Organizational participatory research: a systematic mixed studies review exposing its extra benefits and the key factors associated with them.

PubMed

Bush, Paula L; Pluye, Pierre; Loignon, Christine; Granikov, Vera; Wright, Michael T; Pelletier, Jean-François; Bartlett-Esquilant, Gillian; Macaulay, Ann C; Haggerty, Jeannie; Parry, Sharon; Repchinsky, Carol

2017-10-10

In health, organizational participatory research (OPR) refers to health organization members participating in research decisions, with university researchers, throughout a study. This non-academic partner contribution to the research may take the form of consultation or co-construction. A drawback of OPR is that it requires more time from all those involved, compared to non-participatory research approaches; thus, understanding the added value of OPR, if any, is important. Thus, we sought to assess whether the OPR approach leads to benefits beyond what could be achieved through traditional research. We identified, selected, and appraised OPR health literature, and at each stage, two team members independently reviewed and coded the literature. We used quantitative content analysis to transform textual data into reliable numerical codes and conducted a logistic regression to test the hypothesis that a co-construction type OPR study yields extra benefits with a greater likelihood than consultation-type OPR studies. From 8873 abstracts and 992 full text papers, we distilled a sample of 107 OPR studies. We found no difference between the type of organization members' participation and the likelihood of exhibiting an extra benefit. However, the likelihood of an OPR study exhibiting at least one extra benefit is quadrupled when the impetus for the study comes from the organization, rather than the university researcher(s), or the organization and the university researcher(s) together (OR = 4.11, CI = 1.12-14.01). We also defined five types of extra benefits. This review describes the types of extra benefits OPR can yield and suggests these benefits may occur if the organization initiates the OPR. Further, this review exposes a need for OPR authors to more clearly describe the type of non-academic partner participation in key research decisions throughout the study. Detailed descriptions will benefit others conducting OPR and allow for a re-examination of the relationship between participation and extra benefits in future reviews.

DECIPHER, a Search-Based Approach to Chimera Identification for 16S rRNA Sequences

PubMed Central

Wright, Erik S.; Yilmaz, L. Safak

2012-01-01

DECIPHER is a new method for finding 16S rRNA chimeric sequences by the use of a search-based approach. The method is based upon detecting short fragments that are uncommon in the phylogenetic group where a query sequence is classified but frequently found in another phylogenetic group. The algorithm was calibrated for full sequences (fs_DECIPHER) and short sequences (ss_DECIPHER) and benchmarked against WigeoN (Pintail), ChimeraSlayer, and Uchime using artificially generated chimeras. Overall, ss_DECIPHER and Uchime provided the highest chimera detection for sequences 100 to 600 nucleotides long (79% and 81%, respectively), but Uchime's performance deteriorated for longer sequences, while ss_DECIPHER maintained a high detection rate (89%). Both methods had low false-positive rates (1.3% and 1.6%). The more conservative fs_DECIPHER, benchmarked only for sequences longer than 600 nucleotides, had an overall detection rate lower than that of ss_DECIPHER (75%) but higher than those of the other programs. In addition, fs_DECIPHER had the lowest false-positive rate among all the benchmarked programs (<0.20%). DECIPHER was outperformed only by ChimeraSlayer and Uchime when chimeras were formed from closely related parents (less than 10% divergence). Given the differences in the programs, it was possible to detect over 89% of all chimeras with just the combination of ss_DECIPHER and Uchime. Using fs_DECIPHER, we detected between 1% and 2% additional chimeras in the RDP, SILVA, and Greengenes databases from which chimeras had already been removed with Pintail or Bellerophon. DECIPHER was implemented in the R programming language and is directly accessible through a webpage or by downloading the program as an R package (http://DECIPHER.cee.wisc.edu). PMID:22101057

EXTraS: Exploring the X-ray Transient and variable Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, A.; Salvaterra, R.; Tiengo, A.; D'Agostino, D.; Watson, M.; Haberl, F.; Wilms, J.

2017-10-01

The EXTraS project extracted all temporal domain information buried in the whole database collected by the EPIC cameras onboard the XMM-Newton mission. This included a search and characterisation of variability, both periodic and aperiodic, in hundreds of thousands of sources spanning more than eight orders of magnitude in time scale and six orders of magnitude in flux, as well as a search for fast transients, missed by standard image analysis. Phenomenological classification of variable sources, based on X-ray and multiwavelength information, has also been performed. All results and products of EXTraS are made available to the scientific community through a web public data archive. A dedicated science gateway will allow scientists to apply EXTraS pipelines on new observations. EXTraS is the most comprehensive analysis of variability, on the largest ever sample of soft X-ray sources. The resulting archive and tools disclose an enormous scientific discovery space to the community, with applications ranging from the search for rare events to population studies, with impact on the study of virtually all astrophysical source classes. EXTraS, funded within the EU/FP7 framework, is carried out by a collaboration including INAF (Italy), IUSS (Italy), CNR/IMATI (Italy), University of Leicester (UK), MPE (Germany) and ECAP (Germany).

The Language of the Protein Universe

PubMed Central

Scaiewicz, Andrea; Levitt, Michael

2015-01-01

Proteins, the main cell machinery which play a major roll in nearly every cellular process, have always been a central focus in biology. We live in the post-genomic era, and inferring information from massive data sets is a steadily growing universal challenge. The increasing availability of fully sequenced genomes can be regarded as the “Rosetta Stone” of the protein universe, allowing the understanding of genomes and their evolution, just as the original Rosetta Stone allowed Champollion to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In this review, we consider aspects of the protein domain architectures repertoire that are closely related to those of human languages and aim to provide some insights about the language of proteins. PMID:26451980

Signals of two universal extra dimensions at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdman, G.; Éboli, O. J. P.; Spehler, D.

2016-11-01

Extensions of the standard model with universal extra dimensions are interesting both as phenomenological templates as well as model-building fertile ground. For instance, they are one of the prototypes for theories exhibiting compressed spectra, leading to difficult searches at the LHC since the decay products of new states are soft and immersed in a large standard model background. Here we study the phenomenology at the LHC of theories with two universal extra dimensions. We obtain the current bound by using the production of second level excitations of electroweak gauge bosons decaying to a pair of leptons and study the reach of the LHC Run II in this channel. We also introduce a new channel originating in higher dimensional operators and resulting in the single production of a second level quark excitation. Its subsequent decay into a hard jet and lepton pair resonance would allow the identification of a more model-specific process, unlike the more generic vector resonance signal. We show that the sensitivity of this channel to the compactification scale is very similar to the one obtained using the vector resonance.

Lagrange multiplier and Wess-Zumino variable as extra dimensions in the torus universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nejad, Salman Abarghouei; Dehghani, Mehdi; Monemzadeh, Majid

2018-01-01

We study the effect of the simplest geometry which is imposed via the topology of the universe by gauging non-relativistic particle model on torus and 3-torus with the help of symplectic formalism of constrained systems. Also, we obtain generators of gauge transformations for gauged models. Extracting corresponding Poisson structure of existed constraints, we show the effect of the shape of the universe on canonical structure of phase-spaces of models and suggest some phenomenology to prove the topology of the universe and probable non-commutative structure of the space. In addition, we show that the number of extra dimensions in the phase-spaces of gauged embedded models are exactly two. Moreover, in classical form, we talk over modification of Newton's second law in order to study the origin of the terms appeared in the gauged theory.

Gender differences in adverse childhood experiences, collective violence, and the risk for addictive behaviors among university students in Tunisia.

PubMed

El Mhamdi, Sana; Lemieux, Andrine; Bouanene, Ines; Ben Salah, Arwa; Nakajima, Motohiro; Ben Salem, Kamel; al'Absi, Mustafa

2017-06-01

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been linked to a variety of addictive behaviors. The recent adaptation of the ACE measure by the World Health Organization (WHO) allows for the assessment of the negative role of additional adverse experiences, such as extra-familial violence. To date, the relationship between extra-familial violence and addictive behaviors has not been assessed. We report the contribution of ACEs, including the new scales for extra-familial violence, on the risk for mental health problems and addictive behaviors by gender in a sample of young adults in Tunisia. We conducted a cross sectional study in Tunisia during 2014, where we recruited 1200 young university adults who completed the validated Arabic version of the WHO ACE questionnaire in a university setting. Results indicated that intra-familial adversities were associated with increased risk for addictive behaviors, particularly in males. ACEs were also associated with increased risk for mental health problems with women showing more difficulties than men. Exposure to peer, community and collective violence was higher in males than in females and logistic regression confirms that exposure to extra-familial violence increased the risk for addictive behaviors both in male and females by two to three-fold. Mental health problems were associated with peer violence and substance abuse in males, but not in females. Results demonstrate for the first time the contribution of exposure to extra-familial violence on risk for addictive behaviors. Results highlight the need for addressing mental health and addiction in a community with high burden of adversity and violence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Universal Local Symmetries and Nonsuperposition in Classical Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gozzi, Ennio; Pagani, Carlo

2010-10-01

In the Hilbert space formulation of classical mechanics, pioneered by Koopman and von Neumann, there are potentially more observables than in the standard approach to classical mechanics. In this Letter, we show that actually many of those extra observables are not invariant under a set of universal local symmetries which appear once the Koopman and von Neumann formulation is extended to include the evolution of differential forms. Because of their noninvariance, those extra observables have to be removed. This removal makes the superposition of states in the Koopman and von Neumann formulation, and as a consequence also in classical mechanics, impossible.

Brane-world motion in compact dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, Brian; Levin, Janna; Parikh, Maulik

2011-08-01

The topology of extra dimensions can break global Lorentz invariance, singling out a globally preferred frame even in flat spacetime. Through experiments that probe global topology, an observer can determine her state of motion with respect to the preferred frame. This scenario is realized if we live on a brane universe moving through a flat space with compact extra dimensions. We identify three experimental effects due to the motion of our universe that one could potentially detect using gravitational probes. One of these relates to the peculiar properties of the twin paradox in multiply-connected spacetimes. Another relies on the fact that the Kaluza-Klein modes of any bulk field are sensitive to boundary conditions. A third concerns the modification to the Newtonian potential on a moving brane. Remarkably, we find that even small extra dimensions are detectable by brane observers if the brane is moving sufficiently fast. Communicated by P R L V Moniz

Molecular Evidence for Convergence and Parallelism in Evolution of Complex Brains of Cephalopod Molluscs: Insights from Visual Systems.

PubMed

Yoshida, M A; Ogura, A; Ikeo, K; Shigeno, S; Moritaki, T; Winters, G C; Kohn, A B; Moroz, L L

2015-12-01

Coleoid cephalopods show remarkable evolutionary convergence with vertebrates in their neural organization, including (1) eyes and visual system with optic lobes, (2) specialized parts of the brain controlling learning and memory, such as vertical lobes, and (3) unique vasculature supporting such complexity of the central nervous system. We performed deep sequencing of eye transcriptomes of pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) and chambered nautiluses (Nautilus pompilius) to decipher the molecular basis of convergent evolution in cephalopods. RNA-seq was complemented by in situ hybridization to localize the expression of selected genes. We found three types of genomic innovations in the evolution of complex brains: (1) recruitment of novel genes into morphogenetic pathways, (2) recombination of various coding and regulatory regions of different genes, often called "evolutionary tinkering" or "co-option", and (3) duplication and divergence of genes. Massive recruitment of novel genes occurred in the evolution of the "camera" eye from nautilus' "pinhole" eye. We also showed that the type-2 co-option of transcription factors played important roles in the evolution of the lens and visual neurons. In summary, the cephalopod convergent morphological evolution of the camera eyes was driven by a mosaic of all types of gene recruitments. In addition, our analysis revealed unexpected variations of squids' opsins, retinochromes, and arrestins, providing more detailed information, valuable for further research on intra-ocular and extra-ocular photoreception of the cephalopods. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Study of Undergraduate Admissions to Alabama Colleges and Universities, 1971-72.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Commission on Higher Education, Montgomery.

This study examines the undergraduate admission process at Alabama colleges and universities. A questionnaire mailed to officials directing admissions at the 54 public and private colleges and universities in Alabama was constructed to determine: the minimum requirements for undergraduate admission; routine extra-credential considerations; the…

Editorial: Focus on Extra Space Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agashe, Kaustubh; Pomarol, Alex

2010-07-01

Experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have just started. In addition to verifying the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, these experiments will probe a new energy frontier and test extensions of the SM. The existence of extra dimensions is one of the most attractive possibilities for physics beyond the SM. This focus issue contains a collection of articles addressing both theoretical and phenomenological aspects of extra-dimensional models. Focus on Extra Space Dimensions Contents Minimal universal extra dimensions in CalcHEP/CompHEP AseshKrishna Datta, Kyoungchul Kong and Konstantin T Matchev Disordered extra dimensions Karim Benakli Codimension-2 brane-bulk matching: examples from six and ten dimensions Allan Bayntun, C P Burgess and Leo van Nierop Gauge threshold corrections in warped geometry Kiwoon Choi, Ian-Woo Kim and Chang Sub Shin Holographic methods and gauge-Higgs unification in flat extra dimensions Marco Serone Soft-wall stabilization Joan A Cabrer, Gero von Gersdorff and Mariano Quirós Warped five-dimensional models: phenomenological status and experimental prospects Hooman Davoudiasl, Shrihari Gopalakrishna, Eduardo Pontón and José Santiago

Investigation of Participation Motivations in Exercises of Students Participating in Archery in Extra Curricular Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gündüz, Nevin; Keskin, Muzaffer Toprak; Erdugan, Fuat

2017-01-01

The aim of this research is to investigate Investigation of Participation Motivations in Exercises of Students Participating in Archery in Extra Curricular Activities. While the study's universe consists of all 11th graders studying at High school, the sample includes 32 of the 11th grade students who participated in arrow shooting activities in…

The language of the protein universe.

PubMed

Scaiewicz, Andrea; Levitt, Michael

2015-12-01

Proteins, the main cell machinery which play a major role in nearly every cellular process, have always been a central focus in biology. We live in the post-genomic era, and inferring information from massive data sets is a steadily growing universal challenge. The increasing availability of fully sequenced genomes can be regarded as the 'Rosetta Stone' of the protein universe, allowing the understanding of genomes and their evolution, just as the original Rosetta Stone allowed Champollion to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. In this review, we consider aspects of the protein domain architectures repertoire that are closely related to those of human languages and aim to provide some insights about the language of proteins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The universe unveiled : instruments and images through history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephenson, Bruce; Bolt, Marvin; Friedman, Anna Felicity

2000-11-01

The search for understanding creates more than answers; it also produces instruments, books, maps, and other tools made and used by those seeking knowledge. The Universe Unveiled uniquely focuses on these artifacts and devices resulting from the attempts to decipher the Universe from the late fifteenth to the early twentieth century. Beautiful, full-color photographs capture these extremely rare and sometimes unusual curios. Beginning with the discovery of ways to keep time, The Universe Unveiled depicts the shift from an Earth-centered understanding of the Universe to a Sun-centered view, the mapping of the stars, and the ever-expanding knowledge of the heavens using telescopes. It also examines the developing technologies of navigation and of the measuring and mapping of the Earth. In addition to rare European curios, the book is illustrated with non-Western and American works. With more than 250 full-color images, this unique volume will delight the inventive as well as the curious.

Trustee Survey Paints Grim Budget Picture over Next Year for Public Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fain, Paul

2009-01-01

According to a new survey conducted by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, about 80% of the governing boards of public universities say they are dealing with state budget cuts this year. Trustees also said they are working extra hours to cope with the financial strains on their universities, and they have enacted or…

LHC collider phenomenology of minimal universal extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beuria, Jyotiranjan; Datta, AseshKrishna; Debnath, Dipsikha; Matchev, Konstantin T.

2018-05-01

We discuss the collider phenomenology of the model of Minimal Universal Extra Dimensions (MUED) at the Large hadron Collider (LHC). We derive analytical results for all relevant strong pair-production processes of two level 1 Kaluza-Klein partners and use them to validate and correct the existing MUED implementation in the fortran version of the PYTHIA event generator. We also develop a new implementation of the model in the C++ version of PYTHIA. We use our implementations in conjunction with the CHECKMATE package to derive the LHC bounds on MUED from a large number of published experimental analyses from Run 1 at the LHC.

NASA Space Astronomy Update 6: Unconventional Windows on the Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Professor Stu Bowyer (University of California at Berkeley) explains the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer and its telescope in this video. Both instrument and satellite are kept in perfect working condition. The satellite picks up extra galactic objects outside our galaxy.

Deciphering the balkan Enigma: Using History to Inform Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

University Press, 1973. After long experience with German interference in Serbian/Yugoslav affairs (1878, 1908, 1914 - 1918 ) it should not be surprising that... 1914 - 1918 , ed. Djordjevicý, Santa Barbara: CLID Books, 1980. 151. James Gow, "Deconstructing Yugoslavia," Survival, Vol. 33, Nc. 4, July-August 1992, p...of political institutions witnin tine Balkans anu io0w these political dev, ’ýpments intluence current events. Historical perspective gained is used

Deciphering Physical Versus Chemical Contributions to the Ionic Conductivity of Functionalized Poly(methacrylate)-Based Ionogel Electrolytes. Supporting Information

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-11-03

University, 4 Colby Street, Medford, MA 02155 Corresponding Author * Email: matthew.panzer@tufts.edu S2 FTIR Spectroscopy Fourier...transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the presence or absence of any unreacted monomer/cross-linker acrylate groups within the...with 2 wt% HOMPP). Three spectral positions that can be assigned to the unreacted acrylate groups are indicated by vertical dashed lines

Radiative corrections to masses and couplings in universal extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, Ayres; Kong, Kyoungchul; Wiegand, Daniel

2018-03-01

Models with an orbifolded universal extra dimension receive important loop-induced corrections to the masses and couplings of Kaluza-Klein (KK) particles. The dominant contributions stem from so-called boundary terms which violate KK number. Previously, only the parts of these boundary terms proportional to ln(Λ R) have been computed, where R is the radius of the extra dimension and Λ is cut-off scale. However, for typical values of Λ R ˜ 10 · · · 50, the logarithms are not particularly large and non-logarithmic contributions may be numerically important. In this paper, these remaining finite terms are computed and their phenomenological impact is discussed. It is shown that the finite terms have a significant impact on the KK mass spectrum. Furthermore, one finds new KK-number violating interactions that do not depend on ln(Λ R) but nevertheless are non-zero. These lead to new production and decay channels for level-2 KK particles at colliders.

Sibling Communication Functions across the Life-Span.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Scott A.; Smith, Ronda L.; Sonnier, Michelle F.

An investigation examined whether perceived use of sibling functional communication skills differed across the life-span. Participants were recruited through university students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a southern university. All students received extra credit for recruiting two participants. Potential participants were…

Probing extra dimension through gravitational wave observations of compact binaries and their electromagnetic counterparts

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

Yu, Hao; Gu, Bao-Min; Wang, Yong-Qiang

The future gravitational wave (GW) observations of compact binaries and their possible electromagnetic counterparts may be used to probe the nature of the extra dimension. It is widely accepted that gravitons and photons are the only two completely confirmed objects that can travel along null geodesics in our four-dimensional space-time. However, if there exist extra dimensions and only GWs can propagate freely in the bulk, the causal propagations of GWs and electromagnetic waves (EMWs) are in general different. In this paper, we study null geodesics of GWs and EMWs in a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space-time in the presence of themore » curvature of the universe. We show that for general cases the horizon radius of GW is longer than EMW within equal time. Taking the GW150914 event detected by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory and the X-ray event detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor as an example, we study how the curvature k and the constant curvature radius l affect the horizon radii of GW and EMW in the de Sitter and Einstein-de Sitter models of the universe. This provides an alternative method for probing extra dimension through future GW observations of compact binaries and their electromagnetic counterparts.« less

Research on Group Learning and Cognitive Science: A Study of Motivation, Knowledge, and Self-Regulation in a Large Lecture College Algebra Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David; Schraeder, Matthew

2015-01-01

At a research University near the east coast, researchers restructured a College Algebra course by formatting the course into two large lectures a week, an active recitation size laboratory class once a week, and an extra day devoted to active group work called Supplemental Practice (SP). SP was added as an extra day of class where the SP leader…

Tests of various colorants for application of a Fourier transform infrared imaging system to deciphering obliterated writings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugawara, Shigeru

2015-10-01

Obliterated writing is writing that has been obscured by different-colored materials. There are obliterated writings that cannot be detected by conventional methods. A method for deciphering such obliterated writings was developed in this study. Mid-infrared spectroscopic imaging in the wavelength range of 2.5-14 μm was used for deciphering because the infrared spectrum differs among different brands of colorants. Obliterated writings were made by pressing information protection stamps onto characters written by 4 kinds of colorants. The samples were tested for deciphering by the Fourier-transform infrared imaging system. Two peak areas of two specific wavenumber regions of each reflectance spectrum were calculated and the ratio of the two values is displayed as a unique gray scale in the spectroscopic image. As a result, the absorption peak at various wavenumbers could be used to decipher obliterated writings that could not be detected by the conventional methods. Ten different parameters for deciphering obliterated writing were found in this study.

Characterization of 1577 primary prostate cancers reveals novel biological and clinicopathologic insights into molecular subtypes.

PubMed

Tomlins, Scott A; Alshalalfa, Mohammed; Davicioni, Elai; Erho, Nicholas; Yousefi, Kasra; Zhao, Shuang; Haddad, Zaid; Den, Robert B; Dicker, Adam P; Trock, Bruce J; DeMarzo, Angelo M; Ross, Ashley E; Schaeffer, Edward M; Klein, Eric A; Magi-Galluzzi, Cristina; Karnes, R Jeffrey; Jenkins, Robert B; Feng, Felix Y

2015-10-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) molecular subtypes have been defined by essentially mutually exclusive events, including ETS gene fusions (most commonly involving ERG) and SPINK1 overexpression. Clinical assessment may aid in disease stratification, complementing available prognostic tests. To determine the analytical validity and clinicopatholgic associations of microarray-based molecular subtyping. We analyzed Affymetrix GeneChip expression profiles for 1577 patients from eight radical prostatectomy cohorts, including 1351 cases assessed using the Decipher prognostic assay (GenomeDx Biosciences, San Diego, CA, USA) performed in a laboratory with Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendment certification. A microarray-based (m-) random forest ERG classification model was trained and validated. Outlier expression analysis was used to predict other mutually exclusive non-ERG ETS gene rearrangements (ETS(+)) or SPINK1 overexpression (SPINK1(+)). Associations with clinical features and outcomes by multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating curves. The m-ERG classifier showed 95% accuracy in an independent validation subset (155 samples). Across cohorts, 45% of PCas were classified as m-ERG(+), 9% as m-ETS(+), 8% as m-SPINK1(+), and 38% as triple negative (m-ERG(-)/m-ETS(-)/m-SPINK1(-)). Gene expression profiling supports three underlying molecularly defined groups: m-ERG(+), m-ETS(+), and m-SPINK1(+)/triple negative. On multivariate analysis, m-ERG(+) tumors were associated with lower preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen and Gleason scores, but greater extraprostatic extension (p<0.001). m-ETS(+) tumors were associated with seminal vesicle invasion (p=0.01), while m-SPINK1(+)/triple negative tumors had higher Gleason scores and were more frequent in Black/African American patients (p<0.001). Clinical outcomes were not significantly different among subtypes. A clinically available prognostic test (Decipher) can also assess PCa molecular subtypes, obviating the need for additional testing. Clinicopathologic differences were found among subtypes based on global expression patterns. Molecular subtyping of prostate cancer can be achieved using extra data generated from a clinical-grade, genome-wide expression-profiling prognostic assay (Decipher). Transcriptomic and clinical analysis support three distinct molecular subtypes: (1) m-ERG(+), (2) m-ETS(+), and (3) m-SPINK1(+)/triple negative (m-ERG(-)/m-ETS(-)/m-SPINK1(-)). Incorporation of subtyping into a clinically available assay may facilitate additional applications beyond routine prognosis. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organizing the "Productive Transformation of Knowledge": Linking University and Industry in Traditional Manufacturing Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balduzzi, Giacomo; Rostan, Michele

2016-01-01

The article aims at underlining the role played by extra-academic and autonomous organizations strongly connected with university institutions and researchers in producing, acquiring, transferring and transforming knowledge. The study examines a particular Italian case, the "Politecnico Calzaturiero", a private institution providing…

Academic Literacies as Cornerstones in Course Design: A Partnership to Develop Programming for Faculty and Teaching Assistants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bury, Sophie; Sheese, Ron

2016-01-01

We discuss an educational development approach to embedding academic literacies instruction within disciplinary curricula. This developmental, embedded approach contrasts with the generic, extra-curricular, study-skills approach adopted in many universities. Learning Commons partners at York University, including librarians, writing instructors,…

Virginia Tech Uses an Unusual Strategy To Promote the Transfer of Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumenstyk, Goldie

1996-01-01

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has created a profitable program for commercializing student and faculty research, investing with three venture-capital companies that agreed to pay extra attention to the university's technological innovations and developing an office park to promote local economic development and generate…

Exoplanets: the quest for Earth twins.

PubMed

Mayor, Michel; Udry, Stephane; Pepe, Francesco; Lovis, Christophe

2011-02-13

Today, more than 400 extra-solar planets have been discovered. They provide strong constraints on the structure and formation mechanisms of planetary systems. Despite this huge amount of data, we still have little information concerning the constraints for extra-terrestrial life, i.e. the frequency of Earth twins in the habitable zone and the distribution of their orbital eccentricities. On the other hand, these latter questions strongly excite general interest and trigger future searches for life in the Universe. The status of the extra-solar planets field--in particular with respect to very-low-mass planets--will be discussed and an outlook on the search for Earth twins will be given in this paper.

The Representation of Library Value in Extra-Institutional Evaluations of University Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Brian

2017-01-01

The ways in which university quality assessments are developed reveal a great deal about value constructs surrounding higher education. Measures developed and consumed by external stakeholders, in particular, indicate which elements of academia are broadly perceived to be most reflective of quality. This paper examines the historical context of…

Going the Extra Mile: Supporting Distance Education at University of Alaska Fairbanks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahn, Suzan; Lehman, Lisa; Dupras, Rheba

2007-01-01

The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has a long history of supporting distance education through state-of-the-art, remote access services. Harsh climate conditions (heavy snowfall and icing, high winds, and extreme temperatures), rugged terrain, limited road and telephone systems, and permafrost that prevents the…

Die regionalökonomische Bedeutung der Wissenschaft für das Ruhrgebiet. Hochschulen und außeruniversitäre Forschungseinrichtungen als Motor der regionalen Entwicklung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriegesmann, Bernd; Böttcher, Matthias; Lippmann, Torben

2016-09-01

The Ruhr area has advanced to the largest university region in Germany - often unnoticed within and outside. At the same time scientific institutions have become a major economic factor. Because of the higher and extra-university research institutions about 2.5 billion euros are effective as a demand potential in the region. 1.7 billion euros of this amount are directly associated with investments and operating expenditures of the scientific institutions as well as consumptions of employees and students. Additional 770 million euros result in revenues of many branches such as trade, housing, gastronomy sector, handcraft industry etc. It should not be underestimated that higher and extra-university research institutions generate with their research activities particular funding from the European Union or the rest of Germany for benefit of the region. Each euro spent by the state government for basic funding creates 39 cents third-party funding. These regional-economic effects result in noticeable employment impacts within the region. Around 25,000 people are directly employed in higher and extra-university research institutes or student unions (Studierendenwerke), about 22,000 jobs in other economic sectors are ensured or created by the induced demand. Science has thus become an important economic factor and represents an essential counterbalance to employment decline in shrinking industries of the region. The specific inclusion of science in a regional development strategy and targeted relining with appropriate measures to strengthen the science creates therefore an effective starting point for the design of structural change.

Using Supercomputers to Probe the Early Universe

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

Giorgi, Elena Edi

For decades physicists have been trying to decipher the first moments after the Big Bang. Using very large telescopes, for example, scientists scan the skies and look at how fast galaxies move. Satellites study the relic radiation left from the Big Bang, called the cosmic microwave background radiation. And finally, particle colliders, like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, allow researchers to smash protons together and analyze the debris left behind by such collisions. Physicists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, however, are taking a different approach: they are using computers. In collaboration with colleagues at University of California San Diego,more » the Los Alamos researchers developed a computer code, called BURST, that can simulate conditions during the first few minutes of cosmological evolution.« less

Universal extra dimensions and the graviton portal to dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arun, Mathew Thomas; Choudhury, Debajyoti; Sachdeva, Divya

2017-10-01

The Universal Extra Dimension (UED) paradigm is particularly attractive as it not only includes a natural candidate for the Dark Matter particle , but also addresses several issues related to particle physics. Non-observations at the Large Hadron Collider, though, has brought the paradigm into severe tension. However, a particular 5-dimensional UED model emerges from a six dimensional space-time with nested warping. The AdS6 bulk protects both the Higgs mass as well as the UED scale without invoking unnatural parameter values. The graviton excitations in the sixth direction open up new (co-)annihilation channels for the Dark Matter particle, thereby allowing for phenomenological consistency, otherwise denied to the minimal UED scenario. The model leads to unique signatures in both satellite-based experiments as well as the LHC.

The Yumekobo Project Education at Kanazawa Institute of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demura, Kosei; Tani, Masashi; Hattori, Yoichi

Yumekobo, which can be translated as “Factory for Dreams and Ideas” , has been attracting the attention of reform-minded educators in Japanese universities. The major function of Yumekobo is to support a student project called the Yumekobo project. It resembles an extra-curricular club activity as at other universities; however, the Yumekobo project is not only an extra-curricular activity but also a symbol of the educational philosophy of Kanazawa Institute of Technology. Students in the Yumekobo project are encouraged to develop a good character, which includes independence, creativity, morality, cooperation, and internationalism. In this paper, an overview of the Yumekobo project is given, and its characteristics are described. Further, its educational effects are discussed based on an analysis of student questionnaires conducted from 2002 to 2005.

Inhomogeneities in dusty universe — a possible alternative to dark energy?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, S.

2011-03-01

There have been of late renewed debates on the role of inhomogeneities to explain the observed late acceleration of the universe. We have looked into the problem analytically with the help of the well known spherically symmetric but inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi(LTB) model generalised to higher dimensions. It is observed that in contrast to the claim made by Kolb et al. the presence of inhomogeneities as well as extra dimensions can not reverse the signature of the deceleration parameter if the matter field obeys the energy conditions. The well known Raychaudhuri equation also points to the same result. Without solving the field equations explicitly it can, however, be shown that although the total deceleration is positive everywhere nevertheless it does not exclude the possibility of having radial acceleration, even in the pure dust universe, if the angular scale factor is decelerating fast enough and vice versa. Moreover it is found that introduction of extra dimensions can not reverse the scenario. To the contrary it actually helps the decelerating process.

Revisiting the AAUP Recommendation: The Viability of Collegiality as a Fourth Criterion for University Faculty Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Pattie C.; Schimmel, Tammy; O'Hara, Hunter

2012-01-01

Legal rulings have called for the inclusion of collegiality as a fourth evaluation category for university faculty. Collegiality is considered to be any extra-role behavior that represents individuals' behavior that is discretionary, not recognized by the formal reward system and that, in the aggregate, promotes the effective functioning of the…

Aristotle University Astronomical Station at Mt. Holomon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avdellidou, C.; Ioannidis, P.; Kouroubatzakis, K.; Nitsos, A.; Vakoulis, J.; Seiradakis, J. H.

2012-01-01

The Aristotle University Astronomical Station was established seven years ago in order to fulfill the educational needs of its students. Astronomical observations are undertaken using three fully equipped small telescopes. Some interesting results are presented below, including the study of asteroids and flare stars, the detection of optical emission from supernovae remnants and follow up observations in extra solar planets.

Energy-momentum tensor of bouncing gravitons

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

Iofa, Mikhail Z.

2015-07-14

In models of the Universe with extra dimensions gravity propagates in the whole space-time. Graviton production by matter on the brane is significant in the early hot Universe. In a model of 3-brane with matter embedded in 5D space-time conditions for gravitons emitted from the brane to the bulk to return back to the brane are found. For a given 5-momentum of graviton falling back to the brane the interval between the times of emission and return to the brane is calculated. A method to calculate contribution to the energy-momentum tensor from multiple graviton bouncings is developed. Explicit expressions formore » contributions to the energy-momentum tensor of gravitons which have made one, two and three bounces are obtained and their magnitudes are numerically calculated. These expressions are used to solve the evolution equation for dark radiation. A relation connecting reheating temperature and the scale of extra dimension is obtained. For the reheating temperature T{sub R}∼10{sup 6} GeV we estimate the scale of extra dimension μ to be of order 10{sup −9} GeV (μ{sup −1}∼10{sup −5} cm)« less

Energy-momentum tensor of bouncing gravitons

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

Iofa, Mikhail Z., E-mail: iofa@theory.sinp.msu.ru

2015-07-01

In models of the Universe with extra dimensions gravity propagates in the whole space-time. Graviton production by matter on the brane is significant in the early hot Universe. In a model of 3-brane with matter embedded in 5D space-time conditions for gravitons emitted from the brane to the bulk to return back to the brane are found. For a given 5-momentum of graviton falling back to the brane the interval between the times of emission and return to the brane is calculated. A method to calculate contribution to the energy-momentum tensor from multiple graviton bouncings is developed. Explicit expressions formore » contributions to the energy-momentum tensor of gravitons which have made one, two and three bounces are obtained and their magnitudes are numerically calculated. These expressions are used to solve the evolution equation for dark radiation. A relation connecting reheating temperature and the scale of extra dimension is obtained. For the reheating temperature T{sub R}∼ 10{sup 6} GeV we estimate the scale of extra dimension μ to be of order 10{sup −9} GeV (μ{sup −1}∼ 10{sup −5} cm)« less

Adherence to infection control guidelines in surgery on MRSA positive patients : A cost analysis.

PubMed

Saegeman, V; Schuermans, A

2016-09-01

In surgical units, similar to other healthcare departments, guidelines are used to curb transmission of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The aim of this study was to calculate the extra costs for material and extra working hours for compliance to MRSA infection control guidelines in the operating rooms of a University Hospital. The study was based on observations of surgeries on MRSA positive patients. The average cost per surgery was calculated utilizing local information on unit costs. Robustness of the calculations was evaluated with a sensitivity analysis. The total extra costs of adherence to MRSA infection control guidelines averaged € 340.46 per surgical procedure (range € 207.76- € 473.15). A sensitivity analysis based on a standardized operating room hourly rate reached a cost of € 366.22. The extra costs of adherence to infection control guidelines are considerable. To reduce costs, the logistical planning of surgeries could be improved by for instance a dedicated room.

Acute abdomen in children due to extra-abdominal causes.

PubMed

Tsalkidis, Aggelos; Gardikis, Stefanos; Cassimos, Dimitrios; Kambouri, Katerina; Tsalkidou, Evanthia; Deftereos, Savas; Chatzimichael, Athanasios

2008-06-01

Acute abdominal pain in children is a common cause for referral to the emergency room and for subsequent hospitalization to pediatric medical or surgical departments. There are rare occasions when the abdominal pain is derived from extra-abdominal organs or systems. The aim of the present study was to establish the most common extra-abdominal causes of acute abdominal pain. The notes of all children (1 month-14 years of age) examined for acute abdominal pain in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of Alexandroupolis District University Hospital in January 2001-December 2005 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic data, clinical signs and symptoms, and laboratory findings were recorded, as well as the final diagnosis and outcome. Of a total number of 28 124 children who were brought to the A&E department, in 1731 the main complaint was acute abdominal pain. In 51 children their symptoms had an extra-abdominal cause, the most frequent being pneumonia (n = 15), tonsillitis (n = 10), otitis media (n = 9), and acute leukemia (n = 5). Both abdominal and extra-abdominal causes should be considered by a pediatrician who is confronted with a child with acute abdominal pain.

A family affair: A Ral-exocyst-centered network links Ras, Rac, Rho signaling to control cell migration.

PubMed

Zago, Giulia; Biondini, Marco; Camonis, Jacques; Parrini, Maria Carla

2017-05-12

Cell migration is central to many developmental, physiologic and pathological processes, including cancer progression. The Ral GTPases (RalA and RalB) which act down-stream the Ras oncogenes, are key players in the coordination between membrane trafficking and actin polymerization. A major direct effector of Ral, the exocyst complex, works in polarized exocytosis and is at the center of multiple protein-protein interactions that support cell migration by promoting protrusion formation, front-rear polarization, and extra-cellular matrix degradation. In this review we describe the recent advancements in deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying this role of Ral via exocyst on cell migration. Among others, we will discuss the recently identified cross-talk between Ral and Rac1 pathways: exocyst binds to a negative regulator (the RacGAP SH3BP1) and to the major effector (the Wave Regulatory Complex, WRC) of Rac1, the master regulator of protrusions. Next challenge will be to better characterize the dynamics in space and in time of these molecular interplays, to better understand the pleiotropic functions of Ral in both normal and cancer cells.

The Tenure Process and Extending the Tenure Clock: The Experience of Faculty at One University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pribbenow, Christine Maidl; Sheridan, Jennifer; Winchell, Jessica; Benting, Deveny; Handelsman, Jo; Carnes, Molly

2010-01-01

Tenure clock extension policies are increasingly available for faculty who need extra time granted on their "clock" due to special circumstances, such as family responsibilities or health issues. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the formal policy has been available to faculty for over 10 years and is the focus of study by…

Limits on the Time Evolution of Space Dimensions from Newton's Constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasseri, Forough

Limits are imposed upon the possible rate of change of extra spatial dimensions in a decrumpling model Universe with time variable spatial dimensions (TVSD) by considering the time variation of (1+3)-dimensional Newton's constant. Previous studies on the time variation of (1+3)-dimensional Newton's constant in TVSD theory had not include the effects of the volume of the extra dimensions and the effects of the surface area of the unit sphere in D-space dimensions. Our main result is that the absolute value of the present rate of change of spatial dimensions to be less than about 10-14 yr-1. Our results would appear to provide a prima facie case for ruling the TVSD model out. We show that based on observational bounds on the present variation of Newton's constant, one would have to conclude that the spatial dimension of the Universe when the Universe was "at the Planck scale" to be less than or equal to 3.09. If the dimension of space when the Universe was "at the Planck scale" is constrained to be fractional and very close to 3, then the whole edifice of TVSD model loses credibility.

BOOK REVIEW: Black Holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions Black Holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frolov, Valeri P.

2013-10-01

The book Black holes, Cosmology and Extra Dimensions written by Kirill A Bronnikov and Sergey G Rubin has been published recently by World Scientific Publishing Company. The authors are well known experts in gravity and cosmology. The book is a monograph, a considerable part of which is based on the original work of the authors. Their original point of view on some of the problems makes the book quite interesting, covering a variety of important topics of the modern theory of gravity, astrophysics and cosmology. It consists of 11 chapters which are organized in three parts. The book starts with an introduction, where the authors briefly discuss the main ideas of General Relativity, giving some historical remarks on its development and application to cosmology, and mentioning some more recent subjects such as brane worlds, f(R)-theories and gravity in higher dimensions. Part I of the book is called 'Gravity'. Chapters two and three are devoted to the Einstein equations and their spherical symmetric black hole solutions. This material is quite standard and can be found in practically any book on General Relativity. A brief summary of the Kerr metric and black hole thermodynamics are given in chapter four. The main part of this chapter is devoted to spherically symmetric black holes in non-Einstein gravity (with scalar and phantom fields), black holes with regular interior, and black holes in brane worlds. Chapters five and six are mainly dedicated to wormholes and the problem of their stability. Part II (Cosmology) starts with discussion of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker and de Sitter solutions of the Einstein equations and their properties. It follows by describing a `big picture' of the modern cosmology (inflation, post-inflationary reheating, the radiation-dominated and matter-dominated states, and modern stage of the (secondary) inflation). The authors explain how the inflation models allow one to solve many of the long-standing problems of cosmology, such as flatness of the Universe, the horizon problem and isotropy of cosmological microwave background. All this material is covered in chapter seven. Chapter eight contains brief discussion of several popular inflation models. Chapter nine is devoted to the problem of the large-scale structure formation from initial quantum vacuum fluctuation during the inflation and the spectrum of the density fluctuations. It also contains remarks on the baryonic asymmetry of the Universe, baryogenesis and primordial black holes. Part III covers the material on extra dimensions. It describes how Einstein gravity is modified in the presence of one or more additional spatial dimensions and how these extra dimensions are compactified in the Kaluza-Klein scheme. The authors also discuss how extra dimensions may affect low energy physics. They present examples of higher-dimensional generalizations of the gravity with higher-in-curvature corrections and discuss a possible mechanism of self-stabilization of an extra space. A considerable part of the chapter 10 is devoted to cosmological models with extra dimensions. In particular, the authors discuss how extra dimensions can modify 'standard' inflation models. At the end of this chapter they make several remarks on a possible relation of the value of fundamental constants in our universe with the existence of extra dimensions. Finally, in chapter 11 they demonstrate that several observable properties of the Universe are closely related with the special value of the fundamental physical constants and their fine tuning. They give interesting examples of such fine tuning and summarize many other cases. The book ends with discussion of a so-called 'cascade birth of universes in multidimensional spaces' model, proposed by one of the authors. As is evident from this brief summary of topics presented in the book, many interesting areas of modern gravity and cosmology are covered. However, since the subject is so wide, this inevitably implies that the selection of the topics and level of their presentation in many cases reflects the authors' own preferences. As a result, several important subjects on black holes, cosmology and extra dimensions, widely discussed in the modern literature, are not covered by the book. For example, a reader will not find discussion of non-spherically symmetric higher dimensional black holes which are either non-trivial generalization of the Kerr black holes, or even have a non-spherical topology of the horizon (black rings, black strings and so on). The book does not contain any information on supersymmetric black holes, black branes solutions and their properties. This list can easily be continued (black hole perturbations, gravitational radiation from binary black hole coalescence, cosmology in massive gravity and Hořava-Lifshitz models, etc). However the number of publications connected with the title of the book is so huge now, that it is practically impossible to cover all of them in a single book. Some selection of topics is inevitable. To summarize, I think that the authors did a great job and the book will find its readers. It might be interesting for researchers working in theoretical physics, astrophysics and cosmology. I do not think that it would be very helpful as a textbook for students, although it contains a lot of interesting material which can be used by students for additional reading connected with the basic university courses on gravity and cosmology. It might be also useful to students for their term paper projects and presentations.

Deciphering kinase-substrate relationships by analysis of domain-specific phosphorylation network.

PubMed

Damle, Nikhil Prakash; Mohanty, Debasisa

2014-06-15

In silico prediction of site-specific kinase-substrate relationships (ssKSRs) is crucial for deciphering phosphorylation networks by linking kinomes to phosphoproteomes. However, currently available predictors for ssKSRs give rise to a large number of false-positive results because they use only a short sequence stretch around phosphosite as determinants of kinase specificity and do not consider the biological context of kinase-substrate recognition. Based on the analysis of domain-specific kinase-substrate relationships, we have constructed a domain-level phosphorylation network that implicitly incorporates various contextual factors. It reveals preferential phosphorylation of specific domains by certain kinases. These novel correlations have been implemented in PhosNetConstruct, an automated program for predicting target kinases for a substrate protein. PhosNetConstruct distinguishes cognate kinase-substrate pairs from a large number of non-cognate combinations. Benchmarking on independent datasets using various statistical measures demonstrates the superior performance of PhosNetConstruct over ssKSR-based predictors. PhosNetConstruct is freely available at http://www.nii.ac.in/phosnetconstruct.html. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Continuing Education Activities of the University of British Columbia, 1982-1983. A Report to the President, the Senate, and the Board of Governors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Columbia Univ., Vancouver.

Continuing education activities of the University of British Columbia for the 1982-1983 academic year are reported. Information is provided on: extra-sessional credit programs, guided independent study, the Centre for Continuing Education, the Division of Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, professional programs of the Faculty of Commerce…

cisMEP: an integrated repository of genomic epigenetic profiles and cis-regulatory modules in Drosophila

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), or the DNA sequences required for regulating gene expression, play the central role in biological researches on transcriptional regulation in metazoan species. Nowadays, the systematic understanding of CRMs still mainly resorts to computational methods due to the time-consuming and small-scale nature of experimental methods. But the accuracy and reliability of different CRM prediction tools are still unclear. Without comparative cross-analysis of the results and combinatorial consideration with extra experimental information, there is no easy way to assess the confidence of the predicted CRMs. This limits the genome-wide understanding of CRMs. Description It is known that transcription factor binding and epigenetic profiles tend to determine functions of CRMs in gene transcriptional regulation. Thus integration of the genome-wide epigenetic profiles with systematically predicted CRMs can greatly help researchers evaluate and decipher the prediction confidence and possible transcriptional regulatory functions of these potential CRMs. However, these data are still fragmentary in the literatures. Here we performed the computational genome-wide screening for potential CRMs using different prediction tools and constructed the pioneer database, cisMEP (cis-regulatory module epigenetic profile database), to integrate these computationally identified CRMs with genomic epigenetic profile data. cisMEP collects the literature-curated TFBS location data and nine genres of epigenetic data for assessing the confidence of these potential CRMs and deciphering the possible CRM functionality. Conclusions cisMEP aims to provide a user-friendly interface for researchers to assess the confidence of different potential CRMs and to understand the functions of CRMs through experimentally-identified epigenetic profiles. The deposited potential CRMs and experimental epigenetic profiles for confidence assessment provide experimentally testable hypotheses for the molecular mechanisms of metazoan gene regulation. We believe that the information deposited in cisMEP will greatly facilitate the comparative usage of different CRM prediction tools and will help biologists to study the modular regulatory mechanisms between different TFs and their target genes. PMID:25521507

A comparison of a modified form of Granuflex (Granuflex Extra Thin) and a conventional dressing in the management of lacerations, abrasions and minor operation wounds in an accident and emergency department.

PubMed Central

Heffernan, A; Martin, A J

1994-01-01

A clinical study of 96 patients compared a new hydrocolloid dressing (Granuflex Extra Thin) with a non-adherent dressing (perforated film absorbent dressing) in the management of lacerations, abrasions and minor operation incisions at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of the University College Hospital, Galway. While time to heal was similar for both groups, the patients using Granuflex Extra Thin experienced less pain (P < 0.001), required less analgesia (P = 0.0154) and were able to carry out their normal daily activities including bathing or showering without affecting the dressing or the wound. Patient satisfaction with the new dressing appeared to be very high especially in those patients who pursued an active lifestyle. PMID:7894807

Life in the Universe: Foundation for exciting multidisciplinary science activities for middle and elementary school classes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milne, D.; O'Sullivan, K.

1994-01-01

Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994.The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.

Life in the universe: foundation for exciting multidisciplinary science activities for middle and elementary school classes.

PubMed

Milne, D; O'Sullivan, K

1994-01-01

Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994. The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.

An Extra-Large-Pore Zeolite with 24×8×8-Ring Channels Using a Structure-Directing Agent Derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

PubMed

Zhang, Chuanqi; Kapaca, Elina; Li, Jiyang; Liu, Yunling; Yi, Xianfeng; Zheng, Anmin; Zou, Xiaodong; Jiang, Jiuxing; Yu, Jihong

2018-03-12

Extra-large-pore zeolites have attracted much interest because of their important applications because for processing larger molecules. Although great progress has been made in academic science and industry, it is challenging to synthesize these materials. A new extra-large-pore zeolite SYSU-3 (Sun Yat-sen University no. 3) has been synthesized by using a novel sophoridine derivative as an organic structure-directing agent (OSDA). The framework structure was solved and refined using continuous rotation electron diffraction (cRED) data from nanosized crystals. SYSU-3 exhibits a new zeolite framework topology, which has the first 24×8×8-ring extra-large-pore system and a framework density (FD) as low as 11.4 T/1000 Å 3 . The unique skeleton of the OSDA plays an essential role in the formation of the distinctive zeolite structure. This work provides a new perspective for developing new zeolitic materials by using alkaloids as cost-effective OSDAs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Screening and validation of EXTraS data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpano, Stefania; Haberl, F.; De Luca, A.; Tiengo, A.: Israel, G.; Rodriguez, G.; Belfiore, A.; Rosen, S.; Read, A.; Wilms, J.; Kreikenbohm, A.; Law-Green, D.

2015-09-01

The EXTraS project (Exploring the X-ray Transient and variable Sky) is aimed at fullyexploring the serendipitous content of the XMM-Newton EPIC database in the timedomain. The project is funded within the EU/FP7-Cooperation Space framework and is carried out by a collaboration including INAF (Italy), IUSS (Italy), CNR/IMATI (Italy), University of Leicester (UK), MPE (Germany) and ECAP (Germany). The several tasks consist in characterise aperiodicvariability for all 3XMM sources, search for short-term periodic variability on hundreds of thousands sources, detect new transient sources that are missed by standard source detection and hence not belonging to the 3XMM catalogue, search for long term variability by measuring fluxes or upper limits for both pointed and slew observations, and finally perform multiwavelength characterisation andclassification. Screening and validation of the different products is essentially in order to reject flawed results, generated by the automatic pipelines. We present here the screening tool we developed in the form of a Graphical User Interface and our plans for a systematic screening of the different catalogues.

Maria Montessori (1870-1952): Women's emancipation, pedagogy and extra verbal communication.

PubMed

Cascella, Marco

2015-05-01

Maria Montessori is one of the most well-known women in Italian history. Although she was the first woman who graduated in medicine in Italy, she is mostly known as an educator. Her teaching method--the Montessori Method- is still used worldwide--Because she could not speak English during the imprisonment in India, there was a big obstacle for her communication with children. However, the need to adopt a non-verbal communication, led her to a sensational discovery: children use an innate and universal language. This language, made of gestures and mimic, is called extra verbal communication.

The detection of extra-terrestrial life and the consequences for science and society.

PubMed

Dominik, Martin; Zarnecki, John C

2011-02-13

Astronomers are now able to detect planets orbiting stars other than the Sun where life may exist, and living generations could see the signatures of extra-terrestrial life being detected. Should it turn out that we are not alone in the Universe, it will fundamentally affect how humanity understands itself--and we need to be prepared for the consequences. A Discussion Meeting held at the Royal Society in London, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, on 25-26 January 2010, addressed not only the scientific but also the societal agenda, with presentations covering a large diversity of topics.

Extra-electron induced covalent strengthening and generalization of intrinsic ductile-to-brittle criterion

PubMed Central

Niu, Haiyang; Chen, Xing-Qiu; Liu, Peitao; Xing, Weiwei; Cheng, Xiyue; Li, Dianzhong; Li, Yiyi

2012-01-01

Traditional strengthening ways, such as strain, precipitation, and solid-solution, come into effect by pinning the motion of dislocation. Here, through first-principles calculations we report on an extra-electron induced covalent strengthening mechanism, which alters chemical bonding upon the introduction of extra-valence electrons in the matrix of parent materials. It is responsible for the brittle and high-strength properties of Al12W-type compounds featured by the typical fivefold icosahedral cages, which are common for quasicrystals and bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). In combination with this mechanism, we generalize ductile-to-brittle criterion in a universal hyperbolic form by integrating the classical Pettifor's Cauchy pressure with Pugh's modulus ratio for a wide variety of materials with cubic lattices. This study provides compelling evidence to correlate Pugh's modulus ratio with hardness of materials and may have implication for understanding the intrinsic brittleness of quasicrystals and BMGs. PMID:23056910

Extra-electron induced covalent strengthening and generalization of intrinsic ductile-to-brittle criterion.

PubMed

Niu, Haiyang; Chen, Xing-Qiu; Liu, Peitao; Xing, Weiwei; Cheng, Xiyue; Li, Dianzhong; Li, Yiyi

2012-01-01

Traditional strengthening ways, such as strain, precipitation, and solid-solution, come into effect by pinning the motion of dislocation. Here, through first-principles calculations we report on an extra-electron induced covalent strengthening mechanism, which alters chemical bonding upon the introduction of extra-valence electrons in the matrix of parent materials. It is responsible for the brittle and high-strength properties of Al(12)W-type compounds featured by the typical fivefold icosahedral cages, which are common for quasicrystals and bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). In combination with this mechanism, we generalize ductile-to-brittle criterion in a universal hyperbolic form by integrating the classical Pettifor's Cauchy pressure with Pugh's modulus ratio for a wide variety of materials with cubic lattices. This study provides compelling evidence to correlate Pugh's modulus ratio with hardness of materials and may have implication for understanding the intrinsic brittleness of quasicrystals and BMGs.

The implications of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life for religion.

PubMed

Peters, Ted

2011-02-13

This paper asks about the future of religion: (i) Will confirmation of extra-terrestrial intelligence (ETI) cause terrestrial religion to collapse? 'No' is the answer based upon a summary of the 'Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey'. Then the paper examines four specific challenges to traditional doctrinal belief likely to be raised at the detection of ETI: (ii) What is the scope of God's creation? (iii) What can we expect regarding the moral character of ETI? (iv) Is one earthly incarnation in Jesus Christ enough for the entire cosmos, or should we expect multiple incarnations on multiple planets? (v) Will contact with more advanced ETI diminish human dignity? More than probable contact with extra-terrestrial intelligence will expand the Bible's vision so that all of creation--including the 13.7 billion year history of the universe replete with all of God's creatures--will be seen as the gift of a loving and gracious God.

SETI meets a social intelligence: Dolphins as a model for real-time interaction and communication with a sentient species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzing, Denise L.

2010-12-01

In the past SETI has focused on the reception and deciphering of radio signals from potential remote civilizations. It is conceivable that real-time contact and interaction with a social intelligence may occur in the future. A serious look at the development of relationship, and deciphering of communication signals within and between a non-terrestrial, non-primate sentient species is relevant. Since 1985 a resident community of free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins has been observed regularly in the Bahamas. Life history, relationships, regular interspecific interactions with bottlenose dolphins, and multi-modal underwater communication signals have been documented. Dolphins display social communication signals modified for water, their body types, and sensory systems. Like anthropologists, human researchers engage in benign observation in the water and interact with these dolphins to develop rapport and trust. Many individual dolphins have been known for over 20 years. Learning the culturally appropriate etiquette has been important in the relationship with this alien society. To engage humans in interaction the dolphins often initiate spontaneous displays, mimicry, imitation, and synchrony. These elements may be emergent/universal features of one intelligent species contacting another for the intention of initiating interaction. This should be a consideration for real-time contact and interaction for future SETI work.

Astrobiology, space and the future age of discovery.

PubMed

Blumberg, Baruch S

2011-02-13

Astrobiology is the study of the origins, evolution, distribution and future of life in the Universe, and specifically seeks to understand the origin of life and to test the hypothesis that life exists elsewhere than on Earth. There is a general mathematics, physics and chemistry; that is, scientific laws that obtain on Earth also do so elsewhere. Is there a general biology? Is the Universe life-rich or is Earth an isolated island of biology? Exploration in the Age of Enlightenment required the collection of data in unexplored regions and the use of induction and empiricism to derive models and natural laws. The current search for extra-terrestrial life has a similar goal, but with a much greater amount of data and with computers to help with management, correlations, pattern recognition and analysis. There are 60 active space missions, many of them aiding in the search for life. There is not a universally accepted definition of life, but there are a series of characteristics that can aid in the identification of life elsewhere. The study of locations on Earth with similarities to early Mars and other space objects could provide a model that can be used in the search for extra-terrestrial life.

