Impact of socioeconomic status on municipal solid waste generation rate.

PubMed

Khan, D; Kumar, A; Samadder, S R

2016-03-01

The solid waste generation rate was expected to vary in different socioeconomic groups due to many environmental and social factors. This paper reports the assessment of solid waste generation based on different socioeconomic parameters like education, occupation, income of the family, number of family members etc. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the study area to identify the different socioeconomic groups that may affect the solid waste generation rate and composition. The average waste generated in the municipality is 0.41 kg/capita/day in which the maximum waste was found to be generated by lower middle socioeconomic group (LMSEG) with average waste generation of 0.46 kg/capita/day. Waste characterization indicated that there was no much difference in the composition of wastes among different socioeconomic groups except ash residue and plastic. Ash residue is found to increase as we move lower down the socioeconomic groups with maximum (31%) in lower socioeconomic group (LSEG). The study area is a coal based city hence application of coal and wood as fuel for cooking in the lower socioeconomic group is the reason for high amount of ash content. Plastic waste is maximum (15%) in higher socioeconomic group (HSEG) and minimum (1%) in LSEG. Food waste is a major component of generated waste in almost every socioeconomic group with maximum (38%) in case of HSEG and minimum (28%) in LSEG. This study provides new insights on the role of various socioeconomic parameters on generation of household wastes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tidal influence through LOD variations on the temporal distribution of earthquake occurrences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varga, P.; Gambis, D.; Bizouard, Ch.; Bus, Z.; Kiszely, M.

2006-10-01

Stresses generated by the body tides are very small at the depth of crustal earth- quakes (~10^2 N/m2). The maximum value of the lunisolar stress within the depth range of earthquakes is 10^3 N/m2 (at depth of about 600 km). Surface loads, due to oceanic tides, in coastal areas are ~ 104 N/m2. These influences are however too small to affect the outbreak time of seismic events. Authors show the effect on time distribution of seismic activity due to ΔLOD generated by zonal tides for the case of Mf, Mm, Ssa and Sa tidal constituents can be much more effective to trigger earthquakes. According to this approach we show that the tides are not directly triggering the seismic events but through the generated length of day variations. That is the reason why in case of zonal tides a correlation of the lunisolar effect and seismic activity exists, what is not the case for the tesseral and sectorial tides.

Outage maintenance checks on large generator windings

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

Nindra, B.; Jeney, S.I.; Slobodinsky, Y.

In the present days of austerity, more constraints and pressures are being brought on the maintenance engineers to certify the generators for their reliability and life extension. The outages are shorter and intervals between the outages are becoming longer. The annual outages were very common when utilities had no regulatory constraints and also had standby capacities. Furthermore, due to lean and mean budgets, outage maintenance programs are being pursued more aggressively, so that longer interval outages can be achieved to ensure peak generator performance. This paper will discuss various visual checks, electrical tests and recommended fixes to achieve the abovemore » mentioned objectives, in case any deficiencies are found.« less

Bidding strategy for microgrid in day-ahead market based on hybrid stochastic/robust optimization

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

Liu, Guodong; Xu, Yan; Tomsovic, Kevin

In this paper, we propose an optimal bidding strategy in the day-ahead market of a microgrid consisting of intermittent distributed generation (DG), storage, dispatchable DG and price responsive loads. The microgrid coordinates the energy consumption or production of its components and trades electricity in both the day-ahead and real-time markets to minimize its operating cost as a single entity. The bidding problem is challenging due to a variety of uncertainties, including power output of intermittent DG, load variation, day-ahead and real-time market prices. A hybrid stochastic/robust optimization model is proposed to minimize the expected net cost, i.e., expected total costmore » of operation minus total benefit of demand. This formulation can be solved by mixed integer linear programming. The uncertain output of intermittent DG and day-ahead market price are modeled via scenarios based on forecast results, while a robust optimization is proposed to limit the unbalanced power in real-time market taking account of the uncertainty of real-time market price. Numerical simulations on a microgrid consisting of a wind turbine, a PV panel, a fuel cell, a micro-turbine, a diesel generator, a battery and a responsive load show the advantage of stochastic optimization in addition to robust optimization.« less

Bidding strategy for microgrid in day-ahead market based on hybrid stochastic/robust optimization

DOE PAGES

Liu, Guodong; Xu, Yan; Tomsovic, Kevin

2016-01-01

In this paper, we propose an optimal bidding strategy in the day-ahead market of a microgrid consisting of intermittent distributed generation (DG), storage, dispatchable DG and price responsive loads. The microgrid coordinates the energy consumption or production of its components and trades electricity in both the day-ahead and real-time markets to minimize its operating cost as a single entity. The bidding problem is challenging due to a variety of uncertainties, including power output of intermittent DG, load variation, day-ahead and real-time market prices. A hybrid stochastic/robust optimization model is proposed to minimize the expected net cost, i.e., expected total costmore » of operation minus total benefit of demand. This formulation can be solved by mixed integer linear programming. The uncertain output of intermittent DG and day-ahead market price are modeled via scenarios based on forecast results, while a robust optimization is proposed to limit the unbalanced power in real-time market taking account of the uncertainty of real-time market price. Numerical simulations on a microgrid consisting of a wind turbine, a PV panel, a fuel cell, a micro-turbine, a diesel generator, a battery and a responsive load show the advantage of stochastic optimization in addition to robust optimization.« less

Probabilistic Harmonic Analysis on Distributed Photovoltaic Integration Considering Typical Weather Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bin, Che; Ruoying, Yu; Dongsheng, Dang; Xiangyan, Wang

2017-05-01

Distributed Generation (DG) integrating to the network would cause the harmonic pollution which would cause damages on electrical devices and affect the normal operation of power system. On the other hand, due to the randomness of the wind and solar irradiation, the output of DG is random, too, which leads to an uncertainty of the harmonic generated by the DG. Thus, probabilistic methods are needed to analyse the impacts of the DG integration. In this work we studied the harmonic voltage probabilistic distribution and the harmonic distortion in distributed network after the distributed photovoltaic (DPV) system integrating in different weather conditions, mainly the sunny day, cloudy day, rainy day and the snowy day. The probabilistic distribution function of the DPV output power in different typical weather conditions could be acquired via the parameter identification method of maximum likelihood estimation. The Monte-Carlo simulation method was adopted to calculate the probabilistic distribution of harmonic voltage content at different frequency orders as well as the harmonic distortion (THD) in typical weather conditions. The case study was based on the IEEE33 system and the results of harmonic voltage content probabilistic distribution as well as THD in typical weather conditions were compared.

Validation of Fully Automated VMAT Plan Generation for Library-Based Plan-of-the-Day Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy.

PubMed

Sharfo, Abdul Wahab M; Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Voet, Peter W J; Heijkoop, Sabrina T; Mens, Jan-Willem M; Hoogeman, Mischa S; Heijmen, Ben J M

2016-01-01

To develop and validate fully automated generation of VMAT plan-libraries for plan-of-the-day adaptive radiotherapy in locally-advanced cervical cancer. Our framework for fully automated treatment plan generation (Erasmus-iCycle) was adapted to create dual-arc VMAT treatment plan libraries for cervical cancer patients. For each of 34 patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (autoVMAT) were compared to manually generated, clinically delivered 9-beam IMRT plans (CLINICAL), and to dual-arc VMAT plans generated manually by an expert planner (manVMAT). Furthermore, all plans were benchmarked against 20-beam equi-angular IMRT plans (autoIMRT). For all plans, a PTV coverage of 99.5% by at least 95% of the prescribed dose (46 Gy) had the highest planning priority, followed by minimization of V45Gy for small bowel (SB). Other OARs considered were bladder, rectum, and sigmoid. All plans had a highly similar PTV coverage, within the clinical constraints (above). After plan normalizations for exactly equal median PTV doses in corresponding plans, all evaluated OAR parameters in autoVMAT plans were on average lower than in the CLINICAL plans with an average reduction in SB V45Gy of 34.6% (p<0.001). For 41/44 autoVMAT plans, SB V45Gy was lower than for manVMAT (p<0.001, average reduction 30.3%), while SB V15Gy increased by 2.3% (p = 0.011). AutoIMRT reduced SB V45Gy by another 2.7% compared to autoVMAT, while also resulting in a 9.0% reduction in SB V15Gy (p<0.001), but with a prolonged delivery time. Differences between manVMAT and autoVMAT in bladder, rectal and sigmoid doses were ≤ 1%. Improvements in SB dose delivery with autoVMAT instead of manVMAT were higher for empty bladder PTVs compared to full bladder PTVs, due to differences in concavity of the PTVs. Quality of automatically generated VMAT plans was superior to manually generated plans. Automatic VMAT plan generation for cervical cancer has been implemented in our clinical routine. Due to the achieved workload reduction, extension of plan libraries has become feasible.

Effects of the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on municipal solid waste management generation in Lhasa.

PubMed

Ding, Xu-Tong; Wang, Ji-Hua

2018-03-01

Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is located on the Tibetan Plateau. Accelerated economic development and flourishing tourism resulting from the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) have increased solid waste generation and contamination in recent years. Using data from Lhasa Statistical Yearbooks and previous studies, this study estimates the future population of permanent residents and tourists using the least squares method to extrapolate the population from 2015-2025, and evaluates the effects of the QTR on municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in Lhasa and estimates future MSW generation. There were approximately 1.35 million tourists in 2008 when the QTR had been operating for 2 years and MSW generation was approximately 470 tons per day. The amount of MSW generated increased dramatically with time after opening the QTR. This study estimates that MSW generation will reach 962 tons per day in 2025. Due to the existence of the QTR, increasing numbers of people are traveling to Lhasa, and tourism has driven the development of the local economy. During the studies, the proportion of MSW produced by tourists increased from 2.99% to 20.06%, and it is estimated that it will increase to 33.49% in 2025. If the current trend continues, Lhasa will face significant challenges from garbage disposal. This study analyzes the current situation of urban garbage treatment in Lhasa, and it suggests several options for improvement to MSW generation, transportation equipment, disposal, and resource recycling.

Assessing the management of healthcare waste in Hawassa city, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Israel Deneke Haylamicheal; Mohamed Aqiel Dalvie; Biruck Desalegn Yirsaw; Hanibale Atsbeha Zegeye

2011-08-01

Inadequate management of healthcare waste is a serious concern in many developing countries due to the risks posed to human health and the environment. This study aimed to evaluate healthcare waste management in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. The study was conducted in nine healthcare facilities (HCFs) including hospitals (four), health centres (two) and higher clinics (three) in two phases, first to assess the waste management aspect and second to determine daily waste generation rate. The result showed that the median quantity of waste generated at the facilities was 3.46 kg bed(-1) day(-1) (range: 1.48-8.19 kg bed(-1) day(-1)). The quantity of waste per day generated at a HCF increased as occupancy increased (p < 0.001). The percentage hazardous waste generated at government HCFs was more than at private HCFs (p < 0.05). The proportion of hazardous waste (20-63.1%) generated at the different HCFs was much higher than the WHO recommendation (10-25%). There was no waste segregation in most HCFs and only one used a complete color coding system. Solid waste and wastewater were stored, transported, treated and disposed inappropriately at all HCFs. Needle-stick injuries were prevalent in 25-100% of waste handlers employed at these HCFs. Additionally, low levels of training and awareness of waste legislation was prevalent amongst staff. The study showed that management of healthcare waste at HCFs to be poor. Waste management practices need to be improved through improved legislation and enforcement, and training of staff in the healthcare facilities in Hawassa.

Mental Representations of Weekdays

PubMed Central

Ellis, David A.; Wiseman, Richard; Jenkins, Rob

2015-01-01

Keeping social appointments involves keeping track of what day it is. In practice, mismatches between apparent day and actual day are common. For example, a person might think the current day is Wednesday when in fact it is Thursday. Here we show that such mismatches are highly systematic, and can be traced to specific properties of their mental representations. In Study 1, mismatches between apparent day and actual day occurred more frequently on midweek days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) than on other days, and were mainly due to intrusions from immediately neighboring days. In Study 2, reaction times to report the current day were fastest on Monday and Friday, and slowest midweek. In Study 3, participants generated fewer semantic associations for “Tuesday”, “Wednesday” and “Thursday” than for other weekday names. Similarly, Google searches found fewer occurrences of midweek days in webpages and books. Analysis of affective norms revealed that participants’ associations were strongly negative for Monday, strongly positive for Friday, and graded over the intervening days. Midweek days are confusable because their mental representations are sparse and similar. Mondays and Fridays are less confusable because their mental representations are rich and distinctive, forming two extremes along a continuum of change. PMID:26288194

Co-digestion of domestic kitchen waste and night soil sludge in a full-scale sludge treatment plant.

PubMed

Yoneyama, Y; Takeno, K

2002-01-01

A study was made on the domestic kitchen waste and night soil treatment performance of a full-scale sludge treatment plant. The sludge treatment at this plant was by thermophilic methane fermentation. The initial treatment, mesophilic to thermophilic fermentation, was able to be started up within a short time by adjusting the amount of influent waste. Thermophilic methane fermentation was carried out for five months (May-October) and the performance under a mean residual time of 22 days indicated a VTS decomposition of 42%, gas generation of 54-1,610 m3/day (average: 755 m3/day), and a mean methane concentration of 60%. The methane gas was used to generate power in the plant and the amount of power generated by methane gas was highest in October (average of 1,200 kWh/day). This was equivalent to about 7% of the power consumed at the entire sludge treatment plant. The BOD/NH4-N of the activated sludge influent water was lower, compared to a case where there is no recycle flow, due to the recycle flow from the methane fermentation process. There was, therefore, a tendency for an increase in the amount of methanol charged into the secondary denitrification tank. However, the quality of the effluent was satisfactory (BOD< 10 mg/L, SS< 5 mg/L, and T-N< 25 mg/L). Study results indicated that it was possible to implement a full-scale plant for recovering organic waste.

Surface Albedo/BRDF Parameters (Terra/Aqua MODIS)

DOE Data Explorer

Trishchenko, Alexander

2008-01-15

Spatially and temporally complete surface spectral albedo/BRDF products over the ARM SGP area were generated using data from two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on Terra and Aqua satellites. A landcover-based fitting (LBF) algorithm is developed to derive the BRDF model parameters and albedo product (Luo et al., 2004a). The approach employs a landcover map and multi-day clearsky composites of directional surface reflectance. The landcover map is derived from the Landsat TM 30-meter data set (Trishchenko et al., 2004a), and the surface reflectances are from MODIS 500m-resolution 8-day composite products (MOD09/MYD09). The MOD09/MYD09 data are re-arranged into 10-day intervals for compatibility with other satellite products, such as those from the NOVA/AVHRR and SPOT/VGT sensors. The LBF method increases the success rate of the BRDF fitting process and enables more accurate monitoring of surface temporal changes during periods of rapid spring vegetation green-up and autumn leaf-fall, as well as changes due to agricultural practices and snowcover variations (Luo et al., 2004b, Trishchenko et al., 2004b). Albedo/BRDF products for MODIS on Terra and MODIS on Aqua, as well as for Terra/Aqua combined dataset, are generated at 500m spatial resolution and every 10-day since March 2000 (Terra) and July 2002 (Aqua and combined), respectively. The purpose for the latter product is to obtain a more comprehensive dataset that takes advantages of multi-sensor observations (Trishchenko et al., 2002). To fill data gaps due to cloud presence, various interpolation procedures are applied based on a multi-year observation database and referring to results from other locations with similar landcover property. Special seasonal smoothing procedure is also applied to further remove outliers and artifacts in data series.

Characteristics of water obtained by dewatering cyanobacteria-containing sludge formed during drinking water treatment, including C-, N-disinfection byproduct formation.

PubMed

Xu, Hangzhou; Pei, Haiyan; Jin, Yan; Xiao, Hongdi; Ma, Chunxia; Sun, Jiongming; Li, Hongmin

2017-03-15

This is the first study to systematically investigate the characteristics of the water obtained by dewatering cyanobacteria-containing sludge generated in the drinking water treatment plant, including formation of C- and N-disinfection by-products (DBPs). Results showed that this 'dewatering water' (DW) had different properties when the sludge was stored at different times. The content of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microcystins (MCs) in the DW were low when the sludge was treated or disposed of within 4 days; correspondingly, the C-, N-DBP production was also low. However, due to the damage of algal cells to some extent, the DOM and MC levels increased significantly for storage time longer than 4 days; the production of C-, N-DBPs also increased. There were also obvious differences in the characteristics of the DW from sludges generated with different coagulant species. Due to the better protective effect of FeCl 3 and polymeric aluminium ferric chloride (PAFC) flocs, the DOM and MC levels and the production of C-, N-DBPs in the DW with FeCl 3 and PAFC coagulation were lower than those with AlCl 3 coagulation, even though the sludges were stored for the same amount of time. Furthermore, because of the formation of Al and Fe hydroxides, precipitated onto the surface of flocs, the soluble Al and Fe in the DW decreased with increased storage time, especially in the first four days. Overall, this study revealed the trends in variation of DW quality for cyanobacteria-containing sludges formed with different coagulants, then FeCl 3 and PAFC coagulants are recommended and sludge should be treated or disposed of within 4 days. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment and quantification of plastics waste generation in major 60 cities of India.

PubMed

Nalini, R; Srinivasulu, B; Shit, Subhas C; Nigam, Suneel Kumar; Akolkar, A B; Dwivedfi, R K

2013-04-01

Polymers or plastics materials registered rapid growth in 1970s, 1980s and 1990s at the rate of 2-2.5 times the GDP growth in India. The demand for plastic raw material got more than doubled from 3.3 Million Metric Ton to 6.8 Million Metric Tons in 2010 attributed mainly to rapid urbanization, spread of retail chains, plastics based packaging from grocery to food and vegetable products to cosmetics and consumer items. Plastics packages have its merits over many of conventional materials in the related sector but unless they are collected back effectively after their use to go into recycling process, they become an eyesore in the stream of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) due to high visibility. As the synthetic and conventional plastics are non-biodegradable in nature, these remain in the dump yards/ landfills for several years, if not collected properly. Due to non- biodegradability, plastics waste remains in the environment for several years, if not collected and disposing plastics wastes at landfills are unsafe since toxic chemicals leach out into the soil and as they contaminate soil and underground water quality. The municipal solid waste also increasing day-by-day due to the inefficient source collection, segregation and transmission of plastics waste for recycling and reusing. In order to find out the realistic plastics waste generation, a study on assessment and quantification of plastics waste has been carried out by CPCB in collaboration with CIPET on selected 60 major cities of India.

Minimally Invasive Epicardial Pacemaker Implantation in Neonates with Congenital Heart Block.

PubMed

Costa, Roberto; Silva, Katia Regina da; Martinelli Filho, Martino; Carrillo, Roger

2017-10-01

Few studies have characterized the surgical outcomes following epicardial pacemaker implantation in neonates with congenital complete atrioventricular block (CCAVB). This study sought to assess the long-term outcomes of a minimally invasive epicardial approach using a subxiphoid access for pacemaker implantation in neonates. Between July 2002 and February 2015, 16 consecutive neonates underwent epicardial pacemaker implantation due to CCAVB. Among these, 12 (75.0%) had congenital heart defects associated with CCAVB. The patients had a mean age of 4.7 ± 5.3 days and nine (56.3%) were female. Bipolar steroid-eluting epicardial leads were implanted in all patients through a minimally invasive subxiphoid approach and fixed on the diaphragmatic ventricular surface. The pulse generator was placed in an epigastric submuscular position. All procedures were successful, with no perioperative complications or early deaths. Mean operating time was 90.2 ± 16.8 minutes. None of the patients displayed pacing or sensing dysfunction, and all parameters remained stable throughout the follow-up period of 4.1 ± 3.9 years. Three children underwent pulse generator replacement due to normal battery depletion at 4.0, 7.2, and 9.0 years of age without the need of ventricular lead replacement. There were two deaths at 12 and 325 days after pacemaker implantation due to bleeding from thrombolytic use and progressive refractory heart failure, respectively. Epicardial pacemaker implantation through a subxiphoid approach in neonates with CCAVB is technically feasible and associated with excellent surgical outcomes and pacing lead longevity.

Municipal solid waste generation and disposal in Robe town, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Erasu, Duguma; Faye, Tesfaye; Kiros, Amaha; Balew, Abel

2018-04-20

The amount of solid waste generated in developing countries is rising from time to time due to economic growth, change in consumer behavior and lifestyles of people. But it is hard to manage and handle the increase of solid waste with existing waste management infrastructure. Thus, the management system of solid waste is very poor and become a serious problem. The main purpose of this study is to quantify the volume of solid waste generated and investigate factors affecting generation and disposal of wastes in the study area. The result of this study indicated that total waste generated from households was about 97.092kg/day.Furthermore, the study reveals that the solid waste generation rate of the town is 0.261kg/person/day.About 57.5% of solid waste is properly disposed of to landfill site whereas the remaining 42.5% is illegally dumped at the roadsides and open fields. Implication Statement Nowadays, in developing countries there is high concentration of people in urban areas and cause for the generation of enormous concentration of municipal waste in urban areas. Therefore this finding will be important for various policy makers and town planners. It may also serve as a benchmark for the municipal authorities of the town for whom the problem is still invisible and negligible and can push environmental protection authorities to reexamine the implementation of their policies and strategies with regard to the broader issues of human and environmental health condition of town dwellers.

Experimental study of camel powered electricity generation unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakhar, O. P.; Choudhary, Rahul Raj; Budaniya, Mukesh; Kumar, Ashish

2018-05-01

Developing nations are facing a huge gap in generation and demand of electricity across the world. In present scenario the demand of electricity is increasing day by day and the shortfall of electricity has become one of the major obstructions in the development of rural areas. There is a big gap between electricity supply and demand. In India it is very difficult that to give twenty four hours electric supply in rural areas. The traditional use of camel as draught animal, for the purpose of transport of goods and agricultural work, has been drastically reduced during last few decades, due to advancements and cheaper availability of mechanical machineries. In this research paper we experimentally studied the camel powered electricity generation system at National Research Centre on Camels (NRCC) Bikaner. Camel Energy in form of high torque low speed can be converted into low torque high speed through motion converting system i.e. gear and pulley mechanism for high RPM output. This high RPM (more than 3000) output is used for electricity generation. The electricity generated can be used directly or stored in the battery and later may be used whenever it is required either for DC light or AC light using inverter. According to experimental study a camel can comfortably generate electricity up to 1KW by rotating shaft. The complete set up for electricity generation using camel power has been designed, developed and physically commissioned at National Research Centre on Camels (NRCC) Bikaner.

Short-term degradation of air quality during major firework events in Delhi, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shivani; Gadi, Ranu; Saxena, Mohit; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar; Mandal, Tuhin Kumar

2018-04-01

The effect of firework events on air quality was assessed from ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) collected during the Diwali period in two consecutive years, i.e., November 2015 and October 2016. The extensive firework activities led to the short-term degradation of air quality during the Diwali days. PM2.5 samples were chemically characterised for elements, water-soluble ionic species, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC). Ba, K, Sr, S, Mg and Na showed significant increases in concentration on Diwali days compared to pre-Diwali days which revealed their association with firecrackers. Concentration of SO4 2-, NO3 -, Cl-, K+ and NH4 + ions contributed to the increases in PM2.5 concentration on Diwali days. Higher OC/EC ratios indicated the formation of secondary organic carbon during the Diwali period. This study concludes that the high PM2.5 level during Diwali 2016 was a result of contribution from fireworks on the Diwali night, trans-regional movement of pollutants due to crop residue burning, low wind speed (0.15 m s-1), and high humidity. It was observed that short-term exposure to Diwali is plausible to generate 1.3% increase in non-carcinogenic hazard index due to elements Al and Ba during Diwali 2016, whereas no significant variation was observed for the carcinogenic risk due to Pb. However, in 2015, the increase in non-carcinogenic hazard index was appreciably lower as compared to 2016.

Risk factors for explantation due to infection after sacral neuromodulation: a multicenter retrospective case-control study.

PubMed

Myer, Emily N B; Petrikovets, Andrey; Slocum, Paul D; Lee, Toy Gee; Carter-Brooks, Charelle M; Noor, Nabila; Carlos, Daniela M; Wu, Emily; Van Eck, Kathryn; Fashokun, Tola B; Yurteri-Kaplan, Ladin; Chen, Chi Chiung Grace

2018-04-07

Sacral neuromodulation is an effective therapy for overactive bladder, urinary retention, and fecal incontinence. Infection after sacral neurostimulation is costly and burdensome. Determining optimal perioperative management strategies to reduce the risk of infection is important to reduce this burden. We sought to identify risk factors associated with sacral neurostimulator infection requiring explantation, to estimate the incidence of infection requiring explantation, and identify associated microbial pathogens. This is a multicenter retrospective case-control study of sacral neuromodulation procedures completed from Jan. 1, 2004, through Dec. 31, 2014. We identified all sacral neuromodulation implantable pulse generator implants as well as explants due to infection at 8 participating institutions. Cases were patients who required implantable pulse generator explantation for infection during the review period. Cases were included if age ≥18 years old, follow-up data were available ≥30 days after implantable pulse generator implant, and the implant was performed at the institution performing the explant. Two controls were matched to each case. These controls were the patients who had an implantable pulse generator implanted by the same surgeon immediately preceding and immediately following the identified case who met inclusion criteria. Controls were included if age ≥18 years old, no infection after implantable pulse generator implant, follow-up data were available ≥180 days after implant, and no explant for any reason <180 days from implant. Controls may have had an explant for reasons other than infection at >180 days after implant. Fisher exact test (for categorical variables) and Student t test (for continuous variables) were used to test the strength of the association between infection and patient and surgery characteristics. Significant variables were then considered in a multivariable logistic regression model to determine risk factors independently associated with infection. Over a 10-year period at 8 academic institutions, 1930 sacral neuromodulator implants were performed by 17 surgeons. In all, 38 cases requiring device explant for infection and 72 corresponding controls were identified. The incidence of infection requiring explant was 1.97%. Hematoma formation (13% cases, 0% controls; P = .004) and pocket depth of ≥3 cm (21% cases, 0% controls; P = .031) were independently associated with an increased risk of infection requiring explant. On multivariable regression analysis controlling for significant variables, both hematoma formation (P = .006) and pocket depth ≥3 cm (P = .020, odds ratio 3.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-8.89) remained significantly associated with infection requiring explant. Of the 38 cases requiring explant, 32 had cultures collected and 24 had positive cultures. All 5 cases with a hematoma had a positive culture (100%). Of the 4 cases with a pocket depth ≥3 cm, 2 had positive cultures, 1 had negative cultures, and 1 had a missing culture result. The most common organism identified was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (38%). Infection after sacral neuromodulation requiring device explant is low. The most common infectious pathogen identified was methicillin-resistant S aureus. Demographic and health characteristics did not predict risk of explant due to infection, however, having a postoperative hematoma or a deep pocket ≥3 cm significantly increased the risk of explant due to infection. These findings highlight the importance of meticulous hemostasis as well as ensuring the pocket depth is <3 cm at the time of device implant. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Giardia Myth-Buster: How Hearsay and Anecdotal Evidence Has Created a False Industry Standard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlimmer, Erik

2009-01-01

There are many things outdoor educators agree on. For example, a warm meal feels great at the end of the day. Cotton fabrics take forever to dry in the field and should thus be avoided. Most small groups generate less impact than large groups do. Mosquitoes and black flies come straight from hell. And, all backcountry water must be treated due to…

Global communication using a constellation of low earth meridian orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oli, P. V. S.; Nagarajan, N.; Rayan, H. R.

1993-07-01

The concept of 'meridian orbits' is briefly reviewed. It is shown that, if a satellite in the meridian orbit makes an odd number of revolutions per day, then the satellite passes over the same set of meridians twice a day. Satellites in such orbits pass over the same portion of the sky twice a day and every day. This enables a user to adopt a programmed mode of tracking, thereby avoiding a computational facility for orbit prediction, look angle generation, and auto tracking. A constellation of 38 or more satellites placed in a 1200 km altitude circular orbit is favorable for global communications due to various factors. It is shown that appropriate phasing in right ascension of the ascending node and mean anomaly results in a constellation, wherein each satellite appears over the user's horizon one satellite after another. Visibility and coverage plots are provided to verify the continuous coverage.

Yellow phosphorus-induced Brugada phenocopy.

PubMed

Dharanipradab, Mayakrishnan; Viswanathan, Stalin; Kumar, Gokula Raman; Krishnamurthy, Vijayalatchumy; Stanley, Daphene Divya

Metallic phosphides (of aluminum and phosphide) and yellow phosphorus are commonly used rodenticide compounds in developing countries. Toxicity of yellow phosphorus mostly pertains to the liver, kidney, heart, pancreas and the brain. Cardiotoxicity with associated Brugada ECG pattern has been reported only in poisoning with metallic phosphides. Brugada phenocopy and hepatic dysfunction were observed in a 29-year-old male following yellow phosphorus consumption. He had both type 1 (day1) and type 2 (day2) Brugada patterns in the electrocardiogram, which resolved spontaneously by the third day without hemodynamic compromise. Toxins such as aluminum and zinc phosphide have been reported to induce Brugada ECG patterns due to the generation of phosphine. We report the first case of yellow phosphorus-related Brugada phenocopy, without hemodynamic compromise or malignant arrhythmia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Short-term variability in the ionosphere due to the nonlinear interaction between the 6 day wave and migrating tides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Quan; Oberheide, Jens; Yue, Jia; Wang, Wenbin

2017-08-01

Using the thermosphere-ionosphere-mesosphere electrodynamics general circulation model simulations, we investigate the short-term ionospheric variability due to the child waves and altered tides produced by the nonlinear interaction between the 6 day wave and migrating tides. Via the Fourier spectral diagnostics and least squares fittings, the [21 h, W2] and [13 h, W1] child waves, generated by the interaction of the 6 day wave with the DW1 and SW2, respectively, are found to play the leading roles on the subdiurnal variability (e.g., ±10 m/s in the ion drift and 50% in the NmF2) in the F region vertical ion drift changes through the dynamo modulation induced by the low-latitude zonal wind and the meridional wind at higher latitudes. The relatively minor contribution of the [11 h, W3] child wave is explicit as well. Although the [29 h, W0] child wave has the largest magnitude in the E region, its effect is totally absent in the vertical ion drift due to the zonally uniform structure. But the [29 h, W0] child wave shows up in the NmF2. It is found that the NmF2 short-term variability is attributed to the wave modulations on both E region dynamo and in situ F region composition. Also, the altered migrating tides due to the interaction will not contribute to the ionospheric changes significantly.

An electric generator using living Torpedo electric organs controlled by fluid pressure-based alternative nervous systems

PubMed Central

Tanaka, Yo; Funano, Shun-ichi; Nishizawa, Yohei; Kamamichi, Norihiro; Nishinaka, Masahiro; Kitamori, Takehiko

2016-01-01

Direct electric power generation using biological functions have become a research focus due to their low cost and cleanliness. Unlike major approaches using glucose fuels or microbial fuel cells (MFCs), we present a generation method with intrinsically high energy conversion efficiency and generation with arbitrary timing using living electric organs of Torpedo (electric rays) which are serially integrated electrocytes converting ATP into electric energy. We developed alternative nervous systems using fluid pressure to stimulate electrocytes by a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (Ach), and demonstrated electric generation. Maximum voltage and current were 1.5 V and 0.64 mA, respectively, with a duration time of a few seconds. We also demonstrated energy accumulation in a capacitor. The current was far larger than that using general cells other than electrocytes (~pA level). The generation ability was confirmed against repetitive cycles and also after preservation for 1 day. This is the first step toward ATP-based energy harvesting devices. PMID:27241817

An electric generator using living Torpedo electric organs controlled by fluid pressure-based alternative nervous systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Yo; Funano, Shun-Ichi; Nishizawa, Yohei; Kamamichi, Norihiro; Nishinaka, Masahiro; Kitamori, Takehiko

2016-05-01

Direct electric power generation using biological functions have become a research focus due to their low cost and cleanliness. Unlike major approaches using glucose fuels or microbial fuel cells (MFCs), we present a generation method with intrinsically high energy conversion efficiency and generation with arbitrary timing using living electric organs of Torpedo (electric rays) which are serially integrated electrocytes converting ATP into electric energy. We developed alternative nervous systems using fluid pressure to stimulate electrocytes by a neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (Ach), and demonstrated electric generation. Maximum voltage and current were 1.5 V and 0.64 mA, respectively, with a duration time of a few seconds. We also demonstrated energy accumulation in a capacitor. The current was far larger than that using general cells other than electrocytes (~pA level). The generation ability was confirmed against repetitive cycles and also after preservation for 1 day. This is the first step toward ATP-based energy harvesting devices.

Generation of Perfluoroalkyl Acids from Aerobic Biotransformation of Quaternary Ammonium Polyfluoroalkyl Surfactants.

PubMed

Mejia-Avendaño, Sandra; Vo Duy, Sung; Sauvé, Sébastien; Liu, Jinxia

2016-09-20

The aerobic biotransformation over 180 days of two cationic quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) with perfluoroalkyl chains was determined in soil microcosms, and biotransformation pathways were proposed. This is the first time that polyfluoroalkyl cationic surfactants used in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations were studied for their environmental fate. The biotransformation of perfluorooctaneamido quaternary ammonium salt (PFOAAmS) was characterized by a DT50 value (time necessary to consume half of the initial mass) of 142 days and significant generation of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (PFOA) at a yield of 30 mol % by day 180. The biotransformation of perfluorooctane sulfonamide quaternary ammonium salt (PFOSAmS) was very slow with unobservable change of the spiked mass; yet the generation of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) at a yield of 0.3 mol % confirmed the biotransformation of PFOSAmS. Three novel biotransformation intermediates were identified for PFOAAmS and three products including perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) for PFOSAmS through high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) analysis and t-MS(2) fragmentation. The significantly slower PFOSAmS biotransformation is hypothesized to be due to its stronger sorption to soil owing to a longer perfluoroalkyl chain and a bulkier sulfonyl group, when compared to PFOAAmS. This study has demonstrated that despite overall high stability of QACs and their biocide nature, the ones with perfluoroalkyl chains can be substantially biotransformed into perfluoroalkyl acids in aerobic soil.

Consumption patterns and household hazardous solid waste generation in an urban settlement in México.

PubMed

Otoniel, Buenrostro Delgado; Liliana, Márquez-Benavides; Francelia, Pinette Gaona

2008-01-01

Mexico is currently facing a crisis in the waste management field. Some efforts have just commenced in urban and in rural settlements, e.g., conversion of open dumps into landfills, a relatively small composting culture, and implementation of source separation and plastic recycling strategies. Nonetheless, the high heterogeneity of components in the waste, many of these with hazardous properties, present the municipal collection services with serious problems, due to the risks to the health of the workers and to the impacts to the environment as a result of the inadequate disposition of these wastes. A generation study in the domestic sector was undertaken with the aim of finding out the composition and the generation rate of household hazardous waste (HHW) produced at residences. Simultaneously to the generation study, a socioeconomic survey was applied to determine the influence of income level on the production of HHW. Results from the solid waste generation analysis indicated that approximately 1.6% of the waste stream consists of HHW. Correspondingly, it was estimated that in Morelia, a total amount of 442ton/day of domestic waste are produced, including 7.1ton of HHW per day. Furthermore, the overall amount of HHW is not directly related to income level, although particular byproducts do correlate. However, an important difference was observed, as the brands and the presentation sizes of goods and products used in each socioeconomic stratum varied.

An improved yeast transformation method for the generation of very large human antibody libraries.

PubMed

Benatuil, Lorenzo; Perez, Jennifer M; Belk, Jonathan; Hsieh, Chung-Ming

2010-04-01

Antibody library selection by yeast display technology is an efficient and highly sensitive method to identify binders to target antigens. This powerful selection tool, however, is often hampered by the typically modest size of yeast libraries (approximately 10(7)) due to the limited yeast transformation efficiency, and the full potential of the yeast display technology for antibody discovery and engineering can only be realized if it can be coupled with a mean to generate very large yeast libraries. We describe here a yeast transformation method by electroporation that allows for the efficient generation of large antibody libraries up to 10(10) in size. Multiple components and conditions including CaCl(2), MgCl(2), sucrose, sorbitol, lithium acetate, dithiothreitol, electroporation voltage, DNA input and cell volume have been tested to identify the best combination. By applying this developed protocol, we have constructed a 1.4 x 10(10) human spleen antibody library essentially in 1 day with a transformation efficiency of 1-1.5 x 10(8) transformants/microg vector DNA. Taken together, we have developed a highly efficient yeast transformation method that enables the generation of very large and productive human antibody libraries for antibody discovery, and we are now routinely making 10(9) libraries in a day for antibody engineering purposes.

Validation of Fully Automated VMAT Plan Generation for Library-Based Plan-of-the-Day Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Breedveld, Sebastiaan; Voet, Peter W. J.; Heijkoop, Sabrina T.; Mens, Jan-Willem M.; Hoogeman, Mischa S.; Heijmen, Ben J. M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To develop and validate fully automated generation of VMAT plan-libraries for plan-of-the-day adaptive radiotherapy in locally-advanced cervical cancer. Material and Methods Our framework for fully automated treatment plan generation (Erasmus-iCycle) was adapted to create dual-arc VMAT treatment plan libraries for cervical cancer patients. For each of 34 patients, automatically generated VMAT plans (autoVMAT) were compared to manually generated, clinically delivered 9-beam IMRT plans (CLINICAL), and to dual-arc VMAT plans generated manually by an expert planner (manVMAT). Furthermore, all plans were benchmarked against 20-beam equi-angular IMRT plans (autoIMRT). For all plans, a PTV coverage of 99.5% by at least 95% of the prescribed dose (46 Gy) had the highest planning priority, followed by minimization of V45Gy for small bowel (SB). Other OARs considered were bladder, rectum, and sigmoid. Results All plans had a highly similar PTV coverage, within the clinical constraints (above). After plan normalizations for exactly equal median PTV doses in corresponding plans, all evaluated OAR parameters in autoVMAT plans were on average lower than in the CLINICAL plans with an average reduction in SB V45Gy of 34.6% (p<0.001). For 41/44 autoVMAT plans, SB V45Gy was lower than for manVMAT (p<0.001, average reduction 30.3%), while SB V15Gy increased by 2.3% (p = 0.011). AutoIMRT reduced SB V45Gy by another 2.7% compared to autoVMAT, while also resulting in a 9.0% reduction in SB V15Gy (p<0.001), but with a prolonged delivery time. Differences between manVMAT and autoVMAT in bladder, rectal and sigmoid doses were ≤ 1%. Improvements in SB dose delivery with autoVMAT instead of manVMAT were higher for empty bladder PTVs compared to full bladder PTVs, due to differences in concavity of the PTVs. Conclusions Quality of automatically generated VMAT plans was superior to manually generated plans. Automatic VMAT plan generation for cervical cancer has been implemented in our clinical routine. Due to the achieved workload reduction, extension of plan libraries has become feasible. PMID:28033342

Viral CTL escape mutants are generated in lymph nodes and subsequently become fixed in plasma and rectal mucosa during acute SIV infection of macaques.

PubMed

Vanderford, Thomas H; Bleckwehl, Chelsea; Engram, Jessica C; Dunham, Richard M; Klatt, Nichole R; Feinberg, Mark B; Garber, David A; Betts, Michael R; Silvestri, Guido

2011-05-01

SIV(mac239) infection of rhesus macaques (RMs) results in AIDS despite the generation of a strong antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, possibly due to the emergence of viral escape mutants that prevent recognition of infected cells by CTLs. To determine the anatomic origin of these SIV mutants, we longitudinally assessed the presence of CTL escape variants in two MamuA*01-restricted immunodominant epitopes (Tat-SL8 and Gag-CM9) in the plasma, PBMCs, lymph nodes (LN), and rectal biopsies (RB) of fifteen SIV(mac239)-infected RMs. As expected, Gag-CM9 did not exhibit signs of escape before day 84 post infection. In contrast, Tat-SL8 escape mutants were apparent in all tissues by day 14 post infection. Interestingly LNs and plasma exhibited the highest level of escape at day 14 and day 28 post infection, respectively, with the rate of escape in the RB remaining lower throughout the acute infection. The possibility that CTL escape occurs in LNs before RBs is confirmed by the observation that the specific mutants found at high frequency in LNs at day 14 post infection became dominant at day 28 post infection in plasma, PBMC, and RB. Finally, the frequency of escape mutants in plasma at day 28 post infection correlated strongly with the level Tat-SL8-specific CD8 T cells in the LN and PBMC at day 14 post infection. These results indicate that LNs represent the primary source of CTL escape mutants during the acute phase of SIV(mac239) infection, suggesting that LNs are the main anatomic sites of virus replication and/or the tissues in which CTL pressure is most effective in selecting SIV escape variants.

Viral CTL Escape Mutants Are Generated in Lymph Nodes and Subsequently Become Fixed in Plasma and Rectal Mucosa during Acute SIV Infection of Macaques

PubMed Central

Vanderford, Thomas H.; Bleckwehl, Chelsea; Engram, Jessica C.; Dunham, Richard M.; Klatt, Nichole R.; Feinberg, Mark B.; Garber, David A.; Betts, Michael R.; Silvestri, Guido

2011-01-01

SIVmac239 infection of rhesus macaques (RMs) results in AIDS despite the generation of a strong antiviral cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response, possibly due to the emergence of viral escape mutants that prevent recognition of infected cells by CTLs. To determine the anatomic origin of these SIV mutants, we longitudinally assessed the presence of CTL escape variants in two MamuA*01-restricted immunodominant epitopes (Tat-SL8 and Gag-CM9) in the plasma, PBMCs, lymph nodes (LN), and rectal biopsies (RB) of fifteen SIVmac239-infected RMs. As expected, Gag-CM9 did not exhibit signs of escape before day 84 post infection. In contrast, Tat-SL8 escape mutants were apparent in all tissues by day 14 post infection. Interestingly LNs and plasma exhibited the highest level of escape at day 14 and day 28 post infection, respectively, with the rate of escape in the RB remaining lower throughout the acute infection. The possibility that CTL escape occurs in LNs before RBs is confirmed by the observation that the specific mutants found at high frequency in LNs at day 14 post infection became dominant at day 28 post infection in plasma, PBMC, and RB. Finally, the frequency of escape mutants in plasma at day 28 post infection correlated strongly with the level Tat-SL8-specific CD8 T cells in the LN and PBMC at day 14 post infection. These results indicate that LNs represent the primary source of CTL escape mutants during the acute phase of SIVmac239 infection, suggesting that LNs are the main anatomic sites of virus replication and/or the tissues in which CTL pressure is most effective in selecting SIV escape variants. PMID:21625590

Centroid stabilization in alignment of FOA corner cube: designing of a matched filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awwal, Abdul; Wilhelmsen, Karl; Roberts, Randy; Leach, Richard; Miller Kamm, Victoria; Ngo, Tony; Lowe-Webb, Roger

2015-02-01

The current automation of image-based alignment of NIF high energy laser beams is providing the capability of executing multiple target shots per day. An important aspect of performing multiple shots in a day is to reduce additional time spent aligning specific beams due to perturbations in those beam images. One such alignment is beam centration through the second and third harmonic generating crystals in the final optics assembly (FOA), which employs two retro-reflecting corner cubes to represent the beam center. The FOA houses the frequency conversion crystals for third harmonic generation as the beams enters the target chamber. Beam-to-beam variations and systematic beam changes over time in the FOA corner-cube images can lead to a reduction in accuracy as well as increased convergence durations for the template based centroid detector. This work presents a systematic approach of maintaining FOA corner cube centroid templates so that stable position estimation is applied thereby leading to fast convergence of alignment control loops. In the matched filtering approach, a template is designed based on most recent images taken in the last 60 days. The results show that new filter reduces the divergence of the position estimation of FOA images.

Analysis and forecasting of municipal solid waste in Nankana City using geo-spatial techniques.

PubMed

Mahmood, Shakeel; Sharif, Faiza; Rahman, Atta-Ur; Khan, Amin U

2018-04-11

The objective of this study was to analyze and forecast municipal solid waste (MSW) in Nankana City (NC), District Nankana, Province of Punjab, Pakistan. The study is based on primary data acquired through a questionnaire, Global Positioning System (GPS), and direct waste sampling and analysis. Inverse distance weighting (IDW) technique was applied to geo-visualize the spatial trend of MSW generation. Analysis revealed that the total MSW generated was 12,419,636 kg/annum (12,419.64 t) or 34,026.4 kg/day (34.03 t), or 0.46 kg/capita/day (kg/cap/day). The average wastes generated per day by studied households, clinics, hospitals, and hotels were 3, 7.5, 20, and 15 kg, respectively. The residential sector was the top producer with 95.5% (32,511 kg/day) followed by commercial sector 1.9% (665 kg/day). On average, high-income and low-income households were generating waste of 4.2 kg/household/day (kg/hh/day) and 1.7 kg/hh/day, respectively. Similarly, large-size families were generating more (4.4 kg/hh/day) waste than small-size families (1.8 kg/hh/day). The physical constituents of MSW generated in the study area with a population of about 70,000 included paper (7%); compostable matter (61%); plastics (9%); fine earth, ashes, ceramics, and stones (20.4%); and others (2.6%).The spatial trend of MSW generation varies; city center has a high rate of generation and towards periphery generation lowers. Based on the current population growth and MSW generation rate, NC is expected to generate 2.8 times more waste by the year 2050.This is imperative to develop a proper solid waste management plan to reduce the risk of environmental degradation and protect human health. This study provides insights into MSW generation rate, physical composition, and forecasting which are vital in its management strategies.

MELCOR Model of the Spent Fuel Pool of Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 4

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

Carbajo, Juan J

2012-01-01

Unit 4 of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a hydrogen explosion at 6:00 am on March 15, 2011, exactly 3.64 days after the earthquake hit the plant and the off-site power was lost. The earthquake occurred on March 11 at 2:47 pm. Since the reactor of this Unit 4 was defueled on November 29, 2010, and all its fuel was stored in the spent fuel pool (SFP4), it was first believed that the explosion was caused by hydrogen generated by the spent fuel, in particular, by the recently discharged core. The hypothetical scenario was: power was lost, coolingmore » to the SFP4 water was lost, pool water heated/boiled, water level decreased, fuel was uncovered, hot Zircaloy reacted with steam, hydrogen was generated and accumulated above the pool, and the explosion occurred. Recent analyses of the radioisotopes present in the water of the SFP4 and underwater video indicated that this scenario did not occur - the fuel in this pool was not damaged and was never uncovered the hydrogen of the explosion was apparently generated in Unit 3 and transported through exhaust ducts that shared the same chimney with Unit 4. This paper will try to answer the following questions: Could that hypothetical scenario in the SFP4 had occurred? Could the spent fuel in the SPF4 generate enough hydrogen to produce the explosion that occurred 3.64 days after the earthquake? Given the magnitude of the explosion, it was estimated that at least 150 kg of hydrogen had to be generated. As part of the investigations of this accident, MELCOR models of the SFP4 were prepared and a series of calculations were completed. The latest version of MELCOR, version 2.1 (Ref. 1), was employed in these calculations. The spent fuel pool option for BWR fuel was selected in MELCOR. The MELCOR model of the SFP4 consists of a total of 1535 fuel assemblies out of which 548 assemblies are from the core defueled on Nov. 29, 2010, 783 assemblies are older assemblies, and 204 are new/fresh assemblies. The total decay heat of the fuel in the pool was, at the time of the accident, 2.284 MWt, of which 1.872 MWt were from the 548 assemblies of the last core discharged and 0.412 MWt were from the older 783 assemblies. These decay heat values were calculated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the ORIGEN2.2 code (Ref. 2) - they agree with values reported elsewhere (Ref. 3). The pool dimensions are 9.9 m x 12.2 m x 11.8 m (height), and with the water level at 11.5 m, the pool volume is 1389 m3, of which only 1240 m3 is water, as some volume is taken by the fuel and by the fuel racks. The initial water temperature of the SFP4 was assumed to be 301 K. The fuel racks are made of an aluminum alloy but are modeled in MELCOR with stainless steel and B4C. MELCOR calculations were completed for different initial water levels: 11.5 m (pool almost full, water is only 0.3 m below the top rim), 4.4577 m (top of the racks), 4.2 m, and 4.026 m (top of the active fuel). A calculation was also completed for a rapid loss of water due to a leak at the bottom of the pool, with the fuel rapidly uncovered and oxidized in air. Results of these calculations are shown in the enclosed Table I. The calculation with the initial water level at 11.5 m (full pool) takes 11 days for the water to boil down to the top of the fuel racks, 11.5 days for the fuel to be uncovered, 14.65 days to generate 150 kg of hydrogen and 19 days for the pool to be completely dry. The calculation with the initial water level at 4.4577 m, takes 1.1 days to uncover the fuel and 4.17 days to generate 150 kg of hydrogen. The calculation with the initial water level at 4.02 m takes 3.63 days to generate 150 kg of hydrogen this is exactly the time when the actual explosion occurred in Unit 4. Finally, fuel oxidation in air after the pool drained the water in 20 minutes, generates only 10 kg of hydrogen this is because very little steam is available and Zircaloy (Zr) oxidation with the oxygen of the air does not generate hydrogen. MELCOR calculated water levels and hydrogen generated in the SFP4 as a function of time for initial water levels of 4.457 m, 4.2 m and 4.02 m are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Water levels increase at the beginning due to the expansion of the water during the heat-up from 301 K to 373 K. Boiling occurs after the water temperature reaches 373 K. The total amount of hydrogen generated is ~2000 kg, this amount includes hydrogen generated from Zr, which is the largest amount (~1580 kg), from stainless steel (~360 kg), and from B4C (~60 kg). In theory, it is possible to generate up to 3.4 kg of hydrogen per assembly (from oxidation of Zr in the fuel cladding and box), or a total of 4,525 kg from the hot 1331 assemblies stored in the SFP4. The hydrogen generated from oxidation of steel and B4C will be additional. So the answers to the questions are YES according to these MELCOR calculations, enough hydrogen (150 kg) could be generated in the SFP4 3.64 days after the earthquake to produce ...« less

[First case of lung abscess due to Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Japan].

PubMed

Takahashi, Yoshinori; Sasabe, Jun; Maeda, Hikaru; Fujiwara, Atsushi; Yuda, Hisamichi; Yoshida, Masamichi; Taguchi, Osamu

2014-07-01

A 63-year-old previously healthy man was admitted to our hospital with diarrhea that had lasted for about 4 weeks, high fever and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography showed consolidation with a low-density area in the right middle lobe and small nodules with feeding vessels in the right upper lobe. On Day 8, a cavity was observed in the consolidation, and the lymph nodes in the mediastinum became necrotic. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (serotype 4b) was cultured from blood, bronchial washing fluid, and lung tissue specimens. We diagnosed the lung lesions as septic pulmonary embolism caused by enterocolitis. We started treatment with tazobactam/piperacillin. It has been reported that high-dose ceftriaxone (CTRX) is effective, but CTRX at normal doses and other beta-lactams are less effective or even ineffective. Therefore, we changed to CTRX (4g/day) on Day 5, CTRX (2g/day) on Day 8, and oral cefditoren pivoxil (600 mg/day; a third-generation cephalosporin) on Day 18. Antibiotic therapy resulted in a favorable response. The patient was discharged from our hospital on day 25 in good health. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a lung abscess caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis reported in Japan.

Meningitis due to ampicillin-and chloramphenicol-resistant Haemophilus influenzae type b in Canada. Case report and review

PubMed Central

Kabani, Amin; Joffe, Ari; Cadrain, Gisele; Jadavji, Taj

1990-01-01

The first report of a case of ampicillin- and chloramphenicol-resistant Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive infection in Canada is described in a four-month-old male with meningitis. He was treated with cefotaxime 200 mg/kg/day divided every 6 h and dexamethasone 0.6 mg/kg/day divided every 6 h, eventually recovering after a complicated course. Follow-up at 21 months showed mild to moderate global developmental delay. While chloramphenicol resistance is rare in North America, a case of meningitis initially unresponsive to ampicillin and chloramphenicol must be considered suspect for resistance. Third generation cephalosporins should be used for resistant cases. PMID:22553448

Source credibility and idea improvement have independent effects on unconscious plagiarism errors in recall and generate-new tasks.

PubMed

Perfect, Timothy J; Field, Ian; Jones, Robert

2009-01-01

Unconscious plagiarism occurs when people try to generate new ideas or when they try to recall their own ideas from among a set generated by a group. In this study, the factors that independently influence these two forms of plagiarism error were examined. Participants initially generated solutions to real-world problems in 2 domains of knowledge in collaboration with a confederate presented as an expert in 1 domain. Subsequently, the participant generated improvements to half of the ideas from each person. Participants returned 1 day later to recall either their own ideas or their partner's ideas and to complete a generate-new task. A double dissociation was observed. Generate-new plagiarism was driven by partner expertise but not by idea improvement, whereas recall plagiarism was driven by improvement but not expertise. This improvement effect on recall plagiarism was seen for the recall-own but not the recall-partner task, suggesting that the increase in recall-own plagiarism is due to mistaken idea ownership, not source confusion.

Solid waste generation and characterization in the University of Lagos for a sustainable waste management.

PubMed

Adeniran, A E; Nubi, A T; Adelopo, A O

2017-09-01

Waste characterization is the first step to any successful waste management policy. In this paper, the characterization and the trend of solid waste generated in University of Lagos, Nigeria was carried out using ASTM D5231-92 and Resource Conservation Reservation Authority RCRA Waste Sampling Draft Technical Guidance methods. The recyclable potential of the waste is very high constituting about 75% of the total waste generated. The estimated average daily solid waste generation in Unilag Akoka campus was estimated to be 32.2tons. The solid waste characterization was found to be: polythene bags 24% (7.73tons/day), paper 15% (4.83tons/day), organic matters 15%, (4.83tons/day), plastic 9% (2.90tons/day), inert materials 8% (2.58tons/day), sanitary 7% (2.25tons/day), textile 7% (2.25tons/day), others 6% (1.93tons/day), leather 4% (1.29tons/day) metals 3% (0.97tons/day), glass 2% (0.64tons/day) and e-waste 0% (0.0tons/day). The volume and distribution of polythene bags generated on campus had a positive significant statistical correlation with the distribution of commercial and academic structures on campus. Waste management options to optimize reuse, recycling and reduce waste generation were discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Empirical meaning of DTM multifractal parameters in the precipitation context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portilla Farfan, Freddy; Valencia, Jose Luis; Villeta, Maria; Tarquis, Ana M.; Saa-Requejo, Antonio

2015-04-01

The main objective of this research is to interpret the multifractal parameters in the case of precipitation series from an empirical approach. In order to do so nineteen precipitation series were generated with a daily precipitation simulator derived from year and month estimations and considering the classical statistics, used commonly in hydrology studies, from actual data of four Spanish rain gauges located in a gradient from NW to SE. For all generated series the multifractal parameters were estimated following the technique DTM (Double Trace Moments) developed by Lavalle et al. (1993) and the variations produced considered. The results show the following conclusions: 1. The intermittency, C1, increases when precipitation is concentrating for fewer days, making it more variable, or when increasing its concentration on maximum monthly precipitation days, while it is not affected due to the modification in the variability in the number of days rained. 2. Multifractility, α, increases with the number of rainy days and the variability of the precipitation, yearly as well as monthly, as well as with the concentration of precipitation on the maximum monthly precipitation day. 3. The maximum probable singularity, γs, increases with the concentration of rain on the day of the maximum monthly precipitation and the variability in yearly and monthly level. 4. The non-conservative degree, H, depends on the number of rainy days that appear on the series and secondly on the general variability of the rain. References Lavallée D., S. Lovejoy, D. Schertzer and P. Ladoy, 1993. Nonlinear variability and landscape topography: analysis and simulation. In: Fractals in Geography (N. Lam and L. De Cola, Eds.) Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 158-192.

Operating aerobic wastewater treatment at very short sludge ages enables treatment and energy recovery through anaerobic sludge digestion.

PubMed

Ge, Huoqing; Batstone, Damien J; Keller, Jurg

2013-11-01

Conventional abattoir wastewater treatment processes for carbon and nutrient removal are typically designed and operated with a long sludge retention time (SRT) of 10-20 days, with a relatively high energy demand and physical footprint. The process also generates a considerable amount of waste activated sludge that is not easily degradable due to the long SRT. In this study, an innovative high-rate sequencing batch reactor (SBR) based wastewater treatment process with short SRT and hydraulic retention time (HRT) is developed and characterised. The high-rate SBR process was shown to be most effective with SRT of 2-3 days and HRT of 0.5-1 day, achieving >80% reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphorus and approximately 55% nitrogen removal. A majority of carbon removal (70-80%) was achieved by biomass assimilation and/or accumulation, rather than oxidation. Anaerobic degradability of the sludge generated in the high-rate SBR process was strongly linked to SRT, with measured degradability extent being 85% (2 days SRT), 73% (3 days), and 63% (4 days), but it was not influenced by digestion temperature. However, the rate of degradation for 3 and 4 days SRT sludge was increased by 45% at thermophilic conditions compared to mesophilic conditions. Overall, the treatment process provides a very compact and energy efficient treatment option for highly degradable wastewaters such as meat and food processing, with a substantial space reduction by using smaller reactors and a considerable net energy output through the reduced aerobic oxidation and concurrent increased methane production potential through the efficient sludge digestion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a pioneering clinical support system utilizing information technology.

PubMed

Hayashi, Doubun; Imai, Yasushi; Morita, Hiroyuki; Fujita, Hideo; Monzen, Koshiro; Harada, Tomohiro; Nojiri, Takefumi; Yamazaki, Tadashi; Yamazaki, Tsutomu; Nagai, Ryozo

2004-03-01

Nowadays, evidence-based medicine has entered the mainstream of clinical judgement and the human genome has been completely decoded. Even the concept of individually designed medicine, that is, tailor-made medicine, is now being discussed. Due to their complexity, however, management methods for clinical information have yet to be established. We have conducted a study on a universal technique which enables one to select or produce by employing information processing technology clinical findings from various clinical information generated in vast quantity in day-to-day clinical practice, and to share such information and/or the results of analysis between two or more institutions. In this study, clinically useful findings have been successfully obtained by systematizing actual clinical information and genomic information obtained by an appropriate collecting and management method of information with due consideration to ethical issues. We report here these medical achievements as well as technological ones which will play a role in propagating such medical achievements.

Derivation of an oral reference dose (RfD) for the plasticizer, di-(2-propylheptyl)phthalate (Palatinol® 10-P).

PubMed

Bhat, Virunya S; Durham, Jennifer L; English, J Caroline

2014-10-01

Di-(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DPHP) is a high molecular weight polyvinyl chloride plasticizer. Since increasing production volume and broad utility may result in human exposure, an oral reference dose (RfD) was derived from laboratory animal data due to the lack of human data. In addition to liver and kidney, target organs were the thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands in rats, recognizing that reproductive performance was not altered in two successive generations of DPHP-exposed rats. DPHP caused a reduction in pup and maternal body weights but not developmental or testicular effects typical of "phthalate syndrome." DPHP was not genotoxic. Due to the lack of carcinogenicity data, there is inadequate information to assess carcinogenic potential. The RfD of 0.1mg/kg-day was derived from the human equivalent BMDL10 of 10mg/kg-day for thyroid hypertrophy/hyperplasia in male F1 adults from the two-generation study. While in utero exposure did not alter sensitivity to thyroid lesions compared to subchronic exposures beginning at 6weeks of age, F1 adult males were the longest-term exposed population. The total uncertainty factor of 100x was comprised of intraspecies (10x), study duration (3x), and database (3x) factors but not an interspecies factor since rodents are more sensitive than humans to thyroid gland effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The possible effect of reaction wheel unloading on orbit determination for Chang'E-1 lunar mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jianguo, Yan; Jingsong, Ping; Fei, Li

During the flight of 3-axis stabilized lunar orbiter i e SELENE main orbiter Chang E-1 due to the overflow of the accumulated angular momentum the reaction-wheel will be unloaded during certain period so as to release the angular momentum for initialization Then the momentum wheel will be reloaded for satellite attitude measurement and control Above action will not only change the attitude but also change the orbit of the spacecraft Assuming the reaction-wheel unloading is carried out twice a day according to the current engineering designation and plan for SELENE main orbiter and Chang E-1 missions considering the algebra configuration of the tracking stations the Moon and the lunar orbiter the orbit determination is simulated for 14 days evolution of lunar orbiter In the simulation the satellite orbit is generated using GEODYNII code Based on the generated orbit the common view time period of the satellite by VLBI and USB network in every day is computed the orbit determination is processed for all the arcs of the orbit The orbit determination result of 28 orbits in 14 days is provided The orbits cover most of the possible geometrical configuration among orbiter the Moon and the tracking network The analysis here can benefit the tracking designation and plan for Chang E-1 mission

Aerosol characterization and pulmonary responses in rats after short-term inhalation of fumes generated during resistance spot welding of galvanized steel.

PubMed

Antonini, James M; Afshari, Aliakbar; Meighan, Terence G; McKinney, Walter; Jackson, Mark; Schwegler-Berry, Diane; Burns, Dru A; LeBouf, Ryan F; Chen, Bean T; Shoeb, Mohammad; Zeidler-Erdely, Patti C

2017-01-01

Resistance spot welding is a common process to join metals in the automotive industry. Adhesives are often used as sealers to seams of metals that are joined. Anti-spatter compounds sometimes are sprayed onto metals to be welded to improve the weldability. Spot welding produces complex aerosols composed of metal and volatile compounds (VOCs) which can cause lung disease in workers. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12/treatment group) were exposed by inhalation to 25 mg/m 3 of aerosol for 4 h/day × 8 days during spot welding of galvanized zinc (Zn)-coated steel in the presence or absence of a glue or anti-spatter spray. Controls were exposed to filtered air. Particle size distribution and chemical composition of the generated aerosol were determined. At 1 and 7 days after exposure, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to assess lung toxicity. The generated particles mostly were in the submicron size range with a significant number of nanometer-sized particles formed. The primary metals present in the fumes were Fe (72.5%) and Zn (26.3%). The addition of the anti-spatter spray and glue did affect particle size distribution when spot welding galvanized steel, whereas they had no effect on metal composition. Multiple VOCs (e.g., methyl methacrylate, acetaldehyde, ethanol, acetone, benzene, xylene) were identified when spot welding using either the glue or the anti-spatter spray that were not present when welding alone. Markers of lung injury (BAL lactate dehydrogenase) and inflammation (total BAL cells/neutrophils and cytokines/chemokines) were significantly elevated compared to controls 1 day after exposure to the spot welding fumes. The elevated pulmonary response was transient as lung toxicity mostly returned to control values by 7 days. The VOCs or the concentrations that they were generated during the animal exposures had no measurable effect on the pulmonary responses. Inhalation of galvanized spot welding fumes caused acute lung toxicity most likely due to the short-term exposure of particles that contain Zn.

Reevaluation of the non-lesional dry skin in atopic dermatitis by acute barrier disruption: an abnormal permeability barrier homeostasis with defective processing to generate ceramide.

PubMed

Sugiura, Ayumi; Nomura, Tsuyoshi; Mizuno, Atsuko; Imokawa, Genji

2014-07-01

Atopic dermatitis is characterized by disruption of the cutaneous barrier due to reduced ceramide levels even in non-lesional dry skin. Following further acute barrier disruption by repeated tape strippings, we re-characterized the non-lesional dry skin of subjects with atopic dermatitis, which shows significantly reduced levels of barrier function and ceramide but not of beta-glucocerebrosidase activity. For the first time, we report an abnormal trans-epidermal water loss homeostasis in which delayed recovery kinetics of trans-epidermal water loss occurred on the first day during the 4 days after acute barrier disruption compared with healthy control skin. Interestingly, whereas the higher ceramide level in the stratum corneum of healthy control skin was further significantly up-regulated at 4 days post-tape stripping, the lower ceramide level in the stratum corneum of subjects with atopic dermatitis was not significantly changed. In a parallel study, whereas beta-glucocerebrosidase activity at 4 days post-tape stripping was significantly up-regulated in healthy control skin compared with before tape stripping, the level of that activity remained substantially unchanged in atopic dermatitis. These findings indicate that subjects with atopic dermatitis have a defect in sphingolipid-metabolic processing that generates ceramide in the interface between the stratum corneum and the epidermis. The results also support the notion that the continued disruption of barrier function in atopic dermatitis non-lesional skin is associated with the impaired homeostasis of a ceramide-generating process, which underscores an atopy-specific inflammation-triggered ceramide deficiency that is distinct from other types of dermatitis.

Evaluation of selected recurrence measures in discriminating pre-ictal and inter-ictal periods from epileptic EEG data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngamga, Eulalie Joelle; Bialonski, Stephan; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen; Geier, Christian; Lehnertz, Klaus

2016-04-01

We investigate the suitability of selected measures of complexity based on recurrence quantification analysis and recurrence networks for an identification of pre-seizure states in multi-day, multi-channel, invasive electroencephalographic recordings from five epilepsy patients. We employ several statistical techniques to avoid spurious findings due to various influencing factors and due to multiple comparisons and observe precursory structures in three patients. Our findings indicate a high congruence among measures in identifying seizure precursors and emphasize the current notion of seizure generation in large-scale epileptic networks. A final judgment of the suitability for field studies, however, requires evaluation on a larger database.

Generating chimeric mice from embryonic stem cells via vial coculturing or hypertonic microinjection.

PubMed

Lee, Kun-Hsiung

2014-01-01

The generation of a fertile embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived or F0 (100 % coat color chimerism) mice is the final criterion in proving that the ESC is truly pluripotent. Many methods have been developed to produce chimeric mice. To date, the most popular methods for generating chimeric embryos is well sandwich aggregation between zona pellucida (ZP) removed (denuded) 2.5-day post-coitum (dpc) embryos and ESC clumps, or direct microinjection of ESCs into the cavity (blastocoel) of 3.5-dpc blastocysts. However, due to systemic limitations and the disadvantages of conventional microinjection, aggregation, and coculturing, two novel methods (vial coculturing and hypertonic microinjection) were developed in recent years at my laboratory.Coculturing 2.5-dpc denuded embryos with ESCs in 1.7-mL vials for ~3 h generates chimeras that have significantly high levels of chimerism (including 100 % coat color chimerism) and germline transmission. This method has significantly fewer instrumental and technological limitations than existing methods, and is an efficient, simple, inexpensive, and reproducible method for "mass production" of chimeric embryos. For laboratories without a microinjection system, this is the method of choice for generating chimeric embryos. Microinjecting ESCs into a subzonal space of 2.5-dpc embryos can generate germline-transmitted chimeras including 100 % coat color chimerism. However, this method is adopted rarely due to the very small and tight space between ZP and blastomeres. Using a laser pulse or Piezo-driven instrument/device to help introduce ESCs into the subzonal space of 2.5-dpc embryos demonstrates the superior efficiency in generating ESC-derived (F0) chimeras. Unfortunately, due to the need for an expensive instrument/device and extra fine skill, not many studies have used either method. Recently, ESCs injected into the large subzonal space of 2.5-dpc embryos in an injection medium containing 0.2-0.3 M sucrose very efficiently generated viable, healthy, and fertile chimeric mice with 100 % coat color chimerism.Both vial coculture and hypertonic microinjection methods are useful and effective alternatives for producing germline chimeric or F0 mice efficiently and reliably. Furthermore, both novel methods are also good for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate chimeric embryos.

Chain of evidence generation for contrast enhancement in digital image forensics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battiato, Sebastiano; Messina, Giuseppe; Strano, Daniela

2010-01-01

The quality of the images obtained by digital cameras has improved a lot since digital cameras early days. Unfortunately, it is not unusual in image forensics to find wrongly exposed pictures. This is mainly due to obsolete techniques or old technologies, but also due to backlight conditions. To extrapolate some invisible details a stretching of the image contrast is obviously required. The forensics rules to produce evidences require a complete documentation of the processing steps, enabling the replication of the entire process. The automation of enhancement techniques is thus quite difficult and needs to be carefully documented. This work presents an automatic procedure to find contrast enhancement settings, allowing both image correction and automatic scripting generation. The technique is based on a preprocessing step which extracts the features of the image and selects correction parameters. The parameters are thus saved through a JavaScript code that is used in the second step of the approach to correct the image. The generated script is Adobe Photoshop compliant (which is largely used in image forensics analysis) thus permitting the replication of the enhancement steps. Experiments on a dataset of images are also reported showing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Four Transgenerational Demographic Performance of Moina macrocopa Exposed to Chronic Levels of Cadmium.

PubMed

Gama-Flores, José Luis; Huidobro-Salas, María Elena; Sarma, S S S; Nandini, S

2017-01-01

In this study, we quantified intergenerational, demographic variability of Moina macrocopa subjected to cadmium stress. Exposure of M macrocopa to cadmium (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mg/L as CdCl 2 ) through 4 consecutive generations revealed changes in demographic responses not only in survivorship variables but also in reproductive parameters. Long-term demographic responses varied differently, depending on the demographic trait and the concentration of heavy metal in the medium. With the exception of generation time, all life history traits were significantly and adversely influenced due to increase in Cd concentrations. The average life span of M macrocopa varied up to 40% depending on Cd level and the generation of exposure. The highest gross reproductive rates were recorded in controls, while the lowest (∼30% less) were recorded at the highest Cd level. Survival-weighted net reproductive rates were reduced by nearly 50% due to Cd toxicity. The rate of population increase per day of M macrocopa was also significantly affected (∼25%) by Cd as compared to controls. This cladoceran showed a dose-response to Cd toxicity with a significance in both magnitude and frequency of offspring production.

Four Transgenerational Demographic Performance of Moina macrocopa Exposed to Chronic Levels of Cadmium

PubMed Central

Gama-Flores, José Luis; Huidobro-Salas, María Elena; Sarma, S.S.S.; Nandini, S.

2017-01-01

In this study, we quantified intergenerational, demographic variability of Moina macrocopa subjected to cadmium stress. Exposure of M macrocopa to cadmium (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mg/L as CdCl2) through 4 consecutive generations revealed changes in demographic responses not only in survivorship variables but also in reproductive parameters. Long-term demographic responses varied differently, depending on the demographic trait and the concentration of heavy metal in the medium. With the exception of generation time, all life history traits were significantly and adversely influenced due to increase in Cd concentrations. The average life span of M macrocopa varied up to 40% depending on Cd level and the generation of exposure. The highest gross reproductive rates were recorded in controls, while the lowest (∼30% less) were recorded at the highest Cd level. Survival-weighted net reproductive rates were reduced by nearly 50% due to Cd toxicity. The rate of population increase per day of M macrocopa was also significantly affected (∼25%) by Cd as compared to controls. This cladoceran showed a dose–response to Cd toxicity with a significance in both magnitude and frequency of offspring production. PMID:28835748

Mini Solar and Sea Current Power Generation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almenhali, Abdulrahman; Alshamsi, Hatem; Aljunaibi, Yaser; Almussabi, Dheyab; Alshehhi, Ahmed; Hilal, Hassan Bu

2017-07-01

The power demand in United Arab Emirates is increased so that there is a consistent power cut in our region. This is because of high power consumption by factories and also due to less availability of conventional energy resources. Electricity is most needed facility for the human being. All the conventional energy resources are depleting day by day. So we have to shift from conventional to non-conventional energy resources. In this the combination of two energy resources is takes place i.e. wind and solar energy. This process reviles the sustainable energy resources without damaging the nature. We can give uninterrupted power by using hybrid energy system. Basically this system involves the integration of two energy system that will give continuous power. Solar panels are used for converting solar energy and wind turbines are used for converting wind energy into electricity. This electrical power can utilize for various purpose. Generation of electricity will be takes place at affordable cost. This paper deals with the generation of electricity by using two sources combine which leads to generate electricity with affordable cost without damaging the nature balance. The purpose of this project was to design a portable and low cost power system that combines both sea current electric turbine and solar electric technologies. This system will be designed in efforts to develop a power solution for remote locations or use it as another source of green power.

Freshly generated stainless steel welding fume induces greater lung inflammation in rats as compared to aged fume.

PubMed

Antonini, J M; Clarke, R W; Krishna Murthy, G G; Sreekanthan, P; Jenkins, N; Eagar, T W; Brain, J D

1998-09-01

It has been previously reported that both short- and long-lived reactive oxygen species (ROS) are present on the surface of freshly generated fumes. The objective of this study was to determine if freshly formed welding fume induces greater lung inflammation and injury in rats due to the presence of reactive oxygen species than aged welding fume. Fume was collected during gas metal arc welding using a stainless steel consumable electrode and found to be of respirable size with a mean diameter of 0.77 microm +/- 0.48. Male CD/VAF rats were dosed intratracheally with the welding fume 30 min (fresh) and 1 and 7 days (aged) after fume collection at a dose of 1.0 mg/100 g b wt. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed 24 h post-instillation. Lung injury and inflammation were assessed by measuring the concentration of neutrophils, albumin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and glucosaminidase (GLU) in the recovered BAL fluid. More neutrophils and enhanced GLU activity were observed for the 'fresh' group as compared to both 'aged' groups (P < 0.05). Slight, but not significant, elevations were seen in albumin content and LDH activity for the 'fresh' group as compared to the 'aged' groups. No significant differences were observed for any of the parameters when fume aged for 1 and 7 days were compared. When the 'fresh' and 'aged' fumes (12.5, 25, and 50 microg/ml) were suspended in dichlorofluorescin (15 microM), a probe which becomes fluorescent when oxidized, the concentration-dependent increases in fluorescence were greater for the 'fresh' fume versus the 'aged' fumes. We have demonstrated that freshly generated stainless steel welding fume induces greater lung inflammation than 'aged' fume. This is likely due to a higher concentration of ROS on fresh fume surfaces.

