Basin scale controls on CO2 and CH4 emissions from the Upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crawford, John T.; Loken, Luke C.; Stanley, Emily H.; Stets, Edward G.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; Striegl, Robert G.

2016-01-01

The Upper Mississippi River, engineered for river navigation in the 1930s, includes a series of low-head dams and navigation pools receiving elevated sediment and nutrient loads from the mostly agricultural basin. Using high-resolution, spatially resolved water quality sensor measurements along 1385 river kilometers, we show that primary productivity and organic matter accumulation affect river carbon dioxide and methane emissions to the atmosphere. Phytoplankton drive CO2to near or below atmospheric equilibrium during the growing season, while anaerobic carbon oxidation supports a large proportion of the CO2 and CH4 production. Reductions of suspended sediment load, absent of dramatic reductions in nutrients, will likely further reduce net CO2emissions from the river. Large river pools, like Lake Pepin, which removes the majority of upstream sediments, and large agricultural tributaries downstream that deliver significant quantities of sediments and nutrients, are likely to persist as major geographical drivers of greenhouse gas emissions.

Evaluation of Existing Methods for Human Blood mRNA Isolation and Analysis for Large Studies

PubMed Central

Meyer, Anke; Paroni, Federico; Günther, Kathrin; Dharmadhikari, Gitanjali; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Kelm, Sørge; Maedler, Kathrin

2016-01-01

Aims Prior to implementing gene expression analyses from blood to a larger cohort study, an evaluation to set up a reliable and reproducible method is mandatory but challenging due to the specific characteristics of the samples as well as their collection methods. In this pilot study we optimized a combination of blood sampling and RNA isolation methods and present reproducible gene expression results from human blood samples. Methods The established PAXgeneTM blood collection method (Qiagen) was compared with the more recent TempusTM collection and storing system. RNA from blood samples collected by both systems was extracted on columns with the corresponding Norgen and PAX RNA extraction Kits. RNA quantity and quality was compared photometrically, with Ribogreen and by Real-Time PCR analyses of various reference genes (PPIA, β-ACTIN and TUBULIN) and exemplary of SIGLEC-7. Results Combining different sampling methods and extraction kits caused strong variations in gene expression. The use of PAXgeneTM and TempusTM collection systems resulted in RNA of good quality and quantity for the respective RNA isolation system. No large inter-donor variations could be detected for both systems. However, it was not possible to extract sufficient RNA of good quality with the PAXgeneTM RNA extraction system from samples collected by TempusTM collection tubes. Comparing only the Norgen RNA extraction methods, RNA from blood collected either by the TempusTM or PAXgeneTM collection system delivered sufficient amount and quality of RNA, but the TempusTM collection delivered higher RNA concentration compared to the PAXTM collection system. The established Pre-analytix PAXgeneTM RNA extraction system together with the PAXgeneTM blood collection system showed lowest CT-values, i.e. highest RNA concentration of good quality. Expression levels of all tested genes were stable and reproducible. Conclusions This study confirms that it is not possible to mix or change sampling or extraction strategies during the same study because of large variations of RNA yield and expression levels. PMID:27575051

Precision Minds: An Investigation Into the use of Information in Operational-Level Decision Making and Learning

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-17

Procedures and Techniques. (California: Thousand Oaks 1998),11. 14 Alan Bryman Quantity and Quality in Social Research . (London: Unwin, 1988), 8. 48... Bryman , Alan. Quantity and Quality in Social Research . London: Unwin, 1988. Clark, Wesley. Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism, and the American...a global audience than ever before. Under such conditions the practical business of defeating the enemy militarily in such a way as to deliver

Emergency management logistics must become emergency supply chain management.

PubMed

Young, Richard R; Peterson, Matthew R

2014-01-01

Much has been written about how emergency management (EM) needs to look to the future regarding issues of resource management (monetary, human, and material). Constraints on budgets are ongoing and the staffing of emergency response activities is often difficult because volunteers have little to no training. The management of material resources has also been a challenge because 1) the categories of material vary by the type of emergency, 2) the necessary quantities of material are often not located near the ultimate point of need, and 3) the transportation assets are rarely available in the form and quantity required to allow timely and effective response. The logistics and resource management functions of EM (what we refer to as EM logistics) have been largely reactive, with little to no pre-event planning for potential demand. We applied the Supply Chain Operational Reference (SCOR) model to EM logistics in an effort to transform it to an integrated and scalable system of physical, information, and financial flows into which are woven the functions of sourcing, making, delivering, and returning, with an overarching planning function that transcends the organizational boundaries of participants. The result is emergency supply chain management, which embraces many more participants who share in a larger quantity of more useful information about the resources that need to be deployed when responding to and recovering from emergency events.

Polyurethane-derived N-doped porous carbon with interconnected sheet-like structure as polysulfide reservoir for lithium-sulfur batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Suo; Liu, Songhang; Zhang, Jianqiu; Wang, Yong

2015-10-01

Environmental pollution and energy deficiency are two key issues for the sustainable development of the modern society. Polyurethane foam is a typical commercial polymer with a large production quantity and its waste needs to be recycled. Lithium-sulfur battery is a promising energy-storage device with high energy density and low cost, but its demerits such as poor conductivity of the sulfur and severe capacity degradation due to the soluble lithium polysulfides are still a big challenge. This work reports a facile method to prepare nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) from the polyurethane foam (PUF) waste and use it as a reservoir to impregnate sulfur for lithium-sulfur batteries. The obtained NPC has a unique interconnected sheet-like porous morphology with a large surface area of 1315 m2 g-1. The NPC-S composite delivers a large reversible capacity of 1118 mAh g-1 with good cycling performances and excellent high-rate capabilities. A large reversible capacity of 460 mAh g-1 can be retained at a large current of 5C (8.35 A g-1) after 100 cycles.

Initial Progress Toward Development of a Voice-Based Computer-Delivered Motivational Intervention for Heavy Drinking College Students: An Experimental Study

PubMed Central

Lechner, William J; MacGlashan, James; Wray, Tyler B; Littman, Michael L

2017-01-01

Background Computer-delivered interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinking college students. However, these computer-delivered interventions rely on mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen responses for interactions between the users and the computer-delivered intervention. The principles of motivational interviewing suggest that in-person interventions may be effective, in part, because they encourage individuals to think through and speak aloud their motivations for changing a health behavior, which current computer-delivered interventions do not allow. Objective The objective of this study was to take the initial steps toward development of a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that can ask open-ended questions and respond appropriately to users’ verbal responses, more closely mirroring a human-delivered motivational intervention. Methods We developed (1) a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that was run by a human controller and that allowed participants to speak their responses to scripted prompts delivered by speech generation software and (2) a text-based computer-delivered intervention that relied on the mouse, keyboard, and computer screen for all interactions. We randomized 60 heavy drinking college students to interact with the voice-based computer-delivered intervention and 30 to interact with the text-based computer-delivered intervention and compared their ratings of the systems as well as their motivation to change drinking and their drinking behavior at 1-month follow-up. Results Participants reported that the voice-based computer-delivered intervention engaged positively with them in the session and delivered content in a manner consistent with motivational interviewing principles. At 1-month follow-up, participants in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention condition reported significant decreases in quantity, frequency, and problems associated with drinking, and increased perceived importance of changing drinking behaviors. In comparison to the text-based computer-delivered intervention condition, those assigned to voice-based computer-delivered intervention reported significantly fewer alcohol-related problems at the 1-month follow-up (incident rate ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.83, P=.002). The conditions did not differ significantly on perceived importance of changing drinking or on measures of drinking quantity and frequency of heavy drinking. Conclusions Results indicate that it is feasible to construct a series of open-ended questions and a bank of responses and follow-up prompts that can be used in a future fully automated voice-based computer-delivered intervention that may mirror more closely human-delivered motivational interventions to reduce drinking. Such efforts will require using advanced speech recognition capabilities and machine-learning approaches to train a program to mirror the decisions made by human controllers in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention used in this study. In addition, future studies should examine enhancements that can increase the perceived warmth and empathy of voice-based computer-delivered intervention, possibly through greater personalization, improvements in the speech generation software, and embodying the computer-delivered intervention in a physical form. PMID:28659259

Comparison of life cycle emissions and energy consumption for environmentally adapted metalworking fluid systems.

PubMed

Clarens, Andres F; Zimmerman, Julie B; Keoleian, Greg A; Hayes, Kim F; Skerlos, Steven J

2008-11-15

A number of environmentally adapted lubricants have been proposed in response to the environmental and health impacts of metalworking fluids (MWFs). The alternatives typically substitute petroleum with vegetable-based components and/or deliver minimum quantities of lubricant in gas rather than water, with the former strategy being more prevalent than the latter. A comparative life cycle assessment of water- and gas-based systems has shown that delivery of lubricants in air rather than water can reduce solid waste by 60%, water use by 90%, and aquatic toxicity by 80%, while virtually eliminating occupational health concerns. However, air-delivery of lubricants cannot be used for severe machining operations due to limitations of cooling and lubricant delivery. For such operations, lubricants delivered in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) are effective while maintaining the health and environmental advantages of air-based systems. Although delivery conditions were found to significantly influence the environmental burdens of all fluids, energy consumption was relatively constant under expected operating conditions. Global warming potential (GWP) increased when delivering lubricants in gas rather than water though all classes of MWFs have low GWP compared with other factory operations. It is therefore concluded that the possibility of increased GWP when switching to gas-based MWFs is a reasonable tradeoff for definite and large reductions in aquatic toxicity, water use, solid waste, and occupational health risks.

Feedback using an ePortfolio for medicine long cases: quality not quantity.

PubMed

Bleasel, Jane; Burgess, Annette; Weeks, Ruth; Haq, Inam

2016-10-21

The evidence for the positive impact of an electronic Portfolio (ePortfolio) on feedback in medicine is mixed. An ePortfolio for medical long cases in a Graduate Medical Program was developed. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of medical students and faculty of the impact of the ePortfolio on the feedback process. In total, 130 Year 3 medical students, and six faculty participated in the study. This is a mixed methods study, using a combination of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative methods were used to quantify the number of long cases performed. Qualitative methods were used to explore the relationship between quantity and quality of feedback, and provide a rich understanding of both students' and faculty's experience and perceptions of the ePortfolio. Students received a variable quantity of feedback at each of the three studied clinical schools, with an average of between 4 - 5.4 feedback episodes per student. Feedback that was constructive, specific and timely and delivered by a senior academic was important. Quantity was not an essential factor, with two episodes of detailed feedback reported to be adequate. The barriers to the use of the ePortfolio were technical aspects of the platform that interfered with student engagement. Feedback using the ePortfolio for medical long cases is a valuable tool providing a senior clinician delivers detailed, constructive and personalized feedback in a timely fashion. The ePortfolio system needs to be user-friendly to engage students.

Cis-Lunar Reusable In-Space Transportation Architecture for the Evolvable Mars Campaign

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McVay, Eric S.; Jones, Christopher A.; Merrill, Raymond G.

2016-01-01

Human exploration missions to Mars or other destinations in the solar system require large quantities of propellant to enable the transportation of required elements from Earth's sphere of influence to Mars. Current and proposed launch vehicles are incapable of launching all of the requisite mass on a single vehicle; hence, multiple launches and in-space aggregation are required to perform a Mars mission. This study examines the potential of reusable chemical propulsion stages based in cis-lunar space to meet the transportation objectives of the Evolvable Mars Campaign and identifies cis-lunar propellant supply requirements. These stages could be supplied with fuel and oxidizer delivered to cis-lunar space, either launched from Earth or other inner solar system sources such as the Moon or near Earth asteroids. The effects of uncertainty in the model parameters are evaluated through sensitivity analysis of key parameters including the liquid propellant combination, inert mass fraction of the vehicle, change in velocity margin, and change in payload masses. The outcomes of this research include a description of the transportation elements, the architecture that they enable, and an option for a campaign that meets the objectives of the Evolvable Mars Campaign. This provides a more complete understanding of the propellant requirements, as a function of time, that must be delivered to cis-lunar space. Over the selected sensitivity ranges for the current payload and schedule requirements of the 2016 point of departure of the Evolvable Mars Campaign destination systems, the resulting propellant delivery quantities are between 34 and 61 tonnes per year of hydrogen and oxygen propellant, or between 53 and 76 tonnes per year of methane and oxygen propellant, or between 74 and 92 tonnes per year of hypergolic propellant. These estimates can guide future propellant manufacture and/or delivery architectural analysis.

One laptop per child, local refurbishment or overseas donations? Sustainability assessment of computer supply scenarios for schools in Colombia.

PubMed

Streicher-Porte, Martin; Marthaler, Christian; Böni, Heinz; Schluep, Mathias; Camacho, Angel; Hilty, Lorenz M

2009-08-01

With the intention of bridging the 'digital divide' many programmes have been launched to provide computers for educational institutions, ranging from refurbishing second hand computers to delivering low cost new computers. The fast and economical provision of large quantities of equipment is one of the many challenges faced by such programmes. If an increase is to be achieved in the sustainability of computer supplies for schools, not only must equipment be provided, but also suitable training and maintenance delivered. Furthermore, appropriate recycling has to be ensured, so that end-of-life equipment can be dealt with properly. This study has evaluated the suitability of three computer supply scenarios to schools in Colombia: (i) 'Colombian refurbishment', -refurbishment of computers donated in Colombia, (ii) 'Overseas refurbishment', -import of computers which were donated and refurbished abroad, and (iii) 'XO Laptop', -purchase of low cost computers manufactured in Korea. The methods applied were: Material Flow Assessment, -to assess the quantities-, Life Cycle Assessment, -to assess the environmental impacts, and the application of the Multiple Attribute Utility Theory, -to analyse, evaluate and compare different scenarios. The most sustainable solution proved to be the local refurbishment of second hand computers of Colombian origin to an appropriate technical standard. The environmental impacts of such practices need to be evaluated carefully, as second hand appliances have to be maintained, require spare parts and sometimes use more energy than newer equipment. Providing schools with second hand computers from overseas and through programmes such as 'One Laptop Per Child' has the disadvantage that the potential for social improvements - such as creation of jobs and local industry involvement - is very low.

Naive T-cell receptor transgenic T cells help memory B cells produce antibody

PubMed Central

Duffy, Darragh; Yang, Chun-Ping; Heath, Andrew; Garside, Paul; Bell, Eric B

2006-01-01

Injection of the same antigen following primary immunization induces a classic secondary response characterized by a large quantity of high-affinity antibody of an immunoglobulin G class produced more rapidly than in the initial response – the products of memory B cells are qualitatively distinct from that of the original naive B lymphocytes. Very little is known of the help provided by the CD4 T cells that stimulate memory B cells. Using antigen-specific T-cell receptor transgenic CD4 T cells (DO11.10) as a source of help, we found that naive transgenic T cells stimulated memory B cells almost as well (in terms of quantity and speed) as transgenic T cells that had been recently primed. There was a direct correlation between serum antibody levels and the number of naive transgenic T cells transferred. Using T cells from transgenic interleukin-2-deficient mice we showed that interleukin-2 was not required for a secondary response, although it was necessary for a primary response. The results suggested that the signals delivered by CD4 T cells and required by memory B cells for their activation were common to both antigen-primed and naive CD4 T cells. PMID:17067314

Compound scale-up at the discovery-development interface.

PubMed

Nikitenko, Antonia A

2006-11-01

As a result of an economically challenging environment within the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical companies and their departments must increase productivity and cut costs to stay in line with the market. Discovery-led departments such as the medicinal chemistry and lead optimization groups focus on synthesizing large varieties of compounds in minimal amounts, while the chemical development groups must then deliver a few chosen leads employing an optimized synthesis method and using multi-kilogram quantities of material. A research group at the discovery-development interface has the task of medium-scale synthesis which is important in the lead selection stage. The primary objective of this group is the initial scale-up of promising leads for extensive physicochemical and biological testing. The challenge of the interface group involves overcoming synthetic issues within the rigid, accelerated timelines.

Extending the Fermi-LAT data processing pipeline to the grid

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

Zimmer, S.; Arrabito, L.; Glanzman, T.

2015-05-12

The Data Handling Pipeline ("Pipeline") has been developed for the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope (Fermi) Large Area Telescope (LAT) which launched in June 2008. Since then it has been in use to completely automate the production of data quality monitoring quantities, reconstruction and routine analysis of all data received from the satellite and to deliver science products to the collaboration and the Fermi Science Support Center. Aside from the reconstruction of raw data from the satellite (Level 1), data reprocessing and various event-level analyses are also reasonably heavy loads on the pipeline and computing resources. These other loads, unlike Levelmore » 1, can run continuously for weeks or months at a time. Additionally, it receives heavy use in performing production Monte Carlo tasks.« less

Deficits in retention for verbally presented medical information.

PubMed

Sandberg, Elisabeth H; Sharma, Ritu; Sandberg, Warren S

2012-10-01

Anesthesiologists deliver large quantities of verbal information to patients during preoperative teaching. Basic principles of cognitive psychology dictate that much of this information is likely to be forgotten. Exactly how much and what type of information can be retained and recalled remains an open question. With Institutional Review Board approval, 98 healthy, educated volunteers viewed a brief video containing a preoperative explanation of anesthetic options and instructions. Subjects were then asked to engage in free and cued recall of information from the video, and to complete a recognition task. We developed a coding scheme to objectively score the free and cued recall tasks for the quantity of information recalled relative to the quantity presented in the video. Data are presented as descriptive statistics. Subjects spontaneously recalled less than 25% of the information presented. Providing retrieval cues greatly enhanced recall: Subjects recalled 67%, on average, of the material queried in the cued recall task. Performance was even stronger on the multiple-choice test (83% of items correctly answered), indicating that the information was initially encoded. The category of information that was consistently least-remembered was presurgical medication instructions. Under realistic conditions for recall, most medical instruction given to patients will not be recalled, even if it is initially encoded. Given the limits of short-term memory, clinicians should carefully consider their patterns of information giving. Improvement of memory performance with cues for retrieval indicates that providing printed instructions for later review may be beneficial.

Initial Progress Toward Development of a Voice-Based Computer-Delivered Motivational Intervention for Heavy Drinking College Students: An Experimental Study.

PubMed

Kahler, Christopher W; Lechner, William J; MacGlashan, James; Wray, Tyler B; Littman, Michael L

2017-06-28

Computer-delivered interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption in heavy drinking college students. However, these computer-delivered interventions rely on mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen responses for interactions between the users and the computer-delivered intervention. The principles of motivational interviewing suggest that in-person interventions may be effective, in part, because they encourage individuals to think through and speak aloud their motivations for changing a health behavior, which current computer-delivered interventions do not allow. The objective of this study was to take the initial steps toward development of a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that can ask open-ended questions and respond appropriately to users' verbal responses, more closely mirroring a human-delivered motivational intervention. We developed (1) a voice-based computer-delivered intervention that was run by a human controller and that allowed participants to speak their responses to scripted prompts delivered by speech generation software and (2) a text-based computer-delivered intervention that relied on the mouse, keyboard, and computer screen for all interactions. We randomized 60 heavy drinking college students to interact with the voice-based computer-delivered intervention and 30 to interact with the text-based computer-delivered intervention and compared their ratings of the systems as well as their motivation to change drinking and their drinking behavior at 1-month follow-up. Participants reported that the voice-based computer-delivered intervention engaged positively with them in the session and delivered content in a manner consistent with motivational interviewing principles. At 1-month follow-up, participants in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention condition reported significant decreases in quantity, frequency, and problems associated with drinking, and increased perceived importance of changing drinking behaviors. In comparison to the text-based computer-delivered intervention condition, those assigned to voice-based computer-delivered intervention reported significantly fewer alcohol-related problems at the 1-month follow-up (incident rate ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.83, P=.002). The conditions did not differ significantly on perceived importance of changing drinking or on measures of drinking quantity and frequency of heavy drinking. Results indicate that it is feasible to construct a series of open-ended questions and a bank of responses and follow-up prompts that can be used in a future fully automated voice-based computer-delivered intervention that may mirror more closely human-delivered motivational interventions to reduce drinking. Such efforts will require using advanced speech recognition capabilities and machine-learning approaches to train a program to mirror the decisions made by human controllers in the voice-based computer-delivered intervention used in this study. In addition, future studies should examine enhancements that can increase the perceived warmth and empathy of voice-based computer-delivered intervention, possibly through greater personalization, improvements in the speech generation software, and embodying the computer-delivered intervention in a physical form. ©Christopher W Kahler, William J Lechner, James MacGlashan, Tyler B Wray, Michael L Littman. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 28.06.2017.

Variations in schools' commitment to health and implementation of health improvement activities: a cross-sectional study of secondary schools in Wales.

PubMed

Moore, Graham F; Littlecott, Hannah J; Fletcher, Adam; Hewitt, Gillian; Murphy, Simon

2016-02-10

Interventions to improve young people's health are most commonly delivered via schools. While young people attending the lowest socioeconomic status (SES) schools report poorer health profiles, no previous studies have examined whether there is an 'inverse care law' in school health improvement activity (i.e., whether schools in more affluent areas deliver more health improvement). Nor have other factors that may explain variations, such as leadership of health improvement activities, been examined at a population level. This paper examines variability in delivery of health improvement actions among secondary schools in Wales, and whether variability is linked to organisational commitment to health, socioeconomic status and school size. Of the 82 schools participating in the 2013/14 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in Wales, 67 completed a questionnaire on school health improvement delivery structures and health improvement actions within their school. Correlational analyses explore associations of delivery of health improvement activity among schools in Wales with organisational commitment to health, socioeconomic context and school size. There is substantial variability among schools in organisational commitment to health, with pupil emotional health identified as a priority by 52 % of schools, and physical health by 43 %. Approximately half (49 %) report written action plans for pupil health. Based on composite measures, the quantity of school health improvement activity was greater in less affluent schools and schools reporting greater commitment to health. There was a consistent though non-significant trend toward more health improvement activity in larger schools. In multivariate analysis deprivation (OR = 1.06; 95 % CI = 1.01 to 1.12) and organisational commitment to health were significant independent predictors of the quantity of health improvement (OR = 1.60; 95 % CI = 1.15 to 2.22). There is no evidence of an 'inverse care law' in school health, with some evidence of more comprehensive, multi-level health improvement activity in more deprived schools. This large-scale, quantitative analysis supports previous smaller scale, qualitative studies/process evaluations that suggest that senior management team commitment to delivering health improvement, and formulating and reviewing progress against written action plans, are important for facilitating the delivery of comprehensive interventions.

10 CFR 40.13 - Unimportant quantities of source material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... receives, possesses, uses, transfers or delivers source material in any chemical mixture, compound... source material; but not including commercially manufactured glass brick, pane glass, ceramic tile, or... in this subparagraph shall not be deemed to authorize the chemical, physical or metallurgical...

10 CFR 40.13 - Unimportant quantities of source material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... receives, possesses, uses, transfers or delivers source material in any chemical mixture, compound... percent by weight source material; but not including commercially manufactured glass brick, pane glass... contained in this subparagraph shall not be deemed to authorize the chemical, physical or metallurgical...

10 CFR 40.13 - Unimportant quantities of source material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... receives, possesses, uses, transfers or delivers source material in any chemical mixture, compound... percent by weight source material; but not including commercially manufactured glass brick, pane glass... contained in this subparagraph shall not be deemed to authorize the chemical, physical or metallurgical...

Remote Blood Glucose Monitoring in mHealth Scenarios: A Review.

PubMed

Lanzola, Giordano; Losiouk, Eleonora; Del Favero, Simone; Facchinetti, Andrea; Galderisi, Alfonso; Quaglini, Silvana; Magni, Lalo; Cobelli, Claudio

2016-11-24

Glucose concentration in the blood stream is a critical vital parameter and an effective monitoring of this quantity is crucial for diabetes treatment and intensive care management. Effective bio-sensing technology and advanced signal processing are therefore of unquestioned importance for blood glucose monitoring. Nevertheless, collecting measurements only represents part of the process as another critical task involves delivering the collected measures to the treating specialists and caregivers. These include the clinical staff, the patient's significant other, his/her family members, and many other actors helping with the patient treatment that may be located far away from him/her. In all of these cases, a remote monitoring system, in charge of delivering the relevant information to the right player, becomes an important part of the sensing architecture. In this paper, we review how the remote monitoring architectures have evolved over time, paralleling the progress in the Information and Communication Technologies, and describe our experiences with the design of telemedicine systems for blood glucose monitoring in three medical applications. The paper ends summarizing the lessons learned through the experiences of the authors and discussing the challenges arising from a large-scale integration of sensors and actuators.

The violent environment of the origin of life - Progress and uncertainties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chyba, Christopher F.

1993-01-01

Dating of terrestrial fossils and returned lunar samples reveals that the origin of life on Earth occurred not in a quiescent, peaceful environment, but rather in a violent, impact-ridden one. This realization has important consequences. On the one hand, sufficiently large and fast impactors can erode planetary atmospheres, and the very largest of these may have sterilized the surface of the Earth. In this regard, deep-sea hydrothermal vents become especially interesting for the history of early life, as they provide an environment protected against all but the greatest impact devastation. At the same time, impactors would have been delivering key biogenic elements (such as carbon and nitrogen) to Earth's surface, and (with much greater difficulty) intact organic molecules as well. Estimates of the various sources of prebiotic organics suggest that the heavy bombardment either produced or delivered quantities of organics comparable to those produced by other energy sources. However, substantial uncertainties exist. After reviewing the current understanding of the role of the heavy bombardment in the origins of life, a number of remaining key uncertainties are considered, and attempts are made to both quantify their magnitude and point to means of resolving them.

How to estimate green house gas (GHG) emissions from an excavator by using CAT's performance chart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajji, Apif M.; Lewis, Michael P.

2017-09-01

Construction equipment activities are a major part of many infrastructure projects. This type of equipment typically releases large quantities of green house gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions may come from fuel consumption. Furthermore, equipment productivity affects the fuel consumption. Thus, an estimating tool based on the construction equipment productivity rate is able to accurately assess the GHG emissions resulted from the equipment activities. This paper proposes a methodology to estimate the environmental impact for a common construction activity. This paper delivers sensitivity analysis and a case study for an excavator based on trench excavation activity. The methodology delivered in this study can be applied to a stand-alone model, or a module that is integrated with other emissions estimators. The GHG emissions are highly correlated to diesel fuel use, which is approximately 10.15 kilograms (kg) of CO2 per gallon of diesel fuel. The results showed that the productivity rate model as the result from multiple regression analysis can be used as the basis for estimating GHG emissions, and also as the framework for developing emissions footprint and understanding the environmental impact from construction equipment activities introduction.

Remote Blood Glucose Monitoring in mHealth Scenarios: A Review

PubMed Central

Lanzola, Giordano; Losiouk, Eleonora; Del Favero, Simone; Facchinetti, Andrea; Galderisi, Alfonso; Quaglini, Silvana; Magni, Lalo; Cobelli, Claudio

2016-01-01

Glucose concentration in the blood stream is a critical vital parameter and an effective monitoring of this quantity is crucial for diabetes treatment and intensive care management. Effective bio-sensing technology and advanced signal processing are therefore of unquestioned importance for blood glucose monitoring. Nevertheless, collecting measurements only represents part of the process as another critical task involves delivering the collected measures to the treating specialists and caregivers. These include the clinical staff, the patient’s significant other, his/her family members, and many other actors helping with the patient treatment that may be located far away from him/her. In all of these cases, a remote monitoring system, in charge of delivering the relevant information to the right player, becomes an important part of the sensing architecture. In this paper, we review how the remote monitoring architectures have evolved over time, paralleling the progress in the Information and Communication Technologies, and describe our experiences with the design of telemedicine systems for blood glucose monitoring in three medical applications. The paper ends summarizing the lessons learned through the experiences of the authors and discussing the challenges arising from a large-scale integration of sensors and actuators. PMID:27886122

Quality and Quantity of Rehabilitation Exercises Delivered By A 3-D Motion Controlled Camera: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Komatireddy, Ravi; Chokshi, Anang; Basnett, Jeanna; Casale, Michael; Goble, Daniel; Shubert, Tiffany

2014-08-01

Tele-rehabiliation technologies that track human motion could enable physical therapy in the home. To be effective, these systems need to collect critical metrics without PT supervision both in real time and in a store and forward capacity. The first step of this process is to determine if PTs (PTs) are able to accurately assess the quality and quantity of an exercise repetition captured by a tele-rehabilitation platform. The purpose of this pilot project was to determine the level of agreement of quality and quantity of an exercise delivered and assessed by the Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA), and seven PTs. Ten healthy subjects were instructed by a PT in how to perform four lower extremity exercises. Subjects then performed each exercises delivered by VERA which counted repetitions and quality. Seven PTs independently reviewed video of each subject's session and assessed repetitions quality. The percent difference in total repetitions and analysis of the distribution of rating repetition quality was assessed between the VERA and PTs. The VERA counted 426 repetitions across 10 subjects performing the four different exercises while the mean repetition count from the PT panel was 426.7 (SD = 0.8). The VERA underestimated the total repetitions performed by 0.16% (SD = 0.03%, 95% CI 0.12 - 0. 22). Chi square analysis across raters was χ 2 = 63.17 (df = 6, p<.001), suggesting significant variance in at least one rater. The VERA count of repetitions was accurate in comparison to a seven member panel of PTs. For exercise quality the VERA was able to rate 426 exercise repetitions across 10 patients and four different exercises in a manner consistent with five out of seven experienced PTs.

Explosion Hazards Associated with Spills of Large Quantities of Hazardous Materials. Phase I

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-10-01

quantities of hazardous material such as liquified natural gas ( LNG ), liquified petroleum gils (LPG), or ethylene. The principal results are (1) a...associated with spills of large quantities of hazardous material such as liquified natural gas ( LNG ), liquified petroleum gas (LPG), or ethylene. The...liquified natural gas ( LNG ). Unfortunately, as the quantity of material shipped at one time increases, so does the potential hazard associated with

Carbon nanofibers arrays: A novel tool for microdelivery of biomolecules to plants

DOE PAGES

Davern, Sandra M.; McKnight, Timothy E.; Kalluri, Udaya C.; ...

2016-04-27

Effective methods for delivering bioprobes into the cells of intact plants are essential for investigating diverse biological processes. Increasing research on trees, such as Populus spp., for bioenergy applications is driving the need for techniques that work well with tree species. This report introduces vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) arrays as a new tool for microdelivery of labeled molecules to Populus leaf tissue and whole plants. We demonstrated that VACNFs penetrate the leaf surface to deliver sub-microliter quantities of solution containing fluorescent or radiolabeled molecules into Populus leaf cells. Importantly, VACNFs proved to be gentler than abrasion with carborundum, amore » common way to introduce material into leaves. Unlike carborundum, VACNFs did not disrupt cell or tissue integrity, nor did they induce production of hydrogen peroxide, a typical wound response. We show that femtomole to picomole quantities of labeled molecules (fluorescent dyes, small proteins and dextran), ranging from 0.5–500 kDa, can be introduced by VACNFs, and we demonstrate the use of the approach to track delivered probes from their site of introduction on the leaf to distal plant regions. VACNF arrays thus offer an attractive microdelivery method for the introduction of biomolecules and other probes into trees and potentially other types of plants.« less

Carbon nanofibers arrays: A novel tool for microdelivery of biomolecules to plants

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

Davern, Sandra M.; McKnight, Timothy E.; Kalluri, Udaya C.

Effective methods for delivering bioprobes into the cells of intact plants are essential for investigating diverse biological processes. Increasing research on trees, such as Populus spp., for bioenergy applications is driving the need for techniques that work well with tree species. This report introduces vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) arrays as a new tool for microdelivery of labeled molecules to Populus leaf tissue and whole plants. We demonstrated that VACNFs penetrate the leaf surface to deliver sub-microliter quantities of solution containing fluorescent or radiolabeled molecules into Populus leaf cells. Importantly, VACNFs proved to be gentler than abrasion with carborundum, amore » common way to introduce material into leaves. Unlike carborundum, VACNFs did not disrupt cell or tissue integrity, nor did they induce production of hydrogen peroxide, a typical wound response. We show that femtomole to picomole quantities of labeled molecules (fluorescent dyes, small proteins and dextran), ranging from 0.5–500 kDa, can be introduced by VACNFs, and we demonstrate the use of the approach to track delivered probes from their site of introduction on the leaf to distal plant regions. VACNF arrays thus offer an attractive microdelivery method for the introduction of biomolecules and other probes into trees and potentially other types of plants.« less

Carbon Nanofiber Arrays: A Novel Tool for Microdelivery of Biomolecules to Plants

PubMed Central

Davern, Sandra M.; McKnight, Timothy E.; Morrell-Falvey, Jennifer L.; Shpak, Elena D.; Kalluri, Udaya C.; Jelenska, Joanna; Greenberg, Jean T.; Mirzadeh, Saed

2016-01-01

Effective methods for delivering bioprobes into the cells of intact plants are essential for investigating diverse biological processes. Increasing research on trees, such as Populus spp., for bioenergy applications is driving the need for techniques that work well with tree species. This report introduces vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (VACNF) arrays as a new tool for microdelivery of labeled molecules to Populus leaf tissue and whole plants. We demonstrated that VACNFs penetrate the leaf surface to deliver sub-microliter quantities of solution containing fluorescent or radiolabeled molecules into Populus leaf cells. Importantly, VACNFs proved to be gentler than abrasion with carborundum, a common way to introduce material into leaves. Unlike carborundum, VACNFs did not disrupt cell or tissue integrity, nor did they induce production of hydrogen peroxide, a typical wound response. We show that femtomole to picomole quantities of labeled molecules (fluorescent dyes, small proteins and dextran), ranging from 0.5–500 kDa, can be introduced by VACNFs, and we demonstrate the use of the approach to track delivered probes from their site of introduction on the leaf to distal plant regions. VACNF arrays thus offer an attractive microdelivery method for the introduction of biomolecules and other probes into trees and potentially other types of plants. PMID:27119338

40 CFR 761.212 - Transporter compliance with the manifest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) MANUFACTURING, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE, AND USE PROHIBITIONS PCB Waste Disposal Records and Reports § 761.212 Transporter compliance with the manifest. (a) The transporter must deliver the entire quantity of PCB waste which he has accepted...

40 CFR 761.212 - Transporter compliance with the manifest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) MANUFACTURING, PROCESSING, DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE, AND USE PROHIBITIONS PCB Waste Disposal Records and Reports § 761.212 Transporter compliance with the manifest. (a) The transporter must deliver the entire quantity of PCB waste which he has accepted...

Computer-Delivered Interventions to Reduce College Student Drinking: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Carey, Kate B.; Scott-Sheldon, Lori A. J.; Elliott, Jennifer C.; Bolles, Jamie R.; Carey, Michael P.

2009-01-01

Aims This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and moderators of computer-delivered interventions (CDIs) to reduce alcohol use among college students. Methods We included 35 manuscripts with 43 separate interventions, and calculated both between-group and within-group effect sizes for alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Effects sizes were calculated for short-term (≤ 5 weeks) and longer-term (≥ 6 weeks) intervals. All studies were coded for study descriptors, participant characteristics, and intervention components. Results The effects of CDIs depended on the nature of the comparison condition: CDIs reduced quantity and frequency measures relative to assessment-only controls, but rarely differed from comparison conditions that included alcohol content. Small-to-medium within-group effect sizes can be expected for CDIs at short- and longer-term follow-ups; these changes are less than or equivalent to the within-group effect sizes observed for more intensive interventions. Conclusions CDIs reduce the quantity and frequency of drinking among college students. CDIs are generally equivalent to alternative alcohol-related comparison interventions. PMID:19744139

Positive lubrication system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Dennis W.; Hooper, Fred L.

1990-01-01

As part of the development of an autonomous lubrication system for spin bearings, a system was developed to deliver oil to grease-lubricated bearings upon demand. This positive oil delivery system (PLUS) consists of a pressurized reservoir with a built-in solenoid valve that delivers a predictable quantity of oil to the spin bearing through a system of stainless steel tubes. Considerable testing was performed on the PLUS to characterize its performance and verify its effectiveness, along with qualifying it for flight. Additional development is underway that will lead to the fully autonomous active lubrication system.

Handling the Diversity in the Coming Flood of InSAR Data with the InSAR Scientific Computing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, P. A.; Gurrola, E. M.; Sacco, G. F.; Agram, P. S.; Lavalle, M.; Zebker, H. A.

2014-12-01

The NASA ESTO-developed InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) provides acomputing framework for geodetic image processing for InSAR sensors that ismodular, flexible, and extensible, enabling scientists to reduce measurementsdirectly from a diverse array of radar satellites and aircraft to newgeophysical products. ISCE can serve as the core of a centralized processingcenter to bring Level-0 raw radar data up to Level-3 data products, but isadaptable to alternative processing approaches for science users interested innew and different ways to exploit mission data. This is accomplished throughrigorous componentization of processing codes, abstraction and generalization ofdata models, and a xml-based input interface with multi-level prioritizedcontrol of the component configurations depending on the science processingcontext. The proposed NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission would deliver data ofunprecedented quantity and quality, making possible global-scale studies inclimate research, natural hazards, and Earth's ecosystems. ISCE is planned tobecome a key element in processing projected NISAR data into higher level dataproducts, enabling a new class of analyses that take greater advantage of thelong time and large spatial scales of these new data than current approaches.NISAR would be but one mission in a constellation of radar satellites in thefuture delivering such data. ISCE has been incorporated into two prototypecloud-based systems that have demonstrated its elasticity to addressing largerdata processing problems in a "production" context and its ability to becontrolled by individual science users on the cloud for large data problems.

Sandia National Laboratories: Working with Sandia: Accounts Payable

Science.gov Websites

Payable iSupplier Account Accounts Payable Invoice Processing E-invoice Contract Information Construction and Facilities Contract Audit Working with Sandia Accounts Payable Invoice processing Electronic and quantity of property or services actually delivered or rendered (as stated in the contract

10 CFR 40.13 - Unimportant quantities of source material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... receives, possesses, uses, transfers or delivers source material in any chemical mixture, compound... commercially manufactured glass brick, pane glass, ceramic tile, or other glass or ceramic used in construction... authorize the chemical, physical or metallurgical treatment or processing of any such product or part; and...

Short-range, overpressure-driven methane migration in coarse-grained gas hydrate reservoirs

DOE PAGES

Nole, Michael; Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann E.; ...

2016-08-31

Two methane migration mechanisms have been proposed for coarse-grained gas hydrate reservoirs: short-range diffusive gas migration and long-range advective fluid transport from depth. Herein we demonstrate that short-range fluid flow due to overpressure in marine sediments is a significant additional methane transport mechanism that allows hydrate to precipitate in large quantities in thick, coarse-grained hydrate reservoirs. Two-dimensional simulations demonstrate that this migration mechanism, short-range advective transport, can supply significant amounts of dissolved gas and is unencumbered by limitations of the other two end-member mechanisms. Here, short-range advective migration can increase the amount of methane delivered to sands as compared tomore » the slow process of diffusion, yet it is not necessarily limited by effective porosity reduction as is typical of updip advection from a deep source.« less

Short-range, overpressure-driven methane migration in coarse-grained gas hydrate reservoirs

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

Nole, Michael; Daigle, Hugh; Cook, Ann E.

Two methane migration mechanisms have been proposed for coarse-grained gas hydrate reservoirs: short-range diffusive gas migration and long-range advective fluid transport from depth. Herein we demonstrate that short-range fluid flow due to overpressure in marine sediments is a significant additional methane transport mechanism that allows hydrate to precipitate in large quantities in thick, coarse-grained hydrate reservoirs. Two-dimensional simulations demonstrate that this migration mechanism, short-range advective transport, can supply significant amounts of dissolved gas and is unencumbered by limitations of the other two end-member mechanisms. Here, short-range advective migration can increase the amount of methane delivered to sands as compared tomore » the slow process of diffusion, yet it is not necessarily limited by effective porosity reduction as is typical of updip advection from a deep source.« less

Surface modification technologies using concentrated solar radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitts, J. Roland; Stanley, J. T.; Tracy, Ed; Fields, C. L.

Research conducted at the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) during the past three years addressed a number of the critical areas and has explored the possibility of using highly concentrated solar radiation to induce beneficial surface transformation. The principal goal is to develop new coatings and processes that improve the performance and lifetime of materials at reduced processing costs. Highly concentrated radiant energy provides a controllable means of delivering large flux densities to solid surfaces, where the resulting thermal energy can cause phase changes, atomic migrations, and chemical reactions on a surface without greatly perturbing the bulk properties; alternatively, the photons may directly interact with species on the surface. These changes may result in improved properties of the materials by making the surface harder, more resistant to corrosion or wear, thermally resistant, or with lower coefficients of friction. In a solar furnace, this flux can be delivered in large quantities over large areas, or it can be tailored to match the demands of a particular process. Furthermore, this occurs without the environmental liability associated with providing power to more conventional light sources. Recent work at SERI has used fluxes in the range from 100 to 250 w/sq cm for inducing such beneficial surface transformations. Significant results have been obtained in the area of phase transformation hardening of steels and melting powders and preapplied coatings to form fully dense, well-bonded coatings on the surface. New directions in coating technology using highly concentrated solar beams to induce chemical vapor deposition processes are described. Application areas that have not been researched in detail but would appear to be good matches to the solar technology are also reviewed.

48 CFR 227.7103-2 - Acquisition of technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Identify the type and quantity of the technical data to be delivered under the contract and the format and...-price type contract; (4) Include delivery schedules and acceptance criteria for each deliverable data... data. 227.7103-2 Section 227.7103-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION...

48 CFR 227.7103-2 - Acquisition of technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Identify the type and quantity of the technical data to be delivered under the contract and the format and...-price type contract; (4) Include delivery schedules and acceptance criteria for each deliverable data... data. 227.7103-2 Section 227.7103-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION...

48 CFR 27.403 - Data rights-General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... clauses do not specify the type, quantity or quality of data that is to be delivered, but only the... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Data rights-General. 27... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.403 Data rights...

48 CFR 27.403 - Data rights-General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... clauses do not specify the type, quantity or quality of data that is to be delivered, but only the... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Data rights-General. 27... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.403 Data rights...

48 CFR 27.403 - Data rights-General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... clauses do not specify the type, quantity or quality of data that is to be delivered, but only the... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Data rights-General. 27... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.403 Data rights...

48 CFR 227.7103-2 - Acquisition of technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Identify the type and quantity of the technical data to be delivered under the contract and the format and...-price type contract; (4) Include delivery schedules and acceptance criteria for each deliverable data... data. 227.7103-2 Section 227.7103-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION...

48 CFR 27.403 - Data rights-General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... clauses do not specify the type, quantity or quality of data that is to be delivered, but only the... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Data rights-General. 27... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS Rights in Data and Copyrights 27.403 Data rights...

48 CFR 227.7103-2 - Acquisition of technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Identify the type and quantity of the technical data to be delivered under the contract and the format and...-price type contract; (4) Include delivery schedules and acceptance criteria for each deliverable data... data. 227.7103-2 Section 227.7103-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION...

48 CFR 227.7103-2 - Acquisition of technical data.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Identify the type and quantity of the technical data to be delivered under the contract and the format and...-price type contract; (4) Include delivery schedules and acceptance criteria for each deliverable data... data. 227.7103-2 Section 227.7103-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION...

17 CFR 229.1207 - (Item 1207) Delivery commitments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... information required by this Item: (1) In a form understandable to investors; and (2) Based upon the facts and... subject to priorities or curtailments which may affect quantities delivered to certain classes of... factors beyond the registrant's control that may affect the registrant's ability to meet its contractual...

Linkages between forest soils and water quality and quantity

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; George G. Ice; C. Rhett Jackson

2009-01-01

The most sustainable and best quality fresh water sources in the world originate in forest ecosystems. The biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of forest soils are particularly well suited to delivering high quality water to streams, moderating stream hydrology, and providing diverse aquatic habitat. Forest soils feature litter layers and...

A site-based approach to delivering rangeland ecosystem services

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rangeland ecosystems are capable of providing an array of ecosystem services important to the wellbeing of society. Some of these services (e.g. meat, fibre) are transported to markets and their quantity, quality and value are established via a set of widely accepted standards. Other services (e.g. ...

Markush enumeration to manage, mesh and manipulate substances of unknown or variable composition (ACS Fall meeting 5 of 12)

EPA Science Inventory

The National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) at the US Environmental Protection Agency has measured, assembled and delivered an enormous quantity and diversity of data for the environmental sciences. This includes high-throughput in vitro screening data, legacy in vivo...

Public Access to Environmental Chemistry Data via the CompTox Chemistry Dashboard (ACS Fall Meeting 6 of 12)

EPA Science Inventory

The National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) has assembled and delivered an enormous quantity and diversity of data for the environmental sciences through the CompTox Chemistry Dashboard. These data include high-throughput in vitro screening data, in vivo and functiona...

Weighing trees with lasers: advances, challenges and opportunities

PubMed Central

Boni Vicari, M.; Burt, A.; Calders, K.; Lewis, S. L.; Raumonen, P.; Wilkes, P.

2018-01-01

Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is providing exciting new ways to quantify tree and forest structure, particularly above-ground biomass (AGB). We show how TLS can address some of the key uncertainties and limitations of current approaches to estimating AGB based on empirical allometric scaling equations (ASEs) that underpin all large-scale estimates of AGB. TLS provides extremely detailed non-destructive measurements of tree form independent of tree size and shape. We show examples of three-dimensional (3D) TLS measurements from various tropical and temperate forests and describe how the resulting TLS point clouds can be used to produce quantitative 3D models of branch and trunk size, shape and distribution. These models can drastically improve estimates of AGB, provide new, improved large-scale ASEs, and deliver insights into a range of fundamental tree properties related to structure. Large quantities of detailed measurements of individual 3D tree structure also have the potential to open new and exciting avenues of research in areas where difficulties of measurement have until now prevented statistical approaches to detecting and understanding underlying patterns of scaling, form and function. We discuss these opportunities and some of the challenges that remain to be overcome to enable wider adoption of TLS methods. PMID:29503726

How effective are brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption: do the setting, practitioner group and content matter? Findings from a systematic review and metaregression analysis

PubMed Central

Platt, Lucy; Melendez-Torres, G J; O'Donnell, Amy; Bradley, Jennifer; Newbury-Birch, Dorothy; Kaner, Eileen; Ashton, Charlotte

2016-01-01

Background While the efficacy and effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol (ABI) have been demonstrated in primary care, there is weaker evidence in other settings and reviews do not consider differences in content. We conducted a systematic review to measure the effect of ABIs on alcohol consumption and how it differs by the setting, practitioner group and content of intervention. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO; CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index, Cochrane Library and Global Health up to January 2015 for randomised controlled trials that measured effectiveness of ABIs on alcohol consumption. We grouped outcomes into measures of quantity and frequency indices. We used multilevel meta-analysis to estimate pooled effect sizes and tested for the effect of moderators through a multiparameter Wald test. Stratified analysis of a subset of quantity and frequency outcomes was conducted as a sensitivity check. Results 52 trials were included contributing data on 29 891 individuals. ABIs reduced the quantity of alcohol consumed by 0.15 SDs. While neither the setting nor content appeared to significantly moderate intervention effectiveness, the provider did in some analyses. Interventions delivered by nurses had the most effect in reducing quantity (d=−0.23, 95% CI (−0.33 to −0.13)) but not frequency of alcohol consumption. All content groups had statistically significant mean effects, brief advice was the most effective in reducing quantity consumed (d=−0.20, 95% CI (−0.30 to −0.09)). Effects were maintained in the stratified sensitivity analysis at the first and last assessment time. Conclusions ABIs play a small but significant role in reducing alcohol consumption. Findings show the positive role of nurses in delivering interventions. The lack of evidence on the impact of content of intervention reinforces advice that services should select the ABI tool that best suits their needs. PMID:27515753

Glucose lowering effect of transgenic human insulin-like growth factor-I from rice: in vitro and in vivo studies

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Human insulin-like growth factor-I (hIGF-I) is a growth factor which is highly resemble to insulin. It is essential for cell proliferation and has been proposed for treatment of various endocrine-associated diseases including growth hormone insensitivity syndrome and diabetes mellitus. In the present study, an efficient plant expression system was developed to produce biologically active recombinant hIGF-I (rhIGF-I) in transgenic rice grains. Results The plant-codon-optimized hIGF-I was introduced into rice via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. To enhance the stability and yield of rhIGF-I, the endoplasmic reticulum-retention signal and glutelin signal peptide were used to deliver rhIGF-I to endoplasmic reticulum for stable accumulation. We found that only glutelin signal peptide could lead to successful expression of hIGF-I and one gram of hIGF-I rice grain possessed the maximum activity level equivalent to 3.2 micro molar of commercial rhIGF-I. In vitro functional analysis showed that the rice-derived rhIGF-I was effective in inducing membrane ruffling and glucose uptake on rat skeletal muscle cells. Oral meal test with rice-containing rhIGF-I acutely reduced blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced and Zucker diabetic rats, whereas it had no effect in normal rats. Conclusion Our findings provided an alternative expression system to produce large quantities of biologically active rhIGF-I. The provision of large quantity of recombinant proteins will promote further research on the therapeutic potential of rhIGF-I. PMID:21486461

A small quantity of sodium arsenite will kill large cull hardwoods

Treesearch

Francis M. Rushmore

1956-01-01

Although it is well known that sodium arsenite is an effective silvicide, forestry literature contains little information about the minimum quantities of this chemical that are required to kill large cull trees. Such information would be of value because if small quantities of a chemical will produce satisfactory results, small holes or frills in the tree will hold it...

Metrology and the State: Science, Revenue, and Commerce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, William J.

2004-11-01

``Natural measures of quantity, such as fathoms, cubits, inches, taken from the proportion of the human body, were once in use with every nation,'' taught Adam Smith in his lecture ``Money as the measure of value and medium of exchange,'' delivered in 1763. ``But by a little observation,'' he continued, ``they found that one man's arm was longer or shorter than another's, and that one was not to be compared with the other; and therefore wise men who attended to these things would endeavour to fix upon some more accurate measure, that equal quantities might be of equal values. Their method became absolutely necessary when people came to deal in many commodities, and in great quantities of them (1).'' Smith's comments and the rationale underpinning them became increasingly urgent toward the end of the eighteenth century.

Low-residue euthanasia of stranded mysticetes.

PubMed

Harms, Craig A; McLellan, William A; Moore, Michael J; Barco, Susan G; Clarke, Elsburgh O; Thayer, Victoria G; Rowles, Teresa K

2014-01-01

Euthanasia of stranded large whales poses logistic, safety, pharmaceutical, delivery, public relations, and disposal challenges. Reasonable arguments may be made for allowing a stranded whale to expire naturally. However, slow cardiovascular collapse from gravitational effects outside of neutral buoyancy, often combined with severely debilitating conditions, motivate humane efforts to end the animal's suffering. The size of the animal and prevailing environmental conditions often pose safety concerns for stranding personnel, which take priority over other considerations. When considering chemical euthanasia, the size of the animal also necessitates large quantities of euthanasia agents. Drug residues are a concern for relay toxicity to scavengers, particularly for pentobarbital-containing euthanasia solutions. Pentobarbital is also an environmental concern because of its stability and long persistence in aquatic environments. We describe a euthanasia technique for stranded mysticetes using readily available, relatively inexpensive, preanesthetic and anesthetic drugs (midazolam, acepromazine, xylazine) followed by saturated KCl delivered via custom-made needles and a low-cost, basic, pressurized canister. This method provides effective euthanasia while moderating personnel exposure to hazardous situations and minimizing drug residues of concern for relay toxicity.

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

Thomas, C.E.; Kuhn, I.F. Jr.

The fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is undoubtedly the only option that can meet both the California zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standard and the President`s goal of tripling automobile efficiency without sacrificing performance in a standard 5-passenger vehicle. The three major automobile companies are designing and developing FCEVs powered directly by hydrogen under cost-shared contracts with the Department of Energy. Once developed, these vehicles will need a reliable and inexpensive source of hydrogen. Steam reforming of natural gas would produce the least expensive hydrogen, but funding may not be sufficient initially to build both large steam reforming plants and themore » transportation infrastructure necessary to deliver that hydrogen to geographically scattered FCEV fleets or individual drivers. This analysis evaluates the economic feasibility of using small scale water electrolysis to provide widely dispersed but cost-effective hydrogen for early FCEV demonstrations. We estimate the cost of manufacturing a complete electrolysis system in large quantities, including compression and storage, and show that electrolytic hydrogen could be cost competitive with fully taxed gasoline, using existing residential off-peak electricity rates.« less

21 CFR 201.62 - Declaration of net quantity of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... generally parallel to the base on which the package rests as it is designed to be displayed: Provided, That...: Provided, That in the case of drugs packed in containers designed to deliver the drug under pressure, the... contrast (by typography, layout, color, embossing, or molding) to other matter on the package; except that...

21 CFR 201.62 - Declaration of net quantity of contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... generally parallel to the base on which the package rests as it is designed to be displayed: Provided, That...: Provided, That in the case of drugs packed in containers designed to deliver the drug under pressure, the... contrast (by typography, layout, color, embossing, or molding) to other matter on the package; except that...

7 CFR 993.104 - Lot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... means any quantity of prunes delivered by one producer or one dehydrator to a handler on which... 30 “ton box” containers or (2), if in other containers, not more than 60,000 pounds of prunes. If the... production of one calendar day and packed during such day in one size and style of container or (ii) the...

7 CFR 993.104 - Lot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... means any quantity of prunes delivered by one producer or one dehydrator to a handler on which... 30 “ton box” containers or (2), if in other containers, not more than 60,000 pounds of prunes. If the... production of one calendar day and packed during such day in one size and style of container or (ii) the...

7 CFR 993.104 - Lot.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... means any quantity of prunes delivered by one producer or one dehydrator to a handler on which... 30 “ton box” containers or (2), if in other containers, not more than 60,000 pounds of prunes. If the... production of one calendar day and packed during such day in one size and style of container or (ii) the...

Factors Associated with Teacher Delivery of a Classroom-Based Tier 2 Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Kevin S; Conroy, Maureen A; McLeod, Bryce D; Algina, James; Kunemund, Rachel L

2018-01-01

Teachers sometimes struggle to deliver evidence based programs designed to prevent and ameliorate chronic problem behaviors of young children with integrity. Identifying factors associated with variations in the quantity and quality of delivery is thus an important goal for the field. This study investigated factors associated with teacher…

7 CFR 59.103 - Mandatory weekly reporting for steers and heifers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... heifer packer processing plant shall report to the Secretary on the first reporting day of each week, not later than 9 a.m. central time, the following information applicable to the prior slaughter week... that were slaughtered; (4) The quantity of cattle delivered under a formula marketing arrangement that...

An Inexpensive Infrared Detector to Verify the Delivery of Food Pellets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinkston, Jonathan W.; Ratzlaff, Kenneth L.; Madden, Gregory J.; Fowler, Stephen C.

2008-01-01

The reproducibility of experimental outcomes depends on consistent control of independent variables. In food-maintained operant performance, it is of utmost importance that the quantity of food delivered is reliable. To that end, some commercial food pellet dispensers have add-on attachments to sense the delivery of pellets. Not all companies,…

17 CFR 240.15c3-1 - Net capital requirements for brokers or dealers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... paragraph (c)(2)(iv)(E) of this section), mutual fund concessions receivable and management fees receivable... financial position, its internal risk management system, or its compliance history; and (iii) Comply with... receivable related to securities of the same issue and quantity thereof which are either fails to deliver or...

