21 CFR 878.4400 - Electrosurgical cutting and coagulation device and accessories.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Electrosurgical cutting and coagulation device and....4400 Electrosurgical cutting and coagulation device and accessories. (a) Identification. An electrosurgical cutting and coagulation device and accessories is a device intended to remove tissue and control...

21 CFR 886.4150 - Vitreous aspiration and cutting instrument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Vitreous aspiration and cutting instrument. 886.4150 Section 886.4150 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... cutting instrument. (a) Identification. A vitreous aspiration and cutting instrument is an electrically...

Exploration cost-cutting

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

Huttrer, J.

This presentation by Jerry Huttrer, President, Geothermal Management Company, discusses the general state of exploration in the geothermal industry today, and mentions some ways to economize and perhaps save costs of geothermal exploration in the future. He suggests an increased use of satellite imagery in the mapping of geothermal resources and the identification of hot spots. Also, coordinating with oil and gas exploration efforts, the efficiency of the exploration task could be optimized.

Waist-to-height ratio is the best anthropometric predictor of hypertension

PubMed Central

Caminha, Tainá C.S.; Ferreira, Haroldo S.; Costa, Narithania S.; Nakano, Ricardo P.; Carvalho, Renata Elyonara S.; Xavier, Antônio F.S.; Assunção, Monica L.

2017-01-01

Abstract The WHO recommends the use of some anthropometric parameters as a screening resource for individuals under cardiometabolic risk. However, in the validation of these indicators, Brazilian women were not included. These women have different anthropometric profile compared to women who integrated the samples of the validation studies. We aimed to verify the accuracy of anthropometric indicators as a resource for the screening of women with hypertension. A cross-sectional study, with a probability sample of 3143 women (20–49 years) from the state of Alagoas (northeast of Brazil), was carried out. Hypertension was identified by systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg and/or regular use of antihypertensive drugs. The anthropometric indicators analyzed were BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage, and conicity index. The accuracy definition of the indicators and the identification of best cut-off points were carried out on the basis of ROC curve analysis and Youden index, respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was 21.8%. All indicators used in hypertension identification had area under the ROC curve (AUC) >0.5. The WHtR with cut-off point of 0.54 was the best performance indicator (AUC = 0.72; P < 0.05; sensitivity = 67%, specificity = 66%). The WHtR with cut-off point of 0.54 has constituted the most accurate indicator in the screening of women with hypertension. In the absence of specific studies and considering the largest ethnic proximity and environmental/epidemiological similarity, the findings now obtained can be extended to women of other Brazilian states, especially those in the Northeastern region. PMID:28079826

Identification of the critical depth-of-cut through a 2D image of the cutting region resulting from taper cutting of brittle materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Wen; Zhu, Zhiwei; Zhu, Wu-Le; Lu, Leyao; To, Suet; Xiao, Gaobo

2018-05-01

An automatic identification method for obtaining the critical depth-of-cut (DoC) of brittle materials with nanometric accuracy and sub-nanometric uncertainty is proposed in this paper. With this method, a two-dimensional (2D) microscopic image of the taper cutting region is captured and further processed by image analysis to extract the margin of generated micro-cracks in the imaging plane. Meanwhile, an analytical model is formulated to describe the theoretical curve of the projected cutting points on the imaging plane with respect to a specified DoC during the whole cutting process. By adopting differential evolution algorithm-based minimization, the critical DoC can be identified by minimizing the deviation between the extracted margin and the theoretical curve. The proposed method is demonstrated through both numerical simulation and experimental analysis. Compared with conventional 2D- and 3D-microscopic-image-based methods, determination of the critical DoC in this study uses the envelope profile rather than the onset point of the generated cracks, providing a more objective approach with smaller uncertainty.

Sensitivity and specificity of waist circumference as a single screening tool for identification of overweight and obesity among Malaysian adults.

PubMed

Kee, C C; Jamaiyah, H; Geeta, A; Ali, Z Ahmad; Safiza, M N Noor; Suzana, S; Khor, G L; Rahmah, R; Jamalludin, A R; Sumarni, M G; Lim, K H; Faudzi, Y Ahmad; Amal, N M

2011-12-01

Generalised obesity and central obesity are risk factors for Type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Waist circumference (WC) has been suggested as a single screening tool for identification of overweight or obese subjects in lieu of the body mass index (BMI) for weight management in public health program. Currently, the recommended waist circumference cut-off points of > or = 94cm for men and > or =80cm for women (waist action level 1) and > or = 102cm for men and > or = 88cm for women (waist action level 2) used for identification of overweight and obesity are based on studies in Caucasian populations. The objective of this study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the recommended waist action levels, and to determine optimal WC cut-off points for identification of overweight or obesity with central fat distribution based on BMI for Malaysian adults. Data from 32,773 subjects (14,982 men and 17,791 women) aged 18 and above who participated in the Third National Health Morbidity Survey in 2006 were analysed. Sensitivity and specificity of WC at waist action level 1 were 48.3% and 97.5% for men; and 84.2% and 80.6% for women when compared to the cut-off points based on BMI > or = 25kg/m2. At waist action level 2, sensitivity and specificity were 52.4% and 98.0% for men, and 79.2% and 85.4% for women when compared with the cut-off points based on BMI (> or = 30 kg/m2). Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed that the appropriatescreening cut-off points for WC to identify subjects with overweight (> or = 25kg/m2) was 86.0cm (sensitivity=83.6%, specificity=82.5%) for men, and 79.1cm (sensitivity=85.0%, specificity=79.5%) for women. Waist circumference cut-off points to identify obese subjects (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) was 93.2cm (sensitivity=86.5%, specificity=85.7%) for men and 85.2cm (sensitivity=77.9%, specificity=78.0%) for women. Our findings demonstrated that the current recommended waist circumference cut-off points have low sensitivity for identification of overweight and obesity in men. We suggest that these newly identified cut-off points be considered.

Screening for Behavioral Risk: Identification of High Risk Cut Scores within the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgus, Stephen P.; Taylor, Crystal N.; von der Embse, Nathaniel P.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to support the identification of Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) cut scores that could be used to detect high-risk students. Teachers rated students across two time points (Time 1 n = 1,242 students; Time 2 n = 704) using the SAEBRS and the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System…

Olfactory Impairment in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Using Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification Scores

PubMed Central

Kohli, Preeti; Storck, Kristina A.; Schlosser, Rodney J.

2016-01-01

Differences in testing modalities and cut-points used to define olfactory dysfunction contribute to the wide variability in estimating the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The aim of this study is to report the prevalence of olfactory impairment using each component of the Sniffin’ Sticks test (threshold, discrimination, identification, and total score) with age-adjusted and ideal cut-points from normative populations. Patients meeting diagnostic criteria for CRS were enrolled from rhinology clinics at a tertiary academic center. Olfaction was assessed using the Sniffin’ Sticks test. The study population consisted of 110 patients. The prevalence of normosmia, hyposmia, and anosmia using total Sniffin’ Sticks score was 41.8%, 20.0%, and 38.2% using age-appropriate cut-points and 20.9%, 40.9%, and 38.2% using ideal cut-points. Olfactory impairment estimates for each dimension mirrored these findings, with threshold yielding the highest values. Threshold, discrimination, and identification were also found to be significantly correlated to each other (P < 0.001). In addition, computed tomography scores, asthma, allergy, and diabetes were found to be associated with olfactory dysfunction. In conclusion, the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction is dependent upon olfactory dimension and if age-adjusted cut-points are used. The method of olfactory testing should be chosen based upon specific clinical and research goals. PMID:27469973

Meat Cutting Classes--Popular with Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mostad, James; Carpentier, Dale

1976-01-01

Presents a session by session description of a "meats" class, which is offered to high school students (9-week period) and adults (8-week period). The classes cover identification of cuts (beef, sheep, hogs, and veal; grades and grading of live animals and carcasses; economics of butchering and cutting your own meat; actual slaughtering; and the…

Body mass index cut-points to identify cardiometabolic risk in black South Africans.

PubMed

Kruger, H Salome; Schutte, Aletta E; Walsh, Corinna M; Kruger, Annamarie; Rennie, Kirsten L

2017-02-01

To determine optimal body mass index (BMI) cut-points for the identification of cardiometabolic risk in black South African adults. We performed a cross-sectional study of a weighted sample of healthy black South Africans aged 25-65 years (721 men, 1386 women) from the North West and Free State Provinces. Demographic, lifestyle and anthropometric measures were taken, and blood pressure, fasting serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and blood glucose were measured. We defined elevated cardiometabolic risk as having three or more risk factors according to international metabolic syndrome criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curves were applied to identify an optimal BMI cut-point for men and women. BMI had good diagnostic performance to identify clustering of three or more risk factors, as well as individual risk factors: low HDL-cholesterol, elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides, with areas under the curve >.6, but not for high blood pressure. Optimal BMI cut-points averaged 22 kg/m 2 for men and 28 kg/m 2 for women, respectively, with better sensitivity in men (44.0-71.9 %), and in women (60.6-69.8 %), compared to a BMI of 30 kg/m 2 (17-19.1, 53-61.4 %, respectively). Men and women with a BMI >22 and >28 kg/m 2 , respectively, had significantly increased probability of elevated cardiometabolic risk after adjustment for age, alcohol use and smoking. In black South African men, a BMI cut-point of 22 kg/m 2 identifies those at cardiometabolic risk, whereas a BMI of 30 kg/m 2 underestimates risk. In women, a cut-point of 28 kg/m 2 , approaching the WHO obesity cut-point, identifies those at risk.

Human-behavioral and paleoecological implications of terminal Pleistocene fox remains at the Marmes Site (45FR50), eastern Washington state, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, R. Lee

2012-05-01

Examination of terminal Pleistocene-age fox remains from the Marmes archaeological site in southeastern Washington State (USA) reveals that a previous identification of one specimen as arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) was incorrect. Of nearly four-dozen associated specimens, eleven, including the one originally identified as arctic fox, represent red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Cut-marked fox bones and associated stone artifacts and eyed bone needles suggest several foxes were butchered and perhaps hides sewn together. The modern environmental setting of the Marmes site is too warm for modern red fox; the prehistoric red fox remains suggest (summer) climate was cooler when those remains were deposited.

The University of Kansas High-Throughput Screening Laboratory. Part II: enabling collaborative drug-discovery partnerships through cutting-edge screening technology.

PubMed

McDonald, Peter R; Roy, Anuradha; Chaguturu, Rathnam

2011-07-01

The University of Kansas High-Throughput Screening (KU HTS) core is a state-of-the-art drug-discovery facility with an entrepreneurial open-service policy, which provides centralized resources supporting public- and private-sector research initiatives. The KU HTS core was established in 2002 at the University of Kansas with support from an NIH grant and the state of Kansas. It collaborates with investigators from national and international academic, nonprofit and pharmaceutical organizations in executing HTS-ready assay development and screening of chemical libraries for target validation, probe selection, hit identification and lead optimization. This is part two of a contribution from the KU HTS laboratory.

Multi-category micro-milling tool wear monitoring with continuous hidden Markov models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Kunpeng; Wong, Yoke San; Hong, Geok Soon

2009-02-01

In-process monitoring of tool conditions is important in micro-machining due to the high precision requirement and high tool wear rate. Tool condition monitoring in micro-machining poses new challenges compared to conventional machining. In this paper, a multi-category classification approach is proposed for tool flank wear state identification in micro-milling. Continuous Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are adapted for modeling of the tool wear process in micro-milling, and estimation of the tool wear state given the cutting force features. For a noise-robust approach, the HMM outputs are connected via a medium filter to minimize the tool state before entry into the next state due to high noise level. A detailed study on the selection of HMM structures for tool condition monitoring (TCM) is presented. Case studies on the tool state estimation in the micro-milling of pure copper and steel demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of these methods.

Chapter 08: Comments on, and additional information for, wood identification

Treesearch

Alex C. Wiedenhoeft

2011-01-01

This manual has described the theory of identification (Chapter 1), the botanical basis of wood structure (Chapter 2), the use of a hand lens (Chapter 3), how to use cutting tools to prepare wood for observation with a lens (Chapter 4), and the characters used in hand lens wood identification (Chapter 5) before leading you through an identification key (Chapter 6) and...

Optimal optic nerve sheath diameter threshold for the identification of elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Wang, Lijuan; Feng, Liangshu; Yao, Yan; Wang, Yuzhi; Chen, Ying; Feng, Jiachun; Xing, Yingqi

2015-01-01

Ultrasonography of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is a non-invasive and rapid method that might be helpful in the identification of increased intracranial pressure (ICP). The use of an ONSD greater than 5 mm on ultrasound as an indicator of increased ICP in a Caucasian population has been studied. However, the cut-off point of this predictor in Chinese patients has not been established. Thus, we conducted this study to identify the ONSD criterion for the detection of elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture (LP) in a Chinese population and to investigate the influencing factors. This study was a blind cross-sectional study. Patients who presented with suspected increased ICP were included. The opening pressure on LP of each participant was confirmed. We analyzed the clinical differences between the groups of patients with abnormal and normal opening pressures on LP. A receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to determine the ONSD cut-off point for the identification of abnormal opening pressure on LP. In total, 279 patients were recruited, and 101 patients presented with elevated opening pressure on LP. ONSD was a significant independent predictor of elevated opening pressure on LP (p<0.001). However, no statistical significance was observed regarding the factors that might have affected this relationship including gender, age, body mass index, waistline, head circumference, hypertension and pathological subtype. The ONSD cut-off point for the identification of elevated opening pressure on LP was 4.1 mm; this cut-off yielded a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 92%. ONSD is a strong and accurate predictor of elevated opening pressure on LP. The cut-off point of this predictor in a Chinese population was remarkably lower than that found in a Caucasian population. Thus, ethnic differences should be noted when using the ONSD as an indicator of increased ICP.

Manufacturing Methods for Strategic Materials Reclamation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-14

86 AIRCO Ingot N o. 4116 Casting Profile ......................................................... 199 87 Identification of Conversion of AIRCO Ingot...No. 4115 to Bar Stock .............. 201 88 6-in. RCS Billet Cutting Layout for Samples of Ingot No. 4115 Sent to P&WA 202 89 Identification of 1-in...132 31 Identification of Foreign Particles Detected in Rolled Plate .......................... 136 32 Mechanical Property Data of

The University of Kansas High-Throughput Screening Laboratory. Part II: enabling collaborative drug-discovery partnerships through cutting-edge screening technology

PubMed Central

McDonald, Peter R; Roy, Anuradha; Chaguturu, Rathnam

2011-01-01

The University of Kansas High-Throughput Screening (KU HTS) core is a state-of-the-art drug-discovery facility with an entrepreneurial open-service policy, which provides centralized resources supporting public- and private-sector research initiatives. The KU HTS core was established in 2002 at the University of Kansas with support from an NIH grant and the state of Kansas. It collaborates with investigators from national and international academic, nonprofit and pharmaceutical organizations in executing HTS-ready assay development and screening of chemical libraries for target validation, probe selection, hit identification and lead optimization. This is part two of a contribution from the KU HTS laboratory. PMID:21806374

Identification of Shearer Cutting Patterns Using Vibration Signals Based on a Least Squares Support Vector Machine with an Improved Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm

PubMed Central

Si, Lei; Wang, Zhongbin; Liu, Xinhua; Tan, Chao; Liu, Ze; Xu, Jing

2016-01-01

Shearers play an important role in fully mechanized coal mining face and accurately identifying their cutting pattern is very helpful for improving the automation level of shearers and ensuring the safety of coal mining. The least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) has been proven to offer strong potential in prediction and classification issues, particularly by employing an appropriate meta-heuristic algorithm to determine the values of its two parameters. However, these meta-heuristic algorithms have the drawbacks of being hard to understand and reaching the global optimal solution slowly. In this paper, an improved fly optimization algorithm (IFOA) to optimize the parameters of LSSVM was presented and the LSSVM coupled with IFOA (IFOA-LSSVM) was used to identify the shearer cutting pattern. The vibration acceleration signals of five cutting patterns were collected and the special state features were extracted based on the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and the kernel function. Some examples on the IFOA-LSSVM model were further presented and the results were compared with LSSVM, PSO-LSSVM, GA-LSSVM and FOA-LSSVM models in detail. The comparison results indicate that the proposed approach was feasible, efficient and outperformed the others. Finally, an industrial application example at the coal mining face was demonstrated to specify the effect of the proposed system. PMID:26771615

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... 82165, Dec. 29, 2010. The major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round...

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... major cuts of single-ingredient, raw meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round steak, beef round tip roast...

19 CFR 10.25 - Textile components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Textile components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad. 10.25 Section 10.25 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad. Where a textile component is cut to shape...

19 CFR 10.25 - Textile components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Textile components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad. 10.25 Section 10.25 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION... components cut to shape in the United States and assembled abroad. Where a textile component is cut to shape...

A mechanical analysis of conduit arteries accounting for longitudinal residual strains.

PubMed

Wang, Ruoya; Gleason, Rudolph L

2010-04-01

Identification of an appropriate stress-free reference configuration is critically important in providing a reasonable prediction of the intramural stress distribution when performing biomechanical analyses on arteries. The stress-free state is commonly approximated as a radially cut ring that typically opens into a nearly circular sector, relieving much of the circumferential residual strains that exist in the traction-free configuration. An opening angle is often used to characterize this sector. In this study, we first present experimental results showing significant residual deformations in the longitudinal direction of two commonly studied arteries in the pig: the common carotid artery and the left anterior descending coronary artery. We concluded that a radially cut ring cannot completely describe the stress-free state of the arteries. Instead, we propose the use of a longitudinal opening angle, in conjunction with the traditional circumferential opening angle, to experimentally quantify the stress-free state of an artery. Secondly, we propose a new kinematic model to account for the addition of longitudinal residual strains through employing the longitudinal opening angle and performed a stress analysis. We found that with the inclusion of longitudinal residual strains in the stress analysis, the predicted circumferential stress gradient was decreased by 3-fold and the predicted longitudinal stress gradient was increased by 5.7-fold. Thus, inclusion of longitudinal residual strains has a significant effect on the predicted stress distribution in arteries.

Document segmentation via oblique cuts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svendsen, Jeremy; Branzan-Albu, Alexandra

2013-01-01

This paper presents a novel solution for the layout segmentation of graphical elements in Business Intelligence documents. We propose a generalization of the recursive X-Y cut algorithm, which allows for cutting along arbitrary oblique directions. An intermediate processing step consisting of line and solid region removal is also necessary due to presence of decorative elements. The output of the proposed segmentation is a hierarchical structure which allows for the identification of primitives in pie and bar charts. The algorithm was tested on a database composed of charts from business documents. Results are very promising.

The psychometric properties, sensitivity and specificity of the geriatric anxiety inventory, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and rating anxiety in dementia scale in aged care residents.

PubMed

Creighton, Alexandra S; Davison, Tanya E; Kissane, David W

2018-02-22

Limited research has been conducted into the identification of a valid and reliable screening measure for anxiety in aged care settings, despite it being one of the most common psychological conditions. This study aimed to determine an appropriate anxiety screening tool for aged care by comparing the reliability and validity of three commonly used measures and identifying specific cut-offs for the identification of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). One-hundred and eighty nursing home residents (M age = 85.39 years) completed the GAI, HADS-A, and RAID, along with a structured diagnostic interview. Twenty participants (11.1%) met DSM-5 criteria for GAD. All measures had good psychometric properties , although reliability estimates for the HADS-A were sub-optimal. Privileging sensitivity , the GAI cut-off score of 9 gave sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 86.3%; HADS-A cut-off of 6 gave sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 80.6%; and RAID cut-off of 11 gave sensitivity of 85.0% and specificity of 72.5%. While all three measures had adequate reliability, validity, and cut-scores with high levels of sensitivity and specificity to detect anxiety within aged care, the GAI was the most consistently reliable and valid measure for screening for GAD.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Longitudinal Value of Local Cut Scores Using State Test Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nelson, Peter M.; Van Norman, Ethan R.; VanDerHeyden, Amanda

2017-01-01

We used existing reading (n = 1,498) and math (n = 2,260) data to evaluate state test scores for screening middle school students. In Phase 1, state test data were used to create a research-derived cut score that was optimal for predicting state test performance the following year. In Phase 2, those cut scores were applied with future cohorts.…

A new, but old business model for family physicians: cash.

PubMed

Weber, J Michael

2013-01-01

The following study is an exploratory investigation into the opportunity identification, opportunity analysis, and strategic implications of implementing a cash-only family physician practice. The current market dynamics (i.e., increasing insurance premiums, decreasing benefits, more regulations and paperwork, and cuts in federal and state programs) suggest that there is sufficient motivation for these practitioners to change their current business model. In-depth interviews were conducted with office managers and physicians of family physician practices. The results highlighted a variety of issues, including barriers to change, strategy issues, and opportunities/benefits. The implications include theory applications, strategic marketing applications, and managerial decision-making.

Evaluation of three sample preparation methods for the direct identification of bacteria in positive blood cultures by MALDI-TOF.

PubMed

Tanner, Hannah; Evans, Jason T; Gossain, Savita; Hussain, Abid

2017-01-18

Patient mortality is significantly reduced by rapid identification of bacteria from sterile sites. MALDI-TOF can identify bacteria directly from positive blood cultures and multiple sample preparation methods are available. We evaluated three sample preparation methods and two MALDI-TOF score cut-off values. Positive blood culture bottles with organisms present in Gram stains were prospectively analysed by MALDI-TOF. Three lysis reagents (Saponin, SDS, and SepsiTyper lysis bufer) were applied to each positive culture followed by centrifugation, washing and protein extraction steps. Methods were compared using the McNemar test and 16S rDNA sequencing was used to assess discordant results. In 144 monomicrobial cultures, using ≥2.000 as the cut-off value, species level identifications were obtained from 69/144 (48%) samples using Saponin, 86/144 (60%) using SDS, and 91/144 (63%) using SepsiTyper. The difference between SDS and SepsiTyper was not statistically significant (P = 0.228). Differences between Saponin and the other two reagents were significant (P < 0.01). Using ≥1.700 plus top three results matching as the cut-off value, species level identifications were obtained from 100/144 (69%) samples using Saponin, 103/144 (72%) using SDS, and 106/144 (74%) using SepsiTyper and there was no statistical difference between the methods. No true discordances between culture and direct MALDI-TOF identification were observed in monomicrobial cultures. In 32 polymicrobial cultures, MALDI-TOF identified one organism in 34-75% of samples depending on the method. This study demonstrates two inexpensive in-house detergent lysis methods are non-inferior to a commercial kit for analysis of positive blood cultures by direct MALDI-TOF in a clinical diagnostic microbiology laboratory.

Research Results Of Stress-Strain State Of Cutting Tool When Aviation Materials Turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serebrennikova, A. G.; Nikolaeva, E. P.; Savilov, A. V.; Timofeev, S. A.; Pyatykh, A. S.

2018-01-01

Titanium alloys and stainless steels are hard-to-machine of all the machining types. Cutting edge state of turning tool after machining titanium and high-strength aluminium alloys and corrosion-resistant high-alloy steel has been studied. Cutting forces and chip contact arears with the rake surface of cutter has been measured. The relationship of cutting forces and residual stresses are shown. Cutting forces and residual stresses vs value of cutting tool rake angle relation were obtained. Measurements of residual stresses were performed by x-ray diffraction.

Classification and identification of reading and math disabilities: the special case of comorbidity.

PubMed

Branum-Martin, Lee; Fletcher, Jack M; Stuebing, Karla K

2013-01-01

Much of learning disabilities research relies on categorical classification frameworks that use psychometric tests and cut points to identify children with reading or math difficulties. However, there is increasing evidence that the attributes of reading and math learning disabilities are dimensional, representing correlated continua of severity. We discuss issues related to categorical and dimensional approaches to reading and math disabilities, and their comorbid associations, highlighting problems with the use of cut points and correlated assessments. Two simulations are provided in which the correlational structure of a set of cognitive and achievement data are simulated from a single population with no categorical structures. The simulations produce profiles remarkably similar to reported profile differences, suggesting that the patterns are a product of the cut point and the correlational structure of the data. If dimensional approaches better fit the attributes of learning disability, new conceptualizations and better methods to identification and intervention may emerge, especially for comorbid associations of reading and math difficulties.

Boosting Higgs pair production in the [Formula: see text] final state with multivariate techniques.

PubMed

Behr, J Katharina; Bortoletto, Daniela; Frost, James A; Hartland, Nathan P; Issever, Cigdem; Rojo, Juan

2016-01-01

The measurement of Higgs pair production will be a cornerstone of the LHC program in the coming years. Double Higgs production provides a crucial window upon the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking and has a unique sensitivity to the Higgs trilinear coupling. We study the feasibility of a measurement of Higgs pair production in the [Formula: see text] final state at the LHC. Our analysis is based on a combination of traditional cut-based methods with state-of-the-art multivariate techniques. We account for all relevant backgrounds, including the contributions from light and charm jet mis-identification, which are ultimately comparable in size to the irreducible 4 b QCD background. We demonstrate the robustness of our analysis strategy in a high pileup environment. For an integrated luminosity of [Formula: see text] ab[Formula: see text], a signal significance of [Formula: see text] is obtained, indicating that the [Formula: see text] final state alone could allow for the observation of double Higgs production at the High Luminosity LHC.

36 CFR 223.195 - Procedures for identifying and marking unprocessed timber.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pattern may not be used to mark logs from any other source for a period of 24 months after all logs have..., they shall be replaced. If the log is cut into two or more segments, each segment shall be identified... preserve identification of log pieces shall not apply to logs cut into two or more segments as a part of...

State Arts Agencies 1965-2003: Whose Interests to Serve?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowell, Julia F.

2004-01-01

Three-quarters of all U.S. state and jurisdictional governments cut their arts budgets in fiscal year 2003, and more than one-half imposed further cuts in fiscal year 2004. In this first of a series of reports commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, the author argues that these state arts budget cuts reflect more than just a one-time response to…

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry following short incubation on a solid medium is a valuable tool for rapid pathogen identification from positive blood cultures.

PubMed

Kohlmann, Rebekka; Hoffmann, Alexander; Geis, Gabriele; Gatermann, Sören

2015-01-01

Rapid identification of the causative microorganism is a key element in appropriate antimicrobial therapy of bloodstream infections. Whereas traditional analysis of positive blood cultures requires subculture over at least 16-24h prior to pathogen identification by, e.g. matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), sample preparation procedures enabling direct MALDI-TOF MS, i.e. without preceding subculture, are associated with additional effort and costs. Hence, we integrated an alternative MALDI-TOF MS approach in diagnostic routine using a short incubation on a solid medium. Positive blood cultures were routinely plated on chocolate agar plates and incubated for 4h (37 °C, 5% CO2). Subsequently, MALDI-TOF MS using a Microflex LT instrument (Bruker Daltonics) and direct smear method was performed once per sample. For successful identification of bacteria at species level, score cut-off values were used as proposed by the manufacturer (≥ 2.0) and in a modified form (≥ 1.5 for MALDI-TOF MS results referring to Gram-positive cocci and ≥ 1.7 for MALDI-TOF MS results referring to bacteria other than Gram-positive cocci). Further data analysis also included an assessment of the clinical impact of the MALDI-TOF MS result. Applying the modified score cut-off values, our approach led to an overall correct species identification in 69.5% with misidentification in 3.4% (original cut-offs: 49.2% and 1.8%, respectively); for Gram-positive cocci, correct identification in 68.4% (100% for Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci, 80% for beta-hemolytic streptococci), for Gram-negative bacteria, correct identification in 97.6%. In polymicrobial blood cultures, in 72.7% one of the pathogens was correctly identified. Results were not reliable for Gram-positive rods and yeasts. The approach was easy to implement in diagnostic routine. In cases with available clinical data and successful pathogen identification, in 51.1% our approach allowed an optimized treatment recommendation. MALDI-TOF MS following 4h pre-culture is a valuable tool for rapid pathogen identification from positive blood cultures, allowing easy integration in diagnostic routine and the opportunity of considerably earlier treatment adaptation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Chapter 04: Bloodless wood specimen preparation for hand lens observation

Treesearch

Alex Wiedenhoeft

2011-01-01

The single most difficult physical skill involved in wood identification is producing a smoothly prepared surface for observing anatomical features. This skill must be practiced patiently; it takes time to become proficient at this task. Producing a cleanly cut surface is also the only appreciably dangerous aspect of wood identification with a hand lens; the tools used...

An Improved In-house MALDI-TOF MS Protocol for Direct Cost-Effective Identification of Pathogens from Blood Cultures.

PubMed

Zhou, Menglan; Yang, Qiwen; Kudinha, Timothy; Sun, Liying; Zhang, Rui; Liu, Chang; Yu, Shuying; Xiao, Meng; Kong, Fanrong; Zhao, Yupei; Xu, Ying-Chun

2017-01-01

Background: Bloodstream infection is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients worldwide. Delays in the identification of microorganisms often leads to a poor prognosis. The application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) directly to blood culture (BC) broth can potentially identify bloodstream infections earlier, and facilitate timely management. Methods: We developed an "in-house" (IH) protocol for direct MALDI-TOF MS based identification of organisms in positive BCs. The IH protocol was initially evaluated and improved with spiked BC samples, and its performance was compared with the commercial Sepsityper™ kit using both traditional and modified cut-off values. We then studied in parallel the performance of the IH protocol and the colony MS identifications in positive clinical BC samples using only modified cut-off values. All discrepancies were investigated by "gold standard" of gene sequencing. Results: In 54 spiked BC samples, the IH method showed comparable results with Sepsityper™ after applying modified cut-off values. Specifically, accurate species and genus level identification was achieved in 88.7 and 3.9% of all the clinical monomicrobial BCs (284/301, 94.4%), respectively. The IH protocol exhibited superior performance for Gram negative bacteria than for Gram positive bacteria (92.8 vs. 82.4%). For anaerobes and yeasts, accurate species identification was achieved in 80.0 and 90.0% of the cases, respectively. For polymicrobial cultures (17/301, 5.6%), MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified a single species present in all the polymicrobial BCs under the Standard mode, while using the MIXED method, two species were correctly identified in 52.9% of the samples. Comparisons based on BC bottle type, showed that the BACTEC™ Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F culture vials performed the best. Conclusion: Our study provides a novel and effective sample preparation method for MALDI-TOF MS direct identification of pathogens from positive BC vials, with a lower cost ($1.5 vs. $ 7) albeit a slightly more laborious extracting process (an extra 15 min) compared with Sepsityper™ kit.

Study on the separation effect of high-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiangyu; Sui, He; Zhang, Deyuan; Jiang, Xinggang

2018-07-01

High-speed ultrasonic vibration cutting (HUVC) has been proven to be significantly effective when turning Ti-6Al-4V alloy in recent researches. Despite of breaking through the cutting speed restriction of the ultrasonic vibration cutting (UVC) method, HUVC can also achieve the reduction of cutting force and the improvements in surface quality and cutting efficiency in the high-speed machining field. These benefits all result from the separation effect that occurs during the HUVC process. Despite the fact that the influences of vibration and cutting parameters have been discussed in previous researches, the separation analysis of HUVC should be conducted in detail in real cutting situations, and the tool geometry parameters should also be considered. In this paper, three situations are investigated in details: (1) cutting without negative transient clearance angle and without tool wear, (2) cutting with negative transient clearance angle and without tool wear, and (3) cutting with tool wear. And then, complete separation state, partial separation state and continuous cutting state are deduced according to real cutting processes. All the analysis about the above situations demonstrate that the tool-workpiece separation will take place only if appropriate cutting parameters, vibration parameters, and tool geometry parameters are set up. The best separation effect was obtained with a low feedrate and a phase shift approaching 180 degrees. Moreover, flank face interference resulted from the negative transient clearance angle and tool wear contributes to an improved separation effect that makes the workpiece and tool separate even at zero phase shift. Finally, axial and radial transient cutting force are firstly obtained to verify the separation effect of HUVC, and the cutting chips are collected to weigh the influence of flank face interference. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the Sensitivity and Positive Predictive Value in a Cystic Fibrosis Newborn Screening Program Using a Repeat Immunoreactive Trypsinogen and Genetic Analysis.

PubMed

Sontag, Marci K; Lee, Rachel; Wright, Daniel; Freedenberg, Debra; Sagel, Scott D

2016-08-01

To evaluate the performance of a new cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening algorithm, comprised of immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) in first (24-48 hours of life) and second (7-14 days of life) dried blood spot plus DNA on second dried blood spot, over existing algorithms. A retrospective review of the IRT/IRT/DNA algorithm implemented in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas. A total of 1 520 079 newborns were screened, 32 557 (2.1%) had abnormal first IRT; 8794 (0.54%) on second. Furthermore, 14 653 mutation analyses were performed; 1391 newborns were referred for diagnostic testing; 274 newborns were diagnosed; and 201/274 (73%) of newborns had 2 mutations on the newborn screening CFTR panel. Sensitivity was 96.2%, compared with sensitivity of 76.1% observed with IRT/IRT (105 ng/mL cut-offs, P < .0001). The ratio of newborns with CF to heterozygote carriers was 1:2.5, and newborns with CF to newborns with CFTR-related metabolic syndrome was 10.8:1. The overall positive predictive value was 20%. The median age of diagnosis was 28, 30, and 39.5 days in the 3 states. IRT/IRT/DNA is more sensitive than IRT/IRT because of lower cut-offs (∼97 percentile or 60 ng/mL); higher cut-offs in IRT/IRT programs (>99 percentile, 105 ng/mL) would not achieve sufficient sensitivity. Carrier identification and identification of newborns with CFTR-related metabolic syndrome is less common in IRT/IRT/DNA compared with IRT/DNA. The time to diagnosis is nominally longer, but diagnosis can be achieved in the neonatal period and opportunities to further improve timeliness have been enacted. IRT/IRT/DNA algorithm should be considered by programs with 2 routine screens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in university students: AUDIT and AUDIT-C.

PubMed

García Carretero, Miguel Ángel; Novalbos Ruiz, José Pedro; Martínez Delgado, José Manuel; O'Ferrall González, Cristina

2016-03-02

The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT and AUDIT-C) in order to detect problems related to the consumption of alcohol in the university population. The sample consisted of 1309 students.A Weekly Alcohol Consumption Diary was used as a gold standard; Cronbach's Alpha, the Kappa index, Spearman's correlation coefficient and exploratory factor analysis were applied for diagnostic reliability and validity, with ROC curves used to establish the different cut-off points. Binge Drinking (BD) episodes were found in 3.9% of men and 4.0% of women with otherwise low-risk drinking patterns. AUDIT identified 20.1% as high-risk drinkers and 6.4% as drinkers with physical-psychological problems and probable alcohol dependence.Cronbach's alpha of 0.75 demonstrates good internal consistency. The best cut-off points for high-risk drinking students were 8 for males and 6 for females. As for problem drinkers and probable ADS, 13 was the best cut-off point for both sexes. In relation to AUDIT-C, 5 and 4 were the best cut-off points for males and females with high-risk patterns, respectively. The criterion validity of AUDIT and AUDIT-C to detect binge drinking episodes was found to have a moderate K value. The results obtained show that AUDIT has good psychometric properties to detect early alcohol abuse disorders in university students; however, it is recommended that the cut-off point be reduced to 8 in men. AUDIT-C improves its predictive value by raising the cut-off point by one unit. Items 2 and 3 should be reviewed to increase its predictive value for BD.

Non-Poissonian photon statistics from macroscopic photon cutting materials.

PubMed

de Jong, Mathijs; Meijerink, Andries; Rabouw, Freddy T

2017-05-24

In optical materials energy is usually extracted only from the lowest excited state, resulting in fundamental energy-efficiency limits such as the Shockley-Queisser limit for single-junction solar cells. Photon-cutting materials provide a way around such limits by absorbing high-energy photons and 'cutting' them into multiple low-energy excitations that can subsequently be extracted. The occurrence of photon cutting or quantum cutting has been demonstrated in a variety of materials, including semiconductor quantum dots, lanthanides and organic dyes. Here we show that photon cutting results in bunched photon emission on the timescale of the excited-state lifetime, even when observing a macroscopic number of optical centres. Our theoretical derivation matches well with experimental data on NaLaF 4 :Pr 3+ , a material that can cut deep-ultraviolet photons into two visible photons. This signature of photon cutting can be used to identify and characterize new photon-cutting materials unambiguously.

Forest cutting and impacts on carbon in the eastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhou, Decheng; Liu, Shuguang; Oeding, Jennifer; Zhao, Shuqing

2013-01-01

Forest cutting is a major anthropogenic disturbance that affects forest carbon (C) storage and fluxes. Yet its characteristics and impacts on C cycling are poorly understood over large areas. Using recent annualized forest inventory data, we estimated cutting-related loss of live biomass in the eastern United States was 168 Tg C yr−1 from 2002 to 2010 (with C loss per unit forest area of 1.07 Mg ha−1 yr−1), which is equivalent to 70% of the total U.S. forest C sink or 11% of the national annual CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion over the same period. We further revealed that specific cutting-related C loss varied with cutting intensities, forest types, stand ages, and geographic locations. Our results provide new insights to the characteristics of forest harvesting activities in the eastern United States and highlight the significance of partial cutting to regional and national carbon budgets.

Development of a new protocol for rapid bacterial identification and susceptibility testing directly from urine samples.

PubMed

Zboromyrska, Y; Rubio, E; Alejo, I; Vergara, A; Mons, A; Campo, I; Bosch, J; Marco, F; Vila, J

2016-06-01

The current gold standard method for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) is urine culture that requires 18-48 h for the identification of the causative microorganisms and an additional 24 h until the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) are available. The aim of this study was to shorten the time of urine sample processing by a combination of flow cytometry for screening and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) for bacterial identification followed by AST directly from urine. The study was divided into two parts. During the first part, 675 urine samples were processed by a flow cytometry device and a cut-off value of bacterial count was determined to select samples for direct identification by MALDI-TOF-MS at ≥5 × 10(6) bacteria/mL. During the second part, 163 of 1029 processed samples reached the cut-off value. The sample preparation protocol for direct identification included two centrifugation and two washing steps. Direct AST was performed by the disc diffusion method if a reliable direct identification was obtained. Direct MALDI-TOF-MS identification was performed in 140 urine samples; 125 of the samples were positive by urine culture, 12 were contaminated and 3 were negative. Reliable direct identification was obtained in 108 (86.4%) of the 125 positive samples. AST was performed in 102 identified samples, and the results were fully concordant with the routine method among 83 monomicrobial infections. In conclusion, the turnaround time of the protocol described to diagnose UTI was about 1 h for microbial identification and 18-24 h for AST. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of irradiated mushrooms (in French)

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

Bugyaki, L.

1973-01-01

From international colloquium: the identification of irradiated foodstuffs; Karlsruhe, Germany (24 Oct 1973). Cuttings from non-irradiated mushrooms, when kept at normal or sub-zero temperatares, produce new hyphae in solld culture media even after slx days, thus proving that they are living. On the other hand, cultures from mushrooms irradiated with 250 krad never show any sign of cellular proliferation. (auth)

Effectiveness of the CANRISK tool in the identification of dysglycemia in First Nations and Métis in Canada

PubMed Central

Gina, Agarwal; Ying, Jiang; Susan, Rogers Van Katwyk; Chantal, Lemieux; Heather, Orpana; Yang, Mao; Brandan, Hanley; Karen, Davis; Laurel, Leuschen; Howard, Morrison

2018-01-01

Abstract Introduction: First Nations/Métis populations develop diabetes earlier and at higher rates than other Canadians. The Canadian diabetes risk questionnaire (CANRISK) was developed as a diabetes screening tool for Canadians aged 40 years or over. The primary aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the existing CANRISK tool and risk scores in detecting dysglycemia in First Nations/Métis participants, including among those under the age of 40. A secondary aim was to determine whether alternative waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) cut-off points improved the predictive ability of logistic regression models using CANRISK variables to predict dysglycemia. Methods: Information from a self-administered CANRISK questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and results of a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were collected from First Nations and Métis participants (n = 1479). Sensitivity and specificity of CANRISK scores using published risk score cut-off points were calculated. Logistic regression was conducted with alternative ethnicity-specific BMI and WC cut-off points to predict dysglycemia using CANRISK variables. Results: Compared with OGTT results, using a CANRISK score cut-off point of 33, the sensitivity and specificity of CANRISK was 68% and 63% among individuals aged 40 or over; it was 27% and 87%, respectively among those under 40. Using a lower cut-off point of 21, the sensitivity for individuals under 40 improved to 77% with a specificity of 44%. Though specificity at this threshold was low, the higher level of sensitivity reflects the importance of the identification of high risk individuals in this population. Despite altered cut-off points of BMI and WC, logistic regression models demonstrated similar predictive ability. Conclusion: CANRISK functioned well as a preliminary step for diabetes screening in a broad age range of First Nations and Métis in Canada, with an adjusted CANRISK cutoff point for individuals under 40, and with no incremental improvement from using alternative BMI/WC cut-off points. PMID:29443485

Improving Pathogen Reduction by Chlorine Wash Prior to Cutting in Fresh-Cut Processing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introduction: Currently, most fresh-cut processing facilities in the United States use chlorinated water or other sanitizer solutions for microbial reduction after lettuce is cut. Freshly cut lettuce releases significant amounts of organic matter that negatively impacts the effectiveness of chlorine...

Physiology of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The idea to pre-process fruits and vegetables in the fresh state started with fresh-cut salads and now has expanded to fresh-cut fruits and other vegetables. The fresh-cut portion of the fresh produce industry includes fruits, vegetables, sprouts, mushrooms and even herbs that are cut, cored, sliced...

Effect of Built-Up Edge Formation during Stable State of Wear in AISI 304 Stainless Steel on Machining Performance and Surface Integrity of the Machined Part.

PubMed

Ahmed, Yassmin Seid; Fox-Rabinovich, German; Paiva, Jose Mario; Wagg, Terry; Veldhuis, Stephen Clarence

2017-10-25

During machining of stainless steels at low cutting -speeds, workpiece material tends to adhere to the cutting tool at the tool-chip interface, forming built-up edge (BUE). BUE has a great importance in machining processes; it can significantly modify the phenomenon in the cutting zone, directly affecting the workpiece surface integrity, cutting tool forces, and chip formation. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 304 stainless steel has a high tendency to form an unstable BUE, leading to deterioration of the surface quality. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of the surface integrity induced during machining operations. Although many reports have been published on the effect of tool wear during machining of AISI 304 stainless steel on surface integrity, studies on the influence of the BUE phenomenon in the stable state of wear have not been investigated so far. The main goal of the present work is to investigate the close link between the BUE formation, surface integrity and cutting forces in the stable sate of wear for uncoated cutting tool during the cutting tests of AISI 304 stainless steel. The cutting parameters were chosen to induce BUE formation during machining. X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was used for measuring superficial residual stresses of the machined surface through the stable state of wear in the cutting and feed directions. In addition, surface roughness of the machined surface was investigated using the Alicona microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to reveal the surface distortions created during the cutting process, combined with chip undersurface analyses. The investigated BUE formation during the stable state of wear showed that the BUE can cause a significant improvement in the surface integrity and cutting forces. Moreover, it can be used to compensate for tool wear through changing the tool geometry, leading to the protection of the cutting tool from wear.

Effect of Built-Up Edge Formation during Stable State of Wear in AISI 304 Stainless Steel on Machining Performance and Surface Integrity of the Machined Part

PubMed Central

Fox-Rabinovich, German; Wagg, Terry

2017-01-01

During machining of stainless steels at low cutting -speeds, workpiece material tends to adhere to the cutting tool at the tool–chip interface, forming built-up edge (BUE). BUE has a great importance in machining processes; it can significantly modify the phenomenon in the cutting zone, directly affecting the workpiece surface integrity, cutting tool forces, and chip formation. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) 304 stainless steel has a high tendency to form an unstable BUE, leading to deterioration of the surface quality. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the nature of the surface integrity induced during machining operations. Although many reports have been published on the effect of tool wear during machining of AISI 304 stainless steel on surface integrity, studies on the influence of the BUE phenomenon in the stable state of wear have not been investigated so far. The main goal of the present work is to investigate the close link between the BUE formation, surface integrity and cutting forces in the stable sate of wear for uncoated cutting tool during the cutting tests of AISI 304 stainless steel. The cutting parameters were chosen to induce BUE formation during machining. X-ray diffraction (XRD) method was used for measuring superficial residual stresses of the machined surface through the stable state of wear in the cutting and feed directions. In addition, surface roughness of the machined surface was investigated using the Alicona microscope and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to reveal the surface distortions created during the cutting process, combined with chip undersurface analyses. The investigated BUE formation during the stable state of wear showed that the BUE can cause a significant improvement in the surface integrity and cutting forces. Moreover, it can be used to compensate for tool wear through changing the tool geometry, leading to the protection of the cutting tool from wear. PMID:29068405

Performance assessment of two lysis methods for direct identification of yeasts from clinical blood cultures using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Jeddi, Fakhri; Yapo-Kouadio, Gisèle Cha; Normand, Anne-Cécile; Cassagne, Carole; Marty, Pierre; Piarroux, Renaud

2017-02-01

In cases of fungal infection of the bloodstream, rapid species identification is crucial to provide adapted therapy and thereby ameliorate patient outcome. Currently, the commercial Sepsityper kit and the sodium-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) method coupled with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry are the most commonly reported lysis protocols for direct identification of fungi from positive blood culture vials. However, the performance of these two protocols has never been compared on clinical samples. Accordingly, we performed a two-step survey on two distinct panels of clinical positive blood culture vials to identify the most efficient protocol, establish an appropriate log score (LS) cut-off, and validate the best method. We first compared the performance of the Sepsityper and the SDS protocols on 71 clinical samples. For 69 monomicrobial samples, mass spectrometry LS values were significantly higher with the SDS protocol than with the Sepsityper method (P < .0001), especially when the best score of four deposited spots was considered. Next, we established the LS cut-off for accurate identification at 1.7, based on specimen DNA sequence data. Using this LS cut-off, 66 (95.6%) and 46 (66.6%) isolates were correctly identified at the species level with the SDS and the Sepsityper protocols, respectively. In the second arm of the survey, we validated the SDS protocol on an additional panel of 94 clinical samples. Ninety-two (98.9%) of 93 monomicrobial samples were correctly identified at the species level (median LS = 2.061). Overall, our data suggest that the SDS method yields more accurate species identification of yeasts, than the Sepsityper protocol. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Insulin sensitivity indices: a proposal of cut-off points for simple identification of insulin-resistant subjects.

PubMed

Radikova, Z; Koska, J; Huckova, M; Ksinantova, L; Imrich, R; Vigas, M; Trnovec, T; Langer, P; Sebokova, E; Klimes, I

2006-05-01

Demanding measurement of insulin sensitivity using clamp methods does not simplify the identification of insulin resistant subjects in the general population. Other approaches such as fasting- or oral glucose tolerance test-derived insulin sensitivity indices were proposed and validated with the euglycemic clamp. Nevertheless, a lack of reference values for these indices prevents their wider use in epidemiological studies and clinical practice. The aim of our study was therefore to define the cut-off points of insulin resistance indices as well as the ranges of the most frequently obtained values for selected indices. A standard 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was carried out in 1156 subjects from a Caucasian rural population with no previous evidence of diabetes or other dysglycemias. Insulin resistance/sensitivity indices (HOMA-IR, HOMA-IR2, ISI Cederholm, and ISI Matsuda) were calculated. The 75th percentile value as the cut-off point to define IR corresponded with a HOMA-IR of 2.29, a HOMA-IR2 of 1.21, a 25th percentile for ISI Cederholm, and ISI Matsuda of 57 and 5.0, respectively. For the first time, the cut-off points for selected indices and their most frequently obtained values were established for groups of subjects as defined by glucose homeostasis and BMI. Thus, insulin-resistant subjects can be identified using this simple approach.

State Education Agency Funding and Staffing in the Education Reform Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kober, Nancy; Rentner, Diane Stark

2012-01-01

Cuts in state funding for elementary and secondary education in recent years have taken a toll in many vital areas, including teaching jobs and student services. State budget cuts have also affected a less visible target--state education agencies (SEAs), which are responsible for supervising elementary and secondary education in each state and…

MIRAP, microcomputer reliability analysis program

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

Jehee, J.N.T.

1989-01-01

A program for a microcomputer is outlined that can determine minimal cut sets from a specified fault tree logic. The speed and memory limitations of the microcomputers on which the program is implemented (Atari ST and IBM) are addressed by reducing the fault tree's size and by storing the cut set data on disk. Extensive well proven fault tree restructuring techniques, such as the identification of sibling events and of independent gate events, reduces the fault tree's size but does not alter its logic. New methods are used for the Boolean reduction of the fault tree logic. Special criteria formore » combining events in the 'AND' and 'OR' logic avoid the creation of many subsuming cut sets which all would cancel out due to existing cut sets. Figures and tables illustrates these methods. 4 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Cooking frozen and thawed roasts: beef, pork, and lamb cuts.

PubMed

Fulton, C; Davis, C

1975-09-01

Cooking time, yield, and palatability of paired beef, pork, and lamb roasts cooked from the frozen and thawed states were compared. Cooking time for all roasts averaged from 3 to 22 min. per pound longer for meat cooked from the frozen state. The longer cooking time from the frozen state. The longer cooking time from the frozen state was greater for roasts with a large amount of bone and for cuts cooked by braising than for less bony roasts and cuts cooked by roasting. Except for thawed beef rump roasts, which had a higher yield of cooked lean meat, yield of cooked lean meat from the various cuts of beef, pork, and lamb was not affected by the state at the start of cooking. Collectively, all pork roasts had a higher yield of cooked lean meat when cooked from the frozen state. Juiciness and natural flavor of the roasts were not affected by the state at the start of cooking. Lamb leg and rib roasts were more tender when cooked from the thawed state.