Safety and Efficacy of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in the Treatment of Pure Aortic Regurgitation in Native Valves and Failing Surgical Bioprostheses: Results From an International Registry Study.

PubMed

Sawaya, Fadi J; Deutsch, Marcus-André; Seiffert, Moritz; Yoon, Sung-Han; Codner, Pablo; Wickramarachchi, Upul; Latib, Azeem; Petronio, A Sonia; Rodés-Cabau, Josep; Taramasso, Maurizio; Spaziano, Marco; Bosmans, Johan; Biasco, Luigi; Mylotte, Darren; Savontaus, Mikko; Gheeraert, Peter; Chan, Jason; Jørgensen, Troels H; Sievert, Horst; Mocetti, Marco; Lefèvre, Thierry; Maisano, Francesco; Mangieri, Antonio; Hildick-Smith, David; Kornowski, Ran; Makkar, Raj; Bleiziffer, Sabine; Søndergaard, Lars; De Backer, Ole

2017-05-22

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of transcatheter heart valves (THV) for the treatment of noncalcific pure native aortic valve regurgitation (NAVR) and failing bioprosthetic surgical heart valves (SHVs) with pure severe aortic regurgitation (AR). Limited data are available about the "off-label" use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to treat pure severe AR. The study population consisted of patients with pure severe AR treated by TAVR at 18 different centers. Study endpoints were device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy at 30 days, as defined by Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 criteria. A total of 146 patients were included, 78 patients in the NAVR group and 68 patients in the failing SHV group. In the NAVR group, device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy were 72%, 66%, and 61%, respectively. Device success and clinical efficacy were significantly better with newer generation THVs compared with old-generation THVs (85% vs. 54% and 75% vs. 46%, respectively, p < 0.05); this was mainly due to less second THV implantations and a lower rate of moderate to severe paravalvular regurgitation (10% vs. 24% and 3% vs. 27%, respectively). Independent predictors of 30-day mortality were body mass index <20 kg/m 2 , STS surgical risk score >8%, major vascular or access complication, and moderate to severe AR. In the failing SHV group, device success, early safety, and clinical efficacy were 71%, 90%, and 77%, respectively. TAVR for pure NAVR remains a challenging condition, with old-generation THVs being associated with THV embolization and migration and significant paravalvular regurgitation. Newer generation THVs show more promising outcomes. For those patients with severe AR due to failing SHVs, TAVR is a valuable therapeutic option. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of waste activated sludge (WAS) anaerobic digestion by means of pre- and intermediate treatments. Technical and economic analysis at a full-scale WWTP.

PubMed

Campo, Giuseppe; Cerutti, Alberto; Zanetti, Mariachiara; Scibilia, Gerardo; Lorenzi, Eugenio; Ruffino, Barbara

2018-06-15

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is the most commonly applied end-treatment for the excess of waste activated sludge (WAS) generated in biological wastewater treatment processes. The efficacy of different typologies of pre-treatments in liberating intra-cellular organic substances and make them more usable for AD was demonstrated in several studies. However, the production of new extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) that occur during an AD process, due to microbial metabolism, self-protective reactions and cell lysis, partially neutralizes the benefit of pre-treatments. The efficacy of post- and inter-stage treatments is currently under consideration to overcome the problems due to this unavoidable byproduct. This work compares three scenarios in which low-temperature (<100 °C) thermal and hybrid (thermal+alkali) lysis treatments were applied to one sample of WAS and two samples of digestate with hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 7 and 15 days. Batch mesophilic digestibility tests demonstrated that intermediate treatments were effective in making the residual organic substance of a 7-day digestate usable for a second-stage AD process. In fact, under this scenario, the methane generated in a two-stage AD process, with an in-between intermediate treatment, was 23% and 16% higher than that generated in the scenario that considers traditional pre-treatments carried out with 4% NaOH at 70 and 90 °C respectively. Conversely, in no cases (70 or 90 °C) the combination of a 15-day AD process, followed by an intermediate treatment and a second-stage AD process, made possible to obtain specific methane productions (SMPs) higher than those obtained with pre-treatments. The results of the digestibility tests were used for a tecno-economic assessment of pre- and intermediate lysis treatments in a full scale wastewater treatment plant (WWTP, 2,000,000 p.e.). It was demonstrated that the introduction of thermal or hybrid pre-treatments could increase the revenues from the electricity sale by between 13% and 25%, in comparison with the present scenario (no lysis treatments). Conversely, intermediate treatments on a 7-day digestate could provide a gain of 26% or 32%, depending on the process temperature (70 or 90 °C). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reaction of Si nanopowder with water investigated by FT-IR and XPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imamura, Kentaro; Kobayashi, Yuki; Matsuda, Shinsuke; Akai, Tomoki; Kobayashi, Hikaru

2017-08-01

The initial reaction of Si nanopowder with water to generate hydrogen is investigated using FT-IR and XPS measurements. Si nanopowder is fabricated using the simple beads milling method. For HF-etched Si nanopowder, strong peaks due to Si-H and Si-H2 stretching vibrational modes and a weak shoulder peak due to Si-H3 are observed. Although no peaks due to oxide is observed in the Si 2p XPS spectrum, weak vibrational peaks due to HSiO2 and HSiO3 species are observable. The hydrogen generation rate greatly increases with pH, indicating that the reacting species is hydroxide ions (OH- ions). After the reaction, the intensities of the peaks due to SiH and SiH2 species decrease while those for HSiO, HSiO2, and HSiO3 species increase. This result demonstrates that OH- ions attack Si back-bonds, with surface Si-H bonds remaining. After initial reaction of HF-etched Si nanopowder with heavy water, vibrational peaks for SiD, SiDH, and SiDH2 appear, and then, a peak due to DSiO3 species is observed, but no peaks due to DSiO2 and DSiO species are observable. This result indicates that SiD, SiDH, and SiDH2 species are formed by substitution reactions, followed by oxidation of back-bonds to form DSiO3 species. After immersion in D2O for a day, 37% H atoms on the surface are replaced to D atoms.

Production, secretion, and stability of human secreted alkaline phosphatase in tobacco NT1 cell suspension cultures.

PubMed

Becerra-Arteaga, Alejandro; Mason, Hugh S; Shuler, Michael L

2006-01-01

Tobacco NT1 cell suspension cultures secreting active human secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) were generated for the first time as a model system to study recombinant protein production, secretion, and stability in plant cell cultures. The SEAP gene encodes a secreted form of the human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). During batch culture, the highest level of active SEAP in the culture medium (0.4 U/mL, corresponding to approximately 27 mg/L) was observed at the end of the exponential growth phase. Although the level of active SEAP decreased during the stationary phase, the activity loss did not appear to be due to SEAP degradation (based on Western blots) but due to SEAP denaturation. The protein-stabilizing agents polyvinylpirrolidone (PVP) and bacitracin were added extracellularly to test for their ability to reduce the loss of SEAP activity during the stationary phase. Bacitracin (100 mg/L) was the most effective treatment at sustaining activity levels for up to 17 days post-subculture. Commercially available human placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) was used to probe the mechanism of SEAP deactivation. Experiments with PLAP in sterile and conditioned medium corroborated the denaturation of SEAP by factors generated by cell growth and not due to simple proteolysis. We also show for the first time that the factors promoting activity loss are heat labile at 95 degrees C but not at 70 degrees C, and they are not inactivated after a 5 day incubation period under normal culture conditions (27 degrees C). In addition, there were no significant changes in pH or redox potential when comparing sterile and cell-free conditioned medium during PLAP incubation, indicating that these factors were unimportant.

Definition of SMOS Level 3 Land Products for the Villafranca del Castillo Data Processing Centre (CP34)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez-Baeza, E.; Monsoriu Torres, A.; Font, J.; Alonso, O.

2009-04-01

The ESA SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) Mission is planned to be launched in July 2009. The satellite will measure soil moisture over the continents and surface salinity of the oceans at resolutions that are sufficient for climatological-type studies. This paper describes the procedure to be used at the Spanish SMOS Level 3 and 4 Data Processing Centre (CP34) to generate Soil Moisture and other Land Surface Product maps from SMOS Level 2 data. This procedure can be used to map Soil Moisture, Vegetation Water Content and Soil Dielectric Constant data into different pre-defined spatial grids with fixed temporal frequency. The L3 standard Land Surface Products to be generated at CP34 are: Soil Moisture products: maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of 3 days, daily generation maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of 10 days, generation frequency of once every 10 days. b': maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of monthly decades (1st to 10th of the month, 11th to 20th of the month, 21st to last day of the month), generation frequency of once every decade monthly average, temporal averaging from L3 decade averages, monthly generation Seasonal average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, seasonally generation yearly average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, yearly generation Vegetation Water Content products: maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of 10 days, generation frequency of once every 10 days. a': maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of monthly decades (1st to 10th of the month, 11th to 20th of the month, 21st to last day of the month) using simple averaging method over the L2 products in ISEA grid, generation frequency of once every decade monthly average, temporal averaging from L3 decade averages, monthly generation seasonal average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, seasonally generation yearly average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, yearly generation Dielectric Constant products: (the dielectric constant products are delivered together with soil moisture products, with the same averaging periods and generation frequency): maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of 3 days, daily generation maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of 10 days, generation frequency of once every 10 days. b': maximum spatial resolution with no spatial averaging, temporal averaging of monthly decades (1st to 10th of the month, 11th to 20th of the month, 21st to last day of the month), generation frequency of once every decade monthly average, temporal averaging from L3 decade averages, monthly generation seasonal average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, seasonally generation yearly average, temporal averaging from L3 monthly averages, yearly generation.

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

Choung, Sungwook; Um, Wooyong; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Permanent disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the subterranean environment has been the preferred method of many countries, including Korea. A safety issue after the closure of a geological repository is that biodegradation of organic materials due to microbial activities generates gases that lead to overpressure of the waste containers in the repository and its disintegration with the release of radionuclides. As part of an ongoing large-scale in situ experiment using organic wastes and groundwater to simulate geological radioactive waste repository conditions, we investigated the geochemical alteration and microbial activities at an early stage (~63 days) intended tomore » be representative of the initial period after repository closure. The increased numbers of both aerobes and facultative anaerobes in waste effluents indicate that oxygen content could be the most significant parameter to control biogeochemical conditions at very early periods of reaction (<35 days). Accordingly, the values of dissolved oxygen and redox potential were decreased. The activation of anaerobes after 35 days was supported by the increased concentration to ~50 mg L-1 of ethanol. These results suggest that the biogeochemical conditions were rapidly altered to more reducing and anaerobic conditions within the initial 2 months after repository closure. Although no gases were detected during the study, activated anaerobic microbes will play more important role in gas generation over the long term.« less

Teetering Stars: Resonant Excitation of Stellar Obliquities by Hot and Warm Jupiters with External Companions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Kassandra; Lai, Dong

2018-04-01

Stellar spin-orbit misalignments (obliquities) in hot Jupiter systems have been extensively probed in recent years thanks to Rossiter-McLaughlin observations. Such obliquities may reveal clues about hot Jupiter dynamical and migration histories. Common explanations for generating stellar obliquities include high-eccentricity migration, or primordial disk misalignment. This talk investigates another mechanism for producing stellar spin-orbit misalignments in systems hosting a close-in giant planet with an external, inclined planetary companion. Spin-orbit misalignment may be excited due to a secular resonance, occurring when the precession rate of the stellar spin axis (due to the inner orbit) becomes comparable to the precession rate of the inner orbital axis (due to the outer companion). Due to the spin-down of the host star via magnetic braking, this resonance may be achieved at some point during the star's main sequence lifetime for a wide range of giant planet masses and orbital architectures. We focus on both hot Jupiters (with orbital periods less than ten days) and warm Jupiters (with orbital periods around tens of days), and identify the outer perburber properties needed to generate substantial obliquities via resonant excitation, in terms of mass, separation, and inclination. For hot Jupiters, the stellar spin axis is strongly coupled to the orbital axis, and resonant excitation of obliquity requires a close perturber, located within 1-2 AU. For warm Jupiters, the spin and orbital axes are more weakly coupled, and the resonance may be achieved for more distant perturbers (at several to tens of AU). Resonant excitation of the stellar obliquity is accompanied by a decrease in the planets' mutual orbital inclination, and can thus erase high mutual inclinations in two-planet systems. Since many warm Jupiters are known to have outer planetary companions at several AU or beyond, stellar obliquities in warm Jupiter systems may be common, regardless of the formation/migration mechanism. Future observations probing warm Jupiter obliquities may indicate the presence of a hitherto undetected outer companion.

"Data Day" and "Data Night" Definitions - Towards Producing Seamless Global Satellite Imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaltz, J. E.

2017-12-01

For centuries, the art and science of cartography has struggled with the challenge of mapping the round earth on to a flat page, or a flat computer monitor. Earth observing satellites with continuous monitoring of our planet have added the additional complexity of the time dimension to this procedure. The most common current practice is to segment this data by 24-hour Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) day and then split the day into sun side "Data Day" and shadow side "Data Night" global imagery that spans from dateline to dateline. Due to the nature of satellite orbits, simply binning the data by UTC date produces significant discontinuities at the dateline for day images and at Greenwich for night images. Instead, imagery could be generated in a fashion that follows the spatial and temporal progression of the satellite which would produce seamless imagery everywhere on the globe for all times. This presentation will explore approaches to produce such imagery but will also address some of the practical and logistical difficulties in implementing such changes. Topics will include composites versus granule/orbit based imagery, day/night versus ascending/descending definitions, and polar versus global projections.

Gravity Fields Generation In The Universe By The Large Range of Scales Convection Systems In Planets, Stars, Black Holes and Galaxies Based On The "Convection Bang Hypothesis"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholibeigian, H.; Amirshahkarami, A.; Gholibeigian, K.

2015-12-01

In our vision it is believed that the Big Bang was Convection Bang (CB). When CB occurred, a gigantic large-scale forced convection system (LFCS) began to create space-time including gravitons and gluons in more than light speed. Then, simultaneously by a swirling wild wind, created inflation process including many quantum convection loops (QCL) in locations which had more density of temperature and energetic particles like gravitons. QCL including fundamental particles, grew and formed black holes (BHs) as the core of galaxies. LFCSs of heat and mass in planets, stars, BHs and galaxies generate gravity and electromagnetic fields and change the properties of matter and space-time around the systems. Mechanism: Samples: 1- Due to gravity fields of Sun and Moon, Earth's inner core is dislocated toward them and rotates around the Earth's center per day and generates LFCSs, Gholibeigian [AGU, 2012]. 2- Dislocated Sun's core due to gravity fields of planets/ Jupiter, rotates around the Sun's center per 25-35 days and generates LFCSs, Gholibeigian [EGU, 2014]. 3- If a planet/star falls into a BH, what happens? It means, its dislocated core rotates around its center in less than light speed and generates very fast LFCS and friction, while it is rotating/melting around/inward the center of BH. Observable Factors: 1- There is not logical relation between surface gravity fields of planets/Sun and their masses (general relativity); see Planetary Fact Sheet/Ratio to Earth Values-NASA: Earth: mass/gravity =1/1, Jupiter=317.8/2.36, Neptune=17.1/1.12, Saturn=95.2/0.916, Moon=0.0128/0.166, Sun=333000/28. 2- Convective systems in thunderstorms help bring ozone down to Earth [Brian-Kahn]. 3- In 12 surveyed BHs, produced gravity force & magnetic field strength were matched (unique LFCS source) [PhysOrg - June 4, 2014]. Justification: After BB/CB, gravitons were created without any other masses and curvature of space-time (general relativity), but by primary gigantic convection process.

Smart grid integration of small-scale trigeneration systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacheva, Gergana; Kanchev, Hristiyan; Hinov, Nikolay

2017-12-01

This paper presents a study on the possibilities for implementation of local heating, air-conditioning and electricity generation (trigeneration) as distributed energy resource in the Smart Grid. By the means of microturbine-based generators and absorption chillers buildings are able to meet partially or entirely their electrical load curve or even supply power to the grid by following their heating and air-conditioning daily schedule. The principles of small-scale cooling, heating and power generation systems are presented at first, then the thermal calculations of an example building are performed: the heat losses due to thermal conductivity and the estimated daily heating and air-conditioning load curves. By considering daily power consumption curves and weather data for several winter and summer days, the heating/air-conditioning schedule is estimated and the available electrical energy from a microturbine-based cogeneration system is estimated. Simulation results confirm the potential of using cogeneration and trigeneration systems for local distributed electricity generation and grid support in the daily peaks of power consumption.

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

Alam, R.; Chowdhury, M.A.I.; Hasan, G.M.J.

Solid waste management (SWM) services have consistently failed to keep up with the vast amount of solid waste produced in urban areas. There is not currently an efficient system in place for the management, storage, collection, and transportation of solid waste. Kathmandu City, an important urban center of South Asia, is no exception. In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, solid waste generation is predicted to be 1091 m{sup 3}/d (245 tons/day) and 1155 m{sup 3}/d (260 tons/day) for the years 2005 and 2006, respectively. The majority (89%) of households in Kathmandu Metropolitan City are willing to segregate the organic and non-organic portionsmore » of their waste. Overall collection efficiency was 94% in 2003. An increase in waste collection occurred due to private sector involvement, the shutdown of the second transfer station near the airport due to local protest, a lack of funding to maintain trucks/equipment, a huge increase in plastic waste, and the willingness of people to separate their waste into separate bins. Despite a substantial increase in total expenditure, no additional investments were made to the existing development plan to introduce a modern disposal system due to insufficient funding. Due to the lack of a proper lining, raw solid waste from the existing dumping site comes in contact with river water directly, causing severe river contamination and deteriorating the quality of the water.« less

Phenotypic changes in neutrophils related to anti-inflammatory therapy.

PubMed

Barton, A E; Bayley, D L; Mikami, M; Llewellyn-Jones, C G; Stockley, R A

2000-01-03

Previous work from the group has shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents given to volunteers and patients inhibit PMN function possibly by affecting the developing neutrophil during the differentiation process. In this study indomethacin treatment in vivo reduced neutrophil chemotaxis and proteolytic degradation of fibronectin, with a maximal effect after 14 days. Stimulated neutrophil adherence to fibronectin was also reduced but this was not due to quantitative changes in beta(2) integrin expression or function. L-Selectin expression on resting and stimulated neutrophils was increased after 14 days and there was a small decrease in plasma levels of soluble L-selectin. These effects, however, could not be reproduced by treatment of neutrophils with indomethacin in vitro, suggesting they are due to effects on differentiating/maturing PMNs. In an attempt to interpret these changes, studies were performed with dexamethasone, which is known to alter neutrophil function and kinetics. Dexamethasone treatment reduced chemotaxis and increased superoxide generation after 1 day and was associated with increased expression of activated beta(2) integrins and reduced L-selectin expression on resting neutrophils. This suggests the appearance of mainly 'activated' cells as a result of demargination and indicates that the effects of indomethacin are distinctive and not related to changes in compartmentalisation.

Gas generation behavior of transuranic waste under disposal conditions

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

Fujisawa, Ryutaro; Kurashige, Tetsunari; Inagaki, Yusuke

1999-07-01

The generation of hydrogen-gas from metallic waste is an important issue for the safety analysis of geological disposal facilities for transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste in Japan. The objective of this study is to clarify the gas-generation behavior of stainless steel and carbon steel in non-oxidizing alkaline synthetic groundwater (pH 12.8 and 10.5) at 30 C simulating geological disposal environments. At pH 12.8, the observed gas-generation rate from stainless steel in the initial period of immersion was 1.0 x 10{sup 2} Nml/m{sup 2}/y and 1.0 x 10 Nml/m{sup 2}/y after 200 days (N represents the standard state of gas at 0more » C and 1 atm). At pH 10.5, gas generation was not observed for 60 days in the initial period. At 60 days, the gas-generation observed was 5.0 x 10 NMl/m{sup 2}/y. After 250 days, the gas-generation rate approaches zero. At pH 12.8, the observed gas generation rate of carbon steel in the initial period of immersion was 1.5 x 10{sup 2} Nml/m{sup 2}/y and the gas generation rate began to decrease after 200 days. After 300 days, it was 25 Nml/m{sup 2}/y. At pH 10.5, the gas generation rate in the initial period was 5.0 x 10{sup 2} Nml/m{sup 2}/y and was 1.0 x 10 Nml/m{sup 2}/y after 200 days.« less

What does tremor really look like? Initial results from an 84-element array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidale, J. E.; Sweet, J.; Creager, K. C.; Ghosh, A.

2008-12-01

Aspiring to see more intimate details, we placed an 84-element short-period vertical-component array with an aperture of 1km on a hard rock mountain over the path of Cascadia tremor. This site is coincident with a stellar 6-station three-component CAFE array (see talk by K. Creager). Texans, which are convenient to deploy but require recycling for fresh batteries every four days, recorded the seismograms. We recorded 8 days in March and 17 days in May 2008. We find most of the arrivals at high frequencies, especially in the stacks, are P-waves, due to the network constitution. The March week contains only six intermittent hours of tremor detectable by the usual envelope analysis of data from the regional network, but array beamforming shows much more continuous activity, and extending about a half day longer. We also pick up a later episode of weak tremor that contains probably the first glance of low-frequency earthquake in Cascadia (see abstract by J. Sweet). The May field season recorded full-blown tremor passing directly underneath in startling detail. The tremor source region in preliminary images is more compact than the cloud of locations determined from envelope correlation, but also with an apparently persistent patchwork of regions that do and do not generate tremor. Further analysis and future deployments with multiple dense arrays show great promise for getting to the bottom of the issue of tremor generation.

Safety and Efficacy of a Fully Covered Self-Expandable Metallic Stent in Benign Airway Stenosis.

PubMed

Fortin, Marc; Lacasse, Yves; Elharrar, Xavier; Tazi-Mezalek, Rachid; Laroumagne, Sophie; Guinde, Julien; Astoul, Philippe; Dutau, Hervé

2017-01-01

The use of self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) in benign airway disease was the object of a boxed warning from the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2005 due to the risk of stent-related complications and difficulties associated with their removal. Third-generation fully covered SEMS have been commercialized since this warning and theoretically should not present the same difficulties associated with removal as they cannot become embedded in the airway mucosa. We aimed to examine the safety and efficacy of a specific third-generation SEMS, the Silmet stent. We reviewed the records of all patients treated for benign airway stenosis with third-generation Silmet SEMS from January 2011 to December 2015 at the North Hospital of Marseilles, France. Forty SEMS were inserted in 30 patients over this period. Twenty (50.0%) stents were removed because of stent-related complications after a median of 77.0 ± 96.6 days (migration 32.5%, granulation tissue formation 7.5%, subjective intolerance 5.0%, mucus plugging 2.5%, laryngeal edema 2.5%). There were no cases of stent-related mortality. All complications were managed successfully endoscopically. Thirty-six stents (90.0%) were removed successfully after a median of 122.0 ± 113.2 days without any complications. The clinical success rate of stent treatment was 40.7%. Third-generation SEMS are a safe treatment option for complex benign airway stenosis, but complications requiring stent removal are frequent. Further studies are needed to compare the performance of third-generation SEMS and silicone stents in benign airway stenosis. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Model and Scenario Variations in Predicted Number of Generations of Spodoptera litura Fab. on Peanut during Future Climate Change Scenario

PubMed Central

Srinivasa Rao, Mathukumalli; Swathi, Pettem; Rama Rao, Chitiprolu Anantha; Rao, K. V.; Raju, B. M. K.; Srinivas, Karlapudi; Manimanjari, Dammu; Maheswari, Mandapaka

2015-01-01

The present study features the estimation of number of generations of tobacco caterpillar, Spodoptera litura. Fab. on peanut crop at six locations in India using MarkSim, which provides General Circulation Model (GCM) of future data on daily maximum (T.max), minimum (T.min) air temperatures from six models viz., BCCR-BCM2.0, CNRM-CM3, CSIRO-Mk3.5, ECHams5, INCM-CM3.0 and MIROC3.2 along with an ensemble of the six from three emission scenarios (A2, A1B and B1). This data was used to predict the future pest scenarios following the growing degree days approach in four different climate periods viz., Baseline-1975, Near future (NF) -2020, Distant future (DF)-2050 and Very Distant future (VDF)—2080. It is predicted that more generations would occur during the three future climate periods with significant variation among scenarios and models. Among the seven models, 1–2 additional generations were predicted during DF and VDF due to higher future temperatures in CNRM-CM3, ECHams5 & CSIRO-Mk3.5 models. The temperature projections of these models indicated that the generation time would decrease by 18–22% over baseline. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to partition the variation in the predicted number of generations and generation time of S. litura on peanut during crop season. Geographical location explained 34% of the total variation in number of generations, followed by time period (26%), model (1.74%) and scenario (0.74%). The remaining 14% of the variation was explained by interactions. Increased number of generations and reduction of generation time across the six peanut growing locations of India suggest that the incidence of S. litura may increase due to projected increase in temperatures in future climate change periods. PMID:25671564

Polarized Power Spectra from HERA-19 Commissioning Data: Instrument Stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox Fortino, Austin; Chichura, Paul; Igarashi, Amy; Kohn, Saul; Aguirre, James; HERA Collaboration

2018-01-01

The Epoch of Reionization (EoR) is a key period in the universe’s history, containing the formation of the first galaxies and large scale structures. Foreground emission is the limiting factor in detecting the 21 cm emission from the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). The HERA-19 low frequency radio interferometer aims to reduce the obfuscation from the foreground emission with its dish shaped antennae. We generate polarized 2D (cylindrically averaged) power spectra from seven days of observation from the HERA-19 2016 observation season in each of the four Stokes parameters I, Q, U, and V. These power spectra serve as a potent diagnostic tool that allow us to understand the instrument stability by comparison between nominally redundant baselines, and between observations of nominally the same astrophysical sky on successive days. The power spectra are expected to vary among nominally redundant measurements due to ionosphere fluctuations and thermal changes in the electronics and instrument beam patterns, as well as other factors. In this work we investigate the stability over time of these polarized power spectra, and use them to quantify the variation due to these effects.

[Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis].

PubMed

Velkey, Bálint; Vitális, Eszter; Vitális, Zsuzsanna

2017-01-01

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis occurs most commonly in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Pathogens get into the circulation by intestinal translocation and colonize in peritoneal fluid. Diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is based on elevated polymorphonuclear leukocyte count in the ascites (>0,25 G/L). Ascites culture is often negative but aids to get information about antibiotic sensitivity in positive cases. Treatment in stable patient can be intravenous then orally administrated ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, while in severe cases intravenous III. generation cephalosporin. Nosocomial spontaneous bacterial peritonitis often caused by Gram-positive bacteria and multi-resistant pathogens can also be expected thus carbapenem should be the choice of the empiric treatment. Antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered. Norfloxacin is used most commonly, but changes are expected due to increase in quinolone resistance. As a primary prophylaxis, a short-term antibiotic treatment is recommended after gastrointestinal bleeding for 5 days, while long-term prophylaxis is for patients with low ascites protein, and advanced disease (400 mg/day). Secondary prophylaxis is recommended for all patients recovered from spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Due to increasing antibiotic use of antibiotics prophylaxis is debated to some degree. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(2), 50-57.

State of municipal solid waste management in Delhi, the capital of India.

PubMed

Talyan, Vikash; Dahiya, R P; Sreekrishnan, T R

2008-01-01

Delhi is the most densely populated and urbanized city of India. The annual growth rate in population during the last decade (1991-2001) was 3.85%, almost double the national average. Delhi is also a commercial hub, providing employment opportunities and accelerating the pace of urbanization, resulting in a corresponding increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. Presently the inhabitants of Delhi generate about 7000tonnes/day of MSW, which is projected to rise to 17,000-25,000tonnes/day by the year 2021. MSW management has remained one of the most neglected areas of the municipal system in Delhi. About 70-80% of generated MSW is collected and the rest remains unattended on streets or in small open dumps. Only 9% of the collected MSW is treated through composting, the only treatment option, and rest is disposed in uncontrolled open landfills at the outskirts of the city. The existing composting plants are unable to operate to their intended treatment capacity due to several operational problems. Therefore, along with residue from the composting process, the majority of MSW is disposed in landfills. In absence of leachate and landfill gas collection systems, these landfills are a major source of groundwater contamination and air pollution (including generation of greenhouse gases). This study describes and evaluates the present state of municipal solid waste management in Delhi. The paper also summarizes the proposed policies and initiatives of the Government of Delhi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to improve the existing MSW management system.

Long Term Maintenance of Polysaccharide-specific Antibodies by IgM Secreting Cells1

PubMed Central

Foote, Jeremy B.; Mahmoud, Tamer I.; Vale, Andre M.; Kearney, John F.

2011-01-01

Many bacteria-associated polysaccharides induce long-lived antibody responses that protect against pathogenic microorganisms. The maintenance of polysaccharide-specific antibody titers may be due to long-lived plasma cells or ongoing antigen-driven B cell activation due to polysaccharide persistence. BALB/c and VHJ558.3 transgenic (TG) mice respond to α 1→3-dextran (DEX) by generating a peak anti-DEX response at 7 days, followed by maintenance of serum antibody levels for up to 150 days. Analysis of the cellular response to DEX identified a population of short-lived, cyclophosphamide sensitive DEX-specific plasmablasts in the spleen, and a quiescent, cyclophosphamide resistant DEX-specific antibody-secreting population in the bone marrow. BrdU pulse-chase experiments demonstrated the longevity of the DEX-specific antibody-secreting population in the bone marrow. Splenic DEX-specific plasmablasts were located in the red pulp with persisting DEX-associated CD11c+ dendritic cells 90 days after immunization, whereas DEX was not detected in the bone marrow after 28 days. Selective depletion of short-lived DEX-specific plasmablasts and memory B1b B cells using cyclophosphamide and anti-CD20 treatment had a minimal impact on the maintenance of serum anti-DEX antibodies. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the maintenance of serum polysaccharide-specific antibodies is the result of continuous antigen-driven formation of short-lived plasmablasts in the spleen and a quiescent population of antibody-secreting cells maintained in the bone marrow for a long duration. PMID:22116821

Accelerometer measured daily physical activity and sedentary pursuits--comparison between two models of the Actigraph and the importance of data reduction.

PubMed

Tanha, Tina; Tornberg, Åsa; Dencker, Magnus; Wollmer, Per

2013-10-31

Very few validation studies have been performed between different generations of the commonly used Actigraph accelerometers. We compared daily physical activity data generated from the old generation Actigraph model 7164 with the new generation Actigraph GT1M accelerometer in 15 young females for eight consecutive days. We also investigated if different wear time thresholds had any impact on the findings. Minutes per day of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), vigorous physical activity (VPA) and very vigorous physical activity (VVPA) were calculated. Moreover, minutes of sedentary pursuits per day were calculated. There were significant (P < 0.05) differences between the Actigraph 7164 and the GT1M concerning MVPA (61 ± 21vs. 56 ± 23 min/day), VPA (12 ± 8 vs. 9 ± 3 min/day) and VVPA (3.2 ± 3.0 vs. 0.3 ± 1.1 min/day). The different wear time thresholds had little impact on minutes per day in different intensities. Median minutes of sedentary pursuits per day ranged from 159 to 438 minutes depending on which wear time threshold was used (i.e. 10, 30 or 60 minutes), whereas very small differences were observed between the two different models. Data from the old generation Actigraph 7164 and the new generation Actigraph GT1M accelerometers differ, where the Actigraph GT1M generates lower minutes spent in free living physical activity. Median minutes of sedentary pursuits per day are highly dependent on which wear time threshold that is used, and not by accelerometer model.

[Social security and labor absenteeism in a regional health service].

PubMed

Soto Caro, Ariel; Herrera Cofré, Roberto; Fuentes Solís, Rodrigo

2015-08-01

Absenteism can generate important economic costs. To analyze the determinants of the time off work for sick leaves granted to workers of a regional health service. Information about 2033 individuals, working at a health service, that were granted at least one sick leave during 2012, was analyzed. Personal identification was censored. Special emphasis was given to the type of health insurance system of the workers (public or private). Workers ascribed to the Chilean public health insurance system (FONASA) had 11 days more off work than their counterparts ascribed to private health insurance systems. A higher amount of time off work was observed among older subjects and women. Age, gender and the type of health insurance system influence the number of day off work due to sick leaves.

Using backup generators for meeting peak electricity demand: a sensitivity analysis on emission controls, location, and health endpoints.

PubMed

Gilmore, Elisabeth A; Adams, Peter J; Lave, Lester B

2010-05-01

Generators installed for backup power during blackouts could help satisfy peak electricity demand; however, many are diesel generators with nonnegligible air emissions that may damage air quality and human health. The full (private and social) cost of using diesel generators with and without emission control retrofits for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were compared with a new natural gas turbine peaking plant. Lower private costs were found for the backup generators because the capital costs are mostly ascribed to reliability. To estimate the social costs from air quality, the changes in ambient concentrations of ozone (O3) and PM2.5 were modeled using the Particulate Matter Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (PMCAMx) chemical transport model. These air quality changes were translated to their equivalent human health effects using concentration-response functions and then into dollars using estimates of "willingness-to-pay" to avoid ill health. As a case study, 1000 MW of backup generation operating for 12 hr/day for 6 days in each of four eastern U.S. cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and New York) was modeled. In all cities, modeled PM2.5 concentrations increased (up to 5 microg/m3) due mainly to primary emissions. Smaller increases and decreases were observed for secondary PM2.5 with more variation between cities. Increases in NOx, emissions resulted in significant nitrate formation (up to 1 microg/m3) in Atlanta and Chicago. The NOx emissions also caused O3 decreases in the urban centers and increases in the surrounding areas. For PM2.5, a social cost of approximately $2/kWh was calculated for uncontrolled diesel generators in highly populated cities but was under 10 cent/kWh with PM2.5 and NOx controls. On a full cost basis, it was found that properly controlled diesel generators are cost-effective for meeting peak electricity demand. The authors recommend NOx and PM2.5 controls.

Contributions of a Strengthened Early Holocene Monsoon and Sediment Loading to Present-Day Subsidence of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpytchev, M.; Ballu, V.; Krien, Y.; Becker, M.; Goodbred, S.; Spada, G.; Calmant, S.; Shum, C. K.; Khan, Z.

2018-02-01

The contribution of subsidence to relative sea level rise in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta (GBD) is largely unknown and may considerably enhance exposure of the Bengal Basin populations to sea level rise and storm surges. This paper focuses on estimating the present-day subsidence induced by Holocene sediment in the Bengal Basin and by oceanic loading due to eustatic sea level rise over the past 18 kyr. Using a viscoelastic Earth model and sediment deposition history based on in situ measurements, results suggest that massive sediment influx initiated in the early Holocene under a strengthened South Asian monsoon may have contributed significantly to the present-day subsidence of the GBD. We estimate that the Holocene loading generates up to 1.6 mm/yr of the present-day subsidence along the GBD coast, depending on the rheological model of the Earth. This rate is close to the twentieth century global mean sea level rise (1.1-1.7 mm/yr). Thus, past climate change, by way of enhanced sedimentation, is impacting vulnerability of the GBD populations.

Integrating sequencing batch reactor with bio-electrochemical treatment for augmenting remediation efficiency of complex petrochemical wastewater.

PubMed

Yeruva, Dileep Kumar; Jukuri, Srinivas; Velvizhi, G; Naresh Kumar, A; Swamy, Y V; Venkata Mohan, S

2015-01-01

The present study evaluates the sequential integration of two advanced biological treatment methods viz., sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and bioelectrochemical treatment systems (BET) for the treatment of real-field petrochemical wastewater (PCW). Initially two SBR reactors were operated in aerobic (SBR(Ae)) and anoxic (SBR(Ax)) microenvironments with an organic loading rate (OLR) of 9.68 kg COD/m(3)-day. Relatively, SBR(Ax) showed higher substrate degradation (3.34 kg COD/m(3)-day) compared to SBR(Ae) (2.9 kg COD/m(3)-day). To further improve treatment efficiency, the effluents from SBR process were fed to BET reactors. BET(Ax) depicted higher SDR (1.92 kg COD/m(3)-day) with simultaneous power generation (17.12 mW/m(2)) followed by BET(Ae) (1.80 kg COD/m(3)-day; 14.25 mW/m(2)). Integrating both the processes documented significant improvement in COD removal efficiency due to the flexibility of combining multiple microenvironments sequentially. Results were supported with GC-MS and FTIR, which confirmed the increment in biodegradability of wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles as cathode catalysts for microbial fuel cell applications

PubMed Central

Yang, Gaixiu; Chen, Dong; Lv, Pengmei; Kong, Xiaoying; Sun, Yongming; Wang, Zhongming; Yuan, Zhenhong; Liu, Hui; Yang, Jun

2016-01-01

Bimetallic nanoparticles with core-shell structures usually display enhanced catalytic properties due to the lattice strain created between the core and shell regions. In this study, we demonstrate the application of bimetallic Au-Pd nanoparticles with an Au core and a thin Pd shell as cathode catalysts in microbial fuel cells, which represent a promising technology for wastewater treatment, while directly generating electrical energy. In specific, in comparison with the hollow structured Pt nanoparticles, a benchmark for the electrocatalysis, the bimetallic core-shell Au-Pd nanoparticles are found to have superior activity and stability for oxygen reduction reaction in a neutral condition due to the strong electronic interaction and lattice strain effect between the Au core and the Pd shell domains. The maximum power density generated in a membraneless single-chamber microbial fuel cell running on wastewater with core-shell Au-Pd as cathode catalysts is ca. 16.0 W m−3 and remains stable over 150 days, clearly illustrating the potential of core-shell nanostructures in the applications of microbial fuel cells. PMID:27734945

Probability of a false-negative HIV antibody test result during the window period: a tool for pre- and post-test counselling.

PubMed

Taylor, Darlene; Durigon, Monica; Davis, Heather; Archibald, Chris; Konrad, Bernhard; Coombs, Daniel; Gilbert, Mark; Cook, Darrel; Krajden, Mel; Wong, Tom; Ogilvie, Gina

2015-03-01

Failure to understand the risk of false-negative HIV test results during the window period results in anxiety. Patients typically want accurate test results as soon as possible while clinicians prefer to wait until the probability of a false-negative is virtually nil. This review summarizes the median window periods for third-generation antibody and fourth-generation HIV tests and provides the probability of a false-negative result for various days post-exposure. Data were extracted from published seroconversion panels. A 10-day eclipse period was used to estimate days from infection to first detection of HIV RNA. Median (interquartile range) days to seroconversion were calculated and probabilities of a false-negative result at various time periods post-exposure are reported. The median (interquartile range) window period for third-generation tests was 22 days (19-25) and 18 days (16-24) for fourth-generation tests. The probability of a false-negative result is 0.01 at 80 days' post-exposure for third-generation tests and at 42 days for fourth-generation tests. The table of probabilities of falsely-negative HIV test results may be useful during pre- and post-test HIV counselling to inform co-decision making regarding the ideal time to test for HIV. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Fast solver for large scale eddy current non-destructive evaluation problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Naiguang

Eddy current testing plays a very important role in non-destructive evaluations of conducting test samples. Based on Faraday's law, an alternating magnetic field source generates induced currents, called eddy currents, in an electrically conducting test specimen. The eddy currents generate induced magnetic fields that oppose the direction of the inducing magnetic field in accordance with Lenz's law. In the presence of discontinuities in material property or defects in the test specimen, the induced eddy current paths are perturbed and the associated magnetic fields can be detected by coils or magnetic field sensors, such as Hall elements or magneto-resistance sensors. Due to the complexity of the test specimen and the inspection environments, the availability of theoretical simulation models is extremely valuable for studying the basic field/flaw interactions in order to obtain a fuller understanding of non-destructive testing phenomena. Theoretical models of the forward problem are also useful for training and validation of automated defect detection systems. Theoretical models generate defect signatures that are expensive to replicate experimentally. In general, modelling methods can be classified into two categories: analytical and numerical. Although analytical approaches offer closed form solution, it is generally not possible to obtain largely due to the complex sample and defect geometries, especially in three-dimensional space. Numerical modelling has become popular with advances in computer technology and computational methods. However, due to the huge time consumption in the case of large scale problems, accelerations/fast solvers are needed to enhance numerical models. This dissertation describes a numerical simulation model for eddy current problems using finite element analysis. Validation of the accuracy of this model is demonstrated via comparison with experimental measurements of steam generator tube wall defects. These simulations generating two-dimension raster scan data typically takes one to two days on a dedicated eight-core PC. A novel direct integral solver for eddy current problems and GPU-based implementation is also investigated in this research to reduce the computational time.

DEPENDENCE OF STELLAR MAGNETIC ACTIVITY CYCLES ON ROTATIONAL PERIOD IN A NONLINEAR SOLAR-TYPE DYNAMO

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

Pipin, V. V.; Kosovichev, A. G.

2016-06-01

We study the turbulent generation of large-scale magnetic fields using nonlinear dynamo models for solar-type stars in the range of rotational periods from 14 to 30 days. Our models take into account nonlinear effects of dynamical quenching of magnetic helicity, and escape of magnetic field from the dynamo region due to magnetic buoyancy. The results show that the observed correlation between the period of rotation and the duration of activity cycles can be explained in the framework of a distributed dynamo model with a dynamical magnetic feedback acting on the turbulent generation from either magnetic buoyancy or magnetic helicity. Wemore » discuss implications of our findings for the understanding of dynamo processes operating in solar-like stars.« less

Propagation of stationary Rossby waves in the Martian lower atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Priyanka; Thokuluwa, Ramkumar

The Martian lower atmospheric (-1.5 km to 29.3 km) temperature, measured by radio occultation technique during the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission launched by US in November 1996, at the Northern winter hemispheric latitude of about 63(°) N clearly shows a statistically significant (above 95 percent confidential level white noise) and strong 3.5-day oscillation during 1-10 January 2006. This strong signal occurs in the longitudinal sectors of 0-30(°) E and 190-230(°) E but statistically insignificant in almost all the other longitudes. This 180 degree separation between the two peaks of occurrence of strong 3.5 day oscillation indicates that this may be associated with zonal wave number 2 structure global scale wave. At the lowest height of -1.5 km, the power observed in the longitude of 0-30(°) E is 50 K (2) and it increased gradually to the maximum power of 130 K (2) at the height of 0.8 - 1.7 km. Above this height, the power decreased monotonously and gradually to insignificant level at the height of 3.7 km (20 K (2) ). This gradual decrease of power above the height of 1.7 km indicates that radiative damping (infra red cooling due to large abundance of CO _{2} molecules and dust particles) would have played an important role in the dissipation of waves. The height and longitudinal profiles of phase of the 3.5-day wave indicate that this wave is a vertically standing and eastward propagating planetary wave respectively. Since the statistically significant spectral amplitude occurs near the high topography structures, it seems that the wave is generated by flows over the topography. In the Northern winter, it is possible that the large gradient of temperature between the low and high latitudes would lead to flow of winds from the tropical to polar latitudes. Due to the Coriolis effect, this flow would in turn move towards the right and incite wave generation when the air flows over the high topographic structures. This lead to speculate that the observed 3.5-day wave may be associated with topography-related zonal wave number 2 baroclinic Rossby wave. Similar analyses for January and February 2005 show significant 15-day oscillation for almost all the longitude sectors, indicating that this oscillation may be associated with barotropic waves generated by the geostrophic adjustment of planetary scale flows at the higher latitudes. The sharp contrast between the characteristics of atmospheric waves occurred in 2005 (summer) and 2006 (winter) indicates that there is a strong seasonal variation over the Mars. A detailed investigation will be presented about the various other characteristics of atmospheric waves observed for different years by various Mars missions.

Multigeneration effects of insect growth regulators on the springtail Folsomia candida.

PubMed

Campiche, Sophie; L'Ambert, Grégory; Tarradellas, Joseph; Becker-van Slooten, Kristin

2007-06-01

Multigeneration tests are very useful for the assessment of long term toxicity of pollutants such as endocrine disruptor compounds. In this study, multigeneration reproduction tests adapted from the ISO standard 11267 were conducted with the Collembola Folsomia candida. Springtails were exposed to artificial soil contaminated with four insect growth regulators (methoprene, fenoxycarb, teflubenzuron, and precocene II) according to two different experimental set-ups. In the first set-up, the parental generation (F(0)) of Collembola was exposed to a pollutant for 28 days. Juveniles from the F(1) generation were transferred to uncontaminated soil for another 28-day period to generate the F(2) generation. In the second set-up, the F(0) generation was exposed to a pollutant for 10 days before being transferred to uncontaminated soil to reproduce. After 18-28 days, juveniles from the F(1) were transferred to clean soil to generate the F(2) generation. An effect on the number of hatched juveniles of the F(2) generation was observed for methoprene after exposure of the F(0) for 28 days and hatching of F(1) in contaminated soil. For methoprene and teflubenzuron, significant effects were even observed on the F(2) generation with the second experimental set-up, when only the F(0) generation was exposed for 10 days. This shows that the impact of these substances is transgenerational, which can have important consequences for the population of these or other organisms. No effect on the F(2) generation was observed with fenoxycarb and precocene II with the 10-day exposure experiment. Our results show that the developed experimental procedures are appropriate to assess the long term effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on the reproduction of the non-target species F. candida. Another important finding is that two substances with the same predicted mode of action (i.e., the two juvenile hormone analogues fenoxycarb and methoprene) do not necessarily affect the same endpoints in F. candida.

Double blanket effect caused by two layers of black carbon aerosols escalates warming in the Brahmaputra River Valley.

PubMed

Rahul, P R C; Bhawar, R L; Ayantika, D C; Panicker, A S; Safai, P D; Tharaprabhakaran, V; Padmakumari, B; Raju, M P

2014-01-14

First ever 3-day aircraft observations of vertical profiles of Black Carbon (BC) were obtained during the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX) conducted on 30(th) August, 4(th) and 6(th) September 2009 over Guwahati (26° 11'N, 91° 44'E), the largest metropolitan city in the Brahmaputra River Valley (BRV) region. The results revealed that apart from the surface/near surface loading of BC due to anthropogenic processes causing a heating of 2 K/day, the large-scale Walker and Hadley atmospheric circulations associated with the Indian summer monsoon help in the formation of a second layer of black carbon in the upper atmosphere, which generates an upper atmospheric heating of ~2 K/day. Lofting of BC aerosols by these large-scale circulating atmospheric cells to the upper atmosphere (4-6 Km) could also be the reason for extreme climate change scenarios that are being witnessed in the BRV region.

The effects of in utero bisphenol A exposure on reproductive capacity in several generations of mice

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

Ziv-Gal, Ayelet, E-mail: zivgal1@illinois.edu; Wang, Wei, E-mail: weiwang2@illinois.edu; Zhou, Changqing, E-mail: czhou27@illinois.edu

In utero bisphenol A (BPA) exposure affects reproductive function in the first generation (F1) of mice; however, not many studies have examined the reproductive effects of BPA exposure on subsequent generations. In this study, pregnant mice (F0) were orally dosed with vehicle, BPA (0.5, 20, and 50 μg/kg/day) or diethylstilbestrol (DES; 0.05 μg/kg/day) daily from gestation day 11 until birth. F1 females were used to generate the F2 generation, and F2 females were used to generate the F3 generation. Breeding studies at the ages of 3, 6, and 9 months were conducted to evaluate reproductive capacity over time. Further, studiesmore » were conducted to evaluate pubertal onset, litter size, and percentage of dead pups; and to calculate pregnancy rate, and mating, fertility, and gestational indices. The results indicate that BPA exposure (0.5 and 50 μg/kg/day) significantly delayed the age at vaginal opening in the F3 generation compared to vehicle control. Both DES (0.05 μg/kg/day) and BPA (50 μg/kg/day) significantly delayed the age at first estrus in the F3 generation compared to vehicle control. BPA exposure reduced gestational index in the F1 and F2 generations compared to control. Further, BPA exposure (0.5 μg/kg/day) compromised the fertility index in the F3 generation compared to control. Finally, in utero BPA exposure reduced the ability of female mice to maintain pregnancies as they aged. Collectively, these data suggest that BPA exposure affects reproductive function in female mice and that some effects may be transgenerational in nature. - Highlights: • In utero BPA delayed vaginal opening in the F3 generation compared to control. • In utero BPA delayed estrus in the F3 generation compared to control. • In utero BPA reduced the ability of F1 and F2 female mice to maintain pregnancies. • In utero BPA compromised the ability of F3 female mice to become pregnant. • Some effects of in utero BPA may be transgenerational in nature.« less

Evaluation of the molecular mechanisms associated with cytotoxicity and inflammation after pulmonary exposure to different metal-rich welding particles.

PubMed

Shoeb, Mohammad; Kodali, Vamsi; Farris, Breanne; Bishop, Lindsey M; Meighan, Terence; Salmen, Rebecca; Eye, Tracy; Roberts, Jenny R; Zeidler-Erdely, Patti; Erdely, Aaron; Antonini, James M

2017-08-01

Welding generates a complex aerosol of incidental nanoparticles and cytotoxic metals, such as chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and iron (Fe). The goal was to use both in vivo and in vitro methodologies to determine the mechanisms by which different welding fumes may damage the lungs. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by intratracheal instillation (ITI) with 2.0 mg of gas metal arc-mild steel (GMA-MS) or manual metal arc-stainless steel (MMA-SS) fumes or saline (vehicle control). At 1, 3, and 10 days, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to measure lung toxicity. To assess molecular mechanisms of cytotoxicity, RAW264.7 cells were exposed to both welding fumes for 24 h (0-100 μg/ml). Fume composition was different: MMA-SS (41% Fe, 29% Cr, 17% Mn, 3% Ni) versus GMA-MS (85% Fe, 14% Mn). BAL indicators of lung injury and inflammation were increased by MMA-SS at all time points and by GMA-MS at 3 and 10 days after exposure. RAW264.7 cells exposed to MMA-SS had elevated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein-HNE (P-HNE) adduct formation, activation of ERK1/2, and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) compared to GMA-MS and control. Increased generation of ROS due to MMA-SS exposure was confirmed by increased expression of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Results of in vitro studies provide evidence that stainless steel welding fume mediate inflammatory responses via activation of ROS/P-HNE/ERK1/2/Nrf2 signaling pathways. These findings were corroborated by elevated expression of COX-2, Nrf2, and HO-1 in homogenized lung tissue collected 1 day after in vivo exposure.

Primitive erythrocytes are generated from hemogenic endothelial cells.

PubMed

Stefanska, Monika; Batta, Kiran; Patel, Rahima; Florkowska, Magdalena; Kouskoff, Valerie; Lacaud, Georges

2017-07-25

Primitive erythroblasts are the first blood cells generated during embryonic hematopoiesis. Tracking their emergence both in vivo and in vitro has remained challenging due to the lack of specific cell surface markers. To selectively investigate primitive erythropoiesis, we have engineered a new transgenic embryonic stem (ES) cell line, where eGFP expression is driven by the regulatory sequences of the embryonic βH1 hemoglobin gene expressed specifically in primitive erythroid cells. Using this ES cell line, we observed that the first primitive erythroblasts are detected in vitro around day 1.5 of blast colony differentiation, within the cell population positive for the early hematopoietic progenitor marker CD41. Moreover, we establish that these eGFP + cells emerge from a hemogenic endothelial cell population similarly to their definitive hematopoietic counterparts. We further generated a corresponding βH1-eGFP transgenic mouse model and demonstrated the presence of a primitive erythroid primed hemogenic endothelial cell population in the developing embryo. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that both in vivo and in vitro primitive erythrocytes are generated from hemogenic endothelial cells.

[Profitability of a day hospital: analysis of activity, cost and effectiveness].

PubMed

Hernando Ortiz, Lili; Hinojosa Mena-Bernal, Carmen; González Sarmiento, Enrique; González Guilabert, Isabel; Arana Ruiz, Jorge; Muñoz Moreno, M Fe

2012-01-01

Day hospitals are an alternative to conventional hospital care. We analyzed the functioning and profitability of the day hospital of Hospital Clínico de Valladolid, Spain, in 2009. Profitability is expressed as the provision of identical health coverage at a lower cost than that generated by conventional hospital care and with adequate quality indicators. We performed a retrospective, observational and descriptive study of the information obtained on each patient attended in the day hospital from January 1 to December 31, 2009. We studied four quality indicators: cancellation of meetings, the rate of transfusion reactions, the out-patient rate and the satisfaction index. The estimated savings for each process was calculated as the difference in the average cost of hospitalization minus the average cost of the process in the day hospital. The most frequent diseases were systemic and connective tissue diseases, accounting for 25.4% of the processes treated; of these, 17.1% corresponded to rheumatoid arthritis. Patient satisfaction was 93%. Meetings cancellations and the rate of transfusion reactions were 0%. The out-patient rate was 26%. Day hospital costs were 8.6% of conventional hospital costs, with savings of 78,390.69 euros. The day hospital is cost effective due to savings compared with conventional hospitalization and has a satisfactory quality index. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Toward a fourth-generation x-ray source.

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

Monction, D. E.

1999-05-19

The field of synchrotron radiation research has grown rapidly over the last 25 years due to both the push of the accelerator and magnet technology that produces the x-ray beams and the pull of the extraordinary scientific research that is possible with them. Three successive generations of synchrotrons radiation facilities have resulted in beam brilliances 11 to 12 orders of magnitude greater than the standard laboratory x-ray tube. However, greater advances can be easily imagined given the fact that x-ray beams from present-day facilities do not exhibit the coherence or time structure so familiar with the optical laser. Theoretical workmore » over the last ten years or so has pointed to the possibility of generating hard x-ray beams with laser-like characteristics. The concept is based on self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) in flee-electron lasers. A major facility of this type based upon a superconducting linac could produce a cost-effective facility that spans wave-lengths from the ultraviolet to the hard x-ray regime, simultaneously servicing large numbers experimenters from a wide range of disciplines. As with each past generation of synchrotrons facilities, immense new scientific opportunities would result from fourth-generation sources.« less

The application of the Luus-Jaakola direct search method to the optimization of a hybrid renewable energy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jatzeck, Bernhard Michael

2000-10-01

The application of the Luus-Jaakola direct search method to the optimization of stand-alone hybrid energy systems consisting of wind turbine generators (WTG's), photovoltaic (PV) modules, batteries, and an auxiliary generator was examined. The loads for these systems were for agricultural applications, with the optimization conducted on the basis of minimum capital, operating, and maintenance costs. Five systems were considered: two near Edmonton, Alberta, and one each near Lethbridge, Alberta, Victoria, British Columbia, and Delta, British Columbia. The optimization algorithm used hourly data for the load demand, WTG output power/area, and PV module output power. These hourly data were in two sets: seasonal (summer and winter values separated) and total (summer and winter values combined). The costs for the WTG's, PV modules, batteries, and auxiliary generator fuel were full market values. To examine the effects of price discounts or tax incentives, these values were lowered to 25% of the full costs for the energy sources and two-thirds of the full cost for agricultural fuel. Annual costs for a renewable energy system depended upon the load, location, component costs, and which data set (seasonal or total) was used. For one Edmonton load, the cost for a renewable energy system consisting of 27.01 m2 of WTG area, 14 PV modules, and 18 batteries (full price, total data set) was 6873/year. For Lethbridge, a system with 22.85 m2 of WTG area, 47 PV modules, and 5 batteries (reduced prices, seasonal data set) cost 2913/year. The performance of renewable energy systems based on the obtained results was tested in a simulation using load and weather data for selected days. Test results for one Edmonton load showed that the simulations for most of the systems examined ran for at least 17 hours per day before failing due to either an excessive load on the auxiliary generator or a battery constraint being violated. Additional testing indicated that increasing the generator capacity and reducing the maximum allowed battery charge current during the time of the day at which these failures occurred allowed the simulation to successfully operate.

Wind power as an electrical energy source in Illinois

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendland, W. M.

1982-03-01

A preliminary estimate of the total wind power available in Illinois was made using available historical data, and projections of cost savings due to the presence of wind-generated electricity were attempted. Wind data at 10 m height were considered from nine different sites in the state, with three years data nominally being included. Wind-speed frequency histograms were developed for day and night periods, using a power law function to extrapolate the 10 m readings to 20 m. Wind speeds over the whole state were found to average over 8 mph, the cut-in point for most wind turbines, for from 40-63% of the time. A maximum of 75% run-time was determined for daylight hours in April-May. A reference 1.8 kW windpowered generator was used in annual demand projections for a reference one family home, using the frequency histograms. The small generator was projected to fulfill from 25-53% of the annual load, and, based on various cost assumptions, exhibited paybacks taking from 14-27 yr.

State of municipal solid waste management in Delhi, the capital of India

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

Talyan, Vikash; Dahiya, R.P.; Sreekrishnan, T.R.

2008-07-01

Delhi is the most densely populated and urbanized city of India. The annual growth rate in population during the last decade (1991-2001) was 3.85%, almost double the national average. Delhi is also a commercial hub, providing employment opportunities and accelerating the pace of urbanization, resulting in a corresponding increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. Presently the inhabitants of Delhi generate about 7000 tonnes/day of MSW, which is projected to rise to 17,000-25,000 tonnes/day by the year 2021. MSW management has remained one of the most neglected areas of the municipal system in Delhi. About 70-80% of generated MSW ismore » collected and the rest remains unattended on streets or in small open dumps. Only 9% of the collected MSW is treated through composting, the only treatment option, and rest is disposed in uncontrolled open landfills at the outskirts of the city. The existing composting plants are unable to operate to their intended treatment capacity due to several operational problems. Therefore, along with residue from the composting process, the majority of MSW is disposed in landfills. In absence of leachate and landfill gas collection systems, these landfills are a major source of groundwater contamination and air pollution (including generation of greenhouse gases). This study describes and evaluates the present state of municipal solid waste management in Delhi. The paper also summarizes the proposed policies and initiatives of the Government of Delhi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to improve the existing MSW management system.« less

Investigation of the 2013 Alberta flood from weather and climate perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teufel, Bernardo; Diro, G. T.; Whan, K.; Milrad, S. M.; Jeong, D. I.; Ganji, A.; Huziy, O.; Winger, K.; Gyakum, J. R.; de Elia, R.; Zwiers, F. W.; Sushama, L.

2017-05-01

During 19-21 June 2013 a heavy precipitation event affected southern Alberta and adjoining regions, leading to severe flood damage in numerous communities and resulting in the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history. This flood was caused by a combination of meteorological and hydrological factors, which are investigated from weather and climate perspectives with the fifth generation Canadian Regional Climate Model. Results show that the contribution of orographic ascent to precipitation was important, exceeding 30 % over the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Another contributing factor was evapotranspiration from the land surface, which is found to have acted as an important moisture source and was likely enhanced by antecedent rainfall that increased soil moisture over the northern Great Plains. Event attribution analysis suggests that human induced greenhouse gas increases may also have contributed by causing evapotranspiration rates to be higher than they would have been under pre-industrial conditions. Frozen and snow-covered soils at high elevations are likely to have played an important role in generating record streamflows. Results point to a doubling of surface runoff due to the frozen conditions, while 25 % of the modelled runoff originated from snowmelt. The estimated return time of the 3-day precipitation event exceeds 50 years over a large region, and an increase in the occurrence of similar extreme precipitation events is projected by the end of the 21st century. Event attribution analysis suggests that greenhouse gas increases may have increased 1-day and 3-day return levels of May-June precipitation with respect to pre-industrial climate conditions. However, no anthropogenic influence can be detected for 1-day and 3-day surface runoff, as increases in extreme precipitation in the present-day climate are offset by decreased snow cover and lower frozen water content in soils during the May-June transition months, compared to pre-industrial climate.

Chronic unpredictable mild stress generates oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in rats.

PubMed

López-López, Ana Laura; Jaime, Herlinda Bonilla; Escobar Villanueva, María Del Carmen; Padilla, Malinalli Brianza; Palacios, Gonzalo Vázquez; Aguilar, Francisco Javier Alarcón

2016-07-01

Stress is considered to be a causal agent of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis and Alzheimer's. Chronic glucocorticoid and catecholamine release into the circulation during the stress response has been suggested to activate damage mechanisms, which in the long term produce metabolic alterations associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. However, the consequences of stress in animal models for periods longer than 40days have not been explored. The goal of this work was to determine whether chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) produced alterations in the redox state and the inflammatory profile of rats after 20, 40, and 60days. CUMS consisted of random exposure of the animals to different stressors. The following activities were measured in the liver and pancreas: reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and protein oxidation. Similarly, serum cytokine levels (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10) were determined. CUMS activated the stress response from day 20 until day 60. In the liver and pancreas, GHS levels were decreased from day 40, whereas protein lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation were increased. This is the first work to report that the pancreas redox state is subject to chronic stress conditions. The TAC was constant in the liver and reduced in the pancreas. An increase in the TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 inflammatory markers and a decrease in the IL-10 level due to CUMS was shown, thereby resulting in the generation of a systemic inflammation state after 60days of treatment. Together, the CUMS consequences on day 60 suggest that both processes can contribute to the development of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. CUMS is an animal model that in addition to avoiding habituation activates damage mechanisms such as oxidative stress and low-grade chronic inflammation, which allows the study of physio-pathological stress aspects over prolonged time periods of at least 60days. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MM5 Modeling of the Madden Julian Oscillation in the Indian and West Pacific Oceans: Implications of 30 70-Day Boundary Effects on MJO Development.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gustafson, William I., Jr.; Weare, Bryan C.

2004-03-01

The results of an experiment designed to isolate the initiation phase of the Madden Julian oscillation (MJO) from 30 70-day boundary effects is presented. The technique used to accomplish this involves employing the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University National Center for Atmospheric Research (PSU NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5), as first presented in the companion paper to this paper. Two runs, each 2 yr long, are integrated forward from 1 June 1990. The first run, called the control, uses the unmodified National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) NCAR reanalysis (NRA) dataset for boundary conditions. The second run, called the notched, uses the same NRA dataset for the boundary conditions, with the exception that all signals with periodicities in the 30 70-day range have been removed. Any signals in the 30 70-day range subsequently generated by the notched run are then solely due to signals generated from within the model domain or from signals entering through the domain boundaries with frequencies outside of the MJO band. Comparisons between 2-yr means from each run indicate that filtering the boundaries does not significantly modify the model climatology. The mean wind structure, thermodynamic state, and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) are almost identical in the control and notched runs. A 30 70-day bandpass filter is used to isolate MJO-like signals in the runs. Comparisons of 30 70-day bandpassed zonal wind, moist static energy (MSE), and OLR reveal that the notched run develops many of the expected characteristics of MJO episodes, but with a weaker signal. Large-scale, organized structures develop that possess seasonal shifts in amplitude, mirroring observed MJO activity, have opposite wind directions in the upper and lower troposphere, and propagate eastward during most strong episodes. The results suggest that neither remnants from previous MJO episodes nor extratropical feedbacks within the MJO time band are necessary for MJO initiation. However, the control run is more organized than the notched run, implying that 30 70 signals outside the model domain influence the MJO signal. There is also some evidence that the recharge discharge mechanism plays a role in MJO formation.

Space Weather Effects on the Dynamics of Equatorial F Region Irregularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, A.; Basu, S.; Groves, K.; Valladares, C.; Sheehan, R.

Space weather effects on transionospheric radio waves used for navigation and communication may be divided into two categories depending on the spatial scale size of the ionospheric perturbation produced by such effects. For large-scale (> 10 km) perturbations in the ionospheric plasma density, there are changes in the excess time delay for a radio wave signal, which propagates through the ionosphere, while small scale (< 1 m) structures or irregularities in the ionosphere may give rise tok amplitude and phase scintillations on UHF/L-band radio waves, resulting in loss of data, cycle slips and loss of phase lock for signals used in communication/navigation systems. In the equatorial region, where such effects may be severe, space weather effects on the dynamics of equatorial spread F (ESF) irregularities are studied from two different angles. The first one deals with the effect of magnetic activity on the generation of ESF irregularities by helping or hindering the growth of the Rayleigh Taylor (R-T) instability in the post-sunset equatorial F region. For this purpose, spaced receiver observations of scintillations on a UHF signal transmitted from a geostationary satellite and recorded near the dip equator, are used to establish the `age' of the irregularities. This is necessary because the occurrence of scintillations, particularly in the post midnight period, may also be due to irregularities which drift into the path of the radio wave signal, after having been generated more than 3 hours before the actual observation of scintillations. In order to associate the generation of irregularities with major changes in space weather, a parameter that is a measure of random variations in irregularity drift speed is computed from spaced receiver scintillation data. A large value of this parameter is usually a signature of random variations in irregularity drift due to polarization electric fields associated with freshly generated irregularities. Once these electric fields decay, the irregularities drift with the background plasma. This allows a study of the other effect of space weather on the dynamics of equatorial F region irregularities, viz. magnetically disturbed ionospheric drifts in the equatorial region. The drifts estimated for magnetically quiet days with ESF, within a period of a month, display far less variability than the quiet time variability for non-ESF days, thus making it possible to quantify perturbations in irregularity drift due to disturbance dynamo electric fields and/or prompt penetration of transient magnetospheric electric fields.

Municipal solid waste characterization and quantification as a measure towards effective waste management in Ghana.

PubMed

Miezah, Kodwo; Obiri-Danso, Kwasi; Kádár, Zsófia; Fei-Baffoe, Bernard; Mensah, Moses Y

2015-12-01

Reliable national data on waste generation and composition that will inform effective planning on waste management in Ghana is absent. To help obtain this data on a regional basis, selected households in each region were recruited to obtain data on rate of waste generation, physical composition of waste, sorting and separation efficiency and per capita of waste. Results show that rate of waste generation in Ghana was 0.47 kg/person/day, which translates into about 12,710 tons of waste per day per the current population of 27,043,093. Nationally, biodegradable waste (organics and papers) was 0.318 kg/person/day and non-biodegradable or recyclables (metals, glass, textiles, leather and rubbers) was 0.096 kg/person/day. Inert and miscellaneous waste was 0.055 kg/person/day. The average household waste generation rate among the metropolitan cities, except Tamale, was high, 0.72 kg/person/day. Metropolises generated higher waste (average 0.63 kg/person/day) than the municipalities (0.40 kg/person/day) and the least in the districts (0.28 kg/person/day) which are less developed. The waste generation rate also varied across geographical locations, the coastal and forest zones generated higher waste than the northern savanna zone. Waste composition was 61% organics, 14% plastics, 6% inert, 5% miscellaneous, 5% paper, 3% metals, 3% glass, 1% leather and rubber, and 1% textiles. However, organics and plastics, the two major fractions of the household waste varied considerably across the geographical areas. In the coastal zone, the organic waste fraction was highest but decreased through the forest zone towards the northern savanna. However, through the same zones towards the north, plastic waste rather increased in percentage fraction. Households did separate their waste effectively averaging 80%. However, in terms of separating into the bin marked biodegradables, 84% effectiveness was obtained whiles 76% effectiveness for sorting into the bin labeled other waste was achieved. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Comparative toxicity of pristine graphene oxide and its carboxyl, imidazole or polyethylene glycol functionalized products to Daphnia magna: A two generation study.

PubMed

Liu, Yingying; Han, Wenli; Xu, Zhizhen; Fan, Wenhong; Peng, Weihua; Luo, Shenglian

2018-06-01

To investigate the chronic toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) and its functionalized products (GO-carboxyl, GO-imidazole and GO-polyethylene glycol), a two-generation study was conducted using the aquatic model species Daphnia magna. Each generation of daphnids were exposed for 21 days to 1.0 mg L -1 graphene material, with body length, neonate number, time of first brood and the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) assessed as endpoints. Chronic exposure to GO, GO-carboxyl, and GO-imidazole had no adverse effect on body length or offspring number in the daphnid F0 generation, however, this exposure paradigm led to significant growth or reproduction inhibition in the following generation. Meanwhile, GO was found to show the strongest inhibitory effect, sequentially followed by GO-carboxyl and GO-imidazole. With exposure to GO-polyethylene glycol, no significant effects on growth or reproduction were observed for both F0 and F1 generation daphnids. These results reveal that carboxyl, imidazole and polyethylene glycol functional attachments alleviate the bio-toxicity of GO, especially polyethylene glycol. The increased C/O atomic ratio present in GO-carboxyl, GO-imidazole and GO-polyethylene glycol due to functionalization may mainly explain the reduced toxicity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chelsea Clinton gains center of attention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Generating her own attention waiting for the launch of STS-93 at the VIP viewing site is Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the President and Mrs. Clinton. The First Lady and Chelsea arrived earlier to view the launch. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20.

KSC-99pp0897

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

Generating her own attention waiting for the launch of STS-93 at the VIP viewing site is Chelsea Clinton, daughter of the President and Mrs. Clinton. The First Lady and Chelsea arrived earlier to view the launch. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20

Financial impact of community-based dental education.

PubMed

Bailit, Howard L

2010-10-01

The financial impact of community-based dental education on dental school and community clinic budgets is a major issue. The evidence suggests that community experiences for dental students of fifty or more days, if effectively managed, can increase school net revenues due to the following factors: 1) the community rotations increase student productivity, approximating the loss of dental school clinical income; 2) the reallocation of unused clinical resources at the dental school reduces student clinic deficits; 3) schools and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) that share surplus student patient revenues generate additional net income; and 4) enrollment of more students without additional new facilities and faculty increases total school tuition revenues. For FQHC dental clinics, student rotations increase the number of patients treated and may generate surplus revenues. Community-based dental education also provides schools and clinics important non-financial advantages.

Tapentadol versus tramadol in the management of low back pain in the emergency department

PubMed Central

Guillén-Astete, Carlos A.; Cardona-Carballo, César; de la Casa-Resino, Cristina

2017-01-01

Abstract Nontraumatic musculoskeletal disorders are the main reason for presentation to the emergency department (ED), with rachialgia (back pain) being the most common reason to request medical assessment among them. This also generates the highest demand for reassessments due to poor pain control or onset of adverse reactions to the treatment prescribed in the initial assessment. A retrospective observational study based on usual clinical practice was conducted in patients attending the ED due to low back pain during a period of 24 months. The primary objective was to determine the demand for reassessments in the ED by these patients in the following 30 days, according to the type of therapeutic approach used in the initial assessment. A total of 732 patients who requested medical assessment due to back pain in the ED of our hospital were analyzed, 91 of whom were treated with tapentadol whereas 641 received another treatment. In the first month after the initial assessment, reassessments were less common in the tapentadol group; this difference was significant from days 8 to 15 (P = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 0.252 with 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.100–0.635) and days 15 to 30 (P < 10−4, OR 0.277 with 95% CI 0.136–0.563). Patients who received tapentadol also had a better clinical evolution of pain compared to those who did not receive it (P < 10−4) and to those who received tramadol (P < 10−4). In this study in patients with back pain, tapentadol shows clear advantages over the other analgesics analyzed, in terms of pain control and less need for reassessments. PMID:29137025

Tapentadol versus tramadol in the management of low back pain in the emergency department: Impact of use on the need for reassessments.

PubMed

Guillén-Astete, Carlos A; Cardona-Carballo, César; de la Casa-Resino, Cristina

2017-11-01

Nontraumatic musculoskeletal disorders are the main reason for presentation to the emergency department (ED), with rachialgia (back pain) being the most common reason to request medical assessment among them. This also generates the highest demand for reassessments due to poor pain control or onset of adverse reactions to the treatment prescribed in the initial assessment.A retrospective observational study based on usual clinical practice was conducted in patients attending the ED due to low back pain during a period of 24 months. The primary objective was to determine the demand for reassessments in the ED by these patients in the following 30 days, according to the type of therapeutic approach used in the initial assessment.A total of 732 patients who requested medical assessment due to back pain in the ED of our hospital were analyzed, 91 of whom were treated with tapentadol whereas 641 received another treatment. In the first month after the initial assessment, reassessments were less common in the tapentadol group; this difference was significant from days 8 to 15 (P = 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 0.252 with 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.100-0.635) and days 15 to 30 (P < 10, OR 0.277 with 95% CI 0.136-0.563). Patients who received tapentadol also had a better clinical evolution of pain compared to those who did not receive it (P < 10) and to those who received tramadol (P < 10).In this study in patients with back pain, tapentadol shows clear advantages over the other analgesics analyzed, in terms of pain control and less need for reassessments.

100 Days of ELF/VLF Generation via HF Heating with HAARP (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, M.; Golkowski, M.

2013-12-01

ELF/VLF radio waves are difficult to generate with conventional antennas. Ionospheric HF heating facilities generate ELF/VLF waves via modulated heating of the lower ionosphere. HF heating of the ionosphere changes the lower ionospheric conductivity, which in the presence of natural currents such as the auroral electrojet, creates an antenna in the sky when heating is modulated at ELF/VLF frequencies. We present a summary of nearly 100 days of ELF/VLF wave generation experiments at the 3.6 MW HAARP facility near Gakona, Alaska, and provide a baseline reference of ELF/VLF generation capabilities with HF heating. Between February 2007 and August 2008, HAARP was operated on close to 100 days for ELF/VLF wave generation experiments, at a variety of ELF/VLF frequencies, seasons and times of day. We present comprehensive statistics of generated ELF/VLF magnetic fields observed at a nearby site, in the 500-3500 Hz band. Transmissions with a specific HF beam configuration (3.25 MHz, vertical beam, amplitude modulation) are isolated so the data comparison is self-consistent, across nearly 5 million individual measurements of either a tone or a piece of a frequency-time ramp. There is a minimum in the average generation close to local midnight. It is found that generation during local nighttime is on average weaker, but more highly variable, with a small number of very strong generation periods. Signal amplitudes from day to day may vary by as much as 20-30 dB. Generation strengthens by ~5 dB during the first ~30 minutes of transmission, which may be a signature of slow electron density changes from sustained HF heating. Theoretical calculations are made to relate the amplitude observed to the power injected into the waveguide and reaching 250 km. The median power generated by HAARP and injected into the waveguide is ~0.05-0.1 W in this base-line configuration (vertical beam, 3.25 MHz, amplitude modulation), but may have generated hundreds of Watts for brief durations. Several efficiency improvements have improved the ELF/VLF wave generation efficiency further.

Dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation: A case report.

PubMed

Uemura, Takehiro; Oguri, Tetsuya; Okayama, Minami; Furuta, Hiromi; Kanemitsu, Yoshihiro; Takakuwa, Osamu; Ohkubo, Hirotsugu; Takemura, Masaya; Maeno, Ken; Ito, Yutaka; Niimi, Akio

2017-04-01

We herein report a case of dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was a 59-year-old woman with EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive lung adenocarcinoma, who relapsed with multiple brain metastases. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the left pleural tumor revealed adenocarcinoma harboring an EGFR exon 19 deletion and an EGFR T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was treated with osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Two days after treatment initiation, the patient displayed profound disturbance of consciousness, possibly due to carcinomatous meningitis, and treatment had to be discontinued due to difficulty in taking osimertinib. However, the patient gradually started to recover consciousness and, after 3 days, she was again able to take osimertinib. One month after the initiation of osimertinib treatment, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an apparent reduction in brain metastases. The patient is currently under continued treatment with osimertinib. At the last follow-up (February, 2017) she exhibited partial response to the treatment.

Direct and indirect costs of tuberculosis among immigrant patients in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Kik, Sandra V; Olthof, Sandra P J; de Vries, Jonie T N; Menzies, Dick; Kincler, Naomi; van Loenhout-Rooyakkers, Joke; Burdo, Conny; Verver, Suzanne

2009-08-05

In low tuberculosis (TB) incidence countries TB affects mostly immigrants in the productive age group. Little empirical information is available about direct and indirect TB-related costs that patients face in these high-income countries. We assessed the direct and indirect costs of immigrants with TB in the Netherlands. A cross-sectional survey at 14 municipal health services and 2 specialized TB hospitals was conducted. Interviews were administered to first or second generation immigrants, 18 years or older, with pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB, who were on treatment for 1-6 months. Out of pocket expenditures and time loss, related to TB, was assessed for different phases of the current TB illness. In total 60 patients were interviewed. Average direct costs spent by households with a TB patient amounted euro353. Most costs were spent when being hospitalized. Time loss (mean 81 days) was mainly due to hospitalization (19 days) and additional work days lost (60 days), and corresponded with a cost estimation of euro2603. Even in a country with a good health insurance system that covers medication and consultation costs, patients do have substantial extra expenditures. Furthermore, our patients lost on average 2.7 months of productive days. TB patients are economically vulnerable.

Transcriptome analysis of Schistosoma mansoni larval development using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE).

PubMed

Taft, A S; Vermeire, J J; Bernier, J; Birkeland, S R; Cipriano, M J; Papa, A R; McArthur, A G; Yoshino, T P

2009-04-01

Infection of the snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, by the free-swimming miracidial stage of the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni, and its subsequent development to the parasitic sporocyst stage is critical to establishment of viable infections and continued human transmission. We performed a genome-wide expression analysis of the S. mansoni miracidia and developing sporocyst using Long Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (LongSAGE). Five cDNA libraries were constructed from miracidia and in vitro cultured 6- and 20-day-old sporocysts maintained in sporocyst medium (SM) or in SM conditioned by previous cultivation with cells of the B. glabrata embryonic (Bge) cell line. We generated 21 440 SAGE tags and mapped 13 381 to the S. mansoni gene predictions (v4.0e) either by estimating theoretical 3' UTR lengths or using existing 3' EST sequence data. Overall, 432 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed amongst all 5 libraries. In total, 172 tags were differentially expressed between miracidia and 6-day conditioned sporocysts and 152 were differentially expressed between miracidia and 6-day unconditioned sporocysts. In addition, 53 and 45 tags, respectively, were differentially expressed in 6-day and 20-day cultured sporocysts, due to the effects of exposure to Bge cell-conditioned medium.

Anticipating Economic Market Crises Using Measures of Collective Panic

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Predicting panic is of critical importance in many areas of human and animal behavior, notably in the context of economics. The recent financial crisis is a case in point. Panic may be due to a specific external threat or self-generated nervousness. Here we show that the recent economic crisis and earlier large single-day panics were preceded by extended periods of high levels of market mimicry—direct evidence of uncertainty and nervousness, and of the comparatively weak influence of external news. High levels of mimicry can be a quite general indicator of the potential for self-organized crises. PMID:26185988

34 CFR 682.507 - Due diligence in collecting a loan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of this section, the borrower's delinquency begins on the day after the due date of an installment... knowledge, the delinquency begins 30 days after the day the lender receives notice that the borrower has... the due diligence procedures in § 682.411 in collecting a Federal GSL loan. (b) Initial delinquency...

Effect of spaceflight on isoflavonoid accumulation in etiolated soybean seedlings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, L. H.; Levine, H. G.; Stryjewski, E. C.; Prima, V.; Piastuch, W. C.; Sager, J. S. (Principal Investigator)

2001-01-01

In order to explore the potential impact of microgravity on flavonoid biosynthesis, we examined isoflavonoid levels in soybean (Glycine max) tissues generated under both spaceflight and clinorotation conditions. A 6-day Space Shuttle-based microgravity exposure resulted in enhanced accumulation of isoflavone glycosides (daidzin, 6"-O-malonyl-7-O-glucosyl daidzein, genistin, 6"-O-malonyl-7-O-glucosyl genistein) in hypocotyl and root tissues, but reduced levels in cotyledons (relative to 1g controls on Earth). Soybean seedlings grown on a horizontally rotating clinostat for 3, 4 and 5 days exhibited (relative to a vertical clinorotation control) an isoflavonoid accumulation pattern similar to the space-grown tissues. Elevated isoflavonoid levels attributable to the clinorotation treatment were transient, with the greatest increase observed in the three-day-treated tissues and smaller increases in the four- and five-day-treated tissues. Differences between stresses presented by spaceflight and clinorotation and the resulting biochemical adaptations are discussed, as is whether the increase in isoflavonoid concentrations were due to differential rates of development under the "gravity" treatments employed. Results suggest that spaceflight exposure does not impair isoflavonoid accumulation in developing soybean tissues and that isoflavonoids respond positively to microgravity as a biochemical strategy of adaptation.

Environmentally persistent free radicals amplify ultrafine particle mediated cellular oxidative stress and cytotoxicity

PubMed Central

Balakrishna, Shrilatha; Lomnicki, Slawo; McAvey, Kevin M; Cole, Richard B; Dellinger, Barry; Cormier, Stephania A

2009-01-01

Background Combustion generated particulate matter is deposited in the respiratory tract and pose a hazard to the lungs through their potential to cause oxidative stress and inflammation. We have previously shown that combustion of fuels and chlorinated hydrocarbons produce semiquinone-type radicals that are stabilized on particle surfaces (i.e. environmentally persistent free radicals; EPFRs). Because the composition and properties of actual combustion-generated particles are complex, heterogeneous in origin, and vary from day-to-day, we have chosen to use surrogate particle systems. In particular, we have chosen to use the radical of 2-monochlorophenol (MCP230) as the EPFR because we have previously shown that it forms a EPFR on Cu(II)O surfaces and catalyzes formation of PCDD/F. To understand the physicochemical properties responsible for the adverse pulmonary effects of combustion by-products, we have exposed human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) to MCP230 or the CuO/silica substrate. Our general hypothesis was that the EPFR-containing particle would have greater toxicity than the substrate species. Results Exposure of BEAS-2B cells to our combustion generated particle systems significantly increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and decreased cellular antioxidants resulting in cell death. Resveratrol treatment reversed the decline in cellular glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels for both types of combustion-generated particle systems. Conclusion The enhanced cytotoxicity upon exposure to MCP230 correlated with its ability to generate more cellular oxidative stress and concurrently reduce the antioxidant defenses of the epithelial cells (i.e. reduced GSH, SOD activity, and GPx). The EPFRs in MCP230 also seem to be of greater biological concern due to their ability to induce lipid peroxidation. These results are consistent with the oxidizing nature of the CuO/silica ultrafine particles and the reducing nature and prolonged environmental and biological lifetimes of the EPFRs in MCP230. PMID:19374750

Sex ratio of the offspring of Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in utero and lactationally in a three-generation study

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

Rowlands, J.C.; Budinsky, R.A.; Aylward, L.L.

Reports of a decreased male/female sex ratio in children born to males exposed to TCDD in Seveso, Italy, at a young age have sparked examinations of this endpoint in other populations exposed to TCDD or related compounds. Overall, the male/female sex ratio results reported in these studies, with slightly different age-exposed male populations, have shown mixed results. Experimental studies of the effects of in utero exposure to TCDD in laboratory animals have reported no effect on the f{sub 1} sex ratio and mixed results for the sex ratio of the f{sub 2} generation. In order to better understand the potentialmore » effects of TCDD on second generation sex ratio, we retrieved archived data from a comprehensive three-generation feeding study of TCDD in rats that was conducted and published in the 1970s, but which did not publish data on sex ratio of the offspring [Murray, F.J., Smith, F.A., Nitschke, K.D., Humiston, C.G., Kociba, R.J., Schwetz, B.A., 1979. Three-generation reproduction study of rats given 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in the diet. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 50, 241-252]. A re-examination of the original Murray et al. data found no statistically significant treatment-related changes in postnatal day 1 sex ratio in any generation of treated animals, consistent with one other relatively large study reporting on this endpoint. We discuss mechanistic data underlying a potential effect of TCDD on this endpoint. We conclude that the inconsistency in findings on sex ratio of the offspring of male rats exposed to TCDD in utero is likely due to random variation associated with a relatively small sample size, although differences between studies in strain of rat, dose regimen, and day of ascertainment of sex ratio cannot be ruled out.« less

KSC-99pp0927

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-21

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton are among the spectators at the Banana Creek viewing site to watch the launch of STS-93, the second attempt. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

KSC-99pp0926

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-21

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton joins other VIPs at the Banana Creek viewing site to watch the launch of STS-93, the second attempt. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

Application of the self-generation effect to the learning of Blissymbols by persons presenting with a severe aphasia.

PubMed

Rajaram, Priya; Alant, Erna; Dada, Shakila

2012-06-01

This study investigated the application of the self-generation effect to enhance the recognition and retention of Blissymbols in persons with severe aphasia. A 2×2×3 factorial design of two treatment types (self-generation and non-generation) was used to teach two sets of Blissymbols. These were administered during 3 training days, between which were withdrawal periods of 1 day and 7 days. Recognition and retention probes were administered at intervals during the training. ANOVA analysis showed that the self-generation treatment produced no immediate recognition advantage; however, better retention of symbol recognition may have occurred over time. Hence, the potential application of the self-generation effect in enhancing the retention of Blissymbols in persons with severe aphasia may warrant further investigation.

Implementation and application of moving average as continuous analytical quality control instrument demonstrated for 24 routine chemistry assays.

PubMed

Rossum, Huub H van; Kemperman, Hans

2017-07-26

General application of a moving average (MA) as continuous analytical quality control (QC) for routine chemistry assays has failed due to lack of a simple method that allows optimization of MAs. A new method was applied to optimize the MA for routine chemistry and was evaluated in daily practice as continuous analytical QC instrument. MA procedures were optimized using an MA bias detection simulation procedure. Optimization was graphically supported by bias detection curves. Next, all optimal MA procedures that contributed to the quality assurance were run for 100 consecutive days and MA alarms generated during working hours were investigated. Optimized MA procedures were applied for 24 chemistry assays. During this evaluation, 303,871 MA values and 76 MA alarms were generated. Of all alarms, 54 (71%) were generated during office hours. Of these, 41 were further investigated and were caused by ion selective electrode (ISE) failure (1), calibration failure not detected by QC due to improper QC settings (1), possible bias (significant difference with the other analyzer) (10), non-human materials analyzed (2), extreme result(s) of a single patient (2), pre-analytical error (1), no cause identified (20), and no conclusion possible (4). MA was implemented in daily practice as a continuous QC instrument for 24 routine chemistry assays. In our setup when an MA alarm required follow-up, a manageable number of MA alarms was generated that resulted in valuable MA alarms. For the management of MA alarms, several applications/requirements in the MA management software will simplify the use of MA procedures.

ELF/VLF Waves Generated by an Artificially-Modulated Auroral Electrojet Above the HAARP HF Transmitter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, R. C.; Inan, U. S.; Bell, T. F.

2004-12-01

Naturally-forming, global-scale currents, such as the polar electrojet current and the mid-latitude dynamo, have been used as current sources to generate electromagnetic waves in the Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Very Low Frequency (VLF) bands since the 1970's. While many short-duration experiments have been performed, no continuous multi-week campaign data sets have been published providing reliable statistics for ELF/VLF wave generation. In this paper, we summarize the experimental data resulting from multiple ELF/VLF wave generation campaigns conducted at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Project (HAARP) HF transmitter in Gakona, Alaska. For one 14-day period in March, 2002, and one 24-day period in November, 2002, the HAARP HF transmitter broadcast ELF/VLF wave generation sequences for 10 hours per day, between 0400 and 1400 UT. Five different modulation frequencies broadcast separately using two HF carrier frequencies are examined at receivers located 36, 44, 147, and 155 km from the HAARP facility. Additionally, a continuous 24-hour transmission period is analyzed to compare day-time wave generation to night-time wave generation. Lastly, a power-ramping scheme was employed to investigate possible thresholding effects at the wave-generating altitude. Wave generation statistics are presented along with source-region property calculations performed using a simple model.

Source, use, and disposition of water in Florida, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leach, S.D.

1983-01-01

An average of 21,206 million gallons of water was withdrawn for use in Florida each day for the combined use for public supplies , rural domestic and livestock, industrial self-supplied, irrigation, and thermoelectric power generation. This amount, broken down into 7,309 millions gallons per day of freshwater and 13,897 million gallons per day of saline water, indicates an increase of more than 40 percent for all uses during the 10-year period 1970-80. The largest user of freshwater in Florida was for irrigation--2,997 million gallons per day which also is responsible for the greatest consumption, 1,530 million gallons on the average each day or about half the water applied. The remaining use of freshwater amounted to 1,859 million gallons per day for thermoelectric power generation (which also used about 13.7 billion gallons per day of saline water); 1,361 million gallons per day of public supply; 797 million gallons per day for industrial use other than thermoelectric power generation; and 310 million gallons per day, on the average, for rural domestic and livestock use. (USGS)

NASA-LaRc Flight-Critical Digital Systems Technology Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meissner, C. W., Jr. (Editor); Dunham, J. R. (Editor); Crim, G. (Editor)

1989-01-01

The outcome is documented of a Flight-Critical Digital Systems Technology Workshop held at NASA-Langley December 13 to 15 1988. The purpose of the workshop was to elicit the aerospace industry's view of the issues which must be addressed for the practical realization of flight-critical digital systems. The workshop was divided into three parts: an overview session; three half-day meetings of seven working groups addressing aeronautical and space requirements, system design for validation, failure modes, system modeling, reliable software, and flight test; and a half-day summary of the research issues presented by the working group chairmen. Issues that generated the most consensus across the workshop were: (1) the lack of effective design and validation methods with support tools to enable engineering of highly-integrated, flight-critical digital systems, and (2) the lack of high quality laboratory and field data on system failures especially due to electromagnetic environment (EME).

A kinetic energy analysis of the meso beta-scale severe storm environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuelberg, H. E.; Printy, M. F.

1984-01-01

Analyses are performed of the meso beta-scale (20-200 km wavelengths and several hours to one-day periods) severe storm kinetic energy balance on the fifth day of the AVE SESAME campaign of May 1979. A 24-hr interval covering the antecedent, active and post-convective outbreak activity over Oklahoma are considered. Use is made of the kinetic energy budget equation (KEBE) for a finite volume in an isobaric coordinate system. Rawindsonde data with 75 km resolution were treated. The KEBE model covered changes in kinetic energy due to the cross contour flows, horizontal and vertical components of flux divergence, and volumic mass changes on synoptic and subsynoptic scales. The greatest variability was concentrated above 400 mb height and over the most intense storm activity. Energy was generated at the highest rates in divergence and decreased the most in convection. The meso beta-scale lacked sufficient resolution for analyzing mesoscale activity.

Real-time recognition of feedback error-related potentials during a time-estimation task.

PubMed

Lopez-Larraz, Eduardo; Iturrate, Iñaki; Montesano, Luis; Minguez, Javier

2010-01-01

Feedback error-related potentials are a promising brain process in the field of rehabilitation since they are related to human learning. Due to the fact that many therapeutic strategies rely on the presentation of feedback stimuli, potentials generated by these stimuli could be used to ameliorate the patient's progress. In this paper we propose a method that can identify, in real-time, feedback evoked potentials in a time-estimation task. We have tested our system with five participants in two different days with a separation of three weeks between them, achieving a mean single-trial detection performance of 71.62% for real-time recognition, and 78.08% in offline classification. Additionally, an analysis of the stability of the signal between the two days is performed, suggesting that the feedback responses are stable enough to be used without the needing of training again the user.

Thrombin generation, ProC(®)Global, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time in thawed plasma stored for seven days and after methylene blue/light pathogen inactivation.

PubMed

Thiele, Thomas; Hron, Gregor; Kellner, Sarah; Wasner, Christina; Westphal, Antje; Warkentin, Theodore E; Greinacher, Andreas; Selleng, Kathleen

2016-01-01

Methylene blue pathogen inactivation and storage of thawed plasma both lead to changes in the activity of several clotting factors. We investigated how this translates into a global loss of thrombin generation potential and alterations in the protein C pathway. Fifty apheresis plasma samples were thawed and each divided into three subunits. One subunit was stored for 7 days at 4 °C, one was stored for 7 days at 22 °C and one was stored at 4 °C after methylene blue/light treatment. Thrombin generation parameters, ProC(®)Global-NR, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were assessed on days 0 and 7. The velocity of thrombin generation increased significantly after methylene blue treatment (increased thrombin generation rate; time to peak decreased) and decreased after storage (decreased thrombin generation rate and peak thrombin; increased lag time and time to peak). The endogenous thrombin generation potential remained stable after methylene blue treatment and storage at 4 °C. Methylene blue treatment and 7 days of storage at 4 °C activated the protein C pathway, whereas storage at room temperature and storage after methylene blue treatment decreased the functional capacity of the protein C pathway. Prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time showed only modest alterations. The global clotting capacity of thawed plasma is maintained at 4 °C for 7 days and directly after methylene blue treatment of thawed plasma. Thrombin generation and ProC(®)Global are useful tools for investigating the impact of pathogen inactivation and storage on the clotting capacity of therapeutic plasma preparations.

Lung cancer risk assessment due to traffic-generated particles exposure in urban street canyons: A numerical modelling approach.

PubMed

Scungio, M; Stabile, L; Rizza, V; Pacitto, A; Russi, A; Buonanno, G

2018-08-01

Combustion-generated nanoparticles are responsible for negative health effects due to their ability to penetrate in the lungs, carrying toxic compounds with them. In urban areas, the coexistence of nanoparticle sources and particular street-building configurations can lead to very high particle exposure levels. In the present paper, an innovative approach for the evaluation of lung cancer incidence in street canyon due to exposure to traffic-generated particles was proposed. To this end, the literature-available values of particulate matter, PAHs and heavy metals emitted from different kind of vehicles were used to calculate the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) at the tailpipe. The estimated ELCR was then used as input data in a numerical CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) model that solves the mass, momentum, turbulence and species transport equations, in order to evaluate the cancer risk in every point of interest inside the street canyon. Thus, the influence of wind speed and street canyon geometry (H/W, height of building, H and width of the street, W) on the ELCR at street level was evaluated by means of a CFD simulation. It was found that the ELCR calculated on the leeward and windward sides of the street canyon at a breathable height of 1.5 m, for people exposed 15 min per day for 20 years, is equal to 1.5 × 10 -5 and 4.8 × 10 -6 , respectively, for wind speed of 1 m/s and H/W equal to 1. The ELCR at street level results higher on the leeward side for aspect ratios equal to 1 and 3, while for aspect ratio equal to 2 it is higher on the windward side. In addition, the simulations showed that with the increasing of wind speed the ELCR becomes lower everywhere in the street canyon, due to the increased in dispersion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

43 CFR 4.905 - What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false What if a due date falls on a day the... Appeals Concerning Federal Oil and Gas Royalties and Related Matters § 4.905 What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business? If a due date under this subpart falls...

43 CFR 4.905 - What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false What if a due date falls on a day the... Appeals Concerning Federal Oil and Gas Royalties and Related Matters § 4.905 What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business? If a due date under this subpart falls...

43 CFR 4.905 - What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false What if a due date falls on a day the... Appeals Concerning Federal Oil and Gas Royalties and Related Matters § 4.905 What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business? If a due date under this subpart falls...

43 CFR 4.905 - What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false What if a due date falls on a day the... Appeals Concerning Federal Oil and Gas Royalties and Related Matters § 4.905 What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business? If a due date under this subpart falls...

43 CFR 4.905 - What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true What if a due date falls on a day the... Appeals Concerning Federal Oil and Gas Royalties and Related Matters § 4.905 What if a due date falls on a day the Department or relevant office is not open for business? If a due date under this subpart falls...

Summary of 2006 to 2010 FPMU Measurements of International Space Station Frame Potential Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Wright, Kenneth H., Jr.; Chandler, Michael O.; Coffey, Victoria N.; Craven, Paul D.; Schneider, Todd A.; Parker, Linda N.; Ferguson, Dale C.; Koontz, Steve L.; Alred, John W.

2010-01-01

Electric potential variations on the International Space Station (ISS) structure in low Earth orbit are dominated by contributions from interactions of the United States (US) 160 volt solar arrays with the relatively high density, low temperature plasma environment and inductive potentials generated by motion of the large vehicle across the Earth?s magnetic field. The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) instrument suite comprising two Langmuir probes, a plasma impedance probe, and a floating potential probe was deployed in August 2006 for use in characterizing variations in ISS potential, the state of the ionosphere along the ISS orbit and its effect on ISS charging, evaluating effects of payloads and visiting vehicles, and for supporting ISS plasma hazard assessments. This presentation summarizes observations of ISS frame potential variations obtained from the FPMU from deployment in 2006 through the current time. We first describe ISS potential variations due to current collection by solar arrays in the day time sector of the orbit including eclipse exit and entry charging events, potential variations due to plasma environment variations in the equatorial anomaly, and visiting vehicles docked to the ISS structure. Next, we discuss potential variations due to inductive electric fields generated by motion of the vehicle across the geomagnetic field and the effects of external electric fields in the ionosphere. Examples of night time potential variations at high latitudes and their possible relationship to auroral charging are described and, finally, we demonstrate effects on the ISS potential due to European Space Agency and US plasma contactor devices.

Effect of food wastewater on biomass production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus for bioenergy generation.

PubMed

Ji, Min-Kyu; Yun, Hyun-Shik; Park, Sanghyun; Lee, Hongkyun; Park, Young-Tae; Bae, Sunyoung; Ham, Jungyeob; Choi, Jaeyoung

2015-03-01

Effect of food wastewater (FW) on the biomass, lipid and carbohydrate production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus cultivated in Bold's Basal Medium (BBM) was investigated. Different dilution ratios (0.5-10%) of BBM either with FW or salt solution (NaCl) or sea water (SW) were evaluated. S. obliquus showed the highest growth (0.41 g L(-1)), lipid productivity (13.3 mg L(-1) day L(-1)), carbohydrate productivity (14.7 mg L(-1) day L(-1)) and nutrient removal (38.9 mg TN L(-1) and 12.1 mg TP L(-1)) with 1% FW after 6 days of cultivation. The FW promoted algal autoflocculation due to formation of inorganic precipitates at an alkali pH. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed that the palmitic and oleic acid contents were increased up to 8% with FW. Application of FW improved the growth, lipid/carbohydrate productivity and biomass recovery efficiency of S. obliquus, which can be exploited for cost effective production of microalgae biomass. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of global solar irradiance based on time series analysis: Application to solar thermal power plants energy production planning

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

Martin, Luis; Marchante, Ruth; Cony, Marco

2010-10-15

Due to strong increase of solar power generation, the predictions of incoming solar energy are acquiring more importance. Photovoltaic and solar thermal are the main sources of electricity generation from solar energy. In the case of solar thermal energy plants with storage energy system, its management and operation need reliable predictions of solar irradiance with the same temporal resolution as the temporal capacity of the back-up system. These plants can work like a conventional power plant and compete in the energy stock market avoiding intermittence in electricity production. This work presents a comparisons of statistical models based on time seriesmore » applied to predict half daily values of global solar irradiance with a temporal horizon of 3 days. Half daily values consist of accumulated hourly global solar irradiance from solar raise to solar noon and from noon until dawn for each day. The dataset of ground solar radiation used belongs to stations of Spanish National Weather Service (AEMet). The models tested are autoregressive, neural networks and fuzzy logic models. Due to the fact that half daily solar irradiance time series is non-stationary, it has been necessary to transform it to two new stationary variables (clearness index and lost component) which are used as input of the predictive models. Improvement in terms of RMSD of the models essayed is compared against the model based on persistence. The validation process shows that all models essayed improve persistence. The best approach to forecast half daily values of solar irradiance is neural network models with lost component as input, except Lerida station where models based on clearness index have less uncertainty because this magnitude has a linear behaviour and it is easier to simulate by models. (author)« less

Effect of Gestational Intake of Fisetin (3,3',4',7-Tetrahydroxyflavone) on Developmental Methyl Mercury Neurotoxicity in F1 Generation Rats.

PubMed

Jacob, Sherin; Thangarajan, Sumathi

2017-06-01

Methyl mercury (MeHg) is a developmental neurotoxin that causes irreversible cognitive damage in offspring of gestationally exposed mothers. Currently, no preventive drugs are established against MeHg developmental neurotoxicity. The neuroprotective effect of gestational administration of a flavanoid against in utero toxicity of MeHg is not explored much. Hence, the present study validated the effect of a bioactive flavanoid, fisetin, on MeHg developmental neurotoxicity outcomes in rat offspring at postnatal weaning age. Pregnant Wistar rats were simultaneously given MeHg (1.5 mg/kg b.w.) and two doses of fisetin (10 and 50 mg/kg b.w. in two separate groups) orally from gestational day (GD) 5 till parturition. Accordingly, after parturition, on postnatal day (PND) 24, weaning F 1 generation rats were studied for motor and cognitive behavioural changes. Biochemical and histopathological changes were also studied in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus on PND 25. Administration of fisetin during pregnancy prevented behavioural impairment due to transplacental MeHg exposure in weaning rats. Fisetin decreased the levels of oxidative stress markers, increased enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels and increased the activity of membrane-bound ATPases and cholinergic function in F 1 generation rats. In light microscopic studies, fisetin treatment protected the specific offspring brain regions from significant morphological aberrations. Between the two doses of fisetin studied, 10 mg/kg b.w. was found to be more satisfactory and effective than 50 mg/kg b.w. The present study shows that intake of fisetin during pregnancy in rats ameliorated in utero MeHg exposure-induced neurotoxicity outcomes in postnatal weaning F 1 generation rats.

Selective sequential precipitation of dissolved metals in mine drainage from coal mine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yim, Giljae; Bok, Songmin; Ji, Sangwoo; Oh, Chamteut; Cheong, Youngwook; Han, Youngsoo; Ahn, Joosung

2017-04-01

In abandoned mines in Korea, a large amount of mine drainage continues to flow out and spread pollution. In purification of the mine drainage a massive amount of sludge is generated as waste. Since this metal sludge contains high Fe, Al and Mn oxides, developing the treatment method to recover homogeneous individual metal with high purity may beneficial to recycle waste metals as useful resources and reduce the amount of sludge production. In this regard, we established a dissolved metals selective precipitation process to treat Waryong Industry's mine drainage. The process that selectively precipitates metals dissolved in mine drainage is a continuous Fe-buffer-Al process, and each process consists of the neutralization tank, the coagulation tank, and the settling tank. Based on this process, this study verified the operational applicability of the Fe and Al selective precipitation. Our previous study revealed that high-purity Fe and Al precipitates could be recovered at a flow rate of 1.5 ton/day, while the lower purity was achieved when the rate was increased to about 3 ton/day due to the difficulty in reagent dosage control. In the current study was conducted to increase the capacity of the system to recover Fe and Al as high-purity precipitates at a flow rate of 10 ton/day with the ensured continuous operations by introducing an automatic reagent injection system. The previous study had a difficulty in controlling the pH and operating system continuously due to the manually controlled reagent injection system. To upgrade this and ensure the optimal pH in a stable way, a continuous reagent injection system was installed. The result of operation of the 10 ton/day system confirmed that the scaled-up process could maintain the stable recovery rates and purities of precipitates on site.

An assessment of waste processing/resource recovery technologies for lunar/Mars life applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Verostko, Charles E.; Packham, Nigel J. C.; Henninger, Donald H.

1992-01-01

NASA's future manned missions to explore the solar system are by nature of long duration, mandating extensive regeneration of life support consumables from wastes generated in space-based habitats. Long-duration exploration missions would otherwise be prohibitive due to the number and frequency of energy-intensive resupply missions from Earth. Resource recovery is therefore a critical component of the controlled ecological life support system (CELSS). In order to assess resource recovery technologies for CELSS applications, the Crew and Thermal Systems Division at NASA-Johnson Space Center convened a three-day workshop to assess potential resource recovery technologies for application in a space-based CELSS. This paper describes the methodology of assessing and ranking of these technologies. Recommendations and issues are identified. Evaluations focused on the processes for handling and treatment of inedible plant biomass, human waste, and human generated trash. Technologies were assessed on the basis of safety, reliability, technology readiness, and performance characteristics.

Evolution of the Ultrasonic Inspection Requirements of Heavy Rotor Forgings Over the Past Decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vrana, J.; Zimmer, A.; Bailey, K.; Angal, R.; Zombo, P.; Büchner, U.; Buschmann, A.; Shannon, R. E.; Lohmann, H.-P.; Heinrich, W.

2010-02-01

Heavy rotor forgings for land-based power generation turbines and generators are inspected ultrasonically. Several decades ago the first inspections were conducted using manual, straight beam, contact transducers with simple, non-descript reporting requirements. The development of ultrasonic inspection capabilities, the change in design engineer requirements, improvements of fracture mechanics calculations, experience with turbine operation, experience with the inspection technology, and probability of detection drove the changes that have resulted in the current day inspection requirements: sizing technologies were implemented, detection limits were lowered, angle and pitch/catch (dual crystal) scans were introduced, and most recently automated equipment for the inspection was required. Due to all these changes, model based sizing techniques, like DGS, and modern ultrasonic techniques, like phased array, are being introduced globally. This paper describes the evolution of the ultrasonic inspection requirements over the last decades and presents an outlook for tomorrow.

Forecasting Wind and Solar Generation: Improving System Operations, Greening the Grid (Spanish Version)

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

Tian, Tian; Chernyakhovskiy, Ilya; Brancucci Martinez-Anido, Carlo

This document is the Spanish version of 'Greening the Grid- Forecasting Wind and Solar Generation Improving System Operations'. It discusses improving system operations with forecasting with and solar generation. By integrating variable renewable energy (VRE) forecasts into system operations, power system operators can anticipate up- and down-ramps in VRE generation in order to cost-effectively balance load and generation in intra-day and day-ahead scheduling. This leads to reduced fuel costs, improved system reliability, and maximum use of renewable resources.

Extracorporeal human bone-like tissue generation

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, N.; Rosenberg, O.

2012-01-01

Objectives The need for bone tissue supplementation exists in a wide range of clinical conditions involving surgical reconstruction in limbs, the spine and skull. The bone supplementation materials currently used include autografts, allografts and inorganic matrix components; but these pose potentially serious side-effects. In particular the availability of the autografts is usually limited and their harvesting causes surgical morbidity. Therefore for the purpose of supplementation of autologous bone graft, we have developed a method for autologous extracorporeal bone generation. Methods Human osteoblast-like cells were seeded on porous granules of tricalcium phosphate and incubated in osteogenic media while exposed to mechanical stimulation by vibration in the infrasonic range of frequencies. The generated tissue was examined microscopically following haematoxylin eosin, trichrome and immunohistochemical staining. Results Following 14 days of incubation the generated tissue showed histological characteristics of bone-like material due to the characteristic eosinophilic staining, a positive staining for collagen trichrome and a positive specific staining for osteocalcin and collagen 1. Macroscopically, this tissue appeared in aggregates of between 0.5 cm and 2 cm. Conclusions We present evidence that the interaction of the cellular, inorganic and mechanical components in vitro can rapidly generate three-dimensional bone-like tissue that might be used as an autologous bone graft. PMID:23610651

Preliminary investigation of the hazard faced by Western Australia from tsunami generated along the Sunda Arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burbidge, D.; Cummins, P. R.

2005-12-01

Since the Boxing Day tsunami various countries surrounding the Indian Ocean have been investigating the potential hazard from trans-Indian Ocean tsunami generated along the Sunda Arc, south of Indonesia. This study presents some preliminary estimates of the tsunami hazard faced by Western Australia from tsunami generated along the Arc. To estimate the hazard, a suite of tsunami spaced evenly along the subduction zone to the south of Indonesia were numerically modelled. Offshore wave heights from tsunami generated in this region are significantly higher along northwestern part of the Western Australian coast from Exmouth to the Kimberly than they are along the rest of the coast south of Exmouth. Due to the offshore bathymetry, the area around Onslow in particular may face a higher tsunami than other areas the West Australian coast. Earthquakes between Java and Timor are likely to produce the greatest hazard to northwest WA. Earthquakes off Sumatra are likely the main source of tsunami hazard to locations south of Exmouth, however the hazard here is likely to be lower than that along the north western part of the West Australian coast. Tsunami generated by other sources (eg large intra-plate events, volcanoes, landslides and asteroids) could threaten other parts of the coast.

A single vaccination of commercial broilers does not reduce transmission of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Vaccination of chickens has become routine practice in Asian countries in which H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is endemically present. This mainly applies to layer and breeder flocks, but broilers are usually left unvaccinated. Here we investigate whether vaccination is able to reduce HPAI H5N1 virus transmission among broiler chickens. Four sets of experiments were carried out, each consisting of 22 replicate trials containing a pair of birds. Experiments 1-3 were carried out with four-week-old birds that were unvaccinated, and vaccinated at day 1 or at day 10 of age. Experiment 4 was carried out with unvaccinated day-old broiler chicks. One chicken in each trial was inoculated with H5N1 HPAI virus. One chicken in each trial was inoculated with virus. The course of the infection chain was monitored by serological analysis, and by virus isolation performed on tracheal and cloacal swabs. The analyses were based on a stochastic SEIR model using a Bayesian inferential framework. When inoculation was carried out at the 28th day of life, transmission was efficient in unvaccinated birds, and in birds vaccinated at first or tenth day of life. In these experiments estimates of the latent period (~1.0 day), infectious period (~3.3 days), and transmission rate parameter (~1.4 per day) were similar, as were estimates of the reproduction number (~4) and generation interval (~1.4 day). Transmission was significantly less efficient in unvaccinated chickens when inoculation was carried out on the first day of life. These results show that vaccination of broiler chickens does not reduce transmission, and suggest that this may be due to the interference of maternal immunity. PMID:21635732

Effects of thromboprophylactic doses of apixaban and rivaroxaban on coagulation and thrombin generation in association with total hip replacement.

PubMed

Helin, Tuukka A; Virtanen, Lauri; Manninen, Mikko; Leskinen, Jarkko; Leppilahti, Juhana; Joutsi-Korhonen, Lotta; Lassila, Riitta

2017-05-01

Factor Xa inhibitors (FXaI) apixaban and rivaroxaban are used for thromboprophylaxis after major elective orthopaedic surgery. Because few patient sample studies exist, we postoperatively assessed patients undergoing unilateral total hip arthroplasty, including 22 treated with apixaban (2.5 mg BID) and 20 treated with rivaroxaban (10 mg OD). We collected blood samples before and 3 h after drug intake at 4 time points, preoperatively, as well as on day 1, week 1 (day 2-8) and day 28 post-operation. APTT and PT were immediately analysed. Calibrated anti-FXa activity, Russel's Viper Venom Time (RVVT) and thrombin generation (TG; Calibrated Automated Thrombogram ® ) captured the effects of FXaI on coagulation and TG. APTT and PT remained within the reference interval throughout, and did not correlate with FXaI levels (PT R 2  = 0.44, APTT R 2  = 0.07). Mean apixaban concentration at the peak varied by eightfold (19-153 ng/mL), but rivaroxaban only by 1.5-fold (111-183 ng/mL). Rivaroxaban, but not apixaban prolonged RVVT at peak levels. Both FXaIs had a prolonged lag time of TG (p < 0.001). Rivaroxaban decreased ETP peak at all time points and reached a minimum at day 28 (540 nM/min at rivaroxaban 184 ng/mL, p < 0.001), while rivaroxaban trough levels were low and ETP values normal. However, with apixaban, after an initial decrease, ETP did not differ between peak and trough levels until decreasing on day 28 at peak (990 nM/min at apixaban 112 ng/mL, p = 0.005). In conclusion, due to different dosing and pharmacology rivaroxaban and apixaban distinctly inhibited TG under postoperative conditions.

Thermal Texture Generation and 3d Model Reconstruction Using SFM and Gan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kniaz, V. V.; Mizginov, V. A.

2018-05-01

Realistic 3D models with textures representing thermal emission of the object are widely used in such fields as dynamic scene analysis, autonomous driving, and video surveillance. Structure from Motion (SfM) methods provide a robust approach for the generation of textured 3D models in the visible range. Still, automatic generation of 3D models from the infrared imagery is challenging due to an absence of the feature points and low sensor resolution. Recent advances in Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) have proved that they can perform complex image-to-image transformations such as a transformation of day to night and generation of imagery in a different spectral range. In this paper, we propose a novel method for generation of realistic 3D models with thermal textures using the SfM pipeline and GAN. The proposed method uses visible range images as an input. The images are processed in two ways. Firstly, they are used for point matching and dense point cloud generation. Secondly, the images are fed into a GAN that performs the transformation from the visible range to the thermal range. We evaluate the proposed method using real infrared imagery captured with a FLIR ONE PRO camera. We generated a dataset with 2000 pairs of real images captured in thermal and visible range. The dataset is used to train the GAN network and to generate 3D models using SfM. The evaluation of the generated 3D models and infrared textures proved that they are similar to the ground truth model in both thermal emissivity and geometrical shape.

[Decrease in hospitalizations due to polyvalent medical day hospital].

PubMed

Escobar, M A; García-Egido, A A; Carmona, R; Lucas, A; Márquez, C; Gómez, F

2012-02-01

The day hospital is an alternative to hospitalization. This alternative improves accessibility and comfort of the patients, and avoids hospitalizations. Nevertheless, the efficacy of the polyvalent medical day hospital in avoiding hospitalizations has not been evaluated. To analyze hospital stays avoided by the polyvalent medical day hospital of a university hospital of the Andalusian Health Service. An observational prospective study of the patients studied and/or treated in the polyvalent medical day hospital of the Hospital Universitario Puerto Real over a one year period. A total of 9640 patients were attended to, with 1413 procedures and 4921 i.v. treatments. There were 3182 visits to the priority consultation of the polyvalent medical day hospital. The most frequent consultation complaints were constitutional symptoms (15.9%) and anemia (14.5%). After the first visit, 21.5% of the patients were discharged and fewer than 3% were hospitalized. Hospitalization was avoided in 16.8% of the patients, there being a 6.0% decrease in the need for hospital beds (5.0% reduction in the internal medicine unit). Inadequate hospitalizations and 30-day readmissions decreased 93.3% and 4.2%, respectively. The most frequent diagnosis was neoplasm (26.0%), and most of the beds freed up were generated by patients diagnosed of neoplasm (26.7%). With this type of polyvalent medical day hospital, we have observed improved efficiency of health care, freeing up hospital beds by reducing hospitalizations, inadequate hospitalizations and re-admissions in the medical units involved. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Survival of foodborne pathogens on commercially packed table grapes under simulated refrigerated transit conditions.

PubMed

Carter, Michelle Qiu; Feng, Doris; Chapman, Mary H; Gabler, Franka

2018-06-01

We examined the survival of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella enterica Thompson inoculated on commercially packed table grapes under simulated refrigerated transit conditions (1.1 ± 0.5 °C; 90% RH). Grapes were placed in perforated polyethylene cluster bags, within a commercial expanded polystyrene box equipped with either a SO 2 -generating pad; a perforated polyethylene box liner; a SO 2 -generating pad and a box liner; or none of them. L. monocytogenes was most sensitive to SO 2 -generating pad. SO 2 -generating pad or SO 2 -generating pad with box liner inactivated this pathogen completely on day 12 following the inoculation. S. enterica Thompson displayed a similar cold sensitivity as L. monocytogenes, but was more resistant to SO 2 -generating pad than L. monocytogenes. While SO 2 -generating pad eliminated S. enterica Thompson on day 20, a combination of box liner with SO 2 -generating pad inactivated this pathogen completely on day 13. E. coli O157:H7 had the highest tolerance to transit temperature and to SO 2 -generating pad; SO 2 -generating pad inactivated this pathogen completely on Day 20. Our data suggest that use of SO 2 -generating pad combined with box liner is effective in reducing foodborne pathogens L. monocytogenes and S. enterica Thompson, while the use of SO 2 -generating pad alone was more effective on E. coli O157:H7. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Spatial Hearing with Incongruent Visual or Auditory Room Cues

PubMed Central

Gil-Carvajal, Juan C.; Cubick, Jens; Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

2016-01-01

In day-to-day life, humans usually perceive the location of sound sources as outside their heads. This externalized auditory spatial perception can be reproduced through headphones by recreating the sound pressure generated by the source at the listener’s eardrums. This requires the acoustical features of the recording environment and listener’s anatomy to be recorded at the listener’s ear canals. Although the resulting auditory images can be indistinguishable from real-world sources, their externalization may be less robust when the playback and recording environments differ. Here we tested whether a mismatch between playback and recording room reduces perceived distance, azimuthal direction, and compactness of the auditory image, and whether this is mostly due to incongruent auditory cues or to expectations generated from the visual impression of the room. Perceived distance ratings decreased significantly when collected in a more reverberant environment than the recording room, whereas azimuthal direction and compactness remained room independent. Moreover, modifying visual room-related cues had no effect on these three attributes, while incongruent auditory room-related cues between the recording and playback room did affect distance perception. Consequently, the external perception of virtual sounds depends on the degree of congruency between the acoustical features of the environment and the stimuli. PMID:27853290

Experimental active control of sound in the ATR 42

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paonessa, A.; Sollo, A.; Paxton, M.; Purver, M.; Ross, C. F.

Passenger comfort is becoming day by day an important issue for the market of the regional turboprop aircraft and also for the future high speed propeller driven aircraft. In these aircraft the main contribution to the passenger annoyance is due to the propeller noise blade passing frequency (BPF) and its harmonics. In the recent past a detailed theoretical and experimental work has been done by Alenia Aeronautica in order to reduce the noise level in the ATR aircraft passenger cabin by means of conventional passive treatments: synchrophasing of propellers, dynamic vibration absorbers, structural reinforcements, damping materials. The application of these treatments has been introduced on production aircraft with a remarkable improvement of noise comfort but with a significant weight increase. For these reasons, a major technology step is required for reaching passenger comfort comparable to that of jet aircraft with the minimum weight increase. The most suitable approach to this problem has been envisaged in the active noise control which consists in generating an anti-sound field in the passenger cabin to reduce the noise at propeller BPF and its harmonics. The attenuation is reached by means of a control system which acquires information about the cabin noise distribution and the propeller speed during flight and simultaneously generates the signals to drive the speakers.

Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Pathogenesis and Treatment Considerations.

PubMed

Kaplan, Allen P

2017-11-01

The treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria begins with antihistamines; however, the dose required typically exceeds that recommended for allergic rhinitis. Second-generation, relatively non-sedating H₁-receptor blockers are typically employed up to 4 times a day. First-generation antihistamines, such as hydroxyzine or diphenhydramine (Atarax or Benadryl), were employed similarly in the past. Should high-dose antihistamines fail to control symptoms (at least 50%), omalizumab at 300 mg/month is the next step. This is effective in 70% of antihistamine-refractory patients. H₂-receptor blockers and leukotriene antagonists are no longer recommended; they add little and the literature does not support significant efficacy. For those patients who are unresponsive to both antihistamines and omalizumab, cyclosporine is recommended next. This is similarly effective in 65%-70% of patients; however, care is needed regarding possible side-effects on blood pressure and renal function. Corticosteroids should not be employed chronically due to cumulative toxicity that is dose and time dependent. Brief courses of steroid e.g., 3-10 days can be employed for severe exacerbations, but should be an infrequent occurrence. Finally, other agents, such as dapsone or sulfasalazine, can be tried for those patients unresponsive to antihistamines, omalizumab, and cyclosporine. Copyright © 2017 The Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology · The Korean Academy of Pediatric Allergy and Respiratory Disease.

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

Tinmaz, Esra; Demir, Ibrahim

Over the past decades, uncontrolled population growth and rapid urbanization and industrialization have resulted in environmental problems in Corlu Town, Turkey. One of the most important problems is solid waste due to inadequate management practices. Nowadays, increasing public awareness of the environment compels local authorities to define and to adopt new solutions for waste management. This paper presents a general overview of current solid waste management practices in Corlu Town and principles of the recommended municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. In Corlu, 170 tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated each day, or 1.150 kg per capita per day.more » Approximately one-half of the municipal solid waste generated is organic material and 30% of the MSW consists of recyclable materials. The recommended system deals with maximizing recycling and minimizing landfilling of municipal solid waste, and consists of separation at source, collection, sorting, recycling, composting and sanitary landfilling. This study also analyzed the recommended system with respect to feasibility and economics. To evaluate whether the suggested system is cost effective or not, the operating cost of the recommended system and market prices of recyclable materials were compared, and the results show that the recommended system will reduce required landfill volume up to 27% of compared to the present situation. The profit of the recommended system is estimated to be about 80 million US dollars.« less

Lidar stratospheric ozone measurements at the observatoire de Haute Provence (France)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godin, S.; Pelon, J.; Megie, G.

1986-01-01

Strastospheric ozone monitoring is of particular importance to confirm present day theories predicting a maximal ozone depletion, due to chlorofluorocarbon emission, in the 35 to 45 km altitude range. Measurements presently rely on both ground based and satellite-borne passive experiments. Such systems have been recently shown to have intrinsic limitations mainly due to atmospheric aerosol presence and calibration problems. During the last few years, active lidar profiling of the ozone vertical distribution by the Differential Absorption Laser technique (DIAL) in the UV wavelength range has been developed using two different laser sources: a Nd-YAG pumped dye laser which enables a large tuning range of the UV emitted wavelengths; and exciplex laser sources using xenon chloride as an active medium and emitting at 308 nm, the off wavelength being usually generated by Raman shifting techniques. Advantages and limitations of using both of these systems are briefly discussed.

KSC-99pp0928

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-21

Seated in the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton appears attentive to the conversation of a fellow spectator. Mrs. Clinton and others are gathered to watch the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

KSC-99pp0930

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-21

From their seats in the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (center, right) and her daughter, Chelsea (next to her at left) eagerly await the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

First Lady Hillary Clinton returns to KSC for second launch attempt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

From their seats in the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (center, right) and her daughter, Chelsea (next to her at left) eagerly await the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS- 93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

First Lady Hillary Clinton returns to KSC for second launch attempt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton joins other VIPs at the Banana Creek viewing site to watch the launch of STS-93, the second attempt. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS- 93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

First Lady Hillary Clinton returns to KSC for second launch attempt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton are among the spectators at the Banana Creek viewing site to watch the launch of STS-93, the second attempt. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

First Lady Hillary Clinton returns to KSC for second launch attempt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Seated in the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton appears attentive to the conversation of a fellow spectator. Mrs. Clinton and others are gathered to watch the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

Generating daily weather data for ecosystem modelling in the Congo River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petritsch, Richard; Pietsch, Stephan A.

2010-05-01

Daily weather data are an important constraint for diverse applications in ecosystem research. In particular, temperature and precipitation are the main drivers for forest ecosystem productivity. Mechanistic modelling theory heavily relies on daily values for minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, incident solar radiation and vapour pressure deficit. Although the number of climate measurement stations increased during the last centuries, there are still regions with limited climate data. For example, in the WMO database there are only 16 stations located in Gabon with daily weather measurements. Additionally, the available time series are heavily affected by measurement errors or missing values. In the WMO record for Gabon, on average every second day is missing. Monthly means are more robust and may be estimated over larger areas. Therefore, a good alternative is to interpolate monthly mean values using a sparse network of measurement stations, and based on these monthly data generate daily weather data with defined characteristics. The weather generator MarkSim was developed to produce climatological time series for crop modelling in the tropics. It provides daily values for maximum and minimum temperature, precipitation and solar radiation. The monthly means can either be derived from the internal climate surfaces or prescribed as additional inputs. We compared the generated outputs observations from three climate stations in Gabon (Lastourville, Moanda and Mouilla) and found that maximum temperature and solar radiation were heavily overestimated during the long dry season. This is due to the internal dependency of the solar radiation estimates to precipitation. With no precipitation a cloudless sky is assumed and thus high incident solar radiation and a large diurnal temperature range. However, in reality it is cloudy in the Congo River Basin during the long dry season. Therefore, we applied a correction factor to solar radiation and temperature range based on the ratio of values on rainy days and days without rain, respectively. For assessing the impact of our correction, we simulated the ecosystem behaviour using the climate data from Lastourville, Moanda and Mouilla with the mechanistic ecosystem model Biome-BGC. Differences in terms of the carbon, nitrogen and water cycle were subsequently analysed and discussed.

[Management of hazardous waste in a hospital].

PubMed

Neveu C, Alejandra; Matus C, Patricia

2007-07-01

An inadequate management of hospital waste, that have toxic, infectious and chemical wastes, is a risk factor for humans and environment. To identify, quantify and assess the risk associated to the management of hospital residues. A cross sectional assessment of the generation of hazardous waste from a hospital, between June and August 2005, was performed. The environmental risk associated to the management of non-radioactive hospital waste was assessed and the main problems related to solid waste were identified. The rate of generation of hazardous non-radioactive waste was 1.35 tons per months or 0.7 kg/bed/day. Twenty five percent of hazardous liquid waste were drained directly to the sewage system. The drug preparation unit of the pharmacy had the higher environmental risk associated to the generation of hazardous waste. The internal transport of hazardous waste had a high risk due to the lack of trip planning. The lack of training of personnel dealing with these waste was another risk factor. Considering that an adequate management of hospital waste should minimize risks for patients, the hospital that was evaluated lacks an integral management system for its waste.

In vitro generation of viral-antigen dependent cytotoxic T-cells from ginbuna crucian carp, Carassius auratus langsdorfii

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

Somamoto, Tomonori, E-mail: somamoto@agr.kyushu-u.ac.j; Okamoto, Nobuaki; Nakanishi, Teruyuki

2009-06-20

Little is known about antigen-specific T-cell responses to viruses in teleosts due to a lack of a suitable experimental system using inbred or clonal animals. In the present study we have successfully induced an in vitro generation of virus-specific cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) from isogeneic ginbuna crucian carp. Responder cells (primarily lymphocytes) from crucian carp haematopoietic necrosis virus (CHNV)-infected fish were capable of proliferating after stimulation in vitro with CHNV-infected syngeneic stimulator cells (primarily lymphocytes and macrophages). The effector cells collected 8 and 12 days after the in vitro stimulation efficiently lysed CHNV-infected syngeneic cells, but not CHNV-infected allogeneic cells ormore » different virus (EVA)-infected syngeneic cells. Furthermore, in situ hybridization analysis showed that some effector cells binding to a CHNV-infected target were TCRbeta or CD8alpha positive. These results provide evidence that the teleost effector cells generated in vitro correspond to virus-specific CTL and they recognize virus-infected target cells in a similar manner of mammalian counterparts.« less

13. Interior view, day tank in subfloor between two generator ...

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

13. Interior view, day tank in sub-floor between two generator bases, looking west - Naval Air Station Fallon, Power Plant, 800 Complex, off Carson Road near intersection of Pasture & Berney Roads, Fallon, Churchill County, NV

Climate Change Impacts on Harmful Algal Blooms in U.S. Freshwaters: A Screening-Level Assessment.

PubMed

Chapra, Steven C; Boehlert, Brent; Fant, Charles; Bierman, Victor J; Henderson, Jim; Mills, David; Mas, Diane M L; Rennels, Lisa; Jantarasami, Lesley; Martinich, Jeremy; Strzepek, Kenneth M; Paerl, Hans W

2017-08-15

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) have serious adverse effects on human and environmental health. Herein, we developed a modeling framework that predicts the effect of climate change on cyanobacteria concentrations in large reservoirs in the contiguous U.S. The framework, which uses climate change projections from five global circulation models, two greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and two cyanobacterial growth scenarios, is unique in coupling climate projections with a hydrologic/water quality network model of the contiguous United States. Thus, it generates both regional and nationwide projections useful as a screening-level assessment of climate impacts on CyanoHAB prevalence as well as potential lost recreation days and associated economic value. Our projections indicate that CyanoHAB concentrations are likely to increase primarily due to water temperature increases tempered by increased nutrient levels resulting from changing demographics and climatic impacts on hydrology that drive nutrient transport. The combination of these factors results in the mean number of days of CyanoHAB occurrence ranging from about 7 days per year per waterbody under current conditions, to 16-23 days in 2050 and 18-39 days in 2090. From a regional perspective, we find the largest increases in CyanoHAB occurrence in the Northeast U.S., while the greatest impacts to recreation, in terms of costs, are in the Southeast.

Dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation: A case report

PubMed Central

Uemura, Takehiro; Oguri, Tetsuya; Okayama, Minami; Furuta, Hiromi; Kanemitsu, Yoshihiro; Takakuwa, Osamu; Ohkubo, Hirotsugu; Takemura, Masaya; Maeno, Ken; Ito, Yutaka; Niimi, Akio

2017-01-01

We herein report a case of dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was a 59-year-old woman with EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive lung adenocarcinoma, who relapsed with multiple brain metastases. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the left pleural tumor revealed adenocarcinoma harboring an EGFR exon 19 deletion and an EGFR T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was treated with osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Two days after treatment initiation, the patient displayed profound disturbance of consciousness, possibly due to carcinomatous meningitis, and treatment had to be discontinued due to difficulty in taking osimertinib. However, the patient gradually started to recover consciousness and, after 3 days, she was again able to take osimertinib. One month after the initiation of osimertinib treatment, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an apparent reduction in brain metastases. The patient is currently under continued treatment with osimertinib. At the last follow-up (February, 2017) she exhibited partial response to the treatment. PMID:28413660

Development of a Low-Level Ar-37 Calibration Standard

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

Williams, Richard M.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Bowyer, Ted W.

Argon-37 is an important environmental signature of an underground nuclear explosion. Producing and quantifying low-level 37Ar standards is an important step in the development of sensitive field measurement instruments for use during an On-Site Inspection, a key provision of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. This paper describes progress at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in the development of a process to generate and quantify low-level 37Ar standard material, which can then be used to calibrate sensitive field systems at activities consistent with soil background levels. The 37Ar used for our work was generated using a laboratory-scale, high-energy neutron source to irradiatemore » powdered samples of calcium carbonate. Small aliquots of 37Ar were then extracted from the head space of the irradiated samples. The specific activity of the head space samples, mixed with P10 (90% stable argon:10% methane by mole fraction) count gas, is then derived using the accepted Length-Compensated Internal-Source Proportional Counting method. Due to the low activity of the samples, a set of three Ultra-Low Background Proportional-Counters designed and fabricated at PNNL from radio-pure electroformed copper was used to make the measurements in PNNL’s shallow underground counting laboratory. Very low background levels (<10 counts/day) have been observed in the spectral region near the 37Ar emission feature at 2.8 keV. Two separate samples from the same irradiation were measured. The first sample was counted for 12 days beginning 28 days after irradiation, the second sample was counted for 24 days beginning 70 days after irradiation (the half-life of 37Ar is 35.0 days). Both sets of measurements were analyzed and yielded very similar results for the starting activity (~0.1 Bq) and activity concentration (0.15 mBq/ccSTP argon) after P10 count gas was added. A detailed uncertainty model was developed based on the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. This paper presents a discussion of the measurement analysis, along with assumptions and uncertainty estimates.« less

Vibro-Acoustic Response of Buildings Due to Sonic Boom Exposure: July 2007 Field Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klos, Jacob

2008-01-01

During the month of July 2007, a series of structural response measurements were made on a house on Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) property that was exposed to sonic booms of various amplitudes. The purpose of this report is to document the measurements that were made, the structure on which they were made, the conditions under which they were made, the sensors and other hardware that were used, and the data that were collected. To that end, Chapter 2 documents the house, its location, the physical layout of the house, the surrounding area, and summarizes the transducers placed in and around the house. Chapter 3 details the sensors and other hardware that were placed in the house during the experiment. In addition, day-to-day variations of hardware configurations and transducer calibrations are documented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 documents the boom generation process, flight conditions, and ambient weather conditions during the test days. Chapter 5 includes information about sub-experiments that were performed to characterize the vibro-acoustic response of the structure, the acoustic environment inside the house, and the acoustic environment outside the house. Chapter 6 documents the data format and presents examples of reduced data that were collected during the test days.

Ground measurements in Israel of solar events and their effects on the electrical parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaniv, Roy; Yair, Yoav; Price, Colin

2017-04-01

Solar events impact the Earth with fluxes of energetic particles or x-ray radiation and sometimes both together. The energetic particles induce pressure on the magnetosphere, generate enhanced and disruptive geomagnetic storms and deposit their energy to the Earth by altering the chemistry and changing the ionization in the upper atmosphere [Rycroft 2012]. Past measurements showed that in times of geomagnetic disturbances due to solar activity, an increase of the potential gradient (PG or Ez) and the conduction current (Jz) are observed on the day of the impact and on subsequent days [Cobb 1967, Reiter 1969, Nicoll and Harrison 2014, Elhalel et al., 2014, Mironova et al 2015]. We report on ground-based measurements of the Ez and Jz that were conducted continuously from two locations in Israel to measure the effect of solar events in low latitudes (30o35'N, 34o45'E 840m - Mitzpe Ramon and 33o18'N 35o47.2'E 2100m - Mt. Hermon) during days that were defined meteorologically as fair weather days. We present preliminary results of several case studies of solar events, that show a consistent increase of more than 50% in Ez during solar events compared to average fair weather values and to Kp and particles fluxes.

Using Satellite Imagery to Quantify Water Quality Impacts and Recovery from Hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobel, R. S.; Kiaghadi, A.; Rifai, H. S.

2017-12-01

Record rainfall during Hurricane Harvey in the Houston-Galveston region generated record flows containing suspended sediment that was likely contaminated. Conventional water quality monitoring requires resource intensive field campaigns, and produces sparse datasets. In this study, satellite data were used to quantify suspended sediment (TSS) concentrations and mass within the region's estuary system and to estimate sediment deposition and transport. A conservative two band, red-green empirical regression was developed from the Sentinel 2 satellite to calculate TSS concentrations and masses. The regression was calibrated with an R2 = 0.73 (n=28) and validated with an R2 = 0.75 (n=12) using 2016 & 2017 imagery. TSS concentrations four days, 14 days, and 44 days post-storm were compared with a reference condition three days before storm arrival. Results indicated that TSS concentrations were an average of 100% higher four days post-storm, and 150% higher after 14 days, however, the average concentration on day 144 was only seven percent higher than the reference condition, suggesting the estuary system is approaching recovery to pre-storm conditions. Sediment masses were determined from the regressed concentrations and water volumes estimated from a bottom elevation grid combined with water surface elevations observed coincidently with the satellite image. While water volumes were only 13% higher on both day four and day 14 post-storm; sediment masses were 195% and 227% higher than the reference condition, respectively. By day 44, estuary sediment mass returned to just 2.9% above the reference load. From a mechanistic standpoint, the elevated TSS concentrations on day four indicated an advection-based regime due to stormwater runoff draining through the estuarine system. Sometime, however, between days 14 and 44, transport conditions switched from advection-dominated to deposition-driven as indicated by the near normal TSS concentrations on day 44.

Third generation cephalosporin resistant Enterobacteriaceae and multidrug resistant gram-negative bacteria causing bacteremia in febrile neutropenia adult cancer patients in Lebanon, broad spectrum antibiotics use as a major risk factor, and correlation with poor prognosis.

PubMed

Moghnieh, Rima; Estaitieh, Nour; Mugharbil, Anas; Jisr, Tamima; Abdallah, Dania I; Ziade, Fouad; Sinno, Loubna; Ibrahim, Ahmad

2015-01-01

Bacteremia remains a major cause of life-threatening complications in patients receiving anticancer chemotherapy. The spectrum and susceptibility profiles of causative microorganisms differ with time and place. Data from Lebanon are scarce. We aim at evaluating the epidemiology of bacteremia in cancer patients in a university hospital in Lebanon, emphasizing antibiotic resistance and risk factors of multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO)-associated bacteremia. This is a retrospective study of 75 episodes of bacteremia occurring in febrile neutropenic patients admitted to the hematology-oncology unit at Makassed General Hospital, Lebanon, from October 2009-January 2012. It corresponds to epidemiological data on bacteremia episodes in febrile neutropenic cancer patients including antimicrobial resistance and identification of risk factors associated with third generation cephalosporin resistance (3GCR) and MDRO-associated bacteremia. Out of 75 bacteremias, 42.7% were gram-positive (GP), and 57.3% were gram-negative (GN). GP bacteremias were mostly due to methicillin-resistant coagulase negative staphylococci (28% of total bacteremias and 66% of GP bacteremias). Among the GN bacteremias, Escherichia coli (22.7% of total, 39.5% of GN organisms) and Klebsiella pneumoniae(13.3% of total, 23.3% of GN organisms) were the most important causative agents. GN bacteremia due to 3GC sensitive (3GCS) bacteria represented 28% of total bacteremias, while 29% were due to 3GCR bacteria and 9% were due to carbapenem-resistant organisms. There was a significant correlation between bacteremia with MDRO and subsequent intubation, sepsis and mortality. Among potential risk factors, only broad spectrum antibiotic intake >4 days before bacteremia was found to be statistically significant for acquisition of 3GCR bacteria. Using carbapenems or piperacillin/tazobactam>4 days before bacteremia was significantly associated with the emergence of MDRO (p < 0.05). Our findings have major implications for the management of febrile neutropenia, especially in breakthrough bacteremia and fever when patients are already on broadspectrum antibiotics. Emergence of resistance to 3GCs and, to a lesser extent, to carbapenems in GN isolates has to be considered seriously in our local guidelines for empiric treatment of febrile neutropenia, especially given that their occurrence was proven to be associated with poorer outcomes.

Transgenerational effects of adolescent nicotine exposure in rats: Evidence for cognitive deficits in adult female offspring.

PubMed

Renaud, Samantha M; Fountain, Stephen B

2016-01-01

This study investigated whether adolescent nicotine exposure in one generation of rats would impair the cognitive capacity of a subsequent generation. Male and female rats in the parental F0 generation were given twice-daily i.p. injections of either 1.0mg/kg nicotine or an equivalent volume of saline for 35days during adolescence on postnatal days 25-59 (P25-59). After reaching adulthood, male and female nicotine-exposed rats were paired for breeding as were male and female saline control rats. Only female offspring were used in this experiment. Half of the offspring of F0 nicotine-exposed breeders and half of the offspring of F0 saline control rats received twice-daily i.p. injections of 1.0mg/kg nicotine during adolescence on P25-59. The remainder of the rats received twice-daily saline injections for the same period. To evaluate transgenerational effects of nicotine exposure on complex cognitive learning abilities, F1 generation rats were trained to perform a highly structured serial pattern in a serial multiple choice (SMC) task. Beginning on P95, rats in the F1 generation were given either 4days of massed training (20patterns/day) followed by spaced training (10 patterns/day) or only spaced training. Transgenerational effects of adolescent nicotine exposure were observed as greater difficulty in learning a "violation element" of the pattern, which indicated that rats were impaired in the ability to encode and remember multiple sequential elements as compound or configural cues. The results indicated that for rats that received massed training, F1 generation rats with adolescent nicotine exposure whose F0 generation parents also experienced adolescent nicotine exposure showed poorer learning of the violation element than rats that experienced adolescent nicotine exposure only in the F1 generation. Thus, adolescent nicotine exposure in one generation of rats produced a cognitive impairment in the next generation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Study on Bidding Strategy and Market Clearing Price in Electric Power Day-ahead Market using Market Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, Tetsuo; Kadoya, Toshihisa

In an electric power day-ahead market, market prices are not always cleared at marginal cost caused by the strategic bidding of generators. This paper presents the results of day-ahead market simulation that analyzes profits depending upon bidding strategies in an electric power day-ahead market. It is clarified that MCP (Market Clearing Price) is easily managed by only one player and does not easily decline after it has gone up once. Moreover the mutual interference among day-ahead markets, future markets, increase of generators, etc. are also discussed.

A statistical data assimilation method for seasonal streamflow forecasting to optimize hydropower reservoir management in data-scarce regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsenault, R.; Mai, J.; Latraverse, M.; Tolson, B.

2017-12-01

Probabilistic ensemble forecasts generated by the ensemble streamflow prediction (ESP) methodology are subject to biases due to errors in the hydrological model's initial states. In day-to-day operations, hydrologists must compensate for discrepancies between observed and simulated states such as streamflow. However, in data-scarce regions, little to no information is available to guide the streamflow assimilation process. The manual assimilation process can then lead to more uncertainty due to the numerous options available to the forecaster. Furthermore, the model's mass balance may be compromised and could affect future forecasts. In this study we propose a data-driven approach in which specific variables that may be adjusted during assimilation are defined. The underlying principle was to identify key variables that would be the most appropriate to modify during streamflow assimilation depending on the initial conditions such as the time period of the assimilation, the snow water equivalent of the snowpack and meteorological conditions. The variables to adjust were determined by performing an automatic variational data assimilation on individual (or combinations of) model state variables and meteorological forcing. The assimilation aimed to simultaneously optimize: (1) the error between the observed and simulated streamflow at the timepoint where the forecasts starts and (2) the bias between medium to long-term observed and simulated flows, which were simulated by running the model with the observed meteorological data on a hindcast period. The optimal variables were then classified according to the initial conditions at the time period where the forecast is initiated. The proposed method was evaluated by measuring the average electricity generation of a hydropower complex in Québec, Canada driven by this method. A test-bed which simulates the real-world assimilation, forecasting, water release optimization and decision-making of a hydropower cascade was developed to assess the performance of each individual process in the reservoir management chain. Here the proposed method was compared to the PF algorithm while keeping all other elements intact. Preliminary results are encouraging in terms of power generation and robustness for the proposed approach.

Minimizing forced outage risk in generator bidding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Dibyendu

Competition in power markets has exposed the participating companies to physical and financial uncertainties. Generator companies bid to supply power in a day-ahead market. Once their bids are accepted by the ISO they are bound to supply power. A random outage after acceptance of bids forces a generator to buy power from the expensive real-time hourly spot market and sell to the ISO at the set day-ahead market clearing price, incurring losses. A risk management technique is developed to assess this financial risk associated with forced outages of generators and then minimize it. This work presents a risk assessment module which measures the financial risk of generators bidding in an open market for different bidding scenarios. The day-ahead power market auction is modeled using a Unit Commitment algorithm and a combination of Normal and Cauchy distributions generate the real time hourly spot market. Risk profiles are derived and VaRs are calculated at 98 percent confidence level as a measure of financial risk. Risk Profiles and VaRs help the generators to analyze the forced outage risk and different factors affecting it. The VaRs and the estimated total earning for different bidding scenarios are used to develop a risk minimization module. This module will develop a bidding strategy of the generator company such that its estimated total earning is maximized keeping the VaR below a tolerable limit. This general framework of a risk management technique for the generating companies bidding in competitive day-ahead market can also help them in decisions related to building new generators.

Projected changes to rain-on-snow events over North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Dae Il; Sushama, Laxmi

2016-04-01

Rain-on-snow (ROS) events have significant impacts on cold region ecosystems and water-related natural hazards, and therefore it is very important to assess how this hydro-meteorological phenomenon will evolve in a changing climate. This study evaluates the changes in ROS characteristics (i.e., frequency, amounts, and runoff) for the future 2041-2070 period with respect to the current 1976-2005 period over North America using six simulations, based on two Canadian RCMs, driven by two driving GCMs for RCP4.5 and 8.5 emission pathways. Projected changes to extreme runoff caused by the changes of the ROS characteristics are also evaluated. All simulations suggest general increases in ROS days in late autumn, winter, and early spring periods for most Canadian regions and northwestern USA for the future period, due to an increase in rain days in a warmer climate. Increases in the future ROS amounts are projected mainly due to an increase in ROS days, although increases in precipitation intensity also contributes to the future increases. Future ROS runoff is expected to increase more than future ROS amounts during snowmelt months as ROS events usually enhance runoff, given the land state and asociated reduced soil infiltration rate and also due to the faster snowmelt rate occuring during these events. The simulations also show that ROS events usually lead to extreme runoff over most of Canada and north-western and -central USA in the January-May snowmelt months for the current period and these show no significant changes in the future climate. However, the future ROS to total runoff ratio will significantly decrease for western and eastern Canada as well as north-western USA for these months, due to an overall increase of the fraction of direct snowmelt and rainfall generated runoff in a warmer climate. These results indicate the difficulties of flood risk and water resource managements in the future, particularly in Canada and north-western and -central USA, requiring more in depth studies for these regions to facilitate appropriate adaptation measures.

Dopamine Modulates Option Generation for Behavior.

PubMed

Ang, Yuen-Siang; Manohar, Sanjay; Plant, Olivia; Kienast, Annika; Le Heron, Campbell; Muhammed, Kinan; Hu, Michele; Husain, Masud

2018-05-21

Animals make innumerable decisions every day, each of which involves evaluating potential options for action. But how are options generated? Although much is now known about decision making when a fixed set of potential options is provided, surprisingly little progress has been made on self-generated options. Some researchers have proposed that such abilities might be modulated by dopamine. Here, we used a new measure of option generation that is quantitative, objective, and culture fair to investigate how humans generate different behavioral options. Participants were asked to draw as many different paths (options) as they could between two points within a fixed time. Healthy individuals (n = 96) exhibited a trade-off between uniqueness (how individually different their options were) and fluency (number of options), generating either many similar or few unique options. To assess influence of dopamine, we first examined patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 35) ON and OFF their dopaminergic medication and compared them to elderly healthy controls (n = 34). Then we conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of the D2 agonist cabergoline in healthy older people (n = 29). Across both studies, dopamine increased fluency but diminished overall uniqueness of options generated, due to the effect of fluency trading off with uniqueness. Crucially, however, when this trade-off was corrected for, dopamine was found to increase uniqueness for any given fluency. Three carefully designed control studies showed that performance on our option-generation task was not related to executing movements, planning actions, or selecting between generated options. These findings show that dopamine plays an important role in modulating option generation. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The FER rs4957796 TT genotype is associated with unfavorable 90-day survival in Caucasian patients with severe ARDS due to pneumonia.

PubMed

Hinz, José; Büttner, Benedikt; Kriesel, Fabian; Steinau, Maximilian; Frederik Popov, Aron; Ghadimi, Michael; Beissbarth, Tim; Tzvetkov, Mladen; Bergmann, Ingo; Mansur, Ashham

2017-08-29

A recent genome-wide association study showed that a genetic variant within the FER gene is associated with survival in patients with sepsis due to pneumonia. Because severe pneumonia is the main cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we aimed to investigate the effect of the FER polymorphism rs4957796 on the 90-day survival in patients with ARDS due to pneumonia. An assessment of a prospectively collected cohort of 441 patients with ARDS admitted to three intensive care units at the University Medical Centre identified 274 patients with ARDS due to pneumonia. The 90-day mortality risk was recorded as the primary outcome parameter. Sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores and organ support-free days were used as the secondary variables. FER rs4957796 TT-homozygous patients were compared with C-allele carriers. The survival analysis revealed a higher 90-day mortality risk among T homozygotes than among C-allele carriers (p = 0.0144) exclusively in patients with severe ARDS due to pneumonia. The FER rs4957796 TT genotype remained a significant covariate for the 90-day mortality risk in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 4.62; 95% CI, 1.58-13.50; p = 0.0050). In conclusion, FER rs4957796 might act as a prognostic variable for survival in patients with severe ARDS due to pneumonia.

Voltage-gated sodium channel expression and action potential generation in differentiated NG108-15 cells.

PubMed

Liu, Jinxu; Tu, Huiyin; Zhang, Dongze; Zheng, Hong; Li, Yu-Long

2012-10-25

The generation of action potential is required for stimulus-evoked neurotransmitter release in most neurons. Although various voltage-gated ion channels are involved in action potential production, the initiation of the action potential is mainly mediated by voltage-gated Na+ channels. In the present study, differentiation-induced changes of mRNA and protein expression of Na+ channels, Na+ currents, and cell membrane excitability were investigated in NG108-15 cells. Whole-cell patch-clamp results showed that differentiation (9 days) didn't change cell membrane excitability, compared to undifferentiated state. But differentiation (21 days) induced the action potential generation in 45.5% of NG108-15 cells (25/55 cells). In 9-day-differentiated cells, Na+ currents were mildly increased, which was also found in 21-day differentiated cells without action potential. In 21-day differentiated cells with action potential, Na+ currents were significantly enhanced. Western blot data showed that the expression of Na+ channels was increased with differentiated-time dependent manner. Single-cell real-time PCR data demonstrated that the expression of Na+ channel mRNA was increased by 21 days of differentiation in NG108-15 cells. More importantly, the mRNA level of Na+ channels in cells with action potential was higher than that in cells without action potential. Differentiation induces expression of voltage-gated Na+ channels and action potential generation in NG108-15 cells. A high level of the Na+ channel density is required for differentiation-triggered action potential generation.

