Simultaneous depletion of Atm and Mdl rebalances cytosolic Fe-S cluster assembly but not heme import into the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei.

PubMed

Horáková, Eva; Changmai, Piya; Paris, Zdeněk; Salmon, Didier; Lukeš, Julius

2015-11-01

ABC transporter mitochondrial 1 (Atm1) and multidrug resistance-like 1 (Mdl) are mitochondrial ABC transporters. Although Atm1 was recently suggested to transport different forms of glutathione from the mitochondrion, which are used for iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster maturation in the cytosol, the function of Mdl remains elusive. In Trypanosoma brucei, we identified one homolog of each of these genes, TbAtm and TbMdl, which were downregulated either separately or simultaneously using RNA interference. Individual depletion of TbAtm and TbMdl led to limited growth defects. In cells downregulated for TbAtm, the enzymatic activities of the Fe-S cluster proteins aconitase and fumarase significantly decreased in the cytosol but not in the mitochondrion. Downregulation of TbMdl did not cause any change in activities of the Fe-S proteins. Unexpectedly, the simultaneous downregulation of TbAtm and TbMdl did not result in any growth defect, nor were the Fe-S cluster protein activities altered in either the cytosolic or mitochondrial compartments. Additionally, TbAtm and TbMdl were able to partially restore the growth of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Δatm1 and Δmdl2 null mutants, respectively. Because T. brucei completely lost the heme b biosynthesis pathway, this cofactor has to be obtained from the host. Based on our results, TbMdl is a candidate for mitochondrial import of heme b, which was markedly decreased in both TbMdl and TbAtm + TbMdl knockdowns. Moreover, the levels of heme a were strongly decreased in the same knockdowns, suggesting that TbMdl plays a key role in heme a biosynthesis, thus affecting the overall heme homeostasis in T. brucei. © 2015 FEBS.

Activation of MDL-1 (CLEC5A) on immature myeloid cells triggers lethal shock in mice

PubMed Central

Cheung, Ricky; Shen, Fran; Phillips, Joseph H.; McGeachy, Mandy J.; Cua, Daniel J.; Heyworth, Paul G.; Pierce, Robert H.

2011-01-01

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a potentially lethal condition, as it can progress to shock, multi-organ failure, and death. It can be triggered by infection, tissue damage, or hemorrhage. The role of tissue injury in the progression from SIRS to shock is incompletely understood. Here, we show that treatment of mice with concanavalin A (ConA) to induce liver injury triggered a G-CSF–dependent hepatic infiltration of CD11b+Gr-1+Ly6G+Ly6C+ immature myeloid cells that expressed the orphan receptor myeloid DAP12–associated lectin–1 (MDL-1; also known as CLEC5A). Activation of MDL-1 using dengue virus or an agonist MDL-1–specific antibody in the ConA-treated mice resulted in shock. The MDL-1+ cells were pathogenic, and in vivo depletion of MDL-1+ cells provided protection. Triggering MDL-1 on these cells induced production of NO and TNF-α, which were found to be elevated in the serum of treated mice and required for MDL-1–induced shock. Surprisingly, MDL-1–induced NO and TNF-α production required eNOS but not iNOS. Activation of DAP12, DAP10, Syk, PI3K, and Akt was critical for MDL-1–induced shock. In addition, Akt physically interacted with and activated eNOS. Therefore, triggering of MDL-1 on immature myeloid cells and production of NO and TNF-α may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of shock. Targeting the MDL-1/Syk/PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway represents a potential new therapeutic strategy to prevent the progression of SIRS to shock. PMID:22005300

Activation of mitochondrial calpain and increased cardiac injury: beyond AIF release

PubMed Central

Thompson, Jeremy; Hu, Ying; Lesnefsky, Edward J.

2015-01-01

Calpain 1 (CPN1) is a ubiquitous cysteine protease that exists in both cytosol and cardiac mitochondria. Mitochondrial CPN1 (mit-CPN1) is located in the intermembrane space and matrix. Activation of mit-CPN1 within the intermembrane space increases cardiac injury by releasing apoptosis-inducing factor from mitochondria during ischemia-reperfusion (IR). We asked if activation of mit-CPN1 is involved in mitochondrial injury during IR. MDL-28170 (MDL) was used to inhibit CPN1 in buffer-perfused hearts following 25-min ischemia and 30-min reperfusion. MDL treatment decreased the release of lactate dehydrogenase into coronary effluent compared with untreated hearts, indicating that inhibition of CPN1 decreases cardiac injury. MDL also prevented the cleavage of spectrin (a substrate of CPN1) in cytosol during IR, supporting that MDL treatment decreased cytosolic calpain activation. In addition, MDL markedly improved calcium retention capacity compared with untreated heart, suggesting that MDL treatment decreases mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. In addition, we found that IR led to decreased complex I activity, whereas inhibition of mit-CPN1 using MDL protected complex I. Pyruvate dehydrogenase content was decreased following IR. However, pyruvate dehydrogenase content was preserved in MDL-treated mitochondria. Taken together, MDL treatment decreased cardiac injury during IR by inhibiting both cytosolic and mit-CPN1. Activation of mit-CPN1 increases cardiac injury during IR by sensitizing mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and impairing mitochondrial metabolism through damage of complex I. PMID:26637561

Patch-Based Generative Shape Model and MDL Model Selection for Statistical Analysis of Archipelagos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganz, Melanie; Nielsen, Mads; Brandt, Sami

We propose a statistical generative shape model for archipelago-like structures. These kind of structures occur, for instance, in medical images, where our intention is to model the appearance and shapes of calcifications in x-ray radio graphs. The generative model is constructed by (1) learning a patch-based dictionary for possible shapes, (2) building up a time-homogeneous Markov model to model the neighbourhood correlations between the patches, and (3) automatic selection of the model complexity by the minimum description length principle. The generative shape model is proposed as a probability distribution of a binary image where the model is intended to facilitate sequential simulation. Our results show that a relatively simple model is able to generate structures visually similar to calcifications. Furthermore, we used the shape model as a shape prior in the statistical segmentation of calcifications, where the area overlap with the ground truth shapes improved significantly compared to the case where the prior was not used.

Boundary-to-Marker Evidence-Controlled Segmentation and MDL-Based Contour Inference for Overlapping Nuclei.

PubMed

Song, Jie; Xiao, Liang; Lian, Zhichao

2017-03-01

This paper presents a novel method for automated morphology delineation and analysis of cell nuclei in histopathology images. Combining the initial segmentation information and concavity measurement, the proposed method first segments clusters of nuclei into individual pieces, avoiding segmentation errors introduced by the scale-constrained Laplacian-of-Gaussian filtering. After that a nuclear boundary-to-marker evidence computing is introduced to delineate individual objects after the refined segmentation process. The obtained evidence set is then modeled by the periodic B-splines with the minimum description length principle, which achieves a practical compromise between the complexity of the nuclear structure and its coverage of the fluorescence signal to avoid the underfitting and overfitting results. The algorithm is computationally efficient and has been tested on the synthetic database as well as 45 real histopathology images. By comparing the proposed method with several state-of-the-art methods, experimental results show the superior recognition performance of our method and indicate the potential applications of analyzing the intrinsic features of nuclei morphology.

Antioxidant properties of MDL and MMDL, two nicergoline metabolites, during chronic administration of haloperidol.

PubMed

Vairetti, Mariapia; Battaglia, Angelo; Carfagna, Nicola; Luigi Canonico, Pier; Bertè, Francantonio; Richelmi, Plinio

2002-10-18

We evaluated the effects of 10-alpha-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MDL) and 1-methyl-10-alpha-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MMDL), two nicergoline metabolites, during chronic treatment with haloperidol in rats. Haloperidol induced a significant decrease in the glutathione (GSH) content in selected areas of the brain and in the liver. Prolonged administration of MDL, MMDL or nicergoline antagonized the haloperidol-induced GSH decrease. Lipid peroxidation in the cortex and striatum was suppressed by MDL, MMDL or nicergoline administration. Our results show that MDL, MMDL and nicergoline have antioxidant activity, preventing not only GSH depletion but also lipid peroxidation. These observations suggest beneficial properties of MDL and MMDL in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced side effects. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

Over 20 years of reaction access systems from MDL: a novel reaction substructure search algorithm.

PubMed

Chen, Lingran; Nourse, James G; Christie, Bradley D; Leland, Burton A; Grier, David L

2002-01-01

From REACCS, to MDL ISIS/Host Reaction Gateway, and most recently to MDL Relational Chemistry Server, a new product based on Oracle data cartridge technology, MDL's reaction database management and retrieval systems have undergone great changes. The evolution of the system architecture is briefly discussed. The evolution of MDL reaction substructure search (RSS) algorithms is detailed. This article mainly describes a novel RSS algorithm. This algorithm is based on a depth-first search approach and is able to fully and prospectively use reaction specific information, such as reacting center and atom-atom mapping (AAM) information. The new algorithm has been used in the recently released MDL Relational Chemistry Server and allows the user to precisely find reaction instances in databases while minimizing unrelated hits. Finally, the existing and new RSS algorithms are compared with several examples.

Quantification of MDL-induced signal degradation in MIMO-OFDM mode-division multiplexing systems.

PubMed

Tian, Yu; Li, Juhao; Zhu, Paikun; Wu, Zhongying; Chen, Yuanxiang; He, Yongqi; Chen, Zhangyuan

2016-08-22

Mode-division multiplexing (MDM) transmission over few-mode optical fiber has emerged as a promising technology to enhance transmission capacity, in which multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) digital signal processing (DSP) after coherent detection is used to demultiplex the signals. Compared with conventional single-mode systems, MIMO-MDM systems suffer non-recoverable signal degradation induced by mode-dependent loss (MDL). In this paper, the MDL-induced signal degradation in orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) MDM systems is theoretically quantified in terms of mode-average error vector magnitude (EVM) through frequency domain norm analysis. A novel scalar MDL metric is proposed considering the probability distribution of the practical MDM input signals, and a closed-form expression for EVM measured after zero-force (ZF) MIMO equalization is derived. Simulation results show that the EVM estimations utilizing the novel MDL metric remain unbiased for unrepeated links. For a 6 × 100 km 20-mode MDM transmission system, the estimation accuracy is improved by more than 90% compared with that utilizing traditional condition number (CN) based MDL metric. The proposed MDL metric can be used to predict the MDL-induced SNR penalty in a theoretical manner, which will be beneficial for the design of practical MIMO-MDM systems.

Automated Test Methods for XML Metadata

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-28

Group under RCC Task TG-147. This document (Volume VI of the RCC Document 118 series) describes procedures used for evaluating XML metadata documents...including TMATS, MDL, IHAL, and DDML documents. These documents contain specifications or descriptions of artifacts and systems of importance to...the collection and management of telemetry data. The methods defined in this report provide a means of evaluating the suitability of such a metadata

Fault Network Reconstruction using Agglomerative Clustering: Applications to South Californian Seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamer, Yavor; Ouillon, Guy; Sornette, Didier; Wössner, Jochen

2014-05-01

We present applications of a new clustering method for fault network reconstruction based on the spatial distribution of seismicity. Unlike common approaches that start from the simplest large scale and gradually increase the complexity trying to explain the small scales, our method uses a bottom-up approach, by an initial sampling of the small scales and then reducing the complexity. The new approach also exploits the location uncertainty associated with each event in order to obtain a more accurate representation of the spatial probability distribution of the seismicity. For a given dataset, we first construct an agglomerative hierarchical cluster (AHC) tree based on Ward's minimum variance linkage. Such a tree starts out with one cluster and progressively branches out into an increasing number of clusters. To atomize the structure into its constitutive protoclusters, we initialize a Gaussian Mixture Modeling (GMM) at a given level of the hierarchical clustering tree. We then let the GMM converge using an Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. The kernels that become ill defined (less than 4 points) at the end of the EM are discarded. By incrementing the number of initialization clusters (by atomizing at increasingly populated levels of the AHC tree) and repeating the procedure above, we are able to determine the maximum number of Gaussian kernels the structure can hold. The kernels in this configuration constitute our protoclusters. In this setting, merging of any pair will lessen the likelihood (calculated over the pdf of the kernels) but in turn will reduce the model's complexity. The information loss/gain of any possible merging can thus be quantified based on the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle. Similar to an inter-distance matrix, where the matrix element di,j gives the distance between points i and j, we can construct a MDL gain/loss matrix where mi,j gives the information gain/loss resulting from the merging of kernels i and j. Based on this matrix, merging events resulting in MDL gain are performed in descending order until no gainful merging is possible anymore. We envision that the results of this study could lead to a better understanding of the complex interactions within the Californian fault system and hopefully use the acquired insights for earthquake forecasting.

Susceptibility of promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes from distinct Leishmania species to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170.

PubMed

de Sousa Araújo, Pedro Soares; de Oliveira, Simone Santiago Carvalho; d'Avila-Levy, Claudia Masini; Dos Santos, André Luis Souza; Branquinha, Marta Helena

2018-05-04

Despite the available drug options, leishmaniasis treatment remains unsatisfactory. The repurposing of calpain inhibitors originally developed for human diseases became an interesting alternative, since Leishmania cells express calpain-related proteins. The susceptibility of six Leishmania species (L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis, L. major, L. mexicana, L. chagasi, and L. donovani) to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was determined. Promastigote and intracellular amastigote viability in the presence of MDL28170 was evaluated. MDL28170 was able to reduce promastigote proliferation in a dose-dependent manner for all the parasites. A significant reduction on the general parasite metabolism was detected, as judged by resazurin assay, as well as induced important morphological alterations, including rounding promastigotes and loss of the flagellum. MDL28170 was also able to reduce the number of intracellular amastigotes in RAW macrophages. The susceptibility of both parasite stages (promastigotes and amastigotes) to MDL28170 was similar for all Leishmania species tested. MDL28170 showed a much higher toxicity to Leishmania amastigotes when compared with mammalian macrophages, displaying selectivity index values varying from 13.1 to 39.8. These results suggest that the development of calpain inhibitors may represent an interesting alternative in the treatment of leishmaniasis.

The effect of 7, 8-methylenedioxylycoctonine-type diterpenoid alkaloids on the toxicity of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp.) in cattle.

PubMed

Welch, K D; Green, B T; Gardner, D R; Cook, D; Pfister, J A; Panter, K E

2012-07-01

Delphinium spp. contain numerous norditerpenoid alkaloids which are structurally delineated as 7, 8-methylenedioxylycoctonine (MDL) and N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine (MSAL)-type alkaloids. The toxicity of many tall larkspur species has been primarily attributed to their increased concentration of MSAL-type alkaloids, such as methyllycaconitine (MLA), which are typically 20 times more toxic than MDL-type alkaloids. However, the less toxic MDL-type alkaloids are often more abundant than MSAL-type alkaloids in most Delphinium barbeyi and Delphinium occidentale populations. Previous research demonstrated that MDL-type alkaloids increase the acute toxicity of MSAL-type alkaloids. In this study, we examined the role of MDL-type alkaloids on the overall toxicity of tall larkspur plants to cattle while controlling for the exact dose of MSAL-type alkaloids. Cattle were dosed with plant material from 2 different populations of tall larkspur containing either almost exclusively MDL- or MSAL-type alkaloids. These 2 plant populations were combined to create mixtures with ratios of 0.3:1, 1:1, 5:1, and 10:1 MDL- to MSAL-type alkaloids. The dose that elicited similar clinical signs of poisoning in mice and cattle was determined for each mixture on the basis of the MSAL-type alkaloid content. As the ratio of MDL- to MSAL-type alkaloids increased, the amount of MSAL-type alkaloids required to elicit clinical signs decreased. These results indicate that the less toxic MDL-type alkaloids in tall larkspur exacerbate the toxicity of the MSAL-type alkaloids. Consequently, both the amount of MSAL-type alkaloids and the amount of total alkaloids should be fully characterized to determine more accurately the relative toxicity of tall larkspur plant material.

Enzyme immunoassay of two nicergoline metabolites, 10 alpha-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrolysergol (MDL) and 1-methyl-10 alpha-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrolysergol (MMDL).

PubMed

Chen, P; Tian, Z; Digenis, G A; Tai, H H

1996-06-01

Specific and sensitive enzyme immunoassays for two nicergoline metabolites, 10 alpha-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrolysergol (MDL) and 1-methyl-10 alpha-methoxy-9, 10-dihydrolysergol (MMDL) have been developed. The hydroxyl group of hydroxymethyl at position 8 of either MDL or MMDL was carboxymethylated to introduce a carboxyl group for protein conjugation. Antibodies generated from O-carboxymethyl MDL or MMDL recognized the spacer arm between the hapten and the carrier protein and the molecular domain near the conjugation site as well. A heterologous bridge strategy was used to improve the affinity of the hapten-enzyme conjugate to the antibodies. The sensitivity of both assays was greatly increased by using such an approach. Both antibodies are specific for their own haptens. Little cross reactivity was observed with nicergoline and other metabolites. Determination of MDL and MMDL from both spiked plasma and urine showed nearly quantitative recovery. Detection of MDL and MMDL can be as sensitive as 10 pg/ml.

40 CFR 721.2582 - Reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reaction product of alkylene diamine... Reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine (generic). (a... generically as reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine...

40 CFR 721.2582 - Reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reaction product of alkylene diamine... Reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine (generic). (a... generically as reaction product of alkylene diamine, MDl, substituted carbomonocyclic amine and alkylamine...

Assessment of soil-gas contamination at three former fuel-dispensing sites, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 2010—2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, Andral W.; Falls, W. Fred; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.; Ratliff, W. Hagan; Wellborn, John B.; Landmeyer, James E.

2012-01-01

Soil gas was assessed for contaminants at three former fuel-dispensing sites at Fort Gordon, Georgia, from October 2010 to September 2011. The assessment included delineation of organic contaminants using soil-gas samplers collected from the former fuel-dispensing sites at 8th Street, Chamberlain Avenue, and 12th Street. This assessment was conducted to provide environmental contamination data to Fort Gordon personnel pursuant to requirements for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B Hazardous Waste Permit process. Soil-gas samplers installed and retrieved during June and August 2011 at the 8th Street site had detections above the method detection level (MDL) for the mass of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), benzene, toluene, ortho-xylene, undecane, tridecane, pentadecane, and chloroform. Total petroleum hydrocarbons soil-gas mass exceeded the MDL of 0.02 microgram in 54 of the 55 soil-gas samplers. The highest detection of TPH soil-gas mass was 146.10 micrograms, located in the central part of the site. Benzene mass exceeded the MDL of 0.01 microgram in 23 soil-gas samplers, whereas toluene was detected in only 10 soil-gas samplers. Ortho-xylene was detected above the MDL in only one soil-gas sampler. The highest soil-gas mass detected for undecane, tridecane, and pentadecane was located in the northeastern corner of the 8th Street site. Chloroform mass greater than the MDL of 0.01 microgram was detected in less than one-third of the soil-gas samplers. Soil-gas masses above the MDL were identified for TPH, gasoline-related compounds, diesel-range alkanes, trimethylbenzenes, naphthalene, 2-methyl-napthalene, octane, and tetrachloroethylene for the July 2011 soil-gas survey at the Chamberlain Avenue site. All 30 of the soil-gas samplers contained TPH mass above the MDL. The highest detection of TPH mass, 426.36 micrograms, was for a soil-gas sampler located near the northern boundary of the site. Gasoline-related compounds and diesel-range alkanes were detected in multiple soil-gas samplers, and the highest detections of these compounds were located near the central part of the site near existing, nonoperational, fuel-dispensing pumps. Trimethylbenzenes were detected in less than half of the soil-gas samplers. Naphthalene soil-gas mass was detected above the MDL in 10 soil-gas samplers, whereas 2-methyl-napthalene was detected above the MDL in half of the soil-gas samplers. Octane mass was detected above the MDL in one soil-gas sampler located near the central part of the site. Tetrachloroethylene soil-gas mass was detected above the MDL in more than half of the soil-gas samplers, and the highest tetrachloroethylene soil-gas mass of 0.90 microgram was located in the northeastern part of the site. Soil-gas samplers collected at the 12th Street site during July 2011 contained soil-gas mass above the MDL for TPH, toluene, undecane, tridecane, and pentadecane (diesel-range alkanes), trichloroethylene, 1,4-dichlorobenzene, chloroform, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene. The highest detected TPH mass was 24.37 micrograms in a soil-gas sampler located in the northern part of the site. The highest detection of toluene soil-gas mass was from a soil-gas sampler located near the southern boundary of the site. The diesel-range alkanes were detected above the MDL in five soil-gas samplers; the highest detection of soil-gas diesel mass, 0.65 microgram, was located in the southern part of the site. Trichloroethylene and 1,4-dichlorobenzene were detected above the MDL in the northern part of the site in one soil-gas sampler that also had one of the highest detections of TPH. Chloroform was detected above the MDL in three soil-gas samplers, whereas 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene soil-gas mass was detected above the MDL in two soil-gas samplers.

Synthetic musk in seafood products from south Europe using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe extraction method.

PubMed

Saraiva, M; Cavalheiro, J; Lanceleur, L; Monperrus, M

2016-06-01

This study aims at developing a method for the determination of 9 synthetic musk compounds in seafood products by combining the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method and determination by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). Method detection limits (MDL) ranging between 0.001 and 1.94 ng g(-1) were obtained. The linearity is higher than 0.9899 in the range MDL - 100 ng g(-1) with precision below 18% and recoveries between 46% and 120% were obtained. The method was applied to quantify musk compounds in seafood products from the European southwest coast (oysters, mussels, salmon organs, glass eels). Galaxolide and Tonalide exhibited the highest concentration levels ranging between MDL - 96.4 ng g(-1) and MDL - 6.85 ng g(-1), respectively. Contamination levels observed for the two nitro musks (musk xylene and musk ketone) are significantly lower ranging between MDL - 0.6 ng g(-1) and MDL - 0.09 ng g(-1), respectively. Analysis of different organs of salmons showed higher concentrations in liver and gonad than in muscle tissues. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using Airborne LiDAR Data

PubMed Central

Jung, Jaewook; Jwa, Yoonseok; Sohn, Gunho

2017-01-01

With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) technique. The regularity of the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL) combined with Hypothesize and Test (HAT). The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The performance of the proposed method is tested over the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) benchmark datasets. The results show that the proposed method can robustly produce accurate regularized 3D building rooftop models. PMID:28335486

Implicit Regularization for Reconstructing 3D Building Rooftop Models Using Airborne LiDAR Data.

PubMed

Jung, Jaewook; Jwa, Yoonseok; Sohn, Gunho

2017-03-19

With rapid urbanization, highly accurate and semantically rich virtualization of building assets in 3D become more critical for supporting various applications, including urban planning, emergency response and location-based services. Many research efforts have been conducted to automatically reconstruct building models at city-scale from remotely sensed data. However, developing a fully-automated photogrammetric computer vision system enabling the massive generation of highly accurate building models still remains a challenging task. One the most challenging task for 3D building model reconstruction is to regularize the noises introduced in the boundary of building object retrieved from a raw data with lack of knowledge on its true shape. This paper proposes a data-driven modeling approach to reconstruct 3D rooftop models at city-scale from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data. The focus of the proposed method is to implicitly derive the shape regularity of 3D building rooftops from given noisy information of building boundary in a progressive manner. This study covers a full chain of 3D building modeling from low level processing to realistic 3D building rooftop modeling. In the element clustering step, building-labeled point clouds are clustered into homogeneous groups by applying height similarity and plane similarity. Based on segmented clusters, linear modeling cues including outer boundaries, intersection lines, and step lines are extracted. Topology elements among the modeling cues are recovered by the Binary Space Partitioning (BSP) technique. The regularity of the building rooftop model is achieved by an implicit regularization process in the framework of Minimum Description Length (MDL) combined with Hypothesize and Test (HAT). The parameters governing the MDL optimization are automatically estimated based on Min-Max optimization and Entropy-based weighting method. The performance of the proposed method is tested over the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) benchmark datasets. The results show that the proposed method can robustly produce accurate regularized 3D building rooftop models.

Protective Effects of Calpain Inhibition on Neurovascular Unit Injury through Downregulating Nuclear Factor-κB-related Inflammation during Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice

PubMed Central

Tao, Xiao-Gang; Shi, Jing-Hua; Hao, Shu-Yu; Chen, Xue-Tao; Liu, Bai-Yun

2017-01-01

Background: In addition to neurons, all components of the neurovascular unit (NVU), such as glial, endothelial, and basal membranes, are destroyed during traumatic brain injury (TBI). Previous studies have shown that excessive stimulation of calpain is crucial for cerebral injury after traumatic insult. The objective of this study was to investigate whether calpain activation participated in NVU disruption and edema formation in a mouse model of controlled cortical impact (CCI). Methods: One hundred and eight mice were divided into three groups: the sham group, the control group, and the MDL28170 group. MDL28170 (20 mg/kg), an efficient calpain inhibitor, was administered intraperitoneally at 5 min, 3 h, and 6 h after experimental CCI. We then measured neurobehavioral deficits, calpain activity, inflammatory mediator levels, blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption, and NVU deficits using electron microscopy and histopathological analysis at 6 h and 24 h after CCI. Results: The MDL28170 treatment significantly reduced the extent of both cerebral contusion (MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 16.90 ± 1.01 mm3 and 17.20 ± 1.17 mm3 vs. 9.30 ± 1.05 mm3 and 9.90 ± 1.17 mm3, both P < 0.001) and edema (MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 80.76 ± 1.25% and 82.00 ± 1.84% vs. 82.55 ± 1.32% and 83.64 ± 1.25%, both P < 0.05), improved neurological scores (MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 7.50 ± 0.45 and 6.33 ± 0.38 vs. 12.33 ± 0.48 and 11.67 ± 0.48, both P < 0.001), and attenuated NVU damage resulting (including tight junction (TJ), basement membrane, BBB, and neuron) from CCI at 6 h and 24 h. Moreover, MDL28170 markedly downregulated nuclear factor-κB-related inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]: MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 1.15 ± 0.07 and 1.62 ± 0.08 vs. 1.59 ± 0.10 and 2.18 ± 0.10, both P < 0.001; inducible nitric oxide synthase: MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 4.51 ± 0.23 vs. 6.23 ± 0.12, P < 0.001 at 24 h; intracellular adhesion molecule-1: MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 1.45 ± 0.13 vs. 1.70 ± 0.12, P < 0.01 at 24 h) and lessened both myeloperoxidase activity (MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 0.016 ± 0.001 and 0.016 ± 0.001 vs. 0.024 ± 0.001 and 0.023 ± 0.001, P < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels (MDL28170 vs. vehicle group, 0.87 ± 0.13 and 1.10 ± 0.10 vs. 1.17 ± 0.13 and 1.25 ± 0.12, P < 0.001 and 0.05, respectively) at 6 h and 24 h after CCI. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that MDL28170 can protect the structure of the NVU by inhibiting the inflammatory cascade, reducing the expression of MMP-9, and supporting the integrity of TJ during acute TBI. PMID:28091411

Meteorological Development Laboratory Student Career Experience Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCalla, C., Sr.

2007-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. The NWS's Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) supports this mission by developing meteorological prediction methods. Given this mission, NOAA, NWS, and MDL all have a need to continually recruit talented scientists. One avenue for recruiting such talented scientist is the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Through SCEP, MDL offers undergraduate and graduate students majoring in meteorology, computer science, mathematics, oceanography, physics, and statistics the opportunity to alternate full-time paid employment with periods of full-time study. Using SCEP as a recruiting vehicle, MDL has employed students who possess some of the very latest technical skills and knowledge needed to make meaningful contributions to projects within the lab. MDL has recently expanded its use of SCEP and has increased the number of students (sometimes called co- ops) in its program. As a co-op, a student can expect to develop and implement computer based scientific techniques, participate in the development of statistical algorithms, assist in the analysis of meteorological data, and verify forecasts. This presentation will focus on describing recruitment, projects, and the application process related to MDL's SCEP. In addition, this presentation will also briefly explore the career paths of students who successfully completed the program.

Comparison of the effects of Truview PCD™ video laryngoscopy and Macintosh blade direct laryngoscopy in geriatric patients.

PubMed

Kurnaz, Muhammed M; Sarıtaş, Aykut

2016-12-01

To compare the effects of Truview PCD™ video laryngoscopy (TVL) and Macintosh blade direct laryngoscopy (MDL) on hemodynamic responses observed during laryngoscopy and orotracheal intubation conditions in geriatric patients. Randomized prospective study. Operating room. One hundred patients in the risk group American Society of Anesthesiologists I to III aged 65 years and older underwent elective surgery under general anesthesia. This prospective study was performed between January 2014 and February 2015 after institutional ethics committee approval. Patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups, namely, TVL and MDL. Hemodynamic parameters, modified Cormack-Lehane grade, intubation period, and preoperative examination (age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists, modified Mallampati test score, and thyromental and sternomental distances) of patients were evaluated. There were no statistically significant differences in hemodynamic responses (heart rates and mean arterial pressure) between the 2 groups (P>.05). The median intubation period in the TVL group was significantly higher than observed in the MDL group (t=4.594; P<.05). The laryngoscopy views in TVL group were better than the views in MDL group. The Cormack-Lehane grade in the TVL group was lower when compared to the MDL group. The TVL system does not provide significant hemodynamic response sparing or shorten orotracheal intubation times when compared to MDL in geriatric patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling and performance metrics of MIMO-SDM systems with different amplification schemes in the presence of mode-dependent loss.

PubMed

Antonelli, Cristian; Mecozzi, Antonio; Shtaif, Mark; Winzer, Peter J

2015-02-09

Mode-dependent loss (MDL) is a major factor limiting the achievable information rate in multiple-input multiple-output space-division multiplexed systems. In this paper we show that its impact on system performance, which we quantify in terms of the capacity reduction relative to a reference MDL-free system, may depend strongly on the operation of the inline optical amplifiers. This dependency is particularly strong in low mode-count systems. In addition, we discuss ways in which the signal-to-noise ratio of the MDL-free reference system can be defined and quantify the differences in the predicted capacity loss. Finally, we stress the importance of correctly accounting for the effect of MDL on the accumulation of amplification noise.

Statistical modeling, detection, and segmentation of stains in digitized fabric images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gururajan, Arunkumar; Sari-Sarraf, Hamed; Hequet, Eric F.

2007-02-01

This paper will describe a novel and automated system based on a computer vision approach, for objective evaluation of stain release on cotton fabrics. Digitized color images of the stained fabrics are obtained, and the pixel values in the color and intensity planes of these images are probabilistically modeled as a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). Stain detection is posed as a decision theoretic problem, where the null hypothesis corresponds to absence of a stain. The null hypothesis and the alternate hypothesis mathematically translate into a first order GMM and a second order GMM respectively. The parameters of the GMM are estimated using a modified Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm. Minimum Description Length (MDL) is then used as the test statistic to decide the verity of the null hypothesis. The stain is then segmented by a decision rule based on the probability map generated by the EM algorithm. The proposed approach was tested on a dataset of 48 fabric images soiled with stains of ketchup, corn oil, mustard, ragu sauce, revlon makeup and grape juice. The decision theoretic part of the algorithm produced a correct detection rate (true positive) of 93% and a false alarm rate of 5% on these set of images.

Compact TDLAS based optical sensor for ppb-level ethane detection by use of a 3.34 μm room-temperature CW interband cascade laser

DOE PAGES

Li, Chunguang; Dong, Lei; Zheng, Chuantao; ...

2016-03-26

A mid-infrared ethane (C 2H 6) sensor based on a wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique was developed using a thermoelectrically cooled (TEC), continuous-wave (CW) interband cascade laser (ICL) emitting at 3.34 μm and a dense multi-pass gas cell (MPGC, 17 × 6.5 × 5.5 cm 3) with a 54.6 m optical path length. A compact optical sensor system with a physical size of 35.5 × 18 × 12.5 cm 3 was designed and constructed. An ICL was employed for targeting a strong C 2H 6 line at 2996.88 cm -1 at <100 Torr gas pressure in the fundamental absorption bandmore » of C 2H 6. The sensor performance, including the minimum detection limit (MDL) and the stability were improved by reducing the effect of laser power drift by means of the 2f/1f-WMS technique. A MDL of ~1.2 parts per billion (ppbv) for 2f-WMS and ~1.0 ppbv for 2f/1f-WMS were achieved, respectively, with a measurement time of 4 s. The MDL was further improved from 299 pptv (@108 s for 2f-WMS) to 239 pptv (@208 s for 2f/1f-WMS), based on an Allan deviation analysis.The rise time (@0 → 100 ppbv) and fall time (@100 → 0 ppbv) were determined to be ~64 s and ~48 s,respectively, at a gas pressure of <100 Torr for the C 2H 6 sensor operation.« less

Compact TDLAS based optical sensor for ppb-level ethane detection by use of a 3.34 μm room-temperature CW interband cascade laser

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

Li, Chunguang; Dong, Lei; Zheng, Chuantao

A mid-infrared ethane (C 2H 6) sensor based on a wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique was developed using a thermoelectrically cooled (TEC), continuous-wave (CW) interband cascade laser (ICL) emitting at 3.34 μm and a dense multi-pass gas cell (MPGC, 17 × 6.5 × 5.5 cm 3) with a 54.6 m optical path length. A compact optical sensor system with a physical size of 35.5 × 18 × 12.5 cm 3 was designed and constructed. An ICL was employed for targeting a strong C 2H 6 line at 2996.88 cm -1 at <100 Torr gas pressure in the fundamental absorption bandmore » of C 2H 6. The sensor performance, including the minimum detection limit (MDL) and the stability were improved by reducing the effect of laser power drift by means of the 2f/1f-WMS technique. A MDL of ~1.2 parts per billion (ppbv) for 2f-WMS and ~1.0 ppbv for 2f/1f-WMS were achieved, respectively, with a measurement time of 4 s. The MDL was further improved from 299 pptv (@108 s for 2f-WMS) to 239 pptv (@208 s for 2f/1f-WMS), based on an Allan deviation analysis.The rise time (@0 → 100 ppbv) and fall time (@100 → 0 ppbv) were determined to be ~64 s and ~48 s,respectively, at a gas pressure of <100 Torr for the C 2H 6 sensor operation.« less

Fluorescence stopped-flow study of the interaction of tubulin with the antimitotic drug MDL 27048.

PubMed

Silence, K; D'Hoore, A; Engelborghs, Y; Peyrot, V; Briand, C

1992-11-17

The kinetics of the binding of MDL 27048 to tubulin have been studied by fluorescence stopped flow. The binding is accompanied by a fluorescence increase. The time course can be described by a sum of two exponentials, assumed to be due to the presence of two major tubulin isoforms. The observed rate constants depend in a nonlinear way on the concentration of MDL in pseudo-first-order conditions. This concentration dependence can be described by the presence of a fast equilibrium of low affinity, followed by an isomerization of the initial complex. The dissociation kinetics have been studied by displacement experiments, in which MTC was used as a competitive ligand. The reaction enthalpy change for the first binding equilibrium and the activation energies for the forward and reverse steps of the isomerization were determined from the temperature dependence. This was possible for the two tubulin isotype populations. The kinetics of the binding of MDL to tubulin are slowed down in the presence of 3',4',5'-trimethoxyacetophenone, a fast binding analog of the colchicine A-ring, but are not influenced by the binding of tropolone methyl ether, indicating that the binding site of MDL has the A-subsite in common with colchicine, but not the C-subsite.

Involvement of CYP2D6 but not CYP2C19 in nicergoline metabolism in humans.

PubMed

Böttiger, Y; Dostert, P; Benedetti, M S; Bani, M; Fiorentini, F; Casati, M; Poggesti, I; Alm, C; Alvan, G; Bertilsson, L

1996-12-01

1. Nicergoline, an ergot derivative previously used as a vasodilator, has gained a new indication in treating the symptoms of senile dementia. 2. Nicergoline is rapidly hydrolysed to an alcohol derivative, 1-methyl-10-alpha-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MMDL), which is further N-demethylated to form 10-alpha-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MDL). A few individuals display aberrant metabolism of this drug, as shown by their diminished capacity to form the MDL metabolite. The aim of this study was to determine whether defective nicergoline metabolism is associated with the debrisoquine and/or the S-mephenytoin hydroxylation polymorphisms. 3. After a single, oral 30 mg dose of nicergoline, the plasma concentrations of its two metabolites were studied in 15 subjects, divided into three groups with respect to their debrisoquine and S-mephenytoin hydroxylation phenotypes. 4. The pharmacokinetic parameters of MMDL and MDL were similar in the ten subjects who were extensive metabolisers of debrisoquine (five of whom were poor metabolisers of S-mephenytoin) (mean MMDL Cmax 59 nmol l-1 and AUC (0, th) 144 nmol l-1h, mean MDL Cmax 183 nmol l-1 and AUC 2627 nmol l-1h) but were markedly different from the five subjects who were poor metabolisers of debrisoquine (mean MMDL Cmax 356 nmol l-1 and AUC 10512 nmol l-1h, MDL concentrations below limit of quantitation). 5. We conclude that the formation of MDL from MMDL in the metabolism of nicergoline is catalysed to a major extent by CYP2D6 and that the observed interindividual variation in the metabolic pattern of the drug is related to the debrisoquine hydroxylation polymorphism.

Involvement of CYP2D6 but not CYP2C19 in nicergoline metabolism in humans

PubMed Central

BÖTTIGER, Y.; DOSTERT, P.; STROLIN BENEDETTI, M.; BANI, M.; FIORENTINI, F.; CASATI, M.; POGGESTI, I.; ALM, C.; ALVAN, G.; BERTILSSON, L.

1996-01-01

1Nicergoline, an ergot derivative previously used as a vasodilator, has gained a new indication in treating the symptoms of senile dementia. 2Nicergoline is rapidly hydrolysed to an alcohol derivative, 1-methyl-10-α-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MMDL), which is further N-demethylated to form 10-α-methoxy-9,10-dihydrolysergol (MDL). A few individuals display aberrant metabolism of this drug, as shown by their diminished capacity to form the MDL metabolite. The aim of this study was to determine whether defective nicergoline metabolism is associated with the debrisoquine and/or the S-mephenytoin hydroxylation polymorphisms. 3After a single, oral 30 mg dose of nicergoline, the plasma concentrations of its two metabolites were studied in 15 subjects, divided into three groups with respect to their debrisoquine and S-mephenytoin hydroxylation phenotypes. 4The pharmacokinetic parameters of MMDL and MDL were similar in the ten subjects who were extensive metabolisers of debrisoquine (five of whom were poor metabolisers of S-mephenytoin) (mean MMDL Cmax 59 nmol l−1 and AUC (0, th) 144 nmol l−1h, mean MDL Cmax 183 nmol l−1 and AUC 2627 nmol l−1h) but were markedly different from the five subjects who were poor metabolisers of debrisoquine (mean MMDL Cmax 356 nmol l−1 and AUC 10512 nmol l−1h, MDL concentrations below limit of quantitation). 5We conclude that the formation of MDL from MMDL in the metabolism of nicergoline is catalysed to a major extent by CYP2D6 and that the observed interindividual variation in the metabolic pattern of the drug is related to the debrisoquine hydroxylation polymorphism. PMID:8971425

IMIRSEL: a secure music retrieval testing environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downie, John S.

2004-10-01

The Music Information Retrieval (MIR) and Music Digital Library (MDL) research communities have long noted the need for formal evaluation mechanisms. Issues concerning the unavailability of freely-available music materials have greatly hindered the creation of standardized test collections with which these communities could scientifically assess the strengths and weaknesses of their various music retrieval techniques. The International Music Information Retrieval Systems Evaluation Laboratory (IMIRSEL) is being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) specifically to overcome this hindrance to the scientific evaluation of MIR/MDL systems. Together with its subsidiary Human Use of Music Information Retrieval Systems (HUMIRS) project, IMIRSEL will allow MIR/MDL researchers access to the standardized large-scale collection of copyright-sensitive music materials and standardized test queries being housed at UIUC's National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Virtual Research Labs (VRL), based upon NCSA's Data-to-Knowledge (D2K) tool set, are being developed through which MIR/MDL researchers will interact with the music materials under a "trusted code" security model.

Using the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory LT-MDL to Evaluate and Analyze Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonn, Bernadine A.

2008-01-01

A long-term method detection level (LT-MDL) and laboratory reporting level (LRL) are used by the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) when reporting results from most chemical analyses of water samples. Changing to this method provided data users with additional information about their data and often resulted in more reported values in the low concentration range. Before this method was implemented, many of these values would have been censored. The use of the LT-MDL and LRL presents some challenges for the data user. Interpreting data in the low concentration range increases the need for adequate quality assurance because even small contamination or recovery problems can be relatively large compared to concentrations near the LT-MDL and LRL. In addition, the definition of the LT-MDL, as well as the inclusion of low values, can result in complex data sets with multiple censoring levels and reported values that are less than a censoring level. Improper interpretation or statistical manipulation of low-range results in these data sets can result in bias and incorrect conclusions. This document is designed to help data users use and interpret data reported with the LTMDL/ LRL method. The calculation and application of the LT-MDL and LRL are described. This document shows how to extract statistical information from the LT-MDL and LRL and how to use that information in USGS investigations, such as assessing the quality of field data, interpreting field data, and planning data collection for new projects. A set of 19 detailed examples are included in this document to help data users think about their data and properly interpret lowrange data without introducing bias. Although this document is not meant to be a comprehensive resource of statistical methods, several useful methods of analyzing censored data are demonstrated, including Regression on Order Statistics and Kaplan-Meier Estimation. These two statistical methods handle complex censored data sets without resorting to substitution, thereby avoiding a common source of bias and inaccuracy.

The potent cell permeable calpain inhibitor MDL28170 affects the interaction of Leishmania amazonensis with macrophages and shows anti-amastigote activity.

PubMed

Marinho, Fernanda A; Sangenito, Leandro S; Oliveira, Simone S C; De Arruda, Luciana B; D'Ávila-Levy, Claudia M; Santos, André L S; Branquinha, Marta H

2017-10-01

Since the discovery of the28 first drugs used in leishmaniasis treatment up to now, the search for compounds with anti-Leishmania activity without toxic effects and able to overcome the emergency of resistant strains remains a major goal to combat this neglected disease. With this in mind, in the present work, we evaluated the effects of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 on the interaction process of Leishmania amazonensis promastigote forms with murine peritoneal macrophages and on the intracellular amastigotes. Our results showed that the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 at 15 and 30μM significantly reduced the interaction process of promastigotes with macrophages by 16% and 41%, respectively. The inhibitor was also able to drastically reduce the number of infected macrophages in a time- and dose-dependent manner: after only 24h, MDL28170 was able to significantly diminish the infection rate, presenting an IC 50 value of 18.2μM for amastigotes. The treatment with MDL28170 did not alter the nitric oxide production, but the production of TNF-α was significantly raised. Altogether, the results presented here contribute to the search of new proteolytic inhibitors able to act in a selective and effective manner against the diseases caused by trypanosomatids. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Susceptibility of Phytomonas serpens to calpain inhibitors in vitro: interference on the proliferation, ultrastructure, cysteine peptidase expression and interaction with the invertebrate host.

PubMed

Oliveira, Simone Santiago Carvalho de; Gonçalves, Diego de Souza; Garcia-Gomes, Aline Dos Santos; Gonçalves, Inês Correa; Seabra, Sergio Henrique; Menna-Barreto, Rubem Figueiredo; Lopes, Angela Hampshire de Carvalho Santos; D'Avila-Levy, Claudia Masini; Santos, André Luis Souza Dos; Branquinha, Marta Helena

2017-01-01

A pleiotropic response to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was detected in the tomato parasite Phytomonas serpens. Ultrastructural studies revealed that MDL28170 caused mitochondrial swelling, shortening of flagellum and disruption of trans Golgi network. This effect was correlated to the inhibition in processing of cruzipain-like molecules, which presented an increase in expression paralleled by decreased proteolytic activity. Concomitantly, a calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase was detected in the parasite extract, the activity of which was repressed by pre-incubation of parasites with MDL28170. Flow cytometry and Western blotting analyses revealed the differential expression of calpain-like proteins (CALPs) in response to the pre-incubation of parasites with the MDL28170, and confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed their surface location. The interaction of promastigotes with explanted salivary glands of the insect Oncopeltus fasciatus was reduced when parasites were pre-treated with MDL28170, which was correlated to reduced levels of surface cruzipain-like and gp63-like molecules. Treatment of parasites with anti-Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) calpain antibody also decreased the adhesion process. Additionally, parasites recovered from the interaction process presented higher levels of surface cruzipain-like and gp63-like molecules, with similar levels of CALPs cross-reactive to anti-Dm-calpain antibody. The results confirm the importance of exploring the use of calpain inhibitors in studying parasites' physiology.

Susceptibility of Phytomonas serpens to calpain inhibitors in vitro: interference on the proliferation, ultrastructure, cysteine peptidase expression and interaction with the invertebrate host

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Simone Santiago Carvalho; Gonçalves, Diego de Souza; Garcia-Gomes, Aline dos Santos; Gonçalves, Inês Correa; Seabra, Sergio Henrique; Menna-Barreto, Rubem Figueiredo; Lopes, Angela Hampshire de Carvalho Santos; D’Avila-Levy, Claudia Masini; dos Santos, André Luis Souza; Branquinha, Marta Helena

2016-01-01

A pleiotropic response to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was detected in the tomato parasite Phytomonas serpens. Ultrastructural studies revealed that MDL28170 caused mitochondrial swelling, shortening of flagellum and disruption of trans Golgi network. This effect was correlated to the inhibition in processing of cruzipain-like molecules, which presented an increase in expression paralleled by decreased proteolytic activity. Concomitantly, a calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase was detected in the parasite extract, the activity of which was repressed by pre-incubation of parasites with MDL28170. Flow cytometry and Western blotting analyses revealed the differential expression of calpain-like proteins (CALPs) in response to the pre-incubation of parasites with the MDL28170, and confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed their surface location. The interaction of promastigotes with explanted salivary glands of the insect Oncopeltus fasciatus was reduced when parasites were pre-treated with MDL28170, which was correlated to reduced levels of surface cruzipain-like and gp63-like molecules. Treatment of parasites with anti-Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) calpain antibody also decreased the adhesion process. Additionally, parasites recovered from the interaction process presented higher levels of surface cruzipain-like and gp63-like molecules, with similar levels of CALPs cross-reactive to anti-Dm-calpain antibody. The results confirm the importance of exploring the use of calpain inhibitors in studying parasites’ physiology. PMID:27925020

Bayesian outcome-based strategy classification.

PubMed

Lee, Michael D

2016-03-01

Hilbig and Moshagen (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21, 1431-1443, 2014) recently developed a method for making inferences about the decision processes people use in multi-attribute forced choice tasks. Their paper makes a number of worthwhile theoretical and methodological contributions. Theoretically, they provide an insightful psychological motivation for a probabilistic extension of the widely-used "weighted additive" (WADD) model, and show how this model, as well as other important models like "take-the-best" (TTB), can and should be expressed in terms of meaningful priors. Methodologically, they develop an inference approach based on the Minimum Description Length (MDL) principles that balances both the goodness-of-fit and complexity of the decision models they consider. This paper aims to preserve these useful contributions, but provide a complementary Bayesian approach with some theoretical and methodological advantages. We develop a simple graphical model, implemented in JAGS, that allows for fully Bayesian inferences about which models people use to make decisions. To demonstrate the Bayesian approach, we apply it to the models and data considered by Hilbig and Moshagen (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21, 1431-1443, 2014), showing how a prior predictive analysis of the models, and posterior inferences about which models people use and the parameter settings at which they use them, can contribute to our understanding of human decision making.

Segmentation of tumor ultrasound image in HIFU therapy based on texture and boundary encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Dong; Xu, Menglong; Quan, Long; Yang, Yan; Qin, Qianqing; Zhu, Wenbin

2015-02-01

It is crucial in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy to detect the tumor precisely with less manual intervention for enhancing the therapy efficiency. Ultrasound image segmentation becomes a difficult task due to signal attenuation, speckle effect and shadows. This paper presents an unsupervised approach based on texture and boundary encoding customized for ultrasound image segmentation in HIFU therapy. The approach oversegments the ultrasound image into some small regions, which are merged by using the principle of minimum description length (MDL) afterwards. Small regions belonging to the same tumor are clustered as they preserve similar texture features. The mergence is completed by obtaining the shortest coding length from encoding textures and boundaries of these regions in the clustering process. The tumor region is finally selected from merged regions by a proposed algorithm without manual interaction. The performance of the method is tested on 50 uterine fibroid ultrasound images from HIFU guiding transducers. The segmentations are compared with manual delineations to verify its feasibility. The quantitative evaluation with HIFU images shows that the mean true positive of the approach is 93.53%, the mean false positive is 4.06%, the mean similarity is 89.92%, the mean norm Hausdorff distance is 3.62% and the mean norm maximum average distance is 0.57%. The experiments validate that the proposed method can achieve favorable segmentation without manual initialization and effectively handle the poor quality of the ultrasound guidance image in HIFU therapy, which indicates that the approach is applicable in HIFU therapy.

Energy Systems Integration News | Energy Systems Integration Facility |

Science.gov Websites

Aids Solar Power in Hawaii Inverter load rejection overvoltage tests completed by NREL with partner the report, Inverter Load Rejection Over-Voltage Testing: SolarCity CRADA Task 1a Final Report. Based % of minimum daytime load (MDL) to 250% of MDL. If those increases are implemented, they will represent

Outmigration patterns in development transition of rural areas.

PubMed

Kaistha, K C

1987-01-01

Using a broadened concept of migration, which includes circulatory migration and commuting, this paper maintains that the patterns of outmigration vary a great deal when the level of development of a rural area is treated as an independent variable. This study uses a stratified conditional sample of 192 households selected from 3 areas: 53 households from a low developed (LDL) area, 56 from a medium (MDL), and 83 from a high (HDL). Data were collected by personal observation, interview, and genealogical methods at both the household and individual level. The households are divided into 3 main categories: 1) non-migrating, 2) commuting only, and 3) migrating (which is further divided into migrating within and migrating outside the boundaries of the district). Results show that 1) 37.51% of household members neither commute nor have migrated outside the village; 2) using the narrow definition of migration, only 10% of males over age 15 migrate, while including commuting in the definition increases the percentage to 40; 3) proportions of non-migrating households decrease from 58.4% for the LDL, to 35.7% for the MDL, to 25.3% for the HDL area; 4) the proportion of commuting only households increases from 26.4% for the LDL, to 35.7% to the MDL, and 55.4% for the HDL area; 5) 15.2% of households in the LDL, 28.6% in the MDL, and 19.3% in the HDL area experience a permanent change in residence; 6) as development accelerates, the overall volume of outmigration increases; 7) the flow of migration from rural to rural areas is mostly limited to the MDL area, while cityward migration increasingly occurs on both LDL and HDL areas; 8) the median age of commuters increases with rising levels of development; and 9) almost all migrants from the LDL area are employed in low prestige occupations, most from the HDL area have higher prestige jobs, and those from the MDL area have both high and low prestige jobs.

Final Environmental Assessment for Proposed Multi-Purpose Machine Gun Range at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), New Jersey

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Proposed MPMGR July 2015 JB MDL, New Jersey 2-2 Heating would be accomplished through electrical, geothermal , heat pump, or solar power. No fuel storage...emissions. Further, to the extent feasible, renewable energy (including, but not limited to solar, wind, geothermal 1 biogas, and biomass) and

40 CFR 141.23 - Inorganic chemical sampling and analytical requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Inorganic Contaminants Contaminant MCL (mg/l) Methodology Detection limit (mg/l) Antimony 0.006 Atomic... January 23, 2006. Unit then, the MCL is 0.05 mg/L. 7 The MDL reported for EPA method 200.9 (Atomic... higher. Using multiple depositions, EPA 200.9 is capable of obtaining MDL of 0.0001 mg/L. 8 Using...

Influence of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine-type alkaloids on the toxic effects associated with ingestion of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp) in cattle.

PubMed

Welch, Kevin D; Green, Benedict T; Gardner, Dale R; Cook, Daniel; Pfister, James A; Stegelmeier, Bryan L; Panter, Kip E; Davis, T Zane

2010-04-01

To determine the contribution of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine (MDL)-type alkaloids to the toxic effects of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp) consumption in cattle. Sixteen 2-year-old Angus steers. Plant material from 3 populations of tall larkspur that contained different concentration ratios of MDL-type-to-N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine (MSAL)-type alkaloids was collected, dried, and finely ground. For each plant population, a dose of ground plant material that would elicit similar clinical signs of toxicosis in cattle after oral administration was determined on the basis of the plants' MSAL-type alkaloid concentration. Cattle were treated via oral gavage with single doses of ground plant material from each of the 3 populations of tall larkspur; each animal underwent 1 to 3 single-dose treatments (> or = 21-day interval between treatments). Heart rate was recorded immediately before (baseline) and 24 hours after each larkspur treatment. Tall larkspur populations with a lower MDL-type-to-MSAL-type alkaloid concentration ratio required a greater amount of MSAL-type alkaloids to cause the expected clinical signs of toxicosis (including increased heart rate) in cattle. Results indicated that the typically less toxic MDL-type alkaloids contributed in a significant manner to the toxic effects of tall larkspur in steers. Consequently, both the concentration of MSAL-type alkaloids and the total concentration of MSAL- and MDL-type alkaloids should be determined when assessing the relative toxicity of tall larkspur populations. These results provide valuable information to determine the risk of toxicosis in cattle grazing on tall larkspur-infested rangelands.

The Relation between Cognitive and Metacognitive Processing: Building Bridges between the SRL, MDL, and SAL Domains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coertjens, Liesje

2018-01-01

Aim: The main aim of this commentary was to connect the insights from the contributions of the special issue on the intersection between depth and the regulation of strategy use. The seven contributions in this special issue stem from three perspectives: self-regulated learning (SRL), model of domain learning (MDL), or the student approaches to…

Demonstration of a portable near-infrared CH4 detection sensor based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Chuan-Tao; Huang, Jian-Qiang; Ye, Wei-Lin; Lv, Mo; Dang, Jing-Min; Cao, Tian-Shu; Chen, Chen; Wang, Yi-Ding

2013-11-01

A portable near-infrared (NIR) CH4 detection sensor based on a distributed feedback (DFB) laser modulated at 1.654 μm is experimentally demonstrated. Intelligent temperature controller with an accuracy of -0.07 to +0.09 °C as well as a scan and modulation module generating saw-wave and cosine-wave signals are developed to drive the DFB laser, and a cost effective lock-in amplifier used to extract the second harmonic signal is integrated. Thorough experiments are carried out to obtain detection performances, including detection range, accuracy, stability and the minimum detection limit (MDL). Measurement results show that the absolute detection error relative to the standard value is less than 7% within the range of 0-100%, and the MDL is estimated to be about 11 ppm under an absorption length of 0.2 m and a noise level of 2 mVpp. Twenty-four hours monitoring on two gas samples (0.1% and 20%) indicates that the absolute errors are less than 7% and 2.5%, respectively, suggesting good long term stability. The sensor reveals competitive characteristics compared with other reported portable or handheld sensors. The developed sensor can also be used for the detection of other gases by adopting other DFB lasers with different center-wavelength using the same hardware and slightly modified software.

The Essential Role of Primate Orbitofrontal Cortex in Conflict-Induced Executive Control Adjustment

PubMed Central

Buckley, Mark J.; Tanaka, Keiji

2014-01-01

Conflict in information processing evokes trial-by-trial behavioral modulations. Influential models suggest that adaptive tuning of executive control, mediated by mid-dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (mdlPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), underlies these modulations. However, mdlPFC and ACC are parts of distributed brain networks including orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and superior-dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (sdlPFC). Contributions of these latter areas in adaptive tuning of executive control are unknown. We trained monkeys to perform a matching task in which they had to resolve the conflict between two behavior-guiding rules. Here, we report that bilateral lesions in OFC, but not in PCC or sdlPFC, impaired selection between these competing rules. In addition, the behavioral adaptation that is normally induced by experiencing conflict disappeared in OFC-lesioned, but remained normal in PCC-lesioned or sdlPFC-lesioned monkeys. Exploring underlying neuronal processes, we found that the activity of neurons in OFC represented the conflict between behavioral options independent from the other aspects of the task. Responses of OFC neurons to rewards also conveyed information of the conflict level that the monkey had experienced along the course to obtain the reward. Our findings indicate dissociable functions for five closely interconnected cortical areas suggesting that OFC and mdlPFC, but not PCC or sdlPFC or ACC, play indispensable roles in conflict-dependent executive control of on-going behavior. Both mdlPFC and OFC support detection of conflict and its integration with the task goal, but in contrast to mdlPFC, OFC does not retain the necessary information for conflict-induced modulation of future decisions. PMID:25122901

78 FR 1883 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Partial Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-09

... lodged in U.S. v. BP Exploration and Production, et al, Civil No. 10-4536 (E.D. La.) (That case is centralized in MDL 2179: In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ``Deepwater Horizon'' in the Gulf of Mexico, on April... al, Civil No. 10-4536 (E.D. La.) (centralized in MDL 2179: In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig...

Novel Small Molecules Disabling the IL-6/IL-6R/GP130 Heterohexamer Complex

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

fluctuations over 20 ns MD simulation. The HFI unit of MDL-A showed instability in the gp130 D1-domain binding pocket, whereas the hydrophobic tail...compound containing only an HFI unit was not capable of inhibiting gp130 homodimerization. Our MDLs MD simulation studies showed consistent results...chain attached to the HFI unit which is designed to take advantage of interactions with the “additional” subpockets surrounding the MDL-A binding site

TH-AB-209-02: Gadolinium Measurements in Human Bone Using in Vivo K X-Ray Fluorescence (KXRF) Technique

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

Mostafaei, F; Nie, L

Purpose: Improvement in an in vivo K x-ray fluorescence system, based on 109Cd source, for the detection of gadolinium (Gd) in bone has been investigated. Series of improvements to the method is described. Gd is of interest because of the extensive use of Gd-based contrast agents in MR imaging and the potential toxicity of Gd exposure. Methods: A set of seven bone equivalent phantoms with different amount of Gd concentrations (from 0–100 ppm) has been developed. Soft tissue equivalent plastic plates were used to simulate the soft tissue overlaying the tibia bone in an in vivo measurement. A new 5more » GBq 109Cd source was used to improve the source activity in comparison to the previous study (0.17 GBq). An improved spectral fitting program was utilized for data analysis. Results: The previous published minimum detection limit (MDL) for Gd doped phantom measurements using KXRF system was 3.3 ppm. In this study the MDL for bare bone phantoms was found to be 0.8 ppm. Our previous study used only three layers of plastic (0.32, 0.64 and 0.96 mm) as soft tissue equivalent materials and obtained the MDL of 4–4.8 ppm. In this study the plastic plates with more realistic thicknesses to simulate the soft tissue covering tibia bone (nine thicknesses ranging from 0.61–6.13 mm) were used. The MDLs for phantoms were determined to be 1.8–3.5 ppm. Conclusion: With the improvements made to the technology (stronger source, improved data analysis algorithm, realistic soft tissue thicknesses), the MDL of the KXRF system to measure Gd in bare bone was improved by a factor of 4.1. The MDL is at the level of the bone Gd concentration reported in literature. Hence, the system is ready to be tested on human subjects to investigate the use of bone Gd as a biomarker for Gd toxicity.« less

Modulation of haloperidol-induced patterns of the transcription factor Nur77 and Nor-1 expression by serotonergic and adrenergic drugs in the mouse brain

PubMed Central

Maheux, Jérôme; Vuillier, Laura; Mahfouz, Mylène; Rouillard, Claude; Lévesque, Daniel

2015-01-01

Different patterns of expression of the transcription factors of Nur77 and Nor-1 are induced following acute administration of typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. The pharmacological profile of atypical antipsychotics suggests that serotonergic and/or adrenergic receptors might contribute to these reported differences. In order to test this possibility, we examined the abilities of serotonin 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A/2C, and α1- and α2-adrenergic receptor drugs to modify the pattern of Nur77 (NR4A1) and Nor-1 (NR4A3) mRNA expression induced by haloperidol. Various groups of mice were treated with either saline, DOI, a 5-HT2A/2C agonist, MDL11939, a 5-HT2A antagonist, 8-OH-DPAT, a 5-HT1A agonist, prazosin, an α1-adrenergic antagonist and idazoxan, an α2-adrenergic antagonist, alone or in combination with haloperidol. The 5-HT2A/2C agonist DOI alone significantly increased Nur77 expression in the medial striatum and nucleus accumbens. DOI reduced Nor-1 expression, while MDL11939 increased the expression of this transcript in the cortex. Prazosin reduced Nur77 expression in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens. Interestingly, 8-OH-DPAT and MDL11939 partially prevented haloperidol-induced Nur77 up-regulation, while MDL11939 completely abolished Nor-1 expression in the striatum. In addition, MDL11939 decreased haloperidol-induced Nur77 and Nor-1 mRNA levels in the ventral tegmental area. On the contrary, idazoxan (α2 antagonist) consistently potentiated haloperidol-induced Nur77, but not Nor-1 mRNA levels in the striatum, whereas prazosin (α1 antagonist) remained without effect. Taken together, these results show the ability of a 5-HT1A agonist or a 5-HT2A antagonist to reduce haloperidol-induced Nur77 and Nor-1 striatal expression, suggesting that these serotonin receptor subtypes participate in the differential pattern of gene expression induced by typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. PMID:21524335

The effect of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine-type diterpenoid alkaloids on the toxicity of methyllycaconitine in mice.

PubMed

Welch, K D; Panter, K E; Gardner, D R; Green, B T; Pfister, J A; Cook, D; Stegelmeier, B L

2008-10-01

Larkspur plants contain numerous norditerpenoid alkaloids, which include the 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine (MDL)-type alkaloids and the N-(methylsuccinimido)anthranoyllycoctonine (MSAL)-type alkaloids. The MSAL-type alkaloids are generally much more toxic (typically >20 times). Toxicity of many tall larkspurs, such as Delphinium barbeyi, has been attributed to its large concentration of MSAL-type alkaloids, including methyllycaconitine (MLA). However, the norditerpenoid alkaloids found in the greatest concentrations in most D. barbeyi populations are either deltaline or 14-O-acetyldictyocarpine (14-OAD), both less toxic MDL-type alkaloids. Although the individual toxicities of MLA, 14-OAD, and deltaline have been determined, the impact (additive or antagonistic) that large concentrations of deltaline or 14-OAD in the plant have on the toxicity of MLA is unknown. Consequently, the effect of MDL-type alkaloids on the toxicity of MLA was compared by using median lethal dose (LD(50)) and toxicokinetic profiles of the brainand muscle from mice receiving i.v. administration of these alkaloids, individually or in combination, at ratios of 1:1, 1:5, and 1:25 MLA to MDL-type alkaloids. The LD(50) for MLA alone was 4.4 +/- 0.7 mg/kg of BW, whereas the coadministration of MLA and deltaline at 1:1, 1:5, and 1:25 resulted in an LD(50) of 2.7, 2.5, and 1.9 mg/kg of BW, respectively. Similarly, the coadministration of MLA and 14-OAD at 1:1, 1:5, and 1:25 resulted in an LD(50) of 3.1, 2.2, and 1.5 mg/kg of BW, respectively. Coadministration of mixtures did not result in increased MLA bioavailability or alterations in clearance from the brain and muscle. Consequently, the increased toxicity of the mixtures was not a result of increased MLA bioavailability (based on the maximum concentrations observed) or alterations in MLA clearance from the brain and muscle, because these were unchanged. These results demonstrate that MDL-type alkaloids have an additive effect on MLA toxicity in mice and may also play a role in the overall toxicity of tall larkspur plants in cattle.