26 CFR 1.1233-1 - Gains and losses from short sales.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... makes a short sale of shares of stock and covers the short sale by purchasing and delivering shares...) Treatment of losses. The third rule, which is set forth in section 1233(d), is applicable whenever property... loss attributable to so much of the property sold short as exceeds in quantity the substantially...

Spatial and temporal quantification of forest residue volumes and delivered costs

Treesearch

Lucas A. Wells; Woodam Chung; Nathaniel M. Anderson; John S. Hogland

2016-01-01

Growing demand for bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts has increased interests in the utilization of biomass residues from forest treatments as feedstock. In areas with limited history of industrial biomass utilization, uncertainties in the quantity, distribution, and cost of biomass production and logistics can hinder the development of new bio-based...

7 CFR 1427.21 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... § 1427.21 Settlement. (a) The settlement of cotton loans will be made by CCC on the basis of the quality and quantity of the cotton delivered to CCC by the producer or acquired by CCC subject to the producer... maximum storage credit rates as determined and announced by CCC. (b) For purposes of settlements for...

7 CFR 1427.21 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... § 1427.21 Settlement. (a) The settlement of cotton loans will be made by CCC on the basis of the quality and quantity of the cotton delivered to CCC by the producer or acquired by CCC subject to the producer... maximum storage credit rates as determined and announced by CCC. (b) For purposes of settlements for...

7 CFR 1427.21 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... § 1427.21 Settlement. (a) The settlement of cotton loans will be made by CCC on the basis of the quality and quantity of the cotton delivered to CCC by the producer or acquired by CCC subject to the producer... maximum storage credit rates as determined and announced by CCC. (b) For purposes of settlements for...

7 CFR 1427.21 - Settlement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... § 1427.21 Settlement. (a) The settlement of cotton loans will be made by CCC on the basis of the quality and quantity of the cotton delivered to CCC by the producer or acquired by CCC subject to the producer... maximum storage credit rates as determined and announced by CCC. (b) For purposes of settlements for...

Development of a Charged-Particle Accumulator Using an RF Confinement Method

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-12

antiparticles (antiprotons and positrons), and to produce a large quantity of antimatter . Antihydrogen atoms have recently been produced using Penning...ultimate goal is to trap a large number of antiparticles and to produce a large quantity of antimatter . 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF

A Comparative of Life Cycle Assessment of a Conventional Van and a Battery Electric Van for an Online Shopping System in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koiwanit, J.; Hamontree, C.

2018-05-01

The transportation sector is responsible for one of the main emitters of large quantities of pollutions to the atmosphere, which impacts local, regional or global environment receptors. In Thailand, many retail chains have been trying to launch many campaigns and projects to reduce GHG emissions together with offering the best convenience services to serve customers’ needs. By promoting an online shopping system for the workplace, this will mitigate even more of the air pollutants than the conventional online shopping system, where the products are delivered to customer’s doorsteps. This study aims to investigate and compare the impact of different vehicle technologies for an online shopping using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology especially in the vehicle use phase. The observed results showed that the electric van has the potential of reducing emissions and consequently showed lower impacts in most impact categories.

Disposable and removable nucleic acid extraction and purification cartridges for automated flow-through systems

DOEpatents

Regan, John Frederick

2014-09-09

Removable cartridges are used on automated flow-through systems for the purpose of extracting and purifying genetic material from complex matrices. Different types of cartridges are paired with specific automated protocols to concentrate, extract, and purifying pathogenic or human genetic material. Their flow-through nature allows large quantities sample to be processed. Matrices may be filtered using size exclusion and/or affinity filters to concentrate the pathogen of interest. Lysed material is ultimately passed through a filter to remove the insoluble material before the soluble genetic material is delivered past a silica-like membrane that binds the genetic material, where it is washed, dried, and eluted. Cartridges are inserted into the housing areas of flow-through automated instruments, which are equipped with sensors to ensure proper placement and usage of the cartridges. Properly inserted cartridges create fluid- and air-tight seals with the flow lines of an automated instrument.

Clinical governance and operations management methodologies.

PubMed

Davies, C; Walley, P

2000-01-01

The clinical governance mechanism, introduced since 1998 in the UK National Health Service (NHS), aims to deliver high quality care with efficient, effective and cost-effective patient services. Scally and Donaldson recognised that new approaches are needed, and operations management techniques comprise potentially powerful methodologies in understanding the process of care, which can be applied both within and across professional boundaries. This paper summarises four studies in hospital Trusts which took approaches to improving process that were different from and less structured than business process re-engineering (BPR). The problems were then amenable to change at a relatively low cost and short timescale, producing significant improvement to patient care. This less structured approach to operations management avoided incurring overhead costs of large scale and costly change such as new information technology (IT) systems. The most successful changes were brought about by formal tools to control quantity, content and timing of changes.

Economic order quantity (EOQ) by game theory approach in probabilistic supply chain system under service level constraint for items with imperfect quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, R.

2018-03-01

In this paper, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) of probabilistic two-level supply – chain system for items with imperfect quality has been analyzed under service level constraint. A firm applies an active service level constraint to avoid unpredictable shortage terms in the objective function. Mathematical analysis of optimal result is delivered using two equilibrium scheme concept in game theory approach. Stackelberg’s equilibrium for cooperative strategy and Stackelberg’s Equilibrium for noncooperative strategy. This is a new approach to game theory result in inventory system whether service level constraint is applied by a firm in his moves.

Process to improve boiler operation by supplemental firing with thermally beneficiated low rank coal

DOEpatents

Sheldon, Ray W.

2001-01-01

The invention described is a process for improving the performance of a commercial coal or lignite fired boiler system by supplementing its normal coal supply with a controlled quantity of thermally beneficiated low rank coal, (TBLRC). This supplemental TBLRC can be delivered either to the solid fuel mill (pulverizer) or directly to the coal burner feed pipe. Specific benefits are supplied based on knowledge of equipment types that may be employed on a commercial scale to complete the process. The thermally beneficiated low rank coal can be delivered along with regular coal or intermittently with regular coal as the needs require.

Bed load transport in gravel-bed rivers

Treesearch

Jeffrey J. Barry

2007-01-01

Bed load transport is a fundamental physical process in alluvial rivers, building and maintaining a channel geometry that reflects both the quantity and timing of water and the volume and caliber of sediment delivered from the watershed. A variety of formulae have been developed to predict bed load transport in gravel-bed rivers, but testing of the equations in natural...

Combining fire and erosion modeling to target forest management activities

Treesearch

William J. Elliot; Mary Ellen Miller; Nic Enstice

2015-01-01

Forests deliver a number of important ecosystem services including clean water. When forests are disturbed by wildfire, the timing, quantity and quality of runoff are altered. A modeling study was carried out in a forested watershed in California to determine the risk of wildfire, and the potential post-fire sediment delivery from approximately 6-ha hillslope polygons...

Targeting forest management through fire and erosion modeling

Treesearch

William J. Elliot; Mary Ellen Miller; Nic Enstice

2016-01-01

Forests deliver a number of important ecosystem services, including clean water. When forests are disturbed by wildfire, the timing, quantity and quality of runoff are altered. A modelling study was conducted in a forested watershed in California, USA, to determine the risk of wildfire, and the potential post-fire sediment delivery from ~4-ha hillslope polygons within...

A Half Century of Special Education: What We Have Achieved and the Challenges We Face

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weintraub, Frederick J.

2012-01-01

Almost 50 years ago, while President of CEC, Frances Connor delivered a presidential address entitled "The Sword and the Spirit." She called for five revolutions. The first revolution called for increasing the quantity and quality of special education teachers. The second stated that "special education depends upon an intensive…

40 CFR 1043.80 - Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for fuel suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... supplier. (5) Fuel type and designation under 40 CFR part 80. (6) Quantity in metric tons. (7) Density at... measure density and sulfur content according to the specifications of Annex VI, or according to other equivalent methods that we approve. Where the density and/or sulfur content of the delivered fuel cannot be...

40 CFR 1043.80 - Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for fuel suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... supplier. (5) Fuel type and designation under 40 CFR part 80. (6) Quantity in metric tons. (7) Density at... measure density and sulfur content according to the specifications of Annex VI, or according to other equivalent methods that we approve. Where the density and/or sulfur content of the delivered fuel cannot be...

40 CFR 1043.80 - Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for fuel suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... supplier. (5) Fuel type and designation under 40 CFR part 80. (6) Quantity in metric tons. (7) Density at... measure density and sulfur content according to the specifications of Annex VI, or according to other equivalent methods that we approve. Where the density and/or sulfur content of the delivered fuel cannot be...

40 CFR 1043.80 - Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for fuel suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... supplier. (5) Fuel type and designation under 40 CFR part 80. (6) Quantity in metric tons. (7) Density at... measure density and sulfur content according to the specifications of Annex VI, or according to other equivalent methods that we approve. Where the density and/or sulfur content of the delivered fuel cannot be...

40 CFR 1043.80 - Recordkeeping and reporting requirements for fuel suppliers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... supplier. (5) Fuel type and designation under 40 CFR part 80. (6) Quantity in metric tons. (7) Density at... measure density and sulfur content according to the specifications of Annex VI, or according to other equivalent methods that we approve. Where the density and/or sulfur content of the delivered fuel cannot be...

Singlet oxygen explicit dosimetry to predict long-term local tumor control for BPD-mediated photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Michele M.; Penjweini, Rozhin; Ong, Yi Hong; Zhu, Timothy C.

2017-02-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-established treatment modality for cancer and other malignant diseases; however, quantities such as light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching rate, and PDT dose do not fully account for all of the dynamic interactions between the key components involved. In particular, fluence rate (Φ) effects are not accounted for, which has a large effect on the oxygen consumption rate. In this preclinical study, reacted singlet oxygen [1O2]rx was investigated as a dosimetric quantity for PDT outcome. The ability of [1O2]rx to predict the long-term local tumor control rate (LCR) for BPD-mediated PDT was examined. Mice bearing radioactivelyinduced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were treated with different in-air fluences (250, 300, and 350 J/cm2) and in-air ϕ (75, 100, and150 mW/cm2) with a BPD dose of 1 mg/kg and a drug-light interval of 3 hours. Treatment was delivered with a collimated laser beam of 1 cm diameter at 690 nm. Explicit dosimetry of initial tissue oxygen concentration, tissue optical properties, and BPD concentration was used to calculate [1O2]rx. Φ was calculated for the treatment volume based on Monte-Carlo simulations and measured tissue optical properties. Kaplan-Meier analyses for LCR were done for an endpoint of tumor volume <= 100 mm3 using four dose metrics: light fluence, photosensitizer photobleaching rate, PDT dose, and [1O2]rx. PDT dose was defined as the product of the timeintegral of photosensitizer concentration and Φ at a 3 mm tumor depth. Preliminary studies show that [1O2]rx better correlates with LCR and is an effective dosimetric quantity that can predict treatment outcome.

40 CFR 273.37 - Response to releases.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 273.37 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.37... of universal wastes and other residues from universal wastes. (b) A large quantity handler of...

40 CFR 273.38 - Off-site shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

....38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.38 Off-site shipments. (a) A large quantity handler of universal waste is prohibited from sending or...

40 CFR 273.38 - Off-site shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.38 Off-site shipments. (a) A large quantity handler of universal waste is prohibited from sending or...

40 CFR 273.38 - Off-site shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.38 Off-site shipments. (a) A large quantity handler of universal waste is prohibited from sending or...

40 CFR 273.38 - Off-site shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

....38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.38 Off-site shipments. (a) A large quantity handler of universal waste is prohibited from sending or...

40 CFR 273.38 - Off-site shipments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

....38 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.38 Off-site shipments. (a) A large quantity handler of universal waste is prohibited from sending or...

Cryogenic Fluid Management Technology and Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Brian D.; Caffrey, Jarvis; Hedayat, Ali; Stephens, Jonathan; Polsgrove, Robert

2016-01-01

Cryogenic fluid management (CFM) is critical to the success of future nuclear thermal propulsion powered vehicles. While this is an issue for any propulsion system utilizing cryogenic propellants, this is made more challenging by the radiation flux produced by the reactor in a nuclear thermal rocket (NTR). Managing the cryogenic fuel to prevent propellant loss to boil off and leakage is needed to limit the required quantity of propellant to a reasonable level. Analysis shows deposition of energy into liquid hydrogen fuel tanks in the vicinity of the nuclear thermal engine. This is on top of ambient environment sources of heat. Investments in cryogenic/thermal management systems (some of which are ongoing at various organizations) are needed in parallel to nuclear thermal engine development in order to one day see the successful operation of an entire stage. High durability, low thermal conductivity insulation is one developmental need. Light weight cryocoolers capable of removing heat from large fluid volumes at temperatures as low as approx. 20 K are needed to remove heat leak from the propellant of an NTR. Valve leakage is an additional CFM issue of great importance. Leakage rates of state of the art, launch vehicle size valves (which is approximately the size valves needed for a Mars transfer vehicle) are quite high and would result in large quantities of lost propellant over a long duration mission. Additionally, the liquid acquisition system inside the propellant tank must deliver properly conditioned propellant to the feed line for successful engine operation and avoid intake of warm or gaseous propellant. Analysis of the thermal environment and the CFM technology development are discussed in the accompanying presentation.

How effective are brief interventions in reducing alcohol consumption: do the setting, practitioner group and content matter? Findings from a systematic review and metaregression analysis.

PubMed

Platt, Lucy; Melendez-Torres, G J; O'Donnell, Amy; Bradley, Jennifer; Newbury-Birch, Dorothy; Kaner, Eileen; Ashton, Charlotte

2016-08-11

While the efficacy and effectiveness of brief interventions for alcohol (ABI) have been demonstrated in primary care, there is weaker evidence in other settings and reviews do not consider differences in content. We conducted a systematic review to measure the effect of ABIs on alcohol consumption and how it differs by the setting, practitioner group and content of intervention. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO; CINAHL, Social Science Citation Index, Cochrane Library and Global Health up to January 2015 for randomised controlled trials that measured effectiveness of ABIs on alcohol consumption. We grouped outcomes into measures of quantity and frequency indices. We used multilevel meta-analysis to estimate pooled effect sizes and tested for the effect of moderators through a multiparameter Wald test. Stratified analysis of a subset of quantity and frequency outcomes was conducted as a sensitivity check. 52 trials were included contributing data on 29 891 individuals. ABIs reduced the quantity of alcohol consumed by 0.15 SDs. While neither the setting nor content appeared to significantly moderate intervention effectiveness, the provider did in some analyses. Interventions delivered by nurses had the most effect in reducing quantity (d=-0.23, 95% CI (-0.33 to -0.13)) but not frequency of alcohol consumption. All content groups had statistically significant mean effects, brief advice was the most effective in reducing quantity consumed (d=-0.20, 95% CI (-0.30 to -0.09)). Effects were maintained in the stratified sensitivity analysis at the first and last assessment time. ABIs play a small but significant role in reducing alcohol consumption. Findings show the positive role of nurses in delivering interventions. The lack of evidence on the impact of content of intervention reinforces advice that services should select the ABI tool that best suits their needs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A Dynamic Bayesian Network Model for the Production and Inventory Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Ji-Sun; Takazaki, Noriyuki; Lee, Tae-Hong; Kim, Jin-Il; Lee, Hee-Hyol

In general, the production quantities and delivered goods are changed randomly and then the total stock is also changed randomly. This paper deals with the production and inventory control using the Dynamic Bayesian Network. Bayesian Network is a probabilistic model which represents the qualitative dependence between two or more random variables by the graph structure, and indicates the quantitative relations between individual variables by the conditional probability. The probabilistic distribution of the total stock is calculated through the propagation of the probability on the network. Moreover, an adjusting rule of the production quantities to maintain the probability of a lower limit and a ceiling of the total stock to certain values is shown.

Large-scale preparation of plasmid DNA.

PubMed

Heilig, J S; Elbing, K L; Brent, R

2001-05-01

Although the need for large quantities of plasmid DNA has diminished as techniques for manipulating small quantities of DNA have improved, occasionally large amounts of high-quality plasmid DNA are desired. This unit describes the preparation of milligram quantities of highly purified plasmid DNA. The first part of the unit describes three methods for preparing crude lysates enriched in plasmid DNA from bacterial cells grown in liquid culture: alkaline lysis, boiling, and Triton lysis. The second part describes four methods for purifying plasmid DNA in such lysates away from contaminating RNA and protein: CsCl/ethidium bromide density gradient centrifugation, polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, and size-exclusion chromatography.

An American Vital Interest: Preserving the Nuclear Enterprise Supplier Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-15

not present significant problems since multiple sources are available and the suppliers are mostly small 7 companies that rely on Honeywell for...business. However, these vendors do present occasional problems in delivering incorrect parts, quantities or documentation. Honeywell continually...rectify vendor issues that require multi-agency involvement.8 Pantex also experiences similar problems with parts they procure separately from their

Glaciers as a source of ancient and labile organic matter to the marine environment.

Treesearch

Eran Hood; Jason Fellman; Robert G.M. Spencer; Peter J. Hernes; Rick Edwards; David D' Amore; Durelle Scott

2009-01-01

Riverine organic matter supports of the order of one-fifth of estuarine metabolism. Coastal ecosystems are therefore sensitive to alteration of both the quantity and lability of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (DOM) delivered by rivers. Here we characterize streamwater DOM from 11 coastal watersheds on the Gulf of Alaska that vary widely in glacier coverage. In...

Seeing Is Believing: The Strategy behind Campaign Imagery and Its Impact on Voters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swigger, Nathaniel

2009-01-01

As television ads have become the primary tool of communication in American campaigns, research on campaign effects has focused more and more attention on how these ads influence the electorate. Little attention has been paid, however, to the visual content of these ads. Despite a format that delivers an enormous quantity of visual information,…

27 CFR 26.79 - Inspection or gauge and computation of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... shall: (a) In the case of spirits in packages, prepare a gauge record as provided in § 26.164a in... quantity of spirits described on Form 5110.51, he shall amend and initial the data in part I of the form. The revenue agent shall deliver all copies of Form 5110.51 and any accompanying package gauge record...

27 CFR 26.79 - Inspection or gauge and computation of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... shall: (a) In the case of spirits in packages, prepare a gauge record as provided in § 26.164a in... quantity of spirits described on Form 5110.51, he shall amend and initial the data in part I of the form. The revenue agent shall deliver all copies of Form 5110.51 and any accompanying package gauge record...

27 CFR 26.79 - Inspection or gauge and computation of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... shall: (a) In the case of spirits in packages, prepare a gauge record as provided in § 26.164a in... quantity of spirits described on Form 5110.51, he shall amend and initial the data in part I of the form. The revenue agent shall deliver all copies of Form 5110.51 and any accompanying package gauge record...

27 CFR 26.79 - Inspection or gauge and computation of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... shall: (a) In the case of spirits in packages, prepare a gauge record as provided in § 26.164a in... quantity of spirits described on Form 5110.51, he shall amend and initial the data in part I of the form. The revenue agent shall deliver all copies of Form 5110.51 and any accompanying package gauge record...

27 CFR 26.79 - Inspection or gauge and computation of tax.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... shall: (a) In the case of spirits in packages, prepare a gauge record as provided in § 26.164a in... quantity of spirits described on Form 5110.51, he shall amend and initial the data in part I of the form. The revenue agent shall deliver all copies of Form 5110.51 and any accompanying package gauge record...

40 CFR 273.33 - Waste management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Waste management. 273.33 Section 273...) STANDARDS FOR UNIVERSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Standards for Large Quantity Handlers of Universal Waste § 273.33 Waste management. (a) Universal waste batteries. A large quantity handler of universal waste must manage...

Rebamipide delivered by brushite cement enhances osteoblast and macrophage proliferation.

PubMed

Pujari-Palmer, Michael; Pujari-Palmer, Shiuli; Engqvist, Håkan; Karlsson Ott, Marjam

2015-01-01

Many of the bioactive agents capable of stimulating osseous regeneration, such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are limited by rapid degradation, a short bioactive half-life at the target site in vivo, or are prohibitively expensive to obtain in large quantities. Rebamipide, an amino acid modified hydroxylquinoline, can alter the expression of key mediators of bone anabolism, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), BMP-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in diverse cell types such as mucosal and endothelial cells or chondrocytes. The present study investigates whether Rebamipide enhances proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts when delivered from brushite cement. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching ability of Rebampide was tested in macrophages as a measure of bioactivity following drug release incubation times, up to 14 days. Rebamipide release from brushite occurs via non-fickian diffusion, with a rapid linear release of 9.70% ± 0.37% of drug per day for the first 5 days, and an average of 0.5%-1% per day thereafter for 30 days. Rebamipide slows the initial and final cement setting time by up to 3 and 1 minute, respectively, but does not significantly reduce the mechanical strength below 4% (weight percentage). Pre-osteoblast proliferation increases by 24% upon exposure to 0.4 uM Rebamipide, and by up to 73% when Rebamipide is delivered via brushite cement. Low doses of Rebamipide do not adversely affect peak alkaline phosphatase activity in differentiating pre-osteoblasts. Rebamipide weakly stimulates proliferation in macrophages at low concentrations (118 ± 7.4% at 1 uM), and quenches ROS by 40-60%. This is the first investigation of Rebamipide in osteoblasts.

Rebamipide Delivered by Brushite Cement Enhances Osteoblast and Macrophage Proliferation

PubMed Central

Pujari-Palmer, Michael; Pujari-Palmer, Shiuli; Engqvist, Håkan; Karlsson Ott, Marjam

2015-01-01

Many of the bioactive agents capable of stimulating osseous regeneration, such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), are limited by rapid degradation, a short bioactive half-life at the target site in vivo, or are prohibitively expensive to obtain in large quantities. Rebamipide, an amino acid modified hydroxylquinoline, can alter the expression of key mediators of bone anabolism, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2), BMP-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in diverse cell types such as mucosal and endothelial cells or chondrocytes. The present study investigates whether Rebamipide enhances proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts when delivered from brushite cement. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) quenching ability of Rebampide was tested in macrophages as a measure of bioactivity following drug release incubation times, up to 14 days. Rebamipide release from brushite occurrs via non-fickian diffusion, with a rapid linear release of 9.70% ±0.37% of drug per day for the first 5 days, and an average of 0.5%-1% per day thereafter for 30 days. Rebamipide slows the initial and final cement setting time by up to 3 and 1 minute, respectively, but does not significantly reduce the mechanical strength below 4% (weight percentage). Pre-osteoblast proliferation increases by 24% upon exposure to 0.4uM Rebamipide, and by up to 73% when Rebamipide is delivered via brushite cement. Low doses of Rebamipide do not adversely affect peak alkaline phosphatase activity in differentiating pre-osteoblasts. Rebamipide weakly stimulates proliferation in macrophages at low concentrations (118 ±7.4% at 1uM), and quenches ROS by 40-60%. This is the first investigation of Rebamipide in osteoblasts. PMID:26023912

The influence of shelf processes in delivering dissolved iron to the HNLC waters of the Drake Passage, Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Measures, C. I.; Brown, M. T.; Selph, K. E.; Apprill, A.; Zhou, M.; Hatta, M.; Hiscock, W. T.

2013-06-01

Dissolved trace element distributions near Elephant Island in the Drake Passage show extremely high levels of dissolved Fe and Mn in waters above the shelf. The entrainment of this enriched shelf water by the Fe-poor Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) as it passes through the Shackleton Gap delivers an estimated 2.8×106 mol yr-1 dissolved Fe to the offshore waters of the Drake Passage. The magnitude and spatial distribution of dissolved Fe, Mn and Al over the shelf are consistent with a diagenetically produced sedimentary source, but are inconsistent with eolian or upwelling sources. The systematics of the Mn and Fe concentrations suggest that there are two distinct sources of dissolved Fe to the surface waters of this region. The highest Fe concentrations are associated with Bransfield Strait water, which can be identified by its characteristic temperature and salinity (T/S) properties both inside the Bransfield Strait and in the Bransfield Current outflow between Elephant and Clarence Islands. Most of the shelf area is dominated by a second water type with T/S properties that are typical of modified Antarctic Surface Water, which while also enriched has a lower Fe:Mn ratio. The predominantly linear relationships between the Fe and Mn concentrations at the stations in each of these water mass types suggest that the distribution of these elements is largely controlled by physical mixing processes and that biological removal of Fe on the shelf, while certainly occurring, is limited, perhaps as a result of rapid physical flushing processes and relatively slow biological growth rates. The consequent export of large quantities of this shelf-derived Fe into the ACC is likely responsible for the extensive regions of enhanced primary production seen in satellite imagery downstream of the Drake Passage.

Noninvasive Drug Delivery Using Ultrasound: Targeting Melanoma Using siRNA Against Mutant (V600E) B-Raf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Melissa A.; Gowda, Raghavendra; Park, Eun-Joo; Adair, James; Smith, Nadine; Kester, Mark; Robertson, Gavin P.

2009-04-01

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Currently early surgical removal is the best treatment option for melanoma patients with little hope of successful treatment of late stage melanoma. Clearly new treatment options must be explored. Topical administration of drugs provides the advantage of being able to apply large quantities of drug in close proximity to the tumor without the issue of systemic side effects. However, the natural barrier formed by the skin must first be overcome for topical treatment to become a viable option. With this in mind we have sought to use low-frequency ultrasound to transiently permeabilize the stratum corneum and successfully deliver liposomal siRNA to melanoma cells residing at the basement membrane. B-Raf is one of the most frequently activated genes in melanoma, making it an ideal candidate for targeting via siRNA. The novel liposomes used in this study load siRNA, protect if from the outside environment and lead to knockdown of target message. Combining ultrasound with liposomal siRNA we show that siRNA can be delivered into melanoma cells. Additionally, we show that siRNA to mutant B-Raf can effectively inhibit melanoma growth in reconstructs and in mice by 60% and 30% respectively. Therefore, ultrasound with liposomal siRNA is a potentially valuable treatment option for melanoma patients.

Delivery of Cargo to Lysosomes Using GNeosomes.

PubMed

Hamill, Kristina M; Wexselblatt, Ezequiel; Tong, Wenyong; Esko, Jeffrey D; Tor, Yitzhak

2017-01-01

Liposomes have been used to improve the intracellular delivery of a variety of cargos. Encapsulation of cargos in liposomes leads to improved plasma half-lives and minimized degradation. Here, we present a method for improving the selective delivery of liposomes to the lysosomes using a guanidinylated neomycin (GNeo) transporter. The method for synthesizing GNeo-lipids, incorporating them into liposomes, and the enhanced lysosomal delivery of encapsulated cargo are presented. GNeo-liposomes, termed GNeosomes, are capable of delivering a fluorescent dye to the lysosomes of Chinese hamster ovary cells as shown using confocal microscopy. GNeosomes can also be used to deliver therapeutic quantities of lysosomal enzymes to fibroblasts isolated from patients with a lysosomal storage disorder.

75 FR 5120 - United States, et al. v. Stericycle, Inc., et al.; Proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-01

... services for Large Quantity Generator (``LQG'') customers in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and...; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Omaha, Nebraska; and Booneville, Missouri; LQG customer contracts associated with... collection and treatment services for large quantity generator (``LQG'') customers. The resulting combination...

Organisational and extraorganisational determinants of volume of service delivery by English community pharmacies: a cross-sectional survey and secondary data analysis

PubMed Central

Hann, Mark; Schafheutle, Ellen I; Bradley, Fay; Elvey, Rebecca; Wagner, Andrew; Halsall, Devina; Hassell, Karen

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aimed to identify the organisational and extraorganisational factors associated with existing variation in the volume of services delivered by community pharmacies. Design and setting Linear and ordered logistic regression of linked national data from secondary sources—community pharmacy activity, socioeconomic and health need datasets—and primary data from a questionnaire survey of community pharmacies in nine diverse geographical areas in England. Outcome measures Annual dispensing volume; annual volume of medicines use reviews (MURs). Results National dataset (n=10 454 pharmacies): greater dispensing volume was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains>independents>supermarkets), greater deprivation, higher local prevalence of cardiovascular disease and depression, older people (aged >75 years) and infants (aged 0–4 years) but lower prevalence of mental health conditions. Greater volume of MURs was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains/supermarkets>>independents), greater dispensing volume, and lower disease prevalence. Survey dataset (n=285 pharmacies; response=34.6%): greater dispensing volume was significantly associated with staffing, skill-mix, organisational culture, years open and greater deprivation. Greater MUR volume was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains/supermarkets>>independents), greater dispensing volume, weekly opening hours and lower asthma prevalence. Conclusions Organisational and extraorganisational factors were found to impact differently on dispensing volume and MUR activity, the latter being driven more by corporate ownership than population need. While levels of staffing and skill-mix were associated with dispensing volume, they did not influence MUR activity. Despite recent changes to the contractual framework, the existing fee-for-service reimbursement may therefore not be the most appropriate for the delivery of cognitive (rather than supply) services, still appearing to incentivise quantity over the quality (in terms of appropriate targeting) of services delivered. Future research should focus on the development of quality measures that could be incorporated into community pharmacy reimbursement mechanisms. PMID:29018074

Soybean Root-Derived Hierarchical Porous Carbon as Electrode Material for High-Performance Supercapacitors in Ionic Liquids.

PubMed

Guo, Nannan; Li, Min; Wang, Yong; Sun, Xingkai; Wang, Feng; Yang, Ru

2016-12-14

Soybeans are extensively cultivated worldwide as human food. However, large quantities of soybean roots (SRs), which possess an abundant three-dimensional (3D) structure, remain unused and produce enormous pressure on the environment. Here, 3D hierarchical porous carbon was prepared by the facile carbonization of SRs followed by chemical activation. The as-prepared material, possessing large specific surface area (2143 m 2 g -1 ), good electrical conductivity, and unique 3D hierarchical porosity, shows outstanding electrochemical performance as an electrode material for supercapacitors, such as a high capacitance (276 F g -1 at 0.5 A g -1 ), superior cycle stability (98% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 5 A g -1 ), and good rate capability in a symmetric two-electrode supercapacitor in 6 M KOH. Furthermore, the maximum energy density of as-assembled symmetric supercapacitor can reach 100.5 Wh kg -1 in neat EMIM BF 4 . Moreover, a value of 40.7 Wh kg -1 is maintained at ultrahigh power density (63000 W kg -1 ). These results show that the as-assembled supercapacitor can simultaneously deliver superior energy and power density.

Guide to making time-lapse graphics using the facilities of the National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computing Center

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

Munro, J.K. Jr.

1980-05-01

The advent of large, fast computers has opened the way to modeling more complex physical processes and to handling very large quantities of experimental data. The amount of information that can be processed in a short period of time is so great that use of graphical displays assumes greater importance as a means of displaying this information. Information from dynamical processes can be displayed conveniently by use of animated graphics. This guide presents the basic techniques for generating black and white animated graphics, with consideration of aesthetic, mechanical, and computational problems. The guide is intended for use by someone whomore » wants to make movies on the National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computing Center (NMFECC) CDC-7600. Problems encountered by a geographically remote user are given particular attention. Detailed information is given that will allow a remote user to do some file checking and diagnosis before giving graphics files to the system for processing into film in order to spot problems without having to wait for film to be delivered. Source listings of some useful software are given in appendices along with descriptions of how to use it. 3 figures, 5 tables.« less

Design of an elastin-layered dermal regeneration template.

PubMed

Mithieux, Suzanne M; Weiss, Anthony S

2017-04-01

We demonstrate a novel approach for the production of tunable quantities of elastic fibers. We also show that exogenous tropoelastin is rate-limiting for elastin synthesis regardless of the age of the dermal fibroblast donor. Additionally, we provide a strategy to further enhance synthesis by older cells through the application of conditioned media. We show that this approach delivers an elastin layer on one side of the leading dermal repair template for contact with the deep dermis in order to deliver prefabricated elastic fibers to a physiologically appropriate site during subsequent surgery. This system is attractive because it provides for the first time a viable path for sufficient, histologically detectable levels of patient elastin into full-thickness wound sites that have until now lacked this elastic underlayer. The scars of full thickness wounds typically lack elasticity. Elastin is essential for skin elasticity and is enriched in the deep dermis. This paper is significant because it shows that: (1) we can generate elastic fibers in tunable quantities, (2) tropoelastin is the rate-limiting component in elastin synthesis in vitro, (3) we can generate elastin fibers regardless of donor age, (4) we describe a novel approach to further increase the numbers and thickness of elastic fibers for older donors, (5) we improve on Integra Dermal Regeneration Template and generate a new hybrid biomaterial intended to subsequently surgically deliver these elastic fibers, (6) the elastic fiber layer is presented on the side of Integra that is intended for delivery into its physiologically appropriate site i.e. the deep dermis. Copyright © 2016 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Donor milk volume and characteristics of donors and their children.

PubMed

Sierra-Colomina, Gemma; García-Lara, Nadia Raquel; Escuder-Vieco, Diana; Alonso-Díaz, Clara; Esteban, Eva María Andrés; Pallás-Alonso, Carmen Rosa

2014-05-01

Little is known regarding the effect of the characteristics of donors and their children on the volume of donor milk delivered to a human milk bank (HMB). Our study aimed to determine the relationship between different social and demographic variables of donors and their infants with the volume of human milk delivered. We included donors accepted at the Hospital Doce de Octubre HMB from January 1st, 2009 until April 31st, 2013, and who had finished their donation. Data of social and demographic characteristics of the donors and their children, and the total volume of DHM given were obtained from our HMB database. Included variables were previous donors, donor age, number of children, place of residence, gestational age of the infant at birth, child's age at the start of the donation, hospital admission, and death of the infant. A linear regression model was used to study the relationship between independent variables that were significant in bivariate analysis and the volume of donated milk. A total of 415 donations from 391 women were included. The median volume of milk delivered was 3.1l (IQR-interquartile range-1.3-8.3l). In the linear regression model, previous donors, smaller gestational age of children, and the start of donation at earlier stages of lactation were associated with a larger quantity of HMB donated (p≤0.001). Previous donors, smaller gestational age of children, and the start of donation at earlier stages of lactation are associated with a larger quantity of milk donated to the HMB. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intake-to-delivered-energy ratios for central station and distributed electricity generation in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heath, Garvin A.; Nazaroff, William W.

In previous work, we showed that the intake fraction (iF) for nonreactive primary air pollutants was 20 times higher in central tendency for small-scale, urban-sited distributed electricity generation (DG) sources than for large-scale, central station (CS) power plants in California [Heath, G.A., Granvold, P.W., Hoats, A.S., Nazaroff, W.W., 2006. Intake fraction assessment of the air pollutant exposure implications of a shift toward distributed electricity generation. Atmospheric Environment 40, 7164-7177]. The present paper builds on that study, exploring pollutant- and technology-specific aspects of population inhalation exposure from electricity generation. We compare California's existing CS-based system to one that is more reliant on DG units sited in urban areas. We use Gaussian plume modeling and a GIS-based exposure analysis to assess 25 existing CSs and 11 DG sources hypothetically located in the downtowns of California's most populous cities. We consider population intake of three pollutants—PM 2.5, NO x and formaldehyde—directly emitted by five DG technologies—natural gas (NG)-fired turbines, NG internal combustion engines (ICE), NG microturbines, diesel ICEs, and fuel cells with on-site NG reformers. We also consider intake of these pollutants from existing CS facilities, most of which use large NG turbines, as well as from hypothetical facilities located at these same sites but meeting California's best-available control technology standards. After systematically exploring the sensitivity of iF to pollutant decay rate, the iFs for each of the three pollutants for all DG and CS cases are estimated. To efficiently compare the pollutant- and technology-specific exposure potential on an appropriate common basis, a new metric is introduced and evaluated: the intake-to-delivered-energy ratio (IDER). The IDER expresses the mass of pollutant inhaled by an exposed population owing to emissions from an electricity generation unit per quantity of electric energy delivered to the place of use. We find that the central tendency of IDER is much greater for almost every DG technology evaluated than for existing CS facilities in California.

17 CFR 210.4-10 - Financial accounting and reporting for oil and gas producing activities pursuant to the Federal...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... first point at which oil, gas, or gas liquids, natural or synthetic, are delivered to a main pipeline, a... oil and gas reserves are those quantities of oil and gas, which, by analysis of geoscience and... reporting for oil and gas producing activities pursuant to the Federal securities laws and the Energy Policy...

Used Oil and Its Regulation in the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-30

product containing significant quantities of alkyl, naphthenic , and aromatic hydrocarbons. The oil may also contain additives to improve its...delivered to the re-refiners each year is disposed of primarily in the process residues including spent clay, acid sludge, and wastewater.13 8 13 7 Frank...hydrocarbon structure into three main groups: parafinic, naphthenic , and aromatic. Paraffinic (alkanic) crude oils contain mostly saturated straight and

Gram-scale synthesis of the p38α MAPK-inhibitor VX-745 for preclinical studies into Werner syndrome.

PubMed

Bagley, Mark C; Davis, Terence; Dix, Matthew C; Fusillo, Vincenzo; Pigeaux, Morgane; Rokicki, Michal J; Kipling, David

2010-09-01

The ATP-competitive p38α MAPK inhibitor VX-745 exhibits an exquisite kinase selectivity profile, is effective in blocking p38 stress signaling in Werner syndrome dermal fibroblasts, has efficacy in clinical trials and may have therapeutic value against Werner syndrome. Previous synthetic routes, however, have only resulted in milligram quantities suitable for cell-based studies, whereas gram quantities would be required for in vivo use. Microwave irradiation using a stop-flow monomodal microwave reactor has been found to facilitate scale-up of the synthesis of VX-745. Ullmann-type C-S bond formation using thiophenol, chloropyridazine, copper(I) catalyst and diol ligand proceeds rapidly and efficiently in this apparatus for elaboration to the pyrimido[1,6-b]pyridazinone core of VX-745 on gram scale and with good overall yield. This method delivers the p38 inhibitor VX-745 in sufficient quantities for preclinical studies to rescue the aging phenotype in Werner syndrome.

Delivered volumes of enteral nutrition exceed prescribed volumes.

PubMed

Walker, Renee Nichole; Utech, Anne; Velez, Maria Eugenia; Schwartz, Katie

2014-10-01

Enteral nutrition (EN) provisions are typically calculated based on a 24-hour infusion period. However, feedings are often interrupted for daily activities, procedures, or gastrointestinal intolerance. The study's objective was to determine the delivered EN quantities provided to stable hospitalized patients, using cellular time and measured volumes to verify our EN calculation adjustment. A supply of consecutively numbered ready-to-hang (RTH) EN product was delivered to the bedside of 26 inpatients with established EN tolerance at goal rates on various types of nursing units. The dietitian weighed the volume remaining in the infusing product and recorded the measurement time. On the following days, the dietitian continued to weigh the infusing RTH product and the empty RTH bottles saved by nursing. The primary outcome was the difference between the prescribed and delivered EN provisions, which was calculated with a paired t test. Patients received significantly more calories in the delivered enteral feeding (mean [SD], 1678 [385] kcal) than prescribed calories in the EN order (1489 [246 kcal]; t = 3.736, P = .001), adjusting for observed time. No significant differences were found between nursing units, product, and rate. EN delivered may actually exceed ordered amounts by 5%–21% (mean, 12%) with feeding pump inaccuracy as the primary contributing factor. This differs from what others have found. Our findings support using a volume-based ordering system vs a rate-based ordering system for more accurate EN delivery.

Yearly fluctuation of the spring phytoplankton bloom in south San Francisco Bay - An example of ecological variability at the land-sea interface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, James E.; Jassby, Alan D.

1995-01-01

Estuaries are transitional ecosystems at the interface of the terrestrial and marine realms. Their unique physiographic position gives rise to large spatial variability, and to dynamic temporal variability resulting, in part, from a variety of forces and fluxes at the oceanic and terrestrial boundaries. River flow, in particular, is an important mechanism for delivering watershed-derived materials such as fresh water, sediments, and nutrients; each of these quantities in turn directly influences the physical structure and biological communities of estuaries. With this setting in mind, we consider here the general proposition that estuarine variability at the yearly time scale can be caused by annual fluctuations in river flow. We use a “long-term” (15-year) time series of phytoplankton biomass variability in South San Francisco Bay (SSFB), a lagoon-type estuary in which phytoplankton primary production is the largest source of organic carbon (Jassby et al. 1993).

U–Pb geochronology documents out-of-sequence emplacement of ultramafic layers in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa

PubMed Central

Mungall, James E.; Kamo, Sandra L.; McQuade, Stewart

2016-01-01

Layered intrusions represent part of the plumbing systems that deliver vast quantities of magma through the Earth's crust during the formation of large igneous provinces, which disrupt global ecosystems and host most of the Earth's endowment of Pt, Ni and Cr deposits. The Rustenburg Layered Suite of the enormous Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa has been presumed to have formed by deposition of crystals at the floor of a subterranean sea of magma several km deep and hundreds of km wide called a magma chamber. Here we show, using U–Pb isotopic dating of zircon and baddeleyite, that individual chromitite layers of the Rustenburg Layered Suite formed within a stack of discrete sheet-like intrusions emplaced and solidified as separate bodies beneath older layers. Our U–Pb ages and modelling necessitate reassessment of the genesis of layered intrusions and their ore deposits, and challenge even the venerable concept of the magma chamber itself. PMID:27841347

Work function measurements during plasma exposition at conditions relevant in negative ion sources for the ITER neutral beam injection.

PubMed

Gutser, R; Wimmer, C; Fantz, U

2011-02-01

Cesium seeded sources for surface generated negative hydrogen ions are major components of neutral beam injection systems in future large-scale fusion experiments such as ITER. The stability and delivered current density depend highly on the work function during vacuum and plasma phases of the ion source. One of the most important quantities that affect the source performance is the work function. A modified photocurrent method was developed to measure the temporal behavior of the work function during and after cesium evaporation. The investigation of cesium exposed Mo and MoLa samples under ITER negative hydrogen ion based neutral beam injection relevant surface and plasma conditions showed the influence of impurities which result in a fast degradation when the plasma exposure or the cesium flux onto the sample is stopped. A minimum work function close to that of bulk cesium was obtained under the influence of the plasma exposition, while a significantly higher work function was observed under ITER-like vacuum conditions.

U-Pb geochronology documents out-of-sequence emplacement of ultramafic layers in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa.

PubMed

Mungall, James E; Kamo, Sandra L; McQuade, Stewart

2016-11-14

Layered intrusions represent part of the plumbing systems that deliver vast quantities of magma through the Earth's crust during the formation of large igneous provinces, which disrupt global ecosystems and host most of the Earth's endowment of Pt, Ni and Cr deposits. The Rustenburg Layered Suite of the enormous Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa has been presumed to have formed by deposition of crystals at the floor of a subterranean sea of magma several km deep and hundreds of km wide called a magma chamber. Here we show, using U-Pb isotopic dating of zircon and baddeleyite, that individual chromitite layers of the Rustenburg Layered Suite formed within a stack of discrete sheet-like intrusions emplaced and solidified as separate bodies beneath older layers. Our U-Pb ages and modelling necessitate reassessment of the genesis of layered intrusions and their ore deposits, and challenge even the venerable concept of the magma chamber itself.

Phase-assisted synthesis and DNA unpacking evaluation of biologically inspired metallo nanocomplexes using peptide as unique building block.

PubMed

Raman, N; Sudharsan, S

2011-12-01

The goal of nanomaterials' surface modification using a biomaterial is to preserve the materials' bulk properties while modifying only their surface to possess desired recognition and specificity. Here, we have developed a phase-assisted, modified Brust-Schiffrin methodological synthesis of metallo nanocomplexes anchored by a peptide, N,N'-(1,3-propylene)-bis-hippuricamide. The spectral, thermal and morphological characterizations assure the formation of nanocomplexes. Therapeutic behavior of all the nanocomplexes has been well sighted by evaluating their DNA unpacking skills. In addition, we demonstrate their biological inspiration by targeting few bacterial and fungal strains. The in vitro antimicrobial investigation reports that all the nanocomplexes disrupt microbial cell walls/membranes efficiently and inhibit the growth of microbes. These sorts of nanocomplexes synthesized in large quantities and at low cost, deliver versatile biomedical applications, and can be used to treat various diseases which may often cause high mortality. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantity discounts on a virtual good: The results of a massive pricing experiment at King Digital Entertainment

PubMed Central

Levitt, Steven D.; List, John A.; Neckermann, Susanne; Nelson, David

2016-01-01

We report on a natural field experiment on quantity discounts involving more than 14 million consumers. Implementing price reductions ranging from 9–70% for large purchases, we found remarkably little impact on revenue, either positively or negatively. There was virtually no increase in the quantity of customers making a purchase; all the observed changes occurred for customers who already were buyers. We found evidence that infrequent purchasers are more responsive to discounts than frequent purchasers. There was some evidence of habit formation when prices returned to pre-experiment levels. There also was some evidence that consumers contemplating small purchases are discouraged by the presence of extreme quantity discounts for large purchases. PMID:27382146

Evaluation of minimum quantity lubrication grinding with nano-particles and recent related patents.

PubMed

Li, Changhe; Wang, Sheng; Zhang, Qiang; Jia, Dongzhou

2013-06-01

In recent years, a large number of patents have been devoted to developing minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) grinding techniques that can significantly improve both environmentally conscious and energy saving and costeffective sustainable grinding fluid alternatives. Among them, one patent is about a supply system for the grinding fluid in nano-particle jet MQL, which produced MQL lubricant by adding solid nano-particles in degradable grinding fluid. The MQL supply device turns the lubricant to the pulse drops with fixed pressure, unchanged pulse frequency and the same drop diameter. The drops will be produced and injected in the grinding zone in the form of jet flow under high pressure gas and air seal. As people become increasingly demanding on our environment, minimum quantity lubrication has been widely used in the grinding and processing. Yet, it presents the defect of insufficient cooling performance, which confines its development. To improve the heat transfer efficiency of MQL, nano-particles of a certain mass fraction can be added in the minimum quantity of lubricant oil, which concomitantly will improve the lubrication effects in the processing. In this study, the grinding experiment corroborated the effect of nano-particles in surface grinding. In addition, compared with other forms of lubrication, the results presented that the grinding force, the friction coefficient and specific grinding energy of MQL grinding have been significantly weakened, while G ratio greatly rose. These are attributed to the friction oil-film with excellent anti-friction and anti-wear performance, which is generated nano-particles at the wheel/workpiece interface. In this research, the cooling performance of nano-particle jet MQL was analyzed. Based on tests and experiments, the surface temperature was assayed from different methods, including flood lubricating oil, dry grinding, MQL grinding and nano-particle jet MQL grinding. Because of the outstanding heat transfer performance of nano-particles, the ratio of heat delivered by grinding media was increased, leading to lower temperature in the grinding zone. Results demonstrate that nano-particle jet MQL has satisfactory cooling performance as well as a promising future of extensive application.

Growing Large Quantities of Containerized Seedlings

Treesearch

Tim Pittman

2002-01-01

The sowing of large quantities of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seed into trays depends on the quality of the seed and the timing of seed sowing. This can be accomplished with mechanization. Seed quality is accomplished by using a gravity table. Tray filling can be accomplished by using a ribbon-type soil mixer and an automated tray-filling...

An effective and simple procedure to isolate abundant quantities of biologically active chemopreventive lunasin-protease inhibitor concentrate (LPIC) from soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lunasin is a 5-kDa soybean bioactive peptide with demonstrated anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The use of lunasin as a chemopreventive agent in large-scale animal studies and human clinical trials is hampered by the paucity of large quantities of lunasin. Recently, purification methods...

Food and nutritional security requires adequate protein as well as energy, delivered from whole-year crop production.

PubMed

Coles, Graeme D; Wratten, Stephen D; Porter, John R

2016-01-01

Human food security requires the production of sufficient quantities of both high-quality protein and dietary energy. In a series of case-studies from New Zealand, we show that while production of food ingredients from crops on arable land can meet human dietary energy requirements effectively, requirements for high-quality protein are met more efficiently by animal production from such land. We present a model that can be used to assess dietary energy and quality-corrected protein production from various crop and crop/animal production systems, and demonstrate its utility. We extend our analysis with an accompanying economic analysis of commercially-available, pre-prepared or simply-cooked foods that can be produced from our case-study crop and animal products. We calculate the per-person, per-day cost of both quality-corrected protein and dietary energy as provided in the processed foods. We conclude that mixed dairy/cropping systems provide the greatest quantity of high-quality protein per unit price to the consumer, have the highest food energy production and can support the dietary requirements of the highest number of people, when assessed as all-year-round production systems. Global food and nutritional security will largely be an outcome of national or regional agroeconomies addressing their own food needs. We hope that our model will be used for similar analyses of food production systems in other countries, agroecological zones and economies.

Strategic Supply

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

The ultimate challenge is to bring the right product to the right market in the right quantity at the right price . Much of the current focus of...added services to enhance process integration in order to deliver the right product at the right price and time, through the right distribution...328. 7 Kathleen Kiley, “Optimization Software Designed to Make Sure That the Price is Right ”, 4 February 2002, KPMG Insiders, <www.kpmginsiders.com

Biennial Hazardous Waste Report

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Federal regulations require large quantity generators to submit a report (EPA form 8700-13A/B) every two years regarding the nature, quantities and disposition of hazardous waste generated at their facility.

Discovery of Newer Therapeutic Leads for Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

promising plant extracts and then prepare large-scale quantities of the plant extracts using supercritical fluid extraction techniques and use this...quantities of the plant extracts using supercritical fluid extraction techniques. Large scale plant collections were conducted for 14 of the top 20...material for bioassay-guided fractionation of the biologically active constituents using modern chromatography techniques. The chemical structures of

AsterAnts: A Concept for Large-Scale Meteoroid Return and Processing using the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Al; Biegel, Bryan A.; Traugott, Steve

2004-01-01

AsterAnts is a concept calling for a fleet of solar sail powered spacecraft to retrieve large numbers of small (1/2-1 meter diameter) Near Earth Objects (NEOs) for orbital processing. AsterAnts could use the International Space Station (ISS) for NEO processing, solar sail construction, and to test NEO capture hardware. Solar sails constructed on orbit are expected to have substantially better performance than their ground built counterparts [Wright 1992]. Furthermore, solar sails may be used to hold geosynchronous communication satellites out-of-plane [Forward 1981] increasing the total number of slots by at least a factor of three. potentially generating $2 billion worth of orbital real estate over North America alone. NEOs are believed to contain large quantities of water, carbon, other life-support materials and metals. Thus. with proper processing, NEO materials could in principle be used to resupply the ISS, produce rocket propellant, manufacture tools, and build additional ISS working space. Unlike proposals requiring massive facilities, such as lunar bases, before returning any extraterrestrial larger than a typical inter-planetary mission. Furthermore, AsterAnts could be scaled up to deliver large amounts of material by building many copies of the same spacecraft, thereby achieving manufacturing economies of scale. Because AsterAnts would capture NEOs whole, NEO composition details, which are generally poorly characterized, are relatively unimportant and no complex extraction equipment is necessary. In combination with a materials processing facility at the ISS, AsterAnts might inaugurate an era of large-scale orbital construction using extraterrestrial materials.

Geology and occurrence of ground water in Lyon County, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodis, Harry G.

1963-01-01

Large quantities of ground water are available from melt-water channels in the county. Moderate quantities, adequate for domestic and small industrial needs, are available from many of the small isolated deposits of sand and gravel in the till. Small quantities of ground water, adequate only for domestic supply, generally can be obtained from Cretaceous sandstone.

Quantity Representation in Children and Rhesus Monkeys: Linear Versus Logarithmic Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beran, Michael J.; Johnson-Pynn, Julie S.; Ready, Christopher

2008-01-01

The performances of 4- and 5-year-olds and rhesus monkeys were compared using a computerized task for quantity assessment. Participants first learned two quantity anchor values and then responded to intermediate values by classifying them as similar to either the large anchor or the small anchor. Of primary interest was an assessment of where the…

Primary care resident perceived preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care: an examination of training and specialty differences.

PubMed

Greer, Joseph A; Park, Elyse R; Green, Alexander R; Betancourt, Joseph R; Weissman, Joel S

2007-08-01

Previous research has shown that resident physicians report differences in training across primary care specialties, although limited data exist on education in delivering cross-cultural care. The goals of this study were to identify factors that relate to primary care residents' perceived preparedness to provide cross-cultural care and to explore the extent to which these perceptions vary across primary care specialties. Cross-sectional, national mail survey of resident physicians in their last year of training. Eleven hundred fifty primary care residents specializing in family medicine (27%), internal medicine (23%), pediatrics (26%), and obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) (24%). Male residents as well as those who reported having graduated from U.S. medical schools, access to role models, and a greater cross-cultural case mix during residency felt more prepared to deliver cross-cultural care. Adjusting for these demographic and clinical factors, family practice residents were significantly more likely to feel prepared to deliver cross-cultural care compared to internal medicine, pediatric, and OB/GYN residents. Yet, when the quantity of instruction residents reported receiving to deliver cross-cultural care was added as a predictor, specialty differences became nonsignificant, suggesting that training opportunities better account for the variability in perceived preparedness than specialty. Across primary care specialties, residents reported different perceptions of preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care. However, this variation was more strongly related to training factors, such as the amount of instruction physicians received to deliver such care, rather than specialty affiliation. These findings underscore the importance of formal education to enhance residents' preparedness to provide cross-cultural care.

Land Use and Climate Alter Carbon Dynamics in Watersheds of Chesapeake Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushal, S.; Duan, S.; Grese, M.; Pennino, M. J.; Belt, K. T.; Findlay, S.; Groffman, P. M.; Mayer, P. M.; Murthy, S.; Blomquist, J.

2011-12-01

There have been long-term changes in the quantity of organic carbon in streams and rivers globally. Shifts in the quality of organic carbon due to environmental changes may also impact downstream ecosystem metabolism and fate and transport of contaminants. We investigated long-term impacts of land use and hydrologic variability on organic carbon transport in watersheds of the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and large rivers of the Chesapeake Bay. In small and medium-sized watersheds of the Baltimore LTER site, urban land use increased organic carbon concentrations in streams several-fold compared to forest and agricultural watersheds. Enzymatic activities of stream microbes were significantly altered across watershed land use during a record wet year. During the wet year, short-term bioassays showed that bioavailable dissolved organic carbon varied seasonally, but comprised a substantial proportion of the dissolved organic carbon pool. Similarly, measurements of biochemical oxygen demand across hydrologic variability suggest that reactive organic carbon export from small and medium-sized urban watersheds during storms can be substantial. At a larger regional scale, major tributaries such as the Potomac, Susquehanna, Patuxent, and Choptank rivers also showed similar variability as smaller watersheds in quantity and quality of organic carbon based on land use and climate. There were distinct isotopic values of d13C of particulate organic matter and fluorescence excitation emission matrices for rivers influenced by different land uses. Stable isotopic values of d13C of particulate organic matter and fluorescence excitation emission matrices showed marked seasonal changes in organic matter quality during spring floods in the Potomac River at Washington D.C. Across watershed size, there appeared to be differences in seasonal cycles of organic carbon quality and this may have been based on the degree of hydrologic connectivity between watersheds and streams and rivers. Overall, our results suggest that land use and climate can alter quantity and quality of carbon delivered from coastal watersheds and this may have impacts on downstream estuarine ecosystem processes.