Organic metamorphism in the California petroleum basins; Chapter A, Rock-Eval and vitrinite reflectance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Leigh C.; Pawlewicz, Mark J.; Daws, Ted A.

1999-01-01

The results of ROCK-EVAL and vitrinite reflectance analyses of a large sample base from more than 70 wells located in three oil-rich California petroleum basins are reported. The cores from these wells have a wide range of present-day burial temperatures (40 ? to 220 ? C). The rocks in these basins were deposited under highly variable conditions, sometimes resulting in substantially different organic matter (OM) types in rocks tens of meters vertically apart from each other in one well. The kinetic response of these different OM types to equivalent wellknown burial histories is a pivotal point of this study. In the Los Angeles and Ventura Basins, rock organic-richness significantly increased with depth, as did kerogen hydrogen content, and the percentage of fine-grained versus coarsegrained rocks. The shales in these basins are perceived as containing primarily hydrogen-rich amorphous OM. In actuality, the shallowest 2,000 to 3,000 m of rocks in the basins, and at least the upper 6,000 m of rocks in parts of the Los Angeles Basin central syncline, are dominated by type III/IV OM. In the Los Angeles Basin, mainstage hydrocarbon (HC) generation commences in the type III/IV OM at present-day burial temperatures of 85 ? to 110 ? C, most likely around 100 ? C, and is largely complete by 220 ? C. In the Southern San Joaquin Valley Basin, mainstage HC generation commences in type III/IV OM at 150 ? C and is also largely complete by 220 ? C. In the Ventura Basin, mainstage HC generation commences above 140 ? C in type III/IV OM. The apparent lower temperatures for commencement of HC generation in the Los Angeles Basin are attributed to the fact that parts of the basin were cooled from maximal burial temperatures by increased meteoric water flows during the last glaciations. All aspects of organic metamorphism, including mainstage HC generation, are strongly suppressed in rocks with hydrogenrich OM in these basins. For example, ROCK-EVAL data suggest that mainstage HC generation has not commenced in rocks with hydrogen-rich OM at present-day temperatures of 198?C. This observation is attributed to much stronger bonds in hydrogen- rich OM compared to types III and IV OM and, therefore, significantly higher burial temperatures are required to break these bonds. This difference in OM kinetics has profound ramifications for petroleum-geochemical exploration models. Organic-matter characteristics inherited from original depositional conditions were overlaid on, and at times confused interpretation of, characteristics from organic metamorphism in all study areas. In all the basins examined in this study, immature fine-grained rocks occasionally had high to very high carbon-normalized concentrations of pre-generation indigenous bitumen. This unusual characteristic may be due to unique depositional conditions in these basins.

Hazardous medical waste generation in Greece: case studies from medical facilities in Attica and from a small insular hospital.

PubMed

Komilis, Dimitrios; Katsafaros, Nikolaos; Vassilopoulos, Panagiotis

2011-08-01

The accurate calculation of the unit generation rates and composition of medical waste generated from medical facilities is necessary in order to design medical waste treatment systems. In this work, the unit medical waste generation rates of 95 public and private medical facilities in the Attica region were calculated based on daily weight records from a central medical waste incineration facility. The calculated medical waste generation rates (in kg bed(-1) day( -1)) varied widely with average values at 0.27 ± 113% and 0.24 ± 121%, for public and private medical facilities, respectively. The hazardous medical waste generation was measured, at the source, in the 40 bed hospital of the island of Ikaria for a period of 42 days during a 6 month period. The average hazardous medical waste generation rate was 1.204 kg occupied bed(-1) day(-1) or 0.33 kg (official) bed( -1) day(-1). From the above amounts, 54% resulted from the patients' room (solid and liquid wastes combined), 24% from the emergency department (solid waste), 17% from the clinical pathology lab and 6% from the X-ray lab. In average, 17% of the total hazardous medical waste was solely infectious. Conclusively, no correlation among the number of beds and the unit medical waste generation rate could be established. Each hospital should be studied separately, since medical waste generation and composition depends on the number and type of departments/laboratories at each hospital, number of external patients and number of occupied beds.

A Prospective Method to Increase Oil Recovery in Waxy-Shallow Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, F.; Abdurrahman, M.

2018-02-01

Waxy oil has been the main characteristics of The X field. Initial screening criteria studies indicated that cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) would be the optimum option because favorable reservoir condition. Based on this method we would like to know how much oil gain and the effect of steam for the stimulated and surrounding well. The injection of steam was done for 7 days followed by 14 days of soaking period. 39,000 liter of Marine fuel oil was used to generate steam for stimulation with an average produce steam quality about 80%. Average of 255 MMBTU of steam was injected each day with total steam injected was about 1.7 BBTU. The oil production was increased four times from 5 bopd into 21 bopd. Proper well candidate and high permeability are some reason for this method successfully increase oil production. Additional heat from steam reduced the damage near wellbore due to wax deposition. This is verifying by increasing productivity index from 3 bbl/psi to 4 bbl/psi. From results and observation data, this method can be a platform for typical shallow depth reservoir with high paraffinic content especially other reservoir in Sihapas formation.

Magnetosphere on May 11, 1999, the day the solar wind almost disappeared: II. Magnetic pulsations in space and on the ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, G.; Chi, P. J.; Goedecke, W.; Russell, C. T.; Szabo, A.; Petrinec, S. M.; Angelopoulos, V.; Reeves, G. D.; Chun, F. K.

2000-08-01

Simultaneous observations by Wind and IMP-8 in the upstream region on May 11, 1999, when the solar wind density was well below its usual values and the IMF was generally weakly northward, indicate there were upstream waves present in the foreshock, but wave power was an order of magnitude weaker than usual due to an extremely weak bow shock and tenuous solar wind plasma. Magnetic pulsations in the magnetosphere have been observed in the magnetic field data from Polar and at mid-latitude ground stations. By comparing May 11 with a control day under normal solar wind conditions and with a similar foreshock geometry, we find that the magnetosphere was much quieter than usual. The Pc 3-4 waves were nearly absent in the dayside magnetosphere both at Polar and as seen at mid-latitude ground stations even through the foreshock geometry was favorable for the generation of these waves. Since the solar wind speed was not unusual on this day, these observations suggest that it is the Mach number of the solar wind flow relative to the magnetosphere that controls the amplitude of Pc 3-4 waves in the magnetosphere.

Estimated water use in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and adjacent areas, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duerr, A.D.; Trommer, J.T.

1981-01-01

Water-use data for 1980 are summarized in this report for 16 counties in the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Data include total use of ground water and surface water for each of five water-use categories. The 1980 withdrawals for each category were as follows: 290 million gallons per day for public supply, 63 million gallons per day for rural, 325 million gallons per day for industry, 416 million gallons per day for irrigation, and 6,605 million gallons per day for thermoelectric power generation. Withdrawals totaled 7,699 million gallons per day and included 983 million gallons per day of ground water and 6,716 million gallons per day of surface water. Excluding thermoelectric power generation, all water withdrawn was freshwater except 38 million gallons per day of saline ground water withdrawn for industrial use in Hillsborough County. (USGS)

Buoyancy Limitation of Filamentous Cyanobacteria under Prolonged Pressure due to the Gas Vesicles Collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeynayaka, Helayaye Damitha Lakmali; Asaeda, Takashi; Kaneko, Yasuko

2017-08-01

Freshwater cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena galeata were cultured in chambers under artificially generated pressures, which correspond to the hydrostatic pressures at deep water. Variations occurred in gas vesicles volume, and buoyancy state of cells under those conditions were analyzed at different time intervals (5 min, 1 day, and 5 days). Variations in gas vesicles morphology of cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy images. Settling velocity ( Vs) of cells which governs the buoyancy was observed with the aid of a modified optical microscope. Moreover, effects of the prolonged pressure on cell ballast composition (protein and polysaccharides) were examined. Elevated pressure conditions reduced the cell ballast and caused a complete disappearance of gas vesicles in Pseudanabaena galeata cells. Hence cyanobacteria cells were not able to float within the study period. Observations and findings of the study indicate the potential application of hydrostatic pressure, which naturally occurred in hypolimnion of lakes, to inhibit the re-suspension of cyanobacteria cells.

Buoyancy Limitation of Filamentous Cyanobacteria under Prolonged Pressure due to the Gas Vesicles Collapse.

PubMed

Abeynayaka, Helayaye Damitha Lakmali; Asaeda, Takashi; Kaneko, Yasuko

2017-08-01

Freshwater cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena galeata were cultured in chambers under artificially generated pressures, which correspond to the hydrostatic pressures at deep water. Variations occurred in gas vesicles volume, and buoyancy state of cells under those conditions were analyzed at different time intervals (5 min, 1 day, and 5 days). Variations in gas vesicles morphology of cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy images. Settling velocity (Vs) of cells which governs the buoyancy was observed with the aid of a modified optical microscope. Moreover, effects of the prolonged pressure on cell ballast composition (protein and polysaccharides) were examined. Elevated pressure conditions reduced the cell ballast and caused a complete disappearance of gas vesicles in Pseudanabaena galeata cells. Hence cyanobacteria cells were not able to float within the study period. Observations and findings of the study indicate the potential application of hydrostatic pressure, which naturally occurred in hypolimnion of lakes, to inhibit the re-suspension of cyanobacteria cells.

Aging effect on Zn retention on a calcareous soil: column experiments and synchrotron X-ray micro-spectroscopic investigation.

PubMed

Sayen, Stéphanie; Guillon, Emmanuel

2014-07-15

In this study, a combination of column experiments and micro-analytical techniques exploiting synchrotron generated X-rays was used to assess the effect of aging time on Zn retention and mobility in the specific case of calcareous soils (high pH value, ≈ 8). The samples were subjected to aging for 2, 6, 17, and 63 days. Freshly added Zn mainly existed as an exchangeable form, and this metal fraction decreased over time due to Zn redistribution to stronger binding sites. Thus, after aging for 63 days, 45% of Zn is remobilized from exchangeable sites to stronger binding sites. μ-XRF maps were used to find correlations among elements in the sample, and μ-XANES spectra were recorded to precise Zn speciation. These analyses evidenced an increasing partitioning of Zn from organic matter to iron oxy(hydr)oxides over time. The occurrence of hydrozincite is evidenced in all samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transients in the Local Universe : Systematically Searching the Gap between Novae and Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Kulkarni, S.

2009-05-01

We present three systematic transient searches of the glaring luminosity gap between brightest novae (Mv = -10) and faintest supernovae (Mv = -16). The least explored regime in this gap, with several intriguing theoretical predictions, is short-duration transients (<10; days). Our searches are targeted and designed to be deeper and faster cadence (1-day) than traditional supernova searches and probe a larger volume compared to nova searches. We summarize discoveries from our search of the nearest, brightest galaxies (P60-FasTING, Fast Transients In Nearest Galaxies) and nearest galaxy clusters (CFHT-COVET, Coma and Virgo Exploration for Transients). We also highlight first results from the Palomar Transient Factory which targets local (<200 Mpc) luminosity concentrations. We suggest that building a complete inventory of transients in the local universe is timely. These transients are potential electromagnetic counterparts to next-generation instruments (e.g. Advanced LIGO, Auger, ICECUBE) which are also limited in sensitivity (due to intrumental or physical effects) to the local universe.

KSC-99pp0907

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- After her performance at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, country western recording artist Teresa gets a congratulatory hug from NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin. Teresa performed a song, "Brave New Girls," written for astronaut Catherine "Cady" Coleman, mission specialist on STS-93. She entertained participants and attendees of a women's forum held in the center earlier in the day. The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing sight. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT

Founder effect in 20 Afrikaner kindreds with pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

PubMed

Torrington, M; Viljoen, D L

1991-01-05

The pedigrees of 20 families with pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) were investigated. The analyses involved 13 generations up to and including the initial settlers, who arrived in the Cape before 1660. Four settler surnames predominate in these pedigrees. Because of the marriage patterns of the settlers' descendants it was necessary to classify the four surnames into two groups. It is suggested that these two groups are the founder groups of present-day PXE patients. Similar genealogical studies have been performed on kindreds with familial polyposis, familial heart block and familial hypercholesterolaemia, among other disorders. Due to geographical isolation, political developments and cultural factors in the Afrikaner, these investigations are feasible and often lead to the identification of founder origin.

Bursting star formation and the overabundance of Wolf-Rayet stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodigfee, G.; Deloore, C.

1985-01-01

The ratio of the number of WR-stars to their OB progenitors appears to be significantly higher in some extragalactic systems than in our Galaxy. This overabundance of Wolf-Rayet-stars can be explained as a consequence of a recent burst of star formation. It is suggested that this burst is the manifestation of a long period nonlinear oscillation in the star formation process, produced by positive feedback effects between young stars and the interstellar medium. Star burst galaxies with large numbers of WR-stars must generate gamma - fluxes but due to the distance, all of them are beyond the reach of present-day ray detectors, except probably 30 Dor.

Heating of the lower thermosphere by the dissipation of acoustic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.

1977-01-01

Infrasound of 0.2 Hz known as microbaroms, generated by interfering ocean waves, propagates into the lower thermosphere where it is dissipated between 110 and 140 km. It is shown here that under average conditions in winter the energy input into this region is of the order of 0.33 W/kg, the same as that estimated for gravity wave dissipation, and capable of producing a heating of at least 30 K/day. To arrive at this result different dissipation mechanisms are discussed, with the calculated attenuation compared to previously published observations and observations of natural infrasound at Palisades, N.Y. Increased acoustic attenuation due to the presence of turbulence is not, in general, in evidence.

Country western singer Teresa is congratulated by Daniel Goldin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

After her performance at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, country western recording artist Teresa gets a congratulatory hug from NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin. Teresa performed a song, 'Brave New Girls,' written for astronaut Catherine 'Cady' Coleman, mission specialist on STS-93. She entertained participants and attendees of a women's forum held in the center earlier in the day. The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing sight. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT.

Tritiated amorphous silicon films and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosteski, Tome

The do saddle-field glow discharge deposition technique has been used to bond tritium within an amorphous silicon thin film network using silane and elemental tritium in the glow discharge. The concentration of tritium is approximately 7 at. %. Minimal outgassing of tritium from tritiated hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H:T) at room temperature suggests that tritium is bonded stably. Tritium effusion only occurred at temperatures above the film's growth temperature. The radioactive decay of tritium results in the production of high-energy beta particles. Each beta particle can generate on average approximately 1300 electron-hole pairs in a-Si:H:T. Electrical conductivity of a-Si:H:T is shown to be due to a thermally activated process and due to the generation of excess carriers by the beta particles. p-i-n betavoltaic devices have been made with a-Si:H:T in the intrinsic (i-) region. The i-region consisted of either a-Si:H:T, or a thin section of a-Si:H:T (a Delta layer) sandwiched between undoped hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). The excess carriers generated in the i-region are separated by the device's built-in electric field. Short-circuit currents (Isc ), open-circuit voltages (Voc), and power have been measured and correlated to the generation of excess carriers in the i-region. Good devices were made at a substrate temperature of 250°C and relatively large flow rates of silane and tritium; this ensures that there are more monohydride bonds than dihydride bonds. Under dark conditions, Isc, and Voc have been found to decrease rapidly. This is consistent with the production of silicon neutral dangling bonds (5 x 1017cm-3 per day) from the loss of tritium due to its transmutation into helium. Dangling bonds reduce carrier lifetime and weaken the electric field in the i-region. The short-circuit current from Delta layer devices decreased more slowly and settled to higher values for narrower Delta layers. This is because the dangling bonds are isolated to the Delta layer and the lifetime of excess carriers generated in the a-Si:H remains unaffected. Annealing a-Si:H:T at 120°C for approximately one hour is shown to remove dangling bonds produced from the decay of bonded tritium.

Research on solid waste management system: to improve existing situation in Corlu Town of Turkey.

PubMed

Tinmaz, Esra; Demir, Ibrahim

2006-01-01

Over the past decades, uncontrolled population growth and rapid urbanization and industrialization have resulted in environmental problems in Corlu Town, Turkey. One of the most important problems is solid waste due to inadequate management practices. Nowadays, increasing public awareness of the environment compels local authorities to define and to adopt new solutions for waste management. This paper presents a general overview of current solid waste management practices in Corlu Town and principles of the recommended municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. In Corlu, 170 tonnes of municipal solid waste are generated each day, or 1.150 kg per capita per day. Approximately one-half of the municipal solid waste generated is organic material and 30% of the MSW consists of recyclable materials. The recommended system deals with maximizing recycling and minimizing landfilling of municipal solid waste, and consists of separation at source, collection, sorting, recycling, composting and sanitary landfilling. This study also analyzed the recommended system with respect to feasibility and economics. To evaluate whether the suggested system is cost effective or not, the operating cost of the recommended system and market prices of recyclable materials were compared, and the results show that the recommended system will reduce required landfill volume up to 27% of compared to the present situation. The profit of the recommended system is estimated to be about 80 million US dollars.

Municipal solid waste generation in Kathmandu, Nepal.

PubMed

Dangi, Mohan B; Pretz, Christopher R; Urynowicz, Michael A; Gerow, Kenneth G; Reddy, J M

2011-01-01

Waste stream characteristics must be understood to tackle waste management problems in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Nepal. Three-stage stratified cluster sampling was used to evaluate solid waste data collected from 336 households in KMC. This information was combined with data collected regarding waste from restaurants, hotels, schools and streets. The study found that 497.3 g capita(-1) day(-1) of solid waste was generated from households and 48.5, 113.3 and 26.1 kg facility(-1) day(-1) of waste was generated from restaurants, hotels and schools, respectively. Street litter measured 69.3 metric tons day(-1). The average municipal solid waste generation rate was 523.8 metric tons day(-1) or 0.66 kg capita(-1) day(-1) as compared to the 320 metric tons day(-1) reported by the city. The coefficient of correlation between the number of people and the amount of waste produced was 0.94. Key household waste constituents included 71% organic wastes, 12% plastics, 7.5% paper and paper products, 5% dirt and construction debris and 1% hazardous wastes. Although the waste composition varied depending on the source, the composition analysis of waste from restaurants, hotels, schools and streets showed a high percentage of organic wastes. These numbers suggest a greater potential for recovery of organic wastes via composting and there is an opportunity for recycling. Because there is no previous inquiry of this scale in reporting comprehensive municipal solid waste generation in Nepal, this study can be treated as a baseline for other Nepalese municipalities. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study of equatorial wave characteristics using rockets, balloons, lidar and radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasi, M. N.; Krishna Murthy, B. V.; Ramkumar, Geetha; Satheesan, K.; Parameswaran, K.; Rajeev, K.; Sunilkumar, S. V.; Nair, Prabha R.; Krishna Moorthy, K.; Bhavanikumar, Y.; Raghunath, K.; Jain, A. R.; Rao, P. B.; Krishnaiah, M.; Prabhakaran Nayars, S. R.; Revathy, K.; Devanarayanan, S.

2003-09-01

A co-ordmated experimental campaign was conducted for 40 consecutive days from 21 February to 01 April 2000 using RH-200 rockets, balloons, Rayleigh lidar and MST radar, with the objective of delineating the equatorial waves and estimating momentum fluxes associated with them. Winds and temperatures in the troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere over two low latitude stations Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E) and SHAR (13.7°N, 80.2°E) were measured and were used for the study of equatorial waves and their interactions with the background mean flow in various atmospheric regions. The study shows the occurrence of a strong stratospheric cooling (˜25 K) anomaly along with a zonal wind anomaly and this low-latitude event appears to be linked to high-latitude stratospheric warming event and followed by subsequent generation of short period (˜5 days) oscillations lasting for a few cycles in the stratosphere. Slow and fast Kelvin waves and RG wave (˜-17-day and ˜7.2-day and ˜4.2-day periods respectively) have been identified. The mean flow acceleration produced by the divergence of the momentum flux due to the observed Kelvin waves in the 35-60 km height region were compared with the zonal flow accelerations computed from the observed zonal winds. Contribution by the slow and fast Kelvin waves was found to be only ˜25 % of the observed acceleration during the evolution of the westerly phase of the semi-annual oscillation.

Emotional Intelligence (EI): A Therapy for Higher Education Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machera, Robert P.; Machera, Precious C.

2017-01-01

This study investigates the need to design and develop emotional intelligence curriculum for students in higher education. Emotional intelligence curriculum may be used as a therapy that provides skills to manage high emotions faced by generation "Y", on a day-to-day basis. Generation "Y" is emotionally challenged with: drug…

Generation of a Large-scale Magnetic Field in a Convective Full-sphere Cross-helicity Dynamo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pipin, V. V.; Yokoi, N.

2018-05-01

We study the effects of the cross-helicity in the full-sphere large-scale mean-field dynamo models of a 0.3 M ⊙ star rotating with a period of 10 days. In exploring several dynamo scenarios that stem from magnetic field generation by the cross-helicity effect, we found that the cross-helicity provides the natural generation mechanisms for the large-scale scale axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric magnetic field. Therefore, the rotating stars with convective envelopes can produce a large-scale magnetic field generated solely due to the turbulent cross-helicity effect (we call it γ 2-dynamo). Using mean-field models we compare the properties of the large-scale magnetic field organization that stems from dynamo mechanisms based on the kinetic helicity (associated with the α 2 dynamos) and cross-helicity. For the fully convective stars, both generation mechanisms can maintain large-scale dynamos even for the solid body rotation law inside the star. The nonaxisymmetric magnetic configurations become preferable when the cross-helicity and the α-effect operate independently of each other. This corresponds to situations with purely γ 2 or α 2 dynamos. The combination of these scenarios, i.e., the γ 2 α 2 dynamo, can generate preferably axisymmetric, dipole-like magnetic fields at strengths of several kGs. Thus, we found a new dynamo scenario that is able to generate an axisymmetric magnetic field even in the case of a solid body rotation of the star. We discuss the possible applications of our findings to stellar observations.

Winner of the society for biomaterials student award in the Ph.D. category for the annual meeting of the society for biomaterials, april 11-14, 2018, Atlanta, GA: Development of a bimodal, in situ crosslinking method to achieve multifactor release from electrospun gelatin.

PubMed

Kishan, Alysha; Walker, Taneidra; Sears, Nick; Wilems, Thomas; Cosgriff-Hernandez, Elizabeth

2018-05-01

To better mimic native tissue microenvironments, current efforts have moved beyond single growth factor delivery to more complex multiple growth factor delivery with distinct release profiles. Electrospun gelatin, a widely investigated drug delivery vehicle, requires postprocessing crosslinking techniques that generate a mesh with uniform crosslinking density, limiting the ability to deliver multiple factors at different rates. Herein, we describe a method to independently control release of multiple factors from a single electrospun gelatin mesh. Two in situ crosslinking modalities, photocrosslinking of methacyrlated gelatin and reactive crosslinking of gelatin with a diisocyanate, are coelectrospun to generate distinct fiber populations with different crosslinking chemistry and density in a single mesh. The photocrosslinked gelatin-methacrylate resulted in a relatively rapid release of a model protein (48 ± 12% at day 1, 96 ± 3% at day 10) due to diffusion of embedded protein from the crosslinked fibers. The reactive crosslinking system displayed a more sustained release (7 ± 5% at day 1, 33 ± 2% at day 10) that was attributed to the conjugation of protein to gelatin with the diisocyanate, requiring degradation of gelatin prior to diffusion out of the fibers. Both modalities displayed tunable release profiles. Subsequent release studies of a cospun mesh with two different crosslinked fiber populations confirmed that the cospun mesh displayed multifactor release with independent release profiles. Overall, this bimodal, in situ crosslinking approach enables the delivery of multiple factors with distinct release kinetics from a single mesh and is expected to have broad utility in tissue engineering. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1155-1164, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Environment Challenges for Exploration of the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Blackwell, William C., Jr.; Coffey, Victoria N.; Cooke, William B.; Howard, James W.; Parker, Linda N.; Sharp, John; Schunck, Greg; Suggs. Robert W.; Wang, Joseph W.

2008-01-01

NASA's Constellation Program is designing a new generation of human rated launch and space transportation vehicles to first replace the Space Shuttle fleet, then support develop of a permanent human habitat on the Moon, and ultimately prepare for human exploration of Mars. The ambitious first step beyond low Earth orbit is to develop the infrastructure required for conducting missions to a variety of locations on the lunar surface for periods of a week and establishment of a permanent settlement at one of the lunar poles where crews will serve for periods on the order of approx.200 days. We present an overview of the most challenging aspects of the lunar environment that will need to be addressed when developing transport and habitat infrastructure for long term human presence on the Moon including low temperatures and dusty regolith surfaces, radiation environments due to galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles, charging of lunar infrastructure when exposed to lunar plasma environments, and secondary meteor environments generated by primary impacts on the lunar surface.

Water withdrawal and use in Maryland, 1986

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wheeler, J.C.

1990-01-01

During 1986, about 1,460 million gallons per day of freshwater was withdrawn from the surface-, and groundwater resources of Maryland. In addition, more than 6,240 million gallons per day of saline surface water was withdrawn and used primarily for cooling purposes in the generation of electricity. Most freshwater withdrawals (84%) were from surface water sources and were withdrawn and used in the Potomac drainage basin, whereas most groundwater was withdrawn and used in the Upper Chesapeake drainage basin. The Potomac Group aquifers provided the most groundwater (56 million gallons per day). Ten water use categories comprise the major demands on the surface and groundwater resources of the State: public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, mining, thermoelectric power generation, hydroelectric power generation, agricultural (non-irrigation), irrigation, and aquaculture. Public-supply systems withdrew the most water in the State (801 million gallon/day) for use by residents, commercial establishments, and industries. Baltimore City had the largest public-supply use in 1986 (about 151 million gallons/day). (USGS)

Medical Countermeasure Models. Volume 4. Francisella tularensis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-12

34 Medicine. 64(4). 1985. 187 Flax, L. " TYPHOIDAL TULAREMIA." Maryland state medical journal. 12(601). 1963. 188 Ford-Jones Let al."" Muskrat fever ...Work Lost A-37 Period of Fever A-37 Work Lost in an Individual Who Recovers A-38 Medical Countermeasure Models Volume 4: Francisella...symptom onset, period of fever , day of death, days of work lost due to MCM adverse effects, days of work lost due to illness, day of relapse, and

The parasitic castration and gigantism of Lymnaea truncatula infected with the larval stages of Fasciola hepatica.

PubMed

Wilson, R A; Denison, J

1980-01-01

The shells of Lymnaea truncatula infected with the larval stages of Fasciola hepatica were significantly longer than those of comparable uninfected controls. The dry mass (tissue, shell + parasite) of the same infected snails, 56 days after infection, was approximately twice that of the controls (tissue + shell). The increased mass of infected snails was not due to a disproportionate increase in shell weight relative to tissues. Infected snails maintained at 20 degrees C had virtually ceased egg production by 21 days post-infection whereas control snails continued to lay eggs steadily for the duration of the experiment. The dry mass of snail tissue plus the cumulative dry weight of eggs produced was taken as an indication of the ability of control snails to generate biomass. Similarly the tissue mass plus cumulative egg weight and parasite weight was taken as an indication of the ability of the infected snails to generate biomass. The control and infected snails were not significantly different in this respect indicating that the gigantism of infected snails could be the result of a switch in nutrient supply from reproduction to somatic tissue growth and parasite growth. Castration was brought about 17-21 days after infection as a result of the direct consumption of the ovotestis by a proportion of the redial population. In a separate experiment it was demonstrated that a population of infected snails maintained at 20 degrees C survived as long as a similar group of control snails. The findings with this host-parasite system are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms causing castration and gigantism in other digene-snail interactions, and in relation to parasitic castration in other groups. It is concluded that the observed gigantism of infected snails is more likely to have a nutritional rather than endocrine origin.

Can rats solve a simple version of the traveling salesman problem?

PubMed

Bures, J; Buresová, O; Nerad, L

1992-12-31

Whereas correct tours through the radial arm maze are almost equally long, free choice mazes with multiple goals scattered in an open field allow the animal to select the shortest one from a multitude of correct tours. Thirteen rats were trained (at 10 trials per day) to visit an array of cylindrical feeders in an open field (40 x 100 cm) with reward available only when visiting the last feeder of the set. In Expt. 1 with eight feeders arranged in five different configurations the rats made after 10 days of training 1 error in the first 8 choices and incidence of errorless trials was about 20%. In Expt. 2. the use of six feeders in a rectangular (A) or double triangle (B) configuration increased the incidence of errorless trials to 60%. Expt. 3 showed that performance in the 6-feeder maze was significantly impaired by 6 mg/kg ketamine or 0.25 mg/kg scopolamine but not by lower dosages of these drugs. Tours generated on errorless trials (each feeder visited only once) during 10 days of Expt. 2 were analyzed. Six places can be visited in 6! = 720 different closed tours the lengths of which (in arbitrary units) range from 6.00 to 10.12 for A and from 6.83 to 10.47 for B. Whereas random generation of correct routes yielded only 5% of the shortest tours, they were clearly preferred by rats (41% in A and 45% in B). The apparent proficiency of rats in this optimization problem is probably not due to cognitive comparison of the possible correct routes but rather to following a simple rule 'Always go to the nearest not yet visited feeder'.

Transport infrastructure monitoring: Testing of the NIODIM optical displacement monitoring system at the Sihlhochstrasse bridge in Zürich, Switzerland.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagene, J. K.

2012-04-01

A gound based optical displacement monitoring system, "NIODIM", is being developed by Norsk Elektro Optikk in the framework of the activities of the European project "Integrated System for Transport Infrastructure surveillance and Monitoring by Electromagnetic Sensing" (ISTIMES), funded in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). The optical displacement monitoring system has now participated in two real life field campaigns one in Switzerland and one in Italy. The test campaign in Switzerland during a week in May 2011 will be presented below. The NIODIM system is based on a camera part mounted on firm ground and this camera is imaging a reference point, normally a light emitting diode (LED) which is supposed to be mounted on an object susceptible to move or oscillate. A microprocessor based unit is processing the acquired images and is calculating the displacement. The Sihlhochstrasse bridge is placed on concrete pillars in the river Sihl in Zürich and the motorway is one of the entrance routes to the city. A site visit had been performed in advance and it had been decided to mount the camera part as well as the processing unit at the lower part of the pillar above the relatively dry riverbed. The reference point in form of a light emitting diode was to be mounted below the bridge deck. However, due to practical access limitations it was not possible to place the reference LED in the middle between pillar pairs, but the LED had to be placed closer to next pair of the pillars downstream the river thus increasing the distance and possibly reducing the potential displacement. A lower signal due to reduced sensitivity (length) and due to lower deflection (better support from the pillar) had to be expected. The system would be powered by a generator placed on the riverbed. Arriving at the river front the fist day of the field trials was a surprise to most the campaign members. Due to heavy rain the week before, and in particular up in the mountains, the water level in the river was about one metre higher than expected not to mention the strong current. To be on the safe side I had brought my waders with me, but it was hardly possibly to walk in the river. Problems are to be solved and a trip to the nearest shopping centre buying climbing ropes in the sports department and a children's paddling pool in the toys department expanded our toolbox significantly. The paddling pool was used as a barge for transporting the equipment out in the river to the pillar. We were able to install the equipment as planned, but somewhat delayed due to all the water in the river. A climbing rope was attached to the pillar with one end and the other end attached to the riverbank. Power and network cables were attached to this rope. Tests started the second day saving raw data from the camera to allow for later re-processing. Raw data storage was in the form of small images, one image for each frame i.e., one raw image file for each frame and at a rate of 64 Hz. The tests went on as expected for a while until the system performance dropped unexpectedly from 64 Hz to around 1 Hz. After some help from our main office we found out that our problem was due to the file creation performance of the file system NTFS when many files were present in one catalogue. By automatically sending commands to the processing unit to save files to new catalogues approximately every 10000 frames the system performance was back at the expected 64 Hz. After these initial problems with performance related to the NTFS file system the optical displacement monitoring system behaved as wanted for the remainder of tests. Based on the look of the bridge i.e., it looks robust and stable, we would not expect large oscillations due to the traffic on top of it. The mount point for the reference LED was also not ideal for observing potential oscillations. Due to the use of standalone generators for power generation measurements were only performed during the day and not during the night. The results with regards to short duration peaks is in line with the expectations namely within 1 mm displacement. However, a larger, long time constant displacement was registered during a certain time frame before noon on sunny days. A displacement of more than 10 mm was registered for a time interval in the order of one hour or more. This larger displacement decreased and the displacement was back on an even slower time-of-day, periodic looking displacement variation. If we disregards the larger "before noon" displacement the long time constant displacement is in the order of 2-3 mm one sunny day and in the order of 5 mm the second sunny day. The above results have been analysed with regards to different contributions to the long time constant displacement and three candidate causes have been targeted; thermal effects in the mounting brackets, thermal effects related to the pillar and thermal effects in the bridge deck. The time-of-day periodic displacements (2-5 mm) is most likely due to thermal effects in the bridge as a whole or the bridge deck. On the other hand the larger displacements (>10mm), around 1 hour duration before noon, could be caused by the mounting brackets or possibly the pillar. Both the pillar and the camera with mounting brackets of a temporary nature were exposed to direct sunlight in the affected time interval. However, we have not been able to fully explain the displacement seen based on the pillar and the mounting brackets, but we doubt it could be caused by bridge movement alone. From a development project point of view the tests have been successful; we have both learned some new lessons and demonstrated that the system works not to mention that we have demonstrated for the general public passing by in Zürich that scientists are also able to solve practical problems and cross rivers when required. Acknowledgement: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant Agreement n° 225663.

77 FR 70158 - Combined Notice of Filings #2

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-23

.... Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/6/12. Docket Numbers: ER13-383-000. Applicants: Alcoa Power Generating Inc...-5096. Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 12/6/12. Docket Numbers: ER13-384-000. Applicants: Alcoa Power Generating...: ER13-387-000. Applicants: Alcoa Power Generating Inc. Description: Alcoa Power Generating Inc. submits...

Novel platens to measure the hardness of a pentagonal shaped tablet.

PubMed

Malladi, Jaya; Sidik, Kurex; Wu, Sutan; McCann, Ryan; Dougherty, Jeffrey; Parab, Prakash; Carragher, Thomas

2017-03-01

Tablet hardness, a measure of the breaking force of a tablet, is based on numerous factors. These include the shape of the tablet and the mode of the application of force. For instance, when a pentagonal-shaped tablet was tested with a traditional hardness tester with flat platens, there was a large variation in hardness measurements. This was due to the propensity of vertices of the tablet to crush, referred to as an "improper break". This article describes a novel approach to measure the hardness of pentagonal-shaped tablets using modified platens. The modified platens have more uniform loading than flat platens. This is because they reduce loading on the vertex of the pentagon and apply forces on tablet edges to generate reproducible tablet fracture. The robustness of modified platens was assessed using a series of studies, which included feasibility and Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (R&R) studies. A key finding was that improper breaks, generated frequently with a traditional hardness tester using flat platens, were eliminated. The Gauge R&R study revealed that the tablets tested with novel platens generated consistent values in hardness measurements, independent of batch, hardness level, and day of testing, operator and tablet dosage strength.

Epipremnum aureum and Dracaena braunii as indoor plants for enhanced bio-electricity generation in a plant microbial fuel cell with electrochemically modified carbon fiber brush anode.

PubMed

Sarma, Pranab Jyoti; Mohanty, Kaustubha

2018-04-13

In this study, two different unexploited indoor plants, Epipremnum aureum and Dracaena braunii were used to produce clean and sustainable bio-electricity in a plant microbial fuel cell (PMFC). Acid modified carbon fiber brush electrodes as well as bare electrodes were used in both the PMFCs. A bentonite based clay membrane was successfully integrated in the PMFCs. Maximum performance of E. aureum was 620 mV which was 188 mV higher potential than D. braunii. The bio-electricity generation using modified electrode was 154 mV higher than the bare carbon fiber, probably due to the effective bacterial attachment to the carbon fiber owing to hydrogen bonding. Maximum power output of 15.38 mW/m 2 was obtained by E. aureum with an internal resistance of 200 Ω. Higher biomass yield was also obtained in case of E. aureum during 60 days of experiment, which may correlate with the higher bio-electricity generation than D. braunii. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A micro-sized bio-solar cell for self-sustaining power generation.

PubMed

Lee, Hankeun; Choi, Seokheun

2015-01-21

Self-sustainable energy sources are essential for a wide array of wireless applications deployed in remote field locations. Due to their self-assembling and self-repairing properties, "biological solar (bio-solar) cells" are recently gaining attention for those applications. The bio-solar cell can continuously generate electricity from microbial photosynthetic and respiratory activities under day-night cycles. Despite the vast potential and promise of bio-solar cells, they, however, have not yet successfully been translated into commercial applications, as they possess persistent performance limitations and scale-up bottlenecks. Here, we report an entirely self-sustainable and scalable microliter-sized bio-solar cell with significant power enhancement by maximizing solar energy capture, bacterial attachment, and air bubble volume in well-controlled microchambers. The bio-solar cell has a ~300 μL single chamber defined by laser-machined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates and it uses an air cathode to allow freely available oxygen to act as an electron acceptor. We generated a maximum power density of 0.9 mW m(-2) through photosynthetic reactions of cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which is the highest power density among all micro-sized bio-solar cells.

The Development and Calculation of an Energy-saving Plant for Obtaining Water from Atmospheric Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uglanov, D. A.; Zheleznyak, K. E.; Chertykovsev, P. A.

2018-01-01

The article shows the calculation of characteristics of energy-efficient water generator from atmospheric air. This installation or the atmospheric water generator is the unique mechanism which produces safe drinking water by extraction it from air. The existing atmospheric generators allow to receive safe drinking water by means of process of condensation at air humidity at least equal to 35% and are capable to give to 25 liters of water in per day, and work from electricity. Authors offer to use instead of the condenser in the scheme of installation for increase volume of produced water by generator in per day, the following refrigerating machines: the vapor compression refrigerating machines (VCRM), the thermoelectric refrigerating machines (TRM) and the Stirling-cycle refrigerating machines (SRM). The paper describes calculation methods for each of refrigerating systems. Calculation of technical-and-economic indexes for the atmospheric water generator was carried out and the optimum system with the maximum volume of received water in per day was picked up. The atmospheric water generator which is considered in article will work from autonomous solar power station.

Ameliorative effects of oleanolic acid on fluoride induced metabolic and oxidative dysfunctions in rat brain: Experimental and biochemical studies.

PubMed

Sarkar, Chaitali; Pal, Sudipta; Das, Niranjan; Dinda, Biswanath

2014-04-01

Beneficial effects of oleanolic acid on fluoride-induced oxidative stress and certain metabolic dysfunctions were studied in four regions of rat brain. Male Wistar rats were treated with sodium fluoride at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w./day (orally) for 30 days. Results indicate marked reduction in acidic, basic and neutral protein contents due to fluoride toxicity in cerebrum, cerebellum, pons and medulla. DNA, RNA contents significantly decreased in those regions after fluoride exposure. Activities of proteolytic enzymes (such as cathepsin, trypsin and pronase) were inhibited by fluoride, whereas transaminase enzyme (GOT and GPT) activities increased significantly in brain tissue. Fluoride appreciably elevated brain malondialdehyde level, free amino acid nitrogen, NO content and free OH radical generation. Additionally, fluoride perturbed GSH content and markedly reduced SOD, GPx, GR and CAT activities in brain tissues. Oral supplementation of oleanolic acid (a plant triterpenoid), at a dose of 5mg/kgb.w./day for last 14 days of fluoride treatment appreciably ameliorated fluoride-induced alteration of brain metabolic functions. Appreciable counteractive effects of oleanolic acid against fluoride-induced changes in protein and nucleic acid contents, proteolytic enzyme activities and other oxidative stress parameters indicate that oleanolic acid has potential antioxidative effects against fluoride-induced oxidative brain damage. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An extreme Arctic cyclone in August 2016 and its predictability on medium-range timescales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamagami, Akio; Matsueda, Mio; Tanaka, Hiroshi

2017-04-01

An extremely strong Arctic cyclone (AC) developed in August 2016. The AC exhibited a minimum sea level pressure (SLP) of 967.2 hPa and covered the entire Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean at 0000UTC on 16 August. At this time the AC was comparable to the strong AC observed in August 2012, in terms of horizontal extent, position, and intensity as measured by SLP. Two processes contributed to the explosive development of the AC: growth due to baroclinic instability, similar to extratropical cyclones, during the early part of the development stage, and later nonlinear development via the merging of upper warm cores. The AC was maintained for more than one month through multiple mergings with cyclones both generated in the Arctic and migrating northward from lower latitudes, as a result of the high cyclone activity in summer 2016. This study also investigated the predictability of the AC using operational medium-range ensemble forecasts: CMC (Canada), ECMWF (EU), JMA (Japan), NCEP (USA), and UKMO (UK), available at the The Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) database. The minimum SLP of the AC at 0000UTC on 16 August was well predicted by ECMWF 6-day, NCEP and UKMO 5-day, CMC 4-day, and JMA 3-day in advance. The predictability of the minimum SLP of the AC in August 2016 was much higher than that of the AC in 2012 August. Whereas most of the members well predicted the cyclogenesis of the AC, the growth due to baroclinic instability was weaker in some members. Even if the baroclinic growth was predicted well, predicted AC did not develop when the nonlinear development via the merging was not predict accurately. The accurate prediction of the processes in both early and later parts of the development stage was important for the accurate prediction of the development of the AC.

Power inversion design for ocean wave energy harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talebani, Anwar N.

The needs for energy sources are increasing day by day because of several factors, such as oil depletion, and global climate change due to the higher level of CO2, so the exploration of various renewable energy sources is very promising area of study. The available ocean waves can be utilized as free source of energy as the water covers 70% of the earth surface. This thesis presents the ocean wave energy as a source of renewable energy. By addressing the problem of designing efficient power electronics system to deliver 5 KW from the induction generator to the grid with less possible losses and harmonics as possible and to control current fed to the grid to successfully harvest ocean wave energy. We design an AC-DC full bridge rectifier converter, and a DC-DC boost converter to harvest wave energy from AC to regulated DC. In order to increase the design efficiency, we need to increase the power factor from (0.5-0.6) to 1. This is accomplished by designing the boost converter with power factor correction in continues mode with RC circuit as an input to the boost converter power factor correction. This design results in a phase shift between the input current and voltage of the full bridge rectifier to generate a small reactive power. The reactive power is injected to the induction generator to maintain its functionality by generating a magnetic field in its stator. Next, we design a single-phase pulse width modulator full bridge voltage source DC-AC grid-tied mode inverter to harvest regulated DC wave energy to AC. The designed inverter is modulated by inner current loop, to control current injected to the grid with minimal filter component to maintain power quality at the grid. The simulation results show that our design successfully control the current level fed to the grid. It is noteworthy that the simulated efficiency is higher than the calculated one since we used an ideal switch in the simulated circuit.

Restoring Natural Streamflow Variability by Modifying Multi-purpose Reservoir Operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiau, J.

2010-12-01

Multi-purpose reservoirs typically provide benefits of water supply, hydroelectric power, and flood mitigation. Hydroelectric power generations generally do not consume water. However, temporal distribution of downstream flows is highly changed due to hydro-peaking effects. Associated with offstream diversion of water supplies for municipal, industrial, and agricultural requirements, natural streamflow characteristics of magnitude, duration, frequency, timing, and rate of change is significantly altered by multi-purpose reservoir operation. Natural flow regime has long been recognized a master factor for ecosystem health and biodiversity. Restoration of altered flow regime caused by multi-purpose reservoir operation is the main objective of this study. This study presents an optimization framework that modifying reservoir operation to seeking balance between human and environmental needs. The methodology presented in this study is applied to the Feitsui Reservoir, located in northern Taiwan, with main purpose of providing stable water-supply and auxiliary purpose of electricity generation and flood-peak attenuation. Reservoir releases are dominated by two decision variables, i.e., duration of water releases for each day and percentage of daily required releases within the duration. The current releasing policy of the Feitsui Reservoir releases water for water-supply and hydropower purposes during 8:00 am to 16:00 pm each day and no environmental flows releases. Although greater power generation is obtained by 100% releases distributed within 8-hour period, severe temporal alteration of streamflow is observed downstream of the reservoir. Modifying reservoir operation by relaxing these two variables and reserve certain ratio of streamflow as environmental flow to maintain downstream natural variability. The optimal reservoir releasing policy is searched by the multi-criterion decision making technique for considering reservoir performance in terms of shortage ratio and power generation and downstream hydrologic alterations in terms of ecological relevant indicators. The results show that the proposed methodology can mitigate hydro-peaking effects on natural variability, while maintains efficient reservoir operation.

Flow direction variations of low energy ions as measured by the ion electron sensor (IES) flying on board of Rosetta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szegö, Karoly; Nemeth, Zoltan; Foldy, Lajos; Burch, James L.; Goldstein, Raymond; Mandt, Kathleen; Mokashi, Prachet; Broiles, Tom

2015-04-01

The Ion Electron Sensor (IES) simultaneously measures ions and electrons with two separate electrostatic plasma analyzers in the energy range of 4 eV- 22 keV for ions. The field of view is 90ox360o, with angular resolution 5ox45o for ions, with a sector containing the solar wind being further segmented to 5o × 5o. IES has operated continuously since early 2014. In the ion data a low energy (<50-100 eV) component is well separated from the higher energy ions. Here we analyze the arrival direction of this low energy component. The origin of these low energy ions is certainly the ionized component of the neutral gas emitted due to solar activity from comet 67P/Churiumov-Gerasimenko. The low energy component in general shows a 6h periodicity due to cometary rotation. The data show, however, that the arrival direction of the low energy ions is smeared both in azimuth and elevation, due possibly to the diverse mechanisms affecting these ions. One of these effects is the spacecraft potential (~-10V), which accelerates the ions towards the spacecraft omnidirectionally. To characterize the flow direction in azimuth-elevation, we have integrated over the lowest 8 energy channels using weighted energy: sum(counts * energy)/sum(counts); and considered only cases when the counts are above 30. When we apply higher cut for counts, the flow direction became more definite. For this analysis we use data files where the two neighbouring energy values and elevation values are collapsed; and the azimuthal resolution is 45o, that is the solar wind azimuthal segmentation is also collapsed. Here we use day 2014.09.11. as illustration. On that day a solar wind shock reached the spacecraft at about ~10 UT. After the shock transition the energy of the solar wind became higher, and after ~12 UT the flow direction of the solar wind fluctuated, sometimes by 35o. On this day Rosetta flew at about 29.3-29.6 km from the nucleus. In the azimuth-elevation plots summed over "weighted energy" (as defined above) we were able to identify two flow directions: one close to the anti-solar direction, and one perpendicular to it. The occurrence and variations of these directions are still under investigation. A possible cause of the acceleration of low energy ions along the solar wind might be that electrons produced by the ionization of neutrals are immediately picked up by the solar wind generating a polarization electric field that accelerates the ions. This effect is similar to the generation of ionospheric holes at Venus [Hartle and Grebowsky, Adv. Space Res., 4, 1995]. The acceleration perpendicular to the solar wind might be due to the v x B electric field. The variations of the low energy flow direction is analyzed in detail in the presentation.

Morphogenesis underlying the development of the everted teleost telencephalon.

PubMed

Folgueira, Mónica; Bayley, Philippa; Navratilova, Pavla; Becker, Thomas S; Wilson, Stephen W; Clarke, Jonathan D W

2012-09-18

Although the mechanisms underlying brain patterning and regionalization are very much conserved, the morphology of different brain regions is extraordinarily variable across vertebrate phylogeny. This is especially manifest in the telencephalon, where the most dramatic variation is seen between ray-finned fish, which have an everted telencephalon, and all other vertebrates, which have an evaginated telencephalon. The mechanisms that generate these distinct morphologies are not well understood. Here we study the morphogenesis of the zebrafish telencephalon from 12 hours post fertilization (hpf) to 5 days post fertilization (dpf) by analyzing forebrain ventricle formation, evolving patterns of gene and transgene expression, neuronal organization, and fate mapping. Our results highlight two key events in telencephalon morphogenesis. First, the formation of a deep ventricular recess between telencephalon and diencephalon, the anterior intraencephalic sulcus (AIS), effectively creates a posterior ventricular wall to the telencephalic lobes. This process displaces the most posterior neuroepithelial territory of the telencephalon laterally. Second, as telencephalic growth and neurogenesis proceed between days 2 and 5 of development, the pallial region of the posterior ventricular wall of the telencephalon bulges into the dorsal aspect of the AIS. This brings the ventricular zone (VZ) into close apposition with the roof of the AIS to generate a narrow ventricular space and the thin tela choroidea (tc). As the pallial VZ expands, the tc also expands over the upper surface of the telencephalon. During this period, the major axis of growth and extension of the pallial VZ is along the anteroposterior axis. This second step effectively generates an everted telencephalon by 5 dpf. Our description of telencephalic morphogenesis challenges the conventional model that eversion is simply due to a laterally directed outfolding of the telencephalic neuroepithelium. This may have significant bearing on understanding the eventual organization of the adult fish telencephalon.

Morphogenesis underlying the development of the everted teleost telencephalon

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Although the mechanisms underlying brain patterning and regionalization are very much conserved, the morphology of different brain regions is extraordinarily variable across vertebrate phylogeny. This is especially manifest in the telencephalon, where the most dramatic variation is seen between ray-finned fish, which have an everted telencephalon, and all other vertebrates, which have an evaginated telencephalon. The mechanisms that generate these distinct morphologies are not well understood. Results Here we study the morphogenesis of the zebrafish telencephalon from 12 hours post fertilization (hpf) to 5 days post fertilization (dpf) by analyzing forebrain ventricle formation, evolving patterns of gene and transgene expression, neuronal organization, and fate mapping. Our results highlight two key events in telencephalon morphogenesis. First, the formation of a deep ventricular recess between telencephalon and diencephalon, the anterior intraencephalic sulcus (AIS), effectively creates a posterior ventricular wall to the telencephalic lobes. This process displaces the most posterior neuroepithelial territory of the telencephalon laterally. Second, as telencephalic growth and neurogenesis proceed between days 2 and 5 of development, the pallial region of the posterior ventricular wall of the telencephalon bulges into the dorsal aspect of the AIS. This brings the ventricular zone (VZ) into close apposition with the roof of the AIS to generate a narrow ventricular space and the thin tela choroidea (tc). As the pallial VZ expands, the tc also expands over the upper surface of the telencephalon. During this period, the major axis of growth and extension of the pallial VZ is along the anteroposterior axis. This second step effectively generates an everted telencephalon by 5 dpf. Conclusion Our description of telencephalic morphogenesis challenges the conventional model that eversion is simply due to a laterally directed outfolding of the telencephalic neuroepithelium. This may have significant bearing on understanding the eventual organization of the adult fish telencephalon. PMID:22989074

ESTIMATING RISK TO CALIFORNIA ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE FROM PROJECTED CLIMATE CHANGE

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

Sathaye, Jayant; Dale, Larry; Larsen, Peter

2011-06-22

This report outlines the results of a study of the impact of climate change on the energy infrastructure of California and the San Francisco Bay region, including impacts on power plant generation; transmission line and substation capacity during heat spells; wildfires near transmission lines; sea level encroachment upon power plants, substations, and natural gas facilities; and peak electrical demand. Some end-of-century impacts were projected:Expected warming will decrease gas-fired generator efficiency. The maximum statewide coincident loss is projected at 10.3 gigawatts (with current power plant infrastructure and population), an increase of 6.2 percent over current temperature-induced losses. By the end ofmore » the century, electricity demand for almost all summer days is expected to exceed the current ninetieth percentile per-capita peak load. As much as 21 percent growth is expected in ninetieth percentile peak demand (per-capita, exclusive of population growth). When generator losses are included in the demand, the ninetieth percentile peaks may increase up to 25 percent. As the climate warms, California's peak supply capacity will need to grow faster than the population.Substation capacity is projected to decrease an average of 2.7 percent. A 5C (9F) air temperature increase (the average increase predicted for hot days in August) will diminish the capacity of a fully-loaded transmission line by an average of 7.5 percent.The potential exposure of transmission lines to wildfire is expected to increase with time. We have identified some lines whose probability of exposure to fire are expected to increase by as much as 40 percent. Up to 25 coastal power plants and 86 substations are at risk of flooding (or partial flooding) due to sea level rise.« less

Computational network model prediction of hemodynamic alterations due to arteriolar remodeling in interval sprint trained skeletal muscle.

PubMed

Binder, Kyle W; Murfee, Walter L; Song, Ji; Laughlin, M Harold; Price, Richard J

2007-01-01

Exercise training is known to enhance skeletal muscle blood flow capacity, with high-intensity interval sprint training (IST) primarily affecting muscles with a high proportion of fast twitch glycolytic fibers. The objective of this study was to determine the relative contributions of new arteriole formation and lumenal arteriolar remodeling to enhanced flow capacity and the impact of these adaptations on local microvascular hemodynamics deep within the muscle. The authors studied arteriolar adaptation in the white/mixed-fiber portion of gastrocnemius muscles of IST (6 bouts of running/day; 2.5 min/bout; 60 m/min speed; 15% grade; 4.5 min rest between bouts; 5 training days/wk; 10 wks total) and sedentary (SED) control rats using whole-muscle Microfil casts. Dimensional and topological data were then used to construct a series of computational hemodynamic network models that incorporated physiological red blood cell distributions and hematocrit and diameter dependent apparent viscosities. In comparison to SED controls, IST elicited a significant increase in arterioles/order in the 3A through 6A generations. Predicted IST and SED flows through the 2A generation agreed closely with in vivo measurements made in a previous study, illustrating the accuracy of the model. IST shifted the bulk of the pressure drop across the network from the 3As to the 4As and 5As, and flow capacity increased from 0.7 mL/min in SED to 1.5 mL/min in IST when a driving pressure of 80 mmHg was applied. The primary adaptation to IST is an increase in arterioles in the 3A through 6A generations, which, in turn, creates an approximate doubling of flow capacity and a deeper penetration of high pressure into the arteriolar network.

Effects of argan oil on the mitochondrial function, antioxidant system and the activity of NADPH- generating enzymes in acrylamide treated rat brain.

PubMed

Aydın, Birsen

2017-03-01

Argan oil (AO) is rich in minor compounds such as polyphenols and tocopherols which are powerful antioxidants. Acrylamide (ACR) has been classified as a neurotoxic agent in animals and humans. Mitochondrial oxidative stress and dysfunction is one of the most probable molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to ACR (50mg/kg i.p. three times a week), AO (6ml/kg,o.p, per day) or together for 30days. The activities of cytosolic enzymes such as xanthine oxidase (XO), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), mitochondrial oxidative stress, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) enzymes, mitochondrial metabolic function, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were assessed in rat brain. Cytosolic and mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes were significantly diminished in the brains of rats treated with ACR compared to those in control. Besides, ACR treatment resulted in a significant reduction in brain ATP level, mitochondrial metabolic function, OXPHOS and TCA enzymes. Administration of AO restored both the cytosolic and mitochondrial oxidative stress by normalizing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) generating enzymes. In addition, improved mitochondrial function primarily enhancing nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) generated enzymes activities and ATP level in the mitochondria. The reason for AO's obvious beneficial effects in this study may be due to synergistic effects of its different bioactive compounds which is especially effective on mitochondria. Modulation of the brain mitochondrial functions and antioxidant systems by AO may lead to the development of new mitochondria-targeted antioxidants in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Improvement of Early Strength of Cement Mortar Containing Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Using Industrial Byproducts.

PubMed

Kim, Jin-Hyoung; Lee, Han-Seung

2017-09-07

In the field of construction, securing the early strength of concrete (on the first and third days of aging) has been an important problem in deciding the mold release time (i.e., shortening the construction time period). Therefore, the problem of reduced compressive strength in the early aging stage caused by mixing granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) with concrete must certainly be resolved. In this study, we conduct experiments to explore methods for generating a concrete that develops an early strength equivalent to that of 100% OPC. The objective of this study is the development of an early-strength accelerator (ESA) made from an industrial by-product, for a GBFS-mixed cement mortar. This study also analyzes the mechanism of the early-strength generation in the concrete to evaluate the influence of the burning temperature of ESA on the optimal compressive strength of the concrete. According to the results of the experiment, GBFS, whose ESA is burnt at 800 °C, shows an activation factor of 102.6-104.7% in comparison with 100% OPC on the first and third days during early aging, thereby meeting the target compressive strength. The results of the micro-analytic experiment are as follows: ESA showed a pH of strongly alkaline. In addition, it was found that the content of SO₃ was high in the chemical components, thus activating the hydration reaction of GBFS in the early age. This initial hydration reaction was thought to be due to the increase in the filling effect of the hydrate and the generation of C-S-H of the early age by the mass production of Ettringite.

Improvement of Early Strength of Cement Mortar Containing Granulated Blast Furnace Slag Using Industrial Byproducts

PubMed Central

Kim, Jin-Hyoung; Lee, Han-Seung

2017-01-01

In the field of construction, securing the early strength of concrete (on the first and third days of aging) has been an important problem in deciding the mold release time (i.e., shortening the construction time period). Therefore, the problem of reduced compressive strength in the early aging stage caused by mixing granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) with concrete must certainly be resolved. In this study, we conduct experiments to explore methods for generating a concrete that develops an early strength equivalent to that of 100% OPC. The objective of this study is the development of an early-strength accelerator (ESA) made from an industrial by-product, for a GBFS-mixed cement mortar. This study also analyzes the mechanism of the early-strength generation in the concrete to evaluate the influence of the burning temperature of ESA on the optimal compressive strength of the concrete. According to the results of the experiment, GBFS, whose ESA is burnt at 800 °C, shows an activation factor of 102.6–104.7% in comparison with 100% OPC on the first and third days during early aging, thereby meeting the target compressive strength. The results of the micro-analytic experiment are as follows: ESA showed a pH of strongly alkaline. In addition, it was found that the content of SO3 was high in the chemical components, thus activating the hydration reaction of GBFS in the early age. This initial hydration reaction was thought to be due to the increase in the filling effect of the hydrate and the generation of C-S-H of the early age by the mass production of Ettringite. PMID:28880256

Chronic Illness and Generativity in Late Life: A Case Study.

PubMed

Hannum, Susan M; Black, Helen K; Rubinstein, Robert L; de Medeiros, Kate

2017-04-01

This article presents a narrative-based case study about chronic illness and genetic uncertainty and their relationship to generativity throughout the life course. Our focus is a woman who experienced vision loss early in life and interpreted its impact on her generativity through present-day biographical rescripting. The case we present was chosen from the study "Generativity and Lifestyles of Older Women," which explored life history, social relations, and forms of generativity in an ethnographic interview format with 200 older women. In constructing a present-day identity, the informant used shifting and conflicted self-constructions to produce a self-image as generative. Three critical themes emerged in understanding her life course: (a) retrospective interpretations of autonomy; (b) renegotiating control in the present, and (c) generativity across the life course. This article contributes an understanding of childlessness as observed through the lenses of chronic illness, autonomy, and generativity. We conclude that a history of chronic illness, as it is co-occurring with internal debates about the meaning of key life events, may influence older adults' present-day identity. Implications for later life care needs are discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

KSC-99pp0929

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-21

Entering the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is joined by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin (right), and in the background, Deputy Director of Business Operations Jim Jennings (far left) and Director of Installation Operations Marv Jones (right, behind Goldin). Mrs. Clinton and others are at the site to watch the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

Modeling Shasta Dam operations to regulate temperatures for Chinook salmon under extreme climate and climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, A.; Saito, L.; Sapin, J. R.; Rajagopalan, B.; Hanna, R. B.; Kauneckis, D. L.

2014-12-01

Chinook salmon populations have declined significantly after the construction of Shasta Dam on the Sacramento River in 1945 prevented them from spawning in the cold waters upstream. In 1994, the winter-run Chinook were listed under the Endangered Species Act and 3 years later the US Bureau of Reclamation began operating a temperature control device (TCD) on the dam that allows for selective withdrawal for downstream temperature control to promote salmon spawning while also maximizing power generation. However, dam operators are responsible to other interests that depend on the reservoir for water such as agriculture, municipalities, industry, and recreation. An increase in temperatures due to climate change may place additional strain on the ability of dam operations to maintain spawning habitat for salmon downstream of the dam. We examined the capability of Shasta Dam to regulate downstream temperatures under extreme climates and climate change by using stochastically generated streamflow, stream temperature, and weather inputs with a two-dimensional CE-QUAL-W2 model under several operational options. Operation performance was evaluated using degree days and cold pool volume (volume of water below a temperature threshold). Model results indicated that a generalized operations release schedule, in which release elevations varied over the year to match downstream temperature targets, performed best overall in meeting temperature targets while preserving cold pool volume. Releasing all water out the bottom throughout the year tended to meet temperature targets at the expense of depleting the cold pool, and releasing all water out uppermost gates preserved the cold pool, but released water that was too warm during the critical spawning period. With higher air temperatures due to climate change, both degree day and cold pool volume metrics were worse than baseline conditions, which suggests that Chinook salmon may be more negatively affected under climate change.

Lumbopelvic control and days missed due to injury in professional baseball pitchers

PubMed Central

Chaudhari, Ajit M.W.; McKenzie, Christopher S.; Pan, Xueliang; Oñate, James A.

2014-01-01

Background Recently lumbopelvic control has been linked to pitching performance, kinematics and loading; however, poor lumbopelvic control has not been prospectively investigated as a risk factor for injury in baseball pitchers. Hypothesis Pitchers with poor lumbopelvic control during spring training are more likely to miss 30 or more days due to injury through an entire baseball season than pitchers with good lumbopelvic control. Study design Cohort study. Methods Three hundred forty-seven professional baseball pitchers were enrolled into the study during the last 2 weeks of spring training and stayed with the same team for the entire season. Lumbopelvic control was quantified by peak anterior-posterior deviation of the pelvis relative to starting position during a single leg raise test (APScore). Days missed due to injury through the entire season were recorded by each team's medical staff. Results Higher APScore was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of missing 30 days or more (Chi-Square, p=0.023). When divided into tertiles based on their APScore, participants in the highest tertile were 3.0 times and 2.2 times more likely to miss at least 30 days throughout the course of a baseball season relative to those in the lowest or middle tertiles, respectively. Higher APScore was also significantly associated with missing more days due to injury within participants who missed at least one day to injury (ANOVA, p=0.018), with the highest tertile missing significantly more days (mean=98.6 d) than the middle tertile (mean=45.8d, p=0.017) or the lowest tertile (mean=43.8, p=0.017). Conclusion This study found that poor lumbopelvic control in professional pitchers was associated with increased risk of missing significant time due to injury. PMID:25159541

Normal pregnancy is associated with an increase in thrombin generation from the very early stages of the first trimester.

PubMed

Bagot, C N; Leishman, E; Onyiaodike, C C; Jordan, F; Freeman, D J

2017-09-01

Pregnancy is a hypercoagulable state associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis, which begins during the first trimester, but the exact time of onset is unknown. Thrombin generation, a laboratory marker of thrombosis risk, increases during normal pregnancy but it is unclear exactly how early this increase occurs. We assessed thrombin generation by Calibrated Automated Thrombography in women undergoing natural cycle in vitro fertilization, who subsequently gave birth at term following a normal pregnancy (n=22). Blood samples were taken just prior to conception and repeated five times during very early pregnancy, up to Day 59 estimated gestation. Mean Endogenous Thrombin Potential (ETP), peak thrombin generation and Velocity Index (VI) increased significantly from pre-pregnancy to Day 43 gestation (p=0.024-0.0004). This change persisted to Day 59 gestation. The mean of the percentage change from baseline, accounting for inter-individual variation, in ETP, peak thrombin and VI increased significantly from pre-pregnancy to Day 32 gestation (p=0.0351-<0.0001) with the mean increase from baseline persisting to Day 59 gestation. Thrombin generation increases significantly during the very early stages of normal pregnancy when compared to the pre-pregnancy state. The increased risk of venous thrombosis therefore likely begins very early in a woman's pregnancy, suggesting that women considered clinically to be at high thrombotic risk should start thromboprophylaxis as early as possible after a positive pregnancy test. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidence for Radiation-Induced Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation as a Major Cause of Radiation-Induced Death in Ferrets

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

Krigsfeld, Gabriel S.; Savage, Alexandria R.; Billings, Paul C.

Purpose: The studies reported here were performed as part of a program in space radiation biology in which proton radiation like that present in solar particle events, as well as conventional gamma radiation, were being evaluated in terms of the ability to affect hemostasis. Methods and Materials: Ferrets were exposed to 0 to 2 Gy of whole-body proton or gamma radiation and monitored for 30 days. Blood was analyzed for blood cell counts, platelet clumping, thromboelastometry, and fibrin clot formation. Results: The lethal dose of radiation to 50% of the population (LD{sub 50}) of the ferrets was established at ∼1.5 Gy, with 100%more » mortality at 2 Gy. Hypocoagulability was present as early as day 7 postirradiation, with animals unable to generate a stable clot and exhibiting signs of platelet aggregation, thrombocytopenia, and fibrin clots in blood vessels of organs. Platelet counts were at normal levels during the early time points postirradiation when coagulopathies were present and becoming progressively more severe; platelet counts were greatly reduced at the time of the white blood cell nadir of 13 days. Conclusions: Data presented here provide evidence that death at the LD{sub 50} in ferrets is most likely due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). These data question the current hypothesis that death at relatively low doses of radiation is due solely to the cell-killing effects of hematopoietic cells. The recognition that radiation-induced DIC is the most likely mechanism of death in ferrets raises the question of whether DIC is a contributing mechanism to radiation-induced death at relatively low doses in large mammals.« less

Changes in hippocampal synaptic functions and protein expression in monosodium glutamate-treated obese mice during development of glucose intolerance.

PubMed

Sasaki-Hamada, Sachie; Hojo, Yuki; Koyama, Hajime; Otsuka, Hayuma; Oka, Jun-Ichiro

2015-05-01

Glucose is the sole neural fuel for the brain and is essential for cognitive function. Abnormalities in glucose tolerance may be associated with impairments in cognitive function. Experimental obese model mice can be generated by an intraperitoneal injection of monosodium glutamate (MSG; 2 mg/g) once a day for 5 days from 1 day after birth. MSG-treated mice have been shown to develop glucose intolerance and exhibit chronic neuroendocrine dysfunction associated with marked cognitive malfunctions at 28-29  weeks old. Although hippocampal synaptic plasticity is impaired in MSG-treated mice, changes in synaptic transmission remain unknown. Here, we investigated whether glucose intolerance influenced cognitive function, synaptic properties and protein expression in the hippocampus. We demonstrated that MSG-treated mice developed glucose intolerance due to an impairment in the effectiveness of insulin actions, and showed cognitive impairments in the Y-maze test. Moreover, long-term potentiation (LTP) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 pyramidal synapses in hippocampal slices was impaired, and the relationship between the slope of extracellular field excitatory postsynaptic potential and stimulus intensity of synaptic transmission was weaker in MSG-treated mice. The protein levels of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 and GluA1 glutamate receptor subunits decreased in the CA1 region of MSG-treated mice. These results suggest that deficits in glutamatergic presynapses as well as postsynapses lead to impaired synaptic plasticity in MSG-treated mice during the development of glucose intolerance, though it remains unknown whether impaired LTP is due to altered inhibitory transmission. It may be important to examine changes in glucose tolerance in order to prevent cognitive malfunctions associated with diabetes. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evidence for radiation-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation as a major cause of radiation-induced death in ferrets.

PubMed

Krigsfeld, Gabriel S; Savage, Alexandria R; Billings, Paul C; Lin, Liyong; Kennedy, Ann R

2014-03-15

The studies reported here were performed as part of a program in space radiation biology in which proton radiation like that present in solar particle events, as well as conventional gamma radiation, were being evaluated in terms of the ability to affect hemostasis. Ferrets were exposed to 0 to 2 Gy of whole-body proton or gamma radiation and monitored for 30 days. Blood was analyzed for blood cell counts, platelet clumping, thromboelastometry, and fibrin clot formation. The lethal dose of radiation to 50% of the population (LD50) of the ferrets was established at ∼ 1.5 Gy, with 100% mortality at 2 Gy. Hypocoagulability was present as early as day 7 postirradiation, with animals unable to generate a stable clot and exhibiting signs of platelet aggregation, thrombocytopenia, and fibrin clots in blood vessels of organs. Platelet counts were at normal levels during the early time points postirradiation when coagulopathies were present and becoming progressively more severe; platelet counts were greatly reduced at the time of the white blood cell nadir of 13 days. Data presented here provide evidence that death at the LD50 in ferrets is most likely due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). These data question the current hypothesis that death at relatively low doses of radiation is due solely to the cell-killing effects of hematopoietic cells. The recognition that radiation-induced DIC is the most likely mechanism of death in ferrets raises the question of whether DIC is a contributing mechanism to radiation-induced death at relatively low doses in large mammals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dissolution of realgar by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the presence and absence of zerovalent iron: Implications for remediation of iron-deficient realgar tailings.

PubMed

Fan, Lijun; Zhao, Fenghua; Liu, Jing; Hudson-Edwards, Karen A

2018-06-06

Realgar (As 4 S 4 )-rich tailings are iron-deficient arsenical mine wastes. The mechanisms and products of the dissolution of realgar by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) in the presence (0.2 g and 2 g) and absence of zerovalent iron (ZVI) are investigated for three stages (each of 7 d with fresh A. ferrooxidans medium addition between the stages). SEM-EDX, FTIR, XPS and selective extraction analysis are used to characterize the solid-phase during the experiments. ZVI addition causes the systems to become more acid-generating, although pH increases are observed in the first day due to ZVI dissolution. Arsenic is released to solution due to realgar oxidation (∼30 mg L -1 in the 0 g ZVI system in Stage I), but low concentrations are observed in the ZVI-added systems (<5 mg L -1 ) and in Stages II and III of the 0 g ZVI system. As(III) dominates the released As(T) at day 1 (83-89% of As(T)), but is largely oxidized to As(V) at day 7 of each stage (53-98% of As(T)). Arsenic attenuation is attributed to the formation of mixed As-Fe oxyhydroxides and oxyhydroxy sulfates that take up released arsenic and are abundant in the 2.0 g ZVI system, and to passivation of the realgar surface. Consequently, a new strategy that combines A. ferrooxidans and exogenous ZVI addition for treating in-situ iron-deficient realgar-rich tailings is proposed, although its long-term effects need to be monitored. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Senescence marker protein-30/superoxide dismutase 1 double knockout mice exhibit increased oxidative stress and hepatic steatosis

PubMed Central

Kondo, Yoshitaka; Masutomi, Hirofumi; Noda, Yoshihiro; Ozawa, Yusuke; Takahashi, Keita; Handa, Setsuko; Maruyama, Naoki; Shimizu, Takahiko; Ishigami, Akihito

2014-01-01

Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) is an antioxidant enzyme that converts superoxide anion radicals into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. The senescence marker protein-30 (SMP30) is a gluconolactonase that functions as an antioxidant protein in mammals due to its involvement in ascorbic acid (AA) biosynthesis. SMP30 also participates in Ca2+ efflux by activating the calmodulin-dependent Ca2+-pump. To reveal the role of oxidative stress in lipid metabolism defects occurring in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease pathogenesis, we generated SMP30/SOD1-double knockout (SMP30/SOD1-DKO) mice and investigated their survival curves, plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, amounts of hepatic oxidative stress, and hepatic protein levels expressed by genes related to lipid metabolism. While SMP30/SOD1-DKO pups had no growth retardation by 14 days of age, they did have low plasma and hepatic AA levels. Thereafter, 39% and 53% of male and female pups died by 15–24 and 89 days of age, respectively. Compared to wild type, SMP30-KO and SOD1-KO mice, by 14 days SMP30/SOD1-DKO mice exhibited: (1) higher plasma levels of triglyceride and aspartate aminotransferase; (2) severe accumulation of hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol; (3) higher levels of superoxide anion radicals and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in livers; and (4) decreased mRNA and protein levels of Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in livers – ApoB is an essential component of VLDL secretion. These results suggest that high levels of oxidative stress due to concomitant deficiency of SMP30 and/or AA, and SOD1 cause abnormal plasma lipid metabolism, hepatic lipid accumulation and premature death resulting from impaired VLDL secretion. PMID:25003023

Estimates of adherence and error analysis of physical activity data collected via accelerometry in a large study of free-living adults.

PubMed

Paul, David R; Kramer, Matthew; Stote, Kim S; Spears, Karen E; Moshfegh, Alanna J; Baer, David J; Rumpler, William V

2008-06-09

Activity monitors (AM) are small, electronic devices used to quantify the amount and intensity of physical activity (PA). Unfortunately, it has been demonstrated that data loss that occurs when AMs are not worn by subjects (removals during sleeping and waking hours) tend to result in biased estimates of PA and total energy expenditure (TEE). No study has reported the degree of data loss in a large study of adults, and/or the degree to which the estimates of PA and TEE are affected. Also, no study in adults has proposed a methodology to minimize the effects of AM removals. Adherence estimates were generated from a pool of 524 women and men that wore AMs for 13 - 15 consecutive days. To simulate the effect of data loss due to AM removal, a reference dataset was first compiled from a subset consisting of 35 highly adherent subjects (24 HR; minimum of 20 hrs/day for seven consecutive days). AM removals were then simulated during sleep and between one and ten waking hours using this 24 HR dataset. Differences in the mean values for PA and TEE between the 24 HR reference dataset and the different simulations were compared using paired t-tests and/or coefficients of variation. The estimated average adherence of the pool of 524 subjects was 15.8 +/- 3.4 hrs/day for approximately 11.7 +/- 2.0 days. Simulated data loss due to AM removals during sleeping hours in the 24 HR database (n = 35), resulted in biased estimates of PA (p < 0.05), but not TEE. Losing as little as one hour of data from the 24 HR dataset during waking hours results in significant biases (p < 0.0001) and variability (coefficients of variation between 7 and 21%) in the estimates of PA. Inserting a constant value for sleep and imputing estimates for missing data during waking hours significantly improved the estimates of PA. Although estimated adherence was good, measurements of PA can be improved by relatively simple imputation of missing AM data.

