez les clients. D'un autre cote, des appareils domestiques intelligents munis d'une interface de communication pour des applications du smart grid commencent a apparaitre sur le marche. Ces appareils intelligents pourraient creer une communaute virtuelle pour optimiser leurs consommations d'une facon distribuee. La gestion distribuee de ces charges intelligentes necessite la communication entre un grand nombre d'equipements electriques. Ceci represente un defi important a relever surtout si on ne veut pas augmenter le cout de l'infrastructure et de la maintenance. Lors de cette these deux systemes distincts ont ete concus : un systeme de communication peer-to-peer, appele Ring-Tree, permettant la communication entre un nombre important de noeuds (jusqu'a de l'ordre de grandeur du million) tel que des appareils electriques communicants et une technique distribuee de gestion de la charge sur le reseau electrique. Le systeme de communication Ring-Tree inclut une nouvelle topologie reseau qui n'a jamais ete definie ou exploitee auparavant. Il inclut egalement des algorithmes pour la creation, l'exploitation et la maintenance de ce reseau. Il est suffisamment simple pour etre mis en oeuvre sur des controleurs associes aux dispositifs tels que des chauffe-eaux, chauffage a accumulation, bornes de recharges electriques, etc. Il n'utilise pas un serveur centralise (ou tres peu, seulement lorsqu'un noeud veut rejoindre le reseau). Il offre une solution distribuee qui peut etre mise en oeuvre sans deploiement d'une infrastructure autre que les controleurs sur les dispositifs vises. Finalement, un temps de reponse de quelques secondes pour atteindre 1'ensemble du reseau peut etre obtenu, ce qui est suffisant pour les besoins des applications visees. Les protocoles de communication s'appuient sur un protocole de transport qui peut etre un de ceux utilises sur l'Internet comme TCP ou UDP. Pour valider le fonctionnement de de la technique de controle distribuee et le systeme de communiction Ring-Tree, un simulateur a ete developpe; un modele de chauffe-eau, comme exemple de charge, a ete integre au simulateur. La simulation d'une communaute de chauffe-eaux intelligents a montre que la technique de gestion de la charge combinee avec du stockage d'energie sous forme thermique permet d'obtenir, sans affecter le confort de l'utilisateur, des profils de consommation varies dont un profil de consommation uniforme qui represente un facteur de charge de 100%. Mots-cles : Algorithme Distribue, Demand Response, Gestion de la Charge Electrique, M2M (Machine-to-Machine), P2P (Peer-to-Peer), Reseau Electrique Intelligent, Ring-Tree, Smart Grid

  14. Direct versus indirect actions of ghrelin on hypothalamic NPY neurons.

    PubMed

    Hashiguchi, Hiroshi; Sheng, Zhenyu; Routh, Vanessa; Gerzanich, Volodymyr; Simard, J Marc; Bryan, Joseph

    2017-01-01

    Assess direct versus indirect action(s) of ghrelin on hypothalamic NPY neurons. Electrophysiology was used to measure ion channel activity in NPY-GFP neurons in slice preparations. Ca2+ imaging was used to monitor ghrelin activation of isolated NPY GFP-labeled neurons. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize Trpm4, SUR1 and Kir6.2 in the hypothalamus. Acylated ghrelin depolarized the membrane potential (MP) of NPY-GFP neurons in brain slices. Depolarization resulted from a decreased input resistance (IR) in ~70% of neurons (15/22) or an increased IR in the remainder (7/22), consistent with the opening or closing of ion channels, respectively. Although tetrodotoxin (TTX) blockade of presynaptic action potentials reduced ghrelin-induced changes in MP and IR, ghrelin still significantly depolarized the MP and decreased IR in TTX-treated neurons, suggesting that ghrelin directly opens cation channel(s) in NPY neurons. In isolated NPY-GFP neurons, ghrelin produced a sustained rise of [Ca2+]c, with an EC50 ~110 pM. Pharmacologic studies confirmed that the direct action of ghrelin was through occupation of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHS-R, and demonstrated the importance of the adenylate cyclase/cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) and phospholipase C/inositol triphosphate (PLC/IP3) pathways as activators of 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Activation of isolated neurons was not affected by CNQX or TTX, but reducing [Na+]o suppressed activation, suggesting a role for Na+-permeable cation channels. SUR1 and two channel partners, Kir6.2 and Trpm4, were identified immunologically in NPY-GFP neurons in situ. The actions of SUR1 and Trpm4 modulators were informative: like ghrelin, diazoxide, a SUR1 agonist, elevated [Ca2+]c and glibenclamide, a SUR1 antagonist, partially suppressed ghrelin action, while 9-phenanthrol and flufenamic acid, selective Trpm4 antagonists, blocked ghrelin actions on isolated neurons. Ghrelin activation was unaffected by nifedipine and ω-conotoxin, inhibitors of L- and N-type Ca2+ channels, respectively, while Ni2+, mibefradil, and TTA-P2 completely or partially inhibited ghrelin action, implicating T-type Ca2+ channels. Activation was also sensitive to a spider toxin, SNX-482, at concentrations selective for R-type Ca2+ channels. Nanomolar concentrations of GABA markedly inhibited ghrelin-activation of isolated NPY-GFP neurons, consistent with chronic suppression of ghrelin action in vivo. NPY neurons express all the molecular machinery needed to respond directly to ghrelin. Consistent with recent studies, ghrelin stimulates presynaptic inputs that activate NPY-GFP neurons in situ. Ghrelin can also directly activate a depolarizing conductance. Results with isolated NPY-GFP neurons suggest the ghrelin-activated, depolarizing current is a Na+ conductance with the pharmacologic properties of SUR1/Trpm4 non-selective cation channels. In the isolated neuron model, the opening of SUR1/Trpm4 channels activates T- and SNX482-sensitive R-type voltage dependent Ca2+ channels, which could contribute to NPY neuronal activity in situ.

  15. Atomistic Conversion Reaction Mechanism of WO 3 in Secondary Ion Batteries of Li, Na, and Ca

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

    He, Yang; Gu, Meng; Xiao, Haiyan

    2016-04-13

    Reversible insertion and extraction of ionic species into a host lattice governs the basic operating principle for both rechargeable battery (such as lithium batteries) and electrochromic devices (such as ANA Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner electrochromic window). Intercalation and/or conversion are two fundamental chemical processes for some materials in response to the ion insertion. The interplay between these two chemical processes has never been established. It is speculated that the conversion reaction is initiated by ion intercalation. However, experimental evidence of intercalation and subsequent conversion remains unexplored. Here, using in situ HRTEM and spectroscopy, we captured the atomistic conversion reaction processes duringmore » lithium, sodium and calcium ion insertion into tungsten trioxide (WO3) single crystal model electrodes. An intercalation step right prior to conversion is explicitly revealed at atomic scale for the first time for these three ion species. Combining nanoscale diffraction and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, it is found that, beyond intercalation, the inserted ion-oxygen bonding formation destabilized the transition-metal framework which gradually shrunk, distorted and finally collapsed to a pseudo-amorphous structure. This study provides a full atomistic picture on the transition from intercalation to conversion, which is of essential for material applications in both secondary ion batteries and electrochromic devices.« less

  16. Direct conversion technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Massier, P. F.; Bankston, C. P.; Fabris, G.; Kirol, L. D.

    1988-01-01

    The overall objective of the Direct Conversion Technology task is to develop an experimentally verified technology base for promising direct thermal-to-electric energy conversion systems that have potential application for energy conservation in the end-use sectors. This report contains progress of research on the Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converter (AMTEC), and on the Two-Phase Liquid-Metal MHD Electrical Generator (LMMHD) for the period January 1988 through December 1988. Research on these concepts was initiated during October 1987. In addition, status reviews and assessments are presented for thermomagnetic converter concepts and for thermoelastic converters (Nitinol heat engines). Reports prepared on previous occasions contain discussions on the following other direct conversion concepts: thermoelectric, pyroelectric, thermionic thermophotovoltaic and thermoacoustic; and also, more complete discussions of AMTEC and LMMHD systems. A tabulated summary of the various systems which have been reviewed thus far has been prepared. Some of the important technical research needs are listed and a schematic of each system is shown.

  17. Jet-conversion photons from an anisotropic quark-gluon plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharya, Lusaka; Roy, Pradip

    2010-10-01

    We calculate the pT distributions of jet-conversion photons from a quark-gluon plasma with pre-equilibrium momentum-space anisotropy. A phenomenological model has been used for the time evolution of the hard momentum scale phard(τ) and anisotropy parameter ξ(τ). As a result of pre-equilibrium momentum-space anisotropy, we find significant modification of the jet-conversion photon pT distribution. For example, with fixed initial condition pre-equilibrium anisotropy, we predict a significant enhancement of the jet-photon pT distribution in the entire region, whereas for pre-equilibrium anisotropy with fixed final multiplicity (FFM), suppression of the jet-conversion photon pT distribution is observed. The results with FFM (as it is the most realistic situation) have been compared with high pT PHENIX photon data. It is found that the data are reproduced well if the isotropization time lies within 1.5 fm/c.

  18. Mode conversion in cold low-density plasma with a sheared magnetic field

    DOE PAGES

    Dodin, I. Y.; Ruiz, D. E.; Kubo, S.

    2017-12-19

    Here, a theory is proposed that describes mutual conversion of two electromagnetic modes in cold low-density plasma, specifically, in the high-frequency limit where the ion response is negligible. In contrast to the classic (Landau–Zener-type) theory of mode conversion, the region of resonant coupling in low-density plasma is not necessarily narrow, so the coupling matrix cannot be approximated with its first-order Taylor expansion; also, the initial conditions are set up differently. For the case of strong magnetic shear, a simple method is identified for preparing a two-mode wave such that it transforms into a single-mode wave upon entering high-density plasma. Themore » theory can be used for reduced modeling of wave-power input in fusion plasmas. In particular, applications are envisioned in stellarator research, where the mutual conversion of two electromagnetic modes near the plasma edge is a known issue.« less

  19. Mode conversion in cold low-density plasma with a sheared magnetic field

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

    Dodin, I. Y.; Ruiz, D. E.; Kubo, S.