2002 Industry Studies: Strategic Supply

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

quantity at the right price . Much of the current focus of supply chain practitioners is on the strategic response to demand. An integrated and aligned...value-added services to enhance process integration in order to deliver the right product at the right price and time, through the right distribution...Kiley, “Optimization Software Designed to Make Sure That the Price is Right ”, 4 February 2002, KPMG Insiders, <www.kpmginsiders.com> (25 February 2002

FM 100-11 Force Integration

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

formed or available at an Army installation. It as- sesses both the quantity and quality of service deliv- ery, such as how much service is provided...34 That is, determining how much should it cost to provide services to cus- tomers to maintain a given level of quality and still satisfy their needs. d...ence, and ability to sustain the force (judgmental). (9) Quality of soldier and family support services (judgmental). (10) Civilian and military

Human induced pluripotent stem cells and their use in drug discovery for toxicity testing.

PubMed

Scott, Clay W; Peters, Matthew F; Dragan, Yvonne P

2013-05-10

Predicting human safety risks of novel xenobiotics remains a major challenge, partly due to the limited availability of human cells to evaluate tissue-specific toxicity. Recent progress in the production of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) may fill this gap. hiPSCs can be continuously expanded in culture in an undifferentiated state and then differentiated to form most cell types. Thus, it is becoming technically feasible to generate large quantities of human cell types and, in combination with relatively new detection methods, to develop higher-throughput in vitro assays that quantify tissue-specific biological properties. Indeed, the first wave of large scale hiSC-differentiated cell types including patient-derived hiPSCS are now commercially available. However, significant improvements in hiPSC production and differentiation processes are required before cell-based toxicity assays that accurately reflect mature tissue phenotypes can be delivered and implemented in a cost-effective manner. In this review, we discuss the promising alignment of hiPSCs and recently emerging technologies to quantify tissue-specific functions. We emphasize liver, cardiovascular, and CNS safety risks and highlight limitations that must be overcome before routine screening for toxicity pathways in hiSC-derived cells can be established. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coupling Flash LC with MS for enrichment and isolation of milk oligosaccharides for functional studies

PubMed Central

Strum, John S.; Aldredge, Danielle; Barile, Daniela; Lebrilla, Carlito B.

2013-01-01

Mass spectrometry has been coupled with flash liquid chromatography to yield new capabilities for isolating non-chromophoric material from complicated biological mixtures. A flash LC/MS/MS method enabled fraction collection of milk oligosaccharides from biological mixtures based on composition and structure. The method is compatible with traditional gas-pressure driven flow flash chromatography, widely employed in organic chemistry laboratories. The on-line mass detector enabled real-time optimization of chromatographic parameters to favor separation of oligosaccharides that would otherwise be indistinguishable from co-eluting components with a non-specific detector. Unlike previously described preparative LC/MS techniques, we have employed a dynamic flow connection that permits any flow rate from the flash system to be delivered from 1–200 mL/min without affecting the ionization conditions of the mass spectrometer. A new way of packing large amounts of graphitized carbon allowed the enrichment and separation of milligram quantities of structurally heterogeneous mixtures of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs). Abundant saccharide components in milk, such as lactose and lacto-N-tetraose, were separated from the rarer and less abundant oligosaccharides that have greater structural diversity and biological functionality. Neutral and acidic HMOs and BMOs were largely separated and enriched with a dual binary solvent system. PMID:22370281

Honeycomb-Like Interconnected Network of Nickel Phosphide Heteronanoparticles with Superior Electrochemical Performance for Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Liu, Shude; Sankar, Kalimuthu Vijaya; Kundu, Aniruddha; Ma, Ming; Kwon, Jang-Yeon; Jun, Seong Chan

2017-07-05

Transition-metal-based heteronanoparticles are attracting extensive attention in electrode material design for supercapacitors owing to their large surface-to-volume ratios and inherent synergies of individual components; however, they still suffer from limited interior capacity and cycling stability due to simple geometric configurations, low electrochemical activity of the surface, and poor structural integrity. Developing an elaborate architecture that endows a larger surface area, high conductivity, and mechanically robust structure is a pressing need to tackle the existing challenges of electrode materials. This work presents a supercapacitor electrode consisting of honeycomb-like biphasic Ni 5 P 4 -Ni 2 P (Ni x P y ) nanosheets, which are interleaved by large quantities of nanoparticles. The optimized Ni x P y delivers an ultrahigh specific capacity of 1272 C g -1 at a current density of 2 A g -1 , high rate capability, and stability. An asymmetric supercapacitor employing as-synthesized Ni x P y as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode exhibits significantly high power and energy densities (67.2 W h kg -1 at 0.75 kW kg -1 ; 20.4 W h kg -1 at 15 kW kg -1 ). These results demonstrate that the novel nanostructured Ni x P y can be potentially applied in high-performance supercapacitors.

High resolution gas volume change sensor

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

Dirckx, Joris J. J.; Aernouts, Jef E. F.; Aerts, Johan R. M.

2007-05-15

Changes of gas quantity in a system can be measured either by measuring pressure changes or by measuring volume changes. As sensitive pressure sensors are readily available, pressure change is the commonly used technique. In many physiologic systems, however, buildup of pressure influences the gas exchange mechanisms, thus changing the gas quantity change rate. If one wants to study the gas flow in or out of a biological gas pocket, measurements need to be done at constant pressure. In this article we present a highly sensitive sensor for quantitative measurements of gas volume change at constant pressure. The sensor ismore » based on optical detection of the movement of a droplet of fluid enclosed in a capillary. The device is easy to use and delivers gas volume data at a rate of more than 15 measurements/s and a resolution better than 0.06 {mu}l. At the onset of a gas quantity change the sensor shows a small pressure artifact of less than 15 Pa, and at constant change rates the pressure artifact is smaller than 10 Pa or 0.01% of ambient pressure.« less

The stability of the stratospheric ozone layer during the end-Permian eruption of the Siberian Traps.

PubMed

Beerling, David J; Harfoot, Michael; Lomax, Barry; Pyle, John A

2007-07-15

The discovery of mutated palynomorphs in end-Permian rocks led to the hypothesis that the eruption of the Siberian Traps through older organic-rich sediments synthesized and released massive quantities of organohalogens, which caused widespread O3 depletion and allowed increased terrestrial incidence of harmful ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B, 280-315nm; Visscher et al. 2004 Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 101, 12952-12956). Here, we use an extended version of the Cambridge two-dimensional chemistry-transport model to evaluate quantitatively this possibility along with two other potential causes of O3 loss at this time: (i) direct effects of HCl release by the Siberian Traps and (ii) the indirect release of organohalogens from dispersed organic matter. According to our simulations, CH3Cl released from the heating of coals alone caused comparatively minor O3 depletion (5-20% maximum) because this mechanism fails to deliver sufficiently large amounts of Cl into the stratosphere. The unusual explosive nature of the Siberian Traps, combined with the direct release of large quantities of HCl, depleted the model O3 layer in the high northern latitudes by 33-55%, given a main eruptive phase of less than or equal to 200kyr. Nevertheless, O3 depletion was most extensive when HCl release from the Siberian Traps was combined with massive CH3Cl release synthesized from a large reservoir of dispersed organic matter in Siberian rocks. This suite of model experiments produced column O3 depletion of 70-85% and 55-80% in the high northern and southern latitudes, respectively, given eruption durations of 100-200kyr. On longer eruption time scales of 400-600kyr, corresponding O3 depletion was 30-40% and 20-30%, respectively. Calculated year-round increases in total near-surface biologically effective (BE) UV-B radiation following these reductions in O3 layer range from 30-60 (kJm(-2)d(-1))BE up to 50-100 (kJm(-2)d(-1))BE. These ranges of daily UV-B doses appear sufficient to exert mutagenic effects on plants, especially if sustained over tens of thousands of years, unlike either rising temperatures or SO2 concentrations.

Vapor compression distillation module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nuccio, P. P.

1975-01-01

A Vapor Compression Distillation (VCD) module was developed and evaluated as part of a Space Station Prototype (SSP) environmental control and life support system. The VCD module includes the waste tankage, pumps, post-treatment cells, automatic controls and fault detection instrumentation. Development problems were encountered with two components: the liquid pumps, and the waste tank and quantity gauge. Peristaltic pumps were selected instead of gear pumps, and a sub-program of materials and design optimization was undertaken leading to a projected life greater than 10,000 hours of continuous operation. A bladder tank was designed and built to contain the waste liquids and deliver it to the processor. A detrimental pressure pattern imposed upon the bladder by a force-operated quantity gauge was corrected by rearranging the force application, and design goals were achieved. System testing has demonstrated that all performance goals have been fulfilled.

Quantity and Quality of Computer Use and Academic Achievement: Evidence from a Large-Scale International Test Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheema, Jehanzeb R.; Zhang, Bo

2013-01-01

This study looked at the effect of both quantity and quality of computer use on achievement. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2003 student survey comprising of 4,356 students (boys, n = 2,129; girls, n = 2,227) was used to predict academic achievement from quantity and quality of computer use while controlling for…

Primary Care Resident Perceived Preparedness to Deliver Cross-cultural Care: An Examination of Training and Specialty Differences

PubMed Central

Park, Elyse R.; Green, Alexander R.; Betancourt, Joseph R.; Weissman, Joel S.

2007-01-01

Objective Previous research has shown that resident physicians report differences in training across primary care specialties, although limited data exist on education in delivering cross-cultural care. The goals of this study were to identify factors that relate to primary care residents’ perceived preparedness to provide cross-cultural care and to explore the extent to which these perceptions vary across primary care specialties. Design Cross-sectional, national mail survey of resident physicians in their last year of training. Participants Eleven hundred fifty primary care residents specializing in family medicine (27%), internal medicine (23%), pediatrics (26%), and obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) (24%). Results Male residents as well as those who reported having graduated from U.S. medical schools, access to role models, and a greater cross-cultural case mix during residency felt more prepared to deliver cross-cultural care. Adjusting for these demographic and clinical factors, family practice residents were significantly more likely to feel prepared to deliver cross-cultural care compared to internal medicine, pediatric, and OB/GYN residents. Yet, when the quantity of instruction residents reported receiving to deliver cross-cultural care was added as a predictor, specialty differences became nonsignificant, suggesting that training opportunities better account for the variability in perceived preparedness than specialty. Conclusions Across primary care specialties, residents reported different perceptions of preparedness to deliver cross-cultural care. However, this variation was more strongly related to training factors, such as the amount of instruction physicians received to deliver such care, rather than specialty affiliation. These findings underscore the importance of formal education to enhance residents’ preparedness to provide cross-cultural care. PMID:17516107

Maternal and Child Health Block Grant: Program Changes Emerging under State Administration.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-07

client information relating to age, sex , health condi- tion, treatment and outcome, and cost per unit of service. 2Other than for crippled children or high...types of data collected in- clude quantity of services delivered, geographic location or residence of clients served, age and sex of client population...ABOUT THE 901 Of IFORiATION THAT WERE OF GREAT IMOTAWEI NCH BLOCK GRAT DECISIONS STATISTICAL HEASUMES OP PEWORA4CE STATISTICAL MEASURES OF SEVICE NEDC

Quantity and quality in forest research. Invited papers delivered at the 19th world congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations; 1990 August 5-11; Montreal, Canada.

Treesearch

Rolfe A. Leary

1991-01-01

Five papers are included that address aspects of quality in forest research. Topics cover (1) the need for a logic of inquiry, illustrated by examining forest fire policy in Western North America, (2) alternative criteria for judging the simplicity of forest models, (3) the identification and analysis of problems and the importance that scientists develop good problem...

Joint Strike Fighter: Additional Costs and Delays Risk Not Meeting Warfighter Requirements on Time

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

December 2009, only 4 of 13 test aircraft had been delivered and labor hours to build the aircraft had increased more than 50 percent above earlier...Table 7: Changes in Reported JSF Program Costs, Quantities, and Deliveries 40 Figures Figure 1: JSF Labor Hours for Manufacturing Test...Aircraft 15 Figure 2: Wing Station Labor Hours 16 Figure 3: Mate and Delivery Labor Hours 17 Figure 4: Growth in the Number of Engineering Design

STRONTIUM-90 LIQUID CONCENTRATION SOLUBILITY CORRELATION IN THE HANFORD TANK WASTE OPERATIONS SIMULATOR

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

HOHL, T.; PLACE, D.; WITTMAN, R.

2004-08-05

A new correlation was developed to estimate the concentration of strontium-90 in a waste solution based on total organic carbon. This correlation replaces the strontium-90 wash factors, and when applied in the Hanford Tank Waste Operations Simulator, significantly reduced the estimated quantity of strontium-90 in the delivered low-activity waste feed. This is thought to be a more realistic estimate of strontium-90 than using the wash-factor method.

Endogenous production, exogenous delivery and impact-shock synthesis of organic molecules - An inventory for the origins of life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chyba, Christopher; Sagan, Carl

1992-01-01

The contribution of organic-rich comets, carbonaceous asteroids, and interplanetary dust particles and of impact shock-synthesized organics in the atmosphere to the origin of life on earth is studied and quantitatively compared with the principal non-heavy-bombardment sources of prebiotic organics. The results suggest that heavy bombardment before 3.5 Gyr ago either produced or delivered quantities of organics comparable to those produced by other energy sources.

Pancreatic islet isolation variables in non-human primates (rhesus macaques).

PubMed

Andrades, P; Asiedu, C K; Gansuvd, B; Inusah, S; Goodwin, K J; Deckard, L A; Jargal, U; Thomas, J M

2008-07-01

Non-human primates (NHPs) are important preclinical models for pancreatic islet transplantation (PIT) because of their close phylogenetic and immunological relationship with humans. However, low availability of NHP tissue, long learning curves and prohibitive expenses constrain the consistency of isolated NHP islets for PIT studies. To advance preclinical studies, we attempted to identify key variables that consistently influence the quantity and quality of NHP islets. Seventy-two consecutive pancreatic islet isolations from rhesus macaques were reviewed retrospectively. A scaled down, semi-automated islet isolation method was used, and monkeys with streptozotocin-induced diabetes, weighing 3-7 kg, served as recipients for allotransplantation. We analysed the effects of 22 independent variables grouped as donor factors, surgical factors and isolation technique factors. Islet yields, success of isolation and transplantation results were used as quantitative and qualitative outcomes. In the multivariate analysis, variables that significantly affected islet yield were the type of monkey, pancreas preservation, enzyme lot and volume of enzyme delivered. The variables associated with successful isolation were the enzyme lot and volume delivered. The transplant result was correlated with pancreas preservation, enzyme lot, endotoxin levels and COBE collection method. Islet quantity and quality are highly variable between isolations. The data reviewed suggest that future NHP isolations should use bilayer preservation, infuse more than 80 ml of Liberase into the pancreas, collect non-fractioned tissue from the COBE, and strictly monitor for infection.

Organisational and extraorganisational determinants of volume of service delivery by English community pharmacies: a cross-sectional survey and secondary data analysis.

PubMed

Hann, Mark; Schafheutle, Ellen I; Bradley, Fay; Elvey, Rebecca; Wagner, Andrew; Halsall, Devina; Hassell, Karen; Jacobs, Sally

2017-10-10

This study aimed to identify the organisational and extraorganisational factors associated with existing variation in the volume of services delivered by community pharmacies. Linear and ordered logistic regression of linked national data from secondary sources-community pharmacy activity, socioeconomic and health need datasets-and primary data from a questionnaire survey of community pharmacies in nine diverse geographical areas in England. Annual dispensing volume; annual volume of medicines use reviews (MURs). National dataset (n=10 454 pharmacies): greater dispensing volume was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains>independents>supermarkets), greater deprivation, higher local prevalence of cardiovascular disease and depression, older people (aged >75 years) and infants (aged 0-4 years) but lower prevalence of mental health conditions. Greater volume of MURs was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains/supermarkets>independents), greater dispensing volume, and lower disease prevalence.Survey dataset (n=285 pharmacies; response=34.6%): greater dispensing volume was significantly associated with staffing, skill-mix, organisational culture, years open and greater deprivation. Greater MUR volume was significantly associated with pharmacy ownership type (large chains/supermarkets>independents), greater dispensing volume, weekly opening hours and lower asthma prevalence. Organisational and extraorganisational factors were found to impact differently on dispensing volume and MUR activity, the latter being driven more by corporate ownership than population need. While levels of staffing and skill-mix were associated with dispensing volume, they did not influence MUR activity. Despite recent changes to the contractual framework, the existing fee-for-service reimbursement may therefore not be the most appropriate for the delivery of cognitive (rather than supply) services, still appearing to incentivise quantity over the quality (in terms of appropriate targeting) of services delivered. Future research should focus on the development of quality measures that could be incorporated into community pharmacy reimbursement mechanisms. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Design of a novel automated methanol feed system for pilot-scale fermentation of Pichia pastoris.

PubMed

Hamaker, Kent H; Johnson, Daniel C; Bellucci, Joseph J; Apgar, Kristie R; Soslow, Sherry; Gercke, John C; Menzo, Darrin J; Ton, Christopher

2011-01-01

Large-scale fermentation of Pichia pastoris requires a large volume of methanol feed during the induction phase. However, a large volume of methanol feed is difficult to use in the processing suite because of the inconvenience of constant monitoring, manual manipulation steps, and fire and explosion hazards. To optimize and improve safety of the methanol feed process, a novel automated methanol feed system has been designed and implemented for industrial fermentation of P. pastoris. Details of the design of the methanol feed system are described. The main goals of the design were to automate the methanol feed process and to minimize the hazardous risks associated with storing and handling large quantities of methanol in the processing area. The methanol feed system is composed of two main components: a bulk feed (BF) system and up to three portable process feed (PF) systems. The BF system automatically delivers methanol from a central location to the portable PF system. The PF system provides precise flow control of linear, step, or exponential feed of methanol to the fermenter. Pilot-scale fermentations with linear and exponential methanol feeds were conducted using two Mut(+) (methanol utilization plus) strains, one expressing a recombinant therapeutic protein and the other a monoclonal antibody. Results show that the methanol feed system is accurate, safe, and efficient. The feed rates for both linear and exponential feed methods were within ± 5% of the set points, and the total amount of methanol fed was within 1% of the targeted volume. Copyright © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Unleashing Empirical Equations with "Nonlinear Fitting" and "GUM Tree Calculator"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovell-Smith, J. W.; Saunders, P.; Feistel, R.

2017-10-01

Empirical equations having large numbers of fitted parameters, such as the international standard reference equations published by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS), which form the basis of the "Thermodynamic Equation of Seawater—2010" (TEOS-10), provide the means to calculate many quantities very accurately. The parameters of these equations are found by least-squares fitting to large bodies of measurement data. However, the usefulness of these equations is limited since uncertainties are not readily available for most of the quantities able to be calculated, the covariance of the measurement data is not considered, and further propagation of the uncertainty in the calculated result is restricted since the covariance of calculated quantities is unknown. In this paper, we present two tools developed at MSL that are particularly useful in unleashing the full power of such empirical equations. "Nonlinear Fitting" enables propagation of the covariance of the measurement data into the parameters using generalized least-squares methods. The parameter covariance then may be published along with the equations. Then, when using these large, complex equations, "GUM Tree Calculator" enables the simultaneous calculation of any derived quantity and its uncertainty, by automatic propagation of the parameter covariance into the calculated quantity. We demonstrate these tools in exploratory work to determine and propagate uncertainties associated with the IAPWS-95 parameters.

Screening and brief interventions for hazardous alcohol use in accident and emergency departments: a randomised controlled trial protocol

PubMed Central

Coulton, Simon; Perryman, Katherine; Bland, Martin; Cassidy, Paul; Crawford, Mike; Deluca, Paolo; Drummond, Colin; Gilvarry, Eilish; Godfrey, Christine; Heather, Nick; Kaner, Eileen; Myles, Judy; Newbury-Birch, Dorothy; Oyefeso, Adenekan; Parrott, Steve; Phillips, Tom; Shenker, Don; Shepherd, Jonathan

2009-01-01

Background There is a wealth of evidence regarding the detrimental impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the physical, psychological and social health of the population. There also exists a substantial evidence base for the efficacy of brief interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption across a range of healthcare settings. Primary research conducted in emergency departments has reinforced the current evidence regarding the potential effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Within this body of evidence there is marked variation in the intensity of brief intervention delivered, from very minimal interventions to more intensive behavioural or lifestyle counselling approaches. Further the majority of primary research has been conducted in single centre and there is little evidence of the wider issues of generalisability and implementation of brief interventions across emergency departments. Methods/design The study design is a prospective pragmatic factorial cluster randomised controlled trial. Individual Emergency Departments (ED) (n = 9) are randomised with equal probability to a combination of screening tool (M-SASQ vs FAST vs SIPS-PAT) and an intervention (Minimal intervention vs Brief advice vs Brief lifestyle counselling). The primary hypothesis is that brief lifestyle counselling delivered by an Alcohol Health Worker (AHW) is more effective than Brief Advice or a minimal intervention delivered by ED staff. Secondary hypotheses address whether short screening instruments are more acceptable and as efficient as longer screening instruments and the cost-effectiveness of screening and brief interventions in ED. Individual participants will be followed up at 6 and 12 months after consent. The primary outcome measure is performance using a gold-standard screening test (AUDIT). Secondary outcomes include; quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed, alcohol-related problems, motivation to change, health related quality of life and service utilisation. Discussion This paper presents a protocol for a large multi-centre pragmatic factorial cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening and brief interventions for hazardous alcohol users attending emergency departments. Trial Registration ISRCTN 93681536 PMID:19575791

Dendrimer brain uptake and targeted therapy for brain injury in a large animal model of hypothermic circulatory arrest.

PubMed

Mishra, Manoj K; Beaty, Claude A; Lesniak, Wojciech G; Kambhampati, Siva P; Zhang, Fan; Wilson, Mary A; Blue, Mary E; Troncoso, Juan C; Kannan, Sujatha; Johnston, Michael V; Baumgartner, William A; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M

2014-03-25

Treatment of brain injury following circulatory arrest is a challenging health issue with no viable therapeutic options. Based on studies in a clinically relevant large animal (canine) model of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA)-induced brain injury, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity have been identified as key players in mediating the brain injury after HCA. Therapy with large doses of valproic acid (VPA) showed some neuroprotection but was associated with adverse side effects. For the first time in a large animal model, we explored whether systemically administered polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers could be effective in reaching target cells in the brain and deliver therapeutics. We showed that, upon systemic administration, hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers are taken up in the brain of injured animals and selectively localize in the injured neurons and microglia in the brain. The biodistribution in other major organs was similar to that seen in small animal models. We studied systemic dendrimer-drug combination therapy with two clinically approved drugs, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (attenuating neuroinflammation) and valproic acid (attenuating excitotoxicity), building on positive outcomes in a rabbit model of perinatal brain injury. We prepared and characterized dendrimer-NAC (D-NAC) and dendrimer-VPA (D-VPA) conjugates in multigram quantities. A glutathione-sensitive linker to enable for fast intracellular release. In preliminary efficacy studies, combination therapy with D-NAC and D-VPA showed promise in this large animal model, producing 24 h neurological deficit score improvements comparable to high dose combination therapy with VPA and NAC, or free VPA, but at one-tenth the dose, while significantly reducing the adverse side effects. Since adverse side effects of drugs are exaggerated in HCA, the reduced side effects with dendrimer conjugates and suggestions of neuroprotection offer promise for these nanoscale drug delivery systems.

Dendrimer Brain Uptake and Targeted Therapy for Brain Injury in a Large Animal Model of Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Treatment of brain injury following circulatory arrest is a challenging health issue with no viable therapeutic options. Based on studies in a clinically relevant large animal (canine) model of hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA)-induced brain injury, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity have been identified as key players in mediating the brain injury after HCA. Therapy with large doses of valproic acid (VPA) showed some neuroprotection but was associated with adverse side effects. For the first time in a large animal model, we explored whether systemically administered polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers could be effective in reaching target cells in the brain and deliver therapeutics. We showed that, upon systemic administration, hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers are taken up in the brain of injured animals and selectively localize in the injured neurons and microglia in the brain. The biodistribution in other major organs was similar to that seen in small animal models. We studied systemic dendrimer–drug combination therapy with two clinically approved drugs, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (attenuating neuroinflammation) and valproic acid (attenuating excitotoxicity), building on positive outcomes in a rabbit model of perinatal brain injury. We prepared and characterized dendrimer-NAC (D-NAC) and dendrimer-VPA (D-VPA) conjugates in multigram quantities. A glutathione-sensitive linker to enable for fast intracellular release. In preliminary efficacy studies, combination therapy with D-NAC and D-VPA showed promise in this large animal model, producing 24 h neurological deficit score improvements comparable to high dose combination therapy with VPA and NAC, or free VPA, but at one-tenth the dose, while significantly reducing the adverse side effects. Since adverse side effects of drugs are exaggerated in HCA, the reduced side effects with dendrimer conjugates and suggestions of neuroprotection offer promise for these nanoscale drug delivery systems. PMID:24499315

Lipoprotein Uptake by Neuronal Growth Cones in Vitro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ignatius, Michael J.; Shooter, Eric M.; Pitas, Robert E.; Mahley, Robert W.

1987-05-01

Macrophages that rapidly enter injured peripheral nerve synthesize and secrete large quantities of apolipoprotein E. This protein may be involved in the redistribution of lipid, including cholesterol released during degeneration, to the regenerating axons. To test this postulate, apolipoprotein E-associated lipid particles released from segments of injured rat sciatic nerve and apolipoprotein E-containing lipoproteins from plasma were used to determine whether sprouting neurites, specifically their growth cones, possessed lipoprotein receptors. Pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, which can be stimulated to produce neurites in vitro, were used as a model system. Apolipoprotein E-containing lipid particles and lipoproteins, which had been labeled with fluorescent dye, were internalized by the neurites and their growth cones; the unmetabolized dye appeared to be localized to the lysosomes. The rapid rate of accumulation in the growth cones precludes the possibility of orthograde transport of the fluorescent particles from the PC12 cell bodies. Thus, receptor-mediated lipoprotein uptake is performed by the apolipoprotein B,E(LDL) (low density lipoprotein) receptors, and in the regenerating peripheral nerve apolipoprotein E may deliver lipids to the neurites and their growth cones for membrane biosynthesis.

Gold-mediated drug delivery for improved outcome in chemotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, C.; Chithrani, B. D.

2017-02-01

Nanoparticles can be used to overcome the side effects due to poor distribution of anticancer drugs. Among other NPs, colloidal gold nanoparticles (GNPs) offer the possibility of transporting major quantities of drugs due to their large surface-to volume ratio while confining anticancer drugs as closely as possible to their biological targets through passive and active targeting ensuring limited harmful systemic distribution. In this study, we chose bleomycin (BLM) as the anticancer drug since its therapeutic efficiency is severely limited because of its side effects. Bleomycin was conjugated to GNPs through a thiol bond. The effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic drug, bleomycin, is observed by visualizing DNA double strand breaks and calculating the survival fraction. The action of the drug is known to be in the nucleus and our experiments have shown GNPs in the nucleus along with bleomycin. Use of GNPs to deliver bleomycin increased the therapeutic efficacy of the drug. Having a better understanding of the interaction of GNPs and drugs will establish a more successful NP-based platform for combined therapeutic approach in cancer research since GNPs can be used as radiation dose enhancers.

Direct microfabrication of oxide patterns by local electrodeposition of precisely positioned electrolyte: the case of Cu2O

PubMed Central

Wang, P.; Roberts, R. C.; Ngan, A. H. W.

2016-01-01

An efficient technique for writing 2D oxide patterns on conductive substrates is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. The technique concerns a novel concept for selective electrodeposition, in which a minimum quantity of liquid electrolyte, through an extrusion nozzle, is delivered and manipulated into the desired shape on the substrate, meanwhile being electrodeposited into the product by an applied voltage across the nozzle and substrate. Patterns of primarily Cu2O with 80~90% molar fraction are successfully fabricated on stainless steel substrates using this method. A key factor that allows the solid product to be primarily oxide Cu2O instead of metal Cu – the product predicted by the equilibrium Pourbaix diagram given the unusually large absolute deposition voltage used in this method, is the non-equilibrium condition involved in the process due to the short deposition time. Other factors including the motion of the extrusion nozzle relative to the substrate and the surface profile of the substrate that influence the electrodeposition performance are also discussed. PMID:27255188

Intramedullary placement of ventricular shunts: a review of using bone as a distal cerebrospinal absorption site in treating hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Kassem, Mohammad W; Chern, Joshua; Loukas, Marios; Tubbs, R Shane

2017-12-01

Intraosseous (IO) vascular access has been used since the Second World War and is warranted when there is an emergency and/or urgent need to replenish the vascular pool. Despite long-term and satisfactory results from delivering large quantities of intravenous fluid via the medullary space of bone, use of this space for a distant receptacle for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion has seldom been considered. The current paper reviews the literature regarding the bony medullary space as a receptacle for intravenous fluid and CSF. Previous authors have demonstrated the potential of the diploic space of the calvaria for CSF shunting. Pugh and colleagues tested the ability of the cranium to receive and absorb a small amount of tracer fluid. The literature suggests that intraosseous placement of ventricular diversionary shunts is an alternative to more traditional sites such as the pleural cavity and peritoneum. When these latter locations are not available or are contraindicated, placement in the medullary space of bone is another option available to the surgeon.

An Inexpensive Apparatus for Growing Photosynthetic Microorganisms in Exotic Atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, David J.; Herbert, Stephen K.

2005-02-01

Given the need for a light source, cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic microorganisms can be difficult and expensive to grow in large quantities. Lighted growth chambers and incubators typically cost 50-100% more than standard microbiological incubators. Self-shading of cells in liquid cultures prevents the growth of dense suspensions. Growing liquid cultures on a shaker table or lighted shaker incubator achieves greater cell densities, but adds considerably to the cost. For experiments in which gases other than air are required, the cost for conventional incubators increases even more. We describe an apparatus for growing photosynthetic organisms in exotic atmospheres that can be built relatively inexpensively (approximately $100 U.S.) using parts available from typical hardware or department stores (e.g., Wal-mart or K-mart). The apparatus uses microfiltered air (or other gases) to aerate, agitate, and mix liquid cultures, thus achieving very high cell densities (A750 > 3). Because gases are delivered to individual culture tubes, a variety of gas mixes can be used without the need for enclosed chambers. The apparatus works with liquid cultures of unicellular and filamentous species, and also works with agar slants.

The lethal cargo of Myxococcus xanthus outer membrane vesicles.

PubMed

Berleman, James E; Allen, Simon; Danielewicz, Megan A; Remis, Jonathan P; Gorur, Amita; Cunha, Jack; Hadi, Masood Z; Zusman, David R; Northen, Trent R; Witkowska, H Ewa; Auer, Manfred

2014-01-01

Myxococcus xanthus is a bacterial micro-predator known for hunting other microbes in a wolf pack-like manner. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are produced in large quantities by M. xanthus and have a highly organized structure in the extracellular milieu, sometimes occurring in chains that link neighboring cells within a biofilm. OMVs may be a vehicle for mediating wolf pack activity by delivering hydrolytic enzymes and antibiotics aimed at killing prey microbes. Here, both the protein and small molecule cargo of the OMV and membrane fractions of M. xanthus were characterized and compared. Our analysis indicates a number of proteins that are OMV-specific or OMV-enriched, including several with putative hydrolytic function. Secondary metabolite profiling of OMVs identifies 16 molecules, many associated with antibiotic activities. Several hydrolytic enzyme homologs were identified, including the protein encoded by MXAN_3564 (mepA), an M36 protease homolog. Genetic disruption of mepA leads to a significant reduction in extracellular protease activity suggesting MepA is part of the long-predicted (yet to date undetermined) extracellular protease suite of M. xanthus.

Microcapsules and Methods for Making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R. (Inventor); Mosier, Benjamin (Inventor)

1994-01-01

This invention relates to methods for forming multi-lamellar microcapsules of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic immiscible liquid phases using several polymer/solvent systems. Liquid-Liquid diffusion and spontaneous emulsification are controlled by properly timed sequence exposures of immiscible phases in aqueous vehicles dispersed in hydrocarbon solvents containing small quantities of oil, co-surfactants, and glycerides. Water-in-oil and oil-in-water microcapsules are formed containing selected combinations of several types of drugs, co-encapsulated within fluid compartments inside the microcapsule. Commercial applications of the process and the resultant product relate to drug therapy for treating medical conditions such as cancer, circulatory conditions, and other conditions in which pharmaceuticals are advantageously targeted to specific organs, or delivered in combination with other pharmaceuticals. Small microcapsules may be delivered intravenously to diseased organs or clotted vessels. The use of multiple drugs within the same microcapsule structure provides advantages for applications such as chemoembolization treatments and may be used to deliver both chemotherapeutic drugs, against tumor cells, and an immuno-adjuvant or immunological stimulant to enhance the patient's immune response. Active forms of urokinase and other enzymes may be delivered without dilution to the local site of an embolism for dissolving the embolism. Thus, the invention has several potentially valuable commercial applications related to pharmaceutical and medical applications.

Zero-gravity quantity gaging system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

The Zero-Gravity Quantity Gaging System program is a technology development effort funded by NASA-LeRC and contracted by NASA-JSC to develop and evaluate zero-gravity quantity gaging system concepts suitable for application to large, on-orbit cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen tankage. The contract effective date was 28 May 1985. During performance of the program, 18 potential quantity gaging approaches were investigated for their merit and suitability for gaging two-phase cryogenic oxygen and hydrogen in zero-gravity conditions. These approaches were subjected to a comprehensive trade study and selection process, which found that the RF modal quantity gaging approach was the most suitable for both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen applications. This selection was made with NASA-JSC concurrence.

Study of Polyolefines Waste Thermo-Destruction in Large Laboratory and in Industrial Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-15

coke ”–waste after thermo-destruction carried out on the module No 2 showed an content to 46.1% of ash [20]. This ash content indicates a very large... coke (post-production waste) from the wastes thermo-destruction on 2 modules of vertical modular installation for thermo-destruction of used polymer...of receivedwaste water, the quantity of received coke , the quantity of gaseous product in periods of carrying out installation work before (first

Productive efficiency and its determinants in the Community Dental Service in the north-west of England.

PubMed

Hill, H; Birch, S; Tickle, M; McDonald, R; Brocklehurst, P

2017-06-01

To assess the efficiency of service provision in the Community Dental Services and its determinants in the North-West of England. 40 Community Dental Services sites operating across the North-West of England. A data envelopment analysis was undertaken of inputs (number of surgeries, hours worked by dental officers, therapists, hygienists and others) and outputs (treatments delivered, number of courses of treatment and patients seen) of the Community Dental Services to produce relative efficiency ratings by health authority. These were further analyzed in order to identify which inputs (determined within the Community Dental Services) or external factors outside the control of the Community Dental Services are associated with efficiency. Relative efficiency rankings in Community Dental Services production of dental healthcare. Using the quantity of treatments delivered as the measure of output, on average the Community Dental Services in England is operating at a relative efficiency of 85% (95% confidence interval 77%- 99%) compared to the best performing services. Average efficiency is lower when courses of treatment and unique patients seen are used as output measures, 82% and 68% respectively. Neither the input mix nor the patient case mix explained variations in the efficiency across Community Dental Services. Although large variations in performance exist across Community Dental Services, the data available was not able to explain these variations. A useful next step would be to undertake detailed case studies of several best and under-performing services to explore the factors that influence relative performance levels. Copyright© 2017 Dennis Barber Ltd.

Design, assembly, and validation of a nose-only inhalation exposure system for studies of aerosolized viable influenza H5N1 virus in ferrets

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The routes by which humans acquire influenza H5N1 infections have not been fully elucidated. Based on the known biology of influenza viruses, four modes of transmission are most likely in humans: aerosol transmission, ingestion of undercooked contaminated infected poultry, transmission by large droplets and self-inoculation of the nasal mucosa by contaminated hands. In preparation of a study to resolve whether H5N1 viruses are transmissible by aerosol in an animal model that is a surrogate for humans, an inhalation exposure system for studies of aerosolized H5N1 viruses in ferrets was designed, assembled, and validated. Particular attention was paid towards system safety, efficacy of dissemination, the viability of aerosolized virus, and sampling methodology. Results An aerosol generation and delivery system, referred to as a Nose-Only Bioaerosol Exposure System (NBIES), was assembled and function tested. The NBIES passed all safety tests, met expected engineering parameters, required relatively small quantities of material to obtain the desired aerosol concentrations of influenza virus, and delivered doses with high-efficacy. Ferrets withstood a mock exposure trial without signs of stress. Conclusions The NBIES delivers doses of aerosolized influenza viruses with high efficacy, and uses less starting material than other similar designs. Influenza H5N1 and H3N2 viruses remain stable under the conditions used for aerosol generation and sample collection. The NBIES is qualified for studies of aerosolized H5N1 virus. PMID:20573226

Radiometry in medicine and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nahm, Kie-Bong; Choi, Eui Y.

2012-10-01

Diagnostics in medicine plays a critical role in helping medical professionals deliver proper diagnostic decisions. Most samples in this trade are of the human origin and a great portion of methodologies practiced in biology labs is shared in clinical diagnostic laboratories as well. Most clinical tests are quantitative in nature and recent increase in interests in preventive medicine requires the determination of minimal concentration of target analyte: they exist in small quantities at the early stage of various diseases. Radiometry or the use of optical radiation is the most trusted and reliable means of converting biologic concentrations into quantitative physical quantities. Since optical energy is readily available in varying energies (or wavelengths), the appropriate combination of light and the sample absorption properties provides reliable information about the sample concentration through Beer-Lambert law to a decent precision. In this article, the commonly practiced techniques in clinical and biology labs are reviewed from the standpoint of radiometry.

EVALUATING THE ACCOTINK CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT FOR IMPROVING WATER QUALITY, IN-STREAM HABITAT, AND BANK STABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Increased urbanization results in a larger percentage of connected impervious areas and can contribute large quantities of stormwater runoff and significant quantities of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, microorganisms, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and heavy me...

Coupling flash liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry for enrichment and isolation of milk oligosaccharides for functional studies.

PubMed

Strum, John S; Aldredge, Danielle; Barile, Daniela; Lebrilla, Carlito B

2012-05-15

Mass spectrometry has been coupled with flash liquid chromatography to yield new capabilities for isolating nonchromophoric material from complicated biological mixtures. A flash liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method enabled fraction collection of milk oligosaccharides from biological mixtures based on composition and structure. The method is compatible with traditional gas pressure-driven flow flash chromatography widely employed in organic chemistry laboratories. The online mass detector enabled real-time optimization of chromatographic parameters to favor separation of oligosaccharides that would otherwise be indistinguishable from coeluting components with a nonspecific detector. Unlike previously described preparative LC/MS techniques, we have employed a dynamic flow connection that permits any flow rate from the flash system to be delivered from 1 to 200 ml/min without affecting the ionization conditions of the mass spectrometer. A new way of packing large amounts of graphitized carbon allowed the enrichment and separation of milligram quantities of structurally heterogeneous mixtures of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs). Abundant saccharide components in milk, such as lactose and lacto-N-tetraose, were separated from the rarer and less abundant oligosaccharides that have greater structural diversity and biological functionality. Neutral and acidic HMOs and BMOs were largely separated and enriched with a dual binary solvent system. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Kilopixel Pop-Up Bolometer Arrays for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chervenak, J. A.; Wollack, E.; Henry, R.; Moseley, S. H.; Niemack, M.; Staggs, S.; Page, L.; Doriese, R.; Hilton, G. c.; Irwin, K. D.

2007-01-01

The recently deployed Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) anticipates first light on its kilopixel array of close-packed transition-edge-sensor bolometers in November of 2007. The instrument will represent a full implementation of the next-generation, large format arrays for millimeter wave astronomy that use superconducting electronics and detectors. Achieving the practical construction of such an array is a significant step toward producing advanced detector arrays for future SOFIA instruments. We review the design considerations for the detector array produced for the ACT instrument. The first light imager consists of 32 separately instrumented 32-channel pop-up bolometer arrays (to create a 32x32 filled array of mm-wave sensors). Each array is instrumented with a 32-channel bias resistor array, Nyquist filter array, and time-division SQUID multiplexer. Each component needed to be produced in relatively large quantities with suitable uniformity to meet tolerances for array operation. An optical design was chosen to maximize absorption at the focal plane while mitigating reflections and stray light. The pop-up geometry (previously implemented with semiconducting detectors and readout on the SHARC II and HAWC instruments) enabled straightforward interface of the superconducting bias and readout circuit with the 2D array of superconducting bolometers. The array construction program balanced fabrication challenges with assembly challenges to deliver the instrument in a timely fashion. We present some of the results of the array build and characterization of its performance.

The production of multiprotein complexes in insect cells using the baculovirus expression system.

PubMed

Abdulrahman, Wassim; Radu, Laura; Garzoni, Frederic; Kolesnikova, Olga; Gupta, Kapil; Osz-Papai, Judit; Berger, Imre; Poterszman, Arnaud

2015-01-01

The production of a homogeneous protein sample in sufficient quantities is an essential prerequisite not only for structural investigations but represents also a rate-limiting step for many functional studies. In the cell, a large fraction of eukaryotic proteins exists as large multicomponent assemblies with many subunits, which act in concert to catalyze specific activities. Many of these complexes cannot be obtained from endogenous source material, so recombinant expression and reconstitution are then required to overcome this bottleneck. This chapter describes current strategies and protocols for the efficient production of multiprotein complexes in large quantities and of high quality, using the baculovirus/insect cell expression system.

The plasma separation process as a pre-cursor for large scale radioisotope production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, Nigel R.

2001-07-01

Radioisotope production generally employs either accelerators or reactors to convert stable (usually enriched) isotopes into the desired product species. Radioisotopes have applications in industry, environmental sciences, and most significantly in medicine. The production of many potentially useful radioisotopes is significantly hindered by the lack of availability or by the high cost of key enriched stable isotopes. To try and meet this demand, certain niche enrichment processes have been developed and commercialized. Calutrons, centrifuges, and laser separation processes are some of the devices and techniques being employed to produce large quantities of selective enriched stable isotopes. Nevertheless, the list of enriched stable isotopes in sufficient quantities remains rather limited and this continues to restrict the availability of many radioisotopes that otherwise could have a significant impact on society. The Plasma Separation Process is a newly available commercial technique for producing large quantities of a wide range of enriched isotopes and thereby holds promise of being able to open the door to producing new and exciting applications of radioisotopes in the future.

Rapid Ovary Mass-Isolation (ROMi) to Obtain Large Quantities of Drosophila Egg Chambers for Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization.

PubMed

Jambor, Helena; Mejstrik, Pavel; Tomancak, Pavel

2016-01-01

Isolation of large quantities of tissue from organisms is essential for many techniques such as genome-wide screens and biochemistry. However, obtaining large quantities of tissues or cells is often the rate-limiting step when working in vivo. Here, we present a rapid method that allows the isolation of intact, single egg chambers at various developmental stages from ovaries of adult female Drosophila flies. The isolated egg chambers are amenable for a variety of procedures such as fluorescent in situ hybridization, RNA isolation, extract preparation, or immunostaining. Isolation of egg chambers from adult flies can be completed in 5 min and results, depending on the input amount of flies, in several milliliters of material. The isolated egg chambers are then further processed depending on the exact requirements of the subsequent application. We describe high-throughput in situ hybridization in 96-well plates as example application for the mass-isolated egg chambers.

Suppression of Psyllium Husk Suspension Viscosity by Addition of Water Soluble Polysaccharides.

PubMed

Kale, Madhuvanti S; Yadav, Madhav P; Hanah, Kyle A

2016-10-01

Psyllium seed husk is an insoluble dietary fiber with many health benefits. It can absorb many times its weight in water, forming very viscous suspensions, which have low palatability and consumer acceptance. We report here a novel approach for decreasing its viscosity, involving inclusion of a soluble polysaccharide in the suspension. This leads to a drastic decrease (up to 87%) in viscosity of suspensions, while maintaining the same dosage level of psyllium and also delivering a significant amount of soluble dietary fiber such as corn bio-fiber gum in a single serving. Four soluble polysaccharides with a range of molecular weights and solution viscosities have been studied for their viscosity suppression effect. Besides improving palatability, another advantage of this approach is that it makes it possible to deliver 2 different dietary fibers in significant quantities, thus offering even greater health benefits. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Quantity, Revisited: An Object-Oriented Reusable Class

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funston, Monica Gayle; Gerstle, Walter; Panthaki, Malcolm

1998-01-01

"Quantity", a prototype implementation of an object-oriented class, was developed for two reasons: to help engineers and scientists manipulate the many types of quantities encountered during routine analysis, and to create a reusable software component to for large domain-specific applications. From being used as a stand-alone application to being incorporated into an existing computational mechanics toolkit, "Quantity" appears to be a useful and powerful object. "Quantity" has been designed to maintain the full engineering meaning of values with respect to units and coordinate systems. A value is a scalar, vector, tensor, or matrix, each of which is composed of Value Components, each of which may be an integer, floating point number, fuzzy number, etc., and its associated physical unit. Operations such as coordinate transformation and arithmetic operations are handled by member functions of "Quantity". The prototype has successfully tested such characteristics as maintaining a numeric value, an associated unit, and an annotation. In this paper we further explore the design of "Quantity", with particular attention to coordinate systems.

Variability and Maintenance of Turbulence in the Very Stable Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahrt, Larry

2010-04-01

The relationship of turbulence quantities to mean flow quantities, such as the Richardson number, degenerates substantially for strong stability, at least in those studies that do not place restrictions on minimum turbulence or non-stationarity. This study examines the large variability of the turbulence for very stable conditions by analyzing four months of turbulence data from a site with short grass. Brief comparisons are made with three additional sites, one over short grass on flat terrain and two with tall vegetation in complex terrain. For very stable conditions, any dependence of the turbulence quantities on the mean wind speed or bulk Richardson number becomes masked by large scatter, as found in some previous studies. The large variability of the turbulence quantities is due to random variations and other physical influences not represented by the bulk Richardson number. There is no critical Richardson number above which the turbulence vanishes. For very stable conditions, the record-averaged vertical velocity variance and the drag coefficient increase with the strength of the submeso motions (wave motions, solitary waves, horizontal modes and numerous more complex signatures). The submeso motions are on time scales of minutes and not normally considered part of the mean flow. The generation of turbulence by such unpredictable motions appears to preclude universal similarity theory for predicting the surface stress for very stable conditions. Large variation of the stress direction with respect to the wind direction for the very stable regime is also examined. Needed additional work is noted.

EVALUATING THE ACCOTINK CREEK URBAN STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT FOR IMPROVING WATER QUALITY, IN-STREAM HABITAT, AND BANK STABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Increased urbanization results in a larger percentage of connected impervious areas and can contribute large quantities of stormwater runoff and significant quantities of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, microorganisms, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and heavy me...

Influence of pre-injection control parameters on main-injection fuel quantity for an electronically controlled double-valve fuel injection system of diesel engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Enzhe; Fan, Liyun; Chen, Chao; Dong, Quan; Ma, Xiuzhen; Bai, Yun

2013-09-01

A simulation model of an electronically controlled two solenoid valve fuel injection system for a diesel engine is established in the AMESim environment. The accuracy of the model is validated through comparison with experimental data. The influence of pre-injection control parameters on main-injection quantity under different control modes is analyzed. In the spill control valve mode, main-injection fuel quantity decreases gradually and then reaches a stable level because of the increase in multi-injection dwell time. In the needle control valve mode, main-injection fuel quantity increases with rising multi-injection dwell time; this effect becomes more obvious at high-speed revolutions and large main-injection pulse widths. Pre-injection pulse width has no obvious influence on main-injection quantity under the two control modes; the variation in main-injection quantity is in the range of 1 mm3.

Do Social Conditions Affect Capuchin Monkeys' (Cebus apella) Choices in a Quantity Judgment Task?

PubMed

Beran, Michael J; Perdue, Bonnie M; Parrish, Audrey E; Evans, Theodore A

2012-01-01

Beran et al. (2012) reported that capuchin monkeys closely matched the performance of humans in a quantity judgment test in which information was incomplete but a judgment still had to be made. In each test session, subjects first made quantity judgments between two known options. Then, they made choices where only one option was visible. Both humans and capuchin monkeys were guided by past outcomes, as they shifted from selecting a known option to selecting an unknown option at the point at which the known option went from being more than the average rate of return to less than the average rate of return from earlier choices in the test session. Here, we expanded this assessment of what guides quantity judgment choice behavior in the face of incomplete information to include manipulations to the unselected quantity. We manipulated the unchosen set in two ways: first, we showed the monkeys what they did not get (the unchosen set), anticipating that "losses" would weigh heavily on subsequent trials in which the same known quantity was presented. Second, we sometimes gave the unchosen set to another monkey, anticipating that this social manipulation might influence the risk-taking responses of the focal monkey when faced with incomplete information. However, neither manipulation caused difficulty for the monkeys who instead continued to use the rational strategy of choosing known sets when they were as large as or larger than the average rate of return in the session, and choosing the unknown (riskier) set when the known set was not sufficiently large. As in past experiments, this was true across a variety of daily ranges of quantities, indicating that monkeys were not using some absolute quantity as a threshold for selecting (or not) the known set, but instead continued to use the daily average rate of return to determine when to choose the known versus the unknown quantity.

Nebulization Reflux Concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cofer, Wesley R., III; Collins, V. G.

1986-01-01

Nebulization reflux concentrator extracts and concentrates trace quantities of water-soluble gases for subsequent chemical analysis. Hydrophobic membrane and nebulizing nozzles form scrubber for removing trace quantities of soluble gases or other contaminants from atmosphere. Although hydrophobic membrane virtually blocks all transport of droplets, it offers little resistance to gas flow; hence, device permits relatively large volumes of gas scrubbed efficiently with very small volumes of liquid. This means analyzable quantities of contaminants concentrate in extracting solutions in much shorter times than with conventional techniques.

Report: risk factors associated with treatment of mixed municipal solid waste in the Indian context.

PubMed

Nema, Asit

2009-12-01

Across India, all small and large urban local bodies (ULB) alike are grappling with the problem of municipal solid waste (MSW), which has reached critical dimensions because of, among others, rapidly increasing quantities and complex characteristics, inadequate regulation, lack of awareness, concern and cooperation on the part of the urban residents, limited resources for collection, transport and safe disposal, and limited expertise on the part of the ULBs. A number of ULBs have attempted to address the two-fold constraint of resources and land by setting up treatment plants under the premise of generating revenue and reducing liability of safe disposal. Over the last three decades, under the paradigms of converting 'waste to energy' and 'waste to wealth' various technologies have been tried out, however time and again it is seen that irrespective of the technology, MSW treatment plants run in to difficulties and/or close down. The issues do not pertain just to technology but are systemic and encompass project development, feedstock delivery system including quality and quantity, climate, high life-cycle costs, low value realization on outputs and adverse environmental and social impacts. With such a wide range of risk factors, experience has shown that the probability of manifestation of any one of them or a combination thereof at one or the other stages of the project is quite high. Investment in a mixed MSW treatment plant therefore can not deliver positive financial returns, rather it can become a non-performing asset without even guaranteeing the desired environmental and public health benefits. This paper therefore argues for the adoption of a robust, elastic and most forgiving option of sanitary landfill as a dependable and safe disposal system for MSW.

Process for detoxicating exhaust gases from Otto-combustion engines and apparatus for carrying out such process

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

Klaue, H.J.; Reisacher, J.

1974-03-12

An afterburning process for reducing motor vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons is described which precludes extensive equipment for feeding the required air into the exhaust gases by means of exhaust gas expansion so that combustion air is sucked in by a partial vacuum formed. A twist generator is used to impart a swirl to the exhaust gases, resulting in their expansion. Air is aspirated into the expanded exhaust gases to provide a combustible gas-air mixture which is delivered to a diffusor for afterburning. The exhaust gases flowing to the twist generator pass through a heat exchanger which servesmore » to preheat the combustion air. The twist generator may be a set of stationary whirl-imparting vanes or may be the rotor of an exhaust gas turbo charger directly driving an air compressor which delivers the air through the heat exchanger to the turbocharger, with some of the compressed air being delivered back to the engine. The flow area of the outlet of the twist generator is adjustable to control the quantity of air aspirated into the exhaust gases supplied to the diffusor.« less

A Model For the Limiting Time in Vortex Ring Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shariff, Karim; Gharib, Morteza; Rambod, Edmond; Merriam, Marshal (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

In another presentation, Gharib et at provide experimental results to show that when a vortex ring is created from a pipe by a piston, there is a limiting time or piston stroke length beyond which multiple rings appear. This time appeared to be insensitive to piston velocity history and Reynolds number. Nature might exploit such a. limit in different contexts to coherently deliver mass or momentum flux with the least number of strokes. Here, a simple hypothesis is considered: the limiting time occurs when the apparatus is no longer able to deliver energy at a rate compatible with the requirement, due to Kelvin, that a steady vortex ring have maximum energy given circulation and impulse. More specifically, the limit is expected to occur when the quantity alpha = E/square root of Gamma(sup 3)I delivered by the piston drops below the value, alpha(sub lim) for a limiting steady vortex ring solution. The resulting predictions agree very well with the experiments (after using alpha(sub lim) measured using the experimental flow fields). The insensitivity to piston history also emerges from the model. Finally, piston histories are designed that may extend the limiting time somewhat.

High volume fabrication of laser targets using MEMS techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spindloe, C.; Arthur, G.; Hall, F.; Tomlinson, S.; Potter, R.; Kar, S.; Green, J.; Higginbotham, A.; Booth, N.; Tolley, M. K.

2016-04-01

The latest techniques for the fabrication of high power laser targets, using processes developed for the manufacture of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) devices are discussed. These laser targets are designed to meet the needs of the increased shot numbers that are available in the latest design of laser facilities. Traditionally laser targets have been fabricated using conventional machining or coarse etching processes and have been produced in quantities of 10s to low 100s. Such targets can be used for high complexity experiments such as Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) studies and can have many complex components that need assembling and characterisation with high precision. Using the techniques that are common to MEMS devices and integrating these with an existing target fabrication capability we are able to manufacture and deliver targets to these systems. It also enables us to manufacture novel targets that have not been possible using other techniques. In addition, developments in the positioning systems that are required to deliver these targets to the laser focus are also required and a system to deliver the target to a focus of an F2 beam at 0.1Hz is discussed.

An assessment of potential weather effects due to operation of the Space Orbiting Light Augmentation Reflector Energy System (SOLARES)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, N. C.

1978-01-01

Implementation of SOLARES will input large quantities of heat continuously into a stationary location on the Earth's surface. The quantity of heat released by each of the SOlARES ground receivers, having a reflector orbit height of 6378 km, exceeds by 30 times that released by large power parks which were studied in detail. Using atmospheric models, estimates are presented for the local weather effects, the synoptic scale effects, and the global scale effects from such intense thermal radiation.

Effect of indirect non-thermal plasma on particle size distribution and composition of diesel engine particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linbo, GU; Yixi, CAI; Yunxi, SHI; Jing, WANG; Xiaoyu, PU; Jing, TIAN; Runlin, FAN

2017-11-01

To explore the effect of the gas source flow rate on the actual diesel exhaust particulate matter (PM), a test bench for diesel engine exhaust purification was constructed, using indirect non-thermal plasma technology. The effects of different gas source flow rates on the quantity concentration, composition, and apparent activation energy of PM were investigated, using an engine exhaust particle sizer and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The results show that when the gas source flow rate was large, not only the maximum peak quantity concentrations of particles had a large drop, but also the peak quantity concentrations shifted to smaller particle sizes from 100 nm to 80 nm. When the gas source flow rate was 10 L min-1, the total quantity concentration greatly decreased where the removal rate of particles was 79.2%, and the variation of the different mode particle proportion was obvious. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) improved the oxidation ability of volatile matter as well as that of solid carbon. However, the NTP gas source rate had little effects on oxidation activity of volatile matter, while it strongly influenced the oxidation activity of solid carbon. Considering the quantity concentration and oxidation activity of particles, a gas source flow rate of 10 L min-1 was more appropriate for the purification of particles.