Nitinol laser cutting: microstructure and functional properties of femtosecond and continuous wave laser processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biffi, C. A.; Tuissi, A.

2017-03-01

Thermal processing can affect the properties of smart materials, and the correct selection of the best manufacturing technology is fundamental for producing high tech smart devices, containing embedded functional properties. In this work cutting of thin superelastic Nitinol plates using a femtosecond (fs) and continuous wave (CW) laser was studied. Diamond shaped elements were cut to characterize the kerf qualitative features; microstructural analysis of the cross sections allowed identification of thermal damage characteristics introduced into the material during the laser processes. A thermally undamaged microstructure was observed for fs laser cutting, while CW was seen to be characterized by a large heat-affected zone. Functional properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and tensile testing of laser cut microelements and of the reference material. It was seen that the martensitic transformation behavior of Nitinol is not affected by fs regime, while cw cutting provokes an effect equivalent to a high temperature thermal treatment in the material surrounding the cutting kerf, degradating the material properties. Finally, tensile testing indicated that superelastic performances were guaranteed by fs regime, while strong reduction of the recoverable strain was detected in the CW processed sample.

Computerized Machine for Cutting Space Shuttle Thermal Tiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez, Luis E.; Reuter, Lisa A.

2009-01-01

A report presents the concept of a machine aboard the space shuttle that would cut oversized thermal-tile blanks to precise sizes and shapes needed to replace tiles that were damaged or lost during ascent to orbit. The machine would include a computer-controlled jigsaw enclosed in a clear acrylic shell that would prevent escape of cutting debris. A vacuum motor would collect the debris into a reservoir and would hold a tile blank securely in place. A database stored in the computer would contain the unique shape and dimensions of every tile. Once a broken or missing tile was identified, its identification number would be entered into the computer, wherein the cutting pattern associated with that number would be retrieved from the database. A tile blank would be locked into a crib in the machine, the shell would be closed (proximity sensors would prevent activation of the machine while the shell was open), and a "cut" command would be sent from the computer. A blade would be moved around the crib like a plotter, cutting the tile to the required size and shape. Once the tile was cut, an astronaut would take a space walk for installation.

21 CFR 882.5900 - Preformed craniosynostosis strip.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... craniosynostosis strip. (a) Identification. A preformed craniosynostosis strip is a plastic strip used to cover bone edges of craniectomy sites (sites where the skull has been cut) to prevent the bone from regrowing...

21 CFR 882.5900 - Preformed craniosynostosis strip.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... craniosynostosis strip. (a) Identification. A preformed craniosynostosis strip is a plastic strip used to cover bone edges of craniectomy sites (sites where the skull has been cut) to prevent the bone from regrowing...

21 CFR 882.5900 - Preformed craniosynostosis strip.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... craniosynostosis strip. (a) Identification. A preformed craniosynostosis strip is a plastic strip used to cover bone edges of craniectomy sites (sites where the skull has been cut) to prevent the bone from regrowing...

21 CFR 882.5900 - Preformed craniosynostosis strip.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... craniosynostosis strip. (a) Identification. A preformed craniosynostosis strip is a plastic strip used to cover bone edges of craniectomy sites (sites where the skull has been cut) to prevent the bone from regrowing...

9 CFR 381.444 - Identification of major cuts of poultry products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... drumstick, chicken thigh, whole turkey (without necks and giblets; separate nutrient panels for white and dark meat permitted as an option), turkey breast, turkey wing, turkey drumstick, and turkey thigh. ...

9 CFR 381.444 - Identification of major cuts of poultry products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... drumstick, chicken thigh, whole turkey (without necks and giblets; separate nutrient panels for white and dark meat permitted as an option), turkey breast, turkey wing, turkey drumstick, and turkey thigh. ...

9 CFR 381.444 - Identification of major cuts of poultry products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... drumstick, chicken thigh, whole turkey (without necks and giblets; separate nutrient panels for white and dark meat permitted as an option), turkey breast, turkey wing, turkey drumstick, and turkey thigh. ...

9 CFR 381.444 - Identification of major cuts of poultry products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... drumstick, chicken thigh, whole turkey (without necks and giblets; separate nutrient panels for white and dark meat permitted as an option), turkey breast, turkey wing, turkey drumstick, and turkey thigh. ...

Identification of Technological Parameters of Ni-Alloys When Machining by Monolithic Ceramic Milling Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czán, Andrej; Kubala, Ondrej; Danis, Igor; Czánová, Tatiana; Holubják, Jozef; Mikloš, Matej

2017-12-01

The ever-increasing production and the usage of hard-to-machine progressive materials are the main cause of continual finding of new ways and methods of machining. One of these ways is the ceramic milling tool, which combines the pros of conventional ceramic cutting materials and pros of conventional coating steel-based insert. These properties allow to improve cutting conditions and so increase the productivity with preserved quality known from conventional tools usage. In this paper, there is made the identification of properties and possibilities of this tool when machining of hard-to-machine materials such as nickel alloys using in airplanes engines. This article is focused on the analysis and evaluation ordinary technological parameters and surface quality, mainly roughness of surface and quality of machined surface and tool wearing.

Performance Monitoring Of A Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Lathe Using Pattern Recognition Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daneshmend, L. K.; Pak, H. A.

1984-02-01

On-line monitoring of the cutting process in CNC lathe is desirable to ensure unattended fault-free operation in an automated environment. The state of the cutting tool is one of the most important parameters which characterises the cutting process. Direct monitoring of the cutting tool or workpiece is not feasible during machining. However several variables related to the state of the tool can be measured on-line. A novel monitoring technique is presented which uses cutting torque as the variable for on-line monitoring. A classifier is designed on the basis of the empirical relationship between cutting torque and flank wear. The empirical model required by the on-line classifier is established during an automated training cycle using machine vision for off-line direct inspection of the tool.

Fighting Back: The Fate of the State in Florida

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jumonville, Neil

2009-01-01

Florida has been one of the states hit hardest by the recent financial crisis. Since 2007, Florida State University (FSU) administration says, the university's budget has been cut by over $38 million. The state budget approved by the legislature on May 8, 2009, requires FSU to make another cut of more than $43 million from the institution's…

Cutting Pattern Identification for Coal Mining Shearer through a Swarm Intelligence–Based Variable Translation Wavelet Neural Network

PubMed Central

Xu, Jing; Wang, Zhongbin; Tan, Chao; Liu, Xinhua

2018-01-01

As a sound signal has the advantages of non-contacted measurement, compact structure, and low power consumption, it has resulted in much attention in many fields. In this paper, the sound signal of the coal mining shearer is analyzed to realize the accurate online cutting pattern identification and guarantee the safety quality of the working face. The original acoustic signal is first collected through an industrial microphone and decomposed by adaptive ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). A 13-dimensional set composed by the normalized energy of each level is extracted as the feature vector in the next step. Then, a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm inspired by bat foraging behavior is applied to determine key parameters of the traditional variable translation wavelet neural network (VTWNN). Moreover, a disturbance coefficient is introduced into the basic bat algorithm (BA) to overcome the disadvantage of easily falling into local extremum and limited exploration ability. The VTWNN optimized by the modified BA (VTWNN-MBA) is used as the cutting pattern recognizer. Finally, a simulation example, with an accuracy of 95.25%, and a series of comparisons are conducted to prove the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method. PMID:29382120

Limitations Of The Current State Space Modelling Approach In Multistage Machining Processes Due To Operation Variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abellán-Nebot, J. V.; Liu, J.; Romero, F.

2009-11-01

The State Space modelling approach has been recently proposed as an engineering-driven technique for part quality prediction in Multistage Machining Processes (MMP). Current State Space models incorporate fixture and datum variations in the multi-stage variation propagation, without explicitly considering common operation variations such as machine-tool thermal distortions, cutting-tool wear, cutting-tool deflections, etc. This paper shows the limitations of the current State Space model through an experimental case study where the effect of the spindle thermal expansion, cutting-tool flank wear and locator errors are introduced. The paper also discusses the extension of the current State Space model to include operation variations and its potential benefits.

Management of complications associated with lathe-cut soft contact lenses.

PubMed

Freeman, M I

1979-06-01

At the present time, nine lathe-cut lenses are FDA approved and commercially available in the United States. Complications of lathe-cut soft contact lenses cover a wide spectrum of problems. Five significant complications of lathe-cut lenses and their prevention and therapeutic management are discussed.

Components of Brief Alcohol Interventions for Youth in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Walton, Maureen A; Chermack, Stephen T; Blow, Frederic C; Ehrlich, Peter F; Barry, Kristen L; Booth, Brenda M; Cunningham, Rebecca M

2015-01-01

Alcohol brief interventions (BIs) delivered by therapists are promising among underage drinkers in the emergency department (ED); however, integration into routine ED care is lacking. Harnessing technology for identification of at-risk drinkers and delivery of interventions could have tremendous public health impact by addressing practical barriers to implementation. The paper presents baseline, within BI session, and posttest data from an ongoing randomized controlled trial (RCT) of youth in the ED. Patients (ages 14-20) who screened positive for risky drinking were randomized to computer BI (CBI), therapist BI (TBI), or control. Measures included demographics, alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test--Consumption [AUDIT-C]), process questions, BI components (e.g., strengths, tools), and psychological constructs (i.e., importance of cutting down, likelihood of cutting down, readiness to stop, and wanting help). Among 4389 youth surveyed (13.7% refused), 24.0% (n = 1053) screened positive for risky drinking and 80.3% (n = 836) were enrolled in the RCT; 93.7% (n = 783) completed the posttest. Although similar in content, the TBI included a tailored, computerized workbook to structure the session, whereas the CBI was a stand-alone, offline, Facebook-styled program. As compared with controls, significant increases were found at posttest for the TBI in "importance to cut down" and "readiness to stop" and for the CBI in "importance and likelihood to cut down." BI components positively associated with outcomes at posttest included greater identification of personal strengths, protective behavioral strategies, benefits of change, and alternative activities involving sports. In contrast, providing information during the TBI was negatively related to outcomes at posttest. Initial data suggest that therapist and computer BIs are promising, increasing perceived importance of reducing drinking. In addition, findings provide clues to potentially beneficial components of BIs. Future studies are needed to identify BI components that have the greatest influence on reducing risky drinking behaviors among adolescents and emerging adults.

Gradual cut detection using low-level vision for digital video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae-Hyun; Choi, Yeun-Sung; Jang, Ok-bae

1996-09-01

Digital video computing and organization is one of the important issues in multimedia system, signal compression, or database. Video should be segmented into shots to be used for identification and indexing. This approach requires a suitable method to automatically locate cut points in order to separate shot in a video. Automatic cut detection to isolate shots in a video has received considerable attention due to many practical applications; our video database, browsing, authoring system, retrieval and movie. Previous studies are based on a set of difference mechanisms and they measured the content changes between video frames. But they could not detect more special effects which include dissolve, wipe, fade-in, fade-out, and structured flashing. In this paper, a new cut detection method for gradual transition based on computer vision techniques is proposed. And then, experimental results applied to commercial video are presented and evaluated.

Approximate ground states of the random-field Potts model from graph cuts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Manoj; Kumar, Ravinder; Weigel, Martin; Banerjee, Varsha; Janke, Wolfhard; Puri, Sanjay

2018-05-01

While the ground-state problem for the random-field Ising model is polynomial, and can be solved using a number of well-known algorithms for maximum flow or graph cut, the analog random-field Potts model corresponds to a multiterminal flow problem that is known to be NP-hard. Hence an efficient exact algorithm is very unlikely to exist. As we show here, it is nevertheless possible to use an embedding of binary degrees of freedom into the Potts spins in combination with graph-cut methods to solve the corresponding ground-state problem approximately in polynomial time. We benchmark this heuristic algorithm using a set of quasiexact ground states found for small systems from long parallel tempering runs. For a not-too-large number q of Potts states, the method based on graph cuts finds the same solutions in a fraction of the time. We employ the new technique to analyze the breakup length of the random-field Potts model in two dimensions.

Did Cuts in State Aid during the Great Recession Lead to Changes in Local Property Taxes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakrabarti, Rajashri; Livingston, Max; Roy, Joydeep

2014-01-01

The Great Recession led to marked declines in state revenue. In this paper we investigate whether (and how) local school districts modified their funding and taxing decisions in response to state aid declines in the post-recession period. Our results reveal school districts responded to state aid cuts in the post-recession period by countering…

Research on the identification of inefficient and invalid circulation in ultra-high water cut stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shaoxin

2018-06-01

After oil field entered into ultra-high water cut stage, big channels are formed in some oil and water wells and lead to the inefficient and ineffective circulation of injected water, which not only inhibit the increase of recovery ratio of oil and gas, but also cause the waste of resources. This article selects three static parameters and four dynamic parameters which can perform inefficient and ineffective circulation characteristics between oil and water wells, integrates the fuzzy mathematics theory, establishes fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model to identify the inefficient and ineffective circulation wells in the research area, on this basis, inefficient and ineffective circulation position is further determined through the logging curve characteristics and logging ratio method, the identification of inefficient and ineffective circulation "determine well and layer" is achieved, and provide powerful basis for governance work of inefficient and ineffective circulation.

Local Revenues for Schools: Limits and Options in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Mary; Edwards, Brian

2009-01-01

With K-12 schools representing the single largest expenditure in the state budget, education funding has been a central issue throughout the chaos that has recently characterized California's budget process. School districts throughout California have endured deep cuts in state funding, and more cuts are looming. But state law severely limits the…

7 CFR 59.303 - Mandatory reporting of lamb carcasses and boxed lamb.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... grade, if applicable; (vi) The product state of refrigeration; (vii) The weight range of the cut; and... Specifications (IMPS), when applicable; (iv) The product state of refrigeration; (v) The weight range of the cut...

7 CFR 59.303 - Mandatory reporting of lamb carcasses and boxed lamb.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... grade, if applicable; (vi) The product state of refrigeration; (vii) The weight range of the cut; and... Specifications (IMPS), when applicable; (iv) The product state of refrigeration; (v) The weight range of the cut...

Restoration guidelines for riparian areas using dormant stock "pole" cuttings

Treesearch

Tony Barron

1996-01-01

The Open Space Division manages seven thousand acres of riparian areas comprising the Rio Grande Valley State Park. In 1988. Open Space began experimenting with dormant stock cuttings. This paper contains methods and procedures for establishing dormant stock cuttings. Dormant stock cuttings will be referred to as "poles" in this paper.

Reproduction of upland hardwood forests in the central states

Treesearch

Ivan L. Sander; F. Bryan Clark

1971-01-01

This handbook summarizes data from studies of central hardwood reproduction after harvest cuttings ranging from single-tree selection cutting to complete clearcutting. Regardless of how the stands were cut, natural reproduction was always adequate to produce acceptable new stands; but the heavier cuttings favored intolerant species and faster growth of all species....

The TRIAGE-ProADM Score for an Early Risk Stratification of Medical Patients in the Emergency Department - Development Based on a Multi-National, Prospective, Observational Study

PubMed Central

Hausfater, Pierre; Amin, Devendra; Amin, Adina; Canavaggio, Pauline; Sauvin, Gabrielle; Bernard, Maguy; Conca, Antoinette; Haubitz, Sebastian; Struja, Tristan; Huber, Andreas; Mueller, Beat; Schuetz, Philipp

2016-01-01

Introduction The inflammatory biomarker pro-adrenomedullin (ProADM) provides additional prognostic information for the risk stratification of general medical emergency department (ED) patients. The aim of this analysis was to develop a triage algorithm for improved prognostication and later use in an interventional trial. Methods We used data from the multi-national, prospective, observational TRIAGE trial including consecutive medical ED patients from Switzerland, France and the United States. We investigated triage effects when adding ProADM at two established cut-offs to a five-level ED triage score with respect to adverse clinical outcome. Results Mortality in the 6586 ED patients showed a step-wise, 25-fold increase from 0.6% to 4.5% and 15.4%, respectively, at the two ProADM cut-offs (≤0.75nmol/L, >0.75–1.5nmol/L, >1.5nmol/L, p ANOVA <0.0001). Risk stratification by combining ProADM within cut-off groups and the triage score resulted in the identification of 1662 patients (25.2% of the population) at a very low risk of mortality (0.3%, n = 5) and 425 patients (6.5% of the population) at very high risk of mortality (19.3%, n = 82). Risk estimation by using ProADM and the triage score from a logistic regression model allowed for a more accurate risk estimation in the whole population with a classification of 3255 patients (49.4% of the population) in the low risk group (0.3% mortality, n = 9) and 1673 (25.4% of the population) in the high-risk group (15.1% mortality, n = 252). Conclusions Within this large international multicenter study, a combined triage score based on ProADM and established triage scores allowed a more accurate mortality risk discrimination. The TRIAGE-ProADM score improved identification of both patients at the highest risk of mortality who may benefit from early therapeutic interventions (rule in), and low risk patients where deferred treatment without negatively affecting outcome may be possible (rule out). PMID:28005916

States' Experiences with Loan Repayment Programs for Health Care Professionals in a Time of State Budget Cuts and NHSC Expansion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pathman, Donald E.; Morgan, Jennifer Craft; Konrad, Thomas R.; Goldberg, Lynda

2012-01-01

Purpose: The landscape of education loan repayment programs for health care professionals has been turbulent in recent years, with doubling of the funding for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and cuts in funding for some states' programs. We sought to understand how this turbulence is being felt within the state offices involved in…

Decision-Making Processes during State Appropriation Cuts in Michigan Public Universities: How Administrators Respond to These Cuts a Case Study of State "A" University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almeshagbeh, Wasfi K.

2012-01-01

In principle and practice, Michigan's public universities are committed to the sustained improvement of educational and economic opportunities in the state. However, their place in the state's general fund budget makes them especially vulnerable to reductions, when resources are low. The remarkable impact that higher education has on every person…

School Staffs Grew in New York Despite Falling Enrollment. Research Bulletin, No. 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, E.J.

2010-01-01

New York State educators are warning that proposed cuts in state aid to public schools next year could force more than 14,000 teacher layoffs. Officials of the state's largest teachers' union claim aid cuts will "devastate" education, leading to a "drastic" reduction of programs and "much larger class sizes." But…

States Seek Federal Waivers to Cut Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuels, Christina A.

2010-01-01

At least three states have asked for permission to cut back on the money they provide districts for special education, under a built-in escape clause in the federal special education law that is aimed at financially struggling states. Iowa and Kansas have both been granted a waiver, which under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act…

An esthetic alternative to clearcutting?

Treesearch

H. Clay Smith; Neil I. Lamson; Gary W. Miller

1989-01-01

Although deferment cutting is not a practice common in the United States, it has been used in Europe to harvest some forest stands. After a deferment cutting, the residual stand resembles a seed tree cut; however, residual trees are not cut when the regenerated stand becomes established. Instead, residual trees remain until the regenerated stand is at the end of a...

Rationalizing IT Rationing: 10 Ways to Cut the IT Budget (and What Not to Cut)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Fred

2009-01-01

Whether because of falling stock values affecting institutional endowments, cutbacks in state spending, or declines in private giving, higher education has reduced spending, and information technology (IT) organizations have participated in the budget cuts. This is the tale of one institution's quest to cut technology costs while maintaining a…

Whole-leaf sanitizing wash improves chlorine efficacy for microbial reduction and prevents pathogen cross contamination during fresh-cut lettuce processing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Currently, nearly all fresh-cut lettuce processing facilities in the United States use chlorinated water or other sanitizer solutions for microbial reduction after lettuce is cut. It is believed that freshly cut lettuce releases significant amounts of organic matters that negatively impact the effec...

America's emphasis on welfare: is it children's welfare or corporate welfare?

PubMed

Raphel, Sally

2003-01-01

States are facing a collective budget shortfall of dollar 40 billion and may have to cut millions from programs that serve children and families. The 2004 proposal exacerbates the state fiscal crisis. Because of linkages between federal and state taxes, federal tax cuts have added to the loss of state revenue coming into states to assist with programs. In addition, the federal government is likely to cut human service funding to shore up its dollar 157 billion deficit, and many non-profit agencies are seeing donations slow dramatically because of the lagging economy and stock market It seems evident that the proposed federal budget cutbacks exacerbate state reductions in children's services, worsen the federal budget deficit, greatly increase the nation's debt, and mortgage America's future by passing the lack of investments in youth potential onto the next generation.

Concrete Cutting Refinement for Crater Repair

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

Identification of damage sustained to the airfield operating surfaces, 2. Selection of minimum pavement surface areas required to support air- craft...also studied to identify the appropriate lineup and stop locations to achieve the desired overcut lengths. Edwards et al. (2015) recommends overcut

78 FR 33221 - Special Local Regulation; Annual Swim Around Key West, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico; Key...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-04

... Fort Zach State Park, North through Key West Harbor, East through Flemming Cut, South on Cow Key... State Park, North through Key West Harbor, East through Flemming Cut, South on Cow Key Channel and West...

Consistency of Standard Setting in an Augmented State Testing System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lissitz, Robert W.; Wei, Hua

2008-01-01

In this article we address the issue of consistency in standard setting in the context of an augmented state testing program. Information gained from the external NRT scores is used to help make an informed decision on the determination of cut scores on the state test. The consistency of cut scores on the CRT across grades is maintained by forcing…

Bouncebacks in Higher Education Funding: Patterns in Length of Time to Recovery following Cuts in State Appropriations. WISCAPE Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, William R.; Delaney, Jennifer A.

2011-01-01

State appropriations for higher education are highly cyclical, with downturns in funding during difficult financial times followed by increases in funding when state finances improve. This policy brief shares recent research about whether the duration of recoveries from cuts in appropriations for higher education has changed over time and which…

Wear and breakage monitoring of cutting tools by an optical method: theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianfeng; Zhang, Yongqing; Chen, Fangrong; Tian, Zhiren; Wang, Yao

1996-10-01

An essential part of a machining system in the unmanned flexible manufacturing system, is the ability to automatically change out tools that are worn or damaged. An optoelectronic method for in situ monitoring of the flank wear and breakage of cutting tools is presented. A flank wear estimation system is implemented in a laboratory environment, and its performance is evaluated through turning experiments. The flank wear model parameters that need to be known a priori are determined through several preliminary experiments, or from data available in the literature. The resulting cutting conditions are typical of those used in finishing cutting operations. Through time and amplitude domain analysis of the cutting tool wear states and breakage states, it is found that the original signal digital specificity (sigma) 2x and the self correlation coefficient (rho) (m) can reflect the change regularity of the cutting tool wear and break are determined, but which is not enough due to the complexity of the wear and break procedure of cutting tools. Time series analysis and frequency spectrum analysis will be carried out, which will be described in the later papers.

Identification of Staphylococcus and Micrococcus species with the STAPHYtest system.

PubMed

Sedlácek, I; Kocur, M

1991-01-01

A collection of 216 well-characterized strains of Staphylococcus, Micrococcus and Stomatococcus was examined by a commercially available STAPHYtest system (Lachema, Brno, Czechoslovakia). The results of STAPHYtest agreed with those of conventional tests. The STAPHYtest permitted a clear-cut separation of Staphylococcus from Micrococcus and Stomatococcus strains and correctly identified 104 of 145 (72%) Staphylococcus strains after 24 h of incubation. However, it allowed the identification only of 19 of 29 validly published Staphylococcus species. The STAPHYtest proved to be a simple and rapid system for the separation of staphylococci from micrococci and for the identification of most frequent clinically significant staphylococci.

Shared Resources: Sharing Right-Of-Way For Telecommunications, Identification, Review And Analysis Of Legal And Institutional Issues, Final Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-01

Commercial Vehicle Administrative (CVO) Processes Cross-Cutting report summarizes and interprets the results of several Field Operational Tests (FOTs) conducted to evaluate systems that increase the efficiency of commercial vehicle administrative pro...

Using fuzzy models in machining control system and assessment of sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinek, A. V.; Boychuk, I. P.; Dantsevich, I. M.

2018-03-01

Description of the complex relationship of the optimum velocity with the temperature-strength state in the cutting zone for machining a fuzzy model is proposed. The fuzzy-logical conclusion allows determining the processing speed, which ensures effective, from the point of view of ensuring the quality of the surface layer, the temperature in the cutting zone and the maximum allowable cutting force. A scheme for stabilizing the temperature-strength state in the cutting zone using a nonlinear fuzzy PD–controller is proposed. The stability of the nonlinear system is estimated with the help of grapho–analytical realization of the method of harmonic balance and by modeling in MatLab.

Differentiating the levels of risk for muscle dysmorphia among Hungarian male weightlifters: a factor mixture modeling approach.

PubMed

Babusa, Bernadett; Czeglédi, Edit; Túry, Ferenc; Mayville, Stephen B; Urbán, Róbert

2015-01-01

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a body image disturbance characterized by a pathological preoccupation with muscularity. The study aimed to differentiate the levels of risk for MD among weightlifters and to define a tentative cut-off score for the Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS) for the identification of high risk MD cases. Hungarian male weightlifters (n=304) completed the MASS, the Exercise Addiction Inventory, and specific exercise and body image related questions. For the differentiation of MD, factor mixture modeling was performed, resulting in three independent groups: low-, moderate-, and high risk MD groups. The estimated prevalence of high risk MD in this sample of weightlifters was 15.1%. To determine a cut-off score for the MASS, sensitivity and specificity analyses were performed and a cut-off point of 63 was suggested. The proposed cut-off score for the MASS can be useful for the early detection of high risk MD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of innovative potential quality markers in rocket and melon fresh-cut produce.

PubMed

Cavaiuolo, Marina; Cocetta, Giacomo; Bulgari, Roberta; Spinardi, Anna; Ferrante, Antonio

2015-12-01

Ready-to-eat fresh cut produce are exposed to pre- and postharvest abiotic stresses during the production chain. Our work aimed to identify stress responsive genes as new molecular markers of quality that can be widely applied to leaves and fruits and easily determined at any stage of the production chain. Stress responsive genes associated with quality losses were isolated in rocket and melon fresh-cut produce and their expression levels analyzed by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) at different time points after harvest at 20 °C and 4 °C. qRT-PCR results were supported by correlation analysis with physiological and biochemical determinations evaluated at the same conditions such as chlorophyll a fluorescence indices, total, reducing sugars, sucrose, ethylene, ascorbic acid, lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species. In both species the putative molecular markers increased their expression soon after harvest suggesting a possible use as novel and objective quality markers of fresh-cut produces. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Fighter on Long Island.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stover, Del

1991-01-01

Superintendent Dan Domenech unsuccessfully battled New York's governor and legislature about a cut in state funding. Long Island has only 16 percent of the state's population but is being earmarked for 50 percent of the cuts. Domenech's earlier successes included a preschool for disadvantaged children, a full-day kindergarten, and a before- and…

Oklahoma Higher Education: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denhart, Matthew; Matgouranis, Christopher

2011-01-01

A major headline in recent years has been that cash-strapped state governments are cutting back support for many services, including public higher education. Oklahoma is no different. Indeed, in the most recent state budget crafted by Oklahoma policymakers, Oklahoma's public colleges and universities received a 5.8 percent cut in state…

Pulpwood Production in the Lake States Counties 1963

Treesearch

Arthur G. Horn

1964-01-01

This is the fifth annual report on the pulpwood harvest in the Lakes States counties. Another record in pulpwood production was established in 1963 when the Lake States cut amounted to 3,662,300 cords--10 percent larger than the previous high of 3,342,400 cords in 1962. Pulpwood from roundwood accounted for 96 percent of the total cut; the remaining 4 percent came...

Stimulus Money Helps Colleges Avoid Slashing Budgets Now, but Big Cuts May Loom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2009-01-01

This year was bleak for state higher-education budgets. But college leaders are even more worried about what comes next. The billions of dollars in federal stimulus aid to plug shortfalls in state education budgets have helped limit the damage this year, but the money hasn't prevented all of the cuts to college budgets. Most states are spending…

16 CFR 23.16 - Misuse of the words “brilliant” and “full cut.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...,” “brilliant cut,” or “full cut” to describe, identify, or refer to any diamond except a round diamond that has... below. Note to § 23.16: Such terms should not be applied to single or rose-cut diamonds. They may be...) cut diamonds meeting the above-stated facet requirements when, in immediate conjunction with the term...

16 CFR 23.16 - Misuse of the words “brilliant” and “full cut.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...,” “brilliant cut,” or “full cut” to describe, identify, or refer to any diamond except a round diamond that has... below. Note to § 23.16: Such terms should not be applied to single or rose-cut diamonds. They may be...) cut diamonds meeting the above-stated facet requirements when, in immediate conjunction with the term...

16 CFR 23.16 - Misuse of the words “brilliant” and “full cut.”

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...,” “brilliant cut,” or “full cut” to describe, identify, or refer to any diamond except a round diamond that has... below. Note to § 23.16: Such terms should not be applied to single or rose-cut diamonds. They may be...) cut diamonds meeting the above-stated facet requirements when, in immediate conjunction with the term...

Estimating the impact of state budget cuts and redirection of prevention resources on the HIV epidemic in 59 California local health departments.

PubMed

Lin, Feng; Lasry, Arielle; Sansom, Stephanie L; Wolitski, Richard J

2013-01-01

In the wake of a national economic downturn, the state of California, in 2009-2010, implemented budget cuts that eliminated state funding of HIV prevention and testing. To mitigate the effect of these cuts remaining federal funds were redirected. This analysis estimates the impact of these budget cuts and reallocation of resources on HIV transmission and associated HIV treatment costs. We estimated the effect of the budget cuts and reallocation for California county health departments (excluding Los Angeles and San Francisco) on the number of individuals living with or at-risk for HIV who received HIV prevention services. We used a Bernoulli model to estimate the number of new infections that would occur each year as a result of the changes, and assigned lifetime treatment costs to those new infections. We explored the effect of redirecting federal funds to more cost-effective programs, as well as the potential effect of allocating funds proportionately by transmission category. We estimated that cutting HIV prevention resulted in 55 new infections that were associated with $20 million in lifetime treatment costs. The redirection of federal funds to more cost-effective programs averted 15 HIV infections. If HIV prevention funding were allocated proportionately to transmission categories, we estimated that HIV infections could be reduced below the number that occurred annually before the state budget cuts. Reducing funding for HIV prevention may result in short-term savings at the expense of additional HIV infections and increased HIV treatment costs. Existing HIV prevention funds would likely have a greater impact on the epidemic if they were allocated to the more cost-effective programs and the populations most likely to acquire and transmit the infection.

The critical wave speed for the Fisher Kolmogorov Petrowskii Piscounov equation with cut-off

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumortier, Freddy; Popovic, Nikola; Kaper, Tasso J.

2007-04-01

The Fisher-Kolmogorov-Petrowskii-Piscounov (FKPP) equation with cut-off was introduced in (Brunet and Derrida 1997 Shift in the velocity of a front due to a cut-off Phys. Rev. E 56 2597-604) to model N-particle systems in which concentrations less than ɛ = 1/N are not attainable. It was conjectured that the cut-off function, which sets the reaction terms to zero if the concentration is below the small threshold ɛ, introduces a substantial shift in the propagation speed of the corresponding travelling waves. In this paper, we prove the conjecture of Brunet and Derrida, showing that the speed of propagation is given by c_crit(\\varepsilon)=2-{\\pi^2}/{(\\ln\\varepsilon)^2}+\\cal{O}((\\ln\\varepsilon)^{-3}) , as ɛ → 0, for a large class of cut-off functions. Moreover, we extend this result to a more general family of scalar reaction-diffusion equations with cut-off. The main mathematical techniques used in our proof are the geometric singular perturbation theory and the blow-up method, which lead naturally to the identification of the reasons for the logarithmic dependence of ccrit on ɛ as well as for the universality of the corresponding leading-order coefficient (π2).

Diagnostic accuracy of the MMSE in detecting probable and possible Alzheimer's disease in ethnically diverse highly educated individuals: an analysis of the NACC database.

PubMed

Spering, Cynthia C; Hobson, Valerie; Lucas, John A; Menon, Chloe V; Hall, James R; O'Bryant, Sid E

2012-08-01

To validate and extend the findings of a raised cut score of O'Bryant and colleagues (O'Bryant SE, Humphreys JD, Smith GE, et al. Detecting dementia with the mini-mental state examination in highly educated individuals. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(7):963-967.) for the Mini-Mental State Examination in detecting cognitive dysfunction in a bilingual sample of highly educated ethnically diverse individuals. Archival data were reviewed from participants enrolled in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center minimum data set. Data on 7,093 individuals with 16 or more years of education were analyzed, including 2,337 cases with probable and possible Alzheimer's disease, 1,418 mild cognitive impairment patients, and 3,088 nondemented controls. Ethnic composition was characterized as follows: 6,296 Caucasians, 581 African Americans, 4 American Indians or Alaska natives, 2 native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders, 149 Asians, 43 "Other," and 18 of unknown origin. Diagnostic accuracy estimates (sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio) of Mini-Mental State Examination cut scores in detecting probable and possible Alzheimer's disease were examined. A standard Mini-Mental State Examination cut score of 24 (≤23) yielded a sensitivity of 0.58 and a specificity of 0.98 in detecting probable and possible Alzheimer's disease across ethnicities. A cut score of 27 (≤26) resulted in an improved balance of sensitivity and specificity (0.79 and 0.90, respectively). In the cognitively impaired group (mild cognitive impairment and probable and possible Alzheimer's disease), the standard cut score yielded a sensitivity of 0.38 and a specificity of 1.00 while raising the cut score to 27 resulted in an improved balance of 0.59 and 0.96 of sensitivity and specificity, respectively. These findings cross-validate our previous work and extend them to an ethnically diverse cohort. A higher cut score is needed to maximize diagnostic accuracy of the Mini-Mental State Examination in individuals with college degrees.

7 CFR 319.74-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES Cut Flowers § 319.74-1 Definitions. Administrator. The... employee of the United States Department of Agriculture delegated to act in his or her stead. Cut flower. The highly perishable commodity known in the commercial flower-producing industry as a cut flower...

7 CFR 319.74-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES Cut Flowers § 319.74-1 Definitions. Administrator. The... employee of the United States Department of Agriculture delegated to act in his or her stead. Cut flower. The highly perishable commodity known in the commercial flower-producing industry as a cut flower...

7 CFR 319.74-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES Cut Flowers § 319.74-1 Definitions. Administrator. The... employee of the United States Department of Agriculture delegated to act in his or her stead. Cut flower. The highly perishable commodity known in the commercial flower-producing industry as a cut flower...

7 CFR 319.74-1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN QUARANTINE NOTICES Cut Flowers § 319.74-1 Definitions. Administrator. The... employee of the United States Department of Agriculture delegated to act in his or her stead. Cut flower. The highly perishable commodity known in the commercial flower-producing industry as a cut flower...

Patterns of Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses: Identification Rates, Agreement, and Validity for Learning Disabilities Identification

PubMed Central

Miciak, Jeremy; Fletcher, Jack M.; Stuebing, Karla; Vaughn, Sharon; Tolar, Tammy D.

2014-01-01

Purpose Few empirical investigations have evaluated LD identification methods based on a pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses (PSW). This study investigated the reliability and validity of two proposed PSW methods: the concordance/discordance method (C/DM) and cross battery assessment (XBA) method. Methods Cognitive assessment data for 139 adolescents demonstrating inadequate response to intervention was utilized to empirically classify participants as meeting or not meeting PSW LD identification criteria using the two approaches, permitting an analysis of: (1) LD identification rates; (2) agreement between methods; and (3) external validity. Results LD identification rates varied between the two methods depending upon the cut point for low achievement, with low agreement for LD identification decisions. Comparisons of groups that met and did not meet LD identification criteria on external academic variables were largely null, raising questions of external validity. Conclusions This study found low agreement and little evidence of validity for LD identification decisions based on PSW methods. An alternative may be to use multiple measures of academic achievement to guide intervention. PMID:24274155

Early identification of acute heart failure at the time of presentation: do natriuretic peptides make the difference?

PubMed

Möckel, Martin; von Haehling, Stephan; Vollert, Jörn O; Wiemer, Jan C; Anker, Stefan D; Maisel, Alan

2018-06-01

The early identification of patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is challenging as many other diseases lead to a clinical presentation with dyspnea. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of natriuretic peptides at common HF study cut-offs on the diagnosis of patients with dyspnea at admission. For this post hoc analysis, we analysed n = 726 European Union (EU) patients from the prospective BACH (Biomarkers in Acute Heart Failure) study. Cut-offs were 350 ng/L (BNP), 300 pmol/L [pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP)], and 1800 ng/L (NT-proBNP). These cut-offs had equivalent 90 days' mortality in the EU cohort of BACH. We analysed the effect of selection using these cut-offs on the prevalence of the gold standard diagnoses made in the BACH study and the respective mortality. The prevalence of AHF is increased from 47.5 to 75.6% (NT-proBNP criteria) up to 79.7% (BNP criteria). With the use of the proANP criteria, 90 days' mortality of patients with AHF rose from 14 to 17% (P = 0.029). In the group with no-AHF diagnoses, mortality rose from 10 to 25% (P < 0.001). The prevalence of patients with the gold standard diagnoses of AHF among those presenting with dyspnea to the emergency department is significantly increased by the use of natriuretic peptides with common cut-offs used in prospective HF studies. Nevertheless, in the selected groups, patients with no AHF diagnosis have the highest mortality, and therefore, the addition of a natriuretic peptide alone is insufficient to start specific therapies. © 2018 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Silvicultural cutting opportunities in oak-hickory forests of West Virginia

Treesearch

S. L. Arner; D.A. Gansner; M.E. Dale; H.C. Smith

1991-01-01

Analysis of cutting opportunities of oak-hickory forests of West Virginia reveals a storehouse of economic opportunity. The potential cut from silviculturally sound thinning, regeneration, and harvest opportunities totals 100 million cords, or 60 times the current annual harvest of growing stock volume from the state.

Doing More with Less in "The Missing Middle": Rowan University, an Entrepreneurial Public Master's University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Michael W.

2012-01-01

The "double whammy" of state appropriations cuts and sharply rising enrollments have challenged public colleges and universities for more than a decade. State colleges--the little-studied "missing middle" between research universities and community colleges--suffered some of the deepest budget cuts and steepest enrollment…

The Impacts of the Great Recession on State Natural Resource Extension Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serenari, Christopher; Peterson, M. Nils; Bardon, Robert E.; Brown, Robert D.

2013-01-01

The Great Recession contributed to major budget cuts for natural resource Extension programs in the United States. Despite the potentially large cuts, their impacts and how Extension has adapted their programs have not been evaluated. We begin addressing these needs with surveys of Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals members…

Grappling with Weight Cutting. The Wisconsin Wrestling Minimum Weight Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oppliger, Robert A.; And Others

1995-01-01

In response to a new state rule, the Wisconsin Minimum Weight Project curtails weight cutting among high school wrestlers. The project uses skinfold testing to determine a minimum competitive weight and nutrition education to help the wrestler diet safety. It serves as a model for other states and other sports. (Author/SM)

Current MUAC Cut-Offs to Screen for Acute Malnutrition Need to Be Adapted to Gender and Age: The Example of Cambodia

PubMed Central

Fiorentino, Marion; Sophonneary, Prak; Laillou, Arnaud; Whitney, Sophie; de Groot, Richard; Perignon, Marlène; Kuong, Khov; Berger, Jacques; Wieringa, Frank T.

2016-01-01

Background Early identification of children <5 yrs with acute malnutrition is a priority. Acute malnutrition is defined by the World Health Organization as a mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) <12.5 cm or a weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) <-2. MUAC is a simple and low-cost indicator to screen for acute malnutrition in communities, but MUAC cut-offs currently recommended by WHO do not identify the majority of children with weight-for-height Z-score (<-2 (moderate malnourished) or r<-3 (severe malnourished). Also, no cut-offs for MUAC are established for children >5 yrs. Therefore, this study aimed at defining gender and age-specific cut-offs to improve sensitivity of MUAC as an indicator of acute malnutrition. Methods To establish new age and gender-specific MUAC cut-offs, pooled data was obtained for 14,173 children from 5 surveys in Cambodia (2011–2013). Sensitivity, false positive rates, and areas under receiver-operator characteristic curves (AUC) were calculated using wasting for children <5yrs and thinness for children ≥5yrs as gold standards. Among the highest values of AUC, the cut-off with the highest sensitivity and a false positive rate ≤33% was selected as the optimal cut-off. Results Optimal cut-off values increased with age. Boys had higher cut-offs than girls, except in the 8–10.9 yrs age range. In children <2yrs, the cut-off was lower for stunted children compared to non stunted children. Sensitivity of MUAC to identify WHZ<-2 and <-3 z-scores increased from 24.3% and 8.1% to >80% with the new cut-offs in comparison with the current WHO cut-offs. Conclusion Gender and age specific MUAC cut-offs drastically increased sensitivity to identify children with WHZ-score <-2 z-scores. International reference of MUAC cut-offs by age group and gender should be established to screen for acute malnutrition at the community level. PMID:26840899

Two-Step Approach for the Prediction of Future Type 2 Diabetes Risk

PubMed Central

Abdul-Ghani, Muhammad A.; Abdul-Ghani, Tamam; Stern, Michael P.; Karavic, Jasmina; Tuomi, Tiinamaija; Bo, Insoma; DeFronzo, Ralph A.; Groop, Leif

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE To develop a model for the prediction of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk on the basis of a multivariate logistic model and 1-h plasma glucose concentration (1-h PG). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The model was developed in a cohort of 1,562 nondiabetic subjects from the San Antonio Heart Study (SAHS) and validated in 2,395 nondiabetic subjects in the Botnia Study. A risk score on the basis of anthropometric parameters, plasma glucose and lipid profile, and blood pressure was computed for each subject. Subjects with a risk score above a certain cut point were considered to represent high-risk individuals, and their 1-h PG concentration during the oral glucose tolerance test was used to further refine their future T2DM risk. RESULTS We used the San Antonio Diabetes Prediction Model (SADPM) to generate the initial risk score. A risk-score value of 0.065 was found to be an optimal cut point for initial screening and selection of high-risk individuals. A 1-h PG concentration >140 mg/dL in high-risk individuals (whose risk score was >0.065) was the optimal cut point for identification of subjects at increased risk. The two cut points had 77.8, 77.4, and 44.8% (for the SAHS) and 75.8, 71.6, and 11.9% (for the Botnia Study) sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value, respectively, in the SAHS and Botnia Study. CONCLUSIONS A two-step model, based on the combination of the SADPM and 1-h PG, is a useful tool for the identification of high-risk Mexican-American and Caucasian individuals. PMID:21788628

The pros and cons of the fourth revision of thalassaemia screening programme in Iran.

PubMed

Moafi, Alireza; Vallian, Reihaneh; Vallian, Sadeq; Rahgozar, Soheila; Torfenajad, Mohammad; Moafi, Hadi

2017-03-01

Objective To evaluate the repercussions of recent changes to the cut-offs used in the first screening step of the pre-marital screening programme for thalassaemia prevention in Iran. Methods The profiles of 984 subjects referred to a genetic laboratory, and the tests of 242 parents of children with thalassaemia major were assessed for red blood cell (RBC) indices, haemoglobin (Hb) A2 levels and results of Hb electrophoresis. Results Of 407 suspected thalassaemia minor (STM) cases, 18 proved positive for thalassaemia minor on molecular analysis (18/407, confidence interval 2.6-6.9%). If the revised screening cut-offs had been used to determine who would undergo molecular analysis, two of these cases would not have been identified. Only 4.4% of suspected cases with lower than normal RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume <80 fl and mean corpuscular Hb <27 pg) and HbA2 (<3.5%) were diagnosed with thalassaemia minor. Conclusion The thalassaemia major prevention programme is performed in two separate steps. One step involves the screening of subjects and identification of β-thalassaemia minor, suspected cases for thalassaemia minor (STM), and normal subject groups. The other step concerns the identification of thalassaemia minor in the STM group. Changing the cut-offs at the first screening step does not result in significant improvement from an economic view, and is associated with significant risk at the second screening step.

Performance of a cut-to-length harvester in a single-tree and group selection cut

Treesearch

Neil K. Huyler; Chris LeDoux

1999-01-01

Presents production and cost data for a mechanized and cut-to-length (CTL) harvester used in a single-tree and group-selection cut on the Groton State Forest in central Vermont. For trees whose average volume (size) was 7 to 18 ft3, production ranged from 464 to 734 ft3 per productive machine hour (PMH). The cycle time for processing trees into bunches to forward to a...

Ultrasonically Assisted Cutting of Bio-tissues in Microtomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dong; Roy, Anish; Silberschmidt, Vadim V.

Modern-day histology of bio-tissues for supporting stratified medicine diagnoses requires high-precision cutting to ensure high quality extremely thin specimens used in analysis. Additionally, the cutting quality is significantly affected by a wide variety of soft and hard tissues in the samples. This paper deals with development of a next generation of microtome employing introduction of controlled ultrasonic vibration to realise a hybrid cutting process of bio-tissues. The study is based on a combination of advanced experimental and numerical (finite-element) studies of multi-body dynamics of a cutting system. The quality of cut samples produced with the prototype is compared with the state-of-the-art.

Numerical modelling of orthogonal cutting: application to woodworking with a bench plane.

PubMed

Nairn, John A

2016-06-06

A numerical model for orthogonal cutting using the material point method was applied to woodcutting using a bench plane. The cutting process was modelled by accounting for surface energy associated with wood fracture toughness for crack growth parallel to the grain. By using damping to deal with dynamic crack propagation and modelling all contact between wood and the plane, simulations could initiate chip formation and proceed into steady-state chip propagation including chip curling. Once steady-state conditions were achieved, the cutting forces became constant and could be determined as a function of various simulation variables. The modelling details included a cutting tool, the tool's rake and grinding angles, a chip breaker, a base plate and a mouth opening between the base plate and the tool. The wood was modelled as an anisotropic elastic-plastic material. The simulations were verified by comparison to an analytical model and then used to conduct virtual experiments on wood planing. The virtual experiments showed interactions between depth of cut, chip breaker location and mouth opening. Additional simulations investigated the role of tool grinding angle, tool sharpness and friction.

Identifying self-interstitials of bcc and fcc crystals in molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukkuru, S.; Bhardwaj, U.; Warrier, M.; Rao, A. D. P.; Valsakumar, M. C.

2017-02-01

Identification of self-interstitials in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is of critical importance. There exist several criteria for identifying the self-interstitial. Most of the existing methods use an assumed cut-off value for the displacement of an atom from its lattice position to identify the self-interstitial. The results obtained are affected by the chosen cut-off value. Moreover, these chosen cut-off values are independent of temperature. We have developed a novel unsupervised learning algorithm called Max-Space Clustering (MSC) to identify an appropriate cut-off value and its dependence on temperature. This method is compared with some widely used methods such as effective sphere (ES) method and nearest neighbor sphere (NNS) method. The cut-off radius obtained using our method shows a linear variation with temperature. The value of cut-off radius and its temperature dependence is derived for five bcc (Cr, Fe, Mo, Nb, W) and six fcc (Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, Pd, Pt) crystals. It is seen that the ratio of the cut-off values "r" to the lattice constant "a" lies between 0.23 and 0.3 at 300 K and this ratio is on an average smaller for the fcc crystals. Collision cascade simulations are carried out for Primary knock-on Atom (PKA) energies of 5 keV in Fe (at 300 K and 1000 K) and W (at 300 K and 2500 K) and the results are compared using the various methods.

Toxoplasmosis

MedlinePlus

... common in the United States. Use contaminated knives, cutting boards or other utensils. Kitchen utensils that come ... kitchen utensils thoroughly. After preparing raw meat, wash cutting boards, knives and other utensils in hot, soapy ...

15 CFR 336.3 - Eligibility criteria and application requirements to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of the date of application, have cut and sewed men's and boys' cotton woven shirts in the United States. Furthermore, an applicant must have, during calendar year 2000, cut and sewed men's and boy's... and address of each plant or location in the United States where men's and boy's cotton shirts of...

Building an Activist Union: The Massachusetts Society of Professors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Max; Clawson, Dan

2009-01-01

In 2002, during yet another budget crisis produced in large measure by the state's tax-cutting mania, Massachusetts proposed a massive cut in the university's budget. Through an early retirement incentive, the state wanted to reduce the faculty by 10 percent. No one was prepared to fight back. Despite UMass Amherst's long history of activism, and…

States Push Even Further to Cut Spending on Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2012-01-01

For nearly four years, governors and state legislators have focused on little else in higher education but cutting budgets to deal with historic gaps in revenue. Now, with higher-education support at a 25-year low, lawmakers are considering some policy changes that have been off-limits in the past, such as consolidating campuses and eliminating…

Structural state scale-dependent physical characteristics and endurance of cermet composite for cutting metal

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

Ovcharenko, V. E., E-mail: ovcharenko.ove45@mail.ru; Ivanov, Yu. F., E-mail: ivanov.yufi55@mail.ru; Mohovikov, A. A., E-mail: mohovikov.maa28@rambler.ru

A structural-phase state developed on the surface of a TiC/Ni–Cr–Al cermet alloy under superfast heating and cooling produced by pulse electron beam melting has been presented. The effect of the surface’s structural state multimodality on the temperature dependencies of the friction and endurance of the cermet tool in cutting metal has been investigated. The high-energy flux treatment of subsurface layers by electron beam pulses in argon-containing gas discharge plasma serves to improve the endurance of metal cutting tools manifold (by a factor of 6), to reduce the friction via precipitation of secondary 200 nm carbides in binder interlayers. It ismore » possible to improve the cermet tool endurance for cutting metal by a factor of 10–12 by irradiating the cermet in a reactive nitrogen-containing atmosphere with the ensuing precipitation of nanosize 50 nm AlN particles in the binder interlayers.« less

Planting, Growing, Caring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrick, James

Six units of instruction are provided in this manual designed for deaf students enrolled in an ornamental horticulture program. Unit 1 contains eight lessons (pictures and names) on tool and equipment identification (e.g., cutting and pruning tools, lawn and garden equipment, and power equipment). Unit 2 provides ten lessons on the care of tools…

21 CFR 886.4390 - Ophthalmic laser.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Ophthalmic laser. 886.4390 Section 886.4390 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4390 Ophthalmic laser. (a) Identification. An ophthalmic laser is an AC-powered device intended to coagulate or cut tissue of the eye, orbit, or surrounding skin...