Effects of long-range transported air pollution from vegetation fires on daily mortality and hospital admissions in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland.

PubMed

Kollanus, Virpi; Tiittanen, Pekka; Niemi, Jarkko V; Lanki, Timo

2016-11-01

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) emissions from vegetation fires can be transported over long distances and may cause significant air pollution episodes far from the fires. However, epidemiological evidence on health effects of vegetation-fire originated air pollution is limited, particularly for mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. We examined association between short-term exposure to long-range transported PM 2.5 from vegetation fires and daily mortality due to non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory causes and daily hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory causes in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. Days significantly affected by smoke from vegetation fires between 2001 and 2010 were identified using air quality measurements at an urban background and a regional background monitoring station, and modelled data on surface concentrations of vegetation-fire smoke. Associations between daily PM 2.5 concentration and health outcomes on i) smoke-affected days and ii) all other days (i.e. non-smoke days) were analysed using Poisson time series regression. All statistical models were adjusted for daily temperature and relative humidity, influenza, pollen, and public holidays. On smoke-affected days, 10µg/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 was associated with a borderline statistically significant increase in cardiovascular mortality among total population at a lag of three days (12.4%, 95% CI -0.2% to 26.5%), and among the elderly (≥65 years) following same-day exposure (13.8%, 95% CI -0.6% to 30.4%) and at a lag of three days (11.8%, 95% CI -2.2% to 27.7%). Smoke day PM 2.5 was not associated with non-accidental mortality or hospital admissions due to cardiovascular causes. However, there was an indication of a positive association with hospital admissions due to respiratory causes among the elderly, and admissions due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma among the total population. In contrast, on non-smoke days PM 2.5 was generally not associated with the health outcomes, apart from suggestive small positive effects on non-accidental mortality at a lag of one day among the elderly and hospital admissions due to all respiratory causes following same-day exposure among the total population. Our research provides suggestive evidence for an association of exposure to long-range transported PM 2.5 from vegetation fires with increased cardiovascular mortality, and to a lesser extent with increased hospital admissions due to respiratory causes. Hence, vegetation-fire originated air pollution may have adverse effects on public health over a distance of hundreds to thousands of kilometres from the fires. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of the precerebellar nuclei in the rat: IV. The anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream and the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and the basal pontine gray.

PubMed

Altman, J; Bayer, S A

1987-03-22

Sequential thymidine radiograms from rats injected on days E16, E17, E18, and E19 and killed 2 hours after injection and at daily intervals up to day E22 were used to establish the site of origin, migratory route, and settling patterns of neurons of the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis and basal pontine gray. The nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis neurons, which are produced predominantly on days E15 and E16, derive from the primary precerebellar neuroepithelium. These cells, unlike those of the lateral reticular and external cuneate nuclei, take an anteroventral subpial route, forming the anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream. This migratory stream reaches the anterior pole of the pons by day E18. In rats injected on day E16 and killed on day E18 some of the cells that reach the pons are unlabeled, indicating that they represent the early component of neurons generated on day E15. The cells labeled on day E16 begin to settle in the pons on day E19, 3 days after their production. These cells, migrating in an orderly temporal sequence, form a posterodorsal-to-anteroventral gradient in the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis. Unlike the neurons of all the other precerebellar nuclei, the basal pontine gray neurons derive from the secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium. The secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium forms on day E16 as an outgrowth of the primary precerebellar neuroepithelium, and it remains mitotically active through day E19, spanning the entire period of basal pontine gray neurogenesis. The secondary precerebellar neuroepithelium is surrounded by a horizontal layer of postmitotic cells, representing the head-waters of the anterior precerebellar extramural migratory stream. In rats injected on day E18 and killed on day E19 the cells are labeled in the proximal half of the stream around the medulla but those closer to the pons are unlabeled, indicating an orderly sequence of migration. In rats injected on day E18 and killed on day E20 the labeled cells reach the pole of the pons. In the basal pontine gray the sequentially generated neurons settle in a precise order. The neurons generated on day E16 form a small core posteriorly and the neurons generated on days E17, E18, and E19 form regular concentric rings around the core in an inside-out sequence.

Impact on Employee Productivity From Presenteeism and Absenteeism: Evidence From a Multinational Firm in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Fernando, Mario; Caputi, Peter; Ashbury, Fred

2017-07-01

This study examines the effects of 13 psychological and physical health conditions on work productivity. One hundred fifty-two staff at the headquarters of a Sri Lankan multinational firm completed a questionnaire asking whether they experienced 13 health conditions common in workplaces, and about their related absenteeism and presenteeism. Most respondents (85.5%) reported absenteeism, presenteeism, or both. Among those reporting a health condition, 57.6% reported losing days due to absenteeism, and 69.5% reported losing additional days to presenteeism. Among those caring for a sick adult or child, 57.3% reported losing days due to absenteeism, and 36.5% reported losing additional days due to presenteeism. Overall productivity loss was 10.43 days each year, 3.95% of employee capacity, equating to about Sri Lanka Rupees 8 million (US$54,421) for all headquarters employees. The health conditions' effects on productivity significantly increased employee costs.

[Work days lost due to health problems in industry].

PubMed

Yano, Sylvia Regina Trindade; Santana, Vilma Sousa

2012-05-01

This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence of work days lost due to health problems and associated factors among industrial workers. The study population was a simple random cluster sample of 3,403 workers from 16 to 65 years of age in the city of Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil. Data were collected with individual home interviews. Among industrial workers, one-year prevalence of work days lost to health problems was 12.5%, of which 5.5% were directly work-related and 4.1% aggravated by work. There were no statistically significant differences when compared to other worker categories. Self-perceived workplace hazards, history of work-related injury, and poor self-rated health were associated with work days lost due to work-related injuries/diseases. The findings showed that work days lost are common among both industrial and non-industrial workers, thereby affecting productivity and requiring prevention programs.

[Differences between immediate and 30-day deaths due to traffic injuries according to forensic sources].

PubMed

Barbería, Eneko; Suelves, Josep M; Xifró, Alexandre; Medallo, Jordi

2015-09-01

To study immediate (same day of the collision) and delayed (within 30 days of the collision) deaths due to traffic injuries in Catalonia (Spain) according to forensic sources and to assess the differences between the two kinds of deaths. An observational study was conducted of all the traffic accident deaths registered in the Institute of Legal Medicine of Catalonia between January 1(st) 2005 and December 31(st) 2014. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS v.18.0 statistical package. Comparisons of proportions were based on the χ(2) test. During the study period, 4044 deaths due to traffic injuries were recorded. Deaths within 30 days included more women, minors, elderly people, and pedestrians than immediate deaths. Traffic injury deaths in the 30 days following a crash differ from immediate deaths. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The value of electricity storage in energy-only electricity markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnell, D.; Forcey, T.; Sandiford, M.

2015-12-01

Price volatility and the prospect of increasing renewable energy generation have raised interest in the potential opportunities for storage technologies in energy-only electricity markets. In this paper we explore the value of a price-taking storage device in such a market, the National Electricity Market (NEM) in Australia. Our analysis suggests that under optimal operation, there is little value in having more than six hours of storage in this market. However, the inability to perfectly forecast wholesale prices, particularly extreme price spikes, may warrant some additional storage. We found that storage devices effectively provide a similar service as peak generators (such as Open Cycle Gas Turbines) and are similarly dependent on and exposed to extreme price events, with revenue for a merchant generator highly skewed to a few days of the year. In contrast to previous studies, this results in the round trip efficiency of the storage being relatively insignificant. Financing using hedging strategies similar to a peak generator effectively reduces the variability of revenue and exposure of storage to extreme prices. Our case study demonstrates that storage may have a competitive advantage over other peaking generators on the NEM, due to its ability to earn revenue outside of extreme peak events. As a consequence the outlook for storage options on the NEM is dependent on volatility, in turn dependent on capacity requirements. Further to this, increased integration of renewable energy may both depend on storage and improve the outlook for storage in technologies in electricity markets.

The Use of a Poisson Regression to Evaluate Antihistamines and Fatal Aircraft Mishaps in Instrument Meteorological Conditions.

PubMed

Gildea, Kevin M; Hileman, Christy R; Rogers, Paul; Salazar, Guillermo J; Paskoff, Lawrence N

2018-04-01

Research indicates that first-generation antihistamine usage may impair pilot performance by increasing the likelihood of vestibular illusions, spatial disorientation, and/or cognitive impairment. Second- and third-generation antihistamines generally have fewer impairing side effects and are approved for pilot use. We hypothesized that toxicological findings positive for second- and third-generation antihistamines are less likely to be associated with pilots involved in fatal mishaps than first-generation antihistamines. The evaluated population consisted of 1475 U.S. civil pilots fatally injured between September 30, 2008, and October 1, 2014. Mishap factors evaluated included year, weather conditions, airman rating, recent airman flight time, quarter of year, and time of day. Due to the low prevalence of positive antihistamine findings, a count-based model was selected, which can account for rare outcomes. The means and variances were close for both regression models supporting the assumption that the data follow a Poisson distribution; first-generation antihistamine mishap airmen (N = 582, M = 0.17, S2 = 0.17) with second- and third-generation antihistamine mishap airmen (N = 116, M = 0.20, S2 = 0.18). The data indicate fewer airmen with second- and third-generation antihistamines than first-generation antihistamines in their system are fatally injured while flying in IMC conditions. Whether the lower incidence is a factor of greater usage of first-generation antihistamines versus second- and third-generation antihistamines by the pilot population or fewer deleterious side effects with second- and third-generation antihistamines is unclear. These results engender cautious optimism, but additional research is necessary to determine why these differences exist.Gildea KM, Hileman CR, Rogers P, Salazar GJ, Paskoff LN. The use of a Poisson regression to evaluate antihistamines and fatal aircraft mishaps in instrument meteorological conditions. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(4):389-395.

[Inbreeding process and establishment of new inbred lines derived from the Japanese house mouse, Mus musculus molossinus].

PubMed

Nomaguchi, T A; Sakurai, Y

1993-04-01

Inbreeding of 8 groups in molossinus mouse began in (Miura female x Urawa male) F1 (MU) from the stock captured in the Kanto district of Japan and were accomplished by each primiparous littermates. The animals were kept under a clean conventional condition at 23.5 +/- 2.5 degrees C and 50 +/- 5% in relative humidity. Pellet feed, CRF-1, and tap water were provided ad libitum. The respective number of inbreeding generations of MUA, MUF and MUG now exceeds F21, F20 and F22, respectively. Inbreeding of MUD and MUE have reached to F18 up to now, but the other 3 groups became extinct at F10. Time required for inbreeding from F0 to F20 was 2,280 days for MUA, 2,454 days for MUF and 2,143 days for MUG. Generation time was 114.0 +/- 47.2 days for MUA, 122.7 +/- 54.6 days for MUF and 107.2 +/- 48.5 days for MUG. Though the generation time varied from a minimum of 60 days to a maximum of 258 days from F0 to F10 in the inbreeding process (mean: 150.2 +/- 41.7 days), which were shortened from F10 and the mean was 79.0 +/- 29.1 days. In the breeding of the molossinus mouse, primiparous age was 124.5 +/- 29.7 days from F0 to F9 and 77.8 +/- 9.3 days from F10 to F19. The litter size was 5.1 +/- 1.3 for MUA and 5.0 +/- 1.3 for MUG in offspring, 5.0 +/- 1.2 and 4.9 +/- 1.2 in weanling, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Verb Generation in Children and Adolescents with Acute Cerebellar Lesions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, B.; Schoch, B.; Hein-Kropp, C.; Dimitrova, A.; Hovel, M.; Ziegler, W.; Gizewski, E. R.; Timmann, D.

2007-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine verb generation in a larger group of children and adolescents with acute focal lesions of the cerebellum. Nine children and adolescents with cerebellar tumours participated. Subjects were tested a few days after tumour surgery. For comparison, a subgroup was tested also 1 or 2 days before surgery. None…

Hospital waste management in Brazil: a case study.

PubMed

Mattoso, V D; Schalch, V

2001-12-01

The evaluation of the current definition, classification and quantification of hospital waste being carried out by hospitals in different countries is extremely important to avoid improper waste management practices. In this work, the waste management from a 400-bed Brazilian hospital which generates about 386 kg per day of hospital waste was studied. The generation rate of just over one kg per bed per day was considered small, although more than 50% of the waste from non-isolation wards consisted of food waste. It was also interesting to note that the highest generation rate per patient per day was found in private rooms and the lowest rate in the public ones. The waste practices used in this hospital are discussed in terms of current Brazilian legislation.

Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in Vermont, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horn, M.A.; Medalie, Laura

1996-01-01

Estimated freshwater withdrawals during 1990 in Vermont totaled about 632 million gallons per day. The largest withdrawals were for thermoelectric- power generation (82 percent), industrial use (7 percent), and public supply (6 percent). Most withdrawals, 587 million gallons per day, were made from surface-water sources as compared to 44.9 million gallons per day from ground-water sources. The largest withdrawals were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascomo River Basin (525 million gallons per day). About 17,700 million gallons per day were used instream for hydroelectric-poser generation, the largest of which were in the Upper Connecticut-Mascoma and Otter River Basins. Other information describing water-use patters is shown in tables, bar graphs, pie charts, maps, and accompanying text. The data are aggregated by river basin (hydrologic cataloging unit), and all amounts are reports in million gallons per day.

The influence of prophylactic factor VIII in severe hemophilia A

PubMed Central

Gissel, Matthew; Whelihan, Matthew F; Ferris, Lauren A; Mann, Kenneth G; Rivard, Georges E; Brummel-Ziedins, Kathleen E

2013-01-01

Introduction Hemophilia A individuals displaying a similar genetic defect have heterogeneous clinical phenotypes. Aim To evaluate the underlying effect of exogenous factor (f)VIII on tissue factor (Tf)-initiated blood coagulation in severe hemophilia utilizing both empirical and computational models. Methods We investigated twenty-five clinically severe hemophilia A patients. All individuals were on fVIII prophylaxis and had not received fVIII from 0.25 to 4 days prior to phlebotomy. Coagulation was initiated by the addition of Tf to contact-pathway inhibited whole blood ± an anti-fVIII antibody. Aliquots were quenched over 20 min and analyzed for thrombin generation and fibrin formation. Coagulation factor levels were obtained and used to computationally predict thrombin generation with fVIII set to either zero or its value at the time of the draw. Results Due to prophylactic fVIII, at the time of the blood draw, the individuals had fVIII levels that ranged from <1% to 22%. Thrombin generation (maximum level and rate) in both empirical and computational systems increased as the level of fVIII increased. FXIII activation rates also increased as the fVIII level increased. Upon suppression of fVIII, thrombin generation became comparable in both systems. Plasma composition analysis showed a negative correlation between bleeding history and computational thrombin generation in the absence of fVIII. Conclusion Residual prophylactic fVIII directly causes an increase in thrombin generation and fibrin cross-linking in individuals with clinically severe hemophilia A. The combination of each individual's coagulation factors (outside of fVIII) determine each individual's baseline thrombin potential and may affect bleeding risk. PMID:21899664

Daily stress and emotional well-being among Asian American adolescents: same-day, lagged, and chronic associations.

PubMed

Kiang, Lisa; Buchanan, Christy M

2014-02-01

Daily-diary data from 180 Asian American 9th-10th graders (58% female, 75% second generation; M age = 14.97 years) were used to investigate how family, school, and peer stress are each associated with same-day and next-day (lagged) well-being, and vice versa. Hierarchical linear modeling provided support for reciprocal links when considering same-day reports. More daily stress was associated with lower same-day happiness and higher distress and anxiety. At the same time, well-being was associated with same-day stress, although the specific patterns were not as consistent and varied somewhat by stress domain. With a 1-day lag between daily experiences, stress was not associated with next-day well-being, but daily distress was associated with more next-day family stress. Females and first-generation adolescents were particularly vulnerable to daily stress and well-being processes. Sustained effects were also found in that chronic experiences of school stress over the 14-day period were associated with higher reports of depression and anxiety.

21 CFR 60.26 - Final action on regulatory review period determinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... final upon expiration of the 180-day period for filing a due diligence petition under § 60.30 unless FDA... determination; (3) A due diligence petition filed under § 60.30; or (4) A request for a hearing filed under § 60... expiration of the 180-day period for filing a due diligence petition; or (2) If FDA has received a request...

Effect of Hydrodynamics on Particle Transport in Saturated Fractures: Experimental and Simulation Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cianflone, S.; Lakhian, V.; Dickson, S. E.

2014-12-01

Approximately one third of Canadians and Americans use groundwater as their source of drinking water. Porous media aquifers typically provide significant filtration of particulate contaminants (e.g., viruses, bacteria, protozoa). Fractured media, however, does not provide the same degree of filtration, and in fact often acts as a pathway for particulates to migrate, typically at much greater velocities than in porous media. Fractured aquifers, therefore, are significantly more vulnerable to particulate contamination than unconsolidated porous media. Thus, understanding in the mechanisms of particle migration and retention in fractures is important for the protection and management of these drinking water sources. The purpose of this work was to investigate the role of hydrodynamics on particle transport in saturated, variable aperture fractures. A 2D fracture was randomly generated with an average aperture of approximately 2mm. The fracture was inscribed into pieces of poly(methyl methacrylate), thus creating a pseudo-2D fracture (the xy fracture domain is invariant in z). Transport experiments using fluorescent microspheres (0.05 um, 0.5 um, and 0.75 um) were performed at 2.6 m/day, 26 m/day and 113 m/day and the resulting breakthrough curves were measured. These breakthrough curves included various shoulders and artifacts that were repeatable and could be used to evaluate the quality of a model. COMSOL Multiphysics, was used to generate an average flow field through the 2D fracture by numerically solving the steady-state Navier-Stokes equation. In order to have a 3D realization of the flow field, a parabolic flow regime was assumed in the z-axis and used to scale the average flow field. Random walk particle tracking was utilized to generate breakthrough curves; however, the Brownian motion and local fluid shear mechanisms needed to be considered in addition to the standard movement of particles via the local flow field in order to appropriately model the experimental results. These results suggest that local hydrodynamics are important in defining the transport of particles through a fracture. We plan to discuss further applications, general statistics, and particle retention in fractures due to hydrodynamics and ultimately the role of fracture geometry in particle transport.

Computer-generated reminders and quality of pediatric HIV care in a resource-limited setting.

PubMed

Were, Martin C; Nyandiko, Winstone M; Huang, Kristin T L; Slaven, James E; Shen, Changyu; Tierney, William M; Vreeman, Rachel C

2013-03-01

To evaluate the impact of clinician-targeted computer-generated reminders on compliance with HIV care guidelines in a resource-limited setting. We conducted this randomized, controlled trial in an HIV referral clinic in Kenya caring for HIV-infected and HIV-exposed children (<14 years of age). For children randomly assigned to the intervention group, printed patient summaries containing computer-generated patient-specific reminders for overdue care recommendations were provided to the clinician at the time of the child's clinic visit. For children in the control group, clinicians received the summaries, but no computer-generated reminders. We compared differences between the intervention and control groups in completion of overdue tasks, including HIV testing, laboratory monitoring, initiating antiretroviral therapy, and making referrals. During the 5-month study period, 1611 patients (49% female, 70% HIV-infected) were eligible to receive at least 1 computer-generated reminder (ie, had an overdue clinical task). We observed a fourfold increase in the completion of overdue clinical tasks when reminders were availed to providers over the course of the study (68% intervention vs 18% control, P < .001). Orders also occurred earlier for the intervention group (77 days, SD 2.4 days) compared with the control group (104 days, SD 1.2 days) (P < .001). Response rates to reminders varied significantly by type of reminder and between clinicians. Clinician-targeted, computer-generated clinical reminders are associated with a significant increase in completion of overdue clinical tasks for HIV-infected and exposed children in a resource-limited setting.

Variation of nitric oxide concentration before the Kobe earthquake, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuda, Tokiyoshi; Ikeya, Motoji

The variation and spatial distribution of the atmospheric concentration of nitric oxide (NO) near the epicenter of the Kobe earthquake at local time 5:46, 17 January 1995 have been studied using data at monitoring stations of the local environmental protection agencies. The concentration of NO 8 days before the earthquake was 199 ppb, about ten times larger than the average peak level of 19 ppb, accompanying the retrospectively reported precursory earthquake lightning, increase of radon concentration in well water and of the counts of electromagnetic (EM) signals. The reported thunderstorm over the Japan Sea about 150 km away was too far for the thunder-generated NO to reach the epicenter area. The concentration of NO was also found to have increased before other major earthquakes (Magnitude>5.0) in Japan. Atmospheric discharges by electric charges or EM waves before earthquakes may have generated NO. However, the generation of NO by human activities of fuel combustion soon after holidays is enormously high every year, which makes it difficult to clearly link the increase with the earthquakes. The increase soon after the earthquake due to traffic jams is clear. The concentration of NO should be monitored at a several sites away from human activities as background data of natural variation and to study its generation at a seismic area before a large earthquake.

Present-day deformation across the Basin and Range Province, western United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thatcher, W.; Foulger, G.R.; Julian, B.R.; Svarc, J.; Quilty, E.; Bawden, G.W.

1999-01-01

The distribution of deformation within the Basin and Range province was determined from 1992, 1996, and 1998 surveys of a dense, 800-kilometer- aperture, Global Positioning System network, Internal deformation generally follows the pattern of Holocene fault distribution and is concentrated near the western extremity of the province, with lesser amounts focused near the eastern boundary. Little net deformation occurs across the central 500 kilometers of the network in western Utah and eastern Nevada. Concentration of deformation adjacent to the rigid Sierra Nevada block indicates that external plate-driving forces play an important role in driving deformation, modulating the extensional stress field generated by internal buoyancy forces that are due to lateral density gradients and topography near the province boundaries.

Single-cycle high-intensity electromagnetic pulse generation in the interaction of a plasma wakefield with regular nonlinear structures.

PubMed

Bulanov, S S; Esirkepov, T Zh; Kamenets, F F; Pegoraro, F

2006-03-01

The interaction of regular nonlinear structures (such as subcycle solitons, electron vortices, and wake Langmuir waves) with a strong wake wave in a collisionless plasma can be exploited in order to produce ultrashort electromagnetic pulses. The electromagnetic field of the nonlinear structure is partially reflected by the electron density modulations of the incident wake wave and a single-cycle high-intensity electromagnetic pulse is formed. Due to the Doppler effect the length of this pulse is much shorter than that of the nonlinear structure. This process is illustrated with two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The considered laser-plasma interaction regimes can be achieved in present day experiments and can be used for plasma diagnostics.

Modeling of Lunar Dust Contamination Due to Plume Impingement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woronowicz, Michael

2009-01-01

During the Apollo missions it became apparent that lunar dust was a significant hazard. Problems included: surface obscuration during landing sequence; abrasion damage to gouge faces and helmet visors; mechanism clogging; development of space suit pressurization leaks; loss of radiator heat rejection capabilities to the point where vulnerable equipment exceeded maximum survival temperature ratings; temporary vision and respiratory problems within the Apollo Lunar Module (LM). NASA Constellation Program features many system-level components, including the Altair Lunar Lander. Altair to endure longer periods at lunar surface conditions: Apollo LM, about three days; Altair, over seven months. Program managers interested in plume-generated dust transport onto thermal control surface radiators of the first Altair created by its own landing operations.

Improved accuracy of solar energy system testing and measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waterman, R. E.

1984-12-01

A real world example is provided of recovery of data on the performance of a solar collector system in the field. Kalman filters were devised to reconstruct data from sensors which had functioned only intermittently over the 3-day trial period designed to quantify phenomena in the collector loop, i.e., hot water delivered to storage. The filter was configured to account for errors in data on the heat exchanger coil differential temperature and mass flow rate. Data were then generated based on a matrix of state equations, taking into account the presence of time delays due to tank stratification and convective flows. Good correlations were obtained with data from other sensors for the flow rate, system temperatures and the energy delivered to storage.

The McKeown Thesis: A Historical Controversy and Its Enduring Influence

PubMed Central

Colgrove, James

2002-01-01

The historical analyses of Thomas McKeown attributed the modern rise in the world population from the 1700s to the present to broad economic and social changes rather than to targeted public health or medical interventions. His work generated considerable controversy in the 1970s and 1980s, and it continues to stimulate support, criticism, and commentary to the present day, in spite of his conclusions' having been largely discredited by subsequent research. The ongoing resonance of his work is due primarily to the importance of the question that underlay it: Are public health ends better served by targeted interventions or by broad-based efforts to redistribute the social, political, and economic resources that determine the health of populations? PMID:11988435

Feasibility of satellite quantum key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonato, C.; Tomaello, A.; Da Deppo, V.; Naletto, G.; Villoresi, P.

2009-04-01

In this paper, we present a novel analysis of the feasibility of quantum key distribution between a LEO satellite and a ground station. First of all, we study signal propagation through a turbulent atmosphere for uplinks and downlinks, discussing the contribution of beam spreading and beam wandering. Then we introduce a model for the background noise of the channel during night-time and day-time, calculating the signal-to-noise ratio for different configurations. We also discuss the expected error-rate due to imperfect polarization compensation in the channel. Finally, we calculate the expected key generation rate of a secure key for different configurations (uplink, downlink) and for different protocols (BB84 with and without decoy states, entanglement-based Ekert91 protocol).

Waste management in small hospitals: trouble for environment.

PubMed

Pant, Deepak

2012-07-01

Small hospitals are the grassroots for the big hospital structures, so proper waste management practices require to be initiated from there. Small hospitals contribute a lot in the health care facilities, but due to their poor waste management practices, they pose serious biomedical waste pollution. A survey was conducted with 13 focus questions collected from the 100 hospital present in Dehradun. Greater value of per day per bed waste was found among the small hospitals (178 g compared with 114 g in big hospitals), indicating unskilled waste management practices. Small hospitals do not follow the proper way for taking care of segregation of waste generated in the hospital, and most biomedical wastes were collected without segregation into infectious and noninfectious categories.

KSC-99pp0881

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Members of the U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer Team are greeted by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin as they disembark from a plane at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station. They arrived with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93 scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the release of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe

The McKeown thesis: a historical controversy and its enduring influence.

PubMed

Colgrove, James

2002-05-01

The historical analyses of Thomas McKeown attributed the modern rise in the world population from the 1700s to the present to broad economic and social changes rather than to targeted public health or medical interventions. His work generated considerable controversy in the 1970s and 1980s, and it continues to stimulate support, criticism, and commentary to the present day, in spite of his conclusions' having been largely discredited by subsequent research. The ongoing resonance of his work is due primarily to the importance of the question that underlay it: Are public health ends better served by targeted interventions or by broad-based efforts to redistribute the social, political, and economic resources that determine the health of populations?

The longer the better: Sleep-wake patterns during preparation of the World Rowing Junior Championships.

PubMed

Kölling, Sarah; Steinacker, Jürgen M; Endler, Stefan; Ferrauti, Alexander; Meyer, Tim; Kellmann, Michael

2016-01-01

Recovery is essential for high athletic performance, and therefore especially sleep has been identified as a crucial source for physical and psychological well-being. However, due to early-morning trainings, which are general practice in many sports, athletes are likely to experience sleep restrictions. Therefore, this study investigated the sleep-wake patterns of 55 junior national rowers (17.7 ± 0.6 years) via sleep logs and actigraphy during a four-week training camp. Recovery and stress ratings were obtained every morning with the Short Recovery and Stress Scale on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 0 (does not apply at all) to 6 (fully applies). The first training session was scheduled for 6:30 h every day. With two to four training sessions per day, the training load was considerably increased from athletes' home training. Objective sleep measures (n = 14) revealed less total sleep time (TST) in the first two weeks (409.6 ± 19.1 and 416.0 ± 16.3 min), while training volume and intensity were higher. In the second half of the camp, less training sessions were implemented, more afternoons were training free and TSTs were longer (436.3 ± 15.8 and 456.9 ± 25.7 min). A single occasion of 1.5-h delayed bedtime and usual early morning training (6:30 h) resulted in reduced ratings of Overall Recovery (OR) (M = 3.3 ± 1.3) and greater Negative Emotional State (NES) (M = 1.3 ± 1.2, p < .05), which returned to baseline on the next day. Following an extended night due to the only training-free day, sleep-offset times were shifted from ~5:30 to ~8:00 h, and each recovery and stress score improved (p < .01). Moreover, subjective ratings of the first six days were summarised as a baseline score to generate reference data as well as to explore the association between sleep and recovery. Intercorrelations of these sleep parameters emphasised the relationship between restful sleep and falling asleep quickly (r = .34, p < .05) as well as few awakenings (r = .35, p < .05). Overall, the findings highlight the impact of sleep on subjective recovery measures in the setting of a training camp. Providing the opportunity of extended sleep (and a day off) seems the most simple and effective strategy to enhance recovery and stress-related ratings.

Interactions between moist heating and dynamics in atmospheric predictability

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

Straus, D.M.; Huntley, M.A.

1994-02-01

The predictability properties of a fixed heating version of a GCM in which the moist heating is specified beforehand are studied in a series of identical twin experiments. Comparison is made to an identical set of experiments using the control GCM, a five-level R30 version of the COLA GCM. The experiments each contain six ensembles, with a single ensemble consisting of six 30-day integrations starting from slightly perturbed Northern Hemisphere wintertime initial conditions. The moist heating from each integration within a single control ensemble was averaged over the ensemble. This averaged heating (a function of three spatial dimensions and time)more » was used as the prespecified heating in each member of the corresponding fixed heating ensemble. The errors grow less rapidly in the fixed heating case. The most rapidly growing scales at small times (global wavenumber 6) have doubling times of 3.2 days compared to 2.4 days for the control experiments. The predictability times for the most energetic scales (global wavenumbers 9-12) are about two weeks for the fixed heating experiments, compared to 9 days for the control. The ratio of error energy in the fixed heating to the control case falls below 0.5 by day 8, and then gradually increases as the error growth slows in the control case. The growth of errors is described in terms of budgets of error kinetic energy (EKE) and error available potential energy (EAPE) developed in terms of global wavenumber n. The diabatic generation of EAPE (G[sub APE]) is positive in the control case and is dominated by midlatitude heating errors after day 2. The fixed heating G[sub APE] is negative at all times due to longwave radiative cooling. 36 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.« less

[Economic impact of AFId management with modern management system in Intensive Care patients: comparison between ICUs].

PubMed

Fuoco, Giovanni; Di Giulio, Paola

2016-01-01

. Economic impact of AFId management with modern management systems in Intensive Care patients: comparison between ICUs. Acute fecal incontinence associated with diarrhea (AFId) affects up to 40% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and may be responsible for pressure ulcers (PU). The FMS (Fecal Management System) though improving the management of these patients is not often provided due to its cost. To measure the costs of the use of FMS compared to routine care in three intensive care units (ICU) of Piedmont (Italy). All patients admitted from January to June 2016, > 18 years with at least three AFId episodes in the previous 24 hours were included. The costs for hygiene, medications and nursing time spent were calculated on 10 patients without FMS, accounting for the mean number of diarrhea attacks (3.04 per day), and mean days of FMS use. The FMS generated savings compared to routine care in nursing time, equipments for hygiene and pressure sores medications in patients with sacral sores. Savings depended on length of use (LoU) of the device: ICU with 10 patients (7 with PUs), mean LoU FMS 11.9 days, savings 1.210 euros; ICU with 10 patients (2 with PUs), mean LoU FMS 17.3 days, savings 5.317 euros; ICU with 45 patients (11 with PUs) mean LoU FMS 9.3 days, cost increase 1.057 euros. The cost of FMS is quickly amortised in patients with PUs. No FMS patients developed a new PUs. The FMS gives rise to savings when used in patients with PUs or for more than 10 days. The savings related to the prevention of PUs should be also added.

Gas generation at a municipal waste combustor ash monofill -- Franklin, New Hampshire

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

Musselman, C.N.; Straub, W.A.; Bidwell, J.N.

1997-12-31

The characterization of landfill gas generated at municipal solid waste landfills has received significant attention in recent years. Generation of landfill gas at municipal waste combustor ash monofills is generally assumed to be negligible and there is little, if any, published information available concerning the characteristics of gas generated at ash monofills. The lined residue landfill in Franklin, New Hampshire, USA has been accepting combined ash (bottom ash, fly ash, scrubber product from direct dry lime injection) from a 500 ton per day mass burn waste to energy facility in Concord, NH from 1989 through the present. In March, 1996,more » landfill operators noticed gaseous emissions from cleanout lines connected to the landfill`s primary leachate collection system beneath the landfilled residue. The landfill staff tested these emissions with a hand-held LEL meter, which tripped alarms for low O{sub 2} and explosiveness. Subsequently, a comprehensive program was completed to sample and analyze the gaseous emissions. Temperatures within the landfill mass were unexpectedly found to be as high as 156 F, higher than typical in an MSW landfill, presumably due to exothermic chemical reactions within the residue. Methane concentrations were found to be very low, and oxygen was present, although at depressed concentrations. Methanogenic bacterial activity does not appear to play a major role in gas generation in a residue landfill. Hydrogen gas was measured at significant concentrations. The hydrogen gas is postulated to be generated by reactions of elemental aluminum within the landfilled residue. These hydrogen generating aluminum reactions may be accelerated at elevated pH levels resulting from the presence of dry lime scrubber product. Volatile organic compounds were present in concentrations at the low end of concentrations generally reported for MSW landfills.« less

Hepatoprotective activity of bacoside A against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced liver toxicity in adult rats.

PubMed

Janani, Panneerselvam; Sivakumari, Kanakarajan; Parthasarathy, Chandrakesan

2009-10-01

N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) is a notorious carcinogen, present in many environmental factors. DEN induces oxidative stress and cellular injury due to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species; free radical scavengers protect the membranes from DEN-induced damage. The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effect of bacoside A (the active principle isolated from Bacopa monniera Linn.) on carcinogen-induced damage in rat liver. Adult male albino rats were pretreated with 15 mg/kg body weight/day of bacoside A orally (for 14 days) and then intoxicated with single necrogenic dose of N-nitrosodiethylamine (200 mg/kg bodyweight, intraperitonially) and maintained for 7 days. The liver weight, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and activity of serum marker enzymes (aspartate transaminases, alanine transaminases, lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) were markedly increased in carcinogen-administered rats, whereas the activities of marker enzymes were near normal in bacoside A-pretreated rats. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutatione-S-transferase, and reduced glutathione) in liver also decreased in carcinogen-administered rats, which were significantly elevated in bacoside A-pretreated rats. It is concluded that pretreatment of bacoside A prevents the elevation of LPO and activity of serum marker enzymes and maintains the antioxidant system and thus protects the rats from DEN-induced hepatotoxicity.

Impact of biogas digesters on wood utilisation and self-reported back pain for women living on rural Kenyan smallholder dairy farms.

PubMed

Dohoo, Carolyn; VanLeeuwen, John; Read Guernsey, Judith; Critchley, Kim; Gibson, Mark

2013-01-01

Women living on rural Kenyan dairy farms spend significant amounts of time collecting wood for cooking. Biogas digesters, which generate biogas for cooking from the anaerobic decomposition of livestock manure, are an alternative fuel source. The objective of this study was to quantify the quality of life and health benefits of installing biogas digesters on rural Kenyan dairy farms with respect to wood utilisation. Women from 62 farms (31 biogas farms and 31 referent farms) participated in interviews to determine reliance on wood and the impact of biogas digesters on this reliance. Self-reported back pain, time spent collecting wood and money spent on wood were significantly lower (p < 0.01) for the biogas group, compared to referent farms. Multivariable linear regression showed that wood consumption increased by 2 lbs/day for each additional family member living on a farm. For an average family of three people, the addition of one cow was associated with increased wood consumption by 1.0 lb/day on biogas farms but by 4.4 lbs/day on referent farms (significant interaction variable - likely due to additional hot water for cleaning milk collection equipment). Biogas digesters represent a potentially important technology that can reduce reliance on wood fuel and improve health for Kenyan dairy farmers.

Acute and subchronic effects of bilastine (20 and 40 mg) and hydroxyzine (50 mg) on actual driving performance in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Conen, Silke; Theunissen, Eef L; Van Oers, Anita C M; Valiente, Román; Ramaekers, Johannes G

2011-11-01

Bilastine is a new second-generation H1 antagonist. Although bilastine has been demonstrated to produce little or no performance impairment in laboratory tests, it cannot be excluded that it produces impairments in real-life performance such as driving. This study aims to assess the effects of two doses of bilastine (20 and 40 mg) on actual driving after single and repeated administration. Hydroxyzine 50 mg was included as an active control. Twenty-two participants (11 females, 11 males) were tested in a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, four-way cross-over design. Participants were treated with once-daily doses for eight consecutive days. On day 1 and 8 of each treatment period participants performed an actual highway driving test. The primary variable was standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), a measure of weaving. Results demonstrated that hydroxyzine significantly increased SDLP on days 1 and 8 of treatment. Bilastine did not affect SDLP. It is concluded that hydroxyzine produces severe driving impairment after single doses and that this impairment only partly mitigates over time due to a lack of complete tolerance. Bilastine did not produce any driving impairment after single and repeated doses and can be safely used in traffic in doses up to 40 mg.

[Breeding biology of the whiskered auklet (Aethia pygmaea): incubation, chick growth, and feather ontogenesis].

PubMed

Koniukhov, N B; Zubakin, V A; Williams, J; Fischer, J

2000-01-01

This is the second publication on the results of studies of the whiskered auklet breeding biology on Buldir Island. In 1993, according to the time of chick hatching the egg-laying period began in late April-early May. The single egg was incubated by both parents, which relieved each other once a day, usually at early night. Among the chicks under observation, the first hatched on June 11; the median of hatching was on June 17. After hatching, the egg shell usually remained in the nest. The chick was continuously brooded by one of parents for the first several days but since the age of 7-9 days, it stayed in the nest by itself during the daytime. Each parent fed the chick once a day, at early night, although occasional feedings were recorded also during daytime and at dawn. A newly hatched chick was covered by typical embryonal (natal) down. The remiges, rectrices, their coverts, and large feathers on pteryla humeralis had a mesoptile stage during their growth (the second down generation). The juvenile plumage consisted of semiplumes of types I and II and contour feathers of type I and, possibly, type II. In fledglings, the ornamental feathers were underdeveloped: the crest was absent and facial plumes only began growing. By reaching 100 g, the chicks left their nests at the age of about 37 days. A longer nesting period than in other Aethia auklets appears to be related to a low feeding rate due to the nocturnal activity in the colony.

Fate of phenanthrene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene during biodegradation of crude oil added to two soils.

PubMed

Smith, M J; Lethbridge, G; Burns, R G

1999-04-15

The release of 14CO2 from 9-[14C]phenanthrene, 4,5,9,10-[14C]pyrene and 7-[14C]benzo[a]pyrene, added to Brent/Fortes crude oil and mixed into a pristine sand soil (0.40% organic C) and a pristine organic soil (22.9% organic C), was determined. After 244 days at 25 degrees C, 11.1 +/- 3.5% (sand) and 17.1 +/- 0.30% (organic) phenanthrene-14C and 9.77 +/- 2.8% (sand) and 5.86 +/- 1.4% (organic) benzo[a]pyrene-14C was released. After 210 days, 3.65 +/- 0.5% (sand) and 4.43 +/- 0.33% (organic) pyrene-14C was released. Inoculation of these two soils with DC1 and PD2 (bacteria capable of accelerating the phenanthrene and pyrene mineralisation in soil in the absence of crude oil) either at day 0 or after release as 14CO2 by indigenous degraders had ceased, failed to increase or initiate further mineralisation. Thus, aged PAH residues were non-bioavailable to these metabolically competent degrading microorganisms. At the end of the first period of incubation (210 days or 244 days), the total aromatic hydrocarbons recovered using Soxhlet extraction was 0.18% (sand) and 42.8% (organic) compared with approximately 100% from bio-inhibited soils. This confirmed that the indigenous microbiological activity not only caused a limited amount of PAH mineralisation but also reduced the extractability of residues, possibly due to the generation of metabolites which were chemisorbed and bound (and non extractable) in 'aged' soils.

Tracing Donor-MHC Class II Reactive B cells in Mouse Cardiac Transplantation: Delayed CTLA4-Ig Treatment Prevents Memory Alloreactive B-Cell Generation.

PubMed

Yang, Jinghui; Chen, Jianjun; Young, James S; Wang, Qiang; Yin, Dengping; Sciammas, Roger; Chong, Anita S

2016-08-01

The dual role of B cells as drivers and suppressors of the immune responses have underscored the need to trace the fate of B cells recognizing donor major histocompatibility complex class I and class II after allograft transplantation. In this study, we used donor class II tetramers to trace the fate of I-E-specific B cells after immunization with BALB/c spleen cells or cardiac transplantation, in naive or sensitized C57BL/6 recipients. We combined this approach with genetic lineage tracing of memory B cells in activation-induced cytidine deaminase regulated Cre transgenic mice crossed to the ROSA26-enhanced yellow fluorescent protein reporter mice to track endogenous I-E-specific memory B cell generation. Immunization with BALB/c splenocytes or heart transplantation induced an expansion and differentiation of I-E-specific B cells into germinal center B cells, whereas BALB/c heart transplantation into sensitized recipients induced the preferential differentiation into antibody-secreting cells. A 10.8-fold increase in the frequency of I-E-specific memory B cells was observed by day 42 postimmunization. Treatment with CTLA4-Ig starting on day 0 or day 7 postimmunization abrogated I-E-specific memory B cell generation and sensitized humoral responses, but not if treatment commenced on day 14. The majority of donor-specific memory B cells are generated between days 7 and 14 postimmunization, thus revealing a flexible timeframe whereby delayed CTLA4-Ig administration can inhibit sensitization and the generation of memory graft-reactive B cells.

A comparative study on per capita waste generation according to a waste collecting system in Korea.

PubMed

Oh, Jung Hwan; Lee, Eui-Jong; Oh, Jeong Ik; Kim, Jong-Oh; Jang, Am

2016-04-01

As cities are becoming increasingly aware of problems related to conventional mobile collection systems, automated pipeline-based vacuum collection (AVAC) systems have been introduced in some densely populated urban areas. The reasons are that in addition to cost savings, AVAC systems can be efficient, hygienic, and environmentally friendly. Despite difficulties in making direct comparisons of municipal waste between a conventional mobile collection system and an AVAC system, it is meaningful to measure the quantities in each of these collection methods either in total or on a per capita generation of waste (PCGW, g/(day*capita)) basis. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the difference in per capita generation of household waste according to the different waste collection methods in Korea. Observations on household waste show that there were considerable differences according to waste collection methods. The value of per capita generation of food waste (PCGF) indicates that a person in a city using AVAC produces 60 % of PCGF (109.58 g/(day*capita)), on average, compared with that of a truck system (173.10 g/(day*capita)) as well as 23 %p less moisture component than that with trucks. The value of per capita generation of general waste (PCGG) in a city with an AVAC system showed 147.73 g/(day*capita), which is 20 % less than that with trucks delivered (185 g/(day*capita)). However, general waste sampled from AVAC showed a 35 %p increased moisture content versus truck delivery.

75 FR 18048 - Oklahoma Regulatory Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

... due to a labor strike; (4) Where climatic conditions preclude abatement within 90 days, or where, due to climatic conditions, abatement within 90 days clearly would cause more environmental harm than it... have takings implications. This determination is based on the analysis performed for the counterpart...

Basic diagnosis of solid waste generated at Agua Blanca State Park to propose waste management strategies.

PubMed

Laines Canepa, José Ramón; Zequeira Larios, Carolina; Valadez Treviño, Maria Elena Macías; Garduza Sánchez, Diana Ivett

2012-03-01

State parks are highly sensitive areas of great natural importance and tourism value. Herein a case study involving a basic survey of solid waste which was carried out in 2006 in Agua Blanca State Park, Macuspana, Tabasco, Mexico with two sampling periods representing the high and low tourist season is presented. The survey had five objectives: to find out the number of visitors in the different seasons, to consider the daily generation of solid waste from tourist activities, to determine bulk density, to select and quantify sub-products; and to suggest a possible treatment. A daily average of 368 people visited the park: 18,862 people in 14 days during the high season holiday (in just one day, Easter Sunday, up to 4425 visitors) and 2092 visitors in 43 days during the low season. The average weight of the generated solid waste was 61.267 kg day(-1) and the generated solid waste average per person was 0.155 kg person(-1 ) day(-1). During the high season, the average increased to 0.188 kg person(-1 ) day(-1) and during the low season, the average decreased to 0.144 kg person(-1 ) day(-1). The bulk density average was 75.014 kg m(-3), the maximum value was 92.472 kg m(-3) and the minimum was 68.274 kg m(-3). The sub-products comprised 54.52% inorganic matter; 32.03% organic matter, 10.60% non-recyclable and 2.85% others. Based on these results, waste management strategies such as reuse/recycling, aerobic and anaerobic digestion, the construction of a manual landfill and the employment of a specialist firm were suggested.

Polymyxin-B-immobilized-fiber column hemoperfusion with oseltamivir treatment for ARDS due to influenza H1N1/09.

PubMed

Binh, Nguyen Gia; Manabe, Toshie; Co, Dao Xuan; Tuan, Nguyen Dang; Thach, Pham The; Kudo, Koichiro

2015-06-01

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the severe complications of influenza H1N1/09 infection, resulting in high mortality. Effective treatment strategies for ARDS are needed. This report presents two cases of ARDS due to influenza in Vietnam. Both cases were similar in terms of starting symptoms, the rapid progression to ARDS, and the treatment strategy, direct hemoperfusion with a polymyxin-B-immobilized fiber column (PMX-DHP) and oseltamivir. However, the clinical course of disease and the outcomes were different. For case 1, treatment was initiated on day 4 following the onset of hypoxemia due to ARDS. Symptoms improved rapidly after treatment and the patient was discharged on day 12. For case 2, treatment was initiated on day 9 after the onset of symptoms. Despite intensive therapy, the patient died on day 18. In conclusion, treatment with PMX-DHP and oseltamivir is effective on ARDS due to influenza but only if initiated early.

Locally Generated Information and Referral Services in Indian Libraries. Guide 8: Generating Information in Indian Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townley, Charles T.

Libraries and information centers are rapidly becoming an integral part of American Indian live. A primary concern of Indian people is the availability of dependable information on those issues and programs which directly affect their day to day lives. As the community information agency, the library plays a key role in improving access to local…

On-the-Spot Course in Maseru, Lesotho on Income-Generating Projects for Rural Women: Framework of Community Development. July 10-30, 1983. Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mount Carmel International Training Centre for Community Development, Haifa (Israel).

This report describes a community development course focusing on income-generating projects for rural women. The first section outlines the schedule of activities for each day of the 16-day course. The second section defines course objectives, including purpose and methodology, planning, group dynamics, cooperation, communication, negotiation, and…

Effect of cefodizime and ceftriaxone on phagocytic function in patients with severe infections.

PubMed Central

Wenisch, C; Parschalk, B; Hasenhündl, M; Wiesinger, E; Graninger, W

1995-01-01

Thirty patients with severe bacterial infections were treated with 50 mg of cefodizime per kg of body weight once daily or 50 mg of ceftriaxone per kg once daily for 10 +/- 3 days. The effect of cefodizime and ceftriaxone on the phagocytic capacity and generation of reactive oxygen intermediates after phagocytosis by granulocytes was assessed prior to, during, and after therapy. Flow cytometry was used to study phagocytic capacity by measuring the uptake of fluorescein-labeled bacteria. The generation of reactive oxygen intermediates after phagocytosis was estimated by the quantification of the intracellular conversion of dihydrorhodamine 123 to rhodamine 123. Prior to therapy, patients in both groups exhibited a decreased capacity to phagocytize Escherichia coli and subsequently to generate reactive oxygen intermediates. Granulocyte function increased after the initiation of therapy and normalized within 7 days for the ceftriaxone-treated patients and within 3 days for the cefodizime group (P < 0.05). In the cefodizime group, an enhancement of phagocytic capacity was observed 14 days after the initiation of therapy (P < 0.05). Prior to therapy, phagocytic capacity was significantly correlated with the generation of reactive oxygen products (r = 0.674 and P < 0.005). PMID:7793871

Simulation of acid mine drainage generation around Küre VMS Deposits, Northern Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirel, Cansu; Kurt, Mehmet Ali; Çelik Balci, Nurgül

2015-04-01

This study investigated comparative leaching characteristics of acidophilic bacterial strains under shifting environmental conditions at proposed two stages as formation stage or post acidic mine drainage (AMD) generation. At the first stage, initial reactions associated with AMD generation was simulated in shaking flasks containing massive pyritic chalcopyrite ore by using a pure strain Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and a mixed culture of Acidithiobacillus sp. mostly dominated by A. ferrooxidans and A. thiooxidans at 26oC. At the second stage, long term bioleaching experiments were carried out with the same strains at 26oC and 40oC to investigate the leaching characteristics of pyritic chalcopyrite ore under elevated heavy metal and temperature conditions. During the experiments, physicochemical characteristics (e.i. Eh, pH, EC) metal (Fe, Co, Cu, Zn) and sulfate concentration of the experimental solution were monitored during 180 days. Significant acid generation and sulfate release were determined during bioleaching of the ore by mixed acidophilic cultures containing both iron and sulfur oxidizers. In the early stage of the experiments, heavy metal release from the ore was caused by generation of acid due to accelerated bacterial oxidation of the ore. Generally high concentrations of Co and Cu were released into the solution from the experiments conducted by pure cultures of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans whereas high Zn and Fe was released into the solution from the mixed culture experiments. In the later stage of AMD generation and post AMD, chemical oxidation is accelerated causing excessive amounts of contamination, even exceeding the amounts resulted from bacterial oxidation by mixed cultures. Acidithibacillus ferrooxidans was found to be more effective in leaching Cu, Fe and Co at higher temperatures in contrary to mixed acidophiles that are more prone to operate at optimal moderate conditions. Moreover, decreasing Fe values are noted in bioleaching experiments with mixed acidophiles at higher temperatures. Further depleted Fe(III) values coinciding with decreasing pH may point to precipitation of secondary phases (i.e. jarosite). This study revealed that the metals (Fe, Cu, Co and Zn) released during short term leaching of the ore (34 days) are generally caused by acid produced by dissolution reactions rather than oxidation. In the long term experiments a more complex biogeochemical reactions (oxidation and dissolution) take place in conjunction. Key words: Bioleaching, AMD, heavy metal release, environment, acidophilic bacteria, Küre copper ore deposits, volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits

Tracing remobilization of nutrients and toxic elements after application of rice straw or derived ash / biochar in paddy soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaller, Jörg; Wang, Jiajia; Planer-Friedrich, Britta

2017-04-01

More than 600 million tons of rice straw are produced each year as byproduct of rice grain production. As an increasing application, besides e.g. composting or fodder for animals, the straw remains on the field for decomposition and nutrient supply. A central concern during rice cultivation is accumulation of arsenic, but it is currently unclear how the application of rice straw or derived ash or biochar to paddy soils will influence arsenic uptake by the next generation of rice plants. Consequently, we assessed the element mobilization via soil microcosm incubations with straw or derived ash or biochar or without those amendments under flooding (40 days) and subsequent drainage (14 days). We focused on elements potentially influencing the uptake of arsenic by the next generation of rice plants (e.g. silicon, phosphorus, iron), or which are nutrients but toxic themselves at higher levels (sulfur, sulfide, iron, iron(II), manganese, copper, and zinc). We found significant differences in the release of arsenic, iron(II), sulfide, total sulfur, DOC, manganese, copper, and zinc . For example highest pore water Mn and As concentrations were found for soil amended with straw, whereas the straw amendment reduced S mobilization, possibly due to sulfate reduction by straw decomposing microbes. For P, we found highest pore water concentrations for straw, followed by biochar, ash and control. In summary, application of rice straw or derived ash or biochar strongly affect the element availability in paddy soil.

Early life traits of farm and wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and first generation hybrids in the south coast of Newfoundland.

PubMed

Hamoutene, D; Perez-Casanova, J; Burt, K; Lush, L; Caines, J; Collier, C; Hinks, R

2017-06-01

This study examined fertilization rates, survival and early life-trait differences of pure farm, wild and first generation (F1) hybrid origin embryos after crossing farm and wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Results show that despite a trend towards higher in vitro fertilization success for wild females, differences in fertilization success in river water are not significantly different among crosses. In a hatchery environment, wild females' progeny (pure wild and hybrids with wild maternal parent) hatched 7-11 days earlier than pure farm crosses and hybrids with farm maternal parents. In addition, pure wild progeny had higher total lengths (L T ) at hatch than pure farm crosses and hybrids. Directions in trait differences need to be tested in a river environment, but results clearly show the maternal influence on early stages beyond egg-size differences. Differences in L T were no longer significant at 70 days post hatch (shortly after the onset of exogenous feeding) showing the need to investigate later developmental stages to better assess somatic growth disparities due to genetic differences. Higher mortality rates of the most likely hybrids (farm female × wild male hybrids) at egg and fry stages and their delayed hatch suggest that these F1 hybrids might be less likely to survive the early larval stages than wild stocks. © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Journal of Fish Biology © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Estimated withdrawals and use of freshwater in New Hampshire, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medalie, Laura; Horn, M.A.

1994-01-01

Estimated freshwater withdrawals during 1990 in New Hampshire totaled about 422 million gallons per day from ground-water and surface-water sources. The largest withdrawals were for thermoelectric-power generation (60 percent), public supply (23 percent), and industrial use (9 percent). Most withdrawals, 358 million gallons per day, were made from surface- water sources, as compared to 63.7 million gallons per day from ground-water sources. The largest with- drawals were in the Merrimack river basin (322 million gallons per day). An additional 46,000 million gallons per day was used instream for hydroelectric-power generation, primarily in the Upper Androscoggin and Upper Connecticut River subbasins. Other information describing water-use patterns is shown in tables, bar graphs, pie charts, maps, and accompanying text. The data are aggregated by river basin (hydrologic cataloging unit), and all values are reported in million gallons per day.

78 FR 28715 - Mother's Day, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-15

... Day, 2013 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Today, sons and daughters... the home. In the century since Americans first came together to mark Mother's Day, generations of... opportunities they deserve. On Mother's Day, we give thanks to proud, caring women from every walk of life...

75 FR 56465 - National Grandparents Day, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-15

... National Grandparents Day, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Throughout... traditions of our heritage are passed down through generations. On National Grandparents Day, we honor those... Day presents a chance to show our profound appreciation and respect for the central roles that family...

75 FR 26875 - Mother's Day, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... Day, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Generations of mothers have... daughters and granddaughters. On Mother's Day, we pay tribute to these women who have given so much of... the song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, led early efforts to establish a day honoring the influence...

29 CFR 4003.5 - Non-timely request for review.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION GENERAL RULES FOR... for review is filed within 30 days after the date the aggrieved person, exercising due diligence at... reconsideration, or within 45 days after the date the aggrieved person, exercising due diligence at all relevant...

An Emotional ANN (EANN) approach to modeling rainfall-runoff process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nourani, Vahid

2017-01-01

This paper presents the first hydrological implementation of Emotional Artificial Neural Network (EANN), as a new generation of Artificial Intelligence-based models for daily rainfall-runoff (r-r) modeling of the watersheds. Inspired by neurophysiological form of brain, in addition to conventional weights and bias, an EANN includes simulated emotional parameters aimed at improving the network learning process. EANN trained by a modified version of back-propagation (BP) algorithm was applied to single and multi-step-ahead runoff forecasting of two watersheds with two distinct climatic conditions. Also to evaluate the ability of EANN trained by smaller training data set, three data division strategies with different number of training samples were considered for the training purpose. The overall comparison of the obtained results of the r-r modeling indicates that the EANN could outperform the conventional feed forward neural network (FFNN) model up to 13% and 34% in terms of training and verification efficiency criteria, respectively. The superiority of EANN over classic ANN is due to its ability to recognize and distinguish dry (rainless days) and wet (rainy days) situations using hormonal parameters of the artificial emotional system.

Risk factors and treatment outcomes of bloodstream infection caused by extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacter species in adults with cancer.

PubMed

Huh, Kyungmin; Kang, Cheol-In; Kim, Jungok; Cho, Sun Young; Ha, Young Eun; Joo, Eun-Jeong; Chung, Doo Ryeon; Lee, Nam Yong; Peck, Kyong Ran; Song, Jae-Hoon

2014-02-01

Treatment of Enterobacter infection is complicated due to its intrinsic resistance to cephalosporins. Medical records of 192 adults with cancer who had Enterobacter bacteremia were analyzed retrospectively to evaluate the risk factors for and the treatment outcomes in extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant Enterobacter bacteremia in adults with cancer. The main outcome measure was 30-day mortality. Of the 192 patients, 53 (27.6%) had bloodstream infections caused by ESC-resistant Enterobacter species. Recent use of a third-generation cephalosporin, older age, tumor progression at last evaluation, recent surgery, and nosocomial acquisition were associated with ESC-resistant Enterobacter bacteremia. The 30-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the resistant group. Multivariate analysis showed that respiratory tract infection, tumor progression, septic shock at presentation, Enterobacter aerogenes as the culprit pathogen, and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for mortality. ESC resistance was significantly associated with mortality in patients with E. aerogenes bacteremia, although not in the overall patient population. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental Heat Stress Among Young Working Women: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Rahman, Juma; Fakhruddin, S H M; Rahman, A K M Fazlur; Halim, M A

Heat waves are increasing significantly in frequency and severity and threaten the health and income of outdoor workers. Pregnant women workers are particularly at risk due to their delicate physiological systems and accountabilities to future generations. Animal and human studies propose that elevated body temperatures during pregnancy can induce adverse pregnancy outcomes. To measure the change in internal body temperature (Tcore) in young working women before, after, and during work (both outdoor and indoor) on hot humid days and relate threshold temperature to the upshot adverse effects of pregnancy (teratogenicity and related miscarriage). Tympanic temperatures were measured using infrared ear thermometers and workplace temperatures were collected using Lascar Data Logger. Brief exploratory interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data, and content analysis was also carried out. Body temperatures were found elevated among outdoor women workers compared with that of indoor women workers. The present study found that outdoor work during pregnancy in hot, humid days might increase body temperature up to levels that could induce fetal destruction or anomaly. Copyright © 2016 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extremes of urine osmolality - Lack of effect on red blood cell survival

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, H. A.; Fleming, J. E.

1980-01-01

Rats were allowed a third of normal water intake for 20 days, and food consumption decreased. The reticulocyte count indicated a suppression of erythropoiesis. Urine osmolality increased from 2,000 mosmol/kg to 3,390 mosmol/kg. Random hemolysis and senescence of a cohort of red blood cell (RBC) previously labeled with (2-(C-14)) glycine was monitored via the production of (C-14)O. Neither hemolysis nor senescence was affected. Following water restriction, the polydipsic rats generated a hypotonic urine. Urine osmolality decreased to 1,300 mosmol/kg for at least 6 days; a reticulocytosis occurred, but RBC survival was unaffected. These results contradict those previously reported, which suggest that RBC survival is influenced by the osmotic stress imposed on the RBC by extremes of urine tonicity. This discrepancy, it is concluded, is due to differences in the methods employed for measuring RBC survival. The random-labeling technique employed previously assumes a steady state between RBC production and destruction. The cohort-labeling technique used here measures hemolysis and senescence independent of changes in RBC production, which is known to be depressed by fasting.

The roles of ROS production-scavenging system in Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griff. & Maubl.-induced pericarp browning and disease development of harvested longan fruit.

PubMed

Sun, Junzheng; Lin, Hetong; Zhang, Shen; Lin, Yifen; Wang, Hui; Lin, Mengshi; Hung, Yen-Con; Chen, Yihui

2018-05-01

Effects of Lasiodiplodia theobromae on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production-scavenging system during L. theobromae-induced pericarp browning and disease development of harvested "Fuyan" longans were investigated. Compared with control longans, L. theobromae-inoculated longans exhibited higher pericarp browning index and fruit disease index, higher pericarp O 2 - generation rate and MDA content. Moreover, L. theobromae infection also resulted in lower contents of pericarp AsA and GSH, lower levels of pericarp DPPH radical scavenging ability and reducing power. Additionally, L. theobromae infection decreased the activities of pericarp SOD, CAT and APX from day 2 to day 5. These findings suggested that L. theobromae-induced pericarp browning and disease development of harvested longans might be due to reduction of ROS scavenging ability and increase in ROS production, which might stimulate membrane lipid peroxidation, disrupt cellular membrane structure, and cause the loss of cellular compartmentalization and disease resistance, in turn, resulting in pericarp browning and disease development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ammonia sources in the California South Coast Air Basin and their impact on ammonium nitrate formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowak, J. B.; Neuman, J. A.; Bahreini, R.; Middlebrook, A. M.; Holloway, J. S.; McKeen, S. A.; Parrish, D. D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Trainer, M.

2012-04-01

Observations from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft during CalNex in May and June 2010 are used to quantify ammonia (NH3) emissions from automobiles and dairy facilities in the California South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) and assess their impact on particulate ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) formation. These airborne measurements in the SoCAB are used to estimate automobile NH3 emissions, 62 ± 24 metric tons day-1, and dairy facility NH3 emissions, 33 ± 16 to 176 ± 88 metric tons day-1. Emission inventories agree with the observed automobile NH3:CO emission ratio, but substantially underpredict dairy facility NH3 emissions. Conditions observed downwind of the dairy facilities were always thermodynamically favorable for NH4NO3 formation due to high NH3 mixing ratios from the concentrated sources. Although automobile emissions generated lower NH3 mixing ratios, they also can thermodynamically favor NH4NO3 formation. As an aerosol control strategy, addressing the dairy NH3 source would have the larger impact on reducing SoCAB NH4NO3 formation.

Preindustrial to Present-Day Changes in Tropospheric Hydroxyl Radical and Methane Lifetime from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naik, V.; Voulgarakis, A.; Fiore, A. M.; Horowitz, L. W.; Lamarque, J.-F.; Lin, M.; Prather, M. J.; Young, P. J.; Bergmann, D.; Cameron-Smith, P. J.;

Clinical outcome associated with the use of different inhalation method with and without humidification in asthmatic mechanically ventilated patients.

PubMed

Moustafa, Islam O F; ElHansy, Muhammad H E; Al Hallag, Moataz; Fink, James B; Dailey, Patricia; Rabea, Hoda; Abdelrahim, Mohamed E A

2017-08-01

Inhaled-medication delivered during mechanical-ventilation is affected by type of aerosol-generator and humidity-condition. Despite many in-vitro studies related to aerosol-delivery to mechanically-ventilated patients, little has been reported on clinical effects of these variables. The aim of this study was to determine effect of humidification and type of aerosol-generator on clinical status of mechanically ventilated asthmatics. 72 (36 females) asthmatic subjects receiving invasive mechanical ventilation were enrolled and assigned randomly to 6 treatment groups of 12 (6 females) subjects each received, as possible, all inhaled medication using their assigned aerosol generator and humidity condition during delivery. Aerosol-generators were placed immediately after humidifier within inspiratory limb of mechanical ventilation circuit. First group used vibrating-mesh-nebulizer (Aerogen Solo; VMN) with humidification; Second used VMN without humidification; Third used metered-dose-inhaler with AeroChamber Vent (MDI-AV) with humidification; Forth used MDI-AV without humidification; Fifth used Oxycare jet-nebulizer (JN) with humidification; Sixth used JN without humidification. Measured parameters included clinical-parameters reflected patient response (CP) and endpoint parameters e.g. length-of-stay in the intensive-care-unit (ICU-days) and mechanical-ventilation days (MV-days). There was no significant difference between studied subjects in the 6 groups in baseline of CP. VMN resulted in trend to shorter ICU-days (∼1.42days) compared to MDI-AV (p = 0.39) and relatively but not significantly shorter ICU-days (∼0.75days) compared JN. Aerosol-delivery with or without humidification did not have any significant effect on any of parameters studied with very light insignificant tendency of delivery at humid condition to decrease MV-days and ICU-days. No significant effect was found of changing humidity during aerosol-delivery to ventilated-patient. VMN to deliver aerosol in ventilated patient resulted in trend to decreased ICU-days compared to JN and MDI-AV. Aerosol-delivery with or without humidification did not have any significant effect on any of parameters studied. However, we recommend increasing the number of patients studied to corroborate this finding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical audit of patients hospitalized due to COPD exacerbation. MAG-1 Study.

PubMed

Escarrabill, Joan; Torrente, Elena; Esquinas, Cristina; Hernández, Carme; Monsó, Eduard; Freixas, Montserrat; Almagro, Pere; Tresserras, Ricard

2015-10-01

Hospitalizations for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) generate high consumption of health resources, frequent readmissions and high mortality. The MAG -1 study aims to identify critical points to improve the care process of severe AECOPD requiring hospitalization. Observational study, with review of clinical records of patients admitted to hospitals of the Catalan public network for AECOPD. The centers were classified into 3 groups according to the number of discharges/year. Demographic and descriptive data of the previous year, pharmacological treatment, care during hospitalization and discharge process and follow-up, mortality and readmission at 30 and 90 days were analyzed. A total of 910 patients (83% male) with a mean age of 74.3 (+10.1) years and a response rate of 70% were included. Smoking habit was determined in only 45% of cases, of which 9% were active smokers. In 31% of cases, no previous lung function data were available. Median hospital stay was 7 days (IQR 4-10), increasing according the complexity of the hospital. Mortality from admission to 90 days was 12.4% with a readmission rate of 49%. An inverse relationship between length of hospital stay and readmission within 90 days was observed. In a large number of medical records, smoking habit and lung function tests were not appropriately reported. Average hospital stay increases with the complexity of the hospital, but longer stays appear to be associated with lower mortality at follow-up. Copyright © 2014 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

45 CFR 287.160 - What reports must a grantee file regarding financial operations?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE (ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF... due no later than July 30, i.e., 30 days after the end of the obligation period. The final SF-269A is due 90 days after the end of the liquidation period. ...

Comparative analysis of optical coherence tomography signal and microhardness for demineralization evaluation of human tooth enamel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Cara, Ana Claudia Ballet; Zezell, Denise Maria; Ana, Patricia A.; Deana, Alessandro Melo; Amaral, Marcello Magri; Dias Vieira, Nilson, Jr.; de Freitas, Anderson Zanardi

2012-06-01

The diagnosis of dental caries at an early stage enables the implementation of conservative treatments based on dental preservation. Several diagnostic methods have been developed, like visual-tactile and radiographic are the most commons but are limited for this application. The Optical Coherence Tomography is a technique that provides information of optical properties of enamel, which may change due to the decay process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of OCT to detect different stages of demineralization of tooth enamel during the development of artificial caries lesions, taking as a reference standard for comparison sectional microhardness testing. Different stages of caries lesions were simulated using the pH cycling model suggested Feathestone and modified by Argenta. The samples were exposed to 0 (control group), 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days at a daily regimen of three hours demineralization followed by remineralization during 20 hours. It was used an OCT system with at 930nm. Sectional images were generated in all lesion region. The results obtained from the OCT technique presented similar behavior to microhardness, except for the group 25 days, due to inability to perform indentations reading in areas of more intense demineralization. A linear relationship was observed between the OCT and microhardness techniques for detection of demineralization in enamel. This relationship will allow the use of OCT technique in quantitative assessment of mineral loss and for the evaluation of incipient caries lesions.

Saturn Rings Origin: Quantum Trapping of Superconducting Iced Particles and Meissner Effect Lead to the Stable Rings System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viktorovich Tchernyi, Vladimir

2018-06-01

Saturn Rings Origin: Quantum Trapping of Superconducting Iced Particles and Meissner Effect Lead to the Stable Rings System Vladimir V. Tchernyi (Cherny), Andrew Yu. Pospelov Modern Science Institute, SAIBR, Moscow, Russia. E-mail: chernyv@bk.ruAbstractIt is demonstrated how superconducting iced particles of the protoplanetary cloud of Saturn are coming to magnetic equator plane and create the stable enough rings disk. There are two steps. First, after appearance of the Saturn magnetic field due to Meissner phenomenon all particles orbits are moving to the magnetic equator plane. Finally they become distributed as rings and gaps like iron particles around magnet on laboratory table. And they are separated from each other by the magnetic field expelled from them. It takes up to few tens of thousands years with ten meters rings disk thickness. Second, due to their quantum trapping all particles become to be trapped within magnetic well at the magnetic equator plane due to Abrikosov vortex for superconductor. It works even when particles have small fraction of superconductor. During the rings evolution some contribution to the disk also could come from the collision-generated debris of the current moon and from the geysers like it happened due to magnetic coupling of Saturn and Enceladus. The rings are relict of the early days of the magnetic field of Saturn system.

Viking-2 Seismometer Measurements on Mars: PDS Data Archive and Meteorological Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Ralph D.; Nakamura, Yosio; Murphy, James R.

2017-11-01

A data product has been generated and archived on the NASA Planetary Data System (Geosciences Node), which presents the seismometer readings of Viking Lander 2 in an easy-to-access form, for both the raw ("high rate") waveform records and the compressed ("event mode") amplitude and frequency records. In addition to the records themselves, a separate summary file for each instrument mode lists key statistics of each record together with the meteorological measurements made closest in time to the seismic record. This juxtaposition facilitates correlation of the seismometer instrument response to different meteorological conditions, or the selection of seismic data during which wind disturbances can be expected to be small. We summarize data quality issues and also discuss lander-generated seismic signals, due to operation of the sampling arm or other systems, which may be of interest for prospective missions to other bodies. We review wind-seismic correlation, the "Martian solar day (sol) 80" candidate seismic event, and identify the seismic signature of a probable dust devil vortex on sol 482 : the seismometer data allow an estimate of the peak wind, occurring between coarsely spaced meteorology measurements. We present code to generate the plots in this paper to illustrate use of the data product.

Ares I-X Range Safety Simulation and Analysis IV and V

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merry, Carl M.; Brewer, Joan D.; Dulski, Matt B.; Gimenez, Adrian; Barron, Kyle; Tarpley, Ashley F.; Craig, A. Scott; Beaty, Jim R.; Starr, Brett R.

2011-01-01

NASA s Ares I-X vehicle launched on a suborbital test flight from the Eastern Range in Florida on October 28, 2009. NASA generated a Range Safety (RS) product data package to meet the RS trajectory data requirements defined in the Air Force Space Command Manual (AFSPCMAN) 91-710. Some products included were a nominal ascent trajectory, ascent flight envelopes, and malfunction turn data. These products are used by the Air Force s 45th Space Wing (45SW) to ensure public safety and to make flight termination decisions on launch day. Due to the criticality of the RS data, an independent validation and verification (IV&V) effort was undertaken to accompany the data generation analyses to ensure utmost data quality and correct adherence to requirements. As a result of the IV&V efforts, the RS product package was delivered with confidence that two independent organizations using separate simulation software generated data to meet the range requirements and yielded similar results. This document captures the Ares I-X RS product IV&V analysis, including the methodology used to verify inputs, simulation, and output data for certain RS products. Additionally a discussion of lessons learned is presented to capture advantages and disadvantages to the IV&V processes used.

Targeted Mesoporous Iron Oxide Nanoparticles-Encapsulated Perfluorohexane and a Hydrophobic Drug for Deep Tumor Penetration and Therapy.

PubMed

Su, Yu-Lin; Fang, Jen-Hung; Liao, Chia-Ying; Lin, Chein-Ting; Li, Yun-Ting; Hu, Shang-Hsiu

2015-01-01

A magneto-responsive energy/drug carrier that enhances deep tumor penetration with a porous nano-composite is constructed by using a tumor-targeted lactoferrin (Lf) bio-gate as a cap on mesoporous iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs). With a large payload of a gas-generated molecule, perfluorohexane (PFH), and a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, paclitaxel (PTX), Lf-MIONs can simultaneously perform bursting gas generation and on-demand drug release upon high-frequency magnetic field (MF) exposure. Biocompatible PFH was chosen and encapsulated in MIONs due to its favorable phase transition temperature (56 °C) and its hydrophobicity. After a short-duration MF treatment induces heat generation, the local pressure increase via the gasifying of the PFH embedded in MION can substantially rupture the three-dimensional tumor spheroids in vitro as well as enhance drug and carrier penetration. As the MF treatment duration increases, Lf-MIONs entering the tumor spheroids provide an intense heat and burst-like drug release, leading to superior drug delivery and deep tumor thermo-chemo-therapy. With their high efficiency for targeting tumors, Lf-MIONs/PTX-PFH suppressed subcutaneous tumors in 16 days after a single MF exposure. This work presents the first study of using MF-induced PFH gasification as a deep tumor-penetrating agent for drug delivery.