Reexamination of the calculation of two-center, two-electron integrals over Slater-type orbitals. II. Neumann expansion of the exchange integrals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesiuk, Michał; Moszynski, Robert

2014-12-01

In this paper we consider the calculation of two-center exchange integrals over Slater-type orbitals (STOs). We apply the Neumann expansion of the Coulomb interaction potential and consider calculation of all basic quantities which appear in the resulting expression. Analytical closed-form equations for all auxiliary quantities have already been known but they suffer from large digital erosion when some of the parameters are large or small. We derive two differential equations which are obeyed by the most difficult basic integrals. Taking them as a starting point, useful series expansions for small parameter values or asymptotic expansions for large parameter values are systematically derived. The resulting expansions replace the corresponding analytical expressions when the latter introduce significant cancellations. Additionally, we reconsider numerical integration of some necessary quantities and present a new way to calculate the integrand with a controlled precision. All proposed methods are combined to lead to a general, stable algorithm. We perform extensive numerical tests of the introduced expressions to verify their validity and usefulness. Advances reported here provide methodology to compute two-electron exchange integrals over STOs for a broad range of the nonlinear parameters and large angular momenta.

An Experiment Comparing HBSE Graduate Social Work Classes: Face-to-Face and at a Distance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woehle, Ralph; Quinn, Andrew

2009-01-01

This article describes a quasi-experimental comparison of two master's level social work classes delivering content on human behavior in the social environment. One class, delivered face-to-face, was largely synchronous. The other class, delivered using distance technologies, was more asynchronous than the first. The authors hypothesized that…

Testing of transition-region models: Test cases and data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, Bart A.; Dinavahi, Surya; Iyer, Venkit

1991-01-01

Mean flow quantities in the laminar turbulent transition region and in the fully turbulent region are predicted with different models incorporated into a 3-D boundary layer code. The predicted quantities are compared with experimental data for a large number of different flows and the suitability of the models for each flow is evaluated.

Large-scale generation of cell-derived nanovesicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, W.; Kim, J.; Yoon, J.; Jeong, D.; Cho, S.; Jeong, H.; Yoon, Y. J.; Kim, S. C.; Gho, Y. S.; Park, J.

2014-09-01

Exosomes are enclosed compartments that are released from cells and that can transport biological contents for the purpose of intercellular communications. Research into exosomes is hindered by their rarity. In this article, we introduce a device that uses centrifugal force and a filter with micro-sized pores to generate a large quantity of cell-derived nanovesicles. The device has a simple polycarbonate structure to hold the filter, and operates in a common centrifuge. Nanovesicles are similar in size and membrane structure to exosomes. Nanovesicles contain intracellular RNAs ranging from microRNA to mRNA, intracellular proteins, and plasma membrane proteins. The quantity of nanovesicles produced using the device is 250 times the quantity of naturally secreted exosomes. Also, the quantity of intracellular contents in nanovesicles is twice that in exosomes. Nanovesicles generated from murine embryonic stem cells can transfer RNAs to target cells. Therefore, this novel device and the nanovesicles that it generates are expected to be used in exosome-related research, and can be applied in various applications such as drug delivery and cell-based therapy.

Several comparison result of two types of equilibrium (Pareto Schemes and Stackelberg Scheme) of game theory approach in probabilistic vendor – buyer supply chain system with imperfect quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, R.

2018-05-01

In this paper, Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) of the vendor-buyer supply-chain model under a probabilistic condition with imperfect quality items has been analysed. The analysis is delivered using two concepts in game theory approach, which is Stackelberg equilibrium and Pareto Optimal, under non-cooperative and cooperative games, respectively. Another result is getting acomparison of theoptimal result between integrated scheme and game theory approach based on analytical and numerical result using appropriate simulation data.

Demonstration of Improved Software Support Labor Estimation For Air Force Operational Flight Programs Through Functional Orientation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

single, fully developed, tesied , documented, and supportable computer instruction set replicated in sufficient quantities and delivered to the...ThesisRec.ACTKDSI " ExpOnLy) * BCT SUlff = SulM4Q + ThesisRec.ACTEFFORT * TempQ C.56 SuiQ2 x SumZ + TempQ * TeMA ’CatcuLate sum for Coefficient and Exponent...4 - Sacramento ALC Block Change Process D.13 MIL-HDBK-347 Block Change Process Level 1 pivobernVctuer PMS De "wy ReprtProcess Packgep Level 2

Climate change and peak demand for electricity: Evaluating policies for reducing peak demand under different climate change scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Abigail Walker

This research focuses on the relative advantages and disadvantages of using price-based and quantity-based controls for electricity markets. It also presents a detailed analysis of one specific approach to quantity based controls: the SmartAC program implemented in Stockton, California. Finally, the research forecasts electricity demand under various climate scenarios, and estimates potential cost savings that could result from a direct quantity control program over the next 50 years in each scenario. The traditional approach to dealing with the problem of peak demand for electricity is to invest in a large stock of excess capital that is rarely used, thereby greatly increasing production costs. Because this approach has proved so expensive, there has been a focus on identifying alternative approaches for dealing with peak demand problems. This research focuses on two approaches: price based approaches, such as real time pricing, and quantity based approaches, whereby the utility directly controls at least some elements of electricity used by consumers. This research suggests that well-designed policies for reducing peak demand might include both price and quantity controls. In theory, sufficiently high peak prices occurring during periods of peak demand and/or low supply can cause the quantity of electricity demanded to decline until demand is in balance with system capacity, potentially reducing the total amount of generation capacity needed to meet demand and helping meet electricity demand at the lowest cost. However, consumers need to be well informed about real-time prices for the pricing strategy to work as well as theory suggests. While this might be an appropriate assumption for large industrial and commercial users who have potentially large economic incentives, there is not yet enough research on whether households will fully understand and respond to real-time prices. Thus, while real-time pricing can be an effective tool for addressing the peak load problems, pricing approaches are not well suited to ensure system reliability. This research shows that direct quantity controls are better suited for avoiding catastrophic failure that results when demand exceeds supply capacity.

Application of sensitivity-analysis techniques to the calculation of topological quantities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilchrist, Stuart

2017-08-01

Magnetic reconnection in the corona occurs preferentially at sites where the magnetic connectivity is either discontinuous or has a large spatial gradient. Hence there is a general interest in computing quantities (like the squashing factor) that characterize the gradient in the field-line mapping function. Here we present an algorithm for calculating certain (quasi)topological quantities using mathematical techniques from the field of ``sensitivity-analysis''. The method is based on the calculation of a three dimensional field-line mapping Jacobian from which all the present topological quantities of interest can be derived. We will present the algorithm and the details of a publicly available set of libraries that implement the algorithm.

Evaluation of a Class of Simple and Effective Uncertainty Methods for Sparse Samples of Random Variables and Functions

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

Romero, Vicente; Bonney, Matthew; Schroeder, Benjamin

When very few samples of a random quantity are available from a source distribution of unknown shape, it is usually not possible to accurately infer the exact distribution from which the data samples come. Under-estimation of important quantities such as response variance and failure probabilities can result. For many engineering purposes, including design and risk analysis, we attempt to avoid under-estimation with a strategy to conservatively estimate (bound) these types of quantities -- without being overly conservative -- when only a few samples of a random quantity are available from model predictions or replicate experiments. This report examines a classmore » of related sparse-data uncertainty representation and inference approaches that are relatively simple, inexpensive, and effective. Tradeoffs between the methods' conservatism, reliability, and risk versus number of data samples (cost) are quantified with multi-attribute metrics use d to assess method performance for conservative estimation of two representative quantities: central 95% of response; and 10 -4 probability of exceeding a response threshold in a tail of the distribution. Each method's performance is characterized with 10,000 random trials on a large number of diverse and challenging distributions. The best method and number of samples to use in a given circumstance depends on the uncertainty quantity to be estimated, the PDF character, and the desired reliability of bounding the true value. On the basis of this large data base and study, a strategy is proposed for selecting the method and number of samples for attaining reasonable credibility levels in bounding these types of quantities when sparse samples of random variables or functions are available from experiments or simulations.« less

How tobacco companies have used package quantity for consumer targeting.

PubMed

Persoskie, Alexander; Donaldson, Elisabeth A; Ryant, Chase

2018-05-31

Package quantity refers to the number of cigarettes or amount of other tobacco product in a package. Many countries restrict minimum cigarette package quantities to avoid low-cost packs that may lower barriers to youth smoking. We reviewed Truth Tobacco Industry Documents to understand tobacco companies' rationales for introducing new package quantities, including companies' expectations and research regarding how package quantity may influence consumer behaviour. A snowball sampling method (phase 1), a static search string (phase 2) and a follow-up snowball search (phase 3) identified 216 documents, mostly from the 1980s and 1990s, concerning cigarettes (200), roll-your-own tobacco (9), smokeless tobacco (6) and 'smokeless cigarettes' (1). Companies introduced small and large packages to motivate brand-switching and continued use among current users when faced with low market share or threats such as tax-induced price increases or competitors' use of price promotions. Companies developed and evaluated package quantities for specific brands and consumer segments. Large packages offered value-for-money and matched long-term, heavy users' consumption rates. Small packages were cheaper, matched consumption rates of newer and lighter users, and increased products' novelty, ease of carrying and perceived freshness. Some users also preferred small packages as a way to try to limit consumption or quit. Industry documents speculated about many potential effects of package quantity on appeal and use, depending on brand and consumer segment. The search was non-exhaustive, and we could not assess the quality of much of the research or other information on which the documents relied. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Property of Fluctuations of Sales Quantities by Product Category in Convenience Stores.

PubMed

Fukunaga, Gaku; Takayasu, Hideki; Takayasu, Misako

2016-01-01

The ability to ascertain the extent of product sale fluctuations for each store and locality is indispensable to inventory management. This study analyzed POS data from 158 convenience stores in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and found a power scaling law between the mean and standard deviation of product sales quantities for several product categories. For the statistical domains of low sales quantities, the power index was 1/2; for large sales quantities, the power index was 1, so called Taylor's law holds. The value of sales quantities with changing power indixes differed according to product category. We derived a Poissonian compound distribution model taking into account fluctuations in customer numbers to show that the scaling law could be explained theoretically for most of items. We also examined why the scaling law did not hold in some exceptional cases.

Relationship of patient characteristics and rehabilitation services to outcomes following spinal cord injury: The SCIRehab Project

PubMed Central

Whiteneck, Gale; Gassaway, Julie; Dijkers, Marcel P.; Heinemann, Allen W.; Kreider, Scott E. D.

2012-01-01

Background/objective To examine associations of patient characteristics along with treatment quantity delivered by seven clinical disciplines during inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation with outcomes at rehabilitation discharge and 1-year post-injury. Methods Six inpatient SCI rehabilitation centers enrolled 1376 patients during the 5-year SCIRehab study. Clinicians delivering standard care documented details of treatment. Outcome data were derived from SCI Model Systems Form I and II and a project-specific interview conducted at approximately 1-year post-injury. Regression modeling was used to predict outcomes; models were cross-validated by examining relative shrinkage of the original model R2 using 75% of the dataset to the R2 for the same outcome using a validation subsample. Results Patient characteristics are strong predictors of outcome; treatment duration adds slightly more predictive power. More time in physical therapy was associated positively with motor Functional Independence Measure at discharge and the 1-year anniversary, CHART Physical Independence, Social Integration, and Mobility dimensions, and smaller likelihood of rehospitalization after discharge and reporting of pressure ulcer at the interview. More time in therapeutic recreation also had multiple similar positive associations. Time spent in other disciplines had fewer and mixed relationships. Seven models validated well, two validated moderately well, and four validated poorly. Conclusion Patient characteristics explain a large proportion of variation in multiple outcomes after inpatient rehabilitation. The total amount of treatment received during rehabilitation from each of seven disciplines explains little additional variance. Reasons for this and the phenomenon that sometimes more hours of service predict poorer outcome, need additional study. Note This is the first of nine articles in the SCIRehab series. PMID:23318033

Fault tree analysis for integrated and probabilistic risk analysis of drinking water systems.

PubMed

Lindhe, Andreas; Rosén, Lars; Norberg, Tommy; Bergstedt, Olof

2009-04-01

Drinking water systems are vulnerable and subject to a wide range of risks. To avoid sub-optimisation of risk-reduction options, risk analyses need to include the entire drinking water system, from source to tap. Such an integrated approach demands tools that are able to model interactions between different events. Fault tree analysis is a risk estimation tool with the ability to model interactions between events. Using fault tree analysis on an integrated level, a probabilistic risk analysis of a large drinking water system in Sweden was carried out. The primary aims of the study were: (1) to develop a method for integrated and probabilistic risk analysis of entire drinking water systems; and (2) to evaluate the applicability of Customer Minutes Lost (CML) as a measure of risk. The analysis included situations where no water is delivered to the consumer (quantity failure) and situations where water is delivered but does not comply with water quality standards (quality failure). Hard data as well as expert judgements were used to estimate probabilities of events and uncertainties in the estimates. The calculations were performed using Monte Carlo simulations. CML is shown to be a useful measure of risks associated with drinking water systems. The method presented provides information on risk levels, probabilities of failure, failure rates and downtimes of the system. This information is available for the entire system as well as its different sub-systems. Furthermore, the method enables comparison of the results with performance targets and acceptable levels of risk. The method thus facilitates integrated risk analysis and consequently helps decision-makers to minimise sub-optimisation of risk-reduction options.

Space transportation booster engine thrust chamber technology, large scale injector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, J. A.

1993-01-01

The objective of the Large Scale Injector (LSI) program was to deliver a 21 inch diameter, 600,000 lbf thrust class injector to NASA/MSFC for hot fire testing. The hot fire test program would demonstrate the feasibility and integrity of the full scale injector, including combustion stability, chamber wall compatibility (thermal management), and injector performance. The 21 inch diameter injector was delivered in September of 1991.

A Functional Model for Management of Large Scale Assessments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banta, Trudy W.; And Others

This functional model for managing large-scale program evaluations was developed and validated in connection with the assessment of Tennessee's Nutrition Education and Training Program. Management of such a large-scale assessment requires the development of a structure for the organization; distribution and recovery of large quantities of…

Okara: A Nutritionally Valuable By-product Able to Stabilize Lactobacillus plantarum during Freeze-drying, Spray-drying, and Storage.

PubMed

Quintana, Gabriel; Gerbino, Esteban; Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea

2017-01-01

Okara is a nutritionally valuable by-product produced in large quantities as result of soymilk elaboration. This work proposes its use as both culture and dehydration medium during freeze-drying, spray-drying, and storage of Lactobacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114. Whole and defatted okara were employed as culture media for L. plantarum CIDCA 83114. The growth kinetics were followed by plate counting and compared with those of bacteria grown in MRS broth (control). No significant differences in plate counting were observed in the three media. The fatty acid composition of bacteria grown in whole and defatted okara showed a noticeable increase in the unsaturated/saturated (U/S) fatty acid ratio, with regard to bacteria grown in MRS. This change was mainly due to the increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely C18:2. For dehydration assays, cultures in the stationary phase were neutralized and freeze-dried (with or without the addition of 250 mM sucrose) or spray-dried. Bacteria were plate counted immediately after freeze-drying or spray-drying and during storage at 4°C for 90 days. Freeze-drying in whole okara conducted to the highest bacterial recovery. Regarding storage, spray-dried bacteria previously grown in whole and defatted okara showed higher plate counts than those grown in MRS. On the contrary, freeze-dried bacteria previously grown in all the three culture media were those with the lowest plate counts. The addition of sucrose to the dehydration media improved their recovery. The higher recovery of microorganisms grown in okara after freeze-drying and spray-drying processes and during storage was ascribed to both the presence of fiber and proteins in the dehydration media, and the increase in U/S fatty acids ratio in bacterial membranes. The obtained results support for the first time the use of okara as an innovative matrix to deliver L. plantarum . Considering that okara is an agro-waste obtained in large quantities, these results represent an innovative strategy to add it value, providing a symbiotic ingredient with promising industrial applications in the development of novel functional foods and feeds.

Okara: A Nutritionally Valuable By-product Able to Stabilize Lactobacillus plantarum during Freeze-drying, Spray-drying, and Storage

PubMed Central

Quintana, Gabriel; Gerbino, Esteban; Gómez-Zavaglia, Andrea

2017-01-01

Okara is a nutritionally valuable by-product produced in large quantities as result of soymilk elaboration. This work proposes its use as both culture and dehydration medium during freeze-drying, spray-drying, and storage of Lactobacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114. Whole and defatted okara were employed as culture media for L. plantarum CIDCA 83114. The growth kinetics were followed by plate counting and compared with those of bacteria grown in MRS broth (control). No significant differences in plate counting were observed in the three media. The fatty acid composition of bacteria grown in whole and defatted okara showed a noticeable increase in the unsaturated/saturated (U/S) fatty acid ratio, with regard to bacteria grown in MRS. This change was mainly due to the increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely C18:2. For dehydration assays, cultures in the stationary phase were neutralized and freeze-dried (with or without the addition of 250 mM sucrose) or spray-dried. Bacteria were plate counted immediately after freeze-drying or spray-drying and during storage at 4°C for 90 days. Freeze-drying in whole okara conducted to the highest bacterial recovery. Regarding storage, spray-dried bacteria previously grown in whole and defatted okara showed higher plate counts than those grown in MRS. On the contrary, freeze-dried bacteria previously grown in all the three culture media were those with the lowest plate counts. The addition of sucrose to the dehydration media improved their recovery. The higher recovery of microorganisms grown in okara after freeze-drying and spray-drying processes and during storage was ascribed to both the presence of fiber and proteins in the dehydration media, and the increase in U/S fatty acids ratio in bacterial membranes. The obtained results support for the first time the use of okara as an innovative matrix to deliver L. plantarum. Considering that okara is an agro-waste obtained in large quantities, these results represent an innovative strategy to add it value, providing a symbiotic ingredient with promising industrial applications in the development of novel functional foods and feeds. PMID:28446905

Chemical Waste Management for the Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmer, Steven W.

1999-06-01

Management of hazardous chemical wastes generated as a part of the curriculum poses a significant task for the individual responsible for maintaining compliance with all rules and regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation while maintaining the principles of OSHA's Lab Standard and the Hazard Communication Standard. For schools that generate relatively small quantities of waste, an individual can effectively manage the waste program without becoming overly burdened by the EPA regulations required for those generating large quantities of waste, if given the necessary support from the institution.

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.

Analysis of the single-vehicle cyclic inventory routing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghezzaf, El-Houssaine; Zhong, Yiqing; Raa, Birger; Mateo, Manel

2012-11-01

The single-vehicle cyclic inventory routing problem (SV-CIRP) consists of a repetitive distribution of a product from a single depot to a selected subset of customers. For each customer, selected for replenishments, the supplier collects a corresponding fixed reward. The objective is to determine the subset of customers to replenish, the quantity of the product to be delivered to each and to design the vehicle route so that the resulting profit (difference between the total reward and the total logistical cost) is maximised while preventing stockouts at each of the selected customers. This problem appears often as a sub-problem in many logistical problems. In this article, the SV-CIRP is formulated as a mixed-integer program with a nonlinear objective function. After a thorough analysis of the structure of the problem and its features, an exact algorithm for its solution is proposed. This exact algorithm requires only solutions of linear mixed-integer programs. Values of a savings-based heuristic for this problem are compared to the optimal values obtained for a set of some test problems. In general, the gap may get as large as 25%, which justifies the effort to continue exploring and developing exact and approximation algorithms for the SV-CIRP.

Disturbance of beach sediment by off-road vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anders, Fred J.; Leatherman, Stephen P.

1987-10-01

A three-year investigation was undertaken to examine the effects of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on the beach at Fire Island, New York. Within the National Seashore over 45,000 vehicle trips per year are concentrated in the zone seaward of the dune toe. The experimental approach was adopted in order to assess the environmental effects of ORVs. Specially developed instrumentation was used to measure the direct displacement of sand by vehicles traversing the beach. Direct displacement data were reduced graphically and analyzed by stepwise linear regression. The results of 89 field experiments (788 cases) showed that slope, sand compaction, and number of vehicle passes in the same track were the principal factors controlling the measured net seaward displacement of sand. The data suggest that ORV use levels within the National Seashore could be contributing to the overall erosion rate by delivering large quantities of sand to the swash zone (max. of 119,300 m3/yr). However, with proper management downslope movement of sand could be reduced by an order of magnitude. While vehicular passage over the open beach displaces sand seaward, it is not known if such activity actually increases the amount of erosion, measured as net loss to the beach face.

Probing the Locality of Excited States with Linear Algebra.

PubMed

Etienne, Thibaud

2015-04-14

This article reports a novel theoretical approach related to the analysis of molecular excited states. The strategy introduced here involves gathering two pieces of physical information, coming from Hilbert and direct space operations, into a general, unique quantum mechanical descriptor of electronic transitions' locality. Moreover, the projection of Hilbert and direct space-derived indices in an Argand plane delivers a straightforward way to visually probe the ability of a dye to undergo a long- or short-range charge-transfer. This information can be applied, for instance, to the analysis of the electronic response of families of dyes to light absorption by unveiling the trend of a given push-pull chromophore to increase the electronic cloud polarization magnitude of its main transition with respect to the size extension of its conjugated spacer. We finally demonstrate that all the quantities reported in this article can be reliably approximated by a linear algebraic derivation, based on the contraction of detachment/attachment density matrices from canonical to atomic space. This alternative derivation has the remarkable advantage of a very low computational cost with respect to the previously used numerical integrations, making fast and accurate characterization of large molecular systems' excited states easily affordable.

Low Force Icy Regolith Penetration Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metzger, P. T.; Galloway, G. M.; Mantovani, J. G.; Zacny, K.; Zacny, Kris; Craft, Jack

2011-01-01

Recent data from the Moon, including LCROSS data, indicate large quantities of water ice and other volatiles frozen into the soil in the permanently shadowed craters near the poles. If verified and exploited, these volatiles will revolutionize spaceflight as an inexpensive source of propellants and other consumables outside Earth's gravity well. This report discusses a preliminary investigation of a method to insert a sensor through such a soiVice mixture to verify the presence, nature, and concentration of the ice. It uses percussion to deliver mechanical energy into the frozen mixture, breaking up the ice and decompacting the soil so that only low reaction forces are required from a rover or spacecraft to push the sensor downward. The tests demonstrate that this method may be ideal for a small platform in lunar gravity. However, there are some cases where the system may not be able to penetrate the icy soil, and there is some risk ofthe sensor becoming stuck so that it cannot be retracted, so further work is needed. A companion project (ISDS for Water Detection on the Lunar Surface) has performed preliminary investigation of a dielectric/thermal sensor for use with this system.

A Directory of Human Performance Models for System Design (Defence Research Group Panel 8 on the Defence Applications of Human and Bio-Medical Sciences)

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-27

quantities, but they are not continuously dependent on these quantities. This pure open-loop programmed-control-like behaviour is called precognitive . Like...and largely accomplished by the precognitive action and then may be completed with compeisatory eor-reducuon operations. 304. A quasilinear or

Variation of organic matter quantity and quality in streams at Critical Zone Observatory watersheds

Treesearch

Matthew P. Miller; Elizabeth W. Boyer; Diane M. McKnight; Michael G. Brown; Rachel S. Gabor; Carolyn Hunsaker; Lidiia Iavorivska; Shreeram Inamdar; Dale W. Johnson; Louis A. Kaplan; Henry Lin; William H. McDowell; Julia N. Perdrial

2016-01-01

The quantity and chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters influence ecosystem processes and anthropogenic use of freshwater. However, despite the importance of understanding spatial and temporal patterns in DOM, measures of DOM quality are not routinely included as part of large-scale ecosystem monitoring programs and variations in...

A cost-effective protocol for the over-expression and purification of fully-functional and more stable Erwinia chrisanthemi ligand-gated ion channel

PubMed Central

Elberson, Benjamin W.; Whisenant, Ty E.; Cortes, D. Marien; Cuello, Luis G.

2017-01-01

The Erwinia chrisanthemi ligand-gated ion channel, ELIC, is considered an excellent structural and functional surrogate for the whole pentameric ligand-gated ion channel family. Despite its simplicity, ELIC is structurally capable of undergoing ligand-dependent activation and a concomitant desensitization process. To determine at the molecular level the structural changes underlying ELIC’s function, it is desirable to produce large quantities of protein. This protein should be properly folded, fully-functional and amenable to structural determinations. In the current paper, we report a completely new protocol for the expression and purification of milligram quantities of fully-functional, more stable and crystallizable ELIC. The use of an autoinduction media and inexpensive detergents during ELIC extraction, in addition to the high-quality and large quantity of the purified channel, are the highlights of this improved biochemical protocol. PMID:28279818

Large-scale purification of 90Sr from nuclear waste materials for production of 90Y, a therapeutic medical radioisotope.

PubMed

Wester, Dennis W; Steele, Richard T; Rinehart, Donald E; DesChane, Jaquetta R; Carson, Katharine J; Rapko, Brian M; Tenforde, Thomas S

2003-07-01

A major limitation on the supply of the short-lived medical isotope 90Y (t1/2 = 64 h) is the available quantity of highly purified 90Sr generator material. A radiochemical production campaign was therefore undertaken to purify 1,500 Ci of 90Sr that had been isolated from fission waste materials. A series of alkaline precipitation steps removed all detectable traces of 137Cs, alpha emitters, and uranium and transuranic elements. Technical obstacles such as the buildup of gas pressure generated upon mixing large quantities of acid with solid 90Sr carbonate were overcome through safety features incorporated into the custom-built equipment used for 90Sr purification. Methods are described for analyzing the chemical and radiochemical purity of the final product and for accurately determining by gravimetry the quantities of 90Sr immobilized on stainless steel filters for future use.

From the European indoor radon map towards an atlas of natural radiation.

PubMed

Tollefsen, T; Cinelli, G; Bossew, P; Gruber, V; De Cort, M

2014-11-01

In 2006, the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission launched a project to map radon at the European level, as part of a planned European Atlas of Natural Radiation. It started with a map of indoor radon concentrations. As of May 2014, this map includes data from 24 countries, covering a fair part of Europe. Next, a European map of geogenic radon, intended to show 'what earth delivers' in terms of radon potential (RP), was started in 2008. A first trial map has been created, and a database was established to collect all available data relevant to the RP. The Atlas should eventually display the geographical distribution of physical quantities related to natural radiation. In addition to radon, it will comprise maps of quantities such as cosmic rays and terrestrial gamma radiation. In this paper, the authors present the current state of the radon maps and the Atlas. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

Selection of root-zone media for higher plant cultivation in space.

PubMed

Guo, Shuang-sheng; Ai, Wei-dang; Zhao, Cheng-jian; Han, Li-jun; Wang, Jian-xiao

2004-04-01

To investigate the cultivating effects of several mineral matters used as root-zone media for higher plant growth in space. Four kinds of artificial and natural mineral matters were used as plant root-zone media based on lots of investigation and analysis. Nutrient liquid was delivered into the media by a long capillary material, and roots of plants obtained nutrition and water from the media. The related parameters such as plant height and photosynthetic efficiency were measured and analyzed. The growing effect in a mixture of coarse and fine ceramic particles with equal quantity proportion was the best, that in fine ceramic particles was the second best, that in clinoptilolite particles was the third and that in diorite particles was the last. The mixture of coarse and fine ceramic particles with equal quantity possesses not only fine capillary action, but also good aerating ability, and therefore is capable of being utilized as an effective root-zone media for higher plants intended to be grown in space.

ROSAT implementation of a proposed multi-mission x ray data format

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corcoran, M.; Pence, W.; White, R.; Conroy, M.

1992-01-01

Until recently little effort has been made to ensure that data from X-ray telescopes are delivered in a format that reflects the common characteristics that most X-ray datasets share. Instrument-specific data-product design hampers the comparison of X-ray measurements made by different detectors and should be avoided whenever possible. The ROSAT project and the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) have defined a set of X-ray data products ('rationalized files') for ROSAT data that can be used for distribution and archiving of data from other X-ray missions. This set of 'rationalized files' has been defined to isolate instrument-independent and instrument-specific quantities using standards FITS constructs to ensure portability. We discuss the usage of the 'rationalized files' by ROSAT for data distribution and archiving, with particular emphasis on discrimination between instrument-independent and instrument-specific quantities, and discuss application of this format to data from other X-ray missions.

Spatiotemporal Fractionation Schemes for Irradiating Large Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations

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

Unkelbach, Jan, E-mail: junkelbach@mgh.harvard.edu; Bussière, Marc R.; Chapman, Paul H.

2016-07-01

Purpose: To optimally exploit fractionation effects in the context of radiosurgery treatments of large cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). In current practice, fractionated treatments divide the dose evenly into several fractions, which generally leads to low obliteration rates. In this work, we investigate the potential benefit of delivering distinct dose distributions in different fractions. Methods and Materials: Five patients with large cerebral AVMs were reviewed and replanned for intensity modulated arc therapy delivered with conventional photon beams. Treatment plans allowing for different dose distributions in all fractions were obtained by performing treatment plan optimization based on the cumulative biologically effective dosemore » delivered at the end of treatment. Results: We show that distinct treatment plans can be designed for different fractions, such that high single-fraction doses are delivered to complementary parts of the AVM. All plans create a similar dose bath in the surrounding normal brain and thereby exploit the fractionation effect. This partial hypofractionation in the AVM along with fractionation in normal brain achieves a net improvement of the therapeutic ratio. We show that a biological dose reduction of approximately 10% in the healthy brain can be achieved compared with reference treatment schedules that deliver the same dose distribution in all fractions. Conclusions: Boosting complementary parts of the target volume in different fractions may provide a therapeutic advantage in fractionated radiosurgery treatments of large cerebral AVMs. The strategy allows for a mean dose reduction in normal brain that may be valuable for a patient population with an otherwise normal life expectancy.« less

Large scale EMF in current sheets induced by tearing modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizerski, Krzysztof A.

2018-02-01

An extension of the analysis of resistive instabilities of a sheet pinch from a famous work by Furth et al (1963 Phys. Fluids 6 459) is presented here, to study the mean electromotive force (EMF) generated by the developing instability. In a Cartesian configuration and in the presence of a current sheet first the boundary layer technique is used to obtain global, matched asymptotic solutions for the velocity and magnetic field and then the solutions are used to calculate the large-scale EMF in the system. It is reported, that in the bulk the curl of the mean EMF is linear in {{j}}0\\cdot {{B}}0, a simple pseudo-scalar quantity constructed from the large-scale quantities.

Evolution of a nursing education program delivered to baccalaureate-prepared Haitian nurses.

PubMed

Lev, Elise L; Lindgren, Teri G; Pearson, Gayle A; Alcindor, Hilda

2013-01-01

Haiti has high morbidity and mortality rates, a large proportion of people living in poverty, and a shortage of nurses and nursing faculty members. A partnership program between a US and Haitian university was formed to deliver a certificate program in nursing education. The authors describe their experiences developing, delivering, and evaluating the blended on-site and online program and their future goals.

Non-symbolic arithmetic in adults and young children.

PubMed

Barth, Hilary; La Mont, Kristen; Lipton, Jennifer; Dehaene, Stanislas; Kanwisher, Nancy; Spelke, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

Five experiments investigated whether adults and preschool children can perform simple arithmetic calculations on non-symbolic numerosities. Previous research has demonstrated that human adults, human infants, and non-human animals can process numerical quantities through approximate representations of their magnitudes. Here we consider whether these non-symbolic numerical representations might serve as a building block of uniquely human, learned mathematics. Both adults and children with no training in arithmetic successfully performed approximate arithmetic on large sets of elements. Success at these tasks did not depend on non-numerical continuous quantities, modality-specific quantity information, the adoption of alternative non-arithmetic strategies, or learned symbolic arithmetic knowledge. Abstract numerical quantity representations therefore are computationally functional and may provide a foundation for formal mathematics.

Property of Fluctuations of Sales Quantities by Product Category in Convenience Stores

PubMed Central

Fukunaga, Gaku; Takayasu, Hideki; Takayasu, Misako

2016-01-01

The ability to ascertain the extent of product sale fluctuations for each store and locality is indispensable to inventory management. This study analyzed POS data from 158 convenience stores in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and found a power scaling law between the mean and standard deviation of product sales quantities for several product categories. For the statistical domains of low sales quantities, the power index was 1/2; for large sales quantities, the power index was 1, so called Taylor’s law holds. The value of sales quantities with changing power indixes differed according to product category. We derived a Poissonian compound distribution model taking into account fluctuations in customer numbers to show that the scaling law could be explained theoretically for most of items. We also examined why the scaling law did not hold in some exceptional cases. PMID:27310915

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

John, David E.; Wang, Zhaohui A.; Liu, Xuewu

River plumes deliver large quantities of nutrients to oligotrophic oceans, often resulting in significant CO 2 drawdown. To determine the relationship between expression of the major gene in carbon fixation (large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, RuBisCO) and CO 2 dynamics, we evaluated rbcL mRNA abundance using novel quantitative PCR assays, phytoplankton cell analyses, photophysiological parameters, and pCO 2 in and around the Mississippi River plume (MRP) in the Gulf of Mexico. Lower salinity (30–32) stations were dominated by rbcL mRNA concentrations from heterokonts, such as diatoms and pelagophytes, which were at least an order of magnitude greater than haptophytes, alpha-Synechococcusmore » or high-light Prochlorococcus. However, rbcL transcript abundances were similar among these groups at oligotrophic stations (salinity 34–36). Diatom cell counts and heterokont rbcL RNA showed a strong negative correlation to seawater pCO 2. While Prochlorococcus cells did not exhibit a large difference between low and high pCO 2 water, Prochlorococcus rbcL RNA concentrations had a strong positive correlation to pCO 2, suggesting a very low level of RuBisCO RNA transcription among Prochlorococcus in the plume waters, possibly due to their relatively poor carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). These results provide molecular evidence that diatom/pelagophyte productivity is largely responsible for the large CO 2 drawdown occurring in the MRP, based on the co-occurrence of elevated RuBisCO gene transcript concentrations from this group and reduced seawater pCO 2 levels. This may partly be due to efficient CCMs that enable heterokont eukaryotes such as diatoms to continue fixing CO 2 in the face of strong CO 2 drawdown. Finally, our work represents the first attempt to relate in situ microbial gene expression to contemporaneous CO 2 flux measurements in the ocean.« less

Estimation of post-Katrina debris volume: An example from coastal Mississippi: Chapter 3E in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hansen, Mark; Howd, Peter; Sallenger, Asbury; Wright, C. Wayne; Lillycrop, Jeff

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina severely impacted coastal Mississippi, creating large quantities of building and vegetation debris. This paper summarizes techniques to estimate vegetation and nonvegetation debris quantities from light detection and ranging (lidar) data and presents debris volume results for Harrison County, Miss.

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

7 CFR 201.33 - Seed in bulk or large quantities; seed for cleaning or processing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... quantities; seed for cleaning or processing. (a) In the case of seed in bulk, the information required under... seeds. (b) Seed consigned to a seed cleaning or processing establishment, for cleaning or processing for... pertaining to such seed show that it is “Seed for processing,” or, if the seed is in containers and in...

A Kinetic Study Using Evaporation of Different Types of Hand-Rub Sanitizers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinhas, Allan R.

2010-01-01

Alcohol-based hand-rub sanitizers are the types of products that hospital professionals use very often. These sanitizers can be classified into two major groups: those that contain a large quantity of thickener, and thus are a gel, and those that contain a small quantity of thickener, and thus remain a liquid. In an effort to create a laboratory…

The development of a blended learning approach to delivering information skills training to large health related student audiences with limited staff resource.

PubMed

Ware, Fiona

2011-09-01

This feature considers the challenges that academic librarians are increasingly being faced with in the delivery of information skills training to large student numbers with limited time and staff resources. A case study is presented of how an academic liaison librarian used a blended learning approach and innovative teaching practice to successfully deliver information skills training to large student numbers within the Faculty of Health and Social Care at Hull University. © 2011 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2011 Health Libraries Group.

Large number discrimination by mosquitofish.

PubMed

Agrillo, Christian; Piffer, Laura; Bisazza, Angelo

2010-12-22

Recent studies have demonstrated that fish display rudimentary numerical abilities similar to those observed in mammals and birds. The mechanisms underlying the discrimination of small quantities (<4) were recently investigated while, to date, no study has examined the discrimination of large numerosities in fish. Subjects were trained to discriminate between two sets of small geometric figures using social reinforcement. In the first experiment mosquitofish were required to discriminate 4 from 8 objects with or without experimental control of the continuous variables that co-vary with number (area, space, density, total luminance). Results showed that fish can use the sole numerical information to compare quantities but that they preferentially use cumulative surface area as a proxy of the number when this information is available. A second experiment investigated the influence of the total number of elements to discriminate large quantities. Fish proved to be able to discriminate up to 100 vs. 200 objects, without showing any significant decrease in accuracy compared with the 4 vs. 8 discrimination. The third experiment investigated the influence of the ratio between the numerosities. Performance was found to decrease when decreasing the numerical distance. Fish were able to discriminate numbers when ratios were 1:2 or 2:3 but not when the ratio was 3:4. The performance of a sample of undergraduate students, tested non-verbally using the same sets of stimuli, largely overlapped that of fish. Fish are able to use pure numerical information when discriminating between quantities larger than 4 units. As observed in human and non-human primates, the numerical system of fish appears to have virtually no upper limit while the numerical ratio has a clear effect on performance. These similarities further reinforce the view of a common origin of non-verbal numerical systems in all vertebrates.

Photosynthesis-related quantities for education and modeling.

PubMed

Antal, Taras K; Kovalenko, Ilya B; Rubin, Andrew B; Tyystjärvi, Esa

2013-11-01

A quantitative understanding of the photosynthetic machinery depends largely on quantities, such as concentrations, sizes, absorption wavelengths, redox potentials, and rate constants. The present contribution is a collection of numbers and quantities related mainly to photosynthesis in higher plants. All numbers are taken directly from a literature or database source and the corresponding reference is provided. The numerical values, presented in this paper, provide ranges of values, obtained in specific experiments for specific organisms. However, the presented numbers can be useful for understanding the principles of structure and function of photosynthetic machinery and for guidance of future research.

Chimpanzees Sometimes See Fuller as Better: Judgments of Food Quantities Based on Container Size and Fullness

PubMed Central

Parrish, Audrey E.; Beran, Michael J.

2014-01-01

The context in which food is presented can alter quantity judgments leading to sub-optimal choice behavior. Humans often over-estimate food quantity on the basis of how food is presented. Food appears larger if plated on smaller dishes than larger dishes and liquid volumes appear larger in taller cups than shorter cups. Moreover, smaller but fuller containers are preferred in comparison to larger, but less full containers with a truly larger quantity. Here, we assessed whether similar phenomena occur in chimpanzees. Four chimpanzees chose between two amounts of food presented in different sized containers, a large (2 oz.) and small (1 oz.) cup. When different quantities were presented in the same-sized cups or when the small cup contained the larger quantity, chimpanzees were highly accurate in choosing the larger food amount. However, when different-sized cups contained the same amount of food or the smaller cup contained the smaller amount of food (but looked relatively fuller), the chimpanzees often showed a bias to select the smaller but fuller cup. These findings contribute to our understanding of how quantity estimation and portion judgment is impacted by the surrounding context in which it is presented. PMID:24374384

The EPA CompTox Chemistry Dashboard - an online resource ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Computational Toxicology Program integrates advances in biology, chemistry, and computer science to help prioritize chemicals for further research based on potential human health risks. This work involves computational and data driven approaches that integrate chemistry, exposure and biological data. As an outcome of these efforts the National Center for Computational Toxicology (NCCT) has measured, assembled and delivered an enormous quantity and diversity of data for the environmental sciences including high-throughput in vitro screening data, in vivo and functional use data, exposure models and chemical databases with associated properties. A series of software applications and databases have been produced over the past decade to deliver these data. Recent work has focused on the development of a new architecture that assembles the resources into a single platform. With a focus on delivering access to Open Data streams, web service integration accessibility and a user-friendly web application the CompTox Dashboard provides access to data associated with ~720,000 chemical substances. These data include research data in the form of bioassay screening data associated with the ToxCast program, experimental and predicted physicochemical properties, product and functional use information and related data of value to environmental scientists. This presentation will provide an overview of the CompTox Dashboard and its va

NCI Cohort Consortium

Cancer.gov

The NCI Cohort Consortium is an extramural-intramural partnership formed by the National Cancer Institute to address the need for large-scale collaborations to pool the large quantity of data and biospecimens necessary to conduct a wide range of cancer studies.

Apollo Spacesuit Modifications for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) Spacesuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McBarron, James W., II

2015-01-01

With over 50 years of experience with NASA spacesuit development and operations, as well as for early U.S. Air Force pressure suits, Jim McBarron shared his significant knowledge about modifications to the Apollo spacesuit for use in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). This included requirements and design changes implemented to establish the ASTP spacesuit design baseline. Additionally, he identified Apollo spacesuit contact details including quantity of spacesuits delivered to support the Apollo and Skylab Programs, and the ASTP. He concluded by identifying a summary of noteworthy lessons learned with recommendations for future spacesuit development.

[Pharmaceutical logistic in turnover of pharmaceutical products of Azerbaijan].

PubMed

Dzhalilova, K I

2009-11-01

Development of pharmaceutical logistic system model promotes optimal strategy for pharmaceutical functioning. The goal of such systems is organization of pharmaceutical product's turnover in required quantity and assortment, at preset time and place, at a highest possible degree of consumption readiness with minimal expenses and qualitative service. Organization of the optimal turnover chain in the region is offered to start from approximate classification of medicaments by logistic characteristics. Supplier selection was performed by evaluation of timeliness of delivery, quality of delivered products (according to the minimum acceptable level of quality) and time-keeping of time spending for orders delivery.

27 CFR 40.183 - Record of tobacco products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) TOBACCO MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES... quantities of all tobacco products, by kind (small cigars-large cigars; small cigarettes-large cigarettes... inventory; (e) Removed subject to tax (itemize large cigars by sale price in accordance with § 40.22, except...

27 CFR 40.183 - Record of tobacco products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) TOBACCO MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES... quantities of all tobacco products, by kind (small cigars-large cigars; small cigarettes-large cigarettes... inventory; (e) Removed subject to tax (itemize large cigars by sale price in accordance with § 40.22, except...

27 CFR 40.183 - Record of tobacco products.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) TOBACCO MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS, CIGARETTE PAPERS AND TUBES... quantities of all tobacco products, by kind (small cigars-large cigars; small cigarettes-large cigarettes... inventory; (e) Removed subject to tax (itemize large cigars by sale price in accordance with § 40.22, except...

VOCs Emissions from Multiple Wood Pellet Types and Concentrations in Indoor Air

PubMed Central

Soto-Garcia, Lydia; Ashley, William J.; Bregg, Sandar; Walier, Drew; LeBouf, Ryan; Hopke, Philip K.; Rossner, Alan

2016-01-01

Wood pellet storage safety is an important aspect for implementing woody biomass as a renewable energy source. When wood pellets are stored indoors in large quantities (tons) in poorly ventilated spaces in buildings, such as in basements, off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can significantly affect indoor air quality. To determine the emission rates and potential impact of VOC emissions, a series of laboratory and field measurements were conducted using softwood, hardwood, and blended wood pellets manufactured in New York. Evacuated canisters were used to collect air samples from the headspace of drums containing pellets and then in basements and pellet storage areas of homes and small businesses. Multiple peaks were identified during GC/MS and GC/FID analysis, and four primary VOCs were characterized and quantified: methanol, pentane, pentanal, and hexanal. Laboratory results show that total VOCs (TVOCs) concentrations for softwood (SW) were statistically (p < 0.02) higher than blended or hardwood (HW) (SW: 412 ± 25; blended: 203 ± 4; HW: 99 ± 8, ppb). The emission rate from HW was the fastest, followed by blended and SW, respectively. Emissions rates were found to range from 10−1 to 10−5 units, depending upon environmental factors. Field measurements resulted in airborne concentrations ranging from 67 ± 8 to 5000 ± 3000 ppb of TVOCs and 12 to 1500 ppb of aldehydes, with higher concentrations found in a basement with a large fabric bag storage unit after fresh pellet delivery and lower concentrations for aged pellets. These results suggest that large fabric bag storage units resulted in a substantial release of VOCs into the building air. Occupants of the buildings tested discussed concerns about odor and sensory irritation when new pellets were delivered. The sensory response was likely due to the aldehydes. PMID:27022205

Preterm human milk contains a large pool of latent TGF-β, which can be activated by exogenous neuraminidase

PubMed Central

Namachivayam, Kopperuncholan; Blanco, Cynthia L.; Frost, Brandy L.; Reeves, Aaron A.; Jagadeeswaran, Ramasamy; MohanKumar, Krishnan; Safarulla, Azif; Mandal, Partha; Garzon, Steven A.; Raj, J. Usha

2013-01-01

Human milk contains substantial amounts of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, particularly the isoform TGF-β2. We previously showed in preclinical models that enterally administered TGF-β2 can protect against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an inflammatory bowel necrosis of premature infants. In this study we hypothesized that premature infants remain at higher risk of NEC than full-term infants, even when they receive their own mother's milk, because preterm human milk contains less bioactive TGF-β than full-term milk. Our objective was to compare TGF-β bioactivity in preterm vs. full-term milk and identify factors that activate milk-borne TGF-β. Mothers who delivered between 23 0/7 and 31 6/7 wk or at ≥37 wk of gestation provided milk samples at serial time points. TGF-β bioactivity and NF-κB signaling were measured using specific reporter cells and in murine intestinal tissue explants. TGF-β1, TGF-β2, TGF-β3, and various TGF-β activators were measured by real-time PCR, enzyme immunoassays, or established enzymatic activity assays. Preterm human milk showed minimal TGF-β bioactivity in the native state but contained a large pool of latent TGF-β. TGF-β2 was the predominant isoform of TGF-β in preterm milk. Using a combination of several in vitro and ex vivo models, we show that neuraminidase is a key regulator of TGF-β bioactivity in human milk. Finally, we show that addition of bacterial neuraminidase to preterm human milk increased TGF-β bioactivity. Preterm milk contains large quantities of TGF-β, but most of it is in an inactive state. Addition of neuraminidase can increase TGF-β bioactivity in preterm milk and enhance its anti-inflammatory effects. PMID:23558011

The UAV and the Current and Future Regulatory Construction for Integration into the National Airspace System

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-07-01

vehicles to deliver mail or packages across town, in a large indoor complex or building, or even to deliver...drugs, marihuana , depressants or stimulants.330 Further, current licenses and certified personnel may have their

Large sedimentary aquifer systems functioning. Constraints by classical isotopic and chemical tools, and REE in the Eocene sand aquifer, SW France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petelet-Giraud, E.; Negrel, P. J.; Millot, R.; Guerrot, C.; Brenot, A.; Malcuit, E.

2010-12-01

Large sedimentary aquifer systems often constitute strategic water resources for drinking water supply, agriculture irrigation and industry, but can also represent an energetic resource for geothermal power. Large water abstractions can induce complete modification of the natural functioning of such aquifer systems, e.g. with seepage between aquifer layers that can lead to water quality degradation. These large aquifer systems thus require rational water management at the sedimentary basin scale in order to preserve both water quantity and quality. In addition to hydrogeological modelling mainly dealing with water quantity, chemical and isotopic methods were applied to evidence the spatial variability of water characteristics and to turn this into better understanding of hydrosystems functioning. The large Eocene Sand aquifer system of the Adour-Garonne sedimentary basin was studied through various hydrological, chemical and isotopic tools. This system extends over 116,000 km2 (one-fifth of the French territory, located in the South west part). The aquifer being artesian in the west of the district and confined with piezometric levels around 250-m depth in the east. The ‘Eocene Sands’, composed of sandy Tertiary sediments alternating with carbonate deposits, is a multi-layer system with high permeability and a thickness of several tens of metres to a hundred metres..The Eocene Sand aquifer system comprises at least five aquifers: Paleocene, Eocene infra-molassic sands (IMS), early Eocene, middle Eocene, and late Eocene. According to δ18O and δ2H values and estimated 14C ages, both present-day recharge (mainly located in the north of the area) and old recharge (16-35 ky) can be evidenced. High spatial variability was evidenced within a same aquifer layer, with temporal variability over one hydrological cycle limited to a few points located in the recharge areas. These results and especially the very old waters recharged under colder climate combined with the continuous decrease of water levels in the IMS aquifer for instance constitute major indicators to be taken into account for water management at the aquifer system scale. Major elements variability was interpreted in terms of water-rock interactions in these confined systems isolated from anthropogenic influence, with the main role played by evaporites on the water salinity (up to 2.5 g.L-1). Rare Earth Elements (REE) were also analysed in some groundwater samples, resulting in a large variability of UCC normalized-REE patterns, ΣREE ranging from 1.9 to 50.6 µg.L-1, with no dependence on TDS. For instance, interaction with carbonates delivers REE flat patterns and highest ΣREE. The REE patterns and control by key parameters are investigated in order to test REE as a potential supplementary geochemical tracer to recognize the aquifer type hosting groundwater.

Of Small Beauties and Large Beasts: The Quality of Distractors on Multiple-Choice Tests Is More Important than Their Quantity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papenberg, Martin; Musch, Jochen

2017-01-01

In multiple-choice tests, the quality of distractors may be more important than their number. We therefore examined the joint influence of distractor quality and quantity on test functioning by providing a sample of 5,793 participants with five parallel test sets consisting of items that differed in the number and quality of distractors.…

Evaluation of bioenergy crop growth and the impacts of bioenergy crops on streamflow, tile drain flow and nutrient losses in an extensively tile-drained watershed using SWAT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Large quantities of biofuel production are expected from bioenergy crops at a national scale to meet US biofuel goals. It is important to study biomass production of bioenergy crops and the impacts of these crops on water quantity and quality to identify environment-friendly and productive biofeeds...

Polynomial complexity despite the fermionic sign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossi, R.; Prokof'ev, N.; Svistunov, B.; Van Houcke, K.; Werner, F.

2017-04-01

It is commonly believed that in unbiased quantum Monte Carlo approaches to fermionic many-body problems, the infamous sign problem generically implies prohibitively large computational times for obtaining thermodynamic-limit quantities. We point out that for convergent Feynman diagrammatic series evaluated with a recently introduced Monte Carlo algorithm (see Rossi R., arXiv:1612.05184), the computational time increases only polynomially with the inverse error on thermodynamic-limit quantities.

Eastern Colorado mobility study : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-04-01

Colorado, with an economy based in large part on agriculture, has a need to transport large quantities of commodities. The rapidly growing urban areas in the state also need many products and goods to support the growth. Furthermore, Colorado is stra...

Free-ranging dogs assess the quantity of opponents in intergroup conflicts.

PubMed

Bonanni, Roberto; Natoli, Eugenia; Cafazzo, Simona; Valsecchi, Paola

2011-01-01

In conflicts between social groups, the decision of competitors whether to attack/retreat should be based on the assessment of the quantity of individuals in their own and the opposing group. Experimental studies on numerical cognition in animals suggest that they may represent both large and small numbers as noisy mental magnitudes subject to scalar variability, and small numbers (≤4) also as discrete object-files. Consequently, discriminating between large quantities, but not between smaller ones, should become easier as the asymmetry between quantities increases. Here, we tested these hypotheses by recording naturally occurring conflicts in a population of free-ranging dogs, Canis lupus familiaris, living in a suburban environment. The overall probability of at least one pack member approaching opponents aggressively increased with a decreasing ratio of the number of rivals to that of companions. Moreover, the probability that more than half of the pack members withdrew from a conflict increased when this ratio increased. The skill of dogs in correctly assessing relative group size appeared to improve with increasing the asymmetry in size when at least one pack comprised more than four individuals, and appeared affected to a lesser extent by group size asymmetries when dogs had to compare only small numbers. These results provide the first indications that a representation of quantity based on noisy mental magnitudes may be involved in the assessment of opponents in intergroup conflicts and leave open the possibility that an additional, more precise mechanism may operate with small numbers.

29 CFR 37.4 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (TDDs/TTYs), videotext displays, or other effective means of making aurally delivered materials..., brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective means of making visually delivered materials... employment-related training; (5) Participation in upward mobility programs; (6) Deciding rates of pay or...

29 CFR 37.4 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (TDDs/TTYs), videotext displays, or other effective means of making aurally delivered materials..., brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective means of making visually delivered materials... employment-related training; (5) Participation in upward mobility programs; (6) Deciding rates of pay or...

29 CFR 37.4 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (TDDs/TTYs), videotext displays, or other effective means of making aurally delivered materials..., brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective means of making visually delivered materials... employment-related training; (5) Participation in upward mobility programs; (6) Deciding rates of pay or...

29 CFR 37.4 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (TDDs/TTYs), videotext displays, or other effective means of making aurally delivered materials..., brailled materials, large print materials, or other effective means of making visually delivered materials... employment-related training; (5) Participation in upward mobility programs; (6) Deciding rates of pay or...

Splitting of the weak hypercharge quantum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, H. B.; Brene, N.

1991-08-01

The ratio between the weak hypercharge quantum for particles having no coupling to the gauge bosons corresponding to the semi-simple component of the gauge group and the smallest hypercharge quantum for particles that do have such couplings is exceptionally large for the standard model, considering its rank. To compare groups with respect to this property we propose a quantity χ which depends on the rank of the group and the splitting ratio of the hypercharge(s) to be found in the group. The quantity χ has maximal value for the gauge group of the standard model. This suggests that the hypercharge splitting may play an important rôle either in the origin of the gauge symmetry at a fundamental scale or in some kind of selection mechanism at a scale perhaps nearer to the experimental scale. Such a selection mechanism might be what we have called confusion which removes groups with many (so-called generalized) automorphisms. The quantity χ tends to be large for groups with few generalized automorphisms.

Quantities of Arsenic-Treated Wood in Demolition Debris Generated by Hurricane Katrina

PubMed Central

Dubey, Brajesh; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M.; Townsend, Timothy G.

2008-01-01

The disaster debris from Hurricane Katrina is one of the largest in terms of volume and economic loss in American history. One of the major components of the demolition debris is wood waste of which a significant proportion is treated with preservatives, including preservatives containing arsenic. As a result of the large scale destruction of treated wood structures such as electrical poles, fences, decks, and homes a considerable amount of treated wood and consequently arsenic will be disposed as disaster debris. In this study an effort was made to estimate the quantity of arsenic disposed through demolition debris generated in the Louisiana and Mississippi area through Hurricane Katrina. Of the 72 million cubic meters of disaster debris generated, roughly 12 million cubic meters were in the form of construction and demolition wood resulting in an estimated 1740 metric tons of arsenic disposed. Management of disaster debris should consider the relatively large quantities of arsenic associated with pressure-treated wood. PMID:17396637

Delivery of large biopharmaceuticals from cardiovascular stents: a review

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Hironobu; Letourneur, Didier; Grainger, David W.