Acrolein generation stimulates hypercontraction in isolated human blood vessels

PubMed Central

Conklin, D.J.; Bhatnagar, A.; Cowley, H.R.; Johnson, G.H.; Wiechmann, R.J.; Sayre, L.M.; Trent, M.B.; Boor, P.J.

2012-01-01

Increased risk of vasospasm, a spontaneous hyperconstriction, is associated with atherosclerosis, cigarette smoking, and hypertension—all conditions involving oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and inflammation. To test the role of the lipid peroxidation- and inflammation-derived aldehyde, acrolein, in human vasospasm, we developed an ex vivo model using human coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) blood vessels and a demonstrated acrolein precursor, allylamine. Allylamine induces hypercontraction in isolated rat coronary artery in a semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase activity (SSAO) dependent manner. Isolated human CABG blood vessels (internal mammary artery, radial artery, saphenous vein) were used to determine: (1) vessel responses and sensitivity to acrolein, allylamine, and H2O2 exposure (1 μM–1 mM), (2) SSAO dependence of allylamine-induced effects using SSAO inhibitors (semicarbazide, 1 mM; MDL 72274-E, active isomer; MDL 72274-Z, inactive isomer; 100 μM), (3) the vasoactive effects of two other SSAO amine substrates, benzylamine and methylamine, and (4) the contribution of extracellular Ca2+ to hypercontraction. Acrolein or allylamine but not H2O2, benzylamine, or methylamine stimulated spontaneous and pharmacologically intractable hypercontraction in CABG blood vessels that was similar to clinical vasospasm. Allylamine-induced hypercontraction and blood vessel SSAO activity were abolished by pretreatment with semicarbazide or MDL 72274-E but not by MDL 72274-Z. Allylamine-induced hypercontraction also was significantly attenuated in Ca2+-free buffer. In isolated aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rat, allylamine-induced an SSAO-dependent contraction and enhanced norepinephrine sensitivity but not in Sprague–Dawley rat aorta. We conclude that acrolein generation in the blood vessel wall increases human susceptibility to vasospasm, an event that is enhanced in hypertension. PMID:17095030

Lactational exposure to short-chain chlorinated paraffins in China, Korea, and Japan.

PubMed

Cao, Yang; Harada, Kouji H; Hitomi, Toshiaki; Niisoe, Tamon; Wang, Peiyu; Shi, Yuhui; Yang, Hye-Ran; Takasuga, Takumi; Koizumi, Akio

2017-04-01

To investigate short-chain chlorinated paraffin (SCCP) levels in human breast milk, pooled breast milk samples (BMSs) collected between 2007 and 2010 from Chinese (Beijing, n = 17), Korean (Seoul, Busan, n = 16), and Japanese (Kyoto, Sendai, n = 44) women were analyzed. SCCPs found in air samples in Beijing (n = 4, in 2008) were also analyzed and compared with BMSs to estimate the possible source of contamination in Beijing. The electron-capture negative ionization method demonstrated the different sensitivities for SCCPs, and pentachlorinated alkanes had the highest method detection limit (MDL) among congeners. In Beijing, SCCPs were detected in 8 of 17 pooled BMSs at concentrations more than the highest MDL of each homolog. The total SCCP concentration ranged from below the MDL to 54 ng g -1 lipid weight. Among the SCCP homologs, polychlorinated tridecanes were most frequently detected in Beijing. In Korea and Japan, no samples contained detectable total SCCP concentrations at more than the highest MDL. In Seoul, only two samples showed trace levels of polychlorinated undecanes. In Kyoto and Sendai, congeners of polychlorinated dodecanes were most frequently detected. C 10 components were the major contributors to the SCCPs in the atmosphere of Beijing. Congener profiles in breast milk in Beijing provided a clear contrast to the profiles found in food and air. The unique congener profiles necessitate the monitoring of breast milk for exposure of infants to SCCPs. The calculated mean exposure of SCCPs in 1-year-olds in China was 337 ng (kg body weight) -1  d -1 . These results demonstrate the body burden of SCCPs in the study areas and potential lactational exposure to SCCPs in Asian countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measurement of nitrous acid (HONO) by external-cavity quantum cascade laser based quartz-enhanced photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Hongming; Maamary, Rabih; Gao, Xiaoming; Sigrist, Markus W.; Fertein, Eric; Chen, Weidong

2016-04-01

Spectroscopic detection of short-lived gaseous nitrous acid (HONO) at 1254.85 cm-1 was realized by off-beam coupled quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) in conjunction with an external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL). High sensitivity monitoring of HONO was performed within a very small gas-sample volume (of ~40 mm3) allowing a significant reduction (of about 4 orders of magnitude) of air sampling residence time which is highly desired for accurate quantification of chemically reactive short-lived species. Calibration of the developed QEPAS-based HONO sensor was carried out by means of lab-generated HONO samples whose concentrations were determined by simultaneous measurements of direct HONO absorption spectra in a 109.5 m multipass cell using a distributed feedback (DBF) QCL. A minimum detection limit (MDL @ SNR=1) of 66 ppbv HONO was achieved at 70 mbar using a laser output power of 50 mW and 1 s integration time, which corresponded to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 3.6×10-8 cm-1.W/Hz1/2. This MDL was down to 7 ppbv at the optimal integration time of 150 s. The corresponding minimum detected absorption coefficient (SNR=1) is ~1.1×10-7 cm-1 (MDL: ~3 ppbv) in 1 s and ~1.1×10-8 cm-1 (MDL~330 pptv) in 150 s, respectively, with 1 W laser power. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge financial supports from the CaPPA project (ANR-10-LABX-005) and the CPER CLIMIBIO program. References H. Yi, R. Maamary, X. Gao, M. W. Sigrist, E. Fertein, W. Chen, "Short-lived species detection of nitrous acid by external-cavity quantum cascade laser based quartz-enhanced photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy", Appl. Phys. Lett. 106 (2015) 101109

Displacement sensors using soft magnetostrictive alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hristoforou, E.; Reilly, R. E.

1994-09-01

We report results on the response of a family of displacement sensors, which are based on the magentostrictive delay line (MDL) technique, using current conductors orthogonal to the MDL. Such sensing technique is based on the change of the magnetic circuit at the acoustic stress point of origin due to the displacement of a soft magnetic material above it. Integrated arrays of sensors can be obtained due to the acoustic delay line technique and they can be used as tactile arrays, digitizers or devices for medical applications (gait analysis etc.), while absence of hysteresis and low cost of manufacturing make them competent in this sector of sensor market.

Gas detection by correlation spectroscopy employing a multimode diode laser.

PubMed

Lou, Xiutao; Somesfalean, Gabriel; Zhang, Zhiguo

2008-05-01

A gas sensor based on the gas-correlation technique has been developed using a multimode diode laser (MDL) in a dual-beam detection scheme. Measurement of CO(2) mixed with CO as an interfering gas is successfully demonstrated using a 1570 nm tunable MDL. Despite overlapping absorption spectra and occasional mode hops, the interfering signals can be effectively excluded by a statistical procedure including correlation analysis and outlier identification. The gas concentration is retrieved from several pair-correlated signals by a linear-regression scheme, yielding a reliable and accurate measurement. This demonstrates the utility of the unsophisticated MDLs as novel light sources for gas detection applications.

X-Ray Microanalysis and Electron Energy Loss Spectrometry in the Analytical Electron Microscope: Review and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, J. I.; Williams, D. B.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews and discusses future directions in analytical electron microscopy for microchemical analysis using X-ray and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS). The technique of X-ray microanalysis, using the ratio method and k(sub AB) factors, is outlined. The X-ray absorption correction is the major barrier to the objective of obtaining I% accuracy and precision in analysis. Spatial resolution and Minimum Detectability Limits (MDL) are considered with present limitations of spatial resolution in the 2 to 3 microns range and of MDL in the 0.1 to 0.2 wt. % range when a Field Emission Gun (FEG) system is used. Future directions of X-ray analysis include improvement in X-ray spatial resolution to the I to 2 microns range and MDL as low as 0.01 wt. %. With these improvements the detection of single atoms in the analysis volume will be possible. Other future improvements include the use of clean room techniques for thin specimen preparation, quantification available at the I% accuracy and precision level with light element analysis quantification available at better than the 10% accuracy and precision level, the incorporation of a compact wavelength dispersive spectrometer to improve X-ray spectral resolution, light element analysis and MDL, and instrument improvements including source stability, on-line probe current measurements, stage stability, and computerized stage control. The paper reviews the EELS technique, recognizing that it has been slow to develop and still remains firmly in research laboratories rather than in applications laboratories. Consideration of microanalysis with core-loss edges is given along with a discussion of the limitations such as specimen thickness. Spatial resolution and MDL are considered, recognizing that single atom detection is already possible. Plasmon loss analysis is discussed as well as fine structure analysis. New techniques for energy-loss imaging are also summarized. Future directions in the EELS technique will be the development of new spectrometers and improvements in thin specimen preparation. The microanalysis technique needs to be simplified and software developed so that the EELS technique approaches the relative simplicity of the X-ray technique. Finally, one can expect major improvements in EELS imaging as data storage and processing improvements occur.

Diffusion related isotopic fractionation effects with one-dimensional advective-dispersive transport.

PubMed

Xu, Bruce S; Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Passeport, Elodie; Sleep, Brent E

2016-04-15

Aqueous phase diffusion-related isotope fractionation (DRIF) for carbon isotopes was investigated for common groundwater contaminants in systems in which transport could be considered to be one-dimensional. This paper focuses not only on theoretically observable DRIF effects in these systems but introduces the important concept of constraining "observable" DRIF based on constraints imposed by the scale of measurements in the field, and on standard limits of detection and analytical uncertainty. Specifically, constraints for the detection of DRIF were determined in terms of the diffusive fractionation factor, the initial concentration of contaminants (C0), the method detection limit (MDL) for isotopic analysis, the transport time, and the ratio of the longitudinal mechanical dispersion coefficient to effective molecular diffusion coefficient (Dmech/Deff). The results allow a determination of field conditions under which DRIF may be an important factor in the use of stable carbon isotope measurements for evaluation of contaminant transport and transformation for one-dimensional advective-dispersive transport. This study demonstrates that for diffusion-dominated transport of BTEX, MTBE, and chlorinated ethenes, DRIF effects are only detectable for the smaller molar mass compounds such as vinyl chloride for C0/MDL ratios of 50 or higher. Much larger C0/MDL ratios, corresponding to higher source concentrations or lower detection limits, are necessary for DRIF to be detectable for the higher molar mass compounds. The distance over which DRIF is observable for VC is small (less than 1m) for a relatively young diffusive plume (<100years), and DRIF will not easily be detected by using the conventional sampling approach with "typical" well spacing (at least several meters). With contaminant transport by advection, mechanical dispersion, and molecular diffusion this study suggests that in field sites where Dmech/Deff is larger than 10, DRIF effects will likely not be observable for common groundwater contaminants. Importantly, under most field conditions, Dmech/Deff≥10 is usually satisfied in the longitudinal direction, suggesting that DRIF is not likely to be observable in most groundwater systems in which contaminant transport is predominantly one-dimensional. Given the importance in the MDL it is recommended that MDL should always be explicitly reported in both modeling and field studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Displacement sensors using soft magnetostrictive alloys

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

Hristoforou, E.; Reilly, R.E.

1994-09-01

The authors report results on the response of a family of displacement sensors, which are based on the magnetostrictive delay line (MDL) technique, using current conductor orthogonal to the MDL. Such sensing technique is based on the change of the magnetic circuit and the acoustic stress point of origin due to the displacement of a soft magnetic material above it. Integrated arrays of sensors can be obtained due to the acoustic delay line technique and they can be used as tactile arrays, digitizers or devices for medical application (gait analysis etc.), while absence of hysteresis and low cost of manufacturingmore » make them competent in this sector of sensor market.« less

Imaging features of macrodystrophia lipomatosa: an unusual cause of a brawny arm

PubMed Central

Dhanasekaran, Jagadeesan; Reddy, Ajit Kumar; Sarawagi, Radha; Lakshmanan, Prakash Manikka

2014-01-01

Macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL), a rare non-hereditary congenital disorder of localised gigantism, is characterised by progressive proliferation of all mesenchymal elements, with a disproportionate increase in fibroadipose tissue. We report a case of a 19-year-old man who presented with a history of painless enlargement of the left upper limb since childhood, which was gradually increasing in size and predominantly involving the radial aspect of the upper limb with relative sparing of the ulnar aspect. The patient was imaged with X-ray and MRI. Imaging and clinical features were classical of MDL. The patient underwent stage 1 reduction plasty of the left forearm; preoperative and histopathological findings confirmed the preoperative diagnosis. PMID:25406225

Oxygen measurement by multimode diode lasers employing gas correlation spectroscopy.

PubMed

Lou, Xiutao; Somesfalean, Gabriel; Chen, Bin; Zhang, Zhiguo

2009-02-10

Multimode diode laser (MDL)-based correlation spectroscopy (COSPEC) was used to measure oxygen in ambient air, thereby employing a diode laser (DL) having an emission spectrum that overlaps the oxygen absorption lines of the A band. A sensitivity of 700 ppm m was achieved with good accuracy (2%) and linearity (R(2)=0.999). For comparison, measurements of ambient oxygen were also performed by tunable DL absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) technique employing a vertical cavity surface emitting laser. We demonstrate that, despite slightly degraded sensitivity, the MDL-based COSPEC-based oxygen sensor has the advantages of high stability, low cost, ease-of-use, and relaxed requirements in component selection and instrument buildup compared with the TDLAS-based instrument.

Splice loss requirements in multi-mode fiber mode-division-multiplex transmission links.

PubMed

Warm, Stefan; Petermann, Klaus

2013-01-14

We investigate numerically the influence of fiber splices and fiber connectors to the statistics of mode dependent loss (MDL) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) outage capacity in mode multiplexed multi-mode fiber links. Our results indicate required splice losses much lower than currently feasible to achieve a reasonable outage capacity in long-haul transmission systems. Splice losses as low as 0.03dB may effectively lead to an outage of MIMO channels after only a few hundred kilometers transmission length. In a first approximation, the relative capacity solely depends on the accumulated splice loss and should be less than ≈ 2dB to ensure a relative capacity of 90%. We also show that discrete mode permutation (mixing) within the transmission line may effectively increase the maximum transmission distance by a factor of 5 for conventional splice losses.

BACKGROUND TRACK DENSITY REDUCTION OF 50-HZ-HV ECE-PROCESSED THICK POLYCARBONATE DETECTORS TO IMPROVE LOWER DETECTION LIMIT.

PubMed

Sohrabi, M; Hakimi, A; Soltani, Z

2016-12-01

A recent novel development of 50-Hz-HV ECE of 1-mm-thick and 250-µm-thick polycarbonate track detectors (PCTDs) has proved some promising results for some health physics, dosimetry and ion-beam-related applications. The method while proved having some good characteristics for some applications provided a relatively higher background track density (BGTD) in particular when very high voltages are applied to the PCTDs. In order to decrease the minimum detection limit (MDL) of the PCTDs and to further promote its applications for low dose, the BGTD was reduced by applying a layer removal methodology applying ethylendiamine (EDA). The effects of EDA concentrations (50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85 and 90 %) in water at room temperature (26°C) and soaking durations up to 100 min at different EDA concentration on BGTD reduction were studied. The thickness of the layer removed from the surface of a PCTD highly depends on the soaking time and EDA concentration; it increases as the EDA concentration increases up to for example 700 µm after 2 h of soaking in the EDA solution. After ∼10 min of soaking duration at any of the above-stated concentrations, the BGTD reaches its minimum value, a value which differs from concentration to concentration. An EDA concentration of 85 % in water provided the lowest BGTD of 64.06 ± 3.12 tracks cm - 2 ; ∼6 times lower than that of its original value. It is shown that the layer removal process does not change the registration characteristics of the PCTD and its appearance significantly. The MDL of the PCTDs depends strongly on the BGTD. The MDL values for a desired confidence level were also studied by three calculation methods. The results of the BGTD and the MDL studies under different conditions applied are presented and discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Role of 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C and mGlu2 Receptors in the Behavioral Effects of Tryptamine Hallucinogens N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine in Rats and Mice

PubMed Central

Carbonaro, Theresa M.; Eshleman, Amy J.; Forster, Michael J.; Cheng, Kejun; Rice, Kenner C.; Gatch, Michael B.

2014-01-01

Rationale: Serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are thought to be the primary pharmacological mechanisms for serotonin-mediated hallucinogenic drugs, but recently there has been interest in metabotropic glutamate (mGluR2) receptors as contributors to the mechanism of hallucinogens. Objective: The present study assesses the role of these 5-HT and glutamate receptors as molecular targets for two tryptamine hallucinogens, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT). Methods: Drug discrimination, head twitch and radioligand binding assays were used. A 5-HT2AR inverse agonist (MDL100907), 5-HT2CR antagonist (SB242084) and mGluR2/3 agonist (LY379268) were tested for their ability to attenuate the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT and DiPT; an mGluR2/3 antagonist (LY341495) was tested for potentiation. MDL100907 was used to attenuate head twitches induced by DMT and DiPT. Radioligand binding studies and inosital-1-phosphate (IP-1) accumulation were performed at the 5-HT2CR for DiPT. Results: MDL100907 fully blocked the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT, but only partially blocked DiPT. SB242084 partially attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of DiPT, but produced minimal attenuation of DMT’s effects. LY379268 produced potent, but only partial blockade of the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT. LY341495 facilitated DMT- and DiPT-like effects. Both compounds elicited head twitches (DiPT>DMT) which were blocked by MDL1000907. DiPT was a low potency full agonist at 5-HT2CR in vitro. Conclusions: The 5-HT2AR likely plays a major role in mediating the effects of both compounds. 5-HT2C and mGluR2 receptors likely modulate the discriminative stimulus effects of both compounds to some degree. PMID:24985890

The role of 5-HT2A, 5-HT 2C and mGlu2 receptors in the behavioral effects of tryptamine hallucinogens N,N-dimethyltryptamine and N,N-diisopropyltryptamine in rats and mice.

PubMed

Carbonaro, Theresa M; Eshleman, Amy J; Forster, Michael J; Cheng, Kejun; Rice, Kenner C; Gatch, Michael B

2015-01-01

Serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are thought to be the primary pharmacological mechanisms for serotonin-mediated hallucinogenic drugs, but recently there has been interest in metabotropic glutamate (mGluR2) receptors as contributors to the mechanism of hallucinogens. The present study assesses the role of these 5-HT and glutamate receptors as molecular targets for two tryptamine hallucinogens, N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT). Drug discrimination, head twitch, and radioligand binding assays were used. A 5-HT2AR inverse agonist (MDL100907), 5-HT2CR antagonist (SB242084), and mGluR2/3 agonist (LY379268) were tested for their ability to attenuate the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT and DiPT; an mGluR2/3 antagonist (LY341495) was tested for potentiation. MDL100907 was used to attenuate head twitches induced by DMT and DiPT. Radioligand binding studies and inosital-1-phosphate (IP-1) accumulation were performed at the 5-HT2CR for DiPT. MDL100907 fully blocked the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT, but only partially blocked DiPT. SB242084 partially attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of DiPT, but produced minimal attenuation of DMT's effects. LY379268 produced potent, but only partial blockade of the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT. LY341495 facilitated DMT- and DiPT-like effects. Both compounds elicited head twitches (DiPT>DMT) which were blocked by MDL1000907. DiPT was a low-potency full agonist at 5-HT2CR in vitro. The 5-HT2AR likely plays a major role in mediating the effects of both compounds. 5-HT2C and mGluR2 receptors likely modulate the discriminative stimulus effects of both compounds to some degree.

Different brain activations between own- and other-race face categorization: an fMRI study using group independent component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Wenjuan; Liu, Jiangang; Dai, Ruwei; Feng, Lu; Li, Ling; Tian, Jie

2014-03-01

Previous behavioral research has proved that individuals process own- and other-race faces differently. One well-known effect is the other-race effect (ORE), which indicates that individuals categorize other-race faces more accurately and faster than own-race faces. The existed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of the other-race effect mainly focused on the racial prejudice and the socio-affective differences towards own- and other-race face. In the present fMRI study, we adopted a race-categorization task to determine the activation level differences between categorizing own- and other-race faces. Thirty one Chinese participants who live in China with Chinese as the majority and who had no direct contact with Caucasian individual were recruited in the present study. We used the group independent component analysis (ICA), which is a method of blind source signal separation that has proven to be promising for analysis of fMRI data. We separated the entail data into 56 components which is estimated based on one subject using the Minimal Description Length (MDL) criteria. The components sorted based on the multiple linear regression temporal sorting criteria, and the fit regression parameters were used in performing statistical test to evaluate the task-relatedness of the components. The one way anova was performed to test the significance of the component time course in different conditions. Our result showed that the areas, which coordinates is similar to the right FFA coordinates that previous studies reported, were greater activated for own-race faces than other-race faces, while the precuneus showed greater activation for other-race faces than own-race faces.

FUSE: a profit maximization approach for functional summarization of biological networks.

PubMed

Seah, Boon-Siew; Bhowmick, Sourav S; Dewey, C Forbes; Yu, Hanry

2012-03-21

The availability of large-scale curated protein interaction datasets has given rise to the opportunity to investigate higher level organization and modularity within the protein interaction network (PPI) using graph theoretic analysis. Despite the recent progress, systems level analysis of PPIS remains a daunting task as it is challenging to make sense out of the deluge of high-dimensional interaction data. Specifically, techniques that automatically abstract and summarize PPIS at multiple resolutions to provide high level views of its functional landscape are still lacking. We present a novel data-driven and generic algorithm called FUSE (Functional Summary Generator) that generates functional maps of a PPI at different levels of organization, from broad process-process level interactions to in-depth complex-complex level interactions, through a pro t maximization approach that exploits Minimum Description Length (MDL) principle to maximize information gain of the summary graph while satisfying the level of detail constraint. We evaluate the performance of FUSE on several real-world PPIS. We also compare FUSE to state-of-the-art graph clustering methods with GO term enrichment by constructing the biological process landscape of the PPIS. Using AD network as our case study, we further demonstrate the ability of FUSE to quickly summarize the network and identify many different processes and complexes that regulate it. Finally, we study the higher-order connectivity of the human PPI. By simultaneously evaluating interaction and annotation data, FUSE abstracts higher-order interaction maps by reducing the details of the underlying PPI to form a functional summary graph of interconnected functional clusters. Our results demonstrate its effectiveness and superiority over state-of-the-art graph clustering methods with GO term enrichment.

Few-mode fiber, splice and SDM component characterization by spatially-diverse optical vector network analysis.

PubMed

Rommel, Simon; Mendinueta, José Manuel Delgado; Klaus, Werner; Sakaguchi, Jun; Olmos, Juan José Vegas; Awaji, Yoshinari; Monroy, Idelfonso Tafur; Wada, Naoya

2017-09-18

This paper discusses spatially diverse optical vector network analysis for space division multiplexing (SDM) component and system characterization, which is becoming essential as SDM is widely considered to increase the capacity of optical communication systems. Characterization of a 108-channel photonic lantern spatial multiplexer, coupled to a 36-core 3-mode fiber, is experimentally demonstrated, extracting the full impulse response and complex transfer function matrices as well as insertion loss (IL) and mode-dependent loss (MDL) data. Moreover, the mode-mixing behavior of fiber splices in the few-mode multi-core fiber and their impact on system IL and MDL are analyzed, finding splices to cause significant mode-mixing and to be non-negligible in system capacity analysis.

Conceptual Design of a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) Flight Validation Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbee, Brent W.; Wie, Bong; Steiner, Mark; Getzandanner, Kenneth

2013-01-01

In this paper we present a detailed overview of the MDL study results and subsequent advances in the design of GNC algorithms for accurate terminal guidance during hypervelocity NEO intercept. The MDL study produced a conceptual con guration of the two-body HAIV and its subsystems; a mission scenario and trajectory design for a notional flight validation mission to a selected candidate target NEO; GNC results regarding the ability of the HAIV to reliably intercept small (50 m) NEOs at hypervelocity (typically greater than 10 km/s); candidate launch vehicle selection; a notional operations concept and cost estimate for the flight validation mission; and a list of topics to address during the remainder of our NIAC Phase II study.

Imaging features of macrodystrophia lipomatosa: an unusual cause of a brawny arm.

PubMed

Dhanasekaran, Jagadeesan; Reddy, Ajit Kumar; Sarawagi, Radha; Lakshmanan, Prakash Manikka

2014-11-18

Macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL), a rare non-hereditary congenital disorder of localised gigantism, is characterised by progressive proliferation of all mesenchymal elements, with a disproportionate increase in fibroadipose tissue. We report a case of a 19-year-old man who presented with a history of painless enlargement of the left upper limb since childhood, which was gradually increasing in size and predominantly involving the radial aspect of the upper limb with relative sparing of the ulnar aspect. The patient was imaged with X-ray and MRI. Imaging and clinical features were classical of MDL. The patient underwent stage 1 reduction plasty of the left forearm; preoperative and histopathological findings confirmed the preoperative diagnosis. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

The influence of distal locking on the need for fibular plating in intramedullary nailing of distal metaphyseal tibiofibular fractures.

PubMed

Attal, R; Maestri, V; Doshi, H K; Onder, U; Smekal, V; Blauth, M; Schmoelz, W

2014-03-01

Using human cadaver specimens, we investigated the role of supplementary fibular plating in the treatment of distal tibial fractures using an intramedullary nail. Fibular plating is thought to improve stability in these situations, but has been reported to have increased soft-tissue complications and to impair union of the fracture. We proposed that multidirectional locking screws provide adequate stability, making additional fibular plating unnecessary. A distal tibiofibular osteotomy model performed on matched fresh-frozen lower limb specimens was stabilised with reamed nails using conventional biplanar distal locking (CDL) or multidirectional distal locking (MDL) options with and without fibular plating. Rotational stiffness was assessed under a constant axial force of 150 N and a superimposed torque of ± 5 Nm. Total movement, and neutral zone and fracture gap movement were analysed. In the CDL group, fibular plating improved stiffness at the tibial fracture site, albeit to a small degree (p = 0.013). In the MDL group additional fibular plating did not increase the stiffness. The MDL nail without fibular plating was significantly more stable than the CDL nail with an additional fibular plate (p = 0.008). These findings suggest that additional fibular plating does not improve stability if a multidirectional distal locking intramedullary nail is used, and is therefore unnecessary if not needed to aid reduction.

A quantification method for peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) using gas chromatography (GC) with a non-radioactive pulsed discharge detector (PDD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Jaffe, Daniel A.; Gao, Xin; McClure, Crystal D.

2018-04-01

In this study, we developed a method for continuous PAN measurements by gas chromatography (GC) with a non-radioactive pulsed discharge detector (PDD). Operational parameters were optimized based on the ratio of peak height over baseline noise (P/N ratio). The GC/PDD system was compared with a traditional radioactive electron-capture detector (ECD). In the lab, the method detection limit (MDL) of the new GC/PDD method (9 pptv) was lower than the radioactive GC/ECD method (15 pptv), demonstrating its excellent potential. The MDL of GC/PDD in the field campaign at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (MBO) was 23 pptv, higher than in the lab. This was caused in part by the decreased slope of the calibration curve resulting from the low air pressure level at MBO. However, the MDL level of GC/PDD at MBO is still low enough for accurate PAN measurements, although special attention should be paid to its application at high-elevation sites. Observations of PAN were conducted at MBO in the summer of 2016 with the GC/PDD system, and provided more evidence of the performance of the system. PAN was found to be highly correlated with CO. The promising performance of GC/PDD which does not require a radioactive source makes it a useful approach for accurate PAN measurements in the field.

Blockade of 5-hydroxytryptamine(3) receptors prevents cisplatin-induced but not motion- or xylazine-induced emesis in the cat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucot, James B.

1989-01-01

The effects of the 5-hydroxytryptamine(3) (5-HT-3) antagonists ICS 205-930 and MDL 72222 on the emesis induced by motion or by emetic doses of xylazine (0.66 mg/kg administered SC) or cisplatin (7.5 mg/kg infused over a period of 4-5 min) were investigated in cats. It was found that neither the low (0.1 mg/kg) or the high (1.0 mg.kg) doses of ICS 205-930 or MDL 72222 prevented emesis elicited by screening motion challenges or xylazine. On the other hand, treatment cats by 1.0 mg/kg of ICS 205-930 was effective against cisplatin-induced motion sickness, in agreement with earlier results obtained on other mammals.

Blood Lead Levels in Captive Giant Pandas.

PubMed

Wintle, Nathan J P; Martin-Wintle, Meghan S; Zhou, Xiaoping; Zhang, Hemin

2018-01-01

Fifteen giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) from the Chinese Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Bifengxia, Sichuan, China were analyzed for blood lead concentrations (Pb-B) during the 2017 breeding season. Thirteen of the 15 bears showed Pb-B below the method detection limit (MDL) of 3.3 µg/dL. The two remaining bears, although above the MDL, contained very low concentrations of lead of 3.9 and 4.5 µg/dL. All 15 giant pandas in this analysis had Pb-B concentrations that were within normal background concentrations for mammals in uncontaminated environments. For a threatened species, whose native country is plagued by reports of extremely high air pollution, our findings suggest that giant pandas at the CCRCGP are not absorbing lead at concentrations that would adversely affect their health.

Changepoint detection in base-resolution methylome data reveals a robust signature of methylated domain landscape.

PubMed

Yokoyama, Takao; Miura, Fumihito; Araki, Hiromitsu; Okamura, Kohji; Ito, Takashi

2015-08-12

Base-resolution methylome data generated by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) is often used to segment the genome into domains with distinct methylation levels. However, most segmentation methods include many parameters to be carefully tuned and/or fail to exploit the unsurpassed resolution of the data. Furthermore, there is no simple method that displays the composition of the domains to grasp global trends in each methylome. We propose to use changepoint detection for domain demarcation based on base-resolution methylome data. While the proposed method segments the methylome in a largely comparable manner to conventional approaches, it has only a single parameter to be tuned. Furthermore, it fully exploits the base-resolution of the data to enable simultaneous detection of methylation changes in even contrasting size ranges, such as focal hypermethylation and global hypomethylation in cancer methylomes. We also propose a simple plot termed methylated domain landscape (MDL) that globally displays the size, the methylation level and the number of the domains thus defined, thereby enabling one to intuitively grasp trends in each methylome. Since the pattern of MDL often reflects cell lineages and is largely unaffected by data size, it can serve as a novel signature of methylome. Changepoint detection in base-resolution methylome data followed by MDL plotting provides a novel method for methylome characterization and will facilitate global comparison among various WGBS data differing in size and even species origin.

Improving Microbial Biogasoline Production in Escherichia coli Using Tolerance Engineering

PubMed Central

Foo, Jee Loon; Jensen, Heather M.; Dahl, Robert H.; George, Kevin; Keasling, Jay D.; Lee, Taek Soon; Leong, Susanna

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Engineering microbial hosts for the production of fungible fuels requires mitigation of limitations posed on the production capacity. One such limitation arises from the inherent toxicity of solvent-like biofuel compounds to production strains, such as Escherichia coli. Here we show the importance of host engineering for the production of short-chain alcohols by studying the overexpression of genes upregulated in response to exogenous isopentenol. Using systems biology data, we selected 40 genes that were upregulated following isopentenol exposure and subsequently overexpressed them in E. coli. Overexpression of several of these candidates improved tolerance to exogenously added isopentenol. Genes conferring isopentenol tolerance phenotypes belonged to diverse functional groups, such as oxidative stress response (soxS, fpr, and nrdH), general stress response (metR, yqhD, and gidB), heat shock-related response (ibpA), and transport (mdlB). To determine if these genes could also improve isopentenol production, we coexpressed the tolerance-enhancing genes individually with an isopentenol production pathway. Our data show that expression of 6 of the 8 candidates improved the production of isopentenol in E. coli, with the methionine biosynthesis regulator MetR improving the titer for isopentenol production by 55%. Additionally, expression of MdlB, an ABC transporter, facilitated a 12% improvement in isopentenol production. To our knowledge, MdlB is the first example of a transporter that can be used to improve production of a short-chain alcohol and provides a valuable new avenue for host engineering in biogasoline production. PMID:25370492

[Future Regulatory Science through a Global Product Development Strategy to Overcome the Device Lag].

PubMed

Tsuchii, Isao

2016-01-01

Environment that created "medical device lag (MDL)" has changed dramatically, and currently that term is not heard often. This was mainly achieved through the leadership of three groups: government, which determined to overcome MDL and took steps to do so; medical societies, which exhibited accountability in trial participation; and MD companies, which underwent a change in mindset that allowed comprehensive tripartite cooperation to reach the current stage. In particular, the global product development strategy (GPDS) of companies in a changing social environment has taken a new-turn with international harmonization trends, like Global Harmonization Task Force and International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. As a result, this evolution has created opportunities for treatment with cutting-edge MDs in Japanese society. Simultaneously, it has had a major impact on the planning process of GPDS of companies. At the same time, the interest of global companies has shifted to emerging economies for future potential profit since Japan no longer faces MDL issue. This economic trend makes MDLs a greater problem for manufacturers. From the regulatory science viewpoint, this new environment has not made it easy to plan a global strategy that will be adaptable to local societies. Without taking hasty action, flexible thinking from the global point of view is necessary to enable the adjustment of local strategies to fit the situation on the ground so that the innovative Japanese medical technology can be exported to a broad range of societies.

Stimulation of the young poor responder: comparison of the luteal estradiol/gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist priming protocol versus oral contraceptive microdose leuprolide.

PubMed

Shastri, Shefali M; Barbieri, Elizabeth; Kligman, Isaac; Schoyer, Katherine D; Davis, Owen K; Rosenwaks, Zev

2011-02-01

To evaluate in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle outcomes in young poor responders treated with a luteal estradiol/gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (E(2)/ANT) protocol versus an oral contraceptive pill microdose leuprolide protocol (OCP-MDL). Retrospective cohort. Academic practice. Poor responders: 186 women, aged <35 years undergoing IVF with either E(2)/ANT or OCP-MDL protocols. None. Clinical pregnancies, oocytes retrieved, cancellation rate. Patients in the E(2)/ANT group had a greater gonadotropin requirement (71.9 ± 22.2 vs. 57.6 ± 25.7) and lower E(2) level (1,178.6 ± 668 vs. 1,627 ± 889), yet achieved similar numbers of oocytes retrieved and fertilized, and a greater number of embryos transferred (2.3 ± 0.9 vs. 2.0 ± 1.1) with a better mean grade (2.14 ± .06 vs. 2.7 ± 1.8) compared with the OCP/MDL group. The E2/ANT group exhibited a trend toward improved implantation rates (30.5% vs. 21.1%) and ongoing pregnancy rates per started cycle: 44 out of 117 (37%) versus 17 out of 69 (25%). Poor responders aged <35 years may be treated with the aggressive E(2)/ANT protocol to improve cycle outcomes. Both protocols remain viable options for this group. Adequately powered, randomized clinical comparison appears justified. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orbital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Robert M.

2003-06-01

ORBITAL requires the following software, which is available for free download from the Internet: Netscape Navigator, version 4.75 or higher, or Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 5.0 or higher; Chime Plug-in, version compatible with your OS and browser (available from MDL).

The study of in vivo quantification of aluminum (Al) in human bone with a compact DD generator-based neutron activation analysis (NAA) system.

PubMed

Byrne, Patrick; Mostafaei, Farshad; Liu, Yingzi; Blake, Scott P; Koltick, David; Nie, Linda H

2016-05-01

The feasibility and methodology of using a compact DD generator-based neutron activation analysis system to measure aluminum in hand bone has been investigated. Monte Carlo simulations were used to simulate the moderator, reflector, and shielding assembly and to estimate the radiation dose. A high purity germanium (HPGe) detector was used to detect the Al gamma ray signals. The minimum detectable limit (MDL) was found to be 11.13 μg g(-1) dry bone (ppm). An additional HPGe detector would improve the MDL by a factor of 1.4, to 7.9 ppm. The equivalent dose delivered to the irradiated hand was calculated by Monte Carlo to be 11.9 mSv. In vivo bone aluminum measurement with the DD generator was found to be feasible among general population with an acceptable dose to the subject.

Investigation of adaptive filtering and MDL mitigation based on space-time block-coding for spatial division multiplexed coherent receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Yi; He, Xuan; Yao, Wang; Pacheco, Michelle C.; Wang, Junyi; Pan, Zhongqi

2017-07-01

In this paper, we explored the performance of space-time block-coding (STBC) assisted multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme for modal dispersion and mode-dependent loss (MDL) mitigation in spatial-division multiplexed optical communication systems, whereas the weight matrices of frequency-domain equalization (FDE) were updated heuristically using decision-directed recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm for convergence and channel estimation. The proposed STBC-RLS algorithm can achieve 43.6% enhancement on convergence rate over conventional least mean squares (LMS) for quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals with merely 16.2% increase in hardware complexity. The overall optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) tolerance can be improved via STBC by approximately 3.1, 4.9, 7.8 dB for QPSK, 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 64-QAM with respective bit-error-rates (BER) and minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE).

Herbicides and nitrates in the Iowa River alluvial aquifer prior to changing land use, Iowa County, Iowa, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savoca, Mark E.; Tobias, Jennifer L.; Sadorf, Eric M.; Birkenholtz, Trevor L.

1997-01-01

Four herbicides (alachlor, atrazine, cyanazine, and metolachlor) and one nutrient (nitrate) were selected for study on the basis of frequent usage in Iowa and high detection rates in ground water (Detroy and Kuzniar, 1988). Alachlor was not detected at concentrations greater than the method detection limit (MDL). Atrazine was detected at concentrations greater than the MDL in samples from 48 percent of the 23 wells, cyanazine from 13 percent, metolachlor from 26 percent, and nitrate from 91 percent. None of the four herbicides were detected at concentrations greater than the respective U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water. Thirteen percent of the samples had nitrate concentrations above the USEPA's MCL of 10 mg/L (milligrams per liter). Relations between constituent concentration and well depth were observed for specific constituents at individual well nests.

Emulsion-core and polyelectrolyte-shell nanocapsules: biocompatibility and neuroprotection against SH-SY5Y cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piotrowski, Marek; Szczepanowicz, Krzysztof; Jantas, Danuta; Leśkiewicz, Monika; Lasoń, Władysław; Warszyński, Piotr

2013-11-01

The emulsion-core and polyelectrolyte-coated nanocapsules, designed as water-insoluble neuroprotective drug delivery system, were synthesized using layer-by-layer saturation method. The isopropyl myristate was used as oil phase and docusate sodium salt as emulsifier. For the polyelectrolyte shell preparation, synthetic polyelectrolytes, cationic (PDADMAC, PAH, and PLL) and anionic (PGA) were used. The particle size and zeta potential of nanocapsules were characterized by the dynamic light scattering. The average size of synthesized nanocapsules ranged from 80 to 100 nm. Zeta potential values ranged from less than approximately -30 mV for the polyanion layers to greater than approximately +30 mV for the polycation layers. Biocompatibilities of the synthesized nanocarriers were evaluated against SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells using various biochemical assays. The results obtained show that synthesized nanocapsules coated with PLL and PGA were nontoxic to SH-SY5Y cells, and they were used as nanocarriers for model neuroprotective drug (a calpain inhibitor MDL 28170). The neuroprotective action of the encapsulated MDL 28170 against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress cytotoxicity was evaluated in the same cell line. The results showed that nanoencapsulated form of MDL 28170 were biocompatible and protected SH-SY5Y cells against the H2O2 (0.5 mM/24 h)-induced damage in 20-40 times lower concentrations than those of the same drug added directly to the culture medium. These data suggest that the nanoscale carriers of neuroprotective drugs might serve as novel promising therapeutic agents for oxidative stress-related neurodegenerative processes.

QEPAS based ppb-level detection of CO and N2O using a high power CW DFB-QCL.

PubMed

Ma, Yufei; Lewicki, Rafał; Razeghi, Manijeh; Tittel, Frank K

2013-01-14

An ultra-sensitive and selective quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor platform was demonstrated for detection of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrous oxide (N2O). This sensor used a state-of-the art 4.61 μm high power, continuous wave (CW), distributed feedback quantum cascade laser (DFB-QCL) operating at 10°C as the excitation source. For the R(6) CO absorption line, located at 2169.2 cm(-1), a minimum detection limit (MDL) of 1.5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at atmospheric pressure was achieved with a 1 sec acquisition time and the addition of 2.6% water vapor concentration in the analyzed gas mixture. For the N2O detection, a MDL of 23 ppbv was obtained at an optimum gas pressure of 100 Torr and with the same water vapor content of 2.6%. In both cases the presence of water vapor increases the detected CO and N2O QEPAS signal levels as a result of enhancing the vibrational-translational relaxation rate of both target gases. Allan deviation analyses were performed to investigate the long term performance of the CO and N2O QEPAS sensor systems. For the optimum data acquisition time of 500 sec a MDL of 340 pptv and 4 ppbv was obtained for CO and N2O detection, respectively. To demonstrate reliable and robust operation of the QEPAS sensor a continuous monitoring of atmospheric CO and N2O concentration levels for a period of 5 hours were performed.

The effects of administration of monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors on rat striatal neurone responses to dopamine.

PubMed Central

Berry, M D; Scarr, E; Zhu, M Y; Paterson, I A; Juorio, A V

1994-01-01

1. (-)-Deprenyl has been shown to potentiate rat striatal neurone responses to dopamine agonists at doses not altering dopamine metabolism. Since there are a number of effects of (-)-deprenyl which could result in this phenomenon, we have investigated the effects of MDL 72,145 and Ro 19-6327, whose only common effect with (-)-deprenyl is an inhibition of monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B), on rat striatal neurone responses to dopamine and on striatal dopamine metabolism. 2. Using in vivo electrophysiology, i.p. injection of either MDL 72,145 or Ro 19-6327 was found to produce a dose-dependent potentiation of striatal neurone responses to dopamine but not gamma-aminobutyric acid. 3. Neurochemical investigations revealed that this occurred at doses (0.25-1 mg kg-1) which, while not affecting levels of dopamine or its metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid or homovanillic acid, did cause a significant, dose-dependent, elevation in striatal levels of the putative neuromodulator, 2-phenylethylamine (PE). 4. Inhibition of PE synthesis by i.p. injection of the aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitor, NSD 1015, produced a reversal of the effects of MDL 72,145 and Ro 19-6327. 5. Neurochemical analysis revealed this to occur at a dose of NSD 1015 (10 mg kg-1) selective for reduction of elevated PE levels. 6. These results suggest that PE can act as a neuromodulator of dopaminergic responses and that MAO-B inhibitors may potentiate neuronal responses to dopamine via the indirect mechanism of elevation of PE following MAO-B inhibition. PMID:7889269

Nicergoline, a drug used for age-dependent cognitive impairment, protects cultured neurons against beta-amyloid toxicity.

PubMed

Caraci, Filippo; Chisari, Mariangela; Frasca, Giuseppina; Canonico, Pier Luigi; Battaglia, Angelo; Calafiore, Marco; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Bosco, Paolo; Nicoletti, Ferdinando; Copani, Agata; Sortino, Maria Angela

2005-06-14

Nicergoline, a drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, was tested for its ability to protect neurons against beta-amyloid toxicity. Pure cultures of rat cortical neurons were challenged with a toxic fragment of beta-amyloid peptide (betaAP(25-35)) and toxicity was assessed after 24 h. Micromolar concentrations of nicergoline or its metabolite, MDL, attenuated betaAP(25-35)-induced neuronal death, whereas MMDL (another metabolite of nicergoline), the alpha1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, or the serotonin 5HT-2 receptor antagonist, methysergide, were inactive. Nicergoline increased the basal levels of Bcl-2 and reduced the increase in Bax levels induced by beta-amyloid, indicating that the drug inhibits the execution of an apoptotic program in cortical neurons. In mixed cultures of rat cortical cells containing both neurons and astrocytes, nicergoline and MDL were more efficacious than in pure neuronal cultures in reducing beta-amyloid neurotoxicity. Experiments carried out in pure cultures of astrocytes showed that a component of neuroprotection was mediated by a mechanism of glial-neuronal interaction. The conditioned medium of cultured astrocytes treated with nicergoline or MDL for 72-96 h (collected 24 h after drug withdrawal) was neuroprotective when transferred to pure neuronal cultures challenged with beta-amyloid. In cultured astrocytes, nicergoline increased the intracellular levels of transforming-growth factor-beta and glial-derived neurotrophic factor, two trophic factors that are known to protect neurons against beta-amyloid toxicity. These results raise the possibility that nicergoline reduces neurodegeneration in the Alzheimer's brain.

Estimation of the individual slaughterhouse surveillance sensitivity for bovine tuberculosis in Catalonia (North-Eastern Spain).

PubMed

Garcia-Saenz, A; Napp, S; Lopez, S; Casal, J; Allepuz, A

2015-10-01

The achievement of the Officially Tuberculosis Free (OTF) status in regions with low bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) herd prevalence, as is the case of North-Eastern Spain (Catalonia), might be a likely option in the medium term. In this context, risk-based approaches could be an alternative surveillance strategy to the costly current strategy. However, before any change in the system may be contemplated, a reliable estimate of the sensitivity of the different surveillance components is needed. In this study, we focused on the slaughterhouse component. The probability of detection of a bTB-infected cattle by the slaughterhouses in Catalonia was estimated as the product of three consecutive probabilities: (P1) the probability that a bTB-infected animal arrived at the slaughterhouse presenting Macroscopically Detectable Lesions (MDL); (P2) the probability that MDL were detected by the routine meat inspection process and (P3) the probability that the veterinary officer suspected bTB and sent the sample for laboratory confirmation. The first probability was obtained from data collected through the bTB eradication program carried out in Catalonia between 2005 and 2008, while the last two were obtained through the expert opinion of the veterinary officers working at the slaughterhouses who fulfilled a questionnaire administered during 2014. The bTB surveillance sensitivity of the different cattle slaughterhouses in Catalonia obtained in this study was 31.4% (CI 95%: 28.6-36.2), and there were important differences among them. The low bTB surveillance sensitivity was mainly related with the low probability that a bTB-infected animal arrived at the slaughterhouse presenting MDL (around 44.8%). The variability of the sensitivity among the different slaughterhouses could be explained by significant associations between some variables included in the survey and P2. For instance, factors like attendance to training courses, number of meat technicians and speed of the slaughter chain were significantly related with the probabilities that a MDL was detected by the meat inspection procedure carried out in the slaughterhouse. Technical and policy efforts should be focused on the improvement of these factors in order to maximize the slaughterhouse sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

USE OF METHOD DETECTION LIMITS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental measurements often produce values below the method detection limit (MDL). Because low or zero values may be used in determining compliance with regulatory limits, in determining emission factors (typical concentrations emitted by a given type of source), or in model...

Patient satisfaction and uptake of private-sector run malaria diagnosis clinics in a post-conflict district in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Fernando, Deepika; de Silva, Nipun Lakshitha; Ackers, Isabella; Abeyasinghe, Rabindra; Wijeyaratne, Pandu; Rajapakse, Senaka

2014-06-23

With the incidence of malaria in Sri Lanka declining, intensive parasitological surveillance has been identified as a key strategy to achieve elimination by end 2014. Tropical and Environmental Diseases and Health Associates Private Limited (TEDHA) in collaboration with the Anti-Malaria Campaign established 43 malaria diagnostic laboratories (MDL) in four post-conflict districts of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. This study assesses the patterns of referral of patients with fever for malaria diagnosis by health care providers (HCPs) in four government hospitals in one of the districts of the Northern Province, and patient satisfaction with the laboratory services offered. In this prospective descriptive study, data was collected on the proportion of fever patients being referred by the HCP in hospitals for malaria screening, and the proportion thereof who underwent screening. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was also used to assess patient satisfaction among those attending MDL, which was graded on a scale of 0-4. Of patients presenting to the hospitals with fever, only 44.3% were referred for malaria screening; 81.7% of them underwent screening. Referral depended largely on the presence of a permanent staff HCP. Satisfaction levels were high, with 86.55% giving an overall rating of 4. Comfort within the laboratory was rated satisfactory in three of the four hospitals. This study demonstrates the success of a public-private partnership in the malaria control programme in Sri Lanka. Malaria is considered low on the differential diagnosis in patients with fever even in previously malaria-endemic areas, due to the declining incidence of malaria and the increase in other febrile illnesses in these areas during the recent past. Private sector run malaria diagnostic services provided free of charge within government hospitals are viable and effective, and had good patient satisfaction ratings. In a country on the brink of eliminating malaria, there should be further emphasis on ensuring that HCPs refer patients for malaria diagnosis, in order to prevent a resurgence of the disease.

Directly Observable Behavioral Effects of Lorcaserin in Rats.

PubMed

Serafine, Katherine M; Rice, Kenner C; France, Charles P

2015-12-01

(1R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (lorcaserin) is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating obesity, and its therapeutic effects are thought to result from agonist activity at serotonin (5-HT)2C receptors. Lorcaserin has affinity for other 5-HT receptor subtypes, although its activity at those subtypes is not fully described. The current study compared the behavioral effects of lorcaserin (0.0032-32.0 mg/kg) to the effects of other 5-HT receptor selective agonists in rats (n = 8). The 5-HT2C receptor selective agonist 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP, 0.032-1.0 mg/kg) and lorcaserin induced yawning which was attenuated by the 5-HT2C receptor selective antagonist 6-chloro-5-methyl-N-(6-[(2-methylpyridin-3-yl)oxy]pydidin-3-yl)indoline-1-carboxamide (1.0 mg/kg). The 5-HT2A receptor selective agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (0.1-3.2 mg/kg) induced head twitching, which was attenuated by the 5-HT2A receptor selective antagonist R-(+)-2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1-[2-(4-piperidine)-methanol] (MDL 100907, 0.01 mg/kg), lorcaserin (3.2 mg/kg), and mCPP (3.2 mg/kg). In rats pretreated with MDL 100907 (1.0 mg/kg), lorcaserin also induced head twitching. At larger doses, lorcaserin produced forepaw treading, which was attenuated by the 5-HT1A receptor selective antagonist N-(2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide (0.178 mg/kg). While the behavioral effects of lorcaserin in rats are consistent with it having agonist activity at 5-HT2C receptors, these data suggest that at larger doses it also has agonist activity at 5-HT2A and possibly 5-HT1A receptors. Mounting evidence suggests that 5-HT2C receptor agonists might be effective for treating drug abuse. A more complete description of the activity of lorcaserin at 5-HT receptor subtypes will facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms that mediate its therapeutic effects. U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright.

Directly Observable Behavioral Effects of Lorcaserin in Rats

PubMed Central

Serafine, Katherine M.; Rice, Kenner C.

2015-01-01

(1R)-8-chloro-1-methyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (lorcaserin) is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating obesity, and its therapeutic effects are thought to result from agonist activity at serotonin (5-HT)2C receptors. Lorcaserin has affinity for other 5-HT receptor subtypes, although its activity at those subtypes is not fully described. The current study compared the behavioral effects of lorcaserin (0.0032–32.0 mg/kg) to the effects of other 5-HT receptor selective agonists in rats (n = 8). The 5-HT2C receptor selective agonist 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP, 0.032–1.0 mg/kg) and lorcaserin induced yawning which was attenuated by the 5-HT2C receptor selective antagonist 6-chloro-5-methyl-N-(6-[(2-methylpyridin-3-yl)oxy]pydidin-3-yl)indoline-1-carboxamide (1.0 mg/kg). The 5-HT2A receptor selective agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (0.1–3.2 mg/kg) induced head twitching, which was attenuated by the 5-HT2A receptor selective antagonist R-(+)-2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1-[2-(4-piperidine)-methanol] (MDL 100907, 0.01 mg/kg), lorcaserin (3.2 mg/kg), and mCPP (3.2 mg/kg). In rats pretreated with MDL 100907 (1.0 mg/kg), lorcaserin also induced head twitching. At larger doses, lorcaserin produced forepaw treading, which was attenuated by the 5-HT1A receptor selective antagonist N-(2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl)-N-(2-pyridyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide (0.178 mg/kg). While the behavioral effects of lorcaserin in rats are consistent with it having agonist activity at 5-HT2C receptors, these data suggest that at larger doses it also has agonist activity at 5-HT2A and possibly 5-HT1A receptors. Mounting evidence suggests that 5-HT2C receptor agonists might be effective for treating drug abuse. A more complete description of the activity of lorcaserin at 5-HT receptor subtypes will facilitate a better understanding of the mechanisms that mediate its therapeutic effects. PMID:26384326

Current-use pesticides in seawater and their bioaccumulation in polar bear-ringed seal food chains of the Canadian Arctic.

PubMed

Morris, Adam D; Muir, Derek C G; Solomon, Keith R; Letcher, Robert J; McKinney, Melissa A; Fisk, Aaron T; McMeans, Bailey C; Tomy, Gregg T; Teixeira, Camilla; Wang, Xiaowa; Duric, Mark

2016-07-01

The distribution of current-use pesticides (CUPs) in seawater and their trophodynamics were investigated in 3 Canadian Arctic marine food chains. The greatest ranges of dissolved-phase concentrations in seawater for each CUP were endosulfan sulfate (less than method detection limit (MDL) to 19 pg L(-1) ) > dacthal (0.76-15 pg L(-1) ) > chlorpyrifos (less than MDL to 8.1 pg L(-1) ) > pentachloronitrobenzene (less than MDL to 2.6 pg L(-1) ) > α-endosulfan (0.20-2.3 pg L(-1) ). Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs, water-respiring organisms) were greatest in plankton, including chlorothalonil (log BAF = 7.4 ± 7.1 L kg(-1) , mean ± standard error), chlorpyrifos (log BAF = 6.9 ± 6.7 L kg(-1) ), and α-endosulfan (log BAF = 6.5 ± 6.0 L kg(-1) ). The largest biomagnification factors (BMFs) were found for dacthal in the capelin:plankton trophic relationship (BMF = 13 ± 5.0) at Cumberland Sound (Nunvavut), and for β-endosulfan (BMF = 16 ± 4.9) and α-endosulfan (BMF = 9.3 ± 2.8) in the polar bear-ringed seal relationship at Barrow and Rae Strait (NU), respectively. Concentrations of endosulfan sulfate exhibited trophic magnification (increasing concentrations with increasing trophic level) in the poikilothermic portion of the food web (trophic magnification factor = 1.4), but all of the CUPs underwent trophic dilution in the marine mammal food web, despite some trophic level-specific biomagnification. Together, these observations are most likely indicative of metabolism of these CUPs in mammals. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1695-1707. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Individual mediodorsal thalamic neurons project to multiple areas of the rat prefrontal cortex: A single neuron-tracing study using virus vectors.

PubMed

Kuramoto, Eriko; Pan, Shixiu; Furuta, Takahiro; Tanaka, Yasuhiro R; Iwai, Haruki; Yamanaka, Atsushi; Ohno, Sachi; Kaneko, Takeshi; Goto, Tetsuya; Hioki, Hiroyuki

2017-01-01

The prefrontal cortex has an important role in a variety of cognitive and executive processes, and is generally defined by its reciprocal connections with the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD). The rat MD is mainly subdivided into three segments, the medial (MDm), central (MDc), and lateral (MDl) divisions, on the basis of the cytoarchitecture and chemoarchitecture. The MD segments are known to topographically project to multiple prefrontal areas at the population level: the MDm mainly to the prelimbic, infralimbic, and agranular insular areas; the MDc to the orbital and agranular insular areas; and the MDl to the prelimbic and anterior cingulate areas. However, it is unknown whether individual MD neurons project to single or multiple prefrontal cortical areas. In the present study, we visualized individual MD neurons with Sindbis virus vectors, and reconstructed whole structures of MD neurons. While the main cortical projection targets of MDm, MDc, and MDl neurons were generally consistent with those of previous results, it was found that individual MD neurons sent their axon fibers to multiple prefrontal areas, and displayed various projection patterns in the target areas. Furthermore, the axons of single MD neurons were not homogeneously spread, but were rather distributed to form patchy axon arbors approximately 1 mm in diameter. The multiple-area projections and patchy axon arbors of single MD neurons might be able to coactivate cortical neuron groups in distant prefrontal areas simultaneously. Furthermore, considerable heterogeneity of the projection patterns is likely, to recruit the different sets of cortical neurons, and thus contributes to a variety of prefrontal functions. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:166-185, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ca2+ and calpain mediate capsaicin-induced ablation of axonal terminals expressing transient receptor potential vanilloid 1.

PubMed

Wang, Sheng; Wang, Sen; Asgar, Jamila; Joseph, John; Ro, Jin Y; Wei, Feng; Campbell, James N; Chung, Man-Kyo

2017-05-19

Capsaicin is an ingredient in spicy peppers that produces burning pain by activating transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a Ca 2+ -permeable ion channel in nociceptors. Capsaicin has also been used as an analgesic, and its topical administration is approved for the treatment of certain pain conditions. The mechanisms underlying capsaicin-induced analgesia likely involve reversible ablation of nociceptor terminals. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. To visualize TRPV1-lineage axons, a genetically engineered mouse model was used in which a fluorophore is expressed under the TRPV1 promoter. Using a combination of these TRPV1-lineage reporter mice and primary afferent cultures, we monitored capsaicin-induced effects on afferent terminals in real time. We found that Ca 2+ influx through TRPV1 is necessary for capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive terminals. Although capsaicin-induced mitochondrial Ca 2+ uptake was TRPV1-dependent, dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibition of the mitochondrial transition permeability pore, and scavengers of reactive oxygen species did not attenuate capsaicin-induced ablation. In contrast, MDL28170, an inhibitor of the Ca 2+ -dependent protease calpain, diminished ablation. Furthermore, overexpression of calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of calpain, or knockdown of calpain 2 also decreased ablation. Quantitative assessment of TRPV1-lineage afferents in the epidermis of the hind paws of the reporter mice showed that EGTA and MDL28170 diminished capsaicin-induced ablation. Moreover, MDL28170 prevented capsaicin-induced thermal hypoalgesia. These results suggest that TRPV1/Ca 2+ /calpain-dependent signaling plays a dominant role in capsaicin-induced ablation of nociceptive terminals and further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of capsaicin on nociceptors. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Motion perception and driving: predicting performance through testing and shortening braking reaction times through training.

PubMed

Wilkins, Luke; Gray, Rob; Gaska, James; Winterbottom, Marc

2013-12-30

A driving simulator was used to examine the relationship between motion perception and driving performance. Although motion perception test scores have been shown to be related to driving safety, it is not clear which combination of tests are the best predictors and whether motion perception training can improve driving performance. In experiment 1, 60 younger drivers (22.4 ± 2.5 years) completed three motion perception tests (2-dimensional [2D] motion-defined letter [MDL] identification, 3D motion in depth sensitivity [MID], and dynamic visual acuity [DVA]) followed by two driving tests (emergency braking [EB] and hazard perception [HP]). In experiment 2, 20 drivers (21.6 ± 2.1 years) completed 6 weeks of motion perception training (using the MDL, MID, and DVA tests), while 20 control drivers (22.0 ± 2.7 years) completed an online driving safety course. The EB performance was measured before and after training. In experiment 1, MDL (r = 0.34) and MID (r = 0.46) significantly correlated with EB score. The change in DVA score as a function of target speed (i.e., "velocity susceptibility") was correlated most strongly with HP score (r = -0.61). In experiment 2, the motion perception training group had a significant decrease in brake reaction time on the EB test from pre- to posttreatment, while there was no significant change for the control group: t(38) = 2.24, P = 0.03. Tests of 3D motion perception are the best predictor of EB, while DVA velocity susceptibility is the best predictor of hazard perception. Motion perception training appears to result in faster braking responses.

Trace-Level Automated Mercury Speciation Analysis

PubMed Central

Taylor, Vivien F.; Carter, Annie; Davies, Colin; Jackson, Brian P.

2011-01-01

An automated system for methyl Hg analysis by purge and trap gas chromatography (GC) was evaluated, with comparison of several different instrument configurations including chromatography columns (packed column or capillary), detector (atomic fluorescence, AFS, or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS, using quadrupole and sector field ICP- MS instruments). Method detection limits (MDL) of 0.042 pg and 0.030 pg for CH3Hg+ were achieved with the automated Hg analysis system configured with AFS and ICPMS detection, respectively. Capillary GC with temperature programming was effective in improving resolution and decreasing retention times of heavier Hg species (in this case C3H7Hg+) although carryover between samples was increased. With capillary GC, the MDL for CH3Hg+ was 0.25 pg for AFS detection and 0.060 pg for ICP-MS detection. The automated system was demonstrated to have high throughput (72 samples analyzed in 8 hours) requiring considerably less analyst time than the manual method for methyl mercury analysis described in EPA 1630. PMID:21572543

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Current-Use Pesticides in Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Houston, Texas.

PubMed

Clark, Adelaide E; Yoon, Subin; Sheesley, Rebecca J; Usenko, Sascha

2016-12-01

The atmospheric concentrations of seven current-use pesticides in particulate matter were determined at four locations throughout the Houston metropolitan area in TSP and PM 2.5 samples from September 2013. Atmospheric concentrations in both TSP and PM 2.5 ranged from below method detection limits (MDLs) to nearly 1100 pg m -3 . The three compounds most frequently detected above MDLs were chlorothalonil, bifenthrin, and λ-cyhalothrin. Atmospheric chlorothalonil concentrations were above 800 pg m -3 in several TSP samples, but

Testing the ecotoxicology of vegetable versus mineral based lubricating oils: 1. Degradation rates using tropical marine microbes.

PubMed

Mercurio, Philip; Burns, Kathryn A; Negri, Andrew

2004-05-01

Vegetable-derived lubricants (VDL) might be more biodegradable than mineral-derived lubricants (MDL) due to the absence of high molecular weight aromatics, but this remains largely untested in tropical conditions. In this laboratory study, the degradation rates of 2-stroke, 4-stroke and hydraulic VDLs were compared with their MDL counterparts in the presence of mangrove and coral reef microbial communities. While MDLs were comprised largely of unresolved saturated and some aromatic hydrocarbons, their VDL counterparts contained, potentially more degradable, fatty acid methyl esters. Degradation of some VDL was observed by day 7, with the 2-stroke VDL markedly consumed by mangrove microorganisms and the hydraulic VDL degraded by both microorganism communities after this short period. All of the VDL groups were significantly more degraded than the comparable MDLs mineral oil lubricants over 14 days in the presence of either mangrove or coral reef microbial communities. In general the mangrove-sourced microorganisms more efficiently degraded the lubricants than reef-sourced microorganisms.

Crater-lake Santa Maria del Oro as a Pristine Reference for Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP' s) and Heavy Metals Content in Environmental Investigations in Western Mexico (Project Conacyt-Semarnat 2002-C01-0463, in Progress).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarate-Del Valle, P. F.; Gomez-Hermosillo, C. M.; Venegas-Garcia, D. J.