Economic evaluation of a brief education, self-management and upper limb exercise training in people with rheumatoid arthritis (EXTRA) programme: a trial-based analysis.

PubMed

Manning, Victoria L; Kaambwa, Billingsley; Ratcliffe, Julie; Scott, David L; Choy, Ernest; Hurley, Michael V; Bearne, Lindsay M

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-utility analysis of the Education, Self-management and Upper Limb Exercise Training in People with RA (EXTRA) programme compared with usual care. A within-trial incremental cost-utility analysis was conducted with 108 participants randomized to either the EXTRA programme (n = 52) or usual care (n = 56). A health care perspective was assumed for the primary analysis with a 36 week follow-up. Resource use information was collected on interventions, medication, primary and secondary care contacts, private health care and social care costs. Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were calculated from the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire responses at baseline, 12 and 36 weeks. Compared with usual care, total QALYs gained were higher in the EXTRA programme, leading to an increase of 0.0296 QALYs. The mean National Health Service (NHS) costs per participant were slightly higher in the EXTRA programme (by £82), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £2770 per additional QALY gained. Thus the EXTRA programme was cost effective from an NHS perspective when assessed against the threshold of £20 000-£30 000/QALY gained. Overall, costs were lower in the EXTRA programme compared with usual care, suggesting it was the dominant treatment option from a societal perspective. At a willingness-to-pay of £20 000/QALY gained, there was a 65% probability that the EXTRA programme was the most cost-effective option. These results were robust to sensitivity analyses accounting for missing data, changing the cost perspective and removing cost outliers. The physiotherapist-led EXTRA programme represents a cost-effective use of resources compared with usual care and leads to lower health care costs and work absence. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register; http://www.controlled-trials.com/isrctn/ (ISRCTN14268051). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Emergence and expansion of cosmic space as due to M0-branes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepehri, Alireza; Setare, Mohammad Reza; Capozziello, Salvatore

2015-12-01

Recently, Padmanabhan (arXiv:1206.4916 [hep-th]) discussed that the difference between the number of degrees of freedom on the boundary surface and the number of degrees of freedom in a bulk region causes the accelerated expansion of the universe. The main question arising is: what is the origin of this inequality between the surface degrees of freedom and the bulk degrees of freedom? We answer this question in M-theory. In our model, first M0-branes are compactified on one circle and N D0-branes are created. Then N D0-branes join each other, grow, and form one D5-branes. Next, the D5-brane is compactified on two circles and our universe's D3-brane, two D1-branes and some extra energies are produced. After that, one of the D1-branes, which is closer to the universe's brane, gives its energy into it, and this leads to an increase in the difference between the numbers of degrees of freedom and the occurring inflation era. With the disappearance of this D1-brane, the number of degrees of freedom of boundary surface and bulk region become equal and inflation ends. At this stage, extra energies that are produced due to the compactification cause an expansion of the universe and deceleration epoch. Finally, another D1-brane dissolves in our universe's brane, leads to an inequality between degrees of freedom, and there occurs a new phase of acceleration.

[An encounter with extraterrestrial intelligence].

PubMed

Hisabayashi, Hisashi

2003-12-01

It is much easier to find extraterrestrial intelligence than to detect simple organisms living on other planets. However, it is hard to communicate with such intelligence without the mutual understanding of inter-stellar communication protocol. The radio SETI (The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) was initiated with the pioneering work of F. Drake in 1960, one year after the historical SETI paper by Cocconi and Morrison. This talk explains that SETI evolves with two bases of science; the understanding of our universe and the development of technology. Since SETI has had strong connection with radio astronomy from its early beginning, the impacts of radio astronomical findings and technological breakthrough can be seen in many aspects of the SETI history. Topics of this talk include the detection of microwave 3 K background radiation in the universe. Interstellar atomic and molecular lines found in radio-wave spectra provide the evidence of pre-biotic chemical evolution in such region. Radio telescope imaging and spectral technique are closely associated with methodology of SETI. Topics of the talk extend to new Allen Telescope Array and projected Square Kilometer Array. Recent optical SETI and the discoveries of extra solar planets are also explained. In the end, the recent understanding of our universe is briefly introduced in terms of matter, dark matter and dark energy. Even our understanding of the universe has been evolutionarily revolved and accumulated after 1960, we must recognize that our universe is still poorly understood and that astronomy and SETI are required to proceed hand in hand.

Alignment of Common Wheat and Other Grass Genomes Establishes a Comparative Genomics Research Platform

PubMed Central

Sun, Sangrong; Wang, Jinpeng; Yu, Jigao; Meng, Fanbo; Xia, Ruiyan; Wang, Li; Wang, Zhenyi; Ge, Weina; Liu, Xiaojian; Li, Yuxian; Liu, Yinzhe; Yang, Nanshan; Wang, Xiyin

2017-01-01

Grass genomes are complicated structures as they share a common tetraploidization, and particular genomes have been further affected by extra polyploidizations. These events and the following genomic re-patternings have resulted in a complex, interweaving gene homology both within a genome, and between genomes. Accurately deciphering the structure of these complicated plant genomes would help us better understand their compositional and functional evolution at multiple scales. Here, we build on our previous research by performing a hierarchical alignment of the common wheat genome vis-à-vis eight other sequenced grass genomes with most up-to-date assemblies, and annotations. With this data, we constructed a list of the homologous genes, and then, in a layer-by-layer process, separated their orthology, and paralogy that were established by speciations and recursive polyploidizations, respectively. Compared with the other grasses, the far fewer collinear outparalogous genes within each of three subgenomes of common wheat suggest that homoeologous recombination, and genomic fractionation should have occurred after its formation. In sum, this work contributes to the establishment of an important and timely comparative genomics platform for researchers in the grass community and possibly beyond. Homologous gene list can be found in Supplemental material. PMID:28912789

Deciphering the Combinatorial Roles of Geometric, Mechanical, and Adhesion Cues in Regulation of Cell Spreading

PubMed Central

Harris, Greg M.; Shazly, Tarek; Jabbarzadeh, Ehsan

2013-01-01

Significant effort has gone towards parsing out the effects of surrounding microenvironment on macroscopic behavior of stem cells. Many of the microenvironmental cues, however, are intertwined, and thus, further studies are warranted to identify the intricate interplay among the conflicting downstream signaling pathways that ultimately guide a cell response. In this contribution, by patterning adhesive PEG (polyethylene glycol) hydrogels using Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN), we demonstrate that substrate elasticity, subcellular elasticity, ligand density, and topography ultimately define mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) spreading and shape. Physical characteristics are parsed individually with 7 kilopascal (kPa) hydrogel islands leading to smaller, spindle shaped cells and 105 kPa hydrogel islands leading to larger, polygonal cell shapes. In a parallel effort, a finite element model was constructed to characterize and confirm experimental findings and aid as a predictive tool in modeling cell microenvironments. Signaling pathway inhibition studies suggested that RhoA is a key regulator of cell response to the cooperative effect of the tunable substrate variables. These results are significant for the engineering of cell-extra cellular matrix interfaces and ultimately decoupling matrix bound cues presented to cells in a tissue microenvironment for regenerative medicine. PMID:24282570

To Evacuate or Shelter in Place: Implications of Universal Hurricane Evacuation Policies on Nursing Home Residents

PubMed Central

Dosa, David; Hyer, Kathryn; Thomas, Kali; Swaminathan, Shailender; Feng, Zhanlian; Brown, Lisa; Mor, Vincent

2011-01-01

Objective To examine the differential morbidity/mortality associated with evacuation versus sheltering in place for nursing home (NH) residents exposed to the 4 most recent Gulf-hurricanes Methods Observational study using Medicare claims, and NH data sources. We compared the differential mortality/morbidity for long-stay residents exposed to 4 recent hurricanes (Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike) relative to those residing at the same NHs over the same time periods during the prior 2 non-hurricane years as a control. Using an instrumental variable analysis, we then evaluated the independent effect of evacuation on outcomes at 90 days. Results Among 36,389 NH residents exposed to a storm, the 30 and 90 day mortality/hospitalization rates increased compared to non-hurricane control years. There were a cumulative total of 277 extra deaths and 872 extra hospitalizations at 30 days. At 90 days, 579 extra deaths and 544 extra hospitalizations were observed. Using the instrumental variable analysis, evacuation increased the probability of death at 90 days from 2.7-5.3% and hospitalization by 1.8-8.3%, independent of other factors. Conclusion Among residents exposed to hurricanes, evacuation significantly exacerbated subsequent morbidity/mortality. PMID:21885350

Clockwork graviton contributions to muon g -2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Deog Ki; Kim, Du Hwan; Shin, Chang Sub

2018-02-01

The clockwork mechanism for gravity introduces a tower of massive graviton modes, clockwork gravitons, with a very compressed mass spectrum, whose interaction strengths are much stronger than those of massless gravitons. In this work, we compute the lowest order contributions of the clockwork gravitons to the anomalous magnetic moment, g -2 , of muon in the context of an extra dimensional model with a five-dimensional Planck mass, M5. We find that the total contributions are rather insensitive to the detailed model parameters and are determined mostly by the value of M5. To account for the current muon g -2 anomaly, M5 should be around 0.2 TeV, and the size of the extra dimension has to be quite large, l5≳10-7 m . For M5≳1 TeV , the clockwork graviton contributions are too small to explain the current muon g -2 anomaly. We also compare the clockwork graviton contributions with other extra dimensional models such as Randall-Sundrum models or large extra dimensional models. We find that the leading contributions in the small curvature limit are universal, but the cutoff-independent subleading contributions vary for different background geometries and the clockwork geometry gives the smallest subleading contributions.

Medical Entomology: A Reemerging Field of Research to Better Understand Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases.

PubMed

Laroche, Maureen; Bérenger, Jean-Michel; Delaunay, Pascal; Charrel, Remi; Pradines, Bruno; Berger, Franck; Ranque, Stéphane; Bitam, Idir; Davoust, Bernard; Raoult, Didier; Parola, Philippe

2017-08-15

In the last decade, the Chikungunya and Zika virus outbreaks have turned public attention to the possibility of the expansion of vector-borne infectious diseases worldwide. Medical entomology is focused on the study of arthropods involved in human health. We review here some of the research approaches taken by the medical entomology team of the University Hospital Institute (UHI) Méditerranée Infection of Marseille, France, with the support of recent or representative studies. We propose our approaches to technical innovations in arthropod identification and the detection of microorganisms in arthropods, the use of arthropods as epidemiological or diagnostic tools, entomological investigations around clinical cases or within specific populations, and how we have developed experimental models to decipher the interactions between arthropods, microorganisms, and humans. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Beacons to the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohliger, John

From the point of view that broadcasting is turning toward social responsibility and social ethic, it becomes the duty of university departments preparing personnel for the broadcasting field to select students potentially qualified to contribute in addition to technical capability "that extra something" denoting real ethical quality.…

Effects of sterile neutrino and extra-dimension on big bang nucleosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Dukjae; Kusakabe, Motohiko; Cheoun, Myung-Ki

2018-04-01

We study effects of the sterile neutrino in the five-dimensional universe on the big bang nucleosynthesis (BBN). Since the five-dimensional universe model leads to an additional term in the Friedmann equation and the energy density of the sterile neutrino increases the total energy density, this model can affect the primordial abundance via changing the cosmic expansion rate. The energy density of the sterile neutrino can be determined by a rate equation for production of the sterile neutrino. We show that not only the mixing angle and the mass of the sterile neutrino, but also a resonant effect in the oscillation between sterile and active neutrinos is important to determine a relic abundance of the sterile neutrino. In this study, we also investigate how the sterile neutrino in extra-dimensional model can affect the BBN, and constrain the parameters related to the above properties of the sterile neutrino by using the observational primordial abundances of light elements.

Reionization during the dark ages from a cosmic axion background

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

Evoli, Carmelo; Leo, Matteo; Mirizzi, Alessandro

2016-05-01

Recently it has been pointed out that a cosmic background of relativistic axion-like particles (ALPs) would be produced by the primordial decays of heavy fields in the post-inflation epoch, contributing to the extra-radiation content in the Universe today. Primordial magnetic fields would trigger conversions of these ALPs into sub-MeV photons during the dark ages. This photon flux would produce an early reionization of the Universe, leaving a significant imprint on the total optical depth to recombination τ. Using the current measurement of τ and the limit on the extra-radiation content Δ N {sub eff} by the Planck experiment we putmore » a strong bound on the ALP-photon conversions. Namely we obtain upper limits on the product of the photon-ALP coupling constant g {sub a} {sub γ} times the magnetic field strength B down to g {sub a} {sub γ} B ∼> 6 × 10{sup −18} GeV{sup −1} nG for ultralight ALPs.« less

Simulating Electrophoresis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moertel, Cheryl; Frutiger, Bruce

1996-01-01

Describes a DNA fingerprinting simulation that uses vegetable food coloring and plastic food containers instead of DNA and expensive gel electrophoresis chambers. Allows students to decipher unknown combinations of dyes in a method similar to that used to decipher samples of DNA in DNA fingerprint techniques. (JRH)

Astrobiology: exploring the origins, evolution, and distribution of life in the Universe.

PubMed

Des Marais, D J; Walter, M R

1999-01-01

The search for the origins of life and its presence beyond Earth is strengthened by new technology and by evidence that life tolerates extreme conditions and that planets are widespread. Astrobiologists learn how planets develop and maintain habitable conditions. They combine biological and information sciences to decipher the origins of life. They examine how biota, particularly microorganisms, evolve, at scales from the molecular to the biosphere level, including interactions with long-term planetary changes. Astrobiologists learn how to recognize the morphological, chemical, and spectroscopic signatures of life in order to explore both extraterrestrial samples and electromagnetic spectra reflected from extrasolar planets.

Astrobiology: exploring the origins, evolution, and distribution of life in the Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, D. J.; Walter, M. R.

1999-01-01

The search for the origins of life and its presence beyond Earth is strengthened by new technology and by evidence that life tolerates extreme conditions and that planets are widespread. Astrobiologists learn how planets develop and maintain habitable conditions. They combine biological and information sciences to decipher the origins of life. They examine how biota, particularly microorganisms, evolve, at scales from the molecular to the biosphere level, including interactions with long-term planetary changes. Astrobiologists learn how to recognize the morphological, chemical, and spectroscopic signatures of life in order to explore both extraterrestrial samples and electromagnetic spectra reflected from extrasolar planets.

DECIPHERING NATURALLY-OCCURRING PB CONTAMINATION IMPACTING DRINKING WATER WELLS: SHAKER VILLAGE CATCHMENT, MAINE.

EPA Science Inventory

Trace Pb concentrations in groundwater within glacial deposits across Maine fluctuate considerably. Deciphering the distribution and sources of naturally occurring Pb in groundwater with only the use of conventional anomaly identification techniques presents a challenge. In a rep...

Problems, Pitfalls, and Benefits of Portfolios.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Bernice A.

1998-01-01

Two groups of student teachers, one school-based and one university-based, were introduced to portfolio construction. School-based students received more guidance in and time for portfolio construction. Surveys and interviews indicated that the extra time and guidance helped school-based students, who benefited more from portfolios than…

77 FR 24554 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition; Determinations: “Quay Brothers: On...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-24

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 7855] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition; Determinations: ``Quay Brothers: On Deciphering the Pharmacist's Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets'' AGENCY...: On Deciphering the Pharmacist's Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets'' imported from abroad for...

Genome medicine: gene therapy for the millennium, 30 September-3 October 2001, Rome, Italy.

PubMed

Gruenert, D C; Novelli, G; Dallapiccola, B; Colosimo, A

2002-06-01

The recent surge of DNA sequence information resulting from the efforts of agencies interested in deciphering the human genetic code has facilitated technological developments that have been critical in the identification of genes associated with numerous disease pathologies. In addition, these efforts have opened the door to the opportunity to develop novel genetic therapies to treat a broad range of inherited disorders. Through a joint effort by the University of Vermont, the University of Rome, Tor Vergata, University of Rome, La Sapienza, and the CSS Mendel Institute, Rome, an international meeting, 'Genome Medicine: Gene Therapy for the Millennium' was organized. This meeting provided a forum for the discussion of scientific and clinical advances stimulated by the explosion of sequence information generated by the Human Genome Project and the implications these advances have for gene therapy. The meeting had six sessions that focused on the functional evaluation of specific genes via biochemical analysis and through animal models, the development of novel therapeutic strategies involving gene targeting, artificial chromsomes, DNA delivery systems and non-embryonic stem cells, and on the ethical and social implications of these advances.

First Report of Garlic Rust Caused by Puccinia allii on Allium sativum in Minnesota

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In July 2010, Allium sativum, cultivar German Extra Hardy Porcelain plants showing foliar symptoms typical of rust infection were brought to the Plant Disease Clinic at the University of Minnesota by a commercial grower from Fillmore county Minnesota. Infected leaves showed circular to oblong lesio...

Extra-Credential Experiences and Social Closure: Working-Class Students at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehmann, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Human capital theorists perceive of educational expansion as beneficial to individuals, corporations and national economies, while social closure theorists have claimed that inflation of credential requirements maintains traditional status inequalities. In this paper I argue that status inequalities are not only maintained by credential inflation,…

Survey of Extra-Curricular Athletics (both intercollegiate and intramural).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellis, E. N.; Gilbert, K. J.

This research report presents findings from a survey questionnaire designed to obtain information about current university programs in extracurricular athletics. The survey encompasses responses from 29 colleges: 11 in British Columbia, 8 in other Canadian provinces, and 10 in the United States. The responses indicate a general trend toward…

Community Health: FCS Extension Educators Deliver Diabetes Education in PA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Jill N.; Corbin, Marilyn

2011-01-01

For decades, family and consumer sciences (FCS) Extension educators have provided health related education to consumers through Cooperative Extension programming at land grant universities. However, offering diabetes education can be extra challenging due to the complicated nature of the disease and the multi-faceted treatment required. Faced with…

Some Steps To Improve Your Spoken English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellor, Jeff

The guide contains suggestions for University of Tennessee, Knoxville foreign teaching assistants to improve their command of spoken English. The first section offers four speech improvement suggestions requiring little or no extra time, including speaking English as much and as often as possible, imitating native speakers, asking for the correct…

Courses for Disadvantaged Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Michael Barratt

1976-01-01

Problems and needs of unprepared adult learners are identified and purposes and processes for programs designed to hold them and encourage them on to more systematic study are outlined. Includes description of released time and multi-media programs at Sheffield University Department of Extra Mural Studies for trade unionists and housewives. (JT)

Lenguaje y Ciencias (Language and Sciences), Vol. 17, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zierer, Ernesto, Ed.

This issue contains two articles in Spanish and three in English on the following topics: the practical presentation of English for Special Purposes (ESP) materials in science programs at the National University of Trujillo, "notional syllabus" and "discourse analysis" in relation to ESP materials, extra-linguistic principles in explaining…

Extrabudgetary Funding and Institutional Relationships between Higher Education, Industry, and Social Partners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulte, Peter

2003-01-01

Describes one German university's efforts over 10 years to institutionalize relationships with small- and mid-sized industry and local enterprises, thereby increasing extra-budgetary funding for applied research projects. These joint efforts offer students the opportunity to acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical training during their…

Internships: Lending a Hand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cayan, Sally; Jacquart, Jamie

1990-01-01

The benefits derived from an internship program within a college or university graduate education classroom are discussed, as well as the program's development and operation. Benefits from such a program are viewed as affecting both the institution and the interns themselves. The institution is provided with extra staff, along with their fresh…

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS PROGRAM

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

Rutherfoord, John P.; Johns, Kenneth A.; Shupe, Michael A.

2013-07-29

The High Energy Physics Group at the University of Arizona has conducted forefront research in elementary particle physics. Our theorists have developed new ideas in lattice QCD, SUSY phenomenology, string theory phenomenology, extra spatial dimensions, dark matter, and neutrino astrophysics. The experimentalists produced significant physics results on the ATLAS experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider and on the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. In addition, the experimentalists were leaders in detector development and construction, and on service roles in these experiments.

The Web-Lecture - a viable alternative to the traditional lecture format?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meibom, S.

2004-12-01

Educational research shows that students learn best in an environment with emphasis on teamwork, problem-solving, and hands-on experience. Still professors spend the majority of their time with students in the traditional lecture-hall setting where the combination of large classes and limited time prevents sufficient student-teacher interaction to foster an active learning environment. Can modern computer technology be used to provide "lecture-type" information to students via the World Wide Web? If so, will that help professors make better and/or different use of their scheduled time with the students? Answering these questions was the main motivation for the Extra-Solar Planet Project. The Extra-Solar Planet Project was designed to test the effectiveness of a lecture available to the student on the World Wide Web (Web-Lecture) and to engage the students in an active learning environment were their use the information presented in the Web-Lecture. The topic of the Web-Lecture was detection of extra-solar planets and the project was implemented into an introductory astronomy course at University of Wisconsin Madison in the spring of 2004. The Web-Lecture was designed to give an interactive presentation of synchronized video, audio and lecture notes. It was created using the eTEACH software developed at the University of Wisconsin Madison School of Engineering. In my talk, I will describe the project, show excerpts of the Web-Lecture, and present assessments of student learning and results of student evaluations of the web-lecture format.

The dental identification of victims of an aircraft accident in Malaysia.

PubMed

Nambiar, P; Jalil, N; Singh, B

1997-02-01

On 15 September 1995 a Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Fokker 50 plane plunged while descending and crashed, killing thirty-four passengers aboard. The dental disaster victim identification team comprising dental surgeons from the Dental faculty, University of Malaya; Ministry of Health, Sabah; and the Malaysian Defence Forces played an active role in the identification process. Most of the bodies were badly mutilated, disfigured and severely incinerated. Problems were encountered due to inadequate facilities and space at the mortuary. Difficulties were also encountered during the procurement and deciphering of information from dental records. This disaster has however created greater awareness amongst Malaysians of the important role of forensic odontology in mass disasters.

[A reflection about organizational culture according to psychoanalysis' view].

PubMed

Cardoso, Maria Lúcia Alves Pereira

2008-01-01

This article aims at submitting a reflection on the universal presuppositions of human culture proposed by Freud, as a prop for analyzing presuppositions of organizational culture according to Schein. In an article published in 1984, the latter claims that in order to decipher organizational culture one cannot rely upon the (visible) artifacts or to (perceptible) values, but should take a deeper plunge and identify the basic assumptions underlying organizational culture. Such pressupositions spread into the field of sttudy concerning the individual inner self, within the sphere of Psychoanalysis. We have therefore examined Freud's basic assumptions of human culture in order to ascertain its conformity with the paradigms of organizational culture as proposed by Schein.

Deciphering indented impressions on plastic.

PubMed

Brown, Sharon; Klein, Asne; Chaikovsky, Alan

2003-07-01

The questioned document laboratory is often called upon to decipher writing that has been erased, obliterated, or that has faded. In cases like these, the original writing is no longer legible to the naked eye, but may be enhanced using various light sources. Certain remnants of the ink's components absorb into the substrate's fibers and can be visualized, usually as luminescence or absorbance. A case is described here that involved the theft of a credit card. An empty plastic credit card holder was found in the possession of a suspect, and as submitted for examination. Indented impressions could be discerned on its clear plastic window and presumably originated from the credit card that had been held in the envelope. These indented impressions were deciphered in the hope that they would reveal enough details from the credit card to establish a connection between the plastic envelope and the stolen credit card. With methods generally utilized in the toolmarks and materials laboratory and the photography laboratory of the Israel Police, most of the indented impressions on the plastic were deciphered and a connection between the plastic envelope and the stolen credit card was demonstrated.

Internship and Foreign Language Training: Blending Academic Study and Extra-Academic Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iwamura, Susan Grohs

Student experiences in an exchange program linking the University of Hawaii and the Graduate School of Business in Lyon, France illustrate the positive impact of foreign internships. The students were enrolled in internship programs in travel industry management. The reports written by the students reveal that the experiences have affected the…

Choice of Academic Major at a Public Research University: The Role of Gender and Self-Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Iryna Y.; Muse, William B.

2017-01-01

Females are underrepresented in certain disciplines, which translates into their having less promising career outlooks and lower earnings. This study examines the effects of socio-economic status, academic performance, high school curriculum and involvement in extra-curricular activities, as well as self-efficacy for academic achievement on…

Chronicle of Higher Education. Volume 51, Number 35, May 6, 2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chronicle of Higher Education, 2005

2005-01-01

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This May 6, 2005 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "No Extra Credit For You: If It's Exam Week, It Must Be Time for Students to Make…

Integrating and Assessing Essential Learning Outcomes: The Syllabus and Formative Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cydis, Susan; Galantino, MaryLou; Hood, Carra Leah; Padden, Mary; Richard, Marc

2017-01-01

This article describes the results of a follow-up investigation to a study in which researchers proposed a model for implementing a college-wide initiative in which ten essential learning outcomes students acquire from curricular and extra-curricular learning experiences were developed and implemented at the university. Using descriptive and…

The Detection of the Fake Good Response Set on the MMPI-2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Wayne

Patterns of responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) that typify deliberate deception of others (faking good) were studied using 100 undergraduates at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) who were given extra course credit for participation in the study. Females constituted 73% of the final subject pool. Each…

Students Shaping Dialogue at College Events: Ideas for Academic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Margaret

2009-01-01

Opportunities for intellectual exchanges outside of class are plentiful on college and university campuses, but these events are not fully integrated into the academic life of the college. Too often undergraduate students are motivated only by the prospect of earning extra credit to attend a campus event. This paper presents several ideas for…

Using One's Own Professional Activities to Promote Research and Publishing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coniam, David

2015-01-01

This paper explores issues related to teacher educators publishing in journals. They do so for obvious reasons such as tenure, career advancement, personal satisfaction and university prestige. In order to offer an extra means of helping teacher educators achieve these publishing goals, the paper explores how using one's own professional…

"School Adopts an Experiment": The Photoluminescence in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and in Tonic Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallitto, A. Agliolo; Agnello, S.; Cannas, M.

2011-01-01

We report a laboratory activity, carried out along with high- and secondary-school students, that can be done to increase the interest of the young in scientific studies. Groups of selected students "adopted" experiments at physics research laboratories, under the guidance of university researchers. Subsequently, the students…

Promoting Scientific Faculties: Does It Work? Evidence from Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maestri, Virginia

2013-01-01

In reaction to the OECD-wide declining trend in scientific enrollments, the Italian government launched a policy in 2005 to promote the study of science at the university. The policy promoted extra-curricular activities for secondary school students in Chemistry, Physics, Math and Materials Science. This article evaluates the policy impact on…

Using the Community as a Classroom for Large Introductory Sociology Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corwin, Patricia

1996-01-01

Explores how a student service program can be implemented without a large staff and without cost, in large introductory sociology classes as part of an extra-credit project, while augmenting course material as an active learning component. Discusses a class that fits this description at North Dakota State University. (MJP)

"Reform Agenda" in New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Michele

2007-01-01

This article reports how New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is dangling billions of dollars in extra aid and the promise of universal prekindergarten in front of his state's public schools--along with the prospect of mandated performance contracts for districts, and the threat that local boards and superintendents could be ousted and hundreds of schools…

"The Best Part Was the Contact!": Understanding Postgraduate Students' Experiences of Wrapped MOOCs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffer, Tasneem; Govender, Shanali; Brown, Cheryl

2017-01-01

Mandated to provide support to postgraduate students, the Office of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Cape Town operates in a context characterised by limited funding and resourcing, varied student preparedness for postgraduate study, and increasing student mobility. Extra-curricular academic and professional skills support is offered…

An Investigation of Spontaneous Lorentz Violation and Cosmic Inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, Heywood

2010-12-01

In this thesis we re-examine two established ideas in theoretical physics: Lorentz invariance and cosmic inflation. In the first four chapters, we (i) propose a way to hide large extra dimensions by coupling standard model fields with Lorentz-violating tensor fields with expectation values along the extra dimensions; (ii) examine the stability of theories in which Lorentz invariance is spontaneously broken by fixed-norm 'aether' fields; (iii) investigate the phenomenological properties of the sigma-model aether theory; and (iv) explore the implications of an alternative theory of gravity in which the graviton arises from the Goldstone modes of a two-index symmetric aether field. In the final chapter, we examine the horizon and flatness problems using the canonical measure (developed by Gibbons, Hawking, and Stewart) on the space of solutions to Einstein's equations. We find that the flatness problem does not exist, while the homogeneity of our universe does represent a substantial fine-tuning. Based on the assumption of unitary evolution (Liouville's theorem), we further dispute the widely accepted claim that inflation makes our universe more natural.

Cosmology favoring extra radiation and sub-eV mass sterile neutrinos as an option.

PubMed

Hamann, Jan; Hannestad, Steen; Raffelt, Georg G; Tamborra, Irene; Wong, Yvonne Y Y

2010-10-29

Precision cosmology and big-bang nucleosynthesis mildly favor extra radiation in the Universe beyond photons and ordinary neutrinos, lending support to the existence of low-mass sterile neutrinos. We use the WMAP 7-year data, small-scale cosmic microwave background observations from ACBAR, BICEP, and QuAD, the SDSS 7th data release, and measurement of the Hubble parameter from HST observations to derive credible regions for the assumed common mass scale m{s} and effective number N{s} of thermally excited sterile neutrino states. Our results are compatible with the existence of one or perhaps two sterile neutrinos, as suggested by LSND and MiniBooNE, if m{s} is in the sub-eV range.

Different orders of lives in the universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikdar, M. K.

2014-08-01

In this article, main life sensitive elements involved in life creating processes on earth have been explored. An in-depth study has been made to search out material abundances of all life sensitive elements in the periodic table mainly on earth, celestial bodies like star, binary stars, extra-solar system, extra solar planets and galaxies etc. at large. Extensive review has been made to project how life processes are being triggered in our earth and intakes required for continuous metabolism, mutation, reproducibility etc. Finally on the basis of ideas developed about the life processes on earth, other life chains that may happen to exist on other celestial bodies have been predicted. The constraints and barriers that stand in the way of communications have also been pointed out.

Cone-Deciphered Modes of Problem Solving Action (MPSA Cone): Alternative Perspectives on Diversified Professions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Su-Huei

A conceptual framework of the modes of problem-solving action has been developed on the basis of a simple relationship cone to assist individuals in diversified professions in inquiry and implementation of theory and practice in their professional development. The conceptual framework is referred to as the Cone-Deciphered Modes of Problem Solving…

Quintessential inflation from a variable cosmological constant in a 5D vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Membiela, Agustin; Bellini, Mauricio

2006-10-01

We explore an effective 4D cosmological model for the universe where the variable cosmological constant governs its evolution and the pressure remains negative along all the expansion. This model is introduced from a 5D vacuum state where the (space-like) extra coordinate is considered as noncompact. The expansion is produced by the inflaton field, which is considered as nonminimally coupled to gravity. We conclude from experimental data that the coupling of the inflaton with gravity should be weak, but variable in different epochs of the evolution of the universe.

Measurements of the Magnetic Field of the Upper Chromosphere with Polarimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rachmeler, Laurel; Mckenzie, David; Winebarger, Amy; Kobayashi, Ken; Ishikawa, Ryohko; Kubo, Masahito; Narukage, Noriyuki; Bueno, Trujillo, Javier; Auchere, Frederic

2017-01-01

A major remaining challenge for heliophysics is to decipher the magnetic structure of the chromosphere. The chromosphere is the critical interface between the Sun's photosphere and corona: it contains more mass than the entire interplanetary heliosphere, requires a heating rate that is larger than that of the corona, and mediates all the energy driving the solar wind, solar atmospheric heating and solar eruptions. While measurements of the magnetic field in the photosphere are routine, the chromosphere poses several extra challenges. The magnetically sensitive lines formed in the upper chromosphere are in the ultraviolet, so space-based observations are required. The lines are often formed over a range of heights, sampling different plasma which complicates the inversion process. These lines are sensitive to the magnetic field via polarized light that is created or modified through the Hanle and Zeeman effects. There are a few observations of these lines, and a significant challenge remains in extracting the magnetic field from the polarization measurements, as detailed model atmospheres with advanced radiative transfer physics are needed. Real progress is obtained by a simultaneous improvement in both the observational side and the modeling side. We present information on the CLASP (Chromospheric LAyer Spectro-Polarimeter) sounding rocket program, and future prospects for these types of measurements.

Synapse-associated protein 102/dlgh3 couples the NMDA receptor to specific plasticity pathways and learning strategies.

PubMed

Cuthbert, Peter C; Stanford, Lianne E; Coba, Marcelo P; Ainge, James A; Fink, Ann E; Opazo, Patricio; Delgado, Jary Y; Komiyama, Noboru H; O'Dell, Thomas J; Grant, Seth G N

2007-03-07

Understanding the mechanisms whereby information encoded within patterns of action potentials is deciphered by neurons is central to cognitive psychology. The multiprotein complexes formed by NMDA receptors linked to synaptic membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) proteins including synapse-associated protein 102 (SAP102) and other associated proteins are instrumental in these processes. Although humans with mutations in SAP102 show mental retardation, the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved are unknown. Using SAP102 knock-out mice, we found specific impairments in synaptic plasticity induced by selective frequencies of stimulation that also required extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling. This was paralleled by inflexibility and impairment in spatial learning. Improvement in spatial learning performance occurred with extra training despite continued use of a suboptimal search strategy, and, in a separate nonspatial task, the mutants again deployed a different strategy. Double-mutant analysis of postsynaptic density-95 and SAP102 mutants indicate overlapping and specific functions of the two MAGUKs. These in vivo data support the model that specific MAGUK proteins couple the NMDA receptor to distinct downstream signaling pathways. This provides a mechanism for discriminating patterns of synaptic activity that lead to long-lasting changes in synaptic strength as well as distinct aspects of cognition in the mammalian nervous system.

An extended model of vesicle fusion at the plasma membrane to estimate protein lateral diffusion from TIRF microscopy images.

PubMed

Basset, Antoine; Bouthemy, Patrick; Boulanger, Jérôme; Waharte, François; Salamero, Jean; Kervrann, Charles

2017-07-24

Characterizing membrane dynamics is a key issue to understand cell exchanges with the extra-cellular medium. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) is well suited to focus on the late steps of exocytosis at the plasma membrane. However, it is still a challenging task to quantify (lateral) diffusion and estimate local dynamics of proteins. A new model was introduced to represent the behavior of cargo transmembrane proteins during the vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane at the end of the exocytosis process. Two biophysical parameters, the diffusion coefficient and the release rate parameter, are automatically estimated from TIRFM image sequences, to account for both the lateral diffusion of molecules at the membrane and the continuous release of the proteins from the vesicle to the plasma membrane. Quantitative evaluation on 300 realistic computer-generated image sequences demonstrated the efficiency and accuracy of the method. The application of our method on 16 real TIRFM image sequences additionally revealed differences in the dynamic behavior of Transferrin Receptor (TfR) and Langerin proteins. An automated method has been designed to simultaneously estimate the diffusion coefficient and the release rate for each individual vesicle fusion event at the plasma membrane in TIRFM image sequences. It can be exploited for further deciphering cell membrane dynamics.

Exploring the dark foldable proteome by considering hydrophobic amino acids topology

PubMed Central

Bitard-Feildel, Tristan; Callebaut, Isabelle

2017-01-01

The protein universe corresponds to the set of all proteins found in all organisms. A way to explore it is by taking into account the domain content of the proteins. However, some part of sequences and many entire sequences remain un-annotated despite a converging number of domain families. The un-annotated part of the protein universe is referred to as the dark proteome and remains poorly characterized. In this study, we quantify the amount of foldable domains within the dark proteome by using the hydrophobic cluster analysis methodology. These un-annotated foldable domains were grouped using a combination of remote homology searches and domain annotations, leading to define different levels of darkness. The dark foldable domains were analyzed to understand what make them different from domains stored in databases and thus difficult to annotate. The un-annotated domains of the dark proteome universe display specific features relative to database domains: shorter length, non-canonical content and particular topology in hydrophobic residues, higher propensity for disorder, and a higher energy. These features make them hard to relate to known families. Based on these observations, we emphasize that domain annotation methodologies can still be improved to fully apprehend and decipher the molecular evolution of the protein universe. PMID:28134276

Uprobe: a genome-wide universal probe resource for comparative physical mapping in vertebrates.

PubMed

Kellner, Wendy A; Sullivan, Robert T; Carlson, Brian H; Thomas, James W

2005-01-01

Interspecies comparisons are important for deciphering the functional content and evolution of genomes. The expansive array of >70 public vertebrate genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries can provide a means of comparative mapping, sequencing, and functional analysis of targeted chromosomal segments that is independent and complementary to whole-genome sequencing. However, at the present time, no complementary resource exists for the efficient targeted physical mapping of the majority of these BAC libraries. Universal overgo-hybridization probes, designed from regions of sequenced genomes that are highly conserved between species, have been demonstrated to be an effective resource for the isolation of orthologous regions from multiple BAC libraries in parallel. Here we report the application of the universal probe design principal across entire genomes, and the subsequent creation of a complementary probe resource, Uprobe, for screening vertebrate BAC libraries. Uprobe currently consists of whole-genome sets of universal overgo-hybridization probes designed for screening mammalian or avian/reptilian libraries. Retrospective analysis, experimental validation of the probe design process on a panel of representative BAC libraries, and estimates of probe coverage across the genome indicate that the majority of all eutherian and avian/reptilian genes or regions of interest can be isolated using Uprobe. Future implementation of the universal probe design strategy will be used to create an expanded number of whole-genome probe sets that will encompass all vertebrate genomes.

KK parity in warped extra dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agashe, Kaustubh; Falkowski, Adam; Low, Ian; Servant, Géraldine

2008-04-01

We construct models with a Kaluza-Klein (KK) parity in a five-dimensional warped geometry, in an attempt to address the little hierarchy problem present in setups with bulk Standard Model fields. The lightest KK particle (LKP) is stable and can play the role of dark matter. We consider the possibilities of gluing two identical slices of AdS5 in either the UV (IR-UV-IR model) or the IR region (UV-IR-UV model) and discuss the model-building issues as well as phenomenological properties in both cases. In particular, we find that the UV-IR-UV model is not gravitationally stable and that additional mechanisms might be required in the IR-UV-IR model to address flavor issues. Collider signals of the warped KK parity are different from either the conventional warped extra dimension without KK parity, in which the new particles are not necessarily pair-produced, or the KK parity in flat universal extra dimensions, where each KK level is nearly degenerate in mass. Dark matter and collider properties of a TeV mass KK Z gauge boson as the LKP are discussed.

Thermodynamic constraints on a varying cosmological-constant-like term from the holographic equipartition law with a power-law corrected entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Nobuyoshi

2017-11-01

A power-law corrected entropy based on a quantum entanglement is considered to be a viable black-hole entropy. In this study, as an alternative to Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, a power-law corrected entropy is applied to Padmanabhan's holographic equipartition law to thermodynamically examine an extra driving term in the cosmological equations for a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker universe at late times. Deviations from the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy generate an extra driving term (proportional to the α th power of the Hubble parameter, where α is a dimensionless constant for the power-law correction) in the acceleration equation, which can be derived from the holographic equipartition law. Interestingly, the value of the extra driving term in the present model is constrained by the second law of thermodynamics. From the thermodynamic constraint, the order of the driving term is found to be consistent with the order of the cosmological constant measured by observations. In addition, the driving term tends to be constantlike when α is small, i.e., when the deviation from the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy is small.

Procura de Sinais de Dimensões Extras Universais em Colisões Próton-Antipróton (in Portuguese)

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

de Souza Santos, Angelo

Models that predict the existence of extra spatial dimensions have been studied since the beginning of the 20th century. These models can incorporate gravity in the framework that describes the other interactions and they can present a number of interesting features such as a dark matter candidate. In this work, we explore the consequences of the Universal Extra Dimensions (UED) model by searching for the production of Kaluza-Klein particles whose decay chain leads to signaturemore » $$\\mu^{\\pm}\\mu^{\\pm} + \\mathrm{jets} + \\met$$. We employ the data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of \\unit{7.3}{\\femto\\barn}$$^{-1}$$, collected by the \\dzero{} detector at a $$p\\bar p$$ collider at a center of mass energy of \\unit{1.96}{\\tera\\electronvolt}. Since no excess was observed in the data, we were able to set a lower limit on the compactification scale of $$R^{-1}>260$$ GeV in the model. This is the first study to impose a direct limit on the minimal UED model.« less

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Cosmological branes and macroscopic extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barvinsky, Andrei O.

2005-06-01

The idea of adding extra dimensions to the physical world — thus making the observable universe a timelike surface (or brane) embedded in a higher-dimensional space-time — is briefly reviewed, which is believed to hold serious promise for solving fundamental problems concerning the hierarchy of physical interactions and the cosmological constant. Brane localization of massless gravitons is discussed as a mechanism leading to the effective four-dimensional Einstein gravity theory on the brane in the low-energy limit. It is shown that this mechanism is a corollary of the AdS/CFT correspondence principle well-known from string theory. Inflation and other cosmological evolution scenarios induced by the local and nonlocal structures of the effective action of the gravitational brane are considered, as are the effects that enable the developing gravitational-wave astronomy to be used in the search for extra dimensions. Finally, a new approach to the cosmological constant and cosmological acceleration problems is discussed, which involves variable local and nonlocal gravitational 'constants' arising in the infrared modifications of the Einstein theory that incorporate brane-induced gravity models and models of massive gravitons.

Ethical and Economic Issues: Trustee Interest and Involvement in Academic Policies for Faculty Consulting, Overload Teaching and Intellectual Property Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsh, Herbert W.; And Others

Governing board chairmen of 176 selected postsecondary institutions were surveyed to determine their levels of knowledge, involvement, and satisfaction concerning policies for extra-income-earning activities of the faculty. Such activities provide benefits to the faculty, the university, and to society, but potential conflicts of interest and…

Increasing Confidence to Decrease Reticence: A Qualitative Action Research in Second Language Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doqaruni, Vahid Rahmani

2015-01-01

This study reports on an action research on increasing the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' confidence in speaking. Participants involved in this study were 16 male university students who had an upper-intermediate level of English. Extra speaking activities were incorporated into the classroom for 8 successive weeks. Insights into…

A Unique Partnership: Year 1 as a Professional Development School in an Urban Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Himel, Mabel T.; Hall, Mary Lee; Henderson, Virginia; Floyd, Ruth

2000-01-01

Describes the first year of a Professional Development School initiative involving an urban university and local elementary school. The partnership began through the principal's efforts to provide professional development for her teachers and extra hands in the classroom. As interested people became involved, they conveyed the message of the power…

The Ups and Downs of Third-Stream Collaboration in Modern Languages: The Blended Language Training Initiative at Nottingham Trent University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Neil

2012-01-01

In his "Review of Modern Foreign Languages Provision in Higher Education in England", Michael Worton argues that to safeguard the health of their subjects, languages academics will need to establish "greater, sustainable collaborations" with a range of partners including "extra-educational organisations". For Worton's…

Motivating Freshman Students in a Business Management Course via Portfolios: Practice from a Greek Public University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadimitriou, Antigoni

2009-01-01

There are many ways to approach the evaluation of student learning. Portfolios, as collections of student work, are an increasingly popular assessment strategy, especially in the United States. Portfolios provide an exceptionally comprehensive picture of student learning. However, this assessment method requires extra effort to plan, to evaluate,…

Curricular and Extra-Curricular Programs Supporting Improved International Learning Mobility Experiences: An Emerging Trend in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molony, John

2011-01-01

International learning mobility is a strategic and operational priority for both the federal government and the majority of universities in Australia. Dating back over a decade, successive governments have stressed the public good to be derived from having an increased proportion of students participating in mobility programs. It is seen as…

Citizenship Education "Goes Global": Extra-Curricular Learning in an Overseas Campus of a British Civic University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Zhen

2017-01-01

Active citizenship is increasingly being framed in the context of lifelong and life-wide learning. However, research on young people's participation in and experience of different forms of civic practice, particularly in informal settings in different sociocultural contexts, is scarce. Consequently, little is known about how these experiences…

An Investigation into University Extra-Curricular Enterprise Support Provision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preedy, Sarah; Jones, Paul

2015-01-01

Purpose: The employment market means students need to be equipped with wide-ranging enterprising skills and experience. With small- and medium-sized enterprises crucial to the health of the UK economy providing graduates with the skills to start-up their own business is also of increasing pertinence. The purpose of this paper is to analyse…

Exploring Antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour among Teachers at Norwegian Folk High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elstad, Eyvind; Christophersen, Knut Andreas; Turmo, Are

2012-01-01

The folk high school (FHS) is a Nordic contribution to global education and is a unique approach to non-university adult education. Because expanded tuition is the true nature of Norwegian FHS, it is important for FHS that its teachers perform discretionary individual extra-role behaviour advantageous to the school organization, a phenomenon…

The Rise and Fall of Life-Wide Learning for Adults in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuckett, Alan

2017-01-01

This article analyses policy and practice in social and cultural education for adults in England in the post Second World War era, beginning with the flowering of municipal adult education and the expansion of university extra-mural provision. It tracks the emerging policy focus on extending participation to under-represented groups, and on…

Community Engagement in Local History: A Report on the Hemel at War Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Lynda; Grayson, Richard S.

2011-01-01

This article, by Lynda Abbott and Richard Grayson, offers a fascinating example of collaboration between school and university, focused on the development of a community archive. The project--run as an extra-curricular activity--was originally inspired by a concern to preserve the personal stories of those whose lives were affected by the Second…

Draft Plan of Operation for a Functional Literacy Pilot Program in Swaziland June-July 1971.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebenta National Inst. (Swaziland).

A planned full-time "functional literacy" course that was to be held during June and July 1971 in Ekuhlamukeni and Nqabaneni (Swaziland) is discussed. The experimental pilot project was to be sponsored by the Sebenta National Institute, the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland Division of Extra Mural Services, and by the…

Should providers be allowed to extra bill for uncovered services? Debate, resolution, and sequel in Japan.

PubMed

Ikegami, Naoki

2006-12-01

Japan has managed to provide universal coverage at relatively low cost by containing prices and restricting the conditions for which services can be billed in the compulsory social health insurance (SHI) program. However, decline in Japan's economic growth ushered in new actors backed by the prime minister who proposed that the providers should be allowed to extra bill for services not covered by the SHI. In 2004 they took the strategy of drawing the attention of the public to areas where the rigidity of the current prohibition appeared to be unfair and ridiculous. They were opposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and the Japan Medical Association, who strongly objected on the grounds of safety and equity. The compromise reached by the two ministers in charge led to a clarification of the services that are to be covered and of the process for extending coverage to new procedures and drugs. The prohibition on extra billing has remained essentially unchanged, but the momentum for deregulation has been lost. In 2005 an alternate proposal was made to contain SHI expenditures by introducing a global cap on health expenditures and increasing out-of-pocket payment. Although this proposal was not fully adopted, the gradual decline in SHI benefit levels could lead to a renewed move to allow extra billing.

Hearing regulates Drosophila aggression.

PubMed

Versteven, Marijke; Vanden Broeck, Lies; Geurten, Bart; Zwarts, Liesbeth; Decraecker, Lisse; Beelen, Melissa; Göpfert, Martin C; Heinrich, Ralf; Callaerts, Patrick

2017-02-21

Aggression is a universal social behavior important for the acquisition of food, mates, territory, and social status. Aggression in Drosophila is context-dependent and can thus be expected to involve inputs from multiple sensory modalities. Here, we use mechanical disruption and genetic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster to identify hearing as an important sensory modality in the context of intermale aggressive behavior. We demonstrate that neuronal silencing and targeted knockdown of hearing genes in the fly's auditory organ elicit abnormal aggression. Further, we show that exposure to courtship or aggression song has opposite effects on aggression. Our data define the importance of hearing in the control of Drosophila intermale aggression and open perspectives to decipher how hearing and other sensory modalities are integrated at the neural circuit level.

Hearing regulates Drosophila aggression

PubMed Central

Versteven, Marijke; Vanden Broeck, Lies; Geurten, Bart; Zwarts, Liesbeth; Decraecker, Lisse; Beelen, Melissa; Göpfert, Martin C.; Heinrich, Ralf; Callaerts, Patrick

2017-01-01

Aggression is a universal social behavior important for the acquisition of food, mates, territory, and social status. Aggression in Drosophila is context-dependent and can thus be expected to involve inputs from multiple sensory modalities. Here, we use mechanical disruption and genetic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster to identify hearing as an important sensory modality in the context of intermale aggressive behavior. We demonstrate that neuronal silencing and targeted knockdown of hearing genes in the fly’s auditory organ elicit abnormal aggression. Further, we show that exposure to courtship or aggression song has opposite effects on aggression. Our data define the importance of hearing in the control of Drosophila intermale aggression and open perspectives to decipher how hearing and other sensory modalities are integrated at the neural circuit level. PMID:28115690

Cosmology Favoring Extra Radiation and Sub-eV Mass Sterile Neutrinos as an Option

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

Hamann, Jan; Hannestad, Steen; Raffelt, Georg G.

2010-10-29

Precision cosmology and big-bang nucleosynthesis mildly favor extra radiation in the Universe beyond photons and ordinary neutrinos, lending support to the existence of low-mass sterile neutrinos. We use the WMAP 7-year data, small-scale cosmic microwave background observations from ACBAR, BICEP, and QuAD, the SDSS 7th data release, and measurement of the Hubble parameter from HST observations to derive credible regions for the assumed common mass scale m{sub s} and effective number N{sub s} of thermally excited sterile neutrino states. Our results are compatible with the existence of one or perhaps two sterile neutrinos, as suggested by LSND and MiniBooNE, ifmore » m{sub s} is in the sub-eV range.« less

The weak force and SETH: The search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality

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

MacDermott, A.J.

We propose that a search for extra-terrestrial life can be approached as a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality{emdash}SETH. Homochirality is probably a pre-condition for life, so a chiral influence may be required to get life started. We explain how the weak force mediated by the {ital Z}{sup 0} boson gives rise to a small parity-violating energy difference (PVED) between enantiomers, and discuss how the resulting small excess of the more stable enantiomer may be amplified to homochirality. Titan and comets are good places to test for emerging pre-biotic homochirality, while on Mars there may be traces of homochirality as a relicmore » of extinct life. Our calculations of the PVED show that the natural L-amino acids are indeed more stable than their enantiomers, as are several key D-sugars and right-hand helical DNA. Thiosubstituted DNA analogues show particularly large PVEDs. L-quartz is also more stable than D-quartz, and we believe that further crystal counts should be carried out to establish whether reported excesses of L quartz are real. Finding extra-terrestrial molecules of the same hand as on Earth would lend support to the universal chiral influence of the weak force. We describe a novel miniaturized space polarimeter, called the SETH Cigar, which we hope to use to detect optical rotation on other planets. Moving parts are avoided by replacing the normal rotating polarizer by multiple fixed polarizers at different angles as in the eye of the bee. Even if we do not find the same hand as on Earth, finding extra-terrestrial optical rotation would be of enormous importance as it would still be the homochiral signature of life. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}« less

The weak force and SETH: The search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDermott, Alexandra J.

1996-07-01

We propose that a search for extra-terrestrial life can be approached as a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality-SETH. Homochirality is probably a pre-condition for life, so a chiral influence may be required to get life started. We explain how the weak force mediated by the Z0 boson gives rise to a small parity-violating energy difference (PVED) between enantiomers, and discuss how the resulting small excess of the more stable enantiomer may be amplified to homochirality. Titan and comets are good places to test for emerging pre-biotic homochirality, while on Mars there may be traces of homochirality as a relic of extinct life. Our calculations of the PVED show that the natural L-amino acids are indeed more stable than their enantiomers, as are several key D-sugars and right-hand helical DNA. Thiosubstituted DNA analogues show particularly large PVEDs. L-quartz is also more stable than D-quartz, and we believe that further crystal counts should be carried out to establish whether reported excesses of L quartz are real. Finding extra-terrestrial molecules of the same hand as on Earth would lend support to the universal chiral influence of the weak force. We describe a novel miniaturized space polarimeter, called the SETH Cigar, which we hope to use to detect optical rotation on other planets. Moving parts are avoided by replacing the normal rotating polarizer by multiple fixed polarizers at different angles as in the eye of the bee. Even if we do not find the same hand as on Earth, finding extra-terrestrial optical rotation would be of enormous importance as it would still be the homochiral signature of life.

The Vocal Repertoire of the Domesticated Zebra Finch: a Data Driven Approach to Decipher the Information-bearing Acoustic Features of Communication Signals

PubMed Central

Elie, Julie E.; Theunissen, Frédéric E.

2018-01-01

Although a universal code for the acoustic features of animal vocal communication calls may not exist, the thorough analysis of the distinctive acoustical features of vocalization categories is important not only to decipher the acoustical code for a specific species but also to understand the evolution of communication signals and the mechanisms used to produce and understand them. Here, we recorded more than 8,000 examples of almost all the vocalizations of the domesticated zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata: vocalizations produced to establish contact, to form and maintain pair bonds, to sound an alarm, to communicate distress or to advertise hunger or aggressive intents. We characterized each vocalization type using complete representations that avoided any a priori assumptions on the acoustic code, as well as classical bioacoustics measures that could provide more intuitive interpretations. We then used these acoustical features to rigorously determine the potential information-bearing acoustical features for each vocalization type using both a novel regularized classifier and an unsupervised clustering algorithm. Vocalization categories are discriminated by the shape of their frequency spectrum and by their pitch saliency (noisy to tonal vocalizations) but not particularly by their fundamental frequency. Notably, the spectral shape of zebra finch vocalizations contains peaks or formants that vary systematically across categories and that would be generated by active control of both the vocal organ (source) and the upper vocal tract (filter). PMID:26581377

Deciphering the genetic control of fruit texture in apple by multiple family-based analysis and genome-wide association.

PubMed

Di Guardo, Mario; Bink, Marco C A M; Guerra, Walter; Letschka, Thomas; Lozano, Lidia; Busatto, Nicola; Poles, Lara; Tadiello, Alice; Bianco, Luca; Visser, Richard G F; van de Weg, Eric; Costa, Fabrizio

2017-03-01

Fruit texture is a complex feature composed of mechanical and acoustic properties relying on the modifications occurring in the cell wall throughout fruit development and ripening. Apple is characterized by a large variation in fruit texture behavior that directly impacts both the consumer's appreciation and post-harvest performance. To decipher the genetic control of fruit texture comprehensively, two complementing quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approaches were employed. The first was represented by a pedigree-based analysis (PBA) carried out on six full-sib pedigreed families, while the second was a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed on a collection of 233 apple accessions. Both plant materials were genotyped with a 20K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array and phenotyped with a sophisticated high-resolution texture analyzer. The overall QTL results indicated the fundamental role of chromosome 10 in controlling the mechanical properties, while chromosomes 2 and 14 were more associated with the acoustic response. The latter QTL, moreover, showed a consistent relationship between the QTL-estimated genotypes and the acoustic performance assessed among seedlings. The in silico annotation of these intervals revealed interesting candidate genes potentially involved in fruit texture regulation, as suggested by the gene expression profile. The joint integration of these approaches sheds light on the specific control of fruit texture, enabling important genetic information to assist in the selection of valuable fruit quality apple varieties. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Metabolic Signaling and Therapy of Lung Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

this grant is to decipher molecular mechanisms by which glycolytic enzyme phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) promotes lung cancer cell metabolism and...PGAM1 in regulation of lung cancer metabolism; molecular mechanisms underlying PGAM1 activation in lung cancer; PGAM1 inhibitor as novel therapy to...leukemia cells from human patients with minimal toxicity. Therefore, the current funded proposal focuses to decipher molecular mechanisms by which

On Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Universal Design of ICT.