    Here, a theory is proposed that describes mutual conversion of two electromagnetic modes in cold low-density plasma, specifically, in the high-frequency limit where the ion response is negligible. In contrast to the classic (Landau–Zener-type) theory of mode conversion, the region of resonant coupling in low-density plasma is not necessarily narrow, so the coupling matrix cannot be approximated with its first-order Taylor expansion; also, the initial conditions are set up differently. For the case of strong magnetic shear, a simple method is identified for preparing a two-mode wave such that it transforms into a single-mode wave upon entering high-density plasma. Themore » theory can be used for reduced modeling of wave-power input in fusion plasmas. In particular, applications are envisioned in stellarator research, where the mutual conversion of two electromagnetic modes near the plasma edge is a known issue.« less

  20. Free-radical solution-polymerization of trifluoronitrosomethane with tetrafluoroethylene

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gdickman, S. A.

    1972-01-01

    Heavy-walled glass reactor, equipped with aerosol-compatible couplings and needle valve and charged with solvent and initiator, is utilized for polymerization. Polymer conversions and reactor/vessel operation are discussed.

  1. Finding Their Voice: Country Music Television and Appalachian Community Colleges Empower Communities to Overcome Economic Hardship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boerner, Heather

    2015-01-01

    This article describes how out-of-work miners are engaged in the Empowering Education Initiative, a unique alliance between Country Music Television (CMT) and community colleges in Appalachia. The initiative, which includes a website and a series of country music concerts, is changing the conversation in the Appalachian region, giving hope to…

  2. End-of-life conversations and care: an asset-based model for community engagement.

    PubMed

    Matthiesen, Mary; Froggatt, Katherine; Owen, Elaine; Ashton, John R

    2014-09-01

    Public awareness work regarding palliative and end-of-life care is increasingly promoted within national strategies for palliative care. Different approaches to undertaking this work are being used, often based upon broader educational principles, but little is known about how to undertake such initiatives in a way that equally engages both the health and social care sector and the local communities. An asset-based community engagement approach has been developed that facilitates community-led awareness initiatives concerning end-of-life conversations and care by identifying and connecting existing skills and expertise. (1) To describe the processes and features of an asset-based community engagement approach that facilitates community-led awareness initiatives with a focus on end-of-life conversations and care; and (2) to identify key community-identified priorities for sustainable community engagement processes. An asset-based model of community engagement specific to end-of-life issues using a four-step process is described (getting started, coming together, action planning and implementation). The use of this approach, in two regional community engagement programmes, based across rural and urban communities in the northwest of England, is described. The assets identified in the facilitated community engagement process encompassed people's talents and skills, community groups and networks, government and non-government agencies, physical and economic assets and community values and stories. Five priority areas were addressed to ensure active community engagement work: information, outreach, education, leadership and sustainability. A facilitated, asset-based approach of community engagement for end-of-life conversations and care can catalyse community-led awareness initiatives. This occurs through the involvement of community and local health and social care organisations as co-creators of this change across multiple sectors in a sustainable way. This approach provides a framework for other communities seeking to engage with public awareness in end-of-life issues. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  3. Using liquid waste streams as the moisture source during the hydrothermal carbonization of municipal solid wastes.

    PubMed

    Li, Liang; Hale, McKenzie; Olsen, Petra; Berge, Nicole D

    2014-11-01

    Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is a thermal conversion process that can be an environmentally beneficial approach for the conversion of municipal solid wastes to value-added products. The influence of using activated sludge and landfill leachate as initial moisture sources during the carbonization of paper, food waste and yard waste over time at 250°C was evaluated. Results from batch experiments indicate that the use of activated sludge and landfill leachate are acceptable alternative supplemental liquid sources, ultimately imparting minimal impact on carbonization product characteristics and yields. Regression results indicate that the initial carbon content of the feedstock is more influential than any of the characteristics of the initial liquid source and is statistically significant when describing the relationship associated with all evaluated carbonization products. Initial liquid-phase characteristics are only statistically significant when describing the solids energy content and the mass of carbon in the gas-phase. The use of these alternative liquid sources has the potential to greatly increase the sustainability of the carbonization process. A life cycle assessment is required to quantify the benefits associated with using these alternative liquid sources. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Autre cause de mort subite du nourrisson: à propos d'un cas clinique de syndrome du QT long congenital

    PubMed Central

    Seka, Zena; Mols, Pierre; Gobin, Eric; Ngatchou, William

    2014-01-01

    Le syndrome du QT long congénital est une maladie rythmique liée à une mutation génétique et caractérisée par un espace QT allongé sur l’électrocardiogramme, des arythmies malignes type torsade de pointe et fibrillation ventriculaire entraînant une mort subite. Les gènes impliqués dans ces mutations codent pour des sous unités des canaux ioniques responsables de l'activité électrique cardiaque. Le diagnostic est basé sur l’électrocardiogramme, une enquête familiale et l’étude génétique. Le traitement repose sur les bêtabloquants, la sympathectomie et le stimulateur cardiaque. Nous rapportons le cas d'un nourrisson de 2 ans retrouvé en état de mort apparente. Nous discutons de sa prise en charge initiale, de l'enquête familiale et de son suivi ultérieur. PMID:25667708

  5. Etude de l'influence de la temperature et de l'humidite sur les proprietes mecaniques en traction des fibres de chanvre et de coco

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho Thi, Thu Nga

    L'objectif de cette etude fut d'etablir l'effet de l'humidite et de la temperature sur la resistance en traction et le module elastique des fibres de chanvre et de coco. Deux etudes ont ete realisees afin d'atteindre cet objectif. La premiere vise l'absorption de l'humidite dans ces fibres en exposition dans l'air (de 0%RH a 80%RH) ainsi que l'absorption de l'eau dans ces fibres immergees dans l'eau aux differentes temperatures. La deuxieme consiste a mesurer la resistance en traction et le module elastique de ces fibres sous differentes conditions d'humidite et de temperature. En basant sur les resultats experimentaux obtenus, les methodes semi empiriques et de reseaux de neurones ont ete utilisees pour but de predire les proprietes en traction (resistance et module d'elasticite) des fibres de chanvre et de coco sous l'influence de l'humidite et de la temperature.

  6. Insulinome de haut grade découvert après 5 ans d’hypoglycémies graves

    PubMed Central

    Anoun, Nadia; Hasnaoui, Hamza; Hassani, Firdaous Ameziane; Idrissi, Mehdi Bourakkadi; Ousadden, Abdelmalek; Ouahabi, Hanan El; Taleb, Khalid Ait

    2017-01-01

    Les tumeurs endocrines fonctionnelles du pancréas sont des lésions rares, parmi lesquelles les insulinomes sont les plus fréquents. La majorité des patients atteints d'insulinome ont entre 30 et 60 ans et 59% d'entre eux sont des femmes. La plupart des insulinomes sont sporadiques, alors que 10% sont développés chez des patients atteints de NEM. Le diagnostic repose sur la clinique et sur le bilan biologique. Le bilan d'imagerie préopératoire (Echo-endoscopie, TDM, IRM) est essentiel localisant la tumeur dans plus de 80% des cas. Le traitement de référence est l'exérèse chirurgicale de la tumeur. Nous rapportons ici un cas d'insulinome de haut grade développé sur la face antérieure de la queue du pancréas chez une patiente de 50 ans. PMID:28979651

  7. L’érysipèle sur cicatrice post opératoire en traumatologie: à propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature

    PubMed Central

    Abid, Hatim; El Idrissi, Mohamed; Shimi, Mohamed; El Ibrahimi, Abdelhalim; El Mrini, Abdelmajid; Amraoui, Nissrine; Mernissi, Fatima Zohra

    2015-01-01

    L’érysipèle sur cicatrice post opératoire est une entité rare, décrite principalement chez des patients présentant les facteurs de risque classiques de la maladie au niveau des sites de veinectomie pour pontage coronarien. En traumatologie orthopédie, nous n'avons que les 3 cas rapportés dans le travail de Dhrif survenus au décours d'une implantation prothétique chez des malades à risque. Nous présentons à travers cet article, le cas d'un érysipèle post opératoire sur une cicatrice d'ostéosynthèse d'une fracture fermée du pilon tibial, ayant la particularité du terrain et des circonstances de survenues, pour enfin conclure aux principes de la prévention primaire à adopter. PMID:26401204

  8. Yarn supplier selection using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and standardized unitless rating (SUR) method on textile industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erfaisalsyah, M. H.; Mansur, A.; Khasanah, A. U.

    2017-11-01

    For a company which engaged in the textile field, specify the supplier of raw materials for production is one important part of supply chain management which can affect the company's business processes. This study aims to identify the best suppliers of raw material suppliers of yarn for PC. PKBI based on several criteria. In this study, the integration between the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Standardized Unitless Rating (SUR) are used to assess the performance of the suppliers. By using AHP, it can be known the value of the relative weighting of each criterion. While SUR shows the sequence performance value of the supplier. The result of supplier ranking calculation can be used to know the strengths and weaknesses of each supplier based on its performance criteria. From the final result, it can be known which suppliers should improve their performance in order to create long term cooperation with the company.

  9. Modelisation des emissions de particules microniques et nanometriques en usinage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khettabi, Riad

    La mise en forme des pieces par usinage emet des particules, de tailles microscopiques et nanometriques, qui peuvent etre dangereuses pour la sante. Le but de ce travail est d'etudier les emissions de ces particules pour fins de prevention et reduction a la source. L'approche retenue est experimentale et theorique, aux deux echelles microscopique et macroscopique. Le travail commence par des essais permettant de determiner les influences du materiau, de l'outil et des parametres d'usinage sur les emissions de particules. E nsuite un nouveau parametre caracterisant les emissions, nomme Dust unit , est developpe et un modele predictif est propose. Ce modele est base sur une nouvelle theorie hybride qui integre les approches energetiques, tribologiques et deformation plastique, et inclut la geometrie de l'outil, les proprietes du materiau, les conditions de coupe et la segmentation des copeaux. Il ete valide au tournage sur quatre materiaux: A16061-T6, AISI1018, AISI4140 et fonte grise.