2007-12-01

Santa Maria del Oro Lake ( SMO) (21.37° N, 104.57° W; 750 m a.s.l.) is a quaternary crater-lake located at western Mexico in the natural border between two geological provinces: the plio-quaternary Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the oligo-miocenic silicic volcanic province Sierra Madre Occidental. SMO, a tropical freshwater lake, is a warm-monomictic lake having a diameter of ca. 2 km and a mean depth at the depocenter of ca. 60 m, where three benthos cores were recovered. Contents of POP' s, total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC) and heavy metals were analyzed. Geochemistry and mineralogy also were studied in shallow sediments which corresponded to the decade of 50-60's, otherwise the beginning of industrial development of central Mexico; which is considered the possible source of emission of POP' s and heavy metals. Dioxin, furan, plaguicides and PCB' s contents were analyzed by a GC-MS applying USEPA methods. In the first 40 cm (n= 20) of the sedimentary column ( SC) the absence of POP' s was evidenced, applying a method detection limit ( MDL) of 5 μ g/ml for dioxin, furan and PCB' s. For plaguicides like chlordane and toxaphene the MDL was 0.5 μ g/ml and for plaguicides like DDT, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlore and mirex the MDL was 5 μ g/ml. The MDL for HCB was 1 μ g/ml. The average (n= 30) for TIC, TOC and total carbon (TC) for the first 40 cm of the SC is as follows: TIC 2.4 %, TOC 3.7 % and TC 6.12 %. The average (n= 20) content (in ppm) of heavy metals for the first 20 cm of the SC is as follows: As 5.97, Cr 27.54, Cu 16.31, Ni 12.29, Pb 21.35 and Zn 82.46. These contents are roughly similar to the clarke of these metals in volcanic rocks. After the criteria of severe effect level ( SEL) of heavy metal in sediments, the content of these metals is below SEL levels. These results permit us to conclude that the sediments of SMO can be considered in unaffected state with respect to antropogenic contamination like POP' s and heavy metals. Consequently, Santa Maria del Oro Lake can be considered as a pristine reference in paleo-ecological and environmental investigations in western Mexico.

Applying Monte-Carlo simulations to optimize an inelastic neutron scattering system for soil carbon analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Computer Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations (Geant4) of neutron propagation and acquisition of gamma response from soil samples was applied to evaluate INS system performance characteristic [sensitivity, minimal detectable level (MDL)] for soil carbon measurement. The INS system model with best performanc...

Examining the Interrelations among Knowledge, Interests, and Learning Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Bo; Chen, Ang

2006-01-01

Guided by the Model of Domain Learning (MDL), the study was designed to explore the extent of interrelations among prior knowledge, learning strategies, interests, physical engagement, and learning outcomes in a sixth-grade (N = 91) volleyball unit. Pearson product-moment correlations and a path analysis were conducted for the research purpose.…

Demonstration and Validation of a Regenerated Cellulose Dialysis Membrane Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring Ground Water Quality and Remediation Progress at DoD Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-30

ITRC Interstate Technology Regulatory Council LRL Laboratory reporting level LDPE Low-density polyethylene MDL Minimum detection limit MNA...diameter of the well. Another diffusion membrane sampler design consists of a tubular-shaped bag made of flexible low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ...

76 FR 72507 - National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Ferroalloys Production

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-23

... MDL method detection limit mg/dscm milligrams per dry standard cubic meter MIR maximum individual risk... pounds per hour per megawatt (lb/hr/ MW) or 35 milligrams per dry standard cubic meter (mg/ dscm) (0.015... stacks) producing ferromanganese. New, reconstructed, or Metal oxygen refining process... 69 mg/dscm (0...

METHOD TO-15 SUPPLEMENT-ANALYSIS OF 1,1-DCE AT PPTV CONCENTRATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The Supplement to EPA Compendium Method TO-15 provides guidance for reducing the method detection limit (MDL) for the compound 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) and for other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 0.5 ppbv, as cited in Method TO-15, to much lower concentrations. Revis...

Bioconcentration of triclosan, methyl-triclosan, and triclocarban in the plants and sediments of a constructed wetland.

PubMed

Zarate, Frederick M; Schulwitz, Sarah E; Stevens, Kevin J; Venables, Barney J

2012-07-01

Constructed wetlands are a potential method for the removal of two pharmaceutical and personal care products from wastewater effluent. Triclosan (TCS; 5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]phenol) and triclocarban (TCC; 3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanillide) are antimicrobial agents added to a variety of consumer products whose accumulation patterns in constructed wetlands are poorly understood. Here, we report the accumulation of TCS, its metabolite methyl-triclosan (MTCS; 5-chloro-2-[2,4-dichlorophenoxy]), and TCC in wetland plant tissues and sediments. Three wetland macrophytes: Typha latifolia, Pontederia cordata, and Sagittaria graminea were sampled from a constructed wetland in Denton, Texas, USA. MTCS concentrations were below the method detection limit (MDL) for all species. TCS root tissue concentrations in T. latifolia were significantly greater than root concentrations in P. cordata (mean±SE in ng g(-1): 40.3±11.3 vs. 15.0±1.9, respectively), while for TCC, shoot tissue concentrations in S. graminea were significantly greater than in T. latifolia (22.8±9.3 vs. 9.0 (MDL), respectively). For both TCS and TCC, T. latifolia root tissue concentrations were significantly greater than shoot concentrations (TCS: 40.3±11.3 vs. 17.2±0.2, TCC: 26.0±3.6 vs. 9.0, (MDL)). TCC concentrations in P. cordata roots were significantly greater than in shoots (34.4±5.3 vs. 15.4±2.8, respectively). TCS concentrations in T. latifolia roots and sediments and TCC concentrations in sediments generally decreased from wetland inflow to outflow. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting species and tissue specific differences in the accumulation of TCS and TCC in plants from an operational constructed wetland. The species specific differences in bioaccumulation suggest TCS and TCC removal from constructed wetlands could be enhanced through targeted plantings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modification of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-induced hyperactivity by monoamine oxidase A inhibitor harmaline in mice and the underlying serotonergic mechanisms.

PubMed

Jiang, Xi-Ling; Shen, Hong-Wu; Yu, Ai-Ming

2016-06-01

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and harmaline are indolealkylamine (IAA) drugs often abused together. Our recent studies have revealed the significant effects of co-administered harmaline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), on 5-MeO-DMT pharmacokinetics and thermoregulation. This study was to delineate the impact of harmaline and 5-MeO-DMT on home-cage activity in mouse models, as well as the contribution of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. Home-cage activities of individual animals were monitored automatically in the home cages following implantation of telemetry transmitters and administration of various doses of IAA drugs and 5-HT receptor antagonists. Area under the effect curve (AUEC) of mouse activity values were calculated by trapezoidal rule. High dose of harmaline (15mg/kg, ip) alone caused an early-phase (0-45min) hypoactivity in mice that was fully attenuated by 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, whereas a late-phase (45-180min) hyperactivity that was reduced by 5-HT2A receptor antagonist MDL-100907. 5-MeO-DMT (10 and 20mg/kg, ip) alone induced biphasic effects, an early-phase (0-45min) hypoactivity that was completely attenuated by WAY-100635, and a late-phase (45-180min) hyperactivity that was fully suppressed by MDL-100907. Interestingly, co-administration of MAOI harmaline (2-15mg/kg) with a subthreshold dose of 5-MeO-DMT (2mg/kg) induced excessive hyperactivities at late phase (45-180min) that could be abolished by either WAY-100635 or MDL-100907. Co-administration of MAOI with 5-MeO-DMT provokes excessive late-phase hyperactivity, which involves the activation of both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. Copyright © 2016 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Modification of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-induced hyperactivity by monoamine oxidase A inhibitor harmaline in mice and the underlying serotonergic mechanisms

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xi-Ling; Shen, Hong-Wu; Yu, Ai-Ming

2016-01-01

Background 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and harmaline are indolealkylamine (IAA) drugs often abused together. Our recent studies have revealed the significant effects of co-administered harmaline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), on 5-MeO-DMT pharmacokinetics and thermoregulation. This study was to delineate the impact of harmaline and 5-MeO-DMT on home-cage activity in mouse models, as well as the contribution of serotonin (5-HT) receptors. Methods Home-cage activities of individual animals were monitored automatically in the home cages following implantation of telemetry transmitters and administration of various doses of IAA drugs and 5-HT receptor antagonists. Area under the effect curve (AUEC) of mouse activity values were calculated by trapezoidal rule. Results High dose of harmaline (15 mg/kg, ip) alone caused an early-phase (0–45 min) hypoactivity in mice that was fully attenuated by 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, whereas a late-phase (45–180 min) hyperactivity that was reduced by 5-HT2A receptor antagonist MDL-100907. 5-MeO-DMT (10 and 20 mg/kg, ip) alone induced biphasic effects, an early-phase (0–45 min) hypoactivity that was completely attenuated by WAY-100635, and a late-phase (45–180 min) hyperactivity that was fully suppressed by MDL-100907. Interestingly, co-administration of MAOI harmaline (2–15 mg/kg) with a subthreshold dose of 5-MeO-DMT (2 mg/kg) induced excessive hyperactivities at late phase (45–180 min) that could be abolished by either WAY-100635 or MDL-100907. Conclusions Co-administration of MAOI with 5-MeO-DMT provokes excessive late-phase hyperactivity, which involves the activation of both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. PMID:26977821

Re-description of Echiniscus cavagnaroi Schuster & Grigarick, 1966 (Tardigrada: Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscidae) from type material, with new records from Hawaii and Bermuda.

PubMed

Meyer, Harry A

2016-06-13

The description of Echiniscus cavagnaroi Schuster & Grigarick, 1966 (Tardigrada: Heterotardigrada: Echiniscoidea: Echiniscidae) is emended with new morphometric measurements of the holotype and eleven paratypes. The length of Cirrus A in the holotype (25.2 μm) was only half the 50 μm reported in the original description. Moreover, the largest values for Cirrus A length and Cirrus A to body length ratio for any specimen (40.6 μm, 21%) were also lower than in the original description. Variation in the presence or absence of spines was considerably greater than originally described. Spines C, D^d and E were not present on all specimens (C present in 67%, D^d in 67%, E in 50%). The length of spines D^d and E, when present, varied greatly among specimens. The geographical range of E. cavagnaroi is expanded by new records from the Hawaiian Islands and Bermuda. The species has been reported from southern China; however, the published description of these specimens differs markedly from type specimens in several respects. The presence of E. cavagnaroi sensu stricto in China needs to be confirmed. The high variability in presence or absence and length of spines in Echiniscus cavagnaroi underscores the importance of assessing variability in these characteristics when identifying unknown specimens or describing new species in the genus. This requires using as many specimens as possible and fully reporting variability.

SUPPLEMENT TO EPA COMPENDIUM METHOD TO-15 - REDUCTION OF METHOD DETECTION LIMITS TO MEET VAPOR INTRUSION MONITORING NEEDS

EPA Science Inventory

The Supplement to EPA Compendium Method TO-15 provides guidance for reducing the method detection limit (MDL) for the compound 1,1- dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) and for other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 0.5 ppbv, as cited in Method TO-15, to much lower concentrations. R...

SUPPLEMENT TO EPA COMPENDIUM METHOD TO-15 - REDUCTION OF METHOD DETECTION LIMITS TO MEET VAPOR INTRUSION MONITORING NEEDS

EPA Science Inventory

The Supplement to EPA Compendium Method TO-15 provides guidance for reducing the method detection limit (MDL) for the compound 1,1-dichloroethene (1,1-DCE) and for other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 0.5 parts per billion by volume (ppbv), as cited in Method TO-15, to ...

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. This image shows the overview for the EDSE in the Microgravity Development Lab (MDL).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. Video and power rack for the EDSE in the Microgravity Development Lab (MDL).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. Dendrite irritator control for the EDSE in the Microgravity Development Lab (MDL).

Sparse Coding and Dictionary Learning Based on the MDL Principle

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

average bits per pixel obtained was 4.08 bits per pixel ( bpp ), with p = 250 atoms in the final dictionary. We repeated this using `2 instead of Huber...loss, obtaining 4.12 bpp and p = 245. We now show example results obtained with our framework in two very different applications. In both cases we

Separation of Acids, Bases, and Neutral Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Megumi; Mah, Helen M.; Sgarbi, Paulo W. M.; Lall, Manjinder S.; Ly, Tai Wei; Browne, Lois M.

2003-01-01

Separation of Acids, Bases, and Neutral Compounds requires the following software, which is available for free download from the Internet: Netscape Navigator, version 4.75 or higher, or Microsoft Internet Explorer, version 5.0 or higher; Chime plug-in, version compatible with your OS and browser (available from MDL); and Flash player, version 5 or higher (available from Macromedia).

77 FR 4492 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reissuance of Interim Special Rule for the Polar Bear

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... order in regard to Misc. No. 08- 764 (EGS) MDL Docket No. 1993 IN RE: POLAR BEAR ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT... (Service), published a final rule listing the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) as a threatened species... Special Rule for the Polar Bear AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY...

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. This image shows the isothermal bath and video system for the EDSE in the Microgravity Development Lab (MDL).

Optimization of 18 F-syntheses using 19 F-reagents at tracer-level concentrations and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis: Improved synthesis of [18 F]MDL100907.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiang; Dunlow, Ryan; Blackman, Burchelle N; Swenson, Rolf E

2018-05-15

Traditional radiosynthetic optimization faces the challenges of high radiation exposure, cost, and inability to perform serial reactions due to tracer decay. To accelerate tracer development, we have developed a strategy to simulate radioactive 18 F-syntheses by using tracer-level (nanomolar) non-radioactive 19 F-reagents and LC-MS/MS analysis. The methodology was validated with fallypride synthesis under tracer-level 19 F-conditions, which showed reproducible and comparable results with radiosynthesis, and proved the feasibility of this process. Using this approach, the synthesis of [ 18 F]MDL100907 was optimized under 19 F-conditions with greatly improved yield. The best conditions were successfully transferred to radiosynthesis. A radiochemical yield of 19% to 22% was achieved with the radiochemical purity >99% and the molar activity 38.8 to 53.6 GBq/ μmol (n = 3). The tracer-level 19 F-approach provides a high-throughput and cost-effective process to optimize radiosynthesis with reduced radiation exposure. This new method allows medicinal and synthetic chemists to optimize radiolabeling conditions without the need to use radioactivity. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A multi-dielectric-layered triboelectric nanogenerator as energized by corona discharge.

PubMed

Shao, Jia Jia; Tang, Wei; Jiang, Tao; Chen, Xiang Yu; Xu, Liang; Chen, Bao Dong; Zhou, Tao; Deng, Chao Ran; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-07-13

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been invented recently for meeting the power requirements of small electronics and potentially solving the worldwide energy crisis. Here, we developed a vertical contact-separation mode TENG based on a novel multi-dielectric-layered (MDL) structure, which was comprised of parylene C, polyimide and SiO 2 films. By using the corona discharge approach, the surface charge density was enhanced to as high as 283 μC m -2 , and especially the open-circuit voltage could be increased by a factor of 55 compared with the original value. Furthermore, the theoretical models were built to reveal the output characteristics and store the electrostatic energy of the TENG. The influences of the structural parameters and operation conditions including the effective dielectric thickness, dielectric constant, gap distance and air breakdown voltage were investigated systematically. It was found that the output performances such as the peak voltage and power density are approximately proportional to the thickness of the MDL film, but they would be restricted by the air breakdown voltage. These unique structures and models could be used to deepen the understanding of the fundamental mechanism of TENGs, and serve as an important guide for designing high performance TENGs.

Channel estimation in few mode fiber mode division multiplexing transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hei, Yongqiang; Li, Li; Li, Wentao; Li, Xiaohui; Shi, Guangming

2018-03-01

It is abundantly clear that obtaining the channel state information (CSI) is of great importance for the equalization and detection in coherence receivers. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, in most of the existing literatures, CSI is assumed to be perfectly known at the receiver. So far, few literature discusses the effects of imperfect CSI on MDM system performance caused by channel estimation. Motivated by that, in this paper, the channel estimation in few mode fiber (FMF) mode division multiplexing (MDM) system is investigated, in which two classical channel estimation methods, i.e., least square (LS) method and minimum mean square error (MMSE) method, are discussed with the assumption of the spatially white noise lumped at the receiver side of MDM system. Both the capacity and BER performance of MDM system affected by mode-dependent gain or loss (MDL) with different channel estimation errors have been studied. Simulation results show that the capacity and BER performance can be further deteriorated in MDM system by the channel estimation, and an 1e-3 variance of channel estimation error is acceptable in MDM system with 0-6 dB MDL values.

Tachykinin-mediated respiratory effects in conscious guinea pigs: modulation by NK1 and NK2 receptor antagonists.

PubMed

Kudlacz, E M; Logan, D E; Shatzer, S A; Farrell, A M; Baugh, L E

1993-09-07

Tachykinins, in particular neurokinin A and substance P, produce a number of airway effects which may contribute to respiratory diseases such as asthma. We examined the ability of aerosolized substance P, neurokinin A or capsaicin to produce respiratory alterations in conscious guinea pigs using modified whole body plethysmography. Substance P-mediated dyspnea and significant respiratory events were inhibited by the NK1 receptor antagonist, CP-96,345. Neurokinin A-mediated respiratory effects were ablated by the NK2 receptor antagonists: MEN 10207, MDL 29,913 and SR 48,968, the latter being the most potent. The peptide-based antagonist, MEN 10207, produced respiratory effects itself suggesting partial agonist activity. The cyclic hexapeptide, MDL 29,913, relaxed airway smooth muscle via mechanisms other than tachykinin antagonism. NK2 but not NK1 receptor antagonists were able to delay the onset of capsaicin-induced dyspnea, although alone they did not usually (in approximately 10% of the animals) eliminate the response. However, when NK2 receptor antagonists were combined with CP-96,345, the incidence of dyspnea induced by capsaicin decreased significantly (40%) suggesting that both tachykinins contribute to dyspnea in this system.

Ultra-Violet/Electron Beam Detoxification of Nitroglycerin/Propylene Glycol Dinrate Waste Water, Phase 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-16

University of Vienna’s Institute for Theoretical and Radiation Chemistry provided assistance in the development of chemical theory. Z. Liu, Associate...Professor of Applied Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology, Hefei, Peoples Republic of China provided support with physical measurements. The...include Glyocollic acid " Inogani Nitates> 90 nitroglycerine, propylene glycol dinitrate Inorganic Nitrates (PGDN), trimethylolethane trinitrate MDL

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. Dendrites growing at .4 supercooling from a 2 stinger growth chamber for the EDSE in the Microgravity Development Lab (MDL).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several quiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. George Myers, controls engineer, monitors the thermal environment of a ground test for the EDSE located in the Microgravity Development Laboratory (MDL).

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-01

The Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) is a material sciences investigation under the Formation of Microstructures/pattern formation discipline. The objective is to study the microstructural evolution of and thermal interactions between several equiaxed crystals growing dendritically in a supercooled melt of a pure and transparent substance under diffusion controlled conditions. EDSE/TDSE project engineer, Zena Hester, monitors a test run of the EDSE located in the Microgravity Development Laboratory (MDL).

77 FR 11158 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Clean Water Act

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-24

... Notice is hereby given that on February 17, 2012, a proposed Consent Decree in In Re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ``Deepwater Horizon'' in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010, MDL 2179, was lodged with the... discharge of oil into the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the April 20, 2010 blowout of the Macondo well and...

Psychomotor stimulant effects of beta-phenylethylamine in monkeys treated with MAO-B inhibitors.

PubMed

Bergman, J; Yasar, S; Winger, G

2001-12-01

Sufficiently high doses of beta-phenylethylamine (beta-PEA), a trace amine that is rapidly metabolized by monoamine oxidase-type B (MAO-B), can produce effects comparable to those of cocaine or methamphetamine (MA). The present experiments were conducted to study how the discriminative-stimulus (S(D)) and reinforcing-stimulus (S(R)) effects of beta-PEA in monkeys are modified by treatment with inhibitors of MAO-B [R-(-)-deprenyl and MDL 72974]. In studies of its S(D) effects, doses of beta-PEA up to 30 mg/kg engendered only sporadic responding on the drug-associated lever in squirrel monkeys that discriminated intramuscular injections of 0.3 mg/kg MA from vehicle whereas lower doses of 0.3-1.0 mg/kg beta-PEA produced full substitution when administered after either R-(-)-deprenyl or MDL 72974 (0.3 mg/kg). The MA-like S(D) effects of beta-PEA were attenuated by either dopamine D(1) or D(2) receptor blockers. In studies of its S(R) effects, high doses of beta-PEA maintained responding in two of three monkeys under a second-order fixed-interval schedule (3.0 or 10 mg/kg per injection) and two of three monkeys under a simple fixed ratio (FR) schedule (0.3-1.0 mg/kg per injection) of intravenous (i.v.) self-administration. MAO-B inhibition by R-(-)-deprenyl or MDL 72974 enhanced the S(R) effects of beta-PEA in all monkeys and, under the FR schedule, induced a 30-fold or greater leftward shift in the dose-response function for its i.v. self-administration. Based on time-course determinations, the enhanced S(R) effects of beta-PEA under the FR schedule were long-lasting and dissipated gradually over 3-7 days. These results show that inhibition of MAO-B enhances S(D) and S(R) effects of beta-PEA in monkeys, presumably by delaying its inactivation. MAO-B inhibition leading to increased levels of beta-PEA may be useful, alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents, in the pharmacological management of selected aspects of drug dependence.

Compact DD generator-based neutron activation analysis (NAA) system to determine fluorine in human bone in vivo: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Mostafaei, Farshad; Blake, Scott P; Liu, Yingzi; Sowers, Daniel A; Nie, Linda H

2015-10-01

The subject of whether fluorine (F) is detrimental to human health has been controversial for many years. Much of the discussion focuses on the known benefits and detriments to dental care and problems that F causes in bone structure at high doses. It is therefore advantageous to have the means to monitor F concentrations in the human body as a method to directly assess exposure. F accumulates in the skeleton making bone a useful biomarker to assess long term cumulative exposure to F. This study presents work in the development of a non-invasive method for the monitoring of F in human bone. The work was based on the technique of in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA). A compact deuterium-deuterium (DD) generator was used to produce neutrons. A moderator/reflector/shielding assembly was designed and built for human hand irradiation. The gamma rays emitted through the (19)F(n,γ)(20)F reaction were measured using a HPGe detector. This study was undertaken to (i) find the feasibility of using DD system to determine F in human bone, (ii) estimate the F minimum detection limit (MDL), and (iii) optimize the system using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) code in order to improve the MDL of the system. The F MDL was found to be 0.54 g experimentally with a neutron flux of 7   ×   10(8) n s(-1) and an optimized irradiation, decay, and measurement time scheme. The numbers of F counts from the experiment were found to be close to the (MCNPX) simulation results with the same irradiation and detection parameters. The equivalent dose to the irradiated hand and the effective dose to the whole body were found to be 0.9 mSv and 0.33 μSv, respectively. Based on these results, it is feasible to develop a compact DD generator based IVNAA system to measure bone F in a population with moderate to high F exposure.

Radioligand binding, autoradiographic and functional studies demonstrate tachykinin NK-2 receptors in dog urinary bladder.

PubMed

Mussap, C J; Stamatakos, C; Burcher, E

1996-10-01

Tachykinin receptors in the dog bladder were characterized using radioligand binding, functional and autoradiographic techniques. In detrusor muscle homogenates, specific binding of [125l]iodohistidyl neurokinin A (INKA) and [125l]Bolton Hunter eledoisin was reversible, saturable and, to a single class of sites of Kd, 3,6 and 27 nM, respectively. No specific binding of [125l]Bolton Hunter[Sar9, Met (O2)11] substance P occurred. INKA binding was reduced by the peptidase inhibitor bacitracin. The rank potency order of agonists competing for binding of both radioligands indicated interaction at NK-2 sites. NK-2-selective antagonists also competed for INKA binding, with SR 48968, GR 94800, MDL 29913 and the selective agonist [Lys5, MeLeu9, Nle10]-NKA(4-10) showing biphasic binding profiles. Autoradiographic studies revealed specific binding of INKA and [125l]Bolton Hunter eledoisin over detrusor muscle and small arteries. [125l]Bolton Hunter [Sar9, Met (O2)11] SP labeled the intima of arteries and arterioles, but not the detrusor muscle. Tachykinins contracted detrusor muscle strips, with potency order at the carbachol EC15 NKA = kassinin > [Lys5, MeLeu9, Nle10]-NKA(4-10) = neuropeptide gamma = neuropeptide K = NKB > > MDL 28564, with [Sar9, Met(O2)11]-SP ineffective. Shallow concentration-response curves, variable efficacies and inhibition by atropine and mepyramine suggest that other mechanisms may influence contractile responses. Responses to [Lys5, MeLeu9, Nle10]-NKA(4-10) were inhibited competitively by MDL 29913 and MEN 10207 (pA2 values: 6.4 and 5.3, respectively). Antagonism by SR 48968 and GR 94800 was noncompetitive (both pK8 values 8.9). In summary, NK-2-preferring ligands showed superior potency as both binding competitors and contractile agonists, demonstrating that NK-2 receptors mediate detrusor muscle contraction, similar to the human detrusor. Tachykinins may play important roles in the micturition reflex and in regulating detrusor muscle blood flow in the dog.

Earth-Affecting Solar Causes Observatory (EASCO): Results of the Mission Concept Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk

2011-01-01

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) corotating interaction regions (CIRs) are two large-scale structures that originate from the Sun and affect the heliosphere in general and Earth in particular. While CIRs are generally detected by in-situ plasma signatures, CMEs are remote-sensed when they are still close to the Sun. The current understanding of CMEs primarily come from the SOHO and STEREO missions. In spite of the enormous progress made, there are some serious deficiencies in these missions. For example, these missions did not carry all the necessary instruments (STEREO did not have a magnetograph; SOHO did not have in-situ magnetometer). From the Sun-Earth line, SOHO was not well-suited for observing Earth-directed CMEs because of the occulting disk. STEREO's angle with the Sun-Earth line is changing constantly, so only a limited number of Earth-directed CMEs were observed in profile. In order to overcome these difficulties, we proposed a news L5 mission concept known as the Earth-Affecting Solar Causes Observatory (EASCO). The mission concept was recently studied at the Mission Design Laboratory (MDL), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The aim of the MDL study was to see how the scientific payload consisting of ten instruments can be accommodated in the spacecraft bus, what propulsion system can transfer the payload to the Sun-Earth L5, and what launch vehicles are appropriate. The study found that all the ten instruments can be readily accommodated and can be launched using an intermediate size vehicle such as Taurus II with enhanced faring. The study also found that a hybrid propulsion system consisting of an ion thruster (using approximately 55 kg of Xenon) and hydrazine (approximately 10 kg) is adequate to place the payload at L5. The transfer will take about 2 years and the science mission will last for 4 years around the next solar maximum in 2025. The mission can be readily extended for another solar cycle to get a solar-cycle worth of data on Earth-affecting CMEs and CIRs. This paper provides a highlight of the MDL study results.

ASD: a comprehensive database of allosteric proteins and modulators

PubMed Central

Huang, Zhimin; Zhu, Liang; Cao, Yan; Wu, Geng; Liu, Xinyi; Chen, Yingyi; Wang, Qi; Shi, Ting; Zhao, Yaxue; Wang, Yuefei; Li, Weihua; Li, Yixue; Chen, Haifeng; Chen, Guoqiang; Zhang, Jian

2011-01-01

Allostery is the most direct, rapid and efficient way of regulating protein function, ranging from the control of metabolic mechanisms to signal-transduction pathways. However, an enormous amount of unsystematic allostery information has deterred scientists who could benefit from this field. Here, we present the AlloSteric Database (ASD), the first online database that provides a central resource for the display, search and analysis of structure, function and related annotation for allosteric molecules. Currently, ASD contains 336 allosteric proteins from 101 species and 8095 modulators in three categories (activators, inhibitors and regulators). Proteins are annotated with a detailed description of allostery, biological process and related diseases, and modulators with binding affinity, physicochemical properties and therapeutic area. Integrating the information of allosteric proteins in ASD should allow for the identification of specific allosteric sites of a given subtype among proteins of the same family that can potentially serve as ideal targets for experimental validation. In addition, modulators curated in ASD can be used to investigate potent allosteric targets for the query compound, and also help chemists to implement structure modifications for novel allosteric drug design. Therefore, ASD could be a platform and a starting point for biologists and medicinal chemists for furthering allosteric research. ASD is freely available at http://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/ASD/. PMID:21051350

40 CFR Appendix B to Part 136 - Definition and Procedure for the Determination of the Method Detection Limit-Revision 1.11

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... calculated method detection limit. To insure that the estimate of the method detection limit is a good...) where: MDL = the method detection limit t(n-1,1- α=.99) = the students' t value appropriate for a 99... Determination of the Method Detection Limit-Revision 1.11 B Appendix B to Part 136 Protection of Environment...

Oxidative Damage in Parkinson’s Disease.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-10-01

with a monoclonal antibody column. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sei. USA 89:3375-3379; 1992. [34] Deegan , P.; Shigenaga, M. K.; Park, E. M.; Alperin, P. E...Malonate and MPTP Neurotoxicity Russell T Matthews,* Peter Klivenyi,* Gerald Mueller,* Lichuan Yang,* Marike Wermer,* Craig E. Thomas,t and M. Flint...Biochemicals (Wayland, MA). MDL 101,002 was generously supplied by Dr. Craig Thomas of Hoechst Marion Roussell. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River

Environmental Assessment: Radio Receiving and Transmission Site (RRATS) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

with the Proposed Action Based on the analysis in the EA, which is herewith incorporated by reference, I determine that no significant adverse effects ...would proceed with the implementation of the RRATS. I conclude that the environmental effects of the proposed action at JB MDL are not significant...THE AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT ............................................................ 3-5 TABLE 5-1. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS

Multimodal Signal Processing for Personnel Detection and Activity Classification for Indoor Surveillance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-15

features and designed a classifier that achieves up to 95% classification accuracy on classifying the occupancy with indoor footstep data. MDL-based...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and...maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other

Computer Based Behavioral Biometric Authentication via Multi-Modal Fusion

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

the decisions made by each individual modality. Fusion of features is the simple concatenation of feature vectors from multiple modalities to be...of Features BayesNet MDL 330 LibSVM PCA 80 J48 Wrapper Evaluator 11 3.5.3 Ensemble Based Decision Level Fusion. In ensemble learning multiple ...The high fusion percentages validate our hypothesis that by combining features from multiple modalities, classification accuracy can be improved. As

Implementing Effective Mission Systems Engineering Practices During Early Project Formulation Phases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moton, Tryshanda

2016-01-01

Developing and implementing a plan for a NASA space mission can be a complicated process. The needs, goals, and objectives of any proposed mission or technology must be assessed early in the Project Life Cycle. The key to successful development of a space mission or flight project is the inclusion of systems engineering in early project formulation, namely during Pre-phase A, Phase A, and Phase B of the NASA Project Life Cycle. When a space mission or new technology is in pre-development, or "pre-Formulation", feasibility must be determined based on cost, schedule, and risk. Inclusion of system engineering during project formulation is key because in addition to assessing feasibility, design concepts are developed and alternatives to design concepts are evaluated. Lack of systems engineering involvement early in the project formulation can result in increased risks later in the implementation and operations phases of the project. One proven method for effective systems engineering practice during the pre-Formulation Phase is the use of a mission conceptual design or technology development laboratory, such as the Mission Design Lab (MDL) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This paper will review the engineering process practiced routinely in the MDL for successful mission or project development during the pre-Formulation Phase.

Descriptive Writing: A Thematic Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Joanna J.

This thematic unit for teaching descriptive writing is organized around 10 days of lesson plans. The unit begins by asking key questions about descriptive writing and providing information on grade level, ability level, number of lessons and length of classes, and prior knowledge students should have. It also offers a unit rationale and key…

Improving microbial biogasoline production in Escherichia coli using tolerance engineering.

PubMed

Foo, Jee Loon; Jensen, Heather M; Dahl, Robert H; George, Kevin; Keasling, Jay D; Lee, Taek Soon; Leong, Susanna; Mukhopadhyay, Aindrila

2014-11-04

Engineering microbial hosts for the production of fungible fuels requires mitigation of limitations posed on the production capacity. One such limitation arises from the inherent toxicity of solvent-like biofuel compounds to production strains, such as Escherichia coli. Here we show the importance of host engineering for the production of short-chain alcohols by studying the overexpression of genes upregulated in response to exogenous isopentenol. Using systems biology data, we selected 40 genes that were upregulated following isopentenol exposure and subsequently overexpressed them in E. coli. Overexpression of several of these candidates improved tolerance to exogenously added isopentenol. Genes conferring isopentenol tolerance phenotypes belonged to diverse functional groups, such as oxidative stress response (soxS, fpr, and nrdH), general stress response (metR, yqhD, and gidB), heat shock-related response (ibpA), and transport (mdlB). To determine if these genes could also improve isopentenol production, we coexpressed the tolerance-enhancing genes individually with an isopentenol production pathway. Our data show that expression of 6 of the 8 candidates improved the production of isopentenol in E. coli, with the methionine biosynthesis regulator MetR improving the titer for isopentenol production by 55%. Additionally, expression of MdlB, an ABC transporter, facilitated a 12% improvement in isopentenol production. To our knowledge, MdlB is the first example of a transporter that can be used to improve production of a short-chain alcohol and provides a valuable new avenue for host engineering in biogasoline production. The use of microbial host platforms for the production of bulk commodities, such as chemicals and fuels, is now a focus of many biotechnology efforts. Many of these compounds are inherently toxic to the host microbe, which in turn places a limit on production despite efforts to optimize the bioconversion pathways. In order to achieve economically viable production levels, it is also necessary to engineer production strains with improved tolerance to these compounds. We demonstrate that microbial tolerance engineering using transcriptomics data can also identify targets that improve production. Our results include an exporter and a methionine biosynthesis regulator that improve isopentenol production, providing a starting point to further engineer the host for biogasoline production. Copyright © 2014 Foo et al.

Improving microbial biogasoline production in Escherichia coli using tolerance engineering

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

Foo, Jee Loon; Jensen, Heather M.; Dahl, Robert H.

Engineering microbial hosts for the production of fungible fuels requires mitigation of limitations posed on the production capacity. One such limitation arises from the inherent toxicity of solvent-like biofuel compounds to production strains, such as Escherichia coli. Here we show the importance of host engineering for the production of short-chain alcohols by studying the overexpression of genes upregulated in response to exogenous isopentenol. Using systems biology data, we selected 40 genes that were upregulated following isopentenol exposure and subsequently overexpressed them in E. coli. Overexpression of several of these candidates improved tolerance to exogenously added isopentenol. Genes conferring isopentenol tolerancemore » phenotypes belonged to diverse functional groups, such as oxidative stress response ( soxS, fpr, and nrdH), general stress response ( metR, yqhD, and gidB), heat shock-related response ( ibpA), and transport ( mdlB). To determine if these genes could also improve isopentenol production, we coexpressed the tolerance-enhancing genes individually with an isopentenol production pathway. Our data show that expression of 6 of the 8 candidates improved the production of isopentenol in E. coli, with the methionine biosynthesis regulator MetR improving the titer for isopentenol production by 55%. Additionally, expression of MdlB, an ABC transporter, facilitated a 12% improvement in isopentenol production. To our knowledge, MdlB is the first example of a transporter that can be used to improve production of a short-chain alcohol and provides a valuable new avenue for host engineering in biogasoline production.The use of microbial host platforms for the production of bulk commodities, such as chemicals and fuels, is now a focus of many biotechnology efforts. Many of these compounds are inherently toxic to the host microbe, which in turn places a limit on production despite efforts to optimize the bioconversion pathways. In order to achieve economically viable production levels, it is also necessary to engineer production strains with improved tolerance to these compounds. We demonstrate that microbial tolerance engineering using transcriptomics data can also identify targets that improve production. Our results include an exporter and a methionine biosynthesis regulator that improve isopentenol production, providing a starting point to further engineer the host for biogasoline production.« less

Improving microbial biogasoline production in Escherichia coli using tolerance engineering

DOE PAGES

Foo, Jee Loon; Jensen, Heather M.; Dahl, Robert H.; ...

2014-11-04

Engineering microbial hosts for the production of fungible fuels requires mitigation of limitations posed on the production capacity. One such limitation arises from the inherent toxicity of solvent-like biofuel compounds to production strains, such as Escherichia coli. Here we show the importance of host engineering for the production of short-chain alcohols by studying the overexpression of genes upregulated in response to exogenous isopentenol. Using systems biology data, we selected 40 genes that were upregulated following isopentenol exposure and subsequently overexpressed them in E. coli. Overexpression of several of these candidates improved tolerance to exogenously added isopentenol. Genes conferring isopentenol tolerancemore » phenotypes belonged to diverse functional groups, such as oxidative stress response ( soxS, fpr, and nrdH), general stress response ( metR, yqhD, and gidB), heat shock-related response ( ibpA), and transport ( mdlB). To determine if these genes could also improve isopentenol production, we coexpressed the tolerance-enhancing genes individually with an isopentenol production pathway. Our data show that expression of 6 of the 8 candidates improved the production of isopentenol in E. coli, with the methionine biosynthesis regulator MetR improving the titer for isopentenol production by 55%. Additionally, expression of MdlB, an ABC transporter, facilitated a 12% improvement in isopentenol production. To our knowledge, MdlB is the first example of a transporter that can be used to improve production of a short-chain alcohol and provides a valuable new avenue for host engineering in biogasoline production.The use of microbial host platforms for the production of bulk commodities, such as chemicals and fuels, is now a focus of many biotechnology efforts. Many of these compounds are inherently toxic to the host microbe, which in turn places a limit on production despite efforts to optimize the bioconversion pathways. In order to achieve economically viable production levels, it is also necessary to engineer production strains with improved tolerance to these compounds. We demonstrate that microbial tolerance engineering using transcriptomics data can also identify targets that improve production. Our results include an exporter and a methionine biosynthesis regulator that improve isopentenol production, providing a starting point to further engineer the host for biogasoline production.« less

Determination of a wide range of volatile organic compounds in ambient air using multisorbent adsorption/thermal desorption and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pankow, J.F.; Luo, W.; Isabelle, L.M.; Bender, D.A.; Baker, R.J.

1998-01-01

Adsorption/thermal desorption with multisorbent air-sampling cartridges was developed for the determination of 87 method analytes including halogenated alkanes, halogenated alkenes, ethers, alcohols, nitriles, esters, ketones, aromatics, a disulfide, and a furan. The volatilities of the compounds ranged from that of dichlorofluoromethane (CFC12) to that of 1,2,3- trichlorobenzene. The eight most volatile compounds were determined using a 1.5-L air sample and a sample cartridge containing 50 mg of Carbotrap B and 280 mg of Carboxen 1000; the remaining 79 compounds were determined using a 5-L air sample and a cartridge containing 180 mg of Carbotrap B and 70 mg of Carboxen 1000. Analysis and detection were by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The minimum detectable level (MDL) concentration values ranged from 0.01 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) for chlorobenzene to 0.4 ppbv for bromomethane; most of the MDL values were in the range 0.02-0.06 ppbv. No breakthrough was detected with the prescribed sample volumes. Analyte stability on the cartridges was very good. Excellent recoveries were obtained with independent check standards. Travel spike recoveries ranged from 90 to 110% for 72 of the 87 compounds. The recoveries were less than 70% for bromomethane and chloroethene and for a few compounds such as methyl acetate that are subject to losses by hydrolysis; the lowest travel spike recovery was obtained for bromomethane (62%). Blank values for all compounds were either below detection or very low. Ambient atmospheric sampling was conducted in New Jersey from April to December, 1997. Three sites characterized by low, moderate, and high densities of urbanization/traffic were sampled. The median detected concentrations of the compounds were either similar at all three sites (as with the chlorofluorocarbon compounds) or increased with the density of urbanization/traffic (as with dichloromethane, MTBE, benzene, and toluene). For toluene, the median detected concentrations were 0.23, 0.42, and 0.70 ppbv at the three sites. Analytical precision was measured using duplicate sampling. As expected, the precision deteriorated with decreasing concentration. At concentrations greater than 0.2 ppbv, most duplicates differed by less than 20%; below the MDL values, the differences between the duplicates were larger, but they were still typically less than 40%.

Emergence of linear elasticity from the atomistic description of matter

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

Cakir, Abdullah, E-mail: acakir@ntu.edu.sg; Pica Ciamarra, Massimo; Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, CNR–SPIN, Università di Napoli Federico II, I-80126 Napoli

2016-08-07

We investigate the emergence of the continuum elastic limit from the atomistic description of matter at zero temperature considering how locally defined elastic quantities depend on the coarse graining length scale. Results obtained numerically investigating different model systems are rationalized in a unifying picture according to which the continuum elastic limit emerges through a process determined by two system properties, the degree of disorder, and a length scale associated to the transverse low-frequency vibrational modes. The degree of disorder controls the emergence of long-range local shear stress and shear strain correlations, while the length scale influences the amplitude of themore » fluctuations of the local elastic constants close to the jamming transition.« less

Peak Power Control with an Energy Management System

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

Rectifier - Dr. Giovanna Oriti %initial conditions file for model ec3150_software_lab4.mdl ampl=29*sqrt(2); fund=60; ws=2*pi*fund; Ls =200e-6...original % Ls =2e-4; %reduced source inductance Rs=5e-3; Rload=10; Cdc=1100e-6; %-----H-Bridge Model ----- %EC3150 Software lab#5 - H-bridge...using a Simulink model and an experimental laboratory setup. The Simulink model and EMS functionality are validated with the laboratory experiments

Fungal bis-Naphthopyrones as Inhibitors of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-02

Ashish G. Soman,§ Biren K. Joshi,§ Sara M. Hein,§ Donald T. Wicklow,∥ and Leonard A. Smith*,⊥ †Division of Integrated Toxicology , U.S. Army Medical...of chemicals for bacterial mutagenicity using electrotopological E-state indices and MDL QSAR software. Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2005, 43, 313−323...12) Feng, J.; Lurati, L.; Ouyang, H.; Robinson, T.; Wang, Y.; Yuan, S.; Young, S. S. Predictive toxicology : Benchmarking molecular descriptors and

In vitro selection of Phytomonas serpens cells resistant to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170: alterations in fitness and expression of the major peptidases and efflux pumps.

PubMed

Oliveira, Simone S C; Gonçalves, Inês C; Ennes-Vidal, Vitor; Lopes, Angela H C S; Menna-Barreto, Rubem F S; D'Ávila-Levy, Claudia M; Santos, André L S; Branquinha, Marta H

2018-03-01

The species Phytomonas serpens is known to express some molecules displaying similarity to those described in trypanosomatids pathogenic to humans, such as peptidases from Trypanosoma cruzi (cruzipain) and Leishmania spp. (gp63). In this work, a population of P. serpens resistant to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 at 70 µ m (MDLR population) was selected by culturing promastigotes in increasing concentrations of the drug. The only relevant ultrastructural difference between wild-type (WT) and MDLR promastigotes was the presence of microvesicles within the flagellar pocket of the latter. MDLR population also showed an increased reactivity to anti-cruzipain antibody as well as a higher papain-like proteolytic activity, while the expression of calpain-like molecules cross-reactive to anti-Dm-calpain (from Drosophila melanogaster) antibody and calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase activity were decreased. Gp63-like molecules also presented a diminished expression in MDLR population, which is probably correlated to the reduction in the parasite adhesion to the salivary glands of the insect vector Oncopeltus fasciatus. A lower accumulation of Rhodamine 123 was detected in MDLR cells when compared with the WT population, a phenotype that was reversed when MDLR cells were treated with cyclosporin A and verapamil. Collectively, our results may help in the understanding of the roles of calpain inhibitors in trypanosomatids.

Heterogeneity of NK-2 tachykinin receptors in hamster and rabbit smooth muscles.

PubMed

Maggi, C A; Eglezos, A; Quartara, L; Patacchini, R; Giachetti, A

1992-01-23

The possible existence of NK-2 receptor subtypes in peripheral smooth muscle preparations from rabbit and hamster was investigated by studying the effect of neurokinin A, the selective NK-2 receptor agonist [beta Ala8] neurokinin A (4-10), the selective NK-2 tachykinin receptor antagonists, MEN 10,376, L 659,877 and R 396, and the pseudopeptide derivative of neurokinin A (4-10), MDL 28,564. All experiments were performed in the presence of peptidase inhibitors (captopril, bestatin and thiorphan, 1 microM each). Both neurokinin A and [beta Ala8] neurokinin A (4-10) produced concentration-dependent contractions of the rabbit isolated bronchus and hamster isolated stomach and colon, as well as enhancement of the nerve-mediated twitches of rabbit isolated vas deferens (pars prostatica). MEN 10,376, L 659,877 and R 396 antagonized the effect of the NK-2 receptor selective agonist in all four tissues under study, although marked differences in antagonist potency were evident for the three antagonists. Thus MEN 10,376 was distinctly more potent (about 100 times) in rabbit than in hamster preparations while L 659,877 and R 396 were more potent in hamster than rabbit preparations. MDL 28,564 showed a distinct agonist character in rabbit preparations while it was virtually inactive in hamster preparations, where it antagonized the effect of the NK-2 receptor selective agonist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

MIMO capacities and outage probabilities in spatially multiplexed optical transport systems.

PubMed

Winzer, Peter J; Foschini, Gerard J

2011-08-15

With wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) rapidly nearing its scalability limits, space-division multiplexing (SDM) seems the only option to further scale the capacity of optical transport networks. In order for SDM systems to continue the WDM trend of reducing energy and cost per bit with system capacity, integration will be key to SDM. Since integration is likely to introduce non-negligible crosstalk between multiple parallel transmission paths, multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) signal processing techniques will have to be used. In this paper, we discuss MIMO capacities in optical SDM systems, including related outage considerations which are an important part in the design of such systems. In order to achieve the low-outage standards required for optical transport networks, SDM transponders should be capable of individually addressing, and preferably MIMO processing all modes supported by the optical SDM waveguide. We then discuss the effect of distributed optical noise in MIMO SDM systems and focus on the impact of mode-dependent loss (MDL) on system capacity and system outage. Through extensive numerical simulations, we extract scaling rules for mode-average and mode-dependent loss and show that MIMO SDM systems composed of up to 128 segments and supporting up to 128 modes can tolerate up to 1 dB of per-segment MDL at 90% of the system's full capacity at an outage probability of 10(-4). © 2011 Optical Society of America

Minimum energy information fusion in sensor networks

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

Chapline, G

1999-05-11

In this paper we consider how to organize the sharing of information in a distributed network of sensors and data processors so as to provide explanations for sensor readings with minimal expenditure of energy. We point out that the Minimum Description Length principle provides an approach to information fusion that is more naturally suited to energy minimization than traditional Bayesian approaches. In addition we show that for networks consisting of a large number of identical sensors Kohonen self-organization provides an exact solution to the problem of combing the sensor outputs into minimal description length explanations.

Effect of breast milk on hospital costs and length of stay among very low-birth-weight infants in the NICU.

PubMed

Parker, Leslie A; Krueger, Charlene; Sullivan, Sandra; Kelechi, Teresa; Mueller, Martina

2012-08-01

Care of the very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infant is associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased hospital costs. Specific complications of prematurity, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late-onset sepsis (LOS), and feeding intolerance, contribute to increased cost and length of hospitalization in this population. The provision of breast milk to VLBW infants has been associated with decreased incidence of NEC and LOS as well as fewer days required to achieve full enteral feedings. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of breast milk on length of hospitalization and hospital costs among VLBW infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A total of 80 infants weighing less than 1500 g, born prior to 32 weeks' gestation and who remained in the home hospital until discharge. This descriptive comparative study examined cost of hospitalization and length of stay between 2 groups of VLBW premature infants fed either exclusively formula (n = 40) or at least 50% breast milk (n = 40) during their hospitalization. A retrospective chart review was used to collect information concerning patient demographics, discharge information, and nutritional variables. Information regarding hospital costs was obtained from the hospital's patient accounting office. Independent t tests were used to compare demographic data, length of hospitalization, and cost of care between the 2 groups. No statistically significant differences in length of stay or cost of care were found between infants fed at least 50% breast milk and those who were exclusively formula fed. Descriptive data concerning length of stay and cost of care for VLBW infants and those infants weighing less than 1000 g are presented. This article presents a descriptive comparative study on the effect of providing at least 50% breast milk feedings compared with formula feeding on days to discharge and cost of hospitalization in VLBW infants in the NICU. It also provides information concerning cost of care and length of stay in VLBW and infants weighing less than 1000 g.

Detection of actinides and rare earths in natural matrices with the AGLAE new, high sensitivity detection set-up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zucchiatti, Alessandro; Alonso, Ursula; Lemasson, Quentin; Missana, Tiziana; Moignard, Brice; Pacheco, Claire; Pichon, Laurent; Camarena de la Mora, Sandra

2014-08-01

A series of granite samples (Grimsel and Äspö) enriched by sorption with natU (10-3 M, 10-4 M, 10-5 M in solution) and La (10-3 M, 10-4 M in solution) has been scanned by PIXE over a surface of 1920 × 1920 mm2 together with non-enriched Grimsel and Äspö granites and a glass standard. An assessment of minimum detection limits, MDL's, for several elements has been performed with the use of standard materials. Due to mapping and the high sensitivity of the new AGLAE detection system, U levels around 30 ppm can be detected from the whole PIXE spectrum (one low energy detector and four summed filtered detectors) while U reach grains, inhomogeneously distributed over the surface can be clearly identified through the multi elemental maps and analyzed separately. Even the nominally enriched samples have La levels below the MDL, probably because precipitation of the element (and not adsorption) mostly took place, and precipitates were eliminated after surface cleaning carried out before PIXE analyses. A multi detector system that implies a PIXE detection solid angle much wider than in any other similar set-up (a factor of 2-5); a higher events selectivity, given by the possibility of filtering individually up to 4 PIXE detectors; a double RBS detector, the new Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL) spectrometry and gamma spectrometry. Full mapping capability in air, assisted by a powerful event by event reconstruction software. These features allow lower Minimum Detection Limits (MDL) which are highly beneficial to the analysis of cultural heritage objects, meaning generally a reduction of irradiation time. Paintings will then be studied without any damage to the pigments that have color change tendencies which is a major drawback of the previous system. Alternatively they could allow an increase in information collected at equal time, particularly considering the detector's fast response and therefore the potential for high beam currents when sample damage can be tolerated.This kind of set-up should be advantageous for the detection of elements that are present in a geological, archaeological or artistic samples to the level of a few tens ppm. This is true in particular for the rare earths which are relevant to the provenance attribution of various classes of cultural heritage objects (clays, glasses, …) and the actinides which are relevant in very specific and highly impacting dating problems and, more generally, critical environmental elements with special reference to the radionuclide mobility in deep geological formations hosting radioactive waste [2]. Geological materials are highly heterogeneous and consequently their retention of contaminants is heterogeneous as well. In this frame, the capabilities of the AGLAE set-up would allow an improved characterization of natural heterogeneous rock, detecting the presence of the elements of interest (actinides and rare earth) at concentration levels of tens of ppm. This provides a better definition of the initial system, avoiding biased interpretation of the retention properties of the material for the analysis of possible contamination. Additionally, if lower detection limits were achieved, new perspectives to evaluate retention of low solubility contaminants in a wider range of geochemical conditions would be opened.A glass standard and a series of reference granite samples (Grimsel and Äspö), either enriched by sorption with natU and La or kept natural, have been scanned by PIXE at the New-AGLAE detection system, to test measurement protocols and assess the MDL's allowed by the five detectors system.

s -wave scattering length of a Gaussian potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeszenszki, Peter; Cherny, Alexander Yu.; Brand, Joachim

2018-04-01

We provide accurate expressions for the s -wave scattering length for a Gaussian potential well in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. The Gaussian potential is widely used as a pseudopotential in the theoretical description of ultracold-atomic gases, where the s -wave scattering length is a physically relevant parameter. We first describe a numerical procedure to compute the value of the s -wave scattering length from the parameters of the Gaussian, but find that its accuracy is limited in the vicinity of singularities that result from the formation of new bound states. We then derive simple analytical expressions that capture the correct asymptotic behavior of the s -wave scattering length near the bound states. Expressions that are increasingly accurate in wide parameter regimes are found by a hierarchy of approximations that capture an increasing number of bound states. The small number of numerical coefficients that enter these expressions is determined from accurate numerical calculations. The approximate formulas combine the advantages of the numerical and approximate expressions, yielding an accurate and simple description from the weakly to the strongly interacting limit.

Observers' measurements in premetric electrodynamics: Time and radar length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gürlebeck, Norman; Pfeifer, Christian

2018-04-01

The description of an observer's measurement in general relativity and the standard model of particle physics is closely related to the spacetime metric. In order to understand and interpret measurements, which test the metric structure of the spacetime, like the classical Michelson-Morley, Ives-Stilwell, Kennedy-Thorndike experiments or frequency comparison experiments in general, it is necessary to describe them in theories, which go beyond the Lorentzian metric structure. However, this requires a description of an observer's measurement without relying on a metric. We provide such a description of an observer's measurement of the fundamental quantities time and length derived from a premetric perturbation of Maxwell's electrodynamics and a discussion on how these measurements influence classical relativistic observables like time dilation and length contraction. Most importantly, we find that the modification of electrodynamics influences the measurements at two instances: the propagation of light is altered as well as the observer's proper time normalization. When interpreting the results of a specific experiment, both effects cannot be disentangled, in general, and have to be taken into account.

42 CFR 456.235 - Description of methods and criteria: Continued stay review dates; length of stay modification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... must describe— (a) The methods and criteria, including norms if used, that the committee uses to assign...) The methods that the committee uses to modify an approved length of stay when the recipient's...

42 CFR 456.134 - Description of methods and criteria: Subsequent continued stay review dates; length of stay...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... modification. The UR plan must describe— (a) The methods and criteria, including norms if used, that the... the committee uses to modify an approved length of stay when the recipient's condition or treatment...

Introduction in IND and recursive partitioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buntine, Wray; Caruana, Rich

1991-01-01

This manual describes the IND package for learning tree classifiers from data. The package is an integrated C and C shell re-implementation of tree learning routines such as CART, C4, and various MDL and Bayesian variations. The package includes routines for experiment control, interactive operation, and analysis of tree building. The manual introduces the system and its many options, gives a basic review of tree learning, contains a guide to the literature and a glossary, and lists the manual pages for the routines and instructions on installation.

Demonstration and Validation of a Regenerated Cellulose Dialysis Membrane Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring Ground Water Quality and Remediation Progress at DoD Sites for Perchlorate and Explosives Compounds

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

Regulatory Council LRL Laboratory reporting level LDPE Low-density polyethylene MDL Minimum detection limit MNA Monitored natural attenuation...consists of a tubular-shaped bag made of flexible low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ) (Vroblesky, 2001a, 2001b). The LDPE tube is heat-sealed on one end...be constructed from small- diameter LDPE tubing that fits into small-diameter wells. These polyethylene diffusion bag (PDB) samplers have been

Demonstration and Validation of a Regenerated Cellulose Dialysis Membrane Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring Ground-Water Quality and Remediation Progress at DoD Site: Perchlorate and Ordnance Compounds

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

Regulatory Council LDPE low-density polyethylene MDL minimum detection limit NAVFAC ESC Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Service...membrane sampler design consists of a tubular-shaped bag made of flexible low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ) (Vroblesky, 2001a, 2001b). The LDPE tube is...requirements, and can be constructed from small-diameter LDPE tubing that fits into small- 4 diameter wells. These polyethylene diffusion bag

Demonstration and Validation of a Regenerated Cellulose Dialysis Membrane Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring Ground-Water Quality and Remediation Progress at DoD Sites

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

LDPE low-density polyethylene LF low-flow purging LRL laboratory reporting level MDL minimum detection limit MNA monitored natural attenuation...shaped bag made of flexible low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ) (Vroblesky, 2001a, 2001b). The LDPE tube is heat-sealed on one end, filled with high...from small- diameter LDPE tubing that fits into small-diameter wells. These PDB samplers have been shown to be useful only for collection of VOCs

Macrodystrophia Lipomatosa: An Unusual Cause of Localized Gigantism.

PubMed

Maheswari, S Uma; Sampath, V; Ramesh, A; Manoharan, K

2016-01-01

Macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL) is a rare congenital form of localized gigantism characterized by progressive overgrowth of all mesenchymal elements with a disproportionate increase in fibro adipose tissue. Here we report a case of 20 years old male who presented with history of painless gradual enlargement of entire left upper limb since childhood. Magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of macrodystrophia lipomatosa. This condition has to be differentiated from other causes of localized gigantism, since these conditions differ in their course, prognosis, complications and treatment.

The MEMS Knudsen Compressor as a Vacuum Pump for Space Exploration Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vargo, S. E.; Muntz, E. P.; Tang, W. C.

2000-01-01

Several lander, probe and rover missions currently under study at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and especially in the Microdevices Laboratory (MDL) Center for Space Microelectronics Technology, focus on utilizing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based instruments for science data gathering. These small instruments and NASA's commitment to "faster, better, cheaper" type missions has brought about the need for novel approaches to satisfying mission requirements. Existing in-situ instrument systems clearly lack novel and integrated methods for satisfying their vacuum needs. One attractive candidate for a MEMS vacuum pump is the Knudsen Compressor, which operates based on thermal transpiration. Thermal transpiration describes gas flows induced by temperature differences maintained across orifices, porous membranes or capillary tubes under rarefied conditions. This device has two overwhelmingly attractive features as a MEMS vacuum pump - no moving parts and no fluids. An initial estimate of a Knudsen Compressor's pumping power requirements for a surface atmospheric sampling task on Mars is less than 80 mW, significantly below than alternative pumps. Due to the relatively low energy use for this task and the applicability of the Knudsen Compressor to other applications, the development of a Knudsen Compressor utilizing MEMS fabrication techniques has been initiated. This paper discusses the initial fabrication of a single-stage MEMS Knudsen Compressor vacuum pump, provides performance criteria such as pumping speed, size, energy use and ultimate pressure and details vacuum pump applications in several MDL related in-situ instruments.

Conceptual Design of a Flight Validation Mission for a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbee, Brent W.; Wie, Bong; Steiner, Mark; Getzandanner, Kenneth

2013-01-01

Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are asteroids and comets whose orbits approach or cross Earth s orbit. NEOs have collided with our planet in the past, sometimes to devastating effect, and continue to do so today. Collisions with NEOs large enough to do significant damage to the ground are fortunately infrequent, but such events can occur at any time and we therefore need to develop and validate the techniques and technologies necessary to prevent the Earth impact of an incoming NEO. In this paper we provide background on the hazard posed to Earth by NEOs and present the results of a recent study performed by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center s Mission Design Lab (MDL) in collaboration with Iowa State University s Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) to design a flight validation mission for a Hypervelocity Asteroid Intercept Vehicle (HAIV) as part of a Phase 2 NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) research project. The HAIV is a two-body vehicle consisting of a leading kinetic impactor and trailing follower carrying a Nuclear Explosive Device (NED) payload. The HAIV detonates the NED inside the crater in the NEO s surface created by the lead kinetic impactor portion of the vehicle, effecting a powerful subsurface detonation to disrupt the NEO. For the flight validation mission, only a simple mass proxy for the NED is carried in the HAIV. Ongoing and future research topics are discussed following the presentation of the detailed flight validation mission design results produced in the MDL.

Seasonal Abundance of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) Collected by Mosquito Magnet® in Northern Gyeonggi-do (Province), Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Heung Chul; Bellis, Glenn A.; Kim, Myung-Soon; Klein, Terry A.; Chong, Sung-Tae

2014-01-01

Biting midges (Culicoides: Ceratopogonidae) were collected by Mosquito Magnet® traps at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) camp and Daeseongdong village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and near the military demarcation line (MDL) separating North and South Korea and at Warrior Base (US Army training site) and Tongilchon 3 km south of the DMZ in northern Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea (ROK), from May-October 2010-2012, to determine their seasonal distributions. A total of 18,647 Culicoides females (18,399; 98.7%) and males (248; 1.3%) comprising 16 species were collected. Overall, the most commonly collected species was Culicoides nipponensis (42.9%), followed by C. erairai (29.2%), C. punctatus (20.3%), C. arakawae (3.3%), C. pallidulus (1.8%), and C. circumscriptus (1.4%), while the remaining 10 species accounted for only 1.1% of all Culicoides spp. collected. The seasonal distribution of C. nipponensis was bimodal, with high numbers collected during May-June and again during September. C. erairai was more frequently collected during June-July, followed by sharply decreased populations from August-October. C. punctatus was collected in low numbers from May-September with high numbers collected during October. C. erairai was predominantly collected from the NNSC camp (85.1% of all C. erairai collected) located adjacent to the MDL at Panmunjeom in the northernmost part of Gyeonggi-do (Province), while other sites yielded low numbers of specimens. PMID:24623883

Redescription of eutogenes vicinus summers and price, a predatory polymorphic, cheyletid mite with descriptions of males and immature stages (Acarina: Cheyletidae)

Treesearch

Robert L. Smiley; John C. Moser

1975-01-01

Eutogenes vicinus Summer and Price is redescribed. Illustrations and descriptions are presented for the first time of the male and immature stages of this polymorphic species. Variation in length of palpi of the heteromorphic males is discussed.

50 CFR 216.175 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...., FFG, DDG, or CG). (G) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal. (H) Wave... height in feet (high, low and average during exercise). (I) Narrative description of sensors and... sensor. (F) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal. (G) Wave height. (H...

50 CFR 216.275 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., what type of surface vessel, i.e., FFG, DDG, or CG) (G) Length of time observers maintained visual... exercise) (I) Narrative description of sensors and platforms utilized for marine mammal detection and... calves were observed (E) Initial detection sensor (F) Length of time observers maintained visual contact...

A phenomenological description of space-time noise in quantum gravity.

PubMed

Amelino-Camelia, G

2001-04-26

Space-time 'foam' is a geometric picture of the smallest size scales in the Universe, which is characterized mainly by the presence of quantum uncertainties in the measurement of distances. All quantum-gravity theories should predict some kind of foam, but the description of the properties of this foam varies according to the theory, thereby providing a possible means of distinguishing between such theories. I previously showed that foam-induced distance fluctuations would introduce a new source of noise to the measurements of gravity-wave interferometers, but the theories are insufficiently developed to permit detailed predictions that would be of use to experimentalists. Here I propose a phenomenological approach that directly describes space-time foam, and which leads naturally to a picture of distance fluctuations that is independent of the details of the interferometer. The only unknown in the model is the length scale that sets the overall magnitude of the effect, but recent data already rule out the possibility that this length scale could be identified with the 'string length' (10-34 m < Ls < 10-33 m). Length scales even smaller than the 'Planck length' (LP approximately 10-35 m) will soon be probed experimentally.

The effect of macromolecular crowding on mobility of biomolecules, association kinetics and gene expression in living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabaka, Marcin; Kalwarczyk, Tomasz; Szymanski, Jedrzej; Hou, Sen; Hołyst, Robert

2014-09-01

We discuss a quantitative influence of macromolecular crowding on biological processes: motion, bimolecular reactions, and gene expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. We present scaling laws relating diffusion coefficient of an object moving in a cytoplasm of cells to a size of this object and degree of crowding. Such description leads to the notion of the length scale dependent viscosity characteristic for all living cells. We present an application of the length-scale dependent viscosity model to the description of motion in the cytoplasm of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic living cells. We compare the model with all recent data on diffusion of nanoscopic objects in HeLa, and E. coli cells. Additionally a description of the mobility of molecules in cell nucleus is presented. Finally we discuss the influence of crowding on the bimolecular association rates and gene expression in living cells.