PubMed

Halbach, Till; Fuglerud, Kristin Skeide

2016-01-01

In the ICT and IT domains, Universal Design is typically viewed as a burden and an expense, and its application is often justified only by ethics and/or legislation. Advocates for Universal Design (UD) are arguing that it is cost-effective, but so far there are few studies that document this in a detailed way. In this work, we discuss related research and studies dealing with the costs and benefits of accessible and usable ICT solutions. In particular, we discuss the findings regarding what is a universally designed solution, what is needed to make such a solution, how much does it cost, what impact can be anticipated by the extra effort, and how it can be measured. Finally, we suggest an approach for carrying out cost-benefit analyses of developing universally designed solutions. There is a weak indication that the economical benefits of UD solutions are much higher than the initial and running costs.

Teaching from Selfhood: A Personal Growth Journey with Unimaginable Dividends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsikata, Prosper Yao

2017-01-01

In this essay, I reflexively narrate my personal travails as a Teaching Associate (TA) in a Midwestern US university and, later, an Assistant Professor in the Southern State of Georgia. I argue that, as a foreign-born TA and, later, an Assistant Professor, I carry extra layers of identity markers that distinguish me from the homegrown professor.…

Gamma ray cosmology: The extra galactic gamma spectrum and methods to detect the underlying source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cline, David B.

1990-01-01

The possible sources of extragalactic gamma rays and methods to distinguish the different sources are discussed. The sources considered are early universe decays and annihilation of Particles, active galactic nuclei (AGN) sources, and baryon-antibaryon annihilation in a baryon symmetric cosmology. The energy spectrum and possible angular fluctuations due to these sources are described.

Confronting Ambiguity, Anarchy, and Crisis in Institutional Research: Using Student Unit Record Databases in Extra-Institutional Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musoba, Glenda D.; Gross, Jacob P. K.; Hossler, Don

2008-01-01

The world of policymaking on the campuses of colleges and universities is messy, ambiguous, and contested. In this complex environment, which Kingdon (2003) has aptly called a "policy soup," the role of institutional research is often not only to provide answers to existing policy questions but to produce information to help transform…

Lepton-flavor universality limits in warped space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Megías, Eugenio; Quirós, Mariano; Salas, Lindber

2017-10-01

We explore the limits on lepton-flavor universality (LFU) violation in theories where the hierarchy problem is solved by means of a warped extra dimension. In those theories, LFU violation, in fermion interaction with Kaluza-Klein modes of gauge bosons, is provided ab initio when different flavors of fermions are differently localized along the extra dimension. As this fact arises from the mass pattern of quarks and leptons, LFU violation is natural in this class of theories. We analyze the experimental data pointing toward LFU violation, as well as the most relevant electroweak and flavor observables, and the LFU tests in the μ /e and τ /μ sectors. We find agreement with RK(*) and RD(*) data at 95% C.L., provided the third-generation left-handed fermions are composite (0.14

Indications for a transparent universe at very high energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Manuel; Horns, Dieter

2012-03-01

The transparency of the universe for very high energy (VHE) photons is limited due to pair-production with low energy photons of the extra galactic background light (EBL) in the optical to infrared band. Here, we use 56 energy spectra from VHE emitting active galactic nuclei (AGN) from redshift 0.004 to 0.536 to search for signatures of deviations from the minimum expected opacity. A statistical study of the individual measurements reveals indications for an overcorrection of AGN spectra with current EBL models. Axion like particles are discussed as a possible explanation of the result.

Matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe via string-inspired CPT violation at early eras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavromatos, Nick E.

2018-01-01

In four-space-time dimensional string/brane theory, obtained either through compactification of the extra spatial dimensions, or by appropriate restriction to brane worlds with three large spatial dimensions, the rich physics potential associated with the presence of non-trivial Kalb-Ramond (KR) axion-like fields has not been fully exploited so far. In this talk, I discuss a scenario whereby such fields produce spontaneous Lorentz- and CPT-violating cosmological backgrounds over which strings propagate, which in the early Universe can lead to Baryogenesis through Leptogenesis in models with heavy right-handed neutrinos.

Structure and Formation of Elliptical and Spheroidal Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kormendy, John; Fisher, David B.; Cornell, Mark E.; Bender, Ralf

2009-05-01

New surface photometry of all known elliptical galaxies in the Virgo cluster is combined with published data to derive composite profiles of brightness, ellipticity, position angle, isophote shape, and color over large radius ranges. These provide enough leverage to show that Sérsic log I vprop r 1/n functions fit the brightness profiles I(r) of nearly all ellipticals remarkably well over large dynamic ranges. Therefore, we can confidently identify departures from these profiles that are diagnostic of galaxy formation. Two kinds of departures are seen at small radii. All 10 of our ellipticals with total absolute magnitudes MVT <= -21.66 have cuspy cores—"missing light"—at small radii. Cores are well known and naturally scoured by binary black holes (BHs) formed in dissipationless ("dry") mergers. All 17 ellipticals with -21.54 <= MVT <= -15.53 do not have cores. We find a new distinct component in these galaxies: all coreless ellipticals in our sample have extra light at the center above the inward extrapolation of the outer Sérsic profile. In large ellipticals, the excess light is spatially resolved and resembles the central components predicted in numerical simulations of mergers of galaxies that contain gas. In the simulations, the gas dissipates, falls toward the center, undergoes a starburst, and builds a compact stellar component that, as in our observations, is distinct from the Sérsic-function main body of the elliptical. But ellipticals with extra light also contain supermassive BHs. We suggest that the starburst has swamped core scouring by binary BHs. That is, we interpret extra light components as a signature of formation in dissipative ("wet") mergers. Besides extra light, we find three new aspects to the ("E-E") dichotomy into two types of elliptical galaxies. Core galaxies are known to be slowly rotating, to have relatively anisotropic velocity distributions, and to have boxy isophotes. We show that they have Sérsic indices n > 4 uncorrelated with MVT . They also are α-element enhanced, implying short star-formation timescales. And their stellar populations have a variety of ages but mostly are very old. Extra light ellipticals generally rotate rapidly, are more isotropic than core Es, and have disky isophotes. We show that they have n sime 3 ± 1 almost uncorrelated with MVT and younger and less α-enhanced stellar populations. These are new clues to galaxy formation. We suggest that extra light ellipticals got their low Sérsic indices by forming in relatively few binary mergers, whereas giant ellipticals have n > 4 because they formed in larger numbers of mergers of more galaxies at once plus later heating during hierarchical clustering. We confirm that core Es contain X-ray-emitting gas whereas extra light Es generally do not. This leads us to suggest why the E-E dichotomy arose. If energy feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) requires a "working surface" of hot gas, then this is present in core galaxies but absent in extra light galaxies. We suggest that AGN energy feedback is a strong function of galaxy mass: it is weak enough in small Es not to prevent merger starbursts but strong enough in giant Es and their progenitors to make dry mergers dry and to protect old stellar populations from late star formation. Finally, we verify that there is a strong dichotomy between elliptical and spheroidal galaxies. Their properties are consistent with our understanding of their different formation processes: mergers for ellipticals and conversion of late-type galaxies into spheroidals by environmental effects and by energy feedback from supernovae. In an appendix, we develop machinery to get realistic error estimates for Sérsic parameters even when they are strongly coupled. And we discuss photometric dynamic ranges necessary to get robust results from Sérsic fits. Based in part on observations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET), which is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

Book Review: Distant wanderers / Copernicus Books/Springer , 2001/2002

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, H. C.

2002-06-01

Are we alone in the Universe? The Earth, teeming with life, as we know it, is only one amongst the nine planets (wanderers) that wander around the Sun in more or less circular orbits. Do distant stars also have planets circling them? Are some of them similar to Earth and support life? These questions have long occupied the human mind. However, until the closing years of the twentieth century, the idea that there are stars, other than the Sun, that have planets orbiting them, remained a subject of speculation and controversy because the astronomical observing techniques used for the detection of planetary companions of stars did not have the necessary precision. During the past several years, advances in technology and dedicated efforts of planet-hunting astronomers have made it possible to detect Jupiter-like or more massive planets around nearby stars. So far about 70 such extra-solar planets have been discovered indicating that our solar system is not unique and distant wanderers are not uncommon. Distant Wanderers narrates the story of the search for extra-solar planets, even as the search is becoming more vigorous with newer instruments pushing the limits of sensitivity that has often resulted in the detection of planetary systems with totally unexpected characteristics. The book is primarily aimed at non specialists, but practicing scientists, including astronomers, will find the narrative very interesting and sometimes offering a perspective that is unfamiliar to professionals. The book begins with an introduction to some basic astronomical facts about the Universe, evolution of stars, supernovae and formation of pulsars. The first extra-solar planets were discovered in 1992 around a radio pulsar (PSR 1257+12) by measuring the oscillatory perturbations in the pulse arrival times from the pulsar caused by the presence of orbiting earth-sized planets as their gravity forces the pulsar also to move in orbit around the system barycenter. Such planetary systems are, however, very rare and only one other planet around a pulsar has so far been found. The first extra-solar planet around a sun-like star was discovered in 1995 by M. Mayor and D. Queloz circling the star 51 Pegasi by the method of Doppler spectroscopy. Since then about 70 extra-solar planets have been discovered. Most of these have been detected by Doppler spectroscopy, but now newer methods like occultation and gravitational lensing have also begun to reveal extra-solar planets and candidate extra-solar planets. Distant Wanderers gives a brief description of current theories of planet formation in dusty disks around stars as they form by gravitational collapse of rotating interstellar clouds. Various techniques used by astronomers for the detection of extra-solar planets are discussed. Important astrophysical concepts relevant to planet formation and their detection are also explained. The reader is taken to observatories on mountain tops, laboratories where instruments are built and conferences where astronomers announce their discoveries, debate the results and discuss future strategies for the search for distant wanderers. The extra-solar planets discovered so far, around sun-like stars, are similar in mass to Jupiter or more massive. Their orbits show a great variety. Some are in very close orbits (orbital periods of a few days) about the parent star, and are therefore very hot (hot Jupiters), while others are in wider orbits and cold. Some have nearly circular orbits, while many of them have highly eccentric orbits. There are extra-solar planets with masses as large as about 10 times the mass of Jupiter, close to being brown dwarfs. The existence of such planetary systems was never predicted by the standard theories of planet and star formation. As the hunt for extra-solar planets continues with more sophisticated instruments using innovative ideas, astronomers can be sure to be rewarded with more surprises. In Distant Wanderers, these discoveries and technological developments, currently taking place and being planned for the future, in the search for extra-solar planets, are narrated by the author, Bruce Dorminey, in simple language and lucid style. There are a few technical errors in the book. For example, on page 4, the angular momentum , which must always be conserved, is said to be created. In the discussion of the proper motion (which is measured on the plane of the sky) of Barnard's star, on page 111, it is incorrect to say that the star is moving toward the Sun. The book is, otherwise, well written and succeeds in communicating the excitement of the hunt for the distant wanderers.

Right-handed neutrinos as the dark radiation: Status and forecasts for the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anchordoqui, Luis A.; Goldberg, Haim; Steigman, Gary

2013-01-01

Precision data from cosmology (probing the CMB decoupling epoch) and light-element abundances (probing the BBN epoch) have hinted at the presence of extra relativistic degrees of freedom, the so-called "dark radiation." We present a model independent study to account for the dark radiation by means of the right-handed partners of the three, left-handed, standard model neutrinos. We show that milli-weak interactions of these Dirac states (through their coupling to a TeV-scale Z‧ gauge boson) may allow the νR's to decouple much earlier, at a higher temperature, than their left-handed counterparts. If the νR's decouple during the quark-hadron crossover transition, they are considerably cooler than the νL's and contribute less than 3 extra "equivalent neutrinos" to the early Universe energy density. For decoupling in this transition region, the 3νR generate ΔNν=3(<3, extra relativistic degrees of freedom at BBN and at the CMB epochs. Consistency with present constraints on dark radiation permits us to identify the allowed region in the parameter space of Z‧ masses and couplings. Remarkably, the allowed region is within the range of discovery of LHC14.

Evaluating Air Force Civil Engineer’s Current Automated Information Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-26

started with identifying specific processes that needed to be accomplished. These processes were flowcharted and relationships were developed (31:1...Roofs) - Critical 1. Process not defined well enough per Ron Stoner to rework a. WPAFB to flowchart and decipher ACES process for SSG/AFCESA b...Ron Stoner to rework a. WPAFB to flowchart and decipher ACES process for SSG/AFCESA b. Investigate usage of ACES as is and define Needs 2. EEIC

Natural inflation with pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freese, Katherine; Frieman, Joshua A.; Olinto, Angela V.

1990-01-01

It is shown that a pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson of given potential can naturally give rise to an epoch of inflation in the early universe. Mass scales which arise in particle physics models with a gauge group that becomes strongly interacting at a certain scales are shown to be conditions for successful inflation. The density fluctuation spectrum is nonscale-invariant, with extra power on large length scales.

Uses of Extra-Legal Sources in "Amicus Curiae" Briefs Submitted in "Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marin, Patricia; Horn, Catherine L.; Miksch, Karen; Garces, Liliana M.; Yun, John T.

2018-01-01

As the political arena becomes increasingly polarized, the legal arena is playing a more important role in the creation of education policy in the United States. One critical stage in the legal process for such efforts is at briefing where "amici curiae," or friends-of-the-court, may introduce additional arguments for the court to…

Universal Lessons Learned by a Gastroenterologist from a Deaf and Mute Patient: The Importance of Nonverbal Communication and Establishing Patient Rapport and Trust

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cappel, Mitchell S.

2009-01-01

Deaf and mute patients may require minimal extra attention to establish trust and allay anxieties before minor medical maneuvers such as rectal examination. An "extreme" case is reported of the consequences from failure to accomplish this. A generally cooperative deaf and mute patient struggled and suffered a rectal tear and perforation during…

Does Part-Time Work at School Impact on Going to University?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gong, Xiaodong; Cassells, Rebecca; Duncan, Alan

2012-01-01

Combining school study with part-time or casual work is an increasing trend for Australian high school students. For some, it is a way of earning some extra cash and having a bit of freedom from their parents, or it is an opportunity to get some experience in an occupation they are interested in. This paper looks at the impact that working while…

Isn't It a Pyrrhic Victory?: Over-Privatization and Universal Access in Tertiary Education of Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Ki-Seok; Woo, Yong-Je

2009-01-01

This article analyzes the Korean passage to tertiary education for all. With a specific focus on traditional form of higher education, it tries to answer the questions of how and why this extra-ordinary phenomenon happens in a short period of time. Applying a historical sociology method, it attempts to explain the mechanism and consequences of the…

Open-area concealed-weapon detection system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pati, P.; Mather, P.

2011-06-01

Concealed Weapon Detection (CWD) has become a significant challenge to present day security needs; individuals carrying weapons into airplanes, schools, and secured establishments are threat to public security. Although controlled screening, of people for concealed weapons, has been employed in many establishments, procedures and equipment are designed to work in restricted environments like airport passport control, military checkpoints, hospitals, school and university entrance. Furthermore, screening systems do not effectively decipher between threat and non-threat metal objects, thus leading to high rate of false alarms which can become a liability to daily operational needs of establishments. Therefore, the design and development of a new CWD system to operate in a large open area environment with large numbers of people reduced incidences of false alarms and increased location accuracy is essential.

Deciphering spectral fingerprints of habitable exoplanets.

PubMed

Kaltenegger, Lisa; Selsis, Frank; Fridlund, Malcolm; Lammer, Helmut; Beichman, Charles; Danchi, William; Eiroa, Carlos; Henning, Thomas; Herbst, Tom; Léger, Alain; Liseau, René; Lunine, Jonathan; Paresce, Francesco; Penny, Alan; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Röttgering, Huub; Schneider, Jean; Stam, Daphne; Tinetti, Giovanna; White, Glenn J

2010-01-01

We discuss how to read a planet's spectrum to assess its habitability and search for the signatures of a biosphere. After a decade rich in giant exoplanet detections, observation techniques have advanced to a level where we now have the capability to find planets of less than 10 Earth masses (M(Earth)) (so-called "super Earths"), which may be habitable. How can we characterize those planets and assess whether they are habitable? This new field of exoplanet search has shown an extraordinary capacity to combine research in astrophysics, chemistry, biology, and geophysics into a new and exciting interdisciplinary approach to understanding our place in the Universe. The results of a first-generation mission will most likely generate an amazing scope of diverse planets that will set planet formation, evolution, and our planet into an overall context.

Effects of extra virgin olive oil and fish oil on lipid profile and oxidative stress in patients with metabolic syndrome.

PubMed

Venturini, Danielle; Simão, Andréa Name Colado; Urbano, Mariana Ragassi; Dichi, Isaias

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to verify if extra virgin olive oil and fish oil have a synergistic effect on lipid and oxidative stress parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). This intervention study included 102 patients (81 women and 21 men) with MetS (mean age 51.45 ± 8.27 y) from the ambulatory center of the University Hospital of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Patients in the control group (CG) were instructed to maintain their usual diet; the second group (fish oil group [FO]) received 3 g/d of fish oil ω-3 fatty acids (10 capsules); the third group (extra virgin olive oil group [OO]) received 10 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil at lunch and dinner; and the fourth group (fish oil and extra virgin olive oil group [FOO]) received 3 g/d of fish oil ω-3 fatty acids and 10 mL/d of extra virgin olive oil. MetS related markers and oxidative stress were measured at baseline and after 90 d. Differences across treatment groups showed a statistically significant decrease (P < 0.05) in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) when FOO was compared with CG and OO, respectively. Hydroperoxides showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) when FOO was compared with CG, whereas there was an increase in total peroxyl radical-trapping antioxidant potential/advanced oxidation protein products (TRAP/AOPP; P < 0.05) in FOO when compared with FO. In relation to baseline values, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in LDL-C values, and TC/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and LDL-C/HDL-C indexes in FOO. There was also a decrease (P < 0.05) in hydroperoxides, in AOPP and in AOPP/TRAP index in FOO, and an increase (P < 0.05) in TRAP/AOPP index in FOO and in TRAP/uric acid ratio in OO. The present study provides evidence that increased dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and extra virgin olive oil have beneficial synergistic effects on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in patients with MetS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How to Simulate the Interplate Domain in Thermo-mechanical Experiments of Subduction ? Critical Effects of Resolution and Rheology, and Consequences on Wet Mantle Melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcay, D.

2017-12-01

Oceanic plate subduction implies tight interactions between converging lithospheres and surrounding mantle. Plate-mantle couplings can be modeled using thermo-chemical codes of mantle convection. But how to model correctly with a continuous fluid approach the subduction interface, characterised by strong and localised discontinuities? The present study aims at better deciphering the different mechanisms involved in the functioning of the subduction interplate, simply modeled by a weak crust layer, free to evolve. Pseudo-brittle and non-Newtonian behaviours are modelled. This study shows first that the numerical resolution is critical. If the subducting plate is 100 Myr old, subduction occurs for any crust strength. The stiffer the crust is, the shallower the interplate down-dip extent is and the hotter the fore-arc base is. Conversely, imposing a very weak subduction channel leads to an extreme mantle wedge cooling and inhibits mantle melting in wet conditions. If the incoming plate is 20 Myr old, subduction occurs only if the crust is either stiff and denser than the mantle, or weak and buoyant. These conditions lead notably to (1) fore-arc lithosphere cooling, and (2) partial or complete hindrance of wet mantle melting. Finally, subduction plane dynamics is intimately linked to the regime of subduction-induced corner flow: either focussed towards the mantle wedge tip and strongly warming the subduction plate, or, diffuse and favoring global cooling by the lengthening of the subduction plane. The thermal states simulated within the mantle wedge are compared with observations to decipher the best rheological ranges modelling the subduction channel. Two intervals of crustal activation energy are underlined: 345-385 kJ/mol to reproduce the slab surface temperature range inferred from geothermometry, and 415-455 kJ/mol to reproduce the hot mantle wedge core suggested by seismic tomographies. As these two intervals do not overlap, an extra process involved in subduction dynamics is needed. A moderate mantle viscosity reduction, caused by metasomatism in the mantle wedge, is proposed. From these results, it can be inferred that the subduction channel down-dip extent should vary with the subduction setting, consistently with the worldwide variability of sub-arc depths of the subducting plate surface.

PNPLA3 genetic variation in alcoholic steatosis and liver disease progression

PubMed Central

Hampe, Jochen; Trépo, Eric; Datz, Christian; Romeo, Stefano

2015-01-01

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) accounts for the majority of chronic liver diseases in Western countries, and alcoholic cirrhosis is among the premier causes of liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related mortality causes. Studies in different genders and ethnic groups, as well as in twins provide strong evidence for a significant contribution of host genetic factors to liver disease development in drinkers. The intense quest for genetic modifiers of alcohol-induced fibrosis progression have identified and repeatedly confirmed a genetic polymorphism in the gene coding for patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3; adiponutrin; rs738409 C/G, M148I) as a risk factor for alcoholic cirrhosis and its related complication, HCC, in different populations. Although carriership of one or both mutated PNPLA3 alleles does not explain the entire liver phenotypic variability in drinkers, it clearly represents one of the strongest single genetic modulators in a complex trait such as ALD. As more genetic data supporting its important role aggregates, novel insight as to PNPLA3’s function and that of its genetic variation in liver injury is unveiled pointing to an important novel pathway in alcohol-mediated hepatic lipid turnover with strong implications on inflammation, extra cellular matrix remodelling, and hepatocarcinogenesis. Future study shall decipher whether the gathered knowledge can be translated into therapeutic benefits of patients. PMID:26151055

Stochastic Amplification of Fluctuations in Cortical Up-States

PubMed Central

Hidalgo, Jorge; Seoane, Luís F.; Cortés, Jesús M.; Muñoz, Miguel A.

2012-01-01

Cortical neurons are bistable; as a consequence their local field potentials can fluctuate between quiescent and active states, generating slow Hz oscillations which are widely known as transitions between Up and Down States. Despite a large number of studies on Up-Down transitions, deciphering its nature, mechanisms and function are still today challenging tasks. In this paper we focus on recent experimental evidence, showing that a class of spontaneous oscillations can emerge within the Up states. In particular, a non-trivial peak around Hz appears in their associated power-spectra, what produces an enhancement of the activity power for higher frequencies (in the Hz band). Moreover, this rhythm within Ups seems to be an emergent or collective phenomenon given that individual neurons do not lock to it as they remain mostly unsynchronized. Remarkably, similar oscillations (and the concomitant peak in the spectrum) do not appear in the Down states. Here we shed light on these findings by using different computational models for the dynamics of cortical networks in presence of different levels of physiological complexity. Our conclusion, supported by both theory and simulations, is that the collective phenomenon of “stochastic amplification of fluctuations” – previously described in other contexts such as Ecology and Epidemiology – explains in an elegant and parsimonious manner, beyond model-dependent details, this extra-rhythm emerging only in the Up states but not in the Downs. PMID:22879879

The birth of the universe in a new G-theory approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepehri, Alireza; Pincak, Richard

2017-02-01

Recently, Padmanabhan has discussed that the expansion of the cosmic space is due to the difference between the number of degrees of freedom on the boundary surface and the number of degrees of freedom in a bulk region. Now, a natural question arises that how these degrees of freedom emerged from nothing? We try to address this issue in a new theory which is more complete than M-theory and reduces to it with some limitations. In M-theory, there is no stable object like stable M3-branes that our universe is formed on it and for this reason cannot help us to explain cosmological events. In this research, we propose a new theory, named G-theory which could be the mother of M-theory and superstring theory. In G-theory, at the beginning, two types of G0-branes, one with positive energy and one with negative energy are produced from nothing in 14 dimensions. Then, these branes are compactified on three circles via two different ways (symmetrically and anti-symmetrically), and two bosonic and fermionic parts of action for M0-branes are produced. By joining M0-branes, supersymmetric Mp-branes are created which contain the equal number of degrees of freedom for fermions and bosons. Our universe is constructed on one of Mp-branes and other Mp-brane and extra energy play the role of bulk. By dissolving extra energy which is produced by compacting actions of Gp-branes, into our universe, the number of degrees of freedom on it and also its scale factor increase and universe expands. We test G-theory with observations and find that the magnitude of the slow-roll parameters and the tensor-to-scalar ratio in this model are very much smaller than one which are in agreement with predictions of experimental data. Finally, we consider the origin of the extended theories of gravity in G-theory and show that these theories could be anomaly free.

[Deciphering the argots of the names of materia medica and its dosage in the Yi lin kou pu liu zhi mi shu (A Secret Medical Book of Six Therapies in Rhymes of Medical Professionals)].

PubMed

Zhou, Jian; Lin, Shiyi; Liu, Shijue

2014-11-01

Yi lin kou pu liu zhi mi shu (A Secret Medical Book of Six Therapies in Rhymes of Medical Professionals) was additionally compiled, supplemented and annotated by Zhou Sheng, a famous doctor of the Qing Dynasty, based on Yi lin kou pu (Rhymes of Medical Professionals) which was composed by Lu Qi. The book contains four volumes in total, dealing mainly with the miscellaneous diseases of internal medicine, as well as external medicine, gynecology, and pediatrics etc. The syndrome differentiation and treatment, prescriptions and medications in this book has its own characteristic with rather high academic value and practical significance. There were 20 drug names were deciphered by the argots, for instance, "you che" was the argot of golden thread, and "wu yue (May)" was the argot of medicinal evodia fruit, etc. In addition, the argots were often used to decipher numerals and quantifiers, for example, "su, qi, zi, qi, man" referring to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively, and "huo, pu, xiang, feng, lai" referring to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 respectively, and "qing","zhong","xi" referring to qian, liang and fen respectively. Hence, deciphering of these argots could help to understand and apply these prescriptions correctly.

Development of a Digital Meteorite Identification Program at University of New Mexico (UNM) (Institute of Meteoritics) and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gakin, R.; Lewis, K.; Simmons, J.; Gchachu, K.; Karner, J. M.; Newsom, H. E.; Jones, R. H.

2003-01-01

Determining the origin and chemical composition of suspect extra terrestrial specimens has lead to meteorite identification research programs. Such programs, like the University of New Mexico-Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute partnership, are being inundated with many non-meteorites (meteor wrongs) sent in by interested individuals from all over the world. This meteorite identification program developed a spreadsheet that aids in identifying the types of minerals in a sample for physical properties, possible meteorite characteristics, minerals and rock properties, and possible man made characteristics. Samples that show meteorite distinctiveness are further analyzed via the Scanning Electron Microprobe (SEM).

The ATLAS Experiment: Mapping the Secrets of the Universe (LBNL Summer Lecture Series)

ScienceCinema

Barnett, Michael [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physics Division

2018-01-12

Summer Lecture Series 2007: Michael Barnett of Berkeley Lab's Physics Division discusses the ATLAS Experiment at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics' (CERN) Large Hadron Collider. The collider will explore the aftermath of collisions at the highest energy ever produced in the lab, and will recreate the conditions of the universe a billionth of a second after the Big Bang. The ATLAS detector is half the size of the Notre Dame Cathedral and required 2000 physicists and engineers from 35 countries for its construction. Its goals are to examine mini-black holes, identify dark matter, understand antimatter, search for extra dimensions of space, and learn about the fundamental forces that have shaped the universe since the beginning of time and will determine its fate.

Biodiversity Meets Neuroscience: From the Sequencing Ship (Ship-Seq) to Deciphering Parallel Evolution of Neural Systems in Omic's Era.

PubMed

Moroz, Leonid L

2015-12-01

The origins of neural systems and centralized brains are one of the major transitions in evolution. These events might occur more than once over 570-600 million years. The convergent evolution of neural circuits is evident from a diversity of unique adaptive strategies implemented by ctenophores, cnidarians, acoels, molluscs, and basal deuterostomes. But, further integration of biodiversity research and neuroscience is required to decipher critical events leading to development of complex integrative and cognitive functions. Here, we outline reference species and interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing the evolution of nervous systems. In the "omic" era, it is now possible to establish fully functional genomics laboratories aboard of oceanic ships and perform sequencing and real-time analyses of data at any oceanic location (named here as Ship-Seq). In doing so, fragile, rare, cryptic, and planktonic organisms, or even entire marine ecosystems, are becoming accessible directly to experimental and physiological analyses by modern analytical tools. Thus, we are now in a position to take full advantages from countless "experiments" Nature performed for us in the course of 3.5 billion years of biological evolution. Together with progress in computational and comparative genomics, evolutionary neuroscience, proteomic and developmental biology, a new surprising picture is emerging that reveals many ways of how nervous systems evolved. As a result, this symposium provides a unique opportunity to revisit old questions about the origins of biological complexity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Community and Contribution: Factors Motivating Students to Participate in an Extra-Curricular Online Activity and Implications for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Tony; Gomm, Phil

2015-01-01

The human desire to join and participate in communities can be seen as an attempt to satisfy some of our universal human needs. The theory of communities of practice has been widely used to explain how and why humans participate in multiple communities, and a key requirement of a community of practice (CoP) is that members engage in "joint…

A Review of Extra-Syllabus Programmes of Government College of Teacher Education, Trivandrum on the Eve of Its Centenary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Praveen, C.

2010-01-01

Most teacher education institutions in India have charted out programmes well in tune with the syllabus prescribed by the University to which they are affiliated. But some institutions have tended to tread a different path. These are institutions which are over fifty years old and have set a tradition of its own. A closer study of older teacher…

Cosmic Tsunamis in Modified Gravity: Disruption of Screening Mechanisms from Scalar Waves.

PubMed

Hagala, R; Llinares, C; Mota, D F

2017-03-10

Extending general relativity by adding extra degrees of freedom is a popular approach for explaining the accelerated expansion of the Universe and to build high energy completions of the theory of gravity. The presence of such new degrees of freedom is, however, tightly constrained from several observations and experiments that aim to test general relativity in a wide range of scales. The viability of a given modified theory of gravity, therefore, strongly depends on the existence of a screening mechanism that suppresses the extra degrees of freedom. We perform simulations, and find that waves propagating in the new degrees of freedom can significantly impact the efficiency of some screening mechanisms, thereby threatening the viability of these modified gravity theories. Specifically, we show that the waves produced in the symmetron model can increase the amplitude of the fifth force and the parametrized post Newtonian parameters by several orders of magnitude.

Cosmic Tsunamis in Modified Gravity: Disruption of Screening Mechanisms from Scalar Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagala, R.; Llinares, C.; Mota, D. F.

2017-03-01

Extending general relativity by adding extra degrees of freedom is a popular approach for explaining the accelerated expansion of the Universe and to build high energy completions of the theory of gravity. The presence of such new degrees of freedom is, however, tightly constrained from several observations and experiments that aim to test general relativity in a wide range of scales. The viability of a given modified theory of gravity, therefore, strongly depends on the existence of a screening mechanism that suppresses the extra degrees of freedom. We perform simulations, and find that waves propagating in the new degrees of freedom can significantly impact the efficiency of some screening mechanisms, thereby threatening the viability of these modified gravity theories. Specifically, we show that the waves produced in the symmetron model can increase the amplitude of the fifth force and the parametrized post Newtonian parameters by several orders of magnitude.

Prevalence of Extra Roots in Permanent Mandibular First Molars in Iranian Population: A CBCT Analysis.

PubMed

Rahimi, Saeed; Mokhtari, Hadi; Ranjkesh, Bahram; Johari, Masoomeh; Frough Reyhani, Mohammad; Shahi, Shahriar; Seif Reyhani, Sina

2017-01-01

Having knowledge about the anatomy of root canal system is essential for success of endodontic treatment. The present study used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), to evaluate the prevalence of third root in mandibular first molars in a selected Iranian population. A total of 386 CBCT images from subjects referred to oral and maxillofacial radiology department of dental faculty of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from 2011 to 2013 were selected and evaluated for this study and the cases with well-developed permanent mandibular first molars were included. The 3D images were reconstructed in axial cross sections and evaluated by two endodontists for the presence of the third extra lingual (radix entomolaris) or buccal (radix paramolaris) root. The chi-squared test was used to evaluate the relationship between gender and bilateral incidence of extra roots in mandibular first molars. The distribution of three-rooted mandibular first molars with an additional root was 3%, (3.53% in female and 2.50% in male patients). There was no significant relationship between gender and bilateral occurrence of three-rooted mandibular first molars. The occurrence of three-rooted mandibular first molars in Iranian population is not uncommon which should be taken into consideration by the dental practitioners during root canal treatment of these teeth.

An equation-of-state-meter of quantum chromodynamics transition from deep learning.

PubMed

Pang, Long-Gang; Zhou, Kai; Su, Nan; Petersen, Hannah; Stöcker, Horst; Wang, Xin-Nian

2018-01-15

A primordial state of matter consisting of free quarks and gluons that existed in the early universe a few microseconds after the Big Bang is also expected to form in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Determining the equation of state (EoS) of such a primordial matter is the ultimate goal of high-energy heavy-ion experiments. Here we use supervised learning with a deep convolutional neural network to identify the EoS employed in the relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of heavy ion collisions. High-level correlations of particle spectra in transverse momentum and azimuthal angle learned by the network act as an effective EoS-meter in deciphering the nature of the phase transition in quantum chromodynamics. Such EoS-meter is model-independent and insensitive to other simulation inputs including the initial conditions for hydrodynamic simulations.

Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services (DREAMS): Texas A&M Digital EMS and the Detection and Remediation of Chemical Threat Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-01

the bacterial exopolysaccharide has been initiated. The enterobacterium Erwinia amylovora , the fire blight pathogen of rosaceous plants and pome...A&M University Erwinia amylovora bacteriophage ERA 103 plaques surrounded by halos. Task 15: Development of Integrated Microfluidic-based Sensors for...fruit, produces copious amounts of extra cellular polysaccharide (amylovoran), which acts as a host specific toxin during pathogenesis. The E. amylovora

Benveniste v. University of Southampton, 23 November 1988.

PubMed

1988-01-01

The appellant charged her employer, the University of Southampton, with sex discrimination in violation of the Equal Pay Act 1970 because she was paid less than men employed in the same position. She had been initially employed at a time when the University was subject to severe financial constraints, and, although she had subsequently been given extra annual pay increases, she was still not paid as much as the men. First the Court of Appeal of England ruled that the financial constraints constituted a "material difference" in circumstances and thus originally justified the difference in salaries under Section 1(3) of the Act. It also held, however, that once those constraints had ended, the justification also ended and the appellant was then entitled to be paid the same wages as men in comparable positions. full text

Sir John Struthers (1823-1899), Professor of Anatomy in the University of Aberdeen (1863-1889), President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (1895-1897).

PubMed

Kaufman, M H

2015-11-01

Between 1841 and 1845 John Struthers attended both the University of Edinburgh and some of the various Extra-mural Schools of Medicine associated with Surgeons' Hall. While a medical student he became a Member of the Hunterian Medical Society of Edinburgh and later was elected one of their Annual Presidents. He graduated with the MD Edin and obtained both the LRCS Edin and the FRCS Edin diplomas in 1845. Shortly afterwards he was invited to teach Anatomy in Dr Handyside's Extra-mural School in Edinburgh. The College of Surgeons certified him to teach Anatomy in October 1847. He had two brothers, and all three read Medicine in Edinburgh. His younger brother, Alexander, died of cholera in the Crimea in 1855 while his older brother James, who had been a bachelor all his life, practised as a Consultant Physician in Leith Hospital, Edinburgh, until his death.When associated with Dr Handyside's Extra-mural School in Edinburgh, John taught Anatomy there until he was elected to the Chair of Anatomy in Aberdeen in 1863. Much of his time was spent in Aberdeen teaching Anatomy and in upgrading the administrative facilities there. He resigned from this Chair in 1889 and subsequently was elected President of Leith Hospital from 1891 to 1897. This was in succession to his older brother, James, who had died in 1891. Later, he was elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1895 to 1897 and acted as its Vice-President from 1897 until his death in 1899. In 1898, Queen Victoria knighted him. His youngest son, John William Struthers, was the only one of his clinically qualified sons to survive him and subsequently was elected President of the Edinburgh College of Surgeons from 1941 to 1943. © The Author(s) 2014.

Gauge fields and ghosts in Rindler space

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

Zhitnitsky, Ariel R.

2010-11-15

We consider a two-dimensional Maxwell system defined on the Rindler space with metric ds{sup 2}=exp(2a{xi}){center_dot}(d{eta}{sup 2}-d{xi}{sup 2}) with the goal to study the dynamics of the ghosts. We find an extra contribution to the vacuum energy in comparison with Minkowski space-time with metric ds{sup 2}=dt{sup 2}-dx{sup 2}. This extra contribution can be traced to the unphysical degrees of freedom (in Minkowski space). The technical reason for this effect to occur is the property of Bogolubov's coefficients which mix the positive- and negative-frequency modes. The corresponding mixture cannot be avoided because the projections to positive-frequency modes with respect to Minkowski timemore » t and positive-frequency modes with respect to the Rindler observer's proper time {eta} are not equivalent. The exact cancellation of unphysical degrees of freedom which is maintained in Minkowski space cannot hold in the Rindler space. In the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) approach this effect manifests itself as the presence of BRST charge density in L and R parts. An inertial observer in Minkowski vacuum |0> observes a universe with no net BRST charge only as a result of cancellation between the two. However, the Rindler observers who do not ever have access to the entire space-time would see a net BRST charge. In this respect the effect resembles the Unruh effect. The effect is infrared (IR) in nature, and sensitive to the horizon and/or boundaries. We interpret the extra energy as the formation of the ''ghost condensate'' when the ghost degrees of freedom cannot propagate, but nevertheless do contribute to the vacuum energy. Exact computations in this simple two-dimensional model support the claim made in a previous paper [F. R. Urban and A. R. Zhitnitsky, Nucl. Phys. B835, 135 (2010).] that the ghost contribution might be responsible for the observed dark energy in a four-dimensional Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker universe.« less

Exosomal and Non-Exosomal Transport of Extra-Cellular microRNAs in Follicular Fluid: Implications for Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence

PubMed Central

Sohel, Md. Mahmodul Hasan; Hoelker, Michael; Noferesti, Sina Seifi; Salilew-Wondim, Dessie; Tholen, Ernst; Looft, Christian; Rings, Franca; Uddin, Muhammad Jasim; Spencer, Thomas E.; Schellander, Karl; Tesfaye, Dawit

2013-01-01

Cell-cell communication within the follicle involves many signaling molecules, and this process may be mediated by secretion and uptake of exosomes that contain several bioactive molecules including extra-cellular miRNAs. Follicular fluid and cells from individual follicles of cattle were grouped based on Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) staining of the corresponding oocytes. Both Exoquick precipitation and differential ultracentrifugation were used to separate the exosome and non-exosomal fraction of follicular fluid. Following miRNA isolation from both fractions, the human miRCURY LNA™ Universal RT miRNA PCR array system was used to profile miRNA expression. This analysis found that miRNAs were present in both exosomal and non-exosomal fraction of bovine follicular fluid. We found 25 miRNAs differentially expressed (16 up and 9 down) in exosomes and 30 miRNAs differentially expressed (21 up and 9 down) in non-exosomal fraction of follicular fluid in comparison of BCB- versus BCB+ oocyte groups. Expression of selected miRNAs was detected in theca, granulosa and cumulus oocyte complex. To further explore the potential roles of these follicular fluid derived extra-cellular miRNAs, the potential target genes were predicted, and functional annotation and pathway analysis revealed most of these pathways are known regulators of follicular development and oocyte growth. In order to validate exosome mediated cell-cell communication within follicular microenvironment, we demonstrated uptake of exosomes and resulting increase of endogenous miRNA level and subsequent alteration of mRNA levels in follicular cells in vitro. This study demonstrates for the first time, the presence of exosome or non-exosome mediated transfer of miRNA in the bovine follicular fluid, and oocyte growth dependent variation in extra-cellular miRNA signatures in the follicular environment. PMID:24223816

Substitution scenario in follow-up of chronic cancer patients in primary care: prevalence, disease duration and estimated extra consultation time.

PubMed

van Dipten, C; Olde Hartman, T C; Biermans, M C J; Assendelft, W J J

2016-02-01

The incidence of cancer as well as survival rates for it are increasing. It is debated whether care in the chronic phase of cancer can be positioned in primary care due to doubts about capacity and workload. To estimate GPs' extra consultation time if they assume responsibility for the care in the chronic phase of cancer. Retrospective cohort study. Estimation of extra consultation time by quantifying prevalence, incidence, survival, number of chronic cancer patients, current practice contacts and registration of risk factors in patients with all types of cancers. The most prevalent types of cancer (with 5-year survival rates) are as follows: breast cancer (91.5%), colorectal cancer (63.8%), prostate cancer (78.3%), melanoma (91.9%) and bladder and urinary tract cancer (77.3%). Primary care practices include ~32 chronic cancer patients, with a potential extra consultation time of ~19 hours per year per 1000 patients. One-third (35%) are already in a chronic disease management programme and 57% were diagnosed >5 years ago. Registration of risk factors for cancer is incomplete, but of better quality when comorbidity is present. Numbers of chronic cancer patients and possible time investment by primary care professionals in the case of a substitution scenario should not be a limiting factor for transition of follow-up from secondary to primary care, as most of the patients were diagnosed >5 years ago and a large proportion of these patients are already monitored in an existing chronic care programme. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Leptin and its potential interest in assisted reproduction cycles.

PubMed

Catteau, A; Caillon, H; Barrière, P; Denis, M G; Masson, D; Fréour, T

2016-04-01

Leptin, an adipose hormone, has been shown to control energy homeostasis and food intake, and exert many actions on female reproductive function. Consequently, this adipokine is a pivotal factor in studies conducted on animal models and humans to decipher the mechanisms behind the infertility often observed in obese women. A systematic PubMed search was conducted on all articles, published up to January 2015 and related to leptin and its actions on energy balance and reproduction, using the following key words: leptin, reproduction, infertility, IVF and controlled ovarian stimulation. The available literature was reviewed in order to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the physiological roles of leptin, its involvement in female reproductive function and its potential interest as a prognostic marker in IVF cycles. Animal and human studies show that leptin communicates nutritional status to the central nervous system and emerging evidence has demonstrated that leptin is involved in the control of reproductive functions by acting both directly on the ovaries and indirectly on the central nervous system. With respect to the clinical use of leptin as a biomarker in IVF cycles, a systematic review of the literature suggested its potential interest as a predictor of IVF outcome, as high serum and/or follicular fluid leptin concentrations have correlated negatively with cycle outcome. However, these preliminary results remain to be confirmed. Leptin regulates energy balance and female reproductive function, mainly through its action on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian function, whose molecular and cellular aspects are progressively being deciphered. Preliminary studies evaluating leptin as a biomarker in human IVF seem promising but need further confirmation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Deciphering the Routes of invasion of Drosophila suzukii by Means of ABC Random Forest.

PubMed

Fraimout, Antoine; Debat, Vincent; Fellous, Simon; Hufbauer, Ruth A; Foucaud, Julien; Pudlo, Pierre; Marin, Jean-Michel; Price, Donald K; Cattel, Julien; Chen, Xiao; Deprá, Marindia; François Duyck, Pierre; Guedot, Christelle; Kenis, Marc; Kimura, Masahito T; Loeb, Gregory; Loiseau, Anne; Martinez-Sañudo, Isabel; Pascual, Marta; Polihronakis Richmond, Maxi; Shearer, Peter; Singh, Nadia; Tamura, Koichiro; Xuéreb, Anne; Zhang, Jinping; Estoup, Arnaud

2017-04-01

Deciphering invasion routes from molecular data is crucial to understanding biological invasions, including identifying bottlenecks in population size and admixture among distinct populations. Here, we unravel the invasion routes of the invasive pest Drosophila suzukii using a multi-locus microsatellite dataset (25 loci on 23 worldwide sampling locations). To do this, we use approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), which has improved the reconstruction of invasion routes, but can be computationally expensive. We use our study to illustrate the use of a new, more efficient, ABC method, ABC random forest (ABC-RF) and compare it to a standard ABC method (ABC-LDA). We find that Japan emerges as the most probable source of the earliest recorded invasion into Hawaii. Southeast China and Hawaii together are the most probable sources of populations in western North America, which then in turn served as sources for those in eastern North America. European populations are genetically more homogeneous than North American populations, and their most probable source is northeast China, with evidence of limited gene flow from the eastern US as well. All introduced populations passed through bottlenecks, and analyses reveal five distinct admixture events. These findings can inform hypotheses concerning how this species evolved between different and independent source and invasive populations. Methodological comparisons indicate that ABC-RF and ABC-LDA show concordant results if ABC-LDA is based on a large number of simulated datasets but that ABC-RF out-performs ABC-LDA when using a comparable and more manageable number of simulated datasets, especially when analyzing complex introduction scenarios. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Foreword

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuk, A. I.; Ryabov, M. I.

This issue includes articles based on some plenary reports made during the 5th International Gamow Conference and the 15th Gamow conference-school. The Conference was devoted to a number of remarkable events:the 111 year Jubilee of George Gamow, one of the great physicists and cosmologists of the 20th century; the 150th anniversary of the Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University and the Department of Astronomy; the 100th and 110th anniversaries of the Einstein's general and special relativity; the 50th anniversary of the discovery of cosmic microwave background (CMB) predicted by Gamow. The number 111 (three units!) represents the three major fundamental Gamow's achievements: alpha decay, the hot model of the universe and the prediction of CMB and deciphering of the genetic code. With 120 experts from 13 countries (Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Belarus, USA) delivering 20 plenary talks, 113 contributed talks and 21 posters, both the Conference and the School were very successful. The main topics of the Conference were astrophysics, cosmology, gravity, high energy physics, radioastronomy, solar activity, solar system and astrobiology. Organizing Institutions: Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University (Astronomical Observatory and Astronomy Department), Radio-Astronomical Institute of the NAS of Ukraine, Odessa Astronomical Society. The conference was held with the support of Ukrainian Astronomical Association, Euroasian Astronomical Society, Department of Physics and Astronomy of the NAS of Ukraine, South Scientific Center of the NAS of Ukraine.

Inflationary universe in deformed phase space scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasouli, S. M. M.; Saba, Nasim; Farhoudi, Mehrdad; Marto, João; Moniz, P. V.

2018-06-01

We consider a noncommutative (NC) inflationary model with a homogeneous scalar field minimally coupled to gravity. The particular NC inflationary setting herein proposed, produces entirely new consequences as summarized in what follows. We first analyze the free field case and subsequently examine the situation where the scalar field is subjected to a polynomial and exponential potentials. We propose to use a canonical deformation between momenta, in a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaî tre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe, and while the Friedmann equation (Hamiltonian constraint) remains unaffected the Friedmann acceleration equation (and thus the Klein-Gordon equation) is modified by an extra term linear in the NC parameter. This concrete noncommutativity on the momenta allows interesting dynamics that other NC models seem not to allow. Let us be more precise. This extra term behaves as the sole explicit pressure that under the right circumstances implies a period of accelerated expansion of the universe. We find that in the absence of the scalar field potential, and in contrast with the commutative case, in which the scale factor always decelerates, we obtain an inflationary phase for small negative values of the NC parameter. Subsequently, the period of accelerated expansion is smoothly replaced by an appropriate deceleration phase providing an interesting model regarding the graceful exit problem in inflationary models. This last property is present either in the free field case or under the influence of the scalar field potentials considered here. Moreover, in the case of the free scalar field, we show that not only the horizon problem is solved but also there is some resemblance between the evolution equation of the scale factor associated to our model and that for the R2 (Starobinsky) inflationary model. Therefore, our herein NC model not only can be taken as an appropriate scenario to get a successful kinetic inflation, but also is a convenient setting to obtain inflationary universe possessing the graceful exit when scalar field potentials are present.

Human Progesterone A-Form as a Target for new Drug Discovery in Human Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-07-01

Development of Dissociated Antiprogestins. Endocrinol., 140: 1449-1458. Giangrande, P.H., and McDonnell, D.P. (1999). The A and B isoforms of the human...from Schering Pharmaceuticals (Berlin, Germany). Secondary antibodies, Hybond-C Extra (nitrocellulose) transfer membrane, and developing film were...by J. D. Chen (University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA); pGEX-5X-1 was obtained from Pharmacia Biotech (Uppsala, Sweden); pGEX.1-GRIP 1 was provided

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition spectrum quantification and its efficacy in deciphering survival and drug responses of cancer patients.

PubMed

Tan, Tuan Zea; Miow, Qing Hao; Miki, Yoshio; Noda, Tetsuo; Mori, Seiichi; Huang, Ruby Yun-Ju; Thiery, Jean Paul

2014-10-01

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible and dynamic process hypothesized to be co-opted by carcinoma during invasion and metastasis. Yet, there is still no quantitative measure to assess the interplay between EMT and cancer progression. Here, we derived a method for universal EMT scoring from cancer-specific transcriptomic EMT signatures of ovarian, breast, bladder, lung, colorectal and gastric cancers. We show that EMT scoring exhibits good correlation with previously published, cancer-specific EMT signatures. This universal and quantitative EMT scoring was used to establish an EMT spectrum across various cancers, with good correlation noted between cell lines and tumours. We show correlations between EMT and poorer disease-free survival in ovarian and colorectal, but not breast, carcinomas, despite previous notions. Importantly, we found distinct responses between epithelial- and mesenchymal-like ovarian cancers to therapeutic regimes administered with or without paclitaxel in vivo and demonstrated that mesenchymal-like tumours do not always show resistance to chemotherapy. EMT scoring is thus a promising, versatile tool for the objective and systematic investigation of EMT roles and dynamics in cancer progression, treatment response and survival. © 2014 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

Probing dark energy with braneworld cosmology in the light of recent cosmological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Aspeitia, Miguel A.; Magaña, Juan; Hernández-Almada, A.; Motta, V.

We investigate a brane model based on Randall-Sundrum scenarios with a generic dark energy component. The latter drives the accelerated expansion at late-times of the universe. In this scheme, extra terms are added into Einstein Field equations that are propagated to the Friedmann equations. To constrain the dark energy equation-of-state (EoS) and the brane tension we use observational data with different energy levels (Supernovae Type Ia, H(z), baryon acoustic oscillations, and cosmic microwave background radiation distance, and a joint analysis) in a background cosmology. Beside EoS being consistent with a cosmological constant at the 3σ confidence level for each dataset, the baryon acoustic oscillations probe favors an EoS consistent with a quintessence dark energy. Although we found different lower limit bounds on the brane tension for each dataset, being the most restricted for CMB, there is not enough evidence of modifications in the cosmological evolution of the universe by the existence of an extra dimension within observational uncertainties. Nevertheless, these new bounds are complementary to those obtained by other probes like table-top experiments, Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and stellar dynamics. Our results show that a further test of the braneworld model with appropriate correction terms or a profound analysis with perturbations, may be needed to improve the constraints provided by the current data.

Origin of ΔN{sub eff} as a result of an interaction between dark radiation and dark matter

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

Bjaelde, Ole Eggers; Das, Subinoy; Moss, Adam, E-mail: oeb@phys.au.dk, E-mail: subinoy@physik.rwth-aachen.de, E-mail: Adam.Moss@nottingham.ac.uk

2012-10-01

Results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) and recently from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) have indicated the possible existence of an extra radiation component in addition to the well known three neutrino species predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics. In this paper, we explore the possibility of the apparent extra dark radiation being linked directly to the physics of cold dark matter (CDM). In particular, we consider a generic scenario where dark radiation, as a result of an interaction, is produced directly by a fraction of the dark matter density effectively decayingmore » into dark radiation. At an early epoch when the dark matter density is negligible, as an obvious consequence, the density of dark radiation is also very small. As the Universe approaches matter radiation equality, the dark matter density starts to dominate thereby increasing the content of dark radiation and changing the expansion rate of the Universe. As this increase in dark radiation content happens naturally after Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), it can relax the possible tension with lower values of radiation degrees of freedom measured from light element abundances compared to that of the CMB. We numerically confront this scenario with WMAP+ACT and WMAP+SPT data and derive an upper limit on the allowed fraction of dark matter decaying into dark radiation.« less

Dynamic interaction between actin and nesprin2 maintain the cell nucleus in a prestressed state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Abhishek; Shivashankar, G. V.

2016-12-01

Mechanical coupling between the nucleus and the cytoskeleton is indispensable for direct force transduction from the extra cellular matrix (ECM) to the chromatin. Although this physical coupling has been shown to be crucial for nuclear positioning and its function, the quantification of nuclear-cytoskeleton interaction has been lacking. In this paper, using various quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy techniques, we investigate the nature of this connection. High-resolution 3D imaging shows that nesprin2G forms short linear structures along actin stress fibers (ASFs) in the apical region of the nucleus. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) revealed that the alignment of nesprin2G becomes heterogeneous when cell shape is engineered from elongated rectangular shape to square using micropatterned substrates. Further, fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (FCCS) revealed that actin interacts transiently with outer nuclear membrane protein nesprin2G with a time scale of 12 ms. In addition, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments show that the apical ASFs and nesprin2G are in close physical proximity. This interaction is spatially heterogeneous with high FRET along the ASFs. Lastly, we show that the disruption of actin to nuclear connection by over-expression of Dominant Negative Klarsicht, ANC-1, Syne Homology (DNKASH) leads to an increase in nuclear height. These results not only reveal the characteristics of actin-nesprin2G interaction and its significance in regulating nuclear morphology, but also validate the utility of quantitative fluorescence techniques in deciphering physical connections that are essential for mechanotransduction.

Molecular Evidence for Convergence and Parallelism in Evolution of Complex Brains of Cephalopod Molluscs: Insights from Visual Systems

PubMed Central

Yoshida, M. A.; Ogura, A.; Ikeo, K.; Shigeno, S.; Moritaki, T.; Winters, G. C.; Kohn, A. B.; Moroz, L. L.