  10. Regard sur les lazarets en terre canadienne

    PubMed Central

    Milot, Jean

    2008-01-01

    Puisant dans les nombreuses références qu’offrent les publications médicales canadiennes du milieu du XIXe siècle à nos jours, l’auteur fait découvrir l’existence de lazarets en terre canadienne, décrit l’impact de la maladie sur les conditions vie des lépreux qui y étaient confinés et en souligne les contrecoups tant sur le plan physique et psychologique que social. Il présente un bref aperçu de la maladie, ses symptômes, ses signes ainsi que ses complications oculaires et rappelle les premiers moyens thérapeutiques à base d’huile de chaulmoogra introduits dans la colonie de Tracadie vers 1901. Il illustre son propos en évoquant la vie dans les lazarets de l’île de Sheldrake (1844–1848) et de Tracadie (1848–1965) au Nouveau-Brunswick, puis dans ceux des îles D’Arcy (1891–1924) et de Bentinck (1924–1957) en Colombie-Britannique. PMID:19352451

  11. Multi-scale monitoring of a remarkable green roof: the Green Wave of Champs-sur-Marne

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stanic, Filip; Versini, Pierre-Antoine; Schertzer, Daniel; Delage, Pierre; Tchiguirinskaia, Ioulia; Cui, Yu-Jun; Baudoin, Genevieve

    2017-04-01

    The installation of green infrastructures on existing or new roofs has become very popular in recent years (more than 2 km2 of green roofs is implemented each year in France) for many reasons. Among all of the green roofs' advantages, those related to storm water management are often pushed forward, since it has been pointed out that urban runoff peak can be significantly reduced and delayed thanks to the green roofs' retention and detention capabilities. Microclimate can also be affected by decreasing the temperature in the surrounding green area. However, dynamic physical processes involved in green roofs are highly non linear and variable. In order to accurately assess their performances, detailed monitoring experiments are required, both in situ and in the lab, so as to better understand the thermo-hydric behaviour of green roofs and to capture the related spatio-temporal variability at different scales. Based on these considerations, the 1 ha area wavy-form green roof of a section of the Bienvenüe building, called the Green Wave, is currently being monitored in Champs-sur-Marne (France), in front of Ecole des Ponts ParisTech. Initiated in the "Blue Green Dream" European project, detailed measurements systems have been implemented for studying all components of the water balance. Among others, a wireless network of water content and temperature sensors has been especially installed for characterizing spatial and temporal variability of infiltration, retention and evapotranspiration processes. In parallel, some laboratory tests have been conducted to better characterize the hydro-mechanical properties of the substrate. Moreover, at the Green Wave scale, some discharge measurements are carried out in the storm-water pipes that are collecting drained water, to determine runoff flow. This talk will present the current monitoring campaigns and analyze the data collected in the Universal Multifractal framework. This work represents the initial stage for developing a model capable to simulate reliable hydrological responses of different kinds of green roofs. Such a tool could be used to quantify hydrological impacts and interfere with the stormwater policies at the lot scale.

  12. Challenges and opportunities for implementing sustainable energy strategies in coastal communities of Baja California Sur, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Etcheverry, Jose R.

    This dissertation explores the potential of renewable energy and efficiency strategies to solve the energy challenges faced by the people living in the biosphere reserve of El Vizcaino, which is located in the North Pacific region of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. This research setting provides a practical analytical milieu to understand better the multiple problems faced by practitioners and agencies trying to implement sustainable energy solutions in Mexico. The thesis starts with a literature review (chapter two) that examines accumulated international experience regarding the development of renewable energy projects as a prelude to identifying the most salient implementation barriers impeding this type of initiatives. Two particularly salient findings from the literature review include the importance of considering gender issues in energy analysis and the value of using participatory research methods. These findings informed fieldwork design and the analytical framework of the dissertation. Chapter three surveys electricity generation as well as residential and commercial electricity use in nine coastal communities located in El Vizcaino. Chapter three summarizes the fieldwork methodology used, which relies on a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods that aim at enabling a gender-disaggregated analysis to describe more accurately local energy uses, needs, and barriers. Chapter four describes the current plans of the state government, which are focused in expanding one of the state's diesel-powered electricity grids to El Vizcaino. The Chapter also examines the potential for replacing diesel generators with a combination of renewable energy systems and efficiency measures in the coastal communities sampled. Chapter five analyzes strategies to enable the implementation of sustainable energy approaches in El Vizcaino. Chapter five highlights several international examples that could be useful to inform organizational changes at the federal and state level aimed at fostering renewable energy and efficiency initiatives that enhance energy security, protect the environment, and also increase economic opportunities in El Vizcaino and elsewhere in Mexico. Chapter six concludes the thesis by providing: a summary of all key findings, a broad analysis of the implications of the research, and an overview of future lines of inquiry.

  13. Traitement de surface par explosif du cuivre polycristallin : caractérisation microstructurale et comportement en fatigue plastique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerland, M.; Dufour, J. P.; Presles, H. N.; Violan, P.; Mendez, J.

    1991-10-01

    A new surface treatment technique with a primary explosive deposited in thin layer was applied to a polycrystalline pure copper. After treatment, surface roughness remains of high quality especially when compared to shot peened surfaces. The treated zone extends over several hundreds microns in depth and the microhardness profile exhibits a significant increasing of hardness with a maximum reaching 100% at the surface. The transmission electron microscopy shows a microstructure which changes with depth : below the surface, there is a thin recrystallized layer with very small grains followed by a region with numerous mechanical twins the density of which decreases when depth increases. Tested in fatigue with a constant plastic strain amplitude, the treated copper specimens exhibit a strong hardening from the first cycles compared to the untreated specimen ; however this initial hardening erases after 2% of the fatigue life. The fatigue resistance is not modified by the treatment. Une nouvelle technique de traitement de surface à l'aide d'un explosif primaire déposé en couche mince a été utilisée sur du cuivre pur polycristallin. L'état de surface après traitement reste de très bonne qualité, surtout comparé aux surfaces grenaillées. La zone traitée s'étend sur une profondeur de quelques centaines de microns et le profil de microdureté montre une importante augmentation de dureté avec un maximum en surface pouvant atteindre 100%. La micrcrostructure, observée par microscopie électronique en transmission, est caractérisée par une fine recristallisation en surface, puis par un abondant maclage dont la densité décroît lorsque la profondeur augmente. Testé en fatigue à déformation plastique imposée, le cuivre traité présente un fort écrouissage initial dès les premiers cycles, mais qui s'efface progressivement au cours du cyclage après 2% de la durée de vie, cette dernière n'étant pas modifiée par le traitement.

  14. A synergetic approach for estimating the local direct aerosol forcing: Application to an urban zone during the Expérience sur Site pour Contraindre les Modèles de Pollution et de Transport d'Emission (ESCOMPTE) experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roger, J. C.; Mallet, M.; Dubuisson, P.; Cachier, H.; Vermote, E.; Dubovik, O.; Despiau, S.

    2006-07-01

    A method dedicated to the investigation of direct radiative forcing of the main anthropogenic aerosol species (ammonium sulfate, black carbon, particulate organic matter) is presented. We computed the direct radiative aerosol forcing at the top of atmosphere (TOA), at the bottom of atmosphere (BOA), and into the atmospheric layer (ATM). The methodology is based on chemical, photometric, and satellite measurements. We first determined the optical properties of the main aerosol species and then computed their direct radiative impact at local scale. The method was applied to a periurban zone during the Expérience sur Site pour Contraindre les Modèles de Pollution et de Transport d'Emission experiment. Optical computations indicate that the single scattering albedo, for the total aerosol population in the external mixture, is equal to 0.83 ± 0.04 at 550 nm, indicative of a strong absorption of the solar radiation. At the same time the mean asymmetry parameter is equal to 0.59 ± 0.04, and the mean aerosol optical thickness is equal to 0.30 ± 0.02, at 550 nm. The anthropogenic urban aerosol layer reduces significantly the daily surface illumination (-24 W m-2 > ΔFBOA > -47.5 W m-2) by reflection to space (-6 W m-2 > ΔFTOA > -9 W m-2) and by absorption of the solar radiation into the atmosphere (17 W m-2 < ΔFATM < 39 W m-2). The available resulting energy in the atmospheric column heats the lowermost part of the atmosphere from 1.1°K d-1 to 2.8°K d-1. Our study shows that the black carbon particles have a large contribution to the BOA forcing (almost 50% of the total daily forcing), whereas the ammonium sulfate particles contribute only to about 10%. Conversely, the TOA daily forcing is mostly driven by the ammonium sulfate aerosol (around 50%).

  15. Poly(n-hexyl methacrylate) polymerization in three-component microemulsion stabilized by a cationic surfactant.

    PubMed

    Katime, Issa; Arellano, Jesús; Schulz, Pablo

    2006-04-15

    The polymerization of n-hexyl methacrylate (n-HMA) in three-component microemulsion stabilized with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) is reported as a function of monomer and initiator concentrations and temperature. The obtained latices were bluish, transparent, and translucent. Particle sizes and molar masses were on the order of 20 nm and 3 x 10(6) g/mol, respectively. In all cases, high reaction rates and final conversions of 98% were obtained. Polymerization temperature has a strong effect on reaction rate and conversion.

  16. Formation of fatty acids in photochemical conversions of saturated hydrocarbons

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Telegina, T. A.; Pavlovskaya, T. Y.; Ladyzhenskaya, A. I.

    1977-01-01

    Abiogenic synthesis of fatty acids was studied in photochemical conversions of saturated hydrocarbons. It was shown that, in a hydrocarbon water CaCO3 suspension, the action of 254 nm UV rays caused the formation of fatty acids with a maximum number of carbon atoms in the chain not exceeding that in the initial hydrocarbon. Synthesis of acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric, caproic, enanthic and caprylic (in the case of octane) acids occurs in heptane water CaCO3 and octane water CaCO3 systems.

  17. Conversion of alkanes to organoseleniums and organotelluriums

    DOEpatents

    Periana, Roy A.; Konnick, Michael M.; Hashiguchi, Brian G.