Targeted Mesoporous Iron Oxide Nanoparticles-Encapsulated Perfluorohexane and a Hydrophobic Drug for Deep Tumor Penetration and Therapy

PubMed Central

Su, Yu-Lin; Fang, Jen-Hung; Liao, Chia-Ying; Lin, Chein-Ting; Li, Yun-Ting; Hu, Shang-Hsiu

2015-01-01

A magneto-responsive energy/drug carrier that enhances deep tumor penetration with a porous nano-composite is constructed by using a tumor-targeted lactoferrin (Lf) bio-gate as a cap on mesoporous iron oxide nanoparticles (MIONs). With a large payload of a gas-generated molecule, perfluorohexane (PFH), and a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, paclitaxel (PTX), Lf-MIONs can simultaneously perform bursting gas generation and on-demand drug release upon high-frequency magnetic field (MF) exposure. Biocompatible PFH was chosen and encapsulated in MIONs due to its favorable phase transition temperature (56 °C) and its hydrophobicity. After a short-duration MF treatment induces heat generation, the local pressure increase via the gasifying of the PFH embedded in MION can substantially rupture the three-dimensional tumor spheroids in vitro as well as enhance drug and carrier penetration. As the MF treatment duration increases, Lf-MIONs entering the tumor spheroids provide an intense heat and burst-like drug release, leading to superior drug delivery and deep tumor thermo-chemo-therapy. With their high efficiency for targeting tumors, Lf-MIONs/PTX-PFH suppressed subcutaneous tumors in 16 days after a single MF exposure. This work presents the first study of using MF-induced PFH gasification as a deep tumor-penetrating agent for drug delivery. PMID:26379789

Simultaneous Wastewater Treatment, Algal Biomass Production and Electricity Generation in Clayware Microbial Carbon Capture Cells.

PubMed

Jadhav, Dipak A; Jain, Sumat C; Ghangrekar, Makarand M

2017-11-01

Performance of microbial carbon capture cells (MCCs), having a low-cost clayware separator, was evaluated in terms of wastewater treatment and electricity generation using algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa in MCC-1 and Anabaena ambigua in MCC-2 and without algae in a cathodic chamber of MCC-3. Higher power production was achieved in MCC-1 (6.4 W/m 3 ) compared to MCC-2 (4.29 W/m 3 ) and MCC-3 (3.29 W/m 3 ). Higher coulombic efficiency (15.23 ± 1.30%) and biomass production (66.4 ± 4.7 mg/(L*day)) in MCC-1 indicated the superiority of Chlorella over Anabaena algae for carbon capture and oxygen production to facilitate the cathodic reduction. Algal biofilm formation on the cathode surface of MCC-1 increased dissolved oxygen in the catholyte and decreased the cathodic charge transfer resistance with increase in reduction current. Electrochemical analyses revealed slow cathodic reactions and increase in internal resistance in MCC-2 (55 Ω) than MCC-1 (30 Ω), due to lower oxygen produced by Anabaena algae. Thus, biomass production in conjunction with wastewater treatment, CO 2 sequestration and electricity generation can be achieved using Chlorella algal biocathode in MCC.

Thrombin generation potential and clot-forming capacity of thawed fresh-frozen plasma, plasma frozen within 24 h and solvent/detergent-treated plasma (octaplasLG® ), during 5-day storage at 1-6°C.

PubMed

Heger, A; Neisser-Svae, A; Trawnicek, L; Triulzi, D

2018-04-23

To enable rapid availability of plasma in emergency situations, the shelf-life of thawed fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) has been extended from 24 h to 5 days. The aim of this study was to evaluate the thrombin generation (TG) potential and clot-forming ability during 5 days of refrigerated storage of thawed FFP, plasma frozen within 24 h and solvent/detergent-treated plasma octaplasLG ® . During storage for 5 days, TG capacity decreased significantly over time, and rotational thromboelastometry showed significantly prolonged clotting times. However, the stability studies confirmed comparable in vitro haemostatic potentials of all three thawed plasma products at day 5. © 2018 International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Generational Differences in Children's Externalizing Behavior Problems

PubMed Central

Hofferth, Sandra L.

2016-01-01

This study examines the effects of time spent with parents and peers on generational differences in children's externalizing behavior problems in immigrant families. Using the Child Development Supplement and Time Diaries from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we found that first and second generation children exhibited fewer externalizing behavior problems than did third generation children, despite their lower socioeconomic status. First and second generation children spent more time with either one or both parents, and less time with peers, on the weekend day than did third generation children. We found a marginal but beneficial effect of time spent with fathers on the weekday, but not on the weekend day. The implications are that time spent with fathers on weekdays differs from time spent with fathers on the weekend, and that promoting immigrant father involvement on the weekday through school or community programs could benefit immigrant children. PMID:27350766

Memorial Day Special - U.S. Department of Defense Official Website

Science.gov Websites

Us Memorial Day 2005 Special Page Ceremony Honors 'Greatest Generations' WASHINGTON, May 30, 2005 chiefs of staff - commemorated this Memorial Day by paying tribute to the tradition of wartime military associated with Memorial Day, servicemembers here took part in a ceremony to commemorate the real reason for

The day-to-day occurrence of equatorial plasma bubbles measured from Vanimo, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, B. A.; Yizengaw, E.; Francis, M.; Terkildsen, M. B.; Marshall, R. A.; Norman, R.; Zhang, K.

2013-12-01

An analysis of the occurrence of Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) detected using a ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver located at Vanimo in South-east Asia will be presented. The 3-year (2000-2002) dataset employed shows that the EPB occurrence maximizes (minimizes) during the equinoxes (solstices), in good agreement with previous findings. The low-latitude ionosonde station at Vanimo is used in conjunction with the GPS receiver in an analysis of the day-to-day EPB occurrence variability during the equinox period. A superposed epoch analysis of the ionosonde data reveals that the height, and the change in height, of the F layer is 1 standard deviation (1σ) larger on the days for which EPBs were detected, compared to non-EPB days. These results are interpreted using the generalized Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) plasma instability growth rate, for which stronger upward drift of the lower-altitude F-layer plasma promotes faster growth of EPBs after sunset. These results are then compared to the results of the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model (TIEGCM), which surprisingly show strong similarities to the observations, despite only using geomagnetic and solar activity inputs. The TIEGCM is also used to directly calculate the hourly flux-tube integrated R-T growth rate. A superposed epoch analysis reveals that the modeled R-T growth rate is a little less than 1σ higher on average for EPB days compared to non-EPB days. The implication of this result is that the TIEGCM generates almost enough day-to-day variability in order to account for the day-to-day EPB occurrence observed during the equinox. This result isn't necessarily expected due to the model's limited altitude coverage of 100-700 km (depending on solar activity) and the lack of ionospheric observation inputs. It is thought that the remaining variability could originate from either lower altitudes (e.g. atmospheric gravity waves from the troposphere) or from higher altitudes (resulting from coupling with the magnetosphere and solar wind), or potentially both. It is concluded that the continuing advancement of numerical modeling of the thermosphere and ionosphere, coupled with altitudes above and below, is required to better understand the day-to-day EPB occurrence.

Estimated Water Use in 1990, Island of Kauai, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shade, Patricia J.

1995-01-01

The estimated total quantity of freshwater withdrawn on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, in 1990 was 370.84 million gallons per day of which 46.29 million gallons per day (12 percent) was from ground-water sources, and 324.55 million gallons per day (88 percent) was from surface-water sources. An additional estimated 40.94 million gallons per day of saline water was withdrawn for thermoelectric power generation. Agricultural irrigation was the principal use, accounting for 66 percent of the total freshwater withdrawals. Irrigation accounted for about 40 percent of the fresh ground-water withdrawals, followed by public supply, thermoelectric power generation, self-supplied domestic, self-supplied commercial, and self-supplied industrial withdrawals. Agricultural irrigation accounted for 69 percent of the total fresh surface-water withdrawals, followed by hydroelectric power generation, self-supplied industrial, public-supply and self-supplied livestock withdrawals. A comparison of water-use data for 1980 and 1990 shows total freshwater uses decreased during 1990 by slightly more than 100 million gallons per day because of decreased withdrawals for sugarcane irrigation and processing. During this time, increased domestic, commercial, and thermoelectric power usage reflects increases in the resident population and in tourism on the island.

Substrate removal and electricity generation in a membrane-less microbial fuel cell for biological treatment of wastewater.

PubMed

Wang, Haiping; Jiang, Sunny C; Wang, Yun; Xiao, Bo

2013-06-01

Microbial fuel cells have gained popularity in recent years due to its promise in converting organic wastewater into renewable electrical energy. In this study, a membrane-less MFC with a biocathode was developed to evaluate its performance in electricity generation while simultaneously treating wastewater. The MFC fed with a continuous flow of 2g/day acetate produced a power density of 30 mW/m(2) and current density of 245 mA/m(2). A substrate degradation efficiency (SDE) of 75.9% was achieved with 48.7% attributed to the anaerobic process and 27.2% to the aerobic process. Sequencing analysis of the microbial consortia using 16S rDNA pryosequencing showed the predominance of Bacteroidia in the anode after one month of operation, while the microbial community in the cathode chamber was dominated by Gamma-proteobacteria and Beta-proteobacteria. Coulombic efficiencies varied from 19.8% to 58.1% using different acetate concentrations, indicating power density can be further improved through the accumulation of electron-transferring bacteria. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression of recombinant sea urchin cellulase SnEG54 using mammalian cell lines.

PubMed

Okumura, Fumihiko; Kameda, Hiroyuki; Ojima, Takao; Hatakeyama, Shigetsugu

2010-05-07

We previously identified the cellulase SnEG54 from Japanese purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus, the molecular mass of which is about 54kDa on SDS-PAGE. It is difficult to express and purify a recombinant cellulase protein using bacteria such as Escherichia coli or yeast. In this study, we generated mammalian expression vectors encoding SnEG54 to transiently express SnEG54 in mammalian cells. Both SnEG54 expressed in mammalian cells and SnEG54 released into the culture supernatant showed hydrolytic activity toward carboxymethyl cellulose. By using a retroviral expression system, we also established a mammalian cell line that constitutively produces SnEG54. Unexpectedly, SnEG54 released into the culture medium was not stable, and the peak time showing the highest concentration was approximately 1-2days after seeding into fresh culture media. These findings suggest that non-mammalian sea urchin cellulase can be generated in human cell lines but that recombinant SnEG54 is unstable in culture medium due to an unidentified mechanism. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Superhydrophobic surfaces generated by one-pot spray-coating of chitosan-based nanoparticles.

PubMed

Wang, Shuangfei; Sha, Jiulong; Wang, Wei; Qin, Chengrong; Li, Wei; Qin, Caiqin

2018-09-01

Superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted great attention due to their attractive properties. Biopolymer-based low-cost and environmentally-friendly superhydrophobic coatings with easy-to-perform fabrication methods are always desirable. Herein, we report superhydrophobic surfaces using a one-step spray-coating of chitosan-based nanoparticles. The particles were easily prepared by a nanoprecipitation strategy using synthesized organosoluble chitosan stearoyl ester (CSSE). The resulting particles had an average size of 165 ∼ 235 nm depending on the applied concentration. Subsequently, spray-coating of such particles onto silicon wafer generated a surface with a water contact angle of 155 ± 1°. SEM and AFM images exhibited a nano/microscaled roughness appeared on the coated surface. The superhydrophobic surfaces showed a stable superhydrophobic performance even after storage for 15 days, pH stability between pH 1 to pH 11 and thermal stability until a temperature no more than 50 °C. These properties would broaden the application fields of superhydrophobic surfaces as well as the chitosan itself. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Light-box" accelerated growth of poinsettias: LED-only illumination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weerasuriya, Charitha; Detez, Stewart; Hock Ng, Soon; Hughes, Andrew; Callaway, Michael; Harrison, Iain; Katkus, Tomas; Juodkazis, Saulius

2018-01-01

For the current commercialized agricultural industry which requires a reduced product lead time to customer and supply all year round, an artificial light emitting diodes (LEDs)-based illumination has high potential due to high efficiency of electrical-to-light conversion. The main advantage of the deployed Red Green Blue Amber LED lighting system is colour mixing capability, which means ability to generate all the colours in the spectrum by using three or four primary colours LEDs. The accelerated plant growth was carried out in a "light-box" which was made to generate an artificial day/night cycle by moving the colour mixing ratio along the colour temperature curve of the chromaticity diagram. The control group of plants form the same initial batch was grown on the same shelf in a greenhouse at the same conditions with addition of artificial illumination by incandescent lamps for few hours. Costs and efficiency projections of LED lamps for horticultural applications is discussed together with required capital investment. The total cost of the "light-box" including LED lamps and electronics was 850 AUD.

Efficacy and safety of two doses of Norditropin® (somatropin) in short stature due to Noonan syndrome: a 2-year randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial in Japanese patients.

PubMed

Ozono, Keiichi; Ogata, Tsutomu; Horikawa, Reiko; Matsubara, Yoichi; Ogawa, Yoshihisa; Nishijima, Keiji; Yokoya, Susumu

2018-02-26

This randomized double-blind multicenter trial (NCT01927861) evaluated the growth-promoting effect and safety of Norditropin ® (NN220; somatropin) in Japanese children with short stature due to Noonan syndrome. Prepubertal children aged 3-<11 years (boys) or 3-<10 years (girls) with Noonan syndrome were randomized to receive GH 0.033 mg/kg/day (n = 25, mean age 6.57 years, 11 females) or 0.066 mg/kg/day (n = 26, mean age 6.06 years, eight females) for 104 weeks. Change in height standard deviation score (HSDS) from baseline was analyzed based on an ANCOVA model. Baseline HSDS was -3.24. Estimated change in HSDS [95% CI] after 104 weeks' treatment was 0.84 [0.66, 1.02] and 1.47 [1.29, 1.64] for the lower and higher doses, respectively; estimated mean difference 0.63 [0.38, 0.88], p < 0.0001. Rates and patterns of adverse events (AEs) were similar between groups. Most were mild and reported as unlikely to be related to Norditropin ® . There were no withdrawals due to AEs. Insulin-like growth factor-I SDS increased from -1.71 to -0.64 (0.033 mg/kg/day) and to 0.63 (0.066 mg/kg/day). HbA 1c increased slightly (0.033 mg/kg/day: +0.14%; 0.066 mg/kg/day: +0.13%); glucose profiles were almost unchanged; insulin profiles increased in both groups in the oral glucose tolerance test. There were no clinically significant abnormal electrocardiogram or echocardiography findings. We conclude that Norditropin ® at doses of 0.033 mg/kg/day or 0.066 mg/kg/day for 104 weeks increases height in Japanese children with short stature due to Noonan syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. The effect was greater with 0.066 mg/kg/day compared with 0.033 mg/kg/day.

Double-blind comparison of first- and second-generation antipsychotics in early-onset schizophrenia and schizo-affective disorder: findings from the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders (TEOSS) study.

PubMed

Sikich, Linmarie; Frazier, Jean A; McClellan, Jon; Findling, Robert L; Vitiello, Benedetto; Ritz, Louise; Ambler, Denisse; Puglia, Madeline; Maloney, Ann E; Michael, Emily; De Jong, Sandra; Slifka, Karen; Noyes, Nancy; Hlastala, Stefanie; Pierson, Leslie; McNamara, Nora K; Delporto-Bedoya, Denise; Anderson, Robert; Hamer, Robert M; Lieberman, Jeffrey A

2008-11-01

Atypical (second-generation) antipsychotics are considered standard treatment for children and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. However, the superiority of second-generation antipsychotics over first-generation antipsychotics has not been demonstrated. This study compared the efficacy and safety of two second-generation antipsychotics (olanzapine and risperidone) with a first-generation antipsychotic (molindone) in the treatment of early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. This double-blind multisite trial randomly assigned pediatric patients with early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder to treatment with either olanzapine (2.5-20 mg/day), risperidone (0.5-6 mg/day), or molindone (10-140 mg/day, plus 1 mg/day of benztropine) for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was response to treatment, defined as a Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement score of 1 or 2 and >or=20% reduction in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score after 8 weeks of treatment. In total, 119 youth were randomly assigned to treatment. Of these subjects, 116 received at least one dose of treatment and thus were available for analysis. No significant differences were found among treatment groups in response rates (molindone: 50%; olanzapine: 34%; risperidone: 46%) or magnitude of symptom reduction. Olanzapine and risperidone were associated with significantly greater weight gain. Olanzapine showed the greatest risk of weight gain and significant increases in fasting cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, insulin, and liver transaminase levels. Molindone led to more self-reports of akathisia. Risperidone and olanzapine did not demonstrate superior efficacy over molindone for treating early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Adverse effects were frequent but differed among medications. The results question the nearly exclusive use of second-generation antipsychotics to treat early-onset schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The safety findings related to weight gain and metabolic problems raise important public health concerns, given the widespread use of second-generation antipsychotics in youth for nonpsychotic disorders.

Detection and removal of impurities in nitric oxide generated from air by pulsed electrical discharge.

PubMed

Yu, Binglan; Blaesi, Aron H; Casey, Noel; Raykhtsaum, Grigory; Zazzeron, Luca; Jones, Rosemary; Morrese, Alexander; Dobrynin, Danil; Malhotra, Rajeev; Bloch, Donald B; Goldstein, Lee E; Zapol, Warren M

2016-11-30

Inhalation of nitric oxide (NO) produces selective pulmonary vasodilation without dilating the systemic circulation. However, the current NO/N 2 cylinder delivery system is cumbersome and expensive. We developed a lightweight, portable, and economical device to generate NO from air by pulsed electrical discharge. The objective of this study was to investigate and optimize the purity and safety of NO generated by this device. By using low temperature streamer discharges in the plasma generator, we produced therapeutic levels of NO with very low levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone. Despite the low temperature, spark generation eroded the surface of the electrodes, contaminating the gas stream with metal particles. During prolonged NO generation there was gradual loss of the iridium high-voltage tip (-90 μg/day) and the platinum-nickel ground electrode (-55 μg/day). Metal particles released from the electrodes were trapped by a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Quadrupole mass spectroscopy measurements of effluent gas during plasma NO generation showed that a single HEPA filter removed all of the metal particles. Mice were exposed to breathing 50 parts per million of electrically generated NO in air for 28 days with only a scavenger and no HEPA filter; the mice did not develop pulmonary inflammation or structural changes and iridium and platinum particles were not detected in the lungs of these mice. In conclusion, an electric plasma generator produced therapeutic levels of NO from air; scavenging and filtration effectively eliminated metallic impurities from the effluent gas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detection and Removal of Impurities in Nitric Oxide Generated from Air by Pulsed Electrical Discharge

PubMed Central

Yu, Binglan; Blaesi, Aron H.; Casey, Noel; Raykhtsaum, Grigory; Zazzeron, Luca; Jones, Rosemary; Morrese, Alexander; Dobrynin, Danil; Malhotra, Rajeev; Bloch, Donald B.; Goldstein, Lee E.; Zapol, Warren M.

2016-01-01

Inhalation of nitric oxide (NO) produces selective pulmonary vasodilation without dilating the systemic circulation. However, the current NO/N2 cylinder delivery system is cumbersome and expensive. We developed a lightweight, portable, and economical device to generate NO from air by pulsed electrical discharge. The objective of this study was to investigate and optimize the purity and safety of NO generated by this device. By using low temperature streamer discharges in the plasma generator, we produced therapeutic levels of NO with very low levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone. Despite the low temperature, spark generation eroded the surface of the electrodes, contaminating the gas stream with metal particles. During prolonged NO generation there was gradual loss of the iridium high-voltage tip (−90 µg/day) and the platinum-nickel ground electrode (−55 µg/day). Metal particles released from the electrodes were trapped by a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Quadrupole mass spectroscopy measurements of effluent gas during plasma NO generation showed that a single HEPA filter removed all of the metal particles. Mice were exposed to breathing 50 parts per million of electrically generated NO in air for 28 days with only a scavenger and no HEPA filter; the mice did not develop pulmonary inflammation or structural changes and iridium and platinum particles were not detected in the lungs of these mice. In conclusion, an electric plasma generator produced therapeutic levels of NO from air; scavenging and filtration effectively eliminated metallic impurities from the effluent gas. PMID:27592386

Electrode Modification and Optimization in Air-Cathode Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Wang, Yanhua; Wu, Jiayan; Yang, Shengke; Li, Huihui; Li, Xiaoping

2018-06-27

Due to the known problems of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), such as low electricity generation performance and high cost of operation, we modified the electrode with graphene and polyaniline (PANI) is a single-chamber air-cathode MFC and then evaluated the effects of electrode modification on MFC electricity generation performance. Carbon cloth electrodes (unmodified, CC; graphene-modified, G/CC; and polyaniline-graphene-modified, PANI-G/CC) were prepared using the impregnation method. Sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPcS) was then introduced as a cathode catalyst. The Co-PANI-G/CC cathode showed higher catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction compared with other electrodes. The maximum power density of the MFC with Co-PANI-G/CC cathode was 32.2 mW/m², which was 1.8 and 6.1 times higher than the value obtained with Co-G/CC and Co/CC cathodes, respectively. This indicates a significant improvement in the electricity generation of single-chamber MFCs and provides a simple, effective cathode modification method. Furthermore, we constructed single-chamber MFCs using the modified anode and cathode and analyzed electricity generation and oxytetracycline (OTC) degradation with different concentrations of OTC as the fuel. With increasing added OTC concentration, the MFC performance in both electricity generation and OTC degradation gradually decreased. However, when less than 50 mg/L OTC was added, the 5-day degradation rate of OTC reached more than 90%. It is thus feasible to process OTC-containing wastewater and produce electricity using single-chamber MFCs, which provides a new concept for wastewater treatment.

Development of Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae Yakimoff & Rastegaieff, 1930 emend. Levine, 1961 in experimentally infected goats (Capra hircus).

PubMed

Vieira, L S; Lima, J D; Rosa, J S

1997-12-01

The endogenous development and prepatent and patent periods of Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae were studied in 43 1-3-wk-old coccidia-free kids inoculated with 5.0 x 10(4), 1.5 x 10(5), 2.0 x 10(5), or 9.0 x 10(5) sporulated oocysts/kg. Twenty-five kids were killed at 24- or 48-hr intervals, 2-18 days after inoculation (DAI). Two generations of meronts, gamonts, gametes, and oocysts were found in sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin and examined using under light microscopy. The first generation of meronts developed in the endothelium of the lacteals, in the lamina propria, and in the lymphatic vessels of the ileum submucosa. Mature, first-generation meronts, 165.5 x 123.6 microm, were first found 10 DAI. Second-generation merogony developed in the crypt epithelial cells of the cecum and colon; mature meronts, 16.8 x 11.6 microm, were first seen 12 DAI. Gametogenesis occurred in the cecum and colon epithelium; mature microgamonts (16.1 x 13.0 microm), microgametes, macrogametes (14.7 x 12.5 microm), and oocysts (18.3 x 13.3 microm) were seen at 13 DAI. The course of the infection was followed in 18 kids examined every day until 24 DAI. The prepatent period was 14.7 (13-17) days and the patent period 6.8 (4-10) days. The sporulation time at 30 C, with constant aeration, was 2-3 days.

Bio-Medical Waste Managment in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Overview.

PubMed

Pandey, Anita; Ahuja, Sanjiv; Madan, Molly; Asthana, Ajay Kumar

2016-11-01

Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) management is of utmost importance as its improper management poses serious threat to health care workers, waste handlers, patients, care givers, community and finally the environment. Simultaneously, the health care providers should know the quantity of waste generated in their facility and try to reduce the waste generation in day-to-day work because lesser amount of BMW means a lesser burden on waste disposal work and cost saving. To have an overview of management of BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital so that effective interventions and implementations can be carried out for better outcome. The observational study was carried out over a period of five months from January 2016 to May 2016 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut by the Infection Control Team (ICT). Assessment of knowledge was carried out by asking set of questions individually and practice regarding awareness of BMW Management among the Health Care Personnel (HCP) was carried out by direct observation in the workplace. Further, the total BMW generated from the present setup in kilogram per bed per day was calculated by dividing the mean waste generated per day by the number of occupied beds. Segregation of BMW was being done at the site of generation in almost all the areas of the hospital in color coded polythene bags as per the hospital protocol. The different types of waste being collected were infectious solid waste in red bag, soiled infectious waste in yellow bag and sharp waste in puncture proof container and blue bag. Though awareness (knowledge) about segregation of BMW was seen in 90% of the HCP, 30%-35% did not practice. Out of the total waste generated (57912 kg.), 8686.8 kg. (15%) was infectious waste. Average infectious waste generated was 0.341 Kg per bed per day. The transport, treatment and disposal of each collected waste were outsourced and carried out by 'Synergy' waste management Pvt. Ltd. The practice of BMW Management was lacking in 30-35% HCP which may lead to mixing of the 15% infectious waste with the remaining non-infectious. Therefore, training courses and awareness programs about BMW management will be carried out every month targeting smaller groups.

Electricity generation from cattle dung using microbial fuel cell technology during anaerobic acidogenesis and the development of microbial populations.

PubMed

Zhao, Guang; Ma, Fang; Wei, Li; Chua, Hong; Chang, Chein-Chi; Zhang, Xiao-Jun

2012-09-01

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed to investigate the possible generation of electricity using cattle dung as a substrate. After 30 days of operation, stable electricity was generated, and the maximum volumetric power density was 0.220 W/m(3). The total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal and coulombic efficiency (CE) of the MFC reached 73.9±1.8% and 2.79±0.6%, respectively, after 120 days of operation. Acetate was the main metabolite in the anolyte, and other volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (propionate and butyrate) were present in minor amounts. The PCR-DGGE analysis indicated that the following five groups of microbes were present: Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the sample; specifically, 36.3% and 24.2% of the sequences obtained were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, respectively. Clostridium sp., Pseudomonas luteola and Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense were the most dominant groups during the electricity generation process. The diversity of archaea dramatically decreased after 20 days of operation. The detected archaea were hydrogenotrophic methanogens, and the Methanobacterium genus disappeared during the periods of stable electricity generation via acidogenesis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Downscaling climate change scenarios for apple pest and disease modeling in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirschi, M.; Stoeckli, S.; Dubrovsky, M.; Spirig, C.; Calanca, P.; Rotach, M. W.; Fischer, A. M.; Duffy, B.; Samietz, J.

2012-02-01

As a consequence of current and projected climate change in temperate regions of Europe, agricultural pests and diseases are expected to occur more frequently and possibly to extend to previously non-affected regions. Given their economic and ecological relevance, detailed forecasting tools for various pests and diseases have been developed, which model their phenology, depending on actual weather conditions, and suggest management decisions on that basis. Assessing the future risk of pest-related damages requires future weather data at high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we use a combined stochastic weather generator and re-sampling procedure for producing site-specific hourly weather series representing present and future (1980-2009 and 2045-2074 time periods) climate conditions in Switzerland. The climate change scenarios originate from the ENSEMBLES multi-model projections and provide probabilistic information on future regional changes in temperature and precipitation. Hourly weather series are produced by first generating daily weather data for these climate scenarios and then using a nearest neighbor re-sampling approach for creating realistic diurnal cycles. These hourly weather series are then used for modeling the impact of climate change on important life phases of the codling moth and on the number of predicted infection days of fire blight. Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) are two major pest and disease threats to apple, one of the most important commercial and rural crops across Europe. Results for the codling moth indicate a shift in the occurrence and duration of life phases relevant for pest control. In southern Switzerland, a 3rd generation per season occurs only very rarely under today's climate conditions but is projected to become normal in the 2045-2074 time period. While the potential risk for a 3rd generation is also significantly increasing in northern Switzerland (for most stations from roughly 1% on average today to over 60% in the future for the median climate change signal of the multi-model projections), the actual risk will critically depend on the pace of the adaptation of the codling moth with respect to the critical photoperiod. To control this additional generation, an intensification and prolongation of control measures (e.g. insecticides) will be required, implying an increasing risk of pesticide resistances. For fire blight, the projected changes in infection days are less certain due to uncertainties in the leaf wetness approximation and the simulation of the blooming period. Two compensating effects are projected, warmer temperatures favoring infections are balanced by a temperature-induced advancement of the blooming period, leading to no significant change in the number of infection days under future climate conditions for most stations.

Downscaling climate change scenarios for apple pest and disease modeling in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirschi, M.; Stoeckli, S.; Dubrovsky, M.; Spirig, C.; Calanca, P.; Rotach, M. W.; Fischer, A. M.; Duffy, B.; Samietz, J.

2011-08-01

As a consequence of current and projected climate change in temperate regions of Europe, agricultural pests and diseases are expected to occur more frequently and possibly to extend to previously not affected regions. Given their economic and ecological relevance, detailed forecasting tools for various pests and diseases have been developed, which model their phenology depending on actual weather conditions and suggest management decisions on that basis. Assessing the future risk of pest-related damages requires future weather data at high temporal and spatial resolution. Here, we use a combined stochastic weather generator and re-sampling procedure for producing site-specific hourly weather series representing present and future (1980-2009 and 2045-2074 time periods) climate conditions in Switzerland. The climate change scenarios originate from the ENSEMBLES multi-model projections and provide probabilistic information on future regional changes in temperature and precipitation. Hourly weather series are produced by first generating daily weather data for these climate scenarios and then using a nearest neighbor re-sampling approach for creating realistic diurnal cycles. These hourly weather series are then used for modeling the impact of climate change on important life phases of the codling moth and on the number of predicted infection days of fire blight. Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) are two major pest and disease threats to apple, one of the most important commercial and rural crops across Europe. Results for the codling moth indicate a shift in the occurrence and duration of life phases relevant for pest control. In southern Switzerland, a 3rd generation per season occurs only very rarely under today's climate conditions but is projected to become normal in the 2045-2074 time period. While the potential risk for a 3rd generation is also significantly increasing in northern Switzerland (for most stations from roughly 1 % on average today to over 60 % in the future for the median climate change signal of the multi-model projections), the actual risk will critically depend on the pace of the adaptation of the codling moth with respect to the critical photoperiod. To control this additional generation, an intensification and prolongation of control measures (e.g., insecticides) will be required, implying an increasing risk of pesticide resistances. For fire blight, the projected changes in infection days are less certain due to uncertainties in the leaf wetness approximation and the simulation of the blooming period. Two compensating effects are projected, warmer temperatures favoring infections are balanced by a temperature-induced advancement of the blooming period, leading to no significant change in the number of infection days under future climate conditions for most stations.

Developing a Novel, Sustainable and Beneficial System for the Systematic Management of Hospital Wastes

PubMed Central

Hinduja, Indira N.; Ahuja, Harish S.

2016-01-01

Introduction India is the 2nd most populated country in the world. Population of India is increasing at a tremendous rate. Proportionately, the numbers of people seeking health care are increasing. In that ratio the quantities of hospital wastes, in wider terms, healthcare wastes that are getting generated is also increasing. Current methods for the safe disposal of healthcare wastes are not able to cope up with the rate of generation of healthcare wastes and moreover are not eco-friendly at all. Due to this, the current rules and regulations regarding the safe disposal of healthcare wastes are getting violated, ultimately leading to improper management of healthcare wastes, posing a serious threat to the environment and to the community. Aim To develop a novel, sustainable and beneficial system for the systematic management of healthcare wastes utilizing the strategies of waste reduction, waste segregation and recycling of Non Hazardous Hospital Wastes (NHHWs). Materials and Methods Firstly a detailed study of the Healthcare Waste Management System (HCWMS) operational at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre was done. A pilot study was then performed. After that, data regarding the generation and management of healthcare wastes in the other healthcare settings was collected and analyzed. Considering all this, a novel, sustainable and beneficial template system for the systematic management of healthcare wastes was proposed. Lastly the possible positive impacts from the implementation of HCWMSs designed using proposed template HCWMS in significant numbers of healthcare establishments was gauged. Results The healthcare waste management system operational at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre was found to be very efficient and provided vital inputs about developing the novel HCWMS. The pilot study was successfully completed generating significant revenue from the hospital’s own NHHWs while managing them in an eco-friendly way. The total healthcare waste generation in Maharashtra was approximately estimated at about 2,89,200kg/day of which about 43,380kg/day was Bio-Medical Wastes (BMWs) while about 2,45,820kg/day were the NHHWs. This stresses the need of implementing HCWMSs in Healthcare Establishments (HCEs) based on the proposed novel template of HCWMS. Conclusion The novel template system is proposed in a detailed manner under various heads in the form of a handbook which is scalable upwards or downwards as per the requirement of a HCE. The enormous economic and environmental positive impacts from the implementation of the HCWMSs based on the proposed HCWMS in significant numbers of HCEs were presented numerically, putting light on the necessity and tremendous potential of this field of research. PMID:27790471

Flexible NO(x) abatement from power plants in the eastern United States.

PubMed

Sun, Lin; Webster, Mort; McGaughey, Gary; McDonald-Buller, Elena C; Thompson, Tammy; Prinn, Ronald; Ellerman, A Denny; Allen, David T

2012-05-15

Emission controls that provide incentives for maximizing reductions in emissions of ozone precursors on days when ozone concentrations are highest have the potential to be cost-effective ozone management strategies. Conventional prescriptive emissions controls or cap-and-trade programs consider all emissions similarly regardless of when they occur, despite the fact that contributions to ozone formation may vary. In contrast, a time-differentiated approach targets emissions reductions on forecasted high ozone days without imposition of additional costs on lower ozone days. This work examines simulations of such dynamic air quality management strategies for NO(x) emissions from electric generating units. Results from a model of day-specific NO(x) pricing applied to the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland (PJM) portion of the northeastern U.S. electrical grid demonstrate (i) that sufficient flexibility in electricity generation is available to allow power production to be switched from high to low NO(x) emitting facilities, (ii) that the emission price required to induce EGUs to change their strategies for power generation are competitive with other control costs, (iii) that dispatching strategies, which can change the spatial and temporal distribution of emissions, lead to ozone concentration reductions comparable to other control technologies, and (iv) that air quality forecasting is sufficiently accurate to allow EGUs to adapt their power generation strategies.

Repositioning Titanium: An In Vitro Evaluation of Laser-Generated Microporous, Microrough Titanium Templates As a Potential Bridging Interface for Enhanced Osseointegration and Durability of Implants

PubMed Central

Tang, Daniel; Yang, Liang-Yo; Ou, Keng-Liang; Oreffo, Richard O. C.

2017-01-01

Although titanium alloys remain the preferred biomaterials for the manufacture of biomedical implants today, such devices can fail within 15 years of implantation due to inadequate osseointegration. Furthermore, wear debris toxicity due to alloy metal ion release has been found to cause side-effects including neurotoxicity and chronic inflammation. Titanium, with its known biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, and high elastic modulus, could if harnessed in the form of a superficial scaffold or bridging device, resolve such issues. A novel three-dimensional culture approach was used to investigate the potential osteoinductive and osseointegrative capabilities of a laser-generated microporous, microrough medical grade IV titanium template on human skeletal stem cells (SSCs). Human SSCs seeded on a rough 90-µm pore surface of ethylene oxide-sterilized templates were observed to be strongly adherent, and to display early osteogenic differentiation, despite their inverted culture in basal conditions over 21 days. Limited cellular migration across the template surface highlighted the importance of high surface wettability in maximizing cell adhesion, spreading and cell-biomaterial interaction, while restricted cell ingrowth within the conical-shaped pores underlined the crucial role of pore geometry and size in determining the extent of osseointegration of an implant device. The overall findings indicate that titanium only devices, with appropriate optimizations to porosity and surface wettability, could yet play a major role in improving the long-term efficacy, durability, and safety of future implant technology. PMID:29322044

Automated oestrus detection using multimetric behaviour recognition in seasonal-calving dairy cattle on pasture.

PubMed

Brassel, J; Rohrssen, F; Failing, K; Wehrend, A

2018-06-11

To evaluate the performance of a novel accelerometer-based oestrus detection system (ODS) for dairy cows on pasture, in comparison with measurement of concentrations of progesterone in milk, ultrasonographic examination of ovaries and farmer observations. Mixed-breed lactating dairy cows (n=109) in a commercial, seasonal-calving herd managed at pasture under typical farming conditions in Ireland, were fitted with oestrus detection collars 3 weeks prior to mating start date. The ODS performed multimetric analysis of eight different motion patterns to generate oestrus alerts. Data were collected during the artificial insemination period of 66 days, commencing on 16 April 2015. Transrectal ultrasonographic examinations of the reproductive tract and measurements of concentrations of progesterone in milk were used to confirm oestrus events. Visual observations by the farmer and the number of theoretically expected oestrus events were used to evaluate the number of false negative ODS alerts. The percentage of eligible cows that were detected in oestrus at least once (and were confirmed true positives) was calculated for the first 21, 42 and 63 days of the insemination period. During the insemination period, the ODS generated 194 oestrus alerts and 140 (72.2%) were confirmed as true positives. Six confirmed oestrus events recognised by the farmer did not generate ODS alerts. The positive predictive value of the ODS was 72.2 (95% CI=65.3-78.4)%. To account for oestrus events not identified by the ODS or the farmer, four theoretical missed oestrus events were added to the false negatives. Estimated sensitivity of the automated ODS was 93.3 (95% CI=88.1-96.8)%. The proportion of eligible cows that were detected in oestrus during the first 21 days of the insemination period was 92/106 (86.8%), and during the first 42 and 63 days of the insemination period was 103/106 (97.2%) and 105/106 (99.1%), respectively. The ODS under investigation was suitable for oestrus detection in dairy cows on pasture and showed a high sensitivity of oestrus detection. Multimetric analysis of behavioural data seems to be the superior approach to developing and improving ODS for dairy cows on pasture. Due to a high proportion of false positive alerts, its use as a stand-alone system for oestrus detection cannot be recommended. As it is the first time the system was investigated, testing on other farms would be necessary for further validation.

Dual effects of atmospheric pressure plasma jet on skin wound healing of mice.

PubMed

Xu, Gui-Min; Shi, Xing-Min; Cai, Jing-Fen; Chen, Si-Le; Li, Ping; Yao, Cong-Wei; Chang, Zheng-Shi; Zhang, Guan-Jun

2015-01-01

Cold plasma has become an attractive tool for promoting wound healing and treating skin diseases. This article presents an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) generated in argon gas through dielectric barrier discharge, which was applied to superficial skin wounds in BALB/c mice. The mice (n = 50) were assigned randomly into five groups (named A, B, C, D, E) with 10 animals in each group. Natural wound healing was compared with stimulated wound healing treated daily with APPJ for different time spans (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 seconds) on 14 consecutive days. APPJ emission spectra, morphological changes in animal wounds, and tissue histological parameters were analyzed. Statistical results revealed that wound size changed over the duration of the experimental period and there was a significant interaction between experimental day and group. Differences between group C and other groups at day 7 were statistically significant (p < 0.05). All groups had nearly achieved closure of the untreated control wounds at day 14. The wounds treated with APPJ for 10, 20, 30, and 40 seconds showed significantly enhanced daily improvement compared with the control and almost complete closure at day 12, 10, 7, and 13, respectively. The optimal results of epidermal cell regeneration, granulation tissue hyperplasia, and collagen deposition in histological aspect were observed at day 7. However, the wounds treated for 50 seconds were less well healed at day 14 than those of the control. It was concluded that appropriate doses of cold plasma could inactivate bacteria around the wound, activate fibroblast proliferation in wound tissue, and eventually promote wound healing. Whereas, over doses of plasma suppressed wound healing due to causing cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. Both positive and negative effects may be related to the existence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) in APPJ. © 2015 by the Wound Healing Society.

Chemical, microphysical and optical properties of the aerosols during foggy and nonfoggy day over a typical location in Indo-Gangetic Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaul, D. S.; Tripathi, S. N.; Gupta, T.

2012-04-01

An extensive experimental measurement was carried out from January 16, 2010 to February 20, 2010 at Kanpur to study the chemical, microphysical and optical properties of the aerosols. A Micro-Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET), a part of National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA), was used for identification of fog duration. PM1 samples and fogwater were collected to examine the organic and inorganic species of aerosol and fogwater. Organic Carbon (OC), Elemental Carbon (EC) and water soluble organic carbon analysis were carried out by an EC-OC analyzer and a TOC analyzer, respectively. Trace gases and solar flux measurement were carried out by gas analyzers and a pyranometer (a part of NASA Aeronet), respectively, to identify the photo-chemical activity. Meteorological data were measured by atmospheric weather station. The microphysical properties such as aerosol size distribution were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Optical properties were measured by a photo-acoustic soot spectrometer (PASS). Organic and inorganic species are processed by fog droplets such as production of secondary organic aerosol through aqueous mechanism (Kaul et al., 2011) and scavenging of various water soluble species. The concentrations of almost all the ionic species and organic carbon were higher in aerosols during foggy day. Presence of numerous ionic species and organic carbon in the fogwater indicates their wet scavenging and removal from the atmosphere by the fog droplets. Most of the aerosol is composed of inorganic component, ~80% during foggy day and ~85.5 % during clear day. Biomass burning contribution to PM1 mass concentration was considerably higher during clear days and lower during foggy days; lower concentration during foggy day could be due to wet scavenging of biomass generated aerosols. The study average higher number concentration of aerosol during foggy day during late evening and overnight was due to lower boundary layer height and subsequent accumulation of freshly emitted, previously aged particles in the atmosphere. The increase in both the number concentration and size of the aerosols as fog evaporated was caused by secondary aerosol formation. The fogwater organic and inorganic species and correlation among them indicate that organic and inorganic carbon is highly correlated with almost all the inorganic species. The higher correlation of sulfate and nitrate with organic carbon of fogwater droplets indicates presence of organo-sulfate and organo-nitrate compounds. The study average absorption and scattering coefficient of foggy day aerosols were higher. The formation of secondary organic aerosol during fog evaporation caused increase in scattering coefficient. Details of the finding on chemical, microphysical and optical properties will be presented. Reference: Kaul, D. S., Gupta, T., Tripathi, S. N., Tare, V., and Collett Jr., J. L.: Secondary Organic Aerosol: A comparison between foggy and non-foggy days, Environmental Science & Technology, 45, 7307-7313, 2011

Lower cost offshore field development utilizing autonomous vehicles

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

Frisbie, F.R.; Vie, K.J.; Welch, D.W.

1996-12-31

The offshore oil and gas industry has the requirement to inspect offshore oil and gas pipelines for scour, corrosion and damage as well as inspect and intervene on satellite production facilities. This task is currently performed with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) operated from dynamically positioned (DP) offshore supply or diving support boats. Currently, these tasks are expensive due to the high day rates for DP ships and the slow, umbilical impeded, 1 knot inspection rates of the tethered ROVs, Emerging Autonomous Undersea Vehicle (AUV) technologies offer opportunities to perform these same inspection tasks for 50--75% lower cost, with comparable ormore » improved quality. The new generation LAPV (Linked Autonomous Power Vehicles) will operate from fixed facilities such as TLPs or FPFs and cover an operating field 10 kms in diameter.« less

Proactive Security Testing and Fuzzing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takanen, Ari

Software is bound to have security critical flaws, and no testing or code auditing can ensure that software is flaw-less. But software security testing requirements have improved radically during the past years, largely due to criticism from security conscious consumers and Enterprise customers. Whereas in the past, security flaws were taken for granted (and patches were quietly and humbly installed), they now are probably one of the most common reasons why people switch vendors or software providers. The maintenance costs from security updates often add to become one of the biggest cost items to large Enterprise users. Fortunately test automation techniques have also improved. Techniques like model-based testing (MBT) enable efficient generation of security tests that reach good confidence levels in discovering zero-day mistakes in software. This technique is called fuzzing.

The U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer Team arrives to view the STS-93 launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Members of the U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer Team are greeted by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin as they disembark from a plane at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station. They arrived with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93 scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five- day mission is the release of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

KSC-99pp0896

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the Apollo/Saturn V Center, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin (right) chats with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and others while waiting for the launch of STS-93. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20

Platelet bioreactor-on-a-chip

PubMed Central

Mazutis, Linas; Wu, Stephen; Sylman, Joanna L.; Ehrlicher, Allen; Machlus, Kellie R.; Feng, Qiang; Lu, Shijiang; Lanza, Robert; Neeves, Keith B.; Weitz, David A.; Italiano, Joseph E.

2014-01-01

Platelet transfusions total >2.17 million apheresis-equivalent units per year in the United States and are derived entirely from human donors, despite clinically significant immunogenicity, associated risk of sepsis, and inventory shortages due to high demand and 5-day shelf life. To take advantage of known physiological drivers of thrombopoiesis, we have developed a microfluidic human platelet bioreactor that recapitulates bone marrow stiffness, extracellular matrix composition, micro-channel size, hemodynamic vascular shear stress, and endothelial cell contacts, and it supports high-resolution live-cell microscopy and quantification of platelet production. Physiological shear stresses triggered proplatelet initiation, reproduced ex vivo bone marrow proplatelet production, and generated functional platelets. Modeling human bone marrow composition and hemodynamics in vitro obviates risks associated with platelet procurement and storage to help meet growing transfusion needs. PMID:25606631

Dan Goldin chats with First Lady Hillary Clinton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At the Apollo/Saturn V Center, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin (right) chats with First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and others while waiting for the launch of STS-93. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20.

An investigation on nuclear energy policy in Turkey and public perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coskun, Mehmet Burhanettin; Tanriover, Banu

2016-11-01

Turkey, which meets nearly 70 per cent of its energy demands with import, is facing the problems of energy security and current account deficit as a result of its dependence on foreign sources in terms of energy input. It is also known that Turkey is having environmental problems due to the increases in CO2 emission. Considering these problems in Turkish economy, where energy input is commonly used, it is necessary to use energy sources efficiently and provide alternative energy sources. Due to the dependency of renewable sources on meteorological conditions (the absence of enough sun, wind, and water sources), the energy generation could not be provided efficiently and permanently from these sources. At this point, nuclear energy as analternative energy source maintains its importance as a sustainable energy source that providing energy in 7 days and 24 hours. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the nuclear energy subject within the context of negative public perceptions emerged after Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) disasters and to investigate in the economic framework.

First Lady Hillary Clinton returns to KSC for second launch attempt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Entering the Banana Creek viewing site, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is joined by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin (right), and in the background, Deputy Director of Business Operations Jim Jennings (far left) and Director of Installation Operations Marv Jones (right, behind Goldin). Mrs. Clinton and others are at the site to watch the second launch attempt of STS-93. Moments before the first scheduled launch, July 20, STS-93 was scrubbed at the T-7 second mark in the countdown due to an indication of a high concentration of hydrogen in an aft engine compartment. The reading proved to be a false alarm. The launch was rescheduled for July 22 at 12:28 a.m. Much attention has been generated over STS-93 due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe.

Moon meteoritic seismic hum: Steady state prediction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lognonne, P.; Feuvre, M.L.; Johnson, C.L.; Weber, R.C.

2009-01-01

We use three different statistical models describing the frequency of meteoroid impacts on Earth to estimate the seismic background noise due to impacts on the lunar surface. Because of diffraction, seismic events on the Moon are typically characterized by long codas, lasting 1 h or more. We find that the small but frequent impacts generate seismic signals whose codas overlap in time, resulting in a permanent seismic noise that we term the "lunar hum" by analogy with the Earth's continuous seismic background seismic hum. We find that the Apollo era impact detection rates and amplitudes are well explained by a model that parameterizes (1) the net seismic impulse due to the impactor and resulting ejecta and (2) the effects of diffraction and attenuation. The formulation permits the calculation of a composite waveform at any point on the Moon due to simulated impacts at any epicentral distance. The root-mean-square amplitude of this waveform yields a background noise level that is about 100 times lower than the resolution of the Apollo long-period seismometers. At 2 s periods, this noise level is more than 1000 times lower than the low noise model prediction for Earth's microseismic noise. Sufficiently sensitive seismometers will allow the future detection of several impacts per day at body wave frequencies. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Quantitative characterization of prostaglandins in the uterus of early pregnant cattle.

PubMed

Ulbrich, S E; Schulke, K; Groebner, A E; Reichenbach, H D; Angioni, C; Geisslinger, G; Meyer, H H D

2009-08-01

Prostaglandins (PGs) are important regulators of reproductive processes including early embryonic development. We analyzed the most relevant PG in bovine uteri at different preimplantation pregnancy stages when compared with non-pregnant controls. Additionally, endometrium and trophoblast tissues were examined regarding specific enzymes and receptors involved in PG generation and function. Simmental heifers were artificially inseminated or received seminal plasma only. At days 12, 15, or 18, post-estrus uteri were flushed for PG determination by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Endometrium and trophoblast tissues were sampled for RNA extraction and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. At all days and points of time examined, the concentration of 6-keto PGF(1alpha) (stable metabolite of PGI(2)) was predominant followed by PGF(2alpha)>PGE(2)>PGD(2) approximately TXB(2) (stable metabolite of TXA(2)). At days 15 and 18, PG increased from overall low levels at day 12, with a much more pronounced increase during pregnancy. The PGF(2alpha)/PGE(2) ratio was not influenced by status. The highest PG concentration was measured at day 15 with 6-keto PGF(1alpha) (6.4 ng/ml) followed by PGF(2alpha) (1.1 ng/ml) and PGE(2) (0.3 ng/ml). Minor changes in endometrial PG biosynthesis enzymes occurred due to pregnancy. Trophoblasts revealed high transcript abundance of general and specific PG synthases contributing to uterine PG. As PGI(2) and PGF(2alpha) receptors were abundantly expressed by the trophoblast, abundant amounts of PGI(2) and PGF(2alpha) in the uterine lumen point towards an essential role of PG for the developing embryo. High amounts of PG other than PGE(2) in the preimplantation uterus may be essential rather than detrimental for successful reproduction.

Inhaled Diesel Emissions Generated with Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Fuel Additive Induce Adverse Pulmonary and Systemic Effects

PubMed Central

Snow, Samantha J.; McGee, John; Miller, Desinia B.; Bass, Virginia; Schladweiler, Mette C.; Thomas, Ronald F.; Krantz, Todd; King, Charly; Ledbetter, Allen D.; Richards, Judy; Weinstein, Jason P.; Conner, Teri; Willis, Robert; Linak, William P.; Nash, David; Wood, Charles E.; Elmore, Susan A.; Morrison, James P.; Johnson, Crystal L.; Gilmour, Matthew Ian; Kodavanti, Urmila P.

2014-01-01

Diesel exhaust (DE) exposure induces adverse cardiopulmonary effects. Cerium oxide nanoparticles added to diesel fuel (DECe) increases fuel burning efficiency but leads to altered emission characteristics and potentially altered health effects. Here, we evaluated whether DECe results in greater adverse pulmonary effects compared with DE. Male Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to filtered air, DE, or DECe for 5 h/day for 2 days. N-acetyl glucosaminidase activity was increased in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of rats exposed to DECe but not DE. There were also marginal but insignificant increases in several other lung injury biomarkers in both exposure groups (DECe > DE for all). To further characterize DECe toxicity, rats in a second study were exposed to filtered air or DECe for 5 h/day for 2 days or 4 weeks. Tissue analysis indicated a concentration- and time-dependent accumulation of lung and liver cerium followed by a delayed clearance. The gas-phase and high concentration of DECe increased lung inflammation at the 2-day time point, indicating that gas-phase components, in addition to particles, contribute to pulmonary toxicity. This effect was reduced at 4 weeks except for a sustained increase in BALF γ-glutamyl transferase activity. Histopathology and transmission electron microscopy revealed increased alveolar septa thickness due to edema and increased numbers of pigmented macrophages after DECe exposure. Collectively, these findings indicate that DECe induces more adverse pulmonary effects on a mass basis than DE. In addition, lung accumulation of cerium, systemic translocation to the liver, and delayed clearance are added concerns to existing health effects of DECe. PMID:25239632

Silica coating influences the corona and biokinetics of cerium oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Konduru, Nagarjun V; Jimenez, Renato J; Swami, Archana; Friend, Sherri; Castranova, Vincent; Demokritou, Philip; Brain, Joseph D; Molina, Ramon M

2015-10-12

The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) influence their biological outcomes. We assessed the effects of an amorphous silica coating on the pharmacokinetics and pulmonary effects of CeO2 NPs following intratracheal (IT) instillation, gavage and intravenous injection in rats. Uncoated and silica-coated CeO2 NPs were generated by flame spray pyrolysis and later neutron-activated. These radioactive NPs were IT-instilled, gavaged, or intravenously (IV) injected in rats. Animals were analyzed over 28 days post-IT, 7 days post-gavage and 2 days post-injection. Our data indicate that silica coating caused more but transient lung inflammation compared to uncoated CeO2. The transient inflammation of silica-coated CeO2 was accompanied by its enhanced clearance. Then, from 7 to 28 days, clearance was similar although significantly more (141)Ce from silica-coated (35%) was cleared than from uncoated (19%) (141)CeO2 in 28 days. The protein coronas of the two NPs were significantly different when they were incubated with alveolar lining fluid. Despite more rapid clearance from the lungs, the extrapulmonary (141)Ce from silica-coated (141)CeO2 was still minimal (<1%) although lower than from uncoated (141)CeO2 NPs. Post-gavage, nearly 100% of both NPs were excreted in the feces consistent with very low gut absorption. Both IV-injected (141)CeO2 NP types were primarily retained in the liver and spleen. The silica coating significantly altered the plasma protein corona composition and enhanced retention of (141)Ce in other organs except the liver. We conclude that silica coating of nanoceria alters the biodistribution of cerium likely due to modifications in protein corona formation after IT and IV administration.

A nonparametric stochastic method for generating daily climate-adjusted streamflows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stagge, J. H.; Moglen, G. E.

2013-10-01

A daily stochastic streamflow generation model is presented, which successfully replicates statistics of the historical streamflow record and can produce climate-adjusted daily time series. A monthly climate model relates general circulation model (GCM)-scale climate indicators to discrete climate-streamflow states, which in turn control parameters in a daily streamflow generation model. Daily flow is generated by a two-state (increasing/decreasing) Markov chain, with rising limb increments randomly sampled from a Weibull distribution and the falling limb modeled as exponential recession. When applied to the Potomac River, a 38,000 km2 basin in the Mid-Atlantic United States, the model reproduces the daily, monthly, and annual distribution and dynamics of the historical streamflow record, including extreme low flows. This method can be used as part of water resources planning, vulnerability, and adaptation studies and offers the advantage of a parsimonious model, requiring only a sufficiently long historical streamflow record and large-scale climate data. Simulation of Potomac streamflows subject to the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1b, A2, and B1 emission scenarios predict a slight increase in mean annual flows over the next century, with the majority of this increase occurring during the winter and early spring. Conversely, mean summer flows are projected to decrease due to climate change, caused by a shift to shorter, more sporadic rain events. Date of the minimum annual flow is projected to shift 2-5 days earlier by the 2070-2099 period.

Concentrated solar power plants impact on PV penetration level and grid flexibility under Egyptian climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moukhtar, Ibrahim; Elbaset, Adel A.; El Dein, Adel Z.; Qudaih, Yaser; Mitani, Yasunori

2018-05-01

Photovoltaic (PV) system integration in the electric grid has been increasing over the past decades. However, the impact of PV penetration on the electric grid, especially during the periods of higher and lower generation for the solar system at the middle of the day and during cloudy weather or at night respectively, limit the high penetration of solar PV system. In this research, a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) has been aggregated with PV system in order to accommodate the required electrical power during the higher and lower solar energy at all timescales. This paper analyzes the impacts of CSP on the grid-connected PV considering high penetration of PV system, particularly when no energy storages in the form of batteries are used. Two cases have been studied, the first when only PV system is integrated into the electric grid and the second when two types of solar energy (PV and CSP) are integrated. The System Advisor Model (SAM) software is used to simulate the output power of renewable energy. Simulation results show that the performance of CSP has a great impact on the penetration level of PV system and on the flexibility of the electric grid. The overall grid flexibility increases due to the ability of CSP to store and dispatch the generated power. In addition, CSP/TES itself has inherent flexibility. Therefore, CSP reduces the minimum generation constraint of the conventional generators that allows more penetration of the PV system.

Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of seasonal photoperiodism in the pea aphid

PubMed Central

Le Trionnaire, G; Francis, F; Jaubert-Possamai, S; Bonhomme, J; De Pauw, E; Gauthier, J-P; Haubruge, E; Legeai, F; Prunier-Leterme, N; Simon, J-C; Tanguy, S; Tagu, D

2009-01-01

Background Aphid adaptation to harsh winter conditions is illustrated by an alternation of their reproductive mode. Aphids detect photoperiod shortening by sensing the length of the night and switch from viviparous parthenogenesis in spring and summer, to oviparous sexual reproduction in autumn. The photoperiodic signal is transduced from the head to the reproductive tract to change the fate of the future oocytes from mitotic diploid embryogenesis to haploid formation of gametes. This process takes place in three consecutive generations due to viviparous parthenogenesis. To understand the molecular basis of the switch in the reproductive mode, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches were used to detect significantly regulated transcripts and polypeptides in the heads of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Results The transcriptomic profiles of the heads of the first generation were slightly affected by photoperiod shortening. This suggests that trans-generation signalling between the grand-mothers and the viviparous embryos they contain is not essential. By analogy, many of the genes and some of the proteins regulated in the heads of the second generation are implicated in visual functions, photoreception and cuticle structure. The modification of the cuticle could be accompanied by a down-regulation of the N-β-alanyldopamine pathway and desclerotization. In Drosophila, modification of the insulin pathway could cause a decrease of juvenile hormones in short-day reared aphids. Conclusion This work led to the construction of hypotheses for photoperiodic regulation of the switch of the reproductive mode in aphids. PMID:19788735

Tavaborole, a Novel Boron-Containing Small Molecule Pharmaceutical Agent for Topical Treatment of Onychomycosis: II. Prenatal and Postnatal Developmental Toxicity and Maternal Function Study.

PubMed

Ciaravino, Vic; Coronado, Dina; Lanphear, Cheryl; Hoberman, Alan; Chanda, Sanjay

2016-09-01

Tavaborole is a topical antifungal agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of toenail onychomycosis. The effects of tavaborole on gestation, parturition (delivery, labor), offspring development, and survival during the perinatal and postnatal periods were assessed in mated female rats. Females (F0 generation) were administered single daily oral (gavage) doses of 15, 60, or 100 mg/kg/d from gestation day 6 through lactation day 20. The females were allowed to deliver naturally and rear their offspring until lactation day 21, at which time the F0 females were euthanized. One male and female from each litter were selected (F1 generation) and retained for assessments, including growth, neurobehavior, fertility, and their ability to produce an F2 generation. Reproductive and offspring parameters were determined for the F1 and F2 generations, as applicable. F1 females and F2 pups were euthanized on postnatal day 7. In the F0 females, decreased activity was observed in the 100 mg/kg/d dose group. Excess salivation was observed in the 60 and 100 mg/kg/d dose groups (slight to moderate), however, this finding was not considered adverse. There were no tavaborole-related effects on the growth, viability, development, neurobehavioral assessments, or reproductive performance of the F1 generation. Survivability and mean body weight of the F2 pups were unaffected. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for maternal toxicity (F0 generation) was 60 mg/kg/d, based on the decreased activity observed in the 100 mg/kg/d dose group. The NOAEL for the offspring effects was ≥100 mg/kg/d, based on the lack of test article-related changes. © The Author(s) 2016.

Tray service generates more food waste in dining areas of a continuing-care retirement community.

PubMed

Hackes, B L; Shanklin, C W; Kim, T; Su, A Y

1997-08-01

To determine if the type of service system affects the amount of service food waste (SFW) generated in dining areas of a continuing-care retirement community. A waste stream analysis was conducted for 7 days to determine quantity of SFW generated in three service systems: health care tray service, health care dining room with wait-staff service, and ambulatory dining room with family-style service. Weight and volume were determined. Health care tray service and wait-staff service were provided to 70 residents in a health care unit. Family-style service was provided as an optional service for 130 residents in independent-living units. An average of 229 meals were served per day. Analysis of variance and a multiple comparison method were used to compare mean weight and volume of SFW on a per meal, per day, and per week basis. During the 7-day period, 482.8 lb, or 83 gal, of SFW was disposed of Health care tray service generated more SFW by weight for all three meals than either family-style service or wait-staff service, and it generated the greatest total volume of service waste. Residents eating in the dining room with family-style service disposed of significantly less SFW by weight at lunch and dinner than those receiving the other two service styles. Changing the style of service can affect not only quantity of solid waste generated and associated disposal costs but also food and supply costs, meal acceptability, and quantity of natural resources required. The systems approach should be used to assess the feasibility of changing service system so that all costs are considered.

75 FR 10318 - Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, LLC., Home Power Division, a Subsidiary of Briggs...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-05

... portable generators, home stand-by generators and pressure washers. New findings show that worker... portable generators, home stand-by generators and pressure washers. The amended notice applicable to TA-W... 1974, as amended. Signed in Washington, DC, this 22nd day of February 2010. Elliott S. Kushner...

Being part of a multi-generational medical practice team.

PubMed

Hills, Laura

2010-01-01

What happens when you find yourself working in your medical practice every day with co-workers who are the ages of your parents or children? Do you find yourself reverting to age-related roles? Do you become exasperated with or bewildered by the values and behaviors of older or younger colleagues? This article explores the challenges and opportunities the medical practice staff member faces when he or she is part of a multi-generational medical practice team. It describes the tensions that often occur when a medical practice staff runs the gamut from those who remember using a library card catalog and those who can't remember the days before Google. It describes the core values, career goals, key formative events, and attitudes that may have shaped the thinking and behavior of the four generations that may work in the medical practice today: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. It suggests preferred communication and learning methods for staff members of different generations. Finally, this article offers 10 best practices for working in a multi-generational staff and for creating a supportive multi-generational medical practice culture.

The mortality profile of black Seventh-Day Adventists residing in metropolitan Atlanta: a pilot study.

PubMed

Murphy, F G; Blumenthal, D S; Dickson-Smith, J; Peay, R P

1990-08-01

Mortality information was gathered for 110 Black Seventh-day Adventist members of seven churches in Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia during the period 1980-87. Seventy-seven percent of the deaths were due to cardiovascular diseases; 8 percent due to cancer, the second leading cause of death. The cancer rate is extremely low in comparison to the proportion of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. Subsequent research on this population will take into consideration lifestyle factors which could contribute to this finding.

Annual changes of bacterial mortality due to viruses and protists in an oligotrophic coastal environment (NW Mediterranean).

PubMed

Boras, Julia A; Sala, M Montserrat; Vázquez-Domínguez, Evaristo; Weinbauer, Markus G; Vaqué, Dolors

2009-05-01

The impact of viruses and protists on bacterioplankton mortality was examined monthly during 2 years (May 2005-April 2007) in an oligotrophic coastal environment (NW Mediterranean Sea). We expected that in such type of system, (i) bacterial losses would be caused mainly by protists, and (ii) lysogeny would be an important type of virus-host interaction. During the study period, viruses and grazers together were responsible for 50.6 +/- 40.1% day(-1) of bacterial standing stock losses (BSS) and 59.7 +/- 44.0% day(-1) of bacterial production losses (BP). Over the first year (May 2005-April 2006), protists were the principal cause of bacterial mortality, removing 29.9 +/- 20.4% day(-1) of BSS and 33.9 +/- 24.3% day(-1) of BP, whereas viral lysis removed 13.5 +/- 17.0% day(-1) of BSS and 12.3 +/- 12.3% day(-1) of BP. During the second year (May 2006-April 2007), viruses caused comparable bacterial losses (29.2 +/- 14.8% day(-1) of BSS and 40.9 +/- 20.7% day(-1) of BP) to protists (28.6 +/- 25.5% day(-1) of BSS and 32.4 +/- 20.0% day(-1) of BP). In 37% of cases higher losses of BP due to viruses than due to protists were found. Lysogenic infection was detected in 11 of 24 samplings. Contrary to our expectations, lytic infections dominated over the two years, and viruses resulted to be a significant source of bacterial mortality in this oligotrophic site.

Hydropower generation, flood control and dam cascades: A national assessment for Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen-Tien, Viet; Elliott, Robert J. R.; Strobl, Eric A.

2018-05-01

Vietnam is a country with diverse terrain and climatic conditions and a dependency on hydropower for a significant proportion of its power needs and as such, is particularly vulnerable to changes in climate. In this paper we apply SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) derived discharge simulation results coupled with regression analysis to estimate the performance of hydropower plants for Vietnam between 1995 and mid-2014 when both power supply and demand increased rapidly. Our approach is to examine the watershed formed from three large inter-boundary basins: The Red River, the Vietnam Coast and the Lower Mekong River, which have a total area of 977,964 km2. We then divide this area into 7,887 sub-basins with an average area of 131.6 km2 (based on level 12 of HydroSHEDS/HydroBASINS datasets) and 53,024 Hydrological Response Units (HRUs). Next we simulate river flow for the 40 largest hydropower plants across Vietnam. Our validation process demonstrates that the simulated flows are significantly correlated with the gauged inflows into these dams and are able to serve as a good proxy for the inflows into hydropower dams in our baseline energy regression, which captures 87.7% of the variation in monthly power generation. In other results we estimate that large dams sacrifice on average around 18.2% of their contemporaneous production for the purpose of flood control. When we assess Vietnam's current alignment of dams we find that the current cascades of large hydropower dams appear to be reasonably efficient: each MWh/day increase in upstream generation adds 0.146 MWh/day to downstream generation. The study provides evidence for the multiple benefits of a national system of large hydropower dams using a cascade design. Such a system may help overcome future adverse impacts from changes in climate conditions. However, our results show that there is still room for improvement in the harmonization of cascades in some basins. Finally, possible adverse hydro-ecological impacts due to the proliferation of large upstream dams, including those located beyond Vietnam's border, need to be carefully considered.

The extent of polylactosamine glycosylation of MDCK LAMP-2 is determined by its Golgi residence time.

PubMed

Nabi, I R; Dennis, J W

1998-09-01

The increased polylactosamine glycosylation of LAMP-2 in MDCK cells cultured for 1 day relative to cells cultured for 3 days has been correlated with its slower rate of Golgi transit (Nabi and Rodriguez-Boulan, 1993, Mol. Biol. Cell., 4, 627-635). To determine if the differential polylactosamine glycosylation of LAMP-2 is a consequence of glycosyltransferase expression levels, the activities of beta1-6GlcNAc-TV, beta1-3GlcNAc-T(i), beta1-2GlcNAc-TI, beta1, 4Gal-T, alpha2-6sialyl-T, and alpha2-3sialyl-T were assayed and no significant differences in the activities of these enzymes in 1 and 3 day cell extracts were detected. During MDCK epithelial polarization, the Golgi apparatus undergoes morphological changes and apiconuclear Golgi networks were more evident in 3 day cells. Treatment with nocodazole disrupted Golgi networks and generated numerous Golgi clusters in both 1 day and 3 day cells. In the presence of nocodazole the differential migration of LAMP-2 in 1 and 3 day MDCK cells was maintained and could be eliminated by treatment with endo-beta-galactosidase, indicating that gross Golgi morphology did not influence the extent of LAMP-2 polylactosamine glycosylation. Nocodazole treatment did, however, result in the faster migration of LAMP-2 which was not due to modification of core N-glycans as the precursor form of the glycoprotein migrated with an identical molecular size. Following incubation at 20 degrees C, which prevents the exit of proteins from the trans-Golgi network, the molecular size of LAMP-2 increased to a similar extent in both 1 and 3 day MDCK cells. Extending the time of incubation at 20 degrees C did not influence the size of LAMP-2, demonstrating that its glycosylation is modified not by its retention within the Golgi but rather by its equivalent slower Golgi passage at the lower temperature in both 1 and 3 day cells. An identical effect was observed in nocodazole treated cells, demonstrating that Golgi residence time determines the extent of LAMP-2 polylactosamine glycosylation, even in isolated Golgi clusters.

Fibrocyte migration, differentiation and apoptosis during the corneal wound healing response to injury.

PubMed

Lassance, Luciana; Marino, Gustavo K; Medeiros, Carla S; Thangavadivel, Shanmugapriya; Wilson, Steven E

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether bone marrow-derived fibrocytes migrate into the cornea after stromal scar-producing injury and differentiate into alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) + myofibroblasts. Chimeric mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) bone marrow cells had fibrosis (haze)-generating irregular phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) for GFP and fibrocyte markers (CD34, CD45, and vimentin) was used to detect fibrocyte infiltration into the corneal stroma and the development of GFP+ αSMA+ myofibroblasts. IHC for activated caspase-3, GFP and CD45 was used to detect fibrocyte and other hematopoietic cells undergoing apoptosis. Moderate haze developed in PTK-treated mouse corneas at 14 days after surgery and worsened, and persisted, at 21 days after surgery. GFP+ CD34+ CD45+ fibrocytes, likely in addition to other CD34+ and/or CD45+ hematopoietic and stem/progenitor cells, infiltrated the cornea and were present in the stroma in high numbers by one day after PTK. The fibrocytes and other bone marrow-derived cells progressively decreased at four days and seven days after surgery. At four days after PTK, 5% of the GFP+ cells expressed activated caspase-3. At 14 days after PTK, more than 50% of GFP+ CD45+ cells were also αSMA+ myofibroblasts. At 21 days after PTK, few GFP+ αSMA+ cells persisted in the stroma and more than 95% of those remaining expressed activated caspase-3, indicating they were undergoing apoptosis. GFP+ CD45+ SMA+ cells that developed from 4 to 21 days after irregular PTK were likely developed from fibrocytes. After irregular PTK in the strain of C57BL/6-C57/BL/6-Tg(UBC-GFP)30Scha/J chimeric mice, however, more than 95% of fibrocytes and other hematopoietic cells underwent apoptosis prior to the development of mature αSMA+ myofibroblasts. Most GFP+ CD45+ αSMA+ myofibroblasts that did develop subsequently underwent apoptosis-likely due to epithelial basement membrane regeneration and deprivation of epithelium-derived TGFβ requisite for myofibroblast survival. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 65298 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-31

... the GPR, mid-year GPR and a final GPR within 90 days of grant closeout, which provide information for... to complete a GPR, which is due in October, to complete an abbreviated mid-year GPR due in April, and to complete a final GPR within 90 days of grant closeout. The GPR provides information for CNCS staff...

[Environmental impact of a public hospital in the city of Lima, Peru].

PubMed

Bambarén-Alatrista, Celso; Alatrista-Gutiérrez de Bambarén, María del Socorro

2014-01-01

The operation of hospitals produces negative effects on the environment which contributes to air pollution and climate change. The institution in this study is a category III health care facility located in the city of Lima. It generates 4.89 kg/bed/day of solid waste, and consumes 1.36 m3/bed/day of water; 25.22 kWh/bed/day of electricity, and 2.76 liters/bed/day of fuel. The level of PM10 and measured parameters of disposal to the public network are within legal limits, while mobile source noise exceeds the maximum allowable limit. The institution releases into the atmosphere 2,291 tons of CO2 equivalents per year. In conclusion, the institution studied generates a negative impact on the environment.

Feasibility test on green energy harvesting from physical exercise devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustafi, Nirendra N.; Mourshed, M.; Masud, M. H.; Hossain, M. S.; Kamal, M. R.

2017-06-01

The demand of power is increasing day by day due to the increase of world population as well as the industrialization and modernization. Depletion of the world's fossil fuel reserves and the adverse effects of their uses on the environment insist the researchers to find out some means of efficient and cost effective alternative energy sources from small to large scales. In a gymnasium the human metabolism power is used to drive the physical exercise devices. However there are a number of exercise device which can have the potential to generate electricity during physical exercise. By converting the available mechanical energy from these exercise devices into kinetic energy, electric power can be produced. In this work, energy was harvested from the most commonly used physical exercise devices used in the gymnasium - paddling and chin up. The paddle pulley and the chin up pulley were connected to the couple pulley which in turn coupled to an alternator by a V-belt to produce electrical energy and a rechargeable battery was used to store electrical energy. The power generation from the device depends upon the speed at which the alternator runs and the age limit. The electrical energy output was observed 83.6 watt at 1300 rpm and 62.5 watt at1150 rpm alternator speed for the paddling and chin up respectively recorded for an average adult. The device was designed for a constant 49N load on the alternator for both paddling and chin up operation. By running each of these devices for about 12 hours in a day, any gymnasium can avoid burning of almost 23.67 kg and 31.6 kg of diesel fuel per year for chin up and paddling respectively. Also it can cut off the CO2 emission to the environment which reveals itself a standalone green micro gym.

Mars Ozone Absorption Line Shapes from Infrared Heterodyne Spectra Applied to GCM-Predicted Ozone Profiles and to MEX/SPICAM Column Retrievals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fast, Kelly E.; Kostiuk, T.; Annen, J.; Hewagama, T.; Delgado, J.; Livengood, T. A.; Lefevre, F.

2008-01-01

We present the application of infrared heterodyne line shapes of ozone on Mars to those produced by radiative transfer modeling of ozone profiles predicted by general circulation models (GCM), and to contemporaneous column abundances measured by Mars Express SPICAM. Ozone is an important tracer of photochemistry Mars' atmosphere, serving as an observable with which to test predictions of photochemistry-coupled GCMs. Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy at 9.5 microns with spectral resolving power >1,000,000 is the only technique that can directly measure fully-resolved line shapes of Martian ozone features from the surface of the Earth. Measurements were made with Goddard Space Flight Center's Heterodyne instrument for Planetary Wind And Composition (HIPWAC) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii on February 21-24 2008 UT at Ls=35deg on or near the MEX orbital path. The HIPWAC observations were used to test GCM predictions. For example, a GCM-generated ozone profile for 60degN 112degW was scaled so that a radiative transfer calculation of its absorption line shape matched an observed HIPWAC absorption feature at the same areographic position, local time, and season. The RMS deviation of the model from the data was slightly smaller for the GCM-generated profile than for a line shape produced by a constant-with-height profile, even though the total column abundances were the same, showing potential for testing and constraining GCM ozone-profiles. The resulting ozone column abundance from matching the model to the HIPWAC line shape was 60% higher than that observed by SPICAM at the same areographic position one day earlier and 2.5 hours earlier in local time. This could be due to day-to-day, diurnal, or north polar region variability, or to measurement sensitivity to the ozone column and its distribution, and these possibilities will be explored. This work was supported by NASA's Planetary Astronomy Program.