2015-01-01

Coleoid cephalopods show remarkable evolutionary convergence with vertebrates in their neural organization, including (1) eyes and visual system with optic lobes, (2) specialized parts of the brain controlling learning and memory, such as vertical lobes, and (3) unique vasculature supporting such complexity of the central nervous system. We performed deep sequencing of eye transcriptomes of pygmy squids (Idiosepius paradoxus) and chambered nautiluses (Nautilus pompilius) to decipher the molecular basis of convergent evolution in cephalopods. RNA-seq was complemented by in situ hybridization to localize the expression of selected genes. We found three types of genomic innovations in the evolution of complex brains: (1) recruitment of novel genes into morphogenetic pathways, (2) recombination of various coding and regulatory regions of different genes, often called “evolutionary tinkering” or “co-option”, and (3) duplication and divergence of genes. Massive recruitment of novel genes occurred in the evolution of the “camera” eye from nautilus’ “pinhole” eye. We also showed that the type-2 co-option of transcription factors played important roles in the evolution of the lens and visual neurons. In summary, the cephalopod convergent morphological evolution of the camera eyes was driven by a mosaic of all types of gene recruitments. In addition, our analysis revealed unexpected variations of squids’ opsins, retinochromes, and arrestins, providing more detailed information, valuable for further research on intra-ocular and extra-ocular photoreception of the cephalopods. PMID:26002349

Envirotyping for deciphering environmental impacts on crop plants.

PubMed

Xu, Yunbi

2016-04-01

Global climate change imposes increasing impacts on our environments and crop production. To decipher environmental impacts on crop plants, the concept "envirotyping" is proposed, as a third "typing" technology, complementing with genotyping and phenotyping. Environmental factors can be collected through multiple environmental trials, geographic and soil information systems, measurement of soil and canopy properties, and evaluation of companion organisms. Envirotyping contributes to crop modeling and phenotype prediction through its functional components, including genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI), genes responsive to environmental signals, biotic and abiotic stresses, and integrative phenotyping. Envirotyping, driven by information and support systems, has a wide range of applications, including environmental characterization, GEI analysis, phenotype prediction, near-iso-environment construction, agronomic genomics, precision agriculture and breeding, and development of a four-dimensional profile of crop science involving genotype (G), phenotype (P), envirotype (E) and time (T) (developmental stage). In the future, envirotyping needs to zoom into specific experimental plots and individual plants, along with the development of high-throughput and precision envirotyping platforms, to integrate genotypic, phenotypic and envirotypic information for establishing a high-efficient precision breeding and sustainable crop production system based on deciphered environmental impacts.

The 11 years solar cycle as the manifestation of the dark Universe

DOE PAGES

Zioutas, K.; Semertzidis, Y.; Tsagri, M.; ...

2014-11-26

Sun’s luminosity in the visible changes at the 10 -3 level, following an 11 years period. In X-rays, which should not be there, the amplitude varies even ~10 5 times stronger, making their mysterious origin since the discovery in 1938 even more puzzling, and inspiring. We suggest that the multifaceted mysterious solar cycle is due to some kind of dark matter streams hitting the Sun. Planetary gravitational lensing enhances (occasionally) slow moving flows of dark constituents towards the Sun, giving rise to the periodic behaviour. Jupiter provides the driving oscillatory force, though its 11.8 years orbital period appears slightly decreased,more » just as 11 years, if the lensing impact of other planets is included. Then, the 11 years solar clock may help to decipher (overlooked) signatures from the dark sector in laboratory experiments or observations in space.« less

How river rocks round: resolving the shape-size paradox.

PubMed

Domokos, Gabor; Jerolmack, Douglas J; Sipos, Andras Á; Török, Akos

2014-01-01

River-bed sediments display two universal downstream trends: fining, in which particle size decreases; and rounding, where pebble shapes evolve toward ellipsoids. Rounding is known to result from transport-induced abrasion; however many researchers argue that the contribution of abrasion to downstream fining is negligible. This presents a paradox: downstream shape change indicates substantial abrasion, while size change apparently rules it out. Here we use laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to show quantitatively that pebble abrasion is a curvature-driven flow problem. As a consequence, abrasion occurs in two well-separated phases: first, pebble edges rapidly round without any change in axis dimensions until the shape becomes entirely convex; and second, axis dimensions are then slowly reduced while the particle remains convex. Explicit study of pebble shape evolution helps resolve the shape-size paradox by reconciling discrepancies between laboratory and field studies, and enhances our ability to decipher the transport history of a river rock.

Cardioproteomics: advancing the discovery of signaling mechanisms involved in cardiovascular diseases

PubMed Central

Cui, Ziyou; Dewey, Shannamar; Gomes, Aldrin V

2011-01-01

Cardioproteomics (Cardiovascular proteomics) is fast becoming an indispensible technique in deciphering changes in signaling pathways that occur in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The quality and availability of the instruments and bioinformatics software used for cardioproteomics continues to improve, and these techniques are now available to most cardiovascular researchers either directly or indirectly via university core centers. The heart and aorta are specialized tissues which present unique challenges to investigate. Currently, the diverse range of proteomic techniques available for cardiovascular research makes the choice of the best method or best combination of methods for the disease parameter(s) being investigated as important as the equipment used. This review focuses on proteomic techniques and their applications which have advanced our understanding of the signaling mechanisms involved in CVDs at the levels of protein complex/protein-protein interaction, post-translational modifications and signaling induced protein changes. PMID:22254205

An equation-of-state-meter of quantum chromodynamics transition from deep learning

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

Pang, Long-Gang; Zhou, Kai; Su, Nan

A primordial state of matter consisting of free quarks and gluons that existed in the early universe a few microseconds after the Big Bang is also expected to form in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Determining the equation of state (EoS) of such a primordial matter is the ultimate goal of high-energy heavy-ion experiments. Here we use supervised learning with a deep convolutional neural network to identify the EoS employed in the relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of heavy ion collisions. High-level correlations of particle spectra in transverse momentum and azimuthal angle learned by the network act as an effective EoS-meter in deciphering themore » nature of the phase transition in quantum chromodynamics. Finally, such EoS-meter is model-independent and insensitive to other simulation inputs including the initial conditions for hydrodynamic simulations.« less

An equation-of-state-meter of quantum chromodynamics transition from deep learning

DOE PAGES

Pang, Long-Gang; Zhou, Kai; Su, Nan; ...

2018-01-15

A primordial state of matter consisting of free quarks and gluons that existed in the early universe a few microseconds after the Big Bang is also expected to form in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. Determining the equation of state (EoS) of such a primordial matter is the ultimate goal of high-energy heavy-ion experiments. Here we use supervised learning with a deep convolutional neural network to identify the EoS employed in the relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of heavy ion collisions. High-level correlations of particle spectra in transverse momentum and azimuthal angle learned by the network act as an effective EoS-meter in deciphering themore » nature of the phase transition in quantum chromodynamics. Finally, such EoS-meter is model-independent and insensitive to other simulation inputs including the initial conditions for hydrodynamic simulations.« less

FRODOCK 2.0: fast protein-protein docking server.

PubMed

Ramírez-Aportela, Erney; López-Blanco, José Ramón; Chacón, Pablo

2016-08-01

The prediction of protein-protein complexes from the structures of unbound components is a challenging and powerful strategy to decipher the mechanism of many essential biological processes. We present a user-friendly protein-protein docking server based on an improved version of FRODOCK that includes a complementary knowledge-based potential. The web interface provides a very effective tool to explore and select protein-protein models and interactively screen them against experimental distance constraints. The competitive success rates and efficiency achieved allow the retrieval of reliable potential protein-protein binding conformations that can be further refined with more computationally demanding strategies. The server is free and open to all users with no login requirement at http://frodock.chaconlab.org pablo@chaconlab.org Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Emission of Galaxies over the Whole Electromagnetic Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgarella, Denis; Boquien, Médéric; Roehlly, Yannick; Ciesla, Laure; Buat, Véronique

2017-08-01

The emission of galaxies is not limited to the usual optical range but extends to a wider spectral range with, most notably, emission in the X-ray, ultraviolet, infrared and radio ranges. Their detection and study brings a lot of information to the astrophysics because the physical phenomena at the origin of the various emissions are different. Each of them allows analysis of a different facet of the physics of galaxies: gas, stars, dust, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). However, gathering this multi-wavelength information is not an easy task as some of them do not reach ground-based telescopes and we have to design and launch space telescopes to catch and collect the relevant photons. This paper will present the tools that are available to the astrophysicist to decipher the message sent by local, distant or even the most remote galaxies observed in the universe.

How River Rocks Round: Resolving the Shape-Size Paradox

PubMed Central

Domokos, Gabor; Jerolmack, Douglas J.; Sipos, Andras Á.; Török, Ákos

2014-01-01

River-bed sediments display two universal downstream trends: fining, in which particle size decreases; and rounding, where pebble shapes evolve toward ellipsoids. Rounding is known to result from transport-induced abrasion; however many researchers argue that the contribution of abrasion to downstream fining is negligible. This presents a paradox: downstream shape change indicates substantial abrasion, while size change apparently rules it out. Here we use laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to show quantitatively that pebble abrasion is a curvature-driven flow problem. As a consequence, abrasion occurs in two well-separated phases: first, pebble edges rapidly round without any change in axis dimensions until the shape becomes entirely convex; and second, axis dimensions are then slowly reduced while the particle remains convex. Explicit study of pebble shape evolution helps resolve the shape-size paradox by reconciling discrepancies between laboratory and field studies, and enhances our ability to decipher the transport history of a river rock. PMID:24533132

Deciphering the genetic blueprint behind Holstein milk proteins and production.

PubMed

Lee, Hyun-Jeong; Kim, Jaemin; Lee, Taeheon; Son, Jun Kyu; Yoon, Ho-Baek; Baek, Kwang-Soo; Jeong, Jin Young; Cho, Yong-Min; Lee, Kyung-Tai; Yang, Byoung-Chul; Lim, Hyun-Joo; Cho, Kwanghyeon; Kim, Tae-Hun; Kwon, Eung Gi; Nam, Jungrye; Kwak, Woori; Cho, Seoae; Kim, Heebal

2014-05-14

Holstein is known to provide higher milk yields than most other cattle breeds, and the dominant position of Holstein today is the result of various selection pressures. Holstein cattle have undergone intensive selection for milk production in recent decades, which has left genome-wide footprints of domestication. To further characterize the bovine genome, we performed whole-genome resequencing analysis of 10 Holstein and 11 Hanwoo cattle to identify regions containing genes as outliers in Holstein, including CSN1S1, CSN2, CSN3, and KIT whose products are likely involved in the yield and proteins of milk and their distinctive black-and-white markings. In addition, genes indicative of positive selection were associated with cardiovascular disease, which is related to simultaneous propagation of genetic defects, also known as inbreeding depression in Holstein. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

LIGO-India: expanding the international network of gravitational wave detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Balasubramanian

2015-04-01

The first detection of Gravitational Waves (GW) by ground based detectors will open up a fundamentally new observational window to the Universe with implications for astrophysics and eventually cosmology and fundamental physics. The realization of GW astronomy requires a global network of Advanced GW detectors including upcoming observatories like KAGRA (Japan) and LIGO-India to provide good sky localization of the GW sources. LIGO-India is expected to play a key role in locating and deciphering the sources contributing to the GW symphony. The current status of LIGO-India project and the exciting future research opportunities of this ambitious Indo-US collaboration in science, technology and computation will be finally indicated. Acknowledge CISA and APS for the Award of a APS Beller Lectureship. BRI supported by the AIRBUS Group Corporate Foundation through a visiting professorship, which is part of the ``Mathematics of Complex Systems'' chair at ICTS.

Chlamydia Infection Across Host Species Boundaries Promotes Distinct Sets of Transcribed Anti-Apoptotic Factors

PubMed Central

Messinger, Joshua E.; Nelton, Emmalin; Feeney, Colleen; Gondek, David C.

2015-01-01

Chlamydiae, obligate intracellular bacteria, cause significant human and veterinary associated diseases. Having emerged an estimated 700-million years ago, these bacteria have twice adapted to humans as a host species, causing sexually transmitted infection (C. trachomatis) and respiratory associated disease (C. pneumoniae). The principle mechanism of host cell defense against these intracellular bacteria is the induction of cell death via apoptosis. However, in the “arms race” of co-evolution, Chlamydiae have developed mechanisms to promote cell viability and inhibit cell death. Herein we examine the impact of Chlamydiae infection across multiple host species on transcription of anti-apoptotic genes. We found mostly distinct patterns of gene expression (Mcl1 and cIAPs) elicited by each pathogen-host pair indicating Chlamydiae infection across host species boundaries does not induce a universally shared host response. Understanding species specific host-pathogen interactions is paramount to deciphering how potential pathogens become emerging diseases. PMID:26779446

Casimir force in brane worlds: Coinciding results from Green's and zeta function approaches

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

Linares, Roman; Morales-Tecotl, Hugo A.; Pedraza, Omar

2010-06-15

Casimir force encodes the structure of the field modes as vacuum fluctuations and so it is sensitive to the extra dimensions of brane worlds. Now, in flat spacetimes of arbitrary dimension the two standard approaches to the Casimir force, Green's function, and zeta function yield the same result, but for brane world models this was only assumed. In this work we show that both approaches yield the same Casimir force in the case of universal extra dimensions and Randall-Sundrum scenarios with one and two branes added by p compact dimensions. Essentially, the details of the mode eigenfunctions that enter themore » Casimir force in the Green's function approach get removed due to their orthogonality relations with a measure involving the right hypervolume of the plates, and this leaves just the contribution coming from the zeta function approach. The present analysis corrects previous results showing a difference between the two approaches for the single brane Randall-Sundrum; this was due to an erroneous hypervolume of the plates introduced by the authors when using the Green's function. For all the models we discuss here, the resulting Casimir force can be neatly expressed in terms of two four-dimensional Casimir force contributions: one for the massless mode and the other for a tower of massive modes associated with the extra dimensions.« less

Concomitant injuries are an important determinant of outcome of high-grade blunt hepatic trauma.

PubMed

Schnüriger, B; Inderbitzin, D; Schafer, M; Kickuth, R; Exadaktylos, A; Candinas, D

2009-01-01

Little is known about the clinical importance of concomitant injuries in polytraumatized patients with high-grade blunt liver injury. A retrospective single-centre study was performed to investigate the safety of non-operative management of liver injury and the impact of concomitant intra- and extra-abdominal injuries on clinical outcome. Some 183 patients with blunt liver injury were admitted to Berne University Hospital, Switzerland, between January 2000 and December 2006. Grade 3-5 injuries were considered to be high grade. Immediate laparotomy was required by 35 patients (19.1 per cent), owing to extrahepatic intra-abdominal injury (splenic and vascular injuries, perforations) in 21 cases. The mortality rate was 16.9 per cent; 22 of the 31 deaths were due to concomitant lesions. Of 81 patients with high-grade liver injury, 63 (78 per cent) were managed without surgery; liver-related and extra-abdominal complication rates in these patients were 11 and 17 per cent respectively. Grades 4 and 5 liver injury were associated with hepatic-related and extra-abdominal complications. Concomitant injuries are a major determinant of outcome in patients with blunt hepatic injury and should be given high priority by trauma surgeons. An algorithm for the management of blunt liver injury is proposed. Copyright (c) 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevalence of Extra Roots in Permanent Mandibular First Molars in Iranian Population: A CBCT Analysis

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Saeed; Mokhtari, Hadi; Ranjkesh, Bahram; Johari, Masoomeh; Frough Reyhani, Mohammad; Shahi, Shahriar; Seif Reyhani, Sina

2017-01-01

Introduction: Having knowledge about the anatomy of root canal system is essential for success of endodontic treatment. The present study used cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), to evaluate the prevalence of third root in mandibular first molars in a selected Iranian population. Methods and Materials: A total of 386 CBCT images from subjects referred to oral and maxillofacial radiology department of dental faculty of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from 2011 to 2013 were selected and evaluated for this study and the cases with well-developed permanent mandibular first molars were included. The 3D images were reconstructed in axial cross sections and evaluated by two endodontists for the presence of the third extra lingual (radix entomolaris) or buccal (radix paramolaris) root. The chi-squared test was used to evaluate the relationship between gender and bilateral incidence of extra roots in mandibular first molars. Results: The distribution of three-rooted mandibular first molars with an additional root was 3%, (3.53% in female and 2.50% in male patients). There was no significant relationship between gender and bilateral occurrence of three-rooted mandibular first molars. Conclusion: The occurrence of three-rooted mandibular first molars in Iranian population is not uncommon which should be taken into consideration by the dental practitioners during root canal treatment of these teeth. PMID:28179928

Statistical testing of the full-range leadership theory in nursing.

PubMed

Kanste, Outi; Kääriäinen, Maria; Kyngäs, Helvi

2009-12-01

The aim of this study is to test statistically the structure of the full-range leadership theory in nursing. The data were gathered by postal questionnaires from nurses and nurse leaders working in healthcare organizations in Finland. A follow-up study was performed 1 year later. The sample consisted of 601 nurses and nurse leaders, and the follow-up study had 78 respondents. Theory was tested through structural equation modelling, standard regression analysis and two-way anova. Rewarding transformational leadership seems to promote and passive laissez-faire leadership to reduce willingness to exert extra effort, perceptions of leader effectiveness and satisfaction with the leader. Active management-by-exception seems to reduce willingness to exert extra effort and perception of leader effectiveness. Rewarding transformational leadership remained as a strong explanatory factor of all outcome variables measured 1 year later. The data supported the main structure of the full-range leadership theory, lending support to the universal nature of the theory.

The utility of the diagnosis of pedophilia: a comparison of various classification procedures.

PubMed

Kingston, Drew A; Firestone, Philip; Moulden, Heather M; Bradford, John M

2007-06-01

This study examined the utility of the diagnosis of pedophilia in a sample of extra-familial child molesters assessed at a university teaching hospital between 1982 and 1992. Pedophilia was defined in one of four ways: (1) DSM diagnosis made by a psychiatrist; (2) deviant phallometric profile; (3) DSM diagnosis and a deviant phallometric profile; and, (4) high scores based on the Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interest (Seto & Lalumière, 2001). Demographic data, psychological tests, and offence history were obtained and group differences were analyzed along with the ability of certain variables to contribute uniquely to the classification of pedophilia. Results indicated that few significant differences existed on psychological measures between pedophilic and nonpedophilic extra-familial child molesters regardless of the classification system employed. Finally, results indicated that the procedures used to define pedophilia were not significantly related to one another. Results are discussed in terms of the utility of the diagnosis of pedophilia.

Intelligent Design, A Young Universe, Astrology, UFO's, and More: Tackling Astronomical Pseudo-science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraknoi, A.

2008-11-01

During IYA educators and scientists will interact with the public in many ways. There will likely be public questions at IYA events about pseudo-scientific topics. While the particular pseudo-sciences that are in vogue change with time, these days popular astronomical pseudo-science includes creationism and intelligent design (and their denial of the age of the universe), astrology, UFO's as extra-terrestrial spaceships, selling star names, the ``face'' on Mars, the claim that the moon landings were a hoax, etc. We discuss some of the recent surveys of belief in pseudo-science and some ways to respond to questions about these topics. A separate resource guide to help answer questions about astronomical pseudoscience is also included in this volume.

[Descriptive analysis of the social, clinical, laboratorial and anthropometric profiles of inflammatory bowel disease inwards patients from the "Clementino Fraga Filho" University Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil].

PubMed

Elia, Paula Peruzzi; Fogaça, Homero Soares; Barros, Rodrigo G G Rego; Zaltman, Cyrla; Elia, Celeste Siqueira C

2007-01-01

The epidemiologic survey in Brazil is limited probably due to a diagnosis deficiency and a small number of population-based studies performed. The majority of the prevalence studies available have evaluated inflammatory bowel diseases outpatients, but the knowledge of the profile of inflammatory bowel diseases inpatients is important in order to detect predictive markers of disease severity that will allow earlier medical intervention decreasing the rate of hospitalization and reducing the Health System costs. To determine social, clinical, laboratorial and anthropometric profiles of hospitalized adults inflammatory bowel diseases patients of a tertiary university hospital. Prospective study was performed with 43 inflammatory bowel diseases inpatients from clinical and surgical wards and emergency section of university hospital. We characterized demographic data, presence of comorbidities, disease location and behavior, surgical past-history, extra intestinal manifestations using standardized definitions. Laboratory results were abstracted from medical records and anthropometric measures were performed during our visit. The vast majority of the inflammatory bowel diseases patients had Crohn's disease (72.1%), with ileocolic involvement (60%), with a penetrating disease behavior (77.4%) while ulcerative colitis group presented mostly pancolitis (50%). Articular pain was the most common (44.2%) extra intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel diseases patients and 97.7% of them had at least one type of complication related to disease. Although, the previous use of specific medical therapies to inflammatory bowel diseases before the hospitalization (more frequently corticosteroids) was done (79%), the majority of the patients were hospitalized because of inflammatory bowel diseases activity. Disease activity was present in 80.7% of Crohn's disease and 50% ulcerative colitis patients. Inflammatory bowel diseases mortality rate was 5.5% (2/36). Comorbidities presence occurred only in 30.2% of inflammatory bowel diseases patients. The predominant surgery performed was intestinal resection. The interval between the symptoms appearance and the definitive diagnosis was less than 1 year in more than 70% of inflammatory bowel diseases patients. Laboratory findings detected were a decreased serum albumin (85.7%) and anemia (69.8%). The majority of the patients had at least one anthropometric alteration. The social stratification of the inflammatory bowel diseases group was similar to the Brazilian population. The inflammatory bowel diseases inpatients from the university hospital wards had more severe evolution of these illnesses with an active and extensive disease with complications and frequent extra intestinal manifestations, despite the prolonged use of corticosteroids. The higher prevalence of Crohn's disease inpatients than ulcerative colitis could reflect a higher aggressive behavior of this disease. The reduced serum albumin, anemia and anthropometric alterations are common inflammatory bowel diseases inpatients and could be related to a major severity of inflammatory bowel diseases evolution.

Society, Land, Love or Money (A Strategic Model of How to Glue the Generations Together),

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

carrying of extra capital stock. 33 REFERENCES Dawkins , R. (1976), The Selfish Gene . New York: Oxford University Press. Dubey, P. and N. Shubik (1981...a gene would rapidly disappear. The care for offspring needs to be forthcoming until the last of the new generation is selfsufficient and able to...payoff than the firs:. it is more complicated. 20 4.3. Selfish Individuals and Threat Strategies (Model 1) In this section an example is fully

Astronaut tool development: An orbital replaceable unit-portable handhold

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redmon, John W., Jr.

1989-01-01

A tool to be used during astronaut Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) replacement of spent or defective electrical/electronic component boxes is described. The generation of requirements and design philosophies are detailed, as well as specifics relating to mechanical development, interface verifications, testing, and astronaut feedback. Findings are presented in the form of: (1) a design which is universally applicable to spacecraft component replacement, and (2) guidelines that the designer of orbital replacement units might incorporate to enhance spacecraft on-orbit maintainability and EVA mission safety.

Kaluza-Klein cosmology from five-dimensional Lovelock-Cartan theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo-Felisola, Oscar; Corral, Cristóbal; del Pino, Simón; Ramírez, Francisca

2016-12-01

We study the Kaluza-Klein dimensional reduction of the Lovelock-Cartan theory in five-dimensional spacetime, with a compact dimension of S1 topology. We find cosmological solutions of the Friedmann-Robertson-Walker class in the reduced spacetime. The torsion and the fields arising from the dimensional reduction induce a nonvanishing energy-momentum tensor in four dimensions. We find solutions describing expanding, contracting, and bouncing universes. The model shows a dynamical compactification of the extra dimension in some regions of the parameter space.

Nonlinear Acoustics: Propagation in a Periodic Waveguide, Scattering of Sound by Sound, Propagation through a Three-Layer Fluid, and Nonlinearity Parameters of Sea Water

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-19

Visiting Research Fellow, on leave from institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton , England W. M. Wright, Consultant...on Lithotripsy (Extra-Corporeal Shock Wave Applications - Technical and Clinical Problems), Univer- sity of Florida, Gainesville, 12-13 March 1988...Society of America, Seattle, 16-20 May 1988. ABSTRACT: J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 83, S5 (1988). 0574 0 b4 . D. T. Blackstock, "Physical aspects of lithotripsy

Development of Gutless Adenoviral Vectors Encoding Anti Angiogenic Proteins for Therapy of Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Calvin J. Kuo, M.D., Ph.D. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION : Stanford University Stanford, California 94305-5401 REPORT DATE: January...cloned in between the I-Scel site and the T’. This extra DNA fragment is used as a stuffer DNA in order to increase the size of the viral genome up to...regularly increasing sizes above the 2 fragments specific for the virus left and right ends can only be explained by the phenomenon known as ’postreplicative

Extra Pay for Extra Duties, 1967-1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

The practice of adding supplements to teachers' salaries for the guidance of pupil-participating extracurricular activities is widely used. To meet the demand for information on "extra pay for extra duties," a comprehensive study was made, including extra pay for extra duties of both athletic and nonathletic activities. Included are only those…

Dancing to different tunes: heterospecific deciphering of the honeybee waggle dance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, K.; Yang, M. X.; Radloff, S. E.; Hepburn, H. R.; Zhang, Z. Y.; Luo, L. J.; Li, H.

2008-12-01

Although the structure of the dance language is very similar among species of honeybees, communication of the distance component of the message varies both intraspecifically and interspecifically. However, it is not known whether different honeybee species would attend interspecific waggle dances and, if so, whether they can decipher such dances. Using mixed-species colonies of Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, we show that, despite internal differences in the structure of the waggle dances of foragers, both species attend, and act on the information encoded in each other’s waggle dances but with limited accuracy. These observations indicate that direction and distance communication pre-date speciation in honeybees.

Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis

PubMed Central

Sazer, Shelley; Lynch, Michael; Needleman, Daniel

2014-01-01

Summary The origin of the nucleus at the prokaryote to eukaryote transition represents one of the most important events in the evolution of cellular organization. The nuclear envelope encircles the chromosomes in interphase and is a selectively permeable barrier between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm and an organizational scaffold for the nucleus. It remains intact in the "closed" mitosis of some yeast but loses its integrity in the "open" mitosis of mammals. Instances of both types of mitosis within two evolutionary clades indicate multiple evolutionary transitions between open and closed mitosis, although the underlying genetic changes that influenced these transitions remain unknown. A survey of the diversity of mitotic nuclei that fall between these extremes is the starting point from which to determine the physiologically relevant characteristics distinguishing open from closed mitosis and to understand how they evolved and why they are retained in present-day organisms. The field is now poised to begin addressing these issues by defining and document patterns of mitotic nuclear variation within and among species and map them onto a phylogenic tree. Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis will complement cell biological and genetic approaches aimed at deciphering the fundamental organizational principles of the nucleus. PMID:25458223

[Clinical and epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in a university hospital in Santiago, Chile].

PubMed

Morgado, Alvaro; Köhnenkampf, Ruth; Navarrete, Pablo; García, Patricia; Balcells, M Elvira

2012-07-01

The incidence and epidemiological profile of tuberculosis (TB) has changed significantly in the recent years in Chile. To evaluate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of TB cases diagnosed in the last decade at a university hospital in Santiago. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture registry of the microbiology laboratory was reviewed. Medical records of patients with a positive culture registered between 2000 and 2010 were retrieved and analyzed. Two hundred forty positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis cultures were identified and the medical records of 158 of these patients were accessed for analysis. The median age was 53 years (range: 3 to 89), 55.1% were female and nearly 42% had extra-pulmonary TB. Among known risk factors, 32.9% of patients were older than 65 years, 4.4% were health care workers and 3.9% immigrants. Twenty eight percent (41/145) had some type of immunosuppression at diagnosis: 11.7% HIV infection and 16.6% were using immunosuppressive drugs. In this group, a previous tuberculin skin test was done in only 5 cases (12.2%). Adverse events related to TB treatment were reported in 21.3% of cases (17/80). No cases of fulminant hepatitis or death from this cause were identified. Four of 92 patients that had a complete follow up during treatment, died. Two of these patients were receiving steroids. Almost one third of TB cases occurred among immunosuppressed patients and 42% were extra-pulmonary forms. The prevention of TB reactivation in this group should be strengthened.

Extra virgin olive oil phenols and markers of oxidation in Greek smokers: a randomized cross-over study.

PubMed

Moschandreas, J; Vissers, M N; Wiseman, S; van Putte, K P; Kafatos, A

2002-10-01

To examine the effect of a low phenol olive oil and high phenol olive oil on markers of oxidation and plasma susceptibility to oxidation in normolipaemic smokers. Randomized single-blind cross-over trial with two intervention periods. The Medical School and University Hospital of the University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Twenty-five healthy males and females completed the study. Each intervention was of three weeks duration and intervention periods were separated by a two week washout. Seventy grams of extra virgin olive oil was supplied to each subject per day in the intervention periods. The olive oils supplied differed in their phenol content by 18.6 mg/day. Two fasting venous blood samples were taken at the end of each intervention period. The markers of antioxidant capacity measured in fasting plasma samples (total plasma resistance to oxidation, concentrations of protein carbonyl as a marker of protein oxidation, malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxides as markers of lipid oxidation and the ferric reducing ability of plasma) did not differ significantly between the low and high phenol olive oil diets. No effect of olive oil phenols on markers of oxidation in smokers was detected. It may be that the natural concentrations of phenols in olive oil are too low to produce an effect in the post-absorptive phase. Possible reasons for period effects and interactions between diet and administration period need attention to aid further cross-over trials of this kind. Unilever Research Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

What to do when the Universities reject High School Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

It is hard to imagine a state of the union more affected by Earth processes than the state of California. However, the University of California actively discourages High School students from taking Earth Science courses. For admission into the University of California students are required to take at least 2 years of courses that offer a fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry, and physics. Earth Science courses simply don't qualify as laboratory science courses. The UC Admissions will sometimes make an exception for an Earth Science course only if it is shown to contain a large component of biology, chemistry and physics topics. Since students don't get credit for admission for taking Earth Science, High Schools are quick to drop Earth Science courses for their college-bound students. A group of teachers and University professors have been working to reverse this policy by creating a rigorous capstone Earth Science course that clearly merits laboratory status. Getting this course accepted by the University of California is well on its way, but getting the course into the High Schools will take a lot of work and probably some extra funding.

Λ(t) CDM and the present accelerating expansion of the universe from 5D scalar vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madriz Aguilar, José Edgar; Zamarripa, J.; Peraza, A.; Licea, J. A.

2017-12-01

In this letter we investigate some consequences of considering our 4D observable universe as locally and isometrically embedded in a 5D spacetime, where gravity is described by a Brans-Dicke theory in vacuum. Once we impose the embedding conditions we obtain that gravity on the 4D spacetime is governed by the Einstein field equations modified by an extra term that can play the role of a dynamical cosmological constant. Two examples were studied. In the first we derive a cosmological model of a universe filled only with a cosmological constant. In the second we obtain a cosmological solution describing a universe filled with matter, radiation and a dynamical cosmological constant. We constrain the model by using the current observational data combination Planck + WP + BAO + SN. The present acceleration in the expansion of the universe is explained by the geometrically induced dynamical cosmological constant avoiding the introduction of a dark energy component and without addressing the underlying cosmological constant problem. Moreover, all 4D matter sources are geometrically induced in the same manner as it is usually done in the Wesson's induced matter theory.

Evolving Hořava cosmological horizons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathi, Mohsen; Mohseni, Morteza

2016-09-01

Several sets of radially propagating null congruence generators are exploited in order to form 3-dimensional marginally trapped surfaces, referred to as black hole and cosmological apparent horizons in a Hořava universe. Based on this method, we deal with the characteristics of the 2-dimensional space-like spheres of symmetry and the peculiarities of having trapping horizons. Moreover, we apply this method in standard expanding and contracting FLRW cosmological models of a Hořava universe to investigate the conditions under which the extra parameters of the theory may lead to trapped/anti-trapped surfaces both in the future and in the past. We also include the cases of negative time, referred to as the finite past, and discuss the formation of anti-trapped surfaces inside the cosmological apparent horizons.

Brane-world extra dimensions in light of GW170817

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visinelli, Luca; Bolis, Nadia; Vagnozzi, Sunny

2018-03-01

The search for extra dimensions is a challenging endeavor to probe physics beyond the Standard Model. The joint detection of gravitational waves (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) signals from the merging of a binary system of compact objects like neutron stars can help constrain the geometry of extra dimensions beyond our 3 +1 spacetime ones. A theoretically well-motivated possibility is that our observable Universe is a 3 +1 -dimensional hypersurface, or brane, embedded in a higher 4 +1 -dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS5 ) spacetime, in which gravity is the only force which propagates through the infinite bulk space, while other forces are confined to the brane. In these types of brane-world models, GW and EM signals between two points on the brane would, in general, travel different paths. This would result in a time lag between the detection of GW and EM signals emitted simultaneously from the same source. We consider the recent near-simultaneous detection of the GW event GW170817 from the LIGO/Virgo collaboration, and its EM counterpart, the short gamma-ray burst GRB170817A detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory Anti-Coincidence Shield spectrometer. Assuming the standard Λ -cold dark matter scenario and performing a likelihood analysis which takes into account astrophysical uncertainties associated to the measured time lag, we set an upper limit of ℓ≲0.535 Mpc at 68% confidence level on the AdS5 radius of curvature ℓ. Although the bound is not competitive with current Solar System constraints, it is the first time that data from a multimessenger GW-EM measurement is used to constrain extra-dimensional models. Thus, our work provides a proof of principle for the possibility of using multimessenger astronomy for probing the geometry of our space-time.

Effectiveness of off-the-shelf, extra-depth footwear in reducing foot pain in older people: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B; Auhl, Maria; Ristevski, Sonja; Frescos, Nicoletta; Munteanu, Shannon E

2015-04-01

Foot pain is highly prevalent in older people and in many cases is associated with inappropriate footwear. This study evaluated the effectiveness of off-the-shelf, extra-depth footwear in reducing foot pain. Community-dwelling older people with disabling foot pain (72 men and 48 women aged 65 to 96 years; mean age 82 [SD 8]) were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 59) or control group (n = 61). The intervention group was provided with off-the-shelf, extra-depth footwear. Participants in the control group received their footwear at the completion of the study. Both groups continued to receive usual podiatry care for the study period. The primary outcome measure was the Foot Health Status Questionnaire (FHSQ), measured at baseline and 16 weeks. There was a significant improvement in the FHSQ pain domain (ANCOVA-adjusted mean difference 11.5 points, 95% confidence interval 4.2 to 18.8, p = .002) and FHSQ function domain (10.0 points, 0.9 to 19.1, p = .032) in the intervention group compared to the control group. The intervention group also developed fewer keratotic lesions (mean difference -1.4, -2.5 to -0.2, p = .021), were less likely to report the use of co-interventions (relative risk [RR] 0.74, 0.56 to 0.98, p = .026) and were more likely to report that their foot pain had moderately or markedly improved during the study (RR = 7.93, 2.51 to 25.00, p < .001; number needed to treat = 3, 2 to 5). Off-the-shelf, extra-depth footwear significantly reduces foot pain, improves foot function and is associated with the development of fewer keratotic lesions in older people. © The Author 2014. 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.

Predictors for perioperative blood transfusion in elderly patients with extra capsular hip fractures treated with cephalo-medullary nailing.

PubMed

Fazal, M Ali; Bagley, Caroline; Garg, Parag

2018-02-01

The aim of our study was to determine predictive factors and requirement for perioperative blood transfusion in elderly patients with extra capsular hip fractures treated with cephalo-medullary device. Seventy-nine patients with extra capsular hip fractures treated with cephalo-medullary nailing were included in the study. Age, sex, ASA grade, timing of surgery, preoperative and postoperative haemoglobin, length of hospital stay, fracture type, number of units transfused and 30-day mortality were recorded. The mean age was 82.3 years. Forty-seven patients underwent a short nail and 32 patients a long nail; 53.4% patients required blood transfusion postoperatively. Transfusion was required in 71.8% of the long nails (p < 0.05), 65.8% patients above the age of 80 (p < 0.05), 100% of the patients with hemoglobin below 90 g/L and 20 patients with a ASA grade of 3 (p < 0.05). 78.5% patients with A2 fracture and 75% of A3 fractures needed blood transfusion (p > 0.05). Length of hospital stay in non-transfusion group was 13 days and in transfusion group was 19 days (p < 0.05). 55.1% operated within 36 h and 47.6% operated after 36 h of admission needed transfusion (p > 0.05). Thirty-day mortality in patients needing blood transfusion was 5% and in non-transfusion group was 3.7% (p > 0.05). Patient age, ASA grade, preoperative haemoglobin and length of nail are reliable predictors for perioperative blood transfusion in extra capsular hip fractures in elderly patients treated with cephalo-medullary nailing and reinforce a selective transfusion policy. Copyright © 2017 Daping Hospital and the Research Institute of Surgery of the Third Military Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The nucleotide-free state of heterotrimeric G proteins α-subunit adopts a highly stable conformation.

PubMed

Andhirka, Sai Krishna; Vignesh, Ravichandran; Aradhyam, Gopala Krishna

2017-08-01

Deciphering the mechanism of activation of heterotrimeric G proteins by their cognate receptors continues to be an intriguing area of research. The recently solved crystal structure of the ternary complex captured the receptor-bound α-subunit in an open conformation, without bound nucleotide has improved our understanding of the activation process. Despite these advancements, the mechanism by which the receptor causes GDP release from the α-subunit remains elusive. To elucidate the mechanism of activation, we studied guanine nucleotide-induced structural stability of the α-subunit (in response to thermal/chaotrope-mediated stress). Inherent stabilities of the inactive (GDP-bound) and active (GTP-bound) forms contribute antagonistically to the difference in conformational stability whereas the GDP-bound protein is able to switch to a stable intermediate state, GTP-bound protein loses this ability. Partial perturbation of the protein fold reveals the underlying influence of the bound nucleotide providing an insight into the mechanism of activation. An extra stable, pretransition intermediate, 'empty pocket' state (conformationally active-state like) in the unfolding pathway of GDP-bound protein mimics a gating system - the activation process having to overcome this stable intermediate state. We demonstrate that a relatively more complex conformational fold of the GDP-bound protein is at the core of the gating system. We report capturing this threshold, 'metastable empty pocket' conformation (the gate) of α-subunit of G protein and hypothesize that the receptor activates the G protein by enabling it to achieve this structure through mild structural perturbation. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Inflation from extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levin, Janna J.

1995-02-01

A gravity-driven inflation is shown to arise from a simple higher-dimensional universe. In vacuum, the shear of n > 1 contracting dimensions is able to inflate the remaining three spatial dimensions. Said another way, the expansion of the 3-volume is accelerated by the contraction of the n-volume. Upon dimensional reduction, the theory is equivalent to a four-dimensional cosmology with a dynamical Planck mass. A connection can therefore be made to recent examples of inflation powered by a dilaton kinetic energy. Unfortunately, the graceful exit problem encountered in dilaton cosmologies will haunt this cosmology as well.

Atypical manifestation of Vibrio cholerae: fear the water!

PubMed

De Keukeleire, Steven; Hoste, Paul; Crivits, Mies; Hammami, Naïma; Piette, Anne

2018-06-19

In recent years, there has been an universal increase in number of reports of infections involving non-O1, non-O139 V. cholerae (NOVC). NOVC infection is only rarely complicated by septicaemia or invasive extra-intestinal infection. We report the first documented case of NOVC bacteraemia in a Belgian immunocompetent male after ingestion of water when paddling in a creek. Clinicians should include V. cholerae in their differential diagnosis in patients presenting with a self-limiting gastroenteritis after ingestion of raw and undercooked seafood or bathing in potentially contaminated recreational waters during warm summers.

Charge independence, charge symmetry breaking in the S-wave nucleon-nucleon interaction, and renormalization

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

Alvaro Calle Cordon,Manuel Pavon Valderrama,Enrique Ruiz Arriola

2012-02-01

We study the interplay between charge symmetry breaking and renormalization in the NN system for S-waves. We find a set of universality relations which disentangle explicitly the known long distance dynamics from low energy parameters and extend them to the Coulomb case. We analyze within such an approach the One-Boson-Exchange potential and the theoretical conditions which allow to relate the proton-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-neutron scattering observables without the introduction of extra new parameters and providing good phenomenological success.

Astrophysics in 2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trimble, Virginia; Aschwanden, Markus J.

2002-05-01

During the year, astronomers provided explanations for solar topics ranging from the multiple personality disorder of neutrinos to cannibalism of CMEs (coronal mass ejections) and extra-solar topics including quivering stars, out-of-phase gaseous media, black holes of all sizes (too large, too small, and too medium), and the existence of the universe. Some of these explanations are probably possibly true, though the authors are not betting large sums on any one. The data ought to remain true forever, though this requires a careful definition of ``data'' (think of the Martian canals).

Deciphering the Landauer-Büttiker Transmission Function from Single Molecule Break Junction Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reuter, Matthew; Tschudi, Stephen

When investigating the electrical response properties of molecules, experiments often measure conductance whereas computation predicts transmission probabilities. Although the Landauer-Büttiker theory relates the two in the limit of coherent scattering through the molecule, a direct comparison between experiment and computation can still be difficult. Experimental data (specifically that from break junctions) is statistical and computational results are deterministic. Many studies compare the most probable experimental conductance with computation, but such an analysis discards almost all of the experimental statistics. In this work we develop tools to decipher the Landauer-Büttiker transmission function directly from experimental statistics and then apply them to enable a fairer comparison between experimental and computational results.

In Search of the Third Eye, When the Two Others Are Shamefacedly Shut? Comment on "Are Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies Designed for All? Vulnerable Groups in Policy Documents of Four European Countries and Their Involvement in Policy Development".

PubMed

Keygnaert, Ines

2016-02-11

Ivanova et al explored how vulnerable groups and principles of human rights are incorporated into national sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies in 4 countries. They adapted the EquiFrame of Amin and colleagues of 2011, to SRH vulnerable groups which we believe could now be used for analysis of national SRH polices beyond those 4 countries. Although we fully agree with the authors' two main findings that vulnerable groups and human rights' principles are not sufficiently integrated in SRH policies nor granted the possibility to participate in the process of development in those four countries, we do believe that these shortcomings are not limited to those countries only nor to the identified vulnerable groups either. We are convinced that the issue of SRH as such is still framed within a very limited logic for all with vulnerable groups being perceived as an extra threat or an extra burden. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis.

PubMed

Sazer, Shelley; Lynch, Michael; Needleman, Daniel

2014-11-17

The origin of the nucleus at the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition represents one of the most important events in the evolution of cellular organization. The nuclear envelope encircles the chromosomes in interphase and is a selectively permeable barrier between the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm and an organizational scaffold for the nucleus. It remains intact in the 'closed' mitosis of some yeasts, but loses its integrity in the 'open' mitosis of mammals. Instances of both types of mitosis within two evolutionary clades indicate multiple evolutionary transitions between open and closed mitosis, although the underlying genetic changes that influenced these transitions remain unknown. A survey of the diversity of mitotic nuclei that fall between these extremes is the starting point from which to determine the physiologically relevant characteristics distinguishing open from closed mitosis and to understand how they evolved and why they are retained in present-day organisms. The field is now poised to begin addressing these issues by defining and documenting patterns of mitotic nuclear variation within and among species and mapping them onto a phylogenic tree. Deciphering the evolutionary history of open and closed mitosis will complement cell biological and genetic approaches aimed at deciphering the fundamental organizational principles of the nucleus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extra-pair copulation and extra-range movements in Flammulated Owls

Treesearch

Richard T. Reynolds; Brian D. Linkhart

1990-01-01

We report an extra-pair copulation (EPC) in the Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus), the first in strigiforms, and document 21 cases of extra-range movements (ERMs) in this species. Extra-range movements occurred throughout nesting with both sexes participating: males anytime during nesting and females only after their young fledged. Males appear to make ERMs to...

The magnetized universe: its origin and dissipation through acceleration and leakage to the voids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colgate, Stirling A.; Li, Hui; Kronberg, Philipp P.

2011-06-01

The consistency is awesome between over a dozen observations and the paradigm of radio lobes being immense sources of magnetic energy, flux, and relativistic electrons, - a magnetized universe. The greater the total energy of an astrophysical phenomenon, the more restricted are the possible explanations. Magnetic energy is the most challenging because its origin is still considered problematic. We suggest that it is evident that the universe is magnetized because of radio lobes, ultra relativistic electrons, Faraday rotation measures, the polarized emission of extra galactic radio structures, the x-rays from relativistic electrons Comptonized on the CMB, and possibly extra galactic cosmic rays. The implied energies are so large that only the formation of supermassive black hole, (SMBH) at the center of every galaxy is remotely energetic enough to supply this immense energy, ~(1/10) 108 Msolarc2 per galaxy. Only a galaxy cluster of 1000 galaxies has comparable energy, but it is inversely, (to the number of galaxies), rare per galaxy. Yet this energy appears to be shared between magnetic fields and accelerated relativistic particles, both electrons and ions. Only a large-scale coherent dynamo generating poloidal flux within the accretion disk forming the massive black hole makes a reasonable starting point. The subsequent winding of this dynamo-derived magnetic flux by conducting, angular momentum-dominated accreting matter, (~1011 turns near the event horizon in 108 years) produces the immense, coherent magnetic jets or total flux of radio lobes and similarly in star formation. By extending this same physics to supernova-neutron star formation, we predict that similar differential winding of the flux that couples explosion ejecta and a newly formed, rapidly rotating neutron star will produce similar phenomena of a magnetic jet and lobes in the forming supernova nebula. In all cases the conversion of force-free magnetic energy into accelerated ions and electrons is a major challenge.

New master program in management in biophotonics and biotechnologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meglinski, I. V.; Tuchin, V. V.

2006-08-01

We develop new graduate educational highly interdisciplinary program that will be useful for addressing problems in worldwide biotechnologies and related biomedical industries. This Master program called Management in Biophotonics and Biotechnologies provides students with the necessary training, education and problem-solving skills to produce managers who are better equipped to handle the challenges of modern business in modern biotechnologies. Administered jointly by Cranfield University (UK) and Saratov State University, Russia) graduates possess a blend of engineering, biotechnologies, business and interpersonal skills necessary for success in industry. The Master courses combine a regular year program in biophotonics & biotechnologies disciplines with the core requirements of a Master degree. A major advantage of the program is that it will provide skills not currently available to graduates in any other program, and it will give the graduates an extra competitive edge for getting a job then.

A generalised optimal linear quadratic tracker with universal applications. Part 2: discrete-time systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimzadeh, Faezeh; Tsai, Jason Sheng-Hong; Chung, Min-Ching; Liao, Ying Ting; Guo, Shu-Mei; Shieh, Leang-San; Wang, Li

2017-01-01

Contrastive to Part 1, Part 2 presents a generalised optimal linear quadratic digital tracker (LQDT) with universal applications for the discrete-time (DT) systems. This includes (1) a generalised optimal LQDT design for the system with the pre-specified trajectories of the output and the control input and additionally with both the input-to-output direct-feedthrough term and known/estimated system disturbances or extra input/output signals; (2) a new optimal filter-shaped proportional plus integral state-feedback LQDT design for non-square non-minimum phase DT systems to achieve a minimum-phase-like tracking performance; (3) a new approach for computing the control zeros of the given non-square DT systems; and (4) a one-learning-epoch input-constrained iterative learning LQDT design for the repetitive DT systems.

Variation in parent-offspring kinship in socially monogamous systems with extra-pair reproduction and inbreeding.

PubMed

Reid, Jane M; Bocedi, Greta; Nietlisbach, Pirmin; Duthie, A Bradley; Wolak, Matthew E; Gow, Elizabeth A; Arcese, Peter

2016-07-01

Female extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous systems is predicted to cause cuckolded socially-paired males to conditionally reduce paternal care, causing selection against extra-pair reproduction and underlying polyandry. However, existing models and empirical studies have not explicitly considered that cuckolded males might be related to their socially-paired female and/or to her extra-pair mate, and therefore be related to extra-pair offspring that they did not sire but could rear. Selection against paternal care, and hence against extra-pair reproduction, might then be weakened. We derive metrics that quantify allele-sharing between within-pair and extra-pair offspring and their mother and her socially-paired male in terms of coefficients of kinship and inbreeding. We use song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) paternity and pedigree data to quantify these metrics, and thereby quantify the joint effects of extra-pair reproduction and inbreeding on a brood's total allelic value to its socially-paired parents. Cuckolded male song sparrows were almost always detectably related to extra-pair offspring they reared. Consequently, although brood allelic value decreased substantially following female extra-pair reproduction, this decrease was reduced by within-pair and extra-pair reproduction among relatives. Such complex variation in kinship within nuclear families should be incorporated into models considering coevolutionary dynamics of extra-pair reproduction, parental care, and inbreeding. 2016 The Author(s). Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.

The pendulum time of life: the experience of time, when living with severe incurable disease--a phenomenological and philosophical study.

PubMed

Ellingsen, Sidsel; Roxberg, Åsa; Kristoffersen, Kjell; Rosland, Jan Henrik; Alvsvåg, Herdis

2015-05-01

The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experience of time when living with severe incurable disease. A phenomenological and philosophical approach of description and deciphering were used. In our modern health care system there is an on-going focus on utilizing and recording the use of time, but less focus on the patient's experience of time, which highlights the need to explore the patients' experiences, particularly when life is vulnerable and time is limited. The empirical data consisted of 26 open-ended interviews with 23 participants receiving palliative care at home, in hospital or in a nursing home in Norway. The theoretical frameworks used are mainly based upon K. Martinsens philosophy of care, K. E. Løgstrup phenomenological philosophy, in addition to C. Saunders' hospice philosophy, L. Feigenberg's thanatology and U. Qvarnström's research exploring patient's reactions to impending death. Experience of time is described as being a movement that moves the individual towards death in the field of opposites, and deciphered to be a universal, but a typical and unique experience emerging through three integrated levels: Sense of time; where time is described as a movement that is proceeding at varying speeds. Relate to time; where the awareness of limited life changes the understanding of time to be more existential. Being in time; where limited time seems to clarify the basic living conditions and phenomena of life. The existence of life when the prospect of death is present is characterized by emotional swings that move within polarizing dimensions which is reflected in the experience of time illustrated as the moves of the pendulum in a grandfather clock. The diversity of the experience of time is oscillating between going fast or slow, being busy or calm, being unpredictable but predictable, safe or unsafe and between being good or bad, depending on the embodied situation of the individual.

Emerging Insights on the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Extranodal NK/T Cell Lymphomas (ENKTL)

PubMed Central

Haverkos, Bradley M.; Coleman, Carrie; Gru, Alejandro A.; Pan, Zenggang; Brammer, Jonathan; Rochford, Rosemary; Mishra, Anjali; Oakes, Christopher C.; Baiocchi, Robert A.; Freud, Aharon G.; Porcu, Pierluigi

2017-01-01

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is a rare aggressive extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) universally associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). ENKTL most commonly occurs in non-elderly immune competent males in Asia and South America. A number of antecedent lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) have been described in Asian and South American patients, but the majority of Caucasian ENKTL patients have no known preceding LPD or underlying immunodeficiency. Other than EBV, no environmental or extrinsic factor has been implicated in oncogenesis. The precise mechanisms by which EBV infects NK or T cells and the virus’ role in the pathogenesis of ENKTL have not been fully deciphered. However, a number of recent discoveries including disturbances in cell signaling and mutations in tumor suppressor genes have been identified, which are providing insights into the pathogenesis of ENKTL. In this review, we highlight the molecular, viral, and genetic underpinnings of ENKTL and discuss potential therapeutic implications. PMID:28472613

Nipponium as a new element (Z=75) separated by the Japanese chemist, Masataka Ogawa: a scientific and science historical re-evaluation.

PubMed

Yoshihara, H Kenji

2008-01-01

This review article deals with a new element 'nipponium' reported by Masataka Ogawa in 1908, and with its scientific and science historical background. Ogawa positioned nipponium between molybdenum and ruthenium in the periodic table. From a modern chemical viewpoint, however, nipponium is ascribable to the element with Z=75, namely rhenium, which was unknown in 1908. The reasons for this corrected assignment of nipponium are (1) its optical spectra, (2) its atomic weight when corrected, (3) its relative abundance in molybdenite, the same being true with rhenium. Recently some important evidence was found among the Ogawa's personal collection preserved by his family. Deciphering the X-ray spectra revealed that the measured spectra of the nipponium sample that Ogawa brought from University College, London clearly showed the presence of the element 75 (rhenium). Thus was resolved the mysterious story of nipponium, which had continued for almost a century. It is concluded that nipponium was identical to rhenium.

A Symbolic and Graphical Computer Representation of Dynamical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Laurence I.

2005-04-01

AUTONO is a Macsyma/Maxima program, designed at the University of Hartford, for solving autonomous systems of differential equations as well as for relating Lagrangians and Hamiltonians to their associated dynamical equations. AUTONO can be used in a number of fields to decipher a variety of complex dynamical systems with ease, producing their Lagrangian and Hamiltonian equations in seconds. These equations can then be incorporated into VisSim, a modeling and simulation program, which yields graphical representations of motion in a given system through easily chosen input parameters. The program, along with the VisSim differential-equations graphical package, allows for resolution and easy understanding of complex problems in a relatively short time; thus enabling quicker and more advanced computing of dynamical systems on any number of platforms---from a network of sensors on a space probe, to the behavior of neural networks, to the effects of an electromagnetic field on components in a dynamical system. A flowchart of AUTONO, along with some simple applications and VisSim output, will be shown.

Nipponium as a new element (Z = 75) separated by the Japanese chemist, Masataka Ogawa: a scientific and science historical re-evaluation

PubMed Central

Yoshihara, H. Kenji

2008-01-01

This review article deals with a new element ‘nipponium’ reported by Masataka Ogawa in 1908, and with its scientific and science historical background. Ogawa positioned nipponium between molybdenum and ruthenium in the periodic table. From a modern chemical viewpoint, however, nipponium is ascribable to the element with Z = 75, namely rhenium, which was unknown in 1908. The reasons for this corrected assignment of nipponium are (1) its optical spectra, (2) its atomic weight when corrected, (3) its relative abundance in molybdenite, the same being true with rhenium. Recently some important evidence was found among the Ogawa’s personal collection preserved by his family. Deciphering the X-ray spectra revealed that the measured spectra of the nipponium sample that Ogawa brought from University College, London clearly showed the presence of the element 75 (rhenium). Thus was resolved the mysterious story of nipponium, which had continued for almost a century. It is concluded that nipponium was identical to rhenium. PMID:18941300

Comprehensive Genome Profiling of Single Sperm Cells by Multiple Annealing and Looping-Based Amplification Cycles and Next-Generation Sequencing from Carriers of Robertsonian Translocation.

PubMed

Sha, Yanwei; Sha, Yankun; Ji, Zhiyong; Ding, Lu; Zhang, Qing; Ouyang, Honggen; Lin, Shaobin; Wang, Xu; Shao, Lin; Shi, Chong; Li, Ping; Song, Yueqiang

2017-03-01

Robertsonian translocation (RT) is a common cause for male infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and birth defects. Studying meiotic recombination in RT-carrier patients helps decipher the mechanism and improve the clinical management of infertility and birth defects caused by RT. Here we present a new method to study spermatogenesis on a single-gamete basis from two RT carriers. By using a combined single-cell whole-genome amplification and sequencing protocol, we comprehensively profiled the chromosomal copy number of 88 single sperms from two RT-carrier patients. With the profiled information, chromosomal aberrations were identified on a whole-genome, per-sperm basis. We found that the previously reported interchromosomal effect might not exist with RT carriers. It is suggested that single-cell genome sequencing enables comprehensive chromosomal aneuploidy screening and provides a powerful tool for studying gamete generation from patients carrying chromosomal diseases. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/University College London.