2008-01-01

This review focuses on the new and emerging large-molecule bioactive agents delivered from stent surfaces in drug-eluting stents (DES) to inhibit vascular restenosis in the context of interventional cardiology. New therapeutic agents representing proteins, nucleic acids (small interfering RNAs and large DNA plasmids), viral delivery vectors and even engineered cell therapies require specific delivery designs distinct from traditional smaller molecule approaches on DES. While small molecules are currently the clinical standard for coronary stenting, extension of the DES to other lesion types, peripheral vasculature and non-vasculature therapies will seek to deliver an increasingly sophisticated armada of drug types. This review describes many of the larger molecule and biopharmaceutical approaches reported recently for stent-based delivery with the challenges associated with formulating and delivering these drug classes compared to the current small molecule drugs. It also includes perspectives on possible future applications that may improve safety and efficacy and facilitate diversification of the DES to other clinical applications. PMID:17929968

Large trees losing out to drought

Treesearch

Michael G. Ryan

2015-01-01

Large trees provide many ecological services in forests. They provide seeds for reproduction and food, habitat for plants and animals, and shade for understory vegetation. Older trees and forests store large quantities of carbon, tend to release more water to streams than their more rapidly growing younger counterparts, and provide wood for human use. Mature...

Delivering Alert Messages to Members of a Work Force

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loftis, Julia; Nickens, Stephanie; Pell, Melissa; Pell, Vince

2008-01-01

Global Alert Resolution Network (GARNET) is a software system for delivering emergency alerts as well as less-urgent messages to members of the Goddard Space Flight Center work force via an intranet or the Internet, and can be adapted to similar use in other large organizations.

Relationship of physical therapy inpatient rehabilitation interventions and patient characteristics to outcomes following spinal cord injury: The SCIRehab project

PubMed Central

Teeter, Laura; Gassaway, Julie; Taylor, Sally; LaBarbera, Jacqueline; McDowell, Shari; Backus, Deborah; Zanca, Jeanne M.; Natale, Audrey; Cabrera, Jordan; Smout, Randall J.; Kreider, Scott E. D.; Whiteneck, Gale

2012-01-01

Background/objective Examine associations of type and quantity of physical therapy (PT) interventions delivered during inpatient spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation and patient characteristics with outcomes at the time of discharge and at 1 year post-injury. Methods Physical therapists delivering routine care documented details of PT interventions provided. Regression modeling was used to predict outcomes at discharge and 1 year post-injury for a 75% subset; models were validated with the remaining 25%. Injury subgroups also were examined: motor complete low tetraplegia, motor complete paraplegia, and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) D motor incomplete tetra-/paraplegia. Results PT treatment variables explain more variation in three functionally homogeneous subgroups than in the total sample. Among patients with motor complete low tetraplegia, higher scores for the transfer component of the discharge motor Functional Independence Measure () are strongly associated with more time spent working on manual wheelchair skills. Being male is the most predictive variable for the motor FIM score at discharge for patients with motor complete paraplegia. Admission ASIA lower extremity motor score (LEMS) and change in LEMS were the factors most predictive for having the primary locomotion mode of “walk” or “both (walk and wheelchair)” on the discharge motor FIM for patients with AIS D injuries. Conclusion Injury classification influences type and quantity of PT interventions during inpatient SCI rehabilitation and is a strong predictor of outcomes at discharge and 1 year post-injury. The impact of PT treatment increases when patient groupings become more homogeneous and outcomes become specific to the groupings. Note This is the second of nine articles in the SCIRehab series. PMID:23318034

Thyroxine and triiodothyronine content in commercially available thyroid health supplements.

PubMed

Kang, Grace Y; Parks, Jonathan R; Fileta, Bader; Chang, Audrey; Abdel-Rahim, Maged M; Burch, Henry B; Bernet, Victor J

2013-10-01

As defined by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act 1997, such substances as herbs and dietary supplements fall under general Food and Drug Administration supervision but have not been closely regulated to date. We examined the thyroid hormone content in readily available dietary health supplements marketed for "thyroid support." Ten commercially available thyroid dietary supplements were purchased. Thyroid supplements were dissolved in 10 mL of acetonitrile and water with 0.1% trifloroacetic acid and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography for the presence of both thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) using levothyroxine and liothyronine as a positive controls and standards. The amount of T4 and T3 was measured separately for each supplement sample. Nine out of 10 supplements revealed a detectable amount of T3 (1.3-25.4 μg/tablet) and 5 of 10 contained T4 (5.77-22.9 μg/tablet). Taken at the recommended dose, 5 supplements delivered T3 quantities of greater than 10 μg/day, and 4 delivered T4 quantities ranging from 8.57 to 91.6 μg/day. The majority of dietary thyroid supplements studied contained clinically relevant amounts of T4 and T3, some of which exceeded common treatment doses for hypothyroidism. These amounts of thyroid hormone, found in easily accessible dietary supplements, potentially expose patients to the risk of alterations in thyroid levels even to the point of developing iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis. The current study results emphasize the importance of patient and provider education regarding the use of dietary supplements and highlight the need for greater regulation of these products, which hold potential danger to public health.

Adherent basal plate myometrial fibers in the delivered placenta as a risk factor for development of subsequent placenta accreta.

PubMed

Linn, Rebecca L; Miller, Emily S; Lim, Grace; Ernst, Linda M

2015-12-01

Placenta accreta is implantation of chorionic tissue directly upon the myometrium without normal intervening decidua. The clinical significance of myometrial fibers attached to the basal plate (BPMYO) has yet to be fully elucidated. To determine the importance of depth and quantity of BPMYO in predicting subsequent accreta in the next pregnancy. Women with placentas from two successive pregnancies submitted for pathologic evaluation were included. 50 cases had clinical and/or pathologic diagnosis of accreta in an index pregnancy. 100 controls had no evidence of accreta in an index pregnancy. H&E slides were re-reviewed and stage of accreta/BPMYO was determined. The stages were defined as: Stage 0-no BPMYO; Stage 1-BPMYO with intervening decidua; Stage 2 < 2 decidual cells separating myometrium from chorionic tissue; Stage 3-accreta; Stage 4-increta; Stage 5-percreta. The amount of BPMYO for each placenta was quantified. Prior placentas of cases were twice as likely to have BPMYO compared to controls (84%vs42%, P < 0.001). The frequency of stage 1 BPMYO was not significantly different between the two groups (46%v40%, P = 0.489), but cases were more likely to have higher stages of BPMYO (stage 2-3) in a prior placenta (38%vs2%, P < 0.001). A significantly higher number of BPMYO foci and a larger proportion of BPMYO on the basal plate (6.2%vs0.7%, P < 0.001) in cases compared to controls. Small amounts and low stage BPMYO (stage 1) may be common; however, higher stages of BPMYO (stage 2-3) and greater quantities of BPMYO in a delivered placenta are significantly associated with the subsequent development of accreta. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exosomes from adriamycin-resistant breast cancer cells transmit drug resistance partly by delivering miR-222.

PubMed

Yu, Dan-Dan; Wu, Ying; Zhang, Xiao-Hui; Lv, Meng-Meng; Chen, Wei-Xian; Chen, Xiu; Yang, Su-Jin; Shen, Hongyu; Zhong, Shan-Liang; Tang, Jin-Hai; Zhao, Jian-Hua

2016-03-01

Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the major deadly cancers in women. However, treatment of BCa is still hindered by the acquired-drug resistance. It is increasingly reported that exosomes take part in the development, metastasis, and drug resistance of BCa. However, the specific role of exosomes in drug resistance of BCa is poorly understood. In this study, we investigate whether exosomes transmit drug resistance through delivering miR-222. We established an adriamycin-resistant variant of Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cell line (MCF-7/Adr) from a drug-sensitive variant (MCF-7/S). Exosomes were isolated from cell supernatant by ultracentrifugation. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay and apoptosis assay. Individual miR-222 molecules in BCa cells were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Then, FISH was combined with locked nucleic acid probes and enzyme-labeled fluorescence (LNA-ELF-FISH). Individual miR-222 could be detected as bright photostable fluorescent spots and then the quantity of miR-222 per cell could be counted. Stained exosomes were taken in by the receipt cells. MCF-7/S acquired drug resistance after co-culture with exosomes from MCF-7/Adr (A/exo) but did not after co-culture with exosomes from MCF-7/S (S/exo). The quantity of miR-222 in A/exo-treated MCF-7/S was significantly greater than in S/exo-treated MCF-7/S. MCF-7/S transfected with miR-222 mimics acquired adriamycin resistance while MCF-7/S transfected with miR-222 inhibitors lost resistance. In conclusion, exosomes are effective in transmitting drug resistance and the delivery of miR-222 via exosomes may be a mechanism.

Polymeric nanoparticles loaded with the 3,5,3'-triiodothyroacetic acid (Triac), a thyroid hormone: factorial design, characterization, and release kinetics.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Karen C; da Silva, Maria Fatima Gf; Pereira-Filho, Edenir R; Fernandes, Joao B; Polikarpov, Igor; Forim, Moacir R

2012-01-01

This present investigation deals with the development and optimization of polymeric nanoparticle systems loaded with 3,5,3'-triiodothyroacetic acid (Triac). A 2(11-6) fractional factorial design and another 2(2) factorial design were used to study the contrasts on particle size distribution, morphology, surface charge, drug content, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release profiles. The independent variables were the concentration of Triac, type and quantity of both polymer and oil, quantity of Span™ 60 and Tween® 80, volume of solvent and water, and velocity of both magnetic stirring and the transfer of the organic phase into the aqueous solution. The results of optimized formulations showed a narrow size distribution with a polydispersity index lower than 0.200. The particle sizes were on average 159.6 nm and 285.6 nm for nanospheres and nanocapsules, respectively. The zeta potential was higher than 20 mV (in module) and the entrapment efficiency was nearly 100%. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed, validated, and efficiently applied to Triac quantification in colloidal suspension. The main independent variables were the type and quantity of the polymer and oil. In vitro drug release profile depicted several features to sustain Triac release. Different formulations showed various release rates indicating an interaction between Triac and other formulation compounds such as polymer and/or oil quantity. Two different models were identified (biexponential and monoexponential) that allowed the control of both the release rate and Triac concentration. Thus, the prepared nanoparticles described here may be of clinical importance in delivering Triac for thyroid treatment.

Development of recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors carrying small interfering RNA (shHec1)-mediated depletion of kinetochore Hec1 protein in tumor cells.

PubMed

Li, L; Yang, L; Scudiero, D A; Miller, S A; Yu, Z-X; Stukenberg, P T; Shoemaker, R H; Kotin, R M

2007-05-01

Transcript depletion using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology represents a potentially valuable technique for the treatment of cancer. However, delivering therapeutic quantities of siRNA into solid tumors by chemical transfection is not feasible, whereas viral vectors efficiently transduce many human tumor cell lines. Yet producing sufficient quantities of viral vectors that elicit acute and selective cytotoxicity remains a major obstacle for preclinical and clinical trials. Using the invertebrate Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cell line, we were able to produce high titer stocks of cytotoxic recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and that efficiently deplete Hec1 (highly expressed in cancer 1), or Kntc2 (kinetochore-associated protein 2), a kinetochore protein directly involved in kinetochore microtubule interactions, chromosome congression and spindle checkpoint signaling. Depletion of Hec1 protein results in persistent spindle checkpoint activation followed by cell death. Because Hec1 expression and activity are only present in mitotic cells, non-dividing cells were not affected by rAAV treatment. On the basis of the results of screening 56 human tumor cell lines with three different serotype vectors, we used a tumor xenograft model to test the effects in vivo. The effects of the shHec1 vector were evident in sectioned and stained tumors. The experiments with rAAV-shRNA vectors demonstrate the utility of producing vectors in invertebrate cells to obtain sufficient concentrations and quantities for solid tumor therapy. This addresses an important requirement for cancer gene therapy, to produce cytotoxic vectors in sufficient quantities and concentrations to enable quantitative transduction and selective killing of solid tumor cells.

Test of ring, eye lens and whole body dosemeters for the dose quantity Hp(3) to be used in interventional radiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szumska, A.; Budzanowski, M.; Kopeć, R.

2017-11-01

In its statement on tissue reactions approved on 21st April 2011, the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP, 2012) reviewed its recommendation concerning the equivalent dose limit for the eye lens and reduced the dose limits for occupationally exposed persons to 20 mSv in a year, averaged over defined periods of 5 years, with no single year exceeding 50 mSv. This limit was approved and written down in the new EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community) directive 2013/59 and in the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) BSS (Basic Safety Standard) of July 2014. For that reason, the necessity to monitor the eye lens may become more important than it was before. However, specially dedicated dosemeters for the dose quantity Hp(3) are using very rarely. Commonly use are only whole body personal dosemeters for the personal dose equivalent quantities Hp(10) worn on the trunk and ring dosemeters worn on finger to measure the quantity Hp(0.07). Therefore, in this work it was investigated whether dosemeters from routine use calibrated in terms of Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) and worn on thyroid collar and protective apron could deliver similar results like dedicated eye lens dosemeter worn close to the eyes. The results show that the best method if dedicated eye lens dosimeters is not used is to measure doses in terms of Hp(0.07) on the thyroid collar (Pearson product, r=0.85). Obtained results shows also importance of proper localization of eye lens dosimeter (close to the eye, from side of the X-ray source).

Oil Shale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Birdwell, Justin E.

2017-01-01

Oil shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks formed in many different depositional environments (terrestrial, lacustrine, marine) containing large quantities of thermally immature organic matter in the forms of kerogen and bitumen. If defined from an economic standpoint, a rock containing a sufficient concentration of oil-prone kerogen to generate economic quantities of synthetic crude oil upon heating to high temperatures (350–600 °C) in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis) can be considered an oil shale.

A Semi-Vectorization Algorithm to Synthesis of Gravitational Anomaly Quantities on the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdollahzadeh, M.; Eshagh, M.; Najafi Alamdari, M.

2009-04-01

The Earth's gravitational potential can be expressed by the well-known spherical harmonic expansion. The computational time of summing up this expansion is an important practical issue which can be reduced by an efficient numerical algorithm. This paper proposes such a method for block-wise synthesizing the anomaly quantities on the Earth surface using vectorization. Fully-vectorization means transformation of the summations to the simple matrix and vector products. It is not a practical for the matrices with large dimensions. Here a semi-vectorization algorithm is proposed to avoid working with large vectors and matrices. It speeds up the computations by using one loop for the summation either on degrees or on orders. The former is a good option to synthesize the anomaly quantities on the Earth surface considering a digital elevation model (DEM). This approach is more efficient than the two-step method which computes the quantities on the reference ellipsoid and continues them upward to the Earth surface. The algorithm has been coded in MATLAB which synthesizes a global grid of 5′Ã- 5′ (corresponding 9 million points) of gravity anomaly or geoid height using a geopotential model to degree 360 in 10000 seconds by an ordinary computer with 2G RAM.

The Dynamics of Pheromone Gland Synthesis and Release: a Paradigm Shift for Understanding Sex Pheromone Quantity in Female Moths.

PubMed

Foster, Stephen P; Anderson, Karin G; Casas, Jérôme

2018-05-10

Moths are exemplars of chemical communication, especially with regard to specificity and the minute amounts they use. Yet, little is known about how females manage synthesis and storage of pheromone to maintain release rates attractive to conspecific males and why such small amounts are used. We developed, for the first time, a quantitative model, based on an extensive empirical data set, describing the dynamical relationship among synthesis, storage (titer) and release of pheromone over time in a moth (Heliothis virescens). The model is compartmental, with one major state variable (titer), one time-varying (synthesis), and two constant (catabolism and release) rates. The model was a good fit, suggesting it accounted for the major processes. Overall, we found the relatively small amounts of pheromone stored and released were largely a function of high catabolism rather than a low rate of synthesis. A paradigm shift may be necessary to understand the low amounts released by female moths, away from the small quantities synthesized to the (relatively) large amounts catabolized. Future research on pheromone quantity should focus on structural and physicochemical processes that limit storage and release rate quantities. To our knowledge, this is the first time that pheromone gland function has been modeled for any animal.

Sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams.

PubMed

Kako, Shin'ichiro; Isobe, Atsuhiko; Magome, Shinya

2010-05-01

This study attempts to establish a system for the sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams placed at the Ookushi beach, Goto Islands, Japan, to establish the temporal variability in the quantities of beach litter every 90 min over a one and a half year period. The time series of the quantities of beach litter, computed by counting pixels with a greater lightness than a threshold value in photographs, shows that litter does not increase monotonically on the beach, but fluctuates mainly on a monthly time scale or less. To investigate what factors influence this variability, the time derivative of the quantity of beach litter is compared with satellite-derived wind speeds. It is found that the beach litter quantities vary largely with winds, but there may be other influencing factors. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seafood prices reveal impacts of a major ecological disturbance

PubMed Central

Smith, Martin D.; Oglend, Atle; Kirkpatrick, A. Justin; Asche, Frank; Bennear, Lori S.; Craig, J. Kevin; Nance, James M.

2017-01-01

Coastal hypoxia (dissolved oxygen ≤ 2 mg/L) is a growing problem worldwide that threatens marine ecosystem services, but little is known about economic effects on fisheries. Here, we provide evidence that hypoxia causes economic impacts on a major fishery. Ecological studies of hypoxia and marine fauna suggest multiple mechanisms through which hypoxia can skew a population’s size distribution toward smaller individuals. These mechanisms produce sharp predictions about changes in seafood markets. Hypoxia is hypothesized to decrease the quantity of large shrimp relative to small shrimp and increase the price of large shrimp relative to small shrimp. We test these hypotheses using time series of size-based prices. Naive quantity-based models using treatment/control comparisons in hypoxic and nonhypoxic areas produce null results, but we find strong evidence of the hypothesized effects in the relative prices: Hypoxia increases the relative price of large shrimp compared with small shrimp. The effects of fuel prices provide supporting evidence. Empirical models of fishing effort and bioeconomic simulations explain why quantifying effects of hypoxia on fisheries using quantity data has been inconclusive. Specifically, spatial-dynamic feedbacks across the natural system (the fish stock) and human system (the mobile fishing fleet) confound “treated” and “control” areas. Consequently, analyses of price data, which rely on a market counterfactual, are able to reveal effects of the ecological disturbance that are obscured in quantity data. Our results are an important step toward quantifying the economic value of reduced upstream nutrient loading in the Mississippi Basin and are broadly applicable to other coupled human-natural systems. PMID:28137850

Seafood prices reveal impacts of a major ecological disturbance.

PubMed

Smith, Martin D; Oglend, Atle; Kirkpatrick, A Justin; Asche, Frank; Bennear, Lori S; Craig, J Kevin; Nance, James M

2017-02-14

Coastal hypoxia (dissolved oxygen ≤ 2 mg/L) is a growing problem worldwide that threatens marine ecosystem services, but little is known about economic effects on fisheries. Here, we provide evidence that hypoxia causes economic impacts on a major fishery. Ecological studies of hypoxia and marine fauna suggest multiple mechanisms through which hypoxia can skew a population's size distribution toward smaller individuals. These mechanisms produce sharp predictions about changes in seafood markets. Hypoxia is hypothesized to decrease the quantity of large shrimp relative to small shrimp and increase the price of large shrimp relative to small shrimp. We test these hypotheses using time series of size-based prices. Naive quantity-based models using treatment/control comparisons in hypoxic and nonhypoxic areas produce null results, but we find strong evidence of the hypothesized effects in the relative prices: Hypoxia increases the relative price of large shrimp compared with small shrimp. The effects of fuel prices provide supporting evidence. Empirical models of fishing effort and bioeconomic simulations explain why quantifying effects of hypoxia on fisheries using quantity data has been inconclusive. Specifically, spatial-dynamic feedbacks across the natural system (the fish stock) and human system (the mobile fishing fleet) confound "treated" and "control" areas. Consequently, analyses of price data, which rely on a market counterfactual, are able to reveal effects of the ecological disturbance that are obscured in quantity data. Our results are an important step toward quantifying the economic value of reduced upstream nutrient loading in the Mississippi Basin and are broadly applicable to other coupled human-natural systems.

Automated Decisional Model for Optimum Economic Order Quantity Determination Using Price Regressive Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roşu, M. M.; Tarbă, C. I.; Neagu, C.

2016-11-01

The current models for inventory management are complementary, but together they offer a large pallet of elements for solving complex problems of companies when wanting to establish the optimum economic order quantity for unfinished products, row of materials, goods etc. The main objective of this paper is to elaborate an automated decisional model for the calculus of the economic order quantity taking into account the price regressive rates for the total order quantity. This model has two main objectives: first, to determine the periodicity when to be done the order n or the quantity order q; second, to determine the levels of stock: lighting control, security stock etc. In this way we can provide the answer to two fundamental questions: How much must be ordered? When to Order? In the current practice, the business relationships with its suppliers are based on regressive rates for price. This means that suppliers may grant discounts, from a certain level of quantities ordered. Thus, the unit price of the products is a variable which depends on the order size. So, the most important element for choosing the optimum for the economic order quantity is the total cost for ordering and this cost depends on the following elements: the medium price per units, the stock cost, the ordering cost etc.

Towards large-scale plasma-assisted synthesis of nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cvelbar, U.

2011-05-01

Large quantities of nanomaterials, e.g. nanowires (NWs), are needed to overcome the high market price of nanomaterials and make nanotechnology widely available for general public use and applications to numerous devices. Therefore, there is an enormous need for new methods or routes for synthesis of those nanostructures. Here plasma technologies for synthesis of NWs, nanotubes, nanoparticles or other nanostructures might play a key role in the near future. This paper presents a three-dimensional problem of large-scale synthesis connected with the time, quantity and quality of nanostructures. Herein, four different plasma methods for NW synthesis are presented in contrast to other methods, e.g. thermal processes, chemical vapour deposition or wet chemical processes. The pros and cons are discussed in detail for the case of two metal oxides: iron oxide and zinc oxide NWs, which are important for many applications.

Large scale preparation of high mannose and paucimannose N-glycans from soybean proteins by oxidative release of natural glycans (ORNG).

PubMed

Zhu, Yuyang; Yan, Maomao; Lasanajak, Yi; Smith, David F; Song, Xuezheng

2018-07-15

Despite the important advances in chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis of glycans, access to large quantities of complex natural glycans remains a major impediment to progress in Glycoscience. Here we report a large-scale preparation of N-glycans from a kilogram of commercial soy proteins using oxidative release of natural glycans (ORNG). The high mannose and paucimannose N-glycans were labeled with a fluorescent tag and purified by size exclusion and multidimensional preparative HPLC. Side products are identified and potential mechanisms for the oxidative release of natural N-glycans from glycoproteins are proposed. This study demonstrates the potential for using the ORNG approach as a complementary route to synthetic approaches for the preparation of multi-milligram quantities of biomedically relevant complex glycans. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Acute and Chronic Flunitrazepam on Delay Discounting in Pigeons

PubMed Central

Eppolito, Amy K; France, Charles P; Gerak, Lisa R

2011-01-01

Delay to delivery of a reinforcer can decrease responding for that reinforcer and increase responding for smaller reinforcers that are available concurrently and delivered without delay; acute administration of drugs can alter responding for large, delayed reinforcers, although the impact of chronic treatment on delay discounting is not well understood. In this experiment, the effects of repeated administration of the benzodiazepine flunitrazepam were studied in 6 pigeons responding on one key to receive food that was delivered immediately and on a second key to receive a larger amount of food that was delivered following delays which increased across a single session. Pigeons responded predominantly for the large reinforcer when there were no delays and when delays were short; however, as delays increased, responding for the large reinforcer decreased. Acutely, flunitrazepam (0.32, 1.0 and 3.2 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased responding for the large reinforcer, shifting the discounting curve rightward and upward. Repeated administration of flunitrazepam (0.32, 1.0 and 3.2 mg/kg, each for six sessions, separated by one session during which vehicle was administered) did not markedly alter its effects on responding for the large reinforcer, indicating that the development of tolerance to this effect of flunitrazepam is modest under these conditions. PMID:21541119

Large-capacity pump vaporizer for liquid hydrogen and nitrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauser, J. A.

1970-01-01

Pump vaporizer system delivers 500 standard cubic feet per minute of hydrogen or nitrogen, one system delivers both gases. Vacuum-jacketed pump discharges liquid hydrogen or liquid nitrogen into vaporizing system heated by ambient air. Principal characteristics of the flow and discharge system, pump, and vaporizer are given.

URANIUM PURIFICATION PROCESS

DOEpatents

Ruhoff, J.R.; Winters, C.E.

1957-11-12

A process is described for the purification of uranyl nitrate by an extraction process. A solution is formed consisting of uranyl nitrate, together with the associated impurities arising from the HNO/sub 3/ leaching of the ore, in an organic solvent such as ether. If this were back extracted with water to remove the impurities, large quantities of uranyl nitrate will also be extracted and lost. To prevent this, the impure organic solution is extracted with small amounts of saturated aqueous solutions of uranyl nitrate thereby effectively accomplishing the removal of impurities while not allowing any further extraction of the uranyl nitrate from the organic solvent. After the impurities have been removed, the uranium values are extracted with large quantities of water.

Use of the semipermeable membrane device as an in situ sampler of waterborne bioavailable PCDD and PCDF residues at sub-parts-per-quadrillion concentrations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lebo, Jon A.; Gale, Robert W.; Petty, Jimmie D.; Tillitt, Donald E.; Huckins, James N.; Meadows, John C.; Orazio, Carl E.; Echols, Kathy R.; Schroeder, Dennis J.; Inmon, Lloyd E.

1995-01-01

Semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were used to passively sample aqueous polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in Bayou Meto, AR. The two sites were upstream and downstream from the confluence with a tributary that delivers PCDDs and PCDFs to the Bayou. Following dialysis, cleanup, and fractionation, four replicate 17-9 SPMD samples from each site were analyzed by GUMS, and four were evaluated by H411E bioassay. Traces of only OCDD and HpCDDs were detected in samples from the upstream site. The four samples from below the tributary contained averages of 1550 ± 80 pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 1640 ± 80 pg of 2,3,7,8-TCDF, and lesser quantities of other congeners. The TCDD equivalents obtained by bioassay of replicate SPMD samples agreed well with results obtained by GC/MS. The quantities of 2,3,7,8- TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF sequestered by SPMDs at the downstream site were used to estimate the aqueous concentrations for both compounds as 2 pg/L.

Study of Research and Development Processes through Fuzzy Super FRM Model and Optimization Solutions

PubMed Central

Sârbu, Flavius Aurelian; Moga, Monika; Calefariu, Gavrilă; Boșcoianu, Mircea

2015-01-01

The aim of this study is to measure resources for R&D (research and development) at the regional level in Romania and also obtain primary data that will be important in making the right decisions to increase competitiveness and development based on an economic knowledge. As our motivation, we would like to emphasize that by the use of Super Fuzzy FRM model we want to determine the state of R&D processes at regional level using a mean different from the statistical survey, while by the two optimization methods we mean to provide optimization solutions for the R&D actions of the enterprises. Therefore to fulfill the above mentioned aim in this application-oriented paper we decided to use a questionnaire and for the interpretation of the results the Super Fuzzy FRM model, representing the main novelty of our paper, as this theory provides a formalism based on matrix calculus, which allows processing of large volumes of information and also delivers results difficult or impossible to see, through statistical processing. Furthermore another novelty of the paper represents the optimization solutions submitted in this work, given for the situation when the sales price is variable, and the quantity sold is constant in time and for the reverse situation. PMID:25821846

Helium-filled soap bubbles tracing fidelity in wall-bounded turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faleiros, David Engler; Tuinstra, Marthijn; Sciacchitano, Andrea; Scarano, Fulvio

2018-03-01

The use of helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) as flow tracers for particle image velocimetry (PIV) and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) to measure the properties of turbulent boundary layers is investigated in the velocity range from 30 to 50 m/s. The experiments correspond to momentum thickness-based Reynolds numbers of 3300 and 5100. A single bubble generator delivers nearly neutrally buoyant HFSB to seed the air flow developing over the flat plate. The HFSB motion analysis is performed by PTV using single-frame multi-exposure recordings. The measurements yield the local velocity and turbulence statistics. Planar two-component-PIV measurements with micron-sized droplets (DEHS) conducted under the same conditions provide reference data for the quantities of interest. In addition, the behavior of air-filled soap bubbles is studied where the effect of non-neutral buoyancy is more pronounced. The mean velocity profiles as well as the turbulent stresses obtained with HFSB are in good agreement with the flow statistics obtained with DEHS particles. The study illustrates that HFSB tracers can be used to determine the mean velocity and the turbulent fluctuations of turbulent boundary layers above a distance of approximately two bubble diameters from the wall. This work broadens the current range of application of HFSB from external aerodynamics of large-scale-PIV experiments towards wall-bounded turbulence.

A search for a heavy Majorana neutrino and a radiation damage simulation for the HF detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wetzel, James William

A search for heavy Majorana neutrinos is performed using an event signature defined by two same-sign muons accompanied by two jets. This search is an extension of previous searches, (L3, DELPHI, CMS, ATLAS), using 19.7 fb -1 of data from the 2012 Large Hadron Collider experimental run collected by the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment. A mass window of 40-500 GeV/ c2 is explored. No excess events above Standard Model backgrounds is observed, and limits are set on the mixing element squared, |VmuN|2, as a function of Majorana neutFnrino mass. The Hadronic Forward (HF) Detector's performance will degrade as a function of the number of particles delivered to the detector over time, a quantity referred to as integrated luminosity and measured in inverse femtobarns (fb-1). In order to better plan detector upgrades, the CMS Forward Calorimetry Task Force (FCAL) group and the CMS Hadronic Calorimeter (HCAL) group have requested that radiation damage be simulated and the subsequent performance of the HF subdetector be studied. The simulation was implemented into both the CMS FastSim and CMS FullSim simulation packages. Standard calorimetry performance metrics were computed and are reported. The HF detector can expect to perform well through the planned delivery of 3000 fb-1.

Equalizing access to pandemic influenza vaccines through optimal allocation to public health distribution points.

PubMed

Huang, Hsin-Chan; Singh, Bismark; Morton, David P; Johnson, Gregory P; Clements, Bruce; Meyers, Lauren Ancel

2017-01-01

Vaccines are arguably the most important means of pandemic influenza mitigation. However, as during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, mass immunization with an effective vaccine may not begin until a pandemic is well underway. In the U.S., state-level public health agencies are responsible for quickly and fairly allocating vaccines as they become available to populations prioritized to receive vaccines. Allocation decisions can be ethically and logistically complex, given several vaccine types in limited and uncertain supply and given competing priority groups with distinct risk profiles and vaccine acceptabilities. We introduce a model for optimizing statewide allocation of multiple vaccine types to multiple priority groups, maximizing equal access. We assume a large fraction of available vaccines are distributed to healthcare providers based on their requests, and then optimize county-level allocation of the remaining doses to achieve equity. We have applied the model to the state of Texas, and incorporated it in a Web-based decision-support tool for the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Based on vaccine quantities delivered to registered healthcare providers in response to their requests during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, we find that a relatively small cache of discretionary doses (DSHS reserved 6.8% in 2009) suffices to achieve equity across all counties in Texas.

Nonconservative and reverse spectral transfer in Hasegawa-Mima turbulence

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

Terry, P.W.; Newman, D.E.

1993-01-01

The dual cascade is generally represented as a conservative cascade of enstrophy to short wavelengths through an enstrophy similarity range and an inverse cascade of energy to long wavelengths through an energy similarity range. This picture, based on a proof due to Kraichnan [Phys. Fluids 10, 1417 (1967)], is found to be significantly modified for a spectra of finite extent. Dimensional arguments and direct measurement of spectral flow in Hasegawa-Mima turbulence indicate that for both the energy and enstrophy cascades, transfer of the conserved quantity is accompanied by a nonconservative transfer of the other quantity. The decrease of a givenmore » invariant (energy or enstrophy) in the nonconservative transfer in one similarity range is balanced by the increase of that quantity in the other similarity range, thus maintaining net invariance. The increase or decrease of a given invariant quantity in one similarity range depends on the injection scale and is consistent with that quantity being carried in a self-similar transfer of the other invariant quantity. This leads, in an inertial range of finite size, to some energy being carried to small scales and some enstrophy being carried to large scales.« less

Nonconservative and reverse spectral transfer in Hasegawa--Mima turbulence

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

Terry, P.W.; Newman, D.E.

1993-07-01

The dual cascade is generally represented as a conservative cascade of enstrophy to short wavelengths through an enstrophy similarity range and an inverse cascade of energy to long wavelengths through an energy similarity range. This picture, based on a proof due to Kraichnan [Phys. Fluids [bold 10], 1417 (1967)], is found to be significantly modified for spectra of finite extent. Dimensional arguments and direct measurement of spectral flow in Hasegawa--Mima turbulence indicate that for both the energy and enstrophy cascades, transfer of the conserved quantity is accompanied by a nonconservative transfer of the other quantity. The decrease of a givenmore » invariant (energy or enstrophy) in the nonconservative transfer in one similarity range is balanced by the increase of that quantity in the other similarity range, thus maintaining net invariance. The increase or decrease of a given invariant quantity in one similarity range depends on the injection scale and is consistent with that quantity being carried in a self-similar transfer of the other invariant quantity. This leads, in an inertial range of finite size, to some energy being carried to small scales and some enstrophy being carried to large scales.« less

National Laboratory for Advanced Scientific Visualization at UNAM - Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manea, Marina; Constantin Manea, Vlad; Varela, Alfredo

2016-04-01

In 2015, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) joined the family of Universities and Research Centers where advanced visualization and computing plays a key role to promote and advance missions in research, education, community outreach, as well as business-oriented consulting. This initiative provides access to a great variety of advanced hardware and software resources and offers a range of consulting services that spans a variety of areas related to scientific visualization, among which are: neuroanatomy, embryonic development, genome related studies, geosciences, geography, physics and mathematics related disciplines. The National Laboratory for Advanced Scientific Visualization delivers services through three main infrastructure environments: the 3D fully immersive display system Cave, the high resolution parallel visualization system Powerwall, the high resolution spherical displays Earth Simulator. The entire visualization infrastructure is interconnected to a high-performance-computing-cluster (HPCC) called ADA in honor to Ada Lovelace, considered to be the first computer programmer. The Cave is an extra large 3.6m wide room with projected images on the front, left and right, as well as floor walls. Specialized crystal eyes LCD-shutter glasses provide a strong stereo depth perception, and a variety of tracking devices allow software to track the position of a user's hand, head and wand. The Powerwall is designed to bring large amounts of complex data together through parallel computing for team interaction and collaboration. This system is composed by 24 (6x4) high-resolution ultra-thin (2 mm) bezel monitors connected to a high-performance GPU cluster. The Earth Simulator is a large (60") high-resolution spherical display used for global-scale data visualization like geophysical, meteorological, climate and ecology data. The HPCC-ADA, is a 1000+ computing core system, which offers parallel computing resources to applications that requires large quantity of memory as well as large and fast parallel storage systems. The entire system temperature is controlled by an energy and space efficient cooling solution, based on large rear door liquid cooled heat exchangers. This state-of-the-art infrastructure will boost research activities in the region, offer a powerful scientific tool for teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels, and enhance association and cooperation with business-oriented organizations.

Parotid Glands Dose–Effect Relationships Based on Their Actually Delivered Doses: Implications for Adaptive Replanning in Radiation Therapy of Head-and-Neck Cancer

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

Hunter, Klaudia U.; Fernandes, Laura L.; Vineberg, Karen A.

2013-11-15

Purpose: Doses actually delivered to the parotid glands during radiation therapy often exceed planned doses. We hypothesized that the delivered doses correlate better with parotid salivary output than the planned doses, used in all previous studies, and that determining these correlations will help make decisions regarding adaptive radiation therapy (ART) aimed at reducing the delivered doses. Methods and Materials: In this prospective study, oropharyngeal cancer patients treated definitively with chemoirradiation underwent daily cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) with clinical setup alignment based on the C2 posterior edge. Parotid glands in the CBCTs were aligned by deformable registration to calculate cumulative deliveredmore » doses. Stimulated salivary flow rates were measured separately from each parotid gland pretherapy and periodically posttherapy. Results: Thirty-six parotid glands of 18 patients were analyzed. Average mean planned doses was 32 Gy, and differences from planned to delivered mean gland doses were −4.9 to +8.4 Gy, median difference +2.2 Gy in glands in which delivered doses increased relative to planned. Both planned and delivered mean doses were significantly correlated with posttreatment salivary outputs at almost all posttherapy time points, without statistically significant differences in the correlations. Large dispersions (on average, SD 3.6 Gy) characterized the dose–effect relationships for both. The differences between the cumulative delivered doses and planned doses were evident at first fraction (r=.92, P<.0001) because of complex setup deviations (eg, rotations and neck articulations), uncorrected by the translational clinical alignments. Conclusions: After daily translational setup corrections, differences between planned and delivered doses in most glands were small relative to the SDs of the dose–saliva data, suggesting that ART is not likely to gain measurable salivary output improvement in most cases. These differences were observed at first treatment, indicating potential benefit for more complex setup corrections or adaptive interventions in the minority of patients with large deviations detected early by CBCT.« less

Safety analysis report -- Packages LP-50 tritium package (Packaging of fissile and other radioactive materials)

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

Gates, A.A.; McCarthy, P.G.; Edl, J.W.

1975-05-01

Elemental tritium is shipped at low pressure in a stainless steel container (LP-50) surrounded by an aluminum vessel and Celotex insulation at least 4 in. thick in a steel drum. Each package contains a large quantity (greater than a Type A quantity) of nonfissile material, as defined in AECM 0529. This report provides the details of the safety analysis performed for this type container.

40 CFR Appendix B to Subpart E of... - Federal Guidelines-User Charges for Operation and Maintenance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... S = Concentration of SS from a user above a base level. Pc = O&M cost for treatment of a unit of any...(B)=Sc(S)=Pc(P)]Vu (3) Model No. 3. This model is commonly called the “quantity/quality formula”: Cu = Vc Vu=Bc Bu=Sc Su=Pc Pu (h) Other considerations. (1) Quantity discounts to large volume users will...

Forecasting Science and Technology for the Department of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Watson and Francis Crick announced that they had elucidated the structure of DNA and had therefore “discovered the secret of life.” While this was a...an organic chemist, figured out a process by which very small quantities of DNA could be amplified with high fidelity. This process, known as...polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for the first time, allowed scientists to produce DNA in large quantities. Roughly during this period, Leroy Hood and

Thermoelastic response of metal matrix composites with large-diameter fibers subjected to thermal gradients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aboudi, Jacob; Pindera, Marek-Jerzy; Arnold, Steven M.

1993-01-01

A new micromechanical theory is presented for the response of heterogeneous metal matrix composites subjected to thermal gradients. In contrast to existing micromechanical theories that utilize classical homogenization schemes in the course of calculating microscopic and macroscopic field quantities, in the present approach the actual microstructural details are explicitly coupled with the macrostructure of the composite. Examples are offered that illustrate limitations of the classical homogenization approach in predicting the response of thin-walled metal matrix composites with large-diameter fibers when subjected to thermal gradients. These examples include composites with a finite number of fibers in the thickness direction that may be uniformly or nonuniformly spaced, thus admitting so-called functionally gradient composites. The results illustrate that the classical approach of decoupling micromechanical and macromechanical analyses in the presence of a finite number of large-diameter fibers, finite dimensions of the composite, and temperature gradient may produce excessively conservative estimates for macroscopic field quantities, while both underestimating and overestimating the local fluctuations of the microscopic quantities in different regions of the composite. Also demonstrated is the usefulness of the present approach in generating favorable stress distributions in the presence of thermal gradients by appropriately tailoring the internal microstructure details of the composite.

High-flexibility, noncollapsing lightweight hose

DOEpatents

Williams, David A.

1993-01-01

A high-flexibility, noncollapsing, lightweight, large-bore, wire-reinforced hose is inside fiber-reinforced PVC tubing that is flexible, lightweight, and abrasion resistant. It provides a strong, kink- and collapse-free conduit for moving large quantities of dangerous fluids, e.g., removing radioactive waste water or processing chemicals.

High-flexibility, noncollapsing lightweight hose

DOEpatents

Williams, D.A.

1993-04-20

A high-flexibility, noncollapsing, lightweight, large-bore, wire-reinforced hose is inside fiber-reinforced PVC tubing that is flexible, lightweight, and abrasion resistant. It provides a strong, kink- and collapse-free conduit for moving large quantities of dangerous fluids, e.g., removing radioactive waste water or processing chemicals.

Economics and computer science of a radio spectrum reallocation.

PubMed

Leyton-Brown, Kevin; Milgrom, Paul; Segal, Ilya

2017-07-11

The recent "incentive auction" of the US Federal Communications Commission was the first auction to reallocate radio frequencies between two different kinds of uses: from broadcast television to wireless Internet access. The design challenge was not just to choose market rules to govern a fixed set of potential trades but also, to determine the broadcasters' property rights, the goods to be exchanged, the quantities to be traded, the computational procedures, and even some of the performance objectives. An essential and unusual challenge was to make the auction simple enough for human participants while still ensuring that the computations would be tractable and capable of delivering nearly efficient outcomes.

Geographical maldistribution of pediatric medical resources in Seattle-King County.

PubMed

King, Mary A; Koelemay, Kathryn; Zimmerman, Jerry; Rubinson, Lewis

2010-01-01

Seattle-King County (SKC) Washington is at risk for regional disasters, especially earthquakes. Of 1.8 million residents, >400,000 (22%) are children, a proportion similar to that of the population of the State of Washington (24%) and of the United States (24%). The county's large area of 2,134 square miles (5,527 km2) is connected through major transportation routes that cross numerous waterways; sub-county zones may become isolated in the wake of a major earthquake. Therefore, each of SKC's three subcounty emergency response zones must have ample pediatric medical response capabilities. To date, total quantities and distribution of crucial hospital resources (available in SKC) to manage pediatric victims of a medical disaster are unknown. This study assessed whether geographical distribution of hospital pediatric resources corresponds to the pediatric population distribution in SKC. Surveys were delivered electronically to all eight acute care hospitals in SKC that admit pediatric patients. Quantities and categories of pediatric resources, including inpatient treatment space, staff, and equipment, were queried and verified via site visits. Within the seven responding hospitals of eight queried, the following were identified: 477 formal pediatric bed spaces (pediatric intensive care unit, neo-natal intensive care unit, general wards, and emergency department), 43 informal pediatric bed spaces (operating room and post-anesthesia care unit), 1,217 pediatric nurses, 554 pediatric physicians, and 252 infant/pediatric-adaptable ventilators. The City of Seattle emergency response zone contains 82.1% of bed spaces, 83.5% of nurses, and 95.8% of physicians, yet only 22.8% of all SKC children live in that zone. The majority of hospital pediatric resources are located in the SKC sub-region with the fewest children. These resources are potentially inaccessible and unable to be redistributed by ground transportation in the event of a significant regional disaster. Future planning for pediatric care in the event of a medical disaster in SKC must address this vulnerability.

Beyond Leisure: The Role of Alcohol in the Lives of Nigerian University Students.

PubMed

Dumbili, Emeka W; Onyima, Blessing N

2017-12-26

Alcohol consumption among young people in Nigeria has traditionally been constrained due to the socio-cultural belief that alcohol is for adults. In contemporary Nigeria, media reports indicate that young people drink alcohol regularly in large quantities, but empirical research on what motivates their alcohol use is lacking. To explore the motives for consuming alcohol among male and female students at a Nigerian university. Drawing on motivational theories of alcohol use, 31 semi-structured interviews were conducted with students (aged 19-23 years). The data were analyzed to generate themes with the aid of NVivo software. Three themes (drinking to cope; overcoming academic performance anxiety; and drinking to socialize) were identified under coping, enhancement and social motives. First, while both male and female participants used alcohol to attenuate sorrow, anger, and stress, females also drank to ameliorate depression and heartbreak due to relationship problems. Second, men and women perceived that alcohol provided them with "academic courage." Hence, they drank to boost their confidence in delivering class seminars. Relatedly, women used alcohol in a bid to enhance their retentive memory before taking written examinations. Third, men and women engaged in gendered heavy drinking rituals purposefully to get drunk and loosen up. This enables men to discuss what they referred to as "men's affairs" while it enables women to "reveal deep secrets" (to inebriated group members) that they would not ordinarily reveal when they are sober. Women's drink choice was associated with social motives because spirits were used purposefully to quicken their intoxication. Participants who drank due to coping and social motives consumed larger quantities of alcohol than they consumed on "normal" drinking occasions. We discuss the implications of these findings and offer suggestions for public health interventions that policymakers might consider implementing, to reduce alcohol-related harms in the Nigerian Higher Education system.

Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 18 Crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-03-26

ISS018-E-043947 (26 March 2009) --- Etosha Pan in Namibia is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 18 crewmember on the International Space Station. Etosha Pan is a large dry lake about 130 kilometers long that dominates Namibia?s Etosha National Park (the sharp edge of the park fence can be seen at right). Small related dry lake beds appear as bright shapes top left, a portion of the International Space Station appears at top right. This view shows the pan as it appeared almost ten years ago. The pan is the low point in a major inland basin in northern Namibia. During occasional flood events, such those experienced in the last nine months, rivers from Angola (the Namibia?Angola boundary lies just outside the top of the image) deliver large quantities of water to the pan. In this image flood water in the Oshigambo River, resulting from recent heavy rains in Angola, appears as a gray stream entering the northwest corner of the pan (top left). The floodwater becomes a thin sheet on the vast salt flat of the pan floor. Algae blooms in the warm water have produced a light-green tinge. Another image of the Oshigambo River mouth in flood can be seen here. Reports on the ground, augmented with orbital unmanned satellite imagery acquired subsequent to this photograph, show that the plains north of the pan are now flooded, causing damage to homesteads, crops and roads. More than 340,000 people have been affected in northern Namibia and approximately 250,000 in southern Angola.

A fundamental study of suction for Laminar Flow Control (LFC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watmuff, Jonathan H.

1992-10-01

This report covers the period forming the first year of the project. The aim is to experimentally investigate the effects of suction as a technique for Laminar Flow Control. Experiments are to be performed which require substantial modifications to be made to the experimental facility. Considerable effort has been spent developing new high performance constant temperature hot-wire anemometers for general purpose use in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. Twenty instruments have been delivered. An important feature of the facility is that it is totally automated under computer control. Unprecedently large quantities of data can be acquired and the results examined using the visualization tools developed specifically for studying the results of numerical simulations on graphics works stations. The experiment must be run for periods of up to a month at a time since the data is collected on a point-by-point basis. Several techniques were implemented to reduce the experimental run-time by a significant factor. Extra probes have been constructed and modifications have been made to the traverse hardware and to the real-time experimental code to enable multiple probes to be used. This will reduce the experimental run-time by the appropriate factor. Hot-wire calibration drift has been a frustrating problem owing to the large range of ambient temperatures experienced in the laboratory. The solution has been to repeat the calibrations at frequent intervals. However the calibration process has consumed up to 40 percent of the run-time. A new method of correcting the drift is very nearly finalized and when implemented it will also lead to a significant reduction in the experimental run-time.

A fundamental study of suction for Laminar Flow Control (LFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watmuff, Jonathan H.

1992-01-01

This report covers the period forming the first year of the project. The aim is to experimentally investigate the effects of suction as a technique for Laminar Flow Control. Experiments are to be performed which require substantial modifications to be made to the experimental facility. Considerable effort has been spent developing new high performance constant temperature hot-wire anemometers for general purpose use in the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. Twenty instruments have been delivered. An important feature of the facility is that it is totally automated under computer control. Unprecedently large quantities of data can be acquired and the results examined using the visualization tools developed specifically for studying the results of numerical simulations on graphics works stations. The experiment must be run for periods of up to a month at a time since the data is collected on a point-by-point basis. Several techniques were implemented to reduce the experimental run-time by a significant factor. Extra probes have been constructed and modifications have been made to the traverse hardware and to the real-time experimental code to enable multiple probes to be used. This will reduce the experimental run-time by the appropriate factor. Hot-wire calibration drift has been a frustrating problem owing to the large range of ambient temperatures experienced in the laboratory. The solution has been to repeat the calibrations at frequent intervals. However the calibration process has consumed up to 40 percent of the run-time. A new method of correcting the drift is very nearly finalized and when implemented it will also lead to a significant reduction in the experimental run-time.

Geochemical evidence for enhanced preservation of organic matter in the oxygen minimum zone of the continental margin of northern California during the Late Pleistocene

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dean, Walter E.; Gardner, James V.; Anderson, Roger Y.

1994-01-01

The present upper water mass of the northeastern Pacific Ocean off California has a well-developed oxygen minimum zone between 600 and 1200 m wherein concentrations of dissolved oxygen are less than 0.5 mL/L. Even at such low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, benthic burrowing organisms are abundant enough to thoroughly bioturbate the surface and near-surface sediments. These macro organisms, together with micro organisms, also consume large quantities of organic carbon produced by large seasonal stocks of plankton in the overlying surface waters, which are supported by high concentrations of nutrients within the California Current upwelling system. In contrast to modern conditions of bioturbation, laminated sediments are preserved in upper Pleistocene sections of cores collected on the continental slope at water depths within the present oxygen minimum zone from at least as far north as the California-Oregon border and as far south as Point Conception. Comparison of sediment components in the laminae with those delivered to sediment traps as pelagic marine “snow” demonstrates that the dark-light lamination couplets are indeed annual (varves). These upper Pleistocene varved sediments contain more abundant lipid-rich “sapropelic” (type II) organic matter than the overlying bioturbated, oxidized Holocene sediments. The baseline of stable carbon isotopic composition of the organic matter in these slope cores does not change with time, indicating that the higher concentrations of type II organic matter in the varved sediments represent better preservation of organic matter rather than any change in the source of organic matter.

Automated Propulsion Data Screening demonstration system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, W. Andes; Choate, Timothy D.; Whitehead, Bruce A.

1995-01-01

A fully-instrumented firing of a propulsion system typically generates a very large quantity of data. In the case of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), data analysis from ground tests and flights is currently a labor-intensive process. Human experts spend a great deal of time examining the large volume of sensor data generated by each engine firing. These experts look for any anomalies in the data which might indicate engine conditions warranting further investigation. The contract effort was to develop a 'first-cut' screening system for application to SSME engine firings that would identify the relatively small volume of data which is unusual or anomalous in some way. With such a system, limited and expensive human resources could focus on this small volume of unusual data for thorough analysis. The overall project objective was to develop a fully operational Automated Propulsion Data Screening (APDS) system with the capability of detecting significant trends and anomalies in transient and steady-state data. However, the effort limited screening of transient data to ground test data for throttle-down cases typical of the 3-g acceleration, and for engine throttling required to reach the maximum dynamic pressure limits imposed on the Space Shuttle. This APDS is based on neural networks designed to detect anomalies in propulsion system data that are not part of the data used for neural network training. The delivered system allows engineers to build their own screening sets for application to completed or planned firings of the SSME. ERC developers also built some generic screening sets that NASA engineers could apply immediately to their data analysis efforts.

Estimation of gloss from rough surface parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonsen, Ingve; Larsen, Åge G.; Andreassen, Erik; Ommundsen, Espen; Nord-Varhaug, Katrin

2005-12-01

Gloss is a quantity used in the optical industry to quantify and categorize materials according to how well they scatter light specularly. With the aid of phase perturbation theory, we derive an approximate expression for this quantity for a one-dimensional randomly rough surface. It is demonstrated that gloss depends in an exponential way on two dimensionless quantities that are associated with the surface randomness: the root-mean-square roughness times the perpendicular momentum transfer for the specular direction, and a correlation function dependent factor times a lateral momentum variable associated with the collection angle. Rigorous Monte Carlo simulations are used to access the quality of this approximation, and good agreement is observed over large regions of parameter space.

Temperature and acidity effects on WO{sub 3} nanostructures and gas-sensing properties of WO{sub 3} nanoplates

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

Zhang, Huili; Liu, Zhifang; Yang, Jiaqin

2014-09-15

Graphical abstract: Generally, large acid quantity and high temperature are beneficial to the formation of anhydrous WO3, but the acidity effect on the crystal phase is weaker than that of temperature. Large acid quantity is found helpful to the oriented growth of tungsten oxides, forming a nanoplate-like product. - Highlights: • Large acid quantity is propitious to the oriented growth of a WO{sub 3} nanoplate. • Effect of acid quantity on crystal phases of products is weaker than that of temperature. • One step hydrothermal synthesis of WO{sub 3} is facile and can be easily scaled up. • A WO{submore » 3} nanoplate shows a fast response and distinct sensing selectivity to acetone gas. - Abstract: WO{sub 3} nanostructures were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method using Na{sub 2}WO{sub 4}·2H{sub 2}O and HNO{sub 3} as raw materials. They are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The specific surface area was obtained from N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption isotherm. The effects of the amount of HNO{sub 3}, hydrothermal temperature and reaction time on the crystal phases and morphologies of the WO{sub 3} nanostructures were investigated in detail, and the reaction mechanism was discussed. Large amount of acid is found for the first time to be helpful to the oriented growth of tungsten oxides, forming nanoplate-like products, while hydrothermal temperature has more influence on the crystal phase of the product. Gas-sensing properties of the series of as-prepared WO{sub 3} nanoplates were tested by means of acetone, ethanol, formaldehyde and ammonia. One of the WO{sub 3} nanoplates with high specific surface area and high crystallinity displays high sensitivity, fast response and distinct sensing selectivity to acetone gas.« less

Current databases on biological variation: pros, cons and progress.

PubMed

Ricós, C; Alvarez, V; Cava, F; García-Lario, J V; Hernández, A; Jiménez, C V; Minchinela, J; Perich, C; Simón, M

1999-11-01

A database with reliable information to derive definitive analytical quality specifications for a large number of clinical laboratory tests was prepared in this work. This was achieved by comparing and correlating descriptive data and relevant observations with the biological variation information, an approach that had not been used in the previous efforts of this type. The material compiled in the database was obtained from published articles referenced in BIOS, CURRENT CONTENTS, EMBASE and MEDLINE using "biological variation & laboratory medicine" as key words, as well as books and doctoral theses provided by their authors. The database covers 316 quantities and reviews 191 articles, fewer than 10 of which had to be rejected. The within- and between-subject coefficients of variation and the subsequent desirable quality specifications for precision, bias and total error for all the quantities accepted are presented. Sex-related stratification of results was justified for only four quantities and, in these cases, quality specifications were derived from the group with lower within-subject variation. For certain quantities, biological variation in pathological states was higher than in the healthy state. In these cases, quality specifications were derived only from the healthy population (most stringent). Several quantities (particularly hormones) have been treated in very few articles and the results found are highly discrepant. Therefore, professionals in laboratory medicine should be strongly encouraged to study the quantities for which results are discrepant, the 90 quantities described in only one paper and the numerous quantities that have not been the subject of study.

New Drug Self-Assembles and Delivers Itself to Its Target | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Viruses self-assemble with high precision and disassemble upon fusion with the cell membrane and deliver this way their cargo to the interior of the cells. Using this talent, viruses are able to inject whole proteins and large nucleic acid molecules into certain types of cells.

Landing on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, Robert M.; Adler, Mark

2005-01-01

here have been five fully successful robotic landings on Mars. The systems used to deliver these robots to the surface have shown large design diversity and continue to evolve. How will future Mars landing systems evolve to eventually deliver precious human cargo? We do not yet know the answers, but current trends tell us an interesting and daunting tale.

Noninvasive, localized, and transient brain drug delivery using focused ultrasound and microbubbles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, James J.