    2016-11-29

    The invention provides processes and materials for the efficient and costeffective functionalization of alkanes and heteroalkanes, comprising contacting the alkane or heteroalkane and a soft oxidizing electrophile comprising Se(VI) or Te(VI), in an acidic medium, optionally further comprising an aprotic medium, which can be carried out at a temperature of less than 300 C. Isolation of the alkylselenium or alkyltellurium intermediate allows the subsequent conversion to products not necessarily compatible with the initial reaction conditions, such as amines, stannanes, organosulfur compounds, acyls, halocarbons, and olefins.

  18. Kinetics of Scheelite Conversion in Sulfuric Acid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Leiting; Li, Xiaobin; Zhou, Qiusheng; Peng, Zhihong; Liu, Guihua; Qi, Tiangui; Taskinen, Pekka

    2018-02-01

    Complete conversion of scheelite in H2SO4 solution plays a key role in exploration of cleaner technology for producing ammonium paratungstate. In this work, the factors influencing scheelite conversion were investigated experimentally to model its kinetics. The results indicated that the conversion rate increases with increasing temperature and reducing particle size, but is almost independent of stirring speed. Moreover, although the conversion rate increases with increasing initial H2SO4 concentration (≤ 1.25 mol/L), it decreases rapidly at 1.5 mol/L H2SO4 after 10 min due to formation of a H2WO4 layer. The experimental data agree quite well with the shrinking core model under chemical reaction control in ≤ 1.25 mol/L H2SO4 solution, and the kinetic equation was established as: 1- ( 1- α )^{ 1 / 3} = 2 2 2 5 4 6. 6\\cdot C_{{{H}_{ 2} {SO}_{ 4} }}^{ 1. 2 2 6} \\cdot r_{ 0}^{ - 1} \\cdot e^{{ - 3 9 2 6 0/RT}} \\cdot t (t, min). This work could contribute to better understanding of scheelite conversion in H2SO4 solution and development of a new route for ammonium paratungstate production.

  19. IFN-γ release assay conversions and reversions. Challenges with serial testing in U.S. health care workers.

    PubMed

    Joshi, Manish; Monson, Thomas P; Joshi, Anita; Woods, Gail L

    2014-03-01

    IFN-γ release assays (IGRAs) including the QuantiFERON-TB gold in-tube test (QFT-GIT) are increasingly used in place of the tuberculin skin test (TST) in surveillance programs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in the United States. However, data on conversions, reversions, and predictive value of QFT in such programs for health care workers (HCWs) are limited. The purpose of this study is to assess long-term reproducibility and conversion and reversion rates of QFT-GIT among HCWs who underwent serial testing at a tertiary care center in the United States. Retrospective chart review of HCWs at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) who underwent serial testing with QFT-GIT as a part of their employee screening between November 1, 2008 and January 31, 2011. A total of 2,303 HCWs had at least 2 QFT-GITs 1 year apart. The initial QFT-GIT was positive for 69 and 2 were indeterminate. Of these 69 HCWs, 31 (45%) reverted on repeat testing, and 25 of 31 (80.6%) HCWs who reverted had a negative look-back TST. Of the 2,232 HCWs with an initial negative QFT-GIT, 71 (3.2%) converted on repeat testing. A third QFT-GIT assay was performed in 41 of the 71 converters and 90% (37 of 41) reverted back to negative. Only two HCWs had TST and QFT-GIT conversion. Poor IGRA reproducibility and a low predictive value of QFT-GIT conversions indicate that QFT-GIT with current interpretation criteria should not be used for serial screening of U.S. HCWs. Negative TSTs have higher reproducibility than QFT-GIT for serial testing of HCWs in low tuberculosis incidence settings.

  20. Préoccupations de carrière chez les médecins de travail des groupements de Médecine de travail en Tunisie

    PubMed Central

    Merchaoui, Irtyah; Chouchène, Asma; Bouanène, Ines; Chaari, Néila; Zrafi, Wassim; Henchi, Adnène; Akrout, Mohamed; Amri, Charfeddine

    2017-01-01

    Introduction L'insatisfaction de carrière des médecins de travail (MT) peut influencer leur performance et la qualité des prestations fournies. L'objectif de notre étude est d'évaluer la satisfaction au travail des MT du terrain de l'ensemble des Groupements de médecine de travail (GMT) de la Tunisie et préciser les facteurs déterminants. Méthodes Il s'agit d'une étude nationale transversale portant sur les MT de 22 GMT, basée sur le questionnaire, validé SAPHORA JOB. Résultats 58% des MT des GMT étaient insatisfaits de leur carrière. La satisfaction de carrière était statistiquement influencée par le nombre d'entreprises en charge (p=0,016), l'organisation du travail (p=0,010),le ressenti du métier (p=0,011),le salaire (p‹10-3) et l'information sur la réglementation en vigueur (p=0,047). Conclusion L'homogénéisation des grilles salariales et des échelons de carrière des MT des GMT basée sur une révision des textes législatifs est indiquée. L'amélioration de l'organisation et des conditions de travail peut permettre un épanouissement au travail et une amélioration des prestations. PMID:28819472

  1. Carbamazepine as a novel small molecule corrector of trafficking-impaired ATP-sensitive potassium channels identified in congenital hyperinsulinism.

    PubMed

    Chen, Pei-Chun; Olson, Erik M; Zhou, Qing; Kryukova, Yelena; Sampson, Heidi M; Thomas, David Y; Shyng, Show-Ling

    2013-07-19

    ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels consisting of sulfonylurea receptor 1 (SUR1) and the potassium channel Kir6.2 play a key role in insulin secretion by coupling metabolic signals to β-cell membrane potential. Mutations in SUR1 and Kir6.2 that impair channel trafficking to the cell surface lead to loss of channel function and congenital hyperinsulinism. We report that carbamazepine, an anticonvulsant, corrects the trafficking defects of mutant KATP channels previously identified in congenital hyperinsulinism. Strikingly, of the 19 SUR1 mutations examined, only those located in the first transmembrane domain of SUR1 responded to the drug. We show that unlike that reported for several other protein misfolding diseases, carbamazepine did not correct KATP channel trafficking defects by activating autophagy; rather, it directly improved the biogenesis efficiency of mutant channels along the secretory pathway. In addition to its effect on channel trafficking, carbamazepine also inhibited KATP channel activity. Upon subsequent removal of carbamazepine, however, the function of rescued channels was recovered. Importantly, combination of the KATP channel opener diazoxide and carbamazepine led to enhanced mutant channel function without carbamazepine washout. The corrector effect of carbamazepine on mutant KATP channels was also demonstrated in rat and human β-cells with an accompanying increase in channel activity. Our findings identify carbamazepine as a novel small molecule corrector that may be used to restore KATP channel expression and function in a subset of congenital hyperinsulinism patients.

  2. ‘What difference does it make?’ Finding evidence of the impact of mental health service user researchers on research into the experiences of detained psychiatric patients

    PubMed Central

    Gillard, Steven; Borschmann, Rohan; Turner, Kati; Goodrich‐Purnell, Norman; Lovell, Kathleen; Chambers, Mary

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background  Interest in the involvement of members of the public in health services research is increasingly focussed on evaluation of the impact of involvement on the research process and the production of knowledge about health. Service user involvement in mental health research is well‐established, yet empirical studies into the impact of involvement are lacking. Objective  To investigate the potential to provide empirical evidence of the impact of service user researchers (SURs) on the research process. Design  The study uses a range of secondary analyses of interview transcripts from a qualitative study of the experiences of psychiatric patients detained under the Mental Health Act (1983) to compare the way in which SURs and conventional university researchers (URs) conduct and analyse qualitative interviews. Results  Analyses indicated some differences in the ways in which service user‐ and conventional URs conducted qualitative interviews. SURs were much more likely to code (analyse) interview transcripts in terms of interviewees’ experiences and feelings, while conventional URs coded the same transcripts largely in terms of processes and procedures related to detention. The limitations of a secondary analysis based on small numbers of researchers are identified and discussed. Conclusions  The study demonstrates the potential to develop a methodologically robust approach to evaluate empirically the impact of SURs on research process and findings, and is indicative of the potential benefits of collaborative research for informing evidence‐based practice in mental health services. PMID:20536538

  3. Etude longitudinale de la névralgie cervico-brachiale dans le service de neurologie du CHU Gabriel Touré, Bamako (Mali)

    PubMed Central

    Maiga, Youssoufa; Fara, Amina Ahmed; Sogoba, Youssouf; Diango, Djibo; Diakite, Sara; Diallo, Mohamed; Ak, Hadiza; Diallo, Gangaly; Traore, Hamar Alassane

    2013-01-01

    Introduction La Névralgie Cervico-Brachiale (NCB) est une pathologie relativement fréquente dans la pratique courante. Elle est pourvoyeuse d'importants coûts médicaux et socio-économiques. Peu de données existent sur la NCB en Afrique. Méthodes Il s'agit d'une étude longitudinale, descriptive et prospective qui s'est déroulée du 1er novembre 2009 au 30 Août 2010 au CHU Gabriel Touré de Bamako, Mali. Elle a pour objectif d’étudier les caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques de la NCB. Le diagnostic à été strictement clinique, et la DN4 a permis de déterminer les caractéristiques de cette névralgie. L'intensité de la douleur a été évaluée par l’échelle verbale simple (EVS). L’échelle concis de la douleur et l’échelle HAD ont permis d’étudier l'impact de la douleur sur la qualité de vie des patients. Résultats La fréquence de la NCB est de 10,9%. Les ménagères sont les plus touchées, 21(40,4%). L’âge moyen des patients est de 48 ±7 ans. La tranche d’âge de 50-59 ans représente la classe modale. La douleur est à prédominance nocturne chez 75,0% des patients. Les décharges électriques sont la caractéristique principale soit 48,1% des patients et 57,7% malades présentent une douleur intense. Sur le plan topographique, la racine C7, est la plus atteinte soit 50,0%. Sur la qualité de la vie, 44,2% des malades présentent des troubles du sommeil. Sur le plan thérapeutique l’évolution a été favorable chez 78,8% des patients sous AINS, Tramadol et Amitriptilline. Conclusion otre travail à l'instar des études antérieures sur la NCB montre que cette pathologie reste une entité clinique relativement courante. Le pronostic généralement favorable est fonction d'un diagnostic précoce et d'une prise en charge adaptée. PMID:24648859