A note on the effect of wind waves on vertical mixing in Franks Tract, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, Janet K.; Jones, Nicole L.; Stephen G. Monismith,

2008-01-01

A one-dimensional numerical model that simulates the effects of whitecapping waves was used to investigate the importance of whitecapping waves to vertical mixing at a 3-meter-deep site in Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta over an 11-day period. Locally-generated waves of mean period approximately 2 s were generated under strong wind conditions; significant wave heights ranged from 0 to 0.3 m. A surface turbulent kinetic energy flux was used to model whitecapping waves during periods when wind speeds > 5 m s-1 (62% of observations). The surface was modeled as a wind stress log-layer for the remaining 38% of the observations. The model results demonstrated that under moderate wind conditions (5–8 m s-1 at 10 m above water level), and hence moderate wave heights, whitecapping waves provided the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy to only the top 10% of the water column. Under stronger wind (> 8 m s-1), and hence larger wave conditions, whitecapping waves provided the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy over a larger portion of the water column; however, this region extended to the bottom half of the water column for only 7% of the observation period. The model results indicated that phytoplankton concentrations close to the bed were unlikely to be affected by the whitecapping of waves, and that the formation of concentration boundary layers due to benthic grazing was unlikely to be disrupted by whitecapping waves. Furthermore, vertical mixing of suspended sediment was unlikely to be affected by whitecapping waves under the conditions experienced during the 11-day experiment. Instead, the bed stress provided by tidal currents was the dominant source of turbulent kinetic energy over the bottom half of the water column for the majority of the 11-day period.

Repeating Seismic Events Indicate Stick-slip Behavior Before the Rausu Landslide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, M.; Mori, J. J.; Matsushi, Y.

2016-12-01

The characteristics of seismic signals generated by the mass movement are considered to reflect the physical properties of the movement, and the use of seismic data for landslide study attracts more attention recently. Here we analyzed the seismic data associated with 2015 Rausu landslide, and found intermittent tremors before the substantial mass movement. The Rausu landslide started moving before 6:30 on April 24 based on the eyewitnesses, and the large deformation occurred between 11:30 and 16:30 on the day. The size of the landslide is about 380 times 260 m and depth of 15-30m, and the sliding distance is 10-20 m. The coastal seafloor uplifted and emerged above the level of high-tide due to the buckling of the layers at the toe of the landslide. A seismogram near the Rausu landslide (0.85km North) recorded curious intermittent tremors one day before the substantial mass movement. Each tremor has almost identical waveforms, and the amplitude increases linearly as a function of time. The tremors continued about 20 hours, and on the next day, a large deformation was observed. This tremor sequence is considered to be an evidence of the stick-slip movement of the landslide before the large failure occurs. The identical waveforms suggest that the source location and mechanism are very similar in the sequence, which indicates the tremors are generated at a particular small area. The amplitude and interval of the tremors may reflect the physical properties of the slip surface. The constant interval of the tremor occurrence suggests that the shear stress accumulation was very stable at the precursory creeping stage. This is the first observation suggesting that the heterogeneous structure such as asperities on the slip surface play an important role to control the movement of landslide, and adding a new aspect on the conventional understanding of the mechanism to control the mass movement.

Oral two-generation reproduction toxicity study with NM-200 synthetic amorphous silica in Wistar rats.

PubMed

Wolterbeek, André; Oosterwijk, Thies; Schneider, Steffen; Landsiedel, Robert; de Groot, Didima; van Ee, Renz; Wouters, Mariëlle; van de Sandt, Han

2015-08-15

Synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) like NM-200 is used in a wide variety of technological applications and consumer products. Although SAS has been widely investigated the available reproductive toxicity studies are old and do not cover all requirements of current OECD Guidelines. As part of a CEFIC-LRI project, NM-200 was tested in a two-generation reproduction toxicity study according to OECD guideline 416. Male and female rats were treated by oral gavage with NM-200 at dose levels of 0, 100, 300 and 1000mg/kg bw/day for two generations. Body weight and food consumption were measured throughout the study. Reproductive and developmental parameters were measured and at sacrifice (reproductive) organs and tissues were sampled for histopathological analysis. Oral administration of NM-200 up to 1000mg/kg bw/day had no adverse effects on the reproductive performance of rats or on the growth and development of the offspring into adulthood for two consecutive generations. The NOAEL was 1000mg/kg body weight per day. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Edaravone ameliorates the adverse effects of valproic acid toxicity in small intestine.

PubMed

Oktay, S; Alev, B; Tunali, S; Emekli-Alturfan, E; Tunali-Akbay, T; Koc-Ozturk, L; Yanardag, R; Yarat, A

2015-06-01

Valproic acid (VPA) is a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar psychiatric disorders, and migraine. Previous studies have reported an increased generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in the toxic mechanism of VPA. Edaravone, a free radical scavenger for clinical use, can quench free radical reaction by trapping a variety of free radical species. In this study, effect of edaravone on some small intestine biochemical parameters in VPA-induced toxicity was investigated. Thirty seven Sprague Dawley female rats were randomly divided into four groups. The groups include control group, edaravone (30 mg(-1) kg(-1) day(-1)) given group, VPA (0.5 g(-1) kg(-1) day(-1)) given group, VPA + edaravone (in same dose) given group. Edaravone and VPA were given intraperitoneally for 7 days. Biochemical parameters such as malondialdehyde, as an index of lipid peroxidation(LPO), sialic acid (SA), glutathione levels and glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, myeloperoxidase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and tissue factor (TF) activities were determined in small intestine samples by colorimetric methods. Decreased small intestine antioxidant enzyme activities, increased LPO and SA levels, and increased activities of ALP and TF were detected in the VPA group. Based on our results edaravone may be suggested to reverse the oxidative stress and inflammation due to VPA-induced small intestine toxicity. © The Author(s) 2014.

Rapid intercontinental air pollution transport associated with a meteorological bomb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; Richter, A.; Beirle, S.; Cooper, O.; Eckhardt, S.; Forster, C.; James, P.; Spichtinger, N.; Wenig, M.; Wagner, T.; Burrows, J.; Platt, U.

2003-04-01

Intercontinental transport (ICT) of trace substances normally occurs on timescales ranging from a few days to several weeks. In this paper an extraordinary episode in November 2001 is presented, where pollution transport across the North Atlantic took only about one day. The transport mechanism, termed here an intercontinental pollution express highway, was exceptional, as it involved an explosively generated cyclone, a so-called meteorological "bomb". To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study describing pollution transport in a bomb. The discovery of this event was based on transport model calculations and satellite measurements of NO2, a species with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, which could be transported that far only because of the high wind speeds produced by the bomb. A 15-year transport climatology shows that intercontinental express highways are about four times more frequent in winter than in summer, in agreement with bomb climatologies. The climatology furthermore reveals that intercontinental express highways may be important for the budget of short-lived substances in the remote troposphere. For instance, for a substance with a lifetime of 1 day, express highways may be responsible for about two thirds of the total ICT. A rough calculation suggests that express highways connecting North America with Europe enhance the average NOx mixing ratios over Europe, due to North American emissions, by about 2-3 pptv in winter.

Rapid intercontinental air pollution transport associated with a meteorological bomb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stohl, A.; Huntrieser, H.; Richter, A.; Beirle, S.; Cooper, O. R.; Eckhardt, S.; Forster, C.; James, P.; Spichtinger, N.; Wenig, M.; Wagner, T.; Burrows, J. P.; Platt, U.

2003-07-01

Intercontinental transport (ICT) of trace substances normally occurs on timescales ranging from a few days to several weeks. In this paper an extraordinary episode in November 2001 is presented, where pollution transport across the North Atlantic took only about one day. The transport mechanism, termed here an intercontinental pollution express highway because of the high wind speeds, was exceptional, as it involved an explosively generated cyclone, a so-called meteorological "bomb''. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study describing pollution transport in a bomb. The discovery of this event was based on tracer transport model calculations and satellite measurements of NO2, a species with a relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere, which could be transported that far only because of the high wind speeds produced by the bomb. A 15-year transport climatology shows that intercontinental express highways are about four times more frequent in winter than in summer, in agreement with bomb climatologies. The climatology furthermore suggests that intercontinental express highways may be important for the budget of short-lived substances in the remote troposphere. For instance, for a substance with a lifetime of 1 day, express highways may be responsible for about two thirds of the total ICT. We roughly estimate that express highways connecting North America with Europe enhance the average NOx mixing ratios over Europe, due to North American emissions, by about 2-3 pptv in winter.

75 FR 1363 - Integrated System Power Rates

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... service load immediately when disturbance conditions are experienced due to a sudden loss of generation or... conditions are experienced due to a sudden loss of generation or load. ``Supplemental Operating Reserve... Secretary has approved and placed into effect on an [[Page 1364

Simulating Realistic Test Data for the European Lightning Imager on MTG using Data from Seviri, TRMM-LIS and ISS-LIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finke, U.; Blakeslee, R. J.; Mach, D. M.

2017-12-01

The next generation of European geostationary weather observing satellites (MTG) will operate an optical lightning location instrument (LI) which will be very similar to the Global Lightning Mapper (GLM) on board of GOES-R. For the development and verification of the product processing algorithms realistic test data are necessary. This paper presents a method of test data generation on the basis of optical lightning data from the LIS instrument and cloud image data from the Seviri radiometer.The basis is the lightning data gathered during the 15 year LIS operation time, particularly the empirical distribution functions of the optical pulse size, duration and radiance as well as the inter-correlation of lightning in space and time. These allow for a realistically structured simulation of lightning test data. Due to its low orbit the instantaneous field of view of the LIS is limited and moving with time. For the generation of test data which cover the geostationary visible disk, the LIS data have to be extended. This is realized by 1. simulating random lightning pulses according to the established distribution functions of the lightning parameters and 2. using the cloud radiometer data of the Seviri instrument on board of the geostationary Meteosat second generation (MSG). Particularly, the cloud top height product (CTH) identifies convective storm clouds wherein the simulation places random lightning pulses. The LIS instrument was recently deployed on the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS orbit reaches higher latitudes, particularly Europe. The ISS-LIS data is analyzed for single observation days. Additionally, the statistical distribution of parameters such as radiance, footprint size, and space time correlation of the groups are compared against the long time statistics from TRMM-LIS.Optical lightning detection efficiency from space is affected by the solar radiation reflected from the clouds. This effect is changing with day and night areas across the field of view. For a realistic simulation of this cloud background radiance the Seviri visual channel VIS08 data is used.Additionally to the test data study, this paper gives a comparison of the MTG-LI to the GLM and discusses differences in instrument design, product definition and generation and the merging of data from both geostationary instruments.

3 CFR 8517 - Proclamation 8517 of May 7, 2010. Mother's Day, 2010

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 3 The President 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Proclamation 8517 of May 7, 2010. Mother's Day, 2010... Mother's Day, 2010By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Generations of mothers...’s daughters and granddaughters. On Mother’s Day, we pay tribute to these women who have given so...

Cooking "shrimp à la créole": a pilot study of an ecological rehabilitation in semantic dementia.

PubMed

Bier, Nathalie; Macoir, Joël; Joubert, Sven; Bottari, Carolina; Chayer, Céline; Pigot, Hélène; Giroux, Sylvain

2011-08-01

New learning in semantic dementia (SD) seems to be tied to a specific temporal and spatial context. Thus, cognitive rehabilitation could capitalise upon preserved episodic memory and focus on everyday activities which, once learned, will have an impact in everyday life. This pilot study thus explores the effectiveness of an ecological approach in one patient suffering from SD. EC, a 68-year-old woman with SD, stopped cooking complex meals due to a substantial loss of knowledge related to all food types. The therapy consisted of preparing a target recipe. She was asked to generate semantic attributes of ingredients found in one target, one control and two no-therapy recipes. The number of recipes cooked by EC between therapy sessions was computed. She was also asked to prepare a generalisation recipe combining ingredients from the target and control recipes. EC's generated semantic attributes (GSA) of ingredients pertaining to the target and control recipes increased significantly (p < .001), compared to the no-therapy recipes (ps > .79). The proportion of meals cooked also increased significantly (p = .021). For the generalisation recipe, she could not succeed without assistance. Frequent food preparation may have provided EC with new memories about the context, usage and appearance of some concepts. These memories seem very context-bound, but EC nonetheless re-introduced some recipes into her day-to-day life. The impact of these results on the relationship between semantic, episodic and procedural memory is discussed, as well as the relevance of an ecological approach in SD.

Inhaled whole exhaust and its effect on exercise performance and vascular function.

PubMed

Cutrufello, Paul T; Rundell, Kenneth W; Smoliga, James M; Stylianides, Georgios A

2011-09-01

Internal combustion engines are a major source of particulate matter (PM) which has been shown to result in vasoconstriction, yet no present study to our knowledge has investigated the effect of exhaust emissions on both exercise performance and the vasculature. To examine the effect of freshly generated whole exhaust on exercise performance, pulmonary arterial pressure (PP), and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery. Sixteen male, collegiate athletes (age: 20.8±1.28 years) were randomly assigned to submaximal exercise for 20 min followed by a 6 min maximal work accumulation exercise test in either high PM (HPM) or low PM (LPM) conditions on two consecutive days. After a 7-day washout period, subjects completed identical exercise trials in the alternate condition. HPM conditions were generated from a 4-cycle gasoline engine. The participants' PP and FMD were assessed before and after each exercise trial by tricuspid regurgitant velocity and brachial artery imaging, respectively. Total work (LPM: 108.0±14.8 kJ; HPM: 104.9±15.2 kJ, p=0.019) and FMD (LPM: 8.17±6.41%; HPM: 6.59±2.53%; p=0.034) significantly decreased in HPM while PP was significantly increased (LPM: 16.9±1.13 mmHg; HPM: 17.9±1.70 mmHg; p=0.004). A significant correlation was identified between the change in exercise performance and the change in FMD (r=0.494; p=0.026) after the first HPM trial. Exercise performance declined in HPM conditions in part due to impaired vasodilation in the peripheral vasculature.

Inside out: a neuro-behavioral signature of free recall dynamics.

PubMed

Shapira-Lichter, Irit; Vakil, Eli; Glikmann-Johnston, Yifat; Siman-Tov, Tali; Caspi, Dan; Paran, Daphna; Hendler, Talma

2012-07-01

Free recall (FR) is a ubiquitous internally-driven retrieval operation that crucially affects our day-to-day life. The neural correlates of FR, however, are not sufficiently understood, partly due to the methodological challenges presented by its emerging property and endogenic nature. Using fMRI and performance measures, the neuro-behavioral correlates of FR were studied in 33 healthy participants who repeatedly encoded and retrieved word-lists. Retrieval was determined either overtly via verbal output (Experiment 1) or covertly via motor responses (Experiment 2). Brain activation during FR was characterized by two types of performance-based parametric analyses of retrieval changes over time. First was the elongation in inter response time (IRT) assumed to represent the prolongation of memory search over time, as increased effort was needed. Using a derivative of this parameter in whole brain analysis revealed the default mode network (DMN): longer IRT within FR blocks correlated with less deactivation of the DMN, representing its greater recruitment. Second was the increased number of words retrieved in repeated encoding-recall cycles, assumed to represent the learning process. Using this parameter in whole brain analysis revealed increased deactivation in the DMN (i.e., less recruitment). Together our results demonstrate the naturally occurring dynamics in the recruitment of the DMN during utilization of internally generated processes during FR. The contrasting effects of increased and decreased recruitment of the DMN following dynamics in memory search and learning, respectively, supports the idea that with learning FR is less dependent on neural operations of internally-generated processes such as those initially needed for memory search. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic oxidation of ethene coupled to sulfate reduction in microcosms and enrichment cultures.

PubMed

Fullerton, Heather; Crawford, Michael; Bakenne, Ademola; Freedman, David L; Zinder, Stephen H

2013-01-01

Ethene is considered recalcitrant under anaerobic conditions, but biological reduction to ethane and oxidation to CO2 have been reported; however, little is known about these processes or the organisms carrying them out. In this report we describe sulfate dependent ethene consumption in microcosms prepared with sediments from a freshwater canal. A first dose of 0.6 mmol/L ethene was consumed within 77 days, and a second dose was largely consumed twelve days later. Material from this microcosm was transferred into growth medium with ethene as the only electron donor (except for trace amounts of vitamins) and sulfate as the electron acceptor. Four doses of ethene were consumed at increasing rates, and the cultures have been transferred at least eight times in this medium. Conversion of [(14)C]ethene primarily to (14)CO2 was demonstrated in fifth and sixth generation cultures, as well as production of sulfide in other cultures, confirming the ethene/sulfate couple. Ovoid cells 1-2 μm in diameter were found in cultures containing ethene and sulfate, and quantitative PCR showed large increases in bacterial 16S rRNA gene copy number. Over half of a 16S rRNA gene clone library from a sixth-generation culture was a phylotype with a sequence ca. 90% identical with a clade of Deltaproteobacteria that includes Desulfovirga adipica and several Syntrophobacter spp. These studies have solidified the concept that deficits in mass balances for chloroethene fate in sulfate reducing zones of contaminated groundwater sites may be due to ethene oxidation, and suggest a unique phylotype is involved in this process.

The nondestructive evaluation of high temperature conditioned concrete in conjunction with acoustic emission and x-ray computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yu-Min; Hou, Tsung-Chin; Lin, Li-Chiang; Chen, Gwan-Ying; Pan, Huang-Hsing

2016-04-01

Portland Cement Concrete plays a vital part of protecting structural rebars or steels when high-temperature fire incidents occur, that induces loss of evaporate water, dehydration of CH, and deconstruction of C-S-H. The objective of the study was to assess fire-damaged concrete in conjunction with nondestructive evaluation methods of acoustic emission, visual inspections, and X-ray computed tomography. The experimental program was to mix an Ordinary Portland Cement concrete firstly. Concrete cylinders with twenty-day moisture cure were treated in a furnace with 400 and 600°C for one hour. After temperature is cooled down, the concrete cylinders were brought to air or moisture re-curing for ten days. Due to the incident of the furnace, acoustic emission associated with splitting tensile strength test was not able to continue. Future efforts are planned to resume this unfinished task. However, two proposed tasks were executed and completed, namely visual inspections and voids analysis on segments obtained from X-ray CT facility. Results of visual inspections on cross-sectional and cylindrical length of specimens showed that both aggregates and cement pastes turned to pink or red at 600°C. More surface cracks were generated at 600°C than that at 400°C. On the other hand, voids analysis indicated that not many cracks were generated and voids were remedied at 400°C. However, a clear tendency was found that remedy by moisture curing may heal up to 2% voids of the concrete cylinder that was previously subject to 600°C of high temperature conditioning.

Deformation and seismic precursors to dome-collapse and fountain-collapse nuées ardentes at Merapi Volcano, Java, Indonesia, 1994-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voight, B.; Young, K.D.; Hidayat, D.; ,; Purbawinata, M.A.; Ratdomopurbo, Antonius; ,; ,; Sayudi, D.S.; LaHusen, R.; Marso, J.; Murray, T.L.; Dejean, M.; Iguchi, M.; Ishihara, K.

2000-01-01

Following the eruption of January 1992, episodes of lava dome growth accompanied by generation of dome-collapse nuées ardentes occurred in 1994–1998. In addition, nuées ardentes were generated by fountain-collapse in January 1997, and the 1998 events also suggest an explosive component. Significant tilt and seismic precursors on varying time scales preceded these events. Deformation about the summit has been detected by electronic tiltmeters since November 1992, with inflation corresponding generally to lava dome growth, and deflation (or decreased inflation) corresponding to loss of dome mass. Strong short-term (days to weeks) accelerations in tilt rate and seismicity occurred prior to the major nuées ardentes episodes, apart from those of 22 November 1994 which were preceded by steadily increasing tilt for over 200 days but lacked short-term precursors. Because of the combination of populated hazardous areas and the lack of an issued warning, about 100 casualties occurred in 1994. In contrast, the strong precursors in 1997 and 1998 provided advance warning to observatory scientists, enabled the stepped raising of alert levels, and aided hazard management. As a result of these factors, but also the fortunate fact that the large nuées ardentes did not quite descend into populated areas, no casualties occurred. The nuée ardente episode of 1994 is interpreted as purely due to gravitational collapse, whereas those of 1997 and 1998 were influenced by gas-pressurization of the lava dome.

Proceedings of the Next Generation Exploration Conference

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schingler, Robbie (Editor); Lynch, Kennda

2006-01-01

The Next Generation Exploration Conference (NGEC) brought together the emerging next generation of space leaders over three intensive days of collaboration and planning. The participants extended the ongoing work of national space agencies to draft a common strategic framework for lunar exploration, to include other destinations in the solar system. NGEC is the first conference to bring together emerging leaders to comment on and contribute to these activities. The majority of the three-day conference looked beyond the moon and focused on the "next destination": Asteroids, Cis-Lunar, Earth 3.0, Mars Science and Exploration, Mars Settlement and Society, and Virtual Worlds and Virtual Exploration.

[Resistance of uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli in pregnant women and other women in generative ages in comparison with antibiotics consumption in Zagreb].

PubMed

Culig, Josip; Mlinarić-Dzepina, Ana; Leppée, Marcel; Vranes, Jasmina

2010-02-01

To compare resistance of uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (UPEC) to antibiotics in women in generative ages and pregnant women during two year period (2004 and 2008) in Zagreb, and comparison of resistance and the consumption of antibiotics. The standard disk-diffusion method was used for sensitivity testing to 16 different antibiotics. Data on antibiotic utilization were used to calculate the number of defined daily doses (DDD) and DDD per 1000 inhabitants using Anatomical-Therapeutic-Chemical/DDD methodology. Data on antibiotic consumption during pregnancy were collected using a questionnaire filled in by 893 women after delivery. During 2004 resistance of UPEC to antimicrobial drugs was not different in pregnant and in non-pregnant women, with the exception of amoxicillin and nitrofurantoin, with statistically higher resistance in pregnant women (p < 0.01). Four years later the statistically higher resistance to norfloxacin was observed in non-pregnant women (p < 0.01). Comparing the resistance in 2004 and 2008, in the both groups of women a statistically significant decrease of resistance to cefalexin and nitrofurantoin was detected (p < 0.01). Outpatient utilization of antimicrobial drugs in Zagreb increased significantly, from 32 to 39 DDD/1000 inhabitants per day. The most used antibiotic was co-amoxiclav, and its utilization increased from 9.6 to 12.2 DDD/1000/day. Amoxicillin and co-amoxiclav were used during pregnancy by 9.6% interviewed women. The observed significant decrease of resistance to cefalexin makes that antibiotic the drug of choice for treatment of urinary tract infections in women in generative ages, and together with coamoxiclav can be administered in pregnancy. Constant monitoring of urinary tract pathogens resistance to antimicrobial agents ensures the effectiveness of empirical therapy, whose versatile use is limited due the potentially harmful effects of antimicrobial drugs on fetus.

Labelling and targeted ablation of specific bipolar cell types in the zebrafish retina

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Development of a functional retina depends on regulated differentiation of several types of neurons and generation of a highly complex network between the different types of neurons. In addition, each type of retinal neuron includes several distinct morphological types. Very little is known about the mechanisms responsible for generating this diversity of retinal neurons, which may also display specific patterns of regional distribution. Results In a screen in zebrafish, using a trapping vector carrying an engineered yeast Gal4 transcription activator and a UAS:eGFP reporter cassette, we have identified two transgenic lines of zebrafish co-expressing eGFP and Gal4 in specific subsets of retinal bipolar cells. The eGFP-labelling facilitated analysis of axon terminals within the inner plexiform layer of the adult retina and showed that the fluorescent bipolar cells correspond to previously defined morphological types. Strong regional restriction of eGFP-positive bipolar cells to the central part of the retina surrounding the optic nerve was observed in adult zebrafish. Furthermore, we achieved specific ablation of the labelled bipolar cells in 5 days old larvae, using a bacterial nitroreductase gene under Gal4-UAS control in combination with the prodrug metronidazole. Following prodrug treatment, nitroreductase expressing bipolar cells were efficiently ablated without affecting surrounding retina architecture, and recovery occurred within a few days due to increased generation of new bipolar cells. Conclusion This report shows that enhancer trapping can be applied to label distinct morphological types of bipolar cells in the zebrafish retina. The genetic labelling of these cells yielded co-expression of a modified Gal4 transcription activator and the fluorescent marker eGFP. Our work also demonstrates the potential utility of the Gal4-UAS system for induction of other transgenes, including a bacterial nitroreductase fusion gene, which can facilitate analysis of bipolar cell differentiation and how the retina recovers from specific ablation of these cells. PMID:19712466

Computational Network Model Prediction of Hemodynamic Alterations Due to Arteriolar Remodeling in Interval Sprint Trained Skeletal Muscle

PubMed Central

BINDER, KYLE W.; MURFEE, WALTER L.; SONG, JI; LAUGHLIN, M. HAROLD; PRICE, RICHARD J.

2009-01-01

Objectives Exercise training is known to enhance skeletal muscle blood flow capacity, with high-intensity interval sprint training (IST) primarily affecting muscles with a high proportion of fast twitch glycolytic fibers. The objective of this study was to determine the relative contributions of new arteriole formation and lumenal arteriolar remodeling to enhanced flow capacity and the impact of these adaptations on local microvascular hemodynamics deep within the muscle. Methods The authors studied arteriolar adaptation in the white/mixed-fiber portion of gastrocnemius muscles of IST (6 bouts of running/day; 2.5 min/bout; 60 m/min speed; 15% grade; 4.5 min rest between bouts; 5 training days/wk; 10 wks total) and sedentary (SED) control rats using whole-muscle Microfil casts. Dimensional and topological data were then used to construct a series of computational hemodynamic network models that incorporated physiological red blood cell distributions and hematocrit and diameter dependent apparent viscosities. Results In comparison to SED controls, IST elicited a significant increase in arterioles/order in the 3A through 6A generations. Predicted IST and SED flows through the 2A generation agreed closely with in vivo measurements made in a previous study, illustrating the accuracy of the model. IST shifted the bulk of the pressure drop across the network from the 3As to the 4As and 5As, and flow capacity increased from 0.7 mL/min in SED to 1.5 mL/min in IST when a driving pressure of 80 mmHg was applied. Conclusions The primary adaptation to IST is an increase in arterioles in the 3A through 6A generations, which, in turn, creates an approximate doubling of flow capacity and a deeper penetration of high pressure into the arteriolar network. PMID:17454671

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury in central retinal artery occlusion.

PubMed

Saxena, Sandeep; Mishra, Nibha; Meyer, Carsten H; Akduman, Levent

2013-10-21

A 53-year-old man presented with sudden painless diminution of vision in his right eye for 3 days. His fundus examination showed diffuse whitening of the retina with a cherry red spot at the fovea with cilioretinal artery sparing. On fluorescein angiography delayed arteriovenous transit was observed. Three-dimensional spectral domain optical coherence tomography was used to assess retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and average macular central subfield thickness on days 3, 7, 30 and 90. Marked retinal oedema due to ischaemia was observed on day 3 of occurrence of central retinal artery occlusion. On day 7, significant decrease in retinal nerve fibre thickness and macular thickness was noted suggestive of acute reperfusion injury. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and macular thickness returned to near normal on day 30 due to restoration of blood supply with wash out of stress mediators. Retinal atrophy was observed on day 90.

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury in central retinal artery occlusion

PubMed Central

Saxena, Sandeep; Mishra, Nibha; Meyer, Carsten H; Akduman, Levent

2013-01-01

A 53-year-old man presented with sudden painless diminution of vision in his right eye for 3 days. His fundus examination showed diffuse whitening of the retina with a cherry red spot at the fovea with cilioretinal artery sparing. On fluorescein angiography delayed arteriovenous transit was observed. Three-dimensional spectral domain optical coherence tomography was used to assess retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and average macular central subfield thickness on days 3, 7, 30 and 90. Marked retinal oedema due to ischaemia was observed on day 3 of occurrence of central retinal artery occlusion. On day 7, significant decrease in retinal nerve fibre thickness and macular thickness was noted suggestive of acute reperfusion injury. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and macular thickness returned to near normal on day 30 due to restoration of blood supply with wash out of stress mediators. Retinal atrophy was observed on day 90. PMID:24145508

Seasonal dynamics of three insect pests in the cabbage field in central Slovenia.

PubMed

Trdan, Stanislav; Vidrih, Matej; Bobnar, Aleksander

2008-01-01

From the beginning of April until the beginning of November 2006, a seasonal dynamics of three harmful insect species--Swede midge (Contarinia nasturtii [Kieffer], Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp., Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), and diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella [L.], Lepidoptera, Plutellidae)--was investigated at the Laboratory Field of the Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana (Slovenia). The males were monitored with pheromone traps; the males of Swede midge were trapped with the traps of Swiss producer (Agroscope FAW, Wädenswill), while the adult flea beetles (trap type KLP+) and diamondback moths (trap type RAG) were trapped with the Hungarian traps (Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences). The pheromone capsules were changed in 4-week intervals, while the males were counted on about every 7th day. The first massive occurrence of diamondback moth (1.6 males/trap/day) was established in the second 10 days period of April, and the pest remained active until the 2nd 10 days period of September. The adults were the most numerous in the period between the end of May until the middle of June, but even then their number did not exceed three males caught per day. In the first 10 days period of May, the first adult flea beetles were recorded in the pheromone traps, while their notable number (0.8 males/trap/day) was stated in the third 10 days period of May. Absolutely the highest number of the beetles was recorded in the second (19 adults/trap/day) and in the third (25 adults/trap/day) 10 days of July, and the pest occurred until the beginning of October. The first massive occurrence of Swede midge (0.4 males/trap/day) was established in the second 10 days period of May, while the highest number of males (8/trap/day) were caught in the second 10 days period of July. In the third 10 days period of October, the last adults were found in the traps. Based on the results of monitoring of three cabbage insect pests we ascertained that in the central Slovenia the Swede midge has 3-4 generations, the flea beetles has 1-2 generations, and the diamondback moth has 4 generations.

Hand Hygiene Program Decreases School Absenteeism Due to Upper Respiratory Infections.

PubMed

Azor-Martinez, Ernestina; Cobos-Carrascosa, Elena; Seijas-Vazquez, Maria Luisa; Fernández-Sánchez, Carmen; Strizzi, Jenna M; Torres-Alegre, Pilar; Santisteban-Martínez, Joaquin; Gimenez-Sanchez, Francisco

2016-12-01

We assessed the effectiveness of a handwashing program using hand sanitizer to prevent school absenteeism due to upper respiratory infections (URIs). This was a randomized, controlled, and open study on a sample of 1341 children 4-12 years old, attending 5 state schools in Almería (Spain), with an 8-month follow-up. The experimental group (EG) washed their hands with soap and water, together with using hand sanitizer, and the control group followed their usual handwashing procedures. Absenteeism rates due to URIs were compared between the 2 groups through a multivariate Poisson regression analysis. The percent of days missed in both groups were compared with a z test. Overall, 1271 cases of school absenteeism due to URIs were registered. Schoolchildren from the EG had a 38% lower risk of absenteeism due to URIs, incidence rate ratio: 0.62, 95% confidence interval: 0.55-0.70, and a decrease in absenteeism of 0.45 episodes/child/academic year, p < .001. Pupils missed 2734 school days due to URIs and the percentage of days absent was significantly lower in the EG, p < .001. Use of hand sanitizer plus handwashing with soap accompanied by educational support is an effective measure to reduce absenteeism due to URIs. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Hydrogeological delineation of groundwater potential zones in the Nabogo basin, Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nsiah, Emmanuel; Appiah-Adjei, Emmanuel K.; Adjei, Kwaku A.

2018-07-01

This study has delineated groundwater potential zones of the Nabogo basin and categorized the northern and eastern parts, representing about 35% of the total basin, as the most suitable areas for groundwater prospecting. The inhabitants of the basin depend on rainfall and small surface reservoirs for their various water supply needs, which become very scarce and unsustainable in the dry seasons due to the arid to semi-arid conditions of the basin. Thus, groundwater is increasingly being exploited to supplement the water needs of the populace. However, groundwater development in the basin is sometimes hindered by relatively low success rate of boreholes. Therefore, this study was aimed at delineating the groundwater potential zones of the basin to improve on development of the resource for supply to the populace. The methodology used involved acquisition of data on well-distributed boreholes in the basin, computation of transmissivity and specific capacity values from the data, and delineation of potential groundwater zones through integration of borehole yields, regolith thickness, static water level and transmissivity using the weighted overlay technique in a GIS environment. The study results indicate that transmissivity ranges from 0.1 to 535 m2/day with a mean of 19.7 m2/day while the specific capacity ranges from 0.25 to 170.88 m3/day/m with a mean of 13.42 m3/day/m. A groundwater potential map generated categorizes the basin into poor, moderate and high zones covering 652.52 km2, 1250.45 km2 and 1002.23 km2 respectively, which would be very useful for groundwater development.

Sulfur mustard induced mast cell degranulation in mouse skin is inhibited by a novel anti-inflammatory and anticholinergic bifunctional prodrug.

PubMed

Joseph, Laurie B; Composto, Gabriella M; Perez, Roberto M; Kim, Hong-Duck; Casillas, Robert P; Heindel, Ned D; Young, Sherri C; Lacey, Carl J; Saxena, Jaya; Guillon, Christophe D; Croutch, Claire R; Laskin, Jeffrey D; Heck, Diane E

2018-09-01

Sulfur mustard (SM, bis(2-chloroethyl sulfide) is a potent vesicating agent known to cause skin inflammation, necrosis and blistering. Evidence suggests that inflammatory cells and mediators that they generate are important in the pathogenic responses to SM. In the present studies we investigated the role of mast cells in SM-induced skin injury using a murine vapor cup exposure model. Mast cells, identified by toluidine blue staining, were localized in the dermis, adjacent to dermal appendages and at the dermal/epidermal junction. In control mice, 48-61% of mast cells were degranulated. SM exposure (1.4g/m 3 in air for 6min) resulted in increased numbers of degranulated mast cells 1-14days post-exposure. Treatment of mice topically with an indomethacin choline bioisostere containing prodrug linked by an aromatic ester-carbonate that targets cyclooxygenases (COX) enzymes and acetylcholinesterase (1% in an ointment) 1-14days after SM reduced skin inflammation and injury and enhanced tissue repair. This was associated with a decrease in mast cell degranulation from 90% to 49% 1-3days post SM, and from 84% to 44% 7-14days post SM. These data suggest that reduced inflammation and injury in response to the bifunctional indomethacin prodrug may be due, at least in part, to abrogating mast cell degranulation. The use of inhibitors of mast cell degranulation may be an effective strategy for mitigating skin injury induced by SM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Febuxostat for the Prevention of Recurrent 2,8-dihydroxyadenine Nephropathy due to Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase Deficiency Following Kidney Transplantation.

PubMed

Nanmoku, Koji; Kurosawa, Akira; Shinzato, Takahiro; Shimizu, Toshihiro; Kimura, Takaaki; Yagisawa, Takashi

2017-01-01

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that results in irreversible renal damage due to 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) nephropathy. A 28-year-old man underwent living-related kidney transplantation for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. Numerous spherical brownish crystals observed in his urinary sediment on postoperative day 3 and were observed within the tubular lumen of renal allograft biopsy specimens on postoperative day 7. After a genetic diagnosis, febuxostat treatment was started on postoperative day 7, with the dosage gradually increased to 80 mg/day until complete the disappearance of 2,8-DHA crystals. Febuxostat prevented secondary 2,8-DHA nephropathy after kidney transplantation.

Nucleation and condensational growth to CCN sizes during a sustained pristine biogenic SOA event in a forested mountain valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liggio, J.; Pierce, J. R.; Leaitch, R.; Macdonald, A.; Whistler Aerosol; Cloud Study (WACS2010) Team

2011-12-01

The Whistler Aerosol and Cloud Study (WACS 2010), included intensive measurements of trace gases and particles at two sites on Whistler Mountain. Between July 6-11, 2010 there was a sustained high-pressure system over the region with cloud-free and higher-temperature conditions. During this period, the organic aerosol concentrations rose from <1 to 6 μ g m-3. Precursor gas and aerosol composition measurements show that these organics were almost entirely of secondary biogenic nature. Throughout July 6-11, the anthropogenic influence was minimal with sulfate concentrations < 0.2 μ g m-3 and SO2 mixing ratios ≈ 0.5 ppbv. Although SO2 mixing ratios were relatively low, companion box-model simulations show that nucleation and growth may be modeled accurately if Jnuc=3x10-7[H2SO4] and the organics are treated as effectively non-volatile. Due to the low condensation sink and the fast rate of condensing organics, the nucleated particles grew rapidly (2-5 nm hr-1) with a high probability of growing to CCN sizes before being scavenged by coagulation with larger particles (>10% growing to 100 nm in the first two days). The particles were observed to ultimately grow to ~200 nm after three days. Comparisons of SMPS with DMT CCN data show that particle hygroscopicity was generally around 0.1-0.11. The concentration of particles with diameters larger than 100 nm as well as CCN at 3% supersaturation rise from about 300 cm-3 to 1200 cm-3 during the 5 days due entirely to nucleation and growth. Relatively little SO2 is necessary to generate nucleation and growth to CCN sizes when biogenic SOA is abundant. This case offers a unique look at processes that may have controlled CCN formation in the pristine pre-industrial forested continental atmosphere.

Insights into the subsurface transport of As(V) and Se(VI) in produced water from hydraulic fracturing using soil samples from Qingshankou Formation, Songliao Basin, China.

PubMed

Chen, Season S; Sun, Yuqing; Tsang, Daniel C W; Graham, Nigel J D; Ok, Yong Sik; Feng, Yujie; Li, Xiang-Dong

2017-04-01

Produced water is a type of wastewater generated from hydraulic fracturing, which may pose a risk to the environment and humans due to its high ionic strength and the presence of elevated concentrations of metals/metalloids that exceed maximum contamination levels. The mobilization of As(V) and Se(VI) in produced water and selected soils from Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin in China were investigated using column experiments and synthetic produced water whose quality was representative of waters arising at different times after well creation. Temporal effects of produced water on metal/metalloid transport and sorption/desorption were investigated by using HYDRUS-1D transport modelling. Rapid breakthrough and long tailings of As(V) and Se(VI) transport were observed in Day 1 and Day 14 solutions, but were reduced in Day 90 solution probably due to the elevated ionic strength. The influence of produced water on the hydrogeological conditions (i.e., change between equilibrium and non-equilibrium transport) was evidenced by the change of tracer breakthrough curves before and after the leaching of produced water. This possibly resulted from the sorption of polyacrylamide (PAM (-CH 2 CHCONH 2 -) n ) onto soil surfaces, through its use as a friction reducer in fracturing solutions. The sorption was found to be reversible in this study. Minimal amounts of sorbed As(V) were desorbed whereas the majority of sorbed Se(VI) was readily leached out, to an extent which varied with the composition of the produced water. These results showed that the mobilization of As(V) and Se(VI) in soil largely depended on the solution pH and ionic strength. Understanding the differences in metal/metalloid transport in produced water is important for proper risk management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The association between advertising and calls to a tobacco quitline.

PubMed

Mosbaek, Craig H; Austin, Donald F; Stark, Michael J; Lambert, Lori C

2007-12-01

This study assessed the cost effectiveness of different types of television and radio advertisements and the time of day in which advertisements were placed in generating calls to the Oregon tobacco quitline. Cost effectiveness was measured by cost per call, calculated as the cost of advertising divided by the number of quitline calls generated by that advertising. Advertising was bought in one-week or two-week blocks and included 27 daytime television buys, 22 evening television buys and 31 radio buys. Cost effectiveness varied widely by medium, time of day and advertisement used. Daytime television was seven times more cost effective than evening television and also more cost effective than radio. The most effective advertisements at generating quitline calls were real life testimonials by people who lost family members to tobacco and advertisements that deal practically with how to quit. Placement of television advertisements during the day versus the evening can increase an advertisement's effectiveness in generating calls to a quitline. Some advertising messages were more effective than others in generating calls to a quitline. Quitline providers can apply findings from previous research when planning media campaigns. In addition, call volume should be monitored in order to assess the cost effectiveness of different strategies to promote use of the quitline.

The association between advertising and calls to a tobacco quitline

PubMed Central

Mosbaek, Craig H; Austin, Donald F; Stark, Michael J; Lambert, Lori C

2007-01-01

Objective This study assessed the cost effectiveness of different types of television and radio advertisements and the time of day in which advertisements were placed in generating calls to the Oregon tobacco quitline. Design Cost effectiveness was measured by cost per call, calculated as the cost of advertising divided by the number of quitline calls generated by that advertising. Advertising was bought in one‐week or two‐week blocks and included 27 daytime television buys, 22 evening television buys and 31 radio buys. Results Cost effectiveness varied widely by medium, time of day and advertisement used. Daytime television was seven times more cost effective than evening television and also more cost effective than radio. The most effective advertisements at generating quitline calls were real life testimonials by people who lost family members to tobacco and advertisements that deal practically with how to quit. Conclusions Placement of television advertisements during the day versus the evening can increase an advertisement's effectiveness in generating calls to a quitline. Some advertising messages were more effective than others in generating calls to a quitline. Quitline providers can apply findings from previous research when planning media campaigns. In addition, call volume should be monitored in order to assess the cost effectiveness of different strategies to promote use of the quitline. PMID:18048626

76 FR 11500 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

... 20892, (301) 435-1045, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing...

78 FR 19724 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-02

... 20892, (301) 594-1245, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing...

77 FR 73474 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

... 20892, (301) 806-3323, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of Committee..., [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the...

78 FR 78984 - Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-27

... 7852, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-435- 1050, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing...

Urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. in severely ill patients in an intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Mattede, Maria das Graças Silva; Piras, Cláudio; Mattede, Kelly Dematte Silva; Ferrari, Aline Trugilho; Baldotto, Lorena Simões; Assbu, Michel Silvestre Zouain

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate the incidence of urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. in an intensive care unit. Methods This descriptive observational study was conducted in an intensive care unit between 2007 and 2009. All consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit with a confirmed diagnosis were evaluated. Results Twenty patients presented with urinary tract infections due to Trichosporon spp. The prevalence was higher among men (65%) and among individuals > 70 years of age (55%). The mortality rate was 20%. The average intensive care unit stay was 19.8 days. The onset of infection was associated with prior use of antibiotics and was more frequent in the fall and winter. Conclusion Infection due to Trichosporon spp. was more common in men and among those > 70 years of age and was associated with the use of an indwelling urinary catheter for more than 20 days and with the use of broadspectrum antibiotics for more than 14 days. In addition, patients with urinary infection due to Trichosporon spp. were most often hospitalized in intensive care units in the fall and winter periods. PMID:26465246

A Comparison of the Performance of Advanced Statistical Techniques for the Refinement of Day-ahead and Longer NWP-based Wind Power Forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zack, J. W.

2015-12-01

Predictions from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models are the foundation for wind power forecasts for day-ahead and longer forecast horizons. The NWP models directly produce three-dimensional wind forecasts on their respective computational grids. These can be interpolated to the location and time of interest. However, these direct predictions typically contain significant systematic errors ("biases"). This is due to a variety of factors including the limited space-time resolution of the NWP models and shortcomings in the model's representation of physical processes. It has become common practice to attempt to improve the raw NWP forecasts by statistically adjusting them through a procedure that is widely known as Model Output Statistics (MOS). The challenge is to identify complex patterns of systematic errors and then use this knowledge to adjust the NWP predictions. The MOS-based improvements are the basis for much of the value added by commercial wind power forecast providers. There are an enormous number of statistical approaches that can be used to generate the MOS adjustments to the raw NWP forecasts. In order to obtain insight into the potential value of some of the newer and more sophisticated statistical techniques often referred to as "machine learning methods" a MOS-method comparison experiment has been performed for wind power generation facilities in 6 wind resource areas of California. The underlying NWP models that provided the raw forecasts were the two primary operational models of the US National Weather Service: the GFS and NAM models. The focus was on 1- and 2-day ahead forecasts of the hourly wind-based generation. The statistical methods evaluated included: (1) screening multiple linear regression, which served as a baseline method, (2) artificial neural networks, (3) a decision-tree approach called random forests, (4) gradient boosted regression based upon an decision-tree algorithm, (5) support vector regression and (6) analog ensemble, which is a case-matching scheme. The presentation will provide (1) an overview of each method and the experimental design, (2) performance comparisons based on standard metrics such as bias, MAE and RMSE, (3) a summary of the performance characteristics of each approach and (4) a preview of further experiments to be conducted.

Below-threshold harmonic generation from strong non-uniform fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavuz, I.

2017-10-01

Strong-field photoemission below the ionization threshold is a rich/complex region where atomic emission and harmonic generation may coexist. We studied the mechanism of below-threshold harmonics (BTH) from spatially non-uniform local fields near the metallic nanostructures. Discrete harmonics are generated due to the broken inversion symmetry, suggesting enriched coherent emission in the vuv frequency range. Through the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we investigate wavelength and intensity dependence of BTH. Wavelength dependence identifies counter-regular resonances; individual contributions from the multi-photon emission and channel-closing effects due to quantum path interferences. In order to understand the underlying mechanism of BTH, we devised a generalized semi-classical model, including the influence of Coulomb and non-uniform field interactions. As in uniform fields, Coulomb potential in non-uniform fields is the determinant of BTH; we observed that the generation of BTH are due to returning trajectories with negative energies. Due to large distance effectiveness of the non-uniformity, only long trajectories are noticeably affected.

40 CFR 1054.706 - How do I generate and calculate evaporative emission credits?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: STD = the emission standard, in g/m2/day. FEL = the family emission limit for the family, in g/m2/day... families with FELs at or above 5.0 g/m2/day. To calculate emission credits for such emission families, you... g/m2/day. This would apply without regard to whether any of these emission families have measured...

Microseismicity Linked to Gas Migration and Leakage on the Western Svalbard Shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franek, Peter; Plaza-Faverola, Andreia; Mienert, Jürgen; Buenz, Stefan; Ferré, Bénédicte; Hubbard, Alun

2017-12-01

The continental margin off Prins Karls Forland, western Svalbard, is characterized by widespread natural gas seepage into the water column at and upslope of the gas hydrate stability zone. We deployed an ocean bottom seismometer integrated into the MASOX (Monitoring Arctic Seafloor-Ocean Exchange) automated seabed observatory at the pinch-out of this zone at 389 m water depth to investigate passive seismicity over a continuous 297 day period from 13 October 2010. An automated triggering algorithm was applied to detect over 220,000 short duration events (SDEs) defined as having a duration of less than 1 s. The analysis reveals two different types of SDEs, each with a distinctive characteristic seismic signature. We infer that the first type consists of vocal signals generated by moving mammals, likely finback whales. The second type corresponds to signals with a source within a few hundred meters of the seismometer, either due east or west, that vary on short (˜tens of days) and seasonal time scales. Based on evidence of prevalent seafloor seepage and subseafloor gas accumulations, we hypothesize that the second type of SDEs is related to subseafloor fluid migration and gas seepage. Furthermore, we postulate that the observed temporal variations in microseismicity are driven by transient fluid release and due to the dynamics of thermally forced, seasonal gas hydrate decomposition. Our analysis presents a novel technique for monitoring the duration, intensity, and periodicity of fluid migration and seepage at the seabed and can help elucidate the environmental controls on gas hydrate decomposition and release.

Fabrication of superhydrophobic copper surface on various substrates for roll-off, self-cleaning, and water/oil separation.

PubMed

Sasmal, Anup Kumar; Mondal, Chanchal; Sinha, Arun Kumar; Gauri, Samiran Sona; Pal, Jaya; Aditya, Teresa; Ganguly, Mainak; Dey, Satyahari; Pal, Tarasankar

2014-12-24

Superhydrophobic surfaces prevent percolation of water droplets and thus render roll-off, self-cleaning, corrosion protection, etc., which find day-to-day and industrial applications. In this work, we developed a facile, cost-effective, and free-standing method for direct fabrication of copper nanoparticles to engender superhydrophobicity for various flat and irregular surfaces such as glass, transparency sheet (plastic), cotton wool, textile, and silicon substrates. The fabrication of as-prepared superhydrophobic surfaces was accomplished using a simple chemical reduction of copper acetate by hydrazine hydrate at room temperature. The surface morphological studies demonstrate that the as-prepared surfaces are rough and display superhydrophobic character on wetting due to generation of air pockets (The Cassie-Baxter state). Because of the low adhesion of water droplets on the as-prepared surfaces, the surfaces exhibited not only high water contact angle (164 ± 2°, 5 μL droplets) but also superb roll-off and self-cleaning properties. Superhydrophobic copper nanoparticle coated glass surface uniquely withstands water (10 min), mild alkali (5 min in saturated aqueous NaHCO3 of pH ≈ 9), acids (10 s in dilute HNO3, H2SO4 of pH ≈ 5) and thiol (10 s in neat 1-octanethiol) at room temperature (25-35 °C). Again as-prepared surface (cotton wool) was also found to be very effective for water-kerosene separation due to its superhydrophobic and oleophilic character. Additionally, the superhydrophobic copper nanoparticle (deposited on glass surface) was found to exhibit antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.

Characteristic plethysmographic findings in a guinea pig model of COPD.

PubMed

Ramírez-Ramírez, Edgar; Torres-Ramírez, Armando; Alquicira-Mireles, Jesús; Cañavera-Constantino, Abraham; Segura-Medina, Patricia; Montaño-Ramírez, Martha; Ramos-Abraham, Carlos; Vargas, Mario H; Arreola-Ramírez, José Luis

2017-03-01

Long-term exposure to cigarette smoke generates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in guinea pigs, but a comprehensive evaluation of changes in lung function, as assessed by barometric whole body plethysmography (WBP), is lacking. Female guinea pigs were exposed to the smoke of 20 cigarettes/day, 5 days/week, during 10 weeks (COPD group, n = 8), and were compared with unexposed female guinea pigs of the same age (control group, n = 8). WBP was performed in both groups, followed by lung histology. At the end of the exposure period, guinea pigs in the COPD group had higher respiratory frequency, while duty cycle (Ti/Ttot) was unaffected. There was a trend toward minute ventilation (MV) and expiratory flow at the mid-tidal volume (EF50) to be higher in the COPD group. Enhanced pause (Penh) was lower, while time of braking (TB) and time to PEF relative to Te (Rpef) were higher in the COPD group. All guinea pigs exposed to tobacco smoke developed emphysematous lesions in their lungs and gained less body weight than controls. In this COPD model, exposure to cigarette smoke produced changes in WBP characterized by a shallow breathing pattern with decreased Penh and a trend toward increasing EF50 (probably due to decreased elastic recoil), increased TB (suggesting dynamic laryngeal narrowing), and a trend of increasing MV (probably due to a higher metabolic rate). Many of these functional changes resemble those observed in patients with COPD and corroborate the suitability of this guinea pig model for the study of COPD.

Temporal Changes in Stress Drop, Frictional Strength, and Earthquake Size Distribution in the 2011 Yamagata-Fukushima, NE Japan, Earthquake Swarm, Caused by Fluid Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Keisuke; Saito, Tatsuhiko; Urata, Yumi; Asano, Youichi; Hasegawa, Akira

2017-12-01

In this study, we investigated temporal variations in stress drop and b-value in the earthquake swarm that occurred at the Yamagata-Fukushima border, NE Japan, after the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. In this swarm, frictional strengths were estimated to have changed with time due to fluid diffusion. We first estimated the source spectra for 1,800 earthquakes with 2.0 ≤ MJMA < 3.0, by correcting the site-amplification and attenuation effects determined using both S waves and coda waves. We then determined corner frequency assuming the omega-square model and estimated stress drop for 1,693 earthquakes. We found that the estimated stress drops tended to have values of 1-4 MPa and that stress drops significantly changed with time. In particular, the estimated stress drops were very small at the beginning, and increased with time for 50 days. Similar temporal changes were obtained for b-value; the b-value was very high (b 2) at the beginning, and decreased with time, becoming approximately constant (b 1) after 50 days. Patterns of temporal changes in stress drop and b-value were similar to the patterns for frictional strength and earthquake occurrence rate, suggesting that the change in frictional strength due to migrating fluid not only triggered the swarm activity but also affected earthquake and seismicity characteristics. The estimated high Q-1 value, as well as the hypocenter migration, supports the presence of fluid, and its role in the generation and physical characteristics of the swarm.

Polyflex expandable stents in the treatment of esophageal disease: initial experience.

PubMed

Pennathur, Arjun; Chang, Andrew C; McGrath, Kevin M; Steiner, Gregory; Alvelo-Rivera, Miguel; Awais, Omar; Gooding, William E; Christie, Neil A; Gilbert, Sebastien; Landreneau, Rodney J; Luketich, James D

2008-06-01

The new generation of expandable plastic esophageal stents (Polyflex; Boston Scientific, Natick, MA), combine the features of plastic and self-expanding metallic stents. The main objective of this study is to evaluate our initial experience with Polyflex expandable stents in the treatment of esophageal disease from two institutions. A total of 58 Polyflex stents were placed in 38 patients over a two-year period. There were 24 men and 14 women, with a median age of 63 years (range, 25 to 83). The most common indication for placement was an esophageal stricture in 25 patients (66%); other causes included leak in 8 (21%) and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in 5 (13%). We evaluated the hospital course, complications, and outcomes. The median postoperative stay was one day. Complications included migration in 38 stents (63%) (28 patients; 73%), retrosternal chest discomfort in nine, reflux in four, airway obstruction in one, and food impaction in three. Continued leak or a persistent TEF occurred in five patients (38%). Reintervention was required predominantly due to migration of the stent at a mean interval of 46 days (range, 1 to 353). Patients with dysphagia improved significantly with dysphagia scores (1 = no dysphagia; 5 = unable to swallow saliva) improving from 3.44 to 2.15 (p < 0.0001). Polyflex stents were effective in the relief of dysphagia due to strictures. They were less effective in esophageal perforations or leaks. Their primary disadvantage is a high migration rate and further improvements in design are required to decrease this high incidence of migration.

Early postnatal changes in respiratory activity in rat in vitro and modulatory effects of substance P.

PubMed

Shvarev, Y N; Lagercrantz, H

2006-10-01

Developmental changes in the respiratory activity and its modulation by substance P (SP) were studied in the neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation from the day of birth to day 3 (P0-P3). The respiratory network activity in the ventrolateral medulla was represented by two types of bursts: basic regular bursts with typical decrementing shape and biphasic bursts appearing after augmented biphasic discharges in inspiratory neurons. With advancing postnatal age the respiratory output was considerably modified; the basic rhythm became faster by 20%, whereas the biphasic burst rate, which was originally 15 times slower, declined further by 180% and the C4 burst duration significantly decreased by 20% due to reduced decay time without preceding changes in the central inspiratory drive. SP had an age-dependent excitatory effect on respiratory activity. In the basic rhythm, SP could induce transient rhythm cessations on P0-P2 but not on P3. For the biphasic burst frequency, the sensitivity to SP significantly decreased from P0 to P3, whereas the range of SP-induced changes increased. In both types of bursts, SP prolonged C4 burst duration due to increasing decay time. This effect was three times greater on P3 and did not depend on the central inspiratory drive. Our results suggest that the potency of SP to regulate the respiratory activity elevates during the early postnatal period. The developmental changes in the respiratory activity appear to represent the transient stage in the maturation of rhythm and pattern generation mechanisms facilitating adaptive behavior of a quickly growing organism.

Trip generation at special sites.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

Seven-day volume counts were made at fast-food restaurants with drive-thru service, convenience markets, condominiums, drive-in banks, high-rise apartments, planned unit developments, mobile home parks, day-care centers, churches, suburban motels, an...

The mortality profile of black Seventh-Day Adventists residing in metropolitan Atlanta: a pilot study.

PubMed Central

Murphy, F G; Blumenthal, D S; Dickson-Smith, J; Peay, R P

1990-01-01

Mortality information was gathered for 110 Black Seventh-day Adventist members of seven churches in Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia during the period 1980-87. Seventy-seven percent of the deaths were due to cardiovascular diseases; 8 percent due to cancer, the second leading cause of death. The cancer rate is extremely low in comparison to the proportion of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases. Subsequent research on this population will take into consideration lifestyle factors which could contribute to this finding. PMID:2368863

When you pass your due date

MedlinePlus

... correctly. After all, a due date is not exact, but an estimate. Your due date is estimated ... in pregnancy. However: Many women cannot remember the exact day of their last period, which makes it ...

Bio-Medical Waste Managment in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Overview

PubMed Central

Ahuja, Sanjiv; Madan, Molly; Asthana, Ajay Kumar

2016-01-01

Introduction Bio-Medical Waste (BMW) management is of utmost importance as its improper management poses serious threat to health care workers, waste handlers, patients, care givers, community and finally the environment. Simultaneously, the health care providers should know the quantity of waste generated in their facility and try to reduce the waste generation in day-to-day work because lesser amount of BMW means a lesser burden on waste disposal work and cost saving. Aim To have an overview of management of BMW in a tertiary care teaching hospital so that effective interventions and implementations can be carried out for better outcome. Materials and Methods The observational study was carried out over a period of five months from January 2016 to May 2016 in Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut by the Infection Control Team (ICT). Assessment of knowledge was carried out by asking set of questions individually and practice regarding awareness of BMW Management among the Health Care Personnel (HCP) was carried out by direct observation in the workplace. Further, the total BMW generated from the present setup in kilogram per bed per day was calculated by dividing the mean waste generated per day by the number of occupied beds. Results Segregation of BMW was being done at the site of generation in almost all the areas of the hospital in color coded polythene bags as per the hospital protocol. The different types of waste being collected were infectious solid waste in red bag, soiled infectious waste in yellow bag and sharp waste in puncture proof container and blue bag. Though awareness (knowledge) about segregation of BMW was seen in 90% of the HCP, 30%-35% did not practice. Out of the total waste generated (57912 kg.), 8686.8 kg. (15%) was infectious waste. Average infectious waste generated was 0.341 Kg per bed per day. The transport, treatment and disposal of each collected waste were outsourced and carried out by ‘Synergy’ waste management Pvt. Ltd. Conclusion The practice of BMW Management was lacking in 30-35% HCP which may lead to mixing of the 15% infectious waste with the remaining non-infectious. Therefore, training courses and awareness programs about BMW management will be carried out every month targeting smaller groups. PMID:28050362

Assessing Potential Energy Savings in Household Travel: Methodological and Empirical Considerations of Vehicle Capability Constraints and Multi-day Activity Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolon, Kevin M.

The lack of multi-day data for household travel and vehicle capability requirements is an impediment to evaluations of energy savings strategies, since (1) travel requirements vary from day-to-day, and (2) energy-saving transportation options often have reduced capability. This work demonstrates a survey methodology and modeling system for evaluating the energy-savings potential of household travel, considering multi-day travel requirements and capability constraints imposed by the available transportation resources. A stochastic scheduling model is introduced---the multi-day Household Activity Schedule Estimator (mPHASE)---which generates synthetic daily schedules based on "fuzzy" descriptions of activity characteristics using a finite-element representation of activity flexibility, coordination among household members, and scheduling conflict resolution. Results of a thirty-household pilot study are presented in which responses to an interactive computer assisted personal interview were used as inputs to the mPHASE model in order to illustrate the feasibility of generating complex, realistic multi-day household schedules. Study vehicles were equipped with digital cameras and GPS data acquisition equipment to validate the model results. The synthetically generated schedules captured an average of 60 percent of household travel distance, and exhibited many of the characteristics of complex household travel, including day-to-day travel variation, and schedule coordination among household members. Future advances in the methodology may improve the model results, such as encouraging more detailed and accurate responses by providing a selection of generated schedules during the interview. Finally, the Constraints-based Transportation Resource Assignment Model (CTRAM) is introduced. Using an enumerative optimization approach, CTRAM determines the energy-minimizing vehicle-to-trip assignment decisions, considering trip schedules, occupancy, and vehicle capability. Designed to accept either actual or synthetic schedules, results of an application of the optimization model to the 2001 and 2009 National Household Travel Survey data show that U.S. households can reduce energy use by 10 percent, on average, by modifying the assignment of existing vehicles to trips. Households in 2009 show a higher tendency to assign vehicles optimally than in 2001, and multi-vehicle households with diverse fleets have greater savings potential, indicating that fleet modification strategies may be effective, particularly under higher energy price conditions.

Interaction of Substrate Mechanics with Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) differentiation to generate a scaffold for Bone regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafailovich, Miriam; Bhatnagar, Divya; Bherwani, Aneel; Simon, Marcia

2012-02-01

This work investigates the interaction of the substrate mechanics with the differentiation in the absence of chemical induction and only resulting from the stimuli of the substrate mechanics and chemistry. We chose enzymatically cross-linked gelatin hydrogels substrates of different stiffness varying from 8KPa to 100Pa. DPSCs were cultured and differentiated on the substrates for 7, 14 and 21 days with and without dexamethasone induction media. SEM and EDX analysis after 21 days indicate that cells produced a sheet of biomineralized deposits, several tenths of mm thick on the hard substrate irrespective of chemical induction. Modulli of the cells was independent of the induction and stiffness of the hydrogels. RT-PCR assays indicated that cells expressed more osteocalcin when cultured in non-induction media and harder substrate. The shape of the deposits was more uniform and in close packing on the harder substrate with a higher Ca:P ratio. On soft substrate the deposits were more flat with less Ca:P ratio. Further experiments indicated that conformational change due to the crosslinking of gelatin could be the reason for biomineralization.

Structures responsible for rapid fading of medium frequency radio reflections from the day-time E-layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, K. L.

1984-12-01

The steerable beam Bribie Island radar (152 deg E, 27 deg S) operating at a frequency of 1.98 MHz was used to obtain data relevant to reflection conditions near 100 km altitude on 7 days during June-October 1982. The rapid signal fading commonly observed is primarily due to transient reflectors with lifetimes of a few seconds, often seen up to angles of 20 deg from the zenith. Longer lived moving reflectors (presumed to be sporadic-E clouds) also play a part. Certain properties of the transient reflectors are consistent with a turbulent generation mechanism. However, any theory of their origin must explain why, for about a third of the time, they tend to occur preferentially to the north and east of the observing site. A direct comparison of velocities using Doppler and spaced antenna drifts methods shows reasonable agreement when the data is averaged over quarter hour periods. However, conclusions by previous workers, on the basis of observations of motions of diffraction patterns, that the ionospheric structure responsible for the diffraction pattern observed on the ground is undulations of the isoionic contours by gravity waves, is not supported by a detailed analysis of the data.

Combining GPS, GIS, and accelerometry: methodological issues in the assessment of location and intensity of travel behaviors.

PubMed

Oliver, Melody; Badland, Hannah; Mavoa, Suzanne; Duncan, Mitch J; Duncan, Scott

2010-01-01

Global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and accelerometers are powerful tools to explain activity within a built environment, yet little integration of these tools has taken place. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of combining GPS, GIS, and accelerometry to understand transport-related physical activity (TPA) in adults. Forty adults wore an accelerometer and portable GPS unit over 7 consecutive days and completed a demographics questionnaire and 7-day travel log. Accelerometer and GPS data were extracted for commutes to/from workplace and integrated into a GIS database. GIS maps were generated to visually explore physical activity intensity, GPS speeds and routes traveled. GPS, accelerometer, and survey data were collected for 37 participants. Loss of GPS data was substantial due to a range of methodological issues, such as low battery life, signal drop out, and participant noncompliance. Nonetheless, greater travel distances and significantly higher speeds were observed for motorized trips when compared with TPA. Pragmatic issues of using GPS monitoring to understand TPA behaviors and methodological recommendations for future research were identified. Although methodologically challenging, the combination of GPS monitoring, accelerometry and GIS technologies holds promise for understanding TPA within the built environment.

Cyclophosphamide induced stomach and duodenal lesions as a NO-system disturbance in rats: L-NAME, L-arginine, stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157.

PubMed

Luetic, Krešimir; Sucic, Mario; Vlainic, Josipa; Halle, Zeljka Belosic; Strinic, Dean; Vidovic, Tinka; Luetic, Franka; Marusic, Marinko; Gulic, Sasa; Pavelic, Tatjana Turudic; Kokot, Antonio; Seiwerth, Ranka Serventi; Drmic, Domagoj; Batelja, Lovorka; Seiwerth, Sven; Sikiric, Predrag

2017-04-01

We revealed a new point with cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg/day intraperitoneally for 7 days): we counteracted both rat stomach and duodenal ulcers and increased NO- and MDA-levels in these tissues. As a NO-system effect, BPC 157 therapy (10 µg/kg, 10 ng/kg, intraperitoneally once a day or in drinking water, till the sacrifice) attenuated the increased NO- and MDA-levels and nullified, in rats, severe cyclophosphamide-ulcers and even stronger stomach and duodenal lesions after cyclophosphamide + L-NAME (5 mg/kg intraperitoneally once a day). L-arginine (100 mg/kg intraperitoneally once a day not effective alone) led L-NAME-values only to the control values (cyclophosphamide + L-NAME + L-arginine-rats). Briefly, rats were sacrificed at 24 h after last administration on days 1, 2, 3, or 7, and assessment included sum of longest lesions diameters (mm) in the stomach and duodenum, oxidative stress by quantifying thiobarbituric acid reactivity as malondialdehyde equivalents (MDA), NO in stomach and duodenal tissue samples using the Griess reaction. All these parameters were highly exaggerated in rats who underwent cyclophosphamide treatment. We identified high MDA-tissue values, high NO-tissue values, ulcerogenic and beneficial potential in cyclophosphamide-L-NAME-L-arginine-BPC 157 relationships. This suggests that in cyclophosphamide damaged rats, NO excessive release generated by the inducible isozyme, damages the vascular wall and other tissue cells, especially in combination with reactive oxygen intermediates, while failing endothelial production and resulting in further aggravation by L-NAME which was inhibited by L-arginine. Finally, BPC 157, due to its special relations with NO-system, may both lessen increased MDA- and NO-tissues values and counteract effects of both cyclophosphamide and L-NAME on stomach and duodenal lesions.

Effects of aspartame on hsp70, bcl-2 and bax expression in immune organs of Wistar albino rats

PubMed Central

Choudhary, Arbind Kumar; Devi, Rathinasamy Sheela

2016-01-01

Abstract Aspartame, a “first generation sweetener”, is widely used in a variety of foods, beverages, and medicine. The FDA has determined the acceptable daily intake (ADI) value of aspartame to be 50 mg/kg·day, while the JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) has set this value at 40 mg/kg of body weight/day. Safety issues have been raised about aspartame due to its metabolites, specifically toxicity from methanol and/or its systemic metabolites formaldehyde and formic acid. The immune system is now recognized as a target organ for many xenobiotics, such as drugs and chemicals, which are able to trigger unwanted apoptosis or to alter the regulation of apoptosis. Our previous studies has shown that oral administration of aspartame [40 mg/(kg·day)] or its metabolites for 90 days increased oxidative stress in immune organs of Wistar albino rats. In this present study, we aimed to clarify whether aspartame consumption over a longer period (90-days) has any effect on the expression of hsp70, bcl-2 and bax at both mRNA transcript and protein expression levels in immune organs. We observed that oral administration of aspartame for 90 days did not cause any apparent DNA fragmentation in immune organs of aspartame treated animals; however, there was a significant increase in hsp70 expression, apart from significant alteration in bcl-2 and bax at both mRNA transcript and protein expression level in the immune organs of aspartame treated animals compared to controls. Hence, the results indicated that hsp70 levels increased in response to oxidative injury induced by aspartame metabolites; however, these metabolites did not induce apoptosis in the immune organs. Furthermore, detailed analyses are needed to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms involved in these changes. PMID:27845306

20 CFR 404.1807 - Monthly payment day.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... in writing if your monthly payment day is being changed to the 3rd of the month due to this provision... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Monthly payment day. 404.1807 Section 404... INSURANCE (1950- ) Payment Procedures § 404.1807 Monthly payment day. (a) General. Once we have made a...

Early Results of Endovascular Treatment of the Thoracic Aorta Using the Valiant Endograft

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

Thompson, Matt, E-mail: matt.thompson@stgeorges.nhs.uk; Ivaz, Stella; Cheshire, Nicholas

Endovascular repair of the thoracic aorta has been adopted as the first-line therapy for much pathology. Initial results from the early-generation endografts have highlighted the potential of this technique. Newer-generation endografts have now been introduced into clinical practice and careful assessment of their performance should be mandatory. This study describes the initial experience with the Valiant endograft and makes comparisons with similar series documenting previous-generation endografts. Data were retrospectively collected on 180 patients treated with the Valiant endograft at seven European centers between March 2005 and October 2006. The patient cohort consisted of 66 patients with thoracic aneurysms, 22 withmore » thoracoabdominal aneurysms, 19 with an acute aortic syndrome, 52 with aneurysmal degeneration of a chronic dissection, and 21 patients with traumatic aortic transection. The overall 30-day mortality for the series was 7.2%, with a stroke rate of 3.8% and a paraplegia rate of 3.3%. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that mortality differed significantly between different indications; thoracic aneurysms (6.1%), thoracoabdominal aneurysms (27.3%), acute aortic syndrome (10.5%), chronic dissections (1.9%), and acute transections (0%). Adjunctive surgical procedures were required in 63 patients, and 51% of patients had grafts deployed proximal to the left subclavian artery. Comparison with a series of earlier-generation grafts demonstrated a significant increase in complexity of procedure as assessed by graft implantation site, number of grafts and patient comorbidity. The data demonstrate acceptable results for a new-generation endograft in series of patients with diverse thoracic aortic pathology. Comparison of clinical outcomes between different endografts poses considerable challenges due to differing case complexity.« less

Palonosetron for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: approval and efficacy

PubMed Central

Navari, Rudolph M

2009-01-01

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is associated with a significant deterioration in quality of life. The emetogenicity of the chemotherapeutic agents, repeated chemotherapy cycles, and patient characteristics (female gender, younger age, low alcohol consumption, history of motion sickness) are the major risk factors for CINV. This review provides a detailed description of palonosetron, a second-generation 5-hydroxytryptamine 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist. The chemistry and pharmacology of palonosetron are described, as well as the initial and recent clinical trials. Palonosetron has a longer half-life and a higher binding affinity than the first-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. Palonosetron has been approved for the prevention of acute CINV in patients receiving either moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy and for the prevention of delayed CINV in patients receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. In recent studies, compared to the first-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, palonosetron in combination with dexamethasone demonstrated better control of delayed CINV in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy. There were no clinically relevant adverse reactions reported in the palonosetron clinical trials which were different from the common reactions reported for the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist class. Due to its efficacy in controlling both acute and delayed CINV, palonosetron may be very effective in the clinical setting of multiple-day chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. PMID:21188135

Effectiveness of a multifactorial handwashing program to reduce school absenteeism due to acute gastroenteritis.

PubMed

Azor-Martínez, Ernestina; Cobos-Carrascosa, Elena; Gimenez-Sanchez, Francisco; Martínez-López, Jose Miguel; Garrido-Fernández, Pablo; Santisteban-Martínez, Joaquin; Seijas-Vazquez, Maria Luisa; Campos-Fernandez, Maria Amparo; Bonillo-Perales, Antonio

2014-02-01

Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is one of the most common diseases among children and an important cause of school absenteeism. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a handwashing program using hand sanitizers for the prevention of school absenteeism due to AGE. A randomized, controlled and open study of a sample of 1341 children between 4 and 12 years of age, attending 5 state schools in Almería (Spain), with an 8-month follow up (academic year). The experimental group (EG) washed their hands with soap and water, complementing this with the use of a hand sanitizer, and the control group (CG) followed the usual handwashing procedure. Absenteeism rates due GI were compared between the 2 groups through the multivariate Poisson regression analysis. Percent days absent in both groups were compared with a Z-test. 446 cases of school absenteeism due to AGE were registered. The school children from the EG had a 36% lower risk of absenteeism due to AGE (IRR: 0.64, 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.78) and a decrease in absenteeism of 0.13 episodes/child/academic year (0.27 of EG vs 0.40 CG/episodes/child/academic year, P < 0.001). Pupils missed 725 school days due to AGE and absent days was significantly lower in the EG (EG: 0.31%, 95% confidence interval: 0.28-0.35 vs. CG: 0.44%, 95% confidence interval: 0.40-0.48, P < 0.001). The use of hand sanitizer as a complement to handwashing with soap is an efficient measure to reduce absent days and the number of school absenteeism cases due to AGE.

Assessment of the Great Lakes Marine Renewable Energy Resources: Characterizing Lake Erie Surge, Seiche and Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhadzadeh, A.; Hashemi, M. R.

2016-02-01

Lake Erie, the fourth largest in surface area, smallest in volume and shallowest among the Great Lakes is approximately 400 km long and 90 km wide. Short term lake level variations are due to storm surge generated by high winds and moving pressure systems over the lake mainly in the southwest-northeast direction, along the lakes longitudinal axis. The historical wave data from three active offshore buoys shows that significant wave height can exceed 5 m in the eastern and central basins. The long-term lake level data show that storm surge can reach up to 3 m in eastern Lake Erie. Owing its shallow depth, Lake Erie frequently experiences seiching motions, the low frequency oscillations that are initiated by storm surge. The seiches whose first mode of oscillations has a period of nearly 14.2 hours can last from several hours to days. In this study, the Lake Erie potential for power generation, primarily using storm surge and seiche and also waves are assessed. Given the cyclic lake level variations due to storm-induced seiching, a concept similar to that of tidal range development is utilized to assess the potential of storm surge and seiche energy harvesting mechanisms for power generation. In addition, wave energy resources of the Lake is characterized -. To achieve these objectives, the following steps are taken : (1) Frequency of occurrence for extreme storm surge and wave events is determined using extreme value analysis such as Peak-Over-Threshold method for the long-term water level and wave data; (2) Spatial and temporal variations of wave height, storm surge and seiche are characterized. The characterization is carried out using the wave and storm surge outputs from numerical simulation of a number of historical extreme events. The coupled ADCIRC and SWAN model is utilized for the modeling; (3) Assessment of the potentials for marine renewable power generation in Lake Erie is made. The approach can be extended to the other lakes in the Great Lakes region.