In the United States, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and brain cancer caused 72,432, 19,566 and 12,886 deaths in 2006, respectively. Whereas the number of deaths due to major disorders such as heart disease, stroke, and prostate cancer have decreased since 2006, deaths attributed to AD, PD, and brain cancer have not. Treatment options for patients with CNS disorders remain limited despite significant advances in knowledge of CNS disease pathways and development of neurologically potent agents. One of the major obstacles is that the cerebral microvasculature is lined by a specialized and highly regulated blood-brain barrier (BBB) that prevents large agents from entering the brain extracellular space. The purpose of this dissertation is to design a noninvasive, localized, and transient BBB opening system using focused ultrasound (FUS) and determine ultrasound and microbubble conditions that can effectively and safely deliver large pharmacologically-relevant-sized agents to the brain. To meet this end, an in vivo mouse brain drug delivery system using a stereotactic-based targeting method was developed. FUS was applied noninvasively through the intact skin and skull, which allowed for long-term and high-throughput studies. With this system, more than 150 mice were exposed to one of 31 distinct acoustic and microbubble conditions. The feasibility of delivering a large MRI contrast agent was first demonstrated in vivo in both wild-type and transgenic Alzheimer's disease model (APP/PS1) mice. A wide range of acoustic and microbubble conditions were then evaluated for their ability to deliver agents to a target region. Interestingly, the possible design space of parameters was found to be vast and different conditions resulted in distinct spatial distributions and doses delivered. In particular, BBB opening was shown to be dependent on the microbubble diameter, acoustic pressure, pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and pulse length (PL). Each set of conditions determined both the size of agents that can traverse the BBB, and also the level of safety of the technique. In one set of conditions (peak-rarefactional pressure: 0.61 MPa, PRF: 10 Hz, PL: 20 ms), large 70-kDa dextran was delivered to a target region, but were associated with detectable damaged sites as indicated by dark neurons, microvacuolations, and erythrocyte extravasations. Another set of conditions (peak-rarefactional pressure: 0.46 MPa, PRF: 5 Hz, PL: 0.2 ms) delivered 3-kDa dextran homogeneously and diffusely to a target region in the brain without any detectable dark neurons, microvacuolations, or erythrocyte extravasations. Each distinct set of conditions may thus be used for different clinical application, i.e., treatment of brain cancer and AD. In conclusion, an effective method to noninvasively, locally, and transiently deliver large therapeutic agents through the BBB was developed.

Observed and Potential Responses of Upland Tundra Ecosystems to a Changing Climate: Results from the Arctic Long-Term Ecological Research Project, North Slope, Alaska, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowden, W. B.

2014-12-01

The Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing biomes on earth. Research at the Toolik Field Station by the Arctic Long-Term Ecological Research project provides a perspective on changes that are impacting the upland tussock tundra region of the North Slope of Alaska, a region that is typical of ~15% of the arctic region. The arctic is responding to a combination of long-term, gradual changes (presses) and short-term, event-driven changes (pulses). The most important press, of course, is the persistent rise in average annual air temperature observed in most places (though not at Toolik). Associated with this increase in SAT is a well-documented increase in shallow permafrost temperature (which is observed around Toolik). Our long-term research shows that this trend will favor taller and more productive shrub and grass vegetation. Higher SAT translates to earlier spring breakup and later onset of winter. This change in seasonality is affecting interactions between shrub leaf-out, insect emergence, and bird nesting. Persistent and more frequent droughts are having important impacts on the ability of Arctic grayling - the top consumer is most upland tundra streams - to survive and has the potential to block their ability to migrate to essential overwintering lakes. The interaction between temperature (which is changing) and light (which is not) creates a "seasonal asynchrony" that may be increasing the loading of nutrients - notably nitrate - to upland tundra streams late in the season, with impacts that we do not fully understand yet. The upland tundra environment is also responding to an increasing frequency of pulses, most notably wildfires and the development of thermo-erosional failures (TEFs). Wildfires transfer large quantities of carbon and nitrogen directly to the atmosphere. TEFs may deliver large quantities of sediment and nutrients to streams and lakes. Currently these pulse disturbances seem to be having only limited, local impacts. However, as shallow permafrost in the arctic region approaches the 0ºC tipping point, the combination of presses and pulses may radically and rapidly alter upland tundra terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These changes will almost certainly occur more rapidly than would be the case if the region were influenced by the press of warming temperature alone.

17. CUPOLA TENDERS FILLED THE LARGE LADLES WORKERS USED TO ...

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

17. CUPOLA TENDERS FILLED THE LARGE LADLES WORKERS USED TO POUR MOLDS ON THE CONVEYORS FROM BULL LADLES THAT WERE USED TO STORE BATCH QUANTITIES OF IRON TAPPED FROM THE CUPOLA, CA. 1950. - Stockham Pipe & Fittings Company, 4000 Tenth Avenue North, Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL

How the great apes (Pan troglodytes, Pongo pygmaeus, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla) perform on the reversed reward contingency task II: transfer to new quantities, long-term retention, and the impact of quantity ratios.

PubMed

Uher, Jana; Call, Josep

2008-05-01

We tested 6 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), 3 orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), 4 bonobos (Pan paniscus), and 2 gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) in the reversed reward contingency task. Individuals were presented with pairs of quantities ranging between 0 and 6 food items. Prior to testing, some experienced apes had solved this task using 2 quantities while others were totally naïve. Experienced apes transferred their ability to multiple-novel pairs after 6 to 19 months had elapsed since their initial testing. Two out of 6 naïve apes (1 chimpanzee, 1 bonobo) solved the task--a proportion comparable to that of a previous study using 2 pairs of quantities. Their acquisition speed was also comparable to the successful subjects from that study. The ratio between quantities explained a large portion of the variance but affected naïve and experienced individuals differently. For smaller ratios, naïve individuals were well below 50% correct and experienced ones were well above 50%, yet both groups tended to converge toward 50% for larger ratios. Thus, some apes require no procedural modifications to overcome their strong bias for selecting the larger of 2 quantities. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

The precipitation of aluminum, iron and manganese at the junction of Deer Creek with the Snake River in Summit County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Theobald, P.K.; Lakin, H.W.; Hawkins, D.B.

1963-01-01

The oxidation of disseminated pyrite in relatively acid schists and gneisses of the Snake River drainage basin provides abundant iron sulfate and sulfuric acid to ground and surface water. This acid water dissolves large quantities of many elements, particularly aluminum and surprisingly large quantities of elements, such as magnesium and zinc, not expected to be abundant in the drainage basin. The adjoining drainage to the west, Deer Creek, is underlain by basic rocks, from which the water inherits a high pH. Despite the presence of base- and precious- metal veins in the drainage basin of Deer Creek, it carries less metal than the Snake River. The principal precipitate on the bed of the Snake River is hydrated iron oxide with small quantities of the other metals. In Deer Creek manganese oxide is precipitated with iron oxide and large quantities of other metals are carried down with this precipitate. Below the junction of these streams the pH stabilizes at a near-neutral value. Iron is removed from the Snake River water at the junction, and aluminum is precipitated for some distance downstream. The aluminum precipitate carries down other metals in concentrations slightly less than that in the manganese precipitate on Deer Creek. The natural processes observed in this junction if carried to a larger scale could provide the mechanism described by Ansheles (1927) for the formation of bauxite. In the environment described, geochemical exploration by either water or stream sediment techniques is difficult because of (1) the extreme pH differential between the streams above their junction and (2) the difference in the precipitates formed on the streambeds. ?? 1963.

Fe(0) Nanomotors in Ton Quantities (10(20) Units) for Environmental Remediation.

PubMed

Teo, Wei Zhe; Zboril, Radek; Medrik, Ivo; Pumera, Martin

2016-03-24

Despite demonstrating potential for environmental remediation and biomedical applications, the practical environmental applications of autonomous self-propelled micro-/nanorobots have been limited by the inability to fabricate these devices in large (kilograms/tons) quantities. In view of the demand for large-scale environmental remediation by micro-/nanomotors, which are easily synthesized and powered by nontoxic fuel, we have developed bubble-propelled Fe(0) Janus nanomotors by a facile thermally induced solid-state procedure and investigated their potential as decontamination agents of pollutants. These Fe(0) Janus nanomotors, stabilized by an ultrathin iron oxide shell, were fuelled by their decomposition in citric acid, leading to the asymmetric bubble propulsion. The degradation of azo-dyes was dramatically increased in the presence of moving self-propelled Fe(0) nanomotors, which acted as reducing agents. Such enhanced pollutant decomposition triggered by biocompatible Fe(0) (nanoscale zero-valent iron motors), which can be handled in the air and fabricated in ton quantities for low cost, will revolutionize the way that environmental remediation is carried out. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Developing a national stream morphology data exchange: needs, challenges, and opportunities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, Mathias J.; Gray, John R.; Peppler, Marie C.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Schubauer-Berigan, Joseph P.

2012-01-01

Stream morphology data, primarily consisting of channel and foodplain geometry and bed material size measurements, historically have had a wide range of applications and uses including culvert/ bridge design, rainfall- runoff modeling, food inundation mapping (e.g., U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency food insurance studies), climate change studies, channel stability/sediment source investigations, navigation studies, habitat assessments, and landscape change research. The need for stream morphology data in the United States, and thus the quantity of data collected, has grown substantially over the past 2 decades because of the expanded interests of resource management agencies in watershed management and restoration. The quantity of stream morphology data collected has also increased because of state-of-the-art technologies capable of rapidly collecting high-resolution data over large areas with heretofore unprecedented precision. Despite increasing needs for and the expanding quantity of stream morphology data, neither common reporting standards nor a central data archive exist for storing and serving these often large and spatially complex data sets. We are proposing an open- access data exchange for archiving and disseminating stream morphology data.

Developing a national stream morphology data exchange: Needs, challenges, and opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Mathias J.; Gray, John R.; Peppler, Marie C.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.; Schubauer-Berigan, Joseph P.

2012-05-01

Stream morphology data, primarily consisting of channel and foodplain geometry and bed material size measurements, historically have had a wide range of applications and uses including culvert/ bridge design, rainfall- runoff modeling, food inundation mapping (e.g., U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency food insurance studies), climate change studies, channel stability/sediment source investigations, navigation studies, habitat assessments, and landscape change research. The need for stream morphology data in the United States, and thus the quantity of data collected, has grown substantially over the past 2 decades because of the expanded interests of resource management agencies in watershed management and restoration. The quantity of stream morphology data collected has also increased because of state-of-the-art technologies capable of rapidly collecting high-resolution data over large areas with heretofore unprecedented precision. Despite increasing needs for and the expanding quantity of stream morphology data, neither common reporting standards nor a central data archive exist for storing and serving these often large and spatially complex data sets. We are proposing an open- access data exchange for archiving and disseminating stream morphology data.

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

Karch, Andreas; Robinson, Brandon

Thermodynamic quantities associated with black holes in Anti-de Sitter space obey an interesting identity when the cosmological constant is included as one of the dynamical variables, the generalized Smarr relation. Here, we show that this relation can easily be understood from the point of view of the dual holographic field theory. It amounts to the simple statement that the extensive thermodynamic quantities of a large N gauge theory only depend on the number of colors, N, via an overall factor of N 2.

Seismic attenuation and scattering tomography of rock samples using stochastic wavefields: linking seismology, volcanology, and rock physics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazio, Marco; De Siena, Luca; Benson, Phillip

2016-04-01

Seismic attenuation and scattering are two attributes that can be linked with porosity and permeability in laboratory experiments. When measuring these two quantities using seismic waveforms recorder at lithospheric and volcanic scales the areas of highest heterogeneity, as batches of melt and zones of high deformation, produce anomalous values of the measured quantities, the seismic quality factor and scattering coefficient. When employed as indicators of heterogeneity and absorption in volcanic areas these anomalous effects become strong indicators of magma accumulation and tectonic boundaries, shaping magmatic chambers and conduit systems. We perform attenuation and scattering measurements and imaging using seismic waveforms produced in laboratory experiments, at frequencies ranging between the kHz and MHz. As attenuation and scattering are measured from the shape of the envelopes, disregarding phases, we are able to connect the observations with the micro fracturing and petrological quantities previously measured on the sample. Connecting the imaging of dry and saturated samples via these novel attributes with the burst of low-period events with increasing saturation and deformation is a challenge. Its solution could plant the seed for better relating attenuation and scattering tomography measurements to the presence of fluids and gas, therefore creating a novel path for reliable porosity and permeability tomography. In particular for volcanoes, being able to relate attenuation/scattering measurements with low-period micro seismicity could deliver new data to settle the debate about if both source and medium can produce seismic resonance.

Collective synthesis of natural products by means of organocascade catalysis

PubMed Central

Jones, Spencer B.; Simmons, Bryon; Mastracchio, Anthony; MacMillan, David W. C.

2012-01-01

Organic chemists are now able to synthesize small quantities of almost any known natural product, given sufficient time, resources and effort. However, translation of the academic successes in total synthesis to the large-scale construction of complex natural products and the development of large collections of biologically relevant molecules present significant challenges to synthetic chemists. Here we show that the application of two nature-inspired techniques, namely organocascade catalysis and collective natural product synthesis, can facilitate the preparation of useful quantities of a range of structurally diverse natural products from a common molecular scaffold. The power of this concept has been demonstrated through the expedient, asymmetric total syntheses of six well-known alkaloid natural products: strychnine, aspidospermidine, vincadifformine, akuammicine, kopsanone and kopsinine. PMID:21753848

Categories of Large Numbers in Line Estimation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landy, David; Charlesworth, Arthur; Ottmar, Erin

2017-01-01

How do people stretch their understanding of magnitude from the experiential range to the very large quantities and ranges important in science, geopolitics, and mathematics? This paper empirically evaluates how and whether people make use of numerical categories when estimating relative magnitudes of numbers across many orders of magnitude. We…

27 CFR 41.11 - Meaning of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... be smoked. Cigar. Any roll of tobacco wrapped in leaf tobacco or in any substance containing tobacco... mean that the bonded manufacturer has ascertained the quantity and kind (small cigars, large cigars... tobacco products and the sale price of large cigars being shipped to the United States; that adequate bond...

Surface Elevation Change And Vertical Accretion In Created Mangroves In Tampa Bay, Florida, Usa

EPA Science Inventory

Mangroves protect coastlines, provide faunal habitat, and store large quantities of carbon (C). In South Florida and other parts of the Gulf of Mexico, large wetland areas, including mangrove forests, have been removed, degraded, or damaged. Wetland creation efforts have been use...

Control of decay in bolts and logs of northern hardwoods during storage

Treesearch

Theodore C. Scheffer; T. W. Jones

1953-01-01

Many wood-using plants in the Northeast store large quantities of hardwood logs for rather long periods. Sometimes a large volume of the wood is spoiled by decay during the storage period. A number of people have asked: "How can we prevent this loss?"

Factors Associated with Teacher Delivery of a Classroom-Based Tier 2 Prevention Program.

PubMed

Sutherland, Kevin S; Conroy, Maureen A; McLeod, Bryce D; Algina, James; Kunemund, Rachel L

2018-02-01

Teachers sometimes struggle to deliver evidence-based programs designed to prevent and ameliorate chronic problem behaviors of young children with integrity. Identifying factors associated with variations in the quantity and quality of delivery is thus an important goal for the field. This study investigated factors associated with teacher treatment integrity of BEST in CLASS, a tier-2 prevention program designed for young children at risk for developing emotional/behavioral disorders. Ninety-two early childhood teachers and 231 young children at-risk for emotional/behavioral disorders participated in the study. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that both adherence and competence of delivery increased across six observed time points. Results suggest that teacher education and initial levels of classroom quality may be important factors to consider when teachers deliver tier-2 (i.e., targeted to children who are not responsive to universal or tier-1 programming) prevention programs in early childhood settings. Teachers with higher levels of education delivered the program with more adherence and competence initially. Teachers with higher initial scores on the Emotional Support subscale of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) delivered the program with more competence initially and exhibited higher growth in both adherence and competence of delivery across time. Teachers with higher initial scores on the Classroom Organization subscale of the CLASS exhibited lower growth in adherence across time. Contrary to hypotheses, teacher self-efficacy did not predict adherence, and teachers who reported higher initial levels of Student Engagement self-efficacy exhibited lower growth in competence of delivery. Results are discussed in relation to teacher delivery of evidence-based programs in early childhood classrooms.

Major achievements of the Rosetta mission in connection with the origin of the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barucci, M. A.; Fulchignoni, M.

2017-10-01

Comets have been studied from a long time and are believed to preserve pristine materials, so they are fundamental to understand the origin of the solar system and life. Starting in the early 1990s, ESA decided to have a more risky and fantastic mission to a comet. As Planetary Cornerstone mission of the ESA Horizon 2000 program, the Rosetta mission was selected with the aim of realizing two asteroid fly-bys, a rendezvous with a comet to deliver a surface science package and to hover around the comet from 4 AU inbound up to perihelion and outbound back to 3.7 AU. The mission was successfully launched on March 2, 2004 with Ariane V that started its 10-year journey toward comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. After several planetary gravity assists, Rosetta flew by two asteroids—on September 5, 2008 (Steins) and on July 10, 2010 (Lutetia), respectively, and performed the comet orbit insertion maneuver on August 6, 2014. The onboard instruments characterized the nucleus orbiting the comet at altitudes down to few kilometers. On November 12, 2014, the lander Philae was delivered realizing the first landing ever on a comet surface. Although the exploration of the comet was planned up to the end of 2015, the mission duration was extended for nine more months than the nominal one, to follow the comet on its outbound orbit. To terminate the mission, following a series of very low orbits, a controlled impact of Rosetta spacecraft with the comet was realized on September 30, 2016. The scientific objectives of the mission have been largely achieved. The challenging mission provided the science community with an enormous quantity of data of extraordinary scientific value. In this paper, a detailed description of the mission and the highlights of the obtained scientific results on the exploration of an extraordinary world are presented. The paper also includes lessons learned and directions for the future.

Assessing website pharmacy drug quality: safer than you think?

PubMed

Bate, Roger; Hess, Kimberly

2010-08-13

Internet-sourced drugs are often considered suspect. The World Health Organization reports that drugs from websites that conceal their physical address are counterfeit in over 50 percent of cases; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) works with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to regularly update a list of websites likely to sell drugs that are illegal or of questionable quality. This study examines drug purchasing over the Internet, by comparing the sales of five popular drugs from a selection of websites stratified by NABP or other ratings. The drugs were assessed for price, conditions of purchase, and basic quality. Prices and conditions of purchase varied widely. Some websites advertised single pills while others only permitted the purchase of large quantities. Not all websites delivered the exact drugs ordered, some delivered no drugs at all; many websites shipped from multiple international locations, and from locations that were different from those advertised on the websites. All drug samples were tested against approved U.S. brand formulations using Raman spectrometry. Many (17) websites substituted drugs, often in different formulations from the brands requested. These drugs, some of which were probably generics or perhaps non-bioequivalent copy versions, could not be assessed accurately. Of those drugs that could be assessed, none failed from "approved", "legally compliant" or "not recommended" websites (0 out of 86), whereas 8.6% (3 out of 35) failed from "highly not recommended" and unidentifiable websites. Of those drugs that could be assessed, all except Viagra(R) passed spectrometry testing. Of those that failed, few could be identified either by a country of manufacture listed on the packaging, or by the physical location of the website pharmacy. If confirmed by future studies on other drug samples, then U.S. consumers should be able to reduce their risk by relying on credentialing agencies recommended lists and by using common sense when examining packaging and pills.

Studying Professional Knowledge Use in Practice Using Multimedia Scenarios Delivered Online

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbst, Patricio; Chazan, Daniel

2015-01-01

We describe how multimedia scenarios delivered online can be used in instruments for the study of professional knowledge. Based on our work in the study of the knowledge and rationality involved in mathematics teaching, we describe how the study of professional knowledge writ large can benefit from the capacity to represent know-how using…

Weighting factors for radiation quality: how to unite the two current concepts.

PubMed

Kellerer, Albrecht M

2004-01-01

The quality factor, Q(L), used to be the universal weighting factor to account for radiation quality, until--in its 1991 Recommendations--the ICRP established a dichotomy between 'computable' and 'measurable' quantities. The new concept of the radiation weighting factor, w(R), was introduced for use with the 'computable' quantities, such as the effective dose, E. At the same time, the application of Q(L) was restricted to 'measurable' quantities, such as the operational quantities ambient dose equivalent or personal dose equivalent. The result has been a dual system of incoherent dosimetric quantities. The most conspicuous inconsistency resulted for neutrons, for which the new concept of wR had been primarily designed. While its definition requires an accounting for the gamma rays produced by neutron capture in the human body, this effect is not adequately reflected in the numerical values of wR, which are now suitable for mice, but are--at energies of the incident neutrons below 1 MeV--conspicuously too large for man. A recent Report 92 to ICRP has developed a proposal to correct the current imbalance and to define a linkage between the concepts Q(L) and wR. The proposal is here considered within a broader assessment of the rationale that led to the current dual system of dosimetric quantities.

Phenology and Cover of Plant Growth Forms Predict Herbivore Habitat Selection in a High Latitude Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Fauchald, Per; Langeland, Knut; Ims, Rolf A.; Yoccoz, Nigel G.; Bråthen, Kari Anne

2014-01-01

The spatial and temporal distribution of forage quality is among the most central factors affecting herbivore habitat selection. Yet, for high latitude areas, forage quantity has been found to be more important than quality. Studies on large ungulate foraging patterns are faced with methodological challenges in both assessing animal movements at the scale of forage distribution, and in assessing forage quality with relevant metrics. Here we use first-passage time analyses to assess how reindeer movements relate to forage quality and quantity measured as the phenology and cover of growth forms along reindeer tracks. The study was conducted in a high latitude ecosystem dominated by low-palatable growth forms. We found that the scale of reindeer movement was season dependent, with more extensive area use as the summer season advanced. Small-scale movement in the early season was related to selection for younger stages of phenology and for higher abundances of generally phenologically advanced palatable growth forms (grasses and deciduous shrubs). Also there was a clear selection for later phenological stages of the most dominant, yet generally phenologically slow and low-palatable growth form (evergreen shrubs). As the summer season advanced only quantity was important, with selection for higher quantities of one palatable growth form and avoidance of a low palatable growth form. We conclude that both forage quality and quantity are significant predictors to habitat selection by a large herbivore at high latitude. The early season selectivity reflected that among dominating low palatability growth forms there were palatable phenological stages and palatable growth forms available, causing herbivores to be selective in their habitat use. The diminishing selectivity and the increasing scale of movement as the season developed suggest a response by reindeer to homogenized forage availability of low quality. PMID:24972188

Phenology and cover of plant growth forms predict herbivore habitat selection in a high latitude ecosystem.

PubMed

Iversen, Marianne; Fauchald, Per; Langeland, Knut; Ims, Rolf A; Yoccoz, Nigel G; Bråthen, Kari Anne

2014-01-01

The spatial and temporal distribution of forage quality is among the most central factors affecting herbivore habitat selection. Yet, for high latitude areas, forage quantity has been found to be more important than quality. Studies on large ungulate foraging patterns are faced with methodological challenges in both assessing animal movements at the scale of forage distribution, and in assessing forage quality with relevant metrics. Here we use first-passage time analyses to assess how reindeer movements relate to forage quality and quantity measured as the phenology and cover of growth forms along reindeer tracks. The study was conducted in a high latitude ecosystem dominated by low-palatable growth forms. We found that the scale of reindeer movement was season dependent, with more extensive area use as the summer season advanced. Small-scale movement in the early season was related to selection for younger stages of phenology and for higher abundances of generally phenologically advanced palatable growth forms (grasses and deciduous shrubs). Also there was a clear selection for later phenological stages of the most dominant, yet generally phenologically slow and low-palatable growth form (evergreen shrubs). As the summer season advanced only quantity was important, with selection for higher quantities of one palatable growth form and avoidance of a low palatable growth form. We conclude that both forage quality and quantity are significant predictors to habitat selection by a large herbivore at high latitude. The early season selectivity reflected that among dominating low palatability growth forms there were palatable phenological stages and palatable growth forms available, causing herbivores to be selective in their habitat use. The diminishing selectivity and the increasing scale of movement as the season developed suggest a response by reindeer to homogenized forage availability of low quality.

Precise and efficient evaluation of gravimetric quantities at arbitrarily scattered points in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, Kamen G.; Pavlis, Nikolaos K.; Petrushev, Pencho

2017-12-01

Gravimetric quantities are commonly represented in terms of high degree surface or solid spherical harmonics. After EGM2008, such expansions routinely extend to spherical harmonic degree 2190, which makes the computation of gravimetric quantities at a large number of arbitrarily scattered points in space using harmonic synthesis, a very computationally demanding process. We present here the development of an algorithm and its associated software for the efficient and precise evaluation of gravimetric quantities, represented in high degree solid spherical harmonics, at arbitrarily scattered points in the space exterior to the surface of the Earth. The new algorithm is based on representation of the quantities of interest in solid ellipsoidal harmonics and application of the tensor product trigonometric needlets. A FORTRAN implementation of this algorithm has been developed and extensively tested. The capabilities of the code are demonstrated using as examples the disturbing potential T, height anomaly ζ , gravity anomaly Δ g , gravity disturbance δ g , north-south deflection of the vertical ξ , east-west deflection of the vertical η , and the second radial derivative T_{rr} of the disturbing potential. After a pre-computational step that takes between 1 and 2 h per quantity, the current version of the software is capable of computing on a standard PC each of these quantities in the range from the surface of the Earth up to 544 km above that surface at speeds between 20,000 and 40,000 point evaluations per second, depending on the gravimetric quantity being evaluated, while the relative error does not exceed 10^{-6} and the memory (RAM) use is 9.3 GB.

The InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE): A Python Framework for Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, P. A.; Gurrola, E. M.; Agram, P. S.; Sacco, G. F.; Lavalle, M.

2015-12-01

The InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE, funded by NASA ESTO) provides a modern computing framework for geodetic image processing of InSAR data from a diverse array of radar satellites and aircraft. ISCE is both a modular, flexible, and extensible framework for building software components and applications as well as a toolbox of applications for processing raw or focused InSAR and Polarimetric InSAR data. The ISCE framework contains object-oriented Python components layered to construct Python InSAR components that manage legacy Fortran/C InSAR programs. Components are independently configurable in a layered manner to provide maximum control. Polymorphism is used to define a workflow in terms of abstract facilities for each processing step that are realized by specific components at run-time. This enables a single workflow to work on either raw or focused data from all sensors. ISCE can serve as the core of a production center to process Level-0 radar data to Level-3 products, but is amenable to interactive processing approaches that allow scientists to experiment with data to explore new ways of doing science with InSAR data. The NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) Mission will deliver data of unprecedented quantity and quality, making possible global-scale studies in climate research, natural hazards, and Earth's ecosystems. ISCE is planned as the foundational element in processing NISAR data, enabling a new class of analyses that take greater advantage of the long time and large spatial scales of these new data. NISAR will be but one mission in a constellation of radar satellites in the future delivering such data. ISCE currently supports all publicly available strip map mode space-borne SAR data since ERS and is expected to include support for upcoming missions. ISCE has been incorporated into two prototype cloud-based systems that have demonstrated its elasticity in addressing larger data processing problems in a "production" context and its ability to be controlled by individual science users on the cloud for large data problems. ISCE has been downloaded by over 200 users by a license for WinSAR members through the Unavco.org website. Others may apply directly to JPL for a license at download.jpl.nasa.gov.

Holographic black hole chemistry

DOE PAGES

Karch, Andreas; Robinson, Brandon

2015-12-14

Thermodynamic quantities associated with black holes in Anti-de Sitter space obey an interesting identity when the cosmological constant is included as one of the dynamical variables, the generalized Smarr relation. Here, we show that this relation can easily be understood from the point of view of the dual holographic field theory. It amounts to the simple statement that the extensive thermodynamic quantities of a large N gauge theory only depend on the number of colors, N, via an overall factor of N 2.

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

Vorobev, A.M.; Kuzmina, V.P.

A method is described for determining Pu in the presence of large quantities of U. Pu is extracted using thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) and precipitated using bismuth phosphate. In contrast to U (VI), plutonium (IV) is easily separated by TTA from 1M nitric acid and lends itself to quantitative precipitation. The yield of Pu amounted to 90%. The presence of U/sup 235/ in quantities exceeding 200-fold the Pu content did not influence the determination in 10-mg specimens. The order of error was plus or minus 20%. (R.V.J.)

Energy carries information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilgin, Irfan; Yang, I.-Sheng

2014-08-01

We show that for every qubit of quantum information, there is a well-defined notion of "the amount of energy that carries it," because it is a conserved quantity. This generalizes to larger systems and any conserved quantities: the eigenvalue spectrum of conserved charges has to be preserved while transferring quantum information. It is possible to "apparently" violate these conservations by losing a small fraction of information, but that must invoke a specific process which requires a large scale coherence. We discuss its implication regarding the black hole information paradox.

Budget of Turbulent Kinetic Energy in a Shock Wave Boundary-Layer Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vyas, Manan; Waindim, Mbu; Gaitonde, Datta

2016-01-01

Implicit large-eddy simulation (ILES) of a shock wave boundary-layer interaction (SBLI) was performed. Quantities present in the exact equation of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) transport were accumulated. These quantities will be used to calculate the components of TKE-like production, dissipation, transport, and dilatation. Correlations of these terms will be presented to study the growth and interaction between various terms. A comparison with its RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes) counterpart will also be presented.

Solar energy in the context of energy use, energy transportation and energy storage.

PubMed

MacKay, David J C

2013-08-13

Taking the UK as a case study, this paper describes current energy use and a range of sustainable energy options for the future, including solar power and other renewables. I focus on the area involved in collecting, converting and delivering sustainable energy, looking in particular detail at the potential role of solar power. Britain consumes energy at a rate of about 5000 watts per person, and its population density is about 250 people per square kilometre. If we multiply the per capita energy consumption by the population density, then we obtain the average primary energy consumption per unit area, which for the UK is 1.25 watts per square metre. This areal power density is uncomfortably similar to the average power density that could be supplied by many renewables: the gravitational potential energy of rainfall in the Scottish highlands has a raw power per unit area of roughly 0.24 watts per square metre; energy crops in Europe deliver about 0.5 watts per square metre; wind farms deliver roughly 2.5 watts per square metre; solar photovoltaic farms in Bavaria, Germany, and Vermont, USA, deliver 4 watts per square metre; in sunnier locations, solar photovoltaic farms can deliver 10 watts per square metre; concentrating solar power stations in deserts might deliver 20 watts per square metre. In a decarbonized world that is renewable-powered, the land area required to maintain today's British energy consumption would have to be similar to the area of Britain. Several other high-density, high-consuming countries are in the same boat as Britain, and many other countries are rushing to join us. Decarbonizing such countries will only be possible through some combination of the following options: the embracing of country-sized renewable power-generation facilities; large-scale energy imports from country-sized renewable facilities in other countries; population reduction; radical efficiency improvements and lifestyle changes; and the growth of non-renewable low-carbon sources, namely 'clean' coal, 'clean' gas and nuclear power. If solar is to play a large role in the future energy system, then we need new methods for energy storage; very-large-scale solar either would need to be combined with electricity stores or it would need to serve a large flexible demand for energy that effectively stores useful energy in the form of chemicals, heat, or cold.

Dissimilarities of reduced density matrices and eigenstate thermalization hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Song; Lin, Feng-Li; Zhang, Jia-ju

2017-12-01

We calculate various quantities that characterize the dissimilarity of reduced density matrices for a short interval of length ℓ in a two-dimensional (2D) large central charge conformal field theory (CFT). These quantities include the Rényi entropy, entanglement entropy, relative entropy, Jensen-Shannon divergence, as well as the Schatten 2-norm and 4-norm. We adopt the method of operator product expansion of twist operators, and calculate the short interval expansion of these quantities up to order of ℓ9 for the contributions from the vacuum conformal family. The formal forms of these dissimilarity measures and the derived Fisher information metric from contributions of general operators are also given. As an application of the results, we use these dissimilarity measures to compare the excited and thermal states, and examine the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) by showing how they behave in high temperature limit. This would help to understand how ETH in 2D CFT can be defined more precisely. We discuss the possibility that all the dissimilarity measures considered here vanish when comparing the reduced density matrices of an excited state and a generalized Gibbs ensemble thermal state. We also discuss ETH for a microcanonical ensemble thermal state in a 2D large central charge CFT, and find that it is approximately satisfied for a small subsystem and violated for a large subsystem.

At Birth, Humans Associate "Few" with Left and "Many" with Right.

PubMed

de Hevia, Maria Dolores; Veggiotti, Ludovica; Streri, Arlette; Bonn, Cory D

2017-12-18

Humans use spatial representations to structure abstract concepts [1]. One of the most well-known examples is the "mental number line"-the propensity to imagine numbers oriented in space [2, 3]. Human infants [4, 5], children [6, 7], adults [8], and nonhuman animals [9, 10] associate small numbers with the left side of space and large numbers with the right. In humans, cultural artifacts, such as the direction of reading and writing, modulate the directionality of this representation, with right-to-left reading cultures associating small numbers with right and large numbers with left [11], whereas the opposite association permeates left-to-right reading cultures [8]. Number-space mapping plays a central role in human mathematical concepts [12], but its origins remain unclear: is it the result of an innate bias or does it develop after birth? Infant humans are passively exposed to a spatially coded environment, so experience and culture could underlie the mental number line. To rule out this possibility, we tested neonates' responses to small or large auditory quantities paired with geometric figures presented on either the left or right sides of the screen. We show that 0- to 3-day-old neonates associate a small quantity with the left and a large quantity with the right when the multidimensional stimulus contains discrete numerical information, providing evidence that representations of number are associated to an oriented space at the start of postnatal life, prior to experience with language, culture, or with culture-specific biases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS DISTRIBUTION OF US EASTERN HARDWOOD FORESTS AND THE USE OF LARGE TREES AS AN INDICATOR OF FOREST DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Past clearing and harvesting of the deciduous hardwood forests of eastern USA released large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but through recovery and regrowth these forests are now accumulating atmospheric carbon (C). This study examined quantities and distribution ...

Miniature microwave powered steam sterilization chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atwater, James E.; Dahl, Roger W.; Garmon, Frank C.; Lunsford, Teddie D.; Michalek, William F.; Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.; Sauer, Richard L.

1997-10-01

A small device for the rapid ultrahigh temperature sterilization of surfaces is described. Microwave power generated by a 2.45 GHz magnetron is delivered via coaxial cable to a silicon carbide block housed within the chamber. Small quantities of water or aqueous hydrogen peroxide are introduced into the chamber. Upon application of power, the liquid flashes to vapor and superheats producing temperatures to 300 °C. The hot vapor permeates the enclosed space and contacts all exposed surfaces. Complete microbial kill of >10 6 colony forming units of the spore forming thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus, has been demonstrated using a variety of temperatures and exposure times in both steady state and thermal pulse modes of operation.

RADIATION INTEGRATOR

DOEpatents

Glass, F.M.; Wilson, H.N.

1959-02-17

Radiation detecting and measuring systems, particularly a compact, integrating, background monitor, are discussed. One of the principal features of the system is the use of an electrometer tube where the input of the tube is directly connected to an electrode of the radiation detector and a capacitor is coupled to the tube input. When a predetermined quantity of radiation has been integrated, a trigger signal is fed to a recorder and a charge is delivered to the capacitor to render the tube inoperative. The capacitor is then recharged for the next period of operation. With this arrangement there is a substantial reduction in lead lengths and the principal components may be enclosed and hermetically sealed to insure low leakage.

Economics and computer science of a radio spectrum reallocation

PubMed Central

Leyton-Brown, Kevin; Segal, Ilya

2017-01-01

The recent “incentive auction” of the US Federal Communications Commission was the first auction to reallocate radio frequencies between two different kinds of uses: from broadcast television to wireless Internet access. The design challenge was not just to choose market rules to govern a fixed set of potential trades but also, to determine the broadcasters’ property rights, the goods to be exchanged, the quantities to be traded, the computational procedures, and even some of the performance objectives. An essential and unusual challenge was to make the auction simple enough for human participants while still ensuring that the computations would be tractable and capable of delivering nearly efficient outcomes. PMID:28652335

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge: 2011 Small Business Award

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge 2011 award winner, BioAmber, developed an integrated technology to produce large, commercial quantities of succinic acid by bacterial fermentation, replacing petroleum-based feedstocks.

A preliminary study of painless and effective transdermal botulinum toxin A delivery by jet nebulization for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis.

PubMed

Iannitti, Tommaso; Palmieri, Beniamino; Aspiro, Anna; Di Cerbo, Alessandro

2014-01-01

Hyperhidrosis is a chronic disease characterized by increased sweat production. Local injections of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) have been extensively used for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis (idiopathic). The current treatment for this condition involves several intradermal injections, resulting in poor patient compliance due to injection-related pain. Therefore, new protocols, including an improved anesthetic regimen, are required. We designed the present study to determine whether JetPeel™-3, a medical device used for transdermal delivery of drugs by jet nebulization, could be used to deliver lidocaine prior to the standard multiple BTX-A injections or deliver lidocaine together with BTX-A in order to determine the protocol giving better results in terms of procedure-related pain, sweating, and patient satisfaction in subjects affected by primary axillary, palmar or plantar hyperhidrosis. Twenty patients with a visual analog scale (VAS) sweating score ≥ 8 cm were randomized to receive lidocaine 2% (5 mL) delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple injections of BTX-A (100 units) or lidocaine 2% (5 mL) and BTX-A (50 units) delivered together by JetPeel™-3. Effect of treatment on sweating was measured by VAS (0= minimum sweating; 10= maximum sweating) at 3-month follow-up. Pain induced by the procedure was assessed by VAS (0= minimum pain; 10= maximum pain) immediately after the procedure. Patient satisfaction was assessed at 3-month follow-up using a 5-point scale (1= not at all satisfied; 2= not satisfied; 3= partially satisfied; 4= satisfied; 5= highly satisfied). Both treatment modalities reduced sweating at 3-month follow-up, if compared with baseline (all P<0.001). Delivery of lidocaine and BTX-A by JetPeel™-3 resulted in lower procedure-related pain and reduced sweating, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple BTX-A injections (all P<0.001). Patient satisfaction with the procedure was higher in the group receiving lidocaine and BTX-A treatment by JetPeel™-3, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple BTX-A injections (P<0.001). No side effects were observed in both groups. Lidocaine and BTX-A can be safely delivered together by JetPeel™-3 to treat primary palmar, plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis, resulting in lower procedure-related pain, improved sweating and higher patient satisfaction, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by standard BTX-A injection therapy. Our protocol delivering lidocaine and BTX-A together by JetPeel™-3 requires a reduced quantity of BTX-A, further supporting the use of the transdermal drug delivery by jet nebulization over standard injection therapy for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis.

Application of cooperative and non-cooperative games in large-scale water quantity and quality management: a case study.

PubMed

Mahjouri, Najmeh; Ardestani, Mojtaba

2011-01-01

In this paper, two cooperative and non-cooperative methodologies are developed for a large-scale water allocation problem in Southern Iran. The water shares of the water users and their net benefits are determined using optimization models having economic objectives with respect to the physical and environmental constraints of the system. The results of the two methodologies are compared based on the total obtained economic benefit, and the role of cooperation in utilizing a shared water resource is demonstrated. In both cases, the water quality in rivers satisfies the standards. Comparing the results of the two mentioned approaches shows the importance of acting cooperatively to achieve maximum revenue in utilizing a surface water resource while the river water quantity and quality issues are addressed.

Collective synthesis of natural products by means of organocascade catalysis.

PubMed

Jones, Spencer B; Simmons, Bryon; Mastracchio, Anthony; MacMillan, David W C

2011-07-13

Organic chemists are now able to synthesize small quantities of almost any known natural product, given sufficient time, resources and effort. However, translation of the academic successes in total synthesis to the large-scale construction of complex natural products and the development of large collections of biologically relevant molecules present significant challenges to synthetic chemists. Here we show that the application of two nature-inspired techniques, namely organocascade catalysis and collective natural product synthesis, can facilitate the preparation of useful quantities of a range of structurally diverse natural products from a common molecular scaffold. The power of this concept has been demonstrated through the expedient, asymmetric total syntheses of six well-known alkaloid natural products: strychnine, aspidospermidine, vincadifformine, akuammicine, kopsanone and kopsinine. ©2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved

Thermal quench mitigation and current quench control by injection of mixed species shattered pellets in DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.; ...

2016-06-27

Injection of large shattered pellets composed of variable quantities of the main ion species (deuterium) and high-Z impurities (neon) in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrate control of thermal quench (TQ) and current quench (CQ) properties in mitigated disruptions. As the pellet composition is varied, TQ radiation fractions increase continuously with the quantity of radiating impurity in the pellet, with a corresponding decrease in divertor heating. Post-TQ plasma resistivities increase as a result of the higher radiation fraction, allowing control of current decay timescales based on the pellet composition. Magnetic reconstructions during the CQ show that control of the current decay ratemore » allows continuous variation of the minimum safety factor during the vertically unstable disruption, reducing the halo current fraction and resulting vessel displacement. Both TQ and CQ characteristics are observed to saturate at relatively low quantities of neon, indicating that effective mitigation of disruption loads by shattered pellet injection (SPI) can be achieved with modest impurity quantities, within injection quantities anticipated for ITER. In conclusion, this mixed species SPI technique provides apossible approach for tuning disruption properties to remain within the limited ranges allowed in the ITER design.« less

Thermal quench mitigation and current quench control by injection of mixed species shattered pellets in DIII-D

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

Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.

Injection of large shattered pellets composed of variable quantities of the main ion species (deuterium) and high-Z impurities (neon) in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrate control of thermal quench (TQ) and current quench (CQ) properties in mitigated disruptions. As the pellet composition is varied, TQ radiation fractions increase continuously with the quantity of radiating impurity in the pellet, with a corresponding decrease in divertor heating. Post-TQ plasma resistivities increase as a result of the higher radiation fraction, allowing control of current decay timescales based on the pellet composition. Magnetic reconstructions during the CQ show that control of the current decay ratemore » allows continuous variation of the minimum safety factor during the vertically unstable disruption, reducing the halo current fraction and resulting vessel displacement. Both TQ and CQ characteristics are observed to saturate at relatively low quantities of neon, indicating that effective mitigation of disruption loads by shattered pellet injection (SPI) can be achieved with modest impurity quantities, within injection quantities anticipated for ITER. In conclusion, this mixed species SPI technique provides apossible approach for tuning disruption properties to remain within the limited ranges allowed in the ITER design.« less

Thermal quench mitigation and current quench control by injection of mixed species shattered pellets in DIII-D

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

Shiraki, D.; Commaux, N.; Baylor, L. R.

Injection of large shattered pellets composed of variable quantities of the main ion species (deuterium) and high-Z impurities (neon) in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrates control of thermal quench (TQ) and current quench (CQ) properties in mitigated disruptions. As the pellet composition is varied, TQ radiation fractions increase continuously with the quantity of radiating impurity in the pellet, with a corresponding decrease in divertor heating. Post-TQ plasma resistivities increase as a result of the higher radiation fraction, allowing control of current decay timescales based on the pellet composition. Magnetic reconstructions during the CQ show that control of the current decay ratemore » allows continuous variation of the minimum safety factor during the vertically unstable disruption, reducing the halo current fraction and resulting vessel displacement. Both TQ and CQ characteristics are observed to saturate at relatively low quantities of neon, indicating that effective mitigation of disruption loads by shattered pellet injection (SPI) can be achieved with modest impurity quantities, within injection quantities anticipated for ITER. This mixed species SPI technique provides a possible approach for tuning disruption properties to remain within the limited ranges allowed in the ITER design.« less

Can solar power deliver?

PubMed

Nelson, Jenny; Emmott, Christopher J M

2013-08-13

Solar power represents a vast resource which could, in principle, meet the world's needs for clean power generation. Recent growth in the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology has demonstrated the potential of solar power to deliver on a large scale. Whilst the dominant PV technology is based on crystalline silicon, a wide variety of alternative PV materials and device concepts have been explored in an attempt to decrease the cost of the photovoltaic electricity. This article explores the potential for such emerging technologies to deliver cost reductions, scalability of manufacture, rapid carbon mitigation and new science in order to accelerate the uptake of solar power technologies.

Development of Large-Eddy Interaction Model for inhomogeneous turbulent flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hong, S. K.; Payne, F. R.

1987-01-01

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the applicability of a currently proposed model, with minimum empiricism, for calculation of the Reynolds stresses and other turbulence structural quantities in a channel. The current Large-Eddy Interaction Model not only yields Reynolds stresses but also presents an opportunity to illuminate typical characteristic motions of large-scale turbulence and the phenomenological aspects of engineering models for two Reynolds numbers.

Delivery of high intensity beams with large clad step-index fibers for engine ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, Sachin; Wilvert, Nick; Yalin, Azer P.

2012-09-01

We show, for the first time, that step-index silica fibers with a large clad (400 μm core and 720 μm clad) can be used to transmit nanosecond duration pulses in a way that allows reliable (consistent) spark formation in atmospheric pressure air by the focused output light from the fiber. The high intensity (>100 GW/cm2) of the focused output light is due to the combination of high output power (typical of fibers of this core size) with high output beam quality (better than that typical of fibers of this core size). The high output beam quality, which enables tight focusing, is due to the large clad which suppresses microbending-induced diffusion of modal power to higher order modes owing to the increased rigidity of the core-clad interface. We also show that extending the pulse duration provides a means to increase the delivered pulse energy (>20 mJ delivered for 50 ns pulses) without causing fiber damage. Based on this ability to deliver high energy sparks, we report the first reliable laser ignition of a natural gas engine including startup under typical procedures using silica fiber optics for pulse delivery.

Are They Using My Feedback? The Extent of Students' Feedback Use Has a Large Impact on Subsequent Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimbardi, Kirsten; Colthorpe, Kay; Dekker, Andrew; Engstrom, Craig; Bugarcic, Andrea; Worthy, Peter; Victor, Ruban; Chunduri, Prasad; Lluka, Lesley; Long, Phil

2017-01-01

Feedback is known to have a large influence on student learning gains, and the emergence of online tools has greatly enhanced the opportunity for delivering timely, expressive, digital feedback and for investigating its learning impacts. However, to date there have been no large quantitative investigations of the feedback provided by large teams…

Cutting Edge: Protection by Antiviral Memory CD8 T Cells Requires Rapidly Produced Antigen in Large Amounts.

PubMed

Remakus, Sanda; Ma, Xueying; Tang, Lingjuan; Xu, Ren-Huan; Knudson, Cory; Melo-Silva, Carolina R; Rubio, Daniel; Kuo, Yin-Ming; Andrews, Andrew; Sigal, Luis J

2018-05-15

Numerous attempts to produce antiviral vaccines by harnessing memory CD8 T cells have failed. A barrier to progress is that we do not know what makes an Ag a viable target of protective CD8 T cell memory. We found that in mice susceptible to lethal mousepox (the mouse homolog of human smallpox), a dendritic cell vaccine that induced memory CD8 T cells fully protected mice when the infecting virus produced Ag in large quantities and with rapid kinetics. Protection did not occur when the Ag was produced in low amounts, even with rapid kinetics, and protection was only partial when the Ag was produced in large quantities but with slow kinetics. Hence, the amount and timing of Ag expression appear to be key determinants of memory CD8 T cell antiviral protective immunity. These findings may have important implications for vaccine design. Copyright © 2018 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

Glacial melting: an overlooked threat to Antarctic krill.

PubMed

Fuentes, Verónica; Alurralde, Gastón; Meyer, Bettina; Aguirre, Gastón E; Canepa, Antonio; Wölfl, Anne-Cathrin; Hass, H Christian; Williams, Gabriela N; Schloss, Irene R

2016-06-02

Strandings of marine animals are relatively common in marine systems. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We observed mass strandings of krill in Antarctica that appeared to be linked to the presence of glacial meltwater. Climate-induced glacial meltwater leads to an increased occurrence of suspended particles in the sea, which is known to affect the physiology of aquatic organisms. Here, we study the effect of suspended inorganic particles on krill in relation to krill mortality events observed in Potter Cove, Antarctica, between 2003 and 2012. The experimental results showed that large quantities of lithogenic particles affected krill feeding, absorption capacity and performance after only 24 h of exposure. Negative effects were related to both the threshold concentrations and the size of the suspended particles. Analysis of the stomach contents of stranded krill showed large quantities of large particles ( > 10(6 )μm(3)), which were most likely mobilized by glacial meltwater. Ongoing climate-induced glacial melting may impact the coastal ecosystems of Antarctica that rely on krill.

Glacial melting: an overlooked threat to Antarctic krill

PubMed Central

Fuentes, Verónica; Alurralde, Gastón; Meyer, Bettina; Aguirre, Gastón E.; Canepa, Antonio; Wölfl, Anne-Cathrin; Hass, H. Christian; Williams, Gabriela N.; Schloss, Irene R.

2016-01-01

Strandings of marine animals are relatively common in marine systems. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We observed mass strandings of krill in Antarctica that appeared to be linked to the presence of glacial meltwater. Climate-induced glacial meltwater leads to an increased occurrence of suspended particles in the sea, which is known to affect the physiology of aquatic organisms. Here, we study the effect of suspended inorganic particles on krill in relation to krill mortality events observed in Potter Cove, Antarctica, between 2003 and 2012. The experimental results showed that large quantities of lithogenic particles affected krill feeding, absorption capacity and performance after only 24 h of exposure. Negative effects were related to both the threshold concentrations and the size of the suspended particles. Analysis of the stomach contents of stranded krill showed large quantities of large particles ( > 106 μm3), which were most likely mobilized by glacial meltwater. Ongoing climate-induced glacial melting may impact the coastal ecosystems of Antarctica that rely on krill. PMID:27250339

Development of marijuana and tobacco detectors using potassium-40 gamma-ray emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirby, John A.; Lindquist, Roy P.

1994-10-01

Measurements were made at the Otay Mesa, CA, border crossing between November 30 and December 4, 1992, to demonstrate proof of concept and the practicality of using potassium 40 (K40) gamma emissions to detect the presence of marijuana in vehicles. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory personnel, with the assistance of the EPA, set up three large volume gamma ray detectors with lead brick shielding and collimation under a stationary trailer and pickup truck. Measurements were performed for various positions and quantities of marijuana. Also, small quantities of marijuana, cigarettes, and other materials were subjected to gamma counting measurements under controlled geometry conditions to determine their K40 concentration. Larger quantities of heroin and cocaine were subjected to undefined geometry gamma counts for significant K40 gamma emissions.

Teaching Large Sections of a Business Communication Course: A Multicase Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Carol

2017-01-01

The purpose of this research is to examine specific examples of how business communication courses are delivered in large, face-to-face university classes to discover implications of these large courses. This case study reviewed four classes from two different midsized universities whose classes range from 48 to 300 students. Findings suggest…

Preregistration research training of speech and language therapists in the United Kingdom: a nationwide audit of quantity, content and delivery.

PubMed

Pagnamenta, Emma; Joffe, Victoria L

2018-04-24

To carry out an audit of the quantity and content of research teaching on UK preregistration speech and language therapy (SLT) degree programmes. Lecturers delivering research teaching from each higher education institution providing preregistration training were invited to complete an online survey. Amount of research teaching, content of research teaching (including final-year projects), perceived confidence by staff of graduates in research awareness, research activity and leading research. Responses were received for 14 programmes (10 undergraduate and four postgraduate), representing 73% of all undergraduate courses and 44% of all postgraduate courses in the United Kingdom. Fifty percent of courses included over 30 h of research teaching, with wide variability across both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in number of hours, modules and credits devoted to research. There was no association between quantity of research teaching and perception of adequacy of quantity of teaching. Critical appraisal, statistical software and finding literature were the most common topics taught. Conversely, service evaluation and audit was the least common topic covered. All institutions provided a final-year project, with 11/14 requiring empirical research. Perceived confidence of graduates was higher for research awareness than active research and leading research, but this varied across institutions. There was a strong correlation between lecturers' perceived confidence of graduates in research awareness and number of hours of research teaching. Despite the requirements for healthcare professionals to engage in evidence-based practice, the amount and nature of research training in preregistration courses for SLTs in the United Kingdom is highly variable. Levels of perceived confidence of graduates were also variable, not only for active participation in research, and for leading research, but also for research awareness. This has implications for the ability of SLTs to use and embed research in their routine clinical practice.

Set size and culture influence children's attention to number.

PubMed

Cantrell, Lisa; Kuwabara, Megumi; Smith, Linda B

2015-03-01

Much research evidences a system in adults and young children for approximately representing quantity. Here we provide evidence that the bias to attend to discrete quantity versus other dimensions may be mediated by set size and culture. Preschool-age English-speaking children in the United States and Japanese-speaking children in Japan were tested in a match-to-sample task where number was pitted against cumulative surface area in both large and small numerical set comparisons. Results showed that children from both cultures were biased to attend to the number of items for small sets. Large set responses also showed a general attention to number when ratio difficulty was easy. However, relative to the responses for small sets, attention to number decreased for both groups; moreover, both U.S. and Japanese children showed a significant bias to attend to total amount for difficult numerical ratio distances, although Japanese children shifted attention to total area at relatively smaller set sizes than U.S. children. These results add to our growing understanding of how quantity is represented and how such representation is influenced by context--both cultural and perceptual. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Observed, unknown distributions of clinical chemical quantities should be considered to be log-normal: a proposal.

PubMed

Haeckel, Rainer; Wosniok, Werner

2010-10-01

The distribution of many quantities in laboratory medicine are considered to be Gaussian if they are symmetric, although, theoretically, a Gaussian distribution is not plausible for quantities that can attain only non-negative values. If a distribution is skewed, further specification of the type is required, which may be difficult to provide. Skewed (non-Gaussian) distributions found in clinical chemistry usually show only moderately large positive skewness (e.g., log-normal- and χ(2) distribution). The degree of skewness depends on the magnitude of the empirical biological variation (CV(e)), as demonstrated using the log-normal distribution. A Gaussian distribution with a small CV(e) (e.g., for plasma sodium) is very similar to a log-normal distribution with the same CV(e). In contrast, a relatively large CV(e) (e.g., plasma aspartate aminotransferase) leads to distinct differences between a Gaussian and a log-normal distribution. If the type of an empirical distribution is unknown, it is proposed that a log-normal distribution be assumed in such cases. This avoids distributional assumptions that are not plausible and does not contradict the observation that distributions with small biological variation look very similar to a Gaussian distribution.

Enhanced oral bioavailability of valsartan using a polymer-based supersaturable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system.

PubMed

Yeom, Dong Woo; Chae, Bo Ram; Son, Ho Yong; Kim, Jin Han; Chae, Jun Soo; Song, Seh Hyon; Oh, Dongho; Choi, Young Wook

2017-01-01

A novel, supersaturable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS) was successfully formulated to enhance the dissolution and oral absorption of valsartan (VST), a poorly water-soluble drug, while reducing the total quantity for administration. Poloxamer 407 is a selectable, supersaturating agent for VST-containing SMEDDS composed of 10% Capmul ® MCM, 45% Tween ® 20, and 45% Transcutol ® P. The amounts of SMEDDS and Poloxamer 407 were chosen as formulation variables for a 3-level factorial design. Further optimization was established by weighting different levels of importance on response variables for dissolution and total quantity, resulting in an optimal S-SMEDDS in large quantity (S-SMEDDS_LQ; 352 mg in total) and S-SMEDDS in reduced quantity (S-SMEDDS_RQ; 144.6 mg in total). Good agreement was observed between predicted and experimental values for response variables. Consequently, compared with VST powder or suspension and SMEDDS, both S-SMEDDS_LQ and S-SMEDDS_RQ showed excellent in vitro dissolution and in vivo oral bioavailability in rats. The magnitude of dissolution and absorption-enhancing capacities using quantity-based comparisons was in the order S-SMEDDS_RQ > S-SMEDDS_LQ > SMEDDS > VST powder or suspension. Thus, we concluded that, in terms of developing an effective SMEDDS preparation with minimal total quantity, S-SMEDDS_RQ is a promising candidate.