21 CFR 886.4390 - Ophthalmic laser.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Ophthalmic laser. 886.4390 Section 886.4390 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4390 Ophthalmic laser. (a) Identification. An ophthalmic laser is an AC-powered device intended to coagulate or cut tissue of the eye, orbit, or surrounding skin...

21 CFR 882.4370 - Pneumatic cranial drill motor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Pneumatic cranial drill motor. 882.4370 Section... drill motor. (a) Identification. A pneumatic cranial drill motor is a pneumatically operated power source used with removable rotating surgical cutting tools or drill bits on a patient's skull. (b...

21 CFR 882.4370 - Pneumatic cranial drill motor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Pneumatic cranial drill motor. 882.4370 Section... drill motor. (a) Identification. A pneumatic cranial drill motor is a pneumatically operated power source used with removable rotating surgical cutting tools or drill bits on a patient's skull. (b...

21 CFR 882.4370 - Pneumatic cranial drill motor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Pneumatic cranial drill motor. 882.4370 Section... drill motor. (a) Identification. A pneumatic cranial drill motor is a pneumatically operated power source used with removable rotating surgical cutting tools or drill bits on a patient's skull. (b...

21 CFR 886.4390 - Ophthalmic laser.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Ophthalmic laser. 886.4390 Section 886.4390 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4390 Ophthalmic laser. (a) Identification. An ophthalmic laser is an AC-powered device intended to coagulate or cut tissue of the eye, orbit, or surrounding skin...

21 CFR 886.4390 - Ophthalmic laser.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Ophthalmic laser. 886.4390 Section 886.4390 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4390 Ophthalmic laser. (a) Identification. An ophthalmic laser is an AC-powered device intended to coagulate or cut tissue of the eye, orbit, or surrounding skin...

21 CFR 886.4390 - Ophthalmic laser.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Ophthalmic laser. 886.4390 Section 886.4390 Food... DEVICES OPHTHALMIC DEVICES Surgical Devices § 886.4390 Ophthalmic laser. (a) Identification. An ophthalmic laser is an AC-powered device intended to coagulate or cut tissue of the eye, orbit, or surrounding skin...

27 CFR 21.128 - Sodium (metallic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Sodium (metallic). 21.128....128 Sodium (metallic). (a) Color. Silvery-white (metallic luster) when freshly cut. (b) Identification... it into the sample. Hold the wire in the Bunsen flame and note the color. Sodium produces a golden...

27 CFR 21.128 - Sodium (metallic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Sodium (metallic). 21.128....128 Sodium (metallic). (a) Color. Silvery-white (metallic luster) when freshly cut. (b) Identification... it into the sample. Hold the wire in the Bunsen flame and note the color. Sodium produces a golden...

27 CFR 21.128 - Sodium (metallic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Sodium (metallic). 21.128....128 Sodium (metallic). (a) Color. Silvery-white (metallic luster) when freshly cut. (b) Identification... it into the sample. Hold the wire in the Bunsen flame and note the color. Sodium produces a golden...

27 CFR 21.128 - Sodium (metallic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Sodium (metallic). 21.128....128 Sodium (metallic). (a) Color. Silvery-white (metallic luster) when freshly cut. (b) Identification... it into the sample. Hold the wire in the Bunsen flame and note the color. Sodium produces a golden...

27 CFR 21.128 - Sodium (metallic).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Sodium (metallic). 21.128....128 Sodium (metallic). (a) Color. Silvery-white (metallic luster) when freshly cut. (b) Identification... it into the sample. Hold the wire in the Bunsen flame and note the color. Sodium produces a golden...

Say No to Speed Bumps!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannon, Sian

2010-01-01

No matter how cutting edge (and nicely funded) one's library is, there is always something cooler and more efficient on the horizon. Granted, not all new technology may be necessary in the library. But chances are one is going to want to get something--RFID (radio frequency identification), text reference, downloadable content, gaming,…

7 CFR 58.151 - Packaging and repackaging.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Packaging and repackaging. 58.151 Section 58.151... Specifications for Dairy Plants Approved for USDA Inspection and Grading Service 1 Packaging and General Identification § 58.151 Packaging and repackaging. (a) Packaging dairy products or cutting and repackaging all...

Edible coatings for fresh-cut fruits.

PubMed

Olivas, G I; Barbosa-Cánovas, G V

2005-01-01

The production of fresh-cut fruits is increasingly becoming an important task as consumers are more aware of the importance of healthy eating habits, and have less time for food preparation. A fresh-cut fruit is a fruit that has been physically altered from its original state (trimmed, peeled, washed and/or cut), but remains in a fresh state. Unfortunately since fruits have living tissue, they undergo enzymatic browning, texture decay, microbial contamination, and undesirable volatile production, highly reducing their shelf life if they are in any way wounded. Edible coatings can be used to help in the preservation of minimally processed fruits, providing a partial barrier to moisture, oxygen and carbon dioxide, improving mechanical handling properties, carrying additives, avoiding volatiles loss, and even contributing to the production of aroma volatiles.

Changes in North Carolina maternal health service use and outcomes among medicaid-enrolled pregnant women during state budget cuts.

PubMed

Cilenti, Dorothy; Kum, Hye-Chung; Wells, Rebecca; Whitmire, J Timothy; Goyal, Ravi K; Hillemeier, Marianne M

2015-01-01

The recent recession has weakened the US health and human service safety net. Questions about implications for mothers and children prompted this study, which tested for changes in maternal service use and outcomes among North Carolina women with deliveries covered through Medicaid before and after a year of significant state budget cuts. Data for Medicaid covered deliveries from April-June 2009 (pre) and from April-June 2010 (post) were derived from birth certificates, Medicaid claims and eligibility files, and WIC (Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children) records. These time periods represent the quarter immediately before as well as the final quarter of a state fiscal year 2010 (July 2009-June 2010) characterized by substantial state budget cuts, including an October 2009 reduction in reimbursement rates for maternity care coordination. We examined how often women received medical care, maternity care coordination, family planning services, and the average numbers of obstetrical encounters, as well as the prevalence of excessive pregnancy weight gain, preterm delivery, and low birth weight. By the end of a year of substantial state budget cuts, women covered through Medicaid had fewer obstetrical visits in all trimesters as well as postpartum (P < .001). Maternal weight gain, preterm delivery, and low birth weight were stable. One key aspect of medical service use decreased for women enrolled in Medicaid by the end of a year of major state health and human services budget cuts. Maternal and infant child health outcomes measured in this study did not change during that year. Future monitoring is warranted to ensure that maternal health service access remains adequate.

Energy Minimization of Discrete Protein Titration State Models Using Graph Theory.

PubMed

Purvine, Emilie; Monson, Kyle; Jurrus, Elizabeth; Star, Keith; Baker, Nathan A

2016-08-25

There are several applications in computational biophysics that require the optimization of discrete interacting states, for example, amino acid titration states, ligand oxidation states, or discrete rotamer angles. Such optimization can be very time-consuming as it scales exponentially in the number of sites to be optimized. In this paper, we describe a new polynomial time algorithm for optimization of discrete states in macromolecular systems. This algorithm was adapted from image processing and uses techniques from discrete mathematics and graph theory to restate the optimization problem in terms of "maximum flow-minimum cut" graph analysis. The interaction energy graph, a graph in which vertices (amino acids) and edges (interactions) are weighted with their respective energies, is transformed into a flow network in which the value of the minimum cut in the network equals the minimum free energy of the protein and the cut itself encodes the state that achieves the minimum free energy. Because of its deterministic nature and polynomial time performance, this algorithm has the potential to allow for the ionization state of larger proteins to be discovered.

Energy Minimization of Discrete Protein Titration State Models Using Graph Theory

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

Purvine, Emilie AH; Monson, Kyle E.; Jurrus, Elizabeth R.

There are several applications in computational biophysics which require the optimization of discrete interacting states; e.g., amino acid titration states, ligand oxidation states, or discrete rotamer angles. Such optimization can be very time-consuming as it scales exponentially in the number of sites to be optimized. In this paper, we describe a new polynomial-time algorithm for optimization of discrete states in macromolecular systems. This algorithm was adapted from image processing and uses techniques from discrete mathematics and graph theory to restate the optimization problem in terms of maximum flow-minimum cut graph analysis. The interaction energy graph, a graph in which verticesmore » (amino acids) and edges (interactions) are weighted with their respective energies, is transformed into a flow network in which the value of the minimum cut in the network equals the minimum free energy of the protein, and the cut itself encodes the state that achieves the minimum free energy. Because of its deterministic nature and polynomial-time performance, this algorithm has the potential to allow for the ionization state of larger proteins to be discovered.« less

The Organization and Administration of Community College Non-Credit Workforce Education and Training Cuts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozachyn, Karen P.

2013-01-01

Community colleges are struggling financially due to underfunding. Recent state budget cuts coupled with the elimination of federal stimulus money has exacerbated the issue as these funding streams had contributed to operating costs (Moltz, 2011). In response to these budget cuts, community colleges are challenged to improve, increase, and develop…

15 CFR 336.3 - Eligibility criteria and application requirements to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the date of application, have cut and sewed men's and boys' cotton woven shirts in the United States. Furthermore, an applicant must have, during calendar year 2000, cut and sewed men's and boy's... manufacturer during calendar year 2000. The applicant may have cut or sewn these cotton shirts on its own...

15 CFR 336.3 - Eligibility criteria and application requirements to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of the date of application, have cut and sewed men's and boys' cotton woven shirts in the United States. Furthermore, an applicant must have, during calendar year 2000, cut and sewed men's and boy's... manufacturer during calendar year 2000. The applicant may have cut or sewn these cotton shirts on its own...

Selecting a silvicultural system

Treesearch

Richard M. Godman

1992-01-01

Sometimes a name creates a problem. The name of a silvicultural system usually refers to the way a stand is cut to get regeneration-"single tree selection"-for example. Trouble is, the name suggests that the regeneration cut will be the first treatment applied to the stand. Not so. We are now mostly making "intermediate" cuts in our Lake States...

76 FR 22725 - Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate From India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Korea; Scheduling of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... Review)] Cut-to-Length Carbon Steel Plate From India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Korea; Scheduling of...-Length Carbon Steel Plate From India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Korea AGENCY: United States... from India, Indonesia, Italy, and Korea and/or therevocation of the antidumping duty orders on cut-to...

Diagnostic Accuracy of the MMSE in Detecting Probable and Possible Alzheimer's Disease in Ethnically Diverse Highly Educated Individuals: An Analysis of the NACC Database

PubMed Central

Spering, Cynthia C.; Hobson, Valerie; Lucas, John A.; Menon, Chloe V.; Hall, James R.

2012-01-01

Background. To validate and extend the findings of a raised cut score of O’Bryant and colleagues (O’Bryant SE, Humphreys JD, Smith GE, et al. Detecting dementia with the mini-mental state examination in highly educated individuals. Arch Neurol. 2008;65(7):963–967.) for the Mini-Mental State Examination in detecting cognitive dysfunction in a bilingual sample of highly educated ethnically diverse individuals. Methods. Archival data were reviewed from participants enrolled in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center minimum data set. Data on 7,093 individuals with 16 or more years of education were analyzed, including 2,337 cases with probable and possible Alzheimer's disease, 1,418 mild cognitive impairment patients, and 3,088 nondemented controls. Ethnic composition was characterized as follows: 6,296 Caucasians, 581 African Americans, 4 American Indians or Alaska natives, 2 native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders, 149 Asians, 43 “Other,” and 18 of unknown origin. Results. Diagnostic accuracy estimates (sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio) of Mini-Mental State Examination cut scores in detecting probable and possible Alzheimer's disease were examined. A standard Mini-Mental State Examination cut score of 24 (≤23) yielded a sensitivity of 0.58 and a specificity of 0.98 in detecting probable and possible Alzheimer's disease across ethnicities. A cut score of 27 (≤26) resulted in an improved balance of sensitivity and specificity (0.79 and 0.90, respectively). In the cognitively impaired group (mild cognitive impairment and probable and possible Alzheimer's disease), the standard cut score yielded a sensitivity of 0.38 and a specificity of 1.00 while raising the cut score to 27 resulted in an improved balance of 0.59 and 0.96 of sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Conclusions. These findings cross-validate our previous work and extend them to an ethnically diverse cohort. A higher cut score is needed to maximize diagnostic accuracy of the Mini-Mental State Examination in individuals with college degrees. PMID:22396476

A spectroscopic approach to monitor the cut processing in pulsed laser osteotomy.

PubMed

Henn, Konrad; Gubaidullin, Gail G; Bongartz, Jens; Wahrburg, Jürgen; Roth, Hubert; Kunkel, Martin

2013-01-01

During laser osteotomy surgery, plasma arises at the place of ablation. It was the aim of this study to explore whether a spectroscopic analysis of this plasma would allow identification of the type of tissue that was affected by the laser. In an experimental setup (Rofin SCx10, CO(2) Slab Laser, wavelength 10.6 μm, pulse duration 80 μs, pulse repetition rate 200 Hz, max. output in cw-mode 100 W), the plasma spectra evoked by a pulsed laser, cutting 1-day postmortem pig and cow bones, were recorded. Spectra were compared to the reference spectrum of bone via correlation analysis. Our measurements show a clear differentiation between the plasma spectra when cutting either a bone or a soft tissue. The spectral changes could be detected from one to the next spectrum within 200 ms. Continuous surveillance of plasma spectra allows us to differentiate whether bone or soft tissue is hit by the last laser pulse. With this information, it may be possible to stop the laser when cutting undesired soft tissue and to design an automatic control of the ablation process.

Analysis of Cutmarks on Bone: Can Light Microscopy Be of Any Help?

PubMed

Cerutti, Elisa; Spagnoli, Laura; Araujo, Nadezhda; Gibelli, Daniele; Mazzarelli, Debora; Cattaneo, Cristina

2016-12-01

One of the main issues in forensic anthropology consists of the identification of signs of trauma in skeletal remains, including sharp-force injuries. So far, several studies have been performed to assess differences between injuries caused by different instruments, not, however, through light microscopy.In this study, 152 sharp-force injuries were performed by 5 different tools through 2 different orientations on 2 humeral diaphyses and were analyzed by stereo and light microscopy to assess possible morphological differences.This study showed that although W-shaped injuries are frequently reported in cases of wood-cutting saws, other shapes are often observed; lesions due to metal-cutting saws are almost always U shaped, whereas injuries caused by knives are V shaped. Although cut marks may represent a variable range of features, the present study was able to highlight typical profiles that may be of some help for the diagnosis of weapon and the intentionality of the action.

The Gendered Nose and its Lack: "Medieval" Nose-Cutting and its Modern Manifestations.

PubMed

Skinner, Patricia

2014-01-01

Time magazine's cover photograph in August 2010 of a noseless Afghan woman beside the emotive strap line, "What happens if we leave Afghanistan," fuelled debate about the "medieval" practices of the Taliban, whose local commander had instructed her husband to take her nose and ears. Press reports attributed the violence to the Pashtun tradition that a dishonored husband "lost his nose." This equation of nose-cutting with tradition begs questions not only about the Orientalist lens of the western press when viewing Afghanistan, but also about the assumption that the word "medieval" can function as a label for such practices. A study of medieval nose-cutting suggests that its identification as an "eastern" practice should be challenged. Rather clearer is its connection with patriarchal values of authority and honor: the victims of such punishment have not always been women, but this is nevertheless a gendered punishment of the powerless by the powerful.

Curve numbers for nine mountainous eastern United States watersheds: seasonal variation and forest cutting

Treesearch

Negussie H. Tedela; Steven C. McCutcheon; John L. Campbell; Wayne T. Swank; Mary Beth Adams; Todd C. Rasmussen

2012-01-01

Many engineers and hydrologists use the curve number method to estimate runoff from ungaged watersheds; however, the method does not explicitly account for the influence of season or forest cutting on runoff. This study of observed rainfall and runoff for small, forested watersheds that span the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States showed that curve...

Using expired air carbon monoxide to determine smoking status during pregnancy: preliminary identification of an appropriately sensitive and specific cut-point.

PubMed

Bailey, Beth A

2013-10-01

Measurement of carbon monoxide in expired air samples (ECO) is a non-invasive, cost-effective biochemical marker for smoking. Cut points of 6ppm-10ppm have been established, though appropriate cut-points for pregnant woman have been debated due to metabolic changes. This study assessed whether an ECO cut-point identifying at least 90% of pregnant smokers, and misidentifying fewer than 10% of non-smokers, could be established. Pregnant women (N=167) completed a validated self-report smoking assessment, a urine drug screen for cotinine (UDS), and provided an expired air sample twice during pregnancy. Half of women reported non-smoking status early (51%) and late (53%) in pregnancy, confirmed by UDS. Using a traditional 8ppm+cut-point for the early pregnancy reading, only 1% of non-smokers were incorrectly identified as smokers, but only 56% of all smokers, and 67% who smoked 5+ cigarettes in the previous 24h, were identified. However, at 4ppm+, only 8% of non-smokers were misclassified as smokers, and 90% of all smokers and 96% who smoked 5+ cigarettes in the previous 24h were identified. False positives were explained by heavy second hand smoke exposure and marijuana use. Results were similar for late pregnancy ECO, with ROC analysis revealing an area under the curve of .95 for early pregnancy, and .94 for late pregnancy readings. A lower 4ppm ECO cut-point may be necessary to identify pregnant smokers using expired air samples, and this cut-point appears valid throughout pregnancy. Work is ongoing to validate findings in larger samples, but it appears if an appropriate cut-point is used, ECO is a valid method for determining smoking status in pregnancy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of Gram stain and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry on positive blood culture: synergy between new and old technology.

PubMed

Fuglsang-Damgaard, David; Nielsen, Camilla Houlberg; Mandrup, Elisabeth; Fuursted, Kurt

2011-10-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) is promising as an alternative to more costly and cumbersome methods for direct identifications in blood cultures. We wanted to evaluate a simplified pre-treatment method for using MALDI-TOF-MS directly on positive blood cultures using BacT/Alert blood culture system, and to test an algorithm combining the result of the initial microscopy with the result suggested by MALDI-TOF-MS. Using the recommended cut-off score of 1.7 the best results were obtained among Gram-negative rods with correct identifications in 91% of Enterobacteriaceae, 83% in aerobic/non-fermentative Gram-negative rods, whereas results were more modest among Gram-positive cocci with correct identifications in 52% of Staphylococci, 54% in Enterococci and only 20% in Streptococci. Combining the results of Gram stain with the top reports by MALDI-TOF-MS, increased the sensitivity from 91% to 93% in the score range from 1.5 to 1.7 and from 48% to 85% in the score range from 1.3 to 1.5. Thus, using this strategy and accepting a cut-off at 1.3 instead of the suggested 1.7, overall sensitivity could be increased from 88.1% to 96.3%. MALDI-TOF-MS is an efficient method for direct routine identification of bacterial isolates in blood culture, especially when combined with the result of the Gram stain. © 2011 The Authors. APMIS © 2011 APMIS.

78 FR 34639 - Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) 21-Dorchester County, South Carolina; Notification of Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-10

... (Photographic Film Cutting); Goose Creek, South Carolina The South Carolina State Ports Authority, grantee of... facility is located within Site 16 of FTZ 21. The facility is used for the cutting of photographic film to... choose the duty rates during customs entry procedures that apply to its finished cut film (3.7%) and...

Ohio's timber harvest revealed in stumps

Treesearch

Kenneth L. Quigley

1955-01-01

Timber is an important resource in Ohio, and cutting records are an essential part of a forest resource appraisal. However, finding out just how much timber is cut in the State during any one year is a big job. Occasionally in the past, wood-using industries have been surveyed to determine the volume cut by species and product, but the variety of industries, the large...

Theory of flux cutting and flux transport at the critical current of a type-II superconducting cylindrical wire

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

Clem, John R

2011-02-17

I introduce a critical-state theory incorporating both flux cutting and flux transport to calculate the magnetic-field and current-density distributions inside a type-II superconducting cylinder at its critical current in a longitudinal applied magnetic field. The theory is an extension of the elliptic critical-state model introduced by Romero-Salazar and Pérez-Rodríguez. The vortex dynamics depend in detail on two nonlinear effective resistivities for flux cutting (ρ{sub ∥}) and flux flow (ρ{sub ⊥}), and their ratio r=ρ{sub ∥}/ρ{sub ⊥}. When r<1, the low relative efficiency of flux cutting in reducing the magnitude of the internal magnetic-flux density leads to a paramagnetic longitudinal magneticmore » moment. As a model for understanding the experimentally observed interrelationship between the critical currents for flux cutting and depinning, I calculate the forces on a helical vortex arc stretched between two pinning centers when the vortex is subjected to a current density of arbitrary angle Φ. Simultaneous initiation of flux cutting and flux transport occurs at the critical current density J{sub c}(Φ) that makes the vortex arc unstable.« less

Theory of flux cutting and flux transport at the critical current of a type-II superconducting cylindrical wire

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

Clem, John R.

2011-02-17

I introduce a critical-state theory incorporating both flux cutting and flux transport to calculate the magnetic-field and current-density distributions inside a type-II superconducting cylinder at its critical current in a longitudinal applied magnetic field. The theory is an extension of the elliptic critical-state model introduced by Romero-Salazar and Perez-Rodriguez. The vortex dynamics depend in detail on two nonlinear effective resistivities for flux cutting ({rho}{parallel}) and flux flow ({rho}{perpendicular}), and their ratio r = {rho}{parallel}/{rho}{perpendicular}. When r < 1, the low relative efficiency of flux cutting in reducing the magnitude of the internal magnetic-flux density leads to a paramagnetic longitudinal magneticmore » moment. As a model for understanding the experimentally observed interrelationship between the critical currents for flux cutting and depinning, I calculate the forces on a helical vortex arc stretched between two pinning centers when the vortex is subjected to a current density of arbitrary angle {phi}. Simultaneous initiation of flux cutting and flux transport occurs at the critical current density J{sub c}({phi}) that makes the vortex arc unstable.« less

Theory of flux cutting and flux transport at the critical current of a type-II superconducting cylindrical wire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clem, John R.

2011-06-01

I introduce a critical-state theory incorporating both flux cutting and flux transport to calculate the magnetic-field and current-density distributions inside a type-II superconducting cylinder at its critical current in a longitudinal applied magnetic field. The theory is an extension of the elliptic critical-state model introduced by Romero-Salazar and Pérez-Rodríguez. The vortex dynamics depend in detail on two nonlinear effective resistivities for flux cutting (ρ∥) and flux flow (ρ⊥), and their ratio r=ρ∥/ρ⊥. When r<1, the low relative efficiency of flux cutting in reducing the magnitude of the internal magnetic-flux density leads to a paramagnetic longitudinal magnetic moment. As a model for understanding the experimentally observed interrelationship between the critical currents for flux cutting and depinning, I calculate the forces on a helical vortex arc stretched between two pinning centers when the vortex is subjected to a current density of arbitrary angle ϕ. Simultaneous initiation of flux cutting and flux transport occurs at the critical current density Jc(ϕ) that makes the vortex arc unstable.

Identification of the protein folding transition state from molecular dynamics trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muff, S.; Caflisch, A.

2009-03-01

The rate of protein folding is governed by the transition state so that a detailed characterization of its structure is essential for understanding the folding process. In vitro experiments have provided a coarse-grained description of the folding transition state ensemble (TSE) of small proteins. Atomistic details could be obtained by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations but it is not straightforward to extract the TSE directly from the MD trajectories, even for small peptides. Here, the structures in the TSE are isolated by the cut-based free-energy profile (cFEP) using the network whose nodes and links are configurations sampled by MD and direct transitions among them, respectively. The cFEP is a barrier-preserving projection that does not require arbitrarily chosen progress variables. First, a simple two-dimensional free-energy surface is used to illustrate the successful determination of the TSE by the cFEP approach and to explain the difficulty in defining boundary conditions of the Markov state model for an entropically stabilized free-energy minimum. The cFEP is then used to extract the TSE of a β-sheet peptide with a complex free-energy surface containing multiple basins and an entropic region. In contrast, Markov state models with boundary conditions defined by projected variables and conventional histogram-based free-energy profiles are not able to identify the TSE of the β-sheet peptide.

Partnering with schools: a win-win experience.

PubMed

Schwartz, Misty; Laughlin, Ann

2008-06-01

In many states, budget cuts have influenced school systems to question whether school nurses are necessary. Consequently, many schools no longer have a nurse to coordinate school health services. Creighton University School of Nursing saw this situation as an opportunity. Using schools as clinical sites for nursing students has resulted in positive outcomes for all involved. Competencies successfully demonstrated by nursing students have included understanding concepts of health and illness, identification of strategies to promote and protect the school-age population, and the ability to provide population-focused prevention within the community. Faculty think the school population is healthier and school personnel have increased knowledge of health promotion and protection strategies for school-age children as a result of the school health project. The education provided serves to promote the well-being of students, families, and the community and prepares them to make health-related choices. The project has also resulted in health benefits for the community.

Spanish-language screening scales: A critical review.

PubMed

Torres-Castro, S; Mena-Montes, B; González-Ambrosio, G; Zubieta-Zavala, A; Torres-Carrillo, N M; Acosta-Castillo, G I; Espinel-Bermúdez, M C

2018-05-09

Dementia is a chronic, degenerative disease with a strong impact on families and health systems. The instruments currently in use for measuring cognitive impairment have different psychometric characteristics in terms of application time, cut-off point, reliability, and validity. The objective of this review is to describe the characteristics of the validated, Spanish-language versions of the Mini-Cog, Clock-Drawing Test, and Mini-Mental State Examination scales for cognitive impairment screening. We performed a three-stage literature search of articles published on Medline since 1953. We selected articles on validated, Spanish-language versions of the scales that included data on reliability, validity, sensitivity, and specificity. The 3 screening tools assessed in this article provide support for primary care professionals. Timely identification of mild cognitive impairment and dementia is crucial for the prognosis of these patients. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Cut-off levels for breath carbon monoxide as a marker for cigarette smoking.

PubMed

Javors, Martin A; Hatch, John P; Lamb, Richard J

2005-02-01

Current clinical studies often use a breath carbon monoxide (BCO) cut-off level of 8 parts per million (p.p.m.) or higher to identify smoking. In this study, the cut-off level of BCO as an indicator of smoking over the past 24 hours was re-examined. BCO and self-reported smoking were obtained each weekday for up to 14 weeks in 213 subjects paid to deliver reduced BCO values. Analysis of 12 386 paired values for reported smoking and BCO were analyzed. The 25% quartile, median and 75% quartile values for BCO were 1, 1 and 2 p.p.m. on non-smoking days and 2, 5 and 12 p.p.m. on smoking days, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that BCO provided high diagnostic accuracy to distinguish between smoking and non-smoking days [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.853, P < 0.0001]. The highest combined sensitivity and specificity was observed at a BCO cut-off level of 3 p.p.m. (sensitivity = 71.5%; specificity = 84.8%). At a BCO cut-off of 8 p.p.m. sensitivity and specificity were 40.6% and 98.2%, respectively, indicating that many smokers would be falsely classified as abstinent. Finally, the percentage of true tests (positive and negative) was highest at a BCO cut-off of 2 p.p.m. (80.2%). BCO cut-off levels well below 8 p.p.m and as low as 2-3 p.p.m. may be more useful when it is important to maximize identification of smoking abstinence with a high degree of certainty.

Classification and Identification of Reading and Math Disabilities: The Special Case of Comorbidity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branum-Martin, Lee; Fletcher, Jack M.; Stuebing, Karla K.

2013-01-01

Much of learning disabilities research relies on categorical classification frameworks that use psychometric tests and cut points to identify children with reading or math difficulties. However, there is increasing evidence that the attributes of reading and math learning disabilities are dimensional, representing correlated continua of severity.…

Agreement among Response to Intervention Criteria for Identifying Responder Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barth, Amy E.; Stuebing, Karla K.; Anthony, Jason L.; Denton, Carolyn A.; Mathes, Patricia G.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Francis, David J.

2008-01-01

In order to better understand the extent to which operationalizations of response to intervention (RTI) overlap and agree in identifying adequate and inadequate responders, an existing database of 399 first grade students was evaluated in relation to cut-points, measures, and methods frequently cited for the identification of inadequate responders…

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round steak, beef round tip roast, beef chuck arm pot roast, beef...

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round steak, beef round tip roast, beef chuck arm pot roast, beef...

9 CFR 317.344 - Identification of major cuts of meat products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... products. 317.344 Section 317.344 Animals and Animal Products FOOD SAFETY AND INSPECTION SERVICE... meat products are: Beef chuck blade roast, beef loin top loin steak, beef rib roast large end, beef round eye round steak, beef round top round steak, beef round tip roast, beef chuck arm pot roast, beef...

U.of Hawaii Struggles To Adjust to Huge Cuts in State Funds and Steep Tuition Increases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Patrick

1997-01-01

The ten-campus University of Hawaii system is experiencing a 15% cut in state funding since 1995, tuition rates rising 70% by 1997-98, sharply declining enrollment, rising deferred maintenance, and loss of 900 teaching and staff positions. An ambitious long-term plan aims to turn the system into the leading center of higher learning in the Asian…

The Impact of Child Nutrition Budget Cuts: A Look at the States and Selected School Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Lynn

Presented in this paper are results from a study conducted by the Food Research and Action Center to examine the immediate impact of the 1981 cuts in federal support for child nutrition programs on states, selected school districts, and students. The first step of the study included a brief review of literature regarding the nutritional problems…

The Politics of Priorities in Turbulent Times: Policy Logics, Faces of Power, and Reform Possibilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxcy, Brendan D.

2011-01-01

Following the U.S. financial crisis of 2008, demands on our social safety nets grew as federal, state, and local revenues declined. Projected shortfalls are forcing deep cuts in state and local services including education. It is too early to know fully the nature of the cuts or impacts on various communities and constituencies. This article looks…

14. DETAILS OF GATE OPERATING MECHANISM, SHOWING RACK SECTION, CUT ...

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

14. DETAILS OF GATE OPERATING MECHANISM, SHOWING RACK SECTION, CUT TEETH, CAST TEETH, GATE PINION (1907) - Nine Mile Hydroelectric Development, Powerhouse, State Highway 291 along Spokane River, Nine Mile Falls, Spokane County, WA

Evidence for a maximum mass cut-off in the neutron star mass distribution and constraints on the equation of state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsing, Justin; Silva, Hector O.; Berti, Emanuele

2018-04-01

We infer the mass distribution of neutron stars in binary systems using a flexible Gaussian mixture model and use Bayesian model selection to explore evidence for multi-modality and a sharp cut-off in the mass distribution. We find overwhelming evidence for a bimodal distribution, in agreement with previous literature, and report for the first time positive evidence for a sharp cut-off at a maximum neutron star mass. We measure the maximum mass to be 2.0M⊙ < mmax < 2.2M⊙ (68%), 2.0M⊙ < mmax < 2.6M⊙ (90%), and evidence for a cut-off is robust against the choice of model for the mass distribution and to removing the most extreme (highest mass) neutron stars from the dataset. If this sharp cut-off is interpreted as the maximum stable neutron star mass allowed by the equation of state of dense matter, our measurement puts constraints on the equation of state. For a set of realistic equations of state that support >2M⊙ neutron stars, our inference of mmax is able to distinguish between models at odds ratios of up to 12: 1, whilst under a flexible piecewise polytropic equation of state model our maximum mass measurement improves constraints on the pressure at 3 - 7 × the nuclear saturation density by ˜30 - 50% compared to simply requiring mmax > 2M⊙. We obtain a lower bound on the maximum sound speed attained inside the neutron star of c_s^max > 0.63c (99.8%), ruling out c_s^max < c/√{3} at high significance. Our constraints on the maximum neutron star mass strengthen the case for neutron star-neutron star mergers as the primary source of short gamma-ray bursts.

Experimental investigation of the effect of the laser beam polarization state on the quality of steel sheet cutting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golyshev, A. A.; Orishich, A. M.; Shulyatyev, V. B.

2017-10-01

The paper presents the results of experimental investigation of the effect of the beam polarization on the quality of the oxygen-assisted laser cutting of steel by a CO2-laser. Under consideration is the effect of the laser cutting parameters by the beam with the linear polarization on the cut surface roughness. It is founded that the minimal roughness is reached when the electric field vector is perpendicular to the cutting speed vector. It is concluded that the absorbed power distribution imposes the essential influence on the surface quality, and that the radiation heating of side walls is important to have lower roughness. Obtained results enabled to present probable reasons of the worse surface quality of the metals cut by a fiber laser than the ones cut by a CO2-laser.

Machine-learning identification of galaxies in the WISE × SuperCOSMOS all-sky catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krakowski, T.; Małek, K.; Bilicki, M.; Pollo, A.; Kurcz, A.; Krupa, M.

2016-11-01

Context. The two currently largest all-sky photometric datasets, WISE and SuperCOSMOS, have been recently cross-matched to construct a novel photometric redshift catalogue on 70% of the sky. Galaxies were separated from stars and quasars through colour cuts, which may leave imperfections because different source types may overlap in colour space. Aims: The aim of the present work is to identify galaxies in the WISE × SuperCOSMOS catalogue through an alternative approach of machine learning. This allows us to define more complex separations in the multi-colour space than is possible with simple colour cuts, and should provide a more reliable source classification. Methods: For the automatised classification we used the support vector machines (SVM) learning algorithm and employed SDSS spectroscopic sources that we cross-matched with WISE × SuperCOSMOS to construct the training and verification set. We performed a number of tests to examine the behaviour of the classifier (completeness, purity, and accuracy) as a function of source apparent magnitude and Galactic latitude. We then applied the classifier to the full-sky data and analysed the resulting catalogue of candidate galaxies. We also compared the resulting dataset with the one obtained through colour cuts. Results: The tests indicate very high accuracy, completeness, and purity (>95%) of the classifier at the bright end; this deteriorates for the faintest sources, but still retains acceptable levels of 85%. No significant variation in the classification quality with Galactic latitude is observed. When we applied the classifier to all-sky WISE × SuperCOSMOS data, we found 15 million galaxies after masking problematic areas. The resulting sample is purer than the one produced by applying colour cuts, at the price of a lower completeness across the sky. Conclusions: The automatic classification is a successful alternative approach to colour cuts for defining a reliable galaxy sample. The identifications we obtained are included in the public release of the WISE × SuperCOSMOS galaxy catalogue. The public release of the WISE × SuperCOSMOS galaxy catalogue is available from http://ssa.roe.ac.uk/WISExSCOS

The reliability and validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in a German general practice population sample.

PubMed

Dybek, Inga; Bischof, Gallus; Grothues, Janina; Reinhardt, Susa; Meyer, Christian; Hapke, Ulfert; John, Ulrich; Broocks, Andreas; Hohagen, Fritz; Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen

2006-05-01

Our goal was to analyze the retest reliability and validity of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in a primary-care setting and recommend a cut-off value for the different alcohol-related diagnoses. Participants recruited from general practices (GPs) in two northern German cities received the AUDIT, which was embedded in a health-risk questionnaire. In total, 10,803 screenings were conducted. The retest reliability was tested on a subsample of 99 patients, with an intertest interval of 30 days. Sensitivity and specificity at a number of different cut-off values were estimated for the sample of alcohol consumers (n=8237). For this study, 1109 screen-positive patients received a diagnostic interview. Individuals who scored less than five points in the AUDIT and also tested negative in a second alcohol-related screen were defined as "negative" (n=6003). This definition was supported by diagnostic interviews of 99 screen-negative patients from which no false negatives could be detected. As the gold standard for detection of an alcohol-use disorder (AUD), we used the Munich-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (MCIDI), which is based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria. On the item level, the reliability, measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), ranged between .39 (Item 9) and .98 (Item 10). For the total score, the ICC was .95. For cut-off values of eight points and five points, 87.5% and 88.9%, respectively, of the AUDIT-positives, and 98.9% and 95.1%, respectively, of the AUDIT-negatives were identically identified at retest, with kappa = .86 and kappa = .81. At the cut-off value of five points, we determined good combinations of sensitivity and specificity for the following diagnoses: alcohol dependence (sensitivity and specificity of .97 and .88, respectively), AUD (.97 and .92), and AUD and/or at-risk consumption (.97 and .91). Embedded in a health-risk questionnaire in primary-care settings, the AUDIT is a reliable and valid screening instrument to identify at-risk drinkers and patients with an AUD. Our findings strongly suggest a lowering of the recommended cut-off value of eight points.

Self-injurious implicit attitudes among adolescent suicide attempters versus those engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury.

PubMed

Dickstein, Daniel P; Puzia, Megan E; Cushman, Grace K; Weissman, Alexandra B; Wegbreit, Ezra; Kim, Kerri L; Nock, Matthew K; Spirito, Anthony

2015-10-01

Suicide is among the most important mental health issues affecting adolescents today despite much research on its detection and prevention. Beyond suicide attempts (SAs), clinicians are increasingly confronted with another, potentially related problem: non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)-defined as the deliberate destruction of body tissue without intent to die. NSSI may increase risk for making an SA by sevenfold, but many studies examining this link have involved youths engaging in both NSSI and SAs. Thus, there is a need to compare homogeneous groups of adolescents engaged in NSSI-only or SA-only, but not both, to advance what is known about each form of self-harm. The self-injurious implicit association task (SI-IAT) is a particularly important computerized behavioral task to study such adolescents because the SI-IAT provides objective behavioral data about problems for which people may lack insight or be motivated to conceal, such as SAs and NSSI. We evaluated implicit associations with cutting and death/suicide using the computerized SI-IAT in three mutually exclusive groups: (1) adolescents who made an SA but had never engaged in NSSI (n = 47); (2) adolescents who engaged in NSSI but had never made an SA (n = 46); and (3) typically developing control (TDC) adolescents without history of psychiatric problems (n = 43). Nonsuicidal self-injury participants had stronger identification with cutting versus no cutting than either SA or TDC participants. Contrary to our hypothesis, NSSI participants had stronger identification with suicide/death versus life than either SA or TDC participants. Strong implicit attitudes towards suicide/death among adolescents with NSSI without a prior SA suggest that clinicians should not dismiss NSSI as not serious. Further work is required to elucidate the mechanism by which youths engaged in NSSI acquire these stronger identifications and make a first-time SA to develop novel treatment and prevention strategies blocking this transformation, ultimately reducing youth suicide. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Can we identify mothers at-risk for postpartum anxiety in the immediate postpartum period using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory?

PubMed

Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Coghlan, Michelle; Vigod, Simone

2013-09-25

This study assessed the stability of maternal anxiety and concordance between State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores in the immediate postpartum period to 8 weeks postpartum. A population-based sample of 522 mothers completed the STAI at 1, 4, and 8 weeks postpartum. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power of the 1-week STAI in relation to identifying mothers with elevated STAI scores at 4 and 8 weeks was determined. Predictive power of the STAI was further assessed using odds ratios and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. At 1 week postpartum, 22.6% of mothers scored >40 on the STAI, decreasing to 17.2% at 4 weeks and 14.8% at 8 weeks. Using the cut-off score of >40, the 1-week STAI accurately classified 84.0% mothers at 4 weeks and 83.6% at 8 weeks with or without anxiety symptomatology. The 1-week STAI was significantly correlated to the 4-week (r=0.68, p<0.001) and 8-week (r=0.64, p<0.001) STAI. Mothers with a 1-week STAI score >40 were 15.2 times more likely at 4 weeks (95% CI=8.9-26.1) and 14.0 times more likely at 8 weeks (95% CI=7.9-24.8) to exhibit postpartum anxiety symptomatology. Psychiatric interviews were not completed in collaboration with the STAI and specific types of anxiety disorders were not identified. A cut-off score of >40 on the STAI administered early in the postpartum period is recommended in a 2-phase identification program in order to not miss mothers with postpartum anxiety. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[SIMBO: a Screening Instrument for Identification of Work-Related Disabilities--analyses of construct and prognostic validity].

PubMed

Streibelt, M; Gerwinn, H; Hansmeier, T; Thren, K; Müller-Fahrnow, W

2007-10-01

For a number of years, work-related interventions in medical rehabilitation (MBO) have been developed. Basically, these interventions concentrate on vocational problems of rehabilitees whose health disorders are strongly associated with contextual factors of the environment as well as personal factors. Previous studies showed a close relationship between the success of an intervention and identification of a specific demand. In fact there are several clinical concepts regarding specific demand. But there still is a lack of appropriate instruments for use in identification of occupational challenges. Therefore SIMBO (Screening Instrument for Identification of a Demand for Medical-Vocational Oriented Rehabilitation) has been developed recently. By using a scale for the intensity of work-related problems as well as a cut-off point, SIMBO is able to identify patients with and without a demand for work-related interventions. Analyses relative to construct validity and predictive validity were carried out on two different samples--a multi-clinic sample (patients with musculoskeletal disorders) and a sample from the German statutory pension insurance agency DRV Westfalen (successful applications for medical rehabilitation). In this context the cut-off level discussion is very important. By means of the multi-clinic sample--irrespective of cut-off definition--the SIMBO-decision and the clinical identification of MBO-demand were found to agree in 74-78% of the cases. This corresponds to a maximum adjusted correlation of r=0.59 (phi coefficient). Compared to the external ratings of vocational problems given by DRV staff in handling the applications, however, only little agreement is found (64%, r=0.25). In fact, SIMBO had in 77% (r=0.50) of the cases been able to correctly predict work-related problems to be expected. So the result obtained using this instrument is far better than prediction of these problems in the external ratings by DRV staff (54%, r=0,21). Also, return to work (RTW) in good health after six months can be predicted correctly by SIMBO in 77% of the cases. This means that the probability of RTW in good health is reduced by 90% (Odds Ratio=0.1) if work-related problems had been identified by SIMBO. Concerning its clinical as well as predictive quality, the validity of SIMBO-based ratings of work-related problems has been proven. Further, it has become obvious that SIMBO is suitable as an easy-to-handle tool for identification of a need for vocationally-focused interventions for use by the social insurance agencies which finance rehabilitation. Further interesting questions arise relative to application in different indications as well as potential uses as an outcome instrument.

19 CFR 10.26 - Articles assembled or processed in a beneficiary country in whole of U.S. components or...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... textile components cut to shape in the United States. 10.26 Section 10.26 Customs Duties U.S. CUSTOMS AND... ingredients; articles assembled in a beneficiary country from textile components cut to shape in the United... assembled in a beneficiary country in whole of textile components cut to shape (but not to length, width, or...

Development of a computer method for predicting lumber cutting yields.

Treesearch

Daniel E. Dunmire; George H. Englerth

1967-01-01

A system of locating defects in a board by intersecting coordinate points was developed and a computer program devised that used these points to locate all possible clear areas in the board. The computer determined the yields by placing any given size or sizes of cuttings in these clear areas, and furthermore stated the type, location, and number of saw cuts. The...

First-Year Effects of Shelterwood Cutting, Wildlife Thinning, and Prescribed Burning on Oak Regeneration and Competitors in Tennessee Oak-Hickory Forests

Treesearch

Samuel W. Jackson; David S. Buckley

2004-01-01

Oak regeneration has declined significantly over the past century in many regions of the United States. Pre-scribed burning, herbicides, and cutting are all potentially viable methods of favoring oak regeneration by removing competitors, but evaluation of these methods in all regions of the Eastern United States is incomplete. We compared effects of four treatments on...

A Cross-Validation of easyCBM Mathematics Cut Scores in Washington State: 2009-2010 Test. Technical Report #1105

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in the state of Washington. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Washington state…

Slashes to Medicaid pose threat to PWAs.

PubMed

1995-01-01

Congressional proposals are calling for cuts in Medicaid of up to $180 billion over the next 7 years. Because Medicaid is the largest source of health insurance for people living with HIV, the AIDS Action Council is educating policy makers about what is at stake. The Council's work has included testimony before the House Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health and Environment and participation in a White House briefing on Medicaid sponsored by National AIDS Policy Director, Patsy Fleming, and Clinton's Special Assistant on Health Policy, Chris Jennings. At the briefing, Jennings assured participants that the President pledges to preserve Medicaid's entitlement status and keep cuts well under the Republicans' proposed cut of $182 billion. AIDS Action also prepared fact sheets for 10 states that detail the reliance of the HIV/AIDS community on Medicaid in each of those states. They are also supporting a postcard and telephone campaign organized by the Save Our Security Coalition (SOS), spearheaded by the health policy group Families USA. The postcards oppose Medicare and Medicaid cuts and ask the President to veto any such cuts.

An integrated condition-monitoring method for a milling process using reduced decomposition features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jie; Wu, Bo; Wang, Yan; Hu, Youmin

2017-08-01

Complex and non-stationary cutting chatter affects productivity and quality in the milling process. Developing an effective condition-monitoring approach is critical to accurately identify cutting chatter. In this paper, an integrated condition-monitoring method is proposed, where reduced features are used to efficiently recognize and classify machine states in the milling process. In the proposed method, vibration signals are decomposed into multiple modes with variational mode decomposition, and Shannon power spectral entropy is calculated to extract features from the decomposed signals. Principal component analysis is adopted to reduce feature size and computational cost. With the extracted feature information, the probabilistic neural network model is used to recognize and classify the machine states, including stable, transition, and chatter states. Experimental studies are conducted, and results show that the proposed method can effectively detect cutting chatter during different milling operation conditions. This monitoring method is also efficient enough to satisfy fast machine state recognition and classification.

Intelligent transportation systems for planned special events : a cross-cutting study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-01

This cross-cutting study examines how six agencies in five states used and continue to use ITS to reduce congestion generated by planned special events, thereby reducing crashes, increasing travel time reliability, and reducing driver frustration.

Cutting Edge RFID Technologies for NASA Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, Patrick W.

2007-01-01

This viewgraph document reviews the use of Radio-frequency identification (RFID) for NASA applications. Some of the uses reviewed are: inventory management in space; potential RFID uses in a remote human outpost; Ultra-Wideband RFID for tracking; Passive, wireless sensors in NASA applications such as Micrometeoroid impact detection and Sensor measurements in environmental facilities; E-textiles for wireless and RFID.

Identification of Specific Language Impairment in Bilingual Children: I. Assessment in English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillam, Ronald B.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Bedore, Lisa M.; Bohman, Thomas M.; Mendez-Perez, Anita

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to derive cut scores for English testing for use in identifying specific language impairment (SLI) in bilingual children who were learning English as a second language. Method: In a 1-gate design, 167 children received comprehensive language assessments in English and Spanish during their first-grade year. The…

Regeneration in United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service mixed conifer partial cuttings in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel; S. Conrade. Head

1983-01-01

A survey in the Blue Mountains of north-eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington showed that, on the average, partial cuts in the grand fir/big huckleberry community were well stocked with a mixture of advance, natural post-harvest, and planted reproduction of a number of species. Partial cuts in the mixed conifer/pinegrass community had considerably fewer seedlings...

Rolamite acceleration sensor

DOEpatents

Abbin, Joseph P.; Briner, Clifton F.; Martin, Samuel B.

1993-01-01

A rolamite acceleration sensor which has a failsafe feature including a housing, a pair of rollers, a tension band wrapped in an S shaped fashion around the rollers, wherein the band has a force-generation cut out and a failsafe cut out or weak portion. The failsafe cut out or weak portion breaks when the sensor is subjected to an excessive acceleration so that the sensor fails in an open circuit (non-conducting) state permanently.

Comparison of four methods of surface roughness assessment of corneal stromal bed after lamellar cutting

PubMed Central

Jumelle, Clotilde; Hamri, Alina; Egaud, Gregory; Mauclair, Cyril; Reynaud, Stephanie; Dumas, Virginie; Pereira, Sandrine; Garcin, Thibaud; Gain, Philippe; Thuret, Gilles

2017-01-01

Corneal lamellar cutting with a blade or femtosecond laser (FSL) is commonly used during refractive surgery and corneal grafts. Surface roughness of the cutting plane influences postoperative visual acuity but is difficult to assess reliably. For the first time, we compared chromatic confocal microscopy (CCM) with scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and focus-variation microscopy (FVM) to characterize surfaces of variable roughness after FSL cutting. The small area allowed by AFM hinders conclusive roughness analysis, especially with irregular cuts. FVM does not always differentiate between smooth and rough surfaces. Finally, CCM allows analysis of large surfaces and differentiates between surface states. PMID:29188095

A Cutting Pattern Recognition Method for Shearers Based on Improved Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition and a Probabilistic Neural Network

PubMed Central

Xu, Jing; Wang, Zhongbin; Tan, Chao; Si, Lei; Liu, Xinhua

2015-01-01

In order to guarantee the stable operation of shearers and promote construction of an automatic coal mining working face, an online cutting pattern recognition method with high accuracy and speed based on Improved Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (IEEMD) and Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) is proposed. An industrial microphone is installed on the shearer and the cutting sound is collected as the recognition criterion to overcome the disadvantages of giant size, contact measurement and low identification rate of traditional detectors. To avoid end-point effects and get rid of undesirable intrinsic mode function (IMF) components in the initial signal, IEEMD is conducted on the sound. The end-point continuation based on the practical storage data is performed first to overcome the end-point effect. Next the average correlation coefficient, which is calculated by the correlation of the first IMF with others, is introduced to select essential IMFs. Then the energy and standard deviation of the reminder IMFs are extracted as features and PNN is applied to classify the cutting patterns. Finally, a simulation example, with an accuracy of 92.67%, and an industrial application prove the efficiency and correctness of the proposed method. PMID:26528985

Specificity and sensitivity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale for suicidal ideation among adolescents entering early intervention service.