Introduction to IND and recursive partitioning, version 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buntine, Wray; Caruana, Rich

1991-01-01

This manual describes the IND package for learning tree classifiers from data. The package is an integrated C and C shell re-implementation of tree learning routines such as CART, C4, and various MDL and Bayesian variations. The package includes routines for experiment control, interactive operation, and analysis of tree building. The manual introduces the system and its many options, gives a basic review of tree learning, contains a guide to the literature and a glossary, lists the manual pages for the routines, and instructions on installation.

Macrodystrophia Lipomatosa: An Unusual Cause of Localized Gigantism

PubMed Central

Maheswari, S Uma; Sampath, V; Ramesh, A; Manoharan, K

2016-01-01

Macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL) is a rare congenital form of localized gigantism characterized by progressive overgrowth of all mesenchymal elements with a disproportionate increase in fibro adipose tissue. Here we report a case of 20 years old male who presented with history of painless gradual enlargement of entire left upper limb since childhood. Magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of macrodystrophia lipomatosa. This condition has to be differentiated from other causes of localized gigantism, since these conditions differ in their course, prognosis, complications and treatment. PMID:27293271

Using the Wilderness to Facilitate Adjustment to College: An Updated Description of Wilderness Orientation Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis-Berman, Jennifer; Berman, Dene

1996-01-01

Updated description of 38 wilderness orientation programs currently affiliated with U.S. colleges and universities includes program enrollment, length, cost, types of leaders, training, and sponsorship. Discusses program philosophies, goals, reasons for using the wilderness, and critical and emerging issues. Compares data to previous research.…

Applications of open-path Fourier transform infrared for identification of volatile organic compound pollution sources and characterization of source emission behaviors.

PubMed

Lin, Chitsan; Liou, Naiwei; Sun, Endy

2008-06-01

An open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) system was set up for 3-day continuous line-averaged volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring in a paint manufacturing plant. Seven VOCs (toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, styrene, methanol, acetone, and 2-butanone) were identified in the ambient environment. Daytime-only batch operation mode was well explained by the time-series concentration plots. Major sources of methanol, m-xylene, acetone, and 2-butanone were identified in the southeast direction where paint solvent manufacturing processes are located. However, an attempt to uncover sources of styrene was not successful because the method detection limit (MDL) of the OP-FTIR system was not sensitive enough to produce conclusive data. In the second scenario, the OP-FTIR system was set up in an industrial complex to distinguish the origins of several VOCs. Eight major VOCs were identified in the ambient environment. The pollutant detected wind-rose percentage plots that clearly showed that ethylene, propylene, 2-butanone, and toluene mainly originated from the tank storage area, whereas the source of n-butane was mainly from the butadiene manufacturing processes of the refinery plant, and ammonia was identified as an accompanying reduction product in the gasoline desulfuration process. Advantages of OP-FTIR include its ability to simultaneously and continuously analyze many compounds, and its long path length monitoring has also shown advantages in obtaining more comprehensive data than the traditional multiple, single-point monitoring methods.

Treatment with polyamine oxidase inhibitor reduces microglial activation and limits vascular injury in ischemic retinopathy

PubMed Central

Patel, C.; Xu, Z.; Shosha, E.; Xing, J.; Lucas, R.; Caldwell, R.W.; Caldwell, R.B.; Narayanan, S.P.

2016-01-01

Retinal vascular injury is a major cause of vision impairment in ischemic retinopathies. Insults such as hyperoxia, oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to this pathology. Previously, we showed that hyperoxia-induced retinal neurodegeneration is associated with increased polyamine oxidation. Here, we are studying the involvement of polyamine oxidases in hyperoxia-induced injury and death of retinal vascular endothelial cells. Newborn C57BL6/J mice were exposed to hyperoxia (70% O2) from postnatal day (P) 7 to 12 and were treated with the polyamine oxidase inhibitor MDL 72527 or vehicle starting at P6. Mice were sacrificed after different durations of hyperoxia and their retinas were analyzed to determine the effects on vascular injury, microglial cell activation, and inflammatory cytokine profiling. The results of this analysis showed that MDL 72527 treatment significantly reduced hyperoxia-induced retinal vascular injury and enhanced vascular sprouting as compared with the vehicle controls. These protective effects were correlated with significant decreases in microglial activation as well as levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In order to model the effects of polyamine oxidation in causing microglial activation in vitro, studies were performed using rat brain microvascular endothelial cells treated with conditioned-medium from rat retinal microglia stimulated with hydrogen peroxide. Conditioned-medium from activated microglial cultures induced cell stress signals and cell death in microvascular endothelial cells. These studies demonstrate the involvement of polyamine oxidases in hyperoxia-induced retinal vascular injury and retinal inflammation in ischemic retinopathy, through mechanisms involving cross-talk between endothelial cells and resident retinal microglia. PMID:27239699

Inhibition of polyamine and spermine oxidases by polyamine analogues.

PubMed

Bianchi, Marzia; Polticelli, Fabio; Ascenzi, Paolo; Botta, Maurizio; Federico, Rodolfo; Mariottini, Paolo; Cona, Alessandra

2006-03-01

Polyamine oxidase (PAO) and spermine oxidase (SMO) are involved in the catabolism of polyamines--basic regulators of cell growth and proliferation. The discovery of selective inhibitors of PAO and SMO represents an important tool in studying the involvement of these enzymes in polyamine homeostasis and a starting point for the development of novel antineoplastic drugs. Here, a comparative study on murine PAO (mPAO) and SMO (mSMO) inhibition by the polyamine analogues 1,8-diaminooctane, 1,12-diaminododecane, N-prenylagmatine (G3), guazatine and N,N1-bis(2,3-butadienyl)-1,4-butanediamine (MDL72527) is reported. Interestingly, 1,12-Diaminododecane and G3 behave as specific inhibitors of mPAO, values of K(i) for mPAO inhibition being lower than those for mSMO inactivation by several orders of magnitude. The analysis of molecular models of mPAO and mSMO indicates a significant reduction of the hydrophobic pocket located in maize PAO (MPAO) at the wider catalytic tunnel opening. This observation provides a rationale to explain the lower affinity displayed by G3, guazatine and MDL72527 for mPAO and mSMO as compared to MPAO. The different behaviour displayed by 1,12-diaminododecane towards mPAO and mSMO reveals the occurrence of basic differences in the ligand binding mode of the two enzymes, the first enzyme interacting mainly with substrate secondary amino groups and the second one with substrate primary amino groups. Thus, the data reported here provide the basis for the development of novel and selective inhibitors able to discriminate between mammalian SMO and PAO activities.

Development of a UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of ten anticancer drugs in hospital and urban wastewaters, and its application for the screening of human metabolites assisted by information-dependent acquisition tool (IDA) in sewage samples.

PubMed

Ferrando-Climent, L; Rodriguez-Mozaz, S; Barceló, D

2013-07-01

In the present work, the development, optimization, and validation (including a whole stability study) of a fast, reliable, and comprehensive method for the analysis of ten anticancer drugs in hospital and urban wastewater is described. Extraction of these pharmaceutical compounds was performed using automated off-line solid-phase extraction followed by their determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Target compounds include nine cytotoxic agents: cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, docetaxel, paclitaxel, etoposide, vincristine, tamoxifen, methotrexate, and azathioprine; and the cytotoxic quinolone, ciprofloxacin. Method detection limits (MDL) ranged from 0.8 to 24 ng/L. Levels found of cytostatic agents in the hospital and wastewater influents did not differ significantly, and therefore, hospitals cannot be considered as the primary source of this type of contaminants. All the target compounds were detected in at least one of the influent samples analyzed: Ciprofloxacin, cyclophosphamide, tamoxifen, and azathioprine were found in most of them and achieving maximum levels of 14.725, 0.201, 0.133, and 0.188 μg/L, respectively. The rest of target cancer drugs were less frequently detected and at values ranging between MDL and 0.406 μg/L. Furthermore, a feasible, useful, and advantageous approach based on information acquisition tool (information-dependent acquisition) was used for the screening of human metabolites in hospital effluents, where the hydroxy tamoxifen, endoxifen, and carboxyphosphamide were detected.

Cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells are resistant to methylamine toxicity: no correlation to semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langford, S. D.; Trent, M. B.; Boor, P. J.

2001-01-01

Methylamine (MA), a component of serum and a metabolite of nicotine and certain insecticides and herbicides, is metabolized by semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO). MA is toxic to cultured human umbilical vein and calf pulmonary artery endothelial cells. Endothelial cells, which do not exhibit endogenous SSAO activity, are exposed to SSAO circulating in serum. In contrast, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) do exhibit innate SSAO activity both in vivo and in vitro. This property, together with the critical localization of VSMC within the arterial wall, led us to investigate the potential toxicity of MA to VSMC. Cultured rat VSMC were treated with MA (10-5 to 1 M). In some cultures, SSAO was selectively inhibited with semicarbazide or MDL-72145 [(E)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-fluoroallylamine]. Cytotoxicity was measured via MTT, vital dye exclusion, and clonogenic assays. MA proved to be toxic to VSMC only at relatively high concentrations (LC(50) of 0.1 M). The inhibition of SSAO with semicarbazide or MDL-72145 did not increase MA toxicity, suggesting that the production of formaldehyde via tissue-bound, SSAO-mediated MA metabolism does not play a role in the minimal toxicity observed in isolated rat VSMC. The omission of fetal calf serum (FCS), which contains high SSAO activity, from media similarly showed little effect on cytotoxicity. We conclude that VSMC--in contrast to previous results in endothelial cells--are relatively resistant to MA toxicity, and SSAO does not play a role in VSMC injury by MA.

Estrogenic effects in the influents and effluents of the drinking water treatment plants.

PubMed

Gou, Yan-You; Lin, Susana; Que, Danielle E; Tayo, Lemmuel L; Lin, Ding-Yan; Chen, Kuan-Chung; Chen, Fu-An; Chiang, Pen-Chi; Wang, Gen-Shuh; Hsu, Yi-Chyuan; Chuang, Kuo Pin; Chuang, Chun-Yu; Tsou, Tsui-Chun; Chao, How-Ran

2016-05-01

Estrogen-like endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDC) such as bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and phthalic acid esters are toxic compounds that may occur in both raw- and drinking water. The aim of this study was to combine chemical- and bioassay to evaluate the risk of EEDCs in the drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Fifty-six samples were collected from seven DWTPs located in northern-, central-, and southern Taiwan from 2011 to 2012 and subjected to chemical analyses and two bioassay methods for total estrogenic activity (E-Screen and T47D-KBluc assay). Among of the considered EEDCs, only dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected in both drinking and raw water samples. DBP levels in drinking water ranged from

Tachykinin receptors in the guinea-pig isolated bronchi.

PubMed

Maggi, C A; Patacchini, R; Quartara, L; Rovero, P; Santicioli, P

1991-05-17

The aim of the study was to assess which tachykinin receptors mediate the contractile response in the guinea-pig isolated bronchi. Experiments with natural tachykinins and receptor-selective tachykinin agonists were performed in the absence or presence of peptidase inhibitors and in bronchi pretreated with phenoxybenzamine. Both NK-1 (substance P, substance P methylester and septide) and NK-2 (neurokinin A, [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A-(4-10) and MDL 28,564) receptor agonists produced concentration-dependent contraction. NK-3 agonists (senktide and [MePhe7]neurokinin B) were active only at high concentrations. Phenoxybenzamine pretreatment reduced the maximal response to NK-1 agonists and produced a rightward shift of the curve to NK-2 agonists, without depression of the maximum. Five tachykinin antagonists selective for the NK-1 (L 668,169) or the NK-2 (MEN 10,207, MEN 10,376, L 659,877 and R 396) receptor were tested against substance P methylester and [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A-(4-10). The results indicated that these receptor-selective antagonists maintain their characteristic even when tested in a multireceptor assay such as the guinea-pig bronchus. The rank order of potency of NK-2 antagonists against [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A-(4-10) was MEN 10,207 = MEN 10,376 greater than L 659,877 much greater than R 396. This pattern, with the observation of the full agonist activity of MDL 28,564, indicates that in addition to NK-1 receptors, NK-2 receptors also are present in the guinea-pig bronchi and belong to the same subtype (NK-2A) as present in the rabbit pulmonary artery.

An Ultra-Trace Analysis Technique for SF6 Using Gas Chromatography with Negative Ion Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Jong, Edmund C; Macek, Paul V; Perera, Inoka E; Luxbacher, Kray D; McNair, Harold M

2015-07-01

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is widely used as a tracer gas because of its detectability at low concentrations. This attribute of SF6 allows the quantification of both small-scale flows, such as leakage, and large-scale flows, such as atmospheric currents. SF6's high detection sensitivity also facilitates greater usage efficiency and lower operating cost for tracer deployments by reducing quantity requirements. The detectability of SF6 is produced by its high molecular electronegativity. This property provides a high potential for negative ion formation through electron capture thus naturally translating to selective detection using negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (NCI-MS). This paper investigates the potential of using gas chromatography (GC) with NCI-MS for the detection of SF6. The experimental parameters for an ultra-trace SF6 detection method utilizing minimal customizations of the analytical instrument are detailed. A method for the detection of parts per trillion (ppt) level concentrations of SF6 for the purpose of underground ventilation tracer gas analysis was successfully developed in this study. The method utilized a Shimadzu gas chromatography with negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry system equipped with an Agilent J&W HP-porous layer open tubular column coated with an alumina oxide (Al2O3) S column. The method detection limit (MDL) analysis as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency of the tracer data showed the method MDL to be 5.2 ppt. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Methods of Analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Group-Update and Additions to the Determination of Chloroacetanilide Herbicide Degradation Compounds in Water Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, E.A.; Kish, J.L.; Zimmerman, L.R.; Thurman, E.

2001-01-01

An analytical method using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1999 for the analysis of selected chloroacetanilide herbicide degradation compounds in water. These compounds were acetochlor ethane sulfonic acid (ESA), acetochlor oxanilic acid (OXA), alachlor ESA, alachlor OXA, metolachlor ESA, and metolachlor OXA. The HPLC/MS method was updated in 2000, and the method detection limits were modified accordingly. Four other degradation compounds also were added to the list of compounds that can be analyzed using HPLC/MS; these compounds were dimethenamid ESA, dimethenamid OXA, flufenacet ESA, and flufenacet OXA. Except for flufenacet OXA, good precision and accuracy were demonstrated for the updated HPLC/MS method in buffered reagent water, surface water, and ground water. The mean HPLC/MS recoveries of the degradation compounds from water samples spiked at 0.20 and 1.0 ?g/L (microgram per liter) ranged from 75 to 114 percent, with relative standard deviations of 15.8 percent or less for all compounds except flufenacet OXA, which had relative standard deviations ranging from 11.3 to 48.9 percent. Method detection levels (MDL's) using the updated HPLC/MS method varied from 0.009 to 0.045 ?g/L, with the flufenacet OXA MDL at 0.072 ?g/L. The updated HPLC/MS method is valuable for acquiring information about the fate and transport of the parent chloroacetanilide herbicides in water.

Dayton Aircraft Cabin Fire Model, Version 3, Volume I. Physical Description.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

contact to any surface directly above a burning element, provided that the current flame length makes contact possible. For fires originating on the...no extension of the flames horizontally beneath the surface is considered. The equation for computing the flame length is presented in Section 5. For...high as 0.3. The values chosen for DACFIR3 are 0.15 for Ec and 0.10 for E P. The Steward model is also used to compute flame length , hf, for the fire

Probabilistic Description of Fatigue Crack Growth Under Constant-and Variable-Amplitude Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

plane, see figure 14. The length of the defected crack component and its angle, b and q, respectively, in Figure 15 were found to depend on the crack...length at which the defection occurs; as the crack length increases, b increases while q decreases. Due to the orientation of the deflected component...Breakpoint Voltage to Fun. Generator Output Setpoint Voltage Take Function Generator Gate High Start Test LNext page 153 Q! ~From last ag lastr DMAe 70

Searching for discrimination rules in protease proteolytic cleavage activity using genetic programming with a min-max scoring function.

PubMed

Yang, Zheng Rong; Thomson, Rebecca; Hodgman, T Charles; Dry, Jonathan; Doyle, Austin K; Narayanan, Ajit; Wu, XiKun

2003-11-01

This paper presents an algorithm which is able to extract discriminant rules from oligopeptides for protease proteolytic cleavage activity prediction. The algorithm is developed using genetic programming. Three important components in the algorithm are a min-max scoring function, the reverse Polish notation (RPN) and the use of minimum description length. The min-max scoring function is developed using amino acid similarity matrices for measuring the similarity between an oligopeptide and a rule, which is a complex algebraic equation of amino acids rather than a simple pattern sequence. The Fisher ratio is then calculated on the scoring values using the class label associated with the oligopeptides. The discriminant ability of each rule can therefore be evaluated. The use of RPN makes the evolutionary operations simpler and therefore reduces the computational cost. To prevent overfitting, the concept of minimum description length is used to penalize over-complicated rules. A fitness function is therefore composed of the Fisher ratio and the use of minimum description length for an efficient evolutionary process. In the application to four protease datasets (Trypsin, Factor Xa, Hepatitis C Virus and HIV protease cleavage site prediction), our algorithm is superior to C5, a conventional method for deriving decision trees.

Quantitative study of Xanthosoma violaceum leaf surfaces using RIMAPS and variogram techniques.

PubMed

Favret, Eduardo A; Fuentes, Néstor O; Molina, Ana M

2006-08-01

Two new imaging techniques (rotated image with maximum averaged power spectrum (RIMAPS) and variogram) are presented for the study and description of leaf surfaces. Xanthosoma violaceum was analyzed to illustrate the characteristics of both techniques. Both techniques produce a quantitative description of leaf surface topography. RIMAPS combines digitized images rotation with Fourier transform, and it is used to detect patterns orientation and characteristics of surface topography. Variogram relates the mathematical variance of a surface with the area of the sample window observed. It gives the typical scale lengths of the surface patterns. RIMAPS detects the morphological variations of the surface topography pattern between fresh and dried (herbarium) samples of the leaf. The variogram method finds the characteristic dimensions of the leaf microstructure, i.e., cell length, papillae diameter, etc., showing that there are not significant differences between dry and fresh samples. The results obtained show the robustness of RIMAPS and variogram analyses to detect, distinguish, and characterize leaf surfaces, as well as give scale lengths. Both techniques are tools for the biologist to study variations of the leaf surface when different patterns are present. The use of RIMAPS and variogram opens a wide spectrum of possibilities by providing a systematic, quantitative description of the leaf surface topography.

A Short German Version of the Self Description Questionnaire I: Theoretical and Empirical Comparability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arens, A. Katrin; Yeung, Alexander Seeshing; Craven, Rhonda G.; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2013-01-01

This study aims to develop a short German version of the Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ I-GS) in order to present a robust economical instrument for measuring German preadolescents' multidimensional self-concept. A full German version of the SDQ I (SDQ I-G) that maintained the original structure and thus length of the English original SDQ I…

Near-tip dual-length scale mechanics of mode-I cracking in laminate brittle matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballarini, R.; Islam, S.; Charalambides, P. G.

1992-01-01

This paper presents the preliminary results of an on-going study of the near-tip mechanics of mode-I cracking in brittle matrix composite laminates. A finite element model is developed within the context of two competing characteristic lengths present in the composite: the microstructural length (the thickness of the layers) and a macro-length (crack-length, uncracked ligament size, etc.). For various values of the parameters which describe the ratio of these lengths and the constituent properties, the stresses ahead of a crack perpendicular to the laminates are compared with those predicted by assuming the composite is homogeneous orthotropic. The results can be used to determine the conditions for which homogenization can provide a sufficiently accurate description of the stresses in the vicinity of the crack-tip.

Black carbon emissions in gasoline vehicle exhaust: a measurement and instrument comparison.

PubMed

Kamboures, Michael A; Hu, Shishan; Yu, Yong; Sandoval, Julia; Rieger, Paul; Huang, Shiou-Mei; Zhang, Sherry; Dzhema, Inna; Huo, Darey; Ayala, Alberto; Chang, M C Oliver

2013-08-01

A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the performance and agreement of several commercially available black carbon (BC) measurement instruments, when applied to the quantification of BC in light-duty vehicle (LDV) exhaust. Samples from six vehicles, three fuels, and three driving cycles were used. The pilot study included determinations of the method detection limit (MDL) and repeatability. With respect to the MDL, the real-time instruments outperformed the time-integrated instruments, with MDL = 0.12 mg/mi for the AE51 Aethalometer, and 0.15 mg/mi for the Micro Soot Sensor (MSS), versus 0.38 mg/mi for the IMPROVE_A thermal/ optical method, and 0.35 mg/mi for the OT21_T Optical Transmissometer. The real-time instruments had repeatability values ranging from 30% to 35%, which are somewhat better than those of the time-integrated instruments (40-41%). These results suggest that, despite being less resource intensive, real-time methods can be equivalent or superior to time-integrated methods in terms of sensitivity and repeatability. BC mass data, from the photoacoustic and light attenuation instruments, were compared against same-test EC data, determined using the IMPROVE_A method. The MSS BC data was well correlated with EC, with R2 = 0.85 for the composite results and R2 = 0.86 for the phase-by-phase (PBP) results. The correlation of BC, by the AE51, AE22, and OT21_T with EC was moderate to weak. The weaker correlation was driven by the inclusion of US06 test data in the linear regression analysis. We hypothesize that test-cycle-dependent BC:EC ratios are due to the different physicochemical properties of particulate matter (PM) in US06 and Federal Test Procedure (FTP) tests. Correlation amongst the real-time MSS, PASS-1, AE51, and AE22 instruments was excellent (R2 = 0.83-0.95), below 1 mg/mi levels. In the process of investigating these BC instruments, we learned that BC emissions at sub-1 mg/mi levels can be measured and are achievable by current-generation gasoline engines. Most comparison studies of black carbon (BC) measurement methods were carried out in the ambient air. This study assesses the agreement among various BC measurement instrument in emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) on standard test cycles, and evaluates applicability of these methods under various fuel types, driving cycles, and engine combustion technologies. This research helps to fill in the knowledge gap of BC method standardization as stated in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2011 Report to Congress on Black Carbon, and these results demonstrate the feasibility of quantification of BC at the 1 mg/mi PM standard in California Low Emission Vehicle III regulations.

Perspectives on Art Therapy: The Proceedings of the Pittsburgh Conference on Art Therapy (2nd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1977).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Ellen A., Ed.; Rubin, Judith A., Ed.

The proceedings of the 2nd annual Pittsburgh Conference on Art Therapy (with handicapped persons) consists of 44 items including full length papers, summaries of previously published papers, descriptions of workshops, and a limited number of abstracts (submitted by those who chose not to present a paper or workshop description). The papers are…

Data bank for short-length red oak lumber

Treesearch

Janice K. Wiedenbeck; Charles J. Gatchell; Elizabeth S. Walker

1994-01-01

This data bank for short-length lumber (less than 8 feet long) contains information on board outlines and defect size and quality for 426 414-inch-thick red oak boards. The Selects, 1 Common, 2A Common, and 3A Common grades are represented in the data bank. The data bank provides the kind of detailed lumber description that is required as input by computer programs...

HEMD: an integrated tool of human epigenetic enzymes and chemical modulators for therapeutics.

PubMed

Huang, Zhimin; Jiang, Haiming; Liu, Xinyi; Chen, Yingyi; Wong, Jiemin; Wang, Qi; Huang, Wenkang; Shi, Ting; Zhang, Jian

2012-01-01

Epigenetic mechanisms mainly include DNA methylation, post-translational modifications of histones, chromatin remodeling and non-coding RNAs. All of these processes are mediated and controlled by enzymes. Abnormalities of the enzymes are involved in a variety of complex human diseases. Recently, potent natural or synthetic chemicals are utilized to establish the quantitative contributions of epigenetic regulation through the enzymes and provide novel insight for developing new therapeutics. However, the development of more specific and effective epigenetic therapeutics requires a more complete understanding of the chemical epigenomic landscape. Here, we present a human epigenetic enzyme and modulator database (HEMD), the database which provides a central resource for the display, search, and analysis of the structure, function, and related annotation for human epigenetic enzymes and chemical modulators focused on epigenetic therapeutics. Currently, HEMD contains 269 epigenetic enzymes and 4377 modulators in three categories (activators, inhibitors, and regulators). Enzymes are annotated with detailed description of epigenetic mechanisms, catalytic processes, and related diseases, and chemical modulators with binding sites, pharmacological effect, and therapeutic uses. Integrating the information of epigenetic enzymes in HEMD should allow for the prediction of conserved features for proteins and could potentially classify them as ideal targets for experimental validation. In addition, modulators curated in HEMD can be used to investigate potent epigenetic targets for the query compound and also help chemists to implement structural modifications for the design of novel epigenetic drugs. HEMD could be a platform and a starting point for biologists and medicinal chemists for furthering research on epigenetic therapeutics. HEMD is freely available at http://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/HEMD/.

Do serotonin(1-7) receptors modulate short and long-term memory?

PubMed

Meneses, A

2007-05-01

Evidence from invertebrates to human studies indicates that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system modulates short- (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). This work is primarily focused on analyzing the contribution of 5-HT, cholinergic and glutamatergic receptors as well as protein synthesis to STM and LTM of an autoshaping learning task. It was observed that the inhibition of hippocampal protein synthesis or new mRNA did not produce a significant effect on autoshaping STM performance but it did impair LTM. Both non-contingent protein inhibition and 5-HT depletion showed no effects. It was basically the non-selective 5-HT receptor antagonist cyproheptadine, which facilitated STM. However, the blockade of glutamatergic and cholinergic transmission impaired STM. In contrast, the selective 5-HT(1B) receptor antagonist SB-224289 facilitated both STM and LTM. Selective receptor antagonists for the 5-HT(1A) (WAY100635), 5-HT(1D) (GR127935), 5-HT(2A) (MDL100907), 5-HT(2C/2B) (SB-200646), 5-HT(3) (ondansetron) or 5-HT(4) (GR125487), 5-HT(6) (Ro 04-6790, SB-399885 and SB-35713) or 5-HT(7) (SB-269970) did not impact STM. Nevertheless, WAY100635, MDL100907, SB-200646, GR125487, Ro 04-6790, SB-399885 or SB-357134 facilitated LTM. Notably, some of these changes shown to be independent of food-intake. Concomitantly, these data indicate that '5-HT tone via 5-HT(1B) receptors' might function in a serial manner from STM to LTM, whereas working in parallel using 5-HT(1A), 5-HT(2A), 5-HT(2B/2C), 5-HT(4), or 5-HT(6) receptors.

N1-Nonyl-1,4-diaminobutane ameliorates brain infarction size in photochemically induced thrombosis model mice.

PubMed

Masuko, Takashi; Takao, Koichi; Samejima, Keijiro; Shirahata, Akira; Igarashi, Kazuei; Casero, Robert A; Kizawa, Yasuo; Sugita, Yoshiaki

2018-04-13

Inhibitors for polyamine oxidizing enzymes, spermine oxidase (SMOX) and N 1 -acetylpolyamine oxidase (PAOX), were designed and evaluated for their effectiveness in a photochemically induced thrombosis (PIT) mouse model. N 1 -Nonyl-1,4-diaminobutane (C9-4) and N 1 -tridecyl-1,4-diaminobutane (C13-4) competitively inhibited the activity of PAOX and SMOX in a manner comparable to N 1 ,N 4 -bis(2,3-butadienyl)-1,4-butanediamine (MDL72527), an irreversible inhibitor of both enzymes. The two compounds were then tested for their effects in the PIT model. Both intraperitoneal (i.p.) and intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of C9-4 decreased infarct volumes significantly. By contrast, C13-4 reduced the volume of brain infarction by i.c.v. administration, but no reduction was observed after i.p. administration. C9-4 administered by i.p. injection reduced the volume of brain infarction significantly at doses of more than 3 mg/kg, and the dosage of 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg demonstrated the most potent effect and were more effective than equivalent doses of the other inhibitors such as MDL72527 and N-benzylhydroxylamine. I.P. injection of 5 mg/kg of C9-4 provided a therapeutic time window of longer than 12 h. This report demonstrates that C9-4 is a potent inhibitor of the polyamine oxidizing enzymes and is useful lead compound for candidate drugs with a long therapeutic time window, to be used in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methodology using a portable X-ray fluorescence device for on-site and rapid evaluation of heavy-atom contamination in wounds: a model study for application to plutonium contamination.

PubMed

Yoshii, Hiroshi; Yanagihara, Kouta; Imaseki, Hitoshi; Hamano, Tsuyoshi; Yamanishi, Hirokuni; Inagaki, Masayo; Sakai, Yasuhiro; Sugiura, Nobuyuki; Kurihara, Osamu; Sakai, Kazuo

2014-01-01

Workers decommissioning the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant damaged from the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting tsunami are at risk of injury with possible contamination from radioactive heavy atoms including actinides, such as plutonium. We propose a new methodology for on-site and rapid evaluation of heavy-atom contamination in wounds using a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) device. In the present study, stable lead was used as the model contaminant substitute for radioactive heavy atoms. First, the wound model was developed by placing a liquid blood phantom on an epoxy resin wound phantom contaminated with lead. Next, the correlation between the concentration of contaminant and the XRF peak intensity was formulated considering the thickness of blood exiting the wound. Methods to determine the minimum detection limit (MDL) of contaminants at any maximal equivalent dose to the wound by XRF measurement were also established. For example, in this system, at a maximal equivalent dose of 16.5 mSv to the wound and blood thickness of 0.5 mm, the MDL value for lead was 1.2 ppm (3.1 nmol). The radioactivity of 239Pu corresponding to 3.1 nmol is 1.7 kBq, which is lower than the radioactivity of 239Pu contaminating puncture wounds in previous severe accidents. In conclusion, the established methodology could be beneficial for future development of a method to evaluate plutonium contamination in wounds. Highlights: Methodology for evaluation of heavy-atom contamination in a wound was established. A portable X-ray fluorescence device enables on-site, rapid and direct evaluation. This method is expected to be used for evaluation of plutonium contamination in wounds.

Lysergic acid diethylamide-induced Fos expression in rat brain: role of serotonin-2A receptors.

PubMed

Gresch, P J; Strickland, L V; Sanders-Bush, E

2002-01-01

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) produces altered mood and hallucinations in humans and binds with high affinity to serotonin-2A (5-HT(2A)) receptors. Although LSD interacts with other receptors, the activation of 5-HT(2A) receptors is thought to mediate the hallucinogenic properties of LSD. The goal of this study was to identify the brain sites activated by LSD and to determine the influence of 5-HT(2A) receptors in this activation. Rats were pretreated with the 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist MDL 100907 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle 30 min prior to LSD (500 microg/kg, i.p.) administration and killed 3 h later. Brain tissue was examined for Fos protein expression by immunohistochemistry. LSD administration produced a five- to eight-fold increase in Fos-like immunoreactivity in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and central nucleus of amygdala. However, in dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens no increase in Fos-like immunoreactivity was observed. Pretreatment with MDL 100907 completely blocked LSD-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity in medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, but only partially blocked LSD-induced Fos-like immunoreactivity in amygdala. Double-labeled immunohistochemistry revealed that LSD did not induce Fos-like immunoreactivity in cortical cells expressing 5-HT(2A) receptors, suggesting an indirect activation of cortical neurons. These results indicate that the LSD activation of medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex is mediated by 5-HT(2A) receptors, whereas in amygdala 5-HT(2A) receptor activation is a component of the response. These findings support the hypothesis that the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and perhaps the amygdala, are important regions involved in the production of hallucinations. Copyright 2002 IBRO

Spinal 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors mediate low, but not high, frequency TENS-induced antihyperalgesia in rats

PubMed Central

Radhakrishnan, Rajan; King, Ellen W.; Dickman, Janelle K.; Herold, Carli A.; Johnston, Natalie F.; Spurgin, Megan L.; Sluka, Kathleen A.

2009-01-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a form of non-pharmacological treatment for pain. Involvement of descending inhibitory systems is implicated in TENS-induced analgesia. In the present study, the roles of spinal 5-HT and α2-adrenoceptors in TENS analgesia were investigated in rats. Hyperalgesia was induced by inflaming the knee joint with 3% kaolin—carrageenan mixture and assessed by measuring paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to heat before and 4 h after injection. The (1) α2-adrenergic antagonist yohimbine (30 μg), (2) 5-HT antagonist methysergide (5-HT1 and 5-HT2,30 μg), one of the 5-HT receptor subtype antagonists, (3) NAN-190 (5-HT1A, 15 μg), (4) ketanserin (5-HT2A, 30 μg), (5) MDL-72222 (5-HT3, 12 μg), or (6) vehicle was administered intrathecally prior to TENS treatment. Low (4 Hz) or high (100 Hz) frequency TENS at sensory intensity was then applied to the inflamed knee for 20 min and PWL was determined. Selectivity of the antagonists used was confirmed using respective agonists administered intrathecally. Yohimbine had no effect on the antihyperalgesia produced by low or high frequency TENS. Methysergide and MDL-72222 prevented the antihyperalgesia produced by low, but not high, frequency TENS. Ketanserin attenuated the antihyperalgesic effects of low frequency TENS whereas NAN-190 had no effect. The results from the present study show that spinal 5-HT receptors mediate low, but not high, frequency TENS-induced antihyperalgesia through activation of 5-HT2A and 5-HT3 receptors in rats. Furthermore, spinal noradrenergic receptors are not involved in either low or high frequency TENS antihyperalgesia. PMID:14499437

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication Is Severely Impaired by MG132 due to Proteasome-Independent Inhibition of M-Calpain

PubMed Central

Schneider, Martha; Ackermann, Kerstin; Stuart, Melissa; Wex, Claudia; Protzer, Ulrike; Schätzl, Hermann M.

2012-01-01

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is involved in the replication of a broad range of viruses. Since replication of the murine hepatitis virus (MHV) is impaired upon proteasomal inhibition, the relevance of the UPS for the replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was investigated in this study. We demonstrate that the proteasomal inhibitor MG132 strongly inhibits SARS-CoV replication by interfering with early steps of the viral life cycle. Surprisingly, other proteasomal inhibitors (e.g., lactacystin and bortezomib) only marginally affected viral replication, indicating that the effect of MG132 is independent of proteasomal impairment. Induction of autophagy by MG132 treatment was excluded from playing a role, and no changes in SARS-CoV titers were observed during infection of wild-type or autophagy-deficient ATG5−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts overexpressing the human SARS-CoV receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Since MG132 also inhibits the cysteine protease m-calpain, we addressed the role of calpains in the early SARS-CoV life cycle using calpain inhibitors III (MDL28170) and VI (SJA6017). In fact, m-calpain inhibition with MDL28170 resulted in an even more pronounced inhibition of SARS-CoV replication (>7 orders of magnitude) than did MG132. Additional m-calpain knockdown experiments confirmed the dependence of SARS-CoV replication on the activity of the cysteine protease m-calpain. Taken together, we provide strong experimental evidence that SARS-CoV has unique replication requirements which are independent of functional UPS or autophagy pathways compared to other coronaviruses. Additionally, this work highlights an important role for m-calpain during early steps of the SARS-CoV life cycle. PMID:22787216

Tachykinin receptors in the guinea-pig renal pelvis: activation by exogenous and endogenous tachykinins.

PubMed Central

Maggi, C. A.; Patacchini, R.; Eglezos, A.; Quartara, L.; Giuliani, S.; Giachetti, A.

1992-01-01

1. The contractile response to substance P, neurokinin A, selective agonists for the NK1, NK2 and NK3 tachykinin receptors and the activity of receptor-selective antagonists has been investigated in circular muscle strips of the guinea-pig isolated renal pelvis in the presence of indomethacin (3 microM). 2. Neurokinin A was the most potent agonist tested, being about 32 times more potent than substance P. The action of both substance P and neurokinin A was enhanced by peptidase inhibitors (bestatin, captopril and thiorphan, 1 microM each). The selective NK2 receptor agonist [beta Ala8] neurokinin A (4-10), was slightly less potent and effective than neurokinin A itself. The selective NK1 receptor agonist [Sar9] substance P sulphone was effective at low (nM) concentrations but its maximal effect did not exceed 30% of maximal response to substance P or neurokinin A. The NK3-selective agonist [MePhe7] neurokinin B was effective only at high (microM) concentrations. 3. The pseudopeptide derivative of neurokinin A(4-10), MDL 28,564, displayed a clear-cut agonist character, although it was less potent than neurokinin A. 4. The responses to roughly equieffective (25-35% of maximal response) concentrations of [beta Ala8] neurokinin A (4-10), MDL 28,564 and [MePhe7] neurokinin B were antagonized to a similar extent by MEN 10,376 (3 microM), a selective NK2 tachykinin receptor antagonist, while the response to [Sar9] substance P sulphone was unchanged. 5. The response to [Sar9] substance P sulphone was inhibited by the NK1 receptor-selective antagonist, GR 82,334 (3 microM) while the response to [beta Ala8] neurokinin A (4-10) was unchanged.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:1384907

Short-lived species detection of nitrous acid by external-cavity quantum cascade laser based quartz-enhanced photoacoustic absorption spectroscopy

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

Yi, Hongming; Laboratory of Atmospheric Physico-Chemistry, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 1125, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031; Maamary, Rabih

2015-03-09

Spectroscopic detection of short-lived gaseous nitrous acid (HONO) at 1254.85 cm{sup −1} was realized by off-beam coupled quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) in conjunction with an external cavity quantum cascade lasers (EC-QCL). High sensitivity monitoring of HONO was performed within a very small gas-sample volume (of ∼40 mm{sup 3}) allowing a significant reduction (of about 4 orders of magnitude) of air sampling residence time which is highly desired for accurate quantification of chemically reactive short-lived species. Calibration of the developed QEPAS-based HONO sensor was carried out by means of lab-generated HONO samples whose concentrations were determined by direct absorption spectroscopy involving a ∼109.5 mmore » multipass cell and a distributed feedback QCL. A minimum detection limit (MDL) of 66 ppbv (1 σ) HONO was achieved at 70 mbar using a laser output power of 50 mW and 1 s integration time, which corresponded to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 3.6 × 10{sup −8 }cm{sup −1} W/Hz{sup 1/2}. This MDL was down to 7 ppbv at the optimal integration time of 150 s. The corresponding 1σ minimum detected absorption coefficient is ∼1.1 × 10{sup −7 }cm{sup −1} (MDL ∼ 3 ppbv) in 1 s and ∼1.1 × 10{sup −8 }cm{sup −1} (MDL ∼ 330 pptv) in 150 s, respectively, with 1 W laser power.« less

Analysis of carbohydrates by anion exchange chromatography and mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Bruggink, Cees; Maurer, Rolf; Herrmann, Heiko; Cavalli, Silvano; Hoefler, Frank

2005-08-26

A versatile liquid chromatographic platform has been developed for analysing underivatized carbohydrates using high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) followed by an inert PEEK splitter that splits the effluent to the integrated pulsed amperometric detector (IPAD) and to an on-line single quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS). Common eluents for HPAEC such as sodium hydroxide and sodium acetate are beneficial for the amperometric detection but not compatible with electrospray ionisation (ESI). Therefore a membrane-desalting device was installed after the splitter and prior to the ESI interface converting sodium hydroxide into water and sodium acetate into acetic acid. To enhance the sensitivity for the MS detection, 0.5 mmol/l lithium chloride was added after the membrane desalter to form lithium adducts of the carbohydrates. To compare sensitivity of IPAD and MS detection glucose, fructose, and sucrose were used as analytes. A calibration with external standards from 2.5 to 1000 pmole was performed showing a linear range over three orders of magnitude. Minimum detection limits (MDL) with IPAD were determined at 5 pmole levels for glucose to be 0.12 pmole, fructose 0.22 pmole and sucrose 0.11 pmole. With MS detection in the selected ion mode (SIM) the lithium adducts of the carbohydrates were detected obtaining MDL's for glucose of 1.49 pmole, fructose 1.19 pmole, and sucrose 0.36 pmole showing that under these conditions IPAD is 3-10 times more sensitive for those carbohydrates. The applicability of the method was demonstrated analysing carbohydrates in real world samples such as chicory inulin where polyfructans up to a molecular mass of 7000 g/mol were detected as quadrupoly charged lithium adducts. Furthermore mono-, di-, tri-, and oligosaccharides were detected in chicory coffee, honey and beer samples.

Determination of endogenous concentrations of nitrites and nitrates in different types of cheese in the United States: method development and validation using ion chromatography.

PubMed

Genualdi, Susan; Jeong, Nahyun; DeJager, Lowri

2018-04-01

Nitrites and nitrates can be present in dairy products from both endogenous and exogenous sources. In the European Union (EU), 150 mg kg - 1 of nitrates are allowed to be added to the cheese milk during the manufacturing process. The CODEX General Standard for Food Additives has a maximum permitted level of 50 mg kg - 1 residue in cheese, while in the United States (U.S.) nitrates are unapproved for use as food additives in cheese. In order to be able to investigate imported cheeses for nitrates intentionally added as preservatives and the endogenous concentrations of nitrates and nitrites present in cheeses in the U.S. marketplace, a method was developed and validated using ion chromatography with conductivity detection. A market sampling of cheese samples purchased in the Washington DC metro area was performed. In 64 samples of cheese, concentrations ranged from below the method detection limit (MDL) to 26 mg kg - 1 for nitrates and no concentrations of nitrites were found in any of the cheese samples above the MDL of 0.1 mg kg - 1 . A majority of the samples (93%) had concentrations below 10 mg kg - 1 , which indicate the presence of endogenous nitrates. The samples with concentrations above 10 mg kg - 1 were mainly processed cheese spread, which can contain additional ingredients often of plant-based origin. These ingredients are likely the cause of the elevated nitrate concentrations. The analysis of 12 additional cheese samples that are liable to the intentional addition of nitrates, 9 of which were imported, indicated that in this limited study, concentrations of nitrate in the U.S.-produced cheeses did not differ from those in imported samples.

50 CFR 218.115 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Narrative description of sensors and platforms utilized for marine mammal detection and timeline... sensor; (vi) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal; (vii) Wave height...

Vehicle Based Vector Sensor

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-28

buoyant underwater vehicle with an interior space in which a length of said underwater vehicle is equal to one tenth of the acoustic wavelength...underwater vehicle with an interior space in which a length of said underwater vehicle is equal to one tenth of the acoustic wavelength; an...unmanned underwater vehicle that can function as an acoustic vector sensor. (2) Description of the Prior Art [0004] It is known that a propagating

Fabrication of water-dispersible and highly conductive PSS-doped PANI/graphene nanocomposites using a high-molecular weight PSS dopant and their application in H2S detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sunghun; Lee, Jun Seop; Jun, Jaemoon; Kim, Sung Gun; Jang, Jyongsik

2014-11-01

This work describes the fabrication of poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid)-doped polyaniline/graphene (PSS-doped PANI/graphene) nanocomposites and their use as sensing elements for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) detection. PSS with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.96 × 106 was synthesized using low-temperature free-radical polymerization. The PSS was used as both a doping agent and a binding agent for the polymerization of aniline monomers in a biphasic system (water-chloroform) at -50 °C. The high Mw of PSS resulted in relatively large particle sizes and smooth surfaces of the PSS-doped PANI. These physical characteristics, in turn, resulted in low interparticle resistance and high conductivity. In addition, the PSS allowed homogeneous dispersion of reduced graphene sheets through electrostatic repulsion. The prepared PSS-doped PANI/graphene solutions showed good compatibility with flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates, making them suitable for flexible sensor electrodes. Changes in the charge-transport properties, such as protonation level, conjugation length, crystalline structure, and charge-transfer resistance, of the electrode materials were the main factors influencing the electrical and sensor performance of the PSS-doped PANI-based electrodes. PSS-doped PANI/graphene composites containing 30 wt% graphene showed the highest conductivity (168.4 S cm-1) and the lowest minimum detection level (MDL) for H2S gas (1 ppm). This result is consistent with the observed improvements in charge transport in the electrode materials via strong π-π stacking interactions between the PANI and the graphene sheets.This work describes the fabrication of poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid)-doped polyaniline/graphene (PSS-doped PANI/graphene) nanocomposites and their use as sensing elements for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) detection. PSS with a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.96 × 106 was synthesized using low-temperature free-radical polymerization. The PSS was used as both a doping agent and a binding agent for the polymerization of aniline monomers in a biphasic system (water-chloroform) at -50 °C. The high Mw of PSS resulted in relatively large particle sizes and smooth surfaces of the PSS-doped PANI. These physical characteristics, in turn, resulted in low interparticle resistance and high conductivity. In addition, the PSS allowed homogeneous dispersion of reduced graphene sheets through electrostatic repulsion. The prepared PSS-doped PANI/graphene solutions showed good compatibility with flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates, making them suitable for flexible sensor electrodes. Changes in the charge-transport properties, such as protonation level, conjugation length, crystalline structure, and charge-transfer resistance, of the electrode materials were the main factors influencing the electrical and sensor performance of the PSS-doped PANI-based electrodes. PSS-doped PANI/graphene composites containing 30 wt% graphene showed the highest conductivity (168.4 S cm-1) and the lowest minimum detection level (MDL) for H2S gas (1 ppm). This result is consistent with the observed improvements in charge transport in the electrode materials via strong π-π stacking interactions between the PANI and the graphene sheets. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: FE-SEM images of PSS-doped PANI/graphene nanocomposites and graphene sheets, FT-IR spectra of PSS with different Mw, XRD patterns of PSS-doped PANI polymerized with different Mw of PSS, FT-IR spectra of GO, RGO, PSS-coated GO, and PSS-coated RGO, fully XPS scanned spectra of PSS-doped PANI/graphene nanocomposites, cyclic voltammogram of PSS-doped PANI/graphene nanocomposites at different scan rates (10 to 50 mV-1), and I-V characteristics of PSS-doped PANI/graphene nanocomposites with a thickness of 5 μm. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr04413d

Quantum-mechanical elaboration for the description of low- and high-order harmonics generated by extended gas media: prospects to the efficiency enhancement in spatially modulated media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stremoukhov, Sergey Yu; Andreev, Anatoly V.

2018-03-01

A simple model fully matching the description of the low- and high-order harmonic generation in extended media interacting with multicolor laser fields is proposed. The extended atomic media is modeled by a 1D chain of atoms, the number of atoms and the distance between them depend on the pressure of the gas and the length of the gas cell. The response of the individual atoms is calculated accurately in the frame of the non-perturbative theory where the driving field for each atom is calculated with account of dispersion properties of any multicolor field component. In spite of the simplicity of the proposed model it provides the detailed description of behaviour of harmonic spectra under variation of the gas pressure and medium length, it also predicts a scaling law for harmonic generation (an invariant). To demonstrate the wide range of applications of the model we have simulated the results of recent experiments dealing with spatially modulated media and obtained good coincidence between the numerical results and the experimental ones.

Description and quantitative analysis of the dentition of the southern thorny skate Amblyraja doellojuradoi.

PubMed

Delpiani, G; Spath, M C; Deli Antoni, M; Delpiani, M

2017-06-01

A description of the tooth morphology of 234 jaws from the southern thorny skate Amblyraja doellojuradoi in the south-west Atlantic Ocean is given. Seven rows of teeth were selected and length and width of each tooth in these rows were measured. It was found that functional series corresponds to the third teeth and the average width and length of these teeth were compared among jaws, maturity stages, sexes and rows. Generalized linear models were used to determine the subset of measures that most contribute to explain the variability between groups. It was observed that males have longer teeth than females, but the teeth of females are wider. These differences are attributed to reproductive behaviour, in which males bite females to hold them during copulation. This study provides a description of the teeth of A. doellojuradoi, supplying a valuable tool for identification of species. In addition, the establishment of the main variations observed in the dentition, improves the understanding of the species' biology. © 2017 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Description of Hydration Water in Protein (Green Fluorescent Protein) Solution

DOE PAGES

Perticaroli, Stefania; Ehlers, Georg; Stanley, Christopher B.; ...

2016-10-26

The structurally and dynamically perturbed hydration shells that surround proteins and biomolecules have a substantial influence upon their function and stability. This makes the extent and degree of water perturbation of practical interest for general biological study and industrial formulation. Here, we present an experimental description of the dynamical perturbation of hydration water around green fluorescent protein in solution. Less than two shells (~5.5 Å) were perturbed, with dynamics a factor of 2–10 times slower than bulk water, depending on their distance from the protein surface and the probe length of the measurement. Furthermore, this dependence on probe length demonstratesmore » that hydration water undergoes subdiffusive motions (τ ∝ q –2.5 for the first hydration shell, τ ∝ q –2.3 for perturbed water in the second shell), an important difference with neat water, which demonstrates diffusive behavior (τ ∝ q –2). Our results help clarify the seemingly conflicting range of values reported for hydration water retardation as a logical consequence of the different length scales probed by the analytical techniques used.« less

A Study of Relationships between Educational Credentials and Military Performance Criteria

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-01

LENGTH: 155 x 6200 COL DESCRIPTION COL DESCRIPTION NOTES 1__ 51._: 2. 52. TAFMS 1 3. 53. 4. SSAN 54, DPOC 1 5. Region 55. 6. CENSUS District 56. DOOC 1 7...SCRIPFION NOTESI 27. 77. ELIGIBILITY TO REENLIST 1 78.8. 29. 12 79. M PEBD 31. AREA 81. FILE FLAG 32. SCORES 82. __ 33, 83. TAFMS 34, 84. 2 35, 85. DPOC 36...the third most signi- ficant skill held by the Service member. Refer to DPOC above for coo vq description and comments. 34 57 Hi. test Year of Educa- 1

Fibrolipomatous Hamartoma of the Median Nerve with Macrodystrophia Lipomatosa.

PubMed

Azeemuddin, Muhammad; Waheed, Adeel A; Khan, Noman; Sayani, Raza; Ahmed, Anwar

2018-03-09

Fibrolipomatous hamartoma (FLH) is a rare congenital condition that presents with a benign overgrowth of the bone and fibroadipose tissue termed as macrodystrophia lipomatosa (MDL). Although commonly seen in the median nerve, other peripheral nerves can be involved. Diagnosis can be made on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) due to the characteristic coaxial cable appearance on axial images and the spaghetti appearance on sagittal images. Histology shows mature adipose and fibrous tissue infiltrating the epineural and perineural compartments. Multiple or debulking surgeries are often needed, with an emphasis on cosmetic aspects. We present one such case in which wide margin excision and sural nerve graft were carried out.

An LQG Up-and Away Flight Control Design for the STOL F-15 Aircraft.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-01

bmat ɜ,8) dimension dirmatC5,5),dirbmnat(5,9) character*3 Key, Keyl, datal, data2, data3, run characterti...write( *,*) now we’ll get the input matrix -b bmat (1,1) = xdl b rat ( 1,2) = xd2 bmat ( 1,3) = xd3 bmat <l,4) = xd4 bmat ( 1,5) = xd5 bmatc 1,6) = xd6 bmat ...1,7) = xd7 * bmat ( 1,8) = xd8 bmat (2,1) = mdl bmat (2,2) = md2 bmat (2,3) = md3 bmatc2,4) = md4 bmat ( 2,5) = md 5 bmatc2,6) = md6 bmat (2,7) =

Wyeomyia (Prosopolepis) Confusa (Lutz): Subgeneric Validation, Species Description, and Recognition of Wyeomyia Flui (Bonne-Wepster and Bonne) as the Senior Synonym of Wyeomyia Kerri Del Ponte and Cerqueira

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-01-01

Short, length about 0.5 mm; widest at base, tapering distally; index 2.5-3.3 (width mea- sured at base); lightly and evenly tanned. Pecten with 3-9...compressed and expanded distally, with hooked tip. Segment X: Saddle incomplete; lightly tanned; length about 0.25 mm, siphon/saddle index about...cylindrical; index about 3.6 (2.5-4.1) (width measured at midlength). Ab- domen: Lightly tanned, anterior margins of sterna II-VI noticeably darker; length

Some Pitfalls in Special Relativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chai, An-Ti

1973-01-01

The problem of observing a collision between two spaceships is utilized to illustrate the misuse of time dilation and length contraction, and the incorrect description of space-time coordinates in special relativity. (Author/DF)

Travelers' Health: Cruise Ship Travel

MedlinePlus

... Motion Sickness ). PRECAUTIONS FOR CRUISE SHIP TRAVELERS Pretravel Evaluate the type and length of the planned cruise ... Peake DE, Gray CL, Ludwig MR, Hill CD. Descriptive epidemiology of injury and illness among cruise ship ...

Assessing the readability of ClinicalTrials.gov

PubMed Central

Wu, Danny TY; Hanauer, David A; Mei, Qiaozhu; Clark, Patricia M; An, Lawrence C; Proulx, Joshua; Zeng, Qing T; Vydiswaran, VG Vinod; Collins-Thompson, Kevyn

2016-01-01

Objective ClinicalTrials.gov serves critical functions of disseminating trial information to the public and helping the trials recruit participants. This study assessed the readability of trial descriptions at ClinicalTrials.gov using multiple quantitative measures. Materials and Methods The analysis included all 165 988 trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as of April 30, 2014. To obtain benchmarks, the authors also analyzed 2 other medical corpora: (1) all 955 Health Topics articles from MedlinePlus and (2) a random sample of 100 000 clinician notes retrieved from an electronic health records system intended for conveying internal communication among medical professionals. The authors characterized each of the corpora using 4 surface metrics, and then applied 5 different scoring algorithms to assess their readability. The authors hypothesized that clinician notes would be most difficult to read, followed by trial descriptions and MedlinePlus Health Topics articles. Results Trial descriptions have the longest average sentence length (26.1 words) across all corpora; 65% of their words used are not covered by a basic medical English dictionary. In comparison, average sentence length of MedlinePlus Health Topics articles is 61% shorter, vocabulary size is 95% smaller, and dictionary coverage is 46% higher. All 5 scoring algorithms consistently rated CliniclTrials.gov trial descriptions the most difficult corpus to read, even harder than clinician notes. On average, it requires 18 years of education to properly understand these trial descriptions according to the results generated by the readability assessment algorithms. Discussion and Conclusion Trial descriptions at CliniclTrials.gov are extremely difficult to read. Significant work is warranted to improve their readability in order to achieve CliniclTrials.gov’s goal of facilitating information dissemination and subject recruitment. PMID:26269536

ABSOLUTE BUNCH LENGTH MEASUREMENTS AT THE ALS BY INCOHERENTSYNCHROTRON RADIATION FLUCTUATION ANALYSIS

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

Sannibale, Fernando; Zolotorev, Max S.; Filippetto, Daniele

2007-06-22

By analysing the pulse to pulse intensity fluctuations ofthe radiation emitted by a charge particle in the incoherent part of thespectrum, it is possible to extract information about the spatialdistribution of the beam. At the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of theLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we have developed and tested asimple scheme based on this principle that allows for the absolutemeasurement of the bunch length. A description of the method and theexperimental results are presented.

A new species of Cryptonympha Lugo-Ortiz McCafferty (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from Cerro Duida (Venezuela).

PubMed

Derka, TomÁŠ; Nieto, Carolina

2018-02-05

The genus Cryptonympha includes three species: C. copiosa Lugo-Ortiz McCafferty, 1998; C. dasilvai Salles Francischetti, 2004 and C. genevievae Thomas, Manchon Glémet, 2013, known only from the nymphal stage. A description of the nymph of a fourth representative, Cryptonympha tracheata sp. n. is provided here, based on material collected in a blackwater stream on the slopes of the Cerro Duida mountain in south-western Venezuela. The nymph of the new species can be easily distinguished from the other species of the genus by very long tracheal gills II-VII, 2.5 times the length of each tergum, gill I small, nearly half length of gill IV and by posterior margin of terga with rounded spines. A complete description of the new species and a key for nymphs of all known Cryptonympha species are provided.

Subcontinuum mass transport of condensed hydrocarbons in nanoporous media

PubMed Central

Falk, Kerstin; Coasne, Benoit; Pellenq, Roland; Ulm, Franz-Josef; Bocquet, Lydéric

2015-01-01

Although hydrocarbon production from unconventional reservoirs, the so-called shale gas, has exploded recently, reliable predictions of resource availability and extraction are missing because conventional tools fail to account for their ultra-low permeability and complexity. Here, we use molecular simulation and statistical mechanics to show that continuum description—Darcy's law—fails to predict transport in shales nanoporous matrix (kerogen). The non-Darcy behaviour arises from strong adsorption in kerogen and the breakdown of hydrodynamics at the nanoscale, which contradict the assumption of viscous flow. Despite this complexity, all permeances collapse on a master curve with an unexpected dependence on alkane length. We rationalize this non-hydrodynamic behaviour using a molecular description capturing the scaling of permeance with alkane length and density. These results, which stress the need for a change of paradigm from classical descriptions to nanofluidic transport, have implications for shale gas but more generally for transport in nanoporous media. PMID:25901931

Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy for Analytical Chemistry: Thermal Evolution of Low Volatility Impurities and Detection with a Fourier Transform Molecular Rotational Resonance Spectrometer (tev Ft-Mrr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Brent; Fields, Shelby S.; Neill, Justin L.; Pulliam, Robin; Muckle, Matt; Pate, Brooks

2016-06-01

Recent advances in Fourier transform millimeter-wave spectroscopy techniques have renewed the application reach of molecular rotational spectroscopy for analytical chemistry. We present a sampling method for sub ppm analysis of low volatility impurities by thermal evolution from solid powders using a millimeter-wave Fourier transform molecular rotational resonance (FT-MRR) spectrometer for detection. This application of FT-MRR is relevant to the manufacturing of safe oral pharmaceuticals. Low volatility impurities can be challenging to detect at 1 ppm levels with chromatographic techniques. One such example of a potentially mutagenic impurity is acetamide (v.p. 1 Torr at 40 C, m.p. 80 C). We measured the pure reference spectrum of acetamide by flowing the sublimated vapor pressure of acetamide crystals through the FT-MRR spectrometer. The spectrometer lower detection level (LDL) for a broadband (> 20 GHz, 10 min.) spectrum is 300 nTorr, 30 pmol, or 2 ng. For a 50 mg powder, perfect sample transfer efficiency can yield a w/w % detection limit of 35 ppb. We extended the sampling method for the acetamide reference measurement to an acetaminophen sample spiked with 5000 ppm acetamide in order to test the sample transfer efficiency when liberated from an pharmaceutical powder. A spectral reference matching algorithm detected the presence of several impurities including acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and acetonitrile that evolved at the melting point of acetaminophen, demonstrating the capability of FT-MRR for identification without a routine chemical standard. The method detection limit (MDL) without further development is less than 10 ppm w/w %. Resolved FT-MRR mixture spectra will be presented with a description of sampling methods.

Development of matrix solid-phase dispersion method for the extraction of short-chain chlorinated paraffins in human placenta.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Gao, Wei; Wu, Jing; Liu, Huijin; Wang, Yingjun; Wang, Yawei; Jiang, Guibin

2017-12-01

Chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are widely used worldwide, and they can be released into the environment during their production, transport, usage and disposal, which pose potential risks for human health. In this work, an efficient, reliable and rapid pretreatment method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was developed for the analysis of short-chain CPs (SCCPs) in human placenta by gas chromatograph-electron capture negative ion low-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-ECNI-LRMS) and gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-QTOF-HRMS). The MSPD-relevant parameters including dispersing sorbent, sample-to-sorbent mass ratio, and elution solvent were optimized using the orthogonal test. Silica gel was found to be the optimal dispersing sorbent among the selected matrices. Under the optimal conditions, 44% acidic silica gel can be used as the co-sorbent to remove lipid and eluted by the mixture of hexane and dichloromethane (7:3, V/V). The spiked recoveries of the optimized method were 77.4% and 91.4% for analyzing SCCPs in human placenta by GC-ECNI-LRMS and GC-QTOF-HRMS, and the corresponding relative standard deviations were 10.2% and 5.6%, respectively. The method detection limit for the total SCCPs was 36.8ng/g (dry weight, dw) and 19.2ng/g (dw) as measured by GC-ECNI-LRMS and GC-QTOF-HRMS, respectively. The concentrations of SCCPs in four human placentas were in the range of

Optimal focusing conditions of lenses using Gaussian beams

DOE PAGES

Franco, Juan Manuel; Cywiak, Moisés; Cywiak, David; ...

2016-04-02

By using the analytical equations of the propagation of Gaussian beams in which truncation exhibits negligible consequences, we describe a method that uses the value of the focal length of a focusing lens to classify its focusing performance. In this study, we show that for different distances between a laser and a focusing lens there are different planes where best focusing conditions can be obtained and we demonstrate how the value of the focal length impacts the lens focusing properties. To perform the classification we introduce the term delimiting focal length. As the value of the focal length used inmore » wave propagation theory is nominal and difficult to measure accurately, we describe an experimental approach to calculate its value matching our analytical description. Finally, we describe possible applications of the results for characterizing Gaussian sources, for measuring focal lengths and/or alternatively for characterizing piston-like movements.« less

Compressing a confined DNA: from nano-channel to nano-cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaue, Takahiro

2018-06-01

We analyze the behavior of a semiflexible polymer confined in nanochannel under compression in axial direction. Key to our discussion is the identification of two length scales; the correlation length ξ of concentration fluctuation and what we call the segregation length . These length scales, while degenerate in uncompressed state in nanochannel, generally split as upon compression, and the way they compete with the system size during the compression determines the crossover from quasi-1D nanochannel to quasi-0D nanocavity behaviors. For a flexible polymer, the story becomes very simple, which corresponds to a special limit of our description, but a much richer behavior is expected for a semiflexible polymer relevant to DNA in confined spaces. We also briefly discuss the dynamical properties of the compressed polymer.

Boundary asymptotics for a non-neutral electrochemistry model with small Debye length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Chiun-Chang; Ryham, Rolf J.

2018-04-01

This article addresses the boundary asymptotics of the electrostatic potential in non-neutral electrochemistry models with small Debye length in bounded domains. Under standard physical assumptions motivated by non-electroneutral phenomena in oxidation-reduction reactions, we show that the electrostatic potential asymptotically blows up at boundary points with respect to the bulk reference potential as the scaled Debye length tends to zero. The analysis gives a lower bound for the blow-up rate with respect to the model parameters. Moreover, the maximum potential difference over any compact subset of the physical domain vanishes exponentially in the zero-Debye-length limit. The results mathematically confirm the physical description that electrolyte solutions are electrically neutral in the bulk and are strongly electrically non-neutral near charged surfaces.

Tachykinin receptors in rabbit airways--characterization by functional, autoradiographic and binding studies.

PubMed Central

Black, J. L.; Diment, L. M.; Alouan, L. A.; Johnson, P. R.; Armour, C. L.; Badgery-Parker, T.; Burcher, E.

1992-01-01

1. In many species, both NK1 and NK2 tachykinin receptors appear to be important in mediating the contraction of airway smooth muscle. We have examined the distribution and characterization of receptors for tachykinins in rabbit airways using functional length tension studies, autoradiography and radioligand binding studies. 2. Contractile responses to tachykinins were elicited in four different areas of the respiratory tree--trachea, and three progressively more distal areas of the right bronchus. The NK2 receptor-preferring agonists, neurokinin A (NKA), neuropeptide gamma (NP gamma) and the NK2-selective [Lys5 MeLeu9, Nle10]-NKA(4-10) [NKA (4-10) analogue] produced similar contraction in all four areas. Substance P (SP) and the NK1-selective [Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP (Sar-SP) exhibited a marked location-dependence in the magnitude of contraction, producing minimal contraction in the trachea and more proximal bronchi with contractions becoming progressively larger in the more distal airways. Senktide (which is selective for the NK3 receptor) produced negligible contraction in all areas. 3. The NK2-selective antagonist, MDL29,913, was a weak antagonist of NKA and NKA(4-10) analogue. At a concentration of 2 microM, it produced a small but significant shift in the response curve to NKA and a greater shift (8 fold) in the curve to NKA(4-10) analogue, but it had no effect on responses to Sar-SP. The non peptide NK1 receptor antagonist, CP-96,345, was also unexpectedly weak in this preparation. The pD2 value for Sar-SP was decreased 27 fold by CP-96,345 at a concentration of 1 microM, without alteration in the maximum response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Images Figure 4 PMID:1384914

Determination of volatile organic hydrocarbons in water samples by solid-phase dynamic extraction.