The Role of Extra-Credit Assignments in the Teaching of World Languages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alley, David

2011-01-01

The granting of extra credit is a hotly debated topic in all fields of education. Teachers are reluctant to offer extra credit for fear of inflating grades, but students are persistent in their demands for extra-credit points to which they have become accustomed. This article considers extra-credit assignments in the teaching of world languages.…

PubMed Central

Gazzani, D.; Pilati, S.; Paiano, J.; Sannino, A.; Ferrari, S.; Checchin, E.

2017-01-01

Summary Introduction. The non-medical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) has become the subject of great interest for its diffusion among university students, who abuse these substances to cope with the increasing load of academic stress. NMUPS has been widely investigated in the U.S. due to its increasing trend; this behavior, however, has also been reported in Europe. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine stimulants misuse in a Northern Italian geographic area, identifying possible developments of the phenomenon in Italy. Methods. To evaluate academic and extra-academic NMUPS (Methylphenidate and Amphetamines), an anonymous multiplechoice questionnaire was administrated to a sample of Bachelor's and Master's degrees students attending a University North East of Italy. Data elaboration and CI 95% were performed with Excel software 2013. Fisher's exact tests were performed using Graph- Pad INSTAT software. Results. Data from 899 correctly completed questionnaires were analyzed in this study. 11.3% of students reported NMUPS, with an apparent greater use by students aged 18-22 years (73.5%) and without any statistically significant gender predominance. Fifty-seven point eight percent of students used stimulants at most five times in six months, and the most frequent academic and extra-academic reasons to use them were respectively to improve concentration while studying (51.0%) and sports performance (25.5%). NMUPS was higher among working students than nonworking ones (p < 0.05), suggesting a use of stimulants to cope with stress by the first ones. Conclusions. These exploratory and preliminary data suggest that NMUPS is quite relevant in Northern Italy, suggesting a need for preventive and monitoring measures, as well as future analysis via a longitudinal multicenter study. PMID:28900353

[A cost-effectiveness analysis on universal infant rotavirus vaccination strategy in China].

PubMed

Sun, S L; Gao, Y Q; Yin, J; Zhuang, G H

2016-02-01

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of current universal infant rotavirus vaccination strategy, in China. Through constructing decision tree-Markov model, we simulated rotavirus diarrhea associated cost and health outcome on those newborns in 2012 regarding different vaccination programs as: group with no vaccination, Rotavirus vaccination group and Rotateq vaccination group, respectively. We determined the optimal program, based on the comparison between incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and China' s 2012 per capital gross domestic product (GDP). Compared with non-vaccination group, the Rotavirus vaccination and Rotateq vaccination groups had to pay 3 760 Yuan and 7 578 Yuan (both less than 2012 GDP per capital) to avert one disability adjusted life years (DALY) loss, respectively. RESULTS from sensitivity analysis indicated that both results were robust. Compared with Rotavirus vaccination program, the Rotateq vaccination program had to pay extra 81 068 Yuan (between 1 and 3 times GDP per capital) to avert one DALY loss. Data from the sensitivity analysis indicated that the result was not robust. From the perspective of health economics, both two-dose Rotarix vaccine and three-dose' s Rotateq vaccine programs were highly cost-effective, when compared to the non-vaccination program. It was appropriate to integrate rotavirus vaccine into the routine immunization program. Considering the large amount of extra cost that had to spend on Rotateq vaccination program, results from the sensitivity analysis showed that it was not robust. Rotateq vaccine required one more dose than the Rotarix vaccine, to be effective. However, it appeared more difficult to practice, suggesting that it was better to choose the Rotarix vaccine, at current stage.

Practitioners' Perceptions of the Soccer Extra-Time Period: Implications for Future Research.

PubMed

Harper, Liam D; Fothergill, Melissa; West, Daniel J; Stevenson, Emma; Russell, Mark

2016-01-01

Qualitative research investigating soccer practitioners' perceptions can allow researchers to create practical research investigations. The extra-time period of soccer is understudied compared to other areas of soccer research. Using an open-ended online survey containing eleven main and nine sub questions, we gathered the perceptions of extra-time from 46 soccer practitioners, all working for different professional soccer clubs. Questions related to current practices, views on extra-time regulations, and ideas for future research. Using inductive content analysis, the following general dimensions were identified: 'importance of extra-time', 'rule changes', 'efficacy of extra-time hydro-nutritional provision', 'nutritional timing', 'future research directions', 'preparatory modulations' and 'recovery'. The majority of practitioners (63%) either agreed or strongly agreed that extra-time is an important period for determining success in knockout football match-play. When asked if a fourth substitution should be permitted in extra-time, 67% agreed. The use of hydro-nutritional strategies prior to extra-time was predominately considered important or very important. However; only 41% of practitioners felt that it was the most important time point for the use of nutritional products. A similar number of practitioners account (50%) and do not (50%) account for the potential of extra-time when training and preparing players and 89% of practitioners stated that extra-time influences recovery practices following matches. In the five minute break prior to extra-time, the following practices (in order of priority) were advocated to players: hydration, energy provision, massage, and tactical preparations. Additionally, 87% of practitioners advocate a particular nutritional supplementation strategy prior to extra-time. In order of importance, practitioners see the following as future research areas: nutritional interventions, fatigue responses, acute injury risk, recovery modalities, training paradigms, injury epidemiology, and environmental considerations. This study presents novel insight into the practitioner perceptions of extra-time and provides information to readers about current applied practices and potential future research opportunities.

Practitioners' Perceptions of the Soccer Extra-Time Period: Implications for Future Research

PubMed Central

Harper, Liam D.; Fothergill, Melissa; West, Daniel J.; Stevenson, Emma; Russell, Mark

2016-01-01

Qualitative research investigating soccer practitioners’ perceptions can allow researchers to create practical research investigations. The extra-time period of soccer is understudied compared to other areas of soccer research. Using an open-ended online survey containing eleven main and nine sub questions, we gathered the perceptions of extra-time from 46 soccer practitioners, all working for different professional soccer clubs. Questions related to current practices, views on extra-time regulations, and ideas for future research. Using inductive content analysis, the following general dimensions were identified: ‘importance of extra-time’, ‘rule changes’, ‘efficacy of extra-time hydro-nutritional provision’, ‘nutritional timing’, ‘future research directions’, ‘preparatory modulations’ and ‘recovery’. The majority of practitioners (63%) either agreed or strongly agreed that extra-time is an important period for determining success in knockout football match-play. When asked if a fourth substitution should be permitted in extra-time, 67% agreed. The use of hydro-nutritional strategies prior to extra-time was predominately considered important or very important. However; only 41% of practitioners felt that it was the most important time point for the use of nutritional products. A similar number of practitioners account (50%) and do not (50%) account for the potential of extra-time when training and preparing players and 89% of practitioners stated that extra-time influences recovery practices following matches. In the five minute break prior to extra-time, the following practices (in order of priority) were advocated to players: hydration, energy provision, massage, and tactical preparations. Additionally, 87% of practitioners advocate a particular nutritional supplementation strategy prior to extra-time. In order of importance, practitioners see the following as future research areas: nutritional interventions, fatigue responses, acute injury risk, recovery modalities, training paradigms, injury epidemiology, and environmental considerations. This study presents novel insight into the practitioner perceptions of extra-time and provides information to readers about current applied practices and potential future research opportunities. PMID:27384693

Role of serum immunoglobulins for predicting sarcoidosis outcome: A cohort study.

PubMed

Belhomme, Nicolas; Jouneau, Stéphane; Bouzillé, Guillaume; Decaux, Olivier; Lederlin, Mathieu; Guillot, Stéphanie; Perlat, Antoinette; Jégo, Patrick

2018-01-01

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease which carries variable outcomes. Serum protein electrophoresis is an easily accessible and routinely performed examination at diagnosis, in order to search for hypergammaglobulinemia, which is frequently found, and to rule out other granulomatous diseases such as common variable immunodeficiency. We aimed to assess the impact of baseline immunoglobulin level on the outcome of sarcoidosis. We conducted a retrospective cohort-study, at Rennes University Hospital, in which all newly diagnosed patients for whom a serum protein electrophoresis had been performed at baseline were enrolled, from 2006 to 2014. The main outcome was the need for corticosteroid treatment within 2 years from diagnosis, the secondary outcome was the occurrence of relapse among treated patients. Eighty patients were included in the study, and 41.25% of them exhibited an elevated globulins rate. In univariate analysis, an elevated ACE level >70 U/l, Afro-Caribbean origin, and extra-pulmonary involvement, were associated with the need for corticosteroid treatment. In multivariate analysis, only ACE elevation (OR = 1.03, IC95% 1.01-1.05, p = 0.009) and extra-pulmonary involvement (OR = 5.8, IC95% 1.4-24, p = 0.015) were significant. Immunoglobulin level was not associated with the main outcome. Regarding the secondary outcome, none of the studied features were predictive of relapse among the 34 treated patients followed for two years. There was no relation between the immunoglobulin level at diagnosis and the evolution of sarcoidosis. An elevated ACE level and the presence of initial extra-pulmonary involvement were both associated with a more severe course of the disease necessitating a corticosteroid treatment.

reCAPTCHA: human-based character recognition via Web security measures.

PubMed

von Ahn, Luis; Maurer, Benjamin; McMillen, Colin; Abraham, David; Blum, Manuel

2008-09-12

CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart) are widespread security measures on the World Wide Web that prevent automated programs from abusing online services. They do so by asking humans to perform a task that computers cannot yet perform, such as deciphering distorted characters. Our research explored whether such human effort can be channeled into a useful purpose: helping to digitize old printed material by asking users to decipher scanned words from books that computerized optical character recognition failed to recognize. We showed that this method can transcribe text with a word accuracy exceeding 99%, matching the guarantee of professional human transcribers. Our apparatus is deployed in more than 40,000 Web sites and has transcribed over 440 million words.

Education in a rapidly advancing technology: Accelerators and beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Month, Mel

2000-06-01

The field of accelerators and beams (A&B) is one of today's fast changing technologies. Because university faculties have not been able to keep pace with the associated advancing knowledge, universities have not been able to play their traditional role of educating the scientists and engineers needed to sustain this technology for use in science, industry, commerce, and defense. This problem for A&B is described and addressed. The solution proposed, a type of "distance" education, is the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS) created in the early 1980s. USPAS provides the universities with a means of serving the education needs of the institutions using A&B, primarily but not exclusively the national laboratories. The field of A&B is briefly summarized. The need for education outside the university framework, the raison d'être for USPAS, the USPAS method, program structure, and curriculum, and particular USPAS-university connections are explained. The management of USPAS is analyzed, including its unique administrative structure, its institutional ties, and its operations, finance, marketing, and governmental relations. USPAS performance over the years is documented and a business assessment is made. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the future potential for this type of educational program, including possible extrapolation to new areas and/or different environments, in particular, its extra-government potential and its international possibilities.

The paradoxical effect of extra-virgin olive oil on oxidative phenomena during in vitro co-digestion with meat.

PubMed

Martini, Serena; Cavalchi, Martina; Conte, Angela; Tagliazucchi, Davide

2018-07-01

Extra-virgin olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet and its consumption has been associated with a reduction risk of chronic diseases. Here we tested the potential of extra-virgin olive oil to limit the oxidative phenomena during in vitro gastro-intestinal co-digestion with turkey breast meat. The extra-virgin olive oil was particularly rich in oleuropein aglycone isomers, which represented the 66.8% of total phenolic determined with MS/MS experiments. Meals supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil equivocally affected lipid peroxidation. At low concentration (2.5% respect to meat), a significant inhibition of lipid oxidation was observed, whereas lipid peroxidation was greatly enhanced when the amount of extra-virgin olive oil was increased in the gastro-intestinal system. The inhibitory effect observed at 2.5% extra-virgin olive oil was due to the antioxidant properties of extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds. At high concentration, extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds (especially hydroxytyrosol-derivative) behaved as pro-oxidants increasing the generation of lipid hydroperoxides from meat. At the same time, the presence in the digestive system of catalysers from meat induced the peroxidation of extra-virgin olive oil fatty acids, which was further intensified by the pro-oxidant activity of extra-virgin olive oil phenolic compounds. Our study underlined the importance of the timing and amount of consumption of extra-virgin olive oil as well as its phenolic composition in limiting the peroxidative phenomena on meat lipids during digestion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hubble Space Telescope - Scientific, Technological and Social Contributions to the Public Discourse on Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wiseman, Jennifer

2012-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope has unified the world with a sense of awe and wonder for 2 I years and is currently more scientifically powerful than ever. I will present highlights of discoveries made with the Hubble Space Telescope, including details of planetary weather, star formation, extra-solar planets, colliding galaxies, and a universe expanding with the acceleration of dark energy. I will also present the unique technical challenges and triumphs of this phenomenal observatory, and discuss how our discoveries in the cosmos affect our sense of human unity, significance, and wonder.

Drift wave stabilized by an additional streaming ion or plasma population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, M. F.; Vranjes, J.

2015-03-01

It is shown that the universally unstable kinetic drift wave in an electron-ion plasma can very effectively be suppressed by adding an extra flowing ion (or plasma) population. The effect of the flow of the added ions is essential, their response is of the type (vp h-vf 0) exp[-(vph-vf 0) 2] , where vf 0 is the flow speed and vp h is the phase speed parallel to the magnetic field vector. The damping is strong and it is mainly due to this ion exponential term, and this remains so for vf 0

Drift wave stabilized by an additional streaming ion or plasma population.

PubMed

Bashir, M F; Vranjes, J

2015-03-01

It is shown that the universally unstable kinetic drift wave in an electron-ion plasma can very effectively be suppressed by adding an extra flowing ion (or plasma) population. The effect of the flow of the added ions is essential, their response is of the type (vph-vf0)exp[-(vph-vf0)2], where vf0 is the flow speed and vph is the phase speed parallel to the magnetic field vector. The damping is strong and it is mainly due to this ion exponential term, and this remains so for vf0

Experience-based consulting: the value proposition.

PubMed

Pliner, Nicole; Thrall, James; Boland, Giles; Palumbo, Denise

2004-11-01

Consulting is a profession universally accepted and well entrenched throughout the business world. Whether it is providing objective analysis, supplying a specific expertise, managing a project, or simply adding extra manpower, consultants can add value. However, what are the attributes of a good consultant? In health care, with the rapid pace of emerging technologies, economic intricacies, and the complexities of clinical care, hands-on experience is the key. Recognizing the power of consultants with hands-on experience, the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital launched the Radiology Consulting Group, an "experience-based" model for consulting that may potentially shift the profession's paradigm.

[Now, The Time for Probes and In-Situ Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, G. Scott

2005-01-01

A viewgraph explaining the need for probes and in situ measurements to understand data from extra solar planet studies is shown. The topics include: 1) To explore the universe and search for life: Probes in Context; 2) What is a probe?; 3) NASA Ames Research Center-founded 1939; 4) Past & Present: Successful Probes and Fly-by's; 5) Thermal Protection Materials and Arc-Jet Facility; 6) Mars Exploration Rovers-Spirit & Opportunity; 7) Bio/Info/Nanotechnology; 8) Technology for Exploration; 9) Award Winning NASA Research Park; 10) Where we need to go; and 11) The Future: Pico Probes

Born again universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Peter W.; Kaplan, David E.; Rajendran, Surjeet

2018-02-01

We present a class of nonsingular, bouncing cosmologies that evade singularity theorems through the use of vorticity in compact extra dimensions. The vorticity combats the focusing of geodesics during the contracting phase. The construction requires fluids that violate the null energy condition (NEC) in the compact dimensions, where they can be provided by known stable NEC violating sources such as Casimir energy. The four dimensional effective theory contains an NEC violating fluid of Kaluza-Klein excitations of the higher dimensional metric. These spacetime metrics could potentially allow dynamical relaxation to solve the cosmological constant problem. These ideas can also be used to support traversable Lorentzian wormholes.

[Current considerations around the search for extraterrestrial life].

PubMed

González de Posada, F

2000-01-01

In this paper, the current cosmological topics are considered: a) The fourth centenary celebration of Giordano Bruno's death at the Roman's inquisition stake. This eminent philosopher, based on the Coppernican Revolution, concibed the Cosmos as a infinite universe with innumerable inhabited worlds. He acted on reason to believe not only in extraterrestrial life but in extraterrestrial intelligent life. Here we write a few words in his memory and honour. b) The active project SETI@home in the framework of today's classic program "Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence", by means of the reception of radioelectrical signals. c) Search for extrasolar planets.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): The First Light Machine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stahl, Philip

2009-01-01

This slide presentation review the mission objective, the organization of the mission planning, the design, and testing of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). There is also information about the orbit, in comparison to the Hubble Space Telescope, the mirror design, and the science instruments. Pictures of the full scale mockup of the JWST are given. A brief history of the universe is also presented from the big bang through the formation of galaxies, and the planets, to life itself. One of the goals of the JWST is to search for extra solar planets and then to search for signs of life.

Nonlinear Acoustics: Periodic Waveguide, Scattering of Sound by Sound, Three-Layer Fluid, Finite Amplitude Sound in a Medium Having a Distribution of Relaxation Processes, and Production of an Isolated Negative Pulse in Water

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-03

propagation and shape of the waveform," Conference on Lithotripsy (Extra-Corporeal Shock Wave Applications - Technical and Clinical Problems), Univer- sity of...Blackstock, "Physical aspects of lithotripsy ," Paper GG1, 115th Meeting, Acoustical Society of America, Seattle, 16-20 May 1988. ABSTRACT: J. Acoust...Am. 90, 2244(A) (1991). kAlso supported in part by Grant NAG-1-1204 and University of Southampton , Eng- land. 49 1992 ONR Contract Code 1109 JS 1. F

Nonlinear Acoustics: Periodic Waveguide, Finite-Amplitude Propagation in a Medium Having a Distribution of Relaxation Processes, and Production of an Isolated Negative Pulse in Water

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-24

T. Blackstock, "Shock wave propagation and shape of the waveform," Conference on Lithotripsy (Extra-Corporeal Shock Wave Applications - Technical and...83, S5 (1988). 0574 0 b4 . D. T. Blackstock, "Physical aspects of lithotripsy ," Paper GG1, 115th Meeting, Acoustical Society of America, Seattle, 16...1991). kAlso supported in part by Grant NAG-1-1204 and University of Southampton , Eng- land. 23 1992 ONR Contract Code 1109 0 𔃻. James A. Ten Cate

The over-optimistic portrayal of life-supporting treatments in newspapers and on the Internet: a cross-sectional study using extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation as an example.

PubMed

Chen, Yen-Yuan; Chen, Likwang; Kao, Yu-Hui; Chu, Tzong-Shinn; Huang, Tien-Shang; Ko, Wen-Je

2014-08-01

Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has been introduced to clinical practice for several decades. It is unclear how internet and newspapers portray the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This study were: (1) to quantify the coverage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use in newspapers and on the Internet; (2) to describe the characteristics of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those shown in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation studies in Taiwan; and (3) to examine the survival rates of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those in Taiwan and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. All issues of Taiwan's four major newspapers from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed. In October 2011, a search of Internet web pages was performed based on the subjects of "yeh-ko-mo" (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation in Traditional Chinese), "ECMO", and "extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation." All the Internet web pages and newspaper articles recounting the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation were reviewed. The information, such as patient characteristic and the status at hospital discharge, was collected. The survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown on the Internet (83.97%) was significantly higher than all the survival rates reported in Taiwan's literature (p < .01) and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014 (p < .01). In addition, the survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown in newspapers (61.54%) was significantly higher than the average survival rate (43%) reported in Taiwan's literature, the pediatric average survival rate (51%), and the adult average survival rate (47%) in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Internet and newspapers both showed over-optimistic survival to hospital discharge for patients sustained by extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. Internet was more likely to provide optimistic information for aggressive life-supporting treatments such as extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation than newspapers as indicated by survival to hospital discharge.

Deciphering the sugar biosynthetic pathway and tailoring steps of nucleoside antibiotic A201A unveils a GDP-l-galactose mutase

PubMed Central

Zhu, Qinghua; Chen, Qi; Song, Yongxiang; Huang, Hongbo; Li, Jun; Ma, Junying; Li, Qinglian; Ju, Jianhua

2017-01-01

Galactose, a monosaccharide capable of assuming two possible configurational isomers (d-/l-), can exist as a six-membered ring, galactopyranose (Galp), or as a five-membered ring, galactofuranose (Galf). UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) mediates the conversion of pyranose to furanose thereby providing a precursor for d-Galf. Moreover, UGM is critical to the virulence of numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic human pathogens and thus represents an excellent antimicrobial drug target. However, the biosynthetic mechanism and relevant enzymes that drive l-Galf production have not yet been characterized. Herein we report that efforts to decipher the sugar biosynthetic pathway and tailoring steps en route to nucleoside antibiotic A201A led to the discovery of a GDP-l-galactose mutase, MtdL. Systematic inactivation of 18 of the 33 biosynthetic genes in the A201A cluster and elucidation of 10 congeners, coupled with feeding and in vitro biochemical experiments, enabled us to: (i) decipher the unique enzyme, GDP-l-galactose mutase associated with production of two unique d-mannose-derived sugars, and (ii) assign two glycosyltransferases, four methyltransferases, and one desaturase that regiospecifically tailor the A201A scaffold and display relaxed substrate specificities. Taken together, these data provide important insight into the origin of l-Galf-containing natural product biosynthetic pathways with likely ramifications in other organisms and possible antimicrobial drug targeting strategies. PMID:28438999

Tsallis and Kaniadakis statistics from a point of view of the holographic equipartition law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abreu, Everton M. C.; Ananias Neto, Jorge; Mendes, Albert C. R.; Bonilla, Alexander

2018-02-01

In this work, we have illustrated the difference between both Tsallis and Kaniadakis entropies through cosmological models obtained from the formalism proposed by Padmanabhan, which is called holographic equipartition law. Similarly to the formalism proposed by Komatsu, we have obtained an extra driving constant term in the Friedmann equation if we deform the Tsallis entropy by Kaniadakis' formalism. We have considered initially Tsallis entropy as the black-hole (BH) area entropy. This constant term may lead the universe to be in an accelerated or decelerated mode. On the other hand, if we start with the Kaniadakis entropy as the BH area entropy and then by modifying the Kappa expression by Tsallis' formalism, the same absolute value but with opposite sign is obtained. In an opposite limit, no driving inflation term of the early universe was derived from both deformations.

Cosmic acceleration in the nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oda, Ichiro

2018-04-01

We have recently constructed a manifestly local formulation of a nonlocal approach to the cosmological constant problem which can treat with quantum effects from both matter and gravitational fields. In this formulation, it has been explicitly shown that the effective cosmological constant is radiatively stable even in the presence of the gravitational loop effects. Since we are naturally led to add the R^2 term and the corresponding topological action to an original action, we make use of this formulation to account for the late-time acceleration of expansion of the universe in case of the open universes with infinite space-time volume. We will see that when the "scalaron", which exists in the R^2 gravity as an extra scalar field, has a tiny mass of the order of magnitude {O}(1 meV), we can explain the current value of the cosmological constant in a consistent manner.

'School adopts an experiment': the photoluminescence in extra-virgin olive oil and in tonic water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agliolo Gallitto, A.; Agnello, S.; Cannas, M.

2011-09-01

We report a laboratory activity, carried out along with high- and secondary-school students, that can be done to increase the interest of the young in scientific studies. Groups of selected students 'adopted' experiments at physics research laboratories, under the guidance of university researchers. Subsequently, the students demonstrated the experiments to the public at large during the annual science festival organized in Palermo by the association PalermoScienza, in collaboration with the University of Palermo. Experiments on the magnetic levitation of superconductors and on the photoluminescence of several substances were proposed. We discuss the experiment on photoluminescence as a case study. The students who adopted the experiments reinforced their commitment to learning. They acquired a physics-based knowledge of the topics connected with the experiments in a much better way compared with the usual didactics in school.

Annihilation cross section of Kaluza Klien dark matter

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

Sharma, Rakesh, E-mail: rakesh-sharma-ujn@yahoo.co.in; Upadhyaya, G. K., E-mail: gopalujjain@yahoo.co.in; Sharma, S.

2015-07-31

The question as to how this universe came into being and as to how it has evolved to its present stage, is an old question. The answer to this question unfolds many secrets regarding fundamental particles and forces between them. Theodor Kaluza proposed the concept that the universe is composed of more than four space-time dimensions. In his work, electromagnetism is united with gravity. Various extra dimension formulations have been proposed to solve a variety of problems. Recently, the idea of more than four space time dimensions is applied to the search for particle identity of dark matter (DM). Signaturemore » of dark matter can be revealed by analysis of very high energy electrons which are coming from outer space. We investigate recent advancement in the field of dark matter search with reference to very high energy electrons from outer space [1-8].« less

Genetic Drift: the Salernitan school of medicine: women, men, and children. A syndromological review of the oldest medical school in the western world.

PubMed

Della Monica, Matteo; Mauri, Roberto; Scarano, Francesca; Lonardo, Fortunato; Scarano, Gioacchino

2013-04-01

Ever since the 9th century during the High Middle Ages, the "Schola Medica Salernitana," believed to be the first medical school in the western world, flourished in Salerno, a city in southern Italy. Although an important role is attributed to several men of this school, who were recognized as wise and learned doctors, modern historiography has also reevaluated and extolled the praiseworthy role of women. Contrary to the common beliefs and expectations of a woman's "place" at the time, these women were fully titled physicians. Attention was also paid to the health and welfare of children. However, there are no apparent references to physical disabilities, a mysterious omission that seems incompatible with an institution that stood as a beacon of knowledge for centuries. Mysteries, discoveries, and potential hidden messages are mingled in a fascinating medieval codex yet to be fully deciphered. The medical school reached its maximum splendor between the years of 1000 and 1300 AD. After alternating fortunes, the Salernitan institution began a slow decline due to the explosive development of other universities, such as those in Paris, Bologna, Padua, and most significantly, the nearby University of Naples. It was eventually closed by the King of Naples, Joachim Murat, November 29, 1811. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Oxford Guide to the History of Physics and Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heilbron, John L.

2005-06-01

With over 150 alphabetically arranged entries about key scientists, concepts, discoveries, technological innovations, and learned institutions, the Oxford Guide to Physics and Astronomy traces the history of physics and astronomy from the Renaissance to the present. For students, teachers, historians, scientists, and readers of popular science books such as Galileo's Daughter , this guide deciphers the methods and philosophies of physics and astronomy as well as the historical periods from which they emerged. Meant to serve the lay reader and the professional alike, this book can be turned to for the answer to how scientists learned to measure the speed of light, or consulted for neat, careful summaries of topics as complicated as quantum field theory and as vast as the universe. The entries, each written by a noted scholar and edited by J. L. Heilbron, Professor of History and Vice Chancellor, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, reflect the most up-to-date research and discuss the applications of the scientific disciplines to the wider world of religion, law, war, art and literature. No other source on these two branches of science is as informative or as inviting. Thoroughly cross-referenced and accented by dozens of black and white illustrations, the Oxford Guide to Physics and Astronomy is the source to turn to for anyone looking for a quick explanation of alchemy, x-rays and any type of matter or energy in between.

Primary Education in Vietnam: Extra Classes and Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Tran Thu; Harpham, Trudy

2005-01-01

Extra classes are increasingly observed in both developed and developing countries. In Vietnam, a country where education reforms are at their height, extra classes are proliferating and have become a concern to society and the government. Although the government has banned extra classes that are independent of school administration, teachers…

23 CFR 635.120 - Changes and extra work.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE Contract Procedures § 635.120 Changes and extra work. (a) Following authorization to proceed with a project, all major changes in the plans and contract provisions and all major extra... to what constitutes a non-major change and non-major extra work. (c) Changes in contract time, as...

BURDEN OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG STUDENTS IN TWO ETHIOPIAN UNIVERSITIES

PubMed Central

Mekonnen, Abiyu; Petros, Beyene

2017-01-01

Introduction Tuberculosis outbreaks emerge occasionally in long-term care facilities and various educational establishments. This study was designed to determine the five year overall prevalence and trend of tuberculosis and associated factors among students at Adama Science and Technology University and Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus. Methods A five-year retrospective study was conducted on students medical records of tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Short Course clinics from September 2009 – July 2014. The overall prevalence and the trend of smear positive, smear negative and extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases was determined. Odds ratio with 95 percent confidence interval was calculated for categorical variables using a multivariate logistic regression model to assess the strength of association. Results A total of 112 and 263 tuberculos cases were recorded in Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus and Adama Science and Technology University, respectively. The mean proportion of tuberculosis cases of all types among the total number of students enrolled at Adama Science and Technology University and Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus was 1098.1 and 511.7 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in prevalence of tuberculosis among students in Adama Science and Technology University compared to that in Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus [adjusted odds ration: 2.881, 95% CI (1.76–4.71)]. The trend of tuberculosis prevalence showed a steady decline from the first to the last year of the study period. Conclusion The number of tuberculosis cases observed among university students in this study was high. Governmental and nongovernmental agencies involved in tuberculosis control must consider higher education institutions as focal points for prevention and elimination of tuberculosis in Ethiopia. PMID:29115116

BURDEN OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG STUDENTS IN TWO ETHIOPIAN UNIVERSITIES.

PubMed

Mekonnen, Abiyu; Petros, Beyene

2016-10-01

Tuberculosis outbreaks emerge occasionally in long-term care facilities and various educational establishments. This study was designed to determine the five year overall prevalence and trend of tuberculosis and associated factors among students at Adama Science and Technology University and Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus. A five-year retrospective study was conducted on students’ medical records of tuberculosis Directly Observed Treatment Short Course clinics from September 2009– July 2014. The overall prevalence and the trend of smear positive, smear negative and extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases was determined. Odds ratio with 95 percent confidence interval was calculated for categorical variables using a multivariate logistic regression model to assess the strength of association. A total of 112 and 263 tuberculos cases were recorded in Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus and Adama Science and Technology University, respectively. The mean proportion of tuberculosis cases of all types among the total number of students enrolled at Adama Science and Technology University and Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus was 1098.1 and 511.7 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in prevalence of tuberculosis among students in Adama Science and Technology University compared to that in Addis Ababa University Sidist Kilo campus [adjusted odds ration: 2.881, 95% CI (1.76-4.71)]. The trend of tuberculosis prevalence showed a steady decline from the first to the last year of the study period. The number of tuberculosis cases observed among university students in this study was high. Governmental and nongovernmental agencies involved in tuberculosis control must consider higher education institutions as focal points for prevention and elimination of tuberculosis in Ethiopia.

Salty Six

MedlinePlus

... Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering the Menu Ordering Your Meal Eating Fast ... A sandwich or burger from a fast food restaurant can contain more than 100 percent of you ...

Birth of the Universe from the Multiverse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mersini-Houghton, Laura

2015-01-01

Compactification of extra dimensions in string theory leads to a vast number of (3+1) dimensional worlds, (about 10500 so far), coined the landscape. At the time of the discovery of the landscape, the question which one of these worlds is our universe seemed hopeless. Many argued that the vastness of the landscape undermines the very foundations of string theory for two reasons: (i) the theory seemed unfalsifiable since for every observation we could find a matching world on the landscape; (ii) the method advocated at the time for making sense of this landscape was the anthropic principle. The former objection implied string theory can not be scientific. The latter concern is that anthropics do not help scientific inquiry and rigor but rather it may seem to push some version of creationism to the next level. For these reasons the whole field of string theory and also, of cosmology that relied on it for answers about fundamental questions such as the origins of the universe, seemed to be in deep crisis at the beginning of the millenia...

Work-family conflict and well-being in university employees.

PubMed

Winefield, Helen R; Boyd, Carolyn; Winefield, Anthony H

2014-01-01

This is one of the first reported studies to have reviewed the role of work-family conflict in university employees, both academic and nonacademic. The goal of this research was to examine the role of work-family conflict as a mediator of relationships between features of the work environment and worker well-being and organizational outcomes. A sample of 3,326 Australian university workers responded to an online survey. Work-family conflict added substantially to the explained variance in physical symptoms and psychological strain after taking account of job demands and control, and to a lesser extent to the variance in job performance. However, it had no extra impact on organizational commitment, which was most strongly predicted by job autonomy. Despite differing in workloads and work-family conflict, academic ("faculty") and nonacademic staff demonstrated similar predictors of worker and organizational outcomes. Results suggest two pathways through which management policies may be effective in improving worker well-being and productivity: improving job autonomy has mainly direct effects, while reducing job demands is mediated by consequent reductions in work-family conflict.

The varying cosmological constant: a new approximation to the Friedmann equations and universe model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Öztaş, Ahmet M.; Dil, Emre; Smith, Michael L.

2018-05-01

We investigate the time-dependent nature of the cosmological constant, Λ, of the Einstein Field Equation (EFE). Beginning with the Einstein-Hilbert action as our fundamental principle we develop a modified version of the EFE allowing the value of Λ to vary as a function of time, Λ(t), indirectly, for an expanding universe. We follow the evolving Λ presuming four-dimensional space-time and a flat universe geometry and present derivations of Λ(t) as functions of the Hubble constant, matter density, and volume changes which can be traced back to the radiation epoch. The models are more detailed descriptions of the Λ dependence on cosmological factors than previous, allowing calculations of the important parameters, Ωm and Ωr, to deep lookback times. Since we derive these without the need for extra dimensions or other special conditions our derivations are useful for model evaluation with astronomical data. This should aid resolution of several difficult problems of astronomy such as the best value for the Hubble constant at present and at recombination.

Langevin Dynamics Deciphers the Motility Pattern of Swimming Parasites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaburdaev, Vasily; Uppaluri, Sravanti; Pfohl, Thomas; Engstler, Markus; Friedrich, Rudolf; Stark, Holger

2011-05-01

The parasite African trypanosome swims in the bloodstream of mammals and causes the highly dangerous human sleeping sickness. Cell motility is essential for the parasite’s survival within the mammalian host. We present an analysis of the random-walk pattern of a swimming trypanosome. From experimental time-autocorrelation functions for the direction of motion we identify two relaxation times that differ by an order of magnitude. They originate from the rapid deformations of the cell body and a slower rotational diffusion of the average swimming direction. Velocity fluctuations are athermal and increase for faster cells whose trajectories are also straighter. We demonstrate that such a complex dynamics is captured by two decoupled Langevin equations that decipher the complex trajectory pattern by referring it to the microscopic details of cell behavior.

Escape from the competence state in Streptococcus mutans is governed by the bacterial population density.

PubMed

Dufour, D; Villemin, C; Perry, J A; Lévesque, C M

2016-12-01

Horizontal gene transfer through natural DNA transformation is an important evolutionary mechanism among bacteria. Transformation requires that the bacteria are physiologically competent to take and incorporate free DNA directly from the environment. Although natural genetic transformation is a remarkable feature of many naturally competent bacteria, the process is energetically expensive for the cells. Consequently, a tight control of the competence state is necessary. The objective of the present work was to help decipher the molecular mechanisms regulating the escape from the competence state in Streptococcus mutans, the principal etiological agent responsible for tooth decay in humans. Our results showed that the cessation of competence in S. mutans was abrupt, and did not involve the accumulation of a competence inhibitor nor the depletion of a competence activator in the extracellular environment. The competence state was repressed at high cell population density via concomitant repression of sigX gene encoding the master regulator of the competence regulon. Co-culture experiments performed with oral and non-oral bacteria showed that S. mutans assesses its own population density and also the microbial density of its surroundings to regulate its competence escape. Interestingly, neither the intra-species and extra-species quorum-sensing systems nor the other 13 two-component regulatory systems identified in S. mutans were involved in the cell-density-dependent escape of the competence state. Altogether, our results suggest a complex mechanism regulating the competence shut-off involving cell-density-dependent repression of sigX through an as yet undefined system, and possibly SigX protein stability. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Potential role of the angiogenic factor "EG-VEGF" in gestational trophoblastic diseases].

PubMed

Boufettal, H; Feige, J-J; Benharouga, M; Aboussaouira, T; Nadifi, S; Mahdaoui, S; Samouh, N; Alfaidy, N

2013-10-01

Gestational trophoblastic disease (MGT) includes a wide spectrum of pathologies of the placenta, ranging from benign precancerous lesions, with gestational trophoblastic tumors. Metastases are the leading causes of death as a result of this tumor. They represent a major problem for obstetrics and for the public health system. To date, there is no predictor of the progression of molar pregnancies to gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT). Only an unfavorable plasma hCG monitoring after evacuation of hydatidiform mole is used to diagnose a TTG. The causes of the development of this cancer are still poorly understood. Increasing data in the literature suggests a close association between the development of this tumor and poor placental vascularization during the first trimester of pregnancy. The development of the human placenta depends on a coordination between the trophoblast and endothelial cells. A disruption in the expression of angiogenic factors could contribute to uterine or extra-uterine tissue invasion by extravillous trophoblast, contributing to the development of TTG. This review sheds lights on the phenomenon of angiogenesis during normal and abnormal placentation, especially during the MGT and reports preliminary finding concerning, the variability of expression of "Endocrine Gland-Derived Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor" (EG-VEGF), a specific placental angiogenic factor, in normal and molar placentas, and the potential role of differentiated expressions of the main placental angiogenic factors in the scalability of hydatidiform moles towards a recovery or towards the development of gestational trophoblastic tumor. Deciphering the mechanisms by which the angiogenic factor influences these processes will help understand the pathophysiology of MGT and to create opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment of the latter. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Comparative genomics of two super-shedder isolates of Escherichia coli O157:H7

PubMed Central

Katani, Robab; Cote, Rebecca; Kudva, Indira T.; DebRoy, Chitrita; Arthur, Terrance M.

2017-01-01

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) are zoonotic foodborne pathogens and of major public health concern that cause considerable intestinal and extra-intestinal illnesses in humans. O157 colonize the recto-anal junction (RAJ) of asymptomatic cattle who shed the bacterium into the environment through fecal matter. A small subset of cattle, termed super-shedders (SS), excrete O157 at a rate (≥ 104 CFU/g of feces) that is several orders of magnitude greater than other colonized cattle and play a major role in the prevalence and transmission of O157. To better understand microbial factors contributing to super-shedding we have recently sequenced two SS isolates, SS17 (GenBank accession no. CP008805) and SS52 (GenBank accession no. CP010304) and shown that SS isolates display a distinctive strongly adherent phenotype on bovine rectal squamous epithelial cells. Here we present a detailed comparative genomics analysis of SS17 and SS52 with other previously characterized O157 strains (EC4115, EDL933, Sakai, TW14359). The results highlight specific polymorphisms and genomic features shared amongst SS strains, and reveal several SNPs that are shared amongst SS isolates, including in genes involved in motility, adherence, and metabolism. Finally, our analyses reveal distinctive patterns of distribution of phage-associated genes amongst the two SS and other isolates. Together, the results of our comparative genomics studies suggest that while SS17 and SS52 share genomic features with other lineage I/II isolates, they likely have distinct recent evolutionary histories. Future comparative and functional genomic studies are needed to decipher the precise molecular basis for super shedding in O157. PMID:28797098

Comparative genomics of two super-shedder isolates of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

PubMed

Katani, Robab; Cote, Rebecca; Kudva, Indira T; DebRoy, Chitrita; Arthur, Terrance M; Kapur, Vivek

2017-01-01

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) are zoonotic foodborne pathogens and of major public health concern that cause considerable intestinal and extra-intestinal illnesses in humans. O157 colonize the recto-anal junction (RAJ) of asymptomatic cattle who shed the bacterium into the environment through fecal matter. A small subset of cattle, termed super-shedders (SS), excrete O157 at a rate (≥ 104 CFU/g of feces) that is several orders of magnitude greater than other colonized cattle and play a major role in the prevalence and transmission of O157. To better understand microbial factors contributing to super-shedding we have recently sequenced two SS isolates, SS17 (GenBank accession no. CP008805) and SS52 (GenBank accession no. CP010304) and shown that SS isolates display a distinctive strongly adherent phenotype on bovine rectal squamous epithelial cells. Here we present a detailed comparative genomics analysis of SS17 and SS52 with other previously characterized O157 strains (EC4115, EDL933, Sakai, TW14359). The results highlight specific polymorphisms and genomic features shared amongst SS strains, and reveal several SNPs that are shared amongst SS isolates, including in genes involved in motility, adherence, and metabolism. Finally, our analyses reveal distinctive patterns of distribution of phage-associated genes amongst the two SS and other isolates. Together, the results of our comparative genomics studies suggest that while SS17 and SS52 share genomic features with other lineage I/II isolates, they likely have distinct recent evolutionary histories. Future comparative and functional genomic studies are needed to decipher the precise molecular basis for super shedding in O157.

Sampling South Pole-Aitken Basin: The Moonrise Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Shearer, C. K.; Cohen, B. A.

2012-01-01

The South Pole-Aitken basin (SPA) is the largest of the giant impact basins in the inner Solar System, and its location on Earth s Moon makes it the most accessible. Exploration of SPA through direct collection and analysis of representative materials addresses issues as fundamental as the characteristics of the chemical reservoir from which the Moon originated, early differentiation and production of crust and development of global asymmetry, relationships between magmatic activity and internal thermal evolution, and effects of giant impact events on the terrestrial planets. Owing to its great size and superposition relationships with other lunar impact basins, SPA is the oldest and as such anchors the lunar chronology. Moreover, numerous large impact craters and basins are contained within it such that materials (rocks) of the SPA basin contain a record of the early impact chronology, one less likely to have been affected by the large, late nearside basins (e.g., Imbrium). Understanding the early basin chronology is key to deciphering the sequence and effects of early giant impact bombardment of the inner Solar System. That record exists on the Moon, and materials of the SPA basin will allow us to read that record. Knowledge of the early bombardment history will test - and may reshape - a key paradigm relating to early Solar System evolution. Did the planets form with the alignment of today, or was there a major reorientation of the giant planets that led to destabilization of asteroid orbits, and a cataclysmic bombardment of the inner Solar System hundreds of millions of years after accretion of the planets? Implications include understanding environments for early life-supporting habitats on Earth and Mars, and relationships to new observations of extra-solar planetary systems.

Satellite test of the isotropy of the one-way spe ed of light using ExTRAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Peter

1995-01-01

A test of the second postulate of special relativity, the universality of the speed of light, using the ExTRAS (Experiment on Timing Ranging and Atmospheric Sounding) payload to be flown on board a Russian Meteor-3M satellite (launch date January 1997) is proposed. The propagation time of a light signal transmitted from one point to another without reflection would be measured directly by comparing the phases of two hydrogen maser clocks, one on board and one on the ground, using laser or microwave time transfer systems. An estimated uncertainty budget of the proposed measurements is given, resulting in an expected sensitivity of the experiment of delta c/c is less than 8xl0(exp -10) which would be an improvement by a factor of approximately 430 over previous direct measurements and by a factor of approximately 4 over the best indirect measurement. The proposed test would require no equipment additional to what is already planned and so is of inherently low-cost. It could be carried out by anyone having access to a laser or microwave ground station and a hydrogen maser.

Acceptability and attractiveness of intra- and extra-oral orthodontic appliances.

PubMed

Abu Alhaija, Elham S J; Karajeh, M A

2013-01-01

To evaluate the acceptability of different intra-oral and extra-oral orthodontic appliances, to rank orthodontic appliances from the most to the least attractive and to investigate the factors that may affect the acceptance of orthodontic treatment. A random sample of 800 students (schoolchildren and university students) were invited to participate in this study and a total of 688 students were included (86%). A self-administrated structured questionnaire was constructed for the purpose of this study. More than one-half in each age group (53%) claimed that they would accept to have orthodontic treatment. Acceptance of the different orthodontic appliances was affected by gender, age and type of school. Removable appliance was reported as the most acceptable and facemask was reported as the least acceptable orthodontic appliances. Majority of subjects ranked ceramic and facemask appliances as the most and the least attractive orthodontic appliances, respectively. The predictor variables for the acceptance of orthodontic treatment were perceived demand for orthodontic treatment, perceived positive effect of orthodontic treatment and expected benefits from orthodontic treatment. Removable appliance was the most acceptable orthodontic appliance whereas ceramic appliance was ranked as the most attractive one. Facemask was the least acceptable and the least attractive option.

The evolution of organic matter in space.

PubMed

Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Spaans, Marco; Holm, Nils G

2011-02-13

Carbon, and molecules made from it, have already been observed in the early Universe. During cosmic time, many galaxies undergo intense periods of star formation, during which heavy elements like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, silicon and iron are produced. Also, many complex molecules, from carbon monoxide to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are detected in these systems, like they are for our own Galaxy. Interstellar molecular clouds and circumstellar envelopes are factories of complex molecular synthesis. A surprisingly high number of molecules that are used in contemporary biochemistry on the Earth are found in the interstellar medium, planetary atmospheres and surfaces, comets, asteroids and meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. Large quantities of extra-terrestrial material were delivered via comets and asteroids to young planetary surfaces during the heavy bombardment phase. Monitoring the formation and evolution of organic matter in space is crucial in order to determine the prebiotic reservoirs available to the early Earth. It is equally important to reveal abiotic routes to prebiotic molecules in the Earth environments. Materials from both carbon sources (extra-terrestrial and endogenous) may have contributed to biochemical pathways on the Earth leading to life's origin. The research avenues discussed also guide us to extend our knowledge to other habitable worlds.

[Demographic and clinical features of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Piauí, Brazil--evaluation of 98 patients].

PubMed

Almeida, Maria do Socorro Teixeira Moreira; Almeida, João Vicente Moreira; Bertolo, Manoel Barros

2014-01-01

Brazilian epidemiological studies on rheumatoid arthritis are scarce, mainly in the northeast; thus many data currently available originate from the international literature. To describe demographic, clinical and serological characteristics of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) followed-up by the same physician, in state of Piauí, Brazil. Data were collected between August 2010 and March 2013, in three health services of Piauí that provided health care in Rheumatology: a university-affiliated hospital, a public outpatient clinic and a private clinic. The numbers represent mean ± SD or percentage: 47.5±11.03 years-old non-Caucasian woman, non-smoker (59.2%), low educational level, mean disease duration of 7.7 years ± 7.6, and major extra-articular manifestations were rheumatoid nodules (19.4%) and sicca syndrome (46.9%). Features of rheumatoid arthritis obtained in this study are similar to those found in some national and international studies, but we observed higher female preponderance and illiteracy rate, in addition to a moderately severe erosive disease on average, with frequent sicca and other extra-articular manifestations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Heteroatom-doped highly porous carbon from human urine.

PubMed

Chaudhari, Nitin Kaduba; Song, Min Young; Yu, Jong-Sung

2014-06-09

Human urine, otherwise potentially polluting waste, is an universal unused resource in organic form disposed by the human body. We present for the first time "proof of concept" of a convenient, perhaps economically beneficial, and innovative template-free route to synthesize highly porous carbon containing heteroatoms such as N, S, Si, and P from human urine waste as a single precursor for carbon and multiple heteroatoms. High porosity is created through removal of inherently-present salt particles in as-prepared "Urine Carbon" (URC), and multiple heteroatoms are naturally doped into the carbon, making it unnecessary to employ troublesome expensive pore-generating templates as well as extra costly heteroatom-containing organic precursors. Additionally, isolation of rock salts is an extra bonus of present work. The technique is simple, but successful, offering naturally doped conductive hierarchical porous URC, which leads to superior electrocatalytic ORR activity comparable to state of the art Pt/C catalyst along with much improved durability and methanol tolerance, demonstrating that the URC can be a promising alternative to costly Pt-based electrocatalyst for ORR. The ORR activity can be addressed in terms of heteroatom doping, surface properties and electrical conductivity of the carbon framework.

Heteroatom-doped highly porous carbon from human urine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhari, Nitin Kaduba; Song, Min Young; Yu, Jong-Sung

2014-06-01

Human urine, otherwise potentially polluting waste, is an universal unused resource in organic form disposed by the human body. We present for the first time ``proof of concept'' of a convenient, perhaps economically beneficial, and innovative template-free route to synthesize highly porous carbon containing heteroatoms such as N, S, Si, and P from human urine waste as a single precursor for carbon and multiple heteroatoms. High porosity is created through removal of inherently-present salt particles in as-prepared ``Urine Carbon'' (URC), and multiple heteroatoms are naturally doped into the carbon, making it unnecessary to employ troublesome expensive pore-generating templates as well as extra costly heteroatom-containing organic precursors. Additionally, isolation of rock salts is an extra bonus of present work. The technique is simple, but successful, offering naturally doped conductive hierarchical porous URC, which leads to superior electrocatalytic ORR activity comparable to state of the art Pt/C catalyst along with much improved durability and methanol tolerance, demonstrating that the URC can be a promising alternative to costly Pt-based electrocatalyst for ORR. The ORR activity can be addressed in terms of heteroatom doping, surface properties and electrical conductivity of the carbon framework.

Gauge coupling unification and nonequilibrium thermal dark matter.

PubMed

Mambrini, Yann; Olive, Keith A; Quevillon, Jérémie; Zaldívar, Bryan

2013-06-14

We study a new mechanism for the production of dark matter in the Universe which does not rely on thermal equilibrium. Dark matter is populated from the thermal bath subsequent to inflationary reheating via a massive mediator whose mass is above the reheating scale T(RH). To this end, we consider models with an extra U(1) gauge symmetry broken at some intermediate scale (M(int) ≃ 10(10)-10(12) GeV). We show that not only does the model allow for gauge coupling unification (at a higher scale associated with grand unification) but it can provide a dark matter candidate which is a standard model singlet but charged under the extra U(1). The intermediate scale gauge boson(s) which are predicted in several E6/SO(10) constructions can be a natural mediator between dark matter and the thermal bath. We show that the dark matter abundance, while never having achieved thermal equilibrium, is fixed shortly after the reheating epoch by the relation T(RH)(3)/M(int)(4). As a consequence, we show that the unification of gauge couplings which determines M(int) also fixes the reheating temperature, which can be as high as T(RH) ≃ 10(11) GeV.

Coating glass-ionomer cements with a nanofilled resin.

PubMed

Bonifácio, Clarissa Calil; Werner, Arie; Kleverlaan, Cornelis Johanes

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a nanofilled resin coat on the flexural strength (FS) and the early wear (after 50,000 and 200,000 cycles) of the glass-ionomer cements Fuji IX GP Extra (FIXE) and Ketac Molar Aplicap (KM). Specimens were prepared and half of them were coated with G-Coat plus. The uncoated specimens were used as controls. Flexural strength (n = 10) was evaluated after 24 h using a 3-point bending test on a universal testing machine (ISO 9917-2). Wear (n = 20) was evaluated after 50,000 and 200,000 cycles using the ACTA wear machine. One-way, two-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc tests were used to analyze differences in FS and wear. For FIXE the coat significantly increased the FS and the wear along the two time spans. KM did not show a significant difference in FS with the coat. Improvements in wear were observed only after 50,000 cycles. Based on these laboratory results, it is concluded that G-coat Plus is indicated in association with GP IX Extra with the aim to improve the mechanical properties of the former. However, this study is limited to a short-term observation.

Heteroatom-doped highly porous carbon from human urine

PubMed Central

Chaudhari, Nitin Kaduba; Song, Min Young; Yu, Jong-Sung

2014-01-01

Human urine, otherwise potentially polluting waste, is an universal unused resource in organic form disposed by the human body. We present for the first time “proof of concept” of a convenient, perhaps economically beneficial, and innovative template-free route to synthesize highly porous carbon containing heteroatoms such as N, S, Si, and P from human urine waste as a single precursor for carbon and multiple heteroatoms. High porosity is created through removal of inherently-present salt particles in as-prepared “Urine Carbon” (URC), and multiple heteroatoms are naturally doped into the carbon, making it unnecessary to employ troublesome expensive pore-generating templates as well as extra costly heteroatom-containing organic precursors. Additionally, isolation of rock salts is an extra bonus of present work. The technique is simple, but successful, offering naturally doped conductive hierarchical porous URC, which leads to superior electrocatalytic ORR activity comparable to state of the art Pt/C catalyst along with much improved durability and methanol tolerance, demonstrating that the URC can be a promising alternative to costly Pt-based electrocatalyst for ORR. The ORR activity can be addressed in terms of heteroatom doping, surface properties and electrical conductivity of the carbon framework. PMID:24909133

Fermion masses and mixing in general warped extra dimensional models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Mariana; Hamzaoui, Cherif; Pourtolami, Nima; Toharia, Manuel

2015-06-01

We analyze fermion masses and mixing in a general warped extra dimensional model, where all the Standard Model (SM) fields, including the Higgs, are allowed to propagate in the bulk. In this context, a slightly broken flavor symmetry imposed universally on all fermion fields, without distinction, can generate the full flavor structure of the SM, including quarks, charged leptons and neutrinos. For quarks and charged leptons, the exponential sensitivity of their wave functions to small flavor breaking effects yield hierarchical masses and mixing as it is usual in warped models with fermions in the bulk. In the neutrino sector, the exponential wave-function factors can be flavor blind and thus insensitive to the small flavor symmetry breaking effects, directly linking their masses and mixing angles to the flavor symmetric structure of the five-dimensional neutrino Yukawa couplings. The Higgs must be localized in the bulk and the model is more successful in generalized warped scenarios where the metric background solution is different than five-dimensional anti-de Sitter (AdS5 ). We study these features in two simple frameworks, flavor complimentarity and flavor democracy, which provide specific predictions and correlations between quarks and leptons, testable as more precise data in the neutrino sector becomes available.

CERES–Maize Model for Determining the Optimum Planting Dates of Early Maturing Maize Varieties in Northern Nigeria

PubMed Central

Adnan, Adnan A.; Jibrin, Jibrin M.; Kamara, Alpha Y.; Abdulrahman, Bassam L.; Shaibu, Abdulwahab S.; Garba, Ismail I.