PubMed

Granö, Niklas; Oksanen, Jorma; Kallionpää, Santeri; Roine, Mikko

2017-01-01

Previous studies have shown an association between hopelessness and suicidal behaviour in clinical populations. The aim of the study was to investigate sensitivity, specificity, and predictive validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) for suicidal ideation in adolescents who show early risk signs on the psychiatric disorder continuum. Three-hundred and two help-seeking adolescents (mean age = 15.5 years) who were entering an early intervention team at Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland, completed questionnaires of BHS and suicidal ideation, derived from Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Results suggest that a BHS cut-off score ≥8 (sensitivity = 0.70, specificity = 0.76) or cut-off score ≥9 (sensitivity = 0.63, specificity = 0.80) may be useful to detect suicidal ideation with BHS in help-seeking adolescents population. Results remain mainly the same in a separate analysis with adolescents at risk for psychosis. The results support previous cut-off points for BHS in identification of suicidal ideation. The results suggest also that lower cut-off scores may be useful in sense of sensitivity, especially in clinical settings.

Structural control and health monitoring of building structures with unknown ground excitations: Experimental investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jia; Xu, You-Lin; Zhan, Sheng; Huang, Qin

2017-03-01

When health monitoring system and vibration control system both are required for a building structure, it will be beneficial and cost-effective to integrate these two systems together for creating a smart building structure. Recently, on the basis of extended Kalman filter (EKF), a time-domain integrated approach was proposed for the identification of structural parameters of the controlled buildings with unknown ground excitations. The identified physical parameters and structural state vectors were then utilized to determine the control force for vibration suppression. In this paper, the possibility of establishing such a smart building structure with the function of simultaneous damage detection and vibration suppression was explored experimentally. A five-story shear building structure equipped with three magneto-rheological (MR) dampers was built. Four additional columns were added to the building model, and several damage scenarios were then simulated by symmetrically cutting off these columns in certain stories. Two sets of earthquakes, i.e. Kobe earthquake and Northridge earthquake, were considered as seismic input and assumed to be unknown during the tests. The structural parameters and the unknown ground excitations were identified during the tests by using the proposed identification method with the measured control forces. Based on the identified structural parameters and system states, a switching control law was employed to adjust the current applied to the MR dampers for the purpose of vibration attenuation. The experimental results show that the presented approach is capable of satisfactorily identifying structural damages and unknown excitations on one hand and significantly mitigating the structural vibration on the other hand.

Minimum length Pb/SCIN detector for efficient cosmic ray identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, H. David

1989-01-01

A study was made of the performance of a minimal length cosmic ray shower detector that would be light enough for space flight and would provide efficient identification of positions and protons. Cosmic ray positions are mainly produced in the decay chain of: Pion yields Muon yields Positron and they provide a measure of the matter density traversed by primary protons. Present positron flux measurements are consistent with the Leaky Box and Halo models for sources of cosmic rays. Abundant protons in the space environment are a significant source of background that would wash out the positron signal. Protons and positrons produced very distictive showers of particles when they enter matter; many studies have been published on their behavior on large calorimeter detectors. The challenge is to determine the minimal material necessary (minimal calorimeter depth) for positive particles identification. The primary instrument for the investigation is the Monte Carlo code GEANT, a library of programs from CERN that can be used to model experimental geometry, detector responses and particle interaction processes. The use of the Monte Carlo approach is crucial since statistical fluctuations in shower shape are significant. Studies conducted during the 1988 summer program showed that straightforward approaches to the problem achieved 85 to 90 percent correct identification, but left a residue of 10 to 15 percent misidentified particles. This percentage improved to a few percent when multiple shower-cut criteria were applied to the data. This summer, the same study was extended to employ several physical and statistical methods of identifying response of the calorimeter and the efficiency of the optimal shower cuts to off-normal incidence particle was determined.

Steep cut slope composting : field trials and evaluation : project summary report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-01

This project is a continuation of earlier work performed by Montana State University (Jennings et al. 2007) evaluating compost application on, and incorporation into, soils on steep cut slopes for the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). The e...

Psychometric Properties of Brief Screening Tests for Alcohol Use Disorders during Pregnancy in Argentina.

PubMed

López, Mariana Beatriz; Lichtenberger, Aldana; Conde, Karina; Cremonte, Mariana

2017-07-01

Background  Considering the physical, mental and behavioral problems related to fetal alcohol exposure, prenatal clinical guides suggest a brief evaluation of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to detect alcohol intake and to adjust interventions, if required. Even if any alcohol use should be considered risky during pregnancy, identifying women with alcohol use disorders is important because they could need a more specific intervention than simple advice to abstain. Most screening tests have been developed and validated in male populations and focused on the long-term consequences of heavy alcohol use, so they might be inappropriate to assess consumption in pregnant women. Objective  To analyze the internal reliability and validity of the alcohol screening instruments Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test - Consumption (AUDIT-C), Tolerance, Worried, Eye-Opener, Amnesia and Cut-Down (TWEAK), Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen - Quantity Frequency (RAPS-QF) and Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut-Down and Eye-Opener (T-ACE) to identify alcohol use disorders in pregnant women. Methods  A total of 641 puerperal women were personally interviewed during the 48 hours after delivery. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and the sensitivity and specificity of each instrument using different cut-off points were analyzed. Results  All instruments showed areas under the ROC curves above 0.80. Larger areas were found for the TWEAK and the AUDIT. The TWEAK, the T-ACE and the AUDIT-C showed higher sensitivity, while the AUDIT and the RAPS-QF showed higher specificity. Reliability (internal consistency) was low for all instruments, improving when optimal cut-off points were used, especially for the AUDIT, the AUDIT-C and the RAPS-QF. Conclusions  In other cultural contexts, studies have concluded that T-ACE and TWEAK are the best instruments to assess pregnant women. In contrast, our results evidenced the low reliability of those instruments and a better performance of the AUDIT in this population. Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A risk-adjusted definition of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Morgan, T M; Meng, M V; Cooperberg, M R; Cowan, J E; Weinberg, V; Carroll, P R; Lin, D W

2014-06-01

To determine whether a variable definition of biochemical recurrence (BCR) based on clincopathologic features facilitates early identification of patients likely to suffer from disease progression. The definition of BCR after radical prostatectomy (RP) bears important implications for patient counseling and management; however, there remains a significant debate regarding the appropriate definition. The study cohort consisted of 3619 men who underwent RP for localized prostate cancer from 1989 to 2007, with data abstracted from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) registry. Patients were stratified into three risk groups according to Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment post-Surgical (CAPRA-S) score. Three single threshold PSA cut-points for BCR were evaluated (PSA > or =0.05, > or =0.2 and > or =0.4 ng ml(-1)) as well as a variable cut-point defined by risk group. After reaching the cut-points, patients were followed for further PSA progression. The proportion of patients with BCR differed by cut-point and risk group, ranging from 7 to 37% (low risk), 22 to 58% (intermediate risk) and 60 to 86% (high risk). The positive-predictive value (PPV) for predicting further PSA progression was 49% for the PSA > or =0.05 ng ml(-1), 62% for the PSA > or =0.2 ng ml(-1), 65% for the PSA > or =0.4 ng ml(-1) and 68% for the risk-adjusted definition. Five-year progression-free survival was 39% for the risk-adjusted definition compared with 45-52% for the other definitions of BCR. These data suggest that a variable definition of BCR determined by clinicopathologic risk may improve the identification of early recurrence after RP without increasing the overdiagnosis of BCR. By using a risk-adjusted BCR definition, clinicians can better predict future PSA progression and more appropriately counsel patients regarding salvage therapies.

Foreskin cutting beliefs and practices and the acceptability of male circumcision for HIV prevention in Papua New Guinea

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Male circumcision (MC) reduces HIV acquisition and is a key public health intervention in settings with high HIV prevalence, heterosexual transmission and low MC rates. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), where HIV prevalence is 0.8%, there is no medical MC program for HIV prevention. There are however many different foreskin cutting practices across the country’s 800 language groups. The major form exposes the glans but does not remove the foreskin. This study aimed to describe and quantify foreskin cutting styles, practices and beliefs. It also aimed to assess the acceptability of MC for HIV prevention in PNG. Methods Cross-sectional multicentre study, at two university campuses (Madang Province and National Capital District) and at two ‘rural development’ sites (mining site Enga Province; palm-oil plantation in Oro Province). Structured questionnaires were completed by participants originating from all regions of PNG who were resident at each site for study or work. Results Questionnaires were completed by 861 men and 519 women. Of men, 47% reported a longitudinal foreskin cut (cut through the dorsal surface to expose the glans but foreskin not removed); 43% reported no foreskin cut; and 10% a circumferential foreskin cut (complete removal). Frequency and type of cut varied significantly by region of origin (p < .001). Most men (72-82%) were cut between the ages of 10 – 20 years. Longitudinal cuts were most often done in a village by a friend, with circumferential cuts most often done in a clinic by a health professional. Most uncut men (71%) and longitudinal cut men (84%) stated they would remove their foreskin if it reduced the risk of HIV infection. More than 95% of uncut men and 97% of longitudinal cut men would prefer the procedure in a clinic or hospital. Most men (90%) and women (74%) stated they would remove the foreskin of their son if it reduced the risk of HIV infection. Conclusion Although 57% of men reported some form of foreskin cut only 10% reported the complete removal of the foreskin, the procedure on which international HIV prevention strategies are based. The acceptability of MC (complete foreskin removal) is high among men (for themselves and their sons) and women (for their sons). Potential MC services need to be responsive to the diversity of beliefs and practices and consider health system constraints. A concerted research effort to investigate the potential protective effects of longitudinal cuts for HIV acquisition is essential given the scale of longitudinal cuts in PNG. PMID:24015786

Quantitative Analysis of Adventitious Root Growth Phenotypes in Carnation Stem Cuttings

PubMed Central

Birlanga, Virginia; Villanova, Joan; Cano, Antonio; Cano, Emilio A.; Acosta, Manuel; Pérez-Pérez, José Manuel

2015-01-01

Carnation is one of the most important species on the worldwide market of cut flowers. Commercial carnation cultivars are vegetatively propagated from terminal stem cuttings that undergo a rooting and acclimation process. For some of the new cultivars that are being developed by ornamental breeders, poor adventitious root (AR) formation limits its commercial scaling-up, due to a significant increase in the production costs. We have initiated a genetical-genomics approach to determine the molecular basis of the differences found between carnation cultivars during adventitious rooting. The detailed characterization of AR formation in several carnation cultivars differing in their rooting losses has been performed (i) during commercial production at a breeders’ rooting station and (ii) on a defined media in a controlled environment. Our study reveals the phenotypic signatures that distinguishes the bad-rooting cultivars and provides the appropriate set-up for the molecular identification of the genes involved in AR development in this species. PMID:26230608

Theory of high-order harmonic generation for gapless graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurrón, Óscar; Picón, Antonio; Plaja, Luis

2018-05-01

We study the high-harmonic spectrum emitted by a single-layer graphene, irradiated by an ultrashort intense infrared laser pulse. We show the emergence of the typical non-perturbative spectral features, harmonic plateau and cut-off, for mid-infrared driving fields, at fluences below the damage threshold. In contrast to previous works, using THz drivings, we demonstrate that the harmonic cut-off frequency saturates with the intensity. Our results are derived from the numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation using a nearest neighbor tight-binding description of graphene. We also develop a saddle-point analysis that reveals a mechanism for harmonic emission in graphene different from that reported in atoms, molecules and finite gap solids. In graphene, the first step is initiated by the non-diabatic crossing of the valence band electron trajectories through the Dirac points, instead of tunneling ionization/excitation. We include a complete identification of the trajectories contributing to any particular high harmonic and reproduce the harmonic cut-off scaling with the driving intensity.

Identification of Anxiety Sensitivity Classes and Clinical Cut-Scores in a Sample of Adult Smokers: Results from a Factor Mixture Model

PubMed Central

Allan, Nicholas P.; Raines, Amanda M.; Capron, Daniel W.; Norr, Aaron M.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Schmidt, Norman B.

2014-01-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a multidimensional construct, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety and related disorders. Recent evidence suggests that AS is a dimensional-categorical construct within individuals. Factor mixture modeling was conducted in a sample of 579 adult smokers (M age = 36.87 years, SD = 13.47) to examine the underlying structure. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and were also given a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. Three classes of individuals emerged, a high AS (5.2% of the sample), a moderate AS (19.0%), and a normative AS class (75.8%). A cut-score of 23 to identify high AS individuals, and a cut-score of 17 to identify moderate-to-high AS individuals were supported in this study. In addition, the odds of having a concurrent anxiety disorder (controlling for other Axis I disorders) were the highest in the high AS class and the lowest in the normative AS class. PMID:25128664

The Gendered Nose and its Lack: “Medieval” Nose-Cutting and its Modern Manifestations

PubMed Central

Skinner, Patricia

2014-01-01

Time magazine’s cover photograph in August 2010 of a noseless Afghan woman beside the emotive strap line, “What happens if we leave Afghanistan,” fuelled debate about the “medieval” practices of the Taliban, whose local commander had instructed her husband to take her nose and ears. Press reports attributed the violence to the Pashtun tradition that a dishonored husband “lost his nose.” This equation of nose-cutting with tradition begs questions not only about the Orientalist lens of the western press when viewing Afghanistan, but also about the assumption that the word “medieval” can function as a label for such practices. A study of medieval nose-cutting suggests that its identification as an “eastern” practice should be challenged. Rather clearer is its connection with patriarchal values of authority and honor: the victims of such punishment have not always been women, but this is nevertheless a gendered punishment of the powerless by the powerful. PMID:24790391

Core Research Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hicks, Joshua; Adrian, Betty

2009-01-01

The Core Research Center (CRC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), located at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colo., currently houses rock core from more than 8,500 boreholes representing about 1.7 million feet of rock core from 35 States and cuttings from 54,000 boreholes representing 238 million feet of drilling in 28 States. Although most of the boreholes are located in the Rocky Mountain region, the geologic and geographic diversity of samples have helped the CRC become one of the largest and most heavily used public core repositories in the United States. Many of the boreholes represented in the collection were drilled for energy and mineral exploration, and many of the cores and cuttings were donated to the CRC by private companies in these industries. Some cores and cuttings were collected by the USGS along with other government agencies. Approximately one-half of the cores are slabbed and photographed. More than 18,000 thin sections and a large volume of analytical data from the cores and cuttings are also accessible. A growing collection of digital images of the cores are also becoming available on the CRC Web site Internet http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/crc/.

Effect of Cutting Tool Properties and Depth of Cut in Rock Cutting: An Experimental Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostamsowlat, Iman

2018-06-01

The current paper is designed to investigate the effect of worn (blunt) polycrystalline diamond compact cutter properties on both the contact stress (σ) and friction coefficient ( μ) mobilized at the wear flat-rock interface at different inclination angles of the wear flat surface and at a wide range of depths of cut. An extensive and comprehensive set of cutting experiments is carried out on two sedimentary rocks (one limestone and one sandstone) using a state-of-the-art rock cutting equipment (Wombat) and various blunt cutters. Experiments with blunt cutters are characterized by different wear flat inclination angles (β), different wear flat surface roughness (Ra), different wear flat material, and different cutting tool velocities ({\\varvec{v}}) were conducted. The experimental results show that both the contact stress and friction coefficient are predominantly affected by the wear flat roughness at all inclination angles of the wear flat; however, the cutting tool velocity has a negligible influence on both the contact stress and friction coefficient. Further investigations suggest that the contact stress is greatly affected by the depth of cut within the plastic regime of frictional contact while the contact stress is insensitive to the depth of cut within the elastic regime.

Rolamite acceleration sensor

DOEpatents

Abbin, J.P.; Briner, C.F.; Martin, S.B.

1993-12-21

A rolamite acceleration sensor is described which has a failsafe feature including a housing, a pair of rollers, a tension band wrapped in an S shaped fashion around the rollers, wherein the band has a force-generation cut out and a failsafe cut out or weak portion. The failsafe cut out or weak portion breaks when the sensor is subjected to an excessive acceleration so that the sensor fails in an open circuit (non-conducting) state permanently. 6 figures.

A Cut below

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lum, Lydia

2010-01-01

Today, thousands of California students worry about vanishing college affordability and access, especially for historically under-represented and marginalized populations. The author reports on how students and faculty throughout California are grappling with the effects of draconian state cuts to postsecondary education that have topped more than…

Laser assisted machining: a state of art review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punugupati, Gurabvaiah; Kandi, Kishore Kumar; Bose, P. S. C.; Rao, C. S. P.

2016-09-01

Difficult-to-cut materials have increasing demand in aerospace and automobile industries due to their high yield stress, high strength to weight ratio, high toughness, high wear resistance, high creep, high corrosion resistivity, ability to retain high strength at high temperature, etc. The machinability of these advanced materials, using conventional methods of machining is typical due to the high temperature and pressure at the cutting zone and tool and properties such as low thermal conductivity, high cutting forces and cutting temperatures makes the materials difficult to machine. Laser assisted machining (LAM) is a new and innovative technique for machining the difficult-to-cut materials. This paper deals with a review on the advances in lasers, tools and the mechanism of machining using LAM and their effects.

Automatic Adviser on Mobile Objects Status Identification and Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabelnikov, A. N.; Liabakh, N. N.; Gibner, Ya M.; Saryan, A. S.

2018-05-01

A mobile object status identification task is defined within the image discrimination theory. It is proposed to classify objects into three classes: object operation status; its maintenance is required and object should be removed from the production process. Two methods were developed to construct the separating boundaries between the designated classes: a) using statistical information on the research objects executed movement, b) basing on regulatory documents and expert commentary. Automatic Adviser operation simulation and the operation results analysis complex were synthesized. Research results are commented using a specific example of cuts rolling from the hump yard. The work was supported by Russian Fundamental Research Fund, project No. 17-20-01040.

The identification of Douglas-fir wood

Treesearch

Forest Products Laboratory (U.S.)

1963-01-01

Douglas-fir is one of the largest, most abundant and widely distributed species of trees native to North America, and next to the southern yellow pines, it is cut in the greatest quantities of any wood of commercial importance. It belongs to the coniferous family and is, therefore, a softwood. Other names for Douglas -fir are red fir, yellow fir, Oregon pine, Puget...

Spectral pattern recognition of controlled substances in street samples using artificial neural network system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poryvkina, Larisa; Aleksejev, Valeri; Babichenko, Sergey M.; Ivkina, Tatjana

2011-04-01

The NarTest fluorescent technique is aimed at the detection of analyte of interest in street samples by recognition of its specific spectral patterns in 3-dimentional Spectral Fluorescent Signatures (SFS) measured with NTX2000 analyzer without chromatographic or other separation of controlled substances from a mixture with cutting agents. The illicit drugs have their own characteristic SFS features which can be used for detection and identification of narcotics, however typical street sample consists of a mixture with cutting agents: adulterants and diluents. Many of them interfere the spectral shape of SFS. The expert system based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) has been developed and applied for such pattern recognition in SFS of street samples of illicit drugs.

Identification and treatment of older persons with sarcopenia.

PubMed

Lauretani, Fulvio; Bautmans, Ivan; De Vita, Francesca; Nardelli, Anna; Ceda, Gian Paolo; Maggio, Marcello

2014-12-01

In the last decades, sarcopenia in older persons has been operationalized by the assessment of lean body mass, muscle strength and/or physical performance. Several definitions of sarcopenia, using different parameters and cut-offs, have been proposed. However, which is the best definition to describe and to assess this condition is still matter of debate. Hand grip strength has been suggested as better predictor of incident mobility impairment and mortality, than skeletal muscle mass. In the light of the current knowledge, we sought to propose an operative approach for identifying and treating sarcopenic older persons according to main categories of sarcopenia: the age-related or primary sarcopenia and disease-related or secondary sarcopenia. We suggest that a quantitative assessment of grip strength alone might be sufficient to identify patients with primary sarcopenia. When chronic diseases accompany the ageing process, the combined assessment of muscle strength plus a balance test could be more appropriate. The identification of tests and pathological relevant cut-offs that facilitates the entry of sarcopenia into the clinical practice, could step forward researchers and physicians. This could be important for planning multidisciplinary models to maximize the maintenance of locomotive abilities especially in older persons affected by chronic diseases such as Parkinson's disease.

Strength of inserts in titanium alloy machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozlov, V.; Huang, Z.; Zhang, J.

2016-04-01

In this paper, a stressed state of a non-worn cutting wedge in a machined titanium alloy (Ti6Al2Mo2Cr) is analyzed. The distribution of contact loads on the face of a cutting tool was obtained experimentally with the use of a ‘split cutting tool’. Calculation of internal stresses in the indexable insert made from cemented carbide (WC8Co) was carried out with the help of ANSYS 14.0 software. Investigations showed that a small thickness of the cutting insert leads to extremely high compressive stresses near the cutting edge, stresses that exceed the ultimate compressive strength of cemented carbide. The face and the base of the insert experience high tensile stresses, which approach the ultimate tensile strength of cemented carbide and increase a probability of cutting insert destruction. If the thickness of the cutting insert is bigger than 5 mm, compressive stresses near the cutting edge decrease, and tensile stresses on the face and base decrease to zero. The dependences of the greatest normal and tangential stresses on thickness of the cutting insert were found. Abbreviation and symbols: m/s - meter per second (cutting speed v); mm/r - millimeter per revolution (feed rate f); MPa - mega Pascal (dimension of specific contact loads and stresses); γ - rake angle of the cutting tool [°] α - clearance angle of the sharp cutting tool [°].

Cutting edge technology to enhance nursing classroom instruction at Coppin State University.

PubMed

Black, Crystal Day; Watties-Daniels, A Denyce

2006-01-01

Educational technologies have changed the paradigm of the teacher-student relationship in nursing education. Nursing students expect to use and to learn from cutting edge technology during their academic careers. Varied technology, from specified software programs (Tegrity and Blackboard) to the use of the Internet as a research medium, can enhance student learning. The authors provide an overview of current cutting edge technologies in nursing classroom instruction and its impact on future nursing practice.

Evidence for a maximum mass cut-off in the neutron star mass distribution and constraints on the equation of state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsing, Justin; Silva, Hector O.; Berti, Emanuele

2018-07-01

We infer the mass distribution of neutron stars in binary systems using a flexible Gaussian mixture model and use Bayesian model selection to explore evidence for multimodality and a sharp cut-off in the mass distribution. We find overwhelming evidence for a bimodal distribution, in agreement with previous literature, and report for the first time positive evidence for a sharp cut-off at a maximum neutron star mass. We measure the maximum mass to be 2.0 M⊙ < mmax < 2.2 M⊙ (68 per cent), 2.0 M⊙ < mmax < 2.6 M⊙ (90 per cent), and evidence for a cut-off is robust against the choice of model for the mass distribution and to removing the most extreme (highest mass) neutron stars from the data set. If this sharp cut-off is interpreted as the maximum stable neutron star mass allowed by the equation of state of dense matter, our measurement puts constraints on the equation of state. For a set of realistic equations of state that support >2 M⊙ neutron stars, our inference of mmax is able to distinguish between models at odds ratios of up to 12:1, whilst under a flexible piecewise polytropic equation-of-state model our maximum mass measurement improves constraints on the pressure at 3-7× the nuclear saturation density by ˜ 30-50 per cent compared to simply requiring mmax > 2 M⊙. We obtain a lower bound on the maximum sound speed attained inside the neutron star of c_ s^max > 0.63c (99.8 per cent), ruling out c_ s^max < c/√{3} at high significance. Our constraints on the maximum neutron star mass strengthen the case for neutron star-neutron star mergers as the primary source of short gamma-ray bursts.

Direct identification of bacteria from positive BacT/ALERT blood culture bottles using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Mestas, Javier; Felsenstein, Susanna; Bard, Jennifer Dien

2014-11-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry is a fast and robust method for the identification of bacteria. In this study, we evaluate the performance of a laboratory-developed lysis method (LDT) for the rapid identification of bacteria from positive BacT/ALERT blood culture bottles. Of the 168 positive bottles tested, 159 were monomicrobial, the majority of which were Gram-positive organisms (61.0% versus 39.0%). Using a cut-off score of ≥1.7, 80.4% of the organisms were correctly identified to the species level, and the identification rate of Gram-negative organisms (90.3%) was found to be significantly greater than that of Gram-positive organisms (78.4%). The simplicity and cost-effectiveness of the LDT enable it to be fully integrated into the routine workflow of the clinical microbiology laboratory, allowing for rapid identification of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria within an hour of blood culture positivity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surface roughness model based on force sensors for the prediction of the tool wear.

PubMed

de Agustina, Beatriz; Rubio, Eva María; Sebastián, Miguel Ángel

2014-04-04

In this study, a methodology has been developed with the objective of evaluating the surface roughness obtained during turning processes by measuring the signals detected by a force sensor under the same cutting conditions. In this way, the surface quality achieved along the process is correlated to several parameters of the cutting forces (thrust forces, feed forces and cutting forces), so the effect that the tool wear causes on the surface roughness is evaluated. In a first step, the best cutting conditions (cutting parameters and radius of tool) for a certain quality surface requirement were found for pieces of UNS A97075. Next, with this selection a model of surface roughness based on the cutting forces was developed for different states of wear that simulate the behaviour of the tool throughout its life. The validation of this model reveals that it was effective for approximately 70% of the surface roughness values obtained.

USDA Nutrient Data Set for Retail Veal Cuts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL), in collaboration with Colorado State University, conducted a research study designed to update and expand the data on veal cuts in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). This research has been necess...

Lake States Veneer Log Production Shows Increase in 1965

Treesearch

Robert G. Knutson

1967-01-01

More than 54 million board feet of veneer logs where cut in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in 1965, the largest cut since 1956. Oak showed the greatest increase. Eighty-seven percent of the total went for wall panels, doors, etc. The rest went into containers

Impact of Federal Spending Cuts on Maternal and Child Health Care. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Economic Goals and Intergovernmental Policy of the Joint Economic Committee. Congress of the United States, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session (November 17, 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joint Economic Committee, Washington, DC.

The second in a series investigating child and maternal health care in the United States, this hearing explores the social impact of the 1981 spending cuts in funds for the federal maternal and child health block grant program. Statements from three senators describe the legislative history and successes of the program and detail the senators'…

Study of optimal laser parameters for cutting QFN packages by Taguchi's matrix method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chen-Hao; Tsai, Ming-Jong; Yang, Ciann-Dong

2007-06-01

This paper reports the study of optimal laser parameters for cutting QFN (Quad Flat No-lead) packages by using a diode pumped solid-state laser system (DPSSL). The QFN cutting path includes two different materials, which are the encapsulated epoxy and a copper lead frame substrate. The Taguchi's experimental method with orthogonal array of L 9(3 4) is employed to obtain optimal combinatorial parameters. A quantified mechanism was proposed for examining the laser cutting quality of a QFN package. The influences of the various factors such as laser current, laser frequency, and cutting speed on the laser cutting quality is also examined. From the experimental results, the factors on the cutting quality in the order of decreasing significance are found to be (a) laser frequency, (b) cutting speed, and (c) laser driving current. The optimal parameters were obtained at the laser frequency of 2 kHz, the cutting speed of 2 mm/s, and the driving current of 29 A. Besides identifying this sequence of dominance, matrix experiment also determines the best level for each control factor. The verification experiment confirms that the application of laser cutting technology to QFN is very successfully by using the optimal laser parameters predicted from matrix experiments.

Alcohol consumption in the Australian coal mining industry.

PubMed

Tynan, Ross J; Considine, Robyn; Wiggers, John; Lewin, Terry J; James, Carole; Inder, Kerry; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Baker, Amanda L; Skehan, Jaelea; Perkins, David; Kelly, Brian J

2017-03-01

To investigate patterns of alcohol use within the coal mining industry, and associations with the personal, social, workplace and employment characteristics. 8 mine sites across 3 eastern Australian states were surveyed, selected to encompass key geographic characteristics (accessibility and remoteness) and mine type (open cut and underground). Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to determine: (1) overall risky or hazardous drinking behaviour; and (2) frequency of single-occasion drinking (6 or more drinks on 1 occasion). A total of 1457 employees completed the survey, of which 45.7% of male and 17.0% of female participants reported levels of alcohol use within the range considered as risky or hazardous, considerably higher than the national average. Hierarchical linear regression revealed a significant contribution of many individual level factors associated with AUDIT scores: younger age, male, current smoking status; illicit substance use; previous alcohol and other drug use (AOD) problems; and higher psychological distress. Workplace factors associated with alcohol use included working in mining primarily for the high remuneration, and the type of mining, with underground miners reporting higher alcohol use than open-cut miners. Our findings provide support for the need to address alcohol use in the coal mining industry over and above routine on-site testing for alcohol use. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Does state budget pressure matter for uncompensated care spending in hospitals? Findings from Texas and California.

PubMed

Chang, Jongwha; Patel, Isha; Suh, Won S; Lin, Hsien-Chang; Kim, Sunjung; Balkrishnan, Rajesh

2012-01-01

This study examined the impact of state budget cuts on uncompensated care at general acute care hospital organizations. This study capitalized on the variations in the states of Texas and California to form a natural experiment testing the joint impact of budget cut status on uncompensated care costs, as well as specific charity care costs and bad debt expenses from indigent patients. Budget cuts in the state of Texas occurred in the year 2004. Information was obtained from the Texas Department of Health and the California Department of Health Services regarding financial characteristics of hospitals and from the American Hospital Directory annual survey regarding organizational characteristics of hospitals. We created three dependent variables: R(UC) (the ratio of total uncompensated care costs to gross patient revenue), R(CC) (the ratio of charity care to total patient revenue) and R(BD) (the ratio of bad debt expenses to gross patient revenue). Using a two-period panel data set and individual hospital fixed effects, we captured hospital uncompensated care spending that could also have influenced budget cut status. Additionally, the impact of the state budget cut status on hospitals' uncompensated care spending, charity care spending and bad debt expenses was also estimated using the similar methodology. In this study, we included 416 (in Texas) and 352 (in California) public, not-for-profit (NFP) and for-profit (FP) hospitals that completed the annual survey during the study period 2002-2005. For the state of Texas, results from the fixed effect model confirmed that the year 2005 was directly related to increased R(UC) and R(CC) . The coefficients of 2005 were significantly and positively associated with R(UC) (0.43, p < 0.05) and R(CC) (0.29, p < 0.05). These results supported the findings that the R(UC) and the R(CC) would be more positively associated with 2005 than any other year, with other things being equal. However, for the state of California, even though the coefficient of 2005 was significant and positively associated with R(CC) (0.31, p < 0.05), the coefficient of uncompensated care spending was not statistically significant for 2005. The healthcare industry is characterized by increased regulation, a growing number of uninsured patients, increasingly stringent reimbursement and competitive practices among hospitals and other providers. Federal and state healthcare agencies are restricting the criteria for eligibility for outlier payments and uncompensated care provisions. Tax exempt status of many NFP hospitals is being examined and tied to specific performances, particularly the provision of uncompensated care. This study provides evidence of the impact of budget cut pressure on uncompensated care provided in Texas general acute care hospitals. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Curve Numbers for Nine Mountainous Eastern United States Watersheds: Seasonal Variation and Forest Cutting

EPA Science Inventory

Many engineers and hydrologists use the curve number method to estimate runoff from ungaged watersheds; however, the method does not explicitly account for the influence of season or forest cutting on runoff. This study of observed rainfall and runoff for small, forested watershe...

It's Not Just about the Money

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shieh, David

2009-01-01

As the economy sinks, dwindling state appropriations and plunging endowment values are forcing colleges to make significant budget cuts. Professors--from the tenured to the adjunct--are beginning to see teaching-load increases and travel restrictions, along with salary cuts and layoffs. At institutions taking austerity measures, those measures are…

Setting Meaningful Criterion-Reference Cut Scores as an Effective Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munyofu, Paul

2010-01-01

The state of Pennsylvania, like many organizations interested in performance improvement, routinely engages in professional development activities. Educators in this hands-on activity engaged in setting meaningful criterion-referenced cut scores for career and technical education assessments using two methods. The main purposes of this study were…

System Identification of X-33 Neural Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aggarwal, Shiv

2003-01-01

Modern flight control research has improved spacecraft survivability as its goal. To this end we need to have a failure detection system on board. In case the spacecraft is performing imperfectly, reconfiguration of control is needed. For that purpose we need to have parameter identification of spacecraft dynamics. Parameter identification of a system is called system identification. We treat the system as a black box which receives some inputs that lead to some outputs. The question is: what kind of parameters for a particular black box can correlate the observed inputs and outputs? Can these parameters help us to predict the outputs for a new given set of inputs? This is the basic problem of system identification. The X33 was supposed to have the onboard capability of evaluating the current performance and if needed to take the corrective measures to adapt to desired performance. The X33 is comprised of both rocket and aircraft vehicle design characteristics and requires, in general, analytical methods for evaluating its flight performance. Its flight consists of four phases: ascent, transition, entry and TAEM (Terminal Area Energy Management). It spends about 200 seconds in ascent phase, reaching an altitude of about 180,000 feet and a speed of about 10 to 15 Mach. During the transition phase which lasts only about 30 seconds, its altitude may increase to about 190,000 feet but its speed is reduced to about 9 Mach. At the beginning of this phase, the Main Engine is Cut Off (MECO) and the control is reconfigured with the help of aerosurfaces (four elevons, two flaps and two rudders) and reaction control system (RCS). The entry phase brings down the altitude of X33 to about 90,000 feet and its speed to about Mach 3. It spends about 250 seconds in this phase. Main engine is still cut off and the vehicle is controlled by complex maneuvers of aerosurfaces. The last phase TAEM lasts for about 450 seconds and the altitude and speed, both are reduced to zero. The present attempt, as a start, focuses only on the entry phase. Since the main engine remains cut off in this phase, there is no thrust acting on the system. This considerably simplifies the equations of motion. We introduce another simplification by assuming the system to be linear after some non-linearities are removed analytically from our consideration. Under these assumptions, the problem could be solved by Classical Statistics by employing the least sum of squares approach. Instead we chose to use the Neural Network method. This method has many advantages. It is modern, more efficient, can be adapted to work even when the assumptions are diluted. In fact, Neural Networks try to model the human brain and are capable of pattern recognition.

Microscopic and molecular studies of the diversity of free-living protozoa in meat-cutting plants.

PubMed

Vaerewijck, Mario J M; Sabbe, Koen; Baré, Julie; Houf, Kurt

2008-09-01

The diversity of free-living protozoa in five meat-cutting plants was determined. Light microscopy after enrichment culturing was combined with sequencing of PCR-amplified, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)-separated 18S rRNA gene fragments, which was used as a fast screening method. The general results of the survey showed that a protozoan community of amoebae, ciliates, and flagellates was present in all of the plants. Protozoa were detected mainly in floor drains, in standing water on the floor, on soiled bars of cutting tables, on plastic pallets, and in out-of-use hot water knife sanitizers, but they were also detected on surfaces which come into direct contact with meat, such as conveyer belts, working surfaces of cutting tables, and needles of a meat tenderizer. After 7 days of incubation at refrigerator temperature, protozoa were detected in about one-half of the enrichment cultures. Based on microscopic observations, 61 morphospecies were found, and Bodo saltans, Bodo spp., Epistylis spp., Glaucoma scintillans, Petalomonas spp., Prodiscophrya collini, and Vannella sp. were the most frequently encountered identified organisms. Sequencing of DGGE bands resulted in identification of a total of 49 phylotypes, including representatives of the Amoebozoa, Chromalveolata, Excavata, Opisthokonta, and Rhizaria. Sequences of small heterotrophic flagellates were affiliated mainly with the Alveolata (Apicomplexa), Stramenopiles (Chrysophyceae), and Rhizaria (Cercozoa). This survey showed that there is high protozoan species richness in meat-cutting plants and that the species included species related to known hosts of food-borne pathogens.

A Generalized Maxwell Model for Creep Behavior of Artery Opening Angle

PubMed Central

Zhang, W.; Guo, X.; Kassab, G. S.

2009-01-01

An artery ring springs open into a sector after a radial cut. The opening angle characterizes the residual strain in the unloaded state, which is fundamental to understanding stress and strain in the vessel wall. A recent study revealed that the opening angle decreases with time if the artery is cut from the loaded state, while it increases if the cut is made from the no-load state due to viscoelasticity. In both cases, the opening angle approaches the same value in 3 hours. This implies that the characteristic relaxation time is about 10,000 sec. Here, the creep function of a generalized Maxwell model (a spring in series with six Voigt bodies) is used to predict the temporal change of opening angle in multiple time scales. It is demonstrated that the theoretical model captures the salient features of the experimental results. The proposed creep function may be extended to study the viscoelastic response of blood vessels under various loading conditions. PMID:19045526

Entanglement entropy from tensor network states for stabilizer codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Huan; Zheng, Yunqin; Bernevig, B. Andrei; Regnault, Nicolas

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present the construction of tensor network states (TNS) for some of the degenerate ground states of three-dimensional (3D) stabilizer codes. We then use the TNS formalism to obtain the entanglement spectrum and entropy of these ground states for some special cuts. In particular, we work out examples of the 3D toric code, the X-cube model, and the Haah code. The latter two models belong to the category of "fracton" models proposed recently, while the first one belongs to the conventional topological phases. We mention the cases for which the entanglement entropy and spectrum can be calculated exactly: For these, the constructed TNS is a singular value decomposition (SVD) of the ground states with respect to particular entanglement cuts. Apart from the area law, the entanglement entropies also have constant and linear corrections for the fracton models, while the entanglement entropies for the toric code models only have constant corrections. For the cuts we consider, the entanglement spectra of these three models are completely flat. We also conjecture that the negative linear correction to the area law is a signature of extensive ground-state degeneracy. Moreover, the transfer matrices of these TNSs can be constructed. We show that the transfer matrices are projectors whose eigenvalues are either 1 or 0. The number of nonzero eigenvalues is tightly related to the ground-state degeneracy.

Materiel Solutions for Special Operations Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-28

Continually developed a repository of UNC System-wide defense research expertise and infrastructure resources to enable effective identification of UNC...antennas and more. • Mr. Jim Geurts, USSOCOM Acquisition Executive, visited the campuses of UNC Chapel Hill and NCSU in March 2013. He met with...game theory, and political science. The goal of the workshop was to explore cutting edge techniques to measure the effectiveness of special operations

Using Different Measures, Informants, and Clinical Cut-Off Points to Estimate Prevalence of Emotional or Behavioral Disorders in Preschoolers: Effects on Age, Gender, and Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feil, Edward G.; Small, Jason W.; Forness, Steven R.; Serna, Loretta R.; Kaiser, Ann P.; Hancock, Terry B.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Bryant, Donna; Kuperschmidt, Janis; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Boyce, Cheryl A.; Lopez, Michael L.

2005-01-01

The early identification and remediation of emotional or behavior disorders are high priorities for early-childhood researchers and are based on the assumption that problems such as school failure can be averted with early screening, prevention, and intervention. Presently, prevalence, severity, and topography of mental health needs among…

Machinability of titanium metal matrix composites (Ti-MMCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aramesh, Maryam

Titanium metal matrix composites (Ti-MMCs), as a new generation of materials, have various potential applications in aerospace and automotive industries. The presence of ceramic particles enhances the physical and mechanical properties of the alloy matrix. However, the hard and abrasive nature of these particles causes various issues in the field of their machinability. Severe tool wear and short tool life are the most important drawbacks of machining this class of materials. There is very limited work in the literature regarding the machinability of this class of materials especially in the area of tool life estimation and tool wear. By far, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools appear to be the best choice for machining MMCs from researchers' point of view. However, due to their high cost, economical alternatives are sought. Cubic boron nitride (CBN) inserts, as the second hardest available tools, show superior characteristics such as great wear resistance, high hardness at elevated temperatures, a low coefficient of friction and a high melting point. Yet, so far CBN tools have not been studied during machining of Ti-MMCs. In this study, a comprehensive study has been performed to explore the tool wear mechanisms of CBN inserts during turning of Ti-MMCs. The unique morphology of the worn faces of the tools was investigated for the first time, which led to new insights in the identification of chemical wear mechanisms during machining of Ti-MMCs. Utilizing the full tool life capacity of cutting tools is also very crucial, due to the considerable costs associated with suboptimal replacement of tools. This strongly motivates development of a reliable model for tool life estimation under any cutting conditions. In this study, a novel model based on the survival analysis methodology is developed to estimate the progressive states of tool wear under any cutting conditions during machining of Ti-MMCs. This statistical model takes into account the machining time in addition to the effect of cutting parameters. Thus, promising results were obtained which showed a very good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, a more advanced model was constructed, by adding the tool wear as another variable to the previous model. Therefore, a new model was proposed for estimating the remaining life of worn inserts under different cutting conditions, using the current tool wear data as an input. The results of this model were validated with the experimental results. The estimated results were well consistent with the results obtained from the experiments.

Detection of biological contaminants on foods and food surfaces using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Multari, Rosalie A; Cremers, David A; Dupre, Jo Anne M; Gustafson, John E

2013-09-11

The rapid detection of biological contaminants, such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica , on foods and food-processing surfaces is important to ensure food safety and streamline the food-monitoring process. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an ideal candidate technology for this application because sample preparation is minimal and results are available rapidly (seconds to minutes). Here, multivariate regression analysis of LIBS data is used to differentiate the live bacterial pathogens E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica on various foods (eggshell, milk, bologna, ground beef, chicken, and lettuce) and surfaces (metal drain strainer and cutting board). The type (E. coli or S. enterica) of bacteria could be differentiated in all cases studied along with the metabolic state (viable or heat killed). This study provides data showing the potential of LIBS for the rapid identification of biological contaminants using spectra collected directly from foods and surfaces.

Snijders's correction of Infit and Outfit indexes with estimated ability level: an analysis with the Rasch model.

PubMed

Magis, David; Beland, Sebastien; Raiche, Gilles

2014-01-01

The Infit mean square W and the Outfit mean square U are commonly used person fit indexes under Rasch measurement. However, they suffer from two major weaknesses. First, their asymptotic distribution is usually derived by assuming that the true ability levels are known. Second, such distributions are even not clearly stated for indexes U and W. Both issues can seriously affect the selection of an appropriate cut-score for person fit identification. Snijders (2001) proposed a general approach to correct some person fit indexes when specific ability estimators are used. The purpose of this paper is to adapt this approach to U and W indexes. First, a brief sketch of the methodology and its application to U and W is proposed. Then, the corrected indexes are compared to their classical versions through a simulation study. The suggested correction yields controlled Type I errors against both conservatism and inflation, while the power to detect specific misfitting response patterns gets significantly increased.

Diagnostic performance of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry in blood bacterial infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Scott, Jamie S; Sterling, Sarah A; To, Harrison; Seals, Samantha R; Jones, Alan E

2016-07-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has shown promise in decreasing time to identification of causative organisms compared to traditional methods; however, the utility of MALDI-TOF MS in a heterogeneous clinical setting is uncertain. To perform a systematic review on the operational performance of the Bruker MALDI-TOF MS system and evaluate published cut-off values compared to traditional blood cultures. A comprehensive literature search was performed. Studies were included if they performed direct MALDI-TOF MS analysis of blood culture specimens in human patients with suspected bacterial infections using the Bruker Biotyper software. Sensitivities and specificities of the combined studies were estimated using a hierarchical random effects linear model (REML) incorporating cut-off scores of ≥1.7 and ≥2.0. Fifty publications were identified, with 11 studies included after final review. The estimated sensitivity utilising a cut-off of ≥2.0 from the combined studies was 74.6% (95% CI = 67.9-89.3%), with an estimated specificity of 88.0% (95% CI = 74.8-94.7%). When assessing a cut-off of ≥1.7, the combined sensitivity increases to 92.8% (95% CI = 87.4-96.0%), but the estimated specificity decreased to 81.2% (95% CI = 61.9-96.6%). In this analysis, MALDI-TOF MS showed acceptable sensitivity and specificity in bacterial speciation with the current recommended cut-off point compared to blood cultures; however, lowering the cut-off point from ≥2.0 to ≥1.7 would increase the sensitivity of the test without significant detrimental effect on the specificity, which could improve clinician confidence in their results.

Effectiveness of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System II and its e-learning program to freshman dental students on occlusal caries detection

PubMed Central

El-Damanhoury, Hatem M.; Fakhruddin, Kausar Sadia; Awad, Manal A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To assess the feasibility of teaching International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) II and its e-learning program as tools for occlusal caries detection to freshmen dental students in comparison to dental graduates with 2 years of experience. Materials and Methods: Eighty-four freshmen and 32 dental graduates examined occlusal surfaces of molars/premolars (n = 72) after a lecture and a hands-on workshop. The same procedure was repeated after 1 month following the training with ICDAS II e-learning program. Validation of ICDAS II codes was done histologically. Intra- and inter-examiner reproducibility of ICDAS II severity scores were assessed before and after e-learning using (Fleiss's kappa). Results: The kappa values showed inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.53 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.70 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by undergraduates and 0.69 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.95 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3) by graduates. The inter-examiner reproducibility ranged from 0.64 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 1) to 0.89 (ICDAS II code cut off ≥ 3). No statistically significant difference was found between both groups in intra-examiner agreements for assessing ICDAS II codes. A high statistically significant difference (P ≤ 0.01) in correct identification of codes 1, 2, and 4 from before to after e-learning were observed in both groups. The bias indices for the undergraduate group were higher than those of the graduate group. Conclusions: Early exposure of students to ICDAS II is a valuable method of teaching caries detection and its e-learning program significantly improves their caries diagnostic skills. PMID:25512730

Cross-validation of the Dot Counting Test in a large sample of credible and non-credible patients referred for neuropsychological testing.

PubMed

McCaul, Courtney; Boone, Kyle B; Ermshar, Annette; Cottingham, Maria; Victor, Tara L; Ziegler, Elizabeth; Zeller, Michelle A; Wright, Matthew

2018-01-18

To cross-validate the Dot Counting Test in a large neuropsychological sample. Dot Counting Test scores were compared in credible (n = 142) and non-credible (n = 335) neuropsychology referrals. Non-credible patients scored significantly higher than credible patients on all Dot Counting Test scores. While the original E-score cut-off of ≥17 achieved excellent specificity (96.5%), it was associated with mediocre sensitivity (52.8%). However, the cut-off could be substantially lowered to ≥13.80, while still maintaining adequate specificity (≥90%), and raising sensitivity to 70.0%. Examination of non-credible subgroups revealed that Dot Counting Test sensitivity in feigned mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was 55.8%, whereas sensitivity was 90.6% in patients with non-credible cognitive dysfunction in the context of claimed psychosis, and 81.0% in patients with non-credible cognitive performance in depression or severe TBI. Thus, the Dot Counting Test may have a particular role in detection of non-credible cognitive symptoms in claimed psychiatric disorders. Alternative to use of the E-score, failure on ≥1 cut-offs applied to individual Dot Counting Test scores (≥6.0″ for mean grouped dot counting time, ≥10.0″ for mean ungrouped dot counting time, and ≥4 errors), occurred in 11.3% of the credible sample, while nearly two-thirds (63.6%) of the non-credible sample failed one of more of these cut-offs. An E-score cut-off of 13.80, or failure on ≥1 individual score cut-offs, resulted in few false positive identifications in credible patients, and achieved high sensitivity (64.0-70.0%), and therefore appear appropriate for use in identifying neurocognitive performance invalidity.

Standardized Testing Practices: Effect on Graduation and NCLEX® Pass Rates.

PubMed

Randolph, Pamela K

The use standardized testing in pre-licensure nursing programs has been accompanied by conflicting reports of effective practices. The purpose of this project was to describe standardized testing practices in one states' nursing programs and discover if the use of a cut score or oversight of remediation had any effect on (a) first time NCLEX® pass rates, (b) on-time graduation (OTG) or (c) the combination of (a) and (b). Administrators of 38 nursing programs in one Southwest state were sent surveys; surveys were returned by 34 programs (89%). Survey responses were compared to each program's NCLEX pass rate and on-time graduation rate; t-tests were conducted for significant differences associated with a required minimum score (cut score) and oversight of remediation. There were no significant differences in NCLEX pass or on-time graduation rates related to establishment of a cut score. There was a significant difference when the NCLEX pass rate and on-time graduation rate were combined (Outcome Index "OI") with significantly higher program outcomes (P=.02.) for programs without cut-scores. There were no differences associated with faculty oversight of remediation. The results of this study do not support establishment of a cut-score when implementing a standardized testing. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

First evidence of an extensive Acheulean large cutting tool accumulation in Europe from Porto Maior (Galicia, Spain).