PubMed

Jochmann, Maik A; Yuan, Xue; Schmidt, Torsten C

2007-03-01

In the present study a headspace solid-phase dynamic extraction method coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPDE-GC/MS) for the trace determination of volatile halogenated hydrocarbons and benzene from groundwater samples was developed and evaluated. As target compounds, benzene as well as 11 chlorinated and brominated hydrocarbons (vinyl chloride, dichloromethane, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, bromoform) of environmental and toxicological concern were included in this study. The analytes were extracted using a SPDE needle device, coated with a poly(dimethylsiloxane) with 10% embedded activated carbon phase (50-microm film thickness and 56-mm film length) and were analyzed by GC/MS in full-scan mode. Parameters that affect the extraction yield such as extraction and desorption temperature, salting-out, extraction and desorption flow rate, extraction volume and desorption volume, the number of extraction cycles, and the pre-desorption time have been evaluated and optimized. The linearity of the HS-SPDE-GC/MS method was established over several orders of magnitude. Method detection limits (MDLs) for the compounds investigated ranged between 12 ng/L for cis-dichloroethylene and trans-dichloroethylene and 870 ng/L for vinyl chloride. The method was thoroughly validated, and the precision at two concentration levels (0.1 mg/L and a concentration 5 times above the MDL) was between 3.1 and 16% for the analytes investigated. SPDE provides high sensitivity, short sample preparation and extraction times and a high sample throughput because of full automation. Finally, the applicability to real environmental samples is shown exemplarily for various groundwater samples from a former waste-oil recycling facility. Groundwater from the site showed a complex contamination with chlorinated volatile organic compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons.

[Shushu (ancient Chinese numerology) in Lingshu: Gudu (Miraculous Pivot: Bone-Length Measurement)].

PubMed

Zhuo, Lian-Shi

2010-10-01

Lingshu: Gudu (Miraculous Pivot: Bone-Length Measurement) is compared with literatures concerning the Shushu (ancient Chinese numerology) of the Qin Dynasty (221 B. C. - 206 B. C. ) and the Han Dynasty (206 B. C.-220 A. D.) in this article. And it is discovered that "the number of heaven and earth" in Yijing (The Book of Change) was implied in the bone-length measurement. The theory of Shushu is hidden in the sized of head, neck, chest, abdomen, back and 4 extremities according to the measurement. The meaning of establishment of bone-length measurement, which is found to have universality, laid in setting down the measurement of meridians. And it is the origin of the proportional measurement of locating acupoints. Checked with the theory of Shushu, errors in the description of bone-length measurement could also be found in Lingshu: Gudu (Miraculous Pivot: Bone-Length Measurement) of the present edition, which is helpful for the modern study on the measurement.

Prediction of mutagenic toxicity by combination of Recursive Partitioning and Support Vector Machines.

PubMed

Liao, Quan; Yao, Jianhua; Yuan, Shengang

2007-05-01

The study of prediction of toxicity is very important and necessary because measurement of toxicity is typically time-consuming and expensive. In this paper, Recursive Partitioning (RP) method was used to select descriptors. RP and Support Vector Machines (SVM) were used to construct structure-toxicity relationship models, RP model and SVM model, respectively. The performances of the two models are different. The prediction accuracies of the RP model are 80.2% for mutagenic compounds in MDL's toxicity database, 83.4% for compounds in CMC and 84.9% for agrochemicals in in-house database respectively. Those of SVM model are 81.4%, 87.0% and 87.3% respectively.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program, Proceedings of the REAPS Technical Symposium Paper No. 6: SPADES System Current Developments

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

and End-Cuts Program ( PLEC ). A special program to aid in fabrication of complex three-dimensional pipe structures, which is of special interest to...LENGTH AND END-CUTS PROGRAM ( PL E C) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 1. PROGRAM CAPABILITIES The Pipe Length and End- Cuts ( PLEC ) Development Program allows the...required categories: a. Definition Input This type of input by the ’ PLEC ’ Program can be divided in two is used to define a three-dimensional structure

Absolute Bunch Length Measurements at the ALS by Incoherent Synchrotron Radiation Fluctuation Analysis

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

Filippetto, D.; /Frascati; Sannibale, F.

2008-01-24

By analyzing the pulse to pulse intensity fluctuations of the radiation emitted by a charge particle in the incoherent part of the spectrum, it is possible to extract information about the spatial distribution of the beam. At the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, we have developed and tested a simple scheme based on this principle that allows for the absolute measurement of the bunch length. A description of the method and the experimental results are presented.

Graphs and Enhancing Maple Multiplication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cecil, David R.; Wang, Rongdong

2002-01-01

Description of a technique in Maple programming language that automatically prints all paths of any desired length along with the name of each vertex, proceeding in order from the beginning vertex to the ending vertex for a given graph. (Author/MM)

Universal and idiosyncratic characteristic lengths in bacterial genomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junier, Ivan; Frémont, Paul; Rivoire, Olivier

2018-05-01

In condensed matter physics, simplified descriptions are obtained by coarse-graining the features of a system at a certain characteristic length, defined as the typical length beyond which some properties are no longer correlated. From a physics standpoint, in vitro DNA has thus a characteristic length of 300 base pairs (bp), the Kuhn length of the molecule beyond which correlations in its orientations are typically lost. From a biology standpoint, in vivo DNA has a characteristic length of 1000 bp, the typical length of genes. Since bacteria live in very different physico-chemical conditions and since their genomes lack translational invariance, whether larger, universal characteristic lengths exist is a non-trivial question. Here, we examine this problem by leveraging the large number of fully sequenced genomes available in public databases. By analyzing GC content correlations and the evolutionary conservation of gene contexts (synteny) in hundreds of bacterial chromosomes, we conclude that a fundamental characteristic length around 10–20 kb can be defined. This characteristic length reflects elementary structures involved in the coordination of gene expression, which are present all along the genome of nearly all bacteria. Technically, reaching this conclusion required us to implement methods that are insensitive to the presence of large idiosyncratic genomic features, which may co-exist along these fundamental universal structures.

42 CFR 456.129 - Description of methods and criteria: Initial continued stay review date; close professional...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... criteria, including norms if used, that the committee uses to assign the initial continued stay review date... approved length of stay when the recipient's condition or treatment schedule changes. UR Plan: Review of...

Comparative description of PFAA developmental toxicity: An update

EPA Science Inventory

The perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a family of fluorocarbons consisting of a perfluorinated carbon tail (typically 4-12 carbons in length) and an acidic functional moiety, usually carboxylate or sulfonate. These compounds have excellent surface tension reducing properties and h...

Sediment Core Descriptions: R/V KANA KEOKI 1972 Cruise, Eastern and Western Pacific Ocean,

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

of ship tracks and coring stations are shown. Corrected satellite navigation-determined coordinates for each coring operation are indicated, and water depth, length of core, and age of oldest sediment in the cores are given.

Modification of the effects of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine on exploratory behavior in rats by monoamine oxidase inhibitors

PubMed Central

Halberstadt, Adam L.; Buell, Mahalah R.; Masten, Virginia L.; Risbrough, Victoria B.; Geyer, Mark A.

2010-01-01

RATIONALE The hallucinogenic tea known as ayahuasca is made from a combination of psychoactive plants that contribute the active components N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-DMT (5-MeO-DMT), as well as the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (MAOIs) harmine and harmaline for oral activity. OBJECTIVE The present study examined the effects of 5-MeO-DMT in combination with MAOIs in rats using the Behavioral Pattern Monitor (BPM), which enables analyses of patterns of locomotor activity and exploration. Interaction studies using the serotonin (5-HT)1A antagonist WAY-100635 (1.0 mg/kg) and the 5-HT2A antagonist MDL 11,939 (1.0 mg/kg) were also performed to assess the respective contributions of these receptors to the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT in MAOI-treated animals. RESULTS 5-MeO-DMT (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg) decreased locomotor activity and investigatory behavior. In rats pretreated with a behaviorally inactive dose of harmaline (0.1 mg/kg), 1.0 mg/kg 5-MeO-DMT had biphasic effects on locomotor activity, initially reducing locomotion and then increasing activity as time progressed. The ability of harmaline to shift 5-MeO-DMT to a biphasic locomotor pattern was shared by the selective MAOA inhibitor clorgyline, whereas the selective MAOB inhibitor (−)-deprenyl was ineffective. The late hyperactivity induced by the combination of 1.0 mg/kg 5-MeO-DMT and 0.3 mg/kg clorgyline was blocked by pretreatment with MDL 11,939. Pretreatment with WAY-100635 failed to attenuate either the early hypoactivity or the late hyperactivity. CONCLUSIONS The ability of harmaline to modify the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT is mediated by inhibition of MAOA. Further, 5-HT2A receptors are responsible for the late hyperactivity induced by 5-MeO-DMT in the presence of MAOA inhibitors. PMID:18604652

Complex discriminative stimulus properties of (+)lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in C57Bl/6J mice.

PubMed

Benneyworth, Michael A; Smith, Randy L; Barrett, Robert J; Sanders-Bush, Elaine

2005-06-01

The drug discrimination procedure is the most frequently used in vivo model of hallucinogen activity. Historically, most drug discrimination studies have been conducted in the rat. With the development of genetically modified mice, a powerful new tool has become available for investigating the mechanisms of drug-induced behavior. The current paper is part of an ongoing effort to determine the utility of the drug discrimination technique for evaluating hallucinogenic drugs in mice. To establish the training procedures and characterize the stimulus properties of (+)lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in mice. Using a two-lever drug discrimination procedure, C57Bl/6J mice were trained to discriminate 0.45 mg/kg LSD vs saline on a VI30 sec schedule of reinforcement, with vanilla-flavored Ensure serving as the reinforcer. As in rats, acquisition was orderly, but the training dose was nearly five-fold higher for mice than rats. LSD lever selection was dose-dependent. Time-course studies revealed a rapid loss of the LSD stimulus effects. The 5-HT(2A/2C) receptor agonist, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine [(-)DOB] (1.0 mg/kg), substituted fully for LSD and the 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (1.6 mg/kg), substituted partially for LSD. Pretreatment with the 5-HT(2A) receptor-selective antagonist, MDL 100907, or the 5-HT(1A)-selective antagonist WAY 100635, showed that each antagonist only partially blocked LSD discrimination. Substitution of 1.0 mg/kg (-)DOB for LSD was fully blocked by pretreatment with MDL 100907 but unaltered by WAY 100635 pretreatment. These data suggest that in mice the stimulus effects of LSD have both a 5-HT(2A) receptor and a 5-HT(1A) receptor component.

Modification of the effects of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine on exploratory behavior in rats by monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

PubMed

Halberstadt, Adam L; Buell, Mahalah R; Masten, Virginia L; Risbrough, Victoria B; Geyer, Mark A

2008-11-01

The hallucinogenic tea known as ayahuasca is made from a combination of psychoactive plants that contribute the active components N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and 5-methoxy-DMT (5-MeO-DMT), as well as the monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors (MAOIs) harmine and harmaline for oral activity. The present study examined the effects of 5-MeO-DMT in combination with MAOIs in rats using the behavioral pattern monitor, which enables analyses of patterns of locomotor activity and exploration. Interaction studies using the serotonin (5-HT)(1A) antagonist WAY-100635 (1.0 mg/kg) and the 5-HT(2A) antagonist MDL 11,939 (1.0 mg/kg) were also performed to assess the respective contributions of these receptors to the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT in MAOI-treated animals. 5-MeO-DMT (0.01, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg) decreased locomotor activity and investigatory behavior. In rats pretreated with a behaviorally inactive dose of harmaline (0.1 mg/kg), 1.0 mg/kg 5-MeO-DMT had biphasic effects on locomotor activity, initially reducing locomotion and then increasing activity as time progressed. The ability of harmaline to shift 5-MeO-DMT to a biphasic locomotor pattern was shared by the selective MAO(A) inhibitor clorgyline, whereas the selective MAO(B) inhibitor (-)-deprenyl was ineffective. The late hyperactivity induced by the combination of 1.0 mg/kg 5-MeO-DMT and 0.3 mg/kg clorgyline was blocked by pretreatment with MDL 11,939. Pretreatment with WAY-100635 failed to attenuate either the early hypoactivity or the late hyperactivity. The ability of harmaline to modify the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT is mediated by the inhibition of MAO(A). Furthermore, 5-HT(2A) receptors are responsible for the late hyperactivity induced by 5-MeO-DMT in the presence of MAO(A) inhibitors.

Estimation of laceration length by emergency department personnel.

PubMed

Bourne, Christina L; Jenkins, M Adams; Brewer, Kori L

2014-11-01

Documentation and billing for laceration repair involves a description of wound length. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that emergency department (ED) personnel can accurately estimate wound lengths without the aid of a measuring device. This was a single-center prospective observational study performed in an academic ED. Seven wounds of varying lengths were simulated by creating lacerations on purchased pigs' ears and feet. We asked healthcare providers, defined as nurses and physicians working in the ED, to estimate the length of each wound by visual inspection. Length estimates were given in centimeters (cm) and inches. Estimated lengths were considered correct if the estimate was within 0.5 cm or 0.2 inches of the actual length. We calculated the differences between estimated and actual laceration lengths for each laceration and compared the accuracy of physicians to nurses using an unpaired t-test. Thirty-two physicians (nine faculty and 23 residents) and 16 nurses participated. All subjects tended to overestimate in cm and inches. Physicians were able to estimate laceration length within 0.5 cm 36% of the time and within 0.2 inches 29% of the time. Physicians were more accurate at estimating wound lengths than nurses in both cm and inches. Both physicians and nurses were more accurate at estimating shorter lengths (<5.0 cm) than longer (>5.0 cm). ED personnel are often unable to accurately estimate wound length in either cm or inches and tend to overestimate laceration lengths when based solely on visual inspection.

A kinetic theory description of the viscosity of dense fluids consisting of chain molecules.

PubMed

de Wijn, Astrid S; Vesovic, Velisa; Jackson, George; Trusler, J P Martin

2008-05-28

An expression for the viscosity of a dense fluid is presented that includes the effect of molecular shape. The molecules of the fluid are approximated by chains of equal-sized, tangentially jointed, rigid spheres. It is assumed that the collision dynamics in such a fluid can be approximated by instantaneous collisions between two rigid spheres belonging to different chains. The approach is thus analogous to that of Enskog for a fluid consisting of rigid spheres. The description is developed in terms of two molecular parameters, the diameter sigma of the spherical segment and the chain length (number of segments) m. It is demonstrated that an analysis of viscosity data of a particular pure fluid alone cannot be used to obtain independently effective values of both sigma and m. Nevertheless, the chain lengths of n-alkanes are determined by assuming that the diameter of each rigid sphere making up the chain can be represented by the diameter of a methane molecule. The effective chain lengths of n-alkanes are found to increase linearly with the number C of carbon atoms present. The dependence can be approximated by a simple relationship m=1+(C-1)3. The same relationship was reported within the context of a statistical associating fluid theory equation of state treatment of the fluid, indicating that both the equilibrium thermodynamic properties and viscosity yield the same value for the chain lengths of n-alkanes.

Revision of the genus Campylaimus (Diplopeltidae, Nematoda) with description of four new species from the Sea of Japan.

PubMed

Fadeeva, Natalia; Mordukhovich, Vladimir; Zograf, Julia

2016-05-02

Four new Campylaimus species are described from the deep-sea sediments of the Sea of Japan at depths of about 500‒3400 m. Campylaimus orientalis sp. nov. is characterized by having a body of moderate length, clearly annulated cuticle, a small rhomboid mouth opening which is displaced on the dorsal side of body, a gap between the unequal limbs of the amphid, prominent narrow longitudinal alae and cephalated spicules. Campylaimus minutus sp. nov. is characterized by having a cylindrical body, very weak annulations, amphids with a short dorsal limb (25-44% of pharynx length) and a ventral limb completely fused with lateral alae of equal width; and lateral alae extending from the base of the amphid to the tail tip. Campylaimus amphidialis sp. nov. is characterized by having the combination of a very long amphidial fovea occupying nearly the entire length of the pharynx; and a well defined boundary between the ventral amphid limb and lateral alae. The distinctive feature of Campylaimus pulcher sp. nov. is the elongated loop-shaped amphid with nearly equal parallel limbs and prominent narrow longitudinal alae; and cephalated spicules without a gubernaculum. The diagnosis of the genus Campylaimus is emended and an identification key to species, based mainly on form and length of amphidial fovea, width of lateral alae, and copulatory apparatus is given. The genus Campylaimus now includes nineteen valid species. Two species are considered as species inquirendae, mainly because of incomplete descriptions.

Molecular and Morphological Characterization of Xiphinema chambersi Population from Live Oak in Jekyll Island, Georgia, with Comments on Morphometric Variations

PubMed Central

Handoo, Zafar A.; Carta, Lynn K.; Skantar, Andrea M.; Subbotin, Sergei A.; Fraedrich, Stephen W.

2016-01-01

A population of Xiphinema chambersi from the root zone around live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.) trees on Jekyll Island, GA, is described using both morphological and molecular tools and compared with descriptions of type specimens. Initially, because of a few morphological differences, this nematode was thought to represent an undescribed species. However, on further examination, the morphometrics of the nematodes from live oak tend to agree with most of the morphometrics in the original description and redescription of X. chambersi except for few minor differences in V% relative to body length, slightly shorter stylet length, different c value, and the number of caudal pores. We consider these differences to be part of the normal variation within this species and accordingly image this new population of X. chambersi and redescribe the species. The new population is characterized by having females with a body length of 2.1 to 2.5 mm; lip region slightly rounded and set off from head; total stylet length 170 to 193 µm; vulva at 20.4% to 21.8% of body length; a monodelphic, posterior reproductive system; elongate, conoid tail with a blunt terminus and four pairs of caudal pores, of which two pairs are subdorsal and two subventral. Sequence data from the D2–D3 region of the 28S rRNA molecule subjected to GenBank sequence comparison using BLAST showed that the sequence had 96% and 99% similarity with X. chambersi from Alabama and Florida, respectively. Phylogenetic relationships of X. chambersi with other xiphinematids based on analysis of this DNA fragment are presented. This finding represents a new location of X. chambersi in Georgia on live oak for this species. PMID:27168649

Assessing the readability of ClinicalTrials.gov.

PubMed

Wu, Danny T Y; Hanauer, David A; Mei, Qiaozhu; Clark, Patricia M; An, Lawrence C; Proulx, Joshua; Zeng, Qing T; Vydiswaran, V G Vinod; Collins-Thompson, Kevyn; Zheng, Kai

2016-03-01

ClinicalTrials.gov serves critical functions of disseminating trial information to the public and helping the trials recruit participants. This study assessed the readability of trial descriptions at ClinicalTrials.gov using multiple quantitative measures. The analysis included all 165,988 trials registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as of April 30, 2014. To obtain benchmarks, the authors also analyzed 2 other medical corpora: (1) all 955 Health Topics articles from MedlinePlus and (2) a random sample of 100,000 clinician notes retrieved from an electronic health records system intended for conveying internal communication among medical professionals. The authors characterized each of the corpora using 4 surface metrics, and then applied 5 different scoring algorithms to assess their readability. The authors hypothesized that clinician notes would be most difficult to read, followed by trial descriptions and MedlinePlus Health Topics articles. Trial descriptions have the longest average sentence length (26.1 words) across all corpora; 65% of their words used are not covered by a basic medical English dictionary. In comparison, average sentence length of MedlinePlus Health Topics articles is 61% shorter, vocabulary size is 95% smaller, and dictionary coverage is 46% higher. All 5 scoring algorithms consistently rated CliniclTrials.gov trial descriptions the most difficult corpus to read, even harder than clinician notes. On average, it requires 18 years of education to properly understand these trial descriptions according to the results generated by the readability assessment algorithms. Trial descriptions at CliniclTrials.gov are extremely difficult to read. Significant work is warranted to improve their readability in order to achieve CliniclTrials.gov's goal of facilitating information dissemination and subject recruitment. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Besoins langagiers et pratiques d'ecriture (Language Needs and Writing Practice).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dabene, Michel

1977-01-01

A writing exercise consisting of a description of an automobile accident was carried out by two groups, one consisting of skilled workers, the other of professionals. The results were compared in terms of clarity, length, grammar, vocabulary, and tone. (AM)

Evaluation of Deterministic Models for Near Surface Soil Moisture Prediction

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

soil hydrological properties (max of 3) ’ . 30. mean length of segment (hWen) 31. cmax of each layer ( cmax I (k,j), k= kno, j=1,jno) 32. porosity of...kelvin Variable name: tac Subroutines: ’bevapor’ Description: air temperature in celsius • * Variable name: tak Subroutines: ’bevapor’ Description: air...3 C - 1 *’ C GET-TABLE-VALUES assign 9865 to i9930 goto 9930 9865 cloud-yn takc-ta tac-( tak -273.15) ea-6. 108*rh*exp( (ac*tac)/ ( tak -bc)) alphi

Hydrodynamic description of transport in strongly correlated electron systems.

PubMed

Andreev, A V; Kivelson, Steven A; Spivak, B

2011-06-24

We develop a hydrodynamic description of the resistivity and magnetoresistance of an electron liquid in a smooth disorder potential. This approach is valid when the electron-electron scattering length is sufficiently short. In a broad range of temperatures, the dissipation is dominated by heat fluxes in the electron fluid, and the resistivity is inversely proportional to the thermal conductivity, κ. This is in striking contrast to the Stokes flow, in which the resistance is independent of κ and proportional to the fluid viscosity. We also identify a new hydrodynamic mechanism of spin magnetoresistance.

Interanal seam loss in Asian turtles of the Cuora flavomarginata complex (Testudines, Geoemydidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ernst, Carl H.; Lovich, Jeffrey E.

2015-01-01

The taxonomy of Asian box turtles of the genus Cuora is complicated by the description of numerous valid and invalid taxa over the last several decades. However, some characteristics used to differentiate species are questionable. Members of the C. flavomarginata complex are defined by some, but not all, taxonomists as having reduced interanal seam lengths relative to other species. We examined the ratio of interanal scute seam length divided by midline anal scute length in C. flavomarginata and C. evelynae. Hatchlings show a seam that divides 100% of the anal scute along the midline. As individuals increase in carapace length, there is a tendency for the percentage to decrease, especially in females, although there is considerable overlap. We suggest that the decrease in interanal seam length is due to abrasion of the plastron on the substrate as turtles grow larger and older. Differences in habitat substrates across the range of the species may contribute to the wide variation we observed.

A nonlinear equation for ionic diffusion in a strong binary electrolyte

PubMed Central

Ghosal, Sandip; Chen, Zhen

2010-01-01

The problem of the one-dimensional electro-diffusion of ions in a strong binary electrolyte is considered. The mathematical description, known as the Poisson–Nernst–Planck (PNP) system, consists of a diffusion equation for each species augmented by transport owing to a self-consistent electrostatic field determined by the Poisson equation. This description is also relevant to other important problems in physics, such as electron and hole diffusion across semiconductor junctions and the diffusion of ions in plasmas. If concentrations do not vary appreciably over distances of the order of the Debye length, the Poisson equation can be replaced by the condition of local charge neutrality first introduced by Planck. It can then be shown that both species diffuse at the same rate with a common diffusivity that is intermediate between that of the slow and fast species (ambipolar diffusion). Here, we derive a more general theory by exploiting the ratio of the Debye length to a characteristic length scale as a small asymptotic parameter. It is shown that the concentration of either species may be described by a nonlinear partial differential equation that provides a better approximation than the classical linear equation for ambipolar diffusion, but reduces to it in the appropriate limit. PMID:21818176

Temperature fluctuations and the thermodynamic determination of the cooperativity length in glass forming liquids.

PubMed

Chua, Y Z; Zorn, R; Holderer, O; Schmelzer, J W P; Schick, C; Donth, E

2017-03-14

The aim of this paper is to decide which of the two possible thermodynamic expressions for the cooperativity length in glass forming liquids is the correct one. In the derivation of these two expressions, the occurrence of temperature fluctuations in the considered nanoscale subsystems is either included or neglected. Consequently, our analysis gives also an answer to the widely discussed problem whether temperature fluctuations have to be generally accounted for in thermodynamics or not. To this end, the characteristic length-scales at equal times and temperatures for propylene glycol were determined independently from AC calorimetry in both the above specified ways and from quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS), and compared. The result shows that the cooperative length determined from QENS coincides most consistently with the cooperativity length determined from AC calorimetry measurements for the case that the effect of temperature fluctuations is incorporated in the description. This conclusion indicates that-accounting for temperature fluctuations-the characteristic length can be derived by thermodynamic considerations from the specific parameters of the liquid at glass transition and that temperature does fluctuate in small systems.

Temperature fluctuations and the thermodynamic determination of the cooperativity length in glass forming liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chua, Y. Z.; Zorn, R.; Holderer, O.; Schmelzer, J. W. P.; Schick, C.; Donth, E.

2017-03-01

The aim of this paper is to decide which of the two possible thermodynamic expressions for the cooperativity length in glass forming liquids is the correct one. In the derivation of these two expressions, the occurrence of temperature fluctuations in the considered nanoscale subsystems is either included or neglected. Consequently, our analysis gives also an answer to the widely discussed problem whether temperature fluctuations have to be generally accounted for in thermodynamics or not. To this end, the characteristic length-scales at equal times and temperatures for propylene glycol were determined independently from AC calorimetry in both the above specified ways and from quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS), and compared. The result shows that the cooperative length determined from QENS coincides most consistently with the cooperativity length determined from AC calorimetry measurements for the case that the effect of temperature fluctuations is incorporated in the description. This conclusion indicates that—accounting for temperature fluctuations—the characteristic length can be derived by thermodynamic considerations from the specific parameters of the liquid at glass transition and that temperature does fluctuate in small systems.

Nuclei and the Unitary Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, H.-W.

2018-07-01

Few-body systems with large scattering length display universal properties which are independent of the details of short-distance dynamics. These features include universal correlations between few-body observables and a geometric spectrum of three- and higher-body bound states. They can be observed in a wide range of systems from ultracold atoms to hadrons and nuclei. In this contribution, we review universality in nuclei dominated by few-body physics. In particular, we discuss halo nuclei and the description of light nuclei in a strict expansion around the unitary limit of infinite scattering length.

Entangled photon pair generation by spontaneous parametric down-conversion in finite-length one-dimensional photonic crystals

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

Centini, M.; Sciscione, L.; Sibilia, C.

A description of spontaneous parametric down-conversion in finite-length one-dimensional nonlinear photonic crystals is developed using semiclassical and quantum approaches. It is shown that if a suitable averaging is added to the semiclassical model, its results are in very good agreement with the quantum approach. We propose two structures made with GaN/AlN that generate both degenerate and nondegenerate entangled photon pairs. Both structures are designed so as to achieve a high efficiency of the nonlinear process.

Commuting from Electronic Cottage to Virtual Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Jeannette

1996-01-01

Although telecommuting has been found to increase productivity and morale in business environments, libraries rarely consider it. This article discusses telecommuting's potential impact on contact with users, length of employment, job descriptions, budgets, management style, communication, and workflow. This option may help libraries retain older…

Statistical Development and Application of Cultural Consensus Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-31

Bulletin & Review , 17, 275-286. Schmittmann, V.D., Dolan, C.V., Raijmakers, M.E.J., and Batchelder, W.H. (2010). Parameter identification in...Wu, H., Myung, J.I., and Batchelder, W.H. (2010). Minimum description length model selection of multinomial processing tree models. Psychonomic

10 CFR 900.5 - Request for coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COORDINATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES § 900.5... general description of the proposed transmission facility sufficient to explain its scope and purpose, including: (i) The voltage and type of current (alternating or direct); (ii) The length of the transmission...

10 CFR 900.5 - Request for coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COORDINATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES § 900.5... general description of the proposed transmission facility sufficient to explain its scope and purpose, including: (i) The voltage and type of current (alternating or direct); (ii) The length of the transmission...

10 CFR 900.5 - Request for coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COORDINATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES § 900.5... general description of the proposed transmission facility sufficient to explain its scope and purpose, including: (i) The voltage and type of current (alternating or direct); (ii) The length of the transmission...

10 CFR 900.5 - Request for coordination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COORDINATION OF FEDERAL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION FACILITIES § 900.5... general description of the proposed transmission facility sufficient to explain its scope and purpose, including: (i) The voltage and type of current (alternating or direct); (ii) The length of the transmission...

Entropy, temperature and internal energy of trapped gravitons and corrections to the Black Hole entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viaggiu, Stefano

2017-12-01

In this paper we study the proposal present in Viaggiu (2017) concerning the statistical description of trapped gravitons and applied to derive the semi-classical black hole (BH) entropy SBH. We study the possible configurations depending on physically reasonable expressions for the internal energy U. In particular, we show that expressions for U ∼Rk , k ≥ 1, with R the radius of the confining spherical box, can have a semi-classical description, while behaviors with k < 1 derive from thermodynamic or quantum fluctuations. There, by taking a suitable physically motivated expression for U(R) , we obtain the well known logarithmic corrections to the BH entropy, with the usual behaviors present in the literature of BH entropy. Moreover, a phase transition emerges with a positive specific heat C at Planckian lengths instead of the usual negative one at non-Planckian scales, in agreement with results present in the literature. Finally, we show that evaporation stops at a radius R of the order of the Planck length.

Description of cysticercoid of Coronacanthus vassilevi Genov, 1980 (Cestoda:Hymenolepididae).

PubMed

Tkach, V V

1994-06-01

Genus Coronacanthus Spassky, 1954 contains three species--C. integra (Hamann, 1891), C. omissa (Baer et Joyeux 1943) and C. vassilevi Genov, 1980--but larval stages of only first two species were described before. During 1991-1993 cysticercoids of all three species were found from gammarid crustaceans in Eastern Carpathians. The article contains an illustrated description of the cysticercoid of C. vassilevi. It differs considerably from the formerly known Coronacanthus larvae by the egg-shaped (not lens-shaped) form of the cyst, absence of marginal thickening of the cyst wall, by the shape and length of cercomer and besides, by the invagination of the anterior part of the scolex. Microvilli on the cyst surface were not detected with light microscope. Cercomer of C. vassilevi is narrow and very long as for mammalian hymenolepidid (4.7 to 8 times longer than cyst). The number (37-38), length (8-9 microns) and shape of rostellar hooks well correspond to those of adult worms (Genov, 1980).

Micellar hexagonal phases in lyotropic liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaral, L. Q.; Gulik, A.; Itri, R.; Mariani, P.

1992-09-01

The hexagonal cell parameter a of the system sodium dodecyl lauryl sulfate and water as a function of volume concentration cv in phase Hα shows the functional behavior expected for micelles of finite length: a~c-1/3v. The interpretation of x-ray data based on finite micelles leads to an alternative description of the hexagonal phase Hα: spherocylindrical micelles of constant radius with length that may grow along the range of the Hα phase. Results are compared with recent statistical-mechanical calculations for the isotropic I-Hα transition. The absence of diffraction in the direction perpendicular to the hexagonal plane is ascribed to polydispersity of micellar length, which also is a necessary condition for the occurrence of direct I-Hα transitions.

Anatomoradiographic description of the teeth of pacas bred in captivity (Agouti paca, Linnaeus, 1766).

PubMed

Oliveira, F S; Canola, J C; Oliveira, P T; Pécora, J D; Capelli, A

2006-10-01

Two newborn males, two adult males 9 and 72 months old, one newborn female and two adult females of 30 and 54 months old pacas were used. Animals were radiographed on lateral recumbency, teeth were extracted and the vestibulolingual and mesiodistal lengths were achieved at the occlusal surface, besides the longitudinal length. The lower incisors presented greater length in relation to the other ones and sinuous shape; the upper incisors, relatively smaller, are practically straight. There is no canine tooth, and after a great diastema there is one premolar and three molars in each hemiarcade. In adult pacas, the enamel of incisors presents yellowish colour, mainly in the labial surface; in the premolars and molars, the enamel is present as internal sheets disposed nearly in a parallel way and in vestibulolingual direction, through practically all the dental length, which provides several joined teeth aspect.

50 CFR 218.125 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal(s); (H) Wave height (ft); (I) Visibility; (J) Sonar..., low, and average during exercise); and (I) Narrative description of sensors and platforms utilized for...) Calves observed (y/n); (E) Initial detection sensor; (F) Length of time observers maintained visual...

Ocean Surface Wave Optical Roughness - Analysis of Innovative Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-30

crest length spectral density (e.g. Jessup and Phadnis , 2005) have been reported. Our effort seeks to provide a more comprehensive description of...Oceanography, 16, 290-297. Jessup, A.T. and Phadnis , K.R. 2005 Measurement of the geometric and kinematic properties of microscale breaking waves

Ocean Surface Wave Optical Roughness - Innovative Measurement and Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

length spectral density (e.g. Jessup and Phadnis , 2005) have been reported. Our effort seeks to provide a more comprehensive description of the...open sea, Journal of Physical Oceanography, 16, 290-297. Jessup, A.T. and Phadnis , K.R. 2005 Measurement of the geometric and kinematic

Management Reviewing Literature: An Evaluation of Selected Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehman, Sajjad ur

1987-01-01

Reports results of a study which compared the treatment of selected characteristics of the reviewing literature of management in professional and trade journals. The characteristics examined included lag time, review length, descriptive or analytic nature of reviews, positive or negative evaluations, and affiliation of the reviewer. (CLB)

[Evaluation and improvement of the comprehension of informed consent documents].

PubMed

López-Picazo Ferrer, Julio José; Tomás Garcia, Nuria

2016-04-01

The information contained in a good informed consent form (ICF) must be understood by the patients. The aim of this study is to assess and improve the readability of the ICF submitted for accreditation in a tertiary hospital. Study of assessment and improvement of the quality of 132 ICF from 2 departments of a public tertiary hospital, divided into 3 phases: Initial assessment, intervention and reassessment. Both length and readability are assessed. Length is measured in words (adequate to 470, excessive over 940), and readability in INFLESZ points (suitable if over 55). The ICF contents initially proposed by departments were adapted by non-health-related trained persons, whose doubts about medical terms were resolved by the authors. To compare results between evaluations, relative improvement (in both length and INFLESZ) and statistical significances were calculated. 78.8% of the ICFs showed a desired length (CI95% 86,5-71,1) and a mean of 44.1 INFLESZ points (3.8% >55 points, CI95% 6,0-1,6). After the intervention, INFLESZ raised to 61.9 points (improvement 40.3%, P<.001), all ICF showing >55 points. The resulting ICFs had a longer description of the nature of the procedure (P<.0001) and a shorter description of their consequences, risks (P <.0001) and alternatives (P <.05). The introduction of improvement dynamics in the design of ICFs is possible and necessary because it produces more effective and easily readable ICFs. Copyright © 2015 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Opportunities to improve the in vivo measurement of manganese in human hands.

PubMed

Aslam; Chettle, D R; Pejović-Milić, A; Waker, A J

2009-01-07

Manganese (Mn) is an element which is both essential for regulating neurological and skeletal functions in the human body and also toxic when humans are exposed to excessive levels. Its excessive inhalation as a result of exposure through industrial and environmental emissions can cause neurological damage, which may manifest as memory deficit, loss of motor control and reduction in the refinement of certain body motions. A number of clinical studies demonstrate that biological monitoring of Mn exposure using body fluids, particularly blood, plasma/serum and urine is of very limited use and reflect only the most recent exposure and rapidly return to within normal ranges. In this context, a non-invasive neutron activation technique has been developed at the McMaster University accelerator laboratory that could provide an alternative to measure manganese stored in the bones of exposed subjects. In a first pilot study we conducted recently on non-exposed human subjects to measure the ratio of Mn to Ca in hand bones, it was determined that the technique needed further development to improve the precision of the measurements. It could be achieved by improving the minimum detection limit (MDL) of the system from 2.1 microg Mn/g Ca to the reference value of 0.6 microg g(-1) Ca (range: 0.16-0.78 microg Mn/g Ca) for the non-exposed population. However, the developed procedure might still be a suitable means of screening patients and people exposed to excessive amounts of Mn, who could develop many-fold increased levels of Mn in bones as demonstrated through various animal studies. To improve the MDL of the technique to the expected levels of Mn in a reference population, the present study investigates further optimization of irradiation conditions, which includes the optimal selection of proton beam energy, beam current and irradiation time and the effect of upgrading the 4pi detection system. The maximum local dose equivalent that could be given to the hand as a result of irradiation was constrained to be less than 150 mSv as opposed to the previously imposed dose equivalent limit of 20 mSv. A maximum beam current, which could be delivered on the lithium target to produce neutrons, was restricted to 500 microA. The length of irradiation intervals larger than 10 min, was considered inconvenient and impractical to implement with Mn measurements in humans. To fulfil the requirements for developing a protocol for in vivo bone Mn measurements, a revised estimate of the dose equivalent has been presented here. Beam energy of 1.98 MeV was determined to be optimal to complete the irradiation procedure within 10 min using 500 microA beam current. The local dose equivalent given to hand was estimated as 118 mSv, which is lower by a factor of 1.5 compared to that of 2.00 MeV. The optimized beam parameters are expected to improve the currently obtained detection limit of 2.1 microg Mn/g Ca to 0.6 microg Mn/g Ca. Using this dose equivalent delivered to the central location of the hand, the average dose equivalent to the hand of 74 mSv and an effective dose of approximately 70 microSv will be accompanying the non-invasive, in vivo measurements of bone Mn, which is little over the chest radiograph examination dose.

Opportunities to improve the in vivo measurement of manganese in human hands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aslam; Chettle, D. R.; Pejović-Milić, A.; Waker, A. J.

2009-01-01

Manganese (Mn) is an element which is both essential for regulating neurological and skeletal functions in the human body and also toxic when humans are exposed to excessive levels. Its excessive inhalation as a result of exposure through industrial and environmental emissions can cause neurological damage, which may manifest as memory deficit, loss of motor control and reduction in the refinement of certain body motions. A number of clinical studies demonstrate that biological monitoring of Mn exposure using body fluids, particularly blood, plasma/serum and urine is of very limited use and reflect only the most recent exposure and rapidly return to within normal ranges. In this context, a non-invasive neutron activation technique has been developed at the McMaster University accelerator laboratory that could provide an alternative to measure manganese stored in the bones of exposed subjects. In a first pilot study we conducted recently on non-exposed human subjects to measure the ratio of Mn to Ca in hand bones, it was determined that the technique needed further development to improve the precision of the measurements. It could be achieved by improving the minimum detection limit (MDL) of the system from 2.1 µg Mn/g Ca to the reference value of 0.6 µg g-1 Ca (range: 0.16-0.78 µg Mn/g Ca) for the non-exposed population. However, the developed procedure might still be a suitable means of screening patients and people exposed to excessive amounts of Mn, who could develop many-fold increased levels of Mn in bones as demonstrated through various animal studies. To improve the MDL of the technique to the expected levels of Mn in a reference population, the present study investigates further optimization of irradiation conditions, which includes the optimal selection of proton beam energy, beam current and irradiation time and the effect of upgrading the 4π detection system. The maximum local dose equivalent that could be given to the hand as a result of irradiation was constrained to be less than 150 mSv as opposed to the previously imposed dose equivalent limit of 20 mSv. A maximum beam current, which could be delivered on the lithium target to produce neutrons, was restricted to 500 µA. The length of irradiation intervals larger than 10 min, was considered inconvenient and impractical to implement with Mn measurements in humans. To fulfil the requirements for developing a protocol for in vivo bone Mn measurements, a revised estimate of the dose equivalent has been presented here. Beam energy of 1.98 MeV was determined to be optimal to complete the irradiation procedure within 10 min using 500 µA beam current. The local dose equivalent given to hand was estimated as 118 mSv, which is lower by a factor of 1.5 compared to that of 2.00 MeV. The optimized beam parameters are expected to improve the currently obtained detection limit of 2.1 µg Mn/g Ca to 0.6 µg Mn/g Ca. Using this dose equivalent delivered to the central location of the hand, the average dose equivalent to the hand of 74 mSv and an effective dose of approximately 70 µSv will be accompanying the non-invasive, in vivo measurements of bone Mn, which is little over the chest radiograph examination dose.

101 Computer Projects for Libraries. 101 Micro Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dewey, Patrick R.

The projects collected in this book represent a wide cross section of the way microcomputers are used in libraries. Each project description includes organization and contact information, hardware and software used, cost and project length estimates, and Web or print references when available. Projects come from academic and public libraries,…

Business Education Curriculum Standards K-12. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delaware State Dept. of Public Instruction, Dover. Div. of Vocational Education.

These State Curriculum Standards for Business Education are designed for use by school district administrators and teachers in developing local business education programs. The first section shows a cross-reference of new courses and programs to existing courses and programs in Delaware. Course descriptions that identify the title, length, and…

The Outcome of ATC Message Length and Complexity on En Route Pilot Readback Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

ngs.as.ordnal.data.produced.α=. . 945 ,.ndcatng.hgh. nter-coder.agreement . sector Descriptions Chicago ARTCC. The.transcrptons.are.of.plot/con...12 were.categorzed.accordng.to.three.types.of.errors:.Er- rors . of. omsson. only. (67 .4%),. Readback. errors. only. (0 .9

78 FR 20717 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered, Threatened, and Not Warranted...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-05

... prey item, followed by elasmobranchs, octopus and squid, and baitfish, with a positive correlation.... (2011) found a positive correlation between litter size and female shark length for scalloped... translate the risk matrix scores directly into a determination of overall extinction risk. Other descriptive...

78 FR 11171 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; RadNet (Renewal)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-15

...) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (ii) evaluate the... request descriptive information pertaining to sample location, e.g., sample type, sample location, length...

Shakespeare in Cinema.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christel, Mary T.

This filmography lists information on 41 films or videotapes related to Shakespeare in cinema to help teachers integrate cinematic texts, or series of texts, into the teaching of Shakespeare's plays. It lists titles, length, and the name of the producer or distributor and includes brief descriptions of the content of the film or videotape. The…

Distributive Education: Secondary, Course Outline. Revised 1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Coordinating Council for Occupational Education, Olympia.

The document is a revision of earlier units, updated to include behavioral or performance objectives. Divided into 22 units of instruction, the course outline for distributive education presents suggested length of time for each part of a unit, prerequisites, a description of the part, objectives, sources, outline for the section, activities,…

The Cheapbook: A Compendium of Inexpensive Exhibit Ideas, 1995 Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orselli, Paul, Ed.

This guide includes complete installation descriptions of 30 exhibits. They include: the adjustable birthday cake, ball-in-tube, Bernoulli Box, chain wave, collapsible truss bridge, double wave device, eddy currents raceway, full-length mirror, geodesic domes, giant magnetic tangrams, harmonic cantilever, hyperboloid of revolution, lifting lever,…

A Survey of Model Evaluation Approaches with a Tutorial on Hierarchical Bayesian Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiffrin, Richard M.; Lee, Michael D.; Kim, Woojae; Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan

2008-01-01

This article reviews current methods for evaluating models in the cognitive sciences, including theoretically based approaches, such as Bayes factors and minimum description length measures; simulation approaches, including model mimicry evaluations; and practical approaches, such as validation and generalization measures. This article argues…

Motion of Molecular Probes and Viscosity Scaling in Polyelectrolyte Solutions at Physiological Ionic Strength

PubMed Central

Sozanski, Krzysztof; Wisniewska, Agnieszka; Kalwarczyk, Tomasz; Sznajder, Anna; Holyst, Robert

2016-01-01

We investigate transport properties of model polyelectrolyte systems at physiological ionic strength (0.154 M). Covering a broad range of flow length scales—from diffusion of molecular probes to macroscopic viscous flow—we establish a single, continuous function describing the scale dependent viscosity of high-salt polyelectrolyte solutions. The data are consistent with the model developed previously for electrically neutral polymers in a good solvent. The presented approach merges the power-law scaling concepts of de Gennes with the idea of exponential length scale dependence of effective viscosity in complex liquids. The result is a simple and applicable description of transport properties of high-salt polyelectrolyte solutions at all length scales, valid for motion of single molecules as well as macroscopic flow of the complex liquid. PMID:27536866

Identifying local characteristic lengths governing sound wave properties in solid foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan Hoang, Minh; Perrot, Camille

2013-02-01

Identifying microscopic geometric properties and fluid flow through opened-cell and partially closed-cell solid structures is a challenge for material science, in particular, for the design of porous media used as sound absorbers in building and transportation industries. We revisit recent literature data to identify the local characteristic lengths dominating the transport properties and sound absorbing behavior of polyurethane foam samples by performing numerical homogenization simulations. To determine the characteristic sizes of the model, we need porosity and permeability measurements in conjunction with ligament lengths estimates from available scanning electron microscope images. We demonstrate that this description of the porous material, consistent with the critical path picture following from the percolation arguments, is widely applicable. This is an important step towards tuning sound proofing properties of complex materials.

Multiobjective optimization design of an rf gun based electron diffraction beam line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulliford, Colwyn; Bartnik, Adam; Bazarov, Ivan; Maxson, Jared

2017-03-01

Multiobjective genetic algorithm optimizations of a single-shot ultrafast electron diffraction beam line comprised of a 100 MV /m 1.6-cell normal conducting rf (NCRF) gun, as well as a nine-cell 2 π /3 bunching cavity placed between two solenoids, have been performed. These include optimization of the normalized transverse emittance as a function of bunch charge, as well as optimization of the transverse coherence length as a function of the rms bunch length of the beam at the sample location for a fixed charge of 1 06 electrons. Analysis of the resulting solutions is discussed in terms of the relevant scaling laws, and a detailed description of one of the resulting solutions from the coherence length optimizations is given. For a charge of 1 06 electrons and final beam sizes of σx≥25 μ m and σt≈5 fs , we found a relative coherence length of Lc ,x/σx≈0.07 using direct optimization of the coherence length. Additionally, based on optimizations of the emittance as a function of final bunch length, we estimate the relative coherence length for bunch lengths of 30 and 100 fs to be roughly 0.1 and 0.2 nm /μ m , respectively. Finally, using the scaling of the optimal emittance with bunch charge, for a charge of 1 05 electrons, we estimate relative coherence lengths of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.92 nm /μ m for final bunch lengths of 5, 30 and 100 fs, respectively.

Unified description of the slip phenomena in sheared polymer films: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priezjev, Nikolai

2010-03-01

The dynamic behavior of the slip length in shear flow of polymer melts past atomically smooth surfaces is investigated using MD simulations. The polymer melt was modeled as a collection of FENE-LJ bead-spring chains. We consider shear flow conditions at low pressures and weak wall-fluid interaction energy so that fluid velocity profiles are linear throughout the channel at all shear rates examined. In agreement with earlier studies we confirm that for shear- thinning fluids the slip length passes through a local minimum at low shear rates and then increases rapidly at higher shear rates. We found that the rate dependence of the slip length depends on the lattice orientation at high shear rates. The MD results show that the ratio of slip length to viscosity follows a master curve when plotted as a function of a single variable that depends on the structure factor, contact density and temperature of the first fluid layer near the solid wall. The universal dependence of the slip length holds for a number of parameters of the interface: fluid density and structure (chain length), wall-fluid interaction energy, wall density, lattice orientation, thermal or solid walls.

Contributors to fatigue in patients receiving mechanical ventilatory support: A descriptive correlational study.

PubMed

Chlan, Linda L; Savik, Kay

2015-10-01

To describe levels of fatigue and explore clinical factors that might contribute to fatigue in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Descriptive, correlational design. Sample was a sub-set of patients enrolled in a randomised clinical trial testing patient-directed music for anxiety self-management. Clinical factors included age, gender, length of ICU stay, length of ventilatory support, illness severity (APACHE III), and sedative exposure (sedation intensity and frequency). Descriptive statistics and mixed models were used to address the study objectives. Medical and surgical intensive care units in the Midwestern United States. Fatigue was measured daily via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale, up to 25 days. A sample of 80 patients (50% female) receiving ventilatory support for a median 7.9 days (range 1-46) with a mean age of 61.2 years (SD 14.8) provided daily fatigue ratings. ICU admission APACHE III was 61.5 (SD 19.8). Baseline mean fatigue ratings were 60.7 (SD 27.9), with fluctuations over time indicating a general trend upward. Mixed models analysis implicated illness severity (β(se(β))=.27(.12)) and sedation frequency (β(se(β))=1.2(.52)) as significant contributors to fatigue ratings. Illness severity and more frequent sedative administration were related to higher fatigue ratings in these mechanically ventilated patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTORS TO FATIGUE IN PATIENTS RECEIVING MECHANICAL VENTILATORY SUPPORT: A DESCRIPTIVE CORRELATIONAL STUDY

PubMed Central

Chlan, Linda L.; Savik, Kay

2015-01-01

Objectives To describe levels of fatigue and explore clinical factors that might contribute to fatigue in critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. Research Methodology/Design Descriptive, correlational design. Sample was a sub-set of patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial testing patient-directed music for anxiety self-management. Clinical factors included age, gender, length of ICU stay, length of ventilatory support, illness severity (APACHE III), and sedative exposure (sedation intensity and frequency). Descriptive statistics and mixed models were used to address the study objectives. Setting Medical and surgical intensive care units in the Midwestern U.S.A. Main Outcome Measures Fatigue was measured daily via a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale, up to 25 days. Results A sample of 80 patients (50% female) receiving ventilatory support for a median 7.9 days (range 1-46) with a mean age of 61.2 years (SD 14.8) provided daily fatigue ratings. ICU admission APACHE III was 61.5 (SD 19.8). Baseline mean fatigue ratings were 60.7 (SD 27.9), with fluctuations over time indicating a general trend upward. Mixed models analysis implicated illness severity (β(se(β)) = .27(.12)) and sedation frequency (β(se(β)) = 1.2(.52)) as significant contributors to fatigue ratings. Conclusion Illness severity and more frequent sedative administration were related to higher fatigue ratings in these mechanically ventilated patients. PMID:26005034

Simulation Control Graphical User Interface Logging Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hewling, Karl B., Jr.

2012-01-01

One of the many tasks of my project was to revise the code of the Simulation Control Graphical User Interface (SIM GUI) to enable logging functionality to a file. I was also tasked with developing a script that directed the startup and initialization flow of the various LCS software components. This makes sure that a software component will not spin up until all the appropriate dependencies have been configured properly. Also I was able to assist hardware modelers in verifying the configuration of models after they have been upgraded to a new software version. I developed some code that analyzes the MDL files to determine if any error were generated due to the upgrade process. Another one of the projects assigned to me was supporting the End-to-End Hardware/Software Daily Tag-up meeting.

Sacrificial bonds and hidden length in biomaterials -- a kinetic description of strength and toughness in bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieou, Charles K. C.; Elbanna, Ahmed E.; Carlson, Jean M.

2013-03-01

Sacrificial bonds and hidden length in structural molecules account for the greatly increased fracture toughness of biological materials compared to synthetic materials without such structural features, by providing a molecular-scale mechanism of energy dissipation. One example of occurrence of sacrificial bonds and hidden length is in the polymeric glue connection between collagen fibrils in animal bone. In this talk, we propose a simple kinetic model that describes the breakage of sacrificial bonds and the revelation of hidden length, based on Bell's theory. We postulate a master equation governing the rates of bond breakage and formation, at the mean-field level, allowing for the number of bonds and hidden lengths to take up non-integer values between successive, discrete bond-breakage events. This enables us to predict the mechanical behavior of a quasi-one-dimensional ensemble of polymers at different stretching rates. We find that both the rupture peak heights and maximum stretching distance increase with the stretching rate. In addition, our theory naturally permits the possibility of self-healing in such biological structures.

On the Goldbach Conjecture

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

Friedland, G.

2018-01-08

This note confirms Goldbach’s Conjecture from 1742. This is, every even integer greater than two is the sum of two prime numbers. An analysis of the nature of multiplication as description length reduction for addition precedes a contraposition that it is impossible to subtract any prime from a given even integer without the result ever being prime.

English Teaching Profile: Syrian Arab Republic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

British Council, London (England). English Language and Literature Div.

A description of the status and role of English language use and instruction in Syria, in which English has been given the status of the first foreign language, is presented. The following topics are reported on: (1) general usage; (2) English within the educational system, including the length of English training, testing, syllabus construction,…

27 CFR 478.113 - Importation by other licensees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) The type (e.g., rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver and, in the case of ammunition only, ball, wadcutter, shot, etc.); (C) The caliber, gauge, or size; (D) The model; (E) The barrel length, if a firearm or... machine gun) being imported as a curio or museum piece, a description of how it was rendered unserviceable...

50 CFR 86.12 - Definitions of terms used in part 86.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... These activities include building new tie-up facilities or replacing or expanding existing tie-up... mean motorized boats 26 feet or more in length manufactured for and operated primarily for pleasure... specific plan or design. Proposal means a description of one or more projects for which a State requests...

50 CFR 86.12 - Definitions of terms used in part 86.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

.... These activities include building new tie-up facilities or replacing or expanding existing tie-up... mean motorized boats 26 feet or more in length manufactured for and operated primarily for pleasure... specific plan or design. Proposal means a description of one or more projects for which a State requests...

50 CFR 86.12 - Definitions of terms used in part 86.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

.... These activities include building new tie-up facilities or replacing or expanding existing tie-up... mean motorized boats 26 feet or more in length manufactured for and operated primarily for pleasure... specific plan or design. Proposal means a description of one or more projects for which a State requests...

50 CFR 86.12 - Definitions of terms used in part 86.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... property. These activities include building new tie-up facilities or replacing or expanding existing tie-up... mean motorized boats 26 feet or more in length manufactured for and operated primarily for pleasure... specific plan or design. Proposal means a description of one or more projects for which a State requests...

50 CFR 86.12 - Definitions of terms used in part 86.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... property. These activities include building new tie-up facilities or replacing or expanding existing tie-up... mean motorized boats 26 feet or more in length manufactured for and operated primarily for pleasure... specific plan or design. Proposal means a description of one or more projects for which a State requests...

BURIAT READER. URALIC AND ALTAIC SERIES, VOLUME 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BOSSON, JAMES E.

THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS PRIMER-READER CONTAINS A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF BURIAT (A MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN THE BURIAT AUTONOMOUS SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC) AND A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE BURIAT CULTURE AND HISTORY. THE BURIAT ORTHOGRAPHY (CYRILLIC-BASED), THE TRANSCRIPTION USED IN THE TEXT, AND VOWEL HARMONY, LENGTH, AND STRESS ARE ALSO TREATED IN…

5 CFR 553.201 - Requesting OPM approval for reemployment without reduction or termination of annuity in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... that basis must meet the following criteria: (1) Nature of emergency. Describe the military threat... particular position. Requests submitted on this basis must include a description of the length, breadth, and... limited to, unusual qualification requirements or working conditions, possibility of job reengineering or...

5 CFR 553.201 - Requesting OPM approval for reemployment without reduction or termination of annuity in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... that basis must meet the following criteria: (1) Nature of emergency. Describe the military threat... particular position. Requests submitted on this basis must include a description of the length, breadth, and... limited to, unusual qualification requirements or working conditions, possibility of job reengineering or...

5 CFR 553.201 - Requesting OPM approval for reemployment without reduction or termination of annuity in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... that basis must meet the following criteria: (1) Nature of emergency. Describe the military threat... particular position. Requests submitted on this basis must include a description of the length, breadth, and... limited to, unusual qualification requirements or working conditions, possibility of job reengineering or...

5 CFR 553.201 - Requesting OPM approval for reemployment without reduction or termination of annuity in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... that basis must meet the following criteria: (1) Nature of emergency. Describe the military threat... particular position. Requests submitted on this basis must include a description of the length, breadth, and... limited to, unusual qualification requirements or working conditions, possibility of job reengineering or...

Taking the Initiative: A Green Light for Contraceptive Responsibility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillis, Diane E.; Allgeier, Elizabeth Rice

One explanation for the lack of contraception use among adolescents is that young women may feel embarrassment or rejection by their partners if they initiate the use of contraception. To explore young adults' reactions to contraceptive use, 160 college students evaluated a description of an unmarried young couple which varied the length of time…

Description of CBETA magnet tuning wire holders

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

Brooks, S.

2017-07-19

A non-­magnetic insert will be placed directly inside the permanent magnet blocks in every CBETA Halbach magnet in order to hold a set of iron “tuning wires”. These wires have various lengths around the perimeter of the aperture in order to cancel multipole field errors from the permanent magnet blocks.

Education Statistics Quarterly. Volume 5, Issue 4, 2004. NCES 2005-610

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Statistics, 2004

2004-01-01

The "Quarterly" offers an accessible, convenient overview of all NCES products released in a given quarter. Each issue includes: short publications (those less than 15 pages in length) in their entirety, executive summaries of longer publications, descriptive paragraphs of other NCES products, as well as notices about training and funding…

Mesoscale Models of Fluid Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boghosian, Bruce M.; Hadjiconstantinou, Nicolas G.

During the last half century, enormous progress has been made in the field of computational materials modeling, to the extent that in many cases computational approaches are used in a predictive fashion. Despite this progress, modeling of general hydrodynamic behavior remains a challenging task. One of the main challenges stems from the fact that hydrodynamics manifests itself over a very wide range of length and time scales. On one end of the spectrum, one finds the fluid's "internal" scale characteristic of its molecular structure (in the absence of quantum effects, which we omit in this chapter). On the other end, the "outer" scale is set by the characteristic sizes of the problem's domain. The resulting scale separation or lack thereof as well as the existence of intermediate scales are key to determining the optimal approach. Successful treatments require a judicious choice of the level of description which is a delicate balancing act between the conflicting requirements of fidelity and manageable computational cost: a coarse description typically requires models for underlying processes occuring at smaller length and time scales; on the other hand, a fine-scale model will incur a significantly larger computational cost.

Digit-Length Ratios (2D:4D) as a Phenotypic Indicator of in Utero Androgen Exposure is Not Prognostic for Androgenic Alopecia: a Descriptive-Analytic Study of 1200 Iranian Men.

PubMed

Feily, Amir; Hosseinpoor, Masoomeh; Bakhti, Ali; Nekuyi, Mohamad; Sobhanian, Saeed; Fathinezhad, Zahra; Sahraei, Reza; Ramirez-Fort, Marigdalia K

2016-06-15

The etiology of androgenic alopecia (AGA) involves several factors, including genetics, androgens, age and nutrition. Digit-length ratio of the index and ring finger (2D:4D) is an indicator of prenatal exposure to sex hormones. There is a paucity of studies that systemically review the possible positive predictive value of 2D:4D in the development of AGA. We performed a single-site, descriptive-analytical study among a racially homogeneous population. Our results revealed that no significant association was determined between right 2D:4D and AGA severity within our entire population (P=0.384, r=0.025), however a positive correlation coefficient was identified in subjects above the age of 40. Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, 2D:4D does not predict the development of AGA. AGA is truly a multifactorial disease. Further, our findings suggest that increased in utero exposure to androgens as a fetus does not predispose men to develop AGA.

Comparison of Digestion Methods for the Determination of Trace Elements and Heavy Metals in Human Hair and Nails

PubMed Central

Ishak, Ismarulyusda; Rosli, Farah Dayana; Mohamed, Jamaludin; Mohd Ismail, Muhammad Faiz

2015-01-01

Background Microwave is the most reliable sample digestion method. However, it requires expensive microwave digester automation and has relatively low productivity. In this study, three non-automated digestion methods, i.e. wet acid digestion using nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), wet acid digestion using HNO3, and dry washing, are compared in order to determine the best approach. Methods Certified reference material IAEA-086 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Austria) and hair and nail samples from 20 female students of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, aged 19 to 30 years, were collected and analysed using the three digestion methods. Results For hair samples, analysis of variance of repeated measures showed significant differences in the level of all elements (P < 0.001) between the three methods. For nail samples, only the copper (Cu) level showed no significant difference (P = 0.100) between methods. Wet acid digestion using HNO3 and H2O2 showed the best within- and between-run relative standard deviation (RSD) values, with within-run RSD for all elements, except for selenium (Se), < 5%. The between-run precision ranges from 6.14% to 17.96% for hair and from 3.53% to 11.52% for nail samples. Wet acid digestion using HNO3 and H2O2 showed both good accuracy and precision for manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg), with percentage recoveries of 110% and 96.9%, respectively. All elements show higher method detection limit (MDL) values than the previous study: 0.05 μg/g Mg for wet acid digestion using HNO3, 0.02 μg/g Se for wet acid digestion using HNO3 and H2O2, and 0.2 μg/g Mg for dry ash method. Conclusion Wet acid digestion using HNO3 and H2O2 proved to be the best method in terms of precision, accuracy, recovery, and MDL. However, only Mn and Mg showed adequate precision, accuracy, and percentage of recovery. PMID:28223880

Actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-HT1A receptor ligands on rat dorso-lateral septal neurones in vitro.

PubMed

Van den Hooff, P; Galvan, M

1992-08-01

1. The actions of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and some 5-HT1A receptor ligands on neurones in the rat dorso-lateral septal nucleus were recorded in vitro by intracellular recording techniques. 2. In the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 microM) to block any indirect effects, bath application of 5-HT (0.3-30 microM) hyperpolarized the neurones in a concentration-dependent manner and reduced membrane resistance. The hyperpolarization did not exhibit desensitization and was sometimes followed by a small depolarization. 3. The 5-HT1A receptor ligands, 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), N,N-dipropyl-5-carboxamidotryptamine (DP-5-CT) and buspirone but not the non-selective 5-HT1 receptor agonist, 1-m-trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP), also hyperpolarized the neurones. 4. 5-HT, 8-OH-DPAT and DP-5-CT appeared to act as full agonists whereas buspirone behaved as a partial agonist. The estimated EC50S were: DP-5-CT 15 nM, 8-OH-DPAT 110 nM, 5-HT 3 microM and buspirone 110 nM. 5. At a concentration of 3 microM, the putative 5-HT1A receptor antagonists, spiperone, methiothepin, NAN-190 (1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-pthalimido)butyl]piperazine) and MDL 73005EF (8-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-2-yl-methylamino)ethyl]-8- azaspiro[4,5]decane-7,9-dione methyl sulphonate), produced a parallel rightward shift in the concentration-response curve to 5-HT with no significant reduction in the maximum response. The estimated pA2 values were: NAN-190 6.79, MDL 73005EF 6.59, spiperone 6.54 and methiothepin 6.17.6. The 5-HT2/5-HTlc receptor antagonist, ketanserin (3 microM) and the 5HT3 receptor antagonist, tropisetron (3 microM) did not antagonize the 5-HT-induced hyperpolarizations; however, ketanserin blocked the depolarization which sometimes followed the hyperpolarization.7. It is concluded that the 5-HT-induced membrane hyperpolarization of rat dorso-lateral septal neurones is mediated by 5-HTA receptors.