Theoretical analysis and experimental study on breakaway torque of large-diameter magnetic liquid seal at low temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haina; Li, Decai; Wang, Qinglei; Zhang, Zhili

2013-07-01

The existing researches of the magnetic liquid rotation seal have been mainly oriented to the seal at normal temperature and the seal with the smaller shaft diameter less than 100 mm. However, the large-diameter magnetic liquid rotation seal at low temperature has not been reported both in theory and in application up to now. A key factor restricting the application of the large-diameter magnetic liquid rotation seal at low temperature is the high breakaway torque. In this paper, the factors that influence the breakaway torque including the number of seal stages, the injected quantity of magnetic liquid and the standing time at normal temperature are studied. Two kinds of magnetic liquid with variable content of large particles are prepared first, and a seal feedthrough with 140 mm shaft diameter is used in the experiments. All experiments are carried out in a low temperature chamber with a temperature range from 200°C to -100°C. Different numbers of seal stages are tested under the same condition to study the relation between the breakaway torque and the number of seal stages. Variable quantity of magnetic liquid is injected in the seal gap to get the relation curve of the breakaway torque and the injecting quantity of magnetic liquid. In the experiment for studying the relation between the breakaway torque and the standing time at the normal temperature, the seal feedtrough is laid at normal temperature for different period of time before it is put in the low temperature chamber. The experimental results show that the breakaway torque is proportional to the number of seal stages, the injected quantity of magnetic liquid and the standing time at the normal temperature. Meanwhile, the experimental results are analyzed and the torque formula of magnetic liquid rotation seal at low temperature is deduced from the Navier-Stokes equation on the base of the model of magnetic liquid rotation seal. The presented research can make wider application of the magnetic liquid seal in general. And the large-diameter magnetic liquid rotation seal at low temperature designed by using present research results are to be used in some special fields, such as the military field, etc.

Electrochemical Exfoliation of Graphite in Aqueous Sodium Halide Electrolytes toward Low Oxygen Content Graphene for Energy and Environmental Applications.

PubMed

Munuera, J M; Paredes, J I; Enterría, M; Pagán, A; Villar-Rodil, S; Pereira, M F R; Martins, J I; Figueiredo, J L; Cenis, J L; Martínez-Alonso, A; Tascón, J M D

2017-07-19

Graphene and graphene-based materials have shown great promise in many technological applications, but their large-scale production and processing by simple and cost-effective means still constitute significant issues in the path of their widespread implementation. Here, we investigate a straightforward method for the preparation of a ready-to-use and low oxygen content graphene material that is based on electrochemical (anodic) delamination of graphite in aqueous medium with sodium halides as the electrolyte. Contrary to previous conflicting reports on the ability of halide anions to act as efficient exfoliating electrolytes in electrochemical graphene exfoliation, we show that proper choice of both graphite electrode (e.g., graphite foil) and sodium halide concentration readily leads to the generation of large quantities of single-/few-layer graphene nanosheets possessing a degree of oxidation (O/C ratio down to ∼0.06) lower than that typical of anodically exfoliated graphenes obtained with commonly used electrolytes. The halide anions are thought to play a role in mitigating the oxidation of the graphene lattice during exfoliation, which is also discussed and rationalized. The as-exfoliated graphene materials exhibited a three-dimensional morphology that was suitable for their practical use without the need to resort to any kind of postproduction processing. When tested as dye adsorbents, they outperformed many previously reported graphene-based materials (e.g., they adsorbed ∼920 mg g -1 for methyl orange) and were useful sorbents for oils and nonpolar organic solvents. Supercapacitor cells assembled directly from the as-exfoliated products delivered energy and power density values (up to 15.3 Wh kg -1 and 3220 W kg -1 , respectively) competitive with those of many other graphene-based devices but with the additional advantage of extreme simplicity of preparation.

U.S. Geological Survey continuous monitoring workshop—Workshop summary report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, Daniel J.; Joiner, John K.; Caslow, Kerry A.; Landers, Mark N.; Pellerin, Brian A.; Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Sheets, Rodney A.

2018-04-20

Executive SummaryThe collection of high-frequency (in other words, “continuous”) water data has been made easier over the years because of advances in technologies to measure, transmit, store, and query large, temporally dense datasets. Commercially available, in-situ sensors and data-collection platforms—together with new techniques for data analysis—provide an opportunity to monitor water quantity and quality at time scales during which meaningful changes occur. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Continuous Monitoring Workshop was held to build stronger collaboration within the Water Mission Area on the collection, interpretation, and application of continuous monitoring data; share technical approaches for the collection and management of continuous data that improves consistency and efficiency across the USGS; and explore techniques and tools for the interpretation of continuous monitoring data, which increases the value to cooperators and the public. The workshop was organized into three major themes: Collecting Continuous Data, Understanding and Using Continuous Data, and Observing and Delivering Continuous Data in the Future. Presentations each day covered a variety of related topics, with a special session at the end of each day designed to bring discussion and problem solving to the forefront.The workshop brought together more than 70 USGS scientists and managers from across the Water Mission Area and Water Science Centers. Tools to manage, assure, control quality, and explore large streams of continuous water data are being developed by the USGS and other organizations and will be critical to making full use of these high-frequency data for research and monitoring. Disseminating continuous monitoring data and findings relevant to critical cooperator and societal issues is central to advancing the USGS networks and mission. Several important outcomes emerged from the presentations and breakout sessions.

Production of transgenic Korean native cattle expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein using a FIV-based lentiviral vector injected into MII oocytes.

PubMed

Xu, Yong-Nan; Uhm, Sang-Jun; Koo, Bon-Chul; Kwon, Mo-Sun; Roh, Ji-Yeol; Yang, Jung-Seok; Choi, Hyun-Yong; Heo, Young-Tae; Cui, Xiang-Shun; Yoon, Joon-Ho; Ko, Dae-Hwan; Kim, Teoan; Kim, Nam-Hyung

2013-01-20

The potential benefits of generating and using transgenic cattle range from improvements in agriculture to the production of large quantities of pharmaceutically relevant proteins. Previous studies have attempted to produce transgenic cattle and other livestock by pronuclear injection and somatic cell nuclear transfer, but these approaches have been largely ineffective; however, a third approach, lentivirus-mediated transgenesis, has successfully produced transgenic livestock. In this study, we generated transgenic (TG) Korean native cattle using perivitelline space injection of viral vectors, which expressed enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) systemically. Two different types of lentiviral vectors derived from feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) carrying EGFP were injected into the perivitelline space of MII oocytes. EGFP expression at 8-cell stage was significantly higher in the FIV group compared to the HIV group (47.5%±2.2% v.s. 22.9%±2.9%). Eight-cell embryos that expressed EGFP were cultured into blastocysts and then transferred into 40 heifers. Ten heifers were successfully impregnated and delivered 10 healthy calves. All of these calves expressed EGFP as detected by in vivo imaging, PCR and Southern blotting. In addition, we established an EGFP-expressing cell line from TG calves, which was followed by nuclear transfer (NT). Recloned 8-cell embryos also expressed EGFP, and there were no differences in the rates of fusion, cleavage and development between cells derived from TG and non-TG calves, which were subsequently used for NT. These results illustrate that FIV-based lentiviruses are useful for the production of TG cattle. Moreover, our established EGFP cell line can be used for additional studies that involve induced pluripotent stem cells. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Isomalto/malto-polysaccharide, a novel soluble dietary fiber made via enzymatic conversion of starch.

PubMed

Leemhuis, Hans; Dobruchowska, Justyna M; Ebbelaar, Monique; Faber, Folkert; Buwalda, Pieter L; van der Maarel, Marc J E C; Kamerling, Johannis P; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert

2014-12-10

Dietary fibers are at the forefront of nutritional research because they positively contribute to human health. Much of our processed foods contain, however, only small quantities of dietary fiber, because their addition often negatively affects the taste, texture, and mouth feel. There is thus an urge for novel types of dietary fibers that do not cause unwanted sensory effects when applied as ingredient, while still positively contributing to the health of consumers. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel type of soluble dietary fiber with prebiotic properties, derived from starch via enzymatic modification, yielding isomalto/malto-polysaccharides (IMMPs), which consist of linear (α1 → 6)-glucan chains attached to the nonreducing ends of starch fragments. The applied Lactobacillus reuteri 121 GTFB 4,6-α-glucanotransferase enzyme synthesizes these molecules by transferring the nonreducing glucose moiety of an (α1 → 4)-glucan chain to the nonreducing end of another (α1 → 4)-α-glucan chain, forming an (α1 → 6)-glycosidic linkage. Once elongated in this way, the molecule becomes a better acceptor substrate and is then further elongated with (α1 → 6)-linked glucose residues in a linear way. Comparison of 30 starches, maltodextrins, and α-glucans of various botanical sources, demonstrated that substrates with long and linear (α1 → 4)-glucan chains deliver products with the highest percentage of (α1 → 6) linkages, up to 92%. In vitro experiments, serving as model of the digestive power of the gastrointestinal tract, revealed that the IMMPs, or more precisely the IMMP fraction rich in (α1 → 6) linkages, will largely pass the small intestine undigested and therefore end up in the large intestine. IMMPs are a novel type of dietary fiber that may have health promoting activity.

Fighting cancer with nanomedicine---drug-polyester nanoconjugates for targeted cancer therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Qian

The aim of my Ph. D. research is to develop drug-polyester nanoconjugates (NCs) as a novel translational polymeric drug delivery system that can successfully evade non-specific uptake by reticuloendothelial system (RES) and facilitate targeted cancer diagnosis and therapy. By uniquely integrating well-established chemical reaction-controlled ring opening polymerization (ROP) with nanoprecipitation technique, I successfully developed a polymeric NC system based on poly(lactic acid) and poly(O-carboxyanhydrides) (OCA) that allows for the quantitative loading and controlled release of a variety of anticancer drugs. The developed NC system could be easily modified with parmidronate, one of bisphosphonates commonly used as the treatment for disease characterized by osteolysis, to selectively deliver doxorubicin (Doxo) to the bone tissues and substantially to improve their therapeutic efficiency in inhibiting the growth of osteosarcoma in both murine and canine models. More importantly, the developed NCs could avidly bind to human serum albumin, a ubiquitous protein in the blood, to bypass the endothelium barrier and penetrate into tumor tissues more deeply and efficiently. When compared with PEGylated NCs, these albumin-bound NCs showed significantly reduced accumulation in RES and enhanced tumor accumulation, which consequently contributed to higher their tumor inhibition capabilities. In addition, the developed NC system allows easy incorporation of X-ray computed tomography (CT) contrast agents to largely facilitate personalized therapy by improving diagnosis accuracy and monitoring therapeutic efficacy. Through the synthetic and formulation strategy I developed, a large quantity (grams or larger-scale) of drug-polyester NCs can be easily obtained, which can be used as a model drug delivery system for fundamental studies as well as a real drug delivery system for disease treatment in clinical settings.

Complementary studies of lipid membrane dynamics using iSCAT and super-resolved fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reina, Francesco; Galiani, Silvia; Shrestha, Dilip; Sezgin, Erdinc; de Wit, Gabrielle; Cole, Daniel; Lagerholm, B. Christoffer; Kukura, Philipp; Eggeling, Christian

2018-06-01

Observation techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution, such as single-particle tracking based on interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy applied on a super-resolution STED microscope (STED-FCS), have revealed new insights of the molecular organization of membranes. While delivering complementary information, there are still distinct differences between these techniques, most prominently the use of fluorescent dye tagged probes for STED-FCS and a need for larger scattering gold nanoparticle tags for iSCAT. In this work, we have used lipid analogues tagged with a hybrid fluorescent tag–gold nanoparticle construct, to directly compare the results from STED-FCS and iSCAT measurements of phospholipid diffusion on a homogeneous supported lipid bilayer (SLB). These comparative measurements showed that while the mode of diffusion remained free, at least at the spatial (>40 nm) and temporal (50  ⩽  t  ⩽  100 ms) scales probed, the diffussion coefficient was reduced by 20- to 60-fold when tagging with 20 and 40 nm large gold particles as compared to when using dye tagged lipid analogues. These FCS measurements of hybrid fluorescent tag–gold nanoparticle labeled lipids also revealed that commercially supplied streptavidin-coated gold nanoparticles contain large quantities of free streptavidin. Finally, the values of apparent diffusion coefficients obtained by STED-FCS and iSCAT differed by a factor of 2–3 across the techniques, while relative differences in mobility between different species of lipid analogues considered were identical in both approaches. In conclusion, our experiments reveal that large and potentially cross-linking scattering tags introduce a significant slow-down in diffusion on SLBs but no additional bias, and our labeling approach creates a new way of exploiting complementary information from STED-FCS and iSCAT measurements.

Intergovernmental Unity of Effort in Support of Biological Threat Prevention

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

jurisdictional barriers (such as time delays in developing decisions and implementing large scale action) are tangible. Connecting the “dots” of awareness...groups are developing the capability and the intention to deliver biological weapons of mass destruction. Four coalitions of governments were studied...Intelligence sources from around the globe report that terrorist groups are developing the capability and the intention to deliver biological weapons

Corporate dashboard for payphone service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siraj, Fadzilah; Shadan, Hezlin

2015-12-01

Making assured that managements are kept abreast of what is happening in the company is not an easy task. The quantity of data generated by the business process is astonishing large and non-centralized. The challenge facing business organizations is how to extract, load, transform data, and then deliver useful information to key decision makers. The major challenge for the payphone industries is in making a good decision, particularly to increase quality of service, customer satisfaction while achieving high revenue. With current practice, the process is very time consuming and therefore, a systematic and informative corporate dashboard needs to be provided especially for managerial level in supporting their decision making process. This paper proposed a dashboard application design that provides a single-screen display of relevant information such as the phone performance and coin collection reports, as well as generated revenue to enable faster and more effective decision making. The development of the dashboard is divided into requirement, design and implementation phases. The implementation using real data has demonstrated the potential use of the dashboard. The evaluation results indicate that the dashboard can be used as a tool that can support payphone operation works and decision process by providing the analytical analysis of the KPI report and the performance status. In addition, the results can be used as a guideline for the dashboard developer to understand the process and focuses on the key elements and the principle in designing the effective dashboard.

Making a commercial carbon fiber cloth having comparable capacitances to carbon nanotubes and graphene in supercapacitors through a "top-down" approach.

PubMed

Zhang, Tianchang; Kim, Christine H J; Cheng, Yingwen; Ma, Yanwen; Zhang, Hongbo; Liu, Jie

2015-02-21

A "top-down" and scalable approach for processing carbon fiber cloth (CFC) into flexible and all-carbon electrodes with remarkable areal capacity and cyclic stability was developed. CFC is commercially available in large quantities but its use as an electrode material in supercapacitors is not satisfactory. The approach demonstrated in this work is based on the sequential treatment of CFC with KOH activation and high temperature annealing that can effectively improve its specific surface area to a remarkable 2780 m(2) g(-1) while at the same time achieving a good electrical conductivity of 320 S m(-1) without sacrificing its intrinsic mechanical strength and flexibility. The processed CFC can be directly used as an electrode for supercapacitors without any binders, conductive additives and current collectors while avoiding elaborate electrode processing steps to deliver a specific capacitance of ∼0.5 F cm(-2) and ∼197 F g(-1) with remarkable rate performance and excellent cyclic stability. The properties of these processed CFCs are comparable or better than graphene and carbon nanotube based electrodes. We further demonstrate symmetric solid-state supercapacitors based on these processed CFCs with very good flexibility. This "top-down" and scalable approach can be readily applied to other types of commercially available carbon materials and therefore can have a substantial significance for high performance supercapacitor devices.

Quality Assurance in Trichiasis Surgery: a methodology

PubMed Central

Buchan, John C; Limburg, Hans; Burton, Matthew J

2013-01-01

SUMMARY Trachoma remains a significant cause of blindness in many parts of the world. The major route to blindness involves upper lid entropion leading to trachomatous trichiasis (TT) which promotes progressive corneal opacification. The provision of surgery to correct TT in the populations most severely affected is a major challenge for the global effort to eliminate Trachoma blindness by the year 2020. Most attention has been paid to increasing the quantity of TT surgery performed, and large numbers of non-doctor operators have been trained to this end. Surgical audit by those performing TT surgery is not a routine part of any national trachoma control programme, and no effective mechanism exists for identifying surgeons experiencing poor outcomes. We propose a methodology for surgical audit at the level of the individual surgeon based on Lot Quality Assurance. A set number of patients operated on previously for upper eyelid TT are examined to detect the recurrence of TT. The number of recurrent cases found will lead to categorisation of the TT surgeon to either “high recurrence” or “low recurrence” with reasonable confidence. The threshold of unacceptability can be set by individual programmes according to previous local studies of recurrence rates or those from similar settings. Identification of surgeons delivering unacceptably high levels of recurrent TT will guide managers on the need for remedial intervention such as re-training. PMID:20881027

Gas-phase production of single-walled carbon nanotubes from carbon monoxide: a review of the hipco process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nikolaev, Pavel

2004-01-01

The latest process for producing large quantities of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) to emerge from the Rice University, dubbed HiPco, is living up to its promise. The current production rates approach 450 mg/h (or 10 g/day), and nanotubes typically have no more than 7 mol % of iron impurities. Second-generation HiPco apparatus can run continuously for 7-10 days at a time. In the HiPco process nanotubes grow in high-pressure, high-temperature flowing CO on catalytic clusters of iron. Catalyst is formed in situ by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl, which is delivered intact within a cold CO flow and then rapidly mixed with hot CO in the reaction zone. Upon heating, the Fe(CO)5 decomposes into atoms that condense into larger clusters. SWNTs nucleate and grow on these particles in the gas phase via CO disproportionation: CO + CO --> CO2 + C (SWNT), catalyzed by the Fe surface. The concentration of CO2 produced in this reaction is equal to that of carbon and can therefore serve as a useful real-time feedback parameter. It was used to study and optimize SWNT production as a function of temperature, pressure, and Fe(CO)5 concentration. The results of the parametric study are in agreement with current understanding of the nanotube formation mechanism.

PDT dose dosimetry for Photofrin-mediated pleural photodynamic therapy (pPDT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Yi Hong; Kim, Michele M.; Finlay, Jarod C.; Dimofte, Andreea; Singhal, Sunil; Glatstein, Eli; Cengel, Keith A.; Zhu, Timothy C.

2018-01-01

Photosensitizer fluorescence excited by photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment light can be used to monitor the in vivo concentration of the photosensitizer and its photobleaching. The temporal integral of the product of in vivo photosensitizer concentration and light fluence is called PDT dose, which is an important dosimetry quantity for PDT. However, the detected photosensitizer fluorescence may be distorted by variations in the absorption and scattering of both excitation and fluorescence light in tissue. Therefore, correction of the measured fluorescence for distortion due to variable optical properties is required for absolute quantification of photosensitizer concentration. In this study, we have developed a four-channel PDT dose dosimetry system to simultaneously acquire light dosimetry and photosensitizer fluorescence data. We measured PDT dose at four sites in the pleural cavity during pleural PDT. We have determined an empirical optical property correction function using Monte Carlo simulations of fluorescence for a range of physiologically relevant tissue optical properties. Parameters of the optical property correction function for Photofrin fluorescence were determined experimentally using tissue-simulating phantoms. In vivo measurements of photosensitizer fluorescence showed negligible photobleaching of Photofrin during the PDT treatment, but large intra- and inter-patient heterogeneities of in vivo Photofrin concentration are observed. PDT doses delivered to 22 sites in the pleural cavity of 8 patients were different by 2.9 times intra-patient and 8.3 times inter-patient.

Kinetics of cellular uptake of viruses and nanoparticles via clathrin-mediated endocytosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Anand; Berezhkovskii, Alexander; Nossal, Ralph

2016-02-01

Several viruses exploit clathrin-mediated endocytosis to gain entry into host cells. This process is also used extensively in biomedical applications to deliver nanoparticles (NPs) to diseased cells. The internalization of these nano-objects is controlled by the assembly of a clathrin-containing protein coat on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane, which drives the invagination of the membrane and the formation of a cargo-containing endocytic vesicle. Current theoretical models of receptor-mediated endocytosis of viruses and NPs do not explicitly take coat assembly into consideration. In this paper we study cellular uptake of viruses and NPs with a focus on coat assembly. We characterize the internalization process by the mean time between the binding of a particle to the membrane and its entry into the cell. Using a coarse-grained model which maps the stochastic dynamics of coat formation onto a one-dimensional random walk, we derive an analytical formula for this quantity. A study of the dependence of the mean internalization time on NP size shows that there is an upper bound above which this time becomes extremely large, and an optimal size at which it attains a minimum. Our estimates of these sizes compare well with experimental data. We also study the sensitivity of the obtained results on coat parameters to identify factors which significantly affect the internalization kinetics.

Simultaneous Purification and Perforation of Low-Grade Si Sources for Lithium-Ion Battery Anode.

PubMed

Jin, Yan; Zhang, Su; Zhu, Bin; Tan, Yingling; Hu, Xiaozhen; Zong, Linqi; Zhu, Jia

2015-11-11

Silicon is regarded as one of the most promising candidates for lithium-ion battery anodes because of its abundance and high theoretical capacity. Various silicon nanostructures have been heavily investigated to improve electrochemical performance by addressing issues related to structure fracture and unstable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI). However, to further enable widespread applications, scalable and cost-effective processes need to be developed to produce these nanostructures at large quantity with finely controlled structures and morphologies. In this study, we develop a scalable and low cost process to produce porous silicon directly from low grade silicon through ball-milling and modified metal-assisted chemical etching. The morphology of porous silicon can be drastically changed from porous-network to nanowire-array by adjusting the component in reaction solutions. Meanwhile, this perforation process can also effectively remove the impurities and, therefore, increase Si purity (up to 99.4%) significantly from low-grade and low-cost ferrosilicon (purity of 83.4%) sources. The electrochemical examinations indicate that these porous silicon structures with carbon treatment can deliver a stable capacity of 1287 mAh g(-1) over 100 cycles at a current density of 2 A g(-1). This type of purified porous silicon with finely controlled morphology, produced by a scalable and cost-effective fabrication process, can also serve as promising candidates for many other energy applications, such as thermoelectrics and solar energy conversion devices.

Potential of cancer cell-derived exosomes in clinical application: a review of recent research advances.

PubMed

Sun, Yu; Liu, Jing

2014-06-01

Exosomes are 30- to 100-nm, membrane-bound vesicles that are released by most types of cells, including tumor cells. Exosomes contain a great variety of bioactive molecules, including signal peptides, microRNA, lipids, and DNA. In cancer, tumor cells aberrantly secrete large quantities of exosomes to transport paracrine signals or to contribute to tumor-environment interaction at a distance. The goal of this review was to discuss the recent advances on the mechanism of cancer-derived exosomes in tumor regulation. Pertinent articles and abstracts were identified through searches of PubMed for literature published from 1983 to December 2013. Search terms included exosome, tumor, cancer, diagnosis, and therapy. All of the exposed evidence points to communication between cancer cells and their surroundings, either mediated by cancer cell-derived exosomes or by stromal cell-derived exosomes. This communication probably supports tumor proliferation, motility, invasion, angiogenesis, and premetastatic niche preparation. In addition, recent research implies that cancer cell-derived exosomes play a suppressive role in cancer-directed immune response. The biomarkers detected in bodily fluid-derived exosomes imply a potential for exosomes in cancer diagnosis. Also, exosomes could be used as a vehicle to selectively deliver therapeutic nucleic-acid drugs or conventional drugs for tumor therapy. The tolerability and feasibility of cancer exosomes in diagnosis and therapy need to be further evaluated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating combustion of large downed woody debris from residual white ash

Treesearch

Alistair M. S. Smith; Andrew T. Hudak

2005-01-01

The production of residual white ash patches within wildfires represents near-complete combustion of the available fuel and releases a considerable quantity of gases to the atmosphere. These patches are generally produced from combustion of large downed woody debris (LDWD) such as fallen trees and snags. However, LDWD are generally ignored in calculations of fuel...

7 CFR 29.3542 - Rework.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... INSPECTION Standards Official Standard Grades for Dark Air-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 35, 36, 37 and Foreign... separated by sorting; (b) Tobacco which contains an abnormally large quantity of foreign matter or an...

7 CFR 29.3542 - Rework.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... INSPECTION Standards Official Standard Grades for Dark Air-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 35, 36, 37 and Foreign... separated by sorting; (b) Tobacco which contains an abnormally large quantity of foreign matter or an...

7 CFR 29.3542 - Rework.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... INSPECTION Standards Official Standard Grades for Dark Air-Cured Tobacco (u.s. Types 35, 36, 37 and Foreign... separated by sorting; (b) Tobacco which contains an abnormally large quantity of foreign matter or an...

SU-F-T-669: Commissioning of An Electronic Brachytherapy System for Targeted Mouse Irradiation

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

Culberson, W; Micka, J; Carchman, E

Purpose: The aim of this study was to commission the Xoft Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy (eBT) source and 10 mm diameter surface applicator with NIST traceability for targeted irradiations of mouse anal carcinomas. Methods: The Xoft Axxent™ electronic brachytherapy (eBT) and 10 mm diameter surface applicator was chosen by the collaborating physician as a radiation delivery mechanism for mouse anal carcinomas. The target dose was 2 Gy at a depth of 3 mm in tissue to be delivered in a single fraction. To implement an accurate and reliable irradiation plan, the system was commissioned by first determining the eBT source outputmore » and corresponding dose rate at a depth of 3 mm in tissue. This was determined through parallel-plate ion chamber measurements and published conversion factors. Well-type ionization chamber measurements were used to determine a transfer coefficient, which correlates the measured dose rate at 3 mm to the NIST-traceable quantity, air-kerma rate at 50 cm in air, for eBT sources. By correlating these two quantities, daily monitoring in the well chamber becomes an accurate and efficient quality assurance technique. Once the dose-rate was determined, a treatment recipe was developed and confirmed with chamber measurements to deliver the requested dose. Radiochromic film was used to verify the dose distribution across the field. Results: Dose rates at 3 mm depth in tissue were determined for two different Xoft Axxent™ sources and correlated with NIST-traceable well-type ionization chamber measurements. Unique transfer coefficients were determined for each source and the treatment recipe was validated by measurements. Film profiles showed a uniform dose distribution across the field. Conclusion: A Xoft Axxent™ eBT system was successfully commissioned for use in the irradiation of mouse rectal tumors. Dose rates in tissue were determined as well as other pertinent parameters to ensure accurate delivery of dose to the target region.« less

Effect of sleep-inducing music on sleep in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit.

PubMed

Ryu, Min-Jung; Park, Jeong Sook; Park, Heeok

2012-03-01

The study compared the effect of earplug-delivered sleep-inducing music on sleep in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit. Diverse types of music have been claimed to improve sleeping elsewhere, but relatively little is known in South Korea. Most studies investigating the effect of sleep-inducing music on sleep have involved persons with insomnia, even though many persons with cardiovascular disease in the intensive care unit suffer from sleeping problems. There is a need to investigate the effect of sleep-inducing music on sleep disorders in persons with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography in the cardiac care unit. An experimental research design was used. Data collection was conducted in the cardiac care unit of K University Hospital in D city, from 3 September-4 October 2010. Fifty-eight subjects participated and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (earplug-delivered sleep-inducing music for 52 min beginning at 10:00 pm, while wearing an eyeshield, n = 29) and the control group (no music, but earplugs and eyeshield worn, n = 29). The quantity and quality of sleep were measured using questionnaires at 7 am the next morning for each group. Participants in the experimental group reported that the sleeping quantity and quality were significantly higher than control group (t = 3·181, p = 0·002, t = 5·269, p < 0·001, respectively). Sleep-inducing music significantly improved sleep in patients with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography at a cardiac care unit. Offering earplugs and playing sleep-inducing music may be a meaningful and easily enacted nursing intervention to improve sleep for intensive care unit patients. Nurses working at cardiac care unit can use music to improve sleeping in clients with percutaneous transluminal coronary angiography. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Finite coupling corrections to holographic predictions for hot QCD

DOE PAGES

Waeber, Sebastian; Schafer, Andreas; Vuorinen, Aleksi; ...

2015-11-13

Finite ’t Hooft coupling corrections to multiple physical observables in strongly coupled N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills plasma are examined, in an attempt to assess the stability of the expansion in inverse powers of the ’t Hooft coupling λ. Observables considered include thermodynamic quantities, transport coefficients, and quasinormal mode frequencies. Furthermore large λ expansions for quasinormal mode frequencies are notably less well behaved than the expansions of other quantities, we find that a partial resummation of higher order corrections can significantly reduce the sensitivity of the results to the value of λ.

[Chemical weapons and chemical terrorism].

PubMed

Nakamura, Katsumi

2005-10-01

Chemical Weapons are kind of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). They were used large quantities in WWI. Historically, large quantities usage like WWI was not recorded, but small usage has appeared now and then. Chemical weapons are so called "Nuclear weapon for poor countrys" because it's very easy to produce/possession being possible. They are categorized (1) Nerve Agents, (2) Blister Agents, (3) Cyanide (blood) Agents, (4) Pulmonary Agents, (5) Incapacitating Agents (6) Tear Agents from the viewpoint of human body interaction. In 1997 the Chemical Weapons Convention has taken effect. It prohibits chemical weapons development/production, and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) verification regime contributes to the chemical weapons disposal. But possibility of possession/use of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist group represented in one by Matsumoto and Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack, So new chemical terrorism countermeasures are necessary.

Aspirin and the Kidney

PubMed Central

1974-01-01

A survey of 763 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 145 with osteoarthritis in six clinics in New Zealand showed no association between aspirin intake and a score designed to detect analgesic nephropathy. Analgesic nephropathy was diagnosed clinically in three patients taking APC (aspirin, phenacetin, and caffeine or codeine or both) and in one who took aspirin and phenylbutazone and was suspected in one who took aspirin and paracetamol. Isolated aspirin was not implicated. The study showed that most people can take large quantities of salicylates without renal injury. The findings are, however, consistent with the view that there is a risk from APC compounds taken in large quantity, but the numbers at risk in this study were small. Aspirin may have an additive effect with other analgesics in causing renal damage. An increased frequency of urinary tract symptoms in those taking analgesics requires further investigation. PMID:4821007

Community archiving of imaging studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritz, Steven L.; Roys, Steven R.; Munjal, Sunita

1996-05-01

The quantity of image data created in a large radiology practice has long been a challenge for available archiving technology. Traditional methods ofarchiving the large quantity of films generated in radiology have relied on warehousing in remote sites, with courier delivery of film files for historical comparisons. A digital community archive, accessible via a wide area network, represents a feasible solution to the problem of archiving digital images from a busy practice. In addition, it affords a physician caring for a patient access to imaging studies performed at a variety ofhealthcare institutions without the need to repeat studies. Security problems include both network security issues in the WAN environment and access control for patient, physician and imaging center. The key obstacle to developing a community archive is currently political. Reluctance to participate in a community archive can be reduced by appropriate design of the access mechanisms.

Multi-scale comparison of source parameter estimation using empirical Green's function approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Cheng, Y.

2015-12-01

Analysis of earthquake source parameters requires correction of path effect, site response, and instrument responses. Empirical Green's function (EGF) method is one of the most effective methods in removing path effects and station responses by taking the spectral ratio between a larger and smaller event. Traditional EGF method requires identifying suitable event pairs, and analyze each event individually. This allows high quality estimations for strictly selected events, however, the quantity of resolvable source parameters is limited, which challenges the interpretation of spatial-temporal coherency. On the other hand, methods that exploit the redundancy of event-station pairs are proposed, which utilize the stacking technique to obtain systematic source parameter estimations for a large quantity of events at the same time. This allows us to examine large quantity of events systematically, facilitating analysis of spatial-temporal patterns, and scaling relationship. However, it is unclear how much resolution is scarified during this process. In addition to the empirical Green's function calculation, choice of model parameters and fitting methods also lead to biases. Here, using two regional focused arrays, the OBS array in the Mendocino region, and the borehole array in the Salton Sea geothermal field, I compare the results from the large scale stacking analysis, small-scale cluster analysis, and single event-pair analysis with different fitting methods to systematically compare the results within completely different tectonic environment, in order to quantify the consistency and inconsistency in source parameter estimations, and the associated problems.

Metal-Organic Polyhedron Capped with Cucurbit[8]uril Delivers Doxorubicin to Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Samanta, Soumen K; Moncelet, Damien; Briken, Volker; Isaacs, Lyle

2016-11-02

Self-assembly of ligand 1 and Pd(NO 3 ) 2 delivers Fujita-type metal-organic polyhedron (MOP) 3 which bears 24 covalently attached methyl viologen units on its external surface, as evidenced by 1 H NMR, diffusion-ordered spectroscopy NMR, electrospray mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. MOP 3 undergoes noncovalent complexation with cucurbit[n]urils to yield MOPs 4-6 with diameter ≈5-6 nm. MOP 5 can be fully loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) prodrug 2 via hetero-ternary complex formation to yield 7. The MOPs exhibit excellent stability toward neutral to slightly acidic pH in 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer, mitigating the concern of disassembly during circulation. The results of MTS assays show that MOP 7 is 10-fold more cytotoxic toward HeLa cells than equimolar quantities of DOX prodrug 2. The enhanced cytotoxicity can be traced to a combination of enhanced cellular uptake of 7 and DOX release as demonstrated by flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscopy. The confluence of properties imparted by the polycationic MOP architecture and plug-and-play CB[n] complexation provides a potent new platform for drug delivery application.

Filament overwrapped motor case technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Compton, Joel P.

1993-11-01

Atlantic Research Corporation (ARC) joined with the French Societe Europeenne de Propulsion (SEP) to develop and deliver to the U.S. Navy a small quantity of composite filament wound rocket motors to demonstrate a manufacturing technique that was being applied at the two companies. It was perceived that the manufacturing technique could produce motors that would be light in weight, inexpensive to produce, and that had a good chance of meeting insensitive munitions (IM) requirements that were being formulated by the Navy in the early 1980s. Under subcontract to ARC, SEP designed, tested, and delivered 2.75-inch rocket motors to the U.S. Navy for IM tests that were conducted in 1989 at China Lake, California. The program was one of the first to be founded by Nunn Amendment money. The Government-to-Government program was sponsored by the Naval Air Systems Command and was monitored by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head (NSWC-IH), Maryland. The motor propellant that was employed was a new, extruded composite formulation that was under development at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The following paper describes the highlights of the program and gives the results of structural and ballistic static tests and insensitive munitions tests that were conducted on demonstration motors.

Real-time information management environment (RIME)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeCleene, Brian T.; Griffin, Sean; Matchett, Garry; Niejadlik, Richard

2000-08-01

Whereas data mining and exploitation improve the quality and quantity of information available to the user, there remains a mission requirement to assist the end-user in managing the access to this information and ensuring that the appropriate information is delivered to the right user in time to make decisions and take action. This paper discusses TASC's federated architecture to next- generation information management, contrasts the approach against emerging technologies, and quantifies the performance gains. This architecture and implementation, known as Real-time Information Management Environment (RIME), is based on two key concepts: information utility and content-based channelization. The introduction of utility allows users to express the importance and delivery requirements of their information needs in the context of their mission. Rather than competing for resources on a first-come/first-served basis, the infrastructure employs these utility functions to dynamically react to unanticipated loading by optimizing the delivered information utility. Furthermore, commander's resource policies shape these functions to ensure that resources are allocated according to military doctrine. Using information about the desired content, channelization identifies opportunities to aggregate users onto shared channels reducing redundant transmissions. Hence, channelization increases the information throughput of the system and balances sender/receiver processing load.

Infrared spectroscopy of simulated Martian surface materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, O. B.; Sagan, C.

1978-01-01

Mineralogy inferred from the Viking X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRFS) is compared with mineralogy indicated by spectral data. The comparison is done by taking laboratory spectra of Viking analog minerals. Both XRFS and infrared data are consistent with clays as the dominant SiO2 containing minerals on Mars. The X-ray fluorescence data might also be consistent with the dominance of certain mafic SiO2 igneous minerals, but the spectral data are probably inconsistent with such materials. Sulfates, inferred by XRFS, are consistent with the spectral data. Inferences following Mariner 9 that high-SiO2 minerals were important on Mars may have been biased by the presence of sulfates. Calcium carbonate, in the quantities indirectly suggested by XRFS are inconsistent with the spectral data, but smaller quantities of CaCO3 are consistent, as are large quantities of other carbonates.

Development of marijuana and tobacco detectors using potassium-40 gamma ray emissions

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

Kirby, J.; Lindquist, R.P.

Measurements were made at the Otay Mesa, Ca. border crossing between November 30 and December 4, 1992 to demonstrate proof of concept and the practicality of using potassium 40 (K40) gamma emissions to detect the presence of marijuana in vehicles. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) personnel, with the assistance of the EPA, set up three large volume gamma ray detectors with lead brick shielding and collimation under a stationary trailer and pickup truck. Measurements were performed for various positions and quantities of marijuana. Also, small quantities of marijuana, cigarettes, and other materials were subjected to gamma counting measurements under controlledmore » geometry conditions to determine their K40 concentration. Larger quantities of heroin and cocaine were subjected to undefined geometry gamma counts for significant K40 gamma emissions.« less

Effects of short-term warming and nitrogen addition on the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter in a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation.

PubMed

Yuan, Xiaochun; Si, Youtao; Lin, Weisheng; Yang, Jingqing; Wang, Zheng; Zhang, Qiufang; Qian, Wei; Chen, Yuehmin; Yang, Yusheng

2018-01-01

Increasing temperature and nitrogen (N) deposition are two large-scale changes projected to occur over the coming decades. The effects of these changes on dissolved organic matter (DOM) are largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the effects of warming and N addition on the quantity and quality of DOM from a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation. Between 2014 and 2016, soil solutions were collected from 0-15, 15-30, and 30-60 cm depths by using a negative pressure sampling method. The quantity and quality of DOM were measured under six different treatments. The spectra showed that the DOM of the forest soil solution mainly consisted of aromatic protein-like components, microbial degradation products, and negligible amounts of humic-like substances. Warming, N addition, and warming + N addition significantly inhibited the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the surface (0-15 cm) soil solution. Our results suggested that warming reduced the amount of DOM originating from microbes. The decrease in protein and carboxylic acid contents was mostly attributed to the reduction of DOC following N addition. The warming + N addition treatment showed an interactive effect rather than an additive effect. Thus, short-term warming and warming + N addition decreased the quantity of DOM and facilitated the migration of nutrients to deeper soils. Further, N addition increased the complexity of the DOM structure. Hence, the loss of soil nutrients and the rational application of N need to be considered in order to prevent the accumulation of N compounds in soil.

Train hard, sleep well? Perceived training load, sleep quantity and sleep stage distribution in elite level athletes.

PubMed

Knufinke, Melanie; Nieuwenhuys, Arne; Geurts, Sabine A E; Møst, Els I S; Maase, Kamiel; Moen, Maarten H; Coenen, Anton M L; Kompier, Michiel A J

2018-04-01

Sleep is essential for recovery and performance in elite athletes. While it is generally assumed that exercise benefits sleep, high training load may jeopardize sleep and hence limit adequate recovery. To examine this, the current study assessed objective sleep quantity and sleep stage distributions in elite athletes and calculated their association with perceived training load. Mixed-methods. Perceived training load, actigraphy and one-channel EEG recordings were collected among 98 elite athletes during 7 consecutive days of regular training. Actigraphy revealed total sleep durations of 7:50±1:08h, sleep onset latencies of 13±15min, wake after sleep onset of 33±17min and sleep efficiencies of 88±5%. Distribution of sleep stages indicated 51±9% light sleep, 21±8% deep sleep, and 27±7% REM sleep. On average, perceived training load was 5.40±2.50 (scale 1-10), showing large daily variability. Mixed-effects models revealed no alteration in sleep quantity or sleep stage distributions as a function of day-to-day variation in preceding training load (all p's>.05). Results indicate healthy sleep durations, but elevated wake after sleep onset, suggesting a potential need for sleep optimization. Large proportions of deep sleep potentially reflect an elevated recovery need. With sleep quantity and sleep stage distributions remaining irresponsive to variations in perceived training load, it is questionable whether athletes' current sleep provides sufficient recovery after strenuous exercise. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of short-term warming and nitrogen addition on the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter in a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation

PubMed Central

Yuan, Xiaochun; Si, Youtao; Lin, Weisheng; Yang, Jingqing; Wang, Zheng; Zhang, Qiufang; Qian, Wei; Yang, Yusheng

2018-01-01

Increasing temperature and nitrogen (N) deposition are two large-scale changes projected to occur over the coming decades. The effects of these changes on dissolved organic matter (DOM) are largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the effects of warming and N addition on the quantity and quality of DOM from a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation. Between 2014 and 2016, soil solutions were collected from 0–15, 15–30, and 30–60 cm depths by using a negative pressure sampling method. The quantity and quality of DOM were measured under six different treatments. The spectra showed that the DOM of the forest soil solution mainly consisted of aromatic protein-like components, microbial degradation products, and negligible amounts of humic-like substances. Warming, N addition, and warming + N addition significantly inhibited the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the surface (0–15 cm) soil solution. Our results suggested that warming reduced the amount of DOM originating from microbes. The decrease in protein and carboxylic acid contents was mostly attributed to the reduction of DOC following N addition. The warming + N addition treatment showed an interactive effect rather than an additive effect. Thus, short-term warming and warming + N addition decreased the quantity of DOM and facilitated the migration of nutrients to deeper soils. Further, N addition increased the complexity of the DOM structure. Hence, the loss of soil nutrients and the rational application of N need to be considered in order to prevent the accumulation of N compounds in soil. PMID:29360853

Indicators: Algal Toxins (microcystin)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Algal toxins are toxic substances released by some types of algae (phytoplankton) when they are present in large quantities (blooms) and decay or degrade. High nutrient levels and warm temperatures often result in favorable conditions for algae blooms.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OYSTER (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) DEFENSE MEASUREMENTS AND TISSUE CONTAMINANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Bivalve mollusks such as Crassostrea virginica typically inhabit estuaries and coastal areas that are increasingly contaminated with anthropogenic chemicals. Oysters may bioaccumulate large quantities of metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB...

Signal system data mining

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-01

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) include large numbers of traffic sensors that collect enormous quantities of data. The data provided by ITS is necessary for advanced forms of control, however basic forms of control, primarily time-of-day (TO...

Dietary Supplements for Toddlers

MedlinePlus

... about which supplements are needed and the amounts. Iron Deficiency Iron deficiency does occur among some young children and can ... Drinking large quantities of milk may lead to iron deficiency anemia, as the child will be less interested ...

A productivity and cost comparison of two systems for producing biomass fuel from roadside forest treatment residues

Treesearch

Nathaniel Anderson; Woodam Chung; Dan Loeffler; John Greg Jones

2012-01-01

Forest operations generate large quantities of forest biomass residues that can be used for production of bioenergy and bioproducts. However, a significant portion of recoverable residues are inaccessible to large chip vans, making use financially infeasible. New production systems must be developed to increase productivity and reduce costs to facilitate use of these...

Phytoremediation removal rates of benzene, toluene, and chlorobenzene.

PubMed

Limmer, Matt A; Wilson, Jordan; Westenberg, David; Lee, Amy; Siegman, Mark; Burken, Joel G

2018-06-07

Phytoremediation is a sustainable remedial approach, although performance efficacy is rarely reported. In this study, we assessed a phytoremediation plot treating benzene, toluene, and chlorobenzene. A comparison of the calculated phytoremediation removal rate with estimates of onsite contaminant mass was used to forecast cleanup periods. The investigation demonstrated that substantial microbial degradation was occurring in the subsurface. Estimates of transpiration indicated that the trees planted were removing approximately 240,000 L of water per year. This large quantity of water removal implies substantial removal of contaminant due to large amounts of contaminants in the groundwater; however, these contaminants extensively sorb to the soil, resulting in large quantities of contaminant mass in the subsurface. The total estimate of subsurface contaminant mass was also complicated by the presence of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), additional contaminant masses that were difficult to quantify. These uncertainties of initial contaminant mass at the site result in large uncertainty in the cleanup period, although mean estimates are on the order of decades. Collectively, the model indicates contaminant removal rates on the order of 10 -2 -10 0 kg/tree/year. The benefit of the phytoremediation system is relatively sustainable cleanup over the long periods necessary due to the presence of NAPL.

Analysis of aluminium in rat following administration of allergen immunotherapy using either aluminium or microcrystalline-tyrosine-based adjuvants.

PubMed

McDougall, Stuart A; Heath, Matthew D; Kramer, Matthias F; Skinner, Murray A

2016-03-01

Investigation into the absorption, distribution and elimination of aluminium in rat after subcutaneous aluminium adjuvant formulation administration using ICP-MS is described. Assays were verified under the principles of a tiered approach. There was no evidence of systemic exposure of aluminium, in brain or in kidney. Extensive and persistent retention of aluminium at the dose site was observed for at least 180 days after administration. This is the first published work that has quantified aluminium adjuvant retention based on the quantity of aluminium delivered in a typical allergy immunotherapy course. The results indicate that the repeated administration of aluminium-containing adjuvants will likely contribute directly and significantly to an individual's body burden of aluminium.

Lot sizing and unequal-sized shipment policy for an integrated production-inventory system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giri, B. C.; Sharma, S.

2014-05-01

This article develops a single-manufacturer single-retailer production-inventory model in which the manufacturer delivers the retailer's ordered quantity in unequal shipments. The manufacturer's production process is imperfect and it may produce some defective items during a production run. The retailer performs a screening process immediately after receiving the order from the manufacturer. The expected average total cost of the integrated production-inventory system is derived using renewal theory and a solution procedure is suggested to determine the optimal production and shipment policy. An extensive numerical study based on different sets of parameter values is conducted and the optimal results so obtained are analysed to examine the relative performance of the models under equal and unequal shipment policies.

Portable sensors for drug and explosive detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leginus, Joseph M.

1994-03-01

Westinghouse Electric is developing portable, hand-held sensors capable of detecting numerous drugs of abuse (cocaine, heroin, amphetamines) and explosives (trinitrotoluene, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, nitroglycerin). The easy-to-use system consists of a reusable electronics module and disposable probes. The sensor illuminates and detects light transmitted through optical cells of the probe during an antibody-based latex agglutination reaction. Each probe contains all the necessary reagents to carry out a test in a single step. The probe has the ability to lift minute quantities of samples from a variety of surfaces and deliver the sample to a reaction region within the device. The sensor yields a qualitative answer in 30 to 45 seconds and is able to detect illicit substances at nanogram levels.

The Conformational Flexibility of the Acyltransferase from the Disorazole Polyketide Synthase Is Revealed by an X-ray Free-Electron Laser Using a Room-Temperature Sample Delivery Method for Serial Crystallography

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

Mathews, Irimpan I.; Allison, Kim; Robbins, Thomas

The crystal structure of the trans-acyltransferase (AT) from the disorazole polyketide synthase (PKS) was determined at room temperature to a resolution of 2.5 Å using a new method for sample delivery directly into an X-ray free-electron laser. A novel sample extractor efficiently delivered limited quantities of microcrystals directly from the native crystallization solution into the X-ray beam at room temperature. The AT structure revealed important catalytic features of this core PKS enzyme, including the occurrence of conformational changes around the active site. The implications of these conformational changes on polyketide synthase reaction dynamics are discussed.

The Conformational Flexibility of the Acyltransferase from the Disorazole Polyketide Synthase Is Revealed by an X-ray Free-Electron Laser Using a Room-Temperature Sample Delivery Method for Serial Crystallography

DOE PAGES

Mathews, Irimpan I.; Allison, Kim; Robbins, Thomas; ...

2017-08-23

The crystal structure of the trans-acyltransferase (AT) from the disorazole polyketide synthase (PKS) was determined at room temperature to a resolution of 2.5 Å using a new method for sample delivery directly into an X-ray free-electron laser. A novel sample extractor efficiently delivered limited quantities of microcrystals directly from the native crystallization solution into the X-ray beam at room temperature. The AT structure revealed important catalytic features of this core PKS enzyme, including the occurrence of conformational changes around the active site. The implications of these conformational changes on polyketide synthase reaction dynamics are discussed.

Modular cell-internalizing aptamer nanostructure enables targeted delivery of large functional RNAs in cancer cell lines.

PubMed

Porciani, David; Cardwell, Leah N; Tawiah, Kwaku D; Alam, Khalid K; Lange, Margaret J; Daniels, Mark A; Burke, Donald H

2018-06-11

Large RNAs and ribonucleoprotein complexes have powerful therapeutic potential, but effective cell-targeted delivery tools are limited. Aptamers that internalize into target cells can deliver siRNAs (<15 kDa, 19-21 nt/strand). We demonstrate a modular nanostructure for cellular delivery of large, functional RNA payloads (50-80 kDa, 175-250 nt) by aptamers that recognize multiple human B cell cancer lines and transferrin receptor-expressing cells. Fluorogenic RNA reporter payloads enable accelerated testing of platform designs and rapid evaluation of assembly and internalization. Modularity is demonstrated by swapping in different targeting and payload aptamers. Both modules internalize into leukemic B cell lines and remained colocalized within endosomes. Fluorescence from internalized RNA persists for ≥2 h, suggesting a sizable window for aptamer payloads to exert influence upon targeted cells. This demonstration of aptamer-mediated, cell-internalizing delivery of large RNAs with retention of functional structure raises the possibility of manipulating endosomes and cells by delivering large aptamers and regulatory RNAs.

IODINE AND THE THYROID

PubMed Central

Swingle, W. W.

1919-01-01

1. Amphibian metamorphosis depends upon the amount of iodine secured by the larvæ; the greater the quantity the more rapid the differentiation. 2. Bromine is physiologically inert when fed even in large quantities to frog larvæ, hence it cannot be substituted for iodine. Bromine feeding has no effect on the thyroid. 3. Iodine is the active constituent of the thyroid gland, in the Anura at any rate, and functions within the body by stimulating intracellular oxidations; it is apparently specific in its action. 4. The basal metabolism of patients suffering from athyreosis, whose metabolism is 40 per cent below normal, is very likely held at this figure and prevented from sinking lower to the death point by the introduction of iodine into the body through food and water. 5. The thyroid gland is an organ the function of which is the extraction from the circulation, storage, and supplying to the organism, under the pressure of its needs, the small quantities of iodine taken into the body. The chief function of this gland then is the utilization of iodine in small quantities. PMID:19871773

Quantity and quality benefits of in-service invasive cleaning of trunk mains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunny, Iftekhar; Husband, Stewart; Drake, Nick; Mckenzie, Kevan; Boxall, Joby

2017-07-01

Trunk mains are high risk critical infrastructure where poor performance can impact on large numbers of customers. Both quantity (e.g. hydraulic capacity) and quality (e.g. discolouration) of trunk main performance are affected by asset deterioration in the form of particle accumulation at the pipe wall. Trunk main cleaning techniques are therefore desirable to remove such material. However, little is quantified regarding the efficacy of different maintenance interventions or longer-term changes following such cleaning. This paper presents an assessment of quantity and quality performance of a trunk main system pre, post and for 12 months following cleaning using pigging with ice slurry. Hydraulic calibration showed a 7 times roughness height reduction after ice slurry pigging, evidencing substantially improved hydraulic capacity and reduced headloss. Turbidity response due to carefully imposed shear stress increase remained significant after the cleaning intervention, showing that relatively loose material had not been fully removed from the pipe wall. Overall the results demonstrate that cleaning by pigging with ice slurry can be beneficial for quantity performance, but care and further assessment may be necessary to realise the full quality benefits.

A renormalization group approach to identifying the local quantum numbers in a many-body localized system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pekker, David; Clark, Bryan K.; Oganesyan, Vadim; Refael, Gil; Tian, Binbin

Many-body localization is a dynamical phase of matter that is characterized by the absence of thermalization. One of the key characteristics of many-body localized systems is the emergence of a large (possibly maximal) number of local integrals of motion (local quantum numbers) and corresponding conserved quantities. We formulate a robust algorithm for identifying these conserved quantities, based on Wegner's flow equations - a form of the renormalization group that works by disentangling the degrees of freedom of the system as opposed to integrating them out. We test our algorithm by explicit numerical comparison with more engineering based algorithms - Jacobi rotations and bi-partite matching. We find that the Wegner flow algorithm indeed produces the more local conserved quantities and is therefore more optimal. A preliminary analysis of the conserved quantities produced by the Wegner flow algorithm reveals the existence of at least two different localization lengthscales. Work was supported by AFOSR FA9550-10-1-0524 and FA9550-12-1-0057, the Kaufmann foundation, and SciDAC FG02-12ER46875.

A preliminary study of painless and effective transdermal botulinum toxin A delivery by jet nebulization for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis

PubMed Central

Iannitti, Tommaso; Palmieri, Beniamino; Aspiro, Anna; Di Cerbo, Alessandro

2014-01-01

Background Hyperhidrosis is a chronic disease characterized by increased sweat production. Local injections of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) have been extensively used for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis (idiopathic). The current treatment for this condition involves several intradermal injections, resulting in poor patient compliance due to injection-related pain. Therefore, new protocols, including an improved anesthetic regimen, are required. Aim We designed the present study to determine whether JetPeel™-3, a medical device used for transdermal delivery of drugs by jet nebulization, could be used to deliver lidocaine prior to the standard multiple BTX-A injections or deliver lidocaine together with BTX-A in order to determine the protocol giving better results in terms of procedure-related pain, sweating, and patient satisfaction in subjects affected by primary axillary, palmar or plantar hyperhidrosis. Materials and methods Twenty patients with a visual analog scale (VAS) sweating score ≥ 8 cm were randomized to receive lidocaine 2% (5 mL) delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple injections of BTX-A (100 units) or lidocaine 2% (5 mL) and BTX-A (50 units) delivered together by JetPeel™-3. Effect of treatment on sweating was measured by VAS (0= minimum sweating; 10= maximum sweating) at 3-month follow-up. Pain induced by the procedure was assessed by VAS (0= minimum pain; 10= maximum pain) immediately after the procedure. Patient satisfaction was assessed at 3-month follow-up using a 5-point scale (1= not at all satisfied; 2= not satisfied; 3= partially satisfied; 4= satisfied; 5= highly satisfied). Results Both treatment modalities reduced sweating at 3-month follow-up, if compared with baseline (all P<0.001). Delivery of lidocaine and BTX-A by JetPeel™-3 resulted in lower procedure-related pain and reduced sweating, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple BTX-A injections (all P<0.001). Patient satisfaction with the procedure was higher in the group receiving lidocaine and BTX-A treatment by JetPeel™-3, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by multiple BTX-A injections (P<0.001). No side effects were observed in both groups. Conclusion Lidocaine and BTX-A can be safely delivered together by JetPeel™-3 to treat primary palmar, plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis, resulting in lower procedure-related pain, improved sweating and higher patient satisfaction, if compared with lidocaine delivered by JetPeel™-3 followed by standard BTX-A injection therapy. Our protocol delivering lidocaine and BTX-A together by JetPeel™-3 requires a reduced quantity of BTX-A, further supporting the use of the transdermal drug delivery by jet nebulization over standard injection therapy for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis. PMID:25075176

USSR Report, Construction and Related Industries, No. 99

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-10

been created and is continuing to be developed in our republic. Many types of contruction materials and products have been delivered to us in large...grade wood with excess moisture content. Most of the window and door frames are delivered unpainted, without glass, and without installation of...reinforced concrete is placed with the aid of cranes, and about 80 percent of concrete work is done with the aid of wood casings. With such

Among-species differences in pollen quality and quantity limitation: implications for endemics in biodiverse hotspots.