  4. Algorithmes de couplage RANS et ecoulement potentiel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gallay, Sylvain

    Dans le processus de developpement d'avion, la solution retenue doit satisfaire de nombreux criteres dans de nombreux domaines, comme par exemple le domaine de la structure, de l'aerodynamique, de la stabilite et controle, de la performance ou encore de la securite, tout en respectant des echeanciers precis et minimisant les couts. Les geometries candidates sont nombreuses dans les premieres etapes de definition du produit et de design preliminaire, et des environnements d'optimisations multidisciplinaires sont developpes par les differentes industries aeronautiques. Differentes methodes impliquant differents niveaux de modelisations sont necessaires pour les differentes phases de developpement du projet. Lors des phases de definition et de design preliminaires, des methodes rapides sont necessaires afin d'etudier les candidats efficacement. Le developpement de methodes ameliorant la precision des methodes existantes tout en gardant un cout de calcul faible permet d'obtenir un niveau de fidelite plus eleve dans les premieres phases de developpement du projet et ainsi grandement diminuer les risques associes. Dans le domaine de l'aerodynamisme, les developpements des algorithmes de couplage visqueux/non visqueux permettent d'ameliorer les methodes de calcul lineaires non visqueuses en methodes non lineaires prenant en compte les effets visqueux. Ces methodes permettent ainsi de caracteriser l'ecoulement visqueux sur les configurations et predire entre autre les mecanismes de decrochage ou encore la position des ondes de chocs sur les surfaces portantes. Cette these se focalise sur le couplage entre une methode d'ecoulement potentiel tridimensionnelle et des donnees de section bidimensionnelles visqueuses. Les methodes existantes sont implementees et leurs limites identifiees. Une methode originale est ensuite developpee et validee. Les resultats sur une aile elliptique demontrent la capacite de l'algorithme a de grands angles d'attaques et dans la region post-decrochage. L'algorithme de couplage a ete compare a des donnees de plus haute fidelite sur des configurations issues de la litterature. Un modele de fuselage base sur des relations empiriques et des simulations RANS a ete teste et valide. Les coefficients de portance, de trainee et de moment de tangage ainsi que les coefficients de pression extraits le long de l'envergure ont montre un bon accord avec les donnees de soufflerie et les modeles RANS pour des configurations transsoniques. Une configuration a geometrie hypersustentatoire a permis d'etudier la modelisation des surfaces hypersustentees de la methode d'ecoulement potentiel, demontrant que la cambrure peut etre prise en compte uniquement dans les donnees visqueuses.

  5. Effets des electrons secondaires sur l'ADN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boudaiffa, Badia

    Les interactions des electrons de basse energie (EBE) representent un element important en sciences des radiations, particulierement, les sequences se produisant immediatement apres l'interaction de la radiation ionisante avec le milieu biologique. Il est bien connu que lorsque ces radiations deposent leur energie dans la cellule, elles produisent un grand nombre d'electrons secondaires (4 x 104/MeV), qui sont crees le long de la trace avec des energies cinetiques initiales bien inferieures a 20 eV. Cependant, il n'y a jamais eu de mesures directes demontrant l'interaction de ces electrons de tres basse energie avec l'ADN, du principalement aux difficultes experimentales imposees par la complexite du milieu biologique. Dans notre laboratoire, les dernieres annees ont ete consacrees a l'etude des phenomenes fondamentaux induits par impact des EBE sur differentes molecules simples (e.g., N2, CO, O2, H2O, NO, C2H 4, C6H6, C2H12) et quelques molecules complexes dans leur phase solide. D'autres travaux effectues recemment sur des bases de l'ADN et des oligonucleotides ont montre que les EBE produisent des bris moleculaires sur les biomolecules. Ces travaux nous ont permis d'elaborer des techniques pour mettre en evidence et comprendre les interactions fondamentales des EBE avec des molecules d'interet biologique, afin d'atteindre notre objectif majeur d'etudier l'effet direct de ces particules sur la molecule d'ADN. Les techniques de sciences des surfaces developpees et utilisees dans les etudes precitees peuvent etre etendues et combinees avec des methodes classiques de biologie pour etudier les dommages de l'ADN induits par l'impact des EBE. Nos experiences ont montre l'efficacite des electrons de 3--20 eV a induire des coupures simple et double brins dans l'ADN. Pour des energies inferieures a 15 eV, ces coupures sont induites par la localisation temporaire d'un electron sur une unite moleculaire de l'ADN, ce qui engendre la formation d'un ion negatif transitoire dans un etat electronique dissociatif, cette localisation est suivie d'une fragmentation. A plus haute energie, la dissociation dipolaire (i.e., la formation simultanee d'un ion positif et negatif) et l'ionisation jouent un role important dans le dommage de l'ADN. L'ensemble de nos resultats permet d'expliquer les mecanismes de degradation de l'ADN par les EBE et d'obtenir des sections efficaces effectives des differents types de dommages.

  6. Instrumentation optique pour l'identification per-operatoire des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Montigny, Etienne

    Cette these traite du developpement d'instrumentation pour l'imagerie medicale optique. Ces travaux sont centres sur une application particuliere ; faciliter l'identification des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide et de la parathyroide. La thyroide est une glande situee dans le cou, attachee au larynx a la hauteur de la pomme d'Adam. Elle est entouree de plusieurs structures importantes : muscles, nerfs et glandes parathyroides. Ces dernieres controlent la calcemie et jouent donc un role essentiel dans le corps. Elles sont toutefois de petite taille et sont tres difficiles a distinguer du gras et des ganglions environnants. L'objectif principal de cette these est de developper une instrumentation basee sur la microscopie optique pour permettre l'identification des tissus : thyroide, parathyroide, gras et ganglions, durant les chirurgies. Les choix sont donc faits en fonction de cette application et du contexte specifique des mesures intra-operatoires sur des patients humains. Plusieurs modalites d'imagerie optique sont identifiees pour atteindre l'objectif : microscopie confocale en reflectance, tomographique par coherence optique, et mesure de l'autofluorescence des glandes parathyroides. Dans le but d'ameliorer leur compatibilite avec l'environnement clinique qui requiert stabilite dans le temps et resistance aux vibrations et aux conditions environnementales, ce projet se concentre sur les implementations miniaturisables et basees sur des fibres optiques. Pour implementer un systeme d'imagerie en fluorescence a balayage laser rapide, un systeme d'imagerie en fluorescence par encodage spectral est propose. Bien que l'utilisation de l'encodage spectral semble a priori incompatible avec le contraste en fluorescence, une implementation facile a realiser est proposee. Une seconde version du montage, compatible avec la clinique et facilitant le developpement d'un endoscope, est presentee. La preuve de principe de cette methode est faite a 1300nm, une longueur d'onde qui n'est pas appropriee pour la fluorescence intrinseque des parathyroides. Pour adresser cette lacune, une nouvelle source laser a balayage centree a 780nm a haute puissance (100mW) est montree. Ces developpements sont compatibles avec l'implementation de la microscopie confocale en reflectance identifiee pour l'identification des tissus durant les chirurgies de la thyroide. Cela permet de developper un montage combinant le contraste en reflectance et en fluorescence dans le meme instrument. La microscopie confocale en reflectance possede une tres grande resolution permettant l'examen au niveau cellulaire des tissus. Cette technique souffre toutefois d'un faible rapport signal sur bruit et d'un bruit de tavelure important, reduisant l'interpretabilite des images.

  7. Transplantation rénale au Maroc: l'hémodialysé et son entourage sont-ils suffisamment informés?

    PubMed Central

    Noto-Kadou-Kaza, Béfa; Sabi, Kossi Akomola; Imangue, Ghislain; Al-Torayhi, Mays Hadi; Amekoudi, Eyram Yoan Makafui; Tsevi, Claude Mawufemo; Zamd, Mohamed; Medkouri, Ghislaine; Benghanem, Mohamed Gharbi; Ramdani, Benyounes

    2014-01-01

    Introduction La transplantation rénale constitue le traitement idéal de l'insuffisance rénale chronique. Cependant il existe une insuffisance de donneurs contrairement aux receveurs dont le nombre ne cesse de s'accroitre. La méconnaissance de la transplantation par les hémodialysés et leur entourage pourrait être l'une des causes. Notre but était d’évaluer les connaissances et opinions de l'hémodialysé et de son entourage sur la transplantation rénale. Méthodes L'enquête menée en Aout 2013 avait inclus 83 hémodialysés de notre centre et 70 membres de leur entourage. Ils ont été soumis à un questionnaire qui portait sur les thèmes suivants: statut socio-économique, volonté d’être transplanté ou d’être donneur, avantages de la transplantation rénale, point de vue de la religion sur la transplantation. Aucun des individus interrogés n'avait jamais fait l'objet d'une transplantation ou d'un don d'organe. Résultats Parmi 83 hémodialysés on notait 49,4% de femmes avec une moyenne d’âge de 41,4±12 ans. Le niveau socio-économique bas représentait 66,7%. Le manque d'information chez était estimé à 62,7%. Seuls 41% se disaient être candidat à la transplantation rénale mais 12% seulement était inscrit sur la liste d'attente de greffe. La transplantation était estimée plus couteuse que l'hémodialyse par 50,6% des patients et seuls 71,1% estimaient qu'elle offrait une meilleure vie. Pour 20,5%, l'Islam s'opposerait au don cadavérique et pour 10,9% au don vivant. Parmi les 70 membres de l'entourage interrogé il y avait 56,8% de femmes; la moyenne d’âge était de 44,4±10,5 ans. Le niveau économique bas représentait 52,3%. Le manque d'information était estimé à 61,4%. Pour 56,8% la vie serait impossible avec un seul rein. Seuls 13,6% étaient inscrit sur le registre de don. Pour 45,5% l'Islam s'opposerait au don cadavérique. Conclusion Il importe d'intensifier la sensibilisation des hémodialysées et leur famille sur la transplantation rénale. PMID:25932078

  8. Parent-child communication and marijuana initiation: evidence using discrete-time survival analysis.

    PubMed

    Nonnemaker, James M; Silber-Ashley, Olivia; Farrelly, Matthew C; Dench, Daniel

    2012-12-01

    This study supplements existing literature on the relationship between parent-child communication and adolescent drug use by exploring whether parental and/or adolescent recall of specific drug-related conversations differentially impact youth's likelihood of initiating marijuana use. Using discrete-time survival analysis, we estimated the hazard of marijuana initiation using a logit model to obtain an estimate of the relative risk of initiation. Our results suggest that parent-child communication about drug use is either not protective (no effect) or - in the case of youth reports of communication - potentially harmful (leading to increased likelihood of marijuana initiation). Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Systems and methods for initializing a charging system

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

    Perisic, Milun; Ransonm, Ray M.; Kojouke, Lateef A.