First light of an external occulter testbed at flight Fresnel numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yunjong; Sirbu, Dan; Hu, Mia; Kasdin, Jeremy; Vanderbei, Robert J.; Harness, Anthony; Shaklan, Stuart

2017-01-01

Many approaches have been suggested over the last couple of decades for imaging Earth-like planets. One of the main candidates for creating high-contrast for future Earth-like planets detection is an external occulter. The external occulter is a spacecraft flown along the line-of-sight of a space telescope to suppress starlight and enable high-contrast direct imaging of exoplanets. The occulter is typically tens of meters in diameter and the separation from the telescope is of the order of tens of thousands of kilometers. Optical testing of a full-scale external occulter on the ground is impossible because of the long separations. Therefore, laboratory verification of occulter designs is necessary to validate the optical models used to design and predict occulter performance. At Princeton, we have designed and built a testbed that allows verification of scaled occulter designs whose suppressed shadow is mathematically identical to that of space occulters. The goal of this experiment is to demonstrate a pupil plane suppression of better than 1e-9 with a corresponding image plane contrast of better than 1e-11. The occulter testbed uses a 77.2 m optical propagation distance to realize the flight Fresnel number of 14.5. The scaled mask is placed at 27.2 m from the artificial source and the camera is located 50.0 m from the scaled mask. We will use an etched silicon mask, manufactured by the Microdevices Lab(MDL) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL), as the occulter. Based on conversations with MDL, we expect that 0.5 μm feature size is an achievable resolution in the mask manufacturing process and is therefore likely the indicator of the best possible performance. The occulter is illuminated by a diverging laser beam to reduce the aberrations from the optics before the occulter. Here, we present first light result of a sample design operating at a flight Fresnel number and the experimental setup of the testbed. We compare the experimental results with simulations that predict the ultimate contrast performance.

Potentiation of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-induced hyperthermia by harmaline and the involvement of activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors.

PubMed

Jiang, Xi-Ling; Shen, Hong-Wu; Yu, Ai-Ming

2015-02-01

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and harmaline are serotonin (5-HT) analogs often abused together, which alters thermoregulation that may indicate the severity of serotonin toxicity. Our recent studies have revealed that co-administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmaline leads to greater and prolonged exposure to 5-HT agonist 5-MeO-DMT that might be influenced by cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) status. This study was to define the effects of harmaline and 5-MeO-DMT on thermoregulation in wild-type and CYP2D6-humanized (Tg-CYP2D6) mice, as well as the involvement of 5-HT receptors. Animal core body temperatures were monitored noninvasively in the home cages after implantation of telemetry transmitters and administration of drugs. Harmaline (5 and 15 mg/kg, i.p.) alone was shown to induce hypothermia that was significantly affected by CYP2D6 status. In contrast, higher doses of 5-MeO-DMT (10 and 20 mg/kg) alone caused hyperthermia. Co-administration of harmaline (2, 5 or 15 mg/kg) remarkably potentiated the hyperthermia elicited by 5-MeO-DMT (2 or 10 mg/kg), which might be influenced by CYP2D6 status at certain dose combination. Interestingly, harmaline-induced hypothermia was only attenuated by 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, whereas 5-MeO-DMT- and harmaline-5-MeO-DMT-induced hyperthermia could be suppressed by either WAY-100635 or 5-HT2A receptor antagonists (MDL-100907 and ketanserin). Moreover, stress-induced hyperthermia under home cage conditions was not affected by WAY-100635 but surprisingly attenuated by MDL-100907 and ketanserin. Our results indicate that co-administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitor largely potentiates 5-MeO-DMT-induced hyperthermia that involves the activation of both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. These findings shall provide insights into development of anxiolytic drugs and new strategies to relieve the lethal hyperthermia in serotonin toxicity.

Different Roles for Contracture and Calpain in Calcium Paradox-Induced Heart Injury

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jian-Ying; Bi, Sheng-Hui; Xu, Ming; Jin, Zhen-Xiao; Yang, Yang; Jiang, Xiao-Fan; Zhou, Jing-Jun

2012-01-01

The Ca2+ paradox represents a good model to study Ca2+ overload injury in ischemic heart diseases. We and others have demonstrated that contracture and calpain are involved in the Ca2+ paradox-induced injury. This study aimed to elucidate their roles in this model. The Ca2+ paradox was elicited by perfusing isolated rat hearts with Ca2+-free KH media for 3 min or 5 min followed by 30 min of Ca2+ repletion. The LVDP was measured to reflect contractile function, and the LVEDP was measured to indicate contracture. TTC staining and the quantification of LDH release were used to define cell death. Calpain activity and troponin I release were measured after Ca2+ repletion. Ca2+ repletion of the once 3-min Ca2+ depleted hearts resulted in almost no viable tissues and the disappearance of contractile function. Compared to the effects of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170, KB-R7943, an inhibitor of the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, reduced the LVEDP level to a greater extent, which was well correlated with improved contractile function recovery and tissue survival. The depletion of Ca2+ for 5 min had the same effects on injury as the 3-min Ca2+ depletion, except that the LVEDP in the 5-min Ca2+ depletion group was lower than the level in the 3-min Ca2+ depletion group. KB-R7943 failed to reduce the level of LVEDP, with no improvement in the LVDP recovery in the hearts subjected to the 5-min Ca2+ depletion treatment; however, KB-R7943 preserved its protective effects in surviving tissue. Both KB-R7943 and MDL28170 attenuated the Ca2+ repletion-induced increase in calpain activity in 3 min or 5 min Ca2+ depleted hearts. However, only KB-R7943 reduced the release of troponin I from the Ca2+ paradoxic heart. These results provide evidence suggesting that contracture is the main cause for contractile dysfunction, while activation of calpain mediates cell death in the Ca2+ paradox. PMID:23284963

Simultaneous Analysis of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in Asian Style Sauces Using QuEChERS Extraction and Gas Chromatography-Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Genualdi, Susan; Nyman, Patricia; DeJager, Lowri

2017-02-01

Acid hydrolyzed vegetable protein (aHVP) is used for flavoring a wide variety of foods and also in the production of nonfermented soy sauce. During the production of aHVP, chloropropanols including 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3 dichloropropane-2-ol (1,3-DCP) can be formed through the reaction of the hydrochloric acid catalyst and residual fat and the reaction of 3-MCPD with acetic acid, respectively. 3-MCPD is a carcinogen, and 1,3-DCP has been classified as a genotoxic carcinogen. The European Union (EU) has set a maximum concentration of 0.02 mg/kg of 3-MCPD in aHVP, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a guidance limit of 1 mg/kg of 3-MCPD in aHVP. 1,3-DCP is not an approved food additive, and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JEFCA) has set a limit at 0.005 mg/kg, which is close to the estimated method detection limit. Currently there are few analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP without derivatization due to differences in their physical chemical properties and reactivity. A new method was developed using QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) with direct analysis of the extract without derivatization using gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ). Additionally, a market sampling of 60 soy sauce samples was performed in 2015 to determine if concentrations have changed since the FDA limit was set in 2008. The sampling results were compared between the new QuEChERS method and a method using phenylboronic acid (PBA) as a derivatizing agent for 3-MCPD analysis. The concentrations of 3-MCPD detected in soy sauce samples collected in 2015 (

Simultaneous Analysis of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP in Asian Style Sauces Using QuEChERS Extraction and Gas Chromatography–Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Genualdi, Susan; Nyman, Patricia; DeJager, Lowri

2017-01-01

Acid hydrolyzed vegetable protein (aHVP) is used for flavoring a wide variety of foods and also in the production of nonfermented soy sauce. During the production of aHVP, chloropropanols including 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3 dichloropropane-2-ol (1,3-DCP) can be formed through the reaction of the hydrochloric acid catalyst and residual fat and the reaction of 3-MCPD with acetic acid, respectively. 3-MCPD is a carcinogen, and 1,3-DCP has been classified as a genotoxic carcinogen. The European Union (EU) has set a maximum concentration of 0.02 mg/kg of 3-MCPD in aHVP, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set a guidance limit of 1 mg/kg of 3-MCPD in aHVP. 1,3-DCP is not an approved food additive, and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JEFCA) has set a limit at 0.005 mg/kg, which is close to the estimated method detection limit. Currently there are few analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP without derivatization due to differences in their physical chemical properties and reactivity. A new method was developed using QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) with direct analysis of the extract without derivatization using gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-QQQ). Additionally, a market sampling of 60 soy sauce samples was performed in 2015 to determine if concentrations have changed since the FDA limit was set in 2008. The sampling results were compared between the new QuEChERS method and a method using phenylboronic acid (PBA) as a derivatizing agent for 3-MCPD analysis. The concentrations of 3-MCPD detected in soy sauce samples collected in 2015 (

Potentiation of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine-induced hyperthermia by harmaline and the involvement of activation of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xi-Ling; Shen, Hong-Wu; Yu, Ai-Ming

2014-01-01

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) and harmaline are serotonin (5-HT) analogs often abused together, which alters thermoregulation that may indicate the severity of serotonin toxicity. Our recent studies have revealed that co-administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitor harmaline leads to greater and prolonged exposure to 5-HT agonist 5-MeO-DMT that might be influenced by cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) status. This study was to define the effects of harmaline and 5-MeO-DMT on thermoregulation in wild-type and CYP2D6-humanized (Tg-CYP2D6) mice, as well as the involvement of 5-HT receptors. Animal core body temperatures were monitored noninvasively in the home cages after implantation of telemetry transmitters and administration of drugs. Harmaline (5 and 15 mg/kg, i.p.) alone was shown to induce hypothermia that was significantly affected by CYP2D6 status. In contrast, higher doses of 5-MeO-DMT (10 and 20 mg/kg) alone caused hyperthermia. Co-administration of harmaline (2, 5 or 15 mg/kg) remarkably potentiated the hyperthermia elicited by 5-MeO-DMT (2 or 10 mg/kg), which might be influenced by CYP2D6 status at certain dose combination. Interestingly, harmaline-induced hypothermia was only attenuated by 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635, whereas 5-MeO-DMT- and harmaline-5-MeO-DMT-induced hyperthermia could be suppressed by either WAY-100635 or 5-HT2A receptor antagonists (MDL-100907 and ketanserin). Moreover, stress-induced hyperthermia under home cage conditions was not affected by WAY-100635 but surprisingly attenuated by MDL-100907 and ketanserin. Our results indicate that co-administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitor largely potentiates 5-MeO-DMT-induced hyperthermia that involves the activation of both 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. These findings shall provide insights into development of anxiolytic drugs and new strategies to relieve the lethal hyperthermia in serotonin toxicity. PMID:25446678

Milnesium minutum and Milnesium sandrae, two new species of Milnesiidae (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela).

PubMed

Pilato, Giovanni; Lisi, Oscar

2016-01-01

Two new species of Milnesium are described, Milnesium minutum sp. n. from Sicily and Milnesium sandrae sp. n. from the Hawaiian Archipelago. The body size of Milnesium minutum is the smallest of the known species of the genus. The stylet supports are inserted on the buccal tube at 63-66% of its length and the claws have a [3-3]-[3-3] configuration. Milnesium sandrae has stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at 58-60.5% of its length, a [3-3]-[3-3] claw configuration, and the percent ratio between the secondary claw and primary claw length on legs I-III (78.6%-85.5%) clearly higher than on legs IV (70.5%-71.4%). With the description of these two new species, the number of species in the genus is increased to 31.

Determination of relative phase permeabilities in stochastic model of pore channel distribution by diameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zemenkova, M. Y.; Shabarov, A.; Shatalov, A.; Puldas, L.

2018-05-01

The problem of the pore space description and the calculation of relative phase permeabilities (RPP) for two-phase filtration is considered. A technique for constructing a pore-network structure for constant and variable channel diameters is proposed. A description of the design model of RPP based on the capillary pressure curves is presented taking into account the variability of diameters along the length of pore channels. By the example of the calculation analysis for the core samples of the Urnenskoye and Verkhnechonskoye deposits, the possibilities of calculating RPP are shown when using the stochastic distribution of pores by diameters and medium-flow diameters.

Dynamic aspects of apparent attenuation and wave localization in layered media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haney, M.M.; Van Wijk, K.

2008-01-01

We present a theory for multiply-scattered waves in layered media which takes into account wave interference. The inclusion of interference in the theory leads to a new description of the phenomenon of wave localization and its impact on the apparent attenuation of seismic waves. We use the theory to estimate the localization length at a CO2 sequestration site in New Mexico at sonic frequencies (2 kHz) by performing numerical simulations with a model taken from well logs. Near this frequency, we find a localization length of roughly 180 m, leading to a localization-induced quality factor Q of 360.

Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) quentini (Nematoda, Rictulariidae), a parasite of Praomys rostratus (Rodentia, Muridae) in Mali: scanning electron and light microscopy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Pterygodermatites (Mesopectines) quentini n. sp. (Nematoda, Rictulariidae) is described from the murine host Praomys rostratus in the south of the Republic of Mali. It differs from other species of the subgenus by the morphology of the head, which bears four simple cephalic papillae and a nearly axial oral opening, the number of caudal papillae, the number of precloacal cuticular formations, unequal spicules and the ratio of spicule lengths/body length. The use of scanning electron microscopy in combination with conventional light microscopy enabled us to give a detailed description of the morphological characters of this new species. PMID:24025692

Double-exponential decay of orientational correlations in semiflexible polyelectrolytes.

PubMed

Bačová, P; Košovan, P; Uhlík, F; Kuldová, J; Limpouchová, Z; Procházka, K

2012-06-01

In this paper we revisited the problem of persistence length of polyelectrolytes. We performed a series of Molecular Dynamics simulations using the Debye-Hückel approximation for electrostatics to test several equations which go beyond the classical description of Odijk, Skolnick and Fixman (OSF). The data confirm earlier observations that in the limit of large contour separations the decay of orientational correlations can be described by a single-exponential function and the decay length can be described by the OSF relation. However, at short countour separations the behaviour is more complex. Recent equations which introduce more complicated expressions and an additional length scale could describe the results very well on both the short and the long length scale. The equation of Manghi and Netz when used without adjustable parameters could capture the qualitative trend but deviated in a quantitative comparison. Better quantitative agreement within the estimated error could be obtained using three equations with one adjustable parameter: 1) the equation of Manghi and Netz; 2) the equation proposed by us in this paper; 3) the equation proposed by Cannavacciuolo and Pedersen. Two characteristic length scales can be identified in the data: the intrinsic or bare persistence length and the electrostatic persistence length. All three equations use a single parameter to describe a smooth crossover from the short-range behaviour dominated by the intrinsic stiffness of the chain to the long-range OSF-like behaviour.

Development of software and modification of Q-FISH protocol for estimation of individual telomere length in immunopathology.

PubMed

Barkovskaya, M Sh; Bogomolov, A G; Knauer, N Yu; Rubtsov, N B; Kozlov, V A

2017-04-01

Telomere length is an important indicator of proliferative cell history and potential. Decreasing telomere length in the cells of an immune system can indicate immune aging in immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases. Quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) of a labeled (C 3 TA[Formula: see text] peptide nucleic acid probe onto fixed metaphase cells followed by digital image microscopy allows the evaluation of telomere length in the arms of individual chromosomes. Computer-assisted analysis of microscopic images can provide quantitative information on the number of telomeric repeats in individual telomeres. We developed new software to estimate telomere length. The MeTeLen software contains new options that can be used to solve some Q-FISH and microscopy problems, including correction of irregular light effects and elimination of background fluorescence. The identification and description of chromosomes and chromosome regions are essential to the Q-FISH technique. To improve the quality of cytogenetic analysis after Q-FISH, we optimized the temperature and time of DNA-denaturation to get better DAPI-banding of metaphase chromosomes. MeTeLen was tested by comparing telomere length estimations for sister chromatids, background fluorescence estimations, and correction of nonuniform light effects. The application of the developed software for analysis of telomere length in patients with rheumatoid arthritis was demonstrated.

Dirac δ -function potential in quasiposition representation of a minimal-length scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gusson, M. F.; Gonçalves, A. Oakes O.; Francisco, R. O.; Furtado, R. G.; Fabris, J. C.; Nogueira, J. A.

2018-03-01

A minimal-length scenario can be considered as an effective description of quantum gravity effects. In quantum mechanics the introduction of a minimal length can be accomplished through a generalization of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. In this scenario, state eigenvectors of the position operator are no longer physical states and the representation in momentum space or a representation in a quasiposition space must be used. In this work, we solve the Schroedinger equation with a Dirac δ -function potential in quasiposition space. We calculate the bound state energy and the coefficients of reflection and transmission for the scattering states. We show that leading corrections are of order of the minimal length ({ O}(√{β })) and the coefficients of reflection and transmission are no longer the same for the Dirac delta well and barrier as in ordinary quantum mechanics. Furthermore, assuming that the equivalence of the 1s state energy of the hydrogen atom and the bound state energy of the Dirac {{δ }}-function potential in the one-dimensional case is kept in a minimal-length scenario, we also find that the leading correction term for the ground state energy of the hydrogen atom is of the order of the minimal length and Δx_{\\min } ≤ 10^{-25} m.

Claw length recommendations for dairy cow foot trimming

PubMed Central

Archer, S. C.; Newsome, R.; Dibble, H.; Sturrock, C. J.; Chagunda, M. G. G.; Mason, C. S.; Huxley, J. N.

2015-01-01

The aim was to describe variation in length of the dorsal hoof wall in contact with the dermis for cows on a single farm, and hence, derive minimum appropriate claw lengths for routine foot trimming. The hind feet of 68 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were collected post mortem, and the internal structures were visualised using x-ray µCT. The internal distance from the proximal limit of the wall horn to the distal tip of the dermis was measured from cross-sectional sagittal images. A constant was added to allow for a minimum sole thickness of 5 mm and an average wall thickness of 8 mm. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and two-level linear regression models with claw nested within cow. Based on 219 claws, the recommended dorsal wall length from the proximal limit of hoof horn was up to 90 mm for 96 per cent of claws, and the median value was 83 mm. Dorsal wall length increased by 1 mm per year of age, yet 85 per cent of the null model variance remained unexplained. Overtrimming can have severe consequences; the authors propose that the minimum recommended claw length stated in training materials for all Holstein-Friesian cows should be increased to 90 mm. PMID:26220848

String Theory: Big Problem for Small Size

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahoo, S.

2009-01-01

String theory is the most promising candidate theory for a unified description of all the fundamental forces that exist in nature. It provides a mathematical framework that combines quantum theory with Einstein's general theory of relativity. The typical size of a string is of the order of 10[superscript -33] cm, called the Planck length. But due…

Psycholinguistic norms for 320 fixed expressions (idioms and proverbs) in French.

PubMed

Bonin, Patrick; Méot, Alain; Boucheix, Jean-Michel; Bugaiska, Aurélia

2018-05-01

We provide psycholinguistic norms for a new set of 160 French idiomatic expressions and 160 proverbs: knowledge, predictability, literality, compositionality, subjective and objective frequency, familiarity, age of acquisition (AoA) and length. Different analyses (reliability, descriptive statistics and correlations) performed on the norms are reported and discussed. The norms can be downloaded as Supplemental Material .

Solar Energy: Instructor Guides, Labs and Tests. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orsak, Charles G., Jr.; And Others

Instructor guides are provided for each of 11 courses in a 2-year associate degree program in solar technology. The semester-length solar courses are broken down into modules which correspond roughly to a 1- to 2-week block of instruction. Each guide presents a course description, course objectives, references for further information, and a…

The Technology Leadership Competencies of Elementary and Secondary School Directors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yorulmaz, Alper; Can, Süleyman

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the elementary and secondary school directors' technology leadership competencies in relation to some demographic features such as age, length of service and the state of whether taking in-service technology training. The universe of the current study employing descriptive survey model was comprised of 129…

Perceived Sources of Occupational Stress among Primary School Teachers in Delta State of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpochafo, G. O.

2012-01-01

This study investigated the most prevalent sources of occupational stress and also the demographic variables of gender, age and length of service among primary school teachers in Delta State. Two research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The study used a descriptive survey design. The population was the primary school teachers in…

48 CFR 215.404-71-3 - Contract type risk and working capital adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Description. The contract type risk factor focuses on the degree of cost risk accepted by the contractor under... extract from the DD 1547 is annotated to explain the process. Item Contractor risk factors Assigned value Base (item 20) Profit objective 24. CONTRACT type risk (1) (2) (3) Cost financed Length factor Interest...

16mm Film and Videotape Lectures and Demonstrations. 1976/1977 Catalog.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge. Center for Advanced Engineering Study.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides a catalog of 16mm filmed and videotaped lectures and demonstrations. Each listing includes title, short description, length of presentation, catalog number, purchase and rental prices, and indications as to whether the item is film or videotape and black-and-white or color. The catalog is divided…

78 FR 25783 - Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-02

... descriptive database of existing ferry operations. A summary report of survey findings will be published by... Administration (FHWA) Office of Intermodal and Statewide Planning conducted a survey of approximately 250 ferry... length of the revised questionnaire remains consistent with that of previous years. The survey will be...

Development and Testing of the Europa Mission's Venturi Flow Meter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diaz, C. E.; McKim, S. A.

2017-01-01

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Fox Valve Development Corp. and Oxford Lasers, is developing a set of venturi flow meters for use on the Europa Mission's propulsion subsystem. The requirement for the venturi flow meters' throat diameters is approximately 0.040". An early risk reduction activity conducted by MSFC revealed that a venturi flow meter produced by FOX with a throat diameter near 0.040" had much higher pressure loss than venturi flow meters with larger throat diameters and venturis of similar throat diameter size but with no pressure taps (i.e. venturis with a throat length to diameter ratio of zero). In response, a series of venturi flow meters was fabricated and flow tested to gain insight into pressure recovery as it is affected by pressure port diameter, throat length and diffuser angle in an effort to improve the performance of a venturi flow meter. This presentation provides a summary of the venturi flow meter development activity including: a description of the test's objectives, a detailed description of each venturi configuration, a description of the manufacturing processes of the venturis, and observations from the test data. A summary of the current development activities will also be given, as well as the current development path forward. Ultimately, the knowledge gained through the fabrication and testing of these venturis provides guidance to design a flight venturi flow meters with pressure recoveries that is acceptable for the Europa flight application.

Genetic evidence and new morphometric data as essential tools to identify the Patagonian seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus (Pisces, Syngnathidae).

PubMed

González, R; Dinghi, P; Corio, C; Medina, A; Maggioni, M; Storero, L; Gosztonyi, A

2014-02-01

A genetic study to support morphometric analyses was used to improve the description and validate the Patagonian seahorse Hippocampus patagonicus (Syngnathidae) on the basis of a large number of specimens collected in the type locality (San Antonio Bay, Patagonia, Argentina). DNA sequence data (from the cytochrome b region of the mitochondrial genome) were used to differentiate this species from its relatives cited for the west Atlantic Ocean. Both phylogenetic and genetic distance analyses supported the hypothesis that H. patagonicus is a species clearly differentiated from others, in agreement with morphometric studies. Hippocampus patagonicus can be distinguished from Hippocampus erectus by the combination of the following morphometric characteristics: (1) in both sexes and all sizes of H. patagonicus, the snout length is always less than the postorbital length, whereas the snout length of H. erectus is not shorter than the postorbital length in the largest specimens; (2) in both sexes of H. patagonicus, the trunk length:total length (LTr :LT ) is lower than in H. erectus (in female H. patagonicus: 0·27-0·39, H. erectus: 0·36-0·40 and in male H. patagonicus: 0·24-0·34, H. erectus: 0·33-0·43) and (3) in both sexes, tail length:total length (LTa :LT ) in H. patagonicus is larger than in H. erectus (0·61-0·78 v. 0·54-0·64). © 2014 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Morphometric differences of nasopalatine canal based on 3D classifications: descriptive analysis on CBCT.

PubMed

Fernández-Alonso, A; Suárez-Quintanilla, J A; Rapado-González, O; Suárez-Cunqueiro, María Mercedes

2015-09-01

This descriptive retrospective study analyzed differences among sagittal, coronal and axial NC groups based on the dimensions of nasopalatine canal (NC), buccal bone plate (BBP) and palatal bone plate (PBP) to canal. Measurements were made on 224 CBCTs for NC, BBP and PBP on the three anatomic planes at three levels: level 1, when the incisive foramen is completely closed on the axial plane; level 2, at the midpoint of NC length (NCL) on the sagittal plane; and level 3, at the foramina of Stenson on the sagittal plane. ANOVA tests with post hoc tests were used. The intraclass correlation coefficient and Kappa test were used for evaluating the intraobserver agreement. Regarding coronal classification, these significant differences were found: BBP length (BL)level 1 was lower for the two parallel canals group; PBP length (PL)level 1 was lower for single canal group; and NCL was lower for Y-type canal group. Regarding axial classification, these significant differences were found: LPlevel 1 was lower for 3.1-3 group; PBP width (PW)level 3 was the greatest for 3.1-3; and LPlevel 3 was lower for 1.1. Presurgical evaluation with CBCT in premaxillae region should include analysis on coronal and axial planes and not only on sagittal plane seeing as morphometric differences were found on coronal and axial planes. Following the morphological coronal classification, two parallel canals presented a higher NCL, a higher LP and a lower LV at inferior edge of alveolar ridge.

[Triage duration times: a prospective descriptive study in a level 1° emergency department].

PubMed

Bambi, Stefano; Ruggeri, Marco

2017-01-01

Triage is the most important tool for clinical risk management in emergency departments (ED). The timing measurement of its phases is fundamental to establish indicators and standards for the optimization of the system. To evaluate the duration time of the phases of triage; to evaluate some variables exerting influence on nurses' performance. prospective descriptive study performed in the ED of Careggi Teaching Hospital in Florence. 14 nurses enrolled by stratified randomization proportion (1/3 of the whole staff ), according to classes of length of service. Triage processes on 150 adult patients were recorded. The mean age of nurses was 39.7 years (SD ± 5.2, range 29-50); the average length of service was 10.3 years (SD ± 4.4, range 3-18); average of triage experience was 8.6 years (SD ± 4.3, range 2-13). The median time from patient's arrival to the end of the triage process was 04': 04" (range 00':47"- 18':08"); the median duration of triage was 01':11" (range 00':07" -11':27"). The length of service and triage experience did not influence the medians of recorded intervals of time, but there were some limitations due to the low sample size. Interruptions were observed 111 (74%) of triage cases. the recorded triage time intervals were similar to those reported in international literature. Actions are needed to reduce the impact of interruptions on triage process' times.

Reconfigurable Flight Control System for a STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) Aircraft Using Quantitative Feedback Theory.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

XD2, XD3, XD4, XD5, XD6, XD7, XDS, 7M1, MA, MH, M0,MU, MDl,MD2, MD3, MD4, M5, MOS, MD7, MDS REAL CNB, CYB, CL, L, N DIMENSION AMAT(4,4), BMAT (4,S...NO, MU, ND1, MD2, ND3, MD4,ND5, MD6, ND7, NO REAL CNB, CYB, CL, L, N DIMENSION AMAT(4,4), BMAT (4,S)V DIMENSION DIRMAT(5, 5) ,DIRBMAT(5, SJ CHARACTER*3...INPUT MATRIX 8 C BMAT (l,1) - XO1 BMAT (1,2) - X02 BMAT (1,3) = XD3 BMAT (1,4) -XO4 SMAT(1,5) -XD5 BMAT (1,&) - XDG BMQT(1,7) = XD7 EMAT(I,8) - XDB BMAT (,1

Description and SEM Observations of Meloidogyne sasseri n. sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), Parasitizing Beachgrasses

PubMed Central

Handoo, Zafar A.; Huettel, Robin N.; Golden, A. Morgan

1993-01-01

Meloidogyne sasseri n. sp. is described and illustrated from American beachgrass (Ammophila breviliffulata) originally collected from Henlopen State Park and Fenwick Island near the Maryland state line in Delaware, United States (6). Its relationship to M. graminis, M. spartinae, and M. californiensis is discussed. Primary distinctive characters of the female perineal pattern were a high to rounded arch with shoulders, widely spaced lateral lines interrupting transverse striations, a sunken vulva and anus, and coarse broken striae around the anal area. Second-stage juvenile body length was 554 μm (470-550), stylet length 14 μm (13-14.5), tail length 93 μm (83-115), tapering to a finely rounded terminus. Male stylet length 20 μm (19-21.5), spicule length 33 μm (30-36). Scanning electron microscope observations provided additional details of perineal patterns and face views of the female, male, and J2 head. Wheat, rice, oat, Ammophila sp., Panicum sp., bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and St. Augustinegrass were tested as hosts. Distribution of the species was the coasts of Delaware and Maryland. The common name "beachgrass root-knot" is proposed for M. sasseri n. sp. PMID:19279820

Bunch Length Measurements at JLab FEL

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

P. Evtushenko; J. L. Coleman; K. Jordan

2006-09-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run FEL with CW beam and 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of doing the bunch length measurements when running CW beam with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measuremore » the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides the bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with the data obtained by the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics are usually agree within 15%. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Multiblob coarse-graining for mixtures of long polymers and soft colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locatelli, Emanuele; Capone, Barbara; Likos, Christos N.

2016-11-01

Soft nanocomposites represent both a theoretical and an experimental challenge due to the high number of the microscopic constituents that strongly influence the behaviour of the systems. An effective theoretical description of such systems invokes a reduction of the degrees of freedom to be analysed, hence requiring the introduction of an efficient, quantitative, coarse-grained description. We here report on a novel coarse graining approach based on a set of transferable potentials that quantitatively reproduces properties of mixtures of linear and star-shaped homopolymeric nanocomposites. By renormalizing groups of monomers into a single effective potential between a f-functional star polymer and an homopolymer of length N0, and through a scaling argument, it will be shown how a substantial reduction of the to degrees of freedom allows for a full quantitative description of the system. Our methodology is tested upon full monomer simulations for systems of different molecular weight, proving its full predictive potential.

Activity-dependent self-regulation of viscous length scales in biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandi, Saroj Kumar

2018-05-01

The cellular cortex, which is a highly viscous thin cytoplasmic layer just below the cell membrane, controls the cell's mechanical properties, which can be characterized by a hydrodynamic length scale ℓ . Cells actively regulate ℓ via the activity of force-generating molecules, such as myosin II. Here we develop a general theory for such systems through a coarse-grained hydrodynamic approach including activity in the static description of the system providing an experimentally accessible parameter and elucidate the detailed mechanism of how a living system can actively self-regulate its hydrodynamic length scale, controlling the rigidity of the system. Remarkably, we find that ℓ , as a function of activity, behaves universally and roughly inversely proportional to the activity of the system. Our theory rationalizes a number of experimental findings on diverse systems, and comparison of our theory with existing experimental data shows good agreement.

Lossless quantum data compression with exponential penalization: an operational interpretation of the quantum Rényi entropy.

PubMed

Bellomo, Guido; Bosyk, Gustavo M; Holik, Federico; Zozor, Steeve

2017-11-07

Based on the problem of quantum data compression in a lossless way, we present here an operational interpretation for the family of quantum Rényi entropies. In order to do this, we appeal to a very general quantum encoding scheme that satisfies a quantum version of the Kraft-McMillan inequality. Then, in the standard situation, where one is intended to minimize the usual average length of the quantum codewords, we recover the known results, namely that the von Neumann entropy of the source bounds the average length of the optimal codes. Otherwise, we show that by invoking an exponential average length, related to an exponential penalization over large codewords, the quantum Rényi entropies arise as the natural quantities relating the optimal encoding schemes with the source description, playing an analogous role to that of von Neumann entropy.

Geometric engineering on flops of length two

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collinucci, Andrés; Fazzi, Marco; Valandro, Roberto

2018-04-01

Type IIA on the conifold is a prototype example for engineering QED with one charged hypermultiplet. The geometry admits a flop of length one. In this paper, we study the next generation of geometric engineering on singular geometries, namely flops of length two such as Laufer's example, which we affectionately think of as the conifold 2.0. Type IIA on the latter geometry gives QED with higher-charge states. In type IIB, even a single D3-probe gives rise to a nonabelian quiver gauge theory. We study this class of geometries explicitly by leveraging their quiver description, showing how to parametrize the exceptional curve, how to see the flop transition, and how to find the noncompact divisors intersecting the curve. With a view towards F-theory applications, we show how these divisors contribute to the enhancement of the Mordell-Weil group of the local elliptic fibration defined by Laufer's example.

Milnesium minutum and Milnesium sandrae, two new species of Milnesiidae (Tardigrada, Eutardigrada, Apochela)

PubMed Central

Pilato, Giovanni; Lisi, Oscar

2016-01-01

Abstract Two new species of Milnesium are described, Milnesium minutum sp. n. from Sicily and Milnesium sandrae sp. n. from the Hawaiian Archipelago. The body size of Milnesium minutum is the smallest of the known species of the genus. The stylet supports are inserted on the buccal tube at 63–66% of its length and the claws have a [3-3]-[3-3] configuration. Milnesium sandrae has stylet supports inserted on the buccal tube at 58–60.5% of its length, a [3-3]-[3-3] claw configuration, and the percent ratio between the secondary claw and primary claw length on legs I–III (78.6%–85.5%) clearly higher than on legs IV (70.5%–71.4%). With the description of these two new species, the number of species in the genus is increased to 31. PMID:27110205

Faddeev-chiral unitary approach to the K-d scattering length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizutani, T.; Fayard, C.; Saghai, B.; Tsushima, K.

2013-03-01

Our earlier Faddeev three-body study in the K--deuteron scattering length, AK-d, is revisited here in light of the recent developments on two fronts: (i) the improved chiral unitary approach to the theoretical description of the coupled K¯N related channels at low energies, and (ii) the new and improved measurement from SIDDHARTA Collaboration of the strong interaction energy shift and width in the lowest K--hydrogen atomic level. Those two, in combination, have allowed us to produce a reliable two-body input to the three-body calculation. All available low-energy K-p observables are well reproduced and predictions for the K¯N scattering lengths and amplitudes, (πΣ)∘ invariant-mass spectra, as well as for AK-d are put forward and compared with results from other sources. The findings of the present work are expected to be useful in interpreting the forthcoming data from CLAS, HADES, LEPS, and SIDDHARTA Collaborations.

Sacrificial bonds and hidden length in biomaterials: A kinetic constitutive description of strength and toughness in bone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieou, Charles K. C.; Elbanna, Ahmed E.; Carlson, Jean M.

2013-07-01

Sacrificial bonds and hidden length in structural molecules account for the greatly increased fracture toughness of biological materials compared to synthetic materials without such structural features by providing a molecular-scale mechanism for energy dissipation. One example is in the polymeric glue connection between collagen fibrils in animal bone. In this paper we propose a simple kinetic model that describes the breakage of sacrificial bonds and the release of hidden length, based on Bell's theory. We postulate a master equation governing the rates of bond breakage and formation. This enables us to predict the mechanical behavior of a quasi-one-dimensional ensemble of polymers at different stretching rates. We find that both the rupture peak heights and maximum stretching distance increase with the stretching rate. In addition, our theory naturally permits the possibility of self-healing in such biological structures.

The pairing center plays a key role in homolog paring: an explanation for adjacent-2 segregation in interchange heterozygotes.

PubMed

Luo, Peigao

2009-05-01

Having reflected on the discrepancy between various views of chromosome behavior during meiosis, we propose an alternative description of Mendel's first law of segregation by referring to the segregation of pairing centers instead of centromeres. We also propose an alternative description of Mendel's second law of independent assortment, which refers to the free combination of different pairing centers. This interpretation is based on the modified concept that true 'homologous chromosomes' should carry the pairing center rather than centromere: the length of homology or the importance of the homologous segment on the chromosome is the crucial factor in homologous chromosome pairing and synapsis.

Determination of the pion-nucleon coupling constant and scattering lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ericson, T. E.; Loiseau, B.; Thomas, A. W.

2002-07-01

We critically evaluate the isovector Goldberger-Miyazawa-Oehme (GMO) sum rule for forward πN scattering using the recent precision measurements of π-p and π-d scattering lengths from pionic atoms. We deduce the charged-pion-nucleon coupling constant, with careful attention to systematic and statistical uncertainties. This determination gives, directly from data, g2c(GMO)/ 4π=14.11+/-0.05(statistical)+/-0.19(systematic) or f2c/4π=0.0783(11). This value is intermediate between that of indirect methods and the direct determination from backward np differential scattering cross sections. We also use the pionic atom data to deduce the coherent symmetric and antisymmetric sums of the pion-proton and pion-neutron scattering lengths with high precision, namely, (aπ-p+aπ-n)/2=[- 12+/-2(statistical)+/-8(systematic)]×10-4 m-1π and (aπ-p-aπ- n)/2=[895+/-3(statistical)+/-13 (systematic)]×10-4 m-1π. For the need of the present analysis, we improve the theoretical description of the pion-deuteron scattering length.

Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma): description, molecular identification, and Wolbachia screening.

PubMed

Uni, Shigehiko; Bain, Odile; Suzuki, Kazuo; Agatsuma, Takeshi; Harada, Masashi; Motokawa, Masaharu; Martin, Coralie; Lefoulon, Emilie; Fukuda, Masako; Takaoka, Hiroyuki

2013-02-01

Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae: Onchocercinae) is described based on adult filarioids and microfilariae obtained from subcutaneous connective tissues and skin, respectively, of Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma) in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. No endemic species of the genus had been found in Japan. Recently, some filarioids (e.g., Acanthocheilonema reconditum, Dirofilaria spp., and Onchocerca spp.) have come to light as causative agents of zoonosis worldwide. The new species was readily distinguished from its congeners by morphologic characteristics such as body length, body width, esophagus length, spicule length, and the length of microfilariae. Based on the molecular data of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene, A. delicata n. sp. was included in the clade of the genus Acanthocheilonema but differed from two other congeneric species available for study, A. viteae and A. reconditum. Acanthocheilonema delicata n. sp. did not harbor Wolbachia. It is likely that the fauna of filarioids from mammals on the Japanese islands is characterized by a high level of endemicity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Designing a sampling system for concurrently measuring outdoor recreation visitation and describing visitor characteristics

Treesearch

Donald B.K. English; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Susan M. Kocis

2004-01-01

Two primary information needs for managing recreation areas and the visitors to those areas are: (1) good estimates of visitation volume, and (2) accurate descriptions of visitor characteristics, such as length of stay, frequency of visit, and primary activity. For National Forests in the United States of America with large undeveloped areas, efficient sampling for the...

Quantitative Description of Obscuration Factors for Electro-Optical and Millimeter Wave Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-25

length 1. through an obscurant of Standard meteorological ineasurables include air knIown concentration. F-or nonuniform obscurants dlis- temaperature...Wavelengths -ya(X) are ’l 1111m precilpitatioi v’olun exft tct it ozi cot’fficiewi Visible (0..l-O.7pmii) lair . 3-2.2.1 for snoxv dp(U)(epeicids onl lain

Identification and expression analysis of duck interleukin-17D in Riemeralla anatipestifer infection

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interleukin (IL)-17D is a proinflammatory cytokine with limited information on its biological functions. Here we provide the description of the sequence, bioactivity, and mRNA expression profile of duck IL-17D homologue. A full-length duck IL-17D (duIL-17D) cDNA with a 624-bp coding region was ident...

Statistical Package User’s Guide.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

261 C. STACH Nonparametric Descriptive Statistics ... ......... ... 265 D. CHIRA Coefficient of Concordance...135 I.- -a - - W 7- Test Data: This program was tested using data from John Neter and William Wasserman, Applied Linear Statistical Models: Regression...length of data file e. new fileý name (not same as raw data file) 5. Printout as optioned for only. Comments: Ranked data are used for program CHIRA

[A socio-demographic sample survey of the population in 1985].

PubMed

Labutova, T

1984-01-01

This paper contains a brief description of the socio-demographic survey scheduled to be carried out in the Soviet Union in January 1985. Topics that the survey was designed to cover include sex, age, marital status, education, source of income, social status, length of residence at current address, age at marriage, cause of divorce, births of children, and housing conditions.

33 CFR 207.420 - Chicago River, Ill.; Sanitary District controlling works, and the use, administration, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 207.420 Chicago River, Ill.; Sanitary... navigation. (2) Description of lock. Feet Clear length 600 Clear width 80 Depth over sills 1 24.4 1 This depth is below Chicago City Datum which is the zero of the gages mounted on the lock. The clear depth...

33 CFR 207.420 - Chicago River, Ill.; Sanitary District controlling works, and the use, administration, and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 207.420 Chicago River, Ill.; Sanitary... navigation. (2) Description of lock. Feet Clear length 600 Clear width 80 Depth over sills 1 24.4 1 This depth is below Chicago City Datum which is the zero of the gages mounted on the lock. The clear depth...

The taxonomy of Psilocybe fagicola-complex.

PubMed

Guzmán, Gastón; Jacobs, James Q; Ramírez-Guillén, Florencia; Murrieta, Dulce; Gándara, Etelvina

2005-04-01

Psilocybe fagicola comprises a complex of more than eight species, six of them in Mexico, and all of them possessing a long pseudorhiza, a characteristic not listed by Heim and Cailleux in 1959 in the original description of the type species, but described by Guzmán in 1978 and 1983. The description of Psilocybe fagicola s.s. is here emended to include the length of the cheilocystidia of (6-) 12-20 (-30) microm, as well as the absence or scarcity of pleurocystidia. Psilocybe xalapensis and P. wassoniorum are considered to be synonymous with P. fagicola s.s. However, Psilocybe banderillensis and P. herrerae from Mexico, P. columbiana from Colombia, and P. keralensis from India are considered to be valid species within this complex. Moreover, P. novoxalapensis and P. teofilae, both from Mexico, are described as new species. Length of spores, presence or absence of pleurocystidia and their variations, and type of cheilocystidia constitute the principal defining characteristics of the species. Setaceous hyphae at the base of the stipe, as well as caulocystidia, lack taxonomic value, as do other morphological characteristics, including pileipellis and subpileipellis. A key to the eight considered species is also presented within the paper.

Turbofan aft duct suppressor study program listing and user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, M. C.; Kraft, R. E.

1983-01-01

A description of the structure of the Annular Flow Duct Program (AFDP) for the calculation of acoustic suppression due to treatment in a finite length annular duct carrying sheared flow is presented. Although most appropriate for engine exhaust ducts, this program can be used to study sound propagation in any duct that maintains annular geometry over a considerable length of the duct. The program is based on the modal analysis of sound propagation in ducts with axial segments of different wall impedances. For specified duct geometry, wall impedance, flow and acoustic conditions in the duct (including mode amplitude distribution of the source) and duct termination reflection characteristics, the program calculates the suppression due to the treatment in the duct. The presence of forward and backward traveling modes in the duct due to the reflection and redistribution of modes at segment interfaces and duct end terminations are taken into account in the calculations. The effects of thin wall boundary layers (with a linear or mean flow velocity profile) on the acoustic propagation are also included in the program. A functional description of the major subroutines is included and a sample run is provided with an explanation of the output.

A New Stubby Species of Demodectic Mite (Acari: Demodicidae) From the Domestic Dog (Canidae).

PubMed

Morita, Tatsushi; Ohmi, Aki; Kiwaki, Akihito; Ike, Kazunori; Nagata, Katsuyuki

2018-02-28

A new species of Demodex was detected in the earwax of a dog with otitis externa in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, in July 2010. The opisthosoma length of the mite was slightly shorter than 1/2 of its body length, which was different from the other species in domestic dogs, D. canis and D. injai, but was similar to the form of mites termed "short-bodied species", including D. cornei. However, the stubby external form was morphologically different from those of "short-bodied species", excluding a case without a species description reported from Greece. Among known species, the mite was similar to D. equi and D. acutipes.

Verification of relationships between anthropometric variables among ureteral stents recipients and ureteric lengths: a challenge for Vitruvian-da Vinci theory.

PubMed

Acelam, Philip A

2015-01-01

To determine and verify how anthropometric variables correlate to ureteric lengths and how well statistical models approximate the actual ureteric lengths. In this work, 129 charts of endourological patients (71 females and 58 males) were studied retrospectively. Data were gathered from various research centers from North and South America. Continuous data were studied using descriptive statistics. Anthropometric variables (age, body surface area, body weight, obesity, and stature) were utilized as predictors of ureteric lengths. Linear regressions and correlations were used for studying relationships between the predictors and the outcome variables (ureteric lengths); P-value was set at 0.05. To assess how well statistical models were capable of predicting the actual ureteric lengths, percentages (or ratios of matched to mismatched results) were employed. The results of the study show that anthropometric variables do not correlate well to ureteric lengths. Statistical models can partially estimate ureteric lengths. Out of the five anthropometric variables studied, three of them: body frame, stature, and weight, each with a P<0.0001, were significant. Two of the variables: age (R (2)=0.01; P=0.20) and obesity (R (2)=0.03; P=0.06), were found to be poor estimators of ureteric lengths. None of the predictors reached the expected (match:above:below) ratio of 1:0:0 to qualify as reliable predictors of ureteric lengths. There is not sufficient evidence to conclude that anthropometric variables can reliably predict ureteric lengths. These variables appear to lack adequate specificity as they failed to reach the expected (match:above:below) ratio of 1:0:0. Consequently, selections of ureteral stents continue to remain a challenge. However, height (R (2)=0.68) with the (match:above:below) ratio of 3:3:4 appears suited for use as estimator, but on the basis of decision rule. Additional research is recommended for stent improvements and ureteric length determinations.

Verification of relationships between anthropometric variables among ureteral stents recipients and ureteric lengths: a challenge for Vitruvian-da Vinci theory

PubMed Central

Acelam, Philip A

2015-01-01

Objective To determine and verify how anthropometric variables correlate to ureteric lengths and how well statistical models approximate the actual ureteric lengths. Materials and methods In this work, 129 charts of endourological patients (71 females and 58 males) were studied retrospectively. Data were gathered from various research centers from North and South America. Continuous data were studied using descriptive statistics. Anthropometric variables (age, body surface area, body weight, obesity, and stature) were utilized as predictors of ureteric lengths. Linear regressions and correlations were used for studying relationships between the predictors and the outcome variables (ureteric lengths); P-value was set at 0.05. To assess how well statistical models were capable of predicting the actual ureteric lengths, percentages (or ratios of matched to mismatched results) were employed. Results The results of the study show that anthropometric variables do not correlate well to ureteric lengths. Statistical models can partially estimate ureteric lengths. Out of the five anthropometric variables studied, three of them: body frame, stature, and weight, each with a P<0.0001, were significant. Two of the variables: age (R2=0.01; P=0.20) and obesity (R2=0.03; P=0.06), were found to be poor estimators of ureteric lengths. None of the predictors reached the expected (match:above:below) ratio of 1:0:0 to qualify as reliable predictors of ureteric lengths. Conclusion There is not sufficient evidence to conclude that anthropometric variables can reliably predict ureteric lengths. These variables appear to lack adequate specificity as they failed to reach the expected (match:above:below) ratio of 1:0:0. Consequently, selections of ureteral stents continue to remain a challenge. However, height (R2=0.68) with the (match:above:below) ratio of 3:3:4 appears suited for use as estimator, but on the basis of decision rule. Additional research is recommended for stent improvements and ureteric length determinations. PMID:26317082

Development of lengths of stay and DRG cost weights in dermatology from 2003 to 2006.

PubMed

Wenke, Andreas; Müller, Marcel L; Babapirali, Judith; Rompel, Rainer; Hensen, Peter

2009-08-01

The G-DRG per case payments are calculated annually on the basis of present output and cost data provided from German hospitals. The economic valuation of dermatology-related DRGs depends largely on inpatients' length of stay. At present, longitudinal analyses of dermatologic hospital data considering the development of length of stay under DRG conditions are not available. A multicenter, longitudinal study of clinical data from hospitals with different care levels was performed (n = 23). Frequent and relevant dermatologic diagnoses were grouped and analyzed over a time period of four years (2003-2006). The development of lengths of stay and of G-DRG cost weights were studied in detail. Descriptive statistical methods were applied. After introduction of DRG, the data reveal a) reduction of length of stay in inpatient dermatology and b) after an initial abrupt rise, DRG valuation of dermatologic groups moderately decreased over time. Both trends changed most rapidly in the early years but reached a stable niveau in 2006. The study furthermore points out that not only length of stay, but also other type of costs influence DRG calculations. German dermatology reflects the international trend showing reductions of length of stay after introduction of a DRG-based hospital funding system. The DRG calculation and valuation of inpatient services depend on the duration of hospital stay. However, increasing per diem costs resulting from higher performances of every inpatient bed day are also taken into account. Further reduction of length of stay must not threaten the quality of inpatient care in dermatology.

Coarsening of stripe patterns: variations with quench depth and scaling.

PubMed

Tripathi, Ashwani K; Kumar, Deepak

2015-02-01

The coarsening of stripe patterns when the system is evolved from random initial states is studied by varying the quench depth ε, which is a measure of distance from the transition point of the stripe phase. The dynamics of the growth of stripe order, which is characterized by two length scales, depends on the quench depth. The growth exponents of the two length scales vary continuously with ε. The decay exponents for free energy, stripe curvature, and densities of defects like grain boundaries and dislocations also show similar variation. This implies a breakdown of the standard picture of nonequilibrium dynamical scaling. In order to understand the variations with ε we propose an additional scaling with a length scale dependent on ε. The main contribution to this length scale comes from the "pinning potential," which is unique to systems where the order parameter is spatially periodic. The periodic order parameter gives rise to an ε-dependent potential, which can pin defects like grain boundaries, dislocations, etc. This additional scaling provides a compact description of variations of growth exponents with quench depth in terms of just one exponent for each of the length scales. The relaxation of free energy, stripe curvature, and the defect densities have also been related to these length scales. The study is done at zero temperature using Swift-Hohenberg equation in two dimensions.

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

Andrés, Nahuel, E-mail: nandres@iafe.uba.ar; Gómez, Daniel; Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón I, 1428 Buenos Aires

We present a full two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) description for a completely ionized hydrogen plasma, retaining the effects of the Hall current, electron pressure, and electron inertia. According to this description, each plasma species introduces a new spatial scale: the ion inertial length λ{sub i} and the electron inertial length λ{sub e}, which are not present in the traditional MHD description. In the present paper, we seek for possible changes in the energy power spectrum in fully developed turbulent regimes, using numerical simulations of the two-fluid equations in two-and-a-half dimensions. We have been able to reproduce different scaling laws in differentmore » spectral ranges, as it has been observed in the solar wind for the magnetic energy spectrum. At the smallest wavenumbers where plain MHD is valid, we obtain an inertial range following a Kolmogorov k{sup −5∕3} law. For intermediate wavenumbers such that λ{sub i}{sup −1}≪k≪λ{sub e}{sup −1}, the spectrum is modified to a k{sup −7∕3} power-law, as has also been obtained for Hall-MHD neglecting electron inertia terms. When electron inertia is retained, a new spectral region given by k>λ{sub e}{sup −1} arises. The power spectrum for magnetic energy in this region is given by a k{sup −11∕3} power law. Finally, when the terms of electron inertia are retained, we study the self-consistent electric field. Our results are discussed and compared with those obtained in the solar wind observations and previous simulations.« less

Neonates and Infants Discharged Home Dependent on Medical Technology: Characteristics and Outcomes.

PubMed

Toly, Valerie Boebel; Musil, Carol M; Bieda, Amy; Barnett, Kimberly; Dowling, Donna A; Sattar, Abdus

2016-10-01

Preterm neonates and neonates with complex conditions admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may require medical technology (eg, supplemental oxygen, feeding tubes) for their continued survival at hospital discharge. Medical technology introduces another layer of complexity for parents, including specialized education about neonatal assessment and operation of technology. The transition home presents a challenge for parents and has been linked with greater healthcare utilization. To determine incidence, characteristics, and healthcare utilization outcomes (emergency room visits, rehospitalizations) of technology-dependent neonates and infants following initial discharge from the hospital. This descriptive, correlational study used retrospective medical record review to examine technology-dependent neonates (N = 71) upon discharge home. Study variables included demographic characteristics, hospital length of stay, and type of medical technology used. Analysis of neonates (n = 22) with 1-year postdischarge data was conducted to identify relationships with healthcare utilization. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed. Approximately 40% of the technology-dependent neonates were between 23 and 26 weeks' gestation, with birth weight of less than 1000 g. Technologies used most frequently were supplemental oxygen (66%) and feeding tubes (46.5%). The mean total hospital length of stay for technology-dependent versus nontechnology-dependent neonates was 108.6 and 25.7 days, respectively. Technology-dependent neonates who were female, with a gastrostomy tube, or with longer initial hospital length of stay were at greater risk for rehospitalization. Assessment and support of families, particularly mothers of technology-dependent neonates following initial hospital discharge, are vital. Longitudinal studies to determine factors affecting long-term outcomes of technology-dependent infants are needed.

High-Power DFB Diode Laser-Based CO-QEPAS Sensor: Optimization and Performance.

PubMed

Ma, Yufei; Tong, Yao; He, Ying; Yu, Xin; Tittel, Frank K

2018-01-04

A highly sensitive carbon monoxide (CO) trace gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) was demonstrated. A high-power distributed feedback (DFB), continuous wave (CW) 2.33 μm diode laser with an 8.8 mW output power was used as the QEPAS excitation source. By optimizing the modulation depth and adding an optimum micro-resonator, compared to a bare quartz tuning fork (QTF), a 10-fold enhancement of the CO-QEPAS signal amplitude was achieved. When water vapor acting as a vibrational transfer catalyst was added to the target gas, the signal was further increased by a factor of ~7. A minimum detection limit (MDL) of 11.2 ppm and a calculated normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 1.8 × 10 -5 cm -1 W/√Hz were obtained for the reported CO-QEPAS sensor.

High-Power DFB Diode Laser-Based CO-QEPAS Sensor: Optimization and Performance

PubMed Central

Ma, Yufei; Tong, Yao; He, Ying; Yu, Xin

2018-01-01

A highly sensitive carbon monoxide (CO) trace gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) was demonstrated. A high-power distributed feedback (DFB), continuous wave (CW) 2.33 μm diode laser with an 8.8 mW output power was used as the QEPAS excitation source. By optimizing the modulation depth and adding an optimum micro-resonator, compared to a bare quartz tuning fork (QTF), a 10-fold enhancement of the CO-QEPAS signal amplitude was achieved. When water vapor acting as a vibrational transfer catalyst was added to the target gas, the signal was further increased by a factor of ~7. A minimum detection limit (MDL) of 11.2 ppm and a calculated normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficient of 1.8 × 10−5 cm−1W/√Hz were obtained for the reported CO-QEPAS sensor. PMID:29300310

Strategy for determination of LOD and LOQ values--some basic aspects.

PubMed

Uhrovčík, Jozef

2014-02-01

The paper is devoted to the evaluation of limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) values in concentration domain by using 4 different approaches; namely 3σ and 10σ approaches, ULA2 approach, PBA approach and MDL approach. Brief theoretical analyses of all above mentioned approaches are given together with directions for their practical use. Calculations and correct calibration design are exemplified by using of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for determination of lead in drinking water sample. These validation parameters reached 1.6 μg L(-1) (LOD) and 5.4 μg L(-1) (LOQ) by using 3σ and 10σ approaches. For obtaining relevant values of analyte concentration the influence of calibration design and measurement methodology were examined. The most preferred technique has proven to be a method of preconcentration of the analyte on the surface of the graphite cuvette (boost cycle). © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Philanthro-metrics: Mining multi-million-dollar gifts

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The Million Dollar List (MDL, online at http://www.milliondollarlist.org) is a compilation of publicly announced charitable donations of $1 million or more from across the United States since 2000; as of December 2016, the database contains close to 80,000 gifts made by U.S. individuals, corporations, foundations, and other grant-making nonprofit organizations. This paper discusses the unique value of the Million Dollar List and provides unique insights to key questions such as: How does distance affect giving? How do networks impact million-dollar-plus gifts? Understanding the geospatial and temporal dimensions of philanthropy can assist researchers and policymakers to better understand the role of private funding in innovation and discovery. Moreover, the results from the paper emphasize the importance of philanthropy for fueling research and development in science, the arts, environment, and health. The paper also includes the limitations of the presented analyses and promising future work. PMID:28552937

Optimization experiments on a pixe system and its application to the analysis of trace elements in shaji

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Zhongli; Zhang, Shunun; Jiang, Xinzhou; Ma, Changjun; Li, Zhenkun; Hao, Jifang; Zheng, Zhihao; Liu, Zhaoyuan; Liu, Zhengmin; Ma, Shuxun; Yang, Kunshan

1989-04-01

This paper describes briefly the optimization of a PIXE setup. Three proton energies 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 MeV and four kinds of absorbers BE (132 μm), Be (460 μm), Al (28 μm) and Be plus Mylar (460 μm+600 μm) were used. The minimum detection limits (MDL) of PIXE for these various combinations were computed and compared. PIXE analysis of Shaji was performed as an application. The result shows that the stack absorber of 460 μm Be and 600 μm Mylar films and a 2.0 MeV proton energy are most suitable for PIXE analysis of Shaji. Results of the Shaji analysis are presented. Shaji is one of the common seabuckthoms. The Shaji referred to here belongs to Hippophae rhamnoides L. Subsp. Sinensis Rousi.

Philanthro-metrics: Mining multi-million-dollar gifts.

PubMed

Osili, Una O; Ackerman, Jacqueline; Kong, Chin Hua; Light, Robert P; Börner, Katy

2017-01-01

The Million Dollar List (MDL, online at http://www.milliondollarlist.org) is a compilation of publicly announced charitable donations of $1 million or more from across the United States since 2000; as of December 2016, the database contains close to 80,000 gifts made by U.S. individuals, corporations, foundations, and other grant-making nonprofit organizations. This paper discusses the unique value of the Million Dollar List and provides unique insights to key questions such as: How does distance affect giving? How do networks impact million-dollar-plus gifts? Understanding the geospatial and temporal dimensions of philanthropy can assist researchers and policymakers to better understand the role of private funding in innovation and discovery. Moreover, the results from the paper emphasize the importance of philanthropy for fueling research and development in science, the arts, environment, and health. The paper also includes the limitations of the presented analyses and promising future work.

Information Theory and Voting Based Consensus Clustering for Combining Multiple Clusterings of Chemical Structures.

PubMed

Saeed, Faisal; Salim, Naomie; Abdo, Ammar

2013-07-01

Many consensus clustering methods have been applied in different areas such as pattern recognition, machine learning, information theory and bioinformatics. However, few methods have been used for chemical compounds clustering. In this paper, an information theory and voting based algorithm (Adaptive Cumulative Voting-based Aggregation Algorithm A-CVAA) was examined for combining multiple clusterings of chemical structures. The effectiveness of clusterings was evaluated based on the ability of the clustering method to separate active from inactive molecules in each cluster, and the results were compared with Ward's method. The chemical dataset MDL Drug Data Report (MDDR) and the Maximum Unbiased Validation (MUV) dataset were used. Experiments suggest that the adaptive cumulative voting-based consensus method can improve the effectiveness of combining multiple clusterings of chemical structures. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interactive Visualization of Infrared Spectral Data: Synergy of Computation, Visualization, and Experiment for Learning Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahti, Paul M.; Motyka, Eric J.; Lancashire, Robert J.

2000-05-01

A straightforward procedure is described to combine computation of molecular vibrational modes using commonly available molecular modeling programs with visualization of the modes using advanced features of the MDL Information Systems Inc. Chime World Wide Web browser plug-in. Minor editing of experimental spectra that are stored in the JCAMP-DX format allows linkage of IR spectral frequency ranges to Chime molecular display windows. The spectra and animation files can be combined by Hypertext Markup Language programming to allow interactive linkage between experimental spectra and computationally generated vibrational displays. Both the spectra and the molecular displays can be interactively manipulated to allow the user maximum control of the objects being viewed. This procedure should be very valuable not only for aiding students through visual linkage of spectra and various vibrational animations, but also by assisting them in learning the advantages and limitations of computational chemistry by comparison to experiment.

Bunch Length Measurements at the JLab FEL Using Coherent Transition and Synchrotron Radiation

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

Pavel Evtushenko; James Coleman; Kevin Jordan

2006-05-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years [1]. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run the FEL with CW beam and a 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate, which, with the 135 pC nominal bunch charge corresponds to the beam average current of 10 mA. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of making bunch length measurements when running CW beammore » with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measure the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with data obtained using the Martin-Puplett interferometer [1]. Results of the two diagnostics agree within 15 %. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Bunch Length Measurements at the JLab FEL Using Coherent Transition and Synchrotron Radiation

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

Evtushenko, P.; Coleman, J.; Jordan, K.

2006-11-20

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run the FEL with CW beam and a 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate, which, with the 135 pC nominal bunch charge corresponds to the beam average current of 10 mA, Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of making bunch length measurements when running CW beam withmore » any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measure the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with data obtained using the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics agree within 15 %. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Doubly Special Relativity: A New Relativity or Not

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari, Nosratollah; Shariati, Ahmad

2006-06-01

Double Special Relativity theories are the relativistic theories in which the transformations between inertial observers are characterized by two observer-independent scales of the light speed and the Planck length. We study two main examples of these theories and want to show that these theories are not the new theories of relativity, but only are re-descriptions of Einstein's special relativity in the non-conventional coordinates.

The Distributed Lambda (?) Model (DLM): A 3-D, Finite-Element Muscle Model Based on Feldman's ? Model; Assessment of Orofacial Gestures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazari, Mohammad Ali; Perrier, Pascal; Payan, Yohan

2013-01-01

Purpose: The authors aimed to design a distributed lambda model (DLM), which is well adapted to implement three-dimensional (3-D), finite-element descriptions of muscles. Method: A muscle element model was designed. Its stress-strain relationships included the active force-length characteristics of the ? model along the muscle fibers, together…

Orbital Exponent Optimization in Elementary VB Calculations of the Chemical Bond in the Ground State of Simple Molecular Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magnasco, Valerio

2008-01-01

Orbital exponent optimization in the elementary ab-initio VB calculation of the ground states of H[subscript 2][superscript +], H[subscript 2], He[subscript 2][superscript +], He[subscript 2] gives a fair description of the exchange-overlap component of the interatomic interaction that is important in the bond region. Correct bond lengths and…

Selection of optimal complexity for ENSO-EMR model by minimum description length principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loskutov, E. M.; Mukhin, D.; Mukhina, A.; Gavrilov, A.; Kondrashov, D. A.; Feigin, A. M.

2012-12-01

One of the main problems arising in modeling of data taken from natural system is finding a phase space suitable for construction of the evolution operator model. Since we usually deal with strongly high-dimensional behavior, we are forced to construct a model working in some projection of system phase space corresponding to time scales of interest. Selection of optimal projection is non-trivial problem since there are many ways to reconstruct phase variables from given time series, especially in the case of a spatio-temporal data field. Actually, finding optimal projection is significant part of model selection, because, on the one hand, the transformation of data to some phase variables vector can be considered as a required component of the model. On the other hand, such an optimization of a phase space makes sense only in relation to the parametrization of the model we use, i.e. representation of evolution operator, so we should find an optimal structure of the model together with phase variables vector. In this paper we propose to use principle of minimal description length (Molkov et al., 2009) for selection models of optimal complexity. The proposed method is applied to optimization of Empirical Model Reduction (EMR) of ENSO phenomenon (Kravtsov et al. 2005, Kondrashov et. al., 2005). This model operates within a subset of leading EOFs constructed from spatio-temporal field of SST in Equatorial Pacific, and has a form of multi-level stochastic differential equations (SDE) with polynomial parameterization of the right-hand side. Optimal values for both the number of EOF, the order of polynomial and number of levels are estimated from the Equatorial Pacific SST dataset. References: Ya. Molkov, D. Mukhin, E. Loskutov, G. Fidelin and A. Feigin, Using the minimum description length principle for global reconstruction of dynamic systems from noisy time series, Phys. Rev. E, Vol. 80, P 046207, 2009 Kravtsov S, Kondrashov D, Ghil M, 2005: Multilevel regression modeling of nonlinear processes: Derivation and applications to climatic variability. J. Climate, 18 (21): 4404-4424. D. Kondrashov, S. Kravtsov, A. W. Robertson and M. Ghil, 2005. A hierarchy of data-based ENSO models. J. Climate, 18, 4425-4444.