PubMed

Méndez-Quintas, E; Santonja, M; Pérez-González, A; Duval, M; Demuro, M; Arnold, L J

2018-02-15

We describe a European Acheulean site characterised by an extensive accumulation of large cutting tools (LCT). This type of Lower Paleolithic assemblage, with dense LCT accumulations, has only been found on the African continent and in the Near East until now. The identification of a site with large accumulations of LCTs favours the hypothesis of an African origin for the Acheulean of Southwest Europe. The lithic tool-bearing deposits date back to 293-205 thousand years ago. Our chronological findings confirm temporal overlap between sites with clear "African" Acheulean affinities and Early Middle Paleolithic sites found elsewhere in the region. These complex technological patterns could be consistent with the potential coexistence of different human species in south-western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene.

Impulsive spherical gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliev, A. N.; Nutku, Y.

2001-03-01

Penrose's identification with warp provides the general framework for constructing the continuous form of impulsive gravitational wave metrics. We present the two-component spinor formalism for the derivation of the full family of impulsive spherical gravitational wave metrics which brings out the power in identification with warp and leads to the simplest derivation of exact solutions. These solutions of the Einstein vacuum field equations are obtained by cutting Minkowski space into two pieces along a null cone and re-identifying them with warp which is given by an arbitrary nonlinear holomorphic transformation. Using two-component spinor techniques we construct a new metric describing an impulsive spherical gravitational wave where the vertex of the null cone lies on a worldline with constant acceleration.

A high-throughput urinalysis of abused drugs based on a SPE-LC-MS/MS method coupled with an in-house developed post-analysis data treatment system.

PubMed

Cheng, Wing-Chi; Yau, Tsan-Sang; Wong, Ming-Kei; Chan, Lai-Ping; Mok, Vincent King-Kuen

2006-10-16

A rapid urinalysis system based on SPE-LC-MS/MS with an in-house post-analysis data management system has been developed for the simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation of opiates (morphine, codeine), methadone, amphetamines (amphetamine, methylamphetamine (MA), 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)), 11-benzodiazepines or their metabolites and ketamine. The urine samples are subjected to automated solid phase extraction prior to analysis by LC-MS (Finnigan Surveyor LC connected to a Finnigan LCQ Advantage) fitted with an Alltech Rocket Platinum EPS C-18 column. With a single point calibration at the cut-off concentration for each analyte, simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation for the above mentioned drugs can be achieved in a 10 min run per urine sample. A computer macro-program package was developed to automatically retrieve appropriate data from the analytical data files, compare results with preset values (such as cut-off concentrations, MS matching scores) of each drug being analyzed and generate user-defined Excel reports to indicate all positive and negative results in batch-wise manner for ease of checking. The final analytical results are automatically copied into an Access database for report generation purposes. Through the use of automation in sample preparation, simultaneous identification and semi-quantitation by LC-MS/MS and a tailored made post-analysis data management system, this new urinalysis system significantly improves the quality of results, reduces the post-data treatment time, error due to data transfer and is suitable for high-throughput laboratory in batch-wise operation.

Analysis of raw meats and fats of pigs using polymerase chain reaction for Halal authentication.

PubMed

Aida, A A; Che Man, Y B; Wong, C M V L; Raha, A R; Son, R

2005-01-01

A method for species identification from pork and lard samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of a conserved region in the mitochondrial (mt) cytochrome b (cyt b) gene has been developed. Genomic DNA of pork and lard were extracted using Qiagen DNeasy(®) Tissue Kits and subjected to PCR amplification targeting the mt cyt b gene. The genomic DNA from lard was found to be of good quality and produced clear PCR products on the amplification of the mt cyt b gene of approximately 360 base pairs. To distinguish between species, the amplified PCR products were cut with restriction enzyme BsaJI resulting in porcine-specific restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP). The cyt b PCR-RFLP species identification assay yielded excellent results for identification of pig species. It is a potentially reliable technique for detection of pig meat and fat from other animals for Halal authentication.

Transient beam oscillation with a highly dynamic scanner for laser beam fusion cutting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goppold, Cindy; Pinder, Thomas; Herwig, Patrick

2016-02-01

Sheet metals with thicknesses >8 mm have a distinct cutting performance. The free choice of the optical configuration composed of fiber diameter, collimation, and focal length offers many opportunities to influence the static beam geometry. Previous analysis points out the limitations of this method in the thick section area. Within the present study, an experimental investigation of fiber laser fusion cutting of 12 mm stainless steel was performed by means of dynamical beam oscillation. Two standard optical setups are combined with a highly dynamic galvano-driven scanner that achieves frequencies up to 4 kHz. Dependencies of the scanner parameter, the optical circumstances, and the conventional cutting parameters are discussed. The aim is to characterize the capabilities and challenges of the dynamic beam shaping in comparison to the state-of-the-art static beam shaping. Thus, the trials are evaluated by quality criteria of the cut edge as surface roughness and burr height, the feed rate, and the cut kerf geometry. The investigation emphasizes promising procedural possibilities for improvements of the cutting performance in the case of fiber laser fusion cutting of thick stainless steel by means of the application of a highly dynamic scanner.

Effects of random aspects of cutting tool wear on surface roughness and tool life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nabil, Ben Fredj; Mabrouk, Mohamed

2006-10-01

The effects of random aspects of cutting tool flank wear on surface roughness and on tool lifetime, when turning the AISI 1045 carbon steel, were studied in this investigation. It was found that standard deviations corresponding to tool flank wear and to the surface roughness increase exponentially with cutting time. Under cutting conditions that correspond to finishing operations, no significant differences were found between the calculated values of the capability index C p at the steady-state region of the tool flank wear, using the best-fit method or the Box-Cox transformation, or by making the assumption that the surface roughness data are normally distributed. Hence, a method to establish cutting tool lifetime could be established that simultaneously respects the desired average of surface roughness and the required capability index.

Occurrence of emerging food-borne pathogenic Arcobacter spp. isolated from pre-cut (ready-to-eat) vegetables.

PubMed

Mottola, Anna; Bonerba, Elisabetta; Bozzo, Giancarlo; Marchetti, Patrizia; Celano, Gaetano Vitale; Colao, Valeriana; Terio, Valentina; Tantillo, Giuseppina; Figueras, Maria José; Di Pinto, Angela

2016-11-07

Given that changes in consumer food behaviours have led to an increase in the demand for pre-cut ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables, and that few data are currently available on the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. in such foods, the aim of the present study was to assess the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. that carry virulence-associated genes on pre-cut RTE vegetables, using cultural and molecular methods. Arcobacter was detected using biomolecular identification methods in 44/160 (27.5%) of the samples, of which 40/44 (90.9%) isolates corresponded to A. butzleri and 4/44 (9.1%) to A. cryaerophilus. Studying the incidence of 9 virulence-associated genes revealed the widespread distribution of these genes among the Arcobacter isolates tested. The results obtained in our research provided plenty of information on the health risks associated with the direct consumption of raw vegetables, and highlight the need to implement further studies at each level of the production chain, in order to obtain further information to help protect human health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification of anxiety sensitivity classes and clinical cut-scores in a sample of adult smokers: results from a factor mixture model.

PubMed

Allan, Nicholas P; Raines, Amanda M; Capron, Daniel W; Norr, Aaron M; Zvolensky, Michael J; Schmidt, Norman B

2014-10-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS), a multidimensional construct, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of anxiety and related disorders. Recent evidence suggests that AS is a dimensional-categorical construct within individuals. Factor mixture modeling was conducted in a sample of 579 adult smokers (M age=36.87 years, SD=13.47) to examine the underlying structure. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 and were also given a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR. Three classes of individuals emerged, a high AS (5.2% of the sample), a moderate AS (19.0%), and a normative AS class (75.8%). A cut-score of 23 to identify high AS individuals, and a cut-score of 17 to identify moderate-to-high AS individuals were supported in this study. In addition, the odds of having a concurrent anxiety disorder (controlling for other Axis I disorders) were the highest in the high AS class and the lowest in the normative AS class. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences of Cutting Speed and Material Mechanical Properties on Chip Deformation and Fracture during High-Speed Cutting of Inconel 718.

PubMed

Wang, Bing; Liu, Zhanqiang; Hou, Xin; Zhao, Jinfu

2018-03-21

The paper aims to investigate the influences of material constitutive and fracture parameters in addition to cutting speed on chip formation during high-speed cutting of Inconel 718. Finite element analyses for chip formation are conducted with Johnson-Cook constitutive and fracture models. Meanwhile, experiments of high-speed orthogonal cutting are performed to verify the simulation results with cutting speeds ranging from 50 m/min to 7000 m/min. The research indicates that the chip morphology transforms from serrated to fragmented at the cutting speed of 7000 m/min due to embrittlement of the workpiece material under ultra-high cutting speeds. The parameter of shear localization sensitivity is put forward to describe the influences of material mechanical properties on serrated chip formation. The results demonstrate that the effects of initial yield stress and thermal softening coefficient on chip shear localization are much more remarkable than the other constitutive parameters. For the material fracture parameters, the effects of initial fracture strain and exponential factor of stress state on chip shear localization are more much prominent. This paper provides guidance for controlling chip formation through the adjustment of material mechanical properties and the selection of appropriate cutting parameters.

Influences of Cutting Speed and Material Mechanical Properties on Chip Deformation and Fracture during High-Speed Cutting of Inconel 718

PubMed Central

Hou, Xin; Zhao, Jinfu

2018-01-01

The paper aims to investigate the influences of material constitutive and fracture parameters in addition to cutting speed on chip formation during high-speed cutting of Inconel 718. Finite element analyses for chip formation are conducted with Johnson–Cook constitutive and fracture models. Meanwhile, experiments of high-speed orthogonal cutting are performed to verify the simulation results with cutting speeds ranging from 50 m/min to 7000 m/min. The research indicates that the chip morphology transforms from serrated to fragmented at the cutting speed of 7000 m/min due to embrittlement of the workpiece material under ultra-high cutting speeds. The parameter of shear localization sensitivity is put forward to describe the influences of material mechanical properties on serrated chip formation. The results demonstrate that the effects of initial yield stress and thermal softening coefficient on chip shear localization are much more remarkable than the other constitutive parameters. For the material fracture parameters, the effects of initial fracture strain and exponential factor of stress state on chip shear localization are more much prominent. This paper provides guidance for controlling chip formation through the adjustment of material mechanical properties and the selection of appropriate cutting parameters. PMID:29561770

The Retreat of the State and the Future of Social Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baars, Sam

2014-01-01

Amidst deep cuts to public spending, the UK Coalition government announced in 2010 that it would be substantially reducing its subsidy of social science within higher education. As part of the same deficit reduction strategy, the government is cutting funding to local authorities, disproportionately hitting urban councils in the most deprived…

Following the Cuts: How Is the Recession Affecting Faculty Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lounder, Andrew; Waugaman, Chelsea; Kenyon, Mark; Levine, Amy; Meekins, Matthew; O'Meara, KerryAnn

2011-01-01

The recession of 2008-2009 and the continuing decline in local, state, and federal funds available to support higher education have resulted in serious budget cuts and belt-tightening. Given that faculty constitute an institution's most costly resource, it was not surprising, though it is nonetheless disheartening, to learn of the University of…

Rethinking Cuts in Public Education: An American Example.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Richard J.; Gardner, John; Singh, Sandeep

2001-01-01

Recent public higher education spending cuts have often been matched by tuition increases, resulting in possible declines in college graduates and in personal income tax receipts. Applying a net present-value model to quantify New York State data suggests that potential revenue losses quickly dwarf short-term budgetary savings. (Contains 21…

76 FR 56797 - Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Korea; Revised...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-14

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation Nos. 701-TA-388-391 and 731-TA-817-821 ;Second Review] Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate From India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, and Korea; Revised schedule for the subject reviews. AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice...

15 CFR 335.3 - Applications to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... cut and sewed in the United States all three of the following apparel products: Worsted Wool Suits, Worsted Wool Suit-Type Jackets, and Worsted Wool Trousers. The applicant may either have cut and sewn... average fiber diameters of 18.5 microns or less, suitable for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, and...

15 CFR 335.3 - Applications to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... cut and sewed in the United States all three of the following apparel products: Worsted Wool Suits, Worsted Wool Suit-Type Jackets, and Worsted Wool Trousers. The applicant may either have cut and sewn... average fiber diameters of 18.5 microns or less, suitable for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, and...

15 CFR 335.3 - Applications to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... cut and sewed in the United States all three of the following apparel products: Worsted Wool Suits, Worsted Wool Suit-Type Jackets, and Worsted Wool Trousers. The applicant may either have cut and sewn... average fiber diameters of 18.5 microns or less, suitable for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, and...

15 CFR 335.3 - Applications to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... cut and sewed in the United States all three of the following apparel products: Worsted Wool Suits, Worsted Wool Suit-Type Jackets, and Worsted Wool Trousers. The applicant may either have cut and sewn... average fiber diameters of 18.5 microns or less, suitable for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, and...

15 CFR 335.3 - Applications to receive allocation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... cut and sewed in the United States all three of the following apparel products: Worsted Wool Suits, Worsted Wool Suit-Type Jackets, and Worsted Wool Trousers. The applicant may either have cut and sewn... average fiber diameters of 18.5 microns or less, suitable for use in making suits, suit-type jackets, and...

Nutrient Database improvement project: Separable components and proximate composition of retail cuts from the beef chuck

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was designed to provide updated information on the separable components, cooking yields, and nutrient values of retail cuts from the beef chuck. Ultimately, these data will be used in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Data Laboratory’s (NDL) National Nutrient Da...

Parajanov's Playful Poetics: On the "Director's Cut" of "The Color of Pomegranates."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steffen, James

1996-01-01

Muses on the reasons for a "director's cut" of the 1969 Soviet film "The Color of Pomegranates," produced after the official version had initially been heavily reedited. Offers historical background on the film. States that it places unusual demands on its audiences, especially because of its density of texture and its…

Nutrient database improvement project: the influence of USDA quality and yield grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef chuck.

PubMed

West, S E; Harris, K B; Haneklaus, A N; Savell, J W; Thompson, L D; Brooks, J C; Pool, J K; Luna, A M; Engle, T E; Schutz, J S; Woerner, D R; Arcibeque, S L; Belk, K E; Douglass, L; Leheska, J M; McNeill, S; Howe, J C; Holden, J M; Duvall, M; Patterson, K

2014-08-01

This study was designed to provide updated information on the separable components, cooking yields, and proximate composition of retail cuts from the beef chuck. Additionally, the impact the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Quality and Yield Grade may have on such factors was investigated. Ultimately, these data will be used in the USDA - Nutrient Data Laboratory's (NDL) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). To represent the current United States beef supply, seventy-two carcasses were selected from six regions of the country based on USDA Yield Grade, USDA Quality Grade, gender, and genetic type. Whole beef chuck primals from selected carcasses were shipped to three university laboratories for subsequent retail cut fabrication, raw and cooked cut dissection, and proximate analyses. The incorporation of these data into the SR will improve dietary education, product labeling, and other applications both domestically and abroad, thus emphasizing the importance of accurate and relevant beef nutrient data. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Bianisotropic-critical-state model to study flux cutting in type-II superconductors at parallel geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero-Salazar, C.

2016-04-01

A critical-state model is postulated that incorporates, for the first time, the structural anisotropy and flux-line cutting effect in a type-II superconductor. The model is constructed starting from the theoretical scheme of Romero-Salazar and Pérez-Rodríguez to study the anisotropy induced by flux cutting. Here, numerical calculations of the magnetic induction and static magnetization are presented for samples under an alternating magnetic field, orthogonal to a static dc-bias one. The interplay of the two anisotropies is analysed by comparing the numerical results with available experimental data for an yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) plate, and a vanadium-titanium (VTi) strip, subjected to a slowly oscillating field {H}y({H}z) in the presence of a static field {H}z({H}y).

Transfer and Cross‐Collateralization of Clean Water State Revolving Funds and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Link containing Federal laws and Executive Orders, including cross-cutting federal authorities, apply to projects and activities receiving assistance under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program.

Evaluating Cross-Cutting Approaches to Chronic Disease Prevention and Management: Developing a Comprehensive Evaluation

PubMed Central

Jernigan, Jan; Barnes, Seraphine Pitt; Shea, Pat; Davis, Rachel; Rutledge, Stephanie

2017-01-01

We provide an overview of the comprehensive evaluation of State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health (State Public Health Actions). State Public Health Actions is a program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the statewide implementation of cross-cutting approaches to promote health and prevent and control chronic diseases. The evaluation addresses the relevance, quality, and impact of the program by using 4 components: a national evaluation, performance measures, state evaluations, and evaluation technical assistance to states. Challenges of the evaluation included assessing the extent to which the program contributed to changes in the outcomes of interest and the variability in the states’ capacity to conduct evaluations and track performance measures. Given the investment in implementing collaborative approaches at both the state and national level, achieving meaningful findings from the evaluation is critical. PMID:29215974

HIV Tests And New Diagnoses Declined After California Budget Cuts, But Reallocating Funds Helped Reduce Impact

PubMed Central

Leibowitz, Arleen A.; Brynes, Karen; Wynn, Adriane; Farrell, Kevin

2014-01-01

Historically, California supplemented federal funding of HIV prevention and testing so that Californians with HIV could become aware of their infection and access lifesaving treatment. However, budget deficits in 2009 led the state to eliminate its supplemental funding for HIV prevention. We analyzed the impact of California’s HIV resource allocation change between 2009 and 2011 (state fiscal years). We found that HIV tests declined from 66,629 to 53,760 (19 percent) in local health jurisdictions with high HIV burden. In low-burden jurisdictions, HIV tests declined from 20,302 to 2,116 (90 percent). New HIV/AIDS diagnoses fell from 2,434 in 2009 to 2,235 in 2011 (calendar years) in high-burden jurisdictions and from 346 to 327 in low-burden ones. California’s budget crunch prompted state and local programs to redirect remaining HIV funds from risk reduction education to testing activities. Thus, the impact of the budget cuts on HIV tests and new HIV diagnoses was smaller than might have been expected given the size of the cuts. As California’s fiscal outlook improves, we recommend that the state restore supplemental funding for HIV prevention and testing. PMID:24590939

Implications for social policy of variability in racial groups.

PubMed

Helms, Janet E

2008-11-01

Social policy and federal and state legislation require the use of single cut scores when tests of cognitive ability, knowledge, or skills (CAKS) are used to make high-stakes assessment decisions, such as whether students or employees may be promoted. Rationales offered for the requirement are that cut scores provide objective standards and are fairer than using subjective criteria, such as racial group membership. It is argued that failure to consider threats to statistical conclusion validity, such as differences in variability between groups, obscures the differential impact of using a common cut score as the basis for highstakes decisions. Analyses of 40 Black and White samples revealed that (a) Whites might be considerably advantaged and Blacks might be considerably disadvantaged by the same cut score and (b) depending on where the cut score is set, decisions based on ratios of numbers of Whites numbers of Blacks might be fairer than use of CAKS test cut scores. Implications for assessment practice and social policy are discussed.

Surface Roughness Model Based on Force Sensors for the Prediction of the Tool Wear

PubMed Central

de Agustina, Beatriz; Rubio, Eva María; Sebastián, Miguel Ángel

2014-01-01

In this study, a methodology has been developed with the objective of evaluating the surface roughness obtained during turning processes by measuring the signals detected by a force sensor under the same cutting conditions. In this way, the surface quality achieved along the process is correlated to several parameters of the cutting forces (thrust forces, feed forces and cutting forces), so the effect that the tool wear causes on the surface roughness is evaluated. In a first step, the best cutting conditions (cutting parameters and radius of tool) for a certain quality surface requirement were found for pieces of UNS A97075. Next, with this selection a model of surface roughness based on the cutting forces was developed for different states of wear that simulate the behaviour of the tool throughout its life. The validation of this model reveals that it was effective for approximately 70% of the surface roughness values obtained. PMID:24714391

Disparity in report of autism-related behaviors by social demographic characteristics: Findings from a community-based study in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Peng-Chou; Harrington, Rebecca A; Lung, For-Wey; Lee, Li-Ching

2017-07-01

The Social Communication Questionnaire is one of the most commonly used screening tools for autism spectrum disorder. The Social Communication Questionnaire is a caregiver-reported questionnaire with 40 items based on questions from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. This study collected Social Communication Questionnaire data from a community-based, multi-stage case identification design epidemiologic study in one socioeconomically disadvantaged county in Taiwan. The Social Communication Questionnaire was distributed to 3034 school children, aged 6-8 years. Item prevalence results indicate males were reported to have more autism-related behaviors than females (higher prevalence on most items), in the whole study sample as well as in children meeting Social Communication Questionnaire clinical cut-offs (⩾15). Children whose biological fathers completed the Social Communication Questionnaire were reported to have more behavioral issues than children whose biological mothers were the respondent. Lower respondent education levels were associated with reports of clinically concerning autism-related behaviors. However, males were not at higher risk of meeting Social Communication Questionnaire clinical cut-offs than females in this study population. Findings from this study help to better understand reporting patterns on children's autism-related behaviors potentially due to social demographic characteristics and child sex, which may lead to improved identification of these behaviors.

Optimizing the Use of the AUDIT for Alcohol Screening in College Students

PubMed Central

DeMartini, Kelly S.; Carey, Kate B.

2013-01-01

The screening and brief intervention (SBI) modality of treatment for at-risk college drinking is becoming increasingly popular. A key to effective implementation is use of validated screening tools. While the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) has been validated in adult samples and is often used with college students, research has not yet established optimal cut-off scores to screen for at-risk drinking. A total of 401 current drinkers completed computerized assessments of demographics, family history of alcohol use disorders, alcohol use history, alcohol-related problems, and general health. Of the 401 drinkers, 207 met criteria for at-risk drinking. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that the AUROC of the AUDIT was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.83-0.90). The AUDIT-C (AUROC = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.86--.92) performed significantly better than the AUDIT in the detection of at-risk drinking in the whole sample, and specifically for females. Gender differences emerged in the optimal cut-off scores for the AUDIT-C. A total score of 7 should be used for males and a score of 5 should be used for females. These empirical guidelines may enhance identification of at-risk drinkers in college settings. PMID:22612646

A new tactile gnosis instrument in sensibility testing.

PubMed

Rosén, B; Lundborg, G

1998-01-01

A new quantitative test instrument for the assessment of tactile gnosis--the ability to identify shapes and textures without vision--is introduced. Introductory investigations of validity and reliability are presented. Fifty-four patients (60 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome, vibration-induced neuropathy, or nerve repair at distal forearm level, and a matched asymptomatic control group were initially examined. After establishing the cut-off limit for normal tactile gnosis, sensitivity and specificity were calculated to determine the discriminative power of the new instrument. A high sensitivity (1.0) of the new shape/texture identification test was found in the group of patients with nerve repair. Given a cut-off limit, the sensitivity was lower in the groups with vibration-induced neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome (0.65 and 0.40, respectively), and the specificity of the test was 0.90 to 0.95. In a second step, a group of 52 patients who had had nerve repair at the distal forearm level were examined. Test-retest reliability was good, with a weighted kappa value of 0.79 to 0.81. Good reliability was also shown in the internal consistency of test items, with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.78. These introductory results indicate that the new shape/texture identification test can be useful in the assessment of tactile gnosis.

Cutting Red Tape: Overcoming State Bureaucracies to Develop High-Performing State Education Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanna, Robert; Morrow, Jeffrey S.; Rozen, Marci

2014-01-01

States serve a special role in the nation's public education system. Through elected legislatures, states have endowed their various state departments of education with powers over public education, which include granting authority to local entities--typically school districts--to run schools. In their oversight capacity, states--traditionally…

Conceptual models of the formation of acid-rock drainage at road cuts in Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, Michael W.; Worland, Scott; Byl, Tom

2015-01-01

Pyrite and other minerals containing sulfur and trace metals occur in several rock formations throughout Middle and East Tennessee. Pyrite (FeS2) weathers in the presence of oxygen and water to form iron hydroxides and sulfuric acid. The weathering and interaction of the acid on the rocks and other minerals at road cuts can result in drainage with low pH (< 4) and high concentrations of trace metals. Acid-rock drainage can cause environmental problems and damage transportation infrastructure. The formation and remediation of acid-drainage from roads cuts has not been researched as thoroughly as acid-mine drainage. The U.S Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, is conducting an investigation to better understand the geologic, hydrologic, and biogeochemical factors that control acid formation at road cuts. Road cuts with the potential for acid-rock drainage were identifed and evaluated in Middle and East Tennessee. The pyrite-bearing formations evaluated were the Chattanooga Shale (Devonian black shale), the Fentress Formation (coal-bearing), and the Precambrian Anakeesta Formation and similar Precambrian rocks. Conceptual models of the formation and transport of acid-rock drainage (ARD) from road cuts were developed based on the results of a literature review, site reconnaissance, and the initial rock and water sampling. The formation of ARD requires a combination of hydrologic, geochemical, and microbial interactions which affect drainage from the site, acidity of the water, and trace metal concentrations. The basic modes of ARD formation from road cuts are; 1 - seeps and springs from pyrite-bearing formations and 2 - runoff over the face of a road cut in a pyrite-bearing formation. Depending on site conditions at road cuts, the basic modes of ARD formation can be altered and the additional modes of ARD formation are; 3 - runoff over and through piles of pyrite-bearing material, either from construction or breakdown material weathered from shale, and 4 - the deposition of secondary-sulfate minerals can store trace metals and, during rainfall, result in increased acidity and higher concentrations of trace metals in storm runoff. Understanding the factors that control ARD formation and transport are key to addressing the problems associated with the movement of ARD from the road cuts to the environment. The investigation will provide the Tennessee Department of Transportation with a regional characterization of ARD and provide insights into the geochemical and biochemical attributes for the control and remediation of ARD from road cuts.

Criminal Prohibition of Wrongful Re‑identification: Legal Solution or Minefield for Big Data?

PubMed

Phillips, Mark; Dove, Edward S; Knoppers, Bartha M

2017-12-01

The collapse of confidence in anonymization (sometimes also known as de-identification) as a robust approach for preserving the privacy of personal data has incited an outpouring of new approaches that aim to fill the resulting trifecta of technical, organizational, and regulatory privacy gaps left in its wake. In the latter category, and in large part due to the growth of Big Data-driven biomedical research, falls a growing chorus of calls for criminal and penal offences to sanction wrongful re-identification of "anonymized" data. This chorus cuts across the fault lines of polarized privacy law scholarship that at times seems to advocate privacy protection at the expense of Big Data research or vice versa. Focusing on Big Data in the context of biomedicine, this article surveys the approaches that criminal or penal law might take toward wrongful re-identification of health data. It contextualizes the strategies within their respective legal regimes as well as in relation to emerging privacy debates focusing on personal data use and data linkage and assesses the relative merit of criminalization. We conclude that this approach suffers from several flaws and that alternative social and legal strategies to deter wrongful re-identification may be preferable.

20 CFR 404.1220 - Identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Identification numbers. 404.1220 Section 404... § 404.1220 Identification numbers. (a) State and local governments. When a State submits a modification... will assign a special identification number to each political subdivision included in that modification...

20 CFR 404.1220 - Identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Identification numbers. 404.1220 Section 404... § 404.1220 Identification numbers. (a) State and local governments. When a State submits a modification... will assign a special identification number to each political subdivision included in that modification...

20 CFR 404.1220 - Identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Identification numbers. 404.1220 Section 404... § 404.1220 Identification numbers. (a) State and local governments. When a State submits a modification... will assign a special identification number to each political subdivision included in that modification...

20 CFR 404.1220 - Identification numbers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Identification numbers. 404.1220 Section 404... § 404.1220 Identification numbers. (a) State and local governments. When a State submits a modification... will assign a special identification number to each political subdivision included in that modification...

Information Commons Features Cutting-Edge Conservation and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilroy, Marilyn

2011-01-01

This article features Richard J. Klarchek Information Commons (IC) at Loyola University Chicago, an all-glass library building on the shore of Chicago's Lake Michigan that is not only a state-of-the-art digital research library and study space--it also runs on cutting-edge energy technology. The building has attracted attention and visitors from…

Teacher Education Budget Cuts in Romania and the US: Points of Contrast and Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ives, B.; Alama, M.; Mosora, C. L.

2013-01-01

Background: Budgets for teacher education programmes have been substantially reduced as a result of the global economic crisis. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the teacher education budget cutting processes and procedures for universities in Romania versus one university in the United States. Sample: The data were collected from…

Employment Handbook for Fighting Counterinsurgencies: A Toolkit for How to Build Rapport, Create Jobs, and Work towards a Viable State

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-01

term projects • Nothing Medium term projects(establish co-ops) • Cut hair • Sewing o Embroidery o Clothes • Food production o Preserves...Projects for women Sewing • Embroidery • Clothes Cut hair Food preserves Cultural items (Rory Stewart) • Jewelry • Clothes • Rugs

Technical Report on Occupations in Numerically Controlled Metal-Cutting Machining.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manpower Administration (DOL), Washington, DC. U.S. Employment Service.

At the present time, only 5 percent of the short-run metal-cutting machining in the United States is done by numerically controlled machined tools, but within the next decade it is expected to increase by 50 percent. Numerically controlled machines use taped data which is changed into instructions and directs the machine to do certain steps…

9 CFR 94.27 - Importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... beef from Japan. 94.27 Section 94.27 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION... IMPORTATIONS § 94.27 Importation of whole cuts of boneless beef from Japan. Notwithstanding any other... slaughtered in Japan may be imported into the United States under the following conditions: (a) The beef is...

Long-term management impacts on carbon storage in Lake States forests

Treesearch

Matthew Powers; Randall Kolka; Brian Palik; Rachel McDonald; Martin Jurgensen

2011-01-01

We examined carbon storage following 50+ years of forest management in two long-term silvicultural studies in red pine and northern hardwood ecosystems of North America’s Great Lakes region. The studies contrasted various thinning intensities (red pine) or selection cuttings, shelterwoods, and diameter-limit cuttings (northern hardwoods) to unmanaged controls of...

Children's Programs in an Era of Scarce Resources [Chapter Five].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Horn, Carl E.; And Others

This analysis is the fifth of a series of seven reports on the ways that the urban fiscal crisis has affected children. Children's services in New Jersey have not suffered unduly from recent Federal budget cuts, but the combination of depressed revenues, continuing inflation, state aid reductions and Federal budget cuts have had a negative…

Developing Local Oral Reading Fluency Cut Scores for Predicting High-Stakes Test Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grapin, Sally L.; Kranzler, John H.; Waldron, Nancy; Joyce-Beaulieu, Diana; Algina, James

2017-01-01

This study evaluated the classification accuracy of a second grade oral reading fluency curriculum-based measure (R-CBM) in predicting third grade state test performance. It also compared the long-term classification accuracy of local and publisher-recommended R-CBM cut scores. Participants were 266 students who were divided into a calibration…

Historical perspective on diameter-limit cutting in northeastern forests

Treesearch

Matthew J. Kelty; Anthony W. D' Amato; Anthony W. D' Amato

2006-01-01

The use of diameter-limit cutting and high-grading is currently a concern for long-term sustainability of forests in the Northeastern United States and surrounding areas. This paper reviews historical information about the kinds of harvesting used in this region from 1620 to 1950, to provide a context for current discussions. Throughout this period, most timber...

Consequences of 1983-84 Budget Cuts for California Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayward, Gerald C.

This report from the Chancellor to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges highlights the consequences of 1983-84 budget cuts for the state's community colleges. First, the projected effects of the Governor's veto of $232 million in community college funding are outlined, i.e., a 12% decline in real buying power for the…

Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to Screen for Depression in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

PubMed Central

Julian, Laura J.; Gregorich, Steven E.; Tonner, Chris; Yazdany, Jinoos; Trupin, Laura; Criswell, Lindsey A.; Yelin, ED; Katz, Patricia P.

2013-01-01

Objective Identifying persons with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at risk for depression would facilitate the identification and treatment of an important comorbidity conferring additional risk for poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of a brief screening measure, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), in detecting mood disorders in persons with SLE. Methods This cross-sectional study examined 150 persons with SLE. Screening cut points were empirically derived using threshold selection methods, and receiver operating characteristic curves were estimated. The empirically derived cut points of the CES-D were used as the screening measures and were compared to other commonly used CES-D cut points in addition to other commonly used methods to screen for depression. Diagnoses of major depressive disorder or other mood disorders were determined using a “gold standard” structured clinical interview. Results Of the 150 persons with SLE, 26% of subjects met criteria for any mood disorder and 17% met criteria for major depressive disorder. Optimal threshold estimations suggested a CES-D cut score of 24 and above, which yielded adequate sensitivity and specificity in detecting major depressive disorder (88% and 93%, respectively) and correctly classified 92% of participants. To detect the presence of any mood disorder, a cut score of 20 and above was suggested, yielding sensitivity and specificity of 87% and correctly classifying 87%. Conclusion These results suggest the CES-D may be a useful screening measure to identify patients at risk for depression. PMID:21312347

Vegetation response to western juniper slash treatments.

PubMed

O'Connor, Casey; Miller, Rick; Bates, Jonathan D

2013-09-01

The expansion of piñon-juniper woodlands the past 100 years in the western United States has resulted in large scale efforts to kill trees and recover sagebrush steppe rangelands. It is important to evaluate vegetation recovery following woodland control to develop best management practices. In this study, we compared two fuel reduction treatments and a cut-and-leave (CUT) treatment used to control western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis spp. occidentalis Hook.) of the northwestern United States. Treatments were; CUT, cut-and-broadcast burn (BURN), and cut-pile-and-burn the pile (PILE). A randomized complete block design was used with five replicates of each treatment located in a curl leaf mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray)/mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle)/Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis Elmer) association. In 2010, 4 years after tree control the cover of perennial grasses (PG) [Sandberg's bluegrass (Poa secunda J. Pres) and large bunchgrasses] were about 4 and 5 % less, respectively, in the BURN (7.1 ± 0.6 %) than the PILE (11.4 ± 2.3 %) and CUT (12.4 ± 1.7 %) treatments (P < 0.0015). In 2010, cover of invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) was greater in the BURN (6.3 ± 1.0 %) and was 50 and 100 % greater than PILE and CUT treatments, respectively. However, the increase in perennial bunchgrass density and cover, despite cheatgrass in the BURN treatment, mean it unlikely that cheatgrass will persist as a major understory component. In the CUT treatment mahogany cover increased 12.5 % and density increased in from 172 ± 25 to 404 ± 123 trees/ha. Burning, killed most or all of the adult mahogany, and mahogany recovery consisted of 100 and 67 % seedlings in the PILE and BURN treatments, respectively. After treatment, juniper presence from untreated small trees (<1 m tall; PILE and CUT treatments) and seedling emergence (all treatments) represented 25-33 % of pre-treatment tree density. To maintain recovery of herbaceous, shrub, and mahogany species additional control of reestablished juniper will be necessary.

Vegetation Response to Western Juniper Slash Treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Connor, Casey; Miller, Rick; Bates, Jonathan D.

2013-09-01

The expansion of piñon-juniper woodlands the past 100 years in the western United States has resulted in large scale efforts to kill trees and recover sagebrush steppe rangelands. It is important to evaluate vegetation recovery following woodland control to develop best management practices. In this study, we compared two fuel reduction treatments and a cut-and-leave (CUT) treatment used to control western juniper ( Juniperus occidentalis spp. occidentalis Hook.) of the northwestern United States. Treatments were; CUT, cut-and-broadcast burn (BURN), and cut-pile-and-burn the pile (PILE). A randomized complete block design was used with five replicates of each treatment located in a curl leaf mahogany ( Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray)/mountain big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle)/Idaho fescue ( Festuca idahoensis Elmer) association. In 2010, 4 years after tree control the cover of perennial grasses (PG) [Sandberg's bluegrass ( Poa secunda J. Pres) and large bunchgrasses] were about 4 and 5 % less, respectively, in the BURN (7.1 ± 0.6 %) than the PILE (11.4 ± 2.3 %) and CUT (12.4 ± 1.7 %) treatments ( P < 0.0015). In 2010, cover of invasive cheatgrass ( Bromus tectorum L.) was greater in the BURN (6.3 ± 1.0 %) and was 50 and 100 % greater than PILE and CUT treatments, respectively. However, the increase in perennial bunchgrass density and cover, despite cheatgrass in the BURN treatment, mean it unlikely that cheatgrass will persist as a major understory component. In the CUT treatment mahogany cover increased 12.5 % and density increased in from 172 ± 25 to 404 ± 123 trees/ha. Burning, killed most or all of the adult mahogany, and mahogany recovery consisted of 100 and 67 % seedlings in the PILE and BURN treatments, respectively. After treatment, juniper presence from untreated small trees (<1 m tall; PILE and CUT treatments) and seedling emergence (all treatments) represented 25-33 % of pre-treatment tree density. To maintain recovery of herbaceous, shrub, and mahogany species additional control of reestablished juniper will be necessary.

9 CFR 55.25 - Animal identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CWD National Database or in an approved State database. The second animal identification must be... CWD National Database or in an approved State database. The means of animal identification must be...

9 CFR 55.25 - Animal identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CWD National Database or in an approved State database. The second animal identification must be... CWD National Database or in an approved State database. The means of animal identification must be...

Multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation using an automatic multimodal graph cuts.

PubMed

García-Lorenzo, Daniel; Lecoeur, Jeremy; Arnold, Douglas L; Collins, D Louis; Barillot, Christian

2009-01-01

Graph Cuts have been shown as a powerful interactive segmentation technique in several medical domains. We propose to automate the Graph Cuts in order to automatically segment Multiple Sclerosis (MS) lesions in MRI. We replace the manual interaction with a robust EM-based approach in order to discriminate between MS lesions and the Normal Appearing Brain Tissues (NABT). Evaluation is performed in synthetic and real images showing good agreement between the automatic segmentation and the target segmentation. We compare our algorithm with the state of the art techniques and with several manual segmentations. An advantage of our algorithm over previously published ones is the possibility to semi-automatically improve the segmentation due to the Graph Cuts interactive feature.

Tool Wear Monitoring Using Time Series Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Dong Yeul; Ohara, Yasuhiro; Tamaki, Haruo; Suga, Masanobu

A tool wear monitoring approach considering the nonlinear behavior of cutting mechanism caused by tool wear and/or localized chipping is proposed, and its effectiveness is verified through the cutting experiment and actual turning machining. Moreover, the variation in the surface roughness of the machined workpiece is also discussed using this approach. In this approach, the residual error between the actually measured vibration signal and the estimated signal obtained from the time series model corresponding to dynamic model of cutting is introduced as the feature of diagnosis. Consequently, it is found that the early tool wear state (i.e. flank wear under 40µm) can be monitored, and also the optimal tool exchange time and the tool wear state for actual turning machining can be judged by this change in the residual error. Moreover, the variation of surface roughness Pz in the range of 3 to 8µm can be estimated by the monitoring of the residual error.

Development of flank wear model of cutting tool by using adaptive feedback linear control system on machining AISI D2 steel and AISI 4340 steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orra, Kashfull; Choudhury, Sounak K.

2016-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to build an adaptive feedback linear control system to check the variation of cutting force signal to improve the tool life. The paper discusses the use of transfer function approach in improving the mathematical modelling and adaptively controlling the process dynamics of the turning operation. The experimental results shows to be in agreement with the simulation model and error obtained is less than 3%. The state space approach model used in this paper successfully check the adequacy of the control system through controllability and observability test matrix and can be transferred from one state to another by appropriate input control in a finite time. The proposed system can be implemented to other machining process under varying range of cutting conditions to improve the efficiency and observability of the system.

CPU-GPU mixed implementation of virtual node method for real-time interactive cutting of deformable objects using OpenCL.

PubMed

Jia, Shiyu; Zhang, Weizhong; Yu, Xiaokang; Pan, Zhenkuan

2015-09-01

Surgical simulators need to simulate interactive cutting of deformable objects in real time. The goal of this work was to design an interactive cutting algorithm that eliminates traditional cutting state classification and can work simultaneously with real-time GPU-accelerated deformation without affecting its numerical stability. A modified virtual node method for cutting is proposed. Deformable object is modeled as a real tetrahedral mesh embedded in a virtual tetrahedral mesh, and the former is used for graphics rendering and collision, while the latter is used for deformation. Cutting algorithm first subdivides real tetrahedrons to eliminate all face and edge intersections, then splits faces, edges and vertices along cutting tool trajectory to form cut surfaces. Next virtual tetrahedrons containing more than one connected real tetrahedral fragments are duplicated, and connectivity between virtual tetrahedrons is updated. Finally, embedding relationship between real and virtual tetrahedral meshes is updated. Co-rotational linear finite element method is used for deformation. Cutting and collision are processed by CPU, while deformation is carried out by GPU using OpenCL. Efficiency of GPU-accelerated deformation algorithm was tested using block models with varying numbers of tetrahedrons. Effectiveness of our cutting algorithm under multiple cuts and self-intersecting cuts was tested using a block model and a cylinder model. Cutting of a more complex liver model was performed, and detailed performance characteristics of cutting, deformation and collision were measured and analyzed. Our cutting algorithm can produce continuous cut surfaces when traditional minimal element creation algorithm fails. Our GPU-accelerated deformation algorithm remains stable with constant time step under multiple arbitrary cuts and works on both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. GPU-CPU speed ratio can be as high as 10 for models with 80,000 tetrahedrons. Forty to sixty percent real-time performance and 100-200 Hz simulation rate are achieved for the liver model with 3,101 tetrahedrons. Major bottlenecks for simulation efficiency are cutting, collision processing and CPU-GPU data transfer. Future work needs to improve on these areas.

Graph-cut based discrete-valued image reconstruction.

PubMed

Tuysuzoglu, Ahmet; Karl, W Clem; Stojanovic, Ivana; Castañòn, David; Ünlü, M Selim

2015-05-01

Efficient graph-cut methods have been used with great success for labeling and denoising problems occurring in computer vision. Unfortunately, the presence of linear image mappings has prevented the use of these techniques in most discrete-amplitude image reconstruction problems. In this paper, we develop a graph-cut based framework for the direct solution of discrete amplitude linear image reconstruction problems cast as regularized energy function minimizations. We first analyze the structure of discrete linear inverse problem cost functions to show that the obstacle to the application of graph-cut methods to their solution is the variable mixing caused by the presence of the linear sensing operator. We then propose to use a surrogate energy functional that overcomes the challenges imposed by the sensing operator yet can be utilized efficiently in existing graph-cut frameworks. We use this surrogate energy functional to devise a monotonic iterative algorithm for the solution of discrete valued inverse problems. We first provide experiments using local convolutional operators and show the robustness of the proposed technique to noise and stability to changes in regularization parameter. Then we focus on nonlocal, tomographic examples where we consider limited-angle data problems. We compare our technique with state-of-the-art discrete and continuous image reconstruction techniques. Experiments show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in challenging scenarios involving discrete valued unknowns.

A prospective clinical study to evaluate the safety and performance of wireless localization of nonpalpable breast lesions using radiofrequency identification technology.

PubMed

Dauphine, Christine; Reicher, Joshua J; Reicher, Murray A; Gondusky, Christina; Khalkhali, Iraj; Kim, Michelle

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and performance of localizing nonpalpable breast lesions using radiofrequency identification technology. Twenty consecutive women requiring preoperative localization of a breast lesion were recruited. Subjects underwent placement of both a hook wire and a radiofrequency identification tag immediately before surgery. The radiofrequency identification tag was the primary method used by the operating surgeon to localize each lesion during excision, with the hook wire serving as backup in case of tag migration or failed localization. Successful localization with removal of the intended lesion was the primary outcome measured. Tag migration and postoperative infection were also noted to assess safety. Twenty patients underwent placement of a radiofrequency identification tag, 12 under ultrasound guidance and eight with stereotactic guidance. In all cases, the radiofrequency identification tag was successfully localized by the reader at the level of the skin before incision, and the intended lesion was removed along with the radiofrequency identification tag. There were no localization failures and no postoperative infections. Tag migration did not occur before incision, but in three cases, occurred as the lesion was being retracted with fingers to make the final cut along the deep surface of the specimen. In this initial clinical study, radiofrequency tags were safe and able to successfully localize nonpalpable breast lesions. Radiofrequency identification technology may represent an alternative method to hook wire localization.

State Colleges Seeking More Out-of-State, International Students amid Fiscal Crunch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Helen

2011-01-01

Faced with budget cuts, some cash-strapped state universities are stepping up their recruitment of higher paying out-of-state undergraduates, a move that critics say is unfair to the states' residents and could affect in-state minority applicants. The University of California system and the University of Washington in Seattle have openly declared…

49 CFR 602.15 - Grant requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... either State or locally adopted building codes or standards, the higher of the competing minimums would... title 49, United States Code, as well as cross-cutting requirements, including but not limited to those...

49 CFR 602.15 - Grant requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... either State or locally adopted building codes or standards, the higher of the competing minimums would... title 49, United States Code, as well as cross-cutting requirements, including but not limited to those...

Early Identification of Infants and Toddlers with Deafblindness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthony, Tanni L.

2016-01-01

Data from the 2014 National Center on Deaf-Blindness Count show that fewer than 100 infants and toddlers are currently identified with deafblindness across the United States and that identification rates for this population vary greatly from state to state. The author presents a key rationale for timely and accurate identification of early-onset…

Defense Acquisition Workforce: Better Identification, Development, and Oversight Needed for Personnel Involved in Acquiring Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway...maintenance or operations support for a missile range to grass cutting, and many things in between. According to the Defense Science Board, buying...may be found on the last Belva M. Martin page of this report. Staff acknowledgements are listed in appendix VII. t Director, Acquisition and

Economic Stimulus: Issues and Policies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-27

entered a recession. To date, financial markets remain volatile, new losses have been announced at major financial institutions , and responses outside...states, middle class tax cuts, and business tax cuts. Also in 2008 and 2009, the government intervened in specific financial markets by providing...broad intervention into the financial markets was passed to avoid the spread of financial instability into the broader market ; but there are

Economic Stimulus: Issues and Policies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-09

financial markets remain volatile, new losses have been announced at major financial institutions , and responses outside traditional monetary policy have...states, middle class tax cuts, and business tax cuts. Also in 2008 and 2009, the government intervened in specific financial markets by providing...broad intervention into the financial markets was passed to avoid the spread of financial instability; but there are disadvantages, including leaving

Hybrid poplar planting in the Lake States

Treesearch

Paul O. Rudolf

1948-01-01

Poplars are among our fastest growing trees. Many of them are also relatively easy to grow from cuttings and to hybridize by means of cut flower-bearing twigs. Their wood is in demand for pulpwood, veneer for match and crate production, boxboards, and other uses. For these reasons there has been interest in many countries in selecting and breeding poplars. The tree...

19 CFR 10.5 - Shooks and staves; cloth boards; port director's account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) Shooks and staves produced in the United States and returned in the form of complete boxes or barrels in... country are ready to be assembled into boxes or barrels without further cutting to size; except that box shooks may be exported in double lengths and cut abroad. The number of boxes made from such shooks which...

19 CFR 10.5 - Shooks and staves; cloth boards; port director's account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) Shooks and staves produced in the United States and returned in the form of complete boxes or barrels in... country are ready to be assembled into boxes or barrels without further cutting to size; except that box shooks may be exported in double lengths and cut abroad. The number of boxes made from such shooks which...

19 CFR 10.5 - Shooks and staves; cloth boards; port director's account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) Shooks and staves produced in the United States and returned in the form of complete boxes or barrels in... country are ready to be assembled into boxes or barrels without further cutting to size; except that box shooks may be exported in double lengths and cut abroad. The number of boxes made from such shooks which...

19 CFR 10.5 - Shooks and staves; cloth boards; port director's account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Shooks and staves produced in the United States and returned in the form of complete boxes or barrels in... country are ready to be assembled into boxes or barrels without further cutting to size; except that box shooks may be exported in double lengths and cut abroad. The number of boxes made from such shooks which...

19 CFR 10.5 - Shooks and staves; cloth boards; port director's account.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) Shooks and staves produced in the United States and returned in the form of complete boxes or barrels in... country are ready to be assembled into boxes or barrels without further cutting to size; except that box shooks may be exported in double lengths and cut abroad. The number of boxes made from such shooks which...

1955 Pulpwood production in the south

Treesearch

James W. Cruikshank; J.F. McCormack

1956-01-01

Another record high was established in pulpwood production by southern states during 1955. The total harvest amounted to 18,014,600 cords, an increase of 1,745,000 cords, or 10.7 percent, over production in 1954. The sharp upward trend of production in the South is especially apparent when compared with earlier years. The 1955 cut was about double the amount cut in...

Longer black willow cuttings result in better initial height and diameter growth in biomass plantations

Treesearch

Jake C. Camp; Randall J. Rousseau; Emile S. Gardiner

2012-01-01

Black willow (Salix nigra Marsh.) has the potential to be a viable plantation species for biomass production on heavy clay soils throughout the southern United States. The most favorable planting stock for woody biomass plantations is dormant unrooted cuttings, because they are easy to plant and use of clonal material allows for advancing genetic...

Cross-Validation of easyCBM Reading Cut Scores in Washington: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1109

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, P. Shawn; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Washington state. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 900 students per grade, randomly split into two…

Gas Tungsten Arc Welding and Plasma Arc Cutting. Teacher Edition [and] Student Edition [and] Student Workbook. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Eddie; Knapp, John

This packet of instructional materials for a gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and plasma arc cutting course is comprised of a teacher edition, student edition, and student workbook. The teacher edition consists of introductory pages and teacher pages. Introductory pages include training and competency profile, state duty/task crosswalk,…

Engaging landowners effectively: creating a Call Before You Cut campaign in the central hardwoods region

Treesearch

Mary L. Tyrrell; David Apsley; Purnima Chawla; Brett Butler

2013-01-01

Social marketing tools and approaches were used to develop a Call Before You Cut campaign for six states in the Central Hardwoods Region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia). The campaign was developed from research on landowner values, objectives, and behavior, based on National Woodland Owner Survey data and landowner focus groups, and discussions...