2017-01-01

Field trials were carried out in the Sudan Savannah of Nigeria to assess the usefulness of CERES–maize crop model as a decision support tool for optimizing maize production through manipulation of plant dates. The calibration experiments comprised of 20 maize varieties planted during the dry and rainy seasons of 2014 and 2015 at Bayero University Kano and Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta. The trials for model evaluation were conducted in 16 different farmer fields across the Sudan (Bunkure and Garun—Mallam) and Northern Guinea (Tudun-Wada and Lere) Savannas using two of the calibrated varieties under four different sowing dates. The model accurately predicted grain yield, harvest index, and biomass of both varieties with low RMSE-values (below 5% of mean), high d-index (above 0.8), and high r-square (above 0.9) for the calibration trials. The time series data (tops weight, stem and leaf dry weights) were also predicted with high accuracy (% RMSEn above 70%, d-index above 0.88). Similar results were also observed for the evaluation trials, where all variables were simulated with high accuracies. Estimation efficiencies (EF)-values above 0.8 were observed for all the evaluation parameters. Seasonal and sensitivity analyses on Typic Plinthiustalfs and Plinthic Kanhaplustults in the Sudan and Northern Guinea Savannas were conducted. Results showed that planting extra early maize varieties in late July and early maize in mid-June leads to production of highest grain yields in the Sudan Savanna. In the Northern Guinea Savanna planting extra-early maize in mid-July and early maize in late July produced the highest grain yields. Delaying planting in both Agro-ecologies until mid-August leads to lower yields. Delaying planting to mid-August led to grain yield reduction of 39.2% for extra early maize and 74.4% for early maize in the Sudan Savanna. In the Northern Guinea Savanna however, delaying planting to mid-August resulted in yield reduction of 66.9 and 94.3% for extra-early and early maize, respectively. PMID:28702039

Quantifying inbreeding avoidance through extra-pair reproduction

PubMed Central

Reid, Jane M; Arcese, Peter; Keller, Lukas F; Germain, Ryan R; Duthie, A Bradley; Losdat, Sylvain; Wolak, Matthew E; Nietlisbach, Pirmin

2015-01-01

Extra-pair reproduction is widely hypothesized to allow females to avoid inbreeding with related socially paired males. Consequently, numerous field studies have tested the key predictions that extra-pair offspring are less inbred than females’ alternative within-pair offspring, and that the probability of extra-pair reproduction increases with a female's relatedness to her socially paired male. However, such studies rarely measure inbreeding or relatedness sufficiently precisely to detect subtle effects, or consider biases stemming from failure to observe inbred offspring that die during early development. Analyses of multigenerational song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) pedigree data showed that most females had opportunity to increase or decrease the coefficient of inbreeding of their offspring through extra-pair reproduction with neighboring males. In practice, observed extra-pair offspring had lower inbreeding coefficients than females’ within-pair offspring on average, while the probability of extra-pair reproduction increased substantially with the coefficient of kinship between a female and her socially paired male. However, simulations showed that such effects could simply reflect bias stemming from inbreeding depression in early offspring survival. The null hypothesis that extra-pair reproduction is random with respect to kinship therefore cannot be definitively rejected in song sparrows, and existing general evidence that females avoid inbreeding through extra-pair reproduction requires reevaluation given such biases. PMID:25346331

Heritability of female extra-pair paternity rate in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia)

PubMed Central

Reid, Jane M.; Arcese, Peter; Sardell, Rebecca J.; Keller, Lukas F.

2011-01-01

The forces driving the evolution of extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous animals remain widely debated and unresolved. One key hypothesis is that female extra-pair reproduction evolves through indirect genetic benefits, reflecting increased additive genetic value of extra-pair offspring. Such evolution requires that a female's propensity to produce offspring that are sired by an extra-pair male is heritable. However, additive genetic variance and heritability in female extra-pair paternity (EPP) rate have not been quantified, precluding accurate estimation of the force of indirect selection. Sixteen years of comprehensive paternity and pedigree data from socially monogamous but genetically polygynandrous song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) showed significant additive genetic variance and heritability in the proportion of a female's offspring that was sired by an extra-pair male, constituting major components of the genetic architecture required for extra-pair reproduction to evolve through indirect additive genetic benefits. However, estimated heritabilities were moderately small (0.12 and 0.18 on the observed and underlying latent scales, respectively). The force of selection on extra-pair reproduction through indirect additive genetic benefits may consequently be relatively weak. However, the additive genetic variance and non-zero heritability observed in female EPP rate allow for multiple further genetic mechanisms to drive and constrain mating system evolution. PMID:20980302

The over-optimistic portrayal of life-supporting treatments in newspapers and on the Internet: a cross-sectional study using extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation as an example

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation has been introduced to clinical practice for several decades. It is unclear how internet and newspapers portray the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. This study were: (1) to quantify the coverage of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use in newspapers and on the Internet; (2) to describe the characteristics of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those shown in extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation studies in Taiwan; and (3) to examine the survival rates of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation users presented in newspaper articles and the Internet web pages in comparison with those in Taiwan and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Methods All issues of Taiwan’s four major newspapers from 2006 to 2010 were reviewed. In October 2011, a search of Internet web pages was performed based on the subjects of “yeh-ko-mo” (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation in Traditional Chinese), “ECMO”, and “extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation.” All the Internet web pages and newspaper articles recounting the use of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation were reviewed. The information, such as patient characteristic and the status at hospital discharge, was collected. Results The survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown on the Internet (83.97%) was significantly higher than all the survival rates reported in Taiwan’s literature (p < .01) and in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014 (p < .01). In addition, the survival rate of extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation use shown in newspapers (61.54%) was significantly higher than the average survival rate (43%) reported in Taiwan’s literature, the pediatric average survival rate (51%), and the adult average survival rate (47%) in the Extracorporeal Life Support Registry Report International Summary for January 2014. Conclusions Internet and newspapers both showed over-optimistic survival to hospital discharge for patients sustained by extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation. Internet was more likely to provide optimistic information for aggressive life-supporting treatments such as extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation than newspapers as indicated by survival to hospital discharge. PMID:25081491

Reimplantation versus remodelling with ring annuloplasty: comparison of mid-term outcomes after valve-sparing aortic root replacement.

PubMed

Lenoir, Marien; Maesen, Bart; Stevens, Louis-Mathieu; Cartier, Raymond; Demers, Philippe; Poirier, Nancy; Tousch, Michaël; El-Hamamsy, Ismail

2018-02-08

Remodelling with extra-aortic ring annuloplasty has emerged as an alternative approach to root reimplantation. However, no studies have yet compared outcomes between procedures. The aim of this study was to compare mid-term outcomes in patients undergoing reimplantation versus remodelling with extra-aortic annuloplasty. From 2001 to 2017, 142 patients underwent root remodelling with extra-aortic annuloplasty (n = 83, 48 ± 13 years) or a reimplantation technique (n = 59, 48 ± 12 years) at the Montreal Heart Institute. No differences were observed in the incidence of connective tissue disease (24% vs 29%, P = 0.9) or preoperative aortic insufficiency ≥3 (37% vs 23%, P = 0.24). However, in the remodelling group, there were more bicuspid aortic valves (31% vs 9%; P < 0.01), and the mean preoperative aortic annulus diameter was larger (27.2 ± 3.6 mm vs 25.6 ± 2.4 mm; P = 0.01). The mean follow-up duration was 3.9 years (100% complete). There were no hospital deaths and 5 late deaths. At 5 years, overall survival was similar in both groups (100%, P = 0.98). Similarly, 5-year freedom from aortic valve reoperation was equivalent (97 ± 2% in both groups, P = 0.95). Furthermore, 5-year survival free from aortic insufficiency ≥2 or reoperation was 84 ± 5% in the remodelling with annuloplasty group vs 83 ± 6% in the reimplantation group (P = 0.62). The mean annular diameter was 24.3 ± 0.5 mm at 5 years vs 23.6 ± 0.3 mm at discharge in the remodelling group (P = 0.28) and 24.4 ± 0.6 mm vs 23.2 ± 0.3 mm, respectively, in the reimplantation group (P = 0.1). Despite a higher prevalence of bicuspid aortic valves and larger aortic annular diameters, mid-term outcomes after remodelling with extra-aortic annuloplasty and reimplantation are comparable. Extra-aortic ring annuloplasty is effective at stabilizing annular dimensions. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Theory for Transitions Between Exponential and Stationary Phases: Universal Laws for Lag Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Himeoka, Yusuke; Kaneko, Kunihiko

2017-04-01

The quantitative characterization of bacterial growth has attracted substantial attention since Monod's pioneering study. Theoretical and experimental works have uncovered several laws for describing the exponential growth phase, in which the number of cells grows exponentially. However, microorganism growth also exhibits lag, stationary, and death phases under starvation conditions, in which cell growth is highly suppressed, for which quantitative laws or theories are markedly underdeveloped. In fact, the models commonly adopted for the exponential phase that consist of autocatalytic chemical components, including ribosomes, can only show exponential growth or decay in a population; thus, phases that halt growth are not realized. Here, we propose a simple, coarse-grained cell model that includes an extra class of macromolecular components in addition to the autocatalytic active components that facilitate cellular growth. These extra components form a complex with the active components to inhibit the catalytic process. Depending on the nutrient condition, the model exhibits typical transitions among the lag, exponential, stationary, and death phases. Furthermore, the lag time needed for growth recovery after starvation follows the square root of the starvation time and is inversely related to the maximal growth rate. This is in agreement with experimental observations, in which the length of time of cell starvation is memorized in the slow accumulation of molecules. Moreover, the lag time distributed among cells is skewed with a long time tail. If the starvation time is longer, an exponential tail appears, which is also consistent with experimental data. Our theory further predicts a strong dependence of lag time on the speed of substrate depletion, which can be tested experimentally. The present model and theoretical analysis provide universal growth laws beyond the exponential phase, offering insight into how cells halt growth without entering the death phase.

Collective screening tools for early identification of dyslexia

PubMed Central

Andrade, Olga V. C. A.; Andrade, Paulo E.; Capellini, Simone A.

2015-01-01

Current response to intervention models (RTIs) favor a three-tier system. In general, Tier 1 consists of evidence-based, effective reading instruction in the classroom and universal screening of all students at the beginning of the grade level to identify children for early intervention. Non-responders to Tier 1 receive small-group tutoring in Tier 2. Non-responders to Tier 2 are given still more intensive, individual intervention in Tier 3. Limited time, personnel and financial resources derail RTI’s implementation in Brazilian schools because this approach involves procedures that require extra time and extra personnel in all three tiers, including screening tools which normally consist of tasks administered individually. We explored the accuracy of collectively and easily administered screening tools for the early identification of second graders at risk for dyslexia in a two-stage screening model. A first-stage universal screening based on collectively administered curriculum-based measurements was used in 45 7 years old early Portuguese readers from 4 second-grade classrooms at the beginning of the school year and identified an at-risk group of 13 academic low-achievers. Collectively administered tasks based on phonological judgments by matching figures and figures to spoken words [alternative tools for educators (ATE)] and a comprehensive cognitive-linguistic battery of collective and individual assessments were both administered to all children and constituted the second-stage screening. Low-achievement on ATE tasks and on collectively administered writing tasks (scores at the 25th percentile) showed good sensitivity (true positives) and specificity (true negatives) to poor literacy status defined as scores ≤1 SD below the mean on literacy abilities at the end of fifth grade. These results provide implications for the use of a collectively administered screening tool for the early identification of children at risk for dyslexia in a classroom setting. PMID:25667575

Micro-Paleontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipps, Jere H.

1978-01-01

In the past year micropaleontology has added new understandings of early protistan history as well as contributed to the deciphering of the history of the world's oceans. Studies of formaminifer a have been especially important. (MA)

46 CFR Sec. 8 - Extra work and changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Extra work and changes. Sec. 8 Section 8 Shipping... Sec. 8 Extra work and changes. (a) At any time after the award of an original job order and during the time the work thereunder is being performed, additional or extra work or changes in the work covered by...

46 CFR Sec. 8 - Extra work and changes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Extra work and changes. Sec. 8 Section 8 Shipping... Sec. 8 Extra work and changes. (a) At any time after the award of an original job order and during the time the work thereunder is being performed, additional or extra work or changes in the work covered by...

Location of the Central Venous Catheter Tip With Bedside Ultrasound in Young Children: Can We Eliminate the Need for Chest Radiography?

PubMed

Alonso-Quintela, Paula; Oulego-Erroz, Ignacio; Rodriguez-Blanco, Silvia; Muñiz-Fontan, Manoel; Lapeña-López-de Armentia, Santiago; Rodriguez-Nuñez, Antonio

2015-11-01

To compare the use of bedside ultrasound and chest radiography to verify central venous catheter tip positioning. Prospective observational study. PICU of a university hospital. Patients aged 0-14 who required a central venous catheter. None. Central venous catheter tip location was confirmed by ultrasound and chest radiography. Central venous catheters were classified as intra-atrial or extra-atrial according to their positions in relation to the cavoatrial junction. Central venous catheters located outside the vena cava were considered malpositioned. The distance between the catheter tip and the cavoatrial junction was measured. The time elapsed from image capture to interpretation was recorded. Fifty-one central venous catheters in 40 patients were analyzed. Chest radiography and ultrasound results agreed 94% of the time (κ coefficient, 0.638; p < 0.001) in determining intra-atrial and extra-atrial locations and 92% of the time in determining the diagnosis of central venous catheter malposition (κ coefficient, 0.670; p < 0.001). Chest radiography indicated a greater distance between the central venous catheter tip and the cavoatrial junction than measured by ultrasound, with a mean difference of 0.38 cm (95% CI, +0.27, +0.48 cm). Three central venous catheters were classified as extra-atrial by chest radiography but as intra-atrial by ultrasound. To locate the central venous catheter tip, ultrasound required less time than chest radiography (22.96 min [20.43 min] vs 2.23 min [1.06 min]; p < 0.001). Bedside ultrasound showed a good agreement with chest radiography in detecting central venous catheter tip location and revealing incorrect positions. Ultrasound could be a preferable method for routine verification of central venous catheter tip and can contribute to increased patient safety.

Education in a rapidly advancing technology: Accelerators and beams

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

Month, Mel

2000-06-01

The field of accelerators and beams (A and B) is one of today's fast changing technologies. Because university faculties have not been able to keep pace with the associated advancing knowledge, universities have not been able to play their traditional role of educating the scientists and engineers needed to sustain this technology for use in science, industry, commerce, and defense. This problem for A and B is described and addressed. The solution proposed, a type of ''distance'' education, is the U.S. Particle Accelerator School (USPAS) created in the early 1980s. USPAS provides the universities with a means of serving themore » education needs of the institutions using A and B, primarily but not exclusively the national laboratories. The field of A and B is briefly summarized. The need for education outside the university framework, the raison d'etre for USPAS, the USPAS method, program structure, and curriculum, and particular USPAS-university connections are explained. The management of USPAS is analyzed, including its unique administrative structure, its institutional ties, and its operations, finance, marketing, and governmental relations. USPAS performance over the years is documented and a business assessment is made. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the future potential for this type of educational program, including possible extrapolation to new areas and/or different environments, in particular, its extra-government potential and its international possibilities. (c) 2000 American Association of Physics Teachers.« less

Characteristics of lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter in relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: A magnetisation transfer and diffusion tensor imaging study.

PubMed

Yaldizli, Özgür; Pardini, Matteo; Sethi, Varun; Muhlert, Nils; Liu, Zheng; Tozer, Daniel J; Samson, Rebecca S; Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia Am; Yousry, Tarek A; Miller, David H; Chard, Declan T

2016-02-01

In multiple sclerosis (MS), diffusion tensor and magnetisation transfer imaging are both abnormal in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter, but differences between clinical subtypes and associations with clinical outcomes have only been partly assessed. To compare mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy and magnetisation transfer ratio (MTR) in cortical grey matter lesions (detected using phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) imaging) and extra-lesional cortical grey matter, and assess associations with disability in relapse-onset MS. Seventy-two people with MS (46 relapsing-remitting (RR), 26 secondary progressive (SP)) and 36 healthy controls were included in this study. MTR, mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy were measured in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter. Mean fractional anisotropy was higher and MTR lower in lesional compared with extra-lesional cortical grey matter. In extra-lesional cortical grey matter mean fractional anisotropy and MTR were lower, and mean diffusivity was higher in the MS group compared with controls. Mean MTR was lower and mean diffusivity was higher in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter in SPMS when compared with RRMS. These differences were independent of disease duration. In multivariate analyses, MTR in extra-lesional more so than lesional cortical grey matter was associated with disability. Magnetic resonance abnormalities in lesional and extra-lesional cortical grey matter are greater in SPMS than RRMS. Changes in extra-lesional compared with lesional cortical grey matter are more consistently associated with disability. © The Author(s), 2015.

When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring.

PubMed

Tschirren, Barbara; Postma, Erik; Rutstein, Alison N; Griffith, Simon C

2012-03-22

Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype-phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour.

When mothers make sons sexy: maternal effects contribute to the increased sexual attractiveness of extra-pair offspring

PubMed Central

Tschirren, Barbara; Postma, Erik; Rutstein, Alison N.; Griffith, Simon C.

2012-01-01

Quality differences between offspring sired by the social and by an extra-pair partner are usually assumed to have a genetic basis, reflecting genetic benefits of female extra-pair mate choice. In the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we identified a colour ornament that is under sexual selection and appears to have a heritable basis. Hence, by engaging in extra-pair copulations with highly ornamented males, females could, in theory, obtain genes for increased offspring attractiveness. Indeed, sons sired by extra-pair partners had larger ornaments, seemingly supporting the genetic benefit hypothesis. Yet, when comparing ornament size of the social and extra-pair partners, there was no difference. Hence, the observed differences most likely had an environmental basis, mediated, for example, via differential maternal investment of resources into the eggs fertilized by extra-pair and social partners. Such maternal effects may (at least partly) be mediated by egg size, which we found to be associated with mean ornament expression in sons. Our results are consistent with the idea that maternal effects can shape sexual selection by altering the genotype–phenotype relationship for ornamentation. They also caution against automatically attributing greater offspring attractiveness or viability to an extra-pair mate's superior genetic quality, as without controlling for differential maternal investment we may significantly overestimate the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour. PMID:21957136

Quantifying inbreeding avoidance through extra-pair reproduction.

PubMed

Reid, Jane M; Arcese, Peter; Keller, Lukas F; Germain, Ryan R; Duthie, A Bradley; Losdat, Sylvain; Wolak, Matthew E; Nietlisbach, Pirmin

2015-01-01

Extra-pair reproduction is widely hypothesized to allow females to avoid inbreeding with related socially paired males. Consequently, numerous field studies have tested the key predictions that extra-pair offspring are less inbred than females' alternative within-pair offspring, and that the probability of extra-pair reproduction increases with a female's relatedness to her socially paired male. However, such studies rarely measure inbreeding or relatedness sufficiently precisely to detect subtle effects, or consider biases stemming from failure to observe inbred offspring that die during early development. Analyses of multigenerational song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) pedigree data showed that most females had opportunity to increase or decrease the coefficient of inbreeding of their offspring through extra-pair reproduction with neighboring males. In practice, observed extra-pair offspring had lower inbreeding coefficients than females' within-pair offspring on average, while the probability of extra-pair reproduction increased substantially with the coefficient of kinship between a female and her socially paired male. However, simulations showed that such effects could simply reflect bias stemming from inbreeding depression in early offspring survival. The null hypothesis that extra-pair reproduction is random with respect to kinship therefore cannot be definitively rejected in song sparrows, and existing general evidence that females avoid inbreeding through extra-pair reproduction requires reevaluation given such biases. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Extra-curricular participation in sports and socio-demographic factors in Spanish adolescents: the AVENA study.

PubMed

Gracia-Marco, Luis; Tomas, Concepcion; Vicente-Rodriguez, German; Jimenez-Pavon, David; Rey-Lopez, Juan P; Ortega, Francisco B; Lanza-Saiz, Ricardo; Moreno, Luis A

2010-11-01

The aims of this study were to identify differences between the sexes in extra-curricular participation in sports and to determine its association with body fat and socio-demographic factors in Spanish adolescents. A total of 2165 adolescents (1124 males and 1041 females) aged 13.0-18.5 years from the AVENA Study participated. Participants filled in an ad hoc questionnaire for extra-curricular participation in sports, which was the dependent variable. Independent variables were: age, percent body fat, and father's and mother's educational level and occupation. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were applied. Bivariate analysis showed for male adolescents that age and father's occupation were related to extra-curricular participation in sports. In addition, body fat and mother's education and occupation (all P < 0.05) were related to extra-curricular participation of in sports for female adolescents. Logistic regression analysis showed that the likelihood of involvement in extra-curricular participation in sports was 5.3-fold (3.86-7.38) higher for males than females. Age and father's education in both males and females were independently associated with extra-curricular participation in sports. In summary, Spanish male adolescents were shown to engage in more extra-curricular sports than females. In addition, age and father's education (in both sexes) were associated with the participation of their offspring in extra-curricular sports during adolescence.

Estimation of hyper-parameters for a hierarchical model of combined cortical and extra-brain current sources in the MEG inverse problem.

PubMed

Morishige, Ken-ichi; Yoshioka, Taku; Kawawaki, Dai; Hiroe, Nobuo; Sato, Masa-aki; Kawato, Mitsuo

2014-11-01

One of the major obstacles in estimating cortical currents from MEG signals is the disturbance caused by magnetic artifacts derived from extra-cortical current sources such as heartbeats and eye movements. To remove the effect of such extra-brain sources, we improved the hybrid hierarchical variational Bayesian method (hyVBED) proposed by Fujiwara et al. (NeuroImage, 2009). hyVBED simultaneously estimates cortical and extra-brain source currents by placing dipoles on cortical surfaces as well as extra-brain sources. This method requires EOG data for an EOG forward model that describes the relationship between eye dipoles and electric potentials. In contrast, our improved approach requires no EOG and less a priori knowledge about the current variance of extra-brain sources. We propose a new method, "extra-dipole," that optimally selects hyper-parameter values regarding current variances of the cortical surface and extra-brain source dipoles. With the selected parameter values, the cortical and extra-brain dipole currents were accurately estimated from the simulated MEG data. The performance of this method was demonstrated to be better than conventional approaches, such as principal component analysis and independent component analysis, which use only statistical properties of MEG signals. Furthermore, we applied our proposed method to measured MEG data during covert pursuit of a smoothly moving target and confirmed its effectiveness. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Re-Conceptualizing Extra Help for High School Students in a High Standards Era.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balfanz, Robert; McPartland, James; Shaw, Alta

The push for higher academic standards has resulted in an increase in the numbers of high school students needing extra help. The need for extra help is most pervasive in high-poverty areas and most high school students need extra help not in traditional basic elementary skills but in reading, mathematics, and advanced reasoning skills. Most…

MetaPro-IQ: a universal metaproteomic approach to studying human and mouse gut microbiota.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu; Ning, Zhibin; Mayne, Janice; Moore, Jasmine I; Li, Jennifer; Butcher, James; Deeke, Shelley Ann; Chen, Rui; Chiang, Cheng-Kang; Wen, Ming; Mack, David; Stintzi, Alain; Figeys, Daniel

2016-06-24

The gut microbiota has been shown to be closely associated with human health and disease. While next-generation sequencing can be readily used to profile the microbiota taxonomy and metabolic potential, metaproteomics is better suited for deciphering microbial biological activities. However, the application of gut metaproteomics has largely been limited due to the low efficiency of protein identification. Thus, a high-performance and easy-to-implement gut metaproteomic approach is required. In this study, we developed a high-performance and universal workflow for gut metaproteome identification and quantification (named MetaPro-IQ) by using the close-to-complete human or mouse gut microbial gene catalog as database and an iterative database search strategy. An average of 38 and 33 % of the acquired tandem mass spectrometry (MS) spectra was confidently identified for the studied mouse stool and human mucosal-luminal interface samples, respectively. In total, we accurately quantified 30,749 protein groups for the mouse metaproteome and 19,011 protein groups for the human metaproteome. Moreover, the MetaPro-IQ approach enabled comparable identifications with the matched metagenome database search strategy that is widely used but needs prior metagenomic sequencing. The response of gut microbiota to high-fat diet in mice was then assessed, which showed distinct metaproteome patterns for high-fat-fed mice and identified 849 proteins as significant responders to high-fat feeding in comparison to low-fat feeding. We present MetaPro-IQ, a metaproteomic approach for highly efficient intestinal microbial protein identification and quantification, which functions as a universal workflow for metaproteomic studies, and will thus facilitate the application of metaproteomics for better understanding the functions of gut microbiota in health and disease.

Genetics Home Reference: periventricular heterotopia

MedlinePlus

... Metcalfe KA, Isidor B, Louvier UW, Poduri A, Taylor JC, Tilly P, Poirier K, Saillour Y, Lebrun N, Stemmelen T, Rudolf G, Muraca G, Saintpierre B, Elmorjani A; Deciphering Developmental Disorders study, Moïse M, ...

Public Key Cryptography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tapson, Frank

1996-01-01

Describes public key cryptography, also known as RSA, which is a system using two keys, one used to put a message into cipher and another used to decipher the message. Presents examples using small prime numbers. (MKR)

Information security system based on virtual-optics imaging methodology and public key infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiang; Zhang, Peng; Cai, Lilong

In this paper, we present a virtual-optical based information security system model with the aid of public-key-infrastructure (PKI) techniques. The proposed model employs a hybrid architecture in which our previously published encryption algorithm based on virtual-optics imaging methodology (VOIM) can be used to encipher and decipher data while an asymmetric algorithm, for example RSA, is applied for enciphering and deciphering the session key(s). For an asymmetric system, given an encryption key, it is computationally infeasible to determine the decryption key and vice versa. The whole information security model is run under the framework of PKI, which is on basis of public-key cryptography and digital signatures. This PKI-based VOIM security approach has additional features like confidentiality, authentication, and integrity for the purpose of data encryption under the environment of network.

Deciphering the sugar biosynthetic pathway and tailoring steps of nucleoside antibiotic A201A unveils a GDP-l-galactose mutase.

PubMed

Zhu, Qinghua; Chen, Qi; Song, Yongxiang; Huang, Hongbo; Li, Jun; Ma, Junying; Li, Qinglian; Ju, Jianhua

2017-05-09

Galactose, a monosaccharide capable of assuming two possible configurational isomers (d-/l-), can exist as a six-membered ring, galactopyranose (Gal p ), or as a five-membered ring, galactofuranose (Gal f ). UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) mediates the conversion of pyranose to furanose thereby providing a precursor for d-Gal f Moreover, UGM is critical to the virulence of numerous eukaryotic and prokaryotic human pathogens and thus represents an excellent antimicrobial drug target. However, the biosynthetic mechanism and relevant enzymes that drive l-Gal f production have not yet been characterized. Herein we report that efforts to decipher the sugar biosynthetic pathway and tailoring steps en route to nucleoside antibiotic A201A led to the discovery of a GDP-l-galactose mutase, MtdL. Systematic inactivation of 18 of the 33 biosynthetic genes in the A201A cluster and elucidation of 10 congeners, coupled with feeding and in vitro biochemical experiments, enabled us to: ( i ) decipher the unique enzyme, GDP-l-galactose mutase associated with production of two unique d-mannose-derived sugars, and ( ii ) assign two glycosyltransferases, four methyltransferases, and one desaturase that regiospecifically tailor the A201A scaffold and display relaxed substrate specificities. Taken together, these data provide important insight into the origin of l-Gal f -containing natural product biosynthetic pathways with likely ramifications in other organisms and possible antimicrobial drug targeting strategies.

Assessing communication accessibility in the university classroom: towards a goal of universal hearing accessibility.

PubMed

Cheesman, Margaret F; Jennings, Mary Beth; Klinger, Lisa

2013-01-01

Measures of accessibility typically focus on the physical environment and aspects relating to getting into and out of spaces. The transient sound environment is less well characterized in typical accessibility measures. Hearing accessibility measures can be based upon physical indices or functional assessment. The physical measures are indices that use signal-to-noise ratios to evaluate audibility while the functional assessment tool adopts universal design for hearing (UDH) principles derived from principles of universal design. The UDH principles include (1) Optimization of the hearing environment for all; (2) Optimization of interactions between persons and objects to promote better hearing in an environment; (3) Optimization of opportunities for people to have multiple choices of interactions with one another; (4) Optimization of opportunities for people to perform different activities in and across environments; (5) Optimization of opportunities for people to have safe, private, and secure use of the environment while minimizing distraction, interference, or cognitive loading; and (6) Optimization of opportunities for people to use the environment without extra steps for hearing access during preparatory, use and/or after use phases. This paper compares the two approaches using case examples from post-secondary classrooms in order to describe the potential advantages and limitations of each.

Irregular Periods

MedlinePlus

... have extra androgen, a hormone that can cause hair growth on the face, chin, chest, and abdomen. Extra ... You stop getting your period. You have extra hair growth on the face, chin, chest, or abdomen. You ...

Effect of the chameleon scalar field on brane cosmological evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisabr, Y.; Ahmadi, F.

2017-11-01

We have investigated a brane world model in which the gravitational field in the bulk is described both by a metric tensor and a minimally coupled scalar field. This scalar field is taken to be a chameleon with an appropriate potential function. The scalar field interacts with matter and there is an energy transfer between the two components. We find a late-time asymptotic solution which exhibits late-time accelerating expansion. We also show that the Universe recently crosses the phantom barrier without recourse to any exotic matter. We provide some thermodynamic arguments which constrain both the direction of energy transfer and dynamics of the extra dimension.

Experimental Approach to Teaching Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, Catalina

2015-11-01

For the last 15 years we have promoted experimental work even in the theoretical courses. Fluids appear in the Physics curriculum of the National University of Mexico in two courses: Collective Phenomena in their sophomore year and Continuum Mechanics in their senior year. In both, students are asked for a final project. Surprisingly, at least 85% choose an experimental subject even though this means working extra hours every week. Some of the experiments were shown in this congress two years ago. This time we present some new results and the methodology we use in the classroom. I acknowledge support from the Physics Department, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM.

Natural entropy production in an inflationary model for a polarized vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, Marcelo Samuel; Som, Murari M.

2007-08-01

Though entropy production is forbidden in standard FRW Cosmology, Berman and Som presented a simple inflationary model where entropy production by bulk viscosity, during standard inflation without ad hoc pressure terms can be accommodated with Robertson Walker’s metric, so the requirement that the early Universe be anisotropic is not essential in order to have entropy growth during inflationary phase, as we show. Entropy also grows due to shear viscosity, for the anisotropic case. The intrinsically inflationary metric that we propose can be thought of as defining a polarized vacuum, and leads directly to the desired effects without the need of introducing extra pressure terms.

QCD corrections to massive color-octet vector boson pair production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freitas, Ayres; Wiegand, Daniel

2017-09-01

This paper describes the calculation of the next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD corrections to massive color-octet vector boson pair production at hadron colliders. As a concrete framework, a two-site coloron model with an internal parity is chosen, which can be regarded as an effective low-energy approximation of Kaluza-Klein gluon physics in universal extra dimensions. The renormalization procedure involves several subtleties, which are discussed in detail. The impact of the NLO corrections is relatively modest, amounting to a reduction of 11-14% in the total cross-section, but they significantly reduce the scale dependence of the LO result.

Fermionic vacuum polarization in a higher-dimensional global monopole spacetime

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

Bezerra de Mello, E. R.

2007-12-15

In this paper we analyze the vacuum polarization effects associated with a massless fermionic field in a higher-dimensional global monopole spacetime in the 'braneworld' scenario. In this context we admit that our Universe, the bulk, is represented by a flat (n-1)-dimensional brane having a global monopole in an extra transverse three-dimensional submanifold. We explicitly calculate the renormalized vacuum average of the energy-momentum tensor, {sub Ren}, admitting the global monopole as being a pointlike object. We observe that this quantity depends crucially on the value of n, and provide explicit expressions to it for specific values attributed to n.

Emergency Meal Planning for Diabetics

MedlinePlus

... enough insulin and supplies on hand, including extra batteries for the glucometer emergency phone list with names ... unit and the local hospital radio with extra batteries flashlight with extra batteries candles and matches measuring ...

Intracellular delivery of universal proteins using a lysine headgroup containing cationic liposomes: deciphering the uptake mechanism.

PubMed

Sarker, Satya Ranjan; Hokama, Ryosuke; Takeoka, Shinji

2014-01-06

An amino acid-based cationic lipid having a TFA counterion (trifluoroacetic acid counterion) in the lysine headgroup was used to deliver functional proteins into human cervical cancer cells, HeLa, in the presence of serum. Proteins used in the study were fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled bovine serum albumin, mouse anti-F actin antibody [NH3], and goat anti mouse IgG conjugated with FITC. The formation of liposome/protein complexes was confirmed using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, the complexes were characterized in terms of their size and zeta potential at different pH values and found to be responsive to changes in pH. The highest delivery efficiency of the liposome/albumin complexes was 99% at 37 °C. The liposomes effectively delivered albumin and antibodies as confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Inhibition studies showed that the cellular uptake mechanism of the complexes was via caveolae-mediated endocytosis, and the proteins were subsequently released from either the early endosomes or the caveosomes as suggested by CLSM. Thus, lysine-based cationic liposomes can be a useful tool for intracellular protein delivery.

Isolation, cryotomography, and three-dimensional reconstruction of centrioles.

PubMed

Guichard, Paul; Hamel, Virginie; Neves, Aitana; Gönczy, Pierre

2015-01-01

Centrioles and basal bodies (referred to hereafter as centrioles for simplicity) are microtubule-based cylindrical organelles that are typically ∼450-nm long and ∼250nm in diameter. The centriole is composed of three distinct regions: the distal part characterized by microtubule doublets, the central core that harbors microtubule triplets, which are also present in the proximal part that also contains the cartwheel, a structure crucial for centriole assembly. The cartwheel was initially revealed by conventional electron microscopy of resin-embedded samples and is thought to impart the near universal ninefold symmetry of centrioles. Deciphering the native architecture of the cartwheel has proven challenging owing to its small dimensions and the difficulties in isolating it. Here, we present a method to purify and analyze the structure of the exceptionally long Trichonympha centriole by cryotomography and subtomogram averaging. Using this method, we revealed the native architecture of the proximal cartwheel-containing region at ∼40Å-resolution. This method can be applied as a general strategy for uncovering the structure of centrioles in other species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of the blaNDM-1 carbapenemase gene into Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1-PmPEL) in a Proteus mirabilis clinical isolate.

PubMed

Girlich, Delphine; Dortet, Laurent; Poirel, Laurent; Nordmann, Patrice

2015-01-01

To decipher the mechanisms and their associated genetic determinants responsible for β-lactam resistance in a Proteus mirabilis clinical isolate. The entire genetic structure surrounding the β-lactam resistance genes was characterized by PCR, gene walking and DNA sequencing. Genes encoding the carbapenemase NDM-1 and the ESBL VEB-6 were located in a 38.5 kb MDR structure, which itself was inserted into a new variant of the Proteus genomic island 1 (PGI1). This new PGI1-PmPEL variant of 64.4 kb was chromosomally located, as an external circular form in the P. mirabilis isolate, suggesting potential mobility. This is the first known description of the bla(NDM-1) gene in a genomic island structure, which might further enhance the spread of the bla(NDM-1) carbapenemase gene among enteric pathogens. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

PHOXTRACK-a tool for interpreting comprehensive datasets of post-translational modifications of proteins.

PubMed

Weidner, Christopher; Fischer, Cornelius; Sauer, Sascha

2014-12-01

We introduce PHOXTRACK (PHOsphosite-X-TRacing Analysis of Causal Kinases), a user-friendly freely available software tool for analyzing large datasets of post-translational modifications of proteins, such as phosphorylation, which are commonly gained by mass spectrometry detection. In contrast to other currently applied data analysis approaches, PHOXTRACK uses full sets of quantitative proteomics data and applies non-parametric statistics to calculate whether defined kinase-specific sets of phosphosite sequences indicate statistically significant concordant differences between various biological conditions. PHOXTRACK is an efficient tool for extracting post-translational information of comprehensive proteomics datasets to decipher key regulatory proteins and to infer biologically relevant molecular pathways. PHOXTRACK will be maintained over the next years and is freely available as an online tool for non-commercial use at http://phoxtrack.molgen.mpg.de. Users will also find a tutorial at this Web site and can additionally give feedback at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/phoxtrack-discuss. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

RNAi revised--target mRNA-dependent enhancement of gene silencing.

PubMed

Dornseifer, Simon; Willkomm, Sarah; Far, Rosel Kretschmer-Kazemi; Liebschwager, Janine; Beltsiou, Foteini; Frank, Kirsten; Laufer, Sandra D; Martinetz, Thomas; Sczakiel, Georg; Claussen, Jens Christian; Restle, Tobias

2015-12-15

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) gave rise to the development of new nucleic acid-based technologies as powerful investigational tools and potential therapeutics. Mechanistic key details of RNAi in humans need to be deciphered yet, before such approaches take root in biomedicine and molecular therapy. We developed and validated an in silico-based model of siRNA-mediated RNAi in human cells in order to link in vitro-derived pre-steady state kinetic data with a quantitative and time-resolved understanding of RNAi on the cellular level. The observation that product release by Argonaute 2 is accelerated in the presence of an excess of target RNA in vitro inspired us to suggest an associative mechanism for the RNA slicer reaction where incoming target mRNAs actively promote dissociation of cleaved mRNA fragments. This novel associative model is compatible with high multiple turnover rates of RNAi-based gene silencing in living cells and accounts for target mRNA concentration-dependent enhancement of the RNAi machinery. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

TorsinA dysfunction causes persistent neuronal nuclear pore defects.

PubMed

Pappas, Samuel S; Liang, Chun-Chi; Kim, Sumin; Rivera, CheyAnne O; Dauer, William T

2018-02-01

A critical challenge to deciphering the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disease is identifying which of the myriad abnormalities that emerge during CNS maturation persist to contribute to long-term brain dysfunction. Childhood-onset dystonia caused by a loss-of-function mutation in the AAA+ protein torsinA exemplifies this challenge. Neurons lacking torsinA develop transient nuclear envelope (NE) malformations during CNS maturation, but no NE defects are described in mature torsinA null neurons. We find that during postnatal CNS maturation torsinA null neurons develop mislocalized and dysfunctional nuclear pore complexes (NPC) that lack NUP358, normally added late in NPC biogenesis. SUN1, a torsinA-related molecule implicated in interphase NPC biogenesis, also exhibits localization abnormalities. Whereas SUN1 and associated nuclear membrane abnormalities resolve in juvenile mice, NPC defects persist into adulthood. These findings support a role for torsinA function in NPC biogenesis during neuronal maturation and implicate altered NPC function in dystonia pathophysiology. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Genomic differentiation and demographic histories of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) populations.

PubMed

Barth, J M I; Damerau, M; Matschiner, M; Jentoft, S; Hanel, R

2017-04-13

Recent developments in the field of genomics have provided new and powerful insights into population structure and dynamics that are essential for the conservation of biological diversity. As a commercially highly valuable species, the yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is intensely exploited throughout its distribution in tropical oceans around the world, and is currently classified as near threatened. However, conservation efforts for this species have so far been hampered by limited knowledge of its population structure, due to incongruent results of previous investigations. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing in concert with a draft genome assembly to decipher the global population structure of the yellowfin tuna, and to investigate its demographic history. We detect significant differentiation of Atlantic and Indo-Pacific yellowfin tuna populations as well as the possibility of a third diverged yellowfin tuna group in the Arabian Sea. We further observe evidence for past population expansion as well as asymmetric gene flow from the Indo-Pacific to the Atlantic. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

False Positives in Exoplanet Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leuquire, Jacob; Kasper, David; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kar, Aman; Sorber, Rebecca; Suhaimi, Afiq; KELT (Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope)

2018-06-01

Our team at the University of Wyoming uses a 0.6 m telescope at RBO (Red Buttes Observatory) to help confirm results on potential exoplanet candidates from low resolution, wide field surveys shared by the KELT (Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope) team. False positives are common in this work. We carry out transit photometry, and this method comes with special types of false positives. The most common false positive seen at the confirmation level is an EB (eclipsing binary). Low resolution images are great in detecting multiple sources for photometric dips in light curves, but they lack the precision to decipher single targets at an accurate level. For example, target star KC18C030621 needed RBO’s photometric precision to determine there was a nearby EB causing exoplanet type light curves. Identifying false positives with our telescope is important work because it helps eliminate the waste of time taken by more expensive telescopes trying to rule out negative candidate stars. It also furthers the identification of other types of photometric events, like eclipsing binaries, so they can be studied on their own.

Deciphering the Ubiquitin Code.

PubMed

Dittmar, Gunnar; Selbach, Matthias

2017-03-02

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Zhang et al. (2017) systematically identify proteins interacting with all possible di-ubiquitin linkages, thus providing a catalog of readers of the ubiquitin code. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dead Sea Scrolls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

A consortium of researchers from Jet Propulsion Laboratory and three other organizations used charged coupled devices (CCDs) and other imaging enhancement technology to decipher previously unreadable portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The technique has potentially important implications for archeology.

The Human Genome Project: An Imperative for International Collaboration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allende, J. E.

1989-01-01

Discussed is the Human Genome Project which aims to decipher the totality of the human genetic information. The historical background, the objectives, international cooperation, ethical discussion, and the role of UNESCO are included. (KR)

Can Processed Foods Be Part of a Healthy Diet?

MedlinePlus

... Simple Cooking and Recipes Dining Out Choosing a Restaurant Deciphering the Menu Ordering Your Meal Eating Fast ... make smart choices in the grocery store and restaurants. Choose healthier processed foods. Read food labels. This ...

Inhomogeneous compact extra dimensions

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

Bronnikov, K.A.; Budaev, R.I.; Grobov, A.V.

We show that an inhomogeneous compact extra space possesses two necessary features— their existence does not contradict the observable value of the cosmological constant Λ{sub 4} in pure f ( R ) theory, and the extra dimensions are stable relative to the 'radion mode' of perturbations, the only mode considered. For a two-dimensional extra space, both analytical and numerical solutions for the metric are found, able to provide a zero or arbitrarily small Λ{sub 4}. A no-go theorem has also been proved, that maximally symmetric compact extra spaces are inconsistent with 4D Minkowski space in the framework of pure fmore » ( R ) gravity.« less

Five Things Girls Want to Know about Periods

MedlinePlus

... supplies." Even better, keep extras in your backpack, locker, or gym bag. 5. What If Blood Leaks ... regularly and keep extras in your backpack or locker. For extra protection on heavy days, some girls ...

Determinants of Zambian men's extra-marital sex: a multi-level analysis.

PubMed

Benefo, Kofi D

2008-08-01

Research interest in extra-marital sex has increased as scholars have become aware of its role in sustaining epidemics of STDs in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. While most research has used the socioeconomic and demographic features of individuals as determinants of extra-marital sexual behavior, this study examined the role played by community characteristics. Using data from the 2003 Zambian Sexual Behavior Survey for a sample of 1,118 men aged 15-59 and multilevel logistic regression techniques, the study analyzed the effects of community social and demographic characteristics on involvement in extra-marital sex while controlling for the men's individual-level characteristics. Men's involvement in extra-marital sex was found to vary with the characteristics of communities. The chances of men's involvement in extra-marital sex increased with community-level ethnic heterogeneity and urbanization, decreased in commercial centers, and in communities with a demographic surplus of males, health workers active in AIDS prevention, and access to the mass media. These results show that scholars trying to understand the motivations for extra-marital sex must pay attention to the characteristics of both individuals and communities.

Effects of experimental light at night on extra-pair paternity in a songbird.

PubMed

de Jong, Maaike; Lamers, Koosje P; Eugster, Mark; Ouyang, Jenny Q; Da Silva, Arnaud; Mateman, A Christa; van Grunsven, Roy H A; Visser, Marcel E; Spoelstra, Kamiel

2018-06-27

Light pollution is increasing worldwide and significantly affects animal behavior. In birds, these effects include advancement of morning activity and onset of dawn song, which may affect extra-pair paternity. Advanced dawn song of males may stimulate females to engage in extra-pair copulations, and the earlier activity onset may affect the males' mate guarding behavior. Earlier work showed an effect of light at night on extra-pair behavior, but this was in an area with other anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we present a two-year experimental study on effects of light at night on extra-pair paternity of great tits (Parus major). Previously dark natural areas were illuminated with white, red, and green LED lamps and compared to a dark control. In 2014, the proportion of extra-pair young in broods increased with distance to the red and white lamps (i.e., at lower light intensities), but decreased with distance to the poles in the dark control. In 2013, we found no effects on the proportion of extra-pair young. The total number of offspring sired by a male was unaffected by artificial light at night in both years, suggesting that potential changes in female fidelity in pairs breeding close to white and red light did not translate into fitness benefits for the males of these pairs. Artificial light at night might disrupt the natural patterns of extra-pair paternity, possibly negates potential benefits of extra-pair copulations and thus could alter sexual selection processes in wild birds. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reading Hidden Messages Through Deciphered Manual Alphabets on Classic Artwork

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castronovo, Joseph Anthony, Jr.

1998-10-01

Decipherment is the tool used to uncover several types of hand signs that played vital roles in the creation of hidden messages in classic artwork. A 3,100 B.C. bas-relief of The 'Kaph' Telescope, formerly named The Narmer Palette, and Michaelangelo Buonarrotte's Battle of Cascina of 1506 were two key works of art that show certain similarities even though separated by 4,500 years. It is evident that Renaissance humanists provided artists with certain knowledge of the ancients. Results of incorporating a number of minor works of art showed that the competence of ancient Egyptians, Cretans and Australian Aboriginals, to name a few, as astronomers, was underestimated. Some deciphered Indus seals attested to a global understanding of the universe, with Gemini and the star of Thuban at the center of their attention. Certain forms of secrecy had to be undertaken for various reasons throughout the millennia. Three examples are: (1) In Italy, to keep controversial and truthful teachings discreet and hidden, artists embedded them in artwork long before the plight of Galileo Galilei and his discoveries. (2) Among Jewish Kabbalists, a well-known design was obscured in The Arnolfini Wedding painting for fear it would be lost due to persecution. (3) Michaelangelo Buonarrotte indicated several meanings through the hands of The Statue of Moses. They were overlooked by several societies, including the gesticulating culture of Italy, because they oppressed the value of signed languages. Spatial decipherment may testify to a need for the restoration of a spatial writing system for expanded linguistic accessibility. A 21st century model community for sign language residents and employees will benefit visual learners, particularly visual artists and non-phonetic decipherers, to better uncover, understand and perhaps use ancient hand forms to restore ancient knowledge. Moreover, the National Association of Teaching English (NATE) has recently endorsed the addition of two skills, viewing and visual representing, to the traditional list of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will master these two new skills far more effectively when they are exposed to such a signing community.

Physical Heterogeneity and Aquatic Community Function in River Networks

EPA Science Inventory

The geomorphological character of a river network provides the template upon which evolution acts to create unique biological communities. Deciphering commonly observed patterns and processes within riverine landscapes resulting from the interplay between physical and biological...

Capturing extracellular matrix properties in vitro: Microengineering materials to decipher cell and tissue level processes.

PubMed

Abdeen, Amr A; Lee, Junmin; Kilian, Kristopher A

2016-05-01

Rapid advances in biology have led to the establishment of new fields with tremendous translational potential including regenerative medicine and immunoengineering. One commonality to these fields is the need to extract cells for manipulation in vitro; however, results obtained in laboratory cell culture will often differ widely from observations made in vivo. To more closely emulate native cell biology in the laboratory, designer engineered environments have proved a successful methodology to decipher the properties of the extracellular matrix that govern cellular decision making. Here, we present an overview of matrix properties that affect cell behavior, strategies for recapitulating important parameters in vitro, and examples of how these properties can affect cell and tissue level processes, with emphasis on leveraging these tools for immunoengineering. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

How Precisely Can Prostate Cancer Be Managed?

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Progress has been made in applying genetic information to disease management in the postgenomic era, and precision medicine is emerging in prostate cancer management. The prostate health index, the 4-kallikrein (4K) score, and the PCA3, TMPRSS2-ERG, and Prostarix tests have potential for refining prostate cancer screening in conjunction with traditional prostate-specific antigen testing. The Confirm MDx and PCA3 tests have shown promise in identifying men who need be rebiopsied after a primary negative biopsy. Oncotype DX, Prolaris, the biopsy-based Decipher prostate cancer test, and ProMark may improve predictive risk stratification in addition to the traditional Gleason score and tumor stage. Decipher and Prolaris may predict biochemical recurrence and metastasis after radical prostatectomy and possibly help identify patients who need adjuvant therapy. Androgen receptor splice variant 7 appears effective in guiding the selection of second hormonal manipulation with abiraterone or enzalutamide versus chemotherapy when treating metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. PMID:27915475

Potential 2001 Landing Sites in Melas Chasma, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weitz, C. M.; Lucchitta, B. K.; Chapman, M. G.

1999-01-01

We have selected four areas in Valles Marineris as potential landing sites for the 2001 mission. After 20 years of analyses, the formation of the Valles Marineris system of troughs and its associated deposits still has not been sufficiently explained. They could have formed by collapse, as tectonic grabens, or in two stages involving ancestral collapse basins later cut by grabens. Understanding all aspects of the Valles Marineris, in particular the interior layered deposits, would significantly contribute to deciphering the internal and external history of Mars. The deposits have been postulated to be remnants of wall rock, lacustrine deposits, mass wasting deposits, eolian deposits, carbonate deposits, or volcanic deposits. Because an understanding of the formation of Valles Marineris and its interior deposits is so important to deciphering the history of Mars, we have proposed landing sites for the 2001 mission on flat shelves of interior deposits in Melas Chasma.

Deciphering molecular circuits from genetic variation underlying transcriptional responsiveness to stimuli

PubMed Central

Gat-Viks, Irit; Chevrier, Nicolas; Wilentzik, Roni; Eisenhaure, Thomas; Raychowdhury, Raktima; Steuerman, Yael; Shalek, Alex; Hacohen, Nir; Amit, Ido; Regev, Aviv

2013-01-01

Individual genetic variation affects gene expression in response to stimuli, often by influencing complex molecular circuits. Here we combine genomic and intermediate-scale transcriptional profiling with computational methods to identify variants that affect the responsiveness of genes to stimuli (responsiveness QTLs; reQTLs) and to position these variants in molecular circuit diagrams. We apply this approach to study variation in transcriptional responsiveness to pathogen components in dendritic cells from recombinant inbred mouse strains. We identify reQTLs that correlate with particular stimuli and position them in known pathways. For example, in response to a virus-like stimulus, a trans-acting variant acts as an activator of the antiviral response; using RNAi, we identify Rgs16 as the likely causal gene. Our approach charts an experimental and analytic path to decipher the mechanisms underlying genetic variation in circuits that control responses to stimuli. PMID:23503680

Virtual-optical information security system based on public key infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiang; Zhang, Peng; Cai, Lilong; Niu, Hanben

2005-01-01

A virtual-optical based encryption model with the aid of public key infrastructure (PKI) is presented in this paper. The proposed model employs a hybrid architecture in which our previously published encryption method based on virtual-optics scheme (VOS) can be used to encipher and decipher data while an asymmetric algorithm, for example RSA, is applied for enciphering and deciphering the session key(s). The whole information security model is run under the framework of international standard ITU-T X.509 PKI, which is on basis of public-key cryptography and digital signatures. This PKI-based VOS security approach has additional features like confidentiality, authentication, and integrity for the purpose of data encryption under the environment of network. Numerical experiments prove the effectiveness of the method. The security of proposed model is briefly analyzed by examining some possible attacks from the viewpoint of a cryptanalysis.

Metabolomics to Decipher the Chemical Defense of Cereals against Fusarium graminearum and Deoxynivalenol Accumulation

PubMed Central

Gauthier, Léa; Atanasova-Penichon, Vessela; Chéreau, Sylvain; Richard-Forget, Florence

2015-01-01

Fusarium graminearum is the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Gibberella ear rot (GER), two devastating diseases of wheat, barley, and maize. Furthermore, F. graminearum species can produce type B trichothecene mycotoxins that accumulate in grains. Use of FHB and GER resistant cultivars is one of the most promising strategies to reduce damage induced by F. graminearum. Combined with genetic approaches, metabolomic ones can provide powerful opportunities for plant breeding through the identification of resistant biomarker metabolites which have the advantage of integrating the genetic background and the influence of the environment. In the past decade, several metabolomics attempts have been made to decipher the chemical defense that cereals employ to counteract F. graminearum. By covering the major classes of metabolites that have been highlighted and addressing their potential role, this review demonstrates the complex and integrated network of events that cereals can orchestrate to resist to F. graminearum. PMID:26492237

A ‘tool box’ for deciphering neuronal circuits in the developing chick spinal cord

PubMed Central

Hadas, Yoav; Etlin, Alex; Falk, Haya; Avraham, Oshri; Kobiler, Oren; Panet, Amos; Lev-Tov, Aharon; Klar, Avihu

2014-01-01

The genetic dissection of spinal circuits is an essential new means for understanding the neural basis of mammalian behavior. Molecular targeting of specific neuronal populations, a key instrument in the genetic dissection of neuronal circuits in the mouse model, is a complex and time-demanding process. Here we present a circuit-deciphering ‘tool box’ for fast, reliable and cheap genetic targeting of neuronal circuits in the developing spinal cord of the chick. We demonstrate targeting of motoneurons and spinal interneurons, mapping of axonal trajectories and synaptic targeting in both single and populations of spinal interneurons, and viral vector-mediated labeling of pre-motoneurons. We also demonstrate fluorescent imaging of the activity pattern of defined spinal neurons during rhythmic motor behavior, and assess the role of channel rhodopsin-targeted population of interneurons in rhythmic behavior using specific photoactivation. PMID:25147209

Deciphering molecular circuits from genetic variation underlying transcriptional responsiveness to stimuli.

PubMed

Gat-Viks, Irit; Chevrier, Nicolas; Wilentzik, Roni; Eisenhaure, Thomas; Raychowdhury, Raktima; Steuerman, Yael; Shalek, Alex K; Hacohen, Nir; Amit, Ido; Regev, Aviv

2013-04-01

Individual genetic variation affects gene responsiveness to stimuli, often by influencing complex molecular circuits. Here we combine genomic and intermediate-scale transcriptional profiling with computational methods to identify variants that affect the responsiveness of genes to stimuli (responsiveness quantitative trait loci or reQTLs) and to position these variants in molecular circuit diagrams. We apply this approach to study variation in transcriptional responsiveness to pathogen components in dendritic cells from recombinant inbred mouse strains. We identify reQTLs that correlate with particular stimuli and position them in known pathways. For example, in response to a virus-like stimulus, a trans-acting variant responds as an activator of the antiviral response; using RNA interference, we identify Rgs16 as the likely causal gene. Our approach charts an experimental and analytic path to decipher the mechanisms underlying genetic variation in circuits that control responses to stimuli.

Synthesis and use of deuterated palmitic acids to decipher the cryptoregiochemistry of a Delta13 desaturation.

PubMed

Abad, José-Luis; Serra, Montserrat; Camps, Francisco; Fabriàs, Gemma

2007-02-02

The synthesis of two hexadeuterated palmitic acids differing in the position of the diagnostic labels, and their use to decipher the cryptoregiochemistry of a Delta13 desaturation are described. A dithiane and a triple bond functionalities were used to introduce the diagnostic (C13 or C14) and tagging (C8 and C9) labels, respectively, in the palmitic acid skeleton. Using these probes, the cryptoregiochemistry of the Delta13 desaturation involved in the biosynthesis of Thaumetopoea pityocampa sex pheromone was studied by means of kinetic isotope effect determinations. Transformation of both (Z)-11-hexadecenoic and 11-hexadecynoic acids into (Z, Z)-11,13-hexadecadienoic and (Z)-13-hexadecen-11-ynoic acids, respectively, is initiated by abstraction of the hydrogen atom at the C13 position, followed by the fast elimination of the C14 hydrogen to give the double bond.