    2017-09-26

    Systems and methods are provided for charging a battery. The system, for example, includes, but is not limited to a first interface configured to receive a voltage from an AC voltage source, a matrix conversion module comprising a plurality of switches electrically connected to the first interface and configured to provide a charging voltage to the battery, and a controller communicatively connected to the matrix conversion module, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a voltage of the battery, determine an angle of the AC voltage source to initiate charging of the battery based upon the voltage of the battery,more » and control the plurality of switches to provide the charging voltage to the battery between the determined angle of the AC voltage source and a subsequent zero-crossing of the AC voltage source.« less

  10. Virtual Training and Coaching of Health Behavior: Example from Mindfulness Meditation Training

    PubMed Central

    Hudlicka, Eva

    2014-01-01

    Objective Computer-based virtual coaches are increasingly being explored for patient education, counseling, and health behavior training and coaching. The objective of this research was to develop and evaluate a Virtual Mindfulness Coach for training and coaching in mindfulness meditation. Method The coach was implemented as an embodied conversational character, providing mindfulness training and coaching via mixed initiative, text-based, natural language dialogue with the student, and emphasizing affect-adaptive interaction. (The term ‘mixed initiative dialog’ refers to a human-machine dialogue where either can initiate a conversation or a change in the conversation topic.) Results Findings from a pilot evaluation study indicate that the coach-based training is more effective in helping students establish a regular practice than self-administered training using written and audio materials. The coached group also appeared to be in more advanced stages of change in terms of the transtheoretical model, and have a higher sense of self-efficacy regarding establishment of a regular mindfulness practice. Conclusion These results suggest that virtual coach-based training of mindfulness is both feasible, and potentially more effective, than a self-administered program. Of particular interest is the identification of the specific coach features that contribute to its effectiveness. Practice Implications Virtual coaches could provide easily-accessible and cost-effective customized training for a range of health behaviors. The affect-adaptive aspect of these coaches is particularly relevant for helping patients establish long-term behavior changes. PMID:23809167

  11. Virtual training and coaching of health behavior: example from mindfulness meditation training.

    PubMed

    Hudlicka, Eva

    2013-08-01

    Computer-based virtual coaches are increasingly being explored for patient education, counseling, and health behavior training and coaching. The objective of this research was to develop and evaluate a Virtual Mindfulness Coach for training and coaching in mindfulness meditation. The coach was implemented as an embodied conversational character, providing mindfulness training and coaching via mixed initiative, text-based, natural language dialog with the student, and emphasizing affect-adaptive interaction. (The term 'mixed initiative dialog' refers to a human-machine dialog where either can initiate a conversation or a change in the conversation topic.) Findings from a pilot evaluation study indicate that the coach-based training is more effective in helping students establish a regular practice than self-administered training using written and audio materials. The coached group also appeared to be in more advanced stages of change in terms of the transtheoretical model, and have a higher sense of self-efficacy regarding establishment of a regular mindfulness practice. These results suggest that virtual coach-based training of mindfulness is both feasible, and potentially more effective, than a self-administered program. Of particular interest is the identification of the specific coach features that contribute to its effectiveness. Virtual coaches could provide easily accessible and cost-effective customized training for a range of health behaviors. The affect-adaptive aspect of these coaches is particularly relevant for helping patients establish long-term behavior changes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Desired change in couples: gender differences and effects on communication.

    PubMed

    Heyman, Richard E; Hunt-Martorano, Ashley N; Malik, Jill; Slep, Amy M Smith

    2009-08-01

    Using a sample (N = 453) drawn from a representative sampling frame of couples who are married or living together and have a 3 to 7 year-old child, this study investigates (a) the amount and specific areas of change desired by men and women, (b) the relation between relationship adjustment and desired change; and (c) the ways in which partners negotiate change. On the Areas of Change Questionnaire, women compared with men, wanted greater increases in their partners' emotional and companionate behaviors, instrumental support, and parenting involvement; men wanted greater increases in sex. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Kenny, 1996), both men's and women's relationship adjustment predicted desired change (i.e., actor effects), over and above the effects of their partners' adjustment (i.e., partner effects); partner effects were not significant. Each couple was also observed discussing the man's and the woman's top desired change area. Both men and women behaved more positively during the partner-initiated conversations than during their own-initiated conversations. Women, compared with men, were more negative in their own and in their partners' conversations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Is “Huh?” a Universal Word? Conversational Infrastructure and the Convergent Evolution of Linguistic Items

    PubMed Central

    Dingemanse, Mark; Torreira, Francisco; Enfield, N. J.

    2013-01-01

    A word like Huh?–used as a repair initiator when, for example, one has not clearly heard what someone just said– is found in roughly the same form and function in spoken languages across the globe. We investigate it in naturally occurring conversations in ten languages and present evidence and arguments for two distinct claims: that Huh? is universal, and that it is a word. In support of the first, we show that the similarities in form and function of this interjection across languages are much greater than expected by chance. In support of the second claim we show that it is a lexical, conventionalised form that has to be learnt, unlike grunts or emotional cries. We discuss possible reasons for the cross-linguistic similarity and propose an account in terms of convergent evolution. Huh? is a universal word not because it is innate but because it is shaped by selective pressures in an interactional environment that all languages share: that of other-initiated repair. Our proposal enhances evolutionary models of language change by suggesting that conversational infrastructure can drive the convergent cultural evolution of linguistic items. PMID:24260108

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

    Weese, R K; Burnham, A K; Maienschein, J L

    Dimensional changes related to temperature cycling of the beta and delta polymorphs of HMX (octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine) are important for a variety of applications. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the beta and delta phases are measured and reported in this work over a temperature range of -20 C to 215 C. In addition, dimensional changes associated with the phase transition were measured, both through the transition and back down. Initially, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate back conversion of the delta phase to the beta phase polymorph. The most successful approach was first to measure the amount ofmore » the beta to delta conversion, then after a given cooling period a repeat analysis, to measure the heat consumed by a second pass through the beta to delta phase transition. In addition, TMA is used to measure the dimensional change of a 0.20-gram sample of HMX during its initial heating and then three days later during a 2nd heating. This HMX shows the beta to delta phase transition a second time, thereby confirming the back conversion from delta to beta phase HMX.« less

  15. Investigation of direct solar-to-microwave energy conversion techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chatterton, N. E.; Mookherji, T. K.; Wunsch, P. K.

    1978-01-01

    Identification of alternative methods of producing microwave energy from solar radiation for purposes of directing power to the Earth from space is investigated. Specifically, methods of conversion of optical radiation into microwave radiation by the most direct means are investigated. Approaches based on demonstrated device functioning and basic phenomenologies are developed. There is no system concept developed, that is competitive with current baseline concepts. The most direct methods of conversion appear to require an initial step of production of coherent laser radiation. Other methods generally require production of electron streams for use in solid-state or cavity-oscillator systems. Further development is suggested to be worthwhile for suggested devices and on concepts utilizing a free-electron stream for the intraspace station power transport mechanism.

  16. High repetition rate laser induced fluorescence applied to Surfatron Induced Plasmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Mullen, J. J. A. M.; Palomares, J. M.; Carbone, E. A. D.; Graef, W.; Hübner, S.

    2012-05-01

    The reaction kinetics in the excitation space of Ar and the conversion space of Ar-molecule mixtures are explored using a combination of high rep-rate YAG-Dye laser systems with a well defined and easily controllable Surfatron Induced Plasma set-up. Applying the method of Saturation Time Resolved Laser Induced Fluorescence (SaTiRe-LIF), we could trace excitation and conversion channels and determine rates of electron and heavy particle excitation kinetics. The time resolved density disturbances observed in the Ar excitation space, which are initiated by the laser, reveal the excitation channels and corresponding rates; responses of the molecular radiation in Ar-molecule mixtures corresponds to the presence of conversion processes induced by heavy particle excitation kinetics.

  17. The OAST space power program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bennett, Gary L.

    1991-01-01

    The NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) space power program was established to provide the technology base to meet power system requirements for future space missions, including the Space Station, earth orbiting spacecraft, lunar and planetary bases, and solar system exploration. The program spans photovoltaic energy conversion, chemical energy conversion, thermal energy conversion, power management, thermal management, and focused initiatives on high-capacity power, surface power, and space nuclear power. The OAST space power program covers a broad range of important technologies that will enable or enhance future U.S. space missions. The program is well under way and is providing the kind of experimental and analytical information needed for spacecraft designers to make intelligent decisions about future power system options.

  18. Concerns with AED conversion: comparison of patient and physician perspectives.

    PubMed

    Smith, Brien J; St Louis, Erik K; Stern, John M; Green, Chad; Bramley, Thomas

    2009-06-01

    When discussing AED conversion in the clinic, both the patient and physician perspectives on the goals and risks of this change are important to consider. To identify patient-reported and clinician-perceived concerns, a panel of epilepsy specialists was questioned about the topics discussed with patients and the clinician's perspective of patient concerns. Findings of a literature review of articles that report patient-expressed concerns regarding their epilepsy and treatment were also reviewed. Results showed that the specialist panel appropriately identified patient-reported concerns of driving ability, medication cost, seizure control, and medication side effects. Additionally, patient-reported concerns of independence, employment issues, social stigma, medication dependence, and undesirable cognitive effects are important to address when considering and initiating AED conversion.