Optimized Co-Processing of Algae Bio-Crude through a Petroleum Refinery

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

Saydah, Ben; Behnke, Craig

2014-03-14

A middle distillate algal oil blend and red diesel algal oil blend from Sapphire Energy, Inc. were hydrotreated and distilled. The middle distillate feedstock blend was 8.0 wt.% biocrude and 92.0 wt.% middle distillate. The red diesel feedstock blend was 12.6 wt.% biocrude and 87.4 wt.% red diesel. During steady state, 151.4 kilograms of hydrotreated middle distillate/algal oil blend product was collected. During steady state, 312.6 kilograms of red diesel/algal oil blend hydrotreated product was collected. From the liquid product of the hydrotreated middle distillate/algal oil blend, 9.75 wt.% of the jet fuel cut is estimated to be from themore » algal oil. From the liquid product of the hydrotreated red diesel/algal oil blend, 11.3 wt.% of the diesel cut is estimated to be from the algal oil. The jet fuel cut of the middle distillate algal oil blend hydrotreated liquid product was analyzed using ASTM D1655, Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels. The diesel cut of the red diesel algal oil blend hydrotreated liquid product was analyzed using ASTM D975, Standard Specification for Diesel Fuel Oils.« less

The physics of symbols: bridging the epistemic cut.

PubMed

Pattee, H H

2001-01-01

Evolution requires the genotype-phenotype distinction, a primeval epistemic cut that separates energy-degenerate, rate-independent genetic symbols from the rate-dependent dynamics of construction that they control. This symbol-matter or subject-object distinction occurs at all higher levels where symbols are related to a referent by an arbitrary code. The converse of control is measurement in which a rate-dependent dynamical state is coded into quiescent symbols. Non-integrable constraints are one necessary condition for bridging the epistemic cut by measurement, control, and coding. Additional properties of heteropolymer constraints are necessary for biological evolution.

Crystal Orientation Effect on the Subsurface Deformation of Monocrystalline Germanium in Nanometric Cutting.

PubMed

Lai, Min; Zhang, Xiaodong; Fang, Fengzhou

2017-12-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanometric cutting on monocrystalline germanium are conducted to investigate the subsurface deformation during and after nanometric cutting. The continuous random network model of amorphous germanium is established by molecular dynamics simulation, and its characteristic parameters are extracted to compare with those of the machined deformed layer. The coordination number distribution and radial distribution function (RDF) show that the machined surface presents the similar amorphous state. The anisotropic subsurface deformation is studied by nanometric cutting on the (010), (101), and (111) crystal planes of germanium, respectively. The deformed structures are prone to extend along the 110 slip system, which leads to the difference in the shape and thickness of the deformed layer on various directions and crystal planes. On machined surface, the greater thickness of subsurface deformed layer induces the greater surface recovery height. In order to get the critical thickness limit of deformed layer on machined surface of germanium, the optimized cutting direction on each crystal plane is suggested according to the relevance of the nanometric cutting to the nanoindentation.

Latent class analysis of the diagnostic characteristics of PCR and conventional bacteriological culture in diagnosing intramammary infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus in dairy cows at dry off

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common causes of intramammary infections in dairy cows at dry off. Reliable identification is important for disease management on herd level and for antimicrobial treatment of infected animals. Our objective was to evaluate the test characteristics of PathoProof ™ Mastitis PCR Assay and bacteriological culture (BC) in diagnosing bovine intramammary infections caused by S. aureus at dry off at different PCR cycle threshold (Ct)-value cut-offs. Methods Sterile quarter samples and non-sterile composite samples from 140 animals in seven herds were collected in connection with the dairy herd improvement (DHI) milk recording. All quarter samples were analyzed using BC whereas all composite samples were analyzed with PathoProof ™ Mastitis PCR Assay. Latent class analysis was used to estimate test properties for PCR and BC in the absence of a perfect reference test. The population was divided into two geographically divided subpopulations and the Hui-Walter 2-test 2-populations model applied to estimate Se, Sp for the two tests, and prevalence for the two subpopulations. Results The Se for PCR increased with increasing Ct-value cut-off, accompanied by a small decrease in Sp. For BC the Se decreased and Sp increased with increasing Ct-value cut-off. Most optimal test estimates for the real-time PCR assay were at a Ct-value cut-off of 37; 0.93 [95% posterior probability interval (PPI) 0.60-0.99] for Se and 0.95 [95% PPI 0.95-0.99] for Sp. At the same Ct-value cut-off, Se and Sp for BC were 0.83 [95% PPI 0.66-0.99] and 0.97 [95% PPI 0.91-0.99] respectively. Depending on the chosen PCR Ct-value cut-off, the prevalence in the subpopulations varied; the prevalence increased with increasing PCR Ct-value cut-offs. Conclusion Neither BC nor real-time PCR is a perfect test in detecting IMI in dairy cows at dry off. The changes in sensitivity and prevalence at different Ct-value cut-offs for both PCR and BC may indicate a change in the underlying disease definition. At low PCR Ct-value cut-offs the underlying disease definition may be a truly/heavily infected cow, whereas at higher PCR Ct-value cut-offs the disease definition may be a S. aureus positive cow. PMID:23164432

System Identification of a Vortex Lattice Aerodynamic Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, Jer-Nan; Kholodar, Denis; Dowell, Earl H.

2001-01-01

The state-space presentation of an aerodynamic vortex model is considered from a classical and system identification perspective. Using an aerodynamic vortex model as a numerical simulator of a wing tunnel experiment, both full state and limited state data or measurements are considered. Two possible approaches for system identification are presented and modal controllability and observability are also considered. The theory then is applied to the system identification of a flow over an aerodynamic delta wing and typical results are presented.

UTILITY OF A SINGLE LATE-NIGHT PLASMA CORTISOL AND ACTH FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF CUSHING SYNDROME.

PubMed

Jarial, Kush Dev Singh; Bhansali, Anil; Mukherjee, Kanchan K; Pal, Rimesh; Sharma, Akhilesh; Vashishtha, Rakesh K; Sukumar, Suja P; Sachdeva, Naresh; Walia, Rama

2018-02-01

To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of various screening tests for the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome (CS). Thirty-five patients with CS and 16 patients of pseudo-CS were enrolled. Assessment of 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC), late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC), overnight dexamethasone suppression test (ONDST), late-night plasma cortisol (LNPC), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) on outpatient basis, and during sleep as well as in awake state after 48 hours of hospital admission. We found that 24-h UFC performed the best among the screening tests with sensitivity, specificity and areas under the curve (AUCs) of 96.0%, 99%, and 0.988, respectively, at a cut-off of 144.6 μg/24 h. A cut-off of 10.5 nmol/L for LNSC had sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 88.2%, and an AUC of 0.897. A cut-off of 412.4 nmol/L for LNPC on outpatient basis had sensitivity 88.2%, specificity 91.2%, and an AUC of 0.957. Cut-offs of 215 and 243.3 nmol/L for LNPC during sleep and awake states after acclimatization had sensitivity, specificity, and an AUC of 94.1%, 88.2%, and 0.958, respectively. An ONDST cut-off of 94.6 nmol/L provided sensitivity, specificity, and an AUC of 96.0%, 99.03% and 0.995, respectively. A cut-off of 30.3 pg/mL for late-night ACTH on outpatient basis had sensitivity 67.6%, specificity 99.9%, and an AUC 0.796.A cut-off of 22.6 pg/mL for ACTH during sleep state after acclimatization had sensitivity, specificity, and an AUC of 73.5%, 99.2%, and 0.827, respectively. UFC is the best screening test for CS. Furthermore, single measurements of LNPC and ACTH help to establish the diagnosis and ACTH dependency of CS in the majority of patients with CS. ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone AUC = area under the curve CRH = corticotropin-releasing hormone CS = Cushing syndrome ECLIA = electrochemiluminescence immuno-assay LDDST = low-dose dexamethasone suppression test LNPC = late-night plasma cortisol LNSC = late-night salivary cortisol ONDST = overnight dexamethasone suppression test RIA = radio-immuno assay UFC = urinary free cortisol.

New Rule on Spending by States Lacks Teeth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2009-01-01

A new federal requirement that states provide consistent spending for higher education may not yet have much effect. As state budgets sour and colleges brace for cuts, only one state seems likely to have run afoul of the new rules this year, according to a "Chronicle" analysis of available data on state higher-education spending. Under…

Publications - GMC 193 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

Surveys Skip to content State of Alaska myAlaska My Government Resident Business in Alaska Visiting Alaska State Employees DGGS State of Alaska search Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical materials: Alaska State F #1, washed cuttings (13,980' - 13,990'); West Mikkelsen State #1, Canning River

Igneous Sheet Intrusions as a Record of Paleostress States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, T. L.; Walker, R. J.; Healy, D.; Bubeck, A.; England, R. W.; McCaffrey, K. J. W.

2017-12-01

The architecture of igneous sheet intrusion networks provides useful constraints on paleostress during emplacement. Several models for sill emplacement have used the close spatial relationships between sills and dikes in layered (sedimentary) host rocks to propose that dike-sill transitions are driven by layering. Such models require a stress rotation - from horizontal extension for dikes, to horizontal compression for sills - which is assumed to reflect a near-hydrostatic stress state, facilitating the dilation and intrusion of pre-existing structures (e.g. faults, joints, and bedding). Here, we present case examples of sills for which layering is not the main control on emplacement: Isle of Mull (UK), Faroe Islands (European Atlantic margin) and the San Rafael Subvolcanic Field (Utah, USA). In each case, dikes cut, or are cut by, sills; indicating that dikes were not the feeders to sills in the same section. The sills consist of linked, flat and shallowly-dipping segments that always show near-vertical opening directions. Sills cut bedding and formation contacts with consistent low-angle dips, and cut or abut against vertical faults, fractures, and tectonic foliations. From this, we infer that magma pressure during emplacement did not exceed the horizontal stress. To constrain the stress state during emplacement we present a novel approach that combines analysis of local and overall sill geometry data with mechanical models for slip tendency, dilation tendency, and fracture susceptibility. We also present a new depth-independent mechanical model, which estimates paleostress ratio and driving fluid pressure ratio using the opening angles of dilated fluid-filled fractures. Our results show that the studied sills record previously unrecognised local fluctuations in the far-field stress state, during magmatic supply. Sills, therefore, present an important tool for determining paleostress in areas where few brittle deformation structures (e.g. faults), other than intrusions, are present.

Application of on-line and off-line heart-cutting LC in determination of secondary metabolites from the flowers of Lonicera caerulea cultivar varieties.

PubMed

Kula, Marta; Głód, Daniel; Krauze-Baranowska, Mirosława

2016-11-30

Lonicera caerulea is a shrub native to the Northen Hemisphere, with its fruits having a long tradition of being used in traditional medicine. The flowers, although a potential source of diverse phenolic compounds have not been studied in terms of phenolic content. In this paper, a 2D LC heart-cutting system, operating in both on-line and off-line modes, was developed and successfully employed in identification and quantification of secondary metabolites in the flowers of L. caerulea. A total of 51 compounds have been resolved and identified as either flavonoids, phenolic acids or iridoids. Flavonoids were the dominating group of compounds, alongside substantial levels of both phenolic acids and iridoids. A comparison between three varieties of L. caerulea flowers revealed that 'Wojtek' contained markedly more flavonols and phenolic acids than the remaining two varieties, whereas iridoids were at similar levels. Heart-cutting 2D LC method used in this study offers a convenient approach and an effective tool for secondary metabolite analysis in L. caerulea flowers, and possibly other species from the genus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thomas Edison State College and Colorado State University: Using Cutting-Edge Technology to Enhance CE Unit Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Zyl, Henry; Powell, Albert, Jr.

2012-01-01

Thomas Edison State College (TESC) and Colorado State University (CSU) offer significant contrasts in institutional culture, student demographics, faculty and institutional priorities and approaches to distance education course development and delivery. This article offers case studies showing that widely disparate program design and delivery…

Blowing in the Wind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Stephen; Myers, John L.; Underwood, Julie

2003-01-01

Vermont is the only state that does not require a balanced budget every fiscal year. Facing state budget shortfalls, many states were left with no choice but to examine possible cuts or at least flat levels of funding for schools. States are also facing costs with implementing new federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind Act. Additional…

densityCut: an efficient and versatile topological approach for automatic clustering of biological data

PubMed Central

Ding, Jiarui; Shah, Sohrab; Condon, Anne

2016-01-01

Motivation: Many biological data processing problems can be formalized as clustering problems to partition data points into sensible and biologically interpretable groups. Results: This article introduces densityCut, a novel density-based clustering algorithm, which is both time- and space-efficient and proceeds as follows: densityCut first roughly estimates the densities of data points from a K-nearest neighbour graph and then refines the densities via a random walk. A cluster consists of points falling into the basin of attraction of an estimated mode of the underlining density function. A post-processing step merges clusters and generates a hierarchical cluster tree. The number of clusters is selected from the most stable clustering in the hierarchical cluster tree. Experimental results on ten synthetic benchmark datasets and two microarray gene expression datasets demonstrate that densityCut performs better than state-of-the-art algorithms for clustering biological datasets. For applications, we focus on the recent cancer mutation clustering and single cell data analyses, namely to cluster variant allele frequencies of somatic mutations to reveal clonal architectures of individual tumours, to cluster single-cell gene expression data to uncover cell population compositions, and to cluster single-cell mass cytometry data to detect communities of cells of the same functional states or types. densityCut performs better than competing algorithms and is scalable to large datasets. Availability and Implementation: Data and the densityCut R package is available from https://bitbucket.org/jerry00/densitycut_dev. Contact: condon@cs.ubc.ca or sshah@bccrc.ca or jiaruid@cs.ubc.ca Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:27153661

Is quantitative PCR for the pneumolysin (ply) gene useful for detection of pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection?

PubMed

Abdeldaim, G; Herrmann, B; Korsgaard, J; Olcén, P; Blomberg, J; Strålin, K

2009-06-01

The pneumolysin (ply) gene is widely used as a target in PCR assays for Streptococcus pneumoniae in respiratory secretions. However, false-positive results with conventional ply-based PCR have been reported. The aim here was to study the performance of a quantitative ply-based PCR for the identification of pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI). In a prospective study, fibreoptic bronchoscopy was performed in 156 hospitalized adult patients with LRTI and 31 controls who underwent bronchoscopy because of suspicion of malignancy. Among the LRTI patients and controls, the quantitative ply-based PCR applied to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was positive at >or=10(3) genome copies/mL in 61% and 71% of the subjects, at >or=10(5) genome copies/mL in 40% and 58% of the subjects, and at >or=10(7) genome copies/mL in 15% and 3.2% of the subjects, respectively. Using BAL fluid culture, blood culture, and/or a urinary antigen test, S. pneumoniae was identified in 19 LRTI patients. As compared with these diagnostic methods used in combination, quantitative ply-based PCR showed sensitivities and specificities of 89% and 43% at a cut-off of 10(3) genome copies/mL, of 84% and 66% at a cut-off of 10(5) genome copies/mL, and of 53% and 90% at a cut-off of 10(7) genome copies/mL, respectively. In conclusion, a high cut-off with the quantitative ply-based PCR was required to reach acceptable specificity. However, as a high cut-off resulted in low sensitivity, quantitative ply-based PCR does not appear to be clinically useful. Quantitative PCR methods for S. pneumoniae using alternative gene targets should be evaluated.

AUDIT and AUDIT-C as screening instruments for alcohol problem use in adolescents.

PubMed

Liskola, Joni; Haravuori, Henna; Lindberg, Nina; Niemelä, Solja; Karlsson, Linnea; Kiviruusu, Olli; Marttunen, Mauri

2018-07-01

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is commonly used in adults to screen for harmful alcohol consumption but few studies exist on its use among adolescents. Our aim was to validate the AUDIT and its derivative consumption questionnaire (AUDIT-C) as screening instruments for the detection of problem use of alcohol in adolescents. 621 adolescents (age-range, 12-19 years) were drawn from clinical and population samples who completed the AUDIT questionnaire. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed using K-SADS-PL. A rating based on the K-SADS-PL was used to assess alcohol use habits, alcohol use disorders, screening and symptom criteria questions. Screening performance of the AUDIT and AUDIT-C sum scores and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. The diagnostic odds ratios (dOR) were calculated to express the overall discrimination between cut-offs. Comparisons of ROC between the AUDIT and AUDIT-C pairs indicated a slightly better test performance by AUDIT for the whole sample and in a proportion of the subsamples. Optimal cut-off value for the AUDIT was ≥5 (sensitivity 0.931, specificity 0.772, dOR 45.22; 95% CI: 24.72-83.57) for detecting alcohol problem use. The corresponding optimal cut-off value for the AUDIT-C was ≥3 in detecting alcohol problem use (sensitivity 0.952, specificity 0.663, dOR 39.31; 95% CI: 19.46-78.97). Agreement between the AUDIT and AUDIT-C using these cut-off scores was high at 91.9%. Our results for the cut-off scores for the early detection of alcohol problem use in adolescents are ≥5 for AUDIT, and ≥3 for AUDIT-C. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Approaches to the New Normal: Recapping 2012 Higher Education Legislative Activity in the West. Policy Insights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krueger, Carl

2012-01-01

While tax revenues in many Western states have improved since FY 2011, the 2012 legislative sessions still experienced what has become the familiar round of funding cuts to higher education, coupled with tuition increases for students. The good news is that the cuts and increases weren't as severe as in previous years, despite continued aversion…

Economic Stimulus: Issues and Policies

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-10

which the economy entered a recession. To date, financial markets remain volatile, new losses have been announced at major financial institutions , and...states, middle class tax cuts, and business tax cuts. Also in 2008 and 2009, the government intervened in specific financial markets by providing...broad intervention into the financial markets was passed to avoid the spread of financial instability into the broader market ; but there are

43. CUTTING APART PIECES OF A MOSAIC. WHEN SEPARATED, THE ...

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

43. CUTTING APART PIECES OF A MOSAIC. WHEN SEPARATED, THE PIECES CAN BE INDIVIDUALLY GLAZED, SMOKED, OR FINISH FIRED TO PRODUCE A MULTI-COLORED IMAGE WHEN REASSEMBLED. NOTE THE SUBSTITUTION OF BUFF FOR RED CLAY IN SEVERAL PIECES OF MOSAIC ON THE LEFT. - Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, Southwest side of State Route 313 (Swamp Road), Northwest of East Court Street, Doylestown, Bucks County, PA

Cuts, Challenges, and Deals: What Did You Do with Your Summer?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karolak, Eric

2011-01-01

As a new school year begins across the country, many are looking back on a long, hot summer and wondering where did all that time go? For early childhood public policy, three developments over the summer are likely to shape the field for quite some time. By July, many states had wound up their budgets for the coming year. In addition to cuts to…

Using Logistic Regression for Validating or Invalidating Initial Statewide Cut-Off Scores on Basic Skills Placement Tests at the Community College Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Secolsky, Charles; Krishnan, Sathasivam; Judd, Thomas P.

2013-01-01

The community colleges in the state of New Jersey went through a process of establishing statewide cut-off scores for English and mathematics placement tests. The colleges wanted to communicate to secondary schools a consistent preparation that would be necessary for enrolling in Freshman Composition and College Algebra at the community college…

Survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut ‘Athena’ and ‘Rocky Ford’ cantaloupes during storage at 4 and 10°C

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cantaloupes, marketed as ‘Rocky Ford’, were implicated in the fatal U.S. multi-state outbreak of listeriosis in 2011. Listeria monocytogenes can survive on whole cantaloupes and can be transferred to the flesh of melons. The growth of L. monocytogenes on fresh-cut ‘Athena’ and ‘Rocky Ford’ cantaloup...

A Worm in the Apple? The Implications of Seniority-Based Teacher Layoffs. NRI Working Paper 2011-01

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhaber, Dan

2011-01-01

Stories abound about the staffing cuts that will have to be made currently, and in the next couple of years, as the ripple effects of the economic crisis impact local and state education budgets. Major budget cuts make teacher layoffs a near inevitability. This raises two very timely questions: what now determines which teachers are laid off, and…

Analysis of 41 suicide attempts by wrist cutting: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Ersen, B; Kahveci, R; Saki, M C; Tunali, O; Aksu, I

2017-02-01

Self-cutting injuries have a low mortality rate, but this type of injuries has special clinical significance because they have the potential of leading to devastating disability and repeated suicide attempts. The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature and outcomes of wrist-cutting injuries. A retrospective study was designed in order to investigate 41 suicide attempts by wrist cutting attended to Uludag University Faculty of Medicine Emergency Department between June 2008 and December 2014. The patients were analyzed for age, gender, alcohol intake, psychological state, prior suicide attempts, and clinical features such as injury side, injury pattern, and used tool. It was seen that the severity of wrist-cutting injury variates between gender and age. Alcohol or drug consumption and having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder create a higher risk for extensive wrist lacerations. It was seen that skin only lacerations were most likely to repeat the act and therefore are most in need of psychiatric intervention. Level III, retrospective study.

Volume and mass distribution in selected families of asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wlodarczyk, I.; Leliwa-Kopystynski, J.

2014-07-01

Members of five asteroid families (Vesta, Eos, Eunomia, Koronis, and Themis) were identified using the Hierarchical Clustering Method (HCM) for a data set containing 292,003 numbered asteroids. The influence of the choice of the best value of the parameter v_{cut} that controls the distances of asteroids in the proper elements space a, e, i was investigated with a step as small as 1 m/s. Results are given in a set of figures showing the families on the planes (a, e), (a, i), (e, i). Another form for the presentation of results is related to the secular resonances in the asteroids' motion with the giant planets, mostly with Saturn. Relations among asteroid radius, albedo, and absolute magnitude allow us to calculate the volumes of individual members of an asteroid family. After summation, the volumes of the parent bodies of the families were found. This paper presents the possibility and the first results of using a combined method for asteroid family identifications based on the following items: (i) Parameter v_{cut} is established with precision as high as 1 m/s; (ii) the albedo (if available) of the potential members is considered for approving or rejecting the family membership; (iii) a color classification is used for the same purpose as well. Searching for the most reliable parameter values for the family populations was performed by means of a consecutive application of the HCM with increasing parameter v_{cut}. The results are illustrated in the figure. Increasing v_{cut} in steps as small as 1 m/s allowed to observe the computational strength of the HCM: the critical value of the parameter v_{cut} (see the breaking-points of the plots in the figure) separates the assemblage of potential family members from 'an ocean' of background asteroids that are not related to the family. The critical values of v_{cut} vary from 57 m/s for the Vesta family to 92 m/s for the Eos family. If the parameter v_{cut} surpasses its critical value, the number of HCM-discovered family members increases enormously and without any physical reason.

Genome-wide identification, classification and expression analysis in fungal-plant interactions of cutinase gene family and functional analysis of a putative ClCUT7 in Curvularia lunata.

PubMed

Liu, Tong; Hou, Jumei; Wang, Yuying; Jin, Yazhong; Borth, Wayne; Zhao, Fengzhou; Liu, Zheng; Hu, John; Zuo, Yuhu

2016-06-01

Cutinase is described as playing various roles in fungal-plant pathogen interactions, such as eliciting host-derived signals, fungal spore attachment and carbon acquisition during saprophytic growth. However, the characteristics of the cutinase genes, their expression in compatible interactions and their roles in pathogenesis have not been reported in Curvularia lunata, an important leaf spot pathogen of maize in China. Therefore, a cutinase gene family analysis could have profound significance. In this study, we identified 13 cutinase genes (ClCUT1 to ClCUT13) in the C. lunata genome. Multiple sequence alignment showed that most fungal cutinase proteins had one highly conserved GYSQG motif and a similar DxVCxG[ST]-[LIVMF](3)-x(3)H motif. Gene structure analyses of the cutinases revealed a complex intron-exon pattern with differences in the position and number of introns and exons. Based on phylogenetic relationship analysis, C. lunata cutinases and 78 known cutinase proteins from other fungi were classified into four groups with subgroups, but the C. lunata cutinases clustered in only three of the four groups. Motif analyses showed that each group of cutinases from C. lunata had a common motif. Real-time PCR indicated that transcript levels of the cutinase genes in a compatible interaction between pathogen and host had varied expression patterns. Interestingly, the transcript levels of ClCUT7 gradually increased during early pathogenesis with the most significant up-regulation at 3 h post-inoculation. When ClCUT7 was deleted, pathogenicity of the mutant decreased on unwounded maize (Zea mays) leaves. On wounded maize leaves, however, the mutant caused symptoms similar to the wild-type strain. Moreover, the ClCUT7 mutant had an approximately 10 % reduction in growth rate when cutin was the sole carbon source. In conclusion, we identified and characterized the cutinase family genes of C. lunata, analyzed their expression patterns in a compatible host-pathogen interaction, and explored the role of ClCUT7 in pathogenicity. This work will increase our understanding of cutinase genes in other fungal-plant pathogens.

Role of failure-mechanism identification in accelerated testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hu, J. M.; Barker, D.; Dasgupta, A.; Arora, A.

1993-01-01

Accelerated life testing techniques provide a short-cut method to investigate the reliability of electronic devices with respect to certain dominant failure mechanisms that occur under normal operating conditions. However, accelerated tests have often been conducted without knowledge of the failure mechanisms and without ensuring that the test accelerated the same mechanism as that observed under normal operating conditions. This paper summarizes common failure mechanisms in electronic devices and packages and investigates possible failure mechanism shifting during accelerated testing.

Obesity in Children: Definition, Etiology and Approach.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Bhawana; Jain, Vandana

2018-06-01

Childhood obesity is an important public health issue worldwide. Urbanization, sedentary lifestyle and change in food habits are the chief reasons behind this pandemic. In a small proportion of children, obesity is the result of endocrine, syndromic or monogenic causes. The present paper summarizes the methods, definitions and cut-offs for identification of obesity in children. We have briefly reviewed the various techniques used for estimation of body fat in children and the cut-offs for defining obesity based on body fat percentage, and the reference curves based on body mass index and waist circumference. The etiology of obesity in children, including individual behaviors, macro- and micro-environmental influences, and endocrine causes have been discussed, and an approach to etiological assessment of obese children has been presented. Special emphasis has been laid on clinical pointers that suggest the presence of syndromic, endocrine or monogenic forms of obesity, such as, short stature, dysmorphism, neurocognitive impairment and early age at onset.

Getting More Out of Less – A Quantitative Serological Screening Tool for Simultaneous Detection of Multiple Influenza A Hemagglutinin-Types in Chickens

PubMed Central

Freidl, Gudrun S.; de Bruin, Erwin; van Beek, Janko; Reimerink, Johan; de Wit, Sjaak; Koch, Guus; Vervelde, Lonneke; van den Ham, Henk-Jan; Koopmans, Marion P. G.

2014-01-01

Current avian influenza surveillance in poultry primarily targets subtypes of interest for the veterinary sector (H5, H7). However, as virological and serological evidence suggest, surveillance of additional subtypes is important for public health as well as for the poultry industry. Therefore, we developed a protein microarray enabling simultaneous identification of antibodies directed against different HA-types of influenza A viruses in chickens. The assay successfully discriminated negative from experimentally and naturally infected, seropositive chickens. Sensitivity and specificity depended on the cut-off level used but ranged from 84.4% to 100% and 100%, respectively, for a cut off level of ≥1∶40, showing minimal cross reactivity. As this testing platform is also validated for the use in humans, it constitutes a surveillance tool that can be applied in human-animal interface studies. PMID:25248105

Varieties of Pathological Self-mutilation.

PubMed

Favazza, A R; Rosenthal, R J

1990-01-01

Pathological self-mutilation appears as a non-specific symptom as well as a specific syndrome. Since psychotic persons may commit horrifying acts, such as enucleation of an eye or amputation of a body part, identification of high risk patients is crucial. Stereotypical self-mutilation, such as head banging and biting off of fingertips, is associated with mental retardation and with the syndromes of Lesch-Nyhan, deLange, and Tourette. This type of self-mutilation is the focus of biological research or endorphins and on dopamine receptors. Skin cutting and burning, the most common type of self-mutilation, is often associated with personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple personality disorder. When cutting and burning become established as responses to disturbing psychological symptoms on environmental events, a specific Axis I impulse disorder known as Repetitive Self Mutilation may be diagnosed. Patients with this newly identified syndrome may alternate their direct acts of self-mutilation with eating disorders and episodic alcoholism.

Multiband product rule and consonant identification.

PubMed

Li, Feipeng; Allen, Jont B

2009-07-01

The multiband product rule, also known as band-independence, is a basic assumption of articulation index and its extension, the speech intelligibility index. Previously Fletcher showed its validity for a balanced mix of 20% consonant-vowel (CV), 20% vowel-consonant (VC), and 60% consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) sounds. This study repeats Miller and Nicely's version of the hi-/lo-pass experiment with minor changes to study band-independence for the 16 Miller-Nicely consonants. The cut-off frequencies are chosen such that the basilar membrane is evenly divided into 12 segments from 250 to 8000 Hz with the high-pass and low-pass filters sharing the same six cut-off frequencies in the middle. Results show that the multiband product rule is statistically valid for consonants on average. It also applies to subgroups of consonants, such as stops and fricatives, which are characterized by a flat distribution of speech cues along the frequency. It fails for individual consonants.

[Characteristics and mechanism of boat propeller injuries].

PubMed

Yu, Song; Shen, Yi-Wen; Xue, Ai-Min

2008-02-01

To summarize the characteristics and investigate the mechanisms of boat propeller injuries so as to explore the identification methods between boat propeller injuries and corpse dismemberment. More than 100 autopsy cases of boat propeller injuries were collected in a period between 1994 and 2005 in Huzhou district, Zhejiang province. The characteristics of injuries caused by propeller, including abrasion, wound, fracture and severed wound, and the characteristics of clothing, were retrospectively studied and summarized. The severed cross wound section of boat propeller injuries was compared with that caused by corpse dismemberment. The boat propeller injuries were resulted from high-speed propellers with enormous splitting power and mechanical cutting, while corpse dismemberment were resulted from cutting and dismembering the body with sharp instruments. Due to the different mechanisms, the different strength of force and recoil force, the severed wound cross section had different characteristics. Wounds caused by boat propeller injuries have their unique characteristics, distinguished from wounds of dismembered corpse.

Molecular assay to fraud identification of meat products.

PubMed

Doosti, Abbas; Ghasemi Dehkordi, Payam; Rahimi, Ebrahim

2014-01-01

Detection of species fraud in meat products is important for consumer protection and food industries. A molecular technique such as PCR method for detection of beef, sheep, pork, chicken, donkey, and horse meats in food products was established. The purpose of this study was to identification of fraud and adulteration in industrial meat products by PCR-RFLP assay in Iran. In present study, 224 meat products include 68 sausages, 48 frankfurters, 55 hamburgers, 33 hams and 20 cold cut meats were collected from different companies and food markets in Iran. Genomic DNA was extracted and PCR was performed for gene amplification of meat species using specific oligonucleotid primers. Raw meat samples are served as the positive control. For differentiation between donkey's and horse's meat, the mitochondrial DNA segment (cytochrome-b gene) was amplified and products were digested with AluI restriction enzyme. Results showed that 6 of 68 fermented sausages (8.82%), 4 of 48 frankfurters (8.33%), 4 of 55 hamburgers (7.27%), 2 of 33 hams (6.6%), and 1 of 20 cold cut meat (5%) were found to contain Haram (unlawful or prohibited) meat. These results indicate that 7.58% of the total samples were not containing Halal (lawful or permitted) meat and have another meat. These findings showed that molecular methods such as PCR and PCR-RFLP are potentially reliable techniques for detection of meat type in meat products for Halal authentication.

Publications - GMC 171 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

Arco Alaska Inc. Delta State #2 well Authors: Pawlewicz, Mark Publication Date: 1990 Publisher: Alaska , Vitrinite reflectance data of cuttings (3270'-10760') from the Arco Alaska Inc. Delta State #2 well: Alaska

One-dimensional cuts through multidimensional potential-energy surfaces by tunable x rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckert, Sebastian; da Cruz, Vinícius Vaz; Gel'mukhanov, Faris; Ertan, Emelie; Ignatova, Nina; Polyutov, Sergey; Couto, Rafael C.; Fondell, Mattis; Dantz, Marcus; Kennedy, Brian; Schmitt, Thorsten; Pietzsch, Annette; Odelius, Michael; Föhlisch, Alexander

2018-05-01

The concept of the potential-energy surface (PES) and directional reaction coordinates is the backbone of our description of chemical reaction mechanisms. Although the eigenenergies of the nuclear Hamiltonian uniquely link a PES to its spectrum, this information is in general experimentally inaccessible in large polyatomic systems. This is due to (near) degenerate rovibrational levels across the parameter space of all degrees of freedom, which effectively forms a pseudospectrum given by the centers of gravity of groups of close-lying vibrational levels. We show here that resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) constitutes an ideal probe for revealing one-dimensional cuts through the ground-state PES of molecular systems, even far away from the equilibrium geometry, where the independent-mode picture is broken. We strictly link the center of gravity of close-lying vibrational peaks in RIXS to a pseudospectrum which is shown to coincide with the eigenvalues of an effective one-dimensional Hamiltonian along the propagation coordinate of the core-excited wave packet. This concept, combined with directional and site selectivity of the core-excited states, allows us to experimentally extract cuts through the ground-state PES along three complementary directions for the showcase H2O molecule.

Comparative analysis of anthropometric indices of obesity as correlates and potential predictors of risk for hypertension and prehypertension in a population in Nigeria.

PubMed

Ononamadu, Chimaobi James; Ezekwesili, Chinwe Nonyelum; Onyeukwu, Onyemaechi Faith; Umeoguaju, Uchenna Francis; Ezeigwe, Obiajulu Christian; Ihegboro, Godwin Okwudiri

Obesity is a well-established independent risk factor for hypertension and other cardiometabolic disorders. However, the best anthropometric index of obesity that predicts or associates strongly with hypertension and related conditions remains controversial and inconclusive. This study compared the performance of eight anthropometric indices of obesity: body mass index (BMI), ponderal index (PI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), waist-height ratio (WHtR), body adiposity index (BAI) and conicity index (CI) as correlates and potential predictors of risk of hypertension and prehypertension in a Nigerian population, and also the possible effect of combining two or more indices in that regard. This church-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Anambra state, south-eastern Nigeria from 2012 to 2013. A total of 912 persons (436 male and 476 female) drawn randomly from three major cities (Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi) in the state participated in the study. Information on demography, medical history and lifestyle were obtained using a well-structured and validated questionnaire. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were taken by well-trained personnel. The resulting data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Poisson regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The mean values of all the anthropometric indices studied increased from normotension, through prehypertension to hypertension in both genders. BMI, WC, HC and CI were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females than males. All the anthropometric indices studied were significantly (p < 0.001 except for CI) correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. BMI, WHtR, WC and PI (with higher correlation coefficients for blood pressure) showed the best potential to predict hypertension and prehypertension in the study: BMI (cut-off = 24.49, AUC = 0.698; cut-off = 23.62, AUC = 0.659), WHtR (cut-off = 0.55, AUC = 0.682; cut-off = 0.5, AUC = 0.636), WC (cut-off = 91.44, AUC = 0.692; cut-off = 82.55, AUC = 0.645), PI (cut-off = 14.45, AUC = 0.670; cut-off = 13.69, AUC = 0.639), in males; and BMI (cut-off = 24.44, AUC = 0.622; cut-off = 28.01, AUC = 0.609), WHtR (cut-off = 0.51, AUC = 0.624; cut-off = 0.6, AUC = 0.572), WC ( cut-off = 96.62, AUC = 0.616; cut-off = 96.52, AUC = 0.584), PI ( cut-off = 16.38, AUC = 0.619; cut-off = 17.65, AUC = 0.599), in females for hypertension and prehypertension, respectively. In predicting hypertension risk, WC and WHtR did not significantly improve the performance of BMI in the models when included using our decision rule. Overall, CI had a very poor discriminatory power for both conditions in this study. BMI, WHtR, WC and PI emerged the best predictors of hypertension risk, and BMI, WC and PI of prehypertension risk in this study. The combination of high-performing anthropometric indices in a model did not improve their performance. Therefore we recommend the simultaneous but independent use of BMI and either WC or WHtR for predicting hypertension, and BMI and WC for prehypertension risk, bearing in mind that both types of index (abdominal and general obesity) account for different forms of obesity.

Comparative analysis of anthropometric indices of obesity as correlates and potential predictors of risk for hypertension and prehypertension in a population in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Ononamadu, Chimaobi James; Ihegboro, Godwin Okwudiri; Ezekwesili, Chinwe Nonyelum; Onyeukwu, Onyemaechi Faith; Umeoguaju,, Uchenna Francis; Ezeigwe, Obiajulu Christian

2017-01-01

Summary Background: Obesity is a well-established independent risk factor for hypertension and other cardiometabolic disorders. However, the best anthropometric index of obesity that predicts or associates strongly with hypertension and related conditions remains controversial and inconclusive. Objective: This study compared the performance of eight anthropometric indices of obesity: body mass index (BMI), ponderal index (PI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist–hip ratio (WHR), waist–height ratio (WHtR), body adiposity index (BAI) and conicity index (CI) as correlates and potential predictors of risk of hypertension and prehypertension in a Nigerian population, and also the possible effect of combining two or more indices in that regard. Methods: This church-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Anambra state, south-eastern Nigeria from 2012 to 2013. A total of 912 persons (436 male and 476 female) drawn randomly from three major cities (Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi) in the state participated in the study. Information on demography, medical history and lifestyle were obtained using a well-structured and validated questionnaire. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were taken by well-trained personnel. The resulting data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Poisson regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: The mean values of all the anthropometric indices studied increased from normotension, through prehypertension to hypertension in both genders. BMI, WC, HC and CI were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in females than males. All the anthropometric indices studied were significantly (p < 0.001 except for CI) correlated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. BMI, WHtR, WC and PI (with higher correlation coefficients for blood pressure) showed the best potential potential to predict hypertension and prehypertension in the study: BMI (cut-off = 24.49, AUC = 0.698; cut-off = 23.62, AUC = 0.659), WHtR (cut-off = 0.55, AUC = 0.682; cut-off = 0.5, AUC = 0.636), WC (cut-off = 91.44, AUC = 0.692; cut-off = 82.55, AUC = 0.645), PI (cut-off = 14.45, AUC = 0.670; cut-off = 13.69, AUC = 0.639), in males; and BMI (cut-off = 24.44, AUC = 0.622; cut-off = 28.01, AUC = 0.609), WHtR (cut-off = 0.51, AUC = 0.624; cut-off = 0.6, AUC = 0.572), WC (cut-off = 96.62, AUC = 0.616; cut-off = 96.52, AUC = 0.584), PI (cut-off = 16.38, AUC = 0.619; cut-off = 17.65, AUC = 0.599), in females for hypertension and prehypertension, respectively. In predicting hypertension risk, WC and WHtR did not significantly improve the performance of BMI in the models when included using our decision rule. Overall, CI had a very poor discriminatory power for both conditions in this study. Conclusion: BMI, WHtR, WC and PI emerged the best predictors of hypertension risk, and BMI, WC and PI of prehypertension risk in this study. The combination of high-performing anthropometric indices in a model did not improve their performance. Therefore we recommend the simultaneous but independent use of BMI and either WC or WHtR for predicting hypertension, and BMI and WC for prehypertension risk, bearing in mind that both types of index (abdominal and general obesity) account for different forms of obesity. PMID:27701484

Machinery running state identification based on discriminant semi-supervised local tangent space alignment for feature fusion and extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Zuqiang; Xiao, Hong; Zhang, Yi; Tang, Baoping; Jiang, Yonghua

2017-04-01

Extraction of sensitive features is a challenging but key task in data-driven machinery running state identification. Aimed at solving this problem, a method for machinery running state identification that applies discriminant semi-supervised local tangent space alignment (DSS-LTSA) for feature fusion and extraction is proposed. Firstly, in order to extract more distinct features, the vibration signals are decomposed by wavelet packet decomposition WPD, and a mixed-domain feature set consisted of statistical features, autoregressive (AR) model coefficients, instantaneous amplitude Shannon entropy and WPD energy spectrum is extracted to comprehensively characterize the properties of machinery running state(s). Then, the mixed-dimension feature set is inputted into DSS-LTSA for feature fusion and extraction to eliminate redundant information and interference noise. The proposed DSS-LTSA can extract intrinsic structure information of both labeled and unlabeled state samples, and as a result the over-fitting problem of supervised manifold learning and blindness problem of unsupervised manifold learning are overcome. Simultaneously, class discrimination information is integrated within the dimension reduction process in a semi-supervised manner to improve sensitivity of the extracted fusion features. Lastly, the extracted fusion features are inputted into a pattern recognition algorithm to achieve the running state identification. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a running state identification case in a gearbox, and the results confirm the improved accuracy of the running state identification.

Education Takes Hit in Budgets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2011-01-01

After months of arduous negotiation and partisan squabbling, states across the country have produced budgets for the new fiscal year that in many cases will bring deep cuts to state spending, including money for schools. The budget blueprints adopted by numerous states were postscripts to divisive legislative sessions that saw newly elected…

Financial Self-Sufficiency and the Public University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casteen, John T., III

2011-01-01

The reductions in state tax support for public universities that began around 1990 and continue today are progressively redefining relations between government and public higher education. The reasons for the drop in appropriations per student vary from state to state and include aging electorates, voter fervor for tax cuts, and mandated…

Moving out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quackenbush, Cara; Keniston, Josh

2012-01-01

The trend toward expanding the role of foundations has intensified during the recent recession and is likely to continue. More than 40 states this year cut funding for public higher education, according to Grapevine, an annual study of state support of public higher education produced by Illinois State University's Center for the Study of…

Utility of the T-SPOT®.TB test's borderline category to increase test resolution for results around the cut-off point.

PubMed

Rego, Karen; Pereira, Kristen; MacDougall, James; Cruikshank, William

2018-01-01

Accurate identification of individuals with TB infection, is required to achieve the WHO's End TB Strategy goals. While there is general acceptance that the T-SPOT.TB test borderline category provides an opportunity to increase test resolution of results around the test cut-off point, this has not been investigated. 645,947 tests were analyzed to determine frequency of borderline results, effect of age and time between tests and associations between subjects' clinical risk factors and retest results. 645,947 tests produced 93.5% negatives, 4% positives, 0.6% invalids, and 1.8% borderlines. Within the borderline results, 5044 were repeated, with 59.2%, 20.0% and 20.2% resolving to negative, positive and borderline, respectively. Age of subject did not affect retest results; however, time between tests indicated that retest resolution occurred with greatest frequency after 90 days. TB risk factors were provided for 2640 subjects and 17% of low risk subjects with a high initial borderline resolved to negative while 27.6% of subjects with high risk and an initial low borderline resolved to positive, suggesting that these subjects could have been inappropriately classified if using a single cut-off point test with no borderline category. This study demonstrates the utility of the T-SPOT.TB test's borderline category to increase test resolution around the test cut-off point. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Identification and distribution of the Olympic Shrew (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), Sorex rohweri Rausch et al., 2007 in Oregon and Washington, based on USNM specimens

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodman, Neal; Fisher, Robert D.

2016-01-01

Review of specimens of long-tailed shrews (Mammalia, Soricidae, Sorex) from the northwestern United States in the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Washington, DC, has revealed the presence of the Olympic Shrew, Sorex rohweri Rausch et al., 2007, in the Coastal Range west of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This determination nearly doubles the documented distribution for this species and increases the species diversity of soricids in Oregon to eleven. Sorex rohweri is relatively uncommon, but it occurs in a variety of forest successional stages and even clear cuts, as long as there is nearby forest and trees are allowed to regenerate. All USNM specimens from Washington formerly identified as S. cinereus streatori Merriam, 1895 are instead referable to the Olympic Shrew. The distribution of S. c. streatori is thereby restricted to the Pacific coasts of British Columbia north of the lower Frasier River and south central Alaska. Our study highlights the importance of taking and preserving high-quality voucher specimens in a collection where they are readily available for re-study.

Automated Fluid Feature Extraction from Transient Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haimes, Robert

1998-01-01

In the past, feature extraction and identification were interesting concepts, but not required to understand the underlying physics of a steady flow field. This is because the results of the more traditional tools like iso-surfaces, cuts and streamlines were more interactive and easily abstracted so they could be represented to the investigator. These tools worked and properly conveyed the collected information at the expense of much interaction. For unsteady flow-fields, the investigator does not have the luxury of spending time scanning only one 'snap-shot' of the simulation. Automated assistance is required in pointing out areas of potential interest contained within the flow. This must not require a heavy compute burden (the visualization should not significantly slow down the solution procedure for co-processing environments like pV3). And methods must be developed to abstract the feature and display it in a manner that physically makes sense. The following is a list of the important physical phenomena found in transient (and steady-state) fluid flow: Shocks; Vortex ores; Regions of Recirculation; Boundary Layers; Wakes.

Implementation and adaptation in Colombia of the Communities That Care.

PubMed

Mejía-Trujillo, Juliana; Pérez-Gómez, Augusto; Reyes-Rodríguez, María Fernanda

2015-12-15

For more than two years, Corporación Nuevos Rumbos (Colombia) has been carrying out, in eight Colombian communities, a preventive system called Comunidades Que se Cuidan (CQC), an adaptation of Communities That Care (CTC), created at the University of Washington (Seattle), developed for more than 25 years in the United States of America and implemented in eight countries of America, Oceania, and Europe. The system is based on the public health approach, and the social development strategy for community empowerment. The core idea is to teach communities how to make decisions based on data regarding drugs and alcohol consumption and the identification of protective and risk factors, on the basis of the original survey validated in Colombia: these will allow communities to choose the best preventive interventions, tailored for each of them according to their needs. This paper describes the process of implementation of CQC in Colombia, its differences with CTC, the creation of Colombian cut-points, the main difficulties and how these were solved. CQC seems to be a preventive system with a wide potential applicability in other Latin American countries.

Self-Learning Embedded System for Object Identification in Intelligent Infrastructure Sensors.

PubMed

Villaverde, Monica; Perez, David; Moreno, Felix

2015-11-17

The emergence of new horizons in the field of travel assistant management leads to the development of cutting-edge systems focused on improving the existing ones. Moreover, new opportunities are being also presented since systems trend to be more reliable and autonomous. In this paper, a self-learning embedded system for object identification based on adaptive-cooperative dynamic approaches is presented for intelligent sensor's infrastructures. The proposed system is able to detect and identify moving objects using a dynamic decision tree. Consequently, it combines machine learning algorithms and cooperative strategies in order to make the system more adaptive to changing environments. Therefore, the proposed system may be very useful for many applications like shadow tolls since several types of vehicles may be distinguished, parking optimization systems, improved traffic conditions systems, etc.

Energy Minimization of Discrete Protein Titration State Models Using Graph Theory

PubMed Central

Purvine, Emilie; Monson, Kyle; Jurrus, Elizabeth; Star, Keith; Baker, Nathan A.

2016-01-01

There are several applications in computational biophysics which require the optimization of discrete interacting states; e.g., amino acid titration states, ligand oxidation states, or discrete rotamer angles. Such optimization can be very time-consuming as it scales exponentially in the number of sites to be optimized. In this paper, we describe a new polynomial-time algorithm for optimization of discrete states in macromolecular systems. This algorithm was adapted from image processing and uses techniques from discrete mathematics and graph theory to restate the optimization problem in terms of “maximum flow-minimum cut” graph analysis. The interaction energy graph, a graph in which vertices (amino acids) and edges (interactions) are weighted with their respective energies, is transformed into a flow network in which the value of the minimum cut in the network equals the minimum free energy of the protein, and the cut itself encodes the state that achieves the minimum free energy. Because of its deterministic nature and polynomial-time performance, this algorithm has the potential to allow for the ionization state of larger proteins to be discovered. PMID:27089174

Surface Characteristics of Machined NiTi Shape Memory Alloy: The Effects of Cryogenic Cooling and Preheating Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaynak, Y.; Huang, B.; Karaca, H. E.; Jawahir, I. S.

2017-07-01

This experimental study focuses on the phase state and phase transformation response of the surface and subsurface of machined NiTi alloys. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and differential scanning calorimeter techniques were utilized to measure the phase state and the transformation response of machined specimens, respectively. Specimens were machined under dry machining at ambient temperature, preheated conditions, and cryogenic cooling conditions at various cutting speeds. The findings from this research demonstrate that cryogenic machining substantially alters austenite finish temperature of martensitic NiTi alloy. Austenite finish ( A f) temperature shows more than 25 percent increase resulting from cryogenic machining compared with austenite finish temperature of as-received NiTi. Dry and preheated conditions do not substantially alter austenite finish temperature. XRD analysis shows that distinctive transformation from martensite to austenite occurs during machining process in all three conditions. Complete transformation from martensite to austenite is observed in dry cutting at all selected cutting speeds.

Booming States Lure Academics from Those with Financial Woes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2008-01-01

Universities are watching their state budgets crumble across the country: The University of Arizona has put a freeze on all state-financed hiring, Georgia's 14 technical colleges are being merged into seven, and New York will probably have to shelve a plan to create a $3-billion fund to attract cutting-edge research to the Empire State, which…

6. VIEW WEST, PERSPECTIVE UP INCLINED PLANE FROM MIDSLOPE VICINITY, ...

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

6. VIEW WEST, PERSPECTIVE UP INCLINED PLANE FROM MID-SLOPE VICINITY, CUT CONFIGURATION - Laurel Hill Quarry, Incline Plane, Both sides of State Route 56, 2.4 miles East of State Route 711, Seward, Westmoreland County, PA

Whole-leaf wash improves chlorine efficacy for microbial reduction and prevents pathogen cross-contamination during fresh-cut lettuce processing.