Geotechnical, geological, and selected radionuclide retention characteristics of the radioactive waste disposal site near the Farallon Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, J.S.; Winters, W.J.; Poppe, L.J.; Neiheisel, J.; Dyer, R.S.

1989-01-01

A geotechnical and geological investigation of the Farallon Islands low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal area was conducted to qualitatively assess the host sediments' relative effectiveness as a barrier to radionuclide migration, to estimate the portion of the barrier that is in contact with the waste packages at the three primary disposal sites, and to provide a basic physical description of the sediments. Box cores recovered from within the general disposal area at depths of 500, 1000, and 1500 m were subcored to provide samples (~30 cm in length) for detailed descriptions, textural and mineralogical analyses, and a suite of geotechnical tests (index property, CRS consolidation, and CIU triaxial compression). -from Authors

Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis of agronomic traits in a maize recombinant inbred line population.

PubMed

Zhang, H M; Hui, G Q; Luo, Q; Sun, Y; Liu, X H

2014-01-21

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops in the world. In this study, 13 agronomic traits of a recombinant inbred line population that was derived from the cross between Mo17 and Huangzao4 were investigated in maize: ear diameter, ear length, ear axis diameter, ear weight, plant height, ear height, days to pollen shed (DPS), days to silking (DS), the interval between DPS and DS, 100-kernel weight, kernel test weight, ear kernel weight, and kernel rate. Furthermore, the descriptive statistics and correlation analysis of the 13 traits were performed using the SPSS 11.5 software. The results providing the phenotypic data here are needed for the quantitative trait locus mapping of these agronomic traits.

Can autistic children read the mind of an animated triangle?

PubMed

Salter, Gemma; Seigal, Anna; Claxton, Melanie; Lawrence, Kate; Skuse, David

2008-07-01

Are children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but normal-range intelligence, impaired on theory of mind skills measured by responses to abstract animations in the form of a computerized cartoon? Fifty-six cases and closely matched comparisons were tested. We rated verbal responses according to the length of their descriptions, their appropriateness and the children's use of 'mentalizing' terms. Children with ASD used 'mentalizing' language to describe the animations as well as comparisons, although the content of their descriptions was significantly less appropriate. Performance on this task was not well correlated with standardized measures of parent-reported behaviour or the child's interactions with an observer. The implications of our results are discussed in relation to previous studies that have used this methodology.

Describing Chinese hospital activity with diagnosis related groups (DRGs). A case study in Chengdu.

PubMed

Gong, Zhiping; Duckett, Stephen J; Legge, David G; Pei, Likun

2004-07-01

To examine the applicability of an Australian casemix classification system to the description of Chinese hospital activity. A total of 161,478 inpatient episodes from three Chengdu hospitals with demographic, diagnosis, procedure and billing data for the year 1998/1999, 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 were grouped using the Australian refined-diagnosis related groups (AR-DRGs) (version 4.0) grouper. Reduction in variance (R2) and coefficient of variation (CV). Untrimmed reduction in variance (R2) was 0.12 and 0.17 for length of stay (LOS) and cost respectively. After trimming, R2 values were 0.45 and 0.59 for length of stay and cost respectively. The Australian refined DRGs provide a good basis for developing a Chinese grouper.

Chain conformations dictate multiscale charge transport phenomena in disordered semiconducting polymers

PubMed Central

Noriega, Rodrigo; Salleo, Alberto; Spakowitz, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Existing models for the electronic properties of conjugated polymers do not capture the spatial arrangement of the disordered macromolecular chains over which charge transport occurs. Here, we present an analytical and computational description in which the morphology of individual polymer chains is dictated by well-known statistical models and the electronic coupling between units is determined using Marcus theory. The multiscale transport of charges in these materials (high mobility at short length scales, low mobility at long length scales) is naturally described with our framework. Additionally, the dependence of mobility with electric field and temperature is explained in terms of conformational variability and spatial correlation. Our model offers a predictive approach to connecting processing conditions with transport behavior. PMID:24062459

Description of a new species Fuhrmannetta jurubatensis n. sp. (Cestoda, Davaineidae) from Cerradomys goytaca Tavares, Pessôa & Gonçalves, 2011 (Rodentia, Cricetidae).

PubMed

Oliveira, L C; Oliveira, F C R; Ederli, N B

2017-10-04

A new species of cestode of the genus Fuhrmannetta found in the small intestine of Cerradomys goytaca is described herein, named Fuhrmannetta jurubatensis n. sp. Rodents were collected from the sand-plains areas of the northern coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Morphological analyses were conducted by light and scanning electron microscopy. From the morphological analysis and a comparison with the known species of the genus, F. jurubatensis n. sp. can be identified by a combination of morphological and morphometrical characteristics, including strobila length, number and length of rostellar hooks, position of the genital pore and the number of eggs per uterine capsule.

Chain conformations dictate multiscale charge transport phenomena in disordered semiconducting polymers.

PubMed

Noriega, Rodrigo; Salleo, Alberto; Spakowitz, Andrew J

2013-10-08

Existing models for the electronic properties of conjugated polymers do not capture the spatial arrangement of the disordered macromolecular chains over which charge transport occurs. Here, we present an analytical and computational description in which the morphology of individual polymer chains is dictated by well-known statistical models and the electronic coupling between units is determined using Marcus theory. The multiscale transport of charges in these materials (high mobility at short length scales, low mobility at long length scales) is naturally described with our framework. Additionally, the dependence of mobility with electric field and temperature is explained in terms of conformational variability and spatial correlation. Our model offers a predictive approach to connecting processing conditions with transport behavior.

New public QSAR model for carcinogenicity

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background One of the main goals of the new chemical regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) is to fulfill the gaps in data concerned with properties of chemicals affecting the human health. (Q)SAR models are accepted as a suitable source of information. The EU funded CAESAR project aimed to develop models for prediction of 5 endpoints for regulatory purposes. Carcinogenicity is one of the endpoints under consideration. Results Models for prediction of carcinogenic potency according to specific requirements of Chemical regulation were developed. The dataset of 805 non-congeneric chemicals extracted from Carcinogenic Potency Database (CPDBAS) was used. Counter Propagation Artificial Neural Network (CP ANN) algorithm was implemented. In the article two alternative models for prediction carcinogenicity are described. The first model employed eight MDL descriptors (model A) and the second one twelve Dragon descriptors (model B). CAESAR's models have been assessed according to the OECD principles for the validation of QSAR. For the model validity we used a wide series of statistical checks. Models A and B yielded accuracy of training set (644 compounds) equal to 91% and 89% correspondingly; the accuracy of the test set (161 compounds) was 73% and 69%, while the specificity was 69% and 61%, respectively. Sensitivity in both cases was equal to 75%. The accuracy of the leave 20% out cross validation for the training set of models A and B was equal to 66% and 62% respectively. To verify if the models perform correctly on new compounds the external validation was carried out. The external test set was composed of 738 compounds. We obtained accuracy of external validation equal to 61.4% and 60.0%, sensitivity 64.0% and 61.8% and specificity equal to 58.9% and 58.4% respectively for models A and B. Conclusion Carcinogenicity is a particularly important endpoint and it is expected that QSAR models will not replace the human experts opinions and conventional methods. However, we believe that combination of several methods will provide useful support to the overall evaluation of carcinogenicity. In present paper models for classification of carcinogenic compounds using MDL and Dragon descriptors were developed. Models could be used to set priorities among chemicals for further testing. The models at the CAESAR site were implemented in java and are publicly accessible. PMID:20678182

Assessment of dietary intake and nutritional status (MNA) in Polish free-living elderly people from rural environments.

PubMed

Wyka, Joanna; Biernat, Jadwiga; Mikołajczak, Jolanta; Piotrowska, Ewa

2012-01-01

The proportion of elderly people in the global population is rapidly increasing. Their nutritional status indicates many deficiencies that are risky to health. The aim of this paper was to assess the nutrition and nutritional status in elderly individuals above 60 years old living in their family houses in rural areas. Dietary intake and nutritional status were measured in 174 elderly women and 64 men living in the rural areas of Oleśnica (near Wrocław, SW Poland). Energy intake, consumption of nutrients, selected anthropometric and biochemical indicators, were measured in two groups: one at risk of malnutrition and one with adequate nutrition. Using the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) questionnaire, 238 persons over 60 years of age were qualified according to their nutritional status. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured. The group of women at risk of malnutrition (n=30) showed a statistically significantly lower energy intake in their diet (1,127 kcal) compared to women with adequate nutrition (1,351 kcal). The entire group of examined individuals showed a too low consumption of fiber, calcium, vitamins C and D, and folates. Most of the examined women had a too high body mass index (BMI) (on average 28.8), waist circumference was 96.3 cm, and the triceps skinfold (TSF) was 25.2mm thick. Women at a risk of malnutrition had statistically significantly lower lipid parameters than those with adequate nutrition (respectively: TC 191.1 vs. 219.1m/dl, p<0.001, LDL-cholesterol 107.1 vs. 125.1m/dl, p<0.008, TG 129 vs. 143 mg/dl). Men with a risk of malnutrition had a statistically significantly lower BMI (26.0 vs. 28.7, p<0.04), and also lower waist and arm perimeters compared to men with correct nutrition. According to the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), 8.2% of person with adequate nutrition had poor prognostic indicator for overall survival. All the examined individuals showed many significant nutritional deficiencies. The group with nutritional risk had more pronounced nutritional deficiencies. Despite a too low energy value of foods among individuals with correct nutrition, their anthropometric parameters paradoxically showed the presence of excessive fatty tissue. The most frequent diseases existed in examined group were coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Blockade of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors potentiates dopamine D2 activation-induced disruption of pup retrieval on an elevated plus maze, but has no effect on D2 blockade-induced one.

PubMed

Nie, Lina; Di, Tianqi; Li, Yu; Cheng, Peng; Li, Ming; Gao, Jun

2018-06-23

Appetitive aspect of rat maternal behavior, such as pup retrieval, is motivationally driven and sensitive to dopamine disturbances. Activation or blockade of dopamine D 2 receptors causes a similar disruption of pup retrieval, which may also reflect an increase in maternal anxiety and/or a disruption of executive function. Recent work indicates that serotonin 5-HT 2A receptors also play an important role in rat maternal behavior. Given the well-known modulation of 5-HT 2A on the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine functions, the present study examined the extent to which blockade of 5-HT 2A receptors on dopamine D 2 -mediated maternal effects using a pup retrieval on the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Sprague-Dawley postpartum female rats were acutely injected with quinpirole (a D 2 agonist, 0.10 and 0.25 mg/kg, sc), or haloperidol (a D 2 antagonist, 0.1 or 0.2 mg/kg, sc), in combination of MDL100907 (a 5-HT 2A receptor antagonist, 1.0 mg/kg, sc, 30 min before quinpirole or haloperidol injection) or saline and tested at 30, 90 and 240 min after quinpirole or haloperidol injection on postpartum days 3 and 7. Quinpirole and haloperidol decreased the number of pup retrieved (an index of maternal motivation) and sequential retrieval score (an index of executive function), prolonged the pup retrieval latencies, reduced the percentage of time spent on the open arms (an index of maternal anxiety), and decreased the distance travelled on the maze in a dose-dependent and time-dependent fashion. MDL100907 treatment by itself had no effect on pup retrieval, but it exacerbated the quinpirole-induced disruption of pup retrieval, but had no effect on the haloperidol-induced one. These findings suggest a complex interactive effect between 5-HT 2A and D 2 receptors on one or several maternal processes (maternal motivation, anxiety and executive function), and support the idea that one molecular mechanism by which 5-HT 2A receptors mediate maternal behavior is through its modulation of D 2 receptors. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Geomorphic and Fish Genetics Constraints on Late Cenozoic Long Wavelength Topographic Evolution of the Hangay Mountains, Central Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegmann, K. W.; Tamra, M.; Sabaj Pérez, M.; Lopresti, M.; Cole, M. B.; Gosse, J. C.; Smith, S. G.; Bayasgalan, G.; Ancuta, L. D.; McDannell, K. T.; Gallen, S. F.

2014-12-01

The Hangay Mountains stand 1.5 - 2 km above adjacent lowlands and the timing and cause of their high elevation is debated. As part of a broad collaborative project, we synthesize several data sets that collectively suggest the Hangay increased in elevation during the mid-to-late Miocene, while topographic relief, one metric commonly associated with active mountain ranges, remained largely unchanged. The topographic crest of the Hangay forms the drainage divide between the Selenga River and internal drainage of the Mongolian Depression of Lakes (MDL) and northern Gobi. Synthetic drainage divides for the Hangay were created by filtering digital topography in the spectral domain (50 - 200 km wavelengths) using a 2D-FFT function. The co-location of the synthetic and modern divides suggests that the Hangay divide is in a stable, equilibrium configuration. This assumption is corroborated by chi-maps of steady-state river channel elevations that exhibit nearly equal values across water divides. An exception to both of these metrics occurs in the northwest Hangay where the Bulnay fault crosses a low divide between the western Selenga basin and the MDL. Recent basalt vesicle paleoaltimetry results allow for ~1 km of surface uplift of the central Hangay in the past ~ 10 Ma. These same basalt flows in-filled late Miocene valleys cut into basement with a minimum of 800 m of local relief; similar to the amount of modern, post-glacial relief along the drainage divide. mtDNA analyses from > 250 combined Stone Loaches (Barbatula), Grayling (Thymallus), and Eurasian Dace (Leuciscus) samples from both sides of the continental drainage divide are supportive of Miocene surface uplift. Molecular genetic differences between the loach populations across the divide suggest that they separated from a common ancestor between 20 and 11 Ma. This date is consistent with the timing of surface uplift and valley incision preserved in the Miocene basalt flows. The dace and grayling populations on either side of the divide separated more recently, at ~ 2 Ma and < 1 Ma, respectively. We speculate that either (1) Quaternary climate change via glacial drainage reorganization or (2) drainage capture in response to slip along the Bulnay fault forced these more recent separations. These topo-genetic constrains are needed inputs for regional geodynamic models.

Sulfur speciation and sulfide oxidation in the water column of the Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luther, George W., III; Church, Thomas M.; Powell, David

We have applied sulfur speciation techniques to understand the chemistry and cycling of sulfur in Black Sea waters. The only reduced dissolved inorganic sulfur species detected (above the low minimum detection limits of the voltammetric methods employed) in the water column was hydrogen sulfide. The maximum concentration of sulfide (423 μM) is similar to previous reports. Using a cathodic stripping square wave voltammetry (CSSWV) method for nanomolar levels of sulfide, we determined the precise boundary between the "free" hydrogen sulfide (sulfidic) zone and the upper (oxic/suboxic) water column at the two stations studied. This boundary has apparently moved up by about 50 m in the past 20 years. Our results help demonstrate three chemically distinct zones of water in the central basin of the Black Sea: (1) the oxic [0-65 m], (2) the anoxic/nonsulfidic [65-100 m] and (3) the sulfidic [>100 m]. Sulfide bound to metals ("complexed" sulfide) is observed in both the oxic and anoxic/nonsulfidic zones of the water column. This supports previous studies on metal sulfide forms. From the electrochemical data, it is possible to estimate the strength of the complexation of sulfide to metals (log K = 10 to 11). Thiosulfate and sulfite were below our minimum detectable limit (MDL) of 50 nM using CSSWV. Elemental sulfur (MDL 5 nM) was detected below the onset of the hydrogen sulfide zone (90-100 m) with a maximum of 30-60 nM near 120 m. The sulfur speciation results for the Black Sea are lower by one order of magnitude or more than other marine systems such as the Cariaco Trench and salt marshes. New HPLC techniques were applied to detect thiols at submicromolar levels. The presence of thiols (2-mercaptoethylamine, 2-mercaptoethanol, N-acetylcysteine and glutathione) is correlated with the remineralization of organic matter at the oxic and anoxic/nonsulfidic interface. Water samples collected from the upper 50 m of the sulfidic zone showed significant sulfide oxidation on storage onboard ship even though they were filtered (0.2 μm) and handled to exclude oxygen contamination. Chemical additives such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, hydroxylamine and ascorbic acid prevented or retarded the sulfide loss. Thiosulfate and azide did not inhibit sulfide loss. These studies suggest an anaerobic chemical oxidation of sulfide rather than a biological oxidation on stored and filtered samples.

Feasibility of measuring selenium in humans using in vivo neutron activation analysis.

PubMed

Tahir, S N A; Chettle, D R; Byun, S H; Prestwich, W V

2015-11-01

Selenium (Se) is an element that, in trace quantities, plays an important role in the normal function of a number of biological processes in humans. Many studies have demonstrated that selenium deficiency in the body may contribute to an increased risk for certain neoplastic, cardiovascular, osseous, and nervous system diseases including retardation of bone formation. However, at higher concentrations Se is cytotoxic. For these reasons it is desirable to have a means of monitoring selenium concentration in humans.This paper presents the outcome of a feasibility study carried out for measuring selenium in humans using in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA). In this technique a small dose of neutrons is delivered to the organ of interest, the neutrons are readily captured by the target nuclei, and the γ-rays given off are detected outside of the body. For the present study, human hand (bone) tissue equivalent phantoms were prepared with varying amounts of Se. These were irradiated by a low energy fast neutron beam produced by the (7)Li(p,n)(7)Be reaction employing the high beam current Tandetron accelerator. The counting data saved using a 4π NaI(TI) detection system were analyzed. The selenium was detected via the neutron capture reaction, (76)Se(n,γ)(77 m)Se, whereas calcium was detected through the (48)Ca(n,γ)(49)Ca reaction for the purpose of normalization of the Se signals to the calcium signals. From the calibration lines drawn between Se/Ca concentrations and Se/Ca counts ratio, the minimum detection limits (MDLs) were computed for two sets of phantoms irradiated under different irradiation parameters.In this study the optimized MDL value was determined to be 81 ng g(-1) (Se/phantom mass) for an equivalent dose of 188 mSv to the phantom. This MDL was found at least 10 times lower than the reported data on Se concentration measured in bone tissues. It was concluded that the NAA technique would be a feasible means of performing in vivo measurements of selenium in humans. Currently the data on in vivo measurement of selenium in humans are limited; the results of the present study would greatly contribute to the present data.

Expression of calpain-like proteins and effects of calpain inhibitors on the growth rate of Angomonas deanei wild type and aposymbiotic strains.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Simone Santiago Carvalho; Garcia-Gomes, Aline dos Santos; d'Avila-Levy, Claudia Masini; dos Santos, André Luis Souza; Branquinha, Marta Helena

2015-09-29

Angomonas deanei is a trypanosomatid parasite of insects that has a bacterial endosymbiont, which supplies amino acids and other nutrients to its host. Bacterium loss induced by antibiotic treatment of the protozoan leads to an aposymbiotic strain with increased need for amino acids and results in increased production of extracellular peptidases. In this work, a more detailed examination of A. deanei was conducted to determine the effects of endosymbiont loss on the host calpain-like proteins (CALPs), followed by testing of different calpain inhibitors on parasite proliferation. Western blotting showed the presence of different protein bands reactive to antibodies against calpain from Drosophila melanogaster (anti-Dm-calpain), lobster calpain (anti-CDPIIb) and cytoskeleton-associated calpain from Trypanosoma brucei (anti-CAP5.5), suggesting a possible modulation of CALPs influenced by the endosymbiont. In the cell-free culture supernatant of A. deanei wild type and aposymbiotic strains, a protein of 80 kDa cross-reacted with the anti-Dm-calpain antibody; however, no cross-reactivity was found with anti-CAP5.5 and anti-CDPIIb antibodies. A search in A. deanei genome for homologues of D. melanogaster calpain, T. brucei CAP5.5 and lobster CDPIIb calpain revealed the presence of hits with at least one calpain conserved domain and also with theoretical molecular mass consistent with the recognition by each antibody. No significant hit was observed in the endosymbiont genome, indicating that calpain molecules might be absent from the symbiont. Flow cytometry analysis of cells treated with the anti-calpain antibodies showed that a larger amount of reactive epitopes was located intracellularly. The reversible calpain inhibitor MDL28170 displayed a much higher efficacy in diminishing the growth of both strains compared to the non-competitive calpain inhibitor PD150606, while the irreversible calpain inhibitor V only marginally diminished the proliferation. Altogether, these results indicate that distinct calpain-like molecules are expressed by A. deanei, with a possible modulation in the expression influenced by the endosymbiont. In addition, treatment with MDL28170 affects the growth rate of both strains, as previously determined in the human pathogenic species Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi, with whom A. deanei shares immunological and biochemical relationships.

Behavioral and Pharmacokinetic Interactions Between Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors and the Hallucinogen 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine

PubMed Central

Halberstadt, Adam L.

2016-01-01

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are often ingested together with tryptamine hallucinogens, but relatively little is known about the consequences of their combined use. We have shown previously that monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) inhibitors alter the locomotor profile of the hallucinogen 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in rats, and enhance its interaction with 5-HT2A receptors. The goal of the present studies was to investigate the mechanism for the interaction between 5-MeO-DMT and MAOIs, and to determine whether other behavioral responses to 5-MeO-DMT are similarly affected. Hallucinogens disrupt prepulse inhibition (PPI) in rats, an effect typically mediated by 5-HT2A activation. 5-MeO-DMT also disrupts PPI but the effect is primarily attributable to 5-HT1A activation. The present studies examined whether an MAOI can alter the respective contributions of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors to the effects of 5-MeO-DMT on PPI. A series of interaction studies using the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100635 and the 5-HT2A antagonist MDL 11,939 were performed to assess the respective contributions of these receptors to the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT in rats pretreated with an MAOI. The effects of MAO-A inhibition on the pharmacokinetics of 5-MeO-DMT and its metabolism to bufotenine were assessed using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–selective reaction monitoring–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-SRM-MS/MS). 5-MeO-DMT (1 mg/kg) had no effect on PPI when tested 45-min post-injection but disrupted PPI in animals pretreated with the MAO-A inhibitor clorgyline or the MAO-A/B inhibitor pargyline. The combined effect of 5-MeO-DMT and pargyline on PPI was antagonized by pretreatment with either WAY-100635 or MDL 11,939. Inhibition of MAO-A increased the level of 5-MeO-DMT in plasma and whole brain, but had no effect on the conversion of 5-MeO-DMT to bufotenine, which was found to be negligible. The present results confirm that 5-MeO-DMT can disrupt PPI by activating 5-HT2A, and indicate that MAOIs alter 5-MeO-DMT pharmacodynamics by increasing its accumulation in the central nervous system. PMID:26780349

A method for direct, semi-quantitative analysis of gas phase samples using gas chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

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

Carter, Kimberly E; Gerdes, Kirk

2013-07-01

A new and complete GC–ICP-MS method is described for direct analysis of trace metals in a gas phase process stream. The proposed method is derived from standard analytical procedures developed for ICP-MS, which are regularly exercised in standard ICP-MS laboratories. In order to implement the method, a series of empirical factors were generated to calibrate detector response with respect to a known concentration of an internal standard analyte. Calibrated responses are ultimately used to determine the concentration of metal analytes in a gas stream using a semi-quantitative algorithm. The method was verified using a traditional gas injection from a GCmore » sampling valve and a standard gas mixture containing either a 1 ppm Xe + Kr mix with helium balance or 100 ppm Xe with helium balance. Data collected for Xe and Kr gas analytes revealed that agreement of 6–20% with the actual concentration can be expected for various experimental conditions. To demonstrate the method using a relevant “unknown” gas mixture, experiments were performed for continuous 4 and 7 hour periods using a Hg-containing sample gas that was co-introduced into the GC sample loop with the xenon gas standard. System performance and detector response to the dilute concentration of the internal standard were pre-determined, which allowed semi-quantitative evaluation of the analyte. The calculated analyte concentrations varied during the course of the 4 hour experiment, particularly during the first hour of the analysis where the actual Hg concentration was under predicted by up to 72%. Calculated concentration improved to within 30–60% for data collected after the first hour of the experiment. Similar results were seen during the 7 hour test with the deviation from the actual concentration being 11–81% during the first hour and then decreasing for the remaining period. The method detection limit (MDL) was determined for the mercury by injecting the sample gas into the system following a period of equilibration. The MDL for Hg was calculated as 6.8 μg · m -3. This work describes the first complete GC–ICP-MS method to directly analyze gas phase samples, and detailed sample calculations and comparisons to conventional ICP-MS methods are provided.« less

[Penis growth and development in children and adolescents: a study based on GAMLSS].

PubMed

Yi, Qing-Jie; Zeng, Yan; Zeng, Qing; Wang, Yi-Nan; Xiong, Feng

2017-08-01

To investigate penis development in children and adolescents aged 0-16 years, and to plot the percentile curve for penis development in different age groups. A total of 3 024 normal male neonates, children, and adolescents aged 0-16 years in Chongqing, China were selected by simple random sampling and stratified cluster sampling. The length and diameter of the penis were measured for all subjects. A descriptive statistical analysis was used to investigate the data characteristics of the penis, and the GAMLSS fitting model was used to plot the percentile curves of P 3 , P 10 , P 25 , P 50 , P 75 , P 90 , and P97 and obtain percentile reference values. The length and diameter of the penis grew rapidly before the age of 1 year, grew relatively slowly from 1 to 11 years old, and entered a rapid growth period from 11 years old. The length of the penis was positively correlated with its diameter (r=0.961, P<0.01). The percentile reference values of penis length and diameter were obtained and the percentile curve was plotted. The growth and development of penis length is consistent with that of penis diameter in male children and adolescents in Chongqing, and 0-1 year and 11-16 years are rapid growth periods of penis length and diameter. The percentile curve of penis length and diameter in children and adolescents aged 0-16 years in Chongqing which has been established will provide a reference for further studies on sexual development in children and adolescents.

EnviroAtlas - 303(d) Impairments by 12-digit HUC for the Conterminous United States

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This EnviroAtlas dataset depicts the total length of stream or river flowlines that have impairments submitted to the EPA by states under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. It also contains the total lengths of streams, rivers, and canals, total waterbody area, and stream density (stream length per area) from the US Geological Survey's high-resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).This dataset was produced by the US EPA to support research and online mapping activities related to EnviroAtlas. EnviroAtlas (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas) allows the user to interact with a web-based, easy-to-use, mapping application to view and analyze multiple ecosystem services for the contiguous United States. The dataset is available as downloadable data (https://edg.epa.gov/data/Public/ORD/EnviroAtlas) or as an EnviroAtlas map service. Additional descriptive information about each attribute in this dataset can be found in its associated EnviroAtlas Fact Sheet (https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-fact-sheets).

Comparative analysis of age dynamics of average values of body dimensions in children from birth to 7 years.

PubMed

Deryabin, Vasily E; Krans, Valentina M; Fedotova, Tatiana K

2005-07-01

Mean values of different body dimensions in different age cohorts of children make it possible to learn a lot about their dynamic changes. Their comparative analysis, as is usually practiced, in fact leads to a simple description of changes in measurement units (mm or cm) at the average level of some body dimension during a shorter or longer period of time. To estimate comparative intensity of the growth process of different body dimensions, the authors use the analogue of Mahalanobis distance, the so-called Kullback divergence (1967), which does not demand stability of dispersion or correlation coefficients of dimensions in compared cohorts of children. Most of the dimensions, excluding skinfolds, demonstrate growth dynamics with gradually reducing increments from birth to 7 years. Body length has the highest integrative increment, leg length about 94% of body length, body mass 77%, and trunk and extremities circumferences 56%. Skinfolds have a non-monotonic pattern of accumulated standardized increments with some increase until 1-2 years of age.

Measurement of the attenuation length of argon scintillation light in the ArDM LAr TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvo, J.; Cantini, C.; Crivelli, P.; Daniel, M.; Di Luise, S.; Gendotti, A.; Horikawa, S.; Molina-Bueno, L.; Montes, B.; Mu, W.; Murphy, S.; Natterer, G.; Nguyen, K.; Periale, L.; Quan, Y.; Radics, B.; Regenfus, C.; Romero, L.; Rubbia, A.; Santorelli, R.; Sergiampietri, F.; Viant, T.; Wu, S.

2018-01-01

We report on a measurement of the attenuation length for the scintillation light in the tonne size liquid argon target of the ArDM dark matter experiment. The data was recorded in the first underground operation of the experiment in single-phase operational mode. The results were achieved by comparing the light yield spectra from 39Ar and 83mKr to a description of the ArDM setup with a model of full light ray tracing. A relatively low value close to 0.5 m was found for the attenuation length of the liquid argon bulk to its own scintillation light. We interpret this result as a presence of optically active impurities in the liquid argon which are not filtered by the installed purification systems. We also present analyses of the argon gas employed for the filling and discuss cross sections in the vacuum ultraviolet of various molecules in respect to purity requirements in the context of large liquid argon installations.

Correlation of atomic packing with the boson peak in amorphous alloys

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

Yang, W. M.; Key Laboratory of Magnetic Materials and Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189

2014-09-28

Boson peaks (BP) have been observed from phonon specific heats in 10 studied amorphous alloys. Two Einstein-type vibration modes were proposed in this work and all data can be fitted well. By measuring and analyzing local atomic structures of studied amorphous alloys and 56 reported amorphous alloys, it is found that (a) the BP originates from local harmonic vibration modes associated with the lengths of short-range order (SRO) and medium-range order (MRO) in amorphous alloys, and (b) the atomic packing in amorphous alloys follows a universal scaling law, i.e., the ratios of SRO and MRO lengths to solvent atomic diametermore » are 3 and 7, respectively, which exact match with length ratios of BP vibration frequencies to Debye frequency for the studied amorphous alloys. This finding provides a new perspective for atomic packing in amorphous materials, and has significant implications for quantitative description of the local atomic orders and understanding the structure-property relationship.« less

Improved classification of drainage networks using junction angles and secondary tributary lengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Kichul; Marpu, Prashanth R.; Ouarda, Taha B. M. J.

2015-06-01

River networks in different regions have distinct characteristics generated by geological processes. These differences enable classification of drainage networks using several measures with many features of the networks. In this study, we propose a new approach that only uses the junction angles with secondary tributary lengths to directly classify different network types. This methodology is based on observations on 50 predefined channel networks. The cumulative distributions of secondary tributary lengths for different ranges of junction angles are used to obtain the descriptive values that are defined using a power-law representation. The averages of the values for the known networks are used to represent the classes, and any unclassified network can be classified based on the similarity of the representative values to those of the known classes. The methodology is applied to 10 networks in the United Arab Emirates and Oman and five networks in the USA, and the results are validated using the classification obtained with other methods.

Saturation Length of Erodible Sediment Beds Subject to Shear Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casler, D. M.; Kahn, B. P.; Furbish, D. J.; Schmeeckle, M. W.

2016-12-01

We examine the initial growth and wavelength selection of sand ripples based on probabilistic formulations of the flux and the Exner equation. Current formulations of this problem as a linear stability analysis appeal to the idea of a saturation length-the lag between the bed stress and the flux-as a key stabilizing influence leading to selection of a finite wavelength. We present two contrasting formulations. The first is based on the Fokker-Planck approximation of the divergence form of the Exner equation, and thus involves particle diffusion associated with variations in particle activity, in addition to the conventionally assumed advective term. The role of a saturation length associated with the particle activity is similar to previous analyses. However, particle diffusion provides an attenuating influence on the growth of small wavelengths, independent of a saturation length, and is thus a sufficient, if not necessary, condition contributing to selection of a finite wavelength. The second formulation is based on the entrainment form of the Exner equation. As a precise, probabilistic formulation of conservation, this form of the Exner equation does not distinguish between advection and diffusion, and, because it directly accounts for all particle motions via a convolution of the distribution of particle hop distances, it pays no attention to the idea of a saturation length. The formulation and resulting description of initial ripple growth and wavelength selection thus inherently subsume the effects embodied in the ideas of advection, diffusion, and a saturation length as used in other formulations. Moreover, the formulation does not distinguish between bed load and suspended load, and is thus broader in application. The analysis reveals that the length scales defined by the distribution of hop distances are more fundamental than the saturation length in determining the initial growth or decay of bedforms. Formulations involving the saturation length coincide with the special case of an exponential distribution of hop distance, where the saturation length is equal to the mean hop distance.

Elasticity of short DNA molecules: theory and experiment for contour lengths of 0.6-7 microm.

PubMed

Seol, Yeonee; Li, Jinyu; Nelson, Philip C; Perkins, Thomas T; Betterton, M D

2007-12-15

The wormlike chain (WLC) model currently provides the best description of double-stranded DNA elasticity for micron-sized molecules. This theory requires two intrinsic material parameters-the contour length L and the persistence length p. We measured and then analyzed the elasticity of double-stranded DNA as a function of L (632 nm-7.03 microm) using the classic solution to the WLC model. When the elasticity data were analyzed using this solution, the resulting fitted value for the persistence length p(wlc) depended on L; even for moderately long DNA molecules (L = 1300 nm), this apparent persistence length was 10% smaller than its limiting value for long DNA. Because p is a material parameter, and cannot depend on length, we sought a new solution to the WLC model, which we call the "finite wormlike chain (FWLC)," to account for effects not considered in the classic solution. Specifically we accounted for the finite chain length, the chain-end boundary conditions, and the bead rotational fluctuations inherent in optical trapping assays where beads are used to apply the force. After incorporating these corrections, we used our FWLC solution to generate force-extension curves, and then fit those curves with the classic WLC solution, as done in the standard experimental analysis. These results qualitatively reproduced the apparent dependence of p(wlc) on L seen in experimental data when analyzed with the classic WLC solution. Directly fitting experimental data to the FWLC solution reduces the apparent dependence of p(fwlc) on L by a factor of 3. Thus, the FWLC solution provides a significantly improved theoretical framework in which to analyze single-molecule experiments over a broad range of experimentally accessible DNA lengths, including both short (a few hundred nanometers in contour length) and very long (microns in contour length) molecules.

Attitude control of the LACE satellite: A gravity gradient stabilized spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivory, J. E.; Campion, R. E.; Bakeris, D. F.

1993-01-01

The Low-power Atmospheric Compensation Experiment (LACE) satellite was launched in February 1990 by the Naval Research Laboratory. The spacecraft's pitch and roll are maintained with a gravity gradient boom and a magnetic damper. There are two other booms with much smaller tip masses, one in the velocity direction (lead boom) of variable length and the other in the opposite direction (balance boom) also of variable length. In addition, the system uses a momentum wheel with its axis perpendicular to the plane of the orbit to control yaw and keep these booms in the orbital plane. The primary LACE experiment requires that the lead boom be moved to lengths varying from 4.6 m to 45.7 m. This and other onboard experiments require that the spacecraft attitude remain within tight constraints while operating. The problem confronting the satellite operators was to move the lead boom without inducing a net spacecraft attitude disturbance. A description of a method used to change the length of the lead boom while minimizing the disturbance to the attitude of the spacecraft is given. Deadbeating to dampen pitch oscillations has also been accomplished by maneuvering either the lead or balance boom and is discussed.

Near Full-Length Identification of a Novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B/C Recombinant in Northern Myanmar.

PubMed

Zhou, Yan-Heng; Chen, Xin; Liang, Yue-Bo; Pang, Wei; Qin, Wei-Hong; Zhang, Chiyu; Zheng, Yong-Tang

2015-08-01

The Myanmar-China border appears to be the "hot spot" region for the occurrence of HIV-1 recombination. The majority of the previous analyses of HIV-1 recombination were based on partial genomic sequences, which obviously cannot reflect the reality of the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in this area well. Here, we present a near full-length characterization of a novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/B/C recombinant isolated from a long-distance truck driver in Northern Myanmar. It is the first description of a near full-length genomic sequence in Myanmar since 2003, and might be one of the most complicated HIV-1 chimeras ever detected in Myanmar, containing four CRF01_AE, six B segments, and five C segments separated by 14 breakpoints throughout its genome. The discovery and characterization of this new CRF01_AE/B/C recombinant indicate that intersubtype recombination is ongoing in Myanmar, continuously generating new forms of HIV-1. More work based on near full-length sequence analyses is urgently needed to better understand the genetic diversity of HIV-1 in these regions.

Relationships for electron-vibrational coupling in conjugated π organic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neill, L.; Lynch, P.; McNamara, M.; Byrne, H. J.

2005-06-01

A series of π conjugated systems were studied by absorption, photoluminescence and vibrational spectroscopy. As is common for these systems, a linear relationship between the positioning of the absorption and photoluminescence maxima plotted against inverse conjugation length is observed. The relationships are in good agreement with the simple particle in a box method, one of the earliest descriptions of the properties of one-dimensional organic molecules. In addition to the electronic transition energies, it was observed that the Stokes shift also exhibited a well-defined relationship with increasing conjugation length, implying a correlation between the electron-vibrational coupling and chain length. This correlation is further examined using Raman spectroscopy, whereby the integrated Raman scattering is seen to behave superlinearly with chain length. There is a clear indication that the vibrational activity and thus nonradiative decay processes are controllable through molecular structure. The correlations between the Stokes energies and the vibrational structure are also observed in a selection of PPV based polymers and a clear trend of increasing luminescence efficiency with decreasing vibrational activity and Stokes shift is observable. The implications of such structure property relationships in terms of materials design are discussed.

Simulation of Mirror Distortion in Free-Electron LASER Oscillators

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

H. Freund; S. V. Benson; Michelle D. Shinn

2006-09-01

The JLab FEL is routinely operated with sub-picosecond bunches. The short bunch length is important for high gain of the FEL. Coherent transition radiation has been used for the bunch length measurements for many years. This diagnostic can be used only in the pulsed beam mode. It is our goal to run FEL with CW beam and 74.85 MHz micropulse repetition rate. Hence it is very desirable to have the possibility of doing the bunch length measurements when running CW beam with any micropulse frequency. We use a Fourier transform infrared interferometer, which is essentially a Michelson interferometer, to measuremore » the spectrum of the coherent synchrotron radiation generated in the last dipole of the magnetic bunch compressor upstream of the FEL wiggler. This noninvasive diagnostic provides the bunch length measurements for CW beam operation at any micropulse frequency. We also compare the measurements made with the help of the FTIR interferometer with the data obtained by the Martin-Puplett interferometer. Results of the two diagnostics are usually agree within 15%. Here we present a description of the experimental setup, data evaluation procedure and results of the beam measurements.« less

Impact Damage and Erosion of Ceramics and Composites.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-31

local fracture toughness, Keff’ with crack length, a, was used to determine the fracture criticality. Specifically, the fracture toughness was chosen...A complete description of strength behaviors thus requires an experimental determination of the local toughness, One of us (A. V. Virkar) is currently...34Simulated Strength - Grain Size Study Using Glass- Glass Ceramic Composite System," submitted to Journal of Materials Science, (1979). -~_ 6 I ~ -_- 0

Bran data of total flavonoid and total phenolic contents, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, and profiles of proanthocyanidins and whole grain physical traits of 32 red and purple rice varieties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytochemicals in red and purple bran rice have potential health benefit to humans. We determined the phytochemicals in brans of 32 red and purple global rice varieties. The description of the origin and physical traits of the whole grain (color, length, width, thickness and 100-kernel weight) of th...

Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) FY 1984.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-12

nuclear submarine non-metallic, light weight, high strength piping . Includes the development of adequate fabrication procedures for attaching pipe ...waste heat economizer methods, require development. Improved conventional and hybrid heat pipes and/or two phase transport devices 149 IF are required...DESCRIPTION: A need exists to conceive, design, fabricate and test a method of adjusting the length of the individual legs of nylon or Kevlar rope sling

Visibility of quantum graph spectrum from the vertices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühn, Christian; Rohleder, Jonathan

2018-03-01

We investigate the relation between the eigenvalues of the Laplacian with Kirchhoff vertex conditions on a finite metric graph and a corresponding Titchmarsh-Weyl function (a parameter-dependent Neumann-to-Dirichlet map). We give a complete description of all real resonances, including multiplicities, in terms of the edge lengths and the connectivity of the graph, and apply it to characterize all eigenvalues which are visible for the Titchmarsh-Weyl function.

Some characteristics of the three-dimensional structure of Santa Ana winds

Treesearch

Michael A. Fosberg; Clyde A. O' Dell; Mark J. Schroeder

1966-01-01

The three-dimensional structure of the Santa Ana was investigated in two case studies. Incorporated into a descriptive model of the Santa Ana were: (a) a bispectral gravity wave flow with a lee trough, produced by conservation of potential vorticity having a wave length of the order of 300 km. and short waves 6 to 10 km. long; (b) intensity of the foehn related to the...

Convergence of Numerical Sequences--A Commentary on "The Vice: Some Historically Inspired and Proof Generated Steps to Limits of Sequences" by R. P. Burn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berge, Analia

2006-01-01

Burn (2005) proposes a "genetic approach" to teaching limits of numerical sequences. The article includes an explanation of the Method of Exhaustion, a generalization of this method, and a description of how this method was used for obtaining areas and lengths in the seventeenth century. The author uses these historical and mathematical analyses…

2007 Global Demilitarization Symposium and Exhibition

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-17

system! Defines reactive properties ! www.biorex.se Heavy metals • Water soluble • Easily spread • Elements • Not degradable • Hazardous • In high or low...Activated sludge Oat by-products Juniper fibre Sawdust Agro-based fibres Seaweed Grape stalk fibres Marine algae Husk of black gram www.biorex.se Sorbent...Description Reactor Illustration 18 inch diameter reactor 120 inches high Single diameter throughout entire reactor length 19 resistance heaters Alloy 600

Ultrastructural description of Ceratomyxa tenuispora (Myxozoa), a parasite of the marine fish Aphanopus carbo (Trichiuridae), from the Atlantic coast of Madeira Island (Portugal).

PubMed

Casal, Graça; Costa, Graça; Azevedo, Carlos

2007-09-01

The first ultrastructural description of Ceratomyxa tenuispora Kabata, 1960 (Myxozoa, Bivalvulida) from Madeira Island (Portugal), a parasite found in the gall bladder of the commercially important black-scabbard fish, Aphanopus carbo Lowe is presented. This parasite possesses spherical to ellipsoidal disporous trophozoites. Spores have a central crescent-shaped body averaging 11.0 microm in length, 28.5 microm in thickness and 12.1 microm in width. The valves have two long opposite lateral processes (ribbon-like structures or tails), each averaging 173 microm in length. The total thickness of the spore averages 375 microm. The spore has two sub-spherical polar capsules (approximately 5.2 x 4.1 microm), each with a polar filament with 7 to 8 coils. Some ultrastructural aspects of the sporogonic stages are described. The trophozoites develop without contact with epithelial cells. The cytoplasmic membrane has numerous evenly distributed external slender projections about 0.3 to 0.7 microm long. The sporogenesis produces two spores without pansporoblast formation. In the matrix of the capsular primordium, microtubules with an unusual organisation were observed. A binucleate sporoplasm that contains several sporoplasmosomes and dense bodies fills the spore cavity and extends to the tails without penetrating them.

Hybrid modeling for dynamic analysis of cable-pulley systems with time-varying length cable and its application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jing; Qi, Zhaohui; Wang, Gang

2017-10-01

The dynamic analysis of cable-pulley systems is investigated in this paper, where the time-varying length characteristic of the cable as well as the coupling motion between the cable and the pulleys are considered. The dynamic model for cable-pulley systems are presented based on the principle of virtual power. Firstly, the cubic spline interpolation is adopted for modeling the flexible cable elements and the virtual 1powers of tensile strain, inertia and gravity forces on the cable are formulated. Then, the coupled motions between the cable and the movable or fixed pulley are described by the input and output contact points, based on the no-slip assumption and the spatial description. The virtual powers of inertia, gravity and applied forces on the contact segment of the cable, the movable and fixed pulleys are formulated. In particular, the internal node degrees of freedom of spline cable elements are reduced, which results in that only the independent description parameters of the nodes connected to the pulleys are included in the final governing dynamic equations. At last, two cable-pulley lifting mechanisms are considered as demonstrative application examples where the vibration of the lifting process is investigated. The comparison with ADAMS models is given to prove the validity of the proposed method.

De novo characterisation of the greenlip abalone transcriptome (Haliotis laevigata) with a focus on the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) family.

PubMed

Shiel, Brett P; Hall, Nathan E; Cooke, Ira R; Robinson, Nicholas A; Strugnell, Jan M

2015-02-01

Abalone (Haliotis) are economically important molluscs for fisheries and aquaculture industries worldwide. Despite this, genomic resources for abalone and molluscs are still limited. Here we present a description and functional annotation of the greenlip abalone (Haliotis laevigata) transcriptome. We present a focused analysis on the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) family of genes with putative functions affecting temperature stress and immunity. A total of ~38 million paired end Illumina reads were obtained, resulting in a Trinity assembly of 222,172 contigs with minimum length of 200 base pairs and maximum length of 33 kilobases. The 20,702 contigs were annotated with gene descriptions by BLAST. We created a program to maximise the number of functionally annotated genes, and over 10,000 contigs were assigned Gene ontologies (GO terms). By using CateGOrizer, immunity related GO terms for stressors such as heat, hypoxia, oxidative stress and wounding received the highest counts. Twenty-six contigs with homology to the HSP70 family of genes were identified. Ninety-one putative single-nucleotide polymorphisms were observed in the abalone HSP70 contigs. Eleven of these were considered non-synonymous. The annotated transcriptome described in this study will be a useful basis for future work investigating the genetic response of abalone to stress.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: a descriptive and comparative review.

PubMed

Merkow, Justin; Paniccia, Alessandro; Edil, Barish H

2015-08-01

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described in 1994, it has been slow to gain in popularity. Recently, however, we have seen an increase in the number of centers performing this operation, including our own institution, as well as an increase in the quantity of published data. The purpose of this review is to describe the current status of LPD as described in the literature. We performed a literature search in the PubMed database using MeSH terms "laparoscopy" and "pancreaticoduodenectomy". We then identified articles in the English language with over 20 patients that focused on LPD only. Review articles were excluded and only one article per institution was used for descriptive analysis in order to avoid overlap. There were a total of eight articles meeting review criteria, consisting of 492 patients. On descriptive analysis we found that percent of LPD due to high-grade malignancy averaged 47% over all articles. Average operative time was 452 minutes, blood loss 369 cc's, pancreatic leak rate 15%, delayed gastric emptying 8.6%, length of hospital stay 9.4 days, and short term mortality 2.3%. Comparison studies between open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) and LPD suggested decreased blood loss, longer operative time, similar post-operative complication rate, decreased pain, and shorter hospital length of stay for LPD. There was also increased number of lymph nodes harvested and similar margin free resections with LPD in the majority of studies. LPD is a safe surgery, providing many of the advantages typically associated with laparoscopic procedures. We expect this operation to continue to gain in popularity as well as be offered in increasingly more complex cases. In future studies, it will be beneficial to look further at the oncologic outcome data of LPD including survival.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: a descriptive and comparative review

PubMed Central

Merkow, Justin; Paniccia, Alessandro

2015-01-01

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is an extremely challenging surgery. First described in 1994, it has been slow to gain in popularity. Recently, however, we have seen an increase in the number of centers performing this operation, including our own institution, as well as an increase in the quantity of published data. The purpose of this review is to describe the current status of LPD as described in the literature. We performed a literature search in the PubMed database using MeSH terms “laparoscopy” and “pancreaticoduodenectomy”. We then identified articles in the English language with over 20 patients that focused on LPD only. Review articles were excluded and only one article per institution was used for descriptive analysis in order to avoid overlap. There were a total of eight articles meeting review criteria, consisting of 492 patients. On descriptive analysis we found that percent of LPD due to high-grade malignancy averaged 47% over all articles. Average operative time was 452 minutes, blood loss 369 cc’s, pancreatic leak rate 15%, delayed gastric emptying 8.6%, length of hospital stay 9.4 days, and short term mortality 2.3%. Comparison studies between open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) and LPD suggested decreased blood loss, longer operative time, similar post-operative complication rate, decreased pain, and shorter hospital length of stay for LPD. There was also increased number of lymph nodes harvested and similar margin free resections with LPD in the majority of studies. LPD is a safe surgery, providing many of the advantages typically associated with laparoscopic procedures. We expect this operation to continue to gain in popularity as well as be offered in increasingly more complex cases. In future studies, it will be beneficial to look further at the oncologic outcome data of LPD including survival. PMID:26361406

Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in China

PubMed Central

Wen, Gaiyan; Liu, Xinchun; Huang, Lihua; Shu, Jingxian; Xu, Nana; Chen, Ruifang; Huang, Zhijun; Yang, Guoping; Wang, Xiaomin; Xiang, Yuxia; Lu, Yao; Yuan, Hong

2016-01-01

Purpose To explore the readability and content integrity of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in China and to compare the quality of Chinese local ICFs with that of international ICFs. Methods The length, readability and content of 155 consent documents from phase II-IV drug clinical trials from the Third Xiangya Hospital Ethics Committee from November 2009 to January 2015 were evaluated. Reading difficulty was tested using a readability formula adapted for the Chinese language. An ICF checklist containing 27 required elements was successfully constructed to evaluate content integrity. The description of alternatives to participation was assessed. The quality of ICFs from different sponsorships were also compared. Results Among the 155 evaluable trials, the ICFs had a median length of 5286 words, corresponding to 7 pages. The median readability score was 4.31 (4.02–4.41), with 63.9% at the 2nd level and 36.1% at the 3rd level. Five of the 27 elements were frequently neglected. The average score for the description of alternatives to participation was 1.06, and 27.7% of the ICFs did not mention any alternatives. Compared with Chinese local ICFs, international ICFs were longer, more readable and contained more of the required elements (P < 0.05). Conclusion The ICFs used in China were difficult to read for most participants. These forms had poor description of alternatives to participation, and failed to provide a high degree of information disclosure, including an explanation of informed consent, follow-up processing of the data/sample, inclusion/exclusion criteria, double blinding, and unpredictable risks. International ICFs had better readability and content integrity than Chinese local ICFs. More efforts should thus be made to improve the quality of consent documents in China. PMID:27701471

Readability and Content Assessment of Informed Consent Forms for Phase II-IV Clinical Trials in China.

PubMed

Wen, Gaiyan; Liu, Xinchun; Huang, Lihua; Shu, Jingxian; Xu, Nana; Chen, Ruifang; Huang, Zhijun; Yang, Guoping; Wang, Xiaomin; Xiang, Yuxia; Lu, Yao; Yuan, Hong

2016-01-01

To explore the readability and content integrity of informed consent forms (ICFs) used in China and to compare the quality of Chinese local ICFs with that of international ICFs. The length, readability and content of 155 consent documents from phase II-IV drug clinical trials from the Third Xiangya Hospital Ethics Committee from November 2009 to January 2015 were evaluated. Reading difficulty was tested using a readability formula adapted for the Chinese language. An ICF checklist containing 27 required elements was successfully constructed to evaluate content integrity. The description of alternatives to participation was assessed. The quality of ICFs from different sponsorships were also compared. Among the 155 evaluable trials, the ICFs had a median length of 5286 words, corresponding to 7 pages. The median readability score was 4.31 (4.02-4.41), with 63.9% at the 2nd level and 36.1% at the 3rd level. Five of the 27 elements were frequently neglected. The average score for the description of alternatives to participation was 1.06, and 27.7% of the ICFs did not mention any alternatives. Compared with Chinese local ICFs, international ICFs were longer, more readable and contained more of the required elements (P < 0.05). The ICFs used in China were difficult to read for most participants. These forms had poor description of alternatives to participation, and failed to provide a high degree of information disclosure, including an explanation of informed consent, follow-up processing of the data/sample, inclusion/exclusion criteria, double blinding, and unpredictable risks. International ICFs had better readability and content integrity than Chinese local ICFs. More efforts should thus be made to improve the quality of consent documents in China.

Staff perspectives on the provision of end-of-life care in a community residence for older adults with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Kirkendall, Abbie M; Waldrop, Deborah

2013-09-01

The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of community residence (CR) staff who have cared for older adults with developmental disabilities (ADDs) that are at the end of life. This exploratory, descriptive study utilized qualitative methods that involved semistructured interviews with CR staff members. The setting was a CR that was also an intermediate care facility (ICF) that provided 24-hour residential treatment for medical and/or behavioral needs. At least one registered nurse was present at all times. A CR with at least one resident who was over the age of 40 and had a diagnosis of a life-limiting illness was chosen. Participants included three frontline workers, four managers, and one registered nurse. In-person interviews included open-ended questions about end-of-life care for older ADDs. Demographics such as age, length of time working with ADDs, and education were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographics such as age, and length of time working with ADDs. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using grounded theory techniques. Four themes illuminated unique elements of the provision of end-of-life care in a CR: (1) influence of relationships, (2) expression of individuality, (3) contribution of hospice, (4) grief and bereavement, and (5) challenges to end-of-life care. The results provided insight into the unique needs of older ADDs at the end of life and how this influences their care. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of specialized care that involved collaborations with hospice for older ADDs who remain in a CR at the end of life.

Word retrieval in picture descriptions produced by individuals with Alzheimer's disease

PubMed Central

Kavé, Gitit; Goral, Mira

2016-01-01

What can tests of single-word production tell us about word retrieval in connected speech? We examined this question in 20 people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in 20 cognitively intact individuals. All participants completed tasks of picture naming and semantic fluency, and provided connected speech through picture descriptions. Picture descriptions were analyzed for total word output, percentages of content words, percentages of nouns, and percentages of pronouns out of all words, type-token ratio of all words and type-token ratio of nouns alone, mean frequency of all words and mean frequency of nouns alone, and mean word length. Individuals with AD performed worse than did cognitively intact individuals on the picture naming and semantic fluency tasks. They also produced a lower proportion of content words overall, a lower proportion of nouns, and a higher proportion of pronouns, as well as more frequent and shorter words on picture descriptions. Group differences in total word output and type-token ratios did not reach significance. Correlations between scores on tasks of single-word retrieval and measures of retrieval in picture descriptions emerged in the AD group but not in the control group. Scores on a picture naming task were associated with difficulties in word retrieval in connected speech in AD, while scores on a task of semantic verbal fluency were less useful in predicting measures of retrieval in context in this population. PMID:27171756

Steinernema balochiense n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) a new entomopathogenic nematode from Pakistan.

PubMed

Fayyaz, Shahina; Khanum, Tabassum Ara; Ali, Shaukat; Solangi, Ghulam Sarwar; Gulsher, Mehreen; Javed, Salma

2015-01-07

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) named Steinernema balochiense n. sp. belonging to the family Steinernematidae was isolated from Psidium guajava L., rhizophere soil samples of Balochistan, Pakistan. This new species belongs to the carpocapsae group. The new species can be separated from other described species by morphological and morphometrics characteristics as well as DNA sequence polymorphisms. This new nematode species is morphologically characterized by features of infective juveniles (IJ) and males. For the IJ average body length was (455; 415-528) µm, distance from anterior end to excretory pore (35; 32-38) µm, pharynx length (90; 85-98) µm, tail length (44.3; 40-51) µm, D% and E% values (39; 36-44) and (80; 70-92), respectively. For male specimens, the diagnostic characters included total body length (1330; 1135-1632) µm, gubernaculum length (44.4; 40-47) µm, D% (43.8; 40-51) and ratio of GS (63.8; 53-75). Morphological diagnostic traits for new species include the presence of a funnel shaped gubernaculum at the proximal end. S. balochiense n. sp. differs from infective stage juveniles of closest species S. nepalense by having 6 ridges vs 7 ridges in the lateral field. Molecular phylogenetic trees based on sequence of ITS-rDNA, D2D3 regions and the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene supports the description of this nematode isolate as a new species.

Modified Terminal Restriction Fragment Analysis for Quantifying Telomere Length Using In-gel Hybridization.

PubMed

Jenkins, Frank J; Kerr, Charles M; Fouquerel, Elise; Bovbjerg, Dana H; Opresko, Patricia L

2017-07-10

There are several different techniques for measuring telomere length, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The traditional approach, Telomere Restriction Fragment (TRF) analysis, utilizes a DNA hybridization technique whereby genomic DNA samples are digested with restriction enzymes, leaving behind telomere DNA repeats and some sub-telomeric DNA. These are separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, transferred to a filter membrane and hybridized to oligonucleotide probes tagged with either chemiluminescence or radioactivity to visualize telomere restriction fragments. This approach, while requiring a larger quantity of DNA than other techniques such as PCR, can measure the telomere length distribution of a population of cells and allows measurement expressed in absolute kilobases. This manuscript demonstrates a modified DNA hybridization procedure for determining telomere length. Genomic DNA is first digested with restriction enzymes (that do not cut telomeres) and separated by agarose gel electrophoresis. The gel is then dried and the DNA is denatured and hybridized in situ to a radiolabeled oligonucleotide probe. This in situ hybridization avoids loss of telomere DNA and improves signal intensity. Following hybridization, the gels are imaged utilizing phosphor screens and the telomere length is quantified using a graphing program. This procedure was developed by the laboratories of Drs. Woodring Wright and Jerry Shay at the University of Texas Southwestern 1 , 2 . Here, we present a detailed description of this procedure, with some modifications.

Experimental research of flow parameters on the last stage of the steam turbine 1090 MW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedlák, Kamil; Hoznedl, Michal; Bednář, Lukáš; Mrózek, Lukáš; Kalista, Robert

2016-06-01

This article deals with a brief description of measurement and evaluation of flow parameters at the output from the last stage of the low pressure steam turbine casing for the saturated steam with the nominal power 1090 MW. Measurement was carried out using a seven-hole pneumatic probe traversing along the length of the blade in several peripheral positions under nominal and selected partial modes. The result is knowledge of distribution of the static, dynamic and total pressure along the length of the blade and velocity distribution including their components. This information is the input data for determination of efficiency of the last stage, the loss coefficient of the diffuser and other significant parameters describing efficiency of selected parts of the steam turbine.

Surface plasmon resonances of arbitrarily shaped nanometallic structures in the small-screening-length limit

PubMed Central

Giannini, Vincenzo; Maier, Stefan A.; Craster, Richard V.

2016-01-01

According to the hydrodynamic Drude model, surface plasmon resonances of metallic nanostructures blueshift owing to the non-local response of the metal’s electron gas. The screening length characterizing the non-local effect is often small relative to the overall dimensions of the metallic structure, which enables us to derive a coarse-grained non-local description using matched asymptotic expansions; a perturbation theory for the blueshifts of arbitrary-shaped nanometallic structures is then developed. The effect of non-locality is not always a perturbation and we present a detailed analysis of the ‘bonding’ modes of a dimer of nearly touching nanowires where the leading-order eigenfrequencies and eigenmode distributions are shown to be a renormalization of those predicted assuming a local metal permittivity. PMID:27493575

Thermally driven mass flows in the convection zone of the sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dijkhuis, G. C.

1973-01-01

A formulation of the fluid dynamics of convective regions is developed which leads to an analytical description of the solar rotation, the Evershed flow, and the supergranulation. The starting point of the present formulation is the mixing length picture of convective equilibrium, but the earlier point mass model for convective molecules is replaced here by a model with both inertia and intrinsic moment of inertia. This extension introduces three rotational degrees of freedom into the dynamics of individual convective molecules, which enter into the dynamical equations for a mixing length fluid in the form of a separate vector field which we term the spin field. It is shown that for convective molecules having a spherically symmetric mass distribution, the spin field is proportional to the local vorticity.

Plasmon-driven acceleration in a photo-excited nanotube

DOE PAGES

Shin, Young -Min

2017-02-21

A plasmon-assisted channeling acceleration can be realized with a large channel, possibly at the nanometer scale. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the most typical example of nano-channels that can confine a large number of channeled particles in a photon-plasmon coupling condition. This paper presents a theoretical and numerical study on the concept of high-field charge acceleration driven by photo-excited Luttinger-liquid plasmons in a nanotube. An analytic description of the plasmon-assisted laser acceleration is detailed with practical acceleration parameters, in particular, with the specifications of a typical tabletop femtosecond laser system. Lastly, the maximally achievable acceleration gradients and energy gains within dephasingmore » lengths and CNT lengths are discussed with respect to laser-incident angles and CNT-filling ratios.« less

Delta's Key to the Next Generation TOEFL[R] Test: Six Practice Tests for the iBT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Nancy

2012-01-01

Six Practice Tests for the iBT gives students plenty of practice as they prepare for the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) or the new form of the institutional TOEFL (ITP). This new book/audio set contains a concise description of the TOEFL and the types of questions in each section, as well as six full-length tests that have not been published before.…

NASA Headquarters training catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The NASA Headquarters training catalog is a comprehensive listing of all educational and employee development programs. This course catalog contains descriptions of course content, objectives, target audience, prerequisites, length of course, approximate number of times the course is offered per year, and cost of the course. Curriculum areas include graduate and undergraduate academic study; professional development program; and executive management, senior management, and supervisory development programs. Secretarial/clerical and general computer skills programs are also included.

Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model (SCORM), Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-07-01

or query tool may provide the top- level entries of a well-established classification (LOC, UDC, DDC , and so forth). SEL 9.2.2 Taxon This subcategory...YYYY/MM/DD. CMIFeedback Structured description of student response in an interaction. CMIDecimal Number which may have a decimal point. If not...Seconds shall contain 2 digits with an optional decimal point and additional digits. CMITimespan A length of time in hours, minutes, and seconds

Fiber-linked telescope array: description and laboratory tests of a two-channel prototype

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alleman, J. J.; Reynaud, F.; Connes, P.

1995-05-01

We present a complete two-telescope version of a fiber-linked coherent array that is meant to be used for mounting on the dish of a radio telescope. This was built with 20-cm amateur telescopes and includes three different servo subsystems for guiding, nulling of the air path difference, and fiber length control. Laboratory tests of the fully integrated system in front of a star simulator are described.

DDN (Defense Data Network) Protocol Implementations and Vendors Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

length. Lower rates can be selected or determined by attached modem types 303, 209, V.35, or 188-114. Units are in pairs, one at each end of the...ECUs communicate with the IMP via direct cable or modems . DOCUMENTATION: Fully documented vendor product; descriptive literature available...terminals, PCs and modems to an Ethernet. The device can support up to 80 lines and 2 parallel printers. Full domain naming is supported as well as

U.S. Government Films; 1971 Supplement. A Catalog of Motion Pictures and Filmstrips for Rent and Sale by the National Audiovisual Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Archives and Records Service (GSA), Washington, DC. National Audiovisual Center.

For each of about 2,000 U.S. government films, the following information is given: length, millimeter, color or black-and-white, sale price, rental price, order number, and producing agency. For some, year of production is also listed. There is a one-sentence description of each film. Films are listed by subject and indexed by title and subject.…

Achondroplasia: Really rhizomelic?