PubMed

Alonso, Conchita; Navarro-Fernández, Carmen M; Arceo-Gómez, Gerardo; Meindl, George A; Parra-Tabla, Víctor; Ashman, Tia-Lynn

2013-11-01

Insufficient pollination is a function of quantity and quality of pollen receipt, and the relative contribution of each to pollen limitation may vary with intrinsic plant traits and extrinsic ecological properties. Community-level studies are essential to evaluate variation across species in quality limitation under common ecological conditions. This study examined whether endemic species are more limited by pollen quantity or quality than non-endemic co-flowering species in three endemic-rich plant communities located in biodiversity hotspots of different continents (Andalusia, California and Yucatan). Natural variations in pollen receipt and pollen tube formation were analysed for 20 insect-pollinated plants. Endemic and non-endemic species that co-flowered were paired in order to estimate and compare the quantity and quality components of pre-zygotic pollination success, obtained through piecewise regression analysis of the relationship between pollen grains and pollen tubes of naturally pollinated wilted flowers. Pollen tubes did not frequently exceed the number of ovules per flower. Only the combination of abundant and good quality pollen and a low number of ovules per flower conferred relief from pre-zygotic pollen limitation in the three stochastic pollination environments studied. Quality of pollen receipt was found to be as variable as quantity among study species. The relative pollination success of endemic and non-endemic species, and its quantity and quality components, was community dependent. Assessing both quality and quantity of pollen receipt is key to determining the ovule fertilization potential of both endemic and widespread plants in biodiverse hotspot regions. Large natural variation among flowers of the same species in the two components and pollen tube formation deserves further analysis in order to estimate the environmental, phenotypic and intraindividual sources of variation that may affect how plants evolve to overcome this limitation in different communities worldwide.

IMPROVED POLLUTANT MANAGEMENT IN URBAN STORMWATER BMPS

EPA Science Inventory

Increased urbanization has resulted in a larger percentage of impervious areas that produce large quantities of stormwater runoff and contribute significant amounts of debris and pollutants (e.g., litter, oils, heavy metals, sediments, nutrients, organic matter, and microorganism...

A DATABASE FOR TRACKING TOXICOGENOMIC SAMPLES AND PROCEDURES

EPA Science Inventory

Reproductive toxicogenomic studies generate large amounts of toxicological and genomic data. On the toxicology side, a substantial quantity of data accumulates from conventional endpoints such as histology, reproductive physiology and biochemistry. The largest source of genomics...

Benthic and Sedimentological Studies of the Georgetown Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

k + + + + + + ___ &__ _+__ __.4 Y + + -< + + 4 + + + SURFACE CIRCUrLATION* F"+ ++ +++++++++Se- mbr ...probably related to the presence of a large quantity of submerged wood, which provided suitable substrate for epifaunal colonization, Submerged

TNT equivalency study for space shuttle (EOS). Volume 1: Management summary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolfe, R. R.

1971-01-01

The existing TNT equivalency criterion for LO2/LH2 propellant is reevaluated. It addresses the static, on-pad phase of the space shuttle launch operations and was performed to determine whether the use of a TNT equivalency criterion lower than that presently used (60%) could be substantiated. The large quantity of propellant on-board the space shuttle, 4 million pounds, was considered of prime importance to the study. A qualitative failure analysis of the space shuttle (EOS) on the launch pad was made because it was concluded that available test data on the explosive yield of LO2/LH2 propellant was insufficient to support a reduction in the present TNT equivalency value, considering the large quantity of propellant used in the space shuttle. The failure analysis had two objectives. The first was to determine whether a failure resulting in the total release of propellant could occur. The second was to determine whether, if such a failure did occur, ignition could be delayed long enough to allow the degree of propellant mixing required to produce an explosion of 60% TNT equivalency since the explosive yield of this propellant is directly related to the quantities of LH2 and LO2 mixed at the time of the explosion.

Data assimilation problems in glaciology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shapero, Daniel

Rising sea levels due to mass loss from Greenland and Antarctica threaten to inundate coastal areas the world over. For the purposes of urban planning and hazard mitigation, policy makers would like to know how much sea-level rise can be anticipated in the next century. To make these predictions, glaciologists use mathematical models of ice sheet flow, together with remotely-sensed observations of the current state of the ice sheets. The quantities that are observable over large spatial scales are the ice surface elevation and speed, and the elevation of the underlying bedrock. There are other quantities, such as the viscosity within the ice and the friction coefficient for sliding over the bed, that are just as important in dictating how fast the glacier flows, but that are not observable at large scales using current methods. These quantities can be inferred from observations by using data assimilation methods, applied to a model of glacier flow. In this dissertation, I will describe my work on data assimilation problems in glaciology. My main contributions so far have been: computing the bed stress underneath the three biggest Greenland outlet glaciers; developing additional tools for glacier modeling and data assimilation in the form of the open-source library icepack ; and improving the statistical methodology through the user of total variation priors.

Formation and dissipation of runaway current by MGI on J-TEXT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Yunong; Chen, Zhongyong; Huang, Duwei; Tong, Ruihai; Zhang, Xiaolong

2017-10-01

Plasma disruptions are one of the major concern for ITER. A large fraction of runaway current may be formed due to the avalanche generation of runaway electrons (REs) during disruptions and ruin the device structure. Experiments of runaway current formation and dissipation have been done on J-TEXT. Two massive gas injection (MGI) valves are used to form and dissipate the runaway current. Hot tail RE generation caused by the fast thermal quench leads to an abnormal formation of runaway current when the pre-TQ electron density increases in a range of 0.5-2-10 19m-3. 1020-22 quantities of He, Ne, Ar or Kr impurities are injected by MGI2 to dissipate the runaway current. He injection shows no obvious effect on runaway current dissipation in the experiments and Kr injection shows the best. The kinetic energy of REs and the magnetic energy of RE beam will affect the dissipation efficiency to a certain extent. Runaway current decay rate is found increasing quickly with the increase of the gas injection when the quantity is moderate, and then reaches to a saturation value with large quantity injection. A possible reason to explain the saturation of dissipation effect is the saturation of gas assimilation efficiency.

Water demands for expanding energy development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, G.H.; Wood, Leonard A.

1974-01-01

Water is used in producing energy for mining and reclamation of mined lands, onsite processing, transportation, refining, and conversion of fuels to other forms of energy. In the East, South, Midwest, and along the seacoasts, most water problems are related to pollution rather than to water supply. West of about the 100th meridian, however, runoff is generally less than potential diversions, and energy industries must compete with other water users. Water demands for extraction of coal, oil shale, uranium, and oil and gas are modest, although large quantities of water are used in secondary recovery operations for oil. The only significant use of water for energy transportation, aside from in-stream navigation use, is for slurry lines. Substantial quantities of water are required in the retorting and the disposal of spent oil shale. The conversion of coal to synthetic gas or oil or to electric power and the generation of electric power with nuclear energy require large quantities of water, mostly for cooling. Withdrawals for cooling of thermal-electric plants is by far the largest category of water use in energy industry, totaling about 170 billion gallons (644 million m3) per day in 1970. Water availability will dictate the location and design of energy-conversion facilities, especially in water deficient areas of the West.

Using Facebook to deliver a social norm intervention to reduce problem drinking at university.

PubMed

Ridout, Brad; Campbell, Andrew

2014-11-01

University students usually overestimate peer alcohol use, resulting in them 'drinking up' to perceived norms. Social norms theory suggests correcting these inflated perceptions can reduce alcohol consumption. Recent findings by the current authors show portraying oneself as 'a drinker' is considered by many students to be a socially desirable component of their Facebook identity, perpetuating an online culture that normalises binge drinking. However, social networking sites have yet to be utilised in social norms interventions. Actual and perceived descriptive and injunctive drinking norms were collected from 244 university students. Ninety-five students screened positive for hazardous drinking and were randomly allocated to a control group or intervention group that received social norms feedback via personalised Facebook private messages over three sessions. At 1 month post-intervention, the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumed by intervention group during the previous month had significantly reduced compared with baseline and controls. Reductions were maintained 3 months post-intervention. Intervention group perceived drinking norms were significantly more accurate post-intervention. This is the first study to test the feasibility of using Facebook to deliver social norms interventions. Correcting misperceptions of peer drinking norms resulted in clinically significant reductions in alcohol use. Facebook has many advantages over traditional social norms delivery, providing an innovative method for tackling problem drinking at university. These results have implications for the use of Facebook to deliver positive messages about safe alcohol use to students, which may counter the negative messages regarding alcohol normally seen on Facebook. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Quantum confinement effects on superconducting properties of Lead nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aubin, Herve; Moreira, Helena; Mahler, Benoit; Dubertret, Benoit

2008-03-01

We developed a new chemical synthesis method for producing large quantities of monodispersed lead (Pb) nanocrystals. They are obtained from the alcohol reduction of a mixture of two lead carboxylates with alkyl chains of different lengths, dissolved in a high temperature solvent. The nanocrystals obtained are protected from oxydation and aggregation by long chain fatty acids and their diameter can be tuned to reach values as low as 10 nm. Our results suggest that monodispersed particules are obtained when nucleation and growth occur at distincts temperatures, possibly as a consequence of different reactivities of the two lead carboxylates used in the solution. Owing to the large quantities of monodispersed particles produced, thermodynamics studies as function of particles diameter become possible. In particular, we will present a study of the effect of quantum confinement on superconducting properties of these Pb particles through SQUID magnetometry measurements.

An Analysis of the Second Project High Water Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodbridge, David D.; Lasater, James A.; Fultz, Bennett M.; Clark, Richard E.; Wylie, Nancy

1963-01-01

Early in 1962 NASA established "Project High Water" to investigate the sudden release of large quantities of water into the upper atmosphere. The primary objectives of these experiments were to obtain information on the behavior of liquids released in the ionosphere and the localized effects on the ionosphere produced by the injection of large quantities of water. The data obtained in the two (2) Project High Water experiments have yielded an extensive amount of information concerning the complex phenomena associated with the sudden release of liquids in the Ionosphere. The detailed analysis of data obtained during the second Project High Water experiment (i.e., the third Saturn I vehicle test or SA-3) presented in this report demonstrates that the objectives of the Project High Water were achieved. In addition, the Project High Water has provided essential information relevant to a number of problems vital to manned explorations of space.

Tumor inhibitory T cell immunity may be largely a transplantation artifact not necessarily dependent upon a lack of Tregs.

PubMed

Prehn, Richmond T; Prehn, Liisa M

2013-06-25

There exists a very large literature suggesting that T cells come in a variety of species and that without the action of Tregs tumors would seldom survive inhibition by T cell effectors. We believe that much of the evidence supporting the role of Tregs in cancer is compatible with a perhaps simpler hypothesis based upon the demonstration that that small quantities of effector T cells tend to stimulate tumors while larger quantities of seemingly the same cells are inhibitory (an hormesis-like effect). This possibility seems to destroy much of the need to postulate a role for T cell suppressors (Tregs) in cancer, but the exposure of effector T cells to antigen may convert them into Tregs (Tregs do exist). Furthermore, many other data suggest the possibility that immune inhibition of cancer could be a laboratory artifact seldom if ever seen in unmodified nature.

Tumor inhibitory T cell immunity may be largely a transplantation artifact not necessarily dependent upon a lack of Tregs

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

There exists a very large literature suggesting that T cells come in a variety of species and that without the action of Tregs tumors would seldom survive inhibition by T cell effectors. We believe that much of the evidence supporting the role of Tregs in cancer is compatible with a perhaps simpler hypothesis based upon the demonstration that that small quantities of effector T cells tend to stimulate tumors while larger quantities of seemingly the same cells are inhibitory (an hormesis-like effect). This possibility seems to destroy much of the need to postulate a role for T cell suppressors (Tregs) in cancer, but the exposure of effector T cells to antigen may convert them into Tregs (Tregs do exist). Furthermore, many other data suggest the possibility that immune inhibition of cancer could be a laboratory artifact seldom if ever seen in unmodified nature. PMID:23800315

Production of human monoclonal antibody in eggs of chimeric chickens.

PubMed

Zhu, Lei; van de Lavoir, Marie-Cecile; Albanese, Jenny; Beenhouwer, David O; Cardarelli, Pina M; Cuison, Severino; Deng, David F; Deshpande, Shrikant; Diamond, Jennifer H; Green, Lynae; Halk, Edward L; Heyer, Babette S; Kay, Robert M; Kerchner, Allyn; Leighton, Philip A; Mather, Christine M; Morrison, Sherie L; Nikolov, Zivko L; Passmore, David B; Pradas-Monne, Alicia; Preston, Benjamin T; Rangan, Vangipuram S; Shi, Mingxia; Srinivasan, Mohan; White, Steven G; Winters-Digiacinto, Peggy; Wong, Susan; Zhou, Wen; Etches, Robert J

2005-09-01

The tubular gland of the chicken oviduct is an attractive system for protein expression as large quantities of proteins are deposited in the egg, the production of eggs is easily scalable and good manufacturing practices for therapeutics from eggs have been established. Here we examined the ability of upstream and downstream DNA sequences of ovalbumin, a protein produced exclusively in very high quantities in chicken egg white, to drive tissue-specific expression of human mAb in chicken eggs. To accommodate these large regulatory regions, we established and transfected lines of chicken embryonic stem (cES) cells and formed chimeras that express mAb from cES cell-derived tubular gland cells. Eggs from high-grade chimeras contained up to 3 mg of mAb that possesses enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), nonantigenic glycosylation, acceptable half-life, excellent antigen recognition and good rates of internalization.

Capture zone area distributions for nucleation and growth of islands during submonolayer deposition

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

Han, Yong; Li, Maozhi; Evans, James W.

2016-12-07

A fundamental evolution equation is developed to describe the distribution of areas of capture zones (CZs) associated with islands formed by homogeneous nucleation and growth during submonolayer deposition on perfect flat surfaces. This equation involves various quantities which characterize subtle spatial aspects of the nucleation process. These quantities in turn depend on the complex stochastic geometry of the CZ tessellation of the surface, and their detailed form determines the CZ area distribution (CZD) including its asymptotic features. For small CZ areas, behavior of the CZD reflects the critical island size, i. For large CZ areas, it may reflect the probabilitymore » for nucleation near such large CZs. Predictions are compared with kinetic Monte Carlo simulation data for models with two-dimensional compact islands with i = 1 (irreversible island formation by diffusing adatom pairs) and i = 0 (adatoms spontaneously convert to stable nuclei, e.g., by exchange with the substrate).« less

Extended duration Orbiter life support definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleiner, G. N.; Thompson, C. D.

1978-01-01

Extending the baseline seven-day Orbiter mission to 30 days or longer and operating with a solar power module as the primary source for electrical power requires changes to the existing environmental control and life support (ECLS) system. The existing ECLS system imposes penalties on longer missions which limit the Orbiter capabilities and changes are required to enhance overall mission objectives. Some of these penalties are: large quantities of expendables, the need to dump or store large quantities of waste material, the need to schedule fuel cell operation, and a high landing weight penalty. This paper presents the study ground rules and examines the limitations of the present ECLS system against Extended Duration Orbiter mission requirements. Alternate methods of accomplishing ECLS functions for the Extended Duration Orbiter are discussed. The overall impact of integrating these options into the Orbiter are evaluated and significant Orbiter weight and volume savings with the recommended approaches are described.

The status and development of treatment techniques of typical waste electrical and electronic equipment in China: a review.

PubMed

He, Yunxia; Xu, Zhenming

2014-04-01

A large quantity of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is being generated because technical innovation promotes the unceasing renewal of products. China's household appliances and electronic products have entered the peak of obsolescence. Due to lack of technology and equipment, recycling of WEEE is causing serious environment pollution. In order to achieve the harmless disposal and resource utilization of WEEE, researchers have performed large quantities of work, and some demonstration projects have been built recently. In this paper, the treatment techniques of typical WEEE components, including printed circuit boards, refrigerator cabinets, toner cartridges, cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal display panels, batteries (Ni-Cd and Li-ion), hard disk drives, and wires are reviewed. An integrated recycling system with environmentally friendly and highly efficient techniques for processing WEEE is proposed. The orientation of further development for WEEE recycling is also proposed.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A female Red-bellied Woodpecker clings to a utility pole where it has made a home on Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. The most common type of woodpecker in the South, the "Zebraback" nests in the cavities of trees and consumes large quantities of wood-boring beetles, as well as other insect pests. More than 280 species of birds make their homes on the 140,000-acre refuge, which lies within the boundaries of Kennedy Space Center.

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-04-10

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A female Red-bellied Woodpecker clings to a utility pole where it has made a home on Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. The most common type of woodpecker in the South, the "Zebraback" nests in the cavities of trees and consumes large quantities of wood-boring beetles, as well as other insect pests. More than 280 species of birds make their homes on the 140,000-acre refuge, which lies within the boundaries of Kennedy Space Center.

Could the extensive use of rare elements in renewable energy technologies become a cause for concern?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradshaw, A. M.; Reuter, B.; Hamacher, T.

2015-08-01

The energy transformation process beginning to take place in many countries as a response to climate change will reduce substantially the consumption of fossil fuels, but at the same time cause a large increase in the demand for other raw materials. Whereas it is difficult to estimate the quantities of, for example, iron, copper and aluminium required, the situation is somewhat simpler for the rare elements that might be needed in a sustainable energy economy based largely on photovoltaic sources, wind and possibly nuclear fusion. We consider briefly each of these technologies and discuss the supply risks associated with the rare elements required, if they were to be used in the quantities that might be required for a global energy transformation process. In passing, we point out the need in resource studies to define the terms "rare", "scarce" and "critical" and to use them in a consistent way.

Organic matter content and particle size modifications in mangrove sediments as responses to sea level rise.

PubMed

Sanders, Christian J; Smoak, Joseph M; Waters, Mathew N; Sanders, Luciana M; Brandini, Nilva; Patchineelam, Sambasiva R

2012-06-01

Mangroves sediments contain large reservoirs of organic material (OM) as mangrove ecosystems produce large quantities and rapidly burial OM. Sediment accumulation rates of approximately 2.0 mm year(-1), based on (210)Pb(ex) dating, were estimated at the margin of two well-developed mangrove forest in southern Brazil. Regional data point to a relative sea level (RSL) rise of up to ∼4.0 mm year(-1). This RSL rise in turn, may directly influence the origin and quantity of organic matter (OM) deposited along mangrove sediments. Lithostratigraphic changes show that sand deposition is replacing the mud (<63 μm) fraction and OM content is decreasing in successively younger sediments. Sediment accumulation in coastal areas that are not keeping pace with sea level rise is potentially conducive to the observed shifts in particle size and OM content. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of Turbulent Temperature Fluctuations in Hot Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Debonis, James R.

2017-01-01

Large-eddy simulations were used to investigate turbulent temperature fluctuations and turbulent heat flux in hot jets. A high-resolution finite-difference Navier-Stokes solver, WRLES, was used to compute the flow from a 2-inch round nozzle. Several different flow conditions, consisting of different jet Mach numbers and temperature ratios, were examined. Predictions of mean and fluctuating velocities were compared to previously obtained particle image velocimetry data. Predictions of mean and fluctuating temperature were compared to new data obtained using Raman spectroscopy. Based on the good agreement with experimental data for the individual quantities, the combined quantity turbulent heat flux was examined.

Expansion and hepatic differentiation of rat multipotent adult progenitor cells in microcarrier suspension culture.

PubMed

Park, Y; Subramanian, K; Verfaillie, C M; Hu, W S

2010-10-01

Many potential applications of stem cells require large quantities of cells, especially those involving large organs such as the liver. For such applications, a scalable reactor system is desirable to ensure a reliable supply of sufficient quantities of differentiation competent or differentiated cells. We employed a microcarrier culture system for the expansion of undifferentiated rat multipotent adult progenitor cells (rMAPC) as well as for directed differentiation of these cells to hepatocyte-like cells. During the 4-day expansion culture, cell concentration increased by 85-fold while expression level of pluripotency markers were maintained, as well as the MAPC differentiation potential. Directed differentiation into hepatocyte-like cells on the microcarriers themselves gave comparable results as observed with cells cultured in static cultures. The cells expressed several mature hepatocyte-lineage genes and asialoglycoprotein receptor-1 (ASGPR-1) surface protein, and secreted albumin and urea. Microcarrier culture thus offers the potential of large-scale expansion and differentiation of stem cells in a more controlled bioreactor environment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of surface water runoff from plots of two different sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joel, Abraham; Messing, Ingmar; Seguel, Oscar; Casanova, Manuel

2002-05-01

Intensities and amounts of water infiltration and runoff on sloping land are governed by the rainfall pattern and soil hydraulic conductivity, as well as by the microtopography and soil surface conditions. These components are closely interrelated and occur simultaneously, and their particular contribution may change during a rainfall event, or their effects may vary at different field scales. The scale effect on the process of infiltration/runoff was studied under natural field and rainfall conditions for two plot sizes: small plots of 0·25 m2 and large plots of 50 m2. The measurements were carried out in the central region of Chile in a piedmont most recently used as natural pastureland. Three blocks, each having one large plot and five small plots, were established. Cumulative rainfall and runoff quantities were sampled every 5 min. Significant variations in runoff responses to rainfall rates were found for the two plot sizes. On average, large plots yielded only 40% of runoff quantities produced on small plots per unit area. This difference between plot sizes was observed even during periods of continuous runoff.

Web tools for large-scale 3D biological images and atlases

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Large-scale volumetric biomedical image data of three or more dimensions are a significant challenge for distributed browsing and visualisation. Many images now exceed 10GB which for most users is too large to handle in terms of computer RAM and network bandwidth. This is aggravated when users need to access tens or hundreds of such images from an archive. Here we solve the problem for 2D section views through archive data delivering compressed tiled images enabling users to browse through very-large volume data in the context of a standard web-browser. The system provides an interactive visualisation for grey-level and colour 3D images including multiple image layers and spatial-data overlay. Results The standard Internet Imaging Protocol (IIP) has been extended to enable arbitrary 2D sectioning of 3D data as well a multi-layered images and indexed overlays. The extended protocol is termed IIP3D and we have implemented a matching server to deliver the protocol and a series of Ajax/Javascript client codes that will run in an Internet browser. We have tested the server software on a low-cost linux-based server for image volumes up to 135GB and 64 simultaneous users. The section views are delivered with response times independent of scale and orientation. The exemplar client provided multi-layer image views with user-controlled colour-filtering and overlays. Conclusions Interactive browsing of arbitrary sections through large biomedical-image volumes is made possible by use of an extended internet protocol and efficient server-based image tiling. The tools open the possibility of enabling fast access to large image archives without the requirement of whole image download and client computers with very large memory configurations. The system was demonstrated using a range of medical and biomedical image data extending up to 135GB for a single image volume. PMID:22676296

Vacuum collection of Douglas-fir pollen for supplemental mass pollinations.

Treesearch

D.L. Copes; N.C. Vance; W.K. Randall; A. Jasumback; R. Hallman

1991-01-01

An Aget Cyclone dust collector and peripheral equipment were fieldtested for use in vacuuming large quantities of pollen from 30- to 40-foot trees in a Douglas-fir seed orchard. The Cyclone machine (Model 20SN31P) operated without a vacuum bag or filter device, so no blockage or reduction in vacuum efficiency occurred when large volumes of pollen were collected....

Managing slash to minimize colonization of residual leave trees by Ips and other bark beetle species following thinning in southwestern ponderosa pine

Treesearch

T. DeGomez; C.J. Fettig; J.D. McMillin; J.A. Anhold; C.J. Hayes

2008-01-01

Due to high fire hazard and perceived reductions in forest health, thinning of small diameter trees has become a prevalent management activity particularly in dense stands. Creation of large amounts of logging slash, however, has created large quantities of habitat for bark beetles primarily in the Ips genus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae,...

Two pass method and radiation interchange processing when applied to thermal-structural analysis of large space truss structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Andrew H.; Arelt, Joseph E.; Lalicata, Anthony L.; Rogers, Karen M.

1993-01-01

A method of efficient and automated thermal-structural processing of very large space structures is presented. The method interfaces the finite element and finite difference techniques. It also results in a pronounced reduction of the quantity of computations, computer resources and manpower required for the task, while assuring the desired accuracy of the results.

Nature and extent of macropores in forest soils and their influence on subsurface water movement

Treesearch

Gerald M. Aubertin; Gerald M. Aubertin

1971-01-01

Rain, falling on a sloping forested soil, may enter the soil quickly and move considerable distances through the soil by way of macropores. A macropore is a large pore, cavity, passageway, channel, tunnel, or void in the soil, through which water usually drains by gravity. Large quantities of water can move through the soil by way of these macropores-without...

Do ungulates facilitate native and exotic plant spread? Seed dispersal by cattle, elk and deer in northeastern Oregon

Treesearch

Anne M. Bartuszevige; Bryan A. Endress

2008-01-01

Large domestic and native ungulates have the potential to disperse large quantities of seeds throughout the landscape. Many studies have found that ungulates are capable of dispersing seeds but few quantify the relative importance of ungulate dispersal across the landscape. We investigated the potential for cattle, elk, and deer to disperse native and exotic plants in...

The Role of Self-Monitoring in Assessing Individual Students' Quantity and Quality of Comments in Large-Class Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carstens, B. A.; Wright, J. M.; Coles, J. T.; McCleary, L. N.; Williams, R. L.

2013-01-01

This study developed a reliable and valid self-monitoring procedure for student use in recording and rating the quality of their individual comments in large college classes. Students used daily record cards immediately to record and rate each comment they made each day. However, a limit was set on the amount of credit students could claim for…

The characterization of high-density polyethylene/organoclay nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Tathiane Cordeiro; Tavares, Maria Inês Bruno; Soares, Igor Lopes; Moreira, Ana M.

2009-01-01

Polymeric nanocomposites, which are hybrids of polymers and modified inorganic clay with organic surfactants, are extremely attractive in both science and industry. These materials present improvements in such polymer properties as modulus, heat capacity, thermal stability, flame resistance, and so on. Research has been conducted in recent decades to obtain high-quality materials that can be used in applications like food packing, car components, and combustible cells. Polymeric nanocomposites present many advantages in relation to composites due to the quantity of filler added to the polymer and also to the improved properties. In a composite, the quantity of filler must be as high as possible (i.e., over 30%). In the polymeric nanocomposite the quantity of filler varies from 1% to 5% because of the nanosize of the particles. These nanoparticles often have a large surface area that results in improved polymer-matrix properties.

Multi-look fusion identification: a paradigm shift from quality to quantity in data samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, S.

2009-05-01

A multi-look identification method known as score-level fusion is found to be capable of achieving very high identification accuracy, even when low quality target signatures are used. Analysis using measured ground vehicle radar signatures has shown that a 97% correct identification rate can be achieved using this multi-look fusion method; in contrast, only a 37% accuracy rate is obtained when single target signature input is used. The results suggest that quantity can be used to replace quality of the target data in improving identification accuracy. With the advent of sensor technology, a large amount of target signatures of marginal quality can be captured routinely. This quantity over quality approach allows maximum exploitation of the available data to improve the target identification performance and this could have the potential of being developed into a disruptive technology.

Apollo 16 Mission Anomaly Report No. 1: Oxidizer Deservicing Tank Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The command module reaction control system is emptied of all remaining propellant using ground support equipment designed to provide an acid/base neutralization of the propellant in both the liquid and gaseous phases so that it may be disposed of safely. During the deactivation operation of the oxidizer from the Apollo 16 command module on 7 May 1972, the scrubber tank of the decontamination unit exploded, destroying the ground support equipment unit and damaging the building that housed the operation. Only minor injuries were received by the personnel in the area and the command module was not damaged. Test results show that the failure was caused by an insufficient quantity of neutralizer for the quantity of oxidizer. This insufficiency lead to exothermic nitration-type reactions which produced large quantities of gas at a very high rate and failed the decontamination tank.

Quantity Effect of Radial Cracks on the Cracking Propagation Behavior and the Crack Morphology

PubMed Central

Chen, Jingjing; Xu, Jun; Liu, Bohan; Yao, Xuefeng; Li, Yibing

2014-01-01

In this letter, the quantity effect of radial cracks on the cracking propagation behavior as well as the circular crack generation on the impacted glass plate within the sandwiched glass sheets are experimentally investigated via high-speed photography system. Results show that the radial crack velocity on the backing glass layer decreases with the crack number under the same impact conditions during large quantities of repeated experiments. Thus, the “energy conversion factor” is suggested to elucidate the physical relation between the cracking number and the crack propagation speed. Besides, the number of radial crack also takes the determinative effect in the crack morphology of the impacted glass plate. This study may shed lights on understanding the cracking and propagation mechanism in laminated glass structures and provide useful tool to explore the impact information on the cracking debris. PMID:25048684

Critical phenomena and chemical potential of a charged AdS black hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Shao-Wen; Liang, Bin; Liu, Yu-Xiao

2017-12-01

Inspired by the interpretation of the cosmological constant from the boundary gauge theory, we here treat it as the number of colors N and its conjugate quantity as the associated chemical potential μ in the black hole side. Then the thermodynamics and the chemical potential for a five-dimensional charged AdS black hole are studied. It is found that there exists a small-large black hole phase transition of van der Waals type. The critical phenomena are investigated in the N2-μ chart. The result implies that the phase transition can occur for large number of colors N , while is forbidden for small number. This to some extent implies that the interaction of the system increases with the number. In particular, in the reduced parameter space, all the thermodynamic quantities can be rescaled with the black hole charge such that these reduced quantities are charge-independent. Then we obtain the coexistence curve and the phase diagram. The latent heat is also numerically calculated. Moreover, the heat capacity and the thermodynamic scalar are studied. The result indicates that the information of the first-order black hole phase transition is encoded in the heat capacity and scalar. However, the phase transition point cannot be directly calculated with them. Nevertheless, the critical point linked to a second-order phase transition can be determined by either the heat capacity or the scalar. In addition, we calculate the critical exponents of the heat capacity and the scalar for the saturated small and large black holes near the critical point.

Material impacts and heat flux characterization of an electrothermal plasma source with an applied magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gebhart, T. E.; Martinez-Rodriguez, R. A.; Baylor, L. R.; Rapp, J.; Winfrey, A. L.

2017-08-01

To produce a realistic tokamak-like plasma environment in linear plasma device, a transient source is needed to deliver heat and particle fluxes similar to those seen in an edge localized mode (ELM). ELMs in future large tokamaks will deliver heat fluxes of ˜1 GW/m2 to the divertor plasma facing components at a few Hz. An electrothermal plasma source can deliver heat fluxes of this magnitude. These sources operate in an ablative arc regime which is driven by a DC capacitive discharge. An electrothermal source was configured with two pulse lengths and tested under a solenoidal magnetic field to determine the resulting impact on liner ablation, plasma parameters, and delivered heat flux. The arc travels through and ablates a boron nitride liner and strikes a tungsten plate. The tungsten target plate is analyzed for surface damage using a scanning electron microscope.

Bottlenecks of Motion Processing during a Visual Glance: The Leaky Flask Model

PubMed Central

Öğmen, Haluk; Ekiz, Onur; Huynh, Duong; Bedell, Harold E.; Tripathy, Srimant P.

2013-01-01

Where do the bottlenecks for information and attention lie when our visual system processes incoming stimuli? The human visual system encodes the incoming stimulus and transfers its contents into three major memory systems with increasing time scales, viz., sensory (or iconic) memory, visual short-term memory (VSTM), and long-term memory (LTM). It is commonly believed that the major bottleneck of information processing resides in VSTM. In contrast to this view, we show major bottlenecks for motion processing prior to VSTM. In the first experiment, we examined bottlenecks at the stimulus encoding stage through a partial-report technique by delivering the cue immediately at the end of the stimulus presentation. In the second experiment, we varied the cue delay to investigate sensory memory and VSTM. Performance decayed exponentially as a function of cue delay and we used the time-constant of the exponential-decay to demarcate sensory memory from VSTM. We then decomposed performance in terms of quality and quantity measures to analyze bottlenecks along these dimensions. In terms of the quality of information, two thirds to three quarters of the motion-processing bottleneck occurs in stimulus encoding rather than memory stages. In terms of the quantity of information, the motion-processing bottleneck is distributed, with the stimulus-encoding stage accounting for one third of the bottleneck. The bottleneck for the stimulus-encoding stage is dominated by the selection compared to the filtering function of attention. We also found that the filtering function of attention is operating mainly at the sensory memory stage in a specific manner, i.e., influencing only quantity and sparing quality. These results provide a novel and more complete understanding of information processing and storage bottlenecks for motion processing. PMID:24391806

Bottlenecks of motion processing during a visual glance: the leaky flask model.

PubMed

Öğmen, Haluk; Ekiz, Onur; Huynh, Duong; Bedell, Harold E; Tripathy, Srimant P

2013-01-01

Where do the bottlenecks for information and attention lie when our visual system processes incoming stimuli? The human visual system encodes the incoming stimulus and transfers its contents into three major memory systems with increasing time scales, viz., sensory (or iconic) memory, visual short-term memory (VSTM), and long-term memory (LTM). It is commonly believed that the major bottleneck of information processing resides in VSTM. In contrast to this view, we show major bottlenecks for motion processing prior to VSTM. In the first experiment, we examined bottlenecks at the stimulus encoding stage through a partial-report technique by delivering the cue immediately at the end of the stimulus presentation. In the second experiment, we varied the cue delay to investigate sensory memory and VSTM. Performance decayed exponentially as a function of cue delay and we used the time-constant of the exponential-decay to demarcate sensory memory from VSTM. We then decomposed performance in terms of quality and quantity measures to analyze bottlenecks along these dimensions. In terms of the quality of information, two thirds to three quarters of the motion-processing bottleneck occurs in stimulus encoding rather than memory stages. In terms of the quantity of information, the motion-processing bottleneck is distributed, with the stimulus-encoding stage accounting for one third of the bottleneck. The bottleneck for the stimulus-encoding stage is dominated by the selection compared to the filtering function of attention. We also found that the filtering function of attention is operating mainly at the sensory memory stage in a specific manner, i.e., influencing only quantity and sparing quality. These results provide a novel and more complete understanding of information processing and storage bottlenecks for motion processing.

Antibiotics in Wastewater of a Rural and an Urban Hospital before and after Wastewater Treatment, and the Relationship with Antibiotic Use—A One Year Study from Vietnam

PubMed Central

Lien, La Thi Quynh; Hoa, Nguyen Quynh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Thoa, Nguyen Thi Minh; Phuc, Ho Dang; Diwan, Vishal; Dat, Nguyen Thanh; Tamhankar, Ashok J.; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-01-01

Hospital effluents represent an important source for the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. This study aims to determine concentrations of various antibiotics in wastewater before and after wastewater treatment in a rural hospital (60 km from the center of Hanoi) and in an urban hospital (in the center of Hanoi) in Vietnam, and it aims to explore the relationship between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before wastewater treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital, over a period of one year in 2013. Water samples were collected using continuous sampling for 24 h in the last week of every month. The data on quantities of antibiotics delivered to all inpatient wards were collected from the Pharmacy department in the rural hospital. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used for chemical analysis. Significant concentrations of antibiotics were present in the wastewater both before and after wastewater treatment of both the rural and the urban hospital. Ciprofloxacin was detected at the highest concentrations in the rural hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 42.8 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 21.5 µg/L). Metronidazole was detected at the highest concentrations in the urban hospital’s wastewater (before treatment: mean = 36.5 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 14.8 µg/L). A significant correlation between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital was found for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.78; p = 0.01) and metronidazole (r = 0.99; p < 0.001). PMID:27314366

Antibiotics in Wastewater of a Rural and an Urban Hospital before and after Wastewater Treatment, and the Relationship with Antibiotic Use-A One Year Study from Vietnam.

PubMed

Lien, La Thi Quynh; Hoa, Nguyen Quynh; Chuc, Nguyen Thi Kim; Thoa, Nguyen Thi Minh; Phuc, Ho Dang; Diwan, Vishal; Dat, Nguyen Thanh; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Lundborg, Cecilia Stålsby

2016-06-14

Hospital effluents represent an important source for the release of antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria into the environment. This study aims to determine concentrations of various antibiotics in wastewater before and after wastewater treatment in a rural hospital (60 km from the center of Hanoi) and in an urban hospital (in the center of Hanoi) in Vietnam, and it aims to explore the relationship between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before wastewater treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital, over a period of one year in 2013. Water samples were collected using continuous sampling for 24 h in the last week of every month. The data on quantities of antibiotics delivered to all inpatient wards were collected from the Pharmacy department in the rural hospital. Solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were used for chemical analysis. Significant concentrations of antibiotics were present in the wastewater both before and after wastewater treatment of both the rural and the urban hospital. Ciprofloxacin was detected at the highest concentrations in the rural hospital's wastewater (before treatment: mean = 42.8 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 21.5 µg/L). Metronidazole was detected at the highest concentrations in the urban hospital's wastewater (before treatment: mean = 36.5 µg/L; after treatment: mean = 14.8 µg/L). A significant correlation between antibiotic concentrations in wastewater before treatment and quantities of antibiotics used in the rural hospital was found for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.78; p = 0.01) and metronidazole (r = 0.99; p < 0.001).

Update on mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation devices.

PubMed

Rubertsson, Sten

2016-06-01

The aim of this review is to update and discuss the use of mechanical chest compression devices in treatment of cardiac arrest. Three recently published large multicenter randomized trials have not been able to show any improved outcome in adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients when compared with manual chest compressions. Mechanical chest compression devices have been developed to better deliver uninterrupted chest compressions of good quality. Prospective large randomized studies have not been able to prove a better outcome compared to manual chest compressions; however, latest guidelines support their use when high-quality manual chest compressions cannot be delivered. Mechanical chest compressions can also be preferred during transportation, in the cath-lab and as a bridge to more invasive support like extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Development of a mission-based funding model for undergraduate medical education: incorporation of quality.

PubMed

Stagnaro-Green, Alex; Roe, David; Soto-Greene, Maria; Joffe, Russell

2008-01-01

Increasing financial pressures, along with a desire to realign resources with institutional priorities, has resulted in the adoption of mission-based funding (MBF) at many medical schools. The lack of inclusion of quality and the time and expense in developing and implementing mission based funding are major deficiencies in the models reported to date. In academic year 2002-2003 New Jersey Medical School developed a model that included both quantity and quality in the education metric and that was departmentally based. Eighty percent of the undergraduate medical education allocation was based on the quantity of undergraduate medical education taught by the department ($7.35 million), and 20% ($1.89 million) was allocated based on the quality of the education delivered. Quality determinations were made by the educational leadership based on student evaluations and departmental compliance with educational administrative requirements. Evolution of the model has included the development of a faculty oversight committee and the integration of peer evaluation in the determination of educational quality. Six departments had a documented increase in quality over time, and one department had a transient decrease in quality. The MBF model has been well accepted by chairs, educational leaders, and faculty and has been instrumental in enhancing the stature of education at our institution.

Development and pilot line production of lithium doped silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, P. A.

1972-01-01

The work performed over the period of September 1971 to August 1972 to develop production processes for fabrication of lithium doped P/N cells is described. The BCl3 diffusion without 02 was selected as the optimum diffusion process for fabrication of lithium doped cells. An 8-2-7 (warm up - deposition - drive-in time in minutes) diffusion schedule at 1055 C was used for the first two lots (300 cells each) delivered to JPL. Cell efficiencies ranged from 11.0 to 13.7% based on an AMO of 135.3 mW/sq cm. These high efficiencies were obtained using from 10 to 40 cells per boron diffusion; increasing the quantity beyond 40 resulted in lower outputs. At this point, the emphasis was placed on investigation of a BCl3 with 02 diffusion. Through evaluation of the effects of diffusion time and temperature, gas flow rates, and desposition plus drive-in vs. continuous deposition and no drive-in cycles, diffusion parameters were determined which produced short circuit currents of 136 + or - 4 mA for ten cells spaced along 12 in. of the diffusion boat. The quantity was increased to 60, 100, and 150 cell diffusions with no more variation in cell short circuit current than observed with 10 cells.

A New Aerodynamic Data Dispersion Method for Launch Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinier, Jeremy T.

2011-01-01

A novel method for implementing aerodynamic data dispersion analysis is herein introduced. A general mathematical approach combined with physical modeling tailored to the aerodynamic quantity of interest enables the generation of more realistically relevant dispersed data and, in turn, more reasonable flight simulation results. The method simultaneously allows for the aerodynamic quantities and their derivatives to be dispersed given a set of non-arbitrary constraints, which stresses the controls model in more ways than with the traditional bias up or down of the nominal data within the uncertainty bounds. The adoption and implementation of this new method within the NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Project has resulted in significant increases in predicted roll control authority, and lowered the induced risks for flight test operations. One direct impact on launch vehicles is a reduced size for auxiliary control systems, and the possibility of an increased payload. This technique has the potential of being applied to problems in multiple areas where nominal data together with uncertainties are used to produce simulations using Monte Carlo type random sampling methods. It is recommended that a tailored physics-based dispersion model be delivered with any aerodynamic product that includes nominal data and uncertainties, in order to make flight simulations more realistic and allow for leaner spacecraft designs.

Development of tiered aggregate specifications for FDOT use : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Limestone in Florida's peninsula plays a major : role in transportation. As a road surface, a base : layer, or as aggregate in asphalt and cement : concretes, most road building projects require : large quantities of limestone. Millions of tons : of ...

Indexing device ensures proper mating of electrical connectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, L. M.; Simmons, W. H.

1965-01-01

Indexing splines with modified standard male and female connectors eliminates the possibility of incorrect mating. Large stock quantities of differently indexed connectors are unnecessary since connectors from a single stock can be indexed as desired at installation time.

China Dust

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-16

... SpectroRadiometer (MISR) nadir-camera images of eastern China compare a somewhat hazy summer view from July 9, 2000 (left) with a ... arid and sparsely vegetated surfaces of Mongolia and western China pick up large quantities of yellow dust. Airborne dust clouds from the ...

PLANNING THE WEDDING: DEVELOPMENT BASED UPON ECOSYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Changing land uses to meet needs and expectations of the growing human population is largely responsible for habitat loss, species extinctions, deterioration of water quality and quantity, soil losses and depletion, and ecosystem goods and services. Although such development is...

Mass culture of photobacteria to obtain luciferase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chappelle, E. W.; Picciolo, G. L.; Rich, E., Jr.

1969-01-01

Inoculating preheated trays containing nutrient agar with photobacteria provides a means for mass culture of aerobic microorganisms in order to obtain large quantities of luciferase. To determine optimum harvest time, growth can be monitored by automated light-detection instrumentation.

Effect of daily morphine administration and its discontinuation on delay discounting of food in rhesus monkeys

PubMed Central

Maguire, David R; Gerak, Lisa R; France, Charles P

2015-01-01

Opioid abusers discount delayed reinforcers more rapidly than non-users; however, it is unclear whether chronic drug administration or its discontinuation impact discounting. This study examined daily morphine administration and its discontinuation on delay discounting of food in rhesus monkeys. Responding on one lever delivered 1 food pellet immediately; responding on another lever delivered 2 food pellets either immediately or after a delay (30–120 sec) that increased within the session. Monkeys (n=3) responded for the large reinforcer when both reinforcers were delivered immediately and more for the smaller, immediately available reinforcer as delay to delivery of the large reinforcer increased. When administered acutely, morphine (0.032–5.6 mg/kg) increased trial omissions and had variable effects on choice, with small doses decreasing and large doses increasing choice of the large delayed reinforcer. Chronic morphine administration (0.1 mg/kg/day to 3.2 mg/kg twice daily) reduced choice of the large delayed reinforcer in two monkeys while increasing choice in a third monkey. Despite the development of tolerance to some effects (i.e., rightward shifts in dose-effect curves for the number of trials omitted) and evidence of mild opioid dependence (e.g., decrease in the number of trials completed as well as body weight), discontinuation of treatment did not appear to systematically impact discounting. Overall, these results suggest that repeated opioid administration causes persistent effects on choice under a delay discounting procedure; however, differences in the direction of effect among individuals suggest factors other than, or in addition to, changes in discounting might play a role. PMID:26397762

Bericht uber den 2. Internationalen Kongress fur Angewandte Linguistik. Cambridge 8.-12. IX. 1969. [Report on the Second International Congress for Applied Linguistics, Cambridge, Dec. 8-12, 1969.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Peter

This paper is a summary report on the Second International Congress of Applied Linguistics held in Cambridge, England in September 1969. Because of the large number of papers delivered, only a selection of the papers delivered in any one section of the Congress are considered, and the author attempts to identify current interests and trends in…

Out-of-pocket expenditures for childbirth in the context of the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) cash transfer program to promote facility births: who pays and how much? Studies from Madhya Pradesh, India.

PubMed

Sidney, Kristi; Salazar, Mariano; Marrone, Gaetano; Diwan, Vishal; DeCosta, Ayesha; Lindholm, Lars

2016-05-03

High out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPE) make delivery care difficult to access for a large proportion of India's population. Given that home deliveries increase the risk of maternal mortality, in 2005 the Indian Government implemented the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) program to incentivize poor women to deliver in public health facilities by providing a cash transfer upon discharge. We study the OOPE among JSY beneficiaries and women who deliver at home, and predictors of OOPE in two districts of Madhya Pradesh. September 2013 to April 2015 a cross-sectional community-based survey was performed. All recently delivered women were interviewed to elicit delivery costs, socio-demographic characteristics and delivery related information. Most women (n = 1995, 84 %) delivered in JSY public health facility, the remaining 16 % (n = 386) delivered at home. Women who delivered under JSY program had a higher median, IQR OOPE ($8, 3-18) compared to home ($6, 2-13). Among JSY beneficiaries, poorest women had twice net gain ($20) versus wealthiest ($10) post cash transfer. Informal payments (64 %) and food/baby items (77 %) were the two most common sources of OOPE. OOPE made among JSY beneficiaries was pro-poor: poorer women made proportionally less expenditures compared to wealthier women. In an adjusted model, delivering in a JSY public facility increased odds of incurring expenditures (OR: 1.58, 95 % CI: 1.11-2.25) but at the same time to a 16 % (95 % CI: 0.73-0.96) decrease in the amount paid compared to home deliveries. OOPE is prevalent among JSY beneficiaries as well in home deliveries. In JSY, OOPE varies by income quintile: wealthier quintiles pay more OOPE. However the cash incentive is adequate enough to provide a net gain for all quintiles. OOPE was largely due to indirect costs and not direct medical payments. The program seems to be effective in providing financial protection for the most vulnerable groups.

Legislating thresholds for drug trafficking: a policy development case study from New South Wales, Australia.

PubMed

Hughes, Caitlin Elizabeth; Ritter, Alison; Cowdery, Nicholas

2014-09-01

Legal thresholds are used in many parts of the world to define the quantity of illicit drugs over which possession is deemed "trafficking" as opposed to "possession for personal use". There is limited knowledge about why or how such laws were developed. In this study we analyse the policy processes underpinning the introduction and expansion of the drug trafficking legal threshold system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A critical legal and historical analysis was undertaken sourcing data from legislation, Parliamentary Hansard debates, government inquiries, police reports and research. A timeline of policy developments was constructed from 1970 until 2013 outlining key steps including threshold introduction (1970), expansion (1985), and wholesale revision (1988). We then critically analysed the drivers of each step and the roles played by formal policy actors, public opinion, research/data and the drug trafficking problem. We find evidence that while justified as a necessary tool for effective law enforcement of drug trafficking, their introduction largely preceded overt police calls for reform or actual increases in drug trafficking. Moreover, while the expansion from one to four thresholds had the intent of differentiating small from large scale traffickers, the quantities employed were based on government assumptions which led to "manifest problems" and the revision in 1988 of over 100 different quantities. Despite the revisions, there has remained no further formal review and new quantities for "legal highs" continue to be added based on assumption and an uncertain evidence-base. The development of legal thresholds for drug trafficking in NSW has been arbitrary and messy. That the arbitrariness persists from 1970 until the present day makes it hard to conclude the thresholds have been well designed. Our narrative provides a platform for future policy reform. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drinking Patterns Across Spring, Summer, and Fall in 462 University Students.

PubMed

Schuckit, Marc A; Smith, Tom L; Clausen, Peyton; Skidmore, Jessica; Shafir, Alexandra; Kalmijn, Jelger

2016-04-01

Student heavy drinking and associated problems are common at most universities and fluctuate throughout the calendar year, with marked increases during celebrations. Most studies of student drinking are limited to the academic year itself, and relatively few focus specifically on special heavy drinking events. Even fewer studies include drinking during summer break and subsequent school return. In the context of an experimental protocol, beginning in January 2014, alcohol-related characteristics were evaluated 8 times over 55 weeks for 462 college freshmen, including periods that incorporated a campus festival, summer, and school return. Baseline predictors of drinking quantities over time included demography, substance use patterns, as well as environmental and attitudinal characteristics. Product-moment correlations evaluated relationships between baseline characteristics and subsequent quantities, and simultaneous entry regression analyses evaluated which characteristics most robustly predicted usual and maximum drinks over time. Maximum drinks per occasion increased 18% from the early spring (4/8/14 to 5/6/14) to the campus festival period (5/7/14 to 6/3/14), decreased 29% in the summer (7/8/14 to 8/5/14), and increased 31% on school return (10/7/14 to 11/4/14). The most robust predictors of higher quantities in regression analyses included items from each of the 3 major domains with the most consistent results seen for most baseline alcohol-related items and descriptive drinking norms (R(2) = 0.20 to 0.31). These data demonstrate important changes in students' drinking during the calendar year, including expected large increases during the month of a 1-day festival, large decreases over the summer, and resumption of relatively high quantities upon return to school. Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Adult nest attendance and diet of nestling Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) in the Talamanca Mountains of southern Cosa Rica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carleton, Scott A.

2016-01-01

Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) inhabit mid to high elevation forests from southern Mexico to Panama. Lipid rich fruits from the Lauraceae family have been found to account for a large proportion of adult diet across their annual life cycle. To better understand the relationship between quetzals and Lauraceae during the breeding season, we studied food deliveries to nestlings in the Talamanca Mountains at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica in the Rio Savegre watershed. Our study had four primary objectives: 1) determine parental contribution of males and females feeding nestling quetzals, 2) determine type of food delivered to nestling quetzals, 3) determine if deliveries of fruit items were related to their abundance and/or nutritional content and 4) determine if Lauraceae fruits made up a large proportion of nestling diets based on the high preference quetzals have displayed for fruits from this plant family. Hourly delivery rates were similar for the male and female (1.24 ± 0.68 and 1.44 ± 0.84). During the first 6 days, the largest proportion of the diet was animal prey; primarily lizards and beetles. After day 6, fruit rapidly became the dominant food item delivered to nestlings until fledging. The dominant number of fruits delivered to nestling quetzals were fruits from the Lauraceae family and included Ocotea holdrigeiana, Necatandra cufodontisii, and Aiouea costaricensis. All three had some of the highest protein and lipid content of all fruits delivered to nestlings. O. holdrigeiana had the highest protein and lipid content of all fruits delivered, had the lowest relative abundance, and was delivered more frequently than all other fruits. Conservation strategies for this species should take into account not just increasing available habitat, but also increasing habitat quality by focusing on species composition to provide abundant food plants for the Resplendent Quetzal to forage.

Aerobic digestion reduces the quantity of antibiotic resistance genes in residual municipal wastewater solids

PubMed Central

Burch, Tucker R.; Sadowsky, Michael J.; LaPara, Timothy M.

2012-01-01

Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to circumvent the problem of antibiotic resistance, including the development of new antibiotics, the use of narrow spectrum antibiotics, and the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use. We propose an alternative but complimentary approach to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) by implementing more stringent technologies for treating municipal wastewater, which is known to contain large quantities of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we investigated the ability of conventional aerobic digestion to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids. A bench-scale aerobic digester was fed untreated wastewater solids collected from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility. The reactor was operated under semi-continuous flow conditions for more than 200 days at a residence time of approximately 40 days. During this time, the quantities of tet(A), tet(W), and erm(B) decreased by more than 90%. In contrast, intI1 did not decrease, and tet(X) increased in quantity by 5-fold. Following operation in semi-continuous flow mode, the aerobic digester was converted to batch mode to determine the first-order decay coefficients, with half-lives ranging from as short as 2.8 days for tet(W) to as long as 6.3 days for intI1. These results demonstrated that aerobic digestion can be used to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids, but that rates can vary substantially depending on the reactor design (i.e., batch vs. continuous-flow) and the specific ARG. PMID:23407455

Aerobic digestion reduces the quantity of antibiotic resistance genes in residual municipal wastewater solids.

PubMed

Burch, Tucker R; Sadowsky, Michael J; Lapara, Timothy M

2013-01-01

Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to circumvent the problem of antibiotic resistance, including the development of new antibiotics, the use of narrow spectrum antibiotics, and the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use. We propose an alternative but complimentary approach to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) by implementing more stringent technologies for treating municipal wastewater, which is known to contain large quantities of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we investigated the ability of conventional aerobic digestion to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids. A bench-scale aerobic digester was fed untreated wastewater solids collected from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility. The reactor was operated under semi-continuous flow conditions for more than 200 days at a residence time of approximately 40 days. During this time, the quantities of tet(A), tet(W), and erm(B) decreased by more than 90%. In contrast, intI1 did not decrease, and tet(X) increased in quantity by 5-fold. Following operation in semi-continuous flow mode, the aerobic digester was converted to batch mode to determine the first-order decay coefficients, with half-lives ranging from as short as 2.8 days for tet(W) to as long as 6.3 days for intI1. These results demonstrated that aerobic digestion can be used to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids, but that rates can vary substantially depending on the reactor design (i.e., batch vs. continuous-flow) and the specific ARG.

Accuracy and consistency of drop delivery in infusion pumps.

PubMed

Yau, K I; Miyasaka, K

1990-04-01

Advances in intensive care medicine has made us more depend on infusion pumps to deliver accurate amounts of fluids to sick newborns, children and adults. When infusing rapid-acting critical drugs to patients, it is important not only to deliver accurate fluid-volume amounts over a specified time, but also to deliver the fluid at a constant rate with minimal fluctuation. The accuracy of drop delivery in four infusion pumps (IVAC 530, IVAC 560, IMED 922 and IMED 960) at different infusion rates were examined in a laboratory setting by using a photoelectric sensor and a computer. When it was not in its cassette-filling period, the IMED 960 was the most accurate at delivering fluid-drops, with a coefficient of variance (CV) of less than 10% at each flow rate. Yet, like other piston-cylinder cassette pumps, its cassette filling time and stabilizing period after cassette filling were longer at lower flow rates. Both the IVAC 530 and the IMED 922 delivered fluids irregularly with large coefficients of variance (CVs). IVAC 560 had the best results for consistency of drop-delivery over a 4-hour period.