  19. Mold heating and cooling microprocessor conversion. Final report

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

    Hoffman, D.P.

    Conversion of the microprocessors and software for the Mold Heating and Cooling (MHAC) pump package control systems was initiated to allow required system enhancements and provide data communications capabilities with the Plastics Information and Control System (PICS). The existing microprocessor-based control systems for the pump packages use an Intel 8088-based microprocessor board with a maximum of 64 Kbytes of program memory. The requirements for the system conversion were developed, and hardware has been selected to allow maximum reuse of existing hardware and software while providing the required additional capabilities and capacity. The new hardware will incorporate an Intel 80286-based microprocessormore » board with an 80287 math coprocessor, the system includes additional memory, I/O, and RS232 communication ports.« less

  20. Initial Assessment of U.S. Refineries for Purposes of Potential Bio-Based Oil Insertions

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

    Freeman, Charles J.; Jones, Susanne B.; Padmaperuma, Asanga B.

    2013-04-01

    In order to meet U.S. biofuel objectives over the coming decade the conversion of a broad range of biomass feedstocks, using diverse processing options, will be required. Further, the production of both gasoline and diesel biofuels will employ biomass conversion methods that produce wide boiling range intermediate oils requiring treatment similar to conventional refining processes (i.e. fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and hydrotreating). As such, it is widely recognized that leveraging existing U.S. petroleum refining infrastructure is key to reducing overall capital demands. This study examines how existing U.S. refining location, capacities and conversion capabilities match in geography and processing capabilitiesmore » with the needs projected from anticipated biofuels production.« less

  1. SPS energy conversion and power management workshop. Final report

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

    Not Available

    1980-06-01

    In 1977 a four year study, the concept Development and Evaluation Program, was initiated by the US Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. As part of this program, a series of peer reviews were carried out within the technical community to allow available information on SPS to be sifted, examined and, if need be, challenged. The SPS Energy Conversion and Power Management Workshop, held in Huntsville, Alabama, February 5 to 7, 1980, was one of these reviews. The results of studies in this particular field were presented to an audience of carefully selected scientists and engineers.more » This first report summarizes the results of that peer review. It is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of the subject. Rather, it is designed to look at the SPS energy conversion and power management options in breadth, not depth, to try to foresee any troublesome and/or potentially unresolvable problems and to identify the most promising areas for future research and development. Topics include photovoltaic conversion, solar thermal conversion, and electric power distribution processing and power management. (WHK)« less

  2. Chemical Conversion Pathways and Kinetic Modeling for the OH-Initiated Reaction of Triclosan in Gas-Phase

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xue; Zhang, Chenxi; Sun, Xiaomin; Kang, Lingyan; Zhao, Yan

    2015-01-01

    As a widely used antimicrobial additive in daily consumption, attention has been paid to the degradation and conversion of triclosan for a long time. The quantum chemistry calculation and the canonical variational transition state theory are employed to investigate the mechanism and kinetic property. Besides addition and abstraction, oxidation pathways and further conversion pathways are also considered. The OH radicals could degrade triclosan to phenols, aldehydes, and other easily degradable substances. The conversion mechanisms of triclosan to the polychlorinated dibenzopdioxin and furan (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are clearly illustrated and the toxicity would be strengthened in such pathways. Single radical and diradical pathways are compared to study the conversion mechanism of dichlorodibenzo dioxin (DCDD). Furthermore, thermochemistry is discussed in detail. Kinetic property is calculated and the consequent ratio of kadd/ktotal and kabs/ktotal at 298.15 K are 0.955 and 0.045, respectively. Thus, the OH radical addition reactions are predominant, the substitute position of OH radical on triclosan is very important to generate PCDD and furan, and biradical is also a vital intermediate to produce dioxin. PMID:25867482

  3. Transformation of Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 to Au133(SPh-tBu)52 Nanomolecules: Theoretical and Experimental Study.

    PubMed

    Nimmala, Praneeth Reddy; Theivendran, Shevanuja; Barcaro, Giovanni; Sementa, Luca; Kumara, Chanaka; Jupally, Vijay Reddy; Apra, Edoardo; Stener, Mauro; Fortunelli, Alessandro; Dass, Amala

    2015-06-04

    Ultrastable gold nanomolecule Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)60 upon etching with excess tert-butylbenzenethiol undergoes a core-size conversion and compositional change to form an entirely new core of Au133(SPh-tBu)52. This conversion was studied using high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry which shows that the core size conversion is initiated after 22 ligand exchanges, suggesting a relatively high stability of the Au144(SCH2CH2Ph)38(SPh-tBu)22 intermediate. The Au144 → Au133 core size conversion is surprisingly different from the Au144 → Au99 core conversion reported in the case of thiophenol, -SPh. Theoretical analysis and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that rigid p-tBu groups play a crucial role by reducing the cluster structural freedom, and protecting the cluster from adsorption of exogenous and reactive species, thus rationalizing the kinetic factors that stabilize the Au133 core size. This 144-atom to 133-atom nanomolecule's compositional change is reflected in optical spectroscopy and electrochemistry.

  4. INM Integrated Noise Model Version 2. Programmer’s Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-09-01

    cost, turnaround time, and system-dependent limitations. 3.2 CONVERSION PROBLEMS Item Item Item No. Desciption Category 1 BLOCK DATA Initialization IBM ...Restricted 2 Boolean Operations Differences Call Statement Parameters Extensions 4 Data Initialization IBM Restricted 5 ENTRY Differences 6 EQUIVALENCE...Machine Dependent 7 Format: A CDC Extension 8 Hollerith Strings IBM Restricted 9 Hollerith Variables IBM Restricted 10 Identifier Names CDC Extension

  5. A Survey of Serious Aircraft Accidents Involving Fatigue Fracture. Volume 2. Rotary-Wing Aircraft (Etude sur des Accidents Importants d’Avions du aux Effets des Fractures de Fatigue. Volume 2. Effets sur des Helicopteres).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-04-01

    Convention on International Civil Aviation, Second Edition , March 1966. 5. WORLD AIRLINE ACCIDENT SUMMARY. Civil Aviation Authority, (Great Britain...people who either provided information, or who suggested other sources of information for the current edition of this survey. E.M.R. Alexander Civil...Waverley, New Zealand. F-28C Tail rotor drive shaft. Fatigue strength reduc- ed by softened condition & surface decarbur- isation. AISA 4130 steel. Ref: NZ

  6. Transcendental Meditation

    ScienceCinema

    None

    2017-12-09

    K.Wallace, qui vient des Etats Unis, parle des effects physiologiques de la méditation transcendantale. Il a fait son bachelor en physique à l'Université de Los Angeles et son doctorat en physiologie aussi à Los Angeles, mais à l'Institut de Recherche sur le cerveau. Il travaille maintenat à Harvard Medical School ou il continue des recherches biochimiques et physiologiques sur l'application médicale de la méditation transcendantale. Il s'occupe principalement des maladies cardiaques et de hypertension artérielle.

  7. Map showing coastal cliff retreat rates along the Big Sur coast, Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hapke, Cheryl J.; Green, Krystal R.

    2004-01-01

    The average coastal cliff retreat rate along the Big Sur coast is 18 ? 6 cm/yr as measured over a 52-year time period. The erosion reference features measured as the cliff edge include the well-defined cliff edges common to marine terraces, slight breaks in the slope defining the upper edge of the active lower slope, and the road grade. Cliff erosion and retreat are focused in isolated erosion hotspots that account for most of the calculated average retreat.

  8. Securing Wireless Local Area Networks with GoC PKI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-10-01

    de réseau privé virtuel (RPV) sans fil sur un banc d’essai dans le laboratoire des Opérations d’information de réseau (OIR) pour des ...locaux sans fil (WLAN) dans les réseaux d’entreprise du gouvernement. Dans ce rapport, on présente les résultats de travaux complémentaires qui tirent...mutuelle, l’autorisation, la protection et l’intégrité des données, ainsi que la gestion et la diffusion des politiques sur les

  9. Advances in Techniques and Technologies for Air Vehicle Navigation and Guidance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-12-01

    sur l’automatisation nous amene a poser le probleme de linterface homme /machine non pas comme un sous-prob leme A trai ter en corol lai reA a automat i...conditions de la recherche (couverture nuageuse, temps de recalage allou6,... Zon. do ,rech.h (16ftIU) A~e (32-32) fig. 3 Fo’- L Illustration do Ia...itendue h une logique A valeurs continues sur [- l ,+Il. Ces valeurs de decision sont ensuite pondiries par 1’efficacild relative des critIres pour

  10. Border Environmental Education Resource Guide: Southern New Mexico, South Texas, Northern Chihuahua, Northern Coahuila, Northern Nuevo Leon, Northern Tamaulipas = Guia de Recursos de Educacion Ambiental en la Frontera: Sur de Nuevo Mexico, Sur de Texas, Norte de Chihuahua, Norte de Coahuila, Norte de Nuevo Leon, Norte de Tamaulipas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meissner, David, Comp.

    This guide provides educators and residents of the border with useful information about environmental education program offerings along the eastern half of the United States-Mexico border. The programs listed in the guide represent a broad range of educational efforts focused on understanding the environment and solving environmental problems in…

  11. Arctic Planning Scenarios: Scenario #1: Defence Scenario

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    scénarios pour la planification future et d’aider les commandements opérationnels dans leur interaction avec les autres centres d’opérations. Ce rapport...scénarios pour la planification future. Ce rapport présente l’un des scénarios, qui est axé sur une intervention centrée sur la défense. Résultats : Le...et d’autres personnes qui participent à la planification de la défense du Canada auront besoin d’un jeu complet de scénarios pour évaluer les

  12. 11he Final Report: Information Visualization and Management for Enhanced Domain Awareness in Maritime Security

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-01

    d’opérations interarmées de la région ( COIR ), il contient principalement de l’information sur la position et sur l’identité pertinente pour les...permet à diverses organisations maritimes (p. ex. les COIR et les centres des opérations de la sécurité maritime (COSM)) de mieux comprendre les...production de documents importants qui décrivent les besoins et le développement de technologies de visualisation de pointe. Portée : Les COIR peuvent

  13. Unacceptable treatment outcomes and associated factors among India's initial cohorts of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients under the revised national TB control programme (2007-2011): Evidence leading to policy enhancement.