PubMed

Nou, Xiangwu; Luo, Yaguang

2010-06-01

Currently, most fresh-cut processing facilities in the United States use chlorinated water or other sanitizer solutions for microbial reduction after lettuce is cut. Freshly cut lettuce releases significant amounts of organic matter that negatively impacts the effectiveness of chlorine or other sanitizers for microbial reduction. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether a sanitizer wash before cutting improves microbial reduction efficacy compared to a traditional postcutting sanitizer wash. Romaine lettuce leaves were quantitatively inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 strains and washed in chlorinated water before or after cutting, and E. coli O157:H7 cells that survived the washing process were enumerated to determine the effectiveness of microbial reduction for the 2 cutting and washing sequences. Whole-leaf washing in chlorinated water improved pathogen reduction by approximately 1 log unit over traditional cut-leaf sanitization. Similar improvement in the reduction of background microflora was also observed. Inoculated "Lollo Rossa" red lettuce leaves were mixed with noninoculated Green-Leaf lettuce leaves to evaluate pathogen cross-contamination during processing. High level (96.7% subsamples, average MPN 0.6 log CFU/g) of cross-contamination of noninoculated green leaves by inoculated red leaves was observed when mixed lettuce leaves were cut prior to washing in chlorinated water. In contrast, cross-contamination of noninoculated green leaves was significantly reduced (3.3% of subsamples, average MPN

40 CFR 52.620 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Hawaii § 52.620 Identification of plan. (a) Purpose and scope. This section sets forth the applicable State implementation plan for State of Hawaii under...-Approved State of Hawaii Regulations State citation Title/subject Effective date EPA approval date...

A Cross-Validation of easyCBM[R] Mathematics Cut Scores in Oregon: 2009-2010. Technical Report #1104

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Daniel; Alonzo, Julie; Tindal, Gerald

2011-01-01

In this technical report, we document the results of a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut-scores for the use of the easyCBM[R] mathematics test in Oregon. A large sample, randomly split into two groups of roughly equal size, was used for this study. Students' performance classification on the Oregon state test was used as the…

Effectiveness of Educational Leadership in a Budget Crisis: Implications for Faculty Retention and Demographics in One University System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newmann, Jennifer Jane

2012-01-01

The economic recession that began in 2008 is the most significant downturn in the economy since the Great Depression. Cuts to public higher education the last three years in a large, western state have been over $2 billion, with an additional $1.5 billion in cuts proposed for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The university system under study is an…

More Freedom to Spend Less Money: What Happened when California School Districts Gained Spending Flexibility and Budgets Were Cut. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jennifer

2012-01-01

In 2009-2010, California made substantial education budget cuts at the same time that it removed its spending requirements from $4.5 billion of state money. This gave districts the flexibility to use the funds in any manner approved by the local school board. Researchers found that most of the formerly earmarked money was moved into general funds…

Consequences of dramatic reductions in state tobacco control funds: Florida, 1998-2000.

PubMed

Niederdeppe, J; Farrelly, M C; Hersey, J C; Davis, K C

2008-06-01

This study assessed whether dramatic funding reductions to the Florida Tobacco Control Program (FTCP) influenced trends in recall of the Florida "truth" anti-smoking media campaign, anti-industry attitudes and non-smoking intentions among Florida teens. We used an interrupted time series technique to test for differences in the rates of change in Florida "truth" recall, anti-industry beliefs and non-smoking intentions before and after the FTCP budget cuts using the Florida Anti-tobacco Media Evaluation (FAME) survey, a repeated cross-sectional telephone survey of Florida teens. Recall of the Florida "truth" anti-smoking campaign, anti-industry attitudes, and non-smoking intentions increased dramatically between April 1998 and May 1999. Florida "truth" recall declined after FTCP budget cuts in June 1999. Anti-industry beliefs and non-smoking intentions plateaued or began to decline after the budget cuts. The launch of the national "truth" campaign in February 2000 may have offset otherwise deleterious effects of the budget cuts on anti-industry beliefs, but not smoking intentions. Reductions in tobacco control funding have immediate effects on programme exposure and cognitive precursors to smoking initiation. There is a critical need to maintain and enhance funding for state tobacco control programmes to continue nationwide progress in preventing youth from initiating cigarette smoking.

SubID, a non-median dichotomization tool for heterogeneous populations, reveals the pan-cancer significance of INPP4B and its regulation by EVI1 in AML.

PubMed

Dzneladze, Irakli; Woolley, John F; Rossell, Carla; Han, Youqi; Rashid, Ayesha; Jain, Michael; Reimand, Jüri; Minden, Mark D; Salmena, Leonardo

2018-01-01

Our previous studies demonstrated that INPP4B, a member of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, is overexpressed in a subset of AML patients and is associated with lower response to chemotherapy and shorter survival. INPP4B expression analysis in AML revealed a right skewed frequency distribution with 25% of patients expressing significantly higher levels than the majority. The 75% low/25% high cut-off revealed the prognostic power of INPP4B expression status in AML, which would not have been apparent with a standard median cut-off approach. Our identification of a clinically relevant non-median cut-off for INPP4B indicated a need for a generalizable non-median dichotomization approach to optimally study clinically relevant genes. To address this need, we developed Subgroup Identifier (SubID), a tool which examines the relationship between a continuous variable (e.g. gene expression), and a test parameter (e.g. CoxPH or Fisher's exact P values). In our study, Fisher's exact SubID was used to reveal EVI1 as a transcriptional regulator of INPP4B in AML; a finding which was validated in vitro. Next, we used CoxPH SubID to conduct a pan-cancer analysis of INPP4B's prognostic significance. Our analysis revealed that INPP4Blow is associated with shorter survival in kidney clear cell, liver hepatocellular, and bladder urothelial carcinomas. Conversely, INPP4Blow was shown to be associated with increased survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma in three independent datasets. Overall, our study describes the development and application of a novel subgroup identification tool used to identify prognostically significant rare subgroups based upon gene expression, and for investigating the association between a gene with skewed frequency distribution and potentially important upstream and downstream genes that relate to the index gene.

SubID, a non-median dichotomization tool for heterogeneous populations, reveals the pan-cancer significance of INPP4B and its regulation by EVI1 in AML

PubMed Central

Han, Youqi; Rashid, Ayesha; Jain, Michael; Reimand, Jüri; Minden, Mark D.; Salmena, Leonardo

2018-01-01

Our previous studies demonstrated that INPP4B, a member of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, is overexpressed in a subset of AML patients and is associated with lower response to chemotherapy and shorter survival. INPP4B expression analysis in AML revealed a right skewed frequency distribution with 25% of patients expressing significantly higher levels than the majority. The 75% low/25% high cut-off revealed the prognostic power of INPP4B expression status in AML, which would not have been apparent with a standard median cut-off approach. Our identification of a clinically relevant non-median cut-off for INPP4B indicated a need for a generalizable non-median dichotomization approach to optimally study clinically relevant genes. To address this need, we developed Subgroup Identifier (SubID), a tool which examines the relationship between a continuous variable (e.g. gene expression), and a test parameter (e.g. CoxPH or Fisher’s exact P values). In our study, Fisher’s exact SubID was used to reveal EVI1 as a transcriptional regulator of INPP4B in AML; a finding which was validated in vitro. Next, we used CoxPH SubID to conduct a pan-cancer analysis of INPP4B’s prognostic significance. Our analysis revealed that INPP4Blow is associated with shorter survival in kidney clear cell, liver hepatocellular, and bladder urothelial carcinomas. Conversely, INPP4Blow was shown to be associated with increased survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma in three independent datasets. Overall, our study describes the development and application of a novel subgroup identification tool used to identify prognostically significant rare subgroups based upon gene expression, and for investigating the association between a gene with skewed frequency distribution and potentially important upstream and downstream genes that relate to the index gene. PMID:29415082

Toolpath Strategy and Optimum Combination of Machining Parameter during Pocket Mill Process of Plastic Mold Steels Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, Y. T.; Baskoro, S. Y.; Manurung, V. A. T.

2018-02-01

Plastic based products spread all over the world in many aspects of life. The ability to substitute other materials is getting stronger and wider. The use of plastic materials increases and become unavoidable. Plastic based mass production requires injection process as well Mold. The milling process of plastic mold steel material was done using HSS End Mill cutting tool that is widely used in a small and medium enterprise for the reason of its ability to be re sharpened and relatively inexpensive. Study on the effect of the geometry tool states that it has an important effect on the quality improvement. Cutting speed, feed rate, depth of cut and radii are input parameters beside to the tool path strategy. This paper aims to investigate input parameter and cutting tools behaviors within some different tool path strategy. For the reason of experiments efficiency Taguchi method and ANOVA were used. Response studied is surface roughness and cutting behaviors. By achieving the expected quality, no more additional process is required. Finally, the optimal combination of machining parameters will deliver the expected roughness and of course totally reduced cutting time. However actually, SMEs do not optimally use this data for cost reduction.

TransCut: interactive rendering of translucent cutouts.

PubMed

Li, Dongping; Sun, Xin; Ren, Zhong; Lin, Stephen; Tong, Yiying; Guo, Baining; Zhou, Kun

2013-03-01

We present TransCut, a technique for interactive rendering of translucent objects undergoing fracturing and cutting operations. As the object is fractured or cut open, the user can directly examine and intuitively understand the complex translucent interior, as well as edit material properties through painting on cross sections and recombining the broken pieces—all with immediate and realistic visual feedback. This new mode of interaction with translucent volumes is made possible with two technical contributions. The first is a novel solver for the diffusion equation (DE) over a tetrahedral mesh that produces high-quality results comparable to the state-of-art finite element method (FEM) of Arbree et al. but at substantially higher speeds. This accuracy and efficiency is obtained by computing the discrete divergences of the diffusion equation and constructing the DE matrix using analytic formulas derived for linear finite elements. The second contribution is a multiresolution algorithm to significantly accelerate our DE solver while adapting to the frequent changes in topological structure of dynamic objects. The entire multiresolution DE solver is highly parallel and easily implemented on the GPU. We believe TransCut provides a novel visual effect for heterogeneous translucent objects undergoing fracturing and cutting operations.

Pressure-induced critical influences on workpiece-tool thermal interaction in high speed dry machining of titanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Aal, H. A.; Mansori, M. El

2012-12-01

Cutting tools are subject to extreme thermal and mechanical loads during operation. The state of loading is intensified in dry cutting environment especially when cutting the so called hard-to-cut-materials. Although, the effect of mechanical loads on tool failure have been extensively studied, detailed studies on the effect of thermal dissipation on the deterioration of the cutting tool are rather scarce. In this paper we study failure of coated carbide tools due to thermal loading. The study emphasizes the role assumed by the thermo-physical properties of the tool material in enhancing or preventing mass attrition of the cutting elements within the tool. It is shown that within a comprehensive view of the nature of conduction in the tool zone, thermal conduction is not solely affected by temperature. Rather it is a function of the so called thermodynamic forces. These are the stress, the strain, strain rate, rate of temperature rise, and the temperature gradient. Although that within such consideration description of thermal conduction is non-linear, it is beneficial to employ such a form because it facilitates a full mechanistic understanding of thermal activation of tool wear.

40 CFR 62.6362 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Missouri Mercury...) Identification of plan. Section 111(d) plan and associated State regulation 10 CSR 10-6.368, Control of Mercury..., 2007. (b) Identification of sources. The plan applies to all new and existing mercury budget units...

40 CFR 62.6362 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Missouri Mercury...) Identification of plan. Section 111(d) plan and associated State regulation 10 CSR 10-6.368, Control of Mercury..., 2007. (b) Identification of sources. The plan applies to all new and existing mercury budget units...

40 CFR 62.6362 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Missouri Mercury...) Identification of plan. Section 111(d) plan and associated State regulation 10 CSR 10-6.368, Control of Mercury..., 2007. (b) Identification of sources. The plan applies to all new and existing mercury budget units...

40 CFR 62.6362 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Missouri Mercury...) Identification of plan. Section 111(d) plan and associated State regulation 10 CSR 10-6.368, Control of Mercury..., 2007. (b) Identification of sources. The plan applies to all new and existing mercury budget units...

40 CFR 62.6362 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Missouri Mercury...) Identification of plan. Section 111(d) plan and associated State regulation 10 CSR 10-6.368, Control of Mercury..., 2007. (b) Identification of sources. The plan applies to all new and existing mercury budget units...

Femtosecond laser cutting of multiple thin corneal stromal lamellae for endothelial bioengineering.

PubMed

Bernard, Aurélien; He, Zhiguo; Forest, Fabien; Gauthier, Anne-Sophie; Peocʼh, Michel; Dumollard, Jean-Marc; Acquart, Sophie; Montard, Romain; Delbosc, Bernard; Gain, Philippe; Thuret, Gilles

2015-02-01

To assess the feasibility of cutting multiple thin stromal lamellae in human donor corneas using a commercial femtosecond laser (FSL) to provide cell carriers for future endothelial graft bioengineering. Eight edematous organ-cultured corneas not suitable for grafting for endothelial reasons were mounted on a Ziemer anterior chamber and cut with a Z6 FSL with 6 successive parallel cuts, from depth to surface. Target thickness of each lamella ranged from 100 to 150 μm depending on initial corneal thickness. Thickness was measured using anterior segment optical coherence tomography before and after cutting on mounted corneas, and on each stromal lamella after detachment. Scanning electron microscopy observation was performed on 4 lamellae and histological cross sections on 1 cornea before detachment. A median of 5 (minimum 3, maximum 7) lamellae was obtained per cornea. All lamellae still attached were the most posterior ones, suggesting that FSL was less efficient because of light scattering by edematous stroma. Cut precision and postdetachment swelling were correlated with anterior-posterior position within the cornea. Median lamella thickness was 127 μm (56-222 μm) before detachment and 196 μm (80-304 μm) after detachment. Surface state was consistent with previously reported FSL lamellar cuts during Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty. Up to 7 thin lamellae can be cut in stored corneas with an FSL. This method, once optimized primarily by using deswelled, more transparent corneas, could prove effective for recycling unsuitable donor corneas in corneal bioengineering processes.

49 CFR 599.302 - Dealer application for reimbursement-submission, contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... address of each purchaser. (C) Driver's license or State identification number. The State driver's license...

49 CFR 599.302 - Dealer application for reimbursement-submission, contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... address of each purchaser. (C) Driver's license or State identification number. The State driver's license...

49 CFR 599.302 - Dealer application for reimbursement-submission, contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... vehicle. (C) Model year. The model year of the vehicle. (D) Vehicle identification number (VIN). The 17... address of each purchaser. (C) Driver's license or State identification number. The State driver's license...

33 CFR 62.54 - Ownership identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 62.54 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.54 Ownership identification. Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does...

33 CFR 62.54 - Ownership identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Section 62.54 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.54 Ownership identification. Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does...

33 CFR 62.54 - Ownership identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Section 62.54 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.54 Ownership identification. Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does...

33 CFR 62.54 - Ownership identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Section 62.54 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.54 Ownership identification. Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does...

33 CFR 62.54 - Ownership identification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 62.54 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AIDS TO NAVIGATION UNITED STATES AIDS TO NAVIGATION SYSTEM The U.S. Aids to Navigation System § 62.54 Ownership identification. Ownership identification on private or state aids to navigation is permitted so long as it does...

The neuropathic foot.

PubMed

Jernberger, A

1993-12-01

The neuropathic foot is described with relation to cause, presentation, dysfunction and identification. The various mechanisms of neuropathic foot lesions are outlined--overload, diabetic gangrene, continuous pressure, direct injury and cutting and temperature effects. The orthotic treatment of the foot is discussed and in particular the importance of proper shoe provision and patient education and indoctrination emphasised. The use of plaster casts and fenestrations to control pressure distribution is described. Finally results of an intensive treatment programme are presented to identify the effect on outcome, as measured by delay in amputation.

Comprehensive Evaluation of the MBT STAR-BL Module for Simultaneous Bacterial Identification and β-Lactamase-Mediated Resistance Detection in Gram-Negative Rods from Cultured Isolates and Positive Blood Cultures.

PubMed

Lee, Annie W T; Lam, Johnson K S; Lam, Ricky K W; Ng, Wan H; Lee, Ella N L; Lee, Vicky T Y; Sze, Po P; Rajwani, Rahim; Fung, Kitty S C; To, Wing K; Lee, Rodney A; Tsang, Dominic N C; Siu, Gilman K H

2018-01-01

Objective: This study evaluated the capability of a MALDI Biotyper system equipped with the newly introduced MBT STAR-BL module to simultaneously perform species identification and β-lactamase-mediated resistance detection in bacteremia -causing bacteria isolated from cultured isolates and patient-derived blood cultures (BCs). Methods: Two hundred retrospective cultured isolates and 153 prospective BCs containing Gram-negative rods (GNR) were collected and subjected to direct bacterial identification, followed by the measurement of β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and meropenem using the MBT STAR-BL module. The results and turnaround times were compared with those of routine microbiological processing. All strains were also characterized by beta-lactamase PCR and sequencing. Results: Using the saponin-based extraction method, MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified bacteria in 116/134 (86.6%) monomicrobial BCs. The detection sensitivities for β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, piperacillin, third-generation cephalosporin and meropenem were 91.3, 100, 97.9, and 100% for cultured isolates, and 80.4, 100, 68.8, and 40% for monomicrobial BCs ( n = 134) respectively. The overall specificities ranged from 91.5 to 100%. Furthermore, the MBT STAR-BL and conventional drug susceptibility test results were concordant in 14/19 (73.7%) polymicrobial cultures. Reducing the logRQ cut-off value from 0.4 to 0.2 increased the direct detection sensitivities for β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, cefotaxime and meropenem in BCs to 85.7, 87.5, and 100% respectively. The MBT STAR-BL test enabled the reporting of β-lactamase-producing GNR at 14.16 and 47.64 h before the interim and final reports of routine BCs processing, respectively, were available. Conclusion: The MALDI Biotyper system equipped with the MBT STAR-BL module enables the simultaneous rapid identification of bacterial species and β-lactamase-mediated resistance from BCs and cultured isolates. Adjustment of the logRQ cut-off value to 0.2 significantly increased the detection sensitivities for clinically important drug-resistant pathogens.

HLRW management during MR reactor decommissioning in NRC 'Kurchatov Institute'

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

Chesnokov, Alexander; Ivanov, Oleg; Kolyadin, Vyacheslav

2013-07-01

A program of decommissioning of MR research reactor in the Kurchatov institute started in 2008. The decommissioning work presumed a preliminary stage, which included: removal of spent fuel from near reactor storage; removal of spent fuel assemble of metal liquid loop channel from a core; identification, sorting and disposal of radioactive objects from gateway of the reactor; identification, sorting and disposal of radioactive objects from cells of HLRW storage of the Kurchatov institute for radwaste creating form the decommissioning of MR. All these works were performed by a remote controlled means with use of a remote identification methods of highmore » radioactive objects. A distribution of activity along high radiated objects was measured by a collimated radiometer installed on the robot Brokk-90, a gamma image of the object was registered by gamma-visor. Spectrum of gamma radiation was measured by a gamma locator and semiconductor detector system. For identification of a presence of uranium isotopes in the HLRW a technique, based on the registration of characteristic radiation of U, was developed. For fragmentation of high radiated objects was used a cold cutting technique and dust suppression system was applied for reduction of volume activity of aerosols in air. The management of HLRW was performed by remote controlled robots Brokk-180 and Brokk-330. They executed sorting, cutting and parking of high radiated part of contaminated equipment. The use of these techniques allowed to reduce individual and collective doses of personal performed the decommissioning. The average individual dose of the personnel was 1,9 mSv/year in 2011, and the collective dose is estimated by 0,0605 man x Sv/year. Use of the remote control machines enables reducing the number of working personal (20 men) and doses. X-ray spectrometric methods enable determination of a presence of the U in high radiated objects and special cans and separation of them for further spent fuel inspection. The sorting of radwaste enabled shipping of the LLRW and ILRW to special repositories and keeping of the HLRW for decay in the Kurchatov institute repository. (authors)« less

Comprehensive Evaluation of the MBT STAR-BL Module for Simultaneous Bacterial Identification and β-Lactamase-Mediated Resistance Detection in Gram-Negative Rods from Cultured Isolates and Positive Blood Cultures

PubMed Central

Lee, Annie W. T.; Lam, Johnson K. S.; Lam, Ricky K. W.; Ng, Wan H.; Lee, Ella N. L.; Lee, Vicky T. Y.; Sze, Po P.; Rajwani, Rahim; Fung, Kitty S. C.; To, Wing K.; Lee, Rodney A.; Tsang, Dominic N. C.; Siu, Gilman K. H.

2018-01-01

Objective: This study evaluated the capability of a MALDI Biotyper system equipped with the newly introduced MBT STAR-BL module to simultaneously perform species identification and β-lactamase-mediated resistance detection in bacteremia -causing bacteria isolated from cultured isolates and patient-derived blood cultures (BCs). Methods: Two hundred retrospective cultured isolates and 153 prospective BCs containing Gram-negative rods (GNR) were collected and subjected to direct bacterial identification, followed by the measurement of β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and meropenem using the MBT STAR-BL module. The results and turnaround times were compared with those of routine microbiological processing. All strains were also characterized by beta-lactamase PCR and sequencing. Results: Using the saponin-based extraction method, MALDI-TOF MS correctly identified bacteria in 116/134 (86.6%) monomicrobial BCs. The detection sensitivities for β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, piperacillin, third-generation cephalosporin and meropenem were 91.3, 100, 97.9, and 100% for cultured isolates, and 80.4, 100, 68.8, and 40% for monomicrobial BCs (n = 134) respectively. The overall specificities ranged from 91.5 to 100%. Furthermore, the MBT STAR-BL and conventional drug susceptibility test results were concordant in 14/19 (73.7%) polymicrobial cultures. Reducing the logRQ cut-off value from 0.4 to 0.2 increased the direct detection sensitivities for β-lactamase activities against ampicillin, cefotaxime and meropenem in BCs to 85.7, 87.5, and 100% respectively. The MBT STAR-BL test enabled the reporting of β-lactamase-producing GNR at 14.16 and 47.64 h before the interim and final reports of routine BCs processing, respectively, were available. Conclusion: The MALDI Biotyper system equipped with the MBT STAR-BL module enables the simultaneous rapid identification of bacterial species and β-lactamase-mediated resistance from BCs and cultured isolates. Adjustment of the logRQ cut-off value to 0.2 significantly increased the detection sensitivities for clinically important drug-resistant pathogens. PMID:29527202

Simulating timber management in Lake States forests.

Treesearch

Gary J. Brand

1981-01-01

Describes in detail a management subsystem to simulate cutting in Lake States forest types. This subsystem is part of a Stand and Tree Evaluation and Modeling System (STEMS) contained in the Forest Resource Evaluation Program (FREP) for the Lake States. The management subsystem can be used to test the effect of alternate management strategies.

Per Pupil Expenditures and Academic Achievement in Georgia School Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Beurden, Krista

2011-01-01

Student achievement and public school funding are national concerns. Federal, state, and local funding vary across the nation and within systems in each state. In the past several years, Georgia school systems have faced austerity cuts by the state legislature and governor, and function with less money while trying to improve student achievement…

Mobilizing Alumni Constituents for Legislative Advocacy in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Elizabeth Saxman

2012-01-01

Adequate funding has become a critical issue for institutions of higher education, affecting outcomes such as accessibility, affordability, and quality of education. The recent economic recession has been detrimental for state funding, resulting in budget cuts for higher education in a majority of states. Overall, state funding has not kept pace…

Epitaxial corundum-VTiO 3 thin films grown on c-cut sapphire

DOE PAGES

Kramer, Alan; Sutter, Eli; Su, Dong; ...

2017-04-12

Corundum structured VTiO 3 has been grown as epitaxial films on c-cut sapphire by laser molecular beam epitaxy. The properties of the film were characterized by reflection high energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and photoemission spectroscopy. All the structural probes clearly indicate the corundum structure of the film. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) indicates that V is in a 3+ charge state implying that Ti also needs to adopt a 3+ charge state in order for the corundum structure to form. However, the Ti-2p XPS, while clearly broadened to the lower binding energy side compared to TiO 2,more » also exhibits a pronounced Ti 4+ component. This is tentatively assigned to a final state effect in XPS measurements and not as the true cation state. In conclusion, the valence band spectra show occupation of 3d metal states that resemble more closely those of Ti 2O 3 than for V 2O 3, suggesting that only the a1g molecular states are occupied.« less

On the Cutting Edge Workshop on Effective and Innovative Course Design: A Model for Designing Rigorous Introductory Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tewksbury, B. J.; MacDonald, R. H.

2004-12-01

As part of a professional development program for faculty in the geosciences, the NSF-funded program On the Cutting Edge (http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/) has developed and offered workshops for geoscience faculty that guide participants through a stimulating process designed to help faculty members articulate goals and design effective and innovative courses that both meet those goals and assess outcomes. Of approximately 150 faculty members who have participated in the workshops, more than 120 have designed introductory courses in topics ranging from physical geology to Earth systems to historical geology to oceanography. The method of course design taught through these workshops leads to the development of rigorous, student-centered introductory courses. Our method of course design begins, not with a list of content items, but with setting goals by answering the question, "What do I want my students to be able to do on their own when they are done with my class?", rather than the question, "What do I want my students to know in this subject?" Focusing on what faculty members want students to be able to do, rather than on what topics should be covered by the faculty member, promotes designing courses in which students are actively engaged in doing geoscience. This course design method emphasizes setting goals for students involving higher order thinking skills (e.g., analysis, synthesis, design, formulation, prediction, interpretation, evaluation), rather than lower order thinking skills (e.g., identification, description, recognition, classification). For example, the goal of having students be able to evaluate the geologic hazards in an unfamiliar region involves higher order thinking skills and engages the student in deeper analysis than simply asking students to recall and describe examples of geologic hazards covered in class. This goal also has imbedded in it many lower order thinking skills tasks (e.g., identification, description). Rigor comes in having the students involved in doing significant and meaningful geologic tasks. Long-term value comes from improving students' abilities for future challenges, rather focusing on having students pass the final exam. Goals for courses of many different types can be found in the Cutting Edge goals/syllabus database at http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/coursedesign/browse.html. The workshop also introduces participants to a wide range of teaching and assessment tools so that faculty members will leave the workshop with a larger toolbox of techniques to choose from when deciding how to give students practice during the semester in tasks relevant to the goals of the course and how to evaluate students' progress toward the goals. Most of the techniques emphasize student engagement, which promotes development of more rigorous courses. Over 100 institutions now have introductory geoscience courses designed by faculty members who have participated in our course design workshops. Participants have stated repeatedly in evaluations that the workshop transformed their views of the course design process and that they will carry the focus on goals, student engagement, and rigor into designing other courses and assessing curricula in their departments. On the Cutting Edge is in the process of developing a web-based course design workshop so that faculty who cannot attend our face-to-face workshops can go through our course design process.

Three screening methods for cognitive dysfunction using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Korean Dementia Screening Questionnaire.

PubMed

Choi, Seong Hye; Park, Moon Ho

2016-02-01

To screen for and determine cognitive dysfunction, cognitive tests and/or informant reports are commonly used. However, these cognitive tests and informant reports are not always available. The present study investigated three screening methods using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) as the cognitive test, and the Korean dementia screening questionnaire (KDSQ) as the informant report. Participants were recruited from the Korea Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea, and included 2861 patients with Alzheimer's disease (dementia), 3519 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 1375 controls with no cognitive dysfunction. Three screening methods were tested: (i) MMSE alone (MMSE(cut-off) ); (ii) a conventional combination of MMSE and KDSQ (MMSE+KDSQ(cut-off) ); and (iii) a decision tree with MMSE and KDSQ (MMSE+KDSQ(decision tree) ). For discriminating any cognitive dysfunction from controls, MMSE+KDSQ(cut-off) had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.784). For discriminating dementia from controls, MMSE+KDSQ(cut-off) had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.899). For discriminating mild cognitive impairment from controls, MMSE(cut-off) had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.683). MMSE+KDSQ(decision tree) showed the highest sensitivity for all discriminations. For overall classification accuracy, MMSE+KDSQ(decision tree) had the highest value (70.0%). These three methods had different advantageous properties for screening and staging cognitive dysfunction. As there might be different availability across clinical settings, these three methods can be selected and used according to situational needs. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Further emissions cuts needed for speedier acid rain recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

Some people may have thought that the problem of acid deposition, commonly referred to as acid rain, had been solved in the United States with the passage of the Acid Deposition Control Program under Title IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA).Although that legislation has helped to dramatically limit emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide—gases that can react in the atmosphere and form acidic compounds, including fine particles of sulfates and nitrates— much steeper cuts are needed for a quicker recovery from acid rain in the north-eastern United States, according to a new scientific appraisal of the effectiveness of measures called for in that law. The appraisal was issued on March 26 and is entitled “Acidic Deposition in the Northeastern United States: Sources and Inputs, Ecosystem Effects, and Management Strategies.”

Florida Rising: An Assessment of Public Universities in the Sunshine State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poliakoff, Michael; Alacbay, Armand

2013-01-01

The State University System of Florida has in recent years faced major budgetary challenges, remarkable for the size of its reductions in state funding, even when compared to the large cuts seen in so many states struck by the recession of 2008. What is more surprising in the world of higher education, however, is the progress that Florida's…

New York State's Community Colleges: Cost-Effective Engines of Educational Access and Economic Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCall, H. Carl

New York State's 36 community colleges have operated under serious financial constraints since the beginning of the last recession in 1990, which diminished state funding and induced program cuts and higher tuition. New York's community college system was established based on a funding model of one-third each by State aid, local support, and…

Family planning funding cuts and teen childbearing.

PubMed

Packham, Analisa

2017-09-01

Publicly funded family planning clinics provide low-cost and free contraception to nearly 1.5 million teens each year. In recent years, several states have considered legislation to defund family planning services, although little is known about how these cuts affect teen pregnancy. This paper fills this knowledge gap by exploiting a policy change in Texas that reduced funding for family planning services by 67% and resulted in over 80 clinic closures. I estimate the effects of the funding cuts on teen health outcomes using a difference-in-differences approach that compares the changes in teen birth rates in Texas counties that lost family planning funding to changes in counties outside of Texas with publicly funded clinics. I find that reducing funding for family planning services in Texas increased teen birth rates by approximately 3.4% over four years with effects concentrated 2-3 years after the initial cuts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Control-based method to identify underlying delays of a nonlinear dynamical system.

PubMed

Yu, Dongchuan; Frasca, Mattia; Liu, Fang

2008-10-01

We suggest several stationary state control-based delay identification methods which do not require any structural information about the controlled systems and are applicable to systems described by delayed ordinary differential equations. This proposed technique includes three steps: (i) driving a system to a steady state; (ii) perturbing the control signal for shifting the steady state; and (iii) identifying all delays by detecting the time that the system is abruptly drawn out of stationarity. Some aspects especially important for applications are discussed as well, including interaction delay identification, stationary state convergence speed, performance comparison, and the influence of noise on delay identification. Several examples are presented to illustrate the reliability and robustness of all delay identification methods suggested.

On-line Monitoring for Cutting Tool Wear Condition Based on the Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Fenghua; Xie, Feng

2017-07-01

In the process of cutting tools, it is very important to monitor the working state of the tools. On the basis of acceleration signal acquisition under the constant speed, time domain and frequency domain analysis of relevant indicators monitor the online of tool wear condition. The analysis results show that the method can effectively judge the tool wear condition in the process of machining. It has certain application value.

Performance of Ti-multilayer coated tool during machining of MDN431 alloyed steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badiger, Pradeep V.; Desai, Vijay; Ramesh, M. R.

2018-04-01

Turbine forgings and other components are required to be high resistance to corrosion and oxidation because which they are highly alloyed with Ni and Cr. Midhani manufactures one of such material MDN431. It's a hard-to-machine steel with high hardness and strength. PVD coated insert provide an answer to problem with its state of art technique on the WC tool. Machinability studies is carried out on MDN431 steel using uncoated and Ti-multilayer coated WC tool insert using Taguchi optimisation technique. During the present investigation, speed (398-625rpm), feed (0.093-0.175mm/rev), and depth of cut (0.2-0.4mm) varied according to Taguchi L9 orthogonal array, subsequently cutting forces and surface roughness (Ra) were measured. Optimizations of the obtained results are done using Taguchi technique for cutting forces and surface roughness. Using Taguchi technique linear fit model regression analysis carried out for the combination of each input variable. Experimented results are compared and found the developed model is adequate which supported by proof trials. Speed, feed and depth of cut are linearly dependent on the cutting force and surface roughness for uncoated insert whereas Speed and depth of cut feed is inversely dependent in coated insert for both cutting force and surface roughness. Machined surface for coated and uncoated inserts during machining of MDN431 is studied using optical profilometer.

Ultrasonically assisted turning of aviation materials: simulations and experimental study.

PubMed

Babitsky, V I; Mitrofanov, A V; Silberschmidt, V V

2004-04-01

Ultrasonically assisted turning of modern aviation materials is conducted with ultrasonic vibration (frequency f approximately 20 kHz, amplitude a approximately 15 microm) superimposed on the cutting tool movement. An autoresonant control system is used to maintain the stable nonlinear resonant mode of vibration throughout the cutting process. Experimental comparison of roughness and roundness for workpieces machined conventionally and with the superimposed ultrasonic vibration, results of high-speed filming of the turning process and nanoindentation analyses of the microstructure of the machined material are presented. The suggested finite-element model provides numerical comparison between conventional and ultrasonic turning of Inconel 718 in terms of stress/strain state, cutting forces and contact conditions at the workpiece/tool interface.

7. VIEW WEST, PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF TOP OF INCLINED PLANE ...

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

7. VIEW WEST, PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF TOP OF INCLINED PLANE AND EAST FACE OF CUT STONE TOWER - Laurel Hill Quarry, Incline Plane, Both sides of State Route 56, 2.4 miles East of State Route 711, Seward, Westmoreland County, PA

Effect of Anticipation on Lower Extremity Biomechanics During Side- and Cross-Cutting Maneuvers in Young Soccer Players.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Hyun; Lee, Ki-Kwang; Kong, Se Jin; An, Keun Ok; Jeong, Jin Hwa; Lee, Yong Seuk

2014-08-01

Less mature athletes exhibit biomechanical parameters during cutting maneuvers that may place these athletes at greater risk for injury than their more mature counterparts, especially if the maneuvers are unanticipated. However, most studies on risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have focused on neuromuscular and knee kinematic differences between the sexes, not on the biomechanical parameters between specific sporting maneuvers. (1) Anticipation will have a greater effect than the type of cutting maneuver (side- vs cross-cutting) in terms of the biomechanical risk factors for ACL injuries, and (2) the biomechanical risk factors will be different between the 2 types of maneuvers. Controlled laboratory study. Thirty-seven young, male middle school soccer players participated in this study. Three-dimensional motion analysis featuring ground-reaction force and electromyography of the right leg was used. Kinematics, kinetics, and electromyography data for each athlete were analyzed during anticipated and unanticipated side- and cross-cutting maneuvers. The differences between anticipated and unanticipated states as well as between side- and cross-cutting maneuvers were calculated and compared. After unanticipated side-cutting, the time to peak ground-reaction force was longer and peak values were smaller compared with anticipated side-cutting. Flexion, valgus, and internal rotations in the knee joint were larger, and greater flexion and valgus moments were observed. The vastus lateralis and vastus medialis showed lower activity, and the lateral gastrocnemius showed higher activity after unanticipated side-cutting maneuvers. With unanticipated cross-cutting, the time to peak ground-reaction force was longer and peak values were smaller compared with anticipated cross-cutting, and the lateral gastrocnemius showed higher activity. Differences in the peak values of the mediolateral and vertical forces were smaller in the cross-cutting maneuver than in side-cutting. Changes in flexion and adduction of the hip joint, flexion of the knee joint, and inversion of the ankle joint were larger during side-cutting. Although there were some interactions between direction and anticipation, anticipating a cutting maneuver generally had a greater effect than the type of maneuver when there was no significant interaction. Increases in the valgus angle and moment of the knee joint and higher lateral gastrocnemius activity during the late period showed an association with ACL injury risk factors during side-cutting, and higher lateral gastrocnemius activity during the early period showed an association with injury risk factors during cross-cutting. © 2014 The Author(s).

An Analysis of State Autism Educational Assessment Practices and Requirements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Erin E.; Harris, Bryn; Leech, Nancy; Stiff, Lillian; Choi, Gounah; Joel, Tiffany

2016-01-01

States differ in the procedures and criteria used to identify ASD. These differences are likely to impact the prevalence and age of identification for children with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to examine the specific state variations in ASD identification and eligibility criteria requirements. We examined variations by state in…

Geometry and material choices govern hard-rock drilling performance of PDC drag cutters.

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

Wise, Jack LeRoy

2005-06-01

Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with industry on a multifaceted, baseline experimental study that supports the development of improved drag cutters for advanced drill bits. Different nonstandard cutter lots were produced and subjected to laboratory tests that evaluated the influence of selected design and processing parameters on cutter loads, wear, and durability pertinent to the penetration of hard rock with mechanical properties representative of formations encountered in geothermal or deep oil/gas drilling environments. The focus was on cutters incorporating ultrahard PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) overlays (i.e., diamond tables) on tungsten-carbide substrates. Parameter variations included changes in cutter geometry, material composition,more » and processing conditions. Geometric variables were the diamond-table thickness, the cutting-edge profile, and the PDC/substrate interface configuration. Material and processing variables for the diamond table were, respectively, the diamond particle size and the sintering pressure applied during cutter fabrication. Complementary drop-impact, granite-log abrasion, linear cutting-force, and rotary-drilling tests examined the response of cutters from each lot. Substantial changes in behavior were observed from lot to lot, allowing the identification of features contributing major (factor of 10+) improvements in cutting performance for hard-rock applications. Recent field demonstrations highlight the advantages of employing enhanced cutter technology during challenging drilling operations.« less

"Meniscus Sign" to Identify the Lenticule Edge in Small-Incision Lenticule Extraction.

PubMed

Titiyal, Jeewan S; Kaur, Manpreet; Brar, Anand S; Falera, Ruchita

2018-06-01

To describe our technique of lenticule edge identification in small-incision lenticule extraction using the "meniscus sign" to prevent lenticule misdissection. Femtosecond laser application for small-incision lenticule extraction was performed. A "double ring" was visible, signifying the edge of the cap cut (outer ring) and lenticule cut (inner ring). The anterior and posterior lamellar planes were delineated in 2 different directions. During creation of the posterior lamellar channel, the lenticule edge was slightly pushed away from the surgeon to create a gap between the inner ring (diameter of the lenticule cut) and the lenticule edge. The lenticule edge assumed a frilled wavy appearance, and the meniscus sign was observed as a gap between the lenticule edge and the inner ring. The meniscus-shaped gap served as a landmark to identify the lenticule edge, and the relationship between the frilled lenticule edge and surgical instruments further acted as a guide to identify the correct plane of dissection. This technique was successfully undertaken in 50 eyes of 25 patients. The meniscus sign was observed in all cases, and no case had cap lenticular adhesions. The meniscus sign helps to identify the lenticule edge and correct dissection planes and provides a visual landmark during the entire surgical procedure.

The utility of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)for the analysis of binge drinking in university students.

PubMed

Cortés Tomás, María T; Giménez Costa, José A; Motos-Sellés, Patricia; Sancerni Beitia, María D; Cadaveira Mahía, Fernando

2017-05-01

The increasingly precise conceptualization of Binge Drinking (BD), along with the rising incidence of this pattern of intake amongst young people, make it necessary to review the usefulness of instruments used to detect it. Little evidence exists regarding effectiveness of the AUDIT, AUDIT-C and AUDIT-3 in the detection of BD. This study evaluates their utility in a sample of university students, revealing the most appropriate cut-off points for each sex. All students self-administered the AUDIT and completed a self-report of their alcohol consumption. A Two-step cluster analysis differentiated 5 groups of BD in terms of: the quantity consumed, the frequency of BD over the past six months and gender. A ROC curve adjusted cut-off points for each case. 862 university students (18-19 years-old/59.5% female), 424 (49.2%) from Valencia and 438 (50.8%) from Madrid, had cut-off points of 4 in AUDIT and 3 in AUDIT-C as a better fit. In all cases, the best classifier was AUDIT-C. Neither version properly classifies students with varying degrees of BD. All versions differentiate BD from non-BD, but none are able to differentiate between types of BD.

Higgsplosion: Solving the hierarchy problem via rapid decays of heavy states into multiple Higgs bosons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoze, Valentin V.; Spannowsky, Michael

2018-01-01

We introduce and discuss two inter-related mechanisms operative in the electroweak sector of the Standard Model at high energies. Higgsplosion, the first mechanism, occurs at some critical energy in the 25 to 103 TeV range, and leads to an exponentially growing decay rate of highly energetic particles into multiple Higgs bosons. We argue that this is a well-controlled non-perturbative phenomenon in the Higgs-sector which involves the final state Higgs multiplicities n in the regime nλ ≫ 1 where λ is the Higgs self-coupling. If this mechanism is realised in nature, the cross-sections for producing ultra-high multiplicities of Higgs bosons are likely to become observable and even dominant in this energy range. At the same time, however, the apparent exponential growth of these cross-sections at even higher energies will be tamed and automatically cut-off by a related Higgspersion mechanism. As a result, and in contrast to previous studies, multi-Higgs production does not violate perturbative unitarity. Building on this approach, we then argue that the effects of Higgsplosion alter quantum corrections from very heavy states to the Higgs boson mass. Above a certain energy, which is much smaller than their masses, these states would rapidly decay into multiple Higgs bosons. The heavy states become unrealised as they decay much faster than they are formed. The loop integrals contributing to the Higgs mass will be cut off not by the masses of the heavy states, but by the characteristic loop momenta where their decay widths become comparable to their masses. Hence, the cut-off scale would be many orders of magnitude lower than the heavy mass scales themselves, thus suppressing their quantum corrections to the Higgs boson mass.

Comparing Approaches to Optimize Cut-off Scores for Short Cognitive Screening Instruments in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

PubMed Central

O’Caoimh, Rónán; Gao, Yang; Svendovski, Anton; Gallagher, Paul; Eustace, Joseph; Molloy, D. William

2017-01-01

Background: Although required to improve the usability of cognitive screening instruments (CSIs), the use of cut-off scores is controversial yet poorly researched. Objective: To explore cut-off scores for two short CSIs: the Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) and Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen, describing adjustments in scores for diagnosis (MCI or dementia), age (≤, >75 years), and education (<, ≥12 years), comparing two methods: the maximal accuracy approach, derived from receiver operating characteristic curves, and Youden’s Index. Methods: Pooled analysis of assessments from patients attending memory clinics in Canada between 1999–2010 : 766 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 1,746 with dementia, and 875 normal controls. Results: The Qmci was more accurate than the SMMSE in differentiating controls from MCI or cognitive impairment (MCI and dementia). Employing the maximal accuracy approach, the optimal SMMSE cut-off for cognitive impairment was <28/30 (AUC 0.86, sensitivity 74%, specificity 88%) versus <63/100 for the Qmci (AUC 0.93, sensitivity 85%, specificity 85%). Using Youden’s Index, the optimal SMMSE cut-off remained <28/30 but fell slightly to <62/100 for the Qmci (sensitivity 83%, specificity 87%). The optimal cut-off for MCI was <29/30 for the SMMSE and <67/100 for the Qmci, irrespective of technique. The maximal accuracy approach generally produced higher Qmci cut-offs than Youden’s Index, both requiring adjustment for age and education. There were no clinically meaningful differences in SMMSE cut-off scores by age and education or method employed. Conclusion: Caution should be exercised selecting cut-offs as these differ by age, education, and method of derivation, with the extent of adjustment varying between CSIs. PMID:28222528

Combination of Ultrasonic Vibration and Cryogenic Cooling for Cutting Performance Improvement of Inconel 718 Turning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, S. Y.; Chung, C. T.; Cheng, Y. Y.

2011-01-01

The main objective of this study is to develop a thermo-elastic-plastic coupling model, based on a combination skill of ultrasonically assisted cutting and cryogenic cooling, under large deformation for Inconel 718 alloy machining process. The improvement extent on cutting performance and tool life promotion may be examined from this investigation. The critical value of the strain energy density of the workpiece will be utilized as the chip separation and the discontinuous chip segmentation criteria. The forced convection cooling and a hydrodynamic lubrication model will be considered and formulated in the model. Finite element method will be applied to create a complete numerical solution for this ultrasonic vibration cutting model. During the analysis, the cutting tool is incrementally advanced forward with superimposed ultrasonic vibration in a back and forth step-by-step manner, from an incipient stage of tool-workpiece engagement to a steady state of chip formation, a whole simulation of orthogonal cutting process under plane strain deformation is thus undertaken. High shear strength induces a fluctuation phenomenon of shear angle, high shear strain rate, variation of chip types and chip morphology, tool-chip contact length variation, the temperature distributions within the workpiece, chip and tool, periodic fluctuation in cutting forces can be determined from the developed model. A complete comparison of machining characteristics between some different combinations of ultrasonically assisted cutting and cryogenic cooling with conventional cutting operation can be acquired. Finally, the high-speed turning experiment for Inconel 718 alloy will be taken in the laboratory to validate the accuracy of the model, and the progressive flank wear, crater wear, notching and chipping of the tool edge can also be measured in the experiments.

Utility of the Alcohol Consumption Questions in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test for Screening At-Risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorders among Korean College Students

PubMed Central

Kwon, Ui Suk; Kim, Sung Soo; Jung, Jin Gyu; Yoon, Seok-Joon; Kim, Seong Gu

2013-01-01

Background This study evaluated the utility of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Alcohol Consumption Questions (AUDIT-C) in screening at-risk drinking and alcohol use disorders among Korean college students. Methods For the 387 students who visited Chungnam National University student health center, drinking state and alcohol use disorders were assessed through diagnostic interviews. In addition, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), AUDIT-C, and cut down, annoyed, guilty, eye-opener (CAGE) were applied. The utility of the questionnaires for the interview results were compared. Results The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of AUDIT-C for screening at-risk drinking were 0.927 in the male and 0.921 in the female participants. The AUROCs of AUDIT and CAGE were 0.906 and 0.643, respectively, in the male, and 0.898 and 0.657, respectively, in the female participants. The optimal screening scores of at-risk drinking in AUDIT-C were ≥6 in the male and ≥4 in the female participants; and in AUDIT and CAGE, ≥8 and ≥1, respectively, in the male, and ≥5 and ≥1 in the female participants. The AUROCs of AUDIT-C in screening alcohol use disorders were 0.902 in the male and 0.939 in the female participants. In the AUDIT and CAGE, the AUROCs were 0.936 and 0.712, respectively, in the male, and 0.960 and 0.844, respectively, in the female participants. The optimal screening scores of alcohol use disorders in AUDIT-C were ≥7 in the male and ≥6 in the female participants; and in AUDIT and CAGE, ≥10 and ≥1, respectively, in the male, and ≥8 and ≥1 in the female participants. Conclusion AUDIT-C is considered useful in screening at-risk drinking and alcohol use disorders among college students. PMID:23904957

Repealing Federal Health Reform: Economic and Employment Consequences for States.

PubMed

Ku, Leighton; Steinmetz, Erika; Brantley, Erin; Bruen, Brian

2017-01-01

Issue: The incoming Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), likely beginning with the law’s insurance premium tax credits and expansion of Medicaid eligibility. Research shows that the loss of these two provisions would lead to a doubling of the number of uninsured, higher uncompensated care costs for providers, and higher taxes for low-income Americans. Goal: To determine the state-by-state effect of repeal on employment and economic activity. Methods: A multistate economic forecasting model (PI+ from Regional Economic Models, Inc.) was used to quantify for each state the effects of the federal spending cuts. Findings and Conclusions: Repeal results in a $140 billion loss in federal funding for health care in 2019, leading to the loss of 2.6 million jobs (mostly in the private sector) that year across all states. A third of lost jobs are in health care, with the majority in other industries. If replacement policies are not in place, there will be a cumulative $1.5 trillion loss in gross state products and a $2.6 trillion reduction in business output from 2019 to 2023. States and health care providers will be particularly hard hit by the funding cuts.

40 CFR 62.9500 - Identification of sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS Oregon Fluoride Emissions from Phosphate Fertilizer Plants § 62.9500 Identification of sources. The Oregon State Department...

Failure in laboratory fault models in triaxial tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savage, J.C.; Lockner, D.A.; Byerlee, J.D.