PubMed

Shelmerdine, Susan Cheng; Brittain, Helen; Arthurs, Owen J; Calder, Alistair D

2016-08-01

Achondroplasia is the most common form of short limb dwarfism in humans. The shortening of the limb lengths in achondroplasia is widely described as "rhizomelic." While this appearance may be convincing clinically, the description is not necessarily true or helpful radiologically. The aims of this study, were therefore, to determine whether rhizomelic shortening is a true feature of achondroplasia at diagnosis in infancy. Humeral, radial, femoral, and tibial diaphyseal lengths were recorded by two independent observers from 22 skeletal surveys of infants with achondroplasia and compared with 150 normal age-matched control subjects. Upper and lower limb bone length ratios (radial/humeral and tibial/femoral lengths, respectively) in both groups were compared using an unpaired t-test. Mean upper limb length ratios were statistically higher within the achondroplasia group at 0.87 ± 0.04 (n = 22, mean age 70 ± 94 days) compared to normal controls at 0.79 ± 0.02 (n = 150, mean age 113 days ± 88 days; P < 0.0001). Lower limb length ratios were not significantly different between groups (0.84 ± 0.04 vs. 0.83 ± 0.02, P = 0.46). There was good inter-observer agreement of limb length measurements, with an average measurement difference of 0.1 ± 1.4 mm. In conclusion, infants with achondroplasia demonstrate statistically significant rhizomelic shortening within the upper limbs, but not lower limbs at diagnosis, compared to normal controls. The term "rhizomelic shortening" in relation to achondroplasia should be reserved when describing upper limb proportions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does hospital need more hospice beds? Hospital charges and length of stays by lung cancer inpatients at their end of life: A retrospective cohort design of 2002-2012.

PubMed

Kim, Sun Jung; Han, Kyu-Tae; Kim, Tae Hyun; Park, Eun-Cheol

2015-10-01

Previous studies found that hospice and palliative care reduces healthcare costs for end-of-life cancer patients. To investigate hospital inpatient charges and length-of-stay differences by availability of hospice care beds within hospitals using nationwide data from end-of-life inpatients with lung cancer. A retrospective cohort study was performed using nationwide lung cancer health insurance claims from 2002 to 2012 in Korea. Descriptive and multi-level (patient-level and hospital-level) mixed models were used to compare inpatient charges and lengths of stay. Using 673,122 inpatient health insurance claims, we obtained aggregated hospital inpatient charges and lengths of stay from a total of 114,828 inpatients and 866 hospital records. Hospital inpatient charges and length of stay drastically increased as patients approached death; a significant portion of hospital inpatient charges and lengths of stay occurred during the end-of-life period. According to our multi-level analysis, hospitals with hospice care beds tend to have significantly lower end-of-life hospital inpatient charges; however, length of stay did not differ. Hospitals with more hospice care beds were associated with reduction in hospital inpatient charges within 3 months before death. Higher end-of-life healthcare hospital charges were found for lung cancer inpatients who were admitted to hospitals without hospice care beds. This study suggests that health policy-makers and the National Health Insurance program need to consider expanding the use of hospice care beds within hospitals and hospice care facilities for end-of-life patients with lung cancer in South Korea, where very limited numbers of resources are currently available. © The Author(s) 2015.

The short mean length of stay of post-emergency geriatric units is associated with the rate of early readmission in frail elderly.

PubMed

Traissac, Thalie; Videau, Marie-Neige; Bourdil, Marie-José; Bourdel-Marchasson, Isabelle; Salles, Nathalie

2011-06-01

Specific postemergency short-stay geriatric units may decrease length of hospital stay, functional decline, and early readmission rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors of early rehospitalization in a shortstay geriatric unit. This study was a prospective observational study comprising over one year patients aged over 75 years, admitted to the post-emergency short-stay geriatric unit (Hôpital Saint André, Bordeaux, France) and discharged home. Socio-demographic data, length of hospital stay, and a standardized geriatric assessment were collected for all patients. One month after home discharge, patients were followed-up by phone, and the hospital readmission rate was calculated. descriptive, unvaried and multivariate analyses were carried out. A total of 476 patients were included in this study (mean age 86.5±6 yrs; 154 men, 322 women). Mean length of stay in the post-emergency short-stay geriatric unit was 6.3±2.7 days, and a total of 68 (14.3%) patients were readmitted within one month after home discharge. The readmission rate was associated with a diagnosis of delirium (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.9; 95% CI 1.1-3.3; p=0.02), mean length of stay exceeding 6 days (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.5; p=0.02), and decision of home discharge (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.4-4.1; p=0.002). Short mean lengths of stay were not considered as a risk factor for readmissions within one month, even in frail, dependent, hospitalized elderly persons.

A clinical correlation between stature and posterior tooth length.

PubMed

Reddy, Smitha; Shome, Bhuvan; Patil, Jayaprakash; Koppolu, Pradeep

2017-01-01

Exploration and determination of the relationship between stature and length of tooth is essential in Paleontology, Forensic Odontology and Endodontology. This study aimed to determine any association between stature and posterior tooth length in a group of patients who required root canal treatment. Age, sex and standing height of adults were considered for posterior tooth length measurement. Molars and Premolars of apparently normal males (n=115 for molars, n= 75 for premolars) and females (n=124 for molars, n=80 for premolars), aged 20-50 years with intact cuspal morphology, which required RCT were selected for this study. Females and males were divided into 2 groups each based on their heights females > 155 cm and ≤ 155 cm, males > 165.10 and ≤ 165.10cm. The tooth length of permanent molars and premolars in both groups were measured using RVG and Electronic apex locator. Measurements obtained were compared separately for males and females using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient. In females MB, ML, D roots of molar showed significant association (P=0.021), (P=0.027), (P=0.010) and roots of premolars showed significant association (P=0.002), (P=0.006) between both the groups respectively In males MB, ML, D roots of molar showed significant association (P=0.009), (P=0.004), (P=0.015) and roots of premolars showed significant association (P=0.006), (P=0.020) between both the groups respectively. The present clinical study reveals that there is a positive association between stature and posterior tooth length in both males and females.

Index/Ring Finger Ratio, Hand and Foot Index: Gender Estimation Tools.

PubMed

Gupta, Sonia; Gupta, Vineeta; Tyagi, Nutan; Ettishree; Bhagat, Sinthia; Dadu, Mohit; Anthwal, Nishita; Ashraf, Tahira

2017-06-01

Gender estimation from dismembered human body parts and skeletal remains in cases of mass disasters, explosions, and assaults cases is an imperative element of any medico-legal investigations and has been a major challenge for forensic scientists. The aim of the present study was to estimate the gender by using index and ring finger length ratio, hand and foot index along with the correlation of both the hand and foot index to determine the vital role of all the indices in establishing gender identity. A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 300 subjects (150 males and 150 females). Various anthropometric measurements like hand length, hand breadth and hand index, Index Finger Length (IFL), Ring Finger Length (RFL) and IFL/RFL ratio as well as foot length, foot breadth and foot index were estimated in millimeters (mm) with the help of sliding-anthropometric caliper. The data was analysed using independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient test. A probability value (p) of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The index and ring finger ratio was found to be higher in females as compared to males. The hand and foot index was more in males than in females. The index and ring finger length ratio, hand and foot index between males and females was found to be statistically significant for both hands and feet. A statistically significant correlation was determined between hand indexes versus foot index. This study can be useful to establish the gender of a dismembered hand or foot when subjected for medicolegal examination.

Distribution and length of osteophytes in the lumbar vertebrae and risk of rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a study of dry bones from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

PubMed

Chanapa, Patcharin; Yoshiyuki, Tohno; Mahakkanukrauh, Pasuk

2014-09-01

Vertebral osteophytes are a characteristic feature of intervertebral disc degeneration. In the lumbar spinal region, the two major structures in close proximity anterior to the spine are the inferior vena cava and the abdominal aorta, both of which have been reported to be affected by osteophytes. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution, classification and lengths of osteophytes in the lumbar vertebrae. One hundred and eighty lumbar columns of 90 males and 90 females from Chiang Mai, Thailand, in the age range 15 to 96 years (mean age, 63 years) were collected. The measuring length of osteophytes was assessed on vertebral body and articular facet. Statistical analysis was performed by descriptive analysis, chi-square and Pearson Correlation. Lumbar osteophytes were presented in 175 specimens (97.2%), 88 males and 87 females. The highest frequency was at L4, most were on the superior, inferior surface of body and articular facet (39.7%, 38.4%, and 22%), respectively. The greatest mean length was 3.47±2.21 mm at L5, and the longest length of anterior superior surface of body was 28.56 mm. The osteophyte length was significantly correlated directly with age (P<0.01), and males were significantly greater than females (P<0.05). The highest prevalence of osteophytes was on the anterior side of superior surface of body (30.4%), and the classification was traction. It can be proposed that the abdominal aorta could be damaged, especially a risk of rupture of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

The Mathematical Treatment of Leaf Venation: the Variation in Secondary Vein Length along the Midrib

PubMed Central

BURTON, RICHARD F.

2004-01-01

• Background and Aims In some dicotyledonous leaves and leaflets, the secondary veins run more‐or‐less straight to the margins and have well‐defined lengths. For a given half‐lamina of length L, an equation, previously proposed, relates the lengths of these veins, p, to the distances, l, between the leaf tip and their insertions on the midrib: p = B2x+ylx(L – l)y/Lx+y–1, where B, x and y are fitted parameters. Aspects of the formula are re‐examined, including its general applicability, significance and usefulness. • Methods Length measurements were made on leaves of various dicotyledons, notably Ulmus glabra,U. procera, Alnus viridis, A. glutinosa, Corylus avellana and Crataegus monogyna. Equations were fitted by non‐linear regression. • Key Results The equation has now been applied descriptively to 23 species of eight families, but it is sometimes preferable or necessary to replace the measured length, L, with a fourth parameter that may differ significantly from it. Within a given species, values of the indices x and y are positively correlated. Leaves of some U. glabra depart qualitatively from the general pattern. As an example of hypothesis testing, the equation was used to show that the retuse or emarginate leaf tips of A. glutinosa are not due to stunting. • Conclusions That the equation applies to many species suggests that the underlying processes of leaf growth are quantitatively similar. Although relevant knowledge of these is scant, consideration of mathematical relationships may help their elucidation. PMID:14707000

Molecular hydrodynamics: Vortex formation and sound wave propagation

DOE PAGES

Han, Kyeong Hwan; Kim, Changho; Talkner, Peter; ...

2018-01-14

In the present study, quantitative feasibility tests of the hydrodynamic description of a two-dimensional fluid at the molecular level are performed, both with respect to length and time scales. Using high-resolution fluid velocity data obtained from extensive molecular dynamics simulations, we computed the transverse and longitudinal components of the velocity field by the Helmholtz decomposition and compared them with those obtained from the linearized Navier-Stokes (LNS) equations with time-dependent transport coefficients. By investigating the vortex dynamics and the sound wave propagation in terms of these field components, we confirm the validity of the LNS description for times comparable to ormore » larger than several mean collision times. The LNS description still reproduces the transverse velocity field accurately at smaller times, but it fails to predict characteristic patterns of molecular origin visible in the longitudinal velocity field. Based on these observations, we validate the main assumptions of the mode-coupling approach. The assumption that the velocity autocorrelation function can be expressed in terms of the fluid velocity field and the tagged particle distribution is found to be remarkably accurate even for times comparable to or smaller than the mean collision time. This suggests that the hydrodynamic-mode description remains valid down to the molecular scale.« less

Molecular hydrodynamics: Vortex formation and sound wave propagation

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

Han, Kyeong Hwan; Kim, Changho; Talkner, Peter

In the present study, quantitative feasibility tests of the hydrodynamic description of a two-dimensional fluid at the molecular level are performed, both with respect to length and time scales. Using high-resolution fluid velocity data obtained from extensive molecular dynamics simulations, we computed the transverse and longitudinal components of the velocity field by the Helmholtz decomposition and compared them with those obtained from the linearized Navier-Stokes (LNS) equations with time-dependent transport coefficients. By investigating the vortex dynamics and the sound wave propagation in terms of these field components, we confirm the validity of the LNS description for times comparable to ormore » larger than several mean collision times. The LNS description still reproduces the transverse velocity field accurately at smaller times, but it fails to predict characteristic patterns of molecular origin visible in the longitudinal velocity field. Based on these observations, we validate the main assumptions of the mode-coupling approach. The assumption that the velocity autocorrelation function can be expressed in terms of the fluid velocity field and the tagged particle distribution is found to be remarkably accurate even for times comparable to or smaller than the mean collision time. This suggests that the hydrodynamic-mode description remains valid down to the molecular scale.« less

Video-Based Method of Quantifying Performance and Instrument Motion During Simulated Phonosurgery

PubMed Central

Conroy, Ellen; Surender, Ketan; Geng, Zhixian; Chen, Ting; Dailey, Seth; Jiang, Jack

2015-01-01

Objectives/Hypothesis To investigate the use of the Video-Based Phonomicrosurgery Instrument Tracking System to collect instrument position data during simulated phonomicrosurgery and calculate motion metrics using these data. We used this system to determine if novice subject motion metrics improved over 1 week of training. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Ten subjects performed simulated surgical tasks once per day for 5 days. Instrument position data were collected and used to compute motion metrics (path length, depth perception, and motion smoothness). Data were analyzed to determine if motion metrics improved with practice time. Task outcome was also determined each day, and relationships between task outcome and motion metrics were used to evaluate the validity of motion metrics as indicators of surgical performance. Results Significant decreases over time were observed for path length (P <.001), depth perception (P <.001), and task outcome (P <.001). No significant change was observed for motion smoothness. Significant relationships were observed between task outcome and path length (P <.001), depth perception (P <.001), and motion smoothness (P <.001). Conclusions Our system can estimate instrument trajectory and provide quantitative descriptions of surgical performance. It may be useful for evaluating phonomicrosurgery performance. Path length and depth perception may be particularly useful indicators. PMID:24737286

Monte Carlo simulations of lattice models for single polymer systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Hsiao-Ping

2014-10-01

Single linear polymer chains in dilute solutions under good solvent conditions are studied by Monte Carlo simulations with the pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method up to the chain length N ˜ O(10^4). Based on the standard simple cubic lattice model (SCLM) with fixed bond length and the bond fluctuation model (BFM) with bond lengths in a range between 2 and sqrt{10}, we investigate the conformations of polymer chains described by self-avoiding walks on the simple cubic lattice, and by random walks and non-reversible random walks in the absence of excluded volume interactions. In addition to flexible chains, we also extend our study to semiflexible chains for different stiffness controlled by a bending potential. The persistence lengths of chains extracted from the orientational correlations are estimated for all cases. We show that chains based on the BFM are more flexible than those based on the SCLM for a fixed bending energy. The microscopic differences between these two lattice models are discussed and the theoretical predictions of scaling laws given in the literature are checked and verified. Our simulations clarify that a different mapping ratio between the coarse-grained models and the atomistically realistic description of polymers is required in a coarse-graining approach due to the different crossovers to the asymptotic behavior.

Ram Pressure Stripping Made Easy: An Analytical Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köppen, J.; Jáchym, P.; Taylor, R.; Palouš, J.

2018-06-01

The removal of gas by ram pressure stripping of galaxies is treated by a purely kinematic description. The solution has two asymptotic limits: if the duration of the ram pressure pulse exceeds the period of vertical oscillations perpendicular to the galactic plane, the commonly used quasi-static criterion of Gunn & Gott is obtained which uses the maximum ram pressure that the galaxy has experienced along its orbit. For shorter pulses the outcome depends on the time-integrated ram pressure. This parameter pair fully describes the gas mass fraction that is stripped from a given galaxy. This approach closely reproduces results from SPH simulations. We show that typical galaxies follow a very tight relation in this parameter space corresponding to a pressure pulse length of about 300 Myr. Thus, the Gunn & Gott criterion provides a good description for galaxies in larger clusters. Applying the analytic description to a sample of 232 Virgo galaxies from the GoldMine database, we show that the ICM provides indeed the ram pressures needed to explain the deficiencies. We also can distinguish current and past strippers, including objects whose stripping state was unknown.

Multi-scale modeling of diffusion-controlled reactions in polymers: renormalisation of reactivity parameters.

PubMed

Everaers, Ralf; Rosa, Angelo

2012-01-07

The quantitative description of polymeric systems requires hierarchical modeling schemes, which bridge the gap between the atomic scale, relevant to chemical or biomolecular reactions, and the macromolecular scale, where the longest relaxation modes occur. Here, we use the formalism for diffusion-controlled reactions in polymers developed by Wilemski, Fixman, and Doi to discuss the renormalisation of the reactivity parameters in polymer models with varying spatial resolution. In particular, we show that the adjustments are independent of chain length. As a consequence, it is possible to match reactions times between descriptions with different resolution for relatively short reference chains and to use the coarse-grained model to make quantitative predictions for longer chains. We illustrate our results by a detailed discussion of the classical problem of chain cyclization in the Rouse model, which offers the simplest example of a multi-scale descriptions, if we consider differently discretized Rouse models for the same physical system. Moreover, we are able to explore different combinations of compact and non-compact diffusion in the local and large-scale dynamics by varying the embedding dimension.

Fundamental Movement Skills among Iranian Primary School Children.

PubMed

Aalizadeh, Bahman; Mohamadzadeh, Hassan; Hosseini, Fatemeh Sadat

2014-12-01

To determine the relationship between anthropometric indicators, physical activity (PA) and socioeconomic status (SES) with fundamental movement skills (FMS) among Iranian male students. In this descriptive study, based on SES scores, 241 students (7-10 years) were randomly selected and classified in high, medium and low groups. All children were measured by 8 morphology anthropometric measures. In order to examine a subset of manipulative skills and to measure physical activity and socioeconomic status, Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD2) and, interviewer-administered questionnaires were used, respectively. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. There was a significant positive correlation between SES and body mass index (BMI), while a significant negative correlation existed between PA and BMI. Object control skills were significantly correlated with height, foot length, forearm length, hand length and physical activity. Students with low socioeconomic status were more qualified in movements than other students who were in medium and high socioeconomic status. Therefore, parents need to encourage students to be more active in order to prevent obesity and to facilitate development of object control skills in high socioeconomic status.

Density functional theory and chromium: Insights from the dimers

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

Würdemann, Rolf; Kristoffersen, Henrik H.; Moseler, Michael

2015-03-28

The binding in small Cr clusters is re-investigated, where the correct description of the dimer in three charge states is used as criterion to assign the most suitable density functional theory approximation. The difficulty in chromium arises from the subtle interplay between energy gain from hybridization and energetic cost due to exchange between s and d based molecular orbitals. Variations in published bond lengths and binding energies are shown to arise from insufficient numerical representation of electron density and Kohn-Sham wave-functions. The best functional performance is found for gradient corrected (GGA) functionals and meta-GGAs, where we find severe differences betweenmore » functionals from the same family due to the importance of exchange. Only the “best fit” from Bayesian error estimation is able to predict the correct energetics for all three charge states unambiguously. With this knowledge, we predict small bond-lengths to be exclusively present in Cr{sub 2} and Cr{sub 2}{sup −}. Already for the dimer cation, solely long bond-lengths appear, similar to what is found in the trimer and in chromium bulk.« less

On the diversity of the SE Indo-Pacific species of Terebellides (Annelida; Trichobranchidae), with the description of a new species

PubMed Central

Parapar, Julio; Moreira, Juan

2016-01-01

The study of material collected during routine monitoring surveys dealing with oil extraction and aquaculture in waters off Myanmar (North Andaman Sea) and in the Gulf of Thailand, respectively, allowed us to analyse the taxonomy and diversity of the polychaete genus Terebellides (Annelida). Three species were found, namely Terebellides cf. woolawa, Terebellides hutchingsae spec. nov. (a new species fully described and illustrated), and Terebellides sp. (likely a new species, but with only one available specimen). The new species is characterised by the combination of some branchial (number, fusion and relative length of lobes and papillation of lamellae), and thoracic (lateral lobes and relative length of notopodia) characters and is compared with all species described or reported in the SW Indo-Pacific area, as well as with those sharing similar morphological characteristics all around the world. The taxonomic relevance of the relative length of branchial lobes and different types of ciliature in branchial lamellae for species discrimination in the genus is discussed. A key to all Terebellides species described in SE Indo-Pacific waters is presented. PMID:27602280

On the diversity of the SE Indo-Pacific species of Terebellides (Annelida; Trichobranchidae), with the description of a new species.

PubMed

Parapar, Julio; Moreira, Juan; Martin, Daniel

2016-01-01

The study of material collected during routine monitoring surveys dealing with oil extraction and aquaculture in waters off Myanmar (North Andaman Sea) and in the Gulf of Thailand, respectively, allowed us to analyse the taxonomy and diversity of the polychaete genus Terebellides (Annelida). Three species were found, namely Terebellides cf. woolawa, Terebellides hutchingsae spec. nov. (a new species fully described and illustrated), and Terebellides sp. (likely a new species, but with only one available specimen). The new species is characterised by the combination of some branchial (number, fusion and relative length of lobes and papillation of lamellae), and thoracic (lateral lobes and relative length of notopodia) characters and is compared with all species described or reported in the SW Indo-Pacific area, as well as with those sharing similar morphological characteristics all around the world. The taxonomic relevance of the relative length of branchial lobes and different types of ciliature in branchial lamellae for species discrimination in the genus is discussed. A key to all Terebellides species described in SE Indo-Pacific waters is presented.

Anatomic motor point localization for partial quadriceps block in spasticity.

PubMed

Albert, T; Yelnik, A; Colle, F; Bonan, I; Lassau, J P

2000-03-01

To identify the location of the vastus intermedius nerve and its motor point (point M) and to precisely identify its coordinates in relation to anatomic surface landmarks. Descriptive study. Anatomy institute of a university school of medicine. Twenty-nine adult cadaver limbs immobilized in anatomic position. Anatomic dissection to identify point M. Anatomic surface landmarks were point F, the issuing point of femoral nerve under the inguinal ligament; point R, the middle of superior edge of the patella; segment FR, which corresponds to thigh length; point M', point M orthogonal projection on segment FR. Absolute vertical coordinate, distance FM, relative vertical coordinate compared to the thigh length, FM'/FR ratio; absolute horizontal coordinate, distance MM'. The absolute vertical coordinate was 11.7+/-2 cm. The relative vertical coordinate was at .29+/-.04 of thigh length. The horizontal coordinate was at 2+/-.5 cm lateral to the FR line. Point M can be defined with relative precision by two coordinates. Application and clinical interest of nerve blocking using these coordinates in quadriceps spasticity should be studied.

Determination of the occurrence of gold in an unoxidized Carlin-type ore sample using synchrotron radiation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, J.R.; Chao, E.C.T.; Minkin, J.A.; Back, J.M.; Bagby, W.C.; Rivers, M.L.; Sutton, S.R.; Gordon, B.M.; Hanson, A.L.; Jones, K.W.

1987-01-01

The occurrence of the so-called invisible gold in two unoxidized Carlin-type gold samples from Nevada has been determined using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF) analysis at the National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory. A bedded sample from the East ore zone of the Carlin deposit and a breccia sample from Horse Canyon were analyzed. Preliminary results show that gold is found only in the Horse Canyon breccia sample. Experimental details including other X-ray line and diffraction peak interferences, standards used, and minimum detection limits (MDLs) are discussed. Gold, with a MDL range of 0.8 to 3 ppm, was not detected in euhedral pyrite crystals except in the interior porous portion of one grain. Gold was detected in some parts of the matrix. The phase which contains gold has not yet been identified. The highest content of gold so far analyzed is about 40 ppm. There are interesting implications of these new findings. ?? 1987.

Interactive object modelling based on piecewise planar surface patches.

PubMed

Prankl, Johann; Zillich, Michael; Vincze, Markus

2013-06-01

Detecting elements such as planes in 3D is essential to describe objects for applications such as robotics and augmented reality. While plane estimation is well studied, table-top scenes exhibit a large number of planes and methods often lock onto a dominant plane or do not estimate 3D object structure but only homographies of individual planes. In this paper we introduce MDL to the problem of incrementally detecting multiple planar patches in a scene using tracked interest points in image sequences. Planar patches are reconstructed and stored in a keyframe-based graph structure. In case different motions occur, separate object hypotheses are modelled from currently visible patches and patches seen in previous frames. We evaluate our approach on a standard data set published by the Visual Geometry Group at the University of Oxford [24] and on our own data set containing table-top scenes. Results indicate that our approach significantly improves over the state-of-the-art algorithms.

Comparison of ion chromatographic methods based on conductivity detection, post-column-reaction and on-line-coupling IC-ICP-MS for the determination of bromate.

PubMed

Schminke, G; Seubert, A

2000-02-01

An established method for the determination of the disinfection by-product bromate is ion chromatography (IC). This paper presents a comparison of three IC methods based on either conductivity detection (IC-CD), a post-column-reaction (IC-PCR-VIS) or the on-line-coupling with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS). Main characteristics of the methods such as method detection limits (MDL), time of analysis and sample pretreatment are compared and applicability for routine analysis is critically discussed. The most sensitive and rugged method is IC-ICP-MS, followed by IC-PCR-VIS. The photometric detection is subject to a minor interference in real world samples, presumably caused by carbonate. The lowest sensitivity is shown by the IC-CD method as slowest method compared, which, in addition, requires a sample pretreatment. The highest amount of information is delivered by IC-PCR-VIS, which allows the simultaneous determination of the seven standard anions and bromate.

OCT for industrial applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Guiju; Harding, Kevin

2012-11-01

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), as an interferometric method, has been studied as a distance ranger. As a technology capable of producing high-resolution, depth-resolved images of biological tissue, OCT had been widely used for the application of ophthalmology and has been commercialized in the market today. Enlightened by the emerging research interest in biomedical domain, the applications of OCT in industrial inspection were rejuvenated by a few groups to explore its potential for characterizing new materials, imaging or inspecting industrial parts as a service solution[3]. Benefiting from novel photonics components and devices, the industrial application of the older concepts in OCT can be re-visited with respect to the unique performance and availability. Commercial OCT developers such as Michelson Diagnostics (MDL; Orpington, U.K.) and Thorlabs (Newton, NJ) are actively exploring the application of OCT to industrial applications and they have outlined meaningful path toward the metrology application in emerging industry[3]. In this chapter, we will introduce the fundamental concepts of OCT and discuss its current and potential industrial applications.

Verification of spectrophotometric method for nitrate analysis in water samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniawati, Puji; Gusrianti, Reny; Dwisiwi, Bledug Bernanti; Purbaningtias, Tri Esti; Wiyantoko, Bayu

2017-12-01

The aim of this research was to verify the spectrophotometric method to analyze nitrate in water samples using APHA 2012 Section 4500 NO3-B method. The verification parameters used were: linearity, method detection limit, level of quantitation, level of linearity, accuracy and precision. Linearity was obtained by using 0 to 50 mg/L nitrate standard solution and the correlation coefficient of standard calibration linear regression equation was 0.9981. The method detection limit (MDL) was defined as 0,1294 mg/L and limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0,4117 mg/L. The result of a level of linearity (LOL) was 50 mg/L and nitrate concentration 10 to 50 mg/L was linear with a level of confidence was 99%. The accuracy was determined through recovery value was 109.1907%. The precision value was observed using % relative standard deviation (%RSD) from repeatability and its result was 1.0886%. The tested performance criteria showed that the methodology was verified under the laboratory conditions.

Interactive object modelling based on piecewise planar surface patches☆

PubMed Central

Prankl, Johann; Zillich, Michael; Vincze, Markus

2013-01-01

Detecting elements such as planes in 3D is essential to describe objects for applications such as robotics and augmented reality. While plane estimation is well studied, table-top scenes exhibit a large number of planes and methods often lock onto a dominant plane or do not estimate 3D object structure but only homographies of individual planes. In this paper we introduce MDL to the problem of incrementally detecting multiple planar patches in a scene using tracked interest points in image sequences. Planar patches are reconstructed and stored in a keyframe-based graph structure. In case different motions occur, separate object hypotheses are modelled from currently visible patches and patches seen in previous frames. We evaluate our approach on a standard data set published by the Visual Geometry Group at the University of Oxford [24] and on our own data set containing table-top scenes. Results indicate that our approach significantly improves over the state-of-the-art algorithms. PMID:24511219

Random forest models to predict aqueous solubility.

PubMed

Palmer, David S; O'Boyle, Noel M; Glen, Robert C; Mitchell, John B O

2007-01-01

Random Forest regression (RF), Partial-Least-Squares (PLS) regression, Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were used to develop QSPR models for the prediction of aqueous solubility, based on experimental data for 988 organic molecules. The Random Forest regression model predicted aqueous solubility more accurately than those created by PLS, SVM, and ANN and offered methods for automatic descriptor selection, an assessment of descriptor importance, and an in-parallel measure of predictive ability, all of which serve to recommend its use. The prediction of log molar solubility for an external test set of 330 molecules that are solid at 25 degrees C gave an r2 = 0.89 and RMSE = 0.69 log S units. For a standard data set selected from the literature, the model performed well with respect to other documented methods. Finally, the diversity of the training and test sets are compared to the chemical space occupied by molecules in the MDL drug data report, on the basis of molecular descriptors selected by the regression analysis.

Project description and crowdfunding success: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Zhou, Mi Jamie; Lu, Baozhou; Fan, Weiguo Patrick; Wang, G Alan

2018-01-01

Existing research on antecedent of funding success mainly focuses on basic project properties such as funding goal, duration, and project category. In this study, we view the process by which project owners raise funds from backers as a persuasion process through project descriptions. Guided by the unimodel theory of persuasion, this study identifies three exemplary antecedents (length, readability, and tone) from the content of project descriptions and two antecedents (past experience and past expertise) from the trustworthy cue of project descriptions. We then investigate their impacts on funding success. Using data collected from Kickstarter, a popular crowdfunding platform, we find that these antecedents are significantly associated with funding success. Empirical results show that the proposed model that incorporated these antecedents can achieve an accuracy of 73 % (70 % in F-measure). The result represents an improvement of roughly 14 percentage points over the baseline model based on informed guessing and 4 percentage points improvement over the mainstream model based on basic project properties (or 44 % improvement of mainstream's performance over informed guessing). The proposed model also has superior true positive and true negative rates. We also investigate the timeliness of project data and find that old project data is gradually becoming less relevant and losing predictive power to newly created projects. Overall, this study provides evidence that antecedents identified from project descriptions have incremental predictive power and can help project owners evaluate and improve the likelihood of funding success.

’Head-On’ Scattering of a Tubular Cylinder of Finite Length for Radar Target Identification Purposes

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

environment. The anechoic chamber is enclosed with aluminium plates and internally lined with a radio frequency absorbing material. The absorbing material...provides the necessary attenuation to the reflections from the walls, floor and ceiling, and the aluminium surface provides protection against external...inch aluminium sphere is used. Some measurements are taken with a cylinder with fins attached .The description of the cylinder with fins is shown in

Making Information Visible, Accessible, and Understandable: Meta-Data and Registries

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

the data created, the length of play time, album name, and the genre. Without resource metadata, portable digital music players would not be so...notion of a catalog card in a library. An example of metadata is the description of a music file specifying the creator, the artist that performed the song...describe struc- ture and formatting which are critical to interoperability and the management of databases. Going back to the portable music player example

DDN (Defense Data Network) Protocol Implementations and Vendors Guide,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

3000 feet) in length. Lower rates can be selected or determined by attached modem types 303, 209, V.35, or 188-114. Units are in pairs, one at each...each direction. ECUs communicate with the IMP via direct cable or modems . DOCUMENTATION: Fully documented vendor product; descriptive literature...application is the attachment of terminals, PCs and modems to an Ethernet. The device can support up to 80 lines and 2 parallel printers. Full domain naming

COMBIC, Combined Obscuration Model for Battlefield Induced Contaminants: Volume 1-Technical Documentation and Users Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-08-01

12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 WAVL WAVE1 WAVE2 MULDV Name Units Typically Description WAVE1 µm 1.06 Wavelength used for...the calculation. Alternatively, one can specify either frequency or wavenumber by using a FREQ or WVNUM record instead of WAVL. If WAVE2 is not...specified, WAVE1 is the single wave- length used; if WAVE2 is specified, the modules will attempt to do their calculation for a range of wavelengths. There

Description of two new species of Neotanais Beddard, 1886 (Crustacea, Tanaidacea) from KODOS area.

PubMed

Wi, Jin Hee; Suh, Hae Lip; Yu, Ok Hwan

2015-03-05

Two new species of Neotanais Beddard, 1886 are described from the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) area in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, based on the collections performed on board R/V Onnuri from a depth of 5180 m. Neotanais triqueturus n. sp. is similar to the 'pfaffi group' characterized by pereonites with a swollen distolateral margin, pleonites with mid-ventral spurs and tapered lateral margins but can be differentiated by a longer cephalothorax (length: width 1.6: 1), a cheliped with a large protrusion on the mid-dorsal margin of the fixed finger, and the presence of a ventral process on the cheliped carpus. Neotanais brevis n. sp. has the characteristics of the 'micromopher' group, with pleonites narrower than pereon, a cheliped carpus without a ventral process, and a uropod endopod with nine articles but can be differentiated by a combination of the pleonites without mid-ventral spurs, a relatively longer pleotelson (length: width 1: 1.5 vs. 1: 2), a uropod basis with one seta on each of the ventral and dorsal margins, and the cheliped fixed finger with proximal denticles. In this study, in order to prove N. triqueturus and N. brevis were new species, full descriptions and a comparison with the closely related species are given. In addition, comprehensive comparisons with the species of Neotanais from the east-central Pacific are tabulated and discussed.

The distributed lambda (λ) model (DLM): a 3-D, finite-element muscle model based on Feldman's λ model; assessment of orofacial gestures.

PubMed

Nazari, Mohammad Ali; Perrier, Pascal; Payan, Yohan

2013-12-01

The authors aimed to design a distributed lambda model (DLM), which is well adapted to implement three-dimensional (3-D), finite-element descriptions of muscles. A muscle element model was designed. Its stress-strain relationships included the active force-length characteristics of the λ model along the muscle fibers, together with the passive properties of muscle tissues in the 3-D space. The muscle element was first assessed using simple geometrical representations of muscles in the form of rectangular bars. It was then included in a 3-D face model, and its impact on lip protrusion was compared with the impact of a Hill-type muscle model. The force-length characteristic associated with the muscle elements matched well with the invariant characteristics of the λ model. The impact of the passive properties was assessed. Isometric force variation and isotonic displacements were modeled. The comparison with a Hill-type model revealed strong similarities in terms of global stress and strain. The DLM accounted for the characteristics of the λ model. Biomechanically, no clear differences were found between the DLM and a Hill-type model. Accurate evaluations of the λ model, based on the comparison between data and simulations, are now possible with 3-D biomechanical descriptions of the speech articulators because of the DLM.

Radiographic study of the fifth metatarsal for optimal intramedullary screw fixation of Jones fracture.

PubMed

Ochenjele, George; Ho, Bryant; Switaj, Paul J; Fuchs, Daniel; Goyal, Nitin; Kadakia, Anish R

2015-03-01

Jones fractures occur in the relatively avascular metadiaphyseal junction of the fifth metatarsal (MT), which predisposes these fractures to delayed union and nonunion. Operative treatment with intramedullary (IM) screw fixation is recommended in certain cases. Incorrect screw selection can lead to refractures, nonunion, and cortical blowout fractures. A better understanding of the anatomy of the fifth MT could aid in preoperative planning, guide screw size selection, and minimize complications. We retrospectively identified foot computed tomographic (CT) scans of 119 patients that met inclusion criteria. Using interactive 3-dimensional (3-D) models, the following measurements were calculated: MT length, "straight segment length" (distance from the base of the MT to the shaft curvature), and canal diameter. The diaphysis had a lateroplantar curvature where the medullary canal began to taper. The average straight segment length was 52 mm, and corresponded to 68% of the overall length of the MT from its proximal end. The medullary canal cross-section was elliptical rather than circular, with widest width in the sagittal plane and narrowest in coronal plane. The average coronal canal diameter at the isthmus was 5.0 mm. A coronal diameter greater than 4.5 mm at the isthmus was present in 81% of males and 74% of females. To our knowledge, this is the first anatomic description of the fifth metatarsal based on 3-D imaging. Excessive screw length could be avoided by keeping screw length less than 68% of the length of the fifth metatarsal. A greater than 4.5 mm diameter screw might be needed to provide adequate fixation for most study patients since the isthmus of the medullary canal for most were greater than 4.5 mm. Our results provide an improved understanding of the fifth metatarsal anatomy to guide screw diameter and length selection to maximize screw fixation and minimize complications. © The Author(s) 2014.

Description of Lutzomyia (Helcocyrtomyia) tolimensis, a new species of phlebotomine sandfly (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Colombia.

PubMed

Carrasquilla, María C; Munstermann, Leonard; Marín, Dairo; Ocampo, Clara; Ferro, Cristina

2012-12-01

A description is presented of Lutzomyia tolimensis sp. nov., a new species of the subgenus Helcocyrtomyia, series sanguinaria. It was collected in dwellings, peridomestic environment and in nearby forest patches located in the foothills of the Andean Central Cordillera, where in 2004-2006 occurred the largest epidemic ever recorded of leishmaniasis in Colombia. The male of this species is differentiated from other members of the series sanguinaria based on the following combination of characters: (i) base of coxite with 0-3 subequal setae, (ii) spines of gonostyle organized in positions 2.1.2, (iii) spines inserted on distal half of gonostyle and (iv) relationship of alar indices. The female is recognized principally by the following characters: (i) palpomere V longer than III, (ii) length of labro-epipharynx and (iii) relationship of the alar indices.

Model-independent description of quartet nd scattering at low energies

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

Grinyuk, B.E.; Simenog, I.V.; Sitnichenko, A.I.

1984-02-01

Asymptotic expansions are obtained for the scattering length a/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ and the effective range r/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ for the quartet state of three nucleons in the form of series in powers of the two-nucleon triplet effective range r/sub 0t/. This allows a model-independent description of these parameters and of the quartet phase shift of nd scattering in the effective-range approximation. Correlations between the parameters of three- and two-nucleon scattering are proposed and explained; these correlations allow the systematization of numerical calculations of a/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ and r/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ for different forms of interaction potentials.more » The influence of the energy dependence of the interaction on a/sub 3//sub ///sub 2/ is also considered.« less

A fluid description of plasma double-layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, J. S.; Crawford, F. W.

1979-01-01

The space-charge double-layer that forms between two plasmas with different densities and thermal energies was investigated using three progressively realistic models which are treated by fluid theory, and take into account four species of particles: electrons and ions reflected by the double-layer, and electrons and ions transmitted through it. The two plasmas are assumed to be cold, and the self-consistent potential, electric field and space-charge distributions within the double-layer are determined. The effects of thermal velocities are taken into account for the reflected particles, and the modifications to the cold plasma solutions are established. Further modifications due to thermal velocities of the transmitted particles are examined. The applicability of a one dimensional fluid description, rather than plasma kinetic theory, is discussed. Theoretical predictions are compared with double layer potentials and lengths deduced from laboratory and space plasma experiments.

Demographic trends of sick leave absenteeism among civil service employees at a federal agency from 2004 to 2012.

PubMed

Gajewski, Kim; Burris, Dara; Spears, D Ross; Sullivan, Kevin; Oyinloye, Oluremi; McNeil, Carrie; Meechan, Paul; Warnock, Eli; Trapp, Jonathan; Decker, K C; Chapman, Sandy

2015-03-01

To investigate the associations between demographic variables and sick leave use. We analyzed sick leave use among civil servants at a federal agency (FA) from 2004 to 2012 by demographic and FA-specific variables. We used a mixed methods approach and type III analysis to build a descriptive model of sick leave proportions and demographic variables. Sick absenteeism usage varied significantly (variation of greater than one sick day per year) by sex, Emergency Operations Center response tier, length of service at the FA, age, and general schedule pay grade level. Our final descriptive model contained age, sex, response tier and an interaction term between age and sex. Future studies should examine these associations on smaller time scales, perhaps breaking the data down by month or day of the week.

The effect of high risk pregnancy on duration of neonatal stay in neonatal intensive care unit.

PubMed

Afrasiabi, Narges; Mohagheghi, Parisa; Kalani, Majid; Mohades, Gholam; Farahani, Zahra

2014-08-01

High risk pregnancies increase the risk of neonatal mortality and morbidity. In order to identify the influence of pregnancy complications on the period of neonatal stay in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), an analysis has been carried out in our center. In a cross-sectional-descriptive analytical study, the data including NICU length of stay was gathered from 526 medical records of neonates. We also assessed their maternal complications such as premature rapture of membranes (PROM), urinary tract infection (UTI), preeclampsia, oligohydramnios, and twin/triplet pregnancy. Finally we analyzed the relation between variables by SPSS statistics software version 19. The level of significance was considered P<0.05. 37 of 526 neonatal medical records were excluded. Of the 489 babies hospitalized in NICU for 1 to 54 days; 28.42% born were preterm, 308 with birth weight <2500 gram and 170 with birth weight between 2500 and 4000 gram. There was a significant relation between length of neonatal NICU stay and maternal PROM (P=0.001), preeclampsia (P=0.01), UTI (P=0.02), multiple gestation (P=0.03), and oligohydramnios (P=0.003). We found a positive correlation between numbers of gestation and length of NICU stay (P=0.03). A positive correlation existed between neonatal complication and length of NICU stay (P<0.001). By increasing maternal health level and prenatal care services, neonatal outcome can be improved and length of stay in NICUs decreased.

Measuring explosive non-ideality

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

Souers, P C

1999-02-17

The sonic reaction zone length may be measured by four methods: (1) size effect, (2) detonation front curvature, (3) crystal interface velocity and (4) in-situ gauges. The amount of data decreases exponentially from (1) to (4) with there being almost no gauge data for prompt detonation at steady state. The ease and clarity of obtaining the reaction zone length increases from (1) to (4). The method of getting the reaction zone length, , is described for the four methods. A measure of non-ideality is proposed: the reaction zone length divided by the cylinder radius. N = /R{sub o}.more » N = 0 for true ideality. It also decreases with increasing radius as it should. For N < 0.10, an equilibrium EOS like the JWL may be used. For N > 0.10, a time-dependent description is essential. The crystal experiment, which measures the particle velocity of an explosive-transparent material interface, is presently rising in importance. We examine the data from three experiments and apply: (1) an impedance correction that transfers the explosive C-J particle velocity to the corresponding value for the interface, and (2) multiplies the interface time by 3/4 to simulate the explosive speed of sound. The result is a reaction zone length comparable to those obtained by other means. A few explosives have reaction zones so small that the change of slope in the particle velocity is easily seen.« less

An atomistic-continuum hybrid simulation of fluid flows over superhydrophobic surfaces

PubMed Central

Li, Qiang; He, Guo-Wei

2009-01-01

Recent experiments have found that slip length could be as large as on the order of 1 μm for fluid flows over superhydrophobic surfaces. Superhydrophobic surfaces can be achieved by patterning roughness on hydrophobic surfaces. In the present paper, an atomistic-continuum hybrid approach is developed to simulate the Couette flows over superhydrophobic surfaces, in which a molecular dynamics simulation is used in a small region near the superhydrophobic surface where the continuum assumption is not valid and the Navier-Stokes equations are used in a large region for bulk flows where the continuum assumption does hold. These two descriptions are coupled using the dynamic coupling model in the overlap region to ensure momentum continuity. The hybrid simulation predicts a superhydrophobic state with large slip lengths, which cannot be obtained by molecular dynamics simulation alone. PMID:19693344

Nursing work environment, patient safety and quality of care in pediatric hospital.

PubMed

Alves, Daniela Fernanda Dos Santos; Guirardello, Edinêis de Brito

2016-06-01

Objectives To describe the characteristics of the nursing work environment, safety attitudes, quality of care, measured by the nursing staff of the pediatric units, as well as to analyze the evolution of quality of care and hospital indicators. Methods Descriptive study with 136 nursing professionals at a paediatric hospital, conducted through personal and professional characterization form, Nursing Work Index - Revised, Safety Attitudes Questionnaire - Short Form 2006 and quality indicators. Results The professionals perceive the environment as favourable to professional practice, and consider good quality care that is also observed by reducing the incidence of adverse events and decreased length of stay. The domain job satisfaction was considered favourable to patient safety. Conclusions The work environment is favourable to nursing practice, the professionals nursing approve the quality of care and the indicators tended reducing adverse events and length of stay.

Theoretical description of transverse measurements of polarization in optically-pumped Rb vapor cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreiling, Joan; Tupa, Dale; Norrgard, Eric; Gay, Timothy

2012-06-01

In optical pumping of alkali-metal vapors, the polarization of the atoms is typically determined by probing along the entire length of the pumping beam, resulting in an averaged value of polarization over the length of the cell. Such measurements do not give any information about spatial variations of the polarization along the pump beam axis. Using a D1 probe beam oriented perpendicular to the pumping beam, we have demonstrated a heuristic method for determining the polarization along the pump beam's axis. Adapting a previously developed theory [1], we provide an analysis of the experiment which explains why this method works. The model includes the effects of Rb density, buffer gas pressure, and pump detuning. [4pt] [1] E.B. Norrgard, D. Tupa, J.M. Dreiling, and T.J. Gay, Phys. Rev. A 82, 033408 (2010).

SNW 2000 Proceedings. Oxide Thickness Variation Induced Threshold Voltage Fluctuations in Decanano MOSFETs: a 3D Density Gradient Simulation Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asenov, Asen; Kaya, S.; Davies, J. H.; Saini, S.

2000-01-01

We use the density gradient (DG) simulation approach to study, in 3D, the effect of local oxide thickness fluctuations on the threshold voltage of decanano MOSFETs in a statistical manner. A description of the reconstruction procedure for the random 2D surfaces representing the 'atomistic' Si-SiO2 interface variations is presented. The procedure is based on power spectrum synthesis in the Fourier domain and can include either Gaussian or exponential spectra. The simulations show that threshold voltage variations induced by oxide thickness fluctuation become significant when the gate length of the devices become comparable to the correlation length of the fluctuations. The extent of quantum corrections in the simulations with respect to the classical case and the dependence of threshold variations on the oxide thickness are examined.

Ribbon Crystals

PubMed Central

Bohr, Jakob; Markvorsen, Steen

2013-01-01

A repetitive crystal-like pattern is spontaneously formed upon the twisting of straight ribbons. The pattern is akin to a tessellation with isosceles triangles, and it can easily be demonstrated with ribbons cut from an overhead transparency. We give a general description of developable ribbons using a ruled procedure where ribbons are uniquely described by two generating functions. This construction defines a differentiable frame, the ribbon frame, which does not have singular points, whereby we avoid the shortcomings of the Frenet–Serret frame. The observed spontaneous pattern is modeled using planar triangles and cylindrical arcs, and the ribbon structure is shown to arise from a maximization of the end-to-end length of the ribbon, i.e. from an optimal use of ribbon length. The phenomenon is discussed in the perspectives of incompatible intrinsic geometries and of the emergence of long-range order. PMID:24098360

Family functionality: a study of Brazilian institutionalized elderly individuals.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Simone Camargo; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost; Orlandi, Fabiana de Souza; de Mendiondo, Marisa Silvana Zazzeta

2014-01-01

This study presents an analysis of a potential association between family functionality and the variables of gender, length of institutionalization, family composition, depressive symptoms, and cognitive disorders in elderly individuals living in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) in a city in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study with a descriptive-correlational design. A total of 107 institutionalized elderly individuals were interviewed. Data were analyzed through raw and adjusted Logistic Regression. The results indicate that most elderly individuals experience family dysfunction, 57% present a high level of family dysfunction, 21% present moderate family dysfunction and 22% present good family functionality. There was a statistical association between the Family APGAR and the variables of length of institutionalization, depressive symptoms, family composition and cognitive disorders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vulnerability survival analysis: a novel approach to vulnerability management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farris, Katheryn A.; Sullivan, John; Cybenko, George

2017-05-01

Computer security vulnerabilities span across large, enterprise networks and have to be mitigated by security engineers on a routine basis. Presently, security engineers will assess their "risk posture" through quantifying the number of vulnerabilities with a high Common Vulnerability Severity Score (CVSS). Yet, little to no attention is given to the length of time by which vulnerabilities persist and survive on the network. In this paper, we review a novel approach to quantifying the length of time a vulnerability persists on the network, its time-to-death, and predictors of lower vulnerability survival rates. Our contribution is unique in that we apply the cox proportional hazards regression model to real data from an operational IT environment. This paper provides a mathematical overview of the theory behind survival analysis methods, a description of our vulnerability data, and an interpretation of the results.

Applications of the generalized information processing system (GIPSY)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moody, D.W.; Kays, Olaf

1972-01-01

The Generalized Information Processing System (GIPSY) stores and retrieves variable-field, variable-length records consisting of numeric data, textual data, or codes. A particularly noteworthy feature of GIPSY is its ability to search records for words, word stems, prefixes, and suffixes as well as for numeric values. Moreover, retrieved records may be printed on pre-defined formats or formatted as fixed-field, fixed-length records for direct input to other-programs, which facilitates the exchange of data with other systems. At present there are some 22 applications of GIPSY falling in the general areas of bibliography, natural resources information, and management science, This report presents a description of each application including a sample input form, dictionary, and a typical formatted record. It is hoped that these examples will stimulate others to experiment with innovative uses of computer technology.

An analytical coarse-graining method which preserves the free energy, structural correlations, and thermodynamic state of polymer melts from the atomistic to the mesoscale.

PubMed

McCarty, J; Clark, A J; Copperman, J; Guenza, M G

2014-05-28

Structural and thermodynamic consistency of coarse-graining models across multiple length scales is essential for the predictive role of multi-scale modeling and molecular dynamic simulations that use mesoscale descriptions. Our approach is a coarse-grained model based on integral equation theory, which can represent polymer chains at variable levels of chemical details. The model is analytical and depends on molecular and thermodynamic parameters of the system under study, as well as on the direct correlation function in the k → 0 limit, c0. A numerical solution to the PRISM integral equations is used to determine c0, by adjusting the value of the effective hard sphere diameter, dHS, to agree with the predicted equation of state. This single quantity parameterizes the coarse-grained potential, which is used to perform mesoscale simulations that are directly compared with atomistic-level simulations of the same system. We test our coarse-graining formalism by comparing structural correlations, isothermal compressibility, equation of state, Helmholtz and Gibbs free energies, and potential energy and entropy using both united atom and coarse-grained descriptions. We find quantitative agreement between the analytical formalism for the thermodynamic properties, and the results of Molecular Dynamics simulations, independent of the chosen level of representation. In the mesoscale description, the potential energy of the soft-particle interaction becomes a free energy in the coarse-grained coordinates which preserves the excess free energy from an ideal gas across all levels of description. The structural consistency between the united-atom and mesoscale descriptions means the relative entropy between descriptions has been minimized without any variational optimization parameters. The approach is general and applicable to any polymeric system in different thermodynamic conditions.

Atmospheric particulate mercury at the urban and forest sites in central Poland.

PubMed

Siudek, Patrycja; Frankowski, Marcin; Siepak, Jerzy

2016-02-01

Particulate mercury concentrations were investigated during intensive field campaigns at the urban and forest sites in central Poland, between April 2013 and October 2014. For the first time, quantitative determination of total particulate mercury in coarse (PHg2.2) and fine (PHg0.7) aerosol samples was conducted in Poznań and Jeziory. The concentrations in urban fine and coarse aerosol fractions amounted to < MDL ± 77.1 pg m(-3) and < MDL ± 604.9 pg m(-3), respectively. Aerosol samples collected during the whole study period showed statistically significant differences for particulate mercury concentrations. A strong impact of meteorological conditions (wind velocity, air mass direction, air temperature, and precipitation amount) on particulate mercury concentrations was also observed. In particular, higher variation and concentration range of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 was reported for wintertime measurements. An increase in atmospheric particulate mercury during the cold season in the study region indicated that coal combustion, i.e., residential and industrial heating, is the main contribution factor for the selected particle size modes. Coarse particulate Hg at the urban site during summer was mainly attributed to anthropogenic sources, with significant contribution from resuspension processes and long-range transport. The highest values of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 were found during westerly and southerly wind events, reflecting local emission from highly polluted areas. The period from late fall to spring showed that advection from the southern part of Poland was the main factor responsible for elevated Hg concentrations in fine and coarse particles in the investigated region. Moreover, September 2013 could be given as an example of the influence of additional urban activities which occurred approx. 10 m from the sampling site-construction works connected with replacement of the road surface, asphalting, etc. The concentrations of particulate Hg (>600.0 pg m(-3)) were much higher than during the following months when any similar situation did not occur. Our investigations confirmed that Hg in urban aerosol samples was predominantly related to local industrial and commercial emissions, whereas the main source of Hg in particulate matter collected at the forest site was connected with regional anthropogenic processes. This paper provides the results of the first long-term measurements of size-fractionated particulate mercury conducted in central Poland, which could be an important insight into atmospheric Hg processes within such a scarcely investigated part of Europe.

Pharmacological characterization of the 5-HT receptor-mediated contraction in the mouse isolated ileum

PubMed Central

Tuladhar, B R; Womack, M D; Naylor, R J

2000-01-01

The pharmacological characterization of a 5-HT receptor-mediated contractile response in the mouse isolated ileum is described. In the presence of methysergide (1 μM), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, 0.3–100 μM) produced phasic concentration-dependent contractions of segments of the mouse isolated ileum with a pEC50 value of 5.47±0.09. The 5-HT3 receptor selective agonists m-chlorophenylbiguanide (0.3–100 μM, pEC50 5.81±0.04), 1-phenylbiguanide (3–100 μM, pEC50 5.05±0.06) and 2-methyl-5-HT (3–100 μM, pEC50 5.00±0.07) acted as full agonists to induce contractile responses. 5-methoxytryptamine (0.1–100 μM), RS 67506 (0.1–100 μM) and α-methyl-5-HT (0.1–100 μM) failed to mimic the 5-HT responses. The contractile response to 5-HT was not antagonized by either 5-HT2 receptor antagonists ritanserin (0.1 μM) or ketanserin (1 μM) nor the 5-HT4 receptor antagonist SB 204070 (0.1 μM). The 5-HT3 receptor selective antagonists granisetron (0.3–1 nM), tropisetron (1–10 nM), ondansetron (10 nM–1 μM) and MDL 72222 (10 nM–1 μM) caused rightward displacement of the concentration-response curves to 5-HT. The lower concentrations of the antagonists caused approximate parallel rightward shifts of the concentration-response curves to 5-HT with apparent pKB values for granisetron (9.70±0.39), tropisetron (9.18±0.20), ondansetron (8.84±0.24) and MDL 72222 (8.65±0.35). But higher concentrations of antagonists resulted in a progressive reduction in the maximum responses. The contractile response to 5-HT was abolished by tetrodotoxin (0.3 μM); atropine (0.1 and 1 μM) decreased the maximum response of the 5-HT concentration-response curve by approximately 65%. It is concluded that a neuronally located 5-HT3 receptor mediates a contractile response to 5-HT in the mouse ileum. The 5-HT3 receptor in the mouse ileum has a different pharmacological profile to that reported for the guinea-pig ileum. PMID:11139451

In vivo measurement of bone aluminum in population living in southern Ontario, Canada

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

Davis, K.; Aslam,; Pejovic-Milic, A.

The harmful biological effect of excessive aluminum (Al) load in humans has been well documented in the literature. Al stored in bone, for instance due to dialysis treatment or occupational exposure, can interfere with normal bone remodeling leading to osteodystrophy, osteoarthritis, or osteomalacia. On the other hand, the relationship between chronic Al exposure and the risk of Alzheimer's disease remains controversial. In this work, the feasibility of in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) for measuring Al levels in the human hand bone, using the thermal neutron capture reaction {sup 27}Al(n,{gamma}){sup 28}Al, is reported. This noninvasive diagnostic technique employs a highmore » beam current Tandetron accelerator based neutron source, an irradiation/shielding cavity, a 4{pi} NaI(Tl) detector system, and a new set of hand bone phantoms. The photon spectra of the irradiated phantom closely resemble those collected from the hands of nonexposed healthy subjects. A protocol was developed using the newly developed hand phantoms, which resulted in a minimum detectable limit (MDL) of 0.29 mg Al in the human hand. Using the ratio of Al to Ca as an index of Al levels per unit bone mass, the MDL was determined as 19.5{+-}1.5 {mu}g Al/g Ca, which is within the range of the measured levels of 20-27 {mu}g Al/g Ca[ICRP, Report of the Task Group on Reference Man, Publication 23 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1975)] found in other in vivo and in vitro studies. Following the feasibility studies conducted with phantoms, the diagnostic technique was used to measure Al levels in the hand bones of 20 healthy human subjects. The mean hand bone Al concentration was determined as 27.1{+-}16.1 ({+-}1 SD) {mu}g Al/g Ca. The average standard error (1{sigma}) in the Al/Ca is 14.0 {mu}g Al/g Ca, which corresponds to an average relative error of 50% in the measured levels of Al/Ca. These results were achieved with a dose equivalent of 17.6 mSv to a hand and an effective dose of 14.4 {mu}Sv. This effective dose is approximately half of that received in a chest radiograph examination. It is recommended to investigate the use of the bone Al IVNAA diagnostic technique for in vivo measurements of patients with documented overload of Al in bone.« less

[Low-molecular-weight regulators of biogenic polyamine metabolism affect cytokine production and expression of hepatitis С virus proteins in Huh7.5 human hepatocarcinoma cells].

PubMed

Masalova, O V; Lesnova, E I; Samokhvalov, E I; Permyakova, K Yu; Ivanov, A V; Kochetkov, S N; Kushch, A A

2017-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) induces the expression of the genes of proinflammatory cytokines, the excessive production of which may cause cell death, and contribute to development of liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma. The relationship between cytokine production and metabolic disorders in HCV-infected cells remains obscure. The levels of biogenic polyamines, spermine, spermidine, and their precursor putrescine, may be a potential regulator of these processes. The purpose of the present work was to study the effects of the compounds which modulate biogenic polyamines metabolism on cytokine production and HCV proteins expression. Human hepatocarcinoma Huh7.5 cells have been transfected with the plasmids that encode HCV proteins and further incubated with the following low-molecular compounds that affect different stages of polyamine metabolism: (1) difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), the inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, the enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of polyamines; (2) N,N'-bis(2,3-butane dienyl)-1,4-diaminobutane (MDL72.527), the inhibitor of proteins involved in polyamine degradation; and (3) synthetic polyamine analog N^(I),N^(II)-diethylnorspermine (DENSpm), an inducer of polyamine degradation enzyme. The intracellular accumulation and secretion of cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and TGF-β) was assessed by immunocytochemistry and in the immunoenzyme assay, while the cytokine gene expression was studied using reverse transcription and PCR. The effects of the compounds under analysis on the expression of HCV proteins were analyzed using the indirect immunofluorescence with anti-HCV monoclonal antibodies. It has been demonstrated that, in cells transfected with HCV genes, DFMO reduces the production of three out of four tested cytokines, namely, TNF-α and TGF-β in cells that express HCV core, Е1Е2, NS3, NS5A, and NS5B proteins, and IL-1β in the cells that express HCV core, Е1Е2, and NS3 proteins. MDL72527 and DENSpm decreased cytokine production to a lesser extent. Incubation with DFMO led to a 28-32% decrease in the number of cells expressing NS5B or NS5A, both of which are key components of the HCV replication complex. The results obtained in the work indicate that a further detailed study of the antiviral activity of DFMO is required in order to assess its potential as an anti-hepatitis C therapeutic agent.

Phyllosilicate analysis capabilities of the CheMin mineralogical instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL '11) Curiosity Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, D. F.; Bish, D. L.; Vaniman, D. T.; Chipera, S.; Bristow, T. F.; Sarrazin, P.

2011-12-01

The CheMin mineralogical instrument on the MSL '11 Curiosity rover will return quantitative X-ray diffraction data (XRD) from scooped soil samples and drilled rock powders collected from the Mars surface. Samples of 45-65 mm3 from material sieved to <150 μm will be delivered through a funnel to one of 27 reuseable sample cells (five additional cells on the sample wheel contain diffraction or fluorescence standards). Sample cells are 8-mm diameter discs with 7-μm thick Mylar or Kapton windows spaced 170 μm apart. Within this volume, the sample is shaken by piezoelectric vibration at sonic frequencies, causing the powder to flow past a narrow, collimated X-ray beam in random orientations over the course of an analysis. In this way, diffraction patterns exhibiting little to no preferred orientation can be obtained even from minerals normally exhibiting strong preferred orientation such as phyllosilicates. Individual analyses will require several hours over one or more Mars sols. For typical well-ordered minerals, CheMin has a Minimum Detection Limit (MDL) of <3% by mass, an accuracy of better than 15% and a precision of better than 10% for phases present in concentrations >4X MDL (12%). The resolution of the diffraction patterns is 0.30 degrees 2θ, and the angular measurement range is 4-55 degrees 2θ. With this performance, CheMin can identify and distinguish a number of clay minerals. For example, discrimination between 1:1 phyllosilicates (such as the kaolin minerals), with repeat distances of ~7Å, and smectites (e.g., montmorillonite, nontronite, saponite), with repeat distances from 10-15Å, is straightforward. However, it is important to note that the variety of treatments used in terrestrial laboratories to aid in discrimination of clay minerals will not be accessible on Mars (e.g., saturation with ethylene glycol vapor, heat treatments). Although these treatments will not be available on Mars, dehydration within the CheMin instrument could be used to advantage in discriminating between phyllosilicate minerals that exhibit different dehydration behavior, such as chlorite vs. smectite. In addition, it should be possible to identify the hydrated kaolin mineral, halloysite. The lowest-angle diffraction peak from 10.1Å hydrated halloysite occurs at ~10.2 degrees 2θ with Co radiation and is easily detectable; the mineral may readily dehydrate to ~7Å, making its identification possible based on this transition. Examples will be shown of clay mineral analysis using CheMin IV, a prototype of the CheMin flight instrument.

Behavioral and pharmacokinetic interactions between monoamine oxidase inhibitors and the hallucinogen 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine.

PubMed

Halberstadt, Adam L

2016-04-01

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are often ingested together with tryptamine hallucinogens, but relatively little is known about the consequences of their combined use. We have shown previously that monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) inhibitors alter the locomotor profile of the hallucinogen 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) in rats, and enhance its interaction with 5-HT2A receptors. The goal of the present studies was to investigate the mechanism for the interaction between 5-MeO-DMT and MAOIs, and to determine whether other behavioral responses to 5-MeO-DMT are similarly affected. Hallucinogens disrupt prepulse inhibition (PPI) in rats, an effect typically mediated by 5-HT2A activation. 5-MeO-DMT also disrupts PPI but the effect is primarily attributable to 5-HT1A activation. The present studies examined whether an MAOI can alter the respective contributions of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors to the effects of 5-MeO-DMT on PPI. A series of interaction studies using the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY-100,635 and the 5-HT2A antagonist MDL 11,939 were performed to assess the respective contributions of these receptors to the behavioral effects of 5-MeO-DMT in rats pretreated with an MAOI. The effects of MAO-A inhibition on the pharmacokinetics of 5-MeO-DMT and its metabolism to bufotenine were assessed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-selective reaction monitoring-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-SRM-MS/MS). 5-MeO-DMT (1mg/kg) had no effect on PPI when tested 45-min post-injection but disrupted PPI in animals pretreated with the MAO-A inhibitor clorgyline or the MAO-A/B inhibitor pargyline. The combined effect of 5-MeO-DMT and pargyline on PPI was antagonized by pretreatment with either WAY-100,635 or MDL 11,939. Inhibition of MAO-A increased the level of 5-MeO-DMT in plasma and whole brain, but had no effect on the conversion of 5-MeO-DMT to bufotenine, which was found to be negligible. The present results confirm that 5-MeO-DMT can disrupt PPI by activating 5-HT2A, and indicate that MAOIs alter 5-MeO-DMT pharmacodynamics by increasing its accumulation in the central nervous system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.