Whole genome sequence to decipher the resistome of Shewanella algae, a multidrug-resistant bacterium responsible for pneumonia, Marseille, France.

PubMed

Cimmino, Teresa; Olaitan, Abiola Olumuyiwa; Rolain, Jean-Marc

2016-01-01

We characterize and decipher the resistome and the virulence factors of Shewanella algae MARS 14, a multidrug-resistant clinical strain using the whole genome sequencing (WGS) strategy. The bacteria were isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage of a hospitalized patient in the Timone Hospital in Marseille, France who developed pneumonia after plunging into the Mediterranean Sea. The genome size of S. algae MARS 14 was 5,005,710 bp with 52.8% guanine cytosine content. The resistome includes members of class C and D beta-lactamases and numerous multidrug-efflux pumps. We also found the presence of several hemolysins genes, a complete flagellum system gene cluster and genes responsible for biofilm formation. Moreover, we reported for the first time in a clinical strain of Shewanella spp. the presence of a bacteriocin (marinocin). The WGS analysis of this pathogen provides insight into its virulence factors and resistance to antibiotics.

19 CFR 151.64 - Extra copy of entry summary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) EXAMINATION, SAMPLING, AND TESTING OF MERCHANDISE Wool and Hair § 151.64 Extra copy of entry summary. One extra copy of the entry summary covering wool or hair subject to duty at a rate per...

19 CFR 151.64 - Extra copy of entry summary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) EXAMINATION, SAMPLING, AND TESTING OF MERCHANDISE Wool and Hair § 151.64 Extra copy of entry summary. One extra copy of the entry summary covering wool or hair subject to duty at a rate per...

19 CFR 151.64 - Extra copy of entry summary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) EXAMINATION, SAMPLING, AND TESTING OF MERCHANDISE Wool and Hair § 151.64 Extra copy of entry summary. One extra copy of the entry summary covering wool or hair subject to duty at a rate per...

19 CFR 151.64 - Extra copy of entry summary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) EXAMINATION, SAMPLING, AND TESTING OF MERCHANDISE Wool and Hair § 151.64 Extra copy of entry summary. One extra copy of the entry summary covering wool or hair subject to duty at a rate per...

19 CFR 151.64 - Extra copy of entry summary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) EXAMINATION, SAMPLING, AND TESTING OF MERCHANDISE Wool and Hair § 151.64 Extra copy of entry summary. One extra copy of the entry summary covering wool or hair subject to duty at a rate per...

The mechanism of folding robustness revealed by the crystal structure of extra-superfolder GFP.

PubMed

Choi, Jae Young; Jang, Tae-Ho; Park, Hyun Ho

2017-01-01

Stability of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is sometimes important for a proper practical application of this protein. Random mutagenesis and targeted mutagenesis have been used to create better-folded variants of GFP, including recently reported extra-superfolder GFP. Our aim was to determine the crystal structure of extra-superfolder GFP, which is more robustly folded and stable than GFP and superfolder GFP. The structural and structure-based mutagenesis analyses revealed that some of the mutations that created extra-superfolder GFP (F46L, E126K, N149K, and S208L) contribute to folding robustness by stabilizing extra-superfolder GFP with various noncovalent bonds. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Nuclear Power Acceptance Among University Staffs and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayder, G.; Rahim, M. S. Ab

2016-03-01

The need to consider alternative energy sources becomes very real. Nuclear has been identified as an alternative electricity source. However, media reports seem to indicate that there is a resistance among peoples with regards to harnessing nuclear for energy. This study was conducted to assess the acceptance level of university staff and students towards nuclear energy by asking them to answer a questionnaire. The questionnaire was constructed in a way to gauge their background knowledge on the energy situation of the country, the risks involved with regards to nuclear energy and also what aspects need to be improved in order to have a safe integration of nuclear energy into the national energy mix. The overall result of the questionnaire indicated high level of support for nuclear energy. The main areas of concerns however, were waste management, control and governance and also nuclear accidents. These should be identified as fields that require extra attention. However, the positive result obtained from this survey should not be construed as overall strong support in general. There might be different outcomes if the survey was conducted on to the general population as compared to the university students and staff that were involved in this research.

Integration of Educational and Research Activities of Medical Students (Experience of the Medical Faculty of Saint Petersburg State University).

PubMed

Balakhonov, Aleksei V; Churilov, Leonid P; Erman, Mikhail V; Shishkin, Aleksandr N; Slepykh, Lyudmila A; Stroev, Yuri I; Utekhin, Vladimir J; Basantsova, Natalia Y

2017-12-01

The article is devoted to the role of research activity of the medical students in higher education of physicians. The teaching of physicians in classical universities and specialized medical schools is compared. The history of physicians' training in Russia in imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet periods is reviewed and compared to development of higher medical education in other countries. Article gives the the description of all failed attempts to establish a Medical Faculty within oldest classical university of Russia, crowned by history of last and successful attempt of its establishment. Authors' experience of adjoining education and research in curriculum and extra-curricular life of this Medical Faculty is discussed. The problems of specialization and fundamentalization of medical education are subjected to analysis. Clinical reasoning and reasoning of scholar-experimentalist are compared. The article reviews the role of term and course papers and significance of self-studies and graduation thesis in education of a physician. The paper gives original definition of interactive learning, and discusses the methods and pathways of intermingling the fundamental science and clinical medicine in medical teaching for achievement of admixed competencies of medical doctor and biomedical researcher.

What's the hard return on employee wellness programs?

PubMed

Berry, Leonard L; Mirabito, Ann M; Baun, William B

2010-12-01

Employee wellness programs have often been viewed as a nice extra, not a strategic imperative. But the data demonstrate otherwise, according to Berry, of Texas A&M University; Mirabito, of Baylor University; and Baun, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Their research shows that the ROI on comprehensive, well-run employee wellness programs is impressive, sometimes as high as six to one. To achieve those kinds of results, employers cannot merely offer workers afew passes to a fitness center and nutrition information in the cafeteria. The most successful wellness programs are supported by six essential pillars: engaged leadership at multiple levels; strategic alignment with the company's identity and aspirations; a design that is broad in scope and high in relevance and quality; broad accessibility; internal and external partnerships; and effective communications. Companies in a variety of industries--including Johnson & Johnson, Lowe's, H-E-B, and Healthwise--have built their employee wellness programs on all six pillars and have reaped big rewards in the form of lower costs, greater productivity, and higher morale. Those benefits are not easy to achieve, and verifiable paybacks are never a certainty. But the track record inspires emulation, especially when you see the numbers.

Social cognition and underlying cognitive mechanisms in children with an extra X chromosome: a comparison with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

van Rijn, S; Stockmann, L; van Buggenhout, G; van Ravenswaaij-Arts, C; Swaab, H

2014-06-01

Individuals with an extra X chromosome are at increased risk for autism symptoms. This study is the first to assess theory of mind and facial affect labeling in children with an extra X chromosome. Forty-six children with an extra X chromosome (29 boys with Klinefelter syndrome and 17 girls with Trisomy X), 56 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 88 non-clinical controls, aged 9-18 years, were included. Similar to children with ASD, children with an extra X chromosome showed significant impairments in social cognition. Regression analyses showed that different cognitive functions predicted social cognitive skills in the extra X and ASD groups. The social cognitive deficits were similar for boys and girls with an extra X chromosome, and not specific for a subgroup with high Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised autism scores. Thus, children with an extra X chromosome show social cognitive deficits, which may contribute to social dysfunction, not only in children showing a developmental pattern that is 'typical' for autism but also in those showing mild or late presenting autism symptoms. Our findings may also help explain variance in type of social deficit: children may show similar social difficulties, but these may arise as a consequence of different underlying information processing deficits. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Search for high-mass resonances in final states with a lepton and missing transverse momentum at $$\\sqrt{s}=$$ 13 TeV

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

Sirunyan, Albert M; et al.

A search for new high-mass resonances in proton-proton collisions having final states with an electron or muon and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis uses proton-proton collision data collected in 2016 with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fbmore » $$^{-1}$$. The transverse mass distribution of the charged lepton-neutrino system is used as the discriminating variable. No significant deviation from the standard model prediction is found. The best limit, from the combination of electron and muon channels, is 5.2 TeV at 95% confidence level for the mass of a W$'$ boson with the same couplings as those of the standard model W boson. Exclusion limits of 2.9 TeV are set on the inverse radius of the extra dimension in the framework of split universal extra dimensions. In addition, model-independent limits are set on the production cross section and coupling strength of W$'$ bosons decaying into this final state. An interpretation is also made in the context of an R parity violating supersymmetric model with a slepton as a mediator and flavor violating decay.« less

Anomaly-free models for flavour anomalies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, John; Fairbairn, Malcolm; Tunney, Patrick

2018-03-01

We explore the constraints imposed by the cancellation of triangle anomalies on models in which the flavour anomalies reported by LHCb and other experiments are due to an extra U(1)^' gauge boson Z^' . We assume universal and rational U(1)^' charges for the first two generations of left-handed quarks and of right-handed up-type quarks but allow different charges for their third-generation counterparts. If the right-handed charges vanish, cancellation of the triangle anomalies requires all the quark U(1)^' charges to vanish, if there are either no exotic fermions or there is only one Standard Model singlet dark matter (DM) fermion. There are non-trivial anomaly-free models with more than one such `dark' fermion, or with a single DM fermion if right-handed up-type quarks have non-zero U(1)^' charges. In some of the latter models the U(1)^' couplings of the first- and second-generation quarks all vanish, weakening the LHC Z^' constraint, and in some other models the DM particle has purely axial couplings, weakening the direct DM scattering constraint. We also consider models in which anomalies are cancelled via extra vector-like leptons, showing how the prospective LHC Z^' constraint may be weakened because the Z^' → μ ^+ μ ^- branching ratio is suppressed relative to other decay modes.

Oil composition and genetic biodiversity of ancient and new olive (Olea europea L.) varieties and accessions of southern Italy.

PubMed

Cicatelli, Angela; Fortunati, Tancredi; De Feis, Italia; Castiglione, Stefano

2013-09-01

The present study is focused on determining the olive oil fatty acid composition of ancient and recent varieties of the Campania region (Italy), but also on molecularly characterizing the most common cultivated varieties in the same region, together with olive trees of the garden of the University Campus of Salerno and of three olive groves of south Italy. Fatty acid methyl esters in the extra virgin oil derived olive fruits were determined, during three consecutive harvests, by gas chromatography. The statistical analysis on fatty acid composition was performed with the ffmanova package. The genetic biodiversity of the olive collection was estimated by using eight highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and calculating the most commonly used indexes. "Dice index" was employed to estimate the similarity level of the analysed olive samples, while the Structure software to infer their genetic structure. The fatty acid content of extra virgin olive oils, produced from the two olive groves in Campania, suggests that the composition is mainly determined by genotype and not by cultural practices or climatic conditions. Furthermore, the analysis conducted on the molecular data revealed the presence of 100 distinct genotypes and seven homonymies out of the 136 analysed trees. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Portable image-manipulation software: what is the extra development cost?

PubMed

Ligier, Y; Ratib, O; Funk, M; Perrier, R; Girard, C; Logean, M

1992-08-01

A hospital-wide picture archiving and communication system (PACS) project is currently under development at the University Hospital of Geneva. The visualization and manipulation of images provided by different imaging modalities constitutes one of the most challenging component of a PACS. It was necessary to provide this visualization software on a number of types of workstations because of the varying requirements imposed by the range of clinical uses it must serve. The user interface must be the same, independent of the underlying workstation. In addition to a standard set of image-manipulation and processing tools, there is a need for more specific clinical tools that can be easily adapted to specific medical requirements. To achieve this goal, it was elected to develop a modular and portable software called OSIRIS. This software is available on two different operating systems (the UNIX standard X-11/OSF-Motif based workstations and the Macintosh family) and can be easily ported to other systems. The extra effort required to design such software in a modular and portable way was worthwhile because it resulted in a platform that can be easily expanded and adapted to a variety of specific clinical applications. Its portability allows users to benefit from the rapidly evolving workstation technology and to adapt the performance to suit their needs.

Implementing a citizen's DWI reporting program using the Extra Eyes model

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-09-01

This manual is a guide for law enforcement agencies and community organizations in creating and implementing a citizens DWI reporting program in their communities modeling the Operation Extra Eyes program. Extra Eyes is a program that engages volu...

Citizen Science: The Small World Initiative Improved Lecture Grades and California Critical Thinking Skills Test Scores of Nonscience Major Students at Florida Atlantic University.

PubMed

Caruso, Joseph P; Israel, Natalie; Rowland, Kimberly; Lovelace, Matthew J; Saunders, Mary Jane

2016-03-01

Course-based undergraduate research is known to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics student achievement. We tested "The Small World Initiative, a Citizen-Science Project to Crowdsource Novel Antibiotic Discovery" to see if it also improved student performance and the critical thinking of non-science majors in Introductory Biology at Florida Atlantic University (a large, public, minority-dominant institution) in academic year 2014-15. California Critical Thinking Skills Test pre- and posttests were offered to both Small World Initiative (SWI) and control lab students for formative amounts of extra credit. SWI lab students earned significantly higher lecture grades than control lab students, had significantly fewer lecture grades of D+ or lower, and had significantly higher critical thinking posttest total scores than control students. Lastly, more SWI students were engaged while taking critical thinking tests. These results support the hypothesis that utilizing independent course-based undergraduate science research improves student achievement even in nonscience students.

The hidden flat like universe II. Quasi inverse power law inflation by f ( T ) f(T) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hanafy, W.; Nashed, G. G. L.

2016-08-01

In a recent work, a particular class of f(T) gravity, where T is the teleparallel torsion scalar, has been derived. This class has been identified by flat-like universe (FLU) assumptions (El Hanafy and Nashed 2015). The model is consistent with the early cosmic inflation epoch. A quintessence potential has been constructed from the FLU f(T)-gravity. We show that the first order potential of the induced quintessence is a quasi inverse power law inflation with an additional constant providing an end of the inflation with no need to an extra mechanism. At e-folds N_{*}= 55 before the end of the inflation, this type of potential can perform both E and B modes of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization pattern.

STS-112 Crew Interviews: Sellers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Piers Sellers is an Astronaut from Crowborough, UK. His Bachelor of Science degree is in Ecological science from Scotland's University of Edinburgh and his doctorate is in biometeorology from Leeds University in the UK. After two years of intense training, Sellers's first assignment as a Mission Specialist is on Flight 111 STS-112. The goal of this flight is to continue building the International Space Station. Sellers, accompanied by five astronauts, will install the S1 truss of the space station which will take three EVA's, or Extra Vehicular Activities to complete. In EVA 1, the highest priority, the S1 truss will be attached to the space station. EVA 2, the electrical work, will set up the radiator and cooling equipment for the station. EVA 3, the final process of the flight, will prepare the station for the next mission. The primary reason for installing the truss is to change the center of gravity of the station so when the next truss is installed, it will be at a symmetrical point.

Neutrino astrophysics: a new tool for exploring the universe.

PubMed

Waxman, Eli

2007-01-05

In the past four decades a new type of astronomy has emerged, where instead of looking up into the sky, "telescopes" are buried miles underground or deep under water or ice and search not for photons (that is, light), but rather for particles called neutrinos. Neutrinos are nearly massless particles that interact very weakly with matter. The detection of neutrinos emitted by the Sun and by a nearby supernova provided direct tests of the theory of stellar evolution and led to modifications of the standard model describing the properties of elementary particles. At present, several very large neutrino detectors are being constructed, aiming at the detection of the most powerful sources of energy and particles in the universe. The hope is that the detection of neutrinos from these sources, which are extra-Galactic and are most likely powered by mass accretion onto black holes, will not only allow study of the sources, but, much like solar neutrinos, will also provide new information about fundamental properties of matter.

Stability of the Kasner universe in f (T ) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paliathanasis, Andronikos; Said, Jackson Levi; Barrow, John D.

2018-02-01

f (T ) gravity theory offers an alternative context in which to consider gravitational interactions where torsion, rather than curvature, is the mechanism by which gravitation is communicated. We investigate the stability of the Kasner solution with several forms of the arbitrary Lagrangian function examined within the f (T ) context. This is a Bianchi type-I vacuum solution with anisotropic expansion factors. In the f (T ) gravity setting, the solution must conform to a set of conditions in order to continue to be a vacuum solution of the generalized field equations. With this solution in hand, the perturbed field equations are determined for power-law and exponential forms of the f (T ) function. We find that the point which describes the Kasner solution is a saddle point which means that the singular solution is unstable. However, we find the de Sitter universe is a late-time attractor. In general relativity, the cosmological constant drives the isotropization of the spacetime while in this setting the extra f (T ) contributions now provide this impetus.

Integrability from point symmetries in a family of cosmological Horndeski Lagrangians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimakis, N.; Giacomini, Alex; Paliathanasis, Andronikos

2017-07-01

For a family of Horndeski theories, formulated in terms of a generalized Galileon model, we study the integrability of the field equations in a Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker space-time. We are interested in point transformations which leave invariant the field equations. Noether's theorem is applied to determine the conservation laws for a family of models that belong to the same general class. The cosmological scenarios with or without an extra perfect fluid with constant equation of state parameter are the two important cases of our study. The de Sitter universe and ideal gas solutions are derived by using the invariant functions of the symmetry generators as a demonstration of our result. Furthermore, we discuss the connection of the different models under conformal transformations while we show that when the Horndeski theory reduces to a canonical field the same holds for the conformal equivalent theory. Finally, we discuss how singular solutions provides nonsingular universes in a different frame and vice versa.

What Comes Beyond the Standard Models, Proceedings to the 9th Workshop held in Bled, Slovenia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankoc Borstnik, Norma; Nielsen, Holger Bech; Froggatt, Colin D.; Lukman, Dragan

2006-12-01

Contents: 1. Child Universes in the Laboratory (S. Ansoldi and E.I. Guendelman) 2. Relation between Finestructure Constants at the Planck Scale from Multiple Point Principle (D.L. Bennett, L.V. Laperashvili and H.B. Nielsen) 3. On the Origin of Families of Fermions and Their Mass Matrices -- Approximate Analyses of Properties of Four Families Within Approach Unifying Spins and Charges (M. Breskvar, D. Lukman and N.S. Mankoc Borstnik) 4. Cosmoparticle Physics: Cross-disciplinary Study of Physics Beyond the Standard Model (M.Yu. Khlopov) 5. Discussion Section on 4th Generation (M.Yu. Khlopov) 6. Involution Requirement on a Boundary Makes Massless Fermions Compactified on a Finite Flat Disk Mass Protected (N.S. Mankoc Borstnik and H.B. Nielsen) 7. How Can Group Theory be Generalized so Perhaps Providing Further Information About Our Universe? (R. Mirman) 8. Future Dependent Initial Conditions from Imaginary Part in Lagrangian (H.B. Nielsen and M. Ninomiya) 9. Coupling Self-tuning to Critical Lines From Highly Compact Extra Dimensions (K. Petrov)

Brane with variable tension as a possible solution to the problem of the late cosmic acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Aspeitia, Miguel A.; Hernandez-Almada, A.; Magaña, Juan; Amante, Mario H.; Motta, V.; Martínez-Robles, C.

2018-05-01

Braneworld models have been proposed as a possible solution to the problem of the accelerated expansion of the Universe. The idea is to dispense the dark energy (DE) and drive the late-time cosmic acceleration with a five-dimensional geometry. We investigate a brane model with variable brane tension as a function of redshift called chrono-brane. We propose the polynomial λ =(1 +z )n function inspired in tracker-scalar-field potentials. To constrain the n exponent we use the latest observational Hubble data from cosmic chronometers, Type Ia Supernovae from the full joint-light-analysis sample, baryon acoustic oscillations and the posterior distance from the cosmic microwave background of Planck 2015 measurements. A joint analysis of these data estimates n ≃6.19 ±0.12 which generates a DE-like (cosmological-constantlike at late times) term, in the Friedmann equation arising from the extra dimensions. This model is consistent with these data and can drive the Universe to an accelerated phase at late times.

How many surgery appointments should be offered to avoid undesirable numbers of 'extras'?

PubMed

Kendrick, T; Kerry, S

1999-04-01

Patients seen as 'extras' (or 'fit-ins') are usually given less time for their problems than those in pre-booked appointments. Consequently, long queues of 'extras' should be avoided. To determine whether a predictable relationship exists between the number of available appointments at the start of the day and the number of extra patients who must be fitted in. This might be used to help plan a practice appointment system. Numbers of available appointments at the start of the day and numbers of 'extras' seen were recorded prospectively in 1995 and 1997 in one group general practice. Minimum numbers of available appointments at the start of the day, below which undesirably large numbers of extra patients could be predicted, were determined using logistic regression applied to the 1995 data. Predictive values of the minimum numbers calculated for 1995, in terms of predicting undesirable numbers of 'extras', were then determined when applied to the 1997 data. Numbers of extra patients seen correlated negatively with available appointments at the start of the day for all days of the week, with coefficients ranging from -0.66 to -0.80. Minimum numbers of available appointments below which undesirably large numbers of extras could be predicted were 26 for Mondays and four for the other week-days. When applied to 1997 data, these minimum numbers gave positive and negative predictive values of 76% and 82% respectively, similar to their values for 1995, despite increases in patient attendance and changes in the day-to-day pattern of surgery provision between the two years. A predictable relationship exists between the number of available appointments at the start of the day and the number of extras who must be fitted in, which may be used to help plan the appointment system for some years ahead, at least in this relatively stable suburban practice.

The effect of a nano-filled resin coating on the 3-year clinical performance of a conventional high-viscosity glass-ionomer cement.

PubMed

Diem, Vu Thi Kieu; Tyas, Martin J; Ngo, Hien C; Phuong, Lam Hoai; Khanh, Ngo Dong

2014-04-01

The main aim of the study was to compare the clinical performance of the conventional high-powder/liquid ratio glass-ionomer cement (GIC) Fuji IX GP Extra (F IX), Fuji IX GP Extra with a low-viscosity nano-filled resin coating, G-Coat Plus (F IX+GCP), and a resin composite, Solare (S), as a comparison material. Moderate-depth occlusal cavities in the first permanent molars of 91 11-12-year-old children (1-4 restorations per child) were restored with either F IX (87 restorations), F IX+GCP (84 restorations) or S (83 restorations). Direct clinical assessment, photographic assessment and assessment of stone casts of the restorations were carried out at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3 years. The colour match with the tooth of the GIC restorations improved over the 3 years of the study. Marginal staining and marginal adaptation were minimal for all restorations; three restorations exhibited secondary caries at 3 years. From the assessment of the casts, at 2 years, there was significantly less wear of the F IX GP Extra+GCP restorations than the F IX GP Extra restorations (P < 0.005). At 3 years, approximately 37 % of F IX GP Extra restorations showed wear slightly more than the adjacent enamel, compared to 28 % of F IX GP Extra+GCP restorations and 21 % of Solare restorations. Although this was not statistically significant, there was a trend that GCP can protect F IX GP Extra against wear. Although both Fuji IX GP Extra and Fuji IX GP Extra with G-Coat Plus showed acceptable clinical performance in occlusal cavities in children, the application of G-Coat Plus gave some protection against wear. The application of G-Coat Plus to Fuji IX GP Extra glass-ionomer cement may be beneficial in reducing wear in occlusal cavities.

Deciphering Late-Pleistocence landscape evolution: linking proxies by combining pedo-stratigraphy and luminescence dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreutzer, Sebastian; Meszner, Sascha; Faust, Dominik; Fuchs, Markus

2014-05-01

Interpreting former landscape evolution asks for understanding the processes that sculpt such landforms by means of deciphering complex systems. For reconstructing terrestrial Quaternary environments based on loess archives this might be considered, at least, as a three step process: (1) Identifying valuable records in appropriate morphological positions in a previously defined research area, (2) analysing the profiles by field work and laboratory methods and finally (3) linking the previously considered pseudo-isolated systems to set up a comprehensive picture. Especially the first and the last step might bring some pitfalls, as it is tempting to specify single records as pseudo-isolated, closed systems. They might be, with regard to their preservation in their specific morphological position, but in fact they are part of a complex, open system. Between 2008 and 2013, Late-Pleistocene loess archives in Saxony have been intensively investigated by field and laboratory methods. Linking pedo- and luminescence dating based chronostratigraphies, a composite profile for the entire Saxonian Loess Region has been established. With this, at least, two-fold approach we tried to avoid misinterpretations that might appear when focussing on one standard profile in an open morphological system. Our contribution focuses on this multi-proxy approach to decipher the Late-Pleistocene landscape evolution in the Saxonian Loess Region. Highlighting the challenges and advantages of combining different methods, we believe that (1) this multi-proxy approach is without alternative, (2) the combination of different profiles may simplify the more complex reality, but it may be a useful generalisation to understand and reveal the stratigraphical significance of the landscape evolution in this region.

Deciphering Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Towards a New Strategy for Navigation in Museums.

PubMed

Duque-Domingo, Jaime; Herrera, Pedro Javier; Valero, Enrique; Cerrada, Carlos

2017-03-14

This work presents a novel strategy to decipher fragments of Egyptian cartouches identifying the hieroglyphs of which they are composed. A cartouche is a drawing, usually inside an oval, that encloses a group of hieroglyphs representing the name of a monarch. Aiming to identify these drawings, the proposed method is based on several techniques frequently used in computer vision and consists of three main stages: first, a picture of the cartouche is taken as input and its contour is localized. In the second stage, each hieroglyph is individually extracted and identified. Finally, the cartouche is interpreted: the sequence of the hieroglyphs is established according to a previously generated benchmark. This sequence corresponds to the name of the king. Although this method was initially conceived to deal with both high and low relief writing in stone, it can be also applied to painted hieroglyphs. This approach is not affected by variable lighting conditions, or the intensity and the completeness of the objects. This proposal has been tested on images obtained from the Abydos King List and other Egyptian monuments and archaeological excavations. The promising results give new possibilities to recognize hieroglyphs, opening a new way to decipher longer texts and inscriptions, being particularly useful in museums and Egyptian environments. Additionally, devices used for acquiring visual information from cartouches (i.e., smartphones), can be part of a navigation system for museums where users are located in indoor environments by means of the combination of WiFi Positioning Systems (WPS) and depth cameras, as unveiled at the end of the document.

Deciphering Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Towards a New Strategy for Navigation in Museums

PubMed Central

Duque-Domingo, Jaime; Herrera, Pedro Javier; Valero, Enrique; Cerrada, Carlos

2017-01-01

This work presents a novel strategy to decipher fragments of Egyptian cartouches identifying the hieroglyphs of which they are composed. A cartouche is a drawing, usually inside an oval, that encloses a group of hieroglyphs representing the name of a monarch. Aiming to identify these drawings, the proposed method is based on several techniques frequently used in computer vision and consists of three main stages: first, a picture of the cartouche is taken as input and its contour is localized. In the second stage, each hieroglyph is individually extracted and identified. Finally, the cartouche is interpreted: the sequence of the hieroglyphs is established according to a previously generated benchmark. This sequence corresponds to the name of the king. Although this method was initially conceived to deal with both high and low relief writing in stone, it can be also applied to painted hieroglyphs. This approach is not affected by variable lighting conditions, or the intensity and the completeness of the objects. This proposal has been tested on images obtained from the Abydos King List and other Egyptian monuments and archaeological excavations. The promising results give new possibilities to recognize hieroglyphs, opening a new way to decipher longer texts and inscriptions, being particularly useful in museums and Egyptian environments. Additionally, devices used for acquiring visual information from cartouches (i.e., smartphones), can be part of a navigation system for museums where users are located in indoor environments by means of the combination of WiFi Positioning Systems (WPS) and depth cameras, as unveiled at the end of the document. PMID:28335445

Extra-anatomic revascularization for preoperative cerebral malperfusion due to distal carotid artery occlusion in acute type A aortic dissection.

PubMed

Luehr, Maximilian; Etz, Christian D; Nozdrzykowski, Michal; Lehmkuhl, Lukas; Misfeld, Martin; Bakhtiary, Farhad; Borger, Michael A; Mohr, Friedrich-Wilhelm

2016-02-01

Management of patients with acute aortic dissection type A (AADA) and cerebral malperfusion secondary to occlusion or stenosis of the left common carotid artery (LCCA) or right common carotid artery (RCCA) is a significant challenge. The aim of this study is to present our institutional strategy and postoperative results for this high-risk patient cohort. Between November 2005 and July 2013, 23 of 354 consecutively operated AADA patients [median age: 66.3; interquartile range (IQR): 55.2-69.9] suffered from cerebral malperfusion due to bilateral (n = 1) or unilateral occlusion of the LCCA/RCCA (n = 22). AADA repair comprised hemi- (n = 14) or total (n = 9) arch replacement in combination with aortic valve repair (n = 7) or replacement (n = 11), root replacement (n = 15) and coronary bypass (n = 3). Extra-anatomic aorto-carotid bypass was performed in all patients. Aorto-carotid bypass was performed at the beginning of the procedure to allow for unilateral selective cerebral perfusion (n = 17; 73.9%) or during the procedure if persisting malperfusion was suspected by near-infrared spectroscopy (n = 6; 26.1%). The median follow-up was 15.2 months (IQR: 4.8-34.1) and 100% complete. Median hospital stay and ICU stay were 16.0 (IQR: 12.5-26.0) and 13.7 (IQR: 2.0-16.5) days, respectively. Rethoracotomy for haemorrhage or cardiac tamponade was performed in 6 (26.1%) patients. Other postoperative complications comprised low cardiac output with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (n = 2; 8.7%), sepsis (n = 4; 17.4%), respiratory insufficiency (n = 10; 43.5%), renal failure with temporary dialysis (n = 7; 30.4%) and visceral malperfusion (n = 2; 8.7%) requiring stent grafting (n = 1) or laparotomy with intestinal resection (n = 1). New stroke with or without permanent sensory or motor deficit was diagnosed in 8 (34.8%) patients. Temporary neurological deficits were seen in 9 (39.1%) individuals. Hospital and 1-year mortality rates were 13.0 and 30.4%, respectively. Overall survival after 36 months of the 23 patients (Group I = Extra-anatomic bypass) versus the remaining 331 AADA patients without distal RCCA/LCCA occlusion (Group II = no extra-anatomic bypass) was 69.6% (n = 16) in Group I vs 72.5% (n = 240) in Group II (P = 0.90). Extra-anatomic bypass for LCCA or RCCA occlusion allows for early selective cerebral perfusion during AADA repair, and may reduce the risk of neurological complications in patients with preoperative cerebral malperfusion. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Cryptanalysis in World War II--and Mathematics Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Peter

1984-01-01

Hilton describes the team of cryptanalysts who tried to decipher German and Japanese codes during the Second World War. The work of Turing, essentially developing the computer, is reported, as well as inferences about pure and applied mathematics. (MNS)

Deciphering Scavenging Propensity Among Arthropod Predators.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scavenging is a well documented feeding behavior among many arthrop predators. However, quantifying scavenging feeding activity is not well understood because many predators are small elusive. This makes directly observing predation events in nature almost impossible. If predators prefer dead prey ...

Long-term effect on mother-infant behaviour of extra contact during the first hour post partum. III. Follow-up at one year.

PubMed

de Château, P; Wiberg, B

1984-01-01

The present prospective study examined, one year after delivery, the possible effects of early extra contact during the first hour following delivery. An extra skin-to-skin contact and suckling contact was allowed 22 primiparous mothers and their infants (P + group). One control group of 20 primiparous mothers and their infants were given routine care immediately after birth (P group). During observation of a physical examination of the infant, 'extra contact mothers' held and touched their infants more frequently and more often talked positively to their infants than did mothers given routine care. 'Extra contact mothers' had returned to their professional employment outside the home to a lesser extent than had routine care mothers. A greater proportion of 'extra contact' infants slept in a room of their own. In the P+ group, mothers who had returned to gainful employment were also able to have their babies sleep in a room of their own--no such correspondence was found in the P group. The Gesell Developmental Schedules revealed that, in four parts out of five, infants with extra contact immediately after birth, were ahead of those in the control group. On the other hand, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale and the Cesarec Marke Personality Scheme did not reveal any major differences between the two groups. Mothers with early extra skin-to-skin contact and suckling contact breast-fed their infants on an average for 2 1/2 months longer than did routine care mothers. No other differences in feeding habits were found. The influence of extra contact was more pronounced in boy-mother than in girl-mother pairs.

Validity of a traffic air pollutant dispersion model to assess exposure to fine particles.

PubMed

Kostrzewa, Aude; Reungoat, Patrice; Raherison, Chantal

2009-08-01

Fine particles (PM(2.5)) are an important component of air pollution. Epidemiological studies have shown health effects due to ambient air particles, particularly allergies in children. Since the main difficulty is to determine exposure to such pollution, traffic air pollutant (TAP) dispersions models have been developed to improve the estimation of individual exposure levels. One such model, the ExTra index, has been validated for nitrogen oxide concentrations but not for other pollutants. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the ExTra index to assess PM(2.5) exposure. We compared PM(2.5) concentrations calculated by the ExTra index to reference measures (passive samplers situated under the covered part of the playground), in 15 schools in Bordeaux, in 2000. First, we collected the input data required by the ExTra index: background and local pollution depending on traffic, meteorology and topography. Second, the ExTra index was calculated for each school. Statistical analysis consisted of a graphic description; then, we calculated an intraclass correlation coefficient. Concentrations calculated with the ExTra index and the reference method were similar. The ExTra index underestimated exposure by 2.2 microg m(-3) on average compared to the reference method. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.85 and its 95% confidence interval was [0.62; 0.95]. The results suggest that the ExTra index provides an assessment of PM(2.5) exposure similar to that of the reference method. Although caution is required in interpreting these results owing to the small number of sites, the ExTra index could be a useful epidemiological tool for reconstructing individual exposure, an important challenge in epidemiology.

Singularity free N-body simulations called 'Dynamic Universe Model' don't require dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naga Parameswara Gupta, Satyavarapu

For finding trajectories of Pioneer satellite (Anomaly), New Horizons satellite going to Pluto, the Calculations of Dynamic Universe model can be successfully applied. No dark matter is assumed within solar system radius. The effect on the masses around SUN shows as though there is extra gravitation pull toward SUN. It solves the Dynamics of Extra-solar planets like Planet X, satellite like Pioneer and NH for 3-Position, 3-velocity 3-accelaration for their masses, considering the complex situation of Multiple planets, Stars, Galaxy parts and Galaxy centre and other Galaxies Using simple Newtonian Physics. It already solved problems Missing mass in Galaxies observed by galaxy circular velocity curves successfully. Singularity free Newtonian N-body simulations Historically, King Oscar II of Sweden an-nounced a prize to a solution of N-body problem with advice given by Güsta Mittag-Leffler in 1887. He announced `Given a system of arbitrarily many mass points that attract each according to Newton's law, under the assumption that no two points ever collide, try to find a representation of the coordinates of each point as a series in a variable that is some known function of time and for all of whose values the series converges uniformly.'[This is taken from Wikipedia]. The announced dead line that time was1st June 1888. And after that dead line, on 21st January 1889, Great mathematician Poincaré claimed that prize. Later he himself sent a telegram to journal Acta Mathematica to stop printing the special issue after finding the error in his solution. Yet for such a man of science reputation is important than money. [ Ref Book `Celestial mechanics: the waltz of the planets' By Alessandra Celletti, Ettore Perozzi, page 27]. He realized that he has been wrong in his general stability result! But till now nobody could solve that problem or claimed that prize. Later all solutions resulted in singularities and collisions of masses, given by many people . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Now I can say that the Dynamic Universe Model solves this classical N-body problem where only Newtonian Gravi-tation law and classical Physics were used. The solution converges at all points. There are no multiple values, diverging solutions or divided by zero singularities. Collisions of masses depend on physical values of masses and their space distribution only. These collisions do not happen due to internal inherent problems of Dynamic universe Model. If the mass distribution is homogeneous and isotropic, the masses will colloid. If the mass distribution is heterogeneous and anisotropic, they do not colloid. This approach solves many problems which otherwise can not be solved by General relativity, Steady state universe model etc. . .

Probing large extra dimensions with IceCube

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

Esmaili, Arman; Peres, O.L.G.; Tabrizi, Zahra, E-mail: arman@ipm.ir, E-mail: orlando@ifi.unicamp.br, E-mail: tabrizi.physics@ipm.ir

2014-12-01

In models with Large Extra Dimensions the smallness of neutrino masses can be naturally explained by introducing gauge singlet fermions which propagate in the bulk. The Kaluza-Klein modes of these fermions appear as towers of sterile neutrino states on the brane. We study the phenomenological consequences of this picture for the high energy atmospheric neutrinos. For this purpose we construct a detailed equivalence between a model with large extra dimensions and a (3+n) scenario consisting of three active and n extra sterile neutrino states, which provides a clear intuitive understanding of Kaluza-Klein modes. Finally, we analyze the collected data ofmore » high energy atmospheric neutrinos by IceCube experiment and obtain bounds on the radius of extra dimensions.« less

Perceived organizational support and extra-role performance: which leads to which?

PubMed

Chen, Zhixia; Eisenberger, Robert; Johnson, Kelly M; Sucharski, Ivan L; Aselage, Justin

2009-02-01

L. Rhoades and R. Eisenberger (2002) reported the meta-analytic finding of a highly statistically significant relation between perceived organizational support (POS) and performance but concluded that the reviewed studies' methodology allowed no conclusion concerning the direction of the association. To investigate this issue, the authors assessed POS and extra-role performance 2 times, separated by a 3-year interval, among 199 employees of an electronic and appliance sales organization. Using a cross-lagged panel design, the authors found that POS was positively associated with a temporal change in extra-role performance. In contrast, the relation between extra-role performance and temporal change in POS was not statistically significant. These findings provide evidence that POS leads to extra-role performance.

Primary site and regional lymph node involvement are independent prognostic factors for early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T cell lymphoma.

PubMed

Niu, Shao-Qing; Yang, Yong; Li, Yi-Yang; Wen, Ge; Wang, Liang; Li, Zhi-Ming; Wang, Han-Yu; Zhang, Lu-Lu; Xia, Yun-Fei; Zhang, Yu-Jing

2016-04-04

Nasal-type extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) originates primarily in the nasal cavity or extra-nasal sites within the upper aerodigestive tract. However, it is unclear whether the primary site can serve as an independent prognostic factor or whether the varying clinical outcomes observed with different primary sites can be attributed merely to their propensities of regional lymph node involvement. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic implications of the primary site and regional lymph node involvement in patients with early-stage nasal-type ENKTCL. To develop a nomogram, we reviewed the clinical data of 215 consecutively diagnosed patients with early-stage nasal-type ENKTCL who were treated in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center with chemotherapy and radiotherapy between 2000 and 2011. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were determined using a concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of patients with nasal ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with extra-nasal ENKTCL (OS: 68.2% vs. 46.0%, P = 0.030; PFS: 53.4% vs. 26.6%, P = 0.010). The 5-year OS and PFS rates of patients with Ann Arbor stage IE ENKTCL were higher than those of patients with Ann Arbor stage IIE ENKTCL (OS: 66.3% vs. 59.2%, P = 0.003; PFS: 51.4% vs. 40.3%, P = 0.009). Multivariate analysis showed that age >60 years, ECOG performance status score ≥2, elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, extra-nasal primary site, and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5-year OS rate; age >60 years, elevated LDH level, extra-nasal primary site, and regional lymph node involvement were significantly associated with lower 5-year PFS rate. The nomogram included the primary site and regional lymph node involvement based on multivariate analysis. The calibration curve showed good agreement between the predicted and actual 5-year OS and PFS rates, and the C-indexes of the nomogram for the OS and PFS rates were 0.697 and 0.634, respectively. The primary site and regional lymph node involvement are independent prognostic factors for early-stage ENKTCL treated with chemotherapy followed by definitive radiotherapy.

76 FR 48798 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Study of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects AGENCY... Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects. DATES: Written comments must be received on... Efforts to Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help...

Extra-cardiac findings in cardiovascular magnetic resonance: what the imaging cardiologist needs to know.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Jonathan C L; Lyen, Stephen M; Loughborough, William; Amadu, Antonio Matteo; Baritussio, Anna; Dastidar, Amardeep Ghosh; Manghat, Nathan E; Bucciarelli-Ducci, Chiara

2016-05-09

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is an established non-invasive technique to comprehensively assess cardiovascular structure and function in a variety of acquired and inherited cardiac conditions. A significant amount of the neck, thorax and upper abdomen are imaged at the time of routine clinical CMR, particularly in the initial multi-slice axial and coronal images. The discovery of unsuspected disease at the time of imaging has ethical, financial and medico-legal implications. Extra-cardiac findings at the time of CMR are common, can be important and can change clinical management. Certain patient groups undergoing CMR are at particular risk of important extra-cardiac findings as several of the cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerosis are also risk factors for malignancy. Furthermore, the presence of certain extra-cardiac findings may contribute to the interpretation of the primary cardiac pathology as some cardiac conditions have multi-systemic extra-cardiac involvement. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the type of extra-cardiac findings that may become apparent on CMR, subdivided by anatomical location. We focus on normal variant anatomy that may mimic disease, common incidental extra-cardiac findings and important imaging signs that help distinguish sinister pathology from benign disease. We also aim to provide a framework to the approach and potential further diagnostic work-up of incidental extra-cardiac findings discovered at the time of CMR. However, it is beyond the scope of this review to discuss and determine the clinical significance of extracardiac findings at CMR.

Linking transformational leadership to nurses' extra-role performance: the mediating role of self-efficacy and work engagement.

PubMed

Salanova, Marisa; Lorente, Laura; Chambel, Maria J; Martínez, Isabel M

2011-10-01

This paper is a report of a social cognitive theory-guided study about the link between supervisors' transformational leadership and staff nurses' extra-role performance as mediated by nurse self-efficacy and work engagement. Past research has acknowledged the positive influence that transformational leaders have on employee (extra-role) performance. However, less is known about the psychological mechanisms that may explain the links between transformational leaders and extra-role performance, which encompasses behaviours that are not considered formal job requirements, but which facilitate the smooth functioning of the organization as a social system. Seventeen supervisors evaluated nurses' extra-role performance, the data generating a sample consisting of 280 dyads. The nurses worked in different health services in a large Portuguese hospital and the participation rate was 76·9% for nurses and 100% for supervisors. Data were collected during 2009. A theory-driven model of the relationships between transformation leadership, self-efficacy, work engagement and nurses' extra-role performance was tested using Structural Equation Modelling. Data analysis revealed a full mediation model in which transformational leadership explained extra-role performance through self-efficacy and work engagement. A direct relationship between transformational leadership and work engagement was also found. Nurses' supervisors with a transformational leadership style enhance different 'extra-role' performance in nurses and this increases hospital efficacy. They do so by establishing a sense of self-efficacy but also by amplifying their levels of engagement in the workplace. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

EXTRA-EMBRYONIC-SPECIFIC IMPRINTED EXPRESSION IS RESTRICTED TO DEFINED LINEAGES IN THE POST-IMPLANTATION EMBRYO

PubMed Central

Hudson, Quanah J.; Seidl, Christine I.M.; Kulinski, Tomasz M.; Huang, Ru; Warczok, Katarzyna E.; Bittner, Romana; Bartolomei, Marisa S.; Barlow, Denise P.

2011-01-01

A subset of imprinted genes in the mouse have been reported to show imprinted expression that is restricted to the placenta, a short-lived extra-embryonic organ. Notably these so-called 'placental-specific' imprinted genes are expressed from both parental alleles in embryo and adult tissues. The placenta is an embryonic-derived organ that is closely associated with maternal tissue and as a consequence, maternal contamination can be mistaken for maternal-specific imprinted expression. The complexity of the placenta, which arises from multiple embryonic lineages, poses additional problems in accurately assessing allele-specific repressive epigenetic modifications in genes that also show lineage-specific silencing in this organ. These problems require that extra evidence be obtained to support the imprinted status of genes whose imprinted expression is restricted to the placenta. We show here that the extra-embryonic visceral yolk sac (VYS), a nutritive membrane surrounding the developing embryo, shows a similar 'extra-embryonic-lineage-specific' pattern of imprinted expression. We present an improved enzymatic technique for separating the bilaminar VYS and show that this pattern of imprinted expression is restricted to the endoderm layer. Finally, we show that VYS 'extra-embryonic-lineage-specific' imprinted expression is regulated by DNA methylation in a similar manner as shown for genes showing multi-lineage imprinted expression in extra-embryonic, embryonic and adult tissues. These results show that the VYS is an improved model for studying the epigenetic mechanisms regulating extra-embryonic-lineage-specific imprinted expression. PMID:21354127

Harvard Observing Project (HOP): Undergraduate and graduate observing opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieryla, Allyson; Newton, Elisabeth R.

2014-06-01

The Harvard Observing Project (HOP) engages undergraduate students in observational astronomy and gives graduate students extra teaching experience beyond their required teaching fellowships. This project offers students opportunities to see if they are interested in astronomy, introduces them to scientific research, and provides an opportunity for them to interact with graduate students in an informal setting. Observations are made using the 16” Clay Telescope atop the Science Center at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. We have observed as part of the Pro-Am White dwarf Monitoring (PAWM) and Target Asteroids! projects, and most recently we have been monitoring SN2014J in the Messier 82 galaxy (see poster by M. McIntosh).

KSC-03pd0489

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solar array panels on the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite are deployed during processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. The GALEX is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0476

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, the GALEX satellite has been moved to a rotation stand. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0488

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The solar array panels on the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite are deployed during processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. The GALEX is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0481

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility look over the GALEX satellite before solar array testing. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0480

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers prepare the GALEX satellite for solar array testing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0490

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-13

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The solar array panels on the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite are deployed during processing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. The GALEX is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0479

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The GALEX satellite is rotated to vertical again for solar array testing in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0477

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, a worker inspects the GALEX satellite after its rotation on a stand. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

KSC-03pd0478

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-02-06

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility, a worker checks over the GALEX satellite on a rotation stand. The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) is an orbiting space telescope that will observe galaxies in ultraviolet light across 10 billion years of cosmic history. Led by the California Institute of Technology, GALEX will conduct several first-of-a-kind sky surveys, including an extra-galactic (beyond our galaxy) ultraviolet all-sky survey. During its 29-month mission GALEX will produce the first comprehensive map of a Universe of galaxies under construction, bringing more understanding of how galaxies like the Milky Way were formed. GALEX is due to be launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station March 25 via a Pegasus rocket.

Anisotropic cosmologies in warped DGP braneworld

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

Heydari-Fard, Malihe

2009-10-15

The DGP braneworld scenario explains accelerated expansion of the Universe via leakage of gravity to extra dimensions without any need for dark energy. We study the behavior of homogeneous and anisotropic cosmologies on a warped DGP brane with perfect fluid as a matter source. Taking a conformally flat bulk, we obtain the general solutions of the field equations in an exact parametric form for Bianchi type I space-time with a pressureless fluid. Finally, the behavior of the observationally important parameters like shear, anisotropy, and the deceleration parameter is considered in detail. We find that isotropization can proceed slower in themore » warped DGP model than the generalized Randall-Sundrum II model.« less

[Risk factors for students desertion from the UASLP School of Medicine, México].

PubMed

Hernández-Mata, José María; Hernández-Castro, Rodrigo; Nieto-Caraveo, Amado; Hernández-Sierra, Juan Francisco

2005-01-01

To obtain the profile of students that deserted from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, México. Cases and controls nested in a cohort. All students that voluntarily deserted between 1992 and 2002 were consulted. Each student was compared in an aleatory form with a regular student and a proper questionnaire was applied. The significantly associated factors to abandon the Faculty of Medicine were: high school of origin (OR=2.43), extra-ordinary exam (OR=3.13), and lack of vocation (OR=2.41). The subjacent factors for not deserting from the Faculty of Medicine were: study habits, capacity for sustained effort, and tolerance to frustration.

On Gauge Invariant Cosmological Perturbations in UV-modified Hořava Gravity: A Brief Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Mu-In

2018-01-01

We revisit gauge invariant cosmological perturbations in UV-modified, z = 3 Hořava gravity with one scalar matter field, which has been proposed as a renormalizable gravity theory without the ghost problem in four dimensions. We confirm that there is no extra graviton modes and general relativity is recovered in IR, which achieves the consistency of the model. From the UV-modification terms which break the detailed balance condition in UV, we obtain scale-invariant power spectrums for non-inflationary backgrounds, like the power-law expansions, without knowing the details of early expansion history of Universe. This could provide a new framework for the Big Bang cosmology.

Neutrino mass, dark matter, and Baryon asymmetry via TeV-scale physics without fine-tuning.

PubMed

Aoki, Mayumi; Kanemura, Shinya; Seto, Osamu

2009-02-06

We propose an extended version of the standard model, in which neutrino oscillation, dark matter, and the baryon asymmetry of the Universe can be simultaneously explained by the TeV-scale physics without assuming a large hierarchy among the mass scales. Tiny neutrino masses are generated at the three-loop level due to the exact Z2 symmetry, by which the stability of the dark matter candidate is guaranteed. The extra Higgs doublet is required not only for the tiny neutrino masses but also for successful electroweak baryogenesis. The model provides discriminative predictions especially in Higgs phenomenology, so that it is testable at current and future collider experiments.

7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

7 CFR 457.105 - Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... long staple cotton crop insurance provisions. The extra long staple cotton crop insurance provisions... Crop Insurance Corporation ELS Cotton Crop Provisions 1. Definitions Cotton. Varieties identified as...

Influence of Extreme Storm Events on West Florida Shelf CDOM Distributions.

EPA Science Inventory

Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) distribution and signatures provide vital information about the amount and composition of organic material in aquatic environments. This information is critical for deciphering the sources and biogeochemical pathways of organic carbon, and...

Poe and Prolixity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, John

1990-01-01

Describes a method of teaching Edgar Allan Poe's writings which uses writing as a tool to decipher the story and to teach a valuable lesson in creative writing and style, and which shows students how a text changes when it is either abridged or adapted. (SR)

Trichinella spiralis: the evolution of adaptation and parasitism

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Parasitism among nematodes has occurred in multiple, independent events. Deciphering processes that drive species diversity and adaptation are keys to understanding parasitism and advancing control strategies. Studies have been put forth on morphological and physiological aspects of parasitism and a...

20 CFR 332.4 - Restrictions in extra service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Restrictions in extra service. 332.4 Section 332.4 Employees' Benefits RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT MILEAGE OR WORK RESTRICTIONS AND STAND-BY OR LAY-OVER RULES § 332.4 Restrictions in extra...

75 FR 70850 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

... Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY: Federal Crop Insurance... Corporation (FCIC) proposes to amend the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to remove all references to the Daily Spot Cotton Quotation and replace the reference...

76 FR 32067 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-03

... 0563-AC27 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY: Federal... (FCIC) finalizes amendments made to the Common Crop Insurance Regulations, Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to remove all references to the Daily Spot Cotton Quotation and replace the references...

Exploring the Contribution of Extra Credit in Marketing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elbeck, Matt; DeLong, Deborah

2015-01-01

This study advances the literature on the incidence, attitudes and motivations to complete extra credit assignments. Behavioral feedback from 59 marketing instructors and 43 Principles of Marketing students aligned with reported incidence rates of offering and completing extra credit assignments, respectively. This was followed with open-ended…

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

28 CFR 523.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.10 Purpose and scope. (a) The Bureau of Prisons awards extra good time credit for performing exceptionally meritorious service, or for performing duties... of extra good time award at a time (e.g., an inmate earning industrial or camp good time is not...

A rare case of extra-nasopharyngeal angiofibroma of the septum in a female child.

PubMed

Singh, G B; Shukla, S; Kumari, P; Shukla, I

2018-02-01

Extra-nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is a rare but distinct clinical entity, different from juvenile angiofibroma. This clinical record elucidates the only case of extra-nasopharyngeal angiofibroma arising from the septum in a female child, who presented with epistaxis. The histopathological diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry, and the case was managed surgically with no recurrence. In a female paediatric patient presenting with epistaxis, extra-nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (of the inferior turbinate) is a rare albeit important differential diagnosis, as it challenges the hormonal theory of angiofibroma aetiopathogenesis.

Search for large extra dimensions in dielectron and diphoton production.