Bridge to transplantation with a left ventricular assist device.

PubMed

Jung, Jae Jun; Sung, Kiick; Jeong, Dong Seop; Kim, Wook Sung; Lee, Young Tak; Park, Pyo Won

2012-04-01

A 61-year-old female patient was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricle dysfunction. Two days after admission, continuous renal replacement therapy was performed due to oliguria and lactic acidosis. On the fifth day, an intra-aortic balloon pump was inserted due to low cardiac output syndrome. Beginning 4 days after admission, she was supported for 15 days thereafter with an extracorporeal left ventricular assist device (LVAD) because of heart failure with multi-organ failure. A heart transplant was performed while the patient was stabilized with the LVAD. She developed several complications after the surgery, such as cytomegalovirus pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis, wound dehiscence, and H1N1 infection. On postoperative day 19, she was discharged from the hospital with close follow-up and treatment for infection. She received follow-up care for 10 months without any immune rejection reaction.

NASA SMAP Images Show Texas Soil Moisture Conditions Before/After Hurricane Harvey's Landfall

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-29

Images of soil moisture conditions in Texas near Houston, generated by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite before and after the landfall of Hurricane Harvey can be used to monitor changing ground conditions due to Harvey's rainfall. As seen in the left panel, SMAP observations show that soil surface conditions were already very wet a few days before the hurricane made landfall (August 21/22), with moisture levels in the 20 to 40 percent range. Such saturated soil surfaces contributed to the inability of water to infiltrate more deeply into soils, thereby increasing the likelihood of flooding. After Harvey made landfall, the southwest portion of Houston became exceptionally wet, as seen in the right panel image from August 25/26, signaling the arrival of heavy rains and widespread flooding. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21926

Rearing and colonization of Lutzomyia evansi (Diptera: Psychodidae), a vector of visceral leishmaniasis in Colombia.

PubMed

Montoya-Lerma, J; Cadena-Peña, H; Jaramillo-Salazar, C

1998-01-01

The sandfly Lutzomyia evansi from a focus of visceral leishmaniasis in northern Columbia was reared and maintained under laboratory conditions for five generations. The average time for total development was 41.9 days (range = 35.1-49.6) at 25 degrees C and 89-95% of relative humidity. The mean number of eggs laid was lower in laboratory bred females either in pots (13.2 eggs/female) or vials (29.9 eggs/female) than in wild caught females (33.4 eggs/female). Immature mortality, mainly due to fungal and mite contamination, was higher during the first two instars than in the remaining immature stages. Adults were robust and healthy although difficult to feed on hamster or chick skin membrane. In summary, Lu. evansi is a colonizable species but requires specific conditions.

Multiple Solutions for Reconfiguration to Address Partial Shading Losses in Solar Photovoltaic Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Nikesh; Pareek, Smita; Chaturvedi, Nitin; Dahiya, Ratna

2018-03-01

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) systems are steadily rising and considered as the best alternatives to meet the rising demand of energy. In developing countries like India, SPV’s contribution being a clean energy is the most favourable. However, experiences have shown that produced power of these systems is usually affected due to day, night, seasonal variations, insolation, partial shading conditions etc. Among these parameters, partial shading causes a huge reduction in output power of PV systems. This results in lack of confidence for this technology among users. Thus, it is important and a major challenge in PV systems to minimize the effect of partial shading on their energy production. The work in this paper aims to propose solutions for reconfiguration of solar photovoltaic arrays in order to reduce partial shading losses and thus to enhance power generation.

KSC-99pp0879

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (right) and her daughter, Chelsea, are greeted by NASA Astronaut Scott E. Parazynski (left) upon their arrival at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes

KSC-99pp0886

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

A member of the U.S. Women's World Cup Soccer Team is greeted by NASA Astronaut Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper (left) upon her arrival at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes

KSC-99pp0895

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

Among those gathered at the VIP viewing site for the launch of STS-93 are First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (center) and Donna Shalala, secretary , Department of Health and Human Services (far right). Also present is Chelsea Clinton. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20

KSC-99pp0889

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

Upon their arrival at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, are greeted by NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Mrs. Goldin. Mrs. Clinton and Chelsea are here to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93, scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes

KSC-99pp0893

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the VIP Lounge, Apollo/Saturn V Center, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton gets ready to speak to the group gathered there before the launch of STS-93. At right is NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin. Liftoff of Space Shuttle Columbia is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes

KSC-99pp0880

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-07-19

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton (right) and her daughter, Chelsea, are greeted by NASA Astronaut Scott E. Parazynski (left) upon their arrival at the Skid Strip at Cape Canaveral Air Station to view the launch of Space Shuttle mission STS-93. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:36 a.m. EDT July 20. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. The new telescope is 20 to 50 times more sensitive than any previous X-ray telescope and is expected to unlock the secrets of supernovae, quasars and black holes

Constraining proposed combinations of ice history and Earth rheology using VLBI determined baseline length rates in North America

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitrovica, J. X.; Davis, J. L.; Shapiro, I. I.

1993-01-01

We predict the present-day rates of change of the lengths of 19 North American baselines due to the glacial isostatic adjustment process. Contrary to previously published research, we find that the three dimensional motion of each of the sites defining a baseline, rather than only the radial motions of these sites, needs to be considered to obtain an accurate estimate of the rate of change of the baseline length. Predictions are generated using a suite of Earth models and late Pleistocene ice histories, these include specific combinations of the two which have been proposed in the literature as satisfying a variety of rebound related geophysical observations from the North American region. A number of these published models are shown to predict rates which differ significantly from the VLBI observations.

Attendees of a women's forum tour the OPF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Attendees of a women's forum held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, get a guided tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility. The forum included a welcome by Center Director Roy Bridges, remarks by NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, and a panel discussion, 'Past, Present and Future of Space.' The attendees are planning to view the launch of STS-93 at the Banana Creek viewing sight. Much attention has been generated over the launch due to Commander Eileen M. Collins, the first woman to serve as commander of a Shuttle mission. The primary payload of the five-day mission is the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which will allow scientists from around the world to study some of the most distant, powerful and dynamic objects in the universe. Liftoff is scheduled for July 20 at 12:36 a.m. EDT.

40 CFR Table 9 to Subpart Jjj of... - Routine Reports Required by This Subpart

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... days after the end of each 6-month period. See § 63.1335(e)(6)(i) for the due date for the first report... months of making the determination. a There may be two versions of this report due at different times.... § 63.1335(e)(7)(i) Storage Vessels Notification of Inspection At least 30 days prior to the refilling...

40 CFR Table 9 to Subpart Jjj of... - Routine Reports Required by This Subpart

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... days after the end of each 6-month period. See § 63.1335(e)(6)(i) for the due date for the first report... months of making the determination. a There may be two versions of this report due at different times.... § 63.1335(e)(7)(i) Storage Vessels Notification of Inspection At least 30 days prior to the refilling...

40 CFR Table 9 to Subpart Jjj of... - Routine Reports Required by This Subpart

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... days after the end of each 6-month period. See § 63.1335(e)(6)(i) for the due date for the first report... months of making the determination. a There may be two versions of this report due at different times.... § 63.1335(e)(7)(i) Storage Vessels Notification of Inspection At least 30 days prior to the refilling...

77 FR 48526 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

..., Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-435- 1050, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing...

77 FR 73475 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

..., Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-402-4454, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of..., [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the...

76 FR 65738 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-24

..., Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435-1166, [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the timing limitations imposed by the review and funding cycle. Name of..., [email protected]csr.nih.gov . This notice is being published less than 15 days prior to the meeting due to the...

12 CFR 41.30 - Obtaining or using medical information in connection with a determination of eligibility for credit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... medical information in violation of the prohibition if, for example: (i) In response to a general question... than 90 days past due. Any two debts of this size that are more than 90 days past due would disqualify... she receives $15,000 in long-term disability income each year from her former employer and has no...

Whole-Body Counter Evaluation of Internal Radioactive Cesium in Dogs and Cats Exposed to the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

PubMed

Wada, Seiichi; Ito, Nobuhiko; Watanabe, Masamichi; Kakizaki, Takehiko; Natsuhori, Masahiro; Kawamata, Jun; Urayama, Yoshio

2017-01-01

As a result of the 2011 nuclear incident that occurred at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, a large number of abandoned dogs and cats were left within the disaster zone. A small number of these animals were rescued and cared for at shelters. Prior to the dispersal of these animals to their owners or fosterers, we evaluated the degree of internal radiocesium contamination using a specially designed whole-body counter. We conducted 863 non-invasive measurements of gamma rays due to internal radioactive cesium for 68 dogs and 120 cats at one shelter. After plotting graphs of 137Cs density we generated exponential functions of decay from seven dogs and six cats. From the regression formulae, we were able to determine the biological half-lives as 38.2 days for dogs and 30.8 days for cats. We found that in dogs there was a correlation between the biological half-life of radioactive cesium and age. Using our data, we estimated whole-body densities for each cat and dog at the time when they were rescued. We found that there were deviations in the data distributions among the different species, likely due to the timing of rescue, or living habits prior to rescue. A significant correlation was found when extracted feline reproductive organs were analyzed; the coefficients for the estimation of whole-body densities were approximately 7-fold higher than those based on the extracted feline reproductive organs. This may be due to the fact that majority of the radioactive cesium accumulates within muscular tissue with less distribution in other organs. It is possible to plan the appropriate management period in an animal shelter based on the use of the biological half-life of radioactive cesium calculated in this study. We believe that the correlations we uncovered in this work would be of great use for the management of companion animals in the event of a future nuclear accident.

Whole-Body Counter Evaluation of Internal Radioactive Cesium in Dogs and Cats Exposed to the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

PubMed Central

Wada, Seiichi; Ito, Nobuhiko; Watanabe, Masamichi; Kakizaki, Takehiko; Natsuhori, Masahiro; Kawamata, Jun; Urayama, Yoshio

2017-01-01

As a result of the 2011 nuclear incident that occurred at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, a large number of abandoned dogs and cats were left within the disaster zone. A small number of these animals were rescued and cared for at shelters. Prior to the dispersal of these animals to their owners or fosterers, we evaluated the degree of internal radiocesium contamination using a specially designed whole-body counter. We conducted 863 non-invasive measurements of gamma rays due to internal radioactive cesium for 68 dogs and 120 cats at one shelter. After plotting graphs of 137Cs density we generated exponential functions of decay from seven dogs and six cats. From the regression formulae, we were able to determine the biological half-lives as 38.2 days for dogs and 30.8 days for cats. We found that in dogs there was a correlation between the biological half-life of radioactive cesium and age. Using our data, we estimated whole-body densities for each cat and dog at the time when they were rescued. We found that there were deviations in the data distributions among the different species, likely due to the timing of rescue, or living habits prior to rescue. A significant correlation was found when extracted feline reproductive organs were analyzed; the coefficients for the estimation of whole-body densities were approximately 7-fold higher than those based on the extracted feline reproductive organs. This may be due to the fact that majority of the radioactive cesium accumulates within muscular tissue with less distribution in other organs. It is possible to plan the appropriate management period in an animal shelter based on the use of the biological half-life of radioactive cesium calculated in this study. We believe that the correlations we uncovered in this work would be of great use for the management of companion animals in the event of a future nuclear accident. PMID:28099476

Constraining dynamical neutrino mass generation with cosmological data

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

Koksbang, S.M.; Hannestad, S., E-mail: koksbang@phys.au.dk, E-mail: sth@phys.au.dk

We study models in which neutrino masses are generated dynamically at cosmologically late times. Our study is purely phenomenological and parameterized in terms of three effective parameters characterizing the redshift of mass generation, the width of the transition region, and the present day neutrino mass. We also study the possibility that neutrinos become strongly self-interacting at the time where the mass is generated. We find that in a number of cases, models with large present day neutrino masses are allowed by current CMB, BAO and supernova data. The increase in the allowed mass range makes it possible that a non-zeromore » neutrino mass could be measured in direct detection experiments such as KATRIN. Intriguingly we also find that there are allowed models in which neutrinos become strongly self-interacting around the epoch of recombination.« less

Febuxostat for the Prevention of Recurrent 2,8-dihydroxyadenine Nephropathy due to Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase Deficiency Following Kidney Transplantation

PubMed Central

Nanmoku, Koji; Kurosawa, Akira; Shinzato, Takahiro; Shimizu, Toshihiro; Kimura, Takaaki; Yagisawa, Takashi

2017-01-01

Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that results in irreversible renal damage due to 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) nephropathy. A 28-year-old man underwent living-related kidney transplantation for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology. Numerous spherical brownish crystals observed in his urinary sediment on postoperative day 3 and were observed within the tubular lumen of renal allograft biopsy specimens on postoperative day 7. After a genetic diagnosis, febuxostat treatment was started on postoperative day 7, with the dosage gradually increased to 80 mg/day until complete the disappearance of 2,8-DHA crystals. Febuxostat prevented secondary 2,8-DHA nephropathy after kidney transplantation. PMID:28566603

40 CFR 1045.706 - How do I generate and calculate evaporative emission credits?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... emission standard, in g/m2/day. FEL = the family emission limit for the family, in g/m2/day, as described... emission families with FELs at or above 5.0 g/m2/day. To calculate emission credits for such emission... FEL of 10.4 g/m2/day. This would apply without regard to whether any of these emission families have...

Electricity Generation and Community Wastewater Treatment by Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakthai, S.; Potchanakunakorn, R.; Changjan, A.; Intaravicha, N.; Pramuanl, P.; Srigobue, P.; Soponsathien, S.; Kongson, C.; Maksuwan, A.

2018-05-01

The attractive solution to the pressing issues of energy production and community wastewater treatment was using of Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). The objective of this research was to study the efficiency of electricity generation and community wastewater treatment of MFCs. This study used an experimental method completely randomized design (CRD), which consisted of two treatment factors (4×5 factorial design). The first factor was different solution containing organic matter (T) and consisting of 4 level factors including T1 (tap water), T2 (tap water with soil), T3 (50 % V/V community wastewater with soil), and T4 (100% community wastewater with soil). The second factor was the time (t), consisting of 5 level factors t1 (day 1), t2 (day 2), t3 (day 3), t4 (day 4), and t5 (day 5). There were 4 experimental models depending on containing organic matter (T1-T4). The parameter measured consisted of Open Circuit Voltage (OCV), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), acidity (pH), Electric Conductivity (EC) and number of bacteria. Data were analysed by ANOVA, followed by Duncan test. The results of this study showed that, the T3 was the highest voltage at 0.816 V (P<0.05) and T4, T2, and Ti were 0.800, 0.797 and 0.747 V, respectively. The T3 was the lowest COD at 24.120 mg/L and T4 was 38.067 mg/L (P<0.05). The best model for electricity generation and community wastewater treatment by Microbial Fuel Cells was T3. This model generated highest voltage at 0.816 V, and reduction of COD at 46.215%.

Optimization of 10 kW solar photovoltaic – diesel generator hybrid energy system for different load factors at Jaisalmer location of Rajasthan, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraswat, S. K.; Rao, K. V. S.

2018-03-01

Jaisalmer town in Rajasthan, India is having annual average solar insolation of 5.80 kWh/m2/day and 270 – 300 clear sky days in a year. A 10 kW off-grid hybrid energy system (HES) consisting of solar photovoltaic panels – diesel generator – bidirectional converter and batteries with zero percentage loss of load for Jaisalmer is designed using HOMER (version 3.4.3) software. Different system load factors of 0.33, 0.50, 0.67, 0.83 and 1 corresponding to fraction of running hours per day of the system are considered. The system is analyzed for all three aspects, namely, electrical, economic and emission point of view. Least levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of Rs. 8.43/kWh is obtained at a load factor value of 0.5. If diesel generator alone (without Solar PV) is used to fulfil the demand for a load factor of 0.5the value of LCOE is obtained Rs.19.23/kWh. Comparison of results obtained for HES and diesel generator are made for load factor of 0.5 and 1.

Comparative anti-androgenic actions of vinclozolin and flutamide on transgenerational adult onset disease and spermatogenesis.

PubMed

Anway, Matthew D; Rekow, Stephen S; Skinner, Michael K

2008-10-01

Exposure of gestating female rats to the anti-androgenic endocrine disruptor vinclozolin has been shown to induce transgenerational adult onset disease phenotypes. The current study, was designed to compare the actions of vinclozolin to the known anti-androgenic compound flutamide. The gestating female rats were exposed to intraperitoneal injections during embryonic day 8-14 (E8-E14) to 100mg/kg/day vinclozolin or flutamide at either 5mg or 20mg/kg/day. As previously observed, vinclozolin induced a transgenerational testis phenotype of increased spermatogenic cell apoptosis and decreased epididymal sperm number. In contrast, the flutamide exposures resulted in a testis phenotype of increased spermatogenic cell apoptosis and decreased epididymal sperm numbers in the F1 generation only, and not the F2 and F3 generation adult males. Interestingly, some of the low dose (5mg/kg) flutamide F2 generation offspring developed spinal agenesis and supernummery development (polymelia) of limbs. Although the actions of vinclozolin and flutamide appear similar in the F1 generation males, the transgenerational effects of vinclozolin do not appear to be acting through the same anti-androgenic mechanism as flutamide.

Comparative anti-androgenic actions of vinclozolin and flutamide on transgenerational adult onset disease and spermatogenesis

PubMed Central

Anway, Matthew D.; Rekow, Stephen S.; Skinner, Michael K.

2017-01-01

Exposure of gestating female rats to the anti-androgenic endocrine disruptor vinclozolin has been shown to induce transgenerational adult onset disease phenotypes. The current study, was designed to compare the actions of vinclozolin to the known anti-androgenic compound flutamide. The gestating female rats were exposed to intraperitoneal injections during embryonic day 8–14 (E8–E14) to 100 mg/kg/day vinclozolin or flutamide at either 5mg or 20 mg/kg/day. As previously observed, vinclozolin induced a transgenerational testis phenotype of increased spermatogenic cell apoptosis and decreased epididymal sperm number. In contrast, the flutamide exposures resulted in a testis phenotype of increased spermatogenic cell apoptosis and decreasedepididymal spermnumbers in the F1 generation only, and not the F2 and F3 generation adult males. Interestingly, some of the lowdose (5 mg/kg) flutamide F2 generation offspring developed spinal agenesis and supernummery development (polymelia) of limbs. Although the actions of vinclozolin and flutamide appear similar in the F1 generation males, the transgenerational effects of vinclozolin do not appear to be acting through the same anti-androgenic mechanism as flutamide. PMID:18762243

Generational diversity: what nurse managers need to know.

PubMed

Hendricks, Joyce M; Cope, Vicki C

2013-03-01

This article presents a discussion of generational differences and their impact on the nursing workforce and how this impact affects the work environment. The global nursing workforce represents four generations of nurses. This generational diversity frames attitudes, beliefs, work habits and expectations associated with the role of the nurse in the provision of care and in the way the nurse manages their day-to-day activities. An electronic search of MEDLINE, PubMed and Cinahl databases was performed using the words generational diversity, nurse managers and workforce. The search was limited to 2000-2012. Generational differences present challenges to contemporary nurse managers working in a healthcare environment which is complex and dynamic, in terms of managing nurses who think and behave in a different way because of disparate core personal and generational values, namely, the three Cs of communication, commitment and compensation. An acceptance of generational diversity in the workplace allows a richer scope for practice as the experiences and knowledge of each generation in the nursing environment creates an environment of acceptance and harmony facilitating retention of nurses. Acknowledgement of generational characteristics provides the nurse manager with strategies which focus on mentoring and motivation; communication, the increased use of technology and the ethics of nursing, to bridge the gap between generations of nurses and to increase nursing workforce cohesion. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Production of Biogas from wastes Blended with CowDung for Electricity generation-A Case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muthu, D.; Venkatasubramanian, C.; Ramakrishnan, K.; Sasidhar, Jaladanki

2017-07-01

The country’s production of solid waste generation is piling up year after year and the generation of Bio-Gas finds a fruitful solution to overcome this problem. This technology can contribute to energy conservation if the economic viability and social acceptance of this technology are favorable. Our campus has a number of hostel buildings which generates large quantum of kitchen waste and sewage per day. This research will have process ofcarrying out survey, characterization of kitchen waste from several kitchens & Canteens and knowing the potential for biogas production. The waste generated from kitchen and sewage from the hostels is given as feedstock to produce 600 m3 of biogas per day with cow dung as byproduct. The methane gas generated from Biogas is purified and this is used for power generation. Two biogas engine generators of 30 kVA and 50 kVA were installed. This power is used for backup power for girl’s hostel lighting load. From this study it is concluded that the generation of Biogas production and its usage for power production is the best option to handle these large quantum of sewage, kitchen waste generated from various buildings and also treated effluent from biogas plant and the biomass generated is a wealth for doing agriculture for any community ultimately it protects the environment.

Transgenerational effect of the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin on male spermatogenesis.

PubMed

Anway, Matthew D; Memon, Mushtaq A; Uzumcu, Mehmet; Skinner, Michael K

2006-01-01

The current study was designed to examine the actions of a model endocrine disruptor on embryonic testis development and male fertility. Pregnant rats (F0) that received a transient embryonic exposure to an environmental endocrine disruptor, vinclozolin, had male offspring (F1) with reduced spermatogenic capacity. The reduced spermatogenetic capacity observed in the F1 male offspring was transmitted to the subsequent generations (F2-F4). The administration of vinclozolin, an androgen receptor antagonist, at 100 mg/kg/day from embryonic day 8-14 (E8-E14) of pregnancy to only the F0 dam resulted in a transgenerational phenotype in the subsequent male offspring in the F1-F4 generations. The litter size and male/female sex ratios were similar in controls and the vinclozolin generations. The average testes/body weight index of the postnatal day 60 (P60) males was not significantly different in the vinclozolin-treated generations compared to the controls. However, the testicular spermatid number, as well as the epididymal sperm number and motility, were significantly reduced in the vinclozolin generations compared to the control animals. Postnatal day 20 (P20) testis from the vinclozolin F2 generation had no morphological abnormalities, but did have an increase in spermatogenic cell apoptosis. Although the P60 testis morphology was predominantly normal, the germ cell apoptosis was significantly increased in the testes cross sections of animals from the vinclozolin generations. The increase in apoptosis was stage-specific in the testis, with tubules at stages IX-XIV having the highest increase in apoptotic germ cells. The tubules at stages I-V also had an increase in apoptotic germ cells compared to the control samples, but tubules at stages VI-VIII had no increase in apoptotic germ cells. An outcross of a vinclozolin generation male with a wild-type female demonstrated that the reduced spermatogenic cell phenotype was transmitted through the male germ line. An outcross with a vinclozolin generation female with a wild-type male had no phenotype. A similar phenotype was observed in outbred Sprague Dawley and inbred Fisher rat strains. Observations demonstrate that a transient exposure at the time of male sex determination to the antiandrogenic endocrine disruptor vinclozolin can induce an apparent epigenetic transgenerational phenotype with reduced spermatogenic capacity.

Rapid Collapse of the Vavilov Ice Cap, Russian High Arctic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, M. J.; Zheng, W.; Durkin, W. J., IV; Pritchard, M. E.; Ramage, J. M.; Dowdeswell, J. A.; Benham, T. J.; Glazovsky, A.; Macheret, Y.; Porter, C. C.

2016-12-01

Cold based ice caps and glaciers are thought to respond slowly to environmental changes. As sea ice cover evolves in the Arctic, a feedback process alters air-temperatures and precipitation patterns across the region. During the last decades of the 20th century the land-terminating western margin of the Vavilov Ice Cap, on October Revolution Island of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, advanced slowly westwards. The advance was driven by precipitation changes that occurred about half a millennia ago. InSAR shows that in 1996 the margin sustained ice speeds of around 20 m/yr. By 2000 the ice front had moved a short distance into the Kara Sea and had transitioned to a marine-terminating front, although an ice apron around the ice margin indicates the ice there was still frozen to the bed and there is no evidence of calving in satellite imagery. In 2013 ice motions near the terminus had accelerated to around 1 m/day. By late 2015 the main trunk of the newly activated outlet glacier attained speeds of 25 m/day and the inland portion of the ice cap thinned at rates of more than 0.3 m/day. The acceleration of the outlet glacier occurred due to its advance over weak, water-saturated marine sediments that provide little resistance to ice flow, and to the removal of lateral resistive stresses as the glacier advanced out into an open embayment. Longitudinal stretching at the front forces an increase in the surface slope upstream. Rapid rates of motion inland generate frictional melt at the bed, possibly aided by cryohydrological warming. Large areas of the interior of the Vavilov ice cap are now below the equilibrium line and the grounded portion of the ice cap is losing mass at a rate of 4.5 km3 w.e./year. The changes at the Vavilov are likely irrecoverable in a warming climate due to a reduction in the accumulation area of the ice cap. Increased precipitation drove the advance, which accelerated due to the presence of soft sediments. The acceleration lowered the elevation of the interior portion of the ice cap to a point from which it cannot recover. A second, similar collapse seems to be underway at basin-2 on the southern margin of the Austfonna Ice cap in Svalbard.

Initial antibiotic selection and patient outcomes: observations from the National Pneumonia Project.

PubMed

Bratzler, Dale W; Ma, Allen; Nsa, Wato

2008-12-01

Guidelines for empirical treatment of hospitalized patients with pneumonia provide specific recommendations for antibiotic selection that are primarily based on findings from observational studies. We conducted a retrospective study of 27,330 community-dwelling, immunocompetent Medicare patients (age, >65 years) with pneumonia who were hospitalized in 1998-1999 and 2000-2001. Associations between initial antimicrobial regimens and risk-adjusted mortality were assessed, accounting for differences in patient characteristics, comorbidities, illness severity, geographic location, and processes of care. Treatment with nonpseudomonal third-generation cephalosporin monotherapy constituted the reference group for comparisons. For patients not in the intensive care unit, initial treatment with fluoroquinolone monotherapy was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality, 14-day mortality, and 30-day mortality rates (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] for 30-day mortality, 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6-0.9; P = .001). The combination of a cephalosporin plus a macrolide was associated with reduced 14-day and 30-day mortality rates (AOR for 30-day mortality, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9; P < .001). For intensive care unit patients, the combination of a cephalosporin and a macrolide was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality (AOR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3-0.9; P = .018). Initial antimicrobial treatment with the combination of a second- or third-generation cephalosporin and a macrolide or initial treatment with a fluoroquinolone was associated with a reduced 30-day mortality rate, compared with treatment with third-generation cephalosporin monotherapy, among non-intensive care unit patients. Although our results are consistent with other observational studies, controversy continues to exist about the use of nonexperimental cohort studies to demonstrate associations between processes of care, such as antibiotic selection, and patient outcomes.

Twenty-three generations of mice bidirectionally selected for open-field thigmotaxis: selection response and repeated exposure to the open field.

PubMed

Leppänen, Pia K; Ravaja, N; Ewalds-Kvist, S B M

2006-03-01

We examined: (a) the response to bidirectional selection for open-field (OF) thigmotaxis in mice for 23 generations and (b) the effects of repeated exposure (during 5 days) on different OF behaviors in the selectively bred high OF thigmotaxis (HOFT) and low OF thigmotaxis (LOFT) mice. A total of 2049 mice were used in the study. Prior to the testing in the selection experiment, the mice were exposed to the OF apparatus for approximately 2 min on each of 4 consecutive days. Thus, the selection was based on the scores registered on the 5th day after the four habituation periods. The HOFT mice were more thigmotactic than the LOFT mice in almost each generation. The HOFT mice also tended to rear less than the LOFT mice, which was explained by the inverse relationship between emotionality and exploratory tendencies. The lines did not generally differ in ambulation. Sex differences were found in thigmotaxis, ambulation, and rearing. In the repeated exposure experiment, the development of nine different OF behaviors across the 5 days of testing was addressed. Both lines ambulated, explored, and reared most on the 1st, 4th, and 5th days. Grooming and radial latency decreased and thigmotaxis increased linearly across the testing days. Line differences were found in ambulation, exploration, grooming, and rearing, while sex differences were manifested in ambulation and exploration. The line difference in thigmotaxis was evident only on the 5th day. Temporal changes were partially at variance with the general assumptions. OF thigmotaxis was found to be a powerful characteristic for producing two diverging lines of mice.

Occupational health hazards related to informal recycling of E-waste in India: An overview.

PubMed

Annamalai, Jayapradha

2015-01-01

The innovation in science and technology coupled with the change in lifestyle of an individual has made an incredible change in the electronic industry show casing an assorted range of new products every day to the world. India too has been impacted by this digital revolution where consumption of electronics goods grows at a rapid rate producing a large amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment. This substantial generation of electronic waste referred to as e-waste accompanied with the lack of stringent environmental laws and regulations for handling the hazardous e-waste has resulted in the cropping of number of informal sectors. Over 95% of the e-waste is treated and processed in the majority of urban slums of the country, where untrained workers carry out the dangerous procedures without personal protective equipment, which are detrimental not only to their health but also to the environment. This paper focuses on the occupational health hazards due to the informal recycling of e-waste and then proceeds to show the safe disposal methods for handling the large quantities of e-waste generated in this electronic era and thus finds a sustainable solution for the formal processing of e-waste.

Enzymatic Oxidation of Cholesterol: Properties and Functional Effects of Cholestenone in Cell Membranes

PubMed Central

Neuvonen, Maarit; Manna, Moutusi; Mokkila, Sini; Javanainen, Matti; Rog, Tomasz; Liu, Zheng; Bittman, Robert; Vattulainen, Ilpo; Ikonen, Elina

2014-01-01

Bacterial cholesterol oxidase is commonly used as an experimental tool to reduce cellular cholesterol content. That the treatment also generates the poorly degradable metabolite 4-cholesten-3-one (cholestenone) has received less attention. Here, we investigated the membrane partitioning of cholestenone using simulations and cell biological experiments and assessed the functional effects of cholestenone in human cells. Atomistic simulations predicted that cholestenone reduces membrane order, undergoes faster flip-flop and desorbs more readily from membranes than cholesterol. In primary human fibroblasts, cholestenone was released from membranes to physiological extracellular acceptors more avidly than cholesterol, but without acceptors it remained in cells over a day. To address the functional effects of cholestenone, we studied fibroblast migration during wound healing. When cells were either cholesterol oxidase treated or part of cellular cholesterol was exchanged for cholestenone with cyclodextrin, cell migration during 22 h was markedly inhibited. Instead, when a similar fraction of cholesterol was removed using cyclodextrin, cells replenished their cholesterol content in 3 h and migrated similarly to control cells. Thus, cholesterol oxidation produces long-term functional effects in cells and these are in part due to the generated membrane active cholestenone. PMID:25157633

Acetaldehyde Content and Oxidative Stress in the Deleterious Effects of Alcohol Drinking on Rat Uterine Horn

PubMed Central

Buthet, Lara Romina; Maciel, María Eugenia; Quintans, Leandro Néstor; Rodríguez de Castro, Carmen; Costantini, Martín Hernán; Castro, José Alberto

2013-01-01

After alcohol exposure through a standard Lieber and De Carli diet for 28 days, a severe atrophy in the rat uteirne horn was observed, accompanied by significant alterations in its epithelial cells. Microsomal pathway of acetaldehyde production was slightly increased. Hydroxyl radicals were detected in the cytosolic fraction, and this was attributed to participation of xanthine oxidoreductase. They were also observed in the microsomal fraction in the presence of NADPH generating system. No generation of 1-hydroxyethyl was evidenced. The t-butylhydroperoxide-induced chemiluminescence analysis of uterine horn homogenates revealed a significant increase in the chemiluminiscence emission due to ethanol exposure. In the animals repeatedly exposed to alcohol, sulfhydryl content from uterine horn proteins was decreased, but no significant changes were observed in the protein carbonyl content from the same samples. Minor but significant decreasing changes were observed in the GSH content accompanied by a tendency to decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio. A highly significant finding was the diminished activity content of glutathione peroxidase. Results suggest that acetaldehyde accumulation plus the oxidative stress may play an additional effect to the alcohol-promoted hormonal changes in the uterus reported by others after chronic exposure to alcohol. PMID:24348548

Occupational health hazards related to informal recycling of E-waste in India: An overview

PubMed Central

Annamalai, Jayapradha

2015-01-01

The innovation in science and technology coupled with the change in lifestyle of an individual has made an incredible change in the electronic industry show casing an assorted range of new products every day to the world. India too has been impacted by this digital revolution where consumption of electronics goods grows at a rapid rate producing a large amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment. This substantial generation of electronic waste referred to as e-waste accompanied with the lack of stringent environmental laws and regulations for handling the hazardous e-waste has resulted in the cropping of number of informal sectors. Over 95% of the e-waste is treated and processed in the majority of urban slums of the country, where untrained workers carry out the dangerous procedures without personal protective equipment, which are detrimental not only to their health but also to the environment. This paper focuses on the occupational health hazards due to the informal recycling of e-waste and then proceeds to show the safe disposal methods for handling the large quantities of e-waste generated in this electronic era and thus finds a sustainable solution for the formal processing of e-waste. PMID:26023273

Characterizing rainfall in the Tenerife island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díez-Sierra, Javier; del Jesus, Manuel; Losada Rodriguez, Inigo

2017-04-01

In many locations, rainfall data are collected through networks of meteorological stations. The data collection process is nowadays automated in many places, leading to the development of big databases of rainfall data covering extensive areas of territory. However, managers, decision makers and engineering consultants tend not to extract most of the information contained in these databases due to the lack of specific software tools for their exploitation. Here we present the modeling and development effort put in place in the Tenerife island in order to develop MENSEI-L, a software tool capable of automatically analyzing a complete rainfall database to simplify the extraction of information from observations. MENSEI-L makes use of weather type information derived from atmospheric conditions to separate the complete time series into homogeneous groups where statistical distributions are fitted. Normal and extreme regimes are obtained in this manner. MENSEI-L is also able to complete missing data in the time series and to generate synthetic stations by using Kriging techniques. These techniques also serve to generate the spatial regimes of precipitation, both normal and extreme ones. MENSEI-L makes use of weather type information to also provide a stochastic three-day probability forecast for rainfall.

Rapid Generation of Replication-Deficient Monovalent and Multivalent Vaccines for Bluetongue Virus: Protection against Virulent Virus Challenge in Cattle and Sheep

PubMed Central

Celma, Cristina C. P.; Boyce, Mark; van Rijn, Piet A.; Eschbaumer, Michael; Wernike, Kerstin; Hoffmann, Bernd; Beer, Martin; Haegeman, Andy; De Clercq, Kris

2013-01-01

Since 1998, 9 of the 26 serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV) have spread throughout Europe, and serotype 8 has suddenly emerged in northern Europe, causing considerable economic losses, direct (mortality and morbidity) but also indirect, due to restriction in animal movements. Therefore, many new types of vaccines, particularly subunit vaccines, with improved safety and efficacy for a broad range of BTV serotypes are currently being developed by different laboratories. Here we exploited a reverse genetics-based replication-deficient BTV serotype 1 (BTV-1) (disabled infectious single cycle [DISC]) strain to generate a series of DISC vaccine strains. Cattle and sheep were vaccinated with these viruses either singly or in cocktail form as a multivalent vaccine candidate. All vaccinated animals were seroconverted and developed neutralizing antibody responses to their respective serotypes. After challenge with the virulent strains at 21 days postvaccination, vaccinated animals showed neither any clinical reaction nor viremia. Further, there was no interference with protection with a multivalent preparation of six distinct DISC viruses. These data indicate that a very-rapid-response vaccine could be developed based on which serotypes are circulating in the population at the time of an outbreak. PMID:23824810

Rapid generation of replication-deficient monovalent and multivalent vaccines for bluetongue virus: protection against virulent virus challenge in cattle and sheep.

PubMed

Celma, Cristina C P; Boyce, Mark; van Rijn, Piet A; Eschbaumer, Michael; Wernike, Kerstin; Hoffmann, Bernd; Beer, Martin; Haegeman, Andy; De Clercq, Kris; Roy, Polly

2013-09-01

Since 1998, 9 of the 26 serotypes of bluetongue virus (BTV) have spread throughout Europe, and serotype 8 has suddenly emerged in northern Europe, causing considerable economic losses, direct (mortality and morbidity) but also indirect, due to restriction in animal movements. Therefore, many new types of vaccines, particularly subunit vaccines, with improved safety and efficacy for a broad range of BTV serotypes are currently being developed by different laboratories. Here we exploited a reverse genetics-based replication-deficient BTV serotype 1 (BTV-1) (disabled infectious single cycle [DISC]) strain to generate a series of DISC vaccine strains. Cattle and sheep were vaccinated with these viruses either singly or in cocktail form as a multivalent vaccine candidate. All vaccinated animals were seroconverted and developed neutralizing antibody responses to their respective serotypes. After challenge with the virulent strains at 21 days postvaccination, vaccinated animals showed neither any clinical reaction nor viremia. Further, there was no interference with protection with a multivalent preparation of six distinct DISC viruses. These data indicate that a very-rapid-response vaccine could be developed based on which serotypes are circulating in the population at the time of an outbreak.

Thermal analysis of a Phase Change Material for a Solar Organic Rankine Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iasiello, M.; Braimakis, K.; Andreozzi, A.; Karellas, S.

2017-11-01

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is a promising technology for low temperature power generation, for example for the utilization of medium temperature solar energy. Since heat generated from solar source is variable throughout the day, the implementation of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems to guarantee the continuous operation of solar ORCs is a critical task, and Phase Change Materials (PCM) rely on latent heat to store large amounts of energy. In the present study, a thermal analysis of a PCM for a solar ORC is carried out. Three different types of PCMs are analyzed. The energy equation for the PCM is modeled by using the heat capacity method, and it is solved by employing a 1Dexplicit finite difference scheme. The solar source is modeled with a time-variable temperature boundary condition, with experimental data taken from the literature for two different solar collectors. Results are presented in terms of temperature profiles and stored energy. It has been shown that the stored energy depends on the heat source temperature, on the employed PCM and on the boundary conditions. It has been demonstrated that the use of a metal foam can drastically enhance the stored energy due to the higher overall thermal conductivity.

Generation of the global cloud free data set of MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oguro, Y.; Tsuchiya, K.

To extract temporal change of the land cover from remotely sensed data from space the generation of the reliable cloud free data set is the first priority item With the objectives of generating accurate global basic data and to find the effects of spectral and spatial resolution differences and observation time an attempt is made to generate reliable global cloud free data set of Terra and Aqua MODIS utilizing personal computers Out of 36 bands seven bands with similar spectral features to those of Landsat TM i e Band 1 through 7 are selected These bands cover the most important spectra to derive landcover features The procedure of the data set generation is as follows 1 Download the global Terra and Aqua MODIS day time data MOD02 Level-1B Calibrated Geolocation Data Set of 250 meter Band 1 and 2 and 500 meter Band 3 through 7 resolution from NASA web site 2 Separate the data into several BSQ Band SeQuential image and several text geolocation information of pixels files 3 The geolocation information is given to the pixels of several kms interval Based on the information resampling of the data are made at 1 2 and 1 4 degrees intervals of latitude and longitude thus the resampled pixels are distributed in the latitude and longitudinal axis plane at 1 4 degrees high resolution and 1 2 degrees low resolution intervals 4 A global data for one day is composed 5 Compute NDVI for each pixel 6 Compare the value of NDVI of successive days and keep the larger NDVI At the same time keep the values of each band of the day of the larger

Direct introduction of gene constructs into the pronucleus-like structure of cloned embryos: a new strategy for the generation of genetically modified pigs.

PubMed

Kurome, Mayuko; Leuchs, Simon; Kessler, Barbara; Kemter, Elisabeth; Jemiller, Eva-Maria; Foerster, Beatrix; Klymiuk, Nikolai; Zakhartchenko, Valeri; Wolf, Eckhard

2017-04-01

Due to a rising demand of porcine models with complex genetic modifications for biomedical research, the approaches for their generation need to be adapted. In this study we describe the direct introduction of a gene construct into the pronucleus (PN)-like structure of cloned embryos as a novel strategy for the generation of genetically modified pigs, termed "nuclear injection". To evaluate the reliability of this new strategy, the developmental ability of embryos in vitro and in vivo as well as the integration and expression efficiency of a transgene carrying green fluorescence protein (GFP) were examined. Eighty percent of the cloned pig embryos (633/787) exhibited a PN-like structure, which met the prerequisite to technically perform the new method. GFP fluorescence was observed in about half of the total blastocysts (21/40, 52.5%), which was comparable to classical zygote PN injection (28/41, 68.3%). In total, 478 cloned embryos injected with the GFP construct were transferred into 4 recipients and from one recipient 4 fetuses (day 68) were collected. In one of the fetuses which showed normal development, the integration of the transgene was confirmed by PCR in different tissues and organs from all three primary germ layers and placenta. The integration pattern of the transgene was mosaic (48 out of 84 single-cell colonies established from a kidney were positive for GFP DNA by PCR). Direct GFP fluorescence was observed macro- and microscopically in the fetus. Our novel strategy could be useful particularly for the generation of pigs with complex genetic modifications.

Modeling the effects of climate on date palm scale ( Parlatoria blanchardi) population dynamics during different phenological stages of life history under hot arid conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Idder-Ighili, Hakima; Idder, Mohamed Azzedine; Doumandji-Mitiche, Bahia; Chenchouni, Haroun

2015-10-01

The date palm scale (DPS) Parlatoria blanchardi is a serious pest due to the damage it inflicts on its host tree ( Phoenix dactylifera). To develop an effective control against DPS in arid regions, it is essential to know its bio-ecology including population dynamics and climatic factors influencing the duration and timing of life history and also the densities of different phenological stages (crawlers, first and second instars nymphs, adult males, and adult females). Monitoring of biological cycle and population dynamics of the pest were achieved through weekly counts of DPS densities on leaflets sampled at different position of date palm trees in an oasis of Ouargla region (Algerian Sahara Desert). Within this hyper-arid region, DPS established four generations per year, the most important was the spring generation. Two overlapping generations occurred in spring-early summer and two in autumn-early winter; these two pairs of generations were interspersed by two phases of high-mortality rates, the first corresponds to winter cold and the second refers to the extreme heat of summer. Statistical analysis of the effects of the studied climatic conditions (minimum, maximum and mean temperatures, precipitation, humidity, wind, rain days, and climatic indices) on the DPS densities at different phenological stages showed great variability from one stage to another. Among these, adult females were the most affected by climate factors. For the total DPS population, high values of minimum temperatures negatively affected population density, while high maximum temperatures, hygrometry, and De Martonne aridity index showed a positive influence.

Modeling the effects of climate on date palm scale (Parlatoria blanchardi) population dynamics during different phenological stages of life history under hot arid conditions.

PubMed

Idder-Ighili, Hakima; Idder, Mohamed Azzedine; Doumandji-Mitiche, Bahia; Chenchouni, Haroun

2015-10-01

The date palm scale (DPS) Parlatoria blanchardi is a serious pest due to the damage it inflicts on its host tree (Phoenix dactylifera). To develop an effective control against DPS in arid regions, it is essential to know its bio-ecology including population dynamics and climatic factors influencing the duration and timing of life history and also the densities of different phenological stages (crawlers, first and second instars nymphs, adult males, and adult females). Monitoring of biological cycle and population dynamics of the pest were achieved through weekly counts of DPS densities on leaflets sampled at different position of date palm trees in an oasis of Ouargla region (Algerian Sahara Desert). Within this hyper-arid region, DPS established four generations per year, the most important was the spring generation. Two overlapping generations occurred in spring-early summer and two in autumn-early winter; these two pairs of generations were interspersed by two phases of high-mortality rates, the first corresponds to winter cold and the second refers to the extreme heat of summer. Statistical analysis of the effects of the studied climatic conditions (minimum, maximum and mean temperatures, precipitation, humidity, wind, rain days, and climatic indices) on the DPS densities at different phenological stages showed great variability from one stage to another. Among these, adult females were the most affected by climate factors. For the total DPS population, high values of minimum temperatures negatively affected population density, while high maximum temperatures, hygrometry, and De Martonne aridity index showed a positive influence.

Electric power generating plant having direct-coupled steam and compressed-air cycles

DOEpatents

Drost, M.K.

1981-01-07

An electric power generating plant is provided with a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system which is directly coupled to the steam cycle of the generating plant. The CAES system is charged by the steam boiler during off peak hours, and drives a separate generator during peak load hours. The steam boiler load is thereby levelized throughout an operating day.

Electric power generating plant having direct coupled steam and compressed air cycles

DOEpatents

Drost, Monte K.

1982-01-01

An electric power generating plant is provided with a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) system which is directly coupled to the steam cycle of the generating plant. The CAES system is charged by the steam boiler during off peak hours, and drives a separate generator during peak load hours. The steam boiler load is thereby levelized throughout an operating day.

Rural Folklife Days: Resources for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Jon, Ed.; Beasley, Holly, Ed.; Hollingsworth, Teresa, Ed.; Smith, KC, Ed.

Rural Folklife Days is an annual celebration of customs and crafts that have been practiced every fall by generations of people in rural areas of north Florida. This packet is designed to help teachers prepare elementary students for Rural Folklife Days and to introduce them to traditional crafts and arts that are still practiced in parts of north…

Reasons for prescribing second generation antihistamines to treat allergic rhinitis in real-life conditions and patient response

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Second generation H1 antihistamines (H1A) are currently recommended as first choice medications for allergic rhinitis and rhinoconjunctivitis. However, little is known about what influences the choice of prescription of one second generation (H1A) as opposed to another in real-life conditions. Objective The aim of the study was to identify the main criteria determining the choice of a second generation H1A by allergy specialists in mainland France. Methods Consecutive patients suffering from allergic rhinitis or rhinoconjunctivitis were included and followed prospectively for 30 days from the prescription of a second generation H1A in monotherapy. Patients were asked to fill in auto-questionnaires at baseline, daily during the first 10 days of the new treatment, and at the end of follow-up. Data on efficacy, tolerance, safety, rate and type of response to treatment, as well as patient satisfaction were recorded and analyzed. Results 1,080 patients were included between March 2011 and October 2012, mostly suffering from moderate to severe rhinitis (82.0%). The most frequently cited reason for choosing a specific H1A was the expected efficacy (85.3%). The mean time to nasal and ocular recovery was 6 days and 78.2% of patients responded to treatment within this interval. The presence of conjunctivitis was significantly associated with a more rapid response. At the end of follow-up, the satisfaction rate was higher for patients who were switched from a previous treatment (87.5%), compared to those receiving their first treatment (78.8%). Conclusion and clinical relevance The main reason for choosing a specific second generation H1A was its expected efficacy. Concomitant conjunctivitis is associated with a more rapid response to treatment. Symptom recovery necessitates a mean of 6 days. PMID:24944561

Comparative study of solid waste management system based on building types in Palembang city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimmyanto, Hendrik; Dahlan, Hatta; Zahri, Imron

2017-11-01

Most of the solid waste generation sources come from housing activities. The types of house buildings located in the Palembang is a traditional building which made from wood construction and a permanent house which made from concrete construction. The aim of this study is to calculate the amount of waste generation and to study the community behavior in waste management. The research used an observation and questionnaires that took place in 3 location of the traditional housing and 3 location of the permanent housing with 20 respondents for each location. The results showed that the waste generation in the traditional housing was 1.51 liters/person/day and the permanent housing was 1.63 liters/person/day. The collecting system in traditional housing was taken by the garbage cart every 1 days, while in permanent housing was taken by motorcycle, pick-up car, or dump truck every 1 or 2 days. The questionnaire results showed that 96,67% of the traditional housing and 91,67% of the permanent housing disposed of the waste in a mix condition. Amount of 6,67 % from the traditional housing and 0% of permanent housing managed their waste into compost. Amount of 15 % from traditional housing and 3,33% of permanent housing sold their waste. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the permanent housing has the largest number of waste generation and the people in traditional housing had a tendency to manage the waste better than the permanent housing.

40 CFR 267.71 - Use of the manifest system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Within 30 days after the delivery, send a copy of the manifest to the generator; and (5) Retain at the... numbers, generator's certification, and signatures), the owner or operator, or his agent, must: (1) Sign..., send a copy of the signed and dated manifest to the generator; however, if the manifest has not been...

Make Learning Matter for the Multitasking Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Jill

2012-01-01

Technological advances have created amazing opportunities for people throughout the world to access and share information. These opportunities have helped to create a generation of young adolescents who want to make the most of each minute of the day, seizing opportunities to seek information and communicate at the same time. This generation is…

Examining of solid waste generation and community awareness between city center and suburban area in Medan City, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khair, H.; Putri, C. N.; Dalimunthe, R. A.; Matsumoto, T.

2018-02-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is still an issue in many cities in Indonesia including Medan. Understanding the waste generation, its characteristic and communities involvement could provide effective solid waste management. This research compares waste generation from people who live in the city center and suburban area. The research also examines the willingness and participation of community about environmental aspect, especially solid waste management. The method of waste generation used Indonesian Nasional Standard 19-3964-1994. The city center generates 0.295 kg/person/day of solid waste and 0.180 kg/person/day for suburbs. The result showed that there are the common amount of waste compositions between the city center and suburban area. The majority waste composition was an organic fraction. Questionnaires were distributed to examine the community awareness. The descriptive statistic used to analyze the data. The result showed that people living in the city center are slightly higher in community awareness than in the suburb. This paper highlights that area of living could give some effect to solid waste generation, waste composition and rate of awareness.

Thermodynamic Analysis of a Rankine Cycle Powered Vapor Compression Ice Maker Using Solar Energy

PubMed Central

Hu, Bing; Bu, Xianbiao; Ma, Weibin

2014-01-01

To develop the organic Rankine-vapor compression ice maker driven by solar energy, a thermodynamic model was developed and the effects of generation temperature, condensation temperature, and working fluid types on the system performance were analyzed. The results show that the cooling power per square meter collector and ice production per square meter collector per day depend largely on generation temperature and condensation temperature and they increase firstly and then decrease with increasing generation temperature. For every working fluid there is an optimal generation temperature at which organic Rankine efficiency achieves the maximum value. The cooling power per square meter collector and ice production per square meter collector per day are, respectively, 126.44 W m−2 and 7.61 kg m−2 day−1 at the generation temperature of 140°C for working fluid of R245fa, which demonstrates the feasibility of organic Rankine cycle powered vapor compression ice maker. PMID:25202735

Radiative Effects of Aerosols Generated from Biomass Burning, Dust Storms, and Forest Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christopher Sundar A.; Vulcan, Donna V.; Welch, Ronald M.

1996-01-01

Atmospheric aerosol particles, both natural and anthropogenic, are important to the earth's radiative balance. They scatter the incoming solar radiation and modify the shortwave reflective properties of clouds by acting as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN). Although it has been recognized that aerosols exert a net cooling influence on climate (Twomey et al. 1984), this effect has received much less attention than the radiative forcings due to clouds and greenhouse gases. The radiative forcing due to aerosols is comparable in magnitude to current anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing but opposite in sign (Houghton et al. 1990). Atmospheric aerosol particles generated from biomass burning, dust storms and forest fires are important regional climatic variables. A recent study by Penner et al. (1992) proposed that smoke particles from biomass burning may have a significant impact on the global radiation balance. They estimate that about 114 Tg of smoke is produced per year in the tropics through biomass burning. The direct and indirect effects of smoke aerosol due to biomass burning could add up globally to a cooling effect as large as 2 W/sq m. Ackerman and Chung (1992) used model calculations and the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) data to show that in comparison to clear days, the heavy dust loading over the Saudi Arabian peninsula can change the Top of the Atmosphere (TOA) clear sky shortwave and longwave radiant exitance by 40-90 W/sq m and 5-20 W/sq m, respectively. Large particle concentrations produced from these types of events often are found with optical thicknesses greater than one. These aerosol particles are transported across considerable distances from the source (Fraser et al. 1984). and they could perturb the radiative balance significantly. In this study, the regional radiative effects of aerosols produced from biomass burning, dust storms and forest fires are examined using the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Local Area Coverage (LAC) data and the instantaneous scanner ERBE data from the NOAA-9 and NOAA-10 satellites.

Structural properties of perovskite films on zinc oxide nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide (ZnO-NPs/rGO) prepared by electrophoretic deposition technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahtiar, Ayi; Nurazizah, Euis Siti; Latiffah, Efa; Risdiana, Furukawa, Yukio

2018-02-01

Perovskite solar cells highly believed as next generation solar cells to replace currently available inorganic silicon solar cells due to their high power conversion efficiency and easy processing to thin films using solution processing techniques. Performance and stability, however still need to be improved for mass production and widely used for public electricity generation. Perovskite solar cells are commonly deposited on Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) film as an effective electron transport layer (ETL). We used Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) as ETL in perovskite solar cells due to the low temperature required for crystallization and can be formed into different shapes of nanostructures. However, perovskite film can easily degrade into insulating lead iodide due to deprotonation of the methylammoniumcation at the surface of ZnO-NPs, in particular when it stored in ambient air with high relative humidity. The degradation of perovskite layer is therefore needed to be overcome. Here, we capped ZnO-NPs with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to overcome the degradation of perovskite film where ZnO-NPs is synthesized by sol-gel method. The average nanoparticle size of ZnO is 15 nm. ZnO-NPs and ZnO-NPs-rGO films are prepared using electrophoretic deposition technique, which can produce large area with good homogeneity and high reproducibility. The stability of perovskite layer can significantly be improved by capping ZnO with rGO, which is indicated by absence of color change of perovskite after storage for 5 (five) days in ambient air with relative humidity above 95%. Moreover, the X-Ray Diffaction peaks of perovskite film are more preserved when deposited on ZnO/rGO film than using only ZnO film. We strongly believe, by capping ZnO film with rGO, both the performance and stability of perovskite solar cells can be improved significantly.

Chronic exposure to high glucose impairs bradykinin-stimulated nitric oxide production by interfering with the phospholipase-C-implicated signalling pathway in endothelial cells: evidence for the involvement of protein kinase C.

PubMed

Tang, Y; Li, G D

2004-12-01

Overwhelming evidence indicates that endothelial cell dysfunction in diabetes is characterised by diminished endothelium-dependent relaxation, but the matter of the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. As nitric oxide (NO) production from the endothelium is the major player in endothelium-mediated vascular relaxation, we investigated the effects of high glucose on NO production, and the possible alterations of signalling pathways implicated in this scenario. NO production and intracellular Ca(2+) levels ([Ca(2+)](i)) were assessed using the fluorescent probes 4,5-diaminofluorescein diacetate and fura-2 respectively. Exposure of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells to high glucose for 5 or 10 days significantly reduced NO production induced by bradykinin (but not by Ca(2+) ionophore) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This was probably due to an attenuation in bradykinin-induced elevations of [Ca(2+)](i) under these conditions, since a close correlation between [Ca(2+)](i) increases and NO generation was observed in intact bovine aortic endothelial cells. Both bradykinin-promoted intracellular Ca(2+) mobilisation and extracellular Ca(2+) entry were affected. Moreover, bradykinin-induced formation of Ins(1,4,5)P(3), a phospholipase C product leading to increases in [Ca(2+)](i), was also inhibited following high glucose culture. This abnormality was not attributable to a decrease in inositol phospholipids, but possibly to a reduction in the number of bradykinin receptors. The alterations in NO production, the increases in [Ca(2+)](i), and the bradykinin receptor number due to high glucose could be largely reversed by protein kinase C inhibitors and D: -alpha-tocopherol (antioxidant). Chronic exposure to high glucose reduces NO generation in endothelial cells, probably by impairing phospholipase-C-mediated Ca(2+) signalling due to excess protein kinase C activation. This defect in NO release may contribute to the diminished endothelium-dependent relaxation and thus to the development of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes.

[Motor vehicle crash fatalities at 30 days in Spain].

PubMed

Pérez, Katherine; Pérez, Catherine; Cirera, Eva; Borrell, Carme; Plasencia, Antoni

2006-01-01

To assess level of fulfillment and utility of the hospital discharge register (HDR) as a complementary source of information for estimating the number of deaths at 30 days due to motor vehicle crashes in Spain. It is a cross-sectional study were we compared the number of people injured due to motor vehicle crashes hospitalised in a public hospital (HDR), in Spain during 2001, with the number of people severely injured or killed due to motor vehicle crashes reported by the police database (Dirección General de Tráfico, DGT) for the same year. A descriptive analysis was carried out by age, sex and region (Autonomous Community), as well as an estimation of the percentage of under-reporting of deaths by the DGT based on two assumptions. Police reported 27,272 severe injuries and 4,811 deaths during first 24 hours after the crash and after applying a fatality adjustment factor estimated 706 more deaths up to 30 days after the crash. The HDR reported 40,174 urgent hospitalisations. Of these, 1,099 died during the day of hospitalisation or within the following 30 days. The police only notified 68% of all cases that required hospitalisation. According to the number of deaths reported by police and contrasted with hospital register, estimations of the number of deaths at 30 days made by police could represent a level of under-reporting of between 3% and 6.6%, depending on the assumption considered. This study showed that the HDR is an information source that complements police statistics and is useful to estimate the number of deaths and non-fatal injuries due to motor vehicle crashes in Spain.

Treatment of severe tetanus with intrathecal baclofen via implantable infusion device: a case report.

PubMed

Dapul, Geraldine; Patel, Pritesh; Pannu, Tejpaul; Meythaler, Jay

2014-12-01

Severe tetanus remains a serious issue in less developed countries, leading to prolonged hospitalization due to prolonged neuromuscular contraction of muscles. We present a case of severe tetanus in the United States that was successfully managed with intrathecal baclofen. A 42-year-old male without tetanus vaccination history presented to the emergency department with intractable jaw pain and worsening diffuse muscle contractures due to severe generalized tetanus requiring prolonged paralysis and ventilator support. After 14 days of continuous neuromuscular treatment with benzodiazepines, vecuronium, propofol, and magnesium sulfate, a baclofen pump trial was performed 14 days post-admission as an alternative to prolonged neuromuscular blockade. After demonstrable improvement in spasms and paroxysmal contractures due to intrathecal baclofen (ITB), a baclofen pump was implanted on hospital day 17. The catheter was threaded to T4 for maximal effect of intrathecal baclofen on the upper and lower extremities at an initial rate of 100 μg/day. ITB was titrated upward, the vecuronium was slowly weaned, and the patient was weaned off a ventilator by day 14 of ITB treatment. At an ITB dose of 450 μg/day, propofol was discontinued. ITB was continued over the next four weeks and eventually weaned over the next two weeks. The ITB pump was removed eight weeks after placement, and the patient was successfully discharged to home. Due to prolonged muscle weakness associated with long-term use of paralytic agents and sedation, early ITB trial and pump placement should be considered as an alternative in the treatment of severe tetanus to shorten length of stay and improve the functional outcome of the patient. © 2014 International Neuromodulation Society.

Penicillium sp. as an organism that degrades endosulfan and reduces its genotoxic effects.

PubMed

Romero-Aguilar, Mariana; Tovar-Sánchez, Efrain; Sánchez-Salinas, Enrique; Mussali-Galante, Patricia; Sánchez-Meza, Juan Carlos; Castrejón-Godínez, María Luisa; Dantán-González, Edgar; Trujillo-Vera, Miguel Ángel; Ortiz-Hernández, Ma Laura

2014-01-01

Endosulfan is an organochloride and persistent pesticide that has caused concern because of its impact in the environment and its toxicity to and bioaccumulation in living organisms. In this study, we isolated an endosulfan-degrading fungus from the activated sludge from an industrial wastewater treatment plant. Through repetitive enrichment and successive subculture in media containing endosulfan as the sole carbon source, a fungus designated CHE 23 was isolated. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, strain CHE 23 was assigned to the genus Penicillium sp. In a mineral salt medium with 50 mg/l endosulfan as the sole source carbon, CHE 23 removed the added endosulfan in a period of six days. To verify the decrease in endosulfan toxicity due to the activity of the fungus, we performed genotoxicity tests trough the single cell gel electrophoresis assay or comet assay, with Eisenia fetida as the bioindicator species. This organism was exposed to the supernatants of the culture of the fungus and endosulfan. Our results indicated that the genotoxicity of endosulfan was completely reduced due the activity of this fungus. These results suggest that the Penicillium sp. CHE 23 strain can be used to degrade endosulfan residues and/or for water and soil bioremediation processes without causing toxicity problems, which are probably due to the generation of no-toxic metabolites during biodegradation.

Exit Site Infection due to Mycobacterium chelonae in an Elderly Patient on Peritoneal Dialysis.

PubMed

Hibi, Arata; Kasugai, Takahisa; Kamiya, Keisuke; Ito, Chiharu; Kominato, Satoru; Miura, Toshiyuki; Koyama, Katsushi

2018-01-01

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are rarely isolated from peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated catheter infections. However, NTM infection is usually difficult to treat and leads to catheter loss. Prompt diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. A 70-year-old Japanese man who had been on PD for 2 years and with a medical history of 2 episodes of exit site infections (ESIs) due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was admitted to the hospital due to suspected ESI recurrence. However, Gram staining of the pus revealed no gram-positive cocci. Instead, weakly stained gram-positive rods were observed after 7 days of incubation, which were also positive for acid-fast staining. Rapidly growing NTM Mycobacterium chelonae was isolated on day 14. Despite administering a combination antibiotic therapy, ESI could not be controlled, and catheter removal surgery was performed on day 21. Although PD was discontinued temporarily, the patient did not require hemodialysis, without any uremic symptoms. The catheter was reinserted on day 48, and PD was reinitiated on day 61. The patient was discharged on day 65. Antibiotic therapy was continued for 3 months after discharge, with no indications of recurrent infections observed. It is important to consider the risk of NTM infections in patients on PD. Acid-fast staining could be a key test for prompt diagnosis and provision of an appropriate treatment.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction between the lipoxygenase inhibitor MK-0591 and the cyclooxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen in man.

PubMed

Depré, M; Van Hecken, A; Verbesselt, R; De Lepeleire, I; Schwartz, J; Porras, A; Larson, P; Lin, C; De Schepper, P J

1998-01-01

Twelve healthy male subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, three-period, crossover study to investigate the safety, tolerability, biochemical activity and pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor and MK-0591, a 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, given as single entities and in combination. Each subject received for three consecutive 8-day periods, separated by 1 week washout, each of the following treatments: ibuprofen 600 mg three times a day with 125 mg MK-0591 twice a day, ibuprofen 600 mg three times a day with placebo for MK-0591 and MK-0591 125 mg twice a day with placebo for ibuprofen. Cyclooxygenase inhibition was measured by platelet thromboxane (TxB2) generation test, and 5-lipoxygenase inhibition was measured by urinary leukotriene E4 excretion and ex vivo LTB4 generation in calcium-ionophore-stimulated blood. TxB2 suppression on day 8 by ibuprofen was not affected by concomitant treatment with MK-0591. MK-0591 alone had no effect on TxB2 generation. Leukotriene biosynthesis was inhibited by more than 90% by MK-0591 alone and by combined treatment, while ibuprofen alone had no effect. Coadministration appears to affect the pharmacokinetics of MK-0591 (decrease of area under the plasma concentration-vs-time curve [AUC] and maximum plasma concentrations [Cmax]) and of ibuprofen (increase of AUC and half-lives of elimination (t1/2) of the (S)-enantiomer, increase of t1/2 the (R)-enantiomer). Combined treatment had no effect on creatinine clearance nor on the number and intensity of the reported adverse experiences.

77 FR 2521 - Integrated System Power Rates

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-18

... experienced due to a sudden loss of generation or load. 1.1.5. Supplemental Operating Reserve Service provides... experienced due to a sudden loss of generation or load. 1.1.5. Supplemental Operating Reserve Service provides... Secretary has approved and placed into effect on an interim basis Rate Order No. SWPA-63, which increases...

Stabilization effect of Weibel modes in relativistic laser fusion plasma

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

Belghit, Slimen, E-mail: Belghit.slimen@gmail.com; Sid, Abdelaziz, E-mail: Sid-abdelaziz@hotmail.com

In this work, the Weibel instability (WI) due to inverse bremsstrahlung (IB) absorption in a laser fusion plasma has been investigated. The stabilization effect due to the coupling of the self-generated magnetic field by WI with the laser wave field is explicitly shown. In this study, the relativistic effects are taken into account. Here, the basic equation is the relativistic Fokker-Planck (F-P) equation. The main obtained result is that the coupling of self-generated magnetic field with the laser wave causes a stabilizing effect of excited Weibel modes. We found a decrease in the spectral range of Weibel unstable modes. Thismore » decreasing is accompanied by a reduction of two orders in the growth rate of instable Weibel modes or even stabilization of these modes. It has been shown that the previous analysis of the Weibel instability due to IB has overestimated the values of the generated magnetic fields. Therefore, the generation of magnetic fields by the WI due to IB should not affect the experiences of an inertial confinement fusion.« less

Sleep Tracking and Exercise in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (Step-D): Pilot Study to Determine Correlations Between Fitbit Data and Patient-Reported Outcomes

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Few studies assessing the correlation between patient-reported outcomes and patient-generated health data from wearable devices exist. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the direction and magnitude of associations between patient-generated health data (from the Fitbit Charge HR) and patient-reported outcomes for sleep patterns and physical activity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This was a pilot study conducted with adults diagnosed with T2DM (n=86). All participants wore a Fitbit Charge HR for 14 consecutive days and completed internet-based surveys at 3 time points: day 1, day 7, and day 14. Patient-generated health data included minutes asleep and number of steps taken. Questionnaires assessed the number of days of exercise and nights of sleep problems per week. Means and SDs were calculated for all data, and Pearson correlations were used to examine associations between patient-reported outcomes and patient-generated health data. All respondents provided informed consent before participating. Results The participants were predominantly middle-aged (mean 54.3, SD 13.3 years), white (80/86, 93%), and female (50/86, 58%). Use of oral T2DM medication correlated with the number of mean steps taken (r=.35, P=.001), whereas being unaware of the glycated hemoglobin level correlated with the number of minutes asleep (r=−.24, P=.04). On the basis of the Fitbit data, participants walked an average of 4955 steps and slept 6.7 hours per day. They self-reported an average of 2.0 days of exercise and 2.3 nights of sleep problems per week. The association between the number of days exercised and steps walked was strong (r=.60, P<.001), whereas the association between the number of troubled sleep nights and minutes asleep was weaker (r=.28, P=.02). Conclusions Fitbit and patient-reported data were positively associated for physical activity as well as sleep, with the former more strongly correlated than the latter. As extensive patient monitoring can guide clinical decisions regarding T2DM therapy, passive, objective data collection through wearables could potentially enhance patient care, resulting in better patient-reported outcomes. PMID:29871856

Efficient generation of megakaryocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells using food and drug administration-approved pharmacological reagents.

PubMed

Liu, Yanfeng; Wang, Ying; Gao, Yongxing; Forbes, Jessica A; Qayyum, Rehan; Becker, Lewis; Cheng, Linzhao; Wang, Zack Z

2015-04-01

Megakaryocytes (MKs) are rare hematopoietic cells in the adult bone marrow and produce platelets that are critical to vascular hemostasis and wound healing. Ex vivo generation of MKs from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides a renewable cell source of platelets for treating thrombocytopenic patients and allows a better understanding of MK/platelet biology. The key requirements in this approach include developing a robust and consistent method to produce functional progeny cells, such as MKs from hiPSCs, and minimizing the risk and variation from the animal-derived products in cell cultures. In this study, we developed an efficient system to generate MKs from hiPSCs under a feeder-free and xeno-free condition, in which all animal-derived products were eliminated. Several crucial reagents were evaluated and replaced with Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacological reagents, including romiplostim (Nplate, a thrombopoietin analog), oprelvekin (recombinant interleukin-11), and Plasbumin (human albumin). We used this method to induce MK generation from hiPSCs derived from 23 individuals in two steps: generation of CD34(+)CD45(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) for 14 days; and generation and expansion of CD41(+)CD42a(+) MKs from HPCs for an additional 5 days. After 19 days, we observed abundant CD41(+)CD42a(+) MKs that also expressed the MK markers CD42b and CD61 and displayed polyploidy (≥16% of derived cells with DNA contents >4N). Transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing revealed that megakaryocytic-related genes were highly expressed. Additional maturation and investigation of hiPSC-derived MKs should provide insights into MK biology and lead to the generation of large numbers of platelets ex vivo. ©AlphaMed Press.

Platelet granule release is associated with reactive oxygen species generation during platelet storage: A direct link between platelet pro-inflammatory and oxidation states.

PubMed

Ghasemzadeh, Mehran; Hosseini, Ehteramolsadat

2017-08-01

Upon platelet stimulation with agonists, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation enhances platelet activation and granule release. Whether ROS generation during platelet storage could be directly correlated with the expression of proinflammatory molecules and granule release has been investigated in this study. PRP-platelet concentrates were subjected to flowcytometry analysis to assess the expression of platelet activation marker, P-selectin and CD40L during storage. Intracellular ROS generation was also detected in platelet by flowcytometry using dihydrorhodamine (DHR) 123. Through the dual staining, ROS production was analyzed in either P-selectin positive or negative populations. ROS formation in platelet population was significantly increased by either TRAP (a potent agonist that induces granule release) or PMA (a classic inducer of ROS generation), while the effects of each agonists on P-selectin expression and ROS generation in platelets were comparable. Platelet storage was also associated with the increasing levels of ROS (day 0 vs. day 5; p<0.001) while this increasing pattern was directly correlated with the either expressed P-selectin or CD40L. In addition, in 5 day-stored platelets, samples with ROS levels above 40% showed significantly higher levels of P-selectin and CD40L expression. P-selectin negative population of platelet did not show significant amount of ROS. Our data demonstrated decreased levels of important platelet pro-inflammatory molecules in stored platelets with lower levels of intraplatelet ROS. However, whether quenching of ROS generation during platelet storage can attenuate adverse transfusion reactions raised by platelet pro-inflammatory status is required to be further studied. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Corrosion performance of alternative steam generator materials and designs. Volume 2. Posttest examination of a seawater-faulted alternative materials model steam generator. Final report. [PWR

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

Krupowicz, J.J.; Scott, D.B.; Fink, G.C.

Corrosion results obtained from the post-test non-destructive and destructive examinations of an alternative materials model steam generator are described in this final report. The model operated under representative thermal and hydraulic and accelerated (high seawater contaminant concentration) steam generator secondary water chemistry conditions. Total exposure consisted of 114 steaming days under all volatile treatment (AVT) chemistry conditions followed by 282 fault steaming days at a 30 ppM chloride concentration in the secondary bulk water. Various support plate and lattice strip support designs incorporated Types 347, 405, 409 and SCR-3 stainless steels; Alloys 600 and 690; and carbon steel. Heat transfermore » tube materials included Alloy 600 in various heat treated conditions, Alloy 690, and Alloy 800. All tubing materials in this test exhibited moderate pitting, primarily in the sludge pile region above the tubesheet.« less

Corrosion performance of alternative steam generator materials and designs. Volume 3. Posttest examination of a freshwater-faulted alternative materials model steam generator. Final report. [PWR

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

Krupowicz, J.J.; Scott, D.B.; Rentler, R.M.

Corrosion results obtained from the post-test non-destructive and destructive examinations of an alternative materials model steam generator are described in this final report. The model operated under representative thermal and hydraulic and accelerated (high fresh water contaminant concentration) steam generator secondary water chemistry conditions. Total exposure consisted of 114 steaming days under all volatile treatment (AVT) chemistry conditions followed by 358 fault steaming days at a 40 ppM sulfate concentration in the secondary bulk water. Various support plate and lattice strip support designs incorporated Types 347, 405, 409 and SCR-3 stainless steels; Alloys 600 and 690; and carbon steel. Heatmore » transfer tube materials included Alloy 600 in various heat treated conditions, Alloy 690, and Alloy 800. All tubing materials in this test exhibited significant general corrosion beneath thick surface deposits.« less

Development of an iodine generator for reclaimed water purification in manned spacecraft applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wynveen, R. A.; Powell, J. D.; Schubert, F. H.

1973-01-01

A successful 30-day test is described of a prototype Iodine Generating and Dispensing System (IGDS). The IGDS was sized to iodinate the drinking water nominally consumed by six men, 4.5 to 13.6 kg (10 to 30 lb) water per man-day with a + or - 10 to 20% variation with iodine (I2) levels of 0.5 to 20 parts per million (ppm). The I2 treats reclaimed water to prevent or eliminate microorganism contamination. Treatment is maintained with a residual of I2 within the manned spacecraft water supply. A simplified version of the chlorogen water disinfection concept, developed by life systems for on-site generation of chlorine (Cl2), was used as a basis for IGDS development. Potable water contaminated with abundant E. Coliform Group organisms was treated by electrolytically generated I2 at levels of 5 to 10 ppm. In all instances, the E. coli were eliminated.

Unprompted generation of obesity stereotypes.

PubMed

Horsburgh-McLeod, G; Latner, J D; O'Brien, K S

2009-01-01

Prejudice towards obese people is widespread and has negative consequences for individuals with obesity. The present study covertly examined whether participants spontaneously generate different written transcript content (i.e., more negative stereotypes) when presented with a picture of an obese person or a normal-weight person. Two pictures of young women were computer generated to appear identical in all features except for body shape, which was either obese or normal-weight. Forty-nine women blind to the nature of the study were randomized to receive either the obese or normal-weight picture and asked to write a free-response description of a typical "day in the life" of the woman depicted. Independent coding of the transcripts revealed more frequent negative stereotypes and more negative valence generated by participants asked to describe a typical day of the obese target. These differences are consistent with the prevalent negative stereotypes of obese individuals.