    PubMed

    Parmar, Malik M; Sachdeva, Kuldeep Singh; Dewan, Puneet K; Rade, Kiran; Nair, Sreenivas A; Pant, Rashmi; Khaparde, Sunil D

    2018-01-01

    Globally, India has the world's highest burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) in India began in 2007 and nationwide coverage was achieved in early 2013. Poor initial microbiological outcomes under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) prompted detailed analysis. This is the first study on factors significantly associated with poor outcomes in MDR-TB patients treated under the RNTCP. To evaluate initial sputum culture conversion, culture reversion and final treatment outcomes among MDR-TB patients registered in India from 2007 to early 2011 who were treated with a standard 24-month regimen under daily-observed treatment. This is a retrospective cohort study. Clinical and microbiological data were abstracted from PMDT records. Initial sputum culture conversion, culture reversion and treatment outcomes were defined by country adaptation of the standard WHO definitions (2008). Cox proportional hazards modeling with logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression and adjusted odds ratio was used to evaluate factors associated with interim and final outcomes respectively, controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics. In the cohort of 3712 MDR-TB patients, 2735 (73.6%) had initial sputum culture conversion at 100 median days (IQR 92-125), of which 506 (18.5%) had culture reversion at 279 median days (IQR 202-381). Treatment outcomes were available for 2264 (60.9%) patients while 1448 (39.0%) patients were still on treatment or yet to have a definite outcome at the time of analysis. Of 2264 patients, 781 (34.5%) had treatment success, 644 (28.4%) died, 670 (29.6%) were lost to follow up, 169 (7.5%) experienced treatment failure or were changed to XDR-TB treatment. Factors significantly associated with either culture non-conversion, culture reversion and/or unfavorable treatment outcomes were baseline BMI < 18; ≥ seven missed doses in intensive phase (IP) and continuation phase (CP); cavitary disease; prior treatment episodes characterized by re-treatment regimen taken twice, longer duration and more episodes of treatment; any weight loss during treatment; males and additional resistance to first line drugs (Ethambutol, Streptomycin). In a subgroup of 104 MDR-TB patients, 62 (59.6%) had Ofloxacin resistance among whom only 25.8% had treatment success, half of the success (54.8%) seen in Ofloxacin sensitive patients. Baseline susceptibility to Ofloxacin (HR 2.04) and Kanamycin (HR 4.55) significantly doubled and quadrupled the chances for culture conversion respectively while baseline susceptibility to Ofloxacin (AOR 0.37) also significantly reduced the odds of unfavorable treatment outcomes (p value ≤0.05) in multinomial logistic regression model. India's initial MDR-TB patients' cohort treated under the RNTCP experienced poor treatment outcomes. To address the factors associated with poor treatment outcomes revealed in our study, a systematic multi-pronged approach would be needed. A series of policies and interventions have been developed to address these factors to improve DR-TB treatment outcomes and are being scaled-up in India.

  14. Unacceptable treatment outcomes and associated factors among India's initial cohorts of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients under the revised national TB control programme (2007–2011): Evidence leading to policy enhancement

    PubMed Central

    Sachdeva, Kuldeep Singh; Dewan, Puneet K.; Rade, Kiran; Nair, Sreenivas A.; Pant, Rashmi; Khaparde, Sunil D.

    2018-01-01

    Background Globally, India has the world’s highest burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Programmatic Management of Drug Resistant TB (PMDT) in India began in 2007 and nationwide coverage was achieved in early 2013. Poor initial microbiological outcomes under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) prompted detailed analysis. This is the first study on factors significantly associated with poor outcomes in MDR-TB patients treated under the RNTCP. Objective To evaluate initial sputum culture conversion, culture reversion and final treatment outcomes among MDR-TB patients registered in India from 2007 to early 2011 who were treated with a standard 24-month regimen under daily-observed treatment. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. Clinical and microbiological data were abstracted from PMDT records. Initial sputum culture conversion, culture reversion and treatment outcomes were defined by country adaptation of the standard WHO definitions (2008). Cox proportional hazards modeling with logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression and adjusted odds ratio was used to evaluate factors associated with interim and final outcomes respectively, controlling for demographic and clinical characteristics. Results In the cohort of 3712 MDR-TB patients, 2735 (73.6%) had initial sputum culture conversion at 100 median days (IQR 92–125), of which 506 (18.5%) had culture reversion at 279 median days (IQR 202–381). Treatment outcomes were available for 2264 (60.9%) patients while 1448 (39.0%) patients were still on treatment or yet to have a definite outcome at the time of analysis. Of 2264 patients, 781 (34.5%) had treatment success, 644 (28.4%) died, 670 (29.6%) were lost to follow up, 169 (7.5%) experienced treatment failure or were changed to XDR-TB treatment. Factors significantly associated with either culture non-conversion, culture reversion and/or unfavorable treatment outcomes were baseline BMI < 18; ≥ seven missed doses in intensive phase (IP) and continuation phase (CP); cavitary disease; prior treatment episodes characterized by re-treatment regimen taken twice, longer duration and more episodes of treatment; any weight loss during treatment; males and additional resistance to first line drugs (Ethambutol, Streptomycin). In a subgroup of 104 MDR-TB patients, 62 (59.6%) had Ofloxacin resistance among whom only 25.8% had treatment success, half of the success (54.8%) seen in Ofloxacin sensitive patients. Baseline susceptibility to Ofloxacin (HR 2.04) and Kanamycin (HR 4.55) significantly doubled and quadrupled the chances for culture conversion respectively while baseline susceptibility to Ofloxacin (AOR 0.37) also significantly reduced the odds of unfavorable treatment outcomes (p value ≤0.05) in multinomial logistic regression model. Conclusion India’s initial MDR-TB patients’ cohort treated under the RNTCP experienced poor treatment outcomes. To address the factors associated with poor treatment outcomes revealed in our study, a systematic multi-pronged approach would be needed. A series of policies and interventions have been developed to address these factors to improve DR-TB treatment outcomes and are being scaled-up in India. PMID:29641576

  15. Socially Anxious and Confident Men Interact with a Forward Virtual Woman: An Experimental Study

    PubMed Central

    Pan, Xueni; Gillies, Marco; Barker, Chris; Clark, David M.; Slater, Mel

    2012-01-01

    Background Male volunteers entered an immersive virtual reality that depicted a party, where they were approached by a lone virtual woman who initiated a conversation. The goal was to study how socially anxious and socially confident men would react to this event. Interest focused on whether the socially anxious participants would exhibit sustained anxiety during the conversation or whether this would diminish over time, and differ from the responses of the more socially confident men. Methodology The scenario was a party with five virtual characters, four sitting at a distance from the participant and talking amongst themselves and one lone woman standing closer. The woman approached the participant, introduced herself and initiated a conversation that was first about mundane matters and then became more personal and intimate. Participants were men who were either relatively socially confident (18) or socially anxious in their relationships with women (18). A second experimental factor was whether or not the other four characters occasionally looked towards the participant. There was a post-trial questionnaire about social anxiety in relation to the experience, and skin conductance and ECG physiological measures were recorded. Our expectation was that the socially anxious participants would show greater anxiety throughout. Conclusions Compared to baseline readings both socially confident and socially anxious groups on average showed signs of significantly increased stress at the initial approach of the virtual woman. The stress then diminished once the conversation entered into the mundane phase and then did not significantly change. Comparing pre- and post-questionnaire anxiety scores there was no change for the more confident participants but a significant decrease in average score amongst the anxious group. The methodology of placing socially anxious participants in a virtual reality where they can gain experience of how to act in a stressful situation promises a novel way forward for treating social anxiety. PMID:22509251

  16. Seeking and Receiving Social Support on Facebook for Surgery

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Social networking sites such as Facebook provide a new way to seek and receive social support, a factor widely recognized as important for one's health. However, few studies have used actual conversations from social networking sites to study social support for health related matters. We studied 3,899 Facebook users, among a sample of 33,326 monitored adults, who initiated a conversation that referred to surgery on their Facebook Wall during a six-month period to explore predictors of social support as measured by number of response posts from “friends.” Among our sample, we identified 8,343 Facebook conversation threads with the term “surgery” in the initial post with, on average, 5.7 response posts (SD 6.2). We used a variant of latent semantic analysis to explore the relationship between specific words in the posts that allowed us to develop three thematic categories of words related to family, immediacy of the surgery, and prayer. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the association between characteristics of the Facebook user as well as the thematic categories on the likelihood of receiving response posts following the announcement of a surgery. Words from the three thematic categories were used in 32.5% (family), 39.5 (immediacy), and 50.7% (prayer) of root posts. Surprisingly, few user characteristics were associated with response in multivariate models [rate ratios, RR, 1.08 (95% CI 1.01,1.15) for married/living with partner; 1.10 (95% CI 1.03,1.19) for annual income ≥ $75,000]. In multivariate models adjusted for Facebook user characteristics and network size, use of family and prayer words were associated with significantly higher number of response posts, RR 1.40 (95% CI 1.37,1.43) and 2.07 (95% CI 2.02,2.12) respectively. We found some evidence of social support on Facebook for surgery and that the language used in the initial post of a conversation thread is predictive of overall response. PMID:25753284

  17. 5 CFR 892.205 - May I waive participation in premium conversion after the initial implementation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.205 May I waive...

  18. 5 CFR 892.205 - May I waive participation in premium conversion after the initial implementation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.205 May I waive...

  19. 5 CFR 892.205 - May I waive participation in premium conversion after the initial implementation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PLAN: PRE-TAX PAYMENT OF HEALTH BENEFITS PREMIUMS Eligibility and Participation § 892.205 May I waive...

  20. Creating a Culture for Evidence-Based Assessment of Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grannan, Sharisse; Calkins, Susanna

    2018-01-01

    An annual Learning, Teaching, and Assessment Forum supports peer-led conversations among faculty about their own evidence-based assessment initiatives and promotes dialogue about the value of assessment for improving learning and teaching.

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