PubMed

Abbott, B; Abolins, M; Abramov, V; Acharya, B S; Adams, D L; Adams, M; Alves, G A; Amos, N; Anderson, E W; Baarmand, M M; Babintsev, V V; Babukhadia, L; Baden, A; Baldin, B; Balm, P W; Banerjee, S; Bantly, J; Barberis, E; Baringer, P; Bartlett, J F; Bassler, U; Bean, A; Begel, M; Belyaev, A; Beri, S B; Bernardi, G; Bertram, I; Besson, A; Bezzubov, V A; Bhat, P C; Bhatnagar, V; Bhattacharjee, M; Blazey, G; Blessing, S; Boehnlein, A; Bojko, N I; Borcherding, F; Brandt, A; Breedon, R; Briskin, G; Brock, R; Brooijmans, G; Bross, A; Buchholz, D; Buehler, M; Buescher, V; Burtovoi, V S; Butler, J M; Canelli, F; Carvalho, W; Casey, D; Casilum, Z; Castilla-Valdez, H; Chakraborty, D; Chan, K M; Chekulaev, S V; Cho, D K; Choi, S; Chopra, S; Christenson, J H; Chung, M; Claes, D; Clark, A R; Cochran, J; Coney, L; Connolly, B; Cooper, W E; Coppage, D; Cummings, M A; Cutts, D; Dahl, O I; Davis, G A; Davis, K; De, K; Del Signore, K; Demarteau, M; Demina, R; Demine, P; Denisov, D; Denisov, S P; Desai, S; Diehl, H T; Diesburg, M; Di Loreto, G; Doulas, S; Draper, P; Ducros, Y; Dudko, L V; Duensing, S; Dugad, S R; Dyshkant, A; Edmunds, D; Ellison, J; Elvira, V D; Engelmann, R; Eno, S; Eppley, G; Ermolov, P; Eroshin, O V; Estrada, J; Evans, H; Evdokimov, V N; Fahland, T; Feher, S; Fein, D; Ferbel, T; Fisk, H E; Fisyak, Y; Flattum, E; Fleuret, F; Fortner, M; Frame, K C; Fuess, S; Gallas, E; Galyaev, A N; Gartung, P; Gavrilov, V; Genik, R J; Genser, K; Gerber, C E; Gershtein, Y; Gibbard, B; Gilmartin, R; Ginther, G; Gómez, B; Gómez, G; Goncharov, P I; González Solís, J L; Gordon, H; Goss, L T; Gounder, K; Goussiou, A; Graf, N; Graham, G; Grannis, P D; Green, J A; Greenlee, H; Grinstein, S; Groer, L; Grudberg, P; Grünendahl, S; Gupta, A; Gurzhiev, S N; Gutierrez, G; Gutierrez, P; Hadley, N J; Haggerty, H; Hagopian, S; Hagopian, V; Hahn, K S; Hall, R E; Hanlet, P; Hansen, S; Hauptman, J M; Hays, C; Hebert, C; Hedin, D; Heinson, A P; Heintz, U; Heuring, T; Hirosky, R; Hobbs, J D; Hoeneisen, B; Hoftun, J S; Hou, S; Huang, Y; Ito, A S; Jerger, S A; Jesik, R; Johns, K; Johnson, M; Jonckheere, A; Jones, M; Jöstlein, H; Juste, A; Kahn, S; Kajfasz, E; Karmanov, D; Karmgard, D; Kehoe, R; Kim, S K; Klima, B; Klopfenstein, C; Knuteson, B; Ko, W; Kohli, J M; Kostritskiy, A V; Kotcher, J; Kotwal, A V; Kozelov, A V; Kozlovsky, E A; Krane, J; Krishnaswamy, M R; Krzywdzinski, S; Kubantsev, M; Kuleshov, S; Kulik, Y; Kunori, S; Kuznetsov, V E; Landsberg, G; Leflat, A; Lehner, F; Li, J; Li, Q Z; Lima, J G; Lincoln, D; Linn, S L; Linnemann, J; Lipton, R; Lucotte, A; Lueking, L; Lundstedt, C; Maciel, A K; Madaras, R J; Manankov, V; Mao, H S; Marshall, T; Martin, M I; Martin, R D; Mauritz, K M; May, B; Mayorov, A A; McCarthy, R; McDonald, J; McMahon, T; Melanson, H L; Meng, X C; Merkin, M; Merritt, K W; Miao, C; Miettinen, H; Mihalcea, D; Mincer, A; Mishra, C S; Mokhov, N; Mondal, N K; Montgomery, H E; Moore, R W; Mostafa, M; da Motta, H; Nagy, E; Nang, F; Narain, M; Narasimham, V S; Neal, H A; Negret, J P; Negroni, S; Norman, D; Oesch, L; Oguri, V; Olivier, B; Oshima, N; Padley, P; Pan, L J; Para, A; Parashar, N; Partridge, R; Parua, N; Paterno, M; Patwa, A; Pawlik, B; Perkins, J; Peters, M; Peters, O; Piegaia, R; Piekarz, H; Pope, B G; Popkov, E; Prosper, H B; Protopopescu, S; Qian, J; Quintas, P Z; Raja, R; Rajagopalan, S; Ramberg, E; Rapidis, P A; Reay, N W; Reucroft, S; Rha, J; Rijssenbeek, M; Rockwell, T; Roco, M; Rubinov, P; Ruchti, R; Rutherfoord, J; Santoro, A; Sawyer, L; Schamberger, R D; Schellman, H; Schwartzman, A; Sculli, J; Sen, N; Shabalina, E; Shankar, H C; Shivpuri, R K; Shpakov, D; Shupe, M; Sidwell, R A; Simak, V; Singh, H; Singh, J B; Sirotenko, V; Slattery, P; Smith, E; Smith, R P; Snihur, R; Snow, G R; Snow, J; Snyder, S; Solomon, J; Sorín, V; Sosebee, M; Sotnikova, N; Soustruznik, K; Souza, M; Stanton, N R; Steinbrück, G; Stephens, R W; Stevenson, M L; Stichelbaut, F; Stoker, D; Stolin, V; Stoyanova, D A; Strauss, M; Streets, K; Strovink, M; Stutte, L; Sznajder, A; Taylor, W; Tentindo-Repond, S; Thompson, J; Toback, D; Tripathi, S M; Trippe, T G; Turcot, A S; Tuts, P M; van Gemmeren, P; Vaniev, V; Van Kooten, R; Varelas, N; Volkov, A A; Vorobiev, A P; Wahl, H D; Wang, H; Wang, Z; Warchol, J; Watts, G; Wayne, M; Weerts, H; White, A; White, J T; Whiteson, D; Wightman, J A; Wijngaarden, D A; Willis, S; Wimpenny, S J; Wirjawan, J V; Womersley, J; Wood, D R; Yamada, R; Yamin, P; Yasuda, T; Yip, K; Youssef, S; Yu, J; Yu, Z; Zanabria, M; Zheng, H; Zhou, Z; Zhu, Z H; Zielinski, M; Zieminska, D; Zieminski, A; Zutshi, V; Zverev, E G; Zylberstejn, A

2001-02-12

We report a search for effects of large extra spatial dimensions in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.8 TeV with the D0 detector, using events containing a pair of electrons or photons. The data are in good agreement with the expected background and do not exhibit evidence for large extra dimensions. We set the most restrictive lower limits to date, at the 95% C.L. on the effective Planck scale between 1.0 and 1.4 TeV for several formalisms and numbers of extra dimensions.

Hawking radiation from squashed Kaluza-Klein black holes: A window to extra dimensions

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

Ishihara, Hideki; Soda, Jiro

2007-09-15

We explore the observability of extra dimensions through five-dimensional squashed Kaluza-Klein black holes residing in the Kaluza-Klein spacetime. With the expectation that the Hawking radiation reflects the five-dimensional nature of the squashed horizon, we study the Hawking radiation of a scalar field in the squashed black hole background. As a result, we show that the luminosity of Hawking radiation tells us the size of the extra dimension, namely, the squashed Kaluza-Klein black holes open a window to extra dimensions.

F18 FDG positron emission tomography revelation of primary testicular lymphoma with concurrent multiple extra nodal involvement

PubMed Central

Vamsy, Mohana; Dattatreya, PS; Parakh, Megha; Dayal, Monal; Rao, VVS Prabhakar

2013-01-01

Primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) a relatively rare disease of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas occurring with a lesser incidence of 1-2% has a propensity to occur at later ages above 50 years. PTL spreads to extra nodal sites due to deficiency of extra cellular adhesion molecules. We present detection of multiple sites of extra nodal involvement of PTL by F-18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography study aiding early detection of the dissemination thus aiding in staging and management. PMID:24019676

Impact Protection Assessment of the Redesigned Oregon Aero ZetaLiner Fitting System in the HGU-56/P Aircrew Integrated Helmet System

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

with atypical head anthropometry . A limited number of current users have anecdotally cited the TPL® as causing hot spots. Hot spots are defined as...6) is available in sizes: extra-extra-small (XXS), extra- small (XS), small(S), medium (M), large (L), and extra-large ( XL ). Each helmet is made up...head anthropometries than the small HGU-56/P. This is accomplished by 6 thickening the polystyrene energy-absorbing liners (EALs) in the XS and XXS

A multilevel study of the impact of project manager's leadership on extra-role performance of project team members

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokory, Suzyanty Mohd; Suradi, Nur Riza Mohd

2018-04-01

The current study examines the impact of transformational and transactional leadership of project manager on the extra-role performance of project team members. In addition, this study also identifies factor dominant to extra-role performance of project team members when the transformational and transactional leadership of project managers are analyzed simultaneously. The study involved 175 of project team members from 35 project teams (each project team consists of different contracting companies registered in the Selangor (N = 175 from 35 contractors company). A multilevel analysis with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) approach was used in this study. The analysis showed that transformational and transactional leadership of the project manager is a positive significant with extra-role performance project team members when analyzed separately. However when the two constructs (transformational leadership and transactional leadership of project manager) were analyzed simultaneously, transformational leadership was found to have more impact on extra-role performance project team members compared to transactional leadership. These findings explained that although transformational and transactional leadership of project managers can improve extra-role performance project team members, but this study has proved that transformational leadership of project managers affect extra-role performance project team members more as compared to transactional leadership.

Designing Oversight for Nanomedicine Research in Human Subjects: Systematic Analysis of Exceptional Oversight for Emerging Technologies

PubMed Central

Wolf, Susan M.; Jones, Cortney

2012-01-01

The basic procedures and rules for oversight of U.S. human subjects research have been in place since 1981. Certain types of human subjects research, however, have provoked creation of additional mechanisms and rules beyond the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Common Rule and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) equivalent. Now another emerging domain of human subjects research—nanomedicine—is prompting calls for extra oversight. However, in 30 years of overseeing research on human beings, we have yet to specify what makes a domain of scientific research warrant extra oversight. This failure to systematically evaluate the need for extra measures, the type of extra measures appropriate for different challenges, and the usefulness of those measures hampers efforts to respond appropriately to emerging science such as nanomedicine. This article evaluates the history of extra oversight, extracting lessons for oversight of nanomedicine research in human beings. We argue that a confluence of factors supports the need for extra oversight, including heightened uncertainty regarding risks, fast-evolving science yielding complex and increasingly active materials, likelihood of research on vulnerable participants including cancer patients, and potential risks to others beyond the research participant. We suggest the essential elements of the extra oversight needed. PMID:23226969

Extra-Pair Mating and Evolution of Cooperative Neighbourhoods

PubMed Central

Eliassen, Sigrunn; Jørgensen, Christian

2014-01-01

A striking but unexplained pattern in biology is the promiscuous mating behaviour in socially monogamous species. Although females commonly solicit extra-pair copulations, the adaptive reason has remained elusive. We use evolutionary modelling of breeding ecology to show that females benefit because extra-pair paternity incentivizes males to shift focus from a single brood towards the entire neighbourhood, as they are likely to have offspring there. Male-male cooperation towards public goods and dear enemy effects of reduced territorial aggression evolve from selfish interests, and lead to safer and more productive neighbourhoods. The mechanism provides adaptive explanations for the common empirical observations that females engage in extra-pair copulations, that neighbours dominate as extra-pair sires, and that extra-pair mating correlates with predation mortality and breeding density. The models predict cooperative behaviours at breeding sites where males cooperate more towards public goods than females. Where maternity certainty makes females care for offspring at home, paternity uncertainty and a potential for offspring in several broods make males invest in communal benefits and public goods. The models further predict that benefits of extra-pair mating affect whole nests or neighbourhoods, and that cuckolding males are often cuckolded themselves. Derived from ecological mechanisms, these new perspectives point towards the evolution of sociality in birds, with relevance also for mammals and primates including humans. PMID:24987839

Designing oversight for nanomedicine research in human subjects: systematic analysis of exceptional oversight for emerging technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Susan M.; Jones, Cortney M.

2011-04-01

The basic procedures and rules for oversight of U.S. human subjects research have been in place since 1981. Certain types of human subjects research, however, have provoked creation of additional mechanisms and rules beyond the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Common Rule and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) equivalent. Now another emerging domain of human subjects research—nanomedicine—is prompting calls for extra oversight. However, in 30 years of overseeing research on human beings, we have yet to specify what makes a domain of scientific research warrant extra oversight. This failure to systematically evaluate the need for extra measures, the type of extra measures appropriate for different challenges, and the usefulness of those measures hampers efforts to respond appropriately to emerging science such as nanomedicine. This article evaluates the history of extra oversight, extracting lessons for oversight of nanomedicine research in human beings. We argue that a confluence of factors supports the need for extra oversight, including heightened uncertainty regarding risks, fast-evolving science yielding complex and increasingly active materials, likelihood of research on vulnerable participants including cancer patients, and potential risks to others beyond the research participant. We suggest the essential elements of the extra oversight needed.

Performance Status and Number of Metastatic Extra-cerebral Sites Predict Survival After Radiotherapy of Brain Metastases from Thyroid Cancer.

PubMed

Dziggel, Liesa; Gebauer, Niklas; Bartscht, Tobias; Schild, Steven E; Rades, Dirk

2018-04-01

Patients with brain metastases from thyroid cancer are extremely rare. This study evaluated clinical factors for survival following whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone. In six patients, the following factors were analyzed for survival: Regimen of WBRT (5×4 Gy vs. 10×3 Gy), gender, age (≤55 vs. ≥56 years), Karnofsky performance score (KPS) (60% vs. 70-80%), number of brain lesions (2-3 vs. ≥4) and number of extra-cranial metastatic sites (one vs. more than one). KPS 70-80% (p=0.036) and involvement of only one extra-cranial site (p=0.018) were associated with better survival on univariate analysis. On Cox regression analysis, KPS (p=0.14) and number of extra-cranial sites (p=0.14) showed trends for association with survival. In patients with KPS 70-80% and only one extra-cranial site, 6-month survival was 100%, no patient with KPS 60% and more than one extra-cranial site survived to 6 months. KPS and number of involved extra-cranial metastatic sites were associated with survival and may be helpful for individualizing therapy in patients with brain metastases from thyroid cancer. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Demographic mechanisms of inbreeding adjustment through extra-pair reproduction.

PubMed

Reid, Jane M; Duthie, A Bradley; Wolak, Matthew E; Arcese, Peter

2015-07-01

One hypothesis explaining extra-pair reproduction is that socially monogamous females mate with extra-pair males to adjust the coefficient of inbreeding (f) of extra-pair offspring (EPO) relative to that of within-pair offspring (WPO) they would produce with their socially paired male. Such adjustment of offspring f requires non-random extra-pair reproduction with respect to relatedness, which is in turn often assumed to require some mechanism of explicit pre-copulatory or post-copulatory kin discrimination. We propose three demographic processes that could potentially cause mean f to differ between individual females' EPO and WPO given random extra-pair reproduction with available males without necessarily requiring explicit kin discrimination. Specifically, such a difference could arise if social pairings formed non-randomly with respect to relatedness or persisted non-randomly with respect to relatedness, or if the distribution of relatedness between females and their sets of potential mates changed during the period through which social pairings persisted. We used comprehensive pedigree and pairing data from free-living song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to quantify these three processes and hence investigate how individual females could adjust mean offspring f through instantaneously random extra-pair reproduction. Female song sparrows tended to form social pairings with unrelated or distantly related males slightly less frequently than expected given random pairing within the defined set of available males. Furthermore, social pairings between more closely related mates tended to be more likely to persist across years than social pairings between less closely related mates. However, these effects were small and the mean relatedness between females and their sets of potential extra-pair males did not change substantially across the years through which social pairings persisted. Our framework and analyses illustrate how demographic and social structuring within populations might allow females to adjust mean f of offspring through random extra-pair reproduction without necessarily requiring explicit kin discrimination, implying that adjustment of offspring f might be an inevitable consequence of extra-pair reproduction. New theoretical and empirical studies are required to explore the general magnitude of such effects and quantify the degree to which they could facilitate or constrain long-term evolution of extra-pair reproduction. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

Craniectomy-associated Progressive Extra-Axial Collections with Treated Hydrocephalus (CAPECTH): redefining a common complication of decompressive craniectomy.

PubMed

Nalbach, Stephen V; Ropper, Alexander E; Dunn, Ian F; Gormley, William B

2012-09-01

Extra-axial fluid collections following decompressive craniectomy have been observed in a variety of patient populations. These collections have traditionally been thought to represent extra-axial signs of hydrocephalus, but they often occur even in settings where hydrocephalus has been optimally treated. This study aims to elucidate the phenomenon of extra-axial fluid collections after decompressive craniectomy in patients with treated hydrocephalus, in order to improve identification, classification, prevention and treatment. We retrospectively reviewed all patients at a single institution undergoing decompressive craniectomy for refractory intracranial pressure elevations from June 2007 through December 2009. We identified 39 patients by reviewing clinical reports and imaging. Any patient who died on or prior to the third post-operative day (POD) was excluded. The analysis focused on patients with extra-axial collections and treated hydrocephalus. Twenty-one of 34 (62%) patients developed extra-axial collections and 18 of these developed collections despite ventricular drainage. Subgroup analysis revealed that seven of seven patients (100%) with subarachnoid hemorrhage, and 11 of 14 (79%) with traumatic brain injury developed collections. Extra-axial collections may develop after decompressive craniectomy despite aggressive treatment of communicating hydrocephalus. In these patients, the term "external hydrocephalus" does not appropriately capture the relevant pathophysiology. Instead, we define a new phenomenon, "Craniectomy-associated Progressive Extra-Axial Collections with Treated Hydrocephalus" (CAPECTH), as progressive collections despite aggressive cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) drainage. Our data indicate that early cranioplasty can help prevent the formation and worsening of this condition, presumably by returning normal CSF dynamics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of gravimetric and a double-indicator dilution technique for assessment of extra-vascular lung water in endotoxaemia.

PubMed

Rossi, P; Oldner, A; Wanecek, M; Leksell, L G; Rudehill, A; Konrad, D; Weitzberg, E

2003-03-01

To compare a molecular double-indicator dilution technique with the gravimetrical reference method for measurement of extra-vascular lung water in porcine endotoxin shock. Open comparative experimental study. Animal research laboratory. In fourteen anaesthetised, mechanically ventilated landrace pigs, central and pulmonary haemodynamics as well as pulmonary gas exchange were measured. Extra-vascular lung water was quantitated gravimetrically as well as with a molecular double indicator dilution technique. Eight of these animals were subjected to endotoxaemia, the rest serving as sham controls. No difference in extra-vascular lung water was observed between the two methods in sham animals. Furthermore, extra-vascular lung water assessed with the molecular double-indicator dilution technique at the initiation of endotoxin infusion did not differ significantly from the corresponding values for sham animals. Endotoxaemia induced a hypodynamic shock with concurrent pulmonary hypertension and a pronounced deterioration in gas exchange. No increase in extra-vascular lung water was detected with the molecular double-indicator dilution technique in response to endotoxin, whereas this parameter was significantly higher when assessed with the gravimetric method. The molecular double-indicator dilution technique showed similar results as the gravimetrical method for assessment of extra-vascular lung water in non-endotoxaemic conditions. However, during endotoxin-induced lung injury the molecular double indicator dilution technique failed to detect the significant increase in extra-vascular lung water as measured by the gravimetric method. These data suggest that the molecular double indicator dilution technique may be of limited value during sepsis-induced lung injury.

ExtraTrain: a database of Extragenic regions and Transcriptional information in prokaryotic organisms

PubMed Central

Pareja, Eduardo; Pareja-Tobes, Pablo; Manrique, Marina; Pareja-Tobes, Eduardo; Bonal, Javier; Tobes, Raquel

2006-01-01

Background Transcriptional regulation processes are the principal mechanisms of adaptation in prokaryotes. In these processes, the regulatory proteins and the regulatory DNA signals located in extragenic regions are the key elements involved. As all extragenic spaces are putative regulatory regions, ExtraTrain covers all extragenic regions of available genomes and regulatory proteins from bacteria and archaea included in the UniProt database. Description ExtraTrain provides integrated and easily manageable information for 679816 extragenic regions and for the genes delimiting each of them. In addition ExtraTrain supplies a tool to explore extragenic regions, named Palinsight, oriented to detect and search palindromic patterns. This interactive visual tool is totally integrated in the database, allowing the search for regulatory signals in user defined sets of extragenic regions. The 26046 regulatory proteins included in ExtraTrain belong to the families AraC/XylS, ArsR, AsnC, Cold shock domain, CRP-FNR, DeoR, GntR, IclR, LacI, LuxR, LysR, MarR, MerR, NtrC/Fis, OmpR and TetR. The database follows the InterPro criteria to define these families. The information about regulators includes manually curated sets of references specifically associated to regulator entries. In order to achieve a sustainable and maintainable knowledge database ExtraTrain is a platform open to the contribution of knowledge by the scientific community providing a system for the incorporation of textual knowledge. Conclusion ExtraTrain is a new database for exploring Extragenic regions and Transcriptional information in bacteria and archaea. ExtraTrain database is available at . PMID:16539733

Effects of spatial curvature and anisotropy on the asymptotic regimes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavluchenko, Sergey A.; Toporensky, Alexey

2018-05-01

In this paper we address two important issues which could affect reaching the exponential and Kasner asymptotes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet cosmologies—spatial curvature and anisotropy in both three- and extra-dimensional subspaces. In the first part of the paper we consider the cosmological evolution of spaces that are the product of two isotropic and spatially curved subspaces. It is demonstrated that the dynamics in D=2 (the number of extra dimensions) and D ≥ 3 is different. It was already known that for the Λ -term case there is a regime with "stabilization" of extra dimensions, where the expansion rate of the three-dimensional subspace as well as the scale factor (the "size") associated with extra dimensions reaches a constant value. This regime is achieved if the curvature of the extra dimensions is negative. We demonstrate that it takes place only if the number of extra dimensions is D ≥ 3. In the second part of the paper we study the influence of the initial anisotropy. Our study reveals that the transition from Gauss-Bonnet Kasner regime to anisotropic exponential expansion (with three expanding and contracting extra dimensions) is stable with respect to breaking the symmetry within both three- and extra-dimensional subspaces. However, the details of the dynamics in D=2 and D ≥ 3 are different. Combining the two described effects allows us to construct a scenario in D ≥ 3, where isotropization of outer and inner subspaces is reached dynamically from rather general anisotropic initial conditions.

SYMPOSIUM SESSION PROPOSAL: INCORPORATION OF MODE OF ACTION INTO MECHANISTICALLY-BASED QUANTITATIVE MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

The biological processes by which environmental pollutants induce adverse health effects is most likely regulated by complex interactions dependent upon the route of exposure, dose, kinetics of distribution, and multiple cellular responses. To further complicate deciphering thes...

Deciphering Community and Race Effects on Adolescent Premarital Childbearing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South, Scott J.; Baumer, Eric P.

2000-01-01

Racial differences in adolescent premarital childbearing were largely explained by racial differences in neighborhood quality. These neighborhood effects were attributed to peer attitudes and behaviors, adolescents' more tolerant attitudes toward unmarried parenthood, and greater residential mobility in distressed communities. Neighborhood effects…

Genetic structure of the fungal grapevine pathogen Eutypa lata from four continents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Deciphering the geographic origins of pathogens and elucidating the population biology of these microscopic organisms are necessary steps to establish effective disease-control strategies. The generalist ascomycete fungus Eutypa lata causes Eutypa dieback of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) worldwide. To ...

Genetic structure of the fungal grapevine pathogen Eutypa lata from four continents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The generalist ascomycete fungus Eutypa lata causes Eutypa dieback of grapevine (Vitis vinifera) worldwide. To decipher the cosmopolitan distribution of this fungus, the population genetic structure of 17 geographic samples was investigated from four continental regions (Australia, California, Europ...

Stephen Baylin, M.D., Explains Genetics and Epigenetics - TCGA

Cancer.gov

Stephen Baylin, M.D., at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center discusses the how alterations in the DNA code are deciphered in a combined effort with The Cancer Genome Atlas at the National Cancer Institute to decode the brain cancer genome.

[Surface stress analysis of distal extension removable partial denture retained with two types of semi-precision attachments].

PubMed

Wang, Y; Mi, N; Qing, F; Liu, F; Chen, J

2001-10-01

The aims of this study are to analyze the surface stress of the periodontal supporting bone of the bilateral distol extension removable partial denture which is retained by using intra-coronal or extra-coronal semi-precision attachment, and to characterize the biomechanics of these two designs by using a strain gauge. A fresh human mandible specimen with 76|67 missing and six bilateral partial removable denture retained with six semi-precision attachments were made, including three attachments with intra-coronal studs and three attachments with extra-coronal vertical bars. A total of six 45 degrees rosette strain gauges were bonded at six prepared points on the surface of the mandible to measure the surface stress, including the middle point between 76 of the buccal edentulous alveolar crest area under the denture base verge(point 1), the distal buccal cervix of 5 (point 2), the buccal apical area of 5 (point 3), the buccal middle area of 34 roots (point 4, 5), the lingual middle area of 5 root (point 6). The static loads of 14N, 28N and 42N were applied vertically, buccally 45 degrees, lingually 45 degrees at the middle point of the 6|6 occlusal surface. The micro-strain was recorded, and the maximal/minimal principle stresses were calculated for each RPD and each point. The stress characteristics of these two types of attachments were compared and analyzed. In most situations, the stress of these two semi-precision attachments showed significant differences. The vertical load: The stress values of these intra-coronal and extra-coronal attachments at points 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 differed significantly(P < 0.05), including points 1, 2, (sigma intra < sigma extra) and points 3, 4, 6(sigma intra > sigma extra). Buccal loads: The stress values of these intra-coronal and extra-coronal attachments at points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 differed significantly(P < 0.05), including points 1, 2(sigma intra < sigma extra) and points 3, 4, 5(sigma intra > sigma extra). Lingual loads: The stress values of these intra-coronal and extra-coronal attachments at points 2, 3, 4, 6 differed significantly (P < 0.05, sigma intra > sigma extra). The intra-coronal attachment generally produced higher stress at the site of the alveolar bone around the abutment than the extra-coronal attachment, but extra-coronal attachment produced higher stress at the edentulous alveolar crest and the distal cervical alveolar bone of the distal abutment than the intra-coronal attachment. The intra-coronal attachment is suggested to be applied in some cases that the periodontal condition of distal abutment was good, and the extra-coronal attachment is suggested to be used in some cases that the condition of the edentulous alveolar crest is fairly good, while the periodontal condition of the distal abutment was relatively weak.

7 CFR 51.300 - U.S. Extra Fancy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.300 U.S. Extra Fancy. “U.S. Extra Fancy” consists of apples of..., scab, freezing injury, visible water core, and broken skins. The apples are also free from injury... rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, disease, insects, or other means. The apples are free from damage...

7 CFR 51.300 - U.S. Extra Fancy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.300 U.S. Extra Fancy. “U.S. Extra Fancy” consists of apples of one variety (except when more than one variety is printed on... apples are also free from injury caused by bruises, brown surface discoloration, smooth net-like...

7 CFR 51.300 - U.S. Extra Fancy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., CERTIFICATION, AND STANDARDS) United States Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.300 U.S. Extra Fancy. “U.S. Extra Fancy” consists of apples of one variety (except when more than one variety is printed on... apples are also free from injury caused by bruises, brown surface discoloration, smooth net-like...

7 CFR 51.300 - U.S. Extra Fancy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.300 U.S. Extra Fancy. “U.S. Extra Fancy” consists of apples of..., scab, freezing injury, visible water core, and broken skins. The apples are also free from injury... rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, disease, insects, or other means. The apples are free from damage...

7 CFR 51.300 - U.S. Extra Fancy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Standards for Grades of Apples Grades § 51.300 U.S. Extra Fancy. “U.S. Extra Fancy” consists of apples of..., scab, freezing injury, visible water core, and broken skins. The apples are also free from injury... rubs, hail, drought spots, scars, disease, insects, or other means. The apples are free from damage...

78 FR 70485 - Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

...-0002] RIN 0563-AC41 Common Crop Insurance Regulations; Extra Long Staple Cotton Crop Provisions AGENCY... Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions to make the Extra Long Staple (ELS) Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions consistent with the Upland Cotton Crop Insurance Provisions and to allow a late planting period. The intended...

7 CFR 51.880 - U.S. Extra Fancy Table.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... U.S. Extra Fancy Table. “U.S. Extra Fancy Table” consists of bunches of well developed grapes of one... damaged by: (1) Shot berries; (2) Dried berries; (3) Other defective berries; (4) Trimming away of...) Size: (1) For berries: Exclusive of shot berries and dried berries, not less than 90 percent, by count...

7 CFR 51.880 - U.S. Extra Fancy Table.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... U.S. Extra Fancy Table. “U.S. Extra Fancy Table” consists of bunches of well developed grapes of one... damaged by: (1) Shot berries; (2) Dried berries; (3) Other defective berries; (4) Trimming away of...) Size: (1) For berries: Exclusive of shot berries and dried berries, not less than 90 percent, by count...

7 CFR 51.880 - U.S. Extra Fancy Table.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... U.S. Extra Fancy Table. “U.S. Extra Fancy Table” consists of bunches of well developed grapes of one... damaged by: (1) Shot berries; (2) Dried berries; (3) Other defective berries; (4) Trimming away of...) Size: (1) For berries: Exclusive of shot berries and dried berries, not less than 90 percent, by count...

Extra-Curricular Social Studies in an Open Air History Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ronald Vaughan

2008-01-01

This article discusses extra-curricular social studies in an Open Air History Museum. Open Air History Museum, Conner Prairie Interpretive Park in Fishers, Indiana, is a cultural institution that encourages and supports talented students as they participate in an extra-curricular program. Ten-to sixteen-year-old youths "apply for jobs"…

28 CFR 523.16 - Lump sum awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.16 Lump sum awards. Any staff member may recommend to the Warden the approval of an inmate for a lump sum award of extra good time. Such recommendations... make lump sum awards of extra good time not to exceed thirty days. If the recommendation is for an...

28 CFR 523.16 - Lump sum awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.16 Lump sum awards. Any staff member may recommend to the Warden the approval of an inmate for a lump sum award of extra good time. Such recommendations... make lump sum awards of extra good time not to exceed thirty days. If the recommendation is for an...

28 CFR 523.16 - Lump sum awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.16 Lump sum awards. Any staff member may recommend to the Warden the approval of an inmate for a lump sum award of extra good time. Such recommendations... make lump sum awards of extra good time not to exceed thirty days. If the recommendation is for an...

28 CFR 523.16 - Lump sum awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.16 Lump sum awards. Any staff member may recommend to the Warden the approval of an inmate for a lump sum award of extra good time. Such recommendations... make lump sum awards of extra good time not to exceed thirty days. If the recommendation is for an...

28 CFR 523.16 - Lump sum awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TRANSFER COMPUTATION OF SENTENCE Extra Good Time § 523.16 Lump sum awards. Any staff member may recommend to the Warden the approval of an inmate for a lump sum award of extra good time. Such recommendations... make lump sum awards of extra good time not to exceed thirty days. If the recommendation is for an...

Trust and Extra Effort Implementing Curriculum Reform: The Mediating Effects of Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cerit, Yusuf

2013-01-01

This study aims to examine the relationship between trust and extra effort implementing reform, and relationship between trust and extra effort are mediated by collaboration. The study was carried out in elementary schools in Turkey. Faculty trust in schools was measured using the Omnibus T-Scale, collaboration was measured using collaboration…

Connecting the Dots between Schizotypal Symptoms and Social Anxiety in Youth with an Extra X Chromosome: A Mediating Role for Catastrophizing

PubMed Central

Ziermans, Tim; van Rijn, Sophie

2017-01-01

Youth with an extra X chromosome (47, XXY & 47, XXX) display higher levels of schizotypal symptoms and social anxiety as compared to typically developing youth. It is likely that the extra X chromosome group is at-risk for clinical levels of schizotypy and social anxiety. Hence, this study investigated how schizotypal and social anxiety symptoms are related and mechanisms that may explain their association in a group of 38 children and adolescents with an extra X chromosome and a comparison group of 109 typically developing peers (8–19 years). Three cognitive coping strategies were investigated as potential mediators, rumination, catastrophizing, and other-blame. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between schizotypal symptoms and social anxiety was mediated by catastrophizing coping in the extra X chromosome group but not in the comparison group. The results suggest that youth with an extra X chromosome with schizotypal symptoms could benefit from an intervention to weaken the tendency to catastrophize life events as a way of reducing the likelihood of social anxiety symptoms. PMID:28878159

Cardiovascular dysautonomia in Parkinson Disease: From pathophysiology to pathogenesis

PubMed Central

Goldstein, David S.

2011-01-01

Signs or symptoms of impaired autonomic regulation of the circulation often attend Parkinson disease (PD). This review covers biomarkers and mechanisms of autonomic cardiovascular abnormalities in PD and related alpha-synucleinopathies. The clearest clinical laboratory correlate of dysautonomia in PD is loss of myocardial noradrenergic innervation, detected by cardiac sympathetic neuroimaging. About 30–40% of PD patients have orthostatic hypotension (OH), defined as a persistent, consistent fall in systolic blood pressure of at least 20 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure of at least 10 mm Hg within three minutes of change in position from supine to standing. Neuroimaging evidence of cardiac sympathetic denervation is universal in PD with OH (PD+OH). In PD without OH about half the patients have diffuse left ventricular myocardial sympathetic denervation, a substantial minority have partial denervation confined to the inferolateral or apical walls, and a small number have normal innervation. Among patients with partial denervation the neuronal loss invariably progresses over time, and in those with normal innervation at least some loss eventually becomes evident. Thus, cardiac sympathetic denervation in PD occurs independently of the movement disorder. PD+OH also entails extra-cardiac noradrenergic denervation, but this is not as severe as in pure autonomic failure. PD+OH patients have failure of both the parasympathetic and sympathetic components of the arterial baroreflex. OH in PD therefore seems to reflect a “triple whammy” of cardiac and extra-cardiac noradrenergic denervation and baroreflex failure. In contrast, most patients with multiple system atrophy, which can resemble PD+OH clinically, do not have evidence for cardiac or extra-cardiac noradrenergic denervation. Catecholamines in the neuronal cytoplasm are potentially toxic, via spontaneous and enzyme-catalyzed oxidation. Normally cytoplasmic catecholamines are efficiently taken up into vesicles via the vesicular monoamine transporter. The recent finding of decreased vesicular uptake in Lewy body diseases therefore suggests a pathogenetic mechanism for loss of catecholaminergic neurons in the periphery and brain. PMID:22094370

Self-quartic interaction for a scalar field in an extended DFR noncommutative space-time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abreu, Everton M. C.; Neves, M. J.

2014-07-01

The framework of Dopliche-Fredenhagen-Roberts (DFR) for a noncommutative (NC) space-time is considered as an alternative approach to study the NC space-time of the early Universe. Concerning this formalism, the NC constant parameter, θ, is promoted to coordinate of the space-time and consequently we can describe a field theory in a space-time with extra-dimensions. We will see that there is a canonical momentum associated with this new coordinate in which the effects of a new physics can emerge in the propagation of the fields along the extra-dimensions. The Fourier space of this framework is automatically extended by the addition of the new momenta components. The main concept that we would like to emphasize from the outset is that the formalism demonstrated here will not be constructed by introducing a NC parameter in the system, as usual. It will be generated naturally from an already NC space. We will review that when the components of the new momentum are zero, the (extended) DFR approach is reduced to the usual (canonical) NC case, in which θ is an antisymmetric constant matrix. In this work we will study a scalar field action with self-quartic interaction ϕ4⋆ defined in the DFR NC space-time. We will obtain the Feynman rules in the Fourier space for the scalar propagator and vertex of the model. With these rules we are able to build the radiative corrections to one loop order of the model propagator. The consequences of the NC scale, as well as the propagation of the field in extra-dimensions, will be analyzed in the ultraviolet divergences scenario. We will investigate about the actual possibility that this kμν conjugate momentum has the property of healing the combination of IR/UV divergences that emerges in this recently new NC spacetime quantum field theory.

Determination of the extra buffering distance in the one-way nesting procedure for the regional ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, Jin Hwan; Pham, Van Sy

2017-04-01

The Big-Brother Experiment (BBE) evaluates the effect of domain size on the ocean regional circulation model (ORCMs) in the downscaling and nesting from the ocean global circulation (OGCMs). The BBE first establishes a mimic ocean global circulation models (M-OGCMs) data and employs a ORCM to simulate for a highly resolved large domain. This M-OGCM's results were then filtered to remove short scales then used for boundary and initial conditions of the nested ORCMs, which have the same resolution to the M-OGCMs. The various sizes of domain were embedded in the M-OGCMs and the cases were simulated to see the effect of domain size with the extra buffering distance to the results of the ORCMs. The diagnostic variables including temperature, salinity and vorticity of the nested domain are then compared with those of the M-OGCMs before filtering. Differences between them can address the errors associating with the sizes of the domain, which are not attributed unambiguously to models errors or observational errors. The results showed that domain size significantly impacts on the results of ORCMs. As the domain size of the ORCM becomes lager, the distance of the extra space between the area of interest and the updated LBCs increases. So, the results of ORCMs perform more highly correlated with the M-OGCM. But, there are a certain optimal sizes of the OGCMs, which could be larger than nested ORCMs' domain size from 2 to 10 times, depending on the computational costs. Key words: domain size, error, ocean regional circulation model, Big-Brother Experiment. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by grants from the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries entitled "Development of integrated estuarine management system" and a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant (No. 2015R1A5A 7037372) funded by MSIP of Korea. The authors thank the Integrated Research Institute of Construction and Environmental Engineering of Seoul National University for administrative support.

Inflation from periodic extra dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higaki, Tetsutaro; Tatsuta, Yoshiyuki

2017-07-01

We discuss a realization of a small field inflation based on string inspired supergravities. In theories accompanying extra dimensions, compactification of them with small radii is required for realistic situations. Since the extra dimension can have a periodicity, there will appear (quasi-)periodic functions under transformations of moduli of the extra dimensions in low energy scales. Such a periodic property can lead to a UV completion of so-called multi-natural inflation model where inflaton potential consists of a sum of multiple sinusoidal functions with a decay constant smaller than the Planck scale. As an illustration, we construct a SUSY breaking model, and then show that such an inflaton potential can be generated by a sum of world sheet instantons in intersecting brane models on extra dimensions containing orbifold. We show also predictions of cosmic observables by numerical analyzes.

Inflation from periodic extra dimensions

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

Higaki, Tetsutaro; Tatsuta, Yoshiyuki, E-mail: thigaki@rk.phys.keio.ac.jp, E-mail: y_tatsuta@akane.waseda.jp

We discuss a realization of a small field inflation based on string inspired supergravities. In theories accompanying extra dimensions, compactification of them with small radii is required for realistic situations. Since the extra dimension can have a periodicity, there will appear (quasi-)periodic functions under transformations of moduli of the extra dimensions in low energy scales. Such a periodic property can lead to a UV completion of so-called multi-natural inflation model where inflaton potential consists of a sum of multiple sinusoidal functions with a decay constant smaller than the Planck scale. As an illustration, we construct a SUSY breaking model, andmore » then show that such an inflaton potential can be generated by a sum of world sheet instantons in intersecting brane models on extra dimensions containing orbifold. We show also predictions of cosmic observables by numerical analyzes.« less

Cost-effectiveness of the Decipher Genomic Classifier to Guide Individualized Decisions for Early Radiation Therapy After Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Lobo, Jennifer M; Trifiletti, Daniel M; Sturz, Vanessa N; Dicker, Adam P; Buerki, Christine; Davicioni, Elai; Cooperberg, Matthew R; Karnes, R Jeffrey; Jenkins, Robert B; Den, Robert B; Showalter, Timothy N

2017-06-01

Controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of early adjuvant versus salvage radiation therapy after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Estimates of prostate cancer progression from the Decipher genomic classifier (GC) could guide informed decision-making and improve the outcomes for patients. We developed a Markov model to compare the costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) associated with GC-based treatment decisions regarding adjuvant therapy after prostatectomy with those of 2 control strategies: usual care (determined from patterns of care studies) and the alternative of 100% adjuvant radiation therapy. Using the bootstrapping method of sampling with replacement, the cases of 10,000 patients were simulated during a 10-year time horizon, with each subject having individual estimates for cancer progression (according to GC findings) and noncancer mortality (according to age). GC-based care was more effective and less costly than 100% adjuvant radiation therapy and resulted in cost savings up to an assay cost of $11,402. Compared with usual care, GC-based care resulted in more QALYs. Assuming a $4000 assay cost, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $90,833 per QALY, assuming a 7% usage rate of adjuvant radiation therapy. GC-based care was also associated with a 16% reduction in the percentage of patients with distant metastasis at 5 years compared with usual care. The Decipher GC could be a cost-effective approach for genomics-driven cancer treatment decisions after prostatectomy, with improvements in estimated clinical outcomes compared with usual care. The individualized decision analytic framework applied in the present study offers a flexible approach to estimate the potential utility of genomic assays for personalized cancer medicine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Calcium regulates the cell-to-cell water flow pathway in maize roots during variable water conditions.

PubMed

Wu, Yan; Liu, Xiaofang; Wang, Weifeng; Zhang, Suiqi; Xu, Bingcheng

2012-09-01

Soil water shortages can decrease root hydraulic conductivity and affect Ca uptake and movement through the plant. In this study, the effects of extra Ca(2+) applied in nutrient solution on the hydraulic properties of the whole roots (Lp(r)) and cortical cells (Lp(cell)) of maize (Zea mays L.) subjected to variable water conditions were investigated. Under well-watered conditions, extra Ca(2+) significantly increased the root Ca content, total root length, and lateral root number; however, it reduced the root cortical cell volume, Lp(r), and Lp(cell). Hg(2+) inhibition experiments suggested that extra Ca(2+) could reduce the contribution of the cell-to-cell water flow pathway. Osmotic stress (10% PEG6000) significantly decreased the cortical cell volume, Lp(r), and Lp(cell) in the control plants, but smaller decreases were observed in the extra Ca(2+) plants. The Hg(2+) treatment reduced the Lp(r) larger in the extra Ca(2+) plants (74.6%) than in the control plants (53.2%), suggesting a higher contribution of the cell-to-cell pathway. The larger Hg(2+) inhibition of the Lp(cell) in the extra Ca(2+) roots (67.2%) when compared to the controls (56.4%) indicated that extra Ca(2+) can mitigate the inhibition of aquaporin expression and/or activity levels via osmotic stress. After 2 d of rehydration, the extra Ca(2+) helped the Lp(r) and Lp(cell) to recover almost completely, but these properties only partially recovered in the control plants. In conclusion, extra Ca(2+) may adjust the contribution of cell-to-cell pathway by regulating the expression and/or activity levels of AQPs according to water availability; this regulation may weaken negative effects and optimize water use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Top Quark Pair in Association with an Extra Jet: Phenomenological Analysis at the Tevatron

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

Hussein, Mohammad Ahmad

2011-01-01

The first measurement of the cross section of the top quark pair in association with an extra hard jet (more » $$t\\bar{t}$$+jet) has been performed with 4.1 fb ₋1 of data collected at CDF. The measurement is an important test of perturbative QCD, as NLO effects play an important role in the calculation of the theoretical cross section. In addition, it is also important as a preview of the LHC, for which almost half of the top quark events will be produced with extra jets. Therefore, this process will be a substan- tial background for many new physics signals. The measurement is performed using SecVtx tagged events in the lepton plus jet channel. A data-driven approach is used to predict the background content, and a 2D likelihood is formed to simultaneously measure the $$t\\bar{t}$$+jet and $$t\\bar{t}$$ without extra jet cross sections. The measured result is σ $$t\\bar{t}$$+jet= 1.6±0.2 stat±0.5 syst pb which is in agreement with the recent NLO SM predic- tion σ $$t\\bar{t}$$+jet = $$+0.16\\atop{-3.31}$$ pb . In order to elucidate the kinematic profile of the extra jet, an isolation algorithm has been developed. The algorithm has extracted correctly the extra jet out from the final state jets more than 60% of the time. This allowed for correcting the measured distributions of the extra jet for purity/efficiency in order to compare them with the MC distributions. The differences in the kinematic of the extra jet using different SecVtx requirements and different MC models (PYTHIA & MCFM) have been studied. The agreement between data and the simulations is reasonable. The fifth and the fourth highest ET jet in the final state of $$t\\bar{t}$$+jet sample are found to be equally likely the extra jet.« less

Associations of non-melanoma skin cancer and melanoma, extra-cutaneous cancers and smoking in adults: a US population-based study.

PubMed

Silverberg, J I; Ratner, D

2015-07-01

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and melanoma are common malignancies in the US and may be associated with other types of cancer. We sought to determine whether NMSC and melanoma are associated with extra-cutaneous cancers and identify modifiable risk factors for such an association. We analysed data from 447,801 adult participants in the 1997-2011 National Health Interview Surveys. Survey logistic regression models were constructed that accounted for the complex sample weights. History of NMSC, melanoma and 27 primary extra-cutaneous cancers was assessed. NMSC was associated with increased odds of one (multinomial survey logistic regression, unadjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 2.43 [2.20-2.68]) or multiple (2.94 [2.21-3.92]) extra-cutaneous malignancies. Melanoma was also associated with increased odds of one (3.25 [2.70-3.90]) or multiple (6.11 [4.34-8.61]) extra-cutaneous malignancies. Extra-cutaneous cancers were more common in younger patients (ages 18-39 and 40-49 years) and Caucasians with NMSC or melanoma (P < 0.0001). Smokers with a history of NMSC or melanoma had even higher odds of extra-cutaneous malignancy at ages 18-39 and 40-49 years compared to smokers without NMSC or melanoma (P < 0.0001). History of NMSC was associated with higher odds of malignancies of the bladder, brain, breast, colon, oesophagus, kidney, lung, lymphoma, melanoma, prostate, soft tissue, throat/pharynx, thyroid and uterus. Melanoma was associated with malignancies of the bladder, breast, colon, kidney, lung, pancreas, prostate, soft tissue, throat/pharynx, thyroid and uterus. The prevalence of extra-cutaneous cancers increased between 1997 and 2011 in all subjects (4.51% and 5.73%, P < 0.0001), with even higher rates of increase in those with history of NMSC or melanoma. Patients with history of NMSC and melanoma have increased odds of developing extra-cutaneous cancers, especially those with younger age and smoking history. © 2014 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Characteristics and Discrepancies in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: Need for a Unified Definition

PubMed Central

Kim, Hee Yeon; Sinn, Dong Hyun; Yoon, Eileen L.; Kim, Chang Wook; Jung, Young Kul; Suk, Ki Tae; Lee, Sang Soo; Lee, Chang Hyeong; Kim, Tae Hun; Kim, Jeong Han; Choe, Won Hyeok; Yim, Hyung Joon; Kim, Sung Eun; Baik, Soon Koo; Lee, Byung Seok; Jang, Jae Young; Suh, Jeong Ill; Kim, Hyoung Su; Nam, Seong Woo; Kwon, Hyeok Choon; Kim, Young Seok; Kim, Sang Gyune; Chae, Hee Bok; Yang, Jin Mo; Sohn, Joo Hyun; Lee, Heon Ju; Park, Seung Ha; Han, Byung Hoon; Choi, Eun Hee; Kim, Chang H.; Kim, Dong Joon

2016-01-01

Background & Aim To investigate the prevalence, mortalities, and patient characteristics of Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) according to the AARC (Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver ACLF Research Consortium) and European Association for the Study of the Liver CLIF-C (Chronic Liver Failure Consortium) definitions. Methods We collected retrospective data for 1470 hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and acute deterioration between January 2013 and December 2013 from 21 university hospitals in Korea. Results Of the patients assessed, the prevalence of ACLF based on the AARC and CLIF-C definitions was 9.5% and 18.6%, respectively. The 28-day and 90-day mortality rates were higher in patients with ACLF than in those without ACLF. Patients who only met the CLIF-C definition had significantly lower 28-day and 90-day survival rates than those who only met the AARC definition (68.0% vs. 93.9%, P<0.001; 55.1% vs. 92.4%, P<0.001). Among the patients who had non-cirrhotic CLD, the 90-day mortality of the patients with ACLF was higher than of those without ACLF, although not significant (33.3% vs. 6.0%, P = 0.192). Patients with previous acute decompensation (AD) within 1- year had a lower 90-day survival rate than those with AD more than 1 year prior or without previous AD (81.0% vs. 91.9% or 89.4%, respectively, all P<0.001). Patients who had extra-hepatic organ failure without liver failure had a similar 90-day survival rate to those who had liver failure as a prerequisite (57.0% vs. 60.6%, P = 0.391). Conclusions The two ACLF definitions result in differences in mortality and patient characteristics among ACLF patients. We suggest that non-cirrhotic CLD, previous AD within 1 year, and extra-hepatic organ failure should be included in the ACLF diagnostic criteria. In addition, further studies are necessary to develop a universal definition of ACLF. PMID:26789409

Flavour physics and extra-dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, Abhishek M.

2018-05-01

Randall-Sundrum (RS) model of warped extra-dimensions were originally proposed to explain the Planck-weak scale hierarchy. It was soon realised that modifications of the original setup, by introducing the fields in the bulk, has several interesting features. In particular it imbues a rich flavour structure to the fermionic sector thereby offering an understanding of the Yukawa hierarchy problem. This construction is also useful in explaining the recently observed deviations in the decay of the B mesons. We consider two scenarios to this effect : A) Right handed muon fields coupled more to NP that the corresponding muon doublets (unorthodox case). Non-universality exists in the right handed sector. B) Standard scenario with anomalies explained primarily by non-universal couplings to the lepton doublets. Further, we establish correlation with the parameter space consistent with the flavour anomalies in the neutral current sector and obtain predictions for rare K- decay which are likely to be another candle for NP with increased precision. The prediction for rare K- decays are different according to the scenario, thereby serving as a useful discriminatory tool. We also discussthe large flavour violation in the lepton sector and present an example with the implementation of bulk leptonic MFV which is essential to realize the model with low KK scales. Further we consider a radical solution, called GUT RS models, where the RS geometry can work as theory of flavour in the absence of flavour symmetries. In this case the low energy brane corresponds to the GUT scale as a result of which RS is no longer solution to the gauge hierarchy problem. The Kaluza Klein (KK) modes in this setup are naturally heavy due to which the low energy constraints can be easily avoided. We use this framework to discuss the supersymmetric version of the RS model and provide means to test this scenario by considering rare lepton decays like τ → μγ.

Goedel, Penrose, anti-Mach: Extra supersymmetries of time-dependent plane waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blau, Matthias; Meessen, Patrick; O'Loughlin, Martin

2003-09-01

We prove that M-theory plane waves with extra supersymmetries are necessarily homogeneous (but possibly time-dependent), and we show by explicit construction that such time-dependent plane waves can admit extra supersymmetries. To that end we study the Penrose limits of Gödel-like metrics, show that the Penrose limit of the M-theory Gödel metric (with 20 supercharges) is generically a time-dependent homogeneous plane wave of the anti-Mach type, and display the four extra Killings spinors in that case. We conclude with some general remarks on the Killing spinor equations for homogeneous plane waves.

A bridge between unified cosmic history by f( R)-gravity and BIonic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepehri, Alireza; Capozziello, Salvatore; Setare, Mohammad Reza

2016-04-01

Recently, the cosmological deceleration-acceleration transition redshift in f( R) gravity has been considered in order to address consistently the problem of cosmic evolution. It is possible to show that the deceleration parameter changes sign at a given redshift according to observational data. Furthermore, a f( R) gravity cosmological model can be constructed in brane-antibrane system starting from the very early universe and accounting for the cosmological redshift at all phases of cosmic history, from inflation to late time acceleration. Here we propose a f( R) model where transition redshifts correspond to inflation-deceleration and deceleration-late time acceleration transitions starting froma BIon system. At the point where the universe was born, due to the transition of k black fundamental strings to the BIon configuration, the redshift is approximately infinity and decreases with reducing temperature (z˜ T2). The BIon is a configuration in flat space of a universe-brane and a parallel anti-universe-brane connected by a wormhole. This wormhole is a channel for flowing energy from extra dimensions into our universe, occurring at inflation and decreasing with redshift as z˜ T^{4+1/7}. Dynamics consists with the fact that the wormhole misses its energy and vanishes as soon as inflation ends and deceleration begins. Approaching two universe branes together, a tachyon is originated, it grows up and causes the formation of a wormhole. We show that, in the framework of f( R) gravity, the cosmological redshift depends on the tachyonic potential and has a significant decrease at deceleration-late time acceleration transition point (z˜ T^{2/3}). As soon as today acceleration approaches, the redshift tends to zero and the cosmological model reduces to the standard Λ CDM cosmology.

Changing a dangerous rural cultural tradition: a randomized control study of youth as extra riders on tractors.

PubMed

Stoneman, Zolinda; Jinnah, Hamida Amirali; Rains, Glen C

2014-01-01

This study used a randomized control design to evaluate the effectiveness of AgTeen, an in-home, family-based farm safety intervention, in decreasing extra riding on tractors by youth. Having children as extra riders on tractors has deep roots in farm culture, but it can result in serious injury or death. The study randomized 151 families into 3 groups: parent-led intervention (fathers taught their families about farm safety), staff-led intervention (staff members who were peer farmers taught families), and a no-treatment control. Mothers, fathers, and all children aged 10-19 participated in the lessons. At study entry, 93% of youth reported that they had been an extra rider on a tractor in the past year. Although they were aware of the injury risk, fathers frequently gave tractor rides to their children. After the intervention, fathers in both AgTeen groups were less likely than control fathers to give youth tractor rides. Intervention youth were less likely than control youth to be extra riders. The intervention positively affected the extra-riding attitudes and injury risk perceptions of mothers and fathers. The parent-led and staff-led groups did not significantly differ across study outcomes. Findings confirm the effectiveness of a family-based intervention in decreasing extra riding on tractors by youth. © 2014 National Rural Health Association.

Testosterone, Plumage Colouration and Extra-Pair Paternity in Male North-American Barn Swallows

PubMed Central

Eikenaar, Cas; Whitham, Megan; Komdeur, Jan; van der Velde, Marco; Moore, Ignacio T.

2011-01-01

In most monogamous bird species, circulating testosterone concentration in males is elevated around the social female's fertile period. Variation in elevated testosterone concentrations among males may have a considerable impact on fitness. For example, testosterone implants enhance behaviours important for social and extra-pair mate choice. However, little is known about the relationship between natural male testosterone concentration and sexual selection. To investigate this relationship we measured testosterone concentration and sexual signals (ventral plumage colour and tail length), and determined within and extra-pair fertilization success in male North American barn swallows (Hirundo rustica erythrogaster). Dark rusty coloured males had higher testosterone concentrations than drab males. Extra-pair paternity was common (42% and 31% of young in 2009 and 2010, respectively), but neither within- nor extra-pair fertilization success was related to male testosterone concentration. Dark rusty males were less often cuckolded, but did not have higher extra-pair or total fertilization success than drab males. Tail length did not affect within- or extra-pair fertilization success. Our findings suggest that, in North American barn swallows, male testosterone concentration does not play a significant direct role in female mate choice and sexual selection. Possibly plumage colour co-varies with a male behavioural trait, such as aggressiveness, that reduces the chance of cuckoldry. This could also explain why dark males have higher testosterone concentrations than drab males. PMID:21853105

Effort-Reward Imbalance and Post-Traumatic Stress After a Workplace Terror Attack.

PubMed

Hem, Camilla; Nielsen, Morten Birkeland; Hansen, Marianne Bang; Heir, Trond

2016-04-01

Following adverse work conditions, health consequences can be explained by an imbalance between the effort made and the reward received. We investigated the association between extra effort, perceived reward, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model was used to examine whether extra effort at work in the aftermath of a workplace-related terrorist attack affected the risk of PTSD and the effects of reward for extra effort from a leader or colleagues. Cross-sectional data were collected 10 months after a terrorist attack in Norway in 2011. Out of 3520 Ministry employees invited, 1927 agreed to participate. Employees reported any extra effort performed as a result of the bomb explosion and any reward received from a leader or colleagues. PTSD was assessed with the PTSD Checklist. Employees who reported extra effort displayed increased risk for PTSD (odds ratio [OR]=1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-2.55, P=0.008). Perceived reward for extra effort from a leader was associated with lower risk for PTSD (OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.23-0.64, P<0.001) but not perceived reward from colleagues. Extra effort may increase the risk of PTSD, but reward from a leader may mitigate this effect. The Effort-Reward Imbalance Model appears to be an appropriate approach that may contribute to understanding of the etiology of work-related PTSD.

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

Walton, B.T.

A chemical impurity isolated from commercially purchased acridine causes cricket embryos to develop extra compound eyes, branched antennae, extra antennae, and extra heads. Purified acridine does not produce similar duplications of cricket heads or head structures nor do the substituted acridines proflavine, acriflavine, or acridine orange. A dose-response relation exists such that the number and severity of abnormalities increase with increasing concentration of the teratogen.