1996-01-01

A model of a fault in the Earth is a sand-filled saw cut in a granite cylinder subjected to a triaxial test. The saw cut is inclined at an angle a to the cylinder axis, and the sand filling is intended to represent gouge. The triaxial test subjects the granite cylinder to a constant confining pressure and increasing axial stress to maintain a constant rate of shortening of the cylinder. The required axial stress increases at a decreasing rate to a maximum, beyond which a roughly constant axial stress is sufficient to maintain the constant rate of shortening: Such triaxial tests were run for saw cuts inclined at angles ?? of 20??, 25??, 30??, 35??, 40??, 45??, and 50?? to the cylinder axis, and the apparent coefficient of friction ??a (ratio of the shear stress to the normal stress, both stresses resolved onto the saw cut) at failure was determined. Subject to the assumption that the observed failure involves slip on Coulomb shears (orientation unspecified), the orientation of the principal compression axis within the gouge can be calculated as a function of ??a for a given value of the coefficient of internal friction ??i. The rotation of the principal stress axes within the gouge in a triaxial test can then be followed as the shear strain across the gouge layer increases. For ??i ??? 0.8, an appropriate value for highly sheared sand, the observed values ??a imply that the principal-axis of compression within the gouge rotates so as to approach being parallel to the cylinder axis for all saw cut angles (20?? < ?? < 50??). In the limiting state (principal compression axis parallel to cylinder axis) the stress state in the gouge layer would be the same as that in the granite cylinder, and the failure criterion would be independent of the saw cut angle.

Validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) score and definition of cut-off points for disease activity states in a population-based European cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Salaffi, Fausto; Di Carlo, Marco; Vojinovic, Jelena; Tincani, Angela; Sulli, Alberto; Soldano, Stefano; Andreoli, Laura; Dall'Ara, Francesca; Ionescu, Ruxandra; Simić Pašalić, Katarina; Balčune, Ineta; Ferraz-Amaro, Iván; Tlustochowicz, Malgorzata; Butrimienė, Irena; Punceviciene, Egle; Toroptsova, Natalia; Grazio, Simeon; Morović-Vergles, Jadranka; Masaryk, Pavol; Otsa, Kati; Bernardes, Miguel; Boyadzhieva, Vladimira; Cutolo, Maurizio

2018-05-01

To assess the validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) for measuring disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine cut-off values for defining the disease activity states. A total of 622 RA patients from an European database have been included. Cross-validation was based on assessment of convergent and discriminant validity. Optimal cut-offs were determined against external criteria by calculating the respective 25th and 75th percentiles mean values of RAID. External criteria included definitions for remission (REM), low disease activity (LDA), moderate disease activity (MDA) and high disease activity (HDA), cut-offs of the 28-joint disease activity score-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) score. The RAID showed a moderate degree of correlation with respect to DAS28-CRP (rho=0.417; P<0.0001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to discriminate the ability of RAID to distinguish patients with active and non-active disease was very good with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.847 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.816 to 0.878; P<0.0001). Based on the distributions of RAID in the different disease activity groups, we propose the following cut-off values for REM: RAID ≤3; for LDA: RAID >3 and ≤4; for MDA: RAID >4 and ≤6; for HDA: RAID >6. Mean RAID differed significantly between patients classified as REM, LDA, MDA or HDA (P=0.001). The cut-offs revealed good measurement characteristics in cross-validation analysis, had great discriminatory performance in distinguishing patients with different levels of disease activity and are suited for widespread use in everyday practice application and research. Copyright © 2017 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

State Disinvestment, Technologies of Choice and "Fitting In": Neoliberal Transformations in US Public Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Convertino, Christina

2017-01-01

Given state cuts to US public education, overcrowding and underfunding in urban district schools continue to grow. Yet, how parents understand the role of state disinvestment on underfunded and overcrowded public schools remains relatively unexamined. Drawing from an ethnographic study of school choice in Arizona, I explore how a group of white…

Opportunity through Education: Two Proposals. Policy Brief Number 181

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehurst, Grover J.

2011-01-01

The new normal for local, state and federal governments is fiscal austerity. Although President Obama supported education during his State of the Union address and in his budget proposal to Congress, cash-strapped localities and states--which foot most of the bill for educating America's children--may have to balance their budgets with cuts to…

The Role Institutional Research Plays in Navigating the Current Economic Uncertainty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worley, Mary Beth

2008-01-01

Nationally, state spending for public higher education has been declining as a proportion of state general fund expenditures. Traditionally state-appropriated budgets for public colleges and universities tend to be cut during times of economic crisis, but often these funds are not always restored once the crisis has passed. As a result "the…

Publications - GMC 277 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

from the following: Shell Oil Company Kustatan Ridge #1, Shell Oil Company Middle River State #1 , Superior Oil Three Mile Creek State #1, Texas International Pet. Corp. Pretty Creek State #1 Authors reflectance analyses for Cook Inlet well cuttings from the following: Shell Oil Company Kustatan Ridge #1

Identification and risk estimation of movement strategies during cutting maneuvers.

PubMed

David, Sina; Komnik, Igor; Peters, Markus; Funken, Johannes; Potthast, Wolfgang

2017-12-01

Approximately 70% of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in non-contact situations during cutting and landing maneuvers. Parameters such as footstrike patterns and trunk orientation were found to influence ACL relevant knee loading, however, the relationship between the whole body movement and injury risk is debated. This study identifies whole body movement strategies that increase injury risk, and provides training recommendations to reduce this risk or enable a save return to sports after injury. Experimental cross-sectional study design. Three dimensional movement analysis was carried out to investigate 50 participants performing anticipated 90° cutting maneuvers. To identify and characterize movement strategies, footstrike pattern, knee valgus moment, knee internal rotation moment, angle of attack, shoulder and pelvis axis were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. Three different movement strategies were identified. One strategy included rearfoot striking in combination with a relatively upright body position which generated higher knee joint loads than the second strategy, forefoot striking in combination with more backwards leaning and pre-rotation of the trunk towards the new movement direction. A third strategy combined forefoot striking with less preorientation which increased the ACL relevant knee joint load compared to the second strategy. The identified movement strategies clearly pre-determine the injury risk during non-contact situations with the third strategy as the most unfavorable one. Compared to the study of isolated parameters, the analysis of the whole body movement allowed for detailed separation of more risky from less risky cutting strategies. These results give practical recommendations for the prevention of ACL injury. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detecting paraprotein interference on a direct bilirubin assay by reviewing the photometric reaction data.

PubMed

García-González, Elena; Aramendía, Maite; González-Tarancón, Ricardo; Romero-Sánchez, Naiara; Rello, Luis

2017-07-26

The direct bilirubin (D-Bil) assay on the AU Beckman Coulter instrumentation can be interfered by paraproteins, which may result in spurious D-Bil results. In a previous work, we took advantage of this fact to detect this interference, thus helping with the identification of patients with unsuspected monoclonal gammopathies. In this work, we investigate the possibility to detect interference based on the review of the photometric reactions, regardless of the D-Bil result. The D-Bil assay was carried out in a set of 2164 samples. It included a group of 164 samples with paraproteins (67 of which caused interference on the assay), as well as different groups of samples for which high absorbance background readings could also be expected (i.e. hemolyzed, lipemic, or icteric samples). Photometric reaction data were reviewed and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to establish a cut-off for absorbance that best discriminates interference. The best cut-off was 0.0100 for the absorbance at the first photometric point of the complementary wavelength in the blank cuvette. Once the optimal cut-off for probable interference was selected, all samples analyzed in our laboratory that provided absorbance values above this cut-off were further investigated to try to discover paraproteins. During a period of 6 months, we detected 44 samples containing paraproteins, five of which belonged to patients with non-diagnosed monoclonal gammopathies. Review of the photometric reaction data permits the systematic detection of paraprotein interference on the D-Bil AU assay, even for samples for which reasonable results are obtained.

Screening for alcohol use disorders and at-risk drinking in the general population: psychometric performance of three questionnaires.

PubMed

Rumpf, Hans-Jürgen; Hapke, Ulfert; Meyer, Christian; John, Ulrich

2002-01-01

Most screening questionnaires are developed in clinical settings and there are few data on their performance in the general population. This study provides data on the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, sensitivity, specificity, and internal consistency of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the consumption questions of the AUDIT (AUDIT-C) and the Lübeck Alcohol Dependence and Abuse Screening Test (LAST) among current drinkers (n = 3551) of a general population sample in northern Germany. Alcohol dependence and misuse according to DSM-IV and at-risk drinking served as gold standards to assess sensitivity and specificity and were assessed with the Munich-Composite Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI). AUDIT and LAST showed insufficient sensitivity for at-risk drinking and alcohol misuse using standard cut-off scores, but satisfactory detection rates for alcohol dependence. The AUDIT-C showed low specificity in all criterion groups with standard cut-off. Adjusted cut-points are recommended. Among a subsample of individuals with previous general hospital admission in the last year, all questionnaires showed higher internal consistency suggesting lower reliability in non-clinical samples. In logistic regression analyses, having had a hospital admission increased the sensitivity in detecting any criterion group of the LAST, and the number of recent general practice visits increased the sensitivity of the AUDIT in detecting alcohol misuse. Women showed lower scores and larger areas under the ROC curves. It is concluded that setting specific instruments (e.g. primary care or general population) or adjusted cut-offs should be used.

Defining overweight and obesity among Greek children living in Thessaloniki: International versus local reference standards.

PubMed

Christoforidis, A; Dimitriadou, M; Papadopolou, E; Stilpnopoulou, D; Katzos, G; Athanassiou-Metaxa, M

2011-04-01

Body Mass Index (BMI) offers a simple and reasonable measure of obesity that, with the use of the appropriate reference, can help in the early detection of children with weight problems. Our aim was to compare the two most commonly used international BMI references and the national Greek BMI reference in identifying Greek children being overweight and obese. A group of 1557 children (820 girls and 737 boys, mean age: 11.42 ± 3.51 years) were studied. Weight and height was measured using standard methods, and BMI was calculated. Overweight and obesity were determined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BMI-forage curves and the most recent Greek BMI-for-age curves. RESULTS showed that the IOTF's cut-off limits identifies a significantly higher prevalence of overweight (22.4%) compared with both the CDC's (11.8%, p=0.03) and the Greek's (7.4%, p=0.002) cut-off limits. However, the prevalence of obesity was generally increased when it was determined using the CDC's cut-off limits (13.9%) compared to the prevalence calculated with both the IOTF's (6.5%, p=0.05) and the Greek's (6.9%, n.s.) cut off limits. The use of the national Greek reference standards for BMI underestimates the true prevalence of overweight and obesity. On the contrary, both the IOTF and the CDC standards, although independently, detect an increased number of overweight and obese children and thus they should be adopted in the clinical practice for an earlier identification and a timelier intervention.

Stimulus Bill Brings Relief to Some States but Falls Far Short for Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2009-01-01

The nearly $54-billion that Congress is directing to the states for education as part of the stimulus bill President Obama signed last week may stave off the worst budget cuts proposed for public colleges. But the money is unlikely to save institutions from the state budget ax entirely. And some states slated to get the most aid from that pot of…

Biography of Dr. Eugene W. Smith Arkansas State University President 1984 to 1992

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newsom, Glenda

2012-01-01

A president of a university in the state of Arkansas would benefit from researching the roots of the educational system within the state. Even though the state now has a number of universities that have evolved and are on the cutting-edge of advanced technology, Arkansas was slow in growth and development. Since Arkansas was slow to expand public…

Publications - GMC 199 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

(2,770' and 6,520') and of core (8,242') from Gulf Oil Corporation Colville Delta State #1 well, and of of cuttings (2,770' and 6,520') and of core (8,242') from Gulf Oil Corporation Colville Delta State

40 CFR 52.670 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Idaho § 52.670 Identification of plan. Link to an..., 2011. (a) Purpose and scope. This section sets forth the applicable State implementation plan for Idaho.... (c) EPA approved regulations. EPA—Approved Idaho Regulations State citation Title/subject State...

40 CFR 52.670 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Idaho § 52.670 Identification of plan. (a) Purpose and scope. This section sets forth the applicable State implementation plan for Idaho under section 110 of.... (c) EPA approved regulations. EPA—Approved Idaho Regulations State citation Title/subject State...

Psychometric properties of the AUDIT among men in Goa, India.

PubMed

Endsley, Paige; Weobong, Benedict; Nadkarni, Abhijit

2017-10-01

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10-item screening questionnaire used to detect alcohol use disorders. The AUDIT has been validated in only two studies in India and although it has been previously used in Goa, India, it has yet to be validated in that setting. In this paper, we aim to report data on the validity of the AUDIT for the screening of AUDs among men in Goa, India. Concurrent and convergent validity of the AUDIT were assessed against the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Scale (WHODAS) for alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and functional status respectively through the secondary analysis of data from a community cohort of men from Goa, India. The AUDIT showed high internal reliability and acceptable criterion validity with adequate psychometric properties for the detection of alcohol abuse and dependence. However, all of the optimal cut-off points from ROC analyses were lower than the WHO recommended for identification of risk of all AUDs, with a score of 6-12 detecting alcohol abuse and 13 and higher alcohol dependence. In order to optimize the utility of the AUDIT, a lowered cut-off point for alcohol abuse and dependence is recommended for Goa, India. Further validation studies for the AUDIT should be conducted for continued validation of the tool in other parts of India. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Application of Ischemia Modified Albumin for Acute Ischemic Heart Disease in Forensic Science].

PubMed

Wang, P; Zhu, Z L; Zhu, N; Yu, H; Yue, Q; Wang, X L; Feng, C M; Wang, C L; Zhang, G H

2017-10-01

To explore the application value and forensic significance of ischemia modified albumin （IMA） in pericardial fluid to diagnose sudden cardiac death. IMA level in pericardial fluid was detected in acute ischemic heart disease group （ n =36）, acute myocardial infarction group （ n =6）, cardiomyopathy group （ n =4） and control group （ n =15） by albumin cobalt binding method. The levels of IMA were compared among these groups. The best cut-off IMA value was estimated and the sensitivity and specificity of acute myocardial ischemia group was distinguished from control group by receiver operating characteristics （ROC） curve. The IMA level in acute ischemic heart disease group was significantly higher than that of control group （ P <0.05）. Compared with acute myocardial infarction group and cardiomyopathy group, the IMA level in acute ischemic heart disease group had no significant difference （ P >0.05）. The cut-off value for the identification of acute myocardial ischemia which obtained by ROC analysis was 40.65 U/mL. And the sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing acute ischemia cardiac disease was 60.0% and 80.5%, respectively. The IMA value in pericardial fluid can be a reference marker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia, which also can provide objective basis for the forensic identification of sudden cardiac death. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine

Psychometric properties of the Turkish versions of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) in the prison setting.

PubMed

Evren, Cuneyt; Ogel, Kultegin; Evren, Bilge; Bozkurt, Muge

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate psychometric properties of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) in prisoners with (n = 124) or without (n = 78) drug use disorder. Participants were evaluated with the DUDIT, the DAST-10, and the Addiction Profile Index-Short (API-S). The DUDIT and the DAST-10 were found to be psychometrically sound drug abuse screening measures with high convergent validity when compared with each other (r = 0.86), and API-S (r = 0.88 and r = 0.84, respectively), and to have a Cronbach's α of 0.93 and 0.87, respectively. In addition, a single component accounted for 58.28% of total variance for DUDIT, whereas this was 47.10% for DAST-10. The DUDIT had sensitivity and specificity scores of 0.95 and 0.79, respectively, when using the optimal cut-off score of 10, whereas these scores were 0.88 and 0.74 for the DAST-10 when using the optimal cut-off score of 4. Additionally, both the DUDIT and the DAST-10 showed good discriminant validity as they differentiated prisoners with drug use disorder from those without. Findings support the Turkish versions of both the DUDIT and the DAST-10 as reliable and valid drug abuse screening instruments that measure unidimensional constructs.

Surface Finish and Residual Stresses Induced by Orthogonal Dry Machining of AA7075-T651

PubMed Central

Jomaa, Walid; Songmene, Victor; Bocher, Philippe

2014-01-01

The surface finish was extensively studied in usual machining processes (turning, milling, and drilling). For these processes, the surface finish is strongly influenced by the cutting feed and the tool nose radius. However, a basic understanding of tool/surface finish interaction and residual stress generation has been lacking. This paper aims to investigate the surface finish and residual stresses under the orthogonal cutting since it can provide this information by avoiding the effect of the tool nose radius. The orthogonal machining of AA7075-T651 alloy through a series of cutting experiments was performed under dry conditions. Surface finish was studied using height and amplitude distribution roughness parameters. SEM and EDS were used to analyze surface damage and built-up edge (BUE) formation. An analysis of the surface topography showed that the surface roughness was sensitive to changes in cutting parameters. It was found that the formation of BUE and the interaction between the tool edge and the iron-rich intermetallic particles play a determinant role in controlling the surface finish during dry orthogonal machining of the AA7075-T651 alloy. Hoop stress was predominantly compressive on the surface and tended to be tensile with increased cutting speed. The reverse occurred for the surface axial stress. The smaller the cutting feed, the greater is the effect of cutting speed on both axial and hoop stresses. By controlling the cutting speed and feed, it is possible to generate a benchmark residual stress state and good surface finish using dry machining. PMID:28788534

Enhancing safety and aroma appealing of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables using the antimicrobial and aromatic power of essential oils.

PubMed

Ayala-Zavala, J Fernando; González-Aguilar, Gustavo A; del-Toro-Sánchez, L

2009-09-01

Microbial and aroma attributes are within the most decisive factors limiting safety and sensory appealing of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Alternatively, several plant essential oils (EOs) are constituted of several volatile active compounds and most of them present antimicrobial potential and had different aroma profile. Considering these premises, this hypothesis article states that safety and aroma appealing of fresh-cut produce could be improved with EO treatment. EOs could prevent fresh-cut fruit decay; however, their volatile constituents could be sorbed by the produce, and according to the aroma notes of the antimicrobial oil, sensorial appealing of odor, and flavor of the treated produce might be affected positively or negatively. Specifically, garlic oil is a natural antimicrobial constituted by sulfur compounds, which are responsible for its odor and antimicrobial properties. Besides, fresh-cut tomato is a highly perishable product that needs antimicrobial agents to preserve its quality and safety for a longer period of time. From the sensorial point of view, aroma combination of garlic and tomato is a common seasoning practice in Europe and America and well accepted by consumers. Once the right combination of flavors between the EOs and the fresh-cut produce has been selected, safety and quality of the treated fruit could be improved by adding antimicrobial protection and extra aroma. Therefore, other combinations between EOs and fresh-cut produce are discussed. This approximation could reinforce the trends of natural food preservation, accomplishing the demands of the increasing sector of consumers demanding tasty and convenient fresh-cut produce, containing only natural ingredients.

Understanding landowner intentions to create early successional forest habitat in the northeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dayer, Ashley A.; Stedman, Richard C.; Allred, Shorna B.; Rosenberg, Kenneth V.; Fuller, Angela K.

2016-01-01

Early successional forest habitat (ESH) and associated wildlife species in the northeastern United States are in decline. One way to help create early successional forest conditions is engaging private forest landowners in even-aged forest management because their limited participation may have contributed to declines in ESH for wildlife species of high conservation concern. We applied the reasoned action approach from social psychology to predict intentions of landowners in the 13-county Southern Tier of New York State, USA, to conduct patch-cuts, which is a type of even-aged forest management. We tested the predictive ability of the model using data from a mail survey of landowners conducted from November 2010 to January 2011. Landowner intention to conduct patch-cuts was high (55% of respondents), with attitude being the strongest direct predictor of behavioral intention. Our results suggest that patch-cutting intentions are most likely expressed by landowners who think the behavior is good for their land and wildlife, believe in positive outcomes of land and wildlife management, belong to a game wildlife organization, and have conducted patch-cuts in the past. Strategies to engage more landowners in ESH management will have the highest likelihood of success if outreach efforts focus on influencing behavioral beliefs and subsequently attitudes, possibly working with game wildlife organizations to communicate a unified message for habitat conservation, including the importance of maintaining and creating ESH. Our results demonstrate the importance of social science research to increase the likelihood that conservation targets for declining wildlife species are met. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Extended Deterrence, Nuclear Proliferation, and START III

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

Speed, R.D.

2000-06-20

Early in the Cold War, the United States adopted a policy of ''extended nuclear deterrence'' to protect its allies by threatening a nuclear strike against any state that attacks these allies. This threat can (in principle) be used to try to deter an enemy attack using conventional weapons or one using nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. The credibility of a nuclear threat has long been subject to debate and is dependent on many complex geopolitical factors, not the least of which is the military capabilities of the opposing sides. The ending of the Cold War has led to a significantmore » decrease in the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the United States and Russia. START II, which was recently ratified by the Russian Duma, will (if implemented) reduce the number deployed strategic nuclear weapons on each side to 3500, compared to a level of over 11,000 at the end of the Cold War in 1991. The tentative limit established by Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin for START III would reduce the strategic force level to 2000-2500. However, the Russians (along with a number of arms control advocates) now argue that the level should be reduced even further--to 1500 warheads or less. The conventional view is that ''deep cuts'' in nuclear weapons are necessary to discourage nuclear proliferation. Thus, as part of the bargain to get the non-nuclear states to agree to the renewal of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the United States pledged to work towards greater reductions in strategic forces. Without movement in the direction of deep cuts, it is thought by many analysts that some countries may decide to build their own nuclear weapons. Indeed, this was part of the rationale India used to justify its own nuclear weapons program. However, there is also some concern that deep cuts (to 1500 or lower) in the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal could have the opposite effect. The fear is that such cuts might undermine extended deterrence and cause a crisis in confidence among U.S. allies to such an extent that they could seek nuclear weapons of their own to protect themselves.« less

Fiscal year 2013 energy department budget: Proposed investments in clean energy research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerak, Ernie

2012-03-01

Energy and environmental research programs generally fared well in President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the Department of Energy (DOE) for fiscal year (FY) 2013. In his State of the Union address, Obama called for the United States to pursue an "all of the above" energy strategy that includes fossil fuels, as well as a variety of renewable sources of energy. The DOE budget request supports that strategy, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a 13 February press briefing announcing the budget proposal. The proposed budget gives DOE 27.2 billion overall, a 3.2% increase from the FY 2012 enacted budget (see Table 1). This budget "reflects some tough choices," Chu said. The proposed budget would cut 4 billion in subsidies for oil and gas companies; many Republican members of Congress have already indicated that they oppose such cuts, suggesting that congressional approval of this budget may run into stumbling blocks. The budget would also cut funding for research and development projects that are already attracting private-sector investment or that are not working, and would reduce some of the department's operational costs.

Waist circumference cut-off points for identification of abdominal obesity among the tunisian adult population.

PubMed

Bouguerra, R; Alberti, H; Smida, H; Salem, L B; Rayana, C B; El Atti, J; Achour, A; Gaigi, S; Slama, C B; Zouari, B; Alberti, K G M M

2007-11-01

Waist circumference (WC) is a convenient measure of abdominal adipose tissue. It itself is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes-risk factor and is strongly linked to other CVD risk factors. There are, however, ethnic differences in the relationship of WC to the other risk factors. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal cut-off points of WC and body mass index (BMI) at which cardiovascular risk factors can be identified with maximum sensitivity and specificity in a representative sample of the Tunisian adult population and to investigate any correlation between WC and BMI. We used a sample of the Tunisian National Nutrition Survey, a cross-sectional population-based survey, conducted in 1996 on a large nationally representative sample, which included 3435 adults (1244 men and 2191 women) of 20 years or older. WC, BMI, blood pressure and fasting blood measurements (plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides) were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify optimal cut-off values of WC and BMI to identify with maximum sensitivity and specificity the detection of high blood pressure, hyperglycaemia, high blood cholesterol and hypertriglyceridaemia. ROC curve analysis suggested WC cut-off points of 85 cm in men and 85 cm in women for the optimum detection of high blood pressure, diabetes and dyslipidaemia. The optimum BMI cut-off points for predicting cardiovascular risk factors were 24 kg/m(2) in men and 27 kg/m(2) in women. The cut-off points recommended for the Caucasian population differ from those appropriate for the Tunisian population. The data show a continuous increase in odds ratios of each cardiovascular risk factor, with increasing level of WC and BMI. WC exceeding 85 cm in men and 79 cm in women correctly identified subjects with a BMI of >/=25 kg/m(2), sensitivity of >90% and specificity of >83%. Based on the ROC analysis, we suggest a WC of 85 cm for both men and women as appropriate cut-off points to identify central obesity for the purposes of CVD and diabetes-risk detection among Tunisians. WCs of 85 cm in men and 79 cm in women were the most sensitive and specific to identify most subjects with a BMI >/=25 kg/m(2).

Validation of the AUDIT-C in adults seeking help with their drinking online.

PubMed

Khadjesari, Zarnie; White, Ian R; McCambridge, Jim; Marston, Louise; Wallace, Paul; Godfrey, Christine; Murray, Elizabeth

2017-01-04

The abbreviated Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test for Consumption (AUDIT-C) is rapidly becoming the alcohol screening tool of choice for busy practitioners in clinical settings and by researchers keen to limit assessment burden and reactivity. Cut-off scores for detecting drinking above recommended limits vary by population, setting, country and potentially format. This validation study aimed to determine AUDIT-C thresholds that indicated risky drinking among a population of people seeking help over the Internet. The data in this study were collected in the pilot phase of the Down Your Drink trial, which recruited people seeking help over the Internet and randomised them to a web-based intervention or an information-only website. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated for AUDIT-C scores, relative to weekly consumption that indicated drinking above limits and higher risk drinking. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created to assess the performance of different cut-off scores on the AUDIT-C for men and women. Past week alcohol consumption was used as the reference-standard and was collected via the TOT-AL, a validated online measure of past week drinking. AUDIT-C scores were obtained from 3720 adults (2053 female and 1667 male) searching the internet for help with drinking, mostly from the UK. The area under the ROC curve for risky drinking was 0.84 (95% CI 0.80, 0.87) (female) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.76, 0.84) (male). AUDIT-C cut-off scores for detecting risky drinking that maximise the sum of sensitivity and specificity were ≥8 for women and ≥8 for men; whereas those identifying the highest proportion of correctly classified individuals were ≥4 for women and ≥5 for men. AUDIT-C cut-off scores for detecting higher risk drinking were also calculated. AUDIT-C cut-off scores for identifying alcohol consumption above weekly limits in this largely UK based study population were substantially higher than those reported in other validation studies. Researchers and practitioners should select AUDIT-C cut-off scores according to the purpose of identifying risky drinkers and hence the relative importance of sensitivity and/or specificity.

Data analytics identify glycated haemoglobin co-markers for type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis.

PubMed

Jelinek, Herbert F; Stranieri, Andrew; Yatsko, Andrew; Venkatraman, Sitalakshmi

2016-08-01

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is being more commonly used as an alternative test for the identification of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or to add to fasting blood glucose level and oral glucose tolerance test results, because it is easily obtained using point-of-care technology and represents long-term blood sugar levels. HbA1c cut-off values of 6.5% or above have been recommended for clinical use based on the presence of diabetic comorbidities from population studies. However, outcomes of large trials with a HbA1c of 6.5% as a cut-off have been inconsistent for a diagnosis of T2DM. This suggests that a HbA1c cut-off of 6.5% as a single marker may not be sensitive enough or be too simple and miss individuals at risk or with already overt, undiagnosed diabetes. In this study, data mining algorithms have been applied on a large clinical dataset to identify an optimal cut-off value for HbA1c and to identify whether additional biomarkers can be used together with HbA1c to enhance diagnostic accuracy of T2DM. T2DM classification accuracy increased if 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OhdG), an oxidative stress marker, was included in the algorithm from 78.71% for HbA1c at 6.5% to 86.64%. A similar result was obtained when interleukin-6 (IL-6) was included (accuracy=85.63%) but with a lower optimal HbA1c range between 5.73 and 6.22%. The application of data analytics to medical records from the Diabetes Screening programme demonstrates that data analytics, combined with large clinical datasets can be used to identify clinically appropriate cut-off values and identify novel biomarkers that when included improve the accuracy of T2DM diagnosis even when HbA1c levels are below or equal to the current cut-off of 6.5%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine asset security and tracking (MAST) system

DOEpatents

Hanson, Gregory Richard [Clinton, TN; Smith, Stephen Fulton [Loudon, TN; Moore, Michael Roy [Corryton, TN; Dobson, Eric Lesley [Charleston, SC; Blair, Jeffrey Scott [Charleston, SC; Duncan, Christopher Allen [Marietta, GA; Lenarduzzi, Roberto [Knoxville, TN

2008-07-01

Methods and apparatus are described for marine asset security and tracking (MAST). A method includes transmitting identification data, location data and environmental state sensor data from a radio frequency tag. An apparatus includes a radio frequency tag that transmits identification data, location data and environmental state sensor data. Another method includes transmitting identification data and location data from a radio frequency tag using hybrid spread-spectrum modulation. Another apparatus includes a radio frequency tag that transmits both identification data and location data using hybrid spread-spectrum modulation.

Interethnic differences in the accuracy of anthropometric indicators of obesity in screening for high risk of coronary heart disease

PubMed Central

Herrera, VM; Casas, JP; Miranda, JJ; Perel, P; Pichardo, R; González, A; Sanchez, JR; Ferreccio, C; Aguilera, X; Silva, E; Oróstegui, M; Gómez, LF; Chirinos, JA; Medina-Lezama, J; Pérez, CM; Suárez, E; Ortiz, AP; Rosero, L; Schapochnik, N; Ortiz, Z; Ferrante, D; Diaz, M; Bautista, LE

2009-01-01

Background Cut points for defining obesity have been derived from mortality data among Whites from Europe and the United States and their accuracy to screen for high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in other ethnic groups has been questioned. Objective To compare the accuracy and to define ethnic and gender-specific optimal cut points for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) when they are used in screening for high risk of CHD in the Latin-American and the US populations. Methods We estimated the accuracy and optimal cut points for BMI, WC and WHR to screen for CHD risk in Latin Americans (n=18 976), non-Hispanic Whites (Whites; n=8956), non-Hispanic Blacks (Blacks; n=5205) and Hispanics (n=5803). High risk of CHD was defined as a 10-year risk ≥20% (Framingham equation). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and the misclassification-cost term were used to assess accuracy and to identify optimal cut points. Results WHR had the highest AUC in all ethnic groups (from 0.75 to 0.82) and BMI had the lowest (from 0.50 to 0.59). Optimal cut point for BMI was similar across ethnic/gender groups (27 kg/m2). In women, cut points for WC (94 cm) and WHR (0.91) were consistent by ethnicity. In men, cut points for WC and WHR varied significantly with ethnicity: from 91 cm in Latin Americans to 102 cm in Whites, and from 0.94 in Latin Americans to 0.99 in Hispanics, respectively. Conclusion WHR is the most accurate anthropometric indicator to screen for high risk of CHD, whereas BMI is almost uninformative. The same BMI cut point should be used in all men and women. Unique cut points for WC and WHR should be used in all women, but ethnic-specific cut points seem warranted among men. PMID:19238159

A Shared Responsibility for Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clough, Bert

2011-01-01

Co-investment between the state, employer, and employee is an intrinsic feature of most vocational and education training systems. The government's strategy is to "profoundly" shift responsibility for funding learning and skills from the state to individuals and businesses. At a time of stringent cuts in publicly-funded further education…

Determining seed transmission of sugarcane mosaic virus and sugarcane yellow leaf virus in sugarcane

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The importation of sugarcane germplasm is essential to diversify sugarcane germplasm used in United States breeding programs. Foreign germplasm is received primarily as vegetative cuttings. Current permit requirements for importing sugarcane seed into the United States are impractical and limit the ...

6. View of lower dam masonry pier which houses the ...

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

6. View of lower dam masonry pier which houses the sluice. Photograph taken from cut stone apron edging in Millstone Creek. VIEW WEST. - Loleta Recreation Area, Lower Dam, 6 miles Southeast of interesection of State Route 24041 & State Route 66, Loleta, Elk County, PA

Projecting the aspen resource in the Lake States.

Treesearch

William A. Leuschner

1972-01-01

Aspen growing stock inventories for nine Lake States forest survey units were updated to the common base year of 1968. Cut and inventory were projected to the year 2000 under three sets of assumptions. Potential shortages were found in northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan if historical trends continue.

Ultrashort pulsed laser ablation for decollation of solid state lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hördemann, C.; Anand, H.; Gillner, A.

2017-08-01

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with liquid electrolytes are the main energy source for many electronic devices that we use in our everyday lives. However, one of the main drawbacks of this energy storage technology is the use of liquid electrolyte, which can be hazardous to the user as well as the environment. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries are limited in voltage, energy density and operating temperature range. One of the most novel and promising battery technologies available to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks is the Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery (SSLB). This battery type can be produced without limitations to the geometry and is also bendable, which is not possible with conventional batteries1 . Additionally, SSLBs are characterized by high volumetric and gravimetric energy density and are intrinsically safe since no liquid electrolyte is used2-4. Nevertheless, the manufacturing costs of these batteries are still high. The existing production-technologies are comparable to the processes used in the semiconductor industry and single cells are produced in batches with masked-deposition at low deposition rates. In order to decrease manufacturing costs and to move towards continuous production, Roll2Roll production methods are being proposed5, 6. These methods offer the possibility of producing large quantities of substrates with deposited SSLB-layers. From this coated substrate, single cells can be cut out. For the flexible decollation of SSLB-cells from the substrate, new manufacturing technologies have to be developed since blade-cutting, punching or conventional laser-cutting processes lead to short circuiting between the layers. Here, ultra-short pulsed laser ablation and cutting allows the flexible decollation of SSLBs. Through selective ablation of individual layers, an area for the cutting kerf is prepared to ensure a shortcut-free decollation.

Decision tree analysis as a supplementary tool to enhance histomorphological differentiation when distinguishing human from non-human cranial bone in both burnt and unburnt states: A feasibility study.

PubMed

Simmons, T; Goodburn, B; Singhrao, S K

2016-01-01

This feasibility study was undertaken to describe and record the histological characteristics of burnt and unburnt cranial bone fragments from human and non-human bones. Reference series of fully mineralized, transverse sections of cranial bone, from all variables and specimen states, were prepared by manual cutting and semi-automated grinding and polishing methods. A photomicrograph catalogue reflecting differences in burnt and unburnt bone from human and non-humans was recorded and qualitative analysis was performed using an established classification system based on primary bone characteristics. The histomorphology associated with human and non-human samples was, for the main part, preserved following burning at high temperature. Clearly, fibro-lamellar complex tissue subtypes, such as plexiform or laminar primary bone, were only present in non-human bones. A decision tree analysis based on histological features provided a definitive identification key for distinguishing human from non-human bone, with an accuracy of 100%. The decision tree for samples where burning was unknown was 96% accurate, and multi-step classification to taxon was possible with 100% accuracy. The results of this feasibility study strongly suggest that histology remains a viable alternative technique if fragments of cranial bone require forensic examination in both burnt and unburnt states. The decision tree analysis may provide an additional but vital tool to enhance data interpretation. Further studies are needed to assess variation in histomorphology taking into account other cranial bones, ontogeny, species and burning conditions. © The Author(s) 2015.

A stochastic global identification framework for aerospace structures operating under varying flight states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopsaftopoulos, Fotis; Nardari, Raphael; Li, Yu-Hung; Chang, Fu-Kuo

2018-01-01

In this work, a novel data-based stochastic "global" identification framework is introduced for aerospace structures operating under varying flight states and uncertainty. In this context, the term "global" refers to the identification of a model that is capable of representing the structure under any admissible flight state based on data recorded from a sample of these states. The proposed framework is based on stochastic time-series models for representing the structural dynamics and aeroelastic response under multiple flight states, with each state characterized by several variables, such as the airspeed, angle of attack, altitude and temperature, forming a flight state vector. The method's cornerstone lies in the new class of Vector-dependent Functionally Pooled (VFP) models which allow the explicit analytical inclusion of the flight state vector into the model parameters and, hence, system dynamics. This is achieved via the use of functional data pooling techniques for optimally treating - as a single entity - the data records corresponding to the various flight states. In this proof-of-concept study the flight state vector is defined by two variables, namely the airspeed and angle of attack of the vehicle. The experimental evaluation and assessment is based on a prototype bio-inspired self-sensing composite wing that is subjected to a series of wind tunnel experiments under multiple flight states. Distributed micro-sensors in the form of stretchable sensor networks are embedded in the composite layup of the wing in order to provide the sensing capabilities. Experimental data collected from piezoelectric sensors are employed for the identification of a stochastic global VFP model via appropriate parameter estimation and model structure selection methods. The estimated VFP model parameters constitute two-dimensional functions of the flight state vector defined by the airspeed and angle of attack. The identified model is able to successfully represent the wing's aeroelastic response under the admissible flight states via a minimum number of estimated parameters compared to standard identification approaches. The obtained results demonstrate the high accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed global identification framework, thus constituting a first step towards the next generation of "fly-by-feel" aerospace vehicles with state awareness capabilities.

40 CFR 62.8106 - Identification of plan-negative declaration.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Identification of plan—negative declaration. Letter from the New York State Department of Environmental... incinerators in the State of New York subject to part 60, subpart DDDD of this chapter. [66 FR 41148, Aug. 7... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF STATE PLANS FOR DESIGNATED FACILITIES AND POLLUTANTS New...

40 CFR 62.9500 - Identification of sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Emissions from Phosphate Fertilizer Plants § 62.9500 Identification of sources. The Oregon State Department... phosphate fertilizer plants in the State subject to part 60, subpart B of this chapter. [44 FR 76281, Dec...

40 CFR 62.9500 - Identification of sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Emissions from Phosphate Fertilizer Plants § 62.9500 Identification of sources. The Oregon State Department... phosphate fertilizer plants in the State subject to part 60, subpart B of this chapter. [44 FR 76281, Dec...

Evaluating the Impact of Dyslexia Laws on the Identification of Specific Learning Disability and Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, B. Anne Barber; Odegard, Timothy N.

2017-01-01

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that impacts word reading accuracy and/or reading fluency. Over half of the states in the USA have passed legislation intended to promote better identification of individuals with dyslexia. To date, no study has been conducted to investigate the potential impact of state laws on the identification of…

Early language screening in city and Hackney: the concurrent validity of a measure designed for use with 2 1/2-year-olds.

PubMed

Law, J

1994-01-01

This paper reports data relating to the development of a screening test for language impairment in 2 1/2-year-old children. The screening test itself has previously been described. The results of a pilot study and a larger community study are reported. In all, 34 children were included in the pilot study and 1015 in the community study. The reference test selected was the Reynell Developmental Language Scales and the cut-off adopted 1.5 standard deviations below the mean for either the expressive or the receptive scale of the test concerned. The pass mark on the screening test was ascertained using receiver operating characteristics (ROC). The validity is reported given the cut-off identified. The specificity, sensitivity and both positive and negative predictive abilities are reported for both the pilot and the subsequent study. The application of the test is discussed in the context of the current debate about early identification.

Organizational respect dampens the impact of group-based relative deprivation on willingness to protest pay cuts.

PubMed

Osborne, Danny; Huo, Yuen J; Smith, Heather J

2015-03-01

Although group-based relative deprivation predicts people's willingness to protest unfair outcomes, perceiving that one's subgroup is respected increases employees' support for organizations. An integration of these perspectives suggests that subgroup respect will dampen the impact of group-based relative deprivation on workers' responses to unfair organizational outcomes. We examined this hypothesis among university faculty (N = 804) who underwent a system-wide pay cut. As expected, group-based relative deprivation predicted protest intentions. This relationship was, however, muted among those who believed university administrators treated their area of expertise (i.e., their subgroup) with a high (vs. low) level of respect. Moderated mediation analyses confirmed that group-based relative deprivation had a conditional indirect effect on protest intentions via participants' (dis)identification with their university at low to moderate, but not high, levels of subgroup respect. Our finding that satisfying relational needs can attenuate responses to group-based relative deprivation demonstrates the benefits of integrating insights from distinct research traditions. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

The lepton+jets Selection and Determination of the Lepton Fake Rate with the Full RunIIb Data Set

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

Meister, Daniel

2013-01-01

This thesis presents the combined single top andmore » $$ t\\overline{ }\\ t $$ lepton+jets selection for the full RunIIb dataset of the DØ detector. The selection uses the newest soft- ware versions including all standard central object identifications and corrections and has various additions and improvements compared to the previous 7 . 3 fb - 1 $$ t\\overline{ }\\ t $$ selection and the previous single top selection in order to accommodate even more different analyses. The lepton fake rate $$\\epsilon_{\\rm QCD}$$ and the real lepton efficiency $$\\epsilon_{\\rm sig}$$ are estimated using the matrix method and different variations are considered in order to determine the systematic errors. The calculation has to be done for each run period and every set of analysis cuts separately. In addition the values for the exclusive jet bins and for the new single top analysis cuts have been derived and the thesis shows numerous control plots to demonstrate the excellent agreement between data and Monte Carlo.« less

Validity of the AUDIT-C screen for at-risk drinking among students utilizing university primary care.

PubMed

Campbell, Clare E; Maisto, Stephen A

2018-03-22

Research is needed to establish the psychometric properties of brief screens in university primary care settings. This study aimed to assess the construct validity of one such screen, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), for detecting at-risk drinking among students who have utilized on-campus primary care. 389 students recently seen in university primary care completed a confidential online survey in December 2014. Bivariate correlations between the AUDIT-C and measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences provided concurrent evidence for construct validity. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses determined optimal cut-off scores for at-risk drinking. The AUDIT-C significantly correlated with measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences (p < .001). Analyses support optimal AUDIT-C cut-off scores of 5 for females and 7 for males. The AUDIT-C is a valid screen for at-risk drinking among students who utilize university primary care.

Identifying 1st instar larvae for three forensically important blowfly species using "fingerprint" cuticular hydrocarbon analysis.

PubMed

Moore, Hannah E; Adam, Craig D; Drijfhout, Falko P

2014-07-01

Calliphoridae are known to be the most forensically important insects when it comes to establishing the minimum post mortem interval (PMImin) in criminal investigations. The first step in calculating the PMImin is to identify the larvae present to species level. Accurate identification which is conventionally carried out by morphological analysis is crucial because different insects have different life stage timings. Rapid identification in the immature larvae stages would drastically cut time in criminal investigations as it would eliminate the need to rear larvae to adult flies to determine the species. Cuticular hydrocarbon analysis on 1st instar larvae has been applied to three forensically important blowflies; Lucilia sericata, Calliphora vicina and Calliphora vomitoria, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and principal component analysis (PCA). The results show that each species holds a distinct "fingerprint" hydrocarbon profile, allowing for accurate identification to be established in 1-day old larvae, when it can be challenging to apply morphological criteria. Consequently, this GC-MS based technique could accelerate and strengthen the identification process, not only for forensically important species, but also for other entomological samples which are hard to identify using morphological features. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some State Loan Agencies Say They May Stay on the Sidelines This Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelderman, Eric

2008-01-01

Despite action by Congress and the Bush administration to shore up the student-loan industry, some state-authorized organizations say they may not return to the loan business this year, and others are cutting some of the borrower benefits and services they provide. Nine state loan agencies stopped issuing either new federally backed or new private…

State Budget Cuts Create a Growing Child Care Crisis for Low-Income Working Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewen, Danielle; Hart, Katherine

As one of a series of reports concerning state policies and practices in child care and early education, this report identifies reductions in state investments in child care, early education, and school-age care and argues that such reductions will result in many low-income working families losing the assistance they need to stay employed. The…

Economic Growth, Productivity, and Public Education Funding: Is South Carolina a Death Spiral State?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Driscoll, Lisa G.; Knoeppel, Robert C.; Della Sala, Matthew R.; Watson, Jim R.

2014-01-01

As a result of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, most states experienced declines in employment, consumer spending, and economic productivity (Alm, Buschman, and Sjoquist 2011). In turn, these events led to historic declines in state tax revenues (Mikesell and Mullins 2010; Boyd and Dadayan 2009), resulting in major cuts in public spending. Local…

Sticker Shock: State Funding Cuts Lead to Sharp Tuition Hikes at Florida Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boulard, Garry

2011-01-01

The tuition increase at the University of Florida--one of 11 public universities in Florida to win the approval of the state's Board of Governors to tack a "tuition differential" of 7 percent onto an 8 percent increase already approved by the state legislature--comes in response to an unprecedented reduction of some $340 million in state…

Modelling bucket excavation by finite element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecingina, O. M.

2015-11-01

Changes in geological components of the layers from lignite pits have an impact on the sustainability of the cup path elements and under the action of excavation force appear efforts leading to deformation of the entire assembly. Application of finite element method in the optimization of components leads to economic growth, to increase the reliability and durability of the studied machine parts thus the machine. It is obvious usefulness of knowledge the state of mechanical tensions that the designed piece or the assembly not to break under the action of tensions that must cope during operation. In the course of excavation work on all bucket cutting force components, the first coming into contact with the material being excavated cutting edge. Therefore in the study with finite element analysis is retained only cutting edge. To study the field of stress and strain on the cutting edge will be created geometric patterns for each type of cup this will be subject to static analysis. The geometric design retains the cutting edge shape and on this on the tooth cassette location will apply an areal force on the abutment tooth. The cutting edge real pattern is subjected to finite element study for the worst case of rock cutting by symmetrical and asymmetrical cups whose profile is different. The purpose of this paper is to determine the displacement and tensions field for both profiles considering the maximum force applied on the cutting edge and the depth of the cutting is equal with the width of the cutting edge of the tooth. It will consider the worst case when on the structure will act both the tangential force and radial force on the bucket profile. For determination of stress and strain field on the form design of cutting edge profile will apply maximum force assuming uniform distribution and on the edge surface force will apply a radial force. After geometric patterns discretization on the cutting knives and determining stress field, can be seen that at the rectangular profile appears the "clogging" phenomenon of the cutting edge and at the polygonal profile the point of application remains constant without going inside. From the finite element method done in this paper it can be concluded that the polygonal profiles made of dihedral angles are much more durable and asymmetric cups tend to have uniform tension along the entire perimeter.

Full-Scale Linear Cutting Tests in Chongqing Sandstone to Study the Influence of Confining Stress on Rock Cutting Forces by TBM Disc Cutter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Yucong; Liu, Quansheng; Liu, Jianping; Peng, Xingxin; Kong, Xiaoxuan

2018-06-01

In order to study the influence of confining stress on rock cutting forces by tunnel boring machine (TBM) disc cutter, full-scale linear cutting tests are conducted in Chongqing Sandstone (uniaxial compressive strength 60.76 MPa) using five equal biaxial confining stressed conditions, i.e. 0-0, 5-5, 10-10, 15-15 and 20-20 MPa; disc cutter normal force, rolling force, cutting coefficient and normalized resultant force are analysed. It is found that confining stress can greatly affect disc cutter resultant force, its proportion in normal and rolling directions and its acting point for the hard Chongqing Sandstone and the confining stress range used in this study. For every confining stressed condition, as cutter penetration depth increases, disc cutter normal force increases with decreasing speed, rolling force and cutting coefficient both increase linearly, and acting point of the disc cutter resultant force moves downward at some extent firstly and then upward back to its initial position. For same cutter penetration depth, as confining stress increases, disc cutter normal force, rolling force, cutting coefficient and normalized resultant force all increase at some extent firstly and then decrease rapidly to very small values (quite smaller than those obtained under the non-stressed condition) after some certain confining stress thresholds. The influence of confining stress on rock cutting by TBM disc cutter can be generally divided into three stages as confining stress increases, i.e. strengthening effect stage, damaging effect stage and rupturing effect stage. In the former two stages (under low confining stress), rock remains intact and rock cutting forces are higher than those obtained under the non-stressed condition, and thus rock cutting by TBM disc cutter is restrained; in the last stage (under high confining stress), rock becomes non-intact and rock slabbing failure is induced by confining stress before disc cutting, and thus rock cutting by TBM disc cutter is facilitated. Meanwhile, some critical values of confining stress and cutter penetration depth are identified to represent the changes of rock cutting state. This study provides better understanding of the influence of confining stress on disc cutter performance and can guide to optimize the TBM operation under stressed condition.

Analysis of the Radio-Ecological State of Units and Installations Involved in Nuclear Submarine Decommissioning in the Northwest Region of Russia

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-31

mechanisms. 109 The main sources of atmospheric pollution are gas cutting and air-arc shaving, used to clean the cutting line from paint and varnish ...and varnish covering and from the metal of the dismantled construction. The dust content is determined by the type of the paint- varnish covering and...Submarines Solid aerosol component, kg Gas aerosol component, kg Design Total amount Including Carbon oxide Nitrogen dioxide Fluorine Manganese

Development of a rapid and simplified protocol for direct bacterial identification from positive blood cultures by using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of- flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Jakovljev, Aleksandra; Bergh, Kåre

2015-11-06

Bloodstream infections represent serious conditions carrying a high mortality and morbidity rate. Rapid identification of microorganisms and prompt institution of adequate antimicrobial therapy is of utmost importance for a successful outcome. Aiming at the development of a rapid, simplified and efficient protocol, we developed and compared two in-house preparatory methods for the direct identification of bacteria from positive blood culture flasks (BD BACTEC FX system) by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS). Both methods employed saponin and distilled water for erythrocyte lysis. In method A the cellular pellet was overlaid with formic acid on the MALDI TOF target plate for protein extraction, whereas in method B the pellet was exposed to formic acid followed by acetonitrile prior to placing on the target plate. Best results were obtained by method A. Direct identification was achieved for 81.9 % and 65.8 % (50.3 % and 26.2 % with scores >2.0) of organisms by method A and method B, respectively. Overall concordance with final identification was 100 % to genus and 97.9 % to species level. By applying a lower cut-off score value, the levels of identification obtained by method A and method B increased to 89.3 % and 77.8 % of organisms (81.9 % and 65.8 % identified with scores >1.7), respectively. Using the lowered score criteria, concordance with final results was obtained for 99.3 % of genus and 96.6 % of species identifications. The reliability of results, rapid performance (approximately 25 min) and applicability of in-house method A have contributed to implementation of this robust and cost-effective method in our laboratory.